Since arriving at USC in February 2022, reigning Heisman Trophy winner and projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft Caleb Williams has done nothing but dazzle.
The former five-star recruit and No. 1-ranked quarterback prospect in the 2020 recruiting class has carried a Trojans football team that can’t stop anyone defensively.
In Caleb’s 22 starts the team is 17-5, with three of those losses coming at the hands of the Utah Utes, who defeated them 34-32 on Saturday, giving USC their second consecutive loss and for all intents and purposes ending any chance at the College Football Playoff.
The loss along with Mahomes’ pretty average performance for the second straight week, by his standards, also hurts any chance of him becoming just the second player to win two Heisman Trophies.
These developments have a certain Fox Sports NFL analyst saying Williams should shut it down and prepare for the NFL draft.
Is he serious?
Emmanuel Acho Advises Williams To Shut It Down
In a tweet following the Trojans loss, Acho, who’s very opinionated as seen on FS1’s “Speak,” said this:
“With National Championships hopes gone, Caleb Williams should consider sitting out the rest of the season. The Heisman is a long shot, CFB Playoffs are even less likely, and he won’t play in the bowl game. The risk of playing FAR outweighs the reward. Business decision.”
Acho is saying the likelihood of Williams playing in a meaningless bowl game is highly unlikely. So, at this point the only thing that can happen is he gets hurt and costs himself some money.
Acho’s take is valid to an extent, but Williams and his dad are on record saying it’s no guarantee that he’s going to enter the 2024 NFL draft, if the wrong team lands the top overall pick.
Lincoln Riley And Trojans Have Done Nothing To Help Williams
In two seasons with Williams under center the Trojans have been awful defensively, and despite putting up crazy offensive numbers, it hasn’t netted a conference championship or CFP spot. Many weeks Williams has had to outscore the opponent because the Trojans can’t get a stop on the defensive side of the football.
Instead of addressing the failures of the defense as a whole, Riley instead consistently makes excuses and diverts blame as to why they’re underachieving so badly on defense. Riley has often said that his guys don’t “come in every week talking about a national championship.” But he must remember he’s the guy who said he didn’t leave Oklahoma “to play for second.”
Sounds pretty contradictory when you think about it, but no matter how you spin it, the Trojans and Riley have wasted a generational talent at QB the past two seasons.
In the end, what Caleb will do remains to be seen. We’ll be waiting to see if he bails on his teammates or sticks it out.
Victor Wembanyama is the latest sensation in the NBA. His selection by the San Antonio Spurs as the first pick of the first round came with all the hype, and now fans are basking in the glow of the 7-foot-4 power forward/center’s potential.
The Golden State Warriors felt the new Wemby effect when they fell to the Spurs 122-117 to finish the preseason 4-1. Victor Wembanyama led all scorers with 19 points and added four rebounds and five blocks through three quarters.
Wembanyama has been meeting the expectations in his first NBA preseason as the 19-year-old headed into the game, averaging 19.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, and 1.0 steals in only 20.9 minutes per game. The Warriors had the “diminutive” 6-foot-3 Stephen Curry covering him immediately during the jump ball, which was a physical and visual mismatch.
Steve Kerr had some words about his friend and opposing coach Gregg Popovich. According to Tom Orsborne of the San Antonio Express, after “having had several conversations with (Kerr) lately says, ‘Pop is bouncing off the walls’ about having Wemby and the prospects of winning again. ‘He’s really excited.’ Said it was fun for him developing young guys, but as a fierce competitor is ready for winning.”
When a reporter asked Popovich before Friday’s preseason Spurs-Warriors finale who he felt about Kerr saying his former coach seems “rejuvenated” since the draft Kerr’s words seemingly did not go over well with Pop.
“What was I being rejuvenated from? Was I in a mental institution?” Popovich jokingly retorted. “Was I depressed and curled up in my bedroom or something?… Steve’s an a*****e.”
Popovich is never one to hold his tongue, and although the statement was partially in jest, it is clear Pop wants no part of any criticism of his post-Tim Duncan and Tony Parker to Wemby years. However, Pop, who has had some of the best big men ever to play the game, knows exactly how to categorize his latest weapon in the royalty section.
“This guy [Victor Wembanyama] has had that hype for so long, kind of like LeBron [James] did. I compare him more to LeBron [James] than those two guys in that respect”, Popovich said to Orsborne.”
Steve Kerr and Gregg Popovich might have traded friendly barbs, but make no mistake, Popovich is excited for Wembymania.
NBA legend and future Basketball Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony enjoyed an amazing basketball career. The ten-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA selection who was a scoring threat from all three levels on the floor finished his NBA career with 28,289 points. Anthony played 20 NBA seasons before retiring in May of this year.
But, prior to his illustrious NBA career, Anthony embarked on a one-year college journey to Syracuse. There, Melo was the key piece in a national title run that netted former legendary Orangemen head coach Jim Boeheim his lone national championship.
Now, Melo’s legacy, son Kiyan, a 2025 four-star recruit who’s the No. 41-ranked recruit in the class and one of the top shooting guards in the class is taking his official visit to dad’s alma mater. Kiyan, the 6-foot-4 junior guard who plays for Long Island Lutheran High School, has blossomed into a really solid player that has schools chomping at the bit to add his services, but many believe “The Cuse” are the leaders in the clubhouse.
