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What is Caitlin Clark's value to WNBA? A huge chunk of its $200-million revenue, expert says

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What is Caitlin Clark's value to WNBA? A huge chunk of its 0-million revenue, expert says

The champagne hadn’t even dried after the New York Liberty won the WNBA championship when the players association announced it would opt out of the league’s collective bargaining agreement, which was set to expire in 2027.

A dramatic increase in revenues due primarily to the emergence of Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and other marquee rookies prompted the players to recognize they aren’t getting what they believe to be a fair share. The CBA now ends after the 2025 season, blowing up a pay scale that set average salaries at about $120,000, with rookie minimums at $64,154 and veteran maximums at $241,984.

Clark’s four-year rookie contract under the CBA was for $338,056 — including $76,535 in 2024 — laughably low numbers given the revenue she helped generate. Clark broke almost every WNBA rookie record, but more impressive was her off-the-court impact.

“The numbers are so staggering,” said Ryan Brewer, associate professor of finance at Indiana University Columbus, who was asked by the Indianapolis Star to put a price tag on Clark. “They don’t even seem real.”

The numbers, as crunched by Brewer:

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  • Clark was responsible for 26.5% of WNBA economic activity for the 2024 season, including attendance, merchandise sales and television. One of every six tickets sold at a WNBA arena can be attributed to Clark.
  • Total WNBA TV viewership due to Clark is up 300%, and 45% of total broadcast value came from Fever games.
  • WNBA merchandise sales rose 500%, with Clark ranking No. 1 followed by Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese.
  • The Fever’s regular-season attendance averaged a record 17,036 per game, and the team’s total attendance of 340,715 also was a record.
  • Clark’s regular-season games were watched by 1.2 million viewers on average, which was 200% more than games in which she didn’t play.

No wonder the players opted out of the current CBA, with the Women’s National Basketball Players Assn. stating its position succinctly with a video to X that proclaimed, “It’s business. We’re out.”

Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) drives to the basket against Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young (0) during a Sept. 11 game in Indianapolis.

(Darron Cummings / Associated Press)

The WNBA signed a new media rights deal in July worth a reported $200 million a year, more than three times the current package. However, a question that will be raised during CBA negotiations is whether the surge in fan interest and revenue will continue or abate over time.

That’s why the WNBA media rights deal pales in comparison to the NBA’s new TV agreement with Disney (ABC and ESPN), Comcast (NBC and Peacock) and Amazon (Prime Video). Those outlets will air the league’s nationally televised games for 11 seasons beginning in 2025-26 and the NBA will be paid about $76 billion.

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“As this continues to materialize, the corporate side, the business side, not the players union, but the other sides, are going to continue to watch to see that these numbers can stabilize and maintain rather than just spike and drop again,” Brewer said. “That’s what they’re afraid of. And that’s what’s keeping the numbers low.”

Clark, meanwhile, is doing quite well financially despite her low salary. Sportico on Wednesday published a list of the highest paid female athletes, and Clark was ranked No. 10, just behind Simone Biles. Clark, the only basketball player on the list, earned $11.1 million in 2024. (On top of the list for the second year in a row was tennis star Coco Gauff, who made $30.4 million in prize money and endorsements.)

Endorsements make up the bulk of Clark’s income. She gets $3.5 million a year from an eight-year contract with Nike and also has deals with Gatorade, Gainbridge, Hyvee, Xfinity, Wilson, Buick and State Farm Insurance.

WNBA star Caitlin Clark is sitting down while being introduced to the fans during an NBA game between the Suns and Warriors

WNBA star Caitlin Clark is introduced to fans Saturday during an NBA game between the Phoenix Suns and the Golden State Warriors in Phoenix.

(Rick Scuteri / Associated Press)

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Most WNBA players, of course, have only a small fraction of that sort of endorsement income. They must rely on their salaries, which many supplement by playing overseas during the WNBA offseason.

Only 9.3% of league revenues of $200 million in 2024 went to player salaries, according to Bloomberg. That’s less than $20 million. Meanwhile, NBA players share 50% of their league revenue, which in 2023 meant $5.3 billion of $10.6 billion.

Few argue against a larger slice of WNBA revenues going toward player salaries, and precise numbers will be hammered out in CBA negotiations a year from now. Until then, the best evidence players can point to would be continued growth in attendance, TV viewership and merchandise sales.

And Clark’s contribution undoubtedly will remain a major factor.

