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Angel Has Reese’s Pieces Line, Kelsey Plum Has Under Armour, But DiJonai Carrington Says WNBA Dropped Ball On Promotion Of Historic Game At TD Garden

The WNBA is setting attendance records, and Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington wants her damn respect, calling out the WNBA for failing to promote the team’s historic game before a sellout crowd on Tuesday night. 

The Sun headlined the league’s first-ever game at TD Garden, the home of the reigning NBA champions, the Boston Celtics. Carrington, who dropped 19 points, led her team to a 69-61 victory in front of 19,125 fans – setting a new franchise record.

DiJonai Carrington Says WNBA Failed To Promote First WNBA Game To Sell Out NBA Arena

More important, the game was proof that a WNBA matchup — and one that didn’t involve Caitlin Clark or Cameron Brink or Angel Reese — can still sell out an NBA arena. 

Prior to the game, Carrington was already on one and displeased with the promotion the WNBA gave the historic game. 

“Since we gotta do our own promo… We’re playing at [TD Garden] tonight & it’s SOLD OUT 19k+. First W game here ever. Historic. Not on tv, but you can catch it right here on twitter,” Carrington said in a post on X, tagging the league directly.

Carrington doubled down on her stance in the postgame presser, adding that the league knew about the significance of their game at TD Garden around a year ago and fell short of capitalizing on the moment. 

Carrington Says WNBA Game at TD Garden Should Have Been Nationally Televised

In addition to the WNBA failing to promote the game, she took issue with the game not being broadcast nationally. 

“You shouldn’t have to pay for any type of subscription to see a game that’s this historic, in my opinion – I’m biased, but in my opinion,” she told reporters.

WNBA Leaving Food On The Table Chasing Caitlin Clark, Reese and Other Rookies

The general perception is that the WNBA bends over backward to promote Caitlin Clark, who has a $28 million shoe deal with Nike, and Angel Reese, who continues to build on her $2 million WNBA empire with new collaborations with Reese’s, Reebok and Mercedes, but ignores other vital players and areas where money and the moment can be maximized.

It’s almost the same old story with the WNBA despite a $2.2 billion influx of media rights cash from the NBA and all of the increased attendance numbers and obvious signs of potential for women’s basketball as a mainstream sports viewing experience. 

A Few WNBA Stars Are Getting Money and All The Props

The apparel line on TheAngelReese.com features jerseys, hooded sweatshirts, T-shirts and hats. Reese’s, which is owned by The Hershey Co., said another apparel line will drop at a later date.

Las Vegas Aces sharpshooter Kelsey Plum is fresh off an Olympics gold medal and also had a recent come-up a few days before her 30th birthday. 

Under Armour has released a limited-edition iteration of its court-ready basketball shoe for women, the Breakthru 5, in an aptly named “Plum” colorway.

The look is inspired by both the fruit and her last name, according to Under Armour, executed through the shoe’s purple and orange hues, as well as the “dew” droplets that enhance the uppers. 

Combined, Under Armour stated it offers the look “of a fresh plum one might find at a farmer’s market.” They also feature a Kelsey Plum fruit sticker “to give that authentic fruit feel.”

Dij Carrington Says WNBA Dropped The Ball On Promoting Historic Game At TD Garden

All of that is fine, but Carrington is looking at the overall health of an entire league, where salaries are still embarrassingly low, and she is disgusted by the lukewarm way it celebrated a blazing hot moment in WNBA history. 

That’s why Carrington used every opportunity that she had a microphone in her hand or a social media app at her disposal to call out the WNBA

“I’m gonna keep it real all the time, and I feel like Connecticut as a franchise is historically disrespected,” she began. 

Related: ‘Racist, Jealous, Coon, Monkey, Hatin A– B—- Who Needs To Go Back To Africa’: Caitlin Clark Fans Will Never Forgive DiJonai Carrington

“Sometimes if you want something you gotta go out there and do it yourselves. So, that’s what I did for us. I think that there could have been a lot more publicity or promo from the top. Connecticut had announced that we were having this game probably almost a year ago… There was ample time to do what needed to be done, but it didn’t matter anyway because they showed up and it was sold out. We got the W, so I guess my tweet worked,” she finished.

Carrington was loud and clear with her message. There’s still a disconnect between the league, the players and the new generation and how it all fits as the WNBA and commissioner Cathy Engelbert deal with the sudden evolution of the league.

“Ego So Big That Any Criticism Will Lessen Your Confidence”: Old Tom Brady Video On “Hard Coaching” Has Some Fans Calling Tua Tagovailoa’s Attack On Brian Flores “Soft”

Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa garnered plenty of sympathy when he accused former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores of being a bad person who killed his confidence with negative attacks on his ability.  

“If you woke up every morning and I told you, you suck at what you did,” Tua said in an interview on the “Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz.” “That you don’t belong doing what you do. That you shouldn’t be here. That this guy should be here and you haven’t earned this right. And you have somebody else come in and tell you, ‘Dude you are the best fit.’ How would that make you feel listening to one or the other … when you hear it more and more you start to believe that. When you have a terrible person telling you things you don’t want to hear, you start to believe that about yourself.”

Social media largely ripped Flores and credited current head coach Mike McDaniel for Tua’s recent rise into the elite quarterback ranks. They raved about McDaniels’ positive approach and how he perfectly massages the mentals of seemingly sensitive Tua. In return, the former Heisman contender’s game has elevated to the point where he commanded a $212.4 million contract in the offseason. 

The heat got so strong on Flores that he had to issue a response to Tua’s blindsiding interview. 

The Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator explained to reporters that his intention wasn’t to destroy Tua but build him up and he has been working on his communication skills since leaving Miami. 

“I just want to say look, I’m genuinely happy for the success that Tua’s had, and I really wish him nothing the best,” he said this week during a media session at Vikings training camp. “I think player relationships are very important to me and that’s the foundation of coaching… I got into coaching… because I want to pour into young people and help them become the best versions of themselves.

Part of coaching is correcting. I’m always gonna have a high standard. I’ve done a lot of reflecting on the situation and communication. I think there’s things I can do better, and I’ve grown in that way.”

Tua did get plenty of support from social media and sports media talking heads, who blasted Flores’ approach, some even blamed him for affecting Tua’s mental health. They also credited Tua with getting Flores fired as Dolphins head coach prior to Flores filing a discrimination lawsuit against the NFL.

Tom Brady Believes In Hard Coaching

That’s when a clip from an interview Tom Brady did with Pat MacAfee back in late January surfaced, implying that Brady’s comments could be directly applied to this current situation.

Tom Brady will be a go-to opinion on all things football now that he is working with CBS and getting comfortable in his role as an analyst. 

These are the kinds of takes we hope to get from Brady.

In the video, Brady comments on how he dealt with coaches throughout his career being hard on him, stating, “If the coach was hard on me, I was gonna accept the difficult coaching because I need to hear it.”

“And again it motivated me and there were a lot of players on my team that saw me get coached hard and they would say, “OK, I got to step my game up, because if Tom is getting yelled at, I don’t want to get yelled at. How do I up my game?’”

“That’s what accountability looks like, and you can’t have your ego so big that any criticism will lessen your confidence.” 

That’s a direct contrast to how Tua took Flores’ ribbing. He basically claimed he couldn’t handle it. 

The responses to the re-posted video seemed to shift the sentiment supporting Tua and some fans labled Tua as “soft” because he got real emotional in that interview and started taking shots at Flores when those conversations should probably have been kept quiet, especially with Flores and Tua both still active in the league. 

Brady is the most successful quarterback in the history of the NFL and he was coached his entire career by a guy who demeaned players and ripped into Brady on a regular basis, challenging his mental and physical strength and helping to breed a quarterback who, despite how much success he achieved, always had a chip on his shoulder and was humble enough to receive hard coaching. 

Brady didn’t like it, but he ultimately saw the benefits in Belichick’s tough love and it helped to elevate him to six Super Bowls. When Brady left New England, his makeup was still the same. Everything he absorbed and used from Belichick as motivation towards greatness stuck with him as he won another Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Bucs to end his illustrious career.

Fans Don’t Want Brian Flores Compared To Bill Belichick

Some fans didn’t like any comparison between six-time Super Bowl winner Belichick and Flores. 

As one fan rudely put it, “Belichick is an all-time great coach. Flores is a bum.”

Others pointed out that Tua is simply a product of Gen Z, commenting, “This generation is different,” followed by a crying emoji, adding, “Feelings over growth.” 

Tagovailoa won’t like hearing what the GOAT had to say about “hard coaching” but one day Mike McDaniel might have to say something that will get Tua to take his game to another level and Brady’s message was perfect for those who believe in hard coaching, which isn’t always pleasant. In this case, however, the numbers show that Flores wasn’t the guy for Tua.

‘Why Would You Even Try To Play Me Like That?’ Paris Club Tries to Charge Tipsy Simone Biles $26K For Champagne. She’s Still Not Used To Dark Side Of Celebrity Expectations

Simone Biles had an eventful Paris Olympics experience. It seemed as if she was in the middle of everything great and controversial that transpired during these Paris Games as it pertains to gymnastics.

She wasn’t shy in her competition and even less shy to mix it up with folks on social media. More than ever, we have seen her come into her own as a woman, now married and ready to enter the next phase of her celebrity life. She wants to live it up, but also misses the privacy that’s lost with being in the spotlight, which of course has its perks and its setbacks.

Not being able to get wasted in peace is one of them. Biles overindulged at a post-Olympics party and almost got took for $26,000.  

Simone Biles Charged $26K For Bottle Of Champagne

In a recent TikTok video, Biles shares how a club in Paris tried to charge her $26,000 for a single bottle of champagne while partying after the 2024 Olympics. She was baffled by the expensive bottle of alcohol and ended up not purchasing it that night.

