The Australian Open — tennis’s first Grand Slam of the year — begins in Melbourne tonight, so today we’re serving up all you need to know before the stars hit the court.

The NFL playoffs kick off this afternoon with 14 squads — seven from each conference — contending to hoist the coveted Vince Lombardi trophy.

The countdown is on to tomorrow’s NFL postseason kickoff, but a different storyline has been dominating headlines this week: the head coaching (HC) carousel. And while Monday’s game will likely include some recognition of MLK Jr. Day, the league’s performative acts aren’t enough to distract from decades of discrimination against Black HCs.

Queue up Pitbull because it’s time for some “International Love”...and basketball. That’s right, the NBA is returning to Paris for an exciting regular-season game between the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls on January 19th. Oui oui indeed.

Blame it on the holiday-break news cycle, or the fact that one of the biggest sports media companies discouraged its employees from writing anything “incendiary” about it, but Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White publicly slapping his wife has gone stunningly underdiscussed.

The first NFL weekend since Hamlin’s injury (and last of the regular season) was filled with emotional scenes, heartfelt tributes and stunning plays en route to deciding the 14-team playoff field.

While the league continues to process Monday’s terrifying events, squads are preparing for this weekend’s regular season finale slate, which will feature eight teams vying for the three remaining playoff spots.

As detailed on yesterday’s episode of The GIST of It, U.S. Soccer is investigating USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter and other members of the federation’s staff for allegations of “inappropriate behavior,” including a 1991 domestic violence incident involving Berhalter and his now wife, Rosalind.

There was no holiday break in the NHL, as stars (looking at you, Washington Capital Alex Ovechkin) rang in the new year with some fireworks. Let’s welcome in 2023 by checking on where the nation’s teams stand.

The NFL remains in hot water as many question why it took so long to postpone Monday’s game, especially as players were visibly distraught after watching their teammate and peer be administered CPR on the field.

The NBA is giving us the best present of all — 13 hours of consecutive basketball fun. So grab a mug of cocoa, hide the remote from your family and read up on today’s loaded five-game slate. Hoopy holidays, indeed.

Hope you asked Santa for “more football” this year because there are 11 (!!!) games tomorrow ahead of a Christmas Day triple-header and a Boxing Day grand finale.