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#pounditFriday, March 29, 2024

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Report: Mike Singletary interviews for Bears defensive coordinator job

Mike Singletary

The Chicago Bears have brought in a somewhat surprising name to interview for their vacant defensive coordinator job.

According to Adam Jahns and Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic, the Bears interviewed franchise legend Mike Singletary for the job this week. It is not clear how serious a candidate Singletary is for the job, as the Bears have conducted several other interviews and have a wide array of candidates for the position.

Singletary would be vying to replace outgoing defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano, who retired following Chicago’s loss to the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Divisional round.

Singletary has NFL coaching experience, but it’s been several years since he worked at that level. He’s also never been a defensive coordinator before, though he did spend parts of three seasons as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. He would be a sentimental choice in some ways, owing to his Hall of Fame career with the Bears from 1981-1992.

Last we heard from Singletary, he was coming off a staggeringly bad tenure as a high school football coach.

Jeff Passan, radio host Craig Carton in big feud over Jared Porter story

Craig Carton

WFAN radio host Craig Carton has been highly critical this week of the way ESPN handled its bombshell story about former New York Mets general manager Jared Porter. Now, what began as some on-air criticism from Carton has turned into a rather animated feud.

Carton and Evan Roberts, who host the “Carton & Roberts Show” together, ripped ESPN earlier in the week for what they perceived as the network sitting on a sexual harassment story for years and then releasing it at an opportune time. Carton also accused Passan of taking credit for a story that Passan’s co-worker, Mina Kimes, had been working on.

As you might expect, none of that sat well with Passan. The longtime MLB reporter appeared on “The Michael Kay Show” Tuesday and unloaded on Carton and Roberts for their remarks. He explained that the timing of ESPN’s story was dictated by the woman who was harassed by Porter, not ESPN. Passan called the claims from Carton and Roberts “the most giant load of irresponsible garbage that I have heard in a long time.”

“The story waits for when the person whose it is, is ready to tell it. And so, she waited, and she left the industry where she was worried she was going to have backlash and potentially have her job harmed,” Passan explained, as transcribed by Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “And she saw Jared Porter’s rise to general manager of the New York Mets, putting him in a position of great power and great authority, and thought to herself, ‘This man, who has his dream job, ended up facilitating me losing my dream job. And I didn’t do anything … I didn’t do anything.’

“And so the idea that this story, four-and-a-half years after this incident happened, has any less resonance, has any less importance, and has any less right to be told — anybody who thinks that needs to shut up.”

You can hear Passan’s full comments below:

Those who are familiar with Carton won’t be surprised to hear that he did not back down. He called Passan a “whiny little weasel” on his Wednesday show and sent several tweets ripping the reporter before that. Carton accused ESPN of not caring about Porter’s victim and said some might call it sexist that Kimes was “forced to share credit for that story with senior male reporter,” referring to Passan.

Here are some of the tweets:

Passan said Kimes had been working on the story since 2017 and that he contributed to the reporting more recently.

Porter was fired by the Mets on Tuesday in the wake of the allegations. He is accused of harassing a foreign female reporter with several text messages and an explicit photo.

Carton returned to WFAN late last year after he spent time in federal prison for running a fraudulent ticket scheme. He has always been known for his unapologetic approach, so the back-and-forth with Passan is right on brand.

Tyreek Hill explains why he shoved receivers coach Greg Lewis

Tyreek Hill shove

Tyreek Hill’s shove of wide receivers coach Greg Lewis was seen by some as a sign of disrespect and insubordination, but Hill said Wednesday it’s nothing like that at all.

The Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver shoved Lewis after a drive during Sunday’s win over the Cleveland Browns, and there was some question as to whether it was playful or out of real frustration. Hill said in his media availability Wednesday it was the former, and that everyone was having fun.

“I play the game with so much passion. I was just trying to give the guys energy,” Hill said, via Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk. “We put so much in this game. Like, I come off the sideline like fired up and I just give my coach a shove. That’s me and my personality, man. I’m just fired up and I’m just happy just to be in the NFL and just to be a part of this great organization. A lot of people seen it as me as being a hothead on the sideline, being a diva you could say, but it wasn’t nothing like that.”

Hill added that if he was actually angry with Lewis, “everybody would have been holding me back,” which was not the case.

We know that Hill has quite the personality. We also know he can be an emotional guy, so it wasn’t entirely clear what was going on in the moment. Ultimately, his explanation more or less checks out.

Michael Brantley ends up signing with Astros, not Blue Jays

Michael Brantley

Michael Brantley is not leaving the Houston Astros for the Toronto Blue Jays, after all.

Multiple reports on Tuesday morning claimed the Blue Jays and Brantley were in agreement on a three-year deal. It was then reported that the deal was not finalized but the two sides were talking. A few hours later, Brantley agreed to a two-year, $32 million deal to remain with the Astros.

There are a couple of different things that could have happened. As ESPN’s Buster Olney notes, Brantley has dealt with injuries in the past. If he had a deal in place with the Blue Jays pending a physical, it’s possible Toronto received medical information they were uneasy about.

Or, there also could have been a scenario where Brantley got near the finish line in talks with the Blue Jays and Houston swooped in and upped their offer. The Astros already failed to re-sign George Springer (who is headed to Toronto), so perhaps they decided they did not want to lose Brantley, too.

In any event, Brantley will be back with the Astros next season. The 33-year-old hit .300 with five home runs, 22 RBI and an OPS of .840 in 46 games last year.

Bruce Arians has funny quote about keeping Buccaneers focused

Bruce Arians

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one win away from reaching the Super Bowl, but don’t tell that to Bruce Arians.

