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  • David Hale, ESPN Staff WriterAug 31, 2024, 11:40 PM ET

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    • College football reporter.
    • Joined ESPN in 2012.
    • Graduate of the University of Delaware.

Welcome to the season of change.

It’s 2024, and if we’re to believe the punditry, this will be unlike anything we’ve seen before in college football, which is saying something in a sport that had an interim coach drive an ATV out of a locker room just nine months ago. But it’s true that 2024 will feel an awful lot different than years past. It’s a season without Nick Saban or Jim Harbaugh, with a 12-team playoff and $20 million rosters. Texas and Oklahoma are in the SEC, the Pac-12 is divested throughout four different leagues, each half of football now comes with a two-minute timeout and for some reason chicken nuggets are now called “saucy nuggs.”

It’s all so strange and new and exhilarating and frightening, like putting USC’s defense on the field nursing a six-point lead.

And yet, for all that has changed, Week 1 also reminded us of what’s remained the same, what’s stood strong against the headwinds of private equity and super leagues and an endless parade of players entering the transfer portal.

There was Georgia, the preeminent program in college football for the past three years by any metric, showcasing its dominance once more. Carson Beck was nearly flawless, the Dawgs’ defense was impenetrable and guys who sound like they are junior partners at a prominent Atlanta law firm — Cash Jones, London Humphreys, Lawson Luckie — all chipped in as Kirby Smart’s crew embarrassed Clemson 34-3.

On the opposite sideline was Dabo Swinney, still fighting the good fight against things like the transfer portal or the steam engine, left to again consider whether his deep-rooted belief in doing things the Clemson way can still allow his program to keep pace with schools like Georgia. It wasn’t just that the Tigers struggled. Lots of teams do that against the Bulldogs. It’s that Cade Klubnik missed open receivers, Adam Randall and Cole Turner made egregious mistakes, the O-line couldn’t open holes for Phil Mafah and the defense ultimately collapsed under the pressure to be perfect. In other words, it looked so much like Clemson’s 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons. Swinney has stopped taking calls at his weekly radio show, but we can only imagine Tyler from Spartanburg is busy crafting a strongly worded email expressing his discontent.

The game wasn’t so much a reminder of Georgia’s brilliance as it was a referendum that Clemson simply isn’t in this class any longer.

Texas A&M hopes to still join the elites, but that climb is just beginning. Saturday was a reminder that, even with a new head coach and a healthy quarterback, the Aggies are still a lot closer to the stumbling blocks of the Jimbo Fisher era than they are to Mike Elko’s finish line. Riley Leonard and Notre Dame couldn’t muster much offense against A&M, but they were consistently the more physical team, the team capable of making the big play when it had to be made — from two critical interceptions of Conner Weigman to a game-clinching swat of a fourth-down pass in the final minutes.

Colorado may be a long way from the elite tier of college football, too, but that didn’t stop the world from tuning in to see the Buffaloes on Thursday night. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders was excellent, receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter was otherworldly and Coach Prime may have let all the air of out of the tires of several cars parked in the media lot outside Folsom Field. Regardless, Colorado still looks much like it did a year ago: an incredibly entertaining team with a handful of superstars and enough holes that almost any outcome seems possible.

At Texas, the Longhorns sizzled in a 52-0 drubbing of Colorado State, but because some things never change, the real story was the backup quarterback. Arch Manning engineered a touchdown drive in his first action of the year, completing 5 of 6 passes and accounting for two touchdowns. Sure, none of that will mean much when the Longhorns head to Michigan next week, forced to rely on the starter. (What’s his name again? We want to say Quentin? We’re drawing a blank.) But Week 1 felt like a continuation of the always enjoyable “will they or won’t they” love affair between Texas and Manning. They really are the Jim and Pam of the SEC.

Who’s a more stable force in college football than Miami tight end Cam McCormick? He’s been playing for so long he can remember the last time Miami was relevant. On Saturday, he caught a touchdown pass as the Canes dismantled Florida in “embarrassing” fashion, according to Billy Napier.

And what about Michigan? The defending champs went to battle without Harbaugh or J.J. McCarthy or a host of other players who won their rings before leaving for the NFL, but the Wolverines won anyway, using their trademarked brute force to upend Fresno State 30-10. Sure, Michigan found its replacement for McCarthy when Sherrone Moore put on a jacket he hadn’t worn in three years and found $20 and Davis Warren in the pocket, but isn’t this exactly the formula we’d expect from the Wolverines? Same as it ever was.

Of course, not all change is bad — no matter what Swinney says.

Look at Alabama, for example. The Tide dominated Western Kentucky 63-0 with quarterback Jalen Milroe accounting for five touchdowns and Keon Sabb picking off two passes in the Tide’s first game of the post-Saban era. Imagine what this program might’ve accomplished these past few years if only Saban hadn’t been holding it back.

Or consider Ole Miss, where Lane Kiffin has embraced the transfer portal as much as anyone and, after Saturday’s 76-0 win over Furman, seems to have embraced a buffet of rat poison, too. Good luck convincing an offense that hung 52 in the first half that it’s not elite.

And if any team is a harbinger of this new era of college football, it’s Ohio State — a program that spent the gross domestic product of a small island nation to secure a championship roster. If Week 1 proved anything, it’s that paying your players more than Akron’s entire football budget is an effective plan to beat Akron. Michigan may be another story, but that’s a question for November.

Even Iowa, the most stalwart of all programs, showed us something new in Week 1.

For a half, it was the old Iowa — slow, plodding, punt-forward. And in the next half, it scored in droves (which, in Iowa parlance, means more than once).

Perhaps that’s the lesson here — for Week 1, for 2024, for college football. Change is not good or bad, but it is inevitable.

Clemson will eventually take a meaningful player from the portal, even if it means replacing Swinney with a lookalike in some sort of a Manchurian Candidate type of situation.

Georgia will eventually be surpassed by another program, though probably not any time soon.

Texas A&M will eventually win a big game. Probably. Maybe.

The fun of settling in for a new season, however, comes from just the right mix of seeing so many old friends creating the same magic they always have and still being surprised by another year of chaos and ridiculousness that inevitably surfaces over the course of three months in the fall.

Miami flexes, Florida falters

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Cam Ward shines in debut with 3 TDs in Miami’s win over Florida

Cam Ward throws three touchdowns in his first game with the Hurricanes as they dominate Florida on the road.

The Fed is widely expected to lower interest rates at its September meeting, and for Florida coach Billy Napier, the decision comes not a moment too soon as he was left with little left to do by the fourth quarter of Saturday’s 41-17 blowout loss to Miami than scroll through Zillow in search of his next place to live.

