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USA Today
6 hours ago
- Business
- USA Today
Who is James Dolan? Knicks owner makes waves after decision to fire Tom Thibodeau
Who is James Dolan? Knicks owner makes waves after decision to fire Tom Thibodeau Show Caption Hide Caption Shaq talks NBA Finals matchup and NBA on TNT Shaquille O'Neal joins Sports Seriously to talk about all things NBA and his upcoming Netflix docu-series 'Power Moves'. Sports Seriously The New York Knicks are fresh off an Eastern Conference Finals appearance. Although they ultimately lost to the Indiana Pacers in six games, this appearance was the organization's deepest playoff run in the 21st century. In fact, the Knicks' three straight postseason appearances matches their longest streak in that span as well. All this is to say that despite the best success the Knicks have seen in years, that didn't stop owner James Dolan from firing head coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday morning in a shocking move that left the NBA world mouths agape. The news is especially shocking considering Thibodeau signed a three-year extension with the team just last summer. It's clear that Dolan is not afraid of ruffling a few feathers in pursuit of bringing the Knicks a championship. He's been a busy man in recent years, making waves on the roster by bringing in big names such as Karl-Anthony Towns. However, could this decision to remove one of the team's most successful coaches in recent memory destroy their chances moving forward? Here's everything to know about James Dolan: FEELING SENTIMENTAL: Knicks superfan Ben Stiller 'grateful' for work fired Tom Thibodeau did in New York Who is James Dolan? Dolan is officially listed as the executive chairman and chief executive officer of Madison Square Garden Sports and Madison Square Garden Entertainment. He is the owner of both the New York Knicks and the NHL's New York Rangers. He formerly owned the WNBA's New York Liberty, although he sold the team to Joseph Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai in 2019. He is one of six children of Cablevision founder Charles Dolan and is the nephew of the late Cleveland Guardians owner Larry Dolan. James Dolan's early business career Dolan was named CEO of Cablevision in 1995. Dolan established himself as a worthwhile businessman throughout his time with the company, but most notably in opposition to his father's proposed Voom satellite service. Dolan was given increased responsibility in managing Cablevision's sports properties in 1999, thus paving the way for him to be primary owner later in life. James Dolan's music career Dolan was originally pursuing a career in music before swapping to communications when that didn't work out. Despite the lack of success in his early life, he remains an avid musician, working as the singer for the rock band JD & the Straight Shot. Their most recent album, "The Great Divide," was released in 2019. James Dolan's personal life Dolan has been married twice and has six sons. He married his second wife, Kristin, in 2002. She was named CEO of AMC Networks in 2023. The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Dodgers rout Yankees in epic fashion, make another statement in World Series rematch
Dodgers rout Yankees in epic fashion, make another statement in World Series rematch Show Caption Hide Caption Does Alex Rodriguez think Ohtani should get back into pitching? Sports Seriously's Mackenzie Salmon asks Alex Rodriguez about the Dodgers and Shohei Ohtani's focus on hitting than pitching right now. Sports Seriously LOS ANGELES — Dodgers MVP Shohei Ohtani didn't homer, or do anything spectacular, but his bat certainly made a fabulous first impression. Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy, who fans were trying to run out of town just a few weeks ago, had the game of his life. Hyesong Kim, the Dodgers' free-agent signing who drew barely any attention, showed why the Dodgers think he'll be a star. And, there was Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, who is quickly establishing himself as the ultimate Yankee killer, performing his magic again. By the end of Saturday night, the Dodgers showed the New York Yankees that the World Series runs through Los Angeles, routing the Yankees, 18-2, in front of 51,746 fans screaming like it was October once again. It was the Yankees' most-lopsided loss since 2019, and 16 years since they've lost by a bigger margin. "You could say it was a statement," said Muncy, who hit two home runs and drove in a career-high seven runs. "And for us to do it without [injured] Mookie [Betts] also is huge for everyone trying to pick up the slack in the lineup. It's big for the boys." Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who celebrated his 53rd birthday Saturday, wasn't about to create any back-page material for October, but acknowledged the impact of knocking off the Yankees in consecutive games, picking up right where they left off last October. 