Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
HoopsHype puts together a list of every NBA sideline reporter for the 2024-25 NBA seasaon.
Sideline reporting is one of the coolest jobs in the NBA media world, as teams’ sideline reporters get to travel with the team for road games and cover pretty much every single regular-season game. They also do important work, getting to interview players and coaches during games, and giving fans behind-the-scenes access that they would not get otherwise.
Below, check out all of the sideline reporters covering the NBA in the 2024-25 season.
NBA player podcasts are becoming an increasingly bigger part of the media ecosystem, with some garnering millions of views and even interviewing presidential candidates. They are compelling because NBA guests feel more at ease with their peers and …
NBA player podcasts are becoming an increasingly bigger part of the media ecosystem, with some garnering millions of views and even interviewing presidential candidates. They are compelling because NBA guests feel more at ease with their peers and are more likely to share colorful stories. However, the lack of critical questioning or pushback can sometimes be a drawback.
There’s no denying their popularity, though, and it’s clear these podcasts are here to stay.
But which ones are the best? To find out, we asked readers to vote in a poll.
Podcasting veterans Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes led the way with “All the Smoke,” but the up-and-coming “Club 520” with Jeff Teague came in not far behind.
You can check the full ranking below.
See what #Giants QB Daniel Jones had to say to the media after he was benched in Week 12.
The New York Giants are set to start fan-favorite quarterback Tommy DeVito against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after they benched former first-round pick Daniel Jones this week.
After a 2-8 start to the season, New York moved Jones to the No. 3 spot on its depth chart behind DeVito and Drew Lock.
Though Jones’ inadequacies were only part of a wider set of problems that ultimately doomed the Giants’ 2024 campaign, New York seems inclined to move on from their $160 million quarterback, whether he remains on its roster or not.
See what Jones had to say to the media this morning in this video that was posted to Twitter by NFL insider Ian Rapoport:
A statement from #Giants QB Daniel Jones, addressing his present and future pic.twitter.com/eEiH4tVZX0
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 21, 2024
Though Jones didn’t indicate that the Giants intended to release him, it doesn’t seem like a great sign that he was reading from a prepared statement that was worded more like a firm “goodbye” than a friendly “see you later.”
Mike Tomlin’s not-so-secretive plan as to who the starting QB will be in Week 7 was hilariously foiled by one of his receivers.
Mike Tomlin is often known for keeping his cards close to his vest. He did so in reference to his contract situation after Pittsburgh’s 2023 Wild Card playoff loss, with Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett’s QB battle, and most recently, with the Justin Fields and Russell Wilson drama.
While many fans could read the room and find little clues that were pointing to Wilson’s inevitable start in Week 7, Tomlin had never directly come out and named him starter.
Tomlin had done something similar in the buildup to Week 1’s game against Atlanta, forcing the Falcons to game plan for both QBs, much to the chagrin of media reporters looking for a definitive answer.
Tomlin won’t name starting QB for Sunday Night. What is this high school? College football? What are we doing here? It’s gonna get out before Sunday night. One way or the other. pic.twitter.com/wqfth46ekv
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) October 18, 2024
However, WR George Pickens, who has had media availability issues in the past, spilled the beans and foiled Tomlin’s plans by declaring Week 7 would be Wilson’s “first start”. Will there be repercussions for the receiver’s slip-up?
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George Pickens has had a rough couple of weeks, and he could have addressed these challenges head on, but chose to hide from the situation.
From his costly Week 4 fumble against the Colts to his near-invisibility against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5, George Pickens has had a rough few weeks.
Mike Tomlin spoke on why Pickens’ limited snaps in their Sunday Night Football game against Dallas and essentially explained that it was by design. No receiver would enjoy hearing that their involvement would be limited, and Pickens wore his emotions not on his sleeve but on a mouthguard that read, ‘Always F—ing Open.’
Pickens could see the writing in the air, and tried his best to avoid the media at all costs.
https://twitter.com/tribjoerutter/status/1843346909286805862
This is clearly a sign of immaturity for the third-year receiver out of Georgia, as this would be the perfect opportunity to prove to the NFL world that he is learning and listening to what Tomlin is preaching to the players in the locker room. The organization will need to work with Pickens on how to correctly manage his temper tantrums, as come December 3rd, 2024, the national audience will have a front row seat to his antics on the hit show, Hard Knocks: In Season With the AFC North.
