Burke Sports Talk

NBA Knicks 114, Spurs 89 The Spurs jumped out to an early 19-7 lead, but that’s about all that went right for San Antonio yesterday. Mitch Johnson’s team waltzed into Madison Square Garden on an 11-game winning streak, so I suppose it was due for a stinker — even at 43-17. The Spurs got to…

NFL Jets receive:DT T’Vondre Sweat Titans receive:EDGE Jermaine Johnson This transaction is an anomaly. Player-for-player trades don’t normally happen in the NFL, as draft picks are the nominal currency to get most deals done. Also, franchises have to absorb dead cap hits when moving players, which can give clubs pause before doing so. The Jets…

NFL Falcons to franchise tag TE Kyle Pitts Pitts is set to earn $16.32 million in 2026. It’s been a confounding career for the tight end. Drafted fourth overall in 2021, the Florida product was projected to be an elite playmaker at the position. Drawing and punishing mismatches was supposed to be Pitts’ forte, and…

NFL Patriots promote Zak Kuhr to defensive coordinator This was a no-brainer. New England’s previous defensive play-caller, Terrell Williams, was diagnosed with prostate cancer early last season, thrusting Kuhr into the role. While the circumstances were unfortunate at the time, the outlook for all is much better now. Williams has been cleared to return to…

NFL Seahawks to hire Brian Fleury as offensive coordinator Losing Klint Kubiak was an expected outcome for Seattle. It was also common belief that the Seahawks would promote from within to fill his vacancy. Instead, the organization is reaching to a division rival, plucking Fleury from the 49ers. Serving as San Francisco’s tight ends coach…

NFL Cardinals retain Nick Rallis as defensive coordinator Rallis was originally hired by former Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon in 2023. His defenses mostly overachieved, though last season didn’t go as planned in the desert. As a result, the expectation was that Rallis would depart with Gannon, as Arizona interviewed Aubrey Pleasant, Charlie Bullen and…

NFL Chargers to hire Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator McDaniel, following his dismissal as Dolphins head coach, fielded interest from other teams for that same post. However, due to either rejection from those clubs or McDaniel himself, the 42-year-old is set to call plays for the Chargers. This will probably be a short-term arrangement —…

NFL Dolphins fire head coach Mike McDaniel The Dolphins had days — and weeks, if you want to get technical — to fire McDaniel, so waiting until yesterday was confusing. Nonetheless, Miami is choosing a full reset, having both its head coach and general manager seats open. Owner Stephen Ross isn’t afraid to go big-game…

NFL Ravens fire head coach John Harbaugh 18 seasons is a long time. It’s an extremely long career for a player, and perhaps even longer for a head coach, especially with one franchise. Inevitably, things got stale between the Ravens and Harbaugh, but that’s normal. Heck, the marriage between team and coach lasted longer than…

NFL Bills 35, Patriots 31 Can we get another matchup between these teams in January? If we’re ever so lucky, that game would likely also be in Foxborough. This was a huge win for the Bills — one that makes them near locks to make the playoffs — but the Patriots are still good bets…

MLB Mets sign 1B Jorge Polanco to two-year, $40 million contract Pete Alonso is off to Baltimore, and the Mets have acted fast to find his replacement. It’s not exactly a carbon copy of New York’s former slugger, either. A second baseman by trade, Polanco will be flexed into mainly first base and designated hitter…

NFL Jets sign C Josh Myers to two-year, $11 million contract extension Not much has gone right for the Jets this season. The quarterback position has been in flux. The pass catchers have been inconsistent. The defense has been gashed. The offensive line, however, has been healthy and somewhat effective. For New York, that’s a…

NFL Ravens sign DT Travis Jones to three-year, $40.5 million contract extension Due to a pending grievance, there was uncertainty whether Jones would be a free agent this offseason. This extension settles that, making it a moot point. The Ravens now have the defensive tackle under contract through 2028. Jones — a blossoming nose tackle…

NCAAF Toledo hires Mike Jacobs as head coach Jacobs, coming to Toledo after two seasons as Mercer’s head coach, will have big shoes to fill. Jason Candle is off to Connecticut, but the expectations for the Rockets aren’t going anywhere. Toledo hasn’t had a losing season since 2009, and Jacobs will be tasked with continuing…

MLB Phillies sign DH Kyle Schwarber to five-year, $150 million contract Schwarber has always been a unique talent — limited in some areas, but overpowering enough in others to offset his weaknesses. Those limitations were more obvious early in his career, but as the years have gone by, Schwarber has gotten better and better. Now…

NCAAF Tulane promotes Will Hall to head coach Tulane has become a pretty good job. The Green Wave struggled mightily for the first 15 years of this century, but Willie Fritz eventually got the program on the right track. He then left for Houston, making Jon Sumrall Tulane’s next head coach. In two seasons, Sumrall…

NCAAF 2026 five-star WR Chris Henry Jr. signs with Ohio State Henry committed to the Buckeyes over two years ago, but that didn’t stop suitors from pushing for a flip. Those programs, namely Oregon and USC, surely offered the five star loads of money. That’s the recruiting world we live in. Loyalty still matters, however.…

NCAAF James Madison to hire Billy Napier as head coach As James Madison is set to play for the Sun Belt championship tonight, Napier is primed to return to the conference. From 2018-2021, the former Florida head coach guided Louisiana to two league titles, compiling a 40-12 mark overall with the Rajin’ Cajuns. Things didn’t…

NCAAF 2026 five-star QB Jared Curtis commits to Vanderbilt There was rampant speculation that Curtis, previously committed to Georgia, would flip to the Commodores. Thus, the news of this pledge isn’t stunning, but it represents a seismic shift in the upper level of college football. For years — decades, even — the top talent was…

NCAAF UCLA to hire Bob Chesney as head coach College football’s head coaching carousel is up and running, and no program wants to be left without one of its top choices. With this move, UCLA is ensuring it avoids that fate. Chesney isn’t a slam-dunk hire, but he’s won everywhere and appears ready for the…