What have been the ten largest storylines in sports activities in January?

The brand new 12 months is already in full swing, with the month of January having come to an in depth. 

It has been an eventful month to say the least, with a couple of groups successful championships in some sports activities and others making playoff runs elsewhere. However what have been absolutely the largest storylines in sports activities over the previous month?

We dove into what’s transpired in faculty soccer, the NFL, faculty basketball, the NBA, MLB, and soccer in January and gave you the largest headlines to comply with.

Let’s have a look:

10 largest storylines in sports activities in January 

10. Ichiro Suzuki and C.C. Sabathia headline baseball Corridor of Fame class

Ichiro Suzuki turned the first participant from Japan to be inducted into the Baseball Corridor of Fame as a part of the 2025 class, and was only one vote shy of being a unanimous choice. Suzuki got here to Main League Baseball from Japan as a 27-year-old in 2001 and joined Fred Lynn in 1975 as the one gamers to win AL Rookie of the Yr and AL MVP in the identical season. Falling simply in need of the unanimous vote, Mariano Rivera stays the one participant to be unanimously chosen for induction in Cooperstown.

C.C. Sabathia acquired 86.6% of the vote in his first 12 months on the poll. He was a six-time All-Star, gained the 2007 AL Cy Younger Award and a World Sequence title in 2009. He went 251-161 with a 3.74 ERA and three,093 strikeouts, third amongst left-handers behind Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton, throughout 19 seasons with Cleveland (2001-08), the Milwaukee Brewers (2008) and New York Yankees (2009-19).

9. Manchester Metropolis and PSG keep away from elimination in new Champions League format

There have been a number of questions on how the brand new UEFA Champions League format would pan out, with 36 groups battling to make the knockout levels. Manchester Metropolis and Paris Saint-Germain struggled within the league part, recording eight factors and 10 factors respectively and tinkering getting ready to elimination. However on the ultimate matchday, each groups pulled out convincing victories to stay within the competitors.

Pep Guardiola led Metropolis to a 3-1 victory over Membership Brugge, regardless of taking place 1-0 early within the match. The four-time defending English Premier League champions went on to attain three unanswered targets. As for the French powerhouse, Ousmane Dembélé netted a hat trick in a straightforward 4-1 win over Stuttgart to safe them a spot within the knockout part. Supervisor Luis Enrique engineered fairly a turnaround over the previous couple of months, main them to 3 victories with 11 targets scored in that span. So, whereas a number of the largest golf equipment on this planet have been in peril of lacking the reduce within the new format, the ultimate subject nonetheless resulted in very acquainted faces.  

8. Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey proceed to dominate

There was numerous hype surrounding these three freshman heading into the faculty basketball season, and to date they’ve completely lived as much as it.

Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey have every all however assured themselves a prime 5 draft spot within the 2025 NBA Draft. January has been particularly form to Flagg and Bailey, who rank third and sixth within the nation respectively in scoring for the month — with the Duke product placing up 25.4 factors per sport and the Rutgers large man placing up 24.3. Whereas Bailey’s January hasn’t been fairly as prolific, he is nonetheless averaging 18.6 factors per sport with 4.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per outing.

Beneath are some nuggets that spotlight simply how unbelievable the true freshman have been this 12 months:

• Flagg averaged 25.4 factors per sport on 57.9% taking pictures in January; the one different Division-I freshman within the final 15 years to common 25 factors on that top of a taking pictures share in any month with five-plus video games is Zion Williamson, who did it in January and March 2019.
• Flagg got here a single help shy of averaging 25-5-5 in January; he would have had the very best subject aim share by any Division-I participant averaging 25-5-5 in any month over that very same span.
• Flagg had 42 factors, 7 assists, 6 rebounds in opposition to Notre Dame on 11-of-14 taking pictures (78.6%) and 16-of-17 from the free throw line (94.1%) on Jan. 11; his taking pictures share on this sport was the very best of any Division-I participant with a minimum of 40 factors, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds in a sport this century.
• Harper joined De’Aaron Fox as the one Division-I freshmen over the past 15 years with a 35-point sport and a triple-double in the identical season.
• Harper is the primary Division-I freshman to attain 35+ factors in consecutive video games over the past 15 seasons.
• Harper had 37 factors in opposition to No. 9 Alabama, essentially the most by a freshman vs an AP High-10 opponent since Cade Cunningham had 40 at Oklahoma in February 2021.
• Bailey had 37 factors in opposition to Northwestern on Jan. 29, two factors shy of tying the Rutgers single-game freshman file.
• Bailey and Harper are the second pair of freshman teammates over the past 15 years to every publish 35-point video games in the identical season; they joined Kentucky’s De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk, who did it in 2016-17.

