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The Maryland men's lacrosse team is one win away from completing an undefeated championship season after defeating Princeton in the semifinals.
The Action Network: Best bets for the Coca-Cola 600
The Action Network specializes in providing sports betting insights/analytics and is a content partner with NASCAR. Check out more NASCAR betting analysis here. The biggest day of the year in motorsports deserves a big piece of betting content as well. Sunday’s auto racing goodness gets underway with Formula 1’s Monaco Grand Prix at 9 a.m. […]
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2022-05-30T11:42:13Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Coca-Cola 600 winners and losers
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https://sports.yahoo.com/coca-cola-600-winners-losers-110045907.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/coca-cola-600-winners-losers-110045907.html?src=rss
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The Hutchinson family is having a very good 2022. A month after Aidan joined the Detroit Lions as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, his sister Mia has won a beauty pageant.
Mia Hutchinson was crowned Miss Michigan USA this weekend. She will represent the Mitten State at the Miss USA pageant later this year.
Proud brother Aidan was on hand to celebrate with his sister. From her Instagram,
https://www.instagram.com/p/CeHkGkDrZlu/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Congrats to the proud Hutchinson family!
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2022-05-30T13:36:03Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Aidan Hutchinson’s sister wins Miss Michigan USA pageant
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https://sports.yahoo.com/aidan-hutchinson-sister-wins-miss-174944157.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/aidan-hutchinson-sister-wins-miss-174944157.html?src=rss
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"Nobody deserves it more than this guy on my right right here, man," said Brown, who spent the first three seasons of his career playing alongside Horford and sat beside him on the postgame podium. "His energy, his demeanor, coming in every day, being a professional, taking care of his body, being a leader, I'm proud to be able to share this moment with a veteran, a mentor, a brother, a guy like Al Horford. He's been great all season, really my whole career. I'm happy to be able to share this moment with somebody like him."
Horford, whose maternal grandfather died before Boston's heartbreaking Game 6 loss, fell to his knees as the emotions hit on his first conference finals win in four tries. He hunched over and screamed a single word into the hardwood of FTX Arena. "Yes," he said repeatedly, before teammates helped him to his feet.
"My grandfather was somebody I was extremely close with, somebody I really care for," said Horford, "and all week my mom, my family told me to just go out there and play. That's something that he would have wanted me to do, to just continue on and try and stay focused and understand that he's at peace now."
Horford became the biggest free-agent signing in Celtics history when he signed in 2016. His Atlanta Hawks had just beaten Boston in a first-round series, but they were swept by LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference semifinals, and he saw what the Celtics were building. Boston had Isaiah Thomas, Smart, a hodgepodge of hard workers and the last vestige of the 2008 championship Celtics — two high lottery picks obtained from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
Horford led the Celtics to the East finals in 2017 and 2018, respectively the rookie years for No. 3 overall picks Brown and Tatum. Boston had traded Thomas for Irving and added Gordon Hayward between those two years, but season-ending injuries to both All-Stars left the Celtics with Brown and Tatum as their leading scorers in a seven-game loss to who else but LeBron's Cavs in the 2018 conference finals.
"When you lose those series, obviously it hurts and it's tough," said Tatum. "But you never forget it. That's what we all have in common. We've all been through those tough times, and we remember how that felt."
All the while, Horford was the consummate professional. He was ridiculed nationally for losing to LeBron in four straight playoffs and locally, where a Boston sports talk radio host nicknamed him "Average Al," ignoring Horford's contributions as a center who allows the Celtics to defend and space the floor offensively from all five positions. They just didn't have the firepower around him to match LeBron's greatness, at least not yet.
When Horford's frontcourt partnership with Embiid failed in Philadelphia, the five-time All-Star heard boos from Sixers fans and worse from their front office. They traded him, along with a lightly protected first-round pick, to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a salary dump. The Thunder put Horford on ice in their pursuit of a high lottery pick, and his career was headed for an unceremonious end, short of championship aspirations.
The Celtics started this season on shaky ground, and first-year coach Ime Udoka reminded them of their instability at every downturn. Horford laid the foundation for their defensive identity, and he trusted the offensive development of Tatum, Brown and Smart. As necessary as Udoka's brutally honest criticism was, Boston needed Horford's steady hand to counterbalance the emotions on a young team still finding its way.
"When he came back, that gave us a sense of security," Smart said of Horford. "We've got Al back there. He's always going to make the right play on both ends, he's going to calm us down, he's going to show us what we missed, and he's going to help us learn the game even more. We appreciate everything that he brings to this game — his mentality, his professionalism, and that's the big part for us, the way he comes in every day to work. We look up to that, and we try to implicate that into our lives and into our game."
Just as important to Boston's success, Horford was Horford again. Given the chance to resurrect his career with a roster he helped raise, they lifted each other to heights no one imagined a year ago. They outgunned Kevin Durant's Nets, out-dueled Giannis Antetokounmpo's Bucks and, yes, outlasted Jimmy Butler's Heat.
"I've been a part of a lot of great teams, and I'm so proud of this group," said Horford. "I've seen [Brown] come in the league, take steps, take levels. I've seen [Tatum], the same thing. I've seen Smart grow. It's just special to be with them and be able to help them and be a part of this. I'm grateful to be in this position."
All that is left to hoist is the franchise's 18th banner. Only the three-time champion Golden State Warriors stand in the way of Horford's Hall of Fame legacy and fully realized potential for the roster he has mentored.
"Every athlete's dream is to get to that final stage and have an opportunity," said Smart. "I've been here four years in the Eastern Conference finals, and I've been sent home every year. It feels really good, and it feels really good for Jayson and Jaylen. We've been together for the longest — even Al, man. Al, just happy for him. He played all these games, and he works his tail off. He deserves it more than any of us."
3 observations: Butler’s late 3 misses, Celtics advance to finals
The Celtics snatched a 100-96 victory from the jaws of defeat as Jimmy Butler's questionable three-point attempt with less than 12 seconds remaining was just a bit off the mark.
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2022-05-30T13:36:09Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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NBA Finals: Al Horford making most of 2nd chance with Celtics
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https://sports.yahoo.com/al-horford-and-celtics-he-mentored-making-most-of-second-chance-at-first-nba-title-080915990.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/al-horford-and-celtics-he-mentored-making-most-of-second-chance-at-first-nba-title-080915990.html?src=rss
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Jason Kokrak didn’t waste time playing his final round at the Charles Schwab Challenge.
The tournament’s 2021 champion breezed through all 18 holes in two hours, 20 minutes on Sunday morning, posting a 2-over 72. Kokrak finished the tournament at 8-over, finishing 67th out of 69 players who made the cut.
Kokrak was the first player off the tee as a single at 7:25 a.m. When he finished, the group behind him was at least six holes back.
Kokrak didn’t come close to setting the PGA Tour record for fastest round. That belongs to Joaquin Niemann, who played the final round of the Tour Championship last September in one hour and 53 minutes.
But Kokrak’s quick round is worthy of praise as there’s nothing worse than slow play on the golf course. Kokrak had a mixed bag of results. He eagled the par-5 first but bogeyed every hole in the “Horrible Horseshoe,” Colonial’s famed stretch of Nos. 3, 4 and 5 circling the driving range.
On the day, Kokrak had one eagle, three birdies, five bogeys, one double bogey and eight pars.
Kokrak entered the week hoping to become the first repeat champion at Colonial since Ben Hogan. However, that will remain a one-member club for at least another year.
Kokrak joked earlier in the week that he might move to Texas at some point in his life as two of his three PGA Tour victories have come in the Lone Star State — he won the Colonial and the Houston Open last year.
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2022-05-30T13:36:47Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Top speed golf: Defending champ Jason Kokrak plays final round at Colonial in a flash
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https://sports.yahoo.com/defending-champion-jason-kokrak-breezed-153308184.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/defending-champion-jason-kokrak-breezed-153308184.html?src=rss
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Former Clemson pitcher Spencer Strider has been having a breakout season coming out of the bullpen for the reigning World Series champion Atlanta Braves.
The rookie has produced a 2.22 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 24.1 innings pitched in relief this season. He currently ranks 5th among all rookie pitchers in strikeouts, with nearly 20 fewer innings pitched than the four players ranked ahead of him. Heading into this Sunday, he was tied for the second-most strikeouts by a National League reliever.
Strider has been outstanding for the Braves this season with all of his appearances so far coming in relief. He has been so good in relief that the Braves have opted to name him their starting pitcher for their upcoming matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Braves will travel to Arizona Monday, with the rookie’s first start being on Memorial Day. The game is set to start at 8:10 p.m. as we’ll get to see Strider’s first action as a starting pitcher.
Spencer Strider gets his first MLB start Monday when the hard-throwing #Braves rookie faces Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen in a series opener at Arizona.
As the Memorial Day weekend continues, AccuWeather meteorologists say that rounds of intense thunderstorms can inflict significant damage and disruptions across the northern and central Plains. This comes amidst an already busy stretch of severe weather. Over 20 reports of severe hail and damaging winds were received by the Storm Prediction Center on Saturday. This included reports of 75-mph wind gusts near Gillette, Wyoming, and Buffalo, South Dakota. The stormy skies made an appearance yet aga
Dave Shovein examines the Braves shifting Spencer Strider to the rotation, Royce Lewis' promotion and injury and so much more in Monday's Daily Dose. (Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)
Jorge Soler keeps the Marlins in the game, driving a two-run home run to deep left field to make it 6-3 in the 7th inning
In the back of Marcus Stroman’s mind, he prepared to go to third base. Stroman did not hesitate during the sixth inning of a scoreless game Sunday afternoon against the Chicago White Sox. The Cubs pitcher aggressively fielded his position on Danny Mendick’s sacrifice bunt attempt with nobody out — charging off the mound, barehanding the ball and firing a strike to third baseman Patrick Wisdom, ...
Austin Riley's solo home run
Austin Riley puts the Braves on top with a long home run to left-center field, going back-to-back with Marcell Ozuna in the first inning
Marlins vs. Braves Highlights
Marcell Ozuna and Austin Riley belted back-to-back homers and Max Fried fanned five in six innings in the Braves' 6-3 win over the Marlins
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2022-05-30T13:36:59Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Former Clemson pitcher set to make his first start for the Braves
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https://sports.yahoo.com/former-clemson-pitcher-set-first-230526236.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/former-clemson-pitcher-set-first-230526236.html?src=rss
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Just look at the NBA's official Last Two-Minute Report.
The report revealed there were six missed calls over the final two minutes of Friday night's matchup at TD Garden, which the Heat won 111-103 to force a Game 7 in Miami on Sunday night.
Here's a recap of the missed calls from the two-minute report. Four of them went against the Celtics.
-- Two uncalled 3-second violations on Adebayo.
-- Two fouls on Celtics' White that should not have been called.
-- An uncalled Tatum travel.
-- An uncalled Celtics 5-second inbound violation.
It's unacceptable for this many officiating errors to be made in the final two minutes of any game, especially a matchup as important as a Game 6 of a conference finals when an NBA Finals berth is at stake for one of the teams.
To be clear, the officiating wasn't the only reason why the Celtics lost Game 6. They failed to execute at a high level after taking a 97-94 lead with 4:38 left on the clock. From that point, Miami outscored Boston 17-6.
The Celtics need to take better care of the ball (17 turnovers in Game 6), win the rebounding battle and match the Heat's intensity early on if they're going to win Game 7 and reach the NBA Finals.
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2022-05-30T13:37:54Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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NBA Last Two-Minute Report reveals 6 missed calls late in Celtics-Heat Game 6
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https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-last-two-minute-report-203056838.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-last-two-minute-report-203056838.html?src=rss
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Sunday at the par-71, 6,762-yard Jack Nicklaus-designed Harbor Shores by Lake Michigan, Alker overcame a four-stroke deficit at the start by shooting an 8-under 63 in the final round that included nine birdies. His 16-under 268 earned him the 82nd Senior PGA Championship with a three-shot victory over third-round leader Stephen Ames for his third victory in his last four starts.
“It’s been a great ride out here and I’m enjoying myself,” said Alker, who earned $630,000, pushing his bankroll to $1,813,961 with his seventh top-10 finish. “The first couple of weeks were okay. I wouldn’t say I’m comfortable yet, but just comfortable playing with the guys out here.”
Alker’s amazing play this season has certainly impressed his colleagues, especially Ames, who managed a 1-under 70 to finish runner-up at 13-under 271, three strokes ahead of 64-year-old legend Bernhard Langer of Germany, who closed with a 71.
The victory also secured Alker a spot in next year’s PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. “It’s just perseverance with a capital P,” Alker said about his career turnaround.
Alker, who played in the second-to-last group Sunday, was comfortable chasing Ames, Langer and Canadian Mike Weir.
One of them wasn’t Langer, who now has four top-10 finishes at Senior PGAs played at Harbor Shores but not a victory. Seeking his 12th senior major title, Langer bogeyed three straight holes starting at No. 12—doubling his bogey total of the first three rounds—for a closing 71 and a 10-under 274 for solo third. Four golfers tied for fourth at 9 under: Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez (69), South Korea’s K.J. Choi (65), Weir (72) and California’s Paul Goydos (71).
Langer, who made four birdies on his front nine, had to play out of two divots at the 548-yard 10th before managing to save his par 5. “That really stopped the momentum,” said Langer, who then bogeyed Nos. 13 through 15. “It was obviously a missed opportunity. I was 14 under leading by one with eight holes to go and just didn’t close it.”
Alker, meanwhile, started the day with four straight 3s, two of them birdies, and then after bogeying the seventh, strung together four birdies beginning at the short 376-yard eighth hole to reach 14 under through 11. When Ames birdied the 133-yard 11th, the three foreigners were in a three-way tie and had effectively separated themselves from the rest of the field.
Alker leads the tour with three wins. He has three wins a tie for second and a tie for third in his last five starts.
Sakari Manninen scored on a power play at 6:42 of 3-on-3 overtime and Finland beat Canada 4-3 on Sunday for its fourth world hockey championship title. Finland completed an Olympics-world double after winning in China in February, joining Sweden in 2006 as the only countries to win Olympic and world titles in the same year. “It’s unbelievable,” Finnish coach Jukka Jalonen said.
It's the 10th Big Ten tournament title for Michigan baseball, the first since 2015, as U-M earns an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
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2022-05-30T13:38:50Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Steven Alker wins KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship for third win in five starts
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https://sports.yahoo.com/steven-alker-wins-kitchenaid-senior-031734132.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/steven-alker-wins-kitchenaid-senior-031734132.html?src=rss
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Gary Payton II is expected to return for the Golden State Warriors at some point during the NBA Finals from a broken left elbow that he injured when Grizzlies star Dillon Brooks committed a hard foul across Payton's head on a layup attempt during the playoffs' second round.
Brooks received a Flagrant 2 foul and was ejected, then suspended for one game without pay for what the NBA called ''unnecessary and excessive contact.''
''That's what we're aiming for but we'll have a better feel after the next couple of days of practice,'' coach Steve Kerr said Sunday.
Corbin Burnes tossed seven shutout innings and Jace Peterson hit a three-run homer to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to an 8-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday. Lorenzo Cain and Rowdy Tellez also homered for the Brewers, who gained a split of the four-game set. Milwaukee has won four of six and stretched its road record to 13-10.
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2022-05-30T13:38:57Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Three Warriors make progress toward NBA Finals returns
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https://sports.yahoo.com/three-warriors-progress-toward-nba-214916764.html?src=rss
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With the Flames ousted in the second round, Gaudreau will talk to his agent this week to figure out what's best for him and his family. Though he's from New Jersey, he talked highly of Calgary in his final media session of the season.
"Obviously Calgary has a special place in my heart," said Gaudreau, 28, who's due a big raise over last season's $6.75 million. "I’ve been part of this organization for 11 years now. … Everything about the city I love.”
General manager Brad Treliving, who earlier said he'd "move heaven and earth" to re-sign the winger, wants to make Gaudreau a Flame for life.
"I think he has a chance to be one of the greatest ever to play in the history of the franchise, and there’s been some great ones," he said.
“My next door neighbors, I’m pretty sure they were shoveling my snow all year just to get me back," he said. "You go to Starbucks, you go out to eat and everyone is so welcoming and really wants me back here. It’s great.”
Claude Giroux, Panthers, 34: The longtime Flyers captain waived his no-trade clause to join the Panthers, where he scored 23 points in 18 regular-season games and helped Florida reach the second round for the first time since 1996. The seven-time All-Star, including this past season, is a leader. He's still seeking his first championship, so he'll be looking to go to a contender.
Nazem Kadri, Avalanche, 31: Suspended six times in his career, including three times in the playoffs, he had an incident-free regular season in which he scored a career-best 87 points. Though the Blues criticized him for a collision with goalie Jordan Binnington, it was inadvertent. Kadri, who's of Lebanese descent, had to deal with social-media threats and racial comments afterward but scored a hat trick in the next game. He's rugged with a scoring touch, a combination that teams covet.
Filip Forsberg, Predators, 27: He is coming off a 42-goal, 84-point season, both career highs. But he hasn't played a full season since 2016-17.
Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, Penguins, both 35: GM Ron Hextall says he wants both back. They want to be back, though Malkin says he'd understand if the team opts for younger players. Malkin is productive when he plays but is coming off two injury-filled seasons. Letang had a career-best 68 points. The Penguins just re-signed Bryan Rust to a six-year, team-friendly deal, but Malkin and Letang would need to give a hometown discount in order to stay.
John Klingberg, Stars, 29: The defenseman is coming off a team-friendly deal and will be looking to make more money. After a slow start, he stepped up during Miro Heiskanen's illness to finish with 47 points.
Vincent Trocheck, Hurricanes, 29: A strong two-way center on one of the NHL's top teams.
Marc-Andre Fleury, Wild, 37: The goalie wants to play another season and Minnesota was a good fit for him, though the team lost in the first round. The Wild will be strapped by more than $12 million in buyout money for Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, so Fleury would need to make less than last year's $7 million.
David Perron, Blues, 34: He has been a perfect fit in St. Louis. As his agent notes, this is Perron's third stint with the Blues.
David Perron has played for 5 NHL teams but every NHL contract he’s signed in his career has been with the St. Louis. 3rd your of duty with @StLouisBlues.
— Allan Walsh (@walsha) May 24, 2022
Jack Campbell, Maple Leafs, 30: The late bloomer was a first-time All-Star this season and had a 31-win season despite an injury. He's due a big raise from his $1.8 million last season.
Ben Chiarot, Panthers, 31: He made a name for himself as a shutdown defenseman during Montreal's run to the Final in 2021. He wasn't as strong this season.
Phil Kessel, Coyotes, 34: He's a playmaker rather than a goal scorer at this point of his career. He needs eight games to break the iron man streak that Keith Yandle set last season.
Patrice Bergeron, Bruins, 36: He'd be near the top of this list based on his talent and leadership. But he has said if he doesn't retire, he'd return only to the Bruins.
JENNERSTOWN, Pa. — Two legendary names in Modified racing came together for a landmark victory Saturday night at Jennerstown Speedway. Mike Christopher Jr., nephew of the late Ted Christopher, wheeled the No. 7NY Modified owned by Tommy Baldwin Jr. to his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory during the Jennerstown Salutes 150. It was the […]
David Pastrnak, Czechia beats Jeremy Swayman, USA for bronze at IIHF world championship
David Pastrnak will have some bragging rights over Boston Bruins teammate Jeremy Swayman come training camp.
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2022-05-30T13:39:03Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Top 25 unrestricted NHL free agents: An early look at players who could test the market
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https://sports.yahoo.com/top-25-unrestricted-nhl-free-104611262.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/top-25-unrestricted-nhl-free-104611262.html?src=rss
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Gervonta Davis gave a packed Barclays Center a dramatic ending Saturday night, stopping Rolando Romero with a single left hand in the sixth round of their lightweight bout.
Here’s a ring-level view of the spectacular knockout.
In season of Arkansas softball historic firsts, here's what Razorbacks will remember most
Arkansas softball didn't make it to its first Women's College World Series, but the Razorbacks' 2022 season was full of records and firsts.
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2022-05-30T13:39:15Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Watch it: Ring-level view of Gervonta Davis’ one-punch knockout
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https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-ring-level-view-gervonta-071038213.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-ring-level-view-gervonta-071038213.html?src=rss
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The Indianapolis Colts have the leader of their backfield set, but they added some strong depth to the unit following the 2022 NFL draft by signing Phillip Lindsay to a one-year deal.
While Jonathan Taylor will reprise his role as arguably the best running back in the NFL, and Nyheim Hines is expected to see more work both in the backfield and out of the slot, Lindsay will be leading the competition for the RB3 role in the backfield.
Here are four things to know about Lindsay:
Doak Walker semifinalist
Colts fans know that Jonathan Taylor was a two-time Doak Walker Award winner during his days at Wisconsin. It’s the award that goes to the nation’s best running back in college football.
During his senior season at Colorado, Lindsay wound up being a semifinalist for the award when he took 301 carries for 1,474 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. He also added 23 receptions for 257 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown. His 301 carries were the most of any Division I running back in the nation during the 2017 season.
School records
Being a Doak Walker semifinalist means a player probably put up some gaudy numbers during his time in college. Lindsay did just that at Colorado. He broke the record for career all-purpose yards, scrimmage yards and is second in school history with 3,770 career rushing yards.
Beating out a third-round pick
While Lindsay’s impressive college career made him an intriguing target in the 2018 NFL draft, he wound up going undrafted. Despite the Denver Broncos using a third-round pick on Oregon’s Royce Freeman, they brought in the local product in Lindsay as an undrafted rookie free agent.
While the hype machine got out of control when it came to Freeman’s potential, Lindsay’s strong preseason vaulted him to the top of the depth chart where he eventually won the starting role by the time Week 1 rolled around.
The rest is history after that.
NFL history
Lindsay’s rookie campaign in 2018 was nothing short of historical. He wound up taking 192 carries for 1,037 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns while adding 35 receptions for 241 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.
At the time, his 1,037 rushing yards were the third-most for an undrafted rookie during his first season in the NFL. He was then surpassed by James Robinson in 2020 and is currently fourth on that list.
However, Lindsay’s recorded 2,048 rushing yards during his first two seasons, which is the third most during an undrafted players’ first two campaigns in NFL history.
On top of that, Lindsay was the first undrafted rookie running back to make the Pro Bowl.
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2022-05-30T15:48:37Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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4 things to know about Colts RB Phillip Lindsay
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https://sports.yahoo.com/4-things-know-colts-rb-131348319.html?src=rss
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Aaron Donald is one of the biggest stars in the NFL, and now he’s partnering with one of the most well-known celebrities in the entertainment industry. Donald revealed on the “I Am Athlete” podcast that he’s signed with Kanye West’s Donda Sports.
Donda Sports is a marketing agency, so this won’t change who Donald is represented by when it comes to contract negotiations. It’s more about off-the-field opportunities for the Rams star.
“It was an opportunity that came to us, me and (my wife), and it made sense,” he said. “And hearing the whole spectrum of everything that’s going on and what they were going to be bringing, the family atmosphere that they got in Donda Sports. Not just me, but my wife being a part of that. For me, it was a no-brainer.”
Donald is still expected to return to the Rams in 2022 despite a contract extension not yet being done, but he’s preparing for his future after football by making this move. He hopes it’ll open up doors for him with opportunities he wants to take advantage of off the field.
“I think it’s a hell of an opportunity to open up a lot of different doors and a lot of different things outside of football that I wanna be involved in, I wanna do, that my wife wanna do,” he continued. “So, to be a part of that, and be one of the best first athletes to be a part of that, it’s pretty dope. We’re excited about it, and we’re gonna see where this thing goes.”
Obviously, one of the first questions asked about this partnership is whether Donald will get a signature shoe. While that may not necessarily be in the works right now, they’re talking about a bunch of things already.
“Ain’t nothing in full circle, but we’ve been talking,” Donald said. “We got a lot of different things that’s planned. My wife’s been talking and getting things done, it’s about to be coming to fruition soon.”
Tri-West softball catcher McKenna Hagemier, coach Mike Miller and pitcher Audrey Lowry discuss the team's success.
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2022-05-30T15:48:49Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Aaron Donald explains why he signed with Kanye’s Donda Sports
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https://sports.yahoo.com/aaron-donald-explains-why-signed-131916808.html?src=rss
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Allen Robinson is on his third team in nine years in the NFL, so he’s been exposed to several different quarterbacks, coaches and schemes. Unfortunately, he’s mostly played on bad teams with poor quarterback play, leading to inconsistent numbers from himself personally.
His worst season came last year with the Bears when he caught just 38 passes for 410 yards and one touchdown in 12 games played, but there’s plenty of reason to believe he’ll bounce back in 2022 with the Rams.
In a more stable situation with Sean McVay as his coach and Matthew Stafford under center, Robinson should feel confident heading into this season. it’s still early in his tenure in L.A., but he’s already enjoyed his time with the Rams so far, appreciating their style of coaching.
“It’s been a great transition, honestly. Being able to join this culture and this team, being able to come out here and work every day,” Robinson said in an interview recently. “Coach McVay coaches us hard, detailed and I think that’s something for a vet guy that I can appreciate. It’s very detailed, specific coaching, it helps me learn, it allows me to ask questions and be able to learn things pretty quickly.”
Robinson won’t be the No. 1 receiver in Los Angeles like he previously was with the Jaguars and Bears, but that could be a good thing. It’ll take pressure off of him to be the go-to guy, with that title likely going to Cooper Kupp again in 2022.
The Rams’ scheme is much more receiver-friendly than Chicago’s, too, with McVay doing an excellent job of getting guys open with creative route combinations. Altogether, Robinson should be in for a big year with Los Angeles.
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2022-05-30T15:49:02Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Allen Robinson appreciates Sean McVay’s hard but detailed coaching style
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https://sports.yahoo.com/allen-robinson-appreciates-sean-mcvay-143840169.html?src=rss
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Nicolas Roesch
Week 2 will be the Kansas City Chiefs’ home opener as they host the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football.
The Chiefs and Chargers split their 2021 season series with both teams losing on their home turf. Kansas City won its seventh-straight AFC West title and Los Angeles finished third in the division at 9-8, barely missing the playoffs. The Chargers have responded to their disappointing 2021 campaign by having a very active offseason.
They wasted no time in giving receiver Mike Williams a three-year $60 million contract extension. Following that move, the Chargers bolstered their defense by trading for linebacker Khalil Mack and signing defensive linemen Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Johnson. They didn’t stop there as they also signed all-pro cornerback J.C. Jackson a big five-year $82.5 million contract.
Los Angeles is loaded on both sides of the ball and has set itself up to be all-in on a Super Bowl run for the next few years. However, the Chargers have been a snake-bitten franchise and have come up short despite some impressive rosters over the years. A lot will be riding on the shoulders of second-year head coach Brandon Staley, who’s situational play calling was at the center of controversy a few times last season.
Let’s take a look at some of the Chargers’ key players and their outlooks heading into the regular season:
Quarterback Justin Herbert
Herbert has been one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL since making his debut against the Chiefs in Week 2 of the 2020 season. He is 2-2 versus Kansas City in his career, although one of those victories came in a game where the Chiefs rested their starters.
Herbert finished second in the league in passing yards last season with 5,014. He’s also an underrated scrambler, having rushed for over 500 yards and eight touchdowns in his two years as a starter. Herbert will look to make the postseason for the first time in his career in 2022 and establish himself among the elite QBs in the NFL.
Running back Austin Ekeler
Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
The six-year veteran Ekeler is coming off his best season as a pro, rushing for 911 yards and tacking on 647 receiving yards. He also finished with 20 total touchdowns, a career-high by far. Ekeler is one of the best dual-threat running backs in the league.
Despite being a smaller back, he runs with great balance and elusiveness. The Chargers drafted running back Isaiah Spiller in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft to pair with Ekeler. Spiller might cut into Ekeler’s numbers a bit but should keep him fresh for the long haul.
