The Russell Wilson family is expanding once again, and recently he and his wife and singer, Ciara announced via social media that she is pregnant with another child.
Wilson has been getting busy this offseason, and while many Denver Broncos fans are hoping his “busy” is on the field improving from the worst season of his rather exceptional career, he’s been busy at adding another child to his large and beautiful family.
This has to make Ciara’s first child’s father, rap star Future feel a bit more insecure, as he has been vocal about his negative feelings about Wilson raising his son Future Zahir Wilburn .
Russell Wilson & Ciara Announce New Baby Coming
Russell Wilson, 34, and Ciara, 37, announced her pregnancy on Tuesday, via social media when Ciara posted a video of herself showing off her baby bump by the pool, with her biggest fan, Russell Wilson filming the video.
On X (formerly known as Twitter), Ciara posted the video with the caption “You look at me like that again, we make another kid. You my heart I’m your rib,” calling on the lyrics from her song “How We Roll”.
Wilson followed up with a tweet of his own posting the same video and captioning it: “That’s just ‘How We Roll.”
What Gender Is Ciara and Russell Wilson’s New Baby?
As we wait to find out if it’s a boy or a girl, and what name they decide to ride with, the addition of this child to the family adds on to a family of 5. Russell Wilson and Ciara already have 3-year-old son Win, and 6-year-old daughter Sienna Princess. Russell is also a stepdad to Ciara and rapper Future’s child Future Zahir.
Russell had already previously signaled he wanted to expand the family. When he was on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” last year he said “can we have more babies?” to Ciara, to which she laughed and happily replied, “We definitely can,” later adding, “I’m down to do it again with you.”
With this next baby on the way, this will hopefully give more inspiration for Russell Wilson to give his all on the field knowing when his career is all said and done he will have a young loving family to come home to.
He definitely needs to have a significantly better season than his first disastrous stint in Denver last year.
The nine-time Pro Bowl selection and former Super Bowl champion passed for a career-low 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, along with being sacked a career-high 55 times. Wilson failed to make the Pro Bowl for just the second time in his illustrious career.
He’ll need all the motivation he can get, considering his Denver Broncos are in the same division as Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers with Justin Herbert, who is the highest player in the league.
The Raiders are also better after acquiring the steady Jimmy Garoppolo to pair with explosive Davante Adams. There’s going to be some stiff competition in the AFC West.
Denver Nuggets sharpshooter Michael Porter Jr. just played a vital role in helping the franchise win its first NBA championship ever. With that comes even more fame, notoriety and visibility than he already had. But Porter, the former Missouri Tigers star isn’t letting the fame and fortune get him caught up. The 25-year-old is one of only a few athletes who isn’t too fond of social media.
MPJ believes the cons severely outweigh the pros of being on it daily. During a recent episode of his “Curious Mike” show on his YouTube channel, he went into detail as to why he has very little social media presence.
Social Media Ain’t For MPJ, Integrity More Important
Sitting on a remaining contract of four years and $148 million with Nuggets, MPJ feels he’s a target, and he’s not for it.
“First, you see all this dope stuff going on,” Porter said. “You get into the comparison game or whatever, but then it’s also, as a dude, one of our struggles is females, and there’s unlimited baddies on Instagram.”
“If I’m being 100 percent, like, if you trying to focus and stay away from, like, it can be a trap. If that’s your thing you gotta be self-aware. If that’s your thing that you can fall into you can remove it for a while, and for me it helped me focus.”
Porter continued, and even talked about his faith and being a man of substance with integrity.
“I just think overall for me, social media and like the day and age that we live in, the cons outweigh the pros for me personally and a lot of dudes in general,” he said.
“It depends what you want out of life and what you’re trying to reach for. Me, I’m trying to, you know, walking in my faith and trying to be a man of integrity and grow. I just feel like social media is a hindrance to that.”
To hear a young athlete in today’s era say this is enlightening, but also very, very shocking.
Porter Jr. Finally Healthy In 2022
After years of back injuries and surgeries that cost him just about the entire 2021 season, MPJ bounced back with his best NBA season in 2022. Porter’s 17.5 points per game and knockdown three-point shooting (41 percent) proved vital in the Nuggets hoisting their first Larry O’Brien trophy in franchise history.
And with the nucleus of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Porter Jr., the Nuggets like their chances to win more championships in the coming years.
In a move that makes so much sense it should be mandatory, Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel is stepping aside on Saturday to allow his assistant head coach, Terrell Williams, the opportunity to serve as head coach in a preseason game against the Chicago Bears.
“I told the team and everyone involved here in the organization Terrell Williams will act as the head coach against Chicago, starting on Friday,” Vrabel, who got his head coaching opportunity just seven years into his career on the sideline, said to gathered reporters. “This is a great opportunity for him and for us and for everyone involved. So, ‘Big T’ will handle that.”
Williams, who is Black, is two years older than Vrabel and began his coaching career at the collegiate level in 1998. He has worked his way up the ladder, but opportunities to be an NFL head coach are few and far between. Especially with the league’s terrible track record on hiring Black head coaches.
This decision by Vrabel is significant in that Williams will have a low-pressure opportunity to get real head coaching experience. He’ll be coaching a team he’s been a part of since 2018, so he’ll know the terminology, players, and show his ability to lead from the big chair.
