Sports
No. 5 Georgia, Auburn look to rebound in SEC clash
Sep 28, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck (15) leaves the field after a loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images Both No. 5 Georgia and visiting Auburn find themselves in uncharted territory ahead of their Southeastern Conference matchup in Athens, Ga., on Saturday afternoon.
Georgia (3-1, 1-1 SEC) is coming off its first regular-season loss since Nov. 7, 2020, as the Bulldogs fell 41-34 to then-No. 4 Alabama last weekend.
After rallying from a 28-0 deficit, Georgia lost on a 75-yard touchdown pass from Alabama’s Jalen Milroe with 2:18 left, snapping the Bulldogs’ school-record 42 game regular-season winning streak and SEC-record 28-game conference unbeaten string.
Although the poor start to the game left a sour taste for Georgia and coach Kirby Smart, there’s no time to wallow in self-pity ahead of Saturday’s 2024 edition of the “Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.”
“I’m certainly proud of the resiliency we showed (to come back), but as proud as I am of that, I’m just as disappointed of the start,” Smart said. “But we’ve got to get ready for Auburn, who’s a really, really good football team. … Obviously the record may not indicate it, but the record doesn’t speak for what that team is.”
Georgia hopes to see more consistency from quarterback Carson Beck, who battled back from a forgettable start against Alabama. Beck passed for 439 yards and three touchdowns but threw three interceptions and lost a fumble on the first drive of the fourth quarter.
“That first half, we played terrible,” Beck said. “I don’t think we need to watch the film to go see that we didn’t play our best. That starts with me. I’ve got to be better.”
As for Auburn, the Tigers (2-3, 0-2) are off to their worst start through five games since 2012, when they began 1-4 and finished 3-9 overall and 0-8 in the SEC.
Most recently, Auburn lost 27-21 to then-No. 21 Oklahoma despite holding an 11-point, fourth-quarter lead and outgaining the Sooners 482-291.
Auburn has had a glaring turnover problem this season: Payton Thorne and Hank Brown have combined to throw nine interceptions.
The recurring issue reared its head last weekend as Thorne threw a pick-six to Oklahoma’s Kip Lewis, who gave the Sooners the eventual game-winning score with 4:06 left.
“Saturday hurt,” Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said. “It hurt our kids, our staff, and I’m sure it hurt our incredible fans, who have been marvelous over our five straight home games to open the season. … Our fans have done their part, which makes not being 5-0 very hard to swallow. We’re judged on results, and it’s my responsibility to bring results to this program that restore its glory.”
A bright spot for Freeze and the Tigers has been the defense, which has allowed an average of just 18.8 points per contest. The unit will be put to the test Saturday against a Bulldogs offense coming off a 519-yard output against the Crimson Tide.
“There are many positives to build from,” Freeze said. “We’ve done some really, really good things that I hope can carry over as we get ready for a top-ranked team in Georgia. We certainly can’t let the hurt and sting of losing a game that you felt like you should have won last too long.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
An Autopsy of LeBron's Decision: And Why You Shouldn't Trust Rich Paul
Jan 13, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) wears a patch affixed to the upper right chest to celebrate his record-setting 23rd NBA season during the first half against the Atlanta Hawks at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images With the dust settling on LeBron’s surprise decision to take his talents to his fourth team in Philadelphia, we’re starting to see why his last dance would be with the Sixers. Well, more than seeing why he decided to go to Philly, we’re seeing why he didn’t go anywhere else.
Cleveland appeared to be the frontrunner to land James for most of July. Both sportsbooks and prediction markets featured Cleveland within the top two teams nearly the entire waiting period, with Golden State and Miami also briefly having the top odds as well.
Now we know that most of that was a smokescreen from Rich Paul’s Klutch Agency. Cleveland and Miami were prohibitive favorites down the stretch, with Shams Charania and even Adam Schefter predicting moves to one of those destinations; however, LeBron’s decision actually came down to Philly and Golden State.
Both of LeBron’s former teams were shocked they weren’t picked for the last dance, and more than just astonishment, both organizations have to be filled with some level of embarrassment. They were strung along by James when they were never really in the running to begin with. Cleveland has been given the most detailed autopsy as to why they weren’t able to bring LeBron home, and the specifics make the move to Philly even more confusing.
When LeBron first decided he was no longer returning to Los Angeles, his biggest reasoning was to find happiness in his final destination. Maybe creating new business connections in a location close to New York is what makes him happy, but that reasoning led many to believe a return home would be in the cards. You can’t enter LeBron’s mind as to why this location makes him the happiest, but it more so felt like he was looking to team up with specific players that Cleveland and Miami didn’t have.
