In February for Black History Month, USA TODAY Sports is publishing the series ’29 Black Stories in 29 Days.’ We examine the issues, challenges and opportunities Black athletes and sports officials continue to face after the nation’s reckoning on race following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. This is the fourth installment of the series.

Over the past six years Eric Bieniemy has been interviewed by about half of the NFL for a head coaching position. The end result? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Bieniemy was Kansas City’s offensive coordinator from 2018-2022. He led one of the most potent offenses in football. It’s true that Andy Reid was the top offensive mind on the team (he’s maybe the top offensive mind in the sport) but it’s also true that we haven’t seen anything in recent league history like what happened to Bieniemy…with one possible exception. More on that in a moment.

What do I mean? As a general rule, and likely in the 99th percentile, when an offensive coordinator has the kind of success Bieniemy has, if they want to, they get head coaching positions. In the NFL, it is the order of things.

Not with Bieniemy. In fact, he became so concerned about the lack of head coaching opportunities that he took a desperate gambit and became the offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders. The belief was that by getting out from under the legend of Reid and, superficially at least, charting his own course with a different franchise (and by calling plays), the head coaching chances would come. That didn’t happen. Coach Ron Rivera was fired and Bieniemy was passed over again (this time by his own team) after Washington on Thursday hired Dan Quinn.

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What does this all mean? We might be seeing the official end of the head coaching opportunities for Bieniemy.

So the question is, what happened? I think there’s four main possibilities:

The harsher standard effect. So far there have been four head coaches of color hired, a record for a single cycle. Maybe it’s a coincidence. Maybe some of the league’s owners are opening their minds (finally). Whatever the reason, it didn’t extend to Bieniemy, now or in the past. He was held to a standard that we’ve rarely seen before.

It’s difficult to imagine, if not impossible, a white version of Bieniemy not getting an opportunity.

The Reid-Mahomes effect. Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes are so good that Bieniemy effectively didn’t get credit for the work he did. Again, this is an extremely rare phenomenon. For example, Josh McDaniels, the former offensive coordinator for the Patriots, wasn’t penalized in this way for coaching Tom Brady.

Maybe he wasn’t actually that good effect. This is not something I think or the Kansas City staff and players believed. Mahomes recently said that Bieniemy held all the players accountable which led to the cutting back of mistakes. “I think Coach Bieniemy set that standard when he was here,’ Mahomes said.

Bieniemy was good at his job. It’s just wasn’t seen that way outside of Kansas City.

Bieniemy is a psyop. Created in a Pentagon lab and designed specifically to weaken the Commanders leading to the firing of Ron Rivera and the hiring of a new head coach that is pro-Democrat who would then help push for the reelection of Joe Biden. Just kidding.

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However, on a more serious note, there are two things to consider. Kansas City did reach the Super Bowl without Bieniemy. It wasn’t always pretty but they’re in the game. Also, the offense in Washington under Bieniemy was erratic, to say the least. Some of that was Bieniemy’s fault; some of it wasn’t. There were massive personnel issues that even Joe Gibbs couldn’t fix.

In the end, it’s possible that Bieniemy will go down as one of the more remarkable examples of someone who was massively overqualified for a head coaching opportunity but didn’t get one. The last time we saw something like this was the exception I mentioned earlier. That exception is named Sherman Lewis.

He was the offensive coordinator for the Packers from 1992-1999 and like Bieniemy, he’s Black. Also like Bieniemy, he ran a powerful offense, was interviewed for head coaching positions, but never got one despite deserving it. Lewis, working with coach Mike Holmgren, helped propel the Packers to the Super Bowl. The two men had worked together in San Francisco under Bill Walsh.

“All those years, we worked side by side in the offensive room in San Francisco,” Holmgren recently explained. “He was exactly what Coach Walsh loved in a coach. He’s not a screamer or yeller. He’s a great teacher, with a great sense of humor. In Green Bay, he did it all. He ran all the meetings, did the install, everything. The only thing I kept for myself was the red-zone stuff. The only reason he didn’t call plays during games was because that was one of the fun things about coaching for me.”

Decades after Sherman, there’s Bieniemy.

North Carolina remains on the No. 1 line in the USA TODAY Sports updated men’s tournament bracketology after Tuesday night’s road loss to Georgia Tech, but to stay there the Tar Heels will need a rivalry win this weekend against Duke.

The loss to the Yellow Jackets was Carolina’s first in more than a month and the team’s first in ACC play. The Tar Heels are 1½ games ahead of the second-place Blue Devils heading into Saturday’s matchup in Chapel Hill.

