Wednesday for San Francisco 49ers fans was like Christmas. After a 43-day holdout, star edge rusher and reigning DPOY Nick Bosa and the team agreed to a five-year, $170 million extension, with $122.5 million guaranteed.
The deal is the richest for a defensive player in NFL history and makes Bosa the highest-paid player on the side of the ball in the league. His $34 million average annual value bests that of three-time DPOY Aaron Donald’s $31 million per season.
The move solidifies that Bosa, star linebacker Fred Werner, who signed an extension in 2021 which at the time made him the highest-load off-ball linebacker, has since slipped to third at $19 million per season. And then there’s soon to be extended safety Talanoa Hufanga. Those three makeup the cornerstones of the Niners defense for the foreseeable future.
But it all starts with Bosa and the havoc he wreaks on opposing offenses. In fact, his impact is so strong that on Tuesday Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said his team would still prepare as if Bosa would be there. The future Hall of Fame coach said he’d seen that movie before with his own star edge rusher in T.J. Watt, who held out in 2021, only to sign the week of the opening game and then went out and balled out.
Niners Excited To Have Bosa Back In The Fold
Following Wednesday’s practice, a relieved 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters about the plans for Bosa heading into Sunday.
“We’ll be smart with it and it’ll be based on the next 2 1/2 practices,” Shanahan said.
Shanahan even joked about his star defender’s conditioning, saying Bosa would “have to have a beer belly and be out of shape” to not be available for Sunday’s opener on the banks of the three rivers that surround the Steel City.
What Bosa Means To Niners
When you look around the league there probably isn’t a more impactful player to their team’s total defensive effort than Bosa. The Niners defense, which prides itself on not blitzing a lot, relies on Bosa to win up front, and that opens up favorable matchups for his teammates. Since the Niners made him the No. 2 pick in the 2019 NFL draft the former Ohio State Buckeyes star hasn’t disappointed.
In that time frame, including the playoffs, the team’s record is 43-17 when he plays and 5-10 when he doesn’t. The team’s pressure rate of 32 percent ranks first overall, and when he’s out it dips to 25 percent, second-worst in the league.
Bosa’s 51-game career has seen the elite edge rusher register 43 sacks, including a league-best 18.5 last season when he was named DPOY. He’s also added 106 QB hits, 56 tackles for loss and eight forced fumbles.
The most wonderful time of the year has come and football is in the air.
That also means more opportunities to talk about the top melanated signal-callers in the business.
Here are the top-five Black QBs as we open the 2023 NFL season.
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
The leader of the reigning Super Bowl champions will likely begin the 2023 season without the team’s second and third-best players. Tight end Travis Kelce hyperextended his knee in Tuesday’s practice making him a game-time decision for Thursday’s opener. The team’s best defensive player, defensive lineman Chris Jones continues his holdout for a new contract. Either way you never count out “Patrick Mahomeboy” (Shannon Sharpe) voice.
2. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Hurts, the 2022 runner-up in everything to Mahomes, MVP, Super Bowl MVP and Super Bowl champion will be looking to lead the Eagles back to Super Sunday. Hurts is so intent on getting back and hoisting the Lombardi Trophy that he even made his phone screensaver a picture of him walking off the field amidst confetti for the Chiefs.
Big money deal in tow, it’s safe to say JH1 on a mission.
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
It’s time for Jackson to rekindle some of that 2019 magic which saw him become just the second unanimous MVP in league history joining Tom Brady (2010). Since then, gradual regression as a passer and injuries have halted the dynamic Jackson. Is 2023 the year he puts it back together?
The Ravens have given him the best roster he’s had in Baltimore on the offensive side of the football. One that includes wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie speedster Zay Flowers, a first-round pick out of Boston College. Jackson knows he has his doubters who question if he can reach top-tier status again, and he says he’s ready to prove them wrong.
“I believe so, but I also believe they’ll be doubters no matter what you’re showing people,” Jackson said. “It’s all about proving yourself right, not everyone else. So, I’m just going to go out there and do what I do, and we’re going to see.”
Ravens showed Jackson the money, now they want a return on investment.
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
It’s now or never for Prescott in Dallas. With a defense led by back-to-back DPOY runner-up Micah Parsons, and an offense that added plenty of talent around him, Dak must lead the Cowboys beyond the divisional round of the playoffs for the first time in 28 years. Coming off his career-high 15 interceptions in 2022, which was tied for most in the league, Prescott will be out to prove he’s still the man.
Team brass trading for 2021 No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance should also light a fire under Dak who’ll be a free agent in 2025.
Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
This is another case of wanting a return on investment. Watson’s legal troubles forced him to miss the first 11 games of the 2022, this after sitting out all of 2021 for the same reason.
When he returned last December he was rusty and off, while the team went 3-3 in his starts he didn’t look anything like the 2020 NFL yards passing leader.
The Browns brass believes he returns to form this season and begins to make good on that record fully guaranteed deal of five years, $230 million.
In the aftermath of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders leading his new-look Colorado Buffaloes into Fort Worth and upsetting the reigning national champion runner-up TCU, Sanders wasted no time calling out the naysayers who doubted his team.
During his emotional postgame interview Sanders called out ESPN senior reporter Ed’s Werder for something he wrote prior to Saturday’s matchup.
Sanders, who’s never been one to hold his tongue, spared no expense calling out Werder, who’s primarily ESPN’s Dallas Cowboys reporter.
But since Werder lives just 40 miles from the beautiful Fort Worth campus, ESPN assigned him to cover the game. Maybe that was a mistake, as Coach Prime made sure to single out the well-respected veteran reporter.
Do You Believe Now?
Sanders started his postgame presser with some real jargon type lingo.
