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Team Canada Wins the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off!
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Team Canada has won the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off championship despite finishing in second in Round-robin play! Team Canada upset and defeating Team USA by a score of 3 to 2 in overtime. The game and the tournament came to a end when #97 C Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers scored the goal with 11:42 remaining in overtime.

This marks Team Canada's 3rd straight win in a best-on-best tournament final against Team USA. This also marked the first time since the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver when Sidney Crosby scored the golden goal to give Team Canada the win with 12:20 remaining in overtime. Team Canada has earned their 7th title overall in a NHL International Tournament and improve to 2-1 against Team USA in title games. Team USA has not won a best-on-best tournament since 1996.

#29 C Nathnan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche was awarded the 4 Nationals Face-Off Most Valuable Player. He was credited for scoring the opening goal of the championship game and securing his fourth goal of the tournament!

The tournament temporarily replaced NHL's annual All-Star Game this year. Teams representing Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States played each other in a round-robin format for a total of six games and three games per nation that followed a championship game between the top two teams. Although each teams respective national ice hockey governing body selected the rosters, this was primarily an NHL-only event with no affiliation with the worldwide International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).

In round-robin play:

#1 Team USA: 2-0-0-1 record, 6 points
#2 Team Canada: 1-1-0-1 record, 5 points
#3 Team Sweden: 1-0-2-0 record, 5 points
#4 Team Finland: 0-1-0-2 record, 2 points

Here are the final positions of all of four countries that participated in the 4 Nations Face-Off:

#1 Canada
#2 United States
#3 Sweden
#4 Finland

The 2025 4 Nations Face-Off were held at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (Games 1 through 4), home of the Montreal Canadiens and TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts (Games 5 and 6, championship game), home of the Boston Bruins.

An average of 20,760 people attended the games at Bell Centre and an average of 17,646 people attended the games at TD Garden. The overall average attendance record was 19,425 per game.

Next year, the 69th NHL All-Star Game will be held at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, the home of the New York Islanders. This edition of the All-Star Game will be the first held in the same year as Olympic participation since 2002 as Commissioner Gary Bettman stated that the NHL will use next year's NHL All-Star Game as a send-off to the Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Once again, congratulations to Team Canada for winning the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off! The second half of the 2024-2025 NHL regular season will resume Saturday afternoon at 12:30 PM EST when the Minnesota Wild take on the Detroit Red Wings.

The NHL regular season will conclude on Thursday, April 17. Enjoy the rest of the NHL regular season.

Team Shaq's OGs win the 74th NBA All Star-Game!
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The NBA All-Star weekend has come to a close! The 74th NBA All-Star Game introduced a new format consisting of four-team single-elimination tournament as two semifinals and a championship game similar to the most recent NHL All-Star Games and Rising Stars Challenges. The teams were drafted from a pool of 24 selected all-stars by NBA on TNT analysts, Shaquelle O'Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley. TNT analyst Candace Parker managed the winning team from the Rising Stars Challenge.

In in the first semifinal, Team Chuck's Global Stars defeat Team Kenny's Young Stars, 41 to 32. In the second semifinal, Team Shaq's OGs defeat Team Candace Rising Stars 42 to 35. And in the championship game, Team Shaq's OGs defeat Team Chuck's Global Stars, 41 to 25.

#30 Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors was named the 74th NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player. Throughout the game, he scored 12 points for the OGs and 10 rebounds, including three on a half-court shot.

The 74th NBA All-Star Game was held at the Chase Center in San Francisco, home of the Golden State Warriors. The Canadian national anthem, "O Canada" was performed by pop singer Alessia Cara. The Star Spangled Banner was performed by LAFD firefighter Dennis R. Rodriguez. The 74th NBA All-Star Game Halftime Show was performed by DJ Cassidy, E-40, Too Short, Saweetie and En Vogue. The attendance record was 17,539. This marked the fourth time that Warriors hosted the All-Star Game when it was last played at the Oakland Arena in Oakland, California. The Warriors also hosted the game in 1960 at the Convention Hall in Philadelphia and in 1967 as the San Francisco Warriors at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California. This also marked the first time that the NBA All-Star Game was held in San Francisco.

