📰🏟️ Transfer shenanigans
CFB’s Wild West gets a bit wilder…
Good afternoon. The top-five sports stories of the day are at your fingertips. Just keep scrolling.
—Kyle
1) Ravens fire Harbaugh in shock move
John Harbaugh is out as the head coach of Baltimore after 18 seasons, the team announced yesterday. The move came two days after a 26-24 loss to the Steelers on a last-second missed field goal, which kept the Ravens out of the playoffs.
- Harbaugh led Baltimore to a Super Bowl title in 2012, six AFC North titles, 12 playoff appearances, and 193 victories, including 13 in the postseason.
- He immediately becomes the most sought-after coach on the market, with Harbaugh’s agent saying he received calls from seven teams in the 45 minutes after news of his firing broke. (Outside of the Ravens, only six teams have head coaching vacancies.)
Why Baltimore parted ways with Harbaugh
2) Washington QB enters transfer portal—after signing UW contract
Washington QB Demond Williams Jr. announced his intention to enter the transfer portal last night, joining thousands of other D1 athletes who have done so in recent days.
But what makes Williams’ situation unique is that he also signed a contract with Washington last week to return for his sophomore year, in a deal reportedly near the top of the market for QBs (rumored at $4M–$5M).
- Washington officials told The Athletic ($) they have “no intention” of releasing Williams from his contract, which the school claims is binding.
- It’s the latest example of schools taking issue with players who transfer after allegedly signing binding contracts, including CB Xavier Lucas (Wisconsin → Miami) and DE Damon Wilson II (Georgia → Missouri).
Inside the transfer portal controversy
3) Avalanche deliver historic first half of NHL season
Colorado’s 31-3-7 record at the halfway mark is the best since the NHL moved to an 82-game schedule in 1995-96. With 69 points, the Avalanche are on pace to set a new record for most points in an NHL season, which currently belongs to the 2022-23 Bruins (135 points).
- Colorado is the fourth team in NHL history to record multiple 10-game winning streaks in a season.
- They currently have six more wins (and 11 more points) than any other team—even after a rare two-game losing streak in recent days.
Could the Avalanche make NHL history?
4) A’s thrown a curveball over new name in Las Vegas
The US Patent and Trademark Office has denied, for a second time, trademarks for “Las Vegas Athletics” and “Vegas Athletics,” saying the MLB franchise lacks the “acquired distinctiveness” to earn them.
- “The USPTO is basically saying ‘if we give the team unfettered rights, then any youth or amateur athletics association in Las Vegas could suddenly be in violation of the trademark,” attorney Josh Gerben told Front Office Sports.
- Experts say the refusal doesn’t threaten the Athletics’ plan to relocate in 2028, and that the team can re-apply for the trademark after a few years of establishing their brand in Las Vegas.
5) Tiger Woods’ indoor golf league to launch a women’s version
Following the recent success of TMRW Golf League (TGL), a new indoor league backed by Tiger and Rory McIlroy whose second season began last week, LPGA golfers are getting their own competition.
- WTGL is set to debut in winter 2026-27 at the TGL’s customized stadium in Florida, which features a virtual course with spectator seating.
- Teams of players will hit shots at a five-story-high simulator screen, before moving to a green that can rotate 360° and create hole-to-hole variations.
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