Los Angeles Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten was strolling into the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto on New Year’s Day to watch the inaugural game of a new women’s professional hockey league – when someone yelled at him. 

“Hey,’ the guy blurted out, “you’re the [freaking] guy who stole Ohtani from us.’

Two days later, Kasten is in Boston for their season opener against Minnesota, and now he’s walking briskly, hoping to go unnoticed. 

“I was praying not to get any Mookie Betts’ [crap],’ Kasten said, well-aware that Red Sox fans are still livid that they traded Mookie Betts to the Dodgers in 2020.  

Kasten, after overseeing the Dodgers’ franchise-record expenditures of $1.35 billion for Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow in December, spent the first week of the new year visiting five of the six cities in the new Professional Women’s Hockey League, in which he’s an advisory board member.

HOT STOVE UPDATES: MLB free agency: Ranking and tracking the top players available.

He was there when a record 2.9 million Canadian viewers watched the first game on Jan. 1. He was there among the crowd of 8,318 in Ottawa the next day, the most fans ever to watch a women’s professional hockey game. And four days later he was at the Excel Center in St. Paul, Minn., when the record was shattered with 13,317 fans to watch Minnesota and Montreal. 

“I knew we had the elements in place,’ Kasten said, “but this has taken off so much better than we even hoped. It’s just amazing.’’ 

So, just what went through Kasten’s mind as he basked in the PWHL’s spectacular opening week, just six months after Dodgers chairman Mark Walter decided to start the league? 

“I went to all five games in Toronto, Ottawa, Boston, New York and Minnesota,’ Kasten told USA TODAY Sports, “and Ottawa was the only city in which I did not lose a World Series.’

Hilarious. 

Also true. 

When Kasten was president of Atlanta, they lost the 1991 World Series in Minnesota. They lost the World Series the next year in Toronto. And after winning the 1995 World Series, lost the 1996 World Series in New York. And in 2018, with Kasten at the helm, the Dodgers lost the 2018 World Series to Boston.

“The first was the toughest,’ said Kasten. “That ’91 World Series was the greatest ever. It was also the most painful loss in my career.’

Atlanta, which went from last place in 1990 to winning the NL West in 1991, lost Game 7 against the Minnesota Twins, 1-0, in 10 innings at the old Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. It was the first time a team lost a Game 7 in extra innings since 1924. 

“So when I hear people say they suffered the most painful loss of their career,’’ Kasten said, “I tell them, “More painful loss than a Game 7 in extra innings?’ I don’t think so. ‘

Well, the way the Dodgers have dominated this offseason, spending a record $1.1 billion this winter with an estimated player payroll of $310 million this year, it may be the last time he’ll ever experience a World Series loss while president of the Dodgers. 

“People have to understand, we are still in the Dodgers,’ Kasten said. “The Dodger franchise is unique and historic, and we hoped to have a historic season. High payrolls are no guarantee of success. We all know that. We’ve had high payrolls before and didn’t win, just like a lot of teams. 

“High payrolls bring high expectations.’

Those expectations hit a crescendo the morning of Dec. 9 when Ohtani’s agent, Nez Balelo, telephoned Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations, one minute before Ohtani unveiled the news to the rest of the world on his Instagram account. 

Yet, 24 hours earlier, the Dodgers had no idea where Ohtani was going. They were caught up in the erroneous reports that Ohtani was on that plane, N616RH, heading from Orange County to Toronto, carrying Shark Tank investor Robert Herjavec instead of the greatest player in the game. 

“That airplane day, we had no freaking idea,’’ Kasten said. “We were watching the airplane reports. I’m looking at the tweets and everything else. The agent is reassuring us that no decision has been made. But it’s not the first time I heard something from an agent that was not true. But in this case, everything was completely truthful. Nez [Balelo] was straight with us from the start. 

“So on that day, we’re thinking we have a 50-50 shot. Then it’s 75-25. Then it’s 25-75. It’s 21%, it’s 14%, we were all over the map with every new tweet. 

“We didn’t get a heads-up until a minute beforehand when Nez called Andrew. Andrew called me 10 seconds later. So, I only knew 50 seconds before the rest of the world knew.’

Just 2 ½ weeks later, the Dodgers signed Yamamoto to the richest contract for a pitcher, 12-years, $325 million, while trading for Glasnow, too, giving him a five-year, $136.5 million extension. 

