Details emerge regarding Lawrence Taylor’s health issue
New details have emerged regarding the health issue that put legendary New York Giants pass rusher Lawrence Taylor in the hospital last week.
Taylor is receiving treatment for pancreatitis, according to TMZ. The 67-year-old remains hospitalized as of Tuesday, but has been showing steady improvement. The condition was never considered life-threatening, and there is hope that he will be discharged in the near future.
While he did not confirm the diagnosis, Taylor’s agent Mark Lepselter suggested that the NFL legend is making progress.
“Lawrence is getting better every day and is looking forward to getting back on his feet,” Lepselter told TMZ.
Taylor was hospitalized in New Jersey last Friday for what was said to be a medical emergency. He was initially admitted to the emergency room before being transferred to a different part of the hospital.
Taylor is widely regarded as the best defensive player in NFL history. He officially had 132.5 career sacks, and is one of just two defensive players to ever win Most Valuable Player honors.
Even Carnell Tate was surprised to go 4th overall to Titans
The Tennessee Titans caught a lot of people off guard by selecting Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate with the No. 4 pick in the NFL Draft. It turns out Tate himself was one of those people.
Bleacher Report shared a behind-the-scenes video from the first round of the draft, and it included Tate’s Ohio State teammate Sonny Styles reacting after the wide receiver got drafted. Evidently, Tate and Styles had chatted about possible landing spots, because Styles admitted that Tate had not even been thinking about possibly landing with the Titans.
“He wasn’t even thinking about the Titans,” Styles said.
Sonny Styles said Carnell Tate "wasn't thinking about the Titans" before getting drafted pic.twitter.com/ok8deusWjM
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 28, 2026
To be clear, Styles was pleased for his teammate, and felt the Titans were “a good spot for him” given their relative lack of offensive weapons around young quarterback Cam Ward.
Still, many felt that Tate was probably a top-10 pick, not necessarily top-5. That clearly didn’t bother the Titans, and the wide receiver will not be seen as the only reach of the night, either.
Younghoe Koo’s horrific botched field goal accidentally saved a fan’s life
Younghoe Koo turned in the worst field goal attempt of the 2025 NFL season. In doing so, he accidentally played a role in saving a fan’s life.
Mark Toothaker, a thoroughbred trainer from Lexington, Ky., was watching “Monday Night Football” on Dec. 1, 2025 when Koo infamously whiffed on a field goal try during the New York Giants’ 33-15 loss to the New England Patriots. Toothaker laughed so hard at the kick attempt that he had a seizure, which he compared to being “electrocuted.”
A CT scan revealed that the 59-year-old had a tumor the size of a tennis ball on the left side of his brain, though he had not displayed any symptoms. It was surgically removed and found to be benign.
Toothaker thinks Koo helped save his life, because the seizure could have happened at another time when it would have been more dangerous to himself or others.
“(The) kicker saved my life because it could’ve happened any other time,” Toothaker told Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press. “I wholeheartedly believe I was in the right spot at the right time, and he was the trigger for that happening. It was a miracle.”
Toothaker said he would love to take Koo to the Kentucky Derby, but the kicker did not respond to the AP’s requests for comment. Considering he lost his job after the kick, it’s probably not necessarily something he is looking to relive.
Koo has let to land a new kicking job since the Giants released him. Presumably, he will keep himself ready for whenever an NFL team inevitably needs to bring in a veteran kicker for a short-term fix.
Reason for Ravens’ decision to sign Diego Pavia has been revealed
Diego Pavia did not even have to wait until the Baltimore Ravens’ rookie minicamp to secure a contract with the team, and now we know why.
The Ravens surprisingly signed Pavia to a three-year deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The move was unexpected, as Pavia had been slated for a tryout this weekend.
