Tag: Explainers

How the Saints stole a QB from the Panthers with a late NFL Draft trade

This adds a little extra spice to the NFC South rivalry.

When the third round of this year’s NFL Draft was over, head coach Sean Payton and the Saints were ready to wrap up and call it a weekend. After trading up to take a tight end at the end of Round 3, the team found itself without any picks in Rounds 4-7.

Still, there were things to do. The Saints got to work reaching out to players they didn’t think would get drafted but they were interested in signing as free agents.

One of those was quarterback Tommy Stevens, a 6-foot-5 bruiser out of Mississippi State who projected to be a hybrid-type player in the NFL, much in the mold of Taysom Hill. Hill has thrived for the Saints in a weird kind of wildcat QB-tight end hybrid role that the team more or less invented.

And with Stevens, they wanted the next iteration of that. Still: There was a problem. Stevens already had a verbal agreement with the Panthers to join them as a free agent in the event he went undrafted. Stevens also already had a relationship with new Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady.

Still, Payton wasn’t going to let it go that easily.

Via ESPN:

“It became my project,” said Payton, who said the Saints first offered to match Carolina’s offer (a $15,000 signing bonus and $30,000 of Stevens’ salary guaranteed).

Then Payton said the Saints tried upping the offer to $144,000 of the salary guaranteed. But Stevens and agent Buddy Baker didn’t budge because Stevens wanted to honor his commitment to Carolina.

Payton says he respect Stevens honoring his word, but wasn’t going to let him get away that easy. So during the final round, the Saints traded next year’s sixth round pick to the Texans for their seventh round pick this year. They then took Stevens.

Again, via ESPN:

“I said, ‘Honestly, I was having some fun,'” Payton said. “‘You had given your word and I respect that. But we weren’t going to lose you. You were going to become a Saint.'”

That was that. No word yet on how Brady and the Panthers feel about all this.

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Why NFL teams are reportedly furious about Tom Brady’s trespassing incident

It actually has nothing to do with the trespassing, but rather the fact that he appeared to be in violation of a CBA rule.

Tom Brady has gotten off to a funny and bumpy start in Tampa Bay. Shortly after Brady was ejected from a public park for violating quarantine orders, Brady accidentally trespassed in a Tampa Bay resident’s home when he thought he was visiting Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich.

Brady walked in the wrong house. It was a simple mixup, but one that has reportedly enraged other NFL teams … and not because of the trespassing thing.

The bigger issue to NFL teams is that Brady was making contact with his new coach. Due to coronavirus concerns, the league has delayed offseason activities for teams, so that they may abide by quarantine rules.

But a CBA rule says that players are not allowed to meet with team coaches to discuss football before official offseason activities have commenced. As they haven’t, it could be conceived that Brady was in violation of CBA rules by visiting Leftwich. Other teams have reportedly reached out to the league to express their anger with Brady violating the rules.

Via CBS Sports:

According to [Jason] La Canfora, teams around the league have “conveyed their dismay to league officials” about Brady’s meeting, and since they believe the quarterback violated league policy, the teams are “anticipating some stern discipline” for Brady and/or the Buccaneers. As one source told Pro Football Talk, what Brady did was “totally illegal.”

I doubt we’ll see a suspension or anything close to it for Brady, but a fine might be in order if the league determines he was violating CBA rules.

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Is Ronda Rousey’s ongoing bashing of WWE fans a work? A brief investigation

Does Ronda Rousey honestly hate WWE fans? Or is this all a set-up for a return?

Ronda Rousey is in the headlines again this week for comments she made bashing WWE fans.

In an interview on the “Wild Ride” podcast, which is hosted by Steve-O of Jackass fame, Rousey again ripped into WWE fans, who had a less-than-cordial relationship with Rousey during her run as a performer with the company last year.

Talking with Steve-O about her decision to leave wrestling, Rousey asked:  “What am I doing it for, if I’m not being able to spend my time and energy on my family, but instead spending my time and my energy on a bunch of [expletive] ungrateful fans that don’t even appreciate me?”

