Hall of Famer and former White Sox first baseman Frank Thomas went to social media to voice his frustration.
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“I guess the Black player who made you rich over there and holds all your records is forgettable!” he wrote. “Don’t worry, I’m taking receipts!”
Thomas played for the White Sox for 16 of his 19 seasons in Major League Baseball, and he won the AL MVP award with the franchise in back-to-back seasons in 1993 and 1994. Thomas finished inside the top 10 of MVP voting every year from 1991-97, and he was a five-time All-Star during that span.
The “Big Hurt” was also a four-time Silver Slugger Award winner and the AL batting champion in 1997. Thomas finished first in team history in runs scored, home runs, doubles, RBIs, extra-base hits, walks, total bases, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. His 448 home runs were more than twice as many as the next closest White Sox player at the time. Former White Sox Paul Konerko narrowed the gap, but Thomas is still the leader. Thomas is mentioned by name only next to Dick Allen, who was the first Black White Sox player to be MVP.
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Thomas also won the World Series with the White Sox in 2005, but played only 34 games that season and did not appear in the championship series due to an injury.
Thomas spent his latter years with the Oakland Athletics and the Toronto Blue Jays after feuding with the White Sox and former general manager Ken Williams over contract and medical issues. Williams is also mentioned in the Black History Month post a few times for being the first Black general manager in the team’s history.
After sitting out the 2009 season, Thomas signed a one-day contract and retired as a White Sox in 2010. The White Sox retired his jersey the same year, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014. While Thomas attended the 10th anniversary celebration of Chicago’s World Series title, he was not present for the 20th anniversary.
The lineups, of course, are stacked. But in a league with more than 24 players worthy of consideration, there are snubs — or perceived snubs, at least. This year’s list of players who didn’t make the cut features some All-Star regulars in the midst of standout seasons.
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Los Angeles Clippers fans likely have more beef than any other fan base. A dismal start to the season knocked the Clippers off the radar. And a 16-4 run since a 6-21 start wasn’t enough of a bounce-back to land the Clippers a single All-Star despite featuring two perennial All-Stars (when healthy) in the midst of standout seasons.
All-Star reserves were selected by NBA coaches after a mix of fan, player and media voting determined starters.
Kawhi Leonard
Injuries limited six-time All-Star Kawhi Leonard to just one selection in the previous four seasons. Make that one out of five after Sunday.
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The two-time Finals MVP, two-time Defensive Player of the Year and six-time All-NBA selection is having the best scoring season of his career with 27.7 points per game. He’s tied for the league lead with 2.1 steals per game and is the league’s best free-throw shooter at 93.5%. And he’s filling out the box score nicely with averages of 6.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 0.6 blocks.
But it wasn’t enough to crack a loaded roster of 12 NBA All-Stars from the Western Conference. As usual, his availability is likely a contributing factor. He’s been healthy by his own standards, but has missed 13 of the Clippers’ 47 games.
James Harden
Harden’s an 11-time All-Star selection and had a strong case for his 12th selection this season. With 25.4 points per game, he’s having his best scoring season since his 2019-20 campaign with the Houston Rockets in which he won his third straight scoring title (34.3 ppg). Like Leonard, he’s effectively filling up the box score with 8.1 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.
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Unlike Leonard, availability isn’t an issue for Harden, who’s played in 44 of the Clippers’ 47 games.
Did a slow Clippers start hurt James Harden and Kawhi Leonard’s All-Star cases?
(Kevin C. Cox via Getty Images)
Joel Embiid
Embiid is perhaps the only NBA star to rival Leonard for durability concerns. But when he’s been available this season, he’s flashed his former All-Star form with averages of 26.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.1 blocks per game.
He’s done so for a Philadelphia 76ers team that’s bounced back from a 24-58 campaign and back into playoff contention at 27-21. And he’s fit in as the roster transitions toward youth with Tyrese Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe taking on starring roles. But he’s fallen off from his former MVP form. And playing in 28 of Philadelphia’s 48 games didn’t compel coaches to add him to the roster.
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Alperen Şengün
While the above All-Star veterans have legitimate cases, Alperen Şengün’s may be the strongest of Sunday’s snubs. Şengün’s improved almost across the board from his breakout 2024-25 campaign that earned him his first All-Star bid with averages of 21 points, 9.2 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 1 block per game. All but his rebounding average represent career highs.
He’s also shooting a career-high 30% from 3 with two makes per game from long distance. And he’s done so while adjusting well to playing alongside Kevin Durant for a 30-17 Rockets team that entered Sunday in fourth place in the West.
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Michael Porter Jr.
Porter has transitioned from a strong contributor on a championship team to a stat-stuffer on a bad one. While stepping out of the shadow of Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray, Porter has thrived on the Brooklyn Nets with averages of 25.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game, all career highs.