7. Miami lands Carson Beck for $4M in switch portal

Former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck introduced that he’d be returning to highschool for a sixth season, after committing to play for Miami (Fla.) in 2025 regardless of lately declaring for the NFL Draft. Beck is reportedly set to obtain somewhat over $4 million to switch, roughly double the $1.6 million Heisman Trophy finalist Cam Ward earned by way of Miami’s collective, in accordance with FOX Sports activities’ Bruce Feldman. The senior signal-caller spent 5 seasons at Georgia, serving as a backup to Stetson Bennett on the college’s 2021 and 2022 title groups earlier than spending the previous two because the Bulldogs’ starter.

Beck accomplished 68% of his passes for 7,912 yards, 58 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his faculty profession. He appeared in 39 video games for Georgia, 27 of them previously two seasons, main them to a mixed 24-3 file. The Hurricanes will look to copy the success that they had with Ward beneath Beck’s command, coming off a 10-3 file. 

6. Jimmy Butler desires out in Miami

The saga of Jimmy Butler wanting to depart the Miami Warmth appears endless, as indicators of disagreement first got here to mild when the 2 events failed to succeed in an extension in June of 2024 forward of the season. On January 2nd of this 12 months, Butler said, “I need to see me getting my pleasure again taking part in basketball. Wherever which may be, we’ll discover out right here fairly quickly.”

Over the subsequent three weeks, Butler reiterated his want to be traded a number of instances to the entrance workplace, and has been suspended by the Warmth on a number of totally different events in that span as a result of a “disregard of group guidelines.” He’s presently suspended indefinitely, and Miami continues to be looking for the proper commerce companion to unload the six-time All-Star.

5. Saquon Barkley’s outstanding season lands Philly again in Tremendous Bowl

It is not usually {that a} participant will get to make the Tremendous Bowl of their first season with a brand new group, however Saquon Barkley did simply that in his first marketing campaign with Philly. Highlighted by main the league with 2,005 regular-season speeding yards, Barkley has been the driving pressure of a Philadelphia working sport that ranked second within the league (179.3 speeding yards per sport) and was sturdy sufficient to catapult the Eagles to Tremendous Bowl LIX. His postseason run has been completely electrical, with 442 speeding yards— the second-most by a participant in a single playoff run earlier than reaching the Tremendous Bowl.

Barkley additionally turned the sixth participant in NFL historical past to have 120 scrimmage yards and three speeding scores in a convention championship sport, becoming a member of Adrian Peterson, Emmitt Smith, LeGarrette Blount, Raheem Mostert, and Thurman Thomas. And to cap it off, Barkley has been essentially the most harmful large play risk within the postseason— recording three speeding touchdowns of 60+ yards within the 2024-25 playoffs. He’s the primary participant in NFL historical past with three speeding scores of 60+ yards in a playoff profession, not to mention a single postseason! Coming into the Tremendous Bowl, he’s simply 30 rush yards shy of breaking the single-season file held by Terrell Davis (together with the playoffs), and three scrimmage yards shy of breaking that file as nicely (additionally held by Davis). 

4. Roki Sasaki indicators with Dodgers

Roki Sasaki, a 23-year-old right-hander whose fastball tops 100 mph, introduced that will be a part of fellow Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in a transfer many baseball executives had lengthy anticipated. The San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays have been stated to be the opposite finalists nonetheless in pursuit of Sasaki. The Dodgers are planning to make use of a six-man rotation, which might ease his transition to Main League Baseball, as Los Angeles makes an attempt to grow to be the primary repeat champion because the New York Yankees from 1998 to 2000. Sasaki was 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA in 18 video games final 12 months, placing out 129 hitters in 111 innings throughout a season restricted by shoulder irritation. He went 7-4 with a 1.78 ERA in 15 begins in 2023, when he had an indirect harm. He has a 29-15 profession file with a 2.10 ERA over 4 seasons with the Marines and pitched an ideal sport in opposition to Orix in April 2022.