It’s not as if optimism was rampant in Gainesville before Week 1. The schedule is brutal, and coming off back-to-back sub-.500 campaigns, simply getting to a bowl felt like success. After watching Cam Ward chuck the ball all over the field, however, even those mediocre aspirations feel so out of reach fans were left sipping on warm High Noon and staring into the vast middle distance.

Technically, Florida played Tom Petty to open the fourth quarter, but most fans were thoughtlessly humming “Hello darkness, my old friend.”

Ward was electric for Miami, throwing for 385 yards and three touchdowns, while Damien Martinez, Tyler Baron and a host of other portal additions carried the Canes to an easy win.

At Miami, there is real hope the Hurricanes can make the playoff and all it took was enough NIL to bankrupt LifeWallet and possibly some sort of “Eternam Sunshine” treatment to erase memories of the past 20 years.

For Florida, however, the stark reality of another lost season feels like a near certainty at this point. The highlight for the Gators may have been when freshman QB DJ Lagway entered the game in the fourth quarter, a flicker of hope for a distant future. But even Lagway’s day ended with an interception, making it clear there were no saviors in Gainesville in Week 1.

What comes next?

Perhaps reality is that Miami is just really good — so good that the Gators’ remaining slate won’t be nearly so challenging as Week 1 proved to be. Or, more likely, Napier should be hoping for some nice hors d’oeuvres at the next showings for that four bedroom/three bath Dutch Colonial.

Air Allar

In 2023, Penn State’s offense was often frustratingly conservative and occasionally prescribed by local doctors as a substitute for Ambien, so this offseason, James Franklin brought in new coordinator Andy Kotelnicki with the expressed job of adding some explosiveness.

Through one week, mission accomplished.

Penn State torched West Virginia 34-12 behind a stellar game by quarterback Drew Allar, who threw for 216 yards and three touchdowns — two of which came on deep balls, something notably absent from last year’s repertoire.

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Penn State’s Drew Allar slings 3 TDs in season opener

Drew Allar shines for Penn State with a trio of touchdown passes against West Virginia.

Harrison Wallace was the primary recipient of the new approach, catching five balls for 117 yards and two scores — just the second Penn State receiver with 100 yards and two scores in the same game since the 2021 campaign.

But fear not, Western Pennsylvania insomniacs. Penn State may not lull you into a slumber anymore, but Steelers season starts soon.

Raiola bolsters Huskers

Five-star recruit Dylan Raiola made his debut for Nebraska, completing 19 of 28 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns in a 40-7 win over UTEP, making him the first Cornhuskers quarterback since 2017 to go an entire game without slipping on a banana peel, splitting his pants and falling face first into a bowl of soup.

It’s a sterling debut for Raiola, the No. 11 overall recruit according to ESPN in this year’s class, who connected with Isaiah Neyor six times for 121 yards and a touchdown in the game, and it’s reason for optimism the Huskers may finally have a true offensive foundation after nearly a decade lost in the wilderness.

The win marked Nebraska’s first victorious opener since 2019, and it offers significant hope to the fan base that by simply reburying the bones Bo Pelini dug up from that sacred ancient burial ground, the curse may be lifted.

Still, this was only UTEP, and Nebraska led by 23 at the half, so it wasn’t a true test. Only when the Huskers face a more formidable opponent and are within a score in the fourth quarter will we know if things really are different.

Week 1 vibe check

Each week in college football, there are subtle shifts in the power structure of the sport that aren’t always obvious from the final scores. These are less about wins and losses and more about vibes. But fear not. We’re here to capture the finer points to shine a spotlight on the burgeoning trends around the game.

Trending up: Nepotism rules

For 30 minutes, it looked like business as usual for Iowa, which managed just six points by halftime against FCS Illinois State. Those six points came on drives of 6 yards and 49 yards. The Hawkeyes punted four times. Somewhere, Brian Ferentz was toasting Melissa Rivers, Bronny James and Jaden Smith with a nice glass of Frank Perignon.

But the new-look Hawkeyes finally got the offense figured out in the second half, and suddenly the fine folks in Iowa learned what a forward pass looked like.

The end result: Iowa 40, Illinois State 0. Cade McNamara became the first Iowa quarterback to throw for 250 yards, three touchdowns and no picks in a game since 2021 (and just the third of the playoff era), and the punter didn’t even need an ice bath after the game.

Trending down: QR codes

Oklahoma State planned to have QR codes on players’ helmets to help promote NIL opportunities, but the NCAA, sensing a rare opportunity to feed its eternal quest to keep money from athletes, stepped in at the last minute to quash the plan.

While it’s true, the NCAA’s decisions are often based on a deep-rooted desire to ruin Christmas from their lair atop a mountain overlooking Whoville, we actually applaud this move as a long overdue blow against the scourge of QR codes.

Now, if only the NCAA could also force restaurants to go back to handing every customer a hard copy of the menu, there’d be some real progress on the issue.

Unfortunately, Alan Bowman (three touchdown passes), Ollie Gordon (146 total yards, three touchdowns) and Trey Rucker (15 tackles) missed out on some potential earnings after starring in a 44-20 win over South Dakota State. On the upside, Eskimo Joe’s game day menu is quite reasonably priced.

Trending up: Celebrating with Beers

It’s Week 1, and it wouldn’t be the same without Beers. Indeed, there’s nothing like finding one open, then celebrating with the boys. It’s cool, refreshing, delightful.

Yes, Florida International tight end Rocky Beers scored on 7-yard pass from Keyone Jenkins just before the half against Indiana, leading to a nice end zone gathering with his teammates.

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Rocky Beers chugs into end zone for a Florida International TD

Quarterback Keyone Jenkins finds tight end Rocky Beers for a Florida International touchdown.

Why, what did you think we were talking about?

Trending up: Teammate chivalry

Kudos to Utah quarterback Cam Rising, who came to the rescue with a proper bunny ears double knot when receiver Dorian Singer‘s shoe came untied midgame.

It was just part of a spectacular day for Rising, who in addition to teaching his teammate how to tie his shoes also threw five touchdowns on just 15 pass attempts and traded half his PB&J sandwich from his lunch box for a string cheese and a vanilla pudding. Word is, Rising is also an early favorite to take home the class guinea pig next weekend.

Trending down: Mascot chivalry

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NC State’s mascot takes an unfortunate tumble

NC State’s mascot, Ms. Wuf, takes a fall during pregame ceremonies but quickly gets back up and waves to the crowd.

Mr. and Mrs. Wuf took a ride in the Wuf-mobile before NC State kicked off against Western Carolina on Thursday, but the lady of the den couldn’t quite manage the dismount.

