NIL

Boston Red Sox should just call up the prospects and let them play

Published

7 months ago

May 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

John Rooke
| Special to The Providence Journal

The Red Sox are struggling with a .500 record despite Garrett Crochet’s strong pitching performance.
The team’s underperformance is attributed to a combination of injuries, lack of production from veterans, and questionable managerial decisions by Alex Cora.
The article also touches upon other sports news, including NIL deals, college basketball scheduling, and the NBA playoffs.

Thinking out loud…while wondering if baseball managers and diapers should both be changed regularly for the same reason…

X post of the Week, from @Jared_Carrabis: “The fact that the Red Sox are .500 (6-6) in Garrett Crochet starts when he’s rocking a 2.04 ERA takes the whole .500 Sox thing to a new level.”

Oh, and here’s another gem… Crochet has allowed six hits in the 12 lead-off at bats he’s faced in his Red Sox starts. Two of those were first-pitch-of-the-game home runs. So, it’s not just a lack of support. It’s a lack of baseball common sense.

What are we doing here? Short of letting Alex Cora go… which is unlikely thanks to his offseason contract extension…it’s time to perform a full makeover on the Boston Red Sox and figure out how to fix this mess of a season.

Cue the annual cry of “they’re ruinin’ my summah!’ And summah hasn’t even started yet.

Marcelo Mayer is predictably struggling early in the wake of Alex Bregman’s unfortunate boo-boo. Kristian Campbell’s talents are fading faster than your new pair of jeans. But the younger guys get the benefit of any doubt…because they’re young and not jaded by selfishness or mysterious injuries. At least not yet. Let’s call up the kids and let them play.

We’re past the stage of waiting on veterans to produce. By this time, they either can’t or won’t. Tristan Casas, Trevor Story, Connor Wong, David Hamilton, Rafael Devers’ aversion to picking up a glove, the entire pitching staff… sure, injuries are a factor in the lack of production, but even when healthy none of these guys carried his own load, much less that of others missing in the lineup.

And none other than Hall of Famer Jim Rice, who sits in NESN’s TV studio watching over Red Sox nation like a man who knows – he likely does – and has suggested the team stop being something they aren’t. They’ve lost their power. Play small(er) ball. Maybe a guy with his credentials should have a bit more attention paid to his observations.

Back to Devers for a moment. Please. He’s driven in some runs. But he’s coasting, because the manager ‘has his back.’ He won’t play where he’s needed, for the good of the team. And you will support that thought every time you go to Fenway.

Not for nuthin,’ but Cora is coasting, too. He’s got a head-scratcher of a decision going for him nearly every game. Pulling pitchers early. Leaving them in too long. Refusing to consider positional moves that could benefit the team. There are a hundred games left to play, but there might as well be a million.

He’s checked out. He’s trying to squeeze a square peg into the round hole in front of him.

Why is this team waiting on calling up Roman Anthony? There’s nowhere to put a guy with a near-four-digit OPS into your lineup? The best possible lineup has yet to be put in play this season by Cora and/or Craig Breslow, for one reason or another.

Here’s the SOS. Save Our Season. Call up all the kids. Let ‘em learn on the job. Let’s get a glimpse of what might still be someday, to see if they can play the game… and figure out if there is any shred of recognizable baseball intelligence still within the front office that doesn’t rely on a slide rule.

If you’re not firing the manager, and you can’t fire all the players (even if they’re deserving), that’s what’s left of our summah.

Remember this as you’re singing “Sweet Caroline” after the All-Star break at Fenway, having just paid $100 to park, $200+ for tickets and these darned Sox are already out of postseason contention.

∎And keep laughing, Yankee fan. You haven’t won anything yet. But you do have a lead over Boston. Looks like you’ll keep it, too.

∎My buddy “Big E” sez the amount of self-control it takes to NOT say what’s on his mind is so immense…he needs a nap afterward.

∎ICYMI: Big 12 schools received a record $500 million in revenue for the 2023-24 school year. But ACC schools also received all-time shares from their media contracts, placing third behind the Big Ten and SEC. As US District Judge Claudia Wilken continues to consider the NCAA House settlement, attorneys representing the NCAA have revised plans for walking back the number of roster spots per sport that could be lost in the deal. Any new plan would be optional for schools to follow. As an athlete’s eligibility expires, in some sports, those roster spots would be rolled back.

So far, the Big Ten, SEC, Big 12 and ACC have all agreed to support this “grandfathered” approach to roster limits.How big is NIL these days? The latest example is 6-9 Yaxel Lendeborg – a potential first-round NBA Draft pick – deciding to return to college to play at Michigan. He played at Alabama-Birmingham a year ago. And even the last pick of the first round is projected to sign for $14.1 million.

