Giants players were not thrilled with Dodger fans taking over Oracle Park
San Francisco Giants players voiced some frustration over the amount of Los Angeles Dodgers fans in attendance for Friday’s game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Ca.
A large contingent of Dodgers fans got into Friday’s game and made themselves heard, largely on the same side of the field as the Dodger dugout. They could be clearly heard in particular when Shohei Ohtani homered into McCovey Cove in the third inning.
MUST SEE: This angle of Shohei Ohtani's home run is pure cinema 😳 pic.twitter.com/mYcnXnZtjk
— MLB (@MLB) July 12, 2025
Two Giants players sounded off on that after the game. Pitcher Logan Webb admitted there had been a “great atmosphere” in the stadium, but that there had been “probably a little too many Dodger fans in the stands.” Shortstop Willy Adames went further.
“Not gonna lie, I feel like we had too many Dodgers fans today. Maybe tomorrow we get more San Francisco fans,” Adames said.
"Probably a little too many Dodger fans in the stands."
— KNBR (@KNBR) July 12, 2025
"Not gonna lie I feel like we had to many Dodger fans here. Maybe tomorrow we get more San Francisco fans."
Logan Webb and Willy Adames didn't like seeing Dodger fans take over Oracle Park tonight. pic.twitter.com/YehPxOIrWf
San Francisco is far from the only stadium that gets invaded by Dodger fans from time to time. It is a bit more bitter for Giants fans, since this is a long-standing rivalry.
The Giants did hold on to win the game 8-7, handing the Dodgers a seventh consecutive loss. Their fans can take plenty of solace in that.
Controversial former All-Pro announces his retirement from NFL
A controversial former NFL star is ready to hang up his helmet.
In an emotional post to his X page on Saturday, five-time All-Pro defender Ndamukong Suh announced that he is retiring from the NFL. Suh revealed that his father passed away exactly one year ago to the day and added that he was now honoring his father’s wish for him to “let football go.”
Here is Suh’s full post announcing his retirement.
July 12, 2024 was the hardest day of my life.
— Ndamukong Suh (@NdamukongSuh) July 12, 2025
It’s the day I said goodbye to my father, the man who raised me, shaped me, challenged me, and believed in me before I believed in myself.
He wasn’t just a dad. He was my idol, my coach, and my anchor.
He taught me what it meant to… pic.twitter.com/WkefQaDrsQ
For better or for worse, Suh, now 38, was one of the better-known NFL names of his generation. After going with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft to the Detroit Lions, Suh went on to play 13 career seasons (with the Lions, the Miami Dolphins, the Los Angeles Rams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Philadelphia Eagles). Suh made five Pro Bowl teams as well as five All-Pro teams and also won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay during the 2020 NFL season.
But Suh also became notorious because of his long history of dirty plays on the field, especially against quarterbacks. Over the years, Suh kicked opposing QBs in the head, grabbed others by the throat, and regularly targeted some of the biggest names in the game. He once notably stomped on Aaron Rodgers and later went on to swat Patrick Mahomes in the head. Suh was regularly named by his fellow players as the dirtiest player in the NFL and drew countless fines and suspensions from the league over his roughshod style of play.
Still, Suh’s resume ultimately speaks for itself. Having not actually played in an NFL game since the 2022 season, Suh now retires with 71.5 career sacks, 600 combined tackles, and 38 passes defended. Suh also made over $168 million in career salary and will now move ahead into the next chapter of his life.
Connor Stalions fires back at claim made by TCU coach
Former Michigan assistant Connor Stalions responded to claims made by TCU coach Sonny Dykes about the adjustments the Horned Frogs made in the 2022 College Football Playoff semi-final.
Stalions and Michigan were accused of running a sign-stealing operation during the 2022 season, but it did not prevent them from losing 51-45 to the Horned Frogs. TCU coach Sonny Dykes recently said his team had heard the rumors and changed their play calls for that game, which had been reported previously.
Stalions, however, was not leaning into that narrative. In a lengthy X post, he attributed the loss to TCU to poor tackling and blocking, and disputed that TCU’s changes did anything to throw him off.
