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Everyone said the same thing about Philip Rivers’ appearance

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Philip Rivers’ appearance on the field prior to Sunday’s Indianapolis Colts game did not exactly inspire a great deal of confidence.

Video showing Rivers strolling around the field went viral Sunday prior to the Colts’ game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash. Rivers was doing some light stretching, but certainly looked his age.

The immediate response was that Rivers looked more like a coach than a player, both in terms of his attire and his general physical figure.

If Rivers looks more like a coach than a player, that’s because he has been one. He has been coaching St. Michael Catholic in Fairhope, Ala. since 2021, the same year he last played an NFL game.

The Colts’ quarterback issues are so bad, however, that they have no real choice but to turn to Rivers. Not a lot of people have faith in the 44-year-old, and this video will not exactly convert any doubters, but the expectation is that he will start on Sunday.

Texans score touchdown on bizarre botched snap

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The Houston Texans seemingly turned disaster into a great play on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Texans seemingly botched a goal line snap during the first quarter of their game at NRG Stadium in Houston, Tex., but made sure it did not matter. With the ball at the 1-yard line, the snap went right through CJ Stroud’s hands, which could have spelled disaster.

Instead, running back Woody Marks was aware enough to catch the low snap and charge into the end zone for an unlikely touchdown.

We have seen teams stage these sorts of plays before to confuse defenses, but this did not look planned. The snap to Marks was way too low to be intentional, so this probably goes down as an incredibly heads-up play by the running back.

This was emblematic of how the first quarter went for both teams. Arizona could not do anything right, and the Texans had a 17-0 lead at the end of the quarter.

Marks, a rookie, had two rushing touchdowns and three receiving touchdowns coming into Sunday’s game. This certainly has to go down as his most unique, though.

Louisiana high school blows state championship football game in unbelievable fashion

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A Louisiana high school football team managed to blow the state championship on Friday due to a premature celebration.

Archbishop Shaw High School in Marrero, La. appeared to have the LHSAA Division II select state championship wrapped up Friday at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La. They led St. Charles Catholic High School of Laplace, La. 21-20 with 35 seconds left, and with only two timeouts left, St. Charles had no way to get the ball back before time expired.

On a first down kneel, a Shaw offensive lineman removed his helmet in celebration, seemingly thinking time would run out on that play. He was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, which stopped the clock without forcing St. Charles to use one of their final two timeouts. That forced Shaw to punt, and the punt was shanked to set up a game-winning field goal.

Shaw players were celebrating with fans even before the punt, thinking they had won the game. Without the penalty, they would have been able to run out the clock, as St. Charles would not have been able to stop the clock after the third down play even if they exhausted their timeouts.

St. Charles kicker Tyler Milioto had just missed a potential game-tying extra point, and felt incredibly fortunate to get a second chance.

“I felt like I had lost us the game, and then next thing I know I’m out there kicking the game-winning field goal,” Milioto said, via Christopher Dabe of NOLA.com.

The win finished off a 13-1 season for St. Charles, and was the fourth state championship in school history.

Diego Pavia had profane message for Heisman Trophy voters

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Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia had a rather profane message for Heisman Trophy voters after failing to win the award.

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza won the award comfortably over Pavia, who finished a distant second. After the ceremony, Pavia reposted a photo of himself posing with several of his teammates on Instagram, but added a critical message for the voters.

“F- all the voters, but family for life,” Pavia wrote, accompanied by a thumbs down emoji.

Perhaps Pavia’s stance should not come as a surprise. He had previously said he saw himself as “undoubtedly” the best player in college football, and that the tape would bear that out. It is entirely possible that his brashness did him no favors in the voting, and those who did not cast a first-place vote for him are unlikely to regret it based on this post.

Still, this is all part of who Pavia is. He is confident bordering on arrogant, and it seems to work for him. He threw for 3,192 yards with 27 touchdowns and eight interceptions on the season and led the Commodores to a 10-2 season.

Google had the best tribute ever for John Cena

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Google paid tribute to John Cena in an awesome way to acknowledge his final WWE appearance on Saturday.

Cena took part in his last WWE match Saturday, prompting many tributes about his career. One of them came from Google, which displayed a hand for anyone who searched for Cena’s name.

Clicking on the hand would cause it to mimic Cena’s famous “you can’t see me” hand gesture, an allusion to his longtime catchphrase.