He maintains one of the league’s best combinations of length and shooting with a 39.8% success rate on a whopping 9.3 3-point attempts per game. Doing so for a 13-34 Nets team wasn’t enough to sway All-Star selectors.
Julius Randle
After struggling to fit in during his first season with the Timberwolves, Randle’s found his groove in his second. Randle’s 18.7 points per game last season were his fewest since playing for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017-18.
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He’s bounced back this season with 22.3 points, alongside 6.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game. His 49.3% success rate from the field is his best in seven seasons. But it’s not enough to earn him his fourth career All-Star selection.
Lauri Markkanen
After taking a step back amid injury last season, Lauri Markkanen is having arguably the best season of his career with averages of 27.4 points, 7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1 steal per game while shooting 36.4% on 7.9 3s per game.
But he’s doing so for a 15-34 Jazz team, which hurt his case for his second career All-Star bid.
Keyonte George
Third-year pro Keyonte George is having a breakout season with averages of 24.2 points, 6.6 assists, 4 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 37.7% on 6.8 3-point attempts per game. But like Markkanen, his case is hindered while doing so for a bad Jazz team.
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George’s first All-Star selection will have to wait.
Who are you cutting?
As always with All-Star snubs, if you’re making the case for a player who missed the cut, you’ve got to find somebody to remove. There are only 24 roster spots for All-Stars.
The full All-Star rosters are listed below. Who gets the boot to make room for a snub?
Eastern Conference
(Starters in bold)
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks
Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers
Norman Powell, Miami Heat
Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons
Western Conference
Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets
Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers
LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
One or more of the perceived snubs could eventually hear his name called as an injury replacement. Antetokounmpo is dealing with a multi-week calf injury and almost certainly won’t play in the All-Star Game. And other injuries between now and Feb. 15 could open up additional roster spots.
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But for now, the above eight players will have to attend the All-Star Game as spectators if they want to make the trip.
Reports of the Seattle Seahawks going up for sale after the Super Bowl quickly raised questions as to why the team’s ownership would sell the franchise now. The past 16 years have seen a run of success that includes three appearances in the NFL’s championship game, a Super Bowl title and 10 playoff berths for the team.
However, the complexity of the situation soon became apparent when the Paul G. Allen Estate released a statement that disputed an ESPN report and said the Seahawks were not for sale.
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So why would news of the team being put on the market be reported? Apparently, the NFL is putting pressure on the Allen estate to sell the Seahawks, according to the Wall Street Journal’s Andrew Beaton.
The Seahawks being owned by a trust following Paul Allen’s death in 2018 is the primary issue for the league. NFL rules mandate that an individual must be the controlling owner of a team, not a larger entity such as a trust, the WSJ reports.
Allen’s sister, Jody, is the executor of the trust. And Paul Allen’s stated intention was for the Seahawks — and the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, also owned by Allen — to eventually be sold with proceeds to be donated to charity.
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However, the understanding between the trust and the NFL was that the Seahawks would wait out a law established when Paul Allen bought the team in 1997. A condition of the sale was that the Seahawks would get a new stadium. But that law included a provision stating that if the team was sold again within a certain time frame, 10% of the sale would go to the state of Washington.
That sale condition expired in 2024, and the NFL subsequently began pressuring the trust to sell the franchise. Tensions apparently increased when the Allen estate agreed to sell the Trail Blazers for more than $4 billion to a group fronted by Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon.
Jody Allen resisted the league’s reminders of its ownership rules. As a result, the NFL reportedly fined the Seahawks $5 million for refusing to follow its directive. The league denied that such a fine had been issued, according to the WSJ.
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The NFL pressuring a team owner to sell a franchise is not unprecedented. Amid reports of financial misconduct by Daniel Snyder and sexual harassment in the team’s offices, the league reportedly forced the Washington Commanders to be sold to Josh Harris in 2023 for $6.05 billion. Five years earlier, Jerry Richardson was compelled to sell the Carolina Panthers to David Tepper amid allegations of racist behavior and workplace misconduct.
However, there is no indication in either of those instances that the NFL fined Snyder or Richardson before they sold their respective franchises.
The sale price of the Seahawks will likely exceed what Harris paid for the Commanders. An anonymous team executive speculated to ESPN that the franchise could be sold for $7 billion or more. Last fall, Sportico valued the Seahawks at $6.59 billion, ranking 14th among NFL teams.
A Division II college basketball game between Tuskegee University and Morehouse College on Saturday ended with Tuskegee coach Benjy Taylor being escorted off the court in handcuffs.
In a video obtained by HBCU Gameday, a security officer can be seen escorting the cuffed Taylor past the stands and into a hallway. Another video shows the circumstances that led to the bizarre scene, with Taylor confronting a security officer about the handshake lines and the officer responding by pulling out the handcuffs.
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While Taylor is clearly angry, at no point does he appear to present any physical threat to the officer.
