Tag: Blogs

Caitlin Clark and Unrivaled have the opportunity to do the funniest thing ever

This would be so diabolical.

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Good morning, Winners! Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thank you so much for reading today. We appreciate your time. Hope you’re having an awesome Wednesday.

Wednesday marks the roster reveal day for Unrivaled — the new 3-on-3 women’s basketball league set to take the sports world by storm this winter.

Nearly all the roster slots have been filled at this point. There’s still just one left open with the league announcing its teams today. There’s no doubt who that spot is reserved for.

It’s no secret that Unrivaled has been waiting for Caitlin Clark. Co-founder and Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier has always made that clear.

For the first time, though, it actually seems like they might get her. Clark might actually be Unrivaled, as they say.

The roster announcements start at 11:00 a.m. ET and end at 11:22. Hmmm. Quite a curious time to end, right? Not 11:30. Not 11:15. 11:22. Twenty-two. Hmmm. WAIT. BY GOLLY. THAT’S CAITLIN CLARK’S MUSIC.

That seems to be a pretty strong indicator that Clark is joining the league this winter. It’s hard to believe they’d choose such a specific time without it meaning anything. It’s a solid assumption that there’s a Clark announcement somewhere in there.

But wouldn’t it be hilarious if there isn’t?

Imagine this. Everyone is hyped at 11:21 and Unrivaled is about to unveil the final player. There’s a 22 jersey on the screen. A shadowy figure begins to come into the frame. It’s … all of a sudden … IT’S MYISHA HINES-ALLEN.

Definitely not the No. 22 you’re expecting, but maybe the No. 22 we needed. Shoutout to Myisha, by the way.

In all seriousness, it’s likely Clark. Even though she has plenty of reasons not to play this winter, this build-up and suspense wouldn’t make sense for anyone else. It’s hard to imagine this being anyone but her.

Regardless of whether it is or not, let’s hope for a fun Unrivaled inaugural season. This could be huge for women’s basketball.

Aaron Rodgers is the problem

Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

Robert Saleh. Joe Douglas. Everyone who vouched for Aaron Rodgers during his time in New York seems to be falling by the wayside.

Trusting Aaron Rodgers is getting people fired, our Robert Zeglinski writes.

“At 3-8, Douglas going down with the ship now feels very different. This is the Jets cutting everyone who bought Rodgers’ brazen snake oil loose without a second thought. It’s ownership making a tacit acknowledgment that acquiring a (then) semi-washed diva like Rodgers for multiple high-end draft picks was a mistake which wasted everyone’s time with the organization.

How do I know this for certain?

Well, dearest readers, that’s because Rodgers — a year after tearing his Achilles, mind you — is having the worst statistical season of his career.

Rodgers hasn’t thrown for 300 yards in a game all season. (The last time he threw for 300 yards in a game was in December 2021.) He’s also averaging his lowest yards per attempt and has his lowest passer rating since his two initial non-starter seasons in Green Bay in … 2005 and 2006. This is beyond a quarterback struggling. This is a player who is a hollow husk of the all-world talent he once was, now at the helm of the NFL’s 17th-ranked offense on an expected points added (EPA) per play basis. Any time you might think the Jets have a modicum of hope, at this point, Rodgers throws it away himself.”

It’s a tough day to be an Aaron Rodgers fan. His days as a Jet seem numbered.

The triple-double king

Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Russell Westbrook snatched his 200th triple-double on Tuesday in a Nuggets’ win over the Grizzlies.

It wasn’t quite vintage Westbrook. It wasn’t as loud as it used to be. But, with 12 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds, it was a triple-double nonetheless. And he’s now the only player in the NBA’s history to have 200 triple-doubles. The next closest player is Oscar Robertson, with 181. The next closest active player is his teammate, Nikola Jokic, with 136.

He did the Wilt Chamberlain thing after the fact. And, yeah, he totally deserved to do the Wilt thing here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DClFSFZATE0/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Russ earned this.

Quick hits: Alex Ovechkin’s Gretzky chase paused … Week 12 QB rankings … and more

— Alex Ovechkin’s leg injury will put his chase of Wayne Gretzky’s goal record on hold for a bit. Mary Clarke has more.

— Here’s Christian D’Andrea’s latest quarterback ranking, where Aaron Rodgers can’t even crack the top 20.

— Speaking of Rodgers, Woody Johnson wanted to bench him after Week 4. Cory Woodroof has more here.