“What’s up boss? You believe now? … Do you believe now? I read through that bull junk you wrote, I read that, I sifted through all that,” Sanders said to a seemingly shocked Werder, who asked what he wrote.
“Do you believe? Sanders asked again, with Werder replying: “In what?”
“You don’t believe? You just answered. You don’t believe it. Next question.” Sanders continued to quip at Werder and anyone listening.
Werder says he’s written nothing about Sanders or his team, so he doesn’t know what he could be referring to in that regard. He then said he thinks Sanders calling him out may stem from a March tweet where he referred to Sanders as a “celebrity” coach.
Did Werder Attempt To Take High Road?
On Tuesday, after a few days and the dust from Saturday’s events now settled, Werder appeared on “The Dan Patrick Show.”
There he explained his side of the story and says he wasn’t about to say what he believes, he even referred to that being “journalistically inappropriate” had he done so.
Werder also told Patrick this about the incident.
“I really don’t know, I haven’t really been a writer for 30 years. I don’t really cover college football, this is an exception, I asked him several times what did I write and he couldn’t really provide an example and the reason is no such example exists. I’ve been television for the last 30 years, I’m almost exclusively a TV reporter.”
In fact, Werder wanted to deflect from the moment and focus on Sanders and his team accomplishing something great, and not make it about him and a tweet that from March that called Sanders what he is, a celebrity.
Seems like Sanders may have taken it the wrong way. Or it could be the fact that Werder didn’t refer to him as Deion Sanders, instead opting for the other words.
NBA legend and basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal was given the GOAT NBA rapper crown from hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg. Many NBA players have ventured into the rap game, including current player Damian Lillard. But according to Snoop, Shaq is the one. Is Snoop right?
“@Shaq greatest NBA rapper of all time,” Snoop Dogg posted to Instagram. “They think I’m on the brink of my insanity, if he isn’t spitting like this for the money, then what can it be?”
The title comes on the heels of Shaq’s appearance in a collaboration with Los Angeles rap group Coyote for the new single, “3 Lokos”.
Shaq has made four studio albums as a rapper. “Shaq Diesel” in 1993, “Shaq Fu: Da Return” in 1994, “You Can’t Stop the Reign” in 1996, and “Respect” in 1998.
None of these albums would earn four or five mics from The Source, but they are decent projects for someone that is not a full-time rapper. “Shaq Diesel” did manage to go platinum in 1993, but that was a different era and Shaq was on the ascent as a popular global figure.
Lillard has released five studio albums under the rap name Dame D.O.L.L.A., “The Letter O” in 2016, “Confirmed” in 2017, “Big D.O.L.L.A.” in 2019, “Different on Levels The Lord Allowed” in 2021, and “Don D.O.L.L.A.” last month.
The NBA Top75 player had a classic rap diss battle with Shaq back in 2019 that had the basketball and rap world split by generations. Lillard represented the new guard and new hip-hop generation. Shaq repped for the OGs and the glory days of the craft in the 90s.
Dame’s latest album was co-signed by Rick Ross and Lil Wayne. Ty Dolla $ign and singer Jordin Sparks also make Dame’s latest album.
Music is subjective, there is no real way to prove who is “better” unless you have a rap battle between them one on one. It’s highly unlikely Shaq would sign up for that, though Dame might.
Stay tuned, because Dame is likely to have a response to the claim made by Snoop.
In the meantime, Lillard is still under contract to play for the Portland Trail Blazers. He and his agent, Aaron Goodwin, have made a trade demand, but the Blazers have yet to acquiesce.
NBA training camps open at the end of the month, and until a trade is made he is expected to show up and be an active participant. We’ll see how that all plays out.
Michael Irvin has been sitting in NFL television limbo for no good reason. Irvin has not graced an NFL Network broadcast since last year’s Super Bowl in Arizona when he was accused of saying something inappropriate to a hotel worker during his off-hours. The Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver and three-time Super Bowl champion joined NFL Network as an analyst in 2009.
Ironically, his analyst bio on the NFL Network website still stands and says that he “can be seen every Sunday morning on NFL Network’s Emmy-nominated NFL GameDay Morning, along with Rich Eisen, Steve Mariucci, Kurt Warner, Ian Rapoport, Cynthia Frelund and Rachel Bonnetta.”
However, when the latest press release about “NFL GameDay Morning” came out, one prominent name was left out: the Play Maker’s.
Instead, the NFL used the announcement to highlight the addition of former All-Pro defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. He now will appear regularly on NFL Network’s “NFL GameDay Morning” with Rich Eisen, Kurt Warner, Steve Mariucci, Cynthia Frelund, Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo, Tom Pelissero, and Kimmi Chex.
Pointing out the snub of Irvin is no slight on McCoy’s ability to contribute as an analyst. He was the third overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and played 11 seasons in the NFL. After nine seasons with the Buccaneers, the six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle spent one season each with the Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders before announcing his retirement in April 2023.
McCoy was one of six new faces that will appear on various NFL Network studio shows and the network’s coverage of events such as the Super Bowl, NFL scouting combine, and NFL draft. Those include 14-year veteran QB Chase Daniel, former Stanford head coach David Shaw, former head coach and assistant coach Leslie Frazier, former offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Pep Hamilton, and Super Bowl champion running back Robert Turbin.
Irvin has dusted himself off from the NFL Network snub by joining the newly revamped “Undisputed” show with Skip Bayless. He joins former NFL players turned analysts Keyshawn Johnson and Richard Sherman on the show.
Irvin is one of the most charismatic and recognizable faces on the analyst circuit, but the NFL Network has stranded Irvin on an island without an apparent reason.
