INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 14: Referee Italo Araujo #86 gestures during the fourth quarter of a preseason game between the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome on October 14, 2026 in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Melina Pizano/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Every season the NBA Referees’ Association makes some changes regarding how rules will be enforced in the upcoming season. This is usually in response to the abuse of a rule, or an interpretation of a rule, that has lead to actions, and abuses by the players that are contrary to the intent of the rule as written, interpreted, or enforced by NBA referees. In theory these are usually good changes, if they are consistently enforced. The problem comes when we see a ton of enforcement of the newest points of emphasis for about 3 weeks, and then not nearly as much.
It could be the behavior has been checked by the effort from the referees, as we see in some rule changes, or that they just slip back into old habits. For example, once a rule, and enforcement effort, meant to curtail transition take fouls went into place, transition take fouls all but disappeared. Once the reward of the activity is removed, the activity generally stops, or falls off tremendously. I think we’ve seen both “this fixed the problem” and “the refs stopped calling this a foul after three or four weeks”. How will this season’s changes fare?
If you’ve been paying attention to certain players recently (cough SGA) you might have seen a weird circumstance where the offensive player engages in a shove worthy of an NFL running back’s stiff arm. This is often not called correctly as an offensive foul. In the case of SGA, it’s often called as a foul on the defender, that is, the player being shoved.
The new enforcement seeks to limit off arm offensive player behavior to “firming up” and “feeling for the defender”. (Don’t look at me, that’s Monty McCutchen’s language.). What I think this means is the offensive player has a right not to have their space for dribbling or shooting completely invaded by a defender. So “firming up” or defending that space, or “feeling for the defender” in order to keep the defender out of the space by “firming up” is allowed. What’s not allowed is a straight up arm bar, shove, stiff arm, and God willing, grab, by the offensive player. A preseason crowd erupted with joy when such was called as an offensive foul against SGA.
Effect On Rockets: Probably improves defense, could cause some issues for Sengun, or Durant on offense, but is not the basis of their attack, unlike some players. Even if all the offensive fouls aren’t called, not calling defensive fouls for a defender getting stiff armed, or shoved, will most likely help the Rockets.
Change Two: Freedom of Movement – Screens
We saw this one called during the games in China.
The point here is to eliminate what looks to be the same as a “hand shiver” or “chuck” in football. No double, or single arm shove or push when setting, leaving, or holding a screen. This is a real specialty of GSW on screens that never actually get set, just a shove in the back from an offensive player who looks to be setting a screen, but never does, he only does the push.
Rockets Effect: I don’t think this screen’n’shove is a particularly notable part of the Rockets screening. They are more often called for movement, or extending a leg or knee, on a screen.
Change Three: Freedom of Movement – Perimeter and Post
Much rejoicing! If you remember Durant being grabbed on offense approximately sixty thousand times last season, you’ll be pleased to know your instincts were correct. It IS against the rules. Who knew? Apparently not every single team that played the Rockets. In the post, apparently, again, who knew, it’s illegal to punch a guy in the kidneys, or grab him while he’s trying to establish position. Once again, Alpie is used as an example of when this should be called.
Rockets Effect: The Rockets, particularly Kevin Durant, got grabbed a lot last season. Maybe they were grabby too, but I’ll take my chances with the grabbing and shoving going away, if it does.
Change Four: FoM – Straight Line Path
So apparently it isn’t actually great defense to jump in front of an offensive player that’s gained an advantage on a drive and bash into him or shove him on the way to the basket. I’m a little unsure of this one, as I added the “gained advantage” language myself. That’s what this appears to be – defender gets beat straight line, moves to when offensive player will end up, and bashes him off his trajectory. Minimal contact, and I’d think shot contests are fine, but shoving the offensive player out of the way isn’t.
Rockets Effect: I don’t know. Maybe good for the likes of Amen. Do the Rockets do this a lot on defense? I can’t honestly recall.
Hey, it’s a video about flopping with Alperen Sengun, and HE’S NOT DOING THE FLOPPING! Great stuff. And THEN they show Curry flopping! This is crazy stuff. We also learn that if a player just fall down, but don’t act like you’ve been shot out of a cannon, or by a cannon, it’s not a technical foul. A head snap, by itself (repeat, by itself) isn’t a flop in and of itself. Sadly there is nothing regarding “fouling with your face, and then acting like you’ve lost an eye if the opponent’s hair touches you” Maybe next season.
Effect on Rockets: Only good. The Rockets are pure, noble and stalwart and have never, ever, flopped. Not even when James Harden played for them. All those other nasty floppers out there will pay, though.
Change Six: Shot Closeouts– Flagrant vs Common Foul
This starts with 1:23 left in the video above. It features Marcus Smart both being fouled, and making sure he gets that call. This seems to be pretty simple stuff, but they make the distinction between a flagrant foul (not allowing landing space, reckless closeout) and a regular defensive foul (allows landing space, no reckless closeout, but makes contact). This could be a welcome change from “all fouls on 3pt shooters are flagrant fouls” which is how the rule has seemingly been enforced lately.
Rockets Effect: I don’t think this actually helps Tari Eason at all.
