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Showing posts from May, 2021

New on Sports Illustrated: Fan Runs on Court, Gets Tackled as Wizards Host 76ers

A security guard at Capital One Arena stopped one fan's brief time on the court as the Wizards hosted the 76ers. View the original article to see embedded media. A fan was ejected from Capital One Arena in Washington on Monday night after running onto the floor as the Wizards hosted the 76ers in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The unidentified spectator ran onto the floor in the third quarter as the Wizards dribbled the ball up the floor. He ran toward the baseline and slapped the backboard before being taken down in a textbook tackle by an arena security guard. "During this evening's game, a fan was apprehended by Capital One Arena Special Police after attempting to breach the court," Monumental Sports & Entertainment tweeted Monday. "He will be banned from the arena and charges are being pursued with DC MPD. Monday's incident in Washington continues a parade of ugly moments from fans throughout the 2021 playoffs. A spectator in Boston was

New on Sports Illustrated: Joel Embiid Ruled Out vs. Wizards Due to Right Knee Soreness

Philadelphia's star center took a hard fall in Game 4 against the Wizards in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. View the original article to see embedded media. 76ers center Joel Embiid exited Philadelphia's contest against the Wizards in the first quarter Monday night due to right knee soreness. Embiid was ruled out for the game shortly before halftime as Philadelphia held a 61-60 lead. He appeared to injure his knee on a drive to the basket against Wizards center Robin Lopez. Embiid torched the Wizards in the first three games of the first-round series as Philadelphia took a 3–0 lead. He tallied 36 points and eight rebounds in Game 3 on May 29, finishing the night 14-18 from the field in a 132-103 victory. Embiid's hot start to the playoffs continues his brilliance from the regular season, where he averaged a career-high 28.5 points per game.  Philadelphia is looking to complete the series sweep of Washington in Game 4. The Sixers have reache

New on Sports Illustrated: MAQB: Why June 1 Could Be a Significant Date In a Potential Julio Jones Deal

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On June 1, cap hits for NFL teams change drastically. A Julio Jones Trade could be more feasible for the Falcons after that date. Julio Jones is still a Falcon. For now … • You’ve heard about June 1 a lot—and in some cases, the date is treated as one in which a team can bail itself out of cap jail. And that’s true, but only to a certain degree, and that’s why I figured on this May 31 it’d be good to explain how this all works. And to do it, let’s say, for simplicity's sake, we have a player that signed a four-year, $40 million deal last year with a $20 million signing bonus and $5 million base salaries in each year. In this circumstance, the player would have a $10 million cap number each year, even though he got $25 million in Year 1, with $5 million of it accounting for the base salary, and $5 million accounting for the proration of the signing bonus. Now, let’s say the team that signed this player wanted to trade him this year, a year after he did the deal. If they do that i

New on Sports Illustrated: Report: Jake Paul to Fight Former UFC Champion Tyron Woodley in Boxing Match

Jake Paul and UFC star Tyron Woodley will reportedly fight in an upcoming boxing match in Miami. Jake Paul will reportedly fight former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in a boxing match, per The Athletic 's Mike Coppinger . Paul recently signed a multi-fight deal with Showtime and the fight will reportedly be promoted by Friday face-off in Miami. No date or formal announcement has been made.  Paul is currently 3–0 as a professional boxer and is coming off a win against UFC veteran Ben Askren in April where he won by TKO in the first round.  Woodley, 39, has fought professionally since 2009 and won the UFC welterweight championship in 2016. He successfully defended the title four times before losing it in 2019. He has lost his last four professional UFC fights and last fought on March 27 at UFC 260. He has a professional record of 19–7–1.  Paul's brother, Logan, is slated to fight former boxing champion Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition match on June 5.  More Bo

New on Sports Illustrated: Naomi Osaka's French Open Withdrawal Puts the Spotlight on Mental Health

Naomi Osaka's decision to withdrawal from the 2021 French Open after she declined to go to mandatory press conferences calls attention to mental health issues in athletes. It's second day of play at the French Open yet it's hard to imagine a bigger story emerging from this year's tournament. On Monday, Naomi Osaka announced that she is withdrawing from the event . "I'll take some time away from the court," she said, in the wake of the controversy over her decision last week to decline to go to mandatory press conferences. Reporting from the tournament on the grounds in Paris, Jon Wertheim shares his thoughts on Osaka's decision and its impact. What were your initial thoughts on hearing today’s news? Jon Wertheim : My first thought was one of profound empathy for Osaka. My next was of deep disappointment, because it shouldn’t have come to this. There are infinite angles to this story. But distilled to its essence, it is about a vulnerable athlete wh

New on Sports Illustrated: Naomi Osaka Withdraws From French, Details Her Battle With Depression

Naomi Osaka wrote that she has dealt with bouts of depression since the 2018 U.S. Open. Naomi Osaka announced she is withdrawing from the French Open in a social media post where she details her battles with anxiety and depression.  Osaka announced she would not participate in media availability on Wednesday  and cited her mental health. She was fined $15,000 for not making herself available to the media .  "I think the best thing for the tournament, the other players and my well-being is that I withdraw so that everyone can get back to focusing on the tennis going on in Paris," she wrote. "I never wanted to be a distraction and I accept that my timing was not ideal and my message could have been clearer." Osaka said she has suffered bouts of depression since the U.S. Open in 2018  — the year she defeated Serena Williams to win the tournament. In that match, Williams had a confrontation with the umpire that ended with both players in tears during the closing