While Mrs. Wuf landed flat on her face — or snout? — Mr. Wuf offered no assistance. It’s sad when all the romance goes out of a marriage. We’d wager Mr. Wuf doesn’t even close the door to the bathroom anymore.

Fortunately for the Wolfpack, the pregame face-plant didn’t keep the team from eeking out a too-close-for-comfort 38-21 win thanks in large part to a brilliant performance from KC Concepcion, who finished with nine catches for 131 yards and three touchdowns.

Trending up: Power tools

Northern Arizona felled trees and Lincoln (California) on Saturday, winning its opener with ease and using a chainsaw in the end zone to slice off a nice piece of wood.

This is an exceptional use of sideline power tools. Unlike the construction site in Vanderbilt’s end zone, there were actual hard hats and safety goggles involved here. And we can’t help but wonder if Oregon State had just gone the extra mile with its turnover chainsaw, the Pac-12 might’ve survived.

Trending up: Lakeside Airbnbs

Sure, it wasn’t exactly an emphatic win for Northwestern in Week 1, with the Wildcats narrowly escaping Miami (Ohio), 13-6. But if the offense was nothing to look at, the views around Northwestern’s makeshift stadium were spectacular.

Saturday’s win was Northwestern’s 14th of the playoff era when scoring 21 points or less. Only Iowa has more among Power 5 teams. The only problem is head coach David Braun is responsible for washing all linens, taking out the trash and recycling, and emptying the fridge before checkout time, which is 8 a.m. sharp.

Trending down: Sign-stealing

Connor Stalions coached his first game as the defensive coordinator at Detroit’s Mumford High this week, and the defense could’ve used some better advanced scouting.

Stalions’ squad lost 47-6, an embarrassment for the former Michigan staffer accused of sign-stealing. On the upside, he already had the perfect disguise so no one would notice him in the parking lot after the game.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy suggested he might have a job waiting in his IT department should Stalions be in the market.

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Mike Gundy makes Connor Stalions, Michigan joke in news conference

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy jokes about Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal with Connor Stalions when talking about helmet communications with his team.

It’s a tempting offer. After all, a fake mullet would go really nicely with the fake goatee.

Week 1 drip report

  • Arkansas-Pine Bluff knows that the clothes make the team, so the Golden Lions donned their black and gold uniforms even though it meant they’d be penalized at the start of each half against Arkansas for not having “sufficient contrast.” The away team is supposed to wear white jerseys (or something contrasting) unless both teams agree in writing before the game. Is there anything more embarrassing than showing up to a game to find out another team wore the same style of outfit? Arkansas handled the situation well, however, declining both penalties because the Razorbacks aren’t going to let guys in vertical stripes dictate fashion trends at Memorial Stadium, and the gesture paid dividends. Arkansas won 70-0.

  • For real repercussions for participating in college football’s version of “Who Wore it Better?” we turn to Virginia Tech. The Hokies, scrambling to come back from a 14-point first-half deficit, had stuffed Vandy on a third-and-10 and was set to field a punt. But return man Ali Jennings and linebacker Keli Lawson — both wearing jersey No. 0 — were on the field at the same time. That resulted in a flag that moved the ball 5 yards closer, convincing Vandy coach Clark Lea to try a field goal instead of punting. The result was a 53-yard boot that cleared the upright in a game that the Commodores eventually won in overtime.

  • Meanwhile at Arizona, New Mexico State had its own wardrobe malfunction when the Aggies’ road unis were lost in transit. And again, the home team stepped up with a gallant gesture, choosing to wear white jerseys. Thankfully, this happened in Week 1, because wearing white after Labor Day is a 15-yard penalty and loss of down.

Under-the-radar play of the week

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Kent State scores on wild sequence after punt

Naim Muhammad scores 36-yard special teams touchdown vs. Pittsburgh.

Usually you need to go to Nebraska to find a good volleyball match inside a football stadium, but Pitt and Kent State gave us a taste in Week 1.

Facing a fourth-and-17, Kent State punted. Pitt return man Konata Mumpfield fielded the kick but never got a clean grasp on it, batting it up in the air instead, leading to a truly ridiculous series of events.

Credit to Kent State’s Naim Muhammad for sticking with it, corralling the ball eventually, and returning what was scored as a fumble for the touchdown.

Ultimately, it didn’t matter, as Pitt rolled to a 55-24 win, but the serve, set and spike at least provided a highlight for Kent State’s visit to Pittsburgh that didn’t involve putting french fries inside of sandwiches.

Under-the-radar game of the week

South Carolina fans probably aren’t exactly excited for the meat of the SEC schedule, but a win is a win, and the Gamecocks’ 23-19 escape act against Old Dominion was, in spite of all visual evidence to the contrary, a win.

Nothing went particularly well for the Gamecocks, who were breaking in new starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers. He completed just 10 of 23 passes but did have a heck of a tackle (albeit on his own teammate).

ODU actually grabbed a late 19-16 lead on a 33-yard field goal with 9:54 to play, but a Grant Wilson fumble — one of three turnovers on the day for the Monarchs quarterback — gave the ball back to South Carolina at the 6-yard line, and the Gamecocks scored two plays later.

South Carolina finished with just 288 yards of offense, and its two touchdown drives covered a grand total of 9 yards. More concerning for South Carolina fans, Vanderbilt beat Virginia Tech, thus putting up a “vacancy” sign outside the SEC’s basement.

Heisman five

Like preseason rankings, the Week 1 Heisman list is more projection than reality. But also, we haven’t been wrong about a projection since thinking Clemson had a real shot to win and that was 20 hours ago. Who even remembers that?

1. Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter

On the one hand, we did all this last year. Colorado had a fun Week 1 game, Hunter is college football’s Shohei Ohtani, Coach Prime yells at anyone who isn’t nice to him, rinse, repeat.

Then again, if Hunter can actually manage to stay on the field all season, it’s hard to argue with the Heisman candidacy of a guy who can do things like this.

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Travis Hunter comes up with unbelievable catch in end zone for TD

Travis Hunter shakes his defender for the impressive touchdown reception for Colorado in the third quarter.

In the end, Hunter finished with seven catches for 132 yards and three touchdowns along with three tackles on defense. So, at least for now, we will not be accepting questions from anyone who argues with Hunter at No. 1.

2. Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty

Can a player outside the Power 4 actually win the Heisman? It seems unlikely, but then again, there aren’t many players outside the Power 4 like Jeanty.

In a raucous 56-45 win over Georgia Southern, Jeanty carried 20 times for 267 yards and six touchdowns — including scoring on three of his first seven carries. He’s the first player to run for 250 yards and six scores in a game against an FBS foe since Pitt’s Izzy Abanikanda in 2022 and just the fifth to do it in the playoff era.

