The New York Jets are trying to pick up the pieces after Monday nightâs devastating loss of star quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
The four-time NFL MVP and one-time Super Bowl champion was lost for the season after just four plays in a Jets uniform.
The 39-year-old was sacked, and in the process suffered a complete tear of his Achilles.
As Rodgers sat on the turf of MetLife Stadium a hush came about as fans whoâd waited for his debut were now completely stunned.Â
In news regarding Rodgers injury, itâs been reported that a parody account on X, formerly known as Twitter, eerily predicted Rodgers demise.
An account imitating Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav tweeted this at 6:01 p.m., about 2.5 hours prior to Monday nightâs game.Â
âAaron Rodgers is going to tear his Achilles on a rain drenched MetLife turf in 2.5 hours,â said user @DaddyZaslav.
Awkward, weird, and definitely eerie.
Prediction Went Viral, User Suspended From X
The userâs prediction didnât take long to go viral, as over 11 million viewed it before it was removed on Tuesday. That prompted X to suspend the account, quickly bringing out the social media detectives to question why the account has been halted.
One user mentioned @DaddyZaslav going off on various commenters for joking about Rodgersâ injury.Â
âI think he got suspended bc if you look at his page last night, he went crazy on people tweets who were making fun of Rodgers. Telling them to off themselves and such,â another wrote.
One of the screenshots showed the Zaslav account firing off expletives at other users.
âShut the fâk up,â and he called another user âa piece of sât,â and other profane language.
Life After Rodgers For The Jets
Tuesday was the beginning of life without the Jetsâ key offseason acquisition. For a team with Super Bowl aspirations this is a hard pill to swallow. Theyâll now turn to 2021 No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson, who guided the team to Mondayâs dramatic walkoff win over the Bills in relief of Rodgers.
But is he good enough to lead a team with a dominant Super Bowl-ready defense?
While he might not be, as of now heâs all the Jets have, and thereâs a reason they saw fit to draft him second overall two years ago.
Steph and Ayesha Curry are committed to changing things in the world of education, and that extends from historically Black colleges to elementary schools. Lockwood STEAM Academy was visited by the Currys on Wednesday for the opening of a new schoolyard, which now includes a new outdoor classroom, community garden, playground, and some sports courts.
The charitable investment further cements their commitment to the Oakland Unified School District and its students to provide a 360 approach through their nonprofit.
The Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation is a nonprofit the Currys founded in 2019. Partnered with Lockwood STEAM Academy, the organization emphasizes improving the well-being of Oakland students. They focus on core elements like literacy, nutrition, and exercise. Thus far, the organization has done much for the community, raising $47 million, donating $6 million to literacy programs, and delivering 25 million meals.
In September they announced their commitment to raise and invest $50 million for Oakland students, with a deadline of the 2026 school year.
“It’s obviously a big step for us. It’s a big commitment,” said Steph Curry via a statement. “But it’s something we know we can execute. Excited to see, like you saw today, the kids’ faces and their joy around being in school and feeling like they can thrive to their highest potential.”
Wednesday marked the surprise unveiling of a reimagined schoolyard at Lockwood STEAM, which now includes two new, kid-designed playgrounds, two multi-sport courts, two mini soccer pitches, an outdoor classroom, enhanced community gardens, and a mural that spans the yard.
The Currysâ foundation also upgraded amenities in Lockwood STEAM Academy, like the kitchen and cafeteria, provided access to sports during the weekend and summers, and stocked the library’s shelves.
Steph Curry’s altruism has also affected the collegiate level. Since 2019 he has made good on a six-year commitment to support and establish Howard’s NCAA Div. I golf program. Replete with a university-backed golf endowment campaign, Curry’s support has been invaluable helping the team win two consecutive PGA Works Collegiate Championships, the equivalent of an HBCU national title.
“To show you the mark of a man, when (Curry) was hurt during the NBA season last year, he was in a walking boot, got in a cart and followed the team when we were playing out at Stanford,” said Howard University head golf coach Sam Puryear to Golf Week.
“Most people, 99% of the people would never do that. Some people are comfortable with signing a check. He’s comfortable touching a life. To me, that speaks volumes.”
The Currys are using their gifts to bless others, which is the true mark of success.
Longtime NFL reporter is suing the league for racial discrimination for being let go by the NFL Network. In the complaint it is also alleged that Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made racist remarks to which Trotter is privy.
At the Super Bowl in February, Trotter asked NFL commissioner Roger Goodell about the league’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion beyond the sidelines, front offices, and into all aspects of the company. The league has been woefully underrepresented by minorities in every single facet besides players.
Trotter put Goodell, in essence his boss, on the hot seat about the lack of diversity in the NFL Network’s newsroom and news desk.
Trotter’s contract was not renewed in March.
He hasn’t been shy about saying on all media platforms that his questioning of Goodell and the league’s “commitment” to diversity got him fired. More specifically, calling out Goodell and his empty promises regarding diversity.
“The NFL has claimed it wants to be held accountable regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion. I tried to do so, and it cost me my job,” Trotter wrote and posted to X, formerly Twitter. “I’m filing this lawsuit because I can’t complain about things that are wrong if I’m unwilling to fight for what is right.
“I hope this lawsuit leads to real change across the league and in the newsroom. It is on the backs of a majority black player population that owners have made billions and those players deserve to have someone who shares their cultural and life experiences at the table when decisions are being made about how they are being covered.”
The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, names the NFL, NFL Enterprises, and NFL Network Services as defendants.
The complaint alleges that in 2020, a fellow NFL Media reporter recalled a conversation he had with Pegula, who was speaking to the reporter about the NFL’s social justice initiatives and Black Lives Matter.
