Deadspin | Short-handed Lakers show grit in leading series vs. Rockets Apr 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) dunks as Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) looks on during the second half of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Beyond LeBron James’ individual brilliance and extensive postseason history of carrying teams to heights previously unimagined, perhaps the characteristic most overlooked within these Los Angeles Lakers was their collective ability to overcome obstacles during the regular season. Even with James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves missing a combined 71 games this season, the Lakers clawed their way to the fourth seed in the Western Conference. As one of the preeminent NBA franchises, Los Angeles has long been renowned for glitz, not grit. But given the track record of this iteration, it shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise that the Lakers scrapped their way to a 2-0 first-round series lead over the Houston Rockets despite the absences of Doncic and Reaves due to injuries. With the series shifting to Houston for Game 3 on Friday, what has come into clearer focus is the Lakers’ tenacity, and the fact that it should not be overlooked. “The regular season is not a means of punishment; it’s a means of building resiliency,” Los Angeles coach JJ Redick said. “And I think our group in the aggregate has been an incredibly resilient group. That’s why we have the confidence and belief and certainly the collective competitive spirit that is needed to be on this stage going against a great basketball team in Houston.” The “great” version of the Rockets that Redick lauded has yet to make an appearance. Seen as prohibitive pre-series favorites with Doncic and Reaves sidelined, the Rockets stumbled over themselves in the series opener with their leading scorer, Kevin Durant, out with a knee injury. When Durant returned for Game 2, little changed. The Lakers again found offense from Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart, and they generated the defensive might to stymie the Rockets, who, despite being at full strength, were even less efficient from behind the 3-point arc. Houston likes to hang its hat on its defense, but its woeful offense remains problematic. “They’re just daring guys to prove it, regardless of our spacing,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “Sometimes we’ve been in the proper places, sometimes guys are cutting on top of each other. “I wouldn’t say it’s a spacing issue. We’ve had really good spacing and gotten the ball to the places (we want) and not made the shot or taken the right one. I think they’re going to dare it regardless of who’s on the court until we prove otherwise.” Durant committed nine turnovers in Game 2 and scored only three points of his 23 points in the second half. Alperen Sengun, the Rockets’ second-leading scorer during the regular season (20.4 ppg), is shooting just 38.5% from the field in this series. If the Rockets don’t unlock that tandem, this series will end in short order. “We need to get the advantage when they’re doubling (Durant),” Sengun said. “We’re going to figure it out.” Now that they are on the doorstep of taking a stranglehold on this series, the Lakers know that they can rely on the others to support James. The experienced players have revealed themselves at critical junctures already this series, and the expectation is that their guidance will continue to lead the way despite the roster attrition and the long odds stacked against them. “It was brought up, our group trying to lean on LeBron’s otherworldly experience in this league, and, obviously, we’ve had to do that,” Redick said. “And he’s captained our team and led our team. “But we have four guys that have played in the Finals. All the experience that Smart has had, all the experience that DA (Deandre Ayton) has had, Maxi (Kleber) on the bench — they’ve shared that. Being in big moments for those guys is not a new thing.” Kennard, a Feb. 5 trade acquisition from Atlanta, leads Los Angeles with a 25.0 scoring average in the first two games, with James at 23.5 and Smart at 20.0. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Shorthanded #Lakers #show #grit #leading #series #Rockets

Deadspin | Short-handed Lakers show grit in leading series vs. Rockets
Apr 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) dunks as Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) looks on during the second half of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Beyond LeBron James’ individual brilliance and extensive postseason history of carrying teams to heights previously unimagined, perhaps the characteristic most overlooked within these Los Angeles Lakers was their collective ability to overcome obstacles during the regular season.

Even with James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves missing a combined 71 games this season, the Lakers clawed their way to the fourth seed in the Western Conference. As one of the preeminent NBA franchises, Los Angeles has long been renowned for glitz, not grit.

But given the track record of this iteration, it shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise that the Lakers scrapped their way to a 2-0 first-round series lead over the Houston Rockets despite the absences of Doncic and Reaves due to injuries. With the series shifting to Houston for Game 3 on Friday, what has come into clearer focus is the Lakers’ tenacity, and the fact that it should not be overlooked.

“The regular season is not a means of punishment; it’s a means of building resiliency,” Los Angeles coach JJ Redick said. “And I think our group in the aggregate has been an incredibly resilient group. That’s why we have the confidence and belief and certainly the collective competitive spirit that is needed to be on this stage going against a great basketball team in Houston.”

