The Trey Lance era in San Francisco was over before it ever begun. The 2021 No. 3 overall pick, who was never really given a shot to succeed, surprisingly was traded to the rival Dallas Cowboys for a fourth-round pick on Friday.
The news comes just two days after the 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch met with Lance to inform him that would begin the season as the team’s No. 3 quarterback behind starter Brock Purdy and backup Sam Darnold, who was signed this offseason.
That announcement didn’t sit well with Lance who reportedly was given the day off to decompress and clear his head with the new reality that he was now the team’s emergency signal-caller. But just about 48 hours later the former North Dakota State Bison star is headed to Dallas to pretty much do the same thing he did in San Fran, and that’s be the Cowboys No. 3 QB behind Dak Prescott and fan favorite backup Cooper Rush.
Trading for Lance at this stage is a low risk and high reward move. It’s not often you get the opportunity to land a top-three pick for pennies on the dollar just two seasons after he was drafted. The move is shrewd, and if it works could come back to haunt the Niners.
On Thursday, Lynch told KNBR radio this about the possibility of moving Lance.
“If we can find a landing spot for Trey that is a really good one for him and works for our organization, that’s not something we’d turn a blind eye to,” Lynch said.
Friday’s move is one that many believe puts more pressure on Cowboys starter Dak Prescott to lead the team to at least the NFC championship, a place they haven’t been since the 1995-96 season. While, that may be far-fetched, Prescott’s $40 million salary and consistent playoff failures always keep him in the news.
At this point we don’t even know if Lance can play. He’s only had four starts, and you could see in those the talented but extremely inexperienced quarterback had a long way to go. Another factor in his demise was injuries, and, plain and simple, he just didn’t fit the aforementioned Shanahan’s offense.
If we’re being politically correct, the most successful QBs in Shanny’s system have been the traditional pocket passers, not dual-threat guys like Lance. Take away Robert Griffin III’s magical 2012 season under Shanahan, and there’s none, to be exact.
Trading Lance might end up not meaning much at all at the end of the day. But Niners fans also remember the last time they traded a player to the Cowboys it was Hall of Famer Charles Haley, who helped the Boys defeat the Niners in back-to-back championship games. The 49ers returned the favor in 1995.
There has been a term ubiquitous throughout the five boroughs of New York City and beyond since last year, and it has even become part of the New York Knicks games: bing bong!
These simple two words are more of a sound that is inspired by the New York City Transit subway chime that alerts passengers to “stand clear of the closing doors please.” However, that phrase was ushered in by Coney Island rapper Gorilla Nems, who was one of the numerous authentically New York personalities delivered to social media through the @sidetalknyc Instagram handle.
Nems lit the world of social media on fire with his ghetto reporter interviews with drug addicts, just-off-work blue-collar citizens, and the random but uniquely interesting Coney Island gentry. The “bing bong” slogan that he and others in the videos said in pivotal moments of deadpan comedy stuck, and even the New York Knicks felt it would add to the authenticity of Madison Square Garden.
He even delivered a Bing Bong New York Knicks remix song, which he describes as a “rallying cry.”
However, under the James Dolan regime, the New York Knicks have been known to be not so hospitable to its local heroes, and Nems said on a podcast that he has been treated the same.
“Knicks ain’t never give me not one ticket bro,” Nems said on the Bootleg Kev podcast. “F**k the New York Knicks. Yo, I gave them a remix, I gave them a whole f***ing rallying cry, bro. They did not do the right thing at all. They didn’t even offer.
“They reached out for me to do their celebrity game. I did it, and they was like, ‘Yo, whatever game you want just let us know. I just said, like towards the end of last season, I was like let me redeem these tickets. I don’t care what’s the game, just don’t disrespect me and give me some bulls*t seats, I need courtside or I’m not going.”
Nems described how even while not honoring his floor seat request, he was asked to do content for the team at which point he gave them the ultimatum no seats, no content.
“Every time a Knick hits a f***ing three ‘Bing Bong.’ Well, they never got back. Well, they tried to hit me with the bulls**t seats. So they had me try to do some content for them — yo, give me these f***ing seats or I aint doing s**t. They’ve been disrespecting me for mad seasons. I was a lifelong Knicks fan, but not no more when I see how they do business; that s**t is disgusting.”
Nems might not have heard about Knicks owner James Dolan ejecting and banning New York Knicks legend Charles Oakley or allegedly placing facial recognition in the Garden so he can spot his legal enemies. Either way, the Knicks have just lost another one as the Dolan administration continues to draw the enmity of the New York Knicks faithful.
Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks opened up about this infamous dustup with LeBron James during last season’s playoffs and the villain persona that he’s courted and has been thrust upon him. He doesn’t seem fazed and will likely continue to do the same in Houston.
“I feel like I always had him. I feel like that series was thrown upon me cause of the words that I say, but I’ve been saying things all year and we won 50 games,” Brooks said in an interview with Sportsnet.
Brooks jawed with LeBron during last year’s playoffs, and he and the Grizzlies took it on the chin, losing in six games in the first round matchup. A disappointing outcome for a team with the second-best record in the conference. In many ways Brooks was the poster child for the Grizzlies’ ineptitude that series. All growl and no bite.
It’s easy in hindsight to say Brooks’ horrendous offense and talking smack lit a fire under LeBron and got the Grizzlies beat, but that wouldn’t be accurate.
