BIGGEST EDITION YET ON SPECIAL MONDAY || Lakers win Inaugural In-Season Tourney || SHOHEI OHTANI SIGNS WITH... || MLB Hot Stove Buzz || Biggest Winner in the NBA || LSU’s Jayden Daniels wins Heisman!

Edition #29

Intro

The 5 days I was gone, some of the biggest sports stuff took place. We aren’t going to talk much about the NFL today (probably talk a lot about that on Wednesday… no edition tomorrow.), but we’ll talk about college football for a change. We’ve talked about it before, but not as much as we talk about other sports. Also, we’re going to get pretty deep into the MLB and NBA today, and without further ado, let’s get started!

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Lakers win Inaugural In-Season Tourney

Lebron, Lebron, Lebron…

One of the best players in the game was NOT the star in this one, even though he won the MVP. (The first-ever MVP in the In-Season Tournament.)

So who was the star of this game?

Anthony Davis. Let’s recap from the 4th quarter with 6:11 to play, where the Pacers cut the Lakers lead to 3.

The Lakers had led since the game’s first 90 seconds, but the young Pacers wouldn’t go away.

Then Anthony Davis took over, ending the Pacers rally and putting away the game and the first NBA In-Season Tournament championship.

He scored 10 straight points in a 13-0 run over three minutes. He capped it off with a driving layup that gave him 39 points, forced an Indy timeout, and evoked this celebration.

It showed his dominance all night long and how much this game, this championship, meant to AD and the Lakers, who finished off a perfect tournament run with a 123-109 win.

His teammate, LeBron James, who was mostly regarded as the star, said, "That was a Shaq-like dominant performance."

With the first-ever NBA Cup on the line, AD put together one of the best games of his career.

• 41 points. 20 rebounds, 5 assists. 4 blocks

• The first 40/20 game for Davis in over four years

• His second 40/20 game as a Laker and the fifth of his career

• Only the second time any player had hit those four marks in a game over the past 50 seasons (since blocks began being tracked in 1973-74)

Also, Darvin Ham (head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers) said, “If Bron is our Tom Brady on offense, Anthony Davis is our Ray Lewis. He anchors our defense, he plays middle linebacker, he communicates, he does all of that.”

Lakers

Q1: 34

Q2: 31

Q3: 25

Q4: 33

Total: 123

Pacers:

Q1: 29

Q2: 31

Q3: 22

Q4: 27

Total: 109

To check out how the game went, check this place out. https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/lakers-pacers-live-score-highlights-season-tournament/9d6e8221b50c15b998a74939

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SHOHEI OHTANI SIGNS WITH THE DODGERS. BIGGEST CONTRACT IN SPORTS HISTORY.

10 years

7

0

0

MILLION

DOLLARS

Only 3 days ago, the frontrunner for landing Ohtani was the Blue Jays. Many reporters were stalking him, saying that he was flying to Toronto on a private jet. In fact, two sources said that Shohei already signed with the Blue Jays (Dodgers Nation, and idk the other one), but that was a lie, and on that private flight to Toronto was an entirely different person.

N

O

P

E

Ohtani's contract is the largest in baseball history by more than $250 million, topping the 12-year, $426.5 million extension given in 2019 to Mike Trout, his now-former teammate with the Los Angeles Angels. It also easily topped the $450 million deal signed by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to become the largest in North American professional sports history. The $70 million average annual salary eclipses the previous Major League Baseball record of $43.3 million for Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer and is more than the 2023 Opening Day payrolls of the Baltimore Orioles ($60.9 million) and Oakland Athletics ($56.9 million).

Crazy right? Especially when his salary is more than 2 MAJOR LEAGUE TEAMS!

The deal, still not announced by the Dodgers, who must create room for Ohtani on their 40-man roster and have other formalities to work through, does not include any opt-outs. Also, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, Ohtani’s deal includes unprecedented deferrals including the majority of his salary. This was Ohtani’s idea. He wanted to make sure the Dodgers still have the flexibility to be competitive.

This next message is how he announced his next team and his departure from the Los Angeles Angels.

To all the fans and everyone involved in the baseball world, I apologize for taking so long to come to a decision. I have decided to choose the Dodgers as my next team.

First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved with the Angels organization and the fans who have supported me over the past six years, as well as to everyone involved with each team that was part of this negotiation process. Especially to the Angels fans who supported me through all the ups and downs, your guys’ support and cheer meant the world to me. The six years I spent with the Angels will remain etched in my heart forever.

