Blazing trails wherever she goes
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Hump day!
Grab a donut and channel your inner Ben Affleck as we juggle today’s sports news.
— Late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, calling out NY Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers for implying that the American television host was affiliated with accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Rodgers has yet to apologize for his remarks. So much for eliminating distractions.
College Football Playoff
🎓🏈 If you can gaze into the future
The GIST: And just like that, the final four-team College Football Playoff (CFP) has come to an end following No. 1 Michigan’s dominant 34–13 national championship game win over No. 2 Washington on Monday.
- Now with 227 days until the fun kicks off again, there’s plenty of time to speculate about what’s next for CFP teams and NCAA football at large.
What’s next for the players: The NFL for a number of them. Michigan running back Blake Corum had two touchdowns in the title game, earning him offensive MVP honors and boosting his stock ahead of April’s NFL Draft. And while Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. struggled on Monday, the Heisman Trophy runner-up will still likely hear his name called in the first round.
What’s next for Jim Harbaugh: Perhaps the NFL, too. Michigan’s head coach didn’t let a little cheating scandal stop him from leading the Wolverines to their first national title since 1997, and now that he’s reached the promised land, rumors are swirling that he might return to the pros, where he last helmed the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014.
What’s next for NCAA football: Not the NFL, but some major changes. Monday marked the end of the CFP format as we know it, with the four-team model giving way to a 12-team, bracket style tourney next year.
- Teams will also be competing in different conferences: amid conference realignment chaos, the Pac-12 will cease to exist as teams bolt for the Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC. New era, who dis?
🏀 Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, news that comes just three weeks after he returned from a 25-game suspension.
- Meanwhile, Indiana Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton will miss at least two weeks after straining his hamstring on Monday. Ouch.
💰 The Miami Heat signed head coach (HC) Erik Spoelstra to an eight-year, $120M-plus contract extension yesterday, the most-ever committed money for an NBA HC. Not too bad for the kid from the video room.
🏒 The PWHL signed its first U.S. premier partner yesterday, making Colorado-based Woody Creek Distillers the official spirits of the league. Pour it up, pour it up.
🏈 Following two consecutive losing seasons, the Tennessee Titans fired HC Mike Vrabel yesterday, much to the shock of his former players.
⚾ The Miami Marlins hired Rachel Balkovec as their farm director yesterday, placing the history-making former minor league manager in charge of the team’s player development. Blazing trails wherever she goes.
⚽ The Washington Spirit hired Jonatan Giráldez — one of Spain’s most impressive coaches — as their new HC yesterday. Giráldez will join the team in June after contending for a fifth consecutive Liga F title with his FC Barcelona Femení squad.
🏒 PWHL: Toronto vs. Minnesota — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET — YouTube
- League-leading scorer Grace Zumwinkle and undefeated Minnesota take on Toronto, with a simultaneous U.S. vs. Canada showdown happening in the Big Apple, where New York faces Montréal. On Wednesdays (and every day), we watch women’s hockey.
🏀 NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Boston Celtics — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET — NBA League Pass
- It’s a battle of the best, with the Western Conference–leading Timberwolves taking on the Eastern Conference top dog Celtics, pitting Minnesota super-scorer Anthony Edwards against Boston’s brick wall defense, helmed by breakout star Derrick White. Pop that corn.
⛳ PGA: Sony Open — Tomorrow through Sunday — Golf Channel
- World No. 90 Gary Woodland will make his grand return to the PGA Tour following September brain surgery, competing for an $8.3M purse in sunny Hawaii. Aloha, indeed.
Recs from our roster!
🏳️⚧️ What to shop
The GIST's Protect Trans Athletes merch. Join us in making a statement and standing for inclusivity in sports.
🎙️ What to level up
Your podcast rotation. If you need some non-sports recs, check out Apple’s list of the most popular shows in 2023.
📚 What to read
The Long Game by New York Times best-selling author Elena Armas. Our first GIST book club pick of the year follows a disgraced soccer exec’s journey coaching a children’s team in a small town. Join the club and read along on Fable today.
Question of the Day
After a record-setting opening week, the PWHL is just heating up. So, we want to know: which of the league’s six teams are you cheering for?
On Monday, we asked for your early thoughts on who will win the Super Bowl. The Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers were tied at 31%, 22% voted for the Buffalo Bills, and 16% said the Dallas Cowboys, while one GISTer emailed in support of the Green Bay Packers. Only time will tell.Today’s email was brought to you by Lauren Tuiskula, Alessandra Puccio, Marga Sison, Lisa Minutillo, and Briana Ekanem. Editing by Laura Pastore, Janine Kiefer, Emma Leishman, Rachel Fuenzalida, and Lindsay Jost. Fact-checking by Parul Kanwar. Ops by Briana Ekanem and Marga Sison. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alexis Allison, and Dee Lab. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.