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5 NFL coaches who deserve to be on the hot seat before the 2024 season even starts nfl,coaches,who,deserve,to,be,on,the,hot,seat,before,the,season,even,starts,sbnation,com,front-page,nfl,dot-com-grid-coverage

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The 2024 NFL season is nearly upon us, and it’s shaping up to be an exciting one. While we’re all looking ahead to how our teams will look and hopefully improve this year, it’s important to remember one of the constants of the NFL: While some teams will get better, others will regress. Not everyone will be taking the anticipated step forward, and some will be taking a step back.

On that note, it’s a good opportunity to check in on some of the most volatile coaching situations in the NFL. I delved through the 32 head coaches to come up with my top-five hottest seats in the league heading into 2024. Many of these names won’t be terribly surprising, as several were considered candidates to be let go this offseason, but a couple were a little more challenging than others.

Mike McCarthy

I think I speak for most NFL fans when I say that we were shocked when Mike McCarthy wasn’t fired after the Dallas Cowboys’ most recent playoff defeat. He’s back for 2024, coming off the loss of another key coordinator in Dan Quinn and a thoroughly disappointing offseason marred by a failure to take action on quarterback Dak Prescott’s contract. To put it simply, the Cowboys have been suspiciously lax in addressing veteran departures and the multiple holes on the roster.

While I think the draft class has the potential to be good, it’s a tough assignment for any rookie offensive lineman to come in and play right away. Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe could be thrust into the spotlight immediately to plug holes, and I’m not sure that will produce great results — at least, not right away. The receiving corps is incredibly thin after CeeDee Lamb, and the lack of urgency to address running back led to an uninspiring reunion with late-career Ezekiel Elliott.

I’m not sure any of these things are explicitly McCarthy’s fault, but we all know who will get the blame if Dallas regresses in 2024.

Matt Eberflus

Matt Eberflus is in a strange situation with the Chicago Bears. In many ways, it would’ve made sense for the Bears to make a clean break and start fresh with a new head coach in 2024. The team is very much in the midst of what feels like a perpetually ongoing rebuild, and Eberflus’ abysmal 10-24 record through two seasons doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. At the same time, the roster has been far from competitive and Eberflus can argue that he didn’t get any say in the previous quarterback decision. Sure, fair enough.

All that being said, expectations will be through the roof for Chicago in 2024 thanks to an aggressive offseason headlined by the addition of No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams at quarterback. If things don’t take off quite as fast as hoped and the Bears are once again picking near the top of the NFL Draft, the pitchforks will come out — and Eberflus will be the one on the pointy end.

Dennis Allen

Have you noticed a theme so far? The first three coaches on this list, Dennis Allen included, are all guys who were in danger of being fired at the end of the 2023 season. Allen has been a largely uninspiring coach for the New Orleans Saints, clawing his way to an under-.500 record over two seasons despite possessing one of the oldest and most expensive rosters in the NFL and playing in a division that has been pretty much wide open for the taking.

The expensive acquisition of Derek Carr was supposed to be the necessary move to get the Saints back on top in the NFC South, but the team ultimately fell short once again. Allen likely has a Week 18 Falcons collapse to thank for keeping his job heading into 2024, but things are looking considerably more dire for the Saints this season. The roster has continued to age and thin out thanks to years of cap shenanigans. New Orleans has an even tougher path to the playoffs this season, and three straight misses would almost certainly mean the end for Allen.

Robert Saleh

It seems like the signing of Aaron Rodgers, and his subsequent injury, probably saved Robert Saleh’s job in 2023. Perhaps Rodgers really would have lifted the New York Jets to playoff contention and renewed faith in Saleh’s leadership, but his injury essentially gave Saleh a free pass. While it’s clear Saleh is a great defensive mind and he’s put together a top unit in New York over the past two seasons, the offense has continuously held the team back.

Saleh is an abysmal 18-33 over his three seasons, and you’d expect pretty much any other coach to be shown the door in that situation. That means that 2024 is probably “playoffs or bust” time for both Saleh and the entire regime in New York. The Jets will obviously be better with a healthy Aaron Rodgers, but can they really compete with the top contenders in the AFC? Are they a better team than the Chiefs, Ravens, Bills, or Texans? Can Aaron Rodgers actually stay healthy? Will he retire mid-season to do ayahuasca and go on darkness retreats? A playoff berth alone may not be enough to save Saleh’s job given the expectations around the team.

Brian Daboll

It’s pretty unusual to see a coach coming off an AP Coach of Year award just two seasons prior entering the season on the hot seat, but the New York Giants are an unusual team. Brian Daboll worked magic in New York to get the team to a 9-7-1 record, playoff berth, and upset victory over the Vikings in 2022, but things completely fell apart in 2023. The Giants were among the league’s worst offenses and were near the bottom defensively as well, with Daniel Jones performing poorly coming off his extension before spending the majority of the season on IR.

New York is in a difficult spot heading into 2024, as the team chose to pass on a quarterback upgrade for another huge need, a wide receiver upgrade. That might have been the best choice for the team, but it probably wasn’t the best choice for Daboll’s job security. I still believe Daboll is a good coach and wouldn’t be shocked if he bounces back this season, but he’ll have to pull out some more of that 2022 magic to overtake the Eagles or Cowboys in the playoff race.

