| | | | | | | Presented By Upside | | | | Axios Sports | | By Kendall Baker · Oct 21, 2022 | | 🎉 Happy Friday! You made it. Today's word count: 1,908 words (7 minutes). Let's sports... | | | | | | 1 big thing: 🏈 Thursday night blockbuster |  | | | You can stop trying to tackle him now, guys. Photo: Mike Comer/Getty Images | | | | The 49ers have watched their division rival Rams sacrifice the future for the present in pursuit of Super Bowls for years. Now, they're the ones going all-in. Driving the news: The 49ers acquired star RB Christian McCaffrey from the Panthers last night in a rare October NFL blockbuster, sending three 2023 draft picks (second, third and fourth rounds) and a 2024 draft pick (fifth round) to Carolina. State of play: The 49ers (3-3) are in a three-way tie atop the NFC West with the Rams and Seahawks, while the Panthers (1-5) are a train wreck. - McCaffrey, who returns to the Bay Area after playing college ball at Stanford, has 393 rushing yards and two TDs this season (one came against the 49ers), plus 277 receiving yards and a TD.
- The 26-year-old has battled injuries in recent years but remains one of the NFL's most explosive playmakers and a fantasy stud. Now he'll pair with Deebo Samuel, who brings a similar skill set.
What they're saying: "The 49ers now have the best pass catching RB in the league in Christian McCaffrey and the best ball carrying WR in the league in Deebo Samuel. This offense is going to be so fun to watch," tweeted ESPN's Field Yates. Between the lines: McCaffrey is under contract through 2025 but he's on a cheap $1 million deal this season thanks to Carolina's offseason contract restructure. Next year it gets more complicated, as he's owed $11.8 million. Family ties … 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan knows the McCaffrey family well from his time in Denver, where his dad, Mike, coached Christian's father, Ed, with the Broncos. - In fact, Ed was Kyle's favorite player growing up, and the reason he wore No. 87 in college. The families were so close that Kyle may or may not have read Christian bedtime stories.
- "We go way back to when I was little," McCaffrey said in 2017. "I think he babysat me sometimes."
Looking ahead: If McCaffrey plays against the Chiefs on Sunday, he'll be wearing the same uniform his dad wore in Super Bowl XXIX — his last game as a 49er. San Francisco just happens to be wearing those throwbacks this week. |     | | | | | | 2. 🎉 Sports Equinox: Thursday recap |  | | | Illustration: Rebecca Zisser/Axios | | | | How was your Sports Equinox?! Some highlights from a jam-packed night... - ⚾️ MLB playoffs: The Astros beat the Yankees, 3-2, to take a 2-0 ALCS lead. The Yankees offense has now recorded six or fewer hits in nine straight games, the longest single-season streak in franchise history.
- ⚽️ MLS playoffs: LAFC beat LA Galaxy, 3-2, in a thriller that featured three goals after the 80-minute mark; Philadelphia squeaked past Cincinnati, 1-0, to reach their second straight conference finals.
- 🏈 NFL: The Cardinals used back-to-back pick-sixes to beat the Saints, 42-34, on a high-scoring night in Glendale. Andy Dalton has now lost 12 straight primetime starts.
- 🏀 NBA: Entering yesterday, every team had scored at least 100 points in their season-openers. The Bucks ruined it but still beat the 76ers, 90-88. The Clippers also won, beating the Lakers, 103-97.
- 🏒 NHL: There were 12 games, with two going to OT and one ending in a shootout. Buffalo's Rasmus Dahlin made history, becoming the first defender to score in his team's first four games.
- ⛳️ PGA Tour: Trey Mullinax and Gary Woodland share the lead after Round 1 of the CJ Cup, but Rory McIlroy, Tom Kim and other top 25 players are hot on their heels.
- ⚽️ Women's Champions League: Chelsea beat PSG, Real Madrid beat Vllaznia (Albania), Roma beat Slavia Praha (Czech Republic) and Wolfsburg beat St. Pölten (Austria) in group stage action.
- 🏈 College football: Virginia beat Georgia Tech, 16-9, in ACC action. Troy beat South Alabama, 10-6, in Sun Belt action. Not the best offensive showings.
| | | | | | | | 3. ⚽️ NWSL semis: Establishment vs. expansion |  | | | Graphic: Axios Visuals | | | | The NWSL semifinals on Sunday are a battle of old vs. new, as two founding members and two recent expansion teams go head-to-head, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes. No. 2 Portland Thorns vs. No. 3 San Diego Wave: Portland won the inaugural championship in 2013, and again in 2017, while San Diego is the first expansion team to make the playoffs in its debut season. - How they got here: The Thorns earned a bye; the Wave beat Chicago — last year's runner-up — thanks to a game-winner in extra time from Alex Morgan, who won her first NWSL Golden Boot with 15 goals.
