Posts Categorized: Sports

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Kyrie Irving can play at home if Brooklyn Nets pay a small penalty

@TheHapaBlonde / BACKGRID

The Brooklyn Nets is considering paying a small penalty so Kyrie Irving can play at home in the Barclays Center.

Just a few months ago, the unvaccinated star guard was banned from playing for the Nets at home or on the road.
 
RELATED: Nets Suspend Kyrie Irving – Get Vaccinated Or Lose $34 Million
 
However, the Nets had a change of heart after a losing slump left them 2.5 games behind the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference.

Steven Ryan/Getty Images

After entering the NBA's health and safety protocol, Irving was allowed to return to the Nets for away games only.

Irving made an immediate impact, scoring 22 points in a win against the Indiana Pacers last Wednesday.

New York City is under a vaccine mandate that prevents Irving from playing at the Barclays center in Brooklyn. But a loophole in former mayor Bill de Blasio's executive order could allow Irving to play at the Barclays Center.

According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, the maximum penalty for breaking the executive order is a $5,000 fine. That's pocket change for billionaire Nets owner Joe Tsai.

Prince Williams/ATLPics.net

However, sports analysts say Irving should be forced to get the vaccines since $5,000 would be a hardship for the average New Yorker.

MSN Sports' writer Ricky O'Donnell argues:

"A $5K fine is a huge deterrent for any normal person that wants to break the NYC mandate. Tsai and Irving are not normal people. They are ridiculously rich. Just because the fine would be chump change for them doesn't make it right."

Question: Would you pay the fine so Irving can play at home?

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Bucs Officially Fire Antonio Brown

Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially terminated the contract of wide receiver Antonio Brown after he infamously ran off the field mid-game on Sunday.

Brown threw his jersey and gear into the stands before running off the field during the third quarter at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

MediaPunch / BACKGRID

The Bucs announced Brown's termination on Thursday, after the wide receiver claimed he was fired by head coach Bruce Arians for refusing to play on a broken ankle.

The team denied knowing he was hobbled by an ankle injury.

The Bucs said in a prepared statement:

"While Antonio did receive treatment on his ankle and was listed on the injury report the week leading up to last Sunday's game, he was cleared to play by our medical team prior to the start of the game and at no point during the game did he indicate to our medical personnel that he could not play."

Brown is free to sign a contract with another NFL team.

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Antonio Brown remains on Bucs’ roster; NFL teams interested in signing him

VAEM / BACKGRID

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers said receiver Antonio Brown was no longer on the roster after he tossed his jersey and pads into the stands before departing mid-game.

Brown threw a tantrum on the sideline and headed to the locker room after he twice refused to re-enter Sunday's game against the NY Jets.

After the game, Bucs head coach Bruce Arians said the star wide receiver "is no longer a Buc".

However, as of Tuesday, Brown still was not waived by the Buccaneers. Now the Bucs say that he remains on the roster.

Sports analysts speculate that the Bucs are keeping Brown on the roster to block other NFL teams from signing him.

MediaPunch / BACKGRID

Brown's NFL career is in doubt after a series of bad decisions and poor judgment over the years.

Bucs quarterback Tom Brady

Meanwhile, Hall of Famer Terrell Owens says he's ready to step in to replace Brown if the Bucs will give him a try out.

The 48-year-old retired wide receiver said on his podcast Tuesday that he is "absolutely" ready to replace Brown.
 

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Rich Paul denies LeBron James trade rumors after 3 straight Lakers losses

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LeBron James' agent Rich Paul (2nd from left) says the NBA All-Star will not be traded after the Los Angeles Lakers' third straight loss on Tuesday.

Rumors swirled that the Lakers front office is considering blockbuster trades for LeBron and guard Russell Westbrook.

Shams Charania of The Athletic said on The Pat McAfee Show he spoke with LeBron James' sports agent, Rich Paul, who said the 4-time MVP is not being traded.

"I heard directly from Rich Paul that LeBron James isn't leaving the Lakers," he said. "This team just doesn't look [like] it has the young legs that they need to have and they have been very active in the trade market."

LeBron, who turns 37 on December 30, has not commented on the trade rumors on social media.

After winning the NBA title in 2020, the Lakers have a dismal record at .500 (16-16) with the oldest roster in the league.

Prince Williams/ATLpics.Net

On December 17, the Lakers signed 2x NBA All-Star Isaiah Thomas to a 10-day contract. The former Laker scored 42 points in an impressive debut with the Grand Rapids Gold of the NBA G League on December 15.

