A member of Drexel University’s men’s basketball team was found dead on Wednesday in his campus apartment.
Terrence Butler, who was a rising junior for the Drexel Dragons and went to Drexel’s College of Engineering, was found dead in his campus apartment. There is no cause of death at this moment for Butler, but the news sent shock waves throughout the campus.
Butler, a 6-foot-7 forward who played appeared in eight games through two seasons with the Drexel Dragons but didn’t see much time due to the injuries he fought through over his time at Drexel. Butler was also a scholar-athlete, being named to the Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll in the Colonial Athletic Association last season.
While Butler didn’t see much action at Drexel in his two years, he made his mark in high school. The Forestville, Maryland, product went to Bishop McNamara High School and was an all-conference selection, and also received consideration for the McDonald’s All-American team in his senior year as well. Butler averaged 17.8 points and seven rebounds per game in high school.
Those who knew Butler described him to 6ABC News Philadelphia as loved off the court as well, a great person, a hard worker, and someone who was overall appreciated by many.
“Beautiful guy had a nice family. Everybody knew him, everybody on campus knew who he was, and he would treat everybody just the same. You know what I mean, good guy, family-oriented,” said Mark Witalec, an employee at the university, told 6ABC.
Along with many other friends and family of Butler, the whole campus of Drexel is mourning the loss of Butler.
“On behalf of the entire Drexel community, we extend our deepest sympathy to Terrence’s family, friends, and teammates,” university President John Fry said in a statement. “In addition to being a student-athlete, Terrence was involved in numerous activities and organizations at Drexel and was a friend to many throughout the university community.”
Butler’s teammates also honored him and mourned him in their social media posts, but there is no word as to whether the Drexel campus will honor Butler with any type of ceremony or if the family would rather keep things private and away from the school.
Terrence Butler is survived by his parents and two sisters, who played basketball at Syracuse and James Madison.
Twenty-three-time Grand Slam singles tennis champion Serena Williams recently held a gender reveal celebration for her second child. The GOAT, husband Alexis Ohanian and daughter Olympia will welcome another girl to the family. Given the new realities of her life and her legacy, this latest chapter should put any talk of a comeback to rest.
By any measure Williams is the greatest female tennis player of all-time. She’s on the shortlist for greatest tennis player period regardless of gender. It doesn’t matter that she hasn’t surpassed Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles. Nobody that understand the game believes Court is a superior player. She played in the 1960s and early ’70s.
Williams’ legacy is set. But last month she dropped a cryptic tweet that some interpreted as a comeback.
Maybe Williams is inspired by her bestie Caroline Wozniacki’s comeback after giving birth to two kids.
This isn’t a commentary on women not being able to have families and careers. That’s obviously not true. Women can do both and millions around the world do it.
Williams should stay retired because she has nothing left to prove in the sport.
She won her 23rd and final Grand Slam at the Australian Open in 2017 while pregnant with Olympia. She made four more Grand Slam finals after Olympia was born.
Williams is also 41 and has had numerous health scares, including a pulmonary embolism, not to mention the wear and tear on her body from 27 years on tour as a professional.
It’s difficult for super competitive dominant athletes to turn that part of their brain off and do other things. The singular laser-intense focus is what made them great. It’s also difficult because no other arena gives them the same feeling and adulation as the one they’ve dominated and became famous in.
It’s a struggle.
But the GOATs who are most successful in retirement find other avenues to pour into and channel their fire.
Williams is a business mogul who sits on corporate boards, she’s a corporate spokesperson, runs companies and has a venture capital fund. Becoming a true titan of business is something she can dive into.
Of course she will have to find time in the day, now that she’ll have two little ones to look after. In that regard she’s just like millions of women across the world.
The last few seasons for New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas have been full of injuries and despair. From 2016-2019 the former Ohio State Buckeyes star developed into one of the league’s best receivers, earning, two All-Pro nods, one Offensive Player of the Year award, three Pro Bowl selections and he led the league in receptions twice. During this time Thomas tallied 470 receptions for 5,512 yards and 32 touchdowns.
Since that amazing start to his NFL career, Thomas has been plagued by nagging and lingering injuries. That’s caused many to write off the nephew of 1996 No.1 overall pick Keyshawn Johnson. But, Thomas says he’s back and 2023 he’s gonna prove it to all the naysayers.
Thomas Says Lingering Foot Issues Are A Thing Of The Past
Having played in just 10 games since his OPOY win in 2019, Thomas is eager to prove he’s still the guy that former Saints coach Sean Payton once designed his passing game around.
“Once I passed my physical and they gave me the green light and they checked all the details they needed to check, I trusted it,” Thomas said Tuesday to the Associated Press. “I have real strong faith in God, and I know it was a process to get here. And I didn’t cheat the process. So, eventually if you don’t cheat that process and stick to the grind, you’ll reap the rewards and the benefits.
“I’m just fine-tuning everything — missing a decent amount of time. So, for me to say, like, Yeah I’m 100 (percent). ‘No. But I’m moving in that direction every day.”