He will devise the game plan, craft a message to the team, and manage in-game strategy.
In a league where coaches are known to be dictators and controlling over every aspect of the team, this is a move that could pay real dividends.
In pro sports, coaches are just as competitive as players. There are a scarce amount of jobs. Most coaches fear they will be fired and don’t want to hire their replacements or do anything that would allow their assistants to shine.
But the coaches that have the most job security and build true cultures of success, understand that x’s and o’s and getting credit is only part of their job.
Think of the NBA San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich allowing Becky Hammon to serve as head coach of the summer league team. Or Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr taking a lineup suggestion from a second row assistant in the NBA playoffs.
If the ultimate goal is to win, you need everyone feeling as though they can contribute so you’re all pulling in the same direction.
Maybe this leads to more white head coaches doing the same for their Black assistants. Maybe it forces the NFL to look long and hard at its hiring practices.
Or maybe it’s just something the Titans and Vrabel will do and they will reap the rewards.
We might be witnessing the beginning of a new era in combative sports.
Middleweight boxing champion Claressa Shields thinks that she can take down Jake Paul in a boxing exhibition, and she has challenged Paul to a match. She recently made a reference to it, and this isn’t the first time.
This challenge hasn’t made too much noise in the boxing world just yet because of the attention that the Jake Paul versus Nate Diaz fight attracted.
As people look for the next big “moment” in boxing, Shields believes that she is a much more skilled fighter than Paul and that he is taking attention and validity away from real boxers.
“Jake Paul is making his money, he’s doing his thing, but stay away from us real fighters,” Shields told TMZ. “And anybody out there that say “Oh, Jake Paul will destroy her because she’s a woman, I’m the greatest woman! So, no, Jake Paul won’t do nothing with me and if he think he can, he can come see me.”
Jake Paul took on former MMA star Nate Diaz in a boxing match and gutted out a 10-round victory. While Paul received the unanimous decision, it was a rather underwhelming and disappointing fight for the Problem Child overall.
While in the fifth round, Paul did get a knockdown on Diaz, forcing him to the floor which was the pinnacle of the fight, but that punch did not finish Diaz. Diaz, who is an MMA legend known for his endurance and durability, got back up and ended up going the distance before Paul, considered a true pugilist, won the unanimous decision.
Fans Disappointed In Jake Paul’s Performance
Many fans and celebrities alike were very disappointed in Paul for not dispatching the retired MMA fighter early, with ease.
Many felt that the younger more athletic Jake Paul should’ve won easily and that the fight should’ve been done in the first few rounds.
Diaz put up a heck of a fight against Paul, took many of the social media star’s best blows, which left many doubting how good the former YouTube sensation really is.
One of those doubters is Shields. After witnessing Paul struggle to assert his dominance over Diaz, she propositioned a fight between her and Paul.
This isn’t the first time that she’s tried to challenge Jake Paul to a fight either. Back in 2021, she wanted to fight him after saying she regularly spars against male boxers who are better than him.
Paul, of course, has yet to fight any full-time active boxers, most of his opponents being MMA fighters (current and former), and retired boxers. Shields is a currently active boxer at the peak of her prime. Of course, there will be pushback because of the two differing genders, and this could become a very problematic event to set up.
There’s a strong chance that Jake Paul will not take the fight or even give any attention to it.
As the 2023 NFL season approaches various analysts and sports show hosts are revealing all types of lists. From top QBs who could lead their team to a Super Bowl — which is very few — to a list of QBs who can’t lead their teams to or win a Super Bowl.
That’s what FS1 host Colin Cowherd did during Tuesday’s episode of “The Herd.” And while his can’t win the Super Bowl list seemed pretty accurate, one player who was on the list was downright inexplicable. The show’s producers and Cowherd should be ashamed of their blunder.
List Had Deceased Dwayne Haskins
Cowherd’s list was one most would agree with, but how could they miss Dwayne Haskins, who unfortunately was struck and killed by a dump truck on a Florida highway in April of 2022.
“The third category is 20 guys, who are not getting to a Super Bowl, and certainly not winning it. And that’s everybody else. From Baker Mayfield, Teddy Bridgewater, Dwayne Haskins, guys that are just not … ” Cowherd said before pointing out that the graphic mistakenly identified the list as QBs who “can” win Super Bowls rather than “can’t.”
There is no excuse one can give for such a huge mistake like this. Haskins has been dead over a year, and things like this only rehash the pain and devastation that his family has gone through in losing him. No way can a mistake like this be made, and someone doesn’t have to answer for it. Again it’s just inexplicable to do such a thing.
Haskins Never Got NFL Career On Track Prior To Death
Haskins was the No.15 pick in the 2019 NFL draft by the Washington Redskins. Things didn’t go well for Haskins in D.C., and he was released by the team late in the 2020 season after some signs of immaturity.
He signed with the Steelers prior to the 2021 season, and as he prepared for his second season with the team he was killed while in South Florida for team workouts. Following his passing the former Ohio State star tested positive for ketamine and norketamine, both of which are used to treat depression. Haskins also had a blood alcohol level of .24, which is three times the state limit of .08 in Florida.
His death was ruled an accident.
New Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has been known to ruffle the feathers of his players.
Some former players with the Chiefs have mentioned how Bieniemy wasn’t one to hold his tongue, and he also didn’t care if you liked it.