— Here are the latest CFP rankings and, uh, BOISE STATE MIGHT GET THAT BYE WEEK!

— Joel Embiid has become a problem that the 76ers desperately need to figure out. 

— Rafael Nadal got a standing ovation at the Davis Cup. It was well earned.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for rocking with us today. Have a great Wednesday. Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

The 76ers might have a Joel Embiid problem that needs solving

The vibes are not great in Philadelphia right now.

The Philadelphia 76ers were supposed to be one of the teams that we thought could dethrone the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference this year. After Philly picked up Paul George, it seemed like this team was ready to compete for a championship.

We’re about a month into the season now and the 76ers are one of the worst teams in the league with a 2-11 record.

Joel Embiid missed a chunk of time there with rest and a suspension. Regardless, this team does not look great. The vibes don’t sound too great, either.

After losing to the Miami Heat on Monday, the 76ers players held a team meeting after the game, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

In the meeting, Tyrese Maxey called out Embiid. Here’s more from Shams:

“Maxey challenged Embiid to be on time to team activities, calling out the 2022-23 league MVP about being late “for everything” and how it impacts the locker room, from other players to the coaching staff, sources briefed on the meeting told ESPN.”

Charania went on to report that there’s no beef between the two of them and that they hold each other accountable like this frequently.

But, still. The fact that this needed to happen so early in the season when the team looks as bad as it has since the early days of The Process is not a great sign for things at all.

CAPTURE THE FLAGG: The 76ers are right in the thick of things if they’re tanking for Cooper Flagg.

Philly isn’t supposed to be a bottom feeder. This is a team that was put together to compete at the top of the East. It’s not too late to do that. But, to simply win 50 games again, Philly would have to win 48 of its next 69 games. That’s not impossible, but it’s tough to do. And if Joel Embiid isn’t locked in, it won’t happen.

Good on Maxey for trying to get his teammate in gear. Let’s see if it works.

Nike’s awesome tribute to Rafael Nadal will absolutely give you chills

What an incredible tribute to Nadal here

Nike has always been great at making its athletes stand above the competition. It’s as good of a marketing company as it is a sportswear company.

Knowing that, it’s easy to be cynical about some of the ads we watch with the brand’s athletes. Usually, Nike makes things feel a bit bigger than they actually are.

READ MORE: The tennis world showed Nadal so much love after he announced his retirement.

But, man. It’s hard not to get emotional when watching this ad for Rafael Nadal.

Nike released this spot before Nadal’s debut at the 2024 Davis Cup for Team Spain. It’s absolutely chilling.

Nadal wiping the clay surface that he dominated his entire career clean in that way just brings back so many memories. This was awesome.

Fans gave Rafael Nadal a standing ovation at the Davis Cup after he lost his potential last match

If this is it for Nadal, it’s been a great ride.

Rafael Nadal has had a long career spanning through two decades. In that time, he’s become one of the greatest tennis players we’ve ever seen.

Now, he’s retiring. And he may have played his last professional match ever at the Davis Cup on Tuesday.

FEDERER SHOWS LOVE: Nadal received a beautiful tribute from Roger Federer on Instagram ahead of his match

Nadal played the first match for Team Spain on Tuesday, where he lost 6-4, 6-4 to Botic van de Zandschulp of Team Netherlands. Since it’s a team competition, we don’t know whether this is truly it for Nadal here.

But, regardless of if it is, fans still took the time to shower him with love. He received a standing ovation from the crowd after the match.

This is so well-deserved for Nadal. What a career. What a moment.

USMNT star Christian Pulisic had a weak explanation for his Donald Trump dance goal celebration

If you’re going to make a political statement, stand by it.

In the wake of Donald Trump’s election for a second presidential term, we’ve seen several athletes signal their support for Trump by copying a dance the president-elect has been known to do at his rallies. But when it came time to explain the dance, they all had similar answers.

U.S. men’s national team star Christian Pulisic was no different.

Pulisic — who is enjoying a career-best season at AC Milan — scored the opening goal in the USMNT’s CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal win against Jamaica on Monday. And when Pulisic made his celebratory trot to the corner flag, many were surprised to see Pulisic break out that same Donald Trump dance we’ve already witnessed from Brock Bowers and Jon Jones.

Now, Pulisic is entitled to his political opinions — no matter how divisive they may be. And it’s no secret where he stands in that regard. But what was odd was how he brushed off the dance as simply something he saw as “funny.”

