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| Presented By Upside |
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| Axios Sports |
| By Kendall Baker · Nov 23, 2022 |
| 👋 Good morning! 🦃 Happy (almost) Thanksgiving: We'll be off for the rest of the week. See you back here on Monday — there will be lots to discuss. Today's word count: 1,132 words (4 minutes). Let's sports... |
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| 1 big thing: 🇶🇦 The tiniest host ever |
 Data: Axios research; Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals Qatar 2022 is the most confined World Cup ever, with all eight stadiums located within 33 miles of each other, Axios' Erin Davis and I write. Why it matters: The compact setup significantly lessens the travel demands for teams and fans, which has its perks. - For teams, less travel means more time for recovery and preparation. There's also no change in weather like there was in 2018, when Russian host cities were separated by as many as 1,557 miles.
- For fans, it makes it possible to attend multiple matches per day — a unique opportunity and a far different experience than, say, 1994, when matches were held from coast-to-coast in the U.S.
Yes, but: Holding the World Cup in a country the size of Connecticut — and having over 1 million fans descend on a nation of less than 3 million people — isn't all good news. - Accommodations are stretched, which forced many fans to stay in nearby cities like Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. and fly into Qatar for matches.
- Space is so tight that some of the newly-constructed stadiums are doubling as practice fields.
What they're saying: Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter made headlines this month when he admitted choosing Qatar was a "mistake." But his reasoning wasn't corruption or human rights — it was size. - "It's a country that's too small," Blatter continued. "Football and the World Cup are too big for that."
- Time will tell if Qatar is, in fact, "too small." For now, there are both positive and negative aspects to the country's tininess.
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| 2. 🏀 Louisville's historically bad start |
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| Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images |
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| Louisville knew this was going to be a rebuilding season under first-year head coach Kenny Payne. But nobody expected them to be this bad. Driving the news: After a humiliating 70-38 loss to No. 21 Texas Tech at the Maui Invitational on Tuesday, the Cardinals are the first ACC team to start 0-5 since Virginia in 1960-61. - 38 points are the fewest scored by a Louisville team in the last 50 years. They made just 11 field goals.
- Through five games, the Cardinals have 90 turnovers against just 36 assists, the worst assist-to-turnover ratio in the nation.
The backdrop: Recruiting hasn't been going great, either. No. 1 overall recruit D.J. Wagner opted for Kentucky last week, and A.J. Johnson, the top unsigned player in America, chose Texas over Louisville this week. Looking ahead: That 1960-61 Virginia team started 0-8. Can the Cardinals avoid the same fate? Their next three games: vs. Cincinnati (in Maui), vs. No. 23 Maryland, vs. Miami. |
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| 3. 💵 For sale: $21 billion worth of teams |
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| Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images |
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| On the same day that Manchester United cut ties with Cristiano Ronaldo, the Glazer family announced that they're open to selling the club. Why it matters: Assuming Manchester United hits the market, there will be roughly $21 billion worth of teams for sale across the world's five biggest sports leagues, per Sportico's latest valuations. |
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| A message from Upside |
| This app is helping users treat themselves |
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| 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.
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On average, users earn $148 annually. Download the free Upside app to start earning. |
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| 4. ⚡️ Lightning round |
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| Photo: Clive Mason/Getty Images |
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| 🇫🇷 Giroud ties Henry: Olivier Giroud scored twice to lead France past Australia, 4-1, and move level with Thierry Henry as France's all-time leading scorer. 🏈 CFP rankings: In the most notable decision from an otherwise predictable top six, the selection committee put two-loss LSU at No. 5 ahead of one-loss USC. 🏀 Madness in Vegas: Las Vegas will host the Final Four for the first time in 2028, the NCAA announced Tuesday. Detroit will host in 2027, Indianapolis will host in 2029 and Dallas will host in 2030. |
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| 5. 🏈 NFL power rankings: Week 12 |
 Table: Axios Visuals The playoff picture is starting to take shape as Thanksgiving approaches. If the season ended today, these would be the 14 playoff teams: - AFC: Chiefs, Dolphins, Titans, Ravens, Bills, Patriots, Bengals
- NFC: Eagles, Vikings, 49ers, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Giants, Seahawks
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| 6. 🏀 NBA snapshot: Kings keep rolling |
 Table: Axios Visuals The Kings have the longest active playoff drought in North American sports (16 seasons). But right now, it's all smiles in Sacramento, where the high-flying Kings keep scoring (NBA-best 120.9 ppg) — and winning. - Kings 113, Grizzlies 109: De'Aaron Fox (31-8-6) led Sacramento to its seventh straight victory, the team's longest winning streak since 2004.