“I am at a loss for words and I am upset about how I was violated and treated today. For my players, my family and people of Tuskegee to witness that is heartbreaking for me. I was simply trying to get the football team out of the handshake line as they were following right behind me and the team yelling obscenities! It was a very dangerous situation.”
Tuskegee athletic director Reginald Ruffin also provided more context to HBCU Gameday. After the game, a 77-69 Morehouse win over Tuskegee, a group of Morehouse football players reportedly intermingled with the teams, which Ruffin described as a “security breach.”
Taylor reportedly went to the security officer asking for the football players to be removed. Ruffin described his coach’s actions as reasonable, but the security officer apparently saw something else, via HBCU Gameday:
“He asked the security officer, ‘Can you please remove them from the line?’ That’s what he asked the security officer,” Ruffin said.
Ruffin added that the security officer’s account differed, claiming Taylor was “very aggressive” and “the aggressor,” which Ruffin said was not accurate. He said the officer cited that perception as the reason Taylor was placed in cuffs.
Taylor was reportedly released and traveled home with the team. He has been Tuskegee’s head coach since 2019, per the school’s site.
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On Sunday, Taylor has hired national civil rights attorney Harry Daniels to pursue a possible civil lawsuit. Daniels said in a release that Taylor had asked an officer to remove players from Morehouse’s football team who were “acting aggressively” toward Tuskegee players and their parents to remove them from the court.
They are now investigating “all legal avenues,” including a possible civil lawsuit.
“Such behavior from the Morehouse football players, particularly their intermingling with the basketball players on the court and during the postgame handshake is prohibited by conference-mandated security protocols,” the release said, via Alabama.com.
“When Coach Taylor asked two police officers to enforce those protocols attempting to diffuse an increasingly dangerous situation, however, one of the officers chose to place him in handcuffs and escort him from the court. Coach Taylor was never charged with a crime.”
LeBron James will walk away with a loss from what could be his final NBA game at Madison Square Garden.
Buoyed by an 18-point first half from Luka Dončić, the Los Angeles Lakers opened up a 56-52 halftime lead over the host New York Knicks on Sunday night. But a 13-5 Knicks run to close the third quarter turned a tie game into a 90-82 lead that New York never relinquished en route to a 112-100 win.
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Knicks bounce back from January swoon
The Knicks rode an 18-of-42 (43%) night from 3 and a balanced offensive effort in which six players scored in double figures and three players scored 20-plus to secure the win. The victory was New York’s sixth straight following a 2-9 stretch that raised alarms in New York and reportedly prompted a players-only meeting spearheaded by team captain Jalen Brunson.
The Knicks are now 31-18 and in a second-place tie in the East with the Boston Celtics, behind the first-place Detroit Pistons. And the noise surrounding their January swoon has dissipated.
The win for the Knicks spoiled what might have been James’ final game in one of basketball’s most iconic arenas. If so, James put up a strong effort with 22 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. He posted one of the highlights of his season with an alley-oop dunk in traffic to extend a Lakers lead early in the third quarter.
But it wasn’t enough to fend off a Knicks team that’s returned to form from an 11-game slump.
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Will James play another game at MSG?
James, 41, hasn’t announced whether he’ll retire at the conclusion of this season. But there’s speculation that this might be his last. If so, he’s in the midst of an Eastern Conference swing that could represent his final game in opposing arenas.
He wiped away tears last week amidst a standing ovation and tribute video in Cleveland from a Cavaliers team with which he played 11 combined seasons and led to its first and only NBA championship in 2016.
There was no such tribute from the longtime rival Knicks on Sunday.
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But the sense that this could be James’ final moment on one of basketball’s biggest stages was unavoidable. The game was scheduled for one of the biggest time slots of the regular season as NBC reclaimed its longtime Sunday territory for the first time since returning to NBA coverage this season. And tickets were in high demand for James’ potential final game at MSG.
LeBron James may have played his final game at Madison Square Garden.
(Ishika Samant via Getty Images)
Balanced Knicks effort tops big games from Luka, LeBron
If so, Knicks fans got their money’s worth. They got a good show from James, but a better one from their Knicks in a victory. OG Anunoby (25 points, 8 rebounds), Josh Hart (20 points, 4 rebounds) and Landry Shamet (23 points, 6 of 10 from 3) each scored 20 points or more.
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All-Star Jalen Brunson made up for a cold shooting night (4 of 15) with one of his best nights of the season as a distributor while tallying 12 points and 13 assists. Karl-Anthony Towns, who learned before tip that he’s also an All-Star, likewise found other ways to contribute on an off scoring night with 11 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals.
Dončić led the Lakers with 30 points, 15 rebounds and 8 assists while shooting 5 of 14 from 3. But he was the only Laker to hit more than 2 3s on a night when they shot 12 of 42 (29%), failing to keep up with New York’s hot shooting.