Pulisic said after the match via The Athletic:

“Well obviously that’s the Trump dance,” Pulisic said when asked whether he intentionally celebrated with viral moves. “It was just a dance that everyone’s doing. He’s the one who created it. I just thought it was funny.”

He continued:

“I saw everyone doing it yesterday in the NFL, I saw Jon Jones do it,” Pulisic said after the game. “We’re just having a bit of fun, so I thought it was a pretty fun dance.”

…

“No, not at all,” Pulisic said. “It’s not a political dance. It was just for fun. I saw a bunch of people do it and I thought it was funny, so I enjoyed it. I hope some people did, at least.”

And while teammates Weston McKennie (a vocal Trump critic) and Ricardo Pepi joined Pulisic on the dance, it’s awfully disingenuous for Pulisic to dismiss a clearly political dance as something he happened to see in the NFL and UFC. It’s an inherently political statement, and if you’re going to make one, at least have the courage to stand by it and explain it.

When Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality, he didn’t shy away from questions. When USWNT legend Megan Rapinoe did the same, she was also able to answer for it. She wrote an entire piece about it.

If Pulisic wants to use his platform as the face of the USMNT to do that dance, he should be brave enough to give an honest explanation. He wasn’t willing to do that on Monday.

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Jerry Jones is only delaying the inevitable by waiting to fire Mike McCarthy

Jerry Jones. Buddy. Let’s get the ball rolling.

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Good morning, folks. Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thanks so much for reading today. We appreciate you giving us a bit of your time.

The ceiling is caving in on Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys at Jerry World. That feels like an omen of things to come.

Listen, folks. I hate to say it, but McCarthy is not making it beyond this season in Dallas. You know it. I know it. It seems that even the Cowboys players know it if you listen to Micah Parsons.

Considering that, you might as well make the move now if you’re Dallas. You’d think losing six games in a row in historic fashion would be enough of a catalyst to make a coaching change — even if it’s not something you’d typically do. The Cowboys typically aren’t this bad!

But Jerry Jones seems to be cool with the status quo.

After Dallas’ 34-10 loss to the Texans in Dallas, Jones insisted that McCarthy hadn’t lost the locker room. He called the question “nonsense.” He also refuses even to consider letting go of McCarthy too early, no matter how often this team makes him make this face.

“I have made a change early on a coach with Chan Gailey, and I’ve always regretted that, and I’ve made a change during the season [on Wade Phillips] and regretted that, and that’s the music I’m listening to,” Jones said after the game.

And, well, I guess that’s fair. Past experience is always the best teacher. The Cowboys season is lost, anyway. What’s a few weeks of a head start on a coaching search going to do for this team? Probably nothing.

But, man. We all know what’s coming. I can’t help but feel like it’d be better just to get it over with.

A rivalry revisited

Rafael Nadal is officially retiring after the Davis Cup. Tuesday might actually be his final match!

This is it, folks. This could be the last we’ll see of this living legend on the court. It’s been a long time coming. He absolutely changed the game on his way to becoming one of the greatest players ever to pick up a racket.

One of his rivals — and friends! — Roger Federer wrote a sweet tribute about exactly that. Charles Curtis has more here.

Take a read:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DCi2LcnxT5O/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

“We were both at the start of our journey and it’s one we ended up taking together,” he wrote. “Twenty years later, Rafa, I have to say: What an incredible run you’ve had. Including 14 French Opens—historic! You made Spain proud… you made the whole tennis world proud.”

Hits you right in the feels, man. Happy trials, Rafa. Thanks for all the memories.

Happy birthday, Malice at the Palace!

AP Photo/Duane Burleson

Twenty years ago today, the Malice at the Palace changed the NBA forever.

What started as a run-of-the-mill scuffle between Ben Wallace and Ron Artest snowballed into one of the most unforgettable moments in league history.

This is simply one of those moments you remember where you were when you heard about it. Unfortuantely (or maybe fortunately?), I didn’t see it live. I only saw the replay on the news. But, looking back on it, this happened on national television with some of the biggest names in the NBA.

Ron Artest. Stephen Jackson. Ben Wallace. Reggie Miller (who didn’t even play!).  Dudes were in the stands fighting fans. It was so bad that Rasheed Wallace, of all people, seemed to try and play peacemaker. I still can’t believe it happened and it’s been 20 years since it did.

