sports Page 217 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Now we know why Naomi Osaka is stepping away from tennis for 2023
For those who had questions about why Naomi Osaka dropped out of the Australian Open, or if she still cares about being a professional tennis player, you just got your answer....

'Stephen A. Shaq' debuted on the NBA on TNT
Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most dominant NBA players to step on the hardwood. A four-time champion, three-time Finals MVP, and regular season MVP, Shaq is in many people’s top 10 all-time. The big Shaqtus is also known for being a total goofball. O’Neal was in quite the joking mood Tuesday night...

Mets 3B Brett Baty is about to be the loneliest man in the world
Well, it was more than just Scott Boras using Jon Heyman as a puppet (though one suspects Boras enjoys doing that whenever he can, whether it’s a tactic or an actual leak or just a guy playing with his toys). Carlos Correa didn’t want anything to do with the Mets’ NFL contract offer after his origin...

Larry Johnson should be jettisoned into the abyss for Damar Hamlin take
It’s difficult to out-blowhard Skip Bayless. The internet troll come to life had a searing Damar Hamlin take the night of the young Buffalo Bills’ cardiac arrest, but as is the case in the online age, it didn’t take long for someone to hand Bayless their beer to hold. Enter Larry Johnson, the former...

9 backup QBs have won a Super Bowl — could Brock Purdy be next?
Sixty-eight quarterbacks started at least one game in 2022. That’s a list that includes signal-callers like Mike “F’n” White, David Blough, Trace McSorley, Skylar Thompson, Desmond Ridder, Jarett Stidham... and “Mr. Irrelevant” Brock Purdy....

Baltimore Ravens disrespect Lamar Jackson with Roquan Smith deal
Whatever happens with Lamar Jackson’s contract, don’t blame it on him not having an agent, especially after Roquan Smith’s new deal....

Paul Riley done with 'political, woke' NWSL after lifetime ban
Even if the egregious quartet of Paul Riley (pictured), Richie Burke, Christy Holly, and Rory Dames never would’ve coached American professional soccer again after their despicable actions towards individual players and teams became widely known, making the official move to ban the foursome from the...

Yes, the Chicago Bears should upgrade… the coaching staff
The Chicago Bears have an opportunity to make the king of all shrewd football decisions this offseason, and I’m not talking about replacing Justin Fields. No, no, no. What I’m offering is much more… drastic. Chicago is as well positioned as any rebuilding team, and there’s one coach who’s basically ...

People were wiping out at SoFi during the college football national championship
Someone should have told the designers of SoFi Stadium that “It never rains in Southern California,” by Tony! Toni! Toné!, was not meant to be taken literally. Sadly, that didn’t happen before the college football national championship....

Don’t call it a comeback — Steph Curry returns for the Warriors
Relax. The Golden State Warriors are fine despite their apparent demise, which has been declared by a particular sector of the NBA community. A sluggish start to the season, coupled with a Steph Curry injury that caused him to miss 11 games, is part of the reason some fans and media personalities ha...

Can Paul George and Kawhi Leonard social distance their way to a title?
The Los Angeles Clippers are a bifurcated roster. Without one or both of their wings, they are in a steep nosedive. There are three different incarnations of Ty Lue’s rotation. The Kawhi Leonard Clippers are almost mechanical in their execution as the two-time champion keys the offense. Paul George’...

Everything we know about the Carlos Correa situation
Just one month ago, two-time All-Star Carlos Correa was a San Francisco Giant. After a few medical examinations from Giants’ staff, the team couldn’t bring themselves to give Correa the 13-year, $350 million contract they’d agreed upon. Instantly, Correa was snatched up by the New York Mets, who off...

Brady vs. the 'Boys
The Dallas Cowboys ended the 2022 regular season the same way it began — with a loss. After dropping their Week 18 matchup to the Washington Commanders, the Cowboys get a rematch with the team who gave them a Week 1 thrashing — the Tampa Bay Buccaneers led by Tom Brady aka Father Time. The 45-year-o...

These are the biggest flops of the 2022 NFL season
The NFL regular season has ended, and while there was lots of excitement and big plays from these gladiators, there were also plenty of decisions worthy of being called flops that happened throughout the year. From coaching decisions and offseason moves to questionable calls by medical staff, this N...

How Sean Ross Sapp became pro wresting’s ultimate insider
After CM Punk did his professional impression of the Hindenburg, Ace Steel reportedly bit Kenny Omega, and whispers of the alleged backstage brawl after All Elite Wrestling’s All Out started to percolate, Sean Ross Sapp knew he wasn’t sleeping much for the next few days. Rarely did a professional wr...

After TCU, who is the next longshot to make the College Football Playoff?
To show how unlikely TCU’s run to the College Football Playoff was, at 200-1 odds to begin the season, it’s worth a look at which teams currently have those same chances to be 60 minutes from lifting a national championship a year from now. According to BetOnline.ag, six teams have +20000 chances to...

Is Georgia football poised to take over from Alabama?
On New Year’s Eve, Georgia experienced — for the first time all season — how hard it can be to repeat as National Champions. On Monday night, the atmospheric river that dumped rain all day on Southern California may have been more of an obstacle for the Bulldogs than TCU was....

Week 18 NFL Powerless Ranking: The bottom of the barrel
The 2022 NFL season has ended, and it was a wild one full of triumphs and disappointment. Now, let’s look at the final powerless ranking of this NFL season....

Black Monday: Kliff Kingsbury, Lovie Smith out
Two franchises in complete disarray, the Arizona Cardinals and the Houston Texans fired their head coaches on Monday. The two coaches, Kliff Kingsbury and Lovie Smith, step down at completely different stages of their careers. ...