'It's certainly sweet to win any game,'' Roberts said, 'but to beat those guys is always good. It always feels good to beat the Yankees. You know, they're the class of the American League right now, and anytime you can beat those guys, you feel good.'' The terrifying aspect for everyone else is that if the Dodgers can pummel the Yankees with 14 pitchers currently on the injured list, with Betts out for the series with a broken toe, and Ohtani not expected to resume pitching until after the All-Star break, how powerful will they be when they get the band back together? The Dodgers came into the weekend series having lost seven of their last 12 games, and were just 26-22 since their 8-0 start. Yet, they turned around and beat up Yankees ace Max Fried and starter Will Warren on back-to-back nights, outscoring the Yankees 24-2 in the last 13 innings. They've suffocated everyone in the Yankees' lineup but Aaron Judge, who has hit three homers this series. 'You know the last couple of weeks has certainly been a grind with all of the stuff we've been going through,'' Roberts said. 'But obviously when you get the Yankees and fans get into it, it just kind of infuses some excitement into the clubhouse and guys showed up and given what these fans want. It's been a fun series for us. ... It's kind of like that playoff environment.'' So, considering they knocked off the Yankees in the World Series last season, are the Dodgers making a powerful statement by whipping them again? 'No, I wouldn't say statement, that's a good club over there,'' Roberts said. 'I'm just happy with the process and how we're taking the field and going about playing baseball ... 'We've sort of been playing middling baseball for a while now, so maybe it took a club like the Yankees to get us reset and step our game up.'' The truth is that the Dodgers offense has been lethal since April 22, scoring 240 runs — 51 more than any team in baseball, averaging 6.9 runs a game. Ohtani tied a franchise record with 15 homers in May. Kim, who opened the year in the minors, reached base in all five plate appearances with two singles, double, homer and walk. Muncy, who was hitting .190 with one homer and a .599 OPS before May 14, has since hit .298 with a 1.048 OPS, including four homers and 22 RBI. 'Max, it's been a tough one to start,'' Roberts said, 'but I give him a lot of credit. He hasn't wavered from the work. He hasn't run from the criticism. And he's showing up every day to play and help us win a ballgame. And, of course, there's Freeman, who's hitting a National League-leading .374 with a 1.078 OPS. This is a guy who turned the World Series upside down a year ago when he pulled off his Kirk Gibson moment with a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning, hitting .300 with four homers and 12 RBI while winning the World Series MVP. Now, he's performing an encore. Freeman went 2-for-3 with an RBI, hitting his 525th career double that tied Hall of Famers Willie Mays and Ted Williams for 46th place on the all-time list, while continuing to torment the Yankees. In his last seven games against the Yankees, he is hitting .407 with four homers, three doubles, one triple and 14 RBI. 'I mean, he handles everything in the zone,'' Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt said. 'He's so short to the ball, fastballs, off-speed pitches. He's always in a good position to hit. 'That's why he's one of the best hitters in the league and has been for 10 or 15 years. …I can go on and on, he's such a professional hitter, and a lot of those guys are in that lineup.'' That, of course, is why the Dodgers have won two World Series in the past five years, with 11 division titles in the last 12 years. 'I mean, there's a lot of guys in this clubhouse that never really cease to amaze me,'' said Muncy, who was presented the lineup card for hitting his career 200th homer. 'You can go up and down the lineup. It's really special when you see the names that are in this clubhouse, and see how hard they work every single day. 'When you have an entire clubhouse of guys that are going to be Hall of Famers, and they're still showing up every day working like they're a young guy, I think that just rubs off on everybody.'' Yep, just ask rookie catcher Dalton Rushing, who hit his first career homer Saturday, with the help of Ohtani's bat. While Ohtani had retreated to the clubhouse after being taken out of the game, Rushing grabbed one of his bats, seeing if it had the same kind of magic that has helped Ohtani win three MVPs. Lo and behold, he swung at the first pitch thrown by infielder Pablo Reyes, and sent it 393 feet over the right-field fence. 'He hits plenty of home runs, so I'm sure it can work for someone else, too,'' Rushing said laughing. 'It worked out in my favor. 'Now, I look forward to getting my first one off a real pitcher.'' For the Dodgers, it has been that kind of weekend. Follow Bob Nightengale on X @BNightengale.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Celebrities at Knicks-Pacers: Will Spike Lee attend Game 6 after McAfee rant?