Much of the Grizzlies’ disappointing finish can be tied to team leader Ja Morant getting himself into trouble and suspended toward the end of the regular season. The team chemistry and cohesion wasn’t the same since.
Brooks was an easy scapegoat. Does he talk a lot? Yes. But so do the entire Grizzlies team. Did he shoot poorly? He was horrible. But so too were most of the Grizzlies.
What Brooks is is an elite defender and a physical player. He made second team All-Defense last season. He relishes in the thankless job of guarding the opponent’s best wing scorer and/or primary playmaker.
Getting worn out by the league’s apex predator scorers is not fun, and there is a reason why only a handful of players want that assignment. The want to and the ability to play elite defense is a valuable skill that helps teams win games.
In order to do that Brooks feels he has to tap into a bit of a persona as a villain. If that’s what works for him, so be it.
Contrary to popular belief, the goal of playing defense isn’t to shut out the league’s best players. That’s impossible. The goal is to make them take shots that have a lesser chance of going in. Make them go to a move or a spot on the floor that isn’t their preferred.
Now, these are the best shot makers in the world, so sometimes even if you force them into a tough shot they’ll still make it. That’s the game. But as a defender you can’t get frustrated by that. If you make a superstar take bad and less preferable shots and that’s what they have most of the game, you live with the results.
Brooks is among the best players in the league at doing that.
Before he brings his brand of defense to Houston and new head coach Ime Udoka, he is helping Team Canada at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. The Canadians opened up group play on Friday with a 95-65 beatdown of Team France.
Brooks led with his customary aggressive defense and had a dunk on Rudy Gobert.
In the world of NFL wives and girlfriends, the mother of Miami Dolphins cornerback Eli Apple’s son is opening the door to a new level of revenge.
Destani, the mother to Apple’s young son, placed a bounty in the form of fines that she will pay for players that inflict injuries to him during the season for trespasses she claims he did to her and her child. She detailed it all in a series of Instagram stories.
“If you play against my baby dad this season please go for the knees, maybe a hammy,” she posted. If it wasn’t clear who she was referencing she mafe it very clear later in the post. “#33 for the Dolphins, I’ll gladly Zelle you back any fines”
Posting under the social media handle @nee.ariiii, the Instagram Story thread details her short-lived romance with Apple and the circumstances surrounding her now-ignited beef.
“He should tread lightly,” the post begins with a picture of a bruised thigh, “bc how does your mom run a DV (domestic violence) foundation but her sons a POS. So let’s go over what happen. We got pregnant after traveling together during off season – his response to my pregnancy was straight up ‘well what did you expect I knew it was going to happen’ Then he tells me he has a s** problem and I’m the 6th pregnant woman in 3 years the others just had abortions but i’m already 14 weeks at the time of this confession.”
She then “fast-forward” the story to her mid-pregnancy and the doctors alerting her that their son has a heart condition that requires a core blood transfusion. Apple is a “direct match,” but he blocks her again when she finds out about his promiscuity in “every city” he traveled to.
Next was a game of cat and mouse, with her describing Apple as blocking her when she sent an “article” from a woman exposing him, then unblocking her to “pick out baby names.” He blocked her again when she asked him for a blood transfusion for their child.
What comes next is shocking as she claims Apple said, “It was best for the baby to die.” She then “went crazy on him” and eventually had their child at 25 weeks. She claims the child has had two surgeries since birth and that Apple “continued to talk about the bad health he wishes on his own child.”
Apple, a first-round pick by the Giants in 2016, was signed by the Dolphins to a 1-year, $1.6 million deal in July. Whatever happens from here, the tea is spilled in ways that, if true, do not look suitable for the NFL player’s character.
The world of influencer boxing is getting weirder and more dangerous, as one of its celebrity combatants got stabbed in a gym altercation. Los Angeles-based rapper Blueface, Johnathan Porter, was stabbed by an unknown assailant on Wednesday, Aug. 23, ahead of his planned October bout against fellow influencer Salt Papi.
Although the injury isn’t life-threatening, Blueface is now off the Misfits x DAZN fight card.
The attack reportedly happened Wednesday at the Kaminsky Boxing Gym in Reseda, California, at 10:30 a.m. Surveillance footage showed Blueface, who was clearly in full boxing training, approached by a man in a white tank top. As the man comes, another man, his trainer David Kaminsky, stands in the middle, trying to protect Blueface. However, Blueface steps around the buffer and begins unleashing right and left hooks at the man, who starts stumbling backward.
Next, as Blueface backs off, the man reaches for something in his pocket, which is not seen on the camera, while Blueface goes back to hitting a heavy bag in the foreground. Per TMZ, the man reportedly charged Blueface, saying, “I’m gonna kill you.”
The man also came with an apparent Rottweiler dog to the gym.
“The mother****er came up talking about, ‘you want to fight?’ ” Blueface narrates the surveillance video he shared on his social media. “I’m looking like, ‘Who the fk are you?’ He keeps approaching me with this look in his eye and I know that look. All right, he’s on some sh*t.”
The video cuts off, but Blueface reportedly is stabbed and subsequently taken to the hospital. He showed his injuries, which included a puncture wound to his body. The 26-year-old posted a caption on his Instagram, explaining why he chose to drop out of the fight.
“I won’t be able to fight October 14th due to a injury won’t have enough time to heal don’t say I ducked none bro came with a dog an a knife at 10am.”
