September 13, 2020; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead (91) before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead gave fans some unique insight into one aspect of being an NFL player — his per-game salary, and the taxes that come with it.
The Niners lineman shared a photo of one of his pay checks from March. His earnings totaled $393,055.55 before taxes.
The reason the photo went viral is due to the fact that almost half of the total amount — $194,085.25 to be exact — went to taxes.
Yes, about 49 percent of his pay check was withheld for taxes.
It’s no surprise that Armstead gets heavily taxed since he’s bracketed among the highest earners and he plays in the state of California. The huge tax figure is also a glaring reminder of the advantage teams from states like Texas and Florida have given the absence of state income tax.
But the 49ers veteran didn’t share the picture to complain.
The snapshot just recently went viral, but it comes from a video Armstead posted in September breaking down his NFL game check. The Oregon alum shared a 4-part series breaking down different parts of his game check for “motivational and educational purposes.”
Armstead signed a 5-year, $85 million contract with the 49ers before the 2020 season. San Francisco drafted him in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He is currently the longest-tenured player on the Niners’ roster.
Oct 31, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers player Justin Turner at the Roberto Clemente Award press conference before game three of the 2022 World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Houston Astros at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
A two-time All-Star has hit the free agent market.
The Boston Red Sox announced via social media on Friday that Justin Turner declined his player option for 2024.
Turner had a $13.4 million option and a $6.7 million buyout, making his decision effectively a no-brainer. He chose to receive $6.7 million to decline his option rather than play with the Red Sox for just $6.7 million more. His contract was structured that way as a workaround to the luxury tax, effectively making his 2023 contract a 1-year, $15 million deal (he received $8.3 million in 2023).
Turner is now a free agent and will almost certainly receive offers for more than $6.7 million in 2024.
Turner, who will be 39 next season, batted .276 with an .800 OPS last season with the Red Sox. He had 31 doubles and 23 home runs while playing first base, second base, third base and mostly serving as a designated hitter.
Nov 7, 2022; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Bones Hyland (3) warms up before the game against the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports
The NBA in-season tournament is upon us. Some people are admittedly confused by the first-time festivities — a list that includes at least one NBA player.
The inaugural in-season tournament began Friday. Players donned some special jerseys for the occasion. The games were also played on hardwood with unique designs to mark the occasion.
Los Angeles Clippers guard Bones Hyland was asked about the in-season tournament and whether it brings extra motivation for the players. The 23-year-old came clean Friday morning during a Clippers press conference.
“I’m not even going to lie. I don’t even know what’s going on. … I don’t even know how it works. I don’t know anything honestly,” admitted Hyland.
If an actual player involved in the games isn’t even aware of what’s going on, then there’s a good chance that doubly applies to most fans tuning in on Friday.
Hyland said that the $500,000 prize money for each player on the winning team does excite him. But the Clippers guard stated that he and his teammates just want the wins more than anything else.
The in-season tournament was an idea crafted to generate interest during the middle of the regular season. The competition placed teams in six groups of five. The group stage first tipped off on Friday, which will then be followed up by the knockout rounds for qualified teams. The games count for each team’s regular season record.
The semifinals and championship will be played in Las Vegas in early December.
Jan 18, 2020; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr stands on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Orlando Magic at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Steve Kerr appears to think that Draymond Green got a little bit out of pocket with his recent remarks.
The Golden State Warriors star Green sparked drama this week with some comments applauding the team’s chemistry this season when compared to the “horse s—t” vibes they had last season. Those remarks easily read as a shot at ex-Warriors guard Jordan Poole, who is now on the Washington Wizards. You can read what Green had to say here.
Appearing Thursday on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs,” the Warriors head coach Kerr rejected the suggestion that Poole deserved the blame.
“First of all, I think it’s unfair for people to just point at Jordan,” said Kerr, without mentioning Green by name. “That’s wrong. Last year went haywire for a lot of different reasons. Jordan was fantastic while he was here. He helped us win a championship.
“I hate that he gets any criticism,” Kerr added about Poole. “Last year went wrong for a number of reasons, and we all share the blame in that.”
Here is the full clip of Kerr’s comments.
