Juan Soto has faced intense scrutiny after his less-than-stellar return to the Bronx over the weekend, which has included knocks on how hard he runs after hits to his apparent happiness in Queens.
Eleven months later, Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton meet again. Instead of a wrestling ring, it will be a basketball court. Last June, it was WWE Smackdown. Starting Wednesday, it is the Eastern Conference finals.
As manager Carlos Mendoza’s crew has been reminded all too often lately, there is a need to drive in runners on base. And an occasional jolt over the fence wouldn’t hurt, either.
On Monday, the four-time All-Pro reached a three-year, $63 million deal with the 49ers, who he has spent his whole career with since drafted 70th overall in the 2018 draft out of BYU.
Robert Griffin III was among those who chimed in on the latest saga in the rivalry between basketball stars Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark, saying the Chicago Sky star "hates Caitlin Clark."
"After watching Caitlin Clark’s flagrant foul on Angel Reese and the aftermath, there is no way Angel Reese can continue the lie that she doesn’t dislike Caitlin Clark," Griffin wrote on X. "I know what hatred looks like. Angel Reese HATES Caitlin Clark. Not some basketball rivalry hate either. Hate."
Griffin later claimed his statement was "purely based in basketball" and was simply a "sports take."
Tempers flared between Reese and Clark after the Fever guard committed a flagrant foul on the Sky forward. It was one of the bigger moments of Indiana's 93-58 blowout win on Saturday.
Current ESPN NFL analyst and former Pittsburgh Steelers star Ryan Clark reacted to Griffin's comments on the Reese-Clark drama. Clark suggested Griffin was joining the "hate train" and was falling in line with the positions other media figures have taken.
"When RG3 jumps onto the hate train or the angry train, it now follows what we saw from Keith Olbermann, what we saw from Dave Portnoy, as they poured onto Angel Reese to make her the villain, and Caitlin Clark heroic or hero story," Clark said during a recent episode of his "The Pivot" podcast.
"The one thing we know about RG3 is he’s not having conversations at his home about what Black women have to endure in this country. About what young Black women and athletes like Angel Reese have had to deal with being on the opposite side of Caitlin Clark’s rise and ascension into stardom."
"If you’re RG3, when is the last time within your household you’ve had a conversation about what [Angel Reese is] dealing with?" Clark asked. "You haven’t been able to do that because in both of your marriages, you’ve been married to White women."
Griffin is married to Grete Griffin, who is a native of Estonia and a heptathlete.
"You haven’t had opportunities to have those conversations to educate you on what they’re feeling, what Black women deal with, what they’re seeing when they think of a young Angel Reese. And the whole time that he’s mimicking Angel Reese and bobbing his head and moving his neck while he’s doing this whole piece, his wife is in the back amening and clapping."
Griffin left ESPN in 2024. Multiple outlets reported at the time that Griffin's dismissal was a cost-cutting move.
"When I worked with RG3, he would make all of these sort of corny jokes about milk and how much he loved it and how important it was. And he always points out on social media the color of his wife’s white skin. As if the color of her skin is what makes her special. As if the color of her skin is what makes her a good wife," Clark continued.
"I’ve met the lady. I’ve had a conversation with her. I think she’s more than that. But it also leads to what Black women deal with a lot from Black men who have chose to date or marry outside of their race. They always feel like they have to go the extra mile to prop up the woman that they married or the woman that they’re with over Black women by denigrating Black women."
Griffin caught wind of Clark's comments and took to social media to share his response.
"Ryan Clark personally attacking me and my family personally over a sports opinion is cowardly, spineless, and weak," Griffin wrote on X, along with a more than two-minute-long video. Griffin also stated several times that Clark's assertions were "way out of bounds."
Caitlin Clark and Reese have major history, going back to the 2023 NCAA women’s basketball national championship. Both players downplayed the incident.
Clark told ESPN’s Holly Rowe after the third quarter that there had been "nothing malicious" behind the foul.
With the NFL's league meetings set to open up in Minneapolis on Tuesday, the Packers submitted a revision of their rule proposal that would more broadly ban pushing or pulling the ball carrier anywhere on the field, a strategy popularized by the Eagles.
The four main players the Yankees acquired after Soto turned down their 16-year, $760 million offer each enjoyed moments in the sun during the Subway Series.
Wyndham Clark had a regrettable final round at this past weekend's PGA Championship.