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High school basketball: Friday's scores from boys’ and girls’ games

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High school basketball: Friday's scores from boys’ and girls’ games

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

Acaciawood 69, Magnolia Science Academy 55
AGBU 59, Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 54
Aliso Niguel 73, Upland 52
Alliance Ted K. Tajima 62, Aspire Ollin 39
Aquinas 68, Carter 63
Arcadia 78, Maranatha 56
Artesia 67, Marquez 40
Baldwin Park 67, Mountain View 50
Banning 65, Tahquitz 46
Bell 43, L.A. Roosevelt 42
Bellflower 54, El Segundo 41
Bernstein 94, Mendez 15
Beverly Hills 76, L.A. Hamilton 50
Bishop Alemany 63, Sun Valley Poly 54
Bishop Amat 54, L.A. Wilson 50
Bishop Diego 73, Nordhoff 33
Blair 74, Aveson Global Leadership 48
Bloomington 36, Granite Hills 28
California 71, Irvine University 67
California Lutheran 76, Bethel Christian 53
Cajon 52, West Torrance 41
Camarillo 70, Rio Mesa 32
CAMS 52, Harbor Teacher 35
Canyon Country Canyon 65, West Ranch 62
Canyon Springs 88, Vista del Lago 56
Capistrano Valley Christian 76, San Dimas 62
Carpinteria 65, Cate 64
Cerritos 83, Servite 81
Chaffey 55, Ontario 25
Channel Islands 87, Malibu 49
Chino Hills 66, Walnut 51
Clovis East 63, Thousand Oaks 60
Clovis North 83, Santa Barbara 58
Coastal Christian 77, Coast Union 32
Colton 69, Rubidoux 66
Corona del Mar 57, Irvine 56
Corona Santiago 66, Arlington 60
Crescenta Valley 83, Canoga Park 22
Cypress 86, Indian Springs 71
Desert Christian 69, Immanuel Christian 32
Desert Mirage 40, Palm Valley 24
Dorsey 55, Los Angeles 52
Eastside 57, Highland 43
East Valley 49, Fremont 42
Etiwanda 64, Summit 44
Flintridge Prep 93, EF Academy 14
Foothill Tech 53, Santa Clara 44
Foshay 61, Middle College 55
Fresno Christian 76, Simi Valley 68
Fullerton 52, Brea Olinda 41
Garden Grove Pacifica 36, Godinez Fundamental 31
Garey 64, Eastside Christian 23
Gateway 58, Corona 47
Glendora 71, San Marino 54
Granada Hills 50, Granada Hills Kennedy 42
Great Oak 74, Apple Valley 42
Hacienda Heights Wilson 62, Western 48
Hawthorne 72, Lennox Academy 51
Hemet 67, Elsinore 61
Heritage 51, Redlands 49
Highland 67, Crossroads 55
Hoover 71, Northridge Academy 27
Huntington Beach 67, Incline (Nevada) 22
International School of LA 56, Southwestern Academy 50
JSerra 63, Millennium (Arizona) 61
Knight 82, Highland 51
La Costa Canyon 52, Linfield Christian 43
La Habra 68, Churchie (Australia) 64
L.A. Jordan 98, Hawkins 17
Lakewood 79, San Pedro 75
L.A. Leadership Academy 30, School of Los Angeles 20
Lancaster 83, Palmdale Academy Charter 37
L.A. Lincoln 66, Torres 27
La Palma Kennedy 52, Oxford Academy 41
