Comrades Marathon: One race for many reasons
Tshepang Lesiba is among hopefuls who will line up for this year's Comrades Marathon on Sunday.
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33 minutes ago
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Pacers vs. Thunder: On-court NBA Finals logo needs to return to give the event the special feel it deserves
It's the most important and biggest event of the year for the NBA, but you wouldn't know it by the mere optics of the Finals. No gold trophy at center court. And more importantly, no Finals script logo anywhere on the floor. Advertisement Short of Oklahoma City fans wearing all white, you couldn't tell the magnitude of the moment. Tyrese Haliburton's winning shot in Game 1 will be etched in history regardless of the series outcome, but visually something was missing. Fans took to social media in the last few days to remark how the floor looks sterile and bare compared to NBA Finals series of the past, and they were especially dismayed when bringing up the special courts the NBA uses for the early-season Emirates NBA Cup. A closeup view of the 2014 NBA Finals logo at American Airlines Arena in Miami. (Photo by John W. McDonough /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (John W. McDonough via Getty Images) 'We have the opportunity to plan well in advance and to design a specific neutral court for a Cup championship game, and the teams design their own Cup courts,' commissioner Adam Silver said Friday. 'And it actually takes a significant amount of time to create new courts in terms of how they're painted, et cetera.' Advertisement Here's a solution for the league, which they could employ starting next year: At the start of the conference finals, start making four versions of the floor for each arena so something will be ready for the Finals. Of course, two will go unused, but the payoff of fan satisfaction could be worth the investment. It's simple, and it doesn't affect the style or quality of play. But the visual of the logo makes the moment feel big, and the NBA should focus on making moments feel bigger — especially for a television audience. 'There was a sense that maybe the logos added some slipperiness to the court, and it was a change on the court that was coming just at the time of the Finals,' Silver said Friday afternoon at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County ribbon-cutting ceremony, where the league refurbished educational spaces, among other things. Advertisement 'And again, maybe it's for superstitious reasons or just a sense from teams. We shouldn't be changing things around such important competition.' Maybe it was somehow slippery, although no moments come to mind when injuries occurred around the logo. Or maybe the NBA didn't think it was that important. The World Series has significant logos on the grass, and the Super Bowl has its unique signage at both 20-yard lines. Silver, who seems to be online more than people would expect, saw the reaction and indicated perhaps a change can be made in the future. 'I hadn't thought all that much about it till I thought it,' Silver said. 'I'm nostalgic as well for certain things and and also, I think, for, you know, media-driven culture, whether it's people watching live or seeing those images on social media, it's nice when you're looking back on highlights and they stand out because you see that that trophy logo or some other indication that it's a special event.' The Finals script design made its return in 2022 after a few years of a very bland, Microsoft Word-style design that was panned by all. When the script returned for the first time since the 2017 Finals, fans across the league rejoiced. Advertisement It felt important. It felt big. It was first put on the floors in the 1989 NBA Finals, and two years later, decals for the entire NBA playoffs were placed. Like Silver said, it created a nostalgia that for some reason the league went away from reinforcing. During the ABC broadcast, there seemed to be nothing special — no televising the national anthem or starting lineups, and in last year's Finals, digital advertising signage was placed on the floor instead of the Finals script. It seems like an easy solution, and the league pays enough attention to social media and the like that it wouldn't be a shock to see some level of visual change. Advertisement Are numerous different champions better? Not only will this be the seventh straight year the NBA will crown a new champion, Oklahoma City and Indiana joining the party means 11 teams have played for the NBA title during that span — with Boston, Miami and Golden State making multiple appearances since 2019. Who knows if it's a good, great or terrible thing — the lack of connective tissue between the Finals year after year? But it's clear Silver believes this being a function of the collective bargaining agreement is a positive. 'I remember when I first joined the league,' Silver said Thursday during his Finals availability news conference. 'David used to joke early on in his tenure, David Stern, as commissioner, he said his job was to go back and forth between Boston and L.A. handing out championship trophies. Advertisement 'I think it was very intentional, it didn't begin with me, it began with David and successive collective bargaining agreements, that we set out to create a system that allowed for more competition in the league, with the goal being having 30 teams all in position, if well managed, to compete for championships. That's what we're seeing here.' In Stern's 30 years as commissioner, he handed trophies to Chicago, San Antonio, Los Angeles, Miami, Boston, Detroit, Golden State, Houston and Cleveland. Silver is already close to topping that number in less than half the time. 'I've said before, the goal is that market size essentially becomes irrelevant.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
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Vikings Coach Reveals J.J. McCarthy Message He Told Aaron Rodgers
Vikings Coach Reveals J.J. McCarthy Message He Told Aaron Rodgers originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Minnesota Vikings have come clean that they did have conversations with Aaron Rodgers during the peak free-agency period. Advertisement After all, when a four-time MVP calls, you pick up the phone. However, the weight of those conversation, whether there was a legitimate chance for Rodgers to sign with the Vikings, remains salient in the minds of fans. The flirtation with Rodgers has been used as a demerit toward J.J. McCarthy, who embarks on his first season as the team's true starter after he was not forced into the role with Sam Darnold in the building a year ago. In an appearance on KFAN radio, Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell offered insight into what his conversations with Rodgers looked like. Former New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8).Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images While the idea of plugging Rodgers into the Vikings roster was enticing, O'Connell admitted that he was not just considering what the upcoming season would look like, but also how it would impact the future -- ergo McCarthy. Advertisement 'When there was an opportunity, when him and I connected this offseason just to kind of talk about what that would look like, we had a lot of great dialogue about it,' O'Connell said on June 6. 'But it always was centered around what was best not only for the present in the Minnesota Vikings organization, but the future. 'I was very honest about my feelings toward J.J.,' he added. 'My obligation that I felt like we were going to give him the best possible situation to begin and thrive on this NFL journey and let's see where it goes.' Since the Vikings drafted McCarthy 10th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, every decision has been geared toward putting him in the best position to succeed -- including balking at the possibility of working with Rodgers. Advertisement An all-in move for Rodgers would have potentially given Minnesota a better chance at a championship this season, but it would come at the expense of McCarthy's development and future roster-building to aid him. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah admitted that McCarthy would have sat his rookie year regardless of how well he performed had he not gotten injured late in training camp. However, it's time to kickstart McCarthy's development after a year lost. The biggest question entering the 2025 offseason was not whether McCarthy would be prepared enough to play, but rather, would be physically ready after recovering from meniscus surgery. Advertisement The 22-year-old quarterback has put those concerns to rest in organized team activities (OTAs), prompting Rodgers to finally commit to signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers this week. Years of speculation on whether Rodgers would fulfill the prophecy of following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Brett Favre, actually almost came to fruition this time around. It was the closest the NFL has ever gotten to seeing it happen. However, if all goes to plan with McCarthy, Rodgers-to-Minnesota may never be mentioned again. Related: Vikings Make Brutally Honest J.J. McCarthy Admission Amid QB Questions Related: Concerns Grow Over Vikings Team Captain's Behavior at OTAs This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
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Alex Call's impressive diving catch
'I just go get it!' — Johan Rojas reflects on his incredible catch Looking back on Friday's game, Johan Rojas saved the game with a heck of catch in the eighth inning. Rojas, Rob Thomson, and Trea Turner react to the incredible play.'I just go get it!' — Johan Rojas reflects on his incredible catch originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
