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The Los Angeles Rams’ trade of Marcus Peters on Tuesday was just the precursor to a much bigger move. The Rams are acquiring Jalen Ramsey in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars, ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported on Tuesday night. The Rams are sending the Jags first-round picks in 2020 and 2021 as well as a fourth-round pick in 2021 as part of the deal. After placing Aqib Talib on injured reserve this week and dealing Peters to Baltimore on Tuesday, the Rams are shoring up their secondary by adding perhaps the best cover corner in the league. As for Jacksonville, the Jaguars get the haul of picks they were seeking from the time Ramsey requested a trade. The cornerback got into it with head coach Doug Marrone in Week 2 and then asked for a trade. Over the ensuing weeks, Ramsey complained about a back injury and found other reasons not to be with the Jaguars as they sought a trade. Jaguars owner Shahid Khan did not want to trade him, but with the Rams paying the price they wanted, per...

The St. Louis Cardinals were able to witness another team implode earlier in the playoffs. It was now their turn to return the favor in Game 4 of the NLCS against the Washington Nationals. Facing a 3-0 series hole, St. Louis did everything possible to make sure this would be a clean sweep for a Nationals squad attempting to make its first ever World Series appearance. St. Louis gave up seven runs in the bottom of the first. It included six hits, an error and a walk. Down 2-0 in the first, three Cardinals players let an otherwise harmless Víctor Robles pop up fall. It plated a run and left the bases loaded. From there, Yan Gomes plated two more with a single to make it 5-0. The entire sequence was horrible for St. Louis. Washington was not done. Batting around in the first, Trea Turner drove in the final two runs with a single to left to make it 7-0. This is not the way the Cardinals had hoped Game 4 would start. And really, there’s nothing better the Nationals could have asked for as t...

They aren’t quite replacement officials. However, those zebras on the field early during the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers “Monday Night Football” game could have been mistaken for scabs. With Detroit up 3-0 in the first quarter and facing fourth-and-goal from the Packers’ one, running back Kerryon Johnson seemed to be stopped short of the end zone. At the very least, that’s what one official believed. Hilariously, another ref on the field thought otherwise. It was absolutely grand. It was initially ruled a touchdown. Officials upheld the call on the field. Well, at least the call one of them made. In the end, it proved to be the right call. @AyeyoKEJOpic.twitter.com/z5WUXArYVk— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) October 15, 2019 Or, did it? pic.twitter.com/fyb6SltFk7— Matthew Lounsberry (@mlounsberry3434) October 15, 2019 Mass confusion in Green Bay on “Monday Night Football.” How fun. Get Articles and ICO whitepapers written by Williams Alfred Onen

A veritable cornucopia of heated rivalries headline a loaded college football Week 7 slate of games taking place this weekend. Among them, four ranked-versus-ranked matchups headline the action. It’s going to be a tremendous, and meaningful weekend for many of the nation’s top programs. Looking ahead to the games, these are the storylines we’re keeping an eye on. Can the Canes finally win a big game? The Miami Hurricanes will host No. 20 Virginia Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium. Manny Diaz has just two wins under his belt this year and neither of them came against a top team. Now, he’ll get a chance to hurt a rival and boost his own program if the Canes can bring the heat. A big question mark for Miami is who’s going to start under center. Starter Jarren Williams isn’t throwing at practice as of Tuesday morning, and he’s day-to-day with an “upper extremity injury.” Williams also threw interceptions on three consecutive drives to open the game last weekend. In his stead, N’Kosi Perry ...

After reports earlier today suggested that Melvin Gordon may be ending his holdout and returning to the Chargers soon, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that Gordon will indeed report to the team tomorrow.  Gordon will not play in the team’s matchup against Miami on Sunday, but he will presumably return to action the following week. Gordon needed to return before Week 10 in order to qualify for free agency next season, so he is reporting with plenty of time to spare. However, having missed three weeks of action, he will lose out on roughly $1M of his $5.6M 2019 salary, not to mention potential fines (which the team may opt to rescind). Statistically, Los Angeles’ rushing game has not suffered too much in Gordon’s absence, as Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson have 56 carries for 302 yards (good for 5.4 yards per carry) and two TDs. Ekeler is responsible for both of those scores, and he has also been a contributor in the passing game, adding two receiving touchdowns ...