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Wisconsin basketball again severely underrated in Big Ten preseason media poll
Another year, another example of the Big Ten and national college basketball media not believing in Greg Gard and the Wisconsin Badgers.
This now feels like an annual occurrence. Wisconsin experiences a rough season or loses a few key players and everybody expects it to suddenly finish 12th in the Big Ten and miss the NCAA Tournament.
Related: Big Ten basketball teams ranked by returning production entering 2024-25 season
That is where Wisconsin is ranked by the Big Ten media entering the season: tied for 12th. The ranking was released on Wednesday in advance of the conference media days in Chicago, Illinois.
The context makes some sense. Stars from the program’s 2023-24 team that went 22-14 are now gone, headlined by PG Chucky Hepburn transferring to Louisville, SG A.J. Storr transferring to Kansas and F Tyler Wahl running out of eligibility.
Those losses accounted for combined per-game totals of 36.6 points, 4.1 assists and 12.6 rebounds. Anybody who watched or followed the Badgers can recognize the impact of their respective departures.
But history also matters. Wisconsin finished fifth in the Big Ten in 2023-24, 11th in 2022-23, tied for first in 2021-22, 6th in 2020-21, 1st in 2019-20 and 4th in 2018-19. The program rarely falls near the bottom of the conference, minus a forgettable 2022-23 season.
The Big Ten Preseason Media Poll is out:
Purdue
Indiana
UCLA
Illinois
Michigan State
Oregon
Rutgers
Ohio State
Michigan
Maryland
Iowa
Tied for 12th: Wisconsin, Nebraska
USC
Washington
Northwestern
Penn State
Minnesota— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) October 2, 2024
Greg Gard and his staff also responded to those roster losses offseason. Wisconsin landed transfers John Tonje (Missouri), Camren Hunter (Central Arkansas) and Xavier Amos (Northern Illinois), pairing them with a freshman class headlined by top point guard Daniel Freitag.
The team may need some time to gel given all of the new faces. But if Freitag and John Blackwell reach their potentials, and the transfers prove to be valuable contributors, Wisconsin has a chance to surprise. Returning starters Steven Crowl and Max Klesmit should help to bridge that gap.
This may be a natural reaction to Wisconsin football struggling with lofty expectations. But the upcoming 2024-25 basketball season has all of the makings of a classic ‘how did everybody underestimate the Badgers again?’ type of season
For more on what exactly to expect, here is our recent look at the Badgers updated starting lineup and rotation after signing Italian center Riccardo Greppi.
The Badgers begin their season at home on Nov. 4 against Holy Cross.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.
Kansas City #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes on recent milestones: ‘I’m going to enjoy this moment’ | @EdEastonJr
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has earned many accolades throughout his career and crossed more milestones off the list in Week 4.
After his 245 passing yards in last Sunday’s 17-10 win over the Chargers, Mahomes passed Drew Bledsoe to move into ninth place for most passing yards in a player’s first eight seasons in the NFL with 29,328 in 100 career games. Despite only being in his seventh year as a full-time starter, Mahomes has already eclipsed multiple quarterbacks in this category.
In his press conference following Sunday’s victory over the Chargers, Mahomes briefly commented on completing his 100th game in the NFL.
“It’s cool because I know how it is in the NFL,” said Mahomes. “We’ve been blessed to play in a lot of games, a lot of big games, and win a couple of Super Bowls here. But at the end of the day, you don’t take it for granted, man. I mean, you’re on a platform that you dreamed of as a little kid. And I think I (will) try to enjoy those moments and have 100 games in. I’m going to enjoy this moment, and we’re going to move on. That’s how the NFL works.”
After one touchdown pass in Sunday’s game, Mahomes has 225 career touchdown passes in his first eight seasons, ranking fourth in NFL history. He trails Russell Wilson by two touchdown tosses to break into the top three.
Kansas City #Chiefs general manager Brett Veach reached a career milestone after Week 4 victory over the Los Angeles #Chargers | @EdEastonJr
The Kansas City Chiefs continued their winning ways on Sunday, winning 17-10 over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke to reporters during his weekly Monday Zoom press conference, congratulating general manager Brett Veach on his 200th win as an NFL front office member.