Blueface was supposed to fight on the Misfits influencer boxing card headlined by Logan Paul and Dillon Danis. He has a 1-0 professional record after defeating Ed Matthews via knockout in April in the UK at Wembley Arena. Blueface also has fought in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships and recently video leaked that showed him getting schooled in the ring by boxing legend Floyd “Money” Mayweather.
Two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has put the Milwaukee Bucks on notice. If the Bucks are not all in on competing for championships every year, he will not sign a contract extension next summer. The seven-time All-Star is under contract through the 2025-26 season, but that year is a player option.
The Bucks can offer Antetokounmpo a three-year, $173 million supermax extension beginning Sept. 22.
“The real question’s not going to be this year — numbers-wise it doesn’t make sense,” Antetokounmpo said. “But next year, next summer it would make more sense for both parties. Even then, I don’t know. I would not be the best version of myself if I don’t know that everybody’s on the same page, everybody’s going for a championship, everybody’s going to sacrifice time away from their family like I do. And if I don’t feel that, I’m not signing.”
In the NBA, star players like Giannis are very aware that their public comments carry weight and they signal something to the organization as well as its fan base.
Through his representation and likely directly, Giannis has stated the same thing to Bucks ownership and management behind closed doors.
Making it public could mean he doesn’t believe everyone involved is on the same page as it relates to competing for a championship.
The Bucks’ offseason was pretty quiet. They re-signed Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton, 35 and 32 respectively, and older than the 28 year-old Giannis.
“You’ve got to see the dynamics,” Giannis said. “How the coach is going to be, how we’re going to be together. At the end of the day, I feel like all my teammates know and the organization knows that I want to win a championship. As long as we’re on the same page with that and you show me and we go together to win a championship, I’m all for it. The moment I feel like, oh, yeah, we’re trying to rebuild —”
The Bucks finished with the best record in the league last season, but were embarrassed in round one of the playoffs by the Miami Heat.
The core of Giannis, Middleton, Lopez and Jrue Holiday is very good but there is something missing. Maybe it’s Middleton’s mounting injury history, or depending on a 35-year-old Lopez to keep defying the odds of an aging big man.
This team needs a little something extra, and Giannis knows it.
In a move that seems overdue, the New York Mets announced they will be retiring the numbers of Dwight “Doc” Gooden and Darryl Strawberry next season. Their iconic Nos. 16 and 18 respectively are forever enshrined in team lore. Gooden and Strawberry both were members of the legendary 1986 World Series championship team.
Gooden only ranks behind Tom Seaver in wins and strikeouts, and only behind Seaver and Jerry Koosman in starts, innings and complete games in team history. He finished in the top seven of Cy Young voting five times as a Met.
After winning Rookie of the Year in 1984, his 1985 season was electric, and is still on the shortlist for the greatest seasons ever by a starting pitcher. He won the Cy Young Award, had a record of 24-4, 16 complete games, eight shutouts, 1.53 ERA, .965 WHIP, and struck out 268 hitters. Gooden won the triple crown of pitching.
He never again reached those heights, and his career was derailed by arm trouble and serious substance abuse addictions.
“I never really got choked up or at a loss of words any time through my ups or downs,” Gooden told “The Michael Kay Show.” “But this specific time, I got a little choked up and got a little teary eyed, because here’s a moment where you’re like, ‘Wow, that’s the highest honor you can get from a ball club.’ That means they appreciate everything you did on the field, and you’re being rewarded for that.”
He continued, “It’s a celebration that I get to have with the fans, my teammates that I played with, my family and all my loved ones. And it’s just a great, great honor. And so I look back at all the things I was able to accomplish in my career, all the people that paved the way for me to get to that point, all the people that supported me through my down times, and it was kind of emotional. But it was a great thing, and I’m very honored and very humbled for this opportunity that is finally here.”
Strawberry is the team’s all-time leader in home runs and OPS+. He’s second in RBIs and slugging percentage and third in extra-base hits. He won Rookie of the Year in 1983, and was a seven-time All-Star as a Met.
Strawberry finished second and third in MVP voting in 1988 and 1990, respectively. He hit 39 home runs in 1987 and 1988, as well as 37 in 1990.
Like Gooden, he dealt with drug and alcohol issues throughout his career.
“When I got the call from Steve, I welled up with tears of joy,” Strawberry said in a statement released by the Mets. “I started to reflect on my journey through the organization. I had some ups and downs, but in the end, I am proud of my time in New York.”
Both Gooden and Strawberry’s best were among the best of all-time. These are well-deserved honors for the men.
As the Denver Broncos prepare for the 2023 NFL season all eyes will be on quarterback Russell Wilson and first-year head coach Sean Payton, who brings a winning pedigree and Super Bowl ring from his long tenure with the New Orleans Saints.
There’s no doubt the pressure will be on both Payton and Wilson, but Wilson’s big extension of five years, $245 million with $165 million guaranteed prior to last season amps the pressure up much more on Wilson, who statistically posted the worst season of his career in 2022.
Following Wednesday’s joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams, Wilson was asked a variety of questions by reporters. The former Seattle Seahawks stalwart didn’t hold back on any of his answers, especially when asked if he feels pressure, and if so, how he’ll handle it.
