Lions get called out for demanding money back from former star
The Detroit Lions’ longstanding policy toward retired players is once again the source of controversy for the team.
Lions president Rod Wood confirmed that the organization asked center Frank Ragnow to pay back part of his $6 million signing bonus when he retired. Wood said this was a team policy that dates back to the Barry Sanders era.
“Our precedent goes all the way back to Barry Sanders,” Wood told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “And if Barry Sanders paid back money. … And I think the reality is, they’re not paying back their money, they’re returning our money. Cause they were paid in advance for services that they hadn’t completed.”
That argument did not land with everyone. Ragnow retired last year in large part due to injuries, not because he simply did not want to play anymore. Linebacker Alex Anzalone, who left the Lions this offseason, listed off many of Ragnow’s injuries and criticized the organization for their stance.
Played through fractured throat, one week post meniscus clean up w/ stitches barely out, inoperable/unrepairable toe, etc.. “Hey let me get that prorated signing bonus back” 😂😂😂
— Alex Anzalone (@AlexAnzalone34) March 31, 2026
Do business as business is being done https://t.co/itr9jxhrqP
In a lengthy post, longtime Eagles offensive lineman Jason Kelce said it was “bull—-” that the Lions asked Ragnow for money back, since it “wasn’t just some player deciding he didn’t want to play anymore.”
This is interesting. It feels like it’s obvious that Frank retired because he was physically fighting through injuries and pain, and it got to a point that he no longer could play the game in an enjoyable, effective, or healthy way.
— Jason Kelce (@JasonKelce) March 31, 2026
The whole purpose of a signing bonus is to… https://t.co/pvjgvLrsA0
The Lions’ policy goes back decades to when they asked Sanders for money back after his abrupt retirement. The team did the same with Calvin Johnson when he retired, and Johnson specifically cited it as the primary reason his relationship with the organization was chilly for several years. Sanders was also alienated by the team’s request at the time, though both players have since reconciled with the franchise.
From a strictly business perspective, one can understand the Lions’ stance. However, the policy has a history of alienating players and bringing the organization bad PR. That apparently is not enough to get them to reconsider.
New details emerge about Tiger Woods’ arrest
New details have emerged regarding Tiger Woods’ disposition when he was arrested and charged with driving under the influence following a car crash last Friday.
Gabby Herzig and Brody Miller of The Athletic obtained the details from an arrest affidavit released Tuesday. Woods told local police that he looked down at his cell phone and was changing the radio station in his vehicle at the time of the crash. However, officers observed Woods “sweating profusely” despite having cool air flowing on him, and that woods demonstrated “several signs of impairment.”
“Woods’ movement was lethargic and slow,” the report stated. “While walking, I observed Woods limping and stumbling to the right … I asked Woods if he was able to perform tasks such as walking and lifting his leg, Woods advised he has a limp and his ankle seizes while walking.”
Woods’ eyes were bloodshot, and he had to be repeatedly reminded of instructions while undergoing field sobriety exercises. When he was arrested, two pills were found in his pants pocket, later identified as hydrocodone, known best to the public as Vicodin.
This is Woods’ second DUI arrest, and hydrocodone was one of the drugs found in his system during the first incident as well. Previous reports stated that Woods did not appear to have alcohol in his system, but refused to submit to a urinalysis test before ultimately being arrested.
Woods, 50, was charged with property damage and refusal to submit, in addition to the DUI charge. His first court date is scheduled for April 23.
Cal Raleigh and Randy Arozarena turn heads with their interaction after beating the Yankees
Winning takes care of everything, and the Seattle Mariners’ thrilling 2-1 win over the New York Yankees at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Wash., appeared to confirm that things are back to normal between teammates Cal Raleigh and Randy Arozarena.
Raleigh came through for the Mariners in that contest, as he hit a walk-off single in the ninth inning to give Seattle the win.
While the Mariners celebrated the win on the field, Arozarena tapped Raleigh’s back and gave the runner-up for the 2025 American League Most Valuable Player a high five.
It was a quick interaction between the two stars, but Arozarena probably wouldn’t have bothered getting Raleigh’s attention if he were still harboring some ill feelings towards the catcher.
Here’s a video of that moment.
