ick Page 169 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Well, that’ll about do it for the Angels
There was always a Hail Mary aspect to this Anaheim Angels season. It’s been as close to a foregone conclusion that Shohei Ohtani is tail lights after this season, thanks to the Angels’ lack of success, perceived incompetence, and the $700 million that the team up I-5 is almost certainly readying fo...

The world is a tough place, take a quick break and listen to Jordan Mailata sing
Last week was a rough one in America. Sunday was the 59th anniversary of the passing of the Civil Right Act. It was celebrated by the United States Supreme Court swinging an ax through legislation that helps level the playing field for marginalized people. I can’t do anything about the rolling back ...

Building and destroying men: The Greater Toronto Hockey League's assault on childhood
Scott Fraser inhales deeply. “I got way too many things in the vault, brother.”...

Dak Prescott is <i>finally</i> joining the pickleball phenomenon
Pickleball has become one of the biggest recreational sports in the mainstream over the past few years. It’s become so popular that numerous celebrities and pro athletes are joining and investing in the “niche” sport after seeing its growth potential. Last month, Prescott finally joined the cool kid...

The Leafs sign Ryan Reaves, solving a problem they don't have
At least the Toronto Maple Leafs never disappoint. At least anyone who isn’t a Maple Leafs fan, that is....

ESPN breaks up its broadcast superteam-in-slacks as Jeff Van Gundy enters NBA free agency
As ESPN reaches the end of its fiscal year today, the Worldwide Leader has commenced its semi-annual purge of top talent. On Wednesday, the pink slip Russian Roulette landed on Jeff Van Gundy, after 16 years with the network....

James Harden is chasing an ideal that doesn’t exist
It’s fair to ask the question, what does James Harden want? Is it a ring? Is it a lifestyle? Is it his own team? The 33-year-old former one-man wrecking crew is no longer an indestructible pinball, bouncing off of everything, and amassing high score after high score. No team is going to hand him the...

Maybe Kyrie Irving believes in the Suns' rotation after all
It turns out that Kyrie Irving, the NBA’s foremost flat earther does believe in the Suns’ rotation. So much so that he’s considering joining it. At least that appears to be the case if there’s any veracity to Bleacher Report’s Kyrie code talker Chris Haynes’ report on the 31-year-old free agent’s sc...

Connor Bedard’s impending Chicago arrival needs the proper context before it’s overhyped
It’s Connor Bedard Day. The long-sought-after Canadian is more popular than Justin Trudeau (although I’m not exactly sure how high of a bar that is these days) will be selected No. 1 overall by the Blackhawks during tonight’s NHL Entry Draft. Any other move from Chicago with the top overall selectio...

DeAndre Hopkins is the latest pass catcher Bill Belichick wants from the department store
Once again, Bill Belichick is shopping for No. 1 wide receivers at Ross. Which is not to say that it’s impossible to find good clothing there. Customers simply have to be willing to pour through the racks and try on a lot of clothing— especially tops — if they want to find a Randy Moss at 60 percent...

LSU's baseball title, Oklahoma's softball dominance should be a breakthrough in the collegiate ranks
In the fall, college football reigns supreme. The Power Five’s monopoly of collegiate competition is so fearsome that only March Madness in the spring can break through the chase and receipt of a gridiron national championship. And while the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments captured the nati...

Trent Dilfer is daring coaches to poach his players at UAB — someone should
Laying the groundwork is important. Sometimes that includes letting people know you’re not to be played with....

It’s time for Portland and Damian Lillard to pull the plug on this relationship
One of the biggest rumors from the mill today is Damian Lillard’s interest in joining the Miami Heat. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, this news comes out the same day Lillard, and his agent Aaron Goodwin are set to meet with Portland’s front office. It really is impressive how these rumors a...

The Reggie Evans Bad Basketball Basketball Hall of Fame 2023 inductees
Studies have shown that negative news garners more of the public’s attention than positive news, so with that knowledge, I propose an alternative to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The Basketball Hall of Fame has the prestige, but it doesn’t generate as much conversation as Twitter ramblings f...

First-round NBA Draft grades on a pass/fail system
If you’re like most underachievers and procrastinators, the letter grade doesn’t matter as long as you pass. I’ve lived most of my life by the mantra that “C’s are for degrees” and look where it’s gotten me: Writing about sports for living, and passing judgment upon others without retaliation....

The Beal-Porzingis-Paul deals feel like a D.C. psyops campaign
After blundering through the last decade, The D.C. Universe is rebooting. Not the Snyderverse IP. I’m talking about the grotesque prospects for basketball in the District of Columbia. Hang around there long enough and you’ll catch me moaning about the bleak times facing the Commanders, Nats, and Wiz...

Mike Dunleavy Jr.'s job is to keep aging Golden State Warriors at a championship level
Monday was the introductory press conference for Mike Dunleavy Jr., the new general manager of the Golden State Warriors. Three days later he gets the privilege of hitting the ground running with the Warriors holding the 19th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft....

Not sure the UK will find MLB any more entertaining than the US
Serious question: If you underwent a bunch of plastic surgery, how eager would you be to show off the new goods? Even though the boob job is lopsided, the calf implants didn’t take, and your face literally can’t smile through the botox, you’d be on the first plane to Europe, too. Well, that’s MLB ri...

NBA Draft: From No.1 pick to the Hall of Fame
Tonight is the 2023 NBA Draft, which is taking place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Some years the No. 1 pick is up for debate. This year, it’s almost certain that the San Antonio Spurs, winners of the Draft Lottery, will take French prospect Victor Wembanyama first....

Patriots CB Jack Jones’ attorney was a broken record on Tuesday
Jack Jones’ attorney has had enough of the several non-influential social media accounts bashing her client. On the steps of the East Boston District Court House, Rosemary Scapicchio tore into those who disparaged her client by calling him a thug, following the news that Jones had been arrested at L...