Cena initially announced his retirement in July of 2024. The 48-year-old lost his final match to Gunther by tapping out in what many fans found to be an unsatisfying ending. He did ultimately receive a standing ovation from the Washington, D.C. crowd, but it was not the first time fans found some aspect of Cena’s farewell tour to be a letdown.

During his two-decade run in WWE, Cena won the championship a record 17 times, making him the most decorated champion in WWE history. He parlayed his success there into a successful acting career. Google’s tribute was a very fitting one in light of all his accomplishments.

Fernando Mendoza’s Indiana teammates had unusual gesture for him

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The Indiana Hoosiers showed how much of a tight-knit group they are during Saturday’s Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York.

Indiana players made the trip to New York for the Heisman ceremony and watched teammate Fernando Mendoza win the trophy. As the quarterback arrived for his news conference, his teammates swarmed the room to congratulate him.

Ralph D. Russo, who has covered the Heisman ceremony for two decades, said on X that he had never seen this happen before.

Mendoza was not even on the Heisman radar at the beginning of the season, but quickly played his way into the conversation. He threw for 2,980 yards with 33 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, leading the Hoosiers to a 13-0 record and a Big Ten Championship.

Even beyond his teammates, Mendoza has won many fans through his infectious personality. It’s easy to see why his fellow Indiana players rallied around him so uniquely.

Ann Arbor restaurant had pizza named after Sherrone Moore’s mistress Paige Shiver

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An Ann Arbor restaurant is doing its best to have some fun with the scandal that has enveloped the Michigan football program over the past week.

The Brown Jug is now offering dishes named after former Michigan coach Sherrone Moore and his alleged mistress Paige Shiver. Diners can enjoy Sherrone Moore’s Sampler Basket, or Paige Shiver’s Cauliflower Gluten Free pizza.

The Brown Jug is known for this sort of thing. Earlier this year, they actually got in trouble with Ohio State over the name of one of their drink options.

The restaurant is doing its best to make light of what has been a rough week for the Wolverines. Moore was fired on Wednesday after the school obtained evidence of an inappropriate relationship between him and Shiver, his executive assistant. Later that day, Moore was arrested after allegedly threatening Shiver, who prosecutors say ended the relationship before Moore’s dismissal.

Michigan is hunting for a new head coach, but so far, we have heard more about who they won’t get than who they might land.

Victor Wembanyama took apparent shot at Thunder after NBA Cup win

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Victor Wembanyama seemingly took a shot at the Oklahoma City Thunder after the San Antonio Spurs’ dramatic NBA Cup win on Saturday.

The Spurs pulled out a 111-109 victory at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., handing the Thunder just their second defeat of the season. After the game, Wembanyama made a pointed comment about winning ethically, which many interpreted as a shot at his opposition.

“I’m just glad to be part of something that’s growing to be so beautiful — pure and ethical basketball,” Wembanyama said.

Wembanyama has certainly embraced the Spurs’ growing rivalry with the Thunder. Saturday’s game was a physical one, and the Spurs center could be seen taunting Thunder players at times. Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has also been criticized for his penchant of drawing fouls, which goes to Wembanyama’s comment about ethics.

On the other hand, Wembanyama’s comments have led to him being accused of being too dismissive of the Thunder. That definitely was not the case on Saturday, as he finished the game with 22 points and nine rebounds in 21 minutes of action.

Knicks fans all said the same thing after New York advanced to NBA Cup Finals

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The tortured New York Knicks fan base knows the importance of celebrating small victories.

The Knicks outlasted the Orlando Magic on Saturday to advance to the NBA Cup Finals in a 132-120 contest at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., that was far more competitive than the final score suggests.

The Knicks were led by Jalen Brunson, who went off for 40 points on 16/27 shooting to go along with 4 rebounds and 8 assists. Karl-Anthony Towns served as the team’s secondary scorer with 29 points, while OG Anunoby added 24 more from the small forward spot.

It was an all-around team performance for New York — one that several fans felt was worthy of recognition. Despite some dismissing the NBA Cup’s overall relevance, many Knicks fans called it a major accomplishment to make the tournament’s championship game.

It’s hard to knock Knicks fans for celebrating the team’s NBA Cup success. New York spent decades as an Eastern Conference afterthought before the team finally became a legitimate NBA Finals contender (sorry, Carmelo Anthony) in the Brunson era.

The Knicks have not made the Finals since 1999, when Brunson was just three years old. While making the NBA Cup Finals doesn’t carry the same magnitude as playing for the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June, Knicks fans have every right to celebrate the success all the same.