Days later there was Kasten, who once was GM of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and later president of the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers and Atlanta MLB team simultaneously, making his PWHL tour. It was a concept that began just six months earlier, funded by Walter, while tennis legend Billie Jean King is an advisory board member alongside Kasten. 

“The reaction was immediate,’ Kasten said. “Women’s hockey works as an entertainment value and as a business. We were able to negotiate a CBA [collective bargaining agreement] from scratch, and have one league with the best players in the world. The quality of hockey is right, and everything has come together so well. Every game is a big-league broadcast. Our ratings are sky high. There’s a great interest in our apparel. The outpouring of support has been phenomenal. 

“This is not for the short-term. This is not just for the long-term. This is permanent.’ 

Well, the same can be uttered about the Dodgers’ dominance in the game. They have won 10 of the last 11 NL West titles, and won 106 games the year they fell short. The Dodgers, buoyed by their season-ticket renewals,  could draw a franchise-record four million fans this season. They barely can keep merchandise stocked in their stores. They may be baseball’s most popular team with 13 games already scheduled for national TV. 

Really there’s no reason to believe the Dodgers won’t rule the division for another 10 years. They continue to have one of the richest farm systems in baseball. They just built a new performance center at their spring-training facility in Phoenix. They plan on having another Dodger Stadium renovation next winter, too. 

Considering the national and international interest in the Dodgers, it may be wise to include a new pressbox in that renovation too. 

The Dodgers, thanks to Ohtani’s decision, will be a perennial power that could stand the test of time. 

“I think this is good for baseball,’’ Kasten said. “The Dodger brand is unique and historic, and now it’s combined with the Ohtani brand, which is unique and historic. People in Japan are telling me that Ohtani is bigger in Japan than [Michael] Jordan was here. His presence is extraordinary. I don’t know who you compare him to, Messi? His presence is extraordinary. 

“I always felt the ideal spot for Ohtani was here. I thought it made too much sense. And when we first got the report of what Shohei was proposing (deferring $680 million of the $700 million), we knew instantly this could work out.’

Now, the only thing left on the checklist is another World Series championship, with their only title since 1988 coming during the 60-game COVID shortened season in 2020. 

The expectations this year are clear. Anything less than a World Series title will be a vicious disappointment. It’s World Series or bust. 

“I think it will be fun,’’ Kasten said. “We have a team that’s all in. We have a team that has everybody so excited. I’m proud of the team Andrew and [GM] Brandon [Gomes] have put together. 

“Now, we’ll get a chance to see just how it all works out.’

Around the basepaths

– The Seattle Mariners have quietly entered trade talks with the Chicago White Sox for ace Dylan Cease, with the White Sox seeking a package centered around young starters Bryce Miller or Bryan Woo. 

If the Mariners meet the White Sox’s steep asking price, they would have one of the most powerful starting rotations in baseball with Luis Castillo, Cease, Logan Gilbert and George Kirby. 

If the White Sox can’t complete a trade with the Mariners, they are expected to open the season with Cease. They could revisit trade talks with teams towards the July 30 trade deadline or wait to see if a team becomes desperate with a sudden injury. 

– Spring training is less than three weeks away but Cody Bellinger and J.D. Martinez still have not received a formal contract offer. Two-time Cy Young award winner Blake Snell’s lone offer was a six-year, $150 million deal from the New York Yankees after Snell requested $270 million over nine years. 

– There have been more than 170 kids who lied about their age in a Dominican Republic signing scandal, according to Diario Libre. There were more than 50 international prospects who had their contracts rejected, including at least 22 players with future deals worth more than $1 million. 

One player had a handshake agreement for $6 million. Another claimed he was 14 years old when he actually turned out to be 21. 

MLB investigators do not have an actual count but believe those numbers could be inflated, insisting the known cases of fraud have been flat over the years.    

In several of these recent cases, kids and their trainers were informing teams they are only 13 or 14 years old, negotiating deals that would be officially consummated when they were 16. In reality, they would already be 18 or 19 years old. 

The Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox had five players who lied about their age. 

MLB opened an age and Identity Investigation Department more than 10 years ago, which uses an extensive process to verify age and ID trying to curb the corruption. It does not approve any first-year international contracts with a signing bonus above $20,000 in any country without an age and ID investigation. It reviews more than 1,000 cases per year. 

