Aug 3, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Francisco Giants third baseman Kris Bryant (23) looks on in the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
An ex-National League MVP was recently the victim of an expensive crime.
Marco Cummings of The Denver Gazette reports this week that Colorado Rockies third baseman Kris Bryant had his $300,000 Lamborghini stolen last month from Cherry Hills Village, Colo. According to police records, the car, a gray 2023 Lamborghini Huracan Coupe Tecnica, was reported stolen in early October. The police affadivit listed the owner as “Kristopher Bryant” (Bryant’s full name) and revealed that the car had been contracted for transport to Bryant’s home in Las Vegas but ultimately failed to arrive.
A subsequent multi-agency investigation revealed that a business email scheme had compromised the transport company, which allowed Bryant’s Lamborghini to be rerouted without authorization, Cummings adds. Police, using license plate tracking technology, were then able to trace the vehicle to Desert Inn Road in Las Vegas and apprehended a 58-year-old suspect, who is now accused of being involved in a larger car theft ring that had allegedly been using fake documents and VIN switching to traffick luxury vehicles.
The suspect has since been charged with two felony counts of possessing and transferring stolen vehicles and is now facing up to 20 years in prison. You can read Cummings’ full report on the situation here.
Bryant, now 32, is a four-time All-Star who was the NL MVP in 2016 and also helped the Chicago Cubs win the World Series that same year. A native of Las Vegas, Bryant has been with the Rockies ever since signing a seven-year, $182 million deal with them in 2022.
Earlier this year, Bryant indicated that he had some regrets about signing with Colorado, who finished at an NL-worst 61-101 in 2024. Now we are learning that Bryant, who was limited to just 37 games due to injury last season, recently experienced another mishap while in the state.
Oct 2, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodger pitcher Walker Buehler during a press conference before a team workout at Dodgers Stadium. Buehler is the National League Divisional game 1 starter against the Washington Nationals. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
Walker Buehler showed during the MLB playoffs that he still has the capability to pitch at a high level, and he is drawing interest from at least one contender as a result.
In an appearance on MLB Network Friday, Jon Morosi reported that the Atlanta Braves are among teams with interest in Buehler. Morosi pointed out that the Braves are somewhat close to home for Buehler, who grew up in Kentucky and played collegiately at Vanderbilt. In addition, the Braves have rotation slots available, as Max Fried and Charlie Morton are both free agents and Spencer Strider is working his way back from elbow surgery.
Morosi also named the Chicago Cubs as a team that could have interest in Buehler.
Buehler evidently does not have to worry about attracting interest on the market. His strong postseason helped cancel out a regular season that saw him post a 5.38 ERA in 16 starts as he was coming back from elbow surgery. His market may also be helped by one somewhat surprising decision the Dodgers made as he was about to hit the market.
Buehler is still just 30 years old and has been a Cy Young contender in the past. Expect the Braves to face ample competition for his services.
Sep 11, 2021; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Nick Saban had the privilege of coaching at one of the best venues in the country during his 17 seasons at Alabama, but the seven-time national champion admits he did not always enjoy it.
LSU head coach Brian Kelly said last week that his team’s matchup against Alabama was so important in part because upwards of 300 recruits and their families would be in Baton Rouge for the game. The Tigers were then embarrassed 42-13 by the Crimson Tide, which was of course a terrible look.
During Friday’s edition of “The Pat McAfee Show,” Saban was asked about the added pressure of playing big games with recruits in town. He said his responsibilities leading up to home games in Tuscaloosa made him strongly prefer playing on the road.
“I was even saying on the way over here how much easier it was to play on the road from my coaching standpoint,” Saban said. “If you had 300 recruits in there, A.J., who talked to those guys while they were there? The coaches had to talk to them. The head coach had to talk to them. So you’re spending so much time on Friday and Saturday recruiting, it takes away from your focus on the game. And then you’re asking a player, ‘Hey man, why don’t you come over and say hi to this recruit.’ So instead of him focused on the game, he’s worried about recruiting. When you play on the road, you don’t have any of that.”
Saban said he also had to meet with Alabama alumni in what was called “Nick at Noon” every Friday before a home game. You can hear his full rantL
Obviously, Saban was able to handle all of the responsibilities. That is why he was so successful and is widely considered to be one of the greatest college coaches in history.
With more success comes more responsibility. The ability to handle events like “Nick at Noon” while also coaching a team is what separates Saban and other great coaches from the rest of the pack, even if they hate that part of the job.
