05/12/2021
There may be no more hyped event during the spring than the announcement of the upcoming NFL schedule. This year, the league and its TV partners stretched out the fanfare even more by letting each network announce a Week 1 matchup on their respective morning shows.
Touted as the “Biggest Season Ever” since this will be the first NFL schedule with 17 games, the announcement of the 2021 schedule certainly appears to be the biggest ever with hours of coverage on ESPN networks and the broadcast network announcements.
NBC’s
Today show had “sports news for sports fans,” as Hoda Kotb put it from the show’s vividly-colored set.
Buccaneers Rob Gronkowski hints WR Julian Edelman will return By Zac Wassink | Last updated 5/10/21
Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski joked last month that he believed there was a 69% chance wide receiver and Super Bowl LIII Most Valuable Player Julian Edelman would end his retirement that he announced earlier in April and join former teammates Gronk and Tom Brady in Tampa Bay.
Gronkowski was a bit more serious while discussing the subject with Mike Greenberg of ESPN on Monday. I just wish the best for Julian to heal up, Gronkowski explained, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. Obviously in his little press conference thing, he said he was going to go until the tires fall off and he sure has. So I’m hoping he heals up. I want the best for him. I’ve been in that situation before. I believe, if Julian truly heals up whatever’s hurting on him, and he fully heals and feels good, I think he’ll be back. I don’t see why he wouldn�
ESPN promotes execs Brian Lockhart and Mike Shiffman to senior VP roles There are new people overseeing ESPN s 30 for 30 and basketball divisions.
05/07/2021
ESPN is promoting from within as executives Brian Lockhart and Mike Shiffman are both moving up and accepting new roles within the company. The Worldwide Leader in Sports announced that Lockhart will have the title of “Senior Vice President, ESPN+ Original Content and ESPN Films” while Shiffman will be “Senior Vice President, Production” with a focus on basketball.
Lockhart is taking over from departing VP’s Libby Geist and Connor Schell, who both left lastNovember with Schell teaming up with Chernin Entertainment to form a studio for non-fiction content. Lockhart will be overseeing the entire original programming operation at ESPN. That includes studio shows, ESPN Films, and 30 for 30.
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Many felt the San Francisco 49ers were targeting Mac Jones of Alabama when they traded up to the No. 3 overall pick on March 26. They were wrong. Trey Lance of North Dakota State was the target, per general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan. Jones was a safety net behind Lance and Justin Fields of Ohio State.
At least, that is what we have been told since the draft.
Shanahan started doing a deep dive into Lance s film in January, and the more he watched, the more he got excited. During his vacation in Cabo San Lucas, he spent time reviewing the young quarterback s film, sending his notes to Lynch, sometimes in the middle of the night. Shanahan liked Jones too and was fine drafting him at No. 12 their pre-trade draft slot. But Lance, on the other hand, was worth trading up to ensure the 49ers got their guy.
Content warning:
This story contains details about alleged sexual abuse. The content may be difficult to read and emotionally upsetting.
The Texans’ already-dramatic offseason took a sudden and serious turn in mid-March, when Houston attorney Tony Buzbee announced in an Instagram post that he was filing suit against Deshaun Watson. Since then, Buzbee has filed more than 20 civil lawsuits accusing the Texans quarterback of sexual assault and sexual misconduct, and the NFL and the Houston Police Department are conducting investigations.
Through a social media post and his attorney, Watson has denied any wrongdoing.
Watson already had been a hot topic of the NFL offseason because he requested a trade less than a year after the Texans gave him a $156 million extension that has him under contract for the next five seasons. Where his career heads will depend upon how the legal process and the NFL’s investigation unfold.