New on Sports Illustrated: Sergio Agüero's Arrival Kicks Off Barcelona's Renovation Project

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Barcelona announced Sergio Agüero's signing, which is expected to be the first of multiple free transfers at the heart of a rebuilding effort. View the original article to see embedded media. Joan Laporta promised a squad renovation this summer at Barcelona, and even with the club as cash-strapped as it is , the club president may be on the verge of delivering. Whether it will be good enough for Barcelona to accomplish its objectives, however, and what it means for the club's long-term outlook remain to be seen. On Monday, Barcelona announced the signing of Man City legend and veteran Argentina forward Sergio Agüero to kick off what's expected to be a slew of signings on free transfers . Man City center back Eric García, Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum and Lyon forward Memphis Depay are all also reportedly being lined up on free transfers, with all set to be out of contract this summer. Not having to pay enormous transfer fees is one way to improve a squad wit

New on Sports Illustrated: Report: Packers GM Stands Firm, Still Against Trading Aaron Rodgers

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is contractually obligated to report to the team's mandatory three-day minicamp starting June 8. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst is reportedly "still holding firm" to not trade quarterback Aaron Rodgers this offseason, according to The Athletic .  The report cites the upcoming week as a critical point in the ongoing saga. If the team waits until after June 1 to trade Rodgers, it will save $16.05 million in cap space. Meanwhile, Rodgers is not contractually obligated to report to the team until June 8 when a mandatory three-day minicamp begins.  If the reigning MVP does not show up, he would be fined $15,515 for the first day, $31,030 for the second day and $46,540 for the third day, under the current collective bargaining agreement. Rodgers, who is under contract until 2023, has not reported to the voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) that began last week and will miss out on a $500,000 workout bonus. When asked last we

New on Sports Illustrated: MLB Power Rankings: Rays Rise While Yankees, Dodgers Stumble

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The defending American League champs cannot be stopped while their AL East rivals falter as the calendar flips to June. View the original article to see embedded media. With the close of May and Memorial Day’s arrival comes the unofficial start of summer. That means the 2021 season has stretched its legs and is running at full speed. Just this past week, we saw the American League MVP favorite miss a pitching start because of traffic ; a defensive lapse in Pittsburgh that took on operatic levels of dysfunction ; and the two millionth run to cross home plate in MLB history. Imagine how much quicker we might have reached that milestone if not for all these darn no-hitters. As we welcome the start of June, there’s been a shift in the pecking order up top, as teams in the top 10 jockey for position. If your team isn’t where you’d like them to be—either here in the venerable SI power rankings or in the actual standings—fear not. This time last year (in terms of games played), we wer

New on Sports Illustrated: Fan Who Tossed Bottle at Kyrie Irving Facing Assault Charge

The fan is also subject to a lifetime ban from TD Garden. View the original article to see embedded media. The 21-year-old Celtics fan who threw a water bottle at Nets guard Kyrie Irving following the conclusion of Game 4 in Boston on Sunday night faces an assault and battery with a dangerous weapon charge and will be arraigned on Tuesday, according to the Boston Police Department. The fan, Cole Buckley of Braintree, MA., was identified and arrested by TD Garden security following the incident. He is also subject to a lifetime ban from the venue, according to an arena spokesperson. "A guest was arrested by Boston Police at the end of tonight’s Boston Celtics game for throwing an object. We will support and provide assistance to Boston Police as this incident is under review. We have zero tolerance for violations of our guest code of conduct, and the guest is subject to a lifetime ban from TD Garden," Tricia McCorkle, a TD Garden spokesperson, said in a statement on Sun

New on Sports Illustrated: 2021 Jacksonville Jaguars Fantasy Team Outlook: Trevor Lawrence's Splash Impact Reinvigorates Expectations

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A fantasy football breakdown of the Jacksonville Jaguars by high-stakes legend Shawn Childs Coaching After finishing last in the AFC South for three straight seasons under Doug Marrone, the Jaguars bottom out with a 1-15 record in 2020. The offseason house cleaning led to Jacksonville landing a top college head coach – Urban Meyer . Over 17 seasons coaching four different college teams, Meyer went 187-32 with three BCS National Championship (2006 and 2008 with Florida and 2014 with Ohio State). He won at every stop (Bowling Green 17-6, Utah – 22-2, and Florida – 65-15), highlighted by his seven-year run at Ohio State (83-9). An off-the-field issue led to Ohio State dismissing Meyer after the 2018 season. The Jaguars only have one postseason appearance and winning record over their past 14 years. Darrell Bevell takes over as the offensive coordinator after holding the same position for the past 14 seasons for the Vikings, Seahawks, and Lions. His offense helped Seattle win the Su

New on Sports Illustrated: What If This Is As Good As It Gets?

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Like their ’90s predecessors, these Knicks are feisty—and that might not be enough to win a title. At times, comparisons between the 2021 Knicks and their 1990s predecessors seem a bit overblown. In contrast with the current club, those Knicks—who mimicked the Bad Boys Pistons and were the last of their kind—regularly led the NBA in flagrants and technicals. They weren’t merely inclined to play with a nasty streak; they were required to. After laying out opposing players with unforgiving physicality, then coach Pat Riley had an established, preemptive warning: Any player who tried to help up a fallen opponent would be fined. From 1992 to ’99, they were a perennial contender to win the title, but they never quite got there. Still, even if those brutish elements are missing, one of the more defining characteristics—the club’s otherworldly work ethic, particularly on defense— appears to be similar . It’s what the team’s undyingly loyal fan base has craved for decades, after growing a