>>Moss, Owens Highlight Pro Football Hall Of Fame Finalists
(Canton, OH) — Wide receiver Randy Moss and Terrell Owens highlight 15 modern-era finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018. Other finalists include linebackers Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher, wide receiver Isaac Bruce, safeties John Lynch and Brian Dawkins and cornerbacks Ty Law and Everson Walls. The Class of 2018 will be revealed during Super Bowl weekend.
>>Bears Coaching Search Update
(Lake Forest, IL) — The Bears are looking for the replacement for head coach John Fox. ESPN reports Chicago has requested to interview Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and Patriots defensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Both of their respective teams have a bye in the NFL playoffs.
>>Cardinals QB Carson Palmer Retiring
(Phoenix, AZ) — Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer is retiring from the NFL. In an open letter posted online, Palmer explains that he just knows that it’s time to walk away from the game. He said it’s time for something else, and he’s excited to find out what that’s going to be. Palmer played 15 seasons in the NFL with the Bengals, Raiders and Cardinals. He was selected to three Pro Bowls.
>>Bengals Sign Head Coach Marvin Lewis Through 2019
(Cincinnati, OH) — In a surprising move, the Cincinnati Bengals are signing head coach Marvin Lewis to a new two-year contract. The deal extends him through the 2019 season. The Bengals wrapped up a 7-and-9 campaign on Sunday with a 31-27 victory over Baltimore. Lewis is the second-longest tenured coach in the league behind New England’s Bill Belichick.
>>Blues Beat Devils In Shootout
(St. Louis, MO) — Braden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko had shootout goals to lift the Blues to a 3-2 win over the Devils at Scottrade Center. Tarasenko and Vladimir Sobotka had regulation goals for St. Louis, which got 24 saves from Carter Hutton. The Blues finish their three-game homestand tomorrow against Vegas.
>>Blackhawks At Rangers
(New York, NY) — The Blackhawks return to the ice tonight, facing the Rangers at MSG. Chicago has been off since a 4-3 OT loss to the Flames on Sunday. This is the final stop on a six-game road trip. They’ve lost four-of-five. The Hawks are second-to-last in the Central Division with 42 points. New York is fourth in the Metro.
>>Illinois At Minnesota Tonight
(Minneapolis, MN) — Illinois is on the road tonight at Minnesota. Tip-off is at 8 o’clock. The Fighting Illini are seeking their first conference win after a pair of Big Ten losses in early December. Illinois is 10-and-5 overall and 0-and-2 in the conference. The Golden Gophers have won four in-a-row to get to 12-and-3 overall.
>>Arizona Fires Rodriguez After Sexual Assault Investigation
(Tucson, AZ) — The Arizona Wildcats are parting ways with head football coach Rich Rodriguez after investigating a claim of sexual harassment against him. The 54-year-old has been fired after six seasons. Rodriguez issued a statement admitting to an extramarital affair with someone not affiliated with the university, but denied any sexual harassment. “Rich Rod” was 43-and-35 with the Wildcats.
>>Bulls Host Raptors
(Chicago, IL) — The Bulls wrap up a two-game homestand versus the Raptors tonight at the United Center. Chicago has blown late fourth quarter leads in losses to the Wizards and Blazers to send them to 13-and-25. Toronto is 25-and-10.
Coming up this Friday Night on the Talk 101 High School Game of the Week presented by Landmark of Taylorville, it’s the MacArthur Generals playing host to Glenwood. The Dale’s Southlake Pharmacy Pregame Show gets underway at 7:15a.m. The Tipoff follows at 7:30p.m. Join Scott Busboom and Kevin Hale with the call this Friday night on Talk 101FM!