Ravens are signing former Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia to a three-year deal, per source. Pavia was supposed to try out this weekend, but the Ravens signed him in advance. pic.twitter.com/UfDEabnXo4
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 28, 2026
The decision to sign Pavia should not be taken as a sign that he has secured a future with the organization, however. ESPN’s Jamison Hensley reported that the Ravens opted to sign Pavia after signing UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano, who also went undrafted. The Ravens want to ensure that both Pavia and Fagnano are on equal footing heading into minicamp.
Pavia and Fagnano are essentially getting the first crack at the team’s No. 3 quarterback job. The Ravens had the available roster spots to use on both, and may ultimately wind up keeping both, one, or even neither of them.
Pavia, 24, was a Heisman finalist and an SEC Offensive Player of the Year winner in 2025 after throwing for 3,539 yards and 29 touchdowns at Vanderbilt (plus adding 862 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground). With real questions over his height and arm strength, Pavia was ultimately not selected in the NFL Draft this week, and there do not appear to be very high expectations for how his tryout will go.
Magic may be without key player for crucial Game 5
The Orlando Magic may have to win shorthanded in Wednesday’s Game 5 if they want to close out the Detroit Pistons.
Franz Wagner, who left Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal in the third quarter with a calf issue, has been diagnosed with a right calf strain, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. His availability will depend on how the injury responds to treatment between now and Wednesday.
Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner has been diagnosed with a right calf strain and his availability for Game 5 against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday is uncertain and will depend on response to treatment, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/C1xWoqVrsl
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 28, 2026
Wagner has been essential to the 3-1 series lead the Magic have built. He scored 19 points in Game 4 before departing, and he essentially acted as the closer in Game 3 to hold off a late Detroit rally.
Only Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane have averaged more points per game in the series so far than Wagner has.
The Magic have outplayed the top-seeded Pistons through the first four games of the series, and they will want to close out the favorite as quickly as possible. Plus, Wagner has some playoff demons he would like to do away with.
Terry Rozier hit with new charge in gambling investigation
Former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier is facing a new charge in relation to his alleged gambling.
Federal prosecutors intend to accuse Rozier of soliciting and accepting a bribe, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. The indictment will essentially argue that Rozier accepted a bribe relating to sports betting, and that the NBA and the Charlotte Hornets were victims of that scheme.
Rozier’s attorney said he was informed of the new charges two hours before Monday’s hearing.
Rozier was initially accused of wire fraud for allegedly telling a friend he would leave a March 2023 game early. The friend then shared that information to allow gamblers to profit by betting on Rozier’s playing time. The new indictment may allege that Rozier essentially took a bribe to divulge that information and profit off it.
The claim that the NBA counts as a victim is an interesting one, since there were reports that the league worked with Rozier to sweep the incident under the rug when it initially happened.
Rozier is one of several high-profile figures indicted by federal prosecutors as part of an investigation into NBA-related gambling schemes. Another individual indicted in the scheme decided to plead guilty recently.
Dianna Russini appeared to make Spotify playlist for Mike Vrabel
Another clue has emerged regarding the relationship between former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini and New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel.
David Covucci of FOIAball discovered what appears to be a Spotify playlist Russini made for Vrabel in December of 2022. The playlist, titled “TURNIN THE PAGE,” was shared with a user named Mike on December 19, 2022, which coincided with a four-game losing streak for the Tennessee Titans, the team Vrabel was coaching at the time.
Dianna Russini made a Spotify playlist called "TURNIN THE PAGE" that she shared with a user named "Mike" on December 19, 2022.
— David Covucci (@DavidCovucci) April 27, 2026
Which just so happens to coincide with a four-game Titans losing streak pic.twitter.com/IkIdwLUPHi
The 15-song playlist included several of Vrabel’s favorite songs. An article from 2023 noted that Vrabel’s favorite songs were played during practice on his birthday, and those songs appear on the playlist.
Thanks to Jared, this was the 8/14/2023 Titans training camp playlist highlights. Mentioned is Guns N Roses (dancing to Welcome to The Jungle), Styx’s Renegade, Def Leppard, and Mötley Crüe.