The bracketology update also sees plenty of movement near the top of the SEC. Alabama rises to a No. 3 after a road win against Georgia. Mississippi improves No. 9 seed after beating Mississippi State, the Rebels’ third victory in a row following a two-game losing streak. On the flip side, No. 4 Kentucky is down one rung after losing to Florida and Auburn drops to a No. 6 after snapping a two-game slide with a blowout of Vanderbilt.

And Gonzaga keeps climbing off the tournament bubble after a slow start. The Bulldogs are now 16-5 overall and 7-1 in West Coast Conference play with a chance to take over first place in the league with a win on Saturday against current leader St. Mary’s.

Dropping out of the field in this edition is Memphis. Moving in is Virginia.

Last four in

Virginia, Colorado, Utah, Cincinnati.

First four out

Nebraska, Washington State, Florida, Butler.

Next four out

Memphis, Villanova, Virginia Tech, Kansas State.

Conference breakdown

Multi-bid leagues: Big 12 (10), SEC (8), Big East (5), Big Ten (5), Mountain West (5), ACC (4), Pac-12 (3), American Athletic (2), Atlantic 10 (2), West Coast (2).

Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey, New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson and Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero are first-time NBA All-Stars.

That’s one end of the spectrum. At the other end is Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who made his 10th All-Star appearance when the NBA announced All-Star reserves Thursday.

San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama, who is averaging 20.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.2 blocks, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals, did not make the All-Star team. He was trying to become the first rookie since Blake Griffin in 2011 to become an All-Star.

Coaches vote for the All-Star reserves, selecting two backcourt players, three frontcourt players and two wild cards.

The All-Star Game is Feb. 18 in Indianapolis, and the All-Star starters were announced Jan. 25.

Let’s take a look at the seven reserves from the East and seven reserves from the West:

Eastern Conference 2024 NBA All-Star reserves

Backcourt

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (fifth All-Star): 28.2 ppg, 6.4 apg, 5.5 rpg, 46.5% FG, 34.8% 3PT, 86% FT

Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (first All-Star): 25.7 ppg, 6.6 apg, 3.6 rpg, 1.0 spg, 44.8% FG, 37.3% 3PT, 86.4% FT

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (first All-Star): 26.8 ppg, 6.5 apg, 3.8 rpg, 48% FG, 42.2% 3PT, 83.6% FT

Frontcourt

Boston Celtics guard-forward Jaylen Brown (third All-Star): 22.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.1 spg, 49.4% FG, 35.2% 3PT, 72.7% FT

Miami Heat center-forward Bam Adebayo (third All-Star): 20.6 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 4.2 apg, 1.0 spg, 1.0 bpg, 50.1% FG, 78.1% FT

New York Knicks forward Julius Randle (third All-Star): 24 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 5.0 apg, 47.2% FG, 31.1% 3PT, 78.1% FT

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (first All-Star): 23 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 5.0 apg, 1.0 spg, 45.3% FG, 35.8% 3PT, 69.6% FT

Western Conference 2024 NBA All-Star reserves

Backcourt

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (fourth All-Star): 28.3 ppg, 7.3 apg, 4.9 rpg, 50.2% FG, 38.8% 3PT, 87.8% FT

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (second All-Star): 25.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 5.2 apg, 1.2 spg, 46.4% FG, 38.9% 3PT, 84.2% FT

Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry (10th All-Star): 27.5 ppg, 5.0 apg, 4.3 rpg, 45.5% FG, 40.9% 3PT, 92.9% FT

Frontcourt

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (sixth All-Star): 23.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.7 spg, 52.6% FG, 43.9% 3PT, 88.4% FT

Los Angeles Lakers forward-center Anthony Davis (ninth All-Star): 24.9 ppg, 12.1 rpg, 3.7 apg, 2.2 bpg, 53.5% FG, 46.2% 3PT, 80% FT

Minnesota Timberwolves center-forward Karl-Anthony Towns: 22.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 3.1 apg, 52.2% FG, 44.3% 3PT, 87.2% FT

Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George (ninth All-Star): 23 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.6 spg, 46.3% FG, 41.2% 3PT,

Who was snubbed from 2024 NBA All-Star Game?

The first rule of the Snub Club is that you have to say who you are taking off the list. Then, it becomes a more difficult and intellectually honest exercise.

Fact is, players worthy of making the All-Star team – players who have All-Star statistics and who have helped their teams – won’t make it. There’s not enough spots to go around.

In the West, the Sacramento Kings deserve an All-Star – either De’Aaron Fox or Domantas Sabonis. I don’t mind two Clippers getting the nod, but to spread the love, I would’ve left Paul George off and included Fox.

