unc Page 12 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Cinnamon Toast Crunch sighting in last night’s Mets-Marlins game
Alright, who had cereal mascot playing umpire in the seats at LoanDepot Stadium on their 2021 scorecard? Nobody? That makes sense....

Ben Wallace is the perfect embodiment of his era
Look at a photo of Rudy Gobert in any game. Typically, he’ll be wearing the same knee sleeves with padding that most other players do, maybe an arm-sleeve or two, and that’s probably it. Let’s not make this about Gobert, though — let’s take another center: Nikola Jokić. Usually, it’s just leg sleeve...

Paul Pierce, an all-time great scorer, was well ahead of his time
Anytime an all-time great moves into broadcasting following their playing career, it’s a risky proposition for how people will ultimately view their legacy. Whether or not that matters is entirely up to them, and some would say it shouldn’t. But depending on how the player performs on the desk or in...

After all the Aaron Rodgers drama, where <i>are</i> the Packers, really?
The Green Bay Packers had one hell of an offseason. To say it was drama-filled doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface. Even with all the tension during the offseason, the Packers are still a favorite in the NFC. Back-to-back NFC Championship Game appearances say they have a shot....

Does Big Ben even have anything left to run it back with?
One last run for the Pittsburgh Steelers and future Hall of Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The last ride for the six-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion is about ready to take off into the regular season. But how much does Big Ben have left at this point? Enough for a last dance?...

This weekend told you everything you needed to know about what WWE and AEW are
The idea WWE higher-ups have been pushing that they don’t pay attention to AEW seems as flimsy as ever now....

Don’t overdo it, MLB
Quick, where was the last NHL Winter Classic?...

Let’s not give Bryce Harper the NL MVP just yet
At the All-Star break, the Philadelphia Phillies were a .500 team and weren’t being taken very seriously as threats to take the NL East crown from the Mets. Despite throwing everything and the kitchen sink at All-Stars Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto in 2019, the Phillies have not reached the playoff...

Dawn Staley should be the NBA’s first woman head coach
Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach. Dawn Staley can “do” both, and it’s why she should be the first woman to be a head coach in the NBA....

The Miami Heat are going for it again, and whether or not you think it’ll work doesn’t matter
It’s the annual time of year where people get instantly overly fixated on whether or not things will work well before they even happen. For example, the day before NBA free agency began, reports surfaced about Kyle Lowry being signed and traded from the Toronto Raptors to the Miami Heat as soon as i...

Where should — or shouldn’t — some top rumored NBA Draft Day trade candidates go?
People pay more attention to these rumors than the games, it seems. You believe that shit?...

Deadspin fixes NBA free agency, Part III: Small Forwards
Again, if you see a dude here that you label a shooting guard, then whatever. Think of this more as “Swingmen II.” If your favorite swingman wasn’t mentioned on either, then perhaps they’ll make the sleepers for Saturday, Saturday Sleepers, whatever the editors call ‘em. If he is a part of none of t...

Olympic baseball won’t feature best vs. best and that’s a shame
It’s exciting that baseball is back in the Olympics for Tokyo after having been out of the program in 2012 and 2016. It’s also going to be a weird mix of intriguing and disappointing to watch it all unfold, because while there are going to be familiar faces, the Olympics happening simultaneously wit...

Unleash the Kraken
They won’t admit it, but there is a decent amount of pressure facing the Seattle Kraken ahead of their first year as an NHL franchise. ...

Who should be ‘next <i>men</i> up’ for Team USA if more replacements are needed?
This is not what the R&R Partners meant by “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”...

Horns down for weak-ass ’Horns ruling
The best part about being a sports fan is the territorial nature that comes with it. Most White Sox fans hate the Cubs. Most Mets fans hate the Yankees (but so does everyone else). Every Eagles fan hates the Cowboys and vice versa. The rivalries and contempt that several fanbases have for one anothe...

‘I was molested, too.’
It’s a pre-pandemic Father’s Day at Community Baptist Church in Englewood, N.J. Black, brown, and white faces stand together offering shouts of amen and hallelujah as Pastor Lester W. Taylor rouses them with his words of inspiration. In the crowd of about 700 on this Sunday morning is Monte Barrett...

The Oilers continue to fail McDavid and Draisaitl
The Edmonton Oilers have arguably the two best hockey players on the planet in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Together, the two of them have combined for the last two Hart Trophies and three of the last five. Yet despite incredible efforts from the dynamic duo, the Oilers have never lived up to ...

Gregg Popovich’s entire tenure with Team USA has been a failure
Over the past 17 years, every time the United States men’s basketball national team has been terrible, Gregg Popovich has been on the sidelines. And that’s not an opinion, either. It’s a fact....

The Greatest Game 1 NBA Finals performances of the 21st century
And now for our second NBA Finals in about nine months....