Astute NFL fans already knew which opponents their team would play in 2024, but thanks to Wednesday’s schedule release, we know the order — more to the point, the all-important times and broadcast information.The league’s national TV lineup turns out to be a mix of stinkers and legitimately entertaining games. Recently, it’s been more of the smelly stuff on Thursday nights in particular.The Baltimore-Kansas City season opener is a rematch of the AFC Championship Game, but you don’t need us to tell you that will be appointment viewing. Here are three other picks for 2024 primetime games we will drop everything to watch.Week 1, Monday Night Football: New York Jets at San Francisco 49ersThe Jets opening the season on Monday night for the second year running caused ESPN’s Mike Gree…

It is not very English to win semifinals at major tournaments. Glorious defeat is kind of their thing, and has been for decades. It is even less English to fustigate an opponent at that stage. And it is not English at all to do it with a swagger and panache that goes beyond taking the largest amount of piss possible out of whomever you’re playing. Alessia Russo didn’t much care for what’s English and what isn’t, as she put the sword to Sweden like this yesterday in the W Euro 2022 semi (won by England, 4-0): That would be the definition of cheeky, and not something seen out of any England player…well, ever. And it wasn’t an odd moment, as it was far more exemplary of the swashbuckling nature that England played with yesterday and for most of this tourney. Sweden was the h…

Oh, anonymous sources … you've done it again. Those crazy "web logs" have reported that at least six football players failed pre-draft drug tests, which the players naturally deny. So whose pants are on fire? At different times last week, NFLDraftbible.com—your source for draft bibles!—reported that Raji, UTEP kicker Jose Martinez, Florida wide receiver Percy Harvin and Illinois cornerback Vontae Davis all tested positive for marijuana. They also said that USC linebackers Clay Matthews Jr. and Brian Cushing had failed tests for steroids. Various representatives for most of the players have denied those rumors. In fact, the agents for Raji (who also work for Matthews) were quite adamant about it, offering a very lengthy and detailed rebuttal. "Last Thursday, at …

By now you are entirely on board with Iceland, the most surprising, most exciting, most likable team at the European Championship. More Jörmungandr than minnow, Iceland is still undefeated and has now dispatched Austria and England in consecutive matches. After each win, the team has celebrated with the massive Icelandic contingent on hand with a clap-chant, led by captain Aron Gunnarsson: That’s fantastic. It’s hard to see our large Nordic sons keeping the magic going in their quarterfinal date with host France, but the entire world is rooting for them—and win or lose, this is the nation’s greatest accomplishment since the Prose Edda. …

Notable notes: Kentucky was locked out. Something called "La Salle" made it in and Gonzaga is a No. 1 seed. Madness! [ CBS] Relatedfootball online betting sitesbetting sites for nflcollege football prop betsbets on nbabetting on mlb gameslegal nhl betting sitesbest online ufc betting sitessoccer sportsbookscopa america sportsbook…

It has to be weird to be a member of the Raiders right now. Your team is moving to Las Vegas but not until 2019, which means there are a couple of seasons to come in the Oakland Coliseum. Older Raiders fans have dealt with a relocation of the team before, but in many ways this second relocation is more depressing than the first one. Fans were too bummed to even protest the move, and players still have to answer questions about it, which means they have to toe the company line and try not to anger the fans you’ll play in front of in Oakland. It’s a question reporters would ask, and one a Raider would want to dance around. But while center Rodney Hudson (“We’re just trying to focus on right now”) and defensive end Khalil Mack (“[it] feels weird now”) were diplomatic, Derek…

data-mm-id=”_tajbrnb7k”>Rutgers has brought little to the table since joining the Big Ten in basketball, though significantly more than the painful football program has produced. The Scarlet Knights posted a 16-76 conference record over the past five years, eclipsing three wins only once — last season, when they put together a somewhat respectable 7-13 mark. But folks, the times are a-changing. Steve Pikiell has his side in top form. Last night they took down 20th-ranked Penn State, 72-61, to move to 12-3. The Scarlet Knights have won six straight and are 3-1 in the Big Ten, second behind Michigan State. That stretch included a 20-point win over in-state rival Seton Hall.Rutgers is the only unranked team in the country to have two double-digit victories over ranked opponents on its le…

data-mm-id=”_jgmyq1bgc”>Mike Francesa is clearly not a fan of his work being publicized on Twitter. On Thursday, Francesa announced he was tired of people using clips from his show online, so the long-time radio host declared no one could post any of his audio or video on Twitter without his permission. That may mean bad news for the "Funhouse" Twitter account (@BackAfterThis) which posts a lot of clips from Francesa's show. Francesa was upset that his rant about Donald Trump wound up getting 2.4 million views on the Funhouse account and wants it shut down.Francesa may have just shutdown @BackAftaThis by saying no one can repurpose any of his audio or video without the express written consent from FAN.— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) April 2, 2020Francesa said 2.4 m…

data-mm-id=”_o5ryvck0x”>Each NBA player stuck in Orlando for at least the next four weeks will have to find ways to entertain themselves in the vast amount of downtime they're going to have between practices and games. Like any organization, the NBA has a very wide range of personalities and interests when it comes to its employees. Some like golf. Others, fishing. Plenty will just be playing video games whenever they don't have basketball responsibilities to tend to. Steven Adams is playing virtual chess. He beat the computer opponent for the first time on Friday and tweeted about it.First Légal mate for the lads! #EZGEGE pic.twitter.com/JaiirQcYSo— Steven Adams (@RealStevenAdams) July 17, 2020 He apparently really wanted to spread the good news, because he then responded…

data-mm-id=”_fgb3e38xk”>James Harden wants out of Houston and is demanding a trade to the Brooklyn Nets. Adrian Wojnarowski dropped a classic Woj Bomb on Monday revealing Harden had turned down an extension that would have made him the first $50 million a year player in NBA history and is attempting to force a trade to the Nets.Sources: After turning down an extension offer to become the first $50M a year player in league history, James Harden’s message to Houston is clear: Get me to Brooklyn. Rockets and Nets have been in contact, but there’s been no meaningful dialogue. https://t.co/qwJOQOxz5U— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 17, 2020Harden has reportedly made it clear to the Rockets that he only wants to play for the Nets. His desire to join Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irvin…