- Who to watch: Beyond Morgan, this game's biggest star is Thorns and USWNT forward Sophia Smith, whose 14 goals trailed only Morgan. USWNT mainstays Crystal Dunn and Becky Sauerbrunn are also on the Thorns.
No. 1 OL Reign vs. No. 5 KC Current: The Reign (Seattle) won their third NWSL Shield (best record) this year, while the Current debuted last season and finished dead last. - How they got here: The Reign earned a bye; the Current got past Houston with a goal from Kate Del Fava in the 10th minute of stoppage time, the first of her career.
- Who to watch: USWNT stars Megan Rapinoe, Rose Lavelle, Alana Cook and Sofia Huerta lead the Reign, and you may recognize Current midfielder Lo'eau LaBonta from her viral goal celebration.
The backdrop: The Thorns' championship aspirations are being at least somewhat overshadowed by the NWSL's sexual abuse scandal in which they feature prominently. The bottom line: For the second straight season, the NWSL's stretch run is a balancing act between on-field excitement and off-field controversy. | | | | | | | | A message from Upside | | This app is helping users treat themselves | | |  | | | | Upside is on a mission to make sure that, even during expensive times, people still have a little extra money for a rainy day fund. The free app gets users cash back on: - Gas.
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On average, users earn $148 annually. Download the free Upside app to start earning. | | | | | | 4. ⚡️ Lightning round |  | | | Photo: Tim Vizer/AFP via Getty Images | | | | ♟ Niemann fires back: Hans Niemann, the American chess grandmaster at the center of an alleged cheating scandal, is suing world champion Magnus Carlsen and others for $100 million in damages. 🎓 Cal/UC Berkeley: UC Berkeley has created a task force to investigate the merging of the Cal and UC Berkeley brands, citing a sense of disassociation between the academic and athletic sides of the school. 🏈 High school history: Bella Rasmussen, a senior running back on the Laguna Beach (California) High School varsity football team, has become the first girl to score two touchdowns in a game. 🏒 Hans does hockey: The Kraken got legendary composer Hans Zimmer to create their team soundtrack — a perk of having famed producer Jerry Bruckheimer as a majority owner. | | | | | | | | 5. ⚾️ Chart du jour: Moneyball |  Data: Spotrac; Table: Axios Visuals The four teams remaining in the MLB playoffs ranked third, fourth, fifth and ninth in payroll this season, Jeff writes. Why it matters: The eventual World Series champion is guaranteed to boast a top 10 payroll, which is hardly a rarity this century. - 15 of 22 champions ranked in the top 10 in payroll: 2020 Dodgers (2nd), 2019 Nationals (7th), 2018 Red Sox (1st), 2016 Cubs (5th), 2014 Giants (7th), 2013 Red Sox (3rd), 2012 Giants (7th), 2011 Cardinals (9th), 2009 Yankees (1st), 2007 Red Sox (2nd), 2006 Cardinals (5th), 2004 Red Sox (2nd), 2003 Marlins (9th), 2001 Diamondbacks (5th), 2000 Yankees (1st).
- Seven fell outside the top 10: 2021 Braves (11th), 2017 Astros (15th), 2015 Royals (13th), 2010 Giants (12th), 2008 Phillies (16th), 2005 White Sox (15th), 2002 Angels (20th).
| | | | | | | | 6. 🏈 Snapshot: Heisman race |  | | | Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photos: Gregory Shamus and Jonathan Bachman, and Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images, and James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. | | | | Midway through the season, three QBs and one RB on teams with a combined 25-1 record lead our Heisman watchlist, Jeff writes. - CJ Stroud (QB, Ohio State): 1,737 passing yards (29th in the nation), 24 TD (t-1st), 3 INT, 94.4 QBR (1st), 70.6% completion rate (10th)
- Hendon Hooker (QB, Tennessee): 1,817 passing yards (24th), 15 TD (22nd), 1 INT, 91.2 QBR (2nd), 70% completion rate (16th); 287 rushing yards, 3 TD
- Blake Corum (RB, Michigan): 901 rushing yards (2nd), 13 TD (1st), 6.2 yards per carry (t-5th, min. 100 carries)
- Caleb Williams (QB, USC): 1,971 passing yards (13th), 19 TD (6th), 1 INT, 86.0 QBR (9th), 63.9% completion rate (58th); 235 rushing yards, 3 TD
Best of the rest: Bryce Young (QB, Alabama); Drake Maye (QB, UNC); Dorian Thompson-Robinson (QB, UCLA); Max Duggan (QB, TCU); Bijan Robinson (RB, Texas). Coming up: Stroud and Hooker can add to their résumés with big games this weekend against Iowa and UT Martin, respectively. Corum and Williams have byes. Go deeper: Midseason All-Americans (ESPN) | | | | | | | | 7. 💵 Ted Leonsis: King of DC sports? |  | | | Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios | | | | A group led by Ted Leonsis has emerged as the clear front-runner to buy the Nationals, The Athletic reports ($). Why it matters: Buying the Nats would make Leonsis the second person/family to own teams in three of the four major men's professional sports leagues, joining the Kroenke family. - Leonsis' Monumental Sports group already owns the Capitals and the Wizards, plus the WNBA's Mystics.