The unnamed reporter told Trotter and approximately 40 other NFL Media coworkers during a Zoom call that Pegula said, “If the Black players don’t like it here, they should go back to Africa and see how bad it is.”
The complaint also mentions Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who allegedly told Trotter in 2020 that “If Blacks feel some kind of way, they should buy their own team and hire who they want to hire.”
Both Pegula and Jones deny saying what they are alleged to have said.
The NFL also released a statement since the suit was filed.
“We share Jim Trotterâs passion for quality journalism created in and supported by a diverse and inclusive environment. We take his concerns seriously, but strongly dispute his specific allegations, particularly those made against his dedicated colleagues at NFL Media. Mr. Trotterâs departure from NFL Media was one of many difficult decisions â similar to decisions recently made by many other media organizations â to address a challenging economy and a changing media environment. Jim was one of many employees who were unfortunately affected by these business decisions. We appreciate Jimâs five years of service at NFL Media and wish him much success in his new role. The NFL has made significant strides in improving diversity and inclusion and, while we acknowledge there is always more work to be done, we are committed to continuing that progress.”
The league’s record on diversity, equity, and inclusion is terrible. Goodell admitted it in 2022 at the Super Bowl. Between Trotter’s lawsuit and former Miami Dolphins’ head coach Brian Flores’ lawsuit, also for racial discrimination in his firing, the league has bad press it doesn’t want right now.
The league is a behemoth and will hope that the weekly football action will drown out this noise and then they’ll eventually settle with both parties. When you’re an $18 billion per year entity, that’s usually how things work.
The upcoming NBA season is an important one for Houston Rockets’ guard Kevin Porter Jr., and with news that he’s facing felony assault and strangulation charges and threats from the alleged victim’s sister, it has now gotten complicated.
Porter Jr., 23, signed a four-year $63 million extension with the Rockets. But only this season’s $15.86 million is guaranteed. The team has doubts about whether Porter Jr. can be a long- term addition in their future â not only because of his play, but also dynamics within the locker room.
Last season was Porter Jr.’s best in terms of production and positive impact. It was the first season he recorded a net positive in EPM. He had career high efficiency numbers with 52.2 eFG% and 57 TS% and he converted a career high FT% AT 78.
Those are all good signs and trending up. He still needs to improve defensively and new head coach Ime Udoka will be hard on him in that area. If he’s not making the requisite effort and understanding his assignments, he will be seated on the bench.
Training camp, which opens at the end of the month, is going to be critical for him to show the improvements he’s made to his game. But now he has this issue with his girlfriend hanging over him.
Porter Jr. was arrested and charged with assault and strangulation relating to his girlfriend, Kysre Gondrezick, 26, on Monday, Sept. 10. The incident took place at the Millennium Hilton hotel in Manhattan, and reportedly only ended when Gondrezick, a former WNBA player, ran out of the hotel room into the hallway, covered in blood. She reportedly was sleep with Porter allegedly attacked her, and has suffered a fractured neck vertabra and a deep cut above her right eye.
Kysre’s sister, Kalabrya Gondrezick, who is the wife of the late NFL QB Dwayne Haskins, seemingly threatened Porter Jr. via her Instagram story. The social media post since has been deleted.
“If you think you gone touch my sister and not get touched, count ya f**king days,” wrote Kalabrya on her Instagram story. “Better hope and pray you’ll be able to ever walk again let alone dribble.
“You may have gotten away with this s**t in the past cus yo mama ain’t beat ya a**, but we spank lil punk a** painting nail sissy b**tches like you everyday. Don’t show up to that crib. We gone do it to you. Lil b**ch.”
This isn’t Porter Jr.’s first interaction with police. In November 2020, he was charged with improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, failure to control the vehicle and misdemeanor possession of marijuana.
NBA spokesperson Mike Bass told The Athletic the league is aware of the arrest reports, has been in contact with the Rockets and is “in the process of gathering more information.”
Porter is scheduled to appear in a Manhattan courtroom on Oct. 16. The Rockets are set to play a preseason game in San Antonio that very day, according to ESPN.
None of this is a good look for a player hoping to stick in the league.
Adam “Pacman” Jones has a checkered past, but not all incidents are equal. Jones was at the Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky airport on Monday catching a United Airlines flight to Newark when he eventually suffered an issue on the plane. Jones, who purchased his seat and the one next to him, couldn’t find a working outlet for his phone charger.
After claiming that his request to move to a different seat on the plane would result in the aircraft returning to the gate, things went awry. Police were reported called at 6 a.m. on Monday, and Jones was removed from the flight before takeoff, arrested, and taken to the Boone County Jail in Kentucky.
“I was like, ‘Hey, excuse me, sir, can you move me to another f*****g seat because I bought both of these seats and the plug don’t work,'” Jones said in a video on social media.
It is to be determined if Jones cursed at the attendant or just gave a spirited rendition of the encounter. According to Jones, the flight attendant told him that if he wanted to change seats, the plane would have to return to the gate.
“Since I wanted to go all the way back to the gate, because my plug didn’t work, I get arrested,” Jones said. “Man, this s*** gotta be a movie.”
Could the flight attendant have moved Jones to another seat so he could travel to the New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills game on Monday night in peace with a fully charged iPad?
According to Travel + Leisure, “When it comes to swapping seats, you may politely request the assistance of a flight attendant, with some caveats. The in-flight crew usually has a seating chart handy on their handheld device and is happy to accommodate the needs of customers whenever possible.