But would they do the same for an NFL owner with substantially more egregious accusations?
Back in late February, a 2020 lawsuit against Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones with accusations of sexual assault was resurfaced. After first being dismissed by a Dallas County district court in February 2022, a Texas appellate court resurrected the case, ruling that it should proceed. In the case, a woman claims Jones, then 75 years old, “kissed her on the mouth and forcibly grabbed her without her consent.”
Additionally, the team is now a defendant in the lawsuit, which could place Jones somewhere in the Daniel Snyder category if you look back at the Washington Commanders scandals. The lawsuit claims that the team “knew or should have known of Jones’s misconduct,” and has made that point very clear in the new appeal.
Would the NFL Network or even the owners galvanize to keep Jerry Jones out of the spotlight? The man is the face of the team just as much as his players, playing the role of a less aggressive Dana White or Vince McMahon. The latter had to step down from his prominent post for improprieties while at the helm of the WWE. Jones, on the other hand, would go kicking and loudly screaming.
Michael Irvin proves that the NFL picks and chooses its faces very carefully, and depending on a variety of well-known class and cultural points, the faces that come, go, and are ubiquitous indicate the true nature of the league.
Ex-NFL WR Mike Williams, who was drafted in the fourth round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2010 had reportedly died on Tuesday according to multiple reports. Williams was working on a construction site and was involved in an accident.
Recent reports from the Tampa Bay Times now say that Williams is not dead. Williams’ agent confirmed to 7 New WKBW in Buffalo that the receiver is still alive.
According to a GoFundMe page set up by Williams’ father a steel beam fell on Williams’ head causing a massive injury. There was swelling of the brain and a ruptured spinal cord. His condition worsened over the weekend and he passed out.
When initial reports of his “death” surfaced, the NFL community started showing their respects on social media.
Williams’ former teammate Gerald McCoy took to X, formerly Twitter, to share his thoughts.
“Dang man hurts my heart seeing the news of my former teammate and Buccaneers 2010 draft class brother Mike Williams,” McCoy said in a post. “Always great energy, brought joy and laughter to the locker room and a heck of a player!! Prayers and blessings to his family!!”
“Man this killing me man, 4 of my former teammates gone, Teo, Geno, V-Jack and now Mike. Nobody seen 40. Post football ain’t no joke man. Y’all be thinking we’re superheroes and we be tryna tell y’all we are humans just like everybody else.”
Williams was an active player for five seasons in the NFL. Four with the Bucs and one with the Buffalo Bills. He earned a total of $11.8 million.
McCoy brings up a valid point about professional football players. Despite what fans think, these players are not superhuman. They subject themselves to severe bodily harm every time they step onto a field. Yes, they are compensated, but not at a level commensurate with the risk.
This was a freak accident so there is no direct link like we see with players that suffer from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
But working construction after playing in the league is not a recipe for a comfortable retirement. $11.8 million before taxes was not going to last the rest of Williams’ life.
Yes, he was eligible for the NFL pension. But at 36 he would be taking a smaller payout than what he could receive at 55. With only 5 years served, his payout wasn’t going to be very big.
The average NFL pension is about $43,000 per year. The highest NFL pension is about $201,453 per year. The lowest NFL pension is about $19,800 per year.
Hovering somewhere between the lowest and the average is not sustainable income.
Does the NFL have a moral right to do better by its players?
A league, which last year, generated $18 billion in revenue should never have former players reduced to working manual labor after such a physically demanding career which lasts three seasons on average.
Williams may not be officially deceased, btu he will never be the same if he is able to recover from such a massive head injury. Prayers up.
Confidence is a funny thing for professional athletes. When they have it, they usually have it in abundance.
When they don’t, it’s a tough position to be in. Right now Dillon Brooks is full of confidence as he is helping lead Team Canada at the FIBA World Cup. Following his best performance of the tourney in a defeat of world No. 1 Spain, Brooks appeared to throw shade at his former NBA team, the Memphis Grizzlies.
“Coming off a tough year with my old squad it was great having a refresh with Canadian blood,” Brooks said. “Guys who believe in me. Guys who trust in me. It was great to win this game in a great fashion.”
Last season in Memphis was a tough one. Brooks was elite on defense, earning second team All-Defensive honors. But he was putrid on offense. He shot an anemic 32 percent from three, and his shot selection was bad.
The No. 2 seed Grizzlies were upset by the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooks took a lot of heat for poking at LeBron James. Brooks deserves some blame, but the Grizzlies were fractured as a unit all year due to superstar Ja Morant’s suspension and issues with guns.
Still, the Grizzlies made it clear publicly that Brooks would not be back under any circumstance and that his persona was a reason the team had issues.
In the offseason Brooks signed a four-year, $86 million deal with the Houston Rockets, and under new head coach Ime Udoka he will continue to be a defensive terror.
Brooks’ excellent play with Canada against Spain in a do-or-die game, 22 points and five rebounds on efficient shooting (8 of 12 from the field and a perfect 3-3 from deep), will propel him into a good season in Houston.
If Brooks and Canada advance to the medal round, which they should, it will give the forward a head start heading into training camp. He’ll be feeling good about the work he did for his national team and want to prove that he is a good player.
Brooks undoubtedly feels some kind of way about how things went down in Memphis. The Rockets and Grizzlies will meet four times in the upcoming season, and if you know anything about pro athletes, you know those dates are circled on Brooks’ calendar.
His confidence was rattled at the end of last season and in the offseason when he was unsure of who would sign him. It’s back now, and he will want to show the Grizzlies what they’re missing.
The Colorado Buffaloes football team is still basking in their surprise season-opening win at then No. 17 TCU.
