Axios Sports: L.A.'s empty palace — NFL power rankings — History of the fist bump

1 big thing: 🏟 L.A.'s empty palace | Thursday, December 10, 2020

Open in app View in browser   Presented By OurCrowd   Axios Sports By Jeff Tracy ·Dec 10, 2020 👋 Good morning! Two notes to get your day started: 🏈 The Big Ten has changed its six-game minimum policy, officially putting Ohio State in next week's conference championship against Northwestern. ⚽ USMNT's young, MLS-heavy roster shined in a 6-0 rout of El Salvador in last night's friendly. Let's sports. Today's word count: 1,726 words (6 minutes).     1 big thing: 🏟 L.A.'s empty palace Photo: Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images   The perfect coda for 2020: The most expensive stadium ever built could conclude its first NFL season without hosting a single fan. Why it matters: SoFi Stadium in L.A. was supposed to be a Mecca for fans. Instead, it's the most beautiful $5 billion placeholder money can buy. The big picture: This season was set up to be one of the league's biggest, with a glut of marketable stars, two new stadiums (L.A.; Vegas) that put the term "state-of-the-art" to shame and a 2019 ratings spike that portended good things to come. Then, the coronavirus hit. While the pandemic — or the fact that stadiums are still mostly empty — is certainly not the league's fault, its bungled response along the way has only highlighted the contrast between those sky-high expectations and the reality of this season unlike any other. And tonight's game, a Super Bowl LIII rematch between the rallying Patriots and first-place Rams that doubles as SoFi's final primetime game of the year, serves as yet another stark reminder of just how good we could have had it if things had broken right. Yes, but: For all the challenges and missteps along the way, here we are just four weeks shy of the playoffs with 32 teams who've completed their full slate of games. The bottom line: You may not be able to visit this breathtaking stadium in person yet, but that video board still looks pretty incredible on TV (8:20pm ET, Fox).     2. 🏈 NFL power rankings: Week 14 Table: Axios Visuals The Chiefs have finally claimed the top spot in our esteemed power rankings after the Steelers' unlikely but no less impressive undefeated season came to an end. Don Shula may have already popped the champagne from his new perch in the sky (RIP), but Pittsburgh and Kansas City still have a chance to enter rarefied air. 15-1: Just six teams have fallen a single game shy of perfection ('84 Niners, '85 Bears, '98 Vikings, '04 Steelers, '11 Packers, '15 Panthers). With four games left, two more could join them (and Big Ben would be on the list twice!). Conference call: Thanks to surges by Washington and New York, it appears the NFC East will avoid historic futility as long as the conference wins three of its remaining 10 extra-divisional games (22 wins is the fewest for any conference since realignment in 2002). AFC North: 29-18-1 NFC West: 27-21 AFC West: 25-23 NFC South: 25-23 NFC North: 25-23 AFC East: 23-25 AFC South: 21-27 NFC East: 16-31-1 Coming up: Tonight: Patriots at Rams (-5) Sunday, 1pm: Chiefs (-7) at Dolphins Sunday, 4pm: Colts (-3) at Raiders Sunday night: Steelers at Bills (-2.5) Monday: Ravens (-1) at Browns Go deeper: Playoff picture (The Athletic)     3. 👊🏽 History of the fist bump Giphy Have you ever wondered how the fist bump came to be? In this socially-distanced and handshake-less world, it's on all our minds just a little more than normal, so The Athletic's Rustin Dodd sought out the history of the simple, celebratory act. The milestone: It's impossible to pin down the moment of the first fist bump, but a 1970 Baltimore Bullets game seems to be an inflection point. Fred Carter, a rookie guard known for his enthusiasm, held up his fist for teammate Wes Unseld before the game. Unseld bumped his fist back, unknowingly "pushing sports into the future," writes Dodd. Fred Carter with the Sixers in 1975. Photo: Focus on Sport/Getty Images The backdrop: The Black Power movement of the '60s bled into the Vietnam War — the first in U.S. history with integrated military deployments. Yes, but: Black soldiers experienced racism regardless, and in a show of solidarity formed intricate handshakes, known as giving dap; something simultaneously out in the open and theirs alone. By 1971, the "soul handshake" made its way to sports. In fact, that year's AL Cy Young and MVP, Vida Blue, dapped up President Richard Nixon during a team visit to the White House. Was the fist bump perhaps a subconscious simplification of the