Thunder burned by questionable call in the closing seconds of NBA Cup semis

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The San Antonio Spurs benefited from a controversial call during their NBA Cup semifinal matchup Saturday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Spurs led the Thunder 109-108 with 3.7 seconds left in the elimination game at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Victor Wembanyama inbounded to a streaking Devin Vassell as the latter was trying to outrun Thunder guard Alex Caruso.

Vassell lost the ball out of bounds along the sideline, but not before Caruso was called for a personal foul. With the Thunder out of timeouts, the defending champions were unable to challenge the ruling.

The Thunder could have gotten the ball back with a chance to win the game at the buzzer. Instead, Vassell sank two free throws as the Spurs won 111-109 to advance to the NBA Cup Finals. The result also ended the Thunder’s 16-game winning streak.

Wembanyama returned from a 12-game absence to finish with 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks across 21 minutes of action. Wemby certainly backed up his talk after making some pointed comments directed at Chet Holmgren.

Victor Wembanyama taunts Alex Caruso during epic NBA Cup game

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The San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder produced an early game-of-the-year contender on Saturday.

San Antonio knocked Oklahoma City out of NBA Cup contention on Saturday with a 111-109 victory during their semifinal matchup. It marked just the second loss of the season for the now 24-2 Thunder and snapped a franchise-record 16-game winning streak.

In the fourth quarter at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., Wembanyama got Thunder guard Alex Caruso one-on-one in the high post area with the Spurs trailing 101-100. Despite Caruso getting extremely physical with him and even knocking the ball away at one point, Wembanyama recovered and hit an impossible 14-foot fadeaway as the shot clock was winding down.

As they were running back up the floor afterwards, Wembanyama taunted Caruso by pointing and staring at him. Here is the video.

Wembanyama, who was making his first game appearance since mid-November due to a calf strain, finished the game with 22 points and nine rebounds in 21 minutes of action. That helped the Spurs advance to Tuesday’s NBA Cup final against the New York Knicks, who won their own semifinal game on Saturday against the Orlando Magic by a final score of 132-120.

Saturday’s victory over the Thunder had to be especially sweet for Wembanyama too. He clearly takes the matchup personally and has also gotten into it in the past with rival big man Chet Holmgren of Oklahoma City.

Joe Burrow reportedly cut off his own cast after toe surgery

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The legend of Joe Burrow as a football sicko continues to grow.

The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback missed a good chunk of the 2025 season after suffering a toe injury early in the campaign. Burrow underwent surgery in September and had a recovery period that was supposed to keep him out for virtually the entire season. But Burrow reportedly refused to let the normal medical timeline limit him.

According to a report from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Burrow was supposed to “spend most of this season stuck in a cast.” The Bengals’ team doctors advised him to keep the cast on until they deemed it ready to be taken off. Instead, Burrow “cut it off himself” shortly after his surgery and “got to work rehabbing” with a Thanksgiving return in mind.

Burrow ultimately succeeded. What was supposed to be a four-month recovery period got cut in half, just like his cast. The two-time Pro Bowler came back to lead the Bengals to a resounding Thanksgiving win over the Baltimore Ravens. But with Cincinnati’s Week 14 loss to the Buffalo Bills, the team’s playoff aspirations are all but dead.

In the same report, Russini detailed Burrow’s frustrations with the Bengals organization. Burrow’s recent comments have even had Bengals fans worried about another Andrew Luck situation with their star QB.

Burrow may not be headed for a surprise retirement or trade request at the moment. But major changes may need to happen in Cincinnati to keep the team’s superstar QB happy.

Notable update emerges on ex-NFL WR Nate Burleson’s broadcasting future

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Nate Burleson may losing one of his most prominent gigs.

The former NFL wide receiver Burleson could be getting dropped by “CBS Mornings,” Alexandra Steigrad of the New York Post reported this week. Steigrad notes that Burleson’s “CBS Mornings” co-host Tony Dokoupil has been tabbed by the network as the new host of “CBS Evening News” (a gig that Dokoupil will begin in the new year).

As a result of the Dokoupil news, “CBS Mornings” will now “likely” be overhauled at some point in the future, which could mean that both Burleson and his co-host Gayle King will no longer be on the show. You can read Steigrad’s full report on the situation here.

Burleson, now 44 years old, played in the NFL from 2003-13 as both a receiver and a return specialist. He played for the Minnesota Vikings, the Seattle Seahawks, and the Detroit Lions, logging 5,630 receiving yards and 40 total touchdowns over the course of his career.

