Author: Gabby Har

Minnesota Vikings fans are in shock and mourning after the announcement that quarterback Sam Darnold has been suspended indefinitely. The suspension has sent ripples through the Vikings fanbase, leaving many to express their disbelief and disappointment on social media and sports forums.

Darnold, who joined the Vikings this season as a backup quarterback, had been a promising figure in the team’s depth chart, showing impressive skill and leadership during preseason games. Fans had hoped he would provide valuable support to starting quarterback Kirk Cousins. However, news broke late Friday that the NFL had imposed a suspension on Darnold for an undisclosed violation of league policies.

While the specifics of Darnold’s suspension have not been revealed, the news has left many Vikings supporters heartbroken. “We wanted him back, and now this happens. It’s such a huge blow to the team,” said one disappointed fan on Twitter. Others echoed similar sentiments, expressing frustration over the timing of the suspension and its potential impact on the team’s upcoming games.

The Vikings organization has yet to release a formal statement on the matter, but it is expected that further details will come to light in the coming days. In the meantime, the team will likely look to their other backup quarterbacks to step up in Darnold’s absence, as the season continues.

For now, Vikings fans are left to ponder the future of their quarterback situation. Many hope that Darnold’s suspension will be temporary and that he will soon return to the field. However, with no clear timeline for his return, uncertainty looms over the team’s quarterback depth moving forward.

Like other notable players before him, Aaron Jones signed with the Minnesota Vikings when his tenure with the Green Bay Packers came to an end. Last year, Green Bay informed Jones that they wanted him to take a $4 million pay cut in order to stay with them after they signed Josh Jacobs in free agency. Since he had already taken a pay cut the year prior, the Packers’ third all-time leading rusher declined to do so again.

As a result, he was released.

Following his departure from Green Bay, Jones signed with the Vikings on a one-year $7 million contract, $1 million more than the Packers were willing to pay him.

And it turned out to be a good move for both parties.

After playing in just 11 games for the Packers in 2023, Jones started all 17 for the Vikings and proved to everyone that he was not done yet. In fact, he had one of the best seasons of his entire career.

Jones ended his first season in Minnesota with 255 carries for 1,138 rushing yards and five touchdowns. It was just the second time he eclipsed 1,100 yards in his career and was his highest rushing total in any year that he has played.

In addition, Jones added 51 receptions for 408 yards and two more touchdowns. His receptions total was the third-highest of his career and receiving yards total his second-best.

When the season ended, Jones was asked about 2025 and where he would like to play. He said then that his preference was to stay in Minnesota.

And he is getting his wish.

Earlier today, it was reported that Jones and the Vikings are in agreement on a two-year contract that is worth $20 million. He will be staying put.

Many fans were happy with this news while others expressed concern about his age and mileage on his legs already:

Vikings head into free agency with $60 million to spend and another quarterback decision to make. Their financial plan seems to point to J.J. McCarthy.

For nearly a decade, the Minnesota Vikings have struggled to find long-term stability at the quarterback position, cycling through several options, but none able to consistently lead the team to success. The 2025 season presents perhaps the most pivotal quarterback decision in recent memory, as the Vikings’ future rests on making the right choice under center.

Since 2014, Minnesota has had a revolving door of quarterbacks, with veteran signal-callers like Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Bradford, and Kirk Cousins all taking their turns. While Cousins provided a degree of consistency, he never managed to push the Vikings into Super Bowl contention, and his contract situation remains in flux for 2025. With Cousins potentially on his way out, the Vikings find themselves at a crossroads.

Current backup quarterback Jaren Hall, a promising young talent, may be the answer, but questions remain about his readiness to lead a franchise with playoff aspirations. The team could look to the draft for a fresh face, or consider a high-profile trade or free-agent acquisition to secure an established quarterback. Options like Kyler Murray, who could be available via trade, or veteran journeymen could add to the mix of potential answers.

The upcoming decision is not just about performance on the field but also about aligning the team’s future with the right signal-caller. A successful 2025 season could depend on how quickly the Vikings resolve their quarterback dilemma. Will they bet on youth and a potential future star in Hall, or will they pursue a more established option? Whatever the decision, it will shape Minnesota’s next chapter and determine the trajectory of the franchise for years to come.

