The baseball hall of fame

Getty Images Gary Sheffield has been on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for the past nine years without being elected -- or falling off the ballot --- and he believes its long past time that he should be enshrined in Cooperstown. While he was attending Reggie Jackson's Mr. October Foundation golf tournament on Monday, Sheffield stated that he was not the only player on the 2023 ballot that would've made the cut if it wasn't for being linked for performance-enhancing drugs. "I grew up in an era where they say these are the benchmarks, once you hit the benchmarks that's what is it," Sheffield told the Palm Beach Post . "All the things people want to put into play … It's good to get all the facts straight and if you get all the facts straight you'll see a lot of things you're saying are not true." In addition to Sheffield, players like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Manny Ramirez, and Alex Rodriguez have all been connected to PEDs. None of those star players have come anywhere … [Read more...] about Gary Sheffield believes that he should be in the Hall of Fame, says ‘It’s good to get all the facts straight’

Bellator MMA The legendary Fedor Emelianenko will step into the Bellator cage for the final fight of his storied career on Saturday night. Emelianenko has the potential to end his career on a high note when he faces Ryan Bader for the heavyweight championship in the main event of Bellator 290 . While Emelianenko has seen previous retirements fail to stick, during a conversation with CBS Sports, he insisted this fight would be his last, win or lose. "100%," Emelianenko said. "Yes, I want to finish my sport career." Emelianenko became an MMA legend when he erupted onto the scene in the Japanese promotion PRIDE Fighting Championships in June 2002, dominating towering kickboxer Semmy Schilt to take a clear unanimous decision victory. In total, Emelianenko would go 14-0 in the PRIDE ring, that run standing out as part of 27-0 stretch that lasted from 2001 until mid-2010. While Emelianenko did eventually hit some rough waters, losing three straight fights in Strikeforce over … [Read more...] about Fedor Emelianenko ready to wrap up Hall-of-Fame-worthy career in main event of Bellator 290

USATSI Recency bias is a helluva drug. And the conference title games and Super Bowl always shape narratives for how to build a team, what style of offense and defense to incorporate, what the rest of the league should prioritize during the team-building process, etc. It happens every year. After the Eagles ' first Super Bowl win their usage of the "Run-Pass Option" made RPO vernacular overnight. Mahomes' Super Bowl win the following year pushed the new mold for the prototypical franchise quarterback. Last year, I highlighted the league's growing propensity to go for it on fourth down, pass on first down, and prioritize YAC. Those trends aren't going anywhere. To touch on them briefly here -- teams are still noticeably more aggressive on fourth down than they were even five to 10 years ago. That's good. The Bengals and Chiefs finished third and fourth, respectively, in first-down pass rate during the regular season. Eight of the 14 playoff teams were in the top 10 in … [Read more...] about NFL trends that will carry into 2023 season: Invest heavily in the offensive line, be aggressive, and more

USATSI For the second time in six seasons, the Philadelphia Eagles are in the Super Bowl . Fresh off a rout of the 49ers in the NFC Championship, the Birds have now secured a championship berth in each of the last three decades, previously advancing to the big game in 2004 and 2017. They claimed the Lombardi Trophy their last time out, and this year, they entered the playoffs with a franchise-record 14 regular-season victories. With that in mind, it's fair to wonder: are the 2022 Eagles actually better than their title-winning predecessors? Of course we don't mean it in the literal sense; until they hoist their own trophy, they are inferior. But what about talent-wise? Are the present-day Birds even more dangerous, with an even more balanced roster? Let's run through the major positions and decide: QB 2017: Nick Foles Jalen Hurts Replacing an injured Carson Wentz , who was emerging as dynamic MVP candidate at the time, Foles proved to be a historic fill-in, … [Read more...] about Which Eagles Super Bowl team is better? Comparing 2022 lineup to 2017 championship roster

Getty Images Sean Payton is heading to the Denver Broncos as the franchise's next head coach, according to CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones , after Denver reportedly acquire his contractual rights from the New Orleans Saints . The Saints and Broncos have finalized trade compensation for head coach Sean Payton, according to ESPN , paving the way for the Super Bowl champion head coach to become Denver's next head coach. Denver sends it's 2023 first-round pick from San Francisco (No. 30 overall) and a 2024 second-round pick to New Orleans for Payton and their 2024 third-round pick, according to Adam Schefter . The first-round pick being sent by Denver is actually the one acquired from the Dolphins in exchange for linebacker Bradley Chubb . Miami acquired the pick initially from the 49ers as part of the Trey Lance deal. The Dolphins no longer have a first-round pick in 2023 after their own was forfeited as a result of the Tom Brady tampering investigation. … [Read more...] about Sean Payton trade grades: Broncos pony up for Super Bowl-winning head coach; Saints land two valuable picks

Icon Sportswire In the latest WNBA free agency bombshell, future Hall of Fame point guard Courtney Vandersloot announced on social media on Tuesday that she will be leaving the Chicago Sky after 12 seasons with the franchise. Vandersloot did not say where she will sign instead. "Dear Chicago, I am so grateful to you," Vandersloot wrote , in part, in a letter to the city. "My first time ever setting foot in Chicago was the day I landed for training camp my rookie year. Twelve years later, it became a place I call home. One of the biggest blessings in my life was meeting my wife and together building a championship team in her city. "Although I never planned for this day to come, I have decided that it is time for me to pursue a new beginning. I will forever be grateful for the memories I have made during my time here. As I look ahead to a new chapter, with a new team, in a new city, know that Chicago, its fans and the Sky organization will always hold a special place in … [Read more...] about WNBA free agency: Courtney Vandersloot announces she’s leaving Chicago Sky after 12 seasons