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Afternoon Edition

January 13, 2025

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The most valuable franchise in sports moved on from its coach after five years of mixed performances and a week of mixed messages. We explore Mike McCarthy’s exit and what the Cowboys are doing.

— David Rumsey [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]], and Colin Salao [[link removed]]

Cowboys Part Ways With McCarthy, Who Could Join Bears or Saints [[link removed]]

Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

In yet another twist to this season’s NFL coaching carousel, Mike McCarthy will not return as head coach of the Cowboys in 2025.

The news comes as McCarthy’s contract in Dallas was expiring. There was a Tuesday midnight deadline to reach a new deal before the Super Bowl XLV winner would become a free agent.

In 2020 the Cowboys gave McCarthy a five-year contract. He was making $8 million per season [[link removed]], according to ESPN. He led Dallas to three consecutive 12-win seasons from 2021 to 2023, but he never advanced past the divisional round of the playoffs. The Cowboys finished the 2024 season with a 7–10 record.

Cowboys owner and GM Jerry Jones was noncommittal about McCarthy’s future when he spoke to the media after the final game of the regular season. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and others have reported the two sides parted ways after not agreeing on the length of the term, with the Cowboys offering only a year or two of guaranteed money.

In a statement released Monday afternoon, Jones said he and McCarthy spent the last week conducting “a joint review of all aspects” of the past season. “Prior to reaching the point of contract negotiations, though, it became mutually clear that it would be better for each of us to head in a different direction,” Jones said.

McCarthy may have an opportunity to land another NFL job. The Bears previously requested permission from the Cowboys [[link removed]] to interview McCarthy for their head coaching vacancy but were denied. The Saints are now also reportedly interested in interviewing McCarthy for their opening.

Spin Cycle

The Cowboys, widely regarded as the most valuable franchise in sports, now become the seventh NFL team searching for a new head coach this cycle. Dallas heads into next season with only $7 million in cap space [[link removed]], but the Cowboys do hold the 12th pick in April’s draft.

The Patriots have made the only hire so far, bringing on Mike Vrabel [[link removed]] to replace Jerod Mayo. The Bears, Jaguars, Jets, Raiders, and Saints are still searching. New York and Las Vegas are also looking for a new GM, as are the Titans, who retained head coach Brian Callahan. Despite the Steelers losing a sixth consecutive playoff game, head coach Mike Tomlin is expected to be retained [[link removed]], sources told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

76ers Choose to Stay in South Philly, Scarred by Protests and Opposition [[link removed]]

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

One of the most stunning pivots in sports facility history became official Monday, with 76ers owner Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment unveiling its deal with Comcast Spectacor [[link removed]] to remain in the South Philadelphia sports complex. For the 76ers and HBSE, the abrupt shift from a planned downtown arena was still about “creating something special for the city of Philly.”

In a large-scale press conference held midday Monday, HBSE founder and managing general partner Josh Harris said the agreement with Comcast arrived as both sides “saw an opportunity for something even bigger than what we had planned” separately.

“The journey to the best solution doesn’t always go in a straight line, but I am certain that today, we have found an incredibly positive solution for Philly,” said a raspy Harris, who had a banner Sunday [[link removed]] between this deal and his Commanders winning their first playoff game in 19 years.

The agreement is led by plans to build a state-of-the-art arena in the existing complex—housing both the 76ers and NHL’s Flyers, and slated to open in 2031 with a possibility to accelerate that date. The building will be jointly owned and run by HBSE and Comcast Spectacor, owner of the Flyers and Wells Fargo Center. Additional deal components include a joint effort to pursue a WNBA expansion franchise and a reworked plan for a non-sports development at the 76 Place at Market East site previously pegged for the downtown arena.

Two other notable elements in the deal became known Monday: Comcast will acquire a minority stake in the 76ers and will have naming rights to the new arena.

How It Happened

The agreement primarily developed in a matter of days over the recent holidays, with key figures such as Comcast chair and CEO Brian Roberts and NBA commissioner Adam Silver playing meaningful roles. Some of the resurgent ties between HBSE and Comcast Spectacor, however, also stem from Comcast’s NBC Sports regaining NBA broadcast rights [[link removed]].

“As we saw this [arena] situation truly unraveling, I thought about the 76ers and the Flyers being in the same building and what that’s meant to the city, what could be possible, and we tried again harder,” Roberts said. “It also was fortuitous that the NBA is coming back to NBC. … So when we had an opportunity to meet with Josh and his team, we both got to what I think is the right place.”

Silver appeared at the press conference virtually, and touted Philadelphia mayor Cherelle Parker’s firm insistence on keeping the 76ers in the city and in a world-class arena, as well as the desire to land a WNBA team.

Postmortems and Recriminations

The mood at the city hall press conference was undoubtedly joyous, but there are still many scars left from the 76ers’ difficult pursuit of the downtown arena lasting more than two years. As the team ultimately gained majority support from the city council for the long-controversial project, community opposition never wavered.

That resistance grew to the point where the December hearing in which the arena was approved was repeatedly disrupted by protestors [[link removed]], including some forcibly removed from council chambers. Even after the vote, opposition to the downtown arena remained highly organized and mobilized. Going forward, it was increasingly likely that construction would have been disrupted by further protests.