After retiring from the league, Burleson soon went into broadcasting. He first began as an analyst for NFL Network in 2015 and then joined CBS as a studio analyst for “The NFL Today” in 2017, having since won two Sports Emmy Awards for Outstanding Studio Analyst.

In addition to becoming the co-host of “CBS Mornings” in 2021, Burleson has done work for CBS’ sister properties such as Paramount+ and Nickelodeon too. Burleson recently made the headlines over a hot take about Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and he could be having an even greater focus on the NFL if he does end up getting dropped by “CBS Mornings.”

Dirk Nowitzki called Victor Wembanyama out over his comments on Chet Holmgren

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Victor Wembanyama’s latest comments on Chet Holmgren are not sitting well with Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki.

The San Antonio Spurs star recently sat down with Prime Video’s Taylor Rooks ahead of his return to the court for Saturday’s NBA Cup semifinals game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Rooks asked Wembanyama about the latter’s ongoing rivalry with Holmgren, who has been clashing with Wembanyama even before the two became NBA stars.

Rather than give his rival any props, Wemby dismissed Chet for playing alongside the reigning MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

“Ultimately, on the court, the reigning MVP is on that court, so he’s our main focus,” Wembanyama said. “Anybody is hard to guard when you have to help on the MVP.”

Nowitzki did not hide his annoyance with Wembanyama’s comments while speaking as a panelist Saturday on the Spurs-Thunder pregame show.

“I do want to say, I didn’t love his answer about Chet,” Nowitzki admitted. “I wish he would’ve given him a little bit of credit. You can say, ‘Hey, they have the MVP. Shai’s incredible, but Chet’s gotten better every year. He’s a champ. I want to play hard against them.’

“I didn’t love that answer. To me, it’s too swaggy, too dismissive of Chet.”

Wembanyama and Holmgren have been feuding for years, with the two unafraid to throw barbs at one another. The Spurs star reportedly felt extra motivated to succeed after Holmgren won a championship before he did.

While Dirk didn’t like the shade Wemby threw toward Chet, it certainly makes for good television. The rivalry between the two slender superstars will be a staple in the NBA for a decade to come.

2 frontrunners have emerged for a Brendan Donovan trade

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Half of Major League Baseball appears to be interested in trading for Brendan Donovan, but two teams are apparently separating themselves from the pack.

The Seattle Mariners and the San Francisco Giants have emerged as the two frontrunners to trade for the St. Louis Cardinals All-Star utilityman Brendan Donovan, Katie Woo of The Athletic reported on Saturday. Woo adds that the Cardinals, who are in the midst of a rebuild, would like to land multiple top prospects in exchange for Donovan.

Donovan, a 28-year-old lefty hitter, was an All-Star for the Cardinals in 2025, batting .287 with 10 home runs and 50 RBIs through 118 games. Also a Gold Glove winner in 2022, Donovan is under club control through 2027.

The Mariners, who have the third-best farm system in MLB according to ESPN’s latest rankings, are coming off a 90-win season and a division title capped by a narrow loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALCS. They also just lost infielder Jorge Polanco in free agency to the New York Mets.

Meanwhile, the Giants, who have just the 24th-ranked farm system according to ESPN, went 81-81 in 2025 and missed the playoffs. They could certainly stand to upgrade their middle infield alongside $182 million man Willy Adames at shortstop.

The Cardinals have been shopping Donovan, who primarily operates at second base and left field, for much of the offseason. Donovan is unlikely to be the only star player whom St. Louis, under their new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, looks to trade this winter as well.

Everyone said the same thing about Fernando Mendoza’s Heisman speech

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Fans could not help but imagine an alternative career path for Fernando Mendoza as he gave his Heisman Trophy acceptance speech on Saturday night.

The Indiana quarterback became the first Hoosier in history to win the Heisman Trophy, and the 78th player in college football history. Some fans felt the speech he gave deserved its own award, with Mendoza sounding articulate as he stood atop the podium at Lincoln Center in Manhattan, N.Y.

You can watch Mendoza’s full speech below:

Mendoza delivered his speech as if he were a veteran public speaker, doing so while maintaining a winning smile. Many felt like Mendoza could have a future in politics once he leaves his football career behind.

Mendoza, who is of Cuban descent, even appealed to the Latino community when he spoke to his grandparents in perfect Spanish midway through his speech. That’s sure to increase his broad appeal

The 22-year-old ended his speech with a powerful message to the kids watching from home.