May 23, 2024; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) during organized team activities at Centura Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
The Atlanta Falcons are preparing for Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix this week, and they seem to think they have an abundance of film to work off of.
Falcons safety Jessie Bates had a pretty funny crack about Nix during his media availability this week. Bates joked that players had been watching Nix in college for “ten years,” a crack at the quarterback’s longevity as a college starter at Auburn and Oregon.
“Ten games, usually that’s enough film to really see a quarterback’s strengths or weaknesses or what they like to do,” Bates said when asked about film prep with a rookie quarterback. “It’s not multiple years where we can go back and watch what he does, but it’s almost sometimes a good thing when you don’t have that much. You’re not overthinking what this quarterback is capable of. We’ve been watching him in college for the last five or six years, however long it was, ten years. He’s not a rookie quarterback. Seems like he’s a graduate student, almost.”
Nix was, in fact, a five-year starter in college, though his first season was in 2019. You could be forgiven for thinking it feels like it was much longer than that.
As a rookie, Nix has been solid for the Broncos, with ten touchdowns and six interceptions to go with 1,968 passing yards. He has been working to silence his college doubters, and he is off to an encouraging start.
Dec 12, 2021; Inglewood, California, USA; A detailed view of a New York Giants helmet at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
It appears New York Giants fans are not the only ones who are bitter about the way Saquon Barkley has looked with the Philadelphia Eagles this season.
Barkley had another dominant showing on Thursday night while leading the Eagles to a win over the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa. The star running back finished with 198 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns, both of which came in the second half.
The performance strengthened the argument that the Giants made a mistake when they chose not to re-sign Barkley this offseason. Bleacher Report shared a graphic on social media trolling the G-Men over Barkley’s big game, and one of the people who “liked” the post was Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke.
The Giants are 2-8 and headed in a completely different direction from the 8-2 Eagles. Barkley leads the NFL in rushing with 1,137 yards, but he undoubtedly would not have had the same success had he remained in New York. The Eagles have better players at just about every spot on the field, most notably quarterback and offensive line.
Though Barkley probably would not have made a huge difference for the Giants this season, there had already been signs that players were unhappy with the team over the way the Pro Bowl back’s free agency was handled. Okereke’s social media activity may have been a reflection of that.
Oct 3, 2021; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan walks on the field before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan clearly has no issue with Nick Bosa’s recent displays of support for U.S. president-elect Donald Trump.
Bosa made it obvious leading up to the 2024 presidential election that he is a fan of Trump. That support led to some criticism, but Bosa doubled down during Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when he and his teammates broke out a Trump-inspired sack celebration (video here).
During his weekly appearance on KNBR radio, Shanahan was asked about Bosa’s dance. The 49ers coach confirmed that the shimmy was a nod to Trump, but he said it was actually defensive end Leonard Floyd’s idea.
“That was the Trump dance. I don’t know what the Trump dance is, but it’s supposedly the Trump dance,” Shanahan said. “It was actually Leonard Floyd’s idea and if you watch him, when Bosa got the sack Leonard Floyd started doing it and then Bosa did it. Then (Sam Okuayinonu) did it and then Fred (Warner) came in at the end and did it. Leonard egged them all on and then they followed. It was pretty cool to see.”
Bosa stirred up a controversy two weeks ago when he crashed a postgame interview during NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” to proudly display a “Make America Great Again” hat. Bosa later received a fine for violating an NFL rule that prohibits players from “wearing, displaying, or otherwise conveying personal messages either in writing or illustration” during league events.
Trump defeated Kamala Harris to win the election in a landslide last week. Shanahan’s reaction to Bosa’s dance made it pretty obvious that there are more than a few Trump supporters in the 49ers’ locker room.
Feb 25, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Juan Soto (22) smiles in the dugout against the Toronto Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
The Boston Red Sox appear to have legitimate interest in Juan Soto, and they reportedly made a good impression on the free-agent slugger during a meeting this week.
Soto met with Red Sox executives in Southern California on Thursday, according to a report from Sean McAdam of MassLive.com. Manager Alex Cora and several members of Boston’s front office were present for the meeting, which lasted around three hours.
McAdam was told by sources that Soto was impressed with the Red Sox’s presentation. Soto was shown a video that recapped the franchise’s rich history and plans for the future. The presentation also highlighted the impact players who were born in the Dominican Republic — Soto’s native country — have had in Boston. That list includes MLB legends like Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez.
Soto was also interested in hearing about how committed the Red Sox are to winning, which is something fans have questioned in recent years.
