Happy Friday
It’s the big one. Phoenix is the center of the sports world this weekend. The desert plays host to Super Bowl LVII on Sunday after the Suns just stole the show at the NBA Trade Deadline. The NFL Honors were held last night in Phoenix, too. Did we mention the Phoenix Open is underway at TPC Scottsdale?
Half of the country is still dealing with winter, but we have to see shots of Arizona all weekend on TV. What a tease. Let’s prime the big game, crown the NFL MVP and recap the NBA trade deadline in today’s Friday frenzy.
Letter Rip!
SUPER BOWL LVII
The Super Bowl LVII Primer
Photo: Anthony Behar / Getty Images
Everything You Need to Know for Super Bowl 57 Between the Eagles & Chiefs (Sunday, 6:30 pm ET, FOX)
The big game is here, and you’re likely watching in the company of friends and family. You want to know what you’re talking about, right? That’s why I’m here. The previews are endless and everywhere on the internet. Matchups, trends and stats abound as we indulge in this significant moment in sports. We’ll have a full report on Monday morning, but we’ve done the work to prep you for Super Sunday. If you’ve missed the last week of preview storylines, here’s everything you need to know in about 60 seconds:
Team History
Team Super Bowl History
Eagles: 3rd Appearance, 1 Lombardi Trophy
Chiefs: 5th Appearance, 2 Lombardi Trophies
2022-23 Season Comparisons
Eagles: 16-3 Record | 546 Points Scored | 6 All Pros
Chiefs: 16-3 Record | 546 Points Scored | 6 All Pros
Super Bowl LVII Game Notes
Betting Odds
Spread: Eagles (-1.5) | Chiefs (+1.5)
Moneyline: Eagles (-122) | Chiefs (+104)
Over/Under: 50.5 points
Odds to Win SB MVP: P. Mahomes (+130), J. Hurts (+130)
T. Kelce (+1600), A. Brown (+1800), M. Sanders (+2500), H. Reddick (+3400)
Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl LVII Preview (Video)
Additional Storylines
The Ringer: Everything You Need to Know About Super Bowl LVII
CBS Sports: 2023 Super Bowl Lookahead: Stream, Odds, Matchups, Predictions
FOX Sports: Behind the Scenes With FOX NFL Crew at Super Bowl LVII
FiveThirtyEight: The Chiefs & Eagles Don’t Look Like Their Previous Super Bowl-Winning Iterations
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READER POLL
Super Bowl LVII Picks
Who do you think will win Super Bowl LVII? (Click to vote)
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NFL AWARDS
Mahomes Captures 2nd MVP
Photo: Cooper Neill / Getty Images
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Wins 2nd MVP Award; Jets Sweep Rookie Awards & Cowboys QB Dak Prescott Wins Man of the Year
The NFL celebrated the conclusion of the 2022-23 season last night with the 12th annual NFL Honors show in Phoenix. Kelly Clarkson hosted the show, becoming the first woman to lead the event in its 12-year history, as the Associate Press awards were revealed along with the 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. To no one’s surprise, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes took home his second MVP award after breaking the league’s all-time yardage record in Week 18. Here’s a look at Mahomes’ season and the complete list of winners before Super Bowl Sunday.
MVP: QB Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)
The Chiefs superstar QB led Kansas City to a 14-3 regular season mark and broke the league’s all-time record for yards in a season with 5,614 — 5,250 passing, and 358 rushing. He’s just the 10th player in NFL history to win multiple MVP awards.
