nf Page 83 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Dear Santa: All I want for Christmas is my sports suggestions taken seriously
By and large, sports are pretty awesome. I have learned to keep my childhood favorite teams at a healthy distance and I advise all Chicago sports fans to do the same. I spend most of the year in awe of the artistic displays of the most brilliant athletes in the world. ...

This week in the NFL, NCAA: A Black vs. white game?; Aaron Rodgers fooling no one; Chargers coaching intrigue; time to talk MVP Award
The Week 15 finale on Monday Night Football has the biggest NFC playoff ramifications of any game on the slate. The Philadelphia Eagles travel to Seattle to face the Seahawks in a game neither can afford to lose this late in the season. It’s pretty apropos of these teams closing out Week 15, seeing ...

May old acquaintance be forgot: The notable athletes who retired in 2023
As the curtain falls on 2023, the sports world bids adieu to a tapestry of legends and underdogs across all sports. We highlighted the legacy names who decided to hang it up in 2023. Many on this list are cemented in record books and in the hearts of their die-hard fanbases. Let’s pour out a drink a...

NFL's and NBC's ploy to get people to watch Saturday’s game on Peacock
The NFL is laying off the commercials for a night . . . game on a holiday weekend that airs on Peacock. The Buffalo Bills-Los Angeles Chargers matchup on Saturday will feature a 40 percent reduction in ads, with zero commercials during the final 15 minutes. Ideally, that’ll be accompanied by a runni...

The Ravens have their bulletin board material ready for their biggest game of the year
One of the biggest Christmas Day showdowns since Shaq vs. Kobe 2004, and Rocky vs. Drago is taking place on Dec. 25, 2023. The No. 1 seed in the AFC — the Baltimore Ravens — is going up against the top NFC seed — the San Francisco 49ers. Personally, I prefer when the NFL does not insert itself into ...

If Florida State’s goal is to never get snubbed again, leaving the ACC is a terrible idea
Florida State’s rush to leave the ACC is reactionary in every way. After getting snubbed from the College Football Playoff, the school tried to use the courts and Gov. Ron DeSantis to overturn the committee’s decision. Those methods predictably failed and now the Seminole brass is onto the next dumb...

Zion Williamson and Anthony Edwards are why Gen-Z athletes need NDAs
You can usually tell the age of an athlete by how and where messy gossip about them is revealed. TMZ is one thing. Having a “scorned lover” display your personal life on the internet is another — and a sign that you’re probably a member of Gen Z who doesn’t know the value of non-disclosure agreement...

Why does the NFL refuse to return the bench press competition to Pro Bowl weekend?
The list of events for the Pro Bowl games was released on Wednesday. This annual celebration of the NFL’s top players has turned into summer camp. Like summer camp for kids, not training camp or an Illinois music festival. The players compete in events like dodgeball and tug of war, and the game is ...

Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s free agency is a lot more interesting because there’s a lot less Dodgers
The Yoshinobu Yamamoto sweepstakes are infinitely more interesting and illuminating than Shohei Ohtani’s free agency for many reasons: People have been allowed to report on them, there seem to be more suitors than just the Dodgers and a couple are based in the last few baseball-rabid markets in Amer...

If Florida State leaves the ACC, where does it go?
Updated Dec. 21: Florida State University’s Board of Trustees will meet Friday, with the Seminoles’ conference affiliation as the meeting’s central focus. According to a report from Yahoo Sports, the school may seek a declaratory judgment action in an attempt to argue that it is not bound to its con...

NFL refs making offensive offside calls during crucial moments
Why are there so many penalties on offensive players showing up in the NFL as of late, and why do they all seemingly come at the most crucial times?...

A Black vs. white NFL game might teach league talent evaluators to give white players a chance at all positions
I do not agree with Rashard Mendenhall, entirely. In my humble opinion, people of all races and ethnicities talk entirely too spicy about professional athletes. No professional is above criticism just because the critic is not one. However, regardless of whether someone can dunk at an open gym or be...
![Derrick Ward pleads not guilty to robbery charges [Updated]](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/35eadd976059bcfdfbd3eb25ad5d75f8.jpg)
Derrick Ward pleads not guilty to robbery charges [Updated]
Updated Jan. 4: Ward pleaded not guilty to the charges....

The NFL and NCAA football have a coaching-carousel problem
Raise your hand if you weren’t surprised that a Matt Patricia-coordinated defense caved during the waning minute of the Eagles-Seahawks game Monday. Now, keep them raised if you’re not shocked that Matt Nagy and Nathaniel Hackett are struggling to get their respective offenses in rhythm. Alright, to...

This is what happens when you put Matt Patricia in charge
Philadelphia’s newest defensive coordinator is off to a rough start. ...

Drew Lock put on for his city and kept Seattle's playoff hopes alive
They put in Drew Lock and the Mizzou boy went crazy. Philly had nothing for him as he went crazy....

This is what Eagles fans want
We all knew the truth. Eagles fans weren’t comfortable being the swaggering nobility of the NFL, or even the NFC. Oh, they’ll tell you loudly enough when the Birds, or any Philly team, is good. But it’s at such a volume that it’s easy to sense the insecurity hidden within. Maybe they don’t throw bat...

The Dolphins need to beat a good team
On Sunday, the Miami Dolphins got their season back on track. After an embarrassing defeat the week before on Monday night in which they let a win slip through their fingers against the Tennessee Titans, they stomped the New York Jets at home, 30-0....

The Seahawks-Eagles showdown isn't your average Monday night
The Week 15 finale on Monday Night Football has the biggest NFC playoff ramifications of any game on the slate. The Philadelphia Eagles travel to Seattle to face the Seahawks in a game neither can afford to lose this late in the season. It’s pretty apropos of these teams closing out Week 15, seeing ...

The Los Angeles Chargers epitomize the frustrations of Black coaches in the NFL
A Black coach was fired at the beginning of 2021. But instead of the team with the Offensive Rookie of the Year hiring the hottest offensive coordinator in the league, who was Black, they chose a white coach. After two and a half seasons, that white coach was fired because he was worse than the Blac...