It’s unknown whether an international draft would definitely help eliminate the fraudulent and illegal behavior, but certainly there would be more scrutiny involving those prospects to help determine the truth. 

– Now that Joe Mauer is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, his election should certainly open the door for first-ballot elections for catchers Yadier Molina and Buster Posey. 

Hall of Fame catcher Ted Simmons says that Molina is the greatest defensive catcher he’s ever seen, with teammates and peers believing that no one had more of an impact in games. This is a guy who won two World Series, was a 10-time All-Star and a nine-time Gold Glove winner. 

The St. Louis Cardinals permitted a whopping 540 fewer stolen bases than any team in baseball since 1998 when baseball expanded to 30 teams, according to Codify Baseball, with Molina joining the Cardinals in 2004.  

It will be a heck of a 2028 Hall of Fame class with Molina and Albert Pujols going into the Hall of Fame together. 

– Three-time World Series champion Jon Lester, who may find himself in Cooperstown one day, says he was absolutely thrilled to see former teammate Adrian Beltre elected into the Hall of Fame. 

“He’s such a great human being, really an incredible human being and incredible teammate,’ said Lester after playing at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions golf tournament. “One thing about Adrian is that joker plays no matter what. I’m sure physically he tried to play through pain, and he still went out there and did his job. 

“I’ve never seen anything like him. He tore his hamstring, and still was out there trying to play. Just incredible.’’ 

– It’s hard to believe that the only five players remaining from the last Boston Red Sox postseason team in 2021 are Rafael Devers, Bobby Dalbec, Nick Pivetta, Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck. 

– The Oakland A’s still are searching for a home to play in 2025-2027 until their Las Vegas ballpark is ready, already visiting sites in Salt Lake City, Sacramento, Reno, and their Triple-A ballpark in Las Vegas. 

They likely wouid split time with games played at Oracle Park in San Francisco, home of the Giants. 

– Kudos to Houston Astros GM Dana Brown for reaching out to veteran reliever Ryan Pressly to inform him they were negotiating with free-agent closer Josh Hader before signing him to a five-year, $95 million contract. 

“I didn’t want to get down the road on this without talking to Pressly,” Brown told Houston reporters. “I think that Pressly means so much to this organization. His leadership in the clubhouse, his leadership in the bullpen, the things that he’s done for this organization. He’s just been a pillar. But I wanted to talk to him because I know that’s the right thing to do.” 

– It’s hard to believe the Baltimore Orioles, after winning 101 games last year, won’t do anything more this winter than sign veteran closer Craig Kimbrel to a one-year, $13 million contract to replace injured Felix Bautista. 

They need another frontline starter, but talks with the White Sox for Dylan Cease have stopped. 

They currently have just a $73 million payroll. 

– The Arizona Diamondbacks had strong interest in J.D. Martinez and Justin Turner before turning to Joc Pederson to be their DH, giving him a one-year, $12.5 million contract that turns into a two-year, $23.5 deal if the mutual option is picked up. 

– Shrewd move by the Los Angeles Angels putting in a clause to protect them in reliever Robert Stephenson’s three-year, $33 million contract. If he spends 130 consecutive days on the injured list with an elbow injury, the Angels have a club option for a fourth season for just $2.5 million. 

The Angels have spent $49 million on relievers this winter with Matt Moore, Luis Garcia, Adam Cimber, Adam Kolarek and Stephenson. 

The Angels’ bullpen yielded a 4.88 ERA last season, ranking 25th, and gave up the second-most homers in the league with 88. 

– The Baltimore Orioles honored esteemed baseball writer Jim Henneman by naming the press box after him at Camden Yards. Henneman began his writing career in 1958. 

– The Chicago Cubs were patient and landed veteran reliever Hector Neris on a one-year, $9 million contract with a $9 million club option. He was originally seeking a three-year deal from the Houston Astros. 

He comes at $1 million less than David Robertson’s one-year, $10 million deal with the Texas Rangers. 

– A year ago, the Dodgers opened the season with a starting rotation of Julio Urias, Dustin May, Clayton Kershaw, Noah Syndergaard and Michael Grove. 

Only May and Grove remain with the Dodgers with Kerhsaw still officially a free agent.

