by Bob Priddy, Missourinet Contributing Editor
We are two days away from February, a short month. By the end of it, men will be playing baseball again, drivers of brightly-decorated automobiles will be going in circles really fast, and the frozen spirits of sports fans will have begun feeling the first tentative touches of warmth.
(CHIEFS)—A season-long work in progress is one game from being complete. The number 3 AFC Kansas City Chiefs will play the number 1 NFC San Francisco Giants after two weeks of hype in the Super Bowl, a game name coined by Chiefs and AFL founder Lamar Hunt.
Game management and big-time plays at critical moments were the keys for KC. The Chiefs controlled the ball for 20:31 of the first 30 minutes, keeping the dynamic Ravens offense on the sidelines until the Chiefs had built a 17-7 halftine lead. They had the ball for another 17:29 of the last 30 minutes, with the only second[half pointa coming on a Justin Tucker 43-yard field goal with 2:37 left. Patrick mahomes hit Marquez Valdes-Scantling with 32-yard third down pass on a third-and nine challenge just before the two minute warning and that was the game.
Travis Kelce and Mahomes were perfect with 11 targets and 11 completions for 116 yards and the game’s first touchdown. Kelce broke Jerry Rice’s record for most playoff receptions and tied Rice with 8 playoff games with 100 yards receiving.
What it all boils down to is that the Chiefs are in their fourth Super Bowl in five years, while the 49ers are back in the big time for the first time since losing 31-20 to Mahomes and Co. in Super Bowl 54 in 2020. The last time the two teams met was in October, 2020 when the Chiefs won by three touchdowns.
(miz)—Missouri basketball has crafted an 0-fer conference season and the story continues to shoe little variety—lead, contend, watch the other guys pull away at the end. Maybe they are waiting to peak in the conference tournament.
The 72-64 loss to South Carolina left them 0-7 in the conference.
The Tigers tried the inside game this time instead of throwing up threes (they tried only 8 and made only 2). Trying to pick up fouls inside didn’t produce much—South Carolina committed 17 fouls that Missouri turned into 14 points; Missouri recorded 18 fouls that became 16 SC points.
The Tigers again failed to close the deal. They were within 5 with 2:28 to go but hit only one field goal afterwards.
(MIZZ-D)—The football team has a new defensive coordinator—Corey Batoon, who comes to Columbia from South Alabama where he has been in charge of the defense and safeties for three years. Here are some of his credentials: The school was 22-16, held opponents to the low 20s per game in scoring. Opponents were 169/513 in 3rd down conversions, 33/70 on 4th downs, and South Alabama recorded 85 sacks in 38 games.
(MIZZ$)—The MU athletic department has reported it took in almost $141.6 million in fiscal 2022 and spent all but one dollar of it, both records. The Post-Dispatch got the numbers from the NCAA.
They do not include money donated to a “collective” that goes for payments to athletes under the name-image-likeness program. Mizzou raised $7.1 million for that program. Mississippi State was the only school reporting less. The highest-rollers are no surprise: LSU $20.1 million; Georgia $18.3 million; Alabama $16 million, and Florida $15.8 million. (zo047)
(BASEBALL)—We are two weeks away from the opening of spring training. Pitchers and catchers for the Royals and the Cardinals report on the 14th with pitchers and catchers reporting on the 19th. The first games are on the 22nd.
The Cardinals avoided arbitration with Tommy Edmond with a two-year deal, and signed former Houston reliver Josh James for his potential. James had been with Houston for parts of four seasons but has had injury problems. He’s 30, was in 87 games for the Astros 2018-21, struck out 34.2% of the batters he faced, walked 13.2% and allowed batters to hit only .204. Somehow, however, he compiled a 4.64 ERA.
As we were going to press, the Cardinals announced two additions providing possible depth and/or potential. First baseman/outfielder Alfonsa Rivas was picked up off waivers from the Angels. He was with the Pirates, the Guardians and the Angels and last year, hit .229. He’s 27
The Royals avoided arbitration with relievers Rick Anderson and Carlos Hernandez, starters Kyle Wagner, Brady Singer and Kris Bubic. Adam Frazier, a free agent second baseman from the Orioles has signed a one-year deal . Twelve-year veteran backup catcher Sandy Leon has a minor league contract. The Royals will be his 8th team. He has a .208 lifetime batting average.
And the engines have been fired for the first time in the major motorsports season—
(DAYTONA)—How about a race that lasted 24 hours having a winner only 2.1 seconds ahead of the second-place car. A Porsche owned by Roger Penske came across the line first, the car driven by Penske’s 2023 Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden, Felipe Nasr (who drove the last leg and got past the Cadillac that had dominated the race in the last 40 minutes), Matt Campbell and Dave Cameron.
The win is the first for Penske in the 24-hours since a team led by Mark Donohue won in a Lola 55 years ago. It continues a roll for Penske Motorsports that began with an Indianapolis 500 victory last May, a NASCAR championship with Ryan Blaney in November. His next target is the LeMans 24 Hours in June.
Newgarden becomes the fifth reigning 500 winner to win the Daytona 24 hours to start the next racing season. Arie Luyendyk did it in 1998, Dan Wheldon eight years later, Dario Franchitti in 2008 and four-time 500 champion Helio Castroneves two years ago.
IndyCar’s Colton Herta as part of the third-place team.