The Knicks also controlled the boards with a 47-36 rebounding advantage. New York will visit the Washington Wizards on Tuesday before returning home for another high-profile Western Conference matchup against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday.
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The Lakers will conclude an eight-game road swing with a Tuesday game against the Brooklyn Nets before returning home to host the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.
Sunday’s matchup between the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning figured to be memorable for being played in the outdoor “Stadium Series” setting at Raymond James Stadium. However, the game will likely generate conversation for a different reason.
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Approximately midway through the second period, Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman took issue with Lightning winger Brandon Hagel poking a puck between his pads after a power-play shot from Nikita Kucherov. After the whistle blew, Swayman went after Hagel, tackled him to the ice and began throwing punches at him.
Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy and winger Tanner Jeannot pulled Hagel away and covered him, presumably to protect their goaltender. But then Swayman noticed Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy leaving his crease and skating down the ice for a confrontation.
Swayman skated toward the center line to meet Vasilevskiy and they were ready to rumble for the NHL’s first-ever outdoor goalie fight.
The Bruins’ goaltender quickly ditched his gloves and helmet and gestured for Vasilevskiy to do the same. The two wrestled each other before the Lightning goalie landed the first punch and forced Swayman to the ice before referees stepped in to separate the combatants.
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Apparently thrilled by the clash, Vasilevskiy tapped Swayman on the head as they were pulled apart and smiled broadly. As could be expected, players on both benches stood and tapped their sticks on the boards to show respect for their teammates’ pugilistic tendencies. Each goalie was assessed a five-minute penalty for fighting.
Sunday’s face-off was the first fight for both goaltenders during their NHL careers. However, Swayman has previously attempted to throw hands, first with Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll during the 2023-24 campaign and Los Angeles Kings netminder Darcy Kuemper last season. In both instances, referees broke up those potential scuffles before a punch was thrown.
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The confrontation occurred nearly two weeks after the San Jose Sharks’ Alex Nedeljkovic and Florida Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky left their creases and dropped the gloves in Sunrise, Florida. (Maybe it’s something about playing hockey in Florida that has goalies itching for a fight.)
Prior to these two scraps, no goalies had fought in an NHL game since 2020, according to SportsNet.
Following Tampa Bay’s 6-5 shootout victory, Vasilevskiy told reporters “it was reflex to run to the red line and challenge [Swayman].”
“He accepted, so big thanks to him,” he added, via The Hockey News’ Diandra Loux. “I thought he was great throughout the game in net — and in the fight, as well. So, again, big thanks to him for giving me my first one in the NHL.”
With the win, the Lightning hold the best record in the Eastern Conference at 35-14-4. The Bruins currently hold the fifth spot in the conference standings at 32-20-4.
Each week during the 2025-26 NBA season, we will take a deeper dive into some of the league’s biggest storylines in an attempt to determine whether trends are based more in fact or fiction moving forward.
Fact or Fiction: LeBron James belongs in the All-Star Game
In what has become somewhatof an annualtradition, we are here to discuss The Biggest Snub of the NBA’s All-Star Game. Past winners include Jamal Murray, who finally received his call for the first time this season, as the league announced its 14 reserves on Sunday.
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The rosters in alphabetical order (starters in bold) …
EASTERN CONFERENCE:Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks; Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors; Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics; Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks; Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons; Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons; Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks; Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers; Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers; Norman Powell, Miami Heat; Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers; Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks.
WESTERN CONFERENCE: Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers; Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns; Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors; Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers; Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets; Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder; Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder; LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers; Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets; Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets; Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs.
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As always, Rule No. 1 about picking The Biggest Snub: We have to remove someone.
There are only 24 spots — at least until NBA commissioner Adam Silver selects a replacement for the injured Antetokounmpo and balances the U.S. and World rosters (do not even get me started) — so if we add someone, we have to remove another player.
One name sticks out to me on this list, and it might cause a bit of a stir: LeBron James.
LeBron James will make his 22nd All-Star appearance after being named as a reserve on Sunday. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
(Scott Taetsch via Getty Images)
James is one of the few greatest players in the history of the game. He is unquestionably the greatest 41-year-old ever to play basketball. Maybe he deserves the spot just for that.
In fact, Silver once rewarded Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki with All-Star appearances in the final years of their careers, and I figured they would do the same for James this year. Not that I agreed with that, either. And maybe I am just a hater, but to me: You should want to earn your spot on the roster. Not have it given to you. (We’ll have more on that later.)
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But no: James made it on his own. Or, at least, he did according to the league’s coaches, whose votes selected seven reserves from each conference on the debut of Sunday Night Basketball on NBC. A blend of fan, player and media votes decided the 10 starters.
Listen, I would get it if the fans voted for James. (He finished eighth in fan voting.)
I would get it if the players voted for James. (He finished eighth in player voting.)
The man is a living legend.
