Randy Moss is an iconic football player and was a generational talent at wide receiver.
It only took Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones over 20 years to realize that, but when he did, he finally apologized and owned up to his mistake.
Randy Moss explained as much when he was on the “Rich Eisen Show” this week, when he declared that at one point during one of the analyst’s preseason games with ESPN, that the iconic Dallas Cowboys owner approached him, embraced him and thoroughly apologized for passing him up in the 1998 draft.
“The crazy part about it is them kicking the tires one time was – Jerry basically summed it up for me, Rich,” Moss said. “He came and give me a big hug one day during a preseason game when I was working for ESPN. He just apologized. It really felt good to hear that coming from Jerry because of how many emotions I had on draft day.” Moss finished.
“I respect the Cowboys and I respect the organization.” Moss would go on to say.
Instead of selecting Randy Moss with the eighth pick in the 1998 draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected defensive end Greg Ellis. While hindsight is always 20/20, at the time Jerry Jones figured that Ellis was the sure pick, especially because the Cowboys in the 1990s were at their peak and figured they didn’t need another pass catcher around Michael Irvin, who had just caught 75 passes for 1,180 yards and nine touchdowns, and Billy Davis who caught 46 passes for 645 yards and four touchdowns in the season before that draft.
On top of that, the Cowboys defense’s sack leader only had six sacks that year and they wanted to bolster their defense to match their star-studded offense that also featured Emmitt Smith.
Moss also made Jones and the Cowboys pay many, many times and was always extra motivated to play the teams that overlooked him — he was drafted 21st overall by the Minnesota Vikinggs — coming out of Marshall.
But regardless of how the draft went down, Randy Moss appreciates the gesture by Jerry Jones, and he described how much it meant to him, given that Jones is a very influential billionaire who rarely admits his mistakes, the fact that he took time out of his day to come and sincerely apologize to Moss was epic.
“I was definitely surprised by him. That man is worth so many billions of dollars, he didn’t have to do that. It just meant a lot because I had everything tied into draft day about me being a Dallas Cowboy. It put everything in perspective for me.”
Moss still ended his career as one of the greatest to ever do it with 15,292 receiving yards and 156 touchdowns. One of the fastest receivers to ever burn the turf, Moss holds the NFL single-season touchdown reception record (23 in 2007) and the NFL single-season touchdown reception record for rookies (17 in 1998).
Just as all scenarios go in sports, there is always a “what if”, and imagining one of the best receivers in the game on the most iconic sports franchise in America is definitely one for the ages.
Now that the Zion Williamson scandal with porn star Moriah Mills has quieted down, hindsight is 20-20, and advice is readily available. Entertainer Chris Brown recently sat with Shannon Sharpe on his “Club Shay Shay” podcast, and reflected on the lessons learned through his personal predicaments.
“It’s hard out here. I would just pray for Zion, man,” Brown said to Sharpe after being asked for his take on Williamson’s situation. “Just pray and be the best man you can be at that point. I’m blessed to have three children; three different baby moms though. But I’m blessed to have a relationship with all of them. The energy I come with is a little more; I’m an R&B guy, so I’m a little more subtle with it.”
Williamson was the victim of an online attack from porn star Moriah Mills after she found out he was having a baby with another woman named Ahkeema. She then exposed their affair and his apparent monetary gifts and promises to purchase her property for a move to New Orleans, where he plays for the Pelicans.
Then, it became even more toxic when she revealed she might be pregnant and that she was allegedly physically abused by Williamson. If that wasn’t enough, she claimed that Williamson did not want to work out and that the criticisms about his physique and injuries came from a lack of dedication.
Chris Brown wanted to remind Sharpe that people in the limelight want the same things as everyone else: to enjoy life on their terms, which might come with consequences.
“It’s very hard but you also gotta watch out. We all wanna be in the same spot, same places, the clubs, we wanna be out,” Brown continued. “I still wanna see some beautiful women to this day. But at the same time you gotta be mindful of the certain company you will keep or the trappers will present themselves.
“As athletes, I’m pretty sure the guys on their team give him real pep talks, ‘Look, you can’t do this.’ But on the road on our end it’s a little bit different, but I understand what he’s going through,” he added. “He’s gotta hold his head together.”
Stay strong, Zion. Chris Breezy feels you.
When you hear the name Dan Marino you often hear folks use the expression that the legend quarterback was before his time. And, most would agree that the former Miami Dolphins legend was doing things from the QB position that just hadn’t been seen in 1980s and 1990s.
With no consistent running game ever Marino still lit the league up yearly. In his 17-year career Marino averaged 3,600 yards passing and 25 touchdowns passes per season in a one-dimensional offense, and in an era where teams ran it much more than passed it.
The rules also allowed defenders to almost kill quarterbacks and receivers with very little repercussions other than the occasional 15-yard personal foul penalty.
That and a host of other rules that favored the defense made it difficult for offenses to have sustained success. But somehow Marino had continual success down in South Florida. Which makes him believe he could do the same and more in this era of flag football with pads on.
Marino Could Throw For 6,000 Yards Passing In This NFL?
During a recent appearance on the “This Is Football” podcast, the former Pitt Panthers legend says he believes he could sling the pill for 6,000-yards in a season in this version of the NFL.
“Yes, we’d throw for 6,000 yards. Defenses in the middle of my career, and then towards the end, they got a little more complex and guys do a lot more things now as far as blitzing and changing personnel and all that than I did earlier in my career,” Marino said. “Later in my career I had to deal with it. It would be a lot of fun, so that why we’re trying to unretire here, so I can come back and throw for 6,000 yards.”
If anybody could surpass the 6,000-yard mark it would be Marino, who in 1984 became the first QB to pass for 5,000 yards in a season along with 48 touchdown passes, leading the Fins to a 14-2 record and Super Bowl berth, the only one of his illustrious NFL career.