Cal Raleigh high fives Randy Arozarena pic.twitter.com/dWa74XzTlV
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 31, 2026
Raleigh’s refusal to acknowledge Arozarena’s greeting at the plate during a 2026 World Baseball Classic game between Mexico and Team USA sparked some drama, especially after Arozarena went on a profanity-laden tirade about the moment.
Many thought that it caused a permanent rift in the relationship of two of Seattle’s most important players, but that notion was already put to bed when Arozarena and Raleigh addressed it before the start of the 2026 MLB season.
What happened after Seattle’s latest victory only proved that it’s all water under the bridge for them.
Anthony Edwards gives a zero-filter explanation for his delayed appearance against the Mavericks
The Minnesota Timberwolves announced before Monday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, that Anthony Edwards would be part of their starting lineup.
But Edwards was nowhere to be found on the court during tip-off. Instead, veteran guard Mike Conley took over his spot on the starting unit.
Edwards entered the court only two minutes into the game, leaving some to wonder what caused his delayed entry.
Apparently, Edwards had to attend to a “personal business.”
Minnesota head coach Chris Finch was asked what happened to Edwards at the start of the game, saying, “Nature calls, I guess,” via The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski.
Edwards confirmed it in the most straightforward way possible.
“I was taking a s**t,” Edwards said.
It all worked out well for Edwards and the Timberwolves. After missing six games because of a knee issue, he came off the bench and fired 17 points on 7/13 shooting in just 23 minutes to help Minnesota coast to a 124-94 victory over Cooper Flagg and the Mavs.
Julius Randle led the Timberwolves with 24 points, while Ayo Dosunmu had a triple-double of 18 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists.
The 46-29 Minnesota will next take on the Detroit Pistons on Thursday at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich.
Broadcast of Golden Knights-Canucks game featured a hilarious John Tortorella description
The Vegas Golden Knights showed ruthless pragmatism when they fired head coach Bruce Cassidy on Sunday.
They replaced him with 67-year-old John Tortorella, who was behind Vegas’ bench right away on Monday against the Vancouver Canucks at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. He was also shown on the broadcast during the game, along with a hilarious description.
John Tortorella in a suit for Game 1 with the Golden Knights. pic.twitter.com/rWm0nqggEg
— Adam Kimelman (@NHLAdamK) March 31, 2026
There are other ways to describe Tortorella, as he’s one of the most colorful figures in hockey, but calling him an “old wise man” isn’t inaccurate either.
The mercurial head coach has won a Stanley Cup before, having guided the Tampa Bay Lightning to the top of the NHL in 2004. He is also ninth all-time in coaching wins in the league with 771 to his name, including the Golden Knights’ 4-2 win over Vancouver, another team that he coached before.
That being said, Tortorella has some big shoes to fill in the wake of the Vegas’ stunning decision to fire Cassidy, who steered the franchise to its first-ever (and still only) Stanley Cup win in 2023.
The Golden Knights decided to let Cassidy go amid the team’s pursuit of a spot in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. They sit third in the Pacific Division standings with 82 points on a 33-26-16 record, with seven games remaining.
Video: Max Domi destroys Radko Gudas in retribution for Auston Matthews injury
The Toronto Maple Leafs were licking their chops over the prospect of facing the Anaheim Ducks on Monday at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., and it’s clear why.
They all wanted to take revenge on Ducks captain Radko Gudas, whose knee-on-knee hit on Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews on March 12 ended the Toronto star’s season.
All it took for Radko Gudas to face the music was three seconds, as Maple Leafs forward Max Domi dropped the gloves and began teeing off on the Anaheim defenseman.
Gudas was in a fighting stance but did not seem interested in throwing punches, as he let Domi land several punches before going down.
Here’s how the fight unfolded.
MAX DOMI DROPS THE GLOVES WITH RADKO GUDAS RIGHT OFF THE OPENING DRAW 🫨👊 pic.twitter.com/bip7Vl7gJ0
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) March 31, 2026
Gudas deserves credit for his willingness to skate despite being fully aware of the brutal comeuppance awaiting him on the ice. He had already served a five-game suspension for his hit on Matthews, but justice was fully served in the eyes of the Maple Leafs on Monday.
Apart from finally exacting their retribution against Gudas, the Maple Leafs also got the last laugh on the ice, coming away with a 5-4 victory.
Toronto trailed by two entering the third period but outscored the Ducks 3-1 in the final frame to force overtime, where John Tavares netted the winner off a deflection from a Morgan Rielly shot.
