Video shows Draymond Green getting into it with heckler in New York
The combination of Draymond Green and fans in New York went almost exactly as how you might expect.
A viral video circulated online over the weekend showing the Golden State Warriors star Green getting into it with a heckler at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y. earlier in the week. Madison Square Garden hosted the first two games of the New York Knicks-Indiana Pacers Eastern Conference Finals series, and Green was present in the building as a guest analyst on TNT’s “Inside the NBA.”
The video showed the heckler yelling at Green, who was by the TNT broadcast area. While being held back by what appeared to be security, the heckler, who was wearing a Knicks jersey, bellowed at Green repeatedly, saying, “How was Cancun?” In response, Green told the heckler, “Can you afford to go?”
You can see the clip of the video here.
“Cancun” jabs are usually directed at players whose teams have been eliminated from the playoffs (as those players have effectively been sent on vacation). Green and the Warriors were eliminated in the second round of this year’s postseason, falling in five games to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
But that was a pretty clever retort from the ex-NBA Defensive Player of the Year Green. Over the years, Green has historically taking matters into his own hands when it comes to hecklers. That Knicks fan should probably consider himself fortunate that he did not end up getting slapped by Green like another heckler did several years ago.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander taunted with 3-word chant in blowout Game 3 loss
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be hoping to flush Saturday’s game from his memory.
Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder had their worst showing of the season in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn. Presented with the opportunity to go up in the series 3-0, Oklahoma City instead laid an egg and got stomped by a final score of 143-101.
The Thunder went down by 20 points at the end of the first quarter and only managed 41 points before the half. As a result, their series lead has been trimmed to 2-1 heading into Monday’s Game 4 (which will also be in Minnesota).
During the second quarter (with the Timberwolves already leading 56-29), Gilgeous-Alexander went to the free throw line and was taunted with a three-word chant by the Target Center crowd. They yelled, “Free throw merchant!” at the newly-minted NBA MVP Gilgeous-Alexander.
Target Center crowd chants “free throw merchant” at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pic.twitter.com/XuIWMKmfW3
— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) May 25, 2025
Calling Gilgeous-Alexander a “free throw merchant” is a pejorative way of saying that he relies excessively on fishing for free throws. Interestingly enough, ESPN’s Doris Burke used that exact term to describe Gilgeous-Alexander in Game 1, so the “merchant” jab has clearly gone mainstream at this point.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who led the NBA in scoring this season with 32.7 points per game, could only manage 14 points on 4/13 shooting Saturday (with a very uncharacteristic four total free throws attempted). Fans are growing increasingly inrritated with Gilgeous-Alexander’s style of play, so something like this was inevitably going to happen once the Thunder went on the road this series.
Aaron Rodgers makes his thoughts on playing for Saints very clear
Cross the New Orleans Saints off the list of potential Aaron Rodgers landing spots.
The Saints arguably have the most shallow quarterback room in the NFL heading into the 2025 season. After Derek Carr announced his sudden retirement earlier this month, New Orleans is left with Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener, and second-round rookie Tyler Shough as its options for QB1.
Rodgers is by far the highest-profile free agent QB left on the market. But the four-time MVP apparently has no interest in playing for the Saints. Rodgers said as much when asked by a fan about joining the Saints during a recent event in Austin, Texas.
“No,” Rodgers said without hesitation “That’s the answer. I’ve played there a couple of times, but no. The answer is no. I’m too old. I don’t want to live in Louisiana.”
🚨BREAKING: 4x #NFL MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers says that he will never play for the New Orleans #Saints.
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) May 24, 2025
Q: “Would you ever consider playing for the Saints?”
Aaron: “NO…. NO.”
DAMN.
(Via Mike Stud)
pic.twitter.com/pjIOAbVkes
Fans were quick to link Rodgers to the Saints once Carr’s decision to retire became public. But there appears to be mutual disinterest in making it happen.
The Saints are said to be open to giving Shough a legitimate chance to become the Week 1 starter. Even if Shough underperforms, New Orleans could opt to tank the season and get a shot at drafting a passer in next year’s more QB-heavy draft.
