jonmhoefling Page 32 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

The Mets are walking into schedule hell at the worst possible time
The National League East race is tighter than a triple-knotted shoelace. The Phillies, Braves, and Mets are all in contention, with the first two currently tied for the division lead. The Mets are just half a game back and with less than 50 games remaining on each team’s schedule, every game matters...

Hey, Jumbo: That Cup isn’t happening
Joe Thornton is a pretty divisive player in NHL circles. Some people love him, love his beard, and consider him a sure-fire Hall of Famer. Others believe Jumbo Joe to be a quietly dirty player citing examples like incessantly sticking his finger in Henrik Sedin’s eye during a game in 2011 and his hi...

I hope Tyreek Hill accepts Usain Bolt’s challenge... and gets smoked
Imagine having so much confidence in your abilities that you’re willing to put one of your most-prized possessions on the line to prove you were the best. That’s what Usain Bolt just asked Tyreek Hill to do during an interview on The Dan Patrick Show yesterday. ...

Big tennis doesn’t want players to be polite to each other
Everybody loves rivalries, trash-talking, and lighthearted ribbing in sports. Nobody wants to see it go too far, but competition and mutual respect that lead to heated confrontations on the field are pure entertainment. Big egos and confidence are a big factor in several athletes’ mindsets, and that...

Hey, NCAA: Let J.R. Smith play college golf already!
J.R. Smith never played college basketball. He jumped straight from high school to the NBA. Now that his NBA career is over, he’s making an effort to get a college degree. Smith will be attending North Carolina A&T — the largest HBCU in the nation, with just over 12,700 students — which consistently...

Deadspin wins you money*: Slam that over on the Carolina Panthers
Are you a betting man or woman? If so, you might want to take a closer look at the Carolina Panthers’ over/under totals. Right now, the team is projected to win just 7.5 games — tied for the 7th-lowest in the NFL, per Vegas Insider....

Deadspin’s deep dive into umpire stats: accuracy and consistency are key
Umpires are supposed to get every call right to the point where they have virtually no impact on the outcome of the game. Therefore, whenever an umpire does affect the outcome of a game, people start to take notice. ...

What even <em>is</em> taunting, and why is the NFL fixated on killing it with fire?
First it was the Big 12 deciding that any Texas opponent who flashes the “Horns Down” gesture would be fined. Mostly everyone agreed that it was a pretty weak move by a football program that claims to have such an elite reputation. ...

Let’s not give Bryce Harper the NL MVP just yet
At the All-Star break, the Philadelphia Phillies were a .500 team and weren’t being taken very seriously as threats to take the NL East crown from the Mets. Despite throwing everything and the kitchen sink at All-Stars Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto in 2019, the Phillies have not reached the playoff...

Should Major League Baseball have taken Olympic play more seriously?
Despite baseball making its triumphant return to the Olympics this year, nobody really seemed very excited to watch. There were probably a lot of factors that went into the lack of hype: general lack of public interest in the Olympics as a whole, the fact that Major League Baseball was going through...

Hear me out: Willy Adames has been second only to Tatis at shortstop this season
Who’s been the best shortstop in baseball this year? Fernando Tatis is probably the first person that comes to mind. I agree with that. Who’s number two? Bogaerts? Correa? Turner? Crawford? Bichette? Story? Yeah, those are all very good players....

SEE IT: Robot hitting half-court shot shows they're taking over sports to prep for taking over world
The Terminator, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and I, Robot all tried to warn us, but we’re not listening. The basketball robot known as CUE5 has been turning heads with its incredible shooting skills. Last night, during halftime of the USA-France gold medal game, it continued to threaten the livelihoods of...

Deadspin carefully considers the complete overreactions coming from NFL training camps
NFL training camps have been underway for a few days now. But in just that small amount of time, numerous stories revolving around potential breakout players, big team brawls, and plexiglass, have emerged. While these stories may hold some merit down the line, it’s important to remember that we’re l...

One takeaway from the Hall of Fame Game: Najee Harris looked pretty solid
And with that, football is back. There will be football games every week from now until February 2022. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and while we still have to wait a little over a month before games actually start counting, being able to see how certain players fit into their team’s sys...

Stop heckling the Astros? No, I don’t think I will, Joey Votto
Yesterday, six-time All-Star and 2010 National League MVP Joey Votto made an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show to talk about his home run streak, the social obligations that go on when a runner reaches first base, and how the game of baseball has changed during Votto’s career, among many other topi...

Milwaukee’s Peralta: 2021 NL Cy Young winner? (Don't tell me you just said, 'What?!')
Well, this trade deadline was crazy. The Dodgers continue to throw insane amounts of money at every problem they have. The Yankees teased the Red Sox by picking up Anthony Rizzo. So, why don’t we just take a small step back from all the trade talk and talk instead about someone who’s not getting nea...

You get a high-impact player! And YOU get a high-impact player!
Well, I’ve been having an aneurysm trying to keep up with all the trades happening in Major League Baseball today and late last night. We here at Deadspin have talked about a few of them already, but it seems like every half hour another impactful trade happens — so we’re rounding up all of the most...

Meet the Bronx Breezes: Yankees are now a whiff-a-palooza
The New York Yankees were one of those bubble teams heading into Hot Stove season. They weren’t in the best position — barely above .500 in one of the toughest divisions in baseball — but had the tools, money, and prospects to grab players at the deadline and maybe make a late-season push for a Wild...

Sooooo, Aaron Rodgers might have a point
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers returned to Green Bay recently after a tumultuous offseason filled with uncertainty regarding the reigning MVP’s future with the Packers organization. In his first press conference since his return, Rodgers wasted no time tearing into the Packers’ front office stati...

The MLB Draft has been mistreating seniors for far too long
Picture this: ...