| | | | | | | Presented By Upside | | | | Axios Sports | | By Kendall Baker · Oct 31, 2022 | | 🎃 Happy Halloween! The first two games of the 2022 World Series delivered plenty of drama in Houston. What's in store tonight in Philadelphia? Today's word count: 1,978 words (7 minutes). Let's sports... | | | | | | 1 big thing: 🏈 Peyton Manning's second act |  | | | Photo illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios. Photo: Justin Edmonds/Getty Images | | | | When Peyton Manning retired from the NFL in 2016, many assumed he'd become a broadcaster. Instead, in typical Peyton fashion, he called an audible. The intrigue: Manning audibled because, like his playing days, he noticed something — a hole in the coverage, a chance to make a big play that could change the game. - That big play was Omaha Productions, the company he founded that has already created multiple hit shows.
- Has he changed the game? Time well tell. But so far, Manning has paved a unique path, spurning a network broadcast gig to try to build a media empire of his own.
What he's saying: "This is a second chapter for me," Manning told me in a phone call. "I never had a plan for what I wanted to do after I finished playing because I never had time to think about it. I was just thinking about football." State of play: Omaha produces "Peyton's Places" and the "Manningcast," both of which have been so successful that they've already birthed franchises. 1. Peyton's Places ... What began as a one-off way to honor the NFL's 100th season is now in Season 3, with Episode 1 of Manning's light-hearted show premiering Sunday on ESPN+. - Omaha has already added "Eli's Places" (Eli Manning on college football), "Vince's Places" (Vince Carter on basketball) and "Abby's Places" (Abby Wambach on soccer), among others.
- "Places" will soon expand beyond sports, too, Manning tells me, with other hosts "who have walked the walk" like Luke Bryan (country music), Admiral William McRaven (military) and LL Cool J (hip-hop).
2. The "Manningcast" ... Peyton says he and Eli approach their alternate "Monday Night Football" broadcast as if they're "sitting at a bar or on a couch with the guest and viewers." - And they keep it light: "The 2nd-and-1 running play that nobody really cares about, let's not analyze that," says Manning. "Let's talk to [our guest] instead. I mean, that's how I watch football with friends and family ... just sort of having conversations."
- Omaha has a deal with ESPN to expand the "Manningcast" concept to other sports, and their golf version — featuring Joe Buck and Michael Collins — debuted at this year's PGA Championship.
The big picture: Few people love football more than Peyton. And the beauty of him owning a media company, rather than merely working in media, is the freedom he has to lean all the way into that. - "Peyton's Places" is a canvas for the irreverent Manning to tell obscure, downright goofy stories about the NFL.
- The "Manningcast" lets him call NFL games, while being fully himself in ways the broadcast booth doesn't allow.
- Omaha as a whole puts him in an executive role, where he's proven to have media instincts that extend far beyond his on-camera talents.
The last word: "The best thing about Omaha is helping other people tell stories," says Manning. "I'm proud of 'Peyton's Places,' but I'm even prouder of shows like 'Abby's Places' that give other athletes a voice." |     | | | | | | 2. ⚽️ Thorns win record third NWSL title |  | | | Photo: Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images | | | | The Portland Thorns beat the Kansas City Current, 2-0, on Saturday night in the nation's capital to win their record third NWSL title. Player of the match: League MVP Sophia Smith scored in the fourth minute and was involved in the play that led to Portland's second goal, courtesy of an own goal. - Smith, 22, was the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NWSL draft out of Stanford and is one of the faces of the USWNT's future.
- Two years ago, Smith became the first player born in the 2000s to appear for the senior national team.
What they're saying: "She can stop pushing now and she will still be ... one of the best players this country has ever produced," said Thorns coach Rhian Wilkinson. "My job is to keep pushing her, and make sure she is the best player this country has ever produced, because she has that in her." The backdrop: D.C.'s Audi Field was nearly sold out for the game, which was broadcast in primetime on network TV (CBS) for the first time. - Portland won the NWSL's inaugural championship in 2013 and won again in 2017.
- Kansas City finished in last place a year ago, its first season as an expansion team.
