Matthew Schmidt Articles - Page 163

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard is one of the top guards in the league, but Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown still thinks he is one of the most underrated players in the NBA. “I am and have been a massive fan of Damian Lillard,” said Brown, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia […]

The Seattle Seahawks have hired former quarterback Austin Davis as an offensive assistant, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. Davis spent one season with the Seahawks, serving as Russell Wilson’s backup in 2017. He appeared in three games, but never actually threw a pass. The 29-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the […]

On Friday, it was reported that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has been charged with soliciting prostitution. Reports say that an arrest warrant will be issued for Kraft on Monday. The news rocked the NFL, and when asked about the situation, Patriots safety Devin McCourty said we need to see things play out before […]

The Kansas City Chiefs have signed quarterback E.J. Manuel, according to Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. Manuel did not play in the NFL this past season after he was cut by the Oakland Raiders shortly before the 2018 campaign began. He last appeared with the Raiders in 2017, playing two games and making one […]

Earlier in the month, Anthony Davis asked the New Orleans Pelicans for a trade, and it did not take long for the Los Angeles Lakers to pounce. The Lakers aggressively pursued Davis before the Feb. 7 trade deadline, reportedly making a godfather offer that was said to include Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Ivica […]

Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum has been out since early January with an ankle injury, and it doesn’t look like he will be back any time soon. According to the team, Exum will need additional time to recover from his ankle issue due to a bone bruise that is accompanying the original sprain: Danté Exum […]

In today’s NBA game, we think nothing of space-and-pace. Centers shooting three-pointers has become a regular thing, and positions are becoming more and more nominal rather than critical. However, back when Don Nelson tried to employ these strategies during his days as the head coach of the Golden State Warriors, he was widely criticized. Now, […]

You know that Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard is not bad at this basketball thing, and by now, you probably are also aware of the fact that he is actually a good rapper. But let’s say basketball and music did not exist (sounds harsh, but just go with me for a moment). What […]

The Los Angeles Clippers would actually be better of missing the playoffs this season. If the Clippers miss the postseason, they will earn a lottery pick. If they qualify, then the Boston Celtics will get their first-round draft pick. Don’t tell that to Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, who wants his team to make the playoffs […]

The battle between the North Carolina Tar Heels and Duke Blue Devils on Wednesday night was the most watched weeknight men’s collegiate basketball game in ESPN history, according to Anna Negron of ESPN Media Zone. North Carolina went on to defeat Duke by a score of 88-72. The matchup pulled in 4,343,000 viewers, per a […]

On Wednesday night, Duke Blue Devils phenom Zion Williamson suffered a bizarre knee injury after his Nike sneaker essentially gave out on him, causing his foot to rip through the shoe and resulting in Williamson slipping. Fortunately, Williamson appears to be alright, as he only suffered a minor knee sprain, but it was still a […]

Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook is having one of the worst seasons of his career in terms of putting the ball in the hoop. He is averaging 21.7 points per game while shooting just 41.7 percent from the floor, 24.9 percent from three-point range and 65.6 percent from the free-throw line. However, the Thunder […]

DeMar DeRozan isn’t the only San Antonio Spurs player making his return to Toronto on Friday night. Big man Jakob Poeltl will also be taking the floor at Scotiabank Arena for the first time since being traded from the Raptors over the summer. While DeRozan is obviously the big-ticket item for this game, Poeltl is […]

Anthony Davis may have asked the New Orleans Pelicans for a trade earlier this month, but that does not mean he is going to flake on the team for the rest of the season. Davis says he is going to remain professional for the final two months of the regular season and will give a […]

The Green Bay Packers could certainly use some help on the defensive side of the football, which is why Marc Sessler of NFL.com feels that linebacker Preston Smith could be a good fit for the team. Smith is coming off of a 2018 campaign in which he finished with 53 tackles, four sacks, an interception, […]

The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed defensive end Tyson Alualu to a new two-year contract, preventing him from hitting the open market in March, according to Ed Bouchette of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Alualu played in 15 games this past season, finishing with 22 tackles. The 31-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of California, […]

Dirk Koetter is back as the Atlanta Falcons’ offensive coordinator, and he is thrilled to have the opportunity to coach quarterback Matt Ryan again. Koetter had high praise for Ryan when asked about his signal-caller by reporters, saying that he is a very unique player and will always have an impact on which direction the […]

The Cleveland Browns have begun contract negotiations with offensive lineman Greg Robinson, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. The Browns hope to have Robinson signed to a multi-year deal before he becomes an unrestricted free agent on March 13, and back in December, Robinson stated that he hopes to remain in Cleveland due to […]

When he is on the field, Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert is one of the better tight ends in the league. The operative phrase there, however, is “when he is on the field.” Since entering the league in 2013, Eifert has never played a full season, and since 2016, he has appeared in just […]

When Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley injured his knee during his team’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15, the Rams went out and signed C.J. Anderson off the free-agent scrap heap. Of course, Anderson turned out to be a revelation for Los Angeles, racking up 167 and 132 yards, respectively, while […]