QB Rule Changes Would Help Marino’s Cause
The way today’s game is officiated as it pertains to quarterbacks would be another benefit to Marino in addition to his elite arm talent would be how the game is officiated now as it pertains to QBs.
That’s something Marino took into consideration when he made these remarks.
“You can’t hit the quarterback the way you used to. You can’t get a shot in the head, you can’t go under your knees, and that’s a good thing I think because when I played you were allowed to do that, and players could take shots at you,” Marino said. “That and the fact that as far as down the field, the PIs, they’ll get more calls now. They use to be able to touch you down the field even after 5 yards, even though that was the rule, they were more physical, and there’s a lot of guys that could tell you that same thing, that it changed in that way.”
Marino is speaking nothing but the truth, in today’s football you can’t breathe on QBs or WRs without the yellow laundry hitting the ground. In Marino’s day they mugged offensive players without the fear of being penalized.
That brings even more validity to what Marino is saying, it’s plausible he could pass for 6K yards in a season if he played today.
After the Dallas Cowboys 40-0 smackdown of the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football in week one, Cowboys QB Dak Prescott was seen cozied up with a new boo.
According to reports, the woman is 29-year-old Sarah Jane Ramos. The two are a couple.
Pictures of the couple were found on Ramos’ Instagram story by the site TMSPN. The pictures appeared to be from right after the game.
One photo showed Prescott with his arm around Ramos, who wore a Cowboys hat and bomber jacket, while she leaned on his lap with her arms wrapped in his.
She added blue and white heart emojis over the photo with the hashtag, “#4,” which is Prescott’s jersey number.
Being QB1 for “America’s Team” has its perks and privileges, and we’ll leave it at that.
Ramos currently lives in Tampa Bay, Florida, and according to a LinkedIn page that appears to match the information in her Instagram bio. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State, where she majored in criminalistics and criminal science.
Good for Prescott and Ramos, let’s hope they’re happy together for a long time.
On the field, this is a big year for Prescott and the Cowboys. He is in year three of a four year $160 million deal.
The Cowboys need to see the team led by Prescott name a run to the Super Bowl before they consider extending him.
Prescott completed 13 of 24 passes for 143 yards in the win over the Giants, but it was the Cowboys’ defense that led the charge.
After one game, he was not ready to make any kind of projections.
“That’s y’all’s job to write whatever statement it needs to be,” Prescott said. “For us, it’s about not getting ahead of ourselves, continuing to stay disciplined, show that discipline, not only what we did through these four quarters but taking that and making sure we use that in our preparation and then moving forward next week going home against another New York team, a good team.
“It’s the NFL. You’ve got to show up week in and week out and be prepared. You don’t see a lot of wins like this, so we’re not going to get ahead of ourselves on this.”
He’s saying all the right things. But he knows what is expected of him by the organization and its fans.
The Cowboys host the New York Jets, sans Aaron Rodgers, in Week 2 on Sept. 17.
When the San Francisco 49ers drafted quarterback Brock Purdy with the final pick in the 2022 NFL draft, no one could’ve imagined that he’d finish the season as the team’s starting quarterback. That’s exactly what happened after starter Trey Lance and his backup Jimmy Garoppolo both went down with injuries. Purdy, also known as “Mr. Irrelevant,” a title given to the last pick in every draft, went on to go 5-0 as a starter, leading the Niners to the NFC Championship game.
Unfortunately for Purdy and the Niners, he was injured on his first pass attempt on the game, tearing his ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. The injury required surgery, and doctors didn’t know if he’d be ready to return for the season opener, because everybody responds differently to surgery, and especially one as delicate as the elbow. But Purdy silenced all doubters with his Week 1 performance in a 30-7 blowout win at the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Purdy Was Really Good In Return To Field
In the dominant win, Purdy went 19-29 for 220 and two touchdowns in his first real extended action since last season’s NFC Divisional playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys. Purdy’s play was something rising wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has come to expect. In fact, he raves about Purdy’s leadership, amongst other things.
In an interview with KNBR’s “Murph and Mac” shows, Aiyuk spoke highly of his signal-caller.
“He plays with an extreme poise, but also poise and urgency,” Aiyuk said. “It’s like a mix of poise and urgency. He’s never too lagged. He’s just always on point. He’s on point. He’s ready to go. He plays with that swag that just bleeds all the way down to the rest of the offense, down to the rest of the team, that everybody can build off. Like I said, he has it.”
Purdy’s been a godsend for a Niners squad with Super Bowl aspirations. The team let longtime starter Jimmy Garoppolo leave via free agency, and they recently traded 2021 No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance to the Cowboys, leaving Purdy and former 2018 top-five pick Sam Darnold, but it’s no doubt that it’s Purdy’s team.
Purdy Made History With Win On Sunday
With his sixth win in his sixth start the former Iowa State Cyclones star became the first starter since 1950 to win his first six starts while also throwing at least two touchdowns in each start.
Leading the Niners comes with added pressure when you consider they have one of the best rosters in all of football and expect to compete for Super Bowls. Out in the Bay anything short of that is considered a failure.
Is Purdy the guy to break the 29-year Super Bowl drought?
The city of Boulder, Colorado, and the No. 18 Colorado Buffaloes football program are bracing for arguably the biggest weekend in school history.
Thanks to the Buffaloes’ surprising 2-0 start, the scenic campus in the Rocky Mountains has in many ways become the epicenter of college football. It’s a football hotbed right now out in Boulder with Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders leading and doing things about as unconventionally as one can.
The weekend was already abuzz with ESPN’s “First Take”, “College GameDay,” “Fox Big Noon Kickoff,” and even “60 Minutes” all expected in and around beautiful Folsom Field beginning Friday. That is a lineup that no school has ever had on campus at once, but that’s gonna change this weekend. Another huge piece of the weekend will come in the form of 2025 No. 1 ranked recruit QB Bryce Underwood, who’s slated to visit this weekend.
