AUGUSTA, Georgia − It’s a sports ticket unlike any other. 

One of the last 1934 Masters Tournament badges known to exist is headed to the auction block. 

The ticket from the tournament’s inaugural year – autographed by Horton Smith, the tournament’s first champion – is scheduled to go up for bid Dec. 6 through auction house Christie’s New York and sports memorabilia auctioneers Hunt Bros., Christie’s confirmed Wednesday. 

Called “badges” by the Augusta National Golf Club, tickets from the earliest Masters Tournaments are especially rare. The event was called the Augusta National Invitational Tournament until 1939. 

“There’s a real Augusta story there because it’s been in an Augusta family since March of 1934,” Edward Lewine, vice-president of communications for Christie’s, told The Augusta Chronicle. “It hasn’t been on the market. It hasn’t been anywhere.” 

The badge’s current owners are an unidentified Augusta couple “known as community and civic leaders,” whose family attended the Masters for more than 50 years, Christie’s said. The woman possessing the ticket at the time successfully asked Smith for his autograph, which he signed in pencil while standing under the iconic Big Oak Tree on the 18th green side of the Augusta National clubhouse. 

According to Christie’s, the ticket is one of fewer than a dozen believed to have survived for almost 90 years.  

When another 1934 Masters ticket fetched a record $600,000 at auction in 2022, Ryan Carey of Golden Age Auctions told the sports-betting media company Action Network that only three such tickets existed, and one of them is owned by the Augusta National. That ticket also bore the autographs of Smith and 16 other tournament participants and spectators, such as golf legend Bobby Jones and sportswriter Grantland Rice.

Christie’s estimated the badge’s initial value between $200,000 and $400,000, according to the auction house’s website. The ticket’s original purchase price was $2.20, or an estimated $45 today.

Because no one predicted the Masters Tournament’s current global popularity in 1934, few people had the foresight to collect and keep mementoes from the event, Lewine said. The owners likely kept the badge for so long, at least at first, because of Smith’s autograph, he added. The ticket’s very light wear and vivid color suggests it hasn’t seen the light of day since badge No. 3036 was used March 25, 1934. 

“According to my colleagues whom I work with, the experts, it’s by far the best-preserved. The more objects are out and about in the world, the more chances there are to get damaged or out in the sun. The sun is the worst thing,” Lewine said. “If you look at that thing, it’s bright blue. It’s as blue as the day it was signed. That means it’s been in somebody’s closet somewhere.” 

The badge’s auction is planned to be part of a larger sports memorabilia auction featuring the mammoth autographed-baseball collection belonging to Geddy Lee, lead vocalist for the rock group Rush.

The most important part of any job interview is confidence. Most recruiters would agree that, even if you are not qualified for a job, confidence in the face of a potential employer will up your chances immensely. Well, an offensive lineman at Davidson College is putting that theory to the test with one of the biggest employers of them all, the National Football League.

Barclay Briggs, a senior economics student and three-time PFL Academic Honor Roll member, did not see much playing time as a career backup offensive lineman at Davidson College until his junior season. He clearly states in the tweet below that he ‘only played during blowouts or when starters got injured.’ That said, he played in every game this past season, a season where Davidson went a very respectable 7-4.

Briggs told USA Today, ‘In that post, I made it seem like I never smelled the field, but guys got injured in a way such that I wound up starting a bunch of games this season. I got a few hundred snaps on offense.’

Does Briggs have a shot at being drafted to the NFL?

Not a chance and Briggs, above all else, is very self-aware.

When asked what he would do if an NFL GM approached him about trying out for a spot on a roster, Briggs said, ‘I would definitely talk to them, but any GM that gives me much of a look needs to be fired and blackballed from professional sports. That would be a very desperate time for that franchise. That’s like saying Bill Gates is looking to adopt me as his heir. I’d say those are about equally as likely.’

Heaven forbid the NFL route does not work for Briggs, he thankfully has his bases covered. Briggs told USA Today, ‘I have already accepted a job offer with a commodities trading firm in Houston.’ Houston is Briggs’s hometown. He continued, ‘I interned with them this past summer and really enjoyed my time, so I accepted a return offer to work full-time.’

So what was the point of Briggs’s post?

