The World of Sports

New on Sports Illustrated: Nike VaporFly Shoes Avoid Ban as World Athletics Imposes New Limits on Shoe Technology

<a href="https://www.si.com/olympics/2020/01/31/nike-vaporfly-ban-world-athletics-footwear-regulations-olympics">
World Athletics issued new regulations on new technology amid controversy regarding Nike's VaporFly shoes.
On Friday, World Athletics, the global governing body of track and field, released new regulations on footwear, banning any shoe with a maximum sole thickness of more than 40mm and shoes that contain more than one plate.
Under the new regulations, the current version of Nike's VaporFly Next% shoes—which have been popularized by elite and amateur runners, but have stirred debate regarding their threat to the integrity of the sport—will not be banned. The Nike VaporFly Next% shoes have a stack height of 40mm, which would meet the limit.
The future of shoe technology will likely be impacted by the governing body's new ruling, which improved upon its previous, vague stance, which read: “Shoes must not be constructed so as to give athletes any unfair assistance or advantage.” A technical committee was established in November 2019 to examine controversial footwear in hopes of a resolution to the growing uproar and concern before this summer’s Olympics. Nike has repeatedly said its shoes meet the IAAF requirements and do not violate any rules.
Under the new rules, any shoe must be “reasonably available to all in the spirit of the universality of athletics,” and, to impose that rule, any shoe that is introduced to the open retail market after April 30, 2020, may not be used in races unless it has been available for purchase by anyone for at least four months prior to competition. If a shoe does not meet these criteria, it is considered a prototype.
The new rules also state that shoes must not contain more than one carbon fiber blade, plate or “any other material with similar properties or producing similar effects, whether that plate runs the full length of the shoe or only part of the length of the shoe.”
In the
</a><a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/news/press-releases/modified-rules-shoes">release</a>, there is an additional note from World Athletics:
“At least four months prior to an International Competition at which an athlete proposes to wear a shoe that has not previously been used in International Competitions, the athlete (or their representative) must submit to World Athletics the specification (i.e. size, dimensions, sole thickness, structure etc.) of that new shoe; confirm if the new shoe is to be customized in any way; and provide information about the availability of the new shoe on the open retail market. After reviewing this information World Athletics may request that samples of the shoe be submitted by the manufacturer for further examination. If the shoe is requested for further investigation, World Athletics will use reasonable efforts to complete its examination as soon as practicable (if possible, within 30 days of receipt of the shoe by World Athletics).”
World Athletics also stated that if it believes a shoe or specific technology does not comply with the letter or spirit of the rules, it can call for that shoe or technology to be prohibited in competition until fully examined.
Nike’s VaporFly shoes, which are easily recognizable in races due to bright-green and pink colorways, have been at the center of controversy dating back to 2016, when several sponsored athletes competed in prototypes at the U.S. Olympic marathon trials and then at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Critics say the shoes, which feature a carbon fiber plate and cushioning foam in the midsole, provide an unfair advantage due to the energy return that has led to faster times than competitor shoes. The shoes have resulted in an arms race among other companies such as Saucony, Asics, Brooks, New Balance and HOKA One One to create a competitor that can keep up, with target dates as soon as the U.S. Olympic marathon trials on Feb. 29 in Atlanta. Saucony, Brooks and HOKA also now have shoes that feature a carbon fiber plate.
Those companies may now have to rush their products out to be eligible for use at the Summer Games in Tokyo.
In July 2018, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/07/18/upshot/nike-vaporfly-shoe-strava.html">The New York Times released the findings of its own study</a> using data from fitness app Strava that determined runners in the Vaporflys clocked times that were 3% to 4% faster than similar runners in other shoes. It also found that the Vaporflys were more than 1% faster than the next-best racing shoe. The Times analyzed results from about 280,000 marathon and 215,000 half marathon performances. Last December, the Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/12/13/upshot/nike-vaporfly-next-percent-shoe-estimates.html">revisited the latest shoe technology</a> to include the Next% and found that runners were 4% to 5% faster than the next-best shoe.
Nike officially unveiled its VaporFly technology in 2017, when the sportswear company sponsored an optimized exhibition race for Kenyan marathoner Eliud Kipchoge to break two hours in the marathon. Kipchoge fell just 25 seconds shy of making history but in addition to the perfect course, fueling and weather conditions, the shoes made a marginal difference. He wore the 4% shoes when he broke the marathon world record in two hours, one minute and 39 seconds at the 2018 Berlin Marathon. Three years later, the sportswear company <a href="https://www.si.com/edge/2019/04/24/nike-zoomx-vaporfly-next-percent-shoe-details">upgraded the shoes</a> for Kipchoge to wear at the 2019 London Marathon with its VaporFly Next% shoes, which have more foam than the 4% and are composed of lighter upper material. He ran the then-second-fastest marathon time in history with them and won the race in 2:02:37. The five-fastest marathons in history have been run by men in VaporFly Next% shoes.
Fellow Kenyan Brigid Kosgei amplified the VaporFly debate when she broke Paula Radcliffe’s marathon world record of 2:15:25, which had stood since 2003, by 81 seconds. Her 2:14:04 world record at the Chicago Marathon came just one day after Kipchoge became the first man to break the two-hour marathon barrier and gave the world a sneak peek at the next installation of the VaporFly tech.
During the INEOS 1:59 Challenge, another optimized sub-two attempt, Kipchoge wore the AlphaFlys. Nike released photos of the shoe, but very few details. <a href="https://www.believeintherun.com/2019/10/09/a-breakdown-of-the-nike-kipchoge-prototype/">A patent was uncovered by a running blog</a> that suggested the new shoe has four cushioning pods on the sole, two layers of midsole foam and three carbon fiber plate layers.
<figure><img height="349" src="https://www.si.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTcwMTM0Mzg2MTA3MjMwMDA4/eliud-kipchoge-nike-alphafly.jpg" width="620" /></figure>
The shoe has been seen in some domestic U.S. races as a prototype on wear-testers and also on some U.S. contenders for the marathon trials like Bernard Lagat—who will be going for his fifth Olympic team at 45. Under the new regulations, the Nike AlphaFlys will not be allowed at the U.S. Olympic Trials, since they are still not on sale to the general public and, thus, do not meet the availability guidelines set by World Atheltics.  
<iframe width="320" height="320" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/B7y5WVyFrSD/embed" frameborder="0"></iframe>
The new regulations set by World Athletics are a step forward in limiting the manufacturer arms race that’s distracting from the athletic footrace, but shoes are more complex than putting a blanket limit on the construction. Now that there are defined limits, it seems that the the next step for footwear innovation will be working within World Athletics’ constraints to optimize shoes for individual runners.

New on Sports Illustrated: Nike VaporFly Shoes Avoid Ban as World Athletics Imposes New Limits on Shoe Technology

World Athletics issued new regulations on new technology amid controversy regarding Nike's VaporFly shoes. On Friday, World Athletics,...

New on Sports Illustrated: In-Demand Brian Lozano Finds a Home With Santos Laguna in Demanding Liga MX

<a href="https://www.si.com/soccer/2020/01/31/brian-lozano-santos-laguna-liga-mx-mls-uruguay">
Brian Lozano has European aspirations and was the subject of MLS transfer interest, but he's just fine rewarding Santos Laguna's faith in him.
Liga MX’s Clausura season enters its fourth matchday this weekend, and one thing is for certain: the league’s pace and physicality is already in full effect. It’s always been clear that Mexico’s top division is a relentless, high-octane beast, and every weekend, teams in the league fight like no one else in the Americas. For Brian Lozano, Santos Laguna’s Uruguayan star, that especially rings true.
“Liga MX is a very, very strong, physical league. It’s not easy. It takes a lot out of you,” Lozano told SI.com. “When I came here [first with Club America] it really was hard to adjust. It took time for me to reach a certain level. This is a challenging league that demands a lot of you. I can tell you that it’s easier to play in South America than Mexico. 100%.”
Quite simply, if you want to play in Mexico, you better know how to fight, and that’s exactly what Santos Laguna is currently doing as it gets ready to face league leader Pumas for a second time this week. Santos fell in the second leg of their Copa MX series on Wednesday, but advanced 5-4 on aggregate to secure the club's place in the quarterfinals.
Its league fortunes have been a different story so far, as Santos finds itself in 15th place after a win and two losses to start the campaign. Lozano knows that it’s a long season where twists and turns are inevitable, and given the way the club ended the Apertura season–a first-place finish followed by a first-round playoff exit to eventual champion Monterrey–more fight and focus are needed. 
“We did a great season in the Apertura, topping the regular season, but after getting knocked out in the Liguilla, we didn’t show what we could do, so we want to go back and come stronger and repeat what we did in 2018 [winning that year’s Clausura],” Lozano said.
<figure><img height="349" src="https://www.si.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTcwMTMzNzY4MTY4ODEwMjk2/brian-lozano-santos-laguna.jpg" width="620" /></figure>
For Santos Laguna, hearing Lozano talk about the future is now less nerve-wracking as the club wasn’t even sure if the 25-year-old, nicknamed “Huevo,” would even play there in 2020. After the Apertura ended, Lozano–who had nine goals and six assists in the competition–attracted the attention of several clubs, including D.C. United, LAFC and even clubs in Europe. In the end, his transfer and contract fees were too high for interested parties, and Lozano stayed put. Days after the Clausura kicked off, the club handed him a contract extension until 2022.
Lozano says part of the reason why he decided to stay and sign the extension was that he feels a sense of loyalty to Santos, especially after the club gave him a second chance in the league after a disappointing campaign with America. 
“I am extremely happy here and owe this club a lot," Lozano said. "I am very pleased on signing the extension. There was interest this offseason, but a lot of times, it’s out of your hands. In the end, I stayed and I am very happy.”
But Lozano–like any other young player–is ambitious and as he turns 26 in late February, he knows that his talents could take him elsewhere in the future if he continues to perform well. 
“Of course, I have aspirations of playing somewhere else," Lozano said. "Maybe Europe. I can’t ignore it. It’s the dream for many players. I mean, listen, I am not someone who can give definite answers about the future. For now, I want to help Santos Laguna and give it my all, but I can never give a concrete answer about where I could end up. For now, I am happy to give everything to Santos Laguna.”
<figure><img height="349" src="https://www.si.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTcwMTM1MTI3MjU3NTI0MDI0/brian-lozano-uruguay-usmnt.jpg" width="620" /></figure>
European ambitions aside, Lozano has also witnessed the rise of MLS and its interest in South American talent. He echoes a sentiment shared by many players who are based in the league, including countrymen Diego Rossi and Brian Rodriguez, who star for LAFC. 
“MLS is growing, and you can see it," said Lozano, who has eight caps with Uruguay's senior national team and played against the U.S. in a 1-1 draw last September. "I was listening to a few players who play over there a short while ago and they talk about the competitiveness and how it’s improving and you can see it. It’s a growing league.”
MLS’s growth has also meant a stronger relationship with Liga MX, both on and off the field. After announcing a long-term partnership in 2018, which included the launch of Campeones Cup, the Leagues Cup, a Liga MX-MLS All-Star game and a collaborative effort to share business and social initiatives, the recent transfer dealings between both leagues have also been extremely active. 
This winter has so far featured seven key players leaving Liga MX clubs for ones in MLS. From
</a><a href="https://www.si.com/soccer/2020/01/23/edison-flores-dc-united-peru-mls">Edison Flores heading to D.C. United</a>, <a href="https://www.si.com/soccer/2019/12/11/alan-pulido-new-challenge-sporting-kansas-city-mls">Chivas and Mexican star Alan Pulido going to Sporting Kansas City</a> and reliable center back Oswaldo Alanis reunited with Matias Almeyda with the San Jose Earthquakes, MLS clubs are offering more in order to attract Mexico-based talent. But equally, Liga MX has done business of its own, as five players, including Luciano Acosta (Atlas), Uriel Antuna (Chivas) and Leandro Gonzalez Pirez (Tijuana), have left MLS and headed south.
Lozano believes the transactional relationship between both leagues helps improve the overall quality of soccer in the continent. 
“The relationship between both leagues helps Mexican soccer and MLS, because teams become more competitive, and I think it’s great for the region. A strong connection for both leagues–players and everyone–can only be good for the product.”
Time will tell if Lozano ends up becoming part of another MLS-Liga MX transfer story in the future, but for now, the Uruguayan’s entire focus is on Santos Laguna and helping the team win this year’s Clausura.
“I don’t think about anything else but helping the team,” he says. “My objectives are always clear: to help the team and win. Scoring is great and it will be nice to be top scorer, but I don’t think about that. I want to help this team win. That’s it. I don’t care about anything else.”

