Oct 30, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau in the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
One New York Knicks player is responding after coach Tom Thibodeau got bad reviews in an annual player poll.
Thibodeau was, by some distance, voted the coach that players would least like to play for in The Athletic’s annual anonymous poll of NBA players. With a sample size of 77 votes, Thibodeau received 46.8 percent of the vote, while no other coach received more than 9.1 percent.
Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo had a strong response to those results.
“Buls–t, that’s all I have to say,” DiVincenzo said, via Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “A lot of guys don’t play for Thibs. I play for Thibs. On the outside, looking in you have a certain viewpoint. When you are inside and play for Thibs, like I said, it’s bulls–t.
“You don’t know him. You don’t know how the organization runs. You don’t know how the practices run. You don’t know anything. You see honestly on the sideline how he acts. To us that’s dedication. That’s how much love and dedication he gives to us every day. Like I said, that poll is bulls–t and inaccurate.”
Thibodeau has a reputation for running tough, demanding practices and wearing players down over the course of a season. His defenders say it helps him get the most out of his squads, but detractors say he is simply too tough on his players.
Thibodeau definitely is not for everyone. There are definitely some players that do not mind his style, and the current Knicks seem to have bought in to his methods. For DiVincenzo, that is clearly all that matters.
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone was ejected from Monday’s game against the Oakland A’s because of something a fan shouted at the home plate umpire.
Boone received a warning from home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt after the manager expressed his displeasure with some ball and strike calls just five pitches into the game. Wendelstedt could be heard telling Boone that Boone would be “gone” if he made another complaint.
About 10 seconds later, Wendelstedt stopped the game and ejected Boone. But there was only one problem — Boone hadn’t said a single word after being warned.
Boone and Yankees bench coach Brad Ausmus immediately pointed to the stands and told Wendelstedt that whatever the umpire heard came from a fan. Wendelstedt responded, “I don’t care who said it, you’re gone!”
YES Network captured an angle that showed a fan in a blue shirt shouting something toward Wendelstedt just before Boone was ejected.
That was a bad look for Wendelstedt. Yankee Stadium was fairly quiet at the time because the game began at 1 p.m. on a Monday, which is why the umpire was able to hear the fan so clearly. Wendelstedt could have at least checked with another member of his crew, but he reacted so quickly and enthusiastically that he must have felt he had to stick with it.
Boone is no stranger to being tossed out of games, but that was probably the first time he was ever ejected over something a fan said.
Nov 30, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra reacts during a break as they take on the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Boston Celtics analyst Brian Scalabrine delivered a controversial take after the team’s win over the Miami Heat on Sunday, but the former fan favorite appears to have changed his stance a bit.
The Celtics defeated the Heat 114-94 in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series between the two teams at TD Garden in Boston, Mass. With roughly a minute left in the fourth quarter, Heat forward Caleb Martin slammed into Celtics star Jayson Tatum while Martin was charging into the lane for a rebound. Many felt the play was dirty. You can see the video here.
Scalabrine, who played for the Celtics from 2005-2010 and won a championship with the team, said during the NBC Sports Boston postgame show that it was “shady” how Heat coach Erik Spoelstra called a timeout 30 seconds before Martin’s hard foul on Tatum. Scalabrine believes Spoelstra ordered some sort of “code red,” which was Scalabrine’s way of saying Spoelstra told the Heat to go after Tatum.
On Monday, Scalabrine joined the Miami-based “Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz” to further explain himself. While he did not completely back down from accusing Spoelstra of putting a hit out on Tatum, Scalabrine said he believes Spoelstra told the Heat to “send a message” since they were getting blown out.
“Do you think that during that timeout, or during any timeout by the way, that Erik Spoelstra says, ‘Come on, guys. We’re down by 32. We’re just gonna lay down and get punked? We’re not gonna send a message?'” Scalabrine asked. “I’m not saying he said go run over to Tatum and hurt him. I’m saying, ‘Come on, guys, we’re gonna send a message to these guys. We’re in a long series right here. This is what we’re gonna do.'”
Scalabrine said anyone who does not think Spoelstra told the Heat to “send a message” does not really buy into Miami’s self-proclaimed identity of being the toughest and grittiest team in the NBA.