All of this begs the question: Nobody at Ole Miss or Miami had a few million NIL dollars laying around for this guy?

3. Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan

As the great Samuel L. Jackson once said: “Hold on to your butts.”

Arizona is going to be the most ridiculous drama in town this season thanks in large part to McMillan, who finished Week 1 with 10 catches for 304 yards and four touchdowns, and also a defense that seemed to have no real answers to (checks notes) New Mexico!

Arizona has all the makings of being the football equivalent of the plotlines for “9-1-1.” We’re three weeks away from McMillan saving Noah Fifita from a bee-nado and, frankly, we can’t wait.

4. Miami QB Cam Ward

Here’s a quick list of elite Miami quarterbacks during the past two decades:

(Tumbleweed blows past.)

(Will Smith on the last episode of “Fresh Prince” GIF is shown.)

(Someone mentions Brad Kaaya and a crowd of angry Miami fans throw Cuban bread at them.)

Right. Point is, Ward is in uncharted territory here, and the early signs suggest he’s everything Miami fans hoped he would be — a swaggering, aggressive magician in the pocket capable of leading the Canes back to the promised land.

5. Almost every SEC quarterback

It was a good Week 1 for the SEC’s quarterbacks. Carson Beck was exceptional in a throttling of Clemson. Jackson Arnold tossed four touchdowns for Oklahoma. Nico Iamaleava threw for 314 and three scores. Jalen Milroe, Blake Shapen, Quinn Ewers — all excellent. And then, in just a half of football, Jaxson Dart put up numbers (418 yards, five touchdowns) most Iowa fans would consider a solid season.

But let’s put the spotlight on Vandy quarterback Diego Pavia, who threw for 190 yards, ran for 140 and accounted for three touchdowns in a stunning upset of Virginia Tech. In three starts in SEC stadiums in his career, the New Mexico State transfer has embarrassed the Hokies and Auburn and combined to account for 656 yards and six touchdowns.

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Alijah Arenas commits to USC, joining list of notable father-son combos in sports

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January 30, 2025

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Alijah Arenas commits to USC, joining list of notable father-son combos in sports

Alijah Arenas, son of Gilbert Arenas, will suit up for the USC Trojans next season.

The five-star, 6-foot-6 guard from Southern California announced his decision on Thursday. He picked the Trojans over his father’s alma mater, the Arizona Wildcats, while also receiving offers from the Kansas Jayhawks, Louisville Cardinals and Kentucky Wildcats. He reclassified in December from the class of 2026 to 2025.

Here is a look at the most successful father-son combos in sports history.

Multiple sports

Deion Sanders/Deion Sanders Jr./Shilo Sanders/Shedeur Sanders

Father’s accomplishments: Deion played 14 seasons in the NFL. He was drafted No. 5 overall in 1989 by the Atlanta Falcons after being named a two-time All-American at Florida State. Sanders was named a Pro Bowler eight times, with 53 interceptions throughout his career and two Super Bowl wins. He also played nine seasons of professional baseball for the Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants. He famously played in a game for the Falcons against the Miami Dolphins, then immediately flew to Pittsburgh to dress for his baseball game with the Braves against the Pirates in the NLCS. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

How his sons followed: Deion Sanders Jr. was a two-star athlete in the 2012 class, signing with SMU as a wide receiver and kick returner. As a sophomore kick returner, Sanders Jr. was named a second-team All-American Athletic Conference selection. Shilo was the No. 287-ranked prospect in the 2019 class and signed as a cornerback with South Carolina.

Shilo and Shedeur were coached by their father during their college football seasons with the Jackson State Tigers and Colorado Buffaloes.

MLB

Ken Griffey Sr./Ken Griffey Jr.

Father’s accomplishments: Ken Griffey Sr. played 19 seasons in the major leagues, mostly with the Cincinnati Reds. He was part of the Big Red Machine that won World Series titles in 1975 and 1976. Griffey Sr. was a three-time All-Star and finished his career with a .296 batting average, 152 home runs and 859 RBIs. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1980 All-Star Game and has been inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame.

How his son followed: Ken Griffey Jr. also had a long career, playing 22 seasons in the big leagues, including 13 with the Seattle Mariners and nine with Cincinnati. Griffey Jr. was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016. He is seventh all time with 630 career home runs, was a 13-time All-Star and won 10 Gold Gloves for his play in center field. He was the American League MVP in 1997 and led the AL in home runs four times during his career.

In 1990, Griffey Sr. and Griffey Jr., both playing for the Mariners, made history when they became the first father-son duo to hit back-to-back home runs in a game.

Bobby Bonds/Barry Bonds

Father’s accomplishments: Bobby Bonds played the majority of his 14 seasons with the San Francisco Giants and became just the second player to hit 300 career home runs and steal 300 bases, joining Willie Mays. He set records for most times leading off a game with a home run in a season (11) and in a career (35) — both of which have since been broken. Bonds was a three-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner.

How his son followed: Barry Bonds played 22 seasons, mostly with the Giants, and was a seven-time National League MVP. Bonds holds the records for most career home runs, with 762, and most home runs in a season, with 73. He was a 14-time All-Star, 12-time Silver Slugger Award winner and eight-time Gold Glove Award winner. Bonds tied his father for the most seasons with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases, with five. He also holds the MLB records for walks (2,558) and intentional walks (688) in a career.

Sandy Alomar/Roberto Alomar/Sandy Alomar Jr.

Father’s accomplishments: Sandy Alomar Sr. competed in 15 seasons and could play all infield and outfield positions. He was an All-Star in 1970 and played a full 162-game season that year and in 1971. Alomar Sr. was a talented bunter and aggressive on the base paths, totaling 227 stolen bases in his career, including 39 in 1971.

How his sons followed: Twelve-time All-Star Roberto Alomar was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011. He won World Series championships with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1992 and 1993. He won more Gold Gloves (10) than any other second baseman and finished his 17-year career with a .300 batting average, 2,724 hits and 210 home runs. Sandy Alomar Jr. was the first rookie catcher to start an All-Star Game, and he won Rookie of the Year and a Gold Glove Award in 1990. Alomar Jr. was named an All-Star six times during his 20-year career and had a 30-game hitting streak in 1997.

Cecil Fielder/Prince Fielder

Father’s accomplishments: Cecil Fielder was a three-time All-Star and won a World Series title with the New York Yankees in 1996. In 1990, he was the first player since George Foster in 1977 to hit at least 50 home runs in a season. Fielder led the American League in home runs in 1990 and 1991 and in RBIs from 1990 to ’92. He hit 319 career home runs, recorded 1,008 RBIs and was a two-time winner of the Silver Slugger Award.