A Healthy Thomas Will Be Vital To Saints Success
The Saints will be under the direction of first-year quarterback Derek Carr who arrives as a free agent after fallout in Las Vegas with head coach Josh McDaniels. Carr, has always been a solid QB, and a healthy Thomas would give him the second-best receiver he’s played with after Davante Adams.
Nawlins, will also need Thomas available with star running back Alvin Kamara’s playing status still in limbo stemming from fight at a Las Vegas casino which led to his arrest.
In a wide open NFC South, Thomas could be the deciding for the Saints.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin opened his 17th training camp this week. In 16 seasons as a head coach he’s never posted a losing season.
Those kind of results don’t have you worried about a current contract with only two years remaining. He knows his worth, and so do the Steelers.
“I’m lucky I’m at a stage of life and my career where that’s a non-issue for me,” he said earlier this week when asked about an extension.
Under Tomlin’s leadership the Steelers have reached 10 playoffs, three conference finals and two Super Bowls, winning one in 16 seasons. They’ve only finished with a .500 record four times. He is the only coach in league history to begin his career with 16 straight non-losing seasons. He is third among active coaches with 163 regular season wins.
The Rooney family, who own the Steelers, like stability in their organization. Since 1969 the franchise has only had three coaches; Chuck Knoll, Bill Cowher, and Tomlin.
For comparison the New York Jets are on their third head coach since 2018.
Tomlin can coach the Steelers as long as he wants and still enjoys the process. By all accounts he’s as competitive as ever and believes there are more victories out there for him to earn.
“I think I’m more focused now, hyper-focused, and not distracted by things that are irrelevant. It’s a really cool place to be. I’ve always enjoyed what I do and who I do it with, and I think there’s greater purity in that when you get to that space.”
What Tomlin has done in his career as a head coach is mythical. This is a Hall of Fame coaching resumé. He may not have enough Super Bowl victories for some people’s liking, but titles are hard to win. Sustaining excellence over almost two decades is almost impossible.
“I’ve just been in some great places, around some impactful people, and I’m thankful of that. I want (another title) for the people I’m with, the people that don’t know what it’s about,” said Tomlin. “It’s the pursuit of rare air, and it forever changes you when you win it. Everybody talks it, but not a lot of people are capable of living it.”
He’s lived it.
In a league that at best has been unkind to Black coaches, Tomlin should be spoken about among the all-time greats for his accomplishments.
One day he likely will have a losing season because that’s just how it goes. The longer you coach the more opportunities for struggle and bad luck to happen.
But no matter how the season finishes, Tomlin’s approach and mindset will be measured and inspired. That’s how you have 16 consecutive non-losing seasons in a league designed for parity.
The Milwaukee Bucks worked all season to have the best record in the NBA, only to be upset by the eventual Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat team. The Bucks’ 4-1 series loss to an undermanned Heat team stung, and it also cost NBA championship-winning head coach Mike Budenholzer his job.
He was replaced with longtime NBA assistant Adrian Griffin, and rumors are this was a move that Giannis approved of.
But, with the playoff disappointment and a new coach coming in combined, Antetokounmpo is also reportedly set to let the 2023-24 season play out before he makes a decision on signing an extension to stay in Milwaukee. That’s with good reason when you’re one of the game’s best players, if not the absolute best.
NBA Insider Says Greek Freak Will Wait It Out
Heading into the 2023-2024 season the Bucks have the third-best odds to win the NBA championship according to FanDuel Sportsbook, behind only the defending champion Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics. But, that isn’t enough for Giannis to sign an extension as of now, and NBA insider Tim Bontemps of ESPN talked about it on a recent episode of “The Hoop Collective” podcast with Brian Windhorst, a fellow ESPN NBA insider himself.
“I think he’s going to wait until next summer, he’s got one year left on his deal. Assess the situation in Milwaukee and then decide what he wants to do as opposed to doing it now,” Bontemps said.
Smart move by Giannis with the uncertain health of his sidekick Khris Middleton, and two-way star Jrue Holiday showing some wear and tear late in the season.
Also, how will Giannis and new head Adrian Griffin co-exist?
Giannis Will Have Plenty Of Options
When Giannis signed his supermax deal in 2020 there were some who actually believed he wouldn’t. Now, with two years remaining on the deal and a player option for a third season, the question in Cream City is is Giannis looking for a bigger market as he enters the meat of his prime?
Or will he stay in small market Milwaukee?
Fans are sure to be nervous and full of anxiety.
After 11 NBA seasons three-time All-Star was dealt to the Phoenix Suns. With the offseason in full effect, Beal and other stars are making the rounds attending different camps and playing in pickup summer league games.
Beal recently returned to his hometown of St. Louis to be a special guest at Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum’s annual summer camp.
Beal has long been a mentor of Tatum’s so it’s no surprise that he would show up back in their hometown for his little bro.