While the Cleveland Cavaliers had three players named All-Stars this season, there was a push for them to have four, with big man Jarrett Allen being the lone member of the team’s “core four” who didn’t make the cut.

Allen is having another strong season for the Cavs as they battle to secure the NBA’s top record. He might not get as much shine as some of Cleveland’s other stars do, but he’s the “ultimate team guy,” according to teammate Donovan Mitchell.

Allen’s team-first mentality has been on full display lately amid a changing role. He hasn’t always been on the floor to close games yet has remained focused on simply doing his job.

Allen, an All-Star earlier in his career, is once again averaging a double-double this season, something that has become a common trend for him in the NBA. This time, he’s averaging 13.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per game while shooting an incredibly efficient 70.1 percent from the field. Of course, he’s doing all that while remaining a highly impactful defender.

To sweeten the deal, the 26-year-old hasn’t missed a game all season. The Cavs are 53-10 through 63 games, and Allen has been on the floor for every single matchup.

Now, the next goal is for Allen and the team to step up when the postseason comes around. While the Cavs have had a truly special season so far, they aren’t going to be satisfied if they can’t finish the job in the playoffs. Cleveland has won just one playoff series since franchise legend LeBron James left in the 2018 offseason.

With Allen helping the Cavs on and off the floor, he’s going to be a key ingredient the rest of the way. With any luck, the rest of the group will also do whatever it takes to be the last team standing. Cleveland has 19 regular-season games remaining, with its next one scheduled for Sunday night on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Washington Commanders are in the market for pass rushers and they’ve been linked to every big name that’s been on the trade block, and some pending free agents. Trading for Myles Garrett seemed like a long-shot, but the possibility made plenty of headlines in Washington and Philadelphia since Garrett declared during Super Bowl week that he was done in Cleveland, and wanted to spend the rest of his career with a winning team. Multiple first round picks were floated as the cost for the future Hall of Famer, but all the trade scenarios ended with this morning’s news.

The Cleveland Browns are making Myles Garrett the highest-paid defensive end in the NFL, and he’s staying with Cleveland for the next five years. He’ll average $40 million per season and has $123.5 million. He’s probably never winning a Super Bowl in Cleveland, but he’s financially secure for a long time thanks to this new deal.

The next biggest name on the defensive end trade market is Cincinnati Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson. The Washington Commanders continue to show interest, but the cost to acquire him will be high in both draft capital and salary cap money. He isn’t expected to command multiple first round picks like Garrett, but it will likely take some high picks to get him out of Cincinnati. He’s also looking for a new deal that will pay him $30+ million per year.

The Washington Commanders have already made several trades(Lattimore, Samuel) that have dropped them down to six picks for next month’s draft. Adam Peters wants to build this team through the draft, but is also aggressively working to add talent to the team to take advantage of the early success they’ve had with QB Jayden Daniels who was drafted 2nd overall last year.

Netflix is gearing up to release an exclusive documentary that delves deep into the history of the Washington Commanders, one of the most storied franchises in the NFL. The upcoming project promises to offer fans a rare behind-the-scenes look at the team’s journey, showcasing its highs, lows, and the moments that have shaped the Commanders’ legacy. With never-before-seen footage and interviews with key figures from the team’s past and present, the documentary is set to offer a comprehensive look at the franchise, its triumphs, struggles, and the passionate fan base that continues to support them through thick and thin.

The documentary, which is expected to drop later this year, is part of Netflix’s larger push into the sports content arena. The streaming giant has already made waves with its popular sports documentaries like *Formula 1: Drive to Survive* and *The Last Dance* focusing on Michael Jordan. With the rise in popularity of sports-based content, Netflix is doubling down on delivering compelling stories from all corners of the athletic world.

In addition to the Washington Commanders doc, fans can look forward to a host of other exciting sports programming coming soon. Netflix has secured rights to multiple new projects, including documentaries on renowned athletes, teams, and historical sporting events. Whether it’s football, basketball, or other major sports, Netflix is making it clear that it plans to continue being a major player in the world of sports entertainment.

For sports lovers, it’s a thrilling time to be a Netflix subscriber, with exclusive, in-depth, and cinematic experiences arriving on the platform in the months ahead. Stay tuned for more updates as Netflix continues to roll out its diverse sports lineup.