Wilson Said He’s Not A Runner, He Faces Things Head-On
“Do I feel pressure? No. I don’t run from it. I look forward to it. I run to it if anything,” Wilson said. “We as a team, we’re all in this together. We’re all searching for one thing, and that’s to get better every day. I’m not looking too far ahead. All the guys are trying to learn as much as we can from today’s practice and use that experience.”
“Pressure is a privilege,” Wilson said. “For me personally, this will be my 12th year, every time I strap on the pads, I have a heart of gratitude and that frees my mind… I’m grateful. I’m not worried about critics, just being the best version of me.”
Wilson sounds cool, calm and collected as he always has throughout his career, but he has to be feeling some kind of pressure or anxiety, because if things go south again in Denver who knows what may happen.
He isn’t Payton’s quarterback, and while the team made a huge investment in him, they want a return on that investment. Throughout his career he’s risen in the face of adversity, but one has to wonder is he still that guy? Is that still his MO? 2023 will tell us a lot about Wilson going forward, and if the Broncos made the right move trading away a ton of draft capital to get him and dropping a huge bag on him soon thereafter.
Wilson Looking For Bounce Back Season
The Broncos went 4-11 in games Wilson started in 2022, and he wasn’t very good in any of those 15 starts. For the season he completed a career-low 60.5 percent of his passes for just over 3,500 yards. Wilson’s 16 touchdown passes were also a career-low, and his 11 interceptions tied for second-most in his career.
One has to believe Russ will be better this season, because how could he be any worse?
Four-time NBA Celebrity All-Star Game MVP Kevin Hart has apparently sustained an injury after he recently attempted to push his athletic limits when racing a former NFL running back.
The iconic comedian and avid sports fan reportedly sustained a torn abdominal muscle and is now confined to a wheelchair for now as he recovers from his injury.
The 44-year-old Kevin Hart posted a video on Instagram confirming the injury and the situation. Kevin Hart and former running back Stevan Ridley got into a friendly argument about who could best the other in a race.
As egos clashed, both sides eventually came to the agreement that the only way to settle this dispute would be to have a race.
While it doesn’t take a scientist to understand how the race went down, considering Hart’s injuries, Hart did say that he tore multiple muscles in his abdomen and that he isn’t the same man who won four straight basketball MVP awards.
“We get out there, we go run the 40-yard dash,” Hart said on Instagram this week. “Forty-yard dash. Guys, I blew all my s–t. Tore my lower abdomen, my abductors. I don’t even know what that is, but I tore them. I tore those too. I can’t walk. Sit my ass down. This is 44.”
Hart is no longer in the prime of his athletic career, and that injury he sustained was the wake-up call that he needed.
Hart, who has appeared on multiple sports analytic shows and even has his own show “Cold As Balls” where he takes ice baths and holds conversations with different athletes, is a huge sports fan notable for his love for the Philadelphia 76ers and Eagles, as he is from the area.
While of course Hart got absolutely clowned on social media by various celebrities and fans alike, this was always predictable after he revealed that he got injured trying to race.
But as far as it goes with Ridley, Hart was most likely never winning that race. The 34-year-old former running back, who was drafted in 2011 by the New England Patriots in the third round, is clearly still in better shape than Hart.
Ridley was no pushover in the NFL either, seeing his career-best year in 2012 for the New England Patriots where he rushed for 1,263 yards and 12 touchdowns, while following that year up with a less impressive 773 yards and seven touchdowns in 2013.
But it’s clear that Ridley was very much a running back who belonged in the NFL at one point, and Kevin Hart, who’s never played a lick of professional football was never going to be a match for Ridley.
While the world is wishing Hart a speedy recovery, hopefully, he’s learned his lesson.
After 15 years of Aaron Rodgers at the helm, the Green Bay Packers are handing the keys to surprise 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love. That’s right, after 31 consecutive seasons Hall of Fame quarterback play between Brett Favre and the aforementioned Rodgers, the Packers are starting over with the former Utah State standout.
And, while most oddsmakers don’t see things going too well in Green Bay this season, ESPN’s own Stephen A. Smith begs to differ. In fact, the loquacious one himself believes the “Go Pack Go,” will post a better record in Love’s first season under center, than in Rodgers’ final season.
Smith Says A Winning Record For The Cheeseheads
Last season the Packers finished the season 8-9 and just missed the playoffs by virtue of their regular-season finale loss to the Detroit Lions. But, Smith says don’t fret, because this team under Love will have a winning record in a year many believe they’ll struggle mightily.
During Thursday’s episode of “First Take,” Smith spoke with conviction about this 2023 version of the Packers.
“I predict about nine games, they’ll probably go nine and eight. That’s where I’m at with them. They’ll probably have a better record this year than last year.”
This is huge coming from Smith, a well-known Rodgers apologist, who’s always referred to him as that “BAD MAN.”
Love Is Talented, Packers Have Talent Around Him As Well
The cupboard isn’t bare in Green Bay on either side of the football. With Love under center, he’ll have a dynamic running back duo of Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon to take pressure off of him.
Love also will have rising second-year receiver Christian Watson. The former North Dakota State speedster finished his rookie season with 41 receptions for over 600 yards and seven touchdowns. His breakout game came in a win versus the Cowboys when he touched paydirt three times. His partner, Romeo Doubs is another second-year guy who had a solid rookie season with 42 receptions for over 400 yards and three touchdowns.