If it was not clear enough when he gave thanks to Oprah Winfrey and Winston Churchill, his announcement is a joke. The only thing he’s really announcing is his departure from football and his love for the sport as well as Davidson Athletics.

Regarding the football culture at Davidson, Briggs said, ‘It’s an unbelievable environment that [head coach Scott Abell] and his staff have cultivated since they got here. It’s an environment that is player first, that emphasizes winning, but certainly not at the expense of the player experience.’

Does Briggs still sport that sweet handlebar mustache?

Unfortunately, the handlebar mustache is no more. I understand this news may be devastating for some of you to hear. Even worse, Briggs only actually sported the mustache for about 36 hours for picture day. After that, it was gone.

‘Usually I’m rocking a full beard,’ said Briggs. ‘When photo day comes around though, it’s time to go all out. I get a little handlebar, maybe some sideburn action, whatever the day is calling for.’

I warned Briggs how disappointing this enlightenment would be for our readers. Briggs told me I could leave that part of the article out, but I respect my journalistic integrity too much to leave out that heart-wrenching detail.

What Bible verse did Briggs put in his post?

Acts 2:15 – ‘These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o’clock in the morning is much too early for that.’

Clearly, one of the most powerful Bible verses of all-time.

Offensive linemen are stereotypically some of the rowdiest individuals in football. They also tend to be some of the heaviest drinkers. Look no further than Green Bay Packers left tackle and three-time first-team All-Pro David Bakhtiari.

When asked what about the culture surrounding the positions on the offensive line promotes such party animal behavior, Briggs claimed ‘People just usually associate the fat kids with being funny. And sometimes, I guess being funny just goes hand in hand with being the loudest guy in the room.’

Briggs is clearly a funny individual. Based on his NFL draft declaration letter, it might his strongest case to make an NFL roster. Every team needs a glue guy, someone who can keep the team in high spirits during low moments. Briggs can bring that to the table. He’s made his pitch. Your move, NFL. You know what to do.

Jeff Bezos must be smiling. 

The Amazon founder can now officially say that two customs of Thanksgiving week, football and shopping, fall under his domain. 

“Who better to sort of merge these two Thanksgiving weekend traditions?” NFL executive vice president for media distribution Hans Schroeder said. 

It won’t be the first time an NFL game has been played on a Friday, but Prime Video will make history by broadcasting the inaugural Black Friday game this week.

The matchup – the New York Jets hosting the Miami Dolphins – lacks the anticipation compared to when it was announced in May. Since then, Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has suffered an Achilles injury that will keep him out, and the Jets’ offense has scored a touchdown on one of its last 46 possessions. 

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Broadcasting the game itself will remain the priority, Amazon global head of sports and Prime Video vice president Jay Marine said. But that’s not what the NFL is particularly intrigued by putting a game on the unofficial shopping holiday. 

“The goal with Amazon wasn’t necessarily just to take what had been a television product and put it on digital,” Schroder said. “It was to innovate and think about how it can be different.” 

How did the Amazon Black Friday NFL game happen? 

As the NFL has experimented with entertainment and presentation – for example, the Nickelodeon and Disney+ broadcasts – the league was ready to combine the viewing experience with commerce. Black Friday is Amazon’s most-trafficked day of the year and the most lucrative for online shopping in general. The potential for significant viewership exists, with many people off from work and school that day.  

“When we talked about it with the NFL, we thought it was a perfect marriage,” Marine said. 

Amazon Black Friday deals for Jets vs. Dolphins

Amazon, which exclusively streams the league’s standalone “Thursday Night Football” package, will start its hour-long pregame show 30 minutes earlier, meaning a 1:30 p.m. ET start time for the 3 p.m. kickoff. Throughout the day, deals will pop up on the screen, including exclusive discounts for those who are watching the game. Most deals will be available via QR code, Marine said. Some of the Prime Video NFL talent will also be integrated into the deals. 

Additionally, the game is free. Anyone without a Prime account can stream the game online or download the Prime Video app to watch.  

“We’re really putting everything behind this,’ Marine said. ‘We want to embrace the day.” 

After the game, Garth Brooks will perform an exclusive concert in partnership with Amazon Music. For anyone looking to watch an alternate stream, trick-shot supergroup “Dude Perfect” returns. 

