標籤: brutally

WrestleMania 42 kicked off at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday night, and for a few moments, the entire WWE Universe decided to treat ESPN’s loudest mouth like it was the biggest heel in a bad-guy battle.

Stephen A. Smith, at ring side and living his best celebrity life, came to the big screen and was completely ridiculed. Not the polite golf clap. Not scattered sneers. Full-throated, “you suck” level heat that made the pyrotechnics look cool by comparison.

In classic Stephen A. fashion, the man didn’t hesitate. Instead, he leaned back, closed his eyes, spread his arms and soaked it up with a big smile. Brother, if that’s not a heel turn I don’t know what is.

Wild: Stephen A. Wilde by WWE fans at WrestleMania Smith was highly criticized.

We have never seen anything like this.

💀💀💀 pic.twitter.com/k3sjghNbxf

– Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) 19 April 2026

Just a few weeks ago, Smith was claiming that a group of alleged enemies were out to get him. Maybe he should have kept his eye on one person in particular.

The real villain’s origin story started a day earlier take firstWhen the one and only Danhausen came forward to curse Stephan A for… well, being rude and perhaps being too loud on television. In fact this is complete nonsense from Smith.

Danhausen has just cursed Stephen A. Smith pic.twitter.com/eFJgitu5Bh

– Inside the Dome (@inside_the_dome) 17 April 2026

Denhausen’s Curse Come True: Stephen A. Smith goes full heel at WrestleMania 42

It seems the curse worked. One day you’re screaming about LeBron on national TV, the next you’re being heckled by 50,000 wrestling fans who probably feel like your hot shots hit louder than a steel chair.

However, it is to Smith’s credit – he did not hide from criticism. He took it on like a pro, proving that even when the crowd attacks you, the amount of reaction counts as a W in the attention game.

Stephen A. is a natural heel. While other celebs got polite golf applause, the SAS got the nuclear treatment – ​​and walked away smiling as if he’d just won the Universal Championship.

Dannhausen is probably very happy, shouting in the third person: “Danhausen is too good, too bad.”

Smith recently claimed that WWE had approached him for the role of on-air personality. But he refuses because he is not as brave as Pat McAfee. He was addressing McAfee’s involvement in the Cody Rhodes/Randy Orton affair.

“I love it. I love it, and I want to commend Pat McAfee for it, because let me tell you something. They were talking about — I go back to the old days of Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan and guys like that,” Smith said. “I really wanted to do that.”

“Your man Nick Khan talked to me about it. See, the difference is, I’m not as adventurous as Pat McAfee. I’m not at all trying to bump into one of them big boys!” He added. “I don’t want any part of it, but I like that stuff because I think the game needs it.”

The closest SAS came to running into a big man was when he had a fight with LeBron. Given his documented boxing training, it probably wouldn’t have been good for him either.

LeBron just posted this on IG pic.twitter.com/IJUwJFXVsg

– NBCCentral (@TheDunkCentral) 27 March 2025

Rusty Weis is a lifelong fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Dallas Cowboys and Xavier Musketeers. He has been writing professionally… More about Rusty Weiss

MLB umpire Brock Ballou was violently attacked and robbed in Center City Philadelphia on the evening of April 9, while he was in town to work the Phillies’ series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The veteran umpire was faced with the harsh reality of life in the city of brotherly love when a suspect approached him from behind in broad daylight.

According to Philadelphia police, a suspect approached Ballou from behind in the 1600 block of Walnut Street while the umpire was checking directions on his phone. The suspect snatched the device and ran away, with Ballou chasing him.

The confrontation quickly escalated into a physical altercation near 16th and Walnut, where surveillance video captured the suspect punching Ballou in the head multiple times.

During the struggle, both men fell to the ground. Police Capt. Jason Smith told CBS News Philadelphia that Ballou hit his head on the sidewalk, causing a concussion, as the suspect continued to attack with repeated violent punches.

“The suspect approached the subject and knocked his cellphone out of his hand,” Smith said. “The victim began chasing the male, at which time they became involved in a physical altercation at 16th and Walnut.”

