“It must be the shoes!” is out. “It must be the book!” is in. Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown unintentionally showed just how much influence NFL stars have when a broadcast camera spotted him reading a book on the sideline during Sunday’s Wild Card game against the Green Bay Packers. The internet promptly spread the …
Jordan, Hamlin Defeat NASCAR Motion, Suit Heads to Discovery
A federal district judge on Friday denied NASCAR’s motion to dismiss the antitrust lawsuit brought by 23XI Racing, which is owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, and Front Row Motorsports. The move sends the case to pretrial discovery, where both sides will be obligated to share emails, texts and other evidence as well as …
Rams-Vikings Relocation Nearly Unprecedented in NFL History
Ultimately, the NFL had no choice. On Thursday, as multiple fires continued to burn across Los Angeles, the league announced it would move Monday night’s wild card game between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings from LA’s SoFi Stadium to the Arizona Cardinals’ State Farm Stadium in Glendale. The NFL cited public safety in …
Chicago Cubs Win Round in Wrigley View Rooftop Lawsuit
A federal district judge in Chicago on Tuesday advanced a lawsuit brought by the Chicago Cubs against Wrigley View Rooftop, a company that provides 200 guests with a view of neighborhing Wrigley Field in exchange for fees. Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman denied Wrigley View Rooftop’s motion to dismiss on grounds that an arbitration provision in …
Notre Dame, Penn State CFP Semi on ESPN Finds an Open Field
As Notre Dame and Penn State look to claim their first national championship since the Reagan administration—the Irish last won the title just 18 days before the Gipper left the White House in 1989, while the Nittany Lions claimed their second natty two years earlier—ESPN will be blessed with what amounts to an open field. …
New York Yankees Done With Big Spending in Busy Offseason
The New York Yankees are done signing high-priced free agents, a source with knowledge of their situation said. That leaves coveted players such as Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman among the 164 free agents still on the market with only 37 days until pitchers and catchers report to spring training camps in Florida and Arizona …
Padres Ownership Fight Continues Long-Running Soap Opera
More than a year after owner Peter Seidler’s death, the San Diego Padres are involved in a fight over who should run the team, which is typical of their 56-year history replete with multiple ownership hassles and off-field controversies. A lawsuit filed this week over control of the franchise has raised the specter of a …
Dwight Howard’s ‘Free Palestine’ Tweet Delete Claim False, NBA Says
Dwight Howard isn’t telling the truth, at least according to the NBA. The eight-time NBA All Star recently said he was told to delete a 2014 tweet supporting Palestine during a call with league commissioner Adam Silver. That claim is “categorically false” and Silver did not contact the former Orlando Magic star, NBA spokesman Mike …
Jerry Jones’ ‘Landman’ Cameo Worth $1M for Cowboys
It was only fitting that Jerry Jones, who made a fortune in the oil industry, made an appearance on a popular TV series about the oil boom in West Texas. And no surprise that the Dallas Cowboys owner and president earned rave reviews. Jones made a cameo on the Paramount+ Western drama series Landman on …
NBA 3-Point Spree Draws Fan Ire but No ‘Imminent’ League Fire
Two years ago, it looked like the NBA’s 3-point revolution was nearing an end. In 2022-23, teams attempted fewer 3s per game than the previous season for the first time in more than a decade. In 2023-24, there were still fewer 3s attempted than in 2021-22. Just over two months into the 2024-25 season, however, …
Brock Purdy Extension Talks Highlight Tricky NFL QB Market
Brock Purdy is in the line for the largest raise in NFL history. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback, who will enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2025, is slated to make a base salary of $1.1 million next season—far below market rate for a QB who earned Pro Bowl honors last season. …
NFL Owns 72 of TV’s Top 100 as Politics Loosens Sports’ Grip
While the long shadow of another quadrennial upheaval threatened to diminish the NFL’s stranglehold on American media consumption, the 2024 election cycle had relatively little impact on the league’s TV ratings. Unlike 2016, when NFL deliveries fell 8% in the face of the Trump-Clinton race, this season’s numbers are flat versus the heady year-ago turnout …
Saquon Barkley Skips Rush Record but Can Gain $3M With Bonuses
Saquon Barkley won’t break the NFL’s single-season rushing record, but he’s on pace to shatter his personal best earnings year. The Philadelphia Eagles running back was announced on the NFC’s Pro Bowl roster on Thursday for the third time in his seven-year career. That inclusion triggers a $250,000 Pro Bowl bonus that was baked into …
As LeBron James Turns 40, Earnings in NBA Exceed $1.5 Billion
LeBron James turned 40 years old on Monday and continues to defy Father Time on the court with a scoring average of 23.5 points per game on 50% shooting. The previous high-water scoring mark for a player in his 40s: 14.6 by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during the 1987-88 season. James’ off-court game is even stronger, with …
NBA Christmas Games Nearly Erase Season-Long Ratings Deficit
For the last two weeks, the sports-media cognoscenti have gotten themselves all worked up about the NBA’s TV ratings, divining disaster from a few desultory sniffs through the early-season results. For some, the declines were symptomatic of a greater disorder originating from within the league itself, something egregious enough to effectively drive a fifth of …