Underwood was originally supposed to be at the USC matchup at the end of the month, and all his dad told 247Sports was this:
“Last-minute decision.”
That’s because Underwood’s homecoming is the weekend of the USC game, and he doesn’t wanna miss it. So he and his family will head to Boulder this weekend.
Underwood Could Become Shedeur Sanders’ Successor
With early season Heisman candidate Shedeur Sanders possibly entering the draft in 2024, but most likely in 2025, the supremely talented Underwood would fill a position of need for the Buffaloes right away. Coach Prime has been in contact with the talented gunslinger, per Underwood things went well.
“It was very exciting to have my first conversation,” the younger Underwood told 247Sports. “It was good to have my first conversation with him.”
“Just him letting me know he wanted me there and to lead them to a national championship was exciting to hear.”
Underwood mentioned he liked how Shedeur is running offensive coordinator Sean Lewis uptempo spread offense, which is designed to stress defenses by using a multitude of motions, formations and players.
Underwood’s Dad Likes What Colorado Is Selling
When asked where Colorado currently stood in his son’s recruitment, dad said the Buffaloes have a shot.
“They’re definitely in the picture, which is a great thing. We like Colorado,” Jaquan Underwood said. “We were able to talk to Prime. Everybody pitches they want Bryce to take the keys to their offense. They think he’s a guy to be mentored by Shedeur. Just having that opportunity and Prime is a legend. When I was a kid I wanted to be like Prime. I played corner. Having that guy on the other end talking to my son, it was surreal.”
Landing Underwood’s services won’t be easy with Alabama, LSU, Michigan, Oregon and many others vying for him. But, if there’s one thing we know about Coach Prime he’s done it before, landing star player Travis Hunter the 2022 No. 1 ranked player, and convincing him to come to Jackson State, an HBCU.
Marcellus Wiley’s departure from the now-defunct program “Speak For Yourself” had many people giving his former co-host Emmanuel Acho the side eye as he continued with FOX Sports. However, Wiley wants to clear the air that although Acho was making moves behind his back, he already gave him his blessing for a straightforward reason: they didn’t want the same things.
“We’re talking about how it really goes down. We’re talking about the streets, we’re talking about how it really affects us, and that’s what Acho didn’t necessarily want; he wants to be a star,” WIley said to reporter Nick Hamilton, “and a star role in sports media is not what I was doing, so I wasn’t going to help him. What he didn’t know was is I knew what he wanted, and I knew how he was going about it.
“But once again, I just sat there quietly every day working with my boy who was trying to have meetings and having meetings and constructing different shows, and I just knew it. But I was like, ‘Dog, we are not fighting for the same thing so therefore, I dont think you’re backstabbing me.’ But the world at large takes it that way because they think I was dying to do that show again.”
Wiley was a co-host on Fox Sports after leaving ESPN in 2018. He replaced Colin Cowherd and joined Jason Whitlock and Emmanuel Acho on “Speak For Yourself” with Whitlock, eventually leaving to start the “Fearless with Jason Whitlock” program for conservative media company Blaze Media.
Acho stayed with Fox Sports on a rebranded version of the show now entitled “Speak,” and co-hosted by LeSean McCoy and Joy Taylor. For Wiley, leaving Fox was a choice, not the consequence of a backstabbing moment.
“FOX offered me another two shows. … I wanted Acho to be the star he wanted to be and the role he wanted to be,” Wiley continued. “Ideally, they would have threw a bag at me (and) changed ‘Speak For Yourself’ in a way where we could have been deeper, but they didn’t. They kept it surface, and I was like, ‘I don’t want to do that.’ I wasn’t bitter because I wanted to go somewhere else and be better, and that’s hard for people to understand because people don’t leave those jobs.”‘
In January 2023, Wiley made a power move. He acquired a stake in BrinxTV, where he launched the streaming show “NEVER SHUT UP.”
Emmanuel Acho has an image problem, but Marcellus Wiley wants the world to know he wasn’t the victim.
Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders has shaken up the world of college football after only two games. Ahead of their rivalry game with Colorado State, CSU head coach Jay Norvell, who was visibly upset and tired about the hype surrounding Colorado, took a shot at Prime.
Norvell’s team, already 24 point road underdogs, was likely going to get beaten anyway, but that jab may set his team up to be embarrassed.
“I don’t care if they hear this in Boulder. I told them [ESPN] — I took my hat off, and I took my glasses off. I said, ‘When I talk to grown-ups, I take my hat and my glasses off. That’s what my mother taught me.'”
Norvell’s comments were an obvious shot at Prime, who wears a hat and sunglasses during his media availability postgame.
I’m no Coach Prime cheerleader. He’s just not my bag. It has nothing to do with his confidence, swagger, or the way he carries himself, I actually enjoy all of it.”
But that confidence some might call arrogance rubs certain people the wrong way. Count Norvell as one that it does.
Say what you want, he’s proved to be a good head coach, recruiter, and motivator. Colorado won one football game last season. They’ve already doubled that total this year, going 2-0 and are ranked No. 18 in the AP Poll and No. 21 in the Coaches Poll. Prime has them on track to win their most games since 2016.
That’s no easy feat for what was considered a dead program.
Norvell would be better served spending time worrying about his own program that’s had five straight losing seasons.
Prime is going to do Prime, and you either ignore it and focus on yourself or get caught up in the hoopla.
Speaking of … Prime and his family starred in a new KFC commercial.
Prime and his current Colorado players sons, Shedeur and Shilo Sanders, are featured in the new spot released on Wednesday. This is the first time KFC has worked with the family. The Sanders family, which promoted the Fill Up Box and chicken nuggets, is now serving up new hot and spicy wings.
