5 sports things I'm most thankful for in 2023, from Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift to Coach Prime

There's a lot to be thankful for in 2023.

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

We are officially just one sleep away from Thanksgiving, folks! It’s almost turkey time. You’re this close to being able to finally stuff your face full of a bird that we only eat one time per year.

Well, at least that’s how it goes for us regular folks. For you turkey deli meat eaters, go find some help.

Anyway, let’s get into the holiday spirit, shall we? I’ve got five things for you in the world of sports from this year that I’m thankful for. Let’s dive into them, starting here with:

5. Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift: I’m not going to lie to y’all. I don’t care about this relationship. Not one bit. But you know who does? Y’all. And that’s been great for the traffic on our site. So thanks, Swifties. We’re crushing goals because of you.

4. The Tush Push: As a Philadelphia Eagles fan, I love this play. Of course, I do. My team does it better than anyone else’s team out there. It’s almost unstoppable. I know some of you love to hate it (looking at you, Mr. Zeglinski), but I’ll simply remind you that my favorite team would stop doing it if your favorite team could just get a stop. Be better.

3. The Texas Rangers: I love me a good improbable run to a championship. When my Nationals did it a few years ago I was over the moon. I’m sure you’re feeling the same right now, Rangers fans. This gives me hope as a fan of so many teams in D.C. that absolutely stink right now. My time is coming. Bilal Coulibaly will be the 2030 NBA Finals MVP. Book it.

2. Victor Wembanyama: I did not think this man was humanly possible. I thought that if you were going to be over 7 feet tall then you had to move like a giraffe. But no. This dude moves like a gazelle. He’s so smooth. Victor Wembanyama is amazing and I’m glad we get to watch him for the next however long we get to watch him.

RELATED: Victor Wembanyama has a slight lead on Chet Holmgren in FTW’s Rookie Ladder

1. Coach Prime: Listen, man. What Deion Sanders has been able to do in Colorado has been nothing short of remarkable. I’ve never seen anybody get so many people to care about such a bad team. It’s remarkable. People are rooting for him. People are also rooting against him. This is probably the most polarizing man in sports at this point and I’m loving every second of it.

That’s my list! What’s yours? Let us know here in this comment box and I’ll drop some of my favorite responses in the newsletter on Friday. Hope you have a happy holiday!

The NBA’s weird idea is working

(AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

The NBA In-Season Tournament is a hit, folks. This thing has got some legs to it.

The Indiana Pacers and the LA Lakers were the first two teams to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals of the tournament on Tuesday night.

• The Pacers played an epic matchup against the Hawks that ended with a 157-152 score in regulation. Sure, there wasn’t much (good) defense played, but the game was extremely fun. Tyrese Haliburton finished with 37 points and 16 assists. Remember who told you he was the best point guard in the NBA first.
• The Lakers destroyed the Jazz in a 131-99 blowout. Some interesting things did happen, though! LeBron James became the first player in league history to score 39,000 points in a career. The dude just keeps stacking records. The Lakers have a +74 point differential in the tournament so far. Can you say early favorite?

There are two more sets of games on Friday and Tuesday before the quarterfinals get started. Then we’ll see who the Pacers and Lakers have to play.

The In-Season Tournament is certainly the weirdest idea Adam Silver has ever come up with. But there’s no doubt it’s been working. The basketball is entertaining, the players are playing hard and, most importantly, the fans are paying attention, too. We’ll see if that shows up in the ratings. But, regardless, the quality is there. That’s a huge win for the NBA.

The cold side of the NFL

Mandatory Credit: Jenna Watson USA Today Network via Indianapolis Star

Seeing Shaq Leonard be released by the Colts was pretty shocking. Not only that, though, it was kind of heartbreaking. Because you can tell how much he loves Indianapolis. The city loves him back, too.

Cutting him was the right move financially. But it was also the coldest move. Here’s Meghan Hall on Leonard’s relationship with the Colts and how we got here.

“Life without Shaq Leonard will probably feel foreign to fans for quite some time. Shaq was the life and soul of the Colts’ defense for many seasons. A former HBCU standout with a goofy and larger-than-life personality,  Leonard brought so much juice to a team struggling to find the same energy that greats like Robert Mathis, Dwight Freeney and Gary Brackett brought to the franchise.

…

But several injuries over the last two seasons forced Leonard to be sidelined more than he or the Colts probably liked, leaving the door open for other players like Zaire Franklin to shine.”

The love between Leonard and the community is real. Even after he was cut, he still showed up to hand out turkeys to locals in the city.

Shaq Leonard was donating Turkeys to Indy locals today despite being cut by the Colts hours before

Real one

(via @RomeovilleKid) pic.twitter.com/USuPcSqkY2

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 22, 2023

His time there meant something. It was more than a contract. He was more than a cap hit. I hate seeing this. But there’s some hope for Leonard’s future. He’s still got something left in the tank. Hopefully, he lands in a spot where he can actually contribute.

READ MORE: Five teams that make the most sense for Shaq Leonard

Quick hits: The NFL’s most fireable head coaches … Is Lightning McQueen the GOAT? … and more

— Christian D’Andrea has you covered on the NFL’s most fireable head coaches in Week 12 and the list starts with Ron Rivera.

— The Washington Huskies are finally in the Top 4 for the College Football Playoff but our Prince Grimes doesn’t think it’ll last.

— Stephen A. Smith absolutely roasts this caller in an argument about Lightning McQueen. Just had him his Emmy now. Cory Woodruff has more.

— Texas A&M’s Athletic Director doesn’t realize what school he works for. Blake Schuster has more.

— Speaking of Victor Wembanyama, a game-worn jersey of his just sold for over $750k. Bryan Kalbrosky has more.

— Tom Brady thinks the NFL sucks now. Convenient. Cory Woodruff has more.

That’s all, folks! Thanks so much for reading. No newsletter on Thursday because of the holiday, but TMW will be back on Friday. Don’t forget to let us know what you’re thankful for!

Until next time, folks. Peace. Happy Thanksgiving!

-Sykes