“To say anyone ‘fooled’ me is admitting that you have no idea how signal deciphering & protecting works,” Stalions wrote. “No team has ever ‘changed’ signals — meaning they don’t recycle the same signal to have a different meaning because that would confuse the 18-year olds on the field more than it would confuse me. They simply create new signals. And if I see a new signal, I’m not guessing what it means.
“The continuous attempt to correlate signals to any wins & losses at Michigan is funny. There were 7 games in my time at Michigan where I knew almost every signal the whole game: 2021 MSU, 2022 MSU, 2022 PSU, 2022 OSU, 2022 TCU, 2021 Georgia, and 2021 Wisconsin. We lost 3 of those games because we didn’t tackle well, and Georgia was historically good. We won the four other games because we dominated the line of scrimmage & tackled well. Blocking, ball security, tackling, run fits & coverage tools. That’s football. This is not rocket science.”
To save everybody’s time so we can move on from the same recycled story from Coach Dykes, I’ll provide some more details and we can wrap this up:
— Connor Stalions (@cpstalions) July 12, 2025
We lost because we turned the ball over & had a poor game tackling. And TCU played well. Congratulations. The same way we won the…
Stalions has some interest in playing down whatever role he had in Michigan’s program. He would not want to do anything to cause others to question the legitimacy of the team’s success, especially since they went on to win a national title after his departure.
Stalions has denied breaking NCAA rules by scouting opponents in person before they faced Michigan. There is some reason to doubt that story, but the former Michigan staffer is sticking to it.
Robert Kraft offers some rare praise for Bill Belichick
The relationship between New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and former coach Bill Belichick has taken a turn for the worse in recent years, but Kraft still has it in him to pay his former coach a high compliment.
In a live version of the “Dudes on Dudes” podcast hosted by Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski, Kraft appeared and was asked what his best move as Patriots owner was. Kraft responded that it was the trade that brought Belichick to New England.
“The one that got questioned the most was in 1999,” Kraft said, via Peyton Doyle of MassLive.com. “I gave up a No. 1 draft pick for a coach that had only won a little over 40 percent of his games to get him out, I don’t know if there are any Jets fans here.
“I think getting Bill Belichick to come to the Patriots in 1999 was a big risk and I got hammered in the Boston media, but he was with us for 24 years and we did okay.”
There has been real tension between Belichick and Kraft since Belichick’s departure two years ago. A lot of that tension might be on Belichick’s end, though there does seem to be some mutual iciness between the two of them.
On the other hand, the two have been able to play nice for the cameras, and Kraft obviously respects Belichick’s accomplishments. The two probably won’t be having any friendly meetups anytime soon, though.
Iga Swiatek did something that has not been done in a century during Wimbledon final
Iga Swiatek won Saturday’s Wimbledon women’s final in such dominant fashion that it produced a feat not seen in over a century.
Swiatek beat Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in Saturday’s final, a rare double bagel in a major championship. That had not been done in a women’s final at Wimbledon since 1911, when Dorothea Lambert Chambers defeated Dora Boothby by the same scoreline.
Iga Swiatek's win over Amanda Anisimova makes this the first time since 1911 that a Wimbledon women's singles final has ended with a 6-0, 6-0 scoreline.
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 12, 2025
Goodness gracious.
Swiatek was in total control from the start, and won 55 of the match’s 79 points. She was helped by Anisimova’s 28 unforced errors, but even without those, Swiatek had the upper hand from start to finish.
The win marked Swiatek’s sixth major title, but was her first at Wimbledon. She only needs to win an Australian Open to complete a career grand slam.
Swiatek’s season has not been smooth sailing the whole way through. She was outstanding on Saturday, though, and now has a Wimbledon title and a bit of history to show for it.
Jacob Misiorowski’s All-Star nod had 1 rival team fuming
One rival team in particular is fuming after Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski was named to the National League All-Star team on the basis of just five starts.
Philadelphia Phillies players were angered by Misiorowski’s All-Star nod, as they felt that two of their pitchers were more deserving of the honor. Both Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez were offered All-Star spots if they agreed to pitch in the game. Sanchez is scheduled to start Sunday, while Suarez declined to remain rested. Despite that, the league refused to name either as an All-Star and then allow them to be replaced.
“What a joke,” shortstop Trea Turner said of the situation, via Matt Gelb of The Athletic. “That’s f—ing terrible. I mean, that’s terrible, dude.”
Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos had a more blunt take: “It’s turning into the Savannah Bananas.”
Fundamentally, MLB views the All-Star Game as a showcase for its top talent, while players recognize that All-Star selections are part of how they will be remembered. In the case of Sanchez, he has a bonus in his contract for being named an All-Star, so there is a financial incentive as well.
Misiorowski, meanwhile, has just five MLB starts to his name, and that alone has made his selection controversial. He does have a 2.81 ERA in those starts, but that is in just 25.2 innings pitched. Fans and players alike think that is just not a big enough body of work to receive an honor like this.
Kirk Cousins’ Great Clips scene appeared to be product placement ad
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins has made waves with his appearance on Netflix’s newest “Quarterback” series, most notably claiming he was “a little bit misled” by the team.
Cousins also revealed that he would have preferred remaining with the Minnesota Vikings had he known the Falcons planned to draft a rookie quarterback.
“Certainly, if I had the information around free agency, it certainly would’ve affected my decision,” Cousins said, via ESPN’s Marc Raimondi. “I had no reason to leave Minnesota with how much we loved it there if both teams are going to be drafting a quarterback high.”
But all of that frustration aside, Cousins managed to turn his Quarterback appearance into something a bit more lucrative.
During the most recent episode, Cousins made an appearance at Great Clips and played heavily into the brand.
“I go to one place, and that’s Great Clips,” Cousins said.
Cousins claimed that he travels all over the country and always finds the closest Great Clips for his haircut.
Many assumed it was a product placement ad, which was further fueled by a corresponding brand promotion on Cousins’ X account.
On Wednesday, the world’s No. 1 salon gave Cousins its first-ever Hall of Fade VIP Card, which will provide free haircuts for the rest of his life. Moreover, if you happen to be in the same Great Clips as Cousins and he uses his card, you, too, will earn a free haircut.
A Great Clips spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter that they learned of Cousins’ brand plug in Quarterback “a couple of weeks ago” and scrambled to maximize their exposure, which included the creation of the Hall of Fade VIP card.
Smart business by both Cousins and Great Clips. It’s somewhat surprising that Netflix and the NFL allowed that to be included.
Umpire Jim Wolf had brutal night in Mets-Royals game
Jim Wolf has faced calls for his job this season, from fans and analysts alike. He is currently ranked 77th of 90 MLB umpires, and his performance on Friday night during a game between the New York Mets and Kansas City Royals did not help his case.
Wolf recorded a correct call rate of just 85.6%, which was the 10th-worst performance for an umpire this season.
The video tells the story.
Wolf drew the ire of players and coaches from both New York and Kansas City, with Mets manager Carlos Mendoza arguing balls and strikes at multiple points throughout the game.
Mets third baseman Mark Vientos also broke his bat over home plate in the top of the third inning after striking out with the bases loaded. He was visibly frustrated with an earlier strike call.
Wolf is no stranger to criticism and controversy. He has a long history of making bad calls and missing obvious balls and strikes.
It’s hard to overlook and even harder to defend. At some point, the MLB will have to address the elephant in the room.
Report: Cavs only interested in LeBron James in a buyout situation
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers appear to be on the outs, opening up the possibility that he plays for another team in 2026-27. He could also request a trade or a buyout, leading to an earlier departure.
That begs the question: Could a reunion with the Cleveland Cavaliers be on tap?
James spent last weekend in Cleveland for the holiday and worked out at the Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center. He is considered the greatest player in franchise history and obviously has a soft spot for the Cavaliers.
And as fate would have it, the Cavaliers are open to bringing James back into the fold. However, it comes with a single condition.
Ashish Mathur of Hoops Wire reports that Cleveland is only interested in reuniting with James in a buyout situation.
That makes sense given that James recently opted in to his 2025-26 player option at $52.6 million, which is far too much for the Cavaliers to absorb. They also don’t want to trade key pieces as they chase another NBA title.
James wants to add another ring before he retires, and after their recent trade of Anthony Davis and sale of the team, which wasn’t disclosed to James, the Lakers are entering a rebuilding mode with Luka Doncic as their centerpiece.
The writing is on the wall, and James’ time with the Lakers is rapidly coming to an end, but will that coincide with a return to Cleveland? Only time will tell.