With the Saints out of the picture, it’s pretty clear where Rodgers ends up before the start of next season.
Video of Tyreek Hill getting smoked 1-on-1 by young girl at his camp resurfaces
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill probably won’t be happy to find out why his name is trending online this week.
A video of Hill has recently resurfaced, showing him in coverage against a young girl participating in his youth camp. The girl, who appeared to be around 12 or 13 years old, faked Hill out with a move toward the middle of the field then cut back toward the sideline.
Hill looked toward the passer for a split second, which was all the girl needed to leave him in the dust with a burst of speed down the field. Tyreek did manage to catch up and get a hand on the ball. But he bobbled it and it still ended up in the girl’s hands.
NASTY: #NFL STAR WR TYREEK HILL GOT COOKED BY THIS YOUNG GIRL AT HIS FOOTBALL CAMP.
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) May 24, 2025
😱😱😱pic.twitter.com/E1HR5r0Hak
The girl then faked Hill out with a nasty juke move for good measure. Hill playfully teased the girl as he gave her a high five afterwards.
It’s not the first time Hill has been completely outclassed in coverage during one of his camps. The Cheetah has been surprisingly susceptible to the same types of moves he torments defenders with every season.
All of Hill’s defensive lowlights will probably give him a better appreciation for Travis Hunter’s attempt to become a two-way player this season.
Saquon Barkley calls out teams trying to ban tush push
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley sees weakness in the NFL teams looking to ban the tush push.
The Green Bay Packers made a strong campaign this offseason to ban the Eagles’ infamous short-yardage play. The Packers’ proposal to outlaw the tush push needed supporting votes from 24 of the 32 teams but only got 22.
Earlier this week, Barkley appeared on the “Exciting Mics” podcast hosted by his Eagles teammates Cooper DeJean and Reed Blankenship. The reigning Offensive Player of the Year did not mince words when asked about the movement to ban the tush push.
Barkley called opposing teams “soft” for simply not being as good at the play as the Eagles, who have perfected the technique, much to the dismay of defensive coordinators across the league.
“I think it’s soft, to be honest,” Barkley said, via USA Today’s Nick Brinkerhoff. “Everybody can do it. It’s not a play that we only can do. We happen to have one of the best and biggest O-lines, and Jalen Hurts can squat 600 pounds. That’s not our fault.”
“Josh Allen is super big, they’re not successful with it. Lamar Jackson is one of the best running quarterbacks of all-time, they’re not successful with it. So it’s not something that everyone can’t do. Them trying to eliminate it, I think that’s kind of lame.”
Barkley also harped on the fact that the franchises that voted to ban the tush push were primarily teams that would play the Eagles “two or three times a year.”
Only three of the 10 teams that voted to keep the tush push were from the NFC. The Eagles were, obviously, one of them. The Detroit Lions and the New Orleans Saints were the other two.
The tush push is here to stay, at least for now.
Former NBA champion has a low opinion of Cooper Flagg
Many evaluators view Cooper Flagg as a generational talent capable of turning around an NBA franchise. That feeling is not universal, though.
Former Boston Celtics wing Tony Allen, regarded as one of the top defenders of his era, has major doubts about Flagg at the next level. In an appearance on GrindCityMedia’s YouTube channel, Allen said he does not view Flagg as a franchise-changing player, and predicted the Duke star would not win Rookie of the Year in 2026.
“I don’t think Cooper Flagg’s going to turn a franchise around like that,” Allen said. “I ain’t seeing KD. I’m just not seeing all that. I’m seeing Andrei Kirilenko.
“He’s going to be a one-time All-Star. I don’t see it, bro. I’m just not hyped on these Duke kids. He is nice, but his max-out potential is Andrei Kirilenko.”
Kirilenko made an All-Star team and three All-Defensive teams with the Utah Jazz, and had a very solid career. People are definitely expecting more than that out of Flagg, though. There is a reason people were so animated when the Dallas Mavericks surprisingly won the lottery for the right to select him.
