Morning guys,

A classic quote to start your day...

-- Shaquille O'Neal after signing a 7-year, $121 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996.

In today's edition of SJ:

🧢 Warnie's Baggy Green

🎾 Australia 3-0 & Tantrum's at the ATP Cup

⛳️ Golf Previews

$375k and rising: Warnie’s brilliant baggy green auction for fire victims breaks the internet

Spin king @ShaneWarne will sacrifice Australian cricket’s most-coveted possession to raise money for bushfire victims, putting his prized baggy green cap up for auction

🎾 Tennis

Kyrgios Beats Tsitsipas To Clinch 3-0 Start For Aussies

Bolstered by a raucous Aussie crowd, Nick Kyrgios made it a perfect 3-0 at the ATP Cup on Tuesday night, beating World No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece for the second time 7-6(7), 6-7(3), 7-6(5).

“I served really well in big moments but the atmosphere was awesome. We're carrying some momentum going to Sydney". - Kyrgios

John Peers Chris Guccione def. Markos Kalovelonis and Petros Tsitsipas 6-3 6-4 to make it a clean sweep against

Stefanos Tsitsipas loses a set, hurts his dad and gets yelled at by his mum all within 20 seconds

Racquets broken, bottles thrown and spit - no, not lyrics from Eminem's new track, it's what happened during... Benoit Paire’s stunning mid-match meltdown in the ATP Cup.

🏏 Cricket

Big Bash League

(Monday) Brisbane Heat bt Sydney Thunder by 16 runs on DLS: Eight over game? No dramas! Banton stuns Thunder with second fastest BBL fifty (foxsports)

Perth Scorchers bt Melbourne Renegades by 6 runs with 6 wickets remaining: If it wasn’t already, the Renegades’ season is on life support after last season’s Big Bash champions lost their 7th straight match.

Our thoughts are with Livingstone and his family...As Richie Benaud said "Take away the pain, keep the swelling"

Langer won’t coach Australia in India.

His assistant could become more than just a caretaker. Justin Langer knows as well as anybody how formative Australia’s one-day tour of India will be for Andrew McDonald, the caretaker coach already in the box seat to be his eventual successor. (foxsports)

🏌🏻‍♂️ Golf

Our pick Justin Thomas came good last week - winning in a play-off. He wasn't a huge price but a winner is a winner and hopefully, some of you got involved.

A big year ahead for this lad, who now has more PGA event titles than any active player under 30 (16).

PGA Tour: Sony Open (Hawaii)

Last year's winner Matt Kuchar looked to be going well last week and needs to be considered.

Background: Kuchar hit the headlines last year when he took on a local caddy for the week, agreeing a fee of $5k before going on to pocket over $1m for himself by winning the event.

Being a man of his word, he paid the caddy the pre-agreed $5k 🤣 (he later apologised and paid him the full 10%). (times)

Players to watch:  

Justin Thomas - Tried to give it away last week but still won. He has won here at Waialae in the past (with a 59 that week). ($6.50)

Patrick Reed - Went close last week and he has been playing tremendously going back to August. ($13.0)

Webb Simpson - Doesn't win a huge amount but has 5 PGA and a major, seems to time his form well to pick up prize money at the start of the year and there's some market support. ($12.0) - maybe a first round leader play ($26.0)

Collin Morikawa - A nice T7 finish last week. In his first month or so as a pro, he managed 2 top 5 finishes and a win. He's certainly comfortable in this company. ($20.0)

European Tour resumes with the South African Open

The event will be staged over two different courses at Randpark Golf Club, Johannesburg.

Not an easy tournament to pick a winner at, due to 2 courses and it being hard to compare with previous versions of the tournament.

Scrambling is important here, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, is pretty decent at it. ($34.0). With an obvious word for last year's winner Louis Oosthuizen ($6.50) and Charl Schwartzel ($13.0).

🏉 NRL

Latrell Mitchell has been granted a leave of absence

The 22-year-old’s contract saga with the Roosters continues – but South Sydney Rabbitohs are reported to be the favourites to sign the Australia international.

Mitchell has been granted leave of absence by the Roosters, excusing him from all training commitments. (nrl.com)

Cronulla Sharks to search for third NRL boss in a year

Cronulla are on the hunt for a new NRL chief executive after immediately parting ways with Richard Munro.

The Munro era ends just nine months after the former general manager of The Star was appointed to oversee both Sharks Leagues Club and the football club.

The Sharks now begin the search for what will be their third NRL boss in a year. (foxsports)

🏉 Rugby

Michael Fatialofa: New Zealander successfully undergoes neck surgery

Former Hurricanes lock Michael Fatialofa has to undergone surgery after suffering a neck injury playing for Worcester in their English Premiership match against Saracens. (BBC)

Tim Horan’s son has joined a Super Rugby club. It’s not the Reds

Young Queensland back Alex Horan — the son of Wallabies legend Tim — is pushing for a place in the Sunwolves’ Super Rugby squad after joining the Japanese club for training. (foxsports)

🏀 Basketball

‘I nearly threw up’: Gruesome Joel Embiid injury sickens Ben Simmons

🏍 Motorsport

Price knows how to turn his Dakar defence around

”The Dakar" 2020 is being held on the Arabian Peninsula. The rally is open to amateur and professional entries, amateurs typically making up about eighty percent of the participants. 351 crews in total.

When: Sun, 5 Jan 2020 – Fri, 17 Jan 2020 over 12 stages

There are 5 classes; motorcycles, quads, the cars class (which ranges from buggies to small SUVs), UTVs, and the trucks class.

Total rally distance is close to 7,900 km (4,900 mi), with 5,000 km (3,100 mi) of special stages. Most of the competitive special sections are off-road, crossing dunes, mud, camel grass and rocks.

Australian motorcyclist Toby Price has dropped to ninth in the overall rankings after finishing 17th on the second stage of the race in Saudi Arabia.

While former F1 world champion Fernando Alonso lost over 2 1/2 hours.

📺 Today's sport

🎯 BDO World Champs (6am)

⚽️ Man United v Man City - Carabao Cup QF (7am)

🎾 ATP Cup Group Game, Day Session (10am)

🎾 WTA Auckland Classic, Round 2 (10am)

🏒 NHL Regular Season matches (11am)

🏀 NBA Regular Season matches (11am)

🎾 WTA Brisbane International, Round 1 (Noon)

🏏 Big Bash League: Adelaide Strikers v Sydney Sixers (3:40pm)

🎾 ATP Cup Group Game, Night Session (5pm)

🏏 Big Bash League: Melbourne Stars v Sydney Thunder (7:10pm)

Back on Friday!

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