Of course, Kerr was always going to take the high road with regard to his former player. Poole was a homegrown Warrior who blossomed from raw prospect to true 20-ppg scorer, and he did indeed play a meaningful role to Golden State’s 2022 title. But Kerr is probably objectively right as well since there were plenty of signs that the veteran Green didn’t care to mend his relationship with Poole after notoriously punching him during a practice.
Kerr obviously knows exactly who he is dealing with in Green too. In what is now his tenth year coaching Green on the Warriors, Kerr has seen the good with the former Defensive Player of the Year (do-it-all contributions on the floor and emotional leadership to help bring Golden State to four titles) and the bad (fractured relationships with both Poole and other ex-Warriors).
Connor Stalions’ employment at Michigan officially has come to an end.
Stalions resigned from his position as an analyst at Michigan, the school said.
“Connor Stalions resigned his position with Michigan Athletics this afternoon. We are unable to comment further regarding this personnel matter,” Michigan’s statement read.
Stalions’ resignation came on Friday, the same day the Big Ten’s commissioner visited the school. His resignation comes two weeks after he was suspended by the school with pay after being named as the leader of an alleged illegal sign-stealing operation. He said in a statement that he no longer wanted to be a distraction.
“I love the University of Michigan and its football program. And I am extremely grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to work with the incredible student athletes, coach Harbaugh and the other coaches that have been a part of the Michigan football family during my tenure. I do not want to be a distraction from what I hope to be a championship run for the team, and I will continue to cheer them on,” Stalions said in a statement shared with The Athletic.
According to his since-deleted LinkedIn profile, Stalions served as a volunteer assistant for Michigan’s football team from May 2015-May 2022. He was hired as football analyst last year.
Stalions’ LinkedIn profile said that he enrolled at the Naval Academy and was a student assistant for the Midshipmen from 2013 to 2016. Stalions was then commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps in 2017 and worked his way up the ranks before retiring in May 2022, the same time he was formally hired by the Wolverines.
Stalions has been accused of purchasing tickets to football games of many upcoming Michigan opponents for the purpose of video recording their signals. Stalions then allegedly hired non-Michigan affiliated people to use the tickets to record video, which was later shared with Stalions/Michigan. That video to help decipher opponents’ signs, making the Wolverines extremely well-prepared when they faced those teams in games.
Though that type of illegal scouting activity was said to have been done by third parties, a new rumor circulated this week saying that Stalions may have been on the Central Michigan sideline for a game early this year at Michigan State, which was a future Michigan opponent. Scouting upcoming opponents in-person is against NCAA rules, as is using video to record opponents’ signals.
Both the Big Ten and NCAA are investigating the allegations against Michigan.
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. Mandatory Credit: George Walker IV/The Tennessean via USA TODAY NETWORK
Quarterback Will Levis has shown some encouraging signs for the Tennessee Titans in the last two games, but coach Mike Vrabel still sounds dissatisfied.
Vrabel offered a fairly critical view on Friday of Levis’ performance in the Titans’ 20-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. While Vrabel said Levis had done some good things, he singled out a number of mistakes as well.
“When we lose, nobody did a good enough job,” Vrabel said when asked about Levis. “I think there was some good plays, I think there were some decisions that we can’t make. Throwing the ball into Cover 2 down the sidelines isn’t going to be something that is going to be very advantageous offensively if you’re trying to take care of the football.”
Levis was not great Thursday, but he did go 22/39 for 262 yards while playing behind a makeshift offensive line. He also threw four touchdown passes in his debut the week before. Perhaps Vrabel is simply trying to manage expectations, or maybe he really is skeptical of Levis despite two promising showings.
Vrabel was initially reluctant to turn the offense over to Levis once starter Ryan Tannehill got hurt. Levis was firmly the No. 1 quarterback on Thursday, though, so Vrabel saw something he liked.
Dec 17, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is eligible to come off injured reserve and begin practicing next week, but it does not necessarily sound like that is the plan.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell admitted that he simply was not sure if the Vikings will open Jefferson’s practice window ahead of Week 10. The wide receiver landed on injured reserve after suffering a hamstring injury during the team’s Oct. 8 game against Kansas City.