How his son followed: Fielder was the youngest player (23) to hit 50 home runs in a season. Prince Fielder was a six-time All-Star and won the Home Run Derby twice — once as an NL All-Star and once as an AL All-Star. He totaled 319 career home runs, the same number as his father, and drove in 1,028 runs. Fielder was a three-time Silver Slugger Award winner and the AL Comeback Player of the Year in 2015.

Cecil and Prince Fielder are the only father-son duo to each hit 50 home runs in a season.

Vladimir Guerrero/Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Father’s accomplishments: Guerrero spent 16 seasons playing in the MLB for the Montreal Expos, Anaheim Angels, Texas Rangers and the Baltimore Orioles. He was a nine-time All-Star, the 2004 American League MVP and an eight-time winner of the Silver Slugger award. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018 and finished his career with 2,590 hits.

How his son followed: Guerrero Jr. signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015 and made his major league debut in 2019. He hit 48 home runs in the 2021 season and became the second father-son duo to hit 40 home runs in a season, joining Prince and Cecil Fielder in accomplishing that feat. Guerrero has since been a four-time All-Star and a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner for the Blue Jays.

NBA

LeBron James/Bronny James

Father’s accomplishments: LeBron James is still going strong in his 22nd NBA season. He’s the league’s all-time scoring leader and eclipsed 40,000 points last season. LeBron has won four NBA championships and made an NBA-record 20 straight All-Star appearances.

How his sons followed: The Los Angeles Lakers selected Bronny James with the No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA draft, pairing him with his dad, LeBron, in the NBA. The two appeared in a game together in October 2024, becoming the first father-son duo to do so in NBA history. Bronny is expected to split time between the Lakers and their G-League affiliate. Bryce, LeBron’s youngest son, committed to Arizona in January as part of the Wildcats’ 2025 class.

Dell Curry/Stephen Curry/Seth Curry

Father’s accomplishments: Dell Curry retired as the Charlotte Hornets‘ career scoring leader (9,839 points) and ranked first in 3-pointers made (929). Curry was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 1994 and averaged 11.7 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in his 16-year career.

How his sons followed: Stephen Curry has led the Golden State Warriors to four NBA championships and been named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player twice. Curry is a 10-time All-Star and was the NBA scoring champion in 2016 and 2021. He holds the NBA record for most made 3-pointers in a regular season, with 402, and most consecutive regular-season games with a made 3-pointer, with 268. Seth Curry was a two-time NBA D-League All-Star and has spent time with several NBA teams. He averaged 12.8 points over 70 games in 2016-17 with the Dallas Mavericks.

Doc Rivers/Austin Rivers

Father’s accomplishments: As a player, Doc Rivers was known for his defense, but he averaged a double-double during the 1986-87 season, with 12.8 points and 10.0 assists per game. He was an NBA All-Star in 1988 and played with four teams during his 13-year career. Rivers was named Coach of the Year in 2000 with the Orlando Magic and led the Boston Celtics to an NBA title as their coach in 2008. He was the head coach of the LA Clippers from 2013-2020 and Philadelphia 76ers from 2020-2023. He was announced as the Milwaukee Bucks head coach in January 2024.

How his son followed: In 2015, Austin Rivers was traded to the Clippers and became the first NBA player to play for his father. Rivers has averaged 9.2 points per game in his seven-year career, including 15.1 PPG in 2017-18 with the Clippers. He then played for the Wizards, Rockets, Knicks, Nuggets and the Timberwolves.

Mychal Thompson/Klay Thompson

Father’s accomplishments: Mychal Thompson, the No. 1 pick in the 1978 NBA draft, won back-to-back NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1987 and ’88. Thompson was on the All-Rookie team in 1979 and went on to average 13.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per game in his career. He averaged a double-double in 1981-82, with 20.8 points and 11.7 rebounds per game.

How his son followed: Klay Thompson won four NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors. Mychal and Klay Thompson became just the fourth father-son duo to each win an NBA title as a player and the first to each win back-to-back championships. Klay is a five-time All-Star, was named to the All-Rookie team in 2012 and won the 3-point contest in 2016. He holds the NBA playoff record for most 3-pointers made in a game, with 11.

Joe “Jellybean” Bryant/Kobe Bryant

Father’s accomplishments: Joe “Jellybean” Bryant played eight seasons in the NBA before heading to Europe and playing seven seasons with teams in Italy. He scored 53 points in a game twice during the 1987-88 season with Pistoia. Bryant played into his 50s, suiting up for the American Basketball Association.

How his son followed: Five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant is fourth in career scoring, with 33,643 points. He played 20 seasons for the Lakers and was named an All-Star 18 times. Bryant was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2008 and the Finals MVP in 2009 and ’10. He was the NBA scoring champion in 2006 and ’07 and was named to the All-NBA first team 11 times and the All-Defensive first team nine times. Kobe had both his No. 8 and his No. 24 retired by the Lakers.

NFL

Archie Manning/Peyton Manning/Eli Manning

Father’s accomplishments: Archie Manning was a quarterback in the NFL for 13 seasons, mostly with the New Orleans Saints. Despite never leading a team to a winning record, Manning made the Pro Bowl in 1978 and ’79. He threw for 125 touchdowns and rushed for 18 during his career. He has been inducted into the Saints’ Ring of Honor and the Saints’ Hall of Fame.

How his sons followed: Peyton Manning was the first pick in the 1998 NFL draft and holds the NFL records for career passing yards (71,940) and passing touchdowns (539). He is the only starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl for two franchises. A 14-time Pro Bowler, Manning was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player five times and a first-team All-Pro seven times.

Eli Manning was the first pick in the 2004 NFL draft and led the New York Giants to two Super Bowl titles, earning Super Bowl MVP honors both times. He is a four-time Pro Bowler, ranks sixth in passing yards in NFL history and started 210 consecutive games from 2004 to 2017, the second-longest streak by a quarterback in NFL history.

Howie Long/Chris Long/Kyle Long

Father’s accomplishments: Eight-time Pro Bowl selection Howie Long played his entire 13-year career with the Raiders organization. The defensive end helped the Raiders win the Super Bowl in 1984, and he was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1985. Long finished his career with 84 sacks and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000. He also made 10 fumble recoveries and two interceptions during his time in the NFL.

How his sons followed: Chris Long was the No. 2 pick in the 2008 NFL draft and won back-to-back Super Bowls — with the New England Patriots in 2017 and the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018. The defensive end recorded 70 sacks in his 11-year career.

Kyle Long, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, was a guard for the Chicago Bears. He was a second-team All-Pro in 2014 and made the All-Rookie team in 2013.

He returned from his 2019 retirement with a one-year stint with the Kansas City Chiefs for the 2021 season but did not play due to injuries.