On Monday, she recalled the incident calling it “insane” how the Paris club tried to dupe her after the Closing Ceremony. Fans, who clearly have no idea about upscale clubs, bottle service and upcharging celebrities and rich business travelers, supported Biles’ complaints and questioned why they would even want to charge her so much.

Biles, who is a sharp-minded individual believes it’s due to her celebrity and her title as the GOAT gymnast, but also expressed that the fame and celebrity can be a burden to bear and “sometimes the attention, I’d rather not have it.” 

Biles who is the center of social media conversation often concerning her hair, her husband, and anything else you can think of, expressed how she sometimes wishes to party and enjoy life like a normal girl and not worry over people’s stares.

Celebrities Get Stared At and Charged Exorbitant Prices For Champagne: Get Used To It

Simone dear, sorry to tell you that if you don’t like people staring at you then stay in the house. You’re easily one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, and the image of your athletic excellence is fresh in the minds of everyone as the Olympics just ended and you have been busy creating coverage for yourself with active social media engagement.  

According to Page Six, Biles said: You guys, this club tried to charge me $26,000 for a bottle of champagne. Like, are you insane…Obviously, I didn’t buy it. But why would you even try to play me like that? Like, that’s wild. And I don’t know, sometimes the attention, I’d rather not have it. I’d rather just be as normal as possible… I don’t know.

Biles can be upset, but all of this comes with the territory. You can’t go hard for fame and then complain about its ups and downs. Even during the Olympic Games, Biles once admitted how she couldn’t enjoy food in the cafeteria due to the buzz over her presence. She said she had to buy a couple of days’ worth of food for her room to avoid fans and enjoy her personal time.

Poor Simone, but again, that comes with being world famous. There are plenty of people who would love to trade places with her. Everyone assumed an already iconic career was over after she backed out of competition during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 after she was experiencing the “twisties” and battling mental health challenges.

She caused quite a stir when she first announced that she would be returning to the sport to try to qualify for the 2024 games. Biles is the oldest American gymnast to qualify for the Olympics since 1952 and is the fifth-oldest American gymnast to ever compete in the Olympics.

As she tore through competition at various meets and the Olympic qualifiers the excitement swelled. When she not only performed well but dominated by sweeping three gold medals from this year’s event, boosting her total of Olympic medals to 11 along with 30 World Championship medals, all eyes were back on the diminutive dynamo whose legs seem to have personal springboards built into them.

After the drama of the tightly-contested events and Jordan Chiles being stripped of her bronze, Biles partied hard and kept all of her fans updated, especially when she was hungover.

Biles took to Instagram stories on Monday, August 12 to update her followers on the reason for her sickness. Behind the text was a clip from a party where the crowd was cheering and holding up an American flag.

In another clip, Biles and her family went to L’Arc, where partygoers were celebrating alongside a sign that read, “Gym Legend Simone Biles.”

She also posted an image of her and her sister Adria Biles in a popular nightclub in Paris, so they were making the rounds. Biles didn’t make any bones about it that she was throwing them back and a bit tipsy up in the club. 

In a snapshot on Instagram, she penned how she was feeling unwell after her night out. Later she even revealed she got a Hermes bag as a gift from her parents as she captioned in Threads, “Don’t be mad at me, be mad at your parents.”

Definitely had the tipsy Twitter fingers.

Simone Biles Offends Chicago Bear Fans By Wearing Jonathan Owens-themed Packers Jacket

Biles certainly lived it up the past two months and now she will focus her energy on supporting her husband Jonathan Owens and his Chicago Bears team, projected to surprise the NFL this season.

Her first appearance in Chicago created a stir, as Biles was widely-mocked for wearing a jacket with images of her husband wearing a Green Bay Packers uniform. She totally offended some Chicago Bears fans.

Barstool Sports’ Mike Balice posted a video of the seven-time gold medalist walking onto Soldier Field in Chicago and wrote, “Simone Biles should be stripped of all her medals after wearing Packers gear while cheering for the Bears. Yeah, yeah I get it, her husband played for the Packers and it’s an Owens themed jacket, but this is just wrong.”

She responded to the backlash: “it’s okay to let up off my neck every once in a while.”

Related: Simone Biles Withdraws From Olympic Team Final | Shines Another Light On Mental Health

Biles is officially an A-lister and she will have to continue to find ways to deal with her rising fame and the intrusiveness of fans.

“Do People Still Iron Their Clothes?”: Miami Heat Star Bam Adebayo Gives More Clues About His Rumored Love Affair With A’ja Wilson

During Team USA basketball’s two-week stay at the Paris Olympics there were a ton of storylines around the team.

The biggest story was Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum being benched heavily by team head coach Steve Kerr.

The second-biggest had to be the performance of Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry, who scored a combined 60 points and hit (17-26) from three in the comeback win over Serbia in the semis and the gold medal game win over host nation France. 

Paris Love Affair: Bam Adebayo and A’ja Wilson An Item?

Lost in that was the rumored relationship between Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo and Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson who also happens to be the women’s player on the planet.

The two were seen together quite often during their downtime, and both also made it a point to support one another at their games.

If they’re not dating, it sure looks like it, and with the players back on U.S. soil the belief that they’re an item hasn’t lost steam. In fact, Adebayo’s recent  social media jab at Wilson sort of gives off those vibes. 

Bam Hilariously Clowns Wilson 

Wilson recently arrived for an Aces game wearing a somewhat wrinkled white tee, not up to her usual pregame attire standards. Knowing it wasn’t as crisp as she probably would’ve wanted, Wilson captioned the following on a picture on X:

“Fresh out the pack”

That got the attention of Adebayo, who asked his fans, “Do people still iron their clothes? Or did it stop after Covid?”

A friendly and playful shot at his rumored love interest. Wilson and Adebayo were seen on walking dates and having dinner throughout Paris.

Bam and A’ja Have Secret Hand Shake?

They even unveiled a secret handshake following Team USA women’s narrow (67-66) escape of France in the gold medal game. If the two are dating it actually isn’t a bad thing. They’re two of the most recognizable faces in the game, and both have always been standup individuals as players on and off the court. 

Wilson Dominating The WNBA. Bam Is Heat’s Leader

Wilson is leading the back-to-back defending champion Aces again this as they look to become the first team to three-peat since the Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson’s Houston Comets won the league’s first four titles.

The reigning WNBA Finals MVP is averaging 27.3 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.8 blocks per game. 

She’s already made history as one of only four players in WNBA/NBA history to win ROY, MVP, FMVP and DPOY, joining Michael Jordan, Candace Parker and Tamika Catchings. 

As for Adebayo, he’s the anchor and leader of the Miami Heat. The versatile big man is capable of guarding positions 1-5, and in many ways should’ve already taken home a DPOY award. He averaged 19.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocks per game for the often undermanned Heat. 

Not getting too far ahead of ourselves, but with Bam standing 6-foot-9 and Wilson 6-foot-5, any future offspring would likely be blessed with some amazing genes.  

It’s just a thought. 

“CC Going To Have 200 Turnovers.That’s Embarrassing”: People Are Ignoring Caitlin Clark’s Horrific Turnover Record On Purpose

Caitlin Clark has taken the WNBA by storm, and if you let the media and her cult following of fans tell it, she has no flaws. 

When her game is referenced, most discuss her passing prowess which has resulted in the rookie leading the WNBA in assists, and her scoring ability, which has gotten progressively better since the beginning of the season.

Despite all of Clark’s fanfare and the hyperbole about her all-time standing as a women’s basketball player just 30 games into her rookie season, there’s one glaring negative to her game that subjective fans and those celebrating her daily refuse to address. 

Caitlin Clark Already Has A Record Amount Of Turnovers

It’s just as much a reason why her team is only 13-15 and fighting for a playoff spot despite boasting the past two No. 1 overall draft picks. 

Turnovers.

How do you say you don’t know basketball without saying it? 

Well, people overlooking the fact that Clark is atrocious at times with giving the ball back to the other team either don’t understand efficiency or refuse to acknowledge it’s important when it comes to the WNBA’s savior. 

Her turnovers are just as historically and strikingly bad as her captivating brand is good. 

She already broke the WNBA single-season turnover record back in July. 

Per ESPN Stats & Info, when Clark recorded her 139th turnover, it was the most turnovers in a season in WNBA history, but all we really heard about was Clark passing Sue Bird for the most assists in a season by a rookie since 2000.

Clark, who leads the WNBA in assists at 8.3 per game, had nine Sunday to reach 232, passing Ticha Penicheiro’s previous rookie record of 224 set in 1998.

She is also quickly approaching 200 turnovers which is an unthinkable amount for a supposed elite guard, which suggests that despite Clark’s passing abilities she’s not a point guard.

There are some who do allude to the turnovers as a reason why she shouldn’t win Rookie of the Year over Angel Reese, but they are clearly “Chi Barbie” fans who are also jaded in some regards when it comes to discussing the matter.

Caitlin Clark On Her Way To 200 Turnovers

One X user said: “CC is going to have 200 Turnovers. That’s Embarrasing.They let her do anything, most would be benched.”

Clark is currently at 155 turnovers with 12 games remaining and needs to average just 3.7 per game to reach the infamous milestone. She’s averaging 5.5 turnovers per game now. 

For all of the remarkable things Clark has done on the court, to ignore how inefficient she’s been with protecting the ball and not acknowledging that she is allowed to make mistakes that most players would never be allowed to make is disingenuous when discussing the full scope of her impact 

If head coach Christie Sides found a way to cut those turnovers in half, think about how many more wins the Fever would have.

They would probably have a winning record. While we credit Clark and only Clark, it seems, for the 13 wins the team does have, then she also has to shoulder the blame for the 15 losses and the seventh-place standing. 