You can’t make this up. CSU will probably be getting their butts kicked on the field and then look up at the big screen during a timeout and see Prime and his family talking wings.
“They’re [Colorado] not gonna like us no matter what we say or do. It doesn’t matter,” said Norvell. “So let’s go up there and play. That’s just how I feel about it.”
Norvell and the Rams will get their chance to play, and win or lose they are going to hear about Coach Prime nonstop.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe and the Hall of Very Good’s Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson have joined forces to bring us late-night sports talk every Sunday following the huge slate of NFL games.
The show, “Nightcap with Unc and Ocho,” kicked off last Sunday, and if that episode was any indication, it’s sure to be a riot weekly. With Sharpe leading the way and Ocho adding his unique, sarcastic brand of humor to it, the show is in good hands.
Some might find these two an unusual pairing, but if ratings are the end all, be all then these two NFL legends teaming up weekly to recap all of the weekend’s action through Sunday should be a winner.
The show will run three times a week on the ShayShay YouTube channel, including its original Sunday slot. If you’re looking for some no-holds-barred sports debate, this is it.
But How Did We Get Here?
As first reported by the Big Lead, Sharpe, the three-time Super Bowl-winning tight end, says the link up stems from years of the two players debating away from the camera. Something, the viewer doesn’t see.
“Ocho and I have had many debates off-camera throughout the years,” Sharpe said to TBL. “We’ve decided to bring those on camera with Nightcap. Looking forward to debating my good friend Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson.”
The ratings speak for themselves. Ocho’s appearance on “Club Shay Shay” in April has garnered over 10M views. That episode went viral, so it’s only right that the duo explore the opportunity to garner that type of viewership more often with this new platform.
Also first reported by the Big Lead, Ochocinco says accepting Sharpe’s offer to join the new venture was easy considering the history of their personal relationship.
“When unc called me about the idea of expanding ‘Club Shay Shay,’ I thought to myself, this is a no-brainer,” Johnson said. “We just go together like a McDonald’s No.1 with Coke, no ice. Hits every time. I’m extremely excited to join Club Shay Shay & The Volume on this new venture.”
Sharpe And Ocho Will Bring Ratings
Both Sharpe and Ocho are two of the more likable sports personalities, and that in itself will bring viewers. Neither subscribe to the cookie-cutter variety that we see so often in today’s sports media.
Where they’ll butt heads continuously is on Sharpe’s desire to eat good-but-healthy, and Ocho’s desire to, as he stated, eat at McDonald’s where he has his go-to No.1 (Big Mac) with a Coke soda.
The show should be filled with sports knowledge and plenty of comedy. It’s also on late night so the two former jocks will undoubtedly get into relationships and situationships, as Ocho Cinco has never been afraid to discuss his interactions with the opposite sex.
LeBron James is arguably the most prominent athlete in sports not named Lionel Messi. That comes with consequences because no matter how hard you try; scandal is only one relationship away unless your circle is airtight. James has ducked real problems to his positive athletic brand.
Still, recently released Drug Enforcement Agency documents reveal that some in James’ circle were part of the largest U.S. sports doping scandal. Labeled Operation Strikeout by the DEA, the case which happened a decade ago netted MLB stars like Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun among a total of 21 MLB players while landing mastermind and self-described biochemist Tony Bosch in federal prison for four years.
New names were found in the more than 1,400 pages of unredacted federal investigative documents, like former heavyweight boxing champion Shannon Briggs. Not all were athletes. Some were their handlers.
Enter LeBron James, whose reported friend and longtime business manager, Ernest “Randy” Mims, and trainer David Alexander are revealed to have been subjects of the investigation.
Although federal authorities reportedly said neither Alexander nor Mims gave any PEDs to James or athletes, their relationship with him piqued the DEA’s interest in James. However, in the end, he was dismissed as part of the investigation.
“There was never any indication that LeBron James did anything wrong,” the lead DEA investigator said, per ESPN.
However, Mims purchased testosterone and metabolism-boosting injections and a blood draw by an unlicensed phlebotomist for personal use. He bought the Schedule III controlled substance from Carlos Acevedo, a former Bosch business partner turned independent PED “entrepreneur” and then federal informant.
Authorities claim Acevedo said Mims paid him $300 for the substances and stayed on as a “client” for almost two months before stopping. Mims eventually complained about the drugs not making him feel well and was not charged with a crime.
“[He’s] apparently an overweight guy,” said Kevin Stanfill, one of the DEA agents present for Acevedo’s interview on July 24, 2013. “And he went to him [Acevedo] about possibly getting some testosterone treatment stuff that they were giving a bunch of overweight guys in Miami, and they dropped a lot of weight.”
Alexander initially paid Acevedo for PEDs but later made a deal to receive substances for free in exchange for client referrals, which is how Acevedo met Mims. Alexander steered no athletes to Acevedo in a dozen referrals or provided PEDs to athletes.
The whole instance is more about the company you keep than LeBron James doing anything wrong. Still, when it comes to the feds, they are watching everyone near an investigation, especially if you can include LeBron James as a friend.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield helped his team to a 20-17 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1, where it appeared he picked up the Vikings’ defensive hand signals and used it to his advantage. Mayfield turned it into a joke when he was asked about it postgame.
“Listen, I know I’m in Tampa, but I’m a Texas Rangers fan, not a Houston Astros fan, so we’re not going to get into that,” Mayfield said Wednesday, referring to the Astros’ 2017 sign-stealing incident.
An investigation uncovered that the Astros used video cameras and stole opponents signs and used it to tip batters on what pitches to expect.
But in football, there is no rule or anything unethical about picking up a defense’s signals. As a QB it’s Mayfield’s job to survey the defense pre-snap and determine the best course of action for the offense. If he knows what coverage they will run based on a hand signal, it’s on the defense to disguise their signals better.
