| | | | | | | | | | | Axios Sports | | By Kendall Baker ·Feb 01, 2021 | | 👋 Happy Monday! Let's sports. Today's word count: 1,813 words (7 minutes). | | | | | | 1 big thing: ⚖️ The TV/streaming balancing act |  | | | Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios | | | | As cable TV dies a slow and inevitable death, networks are hedging their bets by moving more content over to streaming services. - Yes, but: With tens of millions of Americans still subscribed to cable, networks can't abandon pay TV, forcing them to find a delicate balance between both worlds.
Driving the news: Comcast's NBCUniversal this month announced that it will shut down its sports network, NBCSN, by the end of the year and move some of its premium programming to USA Network and its Peacock streaming service. - NBCU is hopeful that beefing up USA Network will strengthen the network's appeal in cable and satellite negotiations, Axios' Sara Fischer reports.
- But long-term, this move is about building Peacock — now the exclusive home of WWE — into a bona fide competitor to Netflix, ESPN+ and other streaming services.
 Data: eMarketer; Chart: Axios Visuals The big picture: It's obvious that streaming will win the war. But legacy TV will win some battles along the way, starting with the all-important NFL rights, which are up for renewal in 2022. - Though even with the NFL, which was responsible for 71 of last year's 100 biggest TV audiences, streaming could play a major role sooner than some might think.
- CAA's Nick Khan, the "Scott Boras of sports media," told the New York Post that he thinks Amazon will get exclusive rights to "Thursday Night Football," while the incumbent networks (Fox, CBS, NBC, ESPN) keep their packages.
The bottom line: In a world where disruption seems to happen overnight (i.e. Uber upending taxis), the decline of cable is going to be a much slower process. - As a result, we'll be living in "The In-Between" for the foreseeable future, with live sports spread out across broadcast, streaming and pay TV.
- The key to survival: Remembering all of your passwords.
P.S. ... While "TV vs. streaming" garners most of the attention, let's not forget about what's happening with "old cable vs. new cable." - YouTube TV, Hulu, Sling and FuboTV have dropped the 21 Sinclair-owned Fox Sports regional networks — recently rebranded as Bally's Sports — from their offerings.
- That means NHL and NBA fans in Arizona, Carolina, Detroit, Florida, Tampa, St. Louis, Minnesota, Columbus, Anaheim, Los Angeles, Dallas, Nashville and Tampa are currently unable to watch their teams without traditional cable.
|     | | | | | | 2. 🏈 Interview: Jason Wright on "Axios on HBO" |  | | | Screenshot: "Axios on HBO" | | | | Jason Wright, president of the Washington Football Team, spoke with Axios CEO Jim VandeHei during Sunday's Season 4 premiere of "Axios on HBO." - They covered Washington's name change, the culture within the organization, and football's future.
- They also discussed systemic racism, which produced the following exchange.
Is there systemic racism in the NFL? I see systemic racism, systemic gender bias, systemic bias of all sorts as just a bit of the air we breathe in society. So it's a little bit of: Does it exist, period? Yes. Therefore, it exists everywhere. Is it more profound [in the NFL]? I think it is more obvious because 70% of the men on the field are Black men. So I think just the optics of it are different. In your role as president of the Washington Football Team, do you still feel like you're experiencing racism in the capacity of running the team? Racial bias, which is I guess my preferred term, is something that I've experienced through high school, college and definitely my professional career. And it's that when you have any moment of accomplishment, accolade, appointment or whatever it is, the first question on people's minds is: Is this tokenism? Is this a PR stunt? Do they deserve it? And that is an additional burden that sits on people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people that doesn't exist on other folks. It always pops up no matter what the track record was before. And as a result, you carry that with you. It's something that every Black professional experiences at some level. Go deeper: | | | | | | | | 3. 🏀 At the center of the MVP race: Centers |  | | | Photo: Mitchell Leff/Getty Images | | | | An NBA center hasn't won MVP since the Clinton administration, but Nikola Jokić and Joel Embiid could put an end to that streak this season. Jokić is averaging 26.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 1.8 steals per game — all career highs, and numbers only Russell Westbrook has ever reached. - He tied a career-high with 47 points on Sunday, as the Nuggets snapped the Jazz's 11-game winning streak.