– CC Sabathia, who will be eligible for the Hall of Fame next year, says he didn’t start seriously thinking about the honor until a trip with his son at Cooperstown a few years ago. 

“That was the first time I really, really, really thought about it,” Sabathia said. “I was like, ‘Damn, I really want to be in the Hall of Fame.’ I never thought about being in the Hall of Fame when I was playing. But going up there, it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, this is cool.’ ” 

– The Milwaukee Brewers made a good move signing first baseman Rhys Hoskins to a two-year, $34 million contract, their most lucrative free-agent contract since Lorenzo Cain (5 years, $80 million) in 2018. He’ll earn just $12 million this season with an $18 million salary in 2025. If Hoskins opts out, he’ll earn an additional $4 million. They also have a mutual option at $18 million in 2026. 

– Tickets are going for as high as $1,300 for MLB’s opening series in Seoul, South Korea, with the Dodgers and Padres, featuring Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The capacity at Gocheok Sky Dome is slightly less than 17,000. 

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale 

The ‘Role Model’ and the ‘American Nightmare’ will be headlining WrestleMania. Bayley and Cody Rhodes emerged as the winners of the women’s and men’s Royal Rumble matches, guaranteeing themselves championship matches at WWE’s flagship event.

The two stars are some of the most decorated people in wrestling, and the wins on Saturday could add to their legacies, with championship opportunities on the table when they get in the ring at WrestleMania 40 on April 6 and 7 at Lincoln Financial Field.

But the biggest event in WWE is still more than two months away. Who will Bayley and Rhodes face at WrestleMania? And what will be in store for them leading up to it?

Here’s a look at what could be ahead for the two Royal Rumble winners:

What’s next for Bayley?

To start off, the win gives even more power to Damage CTRL, who already claim a women’s championship and tag team titles.

Before the Royal Rumble, Bayley told USA TODAY Sports she planned on challenging Rhea Ripley for the Women’s World Championship since Iyo Sky holds the WWE Women’s Championship. But is it really that clear?

There has obviously been some on-screen awkwardness when it comes to Bayley and the rest of Damage CTRL. Sky, Asuka, Kairi Sane and Dakota Kai have been celebrating the success of the group while seemingly isolating Bayley from it. It hasn’t turned into much tension for Bayley, but it’s clear there’s on-screen disconnect with the presumed leader. It wouldn’t be surprising to see someone from − or all of − Damage CTRL turn on Bayley, which could lead to Bayley challenging Sky at WrestleMania in a match fans would love to see.

Bayley was a popular pick to win the Rumble, and she clearly had the crowd rooting for her, making it easy to turn her face for the first time since she ditched the ‘hugger’ persona. She isn’t shying away from the hype, and playing into it might even give this possible match more buildup.

‘Everything I’ve been doing has been real and genuine and natural. This is who I am now,’ Bayley said in the post-event press conference. ‘If you guys are liking it and you guys want to see me win, then hell yeah. I’ve been telling you guys that I’m supposed to be winning these matches. Let’s celebrate together.’

She didn’t say anything about who she’d face, but it doesn’t seem far-fetched to see her take on her current teammate. If it is Ripley she chooses, it gives the women’s division a main event caliber matchup between two of its most popular stars.

What’s next for Cody Rhodes?

While Bayley’s path isn’t as clear, there’s no question as to what’s next for Rhodes.

‘I want to be back in the ring with Roman Reigns, and I want to finish the story,’ Rhodes said after his win.

It was clear from the moment he won what was next for the ‘American Nightmare.’ After pointing to the WrestleMania 40 sign, Rhodes then pointed at Reigns, who was in a suite at Tropicana Field. Rhodes shouted words at Reigns, while the champion shouted back.

As everyone knows, Rhodes came to WWE to ‘finish the story’ by winning the company’s top title. He fell short when he lost to Reigns at WrestleMania 39, but now he gets a second chance.

‘I’m very big on keeping my word,’ Rhodes said. ‘If I say something silly on TV, but it’s a promise, I intend to keep the promise. I don’t know if two time’s the charm with Roman. We’ll see.

‘We still got to finish the damn story.’

Let the buildup begin.

And then there were four. Two conference title games to determine which of the NFL’s final quartet of playoff participants qualify for Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas next month.

