Sports
Team USA's WBC reprieve won't matter due to lack of intensity
Mar 18, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; USA manager Mark DeRosa (4) returns to the dugout after a pitching change during the fifth inning against Venezuela at LoanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Thanks to Italy beating Mexico on Wednesday night, the United States gets another chance in the World Baseball Classic.
What looked like a potentially disastrous early exit for Team USA manager Mark DeRosa and the boys turned out to be nothing more than substantial worry and significant embarrassment for about 24 hours.
It remains to be seen if the U.S. really wants to win badly enough for the reprieve to matter, as if it’s just a switch they can flick. But there is little reason for Team USA fans to be optimistic.
The Americans’ attitude and behavior have been all over the place when it comes to their opinion of the WBC’s value. It’s no Olympics, after all, as slugger Bryce Harper would prefer. How important is the WBC to the U.S.? Less important than it is to the other teams in the tournament.
Team USA didn’t appear to compete with urgency against Italy on Tuesday, playing as if it already had qualified for the quarterfinals. And it wasn’t just overconfidence. The players mimicked the leadership of DeRosa, who operated as though he were just trying to get through a mostly meaningless game.
Only, the U.S. hadn’t qualified yet. DeRosa seemed to get lost in the WBC’s tiebreaking procedures, which in itself is understandable if you don’t know how to work an abacus and slide rule. But someone on his staff should have figured out that the Italy game mattered before DeRosa went on TV and said the U.S. already had punched its own ticket for the next round.
If Mexico had beaten Italy on Wednesday, or if Italy hadn’t scored the right amount of runs, or if everything went sideways in extra innings, we’d be talking about the U.S. getting its ticket punched in a bad way.
DeRosa said later that he only “misspoke,” but it was more like he misunderstood completely. He assembled a questionable lineup and made questionable pitching decisions, leading a collective effort that appeared to gain clarity and urgency only in the final third of the game. Did someone finally figure out what the dugout hadn’t figured it out?
Team USA next plays Canada on Friday night in Houston, a game the hosts should win — although that’s what everyone said before the U.S. scraped by Mexico and got stomped like a grape against Italy.
But even if the U.S. team reaches the semis, then what? Italy, Puerto Rico, Japan, South Korea, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic are the other teams still alive in the knockout stage. All of those teams have something in common not shared with the U.S.: They manage to play with intensity and joy.
The Americans can be intense. Earlier in the tournament against Mexico, U.S. catcher Cal Raleigh refused a handshake overture from opponent Randy Arozarena. They are teammates on the Seattle Mariners, but Raleigh reacted as if Arozarena were asking for his computer passwords, replying as if to say: “Don’t bother me, Randy, this is a big game and I’m in the zone!”
It’s possible the only memory anyone will have of the U.S. acting as if they cared about winning the WBC is Raleigh making a miscalculation about the optics of a fist bump.
It’s probably too late to do anything this time, but what can the U.S. do to give itself a chance to win the next WBC?
The best chance is to move the tournament to mid-summer, during a break in MLB’s regular season that doesn’t exist yet and likely won’t soon. But in June or July, all of the best pitchers are in midseason form, and the Americans would have a big talent advantage on the mound. Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal wouldn’t be limited to a game here or three innings there. They would be able to really pitch, and they would dominate.
That’s the only way for the U.S. to show the world who’s best. Because the Americans are not going to do it the way Japan and the Dominican Republic are doing it now. The Americans don’t have the intensity-joy combination. Their day jobs are just too important to them.
–David Brown, Field Level Media
Sports
Which NFL Teams Improved the Most in Free Agency? Four Stand Out
The official 2026 calendar just started and the NFL still has that new-league-year smell.
Depending on what your favorite team did since player negotiations began on Monday and free agency opened on Wednesday, there’s a great chance it will end up smelling like either fresh roses or rotten eggs 11 months from now after the confetti settles on Super Bowl LXI.
Last March, the Seattle Seahawks signed quarterback Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100 million contract and went on to win the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens mostly window shopped, missed the playoffs and ultimately said farewell to John Harbaugh, the most successful coach in franchise history
In March 2024, the Philadelphia Eagles locked up running back Saquon Barkley on a three-year, $37.75 million deal and then rode his historic 2,000-yard season to a Super Bowl championship. The Dallas Cowboys were the last team to sign anyone, kept their purse strings knotted and showed coach Mike McCarthy the door after a 7-10 season.
