| |
| |
| |
| Presented By Upside |
| |
| Axios Sports |
| By Kendall Baker · Oct 25, 2022 |
| 👋 Happy Tuesday! 🚨 Breaking news: Adidas has ended its partnership with Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, over his anti-semitic remarks, becoming the latest organization to distance themselves. Today's word count: 1,537 words (6 minutes). Let's sports... |
| |
| |
| 1 big thing: 🏆 Philly vs. Houston, a brief history |
 |
|
| Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photos: Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated, Dick Raphael/NBAE, Focus on Sport, and Rich Pilling/MLB Photos via Getty Images |
| |
| The 2022 World Series will be just the third postseason series between major sports teams from Philadelphia and Houston — and the first in over 40 years. Looking back: Their first two playoff meetings couldn't happen today due to changes in leagues and conferences. 🏀 1977 Eastern Conference Finals (76ers beat Rockets, 4-2): Yes, Houston (along with San Antonio) was once an Eastern Conference team, while Chicago, Detroit and Milwaukee were in the West. - Julius Erving starred in this series, getting the best of future teammate Moses Malone and the Rockets.
- The 76ers ultimately fell to Bill Walton's Trail Blazers in the NBA Finals, 4-2.
⚾️ 1980 NLCS (Phillies beat Astros, 3-2): This was one of the most dramatic playoff series in MLB history, with four of the five games going to extras. Philly won Games 4 and 5 in the Astrodome, both in 10 innings. - In 1980, the Phillies, Eagles, 76ers and Flyers all made the championship round — but only the Phillies won it all.
- The Astros moved to the AL in 2013 to balance the leagues with three divisions of five teams each.
Between the lines ... Houston (fifth-largest metro area in the U.S.) and Philadelphia (seventh-largest) are similar in size, but Philly has enjoyed far more sports success, historically speaking. - That's largely due to its teams simply being around longer. The Philadelphia Athletics, for example, won five World Series (1910, 1911, 1913, 1929, 1930) before the Astros were even founded (1962).
- Houston also doesn't have an NHL team, making it the largest U.S. market without a complete set of teams in the Big Four sports leagues.
Shoutout to Axios Sports reader Richard Rothschild for inspiring this story. |
    |
| |
| |
| 2. 🇷🇺 Griner's appeal is today |
 |
|
| Photo illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo: Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images |
| |
| Brittney Griner's appeal to her nine-year sentence for drug smuggling will be heard today by a Moscow region court, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes. How it works: Griner's attorney told ESPN the appeal will be "straightforward." It should last just a couple hours, and while no new evidence or arguments are permitted, Griner will have the opportunity to address the three-judge panel via video from her cell. - A ruling will be given at the end of the hearing, but experts believe the best Griner can hope for is a slight reduction in her sentence.
- Assuming the outcome is as expected, Griner will eventually be moved to the penal colony where she's supposed to serve her sentence, which has far harsher conditions than her current detention center.
- The timing of that move, though, is unclear: "It's a complicated process [that] can take anywhere from three weeks to three months," Griner's lawyer said.
What they're saying: "She is very nervous," Griner's lawyers told Reuters. "Brittney does not expect any miracles to happen but hopes that the appeal court will hear the arguments of the defense and reduce the term." Between the lines: There is still hope for a prisoner swap, with such discussions continuing — albeit without much traction — since the U.S. offered arms dealer Viktor Bout for both Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan this summer. - Yes, but: Griner doesn't believe that will happen in the immediate future because Russia won't want to give President Biden a political win before next month's midterms, per ESPN.
The bottom line: Eight months later, Griner is still imprisoned in Russia. And while today's hearing is a necessary next step, it may not lead to any meaningful change. |
| |
| |
| |
| 3. 🏈 Obama joins "Manningcast" |
 |
|
| Photo: Courtesy of Omaha Productions |
| |
| After a three-week hiatus, the "Manningcast" returned on Monday night with its biggest guest yet: Former President Obama. - Obama joined the Manning brothers for the first quarter and saw his Bears have some early success en route to a 33-14 win over the Patriots.
- The 44th president shared plenty of laughs with Peyton and Eli, while also promoting his voting rights and awareness campaign.
How it happened: Peyton golfed with the former president and Larry David at Riviera Country Club (Los Angeles) last May, where the idea of him coming on the show was planted, a source tells me. - Conversations started up again this season when Bears-Patriots was selected as a "Manningcast" game.
- The booking was locked in late last week — with only a handful of people from Obama's team, the NFL, ESPN, and Omaha Productions aware.