“Bear in mind that there are usually 100 to 200 souls on board, and with all of the pre-flight responsibilities, a seat swap may not be a priority while preparing a flight for take-off.”
The rules may be different for Jones, or the way he addressed the attendant triggered the disastrous results. He certainly felt that way.
“It would be different if I’m out causing trouble, doing something stupid,” Jones said via WKRC. “I’m on my s***. I’m going to stand for what I stand for, which is respect, honesty, and I’m walking my walk. If I’m wrong, I’m going to tell you I’m wrong. 100%.
“I bought two seats. I’m wrong for telling the flight attendant that the charger is not working for the seat because I need my iPad to work when I get to New York?”
Pacman is constantly experiencing something odd, and whether it is them or him this time is still to be debated.
Bryant-Denny Stadium was the site of a racist showing from Alabama home fans against the visiting Texas Longhorns on Saturday during a highly anticipated college football matchup that saw two of the nation’s best teams clash.
According to AL.com, a video of Alabama fans yelling and shouting racist, anti-gay, and just generally offensive remarks at Texas fans and players was posted.
There were comments from fans in the stands, shouting things such as “go back to the projects,” which is one of the more prominent comments made among plenty of other offensive comments.
But while the players had to hear the offensive taunts coming from the Crimson Tide faithful, some of the friends and family of the Texas players also had to withstand a lot of the offensive comments that were being thrown out.
Plenty of parents poured out their frustrations via X, formerly known as Twitter.
According to Bleacher Report, Angie Wisner, mother of Texas running back Tre Wisner, tweeted, “The fact my son down there and they saying go back to the projects really just saddens my heart that as his mother no matter how old he had to listen to that! Love you Son! But the parents went through this all night! Beer cans thrown at us, water bottles, spit! Disgrace.”
Another parent, April Finkley, mother of Texas pass rusher Justice Finkley, who also hails from Alabama, tweeted about her frustrations with the fans at Alabama.
“This win hits different for me. I’m from AL. BHam is my City. I know T-Town like the back of my hand. Our game day experience included being harassed because our son is a ‘traitor,’ and having beer cans thrown at our section the whole game. So I stand on this energy right here.”
This is an unfortunate circumstance for Alabama as a few rotten apples are looking to spoil the name of a historically successful and dominant football program that has produced plenty of players and people who are upstanding people and players.
But according to AL.com, one Texas fan did shout out the great hospitality they received while at Alabama via Reddit, showing that there are good people who want to make the opposing team and fans feel welcome.
âTexas fan here, my wife and I attended our first Visitor game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. She was very nervous that sheâd be, as she put it, âconfrontedâ by Bama fans. I just wanted to express gratitude about our entire experience visiting you guys. The home fans were great, they were very welcoming and contributed authentic and genuine conversation with us.” The Reddit user wrote.
There is no indication whether there will be any sanctions or backlash from Alabama itself onto the fans. Alabama is slated to face South Florida on Sept. 16.
Once again, the Green Bay Packers went into the Soldier Field and battered the Chicago Bears.
After watching former quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre go a combined 47-18 over the past 32 seasons, first-year starter, and 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love kept the trend going on Sunday in Chicago.Â
The former Utah State star looked the part and ready to succeed and lead the Packers into a new era with him at the helm. In the Packersâ convincing 38-20-win, Love went 15 of 27 for 245 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Love looked confident and in complete command of the Packers attack. Even with last yearâs breakout star wideout Christian Watson sidelined with an injury, Love picked the Bears defense apart. But one Bears defender wasnât at all impressed with Loveâs outing.Â
Nothing Special?
Bears safety Jaquan Brisker, who was on the short end of one of Loveâs three touchdown tosses, wasnât too impressed with what he witnessed from Love, even referring to it as ânothing special.â
âI donât even know how to answer that,â Brisker said after the game. âHeâs just Jordan Love. Number 10. Packers quarterback. Heâs nothing special.â
Brisker then invoked how things will be different the next time they see Love and the Packers. While. that sounds good, if the Bears couldnât contain Love with the entire offseason to prepare and him missing his top receiver, the likelihood they do it in the next matchup isnât great. But Brisker seems confident and told reporters this in his media session.
âWeâre going to stay the course. Weâre going to focus Tampa. We see them again. Theyâll get theirs.â
Brisker Should Be More Focused On His QB
Brisker speaking on Love is odd, considering his young QB Justin Fields still looks lost under center unless heâs running or itâs a broken play. That should worry Brisker more because unless that changes itâs gonna be another long, arduous and windy season in Chitown.Â
Love showed everything Fields has failed to show in his third season. And that should be alarming.Â
The Miami Dolphins are 1-0 thanks to star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa passing for 466 yards and three touchdowns in a road win at the Los Angeles Chargers. Tagovailoaâs performance was the third-best in an opening game since the merger, trailing only Tom Bradyâs 517-yard performance against the Dolphins in 2011, and Dolphins legend Dan Marinoâs 473-yard outing in 1994 in a 39-35 come-from-behind victory over the Drew Bledsoe-led New England Patriots.
On the receiving end of 215 of Tagovailoaâs 466-yard day was speedster Tyreek Hill, who tallied 11 receptions and two touchdowns. Hillâs day also made history assign to his record of games with at least 10 receptions, 200 yards and two touchdowns. It was the third time Hill has done so, and no other player in the league has done it once. Always known for his elite game-breaking speed, Hill has developed into a complete well-rounded receiver.
Hill Canât Be Guarded
In wake of his huge performance, Hill didnât miss the opportunity to let everyone know that heâs always felt that no one can cover him. During his postgame interview Hill pretty much said just that.
