Month: October 2024

The Chicago Bears almost defeated the Houston Texans in the Hall of Fame Game, which was canceled early due to weather conditions. With 3:31 remaining in the third quarter, lightning strikes near Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium caused the game to be delayed and eventually canceled. This is far from the end of the world.Hardly any notable NFL stars, or even starting-caliber players, appeared in this game. By the end of the third quarter, we were watching players hoping to secure roles as backups, catch onto other teams or find their way onto a practice squad.The game itself was on pace to be a high-scoring affair, especially for the Hall of Fame Game. We'll see if that trend continues throughout the rest of the preseason, which continues in less than one week.While the Bears technic…

In the last calendar year alone, Jürgen Klinsmann called in over 60 different players for roster spots, as he tinkered with his final 23 for the USMNT. Granted, we knew players like Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, and Michael Bradley had unquestioned spots, but then again, so did Landon Donovan. Plenty of unknown youngsters — in the mold of John Anthony Brooks or Julian Green or DeAndre Yedlin — are affiliated with top clubs and academies in Europe and the Americas. Over the next four year cycle, they will have numerous opportunities to impress Jürgen: a U-20 World Cup, a Summer Olympics (U-23 except for three players), two Gold Cups, a potential Confederations Cup, and the 2016 Copa América Centenario. Besides Gedion Zelalem, an obvious choice, here are 10 kids who are cap-less but po…

Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman has a column up that explores the possibility of the Ravens cutting or deactivating Ray Rice for the rest of the season. Within it is a quote from an anonymous Ravens player indicating that Rice may no longer have the support of his teammates. From Freeman: I can tell you this. I had a brief text conversation with a Ravens player I've known for some time who told me that the locker room before stood by Rice. Now? "I don't think he has very much support now at all," the player texted. "I think it's gone." The player added that one reason the locker room stood behind Rice was because Rice gave them the impression that he was defending himself from her (as ridiculous as the notion is of a weaponless, petite woman be…

Tywan “Speedy” Claxton made his pro MMA debut at Bellator 186 tonight after a stellar wrestling career as an Ohio Bobcat, and he finished his bout against Jonny Bonilla-Bowman in style with a first-round flying knee. BAH GAWD. …

As we mentioned last week, the Spurs have had a league-low five alley-oop dunks in the last two seasons, and they had just one in the 2012-2013 regular season. Here it is. It's pretty sad, for a couple of reasons: The Spurs are up nine with 28 seconds left. The Spurs are up nine with 28 seconds left, and they are playing the Kings. Boris Diaw is credited with the alley, but it kind of looks like he just missed an awkward shot with three seconds left on the clock. Tiago Splitter gets the oop; at 6' 11'' he seems to get about eight inches off the ground. All those empty seats. Credit to Dan McCarney at the San Antonio Express-News, who tracked down the box score. Video from Synergy Sports. Relatedsports betting calculatorsparlay calculator oddsmoneyline odds …

Drew Magary’s Thursday Afternoon NFL Dick Joke Jamboroo runs every Thursday during the NFL season. Email Drew here. Buy his book here. John Gagliardi died last week at the age of 91, and if that name is familiar to you it’s likely because Gagliardi is the winningest college football coach of all time. The fact that Gagliardi won all his games at the NAIA and D3 levels, mostly at tiny St. John’s University in Minnesota, means that his record will be enduring but also strangely peripheral, given the cultural and visible dominance of FBS college football. Gagliardi won 489 football games. He won four national titles. He also, remarkably, had a winning record as an ice hockey coach. He even dabbled in coaching the basketball team at Carroll College in Montana in his early years. And …

data-mm-id=”_idlza26db”>The Houston Astros have solidified themselves as one of baseball's best teams and a franchise with a large championship window after winning the World Series in 2017 and reaching it once more in 2019. That perception may be marred after a report from Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic emerged alleging Houston stole signs using a camera throughout the 2017 season. Former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers was the only source to go on record and confirm that the team used a camera in the outfield to steal signs. The camera was streaming to a television inside the dugout, out of view of any broadcast cameras. From the article: “A feed from a camera in center field, fixed on the opposing catcher’s signs, was hooked up to a television monitor that was plac…

data-mm-id=”_1ps8fwv6q”>While the Los Angeles City Council can crow all they want about how the Houston Astros' cheating scandal robbed them of at least one World Series title, they're far from the only party affected. The line between making it in the bigs and getting sent down to the minors is razor-thin as it stands. The Astros knowing what pitch was coming may not have affected the bottom line for guys like Clayton Kershaw, but there were numerous pitchers they faced off with during the time they were cheating. Every pitch mattered for some of those pitchers. Mike Bolsinger was one of those pitchers. He played against the Astros in 2017, and in one third of an inning, gave up four runs, four hits, and three walks. He hasn't played in the major leagues since. USA Toda…

data-mm-id=”_o9jr1m366″>A quick search on Spotrac can turn a good idea into a great one, but it can just as easily turn a bad idea into a horrific one. Such was the case today, as I watched Max Kellerman explain why he thinks Carson Wentz should demand a trade from the Eagles since, you know, they just drafted Jalen Hurts in the second round. "If I am Carson Wentz, and I believe in myself, I'm going to demand a trade right now."—@maxkellerman on the Eagles' draft decisions ? pic.twitter.com/6NujQSkl6P— First Take (@FirstTake) April 27, 2020Kellerman goes on a long diatribe here explaining why the Eagles should have used their second-round pick, eventually used to pick Hurts, to trade up in the first round and select wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. He argues Wentz nee…