“They fell on the ground, at which time the victim hit his head, causing injury,” he said. “The male continued his attack, punching her violently.”

Major League Baseball umpire Brock Ballou was among two victims allegedly robbed and assaulted in separate incidents in Center City last week, police sources say.

Investigators say that while the umpires were watching, the suspect approached Ballu from behind and stole his phone. pic.twitter.com/zrAh8eYsts

– CBS Philadelphia (@CBSPhiladelphia) 15 April 2026

Ballou was punched repeatedly in the head during a street robbery, returned to the field the next night

Believe it or not, Ballou, who has been an MLB umpire since 2022, was not the first person to fall victim to an attacker that day. Within approximately 30 minutes the same suspect targeted another victim. Earlier that evening, the man allegedly stole items from the 7-Eleven on Chestnut Street and punched an employee who confronted him.

Despite the attack, Ballou’s injuries were not considered serious. And he is a very tough boy too. The next night he returned to the field to umpire a Phillies game.

Police have released surveillance photos of the suspect, described as a teenager wearing a black hat, black pants and a light blue hoodie, and are continuing to investigate robberies and assaults in the area.

MLB umpire Brock Ballou ‘violently’ punched in the head during alleged robbery, attack in Philadelphia https://t.co/xaLkUdP91Q pic.twitter.com/xl53bqIPE2

– New York Post (@nypost) 15 April 2026

Ballou’s toughness is admirable – he was umpiring at first base the next night, and returned behind the plate two days after the attack.

This incident serves as a stark reminder that even MLB officials are not immune to street crime in Philadelphia. Police are continuing the search for the suspect. We will keep updating readers as per the developments.

Rusty Weis is a lifelong fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Dallas Cowboys and Xavier Musketeers. He has been writing professionally… More about Rusty Weiss

On Monday evening, the San Antonio Spurs continued their winning ways with a blowout win over the Miami Heat. It was another strong game for superstar Victor Vembanyama, who scored 26 points with 15 rebounds and five blocks on an efficient shooting night from the field.

Many have predicted that Wembanyama will be the front-runner to win this year’s NBA MVP award, and most recently, ESPN NBA insider Stephen A. Smith explains why he now sees the Spurs star as the favourite.

“He changed my mind. I’d put him in the lead… He’s right when he says (defense) doesn’t get mentioned enough when we talk about league MVPs. It’s a very smart thing on his part. But it doesn’t do it for me either… The second-place team, which hasn’t been relegated in years, has a star in Victor Wambayama before the playoffs even started… And he looked into the microphone and said, ‘We dominate. They’ve been defending champions since we’ve seen them this year,” Smith said, according to First Take on X, formerly Twitter.

In fact, the Spurs have dominated the Oklahoma City Thunder in their encounters this season, winning four out of the five matches played between the two teams. Many speculate that this could be the Western Conference Finals matchup in a few months, as the two teams are one and two in the conference, and it is highly likely to end as the season ends.

Meanwhile, Wembanyama remains the best defensive player in the NBA by a wide margin while continuing to expand his offensive game, which could earn him some votes in the MVP discussion.

The Spurs next take the field on Wednesday evening for a road game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

There are still a few weeks left in the NBA regular season. But it’s safe to assume that the Chicago Bulls are still rebuilding. A series of trades that shook up the franchise during the trade deadline speaks to this.

As a result, the Bulls are stuck with a young roster and uncertainty about who will stay or go. This especially applies to Collin Sexton, Nick Richards, Anfernee Simmons, Jaden Ivey, Leonard Miller and Rob Dillingham.

Additionally, head coach Billy Donovan is as forthright as ever when talking about Chicago’s future. According to Sports Illustrated’s Elias Schuster, this also includes questions about his future with the franchise.

Before the Bulls took on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, Donovan talked about the future.

