NFL – Super Bowl was the most-watched program ever, averaging 123.4 million viewers
The longest Super Bowl game will also go down as the most-watched program in television history. According to Nielsen and Adobe Analytics, Kansas City’s 25-22 overtime victory over San Francisco averaged 123.4 million viewers across television and streaming platforms. That shattered last year’s mark of 115.1 million for Kansas City’s last-play victory over Philadelphia and is a 7% increase. The game was televised by CBS, Nickelodeon and Univision and streamed on Paramount+ as well as the NFL’s digital platforms. Some of the increase can be attributed to a change in the way viewers are counted, with out-of-home viewers from all 50 states included for the first time.
NFL – Chiefs have achieved dynasty status with their third Super Bowl title in five years
This was supposed to be the year the Kansas City Chiefs were beatable. They had holes in their roster, they played poorly midway through the season, they had to go on the road for the playoffs and navigated perhaps the toughest road to the Super Bowl in history. Yet they won anyway. And with their third Lombardi Trophy in four trips over a five-year span, the Chiefs made it difficult to argue that they are anything but a modern NFL dynasty. They are the first repeat Super Bowl champions in two decades, and the first team ever to win consecutive titles as underdogs.
NFL – Chiefs fans are hoping for a Swift appearance at parade, but her schedule is tight
Kansas City will be turning red on Valentine’s Day as the Chiefs celebrate their come-from-behind overtime Super Bowl win over the San Francisco 49ers with a parade. School cancellation announcements began just minutes after Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Chiefs became the first team since the New England Patriots with Tom Brady two decades ago to successfully defend their title. Parades are becoming commonplace in Kansas City with the Chiefs winning their third Super Bowl in five seasons. But this time, people are wondering if pop superstar Taylor Swift will attend with her boyfriend, Kelce. Swift has a concert in Australia on Friday. The Chiefs have also been invited to the White House by President Biden and fans are also wondering if Swift will make an appearance there as well.
NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Chicago Bulls 136, Atlanta Hawks 126
Charlotte Hornets 111, Indiana Pacers 102
Bulls 136, Hawks 126 – Ayo Dosunmu scores 29, Bulls post season high in points to beat Hawks 136-126
Ayo Dosunmu had a career-high 29 points and added seven assists to help the Chicago Bulls post a season-high score and beat the Atlanta Hawks 136-126. DeMar DeRozan also had 29 points and Nikola Vucevic finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Coby White added 20 points and seven assists. Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Andre Hunter led the Hawks off the bench. Bogdanovic had 28 points and Hunter scored 23. Trae Young had 19 points, but was 2 for 10 from 3-point range. The win kept Chicago two games in front of the Hawks for the No. 9 seed in the East.
Hornets 111, Pacers 102 – Bridges and newcomers lead Hornets past Pacers for 2nd straight win, 111-102
Miles Bridges had 20 points and 10 rebounds and the Charlotte Hornets beat the Indiana Pacers 111-102 to improve to 2-0 since the arrival of five new players via trade. Newcomers Grant Williams, Seth Curry, Tre Mann and Vasilije Micic added an offensive spark for the Hornets, who finished with 27 assists on Monday night. Williams led the team with 21 points and Curry scored 18 off the bench. Mann got the start and finished with 11 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Myles Turner had 22 points and Aaron Nesmith scored 21 for the Pacers. Tyrese Haliburton had 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Tonight
Detroit Pistons at Los Angeles Lakers, 10:30 p.m.
NHL – National Hockey League
Tonight
Vancouver Canucks at Chicago Blackhawks, 8:30 p.m.
Detroit Red Wings at Edmonton Oilers, 9:00 p.m.
NCAAMBB – Men’s College Basketball
Tonight
Michigan at (14) Illinois, 7:00 p.m. News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 6:30
NCAAMBB – Indiana State ranked for first time since 1979; UConn remains No. 1 in Top 25
Indiana State is ranked for the first time since Larry Bird played in Terre Haute. The Sycamores are on a nine-game winning streak and have one of the nation’s best-shooting teams. UConn remained at No. 1 in this week’s poll and Purdue held steady at No. 2. No. 3 Houston, No. 4 Marquette and No. 5 Arizona all moved up following losses by Kansas and North Carolina. Iowa State is back in the top 10 for the first time since the 2021-22 season.
