Sports News

Former F1 athlete Kvyat says banning Russian athletes “unfair”

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On Monday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued a statement urging all major sports federations to ban Russian athletes from international competitions.

As the FIA ​​is a recognized IOC federation, the governing body of car racing is holding an extraordinary meeting of its World Motorsport Council on Tuesday to decide what response it should have to Russia’s military aggression.

One possibility is for Russian pilots to be banned from participating in FIA-sanctioned events.

Such a move could force Nikita Mazepin to leave Formula One and risk that Kvyat, who has to drive in the WEC this season, will also be removed from the race.

Writing on his social media channels, Kwiat expressed hope for a peaceful solution to the events in Ukraine, questioning pressure from sports authorities to take action.

“I really hope for a peaceful solution to this situation in Ukraine and that we can all live in peace,” he said.

“I hope that all parties can find a solution by sitting together and through a respectful dialogue. I am horrified to see two fraternal nations in conflict.

“I do not want military action and wars to affect the future of humanity. I want my daughter and all the children to enjoy this wonderful world.

I would also like to emphasize and appeal to all sports federations around the world, including the IOC, that sport must remain out of politics and that banning Russian athletes and teams from participating in world competitions is an unfair decision and contradicts what sport teaches us in principle. : unity and peace.

“Who else but us sports people will help unite nations together in the times to come?

The actions of the FIA ​​to ban Russian pilots and teams from participating in competitions will be followed by actions from other major sports federations, which do not show any tolerance for the events.

On Monday, FIFA announced that all Russian clubs and national teams had been suspended as a result of an IOC recommendation.

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Even before the FIA ​​called a meeting, Mazepin’s future in Formula One with Haas was in doubt after his father’s company, Uralkali, removed its brand from the US team’s cars last week.

Haas is expected to decide in the next few days on its plans for the upcoming season, with the second pre-season test to take place in Bahrain next week.

Mazepin wrote on Twitter last week that he “does not control much of what is said and done.”

Former F1 athlete Kvyat says banning Russian athletes “unfair” Read More »

Ja Morant is an inhuman highlight film right now

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Ja Morant is on a roll. The rookie of the year for 2020 made his first All-Star team this season, has one of the best assists in the league, while reducing his turnover from the previous two years and scored the highest in his career and franchise 46 points in victory over the Bulls on Saturday.

He did even better last night: Morant scored 52 points, beating his old mark when the Grizzlies beat the Spurs 118-105. But it wasn’t just a night when Morant shot cool 22/30 from the pitch. He scored 52 while having two of the biggest roller games of the year.

At the end of the second quarter, Morant got involved in what was actually 1-on-3. No matter. Morant collided with Joshua Primo, then entered the fight, where the 6-foot Morant sank over the 7-foot Jacob Poeltl. He was 26 at the time in the first half. He was not ready.

With 0.4 seconds left after a free throw from the Spurs, Stephen Adams threw a full pass to Morant in the corner. He jumped up, grabbed him, shot him without touching the floor … and he came in. The team was furious. The crowd too. “I’m just a man in the red zone,” Morant said after the game. “The route is fading. Jumping ball. “

In the end, Morant will receive a bunch of passes from teammates to reach 50 points. The other Memphis starters scored just 18. The Grizzlies, like Morant, are on the move: 40-23, finishing third in the West. Be careful.

Ja Morant is an inhuman highlight film right now Read More »

At NFL Combine, players (and agents) question its relevance

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For 40 years, college footballers, hoping to be drafted by an NFL team, have demonstrated their speed, strength and personality in the league’s most important talent scout, the Scout Factory.

But recent changes to Tuesday’s event, rising professional days on university campuses and private training, and concerns about the plant’s own inequality have led to a growing number of calls for the showcase to be overhauled, even as the NFL seeks to increase commercialization. , which many of its executives call a “job interview” to become a professional.