The two sides did not discuss money, so no formal offer was made. Soto might seek a record deal, and the Red Sox are one of a handful of teams with the financial resources to pay a player that kind of money.
Soto hit .288 with 41 home runs, 109 RBI and a .989 OPS with the New York Yankees this season. He was even better in the playoffs, when he batted .327 with 4 homers, 9 RBI and a 1.101 OPS in 14 games. That performance has given him even more leverage heading into free agency.
The Red Sox are not the only Yankees rival that is planning to make a run at Soto.
Apr 22, 2023; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the first half of the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Deion Sanders is having a strong season at Colorado, and that has led to speculation about him potentially leaving for the NFL. But that possibility does not seem to be at the forefront of Sanders’ mind for now.
Reporter Jordan Schultz says that Sanders has not had any official conversations with NFL people about leaving for the pros. Schultz adds that Sanders’ sole focus is on Colorado this season.
Colorado has gone 7-2 this season, which is a big improvement from last year’s 4-8 season. This is the most wins for the Buffaloes since their 10-4 season in 2016.
Would Sanders leave Colorado after just two seasons? There is some thinking that Deion might leave and head to the NFL as a package with his son, Shedeur, who is expected to be one of the first quarterbacks taken in the draft. There have also been some rumors connecting Sanders to one of his former NFL teams, the Cowboys.
Based on how quickly he left Jackson State for Colorado, we know Sanders doesn’t mind short stays at some of his jobs. But whether he would want to leave for the NFL so soon — and whether NFL teams would want him — is a different story.
Aug 19, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) during warmups for the Jets game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
Aaron Rodgers sounds like he intends to continue his playing career next season, but do the New York Jets even want him back? That depends who you ask.
Rodgers, who will turn 41 in December, was asked on Wednesday if his thoughts on playing in 2025 have changed now that the Jets are 3-7 and do not appear all that close to contention. Rodgers indicated that his future plans remain the same as they were months ago.
That has led to the question of whether the Jets still believe Rodgers can lead them to the playoffs. Dianna Russini of The Athletic debated that with Chase Daniel during the latest episode of the duo’s “Scoop City” podcast, which was released on Friday. Daniel said the Jets should move on and that bringing Rodgers back would be another example of “the dysfunction” that exists within the organization.
According to Russini, the Jets feel differently from Daniel and are “planning on having Aaron Rodgers return next year.”
Zack Rosenblatt, another reporter who works for The Athletic, is not so sure. As part of a feature that examines 12 teams that could have new starting quarterbacks next season, Rosenblatt described it as “far from a lock” that Rodgers will be back with the Jets in 2025.
“I’m not even sure I would put it at 50 percent at the moment,” he wrote.
Rodgers is nowhere near as mobile as he was in his prime. His age and the torn Achilles he suffered last season are both factors in that. The former MVP enters Week 11 with 2,258 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.
Rodgers has looked a bit better since the Jets acquired Davante Adams in a trade. Adams remains under contract next season as well, so it is certainly possible New York could bank on Rodgers being better as he gets further removed from his Achilles surgery and has more time to rediscover the chemistry he once had with Adams in Green Bay.
The Jets do not owe Rodgers any guaranteed money in 2025. They would need to pay him a $35 million option bonus plus his $2.5 million salary if they decide to bring him back. Rodgers’ cap hit is $23.5 million, which is very reasonable for a quarterback.
Philadelphia Eagles fans on Thursday night celebrated a big win over one division rival by taunting another.
The Eagles beat the Washington Commanders 26-18 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa., thanks in large part to another monster performance from Saquon Barkley. The star running back finished with 146 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns and added another 52 receiving yards. Barkley was the best player on the field, and it wasn’t particularly close.
As Barkley was interviewed by Amazon after the game, a collection of Eagles fans who were still at the stadium broke into a very loud “thank you, Giants!” chant. Barkley could not help but chuckle.
The Giants, of course, drafted Barkley with the No. 2 overall pick in 2018. Barkley spent the first six years of his career in New York before signing a 3-year, $37.75 million deal with the Eagles this offseason. He said all along that he wanted to remain in New York, but it seemed clear the Giants did not want to give him a big contract.
That did not stop some Giants fans from giving Barkley a hostile reception earlier this season.
Barkley almost certainly would not have had the same type of success with the Giants this season that he has had with Philadelphia, as the Eagles are a far superior team. Still, you can understand why fans in Philly feel grateful that one of their biggest rivals let Barkley go. Barkley now leads the NFL with 1,137 yards with seven games left to play.