Receiver Keenan Allen
AP Photo-Reed Hoffmann
Allen has been on an incredible run, recording over 100 catches in four of his last five seasons. Last season he set a career-high with 106, also tacking on 1,138 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Allen has been selected to the Pro Bowl each of the last seasons. After missing a lot of time due to injury early on in his career, Allen has missed just two games in his last five seasons.
His work as a short-to-intermediate possession receiver is the perfect complement to Mike Williams’ downfield, big-play ability. Allen is one of the more unpopular AFC West players for Chiefs fans, often talking trash about the team, including as recently as this offseason.
Defensive end Joey Bosa
Bosa has established himself as one of the top defensive ends in the NFL and is a force against both the run and the pass. He is a four-time Pro Bowler and has recorded double-digit sacks in four of his six NFL seasons.
In 2021 he recorded 10.5 sacks and a whopping seven forced fumbles. Bosa has shockingly never been selected as an all-pro, giving him something to strive for along with a Super Bowl ring.
Safety Derwin James
Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
James is coming off his second All-Pro season in 2021. He recorded a career-high 118 tackles along with two sacks, two interceptions and three forced fumbles. He is one of the most complete safeties in the league and has a chance to put together a hall of fame career if he can stay healthy.
Staying healthy hasn’t been easy for James unfortunately. In 2019 he played in just five games due to foot surgery and he missed the entire 2020 season with a torn meniscus. The Chargers picked up James’ fifth-year option last offseason. If he’s to get a long-term contract, he may have to prove to stay healthy again in 2022.
Chargers' training camp storylines
AP Photo-Kyusung Gong
Los Angeles has a lot of new faces on the defensive side of the ball, particularly in the front seven after finishing 29th in rushing defense. How quickly that unit gels will be a big factor in determining the Chargers’ success.
J.C. Jackson is a big addition to the secondary and should make a dynamic duo with fellow cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. Continuing with the secondary, the Chargers spent a third-round pick on safety JT Woods, who could challenge to be a starter opposite Derwin James. Woods is a well-rounded defensive back who can also play slot corner and inside linebacker.
After using a first-round pick on an offensive lineman in 2021, the Chargers did it again in 2022 by selecting guard Zion Johnson. Their offensive line was much improved last season, so it could be one of the best units in the NFL in 2022, but it still lacks a true answer at right tackle with Storm Norton and Trey Pipkins battling for the starting job. With all the playmakers Los Angeles has, the ability to keep Herbert clean in the pocket could be a scary sight for defenses.
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2022-05-30T15:49:15Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Chiefs 2022 schedule preview, Week 2: Chargers
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https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-2022-schedule-preview-week-135420239.html?src=rss
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Christian Barmore quickly ascended as one of the New England Patriots’ better defensive players in his rookie season.
The Alabama product finished the year with 46 tackles, nine quarterback hits, three tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. According to Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus, Leonard Williams (52) is the only rookie defensive tackle since 2006 to have more quarterback pressures than Barmore (48).
That’s pretty good for a second-round rookie.
On Monday following the first day of OTAs, Barmore discussed his goals for the upcoming season and he laid out one simple one.
“What I want to work on? Finish the quarterback, really,” he said, transcribed by Pats Pulpit. “That’s really my thing right there. Finish really that. And better footwork. That’s it, finishing.”
Barmore and Matthew Judon were nearly an unstoppable force and most of the season, especially early on. In a lot of scenarios, Barmore would draw a double team and Judon would have an open lane to the quarterback. Judon finished with a career year after recording 12.5 sacks.
The Patriots’ defense looks a little different this season, especially with the loss of J.C Jackson. But, Barmore still feels good about the group the Patriots have and he’s excited to get back on the field in 2022.
I feel really good, really comfortable with the defensive team,” Barmore said. “Really excited to be back. I cannot wait to play real football again.”
He played in all 17 games last season and he will undoubtedly be a huge component of the defense for years to come.
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2022-05-30T15:49:21Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Christian Barmore’s goal in 2022 with Patriots is to ‘finish the quarterback’
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https://sports.yahoo.com/christian-barmore-goal-2022-patriots-152925208.html?src=rss
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Speculation over the future of the Seattle Seahawks has been rife in recent weeks and not just in regards to the product on the field.
With reports floating around that the team could be sold, a few potential buyers could be in the market. However, it seems that a certain former Seahawk wishes to be involved in the process.
Kam Chancellor is one of the most beloved players in franchise history and one of the greatest strong safeties to ever lace them up. However, the idea of him currently being the sole owner of an NFL team is a pipe dream because he is not a billionaire, even though he has no financial concerns and will not for a long time, having made tens of millions as a player with the Seahawks.
It would be intriguing to see Chancellor involved in team operations in some capacity and it is pleasing to see that he cares about the organization’s long-term stability and is willing to put himself in a position to achieve it.
The future of team ownership is up in the air for now and things could be settled very soon, so we will just have to wait and see.
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2022-05-30T15:50:05Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Kam Chancellor interested in buying Seahawks: ‘Let’s make some history’
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https://sports.yahoo.com/kam-chancellor-interested-buying-seahawks-111059872.html?src=rss
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The Baltimore Ravens have many talented players on their current roster as they gear up for the 2022 season. They did a phenomenal job of adding new talent and retaining key players, which should make for a bounce-back year.
When listing out each NFL team’s top-three players, Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus had quite the list to choose from when it came to Baltimore. However, he settled on quarterback Lamar Jackson, tight end Mark Andrews and cornerback Marlon Humphrey as his three selections, talking about the how Jackson could have a much better 2022 than what he showed in 2021.
“Injuries decimated Baltimore’s roster in 2021, and they limited Jackson at quarterback for the first time in his career. Jackson’s 70.2 PFF grade last season was his lowest since his rookie season in 2018, but he remains one of the most talented quarterbacks in the league and should bounce back in 2022”
Linsey also discussed Humphrey and Andrews, saying that Humphrey could bounce back after a down 2021 season, while Andrews had no such year.
“Humphrey also had a down season last year, most notably allowing 227 passing yards into his coverage in a Week 5 matchup against Ja’Marr Chase and the Cincinnati Bengals. However, he still profiles as one of the top cornerbacks in the league who is capable of delivering above-average play in the slot or outside…Andrews had no such down year, as he dropped just three of 149 targets and was PFF’s highest-graded tight end in 2021.”
Linsey also considered safety Marcus Williams, but the three players he ended up listing are the right ones. Jackson is the heart and soul of the team, while Andrews and Humphrey are key cogs in Baltimore’s offense and defense.
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2022-05-30T15:50:11Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Pro Football Focus names Ravens’ top-three players entering 2022 season
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https://sports.yahoo.com/pro-football-focus-names-ravens-035942757.html?src=rss
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Steelers writer Mark Kaboly has already put it out there that Johnson is unhappy that he doesn’t have a contract extension yet. Johnson is heading into the final year of his rookie contract and doesn’t want to go into the 2022 regular season without that financial security.
But several factors don’t really work in his favor. One is the market. A single big season doesn’t get you the kind of money we’ve seen free-agent wide receivers get this offseason. Not with the Steelers, anyway. Johnson was very good in 2021 with 107 catches for 1,161 yards. But it’s no reach to assume his perception of his value within the wide receiver market is very different from that of the Pittsburgh front office.
The other big factor is the roster. Pittsburgh had multiple needs at wide receiver and was aggressive in filling them via the NFL draft. George Pickens is already impressing at OTAs and Calvin Austin is an amazing athlete with game-breaking speed. Every day that Johnson isn’t working out with his new quarterbacks on this new offense, he’s losing ground to these talented youngsters.
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2022-05-30T15:50:24Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Steelers WR Diontae Johnson only hurting himself missing OTAs
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https://sports.yahoo.com/steelers-wr-diontae-johnson-only-145457814.html?src=rss
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Lester Piggott with Queen Elizabeth II at the unveiling of a statue of the nine-time Derby winning jockey at Epsom in 2019 (AFP/GLYN KIRK) (GLYN KIRK)
Lester Piggott who died on Sunday aged 86 is widely regarded as one of the greatest ever jockeys and certainly the greatest to be a guest at Her Majesty's Pleasure.
- Will to win -
Report: Gladney, former Vikings 1st rounder and Cardinals CB, dead at 25
Warriors culture is special, and Kevon Looney broke down why.
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2022-05-30T19:51:49Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Piggott - The 'Long Fellow' who felt the long arm of the law
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https://sports.yahoo.com/piggott-long-fellow-felt-long-105756034.html?src=rss
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Aaron Glenn will be an NFL coach sooner than later. To that end, the Lions bright defensive coordinator was one of the prominent participants in the NFL’s Accelerator Program.
Held at the recent NFL meetings in Atlanta, the Accelerator Program is designed to help minority coaching and GM candidates to get better exposure and experience to help land the jobs they’re interviewing for. Glenn interviewed with the Broncos and Saints for their head coaching vacancies this offseason and is seen as a rising star in the coaching ranks.
He shared insight on his experience in the program with NBC’s Peter King, who graciously shared a few quotes from his conversation with the 49-year-old Glenn.
From King’s Football Morning in America,
“First night, we had a cocktail hour, which was unbelievable. [Atlanta owner] Arthur Blank, [Cleveland’s] Jimmy Haslam, [the Jets’] Woody Johnson, Steven Jones [of the Cowboys], [Buffalo’s Terry] Mr. Pegula. I not only talked to them, but exchanged personal phone numbers. I told my wife, ‘My phone is worth a trillion dollars now.’ Those conversations didn’t have a lot to do with football. Who am I as a person. Who are they as people.
Glenn addressed his status as an aspiring head coach during Lions OTAs last week with an earnest admission.
“I think I have the best job in the world. I really do,” Glenn said last week. “Man, I think I’m working for an outstanding head coach. I’m working for an outstanding owner. Outstanding president. Really good people in the building to work with. My main deal right now, I want to be the best coordinator Detroit has ever had. I’m going to stand by that and continue to say it because I really believe that in my heart. If the head coaching deal happens. It happens. But for right now? I think I have an outstanding job. I really do.”
If Glenn’s coaching helps Detroit’s revitalized defensive roster improve from the depths of the NFL rankings, he won’t need to be in the second edition of the Accelerator Program.
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2022-05-31T01:41:18Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Aaron Glenn offers insight on his experience in the NFL’s Accelerator Program
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https://sports.yahoo.com/aaron-glenn-offers-insight-experience-235847030.html?src=rss
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It’s out with the old and in with the new for a Minnesota Vikings team that has barely scratched the surface of their true capabilities. But the team is definitely grinding and scratching right now under the tutelage of first-year head coach Kevin O’Connell.
Veteran wideout Adam Thielen would be the first to attest to it.
There was already an elevated level of excitement when it was announced that the former offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl-winning Los Angeles Rams had landed the job in Minnesota. And yet, that excitement has grown ever since the team threw on the cleats and started running plays on the practice field.
When speaking with FOX 9 Sports Now, Thielen admitted to feeling a sense of rejuvenation with this year’s team.
The ninth-year receiver said, “When you hear about the news [O’Connell being named head coach], you kind of look back at the track record and you look back at what [the Rams] did, and you’re excited, right? But then you get in here, you start learning the system and you start getting on the field—really, when you get on the field and you start running through stuff, you’re like man, this is fun. This is exciting.
“When I talk about a breath of fresh air and kind of rejuvenation, it’s because when you get out here, it’s like stuff makes sense and it’s exciting.”
The Rams felt a sense of rejuvenation as well when a relatively unknown and young offensive coordinator took over as the head coach back in 2017.
That coach was Sean McVay, who went on to lead the team to four playoff appearances, two NFC Championships and one Super Bowl.
And now, the Vikings have a young, up-and-coming offensive guru from the same coaching tree to lead them into the future. It’s a major shift in direction for a team that hasn’t sniffed the postseason in the last three years.
They’re now looking towards the winds of change to hopefully break that cycle.
Entering 10th season, Adam Thielen still living a dream
Adam Thielen has come a long way since his tryout with the Vikings in 2013, but he’s still enjoying every moment of his NFL dream come true.
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2022-05-31T01:41:24Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Adam Thielen feels sense of ‘rejuvenation’ under Kevin O’Connell
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https://sports.yahoo.com/adam-thielen-feels-sense-rejuvenation-163832666.html?src=rss
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If not for the Tennessee Titans’ defense taking a monumental leap forward in 2021, it’s difficult to imagine head coach Mike Vrabel’s team clinching the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
In the COVID-19-impacted 2020 season, the Titans finished with the 24th-best defense. Led by the second-best rushing defense in 2021, Shane Bowen’s group jumped to sixth-best in the league.
Individually, the Titans saw a few players post All-Pro numbers.
Harold Landry tallied a career-best 12 sacks and 22 quarterback hits, Kevin Byard collected five interceptions and 13 passes defended, and Jeffery Simmons became a household name along the defensive line, tallying 8.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss.
With nearly everyone returning on defense in 2022, the Titans’ unit figures to finish in the top-10 again. However, not everyone is on board with that notion.
According to CBS’s Jared Dubin, the Titans are ‘somewhat unlikely’ to have a top-10 defense in 2022.
“Tennessee had an above-average defense last season but there’s just not enough high-level talent aside from Jeffery Simmons and Kevin Byard for us to see them crashing the top 10.”
Aside from Byard, Landry and Simmons, the Titans had a number of invaluable contributors last year.
Denico Autry, recently dubbed as the most underappreciated player on the roster, quietly finished with the second-most sacks (nine) on the Titans, and David Long and Zach Cunningham re-shaped the inside linebacker group.
With Landry and Bud Dupree flanking the outside, the Titans’ front seven figures to once again be a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks.
Amani Hooker, who tallied a key interception in the postseason, and Byard are viewed as one of the best safety duos in the National Football League.
If the Titans have a hole on defense, it’s their No. 2 corner back spot opposite Kristian Fulton, who was a stud in his second season.
The job was recently vacated by the release of Janoris Jenkins. Caleb Farley, who continues to work back from ACL surgery, will likely have a loose grip on the job and could have 2022 second-round pick Roger McCreary breathing down his neck.
Health will again play a key role, but its difficult to imagine this defense not being a top-10 unit.
No. 1 Tennessee baseball will face No. 4 Alabama State in the opening game of the Knoxville Regional on Friday.
“Knoxville” is based on James Agee’s “A Death in the Family,” and was created by Tony Award winners Frank Galati, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty.
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2022-05-31T01:43:02Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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CBS Sports: Titans ‘somewhat unlikely’ to finish with top-10 defense in 2022
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A year ago it would have been easy to name the three best players on the Kansas City Chiefs roster.
Pro Football Focus recently picked every team’s top three players heading into 2022. Last season, PFF could name the trio of Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill without blinking. This time around, Mahomes and Kelce make the list, but with Hill traded to the Miami Dolphins, they opted to go a different route. The player that completes the trio for Kansas City comes on the defensive side of the ball, with PFF choosing Chris Jones and for good reason.
Here is a look at what they had to say about their choices:
It’s tough to argue against Mahomes, Kelce and Jones being the trio for the time being. Clark hasn’t been productive outside of his performances in the playoffs. PFF noted that Joe Thuney and Creed Humphrey were also considered, but offensive linemen rarely get the credit they deserve unless they’re truly exceptional. Some other defenders like L’Jarius Sneed, Juan Thornhill and Nick Bolton are simply too young and unproven to make this list.
That said, I wouldn’t be shocked to see this change during the 2022 NFL season. The Chiefs lost a lot of star power in Hill and Tyrann Mathieu this offseason, but they also added a ton of new blood through free agency, trade and the 2022 NFL draft. It’s entirely possible that a rookie could make a push for this top three, especially if a receiver, cornerback or pass-rusher sees a breakout year.
It’s going to be tough for anyone to top any of Mahomes, Kelce and Jones, but the opportunity is there for a young star to arise in Kansas City.
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2022-05-31T01:43:09Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Who are the Chiefs’ three best players entering 2022?
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NFL Network’s Cynthia Frelund examined the most underrated players on each NFC roster. For the Bears, it’s running back David Montgomery, who’s established himself as a key member of Chicago’s offense.
In three years with Chicago, Montgomery has 714 rushes for 2,808 yards (3.9 yards per carry) and 21 touchdowns. Last year, he had 225 rushes for 849 yards (3.8 YPC) and seven scores — and that included being sidelined four games with a knee injury.
Frelund points to the offensive line, which lost a couple of key starters, as one of the biggest X-factors in Montgomery’s success in 2022
I wish the Bears had addressed their O-line in a way I better understood as an outsider this offseason. After finishing the 2021 season with PFF’s 22nd-ranked unit, Chicago let starters James Daniels and Jason Peters walk, replacing them with journeymen Julie’n Davenport and Dakota Dozier. I will be watching this situation closely to help forecast Montgomery’s fantasy value.
However, his real-world value is in part shown by computer vision metrics that indicate how much contact a back deals with. Not only was Montgomery contacted before getting to top speed at the third-highest rate last season, but he also faced multiple hits on the fifth-highest percentage of rushes and runs after the catch. And yet, he managed to haul in 82.4 percent of the passes thrown to him in 2021 (with a catch rate of 78.6 percent for his career). In other words, if the O-line can step up, Montgomery could soar.
Montgomery is entering a contract year, where he’ll be looking to prove himself to Chicago or his next team. But he’s not concerned about next year. He’s focused on getting better now, and that’s something that’s already stood out to his new coaching staff.
“The thing I like about David is he doesn’t feel like he’s arrived yet,” said running backs coach David Walker. “Some of the guys that have been in the league for a while think they have arrived. He’s trying to learn. I believe I’m coach three in four seasons for him, so he’s had to really learn every offseason something different and new. He’s doing a good job with it. I really like his makeup in terms of wanting to get better, pushing himself to get better. He has high standards, and we are going to do everything we can to reach those standards on a daily basis.”
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2022-05-31T01:43:40Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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David Montgomery named Bears’ most underrated player
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Trevor Lawrence had a tumultuous rookie season with the Jacksonville Jaguars last season, but with the team’s 2021 struggles in the rearview mirror, Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke believes the best is yet to come for Lawrence.
Baalke drafted Lawrence No. 1 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, and through the first set of organized team activities, he has seen Lawrence’s personal growth from his first year in the league.
“He’s just more confident,” Baalke said on the O-Zone Podcast. “You know, he’s carrying himself with more confidence. He’s delivering the ball quicker. He’s continuing to do that. I’ve seen that through the course of the offseason, getting the ball out of his hands, being more decisive.”
For Lawrence, he has seen the entire team progress from last year’s 3-14 squad that dealt with former head coach Urban Meyer being fired after 13 games.
“Offensively and defensively, in my eyes, I think it’s night and day [compared to] where we were last year,” Lawrence said. “I’m just excited to keep working and keep building on that because I really think we got something going right now.”
In his first season in the NFL, Lawrence completed 59.6% of his passes for 3,641 yards, 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. With the addition of Doug Pederson as his new head coach and the return of running back Travis Etienne, Lawrence is set up for a much-improved sophomore campaign.
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2022-05-31T01:44:19Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Jaguars GM pleased with Trevor Lawrence’s second-year jump
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https://sports.yahoo.com/jaguars-gm-pleased-trevor-lawrence-165122010.html?src=rss
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Former Minnesota Vikings cornerback Jeff Gladney has reportedly died at the age of 25.
The former TCU standout was drafted by the Vikings with the No. 31 overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. However, it was a short-lived stay as the team ultimately released him in 2021.
He was slated to return to the football field with the Arizona Cardinals after signing a two-year deal with the team in free agency back in March. There were videos surfacing of him getting back on the practice field and preparing to finally contribute to an NFL team after a season layoff.
Tragically, news of his passing hit social media on Monday with people beginning to respond through posts, including Gladney’s former college teammate and Philadelphia Eagles receiver Jalen Reagor.
Details are unavailable at this time regarding Gladney’s passing.
As always, the situation right now is more about respecting the family of a young man that lost his life far too soon.
Jeff Gladney, Arizona Cardinals cornerback and former Minnesota Vikings first-round pick, died in a car accident Monday morning in Dallas, TX, his agent confirmed to media outlets. He was 25. Gladney was a four-year starter at Texas Christian University and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round with the 31st overall pick. […]
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2022-05-31T01:44:25Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Jeff Gladney, former Vikings CB, dead at 25
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https://sports.yahoo.com/jeff-gladney-former-vikings-cb-182109949.html?src=rss
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Jordan Berry will have a new number and new competition when entering the 2022 season as the presumed starting punter for the Minnesota Vikings.
However, the veteran special-teamer knows better. He has been around long enough to figure out that nothing is ever guaranteed in the NFL. The line between a starting punter and an unsigned free agent is very thin.
It doesn’t help matters that he’s 31 years old and right in the middle of a regime shift. Throw in the fact that the Vikings just signed rookie free agent Ryan Wright to a deal and things are sure to get interesting throughout training camp.
“You’ve got new coaches and they didn’t really know me, so that’s obviously going to be part of it,” said Berry, when speaking with the Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson. “But the other part is I probably wasn’t the most consistent compared to what I want to be.
“I had like a decent year, but there’s definitely room to improve always and obviously once you get in the 30s, you could start slacking off, too. Some guys drop off pretty quick when they get older, so they’ve got to cover their bases. But I’m feeling pretty confident in myself.”
Assuming Berry ends up with the job, a brand new No. 16 jersey is awaiting him after he gave up No. 3 to Vikings cornerback Cameron Dantzler, who was looking to return to his college roots at Mississippi State.
But the competition will be stiff.
Wright averaged 47.5 yards per punt at Tulane last season, while Berry averaged 46.5 yards with the Vikings. Special teams coordinator Matt Daniels has made it abundantly clear that this is a legitimate competition.
And the same goes for veteran kicker Greg Joseph and incoming rookie Gabe Brkic. These aren’t just camp bodies to fill up space on the roster. Like Joseph, Berry’s contract could be in jeopardy if he gets beat out on the practice field by his younger counterpart.
But experience also matters in these competitions, and there is a wide gap when it comes to punting at the highest level. Berry will lean on that edge in hopes of carving out a spot of his own on the new-look Vikings’ roster.
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2022-05-31T01:44:31Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Jordan Berry knows his spot on roster is far from guaranteed
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https://sports.yahoo.com/jordan-berry-knows-spot-roster-174601784.html?src=rss
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The 2022 NFL draft gave all 32 teams a chance to reload their rosters in the hope of pursuing the Super Bowl in the upcoming season, but which teams actually put themselves at the top of the heap?
The Los Angeles Rams took home the Lombardi Trophy last season, but didn’t have a single pick among the top 100 selections in this year’s draft, due to previous trades that helped them win the title.
Will that leave the top spot up for grabs heading into the 2022 season?
Here are the latest NFL power rankings following this year’s draft, courtesy of Peter King at NBC Sports:
(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Rams shut out of PFF’s top players under 25, but they still have plenty of young talent
Pro Football Focus didn't pick a single Ram on its list of the best 25 players under 25, but that doesn't mean LA is without young talent
CBS Sports: Bills ‘near lock’ to have top defense in 2022
CBS Sports: #Bills 'near lock' to have top defense in 2022
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2022-05-31T01:45:03Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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NFL power rankings: Who lands at No. 1 after the 2022 draft?
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So long as the Houston Texans possess twin first-round picks through the 2024 NFL draft, and the team is still missing the playoffs, it will always be draft season.
According to Mark Schofield from the Touchdown Wire, who released a patented “way too early” 2023 mock draft, the Texans use their two Round 1 picks to address their passing game.
Giving up on the Davis Mills era, Houston goes with Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud with the No. 1 overall pick.
If the Texans’ own pick in the first round — they have two thanks to the trade with the Cleveland Browns — has them atop the board, then quarterback is likely on the to-do list. This will certainly be a fascinating draft class to study, but from where I sit, C.J. Stroud from Ohio State enters the 2022 campaign in the driver’s seat.
For Houston to take Stroud, he would have to prove himself as the absolute best signal caller in the 2023 class. Furthermore the Texans would have to be the worst team in the NFL throughout the 2022 season. Of course, Schofield’s mock doesn’t provide for the Texans trading future picks to move up to No. 1 overall, but that could also be a possibility.
The Browns somehow finish well enough in 2022 to have their pick achieve No. 20 overall, which the Texans use to select Oklahoma receiver Marvin Mims.
As a true freshman in 2020, Marvin Mims caught 37 passes for 610 yards and nine touchdowns. Last season, Mims caught 32 passes for 705 yards and five scores. Despite the departure of Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams to USC, Mims remained with the Sooners and will catch passes from Dillon Gabriel in the fall. With a huge campaign next season, Mims will put himself into the first-round mix.
If the Texans are using a first-round pick on a receiver, it means either Brandin Cooks is gone or the club has given up on Nico Collins. Otherwise the Texans have a pretty stable trio in Cooks, Collins, and 2022 second-rounder John Metchie.
Alabama edge defender Will Anderson, who could end up being the best player in the draft, goes No. 2 overall to the Atlanta Falcons. If the Texans can solve quarterback and get in the Anderson sweepstakes, it will provide an effective upgrade along the edge once Jonathan Greenard’s contract expires at the end of the 2023 campaign.
D.J. Debick has been with the Patriots since 2016 and was the longest-tenured area scout with the team.
Buccaneers wide receiver Travis Jonsen was arrested early this morning for driving under the influence. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports that Jonsen was arrested by Tampa Police at 3:18 a.m. Jonsen refused a blood-alcohol test and was booked at 4:56 a.m., and he remains in jail on a $500 bond. Although he [more]
This would be good news for Auburn.
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2022-05-31T01:45:35Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Texans pick QB-WR combo in Round 1 in way too early 2023 NFL draft mock
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https://sports.yahoo.com/texans-pick-qb-wr-combo-164238133.html?src=rss
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RB David Montgomery has been one of the most reliable players on the Bears roster since his arrival in 2019.
The Panthers topple NESCAC rival Tuts 13-5 on Sunday to claim the program's third title in seven years and fourth overall.
Andy Murray has opened the door to a potential dream all-British mixed doubles partnership at Wimbledon with Emma Raducanu - and revealed they almost teamed up last year. Murray and Raducanu are the only British players to have won major singles titles in the last 45 years and a doubles pairing would prove hugely popular with the home crowd.
The Cubs are promoting Crow-Armstrong from low-A Myrtle Beach after his torrid run at the plate to start the season.
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2022-05-31T01:45:41Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Why Trevis Gipson could be Bears' X-factor on defense in 2022
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https://sports.yahoo.com/why-trevis-gipson-could-bears-163000326.html?src=rss
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College basketball player (2020–202_) Cincinnati
LSU sophomore Tari Eason was among the draft-eligible prospects that worked out with the Charlotte Hornets over the weekend, the team announced.
Eason was named the SEC Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 16.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals, 1.1 blocks and one assist in 33 games. He recorded four games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, the most by a Tigers player since 2015.
The 6-foot-8 forward emerged as a tremendous defensive player this season, ranking fourth in the country in defensive rating (83.2) and fifth in defensive box plus-minus (5.7). He was one of 10 players named as a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award.
In addition to Eason, the Hornets also hosted UT-Arlington center Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu, Gonzaga guard Rasir Bolton, NC State guard Terquavion Smith, SMU forward Marcus Weathers and UConn forward Isaiah Whaley for workouts.
Charlotte enters the draft with the 13th and 15th selection in the first round and the 45th pick in the second round, respectively. Of the players brought in, Eason and Smith are most commonly projected to be drafted in the first round.
Rumor: Arkansas' Jaylin Williams has received draft promise
Beauchamp of the NBA G League Ignite will reportedly be among the prospects to work out with the Hawks on Tuesday.
Road to NBA Finals return wasn't always smooth for Joe Lacob, Warriors
Through the ups and downs of the regular season, the Warriors remarkably are back in the NBA Finals, which has to be considered a massive success for the organization regardless of the outcome.