Last week, agents of approximately half of the 324 players expected to attend the plant considered a boycott of training sessions that included 40-yard dash and bench press training in front of team staff to protest restrictions. with the coronavirus, which they feared would compromise the player’s performance. Combine organizers loosened those restrictions two days after the opposition of the agents became public, but the unusual battle was emblematic of a heated debate over the treatment of players who are not compensated for attending an event the NFL continues to commercialize.

“As it has become a reality TV show and has been displaced from its original need, it is becoming less and less valuable,” said JC Tretter, president of the NFL Players’ Association and the Cleveland Browns Center. “To make it a prime-time TV event, to push it late at night, is another case where it’s not in the players’ favor to go out there and perform, and their draft stock relies on good performance.”

The NFL and the National Invitational Camp, the company that runs the plant, say they are constantly striving to improve the players’ experience at the one-week event, and some changes to this year’s combine have been adapted without much controversy.

All trainings will now be held in one day, instead of two, for each group of positions. Food delivery to players has also been changed to give them more choice about when and what they can eat. Players will pass only one full orthopedic exam, and the results will be presented to all 32 teams, and there is no longer a built-in window for teams to administer their own behavioral tests.

Although these adaptations were designed to make the large-scale event more efficient and less stressful for potential customers, the last two years of pandemic-led intelligence have taught lessons that some agents say have reduced the plant’s central role.

The growing number of professional days organized by colleges with multiple candidates for player drafts and training organized by agents in private schools, as well as the growing digitalisation of medical records and the use of videoconferencing technology for player interviews, have given scouts alternatives to evaluation of players outside of Indianapolis, where the plant has been operating since 1987.

Each year, some leading prospects choose to sit in combined workouts. Former Alabama offensive striker Evan Neal, a potential No. 1 pick, will wait until his professional day to take field tests, his agent confirmed on Monday, devoting more time to preparation after an extended season at the college. Joe Barrow and Chase Young did not perform at the plant in 2020, and their position as number 1 and 2 is generally secure. And Lamar Jackson did not run or jump at any point before the 2018 draft, not wanting teams to use his athleticism as a reason to evaluate him in positions other than quarterback. But this year is believed to be the first time there has been a coordinated push against the conditions under which all potential customers must present themselves.

The combination has come under much criticism in the past, including allegations of racially biased assessments and comparisons to slave markets with a group of athletes, most of them black, who have been publicly tested. This year, the league will not administer the Wonderlic intelligence test, which some have criticized for having a built-in bias. However, teams can still use the test if they choose.

In January, the NFL also informed teams that they could be fined at least $ 150,000 and lose draft choices if a club employee behaved disrespectfully, asking players during interviews on topics such as sexual orientation and mental health. . This was the first time the league had indicated possible penalties for an offensive issue.

But the NFL’s expanded coverage has sparked further criticism that the routine assessment is becoming a commercial spectacle.

This year, 10,000 fans will be able to attend each of the four evenings when field assessments are conducted. And in May, NFL team owners will vote on offers from Indianapolis, Dallas and Los Angeles to host the plant in 2023 and 2024. The NFL Network will broadcast more than 50 hours of live broadcast this year with 40 hosts and analysts, especially focused on field events that were moved to prime time slots in 2020.

Despite the growing focus, the league said it was very deliberate in the way it expanded the plant to ensure that its main goal – assessing prospects – was not undermined.

“But there’s such a demand for fans – interest from college fans, NFL fans – and it’s grown since 2004 when he first joined the NFL Network,” said Peter O’Reilly, executive vice president of league events. . The staff of the team “saw what the draft turned into, the energy and how the prospects want to be there, as well as the main fans near the stage. This is a great demonstration of our games. “

The players’ union, as well as one of the agents involved in organizing the proposed training boycott, who asked for anonymity for fear that his clients would face repercussions, said the proposed boycott was just the beginning of discussions on how to protect themselves. the rights of prospects who are not yet employed in a team, nor are they represented by the union.

With the growing number of college players already receiving pay for the use of their names, images, and the like before their NFL careers, some observers have speculated that players should be paid to participate in events such as Combine and Draft.