Sunday’s action will begin in Baltimore, where the Ravens will host their first AFC championship game by welcoming the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs to Charm City. One team (Lamar Jackson’s) seeks its third Lombardi Trophy. The other (Patrick Mahomes’) seeks its third Lombardi Trophy … in the past five seasons. Good luck picking here.

The NFC championship game will feature the San Francisco 49ers for the fourth time in the last five seasons, the Niners − winners of five Super Bowls in the game’s first 29 years − seeking their first over the past 29 campaigns. But they’ll have to ward off the feel-good Detroit Lions, just one victory from playing on Super Sunday for the first time after reaching their second-ever NFC title tilt.

Who advances? Who doesn’t? Our experts make their selections:

NFL conference championship game picks

(Odds provided by BetMGM. Access more BetMGM odds here.)

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NFL conference championship predictions, picks, odds

Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens
Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers

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The Philadelphia Eagles are hiring Kellen Moore as offensive coordinator, just three days after he was sort of let go by the Los Angeles Chargers.

NFL Network reported the news late Saturday night. It came two days after the Eagles acted quickly to fill their defensive coordinator position by hiring Vic Fangio, one day after he had been let go by the Miami Dolphins.

Moore wasn’t officially let go by the Chargers, who hired Jim Harbaugh as head coach on Wednesday. But the Chargers did allow him to interview with other teams after blocking him previously. That was presumably done to give the Chargers a fall-back option in case Harbaugh decided to stay at Michigan.

Moore had just finished his first season with the Chargers, working with quarterback Justin Herbert. He spent the previous four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, where he worked with Dak Prescott.

Moore, just 35 years old, is expected to have a major role in shaping the Eagles’ offense. He’ll be tasked with helping Jalen Hurts get back to his form from 2022 when Hurts was the MVP runner-up and led the Eagles to the Super Bowl.

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But Hurts regressed this season, especially during the Eagles’ 1-6 finish. The Eagles fired Brian Johnson last week after his first season as the offensive coordinator.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni made clear last Wednesday that he wanted ‘fresh ideas’ in a new offensive coordinator, meaning he would look outside the organization. He said the Eagles’ offense ‘got a little bit stale’ toward the end of the season.

‘I’m excited about that, the new ideas meshing with some of the old ideas,’ Sirianni said. ‘We got a little bit stale on offense by the end of the year. And these ideas and this new person coming in is meant to take away the staleness and add the value of what they’re adding to the offense.’

The Chargers struggled offensively this season under Moore, going 5-12 as head coach Brandon Staley was fired late in the season. Herbert missed the last four games of the season as did star receiver Keenan Allen. The Chargers’ other top receiver, Mike Williams, played in only three games this season.

In Dallas, Moore was seen as a rising star in the coaching ranks as the Cowboys had the NFL’s top-ranked offense in yards per game in two of his four seasons as coordinator. The only time the Cowboys were outside the top 11 was in 2020 when Prescott played in only five games.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl.

AMES, Iowa – T.J. Otzelberger was adamant after Wednesday night’s win over Kansas State that he would not discuss whatever prompted a pair of contentious interactions between him and Wildcats coach Jerome Tang. 

That, apparently, changed, after allegations of Iowa State spying on Kansas State’s timeout huddles were reported by the Kansas City Star. 

The Iowa State men’s basketball coach lambasted Kansas State and those contentions in his postgame press conference following the Cyclones’ 79-75 win against No. 8 Kansas. 

‘It’s incredibly disappointing that after such an awesome game, an awesome environment and atmosphere, that I even have to begin by addressing something that happened earlier this week,’ Otzelberger said. ‘The ludicrous rumors earlier this week that somehow we were trying to gain an advantage looking into our opponent’s huddles is an affront to our players, our fans and to me.

‘It’s not who I am. It’s not what our program is about, and I’m angry that someone would even make that suggestion.’

The situation spilled into public view at the under-8 timeout in the second half of the Cyclones’ win Wednesday when Tang was seen gesturing to the crowd behind the Wildcat bench and subsequently crossed halfcourt to have an animated discussion with Otzelberger. In the usual postgame handshake line, Tang continued to harangue Otzelberger. 

Neither coach would publicly address the situation with the press after the game. 

“I know you saw what you saw,” Tang said, “but I’m not going to talk about it.” 

Said Otzelberger: “There’s a point and time where things are said between coaches that needs to stay that way.” 

