Nov 18, 2023; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks helmet during the game against the FIU Panthers at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Arkansas won 44-20. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
The Arkansas Razorbacks were looking for any advantage they could get against the No. 3 Texas Longhorns on Saturday, prompting them to look to an unusual strategy to slow their opponent down.
As mentioned by ABC’s Katie George on the game broadcast, Arkansas intentionally went with longer grass at Razorback Stadium for Saturday’s game. This was by design, as the Razorbacks hoped it would slow down Texas’ speedy weapons on offense.
For at least the first three quarters, Arkansas appeared to be doing something right. Texas was held to 13 points, with Arkansas keeping things within a touchdown. The typically high-powered Longhorn offense was held to a modest 197 total yards up to that point as well.
Arkansas already took out Tennessee at home this season. Clearly, it is a very difficult place to play, even though the team is only 5-4.
Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter made another statement play on Saturday, and he pulled out a fitting celebration in the aftermath.
In the waning moments of the first quarter of the Buffaloes’ game against Utah on Saturday, Hunter intercepted a deflected pass to shut down a promising Utes drive. Fittingly, once the play was over, he took a moment to strike the Heisman pose, sending a clear message.
Hunter is regarded as a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate in part because of his two-way prowess. He plays both wide receiver and defensive back at a high level, giving him a pretty good argument for being the best player in college football. His teammates have been eager to promote his candidacy as well.
Hunter is probably the favorite for the award at this point, though he faces stiff competition from the likes of Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel. Still, if Hunter can keep making plays like this one, he may start to feel inevitable.
Dec 10, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Adam Jones watches during warm ups prior to a game against the Chicago Bears at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
Pacman Jones seemingly found himself in trouble with the law after the festivities surrounding Friday’s Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tx.
Jones was arrested early Saturday in Arlington and booked for alleged public intoxication, resisting arrest, evading arrest and assault on a police officer, according to TMZ Sports. The arrest took place at the Loews Arlington Hotel, a short walk from the venue.
It was not clear if Jones had actually attended the fight, but TMZ added that he was wearing the same outfit while being arrested as he was in an Instagram video he shared from the festivities on Friday. As of Saturday, Jones was still in custody, with his bail set at $319.
This marks Jones’ latest brush with the law, and he has had plenty of them. In 2021, he was sentenced to jail time for allegedly beating a man unconscious during a bar fight. More recently, he got himself banned from an airport over his conduct on a flight.
Jones was drafted by the Tennessee Titans with the No. 6 overall pick in 2005. He spent the bulk of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals before retiring in 2019.
Jan 11, 2020; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel against the Baltimore Ravens in the second quarter in a AFC Divisional Round playoff football game at M&T Bank Stadium. Photo Credit: George Walker IV/The Tennessean via USA TODAY NETWORK
One of the hottest coaching candidates in the NFL this offseason might be a name that already has several years of head coaching experience in the league.
Former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel is drawing plenty of attention as a top-tier coaching candidate, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Vrabel wants to coach in 2025 and is expected to receive widespread interest from teams with vacancies.
Part of the reason for Vrabel’s appeal is his reputation as a top culture-builder who can galvanize a locker room while holding his players accountable. It probably does not hurt Vrabel’s case that the Tennessee Titans certainly look to have regressed since his unexpected departure at the end of last season. Some of the supposed reasons for that exit look quite silly in retrospect.
Vrabel went 54-45 with Tennessee and led them to the playoffs three times. He could be a very strong choice of head coach for an organization in need of a culture overhaul.
Dec 3, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Tyquan Thornton (11) reacts after running the ball against the Los Angeles Chargers in the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
The New England Patriots have informed speedy wide receiver Tyquan Thornton that he will be waived on Saturday, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.
The 24-year-old Thornton was selected in the second round (No. 50 overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft with designs of him becoming the team’s top deep threat. The Baylor product had wowed Patriots scouts and coaches with a blazing performance at that year’s NFL Combine, setting a would-be record with an unofficial 4.21 40-yard dash time. The official time was later calculated at 4.28 seconds, which is still among the fastest ever.
After an underwhelming rookie campaign, Thornton suffered a fractured clavicle during the 2023 preseason and started the year on IR. When he was activated in October, his role had been significantly reduced and that carried over into this season.
In his two-plus NFL seasons, Thornton has appeared in 28 games, recording 39 receptions for 385 yards and touchdowns. He’s averaged just 9.9 yards per reception.
With seven wide receivers on the 53-man roster, the Patriots had little personnel wiggle room. Thornton, who has been inactive for the past five games, had fallen to the bottom of their depth chart and with needs at other positions, New England decided now was the appropriate time to pull the plug.
The release of Thornton will leave New England with just over $1.3 million in dead cap.
After an impressive and unexpected 10-0 start to the season, Indiana has rewarded head football coach Curt Cignetti with an eight-year extension worth up to $9 million per season, ESPN reports.
Cignetti will earn an average of roughly $8 million per season with an an annual $1 million retention bonus.
“I am beyond appreciative for the tremendous commitment, confidence, and support from President Pam Whitten and Athletic Director Scott Dolson,” Cignetti said in a statement. “Manette [his wife] and I love Bloomington and are grateful for how the IU community has embraced us. I look forward to leading this outstanding program and doing my part to continue the momentum for Hoosier football.”
Indiana originally hired Curt Cignetti to a six-year, $27 million deal in December 2023. His opening press conference should have been the first hint that big things were on the horizon. His recruiting pitch was the second clue.
Cignetti has already made history. Indiana has won 10 games for the first time in school history and at No. 5, could be on their way to a College Football Playoff appearance.
“We were confident IU could become a winning program and we love what he’s building here,” Dolson said in a statement. “We love the student-athletes that he’s bringing here. We love how our fanbase has rallied around this team and made Memorial Stadium the place to be on Saturday afternoons. And now, we love the fact that he’s going to be doing all those things right here in Bloomington for a long, long time.”
In addition to Cignetti’s massive extension, ESPN reports that Indiana will also “significantly increase” the pool for his assistants and staff.
The Mexican national soccer team had a rough Friday night, falling to Honduras, 2-0, in the first leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals. But that quickly proved to be the least of their concerns as head coach Javier Aguirre suffered a brutal injury at the hands of the rowdy fans.
As Aguirre gathered his belongings and headed for the customary post-match handshake with Honduras coach Reinaldo Rueda, the Francisco Morazán Stadium fans began tossing bottles, cans, and garbage onto the field.
One of the cans struck Aguirre directly in the head and blood began to pour from his scalp.
To his credit, Aguirre initially acted like nothing had happened. He brushed off the shot to his dome before he began to feel the blood. Even then, he proceeded with the handshake and carried on as if it were business as usual.
After the match, Aguirre continued with his indifference, telling reporters that it was no big deal.
“Nothing, nothing, it’s football,” the 65-year-old said, via ESPN.
Aguirre also expressed “solidarity with the people of Honduras who are suffering from tropical storm Sara.”
Despite Aguirre attempting to downplay the situation, the Mexican Football Federation issued a strong statement condemning the fans’ actions.
“The FMF unequivocally condemns the acts of violence that occurred tonight at the Francisco Morazán stadium in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Such behavior has no place in our sport,” they said in a statement.
“We demand that CONCACAF take immediate and decisive action to address this matter in accordance with its regulations. Soccer should be a celebration, not a battleground. We urge all parts, including institutions, managers, players, fans, and the media, to work together to create a safe and respectful environment for everyone involved.”
Rueda echoed those sentiments, saying things like that “can’t happen.”
May 29, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30) throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers in the second inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports
One lucky sports card collector is going to cash in big when they stumble across a unique Paul Skenes card in the coming weeks or months.
This past Wednesday, Topps officially released 2024 Chrome Update to the public and the set includes more than 250 rookie cards that are truly one-of-a-kind. Each card is hand-signed by the player themselves and infused with their MLB-issued rookie debut patch, which was worn during their very first professional game.
The cards are 1/1 and carry significant value. The more popular and talented the player, the more valuable the card becomes.
Last year, Dave & Adams offered a $150,000 bounty for the “MLB Debut” patch card of New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe. But this year, things have gotten even crazier with the Pirates offering an unhear of bounty for the Skenes 1/1.
Two season tickets behind home plate for the next 30 years is wild enough, but the Pirates went even further with a multitude of other throw-ins. At bare minimum, the total value of this bounty exceeds $500,000 and could be worth well over $1 million when all is said and done — perhaps even more.
But Skenes’ girlfriend, American gymnast Livvy Dunne, decided to up the ante.
In addition to the package being offered by the Pirates, Dunne said that whoever finds the card can also watch one home game with her up in her personal, private suite.
Pulling a Paul Skenes “MLB Debut” 1/1 would have been considered the absolute jackpot by itself. Now, it has to be considered one of the greatest potential pulls in the history of sports card collecting.
Happy hunting, everyone.
Gervonta Davis smiles in the ring after his win over Ryan Garcia on April 22, 2023 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Photo Credit: Esther Lin/Showtime
After months of intense hype and over-promotion, Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson proved to be a letdown. The fight was plagued by technical issues and what occurred in the ring was no better. But in its aftermath, Gervonta Davis made things potentially more interesting.
Almost immediately following Paul’s victory by unanimous decision, the three-weight world champion let it be known that the former-YouTube influencer was squarely in the crosshairs.
“To the bozo who shared the ring (with) Mike, you a whole bozo for this and you didn’t get the job done, s–thead,” Davis wrote on his Instagram story. “One more thing… Ima beat the brakes off Jake when I catch em. Uppercut, (jab), (jab), left hook, uppercut, hook. Watch.”
During the post-fight press conference, “The Problem Child” was made aware of Davis’ contentious statement and he didn’t bat an eye.
“I’d be down. Let’s run it, I’d be super, super down,” Paul said with a sarcastic laugh, via Happy Punch. “Is there a height limit in boxing?”
The question was obviously rhetorical with Paul taking a potshot at Davis’ 5-foot-5 height. He then also addressed a potential fight with Conor McGregor, who lost big money after betting on Tyson.
“Yeah, he’ll never do that,” Paul said about a fight between the two. “He knows. He’s not his own boss.”
While Paul-McGregor seems like a distant longshot at best, the potential for a classic Paul-Davis fight appears to have some steam. And you have to believe that a bout between the 30-0 Davis and the 11-1 Paul would be significantly more entertaining than what Paul-Tyson turned out to be while still drawing a big purse.
Jul 5, 2019; New York City, NY, USA; American comedian Jerry Seinfeld at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
It’s not everyday that you receive an unexpected phone call from legendary comedian Jerry Seinfeld, but that’s precisely what happened to WFAN host Chris McMonigle and producer Paul Rosenberg this week.
Shortly after Rosenberg took a shot at the famous 1990s sitcom, claiming the Season 8 episode “The Chicken Roaster” was one of the few good episodes, “Jerry from New York” rang in. It didn’t take long for the pair to realize who they were speaking with.
“It doesn’t bother me, I’m OK with it,” Seinfeld said after Rosenberg suggested there were only three good episodes.
In response, Seinfeld used that as an opportunity to roast the New York Giants, who have become an NFL laughingstock in recent years.
“Look, we made 180 Seinfeld episodes. So, we made three good ones. We’re like the Giants. We’re 3-177,” he quipped.
But Seinfeld wasn’t done there. The notorious New York Mets fan also made sure to throw a few jabs at their cross-town rivals, the New York Yankees, who are fresh off a World Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“You could make a pretty good argument that this season was the most magical Mets season, not counting the two World Series wins,” Seinfeld said. “It was a chemistry and it was an energy and it was an emotional thing of guys that weren’t supposed to be that good.
“I don’t know what can beat that. Does winning with Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani, would that be as fun as this? As an adult to be jumping up and down and screaming, what makes you jump up and down and scream as an adult? Nothing.”
The Yankees, of course, did not win and Seinfeld wanted to the plunge the dagger in a bit further by bringing up their disastrous fifth inning in Game 5.
“But tell me about the pain of the fifth inning,” Seinfeld said to McMonigle, a Yankees fan. “Tell me about that. I wanna know, what did that feel like as a fan?”
McMonigle didn’t want to relive it but Seinfeld wouldn’t relent.
“Yeah, I wanna hear your pain,” Seinfeld said. “Your pain is my pleasure.
“Did you notice the next day after that game, the Yankees hats per block in Manhattan went from six to zero in one day? As a Mets fan, that was a very thrilling moment for me.”
Giants and Yankees catching some random strays from Jerry Seinfeld. New York really is a heckuva town.