But this was up to the coaches, and to them it should have been about who earned it on the basketball court, right? I could only imagine that James would want it that way, too.
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You always want to earn your spot.
And in no world has James been a better player this season than Kawhi Leonard. One of them is averaging a 22-6-7 on 50/33/75 shooting splits over 30 games. The other is posting a nightly 28-6-4 on 50/40/94 shooting splits over 34 games. I will give you one guess which.
It is Leonard who has the superior numbers. Not only is he on pace to join the 50-40-90 club, the 34-year-old is leading the NBA in free-throw percentage and steals per game (2.1).
James, meanwhile, is statistically one of the slowest and weakest defenders in the league.
Maybe you think Leonard does not deserve the spot because of the Aspiration scandal. Last time I checked the league had not made a ruling on whether Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, as alleged, circumvented the salary cap to sign Leonard. Even if the league had made that ruling, it is the Clippers who should be punished, not necessarily Leonard. (If Aspiration wants to pay me $50 million for a no-show job, I am not entirely against it.)
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Or maybe you think Leonard does not deserve his spot in the All-Star Game because his Los Angeles Clippers are 22-25, 10th place in the West, clinging to the conference’s final play-in tournament berth. Never mind the fact that they are 16-4 in their last 20 games and own the same net rating (-0.2) on the season as James’ sixth-place Los Angeles Lakers.
Leonard is The Biggest Snub. No question about it. He may be among the biggest All-Star snubs in NBA history, according to Player Efficiency Rating (27.2). He is among the league’s leaders in every major advanced statistical category, including Estimated Plus-Minus.
Even if I were to grant you that Leonard should be disqualified for the Aspiration stuff, or the Clippers’ record, there is at least one other player, if not several, who deserves the spot over James. One immediately springs to mind: The Houston Rockets’ Alperen Şengün.
Şengün is averaging a 21-9-6 on 50/30/68 shooting splits — comparable numbers to James, only he is doing it for an actual contender (who happens to be missing its starting point guard, Fred VanVleet, and a starting/reserve center, Steven Adams). When Şengün is on the floor, the Rockets outscore opponents by 5.5 points per 100 meaningful possessions, according to Cleaning the Glass, operating like a top-three offense and a middling defense.
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When Leonard is on the floor, the Clippers are outscoring opponents by 3.9 points per 100 non-garbage possessions, likewise operating like a top-four offense and a middling defense.
Conversely, when James is on the floor, the Lakers have been outscored by 1.5 points per 100 meaningful possessions, operating like a top-10 offense and a bottom-five defense.
Point is …
Determination: Fiction. LeBron James does not belong in the All-Star Game. Not as a coaches’ pick. Maybe as a commissioner’s pick. Even then, he no-showed last year’s game. Make that his honorary appearance if we must give out participation All-Star nominations.
SAN FRANCISCO — As the Seattle Seahawks piled out of their charter jet and descended down flights of stairs to the tarmac at San Jose Mineta International Airport, there were few camera phones in the hands of players and even less pomp or vanity in their swagger. It was a little past 5:30 p.m. Standard issue gray sweats were the overwhelming choice of attire. And the mission appeared to be swift: Get off one plane. Get on four busses. Get this show on the road.
Among Super Bowl arrivals, it was a standard issue “business trip.”
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In the midst of the transit, Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold went to one bus. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak went to another, joining the team’s coaching staff and traveling personnel. Soon enough, the parting of their company will become more permanent, with Kubiak expected to reach an agreement to be the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders shortly after the Super Bowl. For the Seattle faithful, this was the bittersweet note that hung in the air Sunday, whether you were milling about in San Francisco — where the NFL is prepping for a multitude of events surrounding the game — or 40 miles to the south in San Jose, trying to catch a glimpse of the Seahawks’ airport touch down.
This Seattle roster and staff is on the doorstep of the ultimate goal, and the band is already headed for a breakup of sorts. This happens, of course. Kubiak and Darnold are certainly not the first coordinator and quarterback tandem to head into a Super Bowl knowing that divergent paths are coming. We’ve seen it happen four times in the past eight Super Bowls — three times with the Philadelphia Eagles, with Frank Reich (LII), Shane Steichen (LVII) and Kellen Moore (LIX), and once with the Los Angeles Rams and Kevin O’Connell (LVI).
Kubiak is expected to make it five in nine after Sunday. And when he departs, it will leave Darnold entering the 2026 season with his eighth — eighth — different offensive coordinator in nine NFL seasons. If ever there were extra motivation to make this Super Bowl appearance count for a franchise, it’s the mystery of how Kubiak’s departure could ripple for the franchise and its quarterback.
Yes, Darnold has certainly done enough to earn the belief that he can maintain his current level of play through another coordinator transition. But it doesn’t change the risk that comes with it. The departures of Reich, Steichen and Moore all had an impact on the Eagles’ offenses in the ensuing season — and it wasn’t positive. And while the Rams’ post-Super Bowl offensive crash had as much to do with injuries as losing O’Connell, his departure took a short-term toll on head coach Sean McVay.
