The Houston Texans have officially named Lovie Smith as their next head coach.

Smith is no stranger to the NFL or the Texans, having previously served as the Chicago Bears head coach from 2004 to 2012 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2014 to 2015. This past season, Smith, a Texas native, served as the Texans’ associate head coach and defensive coordinator.

In 2005, the 63-year-old was named AP Coach of the Year.

His hiring comes after the Texans fired former head coach David Culley last month after just one season.

Smith’s hiring also comes after the Miami Dolphins fired former head coach Brian Flores. Flores, 40, is now suing the league and three teams for racist practices in hiring.

According to ESPN, the Texans interviewed Flores and five other candidates in addition to Smith for the job.

Smith and Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin are now the only two Black head coaches currently in the league.

With their backs against the wall late in the fourth quarter, the Los Angeles Rams turned to the connection that spearheaded their offensive attack all year. Matthew Stafford targeted Cooper Kupp six times on the eventual game-winning drive with the duo linking up one final time for a 1-yard touchdown go cap a 15-play, 79-yard trek and take a 23-20 lead over the Cincinnati Bengals with 1:25 to play. Ultimately, that margin held as the Rams claimed victory in Super Bowl LVI and captured the second Lombardi Trophy in franchise history.

Overcoming two Stafford interceptions and a controversial Cincinnati touchdown to start the third quarter, Los Angeles became just the second team in NFL history to win a Super Bowl on their home field, SoFi Stadium. The previously unachieved feat has now been accomplished in consecutive seasons.

The Rams were led by an uneven but gutty effort from Stafford, who completed 26 of 40 passes for 283 yards with those two picks, and Kupp, who caught eight passes for 92 yards and two of those three scores en route to MVP honors. Stafford’s first touchdown of the game went to Odell Beckham Jr., who left the contest in the second quarter due to a non-contact knee injury and never returned.

The Brooklyn Nets dreams of winning a championship featuring a Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden are officially dead.

With less than two hours to go before the NBA season’s trade deadline, Brooklyn agreed to move Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round picks.

Brooklyn acquired Harden from the Houston Rockets last year in exchange for three first-round picks, four first-round swaps, Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince, and Rodions Kurucs. Despite forming a Big 3 of Durant, Irving, and Harden, the Nets were knocked out of the NBA Playoffs in the second round, losing to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks.

This season, Irving has been used as a part-time player because his refusal to get vaccinated against Covid-19 bars him from entering Brooklyn’s home arena. Durant is currently injured and Harden grew increasingly disgruntled as the lone superstar.

The Nets chose to trade Harden now, rather than lose him without a return in free agency at the end of the season.