Luka Doncic sent message to fan who invited him to event
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic is going viral, and this time it has nothing to do with his weight.
Popular streamer and esports commentator, Ludwig Ahgren, is a regular when it comes to streamer tournaments. However, this month he will host an event that differs slightly from the norm, and he requested that Doncic be a part of it.
Ludwig reached out to Doncic’s representatives and asked if the five-time All-Star would be willing to participate in an on-court tournament involving other streamers and esports personalities. The request was denied due to Doncic’s busy schedule, but the rejection came with a video message from the man himself.
“Hey Ludwig, I know how hard you’ve worked. Good luck in the tournament. I wish I could be there,” Doncic said. “Let’s hang out? Ok, bye!”
The video, which Ludwig called “the greatest video I’ve ever seen,” quickly went viral. As of Saturday morning, it has amassed 6.9 million views to go along with 114,000 likes.
But Doncic didn’t stop with a simple video. Ludwig later revealed that Doncic donated 20 pairs of his Luka 77 shoes for the tournament.
Ludwig also clarified that he requested an awkward and funny video from Doncic, who delivered epically.
“I think Luka should host SNL,” Ludwig said. “It might be a washed institution, but I think he might lowkey be one of the funniest players in the NBA.”
While Doncic, who is an avid Overwatch player, enjoys his vacation, Ludwig’s Basketball Jam 3-on-3 tournament will get underway on Saturday.
Aaron Boone had great response to question about Andres Munoz tipping pitches
Aaron Boone is an expert at handling the media, and he provided another masterclass recently when asked about the New York Yankees’ remarkable comeback win over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday.
After being no-hit through seven innings, the Yankees rallied with six runs over the final three frames, including three hits and two earned runs off Seattle closer Andres Munoz.
The loss was the latest in a series of crushing losses for the Mariners, with catcher Cal Raleigh griping that Munoz was not only tipping his pitches, but that the Yankees were sending signals back to their batters.
“He was tipping it every time at second base,” Raleigh said, via The Athletic. “Obviously, they weren’t making it very discreet, I guess is the word. It’s part of the game. It’s our job. We should have known about that going into the series. That made it really hard there at the end.”
Mariners manager Dan Wilson disagreed that Munoz was tipping pitches, but video suggests otherwise. Boone’s recent response to a direct question, while hilarious, also suggests they knew the closer was tipping.
“Munoz was? I don’t know,” Boone said, barely able to control his smile. “I don’t know. I don’t know anything about that.”
Boone knows what we all know, but it’s savvy to avoid acknowledging it. First and foremost, he’s protecting his players from potentially being plunked later on down the line, and second, he doesn’t want to openly violate MLB’s unwritten rules.
In the end, it’s really an issue the Mariners have to figure out.
White Sox win on rare walk-off swinging bunt
The Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Guardians 5-4 in 11 innings on Friday thanks to the rare walk-off swinging bunt.
The White Sox had runners on the corners with one out and the game tied at 4 in the bottom of the 11th at Rate Field in Chicago, Ill. Mike Tauchman was facing Kolby Allard and hit a weak broken-bat grounder towards shortstop. Allard whiffed on his fielding attempt, which allowed ghost runner Colson Montgomery to score the winning run.
Mike Tauchman swinging bunt to walk it off! pic.twitter.com/4fdmrikfog
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 12, 2025
That goes to show that sometimes you don’t need to rip the ball over the fence for a walk-off. Sometimes all you need is a swinging bunt.
That was Tauchman’s only hit of the game, though he did walk twice and score a run. The White Sox have been playing better ball lately, as they’ve gone 4-4 over their last 8 games. That’s not bad for a team that’s 32-63 on the season.
Jacob Misiorowski’s All-Star selection sparks controversy
Jacob Misiorowski is still very much the new kid on the block, but he is already headed to the MLB All-Star Game.
Major League Baseball announced on Friday that the Milwaukee Brewers pitching phenom Misiorowski has been named to the 2025 NL All-Star team. Misiorowski is set to replace Chicago Cubs starter Matthew Boyd, who is pitching for the Cubs on Saturday and thus will not be available for Tuesday’s All-Star Game.