Lebron James, Victor Webanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will play big parts in this NBA season. Composite: Guardian Pictures (via Getty)
What I’m most looking forward to …
Seeing all the fruits borne of an incredible summer of player movement. It feels like three years ago that Giannis Antetokounmpo was traded to the Heat, because since then, Jaylen Brown and LeBron James went to the 76ers, and a ton of other deck chairs were reshuffled. This is the most intriguing NBA opening week in eons. Claire de Lune
Washington and Utah clawing their way out of the doldrums. Both have been in perpetual poverty for almost half a decade. Both now surround young cores of switchy, two-way wings with playoff-tested veterans like Anthony Davis and Jaren Jackson Jr. Lee Escobedo
The NBA’s great chemistry experiment. After a summer in which Antetokounmpo landed in Miami and LeBron and Brown somehow wound up together in Philadelphia, the league feels like someone hit the reset button. Whether any of these hastily assembled superteams can actually function together is another question entirely. I’m particularly interested in how quickly the novelty wears off and the finger-pointing begins. Bryan Armen Graham
Can I be a homer and pick da Bulls? It appears they have their own generational Caleb – Caleb Wilson – to match the dynamic Bears quarterback, and the North Carolina prospect has looked like a draft steal since falling to fourth overall. Mix in the free-agent signing of Norman Powell (a veteran tough guy who expands his offensive range each year) and the addition of Tiago Splitter (a Gregg Popovich disciple who spurred Portland to a surprising playoff campaign last year), and these young Bulls sure look ready to run again. Andrew Lawrence
A healthy Indiana Pacers team. I watched a lot of Pacers games last season, convinced they’d still be a playoff team as Tyrese Haliburton recovered from a torn Achilles – their magical run to the NBA finals in 2025 was very much a team effort – only to realize in dismay how Haliburton was not only the team’s beating heart, but the engine of their offense. Now Hali is back, Myles Turner is out, Ivica Zubac and Kelly Oubre Jr are in, and I am glued to my couch with a big bucket of popcorn. Owen Lewis
LeBron’s time with the 76ers will be …
Irrelevant to his legacy. For all the hand-wringing and consternation about what will or won’t happen for LeBron and the 76ers in his tenure there, it’s ultimately a moot point. The (presumably) last stop of his storied career is a coda on what will likely go down as the greatest career in the history of the sport. Another ring would just be a cherry on top. CDL
Not how he imagined. Joel Embiid had the unmitigated gall to announce he’s “against the concept of sacrificing”. This leaves five starters with All-Star appetites fighting over one ball. Recent champions won with a legible hierarchy, a pecking order that settles crunch time and dictates the counter when defenses load up. Tyrese Maxey, coming off a career-high 28.3 points a game, belongs atop the pile. He and VJ Edgecombe will pay most for its absence. LE
A magnificent circus. Philadelphia have spent more than four decades searching for the combination that will deliver another NBA championship, and now they’ve turned to a 41-year-old billionaire who would apparently rather be in New York. There will be spectacular nights, inevitable injuries, endless debates about load management and probably a few helicopter-related controversies. Whether any of it adds up to a championship is almost beside the point. The Sixers have become the most fascinating reality show in American sports. BAG
Eventful. It already has been with him choppering back and forth from New York and media and fans scrambling to trace leaks about Embiid’s perceived commitment back to his camp, reportedly keen to arrange a reunion with Davis. If the Sixers’ Monstar team don’t jump out to an early lead in the East – or worse, falter in Eagles-like fashion – the King risks courting the most intense scrutiny of his basketball career from a fanbase that’s already on his case before he’s even played. AL
Counting on the health of a 41-year-old LeBron and Embiid’s knees – to this point proven to have the durability of Cheez-Its – seems unwise. This team is bursting at the seams with star power, but it’d be easy for injuries and a clunky fit to yank them off the rails before they ever find their rhythm. Still, in the name of delusional optimism and LeBron’s career so far: thrilling and tumultuous. OL
Young player to make the superstar leap …
Dylan Harper was arguably San Antonio’s most consistent player in their finals run last season … as a rookie. The sky is the limit for this insanely talented NBA nepo baby, and I think we see him as an All-Star and maybe even a fringe All-NBA player this year. CDL
Amen Thompson. The athletic gifts have never been in question. What makes the Rockets star so tantalizing is the possibility that his offensive game catches up with the havoc he already wreaks defensively. Houston have enough talent around him that he won’t have to manufacture everything himself, but there’s a version of Thompson who becomes the Rockets’ most important player on both ends of the floor. That version may arrive sooner than anyone expects. BAG
One could argue that Cade Cunningham is already there after leading Detroit to the east’s top seed and otherwise filling out the box score like he did last year. This year, though, I think is when more fans recognize that the Oklahoma State product belongs in the same conversation with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić et al. And if all the work Cunningham put in during the offseason to improve his three-point accuracy bears fruit, the Pistons could have a serious MVP contender on their roster. AL
Cooper Flagg. The 19-year-old spent last season playing the point on an undermanned Mavericks squad, but nonetheless put up 51-, 49-, 45-, and 42-point nights. With Kyrie Irving back from a long layoff with a torn ACL, Flagg stands to excel even further with a talented second option beside him in his sophomore season. OL
This season’s villain arc will be supplied by…
Victor Wembanyama seems quite content to take on the role as villain. It was a cumbersome fit, at first: it’s hard to seem like the bad guy when you’re playing chess with fans in the park and bemoaning the trappings of sports betting. But fresh off a finals drubbing, Wembanyama enters this season on a mission: destroy everything in his path. CDL
The NBA’s gambling partners. Forget Draymond Green. The league’s real villains are turning every possession into a speculative asset. With gambling scandals mounting, the NBA is already restricting certain bets while its partners flood broadcasts with advertising. The actual basketball seems to be becoming a sideshow. BAG
LeBron, see above. AL
Doesn’t James Dolan already have this title locked up? The Knicks got to enjoy their championship for all of five minutes before Dolan announced that they would not go into the second apron. Mitchell Robinson is now a Celtic. Karl-Anthony Towns is unhappy with extension talks. Dolan is renting out Madison Square Garden to raise money for a GOP candidate. Somebody find this man a competent PR manager, or a moral compass. OL
Most Valuable Player
Speaking of Victor Wembanyama, the MVP is his to lose. Barring a significant injury, I don’t see anyone swiping either this award or defensive player of the year from him. He’s fresh off a surprise finals berth, finished high in the MVP voting last year, and is rapidly making his case for the best player in the association. CDL
Victor Wembanyama is inevitable. I raised the alarm last year. The defensive player of the year adds MVP this season, a double nobody has managed since Giannis in 2020. No athlete since prime LeBron has bent physics like this. A man who thinks in myths and epics watched his own late turnover decide Game 2 of the finals, then watched the Knicks celebrate on his floor. He’ll spend 82 games proving he never chokes again. LE
