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

Nikola Jokic inserts himself into MVP discussion after he puts up Wilt-like performance

Jokic had one of the best games of his career on Sunday.

Twitter roasts Patriots for colossal mistake against Raiders

New England's all-time sports blunder against Las Vegas was the talk of the town online Sunday night.

Bengals latest win reminds us that they shouldn't be forgotten in loaded AFC

The Cincinnati Bengals don't have the best record in the AFC or a former MVP. What they do have is the longest winning streak in the conference and are playing their best football at the right time.

Latest Anthony Davis news puts an end to his incredible run

Davis suffered a foot injury on Friday night against the Nuggets.

Eagles win a bad sign for the rest of the NFL

Hurts was 22-of-37 for 315 yards with two interceptions on Sunday. It was his first multi-interception game of this season and first since Nov. 28, 2021, against the Giants.

Watch: Lionel Messi's seventh goal at 2022 World Cup gives Argentina lead in extra time

Lionel Messi scored two goals in the World Cup final, the second in the 108th minute to give Argentina a 3-2 lead in extra time. The call via Telemundo was absolutely incredible.

Frank Gore Jr. sets bowl record with incredible performance

Southern Miss (7-6) beat Rice (5-8) 38-24 in the LendingTree Bowl on the back of Gore Jr.'s record-breaking performance.

If only we could have seen the Colts train wreck coming

The decision to hire Jeff Saturday as interim head coach looked ridiculous then and looks like the kind of move that should disqualify Jim Irsay from making football-related decisions in the future. But no one could have possibly known that hiring someone with more experience on TV than they have coaching could lead to a laughable, once-in-a-lifetime defeat.

Former Oklahoma QB transfers to Wisconsin

Luke Fickell wasted no time improving Wisconsin's depth at QB.

Deion Sanders coaches in final game as Jackson State head coach

NC Central won the Cricket Celebration Bowl in Deion Sanders's last game as Jackson State's head coach. The game went to overtime after Shedeur Sanders connected with Travis Hunter for a 19-yard touchdown as time expired.

College bowl season off to strong start with Friday games, Saturday slate

Bowl season in college football is in full swing with six games set for Saturday after two were played on Friday. The games were thrilling on Friday and there are plenty of excellent storylines to watch out for ahead of Saturday's slate.

The wide receiver people are forgetting about when discussing the NFL's best

A golden opportunity awaits Diggs to remind everyone he belongs in the conversation for the NFL's best wide receiver against Miami. Per NGS, Diggs's matchup against the Dolphins' secondary ranks as the third biggest mismatch of Week 15.

Alex Ovechkin's tie to Putin takes luster off one of NHL's greatest stars

A picture of Alex Ovechkin with Russian president Vladimir Putin, the ruthless thug who invaded Ukraine, is front and center on the Washington star's Instagram page.

Time to pump the brakes on talk of Lions winning the Matthew Stafford trade

Plenty needs to happen before the Lions are anointed the winner of the trade that helped the Rams win a Super Bowl. There is reason to be excited about Detroit's future, but we should wait until the team has a winning record before we unthaw this debate. 

How Arby's helped the Panthers win in Seattle, stay afloat in NFC South

ESPN's David Newton reported offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo discussed how the "Arby's package" -- which requires eight offensive linemen -- came to be on Wednesday.

Aidan Hutchinson, Sauce Gardner meet for first time in game between surprising playoff hopefuls

Two of the NFL's top rookie defensive players square off in New York on Sunday. Thanks to the promising early returns on both Aidan Hutchinson and Sauce Gardner, there is optimism for the future for both the Detroit Lions and New York Jets for the first time in years.

Cleveland Browns hope third time's the charm as they bring back white facemask

The Cleveland Browns are honoring the past by throwing it back to the halcyon days of Tim Couch and Kelly Holcomb this Sunday. Yeah, it's been tough being a Cleveland fan over the years.

Lovie Smith could lead the Texans to brighter days if they let him

With the team in line to draft star quarterback Bryce Young in the 2023 NFL Draft, it would be premature for the organization to move on from its first-year head coach.

This College Football Playoff team is ideal for a transfer portal QB

Of the four College Football Playoff semifinalists, three -- Georgia, Ohio State, and TCU -- have questions at QB heading into next season. 

Who's hot and who's not in the transfer portal?

The transfer portal went into full swing last week, with several big names looking for new homes in 2023. On3's transfer portal rankings offer insights on early trends cropping up this season.

Lionel Messi propels Argentina to World Cup final

Argentina is a win away from its first World Cup in 36 years. For Lionel Messi, that means he's one win away from the one title that's eluded him during his career.

Dreaded 'sophomore slump' claims Mac Jones as next victim

Jones has looked like an inferior version of the one who took the field a season ago. Instead of looking more comfortable operating the offense, he looks more unsteady. It isn't all his fault, either.

Analyst Todd McShay's mock draft has four first-round QBs

With the draft months away, the picture is fuzzy, but it's clear the demarcation point for QBs comes by way of the top four, followed by everyone else.

One epic drive won't be enough to save Baker Mayfield

With a game-winning 98-yard drive last Thursday night against Las Vegas, Rams QB Baker Mayfield turned heads throughout the NFL. But the former No,. 1 overall pick must do much more to revive a career that's one step from the dumper.

College football world mourns the death of Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach

The college football world is mourning the death of a visionary.