Jacob Misiorowski has been added to the National League All-Star team
— MLB (@MLB) July 12, 2025
He replaces Matthew Boyd on the NL's active roster pic.twitter.com/XA7g4r28k2
The selection of Misiorowski as an All-Star immediately sparked controversy online, particularly because of Misiorowski’s light service time thus far. Misiorowski has only made five total appearances at the MLB level, spanning a mere 25.2 innings pitched. ESPN’s Jeff Passan noted that those are the fewest games ever played by someone named to the MLB All-Star Game.
Take a look at some of the dumbfounded reactions from fans to Misiorowski getting the All-Star nod.
bro been in the league for 6 minutes
— biev (@shadybiev) July 12, 2025
25 innings?!? Bro ain't even had a cup of coffee yet
— Ron W (@FIPmyWHIP) July 12, 2025
I’m a huge fan of The Miz, but this is absolutely ridiculous. He’s pitched in FIVE GAMES!
— Brett (@haffball7) July 12, 2025
This is making a mockery out of guys who have pitched 100+ innings, who have accrued 3 or even 4 WAR! https://t.co/kS4Wg4lPsk
this kid is electric but 5 games is a laughable amount of games before being elected as an all star https://t.co/PlmMn6psE4
— No. 1 Blake Snell hater (Daniel Schuette) (@dansch456) July 12, 2025
On one hand, the MLB All-Star Game is an entertainment event, and Misiorowski, who has a 4-1 record with a 2.81 ERA and 11.6 K/9, has been absolute must-see TV. But on the other hand, Misiorowski’s selection keeps out other deserving pitchers who have done well over a far larger sample size this year (fans named Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sanchez as one such candidate).
When it comes to viral content produced, Misiorowski is already up there with the best this season. No matter how you look at it though, five games played is way too few to merit an All-Star selection, which had never occurred in MLB history up until this point.
Pete Crow-Armstrong had incredible reaction to Aaron Judge robbing him of HR
Pete Crow-Armstrong had a reaction of pure disbelief as Aaron Judge took away a home run from him on Friday.
The Chicago Cubs star Crow-Armstrong got around on one in the fourth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in New York, N.Y. The ball off Crow-Armstrong’s bat looked poised for the seats by the short porch in right field.
But the Yankees star Judge tracked down the fly ball and leapt high at the wall at the last second to make the spectacular catch. Here is the video.
AARON JUDGE TAKES A HOMER AWAY FROM PCA pic.twitter.com/ter0yQ7nOs
— MLB (@MLB) July 12, 2025
The moment was made even better by Crow-Armstrong’s incredulous reaction. After Judge made the catch, Crow-Armstrong gestured with his arm towards Judge in right field as if to say, “Come on, man.”
PCA's reaction to Judge robbing his homer pic.twitter.com/KpPeybID03
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 12, 2025
Not a lot went right for Crow-Armstrong and the Cubs on Friday night. They ended up getting trampled by the Yankees, falling by an 11-0 final score (highlighted by a three-homer night from New York’s Cody Bellinger).
Nevertheless, the Cubs are still in a very good place overall at 55-39 on the season. The 23-year-old Crow-Armstrong was also just named a 2025 MLB All-Star on the strength of his 25 home runs, 70 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases this year. But on Friday, Crow-Armstrong was nothing more than the latest victim of Judge, who is usually the one getting robbed of home runs himself.
LiAngelo Ball files for divorce days after pregnancy announcement
LiAngelo Ball filed for a divorce from his wife just days after she publicly announced she was pregnant.
Ball and Rashida Nicole got married on March 24, 2025. According to TMZ Sports, he filed for a divorce on July 3, and named June 15 as their date of separation.
Interestingly, on June 26, Rashida Nicole had announced via Instagram that she was pregnant.
“New Beginnings … Wish I had all the right words to describe this journey, but I guess if I had to define it, all I can truly say is: I’m grateful, terrified, anxious, nauseous,HANGRY 😂 all of thee [sic] above. As a teen mom, I was always hesitant about going thru [sic] pregnancy and parenthood again. (Iykyk) I want to thank my daughter for being here for me during this process, always demonstrating unconditional LOVE & reassuring me that, ‘Everything is alright!’ And for now…I choose to protect my peace and this beautiful energy,” Rashida Nicole wrote in a statement on Instagram.