âOh, man, everything was more fluid this year,â Hill said. âBecause last year, man, I was just banking on my speed and just banking on me outrunning guys. But this year, I was in my bag a little more on release moves and routes at the top, stuff like that.â
âI always feel like nobody can guard me,â he added. âAs a competitor, I feel like if you ask anybody in our room, theyâll say the same thing â canât nobody guard me or them. I just feel like, thatâs a competitive mindset. I want the ball â that sounds kind of like ⊠crazy, you know.â
Hill Says Team Leaned On Him Late
Trailing 34-30 late in the fourth quarter, the Dolphins went to Hill often, and he responded, catching the game-winning touchdown with just under two minutes left in the game. Tua trusts Hill, and that means everything to Hill.
âKind of leaned on me a little bit toward the end. And that just means more targets for me, though. I kind of enjoy that.â
Last season Hill set career highs with 119 receptions for 1,710 yards. Based on Sundayâs performance, itâs very plausible those numbers could be shattered in 2023.
ESPNâs Shannon Sharpe even called Hill the âscariest player in the NFLâ over Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Randy Moss.
https://x.com/nfl/status/1701368773578473665?s=46&t=oe54avAomxoOhm1w1b0ebw
For the second straight night disaster seems to have struck at MetLife Stadium. On Sunday it was the Dallas Cowboys dismantling the New York Giants 40-0 in a game that was never close. On Monday it was the New York Jetsâ turn, and while the Jets won in an overtime thriller, unlike their stadium mates, what happened to them could have a much bigger effect.
After an offseason of hype and hoopla, following the trade for future Hall of Famer and four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, that may have all gone up in smoke on Monday night. Rodgers, whom many consider to be the missing piece, left the field after just four plays, was then carted off the field and ended up in a walking boot.
Head Coach Robert Saleh Gives Update ARod
The Jets wonât know any more until a scheduled MRI, and while initial x-rays came back negative, Jets head coach Robert Saleh had this to say prior to the x-ray.
âHeâs dealing with an ankle right now, heâs getting checked out,â Saleh told ESPNâs Lisa Salters during the âMonday Night Footballâ broadcast.
âWeâll know more later. We still have a hell of a group of guys. ⊠Weâll get this thing done.â
Saleh was right. Behind a dominant defense that battered and bruised Bills star quarterback Josh Allen, intercepting him three times and sacking him five times, the Jets won 22-16 on a walkoff punt return by rookie Xavier Gipson.
Following the win, Saleh told ESPN the team fears Rodgers may have torn his Achilles tendon.
Jets Defense Is Super Bowl Ready, But Without Rodgers That Isnât Plausible
These Jets have a Super Bowl-ready defense, and Rodgers was brought in to upgrade an offense with plenty of talent but devoid of a quarterback. Now, with his playing status unclear going forward, the Jets could once again be in the same boat as last season. Thatâs when they were 7-3 and finished 7-10 because of very shoddy QB play.
2021 No.2 overall pick Zach Wilson ainât the answer, but heâs all they have as of now. Thatâs totally on team brass for taking him so high with better options on the board in Mac Jones and even Justin Fields.
Ex-NFL WR Antonio Brown is wildin’ â again. AB was at Florida State University last week partying, when he removed his pants and flung them into a crowd. His cellphone was in one of the pockets. It’s unclear whether AB retrieved his phone. More wild behavior from the former All-Pro. Do we think he’s suffering from CTE?
AB was at a fraternity party performing some of his music and the crowd was into it. As he was leaving the event and heading to a vehicle, he threw his pants into a crowd of students. Unbeknownst to him, his cellphone was in one of the pockets. In the video you can see someone scrolling through AB’s phone trying to unlock his passcode.
This is the latest in a series of AB like behavior. We can’t even say disturbing anymore, because at this point he is who he is.
That same week, Brown recorded a video of his diamond encrusted finger being licked by a woman with a split tongue. AB tweeted “She know I got that CTE that’s why she licking me.” CTE is AB’s acronym for Catch The Energy. He’s been tweeting it out a lot recently.
AB will join hip-hop stars Ma$e and Cam’ron on their podcast “It is What It Is” once a week during the football season. The former Pro Bowl receivet already started being messy talking about Tom Brady’s ex-wife Gisele BĂŒndchen.
Then there is his brief tenure as owner of the Albany Empire of the Arena Football League, where he allegedly didn’t pay players and didn’t pay a league fine, resulting in the team being kicked out of the league.
While AB may be talking about catch the energy. Maybe he should be talking about chronic traumatic encephalopathy. The progressive and fatal brain disease associated with repeated traumatic brain injuries, including concussions and repeated blows to the head, that plagues the majority of professional football players.
The symptoms of CTE include memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, impulse control problems, aggression, depression, anxiety, suicidality, parkinsonism, and, eventually, progressive dementia.
Confusion, impaired judgment and impulse control problems sound like a lot of what AB has been doing the last few years.
There is nothing funny about any of the behavior AB is engaging in. Right now it seems harmless. But things may get wilder and there could be serious consequences.
Shedeur Sanders was again in his bag on Saturday on his home turf in Boulder, Colorado. However, Shedeur was moving like his collegiate football version of The Equalizer, ready to right all wrongs before, during, and after the game.
The gunslinger felt bothered by Nebraska coach Matt Rhule and his team holding a meeting on the Colorado Buffaloes logo center field before the game. As such, he approached and let them know what time it was by flashing his expensive watch directly in their faces.