New on Sports Illustrated: In-Demand Brian Lozano Finds a Home With Santos Laguna in Demanding Liga MX

Brian Lozano has European aspirations and was the subject of MLS transfer interest, but he's just fine rewarding Santos Laguna's fa...

New on Sports Illustrated: Shaq Buys Laptop for Shopper Who Offered Condolences for Deaths of His Sister and Kobe Bryant

<a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2020/01/31/shaquille-oneal-fan-best-buy-laptop">
A man at Best Buy offered his sympathies to Shaquille O’Neal after the deaths of his sister and Kobe Bryant. Shaq told him he’d cover his purchase.
A man shopping at a Georgia Best Buy got quite the surprise when he ran into Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, and Shaq made the moment even more unforgettable. 
Patrick Martin says he was at the Best Buy in McDonough, Ga., south of Atlanta, looking to buy a laptop on Wednesday when he spotted Shaq. Martin offered his sympathies to NBA legend for the recent death of Kobe Bryant and O’Neal’s sister, Ayesha Harrison-Jex,
</a><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/25/sport/shaq-sister-cancer-trnd/index.html">who died in October after a battle with cancer</a>. 
Moved by the gesture, Shaq told Martin the laptop was on him. Martin wrote in a Facebook post that O’Neal told him to “get the nicest one in here and I'll pay for it.”
<iframe height="707" width="500" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpermalink.php%3Fstory_fbid%3D10106003583298071%26id%3D33020500&width=500" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
That sort of random act of kindness is nothing new for Shaq. He’s purchased musical equipment <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2825320-shaquille-oneal-buys-kid-multiple-pieces-of-music-equipment-at-guitar-center">for a fan in a Guitar Center</a>, shoes for a <a href="https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-shaquille-oneal-buys-shoes-teen-big-feet-20190510-story.html">teenager with size 18 feet</a> and a house <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2019/10/18/shaq-donates-home-paralyzed-boy">for a 12-year-old paralyzed in a shooting</a>. He’s also gone on shopping sprees for himself, though, claiming that <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2018/03/29/shaquille-oneal-spent-70000-dollars-walmart-video">his $70,000 Walmart trip</a> to furnish his apartment after being traded to the Suns is the biggest single purchase in the store’s history.

New on Sports Illustrated: Shaq Buys Laptop for Shopper Who Offered Condolences for Deaths of His Sister and Kobe Bryant

A man at Best Buy offered his sympathies to Shaquille O’Neal after the deaths of his sister and Kobe Bryant. Shaq told him he’d cover his p...

New on Sports Illustrated: SI Interviews Fantasy Football World Champion Matt Bayley at Super Bowl LIV

<a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2020/01/31/2019-fantasy-football-world-champion-matt-bayley">
SI's Bill Enright sits down with Fantasy Football World Champion Matt Bailey on Radio Row to discuss his journey to fantasy glory.
Did you know that you could
</a><a href="https://fulltimefantasy.com/watch-fantasy-football-world-championships/">win $150,000 playing fantasy football?</a> Matt Bayley accomplished that feat for the second time in the Fantasy Football World Championship's seven-year history.
Lamar Jackson, Austin Ekeler, Julio Jones, Tyler Lockett and Mike Evans were just a few of the players that helped Bayley capture his second championship belt.
To place your name on the 2020 waiting list, <a href="https://fftoolbox.fulltimefantasy.com/ffwc/index.html">click here.</a> The Fantasy Football World Championship tracks and ranks the performances of all players and entry fees ranging from the free Mock Draft World Championship to $35 Starter Leagues and all the way to the marquee contest, the Fantasy Football World Championship with drafts online from home or live in Las Vegas. Drop $1,795 and you could win $10,000 in individual league prizes, plus the $150,000 grand prize!
<a href="https://fulltimefantasy.com/matt-bayley-2019-ffwc-world-champion/">Click here for a more in-depth read of Matt Bayley's 2019 FFWC journey!</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: SI Interviews Fantasy Football World Champion Matt Bayley at Super Bowl LIV

SI's Bill Enright sits down with Fantasy Football World Champion Matt Bailey on Radio Row to discuss his journey to fantasy glory. Did...

New on Sports Illustrated: J.J. Watt Left In Tears After Taking Hot Ones Challenge: TRAINA THOUGHTS

<a href="https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2020/01/31/jj-watt-hot-ones-challenge">
Spicy chicken wings leave J.J. Watt with tears in his eyes
1. J.J. Watt and Jimmy Fallon took the Hot Ones challenge last night. I can say a lot of things to sell the fact that you should click the video below and watch, but there's really only one thing you need to know: The 6-foot-5, 290-pound defensive lineman was left in tears -- literally. And he kept complaining that it hurt to breathe.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GXa2XR5zjvI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The best part was that Watt then had to do his interview with Fallon after the chicken wings bit and he could barely speak.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EvPRieKpNug" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
2. WWE superstar, actor, pitchman and Make-A-Wish Foundation legend John Cena will appear in a Super Bowl commercial Sunday for Michelob Ultra. The commercial features Jimmy Fallon, Usain Bolt, Brooks Koepka and others. I spoke to Cena about starring in a Super Bowl commercial, prop bets, WrestleMania and more:
SI.com: Is performing at WrestleMania this year a goal for John Cena?
John Cena: Performing at WrestleMania this year would be a gift. I haven't been intertwined in the machine of the WWE. I know those WrestleMania spots are few and far between. I've expressed that I'm off. But I've also expressed that I live in Tampa. I will for sure be at the event and I have great trust in the process and I have great faith in Vince McMahon not only as a boss, but as so much more than that. As a friend, as a mentor. If he were to tell me that he needs me, I would absolutely be active in whatever capacity, whether it would be like last year in New York rapping my way to the ring or the year before being a fan in the stands. There is no job too small. 
SI.com: Was doing a Super Bowl commercial something you've always wanted to do?
JC: I think it's great that a WWE superstar is going to be in a Super Bowl commercial because I've been through the stereotyping and typecasting of WWE superstars that Dwayne Johnson himself has broken. And because of his efforts, something like this can happen, where a WWE superstar can be in a Super bowl commercial. I love the commercial because 1) I get to be with my friend Jimmy Fallon and 2) I love the message that Michelob Ultra is sending. They're saying that wellness is important and wellness isn't just lifting weights. Wellness is moving around and doing something and do it because you love it, because if you love it, it's so much more rewarding.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U7h6Vls-uO8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
SI: On of your co-stars in the Michelob Ultra commercial is golfer Brooks Koepka. Did you get to spend time with him? 
JC: I did. I really enjoy talking to golfers because their life on tour is very much like the WWE. Their season never stops, they're responsible for their own travel. Their responsible for their own well-being. They're essentially heavily betting on themselves and they get out of it what they put into it. Should they play well, they get rewarded. If they get into a slump, they have to look to no one but themesleves. So it was really cool to talk to Brooks.
SI: Did you know that Koepka revealed last year that he's never in his life had a hot beverage? Do you believe that?
JC: In this day and age, that's very difficult to comprehend. Unless he takes a cold shower every morning, he's probably had some of the water go into his mouth at one point. I can't believe that. He's never intentionally ordered a hot beverage? That's a claim? That's tough to believe. I don't want to call the man out on it, but that's tough to conceptualize.
SI As I mentioned, Jimmy Fallon is in the Michelob Ultra commercial with you. We see you on the Today Show all the time. Would you ever want to be a late-night talk show host?
JC: I have very little control over all that stuff. This is the philosophy I used in WWE to great success: I would always just take what was asked of me and make it my own. I love being on those talk shows. Being in the chair next to Jimmy is awesome. He's such a great host. He makes you feel like it's your home for the eight or 12 minutes you're out there. He's fantastic at what he does. I love being on the Today Show. If the opportunity came around, it's something that I certainly would enjoy. It's the chance to be in front of a live audience every night and there's no substitute for that. But I don't make those choices and I have no plans to start my own TV studio or to start my own talk show, so we'll see where it goes from there and right now I'll just try to do the best with the opportunities I got.
SI: Do you ever bet on sports? 
JC: I don't bet on sports. I bet on other things. 
SI: I wanted to get your opinion on some of the more outrageous prop bets offered on the Super Bowl this year. Just tell us what you would bet if you were a betting man. How many commercials will have a dog in it during the Super Bowl? The over/under is 3.5.
JC: More than 3.5.
SI: Length of Demi Lovato's "Brave" note at the end of the national anthem. Will it be longer or shorter than 5.5 seconds?
JC: I'll take the over. I think she will go longer.
SI: Will Trump tweet during the Super Bowl?
JC: That is a hundred percent certain that he will.
SI: Will J-Lo or Shakira show cleavage? You can bet both, neither or just one of them.
JC: I think they both will and I define cleavage as respectful showing of a woman's figure. I don't think any wardrobe accidents will occur, but I think their outfits will be provocative but not offensive.
SI: Will J-Lo show butt cleavage?
JC: I say not to that one.
3. Jimmy Kimmel has given us another edition of Mean Tweets featuring NFL players and Tom Brady steals the show.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/siIQ1jPtmEQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
4. Shaquille O'Neal shared a great story on Inside the NBA last night about what Kobe Bryant would do during shootaround during his rookie season.
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"></blockquote>
</div>
</a>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
5. This isn't how basketball works, Draymond Green.
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/anthonyVslater/status/1223054759147528193"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
6. This week's SI Media Podcast features an interview with play-by-play man Kevin Harlan.
Harlan shared memories of Kobe Bryant and talked about what it was like to call games throughout Kobe's career.
The second half of the podcast focuses on Harlan calling Super Bowl LIV this Sunday for Westwood One Radio. It will be Harlan's 10th straight season calling the Super Bowl and he discusses his prep for the game, the audience he's serving and much more.
You can listen to the podcast below or download it on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/michael-mulvihill-and-conrad-thompson/id997819235?i=1000452993293">Apple</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4Bvno6GHUWSuOLTAIWma1u">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/sports-illustrated-media-podcast">Stitcher</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Iq5rbvuoxjtxxns3fnal5ciyy4y">Google Play</a>.
<iframe height="200" width="100%" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=CAD6358057392" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
7. RANDOM YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE DAY: With J.J. Watt set to host Saturday Night Live this weekend, I thought we should look back at the best SNL skit starring an athlete.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uEEYbXVCoT0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Be sure to <a href="https://www.si.com/author/jimmy-traina">catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts</a> and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sports-illustrated-media-podcast/id997819235?mt=2">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4Bvno6GHUWSuOLTAIWma1u">Spotify</a> or <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/sports-illustrated-media-podcast#/">Stitcher</a>. You can also follow Jimmy on <a href="https://twitter.com/JimmyTraina">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jimmytraina/">Instagram</a>.