Allen is not afraid to air some controversial opinions, but this one is certainly well out of step with the mainstream. After all, not many players have looked the part taking on Team USA in a scrimmage at age 17.
Flagg averaged 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game during his only season at Duke. He certainly has the look of a future star at the next level.
H/T CBS Sports
Rockies fan calls out team’s struggles in foul ball injury lawsuit
The Colorado Rockies have been blasted by a fan who alleged that the team’s poor play on the field contributed to a serious injury he suffered at a game.
Timothy Roeckel is suing the Rockies claiming he was struck in the face by a foul ball during a July 2023 game at Coors Field, via Jennifer McRae of CBS News Colorado. Roeckel said he was attending the game in a luxury suite, and that it was not possible for him to see the foul ball coming from where he was sitting. Allegedly, the foul ball caused “catastrophic and permanent injuries” after striking him in the right eye and face.
The lawsuit claims the Rockies failed to take necessary safety precautions by not extending protective netting far enough, as well as the design of the luxury boxes. Most notably, however, the suit argues that the team’s “longstanding poor performance on the field have contributed to a game-day environment in which spectators, particularly those in luxury suites, are less engaged with the action on the field.”
Some of the lawsuit’s claims will draw skepticism, such as the idea that the Rockies are responsible for encouraging fans to socialize instead of paying attention to the game. Many Rockies fans, however, will probably sympathize with the fan for calling out the team’s struggles like this.
The Rockies have not had a winning season since 2018, and have lost over 100 games in back-to-back seasons. They look to be well on their way toward that mark again in 2025, and this might be their worst season yet.
Ultimately, the Rockies may or may not be responsible for how much attention fans pay to the game when visiting Coors Field. There are certainly some elements of their ballpark operation that could do with some work, though.
Brittney Griner interrupts halftime interview to confront officials
Brittney Griner was not happy with the officiating during Saturday’s game between the Atlanta Dream and Dallas Wings, and she wanted to make sure the referee knew about it.
At the start of her halftime interview with CBS Sports, Griner turned away and went to confront the officials over what she seemingly saw as holding against her that was going uncalled.
“You know I call all my fouls,” Griner could be heard saying. “Be f—ing better.”
Brittney Griner had an animated discussion with the ref during the interview. 👀
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 24, 2025
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24)
pic.twitter.com/tLxHsOInEw
Griner did seem to realize she had been overheard on television, as she quickly stopped and apologized before heading to the locker room.
Griner apology:pic.twitter.com/7wtH1GI5T1
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) May 24, 2025
Griner and the Dream did go on to win the game 83-75. She contributed 15 points and 8 rebounds in the winning effort.
Officiating has not been Griner’s friend this week. Regardless of her feelings, it is probably not ideal for her commentary to be caught on live television, and she knew it, too.
Dallas Stars showcase ‘Finnish Mafia’ starting lineup
The Dallas Stars made some history Friday night in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals with their choice of starting lineup.
The Stars started the game with their “Finnish Mafia” all on the ice together. Mikael Granlund, Roope Hintz, and Mikko Rantanen were grouped together on the forward line, while Esa Lindell and Miro Heiskanen formed the defensive pairing.
This marked the first time since the NHL started tracking starters that five Finnish players started a game together for the same team.
For the first time since the @NHL began tracking starters, all 🖐️ starting skaters are Finnish 🇫🇮 pic.twitter.com/pcxCjccoQq
— X – Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) May 24, 2025
The Finnish Mafia has become hugely popular in Dallas. It was completed when the Stars added Rantanen at the trade deadline, enabling them to use such a unit. He has become the star attraction for the team, including nine playoff goals in 15 games.
The Stars were only recently able to pair the five players together. Heiskanen had been out since late January with an injury, but returned to the lineup for Dallas in their second-round series against the Winnipeg Jets. Dallas won that series in six games.
The move did not pay off for the Stars on Friday, as they lost 3-0 to the Edmonton Oilers to even the series at 1.