Legacy Christian Academy 74, Lynwood 40
Liberty 70, Paloma Valley 40
Locke 51, Port of L.A. 43
Loyola 90, Los Altos 71
Los Alamitos 67, Corona Centennial 65
Los Amigos 55, Downey 54
Lucerne Valley 55, Trona 18
Manual Arts 77, USC Hybrid 22
Maricopa 43, Cuyama Valley 11
Marina 76, South Torrance 64
Mary Star of the Sea 52, Wilmington Banning 35
Math & Science College Prep 85, Horace Mann UCLA 26
Mesrobian 51, San Gabriel 41
Millikan 60, Palos Verdes 57
Mira Costa 78, Culver City 63
Newport Harbor 57, Warren 43
Newport Park Adventist 51, Grace 48
Norco 73, Eisenhower 55
Norton Science & Language Academy 44, Grove School 37
Orange County Pacifica Christian 61, Spanish Springs (Nevada) 52
Orange Vista 68, Grand Terrace 54
Orthopaedic 52, Gertz-Ressler 27
Oxnard 63, Buchanan 60
Palmdale Aerospace Academy 75, Lone Pine 46
Palm Desert 64, Northview 37
Pasadena 49, Chula Vista Mater Dei 44
Pasadena Poly 60, Sierra Vista 57
Patriot 75, Jurupa Hills 64
Peninsula 50, Chadwick 40
Pioneer 69, Duarte 43
Placentia Valencia 86, Anaheim 49
Point Loma 78, Dos Pueblos 47
Providence 83, Compton Centennial 11
Quartz Hill 62, Temple City 40
Rancho Christian 85, La Jolla Country Day 56
Rancho Cucamonga 71, Redlands East Valley 44
Rancho Mirage 66, Hillcrest Christian 54
Redlands Adventist Academy 57, Nuview Bridge 37
Riverside King 75, Ramona 59
Riverside Notre Dame 61, San Jacinto 57
Riverside Poly 62, Damien 54
Riverside Prep 65, University Prep 26
Riviera Prep (Florida) 68, Southern California Academy 57
RFK Community 87, Belmont 47
Royal 62, Sanger 58
San Clemente 71, Woodbridge 24
San Jacinto Valley Academy 56, California Military Institute 48
Santa Margarita 68, Sage Creek 49
Santa Rosa Academy 86, St. Jean de Lestonnac 47
Savanna 62, Saddleback 56
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 75, Village Christian 65
Silver Valley 53, Academy for Academic Excellence 31
South East 55, Huntington Park 46
South Gate 60, Legacy 51
St. Bernard 56, Rolling Hills Prep 48
St. Bonaventure 75, Galena 47
St. Francis 56, Renton (Washington) 44
Taft 98, Compton 60
Temecula Prep 66, Lakeside 54
Tesoro 55, Edison 54
Thousand Oaks 67, River City 45
Torrance 79, Santa Fe 43
Trabuco Hills 66, Chaparral 62
Tustin 40, Sunny Hills 38
VAAS 88, Central City Value 41
Valencia 58, Saugus 55
Valley Christian Academy 62, San Luis Obispo Classical 34
Valley View 60, Yucca Valley 27
Villa Park 90, Konawaena (Hawaii) 62
Vistamar 67, New Roads 43
Vista Murrieta 59, Hillcrest 47
Webb 58, Mesa Grande Academy 39
West Adams 67, Maywood CES 34
Whittier 69, Montebello 35
Woodcrest Christian 78, Jurupa Valley 45
Workman 61, Katella 38
Yorba Linda 57, Bonita 46
Yucaipa 64, Silverado 57