New on Sports Illustrated: J.J. Watt Left In Tears After Taking Hot Ones Challenge: TRAINA THOUGHTS

Spicy chicken wings leave J.J. Watt with tears in his eyes 1 . J.J. Watt and Jimmy Fallon took the Hot Ones challenge last night. I can sa...

New on Sports Illustrated: Edinson Cavani Staying at PSG After Atletico Madrid Transfer Falls Through

<a href="https://www.si.com/soccer/2020/01/31/edinson-cavani-transfer-psg-atletico-madrid">
Cavani will remain with PSG for the rest of the season, until his contract expires.
Edinson Cavani is staying at league leader Paris Saint-Germain for the rest of the season, after which he will be available on a free transfer.
</a><a href="https://www.si.com/soccer/2020/01/31/transfer-deadline-day-live-blog-moves-loans-signings">Cavani wanted to leave</a> because of a lack of games since the arrival of striker Mauro Icardi, but a move to Atletico Madrid fell through.
PSG reportedly rejected an offer of 15 million euros ($16.5 million) for Cavani, who turns 33 on Feb. 14. The hard-working Uruguay forward is PSG's record scorer with 198 goals, and his contract runs out in June.
''We couldn't reach an agreement with anyone,'' PSG sporting director Leonardo said Friday. ''At one point we started negotiations but we couldn't reach an agreement.''
Leonardo also said Juventus changed its mind about signing left back Layvin Kurzawa, who was close to joining the Italian champions.
PSG coach Thomas Tuchel said Cavani can challenge Icardi - who has scored 17 goals in 24 games since joining on a season loan from Inter Milan - for a place in the team.
''Competition for places is a good thing. It's good in a club like PSG,'' Tuchel said Friday ahead of Saturday's home game against Montpellier. ''There are worse situations in life than staying at PSG. I think he will start feeling well soon. He needs to get his rhythm and confidence back.''

New on Sports Illustrated: Edinson Cavani Staying at PSG After Atletico Madrid Transfer Falls Through

Cavani will remain with PSG for the rest of the season, until his contract expires. Edinson Cavani is staying at league leader Paris Saint...

New on Sports Illustrated: Curtis Granderson Retires After 16 Seasons

<a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/2020/01/31/curtis-granderson-retires-ends-career-yankees-tigers">
Former Tigers and Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson is hanging up his spikes.
Curtis Granderson is hanging up his spikes after 16 seasons in the majors.
The veteran outfielder
</a><a href="https://twitter.com/cgrand3/status/1223240427727392768">announced</a> his retirement on Twitter on Friday morning.
"As I close out this wonderful chapter in my life and step away from my days on the field, I know that my role in this game is only just getting started," Granderson said. "I look forward to continuing my work helping to diversify the sport, paving the way for young kids to learn and grow."
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/cgrand3/status/1223240427727392768"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
Granderson played for seven teams during his career after the Tigers drafted him in 2002. He spent the first six seasons of his career in Detroit before the Yankees acquired him ahead of the 2010 season. During his four years with the Yankees, Granderson earned two of his three All-Star nods and won the 2011 American League Silver Slugger Award in center field.
He retires as a .249 lifetime hitter with 344 home runs and 937 RBI.
Granderson <a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/2019/06/17/curtis-granderson-career-miami-marlins">embraced a leadership role late in his career</a> as he bounced around from the Dodgers, Blue Jays, Brewers and Marlins after four seasons with the Mets. Known for his sunny disposition, his charity work through his Grand Kids Foundation and contributions to his hometown Chicago have defined his work off the field.
"Thank you–to the MLB, MLBPA, my teammates and coaches, front office staff, members of the media, partners, and the fans–for the ride of a lifetime," he said.
"This journey would not be made possible without those who came before me, breaking barriers to allow a young Curtis Granderson to live out his dream. It's been an honor to wear my socks high."

New on Sports Illustrated: Curtis Granderson Retires After 16 Seasons

Former Tigers and Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson is hanging up his spikes. Curtis Granderson is hanging up his spikes after 16 seaso...

New on Sports Illustrated: Joe Montana’s Super Bowl Q&A

<a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2020/01/31/joe-montana-thoughts-on-mahomes-garoppolo-chiefs-49ers">
The 49ers and Chiefs legend on his former teams and their young star quarterbacks, and why you won’t be seeing him at a championship parade no matter which team wins.
The day after the conference championship games, Joe Montana posted on social media a photo of two framed jerseys in his house: On the left, a white No. 19 uniform from the last game he played in the NFL, with the Chiefs in 1994. On the right, a red No. 16 uniform from his final game for the 49ers, in 1992. “I GUARANTEE my team will win the SUPER Bowl!!” he wrote. Not quite as bold as
</a><a href="https://www.si.com/vault/1969/01/20/542591/say-its-so-joe">Joe Namath’s guarantee</a>…
“I had a great time in both places,” says Montana, who won four Super Bowls over 14 seasons with the Niners, then played two years in Kansas City, making the playoffs both seasons. “I obviously spent more time in San Francisco, but when I got to Kansas City, it was so nice. Those can be tough transitions, but the neighbors, people, organization made it a great experience. It’s what you were hoping for, but not expecting.”
Montana is pleasantly accessible for a three-time Super Bowl MVP. I missed his first call while I was at Arrowhead Stadium during the Super Bowl bye week. He called back a few hours later as I was waiting at gate B59 at the Kansas City Airport, and was exceedingly patient while I asked questions in-between the boarding calls for my flight. As I scanned my boarding pass, I noted that before Patrick Mahomes came along, the last QB to win a home playoff game for the Chiefs <a href="https://www.si.com/vault/1994/01/17/130271/a-trio-of-chiefs-for-the-ages-in-ot-joe-montana-marcus-allen-and-nick-lowery-led-kansas-city-past-pittsburgh">had been Montana, 25 years ago</a>. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Montana deadpanned, feigning that he was unaware of the drought.
This Sunday, Montana will get to watch both of his franchises make their much-anticipated returns to the Super Bowl—but as you'll see in this excerpt of our conversation, don’t expected him to see him on a parade float anytime soon.
THE MMQB: What allowed the 49ers to make this turnaround in three seasons? MONTANA: It takes about that long. Look, when Bill [Walsh] turned the Niners around, when he got there, <a href="https://www.si.com/vault/1982/07/26/624667/to-baffle-and-amaze">it was three years</a>. You need like minds and people who want the same thing, and Kyle [Shanahan] and John Lynch put trust in each other in how to go about and build this. The biggest similarity [to Walsh’s rebuild] was defense. Bill grabbed a few offensive players but in ’81, he went to pursue defense. He added a whole secondary, three draft choices [Ronnie Lott, Eric Wright and Carlton Williams], and paired them with Dwight Hicks. Youth is great, they are gonna play hard as hard as they’ve played ever in their career, but you also have to have those veterans like Hicks who can handle and understand the young players. We built a great defense, and from that point on, those are the guys who kept us in the games and into Super Bowls.
<figure><img height="283" src="https://www.si.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTcwMTM0MjI5ODc3Nzk0NjE2/joe-montana-si-covers.jpg" width="620" />
<figcaption>Montana had multiple SI covers with both teams, including (left to right): Jan. 25, 1982; Jan. 24, 1994; Feb. 5, 1990.</figcaption>
</figure>
THE MMQB: Do you remember Kyle Shanahan working as a ballboy for the 49ers as a kid? MONTANA: I am sure I ran into him a million times in my last year there when Mike [Shanahan] was there. That was a strange year for me, so it was hard to concentrate on a lot of things going on, knowing I wasn’t gonna be there anymore. I did what I had to do to keep myself sane. Normally, I would have probably played around with him a bunch. You always knew when coaches’ kids were around; you always make it fun for them and play with them. I’m a big practical joker, and I’m sure if I didn’t trip him a few times I should have, and taken balls from him.
THE MMQB: Jimmy Garoppolo <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/07/24/jimmy-garoppolo-tom-brady-san-francisco-49ers">faced a lot of pressure early on</a>. His picture was next to yours on the team’s “Faithful Then, Faithful Now” banners. How did you see him handle that? MONTANA: I haven’t met him; I don’t go down there very often. I might get to one or two games a year. I started a venture fund that eats up most of my time, and going down and back [to Santa Clara] is an hour without traffic. I love watching him, love what he’s doing down there, but I don’t look backward very often. I absolutely love the game; I love the Chiefs, 49ers, and I grew up a Steelers fan all my life. I love watching, but I don’t feel like I need to be involved in the game anymore.
THE MMQB: The 49ers have nodded to the past, but as they have rebuilt this team, have you also seen their commitment to doing things differently and charting their own path? MONTANA: I think sometimes if you overemphasize the past, you forget about what is going on right now. Everyone thinks about the past players, but we had our time in the limelight. People have asked me: “Will you go to the parade?” Why would I go ride in the parade? I’ve been there; why celebrate me? They don’t need us old guys there interfering. It’s nice to have guys around in certain areas, to help younger guys understand what it takes what it to win, but this has nothing to do with me. I am not one to go get involved. If I was going to get involved, I’d want to be a coach, someone in the organization. I’ve been there, done that. While I still remember those days, this is about these guys, not us old guys.
THE MMQB: What is memorable to you about the way Patrick Mahomes plays? MONTANA: He does a lot of great things, but I can also tell you, the things he does are only possible because he has other guys around him on the offensive side who understand and move along with the things he does. You are never out of the play when he’s involved. You watch some teams and some receivers will just run down the field and they don’t even react. But there is a big understanding from his guys that this guy can make plays no matter where, no matter how desperate it feels. If you don’t have that trust, nothing else matters.
THE MMQB: Do you think the Chiefs needed a player like Mahomes to change their postseason fortunes? MONTANA: It’s easy to say yes, but I don’t think it took that type of a person to make them get over the hump. The organization is very stable and strong, and they were going to rebuild it. But obviously having someone like him come along makes it a lot easier, for sure.
THE MMQB: With both of these teams, it’s easy to start thinking about how they could be contenders for years to come. How hard is it for a team to stay at the top? MONTANA: You see this a lot, where a team will have a run, and then it will change as those guys get older. It's hard to keep those things going. Today, with how much players are getting paid, and the salary cap obviously puts a damper on some guys' ability to stay in one place, and they want to go and make money before something happens because your career could end tomorrow. I’m all for these guys going and moving around, making the money you can, as much as you can while you can, and then hopefully you get out of there healthy... because it’s no fun going through a lot of these surgeries and things like that. It makes your life miserable. Just watching the linebacker, <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2020/01/21/luke-kuechly-retirement-nfl-coaching-carousel-business-of-football">[Luke] Kuechly, getting out</a>. You know what? If he is healthy, and he thinks he’s had enough, and he’s got enough money, go. Get out of there before you can’t do it. And I’ll be the first to say that part of the reason I retired was because of injury. Because I looked at my family going, Damn, I missed most of this growing up, and something could happen to me at this point in my career that might make it impossible for me to play with my kids or play with my grandkids. As you get older, you realize that sometimes there are things that end up being more important. So enjoy the game, have fun, and then I tell them: Make your money and get out while you can, healthy if you can.
• Question or comment? Email us at <a href="mailto:talkback@themmqb.com">talkback@themmqb.com</a>.