Paul Pierce cruelly trolls Knicks fans after Game 2 loss to Pacers
Paul Pierce is thoroughly enjoying his hate-watch of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The New York Knicks lost in Game 2 of their ECF series against the Indiana Pacers on Friday night by the final score of 114-109. The Pacers now hold a 2-0 series lead after taking both games on the Knicks’ home floor at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y.
Fans of the Knicks were in complete shambles following the loss in Game 1. The retired Boston Celtics legend Pierce also decided to rub some salt in their wounds by clowning around on his Instagram Story after the game.
Pierce posted a video of himself laughing hysterically at the Knicks and their fans. “I told y’all, dawg,” he said. “Y’all delusional. Y’all so delusional. Maybe next year. Or maybe never.”
You can see the full clip of Pierce below.
Paul Pierce trolling New York Knicks fans after losing the first two games at home vs. Indiana:
— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) May 24, 2025
“I told y’all, dawg! Y’all so delusional! Maybe next year… or, maybe never…”
Thoughts?
Via. @paulpierce34 pic.twitter.com/ekkhKeCawf
Pierce, who was Atlantic Division rivals with the Knicks for almost his entire NBA career, was deep in his feelings after the Knicks eliminated his beloved Celtics during the second round of this year’s playoffs. He heard plenty of arrogrant comments from New York fans in the wake of that series, which led to Pierce making some very salty comments over social media.
But now, Pierce is getting to dine on the other end of the table. While the Knicks still have a bit of life in the Eastern Conference Finals, it looks bleak for them now that they are going on the road trailing 0-2 to the Pacers. As such, Pierce is more than happy to point and laugh at the Knicks and their fans right now.
Knicks reportedly would welcome Charles Oakley back on key condition
The New York Knicks and former player Charles Oakley have been on bad terms with each other for eight years stemming from an incident at Madison Square Garden. A new report suggests that the Knicks are willing to put the situation behind them on one condition.
The Knicks would welcome Oakley back as a celebrated Knicks alumnus if he drops his ongoing lawsuit against owner James Dolan and Madison Square Garden, according to Jared Schwartz of the New York Post. If Oakley did so, he would be welcomed back at games and team events as a celebrated ex-player.
Oakley was initially banned from Madison Square Garden over the February 2017 incident, in which Oakley was escorted from the arena after getting into a confrontation with arena security. That ban has since been lifted, but Oakley can only attend games by buying a ticket and attending as a regular fan.
Many former Knicks are often spotlighted attending games, often sitting near Dolan. Oakley has not been extended that courtesy since the 2017 incident. The 61-year-old spent ten seasons with the franchise and was the team’s starting center in 1994 when they reached the NBA Finals.
Oakley continues to pursue litigation against Dolan and Madison Square Garden in the form of assault and battery claims. He has maintained he wants an apology from Dolan, which evidently has not come.
Considering the state the Knicks are in during the Eastern Conference Finals, Oakley might not have a chance to see the team again this season even if he wanted to.
Caitlin Clark has profane 5-word message for referee after crucial no-call
Caitlin Clark was not a happy customer at the end of Saturday’s game against the New York Liberty.
Clark and the Indiana Fever lost a thriller to the Liberty, falling by the final score of 90-88 on their home floor at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. The superstar guard Clark had an opportunity to tie (or win) the game in the final seconds as Indiana had possession on the sideline with 2.9 seconds left.
Clark received the inbounds pass and was immediately pestered by Liberty guard Natasha Cloud. As Clark was dribbling, Clark lost control of the ball thanks to Cloud’s physical defense, and time expired.
An irate Clark could not believe that there was no foul call on the play. The television broadcast caught Clark going up to the referee with a profane five-word message.
“Are you f–king kidding me?” Clark told the ref. Here is the video of the play.
Cloud locks up Clark on the final play pic.twitter.com/0b6Wqdjxfp
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) May 24, 2025
Even if Clark wasn’t deemed to be in the act of shooting there, the Fever were in the bonus at the time. Thus, any whistle would have given Clark two free throws and the chance to tie the game from the line.