“I suspect the harvester in the NIL country will have to reach the standard entry price,” said Robert Boland, a former agent for an NFL player who teaches sports law at Penn State. “You want me to do this as an activity, I want to be compensated.” This is a way to ensure that a few top recruits don’t show up. “

Troy Vincent, executive vice president of football operations at the NFL, did not rule out the idea.

“Based on the landscape of the sports environment, you have NIL, you have the transfer portal, we have to be prepared for everything in the future,” he said. “So I will not remove it from the table. I would just say that we must be ready and prepared for everything and discuss all things. “

Although complaints about the plant are real and numerous, few people expect it to disappear because it remains the only place where hundreds of the best prospects can compete in the same field and where teams can receive standardized health information. players, including for injuries they may have suffered.

“This is the only time of the year when we can gather all the prospects in one place,” said Rick Spielman, a former general manager of the Minnesota Vikings. “For me, it actually puts more stress on the player if you can’t finish everything in one week.”

Robert O’Connell contributed to the reports.

At NFL Combine, players (and agents) question its relevance Read More »

Sun Belt Releases 2022 Football Schedule, Including Four New Members

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NEW ORLEANS — The Sun Belt Conference announced its 2022 football schedule Tuesday, including its four new members James Madison, Marshall, Old Dominion, and Southern Miss.

The 22nd season of Sun Belt football will feature 56 league games. Each Sun Belt program will play eight conference games—six against divisional opponents and two against opponents from the opposite division.

The Sun Belt East Division will include App State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Marshall, and Old Dominion. The Sun Belt West Division will consist of Arkansas State, Louisiana, ULM, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Texas State, and Troy.

“The Sun Belt Conference—with our successful football programs and the passionate fanbases of our 14 members—is now stronger and much better positioned than it has ever been,” said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill. “The compelling matchups of our regional rivalries, our already strong foundation, and the addition of four schools will make the 2022 football season one of the most anticipated in the history of the Sun Belt.”

Each of the Sun Belt’s four representatives in Bowl Season from a year ago—App State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia State, and Louisiana—will be featured prominently in the midweek portion of the conference’s schedule, with each appearing in at least two midweek games.

Thursday, Sept. 22 – Coastal Carolina at Georgia State
Wednesday, Oct. 12 – Louisiana at Marshall
Wednesday, Oct. 19 – Georgia State at App State
Thursday, Oct. 20 – Troy at South Alabama
Thursday, Oct. 27 – Louisiana at Southern Miss
Thursday, Nov. 3 – App State at Coastal Carolina
Thursday, Nov. 10 – Georgia Southern at Louisiana

Kickoff times and networks for all midweek games and weekend games in the first three weeks of the season will be selected in early June. All other games will fall into the traditional 12-day selection process.

TEAM-BY-TEAM SCHEDULES
SUN BELT EAST DIVISION

APP STATE
9/3 UNC
9/10 at Texas A&M
9/17 Troy*
9/24 James Madison*
10/1 The Citadel
10/8 at Texas State*
10/19 Georgia State*
10/29 Robert Morris
11/3 at Coastal Carolina*
11/12 at Marshall*
11/19 Old Dominion*
11/26 at Georgia Southern*

COASTAL CAROLINA
9/3 Army
9/10 Gardner-Webb
9/17 Buffalo
9/22 at Georgia State*
10/1 Georgia Southern*
10/8 at ULM*
10/15 Old Dominion*
10/29 at Marshall*
11/3 App State*
11/12 Southern Miss*
11/19 at Virginia
11/26 at James Madison*

GEORGIA SOUTHERN
9/3 Morgan State
9/10 at Nebraska
9/17 at UAB
9/24 Ball State
10/1 at Coastal Carolina*
10/8 at Georgia State*
10/15 James Madison*
10/22 at Old Dominion*
11/5 South Alabama*
11/10 at Louisiana*
11/19 Marshall*
11/26 App State*

