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: Vikings defense intercepts Jets QB Aaron Rodgers twice in first quarter

The Vikings continued their dominant start to the 2024 season with two early interceptions against Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the NFL's first international game in London this year.

Watch: Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty continues Heisman push with strong start vs. Utah State

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty continued to look like a future Heisman winner in Week 6 against Utah State.

SMU a legitimate ACC contender following road win over No. 22 Louisville

SMU had a statement win in the ACC on Saturday. More could follow.

Watch: Missouri falls in early 24-point hole in SEC road opener at Texas A&M 

If the result holds and Texas A&M wins decisively, it will be fascinating to see how the defeat impacts Missouri's College Football Playoff odds later this season.

Watch: Pittsburgh QB Eli Holstein throws costly interception against North Carolina

This was a play the Pittsburgh signal-caller will want back.

CFB Week 6 winners, losers: Stunning victories define weekend

This weekend was one of the wildest in college football in years.

Caitlin Clark's Rookie of the Year win an affirmation of Fever's bright future

Caitlin Clark stamped her historic 2024 rookie season with a nearly unanimous Rookie of the Year award on Thursday.

Watch: Tigers home run puts Astros on the ropes in AL wild-card series

Parker Meadows broke a scoreless tie with a solo home run in the top of the sixth of inning.

Saints need to go all-in for Raiders WR Davante Adams

It wouldn't necessarily be easy for the New Orleans Saints to trade for Las Vegas Raiders WR Davante Adams, but they would be wise to figure out how to get it done.

Watch: Tigers score first run of 2024 postseason from unlikely source

Thanks to an unlikely source, the Tigers seized an early lead in Game 1 of their road wild-card series against the Astros.

NFC North stock up, down: Lions edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson trending toward DPOY honors

A quarter of the way through the 2024 NFL season, we're assessing who's trending up and down in each division.

NFC South stock up, down: QB soaring, but this Falcons receiver hits bottom

A quarter of the way through the 2024 NFL season, we're assessing who's trending up and down in each division. Here's the NFC South's stock report from Weeks 1-4.

Watch: Lions' Jameson Williams scores long TD in high-scoring 'MNF' showdown vs. Seahawks

"Monday Night Football" between the Lions and Seahawks turned into a track meet, and Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams lapped the competition.

'MNF' takeaways: Jared Goff throws perfect game, outduels Geno Smith in shootout

From Jared Goff's perfect game to an opportunistic Lions defense, here are five takeaways from Detroit's 42-29 win over Seattle in Week 4 of "Monday Night Football."

MLB should reconsider Pete Rose stance following his death

With the proliferation of sports betting, including MLB's own partnership with FanDuel, the league's stance on Rose is now a bit hypocritical.

NFL Week 4's worst QB performances: It's time to raise the alarm on Trevor Lawrence

Here is our rundown of the five worst quarterback performances from Week 4.

Recent Pelicans contract extension one of NBA's biggest steals

Steal artist Jose Alvarado has rubbed off on the Pelicans. On Saturday, New Orleans signed him to a team-friendly deal that was one of the league's biggest steals.

Paperweights: Ole Miss exposed in stunning home loss to Kentucky

With its loss to Kentucky, Ole Miss is still the same underperforming program it's always been since Kiffin took over.

Pirates' Paul Skenes joins pitching royalty with incredible finish to rookie season

Pirates ace Paul Skenes capped his historic rookie season on Saturday with an incredible performance against the Yankees. 

CFB Week 5 winners and losers: Alabama's Jalen Milroe becomes Heisman front-runner with unbelievable performance

Georgia-Alabama delivered on the hype. But the biggest game of the 2024 college football season wasn't the only game this weekend that left our heads spinning.  So, strap your leather helmet on and dive in, because we're tackling Week 5's winners and losers.

Watch: Ole Miss starts strong in SEC opener against Kentucky

Ole Miss steamrolled through an easy out-of-conference schedule to begin the season, and it's doing the same early in its 2024 SEC opener.

Karl-Anthony Towns reunites with HC who guided him to best NBA seasons

Reunited with Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, Karl-Anthony Towns is back with the coach who helped guide him to his best seasons in the NBA.

Army continues hot start in first season as AAC member

Army continued its undefeated march to begin the 2024 season.

Tigers closing in on improbable playoff berth after comeback win over Rays

On Thursday, Detroit rallied from a 3-0 deficit against the Rays to win 4-3, its fifth victory in a row and ninth in its last 10 games. The win moved the Tigers one step closer to an improbable AL wild-card berth.