dap, tailor-made for the quicker celebrations sports require? The future: Fist bumps are no longer niche, but it's unclear if they will, or should, replace the handshake. Handshakes have a charming history — potential enemies holding out their empty hands to prove they were unarmed — but they're also an incredibly efficient way to spread germs. Fist bumps are indeed safer, but only marginally so. Plus, handshakes are so deeply-rooted in our culture that it's unlikely they disappear for good. The last word: "Carter did not invent the idea of making a fist and bumping knuckles with a teammate or friend. But he was a Johnny Appleseed of sorts, one of thousands, slowly spreading something that seemed so subtle and simple. This is the way language works." — Dodd Read the whole piece (subscription).     A message from OurCrowd Proven tech could save governments billions treating drinking water     Toxic algae blooms are poisoning water supplies globally. BlueGreen Water Technologies treats toxic algae fast, effectively and at scale. Proven across five continents, BlueGreen could save billions. Now, you can invest. Explore BlueGreen's ability to save our drinking water.     4. ⚽️ Champions League final 16 is set Data: UEFA; Table: Axios Visuals The Champions League group stage is over and the field for the final 16 is set. Winners and runners-up by group: A: Bayern (Germany); Atlético (Spain) B: Real Madrid (Spain); Mönchengladbach (Germany) C: Manchester City (England); Porto (Portugal) D: Liverpool (England); Atalanta (Italy) E: Chelsea (England); Sevilla (Spain) F: Dortmund (Germany); Lazio (Italy) G: Juventus (Italy); Barcelona (Spain) H: PSG (France); RB Leipzig (Germany) What's next: The draw to determine knockout round matchups is Monday, Dec. 14. Here's how it works: Random draw: The eight winners and eight runners-up are each put in a pot; teams picked alongside each other will match up in the round of 16. Two caveats: Winners can't play the runner-up from their own group and teams from the same domestic league can't play each other. Format: Unlike the group stage, the next round — which begins in February — includes two legs per matchup. Higher seeds host the second leg, with the aggregate winner advancing to the quarterfinals. Go deeper: Meet the final 16 (UEFA)     5. 📊 By the numbers Photo: Olga Maltseva/AFP via Getty Images   ⚽️ 16 years, 18 days: Borussia Dortmund forward Youssoufa Moukoko became the youngest player ever to feature in a Champions League game when he came on in the 58th minute against Zenit. The previous record, set in 1994, was 16 years, 86 days (Celestine Babayaro, Anderlecht). 💸 2% decrease: NHL team valuations declined for the first time since 2001, dropping 2% to an average of $653 million per franchise, Forbes reports. Nine teams — nearly a third of the league, and four more than last year — recorded double-digit operating losses. 🏋🏼‍♀️ $9.99/month: Fitness+, Apple's new digital fitness subscription service, launches on Dec. 14 and will cost $9.99/month. It hopes to compete with services like Peloton, which is far pricier ($39.99/month) and requires a bike that costs thousands of dollars, while Apple's product hinges mostly on its own already-ubiquitous devices. ⛳️ 2 courses: The U.S. Women's Open tees off today at Champions Golf Club in Houston, but due to the abnormal December start date — and ensuing earlier sunset — the field will be split between the club's two courses to ensure play concludes before darkness falls. Come Saturday, whoever's made the cut will converge on just one course. Photo: Carmen Mandato/Getty Images     6. 🏄🏼 Field trip: Oahu Thanks for choosing Axios Airlines. We'll be traveling to a new destination each morning this month. Sit back and enjoy the flight. Screenshot: Google Maps Location: Banzai Pipeline Coordinates: 21.6598°N, 158.0566°W Welcome to Oahu, whose famed Banzai Pipeline is currently hosting the Billabong Pipeline Masters — the final leg of surfing's triple crown. The "Pipeline" got its name in 1961 when legendary filmmaker Bruce Brown (The Endless Summer, et al) happened upon a surf break at Banzai Beach, shot his friend catching some waves and noticed nearby construction on an underground pipeline. A surf break is when an obstruction like a shoal or reef causes waves to break near the shore in such a way that they can be surfed. Pipeline is among the most famous and beloved breaks, known for its large barrels that surfers can tube ride. Photo: Tony Heff/World Surf League via Getty Images Pipeline Masters: The final event on the World Surf League calendar welcomes the top 45 men's surfers, as well as 16 walk-ons. History: Held every year since 1971, this is the 50th iteration of the event. Kelly Slater has the most wins all time (seven). Now: They're entering day three of 13, with the seeding round complete and the elimination round about to begin. 