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

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pro Football Hall of Fame watch

The Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2023 will be inducted on Aug. 5. Here are members of the 2023 Buccaneers who could be inducted into the Hall of Fame someday.

Soccer shocker: Lionel Messi picks new home

Lionel Messi, one of the most decorated soccer players of his generation, is joining Major League Soccer's Inter Miami.

PGA Tour golfers punished for their loyalty in merger with LIV Golf

 When PGA Tour executives calculated the financial ramifications of its merger with LIV Golf, it failed to account for how poorly the move would be received.

LIV Golf wins in its controversial merger with PGA Tour

In the battle between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, the Saudi-backed golf league and its players won.

Five potential Madden 24 cover stars

EA Sports announced on Monday that the cover star of "Madden 24" will be unveiled on Wednesday. 

Report: Kyrie Irving has shocking trade request for Mavericks

Kyrie Irving hasn't found much team success without LeBron James as his running mate. He apparently realizes that.

Carolina Panthers Pro Football Hall of Fame watch

The Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2023 will be inducted Aug. 5. Here are members of the 2023 Panthers who could join the immortals in Canton someday.

New Orleans Saints Pro Football Hall of Fame watch

The Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2023 will be inducted on Aug. 5. Here are players on the 2023 Saints who could be inducted into the Hall of Fame someday.

Atlanta Falcons Pro Football Hall of Fame watch

The Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2023 will be inducted on Aug. 5. Here are players on the 2023 Falcons who could be inducted someday.

Watch: Nikola Jokic goes coast-to-coast as part of 18-point third quarter

Nikola Jokic took over during the third quarter of Game 2 of the NBA Finals with 18 points. His final field goal of the quarter came when he went coast-to-coast to give the Nuggets an 82-75 lead over the Heat.

Heat's Kyle Lowry offers high praise to Nuggets duo

The Nuggets are only three wins from an NBA title. If, or, more likely, when Denver finishes Miami off, it won't be due to the Heat giving the Nuggets bulletin board material.

Manchester City on brink of continental treble after FA Cup win

Manchester City is a Champions League final win away from completing a rare continental treble for England, winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the same season.

SEC finds temporary fix to future conference scheduling

The SEC found a temporary solution to its scheduling conundrum once Texas and Oklahoma join the conference next year.

Adam Silver opens up about timeline for Ja Morant punishment 

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said that he does not want to overshadow the NBA Finals by announcing the punishment for Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant.

Where a Heat Finals upset would rank this century

Examining just where a Heat upset in the NBA Finals would rank for the 21st century.

Cheez-It out, Pop-Tarts in this college football bowl season

A change so big to college football is coming that we can literally taste it.

New Orleans Saints stock up, stock down

With the Saints in the middle of voluntary offseason workouts, here are players whose stocks are either rising or falling.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers stock up, stock down

A quarterback might be emerging in Tampa Bay's QB battle. He leads the team's group of players whose stocks are rising. A former Pro Bowl linebacker, however, is trending in the wrong direction.

Carolina Panthers stock up, stock down

A new era is underway in Carolina, which is bad news for two offensive players chosen by the last regime. The defense, meanwhile, features two players whose stocks are rising.

Atlanta Falcons stock up, stock down

Here's a look at whose stock is up — and down — for the Atlanta Falcons with the NFL season 100 days away.

Caleb Martin shines as Heat become first No. 8 seed since 1999 to reach NBA Finals

Miami avoided becoming the first team in NBA history to blow a 3-0 series lead in large part due to the contributions of Caleb Martin and in the process became only the second No. 8 seed in league history to reach the NBA Finals.

Notre Dame player makes incredible goal in lacrosse national title game

 Notre Dame won its first men's lacrosse NCAA championship on Monday in a 13-9 win over Duke. The win was highlighted by an unreal make by Quinn McCahon from past midfield in the second quarter.

Odds stacked against Heat heading into potentially historic Game 7

Boston is expected to make NBA history on Monday night against Miami according to analytics and oddsmakers by becoming the first team in 151 tries to come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven series.

Is Derrick White's last-second shot among the all-time NBA greats?

The ending of Game 6 between the Celtics and Heat was one of the most surreal in recent NBA history.  Miami looked as if it had won the Eastern Conference when Marcus Smart's three-point attempt rimmed out, but Derrick White saved Boston's season by grabbing the offensive rebound and releasing a putback with one-tenth of a second on the clock.

Miami receives boost ahead of pivotal Game 6 against Boston

The Heat received a positive update on guard Gabe Vincent on Saturday afternoon when it was announced he is expected to play in a pivotal Game 6. While