Thursday night, though, the Kansas City Star reported that the issue was Kansas State’s concern that Iowa State had “placed managers and/or other team representatives in spots behind the visiting bench where they could view, and possibly record, the Wildcats as they huddled up during timeouts,” citing anonymous sources. 

Kansas State, through a spokesperson, declined to comment on the allegations in an email to The Des Moines Register before Saturday’s game. 

Otzelberger passionately disputed those allegations while also making one of his own about the Kansas State coaching staff’s conduct toward the Cyclones’ student managers.

‘What is factual is that one of their staff members cursed out one of our student managers who was mopping the floor under the basket,’ Otzelberger said. ‘So let’s put this to bed here and now. It didn’t happen. It won’t happen.

‘And others need to be much more careful with their words moving forward.’ 

The Big 12 did not respond to an email from The Register inquiring as to whether the league had received any formal complaints or would investigate the claims. 

If the allegations were a distraction at all for Iowa State and its players, it did not show up in their win over the Jayhawks.

‘It’s just noise,’ senior Tre King said after scoring a game-high 21 points against Kansas. ‘We don’t let that stuff affect us.

‘When you live in truth, people can say what they want to say. We know what we do. We know what we do well. At the end of the day, our habits and our character take over. Games like this are the culmination of that.’

Certainly, the situation will make the regular-season finale March 9 between Iowa State and Kansas State in Manhattan an especially anticipated affair, beyond even the NCAA Tournament and Big 12 standing stakes that game could very well have.  

‘I wanted to make sure when we addressed it, we were speaking in facts,’ Otzelberger said, ‘and that’s why we handled it in the matter we did today when we had the facts after everything had transpired.’

Travis Hines covers Iowa State University sports for the Des Moines Register and Ames Tribune. Contact him at thines@amestrib.com or  (515) 284-8000. Follow him on X at @TravisHines21.

John Harbaugh and Andy Reid have been to plenty of conference title games together. 

Sunday’s AFC championship game will be the first in a while – and a little different. Instead of patrolling the same sideline, they can look across the field at one another when the No. 1 Baltimore Ravens host the No. 3 Kansas City Chiefs.

Reid, the Chiefs’ head coach since 2013, went to five NFC championship games during his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles (1999-2012). Harbaugh was a Reid assistant – first as special teams coordinator for eight seasons, then as defensive backs coach in 2007 before the Ravens hired him as head coach in 2008. He coached in four straight title games.

“Obviously, it’s a big deal in terms of the relationship,” Harbaugh said Monday. “It goes back a long, long way. Utmost respect for Andy, utmost appreciation for what he’s accomplished as a coach. We were in a lot of championship games – a lot of playoff games. I learned so much. I just learned so much as a coach and as a person.” 

Reid, 65, is the oldest active NFL head coach. Harbaugh is second at 61. They remain close friends and the deans of their occupation. 

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“He knows the whole game,” Reid said of his mentee. “He was a great special teams coach, great secondary coach, and he’s been a great head coach. Very proud of him for all that he’s done and accomplished.”

What Andy Reid taught John Harbaugh

Behind Reid’s desk in Philadelphia was a 3×5 index card on a bulletin board. 

“It said, ‘Don’t judge,’ ‘ Harbaugh said. 

Eventually, Harbaugh mustered the courage to ask Reid about the card. Basically, Reid replied, it was a biblical principle. 

“Take people where they’re at. Assume the best. Try to communicate with everybody on equal terms. I never forgot that,” Harbaugh said. 

Harbaugh was young and figuring things out, he said. Reid didn’t have to keep him on staff when he took over in Philadelphia. “That was good of him,” Harbaugh said. “Hope he’s glad he did, looking back on it.” 

It helped that Reid knew Harbaugh’s father, Jack Harbaugh. 

“His dad was the best,” Reid told reporters Wednesday. 

Jack Harbaugh came to know Reid through his connection to BYU coach LaVell Edwards, whom Reid played for in college and later coached under. 

“When I met John, I’m going, ‘Man, if you’re half as good as your dad, you’re on,’ ” Reid said. “So it didn’t take very long.” 

The Eagles didn’t win many of those NFC title games — once in their five tries under Reid.