During, Tatum’s camp, Beal reportedly got into it with 2025 No. 2 prospect Cooper Flagg during a heated game of one-on-one. Per former NBA player Brian Scalabrine, who’s now a radio broadcaster for the Celtics, things got heated as Flagg was taking it to Beal.
“I heard a rumor that my boy Cooper Flagg was at Jayson Tatum’s camp and he was busting Bradley Beal one-on-one, and Brad got mad at him. Started cussing him out,” Scalibrine said. “This dude is a major trash talker. … So I guess the rumor is that Brad Beal and him were squaring off one-on-one and Brad Beal was taking it lightly. It’s a high school kid. Then Cooper started giving it to him. And I guess the rumor is Cooper started talking trash and Bradley Beal got mad. Really mad.”
While it’s a rumor, it wouldn’t be all that surprising with how Flagg plays. He’s one of the top prospects in the 2025 class for a reason, and he has the game to back up all his trash talking.
Flagg Is Believed To Be Next Up
Standing 6 feet 8, with elite athleticism and tons of swagger, Flagg dominated the competition at last month’s Nike Peach Jam. There he led Maine to a 4-0 record in pool play averaging 25.4 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 5.7 assists. Where he really showed out was with his 6.9 blocks per game as well.
One scout told Heavy Sports, “He will be the No. 1 pick. It is just a matter of what year he comes in. But even if he were to get hurt or something, he’d probably still go No. 1.”
Flagg is ranked only behind Cameron Boozer in the class of 2025. Boozer is the son of former NBA player Carlos Boozer.
Colorado Buffaloes cornerback Travis Hunter is ready for the 2023 college football season, and his first in Boulder. The 2022 No. 1 overall recruit is slated to potentially play both ways for the Buffs, just as he did during his freshman campaign at Jackson State. Unfortunately, for Hunter, a lot of his freshman season was marred by nagging injuries he sustained in his final year of high school.
Now, fully healthy, Hunter is elated for fall camp and the Buffs’ season opener at TCU, which was one of the many schools who inquired about Hunter’s services out of high school. Another reason why Hunter is happy to be playing without a pitch count or restrictions is he’s not the best sideline teammate.
Hunter Wants To Play All The Time
During a recent interview prior to the Buffaloes opening fall camp on Wednesday, Hunter himself mentioned that he’s no fun on the sidelines and so much better when he’s in between the white lines mixing it up.
“I don’t like being on the sidelines,” he said. “If I’m on the sidelines … I’m annoying. I’m always asking. ‘Coach, can I go in? Coach, can I do this? Coach, let me do that. Coach, let me go.’ Pretty much I don’t like to sit down.”
“That’s all I know,” he said. “When I was growing up I’d play both sides of the ball. I never wanted to come off the field.”
Hunter has reportedly packed on some much needed weight, especially now playing in the Power Five. That weight should bode well for him and help him avoid so many nagging injuries.
Shedeur Sanders Happy To Have Hunter Healthy
As the Buffs embark on this new journey under Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders there definitely will be some bumps, and quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the youngest of Sanders’ three sons, could have the biggest learning curve coming from FCS to FBS. But having a healthy and locked-in Hunter will help him immensely.
Sanders talked about that at last week’s Pac-12 media days.
Following Hunter describing himself to the reporters, in which he called himself a “freakish athlete that can play both sides of the ball,” the strong-armed Shedeur chimed in with this:
“He is, though. He definitely is. I feel like this is the first time he’s actually fully healthy. It’s just different.”
Former Northwestern University reserve offensive lineman Ramon Diaz says he was racially and sexually hazed while a football team member in the mid-2000s, he is claiming in a new lasuit.
In one racial incident, he says his coaches frequently referenced his Mexican heritage and forced him to shave “05/05,” a reference to Cinco de Mayo, into his head while his teammates watched.
Additionally, he suffered a hazing incident known as the “car wash,” where he walked naked into the showers through a line of teammates, he claims
Based on his mental trauma, he contemplated suicide and is now suing the school. Northwestern has hired former US Attorney General Loretta Lynch to review the culture of the school’s athletic department.
“There is a culture that has been condoned by the athletic department and university that has allowed these coaches to behave the way they do,” Diaz told ESPN.
“I believe focus should be shifted toward the athletic department specifically, but Northwestern at large. The atmosphere will not change systematically if that does not happen.”
Two former assistants, former offensive line coach Bret Ingalls and James Patton, made “racist, embarrassing, degrading, and harassing remarks” toward Diaz and more during his time on the team from 2005-2008, the Illinois native claims. Also, the lawsuit alleges that Northwestern’s tight ends coach, Adam Cushing, should have been aware of the hazing and mistreatment and “took no action to address and/or prevent” it from happening.
“We will review any specific allegation involving current coaches or players and will take the appropriate disciplinary actions based on the facts,” Northwestern said in a statement to ESPN.
“We are committed to do whatever is necessary to address hazing-related issues and ensure that our athletic program remains one that our entire community can be proud of and one that is fully aligned with and reflects our values.”