Victor Wembanyama. This one feels overdue before it’s even happened. Jokić remains the best offensive player alive, Luka Dončić can bend entire defenses to his will and Gilgeous-Alexander has made ruthless efficiency his brand. But Wemby is becoming something none of them can match: a one-man defensive system who can also score 30 a night. Voter fatigue should take care of the rest. BAG
Giannis Antetokounmpo. Not only is he healthy, but he’s got a squad around him that fits his lunch-pail personality and an organization that is seriously committed to winning championships. With shooters around him and Bam Adebayo on the floor for shutdown defense and an offensive spark, there’s no telling how far Giannis can take the Heat – but any sort of rebound for this perennial play-in contender is likely to come down to his vintage brilliance. AL
Victor Wembanyama. It’s less that Jokić can’t win his fourth MVP or Dončić his first with especially potent offensive wizardry (voters are notoriously unlikely to give out three MVPs in a row, which rules out Gilgeous-Alexander) than that I think Wemby’s unparalleled and ever-improving two-way superpowers will prove impossible to ignore. OL
Spurs, Thunder, Timberwolves, Nuggets, Lakers, Rockets, Trail Blazers, Jazz (!). LE
Thunder, Spurs, Nuggets, Lakers, Rockets, Timberwolves, Warriors, Mavericks. BAG
Thunder, Spurs, Nuggets, Rockets, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Warriors, Mavericks. AL
Thunder, Spurs, Rockets, Nuggets, Lakers, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, Mavericks. OL
Eastern Conference finals
Knicks over 76ers. CDL
Knicks over Pacers LE
Celtics over Knicks. BAG
Knicks over 76ers. AL
Pacers over Knicks. OL
Western Conference finals
Spurs over Thunder. CDL
Timberwolves over Spurs LE
Thunder over Spurs. BAG
Spurs over Thunder. AL
Thunder over Spurs. OL
NBA finals
Spurs 4-3 Knicks. It’s been the better part of a decade since we got an NBA finals rematch, and we’re due. While the path out of the East will be tremendously more difficult this year, and the Spurs’ path out of the West won’t exactly be a picnic, either, the safe bet feels like a rematch of last year’s finals. However, I do suspect a different outcome: with a deep playoff run of experience under San Antonio’s belt, and Wemby fully embracing his villain arc (and the weightroom), I think this is the year he adds the first of several finals MVPs to his ever-expanding trophy cabinet. JF
Knicks 4-2 Timberwolves. New York had the best offensive rating and the best defensive rating of last postseason. The Knicks swept the conference semifinals and finals on the way to 13 straight wins, the second-longest run in a single postseason. Then they handed Wembanyama’s Spurs a gentleman’s sweep. Wipe away those tears and accept the defending champions. Minnesota spent the offseason building a deep, polymorphous roster around Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball, and I respect it. All five Knicks starters return, though, and in this league, continuity is king. Remember, with Jalen Brunson, anything is possible. LE
Thunder 4-2 Celtics. The NBA’s fixation on parity has made picking a champion feel like throwing darts blindfolded, but Oklahoma City remain the closest thing the league has to a sustainable dynasty. Gilgeous-Alexander is still in his prime, the supporting cast is absurdly deep and last season’s disappointment should provide ample motivation. Boston’s experience carries them through the East, but the Thunder’s athleticism and defensive versatility ultimately prove too much. The league gets another champion from a small market – ending an unprecedented run of eight different champions in eight seasons – and the rest of the NBA gets another reminder that continuity might actually matter. BAG
Spurs 4-1 Knicks. The Spurs get revenge and beat the Knicks, kicking off a new championship rivalry for the era. But this time, instead of riding Wemby till he runs out of gas or deferring to De’Aaron Fox in the clutch, Mitch Johnson puts the onus on Harper – who makes the leap from supersub to superstar to finals MVP. He and Wemby emerge as the Shaq and Kobe of their day, with San Antonio fans holding their breath in hopes that their egos remain modest and keep this dynasty in the making from blowing up in Kawhi-like fashion. AL
Thunder 4-3 Pacers. Nobody repeats in the parity era, but the Thunder got close. With injuries to two vital offensive contributors, they still wrestled their biggest rival to a tight Game 7 in the Western Conference finals. I think they exact revenge over the Spurs this year. The retooled and revitalized Pacers will be the last team standing after a bloodbath in the East. In the finals, they’ll provide a sequel to their magnetic series from 2025, only Haliburton will be healthy for Game 7. We’ll just get the same result. OL
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 14: Teruaki Sato #7 of team Japan bats during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Quarterfinals game presented by Capital One between Team Venezuela and Team Japan at loanDepot park on Saturday, March 14, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
MLB Trade Rumors | Mark Polishuk: Third base will be one of the most scrutinized positions for the Yankees to upgrade this offseason after they got next to nothing from Ryan McMahon, and the biggest name on the market is Teruaki Sato from the Hanshin Tigers. The reigning Central League MVP and superstar in the NPB, Sato is will be 28 by the time next season starts and is high up on many teams’ wish lists this offseason, and the Tigers made it official that they will post Sato after the NPB season ends. Polishuk notes that the impending lockout could mess with Sato’s posting window, as all transactions would freeze on December 1st leading to the possibility that Sato has to sit through the lockout before resuming his posting window and the potential for him to stay in Japan for one more year should the lockout go long enough.
MLB.com | Brent Maguire: It comes as no real surprise, but reports have come out confirming that Aaron Boone will be the Yankees’ manager in 2027. The team was upended in the ALDS for the second consecutive season by the team that beat them out for the AL East crown, but with one year on his deal remaining it would’ve taken a real rift in the clubhouse or pressure from Hal Steinbrenner to actually fire Boone. Instead, he’ll get this next year to try and make it back to the Fall Classic, but if he falls short of the main goal again perhaps they’ll think about not renewing said contract and moving on.
The Athletic | Brendan Kuty: Austin Wells’ lost first half of the season was in no small part due to the cervical headaches he was suffering which prompted an IL stint in June. The cause of said headaches, though? Wells believes it was due to several hard foul tips that opposing batters lined into his mask, citing a couple moments against Boston and Milwaukee in particular. The perils of donning the tools of ignorance are no laughing matter, and Wells has done a fine job behind the plate when healthy. To all those who want to see Ben Rice spend time back there, take heed of Wells’ 53 wRC+ before that IL stint and ask yourselves if the Yankees should subject their newest star to potentially going through something similar.
San Jose Sharks (4-4-1, in the Pacific Division) vs. Montreal Canadiens (4-3-1, in the Atlantic Division)
Montreal, Quebec; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EDT
LINE: Canadiens -211, Sharks +171; over/under is 6.5
BOTTOM LINE: The Montreal Canadiens host the San Jose Sharks after Cole Caufield scored two goals in the Canadiens' 4-3 overtime win against the Buffalo Sabres.