Clark had a solid individual line with 18 points, five rebounds, and 10 assists. But she shot just 6/19 from the field, including 2/12 from the three-point line. Cloud, who finished with an excellent 16-7-6-5-3 line herself, defended Clark for much of the game, so there was definitely some build-up before that final sequence.
The loss to the defending WNBA champion Liberty dropped the Fever to 2-2 on the fledgling season. Clark has had plenty of frustrating moments in the early going too as opponents keep on trying to get under her skin.
Red Sox fan shows off wild Indianapolis 500-themed home run celebration
One Boston Red Sox fan is very excited for Monday’s Indianapolis 500. So excited, in fact, that he broke out a very appropriate celebration after the team hit a home run in the first inning of Saturday’s game.
Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run during Saturday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park in Boston, Ma. In response, the fan, wearing an Indianapolis 500 T-shirt, proceeded to open up a bottle of milk and dump it on himself.
What was that?! 😂
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 24, 2025
A guy just poured milk on himself after Jarren Duran's home run🥛 pic.twitter.com/qWOpmsRy1S
For the unaware, the winner of each year’s Indianapolis 500 famously celebrates by drinking milk. Some choose instead to just dump it on themselves, as this fan did.
Excitement? Insanity? Stealth promotion for FOX’s Indianapolis 500 coverage? Perhaps it was all of the above, but it made for a very strange and unusual moment.
The 2025 edition of the Indianapolis 500 is scheduled to begin on Monday at 12:45 p.m. Robert Shwartzman will start in the pole position, while back-to-back defending champion Josef Newgarden will have to start from the back of the field due to illegal car modifications.
LeBron James brags over social media about his latest achievement
LeBron James definitely is not one to sell himself short.
On Friday, the NBA officially announced the three All-NBA teams for this season, as voted on by a panel of media members. The Los Angeles Lakers star James was one of the honorees, making All-NBA Second Team. It was the 21nd All-NBA selection of the 40-year-old James’ career, extending his all-time league record.
James took to X on Friday night in order to brag about his achievement.
“ALL NBA at 40!!” James wrote. “Low key crazy to me right now! Sitting here watching the playoffs just thinking about it. Blessed beyond I can even imagine.”
ALL NBA at 40!! Low key crazy to me right now! Sitting here watching the playoffs just thinking about it. Blessed beyond I can even imagine.
— LeBron James (@KingJames) May 24, 2025
James, who averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game over 70 appearances this season, certainly deserves a lot of credit. He has now made All-NBA in every single season since 2004-05 (his sophomore year) and is the only player to do so at age 40 or older. James also blows the competition out of the water when it comes to all-time All-NBA count as the next closest players to his 21 career selections are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, and Tim Duncan (all three of whom had 15).
The four-time NBA champion James is more than happy to give himself the credit too. He has a long history of tooting the horn of his own greatness, and that continued this week with his latest post to social media.
Ronald Acuña Jr. shows up at first game wearing questionable bag
Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. is back in action for the first time since suffering a torn ACL, and he made something of a fashion statement as he did so.
Acuña arrived at Truist Field on Friday carrying a pink bag with him. MLB highlighted the look on their official X account.
Ronald Acuña Jr. has arrived at Truist Park for his return to the Braves tonight 👀 pic.twitter.com/y1mbdVvbFy
— MLB (@MLB) May 23, 2025
Reaction to the choice was decidedly mixed. Some fans approved of the look, while others questioned the color of the bag, or outright referred to it as a purse.
Ultimately, Acuña hit a home run on his very first pitch back in the big leagues. Braves fans will likely say that he can carry whatever bag he wants as long as he produces like that. It certainly beats making headlines for social media posts in which he shades his manager.
Acuña has not had a fully healthy season since 2023, when he hit .337 with 41 home runs and 73 stolen bases on his way to NL MVP honors. The Braves could use production similar to that, as they have had a poor start to the season and sit at 24-26 entering play Saturday.
Shedeur Sanders has theory for why he has so many critics
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders thinks he knows why so many people are rooting for him to fail.
