Feb 13, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden (1) during warmups against the Houston Rockets at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
A restaurant owned by James Harden was named in a wrongful death lawsuit filed earlier this week.
Cassaundra Jackson filed the lawsuit against the restaurant, Thirteen by James Harden, alleging that the establishment is partially responsible for a November 2023 car crash that took the life of Jackson’s daughter Taylar Jackson and six other victims.
The suit claims that Christian Daniel Herrera, the man who caused the fatal car crash, got heavily intoxicated at Thirteen before the tragic incident. The suit alleges that Thirteen failed to fulfill its “statutory duty to refrain from providing alcohol to an obnoxiously intoxicated person.”
Herrera allegedly left Thirteen under the heavy influence of alcohol, per court documents. He ran a red light and T-boned another vehicle, killing Taylar Jackson and the six other victims. 25-year-old Herrera was also killed.
Harden’s restaurant later released a statement on the matter to Houston ABC station KTRK.
“We cannot imagine what the family of Taylar Jackson has gone through this past year and offer our deepest sympathies to them and everyone whose lives were deeply impacted by that tragic accident,” the statement read. “We were just made aware of the filing of this lawsuit. We ask for your patience as we gather more information on this filing and will make a more formal statement as soon as possible.”
Among the victims was former NFL cornerback DJ Hayden.
According to the lawsuit, Cassaundra Jackson is seeking $1 million in damages.
Aug 30, 2024; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Maalik Murphy (6) reacts before the start of the game against the Elon Phoenix at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
Top transfer quarterback Maalik Murphy has a visit lined up with an SEC school.
News emerged this week that Murphy would be leaving Duke as a transfer. He is set to visit Auburn on Wednesday. Miami is also said to be a possibility for the former Blue Devils quarterback.
Murphy will have interest from several schools for obvious reasons. He passed for 2,933 yards and 26 touchdowns with 12 interceptions this season, while leading Duke to a 9-3 record.
Prior to transferring to Duke, Murphy played at Texas and passed for 477 yards and 3 touchdowns for the Longhorns. The former top recruit left Texas as a transfer last season and appears to be seeking to maximize his NIL earnings in 2025.
Auburn went 5-7 this season and could use an upgrade at quarterback. They’re likely desperate for improvement after posting four straight losing seasons. Like Auburn, MIami needs a new quarterback as Cam Ward will be heading to the NFL. That should create a nice market for Murphy.
Jun 1965; Unknown location, USA; FILE PHOTO; Cleveland Indians outfielder Rocky Colavito at bat during the 1965 season. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Cleveland baseball legend Rocky Colavito has died.
The Cleveland Guardians shared the news on Tuesday that Colavito has died at the age of 91. Colavito was a beloved figure and a nine-time All-Star who spent eight of his 14 MLB seasons in Cleveland with the Indians.
Colavito started his MLB career with Cleveland in 1955. The team infamously traded the hard-hitting outfielder to the Detroit Tigers right before the 1960 season. The move surprised fans given that Colavito, then just 25 years old, had led the American League in home runs with 42 the year prior.
The Colavito trade and the team’s later misfortunes eventually inspired a 1994 book titled “The Curse of Rocky Colavito” by Terry Pluto. The book argued that Cleveland’s baseball franchise became cursed after it traded Colavito, laying out several instances of bad luck that plagued the team in the decades that followed.
Cleveland reacquired Colavito in a trade before the 1965 campaign. He played three more seasons with the franchise and earned his final two All-Star nods before jumping from team to team at the tail end of his career. He retired in 1968.
In 14 MLB seasons, Colavito had a career batting average of .266 with 374 home runs and 1,159 RBIs.
Brett Favre shows off his Pro Football Hall of Fame ring after receiving it during halftime of the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lambeau Field on October 16, 2016. Credit: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Brett Favre on Tuesday addressed a contentious moment he had with former New York Jets legend Mark Gastineau in 2023.
On Tuesday, ESPN posted a snippet on X that showed Gastineau confronting Favre at a Chicago memorabilia convention last year. During the exchange, Gastineau accused Favre of taking a dive during the latter’s final game of the 2001 NFL season. Gastineau said that he was hurt by the moment.