Mendoza had an outstanding 2025 campaign in his first season at Indiana. He threw for 2,980 yards with 33 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, leading the Hoosiers to a 13-0 record and a Big Ten Championship.

With Mendoza likely headed for the NFL at season’s end, Jameis Winston may finally have a worthy adversary in the

You can cross one coach off Michigan’s list

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It looks like we can cross one coach off of Michigan’s list as a replacement for Sherrone Moore.

Moore was fired as the Wolverines’ head football coach on Wednesday for cause due to his relationship with a staff member. There have been questions about whom Michigan will target for their vacancy. Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer was at the top of the list. Tied for sixth on the list at 9/1 odds was current Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham.

Dillingham confirmed Saturday that Arizona State has sent him a contract extension offer that would raise his base pay. The two sides are reportedly close on reaching a deal. Dillingham also said that the Michigan job would be a “great opportunity for somebody” other than him.

The Sun Devils went 8-4 this season under Dillingham, a year after going 11-3. Dillingham is from Phoenix, went to Arizona State for college, and coached and played at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale. He has a lot of personal ties to Arizona State that are meaningful to him, and he’s not about to leave it all behind for Michigan.

Fernando Mendoza had powerful closing message after winning Heisman Trophy

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Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza had some impactful parting words as he stood up on the podium to receive his Heisman Trophy.

Mendoza on Saturday etched his name in college football history by becoming the 78th Heisman Trophy winner and the first one to come out of the Indiana program. The eloquent Cuban-American QB capped off his acceptance speech with a message to the young kids watching the ceremony from home.

“I want every kid out there who feels overlooked, underestimated to know— I was you,” Mendoza said.

“I was that kid, too. I was in your shoes. The truth is, you don’t need the most stars, hype, or rankings. You just need discipline, heart, and people who believe in you. I hope this moment shows you chasing your dreams are worth it, no matter how big or impossible they seem.”

Nobody outside of the Mendoza family could have possibly predicted that Fernando would one day be up on stage to receive the 2025 Heisman Trophy. Per 247 Sports, Mendoza was the 134th-ranked QB prospect in the 2022 recruiting class. He was a humble three-star recruit when he joined Cal, and looked the part in his first two years with the Golden Bears.

Mendoza turned into a different beast after transferring to Indiana. He had more touchdowns in his lone year with the Hoosiers (33) than he did in his two seasons at Cal combined (30). He was the heart and soul of the team that swept through the regular season and beat Ohio State for the Big Ten Championship.

Mendoza, who could very well be the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, may have a future as a motivational speaker once he hangs up his cleats. The Hoosiers star similarly went viral last week for his incredible postgame quote after beating the Buckeyes.

Joe Burrow frustrated with Bengals organization

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Joe Burrow sparked speculation with comments he made earlier in the week, but concerns about him potentially leaving the Cincinnati Bengals appear to be overblown. He does, however, have some behind-the-scenes frustrations with the organization.

Burrow has previously voiced frustration with the Bengals’ modest operation, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. The organization is known for maintaining one of the smallest coaching and scouting staffs in the league, and the quarterback would like to see those numbers expanded.

Despite the complaint, Burrow has no issues with the Bengals overall. He has not even hinted at asking for a trade, and is mostly just frustrated with another losing season in Cincinnati.

Burrow’s comments about frustrations and a need to have fun were interpreted by some as a hint that he might look to move elsewhere. Some even interpreted it as a hint that he might walk away in his prime. Neither of those things appear likely to happen.

The Bengals are 4-9 on the season, though they are 3-1 in the four games Burrow has started. If he can stay healthy in 2026, there is no reason the team cannot contend again quite quickly.

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s trade preferences have been revealed

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Giannis Antetokounmpo still has not officially pushed for a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks, but he does have an idea in mind of what kind of city he would like to play in.

Antetokounmpo is prioritizing a chance to play for a contender, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes. However, he would also like to play in a bigger, warmer market.

“Preferably, I think he would like to have some sun. He’d like to be, probably, in a big market,” Haynes said. “Outside of that, he just wants to be on a team where he can contend for a championship. He’s been very adamant about that being a main priority.”

Reports suggest that Antetokounmpo only really had interest in the New York Knicks last offseason. They would not exactly fulfill the warm and sunny aspect of his wish, but it is certainly a big market and a championship contender.

Another team Antetokounmpo has recently been linked to might be able to tick all the boxes for him.

For the moment, Antetokounmpo remains shelved with a calf injury. Without him, the Bucks are 11-15, and he will certainly be paying attention to their record as long as he remains sidelined.

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