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USA Today
14-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Donovan Mitchell is right: We'ere going to write the Cavs off
Good morning, Winners! This is For The Win's daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Here's Mike Sykes. Watching the Cleveland Cavaliers in these playoffs has been so painful. These playoffs have been full of surprises, but I didn't expect this one. Not here. The Cavs had a lead as large as 19 points early in the action of Game 5. Once again, Cleveland looked like a team intent on keeping its season alive. And, once again, Indiana punched the Cavs in the mouth. No response. Womp womp. The 64-win No. 1 seed in the East is headed home and Indy is returning to the Eastern Conference Finals. This was supposed to be the best team in the East. When it had a lead — even when it was 20-points — it never felt secure. When it didn't have a lead, it felt hopeless. Last week, I said we were about to find out if the Cavaliers were cooked. Turns out the answer was unequivocally yes. Now we know it. Donovan Mitchell said the Cavaliers will be back after the loss. "Get in the gym, weight room, nutrition, whatever it is. Get back at it because...Y'all gonna write us the [expletive] off, man. But we'll be back. We let the city down. We let each other down. We'll be back." We'll be back? Ehhhh. Don't know if I agree there. But one thing I can certainly agree on is this: We are definitely writing the Cavaliers off. After watching this team lose like this again, how could you not? It was like they weren't even playing playoff basketball out there. Where was the intensity? Where was the grit? Where was the pushback? It was all good when they were pushing Tyler Herro and the Heat around. Now, the Cavs get pushed, and they fold entirely. Injuries are a valid excuse for this team. They lost three key players in the middle of this series. That matters. But, last I checked, everyone played in Game 5. Same for Game 4. And, if you're out there on the court, then you'd best be ready to brawl. The Cavs clearly weren't. The lights were too bright again. Cleveland wasn't ready. After three straight years with this core, it's reasonable to question if this version of the team will ever be ready to take that next step. I don't know the answer. But I'll tell you what: I certainly won't be waiting on it. Pete Rose probably still won't get in Pete Rose has been a baseball pariah for decades for good reason. He's an accused rapist who went to prison for tax fraud in addition to gambling on baseball. Now, he's also technically Hall of Fame eligible. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred formally announced on Tuesday that permanent ineligibility expires upon death, opening the door for previously permanently banned players to have their names enshrined in Cooperstown. Rose is among that cohort, which should be pleasant news to our pesky president's ears. But Rose still may never appear on the ballot. Blake Schuster explains why: "MLB does not control nor influence the Hall of Fame, whose members are voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Not even President Donald Trump's tantrums on social media can change that. As for Rose, an accused rapist who went to prison for tax fraud in addition to gambling on baseball, Manfred flat out refused to even say whether or not one of MLB's most controversial figures belongs in the hall." Considering Rose's reputation and how baseball's purists never seemed to back his case when he was still with us, I can't imagine that changing in a few years when he's finally eligible in 2028. We'll see. But I wouldn't hold my breath. Nicolas Cage as John Madden is perfect I did not know I needed a movie about John Madden, Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders. I certainly didn't know that Christian Bale and Nicolas Cage would be perfect to play the part of Davis and Madden, respectively. Alas. Perfection exists. Caroline Darney has deets on this: "The movie follows Madden as he is forced out of coaching and sets off to create the would-be iconic Madden NFL video game. Kathryn Hahn is signed onto the project as Virginia Madden, with Sienna Miller and John Mulaney also part of the David O. Russell (American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook) movie." I will be seated no matter what. Quick hits: A new big 3? ... WNBA trade candidates ... and more — Here's Prince Grimes on a potential new big 3 coming to the NBA if Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the move. — Cory Woodroof has 10 WNBA trade candidates to watch for this season. — Dwight Howard asking Charles Barkley if he played with Wilt Chamberlain is pure comedy. Bryan Kalbrosky has more. — Here's Meg Hall on how a PWHL playoff game had players refueling — Here's Charles Curtis on the Jayson Tatum torn Achilles. This sucks. — The Mavericks are afraid of controversial trades now so they'll just draft Cooper Flagg. That's a wrap, folks. Thanks for reading. Peace. -Sykes ✌️