Over-the-top (OTT) media such as Prime Video face less restrictions to interact with viewers. It also means Amazon has a viewer’s purchasing preferences. 

“It’s a connected experience, which means you can start to build integrations and things that are very simple, whether that be shopping or other things that can be seamless,” Marine said.

What time does Amazon Black Friday NFL game start? How many people will watch? 

The 3 p.m. hour was optimal based on success the league has seen in the 4:30 p.m. ET window on Thanksgiving, although the Dallas Cowboys’ annual participation is a large factor. College football games Friday evening prompted executives to consider nothing after the late afternoon timeslot.

“TNF” ratings have increased 26% year-over-year, per Nielsen metrics, with games averaging 12.8 million viewers. Schroeder cited research saying “TNF” viewers are, on average, eight years younger than the typical NFL fan. 

A new broadcast window means there is no basis for Black Friday viewership.  

“But we’re optimistic,” Marine said. 

Last year, the New York Giants-Cowboys game on Thanksgiving drew 42 million, the most-watched regular-season game of the last two seasons. 

Will there be a Black Friday NFL game in 2024? 

Multiple teams contacted the league wondering if they could be the annual host of the game, like the Detroit Lions or Cowboys on Thanksgiving, Schroeder said. For now, the league is focused on rotating the event and building excitement in other markets, similar to the draft. 

The Black Friday game is a natural next step in deepening the partnership between Amazon and the league. Schroeder said he hopes it will be a tentpole event in the NFL calendar going forward. 

“We’ll see how it goes, but I think our expectation and I think that the NFl’s expectation is that this becomes an annual tradition,” Marine said. “If it goes as we plan.”

The police chief at the time of Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay’s 2014 arrest disputed Irsay’s allegation that he was arrested for being a ‘rich, white billionaire.”

Tim Green, the now-retired Carmel, Indiana, police chief, told USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday that at the time of the arrest, he reviewed the available information and of Irsay’s allegation he said, ‘I would just hope that he would reevaluate what he said there because I think he knows that’s not the case in this matter. …

‘Let’s just say some comments can be made without any type of evidence and proof.”

Irsay, 64, made the comments during an interview with HBO for a ‘Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel’ segment that aired Tuesday.

‘I am prejudiced against because I’m a rich, white billionaire,’ Irsay said. ‘If I’m just the average guy down the block, they’re not pulling me in, of course not.’

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OPINION: Jim Irsay treated unfairly because he’s a billionaire? Cue the tears.

Green, who served as police chief from 2011 to 2017, said he was confident the officers were “just doing what they needed to do.’’

“People who do get stopped and arrested, I know that’s not a good experience for them,’’ Green added. “But sometimes they need to look at themselves and understand what the issue and problem is when it comes to driving while impaired, intoxicated alcohol wise or under other narcotics or prescription drugs.’’

Irsay pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. When asked why he plead guilty, Irsay told HBO Sports, ‘Just to get it over with.’

Irsay, who has talked openly about his struggles with addiction, told HBO Sports that he failed the field sobriety tests after being pulled over because he was just coming off hip surgery.

Travis Kelce is beating himself up over a fumble, drop and other miscues that caused the Kansas City Chiefs to lose to his brother, Jason, and the Philadelphia Eagles during Monday Night Football earlier this week.

During the Kelce brothers’ recap of their game on the latest New Heights Podcast presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment Wednesday, Jason had trouble recalling whether the Chiefs scored in the second half.

“We didn’t score in the second half, Jason,” Travis said.

“You guys had all 17 points in the first half? I’m an idiot,” Jason responded.

“We haven’t scored in the second half in like four or five games,” Travis said. “We should fix that, and it starts with my dumbass holding onto the (expletive) ball.”

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The Chiefs have been scoreless in their last three games in the second half. But it feels worse for the defending Super Bowl champions, as Travis alluded.

The Chiefs have scored only five touchdowns and five field goals in the second half this season, and those scores came in their first seven of their 10 games this season.

Kansas City’s 5.3 points per second half, and 53 second-half points are worst in the NFL.

