Zachary Draves Articles - Page 35

Illinois football coach Bret Bielema has a way with words and deeds. Last year, Bielema extended a T-Bar gesture to South Carolina coach Shane Beamer during the Citrus Bowl in a perceived taunt. Now, he is taking his ire out on the SEC, with his fingers on a keypad doing the talking. On Friday, Bielema […]

The NBA is shaping to look a little bit different, particularly with the futures of veterans LeBron James and James Harden. James’ sustained dominance at 40 years old has defied traditional athletic expectations. Whereas, playoff shortcomings hamper Harden following the Los Angeles Clippers’ Game 7 loss to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers recently traded utility player Chris Taylor across town to the Los Angeles Angels. Even though he is now on the red team, he still has some allegiance to the blue team. Especially when it comes to the Dodgers defeating the Yankees in last year’s World Series. At the time, Taylor hit […]

Is Giannis Antetokounmpo’s time with the Milwaukee Bucks over? It seems so, given all the rumors swirling about Antetokounmpo possibly being traded. Bill Simmons is hinting at a three-way deal with the Knicks. ESPN’s Shams Charania is floating around with the Spurs, looking to snatch Antetokounmpo and maybe Kevin Durant. Now ESPN analyst Jay Williams […]

It’s been two months since Texas basketball hired Sean Miller as head coach after firing Rodney Terry. It was an offer Miller couldn’t pass up after coaching at Xavier. Texas is coming off a challenging debut season in the SEC, where they went 19-16 and lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Speaking […]

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge is on a tear. Earlier this week, Judge retook the home run lead when he hit his 18th against the Colorado Rockies. Now he is seemingly poised to surpass the Sultan of Swat in a lesser-known category. Judge could break a record held by Babe Ruth in Batting Average […]

It’s been almost three years since Mississippi State football coach Mike Leach passed away at 61. Three years later, he’s on the verge of being cemented among the games’ greats. On Thursday, Leach officially became eligible for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame thanks to a technicality, per Brett McMurphy of Action Network. […]

Sports can bring out the best and worst in those who play them. San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. used both after his ejection from a game against the New York Yankees earlier this month. It helped get his teammates motivated to come from behind and win 4-3.  Fast forward to Tuesday, Tatis […]

The Arizona Diamondbacks are experiencing a rough patch. In particular, three Diamondback players are feeling the brunt from fans for their struggles. Eduardo Rodriguez, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and Zac Gallen.  The latter of which is coming off a shellacking on Tuesday, losing 10-1 to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The right-hander gave up five earned runs in […]

Coco Gauff is all smiles and laughs at the French Open. On Monday, Gauff laughed off a racket mix-up to cruise to a first-round win over Olivia Gadecki 6-2, 6-2.  On Tuesday, she talked about a moment in 2019 when she exchanged funny DMs with Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, per Bleacher Report. She initially ghosted him […]

Gotham FC is back on top two years after hoisting the NWSL trophy on the Empire State Building. Last Saturday, they defeated Liga MX’s Tigres UANL 1-0 to win the first-ever Concacaf W Champions Cup, per Just Women’s Sports.  Striker Esther Gonzalez scored the only goal in the 82nd minute. The win allows Gotham FC […]

The Dallas Wings are fortunate to have selected Paige Bueckers. On Tuesday, Bueckers put up high numbers against the Connecticut Sun in a 109-87 win.  She finished with 21 points, seven assists, and five rebounds in a career-high performance thus far. Furthermore, Bueckers solidified her place among an elite class of rookies that doesn’t include […]

The New York Liberty are gunning to repeat as WNBA champions and then some. The Liberty are looking to live up to their record $450 million valuation. So far, they are off to a solid start at 4-0, led by their trifecta of Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, and Jonquel Jones.  Speaking of Jones, on Tuesday, […]

Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin is not one to mince words about anything. After all, it was Kiffin who exposed a difference between USC and Ole Miss football, the former of which he had previously coached. He said that at USC, it is primarily about education, whereas at Ole Miss, it is about football.  […]

In February, the Las Vegas Aces traded guard Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks. A move that marked the end of an era as Plum helped lead the Aces to back-to-back WNBA championships in 2022 and 2023.  She did so in the company of Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, and, of course, A’ja Wilson. On […]

The tandem of Caitlin Clark and Taylor Swift is a pop culture match made in heaven. Clark met Swift at the Kansas City Chiefs game to watch Swift’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce, last winter.  On Tuesday, the Indiana Fever’s Instagram page posted a picture of her wearing a Taylor Swift shirt as she traveled with the […]

The intersection of sport and fashion has no stop sign. Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham has always stood by her fashion choices and holds her own.  So much so that she has garnered a reaction on social media for her latest stylings, on Monday, she posted a clip on Instagram of herself walking into the […]

The New York Knicks’ backs are up against the wall. It goes without saying that the Knicks face an uphill climb trailing 2-1 to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.  However, the organization gave one lucky fan the opportunity of a lifetime after winning a Jalen Brunson look-alike contest, per Yoav Modai of Sport5.  […]

Arizona Diamondbacks Eugenio Suarez puts the P in power. In late April, Suarez was named the NL Player of the Week for hitting four home runs against the Atlanta Braves.  There is no stopping his abundance of dominance at the plate. On Monday, Suarez emphatically hit his 15th home run of the year against the […]

The French Open has been defined by Rafael Nadal’s presence, even though he is not playing. Instead, Nadal was honored with the playing of Roland Garros on Sunday. Furthermore, Nadal joined alongside the “big four” in a special tribute to him. The other three are his contemporaries Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray. On […]

The defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers’ injuries continue to pile up, especially with their pitching staff. As a result, the Dodgers are looking at potential trades to compensate for their depleted rotation.  Despite their vulnerabilities, The Dodgers are currently 32-19, leading the National League West by two games. But their pitching rotation went […]

There is no question that Travis Hunter left an indelible mark on the Colorado football program. All of which culminated last December when Hunter was honored with the Heisman Trophy.  Now, as he transitions with the Jacksonville Jaguars, his place amongst the best college football players is being hotly debated. On Tuesday, Hunter was able […]

Although Anthony Edwards received a fine prior to Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals for using profanity, he has a deep, abiding love for his family and fans.  He often celebrates them with different-colored shoes and accessories. For example, Edwards likes to don a specialized orange bracelet in honor of a young fan battling […]

After an initial miscalculation, Boston Legacy FC of the NWSL officially launched in late March. Their debut season will commence in the spring of 2026.  After Boston Legacy FC confirmed they would play in Gillette Stadium, they snatched up their head coach. On Friday, Filipa Patão was hired to be the club’s first coach, per […]

The Pittsburgh Steelers are still reeling from trading WR George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. Since then, Pickens hasn’t wasted any time in calling out the problems of his former team.  On Friday, Pickens took a subtle critique of the Steelers by calling out its culture, per Jack Markowski of Sports Illustrated. He did so […]

For all of Caitlin Clark’s record-breaking scoring exploits with the Indiana Fever, Diana Taurasi says there is another category she could lead in. On The Athletic’s Women’s Basketball Show, Taurasi said boldly to host Ben Pickman that the Indiana Fever guard could lead the WNBA in technical fouls. A category she is all too familiar […]

In the NBA playoffs, anything can happen. The Eastern Conference finals between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks will be full of surprises. But what isn’t surprising is the enthusiasm of NBA legend and TNT analyst Shaquille O’Neal. On Wednesday, Shaq couldn’t contain himself during a stirring halftime performance by the “Queen of Hip […]

For all the hype surrounding Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings veteran Arike Ogunbowale is succeeding on her terms. So much so that she has etched her place among the WNBA greats on Wednesday.  Though the Wings lost to the Minnesota Lynx 85-81 to start the year 0-3, Ogubowale achieved quite a feat. She matched Diana Taurasi […]

Pope Leo XIV is becoming a beloved figure in the Chicago sports world, especially baseball. The Cubs and White Sox are battling over whether the Pope is on their side.  On Wednesday, the White Sox took ownership of the Pope by unveiling a mural in his honor, per ABC News.  View this post on Instagram […]

The Indianapolis Colts are reeling from the passing of owner Jim Irsay at 65. But before he left this earth, he had one final wish.  He posted on X his hopes that the Indiana Pacers and owner Herb Simon would become NBA champions right before his death. “Go PACERS. Good luck to Herb, the entire […]

At this point, there is no denying that Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers is living out a dream. A dream dating back to her early years in Minnesota that she is now sharing with her family and friends.  One of those friends, former UConn teammate Aubrey Griffin, exchanged an embrace with Bueckers on Thursday. Griffin […]

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has kept a low profile during the offseason. But Prescott had something to say on the Cowboys acquiring WR George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers. He expressed excitement about bringing on a guy who can catch the ball with relative ease. As for Prescott, he spoke for the first time […]

The walls are seemingly closing in on the Phoenix Suns’ front office. Last Friday, a former employee filed a lawsuit against the Suns, alleging discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. That employee was Gene Traylor, the Suns’ safety, security, and risk management director. Now, Suns’ CEO, Josh Bartelstein, is facing allegations that he had an affair with WNBA […]

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is described as one of the best players in franchise history. He has more career receptions (495) and receiving yards (7,432) than Jerry Rice. He’s a four-time Pro-Baller and soon-to-be Olympian. On Tuesday, the NFL approved the participation of pro players in flag football during the 2028 Olympics in […]

Last Saturday, Angel Reese became the fastest WNBA player to achieve 450 points and rebounds. However, her sophomore season debut was overshadowed for the wrong reasons. The first game between the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever was defined by a flagrant foul by Caitlin Clark to Reese. The foul occurred during the third quarter […]

After being selected No. 4 in the draft, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. was deemed the next big thing. However, experts characterized Harrison’s first season as a disappointment.  Some viewed him as not rising to the occasion or crossing the 1,000-yard threshold. But Harrison is making a point to keep himself in shape […]

The Las Vegas Aces are one of the premier teams in the WNBA. They possess elite talent, especially A’ja Wilson, whose Nike shoe was sold out immediately upon release.  Now, they are giving their fans the opportunity of a lifetime to play in their fantasy camp. From August 1 to 3, Aces’ fans will get […]

One game into the season, Seattle Storm rookie Dominque Malonga is psyching the fans up. During warmups, she got fans ecstatic with a dunk before her first game against the Phoenix Mercury.  Even though the Storm lost 81-59, Malonga finished with two points and heightened anticipation. On Monday, fellow French sensation Victor Wembanyama sat courtside […]

Among the best quarterbacks in Buffalo Bills history, Jim Kelly is ranked in the top ten. Even though they lost four straight Super Bowls during his heyday, he remains a popular figure in the Northeast. He and other Bills legends will star in a Hallmark Christmas movie, per Jarrett Bailey of Sporting News. Moreover, the […]