Favre was famously on the receiving end of the final sack that gave New York Giants icon Michael Strahan the all-time sacks record (22.5) in a single season. The sack pushed Strahan past Gastineau with just a few minutes left in a regular season finale that Favre’s Green Bay Packers already had wrapped up.
The clip went viral enough on social media that Favre felt the need to address it. The three-time MVP posted an eight-part thread on X sharing his side of the story.
In the thread, Favre cleared up that he was “in no way trying to hurt Mark Gastineau.” Favre added that given the game situation, he did not feel the need to make “a bigger effort to avoid the sack.”
Favre did admit that he may have subconsciously been trying to help Strahan. But he also stated that there was never any malice against Gastineau. Favre said that he now understands the financial impact that the play had on Gastineau and laments that the footage was ever released.
ESPN posted the clip to tease a “30 for 30” documentary titled “The New York Sack Exchange” to be released later this week. The documentary chronicles the rise and fall of the Jets’ famous “Sack Exchange,” a vaunted four-man defensive line in the 1980s that included Gastineau.
Aug 14, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a New York Yankees hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the third inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Yankees made a big move on Tuesday when they agreed to a long-term contract with free agent pitcher Max Fried. That is likely the first of many moves to come for the Yankees this offseason, especially after they lost out on Juan Soto. The Yankees will want to improve their offense after missing out on Soto, and they reportedly have interest in Christian Walker.
MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported on Tuesday that the Yankees have Walker as a higher priority than trying to sign fellow free agent first baseman, Pete Alonso. Their interest in Walker makes sense.
Walker will be 34 next season and has had three straight seasons with over an .800 OPS. This past season he batted .251 with an .803 OPS over 130 games. He also has established himself as a top defensive first baseman and has won three straight Gold Gloves.
Walker made $10.9 million last season but figures to have his pay doubled in free agency. At 34, he is likely looking at a short-term deal, but one that will probably pay well.
The Yankees declined their contract option for Anthony Rizzo, which has opened up a spot at first base. After losing Soto, they will probably want to add some offense in the form of players who can get on base and hit for power. It will be even better if Giancarlo Stanton can keep up the form he showed in the postseason.
May 6, 2023; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) looks on against the Tampa Bay Rays during the fifth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aaron Boone on Tuesday shared his honest thoughts on Juan Soto’s departure from the New York Yankees.
On Sunday, Soto signed a record-breaking deal to play for the Yankees’ crosstown rival New York Mets. While the news hurt Yankees fans everywhere, few people were more directly affected than Boone, who lost one of his two best bats in the lineup.
Boone kept things candid with reporters when asked about losing Soto.
“It kind of hurts in the moment,” said Boone, via USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. “But when you live in the business and you live in the sport, again, it is sports. It doesn’t always go your way. It’s now an opportunity for us to … and our expectation is to still go out and build and put together a great team to go compete for a championship again next year. That doesn’t stop.”
There have been a myriad of reports about what possibly swayed Soto to choose the Mets over the Yankees.
One report pointed to Soto’s request for a private suite, which the Yankees reportedly balked at. Another highlighted Soto’s rumored beef with Yankee Stadium security.
But at the end of the day, the Mets just gave Soto a much better offer than the Yankees did. It’s hard to blame Soto for following the money.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (1) walks for the locker room after the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 3 game between the New York Jets and the Cincinnati Bengals at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. Credit: Sam Greene/The Enquirer/USA TODAY NETWORK
Ja’Marr Chase has been putting up some Randy Moss-like numbers in the NFL and has enormous respect for the Hall of Famer. But working out with Moss might not be happening anytime soon.
Chase had 14 catches for 177 yards and 2 touchdowns in his Cincinnati Bengals’ 27-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys. His big game helped him join Moss as the only players with 5,000 yards and 40 touchdowns in their first four NFL seasons.
Chase was told about his accomplishment during a postgame interview with ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt. Chase was amazed to be in the same class as Moss and then shared how the Hall of Famer has wanted to work with him.
“It’s a blessing to be in that same conversation,” Chase said in response. “I always wanted to work out with him. I’ve been a little nervous too because I know he (sic) hard on his son. He’s been trying to get me to work with him for the longest.”