New on Sports Illustrated: Joe Montana’s Super Bowl Q&A

The 49ers and Chiefs legend on his former teams and their young star quarterbacks, and why you won’t be seeing him at a championship parade...

New on Sports Illustrated: NBA DFS Daily Plays - Friday, 1/31 (DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo)

<a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2020/01/31/dfs-draftkings-fanduel-yahoo-daily-plays-january-friday">
Expert NBA DFS DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo DFS daily plays for Friday, January 31
<h2>NBA DFS (Friday, January 31)</h2>
This is Corey Parson's latest edition SI Fantasy's
</a><a href="https://www.si.com/nba">NBA</a> DFS daily plays.
We have a big NBA DFS slate for a Friday night. All seven games on the main slate have a total of over 220, so fantasy points should be easy to come by, and there are also a ton of marquee matchups.
Memphis vs. New Orleans has the highest total on the slate, and both of these young teams are competitive.
Jaren Jackson Jr. will not play for Memphis due to suspension. The Mavericks and Rockets play in Houston, but Luka Doncic is out with an ankle injury. The night concludes in Los Angeles, where the Lakers face the Blazers.
<h3>PG/SG Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns</h3>
DraftKings: $9,100, FanDuel: $8,900, Yahoo: $40
Devin Booker's skill set alone and the way he has been paying of late makes him one of the best plays on the slate. Couple that with the disappointment of not making the All-Star team, I think we should see Booker go off tonight.
<h3>SG Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls</h3>
DraftKings: $8,500, FanDuel: $8,300, Yahoo: $40
LaVine, just like Booker, will be looking to show off this evening due to him not being selected to the NBA All-Star team. LaVine already has a 36-point game against the Nets.
Enjoy unlimited NBA DFS coverage plus a Lineup Optimizer (FD, DK & Yahoo) for only $19.95/mo at <a href="https://fulltimefantasy.com/subscribe/">FullTime Fantasy</a>. With this all-star lineup of analysts covering daily NBA, you will build better lineups and win more consistently. That’s our guarantee.
<h3>PF/C Kristaps Porzingis, Dallas Mavericks</h3>
DraftKings: $6,800, FanDuel: $6,400, Yahoo: $29
Porzingis will have to play extended minutes and take more shots with Luka Doncic out for Dallas tonight. Last time out versus the Rockets, Porzingis had a double-double and scored 51 fantasy points.
<h3>C Jonas Valanciunas, Memphis Grizzlies</h3>
DraftKings: $6,300, FanDuel: $6,300, Yahoo: $28
JV will have to come up big for the Grizzlies in this showdown game. Jaren Jackson Jr. is out for Memphis, so JV will pick up more of the scoring load. The Pelicans are 24th in the league versus opposing big men.
<h3>PG/SG Colby White, Chicago Bulls</h3>
DraftKings: $3,400, FanDuel: $3,800, Yahoo: $10
The rookie has flashed at times this season. When he gets hot from three-point land, he can take over a game. White gets a Nets team that is dead last vs. opposing point guards. The Bulls are down four players. The former Tar Heel should get plenty of chances to exceed fantasy value. 
Put your money down with the sharps by heading to <a href="https://www.si.com/gambling">SI Gambling</a>. Avoid the groupthink! You'll know where the pros in Vegas are putting their money!

New on Sports Illustrated: NBA DFS Daily Plays - Friday, 1/31 (DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo)

Expert NBA DFS DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo DFS daily plays for Friday, January 31 NBA DFS (Friday, January 31) This is Corey Parson'...

New on Sports Illustrated: Nashville SC, MLS at Odds With New Mayor Over Stadium Plan

<a href="https://www.si.com/soccer/2020/01/31/nashville-sc-mls-stadium-plan-mayor-problem">
Nashville's new mayor doesn't appear interested in honoring a deal approved by his predecessor, and that's a problem for MLS.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Major League Soccer and its new Nashville team say Mayor John Cooper refused Thursday to commit to moving ahead with a stadium plan approved under the previous mayor.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber and team officials met with Cooper at the league's office Thursday in New York City to discuss the team's stadium project. The soccer officials said they want an answer by Feb. 6.
MLS and Nashville issued a joint statement, saying the team has worked over the past four months to improve the stadium deal with new proposals to address concerns of the mayor, who took office in late September.
The league said in the statement that Garber made clear that MLS would not have awarded Nashville an expansion team without the city's commitment to build a soccer stadium at the Nashville Fairgrounds location.
''The Mayor's continued refusal to proceed is a deep disappointment,'' the league and team said in the statement.
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"></blockquote>
</div>
</a>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Cooper must approve demolition of some old exhibition buildings for construction to begin on the stadium. The team will be working with Cooper's office over the next week trying to finalize a plan to start that phase.
''We hope for a mutually agreeable solution and expect to have an update regarding the project by February 6,'' MLS and Nashville said in the statement.
Nashville is scheduled to begin its debut season Feb. 29, hosting Atlanta at Nissan Stadium, home to the NFL's Tennessee Titans.
''Since entering office four moths ago, I've worked towards a complete solution for the Fairgrounds that is both financially sustainable and results in a successful, unified site plan,'' Cooper said in a statement. ''This past week, I met with racing advocates as well as MLS. I appreciate MLS and its advocacy for professional soccer in Nashville. I also appreciate all parties are working together to improve the plan for he entire Fairground, both in design and financing.
''I will continue to chart a path forward that makes good financial sense for all of Nashville's taxpayers.''
Nashville chief executive officer Ian Ayre said in August the project would cost at least $50 million more than original estimates and the team would be investing up to $75 million in additional money. The Metro Nashville Council approved a $275 million project in November 2017.
MLS granted Nashville an expansion franchise in December 2017 after the council's vote.

New on Sports Illustrated: Nashville SC, MLS at Odds With New Mayor Over Stadium Plan

Nashville's new mayor doesn't appear interested in honoring a deal approved by his predecessor, and that's a problem for MLS. ...

New on Sports Illustrated: Barcelona Signs Trincao, Atletico Madrid Brings Back Carrasco on Deadline Day

<a href="https://www.si.com/soccer/2020/01/31/barcelona-trincao-sporting-braga-atletico-madrid-carrasco-transfer-deadline">
He'll arrive next summer on a long-term deal after a $34.3 million transfer.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Barcelona signed Portuguese forward Francisco Trincao for next season and Atletico Madrid announced the return of Yannick Carrasco on Friday, the
</a><a href="https://www.si.com/soccer/2020/01/31/transfer-deadline-day-live-blog-moves-loans-signings">final day of the transfer window</a> in Spain.
Barcelona said it had agreed to pay Portuguese club Braga 31 million euros ($34 million) to acquire the 20-year-old Trincao after the season ends for five years.
Since debuting with Braga in December 2018, Trincao has scored three goals in 29 matches. He has played for Portugal's youth teams and helped it win the under-19 European Championship in 2018 as its top scorer with five goals.
Barcelona described him as a ''talented and quick player with a good left leg'' who can play as a winger on either side of the attack.
Atletico will hope to boost its goal production immediately with the return of Carrasco, a Belgium forward who played for the Spanish club from 2015-18 before leaving for China.
He returns on a loan deal until the end of the season from Chinese club Dalian Professional.
Carrasco scored 23 goals, including one in the 2016 Champions League final that Atletico lost to Real Madrid, in 124 appearances in his first stint with Atletico.

New on Sports Illustrated: Barcelona Signs Trincao, Atletico Madrid Brings Back Carrasco on Deadline Day

He'll arrive next summer on a long-term deal after a $34.3 million transfer. BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Barcelona signed Portuguese forwa...

New on Sports Illustrated: NBA Trade Deadline Matchmaker: Finding New Homes For Five Compelling Targets