News broke of Kiyan’s parents, the aforementioned Carmelo and La La having breakfast at the popular Rise N Shine Diner in Syracuse. That turned out to be true as the two celebrities posed with the restaurant’s staff for pics before departing.
Restaurant owner Danielle Mercuri took to Instagram to thank them for patronizing her establishment.
“When @carmeloanthony and @lala come to town they Rise N Shine!! Thank you so much for stopping in!! Hope to see you all soon!!”
If Kiyan follows in his dad’s footsteps, as many believe he will, the diner will likely see a lot more of both Carmelo and La La.
In a very short span Kiyan has accrued 17 offers, which include the likes of Syracuse, Florida State, Maryland, Michigan, Indiana and a host of others.
The rangy sharpshooter is the No. 1-ranked player in the state of New York. He was also recently one of the 84 players invited to participate in the the Team USA basketball minicamp.
LuHi head coach John Buck had this to say about his star player.
“You can tell he’s learned the game at an advanced level.”
When your dad is an NBA legend who’s working with you that comes with the territory.
Saturday’s top-10 battle between Big Ten East rivals Ohio State and Penn State was a slugfest that the No. 3 Buckeyes won 20-12. The game was a defensive battle in which the Buckeyes did just enough to defeat the Nittany Lions for the tenth time in the past 11 meetings. On a day where the new and improved Ohio State defense held Penn State to 240 total yards, in large part due to a very vanilla and conservative game plan, the Buckeyes tallied only 365 total yards themselves.
At the forefront of nearly 45 percent of that total was wide receiver Marvin Harrison who tallied 11 receptions on 16 targets for 162 yards and one touchdown. Harrison showed why he’s widely considered the top receivers expected to be available in the upcoming 2024 NFL draft. On a day when offense was hard to come by, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison was far and away the best player in the Ohio Stadium, aka “The Shoe.”
Catching passes from Kyle McCord, his high school quarterback at St. Joe’s Prep in Philadelphia, Harrison’s 162 yards receiving were also nearly 57 percent of the team’s passing yards. That type of performance drew big praise from Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day, who said this in his postgame presser.
“I’ve got to give Marvin Harrison so much credit,” Day said. “To go for 11 catches for 162 yards and a touchdown when I think most teams, the first thing they look at is ‘How do we take away Marvin Harrison?’ We targeted him 16 times and I think he was open for most of those 16 plays. So he showed up in a big spot today.”
It’s no surprise. ‘Harrison’s unique blend of route-running, speed, quickness and a huge catch radius make him a nightmare to cover. And the Nittany Lions tried to do it with man coverage a lot of the day.
Nicknamed “Maserati Marv” for the fluidity and pace he played with, Harrison Jr. has embraced being the man this season, knowing that teams would game plan to take him out of the game as much as possible. That hasn’t stopped the preseason pick to win the Biletnikoff Award, who in the last two seasons has reached career-highs in yards (185) in 2022 and receptions (11) against the Nittany Lions.
Harrison embraces the pressure and just goes out and plays. He told reporters this following his big day.
“I think you could say a lot’s on my shoulders, but that’s my job at the end of the day,” Harrison said. “My teammates and coaches count on me to be the focal point of the offense, and each and every week I know they’re going to lean on me. Offense kind of goes as I go.”
Harrison is correct, because on Saturday the Buckeyes averaged a paltry 1.9 yards per carry against a very stingy Nittany Lions defense. No matter how good Harrison and his Buckeyes have been this season they’ll be measured by their end of the season with archrival Michigan, who’s won the last pwo matchups.
The NFL is rapidly making changes to support increased player safety, which makes some players nervous about the overall sanctity of the game. Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Kwon Alexander was the latest to express his concerns, and aside from the enforcement of the rules, Alexander believes the game could devolve into flag football territory.
“They’re making it hard for us,” Alexander said to Steelers Now. “I don’t really know what the game is coming to, for real. I don’t know how to stop from tackling someone around the waist. I give it about three or four years, and I think they’re going to go to flag. How else are you going to tackle?”
Former NFL superstar Tom Brady also believes that the league’s stance on particular hits modifies the game drastically.
“There’s so many people that want it less and less physical, it’s more like flag football,” Brady said on his Let’s Go podcast. “Football is a physical sport, there’s a physical element to all of this,” the seven-time Super Bowl champion said. “You throw a 15-yard flag for something that, you know, 20 years ago maybe wouldn’t have had a flag. That affects the game in a big way.”
The league will not tolerate game action that may endanger the health and safety of players, including roughing the passer, horse-collar tackles, or hits on defenseless players, per NFL Rules Compliance.
The hip drop, a tackle Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith fell victim to when leveled by New York Giants linebacker Isaiah Simmons during Week 4, is on the discussion table. The hit that happened in the second quarter caused Smith to miss the rest of the half with a knee injury that required X-rays.
“A dirty play,” Smith said after the game in an interview with Lisa Salters. “Dirty play. You guys could see it. It was a dirty play. There’s no place in this sport for that. And, you know, hopefully something happens. But other than that, the grace of God allowed me to come back into this game.”
During the league’s midseason meetings in New York this week, NFL executives said they’re looking to ban the so-called hip drop tackle that has injured many offensive players the way Smith was.
