appic Page 59 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Worst-Case Scenario: Super Bowl Tuesday
Nearly everyone is rooting for snow at the Super Bowl, because snow football is awesome. A little bit of snow, anyway. Today was the "oh god, what if it snows really, really badly and everything is shut down" press conference, and officials revealed their contingency plan: just have the Super Bowl s...

The Problem With Riley Cooper's Redemption
There are two legitimately fascinating stories hiding in ESPN's "Hot Read" on the redemption of Riley Cooper, and neither of them are told. One is buried and glossed over, the other ignored altogether, in favor of a trite and vaguely insulting tale of overcoming self-inflicted adversity....

How Much Will Mike Trout Get Paid?
Any theoretical negotiation starts from this premise: He is 22 years old, and already the best player in baseball. (And if not for Miguel Cabrera's existence, he'd be the best by far.) We have already accepted that the economics of Mike Trout can't rely on past data, because there's nothing comparab...

SIU Coach Blasts "Mama's Boys" Players In Exquisite Rant
After Southern Illinois's 73-65 loss at Murray State last night, Salukis coach Barry Hinson tore into his team with a six-minute rant that's right up there with history's best. Give a listen:...

Justin Tucker, Kicker, Conqueror
It's a morning to unreservedly celebrate Justin Tucker, because how often do we get the chance? How rarely is the kicker the one proudly jogging off the field with his helmet held high? Tucker—who appears to have wrestled the "Legatron" nickname away from Greg Zuerlein—accounted for all of the Raven...

Report: Ryan Freel Had CTE When He Killed Himself
Nearly a year ago, former MLB player Ryan Freel committed suicide. The history of his concussions surfaced in the aftermath, and a report released earlier this week concluded that Freel was suffering from Stage II chronic traumatic encephalopathy...

Report: Rob Ryan Quit Rams Gig And Immediately Ate McDonald's
Before Rob Ryan was hired as the Saints' defensive coordinator, he went to the St. Louis Rams, a gig he held for 6,899 minutes. Differences with head coach Jeff Fisher led Ryan to quit and then—reportedly—to celebrate his new unemployment by immediately getting some fast food. It was 7:30 in the god...

The Rise Of Josh Gordon: The Browns' New Superstar Receiver
Buried, deep within the turd that is the 2013 Browns' offense, there is one bright, shining spot. (Do turds have bright spots? Whatever.) Josh Gordon, the only player taken in the second round of the 2012 supplemental draft, has become one of the best receivers in the NFL. ...

Florida State Is Historically Dominant: 125 FBS Teams, Ranked
Each week during college football season we put the conventional polls to shame by ranking every FBS team from 1-125, by whatever standard we see fit. As always, last week's rankings were not consulted....

An Eyewitness Account Of The Baseball Agent Slapfight
We've been trying to piece together the fight in the parking lot at baseball's winter meetings in Orlando. Threats of arson? Yes. Gary Sheffield and Dave Stewart? No. Grown men twirling and clapping and slapping? My goodness yes!...

Report: Knicks Might Try Drafting In The First Round For Once
When the reports started coming down yesterday that the Knicks were seeking Kyle Lowry from the Raptors in exchange for a package including a 2018 first-rounder, it sounded eminently logical. Not in the "that's a smart move" sense, but in the "of course the Knicks are going to give up on a draft tha...

Two Agents Had A Fistfight At Baseball's Winter Meetings
A lot of news came out of the Winter Meetings in Orlando, but no transaction was more important than a confrontation in the hotel parking lot, where two agents reportedly threw down after one accused the other of trying to steal his client....

In Case You Didn't Already Know, Recruiting Is Insane
Sam Farmer has a great piece in the L.A. Times on the difference between coaching in college football and the NFL. He interviews guys who have done both, like Pete Carroll, June Jones, Barry Switzer, and Chip Kelly, but the breakout star is easily Jerry Glanville....

Premier League Team Tries Charging Press For Interviews
Newcastle United are coming off a huge win at Manchester United, but they're making news for the wrong reasons: Multiple outlets report that NUFC have approached local and national newspapers, offering them access to players between matches only if they're willing to pay for it....

Why The NFL Flexed Bears-Eagles Over Patriots-Ravens
At first glance, it was a surprise. The NFL wants America to see McCown-Foles over Brady-Flacco? But the league has a good reason for flexing Bears-Eagles to Sunday Night Football for Week 16: the freedom to choose the perfect Week 17 game. (Also, the fact that Bears-Eagles is going to be awesome.)...

Alex Ovechkin Scores Four, Is Ridiculous
When watching a Capitals game just as a fan, you never take your eyes off Alex Ovechkin. When an opposing team does it? Carnage....

Jeff Triplette's Officiating Website Does Its Best Triplette Impression
NFL referee Jeff Triplette has had a rough December so far. There was a botched ruling in Week 13's Giants-Skins game killing Washington's chance at a comeback. During this past Sunday's Colts-Bengals game, Triplette overturned a call after viewing a replay, giving BenJarvus Green-Ellis a touchdown...

NAIA Allows Thunder Fan To Keep $20,000 Prize From Halfcourt Shot
Good news! This is no longer bullshit....

Do The Bears Need Jay Cutler?
Let's not get silly. There's no quarterback controversy in Chicago. Yes, Josh McCown had played excellently as Jay Cutler deals with a series of injuries. But McCown is just a capable backup, filling in until Cutler's healthy. Cutler's the face of the Bears—he'll get his job back the second he's cle...

Why Marvin Miller Belongs In The Hall Of Fame
On the occasion of union leader Marvin Miller once again falling shot of the Hall of Fame, it's instructive to note that no sport has had a longer labor peace than baseball. How it got here is easy enough to explain, and has everything to do with Miller's work....