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

Did Nick Saban take shot at Alabama's basketball program?

Whether Saban's statement was meant as a subtle criticism of the basketball program or not is unclear. What's much more obvious is the two coaches have some big differences in how much they're willing to tolerate.

Super Bowl-winning coach has laughably bad Lamar Jackson take

Former Rams coach Mike Martz, offensive coordinator for the franchise during its 1999 Super Bowl-winning season, weighed in on the Lamar Jackson contract dispute for The 33rd Team with a shockingly shallow take.

Seattle Seahawks face a major issue in 2023 NFL Draft

Seattle is facing a major draft decision that could have ripple effects on the rest of the league. 

Little separation in Western Conference sets up wild finish to NBA regular season

The final stretch of the NBA regular season is about to get wild in the Western Conference. With three weeks remaining in the regular season, seven Western Conference teams are separated by two games.

Old School: Cam Newton to throw at Auburn Pro Day

Thirteen years ago, Cam Newton placed himself on the NFL map with a record-setting season at Auburn. On Tuesday, Newton is going back to where it all started with the hope of getting noticed by the NFL once again.

NBA Hall of Famer joins one of four groups bidding on Commanders

Getting rid of Dan Snyder may require a "Magic" act. Per Sportico, NBA Hall of Famer Earvin "Magic" Johnson joined a group led by Josh Harris that is bidding on the Washington Commanders franchise.

Watch: Last-second field goals propel No. 6 TCU, No. 9 Florida Atlantic to round of 32

Florida Atlantic won its first tournament game in program history, beating 8-seed Memphis. Minutes later and nearly 1,300 miles away, TCU pulled off a comeback victory versus Arizona State.

SEC emerges with bragging rights after opening round of NCAA Tournament

The SEC's status as the preeminent college football conference is unquestioned, but its rank among the Power Five conferences in basketball is more up in the air.

Miami's win over Drake means no 12-seed will advance to the Round of 32

On an evening when a No. 1 seed went down, Miami (FL) helped produced arguably an even more surprising result. Thanks to its 63-56 win over Drake, the No. 12-seed will advance to the Round of 32 for the first time since 2018.

Watch: No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson makes huge plays late to slay No. 1 Purdue

The aftershock of Fairleigh Dickinson's win will likely reverberate for quite some time. That's what happens when a giant hits the ground.

Iowa State has nightmarish shooting performance in NCAA Tournament loss

Iowa State and Pitt participated in a display of offensive failure on epic scale during the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Kennesaw State head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim puts himself on the map after team nearly pulls off upset

The spotlight the tournament shined on the Atlantic Sun Tournament champions should propel Abdur-Rahim into the conversation for any head-coach opening this hiring cycle.

Big showdown awaits between Duke, Tennessee after both teams win in opening round

Duke is playing as well as anyone in the country while its next opponent, Tennessee, has been mediocre over the past month and a half. But that doesn't mean people who had Duke advancing to the Sweet 16 in their bracket should celebrate just yet.

Houston survives first-round scare against Northern Kentucky

Crisis averted. For now. The NCAA Tournament favorite Houston found itself in a dogfight during 16-seed Northern Kentucky before eventually pulling away over halfway through the second half for a 63-52 victory.

The upsets keep coming as 15-seed Princeton downs two-seed Arizona

Hours after No. 13 Furman stunned No. 4 Virginia, Princeton provided an even bigger upset as the No. 15 Tigers defeated No. 2 Arizona.

No. 13 Furman the first bracket buster of the 2023 NCAA Tournament with wild win over Virginia

On the other side, Virginia's loss adds to a list of recent tournament failings, including a historic loss as the No. 1 overall seed to No. 16 seed UMBC in 2016. The Cavaliers did win the 2019 tournament, so don't feel too bad for them.

Maryland kicks off NCAA Tournament by holding off last-second West Virginia three

Maryland may have escaped its game against West Virginia by the skin of its teeth, but there's reason to believe the Terrapins can go a whole lot further.

Bill Self to miss Round of 64 game in NCAA Tournament

Kansas will begin its title defense without head coach Bill Self, the team announced Thursday morning. Self is recovering from an emergency heart procedure that also forced him to miss the Jayhawks' appearance in the Big 12 tournament.

Saints add RB Jamaal Williams as team tries to make another playoff run

The New Orleans Saints are serious about getting back into title contention, and the organization added to an already-active offseason by agreeing to a contract with running back Jamaal Williams.

Jacoby Brissett an important addition for Commanders

While he has developed a reputation as a game manager and reliable backup, Brissett demonstrated last season might not necessarily be his ceiling.

Saints address biggest need with two signings

The New Orleans Saints are checking the boxes off their offseason needs list, as the team is expected to sign two veteran defensive tackles.

Lions' running back signing likely means Jamaal Williams will have a new home in 2023

The NFL's 2022 rushing touchdown leader appears likely to have a new home in 2023. 

Patrick Peterson backtracks jersey number demand in Pittsburgh

The eight-time Pro Bowler Peterson wore No. 7 with the Vikings the past two seasons and had plans of retaining it in Pittsburgh.

Raiders are sending mixed signals with offseason moves

On Monday, the Raiders made a splash by agreeing to a deal with free-agent QB Jimmy Garoppolo. A day later, word came that Las Vegas is trading one of its best receivers.

Why Kentucky, other six seeds are on upset alert in the NCAA Tournament

Should Kentucky and other six seeds in the NCAA Tournament be on upset alert? Per DraftKings, No. 11 seeds have won 15 of 28 meetings against No. 6 seeds (54.7 percent) since 2014.  Besides the Wildcats, the other sixth seeds this year are Iowa State, TCU and Creighton, which is the best of the bunch, per ESPN's Basketball Power Index.