The NFL is getting closer to training camp and then the first preseason games since 2019 will follow. It is also the beginning of a comeback journey for several of the league’s biggest stars.
More than a handful of players will be vying for this year’s NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award. But these five superstars have the best odds to win that piece of hardware.
5. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Cleveland Browns
Unfortunately for Odell Beckham Jr., he’s a regular on “Comeback Player of the Year” lists. Injuries just seem to follow him along with the subsequent, “this is going to be my year” hot take. Eventually, that hope will come to fruition, and OBJ will remind us all why he was once considered the most gifted wide receiver in football. Could 2021 finally be that season? Beckham suffered a torn ACL in Week 7 last year. Because of the timeline, he may not be able to start off the upcoming season at full strength. For that reason, OBJ appears further down on this list than he otherwise would have. Still, don’t put anything past the 28-year-old, whose motivation can not be questioned.
(more…)
Kawhi Leonard is such a quiet person that insights into his personality are illuminating and fascinating. The guy doesn’t talk much, but when he does, he makes it count. Apparently that was the case in 2019.
Leonard helped lead his Toronto Raptors to the NBA championship as they improbably took down the Golden State Warriors. Even more improbable was their comeback win in the Eastern Conference finals against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Raptors fell behind 2-0 in the series before coming back to win four in a row.
After Toronto fell behind 2-0, Kawhi made a specific demand. According to former Raptors assistant coach Phil Handy, the Raptors were preparing to talk about making defensive adjustments. Leonard told them the adjustment would be him guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo, and then Leonard walked out of the room.
Here is Handy telling the story on “All the Smoke.”
That is a tremendous story.
When he wants to be, Leonard is a stone-cold killer. His focus, his ice-cold demeanor, his business approach. The guy gets it done. Now the Clippers need him to live back up to that level of greatness he achieved in 2019.
If you enjoyed that, you will probably also appreciate this Kawhi Leonard story.
Brooks Koepka gets a better greeting when he returns home from golf than most people.
Koepka’s fiancee Jena Sims shared photos on Instagram Thursday as part of an advertisement for her swimwear. She posted her ad with a very cheeky caption.
“How I greet Brooks when he comes home from the course,” she wrote.
That’s not a bad vision to see upon returning from the golf course.
Koepka and Sims have been dating since at least 2017. They recently shared the news that they got engaged. Maybe it was that outfit that did the trick.
Koepka is off to a good start at the US Open. He shot 2-under in the first round, placing him tied for fifth.
The 31-year-old is looking to win his third career US Open.
Former NBA All-Star Andrew Bogut shared a funny tweet on Thursday night about the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks were facing the Brooklyn Nets in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series. Milwaukee was trailing 3-2 in the series and staring down possible elimination.
During the game, Bogut tweeted the following message: “Rick Carlisle sitting @ home with a BKN jersey on cheering his a– off!” (edited for profanity by LBS).
The Bucks ultimately pulled out the game and won 104-89 to tie the series and send it to a Game 7. But the tweet is pretty humorous.
Carlisle on Thursday parted ways with the Dallas Mavericks after coaching them the last 13 seasons. There are already rumors tying him to the Bucks. However, Milwaukee would likely only make a change if they fail to advance in the playoffs. So if the Bucks lose Game 7, look for Milwaukee to get rid of Mike Budenholzer and possibly turn to Carlisle.
James Harden has had absolutely enough with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s free throw routine.
Antetokounmpo has a lengthy routine before attempting free throws. He likes to stare at the basket, take a few deep breaths, and practice his stroke before getting the ball to attempt a shot.
During Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals series on Thursday between the Nets and Bucks in Milwaukee, Harden could not keep his frustration to himself.
Midway through the first quarter, Harden seemed frustrated.
Then later in the first quarter, Harden threw his hands up because he had had enough.
Even some fans were counting aloud over how long Giannis was taking. Players are only supposed to have 10 seconds to attempt a free throw.
Antetokounmpo is pretty widely liked among fans, but the free throw stuff might just force some to turn on him.
Penny Hardaway has only been the head coach at Memphis for three seasons and has not produced standout results. But that is not stopping him from becoming a head coach candidate in the NBA.
Last week, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Penny was receiving interest from NBA teams.
On his podcast this week, FOX Sports college basketball analyst Aaron Torres said that he has heard similar talk. Torres specifically said there is some buzz about Hardaway possibly going to the Magic.
There is history between Hardaway and the Magic that makes sense for him to be a candidate.