She continued: “I love performing. I love the girls. I love being out there … but, at the end of the day, I was just like, ‘[expletive] these fans, dude.'”

Her hatred of the WWE fans seems sincere enough, but this is also the WWE we’re talking about here. Which leads us to the big question: Is this all a work?

(Quickly, for the non-wrestling fans: A “work” is any planned or scripted part of the ongoing, never-ending storytelling that exists in the world of professional wrestling. A “shoot,” on the other hand, is when an unscripted moment occurs.)

And, as far as I can tell, WWE fans can’t quite make up their minds with this right now. Is Rousey just baiting fans intentionally, staying relevant to the sport while she takes a break from WWE, and setting up her inevitable return as a heel? Or does she genuinely hate the fans for the way they treated her during her run?

No one has any idea. Look at what it’s doing to these poor fans.

Some things to consider:

1.) WWE fans really, earnestly did not react well to Rousey when she joined WWE. Not in a “we get mad at the heel” kind of way. She wasn’t a heel (“heel” is a villain in wrestling parlance). More in the, like, “we just hate this person and don’t want to watch her” kind of way. They let her know about it, too. So for her to be genuinely angry isn’t out of the question. Score one for shoot.

2.) Steve-O has appeared on WWE before. Score one for work.

3.) Rousey keeps talking about WWE openly, and making sure to disparage fans, instead of just dodging the question, which anyone with her media training absolutely knows how to do.

The more I read up on it, the more I think we’re in a wonderful, muddled middle ground here. A worked shoot, or a shoot that’s slowly being worked. Or something. Rousey is genuinely mad at WWE fans for things they said to her, but also smart enough to realize she can channel that anger into a possible WWE return as a heel in the future.

The best moments in WWE recently (other than insane WrestleMania, filmed boneyard matches) have come when the writers find genuine, real-life disagreements and transform them into works.

If Rousey takes the hurt she felt from WWE fans, who thought she was uninteresting and handed too much too soon after her transition over from UFC, and channels that into something interesting, that’s great. It will actually go a long way toward making her more believable as a WWE character.

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NFL might be closing the ‘Belichick loophole’ which was used against him in the playoffs

Bill Belichick found a rule loophule, and then Mike Vrabel used it against him. The NFL is reportedly going to shut it down.

Last season, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick took advantage of a rule loophole to run time off the lock against the Jets during the regular season.

That same loophole was used against him by Titans coach (and former Patriots staffer) Mike Vrabel in the playoffs, in Tennessee’s win over New England.

When the Patriots did it against the Jets, Belichick conceded that the league should probably address the loophole, and it appears they will be doing so now.

First: The rule. Basically, to try and prevent teams from getting essentially a free timeout late in games on fourth down, the rules currently state that any penalty committed with less than five minutes remaining on fourth down would cause the clock to continue running.

The rule was written to prevent teams, desperately losing, from just committing a cheap five-yard penalty in order to stop the clock and give themselves time to organize a fourth down play.

What Belichick realized, however, was this could be a way for a winning team to run valuable time off the clock. Commit a penalty on fourth down, back up five yards, the play clock resets and the game clock keeps running.

Against the Jets, leading 33-0, the Patriots first let the play clock run out for a delay of game penalty. After it was declined, the Patriots’ Brandon Bolden appeared to intentionally jump for a false start with one second left. Again, the clock kept running. (Bolden was smiling huge after the penalty was called, as was Belichick.)

The Patriots were able to run 90 seconds off the clock in that game.

In the Titans game, Mike Vrabel used the same strategy.

Via CBS:

The Titans had a fourth-and-5 from the Patriots’ 36-yard line with just 6:33 left to play. Due to the weather, Vrabel didn’t want to kick a field goal, so he decided to punt the ball, but not until after his team took a delay of game penalty, which took the clock down to 5:52. Following that penalty, the Titans got a fresh 25-second play clock, and they let the new clock tick down to zero before taking a false start penalty, which didn’t sit well with Belichick.

