Sources: Magic, Franz Wagner agree on $224M rookie extension​

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner has agreed on a five-year, $224 million rookie contract extension -- a deal that could become worth as much as $269 million, sources told ESPN on Friday.

Just sayin': I never like to see scUM players do well in "the pros".........

ScriptOhio said:

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Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith made a bold claim at Wednesday’s congressional hearing on NIL regarding the Buckeyes’ 2022 College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Georgia, Ross Dellenger reports, stating that they would have won the national championship if not for a concussion wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. sustained in the Peach Bowl.

Harrison took a big hit in the end zone from Georgia defensive back Javon Bullard that in real-time resulted in a targeting penalty, but upon review, the officials determined that there was no targeting on the play. The star receiver left the game as Ohio State held a 35-24 lead over the defending champion Bulldogs, who proceeded to pull off a fourth-quarter comeback and beat the Buckeyes on a last-second missed field goal attempt.

“We could have won a national championship last year if we would have let Marvin Harrison play,” Smith said. “But he had a bad hit. That is oversight.”

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I’ve never seen this and damn that’s rough.

I realize the precautions now but damn even our own AD thinks he should’ve played

Agent's Take: How a safety became the NFL's highest-paid DB for the first time in the salary cap era​

The Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield Jr. holds that title​

In the NFL salary hierarchy, cornerbacks traditionally rank ahead of safeties. That isn't the case anymore, at least temporarily with the top of these respective markets. A safety is the NFL's highest-paid defensive back for the first time during the salary cap era, which began in 1994.

The NFL's highest-paid defensive back is Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. The Buccaneers signed Winfield, who was designated as a franchise player for $17.123 million, to a four-year, $84.1 million contract averaging $21.025 million per year in May. Winfield replaced cornerback Jaire Alexander, who received a four-year, $84 million contract extension averaging $21 million per year from the Green Bay Packers in 2022, at the top of the defensive back salary totem pole.

Cornerback market stagnation and steady growth in the safety market are responsible for this unprecedented development. The top of the cornerback market has only increased by 5% since Jalen Ramsey became the NFL's first $20 million-per-year defensive back right before the 2020 regular season started. Ramsey signed a five-year, $100 million extension worth up to $105 million through salary escalators with the Los Angeles Rams.

The $15 million-per-year safety didn't exist at that time. Since the 2020 regular season ended, the top of the safety market has increased by 42.54%.

There is still a discrepancy in the guarantees with high-end cornerback and safeties contracts. Ramsey set records for cornerbacks with $43.703 million fully guaranteed at signing and $71.203 million in total guarantees. Denzel Ward was the first cornerback to eclipse both of Ramsey's marks in 2022. He signed a five-year, $100.5 million extension averaging $20.1 million per year containing $71.25 million in guarantees, of which $44.5 million was fully guaranteed at signing, with the Cleveland Browns. Winfield's $45 million in guarantees and fully guaranteed at signing are the most ever for a safety. Alexander and Ward both slightly moved the needle for cornerbacks two years ago. Ward's $20.1 million per year was a 0.5% increase over Ramsey's deal. Alexander bettered Ward by 4.48%.
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Only one season had me crying at the end and that was Jim Tressels 2002 team. 30 years of Fandom finally broke through at that time

ScriptOhio said:

NBA bans Jontay Porter for life after investigation reveals Raptors forward violated league gambling rules

The NBA found that, among other violations, Porter limited his own participation in games for betting purposes

www.cbssports.com

NBA bans Jontay Porter for life after investigation reveals Raptors forward violated league gambling rules​

The NBA found that, among other violations, Porter limited his own participation in games for betting purposes​

The NBA issued a lifetime ban to Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter on Wednesday for violating league gambling rules. After an investigation, the league found Porter guilty of "disclosing confidential information to sports bettors, limiting his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes, and betting on NBA games."

The 24-year-old Porter, who is the younger brother of Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., went undrafted in 2019 and made his NBA debut with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2021. After spending time with multiple G League teams, he inked a two-way deal with the Raptors in December 2023 and made 26 appearances with the team this season. He last played on March 22, and was inactive for the remainder of the season after ESPN reported on March 25 that the league was looking into gambling irregularities.