The big picture: The Thorns were at the center of the abuse scandal that rocked women's soccer this season. Lifting the trophy was cathartic for players and fans; it was also a reminder that on-field results are only part of the NWSL's evolving story. "We know there is a lot of work left to have a safe and sustainable league. As we celebrate this historic moment, we will make our league a better place for players." — NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman | | | | | | | | 3. 🏈 NFL Sunday: Philly stays perfect |  | | | Eagles center Jason Kelce, dressed as Batman, salutes the Philadelphia crowd. Photo: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images | | | | The Eagles crushed the Steelers, 35-13, on Sunday to become just the 29th NFL team since 1990 to start 7-0. All 29 of those teams made the playoffs, 13 made the Super Bowl and six won it all. Elsewhere: - 13 straight: For the first time since 2001, the Jets entered a game against Patriots with a better record. But the result was more of the same: A 22-17 defeat, their 13th straight loss to New England.
- Panthers blow it: The Panthers tied the Falcons with a miracle Hail Mary. But too much celebrating led to a long extra point, which was missed by Eddy Piñeiro, who missed again in OT. Brutal loss.
- Mr. 200: Derrick Henry ran wild against the Texans (32 carries, 219 yards, 2 TD), tying Adrian Peterson and O.J. Simpson for the most career 200-yard rushing games (6). Henry owns Houston.
- TD trifecta: Christian McCaffrey became the first player since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2005 with a TD pass, TD rush and TD reception in the same game.
💬 Quote of the day: "It's amazing what we can accomplish when nobody cares who gets the credit." — Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett. ... Words to live by for any member of a team, sports or otherwise. Scoreboard: - Home team won (7): Bills 27, Packers 17; Falcons 37, Panthers 34 (OT); Cowboys 49, Bears 29; Vikings 34, Cardinals 26; Saints 24, Raiders 0; Eagles 35, Steelers 13; Seahawks 27, Giants 13
- Away team won (6): Dolphins 31, Lions 27; Patriots 22, Jets 17; Titans 17, Texans 10; Commanders 17, Colts 16; 49ers 31, Rams 14; Broncos 21, Jaguars 17 (London)
Go deeper: Winners and losers (The Ringer) | | | | | | | | 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 |  | | | Ross Chastain rides the wall on the final lap. Photo: Stacy Revere/Getty Images | | | | 🏁 Wall-riding: Ross Chastain used a video game move (this dude literally rode along the wall) to advance to NASCAR's championship race in Sunday's thrilling regular-season finale. ... The final four is now set. ⚽️ MLS Cup is set: The Philadelphia Union beat NYC FC, 3-1, and LAFC beat Austin FC, 3-0, to advance to the MLS Cup — the first time since 2003 that both No. 1 seeds made it to the final. ... Have a fall, Philly sports! 📺 New TV deal: The Big 12 has signed a six-year extension with ESPN and Fox Sports worth $380 million annually, per SBJ. For reference, the Big Ten's new TV deal is worth over $1 billion per year. 🏀 Historic collapse: Entering Saturday, NBA teams were 9,975-1 when leading by 16+ points in the final four minutes over the last 25 years. They're now 9,975-2 after the Mavericks' choke job against the Thunder. 🎾 King Felix: Felix Auger-Aliassime beat Holger Rune in the Swiss Indoors final to win his third straight title in October. He knocked off top-ranked Carlos Alcarez in the semis, improving to 3-0 against him. ⚾️ KC's new skipper: The Royals have hired Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro as their new manager. Quatraro, 48, will take over one of the youngest teams in baseball. | | | | | | | | 5. 🏈 The stage is set: No. 1 vs. No. 2 |  Data: AP; Chart: Axios Visuals Tennessee is tied with Ohio State for the No. 2 spot in this week's AP poll, setting the stage for Saturday's must-see blockbuster: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 2 Tennessee in Athens. - Biggest riser: Kansas State jumped nine spots after shutting out former No. 9 Oklahoma State, 48-0.
- Biggest faller: Wake Forest fell 10 spots after losing 48-21 to unranked Louisville.
