Changes In Baltimore

It’s Thursday, and the week is flying by. We’ve got all-star weekends coming up, but before we get there, we’ve got to talk about changes in Baltimore, NCAA records being chased, and we’ve got more golf on the West Coast.

HERE. WE. GO.

Changes In Baltimore

Orioles On Sale SOLD

As we’re writing this, the Baltimore Orioles have already been sold.

Yesterday, The Angelos family agreed to sell the team to a group led by billionaire David Rubenstein for $1.725 billion. This came after months of speculation and legal battles regarding team control within the Angelos family. Other new owners include another billionaire, Michael Arougheti, Cal Ripken Jr., Michael Bloomberg, Grant Hill, and a few others. The new ownership group will own 40% of the team, and the additional portion will be sold when Peter Angelos passes. Weird, but that’s the info we have.

This change also ensures the Orioles will stay in Baltimore for at least another 15 years, which could possibly turn into a full 30-year stay. Rubenstein is a native of Baltimore, and the hope is he’ll spend money to keep their young players around and keep the winning culture alive.

Seattle Poaches Ravens DC

The Seattle Seahawks hired Mike Macdonald as their new head coach. He was previously the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens for the past two seasons, leading one of the NFL’s best defenses.

Macdonald spent nine of the past ten seasons on the Ravens' coaching staff as a defensive assistant. He was the defensive coordinator for the University of Michigan in 2021 but returned to Baltimore the year after.

Macdonald is an aggressive coach and can adapt well, as you probably noticed in the AFC championship game when the Ravens shut down the Chiefs for about 40 minutes.

Can Macdonald return the Seahawks to their glory days when there was the Legion of Boom? Will he be able to bring a Super Bowl trophy back to the city? We can’t travel to the future, so we must wait and see.

We can travel to the past, though, so let’s relive this moment from exactly nine years ago. 😉 

Caitlin Clark Making History

Caitlin Clark is on the cusp of breaking a massive NCAA record and she’s getting closer with each game she plays.

🏆️ Clark is close to becoming the NCAA All-Time Scoring Record holder. Clark is second on the all-time scoring list with 3,389 points, and she is less than 200 points behind Kelsey Plum with 3,527 points. Clark is averaging 32.0 points per game this season, and projections suggest she could break the record as early as February 15th during the game against Michigan. Clark just moved into 2nd place after she scored 35 points last night against Northwestern.

Scores From Last Night In College Basketball Land

Providence Friars 65 | #1 UConn Huskies 74

💪 We had a defensive slugfest last night with six lead changes and five ties.

👉️ UConn had a big night from Stephon Castle, who scored a career-high 20 points. Tristen Newton also came through with a double-double, scoring 16 points and 11 rebounds.

🦓This was a special night for the zebras. They called 62 fouls last, but it doesn’t top what we’re going to cover in the next game.

Northwestern Wildcats 96 | Purdue Boilermakers 105 (OT)

👉️ The game was tight throughout, with 12 lead changes and nine ties. It went into overtime tied at 81-81, and Purdue blew the doors of this one in OT.

📈 Purdue had their highest scoring total of the season. Zach Edey led the way with 30 points and 15 rebounds, while Lance Jones scored 26.

👉️ Northwest had big nights from their guards, with Boo Buie and Ty Berry both scoring 25, but Purdue proved to be the more physical team.

👀Was it actually Purdue being more physical, or did the refs help out? If you thought the UConn/Providence foul total was bad, this certainly tops it. Purdue was given 46 chances at the free throw line, compared to Northwestern’s 8. Yup, the refs call 38 more fouls on NW than Purdue. You already know the Northwestern coach was fired up about that and got ejected after the game ended. He cooled down by the presser.

Does Golf Have Your Attention?

We’ve got a battle for your attention this weekend as the PGA Tour kicks off the AT&T Pro-Am at the infamous Pebble Beach Golf Links, and LIV Golf tees it up tomorrow for a 54-hole event at El Camaleon Golf Course in Mexico.

The Pebble Beach Pro-Am

The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is a prestigious golf tournament taking place from February 1st to 4th, 2024, at Pebble Beach, California. Here's a rundown of what you need to know:

Format:

• It's a pro-am event, meaning professional golfers play alongside amateurs, typically celebrities or athletes from other sports.

• This year, it's been designated as a PGA TOUR Signature Event, attracting top players and offering additional prize money.

• Basically, there are two tournaments being played. The amateurs play the first two days and will be played on both Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill. An amateur winner will be decided after 2 two days this year, and the Pros will continue to play at Pebble Beach on Saturday and Sunday for the final two rounds.

Who’s going to be out there this year?

🏌️‍♂️ Around 70-80 professional golfers are expected to participate, including notable names like Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose, and Viktor Hovland.

👀Amateurs competing this year include actors Bill Murray and Alfonso Ribeiro, NFL legend Jerry Rice, and basketball star Steph Curry.

How Can You Watch?

Check out the stunning scenery of Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill, known for their dramatic oceanfront holes, by checking out the ESPN+ and broadcast schedule below.

📺️ Thursday and Friday: 11:30-7 pm ET on ESPN+, 3-7 pm ET on Golf Channel

📺️ Saturday: 11:30-7 pm ET on ESPN+, 1-3 pm ET on Golf Channel and 3-7 pm ET on CBS

📺️ Sunday: 11:30-6:30 pm ET on ESPN+, 1-3 pm ET on Golf Channel and 3-6:30 pm ET on CBS

LIV Golf

LIV will tee it up tomorrow in Mexico at El Camaleón Golf Course in Playa del Carmen. Here's a breakdown of what you need to know:

👀LIV will have a 54-hole event that includes golfers like Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, and many more.

👉️ Watch these dudes in action as they prepare to compete with the Waste Mangement Open on Super Bowl weekend as LIV takes to Las Vegas for another three day tourney next week. In case you didn’t know, the Super Bowl is in Vegas and this is definitely a strategic move to get more eyes on LIV.

📺️ Looking to watch? Tune into the CW, Youtube, or LIV Golf + daily at 1:15 pm ET.

Enjoy your golf today, and definitely pull up that double monitor at work 😉 

We will see you tomorrow.

-The Daily Breakroom