Montreal is 4-3-1 overall and 3-2-0 at home. The Canadiens have committed 43 total penalties (5.4 per game) to rank fifth in league play.
San Jose has gone 2-2-1 on the road and 4-4-1 overall. The Sharks have given up 31 goals while scoring 22 for a -9 scoring differential.
The teams meet Tuesday for the first time this season.
INJURIES: Canadiens: Florian Xhekaj: out (lower-body), Ivan Demidov: out (lower-body), Mike Matheson: day to day (lower-body), Lucas Condotta: out (undisclosed), Bryce Pickford: out (undisclosed), Samuel Montembeault: out (lower-body).
Sharks: Kyle Keyser: out (upper body), Quentin Musty: out (upper body).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
On Monday, the Pittsburgh Penguins had one more opportunity to salvage points from a four-game Western road swing that, so far, had not gone their way.
Unfortunately, they came up empty.
Despite a late push that nearly tied the game, the Penguins dropped their fourth-straight game, this time at the hands of the Utah Mammoth, 5-4. The loss ended their road trip at 0-4, and they dropped to 3-6-1 on the season.
Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell, Egor Chinakhov, and Declan Carlile found the back of the net for the Penguins, while goaltender Arturs Silovs stopped 24 of 29 Utah shots. The Penguins had a late push in the final minute during 6-on-5 play, but it wasn't enough to overcome what was yet another deep-dug hole.
Pittsburgh actually opened up the scoring in this one when Erik Karlsson, just a minute and 11 seconds in, threw a puck toward the net on the power play that hit Mackenzie Weegar on the way in and trickled past Mammoth netminder Sebastian Cossa to make it 1-0.
However, the lead didn't last too long, as Lawson Crouse connected on a nice pass from down low to Clayton Keller breaking through the slot with his speed, and he put it past Silovs to tie the game six minutes in. Kevin Stenlund gave the Mammoth the lead just past the midway point.
The Penguins got another power play opportunity just before the seven-minute mark of the second period, and just eight seconds into the power play opportunity, Rakell got the puck down low around the net. He used his reach on a stuff attempt, and it was a success, giving him his long-awaited first goal of the season to tie the game at 2-2.
But Utah hit back with some momentum of their own. Nate Schmidt potted one from the point a few minutes later to retake the lead for the Mammoth, and a few minutes after that, Kailer Yamamoto beat Chinakhov on a play to make it 4-2.
A minute and a half into the third, Utah added to their lead with a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, who scored his team-leading fifth man-advantage goal of the season. But the Penguins did respond in the form of Chinakhov's second goal of the season less than a minute and a half later, which also marked the first points for Andrei Kuzmenko and Spencer Stastney as Penguins on the assists.
After a long stretch without a shot, the Penguins grabbed momentum in the second half of the final frame. To cap off a nice cycle by the first line, Declan Carlile broke down the left side and finished a play to bring the Penguins to within one at 5-4.
And, at the end of the game, they came very close to tying it. Pittsburgh was getting some sustained pressure with the goaltender pulled, and they even forced a few icing calls to keep tired Utah players on the ice. After a few blasts by Karlsson and Rakell missed the net, Karlsson finally did put one on net, and Cossa let a rebound squirt to Ben Kindel on the doorstep.
Kindel shot it toward the net with the seconds ticking off the clock, and Cossa made a pad save in desperation to preserve the Mammoth lead and send the Penguins home pointless.
Here are a few takeaways from the Penguins' most recent loss:
- The result wasn't what the Penguins wanted. But there are some good things that happened in this game that the team can build on, especially after some pretty drastic lineup changes.
It's no small thing that Rakell and Chinakhov both scored in this game. And not only did they score, they were two of the game's best players, with Chinakhov flanking Crosby's left and Rakell on Kindel's right. If those two - the Penguins' two best pure goal-scorers - can get going, they will be much better for it.
The power play also stayed hot and scored on both of its opportunities in this game. It's three for its last three opportunities, and if that unit can get hot, the Penguins will - again - be much better for it.
Karlsson, who did record his first goal of the season, registered his team-leading 10th and 11th points of the season to give him 11 points in 10 games. His 11 points is tied for third in the NHL among defensemen, as he only trails Evan Bouchard (16 points) and Quinn Hughes (12 points).
And the push in the back half of the third showed that this team is capable of finding another level. Kindel was so, so close to tying that game, and Cossa made the save. The effort was too little, too late, but it's something to build on.
- As far as the defense? Yeah, it hasn't looked great. The details haven't been there. The own-zone coverage has been atrocious, to put it nicely.
But there is a very large something to be considered here.
The Penguins have five new players on their blue line. Three or four of them are playing on any given night, and every pairing has at least one new face.
Yes, every team in the NHL has been forced to work around a much-shortened preseason and training camp. But no team in hockey has as many new faces on the blue line as the Penguins. It's well-known that it typically takes defensemen a bit more time to adjust to new teams, new partners, and new systems.
The defense has been a letdown, but if there can be a neutral take from this, much of the inconsistency and utterly baffling breakdowns can probably trace back to the fact that these guys simply have not had a lot of runway together. It's the same thing on the forward front, but it's even more true on the blue line: It's going to take some time for the coaching staff and the players to figure out the right combinations on the back end.
Maybe this defense is far worse than last season's, maybe it isn't. The simple fact of the matter is that it's game 10, they have four of those five new defensemen on the NHL roster and playing, and more time and experimentation is needed to truly determine what things are probably going to look like for the remainder of the season.
If the same issues and breakdowns persist with this frequency two or three weeks from now, yes, that's a different conversation. But, for now, the blue line needs more time to figure out what works and what doesn't. The shortened camp did not afford the opportunity for any runway whatsoever, especially with prospect-heavy preseason action.
Even if it's not entirely an excuse, it has certainly been a factor.
- That said, yes, Carlile did score a goal, and a big one.
But he has displayed some problematic defense for several games now.
In a few previous games, defensive zone turnovers were the culprit. It was clear that he and Karlsson were not meshing as a pairing, so he was put on a second pairing with Kaedan Korczak in this one, while Stastney was stapled to Karlsson.