∎Likely not in the same financial category, but you never know… Fall River’s Joson Sanon announced he’s withdrawing from the NBA Draft and will head to St. John’s for next season.

∎Scheduling tidbits: A great idea – UConn’s men and women will face Boston College’s men and women in an Oct. 13 exhibition double-header at Mohegan Sun; the Friars will open Nov. 3 against Holy Cross, and play a second game at Mohegan Sun, against Virginia Tech… with a Hall of Fame Game already scheduled for the casino against Penn State. Kentucky will host Georgetown in an exhibition game on Oct. 30.

∎Villanova and new coach Kevin Willard will open the college season Nov. 3 against super-freshman A.J. Dybantsa and BYU… while UConn will reportedly face BYU in November at TD Garden in Boston. Creighton and St. John’s are likely headed for Vegas and the Players’ Era NIL tourney.

∎Providence head coach Kim English held a Zoom Q&A chat with PC season ticket holders and media this week – of note, Corey Floyd was considering a transfer. English told him, “no you’re not.” Sez a lot, doesn’t it? And the Friars won’t be home to open the next three years with ComiCon being held at the AMP and Convention Center.

∎Speaking of Friar hoop, Shaun Brown is the new strength and conditioning/High Performance coach for the men’s basketball team, replacing Chase Campbell who resigned last month. Brown was head strength coach at PC from 1989-92 while Rick Barnes was head coach and was also later the strength coach for the Celtics, and most recently at West Virginia.

∎First-year Bryant coach Jamion Christian has three new portal additions that will likely be leaned on, heavily, as the Bulldogs attempt to defend their America East title. Fifth year forward James Cooper, who stands 6-8, transfers from Oregon, 6-8 small forward Quincy Allen comes from Chicago State and 6-2 point guard Jayhlon Young moves to Smithfield from College Park, MD.

∎Not sure why Al Horford wants to keep playing at this stage of his life. We’ve heard what he’s said but now is as good a time to retire as any, unless he simply needs the money. Is that even possible? I will say this – for a team that will face certain challenges next season, Horford can often be a steadying presence. But is that good enough?

∎Show of hands here – who is surprised at the Knicks getting Knocked around by the Pacers in the NBA Eastern Conference finals?

∎Speaking of knocks… the Buffalo Bills get the feature slot on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” once NFL training camp rolls around. And the in-season version of the show will focus on the NFC East division, as 2025 will be the first season of a new, multi-year deal between NFL Films and HBO.

∎What’s the big deal over Patriots’ WR Stefon Diggs’ party video on a boat with some pink powder? He missed a voluntary Organized Team Activity? You knew what you were signing up for when you brought him in, didn’t you? Didn’t you?

∎Has Jordon Hudson had her 15 minutes of fame, yet? Apparently not – a quick search for North Carolina football brings up the latest in rumor and innuendo surrounding coach Bill Belichick’s girlfriend. I’ll say this – I have interest in Tar Heel football this fall for the first time. Like ever.

∎We should be so proud. Bookies.com just released a survey of the NFL’s most foul-mouthed fans… based on the profanity they’ve used on social media. It’s the only thing the J-E-T-S have been good at in more than 50 years, but Patriot fans rank fourth out of 32 teams, behind the NYJ, Eagles and Bills.

∎URI baseball is downright offensive. But that’s a good thing. The Rams’ offense was primarily responsible for Rhody winning the Atlantic-10 regular season and tournament championships, placing them in Baton Rouge, Louisiana this weekend for the NCAA regionals.

The Rams’ 3-seed in the four-team regional is their highest seed achieved in their third NCAA appearance. The offense averages better than nine runs per game and ranks in the national Top 15 in multiple categories – walks, hits, on-base percentage, runs scored, runs per game and triples.

It has been a solid spring for baseball in Rhode Island. Bryant won the America East regular-season title but lost in extra innings to Binghamton in the conference tournament championship game and missed out on the NCAAs. At the Division III level, Salve Regina and Johnson & Wales both reached the NCAA Tournament, with the Seahawks coming one win away from qualifying for a second straight World Series.

Sorry, Boston. I know Northeastern also made the NCAAs, but at least we can play baseball at a consistently high level around here. Just sayin’.

Interested in having your questions on Rhode Island sports (and yes, that includes the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins, and Celtics) answered in a somewhat timely fashion? Think out loud and send your questions, comments, and local stories to jrbroadcaster@gmail.com. We’ll share mailbag comments right here! Join me on Twitter/X, @JRbroadcaster…and on Instagram and Threads @JRbroadcaster.