GIRLS

Alliance Ted K. Tajima 26, Aspire Ollin 24
Anza Hamilton 37, Marlborough 33
Apple Valley 52, Don Lugo 15
Arleta 47, Glendale 39
Arrowhead Christian 52, California Lutheran 14
Arroyo 42, Mountain View 12
Arroyo Grande 45, Corona del Mar 27
Bell 47, L.A. Roosevelt 4
Bishop Amat 60, Colony 47
Calvary Baptist 25, Pomona Catholic 23
Campbell Hall 67, Oak Park 29
Canoga Park 60, VAAS 13
Cantwell-Sacred Heart 40, Fountain Valley 35
Canyon Country Canyon 71, West Ranch 21
Carter 77, Pacific 13
Castaic 46, Golden Valley 43
Corona Centennial 62, Orange County Pacifica Christian 40
Century 33, Capistrano Valley Christian 24
Chaffey 32, Webb 17
Charter Oak 59, Edgewood 29
Clovis 66, Birmingham 54
Coastal Christian 68, Coast Union 8
Cobalt Institute of Math & Science 37, Rancho Mirage 10
Crescenta Valley 56, Granada Hills 43
Cypress 51, La Serna 48
Diego Rivera 52, Elizabeth 24
Dos Pueblos 69, Oaks Christian 64
Eagle Rock 63, Muir 43
Eastvale Roosevelt 66, Beaumont 62
Edison 45, Mayfair 39
Esperanza 82, Brea Olinda 47
Fillmore 31, Cate 10
Fontana 46, Montclair 30
Glendora 66, Compton Centennial 33
Godinez Fundamental 48, Irvine 36
Granada Hills Kennedy 51, Grant 20
Grove School 42, Norton Science & Language 8
Harbor Teacher 50, Fremont 14
Harvard-Westlake 45, Westlake 31
Hawkins 69, L.A. Jordan 33
Hawthorne 42, Lennox Academy 14
Heritage 54, Corona 52
Hollywood 46, Contreras 20
Holy Martyrs 63, Bishop Diego 29
Hoover 43, Northridge Academy 34
Huntington Beach 45, Whittier 44
Huntington Park 36, South East 32
Inglewood 51, Compton 33
Jurupa Hills 37, Kaiser 27
Jurupa Valley 31, Bloomington 30
La Canada 35, Village Christian 32
Lakewood 62, Torrance 35
Lakewood St. Joseph 68, El Segundo 54
La Salle 59, Oakwood 43
Lawndale 56, Valley Christian 45
Legacy 76, South Gate 16
Linfield Christian 63, Lakeside 26
Locke 22, Port of LA 16
Lompoc Cabrillo 37, Taft Union 20
Long Beach Cabrillo 59, CAMS 34
Long Beach Jordan 54, Gardena 30
Lucerne Valley 42, Trona 14
Manual Arts 33, USC-MAE 16
Maranatha 35, Simi Valley 30
Marina 57, McFarland 24
Math & Science College Prep 59, Horace Mann UCLA 9
Mira Costa 65, South Pasadena 50
Murrieta Mesa 35, Mission Vista 19
Newbury Park 62, Santa Paula 27
Oak Park 67, Campbell Hall 29
Ontario 37, Alta Loma 33
Ontario Christian 79, Fairmont Prep 62
Orange 37, Fullerton 36
Orcutt Academy 49, San Marcos 28
Oxford Academy 31, La Mirada 24
Palisades 56, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 51
Palm Springs 31, Marymount 28
Paramount 72, Garfield 41
Pasadena 66, Blair 12
Pasadena Poly 74, Azusa 15
Providence 36, Westridge 24
Quartz Hill 69, Victor Valley 38
Rancho Christian 66, Francis Parker 57
Rancho Verde 47, Yucca Valley 43
Redondo 63, Pioneer 54
RFK Community 49, Belmont 12
Riverside King 63, San Clemente 47
Riverside Poly 61, Serrano 28
Riverside Prep 55, University Prep 46
Sage Hill 60, JSerra 52
San Jacinto 58, Eisenhower 36
San Jacinto Valley Academy 46, California Military Institute 26
Santa Ana Mater Dei 57, Moreno Valley 42
Santa Maria 50, Paraclete 27
Santa Maria St. Joseph 55, Oxnard 30
Santa Monica 47, Notre Dame Academy 35
Santa Ynez 51, Santa Barbara 28
School of Los Angeles 19, L.A. Leadership Academy 12
Segerstrom 67, Mission Bay 33
Shadow Hills 75, Chaparral 30
Sherman Oaks CES 64, Reseda 37
Silver Valley 47, Academy for Academic Excellence 34
South Hills 49, West Covina 43
St. Margaret’s 53, Long Beach Poly 33
Taft 40, Van Nuys 35
Tahquitz 81, Colton 74
Temecula Prep 58, Garey 28
Trinity Classical Academy 55, Santa Clarita Christian 14
Upland 53, Silverado 50
Valencia 55, Saugus 43
Venice 49, Lakeview Charter 24
Ventura 60, Camarillo 52
Villa Park 46, San Juan Hills 36
Vistamar 57, New Roads 9
Westminster 67, Avalon 24
Whitney 55, Gregori 35
Woodbridge 43, Garden Grove 19

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Baggy nets and blue undershirts: 6 more things I miss from the NHL’s ancient days

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Baggy nets and blue undershirts: 6 more things I miss from the NHL’s ancient days

Exactly one year ago today, I wrote a column about being old, and the subtle things I miss about what hockey used to be. No big issues, to be clear – we’re talking stuff like how the water bottles used to pop off the nets, and how linesmen used to have to climb the glass to avoid the puck. If I’m being honest, I figured it would be a bit of a throwaway, the kind of midseason filler that’s fun for a day and then fades quickly. Instead, it became one of my more popular columns of the season, and I decided to make it a regular feature.

Then I forgot. Because I am old.

But if there’s anything us old fogies do better than the occasional memory lapse, it’s celebrating the random anniversary of things that weren’t all that important to begin with. So today, one year later, I’m bringing the gimmick back, with a half dozen new items. Well, old ones. You’ll figure it out.