GEORGIA STATE
9/3 at South Carolina
9/10 UNC
9/17 Charlotte
9/22 Coastal Carolina*
10/1 at Army
10/8 Georgia Southern*
10/19 at App State*
10/29 Old Dominion*
11/5 at Southern Miss*
11/12 ULM*
11/19 at James Madison*
11/26 at Marshall*

JAMES MADISON
9/3 Middle Tennessee
9/10 Norfolk State
9/24 at App State*
10/1 Texas State*
10/8 at Arkansas State*
10/15 at Georgia Southern*
10/22 Marshall*
11/5 at Louisville
11/12 at Old Dominion*
11/19 Georgia State*
11/26 Coastal Carolina*

MARSHALL
9/3 Norfolk State
9/10 at Notre Dame
9/17 at Bowling Green
9/24 at Troy*
10/1 Gardner-Webb
10/12 Louisiana*
10/22 at James Madison*
10/29 Coastal Carolina*
11/5 at Old Dominion*
11/12 App State*
11/19 at Georgia Southern*
11/26 Georgia State*

OLD DOMINION
9/2 Virginia Tech
9/10 at East Carolina
9/17 at Virginia
9/24 Arkansas State*
10/1 Liberty
10/15 at Coastal Carolina*
10/22 Georgia Southern*
10/29 at Georgia State*
11/5 Marshall*
11/12 James Madison*
11/19 at App State*
11/26 at South Alabama*

SUN BELT WEST DIVISION

ARKANSAS STATE
9/3 Grambling State
9/10 at Ohio State
9/17 at Memphis
9/24 at Old Dominion*
10/1 ULM*
10/8 James Madison*
10/15 at Southern Miss*
10/22 at Louisiana*
10/29 South Alabama*
11/12 UMass
11/19 at Texas State*
11/26 Troy*

LOUISIANA
9/3 Southeastern Louisiana
9/10 Eastern Michigan
9/17 at Rice
9/24 at ULM*
10/1 South Alabama*
10/12 at Marshall*
10/22 Arkansas State*
10/27 at Southern Miss*
11/5 Troy*
11/10 Georgia Southern*
11/19 at Florida State
11/26 at Texas State*

ULM
9/3 at Texas
9/10 Nicholls State
9/17 at Alabama
9/24 Louisiana*
10/1 at Arkansas State*
10/8 Coastal Carolina*
10/15 at South Alabama*
10/22 at Army
11/5 Texas State*
11/12 at Georgia State*
11/19 at Troy*
11/26 Southern Miss*

SOUTH ALABAMA
9/3 Nicholls State
9/10 at Central Michigan
9/17 at UCLA
9/24 Louisiana Tech
10/1 at Louisiana*
10/15 ULM*
10/20 Troy*
10/29 at Arkansas State*
11/5 at Georgia Southern*
11/12 Texas State*
11/19 at Southern Miss*
11/26 Old Dominion*

SOUTHERN MISS
9/3 Liberty
9/10 at Miami
9/17 Northwestern State
9/24 at Tulane
10/8 at Troy*
10/15 Arkansas State*
10/22 at Texas State*
10/27 Louisiana*
11/5 Georgia State*
11/12 at Coastal Carolina*
11/19 South Alabama*
11/26 at ULM*

TEXAS STATE
9/3 at Nevada
9/9 FIU
9/17 at Baylor
9/24 Houston Baptist
10/1 at James Madison*
10/8 App State*
10/15 at Troy*
10/22 Southern Miss*
11/5 at ULM*
11/12 at South Alabama*
11/19 Arkansas State*
11/26 Louisiana*

TROY
9/3 at Ole Miss
9/10 Alabama A&M
9/17 at App State*
9/24 Marshall*
10/1 at Western Kentucky
10/8 Southern Miss*
10/15 Texas State*
10/20 at South Alabama*
11/5 at Louisiana*
11/12 Army
11/19 ULM*
11/26 at Arkansas State*