The game was broadcasted on TNT and simulcasted on TBS and truTV with alternate feed of the game known as the All-Star Game Alt-Cast. This event was the last All-Star Game to be televised nationally by TNT. Next season, the NBA All-Star Game will return to NBC (which aired the game from 1991 to 2002 prior to TNT taking over coverage).

Congratulations once again to Team Shaq's OGs for winning the 74th NBA All-Star Game!

Enjoy the second half of the 2024-2025 NBA regular season which will resume Wednesday night leading up to the road to the 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament and the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

Next year, the 75th NBA All-Star Game will be held at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, the home of the Los Angeles Clippers!

Current 2024-2025 NBA Standings
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The NBA is in the All-Star break right now. The second half of the 2024-2025 NBA regular season resumes on Thursday night, February 20.

Going into the All-Star break, the defending NBA champion, Boston Celtics are currently 1st in the Atlantic Division and 2nd in the Eastern Conference with 39 wins and 16 losses (.709). The Celtics are 5½ game behind the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Celtics have won 3 consecutive games going into the break are are 8-2 over the last 10 games.

The defending Western Conference champion, the Dallas Mavericks are 3rd in the Southwest Division and 8th in the Western Conference with 30 wins and 26 losses (.536). The Mavericks are 15 games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Maverics have won the last 2 games and are 6-4 over the last 10 games.

The worst performing team in the NBA this season is the Washington Wizards (Southeast Division, Eastern Conference). The Wizards have won only 9 games and have lost 45 games this season (.167). The Wizards are 35 game behind the Cleveland Cavaliers, have lost 4 consecutive games and are 3-7 over the last 10 games. Should the Wizards' record fail to improve, they will be the first team to be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention soon.

The 2024-2025 NBA regular season will conclude on Sunday, April 13 with the Play-In tournament for teams ranked 7th through 10th in each conference from Tuesday, April 15 through Friday, April 18. The 2025 NBA Playoffs will begin on Saturday, April 19.

The 2025 NBA Finals will begin on Thursday, June 5 with a potential season-ending Game 7 scheduled for Sunday, June 22.

As the NBA heads into the second half of the regular season, all of the teams will have between 26 to 30 games remaining on their schedule.

The Eastern and Western Conference standings coming out of the All-Star break will determine who will qualify for the 2025 NBA Playoffs after the remaining games have been completed. So for now, here are the top ten seeded teams in each conference and how they will fair if the regular season ended today:

** Eastern Conference Standings **
1. Central: Cleveland Cavaliers (44-10, .815)
2. Atlantic: Boston Celtics** (39-16, .709)
3. Atlantic: New York Knicks (36-18, .667)
4. Central: Indiana Pacers (30-23, .566)
5. Central: Milwaukee Bucks (29-42, .547)
6. Central: Detroit Pistons (29-26, .527)

* Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament Contenders *
7. Southeast: Orlando Magic (27-29, .482)
8. Southeast: Atlanta Hawks (26-29, .473)
9. Southeast: Miami Heat (25-28,. 472)
10. Central: Chicago Bulls (22-33, .4)

If the season ended today, the following teams in the Eastern Conference will be eliminated from playoff contention are: Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards


** Western Conference Standings **
1. Northwest: Oklahoma City Thunder (44-10, .815)
2. Southwest: Memphis Grizzles (36-18, .667)
3. Northwest: Denver Nuggets (36-19, .655)
4. Southwest: Houston Rockets (34-21, .618)
5. Pacific: Los Angeles Lakers (32-20, .615)
6. Pacific: Los Angeles Clippers (31-23, .574)

