Latest news with #SBNation
New York Post
08-08-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Celtics president gives bold outlook for team as Jayson Tatum recovers from Achilles injury
Don't write off the 2025-26 Celtics quite yet. That's the message longtime Celtics president Rich Gotham delivered Thursday while addressing the state of the team, which is expected to be without star forward Jayson Tatum for most, if not all, of the season as he recovers from an Achilles injury sustained in the postseason. 'You're going to see a team out there working as hard as possible to win. I don't think it's inconceivable that we will be a good team — a good winning team — this year,' Gotham told reporters in Providence as the team broke ground on an early education center, according to SB Nation. 'I'm not sure it's gonna be the step down that people maybe anticipate and every indicator that we have, people are really excited. There's been nothing that's sort of, even though we lost in disappointing fashion and JT's injury was tough for fans and for everyone, the excitement is there.' 4 Jayson Tatum is unlikely to play in the 2025-26 Celtics season. AP Tatum, 27, went down with an Achilles injury in May during Game 4 of the 2025 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Knicks, who finished the series in six games. Gotham didn't rule out that Tatum could return this season, acknowledging the six-time NBA All-Star will do everything he can to get back onto the court, even if unlikely. 4 Jayson Tatum suffered an Achilles injury during the NBA playoffs in May 2025. Jason Szenes for New York Post 'What I know about JT is that he's gonna do everything he can to put us in the position to make a decision,' Gotham said. 'He's gonna work hard to get back as soon as he can, and we'll see how soon that is. But for right now, we're not really looking at timetables.' 4 Jayson Tatum (second from left) joined Celtics brass on Aug. 7, 2025, to mark the groundbreaking of a new early childhood education center in Providence. AP Tatum has been spotted without a walking boot in recent weeks as he continues his recovery. The Celtics shook up their roster this offseason with the trades of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis to Portland and Atlanta, respectively. 4 Rich Gotham attends the Premiere of 'Celtics City' on February 21, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. Getty Images for HBO Boston received Anfernee Simons from the Blazers in the Holiday deal. The Celtics are also unlikely to retain Al Horford, as the one-time NBA Champion has been heavily linked to the Golden State Warriors all summer. The team has since moved on from recently acquired forward Georges Niang, trading him to the Jazz this week, along with two second-round picks, for rookie RJ Luis.
Axios
05-08-2025
- Business
- Axios
SB Nation redesigns sites as Vox Media readies for Google Zero
SB Nation, one of the highest traffic brands within the Vox Media portfolio, has redesigned its website and its dozens of niche sports fan websites to include a new community content section called "The Feed," Vox Media president of revenue and growth Ryan Pauley told Axios. Why it matters: The redesign, which places user and fan content alongside SB Nation's professionally created content, is meant to help the brand recapture engagement that occurs on external social media feeds instead of its sites. It also gives SB Nation, which relies on traffic-based ad revenue, to hedge against the decline of Google Search referrals in the AI era. SB Nation operates 185 active sports fan communities, each with their own distinct websites and branding, that generate over a million user comments per month. Zoom in: The redesign, which launched Tuesday, is meant to put a larger emphasis on community content in a brand safe way that will still appeal to advertisers, Pauley said. Posts in "The Feed" are meant to be more interactive than a standard website. They will feature questions and prompts for users to further engage in conversations, embedded social media posts and links to news stories from other outlets. It also includes a new feature that allows logged in, registered users who engage heavily with the new community features to have a lighter and more streamlined advertising experience. Zoom out: The SB Nation redesign is part of a broader push by Vox Media to hedge against AI's impact on search traffic, especially from Google. The Verge, Vox Media's tech news site, last month released new site features that allow readers to directly follow its journalists and topics in a personalized feed on its homepage. It also launched a new suite of newsletters. NY Mag, the company's preeminent subscription news site, is also leaning more heavily into newsletters and direct-to-consumer products, Pauley said. Eater, Vox Media's food recommendations site, is leveraging AI to optimize search within its site for users looking to dine with special requests. Yes, but: Because each one of Vox Media's dozen plus brands has a very different identify and use case, the solution for each site will look very different and custom, per Pauley. "It is incumbent on each brand to develop their own strategy for what's the best way to get loyal audiences to come back more frequently," Pauley said. "Some of which will be through paid channels, some of it will be through non-paid experiences." The big picture: Vox Media is one of the few remaining independent media holding groups that hasn't been sold or broken up. The company has focused on profitability as a way of controlling its own destiny, and has deprioritized certain businesses in response to market trends. As of February, the company's CEO Jim Bankoff said he wasn't eyeing an exit for the firm, which has raised over $400 million since 2009. Vox Media was last valued at $500 million in 2023, when it raised $100 million from Penske Media Corp. What to watch: Outside of its websites, Vox Media has found success in building a robust podcast talent network, which has helped hedge against social media and search platform shifts.