Travis Kelce’s message for Chiefs fans after the Eagles game

Travis was quite blunt about his performance against the Eagles, and how the Chiefs need to improve.

“My turnover, turnovers are killing us. Penalties are absolutely killing us. I had one of both, and a drop, and a fumble. I’m not playing my best football right now, and it’s pissing me off every (expletive) time I’m out there. But as a unit, we’re still together. And that’s all that (expletive) matters,” Travis said.  

“Nobody is pointing fingers. Guys are getting fired up because they want to be successful. And I’m one of them. But we’re still a tight knit group. And as long as you have that, you have a fighting chance. We’re 7-3. I feel like we still control our destiny with the teams we play in terms of getting the No. 1 seed.

“To Chiefs kingdom, sorry we didn’t show our best football out there in the second half. But you have a lot of guys in that locker room that give a damn and we’ll get it fixed.”

Jason Kelce says first win over Chiefs was ‘bittersweet’

It was difficult for Jason Kelce, the Eagles’ longtime center, to celebrate his first win over his brother and the Chiefs in Monday’s Super Bowl rematch because of how poorly he believed Philadelphia performed in the 21-17 game.

“I’m not going to lie, first time beating you guys, I thought it was going to feel better. But knowing how poorly we played offensively, it was really bittersweet,” Jason said.

“It really did. We didn’t go out there and really take care of business the way we wanted to. It felt weird after the game to be honest.”

Kelces discuss Travis’ Wall Street Journal article

Travis Kelce made some news in his Wall Street Journal article this week, with his openness on surgeries taking a toll on his body, causing him to consider retirement.

“Listen, this is my game. Don’t go stealing my strategy. I’m the one who threatens retirement and talks about retirement all the time,” Jason joked with Travis.  

“That’s not your game. That’s my move.”

Travis, on the topic of surgeries, added: “Every one of them linger, and it is what it is.”

Travis Kelce’s old tweets make the rounds on social media

Jason Kelce had some fun reading some of Travis’ old tweets from college being re-circulated on social media recently.

“I will say: I’ve been trying to get all those tweets deleted since I got into the league. And sure enough, it came to surface level and everybody effing dove into 2011. What a (expletive) year that was,” Travis said.

“I was just using Twitter as a diary. I’m just out here speaking nonsense.”

The Kelces take on Thanksgiving

The podcast begins lightheartedly with takes on Thanksgiving food and podcast guests they would invite to Thanksgiving dinner.

Travis said he would invite NFL Network analyst Rich Eisen, which Jason was highly in favor of because “who’s going to control the table and drive the conversation? What’s going to make this an entertaining and invigorating conversation?”

Jason would invite Charles Barkley because “there’s no room that guy cannot entertain.”

As for the food, “Mama Kelce dinner rolls” are a staple. Jason and Travis aren’t big turkey fans, but Jason says he wants to deep fry a turkey.

“Everything tastes better deep fried,” Jason said.

The Seattle Seahawks are headed into an important Thanksgiving matchup with uncertainty behind center.

Quarterback Geno Smith suffered what the team has called a right elbow injury in the third quarter of Sunday’s 17-16 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He missed the bulk of the fourth quarter before returning to the game for the Seahawks’ final series.

Now, with a critical NFC West matchup looming against the division-leading San Francisco 49ers, the Seahawks are hoping that their starting signal-caller can be a full go for the matchup.

Here’s the latest on what we know about the injury and Smith’s status heading into Thursday’s game:

Geno Smith injury updates

Smith is officially listed as questionable on the injury report. After the 11th-year veteran was a full participant in practice on Wednesday, however, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll expressed confidence that Smith would be able to start against the 49ers.

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‘He did quite well today,’ Carroll said Wednedsay. ‘We rested him for most of the week – short week – in terms of throwing. He did really well today.’

Carroll added he did not believe that Smith would need to go through any pregame test on his elbow in order to play.

Seahawks’ backup quarterback options behind Geno Smith

If Smith is unable to play, backup Drew Lock would once again step in.

Lock took over on Sunday when Smith exited, completing two of his six passing attempts for just 3 yards. His fourth-quarter interception to Rams cornerback Derion Kendrick helped set up Los Angeles’ go-ahead field goal.

Lock’s last start came in January 2022 with the Denver Broncos.