The culprits in this one for Carlile? Two blown net-front coverages. He failed to win a net-front battle against Stenlund on his goal, and his failure to box out Jack McBain at the net-front resulted in him screening Silovs on Schmidt's goal.
Then, on the power play goal, Schmaltz was left completely uncovered at the net-front prior to his goal, and Carlile was all the way up at the point like a forward. On the surface, this isn't a problem because of the Penguins' rotating PK, but Carlile is in this position frequently on the PK. He should probably have stayed down low with Karlsson prior to that sequence.
There is far too much risk in Carlile's game right now, and both Spencer Stastney and Ilya Solovyov, the latter playing his first NHL action of the season, were serviceable in this game. If Sam Girard is ready to go Thursday - or Trevor van Riemsdyk - I'm not sure that Carlile has been playing well enough to stay in the lineup on a consistent basis.
- Bryan Rust was injured sometime during the second period in this game, and he did not return. The only thing known up to this point is that it's a lower-body injury.
If he isn't good to go for Thursday's game against the Florida Panthers - and if he goes to injured reserve - I'd expect Avery Hayes or Rutger McGroarty to get the call, as they are lighting up the AHL right now with nine points each in six games.
In any case, that's a tough break for Rust, who was injured out of camp to start the season. This guy's biggest knock in the last decade has been his inability to stay healthy, and it's a shame because the Penguins are a better team when he's in the lineup.
- The Penguins are now 3-6-1 after 10 games. The Philadelphia Flyers - who took 10 games to win a hockey game - are now tied with them points-wise and have just one less win. And the Columbus Blue Jackets are just one point behind them in the basement of the Eastern Conference.
That said, the Penguins are still only four points removed from a playoff spot in the early going.
They take on Florida Thursday. Last season, they were 3-0 against the Panthers and outscored them, 19-9.
This is not last year's Florida team by any means, but it's also a depleted team. Brad Marchand is out for six weeks. Aleksander Barkov is out for a couple of months. Jacob Markstrom and Radko Gudas are both out day-to-day, with their statuses for Thursday uncertain.
I'm not quite as high on this Florida team as some others, but it will be a real test for the Penguins to see if they can put together a full 60-minute effort back in front of their home fans. Their last showing at home was a clinical 2-1 winning effort that ended in a shootout win against one of the league's best two-way teams in the Dallas Stars.
It's early. But they need to right the ship soon. They took some encouraging steps against Utah, but Thursday, in some respects, feels as near to a must-win as a game in October possibly can.
The New York Knicks are aiming to repeat as champions after ending a 53-year title drought, but they will face tough competition to do so.
The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs figure to lead the conversation, while the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics were among the teams that retooled in order to go up a level.
So, who will come out on top? And what about other important parts to the season, such as the NBA Cup and MVP award? Strat-O-Matic broke it down with a simulation of the upcoming season:
Best regular-season record
The Thunder went 64-18 to own the league’s best regular-season record last year. The simulation has them repeating the same record, while the Spurs drop a few wins at 59-23.
NBA Cup winner
The three NBA Cups have been won by the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Knicks. The simulation does not include a new winner, as the Lakers are predicted to top the Celtics for their second NBA Cup triumph.
MVP and Rookie of the Year winners
Three players have three-peated the regular-season MVP award: Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. That could hit four players total, as Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is predicted to win the MVP award for the third year running.
The league is also seeing an exciting crop of youngsters joining the league. Utah Jazz guard Darryn Peterson is predicted to claim the Rookie of the Year award, with Memphis Grizzlies forward Cameron Boozer and Chicago Bulls forward Caleb Wilson among the finalists.
Scoring leader
The scoring title in the league belongs to the player who finished with the highest points-per-game mark in the regular season. Lakers star Luka Doncic is predicted to win his third scoring title with an average of 32.4 points per game, slightly above Gilgeous-Alexander’s predicted 32.2 figure.
NBA Finals winner and Finals MVP
Sorry, New York. The Knicks’ repeat bid is predicted to end in the conference finals, where they fall to the Celtics in five games. On the other side, the Spurs take down the Houston Rockets in six games, pitting San Antonio and Boston in the NBA Finals.
From there, the Spurs go on to win in Game 7, with Victor Wembanyama winning Finals MVP after averaging 26.4 points per game.
Refused a work permit at Bournemouth, Pérez comes face to face with Liverpool’s head coach in Champions League
On Iñigo Pérez’s first day as a head coach he took a call from Andoni Iraola, just as he had every day for months. They had known each other for 22 years, lived in the same residency, come through the same academy and played in the same team; they had worked side by side, manager and assistant, and embarked on an adventure together. Now, though, Pérez was having to go it alone. At 36, he had become what his friend thought he would be from the moment they met, just not so soon. “He wished me luck and said he was there for me,” Pérez said, “said that if I ever needed anything …”
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 28: Jaden McDaniels #3 of the Minnesota Timberwolves poses for a portrait during Media Day at Target Center on September 28, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On the eve of the 2026-27 NBA season, ESPN’s Shams Charania dropped an unexpected piece of Timberwolves-related news.
Minnesota Timberwolves All-Defense forward Jaden McDaniels has agreed to a one-year, $40 million extension that will keep him under contract through the 2029-30 season, agents Nima Namakian of Innovate Sports and Bill Duffy of WME Basketball tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/PYtDRrLves
It seems to be the theme of this offseason for Minnesota. They have consistently been in the news with rarely a long break between important roster moves. From sending off two-thirds of their frontcourt for LaMelo Ball, to the LeBron “White Board” Saga, to Jonathan Kuminga choosing the Wolves over the Lakers – it’s been an active offseason!
For fans wondering why McDaniels seemed to almost randomly sign this one-year extension, Charania further provided details in a follow-up post. This was likely all information shared by Jaden’s agent, Nima Namakian.
McDaniels strategically secures an additional $40 million guaranteed for an additional season while protecting his upside and creating the flexibility to negotiate another extension as early as 2028 at a starting salary of up to 140% of the new higher $40M salary — or enter free agency in 2030 with 10 years of NBA service.
The 26-year-old now has total of four years and $124M on his Wolves deal.
Former Canis Hoopus employee, Dane Moore, had hinted in a podcast episode four months ago that this could’ve been an option. Just as he did when hypothesizing the Julius Randle to Brooklyn Nets salary dump option, Moore was once again on top of this one. For those who are concerned about the dollar amount, he provided a bit of context that should ease concerns about if he’s worth it.