The “great” version of the Rockets that Redick lauded has yet to make an appearance. Seen as prohibitive pre-series favorites with Doncic and Reaves sidelined, the Rockets stumbled over themselves in the series opener with their leading scorer, Kevin Durant, out with a knee injury.

When Durant returned for Game 2, little changed. The Lakers again found offense from Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart, and they generated the defensive might to stymie the Rockets, who, despite being at full strength, were even less efficient from behind the 3-point arc.

Houston likes to hang its hat on its defense, but its woeful offense remains problematic.

“They’re just daring guys to prove it, regardless of our spacing,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “Sometimes we’ve been in the proper places, sometimes guys are cutting on top of each other.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a spacing issue. We’ve had really good spacing and gotten the ball to the places (we want) and not made the shot or taken the right one. I think they’re going to dare it regardless of who’s on the court until we prove otherwise.”

Durant committed nine turnovers in Game 2 and scored only three points of his 23 points in the second half. Alperen Sengun, the Rockets’ second-leading scorer during the regular season (20.4 ppg), is shooting just 38.5% from the field in this series. If the Rockets don’t unlock that tandem, this series will end in short order.

“We need to get the advantage when they’re doubling (Durant),” Sengun said. “We’re going to figure it out.”

Now that they are on the doorstep of taking a stranglehold on this series, the Lakers know that they can rely on the others to support James. The experienced players have revealed themselves at critical junctures already this series, and the expectation is that their guidance will continue to lead the way despite the roster attrition and the long odds stacked against them.

“It was brought up, our group trying to lean on LeBron’s otherworldly experience in this league, and, obviously, we’ve had to do that,” Redick said. “And he’s captained our team and led our team.

“But we have four guys that have played in the Finals. All the experience that Smart has had, all the experience that DA (Deandre Ayton) has had, Maxi (Kleber) on the bench — they’ve shared that. Being in big moments for those guys is not a new thing.”

Kennard, a Feb. 5 trade acquisition from Atlanta, leads Los Angeles with a 25.0 scoring average in the first two games, with James at 23.5 and Smart at 20.0.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Shorthanded #Lakers #show #grit #leading #series #Rockets

Sports news April 25, 2026

Apr 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) dunks as Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) looks on during the second half of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Beyond LeBron James’ individual brilliance and extensive postseason history of carrying teams to heights previously unimagined, perhaps the characteristic most overlooked within these Los Angeles Lakers was their collective ability to overcome obstacles during the regular season.

Even with James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves missing a combined 71 games this season, the Lakers clawed their way to the fourth seed in the Western Conference. As one of the preeminent NBA franchises, Los Angeles has long been renowned for glitz, not grit.

But given the track record of this iteration, it shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise that the Lakers scrapped their way to a 2-0 first-round series lead over the Houston Rockets despite the absences of Doncic and Reaves due to injuries. With the series shifting to Houston for Game 3 on Friday, what has come into clearer focus is the Lakers’ tenacity, and the fact that it should not be overlooked.

“The regular season is not a means of punishment; it’s a means of building resiliency,” Los Angeles coach JJ Redick said. “And I think our group in the aggregate has been an incredibly resilient group. That’s why we have the confidence and belief and certainly the collective competitive spirit that is needed to be on this stage going against a great basketball team in Houston.”

The “great” version of the Rockets that Redick lauded has yet to make an appearance. Seen as prohibitive pre-series favorites with Doncic and Reaves sidelined, the Rockets stumbled over themselves in the series opener with their leading scorer, Kevin Durant, out with a knee injury.

When Durant returned for Game 2, little changed. The Lakers again found offense from Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart, and they generated the defensive might to stymie the Rockets, who, despite being at full strength, were even less efficient from behind the 3-point arc.

Houston likes to hang its hat on its defense, but its woeful offense remains problematic.

“They’re just daring guys to prove it, regardless of our spacing,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “Sometimes we’ve been in the proper places, sometimes guys are cutting on top of each other.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a spacing issue. We’ve had really good spacing and gotten the ball to the places (we want) and not made the shot or taken the right one. I think they’re going to dare it regardless of who’s on the court until we prove otherwise.”

Durant committed nine turnovers in Game 2 and scored only three points of his 23 points in the second half. Alperen Sengun, the Rockets’ second-leading scorer during the regular season (20.4 ppg), is shooting just 38.5% from the field in this series. If the Rockets don’t unlock that tandem, this series will end in short order.

