Good Morning! The Cleveland Cavaliers’ JR Smith capped off his return to New York with a pretty awesome dunk. We liked it. LeBron liked it. You’ll like it too. Start your Monday off right and have a slam dunk of a week!

 

QUIPS FOR THIS WEEK

NBA

The NBA is back in business after the All-Star break and there is much to discuss. Last Thursday marked an eventful end to the trade deadline, and we saw many players move from team to team. Some of the most noteworthy moves include:

• Goran Dragic (and brother Zoran Dragic) were traded to the Miami Heat
• Reggie Jackson was traded to the Detroit Pistons
• Kevin Garnett was traded back to the Minnesota Timberwolves (where his career began)
• Michael Carter-Williams was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks
• Arron Afflalo was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers

The other big story from the weekend was Chris Bosh. The Miami Heat star will miss the rest of the season after the discovery of a blood clot in his lung. The Heat are optimistic regarding his prognosis, and say that Bosh is in good spirits. Here’s to hoping he makes a full recovery!

There are also other injury updates to discuss. Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant underwent a procedure to alleviate discomfort in his surgically repaired foot. He’ll be re-evaluated in a week, but is expected to be playing with OKC before the end of the regular season. Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans will miss roughly 1-2 weeks as he recovers from a shoulder injury, while teammate Ryan Anderson will miss around 2-4 weeks with a knee sprain.

College Basketball

Kentucky continues to roll and is now up to 27-0. The last undefeated team in men’s college hoops is looking unbeatable. Will Duke, UVA, Gonzaga, or Wisconsin (all of whom picked up wins this weekend) be able to beat them come tourney time? Will someone else take them down? Only time will tell. March Madness is coming!

UNC honored the late Dean Smith with a tribute to his coaching days. They broke out Coach Smith’s legendary four corners offense during their win over Georgia Tech.

In women’s hoops, NC State upset #10 Duke on the same day they honored legendary Coach Kay Yow.

This week, tune in for these games:

• Wisconsin vs. Maryland on Tuesday
• Kentucky vs. Arkansas on Saturday
• Syracuse vs. Duke on Saturday

Other

Joey Logano dominated the field and won the 2015 Daytona 500 on Sunday.

Both Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota put on impressive performances at the NFL Combine. The NFL Draft is coming up, and right now we’re expecting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to take Winston with their first pick.

Many of the members of the 1980 “Miracle on ice” hockey team that defeated the Soviet Union in the Winter Olympics reunited on Saturday evening to celebrate the victory that took place 35 years ago.

 

JUST FOR FUN

Coming Home
Kevin Garnett is headed back to the Minnesota Timberwolves

 

STORIES FOR INSIGHTS, COOL FACTOR + DEBATE

Walking before you run
Boston Marathon survivor is recovering and ready to fight
After having her leg amputated, she’s learning to run again and waiting to testify

The Rise
Sleepless in Seattle for the hardworking Mariners
How good will the young Seattle Mariners be this coming season?

Australia’s National Basketball League
…did you know about them (and that there’s a New Zealand team involved, too)?
The New Zealand Breakers are one of the most homegrown teams in the league, but they’re winning because they’ve made something out of nothing

Trade Deadline
Things got a little crazy, and here’s how the balls landed once the juggling stopped
You’ve got your winners, your losers, and those who are still wondering how their teams are going to progress

Roommates
The Oakland Raiders and the San Diego Chargers are considering moving in together
They’re considering a move to LA, but real estate is expensive!

 

Happy SQ Tuesday! We hope you had a relaxing Presidents’ Day weekend and enjoyed all of the magic that took place during NBA All-Star. Our favorite moment? Zach LaVine’s gravity-defying performance in the dunk contest.

QUIPS FOR THIS WEEK

NBA

The NBA hosted their annual All-Star festivities in New York City this weekend. What are the key takeaways?

• The West beat the East 163-158 on Sunday night, but Saturday Night Live’s 40th reunion stole its TV audience
• Russell Westbrook took home the MVP after putting on a 41-point show
• Steph Curry won the 3-point contest on Saturday night
• As we mentioned in the intro, Zach LaVine claimed the Slam Dunk crown with some amazing jams

The NBA may be on a mid-season break until Thursday night, but there are plenty of stories to keep an eye on:

• Kevin Durant expressed his frustration with the media
• Kobe Bryant talked to NBA TV about his plans to come back better than ever from his injuries
• Rumor has it that Amar’e Stoudemire is about to become a Dallas Maverick

Also be on the look out for potential trades before this Thursday’s deadline. Grantland’s Zach Lowe shared his predictions here.

