Good morning. The Super Bowl is coming back to Inglewood in February, and on Monday the NFL announced its halftime act: JAY-Z. His company, Roc Nation, has produced the show for years and will again. On the ice, the Kings scored six times at Madison Square Garden and have won three of four. Tonight the Kings are in Chicago at 5, the Ducks and Golden Knights are both home at 7, and the 3-0 Lakers host Portland at 8 on NBC. Let’s get into it.
🚨 HEADLINES
🎤 JAY-Z at SoFi. He will headline the Super Bowl LXI halftime show on Feb. 14 — The Sporting Tribune.
🎤 “He signs the check on the gig.” Eric Lambkins II on what it means for the halftime show’s producer to book himself — Eric Lambkins II.
🏒 Six goals. Six different Kings scored in a 6-3 win over the Rangers — Allan Kreda at Madison Square Garden.
🏈 “No controversy.” Klint Kubiak says Kirk Cousins is still the Raiders’ starter — Derek Hegna.
🏀 “The face of the franchise.” Luka Dončić on the Lakers’ 3-0 start — Mykell Mathieu.
See what else is trending at The Sporting Tribune.
📋 SCOREBOARD — MONDAY
🏒 NHL: Kings 6, Rangers 3
🎤 HOVA AT SOFI
JAY-Z will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 14, 2027. The NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced it Monday. Roc Nation, the league’s entertainment adviser, will be executive producer, and Hamish Hamilton will direct. Special guests and the setlist haven’t been announced. The game and show will air on ESPN, ABC and Disney+.
“From Reasonable Doubt to standing on the Super Bowl Halftime stage, this has been a journey,” JAY-Z said. Roger Goodell said that when the league first reached its agreement with Roc Nation, “I had just one request: that JAY-Z take the stage himself one day.”
SoFi last hosted the Super Bowl in February 2022, when the Rams beat Cincinnati 23-20. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar performed at halftime, and that show won three Emmys.
Eric Lambkins II doesn’t give it a clean verdict. He writes that JAY-Z is both a symbol of Black success and the businessman at the center of how the NFL picks its performers: “He doesn’t just get the gig. He signs the check on the gig.” He also covers the controversies around JAY-Z, who has not been charged with anything, and calls the league’s decision “a bet.” His conclusion: “The confusion is the analysis.”
GO DEEPER
› JAY-Z to headline Super Bowl LXI halftime show at SoFi Stadium (The Sporting Tribune)
› Eric Lambkins II: The man who books the Super Bowl halftime show just booked himself in Los Angeles (The Sporting Tribune)
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🏒 THE KINGS AT THE GARDEN
Peter Laviolette went back to New York and his team scored three in the first period. Allan Kreda writes that Taylor Ward scored on a breakaway, and Brandt Clarke and Drew Doughty added goals before James Reimer was pulled after allowing three on eight shots. Artemi Panarin, who scored 49 goals for the Rangers in 2023-24, scored on the power play in the second for his team-leading seventh. Mikey Anderson and Joel Edmundson (empty net) finished it. Six different Kings scored, and 12 had points. Darcy Kuemper made 23 saves.
It was the Rangers’ first home loss in seven games and Laviolette’s 849th coaching win, tying Ken Hitchcock for sixth all time. He coached the Rangers for two seasons and won the Presidents’ Trophy in the first; he called it “a tale of two years.” “I thought it was really good from start to finish. We played the game fast and made really good decisions,” he said Monday. “We’re feeling more confident day by day,” Ward said.
After an 0-4-2 start, the Kings have won three of four and are 3-5-2. They finish the road trip tonight in Chicago.
GO DEEPER
› Allan Kreda: Kings smother Rangers 6-3 for third win in four games (The Sporting Tribune)
› Allan Kreda: Kings coach Laviolette reflects upon return to New York (The Sporting Tribune)
🍔 THE DEALS BOARD
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The board is dark this morning. The Kings won, but their McFlurry deal needs a goal in the final minute of the second period.
Tonight’s triggers: a Ducks home win over Vancouver gets $2 Sausage McGriddles at McDonald’s on Wednesday (breakfast hours), and a Lakers win over Portland brings back two free tacos at Jack in the Box with code LETSGOLAKERS.
🏟️ FOUR GAMES, ONE TUESDAY
Kings at Blackhawks at 5 on ABTV, the end of a five-game trip on which the Kings have won three of four.
Canucks at Ducks at 7 on Prime Video, the Ducks’ first home game after a four-game East Coast trip.
Senators at Golden Knights at 7 on ESPN+. Vegas has lost three straight, has scored three goals in its last nine periods and has allowed a power-play goal in five straight games.
Trail Blazers at Lakers at 8 on NBC. The Lakers are 3-0, and Dončić is coming off 52 in Utah. Tomorrow they play the Clippers at Intuit Dome, their first back-to-back.
📌 AROUND THE MARKETS
“The face of the franchise.” Mykell Mathieu writes about Luka Dončić’s leadership through the 3-0 start. “It’s the start of something new. It’s going to be a special season,” Dončić said. Walker Kessler says playing with Dončić and Austin Reaves is easy because “their court vision’s insane.”
The Rams want more urgency. Mykell Mathieu writes that the Rams (3-4) were scoreless in the third quarter and turned it over in the second half in Las Vegas after leading 28-6 at halftime. “We have to improve and we have to have even greater urgency than last week,” Sean McVay said.
Cousins stays. Fernando Mendoza looked like he was warming up late against the Rams, but Klint Kubiak said Monday, “Kirk is our starting quarterback. There is no controversy there.” Derek Hegna writes the Raiders have a plan for Mendoza, but not yet. The Raiders (3-4) are at the Jets on Sunday.
GO DEEPER
› Mykell Mathieu: Dončić’s leadership and productivity has the Lakers thriving to start the season (The Sporting Tribune)
› Mykell Mathieu: Rams looking to turn renewed sense of urgency into consistent results (The Sporting Tribune)
› Derek Hegna: No QB controversy: Kubiak backs Kirk Cousins as starter (The Sporting Tribune)
📺 WATCHLIST — TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27
🏒 NHL: Kings at Blackhawks — United Center — 5:00 p.m. — ABTV
🏒 NHL: Canucks at Ducks — Honda Center — 7:00 p.m. — Prime Video
🏒 NHL: Senators at Golden Knights — T-Mobile Arena — 7:00 p.m. — ESPN+
🏀 NBA: Trail Blazers at Lakers — Crypto.com Arena — 8:00 p.m. — NBC
🎟️ GOING TO A GAME?
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🏀 Trail Blazers at Lakers — Crypto.com Arena — $50
🏒 Canucks at Ducks — Honda Center — $30
🏀 Lakers at Clippers — Intuit Dome (Wednesday) — $72
🌴 TST TRIVIA
The Rams beat the Bengals 23-20 in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium. Who was the game’s MVP?
Answer at the bottom.
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Trivia answer: Cooper Kupp, who caught the go-ahead touchdown with 1:25 left.
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