* Sun Belt Conference Game

OVERALL CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Friday, September 2
Virginia Tech at Old Dominion

Saturday, September 3
UNC at App State
Army at Coastal Carolina
Morgan State at Georgia Southern
Georgia State at South Carolina
Middle Tennessee at James Madison
Norfolk State at Marshall
Grambling State at Arkansas State
Southeastern Louisiana at Louisiana
ULM at Texas
Nicholls State at South Alabama
Liberty at Southern Miss
Texas State at Nevada
Troy at Ole Miss

Friday, Sept. 9
FIU at Texas State

Saturday, Sept. 10
App State at Texas A&M
Gardner-Webb at Coastal Carolina
Georgia Southern at Nebraska
UNC at Georgia State
Norfolk State at James Madison
Marshall at Notre Dame
Old Dominion at East Carolina
Arkansas State at Ohio State
Eastern Michigan at Louisiana
Nicholls State at ULM
South Alabama at Central Michigan
Southern Miss at Miami
Alabama A&M at Troy

Saturday, Sept. 17
Troy at App State*
Buffalo at Coastal Carolina
Georgia Southern at UAB
Charlotte at Georgia State
Marshall at Bowling Green
Old Dominion at Virginia
Arkansas State at Memphis
Louisiana at Rice
ULM at Alabama
South Alabama at UCLA
Northwestern State at Southern Miss
Texas State at Baylor

Thursday, Sept. 22
Coastal Carolina at Georgia State*

Saturday, Sept. 24
James Madison at App State*
Ball State at Georgia Southern
Arkansas State at Old Dominion*
Louisiana at ULM*
Louisiana Tech at South Alabama
Southern Miss at Tulane
Houston Baptist at Texas State
Marshall at Troy*

Saturday, Oct. 1
The Citadel at App State
Georgia Southern at Coastal Carolina*
Georgia State at Army
Texas State at James Madison*
Gardner-Webb at Marshall
Liberty at Old Dominion
ULM at Arkansas State*
South Alabama at Louisiana*
Troy at Western Kentucky

Saturday, Oct. 8
Georgia Southern at Georgia State*
James Madison at Arkansas State*
Coastal Carolina at ULM*
App State at Texas State*
Southern Miss at Troy*

Wednesday, Oct. 12
Louisiana at Marshall

Saturday, Oct. 15
Old Dominion at Coastal Carolina*
James Madison at Georgia Southern*
ULM at South Alabama*
Arkansas State at Southern Miss*
Texas State at Troy*

Wednesday, Oct. 19
Georgia State at App State

Thursday, Oct. 20
Troy at South Alabama*

Saturday, Oct. 22
Marshall at James Madison*
Georgia Southern at Old Dominion*
Arkansas State at Louisiana*
ULM at Army
Southern Miss at Texas State*

Thursday, Oct. 27
Louisiana at Southern Miss*

Saturday, Oct. 29
Robert Morris at App State
Old Dominion at Georgia State*
Coastal Carolina at Marshall*
South Alabama at Arkansas State*

Thursday, Nov. 3
App State at Coastal Carolina*

Saturday, Nov. 5
South Alabama at Georgia Southern*
James Madison at Louisville
Marshall at Old Dominion*
Troy at Louisiana*
Texas State at ULM*
Georgia State at Southern Miss*

Thursday, Nov. 10
Georgia Southern at Louisiana*

Saturday, Nov. 12
Southern Miss at Coastal Carolina*
ULM at Georgia State*
App State at Marshall*
James Madison at Old Dominion*
UMass at Arkansas State
Texas State at South Alabama*
Army at Troy

Saturday, Nov. 19
Old Dominion at App State*
Coastal Carolina at Virginia
Marshall at Georgia Southern*
Georgia State at James Madison*
Louisiana at Florida State
South Alabama at Southern Miss*
Arkansas State at Texas State*
ULM at Troy*

Saturday, Nov. 26
App State at Georgia Southern*
Coastal Carolina at James Madison*
Georgia State at Marshall*
Troy at Arkansas State*
Southern Miss at ULM*
Old Dominion at South Alabama*
Louisiana at Texas State*

Saturday, Dec. 3
Sun Belt Football Championship Game

* Sun Belt Conference Game

Sun Belt Releases 2022 Football Schedule, Including Four New Members Read More »

The Lakers will reduce DeAndre Jordan after a brutal viral moment

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The Lakers at least drew the line when it came to games worthy of trembling.