In the East, there are no egregious omissions. Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young is having an All-Star caliber season, but I’m not sure I’m removing anyone for Young. Boston forward-center Kristaps Porzingis is also having a strong season, but it’s difficult to put three guys from the same squad on the All-Star team.

To note: Randle is out at least another 2-3 weeks and may not be available for the All-Star Game, and if that’s the case, Commissioner Adam Silver will select a replacement.

Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid has an injured meniscus in his left knee and will miss at least the next two games as Embiid and the team consider treatment options, the team said.

“An MRI following Tuesday’s game and further evaluation over the last 24 hours revealed an injury to the lateral meniscus in Embiid’s left knee,” the team said. “Embiid, in consultation with the 76ers medical staff and several leading specialists, will be out through the weekend while a treatment plan is finalized. Updates will be provided as appropriate.”

Embiid, the 2022-23 MVP and in the middle of another outstanding season, left Tuesday’s game against Golden State in the fourth quarter.

Certified athletic trainer Jeff Stotts, who maintains an extensive database of NBA injuries, said on X that Embiid tore his left lateral meniscus in 2017 and missed the final 37 games of the 2016-17 season. Embiid underwent a partial removal of the meniscus, and Stotts added that “the location of the latest injury remains the key to possible treatment options.”

Embiid has missed 12 of the Sixers’ 46 games, and there is controversy surrounding his absences. In the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement with the National Basketball Players Association, a new rule took effect, stating that for players to be eligible for regular-season awards and honors, they must play in at least 65 games.

Did Embiid play in Tuesday’s game, while considerably less than 100%, in an effort to try and reach 65 games played, and did his attempt to play lead to an injury that perhaps could’ve been avoided? The topic has taken center stage as the NBA heads toward the Feb. 8 trade deadline and the Feb. 18 All-Star Game in Indianapolis.

Considering that he won’t play in Thursday’s game against Utah and Saturday’s game against Brooklyn, Embiid can only miss three more games to be considered for MVP, All-NBA and All-Defense honors.

Embiid is averaging an NBA-best 35.3 points plus 11.3 rebounds, a career-high 5.7 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.1 steals and shooting 53.3% from the field, 36.6% on 3-pointers and 88.3% on free throws.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Los Angeles Chargers officially introduced Jim Harbaugh as their new head coach on Thursday. Harbaugh’s introductory press conference wasn’t a normal event.

The Chargers typically conduct their press conferences at their temporary team facility in Costa Mesa. But Harbaugh’s return to professional football fresh off a college football national championship at Michigan sent shockwaves around the football landscape. Fittingly, the Chargers chose SoFi Stadium’s YouTube Theater as the venue for Harbaugh’s initial press conference roughly 40 miles north of their temporary team headquarters.

Gratitude

Gratitude was the first word Harbaugh used to describe what it meant to him to be the Chargers head coach. Harbaugh thanked Chargers owner Dean Spanos, the Spanos family, members of the organization and his family among others at his introductory press conference.

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In very Harbaugh fashion, he cited Morgan Freeman’ and his character in the movie ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ as an analogy to describe his feelings.

“Excited. If I could describe it to you, it would be like Morgan Freeman in ‘The Shawshank Redemption’,” Harbaugh said. “I’m so excited I can’t sit still or hold a thought in my head, what a free man would feel before a long journey. I just want to make it across the border and shake my friend’s hand. That’s how I feel. I want to win and I want to win the right way. I want to treat people in a first-class way and get really good at football.”

Change culture

The Chargers finished 2023 a disappointing 5-12 and fired coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco midseason. The Chargers have only reached the postseason three times since 2010 and are one of 12 NFL teams to have never won a Super Bowl.

It’s evident the Chargers are attempting to establish a winning franchise. Harbaugh was asked how he envisions changing the culture. While he admitted he doesn’t have a ‘magic formula,’ he told the media it’s going to take a team effort.

“The team, the team, the team. It’s gonna take a team effort. There won’t be any magic formula. The only ones I know of are good old fashion hard work and teamwork,” Harbaugh said. “And that’s the vision that I received from the Spanos family. This has to be done like a team.”

Part of the Chargers’ culture change is a new facility. The Chargers plan to move into a permanent new team facility in nearby El Segundo later this year.

Justin Herbert: ‘A crown jewel’

It’s no secret Harbaugh is a big Justin Herbert fan. Harbaugh said recently on CBS that he was starstruck when he first met the Chargers franchise quarterback. The new Chargers head coach is in the process of watching every single throw of Herbert’s NFL career.

“The pros on this team. Justin Herbert, he’s a crown jewel in the National Football League,” Harbaugh said. “The thing that’s jumping out is this enormous talent.”