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NIL

Miami WR Malachi Toney Announces Career News Amid College Football Season

Published

2 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The No. 10 seed Miami Hurricanes defeated the No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies 10-3 in the first round of the College Football Playoff. It was a defensive battle, ultimately decided by a late fourth-quarter score and red-zone interception by Miami.

With the score tied at 3 and 1 minute, 44 seconds left in the game, Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney scored on an 11-yard touchdown pass thrown by quarterback Carson Beck.

Up next for the Hurricanes is a Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic matchup against the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes. It’s an uphill battle, as ESPN’s matchup predictor gives the Hurricanes a 29.5% chance of winning.

Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney (10).© Robert Myers-Imagn Images

Before his heroic performance, though, the wide receiver revealed an exciting Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) update. In a joint Instagram post, Toney revealed a new NIL partnership with Hellstar, a popular clothing brand that has a sports training component.

“We are so proud to announce our first Hellstar Sports College Athlete NIL signing – Malachi Toney🌟.,” the post caption read. “We had the privilege to coach @malitoney10 while he was apart of our high school 7 on 7 program, so now seeing him shine on the collegiate level we couldn’t be more proud.”

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NIL

What Colorado’s Athletic Department Valuation Says About Buffaloes’ Growth

Published

3 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

In the growing landscape of college athletics, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals play a vital role in sports. Some programs are set up better than others based on a program’s valuation. Programs with higher valuations can help some of the top-performing teams stay successful.

CNBC released its valuation rankings for the country’s athletic departments, showing their growth from the 2024 fiscal year. The Colorado Buffaloes are ranked No. 47 in the nation, a rise from No. 55 in 2024.

Colorado Buffaloes valuation NIL transfer portal Deion Sanders Coach Prime Big 12 College Football Basketball Folsom Field — Nov 25, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion ‘Coach Prime’ Sanders on the field against the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images | Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

Breaking Down Colorado Buffaloes’ Valuation Ranking

Colorado’s 2025 valuation is $574 million, with a year-over-year value change of 22 percent. The program’s 2024 revenue is set at $147 million, with a 16 percent year-over-year revenue change.

A program’s valuation determines its monetary worth, and it is important to look at the growth, which shows that Colorado is trending in the right direction. It is also important to note that the valuation rankings are based on all of the athletics, not just the football program.

Where Colorado Ranks In The Big 12

When focusing on the Big 12 conference, several of the programs are in the same vicinity with their valuation ranking.

No. 39 Kansas: $620M
No. 41 Oklahoma State: $600M
No. 42 Baylor: $585M
No. 46 Iowa State: $575M
No. 47 Colorado: $574M
No. 49 Texas Tech: $570M
No. 50 TCU: $568M
No. 55 Arizona: $529M
No. 57 BYU: $500M
No. 58 West Virginia: $481M
No. 60 Utah: $451M
No. 62 Kansas State: $435M
No. 63 Arizona State: $430M
No. 68 Cincinnati: $280M
No. 70 UCF: $262M
No. 73 Houston: $222M

MORE: Colorado Gets Hit With Biggest Transfer Portal Loss Yet

MORE: Michael Irvin Gets Real On Blame Surrounding Shedeur Sanders

MORE: Deion Sanders Faces Recruiting Problem After Omarion Miller Transfer News

While from the top valuation of Kansas to the bottom, which is Houston is a significant difference in the Big 12, the conference teams are still in a similar vicinity overall. With it having to do with all athletics, the programs that have consistently strong teams, such as Kansas’ basketball team, make sense to have a higher valuation.

Looking at the Big 12 as a whole shows that the Colorado Buffaloes are in the top five for their valuation and trending upward.

Calling Back To Deion Sanders’ Comments On Fairness

While valuation is not the same as revenue, seeing the difference in the conferences does call back to Colorado coach Deion Sanders’ comments on the fairness between programs. The schools in the top five for their valuation are either in the Big Ten or the SEC, and all are in the billions.

“You talk about equality,” Sanders said during the Big 12 media day. “All you have to do is look at the playoffs and see what those teams spent, and you understand darn near why they’re in the playoffs. It’s kind of hard to compete with somebody who’s giving $25, $30 million to a darn freshman class.”

Although the valuation is on the programs’ overall athletics, Sanders has been outspoken about money when it comes to building the football program. With the Buffaloes facing a mass exodus through the transfer portal, Sanders has highlighted that several players are leaving because of money.

The positive side is that the Buffaloes’ valuation is growing with a 22 percent increase. This shows that the school’s athletics overall are being valued higher, and will help lead to more money poured into the program. With more money, the Buffaloes can put more of an emphasis on NIL as they look to build their roster and compete in the Big 12.