Then later, during the game, Shedeur was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for ripping off his helmet on the field after what he thought was a two-point conversion for the 36-14 win over the Cornhuskers. The acrobatic throw across his body did not yield the conversion, but Shedeur’s point was made.
For the cherry on top, Shedeur paid tribute to his father by running into the end zone for another touchdown before executing Deion’s “Prime Time” celebration shuffle from his playing days.
Let the shenanigans begin.
“[Rhule] said a lot of things about my Pops, about the program, but now he wanna act nice,” Shedeur Sanders said during the postgame press conference. “I don’t respect that, because you’re hating on another man. You shouldn’t do that. All respect was gone for them and their program. You disrespected us first.”
Coach Prime was aware of some of the antics but not all and admittedly turned from coach to Dad during the helmet moment.
“I didn’t hear about that until I heard during Shedeur’s presser. I turned into Dad for a minute, and I said, ‘Son you cannot do that, you cannot take off your helmet, and he said, ‘Dad, it’s personal,’ and he ran off. It was really authentic. I didn’t know any of that transpired before the game. I had no idea.”
However, Deion knew and saw his son attempt the “Prime Time” celebration shuffle after running into the end zone for another touchdown, and he was entirely unimpressed.
“It was horrible because he don’t kick the feet up. He don’t want it. Shedeur is not a dancer. The Lord passed us when it came to dancing,” Coach Prime said at the press conference.
Shedeur is on a mission, settling scores one TD, shuffle, and flick of the wrist at a time.
Team USA lost to Canada in overtime on Sunday and failed to medal at the FIBA World Cup. According to reports, LeBron James is leading a group of the NBA’s best players to suit up for the red, white, and blue for the Paris Olympics in 2024. If LeBron does organize a group of players, who else would commit?
Let’s get a couple things out of the way. There were players who did not participate for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup who already planned to commit to the Olympics in 2024 before Bron leaked to Shams Charania that he wants to suit up.
We know Bron is calculated and does everything for a reason. Coming off Team USA’s failure at the World Cup, news that Bron wants to play for the team again will dominate the headlines.
NBA players value their summers and time off, particularly established superstars who have additional commitments all year long. The only summer basketball tournament that gets the NBA’s best attention is the Olympics.
The World Cup (formerly World Championships) and the Americas tournament don’t rate high on the priority list for American NBA players, especially superstars.
The team that represented the U.S. at FIBA World Cup wasn’t bad. They lost to the eventual champions, Germany, by two points and went to overtime in the Bronze medal game against Canada. The margins were very thin.
If as reported Bron is gathering a contingent of players ready to commit that includes Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum and Draymond Green, it looks like Team USA will have no trouble winning gold in Paris next summer.
It has also been reported that Devin Booker, Damian Lillard, DeâAaron Fox and Kyrie Irving have serious interest in committing.
An Olympic basketball roster is 12 deep. Let’s assume in the backcourt you have: Curry, Booker, Irving and Lillard. In the front court: Davis, Durant, Green, James, and Tatum. There are three roster spots left, add Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler, and Mikal Bridges. That’s a loaded roster.
The U.S. still has the most depth and talent in the sport than any other country. But the talent gap has closed. This isn’t 1992. Of the top 10 players in EPM last season, four are international. You can’t just assemble any team and expect to win every international tournament.
Not to mention the U.S. is the measuring stick. International hoopers dream of playing for their country and defeating Team USA. For every international player, winning the gold for their country and defeating the U.S. means far more than an NBA championship.
The sky isn’t falling for USA basketball, but if they want to win every international tournament then they have to take it seriously.
For the third time in four seasons the NFL saw its number of Black quarterbacks starting the season increase. From nine in 2020, then 11 in 2022, to a new league record of 14 during opening weekend of the 2023 NFL season.
Led by the usual culprits like Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Russell Wilson, Jalen Hurts, Dak Prescott, Deshaun Watson, there were also some rookie and second-year talents sprinkled in as well.
With three of the top four picks of the 2023 NFL draft in Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson all getting the nod along with Atlanta Falcons second-year signal caller Desmond Ridder and Green Bay Packers 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love succeeding Aaron Rodgers, the landmark weekend is something to smile about. During Super Bowl week NFL commissioner Roger Goodell did his best to explain what the Black quarterback means to the game
At last seasonâs Super Bowl which featured the first matchup of two Black starting quarterbacks, Goodell spoke about the evolution of the position, why it took so long, and how players are no longer being discouraged from playing the position.
âThere probably are a variety of reasons, none of them good,â Goodell said. âBecause the reality is thereâs such great talent at that position Black and white. And I think I was talking to Doug Williams about this last week, the pride that he has in seeing the advancements. ⊠our quarterbacks in general, thatâs the field general.â
âPeople talk about their talent and their ability to run but they are incredible leaders. They understand the offense. They run complex offenses, probably more complex than weâve ever run in the past. And they really add such an element to the game. And I think our game has changed because of their talents. And I think the game has changed on the college level also to develop their talents earlier. And thatâs true for all QBs. I just think itâs another example of where diversity makes you better.â
Fourteen Black starting quarterbacks represent a huge change as nearly half of the leagueâs 32 franchiseâs QB1 are melanated. The aforementioned Young, Stroud and Richardson became the first time in league history the first QBs selected were Black.
Not only do the Ravens have a Black starter (Jackson), but theyâre also believed to have the first all-Black quarterback room with LJ8’s backups and QB coaches all being Black.
Thursday-Sunday was a landmark weekend 57 years in the making.
In life there are three things that are bound to happen: death, taxes and the Cleveland Browns owning the in-state rival Cincinnati Bengals.