* Western Conference Play-In Tournament Contenders *
7. Northwest: Minnesota Timberwolves (31-26, .554)
8. Southwest: Dallas Mavericks (30-26, .536)
9. Pacific: Sacramento Kings (28-27, .509)
10. Pacific Golden State Warriors (28-28, .509)

If the season ended today, the following teams in the Western Conference will be eliminated from playoff contention are: Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans, San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns and Portland Trailblazers

bold-italic - conference leader
** - defending NBA champion
* - defending Western / Eastern Conference Champion


Let's see how this will be settled once the current NBA season starts to wind down. But for now, enjoy the All-Star break and the second half of the NBA regular season, leading up to the road to the 2025 NBA Playoffs!

Current 2024-2025 NHL Regular Season Standings
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The NHL has temporary shut down so that players can take part in the 4 Nations Face-Off with the second half of the regular season resuming on Saturday, February 22 leading up to the road to the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs this Spring.

The best team in the NHL so far this season is the Winnipeg Jets from the Central Division in the Western Conference. The Jets have 39 wins, 14 losses and 3 overtime losses (.696) earning them 81 points. The Jets are 8-2-0 over the last 10 games and have won 8 consecutive games going into the break.

The worst team in the NHL so far this season is the San Jose Sharks from the Pacific Division in the Western Conference. The Sharks going into the break have 15 wins, 35 losses and 7 overtime losses (.267), earning them 37 points. The Sharks are 1-8-1 over the last 10 games and have lost 2 recent consecutive games going into the break.

The defending Stanley Cup Champion, Florida Panthers from the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The Panthers have 34 wins, 20 losses and 3 overtime losses (.596), earning them 71 points. The Panthers are 7-2-0 over the last 10 games and have won 2 consecutive games going into the break.

The last day of the 2024-2025 NHL regular season is Thursday, April 17, 2025 with the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs beginning on Saturday, April 19, 2025, although an official start date for the NHL postseason has not yet been released.

Now, going into the break, here are the current 2024-2025 NHL regular season standings of the top four teams in each division and how they would qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs if the current season ended today:

** Eastern Conference Standings **

* Atlantic Division
1. Florida Panthers**: 34-20-3 (.596), 71
2. Toronto Maple Leafs: 33-20-2 (.6), 68
3. Tampa Bay Lightning: 31-20-4 (.564), 66
W. Ottawa Senators: 29-23-4 (.518), 62

If the season ended today, the following teams in the Atlantic Division would be eliminated from playoff contention would be: Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres

* Metropolitan Division
1. Washington Capitals+: 36-11-8 (.655), 80
2. Carolina Hurricanes: 33-19-4 (.569), 70
3. New Jersey Devils: 31-20-6 (.544), 68
W. Columbus Blue Jackets: 26-22-8 (.464), 60

If the season ended today, the following teams in the Metropolitan Division would be eliminated from playoff contention would be: Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers


** Western Conference Standings **

* Central Division
1. Winnipeg Jets++: 39-14-3 (.696), 81
2. Dallas Stars: 35-18-2 (.636), 72
3. Minnesota Wild: 33-19-4 (.589, 70
W. Colorado Avalanche: 33-22-2 (.579), 68

If the season ended today, the following teams in the Central Division would be eliminated from playoff contention would be: Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, Utah Hockey Club and Nashville Predators

* Pacific Division
1. Edmonton Oilers*: 34-17-4 (.618), 72
2. Vegas Golden Knights: 33-17-7 (.589), 72
3. Los Angeles Kings: 29-17-7 (.547), 65
W. Vancouver Canucks: 29-17-7 (.473), 63

If the season ended today, the following teams in the Pacific Division would be eliminated from playoff contention would be: Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Seattle Kraken and San Jose Sharks


bold italic: Division leader
italic: wildcard
++ best record in the NHL
+ best record in the Eastern Conference / Western Conference
** defending Stanley Cup champion
* defending Western Conference / Eastern Conference champion


Enjoy the 4 Nations Face-Off and the second half of the 2024-2025 NHL regular season when it resumes on Saturday, February 22!

