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1. As you might know, we’re MBA Students at Stanford hoping to make sports more accessible to everyone. We’re just getting started and would love your feedback on how we’re doing here.

2. For those also at Stanford, your Fastbreakk co-editors Will Clark & John Onderdonk are on the ballot to serve the GSB community in our Student Association, so get out and vote today and tomorrow!

Tip Off

The most discussed sports topics at water coolers across America

1. NBA or WWE: Draymond Chokes Out Gobert

The Scoop: With the score still 0-0, Warriors star Klay Thompson and Timberwolves’ Jaden Mcdaniels got into a scuffle at halfcourt. Seven foot tall Timberwolves Center, Rudy Gobert, went in to break up the fight, but thinking he was attacking Klay, known hothead Draymond Green immediately put him in a chokehold. Green had to be pulled off of Gobert by coaches and teammates. Thompson, Green, and McDaniels were all ejected, and twitter took off with memes and jokes. Gobert and Green have a history of beef and Rudy antagonized it more by saying Green’s actions were “clown behavior”. The NBA season might just be getting started, but already the League is getting spicy.  

Conversation Starter: Was Green justified in defending his teammate, or was the headlock taking things too far?

2. College Football Playoff Chaos Scenarios

The Scoop: Normally at this point in the year, a few top teams differentiate themselves from the pack, and at least one conference has no true playoff contenders left. This year, the last year of the 4-team playoff format, there are eight teams still truly in the hunt for playoff contention.

Five teams are undefeated: Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, Florida State, and Washington, and three teams are 9-1 with a chance to win their conference championship game: Oregon, Texas, and Alabama. Michigan and Ohio State match up over Thanksgiving, but even so last season 13-0 Michigan and 12-1 Ohio State advanced to the playoff, but this year, losing that game may eliminate one team. Washington and Oregon could rematch in the Pac-12 championship, Alabama is likely to face Georgia, but if Texas and Florida State win out, we could see 5-6 teams with very legitimate claims to the playoff.

The committee will have a headache selecting the four most deserving teams, so expect chaos and look to us to keep you updated on how the situation plays out!

Conversation Starter: Is the 12-team playoff format more fair, or should only the very best teams have a chance to win the National Championship?

3. Jim Harbaugh Changes his Stance…on Chicken?

The Scoop: Michigan Coach Jim Harbaugh is back in the news, this time not for a suspension, but for a hilarious interview clip. In a 2018 interview, Harbaugh claimed he didn’t want his players to eat chicken, claiming it is a “nervous bird”. However, he recently walked back that stance, saying he is now a proud owner of chickens, has done his research, and put in the work, finding that actually the chicken is low-maintenance and high-production. In a month where Harbaugh has been accused of cheating and suspended for the remainder of the season, he has finally got time to focus on the important things. 

Conversation Starter: Which definition do you prefer, a nervous bird, or low-maintenance high production?

4. Reminder, Change Your Location Before Tweeting

The Scoop: On Monday, Mississippi State fired Head Coach Zach Arnett. Immediately when a coach is fired, fans start looking for clues on who is interviewing for the position, sometimes going so far as to track flights to and from the town of the team. This week, tracking the whereabouts of current Liberty Head Coach Jamie Chadwell wasn’t hard as he sent a tweet with the location set as Starkville, Mississippi, coincidentally where Mississippi State’s campus is. Suspicious? You can be the judge. Chadwell states he is not interviewing as he’s focused on his current season, but in the future, everyone should remember to turn off their location if they may or may not be actively interviewing for a new job!

Conversation Starter: If a coach is interviewing for other jobs during the season, should that information be kept private, even if it means lying to your players?

5. What’s Wrong with the Lakers?

The Scoop: After another embarrassing performance, losing by 15 to the Kings, the Lakers have now started the season 6-6. Lebron as usual led the Lakers with 28 points, but the team has struggled in game after game to look like a cohesive unit. The defense and rebounding have been particularly bad this season, and without consistent three-point shooting from, well, anyone, it seems more surprising if they win than lose. Lebron usually finds a way, but it just doesn’t look good for them at the minute. 

Conversation Starter: Is Lebron getting too old to win another championship?

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What We’re Watching This Week

If you're at a bar, they might be showing these games. Here's what you should know:

NFL

• Thursday Night Football - Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) vs Baltimore Ravens (7-3): As we approach the playoffs, both teams are fighting for crucial wins. After falling this weekend in winnable games, both teams hope to bounce back strong. 

College Football

• The Big Game - Cal at Stanford: The historic rivals are both terrible football teams, but co-editor of the Fastbreakk John “J-Wonder” “Tailgate” Onderdonk is planning a tailgate to bring the energy and increase the spectacle

• #1 Georgia at #18 Tennessee: Georgia faces likely the best offense they will see in the regular season, and this test should prepare them for a run at their third straight national championship

• #5 Washington at #11 Oregon State: Undefeated Washington has a tough road test against a surging Oregon State team that has been dismantling opponents, can the Huskies stay undefeated, or will this be the week they fall short.

• #21 Kansas State at #25 Kansas: For the first time since 1995, both Kansas and Kansas State are ranked for the “Sunflower Showdown” and this one should be epic

College Basketball

• Maryland vs Villanova (Friday Night): Maryland and Nova have both had recent success but have struggled in recent years meeting the lofty expectations of their fan bases, should be a good measuring stick for what expectations should be this season

• #6 UConn vs Indiana (Sunday Afternoon): The reigning National Champion UConn Huskies have their first test of the season against a young Indiana team hoping to regain their spot in the national conversation

Subscriber Question of the Week

Do you have a sports topic you want to get smart on? Let us know here.

This week, Andrew from Nashville asked, "What is the trade deadline?"

Hi Andrew! Either you’re in a Fantasy League for the first time or too deep into NFL Twitter!

The trade deadline, in essence, is a pivotal moment in sports when teams scramble to make last-minute deals like shoppers on Black Friday. In a nutshell, it's the exact date and time (for the NFL, it was Oct. 31 at midnight) for teams to swap players before the season's roster stays locked until the next trading window.

This high-stakes frenzy usually happens mid-season, injecting a dose of suspense and drama into the sports narrative. General managers play the roles of master strategists, deciding the fate of their teams with each trade, trying to get one last deal in before a drop dead window. Many Fantasy Football Leagues also have a trade deadline, though this is generally to stop owners of teams with no chance at the playoffs offloading their best players and colluding with other owners (if you do this, shame on you).

We hope this helps!

Your Wish is My Command

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Until next week,

The Fastbreakk