Blog: SportsBlog

Entries for June, 2016

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Four Rebels, Two Bulldogs Will Be at U.S. Track and Field Trials

The U.S. Olympic Trials for Track and Field start this Friday in Eugene, Ore. at Hayward Field. In each event the top three finishers will make the U.S. squad for Rio. Athletes either professional or collegiate who meet qualifying standards for the U.S. trials will take part in the event. ...

Simone Biles is the Must Watch U.S. Star in Rio

Four years ago in London, gymnast Gabby Douglas became a household name when she became the first African American woman to win the gold medal in the individual all-around competition. She won a gold medal in the team competition when the United States won the women’s artistic all-around. Flash forward ...

Summitt And Ryan Pass on the Same Day

The sports world suffered two losses early on June 28 with the passing of legendary basketball coach Pat Summitt and defensive mastermind Buddy Ryan. Summitt was the major factor in the growth of women’s basketball and Ryan built, arguably, the greatest defense in NFL history. After suddenly being thrust into ...

Saints Secondary Hit With Injuries Before Training Camp

If the New Orleans Saints are going to fix a historically bad defense, they will need to stay healthy. That was one of the many reasons the Saints struggled in pass defense last season. New Orleans saw safety Jairus Byrd, cornerback Damian Swann, cornerback Keenan Lewis, cornerback P.J. Williams and ...

Plenty of Underdogs to Root for in Euro’s Knockout stage

It is a tale of two vastly different brackets in the UEFA Euro 2016 knockout stage. One side is stacked with historic European soccer powers, and the other side has a mix of powers who haven’t broken through and upstart teams. The bottom half of the bracket features teams that ...

Mississippi Players in the CFL

If you are missing football and wishing for NFL training camps to open, there is something you can do for your football fix. The Canadian Football League will be on ESPN networks the next three nights. Two of those three games feature players with ties to Mississippi. Tonight, June 23, ...

Watermelon Classic Turns 20 Years Old

The Farm Bureau Watermelon Classic has become a Fourth of July tradition. For the last 20 years, Jacksonians have spent their mornings running the 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) race before setting off fireworks and lighting the grill. There have been as many as 1,800 runners in past events, and this year, race ...

ESPN Doc on O.J. Worth Watching

Anytime there is a new ESPN “30 for 30” documentary, it is normally worth taking time to watch. But the latest entry, a five-part, almost-eight-hour-long series called “O.J.: Made In America” from director Ezra Edelman, might be the best documentary the network has done. If you haven’t watched “O.J.: Made ...

Cavs' Win Cements LeBron's Legacy

The city of Cleveland had endured 52 years of sport agony. Sports defeats so gut-punching that they were given names, so most sports fans could recognize the moment of disappointment. Red Right 88 was the play call that ended the Cleveland Browns' 1980-'81 season with an interception from the Oakland ...

Russian Track and Field Team Banned From Rio

The International Association of Athletics Federations announced today that the Russian track and field team will be banned from the Rio Olympics, which is a historic move from the organization and might finally turn the tide against doping. The IAAF voted unanimously to ban the Russian team, but individual athletes ...

Deuce McAllister Joins Saints Radio Team

The New Orleans Saints have had several popular players through the years. You could name ones such as Drew Brees, Archie Manning, Rickey Jackson, Pat Swilling, Sam Mills and a few others. But no Saints fan would forget about Dulymus McAllister, better known as Deuce, one of the Saints' all-time ...

TNT, ESPN Bring Sager to NBA Finals

Draymond Green’s suspension from game five of the NBA Finals not only helped the Cleveland Cavaliers extend the series, but it will also bring some extreme color to game six. In a deal between Turner Sports and ESPN, TNT sideline reporter Craig Sager will work the sidelines on the NBA ...

Mississippians in the 2016 MLB Draft

Major League Baseball held its annual draft last Thursday through Saturday. Teams can select players from high school after graduation or four-year colleges after they have completed their junior season or are 21 years old. Teams can draft junior- and community-college players at anytime, so long as they’re residents of ...

MSU Gets Swept in Super Regionals

Mississippi State University saw its historic baseball season come to a close on Saturday night in a 6-5 loss to the University of Arizona in 11 innings. The Bulldogs won the SEC regular season championship and was named a national seed for the first time in school history. MSU had ...

Rebs and Dogs Win National Titles at 2016 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

The field part of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships has been good so far to Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi. Both teams are bringing back at least one national championship. Curtis Thompson of MSU won the men’s NCAA javelin title and Raven Saunders of UM ...

NCAA Baseball Regionals by the Numbers

Before the Super Regionals begin in the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament, let’s take a look back at the regionals played last weekend. Those were played out to trim the field down from 64 teams to the current 16 teams. When the field was announced, the Atlantic Coast Conference and ...

Former Saint Sues 'Biggest Loser'

A big man is suing NBC’s hit reality weight-loss show, "Biggest Loser." Former New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Brown player LeCharles Bentley is taking the show to court over alleged trademark infringement. TMZ was the first to report on the lawsuit. Bentley alleges that the new logo for the Biggest ...

College Football is Just Around the Corner

Can you believe that college football is less than three months away? While there are still some great sporting events this summer, such as the Rio Olympics, it is never too early to begin your plan to consume the opening five days of college football. Some great games will open ...

USA Faces Tough Test in Group Stage of Copa América Centenario

If you didn’t know, the Copa América Centenario started last week. Here is a brief history of the tournament and some background on why this Copa América is so special. This is the first time in the history of the Copa América that it has taken place outside of South ...

Bulldogs Advance, Rebels and Golden Eagles Fall

Three teams from our state made regionals in the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament. Two of those teams, Mississippi State University and University of Mississippi, hosted regionals, and the University of Southern Mississippi traveled to the Tallahassee Regional. By early Sunday afternoon, just one team was left standing. MSU lives ...

LeBron James Legacy Will Nearly Be Made in These NBA Finals

Legacy. It is a word that is thrown around a ton these days. But most of the time, it is thrown around too much and at the wrong times. LeBron James’ legacy has been discussed a lot over the years. But at age 31, we are finally getting to the ...

Prescott Signs Rookie Deal

It’s official. Former Mississippi State University quarterback Dak Prescott is now a Dallas Cowboy. Prescott signed his rookie deal on Tuesday, along with fellow fourth-rounder Charles Tapper. That leaves the Cowboys with one unsigned draft pick. Prescott received a $383,393 signing bonus as part of his four-year deal. His base ...

Hugh Freeze Defends Program

Anyone who keeps close tabs on the NFL knows that on Friday afternoons it's worth paying attention to press releases. The league has become masterful at dropping news late on Friday afternoons when most people have turned their attention to the weekend. The University of Mississippi used a similar approach ...

Bulldogs, Rebels, Eagles Make NCAA Baseball Regionals

Mississippi State University (41-16-1) was one of the four SEC teams to earn one of the eight national seeds when the NCAA announced the field of 64 teams. This is the first time the team has been a national seed. The Bulldogs are the No. 6 seed with fellow SEC ...