Get Ready for Super Bowl LIX: Your Ultimate Yahoo Sports AM Preview!

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🚨 Headlines

🏀 LeBron James’ Historic Game: LeBron scored 42 points, 17 rebounds, and 8 assists in a victory over the Warriors, making him the only other player besides Michael Jordan to score 40 points at age 40.

⚾️ Mizuhara Sentenced: Former interpreter for Shohei Ohtani, Ippei Mizuhara, received a 57-month prison sentence for stealing $17 million from the Dodgers star.

🏒 Ovechkin Closing In: Alex Ovechkin netted a goal in his fourth straight game, bringing his career total to 879, just 16 goals shy of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record.

🏈 Ryan Day’s Contract Extension: Ohio State has signed head coach Ryan Day to a contract extension through 2031, increasing his salary to $12.5 million annually.

🥊 Canelo vs. Crawford Fight Set: Canelo Álvarez will face Terence Crawford for the undisputed super middleweight title in Las Vegas this September, following a week of stalled negotiations.

🏈 Super Bowl LIX: Chiefs vs. Eagles

The game starts at 6:30 PM ET on Sunday in New Orleans (Fox). The Chiefs and Eagles face off for the second time in three years.

Superdome’s History: This is the 11th Super Bowl hosted in New Orleans and the eighth in the Superdome.

By the numbers:

• 0 teams have three-peated: The Chiefs aim to win three Super Bowls in a row, something no team has done yet.
• 9th rematch: This is the ninth Super Bowl rematch, and historically the first game winner also wins the rematch.
• 45 playoff games: Andy Reid will coach his 45th playoff game, surpassing Bill Belichick’s record.
• 17 playoff victories: Patrick Mahomes has 17 playoff wins, trailing only Tom Brady.
• Career Super Bowl stats: Travis Kelce needs three catches to break the Super Bowl record.
• 30 rushing yards: Saquon Barkley needs just 30 rushing yards to set a new season record.
• 3 TDs: Jalen Hurts aims to break the record for most rushing touchdowns in Super Bowl history.
• Top defenses: Both teams boast strong defensive stats, led by standout players Jalen Carter and Chris Jones.
• Winning color: The Chiefs will wear white, a color associated with Super Bowl success.

Record Bets: Expect $1.39 billion to be wagered on the Super Bowl in the U.S., setting a new record.

🏈 MVP Announcement

Josh Allen has been named MVP, narrowly edging Lamar Jackson in one of the closest votes ever. Allen received 27 first-place votes while Jackson got 23.

A Few Facts:

• Allen is the third Bill to win MVP, joining legends O.J. Simpson and Thurman Thomas.
• He’s the first MVP in years who wasn’t a first-team All-Pro.

Other Award Winners:

• Offensive Player: Saquon Barkley (Eagles)
• Defensive Player: Patrick Surtain II (Broncos)
• Offensive Rookie: Jayden Daniels (Commanders)
• Defensive Rookie: Jared Verse (Rams)
• Comeback Player: Joe Burrow (Bengals)
• Coach of the Year: Kevin O’Connell (Vikings)

Antonio Gates, Jared Allen, Eric Allen, and Sterling Sharpe were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

🎓 NCAA Changes Impacting Athletes

A new settlement could lead to the loss of many college athletes’ roster spots. While thousands will benefit financially, many others might be cut due to new roster limits.

Key Details:

1. $2.77 billion will go to current and former athletes.
2. A revenue-sharing model could change how athletes are paid.

However, as many as 15,000 athletes might lose their spots, mainly affecting those in non-revenue sports.

Quotes from Affected Athletes:

One recruit noted that scholarship offers dried up as schools prepared for new roster limits.

A coach shared the emotional impact of cutting 16 athletes from his team.

The next steps: A court will hear objections to the settlement. Critics claim the roster limits are causing chaos.

⛷️ Lindsey Vonn Returns

Lindsey Vonn, a skiing legend, is back in action at the Alpine World Ski Championships in Austria after retiring due to injury.

Aiming for History: At 40, Vonn wants to become the oldest skier to medal in history.

• She didn’t finish her first race, hitting a gate.
• Her next event is the downhill.

Vonn made a comeback after partial knee replacement surgery made her feel like a new athlete again.

📺 Super Bowl Watchlist

Here’s how to watch Super Bowl LIX:

Broadcast Info: The game kicks off at 6:30 PM ET on Fox, with coverage starting at 1 PM.

• Commentary: Kevin Burkhardt with Tom Brady.
• Sideline Reporters: Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi.

Musical Performances: Noteworthy artists, including Jon Batiste and Kendrick Lamar, will perform.

Commercials: 30-second ad spots are priced between $7-$8 million this year, with some ads already released.

⚾️ World Series Trivia

Sunday features a rematch in major sports history: Philadelphia and Kansas City met in Super Bowl LVII and the 1980 World Series.

Question: Who won the 1980 World Series?

Hint: You likely have a strong idea!

Answer at the bottom.

🏀 Dick Vitale’s Comeback

The iconic Dick Vitale will return to commentate on a game featuring top college teams on Saturday.

His Return: Vitale hasn’t called a game for almost two years due to health issues.

Trivia Answer: The Phillies won in six games.

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