And to all Dodgers fans, I pledge to always do what’s best for the team and always continue to give it my all to be the best version of myself. Until the last day of my playing career, I want to continue to strive forward not only for the Dodgers but for the baseball world.

There are some things that cannot be conveyed in writing, so I would like to talk more about this again at a later press conference.

Thank you very much.

For the Dodgers, their offseason should DEFINITELY not be done yet. Starting pitching was their main weakness this season, and it was a big surprise they even made the playoffs with all the pieces they lost. Shohei will not pitch until 2025 and will only hit.

One interesting fact I found out:

The Opening Day ticket price versus the Cardinals starts at $338 JUST TO GET IN!!!

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LSU’s Jayden Daniels wins the Heisman Award!

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels overcame being outside the playoff race with a prolific season that Heisman Trophy voters could not ignore.

Daniels won the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night, becoming the first player since 2016 to win college football’s most prestigious Player of the Year award as part of a team that did not play for a conference championship.

The fifth-year player, who transferred from Arizona State to LSU in 2022, received 503 first-place votes and 2,029 points.

“This is a dream come true,” Daniels started his acceptance speech.

Washington’s Michael Penix Jr was the runner-up with 292 first-place votes and 1,701 points and Oregon’s Bo Nix was third (51, 885), putting transfer quarterbacks in each of the top three spots. Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr finished fourth (20, 352).

Daniels, who turns 23 on 18 December, won AP Player of the Year earlier this week.

Daniels is the fifth quarterback in the last seven seasons to win the Heisman after transferring, joining former LSU star Joe Burrow in 2019 and USC’s Caleb Williams last year.

“I want to thank all my teammates, from Arizona State to LSU,” Daniels said. “You’re my brothers. You work so hard every day, inspiring me to be my best.”

He is also LSU’s third Heisman winner overall, along with running back Billy Cannon in 1959.

Burrow led LSU to a national championship and Cannon’s team came close, finishing No. 3 in the country.

Daniels’ Tigers (9-3) slipped out of that race with two losses in the first six weeks, but he certainly wasn’t to blame.

“I really wish I could have brought you back another championship,” Daniels said as he thanked the LSU fans.

Daniels finished the regular season with 3,812 yards passing, 1,134 yards rushing, and 50 total touchdowns in 12 games. He leads the nation in total offense at 412 yards per game and is averaging an astounding 10.71 yards per play.

No 13 LSU is set to face Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl on 1 January, though Daniels has not yet decided if he will play.

Louisville’s Lamar Jackson was the last player to win the Heisman on a team that lost three games and didn’t play for a championship – and Daniels’ production surpassed his.

LSU was eliminated from the Southeastern Conference race when it lost to Alabama in early November, despite 382 yards and three total touchdowns from Daniels.

While Daniels slipped from the playoff picture, his performance continued to demand attention. Against Florida, he became the first major college football player with at least 350 yards passing and 200 rushing in a game, going for a total of 606 yards against the Gators.

His teammates goaded him into flashing a Heisman pose during the game in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Daniels said it was after that performance, he started to believe winning the Heisman could be a reality.

Daniels’ evolution this season has been a revelation. He became just the second SEC player, joining 2012 Heisman winner Johnny Manziel, and eighth in major college football to pass for at least 3,500 and run for 1,000 in a season.

He began his career at Arizona State as a four-star recruit from Southern California under then-coach Herman Edwards. Daniels started all three seasons for the Sun Devils, proving capable but inconsistent. With the Sun Devils facing an NCAA investigation, Daniels left for LSU to play for coach Brian Kelly.

Daniels led the Tigers to an SEC West title last year and when he decided to return for a fifth season of college football it was clear he could be part of the Heisman discussion.

He ended up dominating that conversation even though his team was out of the spotlight down the stretch of the season as LSU ran an aggressive campaign for its quarterback.

Daniels and the Tigers finished their season against Texas A&M on rivalry weekend, with Nix, Penix, and Harrison playing high-stakes games with playoff implications.

Daniels was the leader in the clubhouse on championship weekend as Nix and Penix squared off in the Pac-12 title game.

Both played well in a dramatic game that decided on a playoff spot, but – much like opposing defenses – neither could chase down Daniels.

(Part of the story from the Guardian.)

