Jul 2, 2022; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Pedro Munhoz (red gloves) reacts after his bout against Sean O’Malley (blue gloves) resulted in a no decision due to an accidental foul during UFC 276 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Sean O’Malley currently reigns the UFC bantamweight division. Apparently, Suga Sean also reigns his household with some rather unconventional rules.
O’Malley shared details about an unusual arrangement he has with his wife Danya Gonzalez in a recent appearance on Bradley Martyn’s “Raw Talk” podcast. O’Malley had previously revealed that he and his wife are in an open relationship. However, he admitted to Martyn that the situation is one-sided; O’Malley does not allow his wife to sleep with other men.
O’Malley justified the one-sided rule by stating that he treats her “like a queen” and covers all the family’s expenses.
“I’m a king, I pay for everything,” O’Malley told Martyn, via the New York Post’s Erich Richter. “I treat Danya like a queen. If I get a little p—- on the side, what does that have to do with anything? I have testosterone running through my veins; it’s simple.”
O’Malley asserted that the status and success he’s garnered in the cage give him free rein to impose such rules. The UFC fighter also added that if he were “an average Joe,” then he would probably not be willing to do the same.
O’Malley already had the internet buzzing after his devastating KO of Aljamain Sterling last week. This recent take has the UFC star trending for reasons outside the octagon as well.
Aug 20, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) warms up prior to a game against the Washington Commanders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Patrick Mahomes is ready to defend his Super Bowl crown once 2023 NFL regular season begins. But there’s apparently one part of the preseason that the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback would rather skip.
NFL teams are required to make dozens of roster cuts in the coming days in order to get their player count down to 53 by Tuesday. Mahomes recently revealed that he avoids paying too much attention to which players are on the roster bubble.
“I’m rooting for everybody,” said Mahomes, via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “It’s hard to sit there and you don’t want to promote for one guy to make it over another guy because this is people’s livelihoods, this is people’s lives. … I like all the guys in the locker room, it’s hard to see guys, even if it’s for a moment, their dreams kind of get cut right there so it definitely is a hard day for everybody in this league.”
The Chiefs star admitted that he would rather have Chiefs general manager Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid make those calls without his involvement. Mahomes stated that he fully trusts the Chiefs’ brain trust to make the right decisions for the team’s success.
While Mahomes has faith in Reid and Veach to build the roster, the 2-time MVP does have one change in mind he hopes the Chiefs brass would consider.
Apr 23, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Felix Bautista (74) reacts after pitching against the Detroit Tigers during the ninth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports
The city of Baltimore is holding its collective breath right now over the status of Felix Bautista.
Bautista, the Orioles’ stud closer, was forced to exit Friday’s game against the Colorado Rockies due to apparent injury. After landing off to his left on the delivery of a 102 mph fastball, Bautista had to walk off with a trainer in the middle of the at-bat.
Here is the video of the sequence in which Bautista apparently got hurt.
Danny Coulombe came in to close out the game for Bautista, needing just one pitch to get the strikeout and seal a 5-4 win for the Orioles.
Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said ominously after the game that the 2023 All-Star Bautista had “arm discomfort” and was still being evaluated, per Orioles reporter Luke Jones.
It is always a big concern whenever a) a pitcher has to leave a game before completing the at-bat and b) the term “arm discomfort” is mentioned. Even worse is that Bautista has been maybe the best reliever in baseball this year. He is tied for the AL lead with 33 saves and owns a regal 1.49 ERA with 16.3 strikeouts per nine innings.
Bautista has been so good that he has even pitched himself into the AL Cy Young conversation. Though Bautista probably will not win the award (with division foes Gerrit Cole and Kevin Gausman looking the likely favorites), he is firmly in the conversation and actually places first right now in ESPN’s AL Cy Young Predictor tool.
Baltimore has other high-quality arms in their bullpen including Coulombe, Yennier Cano, and recent addition Jacob Webb. But at an AL-leading 80-48, the Orioles have legitimate World Series hopes this year. They might not go very far without having Bautista around to close out games for them, which would be a serious shame given how entertaining the O’s have been.
May 2, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; General view of New York Mets helmet in the dugout before a game against the Atlanta Braves at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Despite their season being in the urinal, the New York Mets are still maintaining a good sense of humor.
