MONDAY · NOVEMBER 2, 2026 · SPORTS, IN SMALL SIPS
Hey Sippers,
Belt it out. The top item in Heritage Auctions' $25,622,938 fall sports sale was a Honus Wagner card, as usual. But the second-highest sale was a surprise: the WWE Intercontinental Championship belt worn by Randy Savage, Ricky Steamboat, and The Honky Tonk Man sold for $716,750, beating out every Mickey Mantle card in the auction.
Zero-proof. No more perfect teams in the NFL. Detroit handed Minnesota its first loss, winning 19-15 thanks to 153 rushing yards from Jahmyr Gibbs. Jameson Williams also scored the first fourth-quarter touchdown allowed by Minnesota’s defense this season. The Vikings still top the NFC North at 6-1.
Kimi, set, match. Kimi Antonelli finished third at Sunday’s Mexico City Grand Prix, which was enough for the 20-year-old Mercedes driver to become the youngest Formula 1 champion ever, clinching the title with four races left. Max Verstappen won the race by 0.799 seconds, but the championship was already settled.
Trojan takedown. USC defeated Ohio State 30-18 on Saturday, pushing the Buckeyes down to No. 11. Only three teams remain unbeaten in college football: No. 1 Miami, Utah, and UCLA. The playoff committee’s first rankings will be released Tuesday night.
A team that didn’t even exist two years ago just won the WNBA championship in the league’s first-ever Game 7.
Send in the closer. On Halloween night, at Chase Center—nicknamed Boohalla by fans—the Golden State Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream 68-63 to win the first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history. Gabby Williams scored 30 points, including her team’s last 11 in the third quarter, and was named Finals MVP. Her coach described her as "our closer."
Born in 2025. Founded in 2025, the Valkyries are an expansion team, meaning the league built the franchise from scratch. They played their first game last year and are now champions in just their second season. Atlanta has now lost all four Finals series it has reached, with this one decided by two Veronica Burton free throws with 5.1 seconds left.
Copycat league. The NBA is considering whether to add zero, one, or two new teams by the end of the year, with Seattle and Las Vegas waiting for the decision.
Winning a trophy in just their second year proves their success.
This year, the Lakers were sold at a $12.5 billion valuation, and expansion fees are rising to match these high values.
Banner math.Expansion teams once expected to wait a decade to become competitive. Golden State only needed two seasons to win a championship, and every city hoping for a team saw it happen. Now, the cost of adding new teams just went up after Halloween.
— Landen Hull
Last call. My Friday pick was Warriors 112, Lakers 95. The Lakers took the first quarter 38-15, but Golden State answered by winning the second quarter 38-15. Stephen Curry made eight three-pointers and finished with 31 points.
Monday night market. Looking ahead to Monday night: The Bears (5-2) are in Seattle to face the Seahawks (4-3) at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN. Both teams will feature new additions from last week's trades—Chicago's defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and Seattle's All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson. Who do you think will win?
8:15 PM ET
MONDAY, NOV 2 · LUMEN FIELD, SEATTLE
BEARS · 5-2
SEAHAWKS · 4-3
Free in N1. Takes an account. Locks at kickoff.
POWERED BY N1
Which team drafted Desmond Bane in the 2020 NBA Draft?
Detroit Pistons · Boston Celtics · Sacramento Kings · LA Clippers
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ANSWER
Boston Celtics
Took him 30th overall, then traded him to Memphis that same night.
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Eight questions a day in N1. Takes an account.
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-2 net passing yards
Run the numbers. Take a look at the stats. Tampa Bay didn’t complete a single pass in Sunday’s 16-0 win over Atlanta. Baker Mayfield went 0 for 3, the Bucs rushed for 322 yards, and according to NFL Research, no team had won by double digits without a completed pass since 1945.
TONIGHT | Bears at Seahawks (your Call It) | 8:15 ET · ESPN |
TONIGHT | All 30 NBA teams play, led by Thunder at Cavaliers. Tuesday the league goes dark for Election Day. | 7:00 ET · Peacock |
TUE | First College Football Playoff rankings | 7:00 ET · ESPN |
TUE | Oilers at Devils: McDavid's 15-game point streak visits Hellebuyck's unbeaten new home | 7:30 ET · ESPN+ |
Shopping: MLB's open market opens at 5 p.m. ET today; the one-year qualifying offer is $23.15 million (CBS Sports)
Spotless: The Grizzlies, who won 25 games all of last season, are 6-0 (Al Jazeera)
Bottoms up. See you Wednesday.