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.
Good morning, Winners! I hope you’re doing well and your week is off to a fantastic start.
Obviously, this message doesn’t apply to the Jets, who are definitively not winners after one of the most cursed Monday Night Football performances we’ve seen in quite some time.
Aaron Rodgers threw his fourth career Hail Mary touchdown pass just before halftime against the Bills, but it didn’t matter. The QB’s performance on the field wasn’t enough to get the job done against Buffalo.
His team has been frustratingly mediocre all season long. It’s felt like nothing could save it—not elite quarterback play, not terrible officiating in its favor. Nothing.
That’s why New York finally broke and traded for Davante Adams. The Jets have officially traded for Las Vegas’ disgruntled receiver, reuniting him with his former teammate.
If Rodgers’ Hail Mary at halftime wasn’t enough to get the job done, maybe this one will do it. He’s wanted this badly. Rodgers has pleaded with New York to go get Adams, and the team finally did it after Monday’s gut-wrenching loss.
You can understand why Rodgers would make this push. Those two have done a lot of winning together. Rodgers is still pretty good and Adams is one of the best receivers in the game. This sort of move should make a huge difference for a team like the Jets that seems doomed to finish in the middle of the pack somewhere.
But, on the other hand, you’ve got to wonder how much of a difference this might make.
Can Adams kick field goals? Because the Jets probably win against the Bills if the kicker doesn’t doink, not just one, but two (!!!!) field goal attempts. This would be a completely different story. Adams probably wouldn’t even be a Jet right now.
But there was enough reason for New York to make this move. The Jets are probably better than their record says they are — this team still has a plus-5-point differential in the standings. Losing this one hurts, but it’s a long season. New York can bounce back. With the Dolphins floundering and the Patriots, well, stinking, the division may still be in play if the Bills falter along the road at any point.
Plus, New York didn’t give up too much for Adams, either. It cost the Jets a conditional third-round pick that could turn into a second, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. If that’s all it takes to get one of the best receivers in the league on your roster, you have to make that move.
I just hope it works out. Because, if it doesn’t? Whew, boy. I don’t think anything can save the Jets at that point.
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A new era for the WNBA
The WNBA and the WNBPA must decide by November 1 whether to opt out of the league’s current collective bargaining agreement, the Associated Press reports.
The deal doesn’t expire until 2027 but includes an opt-out clause allowing them to negotiate a new deal that would come into effect after the 2025 WNBA season.
Nothing has been confirmed yet, but common sense says they’ll likely opt out of the deal, considering the new $2.2 billion television deal the league has seen. The sides will want to divvy up that pie.
With that opt-out, though, the players will get a chance to make some new demands of the league. Here are five big issues they’ll likely negotiate:
— Bigger salaries: This is a no-brainer. With more money available, the league should be able to dish out bigger contracts to players. Breanna Stewart’s goal is to create the first million-dollar WNBA player. Here’s the opportunity.
— Guaranteed salaries: This is another big one. Each WNBA team is able to fully guarantee six salaries under the current CBA. Players will likely push for more there.
— Pensions: Stewart also mentioned wanting pensions and back-pay for players with a certain number of years of service. This would be a fantastic get for the league’s retirees who have missed out on the league’s recent influx of cash.
— Family planning: Family planning and child care benefits are also a priority for Stewart, who said the league’s current benefits “could be a bit better.”
— Prioritization rules: It’d be shocking if the WNBA didn’t revisit prioritization rules one way or another after they became such a hot-button issue with players competing internationally over the last few years.
Off to a great start
Considering that the Yankees spent most of the season as the best team in the American League, it should come as no surprise that New York looked fairly dominant in their series-opening 5-2 win against the Guardians in the ALCS.
But you never know in the players — especially in these playoffs, where we’ve seen upsets in abundance.
But, at least for one game, the Yankees played things how they were supposed to. Giancarlo Stanton, especially, met the challenge head-on with a 439-yard moon shot.
114.3 MPH, 439 FEET
GIANCARLO GOES BOOM! #ALCS pic.twitter.com/J7I1MkaVSQ
— MLB (@MLB) October 15, 2024
With that homer, Stanton is now tied for the fourth-largest slugging percentage in MLB playoff history, per Cespedes Family BBQ. Baseball has been around for a loooong time, folks. That’s impressive.
We’ll see if New York can keep up the pace tonight in Game 2.
Quick hits: Swelce does baseball … NFL Power Rankings … and more
— Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift showed up at the Yankees-Guardians game. I’m very confused about who was rooting for who.
— Here’s NFL Power Rankings from Christian D’Andrea and Robert Zeglinski heading into Week 7.
— Tyler Netunno also has winners and losers for Week 7 in College Football.
— Meg Hall has proof that Bill Belichick should not be on your shortlist for future Jets head coaching candidates.
— Here’s Prince Grimes on the Vikings still being betting favorites over the Lions to win the NFC North.
— Here’s Charles Curtis on Aaron Rodgers’ Southpark reference he used to describe the officiating on Monday night.
That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for reading. We appreciate you. Have a fantastic Tuesday. Let’s do this again tomorrow.
-Sykes ✌️