NBA mock draft 2025: Cooper Flagg leads loaded class that will start tank race nba,mock,draft,cooper,flagg,leads,loaded,class,that,will,start,tank,race,sbnation,com,front-page,nba,nba-draft,nba-mock-draft,draftkings

NBA mock draft 2025 Cooper Flagg leads loaded class that
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The 2024 NBA Draft never had a consensus No. 1 overall prospect at any point in the cycle. That won’t be the case next year. Duke freshman forward Cooper Flagg feels like a lock to go first in the 2025 NBA Draft, and his looming entrance to the league is about to set off a race to the bottom for teams who realize they aren’t good enough to make the playoffs.

Now that the 2024 draft has come and gone, and it’s time to look ahead to the 2025 NBA Draft. Flagg is the clear top prospect entering the cycle, but he’s far from the only big-time talent. The 2025 class is significantly stronger than the 2024 class throughout the lottery, with more potential All-Star talent available and greater depth throughout the first round.

I’ve been lucky enough to cover the NBA Draft for SB Nation for more than a decade, and every year I drop my big board for next year the day after the draft. You can go back and read my early boards for a fun trip down memory lane from 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 here.

The 2025 NBA Draft looks like one of the stronger classes I’ve evaluated a year out. Here’s our first way-too-early projection of the class.

NBA Draft 2025 preseason board

Rank Name From Position Age
Rank Name From Position Age
1 Cooper Flagg Duke F Freshman
2 Ace Bailey Rutgers F Freshman
3 Dylan Harper Rutgers G Freshman
4 Nolan Traore France F Born 2006
5 Khaman Maluach Duke C Born 2006
6 VJ Edgecombe Baylor G Freshman
7 Liam McNeeley UConn F Freshman
8 Tre Johnson Texas G Freshman
9 Rocco Zikarsky Australia C Born 2006
10 Ian Jackson North Carolina G Freshman
11 Egor Demin BYU G Freshman
12 Jalil Bethea Miami G Freshman
13 Donnie Freeman Syracuse F Freshman
14 Will Riley Illinois G Freshman
15 Hugo Gonzalez Spain F Born 2006
16 Michael Ruzic Croatia F Born 2006
17 Noa Essengue France F Born 2006
18 Collin Murray-Boyles South Carolina F Sophomore
19 Isaiah Evans Duke G Freshman
20 Boogie Fland Arkansas G Freshman
21 Dink Pate USA G Born 2006
22 Asa Newell Georgia F Freshman
23 Milan Momcilovic Iowa State F Sophomore
24 Flory Bidunga Kansas C Freshman
25 Derrion Reid Alabama F Freshman
26 Drake Powell UNC G/F Freshman
27 Kwame Evans Jr. Oregon F/C Sophomore
28 Jarin Stevenson Alabama F Sophomore
29 Izan Almansa Spain C Born 2005
30 Tucker DeVries West Virginia F Senior

Cooper Flagg is the clear-cut No. 1 prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft

The 2025 NBA Draft class is deep with talent, but Flagg is in a tier by himself as the top prospect in the class. The incoming Duke forward will be college basketball’s biggest one-and-done superstar since Zion Williamson. He’s a legitimate franchise-altering talent, and his skill set is perfect for modern basketball.

Flagg’s greatest gift is his versatility. At 6’9 with a 7-foot wingspan, he can vacillate between a variety of roles at both ends of the floor, and perform at a high level in all of them. His athleticism, IQ, and motor are all off the charts, and his skill level is getting there, too.

Flagg is an elite defensive prospect. He moves his feet incredibly well on the perimeter for someone his size, showing the ability to switch across the positional spectrum in most matchups. He’s equally adept at being a wing stopper on the perimeter or manning the backline as a secondary rim protector. His shot blocking ability might be his strongest individual skill right now: he gets off the floor so quickly as a leaper, and can absorb contact in the air while still contesting the shot. He’s the type of player who can erase mistakes by his teammates as a help defender, force turnovers that lead to transition opportunities, or stand strong as a point-of-attack defender.

Flagg can fit into any offense right now in a connector role, and he has the potential to be so much more than that down the line. He has a high offensive baseline as a big forward who can space the floor, hit spot-up threes, make quick passing reads, and attack the basket with power in transition or as a cutter. Flagg’s upside gets scary as he starts to develop with the ball in his hands, and he made major strides in that regard as a senior at Montverde Academy. Flagg looked comfortable ripping pull-up threes, getting into his mid-range bag, and attacking in isolations. He’s going to be such a load going downhill as his handle develops. He looks like he should be able to skillfully play either side of the pick-and-roll.

Flagg is extremely young for his grade after reclassifying to essentially skip his senior year of high school. With a Dec. 2006 birthday, he’ll only be 17 years old to start the season for Duke, and won’t turn 19 years old until halfway through his rookie season. There’s going to be some early growing pains for any player that young as they jump up a level, but Flagg is only in this position already because he really is that talented. Victor Wembanyama aside, it’s hard to remember the last draft prospect who had this many different ways of impacting the game.

Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey vie for No. 2 overall at Rutgers

Rutgers has hadn’t had a player selected in the NBA Draft since 2010. That’s about to change in a big way next year after landing the No. 2 and No. 3 overall recruits in the class of 2025 in Dylan Harper and Airious ‘Ace’ Bailey.

Harper is the son of long-time NBA guard Ron Harper, and the younger brother of former Rutgers star Ron Harper Jr. At 6’5 with a 6’10 wingspan, Dylan Harper is a bulky combo guard with an advanced feel for the game and the ability to play on- or off-the-ball. The lefty plays with good pace as a lead ball handler, and he’s able to use his big frame to carve out space going downhill. He’s a skilled finisher with either hand, and will showcase some advanced footwork on drives. He’s also an active mover and good cutter off the ball with flashes of real shooting versatility. Harper shoots confidently from range whether he’s taking a pull-up or spacing the floor as a spot-up shooter. He’s not an elite athlete or the best shooter, but he’s relatively strong in both areas while having plus positional size and the ability to read the floor as a live dribble passer. Even if the shot isn’t falling, Harper adds value as a rebounder and transition threat. It will be interesting to see how quick he looks defensively (is he better at defending guards or wings?) and where his shot-making numbers come in at.

Bailey is just oozing with talent as a tall wing with excellent athleticism and deep shooting range. Listed at 6’10, 200 pounds by Rutgers, Bailey has takeover scoring ability when his jumper is hot. He’s so big that it’s hard to contest his shot, and he shoots it effortlessly off pull-ups and quickly off spot-ups. Bailey makes some extremely difficult looks, which feels like both a gift and a curse. It would be nice to see him get downhill more with his dunk contest-worthy athleticism, but to this point he likes to settle for jumpers. Bailey could stand to improve his ability to read the floor as a passer and tighten his ball handling ability, but he has gifts you just can’t teach. It’s also worth noting he’s extremely young his class with an Aug. 2006 birthday, meaning he’ll still be 18 years old on draft day in 2025. He’s likely going to be awesome in transition, he should contribute on the offensive glass, and as he gets stronger he should provide some secondary rim protection. He will have a high-floor as a deadly off-ball threat with his size and shooting, and it’s possible his shot-making gives him significant upside beyond that. Bailey is far from a finished product, but his upside feels like the second highest in the class right now even if there will be some frustrating moments along the way.

The pairing between Bailey and Harper at Rutgers will be fascinating to watch, and should be a mutually beneficial context for both players.

France is back with more potential lottery prospects

The French have been all over the NBA lottery in recent years. Killian Hayes (2020), Ousmane Dieng (2022), Bilal Coulibaly (2023), Victor Wembanyama (2023), Alex Sarr (2024), Zaccharie Risacher (2024), and Tidjane Salaun (2024) have all been lottery picks in recent years. The French connection isn’t going away any time soon.

The international class for the 2025 NBA Draft looks like a strong group, and French guard Nolan Traore currently feels like the cream of the crop. Traore is a 6’5 point guard who bypassed offers from top college programs (including Duke) to stay with his club team Saint-Quentin in the top French pro league. He’s been on an absolute heater to open 2024 with strong showing at Nike Hoop Summit and a record-setting 45-point display at the Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals. The arrow is only trending up from here.

Traore is a big lead guard who feels like he’s in full control of the game. He’s at his best in the pick-and-roll, where he can use his bust to get past the first line of defense, and then threaten the defense with his scoring or playmaking. Traore isn’t the type of guard who throw down a huge dunk in traffic, but he has tremendous scoring craft in close with floaters and touch shots over contests. He’s also an impressive live dribble passer who looks comfortable making a variety of reads. Traore appears comfortable self-creating his own looks from three-point range, and did so on high volume this past season, but the percentage hovered around 30 percent. If he shoots it better, he’ll have a chance to go as high as No. 2, and feels like a safe bet to ultimately land in the top-10.

Noa Essengue is another talented French prospect who will earn lottery looks in 2025. The 6’9 forward is long and athletic and consistently plays with a high motor. He’s attacks the basket with an impressive amount of power and touch as a roll man or cutter. He should have tremendous defensive versatility, and some ability to be a small ball big man. He looks very good as a rebounder and defensive playmaker who can generate transition opportunities for his team. He’s not much of a shooter or playmaker yet, but has a high floor as an energy guy with real NBA size and athleticism who has been productive in big settings.