Insider Reveals Biggest Reason Behind Colorado’s Transfer Portal Mass Exodus

Published

3 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

From a player retention standpoint, the first few weeks of the offseason haven’t been kind to the Colorado Buffaloes.

Several key Buffs have announced their intentions to enter the college football transfer portal when it opens next month, including wide receiver Omarion Miller, safety Tawfiq Byard and freshman defensive end Alexander McPherson. While every situation is unique, one Colorado insider believes money has been a common denominator among players’ reasons for leaving Boulder.

Insider Reasons Colorado Transfer Portal Exodus Buffaloes NIL Deion Sanders Alexander McPherson Tawfiq Byard Omarion Miller — Oct 25, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Omarion Miller (4) is tackled by Utah Utes defensive back JC Hart (14) during the second half at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

“The super majority of those people, I’m talking 95 percent, are going to be leaving for a bigger bag,” Thee Pregame Show’s Uncle Neely said on his YouTube channel. “This ain’t transferring in 1990. This ain’t transferring in the year 2000. This is 2025. This is business now. This isn’t, ‘Oh, I don’t like the coach. Oh, I don’t want to be treated the way they treat me.’

“This doesn’t mean something is wrong. These are business decisions now. But what we like to do is run with the narrative that woe is me, something must be wrong, something must be going on. How are all these people leaving?”

The NIL (name, image and likeness) era has rocked college football, and the depressing truth is that schools with more money will ultimately land the best players. In the Big 12, no school better exemplifies that trend than new conference champion Texas Tech.

Who’s Leaving Colorado?

As of Sunday, 16 Colorado players will enter the transfer portal next month. That group includes 12 defensive players, six members of the Buffs’ 2025 high school signing class and a few other Buffs who spent only one season in Boulder.

Below is an updated list of Colorado players who plan on entering the transfer portal:

Safety TJ Branch
Defensive lineman Jehiem Oatis
Cornerback Noah King
Cornerback Teon Parks
Linebacker Mantrez Walker
Safety Terrance Love
Safety Tawfiq Byard
Wide receiver Omarion Miller
Defensive tackle Brandon Davis-Swain
Offensive lineman Carde Smith
Defensive end Alexander McPherson
Offensive lineman Tyler Brown
Defensive tackle Gavriel Lightfoot
Defensive tackle Christian Hudson
Defensive tackle Tawfiq Thomas
Wide receiver Dre’lon Miller

Uncle Neely shared his take that Colorado’s losses should be replaceable via the transfer portal.

“Have you ever stopped to say, what am I actually losing by those people leaving?” Uncle Neely said. “Have you ever looked at the numbers production-wise of who has announced that they’re getting up out of here and what you’re actually losing by them leaving?… Is it replaceable via the portal? And in this business in college football, is it replaceable cheaper? I would wager to say the answer is yes in all regards.”

MORE: Colorado Gets Hit With Biggest Transfer Portal Loss Yet

MORE: Michael Irvin Gets Real On Blame Surrounding Shedeur Sanders

MORE: Deion Sanders Faces Recruiting Problem After Omarion Miller Transfer News

The college football transfer portal will open on Jan. 2 and close Jan. 16. Colorado coach Deion Sanders and his staff can begin adding players from the portal at the start of that period.

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Report: LSU finalizes deal to hire Ole Miss’ Kevin Smith, puts him among highest paid RBs coaches

Published

4 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Lane Kiffin is bringing another Ole Miss assistant with him to LSU. According to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, the Tigers have finalized a deal to hire Rebels running backs coach Kevin Smith for the same role.

Smith is reported to have a salary of close to $1 million, which would make him one of the highest-paid running backs coaches in the country. He is the sixth Ole Miss assistant to follow Kiffin to Baton Rouge.

The other coaches joining Kiffin at LSU are offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., tight ends coach Joe Cox, receivers coach Joe McDonald, inside receivers coach Sawyer Jordan and quarterbacks coach Dane Stevens. So far no defensive assistants from the Rebels have made the jump to Baton Rouge.

Smith worked with Kiffin as a running backs coach at Florida Atlantic form 2017-19 and joined his very first staff at Ole Miss in 2020. He stayed for the next two seasons in Oxford before leaving to take the running backs coach position at Miami in 2022.

Smith’s stint with the Hurricanes was a short-lived one as he returned to Ole Miss in 2023 and stayed through this season. Now he’ll look to continue the success he has enjoyed with Kiffin while building up the running backs room at LSU.