Philadelphia Eagles: Super Bowl LIX champions!
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The Philadelphia Eagles have done it!

After years of frustration, the NFC champion #2 Eagles are flying high and have won their first title since Super Bowl LII and their second Super Bowl title overall!

The NFC champion #2 Eagles did just that after eliminating the two-time defending Super Bowl champion and AFC champion #1 Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 40 to 22. The Chiefs never lead the big game and suffer their first post-season loss since the 2021 AFC Championship Game when the #4 Cincinnati Bengals eliminated the #2 Chiefs, 27-24.

#1 QB Jalen Hurts was named the Super Bowl LIX Most Valuable Player! Throughout the game, he completed 17 of 22 attempts, rushed for 221 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, 11 rushes for 72 yards to a rush touchdown denying the Chiefs their third straight Super Bowl title. The Green Bay Packers remain the only NFL team to win three straight NFL championships in a row, doing it from 1929 to 1931 and again from 1965 to 1967.

This year's Super Bowl LIX was held at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, the home of the New Orleans Saints. The attendance record at Super Bowl LIX was 65,719. This marked the eighth Super Bowl that was played at the Caesars Superdome and the 11th overall played in New Orleans with the most recently played Big Game was Super Bowl XLVII in 2013 that was held at the same venue. Super Bowl LIX was televised by Fox and streamed on Tubi.

Prior to the start of the game, singer-songwriter, music producer, author and actress Ledisi performed "Lift Every Voice and Sing". Musician Trombone Shorty and singer-songwriter Lauren Daigle performed "America the Beautiful".

Singer-songwriter, musician, composer, band-leader, television personality and actor Jon Batiste performed the Star-Spangled National Anthem.

Puerto Rican actress Stephanie Nogueras and actor Otis Jones IV provided American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation for "America the Beautiful" and the Star-Spangled Banner.

Apple Music was the naming rights sponsor for the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show. Kendrick Lamar performed as the headliner along with special guests SZA, Samuel L. Jackson, Serena Williams and Mustard. The halftime show was produced by Jesse Collins and Roc Nation and directed by Hamish Hamilton.

The cost of a Super Bowl LIX commercial was between $7.5 million to $8 million.

With all of that said and done, the 105th NFL season has come to a close and the NFL is heading into a long off-season! The 106th NFL season will begin on Thursday, July 31, 2025 at 8 PM EDT with the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game - that's less than 172 days from now!

For now, congratulations once again to the Philadelphia Eagles for dethroning the two-time defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs and winning Super Bowl LIX...their first Super Bowl title in 7 years!

The Philadelphia Eagles are the champions of the National Football League for 2024!

NFC All-Pros Win the 2025 NFL Pro Bowl Games!
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The closing of the 2025 NFL Pro Bowl Games leads to the kickoff of Super Bowl week!

Yesterday, the NFC All-Pros defeated the AFC All-Pros by a score of 76 to 63. This marks the highest scoring Pro Bowl Game since last year's 2024 Pro Bowl Game where the NFC All-Pros defeated the AFC All-Pros by a score of 64-59.

Breaking down this score on Thursday:

* NFC over AFC, 3-0 in Passing the Test
* AFC over NFC, 3-0 in Satisfying Catches
* NFC over AFC, 8-6 in the Big Spike
* NFC over AFC, 2-1 in Relay Race
* AFC and NFC end in a 3-3 draw in Dodgeball

Breaking down this score on Sunday:

* NFC over AFC, 13-6 in the first quarter of Flag Football
* AFC over NFC, 1-0 in three sudden death rounds of Punt Perfect, earning them three points
* NFC over AFC, 12-6 in the second quarter of Flag Football
* AFC over NFC, 22-13 in Head to Head, earning them three points
* NFC over AFC, 3-0 in the Great Football Race
* AFC over NFC, 14-13 in the third quarter of Flag Football
* NFC over AFC in a 2-0 sweep in Tug of War earning them three points
* AFC over NFC, 24-18 in the fourth quarter of Flag Football

Overall, the NFC All-Pros won 7 events, the AFC All-Pros won 5 events and 1 event ended in a tie.