But first, just like last time, a disclaimer: This is all in good fun, and very much not meant to be some whiny screed about how much better things used to be, and how Gary Bettman has ruined everything by dragging the game into the 20th century. If you have strong feelings about that stuff, please take them elsewhere, because I am decrepit and fragile.

Let’s get old.

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I miss when the nets were loose and baggy

How it used to be: A player would carry the puck through the neutral zone, with nobody in his way because the trap hadn’t been invented yet. Then he’d skate to the top of the circle and wind up for a slap shot because gap control hadn’t been invented yet. Then he’d rip a howitzer past a terrified tiny man because goaltending hadn’t been invented yet.

And then the puck would stay in the net. Somewhere.

You see, kids, back in the old days the nets were loose and baggy. That made sense to us because their job was to stop the puck when a goal had been scored. So even if you lost track of the puck, which you definitely did thanks to the 14-inch standard-definition TV the whole family was crowded around, you’d see a big bulge in the back of the net and know that goal had been scored.

Why it changed: Presumably because the linesmen complained about having to go elbow-deep in fishing twine to retrieve a puck while everyone else waited for the game to start. And sure, I get that. But at some point, net-tightening technology got out of control, to the point where the things barely seem to have any give at all anymore.

Why I miss it: First of all, because I’m tired of being confused about whether a goal was even scored because the puck goes into the net at 95 mph and comes out at roughly 96, eventually embedding itself in the boards at the opposite end of the rink.

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But there was also just something cool about the visual. In last year’s comment section, reader Tom L. once described it as “Like catching a comet in a butterfly net,” at which point he was immediately perma-banned for writing something better than I ever could.

I miss when a team’s three best forwards were on the top line

How it used to be: There was a time when a team’s first line was made up of its best center and its two best wingers. The second line was the next best center and next two best wingers. And not only did this not seem weird, we couldn’t even imagine a different way of doing it.

For the record, this wasn’t a hard and fast rule across the entire league, and you’d occasionally get guys playing higher up the lineup than you’d expect. (This was especially true when somebody like Dave Semenko would get to ride shotgun for Wayne Gretzky, just in case anyone needed to be taken for a canoe ride.) But occasional exceptions aside, it was pretty much the default setting.

That started to shift around the time the cap came in, as teams moved toward spreading their best players across three or even four lines. Often, that meant the top center would have one top winger who’d regularly play with him, and then a rotating cast of depth guys who’d fill out the third spot. Sometimes it clicked, and you’d even occasionally discovered a star-in-the-making like Zach Hyman this way. But loading up the team’s three best forwards on one line for an entire game? These days, it’s rare.

Why it changed: My guess is that two main factors came into play, both of which made balanced lineups more important. The first was the cap, and the parity it forced on the league. It’s one thing to put your three best forwards on the top line, and something else entirely when those are your only three good forwards. We also saw the game evolve to a much higher tempo than we saw back in the olden days, where players took longer shifts and rarely went full speed. With everyone mashing the turbo button at all times these days, you can’t play that top line for 25 or 30 minutes like you could before, so spreading out the offense becomes a priority.

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Why I miss it: Because it was just cool to see all that talent on the ice at once, especially when teams matched top lines and there were six all-stars facing off against each other. And it was fun when your team acquired a star player and you’d start mentally shifting the lines around in your head, rather than finding out he’d been slotted in for third-line duty because the top line with the 12-goals-a-year plugger has too much chemistry to disrupt.

I miss when all the players wore the same light blue undershirts for some reason

How it used to be: I don’t know why or when it started, but when I was growing up, every NHL player wore the same light blue undershirt. (OK, yes, except for Rob Ray.)

If you looked closely, you could see them peaking out from beneath the jersey pretty much all the time. But you really got a good look under two sets of circumstances: Any time a player was interviewed in the dressing room, or whenever a guy got into a fight and had his jersey pulled off.

A significantly rarer third option that nonetheless helps illustrate our point: When players were forced to take part in intermission comedy sketches.

Why it changed: I have no idea, although I’m going to assume that somebody invented a better moisture-absorbing material that was lighter and/or more comfortable, and the modern generation adopted that because they are soft.

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Relatedly, I have no idea when this changed. I know those shirts were everywhere in like 1993, and they’re not around now, but you could tell me that they disappeared gradually or in some specific year in between there and I would have no choice but to believe you.

