Newcastle star in ‘terminate contract talks’ after receiving ‘offer’; PIF tipped to green light three exits

data-mm-id=”_xhslap1n3″>The Boston Celtics will face off against the Houston Rockets on primetime television Saturday night. An inter-conference matchup in February usually isn't worth noting, but this game has some heightened meaning; with a win, the Celtics would move past the Toronto Raptors for the second seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race. There are still a lot of games left to play, and Boston could find themselves back in third by the middle of next week. But the scenario serves as a reminder of just how important the second seed will be when the playoffs do come around. As it currently stands, the two-seed is a race between the Raptors and Celtics. Right now, the Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, and Indiana Pacers are all within 2.5 games of each other for the four…

data-mm-id=”_x1yxralgc”>The Houston Rockets lost their fourth consecutive game on Sunday, falling to the Orlando Magic and dropping to the sixth seed in the Western Conference. James Harden, the NBA's leading scorer, struggled for the fifth straight game, making only 6 of 19 field goal attempts. Including the last Rockets win on February 29th, Harden has made only 12 of his last 59 three point attempts. Two weeks ago everyone forced to bite their tongues and begrudgingly compliment the Rockets winning with a small lineup. Now with their season seeming completely lost, people are happy to call out the former MVP. Here are retired basketball guys Kendrick Perkins and Channing Frye teaming up on Harden.I’m glad I’m not the only one that sees it! There is literally no passion for …

data-mm-id=”_5jiq3jj45″>Ty Lue is the new head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers. The Athletic published a story about what that means for the Clippers and it included this tidbit about how annoyed the team's returning veterans were with the treatment of Kawhi Leonard, as well as Kawhi's treatment of them. Via The Athletic: “Players like Beverley, Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams — Clippers bedrocks before the arrival of Leonard and George — bristled when Leonard was permitted to take games off to manage his body and to live in San Diego, which often led to him being late for team flights, league sources said. The team also allowed Leonard to dictate to Rivers when he could be pulled from games, among other things.”There is just so much dysfunction packed into that one p…

data-mm-id=”_nf3l09rl2″>Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association have reengaged in talks are working on a deal to begin the 2020 season. While that's good news for fans, an agreement wouldn't do much to quell the labor unrest the sport has been experiencing for years. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred met with Tony Clark, the head of the players union, for several hours on Tuesday. They discussed a framework for a potential 2020 season and how to get past the issues both sides are having. The owners made an offer of 60 games, with full prorated salaries for the players and expanded playoffs in both 2020 and 2021. The players would also have to waive their right to file a grievance against the owners. Source: MLB proposal includes:•60 games in 70 days•Season starti…

data-mm-id=”_ucrhmsx38″>John Steigerwald is a 71-year-old columnist and sports talk radio host in Pittsburgh. If you've been online for a bit, you may remember Steigerwald as the guy who wrote something really dumb almost a decade ago. If you're from Pittsburgh, you probably have some other memories. Unsurprisingly, Steigerwald has some dated opinions on the NFL's new social justice messaging.Just turned on NBC for NFL Kickoff 2020. The first thing I saw was a full screen picture of George Floyd. Bye— John Steigerwald (@Steigerworld) September 10, 2020You know what would have done wonders for the cause? An announcement at 7:00 that promised nothing but football for four hours. It’s overkill times 10 and people are either numbed by it and tuned out or fed up and resen…

data-mm-id=”_vl01kv0nq”>Le'Veon Bell has decided to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs for the rest of the 2020 NFL season. It's a perfect fit for both sides and the Chiefs are the team that made the most sense from the get go. Once Bell was released by the New York Jets, this move felt inevitable. The Chiefs spent a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft on LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and he's been excellent so far. The rookie is dual threat out of the backfield and fits Andy Reid's offense perfectly. After Edwards-Helaire, the depth chart is mighty thin. Darrel Williams and Darwin Thompson aren't anything special, while Bell has the potential to be. Kansas City's offense demands a running back that can be a threat in the passing game. Edwards-He…

data-mm-id=”_sj6i25azb”>Russell Westbrook appeared on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. Ahead of the show, Noah was telling a friend about all the things Westbrook does off the court (some of which are discussed in the interview) and the friend said, "Wow, I thought Russell Westbrook was an asshole." Noah shared this story with Westbrook who found it very funny and very familiar, saying, "every day is a challenge." “”It’s crazy you mention that. I get that every day. Honestly, that’s the biggest challenge of my life and you know it’s crazy. It’s honestly the biggest challenge of my life because I play the game with so much passion and aggression. I want to do great. I want to be the best in the game, but at the same time, I want to be the best off the floor and…

data-mm-id=”_x28n4qkbs”>On Wednesday, during a segment of The Greg Hill Show on WEEI, listeners were shocked by what happened during a discussion of the show's favorite alcoholic drinks. Framed as their "top five nips" several types of hard alcohol were suggested before producer Chris Curtis said, "I'd probably go Mina Kimes" then looked around to see if anyone got his joke. Well, now he's denying the intent behind the joke.Here's the clip in question:pic.twitter.com/bgNXfLaTJJ— Dave Cullinane (@davecullinane) March 22, 2023For those not aware, "nip" is a racial slur for a Japanese person. Setting aside the fact that Kimes is Korean, it's a horrific thing to say. Curtis and WEEI have quickly come up with an excuse. As the Boston …

data-mm-id=”_gwsg8bukp”>Bill Simmons is supposed to be in the middle of a six-week break as he recharges his batteries ahead of football season, but a confluence of major events forced The Sports Guy to interrupt his hiatus to release a two-part podcast talking about an upcoming Ringer documentary, the 20th anniversary of The OC, New York Jets hype and a practice expansion draft for two NBA teams that do not yet exist. Simmons also took some time to go after Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe following the USWNT's early exit from the 2023 World Cup. Bill Simmons on Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe pic.twitter.com/IxjqTmZWVW— Stephen Douglas (@Stephen_Douglas) August 7, 2023Simmons compared Morgan to the coach's daughter on an AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization) team and compa…

data-mm-id=”_tb2wsslue”>Major League Baseball had a spectacular postseason no matter how much people want to hem and haw over ratings. They would have preferred that the Texas Rangers-Arizona Diamondbacks World Series had gone seven games like both thrilling League Championship Series but Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and a suddenly lockdown pitching staff had other plans, wrapping up the crown last night with a shutout victory in Game 5. Which left Commissioner Rob Manfred to power through the trophy presentation without a few extra days to rest his voice. Here's how that went. Is Rob Manfred ok?????? pic.twitter.com/qLxLG8PrA0— Bronx 💣ers (@BronxBombrs) November 2, 2023Honestly, a savvy move. Manfred's been the recipient of a good amount of critiques through th…