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

Why Dejounte Murray might be exactly who the Pelicans need

The Pelicans formally introduced guard Dejounte Murray on Tuesday, and the eight-year NBA veteran sounded right at home in his introductory news conference in the Big Easy.

Projecting three future Hall of Famers for the Carolina Panthers

The Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 2023 will officially be inducted on Aug. 3. With less than a month until the annual event in Canton, Ohio, we're examining which players — past and present — on the league's 32 teams we think will one day receive a similar honor. Here are three Panthers who should eventually receive football immortality:

Daniil Medvedev's upset of Jannik Sinner only the start of daunting path to first Wimbledon title

Daniil Medvedev slayed one dragon in his pursuit of a first Wimbledon championship on Tuesday. Can he down two more?

Grizzlies' Zach Edey gets off to a promising start in Summer League debut

Grizzlies rookie center Zach Edey made his presence felt in his first NBA Summer League action.

Watch: Incredible sequence gives Elly De La Cruz Reds' stolen base record

Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz set a remarkable franchise record against the Rockies on Monday.

The numbers that show Dan Hurley's contract extension is the biggest bargain in sports

UConn head coach Dan Hurley agreed to a six-year, $50M extension on Monday, a generous deal for the Huskies. Considered by most the best current men's college basketball coach, here are some numbers that show why his lucrative contract could be the biggest bargain in sports.

Yankees rookie Ben Rice makes franchise history against Red Sox

The Yankees broke out of their slump against the Red Sox on Saturday, and rookie first baseman Ben Rice played the starring role.

Stunning Wimbledon result paves way for Coco Gauff in women's draw

Gauff had Saturday off, but the U.S. tennis star was arguably the day's biggest winner. World No. 1 Iga Swiatek was stunned in a third-round loss to unseeded Yulia Putintseva, clearing a walkway for Gauff to win her second grand slam.

Fever guard Caitlin Clark makes WNBA history with unbelievable performance against Liberty

With her sensational effort against the Liberty, Clark showed the different ways she can dominate the league.

Watch: Bukayo Saka pulls England even in Euro 2024 with spectacular 80' goal

Forward Bukayo Saka scored one of the best goals of the UEFA Euro 2024 with his 80' strike to pull England into a 1-1 tie with Switzerland in the tournament's quarterfinals.

Watch: Caitlin Clark wastes no time finding range from deep in Fever-Liberty showdown

Fever guard Caitlin Clark started hot against the WNBA's best team on Saturday.

Khyree Jackson's story was just beginning

Vikings rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson died in an automobile crash early Saturday morning.

Addition of former Heat role player adds legitimacy to 76ers' championship pursuit

The former Heat wing was a valuable role player on Miami's run to the 2023 NBA Finals, and his addition adds legitimacy to Philadelphia's pursuit of its fourth league title.

Position battles to watch in Buccaneers training camp

NFL training camps are almost here. The Buccaneers begin their program with rookies reporting on July 22 at AdventHealth Training Center in Tampa and veterans joining a day later on July 23.

Projecting three future Hall of Famers for the Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons will forever be haunted by their Super Bowl LI loss to the New England Patriots, but that takes nothing away from the stellar careers of QB Matt Ryan, WR Julio Jones and LT Jake Matthews.

Position battles to watch in Saints training camp

Here's a look at three position battles that could be the most heated.

Position battles to watch in Panthers training camp

NFL training camp season is almost here. The Panthers begin their program with rookies reporting on July 19 at Bank of American Stadium in Charlotte, while veterans join four days later on the 23rd.

Emma Navarro continues breakout season with straight-sets win over Naomi Osaka

Emma Navarro continued her breakout 2024 season on Wednesday with a win in straight sets over former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka in the third round at Wimbledon.

LeBron James' contract extension could open retirement door after 2024-25 season

LeBron James is taking career on a year-by-year basis at this point.

Takeaways from the Big 12 college football media preseason poll

The Big 12 will look a lot different in 2024, and on Tuesday, the conference's media members shared their thoughts on who will take home the Big 12 title in its first season with 16 teams.

A round-up of college football changes coming in 2024

Several programs, including Oklahoma and Texas, formally switched conference allegiances on Monday. That's just the start of the many alterations the college landscape will undergo this year.

OSU RB Ollie Gordon II arrested on suspicion of DUI

Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II, the 2023 Doak Award winner for best college running back, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence over the weekend.

The case for and against Oklahoma as an SEC contender in 2024

The SEC formally introduced Oklahoma and Texas as its newest members on Monday. Expectations are high for the Longhorns, which rank second in Action Network's odds to win the conference, but the Sooners (ranked ninth) are somewhat flying under the radar.

Jayson Tatum's historic extension limits Celtics roster flexibility

Per Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes, Tatum signed the richest deal in NBA history, worth $315 million over five seasons. The deal exceeds the one Tatum's teammate, Jaylen Brown, signed last offseason.

Dan Ige stars at UFC 303 after getting last-minute call to fight

Dan Ige didn't know he would be fighting Diego Lopes in the co-main event at UFC 303 when he woke up Saturday morning.