Jun 11, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder Juan Soto (22) stands in the dugout during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo is not pleased that reports and rumors about Juan Soto leaked just before the All-Star Game.
In an appearance on “The Junkies” on 106.7 The Fan Wednesday, Rizzo denied that either he or the Nationals’ front office had been behind the leak of the contractual terms Soto rejected. Rizzo added that the leak hurt the team, both in terms of its relationship with Soto and for trade deadline leverage.
While it doesn’t really matter who leaked the Soto contract, it’s certainly an interesting subplot. The team did not really have any reason to do so. Considering how upset Soto was by the reports, it seems unlikely that anyone extremely close to him would have done it either.
As for the trade deadline, the Nationals are fortunate that they have Soto under team control for two more seasons after this one. That allows them to set a firm asking price and stick to it with more minimal risk.
Dec 4, 2021; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Big 10 commissioner Kevin Warren during the Michigan Wolverines game against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Conference championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The Big Ten’s unexpected expansion into the Pac-12 was certainly a major moment for the future of the NCAA. However, few believe the conference is done expanding if the conditions are right.
The Big Ten is casting a wide net as it considers further expansion, with six schools on the league’s radar, according to Brett McMurphy of The Action Network. Oregon, Washington, Stanford, California, Miami, and Florida State are at least being looked at by the conference as possible expansion candidates.
Ultimately, the biggest Big Ten ambition may be Notre Dame more than any of the other listed schools. With pre-existing rivalries with some Big Ten schools, they would be a huge addition, though any potential union may be out of the Big Ten’s hands.
One thing that is abundantly clear is that the Big Ten is not done expanding. The only question is whether they can find suitable additions, but it certainly feels inevitable that more schools will be joining the league.
The newest uniforms for Notre Dame football’s Shamrock Series have been unveiled, and the Fighting Irish really went all-out for the big announcement this time.
Notre Dame’s Shamrock Series is an annual tradition where the team plays in a unique venue and wears alternate uniforms. This year, the Irish are facing BYU on Oct. 8 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. For many people, the first movie that comes to mind when they think of Vegas is “The Hangover.” Notre Dame created an elaborate spoof of one of the famous scenes of that comedy classic.
The video stars Mike Golic and Mike Golic Jr., both Notre Dame alumni, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman and star players Isaiah Foskey and Michael Mayer.
You can tell a lot of effort went into that. Notre Dame did a nice job leading up to the announcement, too. They made a couple of subtle references to “The Hangover” with tweets on Tuesday, but very few people saw the spoof coming.
The Shamrock Series is a big recruiting tool for Notre Dame, and they do not take it lightly. It is going to be a challenge for them to live up to this year’s work in future seasons.
Albert Pujols got an assist from umpire Laz Diaz on Tuesday night.
Pujols was batting in the top of the third inning of his St. Louis Cardinals’ 10-3 loss to Toronto. Pujols had runners on first and second with two outs. Facing a 0-2 pitch, Pujols noticed that the chain he wears around his neck had broken. The Cardinals designated hitter gave his chain to Diaz to hold while he took his at-bat.
Pujols ended up hitting an RBI single to tie the game at three. Maybe he knew he had some positive mojo with the umpire in his back pocket. Or maybe Pujols was just trying to butter up Diaz to avoid Brendan Donovan’s fate.
Pujols went 1-for-3 with an RBI single and walk while batting clean up.
Mar 2, 2022; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Matt Corral (2) during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Matt Corral shared an interesting comment this week about his time in college at Ole Miss.
Corral played at Ole Miss from 2018-2021 before entering the NFL Draft earlier this year. He originally was committed to USC and then Florida before switching to Ole Miss.
Now, Corral is a third-round pick of the Carolina Panthers and facing competition at quarterback. He will be competing with Sam Darnold and the recently-acquired Baker Mayfield for the starting job.
In discussing the quarterback competition in Carolina, Corral said he is comfortable with the situation. He even lamented choosing Ole Miss for college rather than going to a school with tougher competition at quarterback.
“I took the easy way out because I felt I could play right away,” Corral said of his decision to go to Ole Miss, via the Charlotte Observer. “Knowing what I know now and trusting my instincts and trusting my work ethic, I would have went to a place that would have made me compete.”
USC or Florida may have given Corral the tougher competition. But he wound up doing just fine at Ole Miss, where he had one of the best seasons in school history. He helped elevate the Rebels against tough competition.
Maybe Corral didn’t test himself in college as much as he could have. But he’s ready for the competition now.
H/T SI
Dec 15, 2018; Denver, CO, USA; Former Denver Broncos player Peyton Manning before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Broncos Stadium at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Peyton Manning did not become a Hall of Fame player by accident. His dedication to football was matched by very few, which helps explain why he became one of the all-time greats. One of his former teammates recently shared just how much film Manning watched as part of the quarterback’s preparation for games and opponents.
Pat McAfee talked on his show Tuesday about the Kyler Murray “independent study” contract clause. McAfee said he was alarmed that the Arizona Cardinals contractually obligated Murray to study film.
Then McAfee compared Murray’s situation to Manning, with whom McAfee was teammates on the Indianapolis Colts. McAfee shared just how much film Manning told the punter he watches.
“I remember getting into a [conversation] with him like, ‘How much you watch?’ He dove into it. ‘Gotta watch every game the other team has played; every snap they played; every practice clip from your week of practice; every game you guys have played that plays against a similar defense that they’re playing; every single third-down situation broke up into there; red zone; every first down operation.’ I think he went threw it all and he was like ‘probably 20 hours of film a week?’ He said he couldn’t even put a number on it,” McAfee recalled.