Reid (282-160 career record, including playoffs) has won two Super Bowls since becoming head coach of the Chiefs in 2013 and has led his team to six consecutive AFC championship games. Harbaugh (272-108) hasn’t been to the conference title matchup in a decade and has one Super Bowl ring.

Reid won’t be the only familiar face on the opposing sideline for Harbaugh on Sunday. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo spent several years as a defensive assistant during their Philadelphia days, and special teams coordinator Dave Toub was with the Eagles from 2001-03. 

“It’s just a very talented group of people,” Harbaugh said, “and (I) have the utmost respect for them.”

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has reached a deal on a contract extension that will keep him in the role through the end of the decade, a person familiar with the agreement told USA TODAY Sports.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the extension.

Silver, 61, became commissioner in 2014, taking over for David Stern. Silver has negotiated two collective bargaining agreements as commissioner, including the most recent CBA that ensures labor peace through the 2029-30 season.

Silver has been instrumental in increasing league revenue, which has rewarded owners and players. A decade ago, the salary cap for each team was $63 million, and this season, it is $136 million, and Damian Lillard is scheduled to earn $63.2 million in 2026-27.

In 2014, the Milwaukee Bucks sold for a then-record $550 million, and last year, Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and Haslam Sports Group bought a 25% stake in the Bucks on a $3.5 billion valuation.

With a new CBA in place, Silver’s attention is focused on a new media rights deal and then the possibility of expansion, both of which will generate more money for players and owners.

Even though WWE kicked off its road to WrestleMania on Saturday with the 2024 Royal Rumble, there was still a ‘dark cloud’ hanging over the company in the wake of the lawsuit filed this week against Vince McMahon.

Two days before the Royal Rumble took place, a lawsuit was filed against McMahon, which alleges the wrestling company’s founder took part in the sex trafficking and assault of a former employee. McMahon has denied the allegations, but on Friday he resigned as executive chairman and board member of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE.

After the Royal Rumble, reporters asked WWE chief content officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque and men’s Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes about the lawsuit. Their comments marked the first time anyone from WWE had publicly spoken about it.

What did Cody Rhodes say about Vince McMahon lawsuit?

Rhodes was the first person to be asked about the lawsuit at the press conference. He was open answering questions about it, beginning his answer by saying he and other WWE stars found out about the news as it broke Thursday. He agreed with a reporter that the situation casts a ‘dark cloud’ over the company, but he isn’t sure what’s next for McMahon and WWE.

‘As far as TKO, Nick Khan and the board, clearly (they) took it very seriously (and) acted immediately,’ Rhodes said. ‘Looking at the future, I don’t know the answer to that.’

Rhodes then spoke about the comradery throughout the roster and said it’s led to holding everyone accountable. He also said he hopes the talent on every show is able to help people still enjoy wrestling

‘I’ve been through dark periods in our industry before,’ Rhodes said. ‘If you’re in my position, that’s a time when ‘Hey, we got 50,000 people out here. I want to give them something else from this weekend that isn’t a terrible situation and terrible news.’

‘Obviously, as more news comes out, we’ll be seeing it just like you do.’

What did Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque say about Vince McMahon lawsuit?

Levesque mostly deflected when asked questions about the lawsuit multiple times by reporters, saying he wanted to focus on the ‘amazing week’ WWE had in the Florida area, which included the company signing a $5 billion deal with Netflix.

‘I choose to focus on the positive and yes, there’s a negative but I want to focus on that and just keep it to that,’ Levesque said.

He was then asked about how WWE is making sure employees feel safe in the company, and he responded by saying it’s a ‘very important’ topic and that WWE is doing ‘everything possible’ to ensure that. Levesque was then asked about his reaction to the lawsuit. He said he didn’t read the lawsuit, but said like Rhodes, he found out about all of it on Thursday.

‘I’ll go back to what I said before. This is an amazing week for us, and just at this point, I don’t even want to get bogged down in the negatives of it,’ Levesque said. ‘I just want to focus on the positives and where we’re going and we’re at the most exciting time of the year for us.’

Levesque added this is the best positioning of the company since the ‘Attitude Era’ from the late 1990s to early 2000s.

To borrow words from the late, great Marvin Gaye, “What’s going on?”

Oh, I’ve certainly heard. My hometown is in a state of emergency – uh, euphoria ‒ over those gritty Leos. Never mind the Arctic blast that recently blew through Detroit. The people are warmed by Lions Fever, which surely hasn’t come around every winter but strikes now like Halley’s Comet.

