📰🏟️ Let the Madness begin

Good afternoon. The top-five sports stories of the day are at your fingertips. Just keep scrolling.

—Kyle

1) March Madness tips off today

The greatest weekend on the men’s college basketball calendar is finally here. March Madness tipped off less than an hour ago, with initial matchups including #4 Nebraska’s bid to win its first-ever NCAA tournament game (and join every other power conference team).

• 16 first-round NCAA tournament games are set for today, with another 16 to be held tomorrow.
• The second round tips off with eight games on Saturday, followed by eight more games on Sunday.
• All victorious teams will have one day of rest between their first- and second-round games.

Ranking every first-round game

2) Pistons star Cunningham out with collapsed lung

Cade Cunningham, the Pistons’ superstar guard and potential MVP candidate, was diagnosed with a collapsed lung and will miss an extended period of time, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

• Sources say the collapse is considered mild. The team published a statement saying Cunningham will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
• The Eastern Conference-leading Pistons say they hope to have Cunningham back for the start of the playoffs on April 18, though his timeline is still uncertain.
• Cunningham is four games shy of the NBA’s 65-game threshold to be eligible for regular-season awards like All-NBA and MVP.

Read more

3) NFL lays groundwork for replacement referees

The league is reportedly seeking a list of ~150 college officials to potentially serve as replacements once the current CBA with the NFL Referees Association expires at the end of May, per ESPN.

• The officials could begin onboarding as early as April and attend a four-day clinic in May, per the emails.
• If a CBA deal isn’t reached, the replacement refs would continue training over the summer and participate in training camps before the season begins.
• The process is similar to the 2012 lockout of NFL referees, which ended after the third week of the regular season (and a few highly questionable calls).

Will the NFL replace its refs again?

4) LeBron no longer wants to own NBA team in Vegas

LeBron had stated publicly for a decade that he wants to own an NBA team after retiring, similar to Michael Jordan. And in recent years, James has specifically said he wants to own a team in Las Vegas.

• But after last night’s game, LeBron said he’s “not at all” interested in NBA ownership currently, and isn’t involved with plans to bring an NBA franchise to Vegas by 2028.
• The Fenway Sports Group—LeBron’s business partner through which he’s part owner of the Red Sox and Liverpool FC—also isn’t expected to pursue the Vegas franchise, citing the ~$8B expansion fee.

Inside James’ quest for NBA ownership

5) WBC success could spark midseason tourney 

The World Baseball Classic set new attendance and viewer records this year, leading Commissioner Rob Manfred to suggest moving the WBC to the middle of the MLB season when it returns in 2029/30.

• The WBC has always been played during spring training (since 2006), with rules including pitch count restrictions to account for the preseason.
• Proponents of a midseason WBC say it would lead to fewer stars declining or being held back, like SP Tarik Skubal for Team USA.
• It comes as the MLB and its players' association are currently negotiating over whether players can participate in the 2028 LA Olympics.

An exciting future awaits for WBC

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