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NFL Playoff Wild Card Weekend Preview

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The NFL Playoffs are ready to kickoff Saturday

Mark Eckel takes a look at all six NFL playoff games this weekend

The Playoff Rule Everyone Wants Changed

It’s something that almost everyone wants changed, and yet it never gets changed. Way back in the mid 1990s at almost every owner’s meetings it was brought up that if a wild-card team has a better record than a division champion the wild-card team should get the home playoff game.

Several coaches and general managers before the vote was taken told me though those years they thought the rule should be changed. They felt the team with the better record should get the home game.

Then they would vote and it would stay the same.

This year, some 30 years later, it’s still the same. As the 2026 NFL playoffs kick off the Carolina Panthers, the NFC South champion, losers of their last two games and with a record of 8-9, will host the Los Angeles Rams (12-5), a team many consider the best overall team in the league.

Losing Records Hosting Playoff Games

Carolina will be the fifth team to host a playoff game with a losing record. Those teams, including the 2014 Panthers, are 2-2 in those wild-card games.

Here’s the list:

2010: Seattle (7-9) beat New Orleans (11-5), 41-36
2014: Carolina (7-8-1) beat Arizona (11-5), 27-16
2020: Washington (8-9) lost to Tampa Bay (11-5), 31-23
2022 Tampa Bay (8-9) lost to Dallas (12-5), 31-14

Seattle, in 2010, and Carolina, in 2014, lost in the next round of the playoffs.

Can the Panthers, a 10-point home underdog, pull off the upset and beat the Rams for a second time this season? Here’s a look at all six wild-card games.

Los Angeles Rams at Carolina Panthers, Sat. 4:30 p.m.

Rams coach Sean McVay, at 39 years, 345 days, became the third youngest coach to win his 100th game last week. Only Green Bay’s Curley Lambeau (36) and Chicago’s George Halas (39, 254) were younger. Carolina coach Dave Canales is 44 and trails McVay by 87 wins. One of Canales 13 wins came against the Rams earlier this season, so the Panthers certainly won’t be in awe. Four of the Rams five losses also came on the road this year, so yes Carolina has a chance. If the Panthers can keep it close, watch out for special teams play that also cost the Rams in three of their losses.

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears, Sat. 8 p.m.

These two old rivals — the oldest in the NFL — have met 212 times and only two have come in the playoffs. In 1941, the Bears won a Western Division playoff game and in 2010 the Packers won the NFC Championship Game. Both of those were in Chicago. This will also be the third time in six weeks these two meet with each team winning their home game. The Packers rested most of their key players last week to prepare for this one. The Bears played their starters and still lost to Detroit. Green Bay’s 13 road playoff wins are the most in league history and its 37 total playoff wins are tied for second most behind San Francisco’s 39. Chicago’s last playoff appearance was in 2020, its last playoff win was in 2010.

Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars, Sun. 1 p.m.

Jacksonville had one of the greatest turnarounds in league history going from 4-13 to 13-4. Only three teams have ever lost 13 games one year and won 13 the next — the 1999 Colts and the Jags and Patriots this year. This is the Bills seventh straight playoff appearance, but their first as a wild-card in six years. Jacksonville comes in winners of eight straight, while the Bills have won five of six, with the only loss a one-point decision to the Eagles in which it tried to win it with a two-point conversion in the final seconds. This might be the best game of the weekend.

San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles, Sun. 4:30 p.m.

Under head coach Kyle Shanahan the 49ers are a perfect 6-0 in wild-card and second-round playoff games and two of those were on the road in Dallas and in Green Bay. The Eagles, however, have never lost a home playoff game (5-0) under head coach Nick Sirianni. So something has to give. The Eagles rested their key players last week in a loss to Washington and settled for the No. 3 seed. The 49ers lost a chance to be the top seed when they lost to Seattle. In that game the Niners scored three points, their least since Shanahan’s first game as head coach in 2017.

Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots, Sun 8 p.m.

This is the fourth time these two teams will meet in the postseason and the Patriots are 3-0. Of course all three came with Tom Brady at quarterback for the Pats. Drake Maye is having a Brady-like season, but this will be his first postseason game. Jim Harbaugh lost in the first round with the Chargers a year ago, but he has good playoff experience in his time with San Francisco. Mike Vrabel has taken the Pats to the postseason in his first year after taking Tennessee there four times.

Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers, Mon. 8 p.m.

Pittsburgh hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016, going 0-5 since then. The Steelers have lost to Jacksonville at home (2017), Cleveland at home (2020), at Kansas City (2021), at Buffalo (2023) and at Baltimore (2024). Are they due? Or are they cursed? Houston comes in on a nine-game winning streak. The Texans are 0-6 in road playoff games. And they haven’t won in Pittsburgh since 2002. Houston QB C.J. Stroud was nine years old when Aaron Rodgers won the Super Bowl for Green Bay in 2010.





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The Golf Landscape Shifts as the LPGA and TMRW Sports Announce the launch of WTGL—the Women’s Tomorrow’s Golf League.

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Building on the tech-infused, arena-based success of the men’s TGL, this new league is designed to bring women’s golf into a high-octane, prime-time environment. Here is everything you need to know about the launch, the players, and the financial landscape of WTGL.

2025 Mike Ehrmann/TGL

What is WTGL? The Future of Women’s Golf

WTGL is a tech-driven, indoor simulator league that features the world’s best LPGA stars. Unlike traditional 72-hole stroke play across vast courses, WTGL matches are held in a custom-built arena, combining a massive simulator for long shots with a dynamic, motorized chipping and putting complex for the short game.

Key Dates for 2026 and Beyond

 * Inaugural Season: The league is scheduled to debut in Winter 2026-27.

 * The Schedule: Matches will take place during the LPGA offseason (typically between late November and January), ensuring no conflict with the traditional tour schedule.

 * Venue: All matches will be played at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida—the same state-of-the-art, 1,500-seat venue used by the men’s TGL.

Who’s Involved? Teams and Ownership

While the full roster of players and team names is still being finalized, the “founding fathers” and investors of the league are already making waves.

The Power Players

 * TMRW Sports: Led by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and CEO Mike McCarley, the group provides the technological backbone and the SoFi Center venue.

 * The LPGA: Commissioner Craig Kessler has championed WTGL as a “pillar of visibility” to grow the fan base and commercial value of the athletes.

Early Ownership & Investors

The team structure will mirror the men’s league, with city-based franchises.

 * Alexis Ohanian: The Reddit co-founder and lead owner of Los Angeles Golf Club (LAGC) has expressed “first right of refusal” for a women’s team in LA.

 * Celebrity Backing: Current TGL investors like Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Michelle Wie West are expected to play significant roles in the expansion of the women’s division.

Nelly Korda

Athletes: Who Will Compete?

While the official roster will be released throughout 2026, the league is built specifically for LPGA Tour Stars. Fans can expect to see the biggest names in the game—potentially including icons like Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko, or Rose Zhang—competing in a “mic’d up” environment that emphasizes personality and team strategy.

Money, Profits, and Sponsorships

The financial outlook for women’s golf in 2026 is at an all-time high, and WTGL is a major catalyst.

2026 Financial Landscape

A record-breaking $132 million across 33 events.

WTGL Commercial Model is Expected to follow the TGL blueprint: high-value media rights and “simulcast” sponsorship.

Title Sponsor will be SoFi which remains the primary venue partner, with more league-wide sponsors to be named in mid-2026.

Investment Strategy will include Teams being sold as high-growth tech/sports assets, similar to NWSL or WNBA franchises.

Sponsorship Value

The draw for sponsors like FM Global, Ally Financial, and KPMG (who are already heavily invested in the LPGA) is the demographic. TGL’s inaugural season drew the second-youngest audience in sports (behind only the NBA). WTGL aims to capture that same Gen Z and Millennial interest, offering brands a “prime-time” window that traditional golf often misses.

Craig Kessler LPGA Commissioner

Why It Matters: The Growth of the Game

WTGL isn’t just a new tournament; it’s a shift in how golf is consumed. By moving the game into a 2-hour, fast-paced format, the LPGA is looking to:

 * Increase Visibility: Putting female athletes on national TV during the winter months.

 * Highlight Personalities: Using mic’d up players to build “fan-to-athlete” connections.

 * Drive Innovation: Proving that women’s sports can lead in the “Sportainment” category.

> “WTGL creates another global stage for our athletes—one that helps fans connect more deeply with them and continues to elevate the visibility and growth of women’s golf.” — Craig Kessler, LPGA Commissioner

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2026 WTA Tour season set to explode into action this January in Australia and New Zealand  – Athletica Sports

Viorica Bruni Editor Athletica Sports Web Publication





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How The 1969 Jets Super Bowl Win Changed The NFL

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Joe Namath in a 1988 interview

Very few football experts in January of 1969 thought the Jets could be competitive against Baltimore.