The team was interrupted by DeAndre Jordan one day after the center went viral for Hail Mary’s pass, which he made in the third quarter of Sunday’s 123-95 loss to the Pelicans.

Although the pass certainly could not help, the motivation for cutting Jordan off was based on the vacancy for the signing of veteran, free agent DJ Augustin, according to numerous reports.

Jordan – who joined the Lakers as a free agency last summer after two seasons with the Nets – recorded two points, three rebounds and one block in the second consecutive loss to LA, in which LeBron James and Trevor Arisa quarreled with their own fans.

The 33-year-old big man may not be out of work for long.

On Monday, ESPN reported that 76ers are looking at Jordan and hope to acquire the center as a waiver or sign it as a free agent.

Jordan could fill the minutes left by Andre Drummond – who was sent to Brooklyn as part of the blockbuster that sent former Nets guard James Harden to Philadelphia for former Sixer Ben Simmons last month.

Jordan has played in 32 games for LA with 19 starts this season. He averaged 4.1 points and 5.4 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per game.

DeAndre Jordan with LeBron James on November 28, 2021

Adam Pantoci

Augustine last played for the Rockets and was canceled by the team on February 10. The 34-year-old averaged 5.4 points and 2.2 assists in 15 minutes per game in 32 games played in Houston.

Augustine, the ninth pick in the NBA Draft in 2008, competed with Charlotte Bobcats, Pacers, Raptors, Bulls, Pistons, Thunder, Nuggets, Magic and Bucks.

The struggling Lakers seem to be trying to make moves after remaining silent before the trading deadline.

According to The Athletic, The Lakers plan to sign a two-way contract with free agent Wenien Gabriel. The 6-foot-9 striker, who turns 25 this month, has been with the Kings, Blazers, Pelicans, Nets and Clippers. The Kentucky product remained unprepared in 2018.

Between the limitations of COVID at the beginning of the season, the continuing injuries and the new construction of the list, which failed to establish itself, the Lakers are struggling to reach the postseason.

The Lakers 27-33 are currently ninth in the Western Conference with 22 games left from the regular season. The James-led team has 2.5 games ahead of the Pelicans and Blazers for last place in the tournament.

The Lakers will reduce DeAndre Jordan after a brutal viral moment Read More »

Cain Velazquez faces murder charge for alleged San Jose shooting incident

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Kane Velázquez has been arrested and charged with attempted murder following an alleged shooting incident that occurred Monday afternoon in San Jose, California, according to an official statement from the San Jose Police Department’s media relations team on Tuesday morning.

4 / Kane Velazquez was the suspect arrested yesterday in connection with this incident. He was sentenced in Santa Clara County Jail for attempted murder.

The motives and circumstances surrounding the incident are still being clarified. pic.twitter.com/bBuuPQytNx

– San Jose Police Media Relations (@SJPD_PIO) March 1, 2022

The statement reads as follows:

Kane Velázquez was the suspect arrested yesterday in connection with the incident. He was sentenced in Santa Clara County Jail for attempted murder.

The motives and circumstances surrounding the incident are still being clarified.

According to online records, former UFC heavyweight champion Velazquez has been held without bail in Santa Clara County Jail. NBC Bay Area was the first to announce his alleged involvement in the incident, with TMZ being the first to report the allegations on Tuesday.

Velázquez is due to appear in court on Wednesday.

Screen Shot 2022 03 01 at 3.45.50 AM

San Jose police initially confirmed that a shooting took place on Monday, but did not identify the suspect who was detained or the victim who was transported to a local hospital after the incident.