Rui Hachimura had a priceless reaction to spotting Anthony Davis on the Wizards’ bench
Anthony Davis has become some sort of a forgotten man in the 2025-26 NBA season. Even Davis’ former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Rui Hachimura lost track of his recent journey in the league.
Davis, who is now with the Washington Wizards, did not suit up for Monday’s game against the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif., as he continues to deal with a hand injury. When Hachimura spotted him on Washington’s bench, the Lakers forward probably thought he was seeing an apparition.
“I was looking at the bench and then I saw AD and I was shocked. I was like, wait, I totally forgot about it, you know, so I went to say hi to him,” Hachimura said in the postgame press conference, via Daniel Starkand of Laker Nation.
Hachimura might have assumed that Davis was still with the Dallas Mavericks, who acquired the former Kentucky Wildcats star in the shocking trade that sent Luka Doncic to Los Angeles in February 2025.
Davis appeared in only 29 games for the Mavs before Dallas sent him to the Wizards prior to this year’s February trade deadline. Since Davis has yet to see action on the court with Washington, no one, including Hachimura, has a memory of Davis in a Wizards jersey during an NBA game.
As for the game, the Lakers crushed Washington, 120-101, despite missing Luka Doncic, who served a one-game suspension.
Hachimura finished the game with 14 points on 6/10 shooting with 6 rebounds in 26 minutes.
Justin Verlander comments on his concerning first start in Tigers reunion
Justin Verlander did not have a feel-good 2026 debut with the Detroit Tigers.
Making his first start since reuniting with Detroit, the 43-year-old Verlander was pummeled by the Arizona Diamondbacks’ offense on Monday at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz.
The future Baseball Hall of Famer looked every bit his age on the mound, giving up 5 earned runs on 6 hits while issuing 2 walks and recording just a strikeout in 3 2/3 innings of work in a 9-6 Detroit loss.
It was simply not the type of performance Verlander envisioned in his much-anticipated first start since signing a 1-year, $13 million contract with the Tigers in February.
“Not the way I obviously wanted it to go, which is disappointing for myself more than anybody else in the world,” Verlander said after the game, via Jason Beck of MLB.com.
The nine-time All-Star isn’t discouraged by his rough start, however, as he looks to make the necessary adjustments ahead of his next outing.
“Just like I’ve done my whole career, I come in here and start trying to think about what was off and how I can fix it and why it was off and get ready for the next one,” added the three-time Cy Young Award winner.
Verlander is no longer the pitcher he once was, and at his age, poor starts like the one he had against Arizona are to be expected.
As a team, the Tigers dropped to 2-2. They will next get the ball to right-hander Casey Mize for Tuesday’s game against the Diamondbacks.
Patriots player backs Jaden Ivey after his anti-LGBTQ rant
New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson has expressed his support for Jaden Ivey amid the latter’s recent string of controversial posts.
Ivey was released by the Chicago Bulls on Monday shortly after he went on a rant disparaging the LGBTQ community. The former Bulls guard also criticized the NBA for hosting Pride Night, which Ivey called a celebration of “unrighteousness.”
The comments from Ivey came after he had gone on a couple of religion-themed live streams in the days prior. The posts had some fans concerned that Ivey was having a mental breakdown.
The comments from Ivey came after he had gone on a couple of religion-themed live streams in the days prior. The posts had some fans concerned that Ivey was having a mental breakdown.
Henderson seemed to think Ivey sounded enlightened rather than someone needing professional help. The Patriots player backed Ivey on social media, reposting the news of Ivey’s exit from Chicago with a religious caption of his own.
“‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ Matthew 5:10,” Henderson captioned his post.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
— TreVeyon Henderson (@TreVeyonH4) March 31, 2026
Matthew 5:10 https://t.co/CTpkaMx0oT
The comments from Ivey came after he had gone on a couple of religion-themed live streams in the days prior. The posts had some fans concerned that Ivey was having a mental breakdown.
Henderson has long been vocal about his religious beliefs, with posts about Christianity spread across his social media accounts since his days as a member of the Ohio State Buckeyes roster.
Henderson also uploaded an Instagram post in December about supporting Christians who are being persecuted around the globe. Ivey appears to fall under that category, at least in Henderson’s eyes.