The Buccaneers coach made clear Wednesday that he wants his team focused on the NFC Championship against the Green Bay Packers. He also warned of the consequences if that focus slips.

“We don’t play that game this week. That’s the message to everybody,” Arians said, via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk. “We play the Packers in the NFC Championship Game. You start thinking about the Super Bowl, you’ll get your a– beat and you’ll be packing your bags on Monday.”

It’s not a bad point, and one can understand why Arians wants his team focused. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers will take them apart if they’re anything less.

Fortunately, lack of focus isn’t really something the Buccaneers would have to worry about with this guy as their quarterback.

Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski have teamed up yet again! Treat yourself or a friend with this great Tampa Fiesta shirt. You can buy it here.

Report: Dodgers keeping close eye on Trevor Bauer

Trevor Bauer

The Los Angeles Dodgers are projected to have the highest payroll in baseball in 2021, but that does not mean they are opposed to spending big this offseason.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported on Wednesday that the Dodgers are closely monitoring the market for starting pitcher Trevor Bauer. While they have other needs to fill outside their starting rotation, the defending World Series champions could be interested in Bauer at the right price.

What would that price be? As ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez notes, Mookie Betts is the only player on L.A.’s roster who is under contract beyond the 2022 season. The Dodgers will have to spend big to keep Cody Bellinger and Walker Buehler by then, but it’s possible they could have interest in a shorter deal at a high average annual value for Bauer.

Bauer is the top free agent remaining on the market. He said over a year ago that he will only sign one-year deals throughout his career, so he may be open to a short-term contract.

A recent report claimed Bauer is seeking an enormous contract, though the right-hander and his agent angrily shot down the information on Twitter.

Bauer would obviously solidify the Dodgers’ spot as the team to beat in the National League. He’s coming off a Cy Young season in which he went 5-4 with a 1.73 ERA and 100 strikeouts in just 73 innings.

Andy Reid provides another positive update on Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol after he left last week’s game against the Cleveland Browns, but all signs continue to point toward him playing in the AFC Championship Game.

The Kansas City Chiefs held a light practice on Wednesday, and Andy Reid told reporters that Mahomes participated. The coach said Mahomes “feels good” and “took all the snaps,” according to USA Today’s Jori Epstein.

Mahomes will still have to pass more tests before he can be officially cleared, but there has been nothing but positive news surrounding him since he left the field last Sunday.

Mahomes was immediately placed in the concussion protocol after he was unsteady on his feet following a hit in the third quarter of Kansas City’s win over the Browns. It initially looked like his head bounced off the turf, but replays showed Browns linebacker Mack Wilson had Mahomes around the neck as he dragged him to the ground. You can see the video of the play here.

It’s unclear if Mahomes has actually been diagnosed with a concussion. Being placed in concussion protocol does not necessarily mean a player has a concussion. Mahomes is not experiencing any symptoms.

Chiefs fans, you’ll love this Andy Reid cheeseburger shirt. Reid loves his cheeseburgers, and you can wear it. This makes a perfect gift for you or a friend. You can buy it here.

Tennessee students hilariously troll football team over McDonald’s bags

Tennessee rock McDonalds

The Tennessee football team is facing serious penalties stemming from an investigation into recruiting violations, and it does not appear the school’s student body feels any sympathy for the program.

The iconic “Rock” on the University of Tennessee campus featured some classic McDonald’s artwork on Wednesday. Someone painted a Happy Meal and the McDonald’s slogan “I’m Lovin’ It” on the giant boulder. Check it out:

If you don’t get the reference, you must not have heard the report about how Tennessee coaches were handing McDonald’s bags full of cash to recruits.

Vols fans recently used the Rock to voice their opinions about the team’s next head coach. The McDonald’s art is going to be tough to top going forward.

Brittany Brees revealed how many injuries Drew played through in 2020

Drew Brees

It was no secret that Drew Brees wasn’t at his best physically in 2020, but his wife Brittany is finally giving us the full picture of just how bad things were.

Brittany Brees, in an Instagram post, laid out the number of injuries that the New Orleans Saints quarterback battled through during the season. In addition to broken ribs and a collapsed lung that had previously been divulged, Brittany revealed that Brees battled a torn rotator cuff and a torn fascia in his foot.

Brees didn’t have a lot of juice on his passes, particularly late in the season. If Brees had some sort of rotator cuff injury in his throwing shoulder, that would explain a lot about those struggles that culminated in his worst playoff performance ever. It also makes a lot more sense why he’s ready to move on from the NFL.

It’s worth noting that Brees was not the only Saints star to play through major pain in 2020.

JJ Watt shares awesome story about Philip Rivers

JJ Watt

Philip Rivers announced on Wednesday that he is retiring from the NFL, and tributes to the veteran quarterback immediately began pouring in from across the sports world. JJ Watt had one of the best.

Watt shared an awesome story on Twitter about the time Rivers told a Houston Texans defender where to line up. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year said Rivers once pointed at a Texans linebacker before the snap and told him he was in the wrong place.

Rivers is well respected around the NFL, and deservedly so. He’s a tremendous competitor who played 17 seasons and made 240 consecutive starts. That streak is second behind only Brett Favre’s 297. You can understand why teammates and opponents think so highly of him.

The best quarterbacks in NFL history are the ones that work the hardest and have the best understanding of defenses. Rivers may not have a Super Bowl ring, but Watt’s story is further proof that Rivers’ level of preparation was up there with the best of them.

There has been speculation that Rivers could go into broadcasting, but he already has his next job lined up.