— Chase Snyder (@ChasingSnyder) April 28, 2026
On the Russini/“Mike” playlist created in December 2022, all of those were added. https://t.co/3olO4u3Jav pic.twitter.com/1eDz3CnFhH
Russini’s Spotify account has since been scrubbed. The Mike in question changed his Spotify name to “Tycar,” which just happens to be a mashup of Vrabel’s sons’ names.
if i was trying to cover my tracks here, i would not rename my spotify account to a mashup of my two sons names https://t.co/5njPkCP0nl pic.twitter.com/YAdnHJp3Hg
— David Covucci (@DavidCovucci) April 28, 2026
The relationship between Vrabel and Russini has been scrutinized since photos were published of the two seemingly being affectionate at an Arizona resort in March. More photos have since emerged dating all the way back to March 2020.
Both Russini and Vrabel have publicly denied that there was anything inappropriate about their relationship. Despite those denials, Vrabel said he was seeking counseling for his family’s benefit, and missed the third day of the NFL Draft in order to attend.
Alex Cora already turned down an MLB manager job
Former Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora turned down the opportunity to get back into Major League Baseball almost immediately.
The Philadelphia Phillies fired manager Rob Thomson on Tuesday, making him the second managerial casualty of the season. Speculation quickly turned to Cora as a possible replacement given his ties to Phillies president Dave Dombrowski, who worked with him in Boston.
That apparently will not be happening. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Cora was quickly offered the Phillies job but declined, preferring to spend more time with his family.
Alex Cora was offered the Philadelphia Phillies' managerial job before Don Mattingly, but declined.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) April 28, 2026
He has decided to spend time with his family.
Don Mattingly was named interim manager of the Phillies, and it appears he will continue in that role for a while.
The Red Sox still owe Cora roughly $12 million, so he will be getting a substantial payday even if he does not work. That may have factored into his thinking. There is also the realistic thought that taking over a 9-19 Phillies team just wasn’t all that enticing, and he would be better served by waiting for other opportunities instead of taking the first one that comes his way.
Cora was fired on Saturday with the Red Sox off to a 10-17 start. Red Sox players were openly displeased with that decision, a clear signal of how well-respected Cora is despite the poor start.
Angel Reese appears to take a shot at her ex-boyfriend Jalen Duren
Angel Reese is back at it again.
The Atlanta Dream star has another reason to celebrate after the Orlando Magic defeated the Detroit Pistons on Monday, 94-88, at Kia Center in Orlando, Fla., to take a 3-1 series lead in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
It hasn’t been a secret that Reese is cheering for the Magic to pull off a playoff upset against Detroit. After all, Magic big man Wendell Carter Jr. is her boyfriend.
But Carter isn’t the only figure in the series with a romantic link to Reese.
Playing for the Pistons is her ex-boyfriend, Jalen Duren, who is not having a great series, to say the least.
It got worse for Duren on Monday, when he got put on the poster by Magic backup forward Jamal Cain in the fourth quarter.
JAMAL CAIN ATTACKS THE RIM AND THROWS IT DOWN💥
— NBA (@NBA) April 28, 2026
A BIG-TIME POSTER JAM IN GAME 4! pic.twitter.com/oGxTm1uRpb
After the game, Reese shared the Magic’s Instagram post highlighting the team’s Game 5 win. The clip opened with Cain’s dunk over Duren, meaning anyone viewing Reese’s story would see that posterization first.
Angel Reese on IG 😅 pic.twitter.com/VJeAOdzC9N
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 28, 2026
For what it’s worth, Carter outplayed Duren in Game 5, scoring 12 points and grabbing 11 boards to go with 4 assists and 2 blocks. Duren, on the other hand, had 12 points with 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block.
It’s hard to ascertain whether Reese shared that with the intent of making Duren’s day worse, but it’s clear that she’s happy that the Magic are just a win away from eliminating the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed.