Clay Matthews Jr./Clay Matthews III/Casey Matthews

Father’s accomplishments: Clay Matthews Jr. played 19 seasons in the NFL, mostly with the Cleveland Browns. He appeared in 278 games, the most by a linebacker, and recorded 1,561 tackles, 69.5 sacks and 16 interceptions in his career. Matthews was a four-time Pro Bowler and was first-team All-Pro in 1984, recording 12 sacks that season.

How his sons followed: Clay Matthews III, a six-time Pro Bowler, helped the Green Bay Packers to a Super Bowl title after the 2010 season. The linebacker was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2010 and totaled 91.5 sacks, 17 forced fumbles and six interceptions in his 11-year career.

Linebacker Casey Matthews played from 2011 to ’14 for the Philadelphia Eagles and recorded 2.5 sacks.

Christian McCaffrey/Ed McCaffrey

Father’s accomplishments: Ed McCaffrey’s 13-year NFL career included three Super Bowl wins and one Pro Bowl appearance. He earned 7,422 receiving yards and notched 55 receiving touchdowns, a majority of which came with the Denver Broncos. Ed McCaffrey played a key role in the Broncos winning back-to-back championships in 1997 and 1998.

How his son followed: A highly touted recruit out of Stanford, Christian McCaffrey has lived up to the hype in the NFL. In his eighth season, the running back has rushed for 6,224 career yards and 52 touchdowns, including a league-leading 1,459 yards in 2023, when he earned Offensive Player of the Year honors.

NHL

Bobby Hull/Brett Hull

Father’s accomplishments: Bobby Hull received the Hart Memorial Trophy twice as the NHL’s most valuable player and earned the Art Ross Trophy three times as the NHL’s leading points scorer. The left wing won the Stanley Cup in 1961 with the Chicago Blackhawks and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983. Hull led the NHL in goals seven times and was the second-leading goal scorer in NHL history, with 610, when he retired. Hull won back-to-back All-Star Game MVP awards in 1970 and ’71.

How his son followed: Brett Hull scored 741 goals in his career, the fourth-highest total in NHL history. The right wing won Stanley Cups in 1999 with the Dallas Stars (including scoring the championship-winning goal) and in 2002 with the Detroit Red Wings. Hull scored at least 50 goals in five consecutive seasons, and his 86 goals in 1990-91 are the third most in a season in NHL history. He was named the NHL’s MVP that season and received the Hart Memorial Trophy. Hull was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009, joining his father to become the first father-son duo in the Hall.

Keith Tkachuk/Matthew Tkachuk/Brady Tkachuk

Father’s accomplishments: Keith was selected 19th overall in the 1990 NHL draft and played for 18 years with four different teams. He finished his career with 527 goals and 1,065 points. At the time that he scored his 500th goal, he was just the fourth American-born player to achieve that milestone and was the sixth American-born player with 1,000 points.

How his sons followed: Matthew was selected sixth in the 2016 NHL draft by the Calgary Flames but has since been traded to the Florida Panthers, where he helped lead the team to a 2024 Stanley Cup title.

Brady was taken with the fourth pick in the 2018 draft by the Ottawa Senators. He was named the team’s captain in 2021 and has scored 171 regular-season goals in his career.

Auto racing

Dale Earnhardt/Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Father’s accomplishments: Dale Earnhardt won 76 Winston Cup races, including the 1998 Daytona 500. Earnhardt claimed seven NASCAR Winston Cup championships, tying Richard Petty for the most all time. It was 22 years before Jimmie Johnson matched the accomplishment in 2016. Earnhardt died as a result of a collision on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 and was posthumously inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame inaugural class in 2010.

How his son followed: Dale Earnhardt Jr. won 26 Cup series races, including the Daytona 500 twice (2004, 2014). He had 260 top-10 finishes in Cup races in his career. Junior was a fan favorite, winning the Most Popular Driver award 15 times. He was the Busch Series champion in 1998 and ’99 before being named NASCAR Rookie of the Year in 2000. He is retired and a broadcaster now.

Next generation

Carmelo Anthony/Kiyan Anthony

A four-star shooting guard from New York, Kiyan Anthony announced his commitment to Syracuse in November 2024. Kiyan follows in the footsteps of his father, Carmelo, who averaged 22.5 points and 6.2 rebounds across a 19-season NBA career. Carmelo spent a season at Syracuse, leading the Orange to the 2003 national championship.

Dikembe Mutombo/Ryan Mutombo:

Ryan followed in his father’s footsteps and played for the Georgetown Hoyas as a 7-foot-2 center. He transferred to play for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets after three seasons with the Hoyas.

Penny Hardaway/Jayden Hardaway/Ashton Hardaway:

Both Jayden and Ashton played for their father with Memphis. Jayden is a guard who averaged 3.1 points per game in the 2023-24 season, while Ashton averaged 2.3.

Dajuan Wagner/D.J. Wagner:

D.J. spent the 2023-24 season with the Kentucky Wildcats, averaging 9.9 points and 3.3 assists per game. He transferred to the Arkansas Razorbacks after the season.

Dennis Rodman/DJ Rodman:

DJ was a 6-foot-6 forward for USC. He averaged 8.4 points per game and made 36.2% of his 3-point shots in the 2023-24 season for the Trojans. He went undrafted in the 2024 NBA draft.

Shaquille O’Neal/Shaqir O’Neal:

Shaqir is a 6-foot-8 forward at Florida A&M. He averaged 1.8 points per game in the 2023-24 season for Texas Southern.

Peja Stojakovic/Andrej Stojakovic:

Andrej was a McDonald’s All-American out of high school before committing to the Stanford Cardinal. He averaged 7.8 points per game as a freshman for the Cardinal. He transferred to UC Berkeley after the 2023-24 season.

Jerry Rice/Brenden Rice:

Brenden transferred to the USC Trojans from the Colorado Buffaloes prior to the 2022 season and led the Trojans with 12 touchdown receptions in 2023. He had 791 yards receiving on the year and was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2024 NFL draft.

Marvin Harrison/Marvin Harrison Jr.:

Harrison Jr. won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best wide receiver and finished the 2023 season with 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was selected No. 4 by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2024 NFL draft as one of the best receiver prospects available.

Frank Gore Sr./Frank Gore Jr.:

Gore Jr. was No. 32 among all FBS running backs in rush yards in 2023 with 1,131. He had 10 rushing touchdowns and averaged 4.9 yards per rush. Gore Jr. went undrafted in 2024 but signed with the Buffalo Bills.

Emmitt Smith/E.J. Smith:

E.J. had a slow start to his collegiate career with just 587 rush yards and five touchdowns in four seasons with Stanford. He transferred to Texas A&M in 2024.