On January 11th, 1969, the thinking about the nearly officially named Super bowl was this. Baltimore was going to beat the New York Jets and the game would not be close. The National Football League would continue to show its superiority in the biggest game of them all, the Super Bowl. In 1967, Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers easily beat the American Football League’s Kansas City and in 1968, Lombardi’s Packers defeated the American Football League’s Oakland Raiders. Of course, what was omitted in that thinking was that Lombardi’s Packers beat almost everyone and won NFL Championships in 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966 and 1967.

The AFL’s New York Jets-NFL’s Baltimore Colts game was the turning point in the popularity of the Super Bowl. The National Football League and most of the football media thought the old league would just be better all the time and that dominance was going to carry on well into the 1970s. There was a thought that somehow the NFL needed to come up with a new formula so that just NFL teams would appear in the Super Bowl. That would make the game more competitive and appealing.

The New York Jets franchise led by the owner Sonny Werblin was the free spending rebels from the rebel league although Werblin was gone as one of the Jets organization’s owners in 1968. New York quarterback Joe Namath had a large contract, wore long hair and played in white shoes. The Colts quarterbacks, Earl Morrall and Johnny Unitas both had crew cuts. Namath was known as Broadway Joe, a nickname given to him by former Colt and Jet offensive lineman Sherman Plunkett. Unitas was known as Johnny U and wore black high-top shoes.

Namath had a public perception of being a playboy who enjoyed New York life to its fullest and was a braggart. Unitas had little to say.

While the Jets coach Weeb Ewbank was studying films of the Colts and analyzing why the Chiefs and Raiders lost, Namath was talking and was ahead of his time as a trash talk pioneer. Except Namath only said two things and was probably only echoing what his coaching staff and teammates were thinking.

Namath said there were four quarterbacks in the AFL who were better than Morrall, the Colts starter and then said, “We are going to win this game. I guarantee it.”

Ewbank had to convince his Jets to keep quiet and play football and not say a thing about beating Baltimore. He was in one way seeking NFL respect but in another way laughing at the Super Bowl. Weeb knew his Jets could win and the AFL was a quality league.

“They weren’t giving the AFL anything,” he said years later. “I thought there were two great teams in Super Bowl I and II. They were fine ball clubs. I don’t think there has ever been much better material than they had at Kansas City. They had great athletes and the Raiders were a good football team.

“In both games, they let themselves get upset. In the first game, they had an interception in the third quarter and the Chiefs weren’t any good in the ballgame after that after Green Bay scored. Then the Raider game, they had a dropped punt and a recovery and then they weren’t in the game anymore.

“When we went into out game, we said no matter what happened, we weren’t going to let it upset us. Whether it be an official call, an interception, a fumble or what. Why we weren’t going to let that upset us. We were going to stick to the game plan.”

But one thing Ewbank didn’t count on was Namath sounding more like Muhammad Ali than the average football player.

Ewbank brought the Jets to Fort Lauderdale to work out prior to the game. The Jets stayed at the Galt Ocean Mile Hotel where Namath was given the same room that Vince Lombardi used the year before. The Jets trained at the New York Yankees Fort Lauderdale spring training complex and he was given Mickey Mantle’s locker. Twists of fate?

Maybe, but Namath broke the athlete’s code. He guaranteed a win. Ewbank was not amused.

“We had gone down there as 17 points underdogs which I liked,” he recalled. “I told the guys don’t pay any attention to what I say because I want to try to make it 21 if I can. Don’t you guys do anything to stir them up. Well, I could have shot Joe when he said that.”

But Namath and the Jets were confident and really believed they were better than the Colts.

“That’s true and I understood Coach Ewbank,” said Namath. “The next day I saw Coach Ewbank and he said my goodness these guys (the Colts) are overconfident and I have been working on that and here you are giving them fuel to get fired up for the game.

“I simply said, Coach if they need clippings to fire them up, then they are in trouble. That was that. He made me aware that he was very upset that I had said what I did and I felt badly about it after that. Fortunately we won.”

The Jets did go out and won 16-7. The AFL had arrived nearly 10 years after Hunt and Bud Adams decided to go ahead with their plan.

