| | | | | | | Presented By Babbel | | | | Axios Sports | | By Kendall Baker ·Jan 15, 2021 | | 🎉 Happy Friday! Let's sports. 📆 Note: We'll be off Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Today's word count: 1,655 words (6 minutes). | | | | | | 1 big thing: 🏀 European hoops |  Data: EuroLeague; Table: Axios Visuals EuroLeague week 20 (of 34) tipped off on Thursday as the 18-team, European basketball competition continues its mostly fanless campaign, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes. The big picture: Europe has long been a landing spot for Americans who can't quite stick in the NBA, as well as a launchpad for future stars. EuroLeague — basketball's equivalent of the Champions League — thus comprises the deepest well of talent outside the association. - As basketball's global footprint continues to grow, EuroLeague's popularity and clout should rise in lockstep.
- EuroLeague alums: In 2018, 19-year-old Luka Dončić became the youngest EuroLeague MVP; before joining the Timberwolves in 2011, Ricky Rubio led Barcelona to the 2010 EuroLeague Championship; Hawks G/F Bogdan Bogdanović was selected to the 2010-20 EuroLeague All-Decade Team.
The state of play: Today's slate boasts some of the season's best games, as No. 1 CSKA Moscow hosts No. 2 Barcelona and No. 4 Bayern Munich hosts No. 3 Real Madrid — showcasing a handful of familiar names in the process. - CSKA: Darrun Hilliard (Villanova 2011-15); Mike James (Suns 2017-18; current EuroLeague scoring leader)
- Barcelona: Leandro Bolmaro (No. 23 pick in 2020 NBA draft); Álex Abrines (Thunder 2016-19); Nikola Mirotić (Bulls/Pelicans 2014-19)
- Real Madrid: Rudy Fernández (2009 NBA dunk contest); Anthony Randolph (six-year NBA career)
- Bayern: Jalen Reynolds (Xavier 2012-16); Paul Zipser (Bulls 2016-18); JaJuan Johnson (Purdue 2007-11)
Elsewhere: The rest of the league features a veritable who's who of our collective NCAA and NBA memory: - Scottie Wilbekin: Now — Tel Aviv; then — Florida
- Shane Larkin: Anadolu Efes; Miami
- Norris Cole: Lyon-Villeurbanne; Heat
- Kevin Pangos: Zenit; Gonzaga
- Jan Veselý: Fenerbahçe; Wizards
- Jonas Jerebko: Khimki; 10-year NBA career
- Ante Žižić: Tel Aviv; Cavaliers
- Alex Poythress: Zenit; Kentucky
- Peyton Siva: Alba Berlin; Louisville
- Shelvin Mack: Panathinaikos; Butler, eight-year NBA career
- Luke Sikma: Alba Berlin; son of Hall of Famer Jack
Go deeper: Stat leaders (EuroLeague) |     | | | | | | 2. 🏈 NFL hires: Jets, Jags make moves | | Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images The Jaguars have hired Urban Meyer as their new head coach, hoping one of the most successful college football coaches in history can help turn the franchise into a winner. - Meyer has only twice lost more than three games in a season, and the last time he did (8-5 in 2010), he said he was retiring. It will be interesting to see how he handles coaching Jacksonville, notes NYT's Marc Tracy (Jeff's brother!).
- He will be the seventh head coach in Jaguars history, following Tom Coughlin (1995–2002), Jack Del Rio (2003–11), Mel Tucker (five games in 2011), Mike Mularkey (2012), Gus Bradley (2013–16) and Doug Marone (2016–20).
Photo: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images The Jets have reached an agreement in principle with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to be their next head coach. - Saleh, who is Lebanese American, will join Brian Flores (Dolphins), Mike Tomlin (Steelers) and Ron Rivera (Washington) as the only minority head coaches in the NFL.
- The agreement is for five years, per Adam Schefter. If he makes it that long, he'll be the sixth Jets head coach to last at least five seasons and first since Rex Ryan.
Remaining vacancies: ESPN is reporting this morning that the Falcons have made an offer to Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. - Falcons
- Lions
- Texans
- Chargers
- Eagles
| | | | | | | | 3. 🎬 Now streaming: "One Night in Miami" |  | | | Courtesy: Amazon Studios | | | | "One Night in Miami...," a fictionalized account of an actual meeting among four, Black American icons in 1964, debuts today on Prime Video, Jeff writes. - Director: Regina King ("Watchmen," "If Beale Street Could Talk") makes her directorial debut.
