Latest news with #Spittin'Chiclets'
New York Post
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Charles Barkley ‘100 percent shocked' Michael Jordan joined NBC
Michael Jordan still has Charles Barkley guessing. The rivals, who met in the 1993 NBA Finals and played countless rounds of golf together as one-time close friends, soon will be contemporaries in the broadcasting game. Barkley, who put off retirement, is making the move from TNT to ESPN as a studio analyst along with the NBA's television rights. And Jordan, who spent 13 years as the majority owner of the Hornets, is surprisingly joining NBC as a special contributor. Charles Barkley attends the Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront 2024 on May 15, 2024 in New York City. Getty Images for Warner Bros. Di Nobody – even Barkley – knows what that role entails. 'I have no idea what Michael is going to do,' Barkley said on Barstool Sports' 'Spittin' Chiclets' podcast. I don't think he's going to do a lot. I know he's not going to do a lot. I was 100 percent shocked, but I don't think he's going to do a lot. Period.' Adding Jordan to its coverage is a coup for NBC, which lost broadcast rights to ABC and ESPN in 2002 but is back in the game for the 2025-26 season at the expense of Barkley's longtime home on Turner Sports. All of Jordan's biggest games en route to winning six NBA championships happened during the last 'NBA on NBC' golden era. Michael Jordan has been tapped as a special contributor for NBC's upcoming NBA coverage. AP Puck's John Ourand reported that Jordan's presence might involve more pre-taped segments than live in-studio appearances, per Awful Announcing. Barkley and Jordan had a falling out over Barkley's criticisms of Jordan as a team owner. Jordan sold his stake in the Hornets in 2023. Barkley joked that Jordan must need a break from golfing at his private club (The Grove XXIII) in Florida. 'He's probably trying to fix The Grove,' Jordan said. 'He made The Grove where you have to be able to hit the ball left or right. He's probably trying to fix the fairways so people who play a hook can play there.'
New York Times
21-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Johnston: ‘Nothing like being a Maple Leaf' – but is that a good thing?
TORONTO – The Florida Panthers are on to the Eastern Conference Final, but they left behind a parting gift here in the centre of the hockey universe. After sending the Toronto Maple Leafs into the summer with a pair of humbling home defeats to close out a second-round series, the Panthers ripped open Pandora's Box by suggesting it was the crippling pressure from fans and media that ground Toronto's game to a halt rather than their own relentless forecheck and superior execution. Advertisement Matthew Tkachuk went so far as to say he felt bad about how much his counterparts in Toronto had to deal with, suggesting during a Monday appearance on 'Spittin' Chiclets' that other teams can use the weight of expectations against them. While the Leafs naturally pushed back against that notion in their exit meetings – 'I don't know how they could do that, but maybe they could call me up and tell me,' head coach Craig Berube offered Tuesday – it remains a very real perception around the NHL. It's an idea that will hang like a cloud over an offseason where superstar forward Mitch Marner appears set to walk away from his hometown team in free agency. Should that happen, a portion of his decision will be a desire to find a new environment, according to league sources. Marner has experienced a bit of everything during his nine seasons with the Leafs. He's received celebrations and adoration, earning a nice sideline income through numerous sponsorship opportunities. But he's also dealt with periods of intense criticism and even some harassment in the community. Before speaking at the Leafs practice facility on Tuesday, he thanked a reporter for deleting a social media post after Sunday's 6-1 loss to the Panthers in Game 7. A fan had crossed the line in the replies. The best way to navigate life in the spotlight of a hockey-mad city, according to Marner, is not to focus too much on the negative things people say. Over the years, he and his wife Stephanie learned to lean into all of the good things happening around them. 'You know there's so much love and appreciation for yourself from the fans out there,' said Marner. 'Just because you don't (always) hear it, you know it's still out there. You know you've got the love of a lot of people. Sometimes the noise you hear is not (what) you want, but that's how it goes. I'm sure my family is taking it hard, especially being in the crowd for a couple (playoff games), but that's how this game of hockey goes. The passion the city brings is something you appreciate and love about it.' Advertisement The Leafs have arguably the most dedicated and tortured following in the NHL. Despite not playing for a Stanley Cup since 1967, let alone winning one, they're accustomed to seeing pockets of blue sweaters wherever they play. They also generated the league's highest home gate revenue in local dollars this season. They are basically hockey's answer to the Cowboys, Yankees or Real Madrid, and some tradeoffs come with the scrutiny in the form of high-end facilities, training and nutrition resources, plus an unmatched program for injury rehabilitation. 'I've never seen anything like it,' said veteran forward Max Pacioretty. 