“Yeah, Brett (Veach) done a phenomenal job with the personnel, and we appreciate the energy that he brings every day, and the players, they see that, and they see the competition and depth that we have on the team and how Brett goes about his business,” said Reid. “So, Pat (Patrick Mahomes) ended up presenting him with the game ball. And it’s saying something when a player does that more than the front office or the coach. So I think that he’s got that respect.”
Veach has been a member of the Chiefs’ front office since 2013, starting as a Pro and college personnel analyst. He was promoted to co-director of player personnel in 2015 and eventually to general manager in 2017.
“That’s a tough position to be in because you’re not only bringing guys in but also letting guys go,” said Reid. “So you can be a good cop and a bad cop, and it’s a tough position to balance. But he’s very real with people, and how he goes about his business there, so he has. He’s gonna let you know the where and why of what he does.”
Veach will likely be busy this week making moves to adjust the roster after starting wide receiver Rashee Rice’s knee injury.
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid on Travis Kelce critics: ‘I really don’t care what anybody thinks’ | @EdEastonJr
The criticism of Travis Kelce dominated the headlines leading up to the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 4 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers. The star tight end essentially shut down those negative reviews of the start of his season with a vintage performance on Sunday.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke to the media following Sunday’s victory, praising Kelce’s best game of the season.
“Kelce did a nice job of just getting in windows. And then when they did play, man, he was able to do a nice job there,” said Reid. “It wasn’t as much double team as maybe seen or settling on him as much as he’s seen. So he did very good.”
He finished the game with seven catches for 90 yards to lead the team. The veteran took advantage of how he was being defended this week, and his head coach once again defended his performance.
“I really don’t care what anybody thinks. I watch what the defense does and how they respect him, so I take it off of that,” said Reid. “I watch Trav every day, so I get to see him and how he works. He never wants to come out and practice the game; he’s all in all the time. I don’t worry about all that.”
Kelce made big plays and is poised to continue pushing his team into the weekly win column.
Green covered more than 80 golf major championships including 60 consecutive Masters tournaments.
Esteemed golf writer Ronald Green passed away on Sept. 18 in Charlotte after a brief illness, his son, Ron Jr., announced on Facebook. Green, who was 95, was a long-time sports columnist for the Charlotte News and the Charlotte Observer, writing about some of the most memorable events and people in the region for more than 50 years.
Longtime sports writer and columnist Mark Whicker called Green “quiet, thoughtful, charitable, dignified, optimistic and grateful. Despite all that, he was also a sports columnist. He was the kind of columnist who takes the edge off your mornings, the kind who realizes that there’s a historical precedent for almost everything, yet never fails to appreciate the modern athlete.”
Born in Greenville, S.C., Green began working full-time for the afternoon paper when he graduated high school in 1948. He covered more than 80 golf major championships including 60 consecutive Masters tournaments. He noted to colleague Scott Fowler that he had spent more than a year of his life at Augusta National. Green also covered 25 Super Bowls, four Olympic Games, 26 Final Fours, tennis’s U.S. Open, heavyweight title bouts and countless college and professional football and basketball games.
“I loved newspapers,” Green once said. “I still remember the first day I walked into a newspaper office — how it smelled. The ink and the paper. Still remember it. Never got over it. I loved being a newspaperman. I loved the rush, and the crush, of a deadline. And I just never got over feeling good when I saw my byline in the paper.”
He is a member of the North Carolina Journalism Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, the United States Basketball Writers Hall of Fame and the Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame.
https://twitter.com/scott_fowler/status/1836919805896429737
In 2006, Green received the PGA of America Lifetime Achievement in Journalism award and in 2010 he was honored by Jack Nicklaus with the Memorial Tournament journalism award. The Charlotte City Amateur golf championship trophy is named for him as well.
Green is the author of four books: From Tobacco Road to Amen Corner: On Sports and Life (1990); Shouting at Amen Corner (1999); Slow Dancing with Bobby Jones (2004) and a History of Charlotte Country Club (2005).
“I was born with a talent that can’t be taught and that’s just a blessing that fell to me. Plus, I loved my job,” Green said. “From the day I walked into the News and asked for a job until the day I retired, I was in my personal heaven. I got the best seats, got to talk to the players and coaches, got to write about, saw it published in the paper and I got paid for it.
“If that isn’t heaven for a guy from an old mill hill, what is?”
A private funeral service will be held.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The First Tee of Greater Charlotte.
