Author: Shekari Philemon

Portland announced a new play by play announcer on Thursday and dismissed him the same day, after a local reporter surfaced social media posts he had written years earlier. What did the team say? That it has no tolerance for racist, sexist or harmful comments and that the posts violated team and league policies as well as its own standards. The Trail Blazers broadcaster will not take the role. The team also apologised to supporters, said it had not met its own bar in the process and committed to doing better. What was in the posts? Racist comments directed at…

Detroit center Jalen Duren agreed to a five year, $200 million fully guaranteed deal on Thursday night, ending a standoff that had run four months and into the opening days of training camp. Did the terms change? No, and that is the notable part. The deal he accepted is the same five year, $200 million offer he declined two weeks ago. Earlier offers during the summer had ranged from $170 million to $190 million, so the team did move substantially across the process, just not in the final fortnight. Then why did it take until Thursday? Because the dispute was…

Deshaun Watson led Cleveland into field goal range in the closing seconds on Thursday night, setting up a 56 yard kick with 10 seconds left to beat Pittsburgh 27 to 24. What is the streak? Three consecutive games with a game winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime. That makes him the second Browns quarterback since the 1970 merger to do it, after Brian Sipe. He had thrown a winning touchdown against Carolina four days earlier. How did the game unfold? Cleveland controlled the first half and then nearly lost it. Deshaun Watson threw for 181 yards before the…

Wang Xiyu won Asian Games women’s singles gold in Nagoya on Friday, beating compatriot Zhang Shuai 6 to 2, 6 to 1 in an all Chinese final that also secured her an automatic place at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. What did the win deliver? Two things at once. The medal and a guaranteed Olympic berth, which removes the ranking pressure most players carry into a qualification cycle. For a player ranked outside the top 50, locking in a Games place three years out is arguably worth more than the gold itself. Who did she beat? Someone she described…

All combined WTA 1000 tournaments will award women the same total prize money as men from 2027, the tour announced Thursday, with the Italian Open, Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open the last to join. How large was the remaining gap? In Rome this year, men’s total prize money was $9.6 million against $8.3 million for women. The other combined 1000 events, at Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Beijing, already paid equally, as do all four Grand Slams. Has this been promised before? In Rome, yes. Organisers pledged in 2023 to reach equality by 2025 and did not. That history is…

Alex Eala will take bronze at the Asian Games after losing to China’s Wang Xiyu 6 to 3, 3 to 6, 2 to 6 in the women’s singles semifinals on Thursday in Nagoya, matching the result she achieved in 2023. How did the match turn? She led 5 to 0. Eala broke repeatedly to open, winning the first three games and holding through the fifth, before her opponent won three straight to close to 5 to 3. She needed four set points to finish the opener. Her return game carried that set, winning 21 return points to 12. What happened…

New England quarterback Drake Maye said Wednesday that the condition of his right shoulder has not affected his throwing, pointing instead to decision making as the cause of a difficult start to the season. What is the contradiction? He appeared on the injury report the same day. Drake Maye was listed for the first time this season with a right throwing shoulder designation while practising as a full participant. Those two facts are reconcilable. Teams routinely list players managing something who are nonetheless available, and full participation is the meaningful indicator. But the listing is new, and it arrived on…

Pittsburgh agreed on Wednesday night to trade cornerback Joey Porter Jr to Dallas for a 2027 sixth round pick and a 2028 second rounder, ending a contract standoff that ran through the offseason and into the season. What was the dispute about? Guaranteed money within the contract structure, according to reporting. The two sides never made meaningful progress despite talks continuing until hours before the Week 1 game, at which point Pittsburgh stopped negotiating under a longstanding policy against in season contract talks. What is his injury situation? Unresolved, and this is the complication Dallas is accepting. He reported an…

Philadelphia guard Tyrese Maxey said Wednesday that he wants to be judged on winning rather than individual production, as the Sixers began camp with four established stars on one roster. What did he say about his role? That it is not his to define. Tyrese Maxey said he has already demonstrated what he can do individually and now wants team results to be the measure. He listed the positions and situations he can play, on and off the ball, in transition, catching and shooting, off screens and in pick and roll, and said he will play however the coach requires.…

Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks has been charged with driving under the influence following an arrest in Scottsdale, Arizona, in March, according to court records. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Oct. 28. What is the charge? A Class 1 misdemeanor, the most serious misdemeanor classification in Arizona. The arrest took place during a traffic stop at around 1 a.m. on March 6. No plea has been entered and the arraignment is where that happens. Has anything been decided? No. A charge is an accusation by prosecutors, not a finding by a court. The Dillon Brooks DUI charge will…