Thatâs exactly what occurred on Sunday in the Brownsâ dominant-but-ugly 24-3 win over the Bengals.
The leagueâs newest highest-paid player, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was held to a career-low 82 yards passing, as shoddy weather conditions and his offensive line couldnât keep the Brownsâ ferocious pass rush at bay.
On the other side, Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was solid and took what the defense gave him, passing for 154 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Combine that with dominating defense led by new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and the running of Nick Chubb (18 carries for 106 yards) and you get the Brownsâ ninth win in 11 matchups with the Bengals.Â
After signing an NFL-record five-year, $275 million extension with $219.1 guaranteed, Burrow the former Heisman Trophy winner and 2020 No. 1 overall pick was battered and bruised repeatedly on Sunday.
So much that center Alex Karras told reporters this.
âWeâve got to help Burrow more up front.â
A relaxed and seemingly unbothered Burrow told reporters this.
âThose things happen when your quarterback doesnât perform in training camp. Thatâs obviously something I would have liked to have done. But there are no excuses.â
Burrow missed just about all of training camp with a calf injury, and his playing status was in doubt until late in the week.
While Watson’s contract of five years, $230 million fully guaranteed was worth more in guaranteed money than Burrow’s, the former Clemson Tigers star still isnât the guy he was prior to his 28-game absence as he battled sexual misconduct allegations.
At times on Sunday Watson looked like the guy who led the league in passing yards in 2020, and other times he looked as bad as Burrow.Â
When Watson wasn’t on his A-Game, the strong running of the aforementioned Chubb and the hellacious pass rush of 2017Â No. 1 overall pick and All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett picked up the slack. With that type of support Watson will be able to work himself back into a groove and rhythm, which could be scary for the rest of the league if he ever returns to the 2017-2020 version that led the Houston Texans.Â
Itâs only Week 1 and the enticing story lines are already abundant.
Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders is serious about winning and making a statement with the Colorado Buffaloes at his new collegiate football home in Boulder. Prime has made statements affirming that goal, and that sentiment has transferred to his staff, who are impacting the Buffaloes’ messaging.
On Saturday at halftime during Colorado’s home opener against Nebraska, while Sanders was being interviewed on the field, his bodyguard’s shirt went viral with its clear message, “F Around And Find Out.” The “F” was straddled by a stick figure, which defiantly implied what the letter stood for.
The shirt epitomizes a double entendre, daring people to test his security responsibilities by trying his superstar client and putting their college football competition on notice. It is the perfect side story to a walking double entendre in Coach Prime, a man who electrified the HBCU ranks and now brings the same energy to predominantly white institutions.
You can’t get whiter than Boulder, Colorado, and that leads to an irony too glaring to miss; Sanders, along with his star recruits in Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, have transformed the team’s logo and mascot, Ralphie the Buffalo into the Buffalo soldiers. In just two games, he has done better than last year’s team, won the Nebraska rivalry, and has both Shedeur and Travis in the early Heisman conversation.
From 1867 to 1887, African-American Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th and 10th cavalries served Colorado, according to the Vail Public Library. Coach Prime has planted his flag to defend and restore the Colorado Black and Gold like the Buffalo soldiers did for the Old West. The Prime effect is real, even bringing in the admitted non-college football crowd into the game.
“Never been into college football until today. Wow I’m growing and changing,” actress Nia Long posted on ‘X,’ formerly Twitter.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James went to ‘X’ to proclaim, “PRIME TIME!!!!! 2-0.”
For Shedeur, who has not shied from the spotlight and has only evolved into a better player before the world’s eyes, he is righting all wrongs against him and his father on the field. From besting an offensive coach who slept on him when he was interested in Florida State University to checking Matt Rhule’s team meeting on the Buffaloesâ logo before the game, Shedeur doesn’t play that.
Teams realize that the security guy’s shirt is a game-day mantra for Colorado, and Coach Prime will be fresh and safe with the world watching.
The Michigan State Spartans are off to a nice (2-0) start under head coach fourth-year head coach Mel Tucker. But, as the team is playing well on the gridiron, the aforementioned Tucker is in some hot water. On Sunday, the school announced they were suspending Tucker without pay as the school investigates allegations of sexual harassment against him.
Whatâs even more of a shocker is whoâs making the allegations. Brenda Tracy is the woman, and sheâs an advocate and rape survivor who was gang raped by four college football players in 1998.
Tracy joined forces with Tucker and MSU two years ago as an advocate against such erroneous and heinous acts. A strong advocate against sexual violence with a focus on the sports realm, Tracy is alleging that Tucker has been sexually harassing her for quite some time.
Tracyâs formal complaint came in December 2022, where she alleges Tucker made several inappropriate sexual comments and even masturbated while she was on a phone call with him. She also alleges that there have been many other inappropriate incidents by Tucker.
âThe idea that someone could know me and say they understand my trauma but the re-inflict that trauma on me, itâs hard for me to even wrap my mind around it,â Tracy told USA Today. âItâs like he sought me out to just betray me.â
Tucker Says All Consensual, MSU AD Announces Tuckerâs Current Fate
Tucker calls everything consensual, and even said so in a letter.
âMs. Tracyâs distortion of our mutually consensual and intimate relationship into allegations of sexual exploitations has really affected me,â Tucker wrote in a letter to the investigator that was obtained by USA Today. âI am not proud of my judgment, and I am having difficulty forgiving myself for getting into this situation, but I did not engage in misconduct by any definition.â
In an interview Sunday evening, Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller cleared up any confusion concerning Tuckerâs status by mentioning heâd been suspended without pay amid the ongoing investigation, and not yet fired.
