NFL Playoffs
The first round of the NFL playoffs came to a close, setting up the divisional rounds this weekend. The San Francisco 49ers beat the Dallas Cowboys 23-17, becoming the only away team to win a game during wild card weekend. The Cincinnati Bengals won their first playoff game in 31 years, beating the Las Vegas Raiders 26-19. In addition, the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Rams are all advancing to the next round.
The Bengals will play the Tennessee Titans, and the Chiefs will play the Bills for the right to advance to the AFC championship game. In the NFC, the Buccaneers will play the Rams as the 49ers play the Packers.
In a playoff loss to the Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger played his final game. Earlier this season, two-time Super Bowl champion, six-time pro-bowler and 2004 Rookie of the Year announced this would be his last year.
MLB lockout update
Jan. 20 marks day 49 of the MLB lockout. The week before, the owners made a proposal after over a month of silence. The offer was not received well by the players union, and they plan to submit a counteroffer at an undisclosed time.
Brett Taylor, Chicago Cubs writer for Bleacher Nation, wrote that a deal must be done by mid-February for the regular season to not be impacted.
“I would think the players would have to counter within the next couple of days,” Taylor said. “I wouldn’t characterize myself as optimistic that the season won’t be impacted at this point.”
MLB pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report on Feb. 15 with spring training games scheduled to start on Feb. 26. No owners or players have made comments regarding the possibility of delaying the 2022 season.
Due to the lockout, many major free agents in the MLB have yet to sign contracts for the 2022 season. Carlos Correa, Freddie Freeman, Kris Bryant and Trevor Story are just a few not currently under contract.
MLB Hall of Fame class of 2022
The MLB Hall of Fame class of 2022 will be announced on Jan. 25. Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz are on the ballot for the first time. Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling and Sammy Sosa are on the ballot for their 10th and final year. Players must receive 75% of the vote to be inducted.
Novak Djokovic update
Novak Djokovic was deported from Australia after the court ruled that immigration minister Alex Hawke’s decision to revoke Djokivic’s visa was lawful. Djokovic, who is unvaccinated, crossed into Australian borders allegedly under the impression that he was medically exempt. The court’s first ruling allowed him to stay in the country to compete in the Australian Open tennis tournament, but upon review he was removed from the country and tournament.
Reports say Djokovic, along with a legal team, is considering filing a $4.4 million lawsuit against Australia.
College basketball
College basketball has entered conference play, shuffling the AP Top 25 as the top 10 teams continue to lose. Currently, Gonzaga holds the No. 1 ranking with Auburn, Arizona, Purdue and Baylor rounding out the top five.
Both Alabama and Seton Hall were dropped from the rankings this week. Full rankings can be found here.
NBA update
Thanks to a 41-point performance by Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks pushed their win streak to four games and nine out of their last 10, beating the Toronto Raptors. Philadelphia 76ers Joel Embiid scored 50 points in a 123-110 win over the Orlando Magic.
The Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns both hold the No. 1 seed in their respective conferences.
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