Why I miss it: I have no idea. My brain may be broken.

I miss when referees would announce the result of goal review with a dramatic point

How it used to be: A goal would be scored, or maybe it wouldn’t, and nobody would be quite sure. So we’d go to replay review, which always worked great and everybody loved, to try to figure it out. That meant the referee would have to skate over to the penalty box area, where they’d try to hand him a beige phone with a comically long extension chord through a little hole in the glass, which was always peak comedy. He’d listen, somebody somewhere would watch a replay, and we’d all wait as the suspense mounted.

And then, the decision would arrive – at which point the ref would nod solemnly, return the phone, and then take a few confident strides toward center ice before either pointing to the faceoff dot (for a goal) or waving his arms (for no goal). It was emphatic, decisive, and the only way that made sense.

Why it changed: Because the NHL realized that the NFL had its officials actually announce their calls into microphones and thought, “Hey, I bet our guys could do that too.” Spoiler alert: No they could not.

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Why I miss it: First are foremost, because today’s NHL microphones seldom work. And on the rare occasions that they do, every referee who isn’t Wes McCauley clearly hates having to do the announcement and rush through the entire thing like a scared third-grader getting his public speaking presentation out of the way. Half the time the crowd is just confused about what the ref is even trying to tell us, especially since a lot of these guys don’t know how to just get to the point and say goal or no goal. It’s a mess.

But even beyond that, the point-or-wave dynamic was just better. It was more dramatic. What’s that old saying when it comes to screenwriting, show don’t tell? The NHL was better when they’d show us with an emphatic motion instead of telling us with rambling expository dialog.

One bit of good news: Unlike just about all of the other items I complain about in this column, where there’s no reasonable path back to how it used to be, we could fix this one at any time. Just call up the referees union and tell them the broken mics are history, and we’re back to pointing. I’m pretty sure they’d be thrilled. All we’d need to do is provide a little bit of training to remind them how it’s done. Maybe Auston Matthews could volunteer.

I miss when cool moments were punctuated with flashbulbs going off

How it used to be: Some key moment would come along, especially around the net, and the darkened arena would explode with camera flashbulbs.

It was like a mini-fireworks show, one that you came to associate with “something very important just happened.”

Why it changed: I don’t know enough about photography to say for sure, but I’d assume that better camera technology is to blame here, as well as better lightning in arenas.

Why I miss it: Because flashbulbs automatically increase the drama of a given sports moment by roughly 300 percent.

This isn’t an NHL-specific issue, by the way. Other sports have also lost their bulbs, with nighttime baseball and football being especially affected. If you’re feeling generous with your definitions, it’s possible that no “sport” has suffered more here than pro wrestling. But hockey had its moment too, and I miss them. Photography was just better back then. With one notable exception.

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I kind of miss when random fans would jump on the ice to celebrate with the players

How it used to be: You’d be sitting at home, watching your team win the Stanley Cup. The final buzzer would count down, and the bench would empty in an explosion of joy and relief, as the superstar forward and stud defenseman raced down the ice pile onto the starting goalie. And then you’d look up and Gord from accounting would be there too.

Why it changed: Because it was one of the stupidest things ever, and I can’t believe there was a time when we let this happen in pretty much every sport.

Why I miss it: I know I shouldn’t because it was dumb and also legitimately dangerous. It was also unfailingly hilarious, and it only gets funnier with time, since you get to enjoy those wonderful ’70s and ’80s fashions.

The whole thing is fascinating to me as an introvert who doesn’t enjoy making eye contact with my own children. I can’t get inside the head of somebody who sees their team celebrating a huge win and thinks, “You know what I bet would make this even better? Me. Hold my popcorn, I’ll be back in a bit…”

Today, anyone who tries to jump on the ice at the final horn would be immediately tackled, arrested, and barred from the arena for life. And for the record, I have no issue with that, other than we should do it to the glass-bangers too. But there was a weird time when we all just accepted it, and I kind of miss it.

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(Top photo of Wayne Gretzky with the Stanley Cup: David E. Klutho /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

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Boise State wins Mountain West championship as first expanded CFP bracket begins to take shape

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Boise State wins Mountain West championship as first expanded CFP bracket begins to take shape

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Boise State is headed to the College Football Playoff. 

The Broncos captured the Mountain West Conference title Friday night and earned their spot in the sport’s first 12-team playoff with a 21-7 victory over UNLV in the Mountain West championship game. 