MVP Voting: 1. Patrick Mahomes (490 pts), 2. Jalen Hurts (193 pts), Josh Allen (151 pts), 4. Joe Burrow (128 pts), 5. Justin Jefferson (55 pts)
Offensive Player of the Year: WR Justin Jefferson (Vikings)
Defensive Player of the Year: DE Nick Bosa (49ers)
Offensive Rookie of the Year: WR Garrett Wilson (Jets)
Defensive Rookie of the Year: CB Sauce Gardner (Jets)
Comeback Player of the Year: QB Geno Smith (Seahawks)
Coach of the Year: Brian Daboll (Giants)
Moment of the Year: WR Justin Jefferson’s Catch (Vikings)
Off-the-Field Awards
Walter Payton Man of the Year: QB Dak Prescott (Cowboys)
Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award: DE Calais Campbell (Ravens)
2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class
Ronde Barber, Darrelle Revis, Joe Thomas, Zach Thomas & DeMarcus Ware
Additional Storylines
Yahoo! Sports: Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Adds to Legacy With 2nd MVP Award
Sporting News: Cowboys Fan Kelly Clarkson’s Monologue at NFL Honors Polarizes NFL Twitter
USA Today: Bills Damar Hamlin Makes Surprise Appearance at NFL Honors Show
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NBA TRADE DEADLINE
Trade Tracker: Every NBA Deal
Photo: Jacob Kupferman / Getty Images
Kevin Durant Blockbuster Shakes Up West Before Wildest Trade Deadline Ever
Whew, that was wild. The Suns shocked the NBA overnight with the best blockbuster of NBA Trade Deadline Day, but it was only the beginning. Phoenix became overnight NBA title favorites before 15-plus trades in the final 12 hours before the deadline. It would be difficult for us to hit on every deal and provide details of the packages and picks involved in each, so here’s a list of the top players and where they’re heading. You can get a full recap of each deal by clicking the links.
Trade Deadline Tracker
Kevin Durant (Nets) → Suns
Gary Payton II (Blazers) → Warriors
Jae Crowder (Suns) → Nets → Bucks
James Wiseman (Warriors) → Pistons
Bones Hyland (Nuggets) → Clippers
Patrick Beverly (Lakers) → Magic
Mo Bamba (Magic) → Lakers
Matisse Thybulle (76ers) → Blazers
Mason Plumlee (Hornets) → Clippers
Josh Richardson (Spurs) → Pelicans
Eric Gordon (Rockets) → Clippers
John Wall (Clippers) → Rockets
Saddiq Bey (Pistons) → Hawks
Thomas Bryant (Lakers) → Nuggets
Jakob Poetl (Spurs) → Raptors
Darius Bazley (Thunder) → Suns
Full NBA Trade Deadline Tracker (NBA.com)
What team(s) do you think won the trade deadline?
Reply to today’s newsletter and let us know.
Additional Storylines
SI: NBA Trade Deadline Winners & Losers
B/R: Grading Every Deal at the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline
The Ringer: Kevin Durant Addition Blows the Ceiling Off the Suns’ System
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WEEKEND SCHEDULE
The Must-Watch List
The weekend ahead needs no introduction. A 17-game regular season began back in September. Two teams remain. Kickoff for Super Bowl LVII is just over 48 hours away. Party on, team.
Super Bowl LVII
Eagles vs. Chiefs (Sunday, 6:30 pm)
NBA
Knicks at 76ers (Fri. 7:00 pm)
Lakers at Warriors (Sat. 8:30 pm)
Grizzlies at Celtics (Sun. 2:00 pm)
NHL
Lightning at Stars (Sat. 1:00 pm)
Capitals at Bruins (Sat. 3:30 pm)
Rangers at Hurricanes (Sat. 7:00 pm)
NCAA Basketball
M: #3 Alabama at Auburn (Sat. 2:00 pm)
M: Duke at #8 Virginia (Sat. 4:00 pm)
M: #1 Purdue at Northwestern (Sun. 2:00 pm)
W: #3 LSU at #1 South Carolina (Sun. 2:00 pm)
W: Syracuse at #10 Notre Dame (Sun. 4:00 pm)
PGA Tour
Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale (All Weekend)
UFC 284
I. Makhachev vs. A. Volkanovski (Sat. 10:00 pm)
*All Times ET
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THE HEADLINES
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