<a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2020/01/31/nba-trade-deadline-matchmaker-2020">
NBA trade season has been quiet—but what will happen once the clock begins to start ticking? We play matchmaker for five trade targets.
We’ve seen only a
</a><a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2020/01/30/nba-trade-deadline-five-teams-to-watch">slow drip of rumors</a> rather than a deluge thus far with less than a week remaining until the trade deadline on Feb. 6. There are few clear sellers in the current market, with a deep slate of teams pushing for playoff spots in both conferences. There are no superstars forcing their way out. The league’s contenders have financial hurdles to clear before making a major deal. The deadline could be relatively muted compared to prior seasons.
But the current uncertainty doesn’t have to dissuade us from considering some of the market’s more intriguing options as we roll into February. Former champions are dissatisfied and an impressive young point guard could be on the market. There are quality players to be had if a creative GM can conjure up the right package.
With that in mind, we at The Crossover decided to end the week by playing matchmaker, finding new teams for some of the hottest names on the trade market.
<figure><img height="349" src="https://www.si.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTcwMTMxMTY3Mjk3Njc2NTc0/nba_trades.jpg" width="620" />
<figcaption>Bryce Wood/SI</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Kevin Love – Suns</h2>
Kevin Love’s <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2019/12/07/kevin-love-cleveland-cavaliers-reportedly-open-trading">season of discontent has been well documented</a>, and a split would likely be the healthiest option for both parties. Love isn’t a blameless victim in Cleveland. He signed a four-year, $120 million extension with the Cavaliers in 2018, putting faith in the franchise that has shown little competence in anything other than lottery luck without David Griffin. Regardless, the current situation still feels untenable. Love’s frustration with Darius Garland and Collin Sexton is palpable, and incoming lottery picks will only require more shots in future seasons. It’s hard to see Love burning through his 30s without a return to playoff contention. Will his life raft come in 2020?
The market on Love appears cool at the moment. His hefty contract is of concern to 2021 free agency contenders, and there isn’t a clear playoff team that could line up a Love deal. The Rockets are light of tradable assets that could match the money owed to love, as are the Celtics. Portland is the destination du jour, though dedicating such a large share of money to a Love-Lillard-McCollum trio puts a difficult financial stress on the franchise. Let’s briefly look outside the current playoff picture. Phoenix could become a cushy landing spot for Love, one that comes with a budding young star. The Suns still lurk in the eight-seed conversation, and they have a growing crop of legitimate talent. A Love-Deandre Ayton pairing may hemorrhage points defensively, but it would be quite the appealing twin towers duo alongside Devin Booker. Perhaps Kelly Oubre is a wing of interest. Phoenix remains stocked with picks. If the Suns are looking to battle for the playoffs, Love could be an impact midseason addition. Perhaps a better Love deal lurks in the summer, but Phoenix may be inclined to pounce sooner than later.
<h2>D’Angelo Russell – Heat</h2>
Speaking of deals perhaps better suited for the summer, <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2020/01/17/nba-mailbag-dangelo-russell-andre-drummond-trade-rumors">take caution with any February rumor surrounding D’Angelo Russell</a>. Golden State may be inclined to see the 23-year-old next to Steph Curry for at least a month before deciding to ship him off, and the combination of Russell and an early lottery pick could create a truly enticing package for an All-Star player in June. The Warriors <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2020/01/06/golden-state-warriors-superteam-rebuild">are in no rush</a> as the calendar turns to February. They won’t deal Russell for a subpar package.
Is there anywhere Russell makes sense before the 2020 postseason? Minnesota will continue their hunt for a point guard, though it’s hard to see a simple deal. Robert Covington plus any pick or other asset doesn’t quite move the needle. Andrew Wiggins has seriously regressed to the mean. One sneaky option: Miami.
The Heat firmly belong in next tier behind Milwaukee in the East, <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2020/01/30/all-star-game-reserves-announced">earning two All-Stars in 2019-20 with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo</a>. Russell isn’t as hefty a financial investment as Chris Paul, and he’d be an ideal floor spacer and late game creator in Miami.
Any Russell-to-Miami deal would likely have to involve three-plus teams, and even then it’s unclear whether Miami has the assets to pull it off. But Goran Dragic’s expiring can net a pick, and Justise Winslow remains an intriguing swiss army knife despite his injury history. Golden State’s Russell conundrum remains interesting as no obvious suitor arises.
<iframe height="482" width="100%" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm?p=DGT1910570625" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
<h2>Derrick Rose – Lakers</h2>
Derrick Rose will never return to All-NBA status, though he’s emerged as one of the league’s most effective bench scoring options in the last two seasons. The 2010-11 MVP is averaging 18.9 points per game this season on a career-high 49.8% shooting, and he ranks second on the Pistons in offensive rating. Rose isn’t a perfect player. He’s a shoddy defender and an inconsistent three-point shooter. But as Detroit sinks in the Eastern Conference standings, Rose can be a valuable asset for a contender.
Rose would certainly fit the mold on one Finals contender, and it’s not hard to spot which one. The Lakers exited the offseason to a sea of derision, with many criticizing a roster that had plenty of big names, but few reliable shooters. After molding Dwight Howard into a sturdy role player, the Lakers could take on Rose as a new project. He can be a nice change of pace from Rajon Rondo and Alex Caruso, and there’s always the chance of a 20-point night from Rose swinging a playoff game. Let’s hope Rose can escape Detroit and return to the limelight sooner than later.
<h2>Marcus Morris – Clippers</h2>
The Clippers will enter the Western Conference playoffs as perhaps the favorite to advance to the Finals, and they have the flexibility to make another addition before the trade deadline. Maurice Harkless is an expiring contract at $11 million, and Los Angeles could use the Rodney McGruder, Jerome Robinson and JaMychal Green contracts to match money. The Clippers can also deal their 2020 first rounder, one of their few draft assets left after surrendering a haul in the Paul George trade. Los Angeles is unlikely to stand pat at the trade deadline.
Marcus Morris could be an attainable upgrade for the Clippers’ front line. They lack depth on the frontline despite a deep collection of wings, and Morris could add some much-needed size in a potential series with the Lakers. The Kansas product remains an effective offensive asset in his ninth season, averaging a career-high 19.2 points per game this season with the lowly Knicks while shooting 43.9% from three. A first rounder could be enough to get New York to sell. Morris’ counting stats will dip with a contender, but don’t be fooled. He could be one of the deadline’s most impactful additions.
<h2>Robert Covington – Rockets</h2>
The Rockets pathway to a trade remains difficult. Eric Gordon can’t be dealt until the summer. Austin Rivers and Gerald Green have no-trade clauses. Clint Capela is unlikely to go anywhere, as is defensive ace P.J. Tucker. Can Houston thread the needle and land a legitimate addition? Daryl Morey will certainly try.
Houston appears to be dying for depth, likely eyeing wing additions at the deadline. The Rockets have lost seven of their last 11, and James Harden is showing some serious fatigue after a dominant early-season tear. Robert Covington could help lighten the load. He’s a long, switchable defender with a quality jumper, and he could be Mike D’Antoni’s final answer at small forward after weeks of experimentation. Houston is by all accounts willing to part with its 2020 first rounder. Matching money becomes the issues. Perhaps the Rockets can send their first elsewhere, and the recipient can send some point guard help to Minnesota in a three-team deal. Snagging Covington would be a major coup for the sagging Rockets.

New on Sports Illustrated: NBA Trade Deadline Matchmaker: Finding New Homes For Five Compelling Targets

NBA trade season has been quiet—but what will happen once the clock begins to start ticking? We play matchmaker for five trade targets. We...

New on Sports Illustrated: Please Stop Freaking Out About That Tom Brady Photo

<a href="https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2020/01/31/tom-brady-patriots-cryptic-photo-twitter-instagram">
Tom Brady’s caption-less social media post has fans speculating wildly about his future.
<h2>What does it mean?!?!?!</h2>
Leave it to Tom Brady to find a way to make Super Bowl Week about him, even when he’s not playing in the game.
The question of Brady’s future has percolated beneath the surface of all NFL news since the Patriots’ shocking loss to the Titans. He’s set to be a free agent when the new league year begins in March and for the first time ever there’s no guarantee he’ll be a Patriot when training camps open in the summer. 
The Boston media has been rumormongering at a furious pace about the fate of the city’s hero. A WEEI radio host said
</a><a href="https://www.thebiglead.com/posts/tom-brady-giants-rumors-jets-redskins-free-agency-01dzvjfmvbne">11 teams had reached out to Brady’s camp</a> to say they were interested in employing him next season. A sports reporter at Boston’s ABC affiliate said he had heard Brady and wife Gisele Bundchen were <a href="https://www.wcvb.com/article/rumors-brady-s-family-spotted-in-nashville/30719439">spotted looking at schools in Nashville</a>. 
So when Brady posted a caption-less black and white photo to his Twitter and Instagram pages last night, it was bound to spark all sorts of reckless speculation. 
<iframe width="320" height="320" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/B79mO4-hnRj/embed" frameborder="0"></iframe>
That sort of speculation was intentional, of course. Brady’s social media team knows that posting a moody photo with no text where it’s impossible to tell whether he’s walking towards or away from the camera is bound to drive people nuts. A quick Twitter search brings up plenty of tweets from fans <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Ftombrady%2Fstatus%2F1223027359256862720&src=typed_query">losing their minds about the post</a>. 
And it’s not just random Twitter users taking the photo more seriously than it needs to be. <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/patriots/2020/01/30/tom-brady-twitter-photo-questions-patriots-nfl-future/2859734001/">USA Today’s article about the post</a> includes a “MIAMI —” dateline, so the reader knows reporter Nate Davis had his boots on the ground at the Super Bowl collecting all the necessary information. <a href="https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/01/30/tom-brady-posts-cryptic-message-to-twitter/">ProFootballTalk’s Curtis Crabtree wrote</a>, “Until Brady clarifies the intent of his message, the uncertainty about his future with the Patriots remains.” Even Adam Schefter—the guy for NFL news—did some reporting on it. 
Schefter says the post has nothing to do with Brady’s NFL career, which means he had to text Brady’s agent and ask him about a moody tweet, which is extremely funny. 
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/adamschefter/status/1223047292636356608"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
Whatever the purpose, Brady definitely succeeded in getting people to talk about him. There’s a chance, however slim, that the photo actually does have something to do with Brady’s looming decision. It could also just be a more highly produced version of this Billy Ray Cyrus tweet. 
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/billyraycyrus/status/608133696932020224"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
My money is on it being a setup for a Super Bowl ad. Brady, smartly dressed and well coifed, a little gray in his beard, walks through the tunnel at Gillette Stadium. He strolls into the camera frame and says, “My time on the field is running out, that’s why I wear TAG Heuer timepieces—to make sure every second is luxurious.”
<h2>The best of SI</h2>
Is the NFL ready for the <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2020/01/30/super-bowl-liv-pass-interference-rule-officiating-controversial-call-roger-goodell">possibility a controversial call decides the Super Bowl</a>? ... Would you believe <a href="https://www.si.com/sports-illustrated/2020/01/30/feral-pigs-problem-texas-helicopters">there’s an article in this month’s magazine about feral hogs</a>? ... A brief history <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2020/01/30/andy-reid-hawaiian-shirts-kansas-city-chiefs-super-bowl-liv">of Andy Reid’s obsession with Hawaiian shirts</a>. ... The SI staff <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2020/01/30/super-bowl-liv-predictions-picks-score-mvp-kansas-city-chiefs-san-francisco-49ers">makes its Super Bowl picks</a>.
<h2>Around the sports world</h2>
Anthony Davis and LeBron <a href="https://ftw.usatoday.com/2020/01/lebron-james-anthony-davis-kobe-bryant-tattoos">got tattoos in honor of Kobe</a>. ... A bunch of former Deadspin writers <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/ex-deadspin-writers-reunite-for-super-bowl-blog-sponsored-by-tech-company-dashlane">are doing a limited-run blog for the Super Bowl</a>. ... The college football coach <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/assistant-football-coach-michigan-resigns-over-pro-hilter-comment-n1126966?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma">who said he’d want to have dinner with Hitler has resigned</a>. ... The NBA All-Star Game <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2873861-2020-nba-all-star-game-guide-to-new-format-rule-changes-kobe-bryant-tribute">has some new, very confusing rules</a>. ... PGA Tour pro Charl Schwarzl <a href="https://www.golf.com/gear/pros-bags/2020/01/29/charl-schwartzel-miura-irons-built-drilled-himself/">is using irons he bought online and drilled holes into himself</a>. ... Terry Bradshaw and his family <a href="http://hollywoodreporter.com/amp/live-feed/terry-bradshaw-star-e-docuseries-1274391">are getting a reality series</a>.
<h3>Not many people can joke with their boss like that</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/anezbitt/status/1222905188974874626"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>Are you OK?</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/sportscenter/status/1223061593015144453"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>How to step up your Super Bowl party</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/lmechegaray/status/1222928246720880641"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>Watch out for fake accounts, kids</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/CoreyHutchins/status/1222976203260223488"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>These are pretty sweet</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/Canes/status/1222909694106390530"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>Chris Simms interviewed his father for ProFootballTalk</h3>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8JtwQIpsIzk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h3>Good effort</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/rodger/status/1223062546481139712"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h2>Not sports</h2>
The wreckage of the Titanic was <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/01/28/exclusive-wreck-titanic-hit-submarine-us-government-kept-quiet/">hit by a submarine and the U.S. government tried to cover it up</a>. ... Here’s every <a href="https://www.adweek.com/agencies/super-bowl-54-watch-every-big-game-ad/#/">Super Bowl commercial released so far</a>. ... Old Bay made a hot sauce that <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qjdvmp/old-bays-sold-out-hot-sauce-is-now-dollar50-a-bottle-on-ebay?utm_source=vicetwitterus">sold out nearly instantaneously and bottles started selling on eBay for $50</a>. ... GMC is reviving <a href="https://jalopnik.com/the-reborn-gmc-hummer-ev-truck-will-have-1-000-hp-11-5-1841354378">the Hummer but this time it’ll be electric</a>.
<h3>Whoops</h3>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/OCFireRescue/status/1221889305779605511"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<h3>The trailer for 1917, but with SpongeBob</h3>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/60reuuVTGao" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h2>A good song</h2>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jo_NNdLXans" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Email dan.gartland@simail.com with any feedback or <a href="https://twitter.com/dan_gartland">follow me on Twitter</a> for approximately one half-decent baseball joke per week. Bookmark this page to see <a href="https://www.si.com/tag/hot-clicks">previous editions of Hot Clicks and find the newest edition every day</a>. By popular request <a href="https://open.spotify.com/user/123297443/playlist/0KhJJa6nSLoPreU3oJpmMZ?si=ugd4LIZPTLWoY3E96QF7cA">I’ve made a Spotify playlist of the music featured here</a>. Visit our <a href="http://www.si.com/extra-mustard">Extra Mustard page</a> throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.