LiAngelo Ball commented on that post with a few emojis, including a heart. Apparently they had already split up by the time of the Instagram announcement.
What’s interesting is that Ball seemingly has a history of walking out on relationships involving kids. His previous girlfriend, Nikki Mudarris, claimed that Gelo walked out on their relationship after 3.5 years, saying he had gotten someone else pregnant and was going to start a life with her. That second woman apparently was Rashida Nicole, from whom he has already split.
LiAngelo has two children with Mudarris. They have a son Lavelo. Their daughter LaNiyah was born on Dec. 3. Gelo signed a big music deal in January following the success of his hit song “Tweaker.”
Report: LeBron James had his feelings hurt by Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers have transitioned from LeBron James to new acquisition Luka Doncic as their face of the franchise, and that apparently has bothered James.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst wrote a story that was published on Friday detailing James’ feelings towards the Lakers. The theme of the article is that James feels slighted that the Lakers are now treating Doncic as their central figure rather than him.
James reportedly understands the transition, but has some frustration considering he chose to sign with the Lakers, while Doncic was acquired in a trade. Additionally, James helped the Lakers win a championship in the Bubble after the team had struggled through a period of six straight losing seasons.
The Lakers’ transition to Doncic as their central figure has been made clear through several events. For one, the Lakers did not approach James about a contract extension, indicating they are fine having the upcoming season be his last under contract with them. Two, they gave Doncic a heads-up about the ownership sale, rather than James. The Lakers also reportedly barely gave James advance notice that Anthony Davis was being traded, though he understood that given the sensitive nature of the topic.
James sparked a frenzy by saying he would need to do what gave him the best chance of winning a championship in his last NBA seasons. James has also been giving public hints about the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are his hometown team.
For now, James remains part of the Lakers, who finished tied for the third-best record in the West last season. But it’s clear he has his complaints.
Bryan Woo had classy reaction to losing his no-hitter
Bryan Woo had a classy reaction to losing his no-hit bid on Thursday.
Woo took a no-hitter into the bottom of the 8th inning of his Seattle Mariners’ game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y. He allowed a soft line drive to Jazz Chisholm Jr. to lead off the bottom of the inning that went into right field for the Yankees’ first hit of the game.
Woo had run towards first base to cover the bag in case there was a play there and ended up giving Chisholm a tap of respect on the rear afterwards. Chisholm reacted with a similar move.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. breaks up Bryan Woo's no-hitter in the 8th, and the two come together at first base to show each other some love! pic.twitter.com/8YS7k9l7r1
— MLB (@MLB) July 11, 2025
Woo remained in the game and allowed another hit to put runners on the corners, which was followed by a sacrifice fly to score the Yankees’ first run of the game. Woo was then relieved by Matt Brash, who allowed a 2-run home run to Giancarlo Stanton two batters later.
The Yankees ended up tying the game with two more runs in the 9th, and they added a run in the 10th to win the game. So for all of his great effort, Woo ended up taking a no-decision. At least he got some great news this week that he’s headed to his first All-Star Game.
Bryan Woo called his parents with some big news: he’s an All-Star 🥹 pic.twitter.com/8PzURjDkWa
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) July 9, 2025
Woo has gone 8-4 with a 2.75 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 114.2 innings pitched this season. It’s the 25-year-old’s third season, and shaping up to be his best so far.
Callaway selling awesome Happy Gilmore golf putter
Callaway is selling an awesome Happy Gilmore putter in a marketing move working in conjunction with the movie.
“Happy Gilmore” is a 1996 movie that was written by and starred Adam Sandler in the titular role as a hockey player-turned-golfer. In the film, Gilmore would putt using a hockey stick-looking putter.
A sequel for the movie is set to be released by Netflix on July 25, and golf merchandise manufacturer Callaway partnered with Netflix and “Happy Gilmore 2” on some co-branded promotional items. They are selling three awesome items related to the original film.
The items include golf balls saying “Just tap it in,” balls that say “It’s All in the Hips,” and the hockey stick putter.
Harness the good, block the bad with these Limited Edition Happy Gilmore 2 Chrome Tour golf balls!