The aftermath was crazy. Reggie Miller said the Pacers faced bomb threats the next time they visited the palace.

After this, the NBA banned hand-checking. It also enacted a dress code that very blatantly targeted hip-hop culture. It was extremely problematic, to say the least. But players adhered to it and, eventually, flipped it on its head. And, because of the hand-checking ban, we got the freedom of movement we have in the game today.

I won’t call the Malice in the Palace the defining moment of this current iteration of the NBA. The stigma still hasn’t left the league in a lot of ways. But it certainly did shape the NBA as we know it today, for better and for worse.

Quick hits: Shedeur Sanders to New York … Seattle Storm chaos … and more

— A new NFL mock draft has Shedeur Sanders heading to New York to play QB for the Giants. Charles Curtis has more here.

—  Here’s Meg Hall on the chaos brewing around the Seattle Storm. This story is so weird. We don’t know what’s happening.

— Caitlin Clark at Iowa games as a fan is the best. Here’s Meg again with more.

— Robert Zeglinski and Christian D’Andrea have their NFL Power Rankings together for the week. The Lions are that team. 

— Here’s Tyler Nettuno with winners and losers for this week in the college football world. Georgia just keeps hanging around.

— Cory Woodroof says it’s not time for the Falcons to play Michael Penix just yet.

That’s a wrap, folks. Happy Tuesday. Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

The Cowboys had to close the stadium roof for MNF after metal debris fell onto the field pregame

Everything is falling apart for the Cowboys.

After Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb lost a would-be touchdown in the sun last week, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was defiant when asked about using curtains for NFL games. He went as far as to joke about tearing down the stadium.

Well, Jones doesn’t have to tear down his $1.5 billion stadium, but he should at least keep up on the maintenance. It led to a scary scene on Monday.

Ahead of the Cowboys’ primetime matchup with the Texans — a game where the roof was supposed to be open at AT&T Stadium — a large piece of metal debris fell from overhead and landed near production staffers on field level. Thankfully, nobody was hurt.

Upon noticing that there was an additional metal sheet that appeared loose, the Cowboys opted to close the roof for the game.

It was unclear what caused the debris to fall or how something like that got loose to begin with. But it’s just been that kind of year for the Cowboys — everything is falling apart.

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Bears coach Matt Eberflus is protesting to the NFL that the refs missed a penalty on the Packers’ winning FG block

Did the Packers get away with one there?

The Chicago Bears had themselves yet another stunning defeat in a season full of them on Sunday. This time, they fell as the Green Bay Packers blocked a would-be, game-winning field goal by Cairo Santos.

In the aftermath of the loss, Bears coach Matt Eberflus defended his decision to kick the 46-yard attempt rather than run an additional play. But come Monday, Eberflus turned his attention to another aspect of that blocked field goal:

He thinks the refs missed a penalty.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Eberflus is turning video over to the league to argue that the officials missed a penalty on the Packers for illegally initiating contact with the long snapper.

NFL rules prohibit defenders from making contact with the long snapper when his head is down and within one second of the snap. And sure, Eberflus does appear to be right as contact was made on long snapper Scott Daly in a vulnerable position.

But what is he hoping to accomplish by protesting to the league? The game is over. That’s not going to change.

By protesting the call, it just brings more focus on his decision to kick before they needed to. That won’t help him at all with Bears fans or his players.

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Tommy DeVito vs. Cooper Rush might be the best Thanksgiving day game ever

No, no. Don’t get me wrong. This game will suck. But it’s the perfect time for a turkey nap.

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Good morning, folks! Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thanks so much for rocking with us today. We appreciate you giving us a bit of your time.

You know what I’m not giving any of my time? The Giants vs. the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day.

This is usually a matchup you’d be stoked to see. The Cowboys and Giants always give us good games whenever they play. That’s how the NFC East goes. It’s always been one of the weirdest divisions in football.

That ain’t how it’s going to go this year.

COSMIC PUNISHMENT: This is the Lions’ fault, somehow. I don’t know how. It just is.

Tommy DeVito is the starting quarterback for the New York Giants after the team (finally!) decided to bench Daniel Jones. There are salary cap ramifications to this move, of course, but you should make no mistake about it. New York is officially tanking for Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward or whoever it is they’ll decide is their future quarterback. They just know it won’t be that guy ever again. Who is that guy? Daniel Jones.