This episode, we take stock of how Boston put themselves in a position to compete for Banner 18.
New Lakers head coach Darvin Ham made an outstanding impression on the team.
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2022-05-31T06:07:06Z
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Hornets hosted Tari Eason, others for pre-draft workout
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https://sports.yahoo.com/hornets-hosted-tari-eason-others-022536876.html?src=rss
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Marco Wilson
The Arizona Cardinals signed former first-round pick Jeff Gladney to play a prominent role at cornerback in 2022. His tragic death in a car accident in Texas leaves a void they will need to fill before the season.
As of now, the starting cornerbacks will be Byron Murphy, Marco Wilson and Antonio Hamilton.
They are likely to address the cornerback position with available free agents.
Who are possible fits?
Robert Alford
Alford makes the most sense because he knows the defense. However, he is going to be 34 years old and is coming off another injury. When he was healthy, he was their best cornerback last season.
Gladney was basically a younger version of Alford. Signing the original makes sense.
Jackrabbit Jenkins
Jenkins played for the Titans last season and will also be 34 this coming season. He has been a starter for a long time.
Waynes played only five games over the last two seasons for the Bengals. He is 6-0 and 190 and is another former first-round pick of the Vikings.
King is extremely talented and has length at 6-3 and 200 lbs, and he is only 27 years old. However, in five seasons with the Green Bay Packers, he appeared in only 51 games. Injuries were an issue.
Haden is 33 years old and missed five games last season, but he is a three-time Pro Bowler.
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2022-05-31T09:55:34Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Options for the Cardinals at cornerback after tragic death
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Pro Football Focus recently compiled a list of three players who they thought were the best from every NFL team, and there were several interesting names on it when looking around the league. The trio that was listed especially was interesting for the Jags because they shockingly listed two players on offense and just one on defense.
Those players were quarterback Trevor Lawrence, guard Brandon Scherff, and edge-rusher Josh Allen. Bill Linsey, who made the list, also had cornerback Shaquill Griffin and Christian Kirk down for honorable mentions while providing the following insight on how he came up with a Jags trio:
Of the three, the most shocking listing is Lawrence, but fans certainly won’t complain about him being listed. Of course, after watching his rookie season it made sense for PFF to base his listing on what they saw at Clemson where Lawrence was clearly the top signal-caller of his class.
With new coach Doug Pederson now in the building, many are much more confident that Lawrence can move away from the lackluster rookie season he had after completing 59.6% (359-of-602) of his passes for 3,641 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 17 picks. However, there were certainly bright spots to build on despite former head coach Urban Meyer being a major issue off the field and Pederson undoubtedly can take advantage of those moments.
As for Allen, he often found himself earning some of the Jags’ best grades week in and week out, so by PFF’s account, he’s becoming a consistent player. He ultimately finished the season with a 78.5 overall grade and the addition of Travon Walker should only help him.
As for Scherff, he’s been even more consistent than Allen. The key for him will be health, though, as he’s only played in 13 games once in the last four seasons.
Kennedy Chandler is projected on most most drafts to be selected around the time the Memphis Grizzlies are on the clock in the 2022 NBA Draft.
The Cardinals have a need at cornerback again. Here are some options to fill that void.
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2022-05-31T09:55:40Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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PFF lists Jags’ top-3 players heading into 2022
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The Baltimore Ravens selected outside linebacker Odafe Oweh with the No. 31 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. He had a solid rookie season, coming out of the gate strong and playing well, but he ended up suffering an injury that caused him to miss the final two games of the 2021 season.
Oweh was one of the Baltimore players to speak to the media following the team’s second day of voluntary organized team activities. The former Penn State University star was asked about how he’s feeling entering his second season as opposed to his rookie year, and he talked about how he feels that he’s farther along now.
“I feel like just the knowledge of things that I didn’t know my rookie year. Things I didn’t even know I didn’t know. In the classroom, in terms of my body, being more prepared. You know I had the shoulder thing. I feel like everything else … I’m farther ahead of where I was rookie camp, [and] all that stuff. I just feel better as an athlete. And then, obviously, being a good outside linebacker, I feel good as well.”
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2022-05-31T09:55:59Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Ravens OLB Odafe Oweh shares how he’s feeling entering second season compared to rookie year
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Aaron Donald still weighing retirement, would be ‘at peace’ without football
Aaron Donald has been the best defensive player in the NFL for most of his career. He’s accomplished everything a player could possibly hope to in eight years: winning Defensive Player of the Year three times, being named an All-Pro seven years in a row, winning a Super Bowl and leading the league in sacks once.
Those accomplishments are exactly why he’d be fine with retiring after “only” eight seasons and still in the prime of his career. After winning Super Bowl LVI, Donald checked that last box on his resume and is already a future first-ballot Hall of Famer.
That puts the Rams in a tough situation because Donald wants a new contract, and if he doesn’t get the raise he deserves, he’ll simply walk away from the game and spend more time with his family.
“It ain’t about the money. It’s a business at the end of the day,” Donald said on the “I Am Athlete” podcast. “That’s what you’ve got to see. For me, it’s about winning. I don’t want to play football if I can’t win anyway, so I feel like if I got a real opportunity to win another Super Bowl, then it makes sense to play. But again, it’s still a business. We’ve got to handle the business side of things, and if that wasn’t to get handled then, you know, ‘it is what it is’ type of situation. I’ll be fine regardless.”
Donald clarified that he didn’t just suddenly bring up retirement talk around the time of the Super Bowl when Rodney Harrison told the world that Donald might walk away if the Rams win it all. He came into the NFL expecting to play eight years and then be done. He’s played his eight years and now he’s thinking about sticking to that plan by walking away from the game.
“But me talking about retirement, that was happening way before we won a Super Bowl,” he continued. “I’ve been saying that since I got into the league: I was going to play eight years and be done. That’s just what I’ve been saying. It just came out and then everybody think that, ‘Oh, he said if he wins a Super Bowl, he’s going to retire.’ Nah, I got teammates, coaches, my family know about this. I said ‘I’m going to play eight years and I’m going to probably be done playing football.’ But winning a Super Bowl you get kind of a little addicted to it. I want to feel that again. I ain’t going to lie. That experience is like none other. If I was to play, it’s just to win another Super Bowl, but at the end of the day, it’s still a business and it got to make sense to me and my family.”
Donald is as competitive as anyone in the NFL, and he wants to win another Super Bowl. But he doesn’t need to win another one, just like he doesn’t need to play football to be happy.
On the bright side, Donald feels like the contract situation is probably going to be resolved, which is a sign that he’ll likely be back on the field in 2022. But as of now, it seems like there’s no chance he’s going to continue playing on his current deal, which will pay him $14.25 million this coming season.
The Rams will be in big trouble if Donald doesn’t return, leaving a gaping hole in the middle of their defensive line. And that’s exactly why they should figure out a way to give him a new contract to ensure he keeps sacking quarterbacks and blowing up running backs.
NBC’s newest piece of camera equipment doesn’t go inside golfers’ heads, but it gets about as close as you can. Created by startup Headvantage, the miniature lens sits underneath a competitor’s cap, filming the action from their point of view. At the same time, the kit tracks the wearer’s eyes, identifying exactly where they’re looking. […]
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2022-05-31T16:54:34Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Aaron Donald still weighing retirement, would be ‘at peace’ without football
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The Indianapolis Colts used the No. 77 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft to select offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann in hopes he can compete for the starting left tackle spot during training camp.
Raimann signed his four-year rookie deal with the team before the start of OTAs. Now, we have the details of that contract via Spotrac.
The four-year rookie deal is worth $5,301,962 and includes a $1,035,972 signing bonus, all of which is guaranteed at signing.
Raimann will carry base salaries of $705,000 (2022), $945,998 (2023), $1,186,997 (2024) and $1,427,995 (2025).
It will be interesting to see how the battle at left tackle goes for Raimann as he competes with veterans Matt Pryor and Danny Kelly during OTAs and training camp.
We may be a bit too far away to predict his role, but we know there is a world where he’s the starting left tackle in Week 1 if his showings at training camp and the preseason are strong enough.
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2022-05-31T16:54:40Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Bernhard Raimann contract details revealed
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Oddsmakers continue to underestimate Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid.
The Chiefs haven’t been held in high regard this offseason. Between the team’s grinder of a schedule and decision to trade star WR Tyreek Hill, many believe Kansas City is due for a down year.
Since he arrived in 2013, Reid has been the one constant for the Chiefs. He has inspired the team’s winning culture and he’s never looked back. In his nine seasons in Kansas City, Reid has never had a losing season. It’s currently the longest active streak in the NFL. Should Reid accomplish another winning season in 2022, his Chiefs will enter the top-5 in NFL history in terms of consecutive winning seasons.
Yet, despite Reid’s track record, oddsmakers still rank him in the bottom half of the league in terms of NFL’s Coach of the Year odds. According to Tipico Sportsbook, a total of 19 head coaches have better odds to be named the NFL’s Coach of the Year in 2022 over Reid.
Chargers HC Brendan Staley is the favorite alongside Giants HC Brian Daboll with +1300 odds. Reid has +3000 odds alongside coaches like Ron Rivera, Kliff Kingsbury, Robert Salah and Dennis Allen.
In his history as an NFL head coach, Reid has only ever won the Coach of the Year award once. That came in 2002 with the Philadelphia Eagles, when he led the team to a 12-4 record and the NFC Championship Game.
When you look back at the recent history of this award, the Associated Press usually tends to give it to the most impressive newcomer. Sean McVay (2017), Matt Nagy (2018) and Kevin Stefanski (2020) all are proof of that. Still, there are also examples of veteran head coaches winning the award because they had their teams performing at a high level against all odds. John Harbaugh (2019) and most recently Mike Vrabel (2021) for instance.
Should the Chiefs have a steadier time than expected this season, Reid’s odds should improve substantially.
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2022-05-31T16:55:18Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Chiefs HC Andy Reid underdog in 2022 NFL Coach of the Year odds
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For now, anyway, the front office is paying Schultz like a Top-5 tight end. And one national outlet now says he’s playing pretty darn close to that level.
Pro Football Focus has released its rankings for the best tight ends in the game, and the 25-year-old Stanford product comes in at No. 8. That’s good enough to place him in the second tier at the position, a grouping described as “having Tier 1 capabilities, but either lack consistency or have slipped.”
The only other tight end in the same tier? Rob Gronkowski, at No. 7. (You don’t need a secret decoder ring to figure out which of the two has “slipped” and which one is still looking to prove consistency.)
Of the 2018 fourth-round draft pick, PFF says:
“Schultz was a bit of a surprise breakout in 2021, considering the Cowboys utilized him solely as a blocker in his first two NFL seasons and he was underwhelming when being integrated into the passing game in 2020. The 2018 fourth-round pick took his 63.8 receiving grade in 2020 to 77.4 in 2021, and while he isn’t going to shred single coverage like some of the Tier 1 guys, he can work soft spots against zone coverage and possesses strong hands. He finished top six last year in both drop rate (3.4%) and contested catch rate (63.2%, 12-of-19).”
His numbers last season had Schultz finishing third among tight ends in receptions and sixth in receiving yards.
More than most other positions, consistency counts for a tight end. That may be even more true in Dallas than other places, given a Cowboys’ history marked with long-tenured names like Billy Joe DuPree, Doug Cosbie, Jay Novacek, and Jason Witten.
That is not to say that Schultz has put himself in the class of those all-time greats quite yet. But his 2021 numbers- career highs in catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns- indicate he’s definitely on the upswing. And the Cowboys’ propensity for utilizing double-tight ends makes him even more valuable now that Blake Jarwin is gone.
Behind him, there’s Sean McKeon, Jeremy Sprinkle, and Ian Bunting. And two rookies: a draft pick and an undrafted free agent.
Franchise tag or not, Schultz is worth retaining, for at least one more season.
The Cowboys have until July 15 to negotiate a new contract with Schultz to lock him in for even longer (and make a big financial hit more palatable).
For what it’s worth, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News suggests that there doesn’t seem to be any urgency from the front office in getting it done.
If it doesn’t happen and the franchise tag sticks, the Utah native will, at the least, play out this season in Dallas as a very well-paid tight end.
The rankings say he’s worth it.
Cowboys News: Lamb's monster potential in '22, Schultz's extension chances
Revolving Door or Door Stop? Wisconsin's Jake Ferguson fits mold of Cowboys TE approach
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2022-05-31T16:55:31Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Cowboys’ Dalton Schultz makes Top 10 in PFF’s tight end rankings
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Every year NFL teams find “gems” in the draft. Those are players that get overlooked during the weekend of the NFL draft and either go undrafted or get selected later than expected and go on to have solid pro careers.
In a recent piece in Bleacher Report, Ian Wharton lists each team’s potential “gem” in this year’s rookie class. For the New York Giants, it’s fourth-round tight end Daniel Bellinger, selected 112th overall out of San Diego State.
Bellinger could be the rare rookie tight end who puts up solid numbers if he’s featured enough. At 6’5″, 253 pounds, Bellinger is a big target for quarterback Daniel Jones to hit up the seams. Despite producing only 68 career catches for 771 yards and five scores at San Diego State, Bellinger showed strong hands and great post-catch effort. He opened eyes with his 4.63-second 40-yard dash at the combine.
Wharton points out that new head coach Brian Daboll got the most out of Dawson Knox during his time as the offensive coordinator in Buffalo and could use Bellinger in a similar role as a “potential difference-maker.”
Knox had a breakout season in 2021 with 49 receptions for 587 yards and nine touchdowns.
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2022-05-31T16:55:43Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Daniel Bellinger named potential Giants ‘rookie gem’
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Bill Belichick began his NFL coaching career in 1975 with the Baltimore Colts.
If he sticks around for a few more seasons, Belichick will have 50 years in the league under his belt — which is simply incredible. The New England Patriots head coach quickly shut down speculation of retirement at the end of last year and he’s fully present for the 2022 season, despite the turnover in the front office and coaching staff.
Belichick is ready to do his job and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
In a column published by ESPN’s Mike Reiss, longtime safety discussed Belichick’s longevity.
“I’ve always said, when people ask me what’s Bill like, that he’s the model of consistency,” McCourty said. “Showing up to your job every day, having the same attitude, the same messaging, and being able to do that over and over again is hard.
“He continues to come in here, Day 1 of OTAs, for however many years it is, and it’s the same intensity.”
Belichick carried that intensity two seasons ago following the loss of Tom Brady, even though the Patriots missed the playoffs. He maintained it last season with a rookie quarterback, and that team was red-hot midseason and made the playoffs.
It truly does come down to fundamentals and repetition.
“It’s fundamentals, doing the right things, the small things over and over again. He never slips up on that,” McCourty continued. “This being my 13th year, I’ve seen that over and over again. It’s hard to replicate, but I think getting an opportunity to play for him as a player has made me a better player.”
The Patriots have a lot of new pieces on the roster and in the staff and Belichick will do what he always does — put them all together.
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2022-05-31T16:55:50Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Devin McCourty says Bill Belichick carries ‘same intensity’ at age 70
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Former Miami Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi had one of the more interesting football journeys in recent memory.
He was born in London before making his way to Boise State and being drafted by the Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft.
Ajayi spent just 2.5 years with the Dolphins, before being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for a conditional fourth-round pick. During his time with Miami, he rushed for 1,924 yards and nine touchdowns on 4.3 yards per attempt while recording 48 receptions for 308 yards. His 2016 performance earned him a Pro Bowl nomination.
Unfortunately, just four games into Ajayi’s first full season with the Eagles, he suffered a torn ACL. He missed the remainder of 2018 and only played in three games in 2019, the final three games of his career.
Luckily for the running back, he had taken out an insurance policy in case a serious injury were to happen. In that case, he would receive a maximum payout of $5 million after taxes.
Since he signed just a one-year contract for $805,000 in 2019 after the injury, that insurance policy was supposed to kick in. However, there have been battles that have prevented that from happening.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Ajayi’s business manager, Joshua Sanchez, has confirmed that the running back has received a settlement for his loss-of-value insurance policy. It’s unclear how much Ajayi received from the policy, but at least the fighting has finally stopped between the two sides and he can receive at least some of what he’s owed.
Butler earned the right to take the big shot. But he's not immune from criticism if he makes a poor decision in the process.
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2022-05-31T16:56:02Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Former Dolphins RB Jay Ajayi receives settlement for NFL insurance policy
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Former Eagles RB finally receives payout from insurance policy originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Nearly four years after suffering an ACL injury that pretty much ended his career, former Eagles running back Jay Ajayi finally got his insurance payout.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Tuesday morning reported that Ajayi “received a settlement for his $5 million loss-of-value insurance policy.”
Rapoport back in 2018, in the wake of Ajayi’s ACL tear that ended his 2018 season early, reported that Ajayi had purchased a loss-of-value insurance policy as he entered the final year of his rookie contract. That ended up being a wise move.
Ajayi, who had long had knee issues, tore his ACL in October of 2018, not that long after he helped the Eagles win their first-ever Super Bowl championship to cap the 2017 season.
While Ajayi rehabbed and played again in the NFL, he was never the same. In 2019, he played in just three games for the Eagles but had just 30 yards on 10 carries; he had nothing left.
While it’s unclear how much of that $5 million policy Ajayi received in the settlement, it’s worth noting that Ajayi never signed the big second contract so many NFL players yearn to get.
Ajayi was a fifth-round pick and his career earnings, according to OverTheCap, came in just under $4 million. That’s good money but it’s a fraction of the money Ajayi would have made with healthy knees. After all, Ajayi was a Pro Bowler in 2016 (he had over 1,200 yards rushing) and after he was traded to the Eagles in 2017, he averaged 5.8 yards per carry that season.
The Eagles traded for Ajayi before the deadline in 2017, shipping a 2018 fourth-round pick to Miami for the former Pro Bowler. In that stretch run of the 2017 season, Ajayi had 70 carries for 408 yards (5.8) and scored a touchdown in his first game with the Birds. In the playoffs that year, Ajayi had 184 rushing yards on 42 carries (4.4) and caught 6 passes for 70 yards.
He was the final piece added to the most unforgettable Eagles team in franchise history.
Ajayi, 28, officially retired from the NFL in January and was honored by the Eagles before their regular season finale in 2021. While he played in a total of 17 meaningful games with the Eagles, he left a mark.
Heres everything to know about the 2022 NHL conference finals in both the Eastern and Western Conferences.
CoinShares' Losses From Terra's Slide Hit $21.4M
Liquidating the digital asset firm's position was a "humbling lesson," the CEO said.
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2022-05-31T16:56:08Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Former Eagles RB Jay Ajayi finally gets settlement from insurance policy; report
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https://sports.yahoo.com/former-eagles-rb-jay-ajayi-134349116.html?src=rss
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Tyler Henry
When the New York Giants selected Kayvon Thibodeaux and Evan Neal with their two top-7 picks in the 2022 NFL draft, most were thrilled with the direction Big Blue went.
Neal, in particular, addressed an issue that has been a problem for a number of years now. The Giants’ hope is that with the core of Andrew Thomas (2020 4th overall pick) and Neal, they begin to move in the right direction and see an immediate improvement along the offensive.
Neal and Thibodeaux have been the talk around town ever since they were drafted a little over a month ago.
Last week, Tom Coughlin’s Jay Fund hosted a number of kids and their families who are dealing with childhood cancer for their Sundae Blitz event at MetLife Stadium. Among those who were in attendance were some former Giants who took time to talk with Giants Wire to talk about the event and more.
They were asked about the Giants most recent draft and if the Giants were finally heading in the right direction.
Chris Snee on Neal
“I think they’re headed in the right direction but I’ve been saying that for years, so it’s tough,” Snee said. “I like the Evan Neal pick. I thought he was the best of the bunch of the tackle group. I know there was a mixed opinion all around but I feel like he is a right tackle who can go in and play right away and sure, it won’t be perfect but you’re pretty confident in what you have on both sides at the tackle position and then you just fill in everything else.
“But yeah, I do, I like him — I think he’s big, he’s physical. I think he’s not a great athlete but a good athlete. I like his makeup and his demeanor; just the way he carries himself walking around. I want that guy who’s going to go, ‘I want to move this guy from here to there’ and you don’t see that much anymore. I could be wrong, but I like him.”
Kevin Boothe on Neal and Thibodeaux
“It was a great draft,” Boothe said. “I think it’s one of those things — I feel like a couple of months ago, I feel like if you polled everyone you would have said, ‘hey, if any team is going to end up with Evan Neal and Kayvon Thibodeaux, that would be viewed a win.’ Obviously, it’s very easy to stand back and say everything is great and obviously they have a lot of other draft picks that need to contribute, so we’ll see how it all plays out.
“I think that’s the fun thing about the NFL is that every year everyone have the belief that they can win the Super Bowl. And it’s achievable so it’s an exciting year, not only for the Giants but for the 31 other teams and it will be interesting to see how it plays out.”
David Tyree on the draft and Giants culture
“I like it. So interestingly enough, it was kind of compared to my draft class where last time you had so many picks,” Tyree said. “I believe it was right on par so for me there is a personal connection in that way and the vibes feel fantastic. Now, I think we’ve all had good feelings in different moments for a few years now. You know the new change (in management) — you want to kind of capitalize on that. But I will say the energy that I perceive from Daboll — I haven’t had any interaction with anyone on the staff yet — it sounds like they have a good bridge of communication and understanding what kind of culture they want to set and it’s more positive than I’ve seen in the past.”
Jeff Gladney, a cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals, died in a car accident on Monday morning in Texas. Gladney, 25, and another victim died after crashing into a pier beam off a major freeway near Dallas, according to a local CBS outlet. The accident involved two vehicles, authorities told the outlet. One car appears to…
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2022-05-31T16:56:15Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Giants greats impressed with team’s 2022 NFL draft results
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After their 2021 season came to an end, the Atlanta Falcons’ to-do list was rather long. Among the many tasks general manager Terry Fontenot was faced with, deciding what to do with Pro Bowl defensive tackle Grady Jarrett.
A former fifth-round pick back in 2015, Jarrett developed into the team’s best defensive lineman. Despite speculation that Jarrett would be traded over the offseason, the Falcons ended up signing him to a three-year extension.
Jarrett joined the NFL Network’s Good Morning Football program to discuss his new deal, saying he is happy the organization still has faith in what he can do.
“But to get the extension this time, especially with the new regime, having a new coach and a new GM, basically telling me they believe in me means the world,” said Jarrett. “I’m from the Atlanta area, and to continue to live out my dream and play in my hometown means the world to me.”
Jarrett, born in Conyers, Georgia, is also the son of legendary Falcons linebacker Jessie Tuggle — who played in Atlanta from 1987 to 2000. While his contract extension was the lead story, Jarrett also gave his first impressions of the offense and what the quarterback situation looks like after the team moved on from Matt Ryan.
“Yeah, so it’s definitely different not having Matt [Ryan]. That’s the only quarterback I had. He’s been a great friend, great teammate, but he’s on to other things. The love we have for Matt is everlasting, but having new quarterbacks in Marcus and Desmond is exciting to me. I feel like these are two guys who really are hungry to prove themselves and I’ve seen it, I’ve watched a little bit of them.”
The Falcons became Mariota’s third team since he was chosen second overall back in 2015 by Tennessee in the same draft Jarrett was taken by Atlanta.
“Just how his career has been going, I feel like it’s the perfect spot for [Mariota]. Perfect landing, perfect timing and I just think he’s hungry and also has the [Ridder] to push him, but it’s a healthy competition. I think that’s the thing about being in Atlanta right now, at every level, there’s some competition, and everybody’s hungry. At the same time, people count us out, so I think it’s going to pull the best out of everybody.”
Falcons begin OTAs: Top photos from Week 1
A.J. Terrell ranked 9th on PFF's top 25 players under 25
Falcons 2022 schedule: Ranking the top 5 games this season
Watch: Best of Falcons head coach Arthur Smith mic'd up
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2022-05-31T16:56:21Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Grady Jarrett discusses extension, Falcons QB competition
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https://sports.yahoo.com/grady-jarrett-discusses-extension-falcons-150013556.html?src=rss
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The New England Patriots played a comically small amount of football during their practice session on Tuesday during the second organized team activities session that has been open to the media.
The Patriots conducted some conditioning and some systemic installation — but not much. The practice was abbreviated (roughly 70 minutes), with the team apparently easing back off the Holiday weekend.
There was a moment that stood above the rest, though I’d suggest taking it with a grain of salt from a session where coach Bill Belichick was dropping into coverage as a slot cornerback. So here it is…
In the early phases of the position drills, the practice took a slower pace than is typical for the Patriots. In practice, New England is typically mechanical, like an assembly line — without hiccups or wasted minutes. It’s most notable at joint practices when placed in direct comparison with other teams.
That automated pace wasn’t present on Tuesday, with offensive assistant Joe Judge and the passing offense taking more time than usual to get a drill set up. You don’t normally see that. Players and coaches often know what they’re doing — and that wasn’t the case here. These moments are where the coaching turnover and a young QB show themselves. Practice, at times, moved slower than in year’s past. And that’s probably, in part, because of the casual nature of this practice. But it was definitely a surprise.
The top takeaway: The Patriots are establishing the "proven" and the "prove-it" at WR
The receivers ran positional drills in two different lines. In one line: Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne, Nelson Agholor and DeVante Parker. In the other line: Tyquan Thornton and everyone else. It’s one of those minute details where the Patriots seem to be sending the players (and the media) a message. There’s a group of proven players. And then there’s a group of prove-it players.
Tight end Hunter Henry missed the first OTA session that was open to the media, but was present for practice on Tuesday.
No one appeared to suffer an injury during the course of this practice.
NOTABLE PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE
Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Patriots director of player personnel Matt Groh were on the field, and they spent a good deal of time chatting between the two practice fields.
Raekwon McMillan.
The weather: The sun broke through a haze at Gillette Stadium to warm up temperatures to about 70 degrees.
The pad level: OTAs are non-padded.
The energy: I’ve never seen such a conditioning-heavy, football-light practice.
The biggest winner and loser
Bill Belichick: The coach allowed the media to view the our second session of OTAs, and he made the shortest practice I’d ever attended in my six years on the beat. Why? Surely, the Patriots do something like every offseason: a short conditioning practice around the Holiday weekend. But it felt like a classic Belichick move. Bring in the media to see a whole lot of nothing.
The media: This notebook will be unfortunately short — though I promise I’ll deliver a few interesting notes! Stick with me.
Everything else that's important
Conditioning played a larger role in the early portion of practice. Bill Belichick handed over practice to strength coach Moses Cabrera for about 20 minutes in the middle of the practice. The players were running and running and running.
Mac Jones and Thornton spent the conditioning period running together. And though the two youngsters were running with defensive and offensive linemen, they set the pace. It’s a reminder of the time-honored May cliche. Mac Jones is in the best shape of his life. (But actually, I think it’s true — in this case.)
Judge was by far the loudest voice on the field, with Bill Belichick hovering over one of the passing drills between receivers, right ends and quarterbacks. Nick Caley was there, too. But it seems the Patriots are asking Matt Patricia to take the lead with the offensive line (and the run game) and Judge to take the lead with the passing offense. We’ll see how those roles evolve.
At one point, Belichick actually threw up his hands at tight end Devin Asiasi, who appeared to have bungled his route assignment.
During the pre-practice press conference, Bill Belichick confirmed something from his son Steve. Steve told reporters that linebacker Josh Uche would be a big part of the defense. And Bill said he agree: “I think he is a big piece of our defense. We’ll see exactly what that is.”
Bill Belichick said he admires the Boston Celtics, who booked their ticket to the NBA Finals: “Played a lot of good defense. … They’re tough. They’re fun to watch — a pleasure to watch.”
Without tackles Trent Brown or Isaiah Wynn at practice, the Patriots ran with Yodny Cajuste at left tackle and Justin Herron at right tackle.