Bieniemy, who’s finally got complete autonomy over the offense after years of being in Andy Reid’s shadow, is doing it his way, and that reportedly has some new-generation players whining to head coach Ron Rivera about his abrasive approach.
Rivera Says Players Need To Talk To Bieniemy
“Yeah, they have,” Rivera said Tuesday when asked if players have struggled to adapt to Bieniemy’s coaching style. “And one of the biggest things is — I had a number of guys come to me and said, ‘Hey, just go talk to him.’ I said, ‘Understand what he’s trying to get across to you.’ I think as they go and they talk and they listen to him, it’s been enlightening for a lot of these guys.
“I mean, its a whole different approach. Again, you’re getting a different kind of player from the players in the past, especially in light of how things are coming out of college football,” Rivera continued. “So a lot of these young guys, they do struggle with certain things and a lot of it … is from where they’ve been. I mean, guys coming from certain programs are used to it. Guys coming from other programs aren’t as much. So, us as a coach, I kind of have to assimilate and get a feel for everybody. Eric has an approach, and it’s the way he does things, and it’s not going to change, because he believes it.”
For the Commanders players to be crying to Rivera about anything of these sorts is sad. Some would view it as a direct indication of how soft today’s generation has become. This team has gone 22-27-1 in Rivera’s three years, with no winning seasons.
Someone like Bieniemy may be just what the team needs to kick into gear.
Lastly, Rivera shouldn’t even be telling us this. Not a smart move on his part as the head coach at all. In some ways it looks as if he’s undermining his new OC.
Bieniemy Defends His Coaching Methods
“First of all, one thing I am, I’m an open book, and I always invite players in, but also too, as I’ve gone through the process, yes, I am intense,” Bieniemy admitted Tuesday. “One thing they do appreciate is this: I’m always going to be up front, and I’m always going to be honest.
“Just like I stated when I first got here: We’ve all got to get uncomfortable to get comfortable. There’s some new demands and expectations that I expect. I expect us to be the team that we’re supposed to be. It’s not gonna be easy, and everybody ain’t gonna like the process. But when it’s all said and done with, my job is to make sure that we’re doing it the right way.”
Things have truly changed in today’s sports world.
Could you imagine players walking into a head coach’s offices back in the day to complain about their coordinator or position coach?
They probably would’ve been cut on the spot or reprimanded. This generation of player is definitely more vocal and less tolerant of aggressive coaches.
The Commanders need to get used to Bieniemy, because the Commander have invested in him as an OC and some feel as if he will eventually take over as head coach for Rivera. After years of lacking direction under owner Dan Snyder, Washington is moving into a new era, and accountability and old school discipline, along with Bieniemy’s innovative offensive execution, might be the recipe that helps the franchise recapture the glory of yesteryear.
On Monday the NFL Network revealed the Top 5 of its NFL 100 list. And while most expected Kansas City Chiefs quarterback and reigning NFL and Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes to be No. 1, not many could’ve predicted Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Hurts — a 2022 NFL MVP finalist — being in the top three and ahead of other star quarterbacks like the Joe Burrow Bengals and Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
In fact, the only player in between Mahomes at No. 1 and Hurts at No. 3 was Vikings star wideout Justin Jefferson who finished fifth in MVP voting while being named Offensive Player of the Year.
Hurts at No. 3 can be attributed to the work the former Heisman runner-up has put into his craft.
Should Hurts Be That High?
Hurts should be in the top 10, but not ahead of either Burrow or Allen.
His peers, however, think otherwise and they choose the list. It’s clear that Hurts is not only a great player, but beloved throughout the league. In fact, many of his peers raved about the Eagles’ talented signal-caller.
“I think you gotta show love to to Jalen Hurts,” Saints linebacker Demario Davis said.
“When you’re around people of his caliber, you’re not surprised when they have success,” said Commanders defensive lineman Jonathan Allen. “If you truly see how they work, you’re not surprised at all.”
Hurts’ greatest compliment may have come from Chiefs All-Pro defensive lineman Chris Jones, who faced him in the Super Bowl.
Jones, who’s currently holding out, didn’t hesitate to give Hurts some love for his Super Bowl performance. Even though Hurts came out on the losing end, Jones asserted that the former Alabama and Oklahoma QB was the best player on the field.
“He had the best performance in the Super Bowl that I’ve ever seen of a quarterback — running the ball, throwing the ball. He balled out.”
In the game, Hurts tallied a total of 374 yards (304 passing and 70 rushing). He also accounted for four touchdowns, including a Super Bowl record three on the ground.
Teammates Say Hurts Could Care Less About Ranking
Touted for his maturity and his thirst to improve, Hurts has never been one to rest on his laurels or chase accolades His teammates say he’s only focused on winning.
“He doesn’t care about any of that,” Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert said after Tuesday’s training camp practice. “He’s worried about one thing, and that’s winning and becoming a great player. Getting the glory, getting the MVP runner-up, those accolades that are incredible, and I’m sure he’s very thankful for them. But they don’t mean anything to him.
“He wants to win: he wants to win Super Bowls — he wants to be a great quarterback that way,” Goedert added.
Hurts is receiving plenty of praise after his stellar performance last season, but he still has some unfinished business on Super Sunday. Let’s see if he can close the deal.
Seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams lost in the first round of the Canadian Open in Montreal on Monday to fellow American Madison Keys. But maybe part of the reason she lost is because her bags were in the Bahamas after American Airlines goofed and sent the 43-year-old’s bags to the wrong destination.
“Dear American Airlines, I love flying with you all. I’m even in the million-mile club! I’m not sure why you sent my bags to the Bahamas when I was traveling to Montreal. Now I have a match today. I’ve been trying to get my bags for 3 days now. I think I have spent all my unlimited minutes calling you all, which has become my full-time job day and night. This has so much fun!” Venus Williams wrote.
On the one hand this is a “celebrities are just like us moment.” On the other, it’s extremely annoying to not have your bags when you’re traveling. Imagine being a professional athlete, who by nature is driven by routine, having that routine thrown off and your bag with all your extra racquets, gear, etc. not with you?
Of course this isn’t the reason Williams lost to Keys.
The trailblazing pioneer is in the twilight of her career. The fact that she still is on tour and finding joy in her tennis after turning pro almost 30 years ago is amazing.
No doubt American Airlines has already put somebody in touch with the tennis champion and as a member of the “million-mile club” it’s likely some more perks will be headed her way.
Despite the early loss in Canada, Williams is on track to play in the US Open at the end of the month. She’s a two-time singles champion in the event and after an injury-riddled last few years, Williams is looking forward to playing in NYC.
“I feel like it’s been too long. I really fought my utmost to be here. Icing five times a day, therapy three times a day, praying, all sorts of interventions,” Williams said.
It is unclear when Williams will retire. But while she’s still here fans should enjoy not just one of the great tennis players of all-time, but one of the greatest athletic stories of all-time.
Tim Anderson has had a turbulent year, heightened by the fight that turned into an on-field brawl on Saturday between him and Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Guardians.
The suspensions handed out for the Guardians-White Sox brawl were Tim Anderson with six games, Jose Ramirez with three games, and Emmanuel Clase, Pedro Grifol, Mike Sarbaugh, and Terry Francona with one game a piece.
Ramirez hit a ball to right field at Progressive Field, stretching a single into a double. Once Ramirez slid into second base, through the legs of Tim Anderson, and was ruled safe, he and Anderson had a disagreement that escalated when Ramirez got up and pointed at Anderson. Tim dropped his glove and prepared to go toe to toe before ultimately throwing punches.
Anderson looked like he was getting the best of the fight until Ramirez threw a perfect right hand that connected to Anderson’s chin and knocked him down.
“Down goes Anderson!” the MLB commentator screamed, adding to the drama.
Anderson then began a Twitter rant in a series of posts that vaguely addressed the incident.
“you know all this happening for a reason …”
“we staying focus with this sh-t ..”
“been going through this sh-t for a min …”
“keep kicking on me while I’m down..”
“alotta mf been switching up too.. #fakesh-t”
“y’all got me f***ed up fr fr..”
“hope you picking up what I’m putting down too..”
“The Picture Bigger …”
Ramirez revealed that Anderson has a reputation for tagging players aggressively, and he felt that happened during an interaction with his teammate Brayan Rocchio during their first of a two-game matchup on Friday, Aug. 4.
“As soon as the play happened, he tapped me again really hard, more than needed,” Ramirez said during a postgame interview. “And then his reaction was like ‘I want to fight’ and if he wanted to fight I had to defend myself. I felt I was able to land one.”
Anderson has been at the center of a romantic scandal with a woman claiming to be his girlfriend outside of his marriage. Anderson had an affair with Dejah Lanee, which produced a son. The two-time All-Star is married to Bria Anderson, with whom he shares two daughters, Peyton and Paxton.
“I made a couple decisions that probably shouldn’t have been made along the way, but I’m open to dealing with them and growing with them,” Anderson said on “The Pivot” podcast.
“This is what it is. I’m willing to take whatever smoke comes with it, and I just really want to be honest. Really, the most honest I can be with the world, with the people around me and the people I love and just continue to keep stepping by faith, having faith in everything I do and just knowing that all this is going to get better at the end of the day.”
Now Anderson has six games to think about his fight with Ramirez, which is just the latest reflective moment in the world of the Chicago White Sox player.
Five-time NBA champion Derek Fisher is back coaching hoops. This time he will try his hand at the high school level. Fisher was named head coach of the Crespi Carmelite High School boy’s basketball team on Monday.
“We are honored and excited to welcome Coach Fisher to the Crespi Family. Coach Fisher brings to Crespi his strong work ethic, leadership, and discipline that are rooted in his Christian faith.”
Fisher coached the Knicks during the 2014-15 season and part of the 2015-16 campaign before he was fired in February 2016. He went 40-96 during his time as coach in New York.
He was the head coach of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks from 2018-2022, also serving as general manager from 2020-2022. He had a 54-46 regular season record and a 1-4 playoff record.
Fisher clearly loves the game and as a player you could easily say he had a strong work ethic, was a leader and disciplined.
Can we say the same for him as a coach?
We all know about the situation with his former teammate Matt Barnes’ ex-wife and Fisher’s current wife Gloria Govan while he was head coach of the Knicks. Admittedly, it was his first experience as a head coach and the transition was tough. Regardless, the entire situation was not a good look.
When he was coach of the Sparks players on the team commented on his unwillingness to implement new strategies and tactics at their request. He was referred to as “defensive” when players would make critiques.