College Basketball

The rankings are out and surprise, surprise, Kentucky is #1 again. The Wildcats remain undefeated and the possibility that their record might stay that way is looking more and more likely. The best of the rest goes: UVA, Gonzaga, Duke and Wisconsin (in that order).

#4 Duke plays #15 UNC at home on Wednesday night in the first match-up of the season for one of the top rivalries in all of sports. Look for both teams to honor Dean Smith.

The Vegas Strip will remember the late Jerry Tarkanian by dimming their lights this week. Tarkanian is the legendary former coach at UNLV.

Oh yeah, and we are one month out from Selection Sunday. March Madness is coming, y’all!

Other

After 20 seasons, Jason Giambi will be retiring from baseball.

The Dallas Stars will be without Tyler Seguin for 3-6 weeks after suffering a bad hit last week. Get well!

Lance Armstrong must pay $10 million after losing his arbitration hearing on grounds of fraud.

The NFL Combine begins this week in Indianapolis.

 

JUST FOR FUN

Masterful management
Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks will blow your mind with this goal

STORIES FOR INSIGHTS, COOL FACTOR + DEBATE

Extra, Extra, read all about it!
Want to hear what the players have to say about this year’s All-Star Weekend?
Hear them talk about the weekend, and what their own teams bring to the table during the 2015 NBA season

Rights
The intersection between segregation and baseball
How the Dodgers handled spring training (and their futures) once Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Don Newcombe and Roy Partlow joined the team

Sixers
Taking the long way around
Pablo Torre talks to Sam Hinkie about how the 76ers plan to win

Wealth Gap
A new Premier League broadcast-rights deal
It’s more than three times the value of any other soccer league’s TV deal – what does this do to the competition?

Rhonda Glenn
The first female anchor on ESPN passed away
She started just two years after the network launched, and paved the way for women in broadcasting everywhere

We’d like to start this morning by honoring Dean Smith, who was not only a legendary college basketball Coach at the University of North Carolina, but also a man who fought for equality and human rights for all. He will be remembered for his impact as both a great Coach and even more importantly as a great man. We send our thoughts to his family and may he rest in peace. Please watch this video tribute in his honor:

 

QUIPS FOR THIS WEEK

College Basketball

It’s prime season for college hoops and things are heating up. #1 Kentucky defeated a gritty Florida team on the road to remain undefeated at 23-0 Saturday night while #4 Duke collected an impressive 30 point revenge win against Notre Dame at home. #3 UVA beat #9 Louisville in a close match-up while #8 Kansas fell to Oklahoma State on Saturday.

In injury news, Justin Anderson of UVA fractured his finger and will be out of the lineup for at least 4-6 weeks. The ACC race is tight so this could definitely have an impact for one of the best teams in the country.

Let’s talk scheduling. This week, look out for:

• #1 Kentucky at LSU – Tuesday
• #Duke at Syracuse – Saturday

Also, make sure to watch undefeated #1 South Carolina take on #2 UConn in Storrs, Connecticut in one of the biggest women’s hoops games of the season on Monday night.

NBA

There’s quite a few things to talk about leading up to next weekend’s All-Star Game in New York City. First, Blake Griffin of the LA Clippers will miss the game with an elbow injury. Griffin will have surgery to treat a staph infection and hopes to make a quick recovery. Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers will replace him in the game.

Speaking of the LA Clippers, they lost pretty badly to the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road on Sunday. The Thunder are on the hunt for the 8th playoff spot in the West along with the New Orleans Pelicans (who are hoping Anthony Davis’ shoulder injury isn’t too serious) and the Phoenix Suns.

Can you feel the Love? The Cleveland Cavaliers sure could on Sunday in their game against the LA Lakers. Kevin Love has had a bit of a slow start for the Cavs but against the Lakers, he had a season high 32 points and looked dominant in the paint. The Cavs continue to prove that they are a force to be reckoned with come playoff time (cc: Atlanta Hawks, Golden State Warriors).

This week, be on the look out for Coach Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs who is on the verge of his 1,000th career victory. They play Monday night against the Indiana Pacers.

 

Other

The US men’s national team defeated Panama 2-0 on Sunday afternoon to pick up their first win in the last 5 games.

Tiger Woods withdrew from the Farmers Insurance Open on Thursday with a back injury and will likely drop to the #59 ranking in golf.

Goalie Henrik Lundqvist is out for the NY Rangers after suffering a sprained blood vessel in his neck. Get well!

 

JUST FOR FUN

Please tell us you watched the Puppy Bowl!
Did you know that it’s the second highest rated broadcast on the day of the Super Bowl?

