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While You Were Oscar-ing: QB news! Already!

Late-breaking news to start your morning: Russell Wilson intends to sign with the Steelers when free agency opens Wednesday. Two things: 

• Pittsburgh just got 10 times more interesting, and I don’t know if that’s a good thing. Is 2024 Wilson or incumbent Kenny Pickett good? Who knows! Also, where does Mason Rudolph land now? Training camp with this team will be fun for the sickos.
  
• Wilson will reportedly sign a team-friendly deal worth the veteran-minimum $1.2 million. Remember, the Broncos will be on the hook for the other $38 million. 

Now we can really focus on this new stage for Wilson, a nine-time Pro Bowler and a Super Bowl winner. Will he resuscitate his career and lead Pittsburgh back to the playoffs? Or will he become a roving veteran, ready to fill in for injured stars on quality teams over the next few seasons, a la Andy Dalton? Feels more likely to me. 

We had plenty more action yesterday. Some top hits: 

Today should be busy, as the legal tampering period begins at noon ET. The big name we are waiting on is Kirk Cousins, who was expected to tell the Vikings of his intentions last night. Tune into Scoop City later for more reporting as we get it. 

We have a running live blog of all of our coverage here, too.

Also Last Night: Trophies are good

So much for all the USWNT consternation. Two weeks after falling dos-a-cero to Mexico, the Americans lifted the inaugural W Gold Cup trophy last night, beating Brazil 1-0 in the final. So where are we now? 

I asked Emily Olsen, senior soccer editor and Full Time writer: 

A few weeks ago, it was difficult to look at this inaugural W Gold Cup as anything other than another tournament the U.S. would waste while waiting for head coach Emma Hayes to take her post in May. But the USWNT pulled the most out of the competitive competition, including: overcoming a lackluster group stage, polishing rising stars like Jaedyn Shaw and Jenna Nighswonger and vanquishing some lingering World Cup penalty kick demons. Oh yeah, and they added a trophy to the cabinet.

It was an award-filled night all around. Make sure to subscribe to Full Time for more coverage tomorrow.

News to Know

Pistons GM gets in verbal tussle with fan
It’s been a bad year in Detroit. The Pistons are 10-53, and Detroit general manager Troy Weaver is to the point of engaging in an expletive-laden argument with a fan yesterday. The fan apparently provoked Weaver three times, the last of which is captured in this video. (Zooming out, here’s the funniest part: Detroit could escape last place. The Wizards and Spurs are that bad.)

Scottie Scheffler can putt again
The world’s best golfer has a new putter and, as Brody Miller wrote, “everyone else may be in trouble.” The read on Scheffler, who cruised to a win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational yesterday, over the last two years has been simple: He may be the most talented golfer to grace the sport since Tiger Woods and, if he could be consistent on the green, his resume would become Woods-esque. Yesterday at a difficult course, Scheffler won by five shots while putting in the top 10. Watch out.

More news

• The Minnesota Wild pulled off one of the more daring stunts we’ve seen in a while: pulling their goalie, which could’ve lost them a point. It worked.
  
• The NBA fined Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert a staggering $100,000 for taunting referees Friday night. It’s the largest fine given to a non-suspended player this season.
  
• Trevor Bauer is still looking for a MLB team and even threw against Dodgers minor leaguers in an exhibition yesterday. Bauer is quite confident he belongs on an MLB roster.
• Rockets forward Alperen Şengün left the court in a wheelchair last night after a leg injury.
  

Things You Need to See: A title-game scrap

The game was supposed to be one of the season’s best. South Carolina, the undefeated No. 1 team, playing LSU, the defending national champions, for the SEC tournament title. Instead, we’re talking about a fight. 

Here’s what sparked the fracas late in South Carolina’s 79-72 win, seconds after Tigers guard Flau’jae Johnson (pictured in the video) fouled South Carolina’s MiLaysia Fulwiley:

Things are getting heated in the SEC Championship game as a scuffle breaks out in the fourth quarter 😳

🎥@ESPNpic.twitter.com/4n922p9jXj

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) March 10, 2024

That last shove came via Gamecock center Kamilla Cardoso, whom you may remember played hero in South Carolina’s semifinal win over Tennessee. She was one of 10 ejections in yesterday’s contest and will miss South Carolina’s first-round NCAA Tournament game. What a week. 

After the game, Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley apologized for the whole incident. Tigers coach Kim Mulkey was clearly still angry about the entire affair. Let’s hope these two face off in the big tourney. 

Watch This Game

NHL: Capitals at Jets
7:30 p.m. on ESPN+
I want to lock in on Winnipeg, whom Pierre LeBrun posits was one of the four teams to win the NHL trade deadline. 

NBA: Warriors at Spurs
8 p.m. ET on NBA TV
I want one thing out of this game: Victor Wembanyama blocking a Steph Curry 3-point attempt. That’s all.

Pulse Picks

Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez did not have the 2023 he envisioned. But, as Madeline Coleman writes in a wonderful feature today, he found purpose off the grid — and he’s not ready to give up driving just yet. 

Joey Votto is really back and, as he told Jayson Stark, he feels “the fire.” Great read on a great baseball character. 

I also loved this from Ken Rosenthal on the New York Yankees clubhouse, where new, big personalities like Marcus Stroman and Alex Verdugo are being embraced by veteran stars and club brass. 

The Los Angeles Kings didn’t do much at the trade deadline, while competitors loaded up on new talent. They say they don’t care. 

One of the hardest adjustments for NHL rookies? Sleep. No, seriously.

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(Photo: Ryan Kang/Getty Images)