Mar 26, 2022; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; The New York Mets logo stands in center field before the game against the Washington Nationals at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Mets have hired a new manager, and he is one who is quite familiar with The Big Apple.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that former New York Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza has been named the new manager of the Mets.
Mendoza, who has been a part of the Yankees organization for the past 15 seasons, has interviewed for other managerial jobs in recent years. He received consideration from the Boston Red Sox in 2021 before they re-hired Alex Cora.
This will be Mendoza’s first manager job, so the 43-year-old has less experience than some other candidates the Mets considered. Their top choice was supposedly a manager who is currently with another team.
The Mets fired Buck Showalter after a disappointing 75-87 season. They placed high value on experience when they hired Showalter prior to the 2022 season, but they are now going in a different direction with Mendoza.
East Rutherford, NJ October 22, 2023. Daniel Jones of the Giants on the sidelines in the second half. Photo credit: Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
Daniel Jones returned on Sunday after missing several games with a neck injury, but the New York Giants quarterback’s season is now officially over.
Jones exited New York’s 30-6 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders after going down early in the second quarter with a non-contact injury. Initial reports were that the Giants feared Jones tore his ACL, and those concerns were confirmed on Monday.
Giants coach Brian Daboll told reporters on Monday that Jones will undergo season-ending knee surgery.
Jones was 4/9 for 25 yards before exiting on Sunday. He just signed a big contract extension prior to the season and is owed more than $35 million in guaranteed money next year. Jones had already been struggling with just 2 touchdowns compared to 6 interceptions, so the Giants will have a big decision to make in the coming months.
The Giants will now be without their top two quarterbacks, as Tyrod Taylor was placed on injured reserve after he also got hurt last week. Tommy DeVito took over for Jones on Sunday and went 15/20 for 175 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions.
Oct 10, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick reacts during the second quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
The New England Patriots suffered yet another disappointing loss on Sunday, and head coach Bill Belichick is now finding it impossible to avoid questions about his job security.
During a conference call with reporters on Monday, Belichick was asked if Robert Kraft has given him any assurances that his job is safe through the remainder of the 2023 season. He avoided the question, which is not unusual for the 71-year-old.
“My focus is on getting ready for the Colts,” Belichick said, via Chris Mason of MassLive.com.
A reporter then followed up by asking Belichick if he feels he will be coaching for his job when the Patriots take on the Indianapolis Colts in Germany next Sunday. The response was similar.
“I’m going to control what I can control and I’m going to get ready for the Colts,” Belichick said.
During his weekly appearance on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” earlier in the day, Belichick was asked how frustrated Kraft has been with the results this season.
“I would think you’d have to ask him about that. I don’t want to speak for him,” he said. “But yeah, I mean, everybody’s frustrated with it.”
Belichick also admitted that this season has been “up there” with one of the most frustrating of his 48-year coaching career.
It goes without saying that the Patriots are not going to make the playoffs. That probably does not bother Kraft nearly as much as the fact that his team is now one of the worst in the NFL three years after Tom Brady departed in free agency. Mac Jones does not appear to be the answer in New England, which likely means a rebuild is the only viable solution.
The big question is whether Kraft thinks Belichick is still the right person to lead the team. The Patriots made another inexplicable blunder in Sunday’s 23-20 loss to the Washington Commanders. Those are the types of things that the Patriots used to laugh at teams like the New York Jets for doing.
New England is now 2-7 and in contention for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Barring a miraculous turnaround, they may be headed for a total regime change.
The Las Vegas Raiders cruised to an easy win over the New York Giants on Sunday, but there was something that felt a bit different about postgame celebration.
In their first game under interim head coach Antonio Pierce, the Raiders jumped out to a 24-0 lead by halftime en route to a stress-free 30-6 victory. While the Giants were not exactly a top-tier opponent, the scene in the Las Vegas locker room following the win looked like one you might see after the Super Bowl.
Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby handed out victory cigars to his teammates and coaches. Raiders owner Mark Davis was also part of the festivities. Crosby, Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams all spoke about the immediate impact Pierce has made on the team and said they were motivated to win for him.
It seems pretty obvious that the Raiders were celebrating more than just a Week 9 win. Given some of the reports we have heard about Josh McDaniels in recent days, it is safe to conclude many players were happy to see him go. That may have been a bigger factor in the victory celebration than the victory itself.
Jul 27, 2022; Pittsford, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (31) walks to the field during training camp at St. John Fisher University. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Damar Hamlin returned to Paycor Stadium on Sunday for the first time since he suffered a cardiac arrest, and the Buffalo Bills defensive back clearly experienced some powerful emotions.
Hamlin did not play in Buffalo’s 24-18 loss to the Bengals, but he remained on the field long after players and fans left the stadium. One reporter shared a photo that showed Hamlin standing on a silent field near the spot where he collapsed.
Hamlin stood in the same spot for about 15 minutes. Another reporter shared a video of Hamlin crouching near the Bengals’ logo, and the 25-year-old expressed some thoughts about it.
“Tonight was everything for me .. y’all don’t know the half of it. Trust me,” Hamlin wrote on X.
Hamlin collapsed on Jan. 2 and had to be resuscitated on the field. He then spent more than a week in the hospital. During the offseason, he made an honest admission about his long journey back.
A referee collided with a Vancouver Whitecaps FC player Sunday in the closing moments of the team’s season-ending MLS Cup playoff defeat.
The Whitecaps were facing elimination against Los Angeles FC at BC Place in Vancouver, Canada.