“When it comes down to that, you’re always trying to find tendencies of the defense. Just those in-game adjustments that you’re trying to find those tendencies, sometimes it’s a little different than others,” Mayfield said. “It was a chess match there in the first half. Kind of had some stall-out drives. They did a very, very good job. I can’t credit Brian Flores enough for how they were scheming against us. It took us a little bit to adjust, but you try to find every advantage possible to win.”
Coaches cover their mouths with huge laminated play call sheets when they talk in their headsets. Colleges have people stand on the sidelines with signs of random things trying to either confuse the opponent or relay a signal to their team.
You’d think this was high-stakes espionage and not sports. But that’s how serious these games are.
Mayfield’s teammate, RB Rachaad White, was impressed and told the story that Mayfield had figured it out at halftime, Mayfield entered the locker room and said, “‘I got it. We got all these signals,’” White told reporters this week. “We in there talking as an offense. He’s like, ‘I know all these signals. If they do this, they going to Cover 2, they do this, they’re going to Cover 3. Every time I alert this, they drop and they do this signal, they drop him back to this.’ And I’m like, ‘Wow, that’s amazing.’ I mean, I know certain coverages, but I don’t know a lot like that.”
Kudos to Mayfield for figuring it out and using it to his advantage. Let’s see how defenses adapt going forward the rest of the season.
Former MLB superstar Alex Rodriguez always seems to have his name at the center of controversy.
From his checkered past during his time on diamond to his relationships with former players such as former New York Yankees teammate and Baseball Hall of Famer Derek Jeter.
Then there’s A-Rod’s love life and well-publicized breakup with actress and singer Jennifer Lopez.
Now Rodriguez is at the core of a bombshell report. According to ESPN, in 2014 A-Rod was given what is called “Queen for a Day” status, meaning anything he told federal agents during their investigation of and with his dealings with the Biogenesis of America clinic wouldn’t be used against him in any further legal proceedings.
Under the gun and attempting to take the heat off of his personal PED use, he spilled some heavy information to investigators, the report claims.
ESPN investigative reporter Mike Fish wrote “The Biogenesis Files,” and in it he talked about a Yankees source telling him about A-Rod’s attempt to save face while throwing dirt on others.
“He basically did everything he could to distract from his own behavior. I mean Alex is a complicated person. He had a lot of layers to him, and I think he’s remorseful, but he did some bad things to a lot of people.”
Rodriguez Throws Former Players Under The Bus
Just as he did with the aforementioned Jeter, according to the report Rodriguez was quick to throw former Boston Red Sox star and two-time World Series champion Manny Ramirez under the bus.
He didn’t stop there, according to the report, also mentioning former longtime Milwaukee Brewers star and 2011 NL MVP Ryan Braun as one of the other culprits. Braun was caught red-handed by a PED test and trying to tamper with the results of the test, so anything said about Braun simply confirms what we all know.
The report also mentions there was another All-Star player’s name put in the atmosphere, but per the article written by Mike Fish, he “never tested positive for any PED use, was never interviewed by authorities, and was never suspended by MLB.”
Knowing he’ll probably never sniff Cooperstown, Rodriguez is still very much involved in the game. He’s been an analyst on ESPN since 2018. He and Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay have the “KayRod Cast” on ESPN 2, which just finished season 2.
He’ll now shift gears to provide coverage for the MLB Playoffs on Fox Sports beginning in October.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith is the most recognizable face at the Entertainment and Sports Network. He is the star of the network’s hot debate show “First Take,” he also hosts his own podcast called “The Stephen A. Smith Show.”
Smith is no stranger to being in front of the camera, and as of late he’s been making the rounds and appearing on many other podcasts and platforms.
He recently visited the “Podcast P” show hosted by NBA player Paul George. Smith also guest-appeared on his new co-host Shannon Sharpe’s his podcast called “Club Shay Shay.”
During each visit, the loquacious Smith didn’t hold back on his thoughts, and that was definitely the case when he visited rapper Joe Budden on his “The Joe Budden Podcast.”
Questions about the aforementioned Sharpe leaving rival “Undisputed” on FS1 to join forces with Smith arose on this week’s episode, and Smith didn’t shy away from telling what he believe happened.
Smith Says Sharpe Was Forced Out
Budden mentioned that he thought Smith’s open and very public desire to bring Sharpe to ESPN was a cutthroat move intended to undermine Skip Bayless. This was the narrative that many media publications put forth without any concrete knowledge as to why the power duo broke up.
Smith quickly went into what he claims really happened and why he did that.
“I didn’t look at it that way. I would’ve looked at it that way if Shannon left on his own volition,” Smith said. “I’m telling you he was pushed out.”
A shocked Budden mentioned he’d never heard that. To which a pretty candid Smith responded:
“Well, I’m telling you. And it’s a fact. Now, they can deny it. He wouldn’t. I can promise you that. He was pushed out. He didn’t want to leave. He was notified that, your services were no longer be needed.”
Smith then says it’s for Shannon to tell, but he also knows how it feels to be let go. In 2009, ESPN cut Smith, only to bring him back a couple years later to join Skip Bayless on “Cold Pizza,” before it became “First Take.”
Both Parties Have Moved On
Sharpe has joined Smith twice weekly (Mondays and Tuesdays). He also took his “Club Shay Shay” podcast to Volume Sports with Colin Cowherd, host of “The Herd” on FS1.
As for Bayless and the “Undisputed” crew, the show now features Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, former NFL All-Pros Keyshawn Johnson and Richard Sherman, veteran reporter Rachel Nichols, who left ESPN amidst controversy, and rapper Lil Wayne, a close friend of Bayless.
On Wednesday the NBA Board of Governors voted to approve tougher resting police rules for star players sitting out home games, national TV games, in-season tournament games, and multiple star players on one team sitting games together. The new rule gives the league office the authority to fine teams up to $1 million per offense. This new rule is draconian, absolves the league from addressing the real issue, and it won’t stop anything.