Honorable mentions

Ray Boone/Bob Boone/Bret Boone/Aaron Boone; Felipe Alou/Moises Alou; Tom Gordon/Dee Gordon/Nick Gordon; Rick Barry/Brent Barry/Jon Barry; Bill Walton/Luke Walton; Larry Nance/Larry Nance Jr.; Tim Hardaway/Tim Hardaway Jr.; Bruce Matthews/Jake Matthews/Kevin Matthews; Jackie Slater/Matthew Slater; Gordie Howe/Mark Howe; J.P. Parise/Zach Parise; Peter Stastny/Paul Stastny; Lee Petty/Richard Petty/Kyle Petty; Mario Andretti/Michael Andretti/Jeff Andretti/Marco Andretti; Ken Norton Sr./Ken Norton Jr.; Calvin Hill/Grant Hill; Peter Schmeichel/Kasper Schmeichel

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‘A better team’ than last year? Why Yankees say they are, even without Soto

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10 hours ago

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January 30, 2025

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'A better team' than last year? Why Yankees say they are, even without Soto

  • Jorge CastilloJan 30, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

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      ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.

On Dec. 8, one month and nine days after a nightmare fifth inning torpedoed the New York Yankees‘ hopes of overcoming a 3-1 deficit to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, the Yankees absorbed another franchise-shifting loss at the winter meetings in Dallas.

Juan Soto wasn’t returning. And he wasn’t just not returning — he was signing with the New York Mets.

The Yankees offered the superstar outfielder a 16-year, $760 million contract. When he rejected it, general manager Brian Cashman and his front office turned to plans they had devised during their pursuit of Soto should they need to pivot. His departure set in motion a flurry of activity over a 12-day stretch in mid-December to attempt to raise the floor on a roster with franchise cornerstones Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole still in their primes.

“You can’t replace a Juan Soto,” Cashman told ESPN this week. “So how do you cushion the blow and diversify that throughout the lineup? And then the defense was a real problem on our roster. We had a bad defensive team. We have an opportunity to upgrade the defense at the same time, which will improve our run prevention and our pitching. So, getting more athletic, getting more protection on the defensive front while still trying to provide good, strong balance on the offensive side was, ultimately, the simple framework.”

The Yankees believe their aggressive restoration attempt after an uncharted disappointment — losing a bidding war for your superstar free agent? To the Mets? — wasn’t just successful. They believe it was an upgrade.

“Some people may disagree with me,” Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner told the YES Network on Tuesday, “but some people will agree with me: I think we have a better team right now than we did a year ago today.”

The Yankees’ first post-Soto move — just 48 hours after Soto accepted a 15-year deal worth $765 million guaranteed to defect to Queens — was to bolster a strength: They added another front-line arm to a deep rotation with an eight-year, $218 million contract with Max Fried, one of the three best starters on the free agent market.

A day later, the Yankees agreed to re-sign reliever Jonathan Loaisiga to a one-year, $5 million deal. Two days after that, they acquired Devin Williams, arguably the best closer in the sport, from the Milwaukee Brewers for left-hander Nestor Cortes and prospect Caleb Durbin. Four days later, they finalized a trade with the Chicago Cubs for Cody Bellinger. Three days after that, they acquired reliever Fernando Cruz and catcher Alex Jackson from the Cincinnati Reds for backup catcher Jose Trevino.

Then, on Dec. 21, the last major addition: an agreement with veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt on a one-year, $12 million contract.

“The Soto deal is insane,” a rival executive said. “It could be a blessing in the end. Fried is an ace. Bellinger might hit 30 HRs there and shores up their defense. Goldschmidt is a Hall of Famer. Added a bullpen arm. All in all, pretty good.”

The Yankees let second baseman Gleyber Torres and relievers Clay Holmes and Tommy Kahnle walk in free agency. Anthony Rizzo and Alex Verdugo are among the other contributors from last season’s club who won’t return.

“I think they’ve pretty much nailed everything they’ve done,” a rival scout said.

Among the Yankees’ potential targets in a pivot were left-hander Blake Snell and shortstop Willy Adames. The team held Zoom calls with both free agents. Real interest was expressed from both sides. But both players decided to sign in the week before Soto made his choice. The Yankees, not wanting to commit to any long-term deals before knowing where Soto would sign, watched them go elsewhere.

The Yankees also held a Zoom call with Corbin Burnes, the third of the big three free agent starters, but an offer was never made, sources said. The Yankees, with Snell off the market, instead focused on Fried.

In the bullpen, Williams represents an upgrade over Holmes, the Yankees’ closer until he lost the job in early September, though it could be for just one season. Williams arrives with just one year of control remaining, just like Soto had.

“At the end of the day, we are trying to win,” Cashman said. “It’s a win-now move, just like Soto’s acquisition the previous year was a win-now move. And, obviously, the Yankees are about impact and trying to find impact.”

The Cubs, seeking to free up payroll, were between trading Bellinger to the Yankees or Toronto Blue Jays, according to sources with knowledge of the negotiations. The Cubs ultimately settled on the Yankees’ offer of right-hander Cody Poteet, also sending the Yankees $5 million to pay down Bellinger’s salary over the next two years.

At the time of the trade for Bellinger, the Yankees were still shopping for a first baseman. They never had interest in signing Pete Alonso, sources said. Christian Walker could have been a fit, but the Yankees decided they didn’t want to pay the penalty for signing a player who was given the qualifying offer. The Yankees engaged in discussions with the Cleveland Guardians on Josh Naylor, but the two sides couldn’t come to a resolution, according to a source, before Naylor was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

In the end, it came down to giving the job to Ben Rice, a rookie last season, or signing one of two free agents in their late 30s: Goldschmidt or Carlos Santana. Goldschmidt, another former MVP, is 37 years old and coming off his worst season, but the Yankees were encouraged enough by his strong second half (.271/.319/.480) with St. Louis to make the low-risk investment.

Goldschmidt’s down season — he batted .245 with 22 home runs, a .716 OPS, and 1.1 fWAR — would still be a considerable improvement on the production the Yankees received from their first basemen in 2024, who ranked last in the majors in OPS (.594), tied for 26th in home runs (17) and 27th in fWAR (-1.2).

Offsetting the loss of a player of Soto’s caliber — one who recorded a .989 OPS, blasted 41 home runs, posted an 8.1 fWAR, routinely delivered in clutch situations and made life easier for Judge hitting behind him — is an inexact science, with several moving pieces beyond all those transactions.

