Screen Shots: January 23rd-29th, 2025

Welcome to Screen Shots! This is where I tell you what sporting events you should watch on TV every week! Make sure you subscribe so it comes straight to your inbox! Have your own suggestions? Shoot me an email at [email protected]!

My co-host for the Gamecocks Football Captain’s Log, PD Inabinett, stopped by to preview Ohio State’s win over Notre Dame! We sorta figured the game would go how it went, so we also evaluated how well the expanded 12-team playoff went and had some fun little discussions about the Buckeye and Fighting Irish programs.

Now, to the sports!

Thursday, January 23rd, 2025

• NBA: San Antonio Spurs vs. Indiana Pacers at 2:00 pm (ET) on NBA TV

This game is in Paris, so you know Big Vic is going to show out. Wemby is currently averaging 4 blocks per game. If he maintains that through the entire season, he’d be the 1st player to average at least 4 blocks per game since the late, great Dikembe Mutombo led the league with 4.49 BPG during the 1995-96 NBA season during his final season on the Denver Nuggets.

Friday, January 24th, 2025

• Women’s College Basketball: #5 LSU Tigers @ #2 South Carolina Gamecocks at 5:00 pm (ET) on ESPN

Postponed by a day due to snow, this is the first matchup between these two schools since Kamilla Cardoso, Flau’jae Johnson, and Flau’jae’s brother reenacted this scene from Friday. Upsetting the Gamecocks would be the 2nd happiest moment of Kim Mulkey’s week. While we’re on the subject, the Tigers have not beaten South Carolina since Obama’s first term.

• Unrivaled Women’s Basketball: Phantom vs. Mist at 7:15 pm (ET) on TNT

Alright, I’ve seen enough. Fridays are for Unrivaled. With it being 3v3, there’s no place to hide if you’re sorry. You will just have to stink out loud for the world to see, especially on defense. The games are blink-and-you’ll-miss-it paced. The Elam Ending format prevents winning teams from taking their foot off the gas and losing ones from playing the foul game. It’s awesome. Tap in.

• Unrivaled Women’s Basketball: Laces vs. Vinyl at 8:15 pm (ET) on TNT

See above.

Saturday, January 25, 2025

• Women’s Tennis: Australian Open Singles Finals on ESPN

Okay, times are TBD on these as they don’t appear to be released until the day before the event. I always ask for suggestions, and friend of the show KP said tennis is a must! Some of my personal faves are out, but you will see at least one heavy hitter competing for the first Grand Slam of the year.

• Men’s College Basketball: Howard Bison @ Norfolk State Spartans at 12:30 pm (ET) on ESPNU

Prior to the season, Bison coach Kenneth Blakeney made headlines by announcing his plans to sell a stake in Howard’s program to private equity investors in an effort to raise the funds needed to allow them to compete with larger programs. Unfortunately, this plan had not been approved by any of the powers that be at Howard. Even more unfortunately, the university had gotten rid of its resident loophole navigator years ago. And perhaps most unfortunately, Blakeney’s $300 million valuation no doubt took a hit after a tough home loss to Division II Morehouse College this past Monday during the MLK Day Classic.

However, the Bison were the preseason favorite to win the MEAC and currently sit atop the conference standings. With March right around the corner, it’s time to start getting to know these mid-major programs that we might be seeing on our brackets. This would be the Bison’s 3rd consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. If my math is correct, that would make them a $450 million program. Tune in and let me know how much you’d pay for them!

• Men’s College Basketball: #6 Tennessee Volunteers @ #1 Auburn Tigers at 8:30 pm (ET) on ESPN

Auburn coach Bruce Pearl used to coach Tennessee before, among other things, breaking NCAA rules by inviting a recruit to a cookout at his home, telling everyone in attendance not to tell anybody that the recruit was there, then lying to the NCAA about the whole thing. His Tigers are the unanimous #1 team in the country after managing to win 2 games without injured star Johni Broome. Considering Pearl’s personality, he must be an absolute wizard on the grill.

Sunday, January 26th, 2025

• Women’s Tennis: Australian Open Doubles Finals on ESPN

Same deal as above on the time. But, this comes with the possibility of the KP-recommended Taylor Townsend winning. She and her partner, Katerina Siniakova, won the Doubles title at Wimbledon last year. It was Townsend’s 1st Grand Slam victory and Siniakova’s 9th.

• Men’s Tennis: Australian Open Singles Finals on ESPN

You know by now to check your local listings. I’m not even sure I have these on the right days because Australian toilets flush the wrong way. Novak Djokovic is still in contention because he’s always in contention so at least you can count on him.

• Women’s College Basketball: #1 UCLA Bruins @ #8 Maryland Terrapins at 2:00 pm (ET) on NBC

Bruins C Lauren Betts isn’t getting nearly enough National Player of the Year hype. Tune in to see why I’m yelling, then help me yell louder.

• NFC Championship Game: Washington Commanders @ Philadelphia Eagles at 3:00 pm (ET) on Fox

The Eagles should win, but we could have said the same thing about the Commanders’ first two postseason opponents. Both sides have a bunch of players banged up, most notably Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, but this is going to be a good one. This one is worth your time solely for Jayden Daniels and Saquon Barkley.

• AFC Championship Game: Buffalo Bills @ Kansas City Chiefs at 6:30 pm (ET) on CBS

Damn, again? They have faced each other in 3 of the last 4 postseasons with the Chiefs winning all 3. Good thing Buffalo doesn’t have a nasty habit of losing 4 iconic games in a row in a variety of demoralizing ways!

Monday, January 27th, 2025

• Women’s College Basketball: Holy Cross Crusaders @ Boston University Terriers at 4:00 pm (ET) on CBSSN

We have to learn about the women’s mid-major teams too! It looked like Holy Cross would miss out on their chance to make 3 straight NCAA Tournament appearances when head coach Maureen Magarity stepped down right before the season due to family reasons. However, Candice Green has picked up right where Magarity left off, and the Crusaders once again find themselves in the mix in a highly competitive Patriot League group.

Tuesday, January 28th, 2025

• NBA: Los Angeles Lakers @ Philadelphia 76ers at 7:30 pm (ET) on TNT

Just on the off chance they let JJ Redick and Charles Barkley interact.

Wednesday, January 29th, 2025

• Sports History: First Baseball Hall of Fame Election

On this day in 1936, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Walter Johnson, and Christy Mathewson became the first players voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. While many things have changed since then, one thing hasn’t: idiot voters. In that first vote, people couldn’t believe how anybody could have left Cobb or Ruth off the ballot but multiple voters did. Well, someone didn’t vote for Ichiro this time around, and enough is enough. This stuff happens because no sportswriter loves the smell of their own farts quite like baseball writers. They’ve just always been like this. It’s weird. As great as Mariano Rivera was, how is he the only unanimous Hall of Famer? It makes no sense. Don’t get me started on Barry Bonds and Andruw Jones.

Alright, that will do it for this week! Subscribe to get this in your inbox every Thursday morning and share it with your friends so y’all can talk about it! Catch you next week!