Zoom out: Omaha has quickly established a reputation for its booking power, with A-list celebrities routinely making appearances on the "Manningcast" and other shows. Let's see if they can top this one. |
| |
| |
| |
| 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. |
| |
| |
| 4. ⚡️ Lightning round |
 |
|
| Reigning Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe. Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images |
| |
| 🏀 All-Americans: Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky), Drew Timme (Gonzaga), Armando Bacot (UNC), Marcus Sasser (Houston) and Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana) make up the preseason men's AP All-America team. 🏁 America's return: Logan Sargeant is set to race for Williams next season, making him the first American on the F1 grid since Alexander Rossi in 2015. 🎾 Jessica and Coco: Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff are ranked third and fourth in the WTA rankings, giving the U.S. two women in the top four for the first time since Venus and Serena Williams in 2010. 🏈 Ryan benched: The Colts are benching Matt Ryan for Sam Ehlinger. Not a great start for offseason QB acquisitions: Ryan, Wilson, Wentz and Mayfield have all struggled. |
| |
| |
| |
| 5. ⚽️ Champions League: Matchday 5 |
 Data: UEFA; Table: Axios Visuals The Champions League group stage is nearing its end, with Matchday 5 of 6 kicking off today across Europe, Jeff writes. State of play: The top two finishers in each group advance to the round of 16. Five teams have already clinched, while three have been eliminated. - Clinched: Napoli, Club Brugge, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Manchester City
- Eliminated: Rangers, Viktoria Plzeň, Celtic
Where it stands: That leaves 24 teams battling for 11 remaining spots. Four of them can clinch today or tomorrow with a win or a draw, and three can clinch with a win. - Today: Dortmund (vs. Man. City); PSG (vs. Maccabi Haifa); Benfica (vs. Juventus); Chelsea (at RB Salzburg, must win).
- Tomorrow: Liverpool (at Ajax); Inter Milan (vs. Viktoria Plzeň, must win); Tottenham (vs. Sporting CP, must win).
Go deeper: Predictions (CBS Sports) |
| |
| |
| |
| 6. 🏀 Dueling duos: Memphis tops Brooklyn |
 |
|
| Photo: Justin Ford/Getty Images |
| |
| The Grizzlies beat the Nets, 134-124, on Monday night in a historic battle of dynamic duos. - Grizzlies: Ja Morant and Desmond Bane each went for 38.
- Nets: Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving each went for 37.
Why it matters: This is just the third game in NBA history in which multiple players from both teams scored 35+ points — and the first time it has ever happened in regulation. 🍿 Watch: Morant's ridiculous flush (Twitter) |
| |
| |
| |
| 7. 📺 Watchlist: NBA doubleheader |
 |
|
| Luka Dončić and Devin Booker. Photos: Christian Petersen/Getty Images; Steph Chambers/Getty Images |
| |
| Four Western Conference teams face off tonight in a TNT doubleheader. - 7:30pm ET: Mavericks at Pelicans ... Luka Dončić and offseason acquisition Christian Wood have looked excellent for Dallas; Zion Williamson (hip) and Brandon Ingram (head) are nursing injuries for New Orleans.
- 10pm: Warriors at Suns ... Golden State exploded for 89 first-half points on Sunday; Devin Booker is on fire to start the year, averaging 32 points while shooting 53% from deep.
More to watch: |
| |
| |
| |
| 8. 🧠 The Ocho: Brain pong |
 |
|
| Pong controlled by a layer of neurons in a dish. Credit: Kagan et al - Neuron |
| |
| Neurons can play Pong, a team of scientists reported this month, Axios' Alison Snyder writes. Why it matters: The researchers say the experimental setup is a new way to study how the brain works and to potentially better understand epilepsy and other diseases. How it works: Researchers at the Melbourne-based startup Cortical Labs grew mouse and human neurons on a "DishBrain"— an array of electrodes that can read the electrical activity of the neurons to move the paddle. - It can also deliver an electrical pulse to the cells that provides feedback — in under five milliseconds — that the neuron was hitting the ball.
- The 800,000 neurons learned to play within five minutes, and human neurons could rally longer than mouse neurons.
What they're saying: The neurons "can adjust firing activity in a way that suggests the ability to learn to perform goal-oriented tasks," the team wrote in the journal Neuron. - "The results shouldn't be surprising, because neurons are built to process information," says Brett Kagan, chief scientific officer at Cortical Labs.
- "So, it's not that wild, and at the same time, it is quite exciting," he says.
The big picture: Generalized intelligence — a major goal for AI researchers — comes from neurons. The team at Cortical wants to develop next-generation computer chips that harness neurons' computational power. |
| |
| |
| |
| 9. 🏈 NFL trivia |
 |
|
| Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios |
| |
| Which NFL team has the longest-ever playoff drought following a Super Bowl win? - Hint: It's an active streak.
- Submitted by: Julia P. (New York)
Answer at the bottom. |
| |
| |
| |
| 10. 📚 1 new book: "The Last Folk Hero" |
 |
|
| Courtesy: Mariner Books |
| |
| Need a new book? We've got you covered: "The Last Folk Hero: The Life and Myth of Bo Jackson" is out today. - Author: This is the latest book from Jeff Pearlman, who's written biographies on athletes like Barry Bonds and Walter Payton. He also wrote the inspiration for HBO's "Winning Time" Lakers series.
- What they're saying: Jackson doesn't seem too happy about the book. "If you want to hear the real story, then wait for me to release it."
My review: I was fortunate enough to get an early copy and absolutely breezed through it. So much detail. Especially enjoyed learning about Bo's childhood and high school years. Highly recommend. |
| |
| |
| |
| 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.
- Groceries.
- Convenience stores.
- Restaurants.
On average, users earn $148 annually. Download the free Upside app to start earning. |
| |
| Talk tomorrow, Kendall "Belichick called it" Baker Trivia answer: Broncos at six seasons (won Super Bowl 50 in 2015-2016, haven't made the playoffs since) 🙏 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. | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment