Damian Lillard became a hero and spokesperson for rational sports fans everywhere when he called out Skip Bayless, saying the divisive analyst was a "joke" who would "never have [his] respect."
Unsurprisingly, Bayless, who is fueled by manufactured controversy, responded, revealing that Lillard texted him, calling him "the most phony [person] on TV." Bayless says he was shocked by the accusation, telling Lillard that he was "the most honest and objective."
This entire beef seemed to begin when Bayless questioned Lillard being considered a superstar. He subtweeted the Trail Blazers point guard after he missed two late free throws in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
"I continue to ask, is Dame really That Guy? A true SUPERstar? I have my doubts," Bayless tweeted. After he called out Lillard again, his tweet elicited a response.
I have never been buying nothing about you fam. You a joke. And after our private convo full of back pedaling you will never have my respect https://t.co/do0yxFgUju
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) August 10, 2020
Anyone who is familiar with Bayless knows that he is no stranger to beefing with athletes. Cornerback Richard Sherman told him he "never accomplished anything," while Charles Barkley has stated several times that he wishes he could beat the crap out of Bayless. And, of course, there's Bayless' white whale: LeBron James, whom Bayless has spent the last decade trying to troll despite only being acknowledged in passing by the three-time champion.
While Bayless, who spent nearly 10 minutes addressing the argument on "Undisputed," would surely love nothing more than for Lillard to come on the show to discuss their beef, Lillard gave a confident "hell no" when asked if he would ever go on the show to debate Bayless.
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Josh Giddey, like most of his fellow restricted free agents, has spent much of the summer holding out for the best possible contract offer. The 22-year-old has reportedly been looking for a deal that pays him close to $30 million annually, but that's a pipe dream for a player who hasn't made positive contributions on a winning team. However, he may have just received the best offer he'll get from the Chicago Bulls — or any team, for that matter. Following extension talks that have spent weeks in limbo, the Bulls put a long-term offer on the table, according to Chicago Sports Network's K.C. Johnson. The deal would reportedly pay Giddey an average of $20 million per year, a much more reasonable number. Giddey will be hard-pressed to find a more lucrative contract offer, despite his potential. No matter how long he waits, no team is going to throw borderline All-Star money for a player with pronounced weaknesses. He has averaged 14.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game across four seasons. For that reason, Giddey should take Chicago's offer. But even if the Bulls do keep their guy, an extension of this magnitude would only reinforce what many believe about the team: It's a franchise with no direction. Possessing a roster without a true star, the Bulls are setting themselves up for disappointment if they expect Giddey to reach that level of effectiveness. The franchise would be better off betting on Coby White's future rather than a guard who struggles to both shoot and defend. Giddey should be elated that the Bulls decided to meet him halfway on a contract offer, especially considering his lack of other suitors. If an extension does get done, though, Chicago will eventually look back and wonder if those resources could have been better spent elsewhere. With a return to the draft lottery likely, the Bulls don't have any expectations for 2025-26. But rather than try something new after several years of underperforming and missing the playoffs for three straight seasons, Chicago is falling into the trap of committing to mediocrity.
Green Bay Packers rookie wide receiver Matthew Golden just keeps on turning heads in the offseason. On Monday, Golden grabbed attention again after making a sensational grab for a touchdown off a pass from quarterback Malik Willis. Matched up against defensive back Keisean Nixon, the former Texas Longhorns star wideout secured a deep throw from Willis and took the ball to the house for a 46-yard touchdown. Nixon couldn’t help but joke about Golden while praising the first-year downfield weapon. “He sometimes acts like he’s a vet but I try to remind him that he’s a rookie,” Nixon said (h/t Mike Spofford of the Packers’ official website). “Other than that, M.G., helluva player. You can tell why he went first round. Strong at the catch point, strong hands, strong upper body. I think he’ll have a really good year.” Green Bay Packers fans react to Golden’s touchdown score in practice The Packers shared a slo-mo video of that connection between Willias and Golden, leaving fans with all sorts of excited reactions to it. “malik is the guy ️ no one wants to admit it,” said a fan on X. Another one said: “Malik for starting QB” From a commenter: “IVE SEEN ENOUGH MALIK WILLIS 4X MVP” “Finally we might have a 1000+ yard receiver,” a social media user posted. Via a different commenter: “@eamaddennfl He ran 4.2 how tf is he a 91 speed on madden boost his speed.” Said another: “Hey 2 throwing it to 22 might be the answer.” Willis and Golden could have more magic in store for the Packers, as there’s a chance they could see action this coming Saturday’s NFL preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks at home.