“You can get hurt at any time doing this,” Alexander continued. “Trying to stop somebody from making a tackle like that, it’s going to be hard. I don’t even know a technique to make that tackle. If it happens, it happens. You could be at any angle trying to tackle somebody — you can’t go high. Where are you going to be able to go?”
In the ever-evolving world of football, without the controlled violence inherent in the league, many players feel at a loss for a game where they signed up for violence.
Recently, an ESPN story detailed Memphis Grizzles star Ja Morant’s change from a wide-eyed potential draft pick to a contentious NBA star with a trail of lawsuits and disciplinary infractions. Although he cannot play in any preseason games, the Grizzlies are hopeful that Morant will turn a new page and leave his bad habits in the past.
Morant is showing where his head is at responding to an inspirational Deion Sanders post urging the reader to know their self-worth. Morant retweeted with a message, “Right on time Prime…much needed.”
The interaction sparked Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin to make comparisons to his son, a rapper named Tut Tarantino, as an example of another young person who needs boundaries with his friendships.
“I got a son. He raps. His rap name is Tut Tarantino,” Irvin said on “Undisputed.” “If you ever listen to some of his raps. I’m like, ‘Oh my God.’ Where does this come from, son? You grew up in a gated community your whole life. But he’s rapping my life. Because we romanticize and fantasize about that old thug life, ghetto life, and all of that stuff. When we used to work to get away from, now, we’ve gotten to a place somehow where we’re running back towards it. In the music, in everything.”
“He raps about some of the hardest stuff in the world,” Irvin continued. “I say to him, ‘Son, you grew up in a 20,000-square-foot gated community! Where does this stuff come from? I worked hard to get you out of this, and you’re rapping right back to it.”
In some of Tut Tarantino’s videos, he is flashing AK-47 rifles and handguns while smoking cannabis with his friends and holding big bags of cannabis. He has a penchant for creating a money fan and tosses money with abandon on the ground.
Morant, who gained fame unexpectedly after being under-recruited and playing with a chip on his shoulder, evolved into a famous young man who decided fun was guns, strippers, and confrontations.
Irvin’s son, who is the product of privilege from being the son of a football star, also believes fun is reminiscent of a street lifestyle, and he uses art to express that. More than putting his son on blast for performing an image that is not authentically his, Irvin sees Ja Morant in his son, and the call-out is a cry for help from a dad to his performative son.
The Denver Broncos are 1-5 and reeling. The belief around the league is first-year head coach Sean Payton and GM George Paton are gonna have a fire sale, and many of the current Broncos you see will have a new home. The team already traded edge rusher Randy Gregory, who was in just his second season of a lucrative five-year deal he signed prior to the 2022 season.
The rumors now surround wide receiver Jerry Jeudy who has underachieved since the team drafted in the first-round of the 2020 NFL draft. Thus far this season things just haven’t clicked for Jeudy, as the former Alabama Crimson Tide star and 2018 Biletnikoff Award winner has tallied just 20 receptions for 222 yards and zero touchdowns.
This after lofty expectations for him this season following his six-game late-season stretch in which he hauled in 37 receptions for 523 yards and three touchdowns. But that hasn’t been the case through six weeks this season, and with his name swirling in trade talks, Jeudy is speaking out.
When asked by reporters how long his name has come up trade rumors, Jeudy responded like this:
“About two years.”
But the Deerfield Beach, Florida, native is taking it all in stride.
“It don’t affect me at all, because at the end of the day, I’m still gonna be the player that I am,” he said. “I know what I can do, and I know what I’m capable of. So, trade me or not trade me, it don’t matter, because at the end of the day, I’mma still be me.”
The Broncos did pick up Jeudy’s fifth-year option after his late season run last season. He’s slated to make nearly $13 million next season, meaning if a team trades for him they’ll have to take on that option.
In Jeudy’s nearly four seasons with the Broncos the team’s record is 18-38, and most of it has stemmed from the QB carousel that has taken place yearly. Adding Russell Wilson prior to last season was suppose to solve that, but it hasn’t. The losing definitely bothers Jeudy.
“It’s always frustrating losing,” he told reporters this week. “Nobody, want to lose, you feel me? Losing is the worst possible thing that could happen. So that’s very frustrating.”
The Packers and Colts are two of the rumored teams that might be interested in possibly acquiring the talented and seemingly somewhat disgruntled pass catcher.
The Baltimore Ravens are 4-2 and in first place in the AFC North. And what’s amazing is they’re doing it with a stout defense, strong special teams, a solid running game and at times the wizardry of star quarterback Lamar Jackson. What’s missing from this is wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who was signed in the offseason to inject life into a rather listless passing game.
Through six weeks that’s been anything but the case as Beckham has done much of nothing to help the team’s offense. Through four games played, Beckham has a paltry nine receptions for 113 yards and zero touchdowns. That’s not what the Ravens thought they were getting when they signed Beckham to a one-year, $18 million deal with $15 million guaranteed.
Slow starts are pretty normal when players are learning new systems, but the Ravens need to see a return on investment.
There have been a lot of folks questioning whether OBJ still be an effective target. While most don’t believe he can and he’d be better suited as a complementary guy, Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin is of the belief that Beckham still has the “it” factor but is being utilized incorrectly in the Ravens offense.
During a recent episode of “Undisputed” on FS1, Irvin explained his position.
“Odell’s a transition receiver,” Irvin said. “You can’t think you got to transition and come out. Odell’s an outside receiver, Lamar has never really used outside receivers. He’s always played inside.”
“I like this offense for Lamar,” Irvin added. “Because very few quarterbacks can run you to a Super Bowl. Now, if you use that running of Lamar Jackson, as an additive, and not the premise of the base, then you got a chance. But he stopped running like he ran his MVP season like two years ago. He’s going to have to let that ball go. He’s not going to run his team to a Super Bowl. And they’re going to need Odell, you’ll get the best of Odell in the playoffs.”
Sounds good, Irvin, but there are so many factors that make that premise kind of hard to believe.
Watching Beckham play, it doesn’t look like things with him will get much better. There are also other factors with the Ravens that he didn’t face when he helped the Los Angeles Rams win the Super Bowl two years ago as a midseason pickup. Then he had Cooper Kupp, the Super Bowl MVP, taking all the attention, which left OBJ with single coverage. With the Ravens there isn’t anyone who resembles Kupp or attracts the attention he does.
So for Irvin to expect a huge playoff performance for Beckham doesn’t look too promising at all. The Ravens need him to help develop their young receivers in rookie Zay Flowers and the oft-injured Rashod Bateman. That’s where he can really assist, while also being as productive as he can as well.
The Colorado Buffaloes’ last game against Stanford at home had many unforeseen consequences. The main one was the loss in double overtime after blowing a 29-0 lead going into halftime. This week, the commitment of a top-four quarterback might be the silver lining during this reflective week for the Buffs.
Quarterback Antwann Hill Jr. announced his commitment to the Colorado Buffaloes. Hill is the No. 49 prospect overall in the 2025 class, the No. 4 quarterback, and No. 49 on the ESPN Junior 300 list.
Hill visited during the Stanford game, and although they lost, the reception he received helped cement his decision.
“The crowd, fans yelling my name, saying, ‘We want AJ,” Hill told ESPN why he wanted to commit to the Buffaloes. “That was one thing I haven’t seen before and I wasn’t expecting from that visit. So, I mean, everything really just surprised me.That felt good, because it’s a very supportive fan base that’s all behind the team.”
The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Hill is from Houston County High School in Warner Robins, Georgia. He had multiple offers from top programs like Clemson, LSU, Florida State, Alabama, and Georgia. As a sophomore, Hill threw for 3,663 yards, 40 touchdowns, and three interceptions in 2022. Now, he might be the heir apparent to the Shedeur Sanders collegiate throne.
“[The coaches] really think I really fit their scheme, what they got going on up there,” Hill continued. “Coach [Sean] Lewis, Coach Prime, they really want me to take over once Shedeur leaves, so I mean, I’d be the next guy up that will be a highly ranked quarterback to get that position.
“And I feel like I’d be good learning from Shedeur. Just taking notes from him, taking his leadership skills and putting them into mine. Really, they were saying, be ready to take over once Shedeur leaves because I’m the next man up.”
Although there have been some controversial losses, after spending time with Deion Sanders Hill believes in the future of the Buffs under Coach Prime’s direction. He feels he can be one of the missing ingredients, along with more additions, to make the Buffs everything their fan base thinks they can be with Deion Sanders at the helm.
“A couple more guys, a couple more big guys up front,” Hill continued. “I’m going to be on that real heavy ever since he told me that, ever since I committed, I’m going to try to help recruit some guys up front.
“They’re doing good for Coach Prime’s first year, even though the record isn’t looking how everyone thought it would. But, it’s his first year, so, I mean, they showed improvement from last year, going 1-11, and he’s really turning around that program.”
Earlier this week “First Take” host Stephen A. Smith said he doesn’t consider Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa an MVP candidate. Smith’s reasoning is actually sort of baffling, as he stated it’s because Tagovailoa throws 2-yard passes that the Fins playmakers turn into long touchdowns.
Smith isn’t wrong, but he also isn’t right.
Not all of the former Alabama quarterback’s passes are like that, but if they were, being the QB, he’d still get the credit. It comes with the territory, so when you look at it like that, Smith is way off base. Smith’s statement drew the ire of Fins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who came to the defense of his QB, as he should’ve.
During an appearance on his wildly popular “It Needed To Be Said” podcast, Hill took Smith to task for his comments, and even questioned if Smith actually watches games.
“If you watched the game, none of our routes are two. For Stephen A. Smith to go out of his way to say Tua isn’t worthy of being MVP is crazy to me,” Smith said.
It didn’t take long for Smith to fire back at Hill, and he did so on Friday’s episode of ESPN’s “First Take.”
“I’m a reporter, bro. To accuse me of not watching games, Tyreek Hill, please watch your mouth. You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Smith responded.
Before making an outlandish proclamation like that Smith’s gotta do his homework. Tagovailoa leads the league in all of these categories, passing yards, passing touchdowns, passer rating and others. That alone qualifies Tagovailoa right there.
While Hill is vouching for his QB, the speedy game-breaking wideout is on pace to break the single-season receiving yards mark (1,964) held by Pro Football Hall of Famer Calvin “Megatron” Johnson.
Through the six games this season, Hill has 814 yards (19.4 per reception) receiving. Prior to the season Hill proclaimed that he was gonna become the first WR to reach 2,000 yards in a season. At this rate, Hill is on pace to have over 2,300 yards.