There is a big difference between a coach telling his team to be aggressive and not go down without a fight versus instructing a player to injure an opponent. Scalabrine was basically trying to say the former was all he meant, but it was clear he initially accused Spoelstra of more.
The Denver Broncos are the latest NFL team to unveil new uniforms for the 2024 season, but those who saw the promo video may have initially thought they were watching a truck commercial.
On Monday, the Broncos shared a 2-minute video on social media to formally introduce fans to their new threads. Horses and the Ford Bronco had prominent roles in the promo.
Many people made the same observation about the clip, which is that it looked more like an advertisement for Ford.
As for the uniforms themselves, fans were split on whether or not they approve of the “Mile High Collection.”
A few teams have unveiled new uniforms this offseason, and most have gone with a minimalist design. That is typically well-received by fans, but there are always going to be critics. In the Broncos’ case, most of the negative feedback pertained to the “Built Ford Tough” approach.
Jun 2, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver talks to media before game one of the 2022 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
The NBA is in the process of securing new media rights packages, and there is a chance some big games could move to streaming services in the coming years.
ESPN/ABC and TNT Sports are looking to retain their NBA media rights, but both juggernauts have an exclusive negotiating window with the league that ends on Monday evening at 11:59 p.m. ET. After that, other networks like NBC, which wants to get back in on the NBA action, and streaming services like Amazon, YouTube, Netflix and Apple will formally enter the mix.
According to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, the NBA wants to have at least three new media rights agreements. The idea of a streaming giant like Amazon carrying significant games has not been ruled out, either. Marchand said there is a possibility Amazon or another streaming service could carry conference finals or even NBA Finals games down the road as part of a long-term deal.
The NBA Finals currently air on ABC, while ESPN and TNT carry the conference finals. ABC/ESPN parent company Disney and TNT parent company Warner Bros. Discovery want to retain those rights after paying and average of $2.6 billion combined per year for their overall NBA packages over the past nine years.
NBA executives are seeking deals of 10 years or longer for their next rights agreements, Marchand reports. The league wants to position itself to allow fans to have access to as many games as possible through multiple platforms as cable television decreases in popularity.
The NFL has enjoyed great success with its Amazon “Thursday Night Football” package, which is likely the main reason the NBA wants to explore similar agreements. There was also an NFL playoff game this past season that was exclusively carried on a streaming platform, though that was extremely unpopular among fans.
NBC, which most recently carried NBA games from 1990-2002, also might explore a new NBA package that is similar to what it has with the NFL.
Rashee Rice is facing several felony charges over his alleged involvement in a car accident last month, and the Kansas City Chiefs star is expected to be disciplined by the NFL.
In an ESPN+ column that was published on Monday, Adam Schefter said he anticipates Rice receiving “at least a multi-game suspension” from the NFL.
Rice is has been hit with eight felony charges after he was partially responsible for a multi-vehicle accident in Dallas, Texas on March 30. He was allegedly racing against someone he knew at an incredibly high rate of speed before crashing. Rice and several other men were then seen leaving the scene, which led to a warrant being issued for Riceās arrest.
The NFL typically waits for the legal process to play out before handing down disciplinary action. For now, Rice appears to be staying away from the Chiefs.
Rice played a major role for the Chiefs as a rookie in 2023. He finished with 79 catches for 938 yards and a team-leading 7 touchdowns. Rice also had 26 catches for 262 yards and a touchdown in Kansas Cityās four playoff games. He was poised for an even bigger year next season, but a suspension could put a damper on that.
Mar 10, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
It’s safe to say Milwaukee Bucks point guard Damian Lillard did not want to go to Coachella this year.
On Sunday, Lillard carried the Bucks to a Game 1 win over the Indiana Pacers at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis. in their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.
After the game, Lillard was asked about returning to the playoff stage after a two-year hiatus. Lillard revealed he had gone to Coachella, the annual outdoor music festival held in April.
“Last 2 years not being in the playoffs, it sucked. Early vacations. Last year, I went to Coachella. I ain’t ever been able to go to Coachella playing in the playoffs every year. It was like, man, I was over that,” Lillard.
Lillard certainly played like a man who was happy to be back in the postseason. The 33-year-old poured in 35 points all in the first half of the 109-94 affair.
Lillard’s scoring barrage had Bucks fans buzzing on social media.