'There's nothing like being a Maple Leaf.' Pacioretty, the former Montreal Canadiens captain, believes Tkachuk, Brad Marchand and Panthers coach Paul Maurice missed the mark when pointing to pressure's impact on the series' outcome. 'Anyone can say whatever they want,' said Pacioretty. 'Everyone can have their own opinions as to how or why we lost, but at the same time, you can use (pressure) against someone. Or you can use it to your advantage. I guess I'm a glass-half-full guy at this stage in my life, and I see that there are ways to use it to your advantage.' The Leafs failed to do that during these playoffs, though. They went 4-3 in the games they played at Scotiabank Arena, and each of the home-ice defeats ended in blowouts. That includes a 4-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators in Round 1 before back-to-back 6-1 losses to Florida, sandwiched around a huge season-extending Game 6 win on the road. Internally, the organization tries to identify players who won't feel rattled by the volume of media coverage or heightened attention from fans in the community. That was part of why management was comfortable giving William Nylander the richest contract in franchise history last season. Advertisement Nylander calls life in Toronto his 'normal.' 'I mean, it's been a dream,' he said. 'I think every kid wishes that they could play for such an organization like this.' John Tavares was the NHL's marquee free agent when he chose to join his boyhood team in 2018. Even after the ups and downs of his seven-year run, in which the Leafs have gone 2-7 in playoff series, Tavares enters this summer hoping to earn another contract here. What Tkachuk sees as 'crazy circus stuff' around the Leafs, Tavares views as an opportunity. 'It's an unbelievable place to play,' said Tavares. 'An incredible fan base that loves its team and so badly wants to see it win. When it happens here again, it's going to be something pretty remarkable, and we want to be a part of that.' To be fair to Maurice, who spent two seasons as Leafs coach earlier in his career, he did mention that anyone part of bringing success to Toronto wouldn't have to buy lunch again for the rest of their lives, while also discussing 'the cost' of playing here. As the Panthers push on in search of another championship, the Leafs believe Florida will face the same kind of heat they were under until their own playoff run ended. 'If you're playing in Game 7 and you're in Columbus, there's pressure to win, OK?' said Berube. 'The only pressure that we should feel is right inside the locker room from each other. 'That's honestly my opinion.' (Photos of Auston Matthews and Leafs crowd: Claus Andersen / Getty Images)
Vancouver Sun
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Brad Marchand rejects his new nickname: 'Maple Leafs Executioner'
Florida Panthers' Brad Marchand reportedly refused a nickname a reporter came up with following his team's win Sunday night: 'Maple Leafs Executioner.' Athlon Sports reported Monday the nickname was given to the 37-year-old by a reporter during a press conference after Leafs were eliminated in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Sunday night in Toronto. 'I appreciate that, but no, I don't look at it that way,' Marchand said, as seen in a video shared by the Panthers on YouTube . 'If you look at the past, I haven't played well in Game 7s against Toronto. No one player wins anything. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'I've just happened to be part of good teams who have had the upper hand, but if you historically look at the games, I didn't play well. It wasn't me that beat them, it was our teams,' Marchand was quoted as saying. Not only did Marchand score once and added two assists in Game 7, but 'he also made history by becoming the first player in NHL history to win five Game 7s against a single franchise, four with the Boston Bruins and one now with Florida,' Athlon Sports reported. Panthers' forward Matthew Tkachuk appeared as a guest star on the 'Spittin' Chiclets' podcast on Monday morning and discussed what he thinks is holding back the Leafs. 'Sometimes you feel bad for them because they have some unbelievable players and a great team,' the 27-year-old said. 'I was actually saying this last night to some of the guys. If their team was not in Toronto, dealing with all the crazy circus stuff outside of it, they'd be an unbelievable team and such a hard team to play. They just have so much to deal with, and I feel bad.' 'We don't have to deal with that in Florida,' Tkachuk added. 'I feel like that's what makes me and my team so lucky. You almost use that against them. The pressure that these guys have to deal with day in and day out. I wasn't surprised with how they played. They had stretches in those games where they played really well. Look at last night. That second half of the first period, they were unreal. (Panthers goaltender Sergei) Bob (Bobrovsky) had to come up huge for us. They definitely didn't lay an egg at all. They played us well. They took us to Game 7.' 'If their team was not in Toronto dealing with all the crazy circus stuff outside of it, they'd be an unbelievable team.' @TKACHUKycheese_ actually feels bad for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Tkachuk also spoke in support of his friend Auston Matthews, the Leafs' star centre. 'I think he's been playing really well this whole series. He's a force at both ends. And I got to see his leadership at the 4 Nations and how he leads by example,' said Tkachuk, as reported in The Leafs Nation. The Toronto Maple Leafs might have been eliminated from their Stanley Cup run, but they still have one fan who believes in them. Life-long Leafs fan Justin Bieber and his wife Hailey Bieber attended the Sunday night game. Despite the stinging loss, the 31-year-old remained steadfast in his loyalty towards the team. The Ontario native said in an Instagram post that he doesn't remember a time in his life when he wasn't obsessed with the 'leafsssss.' 'This year we made it farther than we have in so long and im happy about that I can be patient cuz I know this is the team to do it,' Bieber wrote. With this win, the Panthers will now face Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference finals. A post shared by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber)