USA Today
09-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Draymond Green deserves your ire and your grace at the same time
Draymond Green deserves your ire and your grace at the same time This is For The Win's daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Here's Mike Sykes. You never know what you're going to get when you're talking to Draymond Green. He's never been one to shy away from speaking to the media, even after losses. And he's certainly never been afraid to speak his mind, even when it might ruffle a few feathers out there. So when Green seemed a little frazzled when speaking after the Warriors' loss to the Timberwolves on Friday, my eyebrows perked up a bit. The Warriors forward didn't have too much to say after the loss. But, while he didn't say very much, what he had to say was certainly notable. "I'm not an angry Black man. I'm a very successful, educated Black man with a great family. And I'm great at basketball — I'm great at what I do. The agenda to continue to keep making me look like an angry Black man is crazy. I'm sick of it. It's ridiculous," Green said. That was the only statement he gave for the night. It's hard to know exactly what Green is excoriating here. Initially, it seems to be a reaction to Green getting yet another technical foul after hitting Naz Reid in the face following a foul. Green's problem with technical and flagrant fouls has been well-documented throughout his career, but he's struggled again, specifically in this postseason, with five technical fouls through nine games so far. It's easy to hear Draymond Green complain about being labeled an "angry Black man" and roll your eyes. I certainly did. Not because Green isn't someone who should be taken seriously when it comes to this, but because the trope itself is such a serious thing. If we're just talking about basketball and technical fouls here? Green's short rant makes no sense. His reputation precedes him. As Charles Barkley says here, "He always makes it look interesting." This has been something that has followed Green throughout his entire career. And, furthermore, it's something he's leaned into. He's spoken for years about how he loves playing the villain role for his team. Technical fouls and a reputation come with the territory. Green knows that. That's why I don't think that's all that's at play here. Green got into a spat with a fan while on the sidelines. The fan hurled a racial slur at Green and was removed from the game. And, now, we have clarity. Green being called a slur in the middle of a game where emotions are already heightened is certainly something that might trigger him a bit. But you can't blame him. This is life for Black folks in America. Black people in America have been labeled as "angry" for centuries. That trope has been used as the justification for some of the worst atrocities committed against Black people in this country and you don't have to look very far back into our nation's history to find it. A few examples: It was used to justify the way the Los Angeles Police Department beat Rodney King in the 1990s when they described him as a "Tasmanian devil" with "Hulk-like strength." It was used when the term "superpredator" was coined 30 years ago. Derek Chauvin's attorneys tried to weaponize the trope in the trial for the murder of George Floyd. Use of this trope doesn't always manifest itself in such egregiously violent and destructive ways — it can happen right under your nose. It's present in the workplace. Even in schools. And, yes, it's appeared in sports, too. Remember Serena Williams at the US Open? It's not necessarily out of bounds for Green to bring it up here. Is that what's going on with these technical fouls? I doubt it. I don't think there's some NBA agenda out there making an effort to label Draymond as anything. Draymond has done that work himself throughout his career with every hard foul he's dished out over the years. You might not like him. You may actually hate him for that. And, if you do, that's OK! You can. It's just sports. But that doesn't mean he deserves to be labeled as less than human. Good on the Wolves for throwing that fan out. Hopefully, they're never allowed to return. The Pope is a real one I always respect a sports fan a little bit more when their favorite team sucks. Not that people who root for good teams aren't real sports fans, but there's something about cheering for something