Sanders has been criticized for some of his conduct leading up to the NFL Draft, but the rookie does not think that is necessarily because of anything he has done. Instead, he thinks many people’s opinions of him are shaped by how they feel about his father Deion.
“They don’t care about other people’s opinion of you,” Sanders said of his critics, via Jimmy Watkins of cleveland.com. “They go based off their own. 99% of hatred (directed at me) is toward Pops. And then I’m just his son.
“It’s just the older generation that does it to me rather than the younger people. Because when I come in person, there’s no negativity I see. But it’s all over online.”
Sanders definitely made some pre-draft missteps, and some of his meetings reportedly did not go well. It is certainly possible, if not likely, that his association with his father hurt him more than it helped him. Shedeur coming off as entitled in those meetings, however, was his own miscalculation.
Sanders himself has taken the right attitude since falling to the fifth round of the NFL Draft. He knows he has a great deal to prove. His inner circle has not been completely helpful, but the Browns do not appear to have any complaints about his attitude so far.
Brittney Griner appears to make racist comment about Caitlin Clark
Atlanta Dream center Brittney Griner appeared to make a racist comment about Caitlin Clark on Thursday after fouling out of her game against the Indiana Fever.
Griner was frustrated late in Thursday’s 81-76 Fever win at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga. after fouling out. Her fifth foul was an offensive foul for an elbow on Clark, who was accused of flopping to successfully sell the call.
Caitlin Clark with a monumental flop against Brittney Griner. #Indianafever #AtlantaDream #wnba pic.twitter.com/oIwntRWv7G
— Xʜᴀɴᵗᵃʸ✨️💚 (@thereal_chantay) May 23, 2025
After Griner went to the bench, she appeared to vent some frustration over the call. Lip-readers thought she referred to Clark as “trash” and “f—ing white girl.”
Brittney Griner seemingly calling Caitlin Clark “trash” and a “f—ing white girl.” after fouling out
— OutKick (@Outkick) May 24, 2025
pic.twitter.com/GQqUfMBqPf
Griner contributed 5 points and 7 rebounds in the loss, and was limited to 25 minutes due to foul trouble. Clark was held to 11 points, but added 6 assists and 4 rebounds.
Clark keeps finding herself embroiled in controversy, whether she intends to or not. She got into a spat with Dream guard Rhyne Howard during the same game, and last week’s confrontation with Angel Reese also became a big story.
Ryan Clark issues apology to Robert Griffin III
ESPN analyst Ryan Clark on Friday issued an apology to Robert Griffin III and his wife, Grete, for some of his recent comments.
In Monday’s episode of his “The Pivot” podcast, Clark apologized for bringing Griffin’s family into his response to Griffin’s recent comments about Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. While Clark did not necessarily back off his comments about Griffin’s take, he did say he regretted invoking Grete by saying Griffin could not identify with what black women like Reese dealt with because he had only “been married to white women.”
“Because of the personal feelings I have about RGIII, I took a take that was personal to another person and make it personal to myself, and I shouldn’t have done that,” Clark said. “I shouldn’t have brought his wife into an equation, even though in my mind, before speaking about her, I processed as much as I possibly could to speak of her in a way that was positive, trying to make sure it only illustrated a point about the way that he approached Angel Reese. And in that, in some ways, and to some people, I probably missed the mark.”
Clark added that he let some of his negative feelings toward Griffin influence his comments, and that his efforts to defend Reese turned into an unintentional attack on Griffin.
“To Grete, I was out of line. I was out of bounds. I apologize. To all of the people that don’t like RG’s take, or takes, or the way that he moves, or even if you just, in this conversation, take my side and want to support me, leave his family alone,” Clark said. “Families should be off-limits. I started that by bringing her into it. I see that now. No matter what my intent was, the impact was different. If I had to do it all over again, I would do it a different way.”
Clark and Griffin played together with Washington in 2014, and worked together on ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown.” There are evidently some negative feelings between the two on a personal level, which Clark admits he let impact his take.