The 2023 U.S. Open winner reacted to a poor tee shot on Sunday by dangerously launching his driver into signage near the tee box. Clark had just committed a bogey before hitting his tee shot to the right on the 16th hole.
Clark didn't wait for the shot to land before he violently tossed the club, which narrowly missed hitting a volunteer who was holding a flag.
The driver left a noticeable hole in the sign. The driver was also damaged, with the club's head breaking off. Clark responded by throwing one part of the broken club to the side, ultimately leaving both pieces of the driver behind as he walked toward the golf ball in the bunker.
On Monday, Clark said his "actions were uncalled for" and vowed to make improvements.
"I would like to sincerely apologize for my behavior yesterday on Hole 16," Clark stated in a post to X. "As professionals, we are expected to remain professional even when frustrated and I unfortunately let my emotions get the best of me. My actions were uncalled for and completely inappropriate, making it clear that I have things I need to work on."
Clark also admitted that he "fell short" of the "high standard" he holds himself to.
"I hold myself to a high standard, trying to always play for something bigger than myself, and yesterday I fell short of those standards. For that I am truly sorry. I promise to better the way I handle my frustrations on the course going forward and hope you all can forgive me in due time."
Clark had a rough showing at Charlotte's Quail Hollow Club, the venue for this year's PGA Championship.
At one point during his time on the front nine, Clark produced four consecutive bogeys. He ended the tournament in a tie for 50th place on the leaderboard.
Scottie Scheffler won the Championship to secure the third major of his career. Clark finished 15 strokes behind Scheffler.
You could feel the schadenfreude radiating from Long Island on Sunday night as the seven-year deal signed by John Tavares with the Maple Leafs in 2018 came to an ignominious end.
NASCAR Cup Series drivers Ty Dillon and Zane Smith built up some tension between themselves during All-Star Race festivities at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Sunday night.
Dillon finished in third place in the All-Star Open, six spots ahead of Smith. Unfortunately, neither driver made it to the final All-Star Race as Carson Hocevar and John Hunter Nemechek finished first and second, respectively, and earned a shot to win the $1 million grand prize.
Dillon took issue with how Smith was driving and suggested it cost him a spot in the final race of the night. He was asked what he told Smith after the race.
"Coming off (Turn) 4, I think I gave him plenty of room, and he just doors me halfway down the straightaway. … There’s something about the younger guys in the sport now. They never had to deal with consequences," he said, via Dirty Mo Media.
"So, what I told him was if he wrecks me again, I’m just gonna beat his a--."
The next race for the NASCAR Cup Series is the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday night. It was one of the most anticipated races on the Cup Series schedule.
All eyes will be on Dillon and Smith to see if there’s any kind of retaliation.
Smith is ahead of Dillon in the points standings going into the race. He sits at 22nd, and Dillon is in 30th.
Christopher Bell won the NASCAR All-Star Race and secured the $1 million prize.
Shedeur Sanders was projected to go as early as No. 2 before his inexplicable draft slide. The Cleveland Browns finally selected Sanders in the fifth round of last month's NFL Draft.
On Monday, the Browns said Sanders signed his rookie contract. ESPN reported that Sanders' four-year rookie deal is valued at $4.6 million.
The latest NFL collective bargaining agreement introduced fixed rookie pay scales, which effectively eliminates negotiations. Since Sanders was the 144th overall pick, he was slotted to earn $4.6 million on his first contract.
The Browns also confirmed Sanders will wear the No. 12 during the 2025 season. Sanders wore No. 2 at Colorado, but Cleveland wide receiver DeAndre Carter had already claimed the No. 2 jersey.
There was some speculation Sanders could make an offer to Carter to regain his college football number. But Sanders hinted that his modest signing bonus would prevent him from pursuing his old number.
"My signing bonus ain’t that high right now," Sanders said.
The total value of Sanders' contract is worth less than his reported name, image, and likeness (NIL) valuation that he amassed during his college football career. Per On3, Sanders had a $6.5 million valuation while he played for Colorado.
Reaching an agreement on a multi-year contract could provide Sanders with some security as he competes for a roster spot and as he attempts to work his way up the Browns' depth chart.
The 23-year-old is part of a crowded quarterback room in Cleveland that features Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel.
Sanders finished the 2024 season at Colorado with 4,134 passing yards.
Shaquille O'Neal only did more to fan the flames of the NBA draft conspiracy theorists with a David Stern story around him landing first overall to the Magic in 1992.
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