On defense, the Packers have All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander and defensive end Kenny Clark. Star edge rusher Rashad Gary being fully healthy should help the entire defense which struggled at times last season to get pressure on opposing team’s QBs.
In a wide-open NFC North division the Packers could win nine games, and if things shake right they could also win the division.
Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards has quickly become the go-to-guy for Team USA.
As the team prepares to take part in the FIBA World Cup in the Philippines capital of Manila, Edwards is setting the record straight.
According to a Bleacher Report article, Steve Kerr made the suggestion to Edwards saying Dwyane Wade came off the bench for Team USA because they had Kobe Bryant.
The report also mentioned that Edwards responded by saying, “We don’t have a Kobe.”
Late Thursday afternoon Edwards took to his Instagram account to clear up the rumors.
“Y’all losers beat it, man. Y’all taking a little comment too far. I didn’t even say that to Steve Kerr. I was thinking that when he said I was coming off the bench. Y’all doing too much. Y’all going too far. That’s my dog, man. Steve Kerr locked in. We talk every day.”
Nice of Ant to clear the air, and not leave us in the wind.
Ant Allegedly Said Much More
Joe Vardon of The Athletic, said Edwards told him this:
“I mean, of course I wasn’t cool with it. If that’s what it takes. I mean, I am willing to do it, but nah, I’m never cool with that. … He said Dwyane Wade came off the bench when Kobe Bryant played. I was like, all right, we don’t have a Kobe, but all right. But it was cool.”
Thinking it and actually saying it are two different things, and in this instance Edwards says he never said this.
Edwards was a bench player for exactly one whole practice.
AntMan Is The Guy, Heat Coach Compares Him To D-Wade
Following Edwards’ huge 34-point outburst in Team USA’s 16-point come-from-behind win over Germany on Sunday, Kerr was very complimentary of Edwards.
“He’s unquestionably the guy,” Kerr said.
Team USA assistant and Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra compared Edwards to his former player D-Wade
“It’s hard not to look at Anthony Edwards and not see Dwyane Wade in him. And I’m not a guy for comparisons. … I’m not, but the way he moves, the way he competes, the way he electrifies a crowd … yes, that reminds me of No. 3,” Spoelstra said this week.
On Wednesday San Francisco 49er head coach Kyle Shanahan made the announcement that free agent acquisition Sam Darnold had won the competition to be the team’s backup quarterback to starter Brock Purdy.
That means 2021 No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance has now been relegated to the No. 3 quarterback, which on most teams would mean he’d be traded if the team can find the right trade partner.
In retrospect, Lance as the No. 3 quarterback isn’t all that surprising. When the team added Darnold, and with Purdy coming off a great season, the belief was Darnold was brought in to be the backup. Now, with that official, the Niners have to figure out what to do with Lance, whom the team traded up to get in the 2021 NFL draft. GM John Lynch says it’s highly plausible that the former North Dakota State star stays put.
Lance To Be Third-String? Needs An Exit Strategy
Being the No. 3 looks daunting, but let’s not forget the Niners started Lance, who was injured for the season. That moved Jimmy Garoppolo into the starting spot until he was lost for the season as well. The aforementioned Purdy, who was the No. 3 quarterback, led the team to the NFC Championship Game.
So, not all hope for Lance on the 49ers is lost. Speaking to KNBR Radio in San Francisco on Thursday Lynch sounded as if Lance will be with the team for the foreseeable future.
“That’s the most likely option,” Lynch said. “We’re very happy with Trey. The most likely option is that he’s here. If we can find a landing spot for Trey that is a really good one for him and works for our organization, that’s not something that we’d turn a blind eye to.”
But that’s not where our focus is right now. Our focus is on Trey getting back here and us being the best football team. We’re getting close to Pittsburgh in [Week 1].”
After hearing that he’d be QB No. 3 from Shannahan and Lynch, Lance was excused from practice on Wednesday to clear his head and sort of come to grips with the reality of the situation, which for all intents and purposes isn’t all his fault. The Niners must take the bulk of the blame for this debacle.
Former NFL QB Says Bills’ Success With Josh Allen Tricked Niners
Former NFL journeyman signal-caller Ryan Fitzpatrick gave a valid reason as to why the Niners completely overdrafted for Lance.
Fitz, who played for nine teams from 2005-2021 appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“I still think there is an opportunity. I think accuracy is his biggest thing. It’s not his fault that he was overdrafted. He got way overdrafted getting picked third. I think people loved his athleticism, they loved how raw he was. Josh Allen coming from a small school, that probably helped a bit.”
Let’s see how this plays out. Lance needs to get out of San Fran, they don’t believe in him, and they still won’t say they dropped the ball.
On Wednesday New York Jets wide receiver Corey Davis announced via his Instagram account that he was stepping away from the game of football.
Davis, 28, was entering the final year of a three-year, $37.5 million deal signed with the Jets in 2021. Davis, who decided to skip OTAs was due to make $10.5 million this season, but the catch was none of it was guaranteed, putting his roster spot in jeopardy come final cuts.
The team added plenty of wide receiver help this offseason, with the additions Allan Lazard and Randall Cobb coming over from Green Bay to team with Aaron Rodgers again. And the Jets also brought it speedy Mecole Hardman who’s also a return specialist. With that, Davis’ role became uncertain, and his missing 12 games the last two seasons didn’t help matters either.