âThe universityâs objective has been and remains focused on conducting a fair, thorough and unbiased investigation allowing the processes to play out,â Haller said.
Tucker Was One Of The Highest-Paid Black Coach Ever
In 2021, Tucker signed a massive 10-year, $95 million extension with the program. The deal at the time was the largest ever for a Black coach in sports. The deal has since been surpassed by Detroit Pistons head coach Monty Williams whoâs making over $13 million per season to right the ship in Motown.
As of now the Spartans are still on the hook for $77 million with Tucker entering the third-year of the deal. But there are some clauses in his deal where he could be fired with cause and not paid another cent. One is âmoral turpitude (bringing public disrespect, contempt or ridicule) on the Univerity.â
These allegations seem to fall under that category, which would take the school off the hook for the remainder of his salary. Stay tuned, because the details are very murky, and Tucker maintains that the relationship was mutual.
19-year-old Cori “Coco” Gauff is the 2023 U.S. Open women’s champion. She was inspired by Serena and Venus Williams to pick up a tennis racquet, and she acknowledges because of them she is where she is as a tennis player. But that doesn’t mean Gauff will be them or win like them. She is going to be the first Coco Gauff, and everyone should be prepared for that.
“Yes, it’s crazy. I mean, they’re the reason why I have this trophy today, to be honest. They have allowed me to believe in this dream, you know, growing up. You know, there wasn’t too many just Black tennis players dominating the sport,” Gauff said following her title win. “It was literally, at that time when I was younger, it was just them that I can remember. Obviously more came because of their legacy. So it made the dream more believable. But all the things that they had to go through, they made it easier for someone like me to do this.”
Gauff is the youngest American woman to win the title since a 17-year-old Serena won it in 1999, the first of her 23 career Grand Slam singles titles. Gauff has been linked to the Williams’ sisters ever since she burst into the public consciousness at Wimbledon in 2019 where at age 15 she advanced to the fourth round, defeating five-time Wimbledon champion Venus along the way.
Anytime a teenager takes down a great former champion, everyone takes notice. Diehard tennis fans had known of Gauff’s super successful junior career, so it was less of a surprise to that community.
But diehard fans of any sport don’t drive ratings and virality. It’s the casual sports fan who is drawn in by a compelling figure or story that creates the ground swell of excitement that rocks social media and leads segments on sports shows.
Every year since then, whenever she played in a Grand Slam she was “Coco Gauff the 15-year-old who beat Venus and made the fourth round.”
“It’s been a long journey to this point. I wasn’t a fully developed player, and I still think I have a lot of development to go at that moment. I think people were putting a lot of pressure on me to win. I felt that at 15 I had to win a slam at 15. I think that was, you know, not the mistake, because everything led to this moment so there was no mistakes. But that was, like, a little bit of the pressure that I was feeling.”
The Williams sisters are tennis royalty, so it’s easy to see why fans would think Gauff was ready to pick up their mantle and run with it. But those are unfair burdens and expectations.
When Serena and Venus stepped onto the scene nobody thought they would become who they are, except maybe their father Richard Williams. But even he didn’t think GOAT for Serena.
Walking Her Own Path
Back in 2017, when she was just 12 and winning big junior titles, the comparisons to Serena and Venus were already beginning. But she had the presence of mind then to make a short but prescient statement.
“I am not going to be the next Serena Williams,” her old Instagram account read, “I am going to be the first Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff.”
That awareness and intelligence has only grown as she’s gotten older. At 19, she handles herself like a well grounded mature adult. Throughout the course of the tournament as she handled her press obligations, her responses were always insightful, thoughtful and full of clarity and purpose.
No 19-year-old should be that self-aware and mature, the Williams sisters weren’t as grounded at that age. They were far more guarded and closed off when talking to the press.
But they had to be. Their boldness in a lilly white space was the first of its kind. The mostly white tennis media were constantly trying to get inside the aura around the Williams sisters. Their parents were fiercely protective and would not allow the media to know anything they didn’t want them to.
Because they were the first, players like Madison Keys, Sloane Stephens, and Gauff could be themselves.
Gauff has a social consciousness and an understanding of the larger world that she lives in and the issues that matter. She is bold and confident in speaking out for what she believes and fears no repercussions.
She will be in contention to win more Grand Slam titles, but 23 is a high bar to set and one we shouldn’t even be thinking about. Seven, the amount Venus has won, is difficult enough.
In the Open era (1968) the list of women that have won seven or more Grand Slam singles titles has eight names. Eight. Dominating this game isn’t easy.
Revel in Gauff’s ascendence, as of Monday she is the new world No. 3, and this tremendously hard-fought first Grand Slam title.
Recognize the legacy that enabled her to dream this big, that started all the way back with Althea Gibson, to Zina Garrison, the Williams sisters, and now to Gauff.
Realize that Gauff’s win will inspire some little girl, from some town or city, who we haven’t heard from … yet.
And remember your 2023 U.S. Open women’s champion is Cori “Coco” Gauff. Not Serena or Venus Williams, or anyone else. And that’s OK.
What a difference a week makes. With NFL Week One commencing, there was no word on whether “The Play Maker” Michael Irvin would regain his duties on the NFL Network amid the accusations lobbed against him during Super Bowl week in Arizona last February.
Now Irvin has dual good news to celebrate as he has settled his defamation lawsuit against Marriott and will return to his NFL Network post in one week but appeared on NFL Game Day on Sunday morning.
“Michael Irvin has been reinstated and will be a part of NFL Network’s coverage of the 2023 season,” said Alex Riethmiller, NFL Media vice president of communication, via a statement to The Dallas Morning Post.