The Mets went viral during Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels for the joke that they made on the scoreboard at Citi Field. With designated hitter DJ Stewart at the bat in the second inning, the team’s scoreboard operators decided to drop a “69” reference.
“DJ has had a nice 69 at-bats as a Met with a .922 OPS,” the scoreboard read during Stewart’s at-bat.
You can see a fan photo of the scoreboard mischief here.
Unfortunately for Stewart, the gag did not translate into a “nice” game for him. He would strike out in the at-bat and failed to reach base in either of his two subsequent plate appearances (a groundout and another strikeout).
You have to credit the Mets though for keeping fans entertained in the midst of a season where they are 59-69 and sold in bulk at the trade deadline. If nothing else, they have probably just added a new fan in Rob Gronkowski.
Aug 21, 2018; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani in the dugout against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Angels fans — and baseball fans at-large — were hit with devastating injury news concerning Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday. The two-way sensation was discovered to have a tear in his UCL that will keep him from pitching the rest of the 2023 season.
Ohtani underwent imaging on his right elbow during the middle of a doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. The 29-year-old started the first game but was pulled after 1.1 innings due to pain in his elbow. The UCL tear was determined in between games one and two against the Reds.
On Friday, Angels GM Perry Minasian revealed that the team had not done any related imaging for Ohtani’s arm until this past week. Ohtani had been suffering from arm fatigue and skipped his previous start on the mound before Wednesday. Minasian asserted that Ohtani had yet to complain about anything worthy of concern up until the scan.
“No (no imaging then),” said Minasian when asked about imaging prior to this week. “No, there was no arm issue – just fatigue, tired, cramping, dehydration.”
The Angels GM’s revelation had many people surprised, as they felt that the team should have done testing as soon as Ohtani began having issues. However, if Ohtani hadn’t reported any pain to the team, they probably did not think there was a reason to believe he had something wrong structurally.
The Angels have confirmed that Ohtani will no longer pitch as they determine the best course of action following the injury. However, the good news is that Ohtani will continue to hit.
Despite the tear in his UCL, Ohtani was still able to smack a rocket to right field against the New York Mets on Friday.
Ohtani’s injury all but erases any hope for the Angels to make the postseason. They entered Friday’s contests 10.5 games behind for the final AL Wild Card spot.
They still love Mookie Betts in Boston.
Betts on Friday made his return to Fenway Park for the first time since being traded by the Red Sox to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020. He got a warm reception as he approached the plate for his first at-bat.
Take a look at the video:
The overwhelming reception for Betts was well deserved.
Betts was drafted by the Red Sox in 2011, made it to the majors in 2014, and quickly proved to be a star. He made four straight All-Star teams from 2016-2019, led the AL in runs scored twice, won a batting title and four straight Gold Gloves.
Betts was excellent during his time with the Red Sox. It’s not his fault that the team didn’t want to spend to keep him long term and decided to trade him instead. Sox fans seem to recognize that and had nothing but love for the 30-year-old, who is putting together an MVP-caliber season for the Dodgers.
Dec 19, 2021; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance (5) smiles after defeating the Atlanta Falcons at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
The San Francisco 49ers were able to find a trade partner for Trey Lance, and they are sending him to one of their longtime NFC rivals.
The Niners on Friday traded Lance to the Dallas Cowboys. They got back a fourth-round pick in return, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.
Though the Niners traded two future first-round picks, a third-round pick, and swapped first-round picks in 2021 to draft Lance, getting a fourth-round pick back is actually a pretty good return for San Francisco.
Lance entered last season as the team’s starting quarterback but got hurt in Week 2. Due to an injury to Jimmy Garoppolo, Brock Purdy eventually became the team’s starter and proved to be their QB1. Over the offseason, San Francisco also signed Sam Darnold to compete with Lance for the No. 2 job.
After Darnold beat out Lance for the 49ers’ backup job, San Francisco looked to trade the former North Dakota State quarterback.
Lance’s contract situation was not a deterrant for Dallas. Though he is only earning $940,000 this season, Lance is guaranteed $5.3 million next season. The Cowboys will also have the opportunity to exercise a 5th-year option on Lance for 2025.