As of Saturday, Griffin had yet to issue a public response to Clark’s apology. He did make one cryptic post on X Saturday morning, writing that “God removes people from your life for a reason.”
Some of Clark’s fellow ESPN employees reportedly wanted to see him suspended over his response to Griffin. It was also pointed out that, despite his comments about Grete Griffin’s race, Clark has a child with a white woman himself.
The entire back-and-forth stemmed from Griffin’s take on last Saturday’s confrontation between Caitlin Clark and Reese, which both of them downplayed. The Griffin-Ryan Clark dispute wound up becoming the bigger story.
Ronald Acuña Jr. returns from torn ACL, homers on first pitch
Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. returned on Friday night, nearly one year removed from suffering a torn ACL, and he didn’t appear to miss a beat.
On the first pitch from San Diego Padres starter Nick Pivetta, Acuña, batting in his customary leadoff spot, turned around a four-seam fastball, sending it 467 feet to center with an exit velocity of 115.5 MPH, which is the hardest hit ball by a Brave this season.
RONALD ACUÑA JR. FIRST PITCH BACK IS A HOME RUN pic.twitter.com/WMqUpxFPWz
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 23, 2025
“I had a feeling,” Acuña said of his dramatic homer, via ESPN. “To me, that’s just the culmination of all the work I put in.”
Acuña singled in his next at-bat, finishing the day with two hits, one run, and one RBI in four plate appearances. He also shined on defense, throwing out Elias Díaz at second base in the eighth inning.
“He’s one of those players that you better not go get a beer or whatever because you might miss something really cool, you know?” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “I mean, he’s that type of force, I think, in the game. I think he’s going to energize everybody. Going to energize the fans. Going to energize his teammates.”
Acuña, 27, suffered a torn ACL in his left knee nearly one year to the day of his return, on May 26, 2024. He underwent a successful surgery on June 6 and appeared in just six rehab games before returning to the Braves lineup.
“It’s huge,” third baseman Austin Riley said. “The talent is there. The energy he brings, having Ronald up there at the top of the lineup. … He can change a game at any point.”
The 2023 NL MVP has torn the ACL in both his left and right knee, with the previous injury coming in 2021. However, if Friday is any indication, Acuña appears healthy and ready to contribute to a Braves team in need of a spark.
Max Muncy called for controversial infraction rarely seen in baseball
One of the joys of watching Major League Baseball is that you’re likely to see something you’ve never seen before on any given day. That’s precisely what happened on Friday night during a game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets, much to the dismay of Max Muncy.
The bottom of the fourth inning had already started poorly for Muncy, who allowed Mets designated hitter Starling Marte to reach second on a throwing error following a bunt single, but things got much worse from there.
Two batters later, with Marte on third after a Juan Soto ground out, Pete Alonzo sent a towering fly ball to right field. Teoscar Hernandez fielded it cleanly for the out and then fired a rocket to home, beating Marte for the double play.
However, the home plate umpire’s punchout was overruled by third base umpire Tripp Gibson, who cited an obscure rule that precious few have ever seen called before.
Gibson argued Muncy had violated MLB Rule 6.01(h)(2), which states “if no play is being made on the obstructed runner, the play shall proceed until no further action is possible. The umpire shall then call ‘Time’ and impose such penalties, if any, as in his judgment will nullify the act of obstruction.”
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said he had never previously seen that called in his three-decade career, but Muncy claims he was aware of it although he, too, had never seen it implemented.
“The way you explain it is, if the ball gets cut from the first baseman, you have to be there to make a play. And [Gibson] felt that I wasn’t far enough away,” Muncy said after the game, via MLB.com. “He felt that I was purposely doing it, and he felt that I made a conscious effort to stand in the way. Every third baseman in the league does that. Never seen it called, and it was actually called twice tonight.”
Although the Mets clawed back and sent the game into extras following a three-run ninth inning, Max Muncy’s pair of blunders will become nothing more than a footnote as the Dodgers ultimately survived, 7-5, in 13 innings.