While, Coach Prime and his guys should still be excited about the landmark win, they must also remember that was nowhere near the Horned Frogs team that just played for a national title seven months earlier.
Also, the fact that Colorado had months to prepare for the matchup played a vital role in what they were able to accomplish down in Fort Worth.
CU Buffs coaches, players, and fans can all relish the No. 22 ranking they received in Tuesday’s AP Poll, which was released following the weekend’s games. All of this is wonderful, and the Buffaloes earned every bit of the love and hype that they’re getting.
But we must temper that excitement, as the road will get much, much tougher in the coming weeks, beginning with their home opener versus former Big Eight rival Nebraska.
Visit From Huskers Begins Tough Stretch For Buffs
The game of football will humble you quickly, and that could easily happen to the Buffaloes, who face a Nebraska team coming off a tough, hard-fought 13-10 loss to Big Ten rival Minnesota.
The Huskers under first-year head coach Matt Rhule will come to Boulder ready and chomping at the bit after hearing Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders say this about the matchup.
“We don’t like Nebraska, simple. But that’s not going to change the preparation or anything like that, because we prepare like nobody likes us, because we know we’re going to get everyone’s best game.”
Deion told his team he doesn’t wanna see any shade of red all week as they prepare to face the Huskers.
One huge factor in this matchup could be the size difference in the trenches. The Huskers offensive line averages 310 pounds per man, while the Buffaloes’ defensive line is about 252 pounds per man.
That’s a nearly 60-pound difference up front and could be a huge factor in how the Huskers will attempt to shorten the game with a run-heavy approach while keeping Shedeur and the Buffs’ high-flying offense on the sidelines.
Things Get No Easier After Nebraska
Following the Buffaloes’ tilt with the “Big Red,” they’ll face in-state rival Colorado State, and that’s tough just because of the rivalry. That’s followed by games at Oregon, which boasts Heisman candidates Bo Nix and tons of playmakers on offense and a defense with the athletes to contain Colorado’s passing attack.
Reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams, who’s the favorite to repeat and become just the second two-time winner in the award’s history, along with former Ohio State running back Archie Griffin, pays a visit to Boulder a week later.
Then it’s trips to Arizona State, UCLA, Washington State and Utah. The Buffs are lucky to avoid the Washington Huskies and their Heisman candidate Michael Penix Jr., who arguably boast the nation’s best receivers room.
That’s why folks need to slow down trying to predict a win total or bowl game. Things in Boulder are just getting underway. And while they showed some real promise in week 1, this schedule is unforgiving.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to face the San Francisco 49ers in one of the many marquee matchups to begin the 2023 NFL season.
The matchup will feature two franchises who’ve combined for 11 Super Bowls wins and have some of the greatest players and coaches to ever grace the gridiron suit up for them.
This matchup is expected to be no different, with Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin carrying an NFL-record 16 consecutive seasons without a losing record to begin a coaching career. He’ll match wits with Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan, who’s recognized around the league as one of the brightest offensive minds in the game.
Talent Will Be All Over The Field, No Nick Bosa?
And while there will be plenty of talent on display on both sides of the ball, the game was also supposed to feature the last two Defensive Player of the Year award winners in Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt, the 2021 recipient, and Niners edge rusher Nick Bosa, the reigning DPOY. But Bosa is holding out, and with each passing day it seems as if he won’t be in the Steel City for Sunday’s kickoff. But don’t tell Tomlin that. The Steelers coach was adamant that his team is very much still preparing as if he’ll show up before Sunday.
“Yes, we are preparing for Bosa,” Tomlin said Tuesday. “It’s prudent for us to assume that he is gonna be there and prepare in that vein, as opposed to be surprised. We were in a minor circumstance with a dynamic rusher a couple years ago in T.J. We got a deal done at the 11th hour. He showed up in the stadium, and he was T.J. Watt that day. So that’s what those guys do. They show up, and they are who they are.”
“We expect him to be there. It’s the prudent approach to take, and if he’s gonna be there, we know the type of player that he intends on being,” Tomlin said. “So that’s something to be dealt with.”
With Or Without Bosa, Steelers Will Have Their Hands Full
Having the aforementioned Bosa is always a great thing for the Niners defense, but they have the most talented linebacker duo in the league in All-Pro Fred Warner and his partner in crime Dre Greenlaw. Safety Talanoa Hufanga has established himself as one of the game’s best at the position, and the 2022 first-team All-Pro selection has drawn comparisons to former Steelers legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu.
So, it’s safe to say the Niners’ defensive cupboard won’t be bare if Bosa and the team don’t reach an agreement in time for Sunday’s heavyweight tilt. But having the elite edge rusher makes everyone’s life a whole lot easier for San Francisco.
When the New York Jets drafted star wideout Garrett Wilson with the 10th overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft they knew they had something special. But it’s what Wilson did in his rookie season with pretty bad quarterback play that makes team brass and those around the league believe he’s destined for greatness.
In his rookie season, Wilson had 83 receptions for 1,103 yards and four touchdowns. For his efforts, Wilson was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, becoming the second consecutive wide receiver to win the honor, joining Cincinnati Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase, the 2021 winner. With four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers, Wilson is expected to be even better in 2023, but the former Ohio State Buckeyes star isn’t letting any of it go to his head.
https://x.com/nypost/status/1697982423911264596?s=46&t=oe54avAomxoOhm1w1b0ebw
Despite Early Success Wilson Remains Humble And Hungry
During a recent interview with the New York Post, Wilson let it be known that he’s got so many more levels to reach, and one thing he won’t do is rest on his laurels.
