Sarni's Scrolls: NBC ready to act Swiftly

By Jim Sarni

NBC was disappointed when New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers was injured in Week 1.

Oh no! We have the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs at the Jets in Week 4.

But don't cry for the Peacock.

NBC may have someone bigger at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

Taylor Swift is reportedly planning to attend her second straight Chiefs game to root for her new friend Travis Kelce.

Fox got a blockbuster rating when the world's most famous pop star came to Kansas City last week. Despite a Chiefs blowout win.

NBC is crossing its fingers and licking its lips.

And the NFL, which welcomes more female viewers, is loving it.

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The United States looks to end a three-decade drought as it takes on Europe at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome. The Americans have failed to win a Cup hosted by Europe since 1993.

The U.S. has the better lineup, top to bottom, with all 12 golfers ranked in the Top 25. Europe has three of the top four -- No. 2 Rory McIlroy, No. 3 Jon Rahm and No. 4 Viktor Hovland.

TV schedule:

Friday -- 1:30 a.m.-noon, USA

Saturday -- 1:30-3 a.m., USA; 3 a.m.-noon, NBC

Sunday -- 5:30 a.m.-1 p.m., NBC

Ryder Cup Europe, the organizers, expect 250,000 spectators, 50 percent under 40. European crowds are notoriously rowdy.

P.S., Europe led 4-0 after the morning foursomes round and finished the day with a 6.5-1.5 lead.

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Damien Lillard joining Giannis Antetokounmpo on Milwaukee makes the Bucks a NBA superteam, just as the league is in the market for a massive new domestic media rights deal.

The Bucks will be featured in 19 nationally televised games this season, including an opening-night date against Philadelphia on Oct. later matchups against the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State, and Boston. The increased hype will only help the league in its pursuit of the next cycle . media rights -- and its target of $50 billion to $75 billion in aggregate rights.

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Asked if she were to come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?

"A wide receiver that catches passes from Patrick Mahomes." --Singer Melissa Etheridge

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"I'm making a bingo card of all the places in Florida my book gets banned." -- Author Carl Hiassen, whose latest novel is "Wrecker.

"He's on another planet." Alex Rodriquez on Atlanta Braves OF Ronald Acuna, Jr., the first player in history to hit 40 home runs and steal 70 bases in a season.

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The MLB season ends Sunday with every game starting at 3 p.m., EDT to keep the playing field level... ESPN televises the four Wild Card series, beginning Tuesday...USC QB Caleb Williams is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft.

The league's four winless teams are the leading contenders, and, by coincidence, they collide on Sunday... Denver Broncos at Chicago Bears; Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers.

 In 15 of the past 21 drafts, the No. 1 pick went to an 0-4 team...

ESPN's GameDay makes its first trip to Duke on Saturday, leaving six schools that have never hosted the program -- Cal, Maryland, Illinois, Rutgers, Syracuse and Virginia..

. Rece Davis will fill in for Chris Fowler on the Notre Dame-Duke telecast (7:30, ABC). Fowler is in London to call Atlanta Falcons- Jacksonville Jaguars (9:30 a.m., ESPN+) on Sunday..

College basketball Blue Bloods Kentucky, Kansas, Duke and North Carolina are all undefeated (3-0) in football but that could change Saturday. Kentucky hosts Florida, Duke hosts Notre Dame and Kansas visits Texas. UNC has a bye.

..A documentary on the relationship between Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova is in the works from Ever Wonder Studios and Meadowlark Media. Promises to "shed new light" on the relationship

Major League Baseball and The Rolling Stones have partnered for a limited-edition packaging of the band’s upcoming studio album, "Hackney Diamonds." The collectible packaging comes with a team brand on the cover with “baseball white” vinyl. Fans can preorder for any of the 30 MLB clubs

...An emotional support alligator was denied entry to the Pirates-Phillies

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.Häagen-Dazs yogurt?

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Jim Sarni, BC Class of '69, is a former sportswriter for The Boston Globe and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He resides in Fort Lauderdale and watches a lot of television.