In March, during his first public interview in the midst of a tumultuous offseason, then-Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown told ESPN's Jeff Darlington, "I don’t even have to play football if I don’t want to, bro. I don’t even need the game. I don’t need to prove nothing to anyone. If they want to play, they're going to play by my rules; if not, I don’t need to play."  Maybe we should have believed him then.  More importantly, maybe the Oakland Raiders, who traded for the talented but troubled wideout a mere six days later, should have too.  Darlington pressed Brown further in that interview, asking, "But you want the game?"   "Obviously I want the game, but I don’t need the game,” Brown said. “It’s a difference. I don’t need to play for no one. I’m happy." "You see this?" he added, gesturing to his home that looked more like a grand palace, glittery and gold all over. "This is paid off, cash. I don’t owe no one. I’m a m...

There are some downright gargantuan games on the college football Week 2 schedule, and plenty more to talk about outside of those games. With the NFL coming back on Thursday night, almost all of the Week 2 games are being crammed into Saturday. It’s going to be glorious, and the best any of us can hope for is that the football gods grant us the gift of utter chaos. These are the top storylines we’ll be focused on as the college football action takes place in Week 2. Chance to pile up stats for top Heisman contenders A few of the top Heisman contenders that wowed in Week 1 have a chance to rack up some impressive stat lines against cupcakes in Week 2. Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor has a date with Central Michigan. Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa will go against New Mexico State (and the spread for this game is patently absurd). Jalen Hurts and the Sooners are hosting South Dakota (but don’t tell him it’s going to be easy). All three of these young men should have huge games this weekend, bolster...

Antonio Brown really seems to be stuck on his helmet issue and unwilling to take “no” for an answer. On Monday, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported that Brown filed another grievance with the NFL over his helmet. Rapoport says Brown is arguing he should have a 1-year grace period to phase out the use of his helmet. The NFL gave players a one-year grace period to phase out the use of old helmets that failed to meet a safety standard in lab testing. That grace period was last season, and players like Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers complained about the new helmets then. Veterans like Brady, Rodgers and Larry Fitzgerald have made the switch to new helmets to comply with safety standards agreed to by the league and players’ association. The helmet Brown wears, Schutt Air XP Advantage, failed in testing and has been discontinued by Schutt. Brown was looking to find a newer helmet of the same model and exploit a loophole in the NFL’s rule, but the NFL changed the rule. That is likely the basis of ...

The Atlanta Falcons lost safety J.J. Wilcox for the entire season on the first day of practice. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Wilcox tore his ACL and is out the rest of 2019. It is a rough blow. Wilcox was slated to have a prominent role in Atlanta’s defense as the third safety this year. His was also not the first major injury suffered by a Falcons defender on Monday, as defensive lineman Michael Bennett broke his ankle and is out for the foreseeable future. Last season, Wilcox split time between Indianapolis and the New York Jets. The 28-year-old veteran signed a one-year deal with Atlanta this past spring. His injury means that the Falcons need to see Damontae Kazee step up again after he stepped in nicely for the injured Ricardo Allen. Get Articles and ICO whitepapers written by Williams Alfred Onen

The Atlanta Falcons lost safety J.J. Wilcox for the entire season on the first day of practice. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Wilcox tore his ACL and is out the rest of 2019. It is a rough blow. Wilcox was slated to have a prominent role in Atlanta’s defense as the third safety this year. His was also not the first major injury suffered by a Falcons defender on Monday, as defensive lineman Michael Bennett broke his ankle and is out for the foreseeable future. Last season, Wilcox split time between Indianapolis and the New York Jets. The 28-year-old veteran signed a one-year deal with Atlanta this past spring. His injury means that the Falcons need to see Damontae Kazee step up again after he stepped in nicely for the injured Ricardo Allen. Get Articles and ICO whitepapers written by Williams Alfred Onen

