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👋 GOOD MORNING
Happy Tuesday! If you have yet to start your work week thanks to Presidents’ Day, I hope you enjoyed your long weekend! It’s another good stretch coming up, as Spring Training games begin this weekend (!!!!!), and the Big 12 kicks off its championship week in early March. Couple those with the NBA/NHL playoff races that will soon hit a fever pitch, and it’s an incredible time of year for sports fans, especially right here in The Valley.
As for the NBA vs. NHL All-Star game debate? Well, that’s a different story. Kevin Durant sure had a lot to say about the critical reception to the NBA’s All-Star weekend, but we want to hear from you, too, so sound off in our poll at the bottom of this email!
On to the show!
NHL Has Found Winning Formula With 4 Nations Face-Off
I’ll admit it, I was skeptical.
The NHL abandoned its traditional All-Star Weekend model for the 4 Nations Face-Off, an international tournament featuring the league’s best players from the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland. I was worried about injuries and even apathy, and to be perfectly honest, the NHL skills competition has always been one of my favorite events to watch.
NBA Sinks, NHL Soars: The NBA tried to change up its format due to waning interest as well, setting up a tournament-style competition, but the ensuing reaction across both traditional and social media was, well, less-than-stellar. The 4 Nations Face-Off, on the other hand, has all of North America engaged, and Thursday’s final between the United States and Canada (6 pm, ESPN) is bound to surpass the already-stellar reception to the league’s new format.
- US/Canada on Saturday pulled in 4.4 million viewers, the most-watched non-NHL Final broadcast since 2019.
- Ratings have not yet been released on the NBA’s format, but last year’s brought in the second-lowest ever (5.5 million viewers).
- The tournament is also a solid primer for the 2026 Olympic Games, in which NHL players will once again participate.
- Because of the Olympics, the NHL will return to an All-Star Game format next season, but the blueprint has been established, and the league will host the World Cup of Hockey in 2028. The event has not been held since 2016.
- There are rumors the NBA will look at a 1-on-1 format in the future in an effort to shake things up and reinvigorate interest.
Durant’s Take: Suns star Kevin Durant was blunt with his assessment of the weekend’s critics, posting on X, formerly Twitter, “I think it’s more fun to complain about the NBA than to actually watch it. Crazy, cancel All-Star weekend, and let’s just give everybody a break since we’re so miserable around this time…” He went on to say in a subsequent reply: “My point is, fans complain about EVERYTHING. Like nothing is good enough for the fans right now.”
My Take: KD is spot on, but things can change. The NHL tapped into one’s pride for their country, and the current tension between the U.S. and Canada certainly played into that interest, as well. Those stakes crescendoed to the U.S. / Canada matchup on Saturday, which featured three fights in the game’s first nine seconds. It may be an exhibition tournament, but the passion shown from both the players and the fans have made it feel like anything but.
I still have concerns over injuries — it would be a tough pill to swallow to lose a star player for an extended period as the playoff chase heats up — but the NHL has executed a strong plan to solve for waning interest around this time of year, and may have found a solid way to grow the game.
Musings From Around (and Sometimes Beyond) The Valley
Bears Down: The Wildcats got back on the winning track yesterday with a 74-67 win at Baylor yesterday, using a balanced scoring attack while snapping a two-game losing streak. They’re back in action on Saturday, hosting BYU at 8 pm on ESPN.
Where’s Geraldo?: The answer? In the desert for the foreseeable future. ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported yesterday that D-Backs shortstop Geraldo Perdomo agreed to a four-year extension, which begins in 2026.
Grand Slam: The ASU baseball team improved to 4-0 with a 5-3 win over Austin Peay on Monday. The Sun Devils continue their season-opening home stand with a three-game set against Oral Roberts, beginning on Friday at 6:30 pm (ESPN+).
🧢 Tip of the Hat
Hear straight from Derek and Damon about what Perdomo’s reported extension means to all of us!
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