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NCAA Sticks to Its Guns: No Live Mascots for the Tournament

The NCAA has confirmed that live mascots, including Drake’s beloved Griff II, will not be allowed at the tournament’s early rounds, despite a petition from fans. Rules are rules!

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NCAA Tournament: Live Mascots Still Not Allowed

Sorry, Drake fans! The NCAA has made it clear that they won’t be changing their stance on live mascots at the Big Dance. Despite a petition and the undeniable cuteness of Griff II, the rules are rules.

For those not in the know, the NCAA has banned live mascots from the tournament’s early rounds, only allowing exceptions for the Final Four games. Why? Because the host venue can better accommodate an animal’s needs during those later rounds.

The Drake Bulldogs, who are the 11th seed in the West Region, had fans rallying behind an online petition to allow their beloved mascot, Griff II, to attend. The petition argued that the regulation is outdated, stating, “Griff isn’t just a mascot — he’s an essential part of Drake’s identity. This rule serves no real purpose and only takes away from the game-day experience. It’s time for the NCAA to recognize the role of live mascots and update its policies.”

Unfortunately, the NCAA responded with a firm, “Not gonna happen.” An NCAA spokesperson told us, “Griff II the bulldog is undeniably adorable, and to the disappointment of dog lovers everywhere, including many NCAA staff, we unfortunately must apply the rules fairly for all teams. We couldn’t have a Texas longhorn like Bevo or a North American bison like Ralphie sitting courtside in the early rounds, so unfortunately we cannot permit any live mascots despite Griff II being far cuter.” They added, “Should Drake make it all the way to the Final Four, we encourage Griff II to apply for an exception because the venue and game schedules can accommodate a bulldog.”

Drake will face off against No. 6 seed Missouri in the First Round on Thursday at the InTrust Bank Arena, but they’ll have to try and pull off an upset without their furry friend. Ruff news for Griff!

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General Sports News

Bills Safety Accidentally Helps Patriots Build a Statue for Efton Chism III

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Efton Chism III making a one-handed touchdown catch for the Patriots against the Bills

The NFL has a way of turning one ridiculous play into an entire public-service announcement, and Sunday in Buffalo delivered a fresh example. Efton Chism III, who was very much on the Patriots’ 53-man roster and not on some imaginary practice squad vacation, hauled in a diving one-handed touchdown with 1:50 left to send New England to a 29-26 win over the Bills. It was the kind of catch that makes defenders stare into the middle distance and reconsider their life choices. It was also the sort of play that usually earns a player a round of applause, a sideline chest bump, and maybe a spot on every highlight show until the sun burns out.

Efton Chism III making a one-handed touchdown catch for the Patriots against the Bills
Efton Chism III turns a desperation throw into the kind of game-winning catch that launches a thousand replay freezes. Credit: ESPN

Instead, Bills defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson decided to take the scenic route through denial and disrespect, calling Chism a “practice squad player” who “made a hell of a catch.” That’s a heck of a thing to say about a guy who was busy winning the game against you with one hand, one foot, and the football equivalent of a crowbar pry-open of the end zone. Patriots coach Mike Vrabel didn’t exactly file the comment under “interesting but harmless” either, firing back that for a guy who’s been on eight teams in four years, Gardner-Johnson probably knows the drill. Somewhere, a giant golden shovel is being prepared in New England, because Chism just helped bury Buffalo and then got the rare honor of being disrespected for it.

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General Sports News

NFL May Finally Crack Open Sunday Ticket Before 2030

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NFL Sunday Ticket promotional image

For years, Sunday Ticket has been the NFL’s expensive little miracle: pay a king’s ransom and get the privilege of watching the league’s full buffet of out-of-market games, assuming your bank account survives the checkout screen. Now comes the wonderfully bureaucratic twist — the league could be willing to deconstruct the whole thing by the 2030 season, which is corporate-speak for “we might break the toy and rebuild it in a way that makes more money.” In the NFL’s world, nothing says innovation like taking a package fans already complain about and asking whether it can be sliced into even more pieces.

NFL Sunday Ticket promotional image
Sunday Ticket could be headed for a major redesign by the 2030 season. Credit: NBC Sports

And honestly, this is the most NFL thing imaginable. The league has spent decades turning football into a 24/7 content empire, and Sunday Ticket has always been the premium chair at the grown-ups’ table: useful, pricey, and somehow still not enough for everyone. If the next rights deal really does move toward a different structure, it could mean more flexibility, more digital experimentation, and more opportunities for fans to wonder why watching one football game now requires the strategic planning of a fantasy draft and the budget discipline of a mortgage refinance. The takeaway is simple: Sunday Ticket isn’t necessarily disappearing, but the league appears ready to put it on the operating table and see how many extra organs can be sold separately.

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Baseball

Tarik Skubal Turns October Into a Power-Washing Demo as Dodgers Open NLDS With 5-3 Win

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Tarik Skubal in a Dodgers postseason game against the Braves

The Dodgers spent Game 1 of the NLDS doing what rich baseball teams are apparently allowed to do now: casually importing a two-time Cy Young winner and asking him to bully an entire lineup into compliance. Tarik Skubal obliged with the kind of October debut that makes the rest of the league file a complaint with the baseball gods. After a leadoff single, he retired 15 straight Braves batters, which is less a pitching line than a polite eviction notice.

Tarik Skubal in a Dodgers postseason game against the Braves
Tarik Skubal overpowered Atlanta in Game 1 of the NLDS as Los Angeles opened the series with a 5-3 win. Credit: Getty Images / France 24

The heat at Dodger Stadium was brutal, the stakes were huge, and Skubal still worked like a man trying to shut off the stadium’s electricity bill. He finished with seven strikeouts, allowed just two hits and one run, and never really looked like he was in danger of handing Atlanta much of anything besides a long, frustrated bus ride. Meanwhile, the Dodgers offense did what playoff offenses are supposed to do when a starter is throwing flamethrowers and changeups like a wizard with a pension plan: it piled up three home runs. Teoscar Hernández got it started, Kyle Tucker added the kind of blast that makes opposing dugouts stare into the middle distance, and Max Muncy provided the insurance policy nobody asked for but everybody appreciated.

Atlanta managed to make the final score respectable with late homers of its own, which is nice in the same way a fire extinguisher is nice after the house is already on fire. But the night belonged to Skubal and the Dodgers, who grabbed a 1-0 series lead and reminded everyone that October baseball is often just three hours of someone else’s ace ruining your life one hitter at a time.

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