Clark Fans Continue To Make Excuses For Unfathomable Turnovers

She’s had six or more turnovers 14 times in 28 games and had 10 turnovers in her celebrated debut.

Anyway you slice it, those are the signs of an inconsistent player. Plenty of fans try to blame her “inferior” teammates, but an objective eye can see the flaws that must be fixed.

We can sit here and praise Clark as if she’s perfect, but she has to take some culpability for her team’s underachieving ways, same as probable 2024 league MVP Aja Wilson does for Las Vegas Aces’ disappointing 17-9 record. 

You can’t have your cake and eat it too, although Nike already gave Clark her dessert before she even started the appetizer in the form of a $28 million sneaker deal.

The Caitlin Clark Effect on the WNBA is tangible with increases in revenue, ticket sales and attendance, private chartered flights and an unprecedented $2 million media deal piece off from the NBA, plus a significant leap in male viewership all coming to a peak during her watch. 

However, real journalists are still going to do their job, and if you watch basketball it’s clear that Clark has much improving to do when it comes to running a team and protecting the rock. 

Lamar Jackson’s $1M Fleet Of Luxury Vehicles Is All About Quality Not Quantity: If One Had To Go?

Lamar Jackson is a two-time MVP and considered one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in history.

He’s got the hardware, the highlights and a $52 million per year salary that supports his lofty NFL standing. 

Jackson doesn’t have a Super Bowl ring yet, but his fleet of luxury cars would turn the heads of any person who appreciates upscale vehicles.

Jackson’s car collection reflects his level of success and swag, featuring a range of high-end and classic vehicles. 

From the sleek Rolls-Royce Ghost to the vintage Chevy Chevelle, Jackson’s fleet also mirrors his need for speed, comfort and sophistication.

Let’s take a look at Jackson’s current collection.

1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396

Jackson owns this old school muscle car that is very intriguing to the eye. Sturdy but explosive in action like Lamar Jackson’s game.

The base price, before all of the extras that Lamar added is between $99,200-$110,000.

The upholstery is a candy red leather with bucket seats and sparkling chrome accents enhance the inside, making this classic as clean as a baby’s bottom after a pamper change. 

The Chevelle’s 5.0L V-8 engine, produces a whopping 375 horsepower to go along with 415 lb-ft of torque, which is coupled to a 3-speed manual transmission. 

When Jackson takes off from the pocket they say if you blink he will be gone. Same as his classic Chevy which takes takes 6.0 seconds to get from 0 to 60 mph.

2019 Mercedes-Benz SL Class

Every quarterback has a suped up Mercedes Benz in their vehicle collection. LJ8 also has the more contemporary, SL550, which features leather seats and wood panels throughout, with a high glossy black finish. 

Power, speed and finesse are all aspects of Jackson’s repertoire that has garnered him over 15,800 passing yards and 5200 rushing yards in his six-year career. 

With a 4.7L twin-turbo V-8 engine and a 9-speed shiftable automatic transmission, the SL Class can produce 449 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque acceleration.

The car, which ranges in price from $90K to $190K, can go from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds.

It has it all. Though a bit less flashy than other Benzes, Jackson’s sports car is a polished roadster that oozes class and lives up to its celebrated history.

2022 Rolls-Royce Ghost

The NFL’s hustle man also keeps Americans first muscle car as one of his most cherished whips. He purchased the vehicle in 2022. The base price ranges from $290K to $403K. 

It encompasses all of the features that you want in a dynamic, high-end vehicle and all of the hype that comes along with it. 

The car’s iconic grille is flanked by illuminating and potentially-blinding headlamps. A towering hood completes the car’s iconic appearance and brings definition to the vehicles exterior.

The 6.7L twin-turbo V-12 engine in the Ghost produces 563 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque and is mated to an 8-speed automated transmission. 

With LJ8 the speed is always important and this classic beauty also can jump from 0-60 in 4.6 seconds. 

What Is Lamar Jackson’s Net Worth?

These are the elite vehicles and playmakers in Jackson’s current fleet of luxury automobiles, fitting for a new era NFL quarterback worth $40M and rising. 

Jackson was the highest-paid NFL player in 2023 based on his on-field earnings, and he was included in their list of “30 Athletes Under 30” for 2024.

In May of 2023, Jackson signed a record five-year, $260 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens, with $185 million guaranteed, making him highest-paid player in the NFL at $52 million per season at the time. 

Lamar And His Mom Keep The Money All In The Family

While his deal was the largest in NFL history, the way Jackson acquired the contract was also unprecedented. 

Jackson was able to keep the 3 percent agent fee in his pocket and give his mother the $7.8 million.

That’s cutting out the middleman and keeping the money in house. Jackson has found a loophole in the matrix, and the NFL clubs and agents across America are surely not happy by the way Jackson has upset the apple cart, beat the machine. He struck a direct blow to the historical relationship between players, owners and teams. 

Jackson changed that dynamic by standing strong and remaining unwavering in his goal to keep the generational wealth he’s acquired in his family.

Related: The Largest Contract In NFL History Was Negotiated By Lamar Jackson’s Mother | Despite Severe Criticism For Not Having A White Agent, LJ8 And Felica Jones Beat The NFL Machine

All of this and he hasn’t won a Super Bowl title yet. When he does, his net worth, QB standing and fleet of vehicles will elevate into historic realms. 

“Y’all Mad Because That Cornfed Iowa Girl Busting Y’all a**: Shannon Sharpe Exposes Real Deal With Caitlin Clark Hate

If Caitlin Clark had a payroll then Shannon Sharpe would be on it. From her exclusion from Teams USA women’s basketball to his claims that the WNBA and veterans in the league have mistreated Clark despite all she’s done for the league, Sharpe, The “First Take” personality and host of “Nightcap” and “Club Shay Shay,” has been unwavering in his praise of Clark as the biggest brand name in women’s basketball.

He almost popped a blood vessel vilifying her Team USA Paris Olympics snub. Accusing the WNBA of basically lacking business sense. That belief was echoed by a few other prominent names.

“Are we really trying to grow the game? Because this is the most popular women’s basketball player in the world and it ain’t close… So are we really trying to grow the game?” Sharpe said back in June. “Is that what we’re really trying to do? Or are we just talking about ‘we’re trying to grow the game’ and just bull jiving?”

As the Indiana Fever fight for playoff positioning down the stretch, Clark will be the vocal point of plenty of contentious situations as she controls the ball and has it in her hands often. 

Early in the season, Clark had her share of physical engagements with Angel Reese, Chennedy Carter and other players across the league. 

There was a recent instance of Skylar Diggins-Smith bumping into Clark during a timeout, and Uncle Shay Shay lost his mind. He mentioned that Smith had sped up to catch Clark and intentionally body-checked the league’s assists leader as she went to reach the sidelines during a timeout.

Caitlin Clark and Skylar Diggins-Smith Mix It Up

Despite the Fever handily winning the game, tensions flared on the court and on the sidelines between coaches.

With Indiana enjoying a 17-point lead, Seattle’s head coach, Noelle Quinn, took exception to Fever coach Christie Sides leaving her starters in the game. The two coaches exchanged some smoke on the sidelines.

On the most recent episode of his “Nightcap” podcast with Chad Johnson, Sharpe discussed Clark’s rookie assists record she broke in the 92-75 blowout win. 

He also let it be know — again — that Clark gets mistreated by inferior players and her brand and standing in the WNBA should be untouchable. Everyone should bow down to the woman who made women’s basketball a commercial sport.

“This been going on, Ocho,” Sharpe told his co-host.

“If I’m Caitlin Clark, I would’ve told Skylar Diggins, ‘Get your coat, your brim, and get on out of our gym. Get your coat, your hat and leave!’… Y’all stop this foolishness,” continued Sharpe. “Y’all see the woman speed up. Y’all see her — Caitlin Clark is getting the crowd going. Y’all see Skylar Diggins speed up to make contact with her. Stop this!”

“Y’all mad because that cornfed Iowa girl busting y’all ass,” Sharpe added. “Y’all said, ‘She’s too weak. She can’t do this.’ She leads the WNBA in assists. She’s cooking — let her cook. Let her cook! Let that girl cook! She cuttin’ ass. She’s like a double-edged sword, Ocho, she cuttin’ ass left and right. … Cut ’em up!”

The “y’all” Sharpe must be referring to is veterans such as SDS who have helped grow the league exponentially over the past two decades. 

Similar to Gilbert Arenas suggesting that opposing players just allow Clark to score for the good of the league, Sharpe is suggesting players ease up on Clark as well, which is odd.

In the same breath, Sharpe praises the fact that Clark is the real deal and continues to disprove any talk about her being overhyped because she is white.

While that notion leaves room for debate, there’s no question Sharpe is Team CC.

“It ain’t hype. Y’all keep talking sh*t about the ‘Great White hype,’ Ocho. They keep talking about — ain’t no hype,” added Sharpe.

Sharpe rehashed an old comparison between Clark and Larry Bird, which TSL has also examined.

Then he stayed along racial lines and implied that other white stars in predominantly Black pro hoops such as Luka Dončić and Nikola Jokić have also been sold short but proved they are above the hype.

“Y’all said the same thing about Larry Bird,” Sharpe complained. “I remember, I’m old enough to remember. They said the same thing about Larry Bird. Ain’t nothing hype. Ain’t nothing hype about Luka (Dončić). Ain’t nothing hype about (Nikola) Jokić. I get it; we’re not used to seeing (this)… she’s saucy with that thing. Watching her in person twice — I’ve seen her against the (Las Vegas) Aces and I saw her at the All-Star Game — she is elite. She is the pinnacle at passing the basketball.”

