Morning Hustle : Your Daily Sports Fix
“Honouring hustle and heart.”
Good morning. March Madness delivered its first massive upset. Manchester City reminded everyone they’re not done yet. And up north, the Blue Jays are locking in for a World Series run. Let’s get into it.
🏆 Top Story:
Iowa Stuns Defending Champion Florida with Buzzer-Beating Three
March Madness doesn’t care about your seeding. It doesn’t care about your pedigree. And it definitely doesn’t care if you’re the defending national champion.
Alvaro Folgueiras nailed a three-pointer with 4.5 seconds remaining as ninth-seeded Iowa eliminated defending national champion Florida 73-72 on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Florida (27-8) became the first No. 1 seed to be knocked out of this year’s March Madness.
The shot was pure March magic. The play was designed for Bennett Stirtz, but when the defense collapsed on him, he found Folgueiras wide open in the corner. Folgueiras called for the ball. And when the moment arrived, he buried it.
“This is really special,” Folgueiras said. “March is for the dreamers and there’s no better dreamer than us.”
First-year coach Ben McCollum smiled when asked about Folgueiras demanding the ball in that moment. “Irrational confidence,” he said.
That confidence carried Iowa (23-12) to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999. The Hawkeyes wasted a 12-point lead in the second half, but rallied in the final minutes to become the first No. 9 seed to beat a No. 1 since 2018.
Tavion Banks led Iowa with 20 points, Folgueiras had 14 and Stirtz finished with 13. Alex Condon led Florida with 21 points, but the Gators couldn’t get a shot off before the buzzer after Folgueiras broke their hearts.
It felt like a home game for Florida in Tampa, with the arena filled with orange and blue. Fans left stunned. Florida coach Todd Golden acknowledged the better team won. “I thought they were physically tougher than us in the first half,” he said.
The Hawkeyes will face No. 4 seed Nebraska in the South Region semifinals Thursday night in Houston. They’re one of the 16 best teams left in the country. And they’re still hungry.
“We’re the only ones who believed in us and it’ll probably stay that way,” Stirtz said.
That’s March Madness. That’s why we watch.
⚡ Quick Hits
Manchester City Beat Arsenal 2-0 to Win Carabao Cup
Nico O’Reilly scored twice in the second half as Manchester City defeated Arsenal 2-0 to win the Carabao Cup at Wembley on Sunday. O’Reilly’s headers in the 60th and 64th minutes gave City the season’s first trophy, a fifth League Cup of Pep Guardiola’s tenure. Arsenal produced their worst performance of the season. O’Reilly stated City “smell blood” as they hunt down Arsenal’s nine-point Premier League advantage. Guardiola was vintage on the touchline, producing a Chuck Norris tribute kick to an advertising hoarding when City took the lead, then sprinting down the touchline with fists pumping when O’Reilly scored his second.
Sebastian Korda Stuns Carlos Alcaraz at Miami Open
Sebastian Korda kept his nerve to close out the greatest upset of the ATP season, defeating top seed Carlos Alcaraz 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in the third round of the Miami Open on Sunday. In front of his home crowd in Florida, Korda served for the match twice. The first attempt was catastrophic. The second time, he finished the job. “Sebi was incredible today. Played such a great game,” Alcaraz acknowledged.
17-Year-Old Becomes Youngest Ever Indoor World Champion
Cooper Lutkenhaus made history on Sunday when he won gold in the 800m to become the youngest ever champion at the world indoor athletics championship. The 17-year-old from Northwest High School in Texas took time off from his classes to compete and beat Belgium’s Eliott Crestan by 0.14 seconds.
Tottenham’s Relegation Crisis Deepens
Tottenham’s situation remains dire despite a positive week. The club seems unable to stop themselves plummeting towards the Championship. Spurs began extremely well against Nottingham Forest before losing 3-0. The team is struck by a strange mix of panic and resignation.
Giants RB Apologizes for CTE Comments
After sparking backlash yesterday New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo apologized for saying that CTE and asthma are “fake,” calling his comments part of a “tasteless joke.” The 24-year-old had called CTE an “excuse” during a podcast appearance, drawing widespread backlash.
Mariners Teammates Smooth Over WBC Tensions
Randy Arozarena apologized to Seattle Mariners teammate Cal Raleigh after a World Baseball Classic incident. Arozarena was representing Mexico when Raleigh’s USA team met them on March 9. After Raleigh ignored his handshake offer during an at-bat, Arozarena told media Raleigh could “fuck off” and “go to hell.” Raleigh downplayed it, saying “we’re good friends and we’ll continue to be good friends.”
🍁 North of the Border
Canadian sports delivered championship heartbreak, front-office stability, winning culture lessons, and blowout losses that need to be flushed immediately.
Blue Jays Lock In Atkins and Schneider After World Series Run
After coming within two outs of winning the World Series, the Toronto Blue Jays are keeping the band together. General manager Ross Atkins struck a five-year extension through 2031, while manager John Schneider agreed to a two-year extension through 2028. Both were central to the Blue Jays’ turnaround to the AL pennant last season after finishing last in the AL East the year prior. The team posted a 20-win turnaround to take the division at 94-78 while leading MLB with 49 comeback victories. This is about continuity. This is about building on what they started.
