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QUOTE OF THE DAY: Jerry Maguire
“Show me the money!”
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Grand Theft Antonio
Brown Gets New Team & New Deal
After Antonio Brown tweeted his own trade request one month ago, the market for the 30-year-old receiver was cloudy, at best. It skyrocketed, then plummeted when teams learned Brown wanted a raise on his current deal. The Oakland Raiders used the raise as trade leverage, on top of a diminishing market of interested teams. They stole AB for next to nothing, then they showed him the money.
The Deal
Oakland sent Pittsburgh third-round and fifth-round picks in this year’s draft (No. 66 and 142), a small price to pay for one of the league’s top pass-catchers. Brown’s new contract includes more than $30 million guaranteed over the next three years with incentives that could generate $54 million, and make him the second highest-paid receiver in football.
Raider Rebuild
The NFL’s most significant offseason move gives Raiders head coach Jon Gruden a shiny new toy on offense, and it puts pressure on quarterback Derek Carr to perform. With a 24/7 receiver like AB – a guy who's always open – it’s throw or be thrown for Carr in 2019.
Show Me The Money: In the end, Brown forced his way out of Pittsburgh by doing all of the wrong things, and still came out on the west coast with a new bag. Power to the players.
“He won. Period. Point black. They say his agent, Drew Rosenhaus… I’m looking for Jerry Maguire. This is that type of deal.” – Ryan Clark, ESPN Analyst
Additional Reads
Sports Illustrated: How The Antonio Brown Trade Unfolded
USA Today: In The End, Antonio Brown Won
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Champ Week: The Ticket-Punching Primer
It’s here. That 68-team tourney known as The Big Dance is just over a week out, and tickets to the party are already getting punched. Four mid-majors secured their spot in the NCAA Tourney on Sunday, and the rest will punch their tickets, or get punched to the NIT, in the next six days. Here’s the need to know for Championship Week ahead:
Conference Regular Season Winners
ACC: Virginia & North Carolina (16-2, tie)
Big Ten: Purdue & Michigan State (16-4, tie)
Big 12: Texas Tech & Kansas State (14-4, tie)
Big East: Villanova (13-5)
SEC: LSU (16-2)
Pac-12: Washington (15-3)
Editor’s Note: It’s the first time in 13 years (2005-06) three of the major conference regular season titles were shared. Additionally, five of the six major conference seasons were decided by one game (only Washington was a pre-determined conference winner prior to its final game).
Tickets Punched
- Murray State (Ohio Valley Conference)
- Liberty (Atlantic Sun)
- Bradley (Missouri Valley)
- Gardner-Webb (Big South)
Tonight’s Conference Championships
SoCon: Wofford vs. UNC Greensboro (7 pm ET)
MAAC: Iona vs. Monmouth (9 pm ET)
Weekend Highlights
(3) UNC def. (4) Duke (79-70) | Highlights
(2) Virginia def. Louisville (73-68) | Highlights
(9) MSU def. (7) Michigan (75-63) | Highlights
Auburn def. (5) Tennessee (84-80) | Highlights
(6) Kentucky def. Florida (66-57) | Highlights
(8) Texas Tech def. Iowa State (80-73) | Highlights
*Check tomorrow's newsletter for information on our March Madness bracket pool specifically for Sportsletter subscribers.
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NCAA Women’s Conference Tournament Highlights
Four of the six major women’s conference tournaments found their winners on Sunday. The Big 12 and Big East winners get crowned tonight and tomorrow.
Conference Champions
- ACC: (4) Notre Dame smashed (3) Louisville (99-79) in a rematch of last year’s conference final.
- Pac-12: (7) Stanford took down (6) Oregon and the nation’s best player, Sabrina Ionescu (64-57).
- Big Ten: (10) Iowa defeated (8) Maryland (90-76) thanks to 45 points from Megan Gustafson.
- SEC: (5) Mississippi State destroyed Arkansas (101-70) for their first SEC title in five attempts (0-4 in SEC title games).
Conference Championships, Continued
Big 12: (19) Iowa State vs. (1) Baylor (9 pm ET)
Big East: (Tomorrow, 7 pm ET)
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U.S. Women’s Soccer Files Gender Discrimination Lawsuit
Members of the U.S. Women’s National Team filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation on Friday. It’s no coincidence that Friday was also International Women’s Day. The players are claiming discrimination across a wide range of topics, including salaries, travel accommodations, artificial fields, and more. While the U.S. men’s soccer program brings in more revenue, the women’s team has outperformed time and again.
And The Timing Couldn't Be Better...
Whether you agree or disagree with the lawsuit, this conversation is about to dominate the summer when the women's squad defend their 2015 World Cup crown in France. Read More (New York Times)
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PGA: Francesco Molinari carded an 8-under 64 on Sunday (12-under for the tournament) for a come-from-behind win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Molinari started the day five strokes back and finished the round with a 45-foot birdie putt on 18.
TENNIS: Serena Williams outdueled Viktoria Azarenka in an instant classic Friday at Indian Wells. It was the duo’s first meeting since the Indian Wells final in 2016, and the first time since becoming mothers. Serena won the match (7-5, 6-3), a clash that was dubbed “the mother of all matches.”
NBA: Devin Booker went off against the Warriors (37 pts, 11 asts, 8 rebs) to give the Suns their fifth win in seven games (115-111). Phoenix – who was once the NBA’s worst team – has now beaten the Bucks and Warriors in the span of a week.
NHL: Jared McCann scored twice to help the Penguins put an end to the Bruins’ 19-game point streak on Sunday. His first goal was a silky, short-handed breakaway, and the Penguins have now snuck into third place in the Metropolitan Division after going 6-2-2 in their last ten games.
NASCAR: Kyle Busch swept NASCAR’s visit to Phoenix this weekend and registered his 199th career victory. Busch slipped past Ryan Blaney with 17 laps to go and climbed into fourth place in total points for 2019.
EPL: Arsenal topped Manchester United 2-0 on Sunday for a spot in the Premier League’s Top 4. Goals from Granit Xhaka and Pierre-Emerick Aubamayeng helped the Gunners (60 points) leapfrog United (58 points).
BONUS: The Cloud-Piercer (NBA)
Miami’s Derrick Jones Jr. soared for a gravity-disrespecting tomahawk dunk in last night’s loss to the Raptors. If you didn’t know who Derrick Jones Jr. was, you’ll be seeing this dunk of the year on highlight reels for awhile.
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Fans Take Aim at LSU Athletic Director After Will Wade and Jevonte Smart Suspensions
(ESPN)
Olympic Cyclist Kelly Catlin Dies at Age 23
(CNN)
Wisconsin QB Alex Hornibrook Transfers to Florida State
(Yahoo Sports)
Tigers Pitcher Matthew Boyd Adopts 36 Girls From Uganda to Prevent Sex Trafficking
(Sports Illustrated)
Chiefs Release LB Justin Houston After Eight Seasons
(Bleacher Report)
Lakers Shut Down Lonzo Ball for Rest of Season With Ankle Injury
(CBS Sports)
Fan Attacks Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish, Who Responds With Game-Winning Goal
(USA Today)
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