Celebrities at Knicks-Pacers: Will Spike Lee attend Game 6 after McAfee rant? Show Caption Hide Caption Shaq gives thoughts on a possible Pacers-Thunder 'small market' Finals Shaq joins Sports Seriously to give his thoughts on if a Pacers-Thunder NBA Finals would be too 'small market' for the league. Sports Seriously The Eastern Conference finals shifts back to Indianapolis for Game 6 on Saturday after the New York Knicks staved off elimination and defeated the Indiana Pacers 111-94 in Game 5 at home. Can the Knicks avoid elimination again and force Game 7 at Madison Square Garden? They will have numerous famous faces in the building that hope so. A contingent of Knicks superfans made the journey from New York to Indiana for Game 4, when the Pacers took a 3-1 series lead over the New York on Tuesday. To add insult to injury, Knicks fans Timothée Chalamet, Spike Lee and Ben Stiller received a less than warm welcome at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. ESPN personality and former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee gave the trio a WWE style, expletive-filled lashing and encouraged Indiana fans to boo the stars. Hall of Fame singer-songwriter John Mellencamp was not a fan. (More on that below). The Indiana Fever are also home for the weekend ahead of their matchup against the Washington Mystics on Tuesday. Will Caitlin Clark make an appearance? (Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers were in the building for the Fever's opening night win over the Chicago Sky on May 17.) Will Lee, Stiller and Chalamet travel to Indiana again? Will Clark show up at Gainbridge Fieldhouse? We got you covered. USA TODAY Sports is tracking all the celebrities at Game 6 in Indianapolis: CELEBS IN NEW YORK: Spike Lee, Mariska Hargitay, more celebrate Knicks' Game 5 win vs. Pacers MORE: John Mellencamp 'embarrassed' by Pat McAfee calling out Knicks celebrities at Pacers game What time is Pacers vs. Knicks today? The Indiana Pacers will host the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The game is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. Time: 8 p.m. ET 8 p.m. ET Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis) Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis) TV: TNT, truTV TNT, truTV Stream: Sling TV, Max Watch Knicks vs. Pacers Game 6 on Sling John Mellencamp not happy with Pat McAfee Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer-songwriter and Indiana native John Mellencamp was not a fan of McAfee's rant. 'I was embarrassed when somebody, under whose direction I don't know, called out some of the people who had made the trip from New York to support their team — and in turn, support our team," Mellencamp wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "The audience booed these people. I'd say that was not Hoosier Hospitality. One could only say it's poor, poor sportsmanship. I was not proud to be a Hoosier, and I've lived here my entire life." Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals brought out a variety of celebrities to Madison Square Garden, ranging from Knicks legends (Patrick Ewing, Walt "Clyde" Frazier and Bill Bradley) to comedians (Tracy Morgan), actors (Timothée Chalamet, Susie Essman, Ben Stiller, Mariska Hargitay and Spike Lee), musicians (Shaboozey, Idina Menzel and Joey Badass) and world-class athletes (Michael Strahan, Kevin Love and Henrik Lundqvist). Check out the full star-studded Game 5 lineup here. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
John Mellencamp 'embarrassed' by Pat McAfee calling out Knicks celebrities at Pacers game