“Parts are currently at the scene of the shooting near the intersection of Monterey Hwy and Bailey Ave,” San Jose police said on the department’s official Twitter account.

“An elderly man, shot at least once, was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. One suspect in custody. Unknown motive or circumstances. “

Units are currently at the firing range near the intersection of Monterey Hwy and Bailey Ave.

An elderly man, shot at least once, was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.

One suspect in custody. Unknown motive or circumstances. pic.twitter.com/fIdzsa7Iaq

– San Jose Police Media Relations (@SJPD_PIO) March 1, 2022

Velazquez, 39, is widely recognized as one of the best heavyweight fighters in UFC history after numerous titles in the promotion.

Unfortunately for Velázquez, much of his career has been marked by injuries. He last competed in February 2019, when he lost by knockout in the first round to future UFC champion Francis Nganu. Nine months after the defeat, Velázquez has announced his retirement from mixed martial arts, while planning to go full-time in wrestling.

After a brief stint at WWE, Velázquez is working with AAA, a wrestling promotion based in Mexico.

Cain Velazquez faces murder charge for alleged San Jose shooting incident Read More »

Lakers to drop DeAndre Jordan to sign with DJ Augustine, 76ers reportedly interested in adding Jordan

Sports News / By

Getty Images

The Los Angeles Lakers are making some changes to their list before the last period of the season. The team plans to give up reserve big man DeAndre Jordan and sign a free agent with guard DJ Augustin, according to Shams Charania from The Athletic. With this move, the Lakers are obviously focusing on the game of guard and shooting, not after the game. The Lakers also plan to sign a two-way contract with Wenien Gabriel, according to Charania.

Jordan has played in 32 games for the Lakers this season and played 12.8 minutes. Augustine played in 34 games for the Houston Rockets, but the team turned him down earlier this month. Given the fact that he is a 38 percent scorer in his career from long distances, it is not surprising to see a team like the Lakers take him for their playoff boost.

In the same way, Jordan is likely to be signed elsewhere to provide some strengthening of the front field for the playoff team. The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to pursue him and may be a favorite for his services, according to Adrian Voynarovski of ESPN. The Sixers lost their other reserve center, Andre Drummond, in an exchange that brought James Harden to Philadelphia.

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The Lakers need to hope that these moves will give them a little boost, because they need everything they can get right now. The Lakers have won just three of their last 10 games and are currently ninth overall in the Western Conference standings with a record of 27-33. To make matters worse, Anthony Davis has been suspended for the foreseeable future due to an ankle injury, so he is not even available to help the team make a big leap in the standings.

As an experienced veteran, Augustine will provide the Lakers with a steady hand when needed, but it’s hard to imagine that adding him will have a significant impact on what was an overwhelming campaign for the purple and gold.

Lakers to drop DeAndre Jordan to sign with DJ Augustine, 76ers reportedly interested in adding Jordan Read More »

Why LeBron James should stop going back to stirring up drama, take responsibility for the Lakers’ mess

Sports News / By
Here, LeBron. It’s deja vu again.

In the tumultuous and sharp decline of the Los Angeles Lakers over the past few months, LeBron James has returned to the same self-denial, an insult to your intelligence that can blame anyone but him who used it for such a bad impact a decade ago when he joined to the Miami Heath with those famous words about transferring their talents to South Beach.

His current dilemma went from bad to worse over the weekend, with LA giving up the Clippers and Pelicans, losing to mediocre top teams that sparked the Lakers’ idea of ​​flirting with not even playing.

Against the backdrop of this struggle – due to LeBron’s insistence last season to have Russell Westbrook – media reports and LeBron’s not-so-subtle signs over the past week include:

LeBron informed everyone that he would be ready to play for Cleveland again. Which, you know, would mean leaving LA

He said LeBron was unhappy with the lack of moves in the Lakers front office’s exchange deadline, a disappointment that ignored the fact that there was nothing to be done given Westbrook’s massive contact and the court’s highly disappointing reality.