The $40M extension Jaden McDaniels received is for the 2029-30 season.
In 2029-30, $40M will be 21% of the salary cap. 21% of the cap in this year's dollars is $34.6M. Below are the players making around that amount right now.
Jaden had a career season last year, averaging several highs in statistics like points per game, assists per game, and all three shooting percentages. He only further upped his game in the postseason, most notably embarrassing the Denver Nuggets in the first round the postseason.
It’s never a bad day to relive that performance.
Wolves President of Basketball Operations, Tim Connelly, has rewarded the recently turned 26-year-old with a favorable extension. This may be a great time as well, considering the new role he’ll have as one of the leaders of the new-look Timberwolves. Yes, it’s just preseason, but he’s already proven that he’s ready for yet another breakout season.
Jaden McDaniels stats
PTS
REB
AST
STL
BLK
FG%
3P%
FT%
2025-26
14.8
4.2
2.7
1.1
1.0
.515
.412
.835
2026 postseason (vs DEN)
17.8
6.8
2.7
0.5
0.7
.494
.111
.810
2026-27 preseason (per 36)
25.7
7.4
2.6
1.3
0.9
.606
.714
1.00
Some of you have been arguing about his nickname in the comments section. Sith Lord. Seatbelt. Slim. McD. Whatever you want to call him, there’s one thing we can rest assured he will be called for the next four years.
Freddy Peralta was raised as a pro in Milwaukee, got lost in New York, found the greatest version of himself in Tampa Bay and now returns where it all began.
Only this time, he'll be climbing the biggest stage in baseball: Freddy Peralta and the Tampa Bay Rays vs. the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2026 World Series.
Peralta willed that scenario into reality Monday, Oct. 20, when he stretched his American League Championship Series shutout streak to 11 ⅔ innings and won Game 6 of this battle against the Cleveland Guardians, a 7-3 triumph that sent Tampa Bay to its third World Series in franchise history.
Peralta walked off with ALCS MVP honors, as he won Game 2, picked up two huge outs in relief in Game 4 and then won the clinching Game 6. It's just what he's been doing of late.
Since Aug. 26, Peralta has gone 7-0 with a 0.89 ERA in 10 games, including playoffs.
The Rays have won all 10 games.
"He's kind of put us on our back," Rays manager Kevin Cash acknowledged.
And who could have imagined that at the end of July, when Peralta was marooned in Queens with a 4.99 ERA after he was perhaps the most significant disappontment on a highly disappointing New York Mets team that thought acquiring him from Milwaukee was the last piece of a championship offseason.
They gave him a lifeline, though, dealing him out of last place in the NL East and into the penthouse of the AL East, acquiring three Rays minor leaguers in the deal. Suddenly, Peralta had new life, and no ill will toward his old employers.
"I’m very grateful for the Mets organization. They traded for me because they trusted my talent, trusted my career, and they support me," Peralta said in a postgame interview with TBS. "They were always taking care of me, trying to make me get my confidence back. They were really good about it.
"For some reason, it wasn’t able to click. But when I got here, everything changed."
Oh, did it.
Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder has nearly an entire pitching staff of reclamation projects and optimized arms. Yet he had barely two months to work with Peralta before the playoffs.
No matter. Snyder gradually got Peralta to improve his extension down the mound and get his vaunted fastball up in the zone. Gradually, it kicked in and for the past nearly two months, Peralta has been unbeatable.
"You know, it feels so good," Peralta said in his MVP press conference, "because of the way that we've been working on the little things - not only the pitching coach and all that, I mean everybody, from the trainers, people that helped me to feel better with the massage and all that, it's been amazing, great communication.
"They've been awesome with me. They've been giving the best of themselves to make me feel good on the field every day."
This will likely be a short-hop stay in Tampa Bay. Peralta is a free agent at year's end, one reason why Milwaukee traded him with a year of control left. With this World Series matching lower-revenue clubs, it's likely Peralta will find his way to a club more willing to pay a premium.
But there's a World Series to play in the meantime. Peralta admits it will be a little emotional facing old mates, seeing familiar faces, his life as a two-time Milwaukee All-Star and a Tampa Bay ALCS MVP colliding.
"I think that they are great," says Peralta of the Brewers. "They are amazing and we are very similar teams. I don’t know how the people, the fans are going to take it. But I’m happy to go over there. I have a lot of people I love over there, people who care about me, who happen to be there.
"To be able to compete and...take a lot of pictures and videos. Because it’s something that probably won’t happen again."
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 07: Pete Nance #35 of the Milwaukee Bucks defends the ball from E.J. Liddell #9 of the Brooklyn Nets during the second quarter at Barclays Center on April 07, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Pamela Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a nervous few days in which the Bucks waived Pete Nance from the non-guaranteed deal they signed him to in July to cut their official roster to 16—and then waived Kevin Porter Jr. yesterday to bring it to 15—the team announced that Nance has indeed signed another two-way contract to return to Milwaukee for a third season. This will be the 26-year-old’s final season of two-way eligibility.
Why was it a nervous few days? Well, as we wrote in the latest edition of Heard ‘em Say, by waiving Nance, the Bucks reportedly risked the very real possibility of another team snapping him up on a standard contract—something Milwaukee couldn’t realistically offer without taking a significant financial hit. Remember, the Bucks were already going to have to eat one standard contract—which ended up being KPJ’s $5.39m deal—and it seems clear they didn’t want to eat two. Cutting Nance was always going to be the “easy way out” because, as I mentioned, his standard contract was non-guaranteed; however, doing so carried risk, as Nance’s ability has clearly broken into the mainstream.
Make no mistake: while Nance will be on a two-way deal with the Bucks, Jenkins won’t treat him like a two-way player. I doubt he’ll even play much with the Wisconsin Herd this year; instead, I’d wager guys like Bogoljub Markovic and Nate Ament will spend more time in Oshkosh. Clearly, Horst and his team were shrewd enough to convince Nance to allow them to take advantage of the fact that he had a year of two-way eligibility remaining—which saves them having to sign him to a standard deal to keep him—but conversations were surely had about how that contract does not reflect the plans Horst and Co. have for him, both for this season and in the future. Just don’t be putting anything in writing, eh, Jon?
