Sports

Stephen A. Smith is annoyed with the NFL.  The ESPN personality and sports talk host ranted on the latest edition of his eponymous podcast over the league’s decision to comment on its players doing a Donald Trump-inspired dance last weekend.  The dance, which has become a craze across the sports world, made headlines over the … Read more

University of Mobile (Ala.) freshman Kaiden Francis died Tuesday at the age of 18 after collapsing on campus, school President Charles Smith announced in a letter to faculty, staff and students. Francis was found “unresponsive” after his weekly skills workout with the schools’s coaching staff and trainers, spokesperson Kathy Dean told the Associated Press. A … Read more

The Giants’ future at quarterback is uncertain, but Malik Nabers’ wishes are crystal clear. On the same day that a benched Daniel Jones essentially said goodbye to the Giants after a six-year run as the starter, Nabers was asked what he hopes the next franchise quarterback brings to the table. “I just want the ball. … Read more

Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post What matters to Juan Soto? Does he simply want to go to the team that pays him the most? (In which case, maybe Steve Cohen’s Mets have the edge.) Does he value his legacy above all? (The Yankees would have a strong argument.) Does he want to join the team with the … Read more

New news! During a Thursday night appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Jason Kelce revealed he and ESPN are bringing a late-night talk show to Philadelphia beginning Jan. 4. The former Eagles center — who joined ESPN in May after his NFL retirement in March — will host “They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce,” … Read more

Dating back to the days when he watched Pride FC, Deiveson Figueiredo has been enamored of fighter nicknames. He needed one for himself and, despite not being a big fan of the critically acclaimed, uber-violent video games series, gravitated to Kratos, the eponymous “God of War.” Thus, “Deus da Guerra” — the game’s title roughly … Read more

Jose Siri, acquired from the Rays in a trade, is expected to play in the outfield for the Mets in 2025. AP Neither move was trumpeted at the time, but over a 2 ½-week stretch last December, the Mets acquired two players who became important components of the team’s success in 2024. At the winter … Read more

LAFC forward Olivier Giroud, right, battles Sporting Kansas City defender Joaquin Fernandez for the ball during a game in October. Giroud is one of the newcomers powering LAFC’s MLS Cup run. (Charlie Riedel / Associated Press) Ilie Sánchez played the full 120 minutes, then converted the game-winning penalty kick, to give LAFC its only MLS … Read more

D’Anton Lynn’s defection to USC didn’t doom UCLA’s defense, it just gave it a rival His arrival last December, in the midst of the darkest defensive stretch in school history, was hailed as a potential program-saving moment at USC. At UCLA, where he revived a struggling defense in a single season, his departure was viewed … Read more

LeBron James has the ball knocked away by Mo Wagner, left, as Franz Wagner helps on defense in the first half. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news. Newsletter Go beyond the scoreboard Get the latest on L.A.’s teams in the daily Sports Report … Read more