Bill Russell, activist for the ages — Andscape

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in July 2019. Bill Russell died on July 31, 2022, at age 88, his family announced. OAKLAND, Calif. — Walking through the hallways of McClymonds High School in Oakland is like touring a National Mall of African American excellence. There is a poster celebrating Marcus Garvey, Madam C. …

Christian McCaffrey traded some gear to a fan for his favorite snacks

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — There were no bags of Cool Ranch Doritos or Oreos being offered Saturday as Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey made his way down the stadium wall draped by screaming fans at Wofford’s Gibbs Stadium. There were just footballs, jerseys, signs and mini football helmets, typical things brought to training camp in …

Ranking the top 25 NFL prospects in 2022

Every year, Football Outsiders puts together a list of the NFL’s best and brightest young players … who have barely played. About 80% of draft-day discussions are about first-round picks, and 10% are about the players who should have been first-round picks but instead went in the second round. Particularly if they were quarterbacks. This …

MLB trade grades — Did the Rays pull off more of their magic in deal for David Peralta?

The trade: The Rays acquire OF David Peralta from the Diamondbacks for C Christian Cerda We say this all the time about the Rays, but it rings more true than ever in 2022: How do they do it? OK, they always come up pitching depth, but this season the lineup has been hammered with injuries, …

From deadline dilemma to World Series champs? Here’s who could be this trade season’s Atlanta Braves

The 2021 Atlanta Braves were hardly a shocking World Series winner, although with an 88-73 record in the regular season, they weren’t a powerhouse team in the vein of recent champions like the 2016 Cubs, 2017 Astros, 2018 Red Sox or 2020 Dodgers. After all, the Braves had reached the 2020 NLCS and made the …

Baker Mayfield’s “mess talk” is entertaining his new Carolina Panthers teammates

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — It seemed a bit odd Tuesday when newly acquired Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield was chauffeured to Wofford College for training camp in a truck driven by linebacker Shaq Thompson. Now we know why. Smack talk. Or “mess” talk, as Thompson put it Friday when explaining how the former Cleveland Browns star …

Inside the Jackie Robinson Museum, the ‘passion project’ that’s about more than a sports legacy — Andscape

NEW YORK — On the second floor at 75 Varick St. in SoHo, there’s a statue. It’s not on the main floor of the newly minted Jackie Robinson Museum, it’s upstairs away from the hubbub of children and interactivity that is the main floor. Just across from a photomosaic portrait of Jack Roosevelt Robinson and …

Way-too-early 2023 MLB draft rankings

Now that the 2022 MLB draft is behind us, it’s time to turn our attention to the top prospects for 2023. Right now, next year’s draft class isn’t overwhelming at the top. We’re over halfway through the key summer events, so a couple of more names will emerge, but most likely outside the top 30-50, …

Shohei Ohtani in New York? Juan Soto to St. Louis? The MLB trade deadline deals we’d like to see

7:00 AM ET Bradford Doolittle Close ESPN Staff Writer Sports reporter, Kansas City Star, 2002-09 Writer, Baseball, Baseball Prospectus Co-author, Pro Basketball Prospectus Member, Baseball Writers Association of America Member, Professional Basketball Writers Association David Schoenfield Close ESPN Senior Writer Covers MLB for ESPN.com Former deputy editor of Page 2 Been with ESPN.com since 1995 …

Jets bullish on O-line after making ‘right’ moves with Mekhi Becton, Alijah Vera-Tucker – New York Jets Blog

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — A year ago, New York Jets tackle Mekhi Becton was so high on his new right-hand man, guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, that he retweeted a photo of them on the practice field, predicting, “JORDAN AND PIPPEN!!! Mark my words!!!” Becton’s right-hand man is now his left-hand man. The Jets flipped their offensive …

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