Jack Winter Articles - Page 64

Montrezl Harrell has forged a career more successful than anyone anticipated by playing with the unceasing energy of someone who must be hopped up on gallons of caffeine. The LA Clippers big man, though, has never had much of an affinity for coffee, a taste preference he blames on his grandmother. “I’m not a big […]

Ezekiel Eliott, believe it or not, wasn’t pleased with Jerry Jones publicly making light of his value to the Dallas Cowboys. Responding to Jones’ “Zeke who?” quip following the Cowboys’ preseason game on Saturday, Elliott’s agent, Rocky Arceneaux, told ESPN’s Chris Mortenson that neither he nor the superstar running back found the comment amusing. “I […]

As the regular season draws closer and closer, there’s still no end in sight to Trent Williams’ holdout from the Washington Redskins. When asked if he had spoken with the veteran left tackle recently, Washington coach Jay Gruden refused to say one way or another, instead choosing to focus on the players currently with the […]

The Los Angeles Lakers’ stubborn insistence that Anthony Davis won’t play major minutes at center this season complicates matters for his teammates and coaching staff, especially in wake of a torn ACL that will rob DeMarcus Cousins of an opportunity to re-stake his claim as one of the league’s most dynamic big men. Offensively, it’s […]

There’s no guarantee that Tacko Fall finds his way onto the Boston Celtics’ active roster this season. The 7-foot-6 giant signed an Exhibit 10 deal with Boston last month, ensuring him the opportunity to participate in training camp while allowing the team to retain his G-League rights even if he’s ultimately released. As Celtics co-owner […]

Forward Terry Larrier has agreed to a training-camp contract with the LA Clippers, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Larrier went undrafted out of UCONN last year. The 6-foot-8 played subsequently played in Summer League with the Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks, earning an invite to Dallas’ training camp prior to being cut due […]

Under general manager Bob Myers and coach Steve Kerr, the Golden State Warriors have become arguably the most player-friendly organization in the NBA. Five seasons of that that goodwill was put to the test in the aftermath of Kevin Durant rupturing his Achilles tendon in the NBA Finals, leading to widespread speculation that Golden State […]

While watching his fellow Americans dispatch of the Spanish national team in an exhibition on Friday night, Marcus Smart expressed full-throated optimism about being healthy enough to play in the FIBA World Cup. Less than 24 hours later, that unwavering confidence of Boston Celtics guard has proven well-founded. According to Marc Stein of The New […]

Marcus Smart has been sidelined from prepping for the upcoming FIBA World Cup with USA Basketball for nearly two weeks. Despite the national program reaching its final cutdown stage on Saturday, though, the Boston Celtics guard remains with Team USA. Why? As Smart told NBA TV’s Jared Greenberg on Friday night during the American’s exhibition […]

Eyebrows raised across the league in late June when Marc Gasol put off free agency for another year by picking up the player option on the final season of his existing contract. Would the 34-year-old big man really have committed to another season with the Toronto Raptors if Kawhi Leonard wasn’t joining him? Assumptions otherwise […]

Dwyane Wade recently said that he still doesn’t feel retired. The Miami Heat legend has had much more free time to post on social media since ending his career at the conclusion of the 2018-19 season, though, and took advantage of it again on Friday by posting a hilarious meme of himself. https://www.instagram.com/p/B1Pu03un8o2/ Wade, 37, […]

There comes a time for every successful first-year NBA player when he hits the proverbial rookie wall. Those guys are lucky compared to the vast majority of rookies, too. Most first-year players barely get off the bench, and if they do, normally haven’t made enough of a consistently positive impact to have avoided the rookie […]

Every single one of the players who withdrew from consideration for Team USA this summer did so with injury risk in mind. Still, it goes without saying that no one was surprised when PJ Tucker took a much different approach to playing for his country in the FIBA World Cup. The Houston Rockets forward was […]

LeBron James was never going to play in the FIBA World Cup. Kawhi Leonard has never suited for USA Basketball. Kevin Durant is recovering from surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon, and the same goes for Paul George with regard to both his shoulders. Ever since USA Basketball was overhauled in the mid-2000s following a […]

The Los Angeles Chargers went 12-4 last season, tied for the best record in the AFC, and ranked top-eight in both points scored and points allowed per game. Los Angeles’ supremely disappointing performance in the second round of the playoffs against the New England Patriots, most agreed, wasn’t indicative of its overall quality. Anthony Lynn’s […]

Thursday’s exhibition game between the Washington Redskins and Cincinnati Bengals at FedExField served as a harrowing reminder of just how different the NFL’s new rules on pass interference stands to make the game. Among three extremely questionable offensive pass interference calls was one on the Bengals’ Damion Willis that called back his 35-yard touchdown catch. […]

Tavon Young didn’t play in his team’s preseason game on Thursday night. After the Baltimore Ravens’ 26-13 victory over the Washington Redskins, though, the worst fears about the extent of his existing neck injury were confirmed by coach John Harbaugh. Young, Harbaugh told reporters, “has a more serious issue than we thought” that could keep […]

Amari Cooper has been at practice with the Dallas Cowboys, but apparently spent most of his time on the sidelines rather than on the field with his teammates. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the three-time Pro Bowler has been dealing with a heal strain that prevented him from taking part in practice. Fortunately for […]

The NFL’s addition of pass-interference judgement calls to instant-replay review was supposed to negate erroneous penalties and correct uncalled ones. On Thursday night, though, the Washington Redskins had an explosive play taken away after a receiver was called for pass interference on the play – a flag that was apparently never justified by the officials, […]