Herbert’s 2023 season ended after just 13 games due to a season-ended fractured right index finger. Herbert’s 17,223 passing yards are the most ever by a QB in his first four seasons.

Building blocks

Along with Herbert, Harbaugh unprovokedly highlighted three other players on the Chargers roster.

“Derwin James, there’s another one. Talk about somebody getting me fired up, lets go,” Harbaugh said. “Keenan Allen, we got guys. Rashawn Slater, it’s good to see him in the building getting work in. … I got to bring my A game in every sense of the word. I got to get a coaching staff put together and hired that’s gonna be worthy of coaching not only Justin but Derwin and all the guys. I really think this is a talented group assembled here.”

Harbaugh’s mention of current Chargers players is notable because changes are expected on the roster. The Chargers are entering the 2024 season roughly $45 million over the salary cap, per Over The Cap.

Why Harbaugh departed Michigan

Harbaugh won a national title at Michigan on Jan. 8. On Jan. 24, the Chargers named him head coach. Harbaugh disclosed why he ultimately decided to leave college football for a return to the NFL.

‘I said this the other day, but I’ve only got so many sands left in the hourglass, and I want another shot,’ Harbaugh said. ‘I want another shot to be simply known as world champions. The Lombardi Trophy. That’s my mission.’

Michigan promoted Sherrone Moore to be the university’s 21st head coach following Harbaugh departure. Moore served on Harbaugh’s Michigan staff since 2018. He is the first Black head coach in the history of Michigan’s football program. Harbaugh gave his protégé a rousing endorsement.

“Sherrone (Moore) is the right man for the job,” Harbaugh said. “That’s the guy and they got it right.”

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

On the heels of a reported franchise sale earlier in the week, the Baltimore Orioles made a huge trade acquiring former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday night

It’s a monumental move for the Orioles coming off a 101-win season, with Burnes the frontline starter the team so desperately needs. Burnes has a 2.94 ERA in 93 starts over the past three years, winning the 2021 NL Cy Young award.

Milwaukee received pitcher DL Hall, shortstop Joey Ortiz and a 2024 competitive balance pick in the deal.

The 29-year-old Burnes is a free agent after the 2024 season. Until a few days ago, you’d have to assume that would make him an automatic rental in Baltimore – but fans will be eager to see if the new ownership group loosens the pursestrings after decades with the Angelos family in charge.

Burnes has 677 strikeouts over the past three years, second only to the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole in that stretch.

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‘Corbin was a tremendous part of our recent seasons of success, and we appreciate all he contributed to the organization over the years,’ Brewers GM Matt Arnold said in a statement.

Orioles rotation with Corbin Burnes

Burnes becomes the immediate ace of a Baltimore rotation that is expected to also include Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, John Means and Dean Kremer.

Bradish was stellar a second-year player in 2023, posting a 2.83 ERA in 30 starts, finishing fourth in AL Cy Young voting. Rodriguez, a top prospect, made 23 starts as a rookie last season and was terrific in the second half with a 2.58 ERA in 13 starts – after a 7.35 mark in his first 10 career outings. Means, an All-Star in 2019, missed most of the past two seasons after Tommy John surgery but returned late in 2023 .

DL Hall, Joey Ortiz to Brewers

Hall, the Orioles’ first-round pick in 2017, debuted in 2022 and made 18 appearances out of the bullpen for Baltimore in 2023. The left-handed pitcher had been among the top prospects in the Orioles system since joining the organization.

Ortiz, 25, made his big-league debut in 2023, playing 15 games down the stretch for the Orioles. Capable of playing second base, shortstop and third, Ortiz hit .321 in 88 Class AAA games before his promotion. In 2022, he hit 19 homers with 85 RBI across two levels.

Billed as a “historic two-game exhibition series,’ the New York Yankees’ 2024 preseason schedule will now conclude with a trip to Mexico City.

On the team’s website Friday, the Yankees revealed plans to play two exhibition games against Diablos Rojos del Mexico, March 24-25, at Mexico City’s Alfredo Harp Helu Stadium.

According to the Yankees, the club will maintain its final two previously scheduled Grapefruit League games on those dates (essentially creating split-squad games), including a March 25 home game in Tampa, Fla., against the Mets.

The Yankees open their 2024 regular season on March 28 at Houston.

Given the Yankees’ 27 world championships in franchise history and the Diablos Rojos’ 16 Mexican Baseball League titles, the clubs have the most championships in their respective leagues.

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This would mark the Yankees first visit to Mexico City for exhibition games since March 1968, when they also played the Diablos Rojos, a two-game set that resulted in a split.

According to the Yankees, ticket information will be provided at a later date through the Diablos Rojos.