“We’re glad that the Sixers will remain in the stadium district where they best belong,” said city councilmembers Jamie Gauthier and Rue Landau in a joint statement. “But the way they reached this decision reflects a profound lack of respect for city leaders, stakeholders, and residents.”

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As Rams Play in Arizona, Lakers and Clippers Resume Games in L.A. [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

While the wild-card game between the Rams and Vikings [[link removed]] will take place at the State Farm Arena in Arizona on Monday night, NBA games in Los Angeles will resume following several postponements due to the ongoing wildfires.

The Lakers will host the Spurs at Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles, while the Clippers take on the Heat at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Monday. The Lakers had games against the Hornets (Thursday) and Spurs (Saturday) postponed, while the Clippers game against Charlotte (Saturday) was postponed. The league has yet to announce a new date for those games.

Both L.A. teams were set to begin stretches with seven of their next eight games at home over two weeks before the postponements caused by the wildfires. The Clippers’ lone road game until Jan. 25 is at Portland on Thursday, while the Lakers’ only road game is against the Clippers in the Intuit Dome.

Amid the tragic wildfires—at least 24 people have died [[link removed]], and thousands of buildings have been destroyed—both teams are hoping they can provide some form of positive energy to the community.

“Hopefully we can bring some kind of joy to the game, coming back [Monday],” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said [[link removed]] Sunday after a team practice.

Lakers coach JJ Redick, whose house burned down due to the fire [[link removed]], gave an emotional monologue to reporters during Lakers practice Friday. “We’re going to do everything we can to help everybody who’s down and out because of this,” Redick said [[link removed]].

The NBA announced Sunday that Wednesday’s game between the Lakers and Heat would be flexed out of ESPN in favor of a Warriors-Timberwolves matchup. ESPN’s NBA studios are based in Los Angeles, and they were unable to air NBA Today and NBA Countdown last Wednesday [[link removed]].

Other Los Angeles Teams

The USC women’s basketball team hosted Penn State on Sunday at the Galen Center—which is about two miles southwest of Crypto.com Arena—in front of more than 5,500 fans.

However, the Trojans game Wednesday against Northwestern was postponed after the Wildcats announced Friday [[link removed]] that they would not make the trip to Los Angeles. Northwestern’s game against UCLA scheduled for Sunday at the Pauley Pavilion—which is about seven miles east of Pacific Palisades—was also postponed.

There have been no postponements yet for the two schools’ men’s basketball teams. The next home game for both teams is against Iowa: Tuesday for the Trojans and Friday for the Bruins.

The NHL’s Kings, who share Crypto.com Arena with the Lakers, had a game against the Flames on Jan. 8 postponed. The Kings are in the middle of a five-game road trip and will play at home again on Jan. 20.

Twelve L.A.-based pro sports teams—including the Lakers, Clippers, and Kings— announced Monday [[link removed]] a donation of more than $8 million to help those affected by the wildfires.

STATUS REPORT Three Up, One Down

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

NBA on NBC ⬆ The network released a commercial [[link removed]] featuring stars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum to promote the league’s return to its airwaves starting next season. The commercial dropped during Sunday Night Football as NBC took advantage of tens of millions tuned in to the wild-card game. NBC is one of three NBA partners that agreed to an 11-year, $77 billion media-rights deal [[link removed]] in July.

Nick Kyrgios ⬇ The outspoken Australian tennis player was bounced in the first round of the Australian Open [[link removed]] over the weekend. After the defeat to the U.K.’s Jacob Fearnley, Kyrgios, 29, said, “I can’t see myself playing a singles match here again.”

Lululemon ⬆ The sportswear brand raised its fourth-quarter outlook Monday from a range of $3.48 billion to $3.51 billion up to $3.56 billion to $3.58 billion—an increase of about 11% to 12% year over year. The news comes just days after Lululemon announced U.S. tennis star Frances Tiafoe as its latest brand ambassador.

PWHL ⬆ The league, playing its second season [[link removed]], set a new U.S. attendance record for a professional women’s hockey game. There were 14,018 fans in the crowd for Sunday’s Minnesota Frost–Montreal Victoire game at Ball Arena in Denver, part of a nine-game neutral-site tour. The previous record was 13,736 last March at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit for a game between the Boston Fleet and Ottawa Charge.

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Conversation Starters State Farm Stadium in Arizona has been converted to a Rams home field in the wake of the Los Angeles wildfires. Watch it here [[link removed]]. The L.A. Kings are honoring firefighters and fire responders with a special helmet sticker. Take a look [[link removed]]. Freddie Freeman, the 2024 World Series MVP, and his wife, Chelsea, are donating $300,000 [[link removed]?] to aid wildfire relief in Los Angeles. Editors’ Picks Fox Sports Lawsuit Complicates Network’s Super Bowl Plans [[link removed]]by A.J. Perez [[link removed]] and Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]Fox should “cut a deal” to settle toxic workplace lawsuit, says a crisis PR expert. [[link removed]] LiAngelo Ball Reportedly Signs $13 Million Music Deal After Hit Song [[link removed]]by Colin Salao [[link removed]]Ball has never played in an NBA game. Caitlin Clark Is Latest Women’s Basketball Star With Alleged Stalker [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]Police arrested a Texas man, saying he sent Clark dozens of threats. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Written by David Rumsey [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Or Moyal [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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