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2022-05-31T16:56:34Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Instant observations of the Patriots’ 2nd open session of OTAs
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https://sports.yahoo.com/instant-observations-patriots-2nd-open-163744699.html?src=rss
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In 100 days, the NFL will kick off the 2022 season. The Pittsburgh Steelers open their season on the road against the defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals. The question is, who will be playing quarterback?
Between now and the start of the season, Pittsburgh has to decide when and if to get star rookie Kenny Pickett into the starting lineup over Mitch Trubisky.
It feels like it’s only a matter of when and not if Pickett will start in 2022 but how many games will he end up starting in his rookie campaign? That’s the question of the day.
Pittsburgh selected Pickett out of Pitt with their first-round pick in 2022. The Steelers worked quickly between signing Trubisky and drafting Pickett to prepare for life without Ben Roethlisberger.
The Steelers are going to struggle to find a spot in the playoffs this season in a crowded AFC so how does that change the staff’s philosophy for getting Pickett into the starting lineup? Cast your vote and let us know.
Jimmy Obertop hit a three-run home run in the eighth and two runs scored on a bunt in the ninth as fifth-seeded Michigan pulled away from second-seeded Rutgers for a 10-4 in the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament on Sunday. Jake Marti's sacrifice bunt in the fourth inning scored Ted Burton, breaking a 2-2 tie. The Wolverines (33-26) added single runs in the fifth and sixth before breaking the game open late.
Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid and New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin are the leaders for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Conference Finals round is ready to begin on Tuesday night.
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2022-05-31T16:57:05Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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How many games will Kenny Pickett start in 2022?
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https://sports.yahoo.com/many-games-kenny-pickett-start-152357292.html?src=rss
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The Raiders won 10 games during the 2021 season as they made the playoffs for the first time in several years. But can they repeat that season again in 2022 and make it further into the playoffs?
In a recent article by Cynthia Frelund and her team of analytics experts, she wrote about every team’s projected win total in 2022. For the Raiders, she projected 9.1 wins this year, which would likely put them just out of the playoff picture.
“The Raiders’ O-line is a big source of concern this season. The unit faces a very tough test out of the gates in the Chargers, who added a familiar face in Khalil Mack to an already Bosa’d-up defensive front.
The Raiders, playing in the toughest division in football, could see their season come down to how they fare in Weeks 13-17 (Round 2 vs. the Bolts, at Rams, vs. Patriots, at Steelers, vs. 49ers) due to the gauntlet of pressure generators they’ll see in sequential weeks.”
The Raiders did win a bunch of close games last season and usually, that isn’t very repeatable. However, it should be noted that the Raiders do have one of the best kickers in the NFL (Daniel Carlson) and he is a big reason why they’ve been able to win so many tight games.
As we’ve mentioned all offseason, there is a good chance that the Raiders got significantly better this season, but it might not be reflected in their record. The AFC is just much better and deeper than it was last season and the Raiders have an incredibly difficult schedule.
With that being said; will the Raiders win more or less than nine games in 2022? That seems like the magic number as we are now only 100 days from Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season.
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2022-05-31T16:57:12Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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How many games will the Raiders win during 2022 season?
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The more you watch and study the 2021 season for the Raiders, the more impressive the season looks for Hunter Renfrow. The former Day 3 pick from Clemson was money all year for the Raiders and he made several game-changing plays to help the team make the playoffs.
But even after a 100+ catch season last year, he still doesn’t get the respect he deserves. Luckily, some people are starting to now notice just how good of a player he was and will be again this season.
In a recent article by Cynthia Frelund of NFL Network, she named some of the NFL’s most underappreciated players heading into the 2022 season. As you might have guessed, Renfrow appeared in the article. Here is what she had to say about the Pro Bowl receiver for the Las Vegas Raiders:
“Yes, Renfrow is coming off his first career Pro Bowl — but it’s fair to wonder if the former fifth-round pick has been overshadowed in Las Vegas by this offseason’s Davante Adams acquisition. NGS shows that Renfrow’s plus-11.5 catch rate over expected when aligned wide last season paced the NFL.
He also averaged 3.4 yards of target separation when aligned wide (fourth-most). His versatility will allow him to pair well with Adams, too; Renfrow’s 643 receiving yards last season from the slot ranked sixth in the NFL, while he scored five times on passes outside the numbers (tied for 10th).”
Renfrow is going into the final year of his rookie contract, but he will soon be paid by the Raiders as he’s one of the best slot receivers in the league. With Davante Adams likely drawing more attention on the outside, he should open up the middle of the field even more for Renfrow.
While it’s tough to see Renfrow getting more targets in 2022, look for him to be far more efficient in Josh McDaniels’ offense. But more importantly, look for him to make a bunch of key plays all season long for the Raiders.
The first-year coach has the Boston Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals. He interviewed with the Indiana Pacers in 2020.
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2022-05-31T16:57:31Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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NFL.com names Raiders WR Hunter Renfrow has one of the league’s most ‘underappreciated’ players
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https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-com-names-raiders-wr-141514940.html?src=rss
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While the New Orleans Saints’ roster is rich with talent, they do not claim to be the youngest in the league. The Saints have a team full of veterans that are still trying to compete for a Super Bowl, which means that New Orleans usually gets left out of the conversations surrounding the NFL’s brightest young talent.
Even the legendary 2017 draftees, one of the best draft classes of all time, are not the young guns anymore. They’re all sitting between the ages of 26 (Marshon Lattimore) and 28 years old (Ryan Ramczyk), with Alvin Kamara turning 27 this summer.
The national media has taken notice of the Saints’ lack of young talent as well. Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema put together a list of the league’s best 25 players under the age of 25, and New Orleans was left off the list entirely. They didn’t even receive an honorable mention.
Erik McCoy and C.J. Gardner-Johnson were the team’s two best chances at arriving on the list, as they are both still 24 years old and very good at what they do. But the road for McCoy would have been tough as there is only one center that made the list, Creed Humphrey. PFF also has not shown to be the biggest fans of McCoy, with his highest player grade being a 76.2 in his rookie year. In 2021, that dropped all the way down to a 63.6 grade.
Gardner-Johnson is one of the league’s best nickel defenders, so it would have made sense to see him near the bottom of the list. It is possible, though, that it could just not be a flashy enough position to receive recognition on a list like this.
The future is still bright for the Saints, though. New Orleans’ best bet to be represented on this list next year is likely Chris Olave should he have a breakout rookie season in 2022. With Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry drawing defensive attention away from him, Olave (who will be 22 when the season starts) is in a great spot to stand out.
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2022-05-31T16:57:37Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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No Saints appeared on PFF’s top 25 players under 25 list
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Pro Football Focus recently highlighted each team’s top three players entering the 2022 season. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, left tackle David Bakhtiari and cornerback Jaire Alexander were the three picks for the Green Bay Packers. Reasonable enough. Rodgers is a four-time NFL MVP, Bakhtiari was the gold standard for left tackle play before a knee injury and Alexander is the highest-paid cornerback in football after a rapid ascent to stardom to start his NFL career.
But as PFF notes, the Packers have no shortage of capable options here, even after losing Davante Adams, who is one of the two best receivers in football.
Defensive lineman Kenny Clark is excellent against the run and pass and locked in as one of the two or three best nose tackles in the NFL. He could get more attacking opportunities as the Packers continue stacking talent along the defensive front.
Edge rusher Rashan Gary blew up as a first-time full-time player in 2021, creating one of the NFL’s most productive pass-rushing seasons. He’s an elite athlete entering Year 4 at a premium position. Everything about his profile suggests a high probability of a star with staying power.
Offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins can play any of the five positions and proved highly capable at left tackle last season, giving him Pro Bowl potential at tackle or guard and immense value in Green Bay. But he’s coming off a major injury.
Linebacker De’Vondre Campbell was a difference-maker immediately and wound up as an All-Pro during his first season in Green Bay. He’s big, athletic, experienced and now highly comfortable in the Packers scheme.
Running back Aaron Jones can do it all as a runner, especially in terms of breaking tackles and creating explosive runs, and he’ll likely be asked to play a bigger role in the passing game to help the Packers make up for losses at receiver in 2022.
Safety Adrian Amos is annually one of the NFL’s most underappreciated and underrated defensive players. He can play from multiple alignments, handle all responsibilities against the run and cover in both zone and man-to-man. Amos is both a playmaker and highly reliable.
Who are the Packers’ three best players entering 2022? Do you agree with PFF? Let us know in the comments!
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2022-05-31T16:57:56Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Who are the Packers’ top three players entering 2022?
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After a monster Week 1 performance in which he caught 10 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown, Darren Waller had a bit of a down season in 2021. He dealt with injuries and was only able to eclipse 70 yards three times.
However, he is still widely viewed as one of the best tight ends in the NFL as he’s now totaled over 3,000 receiving yards in the past three seasons. But where does he rank among his peers when it comes to the tight end position?
In a recent article by Anthony Treash of Pro Football Focus, he ranked all of the best tight ends in the NFL entering the 2022 season. Not surprisingly, Waller ranked high, coming in at No. 3. Here is a snippet of Treash’s thoughts on the Pro Bowl tight end:
“Waller battled multiple ailments in 2021, hindering his ability to perform at his elite standard. In 2019 and 2020 collectively, the Raiders tight end ranked second at the position in WAR (0.90), third in receiving grade (91.2) and second in explosive receptions of 15-plus yards (55). Waller’s receiving grade then dropped to 73.9 for the 2021 season while he battled back and knee injuries.
There’s no denying he’s a dynamic weapon in the passing game when healthy. He may not have the blocking ability, but the 6-foot-6, 255-pounder is an uber-athlete and can slide in as a big X receiver when needed.”
Waller is still one of the most dynamic receiving tight ends in the NFL and should be in for another huge season in 2022. As long as he can stay healthy, he’ll have a chance to surpass his career highs in the new-look offense under Josh McDaniels.
Make no mistake about it, Waller is still a dominant tight end despite a so-so year in 2021.
Daniel McPhillips, 44, of Throop, Pennsylvania, died Friday in a motorcycle crash on Interstate 81 in Marathon, according to New York State Police.
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2022-05-31T16:58:09Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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PFF names Raiders TE Darren Waller as the No. 3 tight end in the NFL
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https://sports.yahoo.com/pff-names-raiders-te-darren-130657607.html?src=rss
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While the typical process of NFL power rankings is simply an ordered list of 32 teams, Pro Football Focus divided theirs into tiers ahead of the 2022 season.
After an offseason of several moves being made during free agency and the 2022 NFL draft, the Indianapolis Colts are ready to compete for the AFC South title yet again.
In Pro Football Focus’ power rankings, the Colts land at No. 15 overall and in their labeled “eyes on the playoffs.”
Also included in the tier with the Colts were the Dallas Cowboys (No. 12), Philadelphia Eagles (No, 13), Arizona Cardinals (No. 14), Las Vegas Raiders (No. 16), Tennessee Titans (No. 17), New England Patriots (No. 18), Miami Dolphins (No. 19) and New Orleans Saints (No. 20).
Given the changes coming at premium positions and the fact that the defense will be under a new regime, there is a bit of projecting that has to be done when it comes to the outlook of the Colts.
The additions made this offseason project to be upgrades over the haul of the season, but nothing is a sure thing in the NFL. If the Colts can avoid that dreaded slow start that they’ve dealt with over the last few seasons, it will go a long way with their chances to make the playoffs.
If the Colts can get more stability at quarterback and a more consistent pass rush, especially late in games, their chances of competing for the top spot in the AFC South increase greatly.
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2022-05-31T16:58:15Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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PFF places Colts in ‘eyes on the playoffs’ tier for 2022
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https://sports.yahoo.com/pff-places-colts-eyes-playoffs-105122411.html?src=rss
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When Josh McDaniels was the offensive coordinator in New England, his team used a heavy running back by committee approach. They also had an interesting way of developing and using their running backs.
One example is Damien Harris, who the Patriots selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Despite being a relatively high selection, Harris received just four touches during his rookie season. But in 2020, that number rose to 142 touches in just 10 games.
McDaniels (and the Patriots) have a history of letting rookie running backs ride the bench before putting them on the field. Will they do the same with Zamir White in 2022?
In a recent article by Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus, he wrote about the possibility of the Raiders redshirting White during his rookie season:
“Keep in mind with (Zamir) White that Josh McDaniels is his head coach, and the New England Patriots sometimes liked to redshirt running backs in their rookie seasons. White was selected in the fourth round and might not have a heavy role in 2022 based on precedent that was set by McDaniels when he was offensive coordinator in New England.”
The Raiders do have a lot of depth at the running back position right now and they have a workhorse back in Josh Jacobs. With Jacobs entering the final year of his contract, it makes sense that the Raiders will use him up and keep White on the bench for the 2023 season.
White has been a trendy Offensive Rookie of the Year bet over the last few weeks, but expect the Raiders to be patient with him this season. Despite his talent level, don’t be shocked if the former SEC star sees fewer than 100 touches in 2022.
Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid had surgeries for a sprained right thumb and an injury to his left index finger. The 76ers, who were knocked out of the playoffs by the Miami Heat, announced the surgeries on Tuesday. Neither procedure, which were done on Monday, is expected to impact Embiid’s availability for training camp.
We take a look at the Cardinals' all-time record against each of their 2022 opponents and how they have fared in recent matchups.
Thor became a fan favorite at Citi Field, going 47-31 with a 3.32 ERA from 2015-21 and earning an All-Star selection in 2016. Syndergaard had Tommy John surgery on March 26, 2020, and didn't return to the Mets until last Sept. 28, when he made the first of a pair of one-inning starts during the season's final week. Syndergaard is 4-2 with a 3.08 ERA in seven starts, striking out 27 and walking eight over 38 innings.
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2022-05-31T16:58:28Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Raiders could ‘redshirt’ RB Zamir White during 2022 season
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One of the many benefits Russell Wilson brings to the Denver Broncos is his ability to mimic mobile quarterbacks the defense will face off against six times in the division next season — and every season — in the form of the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders.
Patrick Mahomes doesn’t run as often as he is able to. But he always seems to break a back-breaking one in the clutch. Same goes for Justin Herbert and Derek Carr as well.
Seven-year veteran safety Justin Simmons is perpetually breaking down the difference Wilson makes for the team in a digestible way for the common fan. The latter helping him and the defense prepare for mobile quarterbacks is no different.
“It’s great for us, honestly. We’re going to see that with Mahomes twice a year,” Simmons said last week. “We’re going to see that with Herbert. Carr has the ability to extend plays. I’m just thinking in our division. I can go down the list of teams that we’re going to play. It seems like the game each and every year is just elevating more and more to quarterbacks that are more mobile and can extend plays with their legs, and that’s great.
“Especially in the red zone because it’s not about the length, but the width and you can get open. All you need is [a little] separation and with a guy like ‘Russ’ who can extend plays like that. We’ve seen time and time again throughout his tenure. Defensively for us, it’s great reps because you’re always like, ‘Oh, that was a sack,’ but in real life, he can probably make some people miss right there and keep the play going. It’s good work for us, too.”
Not only does Wilson help the secondary, he helps every phase of the defense. As newly-signed defensive lineman D.J. Jones said: “He’s definitely preparing us for [AFC West QBs] with having a mobile quarterback. It’s not like he’s just standing in the pocket. He’s doing what he does. He’s out there scrambling around and making plays, so that will definitely prepare us.”
The Wilson-led Broncos take on the quarterback’s former team, the Seattle Seahawks, in Week 1 this fall. Broncos Country gets to see the instant impact Wilson has on the defense when they face off against either mobile QB Drew Lock or Geno Smith. Giddy up.
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2022-05-31T16:58:41Z
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Russell Wilson helping Broncos’ defense prepare for mobile QBs in AFC West
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The Houston Texans have added another veteran to their secondary.
According to Mike Garafolo from the NFL Network, the Texans have signed former Washington and Atlanta Falcons cornerback Fabian Moreau.
Moreau started all 16 games played with the Falcons in 2021, collecting 61 combined tackles, three tackles for loss, 11 pass breakups, and a forced fumble. Moreau played the most snaps of his career in 2021 with 1,037.
Prior to joining the Falcons, Moreau played 60 games for Washington from 2017-20, starting in 18 of them. The former 2017 third-round pick from UCLA tallied 125 combined tackles, a tackle for loss, a quarterback hit, three forced fumbles, 14 pass breakups, and six interceptions.
Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti has a way of finding hidden gems in the NBA Draft.
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2022-05-31T16:59:00Z
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Texans sign former Washington, Falcons CB Fabian Moreau
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Trey Lance: It’s not my job to care what reporters or people on social media say originally appeared on Pro Football Talk
Gabe Vincent with an and one vs the Boston Celtics
Gabe Vincent (Miami Heat) with an and one vs the Boston Celtics, 05/29/2022
WASHINGTON/WELLINGTON (Reuters) -New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern met U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday at the White House, where their first face-to-face talks were expected to include Washington's efforts to counter China in the Indo-Pacific region. The meeting took on greater importance as New Zealand in recent weeks has raised concerns about China's presence in the region following news that Beijing had signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands. Joining Ardern in the Oval Office, Biden said Washington has no desire to dictate to the region but to partner with them.
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2022-05-31T16:59:07Z
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Trey Lance: It’s not my job to care what reporters or people on social media say
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Wide receiver and return specialist Dede Westbrook will be visiting the Minnesota Vikings for a workout on Tuesday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Westbrook signed with the Vikings on a one-year deal in 2021 after finishing his rookie contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He wasn’t a major contributor with the Mike Zimmer-led team, but he did manage to find his way onto the field.
It was the typical Swiss army knife role of him hauling in 10 catches for 68 yards, along with returning 22 punts for 183 yards.
The gears must be turning in the big offensive noggin of new Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell when it comes to a player like Westbrook, who can be a legitimate playmaker with the ball in his hands.
His ability to serve as a gadget player in a variety of different roles would obviously have some appeal for an offense expected to get really creative with the playbook.
The Vikings resume organized team activities on Tuesday. So there’s a chance Westbrook could get an offer if he impresses the coaching staff. If not, there are a “few other teams” interested in his services, per Rapoport.
Wide receiver Dede Westbrook appeared in 15 games for the Vikings last season and he may be back with Minnesota soon. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Westbrook is working out for the team on Tuesday. Rapoport adds that other teams have shown interest in the wideout and he’s likely to sign with someone [more]
STORY: On Monday evening, some of the people allowed out of their compounds for brief walks strolled along commercial streets lined with malls and shopped for groceries from local markets, as a sense of anticipation for the long-awaited resumption grew among residents.The prolonged isolation has fueled public anger and rare protests inside Shanghai and battered the city's manufacturing and export-heavy economy, disrupting supply chains in China and around the world, and slowing international trade.Life is set to return to something more like normal from Wednesday (June 1), when the passes issued by residential buildings for people to go out for a few hours will be scrapped, public transport will resume and residents can go back to work.
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2022-05-31T16:59:14Z
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WR Dede Westbrook visiting Vikings for workout on Tuesday
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Projecting Lance's 49ers stats, with look at Bills' Allen originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The high end of any comparison of 49ers quarterback Trey Lance is Josh Allen.
Allen is young, big and strong. He has a powerful arm and is a formidable threat as a runner, too.
Allen entered the league as the No. 7 overall pick of the Buffalo Bills in the 2018 NFL Draft after completing just 56.3 percent of his pass attempts during his final season at Wyoming.
Lance was the No. 3 overall pick of the 49ers in 2021. He completed 66.9 percent of his pass attempts during his one and only season as the North Dakota State starter. Lance also rushed for 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Allen started 11 games as an NFL rookie. Lance started two games last season when starter Jimmy Garoppolo was sidelined due to injuries.
So what would be a reasonable expectation from Lance this season as the full-time starter? Let’s look at how Allen fared in his second season before his production took off as a third-year pro and he became a star.
This is where we take a slight detour . . .
Coach Kyle Shanahan last week suggested he fully expects Lance to take over this season as the 49ers’ starting quarterback.
Shanahan said he anticipates Garoppolo will be traded before the start of the season. So, it only goes to reason, if Shanahan expects Garoppolo to be on another team, then Lance is the player the 49ers clearly envision as the team’s starter for the 2022 season.
OK, back to what can be expected from Lance . . .
Allen started all 16 games in his second NFL season. He completed 58.8 percent of his pass attempts for 3,089 yards with 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also rushed for 510 yards and nine touchdowns.
Buffalo’s top receivers that season where John Brown, who caught 72 passes for 1,060 yards and six touchdowns. Slot receiver Cole Beasley had 67 receptions for 778 yards six touchdowns.
Lance should to have a better supporting cast of skill players and pass targets with Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk at the top of the list.
Samuel caught 77 passes for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns last season. Kittle had 71 catches for 910 yards and six touchdowns despite missing three games. And after an excruciatingly slow start, Aiyuk still compiled 56 receptions for 826 yards.
Each of those three players has a chance at 1,000 yards receiving, which would enable Lance to obliterate Allen’s yards-passing total of his second season.
What can be expected from Lance? Something along the lines of 60-percent completion percentage for 3,500 yards with 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions seems like a reasonable expectation on top of 400 to 500 yards rushing and a handful of touchdowns.
One area where Allen set up much better than Lance early in his NFL career was from an advantage in-game experience.
From the end of high school through his first season in the NFL, Allen played a full season of junior college ball, started 26 games at Wyoming and 11 games as a rookie.
Since graduating from Marshall (Minnesota) High School in 2018, Lance has started a total of 19 games, including 17 over three years spent at North Dakota State. Lance attempted just 71 passes last season, compared to Allen’s 320 passes as a rookie.
Seven in ten women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant believe or are unsure about false claims related to COVID-19 vaccines, a Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) poll found. Pollsters presented three false statements to respondents: Pregnant women should not get the COVID-19 vaccine, it is unsafe for breastfeeding women to get a COVID-19…
‘Free Nate’: Henry Cejudo supports Diaz in standoff with UFC
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2022-05-31T22:44:48Z
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49ers QB Trey Lance stat projections, with Josh Allen comparison
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We tend to think of free agency having a couple of waves that happen back in March. But there’s another wave that is building strength as we speak. This one crashes on the shore on June 1.
This offseason the Raiders made a few cuts, some to save cap money, some to simply let go of unproductive players. A couple of those cuts left a scar — specifically the releases of Cory Littleton and Carl Nassib.
But in order to limit the bleeding in the short term, they gave those players a post-June 1 cut designation. This means that after June 1, a large portion of the dead money they left behind is moved to next year’s cap, which in turn frees up that money right now.
It’s no small amount, either. The Raiders will see their available money under the cap go up nearly $20 million after June 1 — $19.75 to be exact — raising it from the current available amount of around $5 million to over $25 million.
One position of great need for the Raiders this offseason which they have not sufficiently addressed is offensive tackle — right tackle specifically. And, as it turns out, there are actually still a lot of solid starting options out there, presumably waiting for this day so teams will have the funds to offer them a suitable salary.
Much like the Raiders’ offensive line in 2021, the Bills were busy trying to find the best five starters. In so doing, they kicked the former full-time starting right tackle inside to guard and inserted rookie Spencer Brown to start at right tackle.
After a resurgent 2020 season for the former second-team All-Pro, Williams received a three-year extension. But suddenly the prospect of paying him $10 million to play guard was not really an option for the cap-strapped Bills. So, they let him go. Make no mistake, though, the 29-year-old is a viable starting right tackle.
Oct 17, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle Brandon Shell (72) prepares to block at the line of scrimmage against Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward (97) during the second quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The nephew of Hall of Famer Art Shell would be popular in Silver & Black. Seeing a tackle with the name Shell on the back of his jersey again was cause some nostalgia for longtime Raiders fans.
The former fifth-round pick outplayed his draft status, starting 61 games at right tackle over six NFL seasons with the Jets and Seahawks. He’s had some trouble staying on the field the past couple of seasons but had only missed three games in the two seasons prior.
Oct 17, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Riley Reiff (71) blocks Detroit Lions safety Dean Marlowe (31) in the second quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports
Reiff is probably the most established tackle out there. The former first-round pick spent seven of his first nine NFL seasons as the starting left tackle for the Lions and Vikings. Last season he signed with the Bengals and was moved to right tackle – a position he’d only played for one previous season.
The 33-year-old veteran would instantly add experience and leadership to a Raiders line that needs both.
Sep 19, 2021; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Denver Broncos offensive tackle Bobby Massie (70) against the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Massie has started 110 games over nine NFL seasons, most of them at right tackle. After his final two seasons in Chicago were marred by injuries, he signed with the Broncos last season and played very well over 13 starts.
Feb 5, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; New England Patriots offensive tackle Marcus Cannon (61) holds aloft The Vince Lombardi Trophy after Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Josh McDaniels spent five seasons with Cannon as his full time starting right tackle in New England including two Super Bowl titles, starting every game. Last season Cannon signed with the Texans and was lost to a back injury after just four games.
It’s now been eight months since Cannon had surgery on his injured back. If he is ready to return, a reunion with McDaniels and offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo could make a lot of sense.
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2022-05-31T22:44:55Z
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5 great right tackle options on market with Raiders set to add $20 million under the cap
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Aaron Donald wants a new contract.
The Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle has spent the bulk of his career as arguably the best player in football. His current deal doesn't pay him as such. Armed with a Super Bowl ring and all the personal accolades an NFL defender can accomplish, Donald is saying that he's fine with retiring at 31 years old if he and the Rams don't come to terms.
He started the chatter before the Super Bowl and doubled down on Monday on the "I Am Athlete" podcast alongside retired NFL players Brandon Marshall and Pacman Jones. Per a ProFootball Talk transcript, Donald repeated four times during his appearance that he's "at peace" with his NFL career. But it sounds like he's game to keep playing as long as the money's right.
"It ain't about the money," Donald said per PFT before mentioning "business" repeatedly. "But it’s a business at the end of the day. That’s what you’ve got to see.
"For me, it’s about winning. I don’t want to play football if I can’t win anyway, so I feel like if I got a real opportunity to win another Super Bowl, then it makes sense to play. But again, it’s still a business. We’ve got to handle the business side of things, and if that wasn’t to get handled then, you know, it is what it is type of situation. I’ll be fine regardless."
So it appears to be about winning for Donald. And business. Which all makes sense.
Everything else is gravy for Aaron Donald's football career. He understandably would like to have more. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Where Donald's contract status stands
Donald has three years remaining on the six-year, $135 million deal that he signed in 2018 and has since outperformed as the market has moved in his favor. He also has significant leverage in that he could certainly afford to retire with no qualms.
While it may be a negotiating tactic, the fact that he could call it quits with a Super Bowl ring, seven All-Pro nods, three Defensive Player of the Year trophies and a first-ballot ticket to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his pocket is compelling. His $97 million in career football earnings certainly helps his case.
But he'd certainly like to earn more, which in this case likely means exceeding the $28 million T.J. Watt is slated to make annually as the highest-paid defender in football. Competing for another Super Bowl would sweeten the deal.
If it doesn't happen, Donald will be fine. Just ask him.
“I don’t need to play football to be fine," Donald continued. "I’m fine. I was blessed to play this game, to make the money I made. The accomplishments I made in eight years is like — I’m complete. If I can win another one, that’s great. But if not, I’m at peace.”
Flourless peanut butter cookie may be better than typical version
Three-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies can be whipped up quickly, and their light texture makes them an easy addition for summer get-togethers.
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2022-05-31T22:45:01Z
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Aaron Donald floats retirement while discussing Rams negotiations
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Aaron Donald and the Los Angeles Rams are currently engaged in a financial standoff. It’s not contentious or problematic right now, but there’s very clearly a disagreement about the defensive tackle’s contract.