you know will never work out that just makes me feel like you've got some real skin in the game. It turns out Pope Leo XIV has some skin in the game, folks. Initially we got reporting that he's a Cubs fan. But, as it turns out, his brother says that he's actually a White Sox fan and has never actually rooted for the Cubs in his life. We even got pictures of him at the 2005 World Series cheering on the Sox. He's a real one, man. Shoutout to the pope. Trouble in Paradise Every little detail we get in the Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson story makes things even stranger than they already are. New reports have surfaced that Hudson has been banned from UNC's football facility. Our Charles Curtis has details: Here's the video from Pablo Torre Finds Out: UNC is now saying she's welcome at the facilities. This is such a strange story. That's about all I have to say on that. Not sure where this one is going to go, but I certainly don't like where it's at right now. Photo Friday: Mikal Bridges for the win Need I say more? Mikal Bridges with the full extension here to seal the deal for the Knicks. What a play. Quick hits: Paul Pierce's walk of shame ... Caleb Williams x Pope Leo ... and more — Paul Pierce really did walk to work after the Celtics lost. This is hilarious. — Caleb Williams had a perfect two word response to Pope Leo being from Chicago. — There seems to be a lot of complaining about NBA officials these days. Aaron Gordon joins in on it here. — Stephen Curry's injury has changed everything for the sportsbooks out there. Half a million in refunds. Sheesh. — Spike Lee you are ridiculous. We love you for it. — The Rafael Devers and Red Sox beef, explained. That's a wrap, folks. Thanks for reading. Peace. -Sykes ✌️
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Shedeur Sanders' livestream captures ruthless prank call during NFL Draft
Shedeur Sanders was already having a tough start to the NFL Draft when a couple of apparent pranksters decided to make it much, much worse. Somehow, Sanders' cell phone number fell into the wrong hands and the quarterback's draft day livestream caught the Colorado star getting a call from someone he thought was with an NFL team. An excited Sanders picked up the call as his friends and family gathering around, expecting to hear Sanders informed of who was drafting him. In reality, an obnoxious voice told him he'd have to wait a bit longer before getting picked then hung up. The Morning Win: Shedeur Sanders' unceremonious NFL Draft drop just doesn't feel right The video is pretty laggy, but it's also pretty clear what's happening: Someone prank called Shedeur Sanders pretending to be apart of a team on stream telling him he would ' have to wait a little longer ' in the NFL draft 😬 — Jayden (@Jayden77x) April 26, 2025 Sanders did not hear his name called on Friday as the second and third rounds came to a close. It should be obvious to any rational person why this is a horrible prank to play on the biggest weekend of Sanders' life so far, regardless of how anyone feels about him. We're not sure why Sanders' stock has sunk so low, but hopefully he has a long, prosperous career ahead of him. If only to get back at everyone who clowned on him. This article originally appeared on For The Win: Shedeur Sanders' livestream captures ruthless prank call during NFL Draft
USA Today
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Shedeur Sanders' livestream captures ruthless prank call during NFL Draft
Shedeur Sanders' livestream captures ruthless prank call during NFL Draft Shedeur Sanders was already having a tough start to the NFL Draft when a couple of apparent pranksters decided to make it much, much worse. Somehow, Sanders' cell phone number fell into the wrong hands and the quarterback's draft day livestream caught the Colorado star getting a call from someone he thought was with an NFL team. An excited Sanders picked up the call as his friends and family gathering around, expecting to hear Sanders informed of who was drafting him. In reality, an obnoxious voice told him he'd have to wait a bit longer before getting picked then hung up. The Morning Win: Shedeur Sanders' unceremonious NFL Draft drop just doesn't feel right The video is pretty laggy, but it's also pretty clear what's happening: Sanders did not hear his name called on Friday as the second and third rounds came to a close. It should be obvious to any rational person why this is a horrible prank to play on the biggest weekend of Sanders' life so far, regardless of how anyone feels about him. We're not sure why Sanders' stock has sunk so low, but hopefully he has a long, prosperous career ahead of him. If only to get back at everyone who clowned on him.