He called her Magic Johnson with the pill. Sue Bird and Patrícia “Ticha” Nunes Penicheiro might have something to say about that, but that’s how hard Uncle Shay is going for Clark.

The Hall of Famer is going to hype everything and then say there’s no hype.

Related: “Her Teammates Have To Come To Her Defense”: Magic Johnson Says Indiana Fever Not Protecting Caitlin Clark, Says She Should Call Larry Bird For Advice”

He continues to fuel the narrative that Clark is succeeding despite the challenges and barriers and wants her to be recognized as the only relevant player in the game. At the very least, it’s most important player.

What you can’t say is that Clark has been surviving her first WNBA season alone. Whatever support she lacks on the court she gets from the fans and media two-fold.

“It Doesn’t Matter, Because It’s Just About Him” | Analysts Call Aaron Rodgers ‘Most Self-Centered Quarterbacks Of My Generation’

New York Jets fans have some real lofty expectations for their team. Jets coaches and players also believe this year will be different than the past 13 which have seen them miss the playoffs.

The biggest reasons for that are a dominant defense and the play of four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers leading the way under center. Rodgers, who played just a few downs in 2023 before tearing his Achilles, has been considered the savior since his arrival in April 2023. 

Despite his longtime stellar play on the gridiron, Rodgers doesn’t come without baggage. His style of leadership and distant demeanor with teammates have long been questioned by talking heads.

That didn’t stop the Jets, who haven’t a serviceable quarterback since Mark Sanchez back in 2009 and 2010 when he helped lead the team to back-to-back AFC Championship games, from trading for Rodgers.

Rodgers Self-Centered?

Rodgers’ self-centered and selfish ways have been a talking point since his days in Green Bay, where many times he displayed the attitude of when we win I’ll gladly take the credit, but when we lose separate me from the criticism. That hasn’t been the case much in New York with the Jets only because he was injured. He skipped Jets mandatory minicamp in June, and at the time head coach Robert Saleh said the absence was deemed unexcused. 

Upon return from his torn Achilles, Rodgers opted to spend time sipping ayahuasca as he apparently seeked a psychedelic journey.

That type of stuff has seemingly rubbed former Jets head coach Eric off Mangini the wrong way, and he recently voiced his opinion of Rodgers during an appearance on FS1’s “First Things First.” 

“The thing that you’re talking about is the greater good, and he doesn’t care. He doesn’t care about the other ten guys. He cares about himself. And with Tom Brady, Tom was coachable. Tom wanted to be coached, and even though Tom was the greatest at the position, he was open to ideas that could make him better. But for Aaron, he’s just going to do whatever he wants to do, whatever is best for him — you other 10 guys, it’s not good for you, not good for the coaching staff, not good for anybody else. It doesn’t matter, because it’s just about him.”

Mangini has some serious skeletons in his closet himself, but he isn’t the first to call out Rodgers for self-absorbed ways. But the one part that’s not really feasible is him expecting a 40-year-old QB coming off a torn Achilles to play in the preseason when most starters don’t play at all.

Shaun King Was Also Unrelenting In His Opinion Of Rodgers 

In many ways Rodgers holds the keys to the Jets future.

With the aforementioned Saleh on one of the hottest seats entering 2024, having a healthy and engaged Rodgers could go a long way in determining if ownership sees fit to bring him back for another season. Former NFL quarterback Shaun King, who was one of the most humble guys you’ll find, was recently talking heavy on the “Go Long” podcast.

“He’s become one of the most self-centered quarterbacks of my generation,” King said.

“Being so selfish that you can’t reschedule that one that a mandatory minicamp where you know there’s going to be a lot of media because you’re in New York? You know you are not going to put your head coach and your organization in a difficult spot because now they’ve got to answer questions about why you are not here? … It was just selfish of him, because he’s known what this date was,” King added.

This has long been Rodgers MO, so don’t expect him to change his ways, especially at the tail end of his career. A tiger doesn’t change its stripes, so don’t expect him to. 

Media Wants To Anoint Caitlin Clark WNBA Rookie of the Year, But Angel Reese’s Record 20th Double-Double Says They Are Still Neck and Neck

Caitlin Clark came out of the All-Star break smoking with 29 points and 10 dimes in a win over the Phoenix Mercury and then 23 more points against the Seattle Storm. 

Angel Reese had a double-double in her first game back but she shot only 4-for-13 from the floor and the Chicago Sky lost. 

As has been the case throughout the year, opinions change each day as far as who has the edge in the Rookie of the Year voting. Out of the break, Clark seemed to seize the lead with her recent performances but Reese is not going away without a fight. 

Angel Reese Smashing WNBA Records

For all of the CC praise and stats concerning her records for assists and 15/5/5 games she is recording, Reese is also breaking records still. Her 19-point, 20-rebound performance on Sunday made her the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 20 double-doubles in a single season. She also shot 8 of 16 from the floor.

Let’s not be prisoners of the moment and forget Chi Barbie’s streak of 15 consecutive double-doubles, during which she averaged 15.3 points and 13.2 rebounds per game. No WNBA player in history has ever posted such a long double-double streak.

Clark is providing the offensive punch for the Indiana Fever and is learning how to play with Chelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston. Her offense is improving, as she never lacked the green light, she just wasn’t as efficient as she’s been the last two games.

We will see if this continues, but the notion that Clark is winning the Rookie of the Year award by a landslide is a bit premature. 

This battle is really like a heavyweight fight with contrasting styles. If you look at both players through the same lense you can miss what’s really going on. 

Reese is actually killing the game and clearly proving her superiority as a rebounder, defender, leader  and post presence. 

Clark is getting up as many shots as anybody and her ball-dominance remains among the highest in the league. 

If you want a gunner who will draw the defense allowing for easy buckets for her teammates while getting 17-20 points per night, that’s CC. She’s also going to turn it over a ton.

If you value other aspects of basketball beyond offense and logo threes, then AR is your choice. 

Stephen A. Smith Says WNBA ROY Race Is Still Neck and Neck

Oddly, Stephen A. Smith has been the voice of reason coming out of the break.

While most people are ready to anoint Clark, he says the ROY race is still neck and neck when looking at it through refined basketball spectacles. 

In a segment of “The Stephen A. Smith Show” that was released on YouTube Saturday, Smith said, “Right now, Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark are neck and neck [for Rookie of the Year].

“Yeah, Caitlin Clark is 13th in the league in scoring, she’s the league leader in assists, and she also leads the league in turnovers, too,” Smith added. “Angel Reese is a walking double-double. They got an opportunity to make the playoffs, as well.”

The Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever are also close in the standings as they have been all season, fighting for the seventh and eighth playoff slots.

Despite Clarkmania, her team is very talented but still has a losing record (13-15), proof that they haven’t figured out how to maximize Clark’s production yet, so we must assume we haven’t seen nearly the best of the league’s assists leader. 

Indiana Fever Have More Talent Than Chicago Sky

The Sky have less talent than the Indiana Fever,  who have the 2023 and 2024 No. 1 overall picks leading their team. 

Rookie coach Teresa Weatherspoon has done a solid job of establishing the 11-16 Sky’s culture and working with the Twin Towers of Kamilla Cardoso and Reese.

Outside of Chennedy Carter, the Sky doesn’t have great offensive guard play, and they lack permiter shooting.

Both teams are works in progress but with bright futures. People are eager to give the Rookie of the Year award to Clark today, but just when you are ready to do it, Reese says “hold your horses I’m still in the game.”

You can’t count out any of these ladies. Both have had rookie seasons that have met and possibly even surpassed expectations. 

Biaggio Ali Walsh Dominates MMA Opponent In 55 Seconds: Grandson of Muhammad Ali and Godson Of Flavor Flav Continues Legacy Of Greatness

Muhammad Ali’s legacy lives on through his grandsons as Biaggio Ali Walsh is now the latest to step onto a combat surface.

At Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida, Ali Walsh (2-0) picked up the first stoppage of his MMA career by flooring a debuting Brian Stapleton in just 55 seconds. 

The fight served as the main card opener of 2024 PFL Playoffs 2.

Ali Walsh racked up five stoppages under the PFL banner as an amateur. His first professional bout took place in February, going the distance with Emanuel Palacio. However, he returned to his knockout ways on Friday, folding Stapleton with a vicious right hand. 

Something he picked up by watching his grandfather. 

“Stylistically, my grandfather had such a stinging jab,” Ali Walsh said in an interview with The Associated Press in 2023.

“He really used his jab to set up a bunch of stuff and I think that one of the biggest things that I pick up from him is how he sets up his right hand using his jabs, or he sets up other combos using the jab.”

That right hand has served Ali Walsh well so far. Just a side note, his godfather is Flavor Flav and he’s often at the fights rooting for Biaggio, 25, who appears to have great potential.

The son of Rasheda Ali is taking a different trek into combat than his legendary grandfather by becoming a mixed martial arts fighter. In June 2022, he strapped on the fingerless gloves for his debut fight, an amateur bout on FITE TV, where he faced Devin Rothwell at Fusion Fight League’s Rumble Under The Rim at First Interstate Arena in Billings, Montana.

He lost that grapple but has not tasted defeat since through six more amateur fights and two pro bouts.

Float Like A Butterfly. Sting Like A Bee

“I just want my grandfather’s legacy to stay in combat sports,” Ali Walsh said. “Whenever I have kids, I’m not going to ask them to do it but this is my job, this is my choice. I’m a fighter.”

Biaggio has a tattoo of a butterfly on one arm and a bee on another to honor his late grandfather’s famous phrase, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”

Ali Walsh joins his brother, Nico Ali Walsh, 22, in the family trade. Nico is already 11-1 as a professional boxer with five knockouts. He fights under the Top Rank banner and has been featured on ESPN under Top Rank’s exclusive deal and has fought on the undercard of major boxing events involving Shakur Stevenson and Vasyl Lomachenko. 