Browns rookie had an emotional reaction to seeing his NFL jersey
Cleveland Browns rookie offensive lineman Spencer Fano will experience a lot of firsts in his rookie season in the NFL.
He already had one of those, not long after the Browns took him ninth overall in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Browns shared a video of Fano walking into the team’s locker room and seeing his No. 55 Cleveland jersey for the first time.
The former Utah Utes star thought about his grandfather as he savored the emotional moment.
“I just wish my grandpa was here to see his name on a jersey,” Fano said.
He also provided a bit of history about his choice of number.
“My brother wore five when I was in Little League, and I was a running back all growing up. And then right when I got too big to play running back, I said, ‘I’ll do two fives now,” Fano explained.
Here’s the video of that entire moment.
a moment Spencer will remember forever pic.twitter.com/qy7xHNVgaW
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) April 26, 2026
Now that he’s made it to the NFL and seen his jersey, Fano’s focus will be on making a strong impression for the Browns. He has a chance of becoming a Week 1 starter, and that will largely depend on his showing in training camp.
Many view 6-foot-5 and 311-pound Fano as an athletic freak, having run a 4.91 on the 40-yard dash and reaching 32 inches in the vertical jump at the NFL Combine. It will be up to him and the Browns to translate those physical gifts into on-field success.
Anze Kopitar had the most adorable reaction to life after his final NHL game
Even after his final NHL game, Anze Kopitar still has plenty to look forward to.
The Los Angeles Kings star is now ready to be a full-time dad to his two kids, daughter Neza and son Jakob.
Kopitar’s playing career ended when the Kings suffered a 5-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday in Game 4 of a first-round series at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Cali.
The Kings were sent home packing by the Avs via a series sweep, and while Kopitar will not be returning for another season, he’ll have his hands full taking care of Neza and Jakob.
“I think they’re extremely happy because now they get their dad for themselves,” the 38-year-old Kopitar said in his final postgame press conference with his kids beside him.”
Kopitar then discussed the challenges he faced as a parent during his NHL career as he looks to be fully present for his kids.
“They’ve been 11 years, 9 years with a so-called part time dad and now they get that full time,” Kopitar added.
“I think they’re extremely happy because now they get dad for themselves.” 🥹
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 27, 2026
Anze Kopitar speaks on what’s next after playing his final NHL game. pic.twitter.com/Thujbpu1yo
Kopitar may be less visible to Kings fans going forward, but they will always remember his huge role in helping the team win two Stanley Cup titles in 2012 and 2014.
The two-time Frank J. Selke Trophy winner exits the NHL with career totals of 452 goals and 864 assists in 1,521 games, all with the Kings.
Yankees announce a major Giancarlo Stanton injury development
Giancarlo Stanton will miss more time after the New York Yankees made the decision to place the slugger on the 10-day injured list.
The Yankees made the move on Stanton after an MRI showed a “low-grade” calf strain, via Greg Joyce of the New York Post.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone tried to allay fears about the severity of Stanton’s injury, as he implied that the former National League Most Valuable Player
“Doesn’t look too serious, but enough to not want to wait a couple more days,” Boone said of Stanton following the Yankees’ 4-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Monday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. “So we’ll see what we have as the week unfolds.”
Stanton injured his calf in last Friday’s game against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, and has not appeared in a game since. The Yankees initially tried to let the injury heal to avoid an IL stint, but ultimately decided to place him on the injured list.
The Yankees recalled Jasson Dominguez before the Rangers game, and he served as the team’s designated hitter in lieu of Stanton. Dominguez went 1-for-4 with a strikeout against Texas.
Before tweaking his calf, the 36-year-old Stanton was hitting .256/.302/.422 with 3 home runs and 14 RBIs across 24 games and 96 plate appearances.
Mike Conley Jr. reveals his message to Jaden McDaniels amid hostile atmosphere
Jaden McDaniels isn’t exactly a fan favorite in Mile High City.
