Crystal Palace chief ‘genuinely astonished’ Arsenal, Man City didn’t swoop for £68m England star

data-mm-id=”_kfjmwfxpd”>The Detroit Lions' bigwigs have decided to keep general manager Bob Quinn and coach Matt Patricia for another year. And the Fords let it be known they aren't selling the team. In fact, they have succession plans in place. Like that show where everything goes smoothly and there are no problems. Get amped!None of this is a major surprise, though Patricia's status seemed a bit touch and go there for a bit. The Lions are tanking without truly tanking and will play out the final two games of the year while hoping to get the best draft pick possible. The pressure should be on next year with announced expectations that the team contend for a playoff spot. Patricia's first two years have obviously been problematic as he sits with a 9-20-1 record in t…

data-mm-id=”_bdrwnlmdf”>As a football coach, Bill O'Brien isn't the worst one you could find. Not the best, certainly, but in his six years at the helm of the Texans, they've only had one losing record: back in 2017, when Deshaun Watson tore his ACL. O'Brien has his well-known flaws as a coach, but the floor for his teams is high even if the ceiling has been low thus far. Bill O'Brien the general manager, however, is an entirely different story. He took on the responsibility along with several other members of the Texans' brass after the organization rather abruptly fired Brian Gaine this past June. Earlier this year, O'Brien was officially named the full-time general manager. After less than a year of O'Brien effectively the head honcho, the tea…

data-mm-id=”_f3at00iv1″>In any other year, teams would be tripping over each other for the right to draft Justin Fields. The Buckeyes QB has an exciting dual-threat skillset that is all the rage right now in the NFL after Lamar Jackson's raging success as the prototypical signal-caller in that regard. It helps he plays for a blue-chip program like Ohio State, sure, but Fields looked excellent in his first season as a starter, indicating there's even more to be unlocked. But, unfortunately for Fields, he happens to be a member of the same draft class as one Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence has been destined for No. 1 overall pick fame since he took the field as a true freshman at Clemson. He has everything professional teams are looking for in a quarterback prospect: a stellar arm, g…

data-mm-id=”_4rw0wizk9″>Bryson DeChambeau bulked up big time during golf's three-month layoff, adding 20 pounds during the coronavirus lockdown. The change in his game has been evident, as the guy is absolutely ripping the ball off the tee. On Tuesday he took that to a ridiculous, Happy Gilmore-like extreme.During a practice round for this weekend's Travelers Championship, DeChambeau attempted to drive the green on the 420-yard 17th hole. Check this out:Bryson tried driving the 420-yard 17th green during his practice round today. Reached 198 mph ball speed on the drive (!) and stayed dry, but says it's too risky to try in the tournament.Was tempted to try and drive a few holes last week, but ended up "playing smart" pic.twitter.com/quAysDTpVb— LKD (@LukeKerrD…

data-mm-id=”_hxc2sjr87″>CBS released its broadcast lineup for NFL Week 2 and for some reason their No. 1 booth isn't getting their No. 1 primetime game. Or, at least their No. 1 primetime game in my opinion. Tony Romo and Jim Nantz will call the Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers game at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday. You can make the argument that any game featuring Patrick Mahomes is the No. 1 game, especially when that game is being played in LA's new stadium, but not when you have the Baltimore Ravens facing off against the Houston Texans during the same timeslot. .@NFLonCBS Week 2 Announcers pic.twitter.com/LvBHGJKaL1— CBS Sports PR (@CBSSportsGang) September 15, 2020Far be it for me to assume I know more than television producers who make these decisions, but the eye…

data-mm-id=”_linrl7js2″>The Browns are 4-2 going on 0-16. At least that's the vibe emanating around the team according to quarterback Baker Mayfield speaking to media today. “”The feeling throughout [our] building after that loss — 4-2 has never felt so much like 0-6 before. But that’s because we have very high expectations for ourselves.””It's good to have high expectations. With a roster littered with high draft picks, Pro Bowl accolades and I'm-the-shit personalities, you'd hope expectations would be high. And yes, the Browns' 38-7 dismantling at the hands of the division rival Steelers was embarrassing. But anyone who knows anything about math (or football) knows one loss doesn't equate to six losses and one bad week shouldn't shake a winning fou…

data-mm-id=”_yehmeh63j”>Despite everything going on behind the scenes, the Philadelphia 76ers are having a successful season. Joel Embiid is showing what he's capable of when he is the undisputed top option constantly surrounded by shooters. Tyrese Maxey has proven he will be a key piece going forward. Even Andre Drummond is doing his part. Philly is fifth in the Eastern Conference, and while they aren't quite a championship contender, the fact that they're even functioning is an accomplishment considering how hard Ben Simmons has been trying to force his way off the team. One player who has not been bringing his A-game is Tobias Harris. He is averaging 18.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per game on 45.9 percent shooting from the floor and a horrific 29 percent from three. The…

data-mm-id=”_hnlm1e00f”>People are mad and saying nasty things about an umpire they don't even know for the crime of doing his job. And I am here to defend that person from the woefully misguided.The wide world of sports leads us this morning to a recent Missouri S&T-Wayne State baseball matchup. In the interest of time they were only scheduled for seven innings and the Warriors held a 6-5 lead with only one more out to get. Chase Burgess came through for the Miners, though, blasting a solo home run that should have tied the game. But it didn't because umpire working behind the dish ruled Burgess never touched it.Here’s another view for better context, the run didn’t count and @WSCBB walked away with the win pic.twitter.com/CjMQJ931No— Stephen Schoch (@bigdonkey47) …

data-mm-id=”_edpv7h1u8″>Bruce Dreckman didn't make our list of the 10 worst umpires in Major League Baseball, and he must have been upset because he's quickly trying to catch up to those other guys. On Tuesday he unleashed what might be the worst ball-strike call of the 2023 MLB season. The Boston Red Sox were up on the Washington Nationals 5-4 in the top of the fourth inning. Justin Turner was at the plate facing reliever Robert Garcia and readied himself for the 10th pitch of an at bat with a 3-2 count and two outs. Garcia threw an 83 mph slider that appeared to miss the plate by a foot. Dreckman run Turner up and no one in the stadium could believe it. Check this out:WHAT THE FUCK MLB pic.twitter.com/eMEayasv7R— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) August 16, 2023Even the Nation…

data-mm-id=”_8gsw5if9e”>There's a chance we get some new developments in the Michigan sign-stealing saga later today so the topic is all over the morning shows. Get Up devoted a fair amount of time to it on the heels of Stephen A. Smith suggesting last night that the Wolverines should not be a part of the College Football Playoff.Paul Finebaum, who made the worst decision in his long and illustrious career by initially defending Jim Harbaugh, like everyone else, doesn't know what's going to happen but is pretty sure there will be a cloud over the rest of Michigan's season. "Everything that happens from here on with [Michigan] is going to be tainted," Finebaum said. "If Michigan wins the national championship and Jim Harbaugh is given that trophy, I th…