His next complaint of wanting the Cavs to make a move for Jaylen Brown has a multitude of issues. Boston was never shipping Brown to Cleveland without getting Evan Mobley back in the process. Mobley is a flawed player and hasn’t met the lofty expectations laid out for him, but Cleveland has continued to view him as a franchise pillar they were entirely unwilling to move.
Even if they were to trade him, a starting lineup of James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, and Jarrett Allen would have one of the worst defenses we’ve ever seen in NBA history. And it wouldn’t have just been on defense; those five paired together would have little synergy on offense, a problem I foresee occurring for the Sixers this year as well.
Lastly, the most egregious reason from the Klutch team is that the Cavs no longer had Darius Garland. For the last two years, Rich Paul had asked for Cleveland to move Garland elsewhere, and they did that for him.
Cleveland moved on from Garland, a player who had become exceedingly unreliable, for another unreliable option in Harden. Nevertheless, Cleveland was finally able to get over the hump and make it to the Eastern Conference Finals by moving off of Garland.
I find it patently ridiculous that Paul requested that Garland be traded, then used that as leverage to remove Cleveland from the equation. If those are truly LeBron’s reasons for picking Philly, a lot of mended bridges between James and Cleveland have been burned back to the ground.
Not only should Cleveland feel scorned by this entire endeavor, but the entire league should be over the Klutch Agency. They put out completely fake news to hinder other Eastern Conference teams during the early stages of free agency, when they never had a real chance at LeBron.
This past season, the Cavs gave James a tribute video that led him to tears. While they will always be thankful for his championship run in 2016, I think the city has truly soured on him this time around. For now, Cleveland will be angry with LeBron, but in the future, I feel it won’t be anger, but apathy. One of the greatest players of all time has continued to make short-sighted moves for his legacy, all in the vein of trying to chase down Jordan in the win column. Unfortunately for LeBron, his legacy is now set, and he will never be looked at like Michael Jordan.
Sports
Report: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope joining 76ers after Grizzlies buyout
Feb 11, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (3) in the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is set to reunite with former teammate LeBron James after agreeing to a buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies and planning to sign a one-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, ESPN reported on Saturday.
Caldwell-Pope, 33, who played with James on the 2020 NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, must clear waivers before signing with Philadelphia.
Per the report, the Grizzlies and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul — Caldwell-Pope’s agent — finalized the buyout on Saturday, a day after Sixers agreed to sign James to a two-year, $8 million deal.
Caldwell-Pope, who also won an NBA title with the Denver Nuggets in 2023, missed the last 31 games of the 2025-26 season after surgery to fix a misalignment on his right pinkie finger. He finished with averages of 8.4 points, 2.7 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 21.3 minutes in 51 games.
A 13-year veteran selected eighth overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 2013 NBA Draft, Caldwell-Pope has averaged 11.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 29.2 minutes with the Pistons, Lakers, Washington Wizards, Nuggets, Orlando Magic and Grizzlies in 963 games (784 starts).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Trey McBride says Cardinals fans not so bad after all
Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride speaks to the press during training camp at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on July 25, 2026. Arizona tight end Trey McBride made some waves with criticism of the Cardinals’ fan base earlier this offseason. On Saturday, he attempted to walk back some of his earlier remarks following training camp practice.
In a June appearance on Will Compton and Taylor Lewan’s podcast “Bussin’ with the Boys,” McBride noted that a significant portion of Arizona’s population is transplants, and he criticized the Cardinals’ fan base for being too focused on other teams.
“Living in Arizona, no one’s from Arizona,” McBride had said. “Everyone has kinda moved in from another state, so they’re all fans of their own teams, so now you have the Arizona that sits there and there’s no Arizona fans in Arizona.
“So, it’s a tough deal. Hopefully, we start winning some games and we can bring some of those fans back.”
Saturday, possibly because of some backlash, McBride was singing a different tune.
“Yeah, I probably shouldn’t have said that,” McBride said. “It came out wrong, and obviously the fanbase is great. We have a tremendous fanbase. Arizona’s been here, loyal fans to all the sports teams here, and we’re very lucky to have a lot of these guys, and we’re going to have a great season.
“I love it here in Arizona, and I hope they love me too, but it’s a special place. The fans are great, and I’m excited for this year to give them something to be proud of.”
In 2025, McBride signed what was the richest deal for a tight end in NFL history, re-signing with the Cardinals for four years and $76 million.
He backed that figure up last fall, posting career highs with 126 receptions for 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns, leading the Cardinals in each category while earning his second straight Pro Bowl berth and being named first-team All-Pro.
A second-round draft pick in 2022, the 26-year-old has exceeded 1,000 yards receiving in each of the last two seasons.
–Field Level Media
An Autopsy of LeBron's Decision: And Why You Shouldn't Trust Rich Paul
Report: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope joining 76ers after Grizzlies buyout