The award is QB-driven, so that makes the probability of Hill winning it is slim to none. But to hear Hill stand up for his teammate with quality insight shows how close they are and what the culture is like in Miami.
It’s hard being Scotty Pippen Jr.
The young professional basketball player has to deal with the pressure of being the son of an NBA legend with multiple championships. He also has to contend with his mother getting her groove back publicly with the son of his father’s most famous teammate and basketball icon, Michael Jordan.
Then lousy news hits before the season begins: Scotty Jr. was cut from the Los Angeles Lakers. On Tuesday, the Lakers announced they were trimming down their roster, and the team waived guards Scotty Pippen Jr., Damion Baugh, and forward Vincent Valerio-Bodon. After going undrafted in 2022, Scotty Jr. was playing on a two-way contract with the Lakers after spending much of last season with the team’s G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers.
Although he only played six games during the 2022-2023 regular season, during his time in the G League, he averaged 21.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.6 steals, earning a selection to the G League’s inaugural Next Up Game.
However, is having Scotty Jr. a potential team distraction, given the tension between his mother, Larsa Pippen, and his father, Scottie Pippen, over her relationship with Marcus Jordan, the son of Michael Jordan?
Rapper Cam’ron laid out the potential for conflict in a recent episode of the podcast “It Is What It Is.”
“It’s his mother, ain’t nothing to do with Scotty,” the rapper speculated to his co-host, fellow rapper Mase. “They [Lakers] don’t need that to mess up the game. Jeanie Buss and them don’t got time for that nonsense.”
Cam presented another potential scenario where the high-level friendships between legendary players and the Lakers’ ownership may have affected Scotty Jr.’s security on the Lakers.
“It only takes one call,” Cam’ron continued. “Michael Jordan calls Magic Johnson, Magic Johnson calls Jeanie Buss, shut it down. Two calls, that’s all it takes.”
“Listen, you’re costing your son a job with this public s**t,” Cam’ron said about Larsa Pippen’s relationship with Marcus Jordan. “Keep the s**t under wraps.
Pippen appeared in two preseason games this year, posting small numbers: 4.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals in 15.7 minutes of action. His performance in the big leagues has been paltry, and the drama within his family looms more prominent than his career potential. If the potential for two warring parents courtside to support him factored in the Lakers’ decision to waive him, it is one of the weirdest examples of social media and pop culture gone wrong.
Bronny James seems to be in good spirits as he begins his collegiate basketball career with the USC Trojans. He even gave the Trojan faithful a little dance show ahead of their midnight matchup.
The only thing is he didn’t play.
Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest on July 24 during a USC practice and was rushed to a hospital.
It’s been months since this happened, but nobody is rushing him back to play. On USC’s “Trojan HoopLa” he made an appearance with his team, even coming out dancing when they announced his name during the team presentation of the players.
It suffices to say that USC was excited to see their four-star guard come out and hit his Dougie while his teammates supported him, applauding him in the background.
Although Bronny did not participate in this game, it’s good to see Bronny up and active again. It’s also worth noting that last month, his father, LeBron James, revealed that Bronny plans to play with the Trojans at some point this season, which should be great news for the team.
Bronny, who was a coach’s player in high school, a sort of do-it-all, all-around guard, was touted to be a first-round-worthy selection before he committed to USC and before his cardiac arrest.
The 6-foot-3 guard is an adept defender who shows the ability to be a playmaker and knock down three-pointers at a consistent rate, along with a lot of athleticism and bounce in his game that he has recently developed over the last few years.
His only realistic question mark as he moves up the basketball career ladder is his size and if he can carry enough muscle to be able to play in the NBA.
But many fans who insistently and unfairly compare him to his father and his dominant career and legacy have way more question marks regarding his potential and if he can become a star in the league, much less a serviceable player in the NBA.
Of course, one of the main storylines surrounding Bronny is that his father has aspirations of playing with Bronny in the NBA, essentially attempting to play on the same team that he is drafted to, something we have never seen before.
While Bronny was doing his best John Wall impression with USC, his dad was busy being his kid’s biggest fan. LeBron reposted the video of Bronny dancing on X, formerly known as Twitter. Another example of LeBron’s dedication and fandom of his children, as he recently also was spotted being his daughter Zhuri’s biggest fan at her volleyball game.
Once again, the James family is America’s basketball family, and this time around it was Bronny’s chance to shine at his new school.
The three-year contractual feud between recording artist Megan Thee Stallion and former MLB player Carl Crawford’s 1501 Certified record label is finally over. The two settled. However, it is unclear if there was a financial transaction that ended the disagreement.
“Both Megan and 1501 are pleased to put this matter behind them and move forward with the next chapter of their respective businesses,” 1501 said per Billboard. The four-time All-Star and label president Carl Crawford said in the statement that he and his company “wish Megan the very best in her life and career.”
The dispute happened in 2018 before the Houston native was known to millions. Once she signed a management deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation in 2019, her attorneys alerted her to the contract deal points not being favorable for her or, in her words, “crazy,” and the court battle began.
Megan filed against 1501 in August 2022, claiming $1 million in damages because the label “systematically failed” to pay enough royalties and had “wrongfully allowed for excessive marketing and promotion charges.”
Crawford’s last stand was to sue Megan for “harrassment” for asking the court to appoint a third-party receiver to take control of 1501’s finances in April. She believed if her lawsuits against Crawford resulted in wins, he did not have enough cash reserves to fulfill any future judgments.
Additionally, Crawford revealed back in March that he never really had a problem with Megan, but allowed social media to fuel the beef. He used the attention for the clout it provided.
“I never had any problems with Megan Thee Stallion,” Crawford said to TMZ. “It’s just the social media stuff, it turned really, really sour. You take this social media part out of it, we don’t have a problem. I think I just got wrapped up in the whole scheme of things that was going on. We all make mistakes. I’m not on nobody’s side with that. I was just… I don’t even know.”
Since that admission, Crawford has lost his then-label president Kai “Verse” Tyler, and now former 1501 artist Erica Banks. The female emcee rapped about why she deserted Crawford, and it sounds familiar to Megan’s former claims.
“Give a fck about that label they see me / And they owe me some money, they greedy,” Banks raps on “Real Rap B**h.”
Megan Thee Stallion is now a free agent; undoubtedly, with her high entertainment stock, she will continue to make waves in the music business. However, the artists ringing Crawford’s name in the music business are gone.
Former California high-school basketball star Fraser Michael Bohm, 22, was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence following a preliminary investigation in which four Pepperdine University seniors and sorority sisters were killed.
On Monday night, Oct. 16, Bohm was driving his car, allegedly speeding, down the Pacific Coast Highway when he lost control of his vehicle that careened into the four students as they stood by their cars close to a Pepperdine frat house on the 21600 block of the Pacific Coast Highway. Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams were killed instantly.
Pepperdine University issued a statement identifying the students and sharing their status as seniors. The school also held a prayer service on Thursday, Oct. 19, and are working with the families on a memorial service to honor each student.
Pepperdine University president Jim Gash also provided a statement.
“No words can appropriately convey the depth of my sympathy to the families who are living through a reality no parent would ever want to endure. You are not alone. Pepperdine stands with you as you traverse these challenging waters,” Gash said. “To the students who loved, lived with, and were in community with the departed members of our Pepperdine family, my heart is broken with yours. I join you in your grief as we process this profound loss.”
The Pacific Coast Highway is a 656-mile state highway that runs along the Pacific coastline in California. It is among the most scenic routes in the United States. But the stretch where the four Pepperdine University students were killed long has been known to locals as “Dead Man’s Curve,” due to the treacherous nature of the curves in the road and the deaths that have taken place over the years.
Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Capt. Jennifer Seetoo made a case to local elected officials to prevent more fatalities on this brutal stretch of the highway when she spoke during a press conference on Tuesday, Oct. 17.
“Too many people on this stretch of the highway […] have been killed,” Seetoo said. “We have to look at law enforcement differently. We have got to change with the times. That’s my call to action, to the community. Let’s partner together to save lives. Elected officials, I need your help. Let’s partner together and save lives.”
According to police, alcohol is not believed to be involved in the accident. Bohm was arrested and charged with vehicular manslaughter and gross negligence, and was released on Wednesday morning on $50,000 bail.
Bohm, who has resided in Malibu, was a baseball player at Oaks Christian High School. He graduated in 2020 and pitched in the 2018 Perfect Game Underclass All-American Games.
Is there trouble in paradise on the set of ESPN’s “First Take”? Host Stephen A. Smith and co-host Molly Qerim had a few on-air spats this week that may expose a more significant polarized issue between the two. Let’s start with the most sensational recent interaction when Smith, Qerim, and Dan Orlovsky recently discussed Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams’ displeasure with his team.
Qerim’s phone began to buzz on the set, and Smith commented on it in a politically correct way that went south quickly.
“That is Molly’s cellphone ringing, by the way,” Smith said, breaking stride while discussing Davante Adams’s frustration with the Las Vegas Raiders’ offensive strategy.
“It’s not ringing,” Molly quipped back. Then it went left.
“Vibrating. I tried to say ring. Do you want me to say vibrating on the air?” Smith said comically but with an undertone of annoyance. “You always like me to mention vibrating on the air when you’re phone … you really want me to do that? Just go with the ring, Molly.”
While he spoke, Qerim said her piece at the same time while lacing it with avoidance, potential foreshadowing, a snarky comment about Smith’s podcast, and alluded to the values of Disney, the parent company of ESPN.
“I need everyone to know that I distance myself from these comments,” Qerim said. “I have nothing to do with anything that’s coming. Let’s go to Tyreek Hill…Stephen A, this isn’t the Stephen A. Smith Show on YouTube, it’s Disney.”
Qerim has long been a polarized personality, with many believing she and Smith have had a romantic relationship and others thinking she will turn on her co-host in a heartbeat.
Qerim’s comment, “I distance myself from these comments,” when Smith first called the sound a ring to avoid the awkwardness of the word “vibrate” on-air, felt avoidant when she could have just shut the conversation down.
Her following statement, “I have nothing to do with anything that’s coming,” was baked with speculative foreshadowing of a potential reprimand for the direction of the conversation.
Bringing up Smith’s podcast, where he speaks more freely and has free rein, was mild, but the “it’s Disney” comment was a subtle reminder that the current conversation might not align with Disney’s values.
Earlier in the week, Qerim held Smith accountable for not being as critical of other teams as he is of the Cowboys after a loss, and although the two are not mandated to agree for the show to work, the tense moments are more frequent.
