By JOSH HELLER
Staff Writer
1. Manziel to be Released, Agent Quits
According to recent reports out of Cleveland, when free agency begins in March, the Browns are expected to release Johnny Manziel, and his agent has left him, too.
Reports surfaced last weekend of an altercation between Manziel and his ex-girlfriend in Fort Worth. In the altercation, Manziel reportedly shoved the woman into his car, while also hitting her and dragging her by her hair, and telling her, “Shut up or I will kill us both.”
The victim in this incident is Colleen Crowley, who was also involved in an incident with Manziel back in October, in which Manziel was pulled over after Crowley had called the cops on him.
Following the incident, the Browns released a statement saying that they were likely to release Manziel in the next coming months. “Johnny Football” has reportedly drawn offers from the Cowboys (but sources recently indicated that they are no longer interested), the Rams, and the Chiefs. Manuel’s father also publicly said late last week that if his son doesn’t get the help he needs, he won’t live to 24.
To add on to all of this, Manziel’s agent, Erik Burkhardt, stated that he discontinued his professional relationship with the quarterback, saying that “it became painfully obvious that his future rests solely in his own hands.”
As of right now, the least of Manziel’s concerns is his professional career. He has to get the help he so desperately needs, or else he will ruin the rest of his life. The police announced that they have opened an official investigation into Manziel’s domestic violence incident, and he was also just issued a restraining order. Fans around the league will have to see what, if any, discipline will be handed down from Roger Goodell and the NFL.
2. Former X-Games Star Dave Mirra Dead at 41
Longtime icon of BMX and the X-Games Dave Mirra has been found dead of apparent suicide at his apartment in Greenville, North Carolina.
Mirra was the man most synonymous with the X Games, and he owned the most medals in the history of the games up until mid-2013. He had medaled every year of the X Games from 1995 to 2008, with 14 gold medals, and 24 medals overall.
Mirra had a wife and two children, and was recently getting back into BMX with a new ramp built at his home in Greenville. Mirra will be remembered for his contributions to BMX and the X Games, and will be remembered as one of the legends of the sport.
3. McDavid Makes His Triumphant Return; Calder Candidate?
After missing 37 games with a broken clavicle, Connor McDavid finally made his return to the lineup in heroic fashion for the Edmonton Oilers.
McDavid and company took on the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are two points worse than the Oilers for last place in the league. McDavid made the Blue Jackets defense look silly in his first game back, as he waltzed into the offensive zone, split the defensemen, and juked Jackets goalie Joonas Korpisalo and finished off the gorgeous sequence on the forehand. Along with the goal, McDavid added two assists to total three points. Then, in the next game against the Senators, McDavid registered two more assists.
Even with missing a good chunk of action, McDavid still ranks towards the top for points among rookies, scoring nearly a point per game. If McDavid can stay healthy, and continue to score at this pace, there’s no reason that he can’t challenge Artemi Panarin, Jack Eichel, or Dylan Larkin for the Calder trophy for rookie of the year. One thing is certain: it’s fun to have such an exciting young player like McDavid back in the league.
4. Durant to the Warriors?
If you think the Warriors are dangerous now, just wait until this summer.
Reports have surfaced recently that Oklahoma City Thunder star forward Kevin Durant, whose contract is set to expire after this season, could very well sign with the Golden State Warriors. These reports aren’t brand new, as people have speculated this since last April, but reports really heated up within the last month, when NBA reporters said that executives around the league thought Durant to the Warriors could happen.
It’s incredible to think that the Warriors could fit him into their plans, but looking more in-depth at their cap situation reveals how it would work. The biggest answer would be Stephen Curry, arguably the top player in the league, is making only $11.3 million this year, a huge bargain. Also, Klay Thompson makes just over $15 million, and Harrison Barnes makes just under $4 million, and with plenty of contracts coming off the book, Durant could be a great fit in Golden State. The question is whether or not Durant would ditch his buddy Russell Westbrook, as Golden State definitely couldn’t get them both.
5. Top Two Middleweights Find Opponents
Two of the world’s top middleweights found opponents in the past week, with Canelo Alvarez squaring off against Amir Khan, and Gennady Golovkin facing Dominic Wade.
Alvarez announced that he will take on Khan on May 7, and the winner will take home the RING and WBC middleweight titles. Alvarez’s decision was highly criticized on social media, saying that this was too easy of a matchup for the reigning middleweight champion. Many had thought that a bigger name would’ve been better for Alvarez in the long run, but nevertheless, Khan will be the next one to try and take down the titleholder.
Meanwhile, on April 23, Golovkin will take on IBF mandatory challenger Wade. Like the Alvarez-Khan matchup, this looks like a mis-match on paper, as the Golovkin, the undefeated grizzled veteran, takes on the up-and-coming (though undefeated) prospect, Ward. Both Khan and Ward are (reportedly) trained by the same man, Al Haymon.
While both fights were pretty scrutinized by fans, there were few other options for the fighters, and they should be entertaining bouts, even if they look like supreme mismatches on paper.