- Writer: Kemp Powers, who also wrote Pixar's "Soul," adapts his own award-winning, 2013 play of the same name.
- Starring: Eli Goree (Cassius Clay), Leslie Odom Jr. (Sam Cooke), Aldis Hodge (Jim Brown), Kingsley Ben-Adir (Malcolm X).
The story: On Feb. 25, 1964, Cassius Clay — who'd recently converted to Islam and was just two weeks shy of changing his name to Muhammad Ali — defeated Sonny Liston by TKO in Miami, earning his first heavyweight title. - After the bout, Sam Cooke (singer) and Malcolm X, as well as NFL star Jim Brown, who provided commentary for the fight's radio broadcast, retired to Malcolm's hotel room for an evening of shared introspection.
- The film takes us into that room, pulling back the curtain on a conversation whose exact words may never have been spoken, but whose ideas were, and remain, paramount to what it means to be Black in America.
What they're saying: "Among the pleasures of 'One Night in Miami...' is how it allows us to imagine we're glimpsing the private selves of highly public figures ... This is also, I think, an important argument of Powers' script: History isn't made by icons, but by human beings." 🎥 Watch: | | | | | | | | A message from Babbel | | Start speaking a new language in three weeks | | |  | | | | In 2021, let language take you places with Babbel. The background: This language learning app gives you bite-sized, manageable lessons in a variety of languages. It'll have you speaking the basics in three weeks. Sign up today and get 60% off. | | | | | | 4. 🏈 Playoff preview: Saints vs. Buccaneers |  | | | Graphic: Axios Visuals | | | | Four Divisional Round games; four (now one) days until Saturday. It's NFL preview week. The Divisional Round concludes Sunday evening at the Superdome, as the second-seeded Saints host the fifth-seeded Buccaneers, Jeff writes. - Kickoff: 6:40pm ET (Fox)
- Lines: NO -3 | O/U 52
- Attendance: 3,000
How they got here: - The Saints' record (12-4) is even more impressive than it looks given Drew Brees and Michael Thomas missed 13 combined games and New Orleans' vaunted defense didn't actually wake up until the second half of the season.
- The Bucs (11-5) thoroughly enjoyed year one of the Tom Brady experience, following his lead to the league's third-best offense and the franchise's first postseason berth since 2007.
Personnel: Both teams score a lot of points, but they produce them in very different ways. Oh yeah, the Saints also have a pretty decent defense. - The Saints are led on offense by the second-most accurate passer of all time and perhaps the league's best weapon in RB Alvin Kamara (59 TD since 2017). CB Marshon Lattimore and DE Cameron Jordan (both 2020 Pro Bowlers) lead a defense that's allowed just 14.9 points per game over its last 10.
- The Bucs surrounded Brady with the best receiving corps of his career in Mike Evans, the speedy duo of Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown and the not-so-secret weapon of Rob Gronkowski.
The intrigue: Brees and Brady — the NFL's all-time top two in both passing yards and touchdowns — have never met in the playoffs. And, with the former likely hanging it up after this season, they never will again. ICYMI: | | | | | | | | 5. 📸 Photos 'round the world | | Photo: Mark Brake/Getty Images ADELAIDE, Australia — Serena Williams and her daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. arrive at the airport ahead of the Australian Open. - All players are required to quarantine in Melbourne for two weeks before the rescheduled Australian Open gets underway on Feb. 8.