"There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport, which is why Jontay Porter's blatant violations of our gaming rules are being met with the most severe punishment," NBA commissioner Adam Silver stated in a press release.

"While legal sports betting creates transparency that helps identify suspicious or abnormal activity, this matter also raises important issues about the sufficiency of the regulatory framework currently in place, including the types of bets offered on our games and players. Working closely with all relevant stakeholders across the industry, we will continue to work diligently to safeguard our league and game."
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Banned NBA player Jontay Porter to face federal felony charge​

Former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter will be charged with a federal felony connected to the sports betting scandal that spurred the NBA to ban him, court papers indicate.

Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn filed what's known as a criminal information sheet Tuesday. The document doesn't specify a court date or the charge or charges, but it does show the case is related to an existing prosecution of four men charged with scheming to cash in on tips from a player about his plans to exit two games early.

Porter's lawyer, Jeff Jensen, said last month that Porter had been "in over his head due to a gambling addiction" but was getting treatment and cooperating with law enforcement.
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“I’m used to seeing people promoted ahead of me: friends, co-workers, Tibor. I never thought it’d be my own wife.”
“Well, maybe you’d get promoted if you worked a little harder.”
“Are you kidding? I work like a Japanese beaver!”
“Oh really? I came to see you three times today. Twice you were sleeping and once you were kicking that ball of electrical tape around.”

Man it would be hard for me to spend a quarter of that money in my lifetime and he lost it in a decade. Pathetic

Tomateaux Quinoa Gumbeaux said:

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Id say he's doing alright. 2 more of those and I'm joining the LDS myself!

TITLE TIME. Jamari Wheeler is a champion — or, to be more accurate, a campeon. Last week, the former Ohio State point guard helped Rayos de Hermosillo secure a Mexico CIBACOPA title over the Astros de Jalisco.

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Wheeler, who played three years at Penn State and one year at Ohio State before becoming a professional, spent last season with BC Prievidza in Slovakia. Following a couple of workouts for NBA G-League teams, Wheeler ended up in Hermosillo, where he appeared in 47 games and averaged 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game for Rayos.

In his team's four-game sweep of Jalisco, Wheeler averaged 10.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.3 steals per contest. His best performance came in Hermosillo's Game 3 win as the 6-foot-1, 170-pound guard scored 17 points and added six boards, seven helpers and three forced turnovers.

Bye

Thanks DaddyBB, was thinking the same thing, but glad to see thoughts confirmed. Will add to your comments, in that when the 'fall tour' goes on B10, it will NOT have 'Fall Tour- OSU' or somesuch, but just Fall Tour. Doesn't help we poor folk on the other end of the TV much at all. I agree that they're trying for fairness, which will only become more diluted now that the B10 has grown by four. On my TV at least, there's two other channels blocked out for B10 football games, so how about they add one or more camera crews to travel to other venues and capture two different sets of teams to plug on their channels? Know that it's expensive, but if they're paying a billion for the rights, then use 'em, huh? With an apology to the other members of the league, don't really hurry to watch a replay of X versus Y teams, unless it's our beloved Buckeyes. Maybe Texas had it right all along....maybe we need a Buckeye channel, and share rights with the B10. Betcha the ratings would be higher....if the Buckeye fan base all have TV sets. Go Bucks!

Former UConn star: Dan Hurley told me to 'get the hell out of here' and join NBA​

Donovan Clingan was the 7th pick of the NBA Draft​

Donovan Clingan wanted to contend for a three-peat, but Dan Hurley was having none of it.

The former UConn star helped the Huskies to a second straight national championship earlier this year.

For a second straight year, the Huskies won every tournament game by double-digits and won their sixth title in school history.

The big man cemented himself as not just a lottery pick, but a top-10 selection in the draft with his performance in the tournament, averaging 15.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.

Clingan spent two seasons at UConn, and he was looking for a third title.

But Hurley knocked some sense into him.