Was Molly Qerim setting up Stephen A. Smith as the “vibrating” conversation continued? We will never know; she has already disassociated herself with potential repercussions.
Former Alabama running back Kerry Goode, who starred for the Crimson Tide in the 1980s, says he will never return to Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. Last season there was an incident where a Tennessee fan threw a drink at Goode, who is confined to a wheelchair due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. The former SEC freshman of the year was helped out of the stadium by an usher and his daughter.
“My daughter was the only person in my group that knew what was happening to me. All 100 (pounds) of her stood up to defend me. (I’m) thankful the usher also witnessed everything and she got us out in a hurry,” Goode, who has difficulty speaking, communicated to The Tuscaloosa News via email. “My daughter was so upset that she wanted to punch someone’s lights out. (B)ut I told her to calm down and let them have their fun. (They’re) not used to beating us. Besides I didn’t want Roman feeling bad about (what) happened. So we didn’t tell him. He found out like everyone else did, through my Facebook post. However, I will never see a game in Neyland Stadium again.”
Goode was at the game supporting his son, Roman, who is a recruiting analyst on Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel’s support staff. The elder Goode even wore a UT shirt, but switched into an Alabama shirt for the second half. Old habits die hard.
It was during the second half of the game, a Tennessee win, that an unidentified UT fan threw the beverage onto Goode.
Alabama faces Tennessee at home in Bryant-Denny Stadium this Saturday, Oct. 20, Goode will be in attendance for that game. While he will be cheering on his amla mater, there’s a more important reason he’ll be at the game.
This week kicks off the annual Kerry and Gary challenge to defeat ALS. Goode teamed up with former Auburn basketball player Gary Godfrey, who was a teammate of Charles Barkley’s, for a donation drive in which both Alabama and Auburn fan bases compete for the higher donation total. The competition lasts through the Iron Bowl on Nov. 25.
ALS is is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their demise. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. When voluntary muscle action is progressively affected, people may lose the ability to speak, eat, move and breathe.
According to the ALS association, approximately 5,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year, which averages to about 15 new cases each day. It is estimated that up to 20,000 Americans have the disease at any given time.
The Kansas City Chiefs are 5-1 and currently the No. 1 seed in the AFC. But, if you let some media pundits tell it, the world is falling in because the Chiefs really haven’t played that well this season, and have yet to put together a full 60 minutes of football.
Even with that, the reigning Super Bowl champions are one fourth-down conversion in a Week 1 loss to the also 5-1 Detroit Lions from being undefeated.
For any other team that would be fine, but this is the Chiefs with head coach Andy Reid at the helm, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, and defensive lineman Chris Jones leading the way on the field. The team that’s been to five consecutive AFC championship games and three of the past five Super Bowls, winning two. When they don’t play well it becomes a hot topic, even in victory.
Double Standard For KC?
In sports they say winning cures all, and while that may be true, it doesn’t stop the criticism. The Chiefs are dealing with that now despite being on a five-game winning streak with road wins at the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings.
The criticism doesn’t seem to affect Mahomes, who’s unfazed by it. The two-time league and Super Bowl MVP also says he doesn’t believe they’re being held to a double standard.
“Our standard is high for ourselves,” Mahomes told Carrington Harrison on “The Dive” on 610 Sports Radio in Kansas City on Monday. “Even when we win games, we want to take out what we can do better.”
That seems to be what Mahomes is always focused on, what they can do better the next time out. That’s exactly what he and his teammates were saying following last Thursday’s 19-8 win over the Broncos, in which the team’s defense carried the night.
Little Things Holding Offense Back
In light of that ugly win, Mahomes mentioned that the execution needs to be better. During his Wednesday media session the always informative signal-caller expounded on this.
“I said after the game and even watching the film you see it even more,” Mahomes said. “It’s just the little stuff that we’re not executing at a high enough level. It’s not everybody, and it’s different people every single play, including myself.”
That’s why Mahomes teammates love playing with him, because he holds himself accountable as well. The silver lining in the Chiefs’ struggles offensively is their defense has become a strength for them. That should bode well going forward for a team looking to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
The Philadelphia 76ers are preparing to begin their 2023-24 NBA season with hopes of a deep playoff run. One that players, fans and ownership hope ends with the franchise’s first NBA championship since 1983.
With reigning MVP Joel Embiid leading things, and a quality roster around him, the belief is they’ll be in the mix in the tough and competitive Eastern Conference.
A key cog in the Sixers’ plans is fourth-year guard Tyrese Maxey, who’s gotten better each year. The 2020 first-round selection out of Kentucky is expected to take on an even bigger role alongside Embiid.
That role is likely to be even bigger than originally expected with James Harden wanting to be traded and now skipping team practices with the season only one week away.
At this point the Harden situation isn’t likely to get much better, so the team should channel its energies into the rising Maxey, who’s definitely a core piece of the franchise.
Maxey Has Gotten Better Each Season
A career 15-point scorer, Maxey, the Dallas native, has seen his scoring average increase from eight points per game as a rookie to 20 points per game last season.
With the situation concerning Harden unknown, first-year Sixers and NBA championship-winning head coach Nick Nurse is devising alternative plans to compensate, and Maxey is a huge part of it.
A confident and always ready Maxey says he’s focused on being better than last season.
“I’m ready for Plan C, D, all the way down to Z,” Maxey said. “Honestly, I’ve just been doing a lot of things to find ways to get better, find ways to fine-tune my game, find ways to be the best possible version of Tyrese Maxey that I can be.”