Lillard’s former team, the Portland Trail Blazers, had finished among the league’s worst over the previous two seasons. They finished among the West’s bottom three in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns.
From 2014 to 2021, Lillard was a constant fixture come playoff time. He averaged 25.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 6.2 assists across 61 playoff appearances over that span.
Jun 19, 2022; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen of The Netherlands stands during the national anthems after winning the Montreal Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports
Max Verstappen accomplished a career first on Sunday in Shanghai when he won the Chinese Grand Prix. Sunday’s win was part of a big weekend for Verstappen — one that indicated Red Bull has returned to its dominant form.
Not only did Verstappen win his first Chinese Grand Prix, but he also won the sprint race on Saturday. Additionally, although safety cars and tire strategy were not ideal for Sergio Perez, Perez was still able to battle back to and make it onto the podium for a P3 finish. Perez’s third-place finish ended a 5-week streak this season where the same constructor had finished 1-2.
Despite Red Bull’s success at the Shanghai International circuit, the same could not be said for its sister team VCARB as both Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo were forced to retire due to damages sustained to their car by Kevin Magnussen and Lance Stroll respectively.
In what has been established battle for second place behind Red Bull, Ferrari seemed to have much more pace this weekend than McLaren. However, Lando Norris was able to establish good race pace and tire management and finish second, although pre-race he had predicted to his race engineers that he would be around 35 seconds behind Ferrari at the end of the race.
Ferrari ultimately lacked the pace they had shown in qualifying, resulting in Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finishing 4th and 5th.
Lastly, Lewis Hamilton, who was able to secure a second-place finish in the sprint due to advantage of wet weather during sprint qualifying, ended up qualifying 18th for the grand prix and finishing 9th, just inside the points. With the glaring lack of pace, Mercedes will have a lot of work to do catch up and compete with Aston Martin, Ferrari, and McLaren.
Mar 3, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (22) in action against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Caitlin Clark shattered record after record during her captivating run in women’s college basketball. Clark’s jersey sales are doing the same thing.
Clark jerseys have flown off the shelves at a blistering rate. Within a day of being selected by the Indiana Fever first overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft last week, Clark’s Fever jersey became the top-earning jersey ever for a draft pick.
But Clark’s jersey sales aren’t just destroying records among her female peers. According to NY Daily News’ Dick Weiss, Clark sold more jerseys in a single day than the entire Dallas Cowboys roster last NFL season.
The Cowboys are the NFL’s most famous franchise by a wide margin. They had two players rank in the top five among all jerseys sold last season. Cowboys star Micah Parsons had the NFL’s top-selling jersey, besting Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
For Clark to outsell every single Cowboys player — including the NFL-leading Parsons — in a single day proves just how big her star has gotten within the sports zeitgeist.
The Iowa alum already had one superstar musician rocking a Clark jersey during his recent concert.
Clark’s marketability has proven to be undeniable at this point and why Nike was willing to pay her a massive sum to secure her as an endorser.
Tyler Reddick on Sunday gave his boss Michael Jordan a moment to remember with a 23XI Racing win at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. The Chicago Bulls icon returned the favor with Reddick’s young son.
Reddick emerged through the wreckage during the final lap of the Geico 500 to notch his sixth NASCAR Cup Series win.
Jordan, who co-owns 23XI Racing with NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin, was beyond ecstatic about his team’s victory. It was the first team win Jordan was able to witness in person (video here).
The 6-time NBA champion was all smiles in victory lane as he shared a priceless moment with Reddick’s young son Beau.
Reddick was running fifth on the last lap leading into the track’s final turn. Redick’s No. 45 Camry stayed on the high side as then-race leaders Michael McDowell and Brad Keselowski jockeyed for position.
McDowell’s No. 34 Ford Mustang for Front Row Motorsports stonewalled his RFK Racing challenger as the front group neared the finish line. The two Ford Mustang Dark Horse cars made contact and slowed down, which left a lane open for Reddick to zip through and win.
Reddick was in perfect position to take advantage of the chaos behind him as “The Big One” shook up the field.
Reddick’s victory — his first this season — was the sixth for 23XI Racing since the team debuted at the 2021 Daytona 500. The 28-year-old was 0.208 seconds ahead of Kaselowski, who finished in second. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Noah Gragson ended up third, while McDowell fell to 31st.
H/T USA Today