Yankees fans slam Aaron Boone for his polarizing move against Mariners
New York Yankees fans were not happy with Aaron Boone’s decision that burned the team late Monday against the Seattle Mariners.
The Yankees were tied at 1-1 heading into the bottom of the 8th inning at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Wash. That’s when Boone decided to send out relief pitcher Paul Blackburn out of the bullpen, and Blackburn repaid Boone’s trust with a scoreless inning.
Things started to unravel when Boone kept Blackburn in after a scoreless top of the 9th. The right-hander sandwiched an out between two singles from Leo Rivas and Brendan Donovan. That set the stage for Cal Raleigh to hit a walk-off hit down the right-field line.
CAL RALEIGH WALKS OFF THE YANKEES IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 9TH
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) March 31, 2026
pic.twitter.com/KzF4mvD58x
Several Yankees fans were incensed that Boone stuck with Blackburn, who sports a career 4.97 ERA, for an extra inning rather than go for a more trusted arm.
THIS LOSS WILL BE PINNED ON AARON BOONE’S INEPTNESS TO LEAVE PAUL BLACKBUM IN THE GAME IN A HIGH LEVERAGE SITUATION
— YN Judge (@JudgesChamberss) March 31, 2026
BLACKBURN IN 1-1 ,WHY THIS GUY YOU JUST GAVE THE GAME AWAY!!!! pic.twitter.com/ndb5VwnMwS
— Big Nick Turturro (@NickTurturro1) March 31, 2026
Why the hell is Paul Blackburn pitching in this situation https://t.co/ak9ed3ZAgH
— MJ ✯ (@VladitoByke) March 31, 2026
Even some Mariners fans were perplexed by Boone’s call.
Why did the Yankees just toss Paul Blackburn out there for the last two innings?
— Mariner Muse (@MarinerMuse) March 31, 2026
That’s the kind of punt we’d kill Dan over
It was a tough break for the Yankees — one that fans felt was avoidable had Boone gone with David Bednar instead of Blackburn. New York tarnished its spotless 3-0 record with the team’s first loss of the season.
In the grand scheme of things, it was just one loss. Boone probably wanted to give Blackburn a chance to prove his worth, and the result ended up being a poor one for both men involved.
MLB All-Star pitches immaculate inning in debut with his new team
The Arizona Diamondbacks were feeling pretty good Monday after watching offseason pitching acquisition Mike Soroka pay immediate dividends.
Soroka looked untouchable in his debut start with the Diamondbacks against the Detroit Tigers at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. Soroka gave up just four hits and a walk across his first four innings, then turned it up a notch in his fifth and final inning of action.
The 1-time All-Star threw an immaculate inning, striking out Javier Baez, Kerry Carpenter, and Gleyber Torres in rapid succession.
IMMACULATE INNING FOR MICHAEL SOROKA!
— MLB (@MLB) March 31, 2026
10 strikeouts through 5 innings in his @Dbacks debut! pic.twitter.com/M9hopu3jxN
Soroka did get some help from a generous strike zone courtesy of home plate umpire Todd Tichenor, but some of the swings and misses he got Monday were downright filthy. He finished with 10 strikeouts in the Diamondbacks’ home opener, which got quite the applause from a pleasantly surprised capacity crowd.
Soroka joined Randy Johnson, Byung-Hyun Kim, and Wade Miley as the only pitchers in Diamondbacks history to throw an immaculate inning. To do it in a completely different environment with a new catcher in his Arizona debut made it even more impressive.
The Diamondbacks’ decision to take a flier on Soroka in December is already looking smart. The real challenge for Soroka, however, is to stay healthy the rest of the season, as Soroka has battled through a couple of serious leg injuries over the years.
Fans all said the same thing about Floyd Mayweather’s comments on owning an NBA team
Fans are not buying what Floyd Mayweather was trying to sell over the weekend about owning an NBA team.
Mayweather spoke candidly about the topic during an autograph signing event at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Mayweather, who once made a public announcement that he was looking to purchase a stake in an NBA team, claimed he’s no longer interested because team ownership is “a lot of stress.”
“In the past, I talked about owning an NBA team, but it looks like it’s a lot of stress in the NBA being an owner,” Mayweather said, via Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Mick Akers.
“You see an owner get involved with the NBA, and he’s looking happy. Then as years progress, he’s looking older. So, I don’t know.”
