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Recapping 2020 Through Sports

The White Sox extended the contract of free agent right-hander Jose Quintana for six years and $50 million and signed him for a two-year, $25 million extension. Sources: 10

CBS apparently wanted to keep the package, but turned down an offer from ESPN and pulled out of negotiations. Fickell's contract, signed in 2017 and obtained through a file-sharing request, shows he would owe the university $2 million in severance payments to terminate it by December 31, 2020. It lists a base salary of $1.5 million for the 2019 season and $3.2 million the following year. Sources: 0, 9

The purchase of Sinclair has been formally approved and the next step is Fox RSNs, but we still need to see if there are any gambling bets that are being traded as an option for the network's live games. We have mentioned video games before, and if you look at how video game fans on YouTube and Twitch have been able to connect with each other and with each other, that is a good starting point for sports to aspire to. Sources: 6, 9

Keep an eye out for our preview of spring training 2020, which is coming soon, so stay tuned for Tap Sports Network. This week's review is the first in a two-part series covering Major League Baseball's 2020 season. Check out the calendar to attend the 2019 Major League Baseball season opener between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Watch next week's season finale on the TapSports Network for a full overview of all the major sports events in the league in 2019. Sources: 2, 4, 10, 11

Fox's "Big Noon Kickoff" would be hosted by Rob Stone and feature four titans of college football as analysts: John Quinn, Jim Harbaugh, John Elway and John Fox. ESPN hosted College GameDay at Penn State this week, and the game was also selected for ABC's Saturday Night Football. Sources: 3, 9

In this sense, we have a few weeks to decide, and more will follow, as they will. These guys spent nearly 60 minutes going through every single game of Week 11, so I'll cover them below. The Perfect Kicker Watch for 2020 is supposed to watch these three guys until they finally miss a kick. Sources: 5

A number of NFL veterans, including former New York Giants quarterback Aaron Rodgers, are now working to say goodbye to the NFL. Here is the limit on the number of distance-runners who must register an IPO this quarter before they can behave without the involvement of reputable sports professionals. Sources: 8

CEO Mark Gerhard will likely see video games as a growth opportunity and focus on what he calls "attention economics," including aspirations. In particular, an NBA Technology Summit was held in Chicago, where the teams of the NBA, NFL, NHL and Major League Baseball (MLB) were able to resume their sports activities. The group signalled interest in growing sports - and related acquisitions, particularly in sports and video game technology. Sources: 6, 8

If history repeats itself in 2020, and GameDay continues to be boring and Fox blazes with all the guns, we could see him knocked off the throne if he doesn't come with firearms. I'm not sure what to do. I don't know if you've read that the person responsible for shaping the NFL's game plan is the former head of Fox Sports or a former NFL commissioner, but if he does, he's put the Seahawks' home games in prime time for the first time in franchise history. Sources: 5, 9

With Urban Meyer leaving the NFL job, Fox will not be able to keep up his momentum from 2019. On paper, things look better for the White Sox in 2020, but they must play 162 games this season and prove themselves to be evolving. Sources: 9, 10

Here is IU's 37-21 loss to Rutgers in Piscataway, New Jersey, and the Lady Bears' next game in the Big Ten Championship is against the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Minnesota plays at Illinois and Maryland is scheduled for the 18th round, but what happens after that is likely to happen only in the final week of the season. Sources: 3, 4

With playoff games and thrilling moments, this week has shown that no pandemic can stop the thrill of sport and perfection is the goal. The boys "and girls" basketball teams won the lumberjack conference title, the hockey team finished second at Northland Pines, and the gymnastics team did well. In 2019, an almost impossible feat is at hand: a national championship game will be played for the first time in school history. Sources: 1, 7, 11

History will look back on this era as the "Kings of the Mountain" in basketball, especially if you refer to Hannah Clark and Zeke Littlejohn. Finally, it is amazing how the young LUHS dance team improves from season to season, and that makes attending sporting events even more enjoyable. Local fans Steve Fickell, Brent Kowalski and his team have given local fans some memorable moments that will not be forgotten in a hurry. Follow him on Twitter now at @ Brent _ Fickelly and click on his Facebook page for the latest sports news and updates. 

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