The 2025 NBA Draft is deep with talent throughout the lottery

  • VJ Edgecombe, G, Baylor: Edgecombe is a super athletic guard who succeeds with slashing, transition scoring, and defensive playmaking. While he’s a tad small for an off-ball player (he measured at 6’3 with a 6’5 wingspan), Edgecombe’s blend of speed, power, and agility is made for getting into the paint and finishing above the rim. He can force turnovers as an aggressive defender, and no one is stopping him on the break. It will be interesting to see where his playmaking ability and shooting comes in.
  • Liam McNeeley, F, UConn: McNeely is a perfect fit in UConn’s whirling offensive system. The 6’9 forward is first and foremost expected to be one of the best shooters in this class after reportedly hitting better than 44 percent of his threes each of the last two years while playing with Cooper Flagg at Montverde. He also looks comfortable attacking the defense on closeouts with impressive footwork and some ability to read the floor as a passer while on the move. No one does a better job of accentuating his players’ strengths than Danny Hurley, so it feels like a safe bet he’s going to have a very good season.
  • Khaman Maluach, C, Duke: Malauch has monster physical tools as a 7’2 center with a 7’5 wingspan and strong 250 pound frame. Players that big should not move as well as Malauch does. His mobility with this level of power and length makes his long-term ceiling sky-high. He just still seems to be very raw in terms of feel for the game on both ends. How big of a role Duke will trust him to play this year remains to be seen, but with a good season he should be the first big off the board.

NBA Draft 2024 second round grades on every pick, including Bronny James and more nba,draft,second,round,grades,on,every,pick,including,bronny,james,and,more,sbnation,com,front-page,nba,nba-draft,draftkings

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The 2024 NBA Draft marks the first time the league has split its draft over two days. After the full round was full of surprises on Wednesday night, the second round follows on Thursday afternoon with some talented players still on the board.

Check out our list of the 30 best players still available after the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft. There are three players still on the board who were mocked as top-20 picks at various points in this cycle in Tyler Smith, Kyle Filipowski, and Johnny Furphy. Marquette point guard Tyler Kolek is another big name expected to come off the board early in round two, and there’s also some fun sleepers with San Francisco wrecking ball Jonathan Mogbo, UCLA big man Adem Bona, and Serbian wing Nikola Djurisic.

Bronny James is also still available. Why isn’t anyone talking about this? Just kidding.

We already graded every pick of the first round. Now let’s grade every pick of round two.

31. Toronto Raptors: Jonathan Mogbo, F, San Francisco: Mogbo is a super long forward (6’6 with a 7’2 wingspan) who plays with great energy and can impact the game as a rebounder and passer. He can’t shoot, but he finds a way to get in on the play in a bunch of different ways. Grade: A

32. Utah Jazz: Kyle Filipowski, C, Duke: How did Filipowski not go in the first round? Flip lacks ideal length and athleticism for an NBA center, but he’s still a 7-footer who can make plays as a passing hub, stretch the floor as a shooter, and even put the ball on the floor as a handler. This is a great value: Grade: A

33. Milwaukee Bucks: Tyler Smith, F, G League Ignite: I had Smith ranked as a lottery-caliber prospect, so this is obviously an amazing value in my mind. Smith is a 6’10 forward who can rip three-pointers and is athletic enough to hammer dunks on the inside. A tall shooter with good athleticism who was productive against G League competition is always a good bet, especially in the second round of a weak draft. This makes up for the Bucks’ bizarre first round pick. Grade: A

34. New York Knicks: Tyler Kolek, G, Marquette: Kolek is a tough four-year college point guard who can space the floor and run the pick-and-roll effectively. He was one of the best playmakers in college hoops and made 38.8 percent of his threes this past year. Grade: A

35. Indiana Pacers: Johnny Furphy, F, Kansas: Furphy is a 6’9 wing who can space the floor and make plays in transition. He was an efficient scorer once he got a chance at real minutes for Kansas in the second half of the year. Grade: A

36. San Antonio Spurs: Juan Nunez, G, Spain: Nunez is a 6’5 Spanish point guard who lacks athleticism but has tremendous passing vision and creativity. He doesn’t get to the rim and isn’t yet a reliable shooter, but it’s hard to find players with his size and passing combination still available in the second round. Grade: B+

37. Detroit Pistons: Bobi Klintman, F, Sweden: Klintman is a 6’10 forward who shows a projectable spot-up three-point shot and some rebounding ability. The Pistons need all the shooters they can get, and Klintman is a nice value at this point in the draft after getting first round hype for much of the last year. Grade: A-

38. Oklahoma City Thunder: Ajay Mitchell, G, UC Santa Barbara: Mitchell is a crafty 6’4 guard out of Belgium who can mix scoring and playmaking. He averaged 20 points per game on his way to Big West Player of the Year honors after making a big leap as a shooter this past season. Grade: A-

39. Memphis Grizzlies: Jaylen Wells, F, Washington State: Wells was playing D2 ball before transferring to Washington State and hitting better than 41 percent of his threes. He’s one of the better front court shooters in this class. Grade: A-

40. Phoenix Suns: Oso Ighodaro, C, Marquette: Oghodaro is a gifted playmaking center with plenty of athleticism to finish dunks around the rim. He’s weird little push shot became a deadly weapon at Marquette. He’s a little small for an NBA player, but his IQ and leaping is appealing. Grade: B+

41. Philadelphia 76ers: Adem Bona, C, UCLA: Bona was one of my favorite second round bets as a long, strong, and explosive center. Bona crushed the glass and hammered dunks throughout his sophomore year at UCLA, and showed off his physical gifts by jumping 40-inches at the combine. He’s short for a center and doesn’t have much perimeter skill, but Bona is a freak athlete and that’s worth betting on. Grade: A