Davis Had Reportedly Been Mulling Decision For Awhile
“For some time now I have been contemplating stepping away from the sport of football,” Davis said. “This decision has not been easy. Although I am a deep person, I am a man of few words. I’ve been searching my heart for what to do and I feel stepping away from the game is the best path for me at this time.
“I have more blessings than I ever could have imagined — I have an amazing family, a beautiful wife and two healthy children that I look forward to spending more time with. I am truly grateful for all the opportunities that I have had and will continue to have on my journey. Thank you to my family and friends and the Jets organization for supporting me through this process.”
The decision by Davis comes as no surprise as coaches and teammates reportedly knew he was considering this move. The Jets will support him in his next chapter, but they also feel they have a Super Bowl-contending roster even without Davis.
Davis Stepping Away Won’t Hurt WR Room
Thanks to those aforementioned wideout additions by the Jets this offseason, plus the addition of running back Dalvin Cook, quarterback Aaron Rodgers still has plenty of weaponry at his disposal. And with an undefined role for Davis as of now, it’s not as big a loss as it could’ve been if he was a more vital piece of their receiver room.
If there’s more to it, as in from a mental health aspect, let’s hope he gets the proper help he needs to be OK.
For his career, Davis the No. 5 overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft by the Tennessee Titans, has 273 receptions for 3,879 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Once Shannon Sharpe announced he was getting out of his deal with FS1, he was the most coveted broadcast free agent. According to reports Sharpe will be a part of ESPN’s “First Take” with Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim during the NFL season. His debut is set for Sept. 4. It’s been a big week for Sharpe, who will also bring his popular “Club Shay Shay” podcast to Colin Cowherd’s The Volume network.
“It is official, Shannon Sharpe is coming to ‘First Take’,” Smith said on Thursday’s broadcast. “To my brother Shannon Sharpe, first of all thank you for joining the show. Secondly, condolences in advance. You’re not used to getting beat down.”
Sharpe will appear with Smith and Qerim on “First Take” every Monday and Tuesday.
These two will do huge numbers for ESPN. Their bombastic rants and over-the-top bits, complete with props, will be a hit among a certain segment of fans.
Sharpe’s popular “Club Shay Shay” podcast will be a part of Cowherd’s digital network, The Volume, and Sharpe’s company, Shay Shay Media, will jointly produce new programming with the network.
“I’m excited to partner with my friend Colin Cowherd and the creative team at the Volume,” Sharpe said. “The Volume has built an amazing platform that is the right fit to help Shay Shay Media reach the next level. That includes developing new shows and bringing on new talent under the Shay Shay Media brand.”
Acquiring Sharpe’s podcast is a big get for Cowherd’s network. Sharpe’s podcast has more than one million YouTube subscribers and more than 15 million views per month. The cross promotional opportunities with Cowherd’s eponymous podcast, NBA star Draymond Green’s podcast, and former NFL All-Pro Richard Sherman’s podcast are endless.
“There are very few people in sports media that cut through like Shannon Sharpe,” Cowherd said. “We are excited to partner with him and his team Shay Shay Media and co-produce original content with them.”
This is the present and future of sports media: big personalities, current and former athletes. There isn’t a whole lot of objective journalism happening in these spaces. But, that’s what fans want.
Sharpe formerly co-hosted FS1’s “Undisputed” with Skip Bayless. Despite successful numbers, Sharpe’s relationship with Bayless frayed, due to Bayless’ on-air disrespect of Sharpe and how Bayless handled the Damar Hamlin situation.
“Undisputed” is set to revamp with Bayless and a host of rotating characters, including: Keyshawn Johnson, Michael Irvin and Lil Wayne.
Let the sports talking head show wars begin…
Ryan Clark is now an official line-stepper after his touchy comments about Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. On ESPN’s “NFL Live” on Tuesday, the former Steelers defensive back turned NFL analyst and podcaster joked about Tagovailoa’s weight, saying that “he looks heavy” and compared him to Atlanta strippers.
“He might spend much time in the tattoo parlor,” Clark said. “He was not at the dinner table eating what the nutritionist had advised. He looks ‘happy.’ He is thick. He’s built like the girls working at Onyx right now.”
Ouch, not an Atlanta strip club reference when discussing a whole man.
When Tua Tagovailoa was asked about the comment after Wednesday’s practice, he gave Clark some scathing words through his perplexed state.
“He probably knows more about me than I know about myself,” Tagovailoa told reporters. “Ryan’s been out the league for some time, I don’t know; it’s a little weird when people are talking about other people when they’re not that person.
“My background is I come from a Samoan family. Respect is everything. It does get to a point where (I’m like) a little easy on that buddy.’ I think we are pretty tough-minded people, but if we need to get scrappy, we can get scrappy.”
Later, Tua would add to Clark, “I would appreciate it if you kept my name out your mouth.”
Last season, Tua was in everyone’s prayers after suffering injuries on the field that brought the issue of CTE to the forefront. In 2022, during Week 3, he suffered a “back injury” that seemed more like a head injury. He suffered even more concussions In Week 4 against the Cincinnati Bengals and in Week 16 vs. the Green Bay Packers.
Former sympathizers like Ryan Clark are taking potshots that could be considered culturally offensive given Tagovailoa’s Samoan heritage. With the ESPN layoffs, Clark made the hiring cut, and his takes might be more egregious than usual to stay employed by a network trying to find the balance between off-the-cuff and professionalism in a more unscripted media world with more nontraditional voices.