Fans seem to think Mayweather’s lack of interest in buying an NBA team stems from a different reason — a financial one, to be more specific.
Floyd really out here blaming ‘stress’ like we don’t all know the real reason… you ain’t got no money left 😂💸
— BSA🌌 (@BSA545) March 31, 2026
Just say you don’t got the money man pic.twitter.com/ZOGiIvV26p
— OffsideCentre (@OffsideCentre) March 30, 2026
This is the equivalent of saying you’re not going to a party you were never invited to
— Yusuf (@yusuf_aofficial) March 30, 2026
Mayweather has conspicuously booked several fights this year, including a rematch against Manny Pacquiao that may be a decade too late. The sudden in-ring activity has raised suspicions that Floyd is running out of money. Mayweather also has a $340 million lawsuit pending against now-defunct boxing broadcaster Showtime.
While Mayweather may not be as “broke” as some believe, sports franchise ownership money is a different level of wealth. Even some of the most famous athletes in the world would need to go through most of their career earnings just to buy a minority stake in an unpopular sports team.
Regardless of Floyd’s true reasoning, it’s safe to assume he won’t be part of the Las Vegas ownership group once NBA expansion finally happens in the coming years.
Giancarlo Stanton commits a ridiculous baserunning blunder vs. Mariners
Giancarlo Stanton quickly realized during Monday’s game that he has still the speed of Giancarlo Stanton.
Stanton and the New York Yankees faced off on Monday against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Wash. In the top of the fourth inning, the Yankees designated hitter Stanton hit a towering fly ball into shallow left field off Mariners pitcher Luis Castillo.
While the ball should have been a can of corn for the Seattle defense, Mariners teammates Brendan Donovan and Randy Arozarena lost the ball in the stadium lights. Stanton’s pop fly then landed in between them for an unlikely base hit.
Unfortunately for Stanton, he tried to press his luck further from there. Stanton attempted to take second base off the misplay … and was promptly cut down for the second out of the inning.
Another bloop fly dropped in but Stanton was gunned down trying to reach second pic.twitter.com/OabeUcP744
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) March 31, 2026
The ex-MVP Stanton, who stands 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds, is known as one of the slowest players in Major League Baseball. He is now a full-time DH at 36 years old and has not even attempted a stolen base since the 2020 season.
While almost every other MLB player would have been able to take second base on that Seattle miscue, Stanton did not stand a chance, especially since he was jogging out of the batter’s box. That also brought back bad memories for Yankees fans as Stanton’s baserunning has been a problem for years now (including during the playoffs).
Resurfaced Duke post aged like milk after loss to UConn
One of Duke’s social media posts before March Madness is beginning to resurface after Sunday’s heartbreaking loss to UConn.
Earlier this month, Duke’s social media pages shared a clip from one of the Blue Devils’ film sessions. Head coach Jon Scheyer was going over a last-second play made by Chicago Bulls guard Tre Jones during a game against the Phoenix Suns. The Duke alum was falling out of bounds with seconds left on the clock and his team up by two.
Rather than stepping out of bounds for a turnover, Jones hurled the ball several feet in the air to waste all the time left on the clock. Scheyer drilled into his team to emulate Jones and make high-IQ decisions late in games.
that Duke education 😅🧠 @Tre3Jones pic.twitter.com/EZPhdbA4Kh
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) March 6, 2026
In a cruel twist of fate, Duke lost to UConn in the Elite 8 partly because the Blue Devils couldn’t handle the exact situation they were preparing for in the clip above. The March 6 post went viral as fans piled on Duke.
It looks like Cayden Boozer fell asleep or was daydreaming during this Duke education.
— 𝐌𝐫𝐓𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐲 (@mister_tiggy) March 30, 2026
So why didn’t they do this?
— Patrick W. Cutler (@PatrickWCutler) March 30, 2026
Cayden Boozer looking back at this tweet. pic.twitter.com/xfZsufCjWG
— Mitch Williams (@MitchLeeDubya) March 30, 2026
Despite holding possession and a 72-70 lead with 10 seconds left, Duke crumbled under pressure as Cayden Boozer committed a costly turnover. The miscue led to a now-iconic three-pointer by UConn freshman Braylon Mullins, sending the Huskies to the Final Four.