John Mellencamp 'embarrassed' by Pat McAfee calling out Knicks celebrities at Pacers game Show Caption Hide Caption Shaq gives thoughts on a possible Pacers-Thunder 'small market' Finals Shaq joins Sports Seriously to give his thoughts on if a Pacers-Thunder NBA Finals would be too 'small market' for the league. Sports Seriously A former Cougar has a bone to pick with a former Colts punter. John Mellencamp was so bothered by what Pat McAfee did during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks that the Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter took to social media to voice his displeasure and apologize "on behalf of most Hoosiers." Mellencamp was at Gainbridge Fieldhouse when the Pacers took a 3-1 series lead on Tuesday, May 27, when the ESPN and WWE host riled up Pacers fans inside the arena during a timeout in the fourth quarter. McAfee used a few expletives while encouraging the crowd's boos of Hollywood stars Timothee Chalamet, Ben Stiller and Spike Lee, all who were in attendance and rooting for the Knicks. NBA DRAFT 2025: Winners and losers after landscape-shifting college withdrawal deadline Mellencamp, 73, didn't mention McAfee by name but chastised him for a lack of "Hoosier Hospitality." "I was embarrassed when somebody, under whose direction I don't know, called out some of the people who had made the trip from New York to support their team – and in turn, support our team," Mellencamp wrote. "The audience booed these people. I'd say that was not Hoosier Hospitality. One could only say it's poor, poor sportsmanship. I was not proud to be a Hoosier, and I've lived here my entire life. On behalf of most Hoosiers, I would like to apologize for our poor behavior. I'm sure the Pacers had nothing to do with this smackdown." McAfee acknowledged Thursday he is the "somebody" to whom Mellencamp is referring. The former Indianapolis Colts punter, who based his daily sports talk show in Indianapolis, did not attend Game 5 on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden despite a social media invitation from Stiller in the aftermath of his antics. The Knicks beat the Pacers, 111-94, with Chalamet and Kylie Jenner, Stiller, Lee, Tracy Morgan and Shaboozey among the celebrities in the New York crowd. The Knicks and Pacers meet again for Game 6 back in Indianapolis on Saturday, May 31. Indiana leads the Eastern Conference finals, 3-2.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Braves' Chris Sale becomes fastest major league pitcher to 2,500 strikeouts
Braves' Chris Sale becomes fastest major league pitcher to 2,500 strikeouts Show Caption Hide Caption Does Alex Rodriguez think Ohtani should get back into pitching? Sports Seriously's Mackenzie Salmon asks Alex Rodriguez about the Dodgers and Shohei Ohtani's focus on hitting than pitching right now. Sports Seriously Chris Sale added another milestone to his Hall of Fame resume. The reigning National League Cy Young winner became the fastest pitcher in major-league history to reach the 2,500-strikeout milestone, breaking the record previously held by Hall of Famer Randy Johnson. On his final pitch Thursday night, Sale struck out Edmundo Sosa of the Philadelphia Phillies to end the sixth inning for his 2,500th victim. The Atlanta Braves left-hander reached the milestone in 2,026 innings, besting Johnson's record of 2,107 ⅔ innings in 1999. In doing so, Sale also became the 38th pitcher in modern history to reach the milestone. "I appreciate it for what it is, but I try not to get too caught up in stuff like that right now," Sale said after the Braves' 9-3 win in Philadelphia. "I know what our job is here. And no matter whether you have a good one or a bad one, the next one is the most important one." Said Braves manager Brian Snitker: "He's kind of doing Hall of Fame stuff. That guy is probably as big a baseball fan as anybody, just the history of the game and the competition. He's a ballplayer, and it's really cool to watch." Sale, who is one of the highest-paid starting pitchers this season, is 3-3 with a 3.06 ERA through 12 starts this year. Last season, he went 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA and led the NL with 225 strikeouts en route to his first Cy Young award. During the course of his 15-year major league career, he has struck out 200-plus batters eight times and is one of four active pitchers with 2,500-plus career strikeouts, trailing Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw.