However, as usual, Tua’s right hand, Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill, came in the clutch to defend his gunslinger.
“Yeah what he said !!! We got free smoke for you,” Hill tweeted.
All of this energy ahead of the regular season. Football is back.
The Kansas City Chiefs and star defensive lineman Chris “Stone Cold” Jones have hit a stalemate in contract extension talks.
Jones, who’s not been a part of the team offseason program or training camp is now threatening to sit out until Week 8, that’s when he’ll have to report to be eligible for this season and get credit for the season under his belt. Jones says he’s willing to sit out and miss his weekly pay of $1.1 million because, as he put it, “I can afford it.”
Per head coach Andy Reid, things between Jones and the team are not good, in fact Reid says there’s been no contact for awhile now.
Speaking to reporters, Reid, who’s usually laid back, sounded perturbed when asked about his star defensive player.
“There has been no communication so I don’t know if Jones will be present for week one,” Reid said. “Whatever happens, happens. The game goes on right? That’s how it works.”
Not exactly what the Chiefs want to hear as it pertains to the most important member of their defense.
Could Reid Get More Involved To Help Reach Agreement?
In some instances, coaches have gotten involved in an effort to expedite the negotiation process with a deal that’s beneficial for both parties. But, when asked about that, Reid didn’t sound as if he’d be getting involved.
“No not right now there is not [a way to get involved in the negotiations],” Reid said. “Jones and the front office have to communicate, do their thing. There’s just been no communication.”
Are Jones’ contract demands so high that the team has halted negotiations?
That has to be the reason, because there’s no way a player of Jones’ caliber isn’t in camp unless he’s asking for more than the team is willing to pay.
What’s even more odd is as currently constructed the Chiefs can’t win a Super Bowl without Jones. This isn’t the same as trading Tyreek Hill and moving on, knowing you still have Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce on that side of the football.
Jones is the defensive catalyst for a KC defense that has been a weak spot at times throughout the entire Mahomes Era.
Jones Finished Third In DPOY Voting In 2022
In 2022, Jones was the best interior defensive lineman in the league, and yes that list includes Los Angeles Rams lineman Aaron Donald, the three-time DPOY.
Jones, who finished with a career-high 15 sacks, also finished third in DPOY voting behind Niners edge rusher Nick Bosa, who won the award, and Cowboys do-it-all linebacker Micah Parsons, who finished second in voting for the second consecutive season.
KC needs Jones almost as much as they need Patrick Mahomes.
Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry recently said he and Earvin “Magic” Johnson are the best point guards to ever play the game.
While many would agree with Curry’s assessment, ESPNs Stephen A. Smith went on “First Take” and gave the GOAT point guard title to Curry outright. Smith was so adamant that Curry has surpassed Magic on Tuesday’s show, that he got an early morning text from none other than Michael Jordan himself.
Jordan, who usually stays out of these types of debates, couldn’t sit back and let Smith say that with such conviction.
Not only did Jordan send Smith the text he also wanted him to read it live on air, so folks could hear his reasoning why Magic, whom Jordan had many battles against, is still the greatest floor general ever.
Smith Reads Jordan’s 5:54 AM Text Aloud
Jordan gave Curry his props, and said while it’s close, Magic still gets the nod in his opinion.
“Although greatest of anything is always a debate, I beg to differ on greatest point guard of all time with what you said,” Smith said of what Jordan wrote. “Magic Johnson is easily the greatest point guard of all time. Steph Curry is very close but not in front of Magic.
“You must define point guard to really have a serious debate. Steph Curry is by far the greatest shooter of all time. … But Magic invented the triple-double, not true invented but makes it more noticeable in terms of the impact on the game. It’s a point guard stat, to be honest. Magic was the best.”
Comparing Eras Is Difficult, But MJ Is Correct
As much as Stephen Curry has revolutionized the game from a shooting, moving and cutting standpoint. He’s only the Warriors point guard by title, Draymond Green who’s been their leading assist guy most seasons is the table-setter for the Dubs’ dynamic motion offense.
While, Magic on the other hand was the Lakers setup man and offense initiator. Johnson did things as a 6-foot-9 point guard that will never be duplicated.
The good thing about this debate is both have plenty of accolades from championships, MVPs, Finals MVPs, All-Star appearance, All-NBA selections and much more to be mentioned. But, if we’re talking point guard as in making teammates better, Magic gets the nod over Curry, who’s no slouch in that department himself.
Dallas Cowboys legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, aka “The Playmaker,” was in Boulder, Colorado, on Wednesday visiting his former teammate Deion Sanders and Sanders’ University of Colorado football team.
The former All-Pro WR provided wisdom and inspiration for the Buffaloes as they get ready to begin their season next weekend. Irvin is also getting ready for his new gig, a member of the rotating cast of talking heads on FS1’s “Undisputed.”
Irvin was seen at practice on the field and in huddles talking to the players and gathered them around for some motivation. After highlighting great individual performers like LeBron James, Aaron Judge and Tiger Woods and how they can elevate a team in James and Judge’s cases, because of individual brilliance. Football, according to Irvin, doesn’t work that way.
“In football you don’t do anything all by yourself. It’s always. It’s always about the man next to you. It’s always about the man that’s with me. Can you look to the left and the right every day. I’m not talking about game day,” Irvin said.