Donald wants a new deal that will pay him more than the $14.2 million he’s set to earn in 2022, and he deserves a raise given the way he’s played since signing his extension in 2018. The Rams have engaged in talks with Donald’s representation, attempting to work toward a solution to ensure No. 99 is still in Los Angeles next season.
The Rams want Donald back, and he would like to compete for another championship, but the two sides have yet to agree on a number that works for both parties.
The problem for the Rams is that Donald holds all the cards in this situation. That became even more evident during his interview on the “I Am Athlete” podcast when he made it abundantly clear that he doesn’t need to keep playing football.
More than anything, that quote right there should worry fans about Donald’s future with the Rams. He’s not bluffing, either. Donald has accomplished everything he set out to, from individual accolades to winning a Super Bowl. There’s really nothing left for him to do besides win another ring (or two).
When he came into the NFL, he only planned to play eight years, which he’s now done.
“But me talking about retirement, that was happening way before we won a Super Bowl,” he added. “I’ve been saying that since I got into the league: I was going to play eight years and be done. That’s just what I’ve been saying. It just came out and then everybody think that, ‘Oh, he said if he wins a Super Bowl, he’s going to retire.’ Nah, I got teammates, coaches, my family know about this. I said ‘I’m going to play eight years and I’m going to probably be done playing football.’”
Donald did acknowledge that winning a Super Bowl, “you get kind of a little addicted to it.”
“I want to feel that again,” he said.
Donald is as competitive as anyone in the NFL. He works out every day and watches film immediately after playing a game because he can’t sleep if he doesn’t. There’s no denying the fact that he wants to win another ring.
Really, it’s going to come down to money. Donald reportedly has a number he wants to play at, and if the Rams don’t match it, he’ll walk away. He seems committed to not playing on his current contract, which has three years left on it.
No one should question Donald’s desire to win. He’ll be all-in if the Rams give him the raise he’s seeking. The question is how high they’re willing to go to keep the best defender in the NFL on their roster.
Is Donald’s number $30 million per year, which would top T.J. Watt as the highest-paid defender in the NFL? He questions whether the gap between quarterbacks and top defenders should be as wide as it is, which could mean he wants to be paid closer to what Matthew Stafford, Derek Carr and Dak Prescott are getting: $40 million per year.
Regardless, he’s content with retiring and spending time with his family if the Rams don’t up their offer. That puts Los Angeles in a tough situation and could lead to a holdout that spills into mandatory minicamp and potentially training camp.
It’s a fascinating standoff that got a lot more interesting with Donald’s most recent comments.
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2022-05-31T22:45:07Z
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Aaron Donald holds all the cards in negotiations with Rams
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Another lawsuit has been filed against Deshaun Watson originally appeared on Pro Football Talk
Earlier this month, Lovie Smith wasn’t ready to say where Tytus Howard would play this season. Instead, the Texans coach said Howard would do well at either position. The Texans apparently have decided where Howard will play in 2022. In a recent interview on The Cris Collinsworth podcast, Smith was asked about the position for [more]
Steve Spence promoted to Deputy Chief over Support Services after Preble Acton retirement
Rutherford County Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh has promoted Major Steve Spence to Deputy Chief over Support Services.
Lakers guard Avery Bradley may be wearing a different uniform next season.
Funerals begin for victims of Uvalde shooting
STORY: Residents of Uvalde, Texas began laying to rest the 21 children and teachers killed in last week’s mass shooting. Grieving family members and friends entered a Catholic church on Tuesday for the funeral of 10-year-old Amerie Jo Garza… who, according to an obituary, was sweet, sassy, funny and who loved swimming and drawing. Maite Yuleana Rodriguez – a 10-year-old honor student who loved whales and dolphins and who dreamed of becoming a marine biologist – was also laid to rest on Tuesday. The young girls were killed along with 17 other students, all aged 9 to 11, and two teachers by a gunman who burst into their fourth-grade classroom and opened fire with a high-velocity AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle. While Uvalde grieves, President Joe Biden on Tuesday said he planned to meet with lawmakers in Congress about guns. “There is an awful lot of suffering” Speaking during a White House meeting with New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Biden said much of the violence is preventable: "I've been to more mass shooting aftermaths than I think any president in American history, unfortunately... Much of it is preventable.” Many Democrats, including Biden - who traveled to Uvalde on Sunday to comfort the town - have called for more restrictions, including a ban on assault-style weapons and universal background checks. Republicans have successfully held off tougher gun laws. White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre:"Look, the president has done everything that he can from the federal government. We are looking at other executive actions that we can possibly do. (flash) but it's not up to him alone."In Texas, the elementary school shooter was legally able to buy his weapon on his 18th birthday, a week before the massacre. He bought hundreds of rounds of ammunition and a second rifle in the days that followed.
Charlotte FC firing head coach is latest strange development for Tepper sports teams
If there’s a valid reason to fire Miguel Angel Ramirez in the middle of the season, why not make it public?
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2022-05-31T22:45:14Z
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Another lawsuit has been filed against Deshaun Watson
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Anthony Lynn has big shoes to fill as 49ers' new RB coach originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
SANTA CLARA -- When legendary running backs coach Bobby Turner decided to step away for a season, the 49ers stayed within the family to fill his spot.
Former NFL head coach Anthony Lynn was a running back with the 49ers and Denver Broncos during his six-year NFL career. Turner coached him during his early seasons as an assistant with the Broncos under Mike Shanahan.
“He’s got the most out of every player he’s ever coached because he has that unique ability to relate to people,” Lynn said of Turner.
Lynn was hired this offseason to the role on Kyle Shanahan’s staff of assistant head coach/running backs. He reflected last week on what has made Turner such an effective coach over nearly three decades in the NFL.
“He can be a father figure," Lynn said. "He can be a mentor. He can be an a—hole. Anything he has to be, he can be. And that’s kind of been his advantage.”
Turner, 73, underwent multiple surgeries at the conclusion of last season and felt as if he needed time away from the grind of coaching to focus on his physical therapy.
Lynn inherits a group of running backs that includes returning players Elijah Mitchell, Jeff Wilson Jr., JaMycal Hasty and Trey Sermon. The 49ers added Ty Davis-Price with a third-round draft pick.
“So far, it’s been really cool working with these guys and just listening to them talk about him because I ask, ‘What did you learn from coach Turner?’” Lynn said. “And hearing the things come out of their mouth that we used to say was kind of cool.
“And this has been over decades. You can’t talk about him without talking about how he’s helped you off the field. And when you can help an athlete become a better man, he’ll become a better football player. That’s what coach Turner is all about. He’s the complete coach.”
Turner last year was named the winner of the Paul “Dr. Z” Zimmerman Award for excellence as an assistance coach, as presented by the Pro Football Writers of America.
The Broncos had 11 individual 1,000-yard rushing seasons during his time with Denver, including a four-year span (2003 to '06) of having a different 1,000-yard rusher each season. Terrell Davis was a sixth-round draft pick who was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
In Turner’s five seasons with the 49ers, the club had a different leading rusher every season (Carlos Hyde, Matt Breida, Raheem Mostert, Wilson and Mitchell) and averaged 4.4 yards per rushing attempt.
Lynn’s style of coaching is heavily influenced by his time with Turner, he said. But he promises to put his own stamp on managing the players in his room.
“I do believe in coach Turner’s philosophy,” Lynn said, “and some of the things he taught, I’m going to teach. But I might do some things a little different. We’re all different.”
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2022-05-31T22:45:20Z
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Anthony Lynn has big shoes to fill as 49ers RB coach in Bobby Turner's absence
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It’s the weird part of the offseason where the NFL teams can say just about anything they want to say about their players. Whether coaches are being honest or not, they can suggest they have big plans for just about any and every member of their 90-man roster. Every player seems to be in the best shape of their lives. Every player seems to be overflowing with potential.
But it’s rare for Bill Belichick to play this game. He’s the king of: “We’ll see.” Tom Brady? “We’ll see.” Lawrence Taylor? “We’ll see.” So it was strange to hear the New England Patriots coach acknowledge the potential of the team’s 2020 second-round pick, Josh Uche.
“I think he is a big piece of our defense,” Belichick said during a pre-practice press conference on Tuesday. “We’ll see exactly what it turns out to be.”
Belichick was agreeing with the assessment of his son Steve, who said something similar two weeks ago.
“Josh is another guy who’s doing everything right,” Steve Belichick said May 17. “He’s putting a lot of hard work in, and he’s setting himself up as well as he could to help us out on the field once we get to camp. It’s all just a building process, and he’s done everything right so far. I’ve got no complaints.”
It’s an interesting assessment of Uche, who played just 22% of the team’s defensive snaps. The team steadily decreased his role through the year, instead giving playing time to more-experienced linebackers like Dont’a Hightower and Kyle Van Noy. But Belichick cautioned a reporter against comparing Hightower and Uche.
“I think it’s a stretch to compare most everybody to Hightower,” the coach replied. “We’re talking about one of the best linebackers that’s ever played here.”
Uche logged three sacks in 2021 — and all of them came in the first two weeks of the season. He then logged a total of 11 defensive snaps over the course of the team’s final two games (in Week 18 and in the AFC wild-card round). That’s a far cry from the guy formerly known and Mr. Febrauary, for his clutch postseason performances. Uche seemed to have a long way to go for a breakout season. But the Belichicks have faith.
Kyle Trask still in a good position behind Tom Brady in the bland scheme of things
TAMPA — Leave it to Kyle Trask to keep his sunny disposition on what otherwise could have been one of the darker days of his career. For about six weeks, the former Florida Gators star was looking forward to competing for the Bucs starting quarterback job with Blaine Gabbert. Then Tom Brady announced he was ending his retirement and returning to Tampa Bay. Worse, a couple of weeks ago, ...
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2022-05-31T22:45:45Z
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Bill Belichick praises Josh Uche but cautions against comparison to Dont’a Hightower
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As of Tuesday morning, the Buccaneers were said to be still weighing their options with regard to the possibility of bringing back defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. As of now, however, that door may have been slammed shut.
The Bucs have agreed to terms with DT Akiem Hicks on a one-year, $10 million deal according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
A deal like that suggests the Bucs have found their starter to go alongside Vita Vea and thus moved on from the 35-year-old Suh.
Meanwhile, there is one report out there from early Tuesday morning that the Raiders have at least shown some interest in Suh. Or even that the other potential suitors have been dropping out.
How much weight to put behind this report is hard to say. For now, it’s perhaps just worth noting in light of the Buccaneers making the decision to add Hicks on the same day.
The Raiders have been busy signing and drafting defensive tackles this offseason, making any interest at this point seem somewhat odd.
But if you want to find a way to make sense of any potential interest, it isn’t hard to do so.
Even at 35, Suh is still dominant. He had six sacks last season and 12 over the past two seasons, while Raiders’ current projected starting DT Bilal Nichols had just three sacks last season and eight over his past two seasons. Suh also hoisted the Lombardi trophy a season ago.
Defensive interior lines usually work on a rotation, so it’s often the more the merrier, as was the case last season for the Raiders, making for one of their better groups in some time.
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2022-05-31T22:45:51Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Buccaneers signing DT Akiem Hicks heats up Ndamukong Suh to Raiders rumor mill
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Aaron Donald is an insightful player, and not just when he’s talking about football. He may not be the most outspoken guy, but in his interview on the “I Am Athlete” podcast, which spanned more than an hour, he opened up about several topics – from his new deal with Donda Sports to his post-football aspirations.
Here are the most important things we learned about Donald from that interview, highlighting the best moments.
He doesn’t need football to be happy
Donald enjoys playing football, but it isn’t everything to him. He made it clear that he doesn’t need to be on the field to be happy, enjoying life outside of football – like spending time with his family and venturing into the business side of things.
He thinks a deal with the Rams will probably get done
Negotiations are obviously ongoing, and this is really the first time Donald has taken his feelings about the situation publicly. The Rams hope to get something done before the season to ensure that Donald is still part of the defense, and he seems to think a new deal will probably get worked out at some point.
He believes the pay gap between QBs and defenders should be smaller
Aaron Rodgers is the highest-paid player in the NFL at $50.2 million per year. The closest defender is T.J. Watt at $28 million per year – just over half of what Rodgers is making. Donald doesn’t deny the fact that quarterbacks are most important, but he wonders if the gap between the top QBs and top defenders should be as wide as it is.
“I think a quarterback is a quarterback, but I think defensive players should be valued – you’re talking about quarterbacks getting paid $50 million now, so it works both sides,” he said. “ … Is it that big of a drop-off from what they’re getting paid to what the top defensive guys are getting paid? Should it be?”
He wants to get into acting and business ventures after football
Like every athlete, Donald has goals for his post-playing days. He not only wants to continue working with his foundation and giving back, but he also has business ventures he’s exploring and he wants to get into acting.
He even joked that he’s coming for The Rock’s spot.
“I got certain things I want to get involved with. I got a little acting career I want to do after football,” he said. “Got different business ventures I want to be a part of, but at the end of the day, I’m the type of guy that I need to learn everything. Once I got the time to really absorb and continuing to learn the business side, I got different things I want to be a part of.”
He can’t sleep if he doesn’t watch film after a game
This won’t surprise anyone, but Donald doesn’t just go home and sleep after a game. He turns on the film of the game he just played, watches it two or three times, and tries to see what he did well and what he can improve.
“I gotta watch the film before I go to sleep, because I’m tossing and turnin,” he said. “So I’m watching that at least two, three times before I go to sleep. I’ve got to know everything I did good, everything I did bad before anybody else knows it. If they don’t put it up on the iPad, I’m going straight to the facility that night to watch the film. I gotta break it down or I just won’t be able to go to sleep. I’ll be up all night.”
All he cares about now is winning another ring
Donald has accomplished everything individually that a defensive player possibly can – outside of winning MVP, which may never happen with how favored quarterbacks are for that award. So if he returns to the Rams, he’s only doing it to win another Super Bowl. Nothing else.
“If you want to talk football, the only thing that motivates me and pushes me is trying to win another ring,” he said. “That’s it. It ain’t about no individual accolades, it’s none of that because at the end of the day, I accomplished that. I was with teams that wasn’t too good and we wasn’t winning, that (expletive) didn’t really mean nothing because if you don’t get that ultimate goal, it don’t mean nothing. The only thing I’m chasing if I play football is to get a ring. That’s it. That’s all I’m playing for.”
He’s kept in touch with Odell Beckham Jr.
When asked about Beckham, Donald immediately said “he’s a freak” and that “he’s just different.” Donald has kept in touch with Beckham, too, even talking to him recently.
“I just talked to him yesterday,” Donald said. “I know he’s working, doing everything he can to get himself ready and prepared when that time’s going to be, so hopefully it’s with the Rams.”
Donald wanted the Rams to bring everyone back so they would have a good chance to repeat as Super Bowl champions, and perhaps re-signing Beckham – after losing Von Miller – would give him another reason to return for another championship run.
He prefers Rams’ “F them picks” strategy to traditional roster-building
The Rams constructed their roster differently than other teams, choosing to trade first-round picks and other valuable selections for proven veterans like Matthew Stafford, Von Miller, Jalen Ramsey and Brandin Cooks, among others. Donald likes that aggressive approach, knowing rookies don’t always come in and have an impact right away.
“Picks is good, but you gotta think, it’s a process,” he said. “They’re gonna come in good but it’s different when you’ve got those veteran guys that got that experience, that leadership role, all that. Rookies is fine, and sometimes you might find them guys that can be them guys eventually, but if you want to win now, I think a lot of teams are taking that formula of what the Rams did.
“I’m going for the (expletive) them picks. I’m going for a veteran guy that’s got that experience, that’s playing in this league, have that success and know what it takes to get to where we’re trying to get to.”
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2022-05-31T22:46:23Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Everything we learned from Aaron Donald’s in-depth interview on ‘I Am Athlete’ podcast
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https://sports.yahoo.com/everything-learned-aaron-donald-depth-170220026.html?src=rss
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Sorry, Bears fans, there won’t be an Akiem Hicks reunion in Chicago.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Hicks is signing a one-year deal worth up to $10 million with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Hicks was considered a top free agent still on the market. For a minute, Bears fans were hoping a return to Chicago was in play. They were left speculating about Hicks’ potential return to the Bears after he posted and then quickly deleted an image of him sacking Aaron Rodgers. But Hicks cleared things up explaining he was reminiscing going through old photos.
Hicks, who spent the last six years with the Bears, was one of former GM Ryan Pace’s best free agent signings back in 2016. He quickly established himself as a force along the interior and earned a four-year, $48 million contract extension in 2017. The Bears were simply better on defense when Hicks was on the field.
Hicks earned Pro Bowl honors for his impressive outing as a member of the Bears’ top-ranked defense in 2018, where he . totaled 55 tackles, including 12 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. Last season, Hicks was limited to just nine games due to an ankle injury. He finished with 25 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
The Bears lost three starters along the defensive line this offseason in Hicks, Eddie Goldman and Bilal Nichols. Chicago’s only addition to the interior of the defensive line was Justin Jones as the starting three-technique.
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2022-05-31T22:46:29Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Former Bears DL Akiem Hicks signing one-year deal with Bucs
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https://sports.yahoo.com/former-bears-dl-akiem-hicks-175214006.html?src=rss
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The Steelers drafted quarterback Kenny Pickett with the 20th overall pick of this year’s draft and he’s slated to take over as the team’s starter sooner than later.
But that day has not yet come.
Pickett has been working as the third-team quarterback so far in OTAs, as observed by reporters on the Steelers’ beat, behind Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph.
But Pickett’s early status with the team is no surprise to him.
“I didn’t think I was going to walk in and be the 1,” Pickett said, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “It’s kind of what I was expecting, just come in here and earn everything I get.”
Head coach Mike Tomlin has said that Pickett will get a chance to compete for the starting role. And as the quarterback widely regarded as the most pro ready in the 2022 draft class, Pickett should be working with the starters at some point before the season begins.
But at this point, it appears the Steelers won’t push Pickett into anything before he’s ready.
Kenny Pickett: I didn’t think I’d walk in and be the starter originally appeared on Pro Football Talk
Another woman has accused Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct during massages. It's the first lawsuit against him since 22 others were filed in 2021.
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2022-05-31T22:47:01Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Kenny Pickett: I didn’t think I’d walk in and be the starter
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A drastic pay cut won’t stop Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb from putting in the work. This week, Cobb is leading a young group of wide receivers at voluntary OTAs, resulting in some well-deserved praise from his head coach.
“It means everything,” coach Matt LaFleur said when asked what Cobb’s presence means. “He is such a leader in that room, not only on offense but he’s been sitting there in those special teams’ meetings and doing a great job with that and being able to help a lot of these young guys out.”
Rookies Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure have yet to catch any passes from quarterback Aaron Rodgers. All three may have to wait until training camp or whenever Rodgers decides to show up. Mandatory minicamp starts next week, but no one knows if the starting quarterback will show up.
In the meantime, the young guys are watching and learning from Cobb.
“I make sure I come out and continue to push myself and work hard and to make sure that I’m creating the standard,” Cobb said via the team’s official website. “I think that’s the most important thing for myself, and why I’m here is to create that standard for (the) young guys who are coming in, so they know what’s expected and how we do things.”
Cobb is entering his 12th NFL season. His 498 receptions as a Packer rank sixth all-time in team history, most of those coming from Rodgers. If anyone knows how to build chemistry or what to expect when playing with the four-time NFL MVP, it’s Cobb.
According to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, 12 veterans were missing from Tuesday’s practice. However, Cobb was present and not just going through the motions.
.@rcobb18 routes ⚡️#GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/WwKkqJkTlM
LaFleur also pointed out that Cobb has taken it upon himself to sit in on special teams’ meetings. During his first two seasons in Green Bay, Cobb played a big role on Green Bay’s special teams, serving as the primary kick and punt returner. Over the years, Cobb has played less and less on the third unit, with age and injuries being major factors. However, before his football days are over, Cobb has a great perspective on leaving it all on the field.
“I’m so grateful for the time that I’ve had, and I have now, and I just relish the moment, take it all in because this is going on Year 12 for me,” Cobb said. “I’m going to enjoy every moment of it and enjoy the golden years because these are going the glory days that people always look back on.”
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2022-05-31T22:48:04Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Packers WR Randall Cobb is full steam ahead in Year 12
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https://sports.yahoo.com/packers-wr-randall-cobb-full-201335653.html?src=rss
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As far as reaching the pinnacle of his latest field, former Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen had it practically all cinched up leading into the week. All that was left was the announcement—which we got on Tuesday.
The franchise great has now officially been named to the lead broadcast team for Fox Sports’ NFL programming. He, as the top color commentator for the network in 2022, will join his play-by-play partner Kevin Burkhardt in the booth for the upcoming season—which lines the duo up to call Super Bowl LVII.
“FOX Sports…names three-time NFL Pro Bowler Greg Olsen as this season’s lead NFL analyst, joining renowned play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt in the booth,” read Tuesday’s statement from the network. “Veteran reporters Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi, along with trailblazing rules expert Mike Pereira, round out the team as they prepare for the network’s top regular and postseason games – culminating with FOX’s 10th all-time Super Bowl presentation.”
“’We’re thrilled to have this team steward our industry leading and award-winning coverage as we embark on our 29th NFL season, highlighted by our 10th Super Bowl,’ said FOX Sports President of Production/Operations and Executive Producer Brad Zager. ‘Last season, Kevin and Greg showed viewers their undeniable chemistry and ability to call football at an elite level. We can’t wait for fans to see what they’re going to bring to AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK, the NFL Playoffs and Super Bowl LVII.'”
This is, however, somewhat of a sweet and sour development for Olsen—who will eventually be replaced in his role by current Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady. Upon his retirement, which is expected to come at the conclusion of the 2022 campaign, the seven-time Super Bowl champion will assume the lead color duties to the tune of a massive 10-year, $375 million pact.
But, unless Brady leads his Bucs to Glendale, Ariz. on Feb. 12, this’ll be one Super Bowl Olsen will have over the winningest player in league history. Take that, Tommy!
Watch: Panthers great Greg Olsen gives team a heartfelt speech
Auburn football coach Bryan Harsin anticipates the NCAA's temporary elimination of a 25-player signing class limit will become permanent.
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2022-05-31T22:48:10Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Panthers great Greg Olsen officially named to Fox Sports’ lead booth for 2022
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https://sports.yahoo.com/panthers-great-greg-olsen-officially-211529225.html?src=rss
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Report: Colts are expected to promote Morocco Brown originally appeared on Pro Football Talk
The Wizards' first pre-draft workout features six players, all of whom have ties to the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area,
CLEVELAND (AP) The Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday hired former Los Angeles Lakers coach Luke Walton as an assistant under J.B. Bickerstaff. The 42-year-old Walton finished his 11-year NBA playing career with the Cavs in 2012 before getting into coaching.
Julio Urias takes the mound for the Dodgers as Los Angeles is a 2.5-run favorite.
With confidence Morocco will pose a suitable challenge, it's down to Berhalter's players to prove they deserve a seat on the plane to Doha.
Brenden Aaronson was in a cafe in Vienna not too long ago, viewing Leeds' season finale against Brentford. The American midfielder had a deal to join the Whites, but it was contingent on Premier League survival. Aaronson's contract was announced Friday, a five-year deal for the 21-year-old from Medford, New Jersey.
Former NFL safety Malcolm Jenkins made plenty of memories during his lengthy career, including victories in Super Bowl XLIV and LII. Asked by Kevin Hart in the new episode of Cold as Balls for his biggest memory from winning the title with the Eagles to cap the 2017 season, Jenkins didn’t hesitate. “I just remember [more]
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2022-05-31T22:48:23Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Report: Colts are expected to promote Morocco Brown
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https://sports.yahoo.com/report-colts-expected-promote-morocco-193619240.html?src=rss
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Last season, the Miami Dolphins were without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for five games due to injury which forced them to start Jacoby Brissett.
Miami went 2-3 in those games, but one of those wins came against the Baltimore Ravens when Tagovailoa played the second half, leading to 16 of the team’s 22 points that day.
The Dolphins’ front office and new coaching staff knew that they needed to upgrade at backup this offseason, so they brought in Teddy Bridgewater and Chris Streveler to be the second and third strings respectively. However, during the 2022 NFL draft, Miami used their seventh-round pick on quarterback Skylar Thompson out of Kansas State.
Since then, Thompson has already beaten out Streveler, giving him the third spot on the depth chart for now.
While there’s not a ton of opportunity for the public to see what’s going on at OTAs and minicamps, a lot is put into the word of the experts who have gotten to see him before he entered the NFL.
This week, Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy spoke to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson and explained what the Dolphins got in Thompson.
“We liked him. Going back a couple years, we were watching him quite a bit. Met him at the Manning camp. Really liked him. I thought his age [24] would force him to go undrafted. Good athlete, gritty kid, he plays the position well. He processes well, makes good decisions. It has been a durability thing and an age thing with him.
“We had good grades on Skylar the last couple years. You’re drafting a guy you anticipate competing for in undrafted free agency, so by picking him in the seventh round [you avoid needing to compete with other teams to sign him]. He is a good quarterback.”
It’s unclear whether or not head coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier want to enter the 2022 NFL season with two or three quarterbacks on the active roster. Either way, Thompson has a good shot to stick around on the 53-man or on the practice squad.
If, over the next few seasons, he can develop into a competent backup that the team has confidence in, the pick will be considered a definite success. However, fans will hope he never sees the field because that means their starters are healthy and playing well.
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2022-05-31T22:48:42Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy discusses Dolphins QB Skylar Thompson as an NFL prospect
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https://sports.yahoo.com/senior-bowl-director-jim-nagy-195015589.html?src=rss
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers added a veteran to their defensive front on Tuesday, signing defensive lineman Akiem Hicks to a one-year deal worth up to $10 million. Adam Schefter from ESPN was the first to report the deal on social media:
Hicks is not the only addition the Buccaneers made to their defensive line this off-season. Tampa Bay added Logan Hall in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft, a defender who can play on the outside as well as kicking inside.
Hicks broke into the league with the New Orleans Saints and spent part of a season with the New England Patriots, but the past few years have seen him in Chicago with the Bears. He was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2018, when he recorded 55 total tackles and 7.5 sacks. His 8.5 sacks back in 2017 with the Bears represent his career-high mark.
He played in just nine games a season ago, as he dealt with ankle and groin injuries He still managed 25 total tackles and 3.5 sacks in limited action.
With the Hicks acquisition, it looks like Ndamukong Suh’s time with the organization will come to an end, as Suh remains a free agent. But the pairing of Hicks and Vita Vea on the inside will cause some headaches for opposing offenses this fall.
The White Sox will be without their All-Star shortstop for a little bit, but will get their superstar centerfielder back for the Blue Jays series.
Detroit Tigers lineup vs. Minnesota Twins in Game 2 of DH: Kody Clemens hits behind Torkelson
Detroit Tigers (18-30) vs. Minnesota Twins (30-20) in Game 2 of doubleheader set for 7:10 p.m.; Comerica Park; Bally Sports Detroit; WXYT-FM (97.1).
How should the Red Sox make their bullpen work until reinforcements can arrive in July? John Tomase lays out his three-step plan.
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2022-05-31T22:49:00Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers sign defensive lineman Akiem Hicks
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General manager Nick Caserio gathering draft capital is beneficial for the Houston Texans because it allows them the opportunity to secure veteran talent that may be on the trade block.
According to Brad Spielberger from Pro Football Focus, one candidate that is on the trade block — or could be outright released after June 1 — is San Francisco 49ers defense end Dee Ford. After signing a five-year, $85 million extension with the 49ers following the Kansas City Chiefs trading their former 2014 first-rounder in the 2018 offseason, Ford hasn’t exactly been as formidable.
Before injuries derailed his career, Ford was coming off a dominant 2018 campaign in which he earned a 91.0 pass-rush grade with 78 quarterback pressures, 13 sacks and seven forced fumbles. It’s unfortunate we never got to see an attempted repeat performance, but perhaps he’ll make one last push on a new team in 2022.
The 49ers would have to eat $5.8 million in dead salary cap space if they moved on from Ford, whether by trade or by outright release. The cap savings would be paltry at $1.1 million for San Francisco.
The last four years of Ford’s contract are voided, according to Over the Cap, and the Texans would have a potential out in 2023, but he would count as an $8.6 million dead cap hit for Houston if they released him prior to June 1. However, it would give the Texans a chance to revitalize the career of an effective edge defender while retooling the defense.
For the Texans to complete the rebuild, it will involve taking chances on veteran talent that has tapered off in recent seasons. Ford is 31 years old and may still have a good season or two left in him.
Houston is already giving opportunities to older pass rushers such as Jerry Hughes, 33, and Mario Addison, 34. Ford would still have a couple good years left if he were able to restore his career in Houston.
Snoop Dogg Reveals Mount Westmore’s Album Release Date With Ice Cube, E-40, And Too $hort
The group made its debut in April 2021 at the Triller Fight Club.
Udonis Haslem unsure if he’s returning next season, could retire
Barry Jackson: Udonis Haslem unsure if returning next season. "I will take my time and sit down the family, Pat, Micky and talk about what's next and where it goes. Now is time to take a mental break and figure it out." Source: Twitter ...
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2022-05-31T22:49:07Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Texans should take a chance on 49ers DE Dee Ford
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The Houston Texans are continuing to refine their offseason roster as they work through organized team activities.
The team announced Tuesday they have waived former Missouri receiver Damon Hazelton.
Hazelton, 25, was an undrafted free agent who spent portions of the 2021 offseason and training camp with the Texans. Houston initially waived the 6-3, 215-pound wideout on Aug. 11, 2021, and the Green Bay Packers signed Hazelton nine days later.
The Packers waived Hazelton at the end of preseason to finalize their 53-man roster.
Houston signed Hazelton to their practice squad on Oct. 6, but released on Dec. 8 to only sign him back to the practice squad three days later. The Texans signed Hazelton to a reserve/future contract on Jan. 11.
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2022-05-31T22:49:26Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Texans waive former Missouri WR Damon Hazelton
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Back in 2020, the folks at Pro Football Focus sparked a serious debate in the NFL community when they ranked George Kittle ahead of Travis Kelce in their preseason position rankings.
This came on the back of Super Bowl LIV, so fans were particularly salty about Kelce not being recognized as the top tight end in the league entering the season. Kelce proved the rankings wrong during the 2020 NFL season, earning the No. 1 spot from PFF in their tight end rankings ahead of the 2021 NFL season after posting a record-breaking year. Now, for the second consecutive season, Kelce has bested Kittle for the top spot.
Here is what PFF’s Anthony Treash had to say about Kelce earning in the No. 1 spot of their elite tier:
Kelce finished the 2021 regular season with 92 receptions for 1,125 yards and nine touchdowns. He also posted his longest catch-and-run (69 yards vs. Chargers) since the 2016 NFL season when he had an 80-yard touchdown reception against the Broncos. He’s shown no sign of slowing down, recording his sixth consecutive season of over 1,000 receiving yards.
Treash wrote that if Kittle keeps up his current pace, he’ll be right there with Kelce as one of the greatest tight ends of the PFF era. For now, Kelce continues to have a stranglehold over the top spot. With Tyreek Hill out of the picture, he’s poised to have a more prominent role within the Kansas City offense in 2022.
Ravens officially sign Kyle Fuller to contract
The Ravens officially signed cornerback Kyle Fuller to a contract
Is Taking Out a HELOC Right for You?
A home equity line of credit (HELOC) might be a good financial move for homeowners with flexible budgets and controlled spending habits.
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2022-05-31T22:49:32Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Travis Kelce bests George Kittle in PFF’s tight end rankings
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Going into this 2022 college football season, there are some big questions for the North Carolina Tar Heels. They are coming off a disappointing season in 2021 after high expectations.
But one player that isn’t a question mark and can be relied on is wide receiver Josh Downs.
In 2021, Downs had a breakout year with quarterback Sam Howell as he caught 101 passes for 1,335 yards and 8 touchdowns. Outside of Howell, he was UNC’s best player and that should be the case again this season.
On Tuesday, NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper released his big board of top 25 prospects for the 2023 draft as well as the top 10 at each position. While Downs wasn’t listed among the top 25, he was ranked as a top 5 prospect at wide receiver.
Only Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Ohio State), Kayshon Boutte (LSU) and Jordan Addison (USC) were ranked higher than Downs on the list as he came in at number four.
Downs has been mocked in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft already, landing at the back end. But another big year from the talented receiver could see his stock move up even more.
Is the UNC football program the leader for this three-star wide receiver out of North Carolina?
Former Trojan leading charge as sports mental health advocate
The UNC baseball program will host a regional in the 2022 NCAA Baseball tournament, as the regional sites were announced on Sunday night.
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2022-05-31T22:49:45Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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UNC wide receiver Josh Downs named top 5 prospect at his position
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https://sports.yahoo.com/unc-wide-receiver-josh-downs-215817116.html?src=rss
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Celtics' Ime Udoka reveals three teams that passed on him for head coach jobs originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics are headed to the 2022 NBA Finals after defeating the Miami Heat on the road in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
One of the main reasons why Boston is just four wins away from the franchise's 18th championship is the brilliance of its rookie head coach, Ime Udoka.
Udoka has proven to be a great fit with this roster. He's maximized the production of so many players on the roster by putting them in the right roles to succeed. He's done an excellent job holding these players accountable, too, and pushing them hard enough to see consistent improvement. His defensive smarts have helped transform the Celtics into the league's most feared team on that end of the floor. He often makes the right adjustments, whether it's in-game tweaks or changes between games during a playoff series.
Forsberg: Celtics headed to Finals after taking on Udoka's personality
Simply put, the Celtics made a great hire bringing in Udoka at the beginning of the season.
But Udoka's journey to the head coaching ranks was not an easy one. Udoka was a highly regarded assistant for several years, and yet he was consistently passed over by teams with head coach vacancies.
In an interview with Yahoo! Sports' Chris Haynes after the Celtics' Game 7 win over the Miami Heat, Udoka revealed three teams that made him a finalist for their head coach job but ultimately chose the other candidate.
"You really want me to tell you? Detroit, Indiana, Cleveland," Udoka said. "I can go down the list. That was tough because I believe I was ready.
"But I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of an organization that’s pushing for winning and championships. You can be in a lot of different situations. There are only 30 teams and I get that, but to not be in a rebuild and being in an expectation pressure-filled situation, I wouldn’t trade that in any day."
Finishing second so many times had to be frustrating, but it all worked out in the end for Udoka, who landed one of the most prestigious coaching jobs in sports with the Celtics.
Instead of trying to rebuild the Pistons or lead good-but-not great Pacers and Cavaliers squads, Udoka now is in charge of leading one of the league's most complete roster, headlined by two young stars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
It wouldn't be surprising if Udoka is the head coach in Boston for a long time.
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2022-06-01T07:21:45Z
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Celtics' Ime Udoka reveals three teams that passed on him for head coach jobs
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Latest injury updates on GP2, Porter and Iguodala before Finals originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
SAN FRANCISCO -- With the 2022 NBA Finals two days away, the Warriors could be getting some key reinforcements in the near future. Tuesday was another big step forward for Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr. and Andre Iguodala.
"Gary, Andre and Otto all took part fully in practice today," Steve Kerr said to reporters. "We did not do a live scrimmage, but we did do kind of scout-team work, half-court offense and defense.
"It was definitely work that was ramped up. Seems like everybody got through it well, but we'll know more tomorrow and then we'll have another practice tomorrow."
The Warriors also will do more contact work Wednesday, which will be a big indication of how close to a return Payton, Porter and Iguodala all are.
Payton sustained a fractured left elbow in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Memphis Grizzlies, not even three minutes into the contest. He has missed Golden State's last nine games. As a left-handed shooter, the injury of course further complicates his comeback.
The question is, even as more of a defensive specialist, can Payton shoot right now?
"He has extended his range over the last week or so," Kerr said. "That's part of what he'll be doing tomorrow as we determine whether he'll be able to play."
Payton wouldn't get into specifics, instead saying he "still has a lot of boxes to check off." Clearly his shooting range is one of them. He's keeping the rest under wraps.
Obviously, he isn't back to 100-percent healthy while still wanting to do anything he can to help contribute to the Warriors in his first Finals appearance.
His return to help slow down Boston would be a major boost for the Warriors, too.
"Starting to feel normal," Payton said. "Still not me yet."
RELATED: Photography, friendship sparks lifetime bond for Poole, Jimenez
Porter, who missed Game 6 of the second round with right foot soreness, has missed the Warriors' last two games to left foot soreness. He sustained the injury early in the second quarter of the Warriors' Game 3 win against the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference finals.
He was a plus-27 in the first two games of the conference finals, and is a plus-91 overall this postseason in 13 games. Porter in the playoffs has scored in double figures four times and has grabbed at least five rebounds five times.
Iguodala last played in Game 4 of the first round. A lingering neck issue has sidelined him for the past 12 games. In the meantime, he essentially has served as an extra coach on the Warriors' bench.
For how invaluable his basketball knowledge and leadership is, getting him back on the court would be a welcome sight for Kerr and the rest of the Warriors. If this is indeed Iguodala's final season, there also isn't a better way for the 38-year-old to go out than as a champion once again with the Warriors.
‘A waste of a year’ and yet also pride in fight to the finish for Heat, Lowry, Butler, Adebayo, Spoelstra
In coming days, weeks, months, there will be time for reflection. Fulfillment, however, can’t be immediate, even after advancing within one victory of the NBA Finals. So, instead, you wind up with Kyle Lowry in the same dark place where so many other Miami Heat players before him have finished, including LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Tim Hardaway and even Jimmy Butler as recently as the 2020 NBA ...
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2022-06-01T07:22:04Z
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Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr., Andre Iguodala Warriors injury updates
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SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. – It wasn’t a coincidence that Michelle Wie West’s announcement to step away from the LPGA proceeded U.S. Women’s Open week.
“[The U.S. Women’s Open] means everything to me,” Wie West told the media on Tuesday. “It was the one tournament I wanted to win ever since I started playing golf. If I hadn't won the 2014 U.S. Open, I definitely wouldn't retire, and I would still be out here playing and chasing that win.”
Only 32, Wie West has competed on the LPGA for 13 years. During that time, she earned five wins, including her lone major at Pinehurst No. 2. She will cap off her professional career with two U.S. Women’s Open starts, this week at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club and next year at Pebble Beach.
“I have zero regrets in my career,” reflected Wie West. “I have definitely had an up-and-down career, but I'm extremely proud for the resiliency that I've shown.” Wie West elaborated that she accomplished her two biggest dreams: graduating from Stanford and winning a U.S. Open. “To check both of those off the list means everything to me,” she said. “I'm very proud of myself. I've always wished I would have done more, but I feel like everyone kind of feels that way, so I'm definitely giving myself some grace and enjoying this last week.
Wie West, who gave birth to daughter Makenna in June 2020, hasn’t been able to prepare the way in which she’d like for such a big event. She’s keeping her expectations realistic this week.
“I definitely haven't had the practice schedule that I usually do leading up to a U.S. Open,” she said. “This week, I'm just soaking it all in. Just seeing all the fans, seeing all the players, walking the walk. It's pretty cool. Obviously, the competitive side of me wants to win and do the best I can.”
Wie West may be retiring from the LPGA, but she will continue to remain involved in women’s golf. Specifically, Wie West will lead a new women’s initiative with equipment company LA Golf, with the goal for equitable support on and off the course for LPGA players.
How to watch the U.S. Women's Open on NBC Sports, USA and Peacock
“[With LA Golf] we want to kind of change the sponsorship landscape, and like I said, just show that female athletes deserve better. We're coming out with a full healthcare benefits plan, paid maternity leave, paid mental health days, and travel, just making everything more seamless,” she said. “I just know as a female athlete, travel is not as glamorous as what people think. We just want to create a more seamless experience for female athletes and just kind of show them what they're really worth.”
Wie West admits she will miss the stimulation she gets from competitive golf. “That's the hardest part about moving away, it's because there is nothing else that will recreate that feeling,” she said. “But also I've done it for a very long time, and I'm just looking forward to spending more time with my family. I'll miss the players and the camaraderie out here. But I've kept in touch. I think still being so involved in the industry and the tour, it's really helped me to really keep in touch with a lot of people. I'm very excited for what happens next.”
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2022-06-01T07:22:23Z
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Michelle Wie West exits having won the Big One, and with 'zero regrets'
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In a match that Rafael Nadal had warned might be his last at the French Open, he dispatched longtime rival Novak Djokovic to reach the semifinals, two match wins from a record-extending 14th Roland Garros title.
Nadal, who turns 36 on Friday, ousted the top-ranked Serb 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4) in a night match that ended after 1 a.m. in Paris. In Friday’s semifinals, he gets No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev, who upset Nadal’s 19-year-old countryman Carlos Alcaraz 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7).
The Nadal-Zverev winner will likely be the favorite in Sunday’s final given the top two seeds in the other half of the draw lost in the round of 16.
After Alcaraz was eliminated, it became clear that the Nadal-Djokovic winner would become the clear title favorite. Nadal narrowed the margin in their rivalry — the most prolific in men’s tennis history in the Open Era — to 30-29 in favor of Djokovic.
Nadal, though he won the Australian Open in January in Djokovic’s absence, came into this tournament as an underdog behind Djokovic and Alcaraz.
A foot injury that first bothered him in 2005 — when he won his first French Open title at age 19 — has become an increasing problem and impacted his lead-up to Roland Garros. He failed to win a clay-court tournament before coming to Paris for the first time in his career (not counting COVID-affected 2020).
Nadal also needed five sets, four hours and 21 minutes to win his previous match Sunday, a fourth-rounder against Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime. Meanwhile, Djokovic marched into Tuesday’s match under the lights — adverse conditions for Nadal compared to the day — having not dropped a set in his first four matches.
But it is Nadal who advances, bidding to extend his record with a 22nd major singles title. Djokovic is tied with Roger Federer at 20. If Nadal lifts another Coupe des Mousquetaires on Sunday, then the 35-year-old Djokovic, who after last year’s Wimbledon was tied with Nadal and Federer, cannot take the lead until 2023 at the earliest.
U.S. women’s hockey team gets new head coach Finland follows first Olympic hockey gold with world title; U.S. loses bronze... Pre Classic: Elaine Thompson-Herah wins, Sha’Carri Richardson is back
Rafael Nadal beats Novak Djokovic in French Open quarterfinals originally appeared on NBCSports.com
After months of wrangling, the European Union has reached a deal. It’s aiming to block more than two-thirds of Russian oil – a move that the union’s council chief says will cut off a huge source of financing for Russia in its conflict with Ukraine. Charlie D’Agata is in London with the latest.
Lukaku returned to Chelsea in a club-record £98million deal last summer but scored only 15 goals in all competitions
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2022-06-01T07:22:36Z
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Rafael Nadal beats Novak Djokovic in French Open quarterfinals
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SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. – Annika Sorenstam is familiar with Pine Needles, having successfully defending her U.S. Women’s Open title here in 1996. But this year, the atmosphere will look and feel a little different. She now has her husband, Mike, on her bag and her two children, Will and Ava, cheering for her in the gallery.
“We're excited to be here. We're going to enjoy it,” Sorenstam said on Tuesday. “We're going to hit some shots, and just soak up the atmosphere. I want the kids to see what it's like to play in an Open. My goal is obviously to play the best I can. I know what I'm capable of. I can hit fairways and greens. I can make putts.”
Sorenstam earned an exemption into this year’s championship after winning last year’s U.S. Senior Women’s Open at NCR Country Club in Kettering, Ohio, where she shot 12 under to win by eight strokes.
This will be her first USWO start since 2008, when she holed out for eagle on the 72nd hole. Sorenstam retired after the ’08 season, wrapping up a career that consisted of 72 tour wins and 10 majors, including three U.S. Women’s Open victories (1995, 1996 and 2006).
Sorenstam recognizes the greatest challenge this week will be the length of the golf course, which is playing over 6,600 yards. “I'm a different position now than in '96, where I was probably one of the longest off the tee and would hit last into the greens. Now it's the reverse,” Sorenstam said. “Today, I'm standing there with hybrids. I'm not in a spot right now in my career where I can attack these hole locations. I'm going to be aggressive with what I have, but then conservative in just hitting greens.”
Sorenstam elaborated on this challenge when describing her Tuesday practice round with three-time Solheim Cup player Meghan Khang. “We were on [No.] 15. I hit a shot, and it was good. I turned to Mike and said, ‘My body is starting to stiffen up.’ Then Megan hit a shot, and she ripped it. She goes, ‘Finally, I'm getting loose.’ I'm, like, hmm,” Sorenstam laughed. “I just told Mike I'm stiffening up and you're getting loose. Here we go.”
Sorenstam said she doesn’t have a target score in mind, but “feels good” about her game. “If you think about the time I've put in and the time that I have, I'm there where I can be,” she said. “We'll just see where that takes me. This is really everything I have. I'm going to make the most out of it.”
U.S. Women’s Open will put accuracy at premium on renovated Pine Needles course
Pine Needles was designed by legendary golf architect Donald Ross and was restored in 2017 by Kyle Franz.
Where Wisconsin football ranks in ESPN’s SP+ metric ahead of 2022 season
A look at where Wisconsin lands in ESPN's SP+ rankings
The fast-tracked purchase of English soccer club Chelsea for 2.5 billion pounds ($3.2 billion) — the highest price ever paid for a sports team — was completed Monday by a consortium fronted by Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly. It marked the end of the trophy-filled, 19-year tenure of Roman Abramovich, the Russian oligarch who was forced to sell the club in March after being sanctioned by the British government for what it called his enabling of Russian President Vladimir Putin's “brutal and barbaric invasion” of Ukraine. “We are honored to become the new custodians of Chelsea Football Club,” said Boehly, who attended some of the team's games in recent weeks.
Jon Rahm, a should-be two-time champion, recounts unfortunate 2021 withdrawal
Jon Rahm had a six-shot lead entering the final round of the 2021 Memorial Tournament before having to withdraw. Now he's back to reclaim his title.
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2022-06-01T07:22:55Z
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Annika Sorenstam on the biggest difference between her game now and in 1996
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Io Dodds and Gustaf Kilander
Lia Thomas watches poolside at the NCAA championship on 16 March 2022 (Brett Davis/USA TODAY Sports)
On 17 March, Lia Thomas became the first openly transgender athlete to win America's top trophy in university sports when she swam to victory in the women's 500 yard (457 meter) freestyle race.
Ms Thomas, 22, won first place in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) first division swimming championship, her final competition as a college athlete.
Amid her success, though, Ms Thomas has become a lightning rod in the debate about trans women in sport, as well as a target for much of the American right.
Her right to compete in women's races, and sometimes her gender itself, has been attacked by sports stars, politicians, activists, her competitors, and even some of her teammates’ parents, as well as protesters at the NCAA championship last week, who argued that her time living as a man gives her an unfair advantage.
Florida's Republican governor Ron DeSantis, who last year approved legislation banning trans women from high school and college women's sports, even signed a proclamation on Tuesday declaring 500-yard runner-up Emma Weyant the "rightful winner".
Yet in all this, there has been scant detail about how Ms Thomas's performance actually compares to other women at her level. The Independent crunched the numbers – and found little evidence that she poses any threat to women's sport.
How hormone therapy transforms trans athletes' bodies
Ms Thomas began swimming at the age of five, and came out to her family in summer 2018. She began to use her new name Lia Catherine Thomas, on new year's day in 2020.
“In a way, it was sort of a rebirth," she told Sports Illustrated in an interview this year. "For the first time in my life, feeling fully connected to my name and who I am and living who I am."
It was May 2019 when she began gender-affirming hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which involves taking supplements of estrogen or testosterone to bring a trans person’s hormones in line with that of a cisgender (or non-transgender) person. This is usually the first step in what's known as "medical" transition, as opposed to social transition (such as changing how you dress).
Lia Thomas holds her trophy after winning the 500 yard freestyle at the NCAA women’s swimming championship on 17 March 2022 (Brett Davis/USA TODAY Sports)
Men and women typically have naturally different hormone balances, although there is much variation within each sex. As we grow, those hormones cause our bodies to develop in different ways, which is why male athletes tend to perform at higher levels than female athletes.
However, our bodies still retain the capacity to respond to new hormones in adulthood, and so HRT causes radical changes to a person's secondary sex characteristics.
For trans women, that means growing breasts, thinning body hair, changes to their emotions, shifting body fat into an "hourglass" shape, and – most relevantly to sports – drops in muscle mass and strength.
Both the NCAA and the Olympics allow trans women to compete in women's events once they have been on HRT for a certain length of time, and as long as tests show their testosterone is below certain levels. There are different rules for trans men, because their pre-HRT performance is similar to cis women and they tend to gain strength and muscle mass from HRT.
Opponents of trans women's inclusion argue that these changes are not enough to erase the natural advantages of growing up with testosterone. The scientific evidence is mixed, and post-HRT trans women do not currently dominate professional sport.
Ms Thomas skipped the 2020-21 swimming season, and so she has now been on HRT for nearly three years. According to Sports Illustrated, she lost strength and an inch of her height on HRT, making it impossible for her to match her performance.
So how does she perform as a swimmer today?
Thomas won her race – but didn’t break records
Let's look first at Ms Thomas's record in the NCAA. While some of her fastest times have been in other competitions, these are the easiest results to access and compare across multiple years and athletes.
All statistics in this article are for "short course yards" races, meaning they were done in a 25-yard pool.
Ms Thomas won the women's 500 yard freestyle race in 4m 33.24s. She came fifth in the 200 yard race, with 1m 43.40s, and eighth in the 100 yard race with 48.40s.
These were impressive results, but they weren't record-breaking. Though the overall competition saw 27 all-time NCAA records broken, Ms Thomas's times weren't among them.
A whopping 18 of those were broken by Kate Douglass of the University of Virginia (UVA), who now has the fastest times in US college history in the 50 yard freestyle, the 100 yard butterfly stroke, and the 200 yard breaststroke.
"It is easy to see how dominant Kate Douglass has become in the sport," wrote Swimming World. "Many dominant swimmers have had three titles, and even three records, in one meet. But no swimmer in NCAA women’s history has ever won three different strokes in a single meet that involve the breaststroke, let alone three records."
Other records were broken by Katherine Berkoff of North Carolina State University and Alex Walsh of UVA, as well as UVA's medley teams in several events.
According to an Independent search of women's records listed by USA Swimming, the US' national governing body for the sport, Ms Thomas's 500 yard time makes her the 15th fastest college swimmer, about nine seconds behind Katie Ledecky's record in 2017.
Her swimming times are on par with cis women
How do these times compare to other women in the top ranks of US college swimming?
The Independent compiled a dataset of swim times for all top 8 NCAA women's finishers over the last six years of competition in various events. 2020 was excluded because all NCAA championships were cancelled that year due to the pandemic.
In other words, this data only includes the absolute best college swimmers in these events. It goes back far enough to cover Katie Ledecky's 4m 24.06s record in the 500 yard race and Missy Franklin's 1m 38.10s record in the 200 yard race, both of which still stand today.
In this field, Ms Thomas's time in the 500 yards is the eighth fastest out of 56. That is notable because there are only seven events in the dataset, meaning there are some where her time would have only place her third.
Protesters hold a press conference outside the NCAA women’s swimming championship in Georgia on 17 Mar 2022 (Brett Davis/USA TODAY Sports)
In the 100 yard race, her time is 55th out of 56 in The Independent's data, and her time in the 200 yard race is the 31st out of 5.
Her 500 yard time of 4m 33.24 is just above the average (4m 36.07s), while her 100 yard time of 48.18s is just below average (47.06s), as is her 200 yard time of 1m 43.24s (compared to 1m42.85).
The Independent also looked at numbers for the 500 yard men's race, where Ms Thomas has competed at a high level in both men's and women's events, from 2015 to 2021. There, her finishing time is more than 20 seconds below the men's average.
How fast did Thomas swim before going on HRT?
Some critics of Ms Thomas' participation have pointed to her record before transitioning, when she competed in men's races, claiming that moving into the women's has improved her overall position.
Nancy Hogshead-Makar, an Olympic gold medalist swimmer and women's sports activist, wrote that Ms Thomas was "never in that category of standout athlete", while the editor of Swimming World said Ms Thomas had ranked 554th in the men's 200 yard freestyle, 65th in the 500 yard freestyle, and 32nd in the 1650 yard freestyle.
Yet those comparisons may not be fair, because HRT appears to have changed Ms Thomas's capacity over long distances. In men's races, her best events were the 1,000 yard and 1,650 yard freestyle, whereas at this year’s NCAA championship she did not compete in those at all, according to Swimcloud.
Kyle Sockwell, a former NCAA swimmer who helped draw attention to a fake Twitter account impersonating one of Ms Thomas's NCAA competitors, also noted that her 200 yard freestyle time was not at a full championship competition and was not "tapered", meaning she did not reduce her training to rest just before the race, as many swimmers do to maximise performance.
The 2022 Women's NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships are in the books and will go down in the history books for the wrong reason. One of the fastest and deepest meets in the history of the sport was overshadowed by controversy, confusion, and artificial interest in the meet.
According to a search of USA Swimming records, in the last season where Ms Thomas competed in men's events, she came in ninth across the entire country in the 1,000 yard freestyle and 29th in the 1,650 yard freestyle.
"Lia Thomas was an elite and competitive swimmer while on the men's team at the University of Pennsylvania," says Mr Sockwell. "[The 1650 yard] event would have had Lia in the top 30-34 in the country and right on the bubble of making NCAAs.”
Schuyler Bailar, the first openly trans swimmer in the NCAA men’s first division, who is now reportedly a friend and adviser to Ms Thomas, similarly wrote: “ Lia was absolutely a standout athlete when she was competing on the men’s team... it is far from abnormal or unlikely for an athlete to go from being ranked 11th to 1st in the span of a few years.”
Ms Hogshead-Makar also drew attention to the difference between Ms Thomas's pre-HRT times and her times today. Her best time in the 500 yards was 5.6 per cent slower than before transition, while her 1,000 yards time was 7.5 per cent slower and her 1,650 yards time was 7.2 per cent slower.
That is less than the 10 to 11 per cent gap Ms Hogshead-Makar says is usually found between men's and women's races. However, according to the LGBT sports news site OutSport, the difference in NCAA men and women's records varies by distance: 11.2 per cent for the 200 yards, 7.2 per cent for the 500 yards, and 6 per cent for the 1,650 yards.
It is also possible that Ms Thomas' old times do not represent how fast she'd swim if she had never begun HRT. They date from an earlier point in her evolution as a swimmer, and therefore would not reflect any improvements in her technique or mindset since then.
"This is our only real case study where a competitive male swimmer has transitioned to female and been very competitive as well," warns Mr Sockwell. "It's all very new."
'No one says a cis woman can't compete because she won'
These statistics seem largely in line with those of trans athletes across the world. Although trans women have been allowed to compete in women's Olympics since 2004, none have won a medal.
Yet numbers can only tell us so much. Trans advocates argue that even if trans women were winning more competitions, that would not prove they had an unfair advantage, nor would it justify their exclusion from women's events.
Indeed, it would be strange to contend that trans women should only be allowed to compete in women's sports as long as they never win anything.
The idea that she has competed as a woman "because she couldn't compete as a male" is ridiculous considering exactly how close she was to beating male records before transition.
If anything, this shows how much transition affects even elite athletes.
— Erin Reed (@ErinInTheMorn) December 30, 2021
"This argument should never have to be made," said Mr Bailar on Instagram this week. "No one says a cis women is allowed to compete because she 'didn’t dominate.' They say 'wow, look how much Katie Ledecky wins by, she’s untouchable, that’s amazing!'