Now it appears the league will be addressing this, as there is reportedly an amendment to the rule being considered by the NFL Competition Committee. At that point, we’ll get a real “Bill Belichick rule” in the rulebook, which I look forward to.

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Coronavirus update: What each pro sports league and NCAA is doing

Updates on how the NBA, NHL, MLB, NCAA, MLS, XFL and others are planning to respond to the virus outbreak.

The coronavirus pandemic has gone global, and with more cases popping up in the United States and Canada, professional leagues here are scrambling to react to the news.

The NBA suspended its season on Wednesday after a player tested positive for COVID-19, a strain of the coronavirus. It was a bold move for the league, and a shocking one, but it appears more and more likely that other leagues will follow suit shortly.

Here, we have compiled a list of professional and amateur leagues and what decisions they have made about their response to the virus outbreak. Some leagues are playing behind closed doors. Others are in wait-and-see mode. The NBA, as we have said, has suspended the entire league indefinitely.

Let’s get to the breakdown, and we will continue to update this as we learn more.

NBA

The NBA announced on Wednesday that it was suspending its season indefinitely after news broke that a player on the Utah Jazz — reportedly center Rudy Gobert — tested positive for COVID-19. There is no word on how long the suspension will last, but the season has not been cancelled.

NBA G-League

Following the NBA’s decision to suspend its season, the G-League has also suspended its season indefinitely.

NHL

As of Thursday morning, the NHL has not suspended play, nor has it limited or denied fans from coming to games. The league is reportedly monitoring the situation, however, with an update coming later in the day. We will update when we learn more.

MLB

MLB is currently in Spring Training, where it has not limited attendees or play. Opening Day is just 14 days away, but MLB has not made any major announcements about postponing play or restricting the number of fans in the stadium.

Even if MLB wanted to go ahead, what may complicate things is that individual cities and states are declaring states of emergency and limiting large gatherings. In the meantime, MLB is reportedly looking at playing games in different locations if affected cities won’t allow large gatherings.

MLS

MLS was in wait-and-see mode on Thursday morning. It appears the league will try to hold games this weekend, and asked all visiting teams to get charter flights for travel to the away game.

That being said, with local governments issuing bans on large gatherings, the decision may be taken out of the league’s hands. Also complicating things: President Trump issued an EU-travel ban on Wednesday night, which may limit the league’s ability to sign European-based players before the May transfer deadline.

Premier League

The English Premier League will play its matches in empty stadiums going forward, according to multiple reports. A game on Wednesday between Manchester City and Arsenal was postponed. It’s unclear how long the policy will be in effect.

NCAA

Upcoming championship events, which include the men’s and women’s March Madness tournaments, will be played without fans in the stands, the NCAA said Wednesday. However, essential staff and limited family members will be allowed to attend. Similarly, conference basketball tournaments will be played with restricted attendance.

The NCAA is looking to move the Final Four away from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and into a smaller venue, the Associated Press reported.

XFL

The only game impacted at this point is the Seattle Dragons’ home game Sunday. It will still be played against the Los Angeles Wildcats but without any fans at CenturyLink Field. The DC Defenders’ home game could be impacted after the D.C. Department of Health recommended against gatherings of 1,000 people or more, but the XFL is leaving that decision up to Audi Field.

PGA

The Players Championship will carry on as scheduled, but the tour said it will continue reviewing recommendations from the CDC, the World Health Organization and local officials. 

NASCAR

Races are continuing as scheduled with fans in attendance, but some basic track procedures have changed. It’s recommended that driver appearances be in open-air settings, and for pre-race and post-race activities, which include driver introductions, there will be a six-foot buffer around the grid and stage. 

IndyCar Series

The season-opening race, the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, will continue as scheduled, but some fan interaction has been limited.

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Coronavirus update: Should I attend a sporting event at a stadium? A youth sports tournament?