Nico won his last fight, avenging his only loss to Sona Akale on June 29 by a gutsy unanimous-decision victory, as he battled a dislocated shoulder in the six-round bout at the James L. Knight Center in Miami Beach.

Biaggio and Nico: The Ali Legacy Extension

Now his older brother, Biaggio, 25, is bucking the squared circle to jump into the cage and forge his path along the legendary Ali corridor.

“If there were two turtles fighting on TV, Nico and I would watch; we love fighting,” Biaggio continued. “We don’t train together; Nico does his own thing, and I do mine.”

Muhammad Ali was world-renowned as “The Greatest” boxer ever due to his charisma, early career success, iconic moments for the sport, and polarizing social justice and anti-war stance. Formerly known as Cassius Clay, Ali was the first Black athlete of his era to align with the Nation of Islam publicly and convert to becoming a Muslim.

As Ali’s grandkids were growing up, inevitably people would inquire about the boys’ fighting abilities. 

“People would find out who me and Nico were related to and they’d say, ‘Oh, can you fight?” Ali Walsh said. “And I’m like, ’I don’t know.’”

Combat in the ring wasn’t Biaggio’s thing. He liked to mix it up on the gridiron. He was a running back at powerhouse Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, where he scored 65 touchdowns and rushed for more than 4,500 yards on teams that went 45-0 and won three consecutive Nevada state championships from 2014-16. He then spent two seasons at California before transferring back to UNLV to play for his high school coach.

He did, however, have an idea that he could throw his hands, although his grandfather’s body was already on the way out due to his battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Ali wasn’t able to teach his grandson much as their time was spent going to dinner and the movies. 

Biaggio says he used to study old film of his grandfather’s legendary exploits and once described a situation where he discovered at a young age that he had hands too.

“He just kept running his mouth, telling me he wants to box me and stuff, ‘Ali’s grandkid, let’s box,’ and I kept saying no, no, no because I was kind of intimidated,” Biaggio said. “The dude was a senior. Like, he’s talking down on a 14-year-old. I was kind of intimidated, I don’t want to box, I’m tired. And then obviously the crowd peer pressured me, so I put the gloves on and just freaking whupped his (behind). It was fun.”

Biaggio’s attempt at MMA is impressive, considering he never even wrestled in high school and had to learn every aspect of his new sport. 

Family Ties: MMA Provides New Direction For Ali Walsh 

After his retirement, Muhammad Ali became a global symbol, and even in death, his impact on humanity transcends sports entertainment. His daughter Laila Ali, Ali Walsh’s aunt, followed her father, becoming the WBC, WBA, IWBF and IBA super middleweight champion over her undefeated career.

However, Biaggio is making his way without the guidance of his famous fighting aunt.

“Laila didn’t give me any advice, but her husband Curtis (Conway) has,” Biaggio said. “He used to be a professional football player, and that’s what I was trying to do before MMA.”

“After college football I felt very lost and didn’t like where my life was heading. Pursuing MMA makes me feel more emotionally, spiritually, physically, and mentally positive,” he added.

Related: 50 Years Ago, Muhammad Ali Was Fighting For More Than His Title

Since then, Biaggio took up residence at the Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas, training in one of the best MMA gyms in the world. It is owned by UFC Hall of Famer Randy “The Natural” Couture.

With both Nico and now Biaggio trading leather against people who are undoubtedly coming for their name, he is trying to become a champion one day while not stressing out his mother.

“She’s Trying To Get Her Husband Cut”: Fans React To Simone Biles’ “Embarrassing” Choice Of Outfit For Chicago Bears Game

Simone Biles doesn’t deserve the ribbing she’s getting on social media for wearing a Packers jacket to a Chicago Bears game, but she also has to read the room better.

The Bears and the Packers hate each other, are NFC North Division rivals with a history dating back 103 years.

The gymnast, who is married to former Packers player Jonathan Owens — who now plays for the Chicago Bears — rocked a custom jacket with Jonathan Owens’ image in a Packers uniform all over it.

Read The Room, Simone!

It didn’t look like the Chicago Bears fans were feeling the jacket once they realized it was a Packers ensemble. If Simone was trying to endear herself to Bears fans then she failed miserably, but that’s also her husband’s fault.

Where’s The New Bears jacket?

One FAcebook user blamed Owens: “How Embarrassing for Simone that her husband let her come to the game in that.”

One X user said Owens was “trying to get her husband cut” (from the Bears).

She definitely was showing support for her husband, who has had a love-hate relationship with her fans ever since he said he was “the catch” in the relationship. While Biles is probably basking in the historic glory of winning more gold medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics and establishing herself as the gymnastics GOAT, the jacket is almost a shot at Owens’ new team.

That wasn’t her intention, but social media went crazy when the video dropped.

Social Media Reacts To Simone Biles Wearing Packers Jacket To Bears Game

When your name is buzzing like Simon Biles is and you’re married to an NFL player, battling on social media with offensive people, former gymnasts trying to shade your Team USA squad and licking off at Trump’s “Black jobs” comments, all eyes are on you.

One X user gave her some grace and blamed the Chicago Bears organization for not sending a celebrity of her stature some damn team gear.

“I place the full blame on @ChicagoBears for @Simone_Biles being on the sideline at Soldier Field in a Packers jacket. Get her some Bears apparel before these people start a damn riot! 😂😂😂”

This is a rough one because it could have been avoided. Biles doesn’t seem to be into football like that, just into her husband.

Related: ‘Y’all Are Blatantly Being Disrespectful To My Relationship and My Husband’: Simone Biles Tires Of Fans’ Weird Obsession With Jonathan Owens

However, they both have to be more in tune with the atmosphere, especially concerning division rivals.

Any hint of favoring the enemy on Biles’ part can hurt Owens’ standings with the fans. In the aftermath of this total gaffe, she should have plenty of Bears gear on the way.

Angel Reese Has No Shot. Caitlin Clark’s Record-Setting Night Means The WNBA Rookie Of The Year Race Is Over

Now that the Olympics are complete the WNBA is back in full force. Things got off to a great start for 2024 No. 1 overall pick Caitlin Clark. In fact, she might have locked down the WNBA Rookie of the Year award with her latest gem performance.

The former Iowa Hawkeyes sniper led the Indiana Fever to a 98-89 win over the Phoenix Mercury. The win completed a season sweep of the Mercury by the Fever 3-0 and for all intents and purposes ended the Rookie of the Year race between Clark and rival Angel Reese. 

Clark went for 29 points (four threes), 10 assists and five rebounds, giving her 29 assists in her last two games. She had a league record 19 assists in the team’s final game before the Olympic break.

The two-game total is just one shy of the league record set by current New York Liberty floor general Courtney Vandersloot in 2020 as a member of the Chicago Sky. Clark’s performance Friday also made her the first rookie to have multiple games of 25 points, 10 rebounds and five dimes, and the first player to ever have at 50 points and 25 assists in a two-game span. 

Clark Picks Up Where She Left Off

Prior to the break Clark also had ten assists in the WNBA All-Stars’ 117-109 win over the U.S. national team. That part of Clark’s game was overlooked when she arrived in Indiana, which is odd because all she did was lead the entire nation in both scoring and assists. In the win Clark also became the first rookie to score at least 450 points while dishing out over 200 assists. She’s just the sixth player to do so in WNBA history. 

Stats like that scream Rookie of the Year, and when you factor in that the Fever won just 13 games all of last season, and have 12 wins with 13 games left it proves that she’s affected winning more than any other rookie. 

Fever Own Mercury

It’s funny how the tables turn. Not long ago Mercury superstar Diana Taurasi told Clark “that reality was coming” as she watched the women’s Final Four. Yup, she wasn’t lying, but the reality she was speaking of wasn’t Clark being 3-0 versus her team and being the best overall player in those wins. 

Related: “You Look Super Human Playing Against 18-Year-Olds”| While 19,000 Swarm To See Caitlin Clark Practice, WNBA Legend Diana Taurasi Sends Warning Shots

She’s averaged 22 points, 12 assists and 7 rebounds per game in those three wins, with the biggest coming in a 88-82 road win in late June where the Fever overcame a 15-point deficit to win. 

Following Friday’s win Clark reiterated what that June victory meant to the Fever going forward.

“One of our biggest wins of the season was our first win at Phoenix,” she said. “That kind of boosted us into how we’re playing basketball right now. We have a lot of respect for how they play the game and how talented they are, and I think that have us confidence.”

It sure has the Fever are now (5-3) since and (11-7) since June 1st. Angel Reese is still a double-double machine, but she has some work to do to keep up with Clark.

“You Average Five Points A Game. Shut The Hell Up” | Charles Barkley Comes For Kendrick Perkins’ NBA Career Over Team USA Basketball Dispute

One week after Team USA completed its mission of capturing its fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal, there is still a lot of chatter about how they did so.

Winning the gold in Paris was no easy feat, in fact it took a 17-point comeback against a game and very savvy Serbia squad in the semifinals to even reach the gold medal matchup against host nation France. 

While the team didn’t pull away in that one either (winning 98-87) behind the magic of Steph Curry, they were able to hold off the Victor Wembanyama-led French team.

Overall, Team USA’s effort throughout totality of the tournament wasn’t nearly as dominant as many believed it would be. One person who wasn’t impressed by their performance was NBA legend Charles Barkley. 

Barkley And Perkins Trade Barbs

When the always outspoken Barkley mentioned that the team shouldn’t have any trouble in the Olympics, there were many who agreed. NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins wasn’t on board with the 1993 NBA MVP’s proclamation, calling it “asinine.” Perkins used the fact that the world had gotten better as a whole, and this in his opinion wasn’t the strongest Team USA squad. 

