🏈 Bill Belichick Returns to Coaching, Rams & 49ers TNF Preview + More!

Morning Blitzers,

Six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick will be coaching college football next season. I’m stunned. NFL history is very important to him, and he’s only 26 wins away from Don Shula’s regular season all-time wins record. I thought he might retire, but not coach outside of the NFL.

The biggest obvious reason why it doesn’t make a lot of sense is that college football is so different from a recruiting/alumni/politicking standpoint. Things I can’t imagine Belichick, at 72, would want to spend his time on. Plus, college football programs take time to develop. Going to UNC isn’t exactly plug-and-play. They finished 6-6 overall and 13th in a pretty weak ACC. Even his former players didn’t think it was going to happen:

With that being said, Belichick has always marched to his own drum. He’s made a living off doing the opposite of what everyone thought he should do, and it’s paid off tremendously for him. I already think he’s the greatest coach to ever live, but now he’s off to prove that at the college level. I wish him luck (just don’t beat up on my Clemson Tigers please!)

WTF Stat: Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, and Josh Jacobs, were the biggest running backs in free agency in the offseason but were not considered a priority by their former teams (or much of the NFL). Their new teams are 28-11 combined, while their old teams are 7-32. Is running back value going to go back up?

🏈 Bill Belichick, the legendary NFL coach with six Super Bowl titles, has been named the new head coach of the University of North Carolina football team, marking his first college coaching job. It’s a five-year deal pending board approval. Belichick, 72, brings unprecedented star power to the Tar Heels, who have struggled in recent years. His father, Steve, was an assistant coach at UNC in the 1950s.

⚾️ The Red Sox acquired left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for four prospects: catcher Kyle Teel, outfielder Braden Montgomery, infielder Chase Meidroth, and right-handed pitcher Wikelman Gonzalez. Crochet, 25, had a standout season in 2024, transitioning from relief to a starting role, where he posted a 35.1% strikeout rate and 209 strikeouts in 146 innings. With a fastball averaging 97 mph and a strong slider, Crochet is expected to bolster the Red Sox's rotation, which struggled in 2024.

Thursday Night Football Preview

Game: Rams (7-6) @ 49ers (6-7) at 8:15 EST

Why we’re watching: The NFC West is as tight as it can be right now, so every matchup is like a playoff game. These are two really talented teams*… When healthy and when the 49ers are at home (+47 point differential when they’re at home, -47 when they’re away). Well, the Rams are looking healthy and the 49ers are at home so something’s got to give, should be a great matchup.

Key Matchup: WR Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp vs. 49ers secondary. I think Nacua and Kupp make up the NFLs best WR duo. But they’ll be going up against a secondary that has let up the second fewest passing yards in the NFL. What makes the 49ers so good is they don’t give up a ton of big passing plays (fewest 20+ yard passing plays in the NFL), but the Nacua and Kupp aren’t really boom-or-bust type guys, they’re high volume catchers. So it’ll be interesting to see if the 49ers can lock them down or will they experience death by 1,000 receptions.

TNF Prop Bets: Jean (6-6) - Rams ML (+124) — Keith (7-5) - Deebo Samuel 68.5+ Rushing + Receiving yards

D-Man’s Pick (8-5 TNF): I don’t really trust either of these teams, so I’ll take the points Rams +3

Top NBA Scores

• Hawks 108, Knicks 100: The Hawks secured a spot in the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas. Trae Young had 22 points and 11 assists, while De'Andre Hunter scored 24 points and Jalen Johnson contributed 21 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists. Despite a strong first half from the Knicks, including 21 points from Josh Hart and a 19-point, 19-rebound performance from Karl-Anthony Towns, the Hawks surged in the second half, outscoring the Knicks 61-46.

• Rockets 91, Warriors 90: The Rockets also secured a spot in the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas, after snapping a 15-game losing streak against the Warriors. Jalen Green made two crucial free throws with 3.5 seconds left to give the Rockets the win (after a questionable loose ball foul call). The Warriors had a chance to win at the buzzer, but Jabari Smith Jr. blocked Brandin Podziemski’s 3-point attempt.

See full NBA scoreboard here, and standings here.

Top NHL Scores

• Rangers 3, Sabres 2: Adam Fox had a goal and two assists to lead the Rangers to a 3-2 victory. Mika Zibanejad scored his 300th career goal, and Reilly Smith also found the net for the Rangers, who ended a two-game losing streak. Igor Shesterkin made 29 saves in the win.

• Senators 5, Ducks 1: Drake Batherson had a dominant performance, recording a hat trick and an assist. Brady Tkachuk added a goal and an assist, while Noah Gregor also scored. Linus Ullmark made 31 saves in goal for Ottawa.

See full NHL scoreboard here, and standings here. Only two games last night.

On this day in 1973, San Diego files anti-trust against the Padres to stop them from selling and moving to Washington DC. The Padres were on the verge of being sold to Joseph Danzansky, who was planning to move the franchise to Washington, D.C., in time for the upcoming season. New uniforms were designed for the team, which was planning to be renamed to either the Washington Stars or the Washington Nationals. The lawsuits prevented the sale from going through, instead the team sold to McDonald's co-founder Ray Kroc for $12 million. Kroc was well-financed and firmly committed to keeping the Padres in San Diego.

Can read more about it here:

Yesterday’s Trivia Time Answer

Which left-handed pitcher had the biggest deal before Max Fried's signing?

B) David Price - The Red Sox signed price to a 7-yearm $217-million contract in 2015. Surpassed now by Fried’s $218 million dollar deal (although Fried’s is for 8-years).

Check back tomorrow for the answer to today's trivia question and more info!