The Lions will have a chance on Sunday to win a championship game for the first time since 1957.

No, I didn’t witness the 1957 blowout of the Cleveland Browns at Briggs Stadium, which was situated four miles from where I grew up on Detroit’s west side. But it’s in the history books. And I find it interesting that to advance to that crowning finale, the Lions had to win a playoff game at San Francisco.

To get to this season’s crowning game, Super Bowl 58, the Lions have to beat the 49ers. Hmmm. Maybe there’s some sort of cosmic force – on the other side of the “Bobby Layne Curse” – working with all that grit Dan Campbell has preached about.

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In any event, there’s another chapter in Detroit sports history being written by the current Lions that has moved longtime followers. Win or lose on Sunday, the Lions have already claimed a beloved place of lore. That I know because of the passion I’m feeling from relatives, old classmates and longtime friends through text messages, calls, videos and social-media posts.

And, to borrow from another classic Motown tune, I’ve heard it through the grapevine that in this run-up to another huge title game, the Motor City is awash in ‘Honolulu Blue.’

‘Honolulu Blue’ is everywhere in Detroit

Honolulu what? That’s the specific shade of blue belonging to the team – and its people.

Thus, the Spirit of Detroit monument downtown on Woodward Avenue is wearing a blue Lions jersey. Office towers, like the Renaissance Center and DTE Energy, are lit up in blue. The Old Main building on Wayne State’s campus? Blue. And it’s a thing now for people to use blue lights to illuminate their porches. What in the name of Lem Barney?

There are blue cocktails served in honor of the Leos. And blue popcorn.

Then there’s the hair. Amon-Ra St. Brown, the special Lions receiver with great hands, christened the playoffs by dyeing his hair Honolulu Blue. It has sparked a local trend. Even a longtime fan in hospice care in Saginaw, about 100 miles north of Detroit, now has blue hair.

Talk about Lions pride. No, Stephen A. Smith, the Lions haven’t saved the city from decades of deterioration. Much of that, longtime residents will tell you, is linked to economic factors that include the city not getting a fair share of federal and state recovery funds following the devastating 1967 riots; massive downsizing of the auto industry; a significant population exodus and government corruption. But the football team has surely enabled some unity among the masses.

That’s what a sports team is capable of when it blossoms like these Lions have. Ford Field was a madhouse last weekend for the victory against Tampa Bay, like it was a week earlier for the playoff opener against the Rams. And I mean madhouse in a good way, amplified by the deafening roar.

There were grown men crying as they celebrated victory. Serious, emotional stuff.

So many Detroiters have supported the Lions through thick and thin (hello, 0-16), which is why it’s a shame the franchise has already capitalized on its new prowess by raising season-ticket prices for next season.

Of course, the cloud-nine feeling has been there before. I had moved away by the time the Detroit Pistons had their “Bad Boys” championship run, winning the first two of their three NBA titles in 1989 and 1990. Yet a vivid memory from a visit home during that period was the rallying cry, “Deee-troit Basketball.” The serenade, originated by PA announcer John Mason, wasn’t reserved exclusively for games; it caught on throughout the city.

Which brings to mind the “Ja-red Goff! Ja-red Goff!” chants from fans at Ford Field, which apparently began when ex-Lions QB Matthew Stafford returned earlier this month with the Rams. And at a recent Red Wings game, fans broke out the Goff chant at Little Caesars Arena.

Campbell knows the strong connection between the people and their Detroit teams. When he took over as Lions coach in 2020, during his opening press conference, he referenced “biting kneecaps.” But he also declared something else that may have been overlooked.

He said he wanted to have a team that the city would be proud of. He never forgot the love and passion he felt during his Lions years as a tight end, which included being on injured reserve during the 0-16 campaign in 2008.

Then again, the “kneecaps” declaration was enough to win over a particular fan base for a team that had been pushed around too long.

Take it from my sister. She is a huge Campbell fan. It’s the authenticity that connects.

A few months ago during training camp, when I told her I was scheduled to visit that day with Campbell, her eyes lit up like something from back in the day, when she was all crazy about The Jackson 5.

Fast-forward to this week: Sister went to the salon and had her nails done. Naturally, the fresh coat of polish is Honolulu Blue.