“I’m talking every day. I made the promise. One man to the other. ‘I will get my job done today.’ That’s how you win football games. One man to the other. ‘I will get my job done today.'”
American football is billed as the ultimate team sport. Eleven as one is the rallying cry. Irvin’s not wrong. For any team, in any sport to have success, everyone has to do their job. How well that job has to be done varies by sport, position, etc. But nobody, except individual sport athletes, wins on their own. And if you want to get technical, neither do they.
Having Irvin on the field was a highlight for those that remember who he is. You have to keep in mind most of these athletes were born post 2000. Irvin stopped playing in 1999. These kids know him as that loud dude that screams on TV in funny suits.
Speaking of…
Irvin agreed to a deal on Monday to join the rotating cast of FS1’s “Undisputed.” He joins Richard Sherman, Keyshawn Johnson and Lil Wayne as rotating guests opposite host Skip Bayless.
The show is undergoing this new format as Bayless’ former co-host Shannon Sharpe asked to be let out of his contract.
Irvin has been suspended from the NFL Network for the past six months, stemming from an alleged incident with a female employee at a Marriott Hotel in Arizona during Super Bowl week.
Irvin has denied any contact with the employee beyond shaking her hand and has filed $100 million defamation suit against Marriott. No charges have been filed against Irvin.
In April the LSU Tigers women’s basketball program behind star Angel Reese shocked many by winning the national championship. That win propelled the star forward and rapper/hooper Flau’Jae Johnson to another level of fame. For Reese, a Baltimore native who grew up playing with the boys on the tough streets of Charm City, this newfound fame has been positive for her career elevation.
The outspoken rebounding machine has seen her NIL valuation increase to over $1.6 million which is a 27 percent increase since the Tigers cut down the nets in Dallas. Reese has also seen her social media following grow leaps and bounds. But with fame also comes drawbacks. One of those for Reese is related to trying to once again be a regular student on the Baton Rouge campus.
Reese Now Enrolled In Online Classes?
Say it isn’t so. Reese, who’s technically beginning her senior year, has decided to take all online courses to not have to deal with the daily hoopla surrounding her now. In a recent interview with Teen Vogue the future top-3 WNBA pick had this to say.
“I didn’t think I was gonna be on Shade Room every time I post something,” Reese said.
“I don’t feel like I’m a celebrity, but I think a lot of people look as a celebrity now because of the impact I’ve had not just on women’s basketball, but sports in general, and Black women,” Reese said. “Things have changed for me.”
Reese’s version of the “You Can’t See My Face” gesture made famous by rappers Flava Flav (Public Enemy) and Tony Yayo (G-Unit) became a meme after she did it to Iowa star Caitlin Clark in the final seconds of the title game.
Reese Is Staying Grounded
Despite her instant fame which brought a change in her status, Reese says she focused on what she does best.
“School’s first, basketball is next,” Reese said. “I wouldn’t be here without school and basketball, so that’s my priority.”
Reese joins LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne, who’s also taking classes online at the Baton Rouge school.
Floyd Mayweather is officially in the mockery business. Not because he is taking exhibitions and schooling boxing newbies for millions but because he is making newly christened “influencer boxers” look extremely foolish now for fun.
Recently, a video showing Mayweather sparring with Los Angeles-based rapper Blueface emerged on social media, with Mayweather showing no mercy to the “Thottiana” artist. Additionally, Blueface’s very pregnant on again, off again girlfriend, Chrisean Rock, was up on the ring apron in her man’s corner to show support but was hushed by a focused Mayweather, intent on teaching Blueface the difference from “TBE” or “The Best Ever” and an influencer turned boxer.
During the massacre of a sparring session, the ever-charismatic and very pregnant Chrisean Rock attempted to support her man while he was trying to avoid the multiple blows thrown by Mayweather that met their mark. However, Mayweather wanted her to know there was no quarter in the “Dog House,” the nickname for the gym he owns called the Mayweather Boxing Club.
“Yeah combo, get out of there baby, move around,” Rock said from ringside.
Through the headgear and focus, Mayweather addressed Rock directly.
“Stop, stop, leave it alone,” and later, “Cheering don’t win fights, fighting do.”
At some point while Mayweather and Blueface were engaging close to the corner that Rock was standing in, she was picked up and moved so that she wouldn’t get accidentally hit during any of the action.
Blueface faces an influencer, Salt Papi, on the Logan Paul vs. Dillon Danis headlined Misfits x DAZN card in October. The sparring shows how seriously Blueface is taking the bout. However, it only adds to the confusion of boxing fans who have been highly critical of his newfound hobby of exhibition fights.
Although it was a sparring session only, Mayweather never entertained non-traditional boxers outside of Conor McGregor, who he had a super fight with back in 2017. Since then, Mayweather has held seven exhibition fights across the globe against influencers like Logan Paul, Deji Olatunji, Aaron Chalmers, and his last against John Gotti III.
Back in March, Mayweather dropped a graphic on social media showing all the countries in which he would be performing exhibition matches, calling his exhibition tour “The Heist” and labeling the events “legalized bank robberies.”
“This is what my 2023 looks like so far,” Mayweather said on Instagram in March. “Five exhibitions in five countries in nine months. And if any of these exhibitions don’t happen, I still get paid. I’m the most active hustler in boxing, my money is guaranteed.”
Add reality check trainer to Blueface to that list of hustling the game, and Mayweather has created a very unconventional new lane in his retirement.