“I don’t think I’m a star,” Wilson told the Post at his locker. “I just play football. I do it well, luckily, and I’m thankful for all my fans. But I don’t think that I’m a star in this town. There’s so many stars in this town, actual stars and stuff that I definitely ain’t.”
“I ain’t done nothing yet.”
“I gotta prove myself and just make sure I’m taking big steps, man.”
Wilson’s work ethic is one reason why the Jets were so high on him coming out of college. He’s done nothing but add to that mantra with the way he handles himself daily as a pro.
Iron Sharpens Iron: Wilson VS Sauce Daily
Since last year, when the Jets drafted both Wilson and reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year cornerback Sauce Gardner, practices have been ratcheted up a bit with their daily one-on-one battles. The two young Jets stars have become close as they both continue to develop and hone their crafts in their daily scrimmages.
Gardner told the Post about his teammate and draft mate.
“He wants to win every time, that’s what makes it so competitive, that’s what makes it so hard on both of us,” Gardner told the Post. “We both got the same winning mentality.”
The Jets hope that type of attitude becomes infectious throughout the entire roster.
The NFL is raking in the money and so popular that according to Forbes, it is worth more than the next two most popular major sports in the states.
Forbes has the NFL listed as more valuable than the NBA and the MLB combined, which can only mean one thing; the NFL is making a lot of money.
Forbes recently came out with their most valuable NFL sports teams list, ranking the teams in order of monetary value, and of course, the Dallas Cowboys are leading that list.
As a league, the NFL has no equals.
JPAFootball tweeted “The #NFL is king: the estimated value of all 32 teams combined is $163 billion, which would be more than ALL the NBA and MLB franchises COMBINED, per @Forbes. The average value of an NFL team is just over 5 billion. There is nothing like football… And there never will be,”
It’s pretty clear that the world’s game is Soccer, and that the fans all over the world parade that sport, but in the States, this is America’s game. It’s no surprise that “America’s Team”, the Dallas Cowboys once again topped the charts, with their total.
Jon Machota tweeted “Forbes: “The Dallas Cowboys remain the most valuable team in the league at a record $9 billion, 13% more than a year ago. The Cowboys generate the most revenue ($1.1 billion) and operating income ($500 million) by far in the NFL.”
The Dallas Cowboys are followed by the New England Patriots, whose valuation stands at $7 billion, and rounds all the way out to the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 10 with a valuation of $5.8 billion.
What is interesting about some of the teams in between the top spots is that they haven’t been successful, or even competitive in recent years.
Teams such as the Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders, and New York Jets have all been sort of laughingstocks over the years in the NFL recently, so it’s interesting to see that what they lack in performance on the field, they make up for it in location, brand and popularity.
These are big-name cities with huge markets for the team to make a killing in.
Meanwhile, the NFL’s most recent dynasty in the making, the Kansas City Chiefs, stands all the way at No. 23 in the rankings at $4.3 billion.
Regardless of the teams’ earnings, cash is king, and who knew that a game that only fields 17 regular season matches, with a one-game elimination playoff format, would reign supreme?
19-year-old American Cori “Coco” Gauff dismantled her quarterfinal opponent, Jelena Ostapenko, 6-0, 6-2 to advance to her first US Open semifinal. This was Gauff’s most impressive showing all tournament and she’s one step closer to her first major title and saving tennis in America.
This is not some rant on American exceptionalism. I don’t subscribe to that belief.
But tennis is a sport that is growing in the U.S., particularly among minority communities. In a recent report, 38 percent of the tennis playing population in the U.S. are minorities.
To keep younger kids engaged, there needs to be someone they can look to for inspiration. This is where Gauff can help the sport.
As she has said on numerous occasions, she wouldn’t be a tennis player if it wasn’t for Serena and Venus Williams. Now she has the benefit or burden, depending on your point of view, of carrying on that legacy. Giving young people of color, especially women, something to aspire to.
If Gauff can win this year’s US Open, it will make her even more of a household name. Diehard tennis fans know who she is. But she is the type of athlete that can crossover and attract the casual sports fan, much the way the Williams sisters did.
Around the grounds of the US Open, I’ve heard people all week say that Coco is their favorite player or they are “just here to see Coco.”
This isn’t to suggest Gauff will equal Serena’s mark of 23 Grand Slam singles titles or Venus’ seven Grand Slam titles. But Gauff winning the US Open will captivate many and catapult her to new heights.
American tennis has had the luxury of the Williams sisters winning titles from 1999 through 2020. Now that Serena’s retired and Venus is at the end of her career. It’s time for new faces to take the nation’s tennis fans forward.
That could be the 19-year-old Gauff, who became the first American teenager to reach the US Open semifinals since Serena did it in 2001.
“I mean, she’s the greatest player of all time. You know, I’m nothing close to that yet. I’m just really honored to be in the same sentence as her,” Gauff said about Serena after her quarterfinal win on Tueaday. “Like I said, I never take it for granted. She’s my idol. I think if you told me when I was younger that I would be in these same stat lines as her, I would freak out.”
Gauff has a long way to go, if ever, but she is one step closer to that first major title. Up next is the semifinals against either Sorana Cristea who she is 1-0 against or Karolína Muchová who she is also 1-0 against and defeated in the finals at Cincinnati last month.
“I haven’t thought about the game plan for either one, to be honest, yet so I don’t know that,” said Gauff when asked about potential semifinal opponents. “I know that I’m just going to go out there and focus on my side of the court, as I’ve been doing the whole tournament.”
Focusing on what is controllable. That sounds like the mindset of a champion.
One thing the world needs to understand about Deion and Shedeur Sanders is that they are playing for keeps. They also keep “receipts,” as Coach Prime said in the postgame press conference, but in this instance, it is for those who have forsaken them on their road to the Power Five conferences.