None of that sounds like someone you want leading and inspiring young people.
According to reports he spent last year coaching an eighth grade boys team and a Team Derek Fisher Club girls team. Maybe some time working with young athletes have taught him some lessons and he’ll be effective in his new role.
“Coaching and teaching is a true passion,” Fisher said in a statement. “And I look forward to continuing this focus on the next generation of young student-athletes. Go Crespi!!”
Crepsi, the Encino-based all-boys school, has produced NBA players De’Anthony Melton and Brandon Williams. They play in the Mission League, where they will face power programs like Sierra Canyon and Notre Dame. Both have produced NBA players in recent years.
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., is aiming to return to form in the 2023 season. The dynamic playmaker hasn’t played a single down since tearing his ACL in Super Bowl 56.
Since then, the 2014 Offensive Rookie of the Year has been working to get back on the gridiron. While Beckham now is a member of the Ravens, he’s still very fond of his head coach during his time with the Rams, Sean McVay.
Beckham displayed his admiration for McVay in a tweet to the coach after seeing his appearance on “The Pivot” podcast.
“Coach McVay, you changed my life forever man. Grateful, I had that experience with u, single-handedly changed my life. Love and miss them boys over there, can’t wait to whoop u and Coach Rah (defensive coordinator Raheem Morris when the Rams play at Baltimore on December 10) this year.”
Strong words from OBJ, but as most players who’ve played for McVay and/or Morris say, they’re definitely players’ coaches.
McVay Kept It 100 With OBJ
From the time the Rams signed Beckham he says McVay was always up front and direct with him. He and the GM Les Snead were in the room when they revealed to Beckham that his physical revealed he didn’t have an ACL.
That could’ve voided any deal, but Beckham agreed to play on the knee until it gave out, and McVay wanted him on the team. That’s pretty sums up their relationship, one they both cherish.
“I love that guy,” McVay told “The Pivot” podcast. “I always feel like the people that shine the brightest, when the stage is as big as possible, like no moment is ever too big, he’s the kind of guy that comes to mind. I thought he played his best football in those most important moments.”
“We talk about competitive greatness all the time. He’s one of the epitomes of competitive greatness,” McVay added.
Beckham helped lead the Rams to a Super Bowl that season. And if not for his injury in that game he was likely to win Super Bowl MVP.
Beckham Implied 2023 Could Be Final NFL Season
In July, Beckham told The Athletic’s Dan Pompei that he’s gonna view 2023 as his final season in the NFL. The three-time Pro Bowl player also said he’s gonna give it his all and pretty much let the chips fall where they may.
The Ravens signed OBJ to a one-year deal worth as much as $18 million, with $15 million guaranteed. They hope he has one more dynamic season in him playing alongside superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Yaqub Talib, the brother of former All-Pro cornerback Aqib Talib, was sentenced to 37 years in prison for the murder of youth football coach Michael Hickmon. Yaqub agreed to plead guilty last month as part of a plea deal. He was indicted last September following the fatal shooting a month earlier.
Yaqub shot Hickmon multiple times after a disagreement between the opposing coaching staffs of two youth football teams over calls made by the officials during a game. The arguments led to a physical fight before Yaqub pulled out a gun.
Video of the incident showed Aqib and Yaqub both engaged in an argument and Aqib fleeing the scene with Yaqub following the shooting. Aqib was not charged with any crimes related to the incident.
Aqib was present in the courtroom on Monday for his brother’s sentencing.
At Monday’s sentencing Hickmon’s widow, Kenyetta, took the stand and addressed Yaqub.
“You killed innocence. You killed souls, hopes, dreams. Not just my kids. But all the 30, 40 other little kids that was there. Who does that? How did you think that was right?” she said Monday. “People asked are you healed? I’ll never be healed. I still ask myself every day: ‘Why?'”
The Hickmon family also have a pending lawsuit that names Big XII Sports League and Family Services and the Talib brothers as defendants. The suit was filed last December and the Hickmons are seeking damages in excess of $1 million.
The pending lawsuit alleges Aqib played a major role in igniting the brawl that led to Yaqub’s shooting of Hickmon. The lawsuit also claimed Big XII Sports League and Family Services failed to vet coaches and provide a safe and secure environment for its participants.
The Talib brothers are known to be bullies and antagonists in that youth football league, and while the shooting of Hickmon is the only major incident, there has been a pattern of aggressive behavior on their part.
“If you’ve been around the youth football world you know the Talib guys don’t like to lose and they give everybody a hard time,” DEA president Courtney Jackson told the Dallas Morning News. “I would call it rambunctious and overly aggressive.
“In the youth football world if somebody is crying about a call you might say stop whining or quit crying. They don’t laugh those things off. It gets personal with them.”
By all accounts Hickmon was a respected member of the community who was invested in being a youth football coach and helping young athletes. That is a job that is time-consuming and pays nothing or very little. People who do it and take it seriously, care.
It looks like Nia Long and Ime Udoka might be getting back together. A tumultuous chain of events occurred for the former Boston Celtics head coach after it was revealed that he had an affair with one of his married staffers. The fling resulted in his firing and the breakup of his engagement with Long.
There are reports that the two may have moved past the transgression and are on the path to reconciliation.