USA Today
05-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Which USC baseball draftees chose to sign professional contracts?
Last month, USC baseball had three players selected in the 2025 MLB draft. Last week marked the deadline for MLB teams to sign their 2025 draftees. With that deadline having passed, we know which players will be turning pro and which will be playing college baseball in 2025. USC made the NCAA Tournament in 2025, snapping a decade-long drought and taking one big step in building back the program. USC won two games and reached the regional final, which meant the Trojans were one of the top 32 teams in the country. USC came close to achieving the kind of season the program should regularly expect. USC baseball tradition was revived. It was progress for a school which owns 12 college baseball national championships. So what is the status of the Trojans' draftees? Let's take a look: Ethan Hedges Hedges was selected in the third round of the draft by the Colorado Rockies. Per SBNation, he signed with Colorado for $950,000, $110,300 below slot value. Caden Hunter Hunter was selected in the sixth round of the draft by the Baltimore Orioles. Per SBNation, he signed with Baltimore for $344,600, under slot value by $2,500. Bryce Martin-Grudzialanek Martin-Grudzialanek was selected in the 20th round of the draft by the New York Yankees. Per SBNation, he signed with New York for $150,000, the maximum allowed for players draft in rounds 11-20 without counting against a team's bonus pool. High school draftee picks the Trojans High school pitcher and USC commit Gavin Lauridsen was selected in the 13th round of the draft by the 13th round of the draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. However, he elected not to sign with Milwaukee and will play for the Trojans next year, a big victory for head coach Andy Stankiewicz and the USC program. Last year's top pick promoted Last year, the Baltimore Orioles selected the USC center fielder in the third round of the draft. Per Jake Dill of the organization is promoting Overn to Double-A Chesapeake this week.
Hindustan Times
27-07-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
NBA offseason's 6 defining moments and trades that could impact 2025 season
The NBA offseason has always been an unpredictable time. From the New York Knicks-Minnesota Timberwolves exchange on the eve of media day to Damian Lillard being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks just before training camp, the time is bound to be full of shocks and jolts. Former Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant gestures during the second half of an NBA basketball game on March 9(AP) Carrying on the spirit, here are the top six moves that happened this offseason, as ranked by SB Nation: The Hawks' draft trade back with the Pelicans Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard, who didn't the Hawks pick up this offseason? A perfect complement to their Jalen Johnson-Trae Young duo, landing the New Orleans Pelicans' unprotected 2026 first-round pick was just the cherry on top of a pile of cake. And all of this came at the cost of trading down 10 spots for this season. With a solid big three in their pocket, the Hawks could well win a playoff series or two while they're at it. The Magic's Desmond Bane trade In need of reforming their weak shooting, the Magic made the wise decision of picking Desmond Bane, a shooter known for his ability to defend, in exchange for four first-round picks, including the Suns' 2026 pick, to Memphis. With Paul Banchero and Franz Wagner already in their pocket, the team now has a strong chance at the least. The Nuggets' Cam Johnson trade The Denver Nuggets scored an ace by trading an unprotected 2032 first-round pick and Michael Porter Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets for Cam Johnson. A tall shooter with a lack of any serious injuries, Johnson was one of the league's most efficient players last season. In addition, they also traded for Jonas Valanciunas to back up Jokic, signed a knockdown shooter in Tim Hardaway Jr., and brought back the glue guy from their 2023 championship run in Bruce Brown. This move might just put a title win on the map for the Nuggets. The Rockets' Kevin Durant trade Already ranked as the No. 2 seed in the West last season thanks to a strong and young defense core, the Houston Rockets