rant Page 12 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Mikey Williams is a cautionary tale for Ja Morant
Ja Morant’s predilection for flashing guns at teenagers during pickup runs and hitting send on threatening posts that invoke hollow-point rounds have repeatedly disrupted both his ascent and Memphis’ pursuit of the franchise’s first title. Morant’s affinity for brandishing firearms in inappropriate ...

Now comes the tricky part for the Orioles
It’s awfully easy, and too easy, to point at an up-and-coming team like the Rangers that spent a lot of money to augment the players they developed from within and say that’s the reason they clobbered an up-and-coming team like the Orioles that did the exact opposite, basically only adding the decre...

Behold the Skate Men — NHL Season Preview: Western Conference
Let’s keep it rolling. You can see our Eastern Conference preview from yesterday here....

Did Joel Embiid commit to Team USA just for the tampering?
Apparently, all it takes to convince American hoops players to represent their country is an insult or a loss at the FIBAs. Whether it was Noah Lyles, the B team’s fourth-place finish, or the human instinct to ape the cool kids, Team USA looks to be loaded for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. ...

NBA Weak Links: Milwaukee‘s 2-guard position could be a sinkhole on their road to a title
A great team is only as strong as its weakest link. At least that’s the consensus among every motivational coach I’ve ever heard. But for the sake of this space, it’s true for NBA contenders as well. I’ll examine the weak spots in some of the most iron-clad lineups in the NBA entering the 2023 seaso...

Pablo Torre (might) know what Jordan Poole said that got him punched in the face
In the history of NBA talkers, Draymond Green is top five. He’s burrowed into the heads of far more opponents than vice versa, but it’s always the ones closest to you who know how to hurt you, and though Jordan Poole didn’t say anything that offensive to get decked in the face, it was enough....

The Phoenix Suns fixed one problem while creating another
The Phoenix Suns traded DeAndre to pay Paul in the three-team deal that sent Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks. If you didn’t catch the turn of phrase, or are confused, allow me to explain why the Suns merely shifted problems instead of solving them. Yes, they shored up much-needed depth, but no...

The NBA script is already rolling as the writers’ strike ends
Ding-dong, the strike is dead. The Deadspin staff’s WGA brethren have come to an agreement with the AMPTP that financially acknowledges the importance of the brains and fingertips that are part of the foundation of entertainment. ...

The Bears and White Sox are studies in how NOT to handle a PR crisis
It’s a rough time to be a fan of Chicago sports. ...

Elon Musk might be on his way to toppling the sports insider business
The sports insider wars may have to be fought on new battlegrounds. ...

Aaron Rodgers and his delusions of grandeur about returning this season
Aaron Rodgers’ first season in New York came to a screeching halt last Monday after suffering a devastating Achilles injury on his fourth snap in his debut game. As football injuries go, an Achilles tear is on the severe end of the spectrum, usually taking at least six months to recover from; even f...

The secret to Giannis' success: No fraternizing with the enemy
Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the brightest stars the NBA has to offer. He’s a two-time league MVP, NBA Champion, Finals MVP, seven-time All-Star, and All-NBA selection, among many other accolades. You might wonder how a guy who’s accomplished so much before age 30 keeps the fire lit to come back ...

LeBron James is Team USA’s shadow GM and possibly its next director
LeBron James is back to doing what he does best, flexing those roster construction muscles as the league’s greatest shadow GM. According to Shams Charania and Joe Vardon’s report in The Athletic, an effort to recruit Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum and Draymond Green, is being...

The Astros are just going to win again, aren't they?
There’s been a lot to get excited about in the American League, and a lot of new....

USA’s FIBA World Cup loss to Germany proves something needs to change before the 2024 Olympics
The Americans will leave this year’s FIBA World Cup without a title....

No man is an island, unless his name is James Harden
James Harden is a walking tragedy. He should be celebrated for his ball-handling alchemy, his mentalist-grade ability to draw fouls from reluctant defenders, and of course, the bird’s nest he’s cultivated for the past decade. Instead, he’s spent most of his career getting in his own way. ...

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban gets blunt on Pat Bev Podcast
Say what you will about Dallas Mavericks governor (team owner) Mark Cuban. One thing you’ll never be able to say is that he doesn’t speak his mind. Cuban’s been keeping it a buck in NBA circles for almost a quarter century and shows no signs of slowing down. Recently, Cuban sat down on former NBA de...

Houston is getting the Oilers back ... for a day, at least
Unfortunately, there is no reason for the Houston Cougars to have an oil derrick on their helmet and trademark law wouldn’t permit it anyway. Still, the nostalgia was clear as a cloudless blue sky as the program elected to don the old Houston Oilers colors for its first game as a member of the Big 1...

The Nebraska football sellout streak is a lie
One of the biggest farces running in sports is Nebraska football’s sellout streak. The Big Red has been a shadow of its former self for going on two decades, but the streak, currently at 389 games, persists because this is all Nebraska football fans have left, and the seats get bought solely to keep...

Maybe Noah Lyles was right about the NBA after all
The NBA announced Wednesday morning that the Dallas Mavericks will take on Euro League champions Real Madrid in a preseason exhibition on Oct. 10 in Spain. It isn’t unusual for the NBA to send teams to other countries for games before the start of the regular season, but this announcement’s timing ...