Seahawks injury report

While Carroll expects Smith to play, running back Kenneth Walker III is doubtful with an oblique injury.

Right tackle Abe Lucas, who last week was designated to return from injured reserve with a knee injury, is questionable.

John Madden believed Thanksgiving is about family, football, food, tradition and fun.

And the turducken, of course.

The NFL will celebrate his legacy for a second annual John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration during its tripleheader on Thursday.

Madden, the legendary NFL coach turned broadcaster and video game pioneer, called 20 Thanksgiving games during his career, where his turducken (a deboned turkey, stuffed with a deboned duck, stuffed with a chicken) became a holiday delicacy.

The Detroit Lions host the Green Bay Packers at 12:30 p.m. ET on FOX. The Dallas Cowboys host the Washington Commanders at 4:30 p.m. ET on CBS. And the San Francisco 49ers visit the Seattle Seahawks at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.

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The NFL will honor Madden throughout Thanksgiving Day with:

∎Tributes to Madden for his contributions to the sport in each game, in the broadcast booth and on the field.

∎A “Madden Hallmark’ will kick off each broadcast, conveying what Thanksgiving meant to Madden in his own words.

∎A patch featuring a silhouette of Madden will be included on the jersey of each player at all three games.

∎A coin featuring a silhouette of Madden on one side (heads) and a six-legged turducken on the reverse side (tails) will be used for the coin toss.

∎“John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration’ stencils will be placed at the sidelines in Detroit’s Ford Field, Dallas’ AT&T Stadium and Seattle’s Lumen Field.

∎A player of the game in each game will receive a $10,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to be given to a high school or youth football program in their name, because youth football was important to Madden.

∎NFL fans will also be able to see “John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration’ content on social media sites like X, Snapchat, TikTok, Reddit and YouTube.

Madden once said: “There’s no place that I would rather be today on Thanksgiving than right here, right now, at a football game.”

And his legacy will shine the most during postgame interviews where players from the winning team will likely dig into a turkey leg before heading back into the locker room.

‘It’s great to be a part of it and reflect on how much my dad was a part of all these Thanksgivings with so many Americans that want to watch football,” his son Joe Madden, told USA TODAY Sports last year.

John Madden’s relationship with Darryl Stingley to be examined in halftime feature on NBC

The unique relationship between Madden and former New England Patriots wide receiver Darryl Stingley will be highlighted in a feature airing at halftime of the 49ers-Seahawks game on Thanksgiving night on NBC and Peacock.

Stingley suffered a paralyzing injury in a preseason game on Aug. 12, 1978 in Oakland against the Raiders, who at the time were coached by Madden. In the months following the injury, Madden regularly visited Stingley in the hospital, and formed a friendship with Stingley and his family.

The feature will be narrated by Emmy Award-winning actor Sterling K. Brown.

The Buffalo Sabres have a decision to make soon on Zach Benson’s future for this season.

The forward might have helped his cause by scoring his first NHL goal on Wednesday night against the Washington Capitals. And the way he scored it was impressive.

Benson, 18, took a pass and skated toward the front of the Capitals net. But instead of trying a backhand, he pulled the puck and his stick between his skates, then roofed a shot into the net. The move fooled veteran goalie Darcy Kuemper and gave the Sabres a 2-0 lead at 16:04 of the first period.

‘I’m just trying to do the move that I think is going to work, and I just kind of let my instincts take over,’ Benson, who stays late after practices to try such moves, told reporters after the Capitals’ 4-3 overtime win.

The 13th overall pick of the 2023 draft played his ninth game on Wednesday night and had four assists through his first eight games.

Under the collective bargaining agreement, if he plays a 10th game, the Sabres would use up the first year of his three-year, entry-level contract. If they send him back to his Winnipeg Ice junior hockey team, the Sabres could slide the start of his contract to next year.

“I’m just trying to be consistent and play my game every game and help this team win hockey games,’ Benson said. ‘That’s really my mindset, whatever I can do to help this team win.”

Sabres coach Don Granato called Benson’s score ‘a very nice goal.’

Asked by reporters if the rookie would get a 10th game, Granato said, ‘That’s a great question, and it’s not one for right now.’