Keenan Allen had a great message for fantasy football owners prior to Thursday night’s game.
Fantasy football owners were freaking out over Allen’s status leading up to the Los Angeles Chargers’ game against the Las Vegas Raiders. A report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter early in the day said Allen would be limited if he played, and that the Chargers were concerned he wouldn’t be available. Schefter also reported that Mike Williams was not expected to play.
But in pregame warmups, Allen gave a thumbs up to reporter Omar Ruiz, saying both he and Williams would be playing.
What was Allen’s message to fantasy owners? “Don’t sit me!”
Guess what? Both Allen and Williams caught passes on the Chargers’ opening drive of the game, which resulted in a touchdown. That’s why you shouldn’t doubt Allen! And we all know how he gets when he feels slighted, too.
Photo: Jeffrey Beall/Wikimedia via CC-BY 3.0
David Price sat out the 2020 MLB season due to concerns about COVID-19, and the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher apparently has yet to commit to 2021.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed Thursday that there is no guarantee that Price will pitch in 2021, suggesting that the pitcher still has some uncertainly over the virus situation.
“David is very in tune with what’s going on, is very intelligent,” Roberts said, via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. “As things become more clear, David will make a choice for him and his family.”
It’s worth noting that Price said on Twitter earlier on Thursday that he hoped to be able to pitch next season.
Price cited concerns about the health of his family when opting out of last season. It remains unclear what the virus situation will look like come March and April, so it makes sense for the pitcher to not commit yet. It’s clear that he wants to, though.
There appears to be a growing level of seriousness regarding trade talks involving Houston Rockets guard James Harden.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, the Philadelphia 76ers have signaled that they are willing to include Ben Simmons in trade talks. However, the two sides have not come close to concluding a deal, and the Rockets are still seeking top young players and a pick in any trade.
The Rockets have also expanded trade talks beyond Harden’s preferred destinations of the Sixers and Brooklyn Nets. Playoff teams in both conferences have been engaged in talks, and are growing more comfortable with paying Houston’s asking price. Again, however, it does not appear that any trade is close, and the Rockets still anticipate having Harden when the regular season begins next week. That said, the Rockets are stating a willingness to move quickly on a deal if they find one they like.
As recently as earlier today, it was reported that Simmons was not on the table in Harden talks. The fact that Philadelphia is even signaling a willingness to talk about him indicates that talks have progressed at least slightly.
Harden has expanded his trade wishlist once. It seems the Rockets aren’t limiting themselves to existing preferences in the thinking they may get Harden to do that again.
Photo: All-Pro Reels/Flickr via cc by-sa 2.0
The NBA has launched an investigation into a lawsuit alleging Jerry West was involved in improper conduct surrounding the Los Angeles Clippers’ recruitment of Kawhi Leonard.
According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, the NBA has launched an investigation of the Clippers based on the allegations made in a new lawsuit. The suit, filed by an alleged associate of Leonard’s family, claims West promised a $2.5 million payment for successful recruitment of Leonard to the Clippers, and then failed to follow through. You can read the full details of the allegations by clicking here.
The NBA has clearly deemed the allegations serious and credible enough to warrant an investigation. If found to be true, both West and the Clippers would be subject to significant league discipline, as this would be a clear violation of league rules. West has previously denied any wrongdoing in a statement through one of his representatives.
Leonard’s recruitment was the subject of a different NBA investigation as well, though nothing has come of that to date.
The UCLA Bruins could make major changes to the football program this offseason, and maybe even target some big names.
According to Scott Roussel of Football Scoop, Chip Kelly’s job is not guaranteed for 2021. New UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond, who took the job over in May, will assess all aspects of the football program, including Kelly’s position. Kelly would be due a $9 million buyout if the Bruins chose to move on from him.
If Kelly is fired, UCLA would reportedly target Urban Meyer or Chris Petersen to replace him. Jarmond has close ties to Meyer in particular, with Jarmond serving as the lead administrator for the Ohio State football program during Meyer’s time there. The two are said to be “genuine friends,” which could lead UCLA to believe they could actually lure Meyer.
Petersen, the former Washington coach, would be another candidate. Jarmond reportedly discussed the Boston College opening with Petersen when Jarmond was filling that position last winter, though the job ultimately went to Ohio State defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.
Jarmond responded to the report on Twitter, saying there was no truth to the rumors.
Kelly has ultimately been a disappointment at UCLA, having gone just 10-20 over three seasons. Touted by some as a coup when hired, Kelly has failed to impress the fanbase and has left the door open for a possible change.
UCLA aiming big like this is bound to excite fans and boosters, but it’s hard to see this becoming a reality. However strong the friendship is between Jarmond and Meyer, it’s tough to see the former Ohio State coach taking the UCLA position when he turned down this even bigger job already. Jarmond has every right to do his due diligence, but he may well find that UCLA simply won’t be able to do better than Kelly at this point.
