america Page 5 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

It's time for the Mavericks to fire Jason Kidd and Nico Harrison
No team in recent memory has failed to build around a generational superstar more than the Dallas Mavericks have with Luka Dončić. We are not talking about Anthony Davis in New Orleans. Dončić is a consistent top-five MVP candidate and First-Team All-NBA every season, one of a handful of players of ...

The NFL's multi-billion dollar empire has a lawn-care problem
If there is one aspect of sports in which the NFL should have an unquestioned expertise, it should be in the maintenance of its playing surfaces. If the NBA and NHL can share stadiums and puzzle piece courts together over ice, then the NFL should be able to have the grass in pristine condition at th...

The most outlandish Super Bowl LVIII prop bets
This is going to be the biggest Super Bowl for gambling in recent memory. The American Gaming Association estimates that Americans will wager a combined $23.1 billion on the Big Game this year, up from $16 billion year-over-year. ...

The Knicks and Ryan Arcidiacono are the cure to the NBA’s scoring surge
Somehow, the New York Knicks are MacGyvering their way to the top of the East in a super soldier league in a manner we haven’t seen since the ‘04 Pistons. OG Anunoby’s arrival has fortified Tom Thibodeau’s defense into the NBA’s Fort Knox, and once Mitchell Robinson returns, the paint in Madison Squ...

And the highest payroll in the AL Central goes to . . . the Kansas City Royals?
If there’s a surer sign that baseball has had a winter of discontent, at least for everyone outside the LA metro area, it’s that the highest payroll in the American League Central belongs to the Kansas City Royals. That’s after they inked star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. to an 11-year extension that’s ...

Chris Russo was out of line when he called Dan Orlovsky 'a scrub'
Chris “Mad Dog” Russo is largely a loveable relic from the sports radio past. He’s strident, over the top, and plays into this character that he created 40 years ago. While doing his “What are you Mad about,” segment on ESPN’s First Take, Russo has admitted that it’s stupid and his antics are ridicu...

Sorry, Knicks fans. LeBron James is just not that into you
LeBron James sure does love stringing Knicks fans along. It wouldn’t be a pre-agency year for the all-time scoring champ if he weren’t using the Knicks as leverage. In 2010, the Knicks thought they had him. Donnie Walsh had Mike D’Antoni installed as head coach, the cap room to Carmelo Anthony, the ...

The 49ers have a lot of history riding on this Super Bowl
The San Francisco 49ers will play in the franchise’s eighth Super Bowl on Sunday in hopes of joining the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots as the only franchises with six Lombardi trophies. It’s such a historical game for many reasons on both sides, but for the Niners, there’s so much on ...

Kawhi Leonard has entered the chat in the NBA MVP conversation
For fans who tend to skip over much of the NBA regular season, you’ve probably missed the recent uprising in talk about Kawhi Leonard having a claim in the MVP conversation. Most years, Leonard’s numbers are great. But since he blossomed into a star toward the end of his run in San Antonio, “The Cla...

These are the current and former NBA players who need their own podcast
A decade ago, who would have thought that current and former players would be the best analysts and commentators in the NBA? A novel idea, eh? Former players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson’s “All The Smoke” and Gilbert Arenas were early purveyors of player-run podcasts. It’s since evolved to includ...

Jalen Brunson is the best point guard in the NBA
At his introductory press conference on Sept. 22, 2022, Jalen Brunson sat at a podium, decked out in a crisp number 11 New York Knick jersey, and said the following, “I’m not a savior in any way, shape, or form. I just want to be able to contribute to the team.”...

It’s time to face reality — Bill Belichick is likely done coaching in the NFL
We’ve heard the phrase, “end of an era” quite a bit in the football world lately. Nick Saban retired in Alabama, Bill Belichick was “ushered” out of New England, and Pete Carroll was moved into an advisor’s role in Seattle. All championship coaches who many feel the game has passed by. Initially, it...

Eric Bieniemy passed by again; Zach Wilson's Aaron Rodgers delusion; Patrick Mahomes' dad-bod saga
(UPDATE, 11:20 am, Feb. 1): ESPN is reporting that Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has been named Commanders head coach.)...

Jim Harbaugh plans to live in an RV while coaching the Chargers
The new Los Angeles Chargers head coach wants to start the season livin’ in a van down by the river ocean....

Ben Simmons is the hero the NBA Players Association didn’t know it needed
Ben Simmons shows up to work, posts up on the bench in vibrant fits, shades, and quietly monitors the Nets from afar. The Nets’ well-compensated point forward has one of the best desk jobs in the NBA. Simmons being back on the shelf to rest another affliction once made him a maligned figure, but he ...

Ranking the new NFL head coaching hires
With the Washington Commanders hiring Dan Quinn, the NFL’s head coaching cycle has officially concluded. Barring any unforeseen firings, eight coaches have new jobs, and none of them are Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll, or Mike Vrabel. With the dust finally settled, it’s time to see how each team fared...

Caitlin Clark is the NCAA's all-time scoring leader. Who did she pass?
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark surpassed Pete Maravich as the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer in college basketball — and continues to add to her legacy in her final collegiate season before entering the WNBA Draft. ...

Greg Olsen is getting screwed
Greg Olsen joined the Dan Patrick Show yesterday, and he was pretty honest about not feeling great that Tom Brady is going to bump him from the No. 1 slot on Fox broadcasts of the NFL. There’s also the little nugget that slotting down the No. 2 team is going to cost Olsen some $7 million a year. Har...

Wait, did Zach Wilson think he and Aaron Rodgers were making a buddy movie together?
Well, here’s a shocking revelation: The Zach Wilson-Aaron Rodgers relationship reportedly soured as the 2023 season progressed in New York. Go figure. Apparently, Wilson thought he’d be able to stay in direct contact with Rodgers after Rodgers’ Achilles injury in Week 1. Obviously, that didn’t happe...

LeBron James has played with or against these 10 father-son duos
Love him or hate him, you have to marvel at the sheer longevity of LeBron James’ career. A Jan. 17 chyron from an ESPN on ABC broadcast revealed that the Washed King has played against 35 percent of all players to ever play in the NBA. As of Jan. 27, that massive pool of opponents now includes 10 di...