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
'You can't learn to be a natural born killer' — Charles Barkley explains why Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan were more dangerous than LeBron James
(Image Source - Getty Images) In the ongoing discussion about who the best NBA players are, Charles Barkley shares an interesting take. While a lot of folks put LeBron James in the top three, Barkley sees him as seventh, pointing out a key difference: that killer instinct. He believes Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant had a natural ferocity that LeBron just doesn't have. Barkley insists this isn't just about the numbers; it's about that unteachable drive that really defines greatness. Why LeBron James ranks below Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant in the all-time NBA hierarchy NBA legend and analyst Charles Barkley has ignited debate by putting LeBron James at number seven on his all-time greats list. Barkley argues that this is because LeBron doesn't possess the 'killer instinct,' that unyielding urge to crush his competition. He points out that Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant had it in spades. "natural born killers," exhibiting an aggressive competitiveness that LeBron, in his view, does not possess. During his appearance on the 'Spittin' Chiclets' podcast, Barkley said, 'Nobody ever referred to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant as nice guys.' He stressed that their goal was to win, but also to 'dominate, destroy, and humiliate' their competition. Barkley feels LeBron is 'too nice,' suggesting he lacks the aggressive edge that defined Jordan and Bryant's game. Major Leafs Surprise w/ Charles Barkley - Episode 563 Barkley pointed out that this killer instinct isn't something you can just pick up; it's something you're born with. He said, 'You can't train to be a natural born killer.' This view emphasizes the mental aspect of a player, which goes beyond just stats. Even though he recognizes LeBron's amazing career and what he's done for the sport, Barkley believes that without that natural aggression, LeBron falls short compared to Jordan and Bryant in the basketball legend rankings. Also Read: Garnett says Dallas Mavericks don't need Cooper Flagg, calls out NBA for failing teams with broken draft system Charles Barkley believes that true greatness in basketball goes beyond just stats and awards. He argues that having a killer instinct—the fierce drive to dominate opponents — is what really sets the legends apart. To Barkley, even though LeBron James has an impressive career, he lacks that raw intensity that keeps him from being on the same level as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Paul Bissonnette Sends Stern Warning to Panthers Before Maple Leafs Series
The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers are set to meet in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second time in three years, and Paul Bissonnette lost no time stirring the pot. On Friday's episode of the 'Spittin' Chiclets' podcast, Bissonnette took direct aim at the Panthers, sending a direct warning their way. Advertisement 'Now it's on to Goliath, the Florida Panthers, and we have unfinished business with you,' Bissonnette said. Bissonnette went on to mention a few Panthers players, including forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett. 'You hear that, 'Bennett the Menace'?' Bissonnette said. 'Hi, Matthew! We just took down your brother Brady, and now we're coming for you.' Bissonnette also reserved a special moment for new Panthers forward Brad Marchand. 'My arch (expletive) nemesis,' Bissonnette said. 'I'm going to take you down, once and for all. You hear me, Brad!? You're going down, buddy. Put the war paint on because it's our time. It's our year. Advertisement 'Go, Leafs, Go! Go, Leafs, Go! Yes!' Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) looks on during a stoppage of Navarro-Imagn Images Florida reached the second round by defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games, winning all three on the road. Toronto eliminated the Ottawa Senators in six games, with the final game played in Toronto. Toronto won the Atlantic Division over the Panthers and enters the second round holding home-ice advantage. Florida, however, dominated the Leafs in the regular season, taking three of four games between both franchises. Game 1 between the Leafs and the Panthers is scheduled for Monday, May 5 at 8 p.m. ET at Scotiabank Arena, with the last postseason meeting between both teams ending with Florida beating the Leafs in five games back in 2023. Advertisement Related: Matthew Tkachuk's First Message to Brady Tkachuk After Senators-Maple Leafs Related: NHL Delivers First Official Update on Maple Leafs-Panthers Series