As the regular season draws closer and closer, it’s easy to expect the contract dispute between Melvin Gordon and the Los Angeles Chargers to come to a close. Gordon, after all, is one of the best running backs in football, and Los Angeles has legitimate Super Bowl aspirations on the strength of arguably the league’s […]

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is a late scratch for Thursday’s preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, the team announced. The seven-time Pro Bowler will sit out due to tightness in his back, a move that’s considered “precautionary.” Packers rookie head coach Matt LaFleur originally planned to play his entire first-team offense, with the […]

As a rookie, Tyreek Hill quickly proved himself as one of the NFL’s most imminently-dangerous players no matter where he was on the field. In 2017, the former college running back made major progress as a wide receiver, flashing All-Pro potential as much more than just a hybrid playmaker. Last year, the Kansas City Chiefs’ […]

The Oakland Raiders’ most realistic hopes of competing in the AFC West this season lie with Derek Carr regaining the level of play that him a breakout star in 2016. Fortunately, Oakland’s franchise signal-caller seems very confident his additional experience and comfort in Jon Gruden’s system will prove beneficial. “Year 2, we’re having different level […]

Patrick Mahomes blew past even optimistic expectations as a first-year starter, using his rocket arm, natural sense of touch, underrated athleticism, and burgeoning ability to go through multiple reads on a given snap to put together the most dominant individual campaign of any quarterback since Peyton Manning in 2013. As the 23-year-old continues to improve, […]

The Sacramento Kings were a wonderfully pleasant surprise last season, going 39-43 despite a disappointing finish while establishing themselves as one of the most entertaining teams in basketball. As a result, the next step in their linear progression toward real contention should be the organization’s first playoff appearance since 2006. But the Kings don’t play […]

The Philadelphia Eagles’ passing attack was always bound to improve this season. Not only was Carson Wentz, en route to MVP honors in 2017 before suffering a season-ending injury, poised to reclaim his status as one of the league’s best quarterbacks, but DeSean Jackson was brought back in free agency to add another element to […]

Team USA will enter FIBA World Cup competition later this month as overwhelming favorites to bring home gold, no matter who Gregg Popovich and company ultimately decide to take to China. The eye-popping result of a scrimmage between the 17-man roster competing to be on the national team and a group of fringe NBA players, […]

LeBron James participated in the unveiling of a colorful new basketball court at the school founded by he and his foundation founded in his hometown of Akron, OH on Wednesday. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar not only was in attendance for the official christening of the multi-colored court, which reads “WE ARE FAMILY” in a […]

Pau Gasol now plays for one of the many Western Conference teams that considers itself a rival of the Los Angeles Lakers. Just because the future Hall-of-Famer is with the Portland Trail Blazers, though, hardly means he’s forgotten his place in purple-and-gold lore. Gasol confirmed as much on Wednesday, sending a birthday wish to another […]

Golden Tate lost his appeal of a suspension by the NFL for a violation of the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Just because the New York Giants receiver will miss the first four games of the season and the paychecks that come with them, though, hardly means he’s done protecting his good name. Tate revealed […]

When Tom Brady entered the NFL in 2000, it’s safe to say he and other rookies were subject to the type of hazing that’s been broadly outlawed at all levels football. Just because he bore the brunt of that err in judgement from the league office, coaches, and players, though, doesn’t mean the future Hall-of-Famer […]

Patrick Mahomes will soon be the highest-paid player in NFL history. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback is eligible for a contract extension after this season, and aecent indications point to a coming annual payday around $40 million. For now, though, Mahomes is the biggest bargain in football, and it’s not particularly close. Coming off a […]

The Washington Redskins’ quarterback situation remains fluid. As veteran reserve Colt McCoy holds an early lead on his competition to be the Redskins’ first-string signal-caller, though, he’s received a confident endorsement from one of his team’s best and most-respected players. Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Adrian Peterson made it clear he’d be comfortable if Washington […]

The Miami Dolphins are in full-blown rebuilding mode. Maybe no general manager in NFL history has been so aggressive in prioritizing the future over the present than Miami’s Chris Grier, who’s positioned his team to have over $100 million in cap space and at least 10 draft picks next season. Just because the Dolphins’ focus […]

No decision-maker in the NFL has received more flak over the past year than Dave Gettleman. Fortunately for the New York Giants’ oft-criticized general manager, though, the one person who actually decides his fate seems pleased with job he’s done – and almost seems to relish his unflinching penchant for drumming up scrutiny. In a […]

In less than a year, the Cleveland Browns have gone from one of the NFL’s most hapless teams to one of its hottest. The Browns are a trendy pick to emerge out of a crowded field of Super Bowl contenders in the AFC thanks to a franchise-changing offseason, one that quarterback Baker Mayfield believes has […]

Baker Mayfield has only been teammates with Odell Beckham Jr. for a few months. The superstar wide receiver trained on his own for much of the offseason and didn’t suit up in the Cleveland Browns’ preseason opener for precautionary measures, watching the action from the sidelines with fellow All-Pro pass-catcher Jarvis Landry. Needless to say, […]

There’s been no indication of progress between Melvin Gordon and the Los Angeles Chargers on the star running back’s recent trade demand. As a team source told ESPN’s Josina Anderson, though, the Chargers still list Gordon as their top option in the backfield despite the strong play of Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson in the […]

The NFL is taking an entirely new approach to addressing longtime criticisms of its approach to social justice and original entertainment. As first reported by Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, the NFL is partnering with Jay-Z and Roc Nation, the music mogul’s self-started agency, to give him a prominent role in activism initiatives and […]