The 49-year-old began his career with the Magic and developed into 4-time All-Star in Orlando. Maybe they feel, or he could convince them, that he is right for the job. Hardaway was already able to convince Memphis to hire him, selling them on his grassroots experience and history as a star player there.
Is it a longshot for Penny to be hired? Perhaps, but there are now so many NBA coaching jobs available, teams will have to dig deep for a few hires. Maybe the thought of Penny coaching in the NBA isn’t so much of a reach.
The New York Islanders on Thursday got a chance to host their first game in their semifinal playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Prior to the game, something cool happened.
Nicole Raviv got the assignment of singing the national anthem prior to the game. Early on, she stopped singing and let the fans take over. What resulted was a very moving scene where the fans at Nassau Coliseum sang the national anthem together.
That was beautiful.
For that minute, nobody was arguing about race or politics or masks or coronavirus restrictions. Instead, they all joined in for a beautifully unifying event of singing the national anthem before a sports event.
The country has struggled to return to how life used to be before the pandemic. An event like this — with a packed coliseum and fans singing the national anthem — gives people the comforting feeling of life and freedom finally being back.
A self-titled MLB analyst apologized on Twitter Thursday for spreading cheating allegations on the social media platform a day earlier.
MLB has been dealing with some serious cheating issues the last few years. The Houston Astros were caught cheating in the 2017 playoffs, the year they won the World Series. Recently, the league began cracking down on pitchers using illegal foreign substances.
Apparently frustrated over the cheating matters and what he deemed was MLB’s selective penalization, a baseball-focused stats guy named Ryan Spaeder attempted to address things. He tweeted numerous allegations regarding other teams and players whom he claimed have cheated the last few years. His allegations went back as far as 2015.
On Thursday, apparently feeling the heat from the rumors, Spaeder decided to apologize. He deleted the rumors he spread a day earlier. He said sharing the rumors had turned his life “upside down” and that he regretted everything.
Spaeder is a stats-oriented baseball guy who hosts a podcast and has served as a guest for numerous outlets. He provided no serious proof though and just spread rumors based on whatever limited sourcing he had.
There is a reason why very few outlets publicized Spaeder’s allegations. There are supposed to be journalistic standards before publishing consequential and damaging information. Some of the rumors Spaeder spread were very serious. He is now learning that being involved in such reporting comes with significant consequences.
Baker Mayfield is under contract with the Cleveland Browns through next season, but there have not yet been any extension talks between the two parties. However, that could soon change.
The Akron Beacon Journal’s Nate Ulrich reported on Wednesday that contract extension talks between the parties could begin in or around training camp, or even early in the season.
Mayfield is completing the final season of his four-year rookie contract and making $5.1 million this season — a bargain for a quality starting quarterback. In April, the Browns picked up Mayfield’s 5th-year option, which would be for $18.8 million in 2022.
Mayfield says he is not worrying about it now because he is focused on his play.
“I’m in no rush because I’m just trying to win games,” Mayfield said.
Both sides have consistently said they are not in a rush to work things out long-term. However, Cleveland’s owner implied they wanted to sign Mayfield to an extension.
Browns fans! It’s Baker’s team in Cleveland. This Cleveland Bakers shirt is a perfect gift for you or a friend. You can buy it here.
It’s safe to say the Chicago Bears’ potential move to the suburbs has not gone down well with the city’s mayor.
The Bears confirmed Thursday that they have submitted a bid to purchase the Arlington International Racecourse property in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights. The land has long been mentioned as the potential site of a new stadium if the team decides to move from Soldier Field, which is the oldest stadium in the NFL, having opened in 1924.
In response to the bid and the Bears’ possible move to the suburbs from the city itself, Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot issued a statement that did not hold back. She dismissed the bid as a “negotiating tactic” and “noise.” Lightfoot, who described herself as a season ticket holder, then went straight for the jugular.
“Like most Bears fans, we want the organization to focus on putting a winning team on the field, beating the Packers finally and being relevant past October,” Lightfoot said in her statement.
Ouch. That’s actually pretty rough considering the Bears have made the playoffs in two of the last three seasons, even though they lost in the Wild Card round both times. She has a point about the Packers though, as the Bears are just 4-22 against their rivals in their last 26 meetings.
One thing is clear: big changes could be in store for the Bears in the coming years. That may cause some bumps in the road, but if their franchise quarterback turns out to be as good as the initial feedback makes him sound, the team will probably be okay no matter where they play their home games.