42. Charlotte Hornets: KJ Simpson, G, Colorado: Simpson was one of the best guards in college basketball this past year. He’s a high volume three-point shooter who can score from all three levels and make plays for his teammates. His just very small and will struggle to defend at the NBA level. Grade: A-

43. Atlanta Hawks: Nikola Durisic, F, Serbia: Durisic is a tall wing out of Serbia with a nice scoring package who has been productive in multiple settings. Grade: B+

44. Miami Heat: Pelle Larsson, G, Arizona: Larsson is a 6’5 off-ball guard who can rip three-pointers. He hit 39.7 percent of his threes across four years of college hoops, as well as better than 81 percent of his free throws. Grade: B

45. Toronto Raptors: Jamal Shead, G, Houston: Shead is the best guard defender in this class. He plays with a wildly high motor on every possession, making multiple efforts and showing tremendous toughness despite his lack of size. His offense is a work in progress, but his defense will endear him to coaches. Grade: A-

46. Los Angeles Clippers: Cam Christie, G, Minnesota: The younger brother of Lakers wing Max Christie, Cam has a little bit more of a scoring bag than his brother and made 39 percent of his threes on high volume as a freshman with the Golphers. He can rip shots off the catch or pull-ups. Grade: B+

47. Orlando Magic: Antonio Reeves, G, Kentucky: Reeves was an awesome scoring guard at Kentucky after transferring in from Illinois State. He has a quick trigger and NBA range on his jump shot, but he’ll have to work to defend at the NBA level. Grade: B

48. San Antonio Spurs: Harrison Ingram, F, North Carolina: Ingram is a big forward with shooting ability. He hit 38.5 percent of his threes on 169 attempts this year. He also showed impressive rebounding ability this past year at UNC. He doesn’t create much and he’s not an elite athlete, but he has the strength and shooting to have a chance in the NBA. Grade: B

49. Indiana Pacers: Tristen Newton, G, UConn: Newton will go down as one of the best transfers ever after leaving East Carolina for UConn and helping the Huskies win back-to-back national titles. He’s a 6’5 guard who reads the game at a high level and has some fascinating passing flashes. He’s also a pretty good shooter. After being named Final Four Most Outstanding Player, Newton gets his NBA shot. Grade: B+

50. Indiana Pacers: Enrique Freeman, F/C, Akron: Freeman made Akron’s basketball team as a walk-on and eventually became MAC Player of the Year. He shined in multiple pre-draft settings and got an invite to the NBA Draft Combine, where he again impressed scouts with his energy, toughness, and developing jump shot. What a cool story. Grade: B+

51. New York Knicks: Melvin Ajinca, F, France: Ajinca is a 6’6 Frenchman who can really shoot it from the perimeter. He’s been productive in different settings and shows some ability to make some plays off the bounce. Grade: B+

52. Golden State Warriors: Quinten Post, C, Boston College: Post is a stretch center who can really shoot it. He hit better than 40 percent of his threes in each of the last two years, and shows decent rebounding and playmaking ability. Grade: B+

53. Memphis Grizzlies: Cam Spencer, G, UConn: Spencer is a crazy competitive guard as the younger brother of lacrosse legend and Warriors G League guard Pat Spencer. He was an incredible addition for UConn this past year as a transfer from Rutgers, adding movement shooting and a little more playmaking than expected. Grade: B

54. Boston Celtics: Anton Watson, C/F, Gonzaga: A versatile big man out of Gonzaga who can hit the glass, set hard screens, and show solid defensive versatility. Grade: B

55. Los Angeles Lakers: Bronny James, G, USC: James’ freshman year at USC started with a terrifying heart episode early in the offseason, and he never really found his footing after that. James is short for a guard at 6’1.5 barefoot, but he has long arms, a strong chest, and a good mentality for a role player. James isn’t a big scorer, but he fights for loose balls, defends bigger players, and spaces the floor as a three-point shooter. He needs to shoot it at a high level to stick in the NBA, but he’s shown enough at the high school level at Sierra Canyon to have a chance to stick. Grade: B

56. New York Knicks: Kevin McCullar Jr., F, Kansasa: McCullar is a really well rounded role player who finally made strides as a shooter this past year at Kansas. He was getting first round hype before a late season injury ended his campaign. McCullar is a tough defender, a good passer, and does all the little things that help teams win. This is a nice value at No. 56. Grade: A

57. Toronto Raptors: Ulrich Chomche, C, NBA Academy Africa: Chomche has a 7’4 wingspan, moves well, and plays with tons of energy. He’s the youngest player in the draft and first player to ever be drafted out of the NBA Africa Academy. He has great tools but has a long way to go in terms of his skill and feel for the game. Grade: B

58. New York Knicks: Ariel Hukporti, C, German: A big German center who plays with power, Hukporti is a rim roller who once won MVP at Basketball Without Borders. His stock has seemingly dropped over the last year, but he has great size and he’s been on the radar for a long time. Grade: B

NFL Sunday Ticket verdict: Jury enters massive verdict against the league in class-action lawsuit nfl,sunday,ticket,verdict,jury,enters,massive,verdict,against,the,league,in,class,action,lawsuit,sbnation,com,front-page,nfl

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Following nearly a full day of deliberations, which began on Wednesday and concluded on Thursday, the jury in the federal class-action lawsuit against the National Football League and all 32 member teams involving the “Sunday Ticket” service returned with a verdict against the league.

