👋 Good morning! Let's sports.
Today's word count: 1,738 words (7 minutes).
👋 Good morning! Let's sports.
Today's word count: 1,738 words (7 minutes).
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Tampa's recent run of championship berths has the city buzzing, and while it prepares to host Super Bowl LV, it's also renting a small piece of Titletown to the temporarily-displaced Toronto Raptors, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes.
The state of play: Amalie Arena, home of the NHL's Lightning, ultimately surfaced as the Raptors' home away from home, and the city has rolled out the red carpet to make them feel welcome.
The big picture: The Raptors, already the only team based outside the U.S., know the value of home as less a location than a state of mind.
The bottom line: The Raptors are still the north — just with a dose of southern hospitality.
Go deeper: Inside the Raptors' frantic relocation (The Athletic)
There will be no Class of 2021 in the Baseball Hall of Fame, as voters pitched a shutout on Tuesday, rejecting all 25 candidates for enshrinement in Cooperstown.
Top vote-getters:
Of note: This is just the ninth time the Baseball Writers' Association of America did not elect a Hall of Fame candidate, and the fourth since rules were changed to eliminate the runoff elections in 1968.
What's next: Voters have 10 years to consider candidates, and Schilling, Bonds and Clemens have lingered on the ballot for nine.
Go deeper:
Europe's 20 most lucrative soccer clubs earned $9.97 billion in 2019-20, down from $11.31 billion the previous year, per Deloitte's 24th annual Football Money League report, Jeff writes.
Top 20, by country:
💔 Sekou Smith, a longtime NBA reporter and TV analyst known for his friendly demeanor, died Tuesday of COVID-19. He was 48 years old.
🏈 Mel Kiper Jr. debuted his first NFL mock draft (subscription). He has the Jets taking Alabama WR DeVonta Smith at No. 2, the Dolphins taking LSU WR Ja'Marr Chase at No. 3, and the Falcons taking BYU QB Zach Wilson at No. 4.
⚾️ J.T. Realmuto signed a five-year, $115.5 million deal with the Phillies, topping the previous record for highest annual pay for a catcher (Joe Mauer).
🙏 Caris LeVert had successful surgery to remove a cancerous growth from his kidney. The growth was discovered during a routine physical exam after his trade from the Nets to the Pacers — a trade which "could've possibly saved me," said LeVert.
The Vendée Globe — "the most grueling sailing event ever conceived" — is set to conclude as soon as this afternoon, Jeff writes.
The backdrop: On Nov. 8, 33 sailors embarked on the ninth edition of this around-the-world race from Les Sables-d'Olonne on the west coast of France.
The state of play: The top six contenders are locked in what appears will be the closest finish ever, and the drama is multiplied by the different closing routes each has chosen to take.
May the best boat win.
Go deeper: Rescued at sea (NYT)
One year ago today, a novel coronavirus was barely beginning to catch the public's eye. There were just over 2,000 confirmed cases worldwide, mostly in China, and five cases in the U.S., Axios' Sam Baker writes.
The big picture: The sea of red says it all. Today, there have been over 100 million cases worldwide, led by the U.S. with over 25 million.
A popular rebellion, organized by the powerless against the powerful. It might have failed in Washington, but certainly seems to be working on Wall Street, Axios' Felix Salmon and Courtenay Brown write.
Driving the news: The market value of GameStop closed at more than $10 billion on Tuesday, on record volume of more than $26 billion.
Of note ... Why is this story appearing in a sports newsletter? Because Mets owner Steve Cohen, a hedge fund mogul, is involved.
Scott Norwood after missing aa 47-yard field goal wide right. Photo: Rick Stewart/Getty Images
30 years ago today, the Giants beat the Bills, 20-19, in Super Bowl XXV at Tampa Stadium.
What came next: The cursed Bills went on to lose the next three Super Bowls by an aggregate score of 119-54. They haven't made it back since, but the future is bright in Buffalo.
Game notes:
🎥 Stream: "Four Falls of Buffalo" (ESPN+)
Plaques at the Baseball Hall of Fame. Photo: Ezra O. Shaw/Allsport
Answer at the bottom.
Thanks to everyone who shared their feelings one year after the crash. I wish I could include them all, but I only had room for a few.
Further reading:
Talk tomorrow,
Kendall "Dinosaurs love the beach" Baker
Trivia answer: Mariano Rivera (100%), Derek Jeter (99.74%), Ken Griffey Jr. (99.32%)