New on Sports Illustrated: Please Stop Freaking Out About That Tom Brady Photo

Tom Brady’s caption-less social media post has fans speculating wildly about his future. What does it mean?!?!?! Leave it to Tom Brady to...

New on Sports Illustrated: Transfer Deadline Day Live Blog: Final Moves of the January Window

<a href="https://www.si.com/soccer/2020/01/31/transfer-deadline-day-live-blog-moves-loans-signings">
Follow along as teams make their final signings of the season across Europe's top leagues.
The January transfer window closes across Europe's top leagues on Friday, giving clubs one last day to shape their squads for the remainder of the season. 
The month has already featured a number of significant moves. Dortmund landed Erling Haaland from RB Salzburg and has reaped the benefits with his
</a><a href="https://www.si.com/soccer/2020/01/24/erling-haaland-borussia-dortmund-salzburg-legend">five goals in 59 minutes</a> of action across his first two appearances.
In another marquee move, Manchester United has secured the signing of Portuguese attacking midfielder <a href="https://www.si.com/soccer/2020/01/29/bruno-fernandes-manchester-united-transfer-sporting-portugal">Bruno Fernandes</a> after a protracted saga that finally was completed on Thursday.
Tottenham has been busy remaking its squad, <a href="https://www.si.com/soccer/2020/01/28/christian-eriksen-transfer-inter-milan-tottenham">selling Christian Eriksen</a> and loaning out Danny Rose while <a href="https://www.si.com/soccer/2020/01/28/giovani-lo-celso-tottenham-permanent-transfer-real-betis-loan-eriksen">making Giovani Lo Celso's loan a permanent move</a>, <a href="https://www.si.com/soccer/2020/01/13/gedson-fernandes-tottenham-loan-mourinho">signing Gedson Fernandes on loan</a> and <a href="https://www.si.com/soccer/2020/01/29/steven-bergwijn-tottenham-transfer-psv-eindhoven">adding Dutch winger Steven Bergwijn</a>.
AC Milan has been another busy side, watching <a href="https://www.si.com/soccer/2020/01/30/krzysztof-piatek-hertha-berlin-transfer-ac-milan">Krzysztof Piatek</a>, Suso and Ricardo Rodriguez leave the club while it retools in the midst of a resurgence in Serie A.
Those are just some of the moves that have transpired thus far. There's still time for clubs to make some final maneuvers, though. Follow along as the final moves cross the finish line, setting teams up for the next four months (and quieting the silly-season rumor mill ever so briefly):
- Barcelona has signed Sporting Braga rising star Trincão in a confirmed $34.3 million deal, which will see the 20-year-old Portuguese winger arrive at Camp Nou in the summer. He'll be signed through 2024-25 and have a release clause of 500 million euros. (<a href="https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/news/1594758/agreement-with-sc-braga-for-the-transfer-of-trincao">FC Barcelona</a>)
- Edinson Cavani will reportedly not got his wish to leave PSG, with a proposed move to Atletico Madrid falling through. (<a href="https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Transferts-edinson-cavani-reste-au-psg/1104421">L'Equipe</a>)
- Antonee Robinson is indeed in frame for AC Milan, photographed in Milan arriving for his medical ahead of sealing a reported $7.8 million transfer (that could rise to $13 million with add-ons) from Wigan Athletic. The U.S. left back would become the first American at the club since Oguchi Onyewu a decade ago. (<a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/51322793">BBC</a>)
- Another fullback on the move is Cedric Soares, who has completed his loan move from Southampton to Arsenal. He joins Pablo Mari as defensive reinforcements brought in by Mikel Arteta for the club's second-half push. (<a href="https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/1223191770810462208">Arsenal</a>)
- Emre Can appears headed to his native Germany, with Borussia Dortmund nearing a loan deal with Juventus that comes with an obligation to buy at $33.2 million. Can arrived at Juventus on a free transfer from Liverpool, but he has struggled to find his top form with the Italian giants and is the odd man out on a loaded squad. (<a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12961/11921820/juventus-emre-can-closer-to-borussia-dortmund-move-with-paco-alcacer-set-to-join-villarreal">Sky Sports</a>)
- Olivier Giroud remains in the balance, with Tottenham making a play for the Frenchman–with competition from Lazio. If no deal can be struck, he'll be stuck at Chelsea, where playing time has been limited, thus endangering his prospects at competing at Euro 2020. Frank Lampard indicated early Friday that a move away was not in the works for the veteran center forward (<a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/olivier-giroud-transfer-news-chelsea-tottenham-lazio-latest-a4349981.html">Standard</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ChelseaFC/status/1223239193062756352">Chelsea</a>) 
- Manchester United has already landed its big fish in Fernandes, but it's making a play for Bournemouth's Norwegian striker Josh King, who has a past with Man United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and is a former academy product of the club. (<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7951419/Eddie-Howe-reveals-Josh-King-Manchester-United-eye-shock-Bournemouth-striker.html">Daily Mail</a>)
- Yannick Carrasco is back with Atletico Madrid, with the Belgian winger returning from China after leaving the Spanish capital for a lucrative move in 2018. (<a href="https://twitter.com/Atleti/status/1223214827704922112">Atletico Madrid</a>)
- After signing Piatek on Thursday, Hertha Berlin kept stockpiling attacking talent by signing Brazilian forward Matheus Cunha from Bundesliga foe RB Leipzig. (<a href="https://www.herthabsc.de/de/intern/verpflichtung-matheus-cunha-1920/page/17093--17-17-.html">Hertha Berlin</a>)
- Salomon Rondon reportedly won't be allowed to leave Dalian Yifang in China, where the top flight season has been delayed by the coronavirus outbreak. Manchester United was said to be one of the many teams interested in the former West Brom striker. (<a href="https://twitter.com/GuillemBalague/status/1223212668334542848">Guillem Balague</a>)
- Zinedine Zidane has ruled out a Gareth Bale departure, with last-ditch rumors of a return to Tottenham swirling. Bale's agent all along has maintained that he'll be staying at Madrid through 2022 to run out his contract, while Zidane has remained firm that Bale won't be sold–despite claiming in the summer that his exit was imminent. (<a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11675/11922384/gareth-bale-zinedine-zidane-rules-out-forwards-tottenham-move-from-real-madrid">Sky Sports</a>)
- Real Sociedad striker Willian Jose appears to be staying put despite interest from Manchester United and Tottenham. (<a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11667/11922089/willian-jose-manchester-united-offered-striker-but-tottenham-talks-continue">Sky Sports</a>)
- Besiktas is reportedly in talks to bring the well-traveled Kevin-Prince Boateng in on loan from Fiorentina. (<a href="https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1223201402845089792">Sky Sports</a>)
- Belgian club Anderlecht is nearing a transfer for New York Red Bulls left back Kemar Lawrence, with the Jamaican international set to move for a reported $1.25 million. (<a href="https://twitter.com/PaulTenorio/status/1222991132390412288">The Athletic</a>)
<h3>KEY COMPLETED MOVES THIS JANUARY</h3>
Erling Haaland: Salzburg to Borussia Dortmund
Takumi Minamino: Salzburg to Liverpool
Bruno Fernandes: Sporting CP to Manchester United
Steven Bergwijn: PSV Eindhoven to Tottenham
Christian Eriksen: Tottenham to Inter Milan
Gedson Fernandes: Benfica to Tottenham (Loan)
Ashley Young: Manchester United to Inter Milan
Victor Moses: Chelsea to Inter Milan (Loan)
Krzysztof Piatek: AC Milan to Hertha Berlin
Paco Alcacer: Borussia Dortmund to Villarreal
Reinier: Flamengo to Real Madrid
Ricardo Rodriguez: AC Milan to PSV Eindhoven (Loan)
Alessandro Florenzi: AS Roma to Valencia (Loan)
Pablo Mari: Flamengo to Arsenal (Loan)
Cedric Soares: Southampton to Arsenal (Loan)
Tomas Soucek: Slavia Prague to West Ham
Daniel Podence: Olympiakos to Wolves
Danny Rose: Tottenham to Newcastle (Loan)
Sander Berge: Genk to Sheffield United

New on Sports Illustrated: Transfer Deadline Day Live Blog: Final Moves of the January Window

Follow along as teams make their final signings of the season across Europe's top leagues. The January transfer window closes across E...