And it is a verdict with a lot of zeros.

The jury found that the NFL and the league’s member teams violated federal antitrust law regarding the “Sunday Ticket” package on DirecTV, which required out-of-market fans to purchase the service if they wanted to see their favorite teams play.

The jury returned a verdict in favor of both classes of plaintiffs on Thursday. With respect to the commercial class of plaintiffs — which represented bars, restaurants, and taverns that purchased “Sunday Ticket” as a means of attracting customers on NFL Sundays — the NFL and the member teams were ordered to pay $96 million in damages.

Regarding the residential class of plaintiffs — individuals who purchased the “Sunday Ticket” package for use at home — the NFL and the member teams were ordered to pay $4.7 billion in damages.

Under federal antitrust laws, that damage amount is tripled, meaning the NFL is on the hook for over $14 billion in damages.

Both classes of plaintiffs, through counsel, alleged a “conspiracy” of sorts which resulted in higher prices paid by consumers. First, that the teams have agreed not to compete with each other when it comes to producing telecasts of their games, instead conveying those rights to the league, and giving the NFL “exclusive” rights to enter into broadcast agreements.

Next, the Plaintiffs allege that the NFL has entered into agreements with broadcast partners — specifically CBS and FOX — to create a “single telecast” for every Sunday afternoon NFL game. Under the agreement, according to Plaintiffs’ theory of the case, those networks are given the “exclusive” right to broadcast a limited number of games free and “over-the-air.”

The third pillar of the conspiracy, according to Plaintiffs’, is that the league then exclusively (there is that word again) licenses to DirecTV the copyrights of those telecasts, which DirecTV then bundles into NFL Sunday Ticket. This means that out-of-market fans who want to watch their favorite teams play are forced into buying the “premium offering” of NFL Sunday Ticket.

The result, according to Plaintiffs? DirecTV was able to “charge supracompetitive prices for Sunday Ticket because fans unwilling to pay for Sunday Ticket cannot, for example, purchase out-of-market games individually or by team.” Plaintiffs assert that absent this agreement — or “conspiracy” as they term it — fans would be able to access all NFL games at “lower prices.”

In a statement, the NFL indicated that they will be appealing the decision:

What might this mean for the league and its fans?

Beyond the dollar amount, which will drive the headlines, many analysts and experts theorize that this decision paves the way for single-team packages. For example, the residential class of plaintiffs, who were purchasing “Sunday Ticket” for use at home, were often fans of an out-of-market NFL team. As an example, consider a New England Patriots fan living in the Baltimore, Maryland market. The only way to watch most Patriots games is to purchase “Sunday Ticket.”

Now, that fan might theoretically have access to a “Patriots Package” as part of “Sunday Ticket.”

For the commercial plaintiffs, this could open the door to a competitive service along with “Sunday Ticket,” which could allow those establishments to pay lower prices to view broadcasts of every NFL game.

There will be more to come on this matter, including the league’s appeal and any post-trial motions, in the days and weeks to come.

Senior Open: Padraig Harrington deep dives into worst golf swing advice senior,open,padraig,harrington,deep,dives,into,worst,golf,swing,advice,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,golf-champions-tour,golf-news

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Playing golf well takes a lot of time and practice. Even the greatest players in the world continue to fine-tune their craft throughout their careers.

Swing advice comes from all over: the teaching pro at the golf course, YouTube, Twitter or the extra guy who got added to the foursome.

Recent Golf Hall of Fame inductee Padraig Harrington is no stranger to working on his game. He is a range rat, loves to find ways to play golf better and enjoys helping weekend golfers.

However, with good advice comes terrible tips.

Instead of providing some of the best swing tips, he decided to do the opposite ahead of the U.S. Senior Open.

“I don’t know what the best one I’ve got because there are all sorts of things at different points in your life that really are important,” Harrington said. “It’s easier to pick up on the worst piece of advice.”

Harrington shared three things that he considers to be the worst swing advice he has gotten.

“Staying still is probably the worst thing,” he said. “Keeping your feet still on the ground. Keeping your head still. Keeping your head down. Swinging slowly. These are all terrible things.”

The tips given are all things that could benefit a player’s swing if done correctly.

Keeping your feet still is not nearly as common as it used to be. Now, people can use their feet to generate more power and hit the ball farther.

Harrington did a video a few years back about why keeping your head still is not good advice.

Swinging slowly could hurt players when generating power. Golfers should learn to swing hard and then teach themselves how to contact the ball properly.

Power is such a game-changing skill in golf that not everyone has.

Golf is a unique sport. It is not like other competitive things. No two golfers have the same swing.

“Golf is quite counterintuitive,” he said.

Harrington explained what his first coach, Howard Bennett, told him about the golf swing.

“People who don’t play golf, if they came to golf and did the absolute opposite of what they think, they’d be better off,” Harrington said.

The three-time major champion has tried many different tactics and knows what does not work.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.