NCAAFB – Big Ten – DeShaun Foster is named UCLA football coach
Former UCLA great DeShaun Foster was named head coach to take over the Bruins’ football program after Chip Kelly left to become offensive coordinator at Ohio State. Foster has been a Bruins assistant the past seven years but left last month to become the Las Vegas Raiders’ running backs coach. This will be Foster’s first head coaching job after 11 years of being an assistant in college, including 10 at UCLA. He was the running backs coach at Texas Tech in 2016.
MLB – Jen Pawol on verge of becoming first MLB woman umpire
Jen Pawol is on the verge of becoming Major League Baseball’s first woman umpire. The 47-year-old from New Jersey was among 24 umpires selected to work a full-time big league spring training schedule this year. That put her on track to become the first woman to umpire a regular-season big league baseball game. A 47-year-old from New Jersey, Pawol is set to work her first major league exhibition game on Feb. 24 when Houston plays Washington at West Palm Beach, Florida. She also was promoted to a minor league crew chief.
NASCAR – NASCAR starts season with new champion and revenue sharing dispute
A new NASCAR season begins with rivals attempting to dethrone Team Penske after two years atop the Cup Series, all while a compelling off-track battle rages on over revenue sharing that threatens to overshadow the competition. Teams report to Daytona International Speedway this week to prepare for Sunday’s season-opening Daytona 500 without a new revenue sharing agreement that has been an ongoing sore spot between both NASCAR and its participants. Talks on extending the charter agreement — essentially franchises in NASCAR — took a backseat to NASCAR’s negotiations on a new television deal. Both sides remain tight-lipped on what happens next, and the season begins Sunday with the Daytona 500.
Golf – Tiger Woods starts with a new look. Sun Day Red is his new apparel by TaylorMade
Tiger Woods and Sunday red is no longer just a shirt. It’s a brand. Woods is starting a new year with a new look. He has announced an extended partnership with TaylorMade Golf to launch a lifestyle brand that will be called Sun Day Red. The change comes about by Woods and Nike ending a 27-year relationship that dated to when Woods turned pro in August 1996. Sun Day Red will be a standalone brand with its own team of designers and even its own headquarters. TaylorMade hopes to launch it online in the United States and Canada on May 1.
MHSAA – Michigan High School Athletic Association
Last Night
Boys Basketball
Edwardsburg 66, St. Joseph 59
- Edwardsburg got a game high 28 points from junior Brody Schimpa as the Eddies had to withstand a St. Joe comeback, but had one of their own in a 66-59 win over the Bears. Edwardsburg had a 9 point lead at the half only to see St. Joe outscore Edwardsburg 25-13 in the third quarter to take the lead. Schimpa scored 11 of his 28 points in the final quarter help the Eddies rally for the win. St. Joe got 24 points from Jakob Diamond, Kai Wyngarden had 14 points, and Cole Caplea had 12 for the Bears.
Michigan Lutheran 70, Fennville 25
- Zac Lockman was one of three Titans to score in double figures as he had 16 points in Michigan Lutheran’s 70-25 win over Fennville. Ty Johnson added 13, while Connor Olson scored 11. Aiden Swingle led Fennville with 10 points. Michigan Lutheran jumped out to a 26-7 lead after the first quarter and 45-12 lead at the half.
Our Lady of the Lake 63, Covert 50
Buchanan 59, Eau Claire 55
Lawton 43, Cassopolis 38
Saugatuck 74, Muskegon Heights 50
Girls Basketball
Dowagiac 48, Michigan Lutheran 20
- Marlie Carpenter scored a game high 21 points for Dowagiac in a 48-20 win over Michigan Lutheran.
Kalamazoo Hackett 35, Our Lady of the Lake 15
South Haven 64, Bridgman 36
Brandywine 63, Cassopolis 15
Fennville 42, Comstock 18
Allegan 42, Lawton 35
Williamson 55, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 22
Tonight
Boys Basketball
Non-Conference
Benton Harbor at Lakeshore, 7:00 p.m.
Brandywine at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, 7:00 p.m.
Buchanan at Coloma, 7:00 p.m.
Bridgman at Eau Claire, 6:00 p.m.
Dowagiac at South Haven, 7:00 p.m.