USA Today
24-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Your favorite team will probably screw up the NFL Draft
Your favorite team will probably screw up the NFL Draft This is For The Win's daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Here's Mike Sykes. Good morning, Winners! The day you've all been waiting for has finally arrived. It's NFL draft day, also known as "I hope my team doesn't mess this up" Day. THE ORDER: Here's the complete NFL draft order for all seven rounds For some of you, this is going to be one of the happiest days of the year. Your team will nail it. They'll make the consensus pick that you've seen on the dozens of mock drafts you've crammed into your noggin over the last few weeks as you've tried your best to prepare for this moment. For others? Well, this is going to be the worst. Your team is totally going to blow it. They'll reach for a player they do not need or take the wrong guy. The pick will be mystifying to you and everyone else watching. Don't log onto any of the social apps if this happens to you. You'll be sad, but we'll all be laughing. This has been your existence for the last few years, Cowboys fans. OUR FINAL MOCK: Here's a look at our lastest mock draft from Christian D'Andrea The beautiful part about all this is that, honestly, it's all a crap shoot. Nobody knows how today will pan out. We all have our ideas, sure. And the executives that are paid to make decisions for these teams also have their strongly informed opinions. But none of us will know how this will work until it does or doesn't. Who could've seen Bo Nix working out for the Broncos at No. 12 last season or Quinyon Mitchell becoming one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL in a single season for the Eagles? On the other hand, we all thought Marvin Harrison Jr. would be one of the best receivers in the NFL last year when the Cardinals picked him at No. 4 overall. But he only had two games with over 100 yards receiving for Arizona last season. That doesn't mean he won't eventually be a great player, but he certainly didn't seem to be the NFL-ready product everyone thought he'd be last year. Chances are that your team probably won't get this right. Every player picked tonight won't pan out. That's just kind of how it goes. This stuff is hard. It's unpredictable. The draft is the textbook definition of inexact science. That's why you shouldn't worry if your team doesn't make the right pick. It doesn't matter. The consternation you have tonight probably won't last. You're going to see the vision anyway because you're a fan and that's what fans do. This day is less about who our teams pick and more about giving ourselves unfounded hope that this will be our year. That'll only be the case for one team, but the draft allows you to believe that that might be your team. At least for a few months, anyway. Maybe the thought is irrational. But today is not a day about rationality — it's one about belief. Hold onto it tight because, chances are, you probably won't have it for very long. Kristaps Porzingis, Celtics legend Kristaps Porzingis helped Boston win an NBA title last season, but I don't think there's ever been a moment where he was more beloved by Celtics fans than when he was bloodied and bandaged on the floor against the Magic on Wednesday. Cory Woodroof says No. 8 is a legend in Boston now. He's absolutely right. Listen to these fan chants. His coach loved it as much as the fans did. It takes a lot for Celtics fans to love you. That makes sense considering how many legends have played on that court for that team. But a quick way to get people to fall for you in Boston is to bleed for them. Porzingis did a lot of that on Monday night. Celtics fans will probably remember that as much as they remember the championship last year. Gabriel Landeskog is back For the first time in three years, Gabriel Landeskog is playing hockey again. Playoff hockey, no less! The Avalanche captain was in the lineup for the first time in three years in Game 3 against Dallas. Landeskog missed three seasons due to a knee injury that kept him sidelined. He last played in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final ... in 2022(!!!). That's a long time off the ice. He got the warm welcome he deserved from Avs fans in his return. Dallas spoiled his return a bit with a 2-1 win in overtime. But it was still quite the treat seeing him back out there. Plus, his kids were absolutely adorable. Quick hits: Why Flau'Jae delayed the WNBA ... Where will Sheduer land? ... and more — Meg Hall has details on why Flau'Jae Johnson stayed at LSU for another year despite being eligible for the WNBA draft. — Here's another mock draft with Shedeur Sanders falling quite a bit. Charles Curtis has more. — Wanna feel old? Here are three future NFL players with former NFL dads. Blake Schuster has more. — Fans poured in tributes for Bears legend Steve McMichael after he died on Wednesday following a battle with ALS. — Here's Cory with five players whose draft ranges are difficult to predict. — Ever wondered where that ESPN NFL draft sound comes from? Charles Curtis has the details here. That's a wrap, folks. Thanks for reading. Peace. -Sykes ✌️