were now in desperate need of building up their shooting abilities. Enter Kevin Durant. For an incredibly reasonable agreement, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and the No. 10 pick were traded to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Durant, who will fill the gaps to make the Rockets a championship-ready team. The Thunder's Chet Holmgren extension Following their recent title win, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams both managed to secure highly lucrative contract extension deals from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Chet Holmgren's max extension, however, is a straight 25 percent of the salary cap deal, implying that he won't get a raise if he makes All-NBA or wins Defensive Player of the Year next season, as reported by SB Nation. In addition, the team will also manage to avoid paying luxury tax and attached aprons for a few more years. The Clippers' depth moves Over the summer, Brook Lopez, Bradley Beal, Chris Paul, and John Collins were added to the Clippers' roster with Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Ivica Zubac still forming the core of the team. What was once viewed as a huge mistake in letting veteran Paul George walk away in free agency last year has now proved to be a calculated decision to pick depth over aging players. As a result, the team managed to win 50 games and competed against the Nuggets during Game 7 of the first-round this past season. By Stuti Gupta
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Aaron Rodgers made NFL history by turning defender mistakes into record-breaking free play passes
Aaron Rodgers made NFL history by turning defender mistakes into record-breaking free play passes (Image Via X) Aaron Rodgers built a career from one smart tactic. Whenever defenders jumped early or got caught offsides, Aaron Rodgers snapped the ball fast and took big shots downfield. Since 2006, no quarterback has thrown more passes on these 'free plays' than Aaron Rodgers. Fans and experts say he turned small mistakes into huge gains. How did he do it so well, and why did it work so often? Let's see his top free-play moments and what they say about his skill and timing. How Aaron Rodgers turned every defensive mistake into a big scoring chance Aaron Rodgers became known around 2010 for drawing offside calls consistently. When a defender jumped early or an extra player was on the field, he would still start the play. If the pass failed, the team took the five‑yard penalty. If it worked, they gained big yards. According to NFL Football Operations, Aaron Rodgers had 84 passes on free plays from 2006 to now, more than anyone else. He averaged about 25 air yards per free-play pass, racking up nearly 2,000 downfield yards, far more than any other quarterback. Even top QBs like Ben Roethlisberger and Patrick Mahomes couldn't match his numbers. A 2015 SBNation report showed Aaron Rodgers averaged nearly 80 yards per game from free plays alone, turning offside calls into massive gains. That year, he used a fast snap method when the defense was late or had 12 men on the field, so every free play helped his offense. Also Read: 'Impressive Antagonist': Aaron Rodgers Slammed As 'Isolated' And 'Dismissive' In Shocking Claims From Ex-NFLPA Chief DeMaurice Smith Aaron Rodgers smart timing impressed fans and commentators Aaron Rodgers' free-play tactic earned praise from commentators and opponents. Mike Tirico, then on ESPN's Monday Night Football, said, 'Free play Rodgers has made a living on this' after Aaron Rodgers hit deep touchdown passes in 2015. Even rival coaches took note. Former Green Bay Packers coach Jim Tomsula said he had 'game-taped long' Aaron Rodgers using hard counts and no-huddles to trick the defense. Atlanta Falcons coordinator Marquand Manuel said teams struggled to stop Aaron Rodgers because he changed his cadence and snap count so well. These comments show how Aaron Rodgers turned free plays into weapons. He knew defender habits, called shifts to force offsides, and snapped at perfect times. The result? More deep throws, more yards, and more big plays all with low risk. Aaron Rodgers' mastery of free plays shows his smart mind and game-ready timing. By turning small defensive lapses into powerful gains, he changed what a simple penalty can mean for an offense. For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