And lest we forget, it is Darnold who has pointed to Kubiak several times along this journey as being a factor in his decisions or success. Going all the way back to his signing in free agency, when he related that his level of comfort in signing with Seattle was due to having worked with Kubiak during Darnold’s 2023 season with the San Francisco 49ers. Darnold was a backup for that 49ers team and Kubiak was the passing game coordinator.
“[Working in a familiar scheme] was definitely one of the things that I factored into signing here,” Darnold said in March. “And again, just being able to work with Klint, and having talked a ton with Klint in San Francisco about kind of what we liked, disliked. We have so much in common when it comes to football.”
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That’s not a nothing sentiment. And you don’t instantly create it out of thin air with Kubiak’s replacement, even if it’s from an internal candidate being promoted on the staff. There’s still a rhythm that comes with continuity between a quarterback and whoever is calling plays. Darnold alluded to that in June during organized team activities, when he spoke to having to learn new systems along his career and find a fit with each new play-caller.
“I think at the end of the day a lot of teams do similar things but just call it different names,” Darnold said this past summer. “That’s the part that you’ve got to learn — learning kind of how Klint calls it and what we’re calling it in general, and learning just the terminology and all the things that come with that.”
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, center, said his time with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, left, helped steer him to Seattle this offseason. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
There’s adjustment and fine-tuning. Sometimes it works with an internal hire. Other times, the fit flops. The Eagles have been a stark example following their last two Super Bowl appearances. After Steichen left after the 2022 season, quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson was elevated to the offensive coordinator spot. It proved to be a poor fit and Johnson was fired after one season that saw the Eagles’ offense regress. History repeated itself for the Eagles this season, when passing game coordinator Kevin Patullo took over as offensive coordinator following Moore’s departure to New Orleans, only to see the offense again sputter and lead to Patullo’s firing after one season.
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Along the way, the play of Jalen Hurts has suffered setbacks. The question for the Seahawk is whether they can avoid a similar fate with Darnold, whose last three offensive play-callers have been Kubiak, O’Connell with the Minnesota Vikings and then Kyle Shanahan during his stint as a 49ers backup. That’s a tough act to follow for whoever slides into Kubiak’s seat.
None of this is meant to say Kubiak was perfect. Seattle’s offense didn’t really hit its stride until late in the season, at least partially because of inconsistency in the run game early on. And Darnold has had to carry the load only intermittently along the way, thanks in large part to Seattle’s defense. But he’s also been resilient, bouncing back from two regular-season games against the Rams that saw him throw six interceptions, to engineer an NFC title game win last month that was inarguably the best high pressure game of his entire eight-year career.
It was also one of Kubiak’s most superbly called games. Balanced with the run early, then gradually opened up into higher risk downfield throws that resulted in pivotal chunk plays, then putting the ball into Darnold’s hands late in the fourth quarter — with a pair of must-have first downs off play-action passes — rather than trying to salt away clock by simply running the ball. It’s a groove and confidence between quarterback and play-caller that stretches back to the fourth quarter and overtime of Week 16 against the Rams. And it might carry into Sunday against the New England Patriots.
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Now all of that is expected to come to an end, with Kubiak departing and the Seahawks’ top priority suddenly being yet another offensive coordinator for Darnold. The bittersweet business trip began on Sunday. Where it takes the Seahawks in 2026 is anyone’s guess.
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🚨 Headlines
🏈 Coaching carousel complete: The Raiders (Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak) and Cardinals (Rams OC Mike LaFleur) are both finalizing deals to hire new head coaches, filling the NFL’s last two remaining vacancies.
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🏀 NBA All-Star reserves: LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Anthony Edwards headlined the 14 players selected as NBA All-Star reserves. They, along with the 10 starters, will be divided into three teams for this year’s new-look All-Star Game format.
🏈 Tisch named in Epstein files: Emails between Jeffrey Epstein and Giants co-owner Steve Tisch — in which Epstein discusses setting Tisch up with various women —were among the millions of new documentsreleased by the Justice Department on Friday. Tisch released a statement describing their relationship as brief and Epstein as “a terrible person.”
🏀 George suspended: Paul George has been suspended 25 games without pay for violating the NBA’s anti-drug program. The 76ers forward admitted to taking “improper medication,” saying it was for a mental health issue.
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🎾 Alcaraz: The future GOAT of tennis?
Alcaraz hugs his latest trophy. (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5, on Sunday to win the Australian Open, dashing Djokovic’s hopes of a 25th major title and cementing his status as a tennis legend… at just 22 years of age.
Career Grand Slam: The win gave Alcaraz his seventh major and the career Grand Slam (a win at all four majors), making him by far the youngest to achieve that feat in the Open Era (1968-present).
