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: Draymond Green moves closer to suspension with another playoff tech

The Warriors are already without Stephen Curry, and Draymond Green got closer to joining him on the bench.

Ducks' hiring of Joel Quenneville as HC is a black eye for organization

Anaheim must wear the Joel Quenneville hiring as a scarlet letter. Every win will serve as a reminder of the seedy deal it made to try to be relevant.

NFL schedule release FAQ: Date, how to watch, potential foes for Eagles in opener

Get your planners ready. The 2025 NFL schedule will be released soon, giving fans a chance to plot their fall itineraries. Ahead of the big day, here are questions (and answers) to get you prepared.

Three burning questions for 2025 Saints

It's a time of fresh beginnings for the Saints.

Three burning questions for 2025 Panthers

The Panthers have more reasons for optimism than most teams coming off seven consecutive losing seasons.

George Pickens trade winners, losers: Cowboys QB Dak Prescott gets a new weapon

Just as the NFL world quieted down, the Cowboys shook things back up.

Watch: Ninth-inning blunder dooms White Sox in walk-off loss at Royals

This could only happen to the White Sox. On Tuesday, the most embarrassing team in baseball hit another laughable low point during a ninth-inning collapse against the Royals in a 4-3 loss.

Notre Dame scheduling update could spell end of historic USC rivalry

The annual Notre Dame-USC rivalry game could be on life support.

Watch: Missed tripping call aids Maple Leafs in Game 1 win

The Toronto Maple Leafs survived a furious third-period rally by the Florida Panthers in their 5-4 Game 1 Eastern Conference second-round win with an assist from the officials.

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.