“I think we’ll do what we’ve always done – sit out the end of the year,” he said. “We talk about the team every day and obviously the biggest challenge for us has been injuries and things we’ve gone through since the trade deadline. But just trying to get these new people together – playing together – [is] Where all our focus has been. The decisions you’re talking about are decisions that are probably going to be made during the draft, during free agency, those things. So, I think you should look at the team. Certainly, there are people whose contracts are expiring – there are people whose contracts are restricted – so there’s probably a lot of decisions that have to be made, but we haven’t really talked about those decisions at all at this point.

Currently, the Bulls are 28-41 and in 12th place in the Eastern Conference.

Kawhi Leonard has a lot going on in his life right now, but he is still expected to lead the Los Angeles Clippers (26-28) through this period of transition. James Harden and Ivica Zubac were moved at the trade deadline, leading the franchise into a new era. However, the two-time NBA Finals MVP is still the center of this team. He has been tasked with anchoring the Clipse, as Chris Paul did several years ago.

Although the two future Hall of Famers haven’t shared a locker room for long, they both understand what it’s like to be the top guy on the Los Angeles Lakers’ “little brother.” Bringing pride and prestige to a historically troubled franchise may be a difficult task. The Clippers are still looking for their first Finals appearance, but both of these guys have done their best to keep the team respectable. There is a certain bond that is created by sharing equal responsibilities.

Amid significant roster changes, Leonard is trying to be the stabilizing force that Paul was in a previous era of Clippers basketball. Now he has even more appreciation for the newly retired point guard. The three-time All-NBA first-team selection and two-time Defensive Player of the Year spoke about the impact Paul had on him and the entire game.

“He’s always been great,” Leonard told veteran NBA insider Chris Haynes before All-Star Weekend. “A leader, a guy who also cares about his family, gives you advice on and off the field. He used to be one of my favorite players, I watched him a lot growing up. Observed his leadership and how dedicated he was to trying to win basketball games, his handle, his IQ. So, hats off to him. He did that for many years, especially at a guard position – you don’t see that too much.

“I think you’ll see the things he’s done. Congratulations to him on his career.”

Met up with Clippers star Kawhi Leonard in LA ahead of the All-Star Game on Sunday. Many topics were discussed, including whether people would work hard. pic.twitter.com/ppgZi4L5uU

– Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) 14 February 2026

Chris Paul didn’t get the farewell Clippers fans wanted

Paul planned to end his illustrious NBA run with a second stint in L.A., but it became clear early in the 2025-26 campaign that he wasn’t fitting in with this iteration of the Clippers. The two sides parted ways in December, and then the organization began an official split when it traded the four-time All-NBA first-teamer to the Toronto Raptors last week. He was waived on Friday and immediately announced his retirement, closing the book on a 21-year NBA career.

Although Paul’s final chapter was very frustrating and full of tension, Leonard is happy to call him a teammate, even if briefly. The 34-year-old forward Chris Paul will try to finish what he started in Los Angeles and lead the Clippers back into title contention.

Despite being ranked 10th in the West, LA has performed at a high level over the past two months. Fans hope that No. 2 can keep the team relevant, just as No. 3 did before him.

It was awkward, unexpected and highly unique.

In retrospect, Liam Coen butchering his opening ‘Duval’ announcement was the perfect way to proclaim he was the ideal new head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

3

There’s only one way to say Duval right

“Duuuuval,” said a smiling Coen, in a clip that instantly went viral and turned the Jacksonville rookie HC into an easy target on social media.

The internet reaction was sudden, sharp and unrelenting.

“I love Liam Coen but this is whiter than an Iowa DB room,” Mike Golic Jr tweeted.

“Liam Coen with the worst sounding #DUUUVAL I have ever heard uh oh,” a fan posted.

“0-17,” another fan wrote.

“That made me so uncomfortable ,” a fourth fan said. “But the dude’s an offensive genius so f*** it.”

ESPN’s Pat McAfee also publicly doubted whether Coen — who spurned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before signing a five-year contract with the Jaguars — could handle his new job.

“Whenever you see this, it’s tough,” McAfee said. “It’s hard not to say, ‘This guy’s got no chance to win.’ There’s no way anybody is going to take him seriously.”