NORMAN — OU softball coach Patty Gasso said earlier in the week she was looking forward to seeing how her second-ranked Sooners would respond to adversity with SEC play beginning.

OU succeeded with the first test, battling from behind then holding on late to beat 11th-ranked South Carolina 10-9 in front of 4,140 at Love’s Field.

“I didn’t know what to expect tonight,” Gasso said. “I didn’t expect that so many runs were going to be scored. But there is something special that this team showed me tonight that we can do a lot of good things with.”

OU fell behind 5-1 in the second, then had to withstand a three-run homer in the seventh to pull the Gamecocks within one before Isabella Smith got the last out to secure the victory.

With the Sooners trailing 5-3 in the third, Kasidi Pickering and Nelly McEnroe-Marinas started with back-to-back singles.

Whatever the sign was — neither Gasso nor Garcia would disclose after the game — it was missed.

“I just could not find it on my card,” Garcia said of the sign. “I’m not gonna lie. I kind of guessed.”

Gasso interjected.

“You guessed right,” Gasso said, laughing. It was the exact signal I gave you.”

Ailana Agbayani was 3 for 3 with a walk and three runs scored to help OU improve to 20-0 overall and 1-0 in SEC play.

Former Sooner Quincee Lilio was 0 for 4 in her return to Love’s Field with the Gamecocks (20-1, 0-1).

Lilio came into the game second in the SEC in hitting behind only Ella Parker.

Parker finished 0 for 2 with a pair of walks.

The series will conclude with a doubleheader beginning at 1:30 p.m. Sunday due to expected weather conditions Saturday forcing the series schedule to be adjusted.

Here are three takeaways from the Sooners’ win:

Isabela Emerling had a rough top of the second inning behind the plate.

Emerling wasn’t able to handle three Kierston Deal wild pitches, then was charged with a fielding error that allowed a runner to advance.

But Emerling more than made up for it.

“Just have a goldfish mentality and next play, next pitch and really just have my team’s back,” Emerling said of her mentality in the middle of the second.

In the bottom of the inning, Emerling jumped on a 1-1 pitch, delivering a towering 230-foot two-run home run down the left-field line to cut the Gamecocks’ lead in half and make the game 5-3.

“It was huge,” Gasso said. “Watching Bela swing the bat lately has been — she’s been working really hard, doing some things with JT (Gasso) and making adjustments. It’s like watching another level when she swings.”

Then in the fifth, Emerling once again delivered, this time driving a 1-0 pitch out to right field for a 217-foot two-run home run to untie the game after South Carolina added a run to tie it in the top half of the inning.

It was Emerling’s seventh home run of the season, tying the team lead, and gave her her first multi-home run game as a Sooner.

OU’s defense has mostly been impeccable this season, with just six errors in its first 19 games.

But the Sooners’ defense looked shaky in the conference opener.

Deal had no wild pitches in 27 2/3 innings coming into the game but made three in the second inning alone.

With runners on first and second and one out and the game tied, South Carolina’s Natalie Heath hit a hard grounder to first, which OU’s Cydney Sanders couldn’t handle, helping the Gamecocks take the lead.

The error helped South Carolina score three unearned runs in the inning.

Emerling’s error came later in the inning but didn’t hurt the Sooners on the scoreboard as Deal followed it by striking out Arianna Rodi to end the inning.

“I was a little concerned about that,” Gasso said of the second-inning defensive struggles.

Deal committed a throwing error in the fourth for OU’s third error of the game.

Gasso was considering defense first when she filled out her lineup card Friday, inserting Hannah Coor in center field with Kasidi Pickering in left, Abigale Dayton in right and Parker as the designated player.

In the sixth inning alone, Coor made Gasso’s decision pay off.

The junior, who has struggled with injuries throughout her college career including missing 16 consecutive games this season with an ankle injury, robbed former teammate Lilio with a diving catch to lead off the sixth.

“She’s our best outfielder right now,” Gasso said. “So it was like, well, we want to … ‘I don’t know what her offense is gonna look like, but we need defense out there.’”

Gasso pinch-hit Tia Milloy for Coor earlier in the game but after Coor’s diving catch, stuck with Coor in a crucial situation in the bottom of the sixth.