The list of former student-athletes filing lawsuits against Northwestern for allegations involving the athletics department is growing. Former Northwestern running back Warren Miles Long, who played from 2013-2018, and a former player named John Doe 2, who played from 2015-2019, filed lawsuits on Friday.
“With each filing, we have a clearer picture of the routine abuse that occurred in Northwestern’s football program and continues to haunt these young men,” said civil rights attorney Ben Crump in a statement.
According to reports a criminal tampering complaint has been filed against Iowa State QB Hunter Dekkers for tampering with records related to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s probe into sports gambling.
Dekkers allegedly placed 26 wagers on Iowa State sporting events, including the 2021 football game against Oklahoma State when he was a sophomore backup quarterback.
In documents filed in Iowa District Court for Story County, Dekkers and his parents “engaged in a scheme” to allow the quarterback “to disguise his identity and manipulate online/mobile transactions in order to create the appearance that sports wager transactions” were conducted by his mother, Jami Dekkers, on a DraftKings sportsbook platform.
The account controlled by Dekkers completed approximately 366 mobile/online sports wagers totaling “over $2,799.”
Online sports gambling has been legalized in 37 states plus Washington D.C., but it’s not legal in Iowa.
At this point we sound like a broken record saying “told you so.” But … what else is there to say.
Once the major sports leagues, colleges, and universities got into bed with the sportsbooks it was only a matter of time before assistants, coaches, players, recruiters, etc. would get caught up in incidents like these.
If convicted Dekkers faces up to two years in prison for tampering with records, an aggravated misdemeanor.
“We are in the process of gathering information and will have no further comment at this time,” Iowa State senior associate athletic director Nick Joos said.
Dekkers will not be participating in camp with the team while the case is still pending. His attorney says his client will plead “not guilty.”
“Hunter Dekkers denies the criminal charge brought against him. He will plead not guilty to that charge because he is in fact not guilty of that charge,” Mark E. Weinhardt of The Weinhardt Law Firm said in a statement on behalf of Dekkers.
“This charge attempts to criminalize a daily fact of American life. Millions of people share online accounts of all kinds every day. This prosecution interferes with and politicizes what is the business of Iowa State University and the NCAA.”
Based on the comments from Dekkers’ attorney it appears as though semantics and technicalities will be argued.
Weinhardt doesn’t clearly state the charge only referring to it as “the criminal charge.”
In Iowa, misdemeanors are crimes that are punishable by up to one year in a local or county jail. All public offenses that are not felonies are classified as misdemeanors. Misdemeanors are classified as aggravated misdemeanors, serious misdemeanors, and simple misdemeanors. Aggravated misdemeanors are the most serious.
So, while not as serious as a felony, this is still a crime.
The sharing accounts angle is an interesting one, as many people share streaming accounts and various other online accounts. If Weinhardt scores a victory using that argument it would be an interesting precedent.
With the NBA offseason fully underway and teams preparing for next season, the Ja Morant slander and criticism have simmered down. But one rapper still has some words for Morant and his past antics but offers some light at the end of the tunnel for him as well.
St. Louis rapper Chingy recently did an interview with Vlad TV, and during the interview he spoke about Ja Morant and all of the gun incidents he got himself into and how it was affecting his career in the NBA.
Sports Illustrated quoted the rapper:
“When you get into the NBA, or you get into these leagues, and you know they got these restrictions and how they are – if you really want to be successful, and really want to make it and establish some type of wealthy content lifestyle for yourself … it’s all right to let the hood sh-t go,” Chingy said. “Let that go. I’ve seen the video of [Morant] too, with the gun and stuff — stupidity. Only thing I can say, stupidity.”
The “stupidity” that Ja Morant has involved himself in has been apparent since last season, starting with the former Murray State star’s entourage flashing laser beams at Indiana Pacers staff.
From there, Morant has been accused of threatening and beating up a teenager, and flashing firearms on multiple occasions. The latter of these events got Morant suspended indefinitely and in the eyes of some, he’s now labeled as a troublemaker.
Due to Ja Morant’s perceived lack of guidance within his camp, Chingy also believes that Ja has the potential to mature and walk a straight and narrow path going forward.
The rapper does bring up the fact that Ja is young and that young people are supposed to make mistakes.
But to Chingy, the fact that Ja Morant has apologized and tried to take the necessary steps to rectify his behavior, means that the hoops star is trying to be a better version of himself.
“At least he’s trying to apologize and show that he’s trying to make a change. How old is he? I mean, come on. He’s entitled actually to mistakes. … He’s gonna make some mistakes, but what you can do is just lend a helping hand sometimes and try to help him.”
Although Morant was seen holding a gun multiple times, he went on social media to claim that it was in fact a lighter prop that he was holding following the second incident.
Morant’s 25-Game Suspension
Currently, Morant has been handed a 25-game ban from NBA commissioner Adam Silver for his string of antics. Morant trying to clear up whether the object was a lighter or a gun did not sway Silver’s decision in suspending Morant for more than a quarter of the season.