Nance is coming off his best season as a pro, averaging 5.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 1.0 APG, shooting 42.0% from three, in a career-high 15.7 minutes per contest. All three of Milwaukee’s two-way contracts are now occupied.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 15: (EDITORS NOTE: this photo has been converted to black and white) Joshua Jefferson #9 of the Brooklyn Nets poses for a portrait during the 2026 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on July 15, 2026 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Joshua Jefferson, the 6’9” 23-year-old point forward taken at No. 28 in the Draft, has been the forgotten man this summer. Because of NBA regs, he couldn’t join the Nets Summer League team until the first game in Las Vegas. No practice, just a review of the playbook and the results were as expected: some smart plays but with the caveat that things will take time. He also was recovering from an ankle injury sustained in his final days at Iowa State. In three games, he averaged 7.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.
Then, he couldn’t practice in training camp, couldn’t play in any of the four preseason games because of back stiffness. Just three days ago, he was seen running wind sprints, seemingly not near activation…
Jordi Fernandez said Joshua Jefferson (back stiffness) is not ready to return:
“He hasn’t joined the group fully. He’s been part of the group, but he’s not ready to come back.”
Fernandez couldn’t answer whether Jefferson has had imaging. Here’s the rookie doing conditioning: pic.twitter.com/IN7OTK7eaj
So it was a surprise when the head coach announced Monday that Jefferson had participated in practice and would be ready for Wednesday’s game vs. the Charlotte Hornets.
“[Joshua] will be available, yeah. He just practiced, contact practice, and did a great job. I’m happy to see him back. He’s had a buildup and today he played with the rest of the group,” Fernandez said. Whether he makes his debut in the opener remains Fernandez decision.
Jefferson has the Nets excited despite the long road and injuries. He fits the Nets requirements of positional size, versatility and quick thinking. He can play next to Egor Demin or step in for him.
Indeed, according to insiders, the Nets demanded the exchange of picks — the 28th Timberwolves pick for the Nets 33rd — that got him to Brooklyn as part of the multi-team Julius Randle deal. Those same insiders said Jefferson was always an organization target. Scouts believed that if he had been younger, he would have done higher. Jefferson, in fact is the Nets oldest first round pick since Mason Plumlee in 2013. He’s also the ninth oldest player on this year’s roster.
At Media Day, Jefferson talked about his NBA role and how it will likely change from what he played at Iowa State.
“I think [creating with the ball in my hands] is a big part of who I am as a player,” Jefferson said as Erik Slater reported. “Creating for others, making the job easier and getting open shots for my teammates. It’s going to change a little bit with the amount of weapons that we have.
“So just getting it off the glass and then pushing in transition and playing out of closeouts and stuff like that is how I’m going to continue to integrate my game. Just making quick decisions with the ball, given I probably won’t have the ball as much as I did in college. So just understand that I’ve got to be effective in the opportunities that I get.”
As of Monday, only one Nets player — second round pick Tyler Bilodeau — won’t be available. The two-way is out with a shoulder sprain.
Freddy Peralta was named American League Championship Series MVP after the Rays booked their trip to the World Series on Monday with a 7-3 Game 6 win over the Guardians at Tropicana Field.
The ex-Mets pitcher allowed just one run in 12 innings pitched through three outings in the ALCS.
The right-hander pitched 5 ⅓ innings on Monday night in the series-clinching win and exited to a standing ovation from Rays fans
Tampa Bay Rays’ Freddy Peralta celebrates after winning the ALCS MVP following victory against the Cleveland Guardians in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. Getty Images
It’s a stark contrast from where things had been for Peralta in July after posting a 4.99 ERA with the Mets in 22 starts. He was dealt at the trade deadline to Tampa Bay for three prospects and his initial debut with his new club did not go as planned — giving up seven runs on nine hits against the Rockies — but things quickly turned around for him with his new club.
When asked by Lauren Shehadi what he would have said in July if he was told he’d be ALCS MVP, Peralta responded that he’d say, “You’re crazy.”
Freddy Peralta (51) of the Tampa Bay Rays reacts during the fourth inning against the Cleveland Guardians in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. Getty Images
“This is crazy and I am very happy to be here, to be part of this great group and this great organization,” Peralta said. “This is not only mine. We all earned this. This is for the boys.”
Through the Rays’ playoff run, Peralta has posted a 1.08 ERA and allowed just two earned runs.
“First thing was praying every day, as always, praying to God and asking to keep me humble, keep me on my feet, because you don’t know what can happen when you are going through moments like that,” he explained about the rough times and being traded. “I think when I got traded and when I got here, everything changed.”
New York Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) is pulled from the game during the fifth inning when the New York Mets played the Miami Marlins at Citi Field in Queens, N.Y., Friday, May 29, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post
He called the coaches’ help “something that I never want to forget in life” and said he’s “very grateful to have people like that here and people that I never saw before, and now they are part of my family.”
Peralta, who came to the Mets in an offseason trade with Milwaukee to be their ace, finished 5-9 with a 4.99 ERA in 22 starts in a disappointing year for the Amazin’s
The Rays will face his old team, the Brewers, in the World Series, which will begin on Friday in Milwaukee.
As Wrigley View Rooftop appeals a federal judge’s decision granting summary judgment to its neighbor, the Chicago Cubs, and entering a permanent injunction blocking the rooftop owners from selling tickets to watch games, concerts and other events at Wrigley Field, the two sides are waging another battle with implications that could extend far beyond Wrigleyville.
The sides are arguing over whether U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman should unseal the trial court record and all the financial information, contracts and potential trade secrets it contains.
The timing is especially important given that MLB is expected to institute a lockout after the current collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the MLB Players Association expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1.
The labor dispute will concern numerous issues, but at its core will be money, including how MLB revenue is divided between owners and players and the owners’ push for a salary cap. There are fears the lockout could extend well into 2027 and lead to lost games.
In professional sports labor disputes, players’ unions often argue that teams are more profitable than they claim. Unsealed financial records from the Cubs could attract attention well beyond this litigation, including from the MLBPA as it prepares for a potentially contentious labor fight.
Unpacking Wrigley View Rooftop’s arguments
In a memorandum authored by Matthew De Preter and other attorneys from Aronberg Goldgehn Davis & Garmisa, Wrigley View Rooftop offers several arguments in hopes of persuading U.S Coleman to unseal the record.
