Author: Mikesportz
The NFL took a big loss in court this week. A jury found the league broke antitrust laws by selling their “Sunday Ticket” package only on DirecTV and at an inflated price to preserve local ratings for games on FOX and CBS. The total verdict puts the NFL on the hook for $4.8 billion in damages, split between the residential class ($4.696 billion) and commercial class ($97 million; bars, restaurants, etc.). Under anti-trust law that $4.696 billion figure gets tripled to $14.088 billion. The NFL is of course fighting the verdict. A post-trial motions hearing conducted by Judge Philip Gutierrez…
Mazi Smith was the No. 28 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft as the Dallas Cowboys finally appeared to take the defensive tackle position seriously. Unfortunately, his rookie season wound up being a disappointment. Smith hardly saw the field, and when he was out there, he didn’t do anything significant. He was often slow off the snap and played underweight—although that was said to be due to Dan Quinn’s preference. Heading into his second season, Smith is penciled in as the starter, but that’s due to the lack of options rather than anything he put on film. With this…
There’s no franchise with a longer NFL tenure than the Chicago Bears. Though not quite as long as its history, the club’s search for a bona fide Bears franchise quarterback has been a lengthy and fruitless endeavor. For the first time in the Common Draft Era (since 1967), the Bears selected a player with the No. 1 overall pick, choosing USC quarterback Caleb Williams. Williams has already made history with his selection alone, but the Bears are hoping he’s the answer for their seemingly endless search for an authentic franchise QB. A closer look thanks to NFL Research, shows just…
The San Francisco 49ers have been dealing with contract negotiations between themselves and star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk for some time. There has been a stalemate between the two sides over the amount, as Aiyuk believes he is worth more than what San Francisco has been willing to offer so far. He will be entering the final year of his rookie contract and is scheduled to make $14.1 million this season. But after seeing what some of the other elite wide receivers have been getting around the NFL, Aiyuk seems to be holding his ground. Read More: Brandon Aiyuk Calls…
It’s not every day you get an autograph for the ages by one of the premier coaches in college sports. Knoxville native and diehard Vols fan Larrmosha Hollis struck gold when Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello signed a “V” on her chest during the parade honoring the team’s first national title. Coach asked me, ‘Where do you want me to sign it?’ and I yelled, ‘Anywhere!’ And he signed right there. Now the world’s going crazy over my picture. It’s great,” Hollis told Knox News. In a matter of minutes after the signing, Hollis saw the moment replayed on TV…
The San Francisco 49ers should, barring a 2020-like swarm of injuries, boast yet another top-notch defense in 2024. However, as general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have always said, the Niners will never cease to upgrade all positions possible when possible. One of the few areas of the defense where there remain some question marks heading into the new season is within the secondary, specifically at safety. Currently, San Francisco has four prime candidates for the two starting jobs: Talanoa Hufanga, Ji’Ayir Brown, George Odum and the rookie, Malik Mustapha. But Hufanga is coming off a torn…
OMAHA, Neb. — Tony Vitello sprinted onto the field looking for anyone to hug. He cussed in his postgame interview on ESPN. He ran and jumped into the crowd to celebrate the first National Championship in Tennessee baseball history. Vitello showed the emotion and brashness that have made so many hate him. But that mindset helped him turn a laughing stock into a power that stands alone atop college baseball. He doesn’t care what others think about it and nor do his players. “He is so fiery and other teams may not like it but it fires us up and it…
ESPN ranked the 49ers #1 when looking at the rosters around the NFL, and named Jennings the most important player who doesn’t start. A day after The Athletic reported that the San Francisco 49ers are among the most overrated teams in the NFL, ESPN projectedeach team’s starting lineups today and praised Kyle Shanahan’s roster. Multiple analysts went through the biggest strength, weakness, X-Factor, and non-starter to know. Here’s the blurb about the 49ers: Biggest strength: Offensive skill positions. RB Christian McCaffrey (led the NFL with 2,023 total yards last season), Brandon Aiyuk (1,342 receiving yards ranked seventh among WRs in…
Last season was a magical run for San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey. The Niners’ offense was dominant in every facet, and McCaffrey came close to earning MVP honors. Winning Offensive Player of the Year is nothing to scoff at, but McCaffrey has an opportunity to win and rack up a couple of other awards. McCaffrey was nominated for a pair of ESPY awards for ESPN. His first nomination is for the “best record-breaking performance.” McCaffrey has steep competition, including going head-to-head with somebody from his alma mater: 49ers Christian McCaffrey scores a TD for a record-breaking 17 straight…
Get ready, BaseVols fans! The University of Tennessee at Knoxville is hosting Big Orange Watch Parties for the College World Series for you to cheer on the team as it takes on Texas A&M in Omaha. Games will be shown live on a big screen at Vol Village across from Circle Park on campus. There will be tailgating games, kids activities, food trucks and a mobile VolShop onsite. Fans are allowed to bring chairs, blankets and coolers with drinks, including alcohol if consumed responsibly. The event is free for all fans. Fans can arrive arrive at Vol Village at 6:30…