Judge is slated to move from center field, where the metrics said he performed poorly last season, back to right field. Jasson Dominguez, the organization’s top prospect, should be given an extended run for the first time after September call-ups the past two seasons — and he should be an upgrade in left field over Verdugo, one of the least productive regulars in baseball last season. Add Bellinger in center field, and the Yankees’ outfield projects to drastically improve defensively.

“What’s going to matter ultimately is the wins and losses that transpire over the six months when we open March 27th,” Cashman said. “Once that starts, that’s the real world. Sleep on us, don’t sleep on us. Overrate us, underrate us. None of it matters. All that matters is us winning. And if we win as much as we’re capable of winning, then it keeps those dark storms, that are really not fun to deal with, away. And that’s all I care about.”

The Yankees aren’t quite finished yet. They would like to further replenish the roster in two areas.

Acquiring a third baseman or second baseman — and having Jazz Chisholm Jr. play the other position — remains on their to-do list, though club officials maintain they have internal options, including DJ LeMahieu, Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza. Trading for Nolan Arenado or signing Alex Bregman are not among the options, sources said.

They could also use a left-handed reliever; the team’s 40-man roster currently doesn’t include one. A reunion with Tim Hill, who excelled after joining the Yankees in June and recorded a 2.05 ERA in 35 appearances, is on the table.

Financially, the salaries of Goldschmidt, Fried, Williams and Bellinger will combine for $74.6 million on the Yankees’ competitive balance tax (CBT) payroll while Soto alone will count as $51 million against the Mets’ CBT ledger. To facilitate further acquisitions, however, the Yankees prefer to shed right-hander Marcus Stroman‘s contract, which includes $37 million over the next two seasons. The Yankees’ current projected CBT payroll is $302.9 million, according to Cot’s Contracts, putting them nearly $62 million over the tax threshold.

Since they’ve been over the tax for at least three straight years, the Yankees would be taxed at a base rate of 50% plus a 60% surcharge if they exceed the threshold by at least $60 million at the end of the season.

Last season, the Yankees paid a $62.5 million tax for their $316 million CBT payroll. The tax bill was the third-highest among the nine payees. The Mets were second. The team that beat them in October was first.

The Dodgers, after investing more than $1 billion in player contracts last winter, continued splurging after winning the World Series, committing more than $450 million to free agents this winter after paying a $103 million tax payment on top of their $353 million payroll last season. Their spending spree has drawn angst from all corners of the baseball world — including from the Yankees, once the free-spending Goliath who engendered ire throughout the industry.

“It’s difficult for most of us owners to be able to do the kind of things that they’re doing,” Steinbrenner said.

The Yankees, according to Forbes, are the highest valued franchise in the majors and the fourth-highest-valued sports franchise in the world at an estimated $7.55 billion. The Dodgers rank a distant second in baseball and 24th in the world at $5.45 billion but are making major inroads in Japan with Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and now Roki Sasaki on the roster.

For now, the Dodgers are the defending champions, and they are, on paper, better than ever — with All-Stars seemingly everywhere. The Yankees, without Soto, will try to chase them down with a very different roster after a very busy offseason. Time will tell if their pivot was enough.

“It’s impossible to make 110% great decisions at all times,” Cashman said. “We’re trying to aspire to that, but maybe this ’25 version will be the magic run. We’ll see.”

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Logano insists playoff format is ‘very entertaining’

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13 hours ago

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January 30, 2025

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Logano insists playoff format is 'very entertaining'

  • Associated Press

Jan 30, 2025, 11:06 AM ET

Joey Logano has found a way to tune out months of negativity.

Critics? Naysayers? Anyone who thinks his third Cup Series championship was a fluke?

“I can’t hear it because my trophies, they kind of, like, echo around me,” Logano quipped during a videoconference call with media Wednesday.

Logano won his third title in November, sparking debate about whether NASCAR’s current playoff format is the best way to determine the series’ worthiest champion. Few could make a strong case for that being Logano in 2024.

He won four races, had 13 top-10 finishes and rarely had the car to beat over 37 events.

He got huge breaks along the way, too. He used what amounted to a Hail Mary to win in Nashville — stretching his empty fuel tank through five overtimes — just to qualify for the postseason. And then he was actually eliminated from playoff contention in the second round only to be reinstated when Alex Bowman’s car failed a postrace inspection.

While competitors have since called for NASCAR to tweak its playoff format, with some wanting to move the finale to a different track every year instead of keeping it at Phoenix Raceway, Logano — not surprisingly — believes the setup is just fine.

“The playoff system is very entertaining,” he said, adding that teams often get hot in other sports and win it all. “It takes a lot to get through the 10 races to win the championship. … When the playoffs start, a lot of times you see teams that fire up.

“And we’ve been one of those teams, thankfully, and it’s worked out for us three times. But I don’t think that means you have to change the playoff system.”

NASCAR said earlier this week that no tweaks would be made to the championship format in 2025. Instead, officials plan to study it for another year before making any decisions. That won’t stop drivers from stumping for a makeover.

“I think it deserves a look for sure and probably a change down the road,” Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron said. “I just don’t know what that change is. I feel like we’ve just gotten into such a routine of going to the same racetrack for the final race, and having similar tracks that lead up to it has gotten a little bit predictable. But you could say probably the same thing in other sports, with the [Kansas City] Chiefs hosting the AFC championship every year.

“It’s just kind of the nature of sports, probably; it gets a little bit repetitive. But it’d be nice to see the final race to move around.”

Team Penske has won the last three Cup Series titles, with Logano sandwiching championships around teammate Ryan Blaney. All of those came in Phoenix, where the finale landed in 2020 after nearly two decades at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

NASCAR has made wholesale changes to its schedule in recent years, including moving the season-opening Clash and the all-atar race.

The Clash bounced from Daytona International Speedway to the Los Angeles Coliseum and is now headed to historic Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for Sunday’s exhibition.

The all-star race went from North Carolina to Tennessee to Texas before landing back in North Carolina.

No one would be surprised to see the finale end up with similar movement.

“We have some tracks that could be awesome for the championship, like Vegas and Homestead and even Charlotte,” Byron said. “Just being open to all the different ideas would probably be cool and bring some buzz and also just kind of even the competition out.”

With no changes in sight for now, Logano, 34, can focus on a fourth championship. He’s one of six drivers with three Cup titles and needs another to join Jeff Gordon (4), Dale Earnhardt (7), Jimmie Johnson (7) and Richard Petty (7) as the only guys with at least four.

“Probably not until I’m done racing will I be content with what I have because I’m not done yet,” Logano said. “I got a lot of years ahead of me to win more championships and races.

“As great as it is, the first 20 minutes is amazing because you’re celebrating with your team and your family. And then every day [after] it becomes a little less exciting and more thoughts of, ‘We got to do it again.'”

Another one surely would do a lot to drown out those detractors.

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