The network indefinitely suspended Irvin after a Phoenix Marriott employee claimed that Irvin made sexually improper comments toward her in a hotel lobby during Super Bowl week. Although footage of Irvin in the hotel lobby did not show him doing anything inappropriate, Irvin still suffered the consequences of relief from his duties as an analyst during Super Bowl Week and to date, even though there were no criminal charges.
Although there are no details of how much Irvin settled the lawsuit for, Irvin recently doubled down with a fourth claim for relief.
“Defendants’ actions were intentional, aggravated, and committed with an evil mind and intent to cause injury or in reckless and/or deliberate disregard of an unjustifiably substantial risk of significant harm to Mr. Irvin,” the amended claim read.
“Mr. Irvin is entitled to an award of punitive damages in an amount sufficient to punish Defendants and deter them and others similarly situated from engaging in like conduct in the future.”
The frustration with Irvin being sidelined as an analyst was felt by his collaborators on other networks, like Stephen A. Smith of ESPN’s âFirst Take.â Irvin was a consistent analyst on the show, and Smith let his frustration known back in July during an episode of his podcast, “The Stephen A. Smith Show.”
“I’ve waited months and months, and I’m still waiting,” Smith said. “I don’t know what Michael Irvin said to that woman. I don’t know what happened. All I’m going by is the evidence that has been placed before us. Ladies and gentlemen, all we have seen is a 45-second video of Michael Irvin talking to this young lady, and then both of them going their separate ways.
“That is it. That is not a reason for a three-time Super Bowl champion and Hall of Famer to be unemployed or off the airwaves entertaining us the way this man entertains us,” Smith added.
Irvin has since joined the new rebooted version of âUndisputedâ with Skip Bayless and new additions Richard Sherman and Keyshawn Johnson. Now, with a return to the NFL Network and a lawsuit settled, Michael Irvin can return to making plays as a broadcast analyst.
The rivalry between the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos runs deep. There is no shortage of love lost between the two bitter rivals. Over the years the vitriol has played on the field as the longtime AFC West adversaries have their two annual battles every season. Whatâs unique about this rivalry is even new players come in knowing their job is to hate the opposing team.
Thatâs exactly what Broncos edge rusher Randy Gregory is doing, and this week he took a shot at the hairstyle of Raiders owner Marc Davis. During a media session this week, Gregory took aim at Davisâ longtime bowl cut.
âI donât like the ownerâs haircut, I donât like the bowl cut ⊠kinda pisses me off,â Gregory said.
Why is Gregory worried about the owner of the Raiders haircut? He needs to be focused on staying healthy and having more than the two sacks he had in his first season with the Broncos in 2022.Â
Sundayâs matchup will be the first in the rivalry for first-year Broncos head coach Sean Payton, who won a Super Bowl as head coach of the New Orleans Saints. But Payton isnât really allowing himself to get to caught up in the hoopla that is Raiders vs Broncos. During media availability last week, Payton said this.
âWe look at them as divisional games,â Payton said. âI think of rivalries as college football, and then archrivals â I was asked that question a lot, relative to Atlanta and New Orleans â divisional games are different.
âThe first goal is to find a way to win your division,â Payton said. âYou play your divisional opponents twice. I canât speak for rivalries. I just think that exists a little bit more in the collegiate game, and I think division games are important, yes.â
The two franchises have played 125 times heading into Sundayâs tilt, with the Raiders leading 70-53-2 overall. Since they made the move to âSin Cityâ theyâre undefeated against the Broncos.Â
Sundayâs matchup should be good and testy.
The Dallas Cowboys are the biggest brand in all of the NFL, and with that comes expectations and heavy scrutiny when they come up short. In fact, for the last 28 years the Cowboys have consistently come up short, and thatâs got third-year superstar do-it-all defensive player Micah Parsons doing all he can to hopefully end the drought.
Parsons, whoâs finished the runner-up in DPOY in both of his NFL seasons, says heâs not a fan of coming in second, and heâs willing to do whatever it takes to change that narrative. During a recent ESPN feature the elite defender discussed his mindset heading into his third NFL season, and how he plans to execute all that heâs done in the offseason on Sundays.Â
Entering year three the former Penn State Nittany Lions star wants to win a Super Bowl, but he also knows it will require some things individually from him to help the Cowboys reach that penultimate goal.
âIâve come to this mindset where Iâm just tired of being second, tired of coming up short,â Parsons said. âWhat can I do every day to put myself in the best position to say, like, âI can live with that?ââ
âSo far, I havenât been able to live with the fact that is losing 19-12 [in the 2022 NFC divisional round at the San Francisco 49ers] and that wild card game our rookie year,â Parsons added. âI told this to the guys: Is the price of discipline worth a lifetime of regret? And for me, it just isnât.â
Parsons stayed away from the team early in offseason workouts to work on himself. He spent time learning the tricks of the trade and just getting better at his craft via his own training methods. The move was met with some angst by Cowboys brass at first, but when you perform as Parsons has in his two seasons, you earn that right to an extent.Â
In his short two seasons in the league, Parsons has quickly become one of the most feared defensive players in the league. His 26.5 sacks in his first two seasons rank sixth all-time for a player just two seasons in. Parsons has also been named first-team All-Pro and a Pro Bowl pick both seasons, to go along with the back-to-back DPOY runner-ups.
But Parsons wants more and heâs willing to do whatever it takes to reach the greatness of a Lawrence Taylor, Reggie White etc.
He gets his first crack at it in year three on Sunday night as the Cowboys travel to face the division rival New York Giants on âSunday Night Football.âÂ