In a way, Boozer did take Scheyer’s film study lesson to heart. Cayden tried to make a high pass to his teammates up the floor that, if successful, would have wasted the clock enough for celebration to ensue in Durham. Boozer just didn’t give his pass the same arc as Jones did.
Stephen A. Smith whines on TV about being unfollowed by a Celtics player
Stephen A. Smith appears to have hit a new rock-bottom.
The ESPN personality Smith drew attention this week for his latest unhinged rant on the air. During Monday’s episode of “First Take,” Smith accused Boston Celtics guard Derrick White of unfollowing him on social media (claiming that he saw “reports circulating” about the unfollow).
Smith then made sure to stress to all the television viewers that he did not care about White (allegedly) unfollowing him. Smith also used several more sentences about the situation to fully emphasize just how much he did not care.
Here is the surreal video.
"I don't care."
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 30, 2026
—@stephenasmith addresses he's been "unfollowed" by Derrick White pic.twitter.com/T0rHT7cUdv
This almost has to be performance art at this point by Smith. He clearly cared enough about the supposed unfollow by White to address it on the air. But there you have it folks, not only did Smith inform you that White (allegedly) unfollowed him on social media, but he also informed you that he definitely does not care about said unfollow.
The former NBA champion White, a two-time All-Defensive selection, is averaging career highs across the board for the Celtics this season with 17.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. Obviously, White is having a better week than Smith, who also gave a lame response a few days ago to another NBA player who dissed him.
Details emerge on 49ers’ investigation into wild injury conspiracy theory
Tinfoil hat wearers are going to be disappointed by the findings of the San Francisco 49ers’ latest investigation.
The Niners recently looked into a conspiracy theory centered on an electrical substation located next to the team’s practice facility at Levi’s Stadium, which was supposedly to blame for San Francisco’s injury-plagued season. The conspiracy being peddled online claimed that the electrical exposure was weakening the team’s soft tissue and muscles, leading to an increase in team injuries.
49ers general manager John Lynch said in January that the team was planning on looking into the theory. Lynch spoke on the investigation the team had conducted over the past couple of months, asserting that the electrical substation conspiracy was complete baloney.
“It basically was a big nothing burger,” Lynch said, via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. “We’re in a safe place of work. … It’s a normal place of work. It’s a normal gym. We are safe, we’re healthy, and we feel really good about that.
“That was important to us, not just to turn a blind eye, but to look into it because it’s our players’ wellness. It’s not only our players’ wellness, it’s coaches, it’s staff, all that. And it’s encouraging.”
Per Lynch, the 49ers hired an independent scientist with “over 45 years of experience studying electromagnetic fields and their effects” to look into the matter. The scientist’s findings concluded that the team’s exposure in the facility was “400 times below the threshold” of what would be considered unsafe.
The exposure levels were said to be similar to those in any typical workplace or commercial gym, with everyday appliances such as vacuum cleaners and microwave ovens having a worse impact.
The 49ers at least deserve some kudos for doing their due diligence on the electrical substation conspiracy. It shows the franchise takes its players’ health seriously enough to investigate what sounded like an otherwise ridiculous claim.
Umpire Dan Bellino got a call so wrong that it glitched the ABS system
Dan Bellino had his CB Bucknor moment during Monday’s game.
The veteran MLB umpire Bellino was behind the plate on Monday for the Athletics-Atlanta Braves game at Truist Park in Atlanta, Ga. Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz was leading off the game in the top of the first inning and saw a low 0-2 offering by Atlanta’s Bryce Elder get called strike 3 by Bellino.
Kurtz immediately tapped on his helmet to initiate an automated ball-strike (ABS) system challenge. In the end, it turned out that Bellino’s call was so wrong that it glitched out the system entirely.
Normally, ABS challenges will provide an accompanying visual on just how many inches the ball was actually off the strike zone (in the case of a mistaken call). But in Bellino’s case, the ball was in such a different galaxy that the ABS visual could not even provide a measurement.
Here is the video.
Thank goodness for ABS.
— js9innings (@js9inningsmedia) March 31, 2026
This was a called third strike on Nick Kurtz, he immediately challenged and ABS showed this pitch was NOWHERE near the strike zone pic.twitter.com/ZaNtUoXLKG
Bellino, 47, has been umpiring games in MLB since 2008 and is also notably the president of the Major League Baseball Umpires Association. While that whiff in Monday’s game was pretty awful, at least it was not as utterly humiliating as the aforementioned Bucknor getting six different calls overturned by ABS in one game last weekend.