#7 Cornerback Byron Murphy, Jr. of the Minnesota Vikings was awarded the 2025 NFL Pro Bowl Games Defensive Most Valuable Player. #16 Quarterback Jared Goff of the Minnesota Vikings was awarded the 2024 NFL Pro Bowl Games Defensive Most Valuable Player.

Under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, since the NFC All-Pros won the game, the squad receives $92,000 each. The losing squad, in the AFC All-Pros received $46,000 each.

The AFC and NFC are tied in the Pro Bowl Series with 26 wins each. Since the Pro Bowl Games began, the NFC leads the AFC with 3 wins.

The 2025 NFL Pro Bowl Games was held at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The National Anthem was performed by Presley Tennant.

Peyton Manning was named AFC All-Pros head coach while his brother Eli Manning was named NFL All-Pros head coach.

The 2025 NFL Pro Bowl Games was televised nationally on ESPN, simulcasted on ABC, Disney XD and ESPN+. The game was also televised in Spanish on ESPN Deportes.

This Sunday, February 9, the 105th NFL season will come to a close with Super Bowl LIX from Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana home of the New Orleans Saints. The Big Game will feature the NFC champion, #2 Philadelphia Eagles (16-3) taking on the AFC champion and two-time defending Super Bowl champion, #1 Kansas City Chiefs (17-2) for the ultimate prize...the NFL world championship and the Vince Lombardi trophy!

Super Bowl LIX
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The 105th NFL season comes to a close this Sunday, February 11th as the road to the NFL championship ends at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana - home of the New Orleans Saints!

Super Bowl LIX is a rematch of Super Bowl LVII and will feature the NFC champion, #2 Philadelphia Eagles (16-3) taking on the AFC champion and two-time defending Super Bowl champion, #1 Kansas City Chiefs (17-2) for the ultimate prize - the NFL world championship and the Vince Lombardi trophy!



So, here is how each team survived the 2024 NFL Playoffs:

* NFC Champion: #2 Philadelphia Eagles (16-3)
The Philadelphia Eagles finished their regular season at 14-3, an improvement from their previous regular season record of 11-6 in 2023 earning them the #2 seed in the NFC after winning the NFC East. In the NFC Wildcard Round, the #2 Eagles eliminated the #7 Green Bay Packers 22-10. In the NFC Divisional Round, the #2 Eagles eliminated the #4 Los Angeles Rams, 28-22. The #2 Eagles went on to win the NFC Championship Game and eliminate the #6 Washington Commanders, 55-23, thus setting the record for the most points scored in a conference championship game.

The #2 Eagles make their fifth Super Bowl appearance, following their only title in Super Bowl LII and losses in Super Bowls, XV, XXXIX and LVII. The #2 Eagles are looking to win their first title since Super Bowl LII and dethrone the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

* AFC Champion: #1 Kansas City Chiefs (17-2)
The #2 Philadelphia Eagles face off against the two-time defending Super Bowl champion #1 Kansas City Chiefs. The #1 Chiefs finished their regular season with a 15-2 record under head coach Andy Reid, tying with the Detroit Lions for the best record in the league.

The Chiefs finished won the AFC West and earned a first-round bye in the AFC Wildcard Round. In the AFC Divisional Round, the #1 Chiefs eliminated the #4 Houston Texans, 23-14 and in the AFC Championship Game, the #1 Chiefs eliminated the #2 Buffalo Bills, 32-29 making it the fourth consecutive time in the last five seasons that the Chiefs eliminated the Bills in the playoffs.