Canada Settles for Silver After Costly Misses in Curling Final
Kerri Einarson and her team settled for silver at the women’s world curling championship after a 7-5 loss to Switzerland’s Xenia Schwaller in the final on Sunday in Calgary. The game was decided by two misses by Einarson. With the score tied 2-2 in the fifth end, she came up light on a crucial draw, allowing Schwaller to score two. The same thing happened in the eighth. “Unfortunately, I think just a couple of my shots I came up just a hair too light and left them an opportunity for a deuce,” Einarson said. “We tried to generate deuces, and we had a little bit of a difficult time with that. But, yeah, we battled hard.” The silver is Einarson’s best finish at a world championship after previously winning bronze twice.
Raptors Blown Out by Suns, Fall to 39-31
The Toronto Raptors were plastered from start to finish by Phoenix 120-98 on Sunday night. The Suns were missing five rotation players, had lost five straight and were playing on the second night of a back-to-back. The Raptors were less focused, played with less effort and deserved what they got. “Just flush it,” said Scottie Barnes, who had 17 points in 27 minutes as coach Darko Rajakovic pulled his starters late in the third quarter, down 30. Jakob Poeltl struggled with zero points and zero rebounds in 17 minutes. Jamal Shead was minus-22. Brandon Ingram had six points with five turnovers. Toronto remains fifth in the Eastern Conference at 39-31, but are now only half game up on sixth-place Atlanta and seventh-place Philadelphia.
Flames Win Third Straight as Strome Preaches Culture Over Tanking
Ryan Strome scored in overtime as the Calgary Flames beat Tampa Bay 4-3 on Sunday for their third straight win. Many fans want the team to tank for draft position, but Strome explained why winning matters even for a bottom-five team. “I’ve been through this before, and it’s really, really hard to snap your fingers and just become a winning hockey team,” said the veteran of over 900 games. “So I think if you throw these games away, you don’t compete, you don’t play hard, those habits leak into next year. Then all of a sudden you have a group that’s like, ‘okay, we’ve got to start winning,’ and you don’t have the characteristics.” Jon Cooper praised the Flames’ structure and hunger.
Blue Jays Rout Rays 14-1 in Spring Training Finale
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a two-run homer as the Blue Jays completed their Grapefruit League schedule with a 14-1 thumping of Tampa Bay on Sunday. Dylan Cease was dominant over five shutout innings, sitting 97.3 mph and topping out at 98.8. “Honestly, I’m in a better spot than I was even really expecting,” said Cease. Guerrero is carrying momentum from his monster post-season and dominant WBC performance. “I’m trying to stay where I was at the end of the year and October,” he said. The Blue Jays cut three players and are finalizing their opening day roster.
CFL Quarterback Rooms Ranked for 2026
Hamilton Tiger-Cats topped the rankings with Bo Levi Mitchell, who has been the East Division’s MOP nominee in back-to-back years with 10,747 yards, 68 touchdowns and 29 interceptions over two seasons. Tre Ford adds a new dimension after signing from Edmonton. Toronto ranked second with Chad Kelly returning from injury and Nick Arbuckle, who threw for 4,370 yards last season. Montreal ranked third with undefeated starter Davis Alexander. Saskatchewan landed sixth despite winning the Grey Cup, with 40-year-old Trevor Harris lacking proven backup options.
Trevor Harris Praises Special Relationship with Riders OC
Saskatchewan quarterback Trevor Harris called offensive coordinator Marc Mueller “truly one of one in terms of his mind for the game” during a podcast appearance. “Never in my life have I been on the same page as much as I have with Coach Mueller,” said Harris, who is nearing 40 with 16 years of pro experience. The pair fueled the Riders to their first Grey Cup in 12 years. Their private relationship involves constant ribbing. “Marc never gives me compliments to my face,” Harris joked. “If you heard our conversations face-to-face, it’s mostly about how ugly each other are.” Mueller was hired ahead of the 2024 season, bringing him back to Regina where his grandfather Ron Lancaster became a legend.
💪 Hustle & Heart Highlight
Ryan Strome gets it.
The Calgary Flames are going nowhere this season. They’re destined to finish in the bottom five. The fans want them to lose for a better draft pick. The math says tanking makes sense.
But Strome, a veteran of over 900 games, knows something the spreadsheets don’t capture.
“I’ve been through this before, and it’s really, really hard to snap your fingers and just become a winning hockey team,” he said after scoring the overtime winner against Tampa Bay on Sunday. “So I think if you throw these games away, you don’t compete, you don’t play hard, those habits leak into next year.”
This what we honor. Not the easy path. Not the shortcut. The understanding that culture isn’t built in one offseason. That winning habits matter more than draft lottery odds. That the characteristics of a championship team are forged in moments exactly like this.
The Flames won their third straight game on Sunday. Wrong result for the tank. Right result for building something real.
Jon Cooper, one of the best coaches in hockey, saw it too. “I like the way they play, their structure,” he said. “Good on them, they’re a tough team to play against, and I like what they’re doing.”
Championships aren’t won in April. They’re built in March games that don’t matter on paper but matter everywhere else.
That’s the kind of culture worth building. That’s hustle and heart.
👊 Sign-Off
Iowa proved that irrational confidence beats pedigree every time. Manchester City reminded everyone they’re still dangerous. And the Blue Jays are locked in for another run at the title they nearly captured.
Sports gives us these moments. The ninth seeds that refuse to respect the bracket. The 17-year-olds who take time off school to become world champions. The teams that keep winning even when losing makes more sense.
Go make your Monday count.
— The Daily Hustle Crew
