rad Page 108 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Isn't Mike Evans giving a referee his digits far worse than an autograph? Asking for everyone
The NFL’s investigation into Mike Evans’ autograph imbroglio came to a screeching halt with a press release that gave off “forget it, it’s Chinatown” vibes. One day into the league’s inquiry, into Evans’ infamous scribble for game officials Tripp Sutter and Jeff Lamberth following the Buccaneers’ 21...

The way Aaron Rodgers tells it, he’s always right
The Green Bay Packers’ loss to the Washington Commanders was far from Aaron Rodgers’ fault. ...

The <i>L.A. Times</i> still can’t quite seem to get a handle on the Dodgers’ playoff exit
It’s now generally accepted that playoff baseball is confusing. Given that every series is a week long at most, and it’s distilling down teams that have played for six months, everything is in bounds. Small moments like a pitching change here or a cutoff man missed there that would just be barely a ...

2022 NFL rookie wide receiver ranking Week 7: Another relatively quiet week for these pass catchers
Last season we did our weekly rookie quarterback tracker, but with only one taken in the first round of 2022, we’ve moved onto another highly coveted position. For 2022 we’ll keep track of all six first-round wide receivers and their progress throughout the year. Some of our first-round rookies are ...

This is bigger than Bailey Zappe and Mac Jones — Bill Belichick has never been good at drafting quarterbacks
I’m a New England Patriots fan that loves how Bill Belichick coaches football. I’m a New England Patriots fan that’s always hated how Bill Belichick drafts quarterbacks. Two things can be true at the same time....

Week 7 NFL Powerless Rankings: The losses keep piling up
It’s time to check in on the teams that can’t get out of their own way. We’re nearing the halfway point of the 2022 NFL season and it’s been unpredictable, but there are always a few teams we expect to disappoint their fan base. Now let’s get into the powerless ranking for Week 7....
![NFL refs have got to be smarter about breaking rulebook they enforce [Update]](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/025647a1b106fb33386f95f9e5b1ca4b.jpg)
NFL refs have got to be smarter about breaking rulebook they enforce [Update]
Before they ever officiate a professional game, NFL officials have the league’s nearly 300-page rulebook drilled into their hippocampus. Which is why we know the two officials captured on video appearing to collect an autograph from Tampa Bay Bucs receiver Mike Evans had to have known better....

You mean the guy from West Sh*tkicker University wasn’t the answer?
There is no getting it back from the Patriots or their fans. They’d have to go through a couple of decades of haplessness, and that’s only because most of the Pats fans you know will be dead by then, and only then could you get some peace. Such has been their track record. The battle is lost, so you...

Wouldn’t you love to hear what executives for the Panthers and Jazz are honestly thinking right now?
Professional sports are like many other industries. The goals of management and the employees are not always aligned....

It’s not quite as bad as it seems for Jesse Marsch, but that probably won’t save him
If there were American coaches who were hoping that Jesse Marsch could be the first through the wall as a Yank managing in the big five leagues in Europe, they might be discussing a retreat right now....

Every James Bond villain’s sports owner counterpart
It’s a struggle to get billionaire owners to see themselves as the public views them. When you’re heavily isolated and surrounded by yes men, it’s easy to think your plan for league domination is flawless, and your various exploits are on the level and wouldn’t get any person without an army of lawy...

Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers leading trainwrecks
Seven weeks into the 2022 season, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady are Thelma and Louisa’ing it over the cliff. The 3-4 Bucs’ and 3-4 Packers’ anemic offenses are the weak links being carried by their defenses, as their venerable future Hall of Fame quarterbacks are throwing away winnable games. At this ...

This is what it's all about
It’s not usually supposed to work like this in baseball. The quirk, some would say the beauty, of the game is that the big at-bats can fall to anyone. They don’t always fall to a team’s star player, and in fact, they rarely do. Opponents spell out a strategy most of the time to make sure they don’t....

The NBA’s tanking problem is more perception than reality, and a relegation system won’t fix that
During NBA Commish Adam Silver’s apology tour session with beleaguered Phoenix Suns employees this weekend, he was confronted with another concern. In addition to apologizing for suspended team Governor Robert Sarver and his decades of misconduct, Silver was also besieged by a flood of questions abo...

College football Week 8: It’s hard to stop chasing the dragon after last week
Expecting the college football gods to give us a second helping of last week’s madness is asking a lot. Four undefeated Top-10 schools fell, and three different crowds rushed the field, with the Vols starting a GoFundMe-type deal for their goalposts that were dumped into the Tennessee River....

The NBA has a load management problem that Commissioner Adam Silver has done nothing about
The battle of La La land renews Thursday night when the Clippers take on the Lakers for the first time this season. This has recently been a critical matchup in the NBA, especially in Los Angeles. But reports have already surfaced that Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, who’s returning from an ACL tear th...

LeBron James has something in common with Tom Brady this season
While talking to the media following the Lakers’ 123-109 loss to the defending champion Warriors, LeBron James was measured. When asked about the Lakers’ shooting problems, he spoke matter-of-factly, about how the 3-pointer is not a team strength....

Catching up with the soap opera drama of the NBA
The NBA is one of the longest-running unscripted nighttime soaps on television. Even outside of tip-offs and the final buzzer, its headliners are some of the most accessible figures in professional sports. The rosters are smaller, their faces aren’t obstructed, their games air nightly for at least h...

Week 6 NFL Powerless Ranking: The stench is overwhelming
It’s time to check in on the teams that can’t get out of their own way. The first few weeks of the 2022 NFL season have been somewhat unpredictable, but there are always a few teams we expect to disappoint their fanbases. Now let’s get into the Powerless Ranking for Week 6....
