Former Oregon State, Nebraska Coach Mike Riley Named to CFP Selection Committee
4 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Former Oregon State, Nebraska Coach Mike Riley Named to CFP Selection Committee

The College Football Playoff selection committee—a group perennially saddled with one of the toughest tasks in sports—will have it harder than ever next season, as FBS's postseason tournament expands from four to 12 teams.

Accordingly, the committee has added a veteran coach to its ranks.

Former Oregon State and Nebraska coach Mike Riley will serve among the CFP's selectors next season, the body announced Friday morning.

"We are pleased to have Mike join the committee," CFP executive director Bill Hancock said. "He has significant experience as a player and coach, and he loves college football. He will bring a unique perspective to the committee. Plus, he is a delightful human being."

Riley, 70, most recently served as the coach of the USFL's New Jersey Generals from 2022 to '23. A decorated college coach, he led the Beavers from 1997-98 and 2003 to '14 in two stints, followed by a three-year spell with the Cornhuskers from 2015 to '17.

The former San Diego Chargers boss's career win total of 112 ranks in the top 150 all-time, per College Football Reference's leaderboard. Four of his teams, all at Oregon State, finished in the AP top 25.

Riley is set to replace Pat Chun, who left Washington State to become Washington's athletic director in March.

College Football, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon State Beavers
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Marlins Exec Makes Blunt Statement After Trading Luis Arráez to Padres
4 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Marlins Exec Makes Blunt Statement After Trading Luis Arráez to Padres

Miami Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix didn't mince words when reflecting on the trade he completed Friday night.

"We are unlikely to make the playoffs this year," Bendix bluntly said to reporters in a press conference.

The Marlins traded two-time batting champion Luis Arráez to the San Diego Padres in exchange for three prospects and reliever Woo-Suk Go.

Arraez was a staple in the Marlins' lineup since the team acquired him in a trade in January 2023, batting .343/.384/.450 across 180 games with Miami. He'll now join a Padres team attempting to keep up with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.

The Marlins were one of baseball's most surprising stories last year, winning 84 games and making the playoffs as a wild-card team. But they got off to a horrendous start in 2024, dropping their first nine games and 16 of their first 20.

Entering Saturday's slate of games, the Marlins are 9–25 and in last place in the NL West, 13 1/2 games behind the first-place Philadelphia Phillies. Fangraphs currently gives the Marlins just a 0.5% chance to make the playoffs.

There's a long way to go in the regular season—128 games remain on the Marlins' schedule—but Bendix is right. Miami probably won't make the playoffs. It's why one of baseball's best contact hitters is now wearing brown and gold in San Diego.

Luis Arraez, Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres
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Max Verstappen Nears History by Claiming Seventh Straight Pole Position in Miami
4 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Max Verstappen Nears History by Claiming Seventh Straight Pole Position in Miami

For the seventh straight race in Formula One, Max Verstappen will start from the front of the grid.

The Red Bull driver and world championship leader claimed pole position at qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix on Saturday with yet another impressive performance at the first American event of the season. Verstappen beat out the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, who finished second and third respectively.

Throughout the afternoon session under the South Florida sun, Verstappen expressed his concern with the grip of the soft tires that most of the field was using. He ultimately wasn't able to improve upon his first flying lap of the third qualifying period (1:27.241), but the time was enough for him to land on pole for the sixth time in six races in 2024.

Dating back to last season, Verstappen has earned pole position in seven consecutive races, becoming the first driver since Lewis Hamilton to accomplish the feat. Hamilton notched seven straight poles with Mercedes in 2015 from the Monaco Grand Prix to the Brazilian Grand Prix. The only driver with more is the renowned Ayrton Senna, who went a perfect 8-for-8 for McLaren from the 1988 Spanish Grand Prix to the '89 United States Grand Prix.

Verstappen, who was also the winner of Saturday's F1 sprint race, will now be well-positioned to win the Miami Grand Prix for the third year in a row. A victory would go a long way in extending his lead in the drivers' world championship standings, which has already grown to 27 points over Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez.

The Miami Grand Prix is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday.

f1, max verstappen, Miami Grand Prix
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Jimmy Butler Utters Confident Statement About Heat's Playoff Fate
4 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Jimmy Butler Utters Confident Statement About Heat’s Playoff Fate

The Miami Heat were bounced from the NBA playoffs in five games by the Boston Celtics, but star Jimmy Butler believes things would have been different if he was healthy.

Butler suffered a sprained MCL during the play-in tournament against the Philadelphia 76ers. He missed all five games against the Celtics.

"If I was playing, Boston would be at home," Butler recently said in an interview with Rock the Bells. "New York would d--- sure be f--king at home."