The Minnesota Timberwolves forward has become a public enemy in the eyes of Denver Nuggets fans after he belittled the defensive abilities of Nuggets players following his team’s 119-114 win in Game 2 of the first-round series at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo. Then in Game 4 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn., he nearly sparked a brawl late in the contest when he went for a meaningless layup.
After winning Games 3 and 4 at Target Center, McDaniels and the Timberwolves looked to eliminate the Nuggets on Tuesday at Ball Arena but lost 125-113. McDaniels was relentlessly booed by the Denver crowd, but veteran Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr. knew exactly what to say to lift his teammate’s spirits amid the hostile environment.
“I told him as much hate as you’re getting tonight, it’s gonna be about 100 times more love for you when you go back to Minnesota. So just know that,” Conley said, via podcaster Dane Moore.
Mike Conley when asked what he said to Jaden McDaniels during the game when he was getting booed.
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) April 28, 2026
"I told him as much hate as you're getting tonight, it's gonna be about 100 times more love for you when you go back to Minnesota. So just know that." pic.twitter.com/PQZg42Mcpr
McDaniels likely expected the treatment he would receive from Nuggets fans heading into Game 5, and it may have affected him. He finished with 13 points on 5/11 shooting, which are good numbers, but also had five turnovers and was tied with Rudy Gobert for a game-worst minus-25 plus/minus.
Jaden McDaniels and the Timberwolves will look to have the last laugh on Wednesday, when they return to Target Center for Game 6.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sets the record straight on Dillon Brooks’ reputation
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sees beyond the villainous aura of Dillon Brooks.
After Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder completed a first-round sweep of the Phoenix Suns with a 131-122 win on Monday at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz., the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player gave Brooks his flowers despite the Suns forward’s image in the league.
“A great guy, no matter what people say about him. He’s a really good guy when you get to know him,” Gilgeous-Alexander said about his Team Canada teammate during the postgame press conference.
“All that villain stuff, it doesn’t faze me. I know exactly who Dillon is. He had a hell of a series. Keep getting better, I’m proud of him,” added Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 31 points on 10/17 shooting in Game 4 of the series.
Shai on Dillon:
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) April 28, 2026
"A great guy no matter what people say about him he's a really good guy when you get to know him. All that villain stuff it doesn't faze me. I know exactly who Dillon is. He had a hell of a series. Keep getting better I'm proud of him" pic.twitter.com/MIlF3jR4Fx
Brooks has built a reputation as a pest in the NBA. He’s mixed it up with several players, including LeBron James. His ways continued in Game 4, where he was slapped with a technical foul after fouling Gilgeous-Alexander and going at it with Thunder big man Isaiah Hartenstein.
But Brooks also stands out for his ability to deliver on offense. Many on-court agitators in the league don’t average 26.0 points per game in a playoff series, which is what Brooks put up against the Thunder.
Orlando Magic players appear to do a drug-themed handshake before game
The Orlando Magic are definitely acting different right now.
Orlando went viral before Monday’s Game 4 against the Detroit Pistons at Kia Center in Orlando, Fla. for their unusual pregame embrace. Magic teammates Noah Penda and Goga Bitadze were shown on television in the tunnel doing what appeared to be a drug-themed handshake.
As part of the elaborate routine, Bitadze put out his palm, and Penda appeared to simulate cutting up and snorting an imaginary line of cocaine from it. Here is the video.
Noah Penda and Goga Bitadze’s handshake is wild
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 28, 2026
(via @jkylemann) pic.twitter.com/IIgRtfzeUj
Whatever that handshake was, it appeared to be good luck for the No. 8 seed Magic. They went on to defeat the No. 1 seed Pistons by a final score of 94-88 to take a surprise 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series.
Penda, who did not even play at all on Monday, and Bitadze, who had two points and six rebounds in 13 minutes off the bench, are two fairly obscure players. Bitadze in particular is probably only known by the casual fan due to his heated feud with Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic earlier in the season.