New on Sports Illustrated: Greatness Awaits Patrick Mahomes

<a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2020/01/31/patrick-mahomes-kansas-city-chiefs-super-bowl-liv-nfl-all-time-great">
He’s explaining his decision-making process to veterans, he’s earning comparisons to other famed quarterbacks and his no-look throws are already a thing of legend. When Mahomes takes the field for Super Bowl LIV on Sunday, we’ll be seeing a QB playing at the level of an NFL great.
MIAMI — Wes Welker remembers when Bill Belichick asked the best quarterback of all-time to try to be like Patrick Mahomes. Belichick did not use those words with Tom Brady, of course. This was years ago, back when nobody knew who Mahomes was. But Belichick was looking for ways to attack the league’s most popular defense, the Tampa Two, and so …
“Bill sat there,” Welker said, “and told Tom, ‘I just want you to look straight down the middle of the field. We’ll have a guy in the middle of the field on a go [route], and then we’ll have a guy on the outside run a go. Look straight down the middle and look at him—and throw it to the guy outside.’
“Tom looked at him like, ‘You want me to throw a ball to a place I’m not even looking at?’ He was like, ‘You’re out of your mind.’”
***
Greg Lewis played with Brady on the Patriots and Brett Favre on the Vikings. He worked on the Saints’ staff when Drew Brees was at his best. Now he is the Chiefs’ wide receivers coach in the third year of the Mahomes era, and so …
“I mean,” Lewis said, “Brady is a guy that’s a study-a-holic, as detailed as I’ve ever seen. Brees is like a gym rat. Favre is that wild-card type of dude.
“Pat is all of that in one.”
***
Larry Bird was 28 years old, on his way to the second of three straight NBA MVP awards—the consensus best basketball player in the world in 1985. He had every reason to hit the brakes on the hype train for the kid in Chicago. But Chicago Tribune columnist Bob Verdi asked Bird just how good Michael Jordan really was, and so …
“Best,” Bird said. “Never seen anyone like him. Unlike anyone I’ve ever seen. Phenomenal. One of a kind. He’s the best. Ever. At his stage in his career, he’s doing more than I ever did.”
***
<figure><img height="349" src="https://www.si.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTcwMTMyMDcwODUxNDIyMDA4/patrick-mahomes-chiefs-super-bowl-liv.jpg" width="620" /></figure>
In 100 years of NFL football, the league has never seen anything like Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The best-ever talk is not just a product of daytime debate shows or click-thirsty columnists. It’s not hype, and it’s not just about stats. Players and coaches know what they’re watching. They know the way Larry Bird knew in 1985.
San Francisco inside linebackers coach DeMeco Ryans was a two-time Pro Bowl linebacker and a first-team All-Pro, but one word he does not use to describe Mahomes is if. Ask if Mahomes has a chance to be one of the best ever, and Ryans says “No. He is gonna be.”
The closer you get to true greatness, the more impressive it is. Mahomes’s teammates and opponents are even more amazed than we are, because they see more than we do. This is an athlete who is elite in so many ways: Arm talent, of course, but also toughness and work ethic and leadership and pretty much everything else. Chiefs offensive line coach Andy Heck says Mahomes is even one of the best he’s ever seen from huddle to snap: “There is so much that goes into [it] before the magic that everybody else sees. I don’t think there are many people on the planet that can do that as well as he does.”
What really separates Mahomes, though, is his ability to see and process in real time. Let’s say, for example, that his first option is covered, and so he moves through his progressions and throws to his second option. Mahomes can complete the pass and also watch to see if his third and fourth options would have been open.
“It’s something I’ve never done,” veteran Chiefs backup Matt Moore said. “When the ball leaves my hand. I’m looking at the target and making sure we hit it. The ball will literally leave his hand, and he’ll just find where the other guys are. His spatial awareness is off the charts. He knows where everybody is at, at all times —with every concept, with every coverage. It’s really amazing.”
Sometimes when Mahomes comes off the field, Moore will ask why he chose to do what he did. Moore says, “He’ll have some totally valid reason that, after I watch the tape, I’m like, ‘Oh, I see what he saw now. But I didn’t see what he saw at the time.’ He’ll tell you exactly what happened at full speed, instantly. It’s awesome.”
The ability to process a lot of information quickly is essential for an NFL quarterback. Mahomes does it as well as anybody in the league. That is at the heart of what makes him great, but there is so much more.
Ryans compares Mahomes’s physical tools to Michael Vick. Welker, the former Patriots’ star who now coaches for the 49ers, compares Mahomes’ size and strength to the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger. How many other quarterbacks in history could reasonably be compared to Vick and Roethlisberger?
Welker remembers attending Mahomes’s pro day at Texas Tech before the 2017 draft. Welker worked for the Texans at the time. He was new to coaching.
“At the end of it, everybody was applauding,” Welker said. “I was like, ‘Man, do people normally applaud at a pro day? One of the scouts was like, ‘I’ve been a scout for 30-plus years. I’ve never seen everybody applaud after a workout.’ And it was just scouts.”
The Chiefs’ other veteran backup, Chad Henne, says “Aaron Rodgers, he’s pretty special with his arm talent. But at this age, with this much success, I don’t think there is ever going to be a guy like [Mahomes].”
<figure><img height="349" src="https://www.si.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTcwMTMyMDM0NjEyNjM1NDQ4/patrick-mahomes-chiefs-afc-championship.jpg" width="620" /></figure>
Those no-look passes seem like frosting or a card trick, like a windmill dunk—something cool that the rest of us can’t do, but only tangentially related to playing the position. They are actually a window into what makes Mahomes so good throughout the game. They require exceptional arm strength, remarkable hand-eye coordination and extraordinary spatial awareness. There is an axiom that quarterbacks should never throw late over the middle or back across their bodies. It doesn’t really apply to Mahomes to the extent it applies to everybody else.
“Some quarterbacks, they can move around, right?” Ryans said. “They’ll make a throw to the side they’re going to. He can roll right and throw back across his body. He can make it work. He does some stuff that you just don’t see. He can retreat backwards and still launch it up in the air. The guy is a special, special player.”
Last year, in a regular-season game against the 49ers, Mahomes ran left, circled back to the other side and hit DeMarcus Robinson for a touchdown. It looked like a playground play—but it wasn’t.
“He knew, ‘If I go left, all my players are going right, so I’m going to make [the defense] think I’m going left and then come back around.’” Henne said. “He kind of baited the defense.”
Talking about Mahomes as an all-time great isn’t hyperbole, and it isn’t a projection, because he is already playing on that level. It is also not dependent on how he plays Sunday. That is one game.
When Jordan was at his peak, he really had no weaknesses. Mahomes is like that. The work ethic, the arm talent, the ability to see the field, the toughness, the poise … sometimes, Moore says, “Something will happen, and [Henne] and I will look at each other and go ‘Whoa!’ And just laugh about it.”
They see what we see, but closer and in greater detail: Intelligence mixed with preparation, confidence borne of superior talent and a quarterback unlike any in history.
Question or comment? Email us at
</a> <a href="mailto:talkback@themmqb.com">talkback@themmqb.com</a>
---
More From Chiefs Digest and SI.com:
<a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/chiefs/news/patrick-mahomes-extension-clark-hunt">Chiefs owner Clark Hunt says Patrick Mahomes’s extension is coming soon</a>
<a href="https://www.si.com/gambling/2020/01/27/super-bowl-liv-kansas-city-chiefs-prop-bets-picks">Chiefs Super Bowl prop bets options and picks</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Greatness Awaits Patrick Mahomes

He’s explaining his decision-making process to veterans, he’s earning comparisons to other famed quarterbacks and his no-look throws are al...

New on Sports Illustrated: Ohio State's D.J. Carton to 'Temporarily Step Away' From Program, Focus on Mental Health

<a href="https://www.si.com/college/2020/01/31/dj-carton-ohio-state-step-away-mental-health">
Ohio State freshman D.J. Carton is focusing on his mental health.
Ohio State will be without D.J. Carton on Saturday when it faces Indiana as the freshman guard has decided to "temporarily step away from the program."
"I have been suffering with mental health issues for a couple years," Carton
</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DJCarton/status/1223067970672496641">said Thursday  in a Twitter post</a> announcing his decision. "I have been through a lot. I'm disappointed to say I'm not 100% right now. I am not doing my teammates justice if I don't work on this now."
Carton came to Ohio State as the No. 34 overall player and No. 4 guard in his class. He is averaging 10.4 points and 3.0 assists per game this season.
"I am doing everything in my power to strengthen my mental health. I will fight for my team and buckeye nation and I will come back stronger!" he added. "If you are going through mental health issues, I have learned through this you are loved and valued."
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/DJCarton/status/1223067970672496641"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
“D.J. remains a valued member of our program and we will continue to love and support him," head coach Chris Holtmann said in a statement. "Please respect the family’s privacy in this matter.”
Ohio State (13-7) welcomes Indiana on Saturday before heading on the road to face Michigan and Wisconsin.

New on Sports Illustrated: Ohio State's D.J. Carton to 'Temporarily Step Away' From Program, Focus on Mental Health

Ohio State freshman D.J. Carton is focusing on his mental health. Ohio State will be without D.J. Carton on Saturday when it faces Indiana...

New on Sports Illustrated: Wizards' Bradley Beal on All-Star Game Snub: 'It's Disrespectful'

<a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2020/01/31/bradley-beal-all-star-game-snub-its-disrespectful">
Bradley Beal was surprised he didn't make the 2020 NBA All-Star Game.
On Thursday, Wizards guard Bradley Beal learned he wouldn't be going to the 2020 NBA All-Star Game, despite having played in it each of the past two seasons.
"I'm a little pissed off about it," he said after Washington's 121-107 win over the Hornets. "But I know how I am. I was kinda expecting it honestly.
"It's disrespectful, but the real ones know."
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"></blockquote>
</div>
</a>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Beal entered Thursday night's action averaging 28.6 points per game, which, <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1223041900174704640">according to Elias Sports Bureau</a>, would be the most points per game entering the All-Star break by a player not named an All-Star in 41 years.
Beal scored 34 points and added nine rebounds and nine assists in his team's victory on Thursday. The Florida product's scoring average has increased by more than three points this season.
Six first-timers were named <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2020/01/30/all-star-game-reserves-announced">reserves on Thursday night.</a>
The full list reserves is as followed:
<ul>
<li>East: Jimmy Butler (Heat), Kyle Lowry (Raptors), Ben Simmons (76ers), Khris Middleton (Bucks), Jayson Tatum (Celtics), Bam Adebayo (Heat), Domas Sabonis (Pacers)</li>
<li>West: Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers), Donovan Mitchell (Jazz), Nikola Jokic (Nuggets), Rudy Gobert (Jazz), Brandon Ingram (Pelicans), Russell Westbrook (Rockets), Chris Paul (Thunder)</li>
</ul>
The All-Star draft will then take place on Feb. 6, with LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2020/01/24/nba-all-star-starters-lakers-lebron-james-giannis-bucks-chicago">drafting the starters</a> and then the reserves. The All-Star Game is Feb. 16 at the United Center in Chicago.
Beal and his Wizards are less than five games out of the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. They are back in action on Thursday when they host the Nets at 8 p.m. ET.
More From All76ers, InsideTheRockets:
<a href="https://www.si.com/nba/76ers/news/76ers-ben-simmons-nba-all-star-game-2020">Ben Simmons Named NBA All-Star For Second Straight Season</a>
<a href="https://www.si.com/nba/rockets/news/russell-westbrook-all-star-game-reserve">Russell Westbrook Earns Ninth All-Star Game Selection</a>

New on Sports Illustrated: Wizards' Bradley Beal on All-Star Game Snub: 'It's Disrespectful'

Bradley Beal was surprised he didn't make the 2020 NBA All-Star Game. On Thursday, Wizards guard Bradley Beal learned he wouldn't ...