The NBA isn’t playing, and if Ja wants a long and fruitful career in the NBA he will have to cut the “stupidity” out.
ESPN NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins was apparently asked to leave an AAU tournament game in Las Vegas where he was coaching. It was revealed on Monday’s episode of the “NBA Today,” where host Malika Andrews and the panel, including Ramona Shelburne, Brian, and Ohm Youngmisuk, reveled in their colleague’s antics.
“Look I’ve been coaching for three years and I haven’t got ejected one time,” Perkins began to explain. “So I’m trying to ask the ref a question on why did he eject one of my players and he would not talk to me. So when he did not give me an answer, I blew off the gasket. I’m pissed off at this point.”
It’s the dog days of summer, but ESPN has to continue to create viral moments on social media. Perhaps they hope this will catch on.
On the surface it’s kind of funny to see your colleague get worked up over a kids game and get tossed.
“First of all I just spent thousands of dollars to come to Vegas for this tournament. I’m not leaving the gym,” Perk continued. “And then the tournament director was like, ‘Perk you going to have to stand on the sideline, but you can’t finish the game. I was just trying to ask him a question and he was ignoring me.”
Perk’s team did go on to lose the game, but the NBA champ said he didn’t care because he was pissed off.
In the grand scheme of things this is what it is. But ESPN dedicating a segment on the incident on their flagship basketball studio show is a problem. Are we glorifying this type of behavior? Are we signaling that it’s OK to lose your temper over a kids game?
Competitive people like Perk are wired differently than even your average competitor. You don’t make the NBA and have a long career otherwise. It’s often hard for athletes to turn that part of their brains off, even in a low-stakes environment.
But in a country where we take things too far as it is, we don’t need to highlight stuff like this. Beyond hopefully going viral, it doesn’t do anyone any good.
New York Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux has all the talent and potential in the world. The 2022 No. 5 overall pick out of Oregon is strong, fast, explosive and smart. In his rookie season Thibodeaux had some moments but wasn’t as consistent as he or the Giants coaching staff wants and knows he can be. Thibodeaux missed the first three games of the season as he recovered from a sprained MCL.
Upon return, Thibodeaux made some plays, but not enough to his liking. For the season the former Oregon Ducks star finished with four sacks, five passes defended, two forced fumbles and a touchdown. While, those numbers would be pretty solid to most players around the league, yet alone a rookie, they didn’t sit well with Thibodeaux, who’s his toughest critic.
Last Year’s Film Study Of Self Upset Thibodeaux
In a recent interview with Giants teams reporters, Thibodeaux talked about what bothered him most about his play in his rookie stanza.
“I think every time I look back at a play, you feel like you could have ate a little more,” he told reporters, per the team transcript. “Last year’s film kind of disgust me a little bit when I look at myself. I get a little cringe feeling. But it definitely is, like I said, a platform to continue to grow.”
“Anytime you look at your younger self, you always see how you’ve evolved and matured. So, now it’s me understanding who I was and who I am now and who I’m consistently growing to be.”
Despite his own harsh criticism, Thibodeaux still finished fourth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, behind Jets All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner who won the award. Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who had 9.5 sacks and three interceptions, and Seahawks cover corner Tariq Woolen also finished ahead of Thibodeaux in the voting.
Giants Hope To Continue Rise
The 2022 New York Giants surprised everyone by not only making the playoffs under first-year head coach Brian Daboll, but also by going into Minnesota and winning a playoff game. The team’s defense was a huge reason for the turnaround.
They’ll look to be even better in 2023, and with an offense that was bend-but-don’t-break in 2022, adding more weaponry in the offseason, they should be better on that side of the football.
The Atlanta Falcons are entering year three of the Arthur Smith era as the team’s head coach. Smith, the former Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator who helped guide the Titans to within one game of the Super Bowl in 2019, is trying to rebuild a Falcons team that is talented but short on experience.
One of the key pieces of the Falcons rebuild is second-year signal caller Desmond Ridder. The former Cincinnati Bearcats star has been given the keys to the franchise, and it’s safe to say he has a believer in team owner Arthur Blank.
Blank Likes Ridder At The Helm
During an interview on Tuesday, Blank talked about Ridder, and how he views him long term.
“I like our young quarterback, Blank said of Ridder. “People look at just the four games last year and they say, well, based on those four games, but he really progressed from the time he came on campus here after he we drafted, had a good camp, and he’s been a strong leader since he’s shown up here. Continued to develop. Worked well with Marcus Mariota last year, learned a lot from Marcus. He’s a learner, and he’s got a lot of humility.
“As the year progressed, he had an opportunity to play, and I think he played at a very competitive level. Those last four games each game seemed to be a little bit better. So, we feel pretty strongly that he’s going to be our quarterback of the future. We’ve got to play games and we’ve got to see, but we feel good about him.”
Strong words from Blank, who went from the dynamic Michael Vick to 2016 NFL MVP Matt Ryan under center. While Ridder is capable he’s got some big shoes to fill in regard to those two former Falcons quarterbacks.