Berrien Springs at Watervliet, 7:00 p.m.
Martin at Athens, 7:00 p.m.
Battle Creek Lakeview at Schoolcraft, 7:00 p.m.
Climax-Scotts at Kalamazoo Hackett, 7:00 p.m.
BCS
Howardsville Christian at Countryside, 7:30 p.m.
New Buffalo at Michigan Lutheran, 6:00 p.m.
Covert at River Valley, 7:30 p.m.
Wolverine
Sturgis at Edwardsburg, 7:15 p.m.
Niles at Paw Paw, 7:15 p.m.
Vicksburg at Plainwell, 7:15 p.m.
Otsego at Three Rivers, 7:15 p.m.
SAC
Gobles at Constantine, 7:00 p.m.
Delton-Kellogg at Kalamazoo Christian, 7:00 p.m.
Galesburg-Augusta at Lawton, 7:00 p.m.
Southwest 10
Comstock at Bangor, 7:30 p.m.
Marcellus at Cassopolis, 7:30 p.m.
White Pigeon at Hartford, 7:30 p.m.
Centreville at Lawrence, 7:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball
Non-Conference
Lakeshore at Benton Harbor, 6:00 p.m.
Portage Central at Mattawan, 7:00 p.m.
Bronson at Portage Northern, 7:15 p.m.
Bridgman at Eau Claire, 7:30 p.m.
Coloma at Buchanan, 7:00 p.m.
Berrien Springs at Watervliet, 6:00 p.m.
BCS
New Buffalo at Michigan Lutheran, 7:30 p.m.
Howardsville Christian at River Valley, 4:30 p.m.
Wolverine
Edwardsburg at Sturgis, 7:15 p.m.
Paw Paw at Niles, 7:15 p.m.
Plainwell at Vicksburg, 7:15 p.m.
Three Rivers at Otsego, 7:15 p.m.
SAC
Kalamazoo Hackett at Galesburg-Augusta, 7:00 p.m.
Schoolcraft at Gobles, 7:00 p.m.
Lawton at Holland Black River, 7:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo Christian at Martin, 7:00 p.m.
Southwest 10
Comstock at Bangor, 6:00 p.m.
Decatur at Bloomingdale, 7:30 p.m.
Lawrence at Centreville, 7:30 p.m.
Cassopolis at Marcellus, 7:30 p.m.
Hartford at White Pigeon, 7:30 p.m.
MHSAA – Michigan High School Basketball Rankings
Boys Basketball
Division 1
1. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (5) (19-1) 75
2. Detroit Cass Tech (17-1) 70
3. East Lansing (16-2) 61
3. Dearborn (18-0) 61
5. Ann Arbor Huron (15-2) 53
6. Muskegon (13-2) 52
7. Grand Rapids Northview (13-3) 41
8. North Farmington (15-2) 38
9. Muskegon Reeths-Puffer (15-2) 30
10. Saline (15-3) 26
Others receiving votes: Detroit U-D Jesuit 23, Rockford 21, Okemos 12, Davison 8, Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice 7, Saginaw Heritage 6, West Bloomfield 4, Ypsilanti Lincoln 3, Cadillac 3, Walled Lake Central 2, Canton 2, Troy 1, Marquette 1.
Division 2
1. Grand Rapids Christian (4) (15-2) 73
2. Warren Lincoln (16-3) 68
3. Benton Harbor (1) (19-0) 67
4. Romulus Summit Academy (14-2) 60
5. Whitehall (18-0) 56
6. Freeland (16-1) 46
7. Grand Rapids Catholic Central (12-4) 41
7. Flint Powers Catholic (15-3) 41
9. Chelsea (12-5) 35
10. Grand Rapids South Christian (13-5) 30
Others receiving votes: Ferndale 21, Kingsford 13, Saginaw Arthur Hill 9, Adrian 8, Saginaw 7, Lansing Sexton 7, Onsted 7, Warren Fitzgerald 4, Flat Rock 3, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 2, Hudsonville Unity Christian 2.
