Sports
Stars vow to 'be better' as Kings come to town
Feb 23, 2025; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) makes a save against Dallas Stars center Mavrik Bourque (22) during the first period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images The Dallas Stars will be eager to get back on track when they open a four-game homestand against the Los Angeles Kings on Friday night.
The Stars didn’t like the way they competed in a 6-4 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, a poor way to close out a six-game road trip that was separated by the two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-Off.
“I like the fact that we’re not happy,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “We expect to win every night. I think the lesson (against the Blue Jackets) is we just didn’t play well enough to win.”
The Stars came out of the break last Saturday and looked smooth in a 4-2 win at the New Jersey Devils. Dallas then received a hat trick from Jason Robertson the following day in a 4-3 win against the New York Islanders.
The Stars then took on the Blue Jackets, a team that’s battling to make the playoffs for the first time since 2020, and Columbus scored two goals in the first five minutes and never looked back.
“Three games in four nights, but no excuses,” Stars forward Mavrik Bourque said. “We’ve got to be better and I’m sure we’re going to bounce back.”
Like the Kings, the Stars have played extremely well at home this season, owning a 20-6-1 record on their own ice. The loss in Columbus should be a distant memory by the time Dallas plays in front of its own fans.
“That’s behind us, and now it’s about how we respond,” Dallas center Matt Duchene said of the Columbus game. “We want to get back and establish the game we’ve had there. I’m sure we’ll correct some of the stuff we did (against Columbus). We’ve got to be better, and we’ll attack that this week.”
The Kings arrive in Dallas riding a seven-game point streak (5-0-2), but still looking up at the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers in the Pacific Division, and with not much separation over the wild-card teams.
Los Angeles also posted two straight victories coming out of the two-week break before losing 3-2 in overtime to the visiting Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night.
“I think we’ve just got to be more consistent with our game right from the start, throughout the 60 minutes,” Los Angeles forward Adrian Kempe said. “We don’t have to be perfect every game, but we can’t have a really good 20 minutes and 40 minutes OK.”
Kings coach Jim Hiller was hoping his team would play a solid game in front of their home fans before setting out on a three-game road trip.
“We could’ve got two (points), and probably the other nights, maybe we didn’t deserve two,” Hiller said. “The results, you hope that they balance themselves a little bit, so the sting is probably a little bit less because of what we probably deserved. … We’ve got to play better, I agree.”
Kings defenseman Drew Doughty missed the game against Vancouver with a lower-body injury. It’s possibly related to the ankle surgery he underwent in September after breaking his ankle in a preseason game.
He is considered day-to-day and was expected to travel with the team to Dallas on Friday.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer's contract extended through 2032-33 season
Jan 1, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen Deboer looks on before the 2026 Rose Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Indiana Hoosiers at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Alabama and coach Kalen DeBoer have reached agreement on a two-year contract extension through the 2032-33 season, the school announced Wednesday.
The deal will reportedly increase DeBoer’s earnings to $87.5 million over the next seven seasons.
The University of Alabama’s System Board of Trustees Compensation Committee formally approved the deal Wednesday.
DeBoer is 20-8 in two seasons with the Crimson Tide after taking over for legendary Nick Saban, who retired after the 2023 season.
“We are excited about the opportunity to continue our time in Tuscaloosa with this contract extension,” DeBoer said in a news release. “This University has become a special place to us, and I look forward to working to ensure that Alabama football remains at the forefront of college football.
“This program has a long history of success and an unmatched tradition that I was eager to be a part of two years ago, and I cannot wait to keep coaching our guys and bring more championships to Alabama.”
DeBoer’s contract reportedly includes a $10 million buyout through January that drops to $8 million for the following 12 months before dipping again to $6 million.
Alabama went 9-4 in DeBoer’s first season in 2024 and missed the College Football Playoff. It went 11-4 last season, defeating Oklahoma in the first round of the CFP before being annihilated 38-3 by eventual champion Indiana.
“We are pleased to extend Coach DeBoer and are proud to have him leading the Crimson Tide football program,” Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne said in the news release. “He is an excellent coach and has done a commendable job developing our student-athletes.”
DeBoer, 51, is 57-17 over the last six seasons, including going 12-6 at Fresno State from 2020-21 and 25-3 at Washington in 2022-23. He guided the Huskies to the 2023 CFP title game before falling to Michigan.