Coor delivered a two-out, two-run double down the right-field line to put the Sooners up 10-6.

“Coor has been waiting her entire career for these moments and I could not be more happy for anyone than her,” Gasso said.

NORMAN — This weekend’s Oklahoma and South Carolina softball series has been adjusted due to forecasted inclement weather Saturday in Norman.

OU and South Carolina will play game one of the series Friday, March 7 at 6:30 p.m. CT as scheduled, while Sunday, March 9 will now feature a doubleheader. Game one of Sunday’s doubleheader will begin at 1:30 p.m. and game two will begin approximately 40 minutes after the conclusion of the first game. Game two will serve in place of the contest originally scheduled for Saturday, March 8 at 2 p.m.

Fans who purchased tickets for the contest originally scheduled for Saturday, March 8 will be accepted for entry to the second game Sunday. Fans will not be able to scan their tickets for entry to that game until the stadium has been completely cleared following the conclusion of the 1:30 p.m. game. 

All fans, including those who have purchased tickets to both games on Sunday, must exit the stadium following the conclusion of game one. Fans who attended game one and are returning for game two will not be able to re-enter with food or drink purchased during the first game.

Fans who can no longer attend the rescheduled Sunday game must reach out to the original point of purchase for a refund or solution. Any single-game standing-room-only tickets for Saturday’s game that were purchased through the Oklahoma Athletics Ticket Office may be exchanged for a future game or can be refunded by emailing or calling 405-325-2424.

Season ticket holders who can no longer attend games this weekend are encouraged to ensure their seats are still filled by transferring tickets, returning their seats back to OU or selling their seats through OU’s Seat Share program. More information on how to do this is available at

The first and third games of the series will be streamed on SECN+, while the 1:30 p.m. game on Sunday will be broadcasted on SECN. Michele Smith will provide color commentary and Clay Matvick will provided play-by-play for the SEC Network broadcast Sunday and the SECN+ stream in the series finale. Radio coverage for each game will be provided on 1560 AM/103.3 FM The Franchise 2 and 107.7 FM The Franchise.

Being elected into National Baseball Hall of Fame is one of, if not the greatest honor a baseball player can receive. Even though some recent (and questionable) additions have drawn the ire of some hardcore baseball fans who only want to see the the absolute best of the best enshrined in Cooperstown, the overwhelming majority of Hall of Famers are, in fact, elite.

But fans of the Cincinnati Reds have long claimed that the Hall of Fame is incomplete without Pete. Of course they’re referring to Major League Baseball’s all-time hits leader, Pete Rose. “The Hit King,” based on his on-field resumé alone, deserves to be included among baseball’s best. But a checkered past that included betting on baseball (among other things) has made his induction into the Hall of Fame impossible.

That could all change based on recent reports suggesting that MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is considering a petition that would posthumously remove Rose from the ineligible list. Rose’s family met with Manfred late last year and filed a petition for reinstatement with the Commissioner’s Office in January.

Rose’s name has been on the ineligible list since 1989, and in 1991, the Baseball Hall of Fame passed a rule stating that any player on the ineligible list is unable to be included on the Hall of Fame ballot. But if Manfred removes Rose’s name from the list, he’d then eligible for induction.

Rose passed away last year at the age of 83. The Reds organization has big plans to honor the hometown hero in 2025 with the No. 14 emblazoned on the sleeve of every Reds player’s jersey this season. Rose’s No. 14 will also adorn on the outfield wall in left field at Great American Ball Park this season.

The Reds also plan to celebrate the life and career on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 with what’s being called Pete Rose Day. The Reds game against the Chicago White Sox that evening will start at 7:14 p.m. ET and feature a special giveaway that includes a replica of Rose’s jersey from his days with the Big Red Machine.

The winds are seemingly changing, and something that few ever thought possible could be on the horizon. Even President Donald Trump is planning to offer a posthumous pardon to Rose in the next few weeks, and recently advocated for “The Hit King” to be included into the Hall of Fame.

It’s unknown when Manfred will announce his decision whether to reinstate Rose, and even then, it’ll be up to the Eras Committee to actually cobble together the necessary number of votes. Rose may never be elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, but this latest revelation at least gives hopes to those who feel that the Hall is incomplete without Pete.