Ridder Will Have Plenty Of Help
In four starts last season Ridder didn’t exactly light up the stat sheet. The 2022 third-round pick went 73-for-115 for 708 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. The numbers may not jump out at you, but the one that does is the zero picks in four games, that’s huge for any quarterback, but especially a rookie.
Coming into the 2023 season, Ridder will be flanked by the running back duo of 2023 first round pick Bijan Robinson, and the Falcons leading rusher in 2022, Tyler Allgeiet who rusher for over 1,000-yards with a 4.9 yards per carry average.
He’ll also have some huge targets to throw it to in 6-foot-4 Drake London, 6-foot-4 Mack Hollind and 6-foot-6 tight end Kyle Pitts. Blank expects results this season, and in a very winnable NFC South he just may get them.
Carolina Panthers quarterback and 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young has been everything the team imagined when they took the diminutive gunslinger out of Alabama. When you hear Young talk, and when you watch him play, two things stand out, his maturity and poise in every situation.
In an interview Tuesday following another hot, steamy and intense practice in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner revealed something that not many knew. Young was a food delivery driver during his freshman season in Tuscaloosa.
Future Heisman Winner Was DoorDash Delivery Guy
Young, who’s as cool as they come, said he had to make money somehow during his first year away from home, and this was how he did it.
“I was driving for DoorDash, and honestly, I would have a mask on and a hoodie and then I would really accept the ‘drop it at my door’ orders. So for the most part I really didn’t get recognized or anything. You know, this was before NIL, so you know, wanted to have a little extra cash.”
Yes, that definitely had to be before NIL kicked in, because once it did Young had one of the highest NIL valuations in the country. In fact, according to On3.com the former Mater Dei star’s valuation sat at $3.5 million. Pretty sure he didn’t deliver another meal once that kicked in during the summer of 2021.
Young Is Panthers QB1
As the Panthers broke from their OTAs, the scuttlebutt around the team was Young had impressed enough in his leadership, play and understanding of the playbook that he’d already ascended to the top of the depth chart.
While first-year head coach Frank Reich did his best to remain coy on the matter, he revealed what most already knew as training camp opened last week.
“Yes, he’s QB1,” Reich said with a slight grin.
And from early reports out of Panthers camp, Young has been as advertised.
ESPN has relieved NBA analyst Mark Jackson of his duties, according to reports. The Worldwide Leader is poised to promote Doris Burke and hire Doc Rivers to join the main broadcast team with play-by-play man Mike Breen. This is the latest attempt by ESPN to revamp its NBA coverage and increase ratings, but none of it will really matter.
ESPN let go of Jackson’s partner Jeff Van Gundy earlier this summer, so the writing was on the wall.
Van Gundy, despite the trios popularity, is often critical of the NBA and its officiating and that likely didn’t sit well with NBA commissioner Adam Silver and the executives at league headquarters.
While there is no way to definitively say the NBA wanted a network to do something, you would be naïve to think that a multibillion league who seeks multibillion-dollar contracts from its broadcast partners don’t have an understanding of what both sides want.
Once ESPN let Van Gundy go, moving on from Jackson was easy. So much of their chemistry stems from their relationship as coach and player. It would be unlikely that Jackson and Burke or Jackson and Rivers would have the same chemistry.
But ultimately this move is like shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic.
The NBA as a television product appeals to its core segment of diehard fans and pulls in the casual sports fan depending on the matchup. That’s why brand name players are always on national television.
But the model of viewers and ratings that is used to calculate value of the NBA rights is antiquated. As the league’s hard core fans age and dwindle by the numbers, the league is doing nothing to address its next generation of fans.
Generation Z, that is people between the ages of 13-25, has an interesting relationship with sports consumption.
According to Morning Consult, 32% of Gen Zers said they watch live sports through authorized streaming services, compared with 28% who watch via broadcast or cable TV. YouTube, Instagram and TikTok are Gen Z’s most popular sources of sports news. And nearly half of Gen Zers (47%) said they have never watched a professional sporting event in person.
If you’re between the ages of 38-48 think about where you’d fit in those breakdowns.
Yes, times have changed and so too has technology. Plus consumption options far surpass anything available in the ’80s and ’90s. But that’s exactly the point.
Wasting time on a traditional three-person booth for broadcast tv seems counterproductive if you’re reading the signs of where this is all going.
I don’t know what NBA game consumption will be like in 10 or 20 years, but it won’t look like this.
LeBron James is known for his work in education through The LeBron James Family Foundation. Still, one of his most famous initiatives, the I Promise School in Akron, Ohio, has disappointing news that rising eighth graders have not passed the math component of the state proficiency exam since the 2018-2019 school year.
The students were third graders during that time.
“When we started this work to wraparound students through education, we entered this partnership with Akron Public School for the long haul,” a LeBron James Family Foundation spokesperson said to Complex. “Because this work requires a long-term commitment, hard work, and a lot of love and care. And that’s what we bring each and every day because the I Promise School is more than a school.