But Penda and Bitadze definitely put themselves on the map in Game 4 with that unorthodox pregame handshake. The Magic have become somewhat infamous for that this postseason as Orlando teammates Desmond Bane and Tristan da Silva also did a similarly questionable “handshake” earlier on in the series.
2 Lakers players get fined for criticizing the referees
Two Los Angeles Lakers players are now feeling the wrath of the league office.
The NBA announced on Monday that Lakers guards Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard have been fined. Smart is being fined $35,000 for “questioning the integrity of the game officials,” and Kennard is being fined $20,000 for “directing inappropriate language towards game officials.”
Smart was seen on the television broadcast yelling at referee James Williams after the Lakers’ Game 4 loss to the Houston Rockets on Sunday at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas (by a final score of 115-96). It appears that Kennard was also saying something in the direction of the officiating crew within the same clip.
Marcus Smart was letting official James Williams HEAR IT postgame pic.twitter.com/F1TQsWtfsu
— LakersMuse (@LALMuse) April 27, 2026
For context, the Lakers were not pleased with the performance of the Williams-led crew during Sunday’s game. Lakers center Deandre Ayton was ejected after being given a questionable flagrant 2 foul for an elbow to Rockets counterpart Alperen Sengun in the third quarter.
AYTONpic.twitter.com/xMNBVu22lW
— (@MindOfBron) April 27, 2026
Additionally, Williams went on to eject Lakers forward Adou Thiero (along with Rockets guard Aaron Holiday) for an incident during a fourth-quarter box-out. It did not appear that Theiro did much other than standing there and saying a word or two to Holiday.
Aaron Holiday bumps into Adou Thiero in the paint, they keep talking to each other, and they both get ejected from the game, in garbage time (with replays) pic.twitter.com/7CfdGber54
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) April 27, 2026
The Lakers are still in total control of the first-round series as they take a 3-1 lead into Game 5 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif. on Wednesday. But complaints about the officiating have been commonplace for the Lakers this season, especially for Smart who already got fined by the NBA earlier in the year for flipping off the referees during a game.
Chiefs sign the son of a former NFL MVP
The Kansas City Chiefs are adding a player with a famous (albeit common) last name.
Kansas City has signed running back EJ Smith as an undrafted free agent. Smith’s former school, Texas A&M, made the announcement in a post over the weekend.
Adding an Aggie to Chiefs Kingdom.
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) April 26, 2026
EJ Smith has signed as an undrafted free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs.@ejsmith_22 | @Chiefs pic.twitter.com/nOvNtoYOai
Smith, 23, is notably the son of all-time running back legend Emmitt Smith. Emmitt, now 56, was a three-time Super Bowl champion, an eight-time Pro Bowler, and the NFL MVP in 1993. He also still holds the league’s all-time records for both career rushing yards (18,355) and career rushing touchdowns (164).
As for EJ, he played out the last two seasons at Texas A&M after transferring from Stanford. EJ rushed for 205 yards and four touchdowns over 12 games last season as a sixth-year senior.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs are a bit weak at the running back position after losing Isiah Pacheco in free agency to the Detroit Lions last month. While they did sign reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III to replace Pacheco, Emari Demercado and the unproven duo of Brashard Smith and rookie Emmett Johnson are the only other RBs on the depth chart.
Once a four-star recruit, EJ was getting college scholarship offers from a young age. Now the Hall of Famer’s son will officially be getting a look in the NFL from Andy Reid and the Chiefs.
Phil Jackson shares his 1 suggestion for improving the NBA
Phil Jackson is respawning this week with a suggestion for how to improve the modern NBA.
The legendary Hall of Fame coach Jackson posted his first message to X in more than a year on Monday. In his post, Jackson reacted to some comments from Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, Jackson’s former Chicago Bulls player, on the NBA potentially eliminating the three-point line.