Earlier in his career, DeBoer went 67-3 at Sioux Falls over five seasons, winning NAIA national championships in 2006, 2008 and 2009.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Inaugural Bill Walton Classic set for Nov. 7 with heavy San Diego flavor
Bill Walton with sons Luke (left) a player with Arizona and Chris, a player with San Diego State, before a game at Cox Arena on Dec. 7, 2002. The inaugural Bill Walton Classic will be played on Nov. 7 in San Diego, the Hall of Famer’s longstanding residence until his death due to cancer on May 27, 2024, at age 71.
San Diego State will play a to-be-determined opponent in the men’s half of a doubleheader. Walton was a fixture at games on the SDSU campus when his son, Chris, played for the Aztecs from 2000-05.
Walton was born in suburban La Mesa, minutes from the San Diego State campus. The doubleheader will be played at Pechanga Arena, which was known as the San Diego Sports Arena when Walton played games there as a member of the NBA’s San Diego Clippers in the early 1980s.
“This is long overdue,” San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher said at a press conference at Helix High in La Mesa. “Bill Walton was a treasure and anything we can do to put his name out there, we’re all for it.”
Walton first came into national prominence when he starred at Helix High before attending UCLA under legendary coach John Wooden. Walton led the Bruins to two national titles, highlighted by his 21-of-22 shooting performance while scoring 44 points in an 87-66 rout of Memphis State in the 1973 title game.
The Portland Trail Blazers selected “the Big Red Head” with the No. 1 pick in the 1974 NBA draft. Three years later, Walton led the Blazers to their lone NBA title. After suffering through years of foot injuries, he earned another ring with the Boston Celtics in 1986 to cap his 468-game NBA career. He was league MVP in the 1977-78 season for Portland.
Walton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. He continued to be a popular figure in his post-basketball life as a television commentator who would say off-the-cuff things and talk about this favorite band, the Grateful Dead.
“I’d love to wear something tie-dyed for that game,” Dutcher told reporters, referencing Walton’s love for such clothing.
The other Bill Walton Classic contest will be a women’s game between two local institutions: the University of San Diego and UC San Diego.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Who's No. 2? Books shifting from Arvell Reese to David Bailey for Jets
Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas Tech defensive lineman David Bailey (DL31) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The New York Jets continue to hold their cards close to the vest when it comes to the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night.
But the most popular online sportsbooks think they see a tell: Texas A&M pass rusher David Bailey has passed Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese as the favorite to be selected immediately after Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza hears his name called first by the Las Vegas Raiders.
Twenty-four hours ago, BetMGM listed Reese at -400 as the favorite to go No. 2 while Bailey could be secured at +200. At that time, Bailey had been backed by the most total bets at 21.2% and Reese by the most money at 37.2%. But by Wednesday night, Bailey moved into the favorite’s role at -145 while Reese has plummeted to +110.
DraftKings, meanwhile, listed Bailey as -150 to go No. 2 with Reese at +115 and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love a distant third at +8000.
This seismic surge occurred despite Bailey having his “top 30” visit to Jets headquarters canceled by the team. Jets coach Aaron Glenn downplayed not bringing Bailey in for a pre-draft visit, then Bailey supported that view Wednesday by saying he has spent plenty of time with the team’s brass and recently caught up with them on FaceTime.
Yet another question: Will the Jets hold on to that second overall pick?
New York owns five of the top 103 selections in the draft and could opt to move down or stay put at No. 2 and/or No. 16 on Thursday night. The Jets also have a pair of second-round picks on Friday night.
If the team stays put at No. 2, the question between Bailey and Reese has been one of the more interesting pre-draft debates.
The 6-foot-4, 243-pound Reese ranks the No. 6 overall prospect in the 2026 draft by Field Level Media, followed immediately by the 6-3, 247-pound Bailey.
Bailey tied for the NCAA lead with 14.5 sacks last season and is a weight-room warrior who explodes off the ball. He has been compared to Denver Broncos pass rusher Nik Bonitto, who faced similar questions about his potential as a run defender coming out of Oklahoma prior to the 2022 draft.
Reese could be a reliable edge setter in a 3-4 or a thumping presence in the middle of a 4-3. He also can stick with tight ends in coverage, and provides a tantalizing combination of tools and versatility. A comp to retired pass rusher Barkevious Mingo, who by all accounts failed to live up to pre-draft expectations, might have many NFL personnel in the Jets’ shoes favoring Bailey.
–Field Level Media
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer's contract extended through 2032-33 season
Inaugural Bill Walton Classic set for Nov. 7 with heavy San Diego flavor
