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Hulk Hogan died on Thursday morning after a medical episode at his home in Florida, and reports have revealed the cause of death for the wrestling legend. According to audio from Pinellas County Fire and EMS that was obtained by TMZ, medical personnel were dispatched to Hogan’s home in Clearwater for a cardiac arrest at 9:51 a.m. Thursday. Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was treated by first responders before being taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Hogan was 71. Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com was also told by sources that Hogan suffered a “massive cardiac arrest.” There had been rumors in recent months that Hogan underwent a significant heart procedure, though his representatives denied that. Longtime radio personality Bubba The Love Sponge Clem, who was once friends with Hogan, claimed on his radio show in June that Hulk was in the hospital dealing with some sort of life-threatening condition. A rep for Hogan said at the time that Hulk had been receiving medical treatment to address lingering neck and back issues but was doing well. Hogan was arguably the most famous professional wrestler of all time. His popularity in the 1980s led to the rapid growth of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), which is now known as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Hogan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. He was removed in 2015 over a scandal but reinstated again several years later. Hogan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame a second time in 2020 as a member of the New World Order (NWO), which he joined in 1996 when he made a heel turn while wrestling in World Championship Wrestling (WCW). A six-time WWE Champion, Hogan remained a brand ambassador for the organization up until his death.
Klay Thompson's time in the offseason has been eventful. But with particular reference to his stay in New York City, the Dallas Mavericks guard has had myriad experiences with fans. After being followed around by a fan through the streets of the city a few days ago, Thompson had a comparatively unpleasant interaction recently. In a video posted on X, a fan can be seen asking Thompson to comment on his girlfriend Megan Thee Stallion's former partner, Tory Lanez. Needless to say, the guard wasn't inclined to comment on this and was visibly annoyed by the question as he said, "Bro, stay away from me. Get away from me." The fan was taken aback by Thompson's reaction. After interpreting the guard's response as hostile, he can be seen hanging back, while adding, "Why are you scared of me, bro?" In a whirlwind of public attention, Thompson's relationship with Megan Thee Stallion became one of the primary talking points of the offseason. From viral posts on social media to celebrities commenting on the relationship, the two have constantly been in the limelight. While this hasn't been a negative occurrence for the most part, it is quite clear that her past relationship with the rapper struck a nerve. This could also be attributed to the stories associated with the two, as sources claim that Lanez assaulted Megan after a pool party at Kylie Jenner's home in 2020. The two reportedly argued at the party. On the journey back, while Megan demanded to be let out of the car, Lanez opened fire, harming her in the process. The rapper was convicted of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, carrying a concealed weapon, and negligent discharge of the firearm, leading to a 10-year prison sentence. Reportedly obtained bodycam footage suggests that Lanez didn't intentionally fire the gun at Megan. But the supposedly new evidence isn’t enough to overturn the conviction. Given the broader context, it is easy to see why Thompson was bothered by the question. When considering the kind of media backlash and social media vitriol his partner has faced after the traumatic experience, especially with Lanez's fans demanding "justice" for him, the Mavs guard was well within his rights to be upset. Regardless, it appears that Thompson is protecting his peace at the moment. Given that he and Megan appear to be in a good place with regard to their relationship, he has every reason to take things at his own pace.
According to some, throw out the idea that the Edmonton Oilers should pursue Max Pacioretty. A veteran forward who has earned over $63 million over the course of his NHL career has yet to sign an NHL contract and was recently mentioned in a post by David Staples as a possible fit. In a recent post, the Journal noted, “All of the top NHL unrestricted free agents have already signed contracts, but there’s one big name player still available that makes good sense for the Edmonton Oilers to pursue.” Responses have been varied, with a few quite vocal about the Oilers not following Staples’ advice. “In what world does this make sense?????” writes a commenter on a recent post for The Hockey Writers. Another commenter wrote, “Pacioretty is a good journeyman player but he is injury prone now, late in his career. Oilers might be lucky to get 40 games out of him. They should look elsewhere instead of taking a chance on Patches.” Tyler Yaremchuk of Oilers Nation chimed in and said, “He scored five goals in 37 games last year with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Can’t stay healthy, very old, very slow.” Yaremchuk then went on a rant, listing several Oilers forwards who would be better than Pacioretty. What About Pacioretty on a PTO? Is there any reason that a team that is looking to get younger and faster, and move out depth pieces that were older and less productive than expected, would revert back to last summer’s strategy? It seems like an odd choice on the surface. Something would have to happen that would make giving Pacioretty a look risk-free. That means only a PTO. Even at that point, should he agree, it would require him to be willing to sign a two-way contract for the league minimum.
The Philadelphia Phillies are expected to be one of the more aggressive teams at next week's trade deadline, and there are some very specific areas they could use a boost in order to make another deep playoff run. The starting rotation has been the strength of the team all year, but it has faltered lately and could use another option. Not to mention the outfield is in need of some major retooling as well. By far the most significant need is in the bullpen, though, and a true closer would be phenomenal given the suspension of Jose Alvarado. More News: Phillies Should Consider Deal For Surprising Orioles Outfielder at Trade Deadline Who Could Phillies Acquire To Save Bullpen at Trade Deadline? One player the Phillies have often been linked to is St. Louis Cardinals shutdown man Ryan Helsley. The fact that Helsley is a rental on a young Cardinals team makes it almost a guarantee he will be dealt, and by the sounds of it, he knows that's reality that could happen. "I want to stay here, I want to help us win," Helsley said via Katie Woo and Will Sammon of The Athletic (subscription required). "I would say it's 90 percent I go, 10 percent I stay." More News: Phillies Expect To Have David Robertson Activated in Early August Industry experts seem to concur with this assessment, as later in the article it was mentioned how Helsley's percentage assessment on the chances sounds to be about accurate given he is a free agent after this year. "Moving Helsley, who will be a first-time free agent at the end of the season, seems unavoidable," Woo and Sammon wrote. "The Cardinals elected to hold on to Helsley coming into the year, a decision that baffled rival executives at the time. At least five teams have inquired with varying degrees of interest, league sources said." The 31-year-old has not been quite as dominant this season as he's been in years past, pitching to a 3.09 ERA and 1.400 WHIP. Still, he has recorded 20 saves and 39 strikeouts in 35 innings and can still be relied upon to shut a game down when it matters most. Last season, Helsley had a 2.04 ERA and Major League-leading 49 saves, so if he can get back to that kind of form, he has the potential to change the outlook of Philadelphia's bullpen. More News: Phillies Front Office Has Delicate Balancing Act To Do Ahead of MLB Trade Deadline Most reports surrounding the Phillies have stated they aren't just looking for rental pieces after losing two of them in free agency this past winter. Landing a controllable reliever at the trade deadline is a whole lot easier said than done, though. If Philadelphia wants to land an insurance plan at closer who may be cheaper than guys signed beyond this season, Helsley could prove to be a perfect fit. Whether they are one of the five teams reported to be in touch is not known, but if they are not already on the phone with the Cardinals, Dave Dombrowski better hustle before Helsley is dealt elsewhere. For more Phillies news, head over to Phillies On SI.