Super Bowl LIX marked the seventh overall appearance for the Chiefs, who won Super Bowls IV, LIV, LVII and LVIII while losing Super Bowls I and LV.

The Chiefs are looking to become the first NFL team to three-peat as the previous eight teams to win two consecutive Super Bowls failed to appear in the game for a third consecutive season.



Super Bowl LIX is scheduled to be played on Sunday, February 9, 2025 and kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 PM EST. The game will be televised on Fox and Telemundo as well as Fox Deportes in Spanish on cable and will also be streamed on NFL+ and Tubi.

As a part of the pre-game festivities, the NFL announced on November 28, 2024 that Trombone Shorty and Lauren Daigle would perform "America the Beautiful" and Ledisi would perform "Lift Every Voice and Sing". Jon Batiste would perform the national anthem.

Otis Jones IV will perform "Lift Every Voice and Sing" in ASL while actress Stephanie Nogueras would provide sign language for "American the Beautiful" and the national anthem.

The NFL announced on September 8, 2024, rapper Kendrick Lamar will headline the halftime show as he previously co-headlined the Super Bowl LVI halftime show three years ago. The NFL also announced that SZA would be a special guest in the halftime show.

The cost of a 30-second commercial during Super Bowl LIX will be between $7.5 million to $8 million. This will mark the 8th Super Bowl that will be played in the Superdome and the 11th overall in New Orleans with the most recent being Super Bowl XLVII in 2013, head at the same venue.

Will the Philadelphia Eagles dethrone the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, emerge victorious and win their first Super Bowl title since Super Bowl LII or will the Kansas City Chiefs repeat as Super Bowl champions again and win their fifth Super Bowl title overall?

For more information, you can read more about Super Bowl LIX in this Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_LOX

You can also learn more about how they got to Super Bowl LIX in the 2024 NFL playoffs here as well: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024%E2%80%9325_NFL_playoffs

Enjoy the big game!

Ohio State Buckeyes: 2024 College Football Playoff National Champions!
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The Ohio State Buckeyes now rule the College Football world with their first national title since the four-team College Football Playoff (CFP) format began in 2014. The fourth place Big Ten conference finisher #8 Buckeyes defeated the FBS Independent champion, #7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish by a score of 34 to 23.

This marks the #8 Buckeyes' 7th national title overall! The #8 Buckeyes finish their season with 14-2 (.875) record with their national title, the #7 Fighting Irish with their elimination loss will finish their season at 14-2 (.875). With the #8 Buckeyes' national title, the school deny the #7 Fighting Irish their 12th and first national title since 1988.

This national title game marked the first back-to-back national championships without a participant from the Southeastern Conference (SEC) since the 2005 Orange Bowl and 2006 Rose Bowl title games.

So, how did the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish advance to the College Football Playoff National Championship?

#8 Ohio State Buckeyes: In the CFP First Round, the #8 Buckeyes eliminated the #9 Tennessee Volunteers, 42-17. The #9 Volunteers finished their season at 10-3 (.769). In the CFP Quarterfinal at the 111th Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential, the #8 Buckeyes pulled off an upset and eliminated the #1 Oregon Ducks, 41-21. The #1 Ducks finished their disappointing season at 13-1 (.929) and in the CFP Semifinal at the 89th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, the #8 Buckeyes eliminate the #3 Texas Longhorns, 28-14. The #3 Longhorns finish their season at 13-3 (.813).

#7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish: In the CFP First Round, the #7 Fighting Irish eliminated the #10 Indiana Hoosiers, 27-17. The #10 Hoosiers finish their season at 11-2 (.846). In the CFP Quarterfinal at the 91st Allstate Sugar Bowl, the #7 Fighting Irish pulled off an upset and eliminated the #2 Georgia Bulldogs, 23-10. The #2 Bulldogs finished their season at 11-3 (.786). And in the CFP Semifinal at the 91st Capital One Orange Bowl, the #7 Fighting Irish eliminated the #6 Penn State Nittany Lions 27-24. The #6 Nittany Lions finish their season at 13-3 (.813).

