There’s a troll in the comments section who hates whenever we share Bryce Harper highlights. He thinks we have a hard-on for Harper.
This one is for him:
We're not sure this one has landed yet.
BRYCE HARPER TWO HOMER GAME pic.twitter.com/XfWsqmY6GB
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) March 21, 2019
That’s two home runs in one game for Bryce. The Phils hit six dingers in a 13-6 win this afternoon, which included a pair of three-run shots from Andrew Knapp and J.T. Realmuto in the 4th inning.
We’re one week away from the Phils’ home opener and the boys are looking good.
Let’s play ball!
It was only a matter of time before this dollar amount was made public.
The Wall Street Journal says Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid settled their collusion case with the National Football League for fewer than $10 million:
NFL paid under $10 million to settle Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid's grievance that claimed the players were blackballed over anthem protests https://t.co/X96j5ahs0Q
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) March 21, 2019
This is very little money, which will be shared by the two players and also account for legal fees, according to the story. ESPN points out that Kaepernicks 2016 base salary alone was $12 million dollars, while Reid recently signed a three year deal worth $22 million.
Some people saw the settlement as a victory for Reid and Kap, the idea that the NFL caved and coughed up the hush money. My take was that the players should have kept their collusion lawsuit alive instead of taking the money, assuming they felt like their case was sound. I think beating the NFL in court would have been more significant for Kaepernick than settling outside of court.
Either way, $10 million is pocket change and brings a very quiet end to one of the most divisive sports stories of the last 25 years.
That is, of course, assuming the Wall Street Journal report is accurate.
Sports Betting Updates
It was just a matter of time. Bryce Harper knocked his first base-hit of the spring yesterday. Today, he did this:
We interrupt your March Madness viewing to bring you:
A BRYCE HARPER HOME RUN pic.twitter.com/xI4kR3Vmq8
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) March 21, 2019
That’s what we, in the biz, call a pissrod.
Now, I don’t want to make too much of a single spring training home run, but you should probably get used to seeing swings like that one. Say, like, 40 times this season.
Update: He went ahead and did it again. This one was of the majestic blast variety.
We're not sure this one has landed yet.
BRYCE HARPER TWO HOMER GAME pic.twitter.com/XfWsqmY6GB
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) March 21, 2019
You can now go back to watching your bracket crumble.
After Zion Williamson’s impressive return to Duke’s lineup last weekend, the Blue Devils blazed their way through the ACC Tournament and earned the NCAA Tournament’s No. 1 overall seed in the process. Williamson, for his part, erased any doubts about his post-injury effectiveness by averaging 27 points and 10 rebounds per game over the three-game stretch. In the process, he became the first player in ACC history to win the conference’s Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Tournament MVP honors. He’s…pretty good:
watching this Zion Williamson steal and dunk on repeat forever
🎥 @CBSSports pic.twitter.com/w7qsk99BPJ
— SB Nation (@SBNation) March 16, 2019
Stacked with three potential lottery picks in Williamson, R.J. Barrett, and Cam Reddish, Duke looks poised to make a championship run. Consider the following:
- Duke is 26-2 when Williamson averages normal minutes.
- The Blue Devils were 5-1 against teams that reached its conference tournament this season.
- Tre Jones is on fire. He scored 44 points, had 18 assists, and was on the floor for all but 16 seconds of the ACC Tournament. He’s not as heralded as some of his fellow teammates, but he’s playing at a high level at the right time.
- Plus, killers kill.
"Killer's kill, Killer's Kill" -Zion Williamson 😱😱😱😱 pic.twitter.com/oY96e7yKBe
— SportsTalkOnly (@SportsTaIkOnly) March 17, 2019
Might as well cancel the tournament. We have a winner, right?
Not so fast. Consider the following before backing Duke in your March Madness betting.
Despite Duke’s pedigree and strong finish in the wake of Williamson’s return, there’s plenty of reasons Duke could fall flat on its face in this tournament. How? Here three reasons and change why Duke will not win the NCAA Tournament.
Also, for those of you in New Jersey looking to bet against the Blue Devils, here’s our list of the best NJ sportsbooks for March Madness:
“Philly guy” Mike Trout officially signed a 12-year contract with the Angels worth more than $400 million.
Not bad!
The Millville native and noted Eagles fan was quoted in a statement released by Anaheim, which reads as such:
“This is where I wanted to be all along. I have enjoyed my time as an Angel and look forward to representing the organization, my teammates and our fans for years to come. I want to thank Arte and Carole Moreno for their efforts. Their leadership and commitment to winning played a key role in my decision. Thanks also to my teammates, coaches, John Carpino, Billy Eppler and his Baseball Operations staff, the entire front office and Angels fans for all their support. It has made a tremendous difference not only for me, but for my family as well!”
Mike Trout is just so Philly, isn’t he? He’s so Philly that he decided to remain in Orange County with the Real Housewives instead of eventually teaming up with Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins to win games in front of a hard-working, blue collar fanbase.
Seriously though, I don’t blame him. I’d play out my career in sunny Southern California for that kind of cash, without ever having to face the pressure and scrutiny that returning to Philly would have resulted in. I do think saying that “this is where I wanted to be all along” is a little strange, but whatever.
Trout will speak at a 3 p.m. press conference on Sunday.
We’re getting the band back together!
The Birds are reportedly close to signing Vinny Curry:
The Eagles are nearing a deal with defensive end Vinny Curry, according to a league source.
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) March 21, 2019
Others are confirming Zach’s report. It’s apparently a one-year deal.
Curry was recently cut by Tampa Bay, just one season into a three-year, $23 million dollar deal he signed after leaving the Birds as a cap casualty following the Super Bowl win. Vinny is a 4-3 guy and the Bucs are switching to a 3-4 under new defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, who was brought in by new head coach Bruce Arians.
Vinny will turn 31 by the start of training camp. He played 12 games this year, logging 2.5 sacks, 21 tackles, and 7 QB hits. He amassed 18 sacks, 56 quarterback hits, and more than 80 tackles in the four prior years with the Eagles. With the return of Derek Barnett and extension of Brandon Graham, I’d assume Curry comes back as the third defensive end and that Chris Long perhaps leaves the Birds.
Here’s Curry on Instagram:
Today’s the day y’all.
Come watch the first full day of the NCAA Tournament with us at the Tap Room and Grill, located at 427 West Crystal Lake Ave in Haddonfield, New Jersey.
We’ve teamed up with PointsBet. New Jersey’s newest sports betting app, for an all-day watch party.
Here are the details:
- Show up to Tap Room and Grill anytime between 12 p.m. and 8 p.m. today and tell them you’re there for the Crossing Broad game watch.
- Sign up for and download the PointsBet NJ app by visiting the link we provide you when you walk in. This is a must.
- Order whatever you would like.
- Watch basketball.
- Show us that you have made at least a $5 deposit and placed a bet for the day’s action in the PointsBet app.
- We hand you a $50 gift card to Tap Room and Grill which you can use toward your bill.
When you walk in, you’ll be handed a card with a web address crossingbroad.com/XXXXX. Visit the page, sign up with PointsBet, show us that you’re using our promo code to bet, and you get the gift card. That’s it. No strings. Just food, fun, beer* and basketball. You must be a new PointsBet user at the time of sign up at the event to be eligible for the gift card.
*There will be a 2 alcoholic drink maximum per person that you can put on the gift card.
See ya there.
sincerely,
-Kinker
UMBC made history last season when it knocked off Virginia to become the NCAA Tournament’s first No. 16 seed to win a game. The Retrievers didn’t just survive the Cavaliers, they obliterated them on the way to a 74-54 blowout victory. Moving forward, UMBC’s upset win raises some interesting questions. Is the chasm between the game’s elite and its lower-tier programs shrinking? Was that night of never-before-seen chaos in Charlotte a sign of things to come? More specifically, could we see a No. 16 seed pull another unthinkable upset this year?
The answer, in a word, is no. Here’s three things to know before locking in your pools or doing any March Madness betting. For those of you in New Jersey, here’s our list of the best NJ sportsbooks for March Madness.