Who made the largest “Lombardi leaps” this week, keeping in mind that neither the 2025 Seahawks (10-7 during the previous season) nor 2024 Eagles (11-6 in 2023) needed massive makeovers? Who plugged the decisive pieces into their championship puzzles?
Four teams fit the mold. Two made playoff runs last season and two slipped from perennial AFC contenders to 6-11 records: the defending NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams and the NFC North champion Chicago Bears and the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs.
The Rams fell short of the Big Game when they allowed Darnold to throw for 346 yards and three touchdowns in the Seahawks’ 31-27 victory in the NFC Championship.
General manager Les Snead attacked the situation head-on this month, shelling out a combined $176 million to add ex-Chiefs cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson (who both own two Super Bowl rings) and also re-signing safety Kam Curl to a three-year, $36 million deal.
The Bears were 4-5 during the 2025 regular season when opponents averaged at least 6.0 yards per play (7-1 when foes were under that mark).
Seeking speed for Dennis Allen’s defense, Chicago GM Ryan Poles signed former Seahawks safety Coby Bryant and replaced Tremaine Edmunds with former Browns linebacker Devin Bush. The Bears also solidified the defensive line with tackles Neville Gallimore and Kentavius Street.
The Bengals surrendered a franchise-record 492 points last season and finished 31st in total defense, including three games with more than 500 yards allowed.
Offsetting the departure of 31-year-old pass rusher Trey Hendrickson to the Ravens, Cincinnati got better by making former Chief Bryan Cook (another two-time champ) the highest-paid safety in franchise history and making former Seahawks linebacker Boye Mafe the franchise’s first $20 million per year free agent.
The Chiefs’ 10-year playoff streak ended last winter but the dynasty isn’t dead as long as Patrick Mahomes has two healthy legs to stand on. If he returns early enough from a torn ACL, you can’t count them out.
Sure, Kansas City lost a few key players, but GM Brett Veach signed reigning Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III, veteran safety Alohi Gilman, defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga — a solid backup for 31-year-old Chris Jones — and wideout Tyquan Thornton. Tight end Travis Kelce also committed to another season, with the encouragement of Taylor Swift.
As for the rest, don’t start burning jerseys if your team didn’t make the cut here. There will be plenty more signings and trades before next month’s draft. At the time of writing, A.J. Brown is still an Eagle, Kyler Murray is still on the market and Maxx Crosby is still not a Raven.
Sports
No. 19 North Carolina, Clemson battle again in ACC quarterfinals
Mar 3, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers guard Efrem Johnson (4) shoots against North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) during the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images No. 19-ranked North Carolina and Clemson just played an airtight game that went down to the wire last week in Chapel Hill, N.C.
The fourth-seeded Tar Heels (24-7) and fifth-seeded Tigers (23-9) won’t have to dig far to pull out that game film as they prepare for a rapid rematch Thursday night in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament quarterfinals in Charlotte.
North Carolina’s 67-63 win over Clemson on March 3 wound up as the tiebreaker that determined the fourth and final double-bye into the quarters, as both teams finished 12-6 in the league. Clemson had to play Wednesday night and outlasted No. 13 seed Wake Forest 71-62.
“It was a heck of a game the first time,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell said. “Give North Carolina credit: They found ways to make plays down the stretch, made some big threes against us. But it was a heck of a matchup. Our guys competed our tails off. They did, as well. It was a great college game. Hopefully, (Thursday) is the same.”
North Carolina lost superstar freshman Caleb Wilson for the season last week. Wilson, who hasn’t played since Feb. 10, broke his right thumb while dunking as he worked to recover from a fractured left hand.
That means Clemson is familiar with how the Tar Heels look without their best player — and knows what else their rivals can do.
Luka Bogavac had the best game of his first season of college basketball when he hit six 3-pointers and dropped 20 points on Clemson. He and veteran Seth Trimble (14.0 points per game) lead the backcourt, while 7-footer Henri Veesaar (16.3 ppg, 8.4 rpg) has 13 double-doubles and seven 20-point games.
North Carolina coach Hubert Davis hopes to guide his alma mater to more postseason success four years removed from the Final Four run on his first year on the job. He knows what he wants to see in tournament play.