“I think we’re going to have some end-of-week assessments and see where those guys are at and we’ll continue those on into the next week, and when the time’s right to get those windows opened up, we’ll do that and get those guys back practicing again,” O’Connell told reporters.
This does not make it sound particularly likely that Jefferson will be ready to get back to action for Week 10. That is not necessarily a huge surprise, since there were reports that it would be four weeks before the wide receiver could even be evaluated for a possible return.
The Vikings have actually won three straight since Jefferson’s injury, but Kirk Cousins’ season-ending injury complicates things. Clarity has to come soon, but there is none right now.
One Texas Rangers player is pulling a Chad Henne and going out on top.
Rangers pitcher Ian Kennedy told Evan Thompson of Sport Relay this week that he is now retiring. Though Kennedy indicated that he made the decision before the season began, he now goes out as a champion after Texas’ victory in the World Series.
“There’s no better way to go out,” the veteran right-hander was quoted as saying. “You can’t top this feeling.”
The 38-year-old Kennedy made 16 appearances in relief for the Rangers during the regular season. While Kennedy was not on the team’s postseason roster after being placed on the 60-day injured list in September with a right rotator cuff strain, he is still getting a ring from the Rangers.
Kennedy, a first-round draft pick back in 2006, pitched 17 MLB seasons for six different teams. He was an effective starter for many years, leading the NL with 21 wins as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2011. But Kennedy would transition into a relief role later on in his career as the injuries began piling up for him.
At one point, it seemed like Kennedy might be remembered more so for the wacky mishaps that happened to him during his career. But with Texas’ win over Kennedy’s former team, the Diamondbacks, in this year’s World Series, he now gets to be remembered as an MLB champion.
H/T MLB Trade Rumors
Jun 24, 2023; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs draft pick Victor Wembanyama speaks at a press conference at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Victor Wembanyama might be the very first person to make Kevin Durant look more like Kevin Hart.
The San Antonio Spurs rookie supernova Wembanyama went on a Hulk rampage on Thursday against Durant and the Phoenix Suns. He poured in a career-high 38 points to go with ten rebounds and two blocks to catapult the Spurs to a 132-121 win. Wembanyama was scoring at all three levels, reading the game well on both ends of the floor, and terrorizing the defense every single time he touched the ball. You can watch some of Wembanyama’s highlights from the contest here.
Perhaps almost as breathtaking as Wembanyama’s performance was the photo that went viral of him standing next to the Suns star Durant. As the two waited at the edge of the paint for a free-throw attempt in the second half, Wembanyama comically towered over Durant almost as if the basketball game had somehow become a Penn & Teller show.
Take a look.
Durant, officially listed at 6-foot-10 but often estimated to be closer to seven feet, is one of the greatest mismatches in NBA history as a fireball perimeter scorer and ball-handler with the size of a true big. But he may have finally met his match in the form of a 7-foot-4 Frenchman they call “Wemby.”
The league is clearly still struggling to get used to the shock-and-awe factor with Wembanyama. A few months ago, he made an NBA player even taller than Durant also look miniature.
The Texas Rangers’ World Series win is only going to strengthen the team’s growing rivalry with the Houston Astros, and shortstop Corey Seager made that clear at the team’s victory parade on Friday.
Seager taunted the Astros by echoing one of their viral phrases while speaking at the parade. He closed his speech by echoing something Astros third baseman Alex Bregman said when Houston beat Texas to the AL West crown on the final day of the regular season.
“Everybody was wondering what would happen if the Rangers didn’t win the World Series. I guess we’ll never know,” Seager said.
Seager’s quote is almost identical to what Bregman told his Astros teammates following the team’s AL West clinch on the final day of the season. Houston won the division largely because Texas collapsed and lost three of four in Seattle on the final weekend of the season.
The Rangers and their fans were certainly aware of Bregman’s words and obviously took it as a sign of disrespect. The two teams wound up meeting in the ALCS, where the Rangers won in seven dramatic games, one of which featured a bench-clearing incident.
The AL West now features the last two World Series champions, and neither team likes the other very much. It should make for some real excitement when they meet in 2024.
