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

Twitter/X: @ericsmithling

Muck Rack: eric-smithling

July 6, 2024 | Tennis

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.

July 6, 2024 | Indiana Fever

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.

July 6, 2024 | Arsenal FC

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.

July 6, 2024 | WNBA

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.

July 6, 2024 | Minnesota Vikings

Khyree Jackson's story was just beginning

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

July 6, 2024 | NBA

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.

July 5, 2024 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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.

July 5, 2024 | NFL

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.

July 5, 2024 | New Orleans Saints

Position battles to watch in Saints training camp

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

July 3, 2024 | NFL

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.

July 3, 2024 | Tennis

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.

July 3, 2024 | Los Angeles Lakers

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.

July 2, 2024 | College Football

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.

July 2, 2024 | College Football

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.

July 1, 2024 | Oklahoma State Cowboys

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.

July 1, 2024 | Oklahoma Sooners

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.