Overall, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are 2-7 all-time against the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Fighting Irish lost 7 straight games since their last win in 1938. The Buckeyes won all four 4 games of the season, all vs. the AP top ten opponents,second in the AP Poll era. The AP Top Ten opponent was the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Buckeyes are 3rd in the AP Poll to win a national title with multiple losses - they last lost 32-31 against the Oregon Ducks, 32-31 and lost 13-10 against the Michigan Wolverines.

In the first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff:
* An average of 19.3 points per game (PPG) difference in the first round of the CFP with every game won by at least 10 points.
* All of the top four teams that earned a first round CFP bye were eliminated in the quarterfinals.
* The lower seeded teams won all 7 neutral site games (CFP Quarterfinals, CFP Semifinals and CFP National Championship).

In his 7th season as head coach, Ryan Day becomes the fifth different Ohio State Buckeye head coach to win a national title and at the age of 45, he also becomes the youngest head coach to win a national title.

The Buckeyes are the only team to win 5 games against the top five opponents in a single season in the AP Poll. LSU Tigers (2019), USC Trojans (1967) and Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1943) all won four games in a single season against the top five opponents in the AP Poll.

With 41 conference titles (39 of them in the Big Ten), the Buckeyes have 9 claimed national titles and 7 unclaimed national titles from 1933 to 1975.

#18 QB Will Howard was awarded the Offensive MVP of the CFP National Championship Game. He was credited for making 17 of 21 completions with 231 passing yards and scoring two touchdowns.

#0 LB Cody Simon was awarded the Defensive MVP of the CFP National Championship Game. He completed 8 tackles and scored the only touchdown.

The 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship was played at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. 77,680 attended the game. The National Anthem was performed by Coco Jones with Adam Blackstone and the halftime show was performed by Travis Scott.

This was the first year that the College Football Playoff expanded to its 12-team format. The 2024 season was the longest with 919 FBS games played (including the conference championship games, bowl games and the CFP).

With the exception of the remaining all-star college football bowl games (East-West Shrine Bowl, Reece's Senior Bowl and HBCU Legacy Bowl) concluding by the end of February, college football has headed into a long off-season. The 2025 NCAA FBS season will begin on Saturday, August 23, 2025. That's 215 days from now!

For now, congratulations to the Ohio State Buckeyes for winning their first national title since 2014 and their seventh national title overall!

The Buckeyes are once again the champions of college football!

The road to Super Bowl LIX has begun!
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After 18 weeks and 272 games, the 105th NFL regular season has come to a close.

The final NFL season standings have been revealed. The NFL will now enter the knockout stage - the NFL playoffs!

The two-time defending Super Bowl LVII and LVIII champion, the Kansas City Chiefs make it back to the NFL playoffs as the #1 seed in the AFC. With the best record in the NFL, the Chiefs earn Home Field Advantage and a first round bye - having to win the AFC West with a 15-2 (.882) record only to lose their final game of the regular season.

The defending NFC champion, the San Francisco 49ers will not be defending their NFC championship as they have been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention with a 6-11 (.353) record, finishing their season with four consecutive losses. As a result, there will be a new NFC champion.

Along with the Chiefs, the Detroit Lions (also at 15-2 in the NFC North, .882) earn a first round bye.

