1. Jason Kelce Possible Retirement Ruined

The Scoop: The Taylor interest bump made its way to Travis’ older brother Jason. The 36-year-old has played 13 seasons in the NFL and is one of the best Centers of all time. While rumors swirled of his possible retirement, NFL insider Adam Schefter jumped the gun and posted that sources with the Eagles reported that Kelce announced his retirement to his teammates. Kelce is quoted to say he’ll announce when the time is right, and he wants his fans to hear it from him first.

This “out-scooping” isn’t new, as Schefter undercut Tom Brady’s planned announcement and leaked Andrew Luck’s early retirement leading to him getting booed off the field by disappointed fans in his last game. Jason repeats that he has not made a decision, but if he has played his last game, we’re disappointed he does not get to choose to go out on his own terms. 

Want more details? See a story on Andrew Luck’s shock retirement and Schefter’s role.

2. Amazon Acquiring Diamond Sports Group

The Scoop: Streaming is the biggest driving force of revenue in professional sports. From the NFL putting a playoff game behind a paywall on Peacock, to the MLS exclusively broadcasting games on Apple TV, this trend is here to stay. Amazon has made the latest play, acquiring a stake in Diamond Sports Group, a media conglomerate that owns rights to NBA, NHL, and MLB regional broadcasting.

While details of the deal are still being reported, the sense is that Amazon will now stream games on their platform. Fans hope this will mean the end of regional blackouts, when home games are not shown in surrounding cities to boost ticket sales, but are wary of the rising costs of supporting their teams. These major changes in how we watch sports will have major implications over the coming years.

Want more details? See a breakdown of the deal.

3. Dame Time in Milwaukee

The Scoop: Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard gave us his iconic “Dame Time” celebration after a game winning three-pointer to beat the Kings in OT. While the shot was incredible, all the chatter was about Dame’s instagram post. Teammate Thanasis Antetkoumpo (who is Giannis’ brother and is just on the team to keep their MVP happy) screwed up the celebration pose. So what did Dame do? Cropped out his own teammate. Harsh. 

Want more details? Check out full game highlights.

4. The Epic Highs and Lows of AFCON And Asian Cup

The Scoop: The African Cup of Nations and the Asian Cup are Soccer Tournaments to crown the champions of each continent. To many countries, these tournaments are their Super Bowl. There was a hiccup at AFCON, as a ticket printing issue prevented fans getting in to see their teams, but hopefully organizers can figure it out and create the typical magic of the event. From the superfans showing their pride, to the international stars representing each country, and the ridiculous and crazy goals, we will keep you updated on all the highlights and information over the next few weeks of play.

Want more details? Check out all 24 AFCON teams ranked; Asian Cup team guide.

5. Puck Drops on Professional Women’s Hockey

The Scoop: The PWHL is promoting the stars of the USA and Canadian National Teams to deliver a product that is in high-demand, as teams are drawing over 5,000 fans per game. A journey that has been almost 5 years in the making, and culminated in a successful first week. There are 6 teams: Boston, Minnesota, Montreal, New York, Ottawa, and Toronto. The PWHL aims to inspire the next generation of female athletes, who will grow up seeing that they too can play hockey professionally. 

Want more details? See a history of the PWHL; PWHL’s first ever goal

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NFL Divisional Round

The Ravens and 49ers enjoyed their bye weeks, and now begin their quest for the Super Bowl. The Lions are looking to make history and the Bills are looking to reverse it. The Texans, Packers, and Bucs dominated their way to the next round. This weekend is packed with great games.

Matchup: Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens
Details: Saturday 1/20 4:30pm ET, ABC | Ravens favored by 9.0 points
Key Players: Texans: QB CJ Stroud, WR Nico Collins | Ravens: QB Lamar Jackson, LB Roquan Smith

Soccer

Event: African Cup of Nations and Asian Cup
Details: AFCON: Jan 13 - Feb 11th in Ivory Coat | Asian Cup: Jan 12 - Feb 10th in Qatar

Tennis

Event: Australian Open
Details: Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles Tennis; January 8th-January 27th
Key Players: Men’s: Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz Women’s: Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka

Until next time,

The Fastbreakk