STORIES FOR INSIGHTS, COOL FACTOR + DEBATE

Where is the love?
When the Islanders leave Long Island behind in favor of Barclays, what will happen to their culture?
Right now, they’ve got a fan base of diehard tailgaters — but, once they’re taking the train to Barclays, will it ruin their no-frills love of the team and the sport?

Winner, Winner
Cuba wins their first Caribbean series championship since 1960
They’ve dominated the series in past decades, and now they’re back at the top

Irina Pavlova
From Russia to Brooklyn
Getting to know one of the most powerful women in the business of pro hoops

Congrats, Geno!
How to get to 900 wins
The coach of the UConn women’s basketball team is the fastest coach to reach this level

In Mourning
Soccer game riot in Egypt
At least 25 individuals were killed at a riot outside of a major Egyptian Premier League game

Marcus Mariota
Remember him?
The Oregon QB has fallen pretty far pretty fast, considering how he was praised before the big game

Legendary
Rest in peace, Billy Casper
The golf player had won 51 times on the PGA tour and passed away at the age of 83

Good Morning Team SQ! So, about that game last night? Nothing like a little Super Bowl magic to ring in February and close out the NFL season. Congrats to the New England Patriots! Anyhoo, in honor of the game, check out all the awesome talent that Jimmy Fallon brought together for an a capella rendition of “We Are The Champions” last night.

 

 

QUIPS FOR THIS WEEK

NFL

Super Bowl XLIX was nothing short of thrilling. The New England Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 in Arizona to win their 4th Super Bowl in the Belichick-Brady Era. After many lead changes, comebacks, and big plays, the game came down to an ill-advised final play call for the Seahawks (on a play that didn’t go to Marshawn Lynch) that led to an interception by the Patriots’ Malcolm Butler. Tom Brady is your MVP and the Super Bowl is going back to Boston. Congrats Pats fans!

College Basketball

It was a wild weekend for college hoops. After an emotional week, #4 Duke handed #4 UVA their first loss on their home turf in a big game that came down to the wire.

Duke wasn’t the only team with a big win this weekend as #10 Louisville came back from 18 to knock off #13 UNC in overtime. In other news, Pitt won against #8 Notre Dame and #1 Kentucky remains undefeated after a win against this weekend over Alabama.

This week look out for:

• #2 UVA at #13 UNC – Monday
• #8 Notre Dame at #4 Duke – Saturday
• #10 Louisville at #2 UVA – Saturday

NBA

All Star

The NBA announced the final rosters for the league’s upcoming All-Star Game in New York. Starters were voted on by fans, reserves by the coaches, and  DeMarcus Cousins was selected by the Commissioner to fill the injured Kobe Bryant’s all-star spot. The game takes place on February 15th.

Speaking of the All-Star Game, Commissioner Adam Silver announced that he is interested in exploring the possibility of expanding the All-Star roster from 12 to 15. This comes in light of the difficult decision to choose whether to have Damian Lillard or DeMarcus Cousins fill Kobe Bryant’s spot. They both are having great seasons but ultimately there wasn’t enough space to put both on the roster given the roster limit. Stay tuned!

 

Other

Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams were the big winners at the Australian Open. Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova to win her 6th Australian Open title on the women’s side while Novak Djokovic won his fifth Australian Open title after he defeated Andy Murray in the men’s final.

Rory McIlroy won the Dubai Desert Class title in record fashion. It was the second golf title in Dubai for Rory, who shot 22 under and matched a tournament record for the lowest total in the course history.

JUST FOR FUN

Just gotta check real quick
Seahawks cornerback Byron Maxwell gave the game ball a little squeeze to ensure it was fully inflated

STORIES FOR INSIGHTS, COOL FACTOR + DEBATE

How to be an ex-pat Super Bowl fan

Take it from this man in Moscow – it’s not an easy love to kindle

Imagine not being able to find the Super Bowl on television? Well, for supporters that don’t live in America, that’s a real possibility

 

The brawl we can’t not talk about

Who gets into a fight in the last 20 seconds of the Super Bowl?

When the dust cleared, Bruce Irvin of the Seattle Seahawks was ejected from the game

 

Another QB

If you saw the P&G Play Like a Girl campaign, you saw 15 year old Karlie Harmon

She’s a club team quarterback, and found herself among athletes and actors on Super Bowl Radio Row talking about the campaign

 

Tom Brady

The legend can’t stop

Check out this long read on what drives Tom Brady of the New England Patriots

 

C’mon

Have you ever heard Serena on the court?

It’s nice to know that her shouting is indicative of all the fun she’s having on the court!