“The way [the cheating story] came out, it was so disrespectful to their family,” a supposed unnamed friend of Nia Long reportedly told Media Takeout. “They have a child together, a family together.”
The Celtics employee rumored to have had an affair with Udoka was married mother of three named Kathleen Nimmo Lynch, who acted as a team service manager for the Celtics. Lynch has ties to legendary Celtics champion Danny Ainge, who reportedly assisted her in landing the job with the team.
Ainge served as the Celtics’ president of basketball operations from 2003 until his retirement in 2021; former head coach Brad Stevens succeeded him. Ainge is now a basketball executive for the Utah Jazz. Ainge allegedly learned early during the summer of 2022 that the Celtics investigated Udoka’s relationship with Lynch.
Lynch and Ainge are reportedly of the Mormon faith and have known each other’s families for decades, reportedly from the same hometown and attending Brigham Young University. The situation was sticky for Udoka, and he was eventually replaced by his assistant coach Joe Mazzulla.
According to the friend, the two are “working on things.” When the scandal initially broke, the friend claimed that Long was highly embarrassed and stunned, which had her at a loss. Long, who is based in Los Angeles with her son she and Udoka share, is now closer to Udoka geographically as he is now the head coach of the Houston Rockets franchise.
“They’ve been coparenting together this whole time,” Long’s girlfriend continued. “And Ime’s apologized and all that. They’re trying to work things out.”
In a sign that the co-parenting is going well, the friend also revealed that Nia and their son have been to his new Texas home over the summer multiple times.
“If they do get back together, it’s not going to be some big announcement. They both learned their lesson, and will keep their relationship private.”
Celebrities like Cam’ron, who have attempted to shoot their shot at Nia Long, may not have a chance anymore as Udoka might have put the life he blew up back together again.
The NBA offseason has been crazy, but probably the most surprising move was Golden State Warriors trading rising star Jordan Poole for aging star Chris Paul.
The moves sent shock waves around the league, and even seemed to surprise some of the Warriors’ players, one being star shooting guard Klay Thompson.
During a recent appearance on “Podcast P with Paul George,” Thompson opened up on the move and what the future holds for his ex-teammate and “little brother” Poole.
Thompson Says Poole Being Traded Is Unfortunate, But It’s Business
“It hurts to see Jordan go,” Thompson said. “That’s the nature of the beast. … And we wouldn’t have won the championship without him. He was so important to us when Steph went down. Jordan is forever gonna be cherished in the Warriors lore just for what he did and helping bring us back to where we needed to go.”
Thompson also described seeing Poole during an offseason workout the two had with Steph and Seth Curry. “It was weird to see him in Wizards gear, but that’s like…little bro.”
Thompson is correct, Poole was a staple for the Warriors during their 2021-22 championship-winning season. He filled in admirably for an injured Steph Curry and his play in the postseason along with Andrew Wiggins were huge reasons why they won their fourth Larry O’Brien trophy in eight seasons.
Thompson Believes Poole Has All-Star Potential
Poole’s talent is undeniable, and while he’s still erratic at times, he has so much untapped potential. Thompson says he expects to him to reach that potential playing for a rebuilding Washington Wizards team. There Poole should mature and develop a much better understanding of when to pass and when to score.
“He’s definitely got All-Star potential,” Thompson added. “I’m excited to watch him and Kuz [Kyle Kuzma]. That’s going to be the swaggiest buckets ever. But I’m excited for him. Washington got a good one. Future All-Star for sure.”
Poole will have every opportunity to showcase his skills nightly in Washington. In fact, he and Kyle Kuzma should be one of the highest-scoring duos in the league, albeit on a losing team.
The Dallas Cowboys are prepping for the 2023 season. And per usual, the expectations are high, and the team will be out to prove doubters wrong and finally reach an NFC conference championship game and Super Bowl, something they haven’t done since the 1995 season.
One key reason why the Boys are considered serious contenders is the play of third-year do-it-all defender Micah Parsons, who’s been an elite defender in his first two seasons in the NFL.
As he heads into year three, Parsons has set some lofty goals for his career. And one of those goals is to not just be a Hall of Famer, but to be one of the all-time greats. While that’s the attitude any coach would want his players to have, they also want said player to be able to save some of his practice energy for the game.
Per reports, that’s where Parsons and Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy are in 2023.
McCarthy Wants Parsons To Follow Practice Etiquette
In the NFL, hitting the QB in practice is arguably the biggest no-no in the sport. But for some reason Parsons isn’t getting it and it’s reportedly causing some friction on the practice field. Following a recent practice, a pretty peeved McCarthy sounded off on his star defender.
“In Micah’s case, we have practice ethics, rules, and structure to our drills,”McCarthy said Thursday. “We go through these spots all the time: you don’t hit the quarterback. The quarterback hasn’t been hit in practice in my 30 years as an NFL coach that I can recall. That’s all part of working together, having discipline in your rush lane, discipline in you pass-protection unit, and this is why you have camp. We have a tremendous amount of work to do in the area of technique and fundamentals. Oh yeah, we’ve talked about that a number of times. That’s all part of the practice plan. He is a No. 1 violator right now.”
McCarthy is correct, an unnecessary hit to Dak Prescott or any other QB could lead to a season-ending injury.