Division 3
1. Laingsburg (4) (18-0) 74
2. North Muskegon (18-0) 59
3. Iron Mountain (1) (17-1) 57
4. Riverview Gabriel Richard (16-2) 53
5. Brandywine (15-3) 52
6. Chesaning (18-0) 48
7. Jackson Lumen Christi (15-2) 39
8. McBain (15-2) 38
8. Sanford-Meridian (15-2) 38
10. Pewamo-Westphalia (15-2) 28
Others receiving votes: Cass City 25, Schoolcraft 22, Painesdale Jeffers 20, Menominee 15, Harbor Beach 12, Beal City 6, Benzonia Benzie Central 5, Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest 4, Centreville 2, Napoleon 2, Clinton Township Clintondale 1.
Division 4
1. Adrian Lenawee Christian (1) (15-2) 69
2. Taylor Trillium Academy (2) (16-1) 68
3. Wyoming Tri-unity Christian (2) (13-4) 66
4. Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (17-1) 64
5. Munising (14-4) 44
6. Allen Park Inter-City Baptist (13-4) 31
(tie) Hillman (17-2) 31
8. Maple City Glen Lake (14-3) 28
9. Saginaw Nouvel (14-4) 25
10. Petersburg Summerfield (15-4) 21
Others receiving votes: St. Ignace 20, Lake Linden-Hubbell 20, Crystal Falls Forest Park 18, Dryden 18, Bellevue 16, Pickford 15, Hillsdale Academy 15, Bellaire 14, Genesee Christian 7, Rudyard 6, Norway 3, Bay City All Saints 1.
Girls Basketball
Division 1
1. West Bloomfield (5) (15-1) 75
2. Rockford (17-1) 70
3. Detroit Renaissance (15-1) 63
4. Belleville (14-1) 61
5. East Kentwood (14-2) 56
6. Temperance Bedford (13-1) 47
7. DeWitt (14-3) 45
8. Holland West Ottawa (12-4) 31
9. Macomb Dakota (14-3) 25
10. Jackson Northwest (12-3) 23
Others receiving votes: Portage Central 19, Wayne Memorial 19, Grand Haven 18, Byron Center 17, Grand Blanc 7, Midland Dow 7, Canton 6, Grosse Pointe North 5, Saline 4, Muskegon 2.
Division 2
1. Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard (4) (18-0) 73
2. Grand Rapids West Catholic (1) (15-1) 70
3. Detroit Edison (13-2) 64
4. Goodrich (17-0) 61
5. Frankenmuth (14-2) 54
6. Negaunee (17-1) 43
7. Orchard Lake. St. Mary (17-0) 35
8. Flint Powers (13-3) 33
(tie) Freeland (13-3) 33
10. Lansing Catholic (12-3) 32
Others receiving votes: Portland 27, Tecumseh 21, Detroit Country Day 19, Chelsea 12, Lake Fenton 10, Alma 8, Hart 3, Warren Fitzgerald 1, Williamston 1.
Division 3
1. Ypsilanti Arbor Preparatory (5) (14-2) 75
2. Brandywine (13-1) 64
3. Sanford-Meridian (14-0) 60
4. Blissfield (10-2) 55
5. Kalamazoo Christian (14-1) 47
6. Lake City (15-2) 46
7. Harbor Springs (14-2) 37
8. Michigan Center (16-2) 34
9. Saugatuck (14-1) 28
10. Ovid-Elsie (13-2) 25
Others receiving votes: Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 24, Bark River-Harris 23, Hemlock 21, Sandusky 17, St. Charles 12, Grass Lake 11, Manton 10, Elk Rapids 5, Evart 3, Morley-Stanwood 2, St. Louis 1.
Division 4
1. Ishpeming (2) (15-1) 72
2. Colon (14-1) 66
3. Kingston (3) (15-1) 62
4. Portland St. Patrick (15-2) 60
5. Lake Linden-Hubbell (17-1) 49
6. Lake Leelanau St. Mary (12-1) 43
7. Baraga (14-3) 38
(tie) Fowler (13-3) 38
9. Mackinaw City (16-0) 31
10. Bloomfield Hills Roeper (13-1) 26
Others receiving votes: Maple City Glen Lake 19, Mendon 18, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart 17, Clarkston Everest Catholic 13, Ewen-Trout Creek 11, Martin 9, Birmingham Roeper 8, Frankfort 6, Breckenridge 4, Brethren 3, Mio Au Sable 3, St. Ignace LaSalle 3, Onekama 1.
