Outside Iona Sports
Chiefs, 49ers teach the “big game” in Super Bowl tematch
The Kansas City Chiefs traveled to Baltimore to take on the Ravens in the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 28. After a relatively quiet score of 7-7 in the first quarter, the Chiefs added 10 unanswered points in the second. The Ravens’ defense kept the Chiefs from scoring in the second half, but the bigger story was MVP candidate Lamar Jackson being limited to 20-of-37 on passing with one touchdown and an interception. Kansas took this one home, 17-10, advancing them to their second straight Super Bowl. Like the Chiefs, the San Francisco 49ers dealt with their own first half struggles, going down 24-7 to the Detroit Lions by the middle of the game. They then led the largest comeback in NFC title game history to defeat the Lions 34-31. The Chiefs and 49ers met during Super Bowl LIV in 2020, with the former winning 31-20.
Information from NFL.com.
NHL All-Star Weekend brings first half to a close
The 2024 NHL All-Star weekend took place Feb. 1-3 at Scotiabank Arena in Ontario, Canada. It proved to be as exciting as anticipated, showcasing a red carpet, high-energy games and eight skills competitions where players from different teams competed for a $1 million prize. Four teams competed in the skills competitions, each of which were given a celebrity captain to accompany them throughout the weekend. Team Matthews was assigned Justin Bieber, Will Arnett accompanied Team McDavid, Tate McRae was alongside Team MacKinnon and Team Hughes was captained by Michael Bublé. Each player chose four of the first six events to compete in, and the lowest scoring four players were eliminated. The remaining eight players entered the shootout in which they chose which goalie to shoot against. The top six scorers moved on to the obstacle course where Connor McDavid was eventually crowned champion. The NHL All Star games were structured in a three-on-three tournament format where the games were played in halves rather than periods. Team Matthews passed Team McDavid in the second half of the championship game, scoring four goals to make a final score of 7-4 and bring home the win.
Information from ESPN and NHL.com.
NFC trumps AFC in dominant fashion
The NFC and AFC faced off for the annual Pro Bowl, including the skills challenges and the actual flag football game itself. Starting off with the skills challenges, the NFC won eight out of the 12 matches right before, and during, the main game. As always, the Pro Bowl itself was a high-scoring, offense-filled affair. 123 points were totaled during the afternoon, with the NFC taking home the crown by a score of 64-59. This effort turns out to be the highest-scoring Pro Bowl to date, overcoming the 55-52 game in 2004. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, in his first Pro Bowl, took home the game’s offensive MVP, while Demario Davis won it on the defensive side.
Information from ESPN and NFL.com.