- The Kroenkes own the Rams, Avalanche and Nuggets, plus the Rapids of MLS and Arsenal.
The backdrop: The Lerner family, who bought the Nationals from MLB in 2006 for $405 million, announced this year they were putting the team up for sale. The price tag could exceed $2 billion. | | | | | | | | 8. 📺 Watchlist: U.S. Grand Prix |  | | | Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios | | | | The U.S. Grand Prix is Sunday in Austin (3pm ET, ABC), where the city is preparing for a huge event. - Looking back: Last year's 400,000 attendees broke F1's three-day attendance record, and organizers expect this year — the 10th edition in Austin — to draw an even bigger crowd.
- Looking ahead: The U.S. will be the only country with three F1 races when Las Vegas debuts next year alongside Austin and Miami.
More to watch: - ⚾️ MLB playoffs: Padres (1-1) at Phillies (Fri. 7:30pm FS1, Sat. 7:45pm Fox, Sun. 2:30pm, FS1); Astros (2-0) at Yankees (Sat. 5pm and Sun. 7pm, TBS)
- 🏈 NFL: Falcons at Bengals (Sun. 1pm, Fox); Chiefs at 49ers (Sun. 4:25pm, Fox); Steelers at Dolphins (Sun. 8:20pm, NBC)
- 🏈 CFB: No. 14 Syracuse at No. 5 Clemson (Sat. 12pm, ABC); No. 9 UCLA at No. 10 Oregon (Sat. 3:30pm, Fox); No. 20 Texas at No. 11 Oklahoma State (Sat. 3:30pm, ABC); No. 24 Mississippi State at No. 6 Alabama (Sat. 7pm, ESPN); No. 17 Kansas State at No. 8 TCU (Sat. 8pm, FS1)
- ⚽️ NWSL semis: Portland vs. San Diego (Sun. 5pm, CBSSN); OL Reign vs. Kansas City (Sun. 7:30pm, CBSSN)
- ⚽️ MLS quarters: Montréal vs. NYC FC (Sun. 1pm, ESPN); Austin vs. Dallas (Sun. 8pm, ESPN)
- 🏀 NBA: Celtics at Heat (Fri. 7:30pm, ESPN); Nuggets at Warriors (Fri. 10pm, ESPN); Spurs at 76ers (Sat. 6pm, NBA); Grizzlies at Mavericks (Sat. 8:30pm, NBA); Wizards at Cavaliers (Sun. 7pm, NBA); Suns at Clippers (Sun. 10pm, NBA)
- 🏒 NHL: Wild at Bruins (Sat. 1pm, NHL); Stars at Canadiens (Sat. 7pm, NHL); Ducks at Red Wings (Sun. 5pm, ESPN)
- ⚽️ Premier League: Man City vs. Brighton (Sat. 10am, Peacock); Chelsea vs. Man. United (Sat. 12:30pm, NBC); Tottenham vs. Newcastle (Sun. 11:30am, USA)
- ⛳️ PGA: The CJ Cup (Fri.-Sun. Golf)
- ⛳️ LPGA: BMW Ladies Championship (Fri.-Sun. Golf)
- 🏁 NASCAR playoffs: Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway (Sun. 2:30pm, NBC)
| | | | | | | | 9. 🏈 College football trivia | | Giphy Only two FBS programs have never lost more than two games in a season during the College Football Playoff era (2014-present). - Question: Can you name them?
- Hint: Different conferences.
Answer at the bottom. | | | | | | | | 10. 🗽 1 NYC thing: Times Square sportsbook |  | | | Photo: Amir Hamja/Bloomberg via Getty Images | | | | One of New York City's biggest commercial developers has an intriguing — and controversial — proposal: a Caesars casino in the heart of Times Square. Plus: There's already a competing bid for a Wynn casino in nearby Hudson Yards. | | | | | | | | A message from Upside | | How to fight inflation with your everyday spending | | |  | | | | The Upside app pays you back a little from each purchase to help offset rising costs. On average, users earn $148 annually. You can get cash back at: - Gas stations.
- Convenience stores.
- Grocery stores.
- Restaurants.
Take back control of your budget and download the free Upside app. | | | | Enjoy the weekend, Kendall "Hello Rick Ross" Baker Trivia answer: Alabama and Ohio State 🙏 Have a great day! Follow us for more (@kendallbaker and @jeffreytracy). Friends can sign up here. Thanks to Carolyn DiPaolo for copy edits. |  | | Are you a fan of this email format? It's called Smart Brevity®. Over 300 orgs use it — in a tool called Axios HQ — to drive productivity with clearer workplace communications. | | | | | | Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here.
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