In retrospect, Perkins was correct, and during an appearance on the “Dan Le Batard Show,” Barkley had a verdict about Big Perk when asked about their back-and-forth. 

“Don’t bring up a guy who averaged five points a game,” Barkley said. “I’m not going to stoop to his level. You average five points a game. Shut the hell up.”

This spat between Barkley and Perkins is the latest in a beef between the two former NBA big men, and from the sounds of it Barkley isn’t interested in going back and forth with a former player who was nowhere near the player he was. And if we’re being truthful, he’s also not in the same ballpark as Barkley as an analyst either. 

Gold Medal Or Bust

Not only did Barkley believe that Team USA should dominate the competition, he went as far as to say if they didn’t complete the mission they should stay in France. During an appearance on “Podcast P with Paul George,” Barkley expounded on what he meant.

“Listen, if they lose we can’t let them back in in the country. We can’t. I told them they can’t come back. I mean, because with the team we got, I mean, it’s no excuse for us to lose the gold medal. All they got to do is go out there and play hard, play unselfish, because that’s really the key.”

Going against that winning formula is what almost cost them in the semifinals against Serbia, but the brilliance of Curry, LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant overcome a 13-point fourth quarter deficit to win 95-91. 

“James … KD, That Can’t Stand Any Criticism Without Responding”: NBA Player Josh Hart Childishly Wanted Noah Lyles To Lose In Olympics

The frosty relationship between NBA players and Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles continues. 

On the “Roommates” podcast alongside his college and pro teammate Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart admitted that he is a patriot to the core but couldn’t bring himself to root for a guy that tried to demean the NBA championship trophy and NBA players. 

“I feel like for most of these Olympics, I was very patriotic, I wanted Team USA to win gold in almost every event,” Hart began. Before Hart could continue, Brunson interjected, initially playing the role of peacemaker before displaying elite instigation skills.  

“You can save yourself and just let it slide,” Brunson said. “Just keep it pushing, bro, there’s no reason … But if you were going to continue your statement, what would you have said?”

As Brunson egged him on, Hart’s blood started racing like it was fourth quarter down two. 

“I really wanted him to lose,” the gritty New York Knicks guard said. “I really wanted him to lose, boy. I feel like this was the first time all of NBA Twitter, like, banded together and was just hating. I was just hating and then I’m just like, ‘Damn, you know what, respect.’ I can’t even hate anymore.”

Hart didn’t use Lyles’ name directly but the clip shown by the podcast features photos of Lyles as Hart goes in on him. 

Hart respects Lyles for winning the gold in the 100 meters in Paris via photo finish and claiming the fastest man in the world title. However, there is a legion of NBA players from Anthony Edwards to Kevin Durant who probably wanted Lyles to fall on his face. 

Sports Civil War: NBA vs. Track Star Noah Lyles

In August 2023, Lyles directly targeted the NBA last year by saying that the winner of the NBA Finals was not deserving of the title “world champions.” There was another round of ire for Lyles earlier this month as well after a swipe that he took at Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards went viral. 

While expressing his frustration about being unable to secure his own shoe deal despite having Olympic and world success, Lyles pointed out that Edwards has not even been to an NBA Finals.

Then he didn’t show up at the party for Antman’s shoe release and rumors swirled that he didn’t show up because he thought Edwards didn’t deserve it. 

“You want to do what?” Lyles said at the time. “You want to invite me to [an event for] a man who has not even been to an NBA Finals? In a sport that you don’t even care about? And you’re giving him a shoe?

“No disrespect, the man is an amazing athlete. He is having a heck of a year. I love that they saw the insight to give him a shoe, because they saw that he was going to be big. All I’m asking is, ‘How could you not see that for me?’”

That stirred the pot more, and by the time the Olympics were in full swing, Lyles had some NBA guys from his own country praying for his downfall. 

Hart was one of them.  

NBA champions Kevin Durant and Aaron Gordon also had a mouthful in retaliation. As did now-two-time Olympic gold medalist Devin Booker.

Lyles’ perceived attempt to degrade the achievements of NBA players made him an enemy of NBA fans on social media, as Hart mentioned. That probably will never change. He’s not backing down either.

Are NBA Players Being Babies about Noah Lyles Comments?

There are some fans who don’t take the ire of NBA players over Lyles’ comments seriously. They believe it’s childish and just entitled NBA players whining. 

One social media user, Jim, said: 

“So the NBA players really want to lower themselves to the same level? James, the ‘Chosen One’, KD that can’t stand any criticism without responding to everyone on every forum, Joel who wants to blast the French after they embraced him early in his career. The list could go on and on how the basketball players have boosted their ‘greatness’!. Look in the mirror before you sound off. Lyles competes against the World’s best almost every meet he is in, the NBA has more than its shares of the Detroit Pistons (level of teams). Basketball is a more popular sport, but Lyles’ competition is more intense and one minor mistake could result in him losing.”

Somewhere along the line, Lyles’ comments about NBA players not being world champions because they only compete internationally for a few games every four years on the Olympic stage and maybe a few FIBA tournaments here and there, has turned into a battle of which sport has the best athletes.

Egos get involved and then we have players in the Olympics rooting for their home country’s elite athletes to fail. Seems kind of silly, but so were Lyles’ comments. He definitely didn’t read the room or simply think that he should support his fellow American athletes. He wanted smoke when there were no matches or gasoline to light a fire.

Maybe one day Noah Lyles and the NBA will get together and quash this once and for all. 

‘Her Physical Characteristics Don’t Represent Majority Of Italians’: Mural Celebrating Gold Medal-Volleyball Legend Paolo Egonu Vandalized, Her Black Skin Painted Pink

Even the highest level of achievement and patriotism doesn’t sway the hearts of racists in Italy to support accomplished Olympians of color. 

Two years after Italian volleyball player Paola Egonu stepped down from the national volleyball team after racial abuse on social media overwhelmed her, she has become the target of racism once again following her leading Italy to the country’s first-ever gold medal in Paris. 

Italian Volleyball Star Paola Egonu Subject Of Racism Within Her Own Country

Egonu, a 25-year-old Italian citizen, was born in Padu, Italy, to Nigerian parents, but she’s been dealing with European ignorance despite bringing her country great pride in competition. 

A mural celebrating the Italian Olympic volleyball champion has become the target of “vulgar racism” after the athlete’s skin in the image was spray-painted pink.

According to reports, the mural by the street artist Laika was defaced within 24 hours of being unveiled Monday across from the Italian National Olympic Committee headquarters near the Olympic stadium in Rome.

The mural depicted Egonu in full flight, spiking a volleyball bearing the words “Stop racism, hate, xenophobia, ignorance.” The words were also erased by the vandals, who are yet to be identified.

Egonu Lost Defamation Suit Against European Parliament member Roberto Vannacci

In June, Egonu lost a defamation lawsuit against European Parliament member Roberto Vannacci, a former army general who is a member of Matteo Salvini’s right-wing League party, who had said in a best-selling book that even though Egonu was “Italian by citizenship … her physical features” did not “represent Italianness”.

Egonu Helps Paris Win First Olympic Volleyball Gold In Country’s History

After the Italian team took gold at the Paris Olympics, beating the U.S. 3-0 in the final, Vannacci couldn’t wait to spoil the moment and double down on his claim, telling Italian media outlets: “I am very happy that the Italian volleyball team won and I congratulate all the athletes, especially Paola Egonu, who is a very talented athlete.

“I have never questioned her Italian-ness,” he added, “but I want to point out again that her physical characteristics do not represent the majority of Italians.”

Vannacci, who was elected to the European Parliament in May with the backing of Italy’s far right, reiterated his view on Sunday after Egonu emerged as the top scorer in the women’s volleyball final against the USA.

Despite Vannacci’s racial attack on a gem of his country, the defacing of the mural was widely condemned by politicians and government affiliates from across the country. 

Antonio Tajani, Italy’s deputy prime minister, said: “I want to express solidarity with Paola Egonu and the most total disdain for this serious gesture of vulgar racism.”

Italy’s tourism minister, Daniela Santanchè, also commented on X, writing: “It is sad to have to give visibility to the cowardly gesture of those who defaced the mural of the splendid Paola Egonu, but every form of racism must be denounced and fought.“

Rome’s mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, responded to the vandalism on X writing: 

“The act of vandalism on the work depicting Paola Egonu is simply intolerable.”

“It is an insult to a great Italian who brought the colors of our country to the top of the world and to a committed artist. It is sad to note that in 2024 there are still racists, prisoners of their own ignorance who think they can turn back the hands of history.”

Children born in Italy to foreign parents can only apply from the age of 18, which puts a target on their backs. They are immediately ostracized and demeaned because their parents weren’t born in Italy. It’s an outdated policy that creates division and a feeling of inferiority that suppresses greatness. 

Simone Giannelli, a member of the Italian men’s volleyball team, said the vandals were “heartless, without dignity and without humanity”.

It’s just a shame that the racism towards Egonu has been fueled by someone in a respected position within the Italian community. To disparage her appearance because she doesn’t look like his version of an Italian and for Vannacci to keep repeating it despite her high standing and positive contributions to society just shows how corrupt and archaic the government and military in Italy remains. 

This kind of blatant colorism and implication that Black features are less authentic or valued is inexcusable. 

In 2022, Egonu took a break from the national team after receiving racial abuse online following Italy’s defeat to Brazil in the World Championship semifinals. “Reading those things and hearing them made me doubt myself more. And the worst one was, ‘Is she Italian?’ I was devastated,” she later said in an interview with Al Jazeera.

Elly Schlein, the leader of the opposition Democratic party, said: “Racism is disgusting and must be countered.” 

