nf Page 129 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

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 ...

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...

The 10 Plagues of Egypt for sports fans
Have you seen The Prince of Egypt? It’s the animated movie that features the Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey song “When You Believe” and tells the story of Moses. I don’t need to get into the ins and outs of religion, but the movie ends with the Israelites escaping slavery and Moses leading his pe...

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. ...

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 ...

Previously out of work Frank Lampard is back at Chelsea for the interim
Chelsea FC have literally been the definition of average in the Premier League this season. For a club that was crowned European champions less than two years ago, being considered average at anything might as well be worse than relegation. The Blues have close to the same number of wins, draws and ...

Brett Favre is your Jackass tournament winner
Mr. Packer barely squeaked past the former Georgia Bulldog to capture the inaugural Sports Jackass Bracket Championship. This matchup was by far the closest of the tournament, and these competitive jackasses saved their best for last. Had this been an actual competition on the field, it would’ve com...

The Baltimore Ravens are doing everything they can to agitate Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson has suffered a plethora of indignities at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens. Add one more to the mix. Traditionally, MVP-caliber quarterbacks negotiate for top-dollar extensions that set the standard for the quarterback compensation model. Throughout their battle with Jackson, Baltimor...

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. ...

John Elway parts with Broncos, gets out before draft history sinks in
John Elway’s tenure with the Denver Broncos was mercifully sent to the glue factory Wednesday, and he can now add “consultant” alongside “general manager” and “Super Bowl-winning quarterback” to the list of roles he formerly occupied for the organization. Thankfully for Donkos fans, Elway got out be...

Can we just skip the Eastern Conference play-in tournament this year?
As the NBA regular season nears its end, teams continue to jockey for playoff and play-in tournament positions producing some wild races heading toward the finish line. The race in the West is setting up for a photo finish over the last few days, with both playoff and play-in implications on the lin...

Did Donald Trump hijack John Carlos and Tommie Smith’s raised fist?
In 1968, John Carlos and Tommie Smith risked it all at the Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City as they stood on the podium with their fists raised high. On Tuesday, a twice-impeached former President who has been harassing and harming Black people for decades from the Central Park/Exonerated Five to...

LeBron leading Lakers' late playoff surge — with a first-round exit likely
The Los Angeles Lakers are riding high late in the season as they attempt to sneak into the top six of the Western Conference avoiding the play-in tournament. After beating Utah Tuesday night, L.A. sits a half-game back of the fifth-place Golden State Warriors and tied with the Clippers (both 41-38)...

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...

Hasn't Lionel Messi made enough money?
Lionel Messi’s time playing for Paris Saint-Germain has long appeared to be reaching its conclusion this summer, as signing another contract with the French giants never made sense. While a return to boyhood club Barcelona or Major League Soccer looked to be in his future, spurning both of those cho...

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. ...

Top Masters storylines for people who don’t give a fuck about the Masters
Much like politics and elections, we can’t really change them because they still cater to old white people, who also happen to have all the money, we can’t really ignore golf either, no matter how much of an anachronism it might be. That’s why they employ Steph Curry to try and make it into a hip ga...
