49ERS VS EAGLES PREVIEW || Knicks SUE the Raptors || Bronx to Queens || Quarter Mark NHL Power Rankings
Edition #28
Intro
This week's NFL action centers around the highly anticipated 49ers vs. Eagles game, taking the spotlight as America's Game of the Week. While the rest of our edition is a bit shorter, we're laser-focused on this exciting matchup. Personally, I feel it could have been a great fit for Sunday Night Football, but schedules are not in my hands.
Exciting news for our Sports Square Top 10 subscribers—they've earned three weeks of free access to an honors subscription! Additionally, in the upcoming weeks, we're looking to feature content created by our fans. If you're interested in participating, keep an eye on these emails or reach out to us at sportssquare@substack.com or thebest616161@gmail.com.
Oh, I forgot. There will not be a newsletter the next week.
Let, it, rip!
(We never go in order in this newsletter.)
Knicks SUE the Raptors
A legal war between two teams just 340 miles apart.
Knicks and Raptors.
It all started on August 17, 2023, when a letter fluttered into the office of the Toronto Raptors owner, Larry Tanenbaum. This two-page letter centered on potential "illegal activities" involving a former Knicks employee whom the Raptors had recently hired. To go into more specifics, the Knicks claimed that Ikechukwu Azotam, who worked for the Knicks as an assistant video coordinator, then a video, analytics, and player development assistant, had illegally provided the Raptors with more than 3,000 confidential files, and including video scouting reports, play frequency files, a prep book for the 2022-2023 season and opposition research.
The Knicks basically accused Azotam, after receiving a job offer from Toronto, had begun "secretly forwarding proprietary information from his Knicks email account to his personal Gmail account," which he then shared with the Raptors.
The Knicks told the Raptors that they will continue investigating and that Azotam could be facing various international, federal, and New York laws. They wrote civil damages and criminal penalties could include a fine of $5 million!
In the letter, the Knicks made several demands, including that the Raptors destroy what they claim was stolen information while preserving communications on all personal and company devices. The Knicks had hoped for a response in about 4 days.
The Raptors didn't wait four days to respond.
The next day, Friday, August 18, Peter Miller, the chief legal officer for the Raptors, responded via email. In his message, Miller stated that the Raptors were unaware of any information Azotam might have related to his work with the Knicks. The response emphasized the Raptors' lack of interest in the information described by the Knicks. It stated the Raptors' intention to meet with Azotam to understand the information he possessed, preserve any pertinent records, and collaborate to address the concerns raised.
Court documents later indicated that the Raptors had initially aimed to handle the matter through an internal investigation and private resolution. However, the Knicks opted for a different approach, and without delay, they took action. By August 21, the Knicks filed a 21-page lawsuit in the U.S. Southern District Court in Lower Manhattan, which is approximately three miles south of Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks play.
For more info on this story: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/39007136/this-11-herbs-spices-unprecedented-knicks-raptors-lawsuit
Bronx to Queens: Luis Severino
2 stadiums
12 miles apart
In 1 gigantic city.
This wouldn’t be a big thing if Severino was moving from, for example, the Yankees to the Mariners (unless you were a Mariners fan).
It’s a big thing (to me) because he’s moving from New York to New York. Or from the Bronx to Queens.
Contract Details
1-year deal
13 million guaranteed
2 million in bonuses
Many people have played for both these teams, but it’s not exactly common you see this happen as two teams play for the love of people in the same city.
Here’s one example.
Los Angeles.
Arte Moreno said that he will NOT trade Shohei Ohtani to the Dodgers because they’re intra-city rivals.
Here’s proof from Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
“Would they trade him to the Dodgers? No. I spoke to somebody with the Dodgers, they realize he’s not getting traded to the Dodgers. Even if you think he could sign long-term with the Dodgers, Arte Moreno is not going to do that," Heyman told Bleacher Report.”
If you want help with your immaculate grid and want to check out these players, here you go. https://www.yesnetwork.com/news/major-leaguers-who-played-for-the-yankees-and-mets
So you ask me why I say it’s rare?
Well like I said before, it’s not likely that GOOD players get traded between these two.
If the Yankees trade a guy like Shohei Ohtani to the Mets, no one will come and see Yankees games anymore (other than the die-hard fans). The only two legends that played for both teams were Yogi Berra and Rickey Henderson.
16 trades were made between these two and while this wasn’t a trade, Severino is a wonderful pitcher as long as he doesn’t get injured. He turns 30 in February.
Quarter Mark NHL Power Rankings
These power rankings were NOT written by ME! I give all the credit to Bleacher Report for these top 5 (and number 32) rankings.
32. San Jose Sharks
Overall Record: 5-15-2
A six-game road trip will be a trial, but the Sharks are embarking on something of a high—having won two straight and earned points in their last three. Center Tomas Hertl missed Monday's defeat of Washington with a mid-body injury but should make the trip.