🎥 How to watch: Each day streams live on the World Surf League YouTube page. (Today's action begins at 12pm ET)     7. Dec. 10, 1992: 🏒 Ducks, Panthers join the NHL Giphy 28 years ago today, the NHL awarded two new franchises to buyers in Miami and Anaheim for $50 million each. Florida Panthers: Wayne Huizenga, who also owned the Dolphins and Marlins, won the bid. Mighty Ducks of Anaheim: None other than the Walt Disney Company brought the Ducks to life. And yes, the team was named after the Disney movie released just two months earlier. Expansion: This came near the start of a decade marked by rapid NHL expansion. As of 1990, there were just 21 teams; by 2000, there would be 30. 1991: San Jose Sharks 1992: Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning 1993: Panthers and Mighty Ducks (changed name to Anaheim Ducks in 2006 after Disney sold the team) 1998: Nashville Predators 1999: Atlanta Thrashers (moved to Winnipeg in 2011 and became the Jets) 2000: Blue Jackets and Wild What came next: In 2017, the Vegas Knights took the ice as the 31st franchise. Beginning next fall, the Seattle Kraken will make it an even 32. Go deeper: History of NHL expansion (NHL)     8. The Ocho: 🇳🇱 Canal vaulting in Holland Source: SNTV - Inside every story (YouTube) Fierljeppen ... is pretty much exactly what it looks like, which is to say pole-vaulting across a canal. Origins: Native to the West Frisian people in the Dutch province of Friesland, what began as utility transformed into sport. The Netherlands is loaded with waterways due to its high percentage (17%) of land below sea level. Instead of getting wet or going the long way around, people learned to vault across these canals. The first official match was in 1767, but the modern, organized version of the sport didn't spring up until the mid-20th century. Go deeper: History, rules, records and video (Dutch Review)     9. 🏈 College football trivia Photo: UA Athletics/Collegiate Images/Getty Images   Najee Harris, who scored three times last week, is now the fourth player in Alabama history with at least 40 rushing touchdowns. Question: Who are the other three? Hint: They all have a single "R" in their last name. Answer at the bottom.     10. 🏈 Three NFL records that could be broken Tom Brady drops a pass in Super Bowl LII. Photo: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images   With four weeks left in the regular season, here are three records in danger of being broken and the men nipping at history's heels. Rookie receiving yards (post-merger): 1,377 (Anquan Boldin, 2003) Justin Jefferson, MIN: He's at 1,039, putting him 338 yards shy with four to play. He'll need to average 84.5/game to catch Boldin, and he's currently averaging ... 86.6/game. Most catches with a perfect catch rate: 29 (Pierre Thomas, 2010) Joshua Kelley, LAC: The rookie running back has caught all 23 of his targets, but he's also had three games without seeing a pass come his way. Oldest player to catch a pass: Jerry Rice (42 years old; 2004) Tom Brady, TB: The 43-year-old has three career catches, most recently in 2018. Time to pull out the trick playbook!     A message from OurCrowd BlueGreen's innovative WaterTech could prevent global disaster     Toxic algae blooms are expanding rapidly, poisoning our drinking water and causing billions of dollars in damage. BlueGreen Water Technologies has been proven in reservoirs, lakes and rivers all over the world to eliminate toxic algae. Invest early as BlueGreen helps save our drinking water.   Talk tomorrow, Jeff "Quack-quack-quack-quack-quack, Mr. Ducksworth" Tracy Trivia answer: Derrick Henry (42), Mark Ingram (42), Shaun Alexander (41) Invite friends to follow Axios Sports Use your personal link to track how many readers you bring into the community You currently have 00 referrals. Share with a friend or use your personal referral link https://www.axios.com/referral/sports?code=BbTjEdwGLRoN For questions email referralsupport@axios.com. Participation in the Axios Sports Referral Program constitutes your acceptance of the Axios Terms and Conditions of Use, which can be viewed here.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Suite 1300, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.   Was this email forwarded to you? 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