Free Republic

Jim Harbaugh’s Legacy Tainted by Mounting NCAA Violations. ‘How Many Level 1 Violations at 1 School Do You Need?’ NCAA President Charlie Baker said, according to an article from ESPN, “At the end of the day, no one believes at this point that Michigan didn't win the national title fair and square.”

Golden State Warriors guard Buddy Hield was not entertained when he visited the Colosseum in Rome. Hield was at an NBA Summer League game to watch the young players on the Warriors’ roster take on the Utah Jazz on Sunday night. The Warriors won the game 103-93, but it was Hield’s comments on his trip to Italy that caught the attention of the internet. "I was a little disappointed when I went to the Colosseum because I watched ‘Gladiator’ and I thought Maximus was a real warrior," he explained on the ESPN broadcast. "So, I’m going into the Colosseum screaming,...

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith warned on Monday that Democrats will be electorally doomed if they embrace the politics of presumptive Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani of New York City. Mamdani is a democratic socialist and has pushed for a slew of left-wing policies during his campaign, such as city-run grocery stores, a $30 minimum wage, free buses and free childcare. Smith, on “The Stephen A. Smith Show,” argued that socialism conflicts with America’s capitalistic values and that socialists would not generally be viable candidates. “Ladies and gentlemen, let me be very, very clear: If the Democratic Party becomes the likes...

ESPN star Stephen A. Smith suggested on Wednesday that Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark was responsible for some of the resentment toward her in the WNBA. Smith and "First Take" panelists Monica McNutt and Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo broke down the skirmishes between Fever and Connecticut Sun players. Clark was on the receiving end of an eye poke from Sun guard Jacy Sheldon and was then bumped to the floor by Marina Mabrey. Clark and Sun players were talking trash throughout the game as tensions began to rise early and eventually boil over. Fever guard Sophie Cunningham also got into...

ESPN sportstalker Stephen A. Smith continues to delve into political discussions, this time addressing himself to California’s left-wing Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom with the warning that the riots in L.A. will likely sink the governor’s 2028 presidential ambitions. In fact, on Monday, Smith said he thinks these insurrectionist riots are just “the latest derailment for the Democratic Party,” Fox News reported. California’s governor is long known to harbor illusions of becoming president. He has been circling a run for the White House at least since 2018. But to date, he has shied away from pulling the trigger and throwing his...

ESPN has built a culture of racism at the network, leading its personalities to become some of the most toxic in all of media. The latest example of this comes from the latest Caitlin Clark nontroversy. In her first game of the season, Clark fouled Angel Reese, who flopped and then tried to start a confrontation. Clark was given a flagrant foul mostly due to Reese’s overreaction, as the foul was a typical foul you would see in any basketball game. Former ESPN personality Robert Griffin III said in the aftermath that Reese “hates” Clark, which is not a crazy...

Even the most powerful figures in the NFL were unable to stop the tush push. A proposed ban of the tush push play that the Philadelphia Eagles have popularized did not receive enough votes at the spring meeting Wednesday in Eagan, Minnesota. Before the vote, retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce and team owner Jeffrey Lurie spoke to the owners to lobby for the merits of keeping the play. Sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter that the final vote was 22-10 on the proposal, which was submitted by the Green Bay Packers. The proposal needed 24 votes to pass. Among the...

Their wallets were in a Disney World of hurt. A Florida father left online viewers speechless after revealing that he paid nearly $1,400 to take his family of five to Disney World for just one day. A video detailing the exorbitant price tag has amassed over 7.7 million views on X. “Here’s what a day at Disney cost me for a family of five,” explained the unnamed patriarch, who documented the price of tickets, parking, meals and snacks, along with items at the souvenir shops. Before even embarking on the money-hemorrhaging adventure, the dad reportedly shelled out $30 for all-day...

Almost no one sues Disney and wins. That is, until now. Actress Gina Carano has joined former ESPN host Sage Steele in winning a major victory against the media company after a discovery motion has been granted in the former “Mandalorian” star’s wrongful termination suit. According to Glenn Beck, Walt Disney created “the nastiest attorney firm in the history of the world.” “I don’t think there’s any corporation that is more nasty than the Disney Corporation,” he explains on “The Glenn Beck Program,” adding, “The last time I saw somebody win was Sage Steele. That’s two women that have beaten...

Speaking at the National Association of Broadcasters Monday, the ESPN host said people have been pressing him about getting into politics.Stephen A. Smith isn’t jumping into politics just yet—but he’s not ruling it out either. While speaking at the National Association of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas, the outspoken ESPN star said he’s starting to take the idea of running for president in 2028 a bit more seriously. “I’ve got a good life. I don’t want to be a politician,” he said. “But I won’t close the door.” According to Smith, people have been pressing him more and more about...