Smith helped to develop running backs such as Quinshon Judkins and Kewan Lacy during his time in Oxford. This past season, Ole Miss ranked fifth in the SEC with 185.6 rushing yards per game as Lacy led the conference with 21 rushing touchdowns and ranked second with 1,366 yards.

Ole Miss had its best season in program history this year to reach the College Football Playoff for the first time. However, Kiffin was not granted permission from the school to finish out the season with the Rebels after he accepted the LSU job.

Other assistants, including offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., were allowed to complete the playoff run with Ole Miss. The Rebels defeated Tulane in the first round and will face No. 3 Georgia, which they lost to earlier this season, in the quarterfinals.

As of right now, it looks like most of the Ole Miss offensive staff will follow Kiffin to Baton Rouge. The defensive side keep defensive coordinator Blake Baker, who has been on staff at LSU since 2024.

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Former 4-star QB announces plans to enter college football transfer portal

Published

8 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The quarterback market is expected to be extremely competitive this offseason.

A ton of experienced signal-callers have announced their decisions to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, including Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt, North Texas’ Drew Mestemaker, Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby, and TCU’s Josh Hoover, among countless others.

The right move can benefit young quarterbacks, as players such as USC’s Jayden Maiava and Oregon’s Dante Moore benefited from transferring early in their careers.

An offseason coaching change has led one former blue-chip recruit to explore his options in the portal.

Former Four-Star Quarterback Expected To Enter Portal

On Sunday, Memphis true freshman quarterback Antwann “AJ” Hill announced his plans to leave the program after one season, per On3.

Hill appeared in two games in 2025, earning a redshirt. His most extensive action came in a 31-24 loss to UAB on October 18. Hill entered the contest after starting quarterback Brendon Lewis went down with an injury. In roughly two quarters of action, he completed 13/25 passes for 176 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception.

On the season, Hill connected on 19/32 passes for 223 yards with 1 touchdown to 1 interception.

Hill is transferring after Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield was hired away by Arkansas. The Razorbacks don’t have a ton of depth at quarterback. Redshirt freshman KJ Jackson holds the most experience on the roster with five appearances and one start last season.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if Arkansas is involved in Hill’s transfer recruitment.

Hill was one of the highest-ranked prospects in program history to sign with Memphis. He was regarded as the No. 15 QB and a top-200 recruit in the 2025 class. Hill chose the Tigers over Florida following official visits to both schools.

During his prep career at Houston County High School, Hill compiled over 11,000 passing yards and led his team to at least one playoff victory in all three seasons as a starter.

Overall, Hill completed 800-of-1239 passes for 11,020 yards with 123 touchdowns to 20 interceptions. He added six more scores on the ground.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound quarterback is expected to have four seasons of eligibility remaining.

Former Carolina wide receiver set for WWE main roster debut

Published

9 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Former South Carolina wide receiver Matrick Belton is reportedly going to get a real shot on the main roster in the WWE. Belton, who goes by Trick Williams in the top professional wrestling and sports entertainment company, joined WWE in 2021 in the NXT brand. Now, he’s going to move up to either the Raw or Smackdown roster.

NXT is basically the developmental arm of WWE while Raw and Smackdown – shows on Mondays and Fridays, respectively – are considered the main roster. According to this report from PWInsider.com, Belton will make an appearance on the upcoming Smackdown, which was pre-taped.

Whether Belton moves to Raw or Smackdown is to be determined. Here’s the reporting from PWInsider:

Former WWE NXT and TNA Champion Trick Williams will debut on Smackdown on 12/26 with the storyline being he’s a free agent looking to sign with the brand. We are told Williams has not been officially listed internally on a brand yet, so he could appear on Raw in the upcoming weeks as well, but he’ll be moving to the main roster in 2026.

Belton is a two-time NXT champion and also held the TNA World Championship for 140 days earlier this year. Belton, a former SEC football player who was in the Philadelphia Eagles’ minicamp in 2018, recently got engaged to another former SEC athlete – women’s basketball player Anriel Howard, who played for three years at Texas A&M and her final year at Mississippi State.

Belton, a Columbia native who played for Keenan High School, joined the program in 2014 after spending his first two years out of high school at Hampton University. After sitting out due to NCAA transfer rules, Belton played in every game for South Carolina in 2015 and made five starts. He caught 11 passes for 121 yards his first season on the field.

As a senior in 2016, he played primarily on special teams, appearing in nine games. He played in 21 games over the course of his two-year career with the Gamecocks and made five starts.

Belton also spent time in training camp with Philadelphia Eagles. However, he decided to take a chance on pro wrestling and started training at the Combat Zone Wrestling Academy in New Jersey.

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