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MLB Hot Stove Buzz

Ohtani wasn’t the only big deal last week. Mr. Juan Soto got traded from San Diego to New York, or from the Pets to the Bronx. The Padres are getting rid of everyone, although they got some nice pitching prospects from the Yankees in this trade.

Here are all the stuff that happened.

Yesterday

Austin Hedges Signed as a Free Agent ( 2024)(one-year contract) with Guardians

Andrew Chafin Signed as a Free Agent ( 2024)(one-year contract) with the Tigers

Will Smith Signed as a Free Agent ( 2024)(one-year contract) with the Royals

Edwin Uceta Signed to a Minor League Contract with Rays

Payton Henry Signed a Minor League Contract with the Blue Jays

Before That!

Reds continue winter spree, add Candelario

Infielder Jeimer Candelario and the Cincinnati Reds agree on a three-year, $45 million contract. Candelario, 30, joins a young Reds team that has spent $87 million on free agents this winter.

Yankees secure Soto in blockbuster trade

The New York Yankees have acquired superstar outfielder Juan Soto, along with outfielder Trent Grisham, in a trade with the San Diego Padres for RHPs Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Jhony Brito, Randy Vasquez, and C Kyle Higashioka.

D-backs add to rotation with Rodriguez

Left-handed starter Eduardo Rodriguez and the Arizona Diamondbacks agree on a four-year contract for around $20 million a year, pending a physical.

O's bolster bullpen

Reliever Craig Kimbrel and the Baltimore Orioles agree on a one-year, $13 million contract.

A rare Red Sox-Yankees trade sends Verdugo to N.Y.

The New York Yankees are acquiring outfielder Alex Verdugo in a trade with the Boston Red Sox for right-handers Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert, and Nicholas Judice.

Fedde chooses the White Sox

Erick Fedde and the Chicago White Sox agree on a two-year, $15 million contract. Fedde, 30, went 20-6 with a 2.00 ERA for the NC Dinos in the KBO, where he was named MVP this year.

Devenski returns to Rays

Chris Devenski and the Tampa Bay Rays agree on a one-year contract with a club option.

These are only the top deals that happened in this timeline. Check https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-free-agent-tracker-shohei-ohtani-inks-record-deal-with-dodgers-eduardo-rodriguez-jeimer-candelario-sign/ for more info!

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Biggest Winner in the NBA

The Magic? The Thunder? The Rockets? What about the Lakers?

None

Of

Them.

I guess we could say the Lakers are partial winners, but there isn’t more of a winner than the Indiana Pacers. They have 0 NBA titles and 1 NBA Finals appearance versus the same team that beat them the day before yesterday, the Lakers. Don’t believe me? Look at the pictures below!

They made it to the Conference Championship only 8 TIMES!

They didn’t make the playoffs 20 times. The times that they made it, they got swept. 6 times out of the 17 playoff losses in the first round. They had 10 wins in the first round, but only 1 resulted in a win in the conference championship to go to the NBA Finals.

Why did the Pacers lose yesterday?

Tyrese Haliburton.

No, he didn’t do anything wrong, but his production was a bit off as the Lakers were treating him like the star he was. The Pacers offense was completely shut down and this was what Tyrese’s stats were.

Not as appealing as this

Or this

His turnover average this season is 2.2 while Steph Curry’s is 3.5! Or LeBron, 3.6! Giannis averages 4 TOs a game! That all changed in the finals where Tyrese had 3. Now this came after a 0-turnover game and he had 27 points and 15 assists, so I might be a little critical in saying 3 TOs are a lot. LeBron had 6 turnovers.

When you have many turnovers, you know you’re being treated like a star. Not just any star, a superstar.

This young Pacers team came back many times on Saturday. They put in so much effort. If they can continue dominating like how they were, they should be in it to win it in the NBA playoffs. They are already in the picture and are compared to many of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. All I want to tell this team is to continue to work work work, put this loss behind you, and think about all the stuff that went right. For instance, the Pacers were definitely not my pick at the start of the tournament to make it to the championship, but guess what, they did, and they’re the leader in points per game!

Conclusion

I really don’t know if it was the longest edition, but it took me a lot of time to write this. If you’re reading this right now, thank you so much for taking the time and effort to read this and support me. It boosts my confidence in writing timely and longer. Any feedback? Write it down in the comments below. Any opinions? Disagree with me? PLEASE tell me about it in the comments or even email me at sportssquare@substack.com or thebest616161@gmail.com.

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Bye bye guys and see you Wednesday! (No newsletter tomorrow!)