Paul Pierce calls out NBA analyst for questionable take on Jayson Tatum
Paul Pierce on Tuesday stuck up for fellow Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum.
Pierce and the rest of FS1’s “Speak” panel were discussing the Celtics’ Game 1 West semifinals loss to the New York Knicks. Tatum tied Jaylen Brown with a team-high 23 points in the 108-105 overtime defeat. But he went 1/9 combined in the fourth quarter and OT.
NBA analyst Ric Bucher criticized Tatum’s poor performance, even going so far as to question the Celtics star’s dependability as a go-to scorer when the stakes are elevated.
“I don’t see him as a pure scorer,” said Bucher. “I think he can score. I think what he does is he looks what the Celtics are doing and he can contribute in a multitude of ways. … But if I’m trusting him to be my go-to scorer, that scares me.”
.@RicBucher: Jayson Tatum isn't a pure scorer. pic.twitter.com/vLJwdKCy5I
— Speak (@SpeakOnFS1) May 6, 2025
Pierce pushed back a little during the show, but later clowned Bucher in a post on social media.
“This guy doesn’t know ball lol,” wrote Pierce in reference to Bucher.
This guy doesn’t know Ball lol https://t.co/4gOUNZIUmC
— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) May 7, 2025
Tatum has averaged at least 26 points per game in each of the last five seasons. He was also the Celtics’ leading postseason scorer during their 2024 NBA Championship run. The man has shown his ability to score both during the regular season and on the grandest stage.
Tatum was not the only player who underperformed in Game 1 against the Knicks. The entire Celtics team shot so poorly that they set an ignominious playoff record in the loss.
Warriors provide troubling first injury update on Steph Curry
The Golden State Warriors may need to power through without Steph Curry for at least one game.
Curry hurt his hamstring in the first half of the second-round series opener between the Warriors and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn. The Golden State star looked hobbled as he walked up the floor during a possession three minutes into the second quarter.
The two-time MVP fought through the pain to score a floater at the 8:48 mark before immediately requesting to be subbed out of the contest. Curry did not return and was later ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said Curry was “day-to-day” and that the point guard was “crushed” that he was unable to return to the floor in Game 1. Kerr confirmed that Golden State is operating under the assumption that Curry will not be available for Thursday’s Game 2.
“We’re definitely game-planning for him to not be available on Thursday,” said Kerr. “We don’t know yet, but with the hamstring, it’s hard to imagine that he would play Thursday.”
Curry left the game with 13 points on 5/9 shooting across 13 minutes. He walked out of Target Center with a noticeable limp.
Despite missing Curry, the Warriors held on for a 99-88 win over the Timberwolves as the home team went ice-cold from three-point range. Minnesota made just five of their 29 attempts (17.2%) from distance.
Tyrese Haliburton did banned celebration after his Game 2 game-winner
Tyrese Haliburton should expect a fine from the NBA soon. But the Indiana Pacers star sounds more than willing to pay it after his postseason heroics on Tuesday.
Haliburton sank the game-winning three-pointer to steal a Game 2 win for the Pacers in their Eastern Conference semifinal matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The All-Star guard secured the rebound on his own missed free throw, stepped outside the arc, and drained the go-ahead triple with a hand in his face (video here).
After the big shot, Haliburton walked toward the center circle and did the infamous “Big Balls” dance as the crowd stayed silent at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
Tyrese Haliburton with the big balls celly pic.twitter.com/k7jSTyUryK
— Caleb Williams Fan Club (@CalebFC18) May 7, 2025
The obscene celebration made famous by three-time NBA champion Sam Cassell has been banned by the NBA for over a decade. Players who use it typically receive a fine upwards of $15,000.
Based on a quote from his postgame press conference, Haliburton has no regrets about breaking the NBA rule.
“I’ve been waiting for that,” Haliburton said when asked about the celebration. “I was waiting for that, man. It was just right in the moment. … I’ll take that fine, gladly.”