Shedeur showed up and showed out during the Colorado Buffaloes’ 45-42 season-opening win against then No. 17 TCU, but the history between the younger Sanders and a now-TCU offensive coordinator, Kendal Briles.
When Shedeur was deciding where to go to school, Briles was the offensive coordinator for Florida State and showed no love to Shedeur during his visit to Tallahassee.
For close to a decade, Briles has been an offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at schools like Arkansas, Baylor, Florida Atlantic, Houston, and Florida State before TCU. After his predecessor, Garrett Riley, left for Clemson, Briles took the TCU offensive coordinator position in the offseason.
“We went to the camp of a certain school, and a certain coordinator we just played against, offensive coordinator, he was at that school, and we went to this school, a camp, and he didn’t pay him no attention,” Coach Prime said Monday on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “I don’t think he even spoke to him. He just pushed him off to the side.”
That instance motivated Shedeur, who decided to join his father at Jackson State University and had a historic run with them before transferring to Colorado to join his father there as well.
“He wanted to beat that guy so bad that he just went to work,” Deion continued, explaining how Briles and his new team motivated Shedeur.
At the time, Sheduer was unproven on the collegiate level, and for many, the strength he brought was his last name and not his first. After first choosing FAU and then JSU, Shedeur is now a two-time championship-yielding stint at Jackson State, and with his first successful outing against TCU, the world believes the hype about Shedeur.
“[Shedeur] could have gone anywhere,” Sanders recently said on The Colorado Football Coaches Show about his son. “His problem is he’s impatient like his dad. He didn’t want to wait. He’s like, ‘I ain’t waiting two years to get on the field.’ … So he chose FAU because he had a relationship with Willie Taggart that derived from FSU when he was going to go there.
“But the coordinator that we’re playing against this week was there, and he didn’t treat [Shedeur] kindly. So there’s a lot of blood in that thing,” Sanders continued. “There’s a lot of bad blood in that thing.”
The moral of the story is don’t get on Shedeur Sanders’s bad side, because you might meet him on the field one day, and he might have a 510 yards and four touchdowns type of day.
As the fallout continues from Antonio Brown’s brief tenure as owner of arena league franchise Albany Empire, players are enlightening the world on the inner workings of the team under Brown’s leadership. The word toxic isn’t even suitable anymore, now it can be called downright dangerous.
ESPN reports that shortly after his purchase of an Empire ownership stake Brown was promising the players the types of perks that come with an NFL-level contract. However, he was not transparent about not delivering minor things they wanted.
For instance, during training camp, players wanted the Empire social media account to give a birthday tribute to former Empire offensive lineman turned Riverwood International Charter School community football coach Moqut “Coach Mo” Ruffins. The former player died last year at age 38.
The Empire posted the tribute, but it was deleted shortly after, baffling the players. A post dated April 6, 2023, was found on the Albany Empire Twitter but it is not confirmed if this is the post in question.
Since the team was not forthcoming with answers at the time surrounding the deletion of the tribute post, three players eventually found Brown at a cigar bar and approached for answers, and that’s when things turned south.
“People were a little frustrated because these guys were close to [Mo],” wide receiver Dwayne Hollis who approached Brown said. “We were there to just talk, to give our views about how that’s wrong.”
Brown was at the cigar lounge with local sneaker entrepreneur turned Empire front office member Ryan Larkin. he conversation didn’t go as planned.
Eventually, Brown motioned that he would pull a rifle on his players.
“AB looked at Ryan and was like, ‘Hey, man, you still got the AR in the car? Go get it,'” Albany Empire receiver Darius Prince said to ESPN. “Then I was like, I’m not going to allow this dude to walk out of here after you just threatened us. After he said that, things did calm down and we had a conversation. But the fact is that he threatened us by telling his assistant to grab his AR.”
Since Brown’s departure from the team, Albany Empire coaches and players have planned a lawsuit against him. All have contended that game checks were pulled from their bank accounts.
With the National Arena League having kicked out the Empire for Brown’s alleged failure to pay $21,000 in ownership fees, it seems Brown keeps the facade that business is boomin’, but in the case of the Albany Empire the only thing that is moving are lawsuits.
American professional football is a dangerous sport. It causes severe injuries and when players retire the cumulative toll of playing has an adverse impact on their quality of life. Ex-NFL RB Ricky Williams wants the league to allow players to use cannabis as part of their recovery.
The taboo around marijuana use has subsided some, and there has been enough credible medical literature published on its benefits.
Williams and many current and retired athletes have been advocates for its use and are in the cannabis business.
Highsman, Williams’ cannabis brand, was created to provide communities of sports fans and marijuana enthusiasts with a platform to own their relationship with cannabis and its healing properties.
Williams has talked openly for decades on the benefits marijuana has had on his mental and physical health.
“I think the next step, though, is at the end of a game, if we’re on the plane ride home, the trainer is walking down the aisle and has two capsule cases — one of Ambien, and the other one of Vicodin,” Williams said. “And he’s walking down the aisle and saying, ‘Do you need any of this, do you need any of this?'”
“And the truth is, for football players, we do need something because it hurts, and you’re all revved up and it’s hard to calm down go to sleep. And I’d love to see cannabis as being one of those things that the trainer is walking down the aisle and offering to those players.”
The NFL’s pushback will be on regulation of its use, to ensure players aren’t abusing it. Players abuse Vicodin and all sorts of medications as it is.
No, the league and the owners still operate from a 1960s and ’70s playbook when it comes to its majority Black labor force engaging with the drug.
But Williams and the athletes who champion its benefits don’t view cannabis that way. They generally want to make people aware of the positive impact it can have.