The drought is over: No. 24 Oregon State became the latest Power 5 school to snap a long absence from the rankings (since 2013). Rutgers (since 2012) currently holds the longest Power 5 drought. Developing story ... Michigan State has suspended four players indefinitely for their roles in a postgame fight following their loss to Michigan. Police are investigating the scuffle, which took place in the tunnel beneath "The Big House." (Video) | | | | | | | | 6. 🇺🇸 Sports and the Senate |  | | | Photo illustration: Axios Visuals. Photos: Mark Makela/Getty Images and Rachel Wisniewski/Bloomberg via Getty Images | | | | Republicans and Democrats battling for Pennsylvania's toss-up Senate seat are using sports to make their closing arguments, Axios' Hans Nichols reports. Driving the news: Republican Mehmet Oz, a celebrity doctor, and Democrat John Fetterman, the sitting lieutenant governor, are locked in one of the tightest races in the country, with control of the Senate hanging in the balance. - The Mitch McConnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund and Oz's campaign are running ads across Pennsylvania media markets during the World Series. SLF has bought a seven-game package for roughly $700,000.
- The Senate Majority PAC, which is affiliated with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), went with an abortion-related ad that reportedly cost around $100,000 for a single Game 1 spot on Philly's Fox29, per the Inquirer.
The big picture: Sunday's Steelers-Eagles game was another prime opportunity for both camps to reach millions of Pennsylvania voters in the lead-up to Election Day (Nov. 8). State of play: Finding undecided voters this late in the game is always a challenge, and live sporting events are among the last places to reach a large cross-section of the electorate. Looking ahead ... Georgia has two tight races: Senate and governor. Expect both parties to spend big during Saturday's gridiron showdown between No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Tennessee. | | | | | | | | 7. 🌎 The world in photos | | Pat Perez (L) hugs 4 Aces teammate Dustin Johnson. Photo: Jonathan Ferrey/LIV Golf via Getty Images DORAL, Fla. — Dustin Johnson's 4 Aces squad won the season-ending LIV Golf team championship on Sunday at Trump National Doral, outlasting Cameron Smith and Punch by one shot. - 💵 Wild stat: Johnson earned $35.6 million in his first LIV season. That's nearly half as much as current world No. 1 Rory McIlroy has earned in his entire PGA Tour career.
Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images MEXICO CITY — Max Verstappen became the first F1 driver to ever win 14 races in a season with an easy victory at the Mexican Grand Prix. A Red Bull driver has won each of the last nine races. Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images GLENDALE, Ariz. — Jake Paul, the YouTube-star-turned-prizefighter, beat former UFC champion Anderson Silva by unanimous decision on Saturday. Silva, 45, is nearly twice is old as Paul, 25. Jockeys compete at Happy Valley Racecourse. Photo: Lo Chun Kit/Getty Images) HONG KONG, China — This photo reminded me that it's been a while since I shared one of my favorite sports articles ever... | | | | | | | | 8. 📺 Watchlist: Spooky Sports Equinox |  | | | Illustration: Rebecca Zisser/Axios | | | | The fourth and final Sports Equinox of the year takes place tonight, with the "Big Four" leagues all in action simultaneously on Halloween. | | | | | | | | 9. ⚾️ World Series trivia |  | | | J.T. Realmuto celebrates his 10th-inning blast in Game 1 with Bryce Harper. Photo: Carmen Mandato/Getty Images | | | | If the Phillies were to win the next three games, they'd be the first team to clinch the World Series at home since the 2013 Red Sox. - Question: Can you name the eight champions since 2013, all of whom clinched the pennant away from home?
- Hint: Five NL teams, three AL teams.
Answer at the bottom. | | | | | | | | 10. 🍿 Top 20 plays | | Source: Giphy There were so many amazing plays this weekend that I couldn't choose just 10. So I picked 20 instead. Watch all 20. | | | | | | | | 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.
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Take back control of your budget and download the free Upside app. | | | | Talk tomorrow, Kendall "May have just cursed the Phillies with that trivia question" Baker Trivia answer: Giants (2014), Royals (2015), Cubs (2016), Astros (2017), Red Sox (2018), Nationals (2019), Dodgers (2020), Braves (2021) 🙏 Have a great day! Follow us for more (@kendallbaker and @jeffreytracy). Friends can sign up here. Thanks to Bryan McBournie 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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