Let’s start with some facts.
The next big hurdle for NBA commissioner Adam Silver is negotiating the league’s next broadcast deal. The current deal expires at the end of the 2024-25 season. According to reports the league is looking for as much as $75 billion on the next deal which would last eight or nine years.
Here’s the problem. The NBA’s regular season games are declining in ratings and have been for quite some time. Playoff ratings are down as well, but peak when star teams and players are involved. There are a variety of reasons why the regular season ratings are down. Yes, more viewing options and cable cord cutting are factors. But the biggest factor is the regular season is too long.
Over 82 games how do you expect to keep the casual fan’s interest when you are competing for mindshare with an infinite amount of options.
The NFL crushes the NBA in ratings for three reasons: Scarcity, a team only plays 18 games. Violence, this is America and we love our violence. Gambling, the nature of the game allows for a myriad of micro bets, in game live betting, fantasy, etc. It’s all tied to the fact that there are 18 weeks and in a given week, teams play one game.
Notice there was no mention made of the actual quality of the game. That’s irrelevant. Ratings prove that America will watch horrible football, because it’s football.
The scarcity also allows football to own days of the week. They own Sunday, Monday and Thursday, with the latter two only featuring one game.
In the NBA there is a game on every night. Even if you follow one team, sometimes your team plays up to five games in seven nights. No busy functioning person with responsibilities, unless they cover the league, can tune in to that many games.
When two-thirds of the league make the playoffs and play-in, it devalues the regular season.
The 44-38 Miami Heat not only made the play-in, won it and the playoffs. They advanced to the NBA Finals.
On the one hand that shows the value and popularity of the play-in tournament.
On the other, if each team only played 58 games, there wouldn’t be any time to waste or prolonged spells of .500 basketball. Teams like that wouldn’t qualify. Playing each team only twice, puts a much greater sense of urgency on the regular season.
A 58 game season over the course of seven months also allows the league to own two nights of the week. They could play games on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Now you create a sense of urgency.
If the Lakers and Warriors only play twice and you know it’s set for a Tuesday or Thursday, you can plan to make that appointment viewing.
Let the NBA tell it, and ratings will be fixed if star players played more. That narrative is dangerous. The average fan thinks that healthy superstar players are sitting out games just because. Nothing could be further from the truth. No player wants to sit. They are told to by the team, based on a myriad of factors. The main one being current injury and likelihood of an injury based on data being interpreted.
When you have an 82-game regular season, playoffs, and international basketball crammed into a 12-month period injuries are going to happen. Basketball is a contact sport, so no matter how many games you play injuries will happen. However, these soft tissue, non-contact injuries that are so tricky and difficult to heal, will reduce. Tired players move poorly. Poorly moving players increase their risk of injury.
The goal is never no injuries, that’s not possible. The goal is to deliver as many healthy bodies through the regular season and to the playoffs as possible.
So in their infinite wisdom the NBA and the Board of Governors have come up with a set of rules and a fine schedule.
The fines system for teams begins with $100,000 for first offenses, $250,000 for second offenses and $1 million more than the previous penalty for each additional fine.
The rules are as follows:
A star player is defined as any player that made an All-NBA team or All-Star team in the previous three seasons.
Speaking of, these new rules also align with another new rule. In order for players to be eligible for season awards and All-NBA teams, they must meet the 65-game minimum threshold.
If a team’s medical and performance staff says star player X is at a 35% chance of pulling a hamstring or straining a calf, that team’s governor, general manager and head coach will be having a conference about sitting said star player. They will make sure the injury report says whatever it needs to, to avoid fines. Smart teams will anyway.
Governors have max contracts tied to these players, they don’t want to see their season and money go up in flames over something that could have been avoided with rest.
Does it suck if star player X is told to sit out a road game in a city he’ll only visit once for the season? Yes. That’s too bad for the fans who pay money and want to see star player X. But that’s the nature of sports. Yes, fans matter. We all know this.
But if there is no product on the floor or the product is terrible, fans aren’t going to pay anyway.
I’ve written and spoken at length on numerous platforms, including this one, on how a shortened regular season is better for fans, players, and everyone. Including top-of-mind ideas on how to “make up the lost revenue.”
No it won’t be easy to pull off, and people hate change. But if it is change that will ultimately make the product and experience better for everyone, why not?
Star players resting is not anywhere near the top of the list of issues the NBA has. Fixing its regular season, changing the way its broadcast partners and mainstream media talk about the product and how the game is marketed are of far greater importance.
But those are difficult, big mountain-size problems. It’s much easier to blame players and invoke a set of fines for resting.
Aaron Rodgers’ switch to the New York Jets has to be one of the most giant hype jobs the NFL has ever executed. In just four plays into his Jets debut on the first Monday Night Football game of the year, the expectations of grandeur for Gang Green were dashed as, like Humpty Dumpty, Rodgers had a great fall.
Now that an MRI has revealed Rodgers suffered a torn left Achilles against the Buffalo Bills and will miss the remainder of the 2023 season, a ready QB already has put his hat in the ring of opportunity: Colin Kaepernick. The gunslinger turned cultural advocate’s agent reportedly contacted the Jets about making his NFL return in their new time of need.
The 35-year-old knows when an NFL opportunity is ripe, and he shot his shot.
“I just spoke with Colin Kaepernick, who tells me his agent has reached out to the Jets about his desire to make an NFL return,” NFL reporter Jordan Schultz wrote. “Kaepernick remains on the West Coast working out.”
However, not too long after, NFL sideline reporter Josina Anderson came with the spoiler alert, which was not good for Kaep.
“The #Jets are not pursuing Colin Kaepernick to address their immediate need for QB depth,” Anderson posted on social media site X. “I’m told they’ll look to at least narrow down their options today. The current* mindset is to bring a QB in who fits the chemistry of Zach Wilson being the guy, & knows system &/or staff.”
