Good Morning! Today is Monday, December 30. Here’s what happened over the weekend in the world of sports.

NFL

For the final time in 2024, let’s get to some NFL recaps:

• Starting with the Saturday games, Cincinnati was playing for their playoff lives against Denver. Joe Burrow and the Bengals rallied for a late touchdown, but Bo Nix connected on this insane touchdown pass with eight seconds left to send the game to overtime. There isn’t enough room here to recap all that went down in this one, but eventually, the Bengals won in overtime on Tee Higgins’ third receiving touchdown of the night. Cincy stays alive in the playoff race…

• And in the other big Saturday game, the Los Angeles Rams got closer to a playoff spot, thanks to this strange game-clinching interception against Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals.

• Well the New York Giants finally won a home game… and their fans are unhappy about it. Drew Lock had one of the greatest quarterback performances in recent NFL history and led New York to a 45-33 upset over the Indianapolis Colts (who are not officially out of the playoffs). With the win, the Giants have fallen way out of contention for a top draft pick.

• Sunday Night Football saw the Washington Commanders clinch a playoff spot. Jayden Daniels threw for 227 yards and three touchdowns while adding 127 yards rushing, and Washington overcame a late touchdown by the Atlanta Falcons to win 30-24 in overtime. With Tampa’s win yesterday, Atlanta has fallen out of a playoff spot.

• Finally, the game of the day in Minnesota. The Vikings continue to impress, jumping out to a 27-10 lead over their division rival Green Bay Packers. Although the Pack closed strong and the game ended 27-25, it was quite a win for Minnesota. Could Sam Darnold lead this team on a deep playoff run?

COLLEGE SPORTS

Bowl season is in full swing, and from wild endings in Vegas to fights in Annapolis, it’s been quite an entertaining few days. But after a busy weekend, two results stand out from the rest:

• Miami quarterback Cam Ward set the NCAA record for career passing touchdowns, but the potential first overall pick sat out the second half of the Pop-Tarts Bowl against Iowa State. That opened the door for the Cyclones to make an impressive comeback– quarterback Rocco Becht was named MVP of Iowa State’s 42-41 victory. And then this happened:

• Head coach Deion Sanders was emotional as he lead his sons Shilo and Shedeur onto the field for one last time. Unfortunately for Sanders and Colorado, the Alamo Bowl did not go too well for the Buffaloes. BYU dominated this matchup of Big-12 teams and capped off their impressive season with a 36-14 victory.

And in college basketball, the weekend was marked by this unusual ending to the ranked battle between UCLA and Gonzaga:

NBA

Yes, there were fights in two different NBA games. But sometimes, even after a packed weekend of basketball, all you need is one video to summarize the action. Have you ever tried this one?

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

Some major moves in baseball- first, Teoscar Hernandez re-signed with the Dodgers. But the biggest shock of the offseason was the Arizona Diamondbacks agreeing to a six-year, $210 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. A huge addition for the team in the desert, who add one of the best pitchers in baseball.

After a disappointing start to the season, the Sacramento Kings have fired head coach Mike Brown. While not an entirely shocking move, the way in which Brown was let go has come under fire.

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck has declared for the NFL draft. He’s expected to be one of the top quarterbacks taken in April.

The Lakers have made a trade with the Nets for wing Dorian Finney-Smith. In exchange, LA has returned D’Angelo Russell to Brooklyn, the second time they’ve sent the point guard across the country. We’ll see how this shakes things up for the Lakers, who are searching for a bit more consistency.

Finally, the sports world lost a beloved figure over the weekend, as broadcaster Greg Gumbel passed away after a battle with cancer. A wonderful announcer and trusted presence on the airwaves, Gumbel has most recently been known as the lead anchor on CBS’s coverage of March Madness. You can read a statement from Gumbel’s family below:

TODAY’S BIG GAMES (all times Eastern)

 NFL: Lions @ 49ers, 8:15 PM on ABC

A HUGE game in Nashville, Tennessee kicks off the New Year celebrations. “A rowdy crowd is ready to witness two great teams battle for all the marbles,” said one excited fan named Will.

MUSIC CITY BOWL: Mizzou vs Iowa, 2:30 PM on ESPN

TOMORROW’S BIG GAMES

NCAA FOOTBALL:

• RELIAQUEST BOWL: Alabama vs Michigan, Noon on ESPN

• SUN BOWL: Louisville vs Washington, 2 PM on CBS

• CHEEZ-IT BOWL: South Carolina vs Illinois, 3 PM on ABC

• TEXAS BOWL: Baylor vs LSU, 3:30 PM on ESPN

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS, FIESTA BOWL: Penn State vs Boise State, 7:30 PM on ESPN

NHL WINTER CLASSIC: Blues @ Blackhawks, Wrigley Field, 5 PM on TNT/Max

NEW YEAR’S DAY BIG GAMES

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS:

• PEACH BOWL: Texas vs Arizona State, 1 PM on ESPN

• ROSE BOWL: Ohio State vs Oregon, 5 PM on ESPN

• SUGAR BOWL: Notre Dame vs Georgia, 8:45 PM on ESPN

This is the final issue of the Remix in 2024. When I started this almost six months ago, I had no idea all the positive feedback I’d receive. Thank you so, so much– looking forward to continued growth in the new year! Enjoy the college football playoffs, and see you again on January 2nd… in 2025!

And to end the year, one of my favorite quotes of all-time. “When you come to a fork in the road, take it,” –Yogi Berra