— Callaway Golf (@CallawayGolf) July 11, 2025
🏒⛳️ https://t.co/hR8eo3LWHH pic.twitter.com/lyKd9sHqqb
The hockey stick putter was priced at $499 but already had sold out as of Friday. The balls were priced at $59 and still available.
The price seems pretty steep, but it didn’t stop some fans from stocking up. Though, there was one big complaint — the putter wasn’t built for lefties. Rumor has it that the left-handed putters will be available at the 9th green at 9.
Suns owner Mat Ishbia gets roasted over team’s latest hire
Mat Ishbia continues to turn the Phoenix Suns into Michigan State West.
The Suns announced on Friday that they have officially hired former NBA guard Mateen Cleaves. The 47-year-old Cleaves will be serving as a player development/leadership assistant.
Cleaves is best known for his stint in college at Michigan State, where he led the team to the 2000 national championship as the Final Four Most Outstanding Player. The Suns owner Ishbia also played at Michigan State from 1999-2002 and was on that 2000 national title team as well.
The Cleaves hire led to Ishbia getting roasted over social media about hiring another one of his former Spartan connections.
Another Michigan State grad. Expect Tom Izzo when he retires to have a role and Draymond Green to be on coaching staff when he’s done. https://t.co/NmIFhGb85r
— Andrew Schaeffer Hoops (@schaeffnbake) July 11, 2025
When you go to war, you turn to your friends, you turn to your kliq https://t.co/j0R3p67sjw pic.twitter.com/3lNe3Z7W2L
— XWIRES|Psychoblue @ EVO 2025 (@Psychoblue9) July 11, 2025
COLLEGE
— (@bryanMkruse) July 11, 2025
Michigan St
Go figure.
Another one of Matt’s Michigan boys lol. Joke of a franchise ever since Matt took over. Ridiculous
— TrapnDee (@DetrickSession) July 11, 2025
For those keeping score at home, Cleaves is no less than the fifth former Michigan State figure in the Suns organization. Both Ishbia and his brother Justin (a part-owner of the Suns) went to Michigan State. New Suns GM Brian Gregory was also formerly an assistant coach for the Spartans during Ishbia’s time there, and new Suns head coach Jordan Ott attended Michigan State as well.
On top of that, Ishbia has hired some other notable ex-Michigan basketball names to the Suns organization. Josh Bartelstein, the CEO of the Suns, attended the University of Michigan, and even former Detroit Pistons star Isiah Thomas once had a role in Phoenix as well.
Ishbia formally took over as Suns owner in 2023 and has been criticized for his supposed meddling in basketball affairs. Under Ishbia’s leadership, Phoenix blew past the second apron of the luxury tax with a record $400 million payroll (thanks in part to blockbuster moves for Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal) but quickly had to reverse course after winning just one total playoff series in three years. While Durant is now gone and Beal may be following suit, the fact that Ishbia continues to hire his old Michigan State friends probably will not help the public perception of him very much.
Report: Lakers failed to extend notable courtesy to LeBron James
Evidence continues to mount that the Los Angeles Lakers are slowly phasing out LeBron James.
The Lakers recently failed to extend a notable courtesy to their star forward James, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on Friday. Last month, the Buss family agreed in principle to sell their majority interest in the team to billionaire Mark Walter at a record-breaking $10 billion valuation. Windhorst notes that Lakers star Luka Doncic was given a heads-up about the agreement and proceeded to post a congratulatory message over social media.
However, James was not given the same heads-up, according to Windhorst. The four-time NBA MVP additionally did not post any public acknowledgement of the sale agreement afterwards.
Now 40 years old, James has been with the Lakers since 2018 and led them to the 2020 NBA championship. But with the Lakers now focused on building around their new superstar in the 26-year-old Doncic, James is being pushed to the fringes, and he can feel it.
James and the Lakers notably did not agree to a new contract extension this summer. Instead, James picked up his $52.6 million player option for next season and, after doing so, essentially issued a soft trade request via a statement from his agent Rich Paul.
It is possible that the 21-time All-Star James is simply playing his usual game of pressuring the Lakers into making win-now roster upgrades through passive-aggressive actions in the press. In fact, many prominent media figures do not believe that James will actually be traded this summer. But with their behavior both in public and in private, it certainly looks like the Lakers are steering towards the off-ramp of the James era.