Haliburton finished with a relatively meager stat line of 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. He was completely outplayed by Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, who carried his team with 48 points.
But for the second time this postseason, Haliburton outshined an opposing star in crunch time.
White Sox lose game after comical 9th-inning blooper
The Chicago White Sox continue to be the masters of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
Chicago on Tuesday lost to the Kansas City Royals for their 26th defeat of the year. During the bottom of the ninth inning at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., the White Sox had a 3-2 lead. Royals pinch-hitter Mark Canha earned a leadoff walk, and teammate Drew Waters followed that up with an easy pop-fly hit to the right side of the infield.
Unfortunately, it was far from easy for White Sox second baseman Chase Meidroth. After managing to get under the ball, Meidroth failed spectacularly to make the catch, and the ball ended up glancing off his glove and hitting him right on the top of the head instead. Canha was then able to advance to second base after a throw by White Sox right fielder Michael Taylor, who retrieved the errant ball, sailed high.
Here is the video.
It was all downhill from there for the White Sox. Royals catcher Freddy Fermin would then produce a bunt single off a sacrifice attempt, Jonathan India followed two batters later with an infield single of his own to tie the game, and Bobby Witt Jr. finally won it for Kansas City with a walkoff base hit.
Meidroth, a 23-year-old rookie who was just called up last month, certainly picked a bad time to pull a Jose Canseco. He did not even have the infield fly rule to save him since there was only one runner on base at the time.
The White Sox are once again in the cellar of the AL Central this season at 10-26 (.278). While that is at least marginally better than their historically awful 2024 season in which they went 41-121 (.253), Chicago stays inventing bizarre new ways to lose games.
Buddy Hield had wardrobe malfunction to start Warriors-Timberwolves Game 2
Buddy Hield committed a miscue even before Tuesday’s series opener tipped off between the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Hield was in the Warriors’ starting lineup in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn. It took all of 59 seconds for Hield to get whistled for an unusual delay of game.
The Timberwolves’ bench tipped off the referees that Hield was wearing the wrong pair of shorts. The Warriors’ bench was forced to burn an early timeout to allow Buddy to change his bottoms in the locker room.
Buddy Hield started the game in the wrong shorts, so he had to run back to the locker room and change 😅 pic.twitter.com/8AxoDdBkLK
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 7, 2025
The momentary distraction may have thrown Hield off his game. The Warriors sharpshooter shot 0/7 from the field in the first half. Even more unusual was how none of his attempts were from beyond the arc, where he usually takes most of his attempts.
Hield played hero for Golden State during the team’s do-or-die Game 7 against the Houston Rockets in the first round. The 32-year-old erupted for 33 points in the contest to go along with nine three-pointers, which gave him enough confidence to talk trash to Jimmy Butler.
But the Warriors have much more to be worried about than Hield’s wardrobe errors. Superstar Steph Curry left Tuesday’s game early with a concerning hamstring injury.
Anthony Edwards gets meme treatment for horrific first half in Game 1
Anthony Edwards was looking more like Anthony Edwards the “ER” actor on Tuesday night.
The Minnesota Timberwolves star Edwards had a nightmare first half during Game 1 of his team’s second-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors. Playing at home at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn., Edwards scored zero points in the first quarter and then just one point in the second quarter.
He went into halftime shooting 0/8 from the field (including 0/3 from deep) and 1/2 from the free throw line. As a team, the Timberwolves also scored just 31 points (their lowest in a single half all season) and trailed the Warriors 44-31 at the break (in spite of Steph Curry exiting for good early in the second quarter due to a hamstring injury).
Users on X certainly did not have any sympathy for Edwards’ complete no-show in the first half. They hit him with a deluge of cruel memes. Check it out below.
The three-time NBA All-Star Edwards averaged a career-high 27.6 points per game during the regular season and 26.8 points per game during Minnesota’s first-round victory over the Los Angeles Lakers (including a 43-point outing in Game 4). That made his disappearing act in Game 1 against the Warriors all the more shocking.
