mat Page 24 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Does the US have anyone who would stand up like Gary Lineker?

The farcical idea that sports and politics don’t mix has once again been shaken to its cardboard foundation with what’s been going on in the UK with Gary Lineker and the BBC (every time I hear or see “BBC” I can’t help but shout it like Austin Powers during the end credits of the first film, but tha...

Rutgers is the Cinderella that the NCAA Tournament needs

CHICAGO — In just a few days almost every American will be doing the same thing — filling out a bracket. And as people decide on which 12 over 5 upset they’re going to pick, or what team could make a deep tourney run out of nowhere, I’m here to tell you that the first game of the day on Friday at th...

The NFL news you might have missed this week

In case you’ve been out of the loop — or just need a reminder — here are some of the noteworthy NFL-related news nuggets from this week....

LA, the bill has come due for your Super Bowl

There’s one quarterback situation in the NFL that one would think is worthy of endless speculation. He’s a recent Super Bowl winner, plays in a massive market, and garnered two firsts, a second, and a capable starting QB on the trade market two years ago. If you haven’t guessed who I’m talking about...

It’d take the lengthiest of zone defenses to cover Jim Boeheim’s career

Jim Boeheim’s tenure reflects a coach whose career almost spanned half a century at Syracuse. From bringing his alma mater a national championship in 2003, to winning the second most games of any college basketball coach, to ushering in and out the Big East Conference (as we knew and loved it) to hi...

Jalen Williams is becoming the jewel of this NBA rookie class

For much of the past year, Jalen Williams has been an underground jewel for NBA mole people. He won’t be discussed on First Take because he came from a mid-major and got jammed into one of the NBA’s smallest media markets. ...

NFLPA's team report cards a bit of an eye-opener

With the release of the NFL Players Association’s first-ever Club Report Cards, players have more power than ever before. Of course, not everything that came from these reports was shocking. No one’s jaw hit the floor when it was revealed that the Los Angeles Chargers’ medical staff was voted one of...

Reimagining the NFL Combine

Just like your local jungle gym, the NFL Combine hasn’t been modernized in decades. They’re still using the same stale gym equipment and drills Al Bundy practiced with at Polk High School to measure the relative strength and athleticism of NFL prospects. It’s past due time for the NFL combine to und...

Trevor Bauer sued us – and lost

Former Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer sued Deadspin and former managing editor Chris Baud over three statements in this article from 2021, written about a temporary restraining order a woman sought after a sexual encounter with Bauer. According to the woman, the sex was initially consensual but turned...

Here are the most likely suitors for the Chicago Bears' No. 1 overall pick

The NFL belongs to the Chicago Bears for the next two months, regardless of whatever revelation Aaron Rodgers has. They have pocket aces, the Big Joker, Draw Four, whatever your card game of choice is, the Bears have the best hand — the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. It appears likely that the...

New Yankee Carlos Rodón thinks the Bronx faithful are more passionate than SF Giants fans

The New York Yankees head into 2023 as favorites to win the AL East and the second-biggest favorites to win the World Series. Yes, expectations are high for this team, but that’s nothing new. When a brand as iconic as the Yankees fails to meet its lofty season goals, fans get mad. Despite consistent...

NBA dunk contest champ Mac McClung and the history of white men who can jump

Ex-Gators QB Anthony Richardson deserves all the pre-draft hype he's getting

It seems like with every mock draft, pundits’ opinions of certain prospects change. For practically the entirety of the 2022 NFL and college football seasons, the consensus top-three quarterbacks in the 2023 class were Alabama’s Bryce Young, Kentucky’s Will Levis, and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud. Flori...

Vic Fangio's short Eagles stint may be new way NFL franchises get around the Rooney Rule

Super Bowl LVII was a thriller involving all the drama and storylines we’ve come to love about the NFL. We saw multiple big plays, quarterback heroics, and even got a controversial penalty that some feel should’ve been overlooked, even though it was clearly a penalty. Something else occurred in the ...

These are Derek Carr's post-Raiders options

Derek Carr may not be a superstar, but several quarterback-needy teams are interested in his services....

ESPN’s top draft analyst is mocking mock drafts by anointing Bronny James as a future top-10 pick

There’s no high school basketball LeaguePass — yet. Aside from the Bronny James hypebeast machine, the top prospects in the upcoming draft are previewed to the general public through the diligent scouting done by professional analysts or scouts who scour camps, national showcases, and high school gy...

Jakobi Meyers is primed to be the next Christian Kirk

March 2022: The Los Angeles Rams were less than a month removed from their Super Bowl parade and NFL free agency was just underway. Fans were a naive group prior to that 2022 offseason, having no idea about the storm of game-changing moves that lay immediately in front of us. Before Russell Wilson t...

Well, Daniel Jones got his money — and the Giants tagged Saquon Barkley [Updated]

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones wanted to get paid and he did —handsomely. Big Blue gave the 25-year-old signal-caller a four-year, $160 million extension, while also placing the franchise tag on RB Saquon Barkley, according to reports....

Meyers Leonard took the steps Kyrie Irving hasn't

At first, without thinking, rage is the appropriate response to seeing Meyers Leonard’s re-entry back into the NBA, as it was reported on Tuesday he’ll sign a 10-day contract with the Milwaukee Bucks after being out of the league for nearly two years after uttering an antisemitic slur on a video-gam...

The Toronto Maple Leafs load up for their first-round exit

The Atlantic Division in the NHL was already a hell gauntlet. With the Boston Bruins suddenly turning into a team of frost giants that can skate (then again, it’s probably likely frost giants could always skate, given the conditions in the Jotunheim), it’s only become more so. It’s just three teams ...