Month: February 2024

The Cincinnati Bengals officially designated wide receiver Tee Higgins as their franchise tag player on Monday, allowing the Bengals to continue negotiations for a long-term deal for the player, who was set to hit free agency this off-season. Bengals coach Zac Taylor said in a news release: “Tee has done an outstanding job for us since we drafted him in 2020. I’m glad that he’ll continue to be a big part of our offense and our team.”

The move also keeps the wide receiver under contractual control for at least one more season, and can continue negotiations until July 15. Higgins, 25, could play under the 1-year, $21.8-million terms of the franchise tag for wide receivers in 2024 if they fail to reach an agreement. NFL teams can apply the franchise tag or transition tag to players until March 5.

Higgins joined the Bengals in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, totaling 257 catches for 3,684 yards and 24 scores through his first four seasons. Higgins totaled a career-low 42 catches for 656 yards and five scores in 12 games last season due to injury.

The news of the decision to franchise tag Higgins comes after the NFL announced last week that the salary cap for each team will be $255.4 million in 2024, $30 million more than it was in 2023.

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The Los Angeles Clippers introducing new themed logos and uniforms on Monday as part of their rebranding ahead of their move to the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, CA in 2025. The Clippers said in a press release: “Embracing our maritime roots in a modern design, we take inspiration from past and future as we embark on a new era at Intuit Dome.”

The Clippers’ current logo features a basketball with a large blue C in the middle, with the red letters L and C inside.  The new logo still features red, blue and white still as the primary colors, also including a ship with a large blue C around it, resembling a compass.  In a nod to the team’s San Diego Harbor origins, the hull of the ship includes basketball seams.

The Clippers also introduced three editions of their uniforms — Icon, Association and Statement — which they will wear next season. The organization also posted images of new font script, which will appear on the navy, red and pacific blue garb modeled by Paul George, James Harden and Kawhi Leonard for the uniform release.

The Clippers said that the Icon and Association editions “feature a modernized version of the classic Clippers script, a longtime fan favorite, in bold Clippers navy and red. The uniforms are simple and streamlined, with a thin trim of pacific blue, which stretches from the global logo like the horizon line of the ocean. Even the font of the numbers evokes those on Naval warships.”

The Clippers currently share Crypto.com Arena with the Lakers. They will open the Intuit Dome this summer and play their home games in the new Inglewood, Calif., facility beginning in 2025.

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The NBA announced on Sunday that Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler was among five players suspended for their roles in an altercation that occurred during Friday night’s game in New Orleans between the Heat and Pelicans.

Butler, forward Nikola Jović, and Pelicans forward Naji Marshall have been suspended one game  for “instigating and engaging in” an on-court altercation. In addition, Heat center Thomas Bryant and Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado have been suspended three games for leaving the bench area during the on-court altercation that broke out between the two teams. Butler, Marshall, Alvarado, and Bryant were all ejected from Friday night’s game for their antics in the altercation.

The altercation in question began after Zion Williamson was fouled by Kevin Love, resulting in Williamson falling to the ground, prompting a scuffle to break out behind the scenes between the two teams, with Marshall and Butler at the center of it all.  Marshall grabbed Butler’s neck, causing matters to escalate with both teams shoving and pushing one another. Alvarado and Bryant both left the bench area, as well as Jović, who was seen shouting at and trying to push his way towards the Pelicans bench along with Bryan. After the initial scuffle had been broken up, Alvarado and Bryant met at the scorer’s table and again started fighting.

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Two-time All-Star Cody Bellinger has agreed to a three-year, $80 million deal to return to the Chicago Cubs. The move comes after Bellinger, 28, declined a mutual option to test the open market.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the deal calls for Bellinger to earn a $30 million salary in 2024 and 2025, along with a $20 million salary in 2026, with opt outs in his contract after each of the first two years.

Bellinger was named 2019 NL MVP, hitting the go-ahead homer in the seventh inning of Game 7 against the Atlanta Braves in the 2020 NLCS to bring the Dodgers to the World Series. However he was plagued with injures in 2021/2022, ironically injuring his shoulder after hitting that homer which eventually required shoulder surgery.

The centerfielder hit .193/.256/.355 with 29 homers, 104 RBI and 17 stolen bases in 239 games over the next two seasons before parting ways with the Dodgers and signing a one-year, $17.5 million deal with the Cubs that also included a mutual option for 2024.

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