Commitment, vision, courage & calm
What it takes to win in racing, football, tennis & life, right?
Ear ya go: 7 little kernels of joy from the world of sports
đ Quote
âWhen I think about Chad, the single word that comes up to me all the time is âcommitment.â And Chadâs been committed to being the greatest crew chief ever seven days a week, 24 hours a day for his life, for as long as Iâve known him.â
â Ray Evernham, three-time NASCAR championship-winning crew chief, on his protĂ©gĂ© Chad Knaus, who was inducted Friday into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, along with his longtime driver Jimmie Johnson
Source: The Athletic
Johnson and Knaus (right, above) won 81 races together and seven Cup Series championships. Knaus is the only NASCAR crew chief to win five straight championships (2006-10), all with Johnson driving.
đ Story
How a Stanford professor helped lay the foundation for this 49ers era
By David Lombardi, The Athletic
With San Franciscoâs 24-21 comeback win Saturday night, the 49ers reached the NFC Championship for the fourth time in five years. Lombardiâs story details how GM John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan came together on a vision for the organization with the help of Lynchâs old professor. If you enjoy studying leadership, this oneâs for you.
đŸ Highlight
They may be Russian, but Anna Blinkova and Elena Rybakina seemed to be in no hurry Thursday to end their historic match at the Australian Open. (Technically, Rybakina plays for Kazakhstan, but the 2022 Wimbledon champ was born in Moscow and grew up there. She switched federations in 2018 to further her career.)
Blinkova and Rybakina split two sets. And then knotted 6-6 in the deciding third set, they went to tie-breakers. After 41 tie-breaking points, most ever in the final set of a grand slam, their match was still up in the air. And then it was over in a Blink. See the final point and Annaâs reaction above.
âIt took me courage,â Blinkova said. âIt took me some certain calmness to stay in the present moment and to play point by point no matter what happens.â
âłïž Stat
60: strokes for 20-year-old Nick Dunlap in the third round Saturday at The American Express, the lowest round by an amateur in PGA Tour history for a par-72 course
Dunlap made history Saturday and could make more Sunday. The University of Alabama sophomore leads The American Express by three strokes going into the final round in La Quinta, California. If Dunlap does not tire and hangs on for the win at the inn, heâll be the first amateur to win a PGA event in 33 years.
đ Groaner
How did observers react to Baltimoreâs performance Saturday in the NFL Playoffs?
Everyone was Raven about Lamar Jackson!
đ Song
Rise Up by Andra Day
The Super Bowl pregame musical lineup is set.
National anthem: Reba McEntire (sign-language by actor Daniel Durant)
America the Beautiful: Post Malone (signed by model-dancer Anjel Piñero)
Lift Every Voice and Sing: Andra Day (signed by actor-dancer Shaheem Sanchez)
To get you in the mood, check out Rise Up. Guaranteed to make your Day or your money back.
đ Trivia
Which coach holds the record for most college basketball wins?
Geno Auriema
Mike Krzyzewski
Pat Summitt
Tara VanDerveer
Answer below.
As of Sunday Morning, Coach K and Tara VanDerveer are tied at the summit with 1,202 career wins. By Sunday evening, VanDerveer may own the record outright, if her Stanford Cardinal beat Oregon State. Auriema, who has won at a remarkable 88% clip for Connecticut, is close behind with 1,194. When Summit retired in 2012, she had the most wins at 1,098.
Aw shucks đœ. Thatâs it for this week. May you Rise Up and win a tie-breaker or two this week. Cheers!
A golf follow-up:
https://www.golfdigest.com/story/nick-dunlap-turning-pro-alabama-the-american-express-historic-win