Edwards was clearly looking forward to this playoff matchup against Golden State, a chance that he had been hoping to get for years. But his opening act to start things off on Tuesday could not have gone any worse.
Steph Curry knocked out of Game 1 with hamstring injury
The Golden State Warriors’ championship hopes may be in some deep trouble.
Warriors star Steph Curry suffered a hamstring injury during Game 1 of his team’s second-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn. In the second quarter of the contest, Curry came up hobbled on a defensive possession and was seen grabbing at his left hamstring area. He tried to make it through another couple of possessions but then ultimately had to ask for a sub.
Take a look at the video clip.
Curry was then ruled out for the remainder of the game just minutes later. The Warriors announced that he had suffered a “left hamstring strain.”
The former NBA MVP Curry finished with 13 points on 5/9 shooting (including three triples) in 13 minutes of play. With Curry’s exit coming with over eight minutes still left in the second quarter, the Warriors (who were up by double digits at the time) had a lot of game remaining to try to hold off the Timberwolves.
In the second-round series, the Warriors and the Timberwolves will effectively be playing every other day (with the exception of an unusual four-day gap between Games 5 and 6 of the series, if necessary). Thus, a hamstring strain is very bad news for Curry, especially considering how much running and cutting he does to get open on every single possession. That said, the Warriors have already won shorthanded before this postseason, and now they will likely need to do so again.
Extent of injuries suffered by fan who fell at PNC Park revealed
Kavan Markwood predictably suffered some serious injuries during his fall at PNC Park last week, but he at least appears to be making good progress in his recovery.
Jennifer Phillips, who is the organizer of a GoFundMe page that was set up for Markwood, provided an update this week on the 20-year-old (who fell more than 20 feet from an outfield wall during a Pittsburgh Pirates-Chicago Cubs game on Apr. 30). Phillips posted that Markwood suffered “a broken neck, clavicle, and back” as a result of the fall. However, Markwood has already progressed to taking his first steps ever since the fall.
“Kav took his first steps today!” Phillips wrote. “It’s a slow slow process, but seeing him up and moving was a huge win and definitely lifted everyone’s spirits.
“He still has a long way to go—he’s dealing with a broken neck, clavicle, and back so there are plenty of obstacles ahead,” Phillips added about Markwood. “But he’s showing real strength, and we’re staying hopeful for a smooth recovery. This will also require plenty of rest and following instructions from the great doctors, nurses and staff at the hospital.”
Markwood, who remains at Allegheny General Hospital, was sitting in the front row atop the Clemente Wall in right field at PNC Park, which stands 21 feet tall. As Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen hit a two-RBI double in the seventh inning, Markwood leapt to his feet and tumbled over a three-foot guard rail down to the dirt warning track below. A viral video also captured the exact moment that Markwood fell.
In the days following the fall, Markwood was revealed to be a former college football player. The previous update that we heard on Markwood’s status was also encouraging, especially in light of the major injuries that we now know he suffered in the fall.
Tyrese Haliburton sticks dagger into Cavaliers with wild Game 2 buzzer-beater
Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday snatched victory from deep within the jaws of defeat.
The Pacers trailed the Cleveland Cavaliers 119-116 with under 30 seconds left in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavs, who had possession coming out of a timeout, were still firmly in control at that point.
But a bad inbounds pass from Max Strus was picked off easily by Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard. Haliburton took charge and drove hard to the basket to draw a shooting foul with 12.1 seconds left. The All-Star guard made the first free throw to cut the deficit to two but was short on the second attempt.
Haliburton grabbed his own miss, took the ball back out to the three point line, then sucked the life out of the arena with a game-winning triple as time expired.