“We’re here for the ups and downs, and will continue to wraparound our students and their entire families so they can be successful in school and in life, no matter the challenges and obstacles that come their way.”
The school launched in 2018 to provide help to at-risk students. The testing period was during the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought unexpected challenges. However, it is still a horrible look for a school that is supposed to be a beacon of hope and progress in northeast Ohio.
“One of the things I’m most excited about coming into the I Promise School is the optimism and energy around getting our students to a level of achievement we know they’re capable of,” Stephanie Davis, the new principal, said in an email to Complex. “At the recent Board meeting, our preliminary OST data was shared, but it’s important to note that proficiency is based on mastering grade-level standards. Our students have not yet met the grade-level mastery mark, but they are demonstrating growth based on iReady scores.
“Of our incoming 8th graders, 32% met their annual typical growth in reading while 11% met their stretch goal for the year. Despite not mastering the grade-level standards, 42% of students demonstrated growth in iReady math across their 7th grade school year. When working with students who are achieving below grade level, growth is as important as a measure of progress as proficiency. And the type of growth that is important to us is not made overnight. It takes time.”
LeBron James lives in a veritable bulletproof publicity zone, but his school might become a chink in his good press armor.
Former NBA player and champion Stephen “Stak” Jackson is not feeling the NBA.
He believes they should do more to support Ice Cube’s BIG3 basketball league which is full of former NBA players, and that the league isn’t totally invested in the struggle.
“I’m going to give you a perfect example, I’m the face off the biggest civil rights movement ever with the George Floyd… I’m an NBA champion, played in the NBA, the NBA didn’t reach out to me for the Black Lives Matter, the movement for social justice or equality,” added Jackson. “They don’t move how we are supposed to move. They move how they want to move.”
The face of the biggest civil rights movement is a wild overreach. Yes, the summer of the George Floyd murder saw people unite, mobilize, and protest in ways we haven’t seen in years. Stak and Floyd were close friends and grew up together in Texas. The murder of Floyd was very personal for Stak.
But what kind of change actually occurred as a result of the protests?
The civil rights movement brought about meaningful change. It abolished legalized racial segregation and disenfranchisement and it took nearly two decades.
The Floyd protests lasted a summer and not even the entire summer.
We can forgive Jackson for misspeaking, as what he’s likely trying to convey is that the NBA had a real opportunity to get behind its players and communities and really push for meaningful change.
But the NBA is a multibillion dollar business run by the 30 governors who are apex predator capitalists and don’t want to do anything that will mess with the cash flow.
Despite being a predominantly Black league, the NBA serves a predominantly white audience. Most NBA fans grade somewhere on the liberal scale but the league is trying to grow its audience. Anything that may upset that growth is bad for business.
During the NBA Bubble and the summer of Floyd the NBA pivoted in that direction with various messages in support of the Black community on the court and on player’s jerseys. That move was widely criticized and blamed for the league’s poor ratings during that time.
Whether true or not, the league has not gone back to that type of outward support since.
Commissioner Adam Silver does what he can to support the players and their causes. The NBPA also does what it can to elevate players and give them an opportunity to use their platform for issues that matter to them.
But ultimately Stak is right. The NBA moves how it wants to move. That is, in service to whatever is going to keep the money flowing.
It’s that time of year where Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones typically writes a check that his team hasn’t cashed in nearly three decades.
It seems as if every summer, Jones has some wild prediction about how his Cowboys team will fare in the upcoming season and 2023 is no different.
During an interview on Monday, the always-entertaining Jones made sure to send warning shots to NFC East foes.
“I will say that Philadelphia, and if you will the Giants and Washington team, they need to be on their game, because we are,” Jones told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Jones wasn’t done, as he then added that his expectation is for the Cowboys to be better than last season.
And while he didn’t mention a certain number of wins, we get the picture. This is Jerry’s MO. Put unnecessary pressure on a team that has continuously faltered in big playoff games.
Jerry Talks NFC East In 2023, Boys Ready?
After having been in the only division in the league to have three teams make the playoffs, Jones sounds as if he expects an even stiffer challenge from division foes this season.
“We’re going to be on our game. And we will be improved over last year. I don’t want to dismiss how accomplished Philadelphia is, the year they had last year and where they’re starting this year. I don’t want to dismiss that. And the Giants definitely have a chance to be better. And Washington could really be energized. So I don’t need to handicap it relative to where we’ll end up. Just us, we are better.”
Is Jerry once again putting his foot in his mouth?
Only time will tell, but we’ve seen this movie before on numerous occasions, and it never ends well in Big D.
Prescott Must Be Better For Anything To Happen
In 2022 the Cowboys managed to go 12-5 and even win a road playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in what also happened to be the final game in Tom Brady’s illustrious NFL career. But a playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers for the second consecutive year left a sour taste in Jones’ and the Cowboys’ mouths.
If any of what Jerry is saying is true they’ll need their $40 million quarterback, Dak Prescott, to not 15 throw interceptions, which tied him for the league lead.