There was a time when Trent Richardson was considered one of the most promising up-and-coming running backs in the NFL. Things did not exactly work out for Richardson, who is now playing for the Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football League. The 28-year-old, who was originally selected by the Cleveland Browns with the […]

Dirk Koetter first served as offensive coordinator for Atlanta Falcons from 2012 through 2014. Well, after being fired as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Koetter is back for another stint as Falcons’ offensive coordinator, and he says his familiarity with quarterback Matt Ryan will certainly make his job easier. “That familiarity is going […]

Landon Collins can become a free agent in March, but the New York Giants are probably not going to let that happen. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network says that the Giants are probably going to place a franchise tag on Collins, which has the safety a bit frustrated. Earlier in the week, Collins said he […]

Coming out of the All-Star break, LeBron James said that the Los Angeles Lakers would be in “playoff mode” for the rest of the way. It certainly did not look like the Lakers’ were in playoff mode midway through the third quarter against the Houston Rockets on Thursday night, as they trailed by 19 points. […]

For what seems like the umpteenth time, former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison says that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is to blame for the drama that occurred in Pittsburgh’s locker room this past season. However, this time, Harrison seems to make a good point rather than simply attack Tomlin out of bitterness: “I start […]

After the New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl earlier in the month, Patriots safety Devin McCourty wasn’t sure what his future held. Well, he has made it official: he is returning in 2019. Prior to the Super Bowl, McCourty said that he wasn’t sure if anything could top winning […]

Earlier in the season, Chris Paul and Rajon Rondo got into a scuffle in the middle of a game between the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center in which the two point guards came to blows. Not only that, but Paul said that Rondo spat on him, which Rondo later […]

Marc Gasol has come off the bench in his first three games with the Toronto Raptors while the more tenured Serge Ibaka continues to start at center. According to Josh Lewenberg of TSN, Raptors head coach Nick Nurse is still undecided on which of the two “Spaniards” to match up with LaMarcus Aldridge and the San […]

Jeremy Lin just joined the Toronto Raptors last week, so forgive him for not being familiar with what his new jersey number is. Accustomed to wearing the No. 7,  Jeremy Lin admitted that he actually put on Kyle Lowry’s uniform before practice on Wednesday and found it kind of strange that the gear didn’t fit. […]

Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Tyus Jones has been sidelined since the middle of January with an ankle injury, but he hopes to practice on Thursday, according to Timberwolves writer Julian Andrews. If all goes well for Jones in practice, he will aim to play in his team’s game against the New York Knicks on Friday night. […]

Los Angeles Lakers big men Tyson Chandler and Mike Muscala are both listed as questionable for their team’s game against the Houston Rockets on Thursday night, according to Ryan Ward of ClutchPoints. Chandler is dealing with a stiff neck and Muscala is nursing a right ankle sprain. Chandler joined the Lakers after being waived by […]

If the New York Giants do ultimately decide to trade wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. this offseason, the New England Patriots could be one of the interested parties. Fox Sports talk-show host Colin Cowherd thinks that a Beckham-Patriots marriage would make sense, citing Bill Belichick’s tendency to miss out on drafting great receivers: “I think […]

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has come under fire for his questionable leadership skills, given his tendency to publicly call out teammates on his weekly radio show. He has also taken some blame for the dysfunction inside the Steelers’ locker room in general. Add Fox Sports talk-show host Jason Whitlock to the herd of people […]

Duke Blue Devils phenom Zion Williamson suffered a knee injury on Duke’s first possession of the game during their matchup with the North Carolina Tar Heels on Wednesday night, as his foot actually blew threw his sneaker as Williamson pivoted and slipped. Afterward, Los Angeles Lakers’ star LeBron James took to Twitter to voice his […]

Zion Williamson’s foot literally exploded out of his shoe and had to leave Duke’s game against UNC. Yooooo Zion really exploded out of his own shoe @SLAMKicks (via @SportsCenter) pic.twitter.com/0Oj9Rm20z2 — SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 21, 2019 Earlier in the season, some surmised that Duke Blue Devils phenom Zion Williamson should sit for the remainder of […]

What does Dallas Mavericks rookie phenom Luka Doncic do in his spare time? Play Fortnite, of course! When Luka Doncic isn't destroying your favorite NBA team, he's dominating Fortnite. I enjoyed this exchange between Luka and a reporter, who asked what the 19-year-old likes to do for fun. Luka comes off like a shy teenager. […]

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Bud Dupree is coming off of a season in which he finished with 42 tackles, 5.5 sacks, an interception, a forced fumble, and a defensive touchdown, but Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert does not seem 100 percent sold on him yet. “Bud Dupree had his best year last year,” Colbert said, according […]

Could Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson be Eli Manning’s successor in the Big Apple? Fox Sports talk-show host Colin Cowherd seems to think so. Cowherd says he has heard through the grapevine that Wilson, who apparently wants out of Seattle, would like to play for the New York Giants and could ultimately end up requesting […]

New York Giants safety Landon Collins could hit the free-agent market in March and reports seem to indicate he is prepared to move on from the team, the Giants do have an alternative: using a franchise tag. New York has two weeks to place a tag on Collins, which would prevent him from earning a […]