Chase was teammates with Randy’s son Thaddeus Moss on LSU’s national championship team in 2019. Moss had 47 catches for 570 yards and 4 touchdowns that season. But according to Chase, Randy was very hard on his son.
Randy is dealing with a health issue. Maybe once he gets past that, he will have a talk with Chase. Chase does seem to be thriving even without any help from Randy.
Dec 30, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; A Michigan Wolverines football helmet sits on the field prior to the game between the Florida State Seminoles and the Michigan Wolverines at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
The Michigan Wolverines reportedly are close to hiring a new offensive coordinator.
Michigan fired offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell just days after their win over Ohio State. According to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Michigan is expected to hire Chip Lindsey as their next OC.
Lindsey has been the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for North Carolina the last two seasons. The Tar Heels were 20th out of 133 schools in points per game last year and are 36th of 134 schools this season. Though they went 6-6 in the regular season, offense wasn’t really the problem for them, which is why Michigan fans shouldn’t be disappointed. The Tar Heels are also making changes to their coaching staff with Mack Brown being fired.
Lindsey, 50, grew up in Alabama and played college ball at North Alabama from 1992-1993. He has mostly coached in the state of Alabama in both the high school and college ranks. Lindsey served as Troy’s head coach from 2019-2021 and went 15-19 in three seasons. That came after a successful two-year stint as Auburn’s offensive coordinator.
Michigan went 7-5 this season and their 22.2 points per game had them 112th of 134 schools. They need this hire to inspire some confidence in incoming quarterback Bryce Underwood, who is the No. 1 recruit for 2025.
Aug 14, 2022; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The Toronto Blue Jays logo during batting practice against the Cleveland Guardians at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
After getting spurned multiple times on the free agent market, the Toronto Blue Jays are now turning to the trade market for improvements.
Jeff Passan of ESPN reported Tuesday that the Blue Jays are acquiring veteran second baseman Andres Gimenez in a trade with the Cleveland Guardians. The trade ends Gimenez’s time in Cleveland after four seasons.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic adds that the Blue Jays are sending infielder Spencer Horwitz back to the Guardians as part of the return while RHP Nick Sandlin goes to Toronto along with Gimenez.
The lefty-hitting Gimenez, 26, is a three-time Gold Glove Award winner at the second base spot. He was also an AL All-Star for Cleveland in the 2022 season and hit .252 with nine home runs, 63 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases in 152 games last season.
While the Guardians were the AL Central champions in 2024 and went on to make an ALCS appearance, there was incentive for them to trade Gimenez since he is on a backloaded contract that will take him through age 31. But with the Blue Jays finishing last season as a fifth-place team at 74-88, they need to take some swings to improve the roster (especially after their latest free agent whiff).
Toronto did not get much last season out of a ragtag group at second base that included Davis Schneider (a primary outfielder), Horwitz (a primary first baseman), Cavan Biggio (who was designated for assignment in June), and Isiah Kiner-Falefa (who was traded in July). That means that Gimenez should be able to fit like a glove for them.
Sep 4, 2022; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried (54) pitches against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Yankees may have lost out on Juan Soto in free agency, but they are trying to make it up to their fans.
The Yankees and pitcher Max Fried have agreed to an 8-year, $218 million deal in free agency. That is the largest deal ever for a left-handed pitcher. This is also the second time recently that the Yankees have sprung for a left-handed pitcher.
Two years ago, the team signed Carlos Rodon to a 6-year, $162 million deal. Though Rodon struggled with injuries in 2023 and had a 6.85 ERA, he bounced back in 2024 and went 16-9 with a 3.96 ERA. The way Rodon has pitched may have convinced the Yankees that the way to continue building and fighting back is to add another good pitcher — especially a lefty.
Fried has gone 73-36 with a 3.07 ERA in his career, which has all been spent with the Atlanta Braves. The 30-year-old is a two-time All-Star and has made at least 28 starts four times in his career.
The combination of Rodon, Fried and Nestor Cortes will give the Yankees some of the toughest southpaws in MLB. Combine them with Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt, and the Yankees’ rotation should have them contending for a title.
At a time when many teams are afraid to give long-term contracts to pitchers, the Yankees are showing they are not only not afraid to buck the trend, but that they also see it as a path to building a strong team.