Parsons Says He’s Pushing Himself
In response to his head coach’s concerns, Parsons sounded like someone who knows he’s doing things he shouldn’t. But, at the same time his saying he’s challenging himself and pushing himself to the limits also sounds as if he’s not letting anything stop him from working to get better.
Great mindset for one of the game’s best, but he must taper that aggression a bit in practice. It’s unlikely, but no need to risk a freak practice injury occurring.
FS1s debate show “Undisputed” has been searching for a replacement since the ever-popular Shannon Sharpe departed the airwaves in mid-June.
Since that fateful day the show has been on hiatus as they looked to find a viable replacement for Sharpe to go toe to toe with Skip Bayless.
According to reports by Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, the show, which is slated to return on Aug. 28 in anticipation of the 2023 NFL season, has found their man. Marchand stated that none other than former Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman will sit across from Bayless.
Shocking to say the least.
Sherman Solid Choice To Replace Sharpe
In Marchand’s statement he gave a detailed report as to how things are gonna go with Sherman joining the show:
Richard Sherman is joining FS1 to spar with Skip Bayless on “Undisputed” in the wake of Shannon Sharpe’s departure from the program, The Post has learned.
Sherman will go at it with Bayless around 50-100 shows per year, mostly during football season.
He will remain on Amazon Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” studio show.
Sherman is considered one of the rising talents in sports media game, and his strong opinions and unapologetic approach will definitely challenge Bayless.
Sherman And Bayless Have Checkered Past
According to reports Sherman and Bayless met over dinner in Beverly Hills recently to hash out any differences. Those stem from 2013, when Sherman appeared on ESPN’s “First Take” with Bayless and Stephen A. Smith. During that segment Sherman berated Bayless for not addressing him as an “All-Pro and Stanford graduate.”
He then proceeded to tell Bayless he was better than him at life, amongst other things.
It seems that little spat has been cleaned up, and now the two will work together often during the football season.
Another little tidbit is rapper Lil Wayne will join them on Fridays.
Get your popcorn ready.
Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas is not a fan of the Team USA FIBA Basketball World Cup roster. He thinks the group is “sorry” and believes Trae Young should be on it. Arenas went as far as blaming Nike for keeping Young, an Adidas athlete, off the roster. Is Agent Zero right, or is he just running his mouth?
“It’s that sorry a** other brand! It’s that other brand! It’s that other brand, man! They be doing too MFing much!”
For context, during his playing days Arenas was also an Adidas athlete. He even had his own signature shoe. The Adidas “Gil Zero.”
While Team USA has been outfitted by Nike for years and they’ve been the exclusive on court and apparel provider of the USA Basketball men’s and women’s national teams since 2006, plenty of non-Nike athletes have repped Team USA in the past.
Now, it would be naïve to think that Nike doesn’t have any input on who is selected to Team USA, but that’s a more nuanced discussion.
Team USA executive director Grant Hill and head coach Steve Kerr have a vision of the type of players they want and system they want to run. Maybe they feel that Young, despite his elite offensive ability, is not someone they want on the squad.
If you look at the makeup of this team there are plus defenders and size everywhere, except for Jalen Brunson. The New York Knicks point guard might be the toughest competitor on the squad, so what he lacks in size he makes up in other areas.
This tournament will be played under FIBA rules and small, non physical guards tend to get manhandled.
“You see that list they got, sorry-ass group,” Arenas said. “I’m sorry. I’m happy for the people who make it, it’s cool for some of the guys who got there, some of them probably don’t even start on their teams, I don’t know, I don’t want to look at it. Because it’s embarrassing sometimes when you have star players who do want to participate, and you just automatically say ‘Yeah he’s not gonna fit our style.’ How the f— you know if he’s gonna fit the style, you didn’t give the man a chance.”
Arenas’ lack of knowledge on who is on the team is laughable but also predictable. He played the game and has a certain knowledge base and experience. When he speaks, there is some credibility there.
But how much current NBA basketball is he watching on a daily basis?
The only non-starter on this squad is Bobby Portis. He and Paolo Banchero (a rookie) were the only net negative players in EPM last season. But they’re 6-11 and 6-10, respectively, so…
Every other player starts for his NBA team, and there are All-Stars, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and a host of players in the 85th percentile or better in EPM.
This is a good, deep squad. They lack collective international experience and that “alpha” player fans are obsessed with. But the latter tends to sort itself out over the course of training camp and pre-pool exhibition play.
Conor McGregor is bugging out again.
“The Notorious” aimed at the Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz event over the weekend at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas. The former double UFC champion took shots in random directions at Saweetie and reignited beef with Jake Paul almost simultaneously.
Rap artist Saweetie walked out Amanda Serrano, the co-main event of the fight night against tough-as-nails fighter Heather Hardy. Wearing a white mink coat and revealing a blue ring girl outfit emblazoned with Paul’s MVP Promotions and Nate Diaz’s Real Fight, Inc. logos, she turned heads in the arena and across the pay-per-view feed.
McGregor saw something he liked and decided to risk it all and let Saweetie know how he felt.
“F**k this, sweetie what’s up,” McGregor posted.
McGregor is engaged to Dee Devlin, his longtime partner, and mother of his two children. However, the fighter has been embroiled in many scandals with women outside his relationship. The most recent one was in Miami at a Heat playoffs game, where a woman claims he sexually assaulted her in an arena bathroom.