Vancouver trailed 1-0 in stoppage time and was desperate for a game-tying goal to force a penalty shoot-out. The Whitecaps had a chance for a late attempt on goal after being awarded a corner kick in the 93rd minute.
Whitecaps midfielder Alessandro Schöpf appeared poised to take possession of the ball but was knocked down to the ground by referee Tim Ford. LAFC mounted a counter-attack soon after and scored on an empty net on the other end.
The goal was eventually wiped away due to LAFC being offside. But the referee’s inadvertent tackle still took away what was shaping up to be the Whitecaps’ best chance at a late equalizer.
Whitecaps fans and players alike were already heated toward Ford earlier in the game. The veteran official awarded LAFC a penalty kick after Whitecaps defender Tristan Blackmon fouled LAFC’s Mario Gonzalez. LAFC winger Denis Bouanga converted the penalty for the game’s only goal.
Vancouver head coach Vanni Sartini, who was sent off shortly after Ford’s collision with Schöpf, was also critical of the referee after the game.
“The referee was a disaster, we have to be completely honest,” said Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini, via Nick Wells of the Canadian Press. “Everyone can have a worst performance, they probably had their worst performance of their season.”
The Whitecaps lost 2-0 in the best-of-three series against LAFC, who advance to the MLS Playoffs Semifinals. LAFC will face the winner of the series between the Seattle Sounders and FC Dallas, who are tied 1-1.
Jun 18, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (NED) stands on the podium after his win at the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports
Max Verstappen started from pole position and cruised to victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday, marking his record 17th victory of the F1 season. In addition to this Grand Prix victory, Verstappen also won the sprint shootout on Saturday, marking the fourth time he’s won a sprint shootout this season.
Adding to Red Bull’s success this weekend, Sergio Perez bounced backed after a disastrous week in Mexico. Not only did Perez finish 3rd in the sprint, but he also finished 4th in the Grand Prix after battling Fernando Alonso for 3rd place on the last lap.
In both scenarios, Perez finished ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who seemed to be lacking pace all weekend. That extended Perez’s lead over Hamilton for 2nd place lead to 32 points.
To complete the top 5, Lando Norris of McLaren finished second, while Lance Stroll of Aston Martin finished fifth.
With only two races remaining, Mercedes now only holds a 20-point lead over Ferrari for second place in the constructors championship. McLaren leads Aston Martin for fourth place by 21 points.
Mar 20, 2022; Hampton, Georgia, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain during the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Ross Chastain has zero regrets about stealing the show Sunday at the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship.
Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing finished first in the final race of the season at Phoenix Raceway in Arizona. Chastain won despite not being one of the four championship-eligible drivers.
Chastain battled late in the race with Ryan Blaney, who won the Cup Series championship.
Blaney’s No. 12 Ford Mustang for Team Penske finished second, ahead of fellow finalists William Byron, Kyle Larson, and Christopher Bell. However, Blaney was not happy with Chastain making his life difficult on the track.
At one point while the two were battling for the race lead, Blaney’s Ford bumped Chastain’s Chevy in frustration. Blaney even flipped off Chastain with 57 laps to go (video here).
Chastain was not oblivious to Blaney’s harbored animosity — he just did not care.
“I knew he was mad. I did not care then. I do not care now,” Chastain said after the race.
The Trackhouse Racing driver stated that he had no intention of wrecking Blaney and ruining the finalist’s chances at the championship. But Chastain intentionally blocked Blaney and used dirty air at every opportunity to gain an edge and eventually win the race — his fourth in the Cup Series.
Chastain is the first non-championship-eligible driver to win the season finale race since the playoff elimination format first began in 2014.
Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert suffered a concerning injury Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.
Goedert was hurt late in the third quarter of the Eagles’ 28-23 win over the Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa.
The Eagles were facing 2nd-and-10 at the Cowboys’ 41. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts connected on a short pass to Goedert, who ran down the left sideline for 28 yards.
The 6’5″ tight end used a right-handed stiff arm against Cowboys safety Markquese Bell. The defender held onto Goedert’s arm, which injured the Eagles tight end.
Goedert was unable to return to the field after the incident. The medical staff later diagnosed Goedert with a fracture in his right forearm. He will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the fracture.
Goedert entered the contest with 360 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns on the season. both numbers ranked third on the Eagles behind star wide receivers AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith.
The Eagles’ triumph over the Cowboys pushed them to 8-1 for the season. But the result may feel more like a Pyrrhic victory if Goedert has to miss significant time.
Oct 14, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney (12) during qualifying for the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Ryan Blaney won the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Sunday, but Ross Chastain did not make it easy for him.
Blaney’s No. 12 Ford Mustang for Team Penske and Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing went back and forth for the race lead at Phoenix Speedway in Arizona.
Chastain was no longer in championship contention, but still bested finalists Blaney, William Byron, and Kyle Larson to win the last race of the season. The No. 1 Chevy blocked the No. 12 Ford several times, which prompted Blaney to flip off Chastain with 56 laps to go (video here).
Blaney even bumped Chastain during the final stage of the race. The Team Penske driver admitted after the race that the minor collision was intentional. Blaney considered it payback for Chastain blocking him “on purpose.”
“Well, f—ing right, I hit him on purpose. He blocked me on purpose 10 times,” Blaney said, via RACER’s Kelly Crandall (profanity edited by LBS).
Blaney stated that he felt as though Chastain was “holding him up,” which played to the advantage of Byron and Larson.
Blaney still managed to finish second in the end, just behind Chastain, to win the NASCAR Cup Series championship.
Chastain became the first non-championship-eligible driver to win the season finale race since the playoff elimination format first began in 2014.
