Sports

Jameis Winston signs with the Giants is now a done deal. No Aaron Rodgers return to NY.

Published

2 weeks ago

March 23, 2025

Jan 5, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) looks on during the first quarter of their game against the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

A veteran QB signed with a New York team on Friday night, but neither Aaron Rodgers nor the New York Jets were involved in the transaction.

The New York Giants signed 31-year-old free agent QB Jameis Winston to a two-year, $8 million deal. Winston is seen as New York’s expected starter, and if the Giants draft Shedeur Sanders at No. 3 overall in the upcoming NFL draft, they’d probably have Sanders work behind Winston as a backup for a season or two before throwing him into the fire.

Winston’s two-year deal supports such a plan.

What does this mean for Rodgers, a future Hall of Famer whom the Jets recently moved on from? The Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers were widely seen as Rodgers’ remaining two landing spots.

One can deduce that the Giants wouldn’t have signed Winston on Friday night if they felt that Rodgers was still an option. This means that Rodgers — who met with the Steelers on Friday — is ostensibly facing two choices: join the Steelers or retire.

Without any other known courses of action for Rodgers on the table, one would think that a decision will arrive soon, but then again, this is Aaron Rodgers we’re dealing with. He’s been known to delay decisions of this nature and take his time figuring out his next move.

It’s the Steelers who are more than likely motivated to figure out their QB situation immediately, and definitely before the draft. Hence, a Rodgers announcement — one way or another — could arrive in the coming days.

I mean, literally, how long can the Steelers for Rodgers to sign.

NFL Drama: Teams Tire as Aaron Rodgers Mulls Retirement

Will Rodgers be Pittsburgh’s next quarterback, or will he decide to hang up his cleats? Even if the 41-year-old were to not play in 2025, there’s no telling whether he’d be done for good, especially if another team came calling next offseason.

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Minor League Baseball’s Emeralds Ownership Plans To Leave Eugene

Published

1 hour ago

April 2, 2025

Austin Reed

Eugene voters said no to funding a baseball park in May 2024

Medford could be a relocation site.

For people in Oregon who enjoy going to Eugene Emeralds minor league baseball games, this could be the last year that they could go out to the ballpark and have a nice day or night out. The Emeralds’ ownership is done talking to local politicians who cannot come up with money for a new ballpark to be built in town. The Emeralds’ ownership group put out a statement. “After four years of extensive efforts to secure a long-term home in Eugene, the Eugene Emeralds have reached a difficult conclusion: the future of professional baseball in the Emerald Valley is coming to a certain end. The organization has explored multiple options, including a proposed stadium at the Lane County Fairgrounds and potential renovations to PK Park.”

The Eugene Emeralds baseball team is a High-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants organization. The partnership began in 2021. That year, 2021, Major League Baseball reorganized the minor leagues. MLB created an entity called the Professional Development League and cut the number of minor league teams affiliated with MLB to 120. MLB also created a new set of rules for working conditions and team facilities and gave local owners and municipalities four years to either renovate or build new stadiums in that time frame or have a deal in place for a new or renovated facility. The Emeralds ownership and local politicians came up with a plan for a new facility and sent the proposal out for a vote. Eugene residents in May 2024 said no to allocating $15 million in public funding to help pay for the stadium. Emeralds’ ownership is looking at the nearby Medford market as a possible relocation site. There may be other communities in the mix. For the time being, the Emeralds ownership is staying in Eugene until someone decides to fund a new stadium somewhere.

Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191

Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com

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Paul Skenes earns his first victory of the season, Pirates beat Rays 4-2

Published

2 hours ago

April 2, 2025

Austin Reed

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes delivers to the Tampa Bay Rays during the second inning of a baseball game Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Paul Skenes needed nearly three innings to warm up Wednesday, then struck out six over seven innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Oneil Cruz hit his second home run of the season and drove in another to give Skenes, the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year, his first win of 2025.

The 22-year-old right-hander did not walk a batter and was on the mound when the Rays scored an unearned run in the sixth. Isaiah Kiner-Falefa’s throwing error on Jonn DeLuca’s ground ball allowed the Rays their only runner in scoring position against Skenes. He scored on Brandon Lowe’s groundout.

Skenes generated 13 swings-and-misses, but did not strike out his first batter until the third inning, a career first for him.

Ryan Pepiot pitched five innings for the Rays, allowing two runs on five hits, striking out three and walking three.

Key Moment

With one out in the top of the fifth, Cruz drove a changeup from Ryan Pepiot 391 feet to left-center field to give the Pirates a two-run lead.

Key Stat

It was the first time in his career that Skenes went the first two innings of a game without recording a strikeout. His first strikeout came with two outs in the third inning when he got Lowe to swing and miss on three pitches.

Up Next

The Pirates head back to Pittsburgh to open their season at PNC Park on Friday against the New York Yankees with RHP Mitch Keller on the mound.

The Tampa Bay Rays head to Texas with Zack Littell set to face RHP Tyler Mahle.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com

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Guentzel, Vasilevskiy help Lightning beat Islanders 4-1 for 4th straight win

Published

12 hours ago

April 2, 2025

Austin Reed

The puck gets past Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) on a goal scored by Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov during the second period of an NHL hockey game Monday, March 3, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

NEW YORK (AP) — Jake Guentzel had a goal and an assist, Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 28 shots, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the New York Islanders 4-1 on Tuesday night for their fourth straight win to inch closer to clinching a playoff spot.

Oliver Bjorkstrand scored his 20th of the season, Victor Hedman also scored and Nick Paul added an empty-netter for the Lightning. Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point each added two assists.

Bo Horvat scored a short-handed goal for New York and Ilya Sorokin made 19 saves as the Islanders lost their sixth straight (0-4-2), further diminishing their slim playoff hopes.

Guentzel scored the tiebreaking goal at 8:09 of the second period. Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech inexplicably left Guentzel alone and Kucherov delivered a beautiful pass to set up the go-ahead goal.

Hedman made it 3-1 about 2 1/2 minutes later, and Paul capped the scoring into an empty net with 3 1/2 minutes left in the third.

Takeaways

Lightning: Vasilevskiy recorded his 36th win of the regular season, trailing only Connor Hellebuyck of NHL-leading Winnipeg Jets.

Islanders: Sorokin started four of the Islanders previous six losses, allowing 14 goals during that stretch.

Key Moment

Horvat missed a one-timer during an Islanders two-man advantage roughly five minutes into the second period while the game was even at 1-1. Tampa Bay then scored twice in the period to take a 3-1 lead.

Key stat

Kucherov’s two assists raised his season total to 111 points and reclaimed the NHL scoring lead. Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon is in second place with 110.