Wrigley View Rooftop highlights that the Cubs “chose to bring this case” and thus “chose to put information at issue in the presumptively public forum of the Federal Court system.”
Unlike litigation in federal court, arbitration and mediation are generally conducted outside the public judicial process and often subject to confidentiality arrangements. Wrigley View Rooftop maintains there is a “strong presumption” in favor of public access to judicial records.
Last year, Coleman denied Wrigley View Rooftop’s motion to dismiss on the grounds that an arbitration provision in a prior settlement agreement was an “improper mechanism” for dismissing the Cubs’ lawsuit. In 2004, the Cubs settled litigation with rooftop businesses, including Wrigley View Rooftop, through agreements that allowed the businesses to sell rooftop access in exchange for payments to the Cubs. The team’s agreement with Wrigley View Rooftop expired on Dec. 31, 2023, and while the Cubs struck deals with other rooftop businesses, they didn’t do so with Wrigley View Rooftop.
Wrigley View Rooftop insists that the Cubs should not “hide behind its self-anointed confidentiality designations to shield the public from the full record of the case and prevent” Wrigley View Rooftop from “fully responding.”
To that point, Wrigley View Rooftop objects to some of the media coverage of the litigation. One specific grievance is with the headline for Sportico’s Aug. 17 story, “Cubs Slam Wrigley View Rooftop as ‘Parasitic’ in Legal Battle.”
The story summarizes and analyzes the Cubs’ criticism of Wrigley View Rooftop’s business model of selling seats and concessions to ticket holders to watch events at Wrigley Field, a business model the Cubs portrayed as parasitic. (To be clear, the Cubs used the word “parasitic,” and Sportico wrote about that.) Wrigley View Rooftop also objects to several stories and videos published by other media.
Wrigley View Rooftop maintains that “the bias of this coverage” reflects the Cubs’ redacting information in court filings to present the team in a more favorable light.
The Cubs, Wrigley View Rooftop insists, “pick and choose what information” to reveal in court filings “so as to unfairly frame” the Cubs’ image “while deriding” Wrigley View Rooftop. The company maintains it would be in the “public interest” for the record to be released.
In addition, Wrigley View Rooftop argues the Cubs have violated the terms of a confidentiality order issued by Coleman, who set parameters for the two sides to discuss which materials ought to be designated as confidential and sealed. Wrigley View Rooftop maintains that the Cubs haven’t explained the rationale for opposing the removal of confidentiality designations.
Wrigley View Rooftop also objects to the sealing of information regarding the Cubs’ installation of signage and screens that partially block rooftops’ views into Wrigley Field. These screens and signs “are within the plain view of the public” and ought not to be considered trade secrets, Wrigley View Rooftop charges.
The company also contends that if it is “parasitic,” as the Cubs charge, the Cubs could have stopped any misappropriation “simply by installing opaque screens that fully blocked the view into Wrigley Field.”
Unpacking the Cubs’ counterarguments
The Cubs offer a starkly different perspective on this topic.
Through a brief authored by Martin Roth and other attorneys from Kirkland & Ellis, the Cubs argue that it is unconvincing for Wrigley View Rooftop to ask Coleman to unseal documents both parties agreed to keep sealed—including documents Wrigley View Rooftop wants sealed—on the basis that the sealing “has somehow rendered [Wrigley View Rooftop] unable to speak to the press.”
The Cubs, which say they’re open to unsealing some documents with appropriate redactions, object to unsealing the entire record, particularly given that both sides have “legitimate business needs for confidentiality” that include “privacy required to protect the Cubs’ trade secrets or their customers’ personally identifying information.”
The Cubs also argue there’s no case precedent for the proposition that “an inability to effectively persuade the media of a party’s position requires widespread unsealing of an entire Court record.”
Further, the Cubs insist the media coverage hasn’t favored the team.
To that end, the Cubs note that last week ESPN published a feature based on its interview with Wrigley View Rooftop owner Aidan Dunican, with the headline “Inside a Wrigleyville Rooftop Owner’s Fight with the Cubs.”
The ESPN story, the Cubs highlight, contains “professionally curated photographs of Dunican on his rooftop, interviews with his friends, supporters, and neighbors, and commentary from an attorney who formerly represented the rooftops in previous iterations of this dispute.”
The Cubs also point out that four of the story’s first five paragraphs mention the screen the Cubs installed, “the only specific issue [Wrigley View Rooftop] claims” it has been “unable to talk about,” the Cubs charge.
In that same vein, the Cubs argue nothing has prevented Wrigley View Rooftop from discussing the case publicly, and the public hasn’t “faced any barriers” to discussing it, either.
The Cubs point out that unsealing the case record would expose customers’ names, contact information and personal credit card numbers.
Further, the Cubs argue that unsealing would reveal “highly sensitive information, such as specific pricing, costs, margins, growth strategy, and financial projections for multiple products (such as game tickets, concessions, apparel, and more),” as well as other materials that are “routinely sealed.”
The Cubs point out that it’s not just the team that has an interest in protecting this information from public review—it’s also other MLB teams. Unsealing, the Cubs say, “would harm the Cubs and potentially other Major League Baseball stakeholders if this information were publicly disclosed.”
To support this point, the Cubs note that Coleman “made no findings” as to precise dollar figures for Cubs expenses and thus didn’t publicly disclose finances. Instead, Coleman offered more generic projections as they were sufficient for purposes of reaching legal conclusions.
“That a baseball team would incur expenses related to ballpark operations, payroll, construction and equipment, and related topics is obvious and comports with the Court’s comment that it also relied on ‘common sense,” the Cubs write.
In addition, the Cubs note that sharing “detailed financial information,” including the Cubs’ contracts with other rooftop businesses, runs counter to the fact that the Cubs, Wrigley View Rooftop and other rooftop businesses are all, to some degree, competitors.
The Cubs’ contracts with other rooftop businesses could contain “highly sensitive competitive information such as audit rights, margins, and payment terms,” the disclosure of which, the Cubs insist, “could harm competition in a competitive market environment.”
In the days ahead, Coleman will issue a ruling on whether to unseal all, some or none of the documents. It’s fair to say that readership of whatever is unsealed would extend well beyond the Cubs and Wrigley View Rooftop.