The Celtics cruised to the Eastern Conference's best record (64–18) this season, but Butler's confidence likely is coming from the rivals' recent playoff history. The Heat got the better of Boston in both the 2020 and '23 conference finals.

Butler was named the 2023 Eastern Conference finals MVP after tallying 24.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game against the Celtics.

Butler ended his quick interview with Rock the Bells by addressing New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, who he played for with the Chicago Bulls from 2011 to '15 and again with the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2017 to '19.

Thibodeau and the Knicks are set to face the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals after defeating the Philadelphia 76ers in six games.

"I love Thibs, but I don't want him to win," Butler said. "Thibs, I love you baby, but I want to beat you to a pulp. It's like a one-sided relationship. You're in love with me. I love you, but I'm not in love with you."

Butler, 34, will be paid over $48 million by the Heat next season. He has a $52.4 million player option on his contract for the 2025-26 campaign.

Boston Celtics, Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat
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Orioles' Gunnar Henderson Brought the Coolest Bat to Celebrate Star Wars Day
4 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson Brought the Coolest Bat to Celebrate Star Wars Day

As one of the most merchandisable film franchises ever made, Star Wars figures regularly and prominently in the promotion-friendly world of Minor League Baseball.

This year, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia and company have been called up to the big leagues.

On Saturday—Star Wars Day, so designated because of its pun on "May the fourth be with you"—Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson showed off a special bat for the occasion ahead of a game against the Cincinnati Reds.

The bat—designed to mimic trademark Star Wars lightsabers—is red with Darth Vader and Death Star designs on one side, and blue with Luke Skywalker and Yoda designs on the other.

Henderson tagged Chandler Bats—a Port St. Lucie, Fla.-based bat company popular with MLB players—in his Instagram post.

With the Force presumably on his side, Henderson has slashed .279/.345/.581 with an MLB-high 10 home runs and 24 RBIs this season.

Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, Gunnar Henderson, MLB
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Liverpool vs Tottenham: Preview, How to Watch on TV and Prediction
4 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Liverpool vs Tottenham: Preview, How to Watch on TV and Prediction

Liverpool hosts Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield in Jurgen Klopp's second-to-last game at home as manager.

The season that was meant to have a fairytale ending has been derailed after Liverpool lost crucial games in the Premier League title race and exited the Europa League against Atalanta. The Reds have secured a Champions League place with three games remaining, but there's still a bittersweet feeling around Anfield.

Tottenham, on the other hand, must feel like a massive opportunity has faded away after dropping three consecutive games to Newcastle United, Arsenal and Chelsea. Now needing some help from Aston Villa, Europa League looks likely for Ange Postecoglu in his first season.

The reverse fixture between the two was embroiled in controversy, so there's still a feeling of a score to settle within the Liverpool squad.

Here's everything you need to know about the game.

Where to watch Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur

  • United States (Peacock)

Liverpool team news

Klopp issued an update on key players' fitness levels ahead of the clash. "Virgl wasn't the whole week yet, probably part of parts of team training today. So we have to see what we can do there." Diogo Jota has not rejoined the group, but Conor Bradley was involved so keep an eye on the team announcement to see if the youngster steps in to the backline. Van Dijk will be a major miss against a Tottenham squad who can't afford to drop any more points if the Champions League is still a goal.

Tottenham Hotspur team news

Spurs have a list of absentees: Ben Davies, Timo Werner, Destiny Udogie, Manor Solomon, Fraser Forster and Ryan Sessegnon remain unavailable for Spurs. One player to note is James Maddison who started on the bench after the North London Derby loss. He came on as a substitute against Chelsea, so it'll be interesting to see if Postecoglu puts him back in the starting lineup.

Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur prediction

It's going to be an emotionally charged game. Tottenham is feeling the effects of Champions League qualification all but gone, and Liverpool want revenge for the loss earlier in the season. Not to mention, this is Klopp's second-to-last home game in charge of Liverpool. Nothing else needs to be said about how difficult going to Anfield is regardless.

Liverpool will be up for the game and Tottenham will be too demoralized after the last three losses.

Prediction: Liverpool 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Liverpool, Premier League, SI, Soccer, Tottenham Hotspur
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Aaron Judge's First Career Ejection Elicited a Fiery Response From Anthony Rizzo
4 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Aaron Judge’s First Career Ejection Elicited a Fiery Response From Anthony Rizzo

Aaron Judge was handed an early trip to the clubhouse in the New York Yankees' tilt against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium on Saturday.

With one out in the seventh inning and New York clinging to a 5–3 lead, Judge was called out on strikes by home plate umpire Ryan Blakney. Judge disagreed with the call and said a few words to Blakney as he walked back to the Yankees' dugout. A few seconds later, Blakney threw Judge out of the game.

