Bob Zaranek was dead on the court. They teamed up to save him.

Sure, the XFL kicked off its inaugural season. And, yes, the college hoops season is in the midst of the stretch run to the NCAA tournament. But these are the stories we're talking about: 

HE WAS DEAD ON THE COURT. THEY TEAMED UP TO SAVE HIM

Bob Zaranek is the freshman girls basketball coach at Grosse Point South High School. Zaranek and the quick-acting people who saved him with an AED try to make sense of the evening when Zaranek was clinically dead.

“What do you tell the guy?” Zaranek said rhetorically of a team trainer. “I give him a huge hug and I tell him 'thank you.' I don’t know what else to tell him or any of the other people."

BOBBY KNIGHT COMES HOME

Bob Knight returned to Assembly Hall for the first in 20 years on Saturday. 

The longtime Indiana coach, who was fired by the school in 2000 and had vowed to never return, ended his self-imposed exile from the university in an emotional return for all involved. 

“I don’t know if we’ll see something like this again in college basketball,” former player Randy Wittman, on hand for the celebration of the 1980 Big Ten championship team, said.

“He came back. This is where he belongs.” 

REMEMBERING ROY

The Philadelphia Phillies will retire Roy Halladay's No. 34 on the 10th anniversary of his perfect game. Halladay died in a plane crash in November 2017 at the age of 40. 

"Roy Halladay made an indelible mark on Phillies history with so many spectacular moments, including his perfect game and postseason no-hitter," Phillies executive vice president David Buck said in a statement. 

ACCESS DENIED

Pete Rose has been banned from baseball since 1989. Now, in the wake of the Astros' cheating scandal, Rose wants back in. The all-time hits leader and his lawyers penned a 19-page letter and submitted it to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred. Maybe he has a point? Given the, you know, recent news in Houston. The President of the United States even took to Twitter to say Rose should be in the Hall of Fame.   

Our Bob Nightengale, however, says "nothing is going to change."

QUICK HITS    

• The XFL is back, complete with players cursing on live TV.
• And also ejections. 
• Gianna Bryant's No. 2 jersey was retired by her school. 
• Mike Leach is just asking questions. 
• Duke-UNC never disappoints. Unless you're a North Carolina fan, we suppose. 
• Sir Charles says his former team is the "Cleveland Browns of the NBA." 
• Blown calls keep happening in the NBA. 
• Winners and losers of college football's second signing day. 
• Kobe Bryant was "a superhero who was actually human," Gregg Popovich said. 
• Hammerin' Hank does not think the Astros' punishments went far enough. 
• Winners and losers of the NBA trade deadline. 
• Dwight Howard laments not telling Kobe Bryant how much he appreciated him.

QUARTERBACK SHUFFLE

We're a week out from the Super Bowl, but NFL QBs are still making news. This time, on the golf course. First of all, Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning were sticking shots at Pebble Beach, which led to a pretty good zinger from Tom Brady. Later, Peyton and Eli talked about how the golf course could serve as a place to bond for the brothers.

Meanwhile, some of the league's best quarterbacks could soon be on the move.

MORE MUST-READ STORIES FROM THE Paste BN NETWORK

• The XFL is off and running. But is it good? Our Chris Bumbaca went to the scene of the first game to investigate. 
• Paul Myerberg explains how college coaches help rivals with recruiting.
• It is more than a little embarrassing that a team such as the Boston Red Sox saw fit to no longer employ Mookie Betts, Gabe Lacques says. 
• Michigan State's Mark Dantonio did it his way, even as it led to a messy ending.
• The importance of the CIAA basketball tournament as it approaches its 75th birthday. 
• Why the Michigan football recruiting pipeline to the South has dried up for Jim Harbaugh. 
• Even at 74, the desire to win remains as strong as ever for Pat Riley.

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