Hear me on this: Stephen A. Smith is no joke. Democrats, do not underestimate him. Do not mock him. Do not take him lightly. Do not ignore him. Do I think the face of ESPN (who, according to multiple sources, just inked a five-year, $100-million contract extension) and the most influential man in sports media is going to run for president on your ticket? No, I do not. But he’s not wrong when he boasts that he could wipe the floor in a debate with just about any other prospective Democratic candidate (Pete Buttigieg and New York’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez being...

It appears Major League Baseball will be off ESPN’s airwaves after the 2025 season. The two sides “mutually agreed” to cut their national television deal short after this year, according to a memo from MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, via The Athletic. Manfred has “not been pleased with the minimal coverage that MLB has received on ESPN’s platforms over the past several years outside of the actual live game coverage,” according to the memo. The league and network had a March 1 deadline to opt out on a deal that would’ve extended their partnership through the 2028 season. ESPN will continue...

ESPN host Stephen A. Smtih’s latest foray into politics has upset veteran politico James Carville. On his podcast, Politicon, Carville addressed Smith’s recent ruminations about a 2028 run for the Democrat nomination. “If you’re the Democrats, that’s why Stephen A. Smith is in the news,” Smith said recently on The Stephen A. Smith Show, “because y’all don’t have anybody. You don’t have anybody. Who you got? Who you got? Kamala Harris better not run. She better not run.” Carville noted Smith’s prowess when it came to sports. But, he took a decidedly different tone when it came to the ESPN...

Serena Williams made a surprise cameo during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX halftime show, as she was spotted dancing during the performance of "Not Like Us." Making an appearance for that song sparked some debate on social media, especially considering Lamar’s song is a diss track toward the rapper Drake, whom Williams dated in 2011. Many believed it was no coincidence Williams’ time to shine was during this track, and ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith thinks the same. It’s why, during his Monday edition of "First Take," he told his colleagues he would divorce her if he was her husband....

Depending on your spiritual bent, you may have been either thrilled or turned off by University of Connecticut women’s basketball star Paige Bueckers talking about her Christian faith in post-game interviews on her way to the semi-finals of the NCAA tournament. “I’m a living testimony. I give all glory to God, “she told ESPN. “He works in mysterious ways. Last year [after injury], I was praying to be back at this stage.

ESPN host Stephen A. Smith admitted that he and others who voted for Kamala Harris in November's election feel like "d--- fools," during an appearance on Real Time With Bill Maher on Friday. Smith made this declaration when discussing comparisons between Harris' campaign and Barack Obama's campaign in 2008. The sports pundit argued that the fact that Harris was not nominated via a legitimate primary, and the fact that she performed so poorly during her short stint in the 2020 Democratic primary, made her undesirable to voters. Harris dropped out of the 2020 primary in 2019, before even reaching the...

Stephen A. Smith is dunking on his own party. The ESPN star shocked “Real Time” audiences Friday night by eviscerating Democrats and praising President Donald Trump during a discussion with Bill Maher. Smith, 57, who voted for Kamala Harris in the November election, conceded that Democrats appeared uninterested in the concerns of a majority of voters, saying they instead focused on “issues that pertain to less than 1% of the population.” “The man was impeached twice, he was convicted on 34 felony counts,” Smith began. “And the American people still said ‘He’s closer to normal than what we’re seeing on...

Marcus Freeman kicked woke sports talk in the a** with a postgame speech for the ages. Notre Dame's win on Thursday night against Penn St. featured several incredible moments. But Freeman stole the spotlight after the game, giving a sharp response to what sounded like a pointed question by ESPN. ESPN has been known to make some out-of-touch commentary and nudge folks into discussing race during interviews. It's a bold direction for the sports network. Interviewing Marcus Freeman after the win, ESPN reporter Molly McGrath asked the Fighting Irish coach to give his thoughts on becoming the first African-American coach...

ESPN has been taking heat on social media for skipping a moment of silence during the Sugar Bowl broadcast, which was held in honor of the victims of the terror attack in New Orleans this week...The attack occurred on New Year's Day when 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar drove a pickup truck through a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street, killing 14 people while injuring another 35 more. As a result, organizers decided to postpone the beloved Allstate Sugar Bowl held in New Orleans until Thursday to show respect and ensure proper security. According to the Daily Mail, the decision was...

Jimmy Haslam confidently stepped through the halls of the Ritz-Carlton Las Colinas near Dallas on a Wednesday in December, unhurried but with purpose. The 70-year-old Cleveland Browns owner wore orangish-brown slacks with an off-white blazer, a folder curled in his right hand, the contents of which are reserved for NFL billionaires. The league's owners meetings had just adjourned. Between greetings to the reporters and league officials scattered in the hotel hallways, Haslam, still on the move, was asked about the state of his team. He acknowledged the three-win Browns had a lot of work to do. When asked what that...