- 76ers 115, Nets 106: Ben Simmons (11-7-11) shrugged off boos in his Philly return, but Tobias Harris (24 pts) and the Sixers got the win.
- Suns 115, Lakers 105: Devin Booker (25 pts) and Mikal Bridges (25 pts) helped Phoenix survive a huge game from Anthony Davis (37 and 21).
- Pistons 110, Nuggets 108: Bojan Bogdanovic (22 pts) helped Detroit snap a seven-game skid and win its first road game of the season.
💬 Quote of the night: "Everybody wants to see our team fail," said Kevin Durant following Brooklyn's loss in Philadelphia. "Nobody likes Ben. Nobody likes Ky. Nobody likes myself." |
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| 7. ⚽️ In photos: The global game |
| Few things bring the world together like the World Cup. Here are some photos of fans around the globe watching the beautiful game and cheering on their teams. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images WASHINGTON, D.C. — Fans in Dupont Circle react to the USMNT's opening goal against Wales. Photo: Donwilson Odhiambo/Getty Images NAIROBI, Kenya — Fans gather to watch the Senegal-Netherlands match in Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa. Photo: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images DOHA, Qatar — A Qatari family watches Qatar's opening match against Ecuador. Photo: Gerardo Vieyra/NurPhoto via Getty Images MEXICO CITY — Nachooooooooooo!!!! |
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| 8. 📺 Watchlist: Football and fútbol |
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| Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios |
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| There are endless sports to watch over the Thanksgiving break, but the must-see matchups are on the gridiron and the pitch. |
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| 9. ⚽️ World Cup trivia |
 Data: FIFA; Map: Thomas Oide/Axios The U.S. (331 million) and Brazil (214 million) are by far the most-populated countries at this year's World Cup. - Question: Which country is third?
- Hint: Slightly bigger than fourth-place Japan (126 million).
Answer at the bottom. |
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| 10. ⛳️ 1 absurd diet: The Incredible Bulk |
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| Photo: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images |
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| Bryson DeChambeau set out to get "massive" in 2020 as he chased extra distance, but the 29-year-old golfer now regrets the absurd diet he used. What he's saying: "I ate improperly for almost a year and a half," DeChambeau, who gained 50 pounds in the first few months, told the 5 Clubs podcast. "I was starting to feel weird. My gut was all messed up." What he was eating: Here's DeChambeau's "Incredible Bulk" diet, via Golf Magazine's Dylan Dethier: - Breakfast: 4 eggs, 5 bacon strips, toast, 2-3 protein shakes
- Golf: GoMacro bars, PB&J, 3 protein shakes
- Post-golf: Snack, protein shake
- Dinner: Steak, potatoes, 2 protein shakes
The latest: DeChambeau has since ditched the diet and shed a bunch of weight. "I'm a lot leaner now," he said. "I feel better." Turns out nine protein shakes a day is too many. Who knew?! |
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| A message from Upside |
| How to fight inflation with your everyday spending |
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| 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. |
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| Enjoy the turkey, Kendall "Gobble gobble" Baker Trivia answer: Mexico (130 million) - Correction: Yesterday's trivia question said Uwe Seeler played for Argentina. He played for West Germany.
🙏 Have a great day! Follow me for more (@kendallbaker). Friends can sign up here. Thanks to Nick Aspinwall for copy edits. |
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