This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.
By all accounts, Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson rocketing up to become the 13th pick and then jumping up to grab a Rams cap was the most surprising sequence of events during last weekend's NFL Draft. It certainly left more than a few pundits scratching their heads, but now, a few days removed from the selection, our John Breech has put together a behind-the-scenes account as to how we got here. It includes a secret meeting with the Rams coach.
Naturally, team brass could have a tightrope to walk if MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford gets in his feelings on the matter, but that'll be the Rams' issue to sort out as they head into camp.
The NBA is floating a new fix to its draft lottery system, known as the "3-2-1" proposal due to the revised way in which lottery balls would be distributed. Sam Quinn explains that the lottery field would actually grow from 14 teams to 16 teams, comprised of the 10 teams that miss the postseason entirely, the Nos. 9 and 10 seeds in both conferences, and the losers of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 Play-In Tournament games.
In this new format, the organizations with the three worst records would fall into what is being called the relegation zone. They would each get two lottery balls. The seven other teams that also miss the postseason entirely would receive three lottery balls. The No. 9 and No. 10 seeds would receive two, and the losers of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 games would get one. So clearly there is an incentive to not fall all the way to the floor, but ultimately the real question is will it stop tanking, and for that we turn back to Sam.
If nothing else, the proposal would seem to create both more of a desire to win if you're at the bottom of the pecking order as well as tension and drama for some late-season contests that could otherwise very much have that nothing-to-play-for vibe -- and finally finding a remedy for that can only be a good thing.
⚽ UCL semifinal 1st leg: Arsenal at Atletico Madrid, 3 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+ ⚾ Red Sox at Blue Jays, 3:07 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited ⚾ Giants at Phillies, 6:40 p.m. on MLB Network 🏀 Magic at Pistons, Game 5, 7 p.m. on Prime 🏒 Canadiens at Lightning, Game 5, 7 p.m. on ESPN2 🏀 Raptors at Cavaliers, Game 5, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN 🏒 Penguins at Flyers, Game 6, 7:30 p.m. on TNT/truTV/HBO Max 🏀 Lakers at Rockets, Game 5, 10 p.m. on ESPN 🏒 Mammoth at Golden Knights, Game 5, 10 p.m. on TNT/truTV/HBO Max ⚽ San Diego Wave at Portland Thorns, 10 p.m. on CBSSN