After depositing his first paycheck, Isaiah, 32, scored just 3 points with 3 assists and 1 rebound in a 108-90 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.

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Unvaccinated Kyrie Irving Returns to Brooklyn Nets Lineup

@TheHapaBlonde / BACKGRID

The Brooklyn Nets announced All-Star guard Kyrie Irving will return to the starting lineup for road games.

Irving was suspended before the start of the regular season after he refused to take the Covid-19 mRNA vaccine.
 
READ ALSO: Kyrie Irving Considers Taking Plant-Based Covid-19 Vaccine
 
The Nets announced Irving will not play in home games at the Barclays Center or two road games at Madison Square Garden, but he will be eligible to play in select road games once he tests negative for Covid-19 and gets back into shape, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Yolo / BACKGRID

The Nets made the decision to bring Irving back after the team lost seven fully vaccinated players including James Harden after they tested positive for Covid-19.

Kevin Durant will not play Saturday due to right ankle soreness, according to ESPN.

@TheHapaBlonde / BACKGRID

"We arrived at this decision with the full support of our players and after careful consideration of our current circumstances," said general manager Sean Marks in a statement on Friday. "We believe that the addition of Kyrie will not only make us a better team but allow us to more optimally balance the physical demand on the entire roster.

"We look forward to Kyrie's return to the lineup, as well as getting our entire roster back together on the court."

Earlier this month, a source close to Irving said he would consider taking a plant-based Covid-19 injection if one is approved by the FDA.

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Atlanta Hawks fans chant ‘Brittany Renner’ while PJ Washington shot free throws

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Instagram, Getty Images

Atlanta Hawks fans mocked Charlotte Hornets star PJ Washington by chanting his baby mama's name when he stepped to the free throw line during Sunday's game.

Hawks fans chanted Brittany Renner's name to rattle PJ when he shot free throws.

Their efforts were not rewarded. Atlanta lost a close game 130-127 on their home court despite the Hornets being short four players due to the coronavirus.

PJ and Brittany have an infant son together, but that's all they have in common. The two bitter exes regularly hurl insults at each other on social media.

Brittany, 29, claims the 23-year-old Hornets star threw her and their son out of her home and she lost her car. She was forced to move in with her mom and sister until she can get back on her feet.

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Instagram

Meanwhile, parents are furious that NFL legend Deion Sanders, who coaches Jackson State University football, invited Brittany to speak to his team.

The single mom proudly posted a video of her pep talk on her Instagram page.

Parents took to Facebook to slam Sanders, 54, for inviting a sports groupie to talk to their boys. One furious father wrote: "I didn't send my son to JSU to be educated by a THOT."

Sanders defended his decision in a post on Instagram:

"It's my responsibility as a Coach to prepare my young men for any and everything on the field and off. I brought in (Renner) to educate them on how the game is played between man & woman at their age & stage. The message may not be for everybody but trust me it's for somebody."

 

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Unvaccinated Aaron Rodgers IN; Fully vaccinated Ben Roethlisberger OUT with Covid-19

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Patrick McDermott/Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (left) will play today against the Seattle Seahawks 11 days after he tested positive for Covid-19.

Rodgers, who is unvaccinated, was activated to play on Sunday. Meanwhile, NBA superstar Kyrie Irving, who is also unvaccinated, is forced to sit out the season.

Last week, Rodgers complained about cancel culture attempting to end his career for saying he was "immunized." He further angered the left by consulting with Joe Rogan on Covid-19 treatment.

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Twitter

Rodgers was not sick and spent most of his 10-day quarantine working out and staying in great shape.

The Packers were fined $300,000 and Rodgers was fined $14,000 for violating the NFL's COVID protocol.

Rodgers will face Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson who is also coming off the injured reserve list with a fractured finger on his throwing hand.

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Twitter

Russell's wife Ciara Wilson shared this Instagram photo of Russell flexing his muscles following surgery on his right hand just four weeks ago.

Russell had a pin inserted in his right middle finger. His swift recovery surprised his surgeon and the Seahawks.

Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

Ironically, the news is not so good for Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, aka Big Ben.

Roethlisberger, who is fully vaccinated, will not play on Sunday after he tested positive for Covid-19.

Roethlisberger fell ill and reported his Covid-19 symptoms to the Steelers prior to testing positive.

Twitter had a field day comparing the two Covid-infected quarterbacks.

One Twitter user wrote: "Wait What But the vaccine Either it WORKS or it DOESN"T Apparently not! Seems to be happening quite frequently with those who have gotten the shots."