There has been a lot of talk about the Detroit Lions potentially trading Matthew Stafford this offseason, and his health and salary are viewed as the two biggest reasons the team might move on. Of course, it’s also possible that Stafford could be the one who wants out.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter said during an appearance on 104.3 The Fan in Denver on Thursday that the Lions remain open to the idea of trading Stafford, though it depends on who they hire as their next head coach and general manager. Schefter also said that Stafford has no interest in being part of a rebuild, so he may not want to remain in Detroit.
“Knowing what I know, I don’t think he’s gonna have the stomach to go through another rebuilding job,” Schefter said. “He might want to go on to play for a team that is ready to win right now or closer to winning than (the Lions) would appear to be.”
Stafford refused to commit to the Lions long-term recently when discussing his future with the franchise. He has two years left on his contract and a cap hit of just under $35 million next year and just under $28 million the following season. The 32-year-old has dealt with multiple injuries over the past few years, though he has showed toughness by playing through many of them.
The Lions haven’t been able to win consistently with Stafford, but he has thrown for 3,522 yards, 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season. There would likely be plenty of trade interest in him if Detroit wants to move him.
You can hear Schefter’s full comments below:
The Florida Gators offered an encouraging update on star Keyontae Johnson on Thursday.
Johnson collapsed on the floor during Saturday’s game against Florida State, and has been hospitalized since then. Reported to be in critical but stable condition, Florida’s latest update offers encouraging signs.
“Keyontae Johnson continues to show truly encouraging signs of progress as he undergoes tests and further evaluation at UF Health,” athletic director Scott Stricklin said.
The statement also adds that all three of Florida’s scheduled non-conference games in the next week have been postponed, noting that this has been an “emotionally taxing” time for the team.
All of the updates on Johnson since Saturday’s terrifying incident have been positive ones. Hopefully that continues and the star forward can make a full recovery from whatever happened to him.
It seems like a safe bet that the heat is going to be turned up next time the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns face off.
Video from Monday night’s game between the two teams appears to show Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters spitting at Cleveland receiver Jarvis Landry. Landry’s back is turned at the time of the incident, meaning the wide receiver would not have been aware of it as it was happening.
Landry did ultimately see the video, and did not back down when asked about Peters on Wednesday.
“He’s a coward. He might do that behind by back but not to my face,” Landry said, via Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan. “Be a man about it if you’re going to do something like that.”
It can’t sit well with Landry that the Ravens got the last laugh, either. You can bet he’ll remember this one.
James Harden has made it clear to the Houston Rockets that he wants to be traded, but leverage is not on the side of the former NBA MVP. At the moment, the Rockets appear to be taking full advantage of that.
Harden has two years remaining on his contract, and the Rockets will need to be blown away to trade him. Sam Amick of The Athletic feels it is “highly likely” that Harden will remain with Houston through the early part of the 2020-21 season and potentially longer. The biggest reason for that is asking price.
Multiple reports have indicated that the Rockets have attached an astronomically high asking price to Harden. According to Amick, they want a combination of an All-Star player, a young prospect and first-round draft picks. Harden is an elite player, but very few — if any — teams are willing to assemble that kind of package.
If any team is eventually going to make a play for Harden, it could be the Philadelphia 76ers. Harden has a close relationship with new Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, who was previously the GM of the Rockets. But even Philly is in no rush.
Amick reports that the 76ers want to see what new head coach Doc Rivers can do with their current roster. Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid remain off-limits in trade talks, and the Sixers are only willing to acquire Harden if the price is slashed significantly.
Teams are also wary of Harden’s attitude, which is another reason they may not want to mortgage their futures. If you heard the report this week about why Russell Westbrook wanted out of Houston, you can understand the concern.
Photo: All-Pro Reels/Flickr via cc by-sa 2.0
The Detroit Lions are looking for a new general manager, and former NFL Executive of the Year Scott Pioli is one of the names on their list.
Pioli will interview for the Lions general manager job next week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Pioli has more than 25 years of NFL front office experience. He last worked as the assistant general manager of the Atlanta Falcons from 2014 until he resigned last year. He worked for the Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots and several other teams before that.
Pioli, 55, has also served as an analyst for multiple networks and currently contributes at CBS Sports and NFL Network.
The longest stint Pioli spent with one team was with the Patriots from 2000-2008. He and Bill Belichick became the first personnel director-head coach duo in NFL history to win three Super Bowls during a four-year span. While Belichick has long been considered the GM of the Patriots, Pioli played a huge role in building multiple championship teams in New England.
The Lions are also planning to interview at least one other NFL analyst for their GM job. Pioli certainly has the resume to qualify for the position.