THE REAL IS BACK: Tommy DeVito’s agent has returned, much to the delight of everyone on staff here at For The Win. The memes, folks!

Meanwhile, in Dallas, Cooper Rush is the starting quarterback for the rest of the season as Dak Prescott deals with his hamstring injury. How’s that going? Well, the prevailing conversation after he threw just 45 yards against the Eagles two Sundays ago was about the sun shining too brightly in Jerry World. So there’s that.

This Thanksgiving day game is doomed. It will be awful. Maybe one of the worst games you’ve seen all season. Not only are these two teams bad, but they’ll be starting two of the worst quarterbacks in the league.

If you willingly watch this game, I can only assume that someone is paying you to do so, or you’re just a straight-up masochist. If you are, no judgment here! Well, actually. Maybe a little judgment. But it’s fine! Be you, homie.

Me? Well, this game is at 4:30 p.m. Eastern. I think that’s the perfect time for a lil turkey nap. That’s where I’ll be.

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Dallas actually got a win on Sunday

UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) reacts after a basket against the South Florida Bulls in the first half at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

Paige Bueckers, you are (presumably) a Dallas Wing — much to the chagrin of Sparks fans, Sky fans and Mystics fans everywhere.

The Wings won the WNBA draft lottery on Sunday. And, while obviously not confirmed that Bueckers will be the No. 1 pick in the draft at this point, she will absolutely be the No. 1 pick in the draft when April rolls around.

Paige is the best player in the country right now. She’s averaging 21.3 points per game on 65 percent shooting from the field as a guard. The sample is small — we’re only three games into the season so far. But still, the production is gaudy. Bueckers is a surefire No. 1 pick.

Arike Ogunbowale and Wings GM Curt Miller are excited. The rest of the WNBA should not be. Bueckers is going to be a problem, folks.

De’Aaron Fox goes Super Saiyan

Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

It’s got to be the shoes, man.

In 24 hours over the weekend, De’Aaron Fox scored 109 points.

First, he dropped 60 points in a tough overtime loss to the Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards (who dropped 36 himself) hit a game-clinching shot that sealed the deal for Minnesota.

Then, he scored another 49 points against Utah the very next day in a clutch win over the Jazz.

This isn’t quite the same thing as Wilt Chamberlain scoring 100 points in a single game, but guys. This is insane. Losing a shoe couldn’t even stop the dude.

Only Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryant have had scoring benders like this. Never would’ve thought Fox’s name might be included with those two, yet here we are.

Under Armour and the Curry Brand have to be thrilled.

Quick hits: Inside the NBA is saved … Josh Allen isn’t human … and more

— The NBA and TNT settled their lawsuit over the weekend and saved Inside the NBA. Cory Woodroof has the details.

— Here’s Christian D’Andrea on Josh Allen being Superman and more that we’ve learned from Week 11 in the NFL.

— Speaking of the Bills, Robert Zeglinski has more on how Buffalo finally has enough sauce to beat the Chiefs. They’ve just got to make it happen in January.

— Here’s Bryan Kalbrosky with the latest NBA Mock Draft, including one of Cooper Flagg’s teammates in the lottery.

— Prince Grimes’ Capture the Flagg column has been so fun in this early part of the NBA season. He makes the case that the Pelicans should tank it out.

— Here’s Charles Curtis on the Donald Trump dance taking over the NFL.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for reading. Enjoy your Monday! Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

Mics picked up the classy message that Patrick Mahomes had for Josh Allen after the Bills’ win

So much respect.

There aren’t many rivalries in the NFL better than what we’ve seen from Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. The two quarterbacks continually battle in classic games, and it’s a rivalry that is fueled by respect rather than animosity.

That was clear once again on Sunday.

In an absolutely electric scene at Highmark Stadium, the Buffalo Bills handed the Chiefs their first loss of the season. And while Kansas City showed signs of rallying in the fourth quarter, it was Allen who closed the door with his touchdown run to stretch the game to two possessions.

And if we’ve learned anything from Chiefs-Bills games in the Mahomes-Allen era, it’s that we’ll probably get more of it in January. Mahomes was thinking that when the two players met at midfield after the Bills’ 30-21 win.

Mics picked up Mahomes saying to Allen, “We’ll do it again, baby.”

Let’s hope so. These games almost never disappoint.

Update: The NFL posted the full exchange, and we could hear as Allen had a similar message.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DChVuHJx20T/?hl=en&img_index=1

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