TYRESE HALIBURTON WINS GAME 2 FOR THE PACERS 😱🤯
— NBA (@NBA) May 7, 2025
WHAT. A. WILD. PLAY. pic.twitter.com/rFsjZmtrBz
The Pacers led by as many as 20 points on two separate occasions. They looked down and out after Donovan Mitchell sank two free throws to put the Cavaliers up 119-112 with 57 seconds to play. But somehow, Indiana overcame Mitchell’s 48-point night and a massive deficit to take a commanding 2-0 lead against the East’s top seed.
After stealing Game 1 on the road, Indiana would have still been in great shape with a split heading into Game 3. But Haliburton went for the jugular on Tuesday night, just like he did against the Indiana Pacers last week. One can only imagine the reaction Tyrese’s dad, John Haliburton, must have had watching from his couch at home.
Donovan Mitchell shut down crowd’s anti-Tyrese Haliburton chant in Game 2
Donovan Mitchell wanted the home fans to keep it classy during Tuesday’s playoff game.
Mitchell’s Cleveland Cavaliers faced Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers during Game 2 of their second-round playoff series at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. In the second quarter of the contest, Haliburton stepped up to the free throw line for two shots and was targeted by Cavaliers fans in the arena with a cold chant. They chanted “OVERRATED!” at Haliburton.
Mitchell was not with it though and quickly shut down the chant while Haliburton was still at the line. The Cavaliers star Mitchell could be seen waving his hands in a downward motion to try to quiet the crowd.
Here is the video.
The Rocket Arena crowd was obviously referencing how the two-time All-Star Haliburton was voted as the most overrated player in the league earlier this season in a poll of his fellow NBA players. Many Pacers figures have since expressed sharp disapproval of the poll, and Haliburton himself referenced the poll after Indiana won their first-round playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks. “Overrate THAT,” Haliburton wrote on X.
But in Tuesday’s Game 2, Mitchell either did not want Haliburton to have any fuel or he felt that the Cavaliers were doing a good enough job of performing without having to resort to troll jobs. Mitchell put up a game-high 21 points by halftime as Cleveland (playing without key players Evan Mobley, De’Andre Hunter, and Darius Garland) took a double-digit lead into the break.
Draymond Green criticizes ‘sucka’ Dillon Brooks
Draymond Green was critical of Dillon Brooks after eliminating his team from the playoffs.
Green’s Golden State Warriors beat Brooks’ Houston Rockets 103-89 in Game 7 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series on Sunday. The Warriors won on the road in Houston to eliminate the Rockets from the playoffs.
A day after his win, Green discussed the series during his “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis.” Green was critical of Brooks in an episode that was published on Monday. Green was annoyed that Brooks didn’t shake hands with his opponents after Game 7 and thought it reflected poorly upon the Rockets pest.
“Dillon Brooks ran off the court. So when I say you see what guys is (sic) made of, he ran off the court. Ain’t shake nobody up. You admitted that you was (sic) trying to hurt Steph’s hand,” Green said.
“So if you gonna be on that type of time. Wear shades in the press conference. You gonna be talking, you gonna be mister big bad wolf, don’t lose and then not face the music. Don’t be that guy. … You lose a lot of respect for guys in that moment.”
Green believes that Brooks has lost the respect of his colleagues.
“You a sucka, man,” Green said of Brooks. “When guys lose respect for you in this league, it don’t matter and it’s gonna catch you in the end.”
"Dillon Brooks ran off the court… but that's who Dillon Brooks is, you know what I'm saying? You a sucka."@Money23Green GOES OFF on Brooks for how he acted after the Rockets lost Game 7 to the Warriors pic.twitter.com/YYNAhuR5Oj
— The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis (@DraymondShow) May 6, 2025
Green calling out an opponent for unsportsmanlike conduct is awfully ironic considering his history. But it’s never a bad look for someone to talk as much trash as Brooks did and then not be a stand-up player after losing. Of course, Brooks is almost as notorious for dirty conduct as Green. They’re a good match.