"This isn't to prove that trans women can't be great athletes, or win, or even dominate. It is to prove that people are lying to you in order to turn you against trans women athletes."
In a blog post, Mr Bailar also notes that exceptional athletes are often biologically unusual, from the long-armed Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps to the intersex runner Caster Semenya, who has been subject to baseless claims that she is is secretly a trans woman and was barred from the Olympics unless she undergoes hormone therapy.
The average height of a top US women's basketball player is around 6ft, according to the Washington Post, with the tallest player in 2022 being 6ft 9in. That is not only taller than the average American woman's height of 5ft 4in but also the average man's height of 5ft 9in.
Describing Katie Ledecky, who is cis, Olympic champion swimmer Ryan Lochte even said: “She swims like a guy. Her stroke, her mentality – she’s so strong in the water. I’ve never seen a female swimmer like that.”
Hence, trans advocates ask, why should a woman's gender history be treated differently from these other natural bodily variations, especially when trans women in top competitions are already required to regulate their hormones to stay in play?
That is a question statistics alone cannot answer.
Thomas breaks silence over attacks on her swimming success
Ms Thomas spoke out against the attacks on her success, saying that “trans women are not a threat to women’s sport”.
Ms Thomas said in an interview with ABC’s Good Morning America broadcast on 31 May that she hopes to compete in the Olympics trials.
She noted that some cisgender women are taller, have larger feet and hands, and also have more testosterone than other swimmers.
“You can’t go halfway and be like ‘I support trans people but only to a certain point’,” she told ABC.
“If you support trans women and they’ve met all the NCAA requirements, I don’t know if you can say something like that,” she added.
“Trans women are not a threat to women’s sport,” Ms Thomas said.
“There’s a lot of factors that go into a race and how well you do. The biggest change for me is that I’m happy and sophomore year where I had my best times competing with men, I was miserable,” she added. “Having that be lifted is incredibly relieving and allows me to put my all into training and racing.”
“Trans people don’t transition for athletics. We transition to be happy and authentic and to be ourselves,” Ms Thomas told Good Morning America. “Transition to get an advantage is not something that factors into our decisions.”
Ms Thomas said she was willing to end her swimming career to transition, adding that she wasn’t sure that she would be permitted to compete as a woman.
She said she became a slower swimmer after starting hormone replacement therapy.
Mayo Clinic doctor Michael Joyner told The New York Times that “you see the divergence immediately as the testosterone surges into the boys”.
“There are dramatic differences in performances,” he added.
“There are social aspects to sport, but physiology and biology underpin it,” Dr Joyner said. “Testosterone is the 800-pound gorilla.”
He told Good Morning America that “body size, hand size, foot size, and perhaps bone density,” all factor into performances, “but the main thing is the interactions of exercise training and skeletal muscle”.
“I think that evidence so far would suggest a period of a year, two, three or even four years” of hormone replacement therapy “is insufficient,” he said.
“I’m not a medical expert but there’s a lot of variation among cis female athletes. There are cis women who are tall, muscular and have more testosterone. Should that also disqualify them?” Ms Thomas responded.
“It’s been a goal of mine to swim at Olympic trials for a very long time. I would love to see that through,” she told ABC.
Sports physiologist Dr Ross Tucker told The New York Times that “Lia Thomas is the manifestation of the scientific evidence. The reduction in testosterone did not remove her biological advantage”.
This article was amended on 25 March 2022. It originally stated that HRT involved taking supplements of estrogen and testosterone to bring a trans person’s hormones in line with that of a cisgender (or non-transgender) person, but that should have read estrogen or testosterone.
Boston Celtics reach NBA Finals the hard way after wild series vs. Miami Heat | Opinion
After a sometimes chaotic Eastern Conference finals against the Heat, the Celtics are back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010.
Football pundits' stock - who's up and who's down in our end of season review?
The 2021-2022 football season draws to a close, consumed by many of us mainly or indeed purely via TV and streaming. It’s frightening to think how many hours one spends a week in the company of these sharp suited pundit people, isn’t it? Here, we analyse whose football-on-TV stock has risen this season like a magnificent salmon at the far post, and whose has fallen like the value of a Luke Shaw NFT.
Arlo White will not return to NBC's coverage of the Premier League when the season begins in August, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. White will be replaced by Peter Drury, who has been calling the top Premier League games since 1998, recently on the league’s world feed. England’s Daily Mail and World Soccer Talk were the first to report on the move.
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2022-06-01T07:23:13Z
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Critics accuse trans swimming star Lia Thomas of having an unfair advantage. The data tells a different story
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Is Jayson Tatum a superstar? Jimmy Butler gives emphatic answer after Game 7 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum delivered when it mattered most against the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
He scored 12 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter as Boston held on for a 100-96 win at FTX Arena to punch its ticket to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010.
Tatum finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and one steal in 46 minutes. It was an excellent all-around performance that helped earn him the Larry Bird Trophy as Eastern Conference Finals MVP.
Heat star Jimmy Butler had an unbelievable series and was a major reason why Miami nearly pulled off a stunning late fourth quarter comeback Sunday night. He had enormous praise for Tatum after the game.
"He does everything," Butler said. "Shoot the ball, playing the pick-and-roll, he passes the ball incredibly well, gets out in transition. He's a superstar, and he deserves that. They deserve the win. I wish them the best moving forward. He's one hell of a player, that's for damn sure."
The Celtics will need a superstar-level showing from Tatum to beat the Golden State Warriors in the Finals. The Warriors are the highest-scoring team in the playoffs and loaded with guys who can create offense in a variety of ways.
Game 1 between the Celtics and Warriors is set for Thursday night at 9 p.m. ET.
Jayson Tatum honors his 'idol' Kobe Bryant with armband during Game 7
In one of the biggest games of his life, Tatum wanted to pay tribute to someone who had inspired him: Kobe Bryant.
In Business: Power Lodge of Minnesota purchases Miller Marine
Catholic Charities has hired a new director of behavioral health services and promoted a longtime employee to director of human services.
The West Ham winger was playing National League football for Hereford until their bankruptcy in 2014.
Hi. Avid Walmart shopper here to tell you it's about time to start shopping the retailer's fashion and accessories section, if you aren't already.
The five-member senior class has sparked the Hawkeyes to its first conference title in 19 years
Former TCU cornerback Jeff Gladney dies in early morning crash
Gladney is one of the two who died in the crash in Dallas.
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2022-06-01T07:23:45Z
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Jayson Tatum receives huge praise from Jimmy Butler after Celtics reach NBA Finals
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Portraits of the Queen have been projected onto Stonehenge in tribute to her 70-year reign
The 5,000-year-old world heritage site had eight portraits from the Queen's lifetime projected onto it ahead of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Al Horford and Celtics he mentored making most of second chance at first NBA title
Horford anchored a dominant defensive effort, and the three players whose careers he has shepherded in Boston provided enough offense to beat the Heat and advance to the NBA Finals.
If it's the 1980s, there just HAS to be a "Weird Al" reference.
The Memphis Grizzlies face at least four personnel decisions this offseason. We ask an expert how much it will cost to keep the team together.
Elon Musk accused video game news site Hard Drive of being "less funny than SNL on a bad day" and said it was unfunny because it was"woke."
The Fortune 500 List Has A 'Record Number' Of Black CEOs — But There's Still Only 6 Of Them
Fortune Magazine recently released its annual Fortune 500 list, and the outlet was quick to brag that it had a “record number” of Black CEOs on its coveted list.
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2022-06-01T07:24:04Z
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Juancho Hernangomez: In Boston, players were a little selfish
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Davion explains what makes Poole so hard to guard originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Kings guard Davion Mitchell is one of the NBA’s up-and-coming stars, and he has the perfect example of what hard work can achieve just over an hour’s drive away in Jordan Poole of the Golden State Warriors.
When the two Western Conference foes face off during the season, Mitchell is tasked with guarding Dubs’ sharp shooter -- something he says isn’t easy.
On Tuesday’s episode of “The Deuce & Mo Podcast,” Mitchell told hosts Deuce Mason and Morgan Ragan why Poole is so hard to guard.
“He’s hard to guard because he’s skinny, he knows how to change speeds,” Mitchell said. “But I ain’t going to lie, every time we play him, I think I guard him pretty well. There’s never a time when it’s like, ‘Dang, he’s killing me.’”
The Warriors swept the season series against the Kings, but it’s clear Mitchell was able to pick up on exactly why Poole has developed into the player he is today. The Sacramento rookie’s familiarity with the Golden State guard dates back to before Mitchell was drafted, he told Mason and Ragan.
“Our pre-draft, we used to work at Proactive every morning and he was always there before us working out with his trainer, with guys,” Mitchell recalled. “So I kind of seen it, like I knew, ‘OK, this dude is going to be really good. But now, it’s like he figured it out.”
After being drafted No. 28 overall in 2019, Poole’s career trajectory got off to an up-and-down start with multiple G League stints. With hard work, he fought his way back to the Warriors’ roster and became a regular contributor to Golden State’s excellence, finishing the 2021-22 season with an average of 18.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.
In contrast, Mitchell found success during his own rookie season; he was named to the NBA’s Rising Stars Game and even broke Kings records during his first year in the league.
But the brilliance of Poole’s ascension from G League player to NBA playoff star isn’t lost on him.
RELATED: How Kings GM McNair views Fox-Mitchell backcourt future
“He changes speeds really well, he can shoot the ball,” Mitchell continued. “So it makes it even harder to guard, because when you can shoot the ball with the best of them and then you change speeds like that, man, it’s like you kind of don’t really know what to do.
“You’ve got to basically hope he misses.”
It’s clear that Mitchell is impressed by Poole’s progression in the league, and it’s even more evident that basketball fans in California will have two talented guards to watch on the court for years to come.
The Pittsburgh Pirates blew a 4-0 lead against the Dodgers but rallied in the ninth inning to beat Los Angeles by a final score of 6-5.
(Bloomberg) -- Most Read from BloombergReady to Buy a House? Just Wait a Few WeeksSoros’s Money Manager Warns Recession ‘Inevitable’ But Market Timing Is OffGiant Deep Ocean Turbine Trial Offers Hope of Endless Green PowerChinese Banks Overflow With Cash That Nobody Wants to BorrowBiden Says US Will Provide Ukraine Advanced Rocket SystemsTurkish businessman Galip Ozturk was arrested by Georgian authorities Tuesday, following a police raid in Batumi, a seaside trade hub bordering Turkey. The 57-y
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2022-06-01T07:24:06Z
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Kings' Davion Mitchell explains why Jordan Poole is so hard to guard
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Kody Clemens, the 26-year-old son of seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens, was brought up by the Detroit Tigers on Monday for a possible major league debut. Roger Clemens planned to be at Comerica Park on Tuesday, when his son could make his debut. “He's scrambling and trying to figure out when he's going to fly here," Kody Clemens said after Detroit’s 7-5 win on Monday.
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2022-06-01T07:24:12Z
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Kody Clemens, Roger Clemens' Son, Set To Make Major League Debut With Detroit Tigers
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Arden Cho is weighing in about her decision not to appear in Paramount+’s upcoming Teen Wolf movie. The streaming platform announced in February that the original MTV series, which signed off in 2017 after six seasons, would be revisited in a sequel film that would bring back most of the core cast. Cho and Dylan […]
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2022-06-01T07:24:26Z
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Moved by the Lord and encouraged by a healthier wrist, Bryson DeChambeau will make return to PGA Tour at The Memorial
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SOUTHERN PINES, North Carolina – It started as a funny feeling in her arm. Nelly Korda, who was in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, on March 11 for a photoshoot and commercial appearance, listened to her body, went to the ER for an ultrasound and, after finding a specialist in Sarasota, Florida, underwent surgery for a blood clot in a subclavian vein in her left arm. She’s fuzzy on the exact date of surgery, but first posted about it on social media on April 8.
A Tuesday morning press conference at the 77th U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina, marked her first time in front of the media since the health scare occurred.
“Obviously I did a lot, a lot of rehab,” she said, “went actually out to California for a month, did rehab there, worked with my coach Jamie Mulligan. Wanted him to be there for when I first started hitting balls.”
When asked if doctors had given her any indication on the cause of the blood clot, Korda said yes, but that she’d like to keep that information private.
Korda, 23, last teed it up on the LPGA in early February at the LPGA Drive On Championship. She finished T-15, T-20, and T-4 in three starts this season and missed the first major of the year.
This will be Korda’s eighth U.S. Women’s Open appearance. She has missed the cut in her last two USWO starts. Her best finish, a share of 10th, came in 2018 at Shoal Creek. She’s taking a grateful approach to this week, noting that she’s “not expecting too much.”
Korda, who is wearing a compression sleeve on her left arm, said rehab consisted mostly of back and shoulder exercises. She’s been struggling with shoulder issues for a year now.
Nelly Korda hits from the 18th tee during the first round of the 2022 Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio Golf Club on January 27, 2022, in Boca Raton, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
“I kind of just made sure that I was ready and 100 percent going into my comeback,” she said, “and I didn’t really want to rush it or anything. I just wanted to make sure that I wasn’t going to have any issues, even if it was just with like a little bit of my shoulder bugging me coming back in.”
Korda won four times on the LPGA in 2021 as well as Olympic gold in Tokyo and was named Female Player of the Year by the Golf Writers Association of America. She’s currently No. 2 in the world.
Korda missed being on tour so much, that the only time she watched LPGA coverage on TV was when big sister Jessica contended on Sunday at the Chevron Championship.
“That one hurt a lot just because it was the last event,” she said, “the last time there.”
She began hitting balls again around the Palos Verdes Championship in late April, starting out slow at 60 percent, hitting her 8-iron around 100 yards to see how her arm felt. Once she got the clearance from her doctor, she was “good to go.”
“As I got closer to this week,” she said, “I started finally hitting it a little longer. I think the juices started flowing a little bit more, but I’m so happy to be out here. I’ve missed everyone, and I’m just grateful.”
Nelly Korda has a coach who knows all about top golfers returning from an injury, how patience and belief can be just as critical as any physical therapy. Among the messages Jamie Mulligan offered the 23-year-old Korda is that no one ever returned from an injury too late, even if that means starting on the biggest stage in women's golf. “I didn't want my first event back being the U.S. Women's Open,” Korda said with a smile after playing nine holes at Pine Needles.
LeAnn Rimes Looks Stunning in Sexy Cut-Out Mini Dress
Singer LeAnn Rimes attended the Paramount Upfront event and looked stunning in a blue mini dress that showed off her toned abs.
Jon Rahm was mad ‘for about 10 minutes’ after last year’s stunning COVID WD at The Memorial
When he was told by Dr. Thomas Hospel that he had tested positive, Rahm fell to his knees in utter disbelief
In this article, we discuss 10 dividend stocks to buy according to Tom Russo’s Gardner Russo & Gardner. You can skip the latest developments of the hedge fund and our detailed analysis of Russo’s investment philosophy, and go directly to read 5 Best Dividend Stocks According to Tom Russo’s Gardner Russo & Gardner. Tom Russo, […]
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2022-06-01T07:24:32Z
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Nelly Korda opens up on the funny feeling that sidelined her for months
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Denny Hamlin holds off Kyle Busch in overtime to win wild Coca-Cola 600
Denny Hamlin celebrates after winning the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday night. (Matt Kelley / Associated Press)
Denny Hamlin held off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch in the second overtime Sunday night to win the longest — and perhaps wildest — Coca-Cola 600 in history.
Hamlin won for the 48th time in the Cup Series, and for the first time in a points race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“It is so special,” Hamlin said. “That is the last big one that is not on my resume. We weren’t very good all day but got ourselves in the right place at the right time.”
NASCAR’s longest and grueling race lasted more than 5½ hours and took 413 laps to complete. There were 18 caution flags and 16 drivers failed to finish. The race featured a 12-car wreck and a magnificent crash that sent Chris Buescher’s car flipping over five times before stopping upside down.
Defending race champion Kyle Larson appeared ready to win the race in regulation before Chase Briscoe crashed trying to pass him with two laps to go in regulation.
In the overtime period Larson had the inside lane on the restart in overtime, but Austin Dillon got a push from the second row and soon was running four-wide along with Larson, Hamlin and Ross Chastain.
But a crash ensued involving several cars, including Larson and Dillon.
On the next restart Hamlin took the lead and held off Busch for the win. Kevin Harvick finished third and Briscoe was fourth.
“It means so much to me being with the Coke family for 18 years,” Hamlin said. “It worked out perfectly.”
There was a huge wreck came on Lap 192 where Ryan Blaney, who won last weekend’s All-Star race, got too low on the apron on the bottom of the track and spun back up the track. That started a chain reaction that caught up 12 cars, sending some of NASCAR’s top stars — Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, Bubba Wallace, William Byron and Chase Elliott among them — behind the wall for good.
“Gosh I hate it,” Blaney said. “Makes you feel pretty dumb for doing that. I hate it tore up our car and a handful of others. I just didn’t know where I was at and just made a mistake.”
The carnage wasn’t over as Buescher’s No. 17 Ford flipped five times before landing on its roof after a collision on the front stretch with Daniel Suarez. Buescher had to wait until track officials flipped his car back over before he could get out of the car.
He walked away from the crash.
“I guess a tire just ripped off and sent us flipping,” Buescher said. “I have been upside down before, but this was a bit more painful than the Talladega roll.”
The race also included Tanner Andrews, a tire changer for Joey Logano’s pit crew, getting his right foot clipped by Hamlin on pit road.
Simu Liu to host Time 100 TV special on world's most influential people of 2022
Chinese Canadian actor and Marvel star Simu Liu is set to host the upcoming Time 100 Gala TV special in June. “Time100: The World’s Most Influential People,” which will be filmed at the Time 100 Gala on June 8, will feature moments from the event and profile honorees from the 2020, 2021 and 2022 Time 100 lists. In a press release, Liu said: “As an Asian-Canadian immigrant kid who grew up in a suburb outside Toronto, I never imagined that I would one day share a dinner table with some of the most influential individuals in the world."
The 2022 Indy 500 purse was a record $16 million with winner Marcus Ericsson earning a historic $3.1 million. Jimmie Johnson was named rookie of the year.
Top three NASCAR series at Charlotte
Wrap-up of the NASCAR premium series races at Charlotte. Denny Hamlin won the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 during double-overtime. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
The schedule for Tuesday’s play at Roland Garros
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2022-06-01T07:26:25Z
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Denny Hamlin holds off Kyle Busch in overtime to win wild Coca-Cola 600
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Kings' 2022 NBA draft needs, four prospects to target originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The Sacramento Kings have the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft on June 23. And this means Kings general manager Monte McNair has a lot of big decisions ahead.
Coming off another season without a postseason appearance, the Kings need some changes. After all, it is not the 16th consecutive season Sacramento hasn’t made it to the playoffs.
The top three picks of the draft, which belong to the Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets, are likely to be Duke’s Paolo Banchero, Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren and Auburn’s Jabari Smith. And it’s evident that these three picks would do wonders for the Kings.
The biggest needs for Sacramento this season are size, outside shooting and lock-down defenders. NBC Sports California’s Tom Dierberger says, “They could really use a versatile big man and someone who can space the floor for Domantas Sabonis, who lives in the paint, and De'Aaron Fox, who’s always attacking the basket.
Having the No. 4 overall pick, here are some prospects the Kings could realistically take:
1. Keegan Murray - Iowa
The Iowa forward led the Big Ten in scoring last season with an average of 23.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game while shooting 55.4 percent from the floor and 39.8 percent from downtown.
2. Shaedon Sharpe - Kentucky
The 6-foot-6 guard from Canada is a consensus five-star recruit and the No. 1 player in the 2022 class. Sharpe chose to attend the University of Kentucky but did not play any games his freshman season.
3. Jaden Ivey - Purdue
The 6-foot-4 guard appeared in 36 games and averaged 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists while grabbing 33 steals and blocking 20 shots.
4. A.J. Griffin - Duke
The 6-foot-6 Duke forward hit 44.7 percent of his 3-point attempts as a freshman. He started in 25 of 39 games and averaged 10.4 points on 49.3% from the field and 44.7% from 3-point range to go along with 3.9 rebounds.
This would be good news for Auburn.
How the Kansas City Chiefs are giving star quarterback Patrick Mahomes more control
Here’s how the Kansas City Chiefs are giving Patrick Mahomes more control.
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2022-06-01T07:31:52Z
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Sacramento Kings' 2022 NBA draft needs, prospects to target
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“That song honestly can revive me from anything,” Sink said of one of her favorite Swift tracks.
Warriors' Draymond Green: NBA All-Defensive Second Team nod a 'slight'
After making the NBA All-Defensive team for a seventh time this season, Draymond Green believes he should have been named to the First Team.
Terquavion Smith, who created a lot of buzz at the NBA draft combine in Chicago earlier this month, announced Tuesday morning that he will return to N.C. State for his sophomore season.
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2022-06-01T07:31:58Z
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Smith returning to NC State instead of staying in NBA draft
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For the UNC basketball program, they had a few departures to the portal but have yet to land a player after Matthew Mayer opted to go to Illinois. Despite that, UNC still returns four of their five starters from a year ago and that’s good enough for a few publications to rank the Tar Heels as the No. 1 team going into next season.
Cardio Diagnostics, which makes heart attack risk assessment technology, said it's planning to go public by merging with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). The company announced on Monday that it will merge with Delaware-based Mana Capital Acquisition Corp. After the deal closes, Mana (Nasdaq: MAAQ) said it plans to change its name to Cardio Diagnostics Holdings Inc. and shares will be traded on the Nasdaq Global Market under a new ticker symbol "CDIO."
It was all dizzying in the offseason, but here's a look at what should be the final roster for the Ohio State basketball team heading into next season. #GoBucks
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2022-06-01T07:32:05Z
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Tar Heels still hold top spot in latest ESPN Top 25 rankings
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When healthy, the Baltimore Ravens have established themselves as having one of the most high-powered offensive units in the NFL. They use the running game to their advantage, winning up front and executing big runs while also having a solid overall passing game.
When ranking the NFL’s best “offensive triplets”, Jared Dubin of CBS Sports has Baltimore’s trio of quarterback Lamar Jackson, running back J.K. Dobbins and tight end Mark Andrews in the top 10, coming in at No. 8. Dubin explained that the Ravens’ group of players was the lowest out of any team that received a top-five vote, and part of that reflects Jackson’s inconsistencies in 2021. However, he also talked about Andrews’ monster season and the expectation that Dobbins will be Baltimore’s lead ball-carrier in 2022.
“The Ravens are the lowest-ranked of our eight teams that received at least one top-five vote. This ranking reflects a confidence that Jackson’s inconsistency last season was likely the result of injuries to both himself and the offensive line, and that Andrews’ monster season was just the beginning of him solidifying himself as one of the NFL’s best tight ends. Dobbins and Gus Edwards are each coming off torn ACLs, but Dobbins was expected to be the lead ball-carrier last season, so we expect that to be the case in 2022.”
The former aircraft carrier arrived in Brownsville, Texas, Tuesday, where the ship will be cut up for scrap.
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2022-06-01T07:56:33Z
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CBS Sports ranks Ravens as having top-10 offensive trio
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Doug Pederson impressed by safety Andre Cisco in OTAs, excited to see him in pads eventually
When the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Andre Cisco last season in the third round, many fans were beyond excited to see him play. Unfortunately, he didn’t get on the field as much as they wanted early, but due to injuries occurring at the safety position, he ended up starting in the last three games of the 2021 season.
In the process, Cisco left fans impressed and even more puzzled as to why he didn’t see the field earlier under the Jags’ last coaching staff. That doesn’t seem to be a problem with the new coaching staff, though, as Doug Pederson seems to already be impressed by the second-year player.
While meeting with the media Tuesday morning, Pederson said he likes what he’s seen out of Cisco in organized team activities, especially when it comes to his communication skills.
While the pads have yet to go on, this is good to hear and could be a sign that Cisco will return to the starting lineup in 2022.
Cisco won’t only be taking the field for a new head coach this year, but will also be doing so for a new defensive coordinator in Mike Caldwell. That’s something that the second-year safety likely hasn’t complained about when looking at how the safeties were used in Tampa Bay, where Caldwell was before joining the Jags.
Jordan Whitehead and Antoine Winfield Jr. were the starters at safety for the Bucs last season, and most would agree that they were one of the best tandems in football. Now, it appears Cisco (and possibly Rayshawn Jenkins) could be Caldwell’s version of the tandem that his mentor, Todd Bowles, had great success with.
Cisco was viewed as a ball-hawk type player when he was drafted and was able to garner 13 picks in three years with Syracuse. When he was finally inserted into the starting lineup for the Jags, it seems he picked up where he left off and was able to acquire a Pro Football Focus grade of 79.5 or higher in two of those games.
These are things that Caldwell and Pederson likely saw when doing evaluations on the team, and Cisco is giving them reasons early this offseason to make him a starter out of the gate.
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2022-06-01T07:56:45Z
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Doug Pederson impressed by safety Andre Cisco in OTAs, excited to see him in pads eventually
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After deftly evading the grasp of law enforcement agencies for more than a decade, the world’s most notorious arms trafficker made a reckless mistake.
Viktor Bout risked venturing outside of Russia, the one place where his close ties to high-ranking government and military officials offered him tacit protection, the one place where he could feel safe from arrest and extradition.
On March 5, 2008, Bout flew from Moscow to Bangkok to meet with representatives of a Colombian guerilla group seeking to overthrow the country’s democratically elected government. Bout came to finalize a lucrative deal to deliver millions of dollars of military-grade weapons from Eastern European warehouses to jungle outposts in Colombia.
What Bout didn’t know when he checked into his five-star Bangkok hotel was that he had fallen for a trap. The two purported Colombian rebels sitting across the hotel conference room table from Bout the next afternoon were actually U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency operatives carrying out a sting operation.
When the undercover agents asked Bout for missiles that could shoot down American aircrafts and arms that could kill American forces, Bout agreed to supply those and allegedly explained, “We have the same enemy.” Only minutes later, Thai police stormed the room. Then Bout’s two contacts revealed themselves as U.S. operatives.
"For the U.S. government, it was a major victory,” Michael Braun, the DEA’s former chief of operations, told Yahoo Sports. “He was arguably the largest and most sophisticated arms trafficker on the globe when he was arrested. He was the guy who could deliver virtually anything with certainty to any bad actor all over the world."
Fourteen years after the sting operation that put Bout behind bars and his arms empire out of business, the U.S. once again may have to decide how badly it wants to keep him locked away. Bout, the so-called “Merchant of Death” and the inspiration for the 2005 Nicolas Cage film, “Lord of War,” appears to be Russia’s preferred target in a potential prisoner exchange for American basketball star Brittney Griner.
While Griner’s loved ones have urged the Biden administration to do whatever it takes to bring the two-time Olympic gold medalist home, Russia’s seemingly lopsided asking price complicates negotiations. The U.S. alleges Bout smuggled military-grade weapons to rogue leaders and insurgent groups across Africa and beyond, elevating conflicts from machetes and one-shot rifles to grenade launchers and AK-47s. Russia alleges Griner flew into Moscow on Feb. 17 with vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage.
Despite that apparent imbalance, some Americans say the U.S. should consider returning Bout to Russia in exchange for Griner and other wrongfully detained American prisoners. Among those is the federal judge who sentenced Bout to 25 years in prison but says she wishes she could have been more lenient.
“To me, it’s unfair that he’s been tarred with this ‘Merchant of Death’ nickname,” Shira Scheindlin told Yahoo Sports. “I don’t think he’s as bad as he has been made to look like.”
Viktor Bout, dubbed the "Merchant of Death," shows a victory sign after a Bangkok court initially rejected a request by the United States for his extradition. (PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP via Getty Images)
Who is Viktor Bout?