A second user wrote: "There's people actually upset that Rodgers didn't die of Covid."

And a third person tweeted, "A fully vaccinated Ben Roethlisberger missing today's game due to Covid completes the idiocracy loop."

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Twitter Roasts Atlanta Braves for Driving Through Parade Route at Breakneck Speed

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Twitter

Thousands of loyal Atlanta Braves fans who lined up for hours to watch the Atlanta Braves parade were outraged when the bus carrying the World Series champions flew past them at 35 mph.

The Braves defeated the Houston Astros to win the World Series title in Houston on Tuesday. Braves fans waited for hours to celebrate with the team -- only to see the bus speed through like they were afraid of being carjacked.

Twitter users complained that they took the day off from work only to see the players for a brief second.

Someone clocked the bus going just over the speed limit.

One Twitter user wrote: "So appropriate for the #Braves to speed through huge crowds in downtown/midtown on the way to have a real parade in the suburbs."

Another person tweeted: "The Braves speedin thru atlanta to enjoy the parade in cobb is racist."

And a third user wrote: "I know we not use to doing them but damn they came by at the speed limit!!"

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Aaron Rodgers quotes MLK to explain unvaccinated status after testing positive for Covid-19; ‘You have a moral obligation to object to unjust rules’

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Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers quoted civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. to explain why he chose not to get the mRNA vaccine.

Rodgers sparked outrage when media outlets reported he is unvaccinated after he tested positive for Covid-19.

The star quarterback will miss one game before returning next week. He is not expected to be fined or suspended for being unvaccinated.

On Friday, Rodgers ranted against "cancel culture", the "woke mob," and whoever leaked his vaccination status to the news media.

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The 2020 league MVP previously said he was "immunized" against the virus, leading many to believe he was vaccinated.

"I realize I'm in the crosshairs of the woke mob right now, so before the final nail gets put in my cancel culture casket, I'd like to set the record straight on some of the blatant lies that are out there about me now," Rodgers said during an appearance on pro wrestler Pat McAfee's YouTube show.

"At the time, my plan was to say that I've been immunized," Rodgers said.

"It wasn't some sort of ruse or lie, it was the truth. Had there been a follow up to my statement that I've been immunized, I would have responded with this. I would've said, 'Look, I'm not some sort of anti-vax flat-earther, I am somebody who is a critical thinker, you guys know me, I march to the beat of my own drum, I believe strongly in bodily autonomy.'"

Rodgers continued:

"I would add this to the mix, as an aside. But the great MLK said that you have a moral obligation to object to unjust rules and rules that make no sense."

 

 
Rodgers, who will earn $33.3 million this year, said he has an allergy to an ingredient in two of the COVID vaccines and he chose another treatment that raised his antibody levels.

He declined to name the specific treatment, saying, "I'm just going to keep it between my doctors and myself, but it was a way to stimulate my immune system to create a defense against COVID."

Twitter users argued that his treatment didn't work since he got Covid-19.

However, fully vaccinated White House press secretary Jen Psaki and Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti both tested positive for Covid-19 last week.

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ESPN Report: Suns Owner Robert Sarver Used Racist, Sexist Slurs

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According to more than 70 current and former staffers, Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver is an unrepentant racist who drops the N-word often.

Sarver, who also owns the WNBA's Mercury, is pictured above with WNBA player Shay Murphy.

According to the report, Sarver once told 2 basketball operations staffers to find local strippers willing to get impregnated by NBA players. He allegedly wanted the players to be motivated to remain in Phoenix close to their offspring.

The shocking details were hashed out in a bombshell report published Thursday by ESPN's Baxter Holmes.

"The level of misogyny and racism is beyond the pale," one Suns co-owner told ESPN about Sarver. "It's embarrassing as an owner."

"There's literally nothing you could tell me about him from a misogynistic or race standpoint that would surprise me," another former Suns basketball executive told ESPN.

Among the sordid details included in the report are:

  • Sarver made inappropriate comments, including discussing when his wife performed oral sex on him.

  • Sarver used racial slur to explain to a staffer why he preferred hiring Lindsey Hunter, who is Black, over Dan Majerle as head coach in 2013.

  • Sarver once asked a female employee whether he "owned" her to determine if she was a Suns employee.

 

Sarver, through his attorneys, acknowledged dropping the n-word once many years ago, but he said other allegations in the report are untrue.

When the reports were made public on October 22, the Suns issued a statement, saying they "urge everyone not to rush to judgement here. Especially based on lies, innuendo, and a false narrative to attack our organization and its leadership."