The Jets apparently didn’t think too highly of the Tiffany Trophy the organization received for winning the game. The team left it behind in Miami’s Orange Bowl in a backroom and returned to New York.

“The important thing was we won,” said Namath.

Namath, Ewbank and the rest of the Jets permanently etched the term Super Bowl into the American mindset. Namath, the quarterback, became a TV host, sex symbol, rebel, hero and salesman. The Jets victory that day might have been crushing for old line NFL owners and the sports media that fawned over the NFL, but NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle saw a silver lining.  In the NFL Publication, The Super Bowl, Celebrating a Quarter of a Century of America’s Greatest Game, Rozelle admitted the Jets’ upset that day mushroomed interest in football.

An excerpt from the book “America’s Passion: How a Coal Miner’s Game Became the NFL in the 20th Century”.

Joe Namath and the Jets





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Oregon vs. Indiana Semi-Final Preview

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This game might be something similar to the Peach Bowl back in 2022. Remember when Georgia and Ohio State played in that instant classic that ended as the clock struck midnight? After what happened in Los Angeles, roughly 10 days later, left everyone realizing the National Championship had been played in Atlanta. I think that may be a road we are headed down once again, with a clash of titans in Atlanta (Yes, Indiana is a titan). So who wins and how do they do it?

SPORTS TALK GEORGIA

SPORTS TALK FLORIDA

Notes on Oregon

I’m curious to see what form of Dan Lanning we get Friday night. For all of his success he hasn’t been fantastic in big games. He struggled to close out the season in his first year losing 2 of his last 3 when the CFP was in sight. In 2023 he couldn’t beat Washington and last year after beating Ohio State and winning the BIG 10 he got ran out of Pasadena by Ohio State. I’m not saying that he can’t win these games or hasn’t won games like these in the past but his track record hasn’t been fantastic in these moments.

Oregon is thin at running back, with reports coming out that they have moved two defenders to offense to help with the lack of depth at that position. They have 4 running backs out of this game, and Noah Whittington was a late add to the injury report as questionable. Aside from Whittington, the backs available for the Ducks on Friday are Dierre Hill Jr. and Jay Harris (who is transferring). Oregon dealt with injuries all year at receiver, and just when that room starts to get healthy, their running backs start to drop like flies.

All that said, there are still two things I believe/know to be true. The first is that it is hard to beat a good team twice. I know this is cliché and coach speak, but it is absolutely true. The second is, despite all of the injuries Oregon has in its backfield, this is still the best offense that Indiana has seen in a while. The health of that receiver room is big, and they still have probably the best tight end in the country in Kenyon Sadiq. Oh yeah, and their defense is pretty good too.

Notes on Indiana

Everyone has seemingly been waiting for Indiana to be proven fraudulent. To be honest, I am not quite sure why. Alabama was a popular upset pick in the Rose Bowl, and Indiana is now the only team in the 12-team format to not lose after having a bye (teams with a bye in the 12-team CFP format are 1-7). No one picked them against Ohio State (myself included). Oregon was expected to blow them out in Eugene earlier this year. None of that happened, though, and Curt Cignetti and his staff just keep chugging along.

On the Injury front, Indiana has no surprises, unlike Oregon, which had in their backfield. Their kickoff specialist is listed as doubtful, but I think they’ll probably be able to survive that. So Indiana has won the injury report at least. Compared to their last matchup with Oregon, they have had a couple of in-season injuries, specifically along the D-line. So that will be something to watch for tonight. Does that D-line do as good a job against the Oregon O-line as they did in Eugene?

Prediction + Betting Lines

I think this game comes down to the coaching staff more than anything else. These rosters from a talent standpoint are extremely close (although it may not look like it on paper). I would say Oregon definitely drew the short end of the stick when it comes to injuries. I do hope that will not play a factor in the game tonight. The last thing I want to see is an Oregon DB taking a handoff in a CFP Semi-Final game because we cannot get the college football calendar right. (Oregon has multiple running backs in the portal, along with their injuries)

When you look at the two coaching staffs, Indiana’s has been the best in the country all year, and when you pair that with the fact that Tosh Lupoi and Will Stein have been working double duty this week, I definitely give the edge to Indiana on the sidelines and on the field.

Prediction: Give me the Hoo-Hoo-Hoo-Hoosiers

Betting: Indiana -3, Over/Under is 50.5





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