The Rangers have made a big splash on the back end, announcing that they have acquired defenseman Jacob Trouba from the Jets. Going the other way is defenseman Neal Pionk as well as the 20th overall pick in this week’s draft which had been previously acquired from Winnipeg as part of the Kevin Hayes trade. Trouba is coming off a career year that saw him collect 50 points (8-42-50) while averaging just shy of 23 minutes per game in the regular season.  Despite that, there was an expectation that a trade was likely. The 25-year-old held out back in 2016 and had requested a trade at that time before rescinding his request when he signed in November. Even with that, it was believed that he remained hesitant to commit to them long-term, especially after he opted to go through the arbitration process last summer. It will now be up to Rangers GM Jeff Gorton to get Trouba to commit. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman notes (Twitter link) that Winnipeg did not grant...

The Eagles did not waste much time. They have come to terms on a four-year extension with Carson Wentz, the team announcing the deal. Negotiations commenced for at least a few weeks, and while terms of the deal are not yet known, the 26-year-old quarterback is now committed to the Eagles through the 2024 season. As a 2016 draftee, Wentz only became extension-eligible in January and has dealt with season-ending injuries in each of the past two years. But the Eagles continue to show tremendous faith in their centerpiece player. Wentz no longer has any limitations from the back injury that halted his 2018 season. Torn knee ligaments ended Wentz’s bid to become the likely 2017 MVP, and Nick Foles proceeded to play so well that a statue of he and Doug Pederson now stands outside of Lincoln Financial Field. Foles, whose late-season work keyed another Philadelphia playoff berth, is now in Jacksonville. The Eagles are clearly confident Wentz is their future. He will be 31 when this de...

The St. Louis Blues have evened the Stanley Cup Final with the Boston Bruins. Carl Gunnarsson scored in overtime to give the Blues a 3-2 win over the Bruins in Game 2 of the series, tying things at 1-1. He blasted a slap shot from the point past Tukkaa Rask for the win: The goal was the first of Gunnarsson’s playoff career. It came on a delayed penalty as the Blues alertly had pulled their goalie to get six on the ice. Two players hung out in front of Rask to try and screen him, which appeared to work. The goal was redemption for the defenseman, who hit the post with a shot in the third period. Gunnarsson also had an assist in the game. The win also gives the Blues their first Stanley Cup Final victory in team history. They were swept by the Canadiens twice and the Bruins once in the Cup Final and entered the game 0-13 in the Stanley Cup Final prior to Wednesday’s win. Game 3 will be on Saturday in St. Louis. Get Articles and ICO whitepapers written by Williams Alfred Onen

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr met with the media one day before Game 1 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. Kerr didn’t provide much of an update as it relates to star forward Kevin Durant. The two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP is already out for Game 1 with a calf injury. He has yet to practice with the team. The championship head coach did cover DeMarcus Cousins and his recovery from a torn quad muscle — an injury that happened in Game 2 of the first round against the Los Angeles Clippers. Cousins has been practicing with Golden State over the past few days. But he’s deemed questionable for Game 1. In talking about his All-Star center, it seems like Kerr is ready to get Cousins on the court for the start of the Finals Thursday evening in Toronto. Kerr certainly seemed to tip his hand there. “We have to figure what’s the best way to utilize him.” If Cousins plays, his role will likely be different than what we saw during the regular season. Fellow big man K...

The Houston Rockets are still trying to build a team that can contend with the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference, and they are willing to make some major changes this offseason to accomplish that goal. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Rockets general manager Daryl Morey is showing an “aggressive desire” to improve the team’s roster this summer and has informed rival executives that all players are available in trade talks. As Wojnarowski notes, Morey has not even indicated that James Harden is off-limits, though it seems highly unlikely that he would be traded. Chris Paul signed a four-year, $160 million max contract with the Rockets last offseason, but Morey is apparently open to moving him. One interesting storyline that has emerged out of Houston since the season ended is that there may be some tension between Harden and Paul. While head coach Mike D’Antoni did his best to downplay that, you have to wonder if it’s a factor in Morey’s willingness to make major ros...

