The NFL’s controversial new rule change, plus Iowa and Caitlin Clark escape

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Good morning! I predict you’ll get traded this season.

While You Were Sleeping: Two close calls

For a few minutes late last night, it looked like two big women’s NCAA Tournament upsets were brewing. Instead, we saw two escapes: 

• Caitlin Clark and No. 1 seed Iowa squeaked past No. 8 seed West Virginia 64-54, though the game was tied at 52 with under 3 minutes to play. The Mountaineers got the game they wanted, but simply could not keep up offensively. Clark scored 32, giving her a women’s-record 1,113 points on the season.
  
• No. 2 seed UCLA also eluded upset against No. 7 seed Creighton with a 67-63 win, despite trailing for much of the first half. 

Both teams are in Regional 2, which is about to get juicy. The Bruins get No. 3 seed (and defending national champion) LSU this weekend in the Sweet 16, while Iowa plays No. 5 seed Colorado for a chance to face the LSU-UCLA winner.

Explainers: What’s a hip-drop tackle, anyway?

Yesterday, NFL owners unanimously agreed to ban the hip-drop tackle, a move observed by some as overdue and by others as nebulous. Let’s lay out the parameters: 

• NFL owners and executives are calling this decision a win…