Exactly how bad is Viktor Bout? The answer varies depending on who you ask. Russian state media calls him a “businessman” and an “entrepreneur.” His former website says he’s a “born salesman with undying love for aviation.” A longtime DEA agent once described him as “one of the most dangerous men on the face of the earth.”
Born in the Soviet outpost of Tajikistan to Russian parents, Bout, 55, displayed an early gift for mastering languages. He reportedly is fluent in more than a half-dozen languages, including English, French, Portuguese, Russian and Uzbek.
Bout has acknowledged graduating from the prestigious Military Institute of Foreign Languages, then working in Africa in the late 1980s as a Soviet military translator. The military language school was known as a training ground for the Soviet foreign military intelligence directorate known as the GRU.
When the Soviet Union teetered and collapsed in 1991, Bout, then in his mid-20s, astutely saw opportunity amid the chaos. Piles of weapons and ammunition lay discarded in dusty warehouses. Military planes sat abandoned on Soviet runways because there was no money for maintenance or fuel, and no one was flying them.
Relying on his military and intelligence connections, Bout acquired several Antonov cargo planes known for their heavy airlift capacity and ability to land in treacherous terrain. Those became the starting point for a private fleet of more than 50 Soviet cargo planes and a network of air-freight companies that hauled goods to and from far-flung conflict zones.
Bout’s planes reportedly carried anything from fresh-cut flowers, to frozen food, to U.N. peacekeepers, but authorities say he raked in most of his profit delivering arms and ammunition from old Soviet stockpiles. At Bout’s peak, according to the U.S Department of Treasury, he had “the capacity to transport tanks, helicopters and weapons by the tons to virtually any point in the world.”
The ability to supply that sort of firepower rapidly and with pinpoint accuracy helped Bout build a client list that included some of the world’s most notorious leaders. He made $50 million supplying the Taliban with military equipment, according to the U.S. Department of Treasury. He also allegedly inflamed conflicts in Liberia, Congo, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Sudan.
Angola was one country where Bout allegedly defied United Nations sanctions prohibiting arms trafficking and U.S. peace-making efforts. A former high-ranking U.S. State Department official told Yahoo Sports that in the mid-to-late 1990s, Bout sold Soviet-era arms to both sides of the Angolan Civil War — the Marxist government and the UNITA rebels seeking to overthrow it.
“He was undermining our efforts to create peace in Angola,” the former State Department source said. “He didn't care what side of the issue he was on. He was in it for profit.”
Bout consistently stayed one step ahead of international investigators by repeatedly registering and re-registering his planes in far-flung countries, enabling him to avoid inspections and oversight. It also helped that Bout’s alleged arms deals often fell into a legal gray area, making him difficult to arrest or prosecute.
In the final years of the Clinton administration, with parts of Africa ravaged by civil war, bloodshed and ethnic strife, the National Security Council authorized the surveillance of government and rebel leaders in war zones like Liberia, Sierra Leone and Congo. NSC officials eventually noticed that each conflict had one common thread: Bout was supplying the weapons.
The NSC’s efforts to apprehend Bout ultimately fell apart when it could neither find an American law to apply to him nor persuade an African ally to issue an arrest warrant. In a 2000 letter to NSC African Affairs Director Gayle Smith, a South African official explained, "It is not clear from the information provided whether [Bout] has committed an act that has been criminalized under South African law and which falls under the jurisdiction of South Africa."
At the same time as other branches of the U.S. government were trying to build a case against Bout, the Pentagon reportedly hired him as a valued contractor. Bout received millions of dollars to deliver goods and equipment to American troops in Iraq, according to Douglas Farah and Stephen Braun, co-authors of the 2007 book “Merchant of Death.”
In the early 2000s, the U.N. also investigated Bout and accused him of supplying arms throughout Africa. One U.N. report said Bout had “at least five passports” and “at least five aliases.” A subsequent U.N. report alleged that Bout provided weapons to Liberian warlord Charles Taylor’s abhorrent regime to “gain illicit access to diamonds.”
While the U.N. reports carried no legal weight, they shined a spotlight on the work Bout had long been doing in the shadows. In 2004, the U.S. Department of Treasury froze what assets of his it could. Arrest warrants, raids and unwanted media attention soon followed.
The mounting pressure uprooted Bout and his wife from their home in the United Arab Emirates and caused him to retreat to Moscow. The protection of the Russian government made him practically untouchable there … unless someone could lure him out.
Viktor Bout (C) deplanes after arriving at Westchester County Airport Nov. 16, 2010 in White Plains, New York. Bout was extradited from Thailand to the U.S. to face terrorism charges. (U.S. Department of Justice via Getty Images)
The sting on Viktor Bout
In the summer of 2007, a counterterrorism adviser to President George W. Bush approached the DEA’s Michael Braun with an audacious question.
Juan Zarate had just seen agents from the DEA arrest Syrian arms trafficker Monzer al-Kassar via an elaborate overseas sting operation. Now Zarate wondered if Braun's special operations division could devise a similar scheme to take down Bout.
"Every other three-letter and four-letter agency has taken a shot at him," Braun remembers Zarate telling him. "Could you guys try to bring him to justice?"
Over the next few months, the DEA crafted its plan to have agents pose as members of the FARC, a violent Colombian rebel faction financed by drug trafficking and other criminal activity. The FARC was a shrewd choice because the U.S. had already classified it as a terrorist group and because the Colombian guerillas were thought to be in the market for the same weapons that Bout had previously supplied other groups.
In November 2007, the DEA initiated Operation Relentless with the help of an informant who was friendly with Bout and associate Andrew Smulian. At the request of the DEA, the informant emailed Smulian and revealed he had a potential deal for Bout. After gauging Bout's interest, Smulian replied to the informant, “It may be that he can get his hands on items which you require."
The sting operation culminated in March 2008 when the DEA successfully baited Bout into leaving his Russian safe haven and flying to Bangkok to finalize the deal. DEA agents chose Bangkok because they had a good relationship with the Thai police and because they felt Bout wouldn't be suspicious traveling to a city so many time zones removed from the U.S. or Western Europe.
After Bout's meeting with undercover operatives ended with him shoved up against a wall with his hands in the air, DEA regional director Tom Pasquarello entered the hotel conference room. What struck the agent was how calm Bout was even with his life in flames and a dozen guns pointed at him.
"Do you have anything to say?" Pasquarello asked Bout.
"The game’s over," the arms trafficker coolly responded.
Bout may have accepted his fate then, but his fighting spirit resurfaced when the U.S. sought to extradite him. Portraying himself as a pawn in an American plot, Bout testified in a Thai criminal court that he ran a legitimate air cargo business and that he had traveled to Bangkok to relax and to try to make a deal to sell cargo planes.
Either eager to protect a citizen arrested abroad or wary of what intelligence secrets Bout might spill if he were extradited, Russia also tried to intervene on his behalf. Not only did the Kremlin publicly denounce the charges against Bout, American officials also became aware of underhanded Russian attempts to block his extradition to the U.S., to bribe key witnesses or to buy his freedom.
"Putin and other high-level government officials really tried to move heaven and earth and get him repatriated to Russia," Braun said.
Added Pasquarello: "Everything was on the table to try to free him. I'm telling you, you can't even imagine."
After a two-and-a-half-year legal tug of war, Thailand finally agreed to hand over Bout to the U.S. To Pasquarello, that meant a few anxious days of making sure Russia neither broke Bout out of his maximum-security Thai prison nor arranged for him to "meet a mysterious death."
On the day that Bout was scheduled to depart Thailand, the DEA still took no chances. A decoy motorcade of police vehicles left the prison and headed to one Bangkok airport. Minutes later, a second convoy drove to a different airport, this time with Bout part of the trip.
When Bout's flight landed at Westchester County Airport in New York, two DEA agents escorted him off the plane. For the first time, the Merchant of Death was on American soil.
WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner leaves a courtroom after a hearing, in Khimki just outside Moscow on May 13, 2022. Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was detained at the Moscow airport in February after vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis were allegedly found in her luggage, which could carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. (AP)
Viktor Bout for Brittney Griner?
Viktor Bout’s most unexpected American ally turned out to be the federal judge who presided over his case.
For years, Scheindlin has publicly questioned if Bout is as villainous as his menacing nickname and cartoonish reputation suggest.
After a federal jury convicted Bout of all four charges, including conspiracy to kill Americans, Scheindlin rejected the government’s request that she sentence him to life in prison. Scheindlin instead gave Bout the minimum possible sentence of 25 years and called it “fundamentally unfair to this defendant” that she didn’t have the option to be even more lenient.
When reached by phone by Yahoo Sports last week, Scheindlin said her stance hasn’t changed. Echoing her arguments from Bout’s 2012 sentencing hearing, Scheindlin pointed out that Bout hadn’t committed a crime chargeable in an American court prior to his arrest and that there is no reason to believe he would have had the DEA not targeted him with its sting operation.
“I think the sentence was too long, but I had no flexibility,” Scheindlin said. “My hands were tied.”
Since his 2012 conviction, Bout has been at the top of the Kremlin’s prisoner exchange wish list. Russia has repeatedly signaled its willingness to do a potential swap for jailed Americans, but so far the U.S. has been unwilling to part with Bout.
Experts who spoke to Yahoo Sports agreed that securing Bout’s release is a priority for Russia because of his high-level government and military intelligence connections. They said that Bout operated with state protection throughout his arms trafficking career and that he often served the government’s foreign policy interests once Vladimir Putin rose to power and reconsolidated Russia’s fractured intelligence services.
To Farah, co-author of the definitive book on Bout, Russia’s efforts to get Bout back are to reward him for supplying its allies with weapons, for staying loyal after his arrest and for never agreeing to serve as a turncoat source.
To Stephen J. Blank, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia, Russia’s interest in Bout is driven by fear of the secrets he could expose if coerced into telling U.S. authorities about Russia’s clandestine arms business.
“This is a guy who knows an awful lot about Russian gun-running operations,” Blank said. “He sat at the center of a whole network of Russian arms deals that all trace back to Putin. Once you understand that, you understand why they’re trying so hard to get him back.”
Since a prisoner exchange is Bout’s only potential path back to Russia for the next 11 years, his New York attorney says he had “one directive” when he took over as lead counsel. Steve Zissou openly admits he is trying to “change the narrative” about Bout, to “get away from ‘Merchant of Death’ or ‘notorious arms dealer’” and make a trade more palatable to the American public and the U.S. government.
To spruce up Bout’s reputation, Zissou promptly returns calls from reporters, leaves comments under articles he finds one-sided and writes letters to the editor that frequently go unpublished. Zissou’s message is simple: That Bout “wasn’t committing any crimes that were prosecutable in a U.S. court” until the DEA targeted him.
“He was retired and living in Moscow, minding his own business,” Zissou said. “He had never been to the U.S. before. He had never expressed any ill will toward the U.S. And then the U.S. government spent millions of dollars creating a fictitious crime that didn’t exist.”
One factor working in Bout’s favor is the amount of time that has passed since his 2008 arrest. After 14 years, it would be very difficult for Bout to reintegrate himself in an industry that shifts as rapidly as the arms trade.
“You have to know the actors and the terrain and you have to have access,” Farah said. “He’d have none of that now. As bad a guy as I think he is, I don’t think there would be anything lost sending him back now in terms of strategic value.”
The bigger obstacle for a prisoner exchange remains the optics. Could the U.S. stomach trading a notorious arms trafficker for a WNBA player allegedly caught carrying vape cartridges with marijuana oil? What about if the trade was for Griner and former Marine Paul Whelan, who is serving a 16-year sentence for espionage charges that the U.S. says are bogus?
Scheindlin, the federal judge who sentenced Bout, says she doesn’t believe “there would be any great injustice getting rid of this guy and letting him go back where he’s from in exchange for American citizens we really want back.”
“Now given the lack of equivalence between him and Brittney, I do think it would be more equal if the Russians are willing to release two Americans,” Scheindlin said.
Pasquarello, the former DEA agent who helped take down Bout, doesn’t see it the same way. He argued that it’s the government’s responsibility to find another way to bring Griner and Whelan home that doesn’t encourage Russia and other rogue states to keep seizing Americans as trade bait.
“You look into Viktor’s background and how many deaths are attached to his actions, and you want to trade this person?” Pasquarello said. “I don’t think there’s anyone involved in foreign policy and diplomacy who would describe that as a successful strategy. All that does is give governments incentive to hold high-value Americans in the future.”
‘Antiques Roadshow’ collector almost faints after learning value of Frank Sinatra letter
Collector Vie Carlson got some surprising news on Antiques Roadshow, Monday, when she brought an angry letter written by Frank Sinatra to Chicago journalist Mike Royko, who had written an unflattering op-ed about him. The appraiser read an excerpt for the letter, which reads, “I will allow you to pull my ‘hairpiece’; If it moves, I will give you another $100,000; If it does not, I punch you in the mouth. How about it?” Viewers thought Carlson’s reaction to finding out the letter was worth $15,000 was hilarious with one person tweeting, “God bless the old lady with a letter from Frank Sinatra on Antiques Roadshow. funniest segment I’ve ever seen.” “I'm going to faint,” Carlson said. “If I ever sell it, the money goes to the Salvation Army anyway. So the more, the merrier.”
From Catherine to the Queen, all the royals at the Chelsea Flower Show over the years
The royals have been attending the horticultural show at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London for nearly 100 years.
Rafael Nadal insists he can’t know for sure whether any match at Roland Garros might be his very last at a place he loves, a place he is loved. For now, if he keeps winning and keeps performing the way he did during his monumental quarterfinal victory over longtime rival Novak Djokovic that began in May and ended in June, Nadal will have more chances to play. With a mix of brilliant shot-making and his trademark resilience, Nadal got past the top-seeded defending French Open champion Djokovic 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4) to move a step closer to his 14th championship at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament and what would be a 22nd major trophy overall, adding to records that he already owns.
Memorial Tournament 5 Things: Jack, Tiger, Rahm, and Bryson's fresh start
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2022-06-01T13:39:49Z
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The complex case of freeing Brittney Griner
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Self-styled TV “super-indie” Argonon, which produces The Masked Singer UK, has teamed with producer Joe Weinstock to launch new production label Rose Rock Entertainment. Weinstock, who joins from Spoke Studios, backed by Brent Montgomery’s Wheelhouse Entertainment, where he was co-president, has been named CEO of the new venture, which launches with offices on the West […]
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2022-06-01T13:40:27Z
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Kayla McBride with a 3-pointer vs. Los Angeles Sparks
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Mystics players make pleas to help bring Brittney Griner home originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Williams started it off with a statement that was published earlier in the morning by the WNBA's Players' Association.
"Brittney Griner is our teammate, our friend, and our sister. She's a record-breaker, a gold medalist, a wife, a daughter, a champion, a role model an all-star and so much more. Right now BG is an American citizen who has been wrongfully detained in Russia for 100 days. That's 144,000 minutes. Anyone who's followed us knows the power of the 144. We know that speaking up together as a collective is game-, life-and world-changing," Williams said.
The Phoenix Mercury center has been detained in Russia since February after customs officials said they found hashish oil in her luggage at an airport. It remains unclear when she may be allowed to return to the U.S.
Griner was the MVP runner-up in 2021, helping the Mercury reach the WNBA Finals before falling to the Chicago Sky. She finished the season averaging 20.5 points (second in the WNBA), 9.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks (first in the WNBA) per game. She also scored 30 points for Team USA in the gold medal game against Japan at the Tokyo Olympics last summer.
Throughout her career, she has been named Defensive Player of the Year twice and recognized as one of the WNBA's top 25 greatest players ever.
Williams uses the 144 reference as there are 144 players in the WNBA, the smallest association of professional athletes in the U.S. Repeatedly, the usage of 144 has symbolized how strong the players can be when united, while also recognizing that each of them holds a powerful voice in a position that is not easy to reach.
Throughout the day, several other players continued to speak out on Griner. Not only did this include WNBA players, but NBA players and the MLB Players' Association as well.
Today is Day 100. It is time to bring Brittney home now! #WeAreBG
#WeAreBG https://t.co/L77SQ3pmPT pic.twitter.com/s6GxWjRiA2
— MLBPA (@MLBPA) May 28, 2022
Burke continued the press conference with another section of the WNBPA's statement.
"To our sisters, brothers and colleagues across all sports, sign the petition, hold your own media blackouts, please help us reach the White House. To athletes of any age, ability level team, sport or country this is our teammate, a member of our global sports community. We need to stand up and stand together to call for her release. Speak up, speak out, and do not stop until BG is home," Burke said.
Griner was in Russia playing for UMMC Ekaterinburg, an overseas team she has been a part of since 2014. When Russia invaded Ukraine, she and fellow WNBA teammates Courtney Vandersloot, Allie Quigley and Jonquel Jones left the country. Griner was stopped at the airport as she was about to board a plane.
Unlike most professional athletes in the United States, most WNBA players are rostered on other teams across the world to make additional money in the offseason. UMMC Ekaterinburg is one of the premier teams that several stars have played on through the years.
It is an action Williams and Burke are familiar with as both had to miss training camp and a portion of the season to fulfill those overseas contracts. And part of her detainment is due to issues that led her to play overseas.
"We recognize that the wrongful detainment of one of our own is a pay equity issue," Williams said. "We cannot hide it or spin it. We have to own it because the sooner we do that the closer we get to addressing the issue."
Earlier in the week, the Mystics held their first media blackout of the year following the shooting of an Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Natasha Cloud spoke on behalf of her teammates in an impassioned statement to the media.
Scotland are hoping to reach their first World Cup finals in 24 years but if Steve Clarke's side are to make it through the playoffs it will have to be at the expense of war-torn Ukraine. The two countries face each other at Hampden Park on Wednesday and the winner will then travel to Cardiff for the final playoff game against Wales on Sunday with a place in November's finals on the line. With so much solidarity and support around the world for Ukraine, the Scots know they will have few neutrals backing them but Clarke said that his players have to block out any thoughts other than the task ahead for them in the 90 minutes on the field.
"lgbt milWALKee" has secured enough funding to launch the app just in time for the first day of Pride Month — June 1.
Giants greats impressed with team’s 2022 NFL draft results
Several retired New York Giants greats are quite optimistic after the team's selections of Kayvon Thibodeaux and Evan Neal.
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2022-06-01T13:41:05Z
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Mystics' Elizabeth Williams, Kennedy Burke make pleas to help bring Brittney Griner home
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Nneka Ogwumike’s putback of her own miss with 7.3 seconds left lifted the Sparks to an 85-83 win over the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday.
Rachel Banham’s jumper with 26.6 seconds to go pulled Minnesota even for just the second time. The score was also tied at 65 after the Lynx erased a 17-point first-half deficit.
Ogwumike finished with 16 points. Chennedy Carter led the Sparks (4-6), who had lost six of seven, with 20 points. Liz Cambage added 15 points and Katie Lou Samuelson 13.
With Ogwumike and Cambage both making six of 10 shots, the Sparks shot 52%.
The Lynx (2-7), who retired Seimone Augustus’ No. 33 jersey before the game, were led by Kayla McBride with 19 points but her last-second jump shot went off the rim.
Sylvia Fowles and Aerial Powers both had 15 points but Fowles fouled out with 6:11 to play. Moriah Jefferson added 11 points.
Augustus was a key player on Minnesota’s four WNBA championship teams. The No. 1 overall pick out of Louisiana State in the 2006 draft played 14 seasons with the Lynx before spending one year with Los Angeles, where she is now an assistant coach. She retired as the No. 10 scorer in league history with 6,005 points.
Berry will have to fight for his job in 2022
Unusual Memorial Day weather brings snow to the mountains in Boise.
The winner of the 2022 U.S. Women's Open will get $1.8 million. The runner-up will earn more than last year's champ.
Olympians, UCLA gymnasts express support for former coach Chris Waller
More than 175 current and former gymnasts and parents are expressing support for former UCLA coach Chris Waller in a statement provided to the L.A. Times.
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2022-06-01T13:41:31Z
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Nneka Ogwumike and Chennedy Carter come up big for Sparks in win over Lynx
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Q&A: Morgan Pressel on making U.S. Women’s Open history at Pine Needles, her switch to TV work and Lexi Thompson’s putting
Morgan Pressel
US golfer
When Morgan Pressel became the youngest to qualify for a U.S. Women’s Open in 2001 at the age of 12, four teenagers were in the field with her at Pine Needles: Natalie Gulbis (19), Leigh Anne Hardin (19), Diana Ramage (18) and Christina Kim (17).
Pressel’s feat ignited a trend among junior golfers who thought, why not give qualifying a shot? Five years later, 25 teens comprised 16 percent of the field at Newport Country Club. Four of them were 15-year-olds.
This week the Women’s Open returns to Pine Needles for a fourth time. There are 22 teenagers in the field.
In 2007 Pressel, fresh off her historic victory at what’s now the Chevron Championship, returned to Pine Needles and played her way into the final group on Sunday. Cristie Kerr ultimately won.
Pressel is back this year in a different role as lead analyst for Golf Channel/NBC, having shifted gears away from a competitive career.
Golfweek recently caught up with the 34-year-old, who won twice on the LPGA, to talk about Pine Needles, her switch to TV and who she likes for the 77th staging of the biggest championship in women’s golf.
You qualified for your first U.S. Women’s Open at age 12 and kickstarted a national trend of young players trying to qualify. How did that first week at Pine Needles change your life?
Amateur golfer Morgan Pressel signs autographs during practice ahead of the 2001 U.S. Women’s Open at the Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina. (Photo: Luke Frazza/AFP via Getty Images)
It changed my life in so many ways. The main way, I would say, is that it really opened my eyes to what I wanted to do with my life. I think I was surprised to be there; I think other people were surprised that I was there, but at the end of the week, just being in the locker room with my idols, playing a true championship golf course for the first time – in what I have always considered to be the biggest event in women’s golf, the one that I grew up putting 10-footers to win in practice – that was really the moment where I went home and said that’s what I want to do with my life.
When you see other youngster you see following in your footsteps, what’s the best piece of advice you can give for those who experience success or a high moment like that at a young age?
Heather Daly-Donofrio, Morgan Pressel and Ashli Bunch take cover during a weather delay during the 2001 U.S. Women’s Open. (Photo: Erik Perel/AFP via Getty Images)
Just enjoy it. It sounds cliche, but it’s easy to get wrapped up in all of the stuff that surrounds you, whether that’s excessive media attention or even now, potentially sponsors and agents and kind of some of the different things that come with being thrown into the spotlight. I would say I didn’t have that as much as kids these days given the way amateur amateur rules have changed. That came a little bit more slowly to me, didn’t come until I was late teens, which is still early, but it’s different than I feel like it is today.
But really soak in the experience. You have the opportunity to be up close and learn from some of the best players in the world, playing on the same stage. That’s really what I tried to do, soak it all in, talk to as many people as I could. Sign up for practice rounds with people that you’ve always idolized.
I remember when I was at Pine Needles there was a long rain delay, and I didn’t want to leave the locker room. I just wanted to sit there in dining and soak it all in.
You played in the final group on Sunday at the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles alongside Cristie Kerr and Lorena Ochoa. What sticks out the most about that round and how long did it take you to get over (a closing 77)?
Morgan Pressel reacts to a missed putt during the final round of the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club. (Photo: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Oh, it took me a while to get over that one. I was very disappointed with my finish. But I learned a lot watching Lorena and Cristie, of course, go on to victory.
I definitely felt like I was very close and had opportunities, and after 2005, maybe it hurt even a little bit more being close again. But, you know, 2007 was a great year for me and I put a lot of expectations on myself after having won the Chevron earlier that year. I think looking back, just realizing that I kept putting myself in that position to succeed and that golf is hard.
I very vividly remember my double on the last.
How did you know that it was time to transition away from competing on the LPGA?
LPGA golfer and TV analyst Morgan Pressel works during the third round of the 2022 Honda Classic. (Photo: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports)
I had thought about it for a little while. I would say COVID probably sped up my decision. But I just lost a little bit of the love and motivation. It can be grueling when you’re really struggling, and I just felt like it was time to try something different.
What is it that you love most about working as a television analyst?
Morgan Pressel gets ready for a Golf Channel telecast alongside host Grant Boone (Photo courtesy Morgan Pressel)
I love the challenge. Live television is very intense. It’s fun to share the stories of certainly the players that I know so well. … To really have the opportunity to share that insight with our fans, it’s a neat place to be. I’ve had to learn very quickly all the ins and outs, about just how to be a broadcaster, and the team at Golf Channel and NBC Sports has been wonderful in helping me through that transition. I love the team that I get to work with week in and week out. We have a lot of fun. It is intense, but it’s also a lot of fun.
Who do you like for Pine Needles this year, and what kind of player has an advantage?
Cristie Kerr celebrates with the trophy after winning the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club. (Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Getty Images)
It’s definitely a ball-striker’s golf course, a smart player’s golf course. But also, the greens are just diabolical.
You really need to have an incredible short game to play well. I was there also for the Senior Women’s Open a few years back. There are just some places around the greens that are so difficult and require so much creativity. I mean, when you think about all the things it requires, it’s hard to bet against Jin Young Ko, who leads the tour in almost every category, including short game.
I could see a player like Patty Tavatanakit playing well, a fantastic putter, fantastic chipper. Lydia Ko. I’m not exactly sure how the golf course is going to be set up, with regards to length and power. Whether we’ll have rain or it will be soft. So I don’t know if you can necessarily overpower the golf course. But I mean definitely look to somebody who has a fantastic short game to do well around Pine Needles.
An American hasn’t won the U.S. Women’s Open since 2016. Do Americans try to hard? What needs to change?
Brittany Lang captured the 2016 U.S. Women's Open in a three-hole playoff following a controversial penalty.
Brittany Lang captured the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open in a three-hole playoff following a controversial penalty. (Photo: Getty Images)
I think we all try too hard (laughs). I don’t think it’s just an American thing. There is no question that growing up, as a young American in the sport, the U.S. Open is your dream. It is the pinnacle. It’s just not that easy.
It was certainly hard to watch last year, what happened with Lexi (Thompson) and putting herself in that position. I could see Lexi coming out hot this year. She’s been playing some fantastic golf as of late. Looking for a little bit of redemption, I would assume.
Do they try too hard?
Maybe. I don’t know that that would make them not win. … I don’t know if just because they put more pressure on themselves that they can’t pull through with a victory. … Everybody in that field puts pressure on themselves. It’s just those who can handle it better come out on top.
What have you liked about Lexi’s putting this year?
QBE Shootout 2021
Lexi Thompson lines up a putt on the second green during the first round of the 2021 QBE Shootout in Naples, Florida. (Photo: Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
I think it’s been really good. I’ve talked to Martin (Hall), her coach, a lot about it. She’s really worked a lot on her timing, her rhythm of the stroke. She’s worked a little bit on pulling her shoulders back to try and get her arms and her rib cage to work a title bit more together instead of independent hands away from the body. I don’t know if there’s anybody on tour who works harder than Lexi … but I know even more specifically than the putting stroke, I know they work a lot on things that will put her in a good frame of mind to play. Any athlete in any sport needs that.
What did you like the most about Pine Needles?
Morgan Pressel looks on during the 2001 U.S. Women’s Open at the Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina. (Photo: Craig Jones/Allsport)
I love everything about it. Certainly, I was a player who relied a lot on my short game, which is one of the reasons I liked it a lot because I could be creative around the green. It’s a fun course. It’s a course where if you hit good shots you’re going to be rewarded. If you hit poor shots you’re going to struggle to make par or worse. I always liked fair golf courses that way, challenging courses that make you think.
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2022-06-01T13:42:51Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Q&A: Morgan Pressel on making U.S. Women’s Open history at Pine Needles, her switch to TV work and Lexi Thompson’s putting
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https://sports.yahoo.com/q-morgan-pressel-making-u-223008834.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/q-morgan-pressel-making-u-223008834.html?src=rss
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