Understanding the latest on COVID-19 coronavirus and answering questions about attending large sporting events or youth sports tournaments.

The spread of COVID-19, a strain of coronavirus, has quickly reached pandemic levels in countries like China and Italy and sent the global economy tumbling.

Global health experts have stated that the disease is past containment, and we should now focus on limiting the spread to communities, especially those who are immunocompromised.

With this in mind, we have answers to some of your questions about how to do so, especially with regards to sporting events. You may have tickets to an upcoming professional game, or a youth sporting tournament that your children are set to participate in.

Should you attend? Does it make a difference if the event is indoors or outdoors? We have the best answers we could find.

It’s not you … it’s others to worry about

Before we get into anything, we should say: When deciding if to attend a large gathering, you need to think about the entire population. As of now, there hasn’t been much evidence that COVID-19 affects children. Because of this, you may not hesitate attending a children’s sporting tournament.

But the main fear of COVID-19 is uncontainable spread. Doctors and researchers don’t know enough about this disease, and want to limit its growth before they understand it better and, hopefully, eventually design a vaccine. Even if you don’t personally feel threatened, or you don’t feel your children are, you can still carry and transmit the virus to elderly or immunocompromised people who are threatened by it.

Avoid large crowds if you can, especially indoors

In an interview with the USA TODAY Editorial Board, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who served as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration from 2017 to 2019, said: “I think right now, we should be limiting large gatherings, especially in areas where we know that there’s spread.”

Gottlieb would go on to specify that large gatherings that are indoors are especially worrisome, as the disease transmits more easily there. If you can avoid large gatherings, especially indoors ones, like a youth tournament or a basketball agreement, you should do so.

For outdoor events, especially if the weather is warm, it’s slightly more manageable a risk, but if you have heard about an outbreak in your area, you will probably want to avoid all large gatherings, indoors or out.

Wash hands often, and definitely stay home if sick

COVID-19 appears to spread through small droplets, which can be transmitted from the face or hands. This is why doctors are encouraging people to avoid touching their faces. Another way to combat the spread is to wash your hands often, and thoroughly.

Likewise, even if you feel a small cough coming on, avoid other people. Stay home. Work from home if possible. The disease is believed to be transmittable even before symptoms come on, and even if you are just fighting a common cold, you should be limiting the transmission of any virus during a time like this.

The decision may not be up to you

More and more leagues around the world are canceling sporting events, or playing them behind closed doors.

Again, this is former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb:

I think we’re going to be at a point very soon where we think of canceling sporting events (or holding) them in empty stadiums like they’re doing in South Korea. You don’t want to bring together a lot of people in closed spaces, especially indoors, where you can have easy transfer. Look at what happened with the CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) and AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) conferences. Do you want to continue to hold conferences and have to run the risk that your entire attendee list is put into a quarantine because there was someone there who is infected?

Basically, we’re most likely headed to closed stadiums for sporting events, especially if this starts to spread like they think it might.

How long will this last?

We don’t know. Dr. Gottlieb pointed out that the virus seemed to struggle with hot, humid air, and pointed toward July and August as a possible stop point, but those are estimated guesses. We aren’t sure how long this will go on.

For now, we need to try to limit the spread of disease and give the global medical community time to work. If you can, avoid large gatherings, especially large sporting events indoors.

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Ryan Newman update: What we know after the Daytona 500 crash

What we know about the wreck and Newman’s current condition.

NASCAR driver Ryan Newman was rushed to the hospital after his car flipped and was rammed during the final lap of the Daytona 500 on Monday.

The incident marred the ending of an entertaining race that eventually saw Denny Hamlin take the checkered flag. Hamlin celebrated the race until he learned about the severity of Newman’s injuries. Hamlin then apologized and explained that he hadn’t heard what had happened.

Newman is currently listed in serious condition, but according to Roush Fenway Racing, his injuries are not life threatening.