3. Ohio State wins first 12-team CFP

Ohio State and Notre Dame made historical past even earlier than kickoff of the 2025 School Soccer Playoff Nationwide Championship. The Buckeyes and Preventing Irish have been the primary two groups to succeed in the inaugural 12-team playoff title sport. Ohio State constructed a 31-7 lead within the third quarter earlier than Notre Dame got here charging again. The Buckeyes held on for the 34-23 win, thanks partially to a 56-yard completion from quarterback Will Howard to freshman sensation Jeremiah Smith late within the fourth quarter. The win gave Ohio State head coach Ryan Day his first nationwide title in his second look in a championship sport. It is also the primary nationwide championship for the Buckeyes because the 2014 season.

Smith broke the Huge Ten single-season file for receiving yards by a freshman with 1,315, passing Purdue’s Rondale Moore (1,258 in 2018), whereas Quinshon Judkins is the sixth participant within the CFP period to have three scrimmage touchdowns within the nationwide championship, becoming a member of Ezekiel Elliott, Travis Etienne Jr., Najee Harris, Derrick Henry and DeVonta Smith. The Buckeyes roster was really a particular one, boasting 4 1,000-yard performers— the primary time that is occurred in a single season in Buckeye historical past (Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka, TreVeyon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins).

Ohio State completed the 12 months with 5 wins vs. AP top-five opponents this season, not solely essentially the most because the FBS/FCS break up in 1978, but in addition essentially the most within the AP ballot period (since 1936)— with 4 of its 5 wins got here within the CFP.

2. Jayden Daniels’ historic playoff run

Jayden Daniels was completely stellar within the month of January, main the Commanders to the NFC Championship earlier than finally falling to the Eagles. It was Washington’s first NFC title sport look because the 1991 season, the identical 12 months through which they gained the Tremendous Bowl.

In three playoff video games, the previous Heisman winner recorded 822 move yards, 5 move touchdowns, 135 rush yards, and a speeding landing— all the very best marks by a rookie quarterback in a playoff run ever. Whereas his January was one thing to recollect, under we have listed out all of the information he broke all through the season simply to emphasise how unprecedented his season was:

Jayden Daniels Rookie QB Information Damaged 2024 Season, Together with Playoffs

• 1st to steer group in rush yards in common season and make playoffs
• 1st to throw 2+ move TD in street playoff win (Tampa Bay)
• 1st to steer group in move and rush yds in playoff win (Tampa Bay)
• 1st to defeat No. 1 scoring offense in playoffs (Detroit)
• 1st to defeat a number of prime 5 scoring offenses in playoffs (Tampa and Detroit)
• 1st to defeat a number of No. 1 total drafted QBs in playoffs (Baker Mayfield and Jared Goff)
• 1st to have 300+ offensive yards in a number of playoffs video games
• 1st to have 100+ passer score in a number of playoff video games
• 1st to win a number of playoff video games and not using a prime three scoring
• Most offensive yards in rookie season
• Most offensive touchdowns in rookie season
• Most move yards in a rookie postseason
• Most move touchdowns in a rookie postseason

1. Chiefs meet Eagles in Tremendous Bowl rematch; Ok.C. trying to file first three-peat

Might now we have requested for a greater Tremendous Bowl? A rematch of a sport that ended 38-35 just some years in the past, with Patrick Mahomes & Co. trying to make historical past— going up in opposition to arguably essentially the most gifted group within the league within the Eagles.

No group has ever gained three Tremendous Bowls in a row, with the Packers having come the closest— successful the 1965 NFL Championship earlier than successful Tremendous Bowls I and II. The Chiefs are the primary group ever to make 5 Tremendous Bowls in a six-year span, and likewise the fourth group in league historical past to succeed in three consecutive Tremendous Bowls.

The AFC title sport was a thriller, with Kansas Metropolis popping out on prime 32-19. It was their seventeenth straight win in a one-possession sport, the longest such successful streak in NFL historical past when together with the playoffs. Mahomes joins Tom Brady (10) and John Elway (5) as the one beginning quarterbacks in NFL historical past to succeed in the Tremendous Bowl 5 instances, and he’ll be the one one to begin 5 Tremendous Bowls earlier than age 30.

As for Philly, they’re in search of their first title because the 2017 season— having taken down Brady’s Patriots in a 41-33 barn-burner. Their NFC title sport efficiency was past dominant, scoring 55 factors and speeding for seven touchdowns— each NFL convention championship information. The 2 groups have a mixed 10 All-Professional choices, which ought to make this an unbelievable sport.

One truth we’ll go away you with: Andy Reid vs Nick Sirianni would be the fifth head coach rematch in a Tremendous Bowl all-time. The pinnacle coach that gained the primary assembly additionally gained the second assembly in all the earlier 4 cases. Can the Birds break the curse? 

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