Tyrese Haliburton suffers apparent wrist injury in Game 2
Tyrese Haliburton appeared to hurt his left wrist early in Game 2 of the Indiana Pacers’ Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Haliburton tried to box out a couple of Cavaliers players early in the first quarter Tuesday at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The 25-year-old got tangled up with Cavs center Jarrett Allen and immediately clutched his left wrist.
Tyrese Haliburton is hurt on his left hand, and grabs it (with a replay). He decides to play through the pain. pic.twitter.com/cJROR5tkYT
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) May 6, 2025
The Pacers All-Star held onto his wrist over several possessions as team medical staff tried to assess whether or not to take him out. Haliburton played through the pain and was able to close out the first half. He tallied eight points, three rebounds, and an assist at the break as the Pacers trailed the Cavaliers 61-50.
Haliburton has been excellent in just his second taste of the postseason. He has averaged 18.3 points and a league-best 11.8 assists through his first six games of the 2025 NBA playoffs. Tyrese has so far answered his doubters after his peers voted him the NBA’s most overrated player.
While Haliburton was able to play through the wrist injury, it’s something to monitor during what’s expected to be a hard-fought series.
Photo of Gregg Popovich with Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan gets perfect meme
A great photo of Gregg Popovich with Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan has received a fitting meme.
Popovich spoke with the media on Monday to announce that he is moving into a front office role with the San Antonio Spurs. Mitch Johnson is taking over as the team’s head coach and is no longer working in an interim capacity.
When Popovich made his announcement, he had Ginobili and Duncan by his side. His former players had helped him walk to the podium, and then later helped him exit the room. The photo of them walking together looked just like a meme from the Ninja Turtles that showed the turtles walking alongside their elder leader Shredder.
— Guin (@yoitsguin) May 5, 2025
Shredder was called “master” by the Ninja Turtles. Popovich holds a similar role for the Spurs — he was the master and leader for all those great players. He helped them win five championships and made them a dynasty that spread to two decades. His players clearly love him and have immense respect for him, and they show that with the way they care for him.
Popovich is now sliding into a role as the “jefe” of the Spurs following a 29-season run as the team’s head coach. The 76-year-old is transitioning roles due to health problems that have slowed him down. He suffered a stroke in November and dealt with a medical emergency in mid-April.
Draymond Green takes swipe at Alperen Sengun after playoff series
Draymond Green has another European big man whom he may not be too fond of.
Speaking this week on the latest episode of his self-titled podcast for The Volume, the Golden State Warriors star Green spoke on his team’s recently-concluded first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets (which the lower-seeded Warriors won in seven games). During his remarks, Green got in a shot at Rockets center Alperen Sengun (though he tried to cover it up with some light praise for Sengun).
Green specifically zeroed in on Sengun’s on-court antics during the series. The former Defensive Player of the Year Green believes Sengun did a little too much flopping (but added that he respected Sengun otherwise).
“Got a lot of respect for him,” said Green of Sengun. “You know, I’ve played against a lot of guys. I always tell people that in playoff series one of two things happen: Either you completely lose respect for someone or you gain a lot of respect for someone … You get to see who is really real. So Sengun is real. He ain’t back down at all.
“[But] what I would say to Sengun — flop a little less. Embellish a little less,” Green continued. “Because with a defender like me. Imma feed off that. He real, he physical, he ain’t backing down … A lot of respect for him.”
You can see the full video of Green’s comments here.
As Golden State’s de facto starting center during the Rockets series, Green drew Sengun as his primary defensive matchup. While the Warriors ultimately won in seven, Sengun still managed to put up 20.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game during his first-ever NBA postseason (including a ruthless poster dunk on Green himself along the way).
While the praise from Green for Sengun was nice, he still could not make it through the podcast without getting in a dig. But at least Green’s tone here was a lot more conciliatory than he historically has been with the big man that he will be matched up with during the Warriors’ next playoff series.
Joe Burrow, model Olivia Ponton trying to avoid questions about them dating
Joe Burrow and Olivia Ponton are working hard to avoid any questions about them dating.
