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

'MNF' takeaways: Aggressive John Harbaugh pays off for Ravens

Brothers Jim and John Harbaugh met for the first time since Super Bowl XLVII on "Monday Night Football." John Harbaugh's Ravens won, 30-23, improving his record to 3-0 against his younger brother.

Watch: Two Lamar Jackson second-quarter TDs give Ravens 'MNF' lead

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson's two second-quarter touchdowns gave Baltimore a 14-10 halftime lead on the road against the Chargers.

Watch: Celtics tie NBA record with 12 threes in second quarter vs. Clippers

The Celtics matched NBA history on Monday night. Boston made 16 threes in the first half against the Clippers, including 12 in the second quarter to tie an NBA record for most made threes in a single quarter.

Potential 2025 destinations for Justin Fields: Why Steelers, two  AFC contenders make sense 

Pittsburgh Steelers backup quarterback Justin Fields could be one of the more interesting players to watch during 2025 free agency.

UConn MBB suffers surprising first loss of the season

UConn dropped its first game since February on Monday, losing to Memphis in the quarterfinals of the Maui Invitational.

Week 12 worst QB performances: Backups flub starting opportunities

From backups making their first 2024 starts to former Offensive Rookies of the Year, no one was safe from bad quarterback play on Sunday. Here are the five worst from Week 12.

Three potential Aaron Rodgers 2025 destinations

Aaron Rodgers' days with the Jets could be numbered. Here are three potential destinations for the Super Bowl XLV MVP next season.

Watch: Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart interceptions wreck team's College Football Playoff hopes

Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart threw two brutal fourth-quarter interceptions against Florida to sink the Rebels' College Football Playoff hopes.

Watch: Incredible UMass TD keeps Minutemen within striking distance of Georgia

UMass wide receiver Jakobie Keeney-James made the catch of Week 13 as the Minutemen kept their road game against Georgia closer than anyone expected.

Watch: Indiana, Ohio State trade second-quarter turnovers

The Indiana and Ohio State defenses came to play on Saturday.

Watch: Indiana strikes first in top-five showdown against Ohio State

Indiana made a statement on its opening series against Ohio State.

CFB Week 13 winners, losers: SEC in CFP trouble

In the penultimate week of college football's regular season, Indiana and Army's Cinderella runs ended with blowout losses, while the SEC was thrown into turmoil.

Watch: Browns force fourth-down stop after offensive fumble

The Browns defense bailed out the offense early in the third quarter against the Steelers on Thursday night.

LSU head coach Brian Kelly's seat is on fire after losing No. 1 recruit

LSU head coach Brian Kelly's seat went up in flames on Thursday. 

Aaron Judge joins elite Yankees company with AL MVP win

Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge entered rarefied air on Thursday. He was named AL MVP for the second time, receiving all 30 first-place votes and joining elite company.

Five burning CFP questions: Biggest Week 13 games, dark-horse contenders and more

The College Football Playoff field will be finalized in less than three weeks, but there's still so much we don't know. 

Massive Colorado commitment should dispel Deion Sanders NFL talk

Some have speculated Sanders could be a candidate for the Cowboys' head-coaching job if they parted ways with Mike McCarthy.

That's rich: Billionaire NFL owners making headlines for wild statements

Billionaires say the darndest things. A week after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones declared war on curtains with a strange rant about the sun, The Athletic reported Jets owner Woody Johnson was just as nonsensical earlier this season.

Army and Tulane's rise keeps pressure on Big 12

The Big 12's spot in the College Football Playoff is no longer safe.

Five moves to fix Cowboys: Trading Micah Parsons should be an option

As with any bad team, the Cowboys have multiple problems. Here's how we'd right the ship in Dallas.

Joe Douglas firing creates most undesirable job opening in NFL

Any potential candidate should read the job description before applying for this Jets role.

76ers appear unsalvageable after loss to Heat drops them to 2-11

The 76ers might be beyond saving. Philadelphia continued its horrid start to the 2024-25 season on Monday with a 106-89 road loss to the Heat. With the loss, the Sixers dropped to 2-11, tied with the Wizards for the most losses in the NBA.

'MNF' takeaways: Cowboys are officially broken after blowout loss to Texans

The Cowboys' misery extended on Monday night with a 34-10 home loss to the Texans. Here are five takeaways from the Week 11 finale: