An opposing fan had a hilarious way of trolling the U.S. women’s basketball team at the Summer Olympics in Paris on Monday.
Prior to tip-off of Team USA’s game against Japan, Kerith Burke of NBC Sports Bay Area shared a video that showed a fan of the Japanese women’s team holding a sign that read, “You need Caitlin Clark to beat us.”
While the sign was hilarious, the message turned out to be false. The U.S. cruised to an easy 102-76 win in their first game of the group stage.
Team USA has faced a lot of criticism for leaving Clark off the roster in Paris. Many people feel that the former Iowa star did not make the team because some of her WNBA peers have been jealous of all the attention she has received this season.
South Carolina head coach head coach Dawn Staley, who was on the selection committee for the team, said that is not the case but made a crazy claim about why Clark was snubbed.
The U.S. women’s basketball team has won seven straight Olympic gold medals and not lost a game since 1992, so they probably don’t need Clark for anything. That does not make the snub any less petty.
This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.
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Novak Djokovic could be heard saying “sorry” to Matthew Ebden after he routed the Australian, 6-0, 6-1, in the first round of the 2024 Paris Olympics singles draw on Saturday. The Serb knew that Ebden — a 36-year-old doubles player who hadn’t competed in a main draw singles match since June 2022 — did not belong on the court with him.
To put things in perspective, the Aussie hadn’t even cracked the ATP singles ranking since he was ranked No. 970 in May 2023, and had not practiced for a singles match in about two years until he arrived in Paris for the Games. Ebden was picked as the last-second opponent for Djokovic after Denmark’s Holger Rune pulled out with a wrist injury. According to IOC rules, a doubles specialist can fill in for the singles draw in the event of an injury. As such, other eligible singles players not in the draw could not take Rune’s place. The odd rule left Djokovic perplexed after the game. “I really don’t understand the rules.
They’re really not logical for me,” said the 24-time major winner, via the Associated Press. “I don’t think it’s a good image for the sport, to be honest. There were a lot of singles players that have plenty of time, that were alternates, that could have been called to come. This part I don’t get.” World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz — who defeated Lebanon’s Hady Habib in the first round — also called for the IOC to revisit the rules of the singles draw.
“It’s a difficult rule, I guess. Honestly, there are a lot of players who deserve to be here and playing here in the Olympic Games. I think it should be different, because the next singles player (in the rankings) deserves to be here if someone withdraws from the tournament,” Alcaraz said. Aside from Ebden, two other doubles specialists have also been asked to participate in the Paris Olympics singles draw as last-second injury replacements. While Djokovic will renew his longtime rivalry with Rafael Nadal in the second round on Tuesday, Alcaraz will face Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor. Djokovic is trying to win his first Olympic medal after he withdrew from the 2020 Tokyo Games due to a shoulder injury.
Per multiple reports, veteran Chicago Bears offensive lineman Nate Davis missed practice at training camp on Monday morning. The offensive lineman missed voluntary OTAs this spring and did not participate during some of the team’s mandatory minicamp this offseason. The Bears gave an update on where Davis stands on the roster after missing practice.
Matt Eberflus sent a clear warning As previously discussed on CCS, Davis was pulled from practice Saturday after he felt a strain in his leg. Head coach Matt Eberflus sent Davis a warning about his practice habits: “Availability is everything in this league,” said Eberflus. “So you’ve got to be available to practice and you’ve go to be able to go through hard in terms of doing hard better during training camp. That’s all part of preparing the first part of the season, being able to do that.
To callous yourself, that’s your individual responsibility to the football team and when you’re not out there, guess what? That doesn’t happen.“ Whether Eberflus is sending a warning about this upcoming season or next offseason is unclear. For cap purposes, it makes no sense to cut Davis this season. But it might make sense to cut him before the 2025 season. Nate Davis still has the starting job Eberflus might want to sit Davis, but the lack of depth on the interior offensive line would make such a move tricky.
Per Courtney Cronin with ESPN, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron said on Monday the Bears plan to keep Davis as their starting right guard for the regular season. “Bears OC Shane Waldron says that Nate Davis is the team’s starting right guard when healthy when asked whether there’s a competition at that spot. Ryan Bates has been at right guard the last two practices in place of Davis.” The Chicago Bears don’t have better options Frankly, the Bears don’t have a better option to start at right guard than Davis.
Backup guards Ja’Tyre Carter and Matt Pryor aren’t starting options for the Bears, which is why Bates has practiced in place of Davis. Rookie Kiran Amegadjie could have moved to guard this season, but he’s still sidelined because of an injury from last year. One has to wonder how many of the problems Caleb Williams and the offense are having in training camp are related to the instability of the offensive line. Williams is trying to get the cadence down amid a center battle, while one of those centers is being switched to guard–in his first year learning Waldron’s offense.
The Milwaukee Brewers recently acquired right-hander Frankie Montas from the Cincinnati Reds to help stabilize the rotation, but they shouldn’t stop there. Tuesday’s trade deadline closes at 6 p.m. ET and the Brewers should still be looking to swing at least one more trade to give the club a better chance at a deep postseason run. One insider suggested a decorated starting pitcher will be on the trade block, and the Brewers should jump on the opportunity.
“All signs point to Snell being traded to a contender,” MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand wrote Tuesday morning. “The (Baltimore) Orioles, (Houston) Astros, (New York) Yankees and (San Diego) Padres are among the teams that have been connected to the lefty” Snell has a 5.10 ERA with a 61-to-21 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .221 batting average against and a 1.28 WHIP in 47 2/3 innings across 10 games this season. Although Snell’s numbers aren’t jumping off the page, the southpaw’s ERA shot up early in the season and he has been significantly better as the season progressed.
Since July 9, the two-time Cy Young winner has only allowed two earned runs in four starts. Feinsand mentioned a potential downside to trading for Snell, which is his contract. The 31-year-old is under team control through 2025 but has a player option worth $30 million — and if he doesn’t opt out he’ll leave Milwaukee with a hefty bill next season. The Brewers also would have to pay the prorated amount of his 2024 salary, as the Giants reportedly are reluctant to add money into any trade involving Snell. Milwaukee is not typically one to pay premium salaries but a move to add the reigning National League Cy Young winner could be seen as an exception.
Pirates manager Derek Shelton made his weekly radio appearance on 93.7 FM The Fan in Pittsburgh on Tuesday morning.
The Bucs skipper said he “expects” the team will hang onto Aroldis Chapman beyond Tuesday evening’s trade deadline (relayed on X by The Fan’s Andrew Fillipponi). Chapman is playing on a $10.5M contract. Shelton has called upon him 45 times, usually in high-leverage spots. The hard-throwing lefty carries a 3.63 ERA over 39 2/3 innings. He’s running his typical blend of huge strikeout totals (35.2%) and massive walk rates (19.3%). Chapman isn’t sitting above 100 MPH the way he did at his peak, but his 97.6 MPH average fastball velocity still makes him one of the hardest-throwing southpaws in the sport.
The Bucs go into deadline day with a 54-52 record within two games of the National League’s last wild-card spot. They’re more likely to add MLB talent than subtract, but there’s also been some talk that Pittsburgh could contemplate trading from its big-league pitching staff to acquire offensive help. They changed that move with Monday’s swap of Quinn Priester for second base prospect Nick Yorke, even if Yorke won’t immediately step onto the MLB roster.
Pittsburgh has looked to bolster its lefty relief depth behind Chapman. On Monday night, it acquired Jalen Beeks from the Rockies and is bringing Josh Walker in a DFA trade with the Mets. Walker still has options and can be stashed at Triple-A Indianapolis.