nf Page 145 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

MLS doesn’t know what fans want
It tells you pretty much everything you need to know about Major League Soccer that A) the season starts in five days and you likely didn’t know that, and B) with only five days to go is when the league actually finalized what the playoff system for this season will be. That’s right, teams didn’t kn...

What happens when Aaron Rodgers emerges and Derek Carr has stolen the Jets' hearts?
The New York Jets are stuck between a rock and a hard place, otherwise known as Aaron Rodgers and Derek Carr. On one hand, the quarterback upgrade they’ve been clamoring for just ghosted everyone so he could embark on a darkness retreat. After two decades in Green Bay, it’s fair to wonder if he’s up...

This is the best idea to solve the NBA’s midseason lull
After throwing slop at a wall like everybody else trying to figure out the best route for the NBA regular season and All-Star break to matter, I have the ultimate solution. There is no better idea, and even though it won’t happen, the potential to overwhelm the news cycle is so alluring that Adam Si...

When it comes to trades, Kyrie Irving can’t have it both ways
The player-empowerment era has created more avenues for athletes to flex their own team-building ability, but Kyrie Irving’s Saturday media availability during All-Star Weekend touched on an issue he’s extremely familiar with — trade requests. Irving’s response to inquiries about the topic illustrat...

‘Ambassador’ Karl Malone, bumbling Knicks, and more forgettable moments from All-Star Saturday Night
All-Star Saturday has always had cookout vibes, and McClung earned another invite for next year. But someone had to bring the unseasoned cole slaw. Karl Malone’s presence as an ambassador and a judge who got entirely too many nods from the NBA and the broadcast made things way too awkward. Malone — ...

I’d rather get in a ring with Greg Hardy than play pickup with D.K. Metcalf
Albert Pujols and D.K. Metcalf aren’t in the same universe athletically at this point in their lives. Yet, they shared a basketball court Friday as part of the NBA Celebrity Game, and I gotta say, it is startling that one of the greatest baseball players of this century — coming off a 24-home run sw...

Ranking every NFL player's performance on <i>Saturday Night Live</i>
Coming off his second Super Bowl victory, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce hosted Saturday Night Live on March 4. Among the many lovable characters the NFL has to offer, Kelce has to be one of the least camera-shy. Love him or hate him, the man knows how to rile up audiences. Whether he’s m...

Thierry Henry as the USMNT’s next coach isn’t as bad as you think
The direction of the United States men’s national team nearly three months after its World Cup campaign in Qatar began is in flux. The Yanks are at the wheel, but don’t know whether to hit the gas or the brake. The car is in neutral at a time where that’s acceptable, but not ideal. Making the right ...

The fight for equality is not over
Canada’s national women’s soccer team is the reigning Olympic Gold medalist. There is no reason why they should be taking a budget cut. There is no reason that they should be getting paid less than their male counterparts. There is no reason they should not be supported, especially as they are the b...

Ime Udoka, who? Joe Mazzulla is coaching in the NBA All-Star Game
When Joe Mazzulla was announced as the Boston Celtics interim head coach in September, many had no idea who the 34-year-old was. But, I did. Back in 2008, his 13 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists performance in 31 minutes off the bench sent my Duke Blue Devils home in the second round of the NC...

2023 NBA Anti-All-Stars: The dregs of the East
The NBA All-Star Game is an honor bestowed upon the most distinguished hoopers every season. Unfortunately, that’s not what we’re doing here. Their time will come. However, the NBA’s worst rotation players deserve to receive their dead flowers too. Stare into this dark void with me and commemorate t...

Arsenal blinked
Arsenal had passed most every test this season. There’s still a hint of wonder/confusion at their place atop the Premier League. While improvement was expected from their fifth-place finish last season, to run through the league for the first half of the season as they have come out of nowhere. What...

Nuggets’ All-Star power outage is either disrespect from the league or a playoff omen
Nikola Jokić’s season has been one for the ages. The Denver Nuggets are first in the West, first in offensive efficiency, Jokić is a god according to almost every analytics metric as well as the runaway favorite to become the first MVP in three consecutive seasons since Larry Bird ran the table betw...

Gus Kenworthy believes reaction to Carl Nassib coming out wasn’t all positive for the LGBTQ+ community
Gus Kenworthy knows a thing or two about breaking boundaries in sports for LGBTQ+ athletes. He was the first openly gay X Games athlete and alongside good friend and figure skater Adam Rippon, he was half of the first openly gay duo to represent the United States in the Winter Olympics at the 2018 g...

Nothing ever improves when MLB takes control
We stand here today on the precipice of one of the largest downfalls in broadcasting. Diamond Sports Group, the company that owns all of Bally’s regional sports networks, announced Wednesday that it would be skipping its $140 million payment for February. ...

Dan Orlovsky is about to be the new Jeff Saturday
The Eagles lost the Super Bowl, but their coaching staff won. Philadelphia’s former offensive and defensive coordinators — Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon — have been hired as head coaches for the Indianapolis Colts and the Arizona Cardinals, respectively. Their hirings were just the latest examp...

Being a backup QB is the best gig in all of sports
Amid the controversy surrounding the holding penalty at the end of Super Bowl LVII, rumors of Andy Reid’s retirement, and people trashing Travis Kelce for saying everyone doubted Kansas City when absolutely zero people doubted them, several other storylines have been overlooked. While Andy Reid may ...

Something’s gotta change for Eric Bienemy to become a head coach
It was another year in which the Chiefs’ offense looked dominant en route to their second Super Bowl in four seasons. Missouri’s only NFL team has hosted a conference championship game each of the last five seasons and was defeated in regulation zero times. Patrick Mahomes gets the spoils as the bes...

Parade Pat returns, Travis Kelce shoots Fireball, and more from the Kansas City parade
The only time the internet gets joy over someone else’s happiness is when they’re drunk and making a fool of themselves. That’s why we loved parade Klay Thompson in June, and adored Patrick Mahomes from a few years back. Even Tom Brady throwing the Lombardi between boats was entertaining, and there ...

Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson franchised - so what now?
Today the Baltimore Ravens notified the NFL Players Association that they’ve placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on Lamar Jackson, after months of the two teams being at an impasse over a new deal for their star QB....