“We have an authentic message, and people are growing some really amazing flower that can really help people feel better,” Ricky added. “If we can be a person that can make that connection on the cannabis side, that feels great to us.”
One day sports leagues worldwide will evolve, along with the rest of mainstream society, and realize the benefits of cannabis and allow its use.
The Georgia Bulldogs football program has become the best in the nation the last two seasons. After not winning a national title since 1980, the school in Athens, Georgia, has won back-to-back College Football Playoff national championships — their latest coming in January of this year.
Over the weekend, the team opened up defense of its back-to-back titles with a resounding 48-7 win against a completely overmatched UT-Martin squad.
Per reports, as the team prepared to take on the Skyhawks, team staffer and former Bulldogs star Jarvis Jones was arrested on Friday night, Sept. 1, for speeding and reckless driving.
The incident is the latest in what has become an unfortunate and recurring theme in and around the Athens campus.
On Monday, head coach Kirby Smart released a statement on the matter, keeping it pretty short and to the point.
“There will be internal discipline. It’s a personnel matter, and I really can’t comment further on it,” according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Bulldogs Have Been In The News For This Type Stuff Way Too Often
Jones’ arrest is the latest in a string of arrests and even deaths caused by speeding and reckless driving that involved someone from the Bulldogs program. In May, wide receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint was arrested for speeding and reckless driving; as a result he was suspended from this past weekend’s season opener.
In January following the team’s second consecutive national championship win, a player, Devin Willock and staffer Chandler LeCroy were killed in a high-speed accident near Athens. In totality, a member of the football program reportedly either has been cited or arrested a whopping 14 times since the deaths of Willock and LeCroy.
During SEC media days, an exasperated Smart pretty much told reporters that UGA isn’t the only school getting traffic tickets and that he couldn’t eradicate speeding. Maybe not, but no other program is getting them for these type of charges, and definitely not at this rate of basically two per month since January.
Jones Just Received High Honor In August
Jones isn’t far removed from being inducted into school’s Circle of Honor. It is considered the highest honor someone associated with the athletic program can receive, to “pay tribute to extraordinary student-athletes and coaches whose performance has brought honor to the school.” For Jones, this completely contradicts that honor.
Jones played under former Bulldogs coach Mark Richt from (2010-12), and still holds the school record for sacks in a season (14.5) and tackles for loss (24.5). Jones was taken with the 17th pick of the 2013 NFL Draft, but after five seasons (four with the Steelers and one with the Cardinals), he retired following the 2017 season after being released with an injury settlement by the Cardinals.
The Kansas City Chiefs will open defense of their Super Bowl title, as they kickoff the 2023 NFL season by hosting the rising Detroit Lions. While KC is picked by many to repeat as Lombardi Trophy winners, as of now that may be even more difficult to accomplish than it normally would be. With the team’s best defensive player in versatile defensive lineman Chris Jones holding out for a new deal, the Chiefs are set to take the field on Thursday night without the second-best player on their talented roster.
There’s been no shortage of players commenting on Jones’ situation, and wanting to get the dominant force back on the field. Media personalities have also chimed in about Jones and his importance to what KC does on the defensive side of the football. But as of now it’s been to no avail.
ESPNs Shannon Sharpe Calls Out Chiefs
During his debut appearance on “First Take” on Monday, Sept. 4, Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe pretty much told the Chiefs to get the deal with Jones. He mentioned now Mahomes’ contract was done in a way to keep the core pieces of the Chiefs roster intact.
“I like what the Chargers have done in L.A. with Herbert and those receivers. They can ill afford to let this thing drag out. You’re going to have to pay it, right?“
“Mahomes took that bargain contract just so you can have guys like Travis Kelce, Chris Jones, and you can pay those guys. Pay Chris Jones his money.”
Sharpe is correct. Mahomes structured his contract in a way to keep the team in a position to pay current stars and add others. It’s the same method that Tom Brady used to keep teams together in New England. That resulted in nine SB appearances and six SB wins in 20 seasons.
In five seasons as the starter, Mahomes has been to three SBs, winning two, along with five AFC Championship game appearances.
Mahomes Says Team Is Going With What They Have
With Jones likely out for Thursday’s game unless he shows up by Tuesday, Mahomes says the team must continue to prep and can’t worry about his teammate’s contract affairs. The reigning SB and NFL MVP told reporters this on Sunday.
“At this point, you kind of just prepare to play the game with the guys that are in the building and let the front office handle that. We’ve got a tough rest with the Detroit Lions, and we’re going to focus on how we can win with the guys that are here.”
Great corporate answer by the Chiefs’ franchise player.
Legendary two-time Super Bowl-winning New York Giants head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Bill Parcells was known for his toughness, leadership and winning.
That would explain his 172-130-1 record, and 11-8 in the playoffs while leading four different teams (Giants, Patriots, Jets and Cowboys) to the playoffs. Parcells’ two Super Bowl wins came as head coach of the Giants, but he also led the Patriots to the SB, and the Jets to the AFC Championship.
Throughout his 19-year coaching career, Parcells was blessed to have some great players line up for him on Sundays. But, one aspect of Parcells that many probably have no idea about is his generosity. Per longtime New York Daily News writer Gary Myers, Parcells is a giver.
Myers spoke on this topic during a radio interview with WFAN to promote his new book “Once A Giant: A Story of Victory, Tragedy, and Life After Football,” which will be released on Sept. 12. The book about Parcells shares tidbits such as this that may surprise folks.
Parcells Bails Former Players Out Of “Financial Crisis”
In the book, Myers tells the story of how the tough, hard-nosed Parcells aka The Big Tuna gave some of his former players some major cash without the assumption that it would ever be paid back.