The woman claimed that McGregor emerged from an accessible stall in the bathroom and “shoved his tongue in [her] mouth and aggressively kissed her,” per reports. The woman claims she was kept inside the bathroom by security guards that refused to let anyone else in.
McGregor wasn’t done as he decided to reignite his everlasting beef with Jake Paul and Nate Diaz. “The Problem Child” took a unanimous decision victory against former UFC fighter Nate Diaz, who made his boxing debut. McGregor and Diaz are even against each other after fighting twice in the UFC, and many have clamored for the two to run it back a third time.
McGregor agrees.
“I gonna serve up your liver on a sandwich in the trilogy m8,” McGregor posted. “Out straight. I won’t even hit ur face. That was abysmal last night. Paul is a retard. Absolute garbage he is. Moving backwards like I was watching a fight in rewind. Holy garbage. Embarrassing stuff all round IMO. #piss,” McGregor said, dually attacking Diaz and Paul.
Paul heard the noise and clapped back, poking at the rumor that McGregor is a recreational and performance-enhancing drug user.
“Buddy you need to get into rehab and then USADA,” Paul posted. “Until then shut the f**k up. Floyd toyed with you. Dustin chinned you up. Khabib and Nate choked you out. And I would put you in the coffin even as juiced up as you are.”
Then McGregor went culturally insensitive.
“Shutup you little baldy wigger hahahah,” McGregor responded.
Conor McGregor hadn’t fought since 2021 when he lost to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in a doctor stoppage from a horrible leg injury. His return was supposed to be against Michael Chandler, who he is coaching against on The Ultimate Fighter reality series. Still, McGregor is telegraphing his hit list through the messiness.
Golden State Warriors’ four-time champ Klay Thompson admits his “four rings” clapback at Devin Booker during a game last season wasn’t his best moment. Thompson was a guest on Paul George’s “PodcastP Show,” where he was asked about the best bar he’s dropped on an opponent during a game.
“I was in my feelings there, Book was busting my ass that day. … We all get insecure at times, I’m not really proud of that one.”
Book did bust his ass. The Phoenix Suns All-Star scored 34 points that night to Thompson’s 2.
Still, this was an incredible admission from Thompson.
The jock culture in sports is one where no vulnerabilities are to be shown publicly. You never concede until it’s over. You never admit insecurities.
But Thompson did the opposite and pointed out “we all get insecure at times.”
This is the NBA. The best basketball league in the world. It doesn’t matter if you’re Nikola Jokic or Thanasis Antetokounmpo. You won’t win every one-on-one battle and you won’t lose every one either.
The best of the best get cooked on any given night. Nobody is above getting owned on an NBA court. Such is life with the best players in the world.
Thompson admitted his game wasn’t where he wanted it earlier in the season last year and he was struggling. If you watched any of the Warriors games you saw it. But he wound up leading the league in three pointers made during the regular season.
That’s what makes Thompson a very good player. The way he responds to adversity and turns situations that look bleak around.
At age 33 and coming off two leg injuries and a lot of playoff miles, this offseason will need to be the best of his career just to maintain the levels he’s been.
That’s the curse of an aging athlete. You’ve got to work even harder just to maintain.
The Warriors added Chris Paul to their roster this offseason, re-signed Draymond Green and are +1400 betting favorites to win the title next season. That’s sixth behind the Nuggets, Celtics, Suns, Bucks, and Heat. But ahead of the Lakers in seventh.
If the Warriors have any shot of being champs again, Thompson will have to be very close to his best.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is fresh off leading his team to an AFC South division title and historic come-from-behind playoff win.
As the team is preparing for what’s expected to be a huge 2023 season, Lawrence was approached by the producers of the Netflix hit show “Quarterback,” which includes Hall of Famer Peyton Manning.
Lawrence, who’s going into his third NFL season after being the No. 1 overall pick in 2021, respectfully declined the offer but didn’t completely rule it out down the line. In a post-practice presser following Day 10 of training camp the former Clemson Tigers star was pretty straightforward about why he isn’t interested in being featured on the show right now.
Lawrence Says Timing Isn’t Right
“I was approached,” Lawrence told reporters. “I decided not to do it this year, but that’s just something where I feel like it’s just not the right time for me. Who knows, maybe in the future.”
Lawrence joins a list of other signal-callers who’ve also declined the offer to appear on the series. They include Justin Fields (Bears), Jalen Hurts (Eagles), Lamar Jackson (Ravens), Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins), Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Sam Howell (Commanders), and Matthew Stafford (Rams).
The first season, which is currently out on Netflix, featured Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs), Kirk Cousins (Vikings) and Marcus Mariota (Falcons).
Lawrence Coming Off Career Year
After struggling in his rookie season under former Jags coach Urban Meyer, Lawrence showed significant improvement in his second season under Super Bowl-winning head coach Doug Pederson, passing for over 4,100 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Lawrence says his focus is getting better in the Jags system.
“When you come out for your second camp in this system, you can lean on some things,” Lawrence said. “You can go back to week, whatever, last year. I remember checking this play against coverage.
“The call comes up again and you see the same thing, ‘All right, remember when we did this,’ and you can get to it quick.”
Lawrence says he has complete confidence heading into the 2023 season, and with the addition of wide receiver Calvin Ridley, the Jags offense has the potential to be lethal.
