Top News:
Jeff Passan / ESPN:
Major League Baseball looks to federal mediator to help end sport's lockout, sources say — Major League Baseball on Thursday requested the immediate assistance of a federal mediator to help resolve the sport's lockout, sources told ESPN, potentially inserting the presence of a neutral party …
Discussion:
Sportico, True Blue LA, NBCSports.com and baseballmusings.com
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Evan Drellich / MLB - The Athletic:
MLB's push for federal mediation could be ‘win-win’ PR play for owners, source says — As one player agent surmised, Major League Baseball's push for federal mediation in collective bargaining talks is a “win-win” for the commissioner's office, even if MLB knows the players are unlikely to sign on for the process.
Harriet Ryan / Los Angeles Times:
49ers fan in coma after apparent beating outside SoFi Stadium during NFC championship — Police are investigating the apparent beating of a San Francisco 49ers fan found severely injured in the parking lot of SoFi Stadium during Sunday's NFC championship game against the Rams.
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CBS Los Angeles:
49ers Fan Beaten Into A Coma Outside SoFi Stadium — INGLEWOOD (CBSLA) — A San Francisco 49ers fan is in a medically induced coma after he was found outside SoFi Stadium suffering from severe injuries inflicted during the NFC Championship game against Los Angeles Rams.
Discussion:
Daily Breeze, Orange County Register, ProFootballTalk, FanSided, New York Post and TMZ.com
Chris Perkins / Baltimore Sun:
What is the Rooney Rule? Here's what you need to know about the NFL guideline — The NFL has used the so-called “Rooney Rule” since 2003. It's under renewed scrutiny because ex-Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores expressed skepticism about its effectiveness in the lawsuit he filed against the league Tuesday.
Discussion:
USA Today, CNN, Boston.com, ProFootballTalk and Sun-Sentinel
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David Furones / Sun-Sentinel:
Ex-Dolphins coach Brian Flores says owner Steve Ross attacked integrity of game, wants to ‘make some real change’ with lawsuit
Discussion:
New York Times, Mercury News, Reading Eagle, Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Denver Post, The Ringer, Associated Press, NPR and Touchdown Wire
Michael Scotto / HoopsHype:
Podcast: Bradley Beal's future and Jazz, Pelicans, Bulls trade targets … HoopsHype's Michael Scotto and Yossi Gozlan discuss Bradley Beal's future and why the Wizards could go after Domantas Sabonis and Jerami Grant. Plus, how the Jazz could upgrade following the Joe Ingles ACL injury …
Discussion:
CelticsBlog, The Bird Writes, Yahoo! Sports, Behind the Buck Pass, Hoops Rumors, Bleacher Nation and CBS Boston
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Jake Fischer / Bleacher Report:
Trade Deadline Intel: Wizards Among NBA's Most Active Shoppers, Eyeing Sabonis — Just a week out from the Feb. 10 trade deadline, the Washington Wizards are being described by league personnel as one of the more active teams on the NBA trade market. As the Wizards have discussed adding key reinforcements …
Discussion:
King James Gospel, The Big Lead, Sactown Royalty, Union-News, Hoops Rumors, Liberty Ballers, Yahoo! Sports, Raptors Rapture, Silver Screen and Roll, Rockets Wire, Bleacher Nation, NetsDaily, Sports Illustrated, HoopsHype, NBCSports.com, Blazer's Edge, CelticsBlog, Bright Side Of The Sun and Celtics Wire
Mitch Albom / Detroit Free Press:
Jim Harbaugh opens up, insists he's a Wolverine for good, wants to win it all — On the first night of the rest of his life, Jim Harbaugh got snowed in. So he kicked back in a Minnesota hotel room, ate a hamburger and french fries from room service, and made phone calls to the important people in his life …
Matt Bonesteel / Washington Post:
Sixteen Penn swimmers say transgender teammate Lia Thomas should not be allowed to compete — Sixteen members of the University of Pennsylvania women's swimming team sent a letter to school and Ivy League officials Thursday asking that they not take legal action challenging the NCAA's recently updated transgender policy.
Discussion:
New York Post, Sports Illustrated and Yahoo! Sports
Baseball America:
2022 MLB Organization Talent Rankings — With a potential star at the top in outfielder Julio Rodriguez, the Mariners have Baseball America's No. 1 farm system. — That's a dramatic turnaround from the state of Seattle's minor league pipeline four years ago, when its farm system ranked last in baseball.
Discussion:
Jeff Wilson's Texas …, NBCSports.com, Redleg Nation, True Blue LA, Sports Illustrated, Pinstripe Alley, Bleacher Nation, Bleed Cubbie Blue, Sportsnet.ca, Yahoo! Sports, Bucs Dugout, Steve Melewski, Jays Journal, Camden Chat, MLB Trade Rumors, Phillies Nation, Elite Sports NY, Over the Monster, MLB Baseball News …, Talking Chop, Lookout Landing, Royals Review and Lone Star Ball
Kyle Goon / Orange County Register:
Reggie Jackson, Clippers edge Lakers in frantic finish — LOS ANGELES — In the most enthralling 18 seconds of professional basketball played in L.A. this season, Anthony Davis got the final shot. — But Reggie Jackson got the final word. — The rec spec-donning guard has shown steel …
Discussion:
Hoops Rumors, Daily Breeze, Yahoo! Sports, HoopsHype, Silver Screen and Roll, UPROXX, CBS Los Angeles, Los Angeles Times and Sports Illustrated
Michael Gehlken / Dallas Morning News:
Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster talks up Cowboys' facilities, playing with Dak Prescott — Smith-Schuster is scheduled to become a free agent next month, but he is unlikely to sign with the Cowboys. — FRISCO — Six weeks before free agency starts, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports and ProFootballTalk
Joel Boyd / Chicago Tribune:
College football's 2nd signing period begins: How did the classes wrap up for Notre Dame, Illinois, Northwestern and NIU and where do they rank? — College football's traditional national signing day is here. — And while much of the drama is gone from the first Wednesday of February …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports and Mercury News
