Who Won The Great Christmas Sports War?

…The Eagles offensive lineman went across the pond with a soulful cover of Wham!’s ‘Last Christmas’ in his annual tradition. His mic is definitely on.

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The great Christmas War of 2024 is officially over. It will be remembered as the sports version of Kanye vs. 50 Cent – two behemoths battling for public supremacy – on this glorious holiday. As the dust settles, who exactly won? 

Every party got what it wanted, but the NBA delivered what it needed: a narrative-changing moment.

Sure, the NFL will end up with the gaudy ratings, a pat on the back from the world’s biggest streaming platform and Beyoncé. We knew this would happen. What we didn’t know is how the NBA would respond to its sacred turf being invaded, in the midst of an exhausting dialogue about declining viewership and too many threes.

The NBA, though, had a better product than the NFL on Christmas day. Its stars came together like the residents of Whoville to save Christmas with a 12-hour marathon of bangers. 

From Wemby’s historic 40-piece Christmas debut, to LeBron and Steph’s instant classic and KD-Joker’s duel after dark, the association provided the best non-Beyoncé sports moments – capped by an emphatic exclamation point from King James.

And most importantly, the fans won. We got so caught up in the zero-sum game that we actually lost sight of how much we love a congested sports calendar, like we had last Saturday. There’s enough room on the table for the NBA and NFL while enjoying precious moments with your loved ones. Thankfully, this feels like the new Christmas tradition moving forward.

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Coach Prime is the epitome of a trailblazer. His drastic life changes are abrupt, unexpected and always audacious. But give it time, and you’ll see the bigger picture. Now wrapping up year 2 at Colorado, nobody questions whether he’ll be successful. Instead, they’re copying his attention economy playbook.

And why wouldn’t they? He’s everything a traditionalist and a disruptor could want in college football. Like an old-school ball coach, Deion has his star players committed to playing in a non-College Football Playoff bowl game, doesn’t want his players sagging their pants and cares about academics just as much as athletics.

But where he differs from the OGs is how he can make a dormant program in Boulder evolve into one of the most popular teams in the country. Coach Prime is grooming the next generation of NFL first-round picks, with the spotlight and attention to literally take over the sport. And when that light is overwhelming, as it has been for Hunter’s private life lately, Deion is there to pick them up.

Deion’s success has ushered in a new pipeline for former NFL stars to develop as the next big college football coach. His pathway, which started at an HBCU school, has been replicated by Eddie George, Michael Vick, and now DeSean Jackson. Who would’ve thought four years ago we’d be sitting here in awe of everything Coach Prime has already accomplished. The scariest thought? He’s just getting started.