Opinion: Dwight Howard’s first-ballot induction gives Basketball Hall of Fame its first Magic superstar

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At last, a Hall of Fame player the Orlando Magic can claim as its own. Earlier this weekend, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced its 2025 Hall of Fame class, enshrining two male players, three female players, one referee, one head coach, one team executive and one Olympic team. Longtime Magic center Dwight … Continue reading Opinion: Dwight Howard’s first-ballot induction gives Basketball Hall of Fame its first Magic superstar

Opinion: As tush push lives to see another day with postponed vote, the debate is becoming more entertaining than the play itself

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NFL teams failed to stop the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles on the football field. So now, they appear to be playing defense in another way — an attempt to legislate the Eagles’ trademark play, the tush push, out of the rulebook ahead of the upcoming season. The Green Bay Packers proposed a rule change that would … Continue reading Opinion: As tush push lives to see another day with postponed vote, the debate is becoming more entertaining than the play itself

Opinion: ESPN’s pivot away from MLB media rights is a staggering setback for sport’s growth efforts

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The baseball season opened with a glorious slate of Opening Day games on Thursday, and the MLB offered fans premier matchups that added a further level of intrigue to sweeten the return of baseball. The very best of the best was saved for the national stage, as ESPN featured a compelling doubleheader of interleague games. … Continue reading Opinion: ESPN’s pivot away from MLB media rights is a staggering setback for sport’s growth efforts

Opinion: Forget the Dodgers. The National League East division race demands your attention.

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Was the Los Angeles Dodgers' 2024 World Series win ever in doubt? The Dodgers’ run to the World Series had every setback the sport could throw at the club, yet the Dodgers made their second title of the 2020s feel inevitable in retrospect. The Dodgers’ offseason signing of the sport’s best player, hybrid designated hitter/pitching … Continue reading Opinion: Forget the Dodgers. The National League East division race demands your attention.

Opinion: The first weekend of men’s March Madness game eliminated the Cinderella stories. Is NIL the reason?

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For a moment on Sunday evening, the Colorado State Rams reveled in the greatest sensation March Madness has to offer: a clutch three-pointer to take the lead in the final seconds of regulation.  Rams star guard Nique Clifford backed down a Maryland defender, then fired a daring pass across the court to wide-open guard Jalen … Continue reading Opinion: The first weekend of men’s March Madness game eliminated the Cinderella stories. Is NIL the reason?

Riker Report: Quarterback changes, trade requests highlight busy start to NFL offseason

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One month removed from Super Bowl LIX, the NFL is still providing plenty of entertainment value. The NFL landscape has been littered with trade requests from All-Pros, cryptic social media posts, quarterback trades and overpriced signings, all against the backdrop of the excitement of the NFL combine and upcoming draft. Even the defending Super Bowl … Continue reading Riker Report: Quarterback changes, trade requests highlight busy start to NFL offseason

Riker Report: Eagles pound Chiefs in stunning Super Bowl LIX (and what to make of the NFL awards results)

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In one of the most shocking Super Bowl results in recent memory, the Philadelphia Eagles demolished the 17-2 Kansas City Chiefs and thwarted KC’s attempt for an unprecedented Super Bowl three-peat. Though the game was not competitive for all but the first couple minutes, the outcome left plenty for NFL fans to dissect heading into … Continue reading Riker Report: Eagles pound Chiefs in stunning Super Bowl LIX (and what to make of the NFL awards results)

Riker Report: 10 NFL storylines with staying power leading into Super Bowl LIX

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The stage is set for Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, but the action around the NFL isn’t limited to the Big Easy. From the teams that nearly missed out on the Super Bowl to those who missed the playoffs entirely but are making waves in the offseason, the last month has felt like an … Continue reading Riker Report: 10 NFL storylines with staying power leading into Super Bowl LIX

Column: Ravens begin and end 2024 season with failures in the end zone. But their earlier lapses did them in.

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The games bookending the Ravens’ 2024 season finished in eerily similar fashion: road contests against playoff-tested AFC contenders that saw Baltimore’s late rallies falter with failed attempts to knot up the score. In Week 1 — the first game of the entire NFL season — the Ravens looked out of sorts against the Kansas City … Continue reading Column: Ravens begin and end 2024 season with failures in the end zone. But their earlier lapses did them in.