br Page 281 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Can Westbrook thrive as a third option with Lakers?
The Russell Westbrook era is underway in Los Angeles, and after his first couple of games in a Lakers uniform, Mr. Triple-double accounted for 14 turnovers in 39 minutes. He had 9 in one game alone. Sure, it is only the preseason, and the games and turnovers don’t count, as the future Hall of Famer ...

2021 NHL Previews: Flyers haven’t made a good move since acquiring Gritty
The Metro Division is jam-packed with teams who could disappoint. Sid and Geno are back for their 16th season in Pittsburgh, and the bottom has to fall out eventually. Similarly, Alex Ovechkin is 36 and coming off a career-worst 24-goal season. Carolina was one of the darlings of hockey last year, b...

Catching up with the NHL (We hardly had time to miss ya!)
The NHL is back on its regular schedule after two straight pandemic-curtailed seasons, and that means it kicks off right now, even though it still doesn’t feel like hockey season outside in most of North America....

Stop venerating men who care about nothing but football
Back in 2016, Bleacher Report wrote this in a profile of former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden:...

Patrick Mahomes is just not the greatest anymore
The biggest myth in the NFL is that Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the league....

2021 NHL Previews: Fifty-four years between Cups for Toronto, going on 55
The Toronto Maple Leafs have now crossed the Rangers Line. The most famous Stanley Cup drought in history belonged to New York, which for years had to hear “1940” chants until Mark Messier, Mike Richter, and company finally broke the hex in 1994....

100-win Rays come up short again, which is where this is all heading
The Red Sox kneecapped the Rays, 6-5, in the bottom of the ninth last night — another walkoff — and the ending of a series usually launches a 1,000 ships carrying annoying narratives. The big one from this one is that the Rays’ way of doing things, with their positionless pitching staff, essentially...

2021 NHL Previews: The Canucks will upset you deeply
Look, I had to pick someone. This division is sadness. If the NHL had relegation, at least three-quarters of the league would probably be booted before the season started, just to save the time and travel costs. So, really, no one has expectations that I can bust. Vegas doesn’t even really have to b...

Week 5 NFL Powerless Rankings: NY teams return to form, Fish fried
The 2021 NFL season is starting to pick up and we’re finally starting to get a clear picture of which teams are about that action and which teams are not. We can talk another day about the teams that are actually for real. This is about the teams that are not. As we do each week, let’s take a look a...

2021 NHL Previews: Don’t believe the media, it’s over in Nashville
I’m not even sure the Preds are that highly thought of this year. It definitely feels that whatever cycle they were on has come to an end, and there was a temptation to put the Avalanche here, who look set for goalie-related heartbreak come May. But I’ve never missed an opportunity to completely sh...

Jon Gruden is the perfect example of how mediocre white men get to thrive in the workplace
Jon Gruden isn’t good at his job. His true talent is making you think he is....

Two Super Bowl caliber teams met in L.A., but one came with Justin Herbert, the other Baker Mayfield
If it wasn’t clear to you before that the Browns and Chargers were two of the best teams in the league, then you need to go to Jameis Winston’s eye doctor....

It’s time for the Raiders or the NFL to get Jon Gruden off the sidelines
Another day, another bigot begging for karma to bite him in the ass. This time it’s Jon Gruden, who never thought the racist remarks he made in correspondence several years ago would see the light of day....

NFL Week 5 Betting Primer: Best Over/Under, Spread, Teaser, and Prop Bets
Another week, another 3-1 showing. Life would be grand if this could somehow be the result through every single weekend....

This doesn’t feel like the first time the Dodgers and Giants have met in the playoffs
Tonight will be the first time in MLB history we see the Dodgers and Giants compete in the postseason. For such a storied rivalry, it’s crazy to think that in the year 2021, there’s still something new for these franchises to experience with one another. Sure, there are some discrepancies like the 1...

NFL Week 5 returns us to the eternal question: Why are the London games always trash?
In 2021, there are two NFL games slated to play in London. The first is happening this weekend as the Atlanta Falcons take on the New York Jets. Now… you’re probably thinking to yourself, “Gee, that matchup sounds awful. If we’re really trying to expand the sport, why don’t we show London the absolu...

The Brooklyn Nets’ massive star power may be their saving grace due to Kyrie Irving’s vaccination dilemma
Kyrie Irving ain’t walking through that door…tonight....

To hell with ESPN for trashing Geno Smith as his teammates praise ‘phenomenal’ performance
Some people watch NFL games, and others just read about them. If you are in the latter category and visited ESPN’s website or saw its article on Twitter, your opening frame and video would be this:...

Dallas is loving the ‘D’
One month into the NFL season and look at the Dallas Cowboys defense. No longer are they atrocious on the defensive side of the ball. It’s the way they’re doing it that is more shocking. This Cowboys defense is creating turnovers in ways we haven’t seen from them in a while. But I’ll warn you, Cowbo...

Eighteen ex-NBA players charged in laughably bad fraud scheme
The NBA has a mess on its hands now....