- Wild stat: Jokić and Bill Walton are the only players since the ABA-NBA merger to open a season with 20 consecutive double-doubles.
Embiid is averaging 28.3 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 blocks ... in just 31.7 minutes per game. - He has the 76ers sitting atop the East, and he's torching the nets from everywhere, including hitting 40.4% of his threes.
- Wild stat: Embiid is on pace to join Stephen Curry as the only players to finish a season with a usage rate higher than 30% and a true shooting percentage north of .650, per The Ringer.
The bottom line: LeBron James might still be the MVP favorite, and Kevin Durant and Luka Dončić are in the mix. But Jokić and Embiid are welcome additions to a race that guards and wings have dominated this century. More awards: - DPOY: Anthony Davis (Lakers) over Myles Turner (Pacers)
- ROY: LaMelo Ball (Hornets) over Tyrese Haliburton (Kings)
- COY: Quin Snyder (Jazz) over Doc Rivers (76ers)
- Sixth Man: Jordan Clarkson (Jazz) over Chris Boucher (Raptors)
- Most Improved: Jaylen Brown (Celtics) over Jerami Grant (Pistons)
| | | | | | | | A message from Axios | | Your insiders' guide | | |  | | | | Get an insiders' guide to the most powerful people - and ideas - shaping the government with Axios Sneak Peek. Delivered daily from Sunday to Thursday. - Why it matters: Stay on top of the latest news on the new White House.
Subscribe for free | | | | | | 4. ⚡️ Lightning round |  | | | Photo: Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images | | | | ⛳️ Patrick Reed won the Farmers Insurance Open to claim his ninth PGA Tour title, but his victory was overshadowed by a rules dustup — and his own history. 🏀 Wild finishes: Over the last 25 seasons, NBA teams are 9-23,498 when trailing by 5+ points in the final 10 seconds. Two of those nine wins occurred this weekend, with the Wizards beating the Nets, and the Blazers beating the Bulls. 💵 LeBron James will soon become the fifth athlete to surpass $1 billion in career earnings while still active, per Forbes. The other four: Tiger Woods, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Floyd Mayweather. 🏈 Kyler Murray was named MVP of the 2021 NFL Pro Bowl, which saw athletes and celebrities go head-to-head in "Madden 21." The NFC won 32-12. ⚾️ Ken Griffey Jr. has been hired as a senior adviser to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred. "The Kid" will focus on baseball operations and youth development, with an emphasis on improving diversity at amateur levels. 🏂 Shaun White withdrew from the Winter X Games after tweaking his knee. White, 34, was set to compete for the first time in nearly three years. 🎙 Colin Cowherd is creating a new podcast network called the Volume, where he's the owner and star. The network will launch with multiple shows, including an NFL program hosted by Aqib Talib. ⚾️ Best thing I saw: Please enjoy this color footage of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, the league depicted in "A League of Their Own." | | | | | | | | 5. 🏈 Hollywood's NFL blockbuster |  | | | Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images | | | | The Lions and Rams swapped former No. 1 picks this weekend, setting the stage for an offseason full of unprecedented QB reshuffling, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes. - Lions receive: QB Jared Goff, 2021 third-round pick, 2022 first-round pick and 2023 first-round pick
- Rams receive: QB Matthew Stafford
The Rams' perspective: Goff's play has declined since inking his four-year, $134 million extension in 2019, so in a move straight out of the NBA, the Rams rid themselves of that albatross by simply overpaying with draft capital. - The cost to draft, pay and dump Goff is unprecedented, but the Rams — armed with the NFL's best defense — clearly felt it necessary to go all-in.
- Plus, trading away top picks is nothing new in L.A. The Rams may go seven years without a first-rounder, a strategy that hasn't been seen since the 1980s.
The Lions' perspective: Detroit has won just one playoff game in the Super Bowl era (way back in 1991). Every other team has won at least four. - Stafford was a franchise legend, but now the Lions can commit to a full rebuild. And they'll be doing so with a glut of picks and the 26-year-old Goff, who'll be playing with a chip on his shoulder.