Houston Astros star Carlos Correa is expected to miss the next four to six weeks after suffering a fractured rib recently. Prior to the All-Star shortstop's statement Wednesday afternoon, there was no information out there regarding said injury. That’s now changed. The 24-year-old Correa released a statement indicating that he suffered the fracture rib while receiving a massage at his home on Tuesday, via Jake Kaplan of The Athletic: “I’m extremely disappointed about not being on the field with my teammates. I sustained the rib fracture during a massage at my home on Tuesday. To sustain an injury in such an unusual way makes it even more frustrating. However, I will work hard to get back on the field as quickly as possible to help our team achieve our goal of winning another championship.” That’s a strange way to find yourself on the injured list for a substantial period of time. No word yet on what type of massage led to this injury. Correa was hitting .295 with 11 homers, 35 RBI ...

Kawhi Leonard faces an uncertain future following the conclusion of the NBA Finals, but Toronto Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri believes the superstar is focused solely on the Golden State Warriors. “The future conversations I’ve had with Kawhi are about the Golden State Warriors,” Ujiri told reporters Wednesday, per ESPN’s Tim Bontempts . “His focus is on what is is in front of him. That’s his mindset.” There has been no shortage of speculation surrounding what Leonard will do in free agency, which hardly comes as a surprise given his status as one of the top players in the league. This has only been reinforced by his phenomenal postseason. Upon his arrival in Toronto ahead of the season, some signs pointed toward Leonard ultimately signing with the Lakers. It also has been speculated that he may be more likely to end up with L.A.’s other NBA team. Further, a report in April speculated that playing on the West Coast is still an alluring prospect for the L.A. nat...

It’s still early, but all the news coming out of Miami these days points to Ryan Fitzpatrick winning the Dolphins’ starting quarterback job over Josh Rosen. Recently, a report emerged that Fitzpatrick was the best quarterback at OTAs. On Monday, as the Dolphins continued their offseason program, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN shared that Fitzpatrick “continues to get primary run with the starting offense” over Rosen. Rookie head coach Brian Flores has made it clear the Dolphins won’t just hand the job to Rosen, who was acquired for a second-round draft pick in a trade with Arizona during the 2019 NFL Draft. So far, it sounds like the Dolphins feel more confident with the 36-year-old veteran under center than the former UCLA star. For what it’s worth, Fitzpatrick has a penchant for doing just enough to spark hope before he goes YOLO and the interceptions come in bunches. The coming season should be entertaining, at the least, and fans should brace themselves for a quarterback carousel. Get Ar...

Hank Haney is one of the most prominent golf instructors in the world today and is famous for his work coaching Tiger Woods. On Wednesday, he appeared on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio and made some rather disparaging remarks against women’s golf. Host Steve Johnson brought up this week’s U.S. Women’s Open, and that’s when things went downhill. These comments drew scorn around the golf community, and many were of the belief that Haney displayed sexism and/or racism. For the record, the 74th U.S. Women’s Open is being held at the Country Club of Charlston, where Ariya Jutanugarn will attempt to defend her crown and the $5 million purse is a new record for women’s golf. So, while the LPGA is nowhere near as popular as the PGA — especially now with Tiger Woods being “back” — the sport of women’s golf is clearly growing. Get Articles and ICO whitepapers written by Williams Alfred Onen

Albert Almora Jr. wants to see some change in MLB so the incident that occurred on Wednesday doesn't happen again. Almora hit a foul ball during his at-bat in the top of the fourth inning of the Chicago Cubs’ 2-1 win in Houston that struck a young child. Almora was an emotional wreck after hitting the child and struck out in his at-bat. He later cried on the shoulder of a security guard. Almora said after the game: “As soon I hit it, the first person I locked eyes on was (the young girl) … the rest of the at-bat was kind of a blur. I finally came to my senses after the next half-inning. When that half-inning was over, I just couldn’t keep it in any more. “Obviously I want to put a net around the whole stadium.” Almora’s teammate, Kris Bryant, said MLB needs to extend the netting further down lines. All 30 MLB teams took steps prior to the 2018 season to extend the netting around the field to protect against foul balls striking fans. Each team was allowed to decide how much netting ...