After reports surrounding Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr.’s imminent exit amid trade interest, that notion was confirmed this week. Coach Dan Quinn confirmed the Commanders’ plans for Robinson Jr. as he was also inactive in Monday’s 31-17 preseason loss against the Cincinnati Bengals. After the loss, Quinn released a statement that the Commanders and Robinson Jr. would be going their separate ways, which means a potential trade should be coming down the pike soon, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. “Brian Robinson Jr. did not play, and Dan Quinn pretty much, confirming that they’re going to move on from Robinson here,” Garafolo said. “He is set to make a total of $3.5 million per this season in the final year of his deal. So, it’s looking like a potential trade. Both sides agreed he’s not going to play to play in that game to keep a trade alive — didn’t want him to get hurt in that case.” Still, there isn’t an apparent reason why the Commanders are actively shopping Robinson Jr. for potential suitors. “I know there’s interest because, as I’ve reported this, I’ve heard from teams that are saying, “What happened there?” How did he fall out of favor? Does he want a new contract? Yeah, I mean, eventually he does,” Garafolo added. “But this is a contract year, and right now, given this situation, my understanding is he wants the best possible situation for him to have the best possible season to set him up for a payday this offseason as a free agent. “So, right now, all about fit for Brian Robinson. I believe he’s going to have a new home. If it’s not via trade and they got to cut him, he’ll have a new home in short order,” Garafolo concluded. Dan Quinn hints at Brian Robinson Jr’s Commanders exit The plans to sit Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. against the Bengals only fueled trade interest until head coach Dan Quinn’s public interest confirmed suspicion. “There’s just a lot of moving parts this time of year,” Quinn said via a team transcript. “Those things take place. And so I just wanted to make sure that’s my responsibility to let the team know whenever I can, so they’re not hearing any information from anywhere else. So that was all more of the standard operating procedure for me.” Quinn added that he has too much respect for Robinson Jr. to reveal what led to the Commanders’ decision to part ways with their veteran running back.
For the first time since early July, the Milwaukee Brewers have lost back-to-back games, dropping both contests of a doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. They lost the first game 6-4 and the second 4-1. In both games, their starting pitchers, Chad Patrick and Brandon Woodruff, failed to keep their pitch counts low and Cubs hitters off the basepaths. The second game was especially frustrating as Milwaukee’s offense forced Cubs starter Jameson Taillon to throw 30 pitches in the first inning, a frame that saw them score their only run, only to swing early and often after the opening frame, allowing Chicago’s starter to get through six innings. Taillon threw just 62 pitches between the second and sixth innings, and at one point retired 11 Brewers hitters in row. But the two games were not the only things Milwaukee lost on Tuesday. It appears they will be without their starting shortstop, Joey Ortiz, tomorrow and perhaps longer. Milwaukee Brewers Shortstop Joey Ortiz Has a Bone Bruise in His Knee Ortiz was 0-2 with a walk in the Game One of the doubleheader, but was pinch hit for later in the game by Anthony Seigler, who struck out. In Game Two, Ortiz was 1-3, but was not able to finish the game. He fouled a ball of his knee during his last at bat, prompting the Brewers to replace him Andruw Monasterio. Of course, Brewers fans’ minds immediately went to 2019 when Christian Yelich broke his knee cap when he fouled a ball off of it late in the season. Fortunately, x-rays revealed that Ortiz did not break any bones. Rather, he has a bone bruise which, in addition to some stomach issues, will keep him out of the lineup on Wednesday: Ortiz is hitting .233/.285/.329 with seven home runs and 43 RBI this season. It is likely that Monasterio will start in place of Ortiz.
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