"I went into Coach Hurley’s office, and I was like, ‘Yo coach, I’ll come back. I’ll go for another one.’ He’s like ‘You’re out of your mind, bro. Get the hell out of here.’ And I guess I had to go," Clingan told the "Knuckleheads Podcast," hosted by ex-NBA players Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles.
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Did in fact look for something like this, but could not find. Please move if I missed.
OK, Looking forward to the B10 studio crew visiting the B10 schools with an hour or so vignette on how the teams are looking. Realize I'm a bit early, as fall practices are a month or so away, but.....Does anyone know when (or if) they will be scheduled, etc? Realize that with the four new additions, it will take a bit more to happen, but so enjoy listening to the plusses and minuses (or in the Buckeye's case, just the plusses). DiNardo knows his stuff, as do the others, and reviewing with the HC is always a treat. Hopefully one of you guys has some info. Go Bucks!

Oh8ch said:

This reads like Odom/Roy was a first to commit.

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One man's humble opinion, but the staff is in full pursuit for Hill and for good reason. He's more of an edge guy and thankfully we have Merrit and Mathis on board who are both legit. I don't see Dye as an interior DL, so I don't think Odom/Roy were the holdup rather than anticipating the 3 edge guys above being in this class

I don't know that this was a numbers game because he's a great player and we wanted him, but it could have turned into that. A lot can happen though, so this might be a guy we come back after if needed.

If you ever get a chance to see Ian Munsick, do it.

thanks.

NEW BEGINNINGS. Former Ohio State women's basketball standout Taylor Mikesell will continue her professional career in Munich, Germany, this summer after she signed a one-year contract with Gernika Bizkaia.

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The Indiana Fever selected Mikesell with a second-round pick (No. 12 overall) in the 2023 WNBA draft, but the team waived her that summer. Three weeks into the regular season, Mikesell signed with the Atlanta Dream and appeared in nine games. This past offseason, Mikesell earned a camp invite with the Los Angeles Sparks but did not make the final roster.

Why the defensive tackles are the key to the Ohio State football team's defense​

The Ohio State football team is going to have one of the best defenses in the country this season. The defensive tackles are the key to it.



The Ohio State football team is supposed to have one of the best defenses in the country this season. Last year, they were elite as well. Not only did they have the second-best scoring defense in the country, but they also had the best pass defense in the country.

The only part of the defense that wasn't as good was the run defense. They allowed 112.5 yards per game on the ground, which was the 23rd-best mark in the country. That's not bad, but it's not elite like the other numbers they put up. They also allowed the third-fewest total yards.

That's why the defensive tackles are going to be the key to the defense this season. Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton are back up front. They combined for five sacks last season and Williams in particular showed some burst up the middle on passing downs.

Those two defensive tackles will be tasked with plugging up the middle on run plays. If they can do that better than the Ohio State football team did last year, those rush yards per game totals will go down. Teams are already going to be afraid to throw the ball against them because of how good the secondary is.

Ohio State knows that they will be a defensive team again this season. Defense is how they won most of their games a year ago because the offense didn't have a consistently explosive pass game. They won't again this season, but it will be a little bit better in that regard.

Jim Knowles has transformed this defense into a powerhouse unit. Before he took over, big plays were given up at an alarming clip. That was an issue in his first season as defensive coordinator too. Since then, they've been very good at that. This team's defense is going to be brutally tough to beat.
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AKAK said:

Failed coup in Bolivia today.

Which sucks.

Or maybe it doesn't, how the hell should I know?

Bet the Scotch is cheap tho

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I've disavowed anything I said on August 22 2007.

ORD_Buckeye said:

Yeah, I don't know what the report I read that said 7th was thinking. No excuse for this, not even an off year in a few important sports should push us this far down. Given our history of top 5 finishes, AD budget and number of sports, anything outside the top 5 is a complete failure.

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I think any finish out of the Top 10 is unacceptable.

The "Tier" level of support for certain sports (the financial plan going forward) probably won't help our finishes (in the Directors' Cup).

pnuts34 said:

It’s going to be very VERY difficult to convince a 2026 QB come into the class when he may not see the field for 3- 4yrs with Sayin AND TSC in front of him. You can have all the confidence in the world, but common sense sets in, and TSC has arguably been the hottest ‘25 prospect in the country for the past few months. They may be better off just getting a transfer for ‘26

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Exactly. Plus its the '26 class and there is a lot of time. Sayin/Noland/TSC...I would find another home, that is a crowded QB room but a situation you want as an OSU fan. No reason to worry about QB recruiting at all right now.