LeBron praised Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti, a prelude to the report that LeBron actually wanted Presti to replace Lakers General Rob Pelinka. Which, you know, doesn’t mean it’s all rainbows and puppies in LeBron’s land.

This went so badly that his agent Rich Paul had to step down a few days ago, making it clear, along with the Lakers, that there is no animosity, everything is great, everyone is on the same page.

Just a public statement that has nothing to see here, which means that there really is something to see here.

So what did LeBron do this weekend to continue? He went from attacking Pelinka for what he actually blamed on LeBron, to criticizing the media for what – you guessed it – LeBron was also doing.

“I do not understand how some of my comments about [All-Star] the weekend was spent in a very different area of ​​”Can I retire as a gentleman?” he said. “I never said I would see myself playing in a gentleman’s uniform.”

Hmm, right.

There were also:

“You guys take some of my words and twist them in different places where they shouldn’t go.”

Of course, LeBron. You did it.

The thing is, we’ve been here before, and that’s the real concern. LeBron’s need to develop drama this season and then take an aggressive defensive stance when that drama gets out of his control is very similar to his first-year approach in Miami, which I covered as a beat columnist.

This whole thing didn’t end well. And this season – and his next in LA – they won’t do it if he doesn’t apply the lessons from 2010-11 to 2022.

Put it this way: It’s crazy to do the same thing over and over and expect different results. So, here are some tips to give common sense to this professional organization of the Lakers and the leader who is on its unstable leadership.

LeBron is great for all time – almost the best of all time – and, as far as any of us can really tell from a distance, a good man. I personally like it. So this advice comes from a place of authenticity, not a lure.

LeBron James, starting now, must:

1. Take responsibility. This mess is LeBron’s, not Pelinka’s, not the media’s, not even Westbrook’s, despite his brutal game. LeBron may argue that he is not a shadow CEO, but remember before the deal last summer that brought Russ to LA that LeBron had a meeting weeks earlier to say how the Anthony Davis-LeBron-Westbrook partnership would work. .

As in: He created it before it happened. Like, well, GM.

He made his call. It did not work out. Accept it.

2. Arrange things on the court, not Machiavellian maneuvers off the court. Stop trying to play a major media manipulator. Stop throwing your frustration at others who inevitably obey your will. Stop being angry that people – Lakers and members of the media – take you seriously. Stop the whole drama off the court. Take him to court. You made this bed. Play as well as you can.

3. Do not offend our intelligence. Those surrounded by yes-men and yes-women can often lose track of the fact that we, society as a whole, are mostly not stupid. We can hear the contradictions, see through the possible villains and react accordingly. People often don’t like politicians because they are full of it and ask us to pretend they aren’t. Avoid this trap.

All these things – machinations, guilt, the need to point the finger elsewhere so as not to look in the mirror – sow drama and discord. LeBron James may be able to handle this weight without the impact of the court – he could not in 2011 – but most of his teammates will not. LeBron James’s gravitational pull is too strong. The physics of being in its orbit, for better or worse, is astounding and brutal to try to fight.

King James? Everything is fine.

Drama King James? Much less effective.

In Miami, LeBron was like a superhero who didn’t use his gifts. He had incredible powers, of course, but every time he tried to use them, he unleashed more than he and the people around him could handle. It’s been a decade, but he’s making those mistakes again because, like that first year in Miami, LeBron has bitten more than he can chew.

Then the world reacted under the pressure and anxiety of how he left Cleveland. Now the pressure and fear of his NBA career is coming to an end, and the mistake he made in entrusting valuable last seasons to Russell Westbrook as a teammate.

This season of the Lakers is unlikely to end well, and next year looks just as terrible.

But LeBron has proven that people like me are wrong before. To do this again, he will have to apply the same lesson he once told me he learned after failing the finals in 2011.

To forget about all the things off the court and to deal – whatever it is – with the thing he is exceptional at: basketball.

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