Ponton was filmed outside a MetGala event on Monday night and asked by a reporter if she was dating Burrow. The model kept a smile on her face but would not answer the question.
If #OliviaPonton and #JoeBurrow are, in fact, dating, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model isn't kissing and telling 👀 Full story: https://t.co/nvVJKgMcpe (🎥: Backgrid) pic.twitter.com/15qArayTPC
— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) May 6, 2025
Burrow was also filmed walking out of a party bus in Miami Beach recently. Ponton was one of several other people who exited the bus, but she came out last. It seemed like an effort to avoid being seen as being together.
Of course, rumors about Ponton and Burrow dating go back to December. Ponton was at Burrow’s home when it was burglarized while the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback was playing in a game. The person who reported the burglary said Ponton worked for Burrow.
Ponton has modeled for SI’s Swimsuit Edition. She has nearly 3 million followers on Instagram.
Warriors owner makes clear statement about Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler has been everything the Golden State Warriors could have hoped for and more since the team acquired him from the Miami Heat at the trade deadline. That success means owner Joe Lacob is taking something of a victory lap.
Lacob admitted that there were concerns about Butler’s fit with the Warriors prior to the February trade that sent the veteran to Golden State. After the Warriors’ Game 7 win over Houston on Sunday, Lacob said all those worries were gone now.
“Yeah, there were (concerns about Butler),” Lacob said, via Sam Amick of The Athletic. “But you do your analysis, you make your choices, and, yeah, it was a little bit of a risk. But we’ve got to take risks in this life. And he’s worth every freaking penny. That’s all I can say. He’s fantastic.”
The Warriors gave Butler a lot of pennies after landing him, but they clearly have no complaints so far. The team went 23-8 with him on the roster down the stretch, and held on to see off Houston, buoyed in part by Butler’s attitude. He also contributed 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists in Golden State’s Game 7 win.
Butler will face a bigger test starting Tuesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he will not be greeted warmly. The Warriors seem to have no concerns about whether he will rise to the occasion.
NBA insider shares rumor about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s trade wishlist
The Milwaukee Bucks’ early exit from the NBA Playoffs has sparked speculation about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with the organization. That speculation has grown to include a list of potential teams Antetokounmpo might be interested in playing for if he pushed for a trade.
In an appearance on “The Zach Lowe Show,” Howard Beck of The Ringer shared some speculation he had heard about which teams Antetokounmpo might have the most interest in if he were to be dealt. The list is essentially composed of the standard large-market franchises, including the New York Knicks and both the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers.
“Does Giannis ask out? If he does, does he have a list? I poked around a little bit a few days ago, and the initial thing I got from one person was just like some rumblings that it’s already just the big cities,” Beck said. “One of the LA teams or one of the New York teams or maybe Miami, not a big market, but a glamour market, mid-size market. I think they threw Chicago in there. I can’t remember if Houston came up. It should.”
Beck pointed out that the Bucks are not under any obligation to honor a specific request if Antetokounmpo did make one. There is also no guarantee that Antetokounmpo will ask for a trade to begin with, and he has previously said he cannot envision asking for a trade.
With the Bucks floundering a bit, some teams will probably try to test the resolve of both Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. At least one surprising team may be thinking along those lines, but the Bucks are not going to be eager to make a move if Antetokounmpo is not going to rock the boat.
Shedeur Sanders’ camp not happy with his Browns jersey number
A notable member of Shedeur Sanders’ entourage is not happy with the Cleveland Browns’ decision on Sanders’ jersey number.
The Browns announced Tuesday that Sanders will wear No. 12, at least initially, after being drafted in the fifth round. Sanders wore No. 2 in college, but that number was instead handed to veteran wide receiver DeAndre Carter, who signed a one-year deal with the Browns in March.
numbers for our vet newcomers and one big change for a returning DB pic.twitter.com/TSYViArz7m
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 6, 2025
That decision did not sit well with Boogie Knight, a member of Sanders’ media team who frequently travels with and films the quarterback. In a since-deleted post on Instagram, Knight said there was “no way” Sanders should not have received No. 2, but that Sanders’ camp “knew it was coming.”