Alcaraz: 22 years, 8 months
Rafael Nadal: 24 years, 3 months
Djokovic: 29 years, 0 months
Roger Federer: 27 years, 9 months
Andre Agassi: 29 years, 1 month
A changing of the guard: The Australian Open began with Federer headlining the inaugural opening ceremony and ended with Nadal in the stands, watching Djokovic face the next generation’s biggest star. A star who combines the best attributes of the Big Three — Federer’s creativity, Nadal’s fire, Djokovic’s mastery — and may ultimately surpass them all.
Djokovic embraces Alcaraz after the match. (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
From Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wolken:
We are watching Michael Jordan in 1992, Tiger Woods in 2000, Secretariat in 1973. The job is not done, the résumé is still evolving, and the records are not yet theirs.
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But our eyes do not deceive us. This smiling Spanish prodigy, this whirling dervish of speed and power and mental genius, has crossed the threshold between what we thought he could be and what he really is: An absolute monster whose entire package of skills is unequaled by anyone who has ever played tennis.
As someone who grew up on Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, who cherished how Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal changed the sport and who has grown to appreciate the way Djokovic maintained his body and evolved his game to stay relevant into his late 30s, I don’t think that’s hyperbole.
Alcaraz has everything. He is him. And he’s only going to get better.
Already, he is in a club with just nine names: Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Agassi, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Don Budge and Fred Perry are the only men who won all four Slams.
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What we don’t know yet is whether 24 majors — the most sacred of Djokovic’s many records — will eventually come into play. The gap is still huge, and so many things can happen, from injuries to major life changes to motivation to another all-time great coming along whose name we don’t yet know.
But at the rate he’s going, Alcaraz would need to average two majors per year until he’s 31 to break the record. It’s crazy to say, given how hard these tournaments are to win, but that feels firmly within the realm of possibility because there really are no more questions for Alcaraz to answer.
Could he win on all surfaces? Yes. Could he eliminate the dips in focus that made things more complicated than they needed to be earlier in his career? It was only a matter of time. Could he turn his serve from a decent shot into a weapon? It happened in one offseason.
So what’s next? What’s remaining? Just the history left to be made, and putting the numbers behind what our eyes tell us. While Djokovic, for now, is still the greatest of all time, Alcaraz is the best thing tennis has ever seen.
I think this is what the kids call “aura.” (Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
East Lansing, Michigan — Michigan head coach Dusty May let the boos bounce off his back before Friday’s rivalry game against No. 7 Michigan State, which ended in an 83-71 victory for the third-ranked Wolverines.
Clean sweep: On Sunday, the ninth-ranked Michigan women completed the weekend sweep in East Lansing with a 94-91 (OT) victory over No. 13 Michigan State. Both games represented the highest-ranked matchup in the history of their rivalry.
(Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
Tampa, Florida — The Lightning mounted a four-goal comeback to stun the Bruins in Sunday’s Stadium Series game, winning 6-5 (shootout) on an unseasonably cold night in front of 64,617 fans at Raymond James Stadium.
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Goalie fight! This game featured the first-ever outdoor goalie fight when Jeremy Swayman and Andrei Vasilevskiy dropped gloves in the second period. After going nearly six years between NHL goalie fights, we’ve now seen two in the span of two weeks.
(Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
New York, New York — Jarrell Miller provided the most entertaining moment of Saturday night’s Shakur Stevenson-Teofimo Lopez undercard when his toupee was knocked clean off his head during his victory over Kingsley Ibeh.
Bad hair day: Apparently Miller’s baldness was a recent development caused by an unfortunate chemical mishap. “I get to my momma’s house and she had some shampoo bottles under her table,” he said after the fight. “And I shampooed … that s*** was like ammonia and bleach.”
(Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
La Jolla, California — Justin Rose (-23) posted a historic victory at the Farmers Insurance Open, dominating the field by seven strokes and breaking the tournament record of 22-under set by Tiger Woods in 1999. At 45, he’s the PGA Tour’s oldest wire-to-wire winner since 2010.
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Meanwhile, on the LPGA Tour: Nelly Korda won the season-opening Tournament of Champions in Orlando — shortened to 54 holes due to freezing temperatures — for her first victory since 2024, when she won seven times.
💯 Big numbers
Beaver Stadium traded football for hockey on Saturday. (Penn State Athletics)
🏒 74,575 fans
It was 17 degrees in State College on Saturday, but 74,575 fans were in attendance for Penn State’s hockey game against Michigan State, making it the second-most attended college hockey game ever. Only Michigan vs. Michigan State at The Big House in 2010 had more fans (113,411).
Stramel’s big day: The Spartans came away with a thrilling 5-4 overtime victory thanks largely to Charlie Stramel, who scored the golden goal to complete his hat trick. Stramel, drafted 21st overall by the Wild in 2023, should enter the NHL this spring.