Here is everything we know about the crash:

What happened

Ryan Newman was in the lead during the final lap of the Daytona 500 on Monday — the race had been postponed following heavy rain on Sunday — when Ryan Blaney made contact with Newman’s No. 6 car.

Newman’s car spun out and then flipped, sliding down the speedway after it was hit by another car.

The accident was terrifying to witness:

Latest updates on Newman’s condition

Newman was rushed to the Halifax Health Medical Center after the accident. On Monday night, Roush Fenway Racing issued a statement clarifying that while his injuries were not life-threatening, he was in serious condition.

What other drivers said

Hamlin apologized for celebrating after the win, clarifying that he hadn’t heard what had happened to Newman and never would have celebrated if he understood the circumstances.

Ryan Blaney, the driver that touched Newman, is actually another Ford driver. He said he was trying to give Newman a bump to help him win.

Via AZCentral:

“I thought I was pretty square, but I just got him to the right,” Blaney said. “I hope he’s alright. That looked really bad, and it’s not something I wanted to do. It definitely wasn’t intentional.”

We will update this post as we learn more.

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Everything you need to know about NASCAR’s 2020 Busch Clash at Daytona

From how NASCAR drivers qualified to past winners, here’s what you need to know.

The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season officially begins with the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 16, but things are already rolling at Daytona International Speedway with two practices Saturday and qualifying Sunday.

Plus, there’s the Busch Clash, an exhibition event. Although it doesn’t really count for anything other than bragging rights, it is the first competition of what’s known as Speedweeks. Then we’ve got the two Duels on Thursday to determine the starting lineup, a couple more practices and then the big event.

But first thing’s first: Here’s everything you need to know about the NASCAR Cup Series Busch Clash on Sunday at the iconic 2.5-mile Daytona track.

What is the Busch Clash?

It’s a 75-lap exhibition race totaling 187.5 miles. It’s divided into two stages: 25 laps and 50 laps.

When is the Busch Clash?

NASCAR’s Busch Clash is Sunday, February 9 at 3 p.m. ET, and the green flag is expected to fly at about 3:24 p.m. It will be broadcast on TV on FS1.

How do drivers qualify for the Busch Clash?

Wait, not everyone gets to compete in the Clash? No, drivers qualify based on their performances on the track in the past. Drivers qualify for the Clash if they:

1. Won a pole in a Cup Series race in 2019

2. Won the Clash at some point and ran a full 2019 season

3. Won a Daytona 500 pole at some point and ran a full 2019 season

4. Won the Daytona 500 at some point and ran a full 2019 season

5. Qualified for the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs

So which NASCAR drivers are qualified for the 2020 Busch Clash?

Here is the full list of 20 drivers who qualified for this year’s Clash. Several of them qualified in more than one way.

Aric Almirola

Ryan Blaney

Alex Bowman

Clint Bowyer

Kyle Busch

Kurt Busch

William Byron

Austin Dillon

Chase Elliott

Denny Hamlin

Kevin Harvick

Daniel Hemric*

Jimmie Johnson

Erik Jones

Brad Keselowski

Kyle Larson

Joey Logano

Ryan Newman

Daniel Suarez*

Martin Truex Jr.

*Daniel Suárez and Daniel Hemric will not compete in the Clash.

How is the starting lineup for the Busch Clash determined?

This one’s at random. There will be a random drawing Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET for the starting spots in Sunday’s race.

Who won the Clash last season?

(Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports)

Jimmie Johnson won the 2019 Clash for what turned out to be his only victory of the season, even if it was in an exhibition event. He triggered a massive wreck that took out almost half the field as he took the lead, and when rain hit, he was out front still and declared the winner.

He also won the Clash in 2005.

What other active drivers have won the Clash?

In addition to Johnson, six other active drivers have won the Clash: Brad Keselowski (2018), Joey Logano (2017), Denny Hamlin (2016, 2014, 2006), Kevin Harvick (2013, 2010, 2009), Kyle Busch (2012) and Kurt Busch (2011).

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