ESPN reporter fires back at Bronny James nepotism complaints: ‘The NBA is full of nepotism’ espn,reporter,fires,back,at,bronny,james,nepotism,complaints,the,nba,is,full,of,nepotism,sbnation,com,front-page,nba,nba-draft,draftkings,dot-com-grid-coverage

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As expected, the topic of nepotism came up during the broadcast of the 2024 NBA Draft as the inevitable selection of Bronny James by the Los Angeles Lakers neared. And with Bronny’s agent, Rich Paul, reportedly telling any team trying to draft him that LeBron James’ son will play in Australia if he’s selected against his will, it’s no surprise that some unfamiliar with how common that specific agent tactic is would get upset.

But NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski had a message for viewers watching ESPN at home: Anyone crying about nepotism influencing the Bronny pick should turn their eye to the entire league, not just LeBron James, Bronny and the Lakers.

Woj is right. From Thanasis Antetokounmpo with the Bucks to Chris Smith with the Knicks back in the day, one can argue there are plenty of cases of NBA roster spots throughout history going to a slightly less talented player as a favor to keep their more heralded sibling happy. And it’s not just rosters: NBA coaching staffs are littered with sons of current or former head coaches (or even players’ fathers), and front offices frequently populated with the progeny of previous execs… not to mention, often, the owners’ kids as well.

Plus, it’s not like Bronny is totally unqualified. Previous to the cardiac arrest he suffered in 2023, he was widely mocked as a first-round pick, or even a lottery selection. And even after a mostly underwhelming season at USC, our own Ricky O’Donnell still gave the Lakers’ selection of him a B grade:

James’ freshman year at USC started with a terrifying heart episode early in the offseason, and he never really found his footing after that. James is short for a guard at 6’1.5 barefoot, but he has long arms, a strong chest, and a good mentality for a role player. James isn’t a big scorer, but he fights for loose balls, defends bigger players, and spaces the floor as a three-point shooter. He needs to shoot it at a high level to stick in the NBA, but he’s shown enough at the high school level at Sierra Canyon to have a chance to stick.

None of this is to say nepotism is good. It’s just to say that this situation is only exceptional nepotism by NBA standards in one sense: We’ve literally never seen an NBA player good enough, for long enough, to not only play with or against their son, but to be talented enough still to push their team to draft him.

But while LeBron and Bronny are 1/1 in that respect, family members helping each other get jobs in the NBA, either on a roster or in the coaching and executive ranks? That’s nothing new, so we shouldn’t act like it is.

Rocket Mortgage Classic: Akshay Bhatia’s low massive bogey-free start rocket,mortgage,classic,akshay,bhatia,s,low,massive,bogey,free,start,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,golf-pga-tour,golf-news

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Akshay Bhatia brought his momentum from finishing runner-up at the Travelers Championship to Detroit for the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

He carded an 8-under bogey-free 64 at Detroit Golf Club on Thursday with six birdies and an eagle.

“I guess I missed one green today, so I got that up and down,” Bhatia said. “All in all, I hit it pretty nice with the irons and made some putts.”

Bhatia birdied two of his first four holes but would settle for seven straight pars. Then his putter got red hot for him.

In his final seven holes, the 22-year-old went 6-under, coming home in 30 shots. That included a birdie-eagle-birdie finish.

“Yeah, it’s always nice to finish like that,” he said. “This tournament’s always kind of a birdie-fest, so birdies and eagles help a lot. It’s nice to finish that way.”

Last week’s Travelers Championship was also a birdie fest. Prior to that, the U.S. Open and Memorial tournaments put players to quite the test.

For Bhatia, though, he appreciates both challenges.

“Played the U.S. Open, it was really hard. Then you come last week and this week, and you’re making a lot of birdies, so you feel like it’s pretty fun again,” Bhatia said. “I think a mix of it is really good, and I’m just happy we get to play an old-school golf course for once.”

The two-time PGA Tour winner enjoys classic golf courses like Detroit Golf Club. It fits his game well. As one of the better iron players on Tour, he likes the shot choices that come with playing this track.

“I feel like I can be creative like I normally am,” he said. “It’s also nice because these greens are pretty tricky. They have a lot of small slopes, but they’re soft, so you can still be aggressive towards a couple of these pins.”

Bhatia leads the Rocket Mortgage Classic by one shot after the first 18 holes. Taylor Montgomery and Michael Kim sit behind him at 7-under.

He plays Friday at 7:18 a.m. ET alongside Stephen Jaeger and Min Woo Lee.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.

Bronny James’ agent told teams don’t draft him or he’s going to Australia, per report bronny,james,agent,told,teams,don,t,draft,him,or,he,s,going,to,australia,per,report,sbnation,com,front-page,nba,nba-draft,draftkings

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During Day 2 of the 2024 NBA Draft, ESPN analyst and former Golden State Warriors executive Bob Myers dropped a bombshell of a rumor surrounding guard Bronny James, via his agent Rich Paul.

James, a guard from USC, is currently projected to be selected at the 55th pick, when the Lakers are on the clock. According to Myers, Paul is telling teams picking before the Lakers not to take James, pulling the strings in order to get James playing with his father LeBron in the NBA.

