Yes, I am aware that there are only 32 head coaching jobs in the NFL and that opportunities are both scarce and unpredictable. But I wonder if Cardinals’ first-time head coach Jonathan Gannon is second-guessing himself. Gannon’s life was looking pretty good as the Eagles’ D.C. Now he’s in a bad job, working for a bad franchise and a bad boss. Oh, by the way, Arizona two-time All-Pro safety Budda Baker wants out and has requested a trade.
Veteran DT Gerald McCoy has announced his retirement after a 13-year NFL career that earned him Pro Bowl honors in six consecutive seasons from 2012 to 2017. McCoy spent nine seasons in Tampa Bay and was a cornerstone of some great Buc defenses. You may recall McCoy signed with the Cowboys in 2020, but never played a down for Dallas after suffering a preseason quadriceps rupture.
The Falcons keep adding productive defensive pieces. Atlanta Friday signed veteran linebacker Bud Dupree to a one-year deal. Injuries slowed the 30-year-old Dupree last season in Tennessee, but he still posted four sacks, nine QB hits, six tackles-for-loss and a forced fumble in 11 games. The Titans released Dupree in March to free up $9.35 million in cap space.
Brock Purdy’s recovery timeline from his March elbow surgery is still uncertain. Purdy and the ‘Niners are hopeful he can begin throwing in early June, but it will be a tight fit for him to get full clearance before training camp starts in late July. San Francisco G.M. recently said Purdy has earned the right to start the season as the team’s QB1 after his more than impressive rookie performance in 2022.
Oh, well. 14-0 would have been better than 13-0, but 13-0 was pretty damn good, Rays. Congrats.
The Astros are pissing me off. That’s all on that subject for now.
That 750-large fine that Adam Silver laid on Cuban and the Mavs was not nearly enough. The Mavericks diminished the integrity of the sport by tanking when they had a chance to make the playoffs. They also flopped because they wanted to protect a draft pick. That warrants a suspension for Cuban, IMO.
Nikola Jokic will try to become only the fourth player to win three straight NBA MVP awards. Jokic is one of three finalists, joined by Joel Imbiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Feeling a sense of déjà vu? Yeah, those guys were the three finalists last year, also.
Can this world get any more pathetic, he asks rhetorically? Nine-year-old Diar DeRozan, the daughter of Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan, has received online threats. Why? Because her shrieking screams, as famously caught on video, distracted and maybe even intimidated the Toronto Raptors into clanging free-throw attempts in Wednesday’s play-in game, helping her daddy’s team to a come-from behind road victory.
Now she’s getting online threats. She’s nine. Diar was not in attendance Friday night when the Bulls were eliminated by the Miami Heat.