The worst teams in the NFL this season are the Cleveland Browns (AFC North), Tennessee Titans (AFC South) and New York Giants (NFC East). All three teams finished the season at 3-14 (.176). Both the Browns and Titans lost the remaining 6 games of the regular season while the New York Giants finished their final game of the regular season with a loss. With the most losses this past season, the Titans will have the #1 pick while the Browns will have the #2 pick and the Giants will have the #3 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

So, with all that said, here are the final 2024 NFL standings and how the top seven NFL teams in each conference qualified for the playoffs:

* Final AFC Standings
1. West: Kansas City Chiefs**++++ (15-2, .882)
2. East: Buffalo Bills++ (13-4, .765)
3. Norht: Baltimore Ravens++ (12-5, .706)
4. South: Houston Texans++ (10-7, .588)
5. West Wildcard #1: Los Angeles Chargers+ (11-6, .647)
6. North Wildcard: Pittsburgh Steelers+ (10-7, .588)
7. West Wildcard #2: Denver Broncos+ (10-7, .588)

The following teams in the AFC have been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention are: Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans


* Final NFC Standings
1. North: Detroit Lions+++ (15-2, .882)
2. East: Philadelphia Eagles++ (14-3, .824)
3. South: Tampa Bay Buccaneers++ (10-7, .588)
4. West: Los Angeles Rams (10-7, .588)
5. North Wildcard @1: Minnesota Vikings+ (14-3, .824)
6. East Wildcard: Washington Commanders+ (12-5, .706)
7. North Wildcard #2: Green Bay Packers+ (11-6, .647)

The following teams in the NFC have been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention are: San Francisco 49ers**, Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks

++++ Clinched division, home field advantage and first-round bye
+++ Clinched division title and first-round bye
++ Clinched division title
+ Clinched wildcard berth
** Defending Super Bowl Champion
* Defending AFC / NFC Champion
^ Game canceled


On Saturday, January 11, 2025 CBS and Nickelodeon will simultaneously broadcast the first AFC Wildcard playoff game starting at 4:30 PM EST and at 8 PM EST, Amazon Prime Video will broadcast the second AFC Wildcard playoff game.

On Sunday, January 12, 2025, CBS will broadcast the yhitd and final AFC Wildcard playoff game at 1 PM EST, FOX will broadcast the first NFC Wildcard playoff game at 4:30 PM EST and NBC will broadcast the second game of the NFC Wildcard playoff round at 8 PM EST.

On Monday, January 13, 2025, ESPN and ABC will simultaneously broadcast the third and final NFC Wildcard playoff game at 8 PM EST.

The AFC and NFC Divisional Round games on Saturday, January 18, 2025 and Sunday, January 19, 2025 will determine the advancing teams and networks that will be broadcasted on.

On Sunday, January 26, 2025, Fox will broadcast the NFC Championship Game at 3 PM EST and CBS will broadcast the AFC Championship Game at 6:30 PM EST.

And lastly, to conclude the 105nd NFL season, FOX will have exclusive converage of Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, February 9, 2025 starting at 6:30 PM EST.



And now, here's how the first round of the NFL playoffs have been set up:

* AFC Wildcard Round
(7) Denver Broncos vs. (2) Buffalo Bills
(6) Pittsburgh Steelers vs. (3) Baltimore Ravens
(5) Los Angeles Chargers vs. (4) Houston Texans

The Kansas City Chiefs earn a first round bye in the playoffs. The winner of the lowest seed team will face off against the higher seeded team in the AFC Divisional Round.


* NFC Wildcard Round
(7) Green Bay Packers vs. (2) Philadelphia Eagles
(6) Washington Commanders vs. (3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
(5) Minnesota Vikings vs. (4) Los Angeles Rams

The Detroit Lions earn a first round bye in the playoffs. The winner of the lowest seed team will face off against the higher seeded team in the NFC Divisional Round.


The winners of the Wildcard Round will advance to the Divisional Round and those who survive the round will face off again in the AFC/NFC Conference Championship games on Sunday, January 26, 2025 for the right to advance to Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, February 9, 2025.

The losers will be eliminated and will go home for the new year.

Enjoy the NFL postseason!

First journal entry of 2025!
ppgrainbow
ppgrainbow
First new journal of the new year! Happy (belated) New Year!
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