Burke Sports Talk

NBA Suns fire head coach Mike Budenholzer It didn’t take long for hotshot Mat Ishbia to turn the Suns into one of the biggest laughing stocks in the NBA. Phoenix had a dreadful 36-46 season, wildly underachieving with some of the worst vibes imaginable. Still, that shouldn’t be pinned on Budenholzer, an accomplished head coach…

Play-In Eastern Conference Magic 1, Hawks 0Heat 1, Bulls 0 Heat 1, Hawks 0 Western Conference Warriors 1, Grizzlies 0Kings 1, Mavericks 0 Kings 1, Grizzlies 0 First Round Eastern Conference Cavaliers 4, Heat 0Celtics 4, Magic 1Knicks 4, Pistons 1Bucks 4, Pacers 2 Western Conference Thunder 4, Kings 0Warriors 4, Rockets 2Lakers 4, Timberwolves…

NCAAB Alcorn State hires Jake Morton as head coach This move doesn’t inspire much confidence. Morton will head to Alcorn State from Florida State, where he served as an assistant coach for one season. Previously, Morton received a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA for illegal recruiting tactics. Grade: D-

NCAAB Samford hires Lennie Acuff as head coach Samford losing Bucky McMillan was a massive blow, but replacing him with Acuff should help ease the hit. Acuff, 60, is older than McMillan, but brings a winning pedigree. Compiling a 110-82 mark at Lipscomb, Acuff has won at both Division I and Division II, and is…

NBA Nuggets fire head coach Michael Malone I don’t understand anything anymore. It was strange enough when the Grizzlies fired Taylor Jenkins a few weeks ago, but this dismissal is surprising on a whole other level. The vibes in Denver certainly haven’t been positive recently, but Malone was in Year 10 of guiding the franchise.…

MLB Blue Jays sign 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to 14-year, $500 million contract extension Negotiations between these two parties had become somewhat contentious, and it seemed, at least for a while, that Guerrero Jr. would test free agency after this season. That, however, was before Toronto came in with this offer, which met the slugger’s…

NFL Raiders sign QB Geno Smith to two-year, $85.5 million contract extension It was at least a little odd that the Raiders traded for Smith without a contract extension in place, even if the cost was just a third-round pick. Now, Las Vegas has stability at quarterback, though at a high price. Smith is worth…

MLB Padres sign CF Jackson Merrill to nine-year, $135 million contract extension When MLB teams extend talented young players, it’s almost always good business for the club. Securing key building blocks — usually at a significantly discounted price — gives franchises flexibility to plan for the future and add around those players. On the other…

NCAAB Maryland hires Buzz Williams as head coach Williams must like moving, because the 52-year-old is king of the lateral move. From 2008-2014, Williams was the head coach at Marquette, and then departed for Virginia Tech. Weird, right? But at that point, Williams changing jobs wasn’t a trend — at least not yet. After five…

NCAAF 2026 five-star S Blaine Bradford commits to Ohio State I wasn’t expecting Bradford to commit this early, nor to leave the state of Louisiana. For essentially a generation, LSU has had a stronghold on in-state players — particularly those on defense — so Ohio State securing Bradford’s pledge is quite surprising. The No. 1…

NBA Grizzlies fire head coach Taylor Jenkins This was surprising, even to type. There has to be more to this story, right? Whether there is or isn’t, the Grizzlies made this move sitting in fifth place in the West at 44-29. It’s understandable to feel this particular team has maxed out and is in need…

NCAAB Drake hires Eric Henderson as head coach The Drake job has become a revolving door of sorts in recent years, and that’s as bad as it gets for program stability. Darian DeVries departing for West Virginia last year was expected, but losing Ben McCollum after just one season — a stellar one, at that…

NFL Giants sign QB Russell Wilson to one-year, $21 million contract New York is opting for a quantity over quality — as if it had a choice — approach to its quarterbacks room. Given the value of this deal, though, Wilson should be the prohibitive favorite to start for the Giants, over Jameis Winston and…

NCAAB Iowa hires Ben McCollum as head coach Iowa moving on from Fran McCaffery was surprising, simply because of how long he served as the Hawkeyes’ head coach. Now, the decision makes complete sense. McCollum is a gem of head coach — a strategist that can quickly build a program and win with the best…

NCAAB Fordham fires head coach Keith Urgo The Atlantic 10 is a difficult place for Fordham to compete, so expectations for Urgo were probably too high. It’s not like he fared poorly, either, as the Rams finished 25-8 in 2023, his first season on the job. The program’s record tanked following that, but this dismissal…

NFL Patriots sign C Garrett Bradbury to two-year, $12 million contract Ah, my favorite caveat — this deal is worth up to $12 million. It’s probably worth more like $10 million, but whatever, we’ll go with the reported amount. Bradbury is a solid starting center — nothing more and nothing less. For New England, that’ll…

NFL Texans sign CB Derek Stingley to three-year, $90 million contract extension Finally, a significant shift at the top of the cornerback market. Stingley’s payout still doesn’t approach the wacky recent figures of Ja’Marr Chase or Myles Garrett, but he’s now the NFL’s highest-paid corner by a good margin. Despite that, this is a fine…

First Four (16) St. Francis vs. (16) Alabama State The most inconsequential game of the tournament. Each team is playing for the right to get slaughtered by Auburn. (11) North Carolina vs. (11) San Diego State North Carolina doesn’t belong in the field, but that’s due to a horrendous record against good competition, not a…

American League East Central West National League East Central West Postseason ALWC Astros 2, Twins 0Rangers 2, Yankees 1 NLWC Phillies 2, Cubs 0Padres 2, Mets 1 ALDS Rangers 3, Mariners 1Orioles 3, Astros 2 NLDS Dodgers 3, Padres 1Braves 3, Phillies 2 ALCS Orioles 4, Rangers 2 NLCS Dodgers 4, Braves 3 World Series…

NFL Ravens sign QB Cooper Rush to two-year, $12.2 million contract Rush isn’t a quarterback I’d want under center for more than a few games per year, but he’s a capable and experienced backup still in the prime of his career. The 31-year-old was overextended in 2024 with Dallas, playing in 12 games, while finishing…