- "I'm just excited to be somewhere that I know wants me and appreciates me," said Goff. "I couldn't be more excited to build a winner there."
Trade notes: - Dak Prescott is now the only QB from the 2016 draft class who hasn't been cut, traded or benched.
- This is the first time No. 1 overall picks have been traded for each other in the common draft era (1967).
- Wild coincidence: Stafford and Rams coach Sean McVay both happened to be in Cabo when the trade went down, so they celebrated over dinner.
Looking ahead: If this was the haul for Stafford, what will it take to land Deshaun Watson? And who might be willing to pay? - The 49ers are now the most obvious suitor, as standing pat in a division that employs Stafford, Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray feels akin to giving up.
Go deeper: Inside the trade negotiations (SI) | | | | | | | | 6. ⚽️ Soccer 'round the world | | Jonathan Lewis celebrates his first of two goals. Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images ORLANDO — The USMNT began 2021 with a bang, routing Trinidad & Tobago, 7-0, behind two goals apiece from Jonathan Lewis, Jesús Ferreira and Paul Arriola. Photo: Miguel Schincariol/Getty Images SAO PAULO, Brazil — Palmeiras fans partied into the night to celebrate the team's dramatic 1-0 victory over Santos to win the Copa Libertadores, the greatest prize in South American club soccer. Photo: Andrew Boyers/Getty Images BRIGHTON, England — Alexis Mac Allister (above) and 17th-place Brighton knocked off sixth-place Tottenham, 1-0, to earn their first home win of the season. Photo: Eric Alonso/Getty Images BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona beat Real Madrid, 4-1, to win the second ever women's Clasico. | | | | | | | | 7. 📚 Good read: From track star to Reddit legend |  | | | Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios | | | | Long before he found himself at the center of the GameStop saga, Keith Gill was a college track star. - "He destroyed local records on the track, attracted national recognition for his college times and even found himself featured in Sports Illustrated's Faces in the Crowd section," per WSJ (subscription).
- "Gill's great hope in life was ... clocking a 4-minute mile. ... He would have to settle for becoming a paper millionaire instead."
- "With potential earnings in the eight figures after this manic week, Gill can suddenly afford to treat himself to the only lavish indulgence on his wish list. He wants to build an indoor track facility in Brockton, Mass."
Keep reading. More good reads: | | | | | | | | 8. Feb. 1, 2009: 🏈 Holmes plays the hero |  | | | Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images | | | | 12 years ago today, the Steelers beat the Cardinals, 27-23, in Super Bowl XLIII at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium. Quick recap: The game had a wild ending, as the teams combined to score 23 points across the final 7:33. - It looked like Larry Fitzgerald would be the hero after breaking away for a 64-yard go-ahead score with 2:37 left.
- But the legend turned out to be Santonio Holmes, whose toe-drag touchdown with just 35 seconds left gave Pittsburgh the win and earned Holmes MVP.
This weekend, the Super Bowl returns to Tampa. Will we see another epic finish? Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images | | | | | | | | 9. ⚾️ MLB trivia |  | | | Photo: Daniel Shirey/Getty Images | | | | Nolan Arenado was traded to the Cardinals over the weekend in a deal that made the Rockies look, well, extremely silly. - Question: Who is the only player to start his career with more consecutive Gold Gloves than Arenado's eight?
- Hint: Outfielder.
Answer at the bottom. | | | | | | | | 10. 🎥 Weekend's top plays | | Giphy You don't have to know much about handball to understand that this is an unreal save by Sweden's Andreas Palicka. - 🏐 What a save
- 🏒 Insane finish
- 🏀 Reverse 360
- 🏀 Dame calls game
- 🏂 Triple cork 1980
Watch all 5. | | | | | | | | A message from Axios | | Your insiders' guide | | | | | | | | Get an insiders' guide to the most powerful people - and ideas - shaping the government with Axios Sneak Peek. Delivered daily from Sunday to Thursday. - Why it matters: Stay on top of the latest news on the new White House.
Subscribe for free | | | | Talk tomorrow, Kendall "Handball enthusiast" Baker Trivia answer: Ichiro Suzuki (10) | | 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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