If this had happened last season, there would have been a collective gasp from the Jets nation at the thought of turning down an opportunity for a Super Bowl contender QB like Kaepernick. Wilson delivered a losing record of 7-10 during 2022, and behind him the only other quarterback for the Jets is practice squad quarterback Tim Boyle. Boyle signed with the Jets in April after stints with the Packers, Lions and Bears.
The Jets also closed the door on a potential reach out to Tom Brady, who is happily retired and taking no offers for athletic employment. With one of the game’s best QBs on their roster but injured, the Jets season just became what it was last year: the Zach Wilson show.
But will he be good enough even after defeating the Buffalo Bills in Rodgers’ absence? That is the Gang Green question.
Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce has been reportedly “hanging out” with pop superstar Taylor Swift, leading fans to wonder are the two a new power couple?
“Taylor and Travis have been quietly hanging out,” a source told The Messenger. “She saw him when she was in NYC a few weeks ago.”
The two are both 33 years old and know what life is like in the spotlight, though Swift’s lives under a much larger spotlight to worldwide acclaim.
But apparently Travis tried to connect with Swift earlier this summer but was rebuffed.
Travis, who attended Swift’s Eras Tour when it hit Kansas City earlier this summer, was blown away by Swift, apparently in more ways than one. He discussed it with his brother Jason on their podcast, “New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce.”
“So she doesn’t meet anybody and she doesn’t – or at least she didn’t want to meet me, so I took it personal. I was a little butthurt that I didn’t get to hand her one of my bracelets I made her,” Travis said. “If you’re up on Taylor Swift concerts, there are friendship bracelets and I received a bunch being there, but I wanted to give Taylor Swift one with my number on it. You know which one.”
“Well, she probably just hasn’t gotten over the Super Bowl yet. She’s a big Eagles fan, so maybe she just made something up and just didn’t wanna talk to you,” Jason quipped.
Travis’ Chiefs beat Jason’s Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII back in February.
Travis was really upset he didn’t get a chance to connect with Swift in person at the time.
“It was an unbelievable show,” Travis said. “Kansas City showed out. I’ve only seen Arrowhead [Stadium] filled like that for a Chiefs game with that much excitement. Everybody was dressed in pink and purple going crazy for her. It was wild. It was a wild show.”
Well, it looks like the two finally did meet and are now “hanging out.” No doubt fans will be checking the video and images of Chiefs games, looking for Swift in one of the luxury boxes.
Travis missed the Chiefs’ season opener, a loss to the Detroit Lions, as he was sidelined with a hyperextended knee.
“I did run yesterday, and it feels like I might be able to play this week,” Travis said. “We’ll see how practice goes, man.”
The Chiefs travel to Jacksonville on Sunday, Sept. 17, to play the Jaguars.
Aaron Rodgers is still breaking the hearts of Wisconsin fans even after his massive offseason move to New York, which upset many die-hard cheesehead fans.
But this time it was what he didn’t do that hurt some of them.
Jack’s American Pub, a bar in Milwaukee, announced before the start of the regular season that they would be running a promotion that would provide any patron free drinks on their tab whenever the New York Jets lose a game the former Green Bay Packers star starts.
So Week 1 when the Jets battled their AFC East divisional rival Buffalo Bills in Rodgers’ debut game against superstar Josh Allen, droves of fans figured this would be a good chance to cash in on some free booze and root against their former hero.
When Aaron Rodgers went down with a torn Achilles tendon during the first drive of his Jets career, it only brought more optimism to the fans in the bar on Milwaukee’s east side, who quickly went to add more drinks to their tabs.
Surely Josh Allen, one of the league’s best signal-callers, who’s hungry for his first Super Bowl, would make quick work of a Jets team relying on Zach Wilson. Wilson expected to do no more than hold a clipboard and watch a legend work this season.
But in unbelievable fashion, Wilson hung in there and threw a touchdown, while the bar patrons’ “savior” Josh Allen threw three interceptions to the same guy, Jordan Whitehead, whose dominance cashed in a season incentive in his first game.
The Jets eventually won in overtime when punt returner Xavier Gipson took it to the house for a touchdown to end the game.
A.J. Bayatpour of Milwaukee’s CBS 58 captured the mood at Jack’s American Pub during and after the Jets’ stunning victory.
The Rodgers haters were salty after they realized that they were going to have to pay for all of the drinks that they presumed would be free.
“And the mood has changed considerably,” Bayatpour said after the game. “That is because the Jets just won the game on a long touchdown in overtime. Take a look. This is the reaction from a bar where people are realizing the bar tabs they’ve been racking up all night-thinking, certainly with Rodgers hurt, the bar was going to be paying that tab-it is setting in, they are going to have to go to the bar and pay that tab.”
Promotion Ends With Rodgers’ Season-Ending Injury
Adding insult to injury, the promotion that Jack’s American Pub was running will be discontinued since Rodgers Achilles injury has him out for the rest of the season.
So there will be no free booze in Wisconsin, but it’s unclear if they’re celebrating Rodgers’ injury either as it was a devastating one.
Jack’s owner Scott Schaefer told reporters he still wants to do a promotion related to the Jets.
“We’re going to try to do something else. We want to see what happens over the next couple of days,” he said. “There’s obviously talk out there that the Jets might … pick up another quarterback. So, we want to see what happens. We want to keep the promotion going, but in what form, we don’t know.”
The Milwaukee Bucks will come into the 2023-24 season as one of the favorites to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy. That billing can be attributed to their franchise player Giannis Antetokounmpo, the one-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP and one-time NBA Finals MVP.
He’s also got a DPOY award on his mantle.
Affectionately known as the “Greek Freak,” Antetokounmpo is recognized as the best two-way player in the game, and the goal each season is to win a championship while he is still at his peak.