Jackson put his own twist on Kerr’s remarks and revealed that he had already been pitching an idea to the NBA for well over a decade now. Essentially, Jackson wants to create a uniform three-point line.
“15 years I’ve been asking the NBA rules committee to widen the court apron,” the 11-time NBA champion head coach Jackson wrote. “Corner shot b-comes 23.9 [feet].”
15 years I’ve been asking the NBA rules committee to widen the court apron. Corner shot b-comes 23.9”
— Phil Jackson (@PhilJackson11) April 27, 2026
The NBA three-point line above the break already sits at 23.9 feet from the basket. However, the corner three-point line is just 22 feet away from the basket, creating an inefficiency that today’s perimeter-oriented offenses have been more than happy to exploit.
Of course, Jackson’s suggestion would involve widening the width of the entire court and doing away with at least a row or two of expensive courtside seating (giving the NBA a major financial disincentive to take Jackson’s advice). But it is always good to hear from The Zen Master Jackson, who last coached in 2011 and is now 80 years old. The last that we heard of Jackson on social media, meanwhile, came last year when he ripped the NBA for supposedly disrespecting sacred holidays.
Report: Angel Stadium is dealing with a rodent infestation
The baseball is not the only revolting thing about the Los Angeles Angels this season.
The team’s home ballpark, Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif., is dealing with an infestation of rodents. Edward Lewis of The California Post reported on Monday that health officials shut down a concession area at View Level 432 in the stadium on Apr. 22 after a discovery of “rodent droppings.”
Lewis notes that the routine inspection by Orange County Public Health Services revealed vermin excrement in five different locations. Additionally, a “hole greater than 1/4 inch on the ceiling” for rodents to potentially pass though was allegedly discovered by inspectors.
“[We] take great pride in delivering a high-quality fan experience at Angel Stadium, including maintaining the cleanliness of our nearly 160 concession locations,” the Angels said in a statement to The California Post. “After receiving guidance from the health department, we acted promptly with our concession partner to resolve the issue at the single stand and expect it to pass inspection and reopen in time for the upcoming homestand.”
Nicknamed “The Big A,” Angel Stadium has been the home of the Angels ever since it opened back in 1966. But under current owner Arte Moreno, who took over the team in 2003, the stadium has faced criticism for a number of various structural issues (including an embarrassing leak that was discovered last year).
Meanwhile, the Angels, who have the longest-active playoff drought in Major League Baseball, are in the middle of another losing season. They now sit at 12-17 on the year after losing six of their last seven games and (after their current roadtrip) will get to go home to a stadium that is dealing with an infestation of rodents.
Chargers player makes ‘starving’ admission ahead Year 3 with Jim Harbaugh
The Los Angeles Chargers are hoping for a playoff win in 2026, and defensive lineman Teair Tart is not holding back on that matter.
Tart, who signed a new three-year, $30 million deal this offseason, admitted the team is “starving” after two straight 11-win seasons that ended in first-round playoff exits.
“I think we’re starving,” Tart said, via Eric Smith of Chargers.com.
The Chargers finished with 11 wins in each of the first two seasons with Jim Harbaugh as the head coach. In the 2025 playoffs, the Chargers lost to the Houston Texans 32-12. This past postseason, LA fell to the New England Patriots 16-3.
Following another quick exit, LA moved on from offensive coordinator Greg Roman and hired Mike McDaniel. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter took the head coach job with the Baltimore Ravens, and Chris O’Leary returned to LA to be the new DC.
So, there have been a lot of changes to the coaching staff in LA, and the Chargers also re-signed veteran pass rusher Khalil Mack, added former Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell, and reunited Dolphins fullback Alec Ingold with McDaniel.
The Chargers were also active in the NFL Draft and turned five picks into eight, including several offensive linemen and Miami Hurricanes pass rusher Akheem Mesidor.
Whether or not it will work is another question, but Tart feels this team is starving for some playoff success in 2026.