Then they’ll need to just stop talking and actually prove itt on the gridiron. Until then, what Jerry is spewing is nothing more than fool’s gold.
The Bahamian senior men’s national basketball team has never competed in the Olympic Games. Deandre Ayton is hoping to change that.
Bahamas isn’t short on NBA talent. Ayton and fellow NBA players Eric Gordon, also a Bahamian national, Buddy Hield and Kai Jones will be leading the squad in its Olympic qualifier in Argentina later this month.
A win guarantees an Olympic berth in 2024, and for Ayton it could be a springboard to a comeback season in the NBA.
“I’m excited to be back playing for Team Bahamas and to see how much the program has grown. Can’t wait to play with my guys. It’s truly a special experience to compete with teammates who are from where you’re from, with Bahamas on your chest,” Ayton told Andscape.
At the end of the 2021 season Ayton was a key force in the Suns run to the NBA Finals.
He was seen as an emerging big man with star potential in the modern NBA. He followed that season up with his best to date where he helped the Suns to a league high 64 wins, and his defensive play and offense out of the pick and roll had scouts buzzing.
But then the Suns flamed out in the conference semis to the Dallas Mavericks, highlighted by Ayton’s benching in the second half of a blowout Game 7 loss.
He and then head coach Monty Williams got into an argument, and the two were never right after that. It carried over into last season’s poor play.
Ayton’s on-court impact was down, he was less efficient, and tentative. The Suns waited until the Indiana Pacers made him an offer last offseason before matching and giving him a long term contract.
He was also reportedly on the trade block this summer, but he remains on the team for now.
If Ayton can lead the Bahamas to a win in this qualifying tournament, which also features the Argentinian national team, that would be a huge confidence booster. He previously stated that he “has no fans” and wants to change that narrative. What’s better than getting love from your home island?
If he can be a dominant defensive presence and elite rim finisher and mid post scorer (first and second box), that would certainly grab the attention of new Suns head coach Frank Vogel; who has said getting Ayton back to the dominant defender he was two seasons ago is a main priority.
Many NBA players have used success playing for their national team over the summer to springboard into breakthrough league seasons. At worst the players come into training camp already in shape and having played real competitive basketball over the summer.
The Suns’ title hopes mainly rest on the health of Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, and Kevin Durant. But if the 25 year old Ayton plays to his capability? Look out.
Pittsburgh Steelers second-year wideout George Pickens has never been short on confidence.
The former five-star recruit who began his college career at Auburn and finished it at Georgia, helping the Bulldogs win the 2022 CFP championship, is primed for a huge season for the Black and Gold.
Pickens is a throwback wide receiver in a sense, one who doesn’t mind blocking or going across the middle, but he’s also a deep threat.
This array of talent fuels the confidence of the 2022 second-round pick, who believes he’s the best wide receiver on the planet.
In a recent interview with Kevin Clark of The Ringer, Pickens gave reasons why he truly believes “he’s him.”
Best In The Whole World?
The old adage has always been “if you don’t believe you’re the best, then who will?” and Pickens sounded as if he’s that guy during that interview.
“The stuff that I do, bro, I feel like I’m the best in the whole world,” Pickens said. “I’m big, I’m fast, low [4.4 speed]. Catch radius is crazy. So every time I get out on the field, I do kind of play angry because I should get the ball on every play if you look at the size and the frame. If I was a coach, I’d just throw to him every time. But that’s not how the NFL works. So, every time that I’m out there, that’s why I throw the blocks. I love getting the ball, and when I’m not getting the ball I play angry, so the attention is back on me. I basically draw attention to myself.”
When asked to expound on what he meant by “best” in the world, Pickens’s tune didn’t change one bit.
“Receiver in the world, I’m not going to lie to you,” Pickens said. “If you want a receiver, you create a player, it’s ‘Oh, I’m gonna put his blocking 99, catching 99, speed 99.’ That’s me. … As far as what you’d use to build a receiver, I’m the ideal guy.”
Pickens is a good, young receiver who has all the tools to be a perennial Pro Bowl player and/or All-Pro selection. But he must mature and continue to develop.
Pickens Rookie Season Was Solid
The Steelers QB situation was in chaos early on in the 2022 season. With future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger hanging up the cleats at the end of the 2021 season, it left a huge void.
The team signed former No. 2 overall pick Mitchell Trubisky, and drafted Kenny Pickett with the 20th pick of the 2022 NFL draft. While, both struggled, Pickett seemed to win over the team and coaching staff with his late-season play.
It would help the second-year quarterback immensely if Pickens did actually blossom into an elite receiver and a matchup nightmare for every defender. The confidence is there. Let’s see if the results match, because this isn’t a video game.
Pickens’ numbers in 2022, 52 receptions for 801 yards and four touchdowns in 12 starts reflected that struggle. But, he and Pickett seemed to find a connection late in the season. Head coach Mike Tomlin is hopeful that carries over into 2023 and years to come.