McAfee’s story illustrates just how much Manning was obsessed with film study. Peyton’s preparation showed in his results.
Murray has put together a couple of Pro Bowl seasons since being drafted No. 1 overall by Arizona in 2019. But one has to wonder whether he is maximizing his potential or underachieving.
H/T Indy Star
Nov 14, 2021; Inglewood, California, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) sets to throw a pass in the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The Minnesota Vikings hired a new general manager in Kwesi Adofo-Mensah this offseason, and his recent comments about quarterback Kirk Cousins might not instill much confidence in Vikings fans.
The Vikings had an 8-9 record in 2021 and just missed out on a playoff spot, but they have plenty of talent returning on both sides of the ball.
Speaking to Jori Epstein of USA Today Sports in an article published on Friday, Adofo-Mensah did not seem too confident in his decision to retain Cousins.
“I’ll be frank,” Adofo-Mensah said. “The one asset where you get nervous about not burning it down is quarterback.”
While the Minnesota GM believes that Cousins is a “good quarterback,” especially after a 4,221-yard, 33-touchdown season in 2021, he acknowledged that Cousins is no Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes.
“(The Super Bowl) is more likely to win if you have that quarterback,” Adofo-Mensah said. “It’s very unlikely to have that quarterback.”
Cousins may not be as good as some of the seven active NFL quarterbacks who have won a Super Bowl (like Brady, Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson or Matthew Stafford), but aside from Deshaun Watson there were not many available upgrades at the position this offseason. A June report did link the Vikings to a former first-round draft pick, but he likely would not have been much of an upgrade if one at all.
Compared to some of the game’s top passers, the Cousin’s stats last season were solid. The 33-year-old finished with the ninth-most passing yards in the NFL, ahead of Rodgers, Wilson and Kyler Murray. Cousins also had the ninth-most touchdown passes, which bested Wilson, Murray and Derek Carr.
Perhaps a new offensive-minded head coach in Kevin O’Connell, who seems excited to work with his new quarterback, will help bring Cousin’s game to the elite level that Adofo-Mensah seeks.
H/T Pro Football Talk
Joseph Maiorana-USA Today Sports
A Jacksonville Jaguars player offered a telling quote Tuesday about Urban Meyer.
When Meyer left the world of college football to take an NFL head coach job, many wondered how he would handle the transition to coaching professional players. They also wondered how he would handle a league where losing was much more commonplace.
We quickly learned that Meyer did not handle either part very well. Comments from Jags linebacker Josh Allen help cement that point.
Allen spoke from Jags training camp on Tuesday morning and was asked for the difference between Meyer and new Jags head coach Doug Pederson. Allen’s answer was quite telling.
“It’s a professional locker room. It’s a professional setting. He’s talking to us like grown men,” Allen said of Pederson.
Well, that helps answer things.
Meyer was used to coaching college kids his entire life. Apparently he didn’t adjust the way he handles players when dealing with pros, and the difference showed.
Maybe the curiousity of trying out the NFL got the best of Meyer. Maybe it was all the money he was offered that captivated him. But going to the NFL turned out to be a pretty bad move for his career.
Urb needs to head back to college to leave a better impression. If Scott Frost continues to falter, Nebraska would be a great program for him to revive.
H/T Barstool Sports
Jul 27, 2021; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette (7) at AdventHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Any worries about Leonard Fournette’s weight gain this offseason can reportedly be put to rest for now.
Buccaneers reporter Rick Stroud shared last week that the former first-round pick had supposedly ballooned to around 260 pounds. That was concerning given that Tampa Bay listed Fournette at 228 pounds last season.
But Fournette seems to have gotten his weight under control. According to Pro Football Focus’ Doug Kyed, Fournette weighed in at 245 pounds after reporting to camp on Tuesday.
“#Buccaneers RB Leonard Fournette was back down to 245 pounds when he reported to camp today, per source,” Kyed tweeted. “Veteran RB is back in shape. Crisis averted.”
Fournette’s response to the criticism of his reported weight gain made it seem like he was not too concerned about his ability to slim down.
The 27-year-old sent out a series of cryptic tweets, including one on Saturday with a photo of Fournette’s head photoshopped onto the body of an overweight man wearing a suit and tie.
While 245 pounds might still be a bit too heavy, going through training camp in the Tampa, Fla. heat might help Fournette shed a few more pounds.
Fournette rushed for 812 yards and eight touchdowns on 180 carries last season.
Diamondbacks Draft Druw Jones, right, shakes hands with Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder Alek Thomas (5), left, after throwing the opening pitch before the game against the Washington Nationals at Chase Field on Saturday, July 23, 2022, in Phoenix. Mandatory Credit: Antranik Tavitian/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Druw Jones with the second overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft in mid-July, but the team may not get to see Jones play for the rest of the year.
The Athletic’s Zach Buchanan reported on Tuesday that Jones injured his shoulder during his first batting practice with Arizona on Monday.
According to Buchanan, Jones has already undergone medical imaging on his injured shoulder and may not play for the remainder of 2022. Jones will meet with an orthopedic surgeon on Wednesday to determine the next steps. The need for surgery has yet to be determined. Buchanan also said that the injury is not expected to hamper Jones’ development.
Druw Jones, the son of five-time All-Star center fielder Andruw Jones, signed a slot-value bonus of $8.185 million with the Diamondbacks last week. That amount was near what No. 1 overall pick Jackson Holliday received.
Jones, who was committed to Vanderbilt, had a successful final high school season. The 18-year-old tweeted in May that he had hit .570 with 13 home runs, and had stolen 32 bases. He also went 10-1 as a pitcher.
