ap Page 1129 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Carl Weathers was countless Americans’ Happy Place
I just want to start this off by saying, I’m dedicating this piece to Carl Weathers, and if Shooter McGavin tries to claim otherwise, I will rattle off a stream of obscenities that’ll make Lee Trevino shake his head from Garland, Texas. ...

Penguins on the edge; The Canucks are for real?; A bad hockey take for the ages
No one ever wants to admit the end is coming, much less is here. Especially when there are signs that it’s still a bit of a ways off, if one knows where to look. There will come a day when the Pittsburgh Penguins will recede into the background, which they haven’t really done since the beginning of ...

Coach gave insider info to bettor; Orioles have new owner; Theo Epstein returns to Red Sox
New findings in NCAA sanctions against Alabama and former head baseball coach Brad Bohannon revealed that Bohannon knowingly provided insider information to a gambler who bet against the Crimson Tide last spring, according to ESPN. - Cale Clinton Read More...

Kim Mulkey needs to do right by Brittney Griner; Ben Simmons a hero?; Klay Thompson being traded?
Anyone who dresses the way Kim Mulkey does loves attention. And since the ultra-competitive and always controversial head coach has never shied away from the camera, she might as well show up in Waco next month for a photo-op on Brittney Griner’s big night — even if the two can’t stand each other. -...

Former Raider, <i>Rocky</i> star Carl Weathers dead at 76
Carl Weathers, the actor who starred in the Rocky franchise, Predator, and The Mandalorian, died on Feb. 1, according to Variety. He was 76. ...

Red Sox Theo Epstein re-hire shows team is punting 2024 season
The first major acquisition of the Boston Red Sox offseason is…Theo Epstein? ...

Lakers-Celtics said a lot about both teams — little of it good
The Los Angeles Lakers earned their most impressive win of the season Thursday night, while the Boston Celtics arguably ceded their worst loss. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis sidelined with injuries, Austin Reaves and Co. handed a fully staffed C’s team their third home defeat of the season, 11...

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 ...

Tom Brady's dad criticizes Bill Belichick's 'horrible' people skills
Tom Brady’s dad, Tom Brady Sr., defended Bill Belichick following his release from the New England Patriots, but didn’t hold back when assessing the main reason behind his son’s split from New England. ...

Six months from the season and Deion Sanders’ mouth is already writing checks his team can’t cash
Just because the invite list has been expanded, it doesn’t mean you’ll be receiving a Save-the-Date. And while the College Football Playoffs are increasing from four to 12 teams, Colorado’s chances of making it are as laughable as their performance was against Washington State. ...

Maybe we have to take the Vancouver Canucks seriously
I know, the words “take seriously” and “Vancouver Canucks” having a get together in the same sentence is awkward for everyone. At least everyone outside of Vancouver, as there perhaps is no team that takes itself more seriously than the Canucks, which is what underlies their never decreasing sense o...

To the 'Nikki Haley/America has never been racist' crowd, I present you the Cardell Hayes case
It has been eight years since former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith was killed in a road rage incident. Cardell Hayes was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 25 years in prison back in December 2016. However, the verdict was not unanimous. At the time, Louisiana was one of only t...

Here’s the worst hockey take you’ll see all day
As the NHL grapples with Salt Lake City’s agitation to crash the party through an expansion team, there are certainly many issues to consider. That is to say that there are discussions between fans and observers online and at the bar. The league itself will still only concern itself with the $1 bill...

The last year each NFL team reached the Super Bowl
The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs will once again square off in the Super Bowl. The Chiefs — who won the previous meeting, 31-20 — are in their third Super Bowl in four years. ...

Is Jerry Jones looking to replace Mike McCarthy with Bill Belichick?
Is Mike McCarthy already a lame-duck head coach before the 2024 league year even begins? ...

Tyrese Haliburton thinks the NBA's 65-game award minimum is stupid. He’s right
Tyrese Haliburton played 22 minutes and change on Tuesday night. A hamstring injury has been nagging him for most of January. Haliburton has missed 10 of the Indiana Pacers’ last 11 games. Usually, there would be no issue with him needing 15-20 games to fully recover from a soft-tissue injury. In fa...

The case for — and against — Joel Embiid for MVP
Joel Embiid, the world’s best regular-season player, is closing in on his second consecutive MVP if he remains upright. When active, Embiid is a force of nature, bending defenses to his whim and simultaneously wielding an unduly influence over Philadelphia’s defense....

Ben Johnson staying with the Lions is a wise decision
During Dan Campbell’s pensive postgame press conference following the Detroit Lions NFC Championship Game loss to the San Francisco 49ers, he acknowledged the possibility that they might have blown their best chance at a Super Bowl. A reason for him acknowledging that less-than-deal possibility is t...

The 12 most important NFL players in the Conference Championship Games
Football is a game of X’s and O’s, but the real difference gets made by the Jimmies and Joes. As we prepare for Conference Championship weekend, here are the 12 most important players to pay attention to on Sunday. ...

The longest championship droughts in NBA history
With teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Philadelphia 76ers among the best teams in the league the season, we could see some of the longest current NBA championship droughts snap in 2024. To honor the potential for history, here are the longest active title droughts. ...