Following the team’s result the last two seasons, Giannis told The New York Times that he wants to see how strong the franchise’s commitment to win championships was. That’s why he chose to hold off signing his supermax extension this summer.
He also mentioned that he wants to “see the dynamics” of the team under new head coach Adrian Griffin and his staff.
Griffin Is In Total Agreement With His Superstar
Griffin, who’s set to embark on his first season as a head coach, recently spoke about Antetokounmpo’s comments, and he wholeheartedly agreed with his stance.
“Giannis and I are on the same page,” Griffin said Monday during a golf event benefiting the Milwaukee Bucks Foundation. “We have a great relationship so far. He’s been pleasant to get to know. He wants to win, and I want to win. It’s that simple. I respect him. I respect what he’s accomplished in this league. We’re here together to win. I have no problem with that. I think it’s a great partnership. We’re going to lead the team together. When he leads, the others will follow. I think it’s great.”
Bucks’ Season Will Depend On Health Of Khris Middleton
The Bucks have a solid core led by Antetokounmpo, who’s joined by Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez. Last season injuries to Middleton were tough, but the team overcame those to be the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference only to lose Antetokounmpo to injury in the first few minutes of their upset five-game first-round playoff loss to the eventual conference champion Miami Heat. Now, with everyone healthy and locked in, the expectancy is this team can still compete for titles.
“We’re aligned,” Griffin said. “We’re here to win. The one thing I talked to my team and my staff about is just embracing expectations. We have a really good roster. Instead of running from it, we want to embrace it.”
Expectations are high in Cream City, and the only way to reach them is to face them head-on, Griffin seems ready to do so, along with his superstar player.
For the first time since 1996, ESPN’s hit pregame show “College GameDay” will make the trek to Boulder, Colorado, and scenic Folsom Field, as the No. 18 Colorado Buffaloes host intrastate rival Colorado State.
ESPN is pulling out all the stops as its hit debate show “First Take” with Stephen A. Smith will be live from the campus on Friday, with various special guests.
Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff” even switched its plan to head to Champaign, Illinois, for the Fighting Illini versus Penn State. Instead they’re sending their crew to Boulder to be a part of the festivities in what is quickly becoming the epicenter of college football.
Since the arrival of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders in December, the scenic campus nestled away amidst glorious Rocky Mountains has become a bit of a hotbed for college football. A who’s-who list of celebrities can be seen weekly on campus during practices, or on the sidelines during games. The vibe is giving USC in 2003-2005 under former head coach Pete Carroll.
Unflappable Sanders Expected This
Following last week’s 36-14 shellacking of rival Nebraska, Sanders, who told reporters he slept in his office the night before Saturday’s home opener, seemed unfazed at hearing that “College GameDay” was heading to Boulder. Sanders told reporters this was expected, and it’s things he tells players when recruiting them.
“At the risk of sounding arrogant, we truly expect that,” he said. “And that’s why those kids come, they want the biggest stage and they’re getting that every darn week. And the numbers justify it.”
In each of the first two weeks of the college football season the Buffaloes games have been the most watched, even edging out Alabama versus Texas in Week 2. So, as Sanders said, numbers don’t lie.
“College GameDay” Visited Jackson State During Sanders Tenure
The hoopla has followed Sanders to Boulder, and it was the same way at Jackson State in 2022 when “College GameDay” visited an HBCU campus for just the second time. Now he’s seeing the field rushed and the excitement of big-time Power Five football games, like last week’s home opener against the rival Cornhuskers which saw fans storm the field at its conclusion.
“A lot of this stuff is new to me,” Coach Prime said. “I know I have been at the highest level, the World Series as well as Super Bowls.”
But he says field storming is something he’s never witnessed.
Star quarterback and son Shedeur, who’s put himself firmly in the thick of the Heisman race with 902 yards passing and seven total touchdowns in two games, said this about the field storming:
“This was my first time experiencing with the fans rushing the field, so I was really excited. Then it’s just bittersweet because I started to get beat up.”
Well, expect more getting beaten up, because those wins only are continuing to add up.
Reality television star and businesswoman Kim Kardashian is allegedly dating ballers again. Rumor has it she and Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. are an item. According to reports, the two have been spending time together recently, and it looks like things are progressing.
“He plays for the Baltimore Ravens, so that was East Coast,” a source told The Mirror. “Yeah, they’ve been hanging out. I don’t have any other information, that is who she has been hanging out with of late and I say very recently, without giving away too much information that I’m not supposed to give away. They were hanging out very recently.”
OBJ took the field last Sunday against the Houston Texans for the first time in 574 days. He only had two catches for 37 yards in the 25-9 Ravens victory. But before the game he acknowledged the importance of getting back on the field playing the game he loves.
“The whole thing feels like a reset for me,” Beckham said. “There’s been a lot of like déjà vu moments of little things happened. It just kind of feels reminiscent of my rookie year in a sense — just the feeling of the excitement that I have to play football and just a new opportunity, a new life. So I don’t know what to expect, but I’m excited.”
After the game OBJ said the team’s offensive performance was undercooked.
“It was an undercooked appetizer,” Beckham said. “It was an ugly win. It’s the first game; it’s a long season. I don’t think anybody [has] won a Super Bowl in Week 1. So, we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.”
While OBJ and the rest of the offense works to get on track, we’ll take notice if the SKIMS founder and star of “The Kardashians” Hulu series is seen at home games in Baltimore or at any road games.
Kardashian resides in Calabasas, California, and shares joint legal custody of her four children with hip-hop mogul Kanye West.
The Ravens will be in Northern California to play the San Francisco 49ers on Nov. 26. That’s a short flight.
The Ravens will be back in California, a bit closer to Kardashian’s home, on Christmas, when they take on the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
Stay tuned, as there will likely be more to this story in the weeks and months ahead.