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⚾️ 0 active players
Longtime MLB reliever David Robertson — a 2009 World Series champion with the Yankees — announced his retirement on Friday, leaving a nearly unprecedented vacuum in the sport: For just the second time since New York’s inaugural title in 1923, there’s not a single active player who won a ring with the Bronx Bombers. The only other time that happened? 1995.
The drought continues: The Yankees’ current 16-year World Series drought is just one shy of their longest ever (1979-95), not including the 21 years it took to win their first championship. 10 teams have won a title since New York’s most recent in 2009: Dodgers (3x), Giants (3x), Astros (2x), Red Sox (2x), Rangers, Braves, Nationals, Royals, Cubs and Cardinals.
(Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
🏈 63% win percentage
The Patriots will wear white jerseys on Sunday, a color that has historically delivered success on the NFL’s biggest stage. 63% of all Super Bowls (37 of 59) have been won by the team wearing white. New England also went 5-0 this season with their all-white uniform combo.
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Yes, but: It should be noted that the past two Super Bowls were won by the team not wearing white. The Chiefs wore red in 2024, and the Eagles wore green last year.
🏀 8th trade
Dennis Schröder is heading from the Kings to the Cavaliers as part of Saturday’s three-team deal, marking the fifth time he’s been traded in the last two years and the eighth time in his career. That’s tied for the second-most ever behind only Trevor Ariza, who was dealt a remarkable 11 times.
Schröder’s journey: The Cavs will be the German point guard’s 11th NBA team, following stints with the Hawks (2013-18), Thunder (2018-20), Lakers (2020-21), Celtics (2021-22), Rockets (2022), Lakers (2022-23), Raptors (2023-24), Nets (2024), Warriors (2024-25), Pistons (2025) and Kings (2025-26).
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📺 Watchlist: Monday, Feb. 2
Texas Tech is undefeated at home. (John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
🏀 No. 14 Kansas at No. 11 Texas Tech
The Jayhawks and Red Raiders meet tonight in Lubbock (9pm ET, ESPN), where Texas Tech is a perfect 11-0. Can Kansas, which is just 3-3 on the road but has won five straight overall, hand them their first home loss?
Loaded conference: The Big 12 may be the best league in the nation, with six teams in the top 25, all in the top 14: No. 1 Arizona, No. 8 Iowa State, No. 10 Houston, No. 11 Texas Tech, No. 13 BYU, No. 14 Kansas. (Yes, I hear you, Big Ten fans, with five teams in the top 12.)
🏒 The Beanpot
The 73rd annual edition of the Boston area men’s hockey tournament begins tonight at TD Garden, with Boston College and Harvard kicking things off (5pm, ESPN+), followed by Boston University vs. Northeastern (8pm, ESPN+). The winners meet in the championship next Monday.
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All-time results: Defending champion Boston University has the most Beanpot titles (32), followed by Boston College (20), Harvard (11) and Northeastern (9).
Trivia answer: Aryna Sabalenka (3x), Iga Świątek (2x), Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, Madison Keys, Barbora Krejčíková
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Long-time college football coach Gus Malzahn is calling it a career. After 35 years in coaching, Malzahn announced his retirement from football Monday.
Malzahn, who served as Florida State’s offensive coordinator last season, said he was looking forward to spending more time with his family.
To replace the 60-year-old Malzahn, Florida State promoted co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Tim Harris Jr. into the full-time offensive coordinator position.
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Malzahn leaves behind quite the legacy and résumé as a coach. He started out in high school, when he was named the offensive coordinator at Hughes High School in Arkansas in 1991. He eventually took over as the head coach, and was successful at multiple high schools from 1992 to 2005.
After an excellent run at the high school level, Malzahn jumped to college sports for the 2006 season, when he served as Arkansas’ offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach. He then moved to Tulsa and Auburn in various coordinator roles.
Malzahn finally got his first head-coaching job ahead of the 2012 season, when he led Arkansas State to a 9-3 record. His stay at the school was short. Malzahn left after just one season and returned to Auburn, this time as the team’s head coach.
He was successful immediately, leading Auburn to a 12-2 record in 2013 and reaching the BCS Championship Game. Despite holding a 21-10 lead at halftime, Auburn fell to the Florida State Seminoles 34-31 in the contest.
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Malzahn won a number of awards for his excellence that season, taking home the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award, the SEC Coach of the Year award, the AP Coach of the Year award and the Paul “Bear” Bryant award, among many others.
Malzahn went 68-35 in eight seasons at Auburn. He struggled in bowl games, however, going 2-5 in seven appearances.
After being fired by Auburn, Malzahn coached at the University of Central Florida for four seasons, going 28-24. He resigned from that position in 2024 to join Florida State as its offensive coordinator. He was successful in the role, leading the Seminoles to 33 points per game last season, good for 22nd in the nation.