Mariners have a notable new plan for Cal Raleigh
Baseball fans may unfortunately be seeing less of Big Dumper this season.
Seattle Mariners star catcher Cal Raleigh received the day off on Monday. Raleigh was out of the lineup for Monday’s series-opening game against the New York Yankees at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Wash.
Speaking with reporters about the decision before the game, Mariners manager Dan Wilson revealed that the team plans to give Raleigh more days off this season.
“It’s a chance for him to get some rest, for sure,” said Wilson of Raleigh, per Adam Jude of The Seattle Times. “Coming out of spring training, he had sort of a shorter spring training in a lot of ways, and [the team] didn’t want to spike his workload too much.”
Raleigh, 29, was a breakout superstar for the Mariners last season. He posted an MLB-leading 60 home runs to go along with an AL-leading 126 RBIs, finishing the year as the runner-up for AL MVP. Raleigh’s 60 homers also set the all-time records for most homers in a season by a catcher and the most homers in a season by a switch-hitter.
Perhaps most remarkably, Raleigh did his damage while playing in 159 of 162 possible regular season games last season (and tacking on 12 more playoff games as well). Jude notes that Raleigh did not get his first day off in 2025 until June 8.
Catcher is also notorious for how physically taxing of a position it is. With Raleigh even playing in the World Baseball Classic earlier this month (and getting into a bizarre beef with a Seattle teammate while there), it is no wonder that the Mariners want to manage his load in the 2026 MLB season.
Angel Reese’s brother Julian gets good news from the NBA
Julian Reese has successfully avoided what would have been a costly disciplinary measure.
The NBA announced on Monday that they have rescinded a double technical foul assessed to the Washington Wizards forward Reese and Portland Trail Blazers center Yang Hansen during their game the night before. The decision was made after a postgame review by the NBA league office.
In the final minute of the Blazers’ blowout 123-88 win over the Wizards at Moda Center in Portland, Oreg., Reese and Hansen got tangled up on a box-out during a free-throw attempt. Reese ended up hooking Hansen and lightly bringing him down to the floor, and the two were ultimately hit with the double T.
You can see the video at the link here.
That would have been a decently costly technical foul for Reese. He is on a two-way contract with the Wizards this season and is making less than $161,000 from the team. With a $2,000 standard fine for technicals, Reese almost frittered away over 1 percent of his entire year’s salary with that incident from Monday’s game.
But the NBA has fortunately decided to rescind the double T for Hansen and Reese, who is the younger brother of WNBA star Angel Reese. Julian has been having a strong impact for the Wizards, averaging 11.4 points and 11.0 rebounds per game over seven appearances since joining the NBA roster. Angel also had a viral moment in the stands while watching her brother play earlier this month.
Bulls waive Jaden Ivey hours after his anti-LGBTQ rant
The Chicago Bulls have quickly decided to dump Jaden Ivey in the wake of his recent behavior over social media.
Chicago announced on Monday that they are waiving the 24-year-old guard Ivey. The Bulls’ official release cited “conduct detrimental to the team” for Ivey’s release.
Earlier in the day on Monday, Ivey sparked backlash by going on Instagram Live with a nearly-hour-long rant. At one point in his rant, Ivey made derogatory comments against the LBGTQ community and criticized the NBA’s decision to hold a Pride Night, calling it a celebration of “unrighteousness.”
You can see a clip of the rant at the link here.
It appears that the anti-LGBTQ rant was a last straw of sorts for the Bulls as Ivey had already caused concern over the weekend with some of his other Instagram Live videos. Ivey posted multiple lengthy videos in which he went off on religion-themed diatribes, causing some fans to worry that he might be having a mental breakdown.
The former Purdue star Ivey was the No. 5 overall draft pick by the Detroit Pistons in 2022 and ended up as an All-Rookie selection in 2023. He peaked with 17.6 points per game in 2024-25, but his development was derailed by a number of injuries (including an ugly freak injury during a game last season).
Ivey was traded by the Pistons to the Bulls as part of a three-team deal last month. He only made four appearances for the team though, being ruled out for the remainder of the season earlier this month due to a knee injury. Now Chicago have decided that it is no longer worth it to have Ivey on their roster amid his controversial behavior.