“Bill has loaned out, with no expectation of being repaid, $4 million to 20 players that played for him that come to him in this financial crisis. Bill knows when they come to him it’s a last resort,” Myers said.
“I said, ‘Bill, four million dollars, and you don’t expect anyone to pay you back. Why are you doing that?’ And he goes, ‘These guys have sacrificed so much for me with their bodies and their commitment.”
Parcells’ Gesture Is ‘Unprecedented’
In an era where it’s all about me, Parcells hasn’t forgotten who helped him land those huge deals as a head coach. So as a way of paying the players back he’s coming to their aid in a time of need. This shows a softer side of Parcells who coached the likes of Lawrence Taylor, Phil Simms, Harry Carson, Drew Bledsoe, Curtis Martin and the list goes on.
Myers says the move is something we’ve never seen in sports, and he’s probably right.
“I think it’s unprecedented,” Myers said. “I just don’t know of any other coach who sits down and writes checks to his former players who are really in financial need. It’s really a cool story, and I think you’ll learn a lot about the change in Parcells when you read this book.”
For the first time in 18 years, three American men have advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open. Two of these men, Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton, will face each other for a spot in the semifinals. Given their respective ages, talent and early success; they are the present and future of American men’s tennis. Perhaps one of them will break the 20-year streak since an American male last won a Grand Slam Singles title.
Andy Roddick in 2003 at the U.S. Open was the last American man to win a Grand Slam singles title.
Prior to that, you had the days of Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Jim Courier and Michael Chang. The total amounts to 27 major titles combined between the quartet, 170 career titles, and more than 300 weeks as world No. 1.
But American men’s tennis hasn’t been able to produce those kind of players and results in more than two decades.
Until maybe now.
Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz (the other American quarterfinalist) are 24 and 25 years old respectively and ranked in the top 10. Shelton is only 20 and ranked 43rd, but will be in the top-30 whether he advances to the semis or not.
Shelton possesses a monster game. He leads the tournament with 62 aces in four matches.
He has also hit the fastest serve in the tournament at 149 mph. He’s incredibly athletic and can rally from the baseline off both wings and can come into net with great hands and anticipation.
Tiafoe made his best major run last year at the U.S. Open, losing to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set semifinal battle.
He’s looking poised to repeat that run this year. He’s kept his head in the big moments and feeds off the energy from the crowd, a factor he knows will play into Tuesday’s quarterfinal matchup against Shelton.
“Ben has wanted to play me at the Open for a long time. So he’s going to be super excited. He’s going to come out with a lot of energy,” said Tiafoe after his fourth-round win on Sunday. “I’m just going to have to tame him down, try to be the vet and get the win. It’s going to be good. It’s going to be a great atmosphere, I think great representation for people of color, right? Two people of color playing in the quarterfinals, huge match on Arthur Ashe. It’s a pretty monumental moment. I’m pretty excited to compete against him. Hopefully it’s a great battle.
For years the “Big 3” in men’s tennis, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, had each other to push them to new and unimaginable heights the game has never seen. They made players like Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka, the only two players to win multiple Grand Slam titles in the Big 3 era, better.
Perhaps Tiafoe, Fritz, Shelton, top-20 player Tommy Paul and top-30 player Christopher Eubanks can do the same for each other and push American men’s tennis forward.
This isn’t about America dominating the Grand Slam contests, but having an American man with a shot to win any of the four majors would be a good thing for the sports popularity at home.
Holding serve will be the key for both Tiafoe and Shelton. That starts by getting first serves in so you can dictate the point.
How each player handles the big moments will be crucial.
No matter who wins, we are guaranteed to have an American man in the semifinals for the second year in a row, first time in two decades.
Terence “Bud” Crawdford and his Omaha, Nebraska training crew are the new “It” team in boxing, and that comes with an old adage, “mo’ money, mo’ problems.”
Recently, Crawford’s head trainer and partner in his B&B Boxing Gym, Brian “Bomac” McIntyre, was arrested in Manchester, United Kingdom after a gun and loaded magazine were found in his baggage. McIntyre was on his way to Atlanta after a successful match for his fighter Chris Eubanks Jr. over Liam Smith over the weekend.
Authorities arrested him at Manchester Airport on Sunday, Sept. 3, and he remainded in custody after attending Stockport Magistrates Court on Monday. He is now scheduled to appear at Manchester Crown Court next month on Monday, Oct. 9, per reports.
“Officers were called to reports of a possible firearm being found in hold luggage by airport staff at Manchester Airport,” Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said to BBC. “GMP officers attended, and the firearm was seized.
“Subsequently, a 53-year-old man was arrested for possession of a firearm and was taken to custody for further questioning. Brian McIntyre from the United States of America was charged with possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition for a firearm without a certificate.”
The arrest is a throwback to some of McIntyre’s previous troubles before the huge win by his star pupil, Crawford. Early last month, McIntyre revealed his past issues during a candid interview with the media.
“Got to get pardoned first for all the charges I got for carrying guns… Got to get some stuff sponged off my record, Got to get some stuff sponged off my record of the gun charges, drug charges, and the driving on the suspension and child support,” McIntyre said to Boxing King Media.
Crawford and McIntyre are on fire right now after “Bud’s” fairytale win over Errol Spence Jr. in July. Since then, Crawford has become a bigger star and has been linked to everyone from Gervonta “Tank” Davis to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez for potential future fights.
Spence activated his rematch clause, per his trainer Derrick James, but it is believed that he will fight at the higher weight class of 154 pounds instead of welterweight limit of 147 pounds again. Right now, McIntyre is just trying to get out of the U.K. to return to the victory lap with Crawford before facing Errol Spence again.