She continues to devote her resources and energy to fighting for a change in legislation that would grant citizenship at birth to children born in Italy to foreign parents, regardless of their parents’ citizenship. A move such as that is a step in the right direction and would also bring Italy up to date and in line with other European states.

“That’s Not Something To Make Light Of” | Why Robert Griffin’s Connection To And Defense Of FSU Played A Role In Shocking Firing At ESPN

Former No. 2 overall pick and 2012 NFL Rookie of the Year, Robert Griffin III showed some real promise in his post NFL career.

The former Heisman Trophy winner hit the road running as an analyst on ESPN. Griffin was so good that in 2022 the network even made him a part of their “Monday Night Football” coverage. In May it was announced that Griffin would be replaced in that role by the recently retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce. 

Maybe that was the writing on the wall for the can’t-miss product in the booth, whose audition for the position is considered one of the best the network has seen.

RG3 Out At ESPN

Fast-forward three months later, and surprisingly Griffin is out completely at the network. On Thursday, ESPN announced that he and Samantha Ponder had both been fired in a cost-cutting move. Both reportedly raked in seven-figure salaries, and the move closes out the fiscal year. 

Money Not Only Reason For Firing. FSU Connection Likely Played A Role

The Florida State Seminoles with a 13-0 record were left out of the College Football Playoff last season. That didn’t sit well with many football analysts and Griffin is one of those folks. The former dynamic dual-threat recently ranted on X about FSU’s College Playoff snub.

“Anyone who is throwing shade at or trying to take cheap shots at Florida State for being left out of the College Football Playoff last year must be out of touch with reality. FSU wasn’t a team that was left out because they lost a game down the stretch. They are a team that were kept out because their starting quarterback fractured his ankle. THAT’S NOT SOMETHING TO MAKE LIGHT OF.”

RG3 and Paul Finebaum Had Beef?

Griffin’s comments, while not directed at anyone in particular, ignited a quick response from ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum, who’s also known as the “mouth of the South.” Finebaum even took things further, proclaiming that the Seminoles have cried way too long, and 2024 will end with them not qualifying for the playoffs and finishing the season unranked. WOW. 

Griffin’s rant in some ways could’ve been taken as a shot at his employer, who definitely plays a role in what the committee ultimately decides.

The network has held exclusive right to the semifinals and championship game since the inception of the format in 2014. 

Guilty By Association?

Griffin’s wife Grete is a former FSU track and field star who’s provided unwavering support of her alma mater in the aftermath of being left of last season’s festivities despite being an undefeated Power Five champion. As for the aforementioned Ponder, the now-former host of “NFL Countdown” is the wife of former Seminoles signal-caller and former NFL first-round pick Christian Ponder. 

Griffin’s Fallout Was Quick

Not long ago Griffin was considered a rising superstar in the business, but over the past year his stock seemingly plummeted. Prior to his joining ESPN, he also had Fox Sports beating down his door in hopes of adding him to their network. Now, three years later, he’s a free agent, they’re saying it’s about money, but the coincidence with firing him and Ponder makes that hard to believe. 

“Women’s Clothes, Drugs, You Name It … They Set Me Up”: Oscar De La Hoya Explains To Uncle Shay Shay Why He Took Those Surprising Photos In Fishnets and Heels 15 Years Ago

The infamous photos of Mexican-American boxing icon and entrepreneur Oscar De La Hoya wearing fishnet panty hose, heels while posing in boxing gloves and also posing seductively in the bathtub, is a sight most fans either want to forget or will never forget.

For years that photo, sold by a woman to the tabloids, created a narrative around De La Hoya that he was possibly gay or at the very least a cross-dresser, although his close friends and opponents such as Sugar Shane Mosley denied it, as has De La Hoya.

De La Hoya Clears Air On Cross Dressing Photo With Shannon Sharpe

De La Hoya recently became the next celebrity to take the coach and share a cognac on the award-winning “Uncle Shay Shay” podcast.

Shannon asked De La Hoya, “Why you let them snap that picture 15 years ago?”

” I was drugged up,” De La Hoya responded. “I was drugged up.”

“I didn’t even know it.”

“You didn’t know you put the panty hose on?” Shannon asked.

Have you ever tried it?” the champ asked Sharpe.

“Hell nah,” Shannon replied, “I ain’t never gonna try it either.”

“Are you sure? Are you sure?” De La Hoya jokingly asked. “OK, think about it, to get those panty hose on, goddammit, it would take like two hours. Sober.”

Shannon looked on confused, so De La Hoya elaborated a bit.

“I’ve talked about this a lot in my documentary too. I’m open about it. … I was getting with bad people this and that. Two women come in my room with a suitcase and that’s all I remember. and after that I woke up the next day.”

Shannon asked, “What was in the suitcase?”

“Women’s clothes, drugs, you name it,” De La Hoya said. “They set me up, but it’s OK, it happens, so what.”

How convenient that Oscar doesn’t remember anything after the women entered with the women’s clothes, except what was inside of it. Feels like he’s leaving some information out.

Of course, social media had a field day in the comment section. Nobody brings the gossip heat like Uncle Shay these days. You always find out something cringy that alters your perception of the celebrity you once had high regard for.

Nobody’s blaming De La Hoya for being set up or drugged if that’s what he’s implying, but he still has not directly answered why he was wearing those fishnets and why the women brought them in the room.

Some X users blamed it on the drugs.

Others are still holding onto the possibility that De La Hoya’s private lifestyle got exposed and anything he says now is damage control.

One X user took it there, tweeting, “Bruh definitely went to a Diddy party”

Shannon Sharpe isn’t the first host with the guts to ask De La Hoya about that forgettable moment in his legacy.

Uncle Shay Shay Not First To Ask De La Hoya About Fishnets and Heels

DJ Envy and Charlamagne interviewed the champ in 2017 on “The Breakfast Club.”

“What the hell were you doing?” Charlamagne asked.

The question appeared to catch De La Hoya a little off guard, but he didn’t shy away from answering it.

It was just a bad time in my life,” De La Hoya said. “Bad time in my life. It was one of those times where it’s like you sometimes lose your identity when you retire. You hear about all these athletes and actors and this and that and they lose themselves and this and that. ‘What do I do now? Who am I now?’ I was in a bad place, a really bad place.

“But I’m actually glad that I was able to bring myself back to the light,” he continued. “Because there’s a lot of people who just cannot come back to the light. There’s tons of them. There’s a lot of sad cases that take place. You hear about it every single day, famous people and just average Joes in the street.

“It’s sad. It’s heartbreaking. It’s tough to be out there and be a celebrity and be a famous person, whatever, with money and this and that. It’s tough when you lose your identity. How do you bring it back? How do you gather yourself back and correct yourself and go down that correct path once again? That was the toughest fight of my life,” he added.

It didn’t affect De La Hoya in the long run and his career elevated from there. Golden Boy Promotions is a juggernaut in the boxing world. He has his own show in Spanish on HBO and his empire is worth $200 million. It’s safe to say he’s recovered from whatever drama that now iconic and cringy photo caused.

“This Isn’t Adding Up, The Hate Is So Obvious”: Did Chennedy Carter’s Firestorm Shove Of Caitlin Clark Affect Her ESPN Top 25 WNBA Players Ranking?  

Chennedy Carter has blossomed as a go-to scorer on a young Chicago Sky team battling with Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever for WNBA playoff spots. 

Carter isn’t one to back down from the action. Her history, which includes being a current teammate of Angel Reese and her alleged cheap shot and taunting of Caitlin Clark back in June, has made her a villain to the Caitlin Clark fans.   

Chennedy Carter Not Happy About Ranking 24th On ESPN’s WNBA Top 25 Player’s List

With the second half of the WNBA season about to pop off, Kennedy’s mouth is doing the same concerning ESPN’s rankings of the WNBA’s 25 best players, which had her ranked 24th in the league. 

It’s a strong list. There are some great players and to be top 25 out of 144 players in the most competitive women’s pro league on earth is not bad. But Chennedy, like most elite players, has an enormous ego.

In an Instagram story, Carter expressed clear disagreement with her placement on the list. 

“How do I average less minutes and my stats top in the league? But I am at the BOTTOM this isn’t adding up, the hate is so obvious,” she wrote. “F/G (field goal) percentage as well.” 

The list had Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson ranked at the top of the list with the New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart coming in second. 

Caitlin Clark Ranked 9 Spots Ahead Of Chennedy Carter

What really ticked Carter off was the fact that Indiana Fever rookie phenom Caitlin Clark, who Carter held to a career-low three-points in one of their matchups in early June, ranked 15th. 

Carter isn’t lying when she says she averages fewer minutes per game than many of the players above her on the list, including Clark. 

Carter has averaged just 25.1 minutes per game, which is the fewest of any player in the WNBA’s top 33 players in points per game this year and fewer than any player higher than her on the list.

Despite her limited minutes, Carter is plenty efficient, averaging 17.2 points per game, which is -0.1 points more than Clark who is always on the court and among league leaders in minutes played and usage. 

In addition, Carter’s 51.8 field goal percentage is also the sixth-best of any player on ESPN’s list. Clark just recently got her field goal percentage above 40 percent. 

Wilson, Team USA 3×3 bronze medalist Dearica Hamby and Nneka Ogwumike are the only players scoring at a more efficient rate among players in the top 12 in points per game.

Chennedy Carter Isn’t As Popular As Caitlin Clark But Just As Resilient

Carter isn’t the household name that many of the players ranked above her have become, but she is clearly one of the most resilient WNBA players. 

No one knew what to expect when Carter made her return to the WNBA following a one-year hiatus from the league. As a young up and coming star nicknamed “Hollywood” Carter split with Atlanta after alleged playing time tiffs and locker room disputes. Within five weeks of playing with the Los Angeles Sparks, Carter was benched after becoming the youngest player in WNBA history with a 30-point game. 