“There’s no way Cleveland Browns should have gave #2 to anyone else. Especially to a WR who haven’t worn #2 before in his career,” Knight wrote. “But we knew that was coming, so we ain’t flinching about it. It was expected. Take it, smile, then MAKE IT LEGENDARY!”
Boogie Knight, a close member of #Browns QB Shedeur Sanders’ media team, voiced frustration on Instagram over the Browns giving jersey No. 2 to another player. This story has since been deleted. pic.twitter.com/eCLHyE2m7P
— Brad Stainbrook (@StainbrookNFL) May 6, 2025
It is true that Carter has not worn No. 2 before in his career. On the other hand, he is also a seven-year NFL veteran who has been a regular return man in addition to a depth receiver. That puts him ahead of a quarterback who ultimately was just selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft.
Some NFL rookies do put a lot of significance on their jersey number, but Sanders might have had a better chance of getting No. 2 had he gone earlier in the draft. Even though Sanders himself is not the one publicly complaining here, this is the sort of drama that may have prompted some teams to back away from him in the draft.
Sanders may eventually get No. 2 anyway, especially if he proves to be a success. For now, he would probably be best served telling his inner circle to keep quiet and get to work instead of publicly complaining about something like this.
Raiders GM details Tom Brady’s involvement with team
Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek offered some details about how involved Tom Brady is with the franchise.
Brady’s involvement in his role as minority owner of the Raiders was detailed in a new profile of his relationship with Spytek from Dan Pompei of The Athletic. The story states that Brady largely contributes to the Raiders remotely, but is in the loop on every decision the Raiders make.
Brady typically approves of decisions with a simple message: “Cool, babe, trust you.”
Notably, Brady gave his stamp of approval to the Raiders’ decision to select quarterback Cam Miller in the sixth round of the NFL draft.
“He liked the way he threw it, his technique, throwing from the ground up and his motion,” Spytek said of Brady’s reaction. “And he thought he had the potential to improve.”
Brady may not be calling all the shots in the Raider organization, but he does appear to be signing off on them. His role has raised questions as it relates to his FOX job, but the NFL is comfortable with the arrangement.
Brady and Spytek were former teammates at Michigan, and Brady was behind his recent hiring as GM. Even if the former quarterback is not making all the decisions, he is clearly working with someone he trusts as an extension of himself.
Jim Knowles reveals why he left Ohio State for Penn State
Jim Knowles made a surprising move and left Ohio State to become the defensive coordinator at Penn State just days after leading the Buckeyes to the national championship. Now we know why he made the move to the Nittany Lions.
Knowles spoke with ESPN for a lengthy column published on Tuesday regarding his move to Penn State. The defensive coordinator told them he left Ohio State because he was disappointed by the timing of a contract extension offer he received from the Buckeyes.
Knowles says he was hoping to receive an offer from Ohio State prior to the team’s national championship game against Notre Dame, but he did not receive one. So after the team won the national championship, Knowles put himself on the market and called Penn State to see if they were interested in him. Ohio State made a bid to keep him, but Knowles took the higher-paying offer from Penn State.
The Nittany Lions gave Knowles $3.1 million per year, which makes him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football. Ohio State’s offer was apparently competitive but for less money.
Knowles says he took a lot of heat after the Buckeyes lost 32-31 to Oregon for the team’s first loss of the season. He says matters were rough after the team lost to rival Michigan for the fourth straight year. The team winning the national championship helped make up for the previous two disappointing defeats, but he noted that the fan reaction following the losses was not easy to deal with.
Much like Ohio State, Penn State reached the College Football Playoff last season. The Nittany Lions finished 13-3 for their third straight double-digit win season.