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Star running back Ashton Jeanty ran for 209 yards and a touchdown in his sixth 200-plus-yard game this season.

With 2,497 rushing yards for the season, Jeanty is now fourth on the FBS all-time single-season rushing list behind only Barry Sanders (2,628 yards in 1988), Melvin Gordon (2,587 in 2014) and UCF’s Kevin Smith (2,567 in 2007). Jeanty also finishes the regular season with 29 rushing touchdowns.

Running back Ashton Jeanty of the Boise State Broncos busts through a whole in the line during the first half of the Mountain West Championship against the UNLV Rebels at Albertsons Stadium on December 06, 2024 in Boise, Idaho. (Loren Orr/Getty Images)

Jeanty gave Boise State a tone-setting play with a 75-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, his 12th carry of 50 or more yards this season. 

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Boise State will hang on to or improve on its No. 10 ranking in the final College Football Playoff rankings that come out Sunday. That would almost certainly make the Broncos no worse than the fourth-best conference titlist and in line for a first-round bye.

The Big 12 title game on Saturday pits No. 15 Arizona State against No. 16 Iowa State.

The winner is in the playoff. But the only realistic route left for either team to earn a bye (and the extra $4 million that comes with it) would be to combine that win — preferably a convincing one — with a loss by the Atlantic Coast Conference leader, No. 8 SMU, which plays No. 17 Clemson.

IOWA STATE, SMU ADS HAVE WAR OF WORDS AFTER LATEST CFP RANKINGS: ‘STAY OFF MY LAWN!’

Offensive lineman Mathyus Su'a of the UNLV Rebels and outside linebacker Jayden Virgin-Morgan #5 of the Boise State Broncos battle along the line of scrimmage during the first half of the Mountain West Championship at Albertsons Stadium on December 06, 2024 in Boise, Idaho.

Offensive lineman Mathyus Su’a of the UNLV Rebels and outside linebacker Jayden Virgin-Morgan #5 of the Boise State Broncos battle along the line of scrimmage during the first half of the Mountain West Championship at Albertsons Stadium on December 06, 2024 in Boise, Idaho. (Loren Orr/Getty Images)

The Big 12 commissioner and Iowa State’s athletic director are among those already crying foul. By the time the title games are over and the brackets are revealed, they won’t be the only ones.

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Now the country will turn its attention to the other conference championship games as the first playoff picture of the expanded playoff era will shake out. 

Oregon, top-ranked and the only undefeated team in the country, is in, too. But Saturday’s game against No. 3 Penn State is for the Big Ten title and a first-round bye.

If Penn State prevails, then there’s an argument that the Nittany Lions could end up with that top seed.

In the SEC, it’s No. 2 Texas vs. No. 5 Georgia. Sadly, Bevo will not be in the building. The winner gets a bye and a championship. The loser should still be in, but if that loser is Georgia, the Dawgs could be on the road for the first round.

Depending on how the brackets shape up, these teams could face each other three times this season.

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Barring something completely unexpected, it will take either a loss by SMU, a change of heart from the selection committee or both to knock Alabama out of the bracket. If the Tide make it, the Southeastern Conference will have four teams in the playoff.

Since the selection committee placed the Crimson Tide at No. 11 last week, one spot ahead of Miami, it looks very much like the Tide will stay ahead of the Hurricanes of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The way last week’s ranking shook out, that meant Alabama was in and Miami was out.

Ashton Jeanty #2 of the Boise State Broncos fires up the crowd prior to the start of the Mountain West Championship between the Boise State Broncos and the UNLV Rebels at Albertsons Stadium on December 06, 2024 in Boise, Idaho. 

Ashton Jeanty #2 of the Boise State Broncos fires up the crowd prior to the start of the Mountain West Championship between the Boise State Broncos and the UNLV Rebels at Albertsons Stadium on December 06, 2024 in Boise, Idaho.  (Loren Orr/Getty Images)

A handful of teams aren’t playing this weekend and don’t have much to worry about. No. 4 Notre Dame should get a home game. 

No. 9 Indiana, one of four Big Ten teams projected to make the playoff, will probably be on the road.

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In between, there is the matter of No. 6 Ohio State and No. 7 Tennessee. Last week’s projected bracket paired the 10-2 teams in a first-round game to be played at the Horseshoe in Columbus, Ohio.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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