Photo: Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP via Getty Images CAIRO, Egypt — The French national team walks in front of the Pyramids of Giza on the eve of their match against Norway at the 2021 World Men's Handball Championship. Photo: Shi Tang/Getty Images BANGKOK, Thailand — Chloe Birch (L) and Lauren Smith of England compete in the Women's Doubles quarterfinals against Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong of Korea on day four of the Yonex Thailand Open. | | | | | | | | 6. ⚡️ Lightning round |  | | | Photo: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images | | | | 🏀 Davis buys Aces: Raiders owner Mark Davis has agreed to buy the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces from MGM Resorts International. 🏈 Wild stat: Baker Mayfield, 25, is the oldest QB left in the AFC playoffs. ⚽️ Montreal's rebrand: The Montreal Impact moniker is no more, replaced by Club de Foot Montreal, or CF Montreal. ⚾️ DH idea: What if, once a team took its starting pitcher out of the game, it also lost its DH for the rest of that game? The Athletic's Jayson Starks explores the pros and cons (subscription). 📚 Best thing I read: The Ringer's Mirin Fader has a spectacular profile on Packers WR Davante Adams. It's a story about fatherhood, masculinity, love and football. Dive in. | | | | | | | | 7. Jan. 15, 1942: ⚾️ FDR's "Green Light Letter" |  | | | Soldiers listening to the 1942 World Series. Photo: Bettmann Archives/Getty Images | | | | 79 years ago today, President Franklin D. Roosevelt wrote his famous Green Light Letter, urging MLB to play its season in the wake of the nation's entry into World War II. "I honestly feel that it would be best for the country to keep baseball going." — FDR Context: The letter was a response to MLB commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis' own missive asking whether players should be preparing for baseball or war. FDR's letter wasn't an order, but rather a "personal ... point of view." Joe DiMaggio smiles as a 7th AAF shoulder patch is added to his army uniform. Photo: APA/Getty Images Military service: Though FDR recommended they play on, he did still insist that "players who are of active military or naval age should go, without question, into the service." A few notable names: - Joe DiMaggio: Army Air Forces, 1943–45
- Ted Williams: Navy, 1943–45
- Bob Feller: Navy, 1942–44
- Stan Musial: Navy, 1945
- Warren Spahn: Army, 1943–45
Go deeper: War, fever and baseball in 1918 (Axios) | | | | | | | | 8. The Ocho: 🏍 All eyes on Jett Lawrence |  | | | Photo: Garth Milan/Red Bull | | | | 17-year-old phenom Jett Lawrence is ready for his encore, prepared to build on his impressive rookie campaign when the 2021 AMA Supercross season begins tomorrow in Houston, Jeff writes. The backdrop: Lawrence grew up in Australia riding dirt bikes around the family farm and has been hooked ever since. - "I'm pretty sure my first race, I was probably four or five, I got third and came in crying because I didn't win," he tells me. "Ever since then I just wanted to win."
- For the last five years, he and his family have moved all over the world to compete. Now they live in the states, ready to begin an exciting new season as Jett and his older brother Hunter are teammates at Honda.
The big picture: A year that began with a crash and followed with a pandemic ended on a high note, as Lawrence got his first career win in last season's final race before earning Rookie of the Year honors two weeks later. - Americans have dominated the Supercross (spring, indoor) and Motocross (summer, outdoor) circuits, winning 36 of 42 championships in the 450cc class since 2000.
- Chasing Reed: Three of those six non-American championships belong to Australian Chad Reed, who won his first 450cc title in 2004 when he was 22. Lawrence already has his eye on the prize.
"My goal is to try to beat [Reed] in age. This year, I have a really good opportunity to do it. I have the team to back me and make it possible, so it's definitely exciting." — Lawrence 🎥 Watch: Lawrence riding in the dark (Red Bull) | | | | | | | | 9. 🏈 NFL trivia |  | | | Photo: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images | | | | Tom Brady and Drew Brees top the all-time NFL passing touchdowns list, with 581 and 571, respectively. - Question: Six other active QBs rank in the top 20. Can you name them?
- Hint: Only one is still alive in this year's playoffs.
Answer at the bottom. | | | | | | | | 10. 🎥 Thursday's top plays |  | | | Connor McDavid. Photo: Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images | | | - 🏀 Ball to Bridges
- 🏀 Block and slam
- 🏒 No look assist
- 🏀 Wiseman over Bol
- 🏒 McDavid is unfair
Watch all 5. | | | | | | | | A message from Babbel | | Start the new year with a new language | | |  | | | | In 2021, let language take you places with Babbel. The background: This language learning app gives you bite-sized, manageable lessons in a variety of languages. It'll have you speaking the basics in three weeks. Sign up today and get 60% off. | | | | Enjoy the weekend, Kendall "See you Tuesday" Baker Trivia answer: Philip Rivers (5th), Aaron Rodgers (7th), Ben Roethlisberger (8th), Matt Ryan (10th), Matthew Stafford (16th), Russell Wilson (19th) | | 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 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.
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