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Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) is set to become the next president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker delivers his State of the State address on Jan. 25, 2022. Baker is departing Boston in 2023 to head up the NCAA in Indianapolis. (Image: Boston Herald) Baker and current NCAA President Mark Emmert are each soon departing their current jobs. Baker didn’t seek a third term as governor in Massachusetts, while Emmert earlier this year announced he would step down effective March 1, 2023. After a nationwide search, the NCAA’s Board of Governors settled on Baker as the next president of the nonprofit organization that regulates …

The New York Jets begin the week on the outside looking in regarding the NFL playoff picture. They have the same record as the Los Angeles Chargers (7-6), but would lose a tiebreaker if the season was complete because of a worse conference record. But the season did not end yesterday, and Jets coach Robert Saleh boldly predicted, “We’re gonna see these guys again.” That, folks, is a mouthful of a prediction. And Saleh not only said it to the media in Buffalo following the Jets’ 20-12 loss to the Buffalo Bills, he said it to his team, too. Which means not only is Saleh predicting that the Jets will …

Encore Boston Harbor made history on Thursday in Massachusetts. That’s after the Wynn Resorts-operated casino was awarded the first sports betting license in the commonwealth. The WynnBet Sportsbook at Encore Boston Harbor could begin taking bets as early as January 2023 after Massachusetts gaming regulators found the casino suitable for sports gambling. Online sports betting operations are scheduled to commence later next year. (Image: Encore Boston Harbor) The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) on Thursday found Encore Boston Harbor suitable for a Category 1 sports betting license. Unlike Plainridge Park and MGM Springfield  — which failed earlier this week to win over the five-member gaming commission and prompt a vote during …

The Boston Celtics, powered by their high-octane offense, are the first team to win 20 games this season. With a 20-5 record, the Celtics are currently the betting favorite to win the 2022-23 NBA championship at +3300 odds, according to DraftKings. Forward Jayson Tatum from the Boston Celtics launches a 3-point shot against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York City. (Image: Getty) The Celtics were the runners-up in last year’s NBA Finals, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors. They entered the preseason as one of the three co-favorites to win the 2022-23 NBA championship, along with the defending champion Warriors and Los Angeles …

France seized first place in Group D of the World Cup, despite losing 1-0 to Tunisia on Wednesday. Perhaps it was a gift, since France already knew it was going to advance. Kylian Mbappe of the French national soccer team celebrates a World Cup goal. He’s on track to lead France to its second consecutive World Cup title if he stays strong. (Image: Reuters) A goal from Tunisia’s Wahbi Khazri in the 58th minute gave the team its victory. French attacker Antoine Griezmann tried to even things up in the eighth minute of extra time, but an offsides call reversed the goal. In the other Group D game, Australia beat …

The Charlotte Hornets have been plagued by the injury bug this season, including forward Gordon Hayward, who will be out indefinitely with a fractured left shoulder blade. Gordon Hayward from the Charlotte Hornets, seen here clutching his left shoulder during a game against the Chicago Bulls, is out indefinitely with a fractured shoulder injury. (Image: USA Today Sports) Shams Charania from The Athletic typically breaks a lot of big NBA stories. But in this instance, an NBA wife scooped the beat writer. Robyn Hayward, the wife of Gordon Hayward, vented her frustrations about the Charlotte Hornets organization in a series of Instagram stories on Friday under the account of @robynmhayward. …

Next year, New York City will become a qualifying host region for commercial casinos. But with only one license expected to be available through a competitive bidding process, Gotham’s most powerful individuals are flexing their financial muscles and influence in hopes of landing the coveted concession. An MLB promo highlighting a 2021 “Subway Series” between the New York Yankees and New York Mets. The New York City casino race will likely include both the Mets and Yankees ownerships. (Image: MLB) New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, whose fortune is estimated at $17.5 billion, has reportedly struck a partnership with Hard Rock International to develop an integrated casino resort plan near …

Contrition and remorse are human qualities that can be either genuine or disingenuous. It remains to be seen whether Kyrie Irving was telling people what they wanted to hear, or whether he truly turned the corner as a human being. But judging from what he said and how he appeared in Brooklyn last night, the Nets may be getting somewhere. Brooklyn has been dysfunction junction throughout the early part of the 2022-23 season, and the Nets currently sit in ninth place in the Eastern Conference with an 8-9 record. That’s as they get ready for the Ben Simmons alumni game in Philadelphia to begin a three-game road trip that also …

Plans for the rest of the University of Virginia (UVA) football season are in limbo as the campus continues to mourn the loss of three football players. They were shot dead on Sunday by a former player. Two other students, at least one of whom was also on the team, remain hospitalized with injuries. A banner on a UVA building, pictured above. It encourages students to remain strong and lists the numbers of three players who were shot dead on Sunday. (Image: WVEC) Students at the Charlottesville campus remain stunned Tuesday from the tragedy. Thousands of students attended a candlelight vigil for the slain students on Monday night. Also, throughout …

“The job is not finished.” The quote came from Kobe Bryant during the 2009 NBA Finals. The Lakers held a 2-0 lead on the Orlando Magic, and Bryant was asked why he seemed dissatisfied with the two wins, and he replied, stone-faced, “The job is not finished.” New York Giants coach Brian Daboll played that Kobe clip for his team at practice. The Giants are now embarking on the second half of the season with a 6-2 record that has made them one of the NFL’s biggest surprises. They opened as 7-point favorites against the team with the NFL’s worst record, and the line has since dropped to 4 1/2. …