If Bronny is in fact selected by the Lakers, he and his father would be the first father-son duo to play in the NBA at the same time. While this is a big announcement regarding the rest of the NBA Draft, this isn’t unusual. There have been reports and rumors in previous years of players forcing their way onto teams via their agents telling teams not to draft them. Perhaps the most famous example also involves the Lakers, with Austin Reaves telling the Detroit Pistons not to draft him so he could choose the opportunity in Los Angeles on a two-way contract.

Especially in the modern second round, players can force their way onto teams who need roster spots filled, and Bronny is simply going to be the next player who does that.

As polarizing as Bronny is, this more than likely will only fuel the flames of detractors around his draft stock. The media circus surrounding him will only increase as the rumors swirl with more intensity, taking away from what could turn into a pretty solid NBA career. This rumor, while valid reporting, probably won’t smother those flames anytime soon.

Many NBA Draft pundits have James’ stock coming around the late areas of the second round, but the question now is if teams will call Rich Paul’s bluff and pick James. I doubt it, because Paul is the head agent of Klutch Sports, arguably the most powerful agency in the NBA. If they upset Paul, they risk upsetting other major NBA players affiliated with Klutch Sports.

It’ll be interesting to see who picks James, and if he gets picked at all. Will James end up actually playing in Australia? It seems unlikely, but is apparently now on the table.

Adrian Wojnarowski roasting Stephen A. Smith is the highlight of Day 2 of 2024 NBA Draft adrian,wojnarowski,roasting,stephen,a,smith,is,the,highlight,of,day,of,nba,draft,sbnation,com,front-page,nba,nba-draft,draftkings

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For the first time in history, the NBA Draft is taking place over two nights.

Ahead of the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft, the gang on ESPN got together to ponder a number of questions. Atop that list? Where might Bronny James come off the board? After falling out of the first round — as was largely expected — James is waiting to hear where his NBA journey begins.

As is his father, LeBron James.

That led Stephen A. Smith to ponder a once-in-a-lifetime scenario: Bronny coming off the board during the second round to the New York Knicks, and LeBron joining the Knicks on a league minimum salary to play with his son, and the rest of the loaded Knicks roster.

However, Adrian Wojnarowski had a rebuttal question.

Who would Stephen A. Smith take such a big paycut for?

That left Smith — who is usually ready with an answer for anything — searching for a response.

You can see the entire exchange in this below clip, with Wojnarowski’s question coming in at the 1:14 mark:

Of course there is some context that is helpful here, as Smith is entering the final year of his current contract at ESPN. Smith has reportedly received an offer in the $18 million range annually, but is reportedly seeking a contract in the neighborhood of $25 million. All of that context makes this clip even better.

We have 28 picks left to go — the first two picks are now in for the second round — but it might be hard to top this moment tonight.

Paige Spiranac drops eye-popping handicap; quiets trolls with receipts paige,spiranac,drops,eye,popping,handicap,quiets,trolls,with,receipts,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,golf-news

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Paige Spiranac has more followers than Tiger Woods across social media platforms.

Many love her because she is beautiful and funny. She also loves to clap back at the haters. However, besides these attributes, the influencer is an excellent golfer.

Earlier this year, Spiranac shared that her love for golf had returned. She has played numerous times since then, so on Jun. 26, she posted her handicap on X, formerly known as Twitter, after so many lost it over a swing video.

Spiranc currently holds a +3.4 handicap, according to the USGA Golf Handicap Information Network (GHIN) app.

Of course, her tweet went viral. Many people questioned her number and about handicaps in general.

So, she tweeted her post to set the record straight on handicaps.

“1. A + handicap is better than scratch,” she wrote.

“2. A +3 handicap is good, but nowhere close to competing against the best in the world. I don’t think people realize how good they are, how hard the courses are set up, and all while doing it under extreme pressure. It’s a different game they play.”

She then explained how to calculate a golf handicap, which can confuse many players, and whether pro golfers have one.

“3. You calculate your golf handicap by taking the average score of the best eight of your last 20 scores,” Spiranac wrote.

“Meaning you can still have some pretty shitty rounds and still be a low handicap. Pros don’t keep a handicap, but someone calculated Tiger at a +9 once, which is insane.”

Of course, her explanation tweet brought in the trolls.

One user said she would not break 90 at his home track, but he did not give that course or any other context. Spiranac usually avoids trolls, but she owned this one.

“I shot in the 70s at Pine Valley, which is known as one of the hardest tracks,” she responded. “I haven’t shot in the 90s since I was 13.”

Talk about mic drop, but that troll did not stop there. He wanted to see her scorecard from Pine Valley.

So, Spiranac uploaded the receipts to the Internet and displayed her scores from some of the country’s most challenging courses.

A 74 at Pine Valley is incredible. A 75 at Oakmont, the site of next year’s U.S. Open, is also astonishing.

The 31-year-old could have just dropped the Pine Valley score, but she put the nail in the coffin when she included Oakmont, Valhalla, and Crooked Stick.

Spiranac owned this troll and reminded the masses that despite her appearance, she is still a fantastic golfer.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.