5. Vegas Golden Knights
Overall Record: 14-5-4
A stellar start for the reigning Cup champs isn't erased, but it's being forgotten these days thanks to zero wins in three games (0-2-1) and just one win in six (1-3-2). "We haven't had the best record," defenseman Ben Hutton said, "but I feel like we're getting our chances."
4. Boston Bruins
Overall Record: 14-4-3
The Bruins didn't lose much—in fact just 21 times in their first 100 games under Jim Montgomery—so a three-game skid in which they've allowed 17 goals is rare territory. "In a lot of ways, we've welcomed this kind of adversity," he said. "We knew it was going to come."
3. Colorado Avalanche
Overall Record: 15-6-0
The Avalanche beat Tampa Bay on Monday to remain one of the league's hottest teams with four straight wins and seven in their last eight games. Nathan MacKinnon has at least a point in all 10 of the team's home games, the third-best season-opening streak in franchise history.
2. Los Angeles Kings
Overall Record: 13-4-3
A tough Wednesday loss to the Capitals notwithstanding, it's high time to start believing in the Kings, who'd won five straight heading into the night and remain the league's only unbeaten road team with a pristine 9-0-0 mark. Los Angeles was only 18th-best away from home across coach Todd McLellan's first four seasons.
1. New York Rangers
Overall Record: 16-4-1
A 5-1 loss to visiting Buffalo on Monday was a sour note for the streaking Rangers, who'd won three straight going in—including a 7-4 rout of previous penthouse-dweller Boston. New York had won five straight at home and was 13-1-1 in its last 15.
Still, Artemi Panarin's assist gave him 30 points in his first 20 games and made him the first Ranger to do that since 1987. Then, a 3-2 comeback win over Detroit on Wednesday made them a cinch for this week's top spot.
49ERS VS EAGLES PREVIEW
Finally! The moment you have all been waiting for. The BIG preview.
As an Eagles fan, this is the game I’ve been waiting for a long time.
As a 49ers fan, this is the game you guys have waited for even longer!
Let’s first check all the stats.
Stats Check!
Team Leaders Comparison:
Brock Purdy: 2871 Passing Yards vs Jalen Hurts: 2679 Passing Yards
Brock Purdy leads in this category because Jalen Hurts has 422 YARDS ON THE GROUND!
Christian McCaffrey: 939 Rushing Yards vs D’Andre Swift: 770 Rushing Yards
Christian McCaffrey just dominates… Always!
Brandon Aiyuk: 881 Receiving Yards vs A.J. Brown: 1,050 Receiving Yards
A.J. Brown was setting a record pace before with like 150 yards a game.
Fred Warner: 95 Tackles vs Reed Blankenship: 74 Tackles
Honestly, I didn’t expect many comparisons in these defenses. Reed Blankenship, having the most tackles, worries me though.
Fred Warner: 3 INTS vs Darius Slay: 2 INTS
How does Fred Warner???
Jake Elliot: 90 pts vs Jake Moody: 88 pts
Jake Elliot should start being considered the best kicker in the game. He’s missed only 2 FGs and has a 90.5 completion percentage!
Who do you get your money on?
The 49ers will win…
The Eagles are not going to play Zach Cunningham or Fletcher Cox and that decision impacts this whole thing. If they play, I’m going to say that the Eagles win by a field goal.
You need a lot to stop this trailblazing 49ers offense which consists of McCaffrey, Samuel, and Aiyuk. How about that defense with Nick Bosa and Chase Young? We even saw that Fred Warner leads the Eagles in 2 categories!
The Eagles have come in clutch many times this year, but when a team is seeking revenge really bad, and your offense is facing THIS defense, you probably can’t do anything.
Here are way too many links about this game if you want more to digest!
https://bit.ly/3T5uDq7(youtube)
Conclusion
Thank you for reading another edition of Sports Square. Any questions? Any comments? Any feedback? Email them to me or write them down below! There will not be any editorials next week. Stay safe, spend time doing what you love, and I’m signing off!
sadly i believe Severino's best days are behind him. as you said he turns 30 in february and he hasnt pitched a full season in 5 years. in his career he had two great seasons (2017 and 2018) a couple ok seasons and a couple bad seasons. in his 8 year career thats pretty much what its turned out to be. i know he was the ace of the staff those 2 years but just another example of a pitcher that injuries took alot out of him. he not only was god awful last year but served up way to many dingers. i'm a yankee fan but i do wish the mets well bc they're an NY team so i do wish Sevy the best in queens but i think he will struggle again. though if he does struggle the first 2 months do you think the mets might move him to the bullpen? he may become a powerful BP asset for the mets if they just need him to get a couple outs a game.
write about how the bills should improve over the bye