ill Page 235 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Treat Rudy Gobert worse than Draymond Green — at least his punch was behind closed doors
It’s not about what was done, it’s about who did it. And if you don’t believe that, this week will be a sports debate-off on the events from the final day of the NBA’s regular season — which included Minnesota Timberwolves star center Rudy Gobert taking a swing at teammate Kyle Anderson on the bench...

The Mavericks give away the game
Well now it’s pretty obvious what NBA teams really think of the play-in tournament. The Dallas Mavericks spent the weekend doing everything they could to drop right out of the 10th seed and into the draft lottery, which they successfully did. Mavericks fans are probably most excited about the season...

Don’t be so quick to count out the Western Conference's top-seeded teams
A large swath of NBA media is out on the top seeds in the Western Conference — and it makes sense, because, for the first time since the 1996-97 season, the East is far and away superior....

Mark Cuban is not who we thought he was going to be
This past week has been the dried-out cherry on top of an expired whipped cream sundae of a 2022-23 season for the Dallas Mavericks. They entered it one game out of the play-in tournament a shade under two months after trading for Kyrie Irving. It would be easy to blame him for Mavericks’ fall, but ...

Republican-sponsored anti-LGBTQ bills attacking transgender youth participation in sports reaches new low
Republicans en masse across the country haven’t made it clear what they truly stand for outside of hating others and tolerating racism and all forms of bigotry. They’re more afraid and concerned of Black peaceful protestors and children properly identifying their sexuality than insurrectionists, mas...

Kim Mulkey meeting the man that brought Britney Griner home is the White House story we needed
Angel Reese has owned her moment. From being named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four after LSU won their first national title in program history, to the reactions from her “dealings” with Iowa’s Caitlin Clark being the best example of “Two Americas” we’ve seen in quite some time, to her publ...

Redefining what it means to be a unicorn
“Unicorn” is up there with “new normal” and “positionless basketball” as far as terms I would love to see removed from my brain. Any big man with guard skills is dubbed a unicorn, and we’re led to believe the NBA is a mythical universe populated by elves, dragons, and wizards. Well, technically the ...

The Atlanta Hawks have been the definition of mediocrity
The Atlanta Hawks season has been a Sisyphean quest to remain above .500. They came, they saw, and they Even Stevened for most of the season. If you ever wondered what a wedgie between the rim and the hoop personified this season was, it would be the 41-39 Atlanta Hawks. ...

Tyreek Hill announces future retirement, and I own a goldfish
Welcome to Deadspin’s The Sports Nihilist, where all is for naught and we are but accidental jolts of electrified meat stuck to the surface of a rock in an indifferent universe. Fuck you....

Is it time to start talking about Aston Villa?
The Premier League, at least this season, has become stratified in a way it never has before. There seem to be only two categories. You’re either fighting against relegation or you’re in the race for the Champions League. It’s a little more nuanced than that under the hood, though not by much. From ...

The Isiah Thomas-Michael Jordan beef still going strong decades later
I guess if Michael Jordan gets to remain bitter about events from 40 years ago then everyone else from that time should be granted the same courtesy. In 2021 it was Scottie Pippen — promoting his bourbon and book — who was publicly critical of Jordan. Since the NBA 75 Greatest Team gathered at the 2...

Erie County should tell the Buffalo Bills to kick rocks
Terry Pegula is worth $6.7 billion. ...

Michael Bidwill is in full denial mode — just like his buddy Brett Kavanaugh
No one likes being accused of things. But, nobody despises it like white men — especially the rich ones. Almost five years after then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh threw a temper tantrum when he testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee — due to being publicly accused of sexual miscond...

How does a 'progressive' team like the Warriors continue to employ Anthony Lamb?
When the Golden State Warriors converted Anthony Lamb’s contract for the rest of the season back in March, head coach Steve Kerr called it a “pretty easy decision” as the team has dealt with injuries, absences, and poor bench play — especially on the road. ...

The definitive list of college basketball blue bloods
Another college basketball season has come and gone. The women’s tournament outshined the men’s showcase in March Madness due to ratings and attendance records, not to mention the undeniable star power the sport has. The men’s NCAA Tournament wrapped Monday night with UConn completing the six-game s...

Bill Belichick is reportedly shopping Mac Jones because he's still pissed at the QB
Bill Belichick must have forgotten that he is not the only football luminary who has been Mac Jones’ head coach. Jones played college football for Nick Saban — arguably Belichick’s greatest student. Remember, “One band, one sound,” from the movie Drumline? That line is Alabama football. Every person...

Shannon Sharpe has a scorching hot political take while discussing LSU-Iowa White House invite
On Monday night, Jill Biden waded into neck-deep waters by hitting send on an overly sentimental invite for a joint South Carolina and Iowa White House visit. On Tuesday morning, Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless clashed over Biden’s invite to Iowa for what should be LSU’s solo White House visit. Sh...

Did Jim Nantz waste his best goodbye on March Madness?
Sportscaster sentimentality is one of the weirdest aspects of the sports world. One of the storylines of Monday night’s men’s title game was Jim Nantz. The voice of March Madness since literally as long as I can remember delivered his final college basketball broadcast in his hometown of Houston, an...

The new-look Los Angeles Lakers are peaking at just the right time
What appeared to be a lost Los Angeles Lakers season six weeks ago has sprouted wings in the final home stretch before the postseason. After missing countless weeks mending injuries in 2023, Anthony Davis and LeBron James returned to a lineup terraformed on the go....

No Jill Biden, Iowa and LSU don’t need to talk it out
One would have hoped the dumbass and unnecessary (and racist!) chatter coming out of the women’s championship game would have died an easy death on the next day’s news cycle. But seeing as how the men’s version was two packs of ass and the First Lady got involved, that was too much to wish for, appa...