She was also playing for Bursa, a Turkish women’s professional basketball team, in early 2023 and averaged 23.9 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds. Killing.

Next thing you know, she was out of the league as the Sparks waived her that March. 

Chennedy Carter Has Blossomed With Chicago Sky Under Teresa Weatherspoon

That was a time of reflection that didn’t last too long. Carter signed a training camp contract and accepted a bench role with the 2024 Chicago Sky, but that didn’t last long as Weatherspoon discovered she is all the dog you could ask for. 

But Carter hasn’t minded putting herself at the center of controversy. She represents the hard-nosed guard play that first-year rookie coach Teresa Witherspoon promotes while building her team culture. 

In the postgame news conference after her confrontation with Clark that drove Team CC crazy and made Chennedy another villain in the Angel Reese vein, with fans calling for suspensions and expulsions from the league, Carter refused to answer for the incident at the but used her social media to repeatedly lick shots at Clark.

Carter has consistently liked posts that were negative about Clark and suggested that Clark is a flopper. She also loves to engage with Clark’s rabid fan base. 

“Troll notifications blowing up. I love it,” Carter wrote on X.

Carter loves the attention. She craves it and that year away from the game has taught her to embrace whatever may come. 

Carter even went so far as to diminish Clark’s basketball skills beyond 3-point shooting.

“That’s that on that, cause beside 3-point shooting what does she bring to the table man,” Carter wrote in reply to a post about her postgame press conference on Threads.

Carter definitely shouldn’t be nine spots behind Clark in the rankings, but the popularity of Clark will always boost her game performance in the eyes of fans and media who were never previously interested in the WNBA before the arrival of this year’s rookie class. 

Also, Clark is known for putting up long-range threes, taking more than eight per game in the first half of the season. Carter’s game is more old school, going hard to the rack, beating opponents off the dribble, being strong on both ends of the court and executing a smooth midrange game. 

Related: ‘Another White Girl Playing A Black Sport With A Shoe Deal:’  UConn Star Paige Bueckers Set To Sign Massive Deal With Nike As College Player

Carter’s game has been underrated, and her coach has managed her minutes in a way that she can help harness Carter’s emotions while maximizing her incredible potential on the floor. 

The fourth-year player out of Texas A&M, drafted with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA fraft by the Atlanta Dream, has finally found a home in Chicago. The city, coach and team embody everything Carter is about. She’s blossoming under Weatherspoon and will undoubtedly move up this list as Chicago continues to form a strong roster and rise among teams in the WNBA. 

“He’s Considering It”: Jim Harbaugh’s Coaching Offer To Colin Kaepernick Misses On Why It’s So Important For The ‘Blackballed’ Quarterback To Play Again

Colin Kaepernick, now 36 years old, has been outcast from the NFL since 2016, when on-field demonstrations to bring attention to police brutality and social injustice created a firestorm of controversy.

Kneeling for the anthem became the contentious, racially and politically driven centerpiece distorting his larger goal, which was to unite and improve the country using his platform as a star quarterback.  

NFL Owners Don’t Want Kaepernick Back On Field

Kaepernick has never had a real opportunity to get back behind center. If he was going to return to the league in any capacity it would be under an eccentric coach with great power and autonomy in decision-making and a personal relationship with Kaepernick that would bring him in. 

Jim Harbaugh immediately fit that role when he assumed the head coach job of the Los Angeles Chargers. Harbaugh was the guy who originally realized Kaepernick’s potential and the two rode their chemistry to the Super Bowl four years prior to all hell breaking loose. 

Kaepernick sued the league in 2019 for collusion and received an undisclosed settlement as a result of the case, which seemed like an end to the saga. Or so some hoped. 

There hasn’t been any movement on the 36-year-old Kaepernick, who still wants to play QB in the NFL, getting an opportunity behind center, but Harbaugh did address the possibility of bringing in the intelligent QB as a coach.  

In speaking with Jarrett Bell of USA TODAY, Harbaugh discussed having Kaepernick with the Chargers but in the capacity of a coach, rather than as a player. Harbaugh goes as far as to say Kaep is “considering it”. 

“If that was ever the path he was to take, I think that would be tremendous. He’d be a tremendous coach, if that’s the path he chose.”

Harbaugh went as far as to admit that he has discussed a coaching gig with the former dual-threat dynamo turned social activist. 

“Yeah, we talked a little bit about it,” Harbaugh said. “He’s considering it. He was out of the country. He said he was going to get back to me. We haven’t reconnected since then. That was early, early in the year.”

Jim Harbaugh Officially Offer Colin Kaepernick A Job On Coaching Staff

Latest reports say Harbaugh has officially offered Kaepernick a coaching position on his staff with the Los Angeles Chargers, according to Bell. 

This would set the stage for a remarkable return to the NFL, something many people who felt Kaepernick was “blackballed” from the league for his beliefs, have been waiting for. The way his entire ordeal worked out, with the NFL basically paying him to go away, left a bad taste in the mouths of many fans who felt he should have gotten another shot in the league. 

His only crime was utilizing his rights as an American citizen and disrupting the football season, in the minds of some.   

For those reasons, many have considered Kaepernick to be “blackballed” from the league but he has always maintained that he would like another shot at playing as he told Sky Sports in an interview last week. So, he might not even desire a coaching gig at this point. 

Colin Kaepernick Still Wants To Play

The way his football career was snatched from him while at its peak for standing up for injustice in this country has got to leave a bad taste in Kaep’s mouth, regardless of the legal victories, humanitarian and justice awards and recognitions he has enjoyed in the aftermath.

He will never have closure as an elite player or as a competitor if he doesn’t get one more shot to prove he can still play. The NFL basically made sure that never happened.

“We’re still training, still pushing,” Kaepernick told Sky Sports News. “So hopefully. We’ve just got to get one of these team owners to open up.

“It’s something I’ve trained my whole life for, so to be able to step back on the field, I think that would be a major moment, a major accomplishment for me. I think I could bring a lot to a team and help them win a championship.”

Kaepernick spent six years with the San Francisco 49ers, helping them to their first Super Bowl since 1994 during the 2012 season, and Harbaugh has said he recognizes the quarterback as a hero. 

Kaepernick returning to the NFL as a coach definitely doesn’t have the same significance or symbolism as him being on the field, behind center. That is the only vindication that plenty of people think would make things right. Others of course, will probably rehash old misinterpretations of “wokism”, “divisiveness” and “disruption” and disrespect to the flag, but like Jay-Z once said, “we’re past kneeling” at this point. 

Therefore, anybody that is anti-Kaep should be past it as well.

Twenty Broken Ribs, Lacerated Liver and Bruised Vital Organs: Former NFL Player Cierre Wood Sentenced to Life In Prison For Murdering 5-Year-Old La’Ryah Davis

Sometimes you have to lock ’em up and throw away the key when the crime is so heinous that there is no rehabilitation for such an act. 

Former NFL and Canadian Football League running back Cierre Wood was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors over the April 2019 death of his girlfriend’s 5-year-old daughter in his Las Vegas apartment, according to a report.

Cierre Wood Sentenced To Life In Prison For Murder Of 5-Year-Old La’Ryah Davis

Wood, 33, was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole after 10 years after he pleaded guilty in April to second-degree murder and felony child abuse. 

Some feel the punishment is not enough.

Per the AP, Clark County District Court Judge Jacqueline Bluth ordered that Wood also serve between 28 months and six years for the felony child abuse charge, served consecutively.

Wood, who played for the University of Notre Dame before brief NFL stints with three teams and in the Canadian Football league, was given a life term with the possibility of parole after 10 years for the murder charge. 

What Caused Death Of La’Ryah Davis?

La’Ryah Davis’ body was found unresponsive at her mother’s home on April 9, 2019. She later died in the hospital from a combination of brutal injuries. She had at least 100 bruises on her body, 20 broken ribs, a lacerated liver and contusions on other vital organs, authorities said.

La’Ryah and her mother Amy Taylor moved in with Wood only a few weeks prior to her death. 

Before her death, according to a police report at the time, Wood forced La’Ryan to “run sprints in the apartment, do sit-ups and wall squats” because he thought she was overweight.

In June 2019, Wood and Taylor were indicted on murder and 20 felony child abuse charges.

Police said back in 2019 that Wood told them he was “trying to get her on the right path due to her being chunky,’ News 3 reported.

Court records show that the child’s mother, Amy Taylor, 31, was not a victim in the disgusting turn of events. The police report also claimed that Taylor once sat on her daughter’s chest and stomach as a form of punishment. 

She also pleaded guilty earlier this year to second-degree murder and felony child abuse as part of a deal with prosecutors.

How Badly Did Cierre Wood and Amy Taylor Abuse La’Ryah Davis?

An autopsy conducted by the Clark County Coroner’s Office determined the 5-year-old had suffered a lacerated liver, broken ribs and “multiple skull contusions” at the time of her death. 

In addition to the murder, Judge Jacqueline Bluth also ordered Wood to serve between 28 months and six years for the child abuse charge, to be served consecutively.

Related: Former NFL Player Pastor Ducks Police While 14-Year-Old Son’s Been Missing For 11 Days: Indiana State Police Suspect Daniel Muir Of Child Abuse And Foul Play

“Your heart absolutely breaks, and you think, ‘how can somebody be so cruel?’” Chief Deputy District Attorney Dena Rinetti said, via the Review-Journal.

According to a copy of the plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed the remaining felony counts of child abuse that they initially had filed against Wood. He entered what is known as an Alford plea, a formal admission of guilt in criminal court that allows a defendant to still claim innocence.

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