Known for his quickness and speed, Maxey says he wants play with a little more control, something Nurse has stressed to the dynamic combo guard since his arrival.
“Because I’m so fast, me being able to play slow is going to help me a lot this year,” Maxey said.
Maxey Not Letting Lack Of Contract Extension Bother Him
This past offseason Maxey was hoping to secure a lucrative contract extension with the Sixers, and while that never quite materialized the way he wanted it to, he’s not letting it stop him.
In an interview with Yahoo Sports, Maxey said, “It can be tough, it can be, you know, when you have expectations. But you’re not obligated to anything, I understand the business aspect of it.”
The Sixers would be wise to get Maxey locked up sooner than later, and especially with Harden trying to force his way out of Philly, Maxey’s importance just spiked even more.
The Miami Dolphins offense has been unstoppable throughly the first six weeks of the season.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is putting up crazy numbers, and the team is 5-1.
The architect behind it all is second-year head coach Mike McDaniel, who’s been called a genius since his days as the mentee and offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers under Kyle Shanahan.
McDaniel has devised a scheme that not only stresses defenses by using the entire width and length of the field, he also uses motion heavily to ensure favorable matchups. The offense itself accentuates what the aforementioned Tagovailoa does best.
That’s throwing with timing and high-level accuracy. In fact he’s leading the league in several categories, total passing yards, passing yards per game, yards per attempt, completion percentage, touchdowns and total QBR. Even with those numbers, the naysayers are questioning whether it’s McDaniel’s system more than Tua.
Tua’s Success Product Of Offense?
When a reporter insinuated that other QBs would also have similar success in McDaniel’s offense during his weekly Wednesday presser, the normally mundane and laid-back coach reacted.
“I’m about to push this podium over,” McDaniel said. “My answer to that would be who the F cares, because it is a team, we’re working together, and I know one thing. I’ve coached a long time, I haven’t seen people do what our guys do. … To their credit, to their ability and their commitment to their craft.”
McDaniel isn’t about to let anyone minimize or belittle what his QB and team are doing offensively. It’s a team effort, and that explains why Tagovailoa, who suffered a couple of nasty concussions last season has only been sacked a league-low six times in six games. The offense’s quick-hitting nature and the pre-snap motion literally takes the defensive line out of the football game in the passing game.
Dolphins Have Super Bowl Aspirations
Not only are the Fins playing well, which was expected coming into the season, they also believe they have what it takes to get to Las Vegas and the Super Bowl. Offensively they definitely do, averaging a league-best 498 yards and 37.2 points per game.
They’ll need to tighten up the defense, and that side of the football should get a big boost in the form of former All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey returning soon from a torn meniscus suffered in July.
Fins haven’t been in the Super Bowl since the 1983 season, which also happened to the rookie season of Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino.
ESPN NBA analyst Bob Myers didn’t have to wait long to talk about his old team, the Golden State Warriors. On Sunday’s “NBA Countdown” the former general manager was asked about the lack of progress between the Warriors and star guard Klay Thompson on a contract extension.
“Well, this is why I left, first of all,” joked Myers before fully answering. “A lot of times, people will say, ‘It’s just business,’ but this is not a ‘just business’ situation. There’s going to be a statue of this player outside of Chase Center. He was instrumental in bringing four championships. He’s beloved inside the organization [and by] the fan base. So it’s not so simple as, ‘It’s money and years.”
Thompson is 33 and in the last year of his deal, earning $43 million this season. He’s a four-time champion and would love to end his career with the only franchise he’s ever played for. But at what cost?
The Warriors want to keep winning titles, but with its aging core of Stephen Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green, how much does governor Joe Lacob want to go into the luxury tax for a player? Even one as beloved as Thompson?
Myers was the team’s general manager from 2011-23, presiding over the team’s most successful period. He’s forged tremendous relationships with so many of the players and coaches during his tenure. So he’s right to say it’s more than business. It is in fact personal.
Part of a GM’s job at the behest of ownership is to make tough decisions for the betterment of the franchise, which might not always align with what’s best for the player.
Thompson led the league in made threes last season but has had two devastating leg injuries and is no longer the defensive stalwart he once was. The shot is still there of course, which is elite. But what is that worth to the team at this stage?
“This is why it was hard for me, Malika. You get relationships with these people, especially if you succeeded with them. And that core has been together for 12 years, and that’s just so rare now. That just doesn’t happen. And so this is a delicate negotiation,” Myers continued.
“From what I know and see, he wants to stay. They want him to stay. Doesn’t mean it’ll happen. But it is a test, it’s certainly a test, like Woj said, and this is probably the first real test.” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting the two sides are far apart in Thompson’s contract talks.
Thompson means a lot to this organization and Curry. You don’t find cores that grow and stay together this long anymore. The realities of the league and the CBA have changed that. But this group loves winning together and thinks that it still can.
It is rare for teams with core players all north of 30 to remain elite. Father Time and all that. At some point you’re left with an old expensive team that can’t win.
Lacob is pragmatic and he understands the importance of that core to the organization’s success. But he also knows that winning is the driving force. If that means bringing Thompson back on a more team-friendly deal with less years, he will instruct new general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. to do so.
Because while it is always personal, there is still the business to consider.