Though Lance is headed to Dallas, he still will have plenty of work to do. Cooper Rush is currently the Cowboys’ backup quarterback. Rush has gone 5-1 in six starts during his career and filled in admirably for Dak Prescott last season. There are no guarantees that Lance will even be able to eventually earn the No. 2 job in Dallas either.
Mar 28, 2023; Houston, TX, USA; West guard Bronny James (6) during the McDonald’s All American Boy’s high school basketball game at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
We now have more answers about Bronny James’ recent medical incident.
In an official statement on Friday, the James family revealed the cause of Bronny’s sudden cardiac arrest suffered last month. After comprehensive evaluations by multiple doctors at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the Mayo Clinic, and Atlanta Health/Morristown Medical Center, an “anatomically and functionally significant congenital heart defect” was identified as the cause of the incident.
The statement adds that the defect can and will be treated. The family also expressed confidence in Bronny’s ability to make a “full recovery” and resume his basketball career in “the very near future.”
You can read their full statement below.
The 18-year-old Bronny, who is a freshman at USC, collapsed on the court during an on-campus workout back on July 24. Fortunately, he received immediate attention from top-tier USC medical professionals and needed only a few days in the hospital before being discharged.
There have been a number of basketball players who have gone on to have lengthy careers in the NBA despite heart conditions (such as Channing Frye, Jeff Green, LaMarcus Aldridge, Ronny Turiaf, and Chris Wilcox). The James family is hopeful that Bronny can follow suit, and that echoes the confidence USC’s head coach also displayed in a recent update on Bronny.
Jun 11, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Anthony Rendon has been a huge bust since signing a massive contract with the Los Angeles Angels in free agency. Now his conduct is being called into question.
Rendon signed a 7-year, $245 million deal with the Angels in Dec. 2019, just months after helping the Washington Nationals win the World Series. In four seasons with the Angels, Rendon has played in just 200 games. He’s batted .249 with just 22 home runs for the Halos while earning $35 million per year in luxury tax payroll.
Rendon has not played since July 4 due to a bone bruise on his shin and is on the 60-day injured list. One reporter thinks that Rendon does not appear to be in any rush to get off the injured list this year.
Speaking on his “Calling All Halos” podcast, The Athletic’s Sam Blum accused Rendon of exhibiting some unprofessional behavior recently.
“I don’t want to even get into the stuff [Rendon] was telling us yesterday in front of his locker,” Blum said on Friday’s edition of the podcast. “I’m not even going to repeat some of the stuff. Just the aloofness that he has towards the overall situation that he’s kind of in of not playing and the fans and everything. And it feels like, man, these are unforced errors by this guy. I don’t know where his head’s at.
“I don’t believe that he’s faking an injury. I don’t know if he’s milking the injury. But, man, he’s like not handled this like a professional in any way.”
Blum did not elaborate on what Rendon said. This is also just an allegation that Rendon has been unprofessional and is seemingly in no hurry to return from his injury.
Rendon is still owed $38 million in base salary in each of the next three years. The 33-year-old batted .236 in 43 games this season. He also was suspended for an incident with a fan in Oakland.
Nov 11, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) watches game action against the Colorado Buffaloes during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
EA Sports is planning to revive the “NCAA Football” video game series in 2024 after an 11-year hiatus, but we still do not know most of the details about what the game will look like. Even if it does include real players, USC quarterback Caleb Williams might not let EA use his likeness.
In a new interview, Williams responded to claims that EA Sports may offer players $500 each to appear in the game without royalties. Williams said that might work for most players, but that it would not be fair to the best players in the sport.
“I’d love to have the game back, but it’s the new day and age and everybody knows what the new day and age in college is,” Williams told Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports. “It’s like if you go to school and you are a straight-A student and there’s another kid whose strong suit isn’t school and he gets B’s or B-minuses. How fair would it be if you get the same grade as him? That never works in school and it doesn’t make sense. That’s how I look at that game with the situation with the $500.”
For Williams, the question may be irrelevant, as he is considered likely to enter the NFL Draft after the 2023 season. That would mean he wouldn’t even be in college for the game’s projected release. Still, his comments might be echoed by some stars who will still be in school next year.
While the initial plan was to include fictional players, EA has left the door open to including real rosters in the game. Stances like Williams’ represent one of the complications in making that happen.
