Red Sox Sign J.D. Martinez to Five-Year, $110 Million Deal

The power outage just might be over in Boston. According to multiple reports, the Boston Red Sox and free agent outfielder J.D. Martinez have agreed to a five-year, $110 million contract. The deal is said to be front-loaded, as Martinez will receive $50 million over the first two years, and includes an opt-out clause after the second year. Martinez and his agent, Scott Boras, were hoping for a larger payday all winter, but with spring training underway, they appeared to take the best deal on the table, and it was from the Red Sox.

The 30-year-old is coming off a fantastic 2017 season, in which he hit .303/.376/.690 with 45 home runs and 104 RBI in just 119 games. Martinez was traded mid-season from the Detroit Tigers to the Arizona Diamondbacks and helped the Dbacks secure a postseason berth.

Martinez bolsters a Red Sox lineup that has sorely lacked a standout power hitter since David Ortiz’s retirement. The Red Sox were last in the American League in home runs last season. Martinez will likely be the team’s designated hitter, as young stars Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, and Jackie Bradley Jr. will again man the outfield.

Many view signing Martinez as the Red Sox’s counter to the New York Yankees’ acquisition of N.L. MVP Giancarlo Stanton last December. Sox fans are hopeful Martinez can help the Sox keep pace with the Yanks, as Boston seeks it’s third consecutive A.L. East title.

Eagles Win Super Bowl LII in 41-33 Shootout with Patriots

The New England Patriots brought their A game in Super Bowl LII, but they didn’t bring their D.

In a 41-33 shootout, Philadelphia won its first ever Super Bowl, upsetting the defending champions Sunday night at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

Backup quarterback Nick Foles, who took over for the injured Carson Wentz in Week 14, was named Super Bowl MVP after completing 28 of 43 passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns.

Foles and the rest of Philadelphia’s offense were relentless in their assault on New England’s defense, passing and rushing the ball with ease. Former Patriot LeGarrette Blount and Jay Ajayi rushed for over 150 yards total, and Nelson Ahgolor, Zach Ertz and Corey Clement all made big plays downfield.

The game wasn’t without controversy, as head coach Bill Belichick benched cornerback and former Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler, who was reportedly told just before kickoff he would not be playing. Butler told ESPN after the game, “they gave up on me.”

New England trailed by two scores as the first half came to a close and Philadelphia had all but silenced their running game. By the time the second half began, it was clear New England’s hopes of bringing home a sixth Lombardi Trophy rested solely on the shoulders of their ageless wonder.

In his eighth Super Bowl, 40-year-old Tom Brady forced the ball through the air 48 times, completing 28 passes for 505 yards and three touchdowns. Those 505 yards broke the record for most passing yards in a Super Bowl, previously set by Brady last year with 466.

New England was able to take a 33-32 lead late in the fourth quarter, but with 2:11 remaining, Foles connected with Ertz who dove into the endzone for a touchdown. Philadelphia failed to convert on a two-point play, but Brady fumbled on the next possession and a Jake Elliot field goal all but sealed the deal for the City of Brotherly Love.

Goodell Plans to “Start Over” with No-Catch Rule

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – As they say in Hollywood, this is going to need a total rewrite.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a press conference Wednesday the league plans to review the current “no-catch rule”  in the off-season. However, rather than revising the rule, Goodell said he’d prefer to “start over again.”

The current rule states that if a player loses control of the ball while going to the ground after making the initial catch, it should be ruled an incompletion. This has caused headaches throughout the league, as there’s been an apparent lack of uniformity from officials when enforcing this rule.

Goodell disagrees, saying the officials are “extraordinary professionals” whose jobs are far more difficult today thanks to advancements in technology such as instant replay.

Nevertheless, the league is already welcoming debate over the rule at the league offices. Goodell noted Hall of Fame players and coaches recently met and watched 150 different plays in order to “figure out what should be catch.”

The rule played a big role in the New England Patriots’ Week 15 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. What would’ve been a potential game-winning touchdown catch by Steelers tight end Jesse James was instead ruled incomplete, because James lost possession of the ball as he went to the ground. However, replays showed James largely maintained possession, which represents the core of the debate: whether losing possession for even a fraction of a second should constitute an incomplete pass.

No matter how the current rule is handled, Goodell acknowledges there will always be disagreements on what a catch in the NFL should be.

“I’m not going to tell you there won’t be controversy,” Goodell said. “but I believe that we can get to a much better place.”