It was Judge's first career ejection in his 870th MLB game. Per YES Network's Seth Rothman, the moment also marked the first time a Yankees captain was ejected from a game since Don Mattingly on May 13, 1994. Derek Jeter, who was the Yankees' captain from 2003 to '14, was never ejected in his 20-year career.

The Yankees weren't pleased with Blakney's decision. Judge walked back to argue more with Blakney, and he was quickly joined by New York manager Aaron Boone. Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo shouted his opinion from the dugout railing.

As is custom, baseball commentator Jomboy provided fans on social media with some lip reading.

Editor's note: The video below contains profanity.

Trent Grisham replaced Judge in center field to start the top of the eighth inning. The Yankees finished off the 5–3 win to improve to 22–13, good for second place in the AL East.

Aaron Judge, Anthony Rizzo, New York Yankees
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Mavericks' Maxi Kleber Suffered Full Shoulder Dislocation, per Report
4 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Mavericks’ Maxi Kleber Suffered Full Shoulder Dislocation, per Report

Dallas Mavericks big man Maxi Kleber suffered a full shoulder dislocation on Friday night in his team's Game 6 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, according to a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic.

As a result of the injury, Kleber is expected to miss a significant period of time, if not the remainder of the Mavericks' postseason run.

Kleber suffered the injury on a drive to the basket in the second quarter when he was fouled by Clippers wing Amir Coffey and landed with all his weight on his shoulder.

The injury is significant to Dallas' frontcourt, and is devastating for Kleber, who was really coming into his own this postseason off the Mavericks' bench. Kleber averaged 5.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 19.3 minutes per game off the bench in the team's first-round series.

Kleber will certainly be missed moving forward, as the Mavericks attempt to navigate their upcoming series with Oklahoma City without one of their key frontcourt players.

Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, Maxi Kleber, Oklahoma City Thunder
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Phillies' Trea Turner Expects to Be Out Six Weeks With Hamstring Strain
4 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Phillies’ Trea Turner Expects to Be Out Six Weeks With Hamstring Strain

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a left hamstring strain, but he'll likely be out much longer than that.

Turner told reporters in Philadelphia that he expects to be out for about six weeks.

If that projected timeline holds up, Turner would miss around 30 games and be able to return sometime around June 15.

Turner picked up the injury in the fourth inning of the Phillies' 4–3 win over the San Francisco Giants on Friday night. After a pitch glanced off Giants catcher Tom Murphy's glove, Turner showed off his incredible speed by scoring from second base on a passed ball. But he told reporters that he felt something in his left hamstring a few steps before crossing home plate.

Turner was replaced at shortstop by Edmundo Sosa in the top of the fifth.

It will be tough sledding for the Phillies (22–11) without Turner in the lineup. The 30-year-old is batting .343/.392/.460 with 10 doubles and 10 stolen bases in 33 games this season.

To take Turner's place on the 26-man roster, the Phillies recalled infielder Kody Clemens from the Triple A Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

MLB, Philadelphia Phillies, Trea Turner
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Twins Closer Jhoan Duran Might Have the Best Entrance in MLB
4 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Twins Closer Jhoan Duran Might Have the Best Entrance in MLB

Minnesota Twins flamethrower Jhoan Duran's iconic ninth-inning entrance made its season debut Friday night at Target Field.

Duran, who missed the first month of the 2024 campaign with an oblique injury, had his first opportunity to earn a save at home in the Twins' 5–2 win over the Boston Red Sox.

After Duran threw his final warm-up pitch in the bullpen, the lights at Target Field turned off. Fans in attendance turned on their cell phone lights as flames engulfed every jumbotron and screen at the ballpark. Duran trotted in toward the mound as a club-style song—mixed just for this entrance—blared over the speakers.

Chills.

Here's a clip of Duran's entrance:

The entrance song's special formula? A few dongs from The Undertaker's theme song that fades into lyrics from Pitbull and Daddy Yankee's "Hot" mixed with the beat from "El Incomprendido" by Farruko.

Duran didn't disappoint in his outing either, striking out two hitters in a perfect 1-2-3 inning to secure the win and his second save of the season. He threw six pitches over 100 mph and topped out at 102.7 mph—velocity that lives up to his electric entrance.

There are a few goosebump-enducing closer entrances around baseball these days. The New York Mets started this trend with Edwin Diaz walking out to "Narco" by Timmy Trumpet. The San Francisco Giants also unveiled a new entrance for closer Camilo Doval this season.

If Duran's entrance isn't the best in baseball, it's certainly up there.

The Twins and Red Sox will continue their three-game weekend series on Saturday at Target Field.

Jhoan Duran, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets
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