“We want to live in the paint and live at the free-throw line. Those plays generate open threes,” Davis said after the regular season ended with a 76-61 loss to top-ranked Duke on Saturday. “The foundation of who we are hasn’t changed whether Caleb is in the lineup or not. That’s the way we play here at North Carolina, and we’ve got to dictate that next week in Charlotte.”
Clemson’s balanced attack against Wake Forest on Wednesday was a perfect illustration of the Tigers’ season-long identity. They don’t have anyone scoring more than RJ Godfrey’s average of 11.7 points per game, but eight active players entered the week averaging at least 5.7.
Brownell utilized a “hockey sub” during Wednesday’s game — making five subs at a time to keep players fresh. Godfrey tallied 11 against Wake, Chase Thompson scored nine points, and four other players reached eight apiece. The Tigers’ bench racked up 34 points and is top-30 nationally at 30.0 bench points per game.
“Personally, it’s just how can I affect the game, winning plays, use my IQ to my advantage,” said Thompson, a freshman forward. “It brings five fresh guys going against guys that have been in the game four or five minutes. That’s an advantage, as well.”
Brownell said Carter Welling, the Tigers’ second-leading scorer at 10.2 ppg, was being evaluated after suffering an unspecified injury in the first half.
“I find it unlikely that he would play (Thursday),” Brownell said.
Clemson allows opponents to shoot a mere 32.3% from 3-point range, but in its four-game losing streak from Feb. 11-21, opponents hit double-digit 3-pointers in every game at a combined 42.7% clip. Bogavac (51 made 3-pointers) and Derek Dixon (43) are the Tar Heels’ top perimeter threats.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mark DeRosa Needs To Take More Accountability for Team USA
Mar 18, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; USA manager Mark DeRosa (4) returns to the dugout after a pitching change during the fifth inning against Venezuela at LoanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Team USA was dealt a massive upset loss to Italy in the World Baseball Classic, falling 8-6. The US battled back, with Gunner Henderson and Aaron Judge having at-bats in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game, but ultimately fell short in what will be one of the greatest upsets in WBC history.
The US was -1100 entering the matchup, and it seemed like a night to give a few guys some rest. Well, that would have been the case if Team USA hadn’t needed a win to move on to the quarterfinals. Manager Mark DeRosa completely mismanaged the team, benching multiple key starters to get Paul Goldschmidt and Ernie Clement some ABs.
Somehow, nobody had told DeRosa that the US could be eliminated with a loss, and now they have to wait for the results of Mexico and Italy to learn their fates. Mistakes happen; at this level, they shouldn’t, but they do. However, the biggest issue in this entire debacle is that DeRosa was never looking to take any accountability for this disaster.
DeRosa was on MLB Network’s ‘Hot Stove’ the morning before the Italy matchup, and he openly said he was resting guys because they had their ticket punched to the quarterfinals. That mistake alone should get you fired, but he didn’t say that by accident; he had no idea that they could be eliminated with a loss!
DeRosa had Clayton Kershaw warming up in the 8th inning, then mysteriously sat him back down to get Mason Miller into the game for the top of the 9th. Somebody must’ve told him that this game was still a must-win, and he wasn’t going to waste some innings with a mostly retired Kershaw.
In the post-game, he has to take way more accountability in that situation. He messed up; he didn’t just bungle his words. DeRosa needed to step on the stand after that game and, honestly, say he didn’t know the rules of the pool calculations, and that mistake was on him.
I’m not sure how anyone can take DeRosa seriously at this point. Anytime he’s criticizing a managerial decision on MLB TV, you’ll only be thinking about how he made one of the dumbest managerial moves you’ve ever seen in the sport. Also, if he was ever thinking of actually managing an MLB team, you can kiss that goodbye.
Honestly, it’s somewhat insane that the US Baseball Federation hasn’t fired him yet. This still shouldn’t all be on DeRosa. Even if you were playing with your C team, you shouldn’t be having any issues getting past Italy. Well, when you look at Italy’s roster, it’s essentially the USA’s C team, since it’s full of guys who aren’t even dual citizens.
Well, it’s a waiting game now to see if Team USA advances. If Italy wins, Team USA advances, or if Mexico wins and scores five or more runs, the Americans also still advance. No matter what happens, I don’t think we will be seeing DeRosa in the dugouts past this WBC.
Which NFL Teams Improved the Most in Free Agency? Four Stand Out
Stay prepared for anything with the Growatt Helios power station — now $400 off at Amazon
