Yardbarker

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans. You can find him on Twitter/X and Threads at @ericsmithling and at Bluesky at @ericsmithling.bsky.social.

EXPERTISE:

NFL, College Football, NBA, Men's and Women's College Basketball, NHL

Watch: Maple Leafs strike back 19 seconds after Panthers goal for 3-1 lead

Just as the Florida Panthers got back into Game 1 of their East second-round series, the Toronto Maple Leafs put them back in a two-goal deficit. The Panthers trailed 2-0 when defenseman Seth Jones scored his second goal of the Stanley Cup playoffs on a power play with three minutes and three seconds remaining in the first period.

Watch: Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani blasts HR where he created '50-50' club

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani picked up where he left off in the ballpark he established the 50-50 club a season ago.

Islanders climb nine spots to No. 1 pick with stunning lottery win

The New York Islanders made a stunning leap up on Monday, winning the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery after entering the day ranked No. 10 in the draft order.

Why Cavs HC Kenny Atkinson might not want to celebrate COY win

On Monday, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson won the NBA's Coach of the Year award. However, based on recent history, that's hardly a cause for celebration.

Ravens downplay Justin Tucker's release with a tone-deaf statement

Congratulations to the Ravens for turning what should have been an easy public relations win into a self-inflicted wound.

Watch: Guardians' Daniel Schneemann plays hero with two-out grand slam

The Guardians were down to their final out against the Blue Jays on Saturday when second baseman Daniel Schneemann played the role of hero.

Watch: Astros' Jake Meyers has unbelievable performance vs. White Sox

The Astros saved their best for last on Saturday.

Valkyries' surprising Shyanne Sellers decision raises plenty of questions

The Valkyries are already dealing with questions before tipping off their inaugural WNBA season.

Watch: Aaron Judge hits another first-inning home run as scorching start to 2025 continues

Judge remained hot on Saturday, dinging another first-inning home run to give New York an early 1-0 lead over the Rays.

Three burning questions for 2025 Falcons

With the dust settled following free agency and the draft, we have a clearer idea of where the Falcons stand heading into 2025. However, questions remain. Here are the three most pressing.

Watch: Mets OF Juan Soto blasts two home runs to snap Citi Field drought

It took longer than he might have liked, but Mets outfielder Juan Soto snapped his Citi Field home run drought on Thursday.

Diamondbacks in danger of falling further back in NL West after injury double whammy

The Diamondbacks were hit with a double dose of bad news on Thursday when they placed their top two relievers on the injured list.

NBA insider rips 'immature' Lakers head coach JJ Redick following first-round exit

The Lakers boldly hired Redick, a former 15-year veteran and podcast host, as head coach in June 2024 despite him having no prior coaching experience.

Latest Bills free-agency signing is low-risk, potentially high reward

The Bills made arguably the best value signing of free agency.

UConn primed to repeat as national champs in 2026 following transfer portal addition

UConn returned to the pinnacle of women's college basketball in early April when the program won its first national title in nine years.

Mystics 2025 first-round pick's season in doubt after concerning injury

Mystics rookie guard Georgia Amoore's season looks like it might be over before it began.

Lucrative Andrew Van Ginkel extension could put this player on Vikings' back-burner

The Vikings locked linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel in for the next two seasons on Tuesday by agreeing with the six-year veteran on a one-year extension.

Stanley Cup playoffs takeaways: Controversial hit could lead to Aaron Ekblad suspension

The 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs continued on Monday with two more games. Here are our takeaways as the Panthers and Stars moved closer to the second round.

Watch: Panthers stun Lightning with two goals in 11 seconds to take 3-1 series lead

In a flash, the Tampa Bay Lightning's 2-1 Game 4 lead over the Florida Panthers turned into a 3-2 deficit.

Humiliating loss should lead Heat to question everything

The Heat embarrassed themselves on Monday, losing to the Cavs, 138-83, in one of the worst blowout losses in NBA playoff history.

Brandon Nimmo joins rare company as red-hot Mets throttle Nationals

On Monday, Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo joined a rare group, becoming just the second player in franchise history to record a nine-RBI game in New York's 19-5 win over the division-rival Nationals.

Post-draft landing spots for Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey

With the 2025 NFL Draft in the rearview, which teams make the most sense for Ramsey? Let's look at some potential destinations.

NFC draft grades: What teams earned an 'A' besides Giants?

After spending the weekend sorting through each team's draft class, Yardbarker NFL writers have so many questions.

Watch: Brutal no-call dooms Pistons as Knicks take 3-1 series lead

A controversial no-call marred the ending of Sunday's Knicks-Pistons playoff thriller, overshadowing an epic 94-93 Knicks comeback victory.