New on Sports Illustrated: Report: Helicopter in Kobe Bryant Crash Lacked Certification Necessary For Flight

<a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2020/01/31/kobe-bryant-death-helicopter-lacked-certification-to-fly">
The helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant reportedly did not have the necessary federal certification to fly on Sunday.
The helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other people that
</a><a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2020/01/26/kobe-bryant-death-california-helicopter-crash-los-angeles-lakers">crashed into the mountainside in Calabasas, Calif.</a> on Sunday did not have the necessary federal certification to fly, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/30/us/kobe-bryant-crash-flight-certification.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share">according The New York Times.</a>
While the flight's pilot, Ara Zoboyan, was certified to fly using instruments, Island Express Helicopters, which owned the Sikorsky S-76B that crashed, did not have the necessary certification, according to The Times. Because of the company's certification limitations, Zoboyan was required to fly only in conditions of "sufficient visibility" to navigate visually.
<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/30/us/helicopter-crash-kobe-bryant-thursday/index.html">According to CNN,</a> Island Express Helicopters is "suspending all flight service for operation reasons," but declined to provide any other details regarding the suspension. 
"All services (regular and charter) were immediately suspended following the tragic accident on Sunday, January 26," the company said in a statement to CNN Thursday. "The shock of the accident affected all staff, and management decided that service would be suspended until such time as it was deemed appropriate for staff and customers."
Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the crash and whether Zoboyan should have been granted special permission to fly in foggy conditions on Sunday. 
<a href="https://www.dailynews.com/2020/01/30/kobe-bryant-helicopter-operator-involved-in-3-crashes-before-calabasas-tragedy/">The Long Beach Press-Telegram's Emily Rasmussen</a> cites National Transportation Safety Board records, which showed that the Long Beach-based company that operated the helicopter has had three other accidents dating back to 1985. 
The Times notes that details about the company's certification leads to questions about why the pilot did not file an instrument flight plan that would have allowed him to climb above the fog-shrouded hills.
Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his daughter Alyssa and wife Keri were <a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/2020/01/27/orange-coast-college-baseball-coach-victims-kobe-bryant-crash">also killed</a>, along with Sarah and Payton Chester, assistant coach Christina Mauser Zobayan, Bryant and Gianna.
More Coverage of Kobe Bryant's Death:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2020/01/26/kobe-bryant-death-california-helicopter-crash-los-angeles-lakers">Kobe Bryant, Daughter Die in California Helicopter Crash</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2020/01/26/kobe-bryant-death-daughter-gianna-lakers-tragedy">For the Bryant Family, An Unimaginable Loss</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2020/01/27/kobe-bryant-death-lakers-generational-hero">Kobe Bryant Left His Mark as a Generational Hero</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2020/01/26/kobe-bryant-reports-sudden-death-reaction-sports-world">Sports World Reacts to Kobe Bryant's Sudden Death</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2016/03/09/kobe-bryants-si-covers">Remembering Kobe Bryant: Sports Illustrated Covers Through the Years</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2020/01/26/spurs-raptors-honor-kobe-bryant-death">Spurs-Raptors Open Game With Shot Clock Violations to Honor Kobe</a> </li>
<li><a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2020/01/26/shaq-kobe-bryant-lakers-reaction-to-death">Shaq Reflects on Kobe's Passing: "There’s No Words to Express the Pain"</a></li>
</ul>

New on Sports Illustrated: Report: Helicopter in Kobe Bryant Crash Lacked Certification Necessary For Flight

The helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant reportedly did not have the necessary federal certification to fly on Sunday. The helicopter carrying ...

New on Sports Illustrated: What the Latest Allegations Mean for the Saints in the Clergy Child Sexual Abuse Case

<a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2020/01/31/saints-new-orleans-archdiocese-sexual-abuse-case">
The Saints allegedly helped the Archdiocese identify which clergy members ought to be named on a so-called “Pedophile List.”
<figure><img height="345" src="https://www.si.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTcwMTIyNDc0MDE1NDM0NTUy/saints.jpg" width="620" /></figure>
The controversy surrounding the New Orleans Saints advising the Archdiocese of New Orleans in the matter of accused child predator George Brignac escalated this week when attorneys representing an alleged victim claimed the team helped the Archdiocese identify which clergy members ought to be named on a so-called “Pedophile List.” This list reportedly identifies at least 63 clergy members in the New Orleans area who are suspected (not proven) of preying on children during the 20th century.
The Archdiocese faces a high-profile negligence and fraud lawsuit in the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans. The lawsuit is brought by John Doe, the pseudonym of a man who asserts that Brignac assaulted him years ago when Doe was a child. The Archdiocese employed Brignac, now 85, as a deacon and teacher for more than a decade. Brignac was moved around schools despite multiple accusations that he fondled the genitalia of young boys. Last year Brignac was charged with aggravated rape of a boy under the age of 12 during the 1970s.
The Saints aren’t a party to the lawsuit and aren’t accused of any involvement in the management of clergy. The team is nonetheless implicated in the litigation because its officials advised the Archdiocese on media fallout. Team officials could become witnesses should the case go to trial.
As detailed by The MMQB, attorneys representing Doe
</a><a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2020/01/25/saints-execs-email-shielding-catholic-sexual-abuse-crisis">insist</a> that Saints owner Gayle Benson and senior members of her franchise informally, but repeatedly, counseled New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond and other Archdiocese members. Last year the Saints received a subpoena for emails, letters, direct messages, text messages and other correspondences between ownership, management and the Archdiocese. Court filings indicate that the Saints identified 305 relevant documents, of which the team marked 276 as confidential and thus not subject to disclosure.
Doe’s attorneys demand complete access to Saints-Archdiocese emails and texts on account of their relevance to Doe’s legal claims. While communications between clients, attorneys and paid consultants are often shielded from pretrial discovery (the process by which parties in a lawsuit are compelled to share evidence), courts are less likely to deem as “privileged” communications between a party and an informal third-party advisor.
On Wednesday, Doe’s attorneys—Soren Gisleson, Richard Trahant, John Denenea, Benjamin Sanders and Matthew Fransen—filed a memorandum in support of a motion by the Associated Press to be heard. The MMQB has obtained the memorandum, which argues that the Associated Press should be able to appear before the court “and present arguments as to whether there should be continued secrecy of documents that establish the collaboration between the Archdiocese and the Saints over certain aspects of the handling of clergy child sexual abuse claims.”
The Associated Press maintains that journalists and the public possess a legitimate interest in reviewing communications between the Saints and the Archdiocese. Those communications concern matters of public interest and public safety. Both the Saints and the Archdiocese oppose the motion.
In their memorandum, Doe’s attorneys assert that the Saints’ involvement in advising Archdiocese was more extensive and pervasive than initially indicated. The attorneys maintain that what began as a “public relations campaign” would later “evolve into something much more.” To that point, Doe’s attorneys contend that the Saints played a transformative role in compiling the Pedophile List. This means, the attorneys maintain, that the Saints:
• Knew of the specific allegations of sexual abuse against a priest.
• Had supporting documentation of the alleged abuse.
• Made a judgment call about whether those allegations by a particular victim against a named priest were, in its opinion, legitimate enough to warrant being mentioned on the Pedophile List.
If Doe’s attorneys are accurate, the Saints’ involvement extended far beyond furnishing public relations advice and dispensing media strategies. This new depiction portrays the Saints as intricately enmeshed in substantive choices related to the identification of clergy suspected of committing sexual abuse.
The attorneys also charge that the Saints have failed to fully comply with the subpoena because, among other things, “not a single text message was produced.” The attorneys likewise maintain that the Saints have misled the public—and perhaps the NFL—as to its role and behavior during the controversy. The Saints issued a <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2020/01/25/saints-execs-email-shielding-catholic-sexual-abuse-crisis">statement</a> last week insisting that the Archdiocese had reached out to various community leaders, including the Saints. This narration of past events claimed the Archdiocese solicited advice on how to best handle “the pending media attention that would come with the release of clergy names in November of 2018.” The Saints further stressed that the team advised the Archdiocese to be transparent and open.
According to Doe’s attorneys, the Saints’ statement contains several falsehoods. First, Doe’s attorneys maintain it was the Saints that initiated discussions with the Archdiocese, not the other way around. Second, Doe’s attorneys charge the Saints’ role went far beyond supplying advice to one that involved “actual involvement in the creation of the Pedophile List.” Third, the Saints are accused of “pressuring local news outlets to either run favorable stories about the Archbishop or feed radio programs a stream of Archdiocese favorable remarks.” 
Doe’s accusations against the Saints are disturbing, but not yet proven. Attorneys for Benson and team officials will have opportunities to rebut the assertions and introduce favorable evidence. With that in mind, the NFL seems poised to take a wait-and-see approach. According to Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic, the league <a href="https://theathletic.com/1570613">does not intend launch an investigation</a> unless Saints emails (or texts) raise troubling information.
The “unless” is important, particularly in a litigation where the Saints aren’t in control of either the process or the parties. While the team’s interests generally appear aligned with those of the Archdiocese, attorneys for the Archdiocese are entrusted with defending the Archdiocese and its fiduciary interests—not preventing possible fallout for the Saints with the NFL.
With that in mind, the Saints would probably prefer that the Archdiocese reach a financial settlement with Doe (and with other purported victims) whereby Doe’s claims would be dropped and pretrial discovery would end. A settlement wouldn’t be unprecedented: the Archdiocese <a href="https://www.nola.com/news/courts/article_f446b7dc-0e93-5c22-8b1c-d54fd7932d10.html">deployed</a> that option with Brignac victims before. The longer the litigation goes, the greater the risk for the Saints that (1) sensitive emails and texts find their way into the hands of media and (2) Saints officials are forced to answer difficult questions while under oath about their relationship with the Archdiocese.
The NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell enjoy considerable discretion in deciding whether and when to a punish a team. Under both the personal conduct policy and Article VII of the league constitution, any conduct that undermines the league’s brand and image can trigger a range of punishments, including suspensions and fines of up to $500,000. The league can also elect to impose a punishment at a time of its choosing. In other words, just because the NFL reportedly isn’t investigating the Saints doesn’t mean that is a permanent state of affairs. A lot can change during a litigation.
<a href="https://law.unh.edu/person/michael-mccann">Michael McCann</a> is SI’s Legal Analyst. He is also an attorney and the Director of the Sports and Entertainment Law Institute at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law.

New on Sports Illustrated: What the Latest Allegations Mean for the Saints in the Clergy Child Sexual Abuse Case

The Saints allegedly helped the Archdiocese identify which clergy members ought to be named on a so-called “Pedophile List.” The controve...