“We need to get the advantage when they’re doubling (Durant),” Sengun said. “We’re going to figure it out.”

Now that they are on the doorstep of taking a stranglehold on this series, the Lakers know that they can rely on the others to support James. The experienced players have revealed themselves at critical junctures already this series, and the expectation is that their guidance will continue to lead the way despite the roster attrition and the long odds stacked against them.

“It was brought up, our group trying to lean on LeBron’s otherworldly experience in this league, and, obviously, we’ve had to do that,” Redick said. “And he’s captained our team and led our team.

“But we have four guys that have played in the Finals. All the experience that Smart has had, all the experience that DA (Deandre Ayton) has had, Maxi (Kleber) on the bench — they’ve shared that. Being in big moments for those guys is not a new thing.”

Kennard, a Feb. 5 trade acquisition from Atlanta, leads Los Angeles with a 25.0 scoring average in the first two games, with James at 23.5 and Smart at 20.0.

–Field Level Media

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#Deadspin #Shorthanded #Lakers #show #grit #leading #series #Rockets

Pirates Didn’t Make Captives Walk the Plank (The Real Punishments Were Much Worse)

Deadspin | Blue Jays in evaluation mode as homestand opens vs. Guardians <div id=""><section id="0" class=" w-full"><div class="xl:container mx-0 !px-4 py-0 pb-4 !mx-0 !px-0"><img src="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28775611.jpg" srcset="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28775611.jpg" alt="MLB: Toronto Blue Jays at Los Angeles Angels" class="w-full" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager"/><span class="text-0.8 leading-tight">Apr 20, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jeff Hoffman (23) delivers during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images  </span></div></section><section id="section-1"> <p>The Toronto Blue Jays will try to gain some traction during a six-game homestand that starts Friday night against the Cleveland Guardians.</p> </section><section id="section-2"> <p>The Blue Jays completed a 4-5 road trip with a 7-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday as they continue to seek the magic of last season.</p> </section><section id="section-3"> <p>The loss snapped a three-game winning streak that came after the Blue Jays had dropped four straight.</p> </section><section id="section-4"> <p>“I thought we played way better as the trip went on, obviously, and taking some positives out of the first two games here, even (Wednesday),” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said.</p> </section><section id="section-5"> <p>The Guardians also lost on Wednesday, 2-0, in the rubber match of a three-game series with the Houston Astros that completed their 4-3 homestand.</p> </section><section id="section-6"> <p>“This series in particular could have gone either way,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “We could have swept, but ‘could haves’ don’t count. So we’ve just got to continue to work every day.”</p> </section><section id="section-7"> <p>The Blue Jays and Guardians both had Thursday off. The Guardians had played 13 consecutive days and were 6-7 in that stretch.</p> </section><section id="section-8"> <p>“This 13-game stretch was long and these guys worked really hard and we’re going to enjoy this off day and get ready to go Friday night,” Vogt said.</p> </section><section id="section-9"> <p>The Guardians will face Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer (1-2, 7.16 ERA) on Friday. Scherzer is 9-5 with a 4.10 ERA in 22 career starts against Cleveland.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-10"> <p>Cleveland will start right-hander Gavin Williams (3-1, 2.12) in the opener. He has a 2.76 ERA with no decisions in three career starts against Toronto.</p> </section> <section id="section-11"> <p>Schneider said he would use the off day to consider how to deal with struggling closer Jeff Hoffman, who gave up a run on two hits Tuesday before being rescued by Louis Varland.</p> </section><section id="section-12"> <p>“We’ll re-evaluate everything, talk with him, see how he’s doing,” Schneider said. “He’s going through it, obviously, a little bit.”</p> </section><section id="section-13"> <p>Schneider said he will continue to support Hoffman and try to use him where he can have success.</p> </section><section id="section-14"> <p>“He’s a big boy,” Schneider said. “He understands that the spotlight is on him a little bit, and rightfully so. So it’s like, ‘How can we be there to support you? How can we help you get ahead of hitters? Is it mechanical? Is it between the ears a little bit? What’s going on here, and how can we help?”</p> </section><section id="section-15"> <p>Varland could be used as closer, but he has also been valuable in the seventh or eighth. “Sometimes the game could be won or lost in the eighth, top of the order,” Schneider said. “How do you weigh where to use Louis?”</p> </section><section id="section-16"> <p>Guardians infielder Brayan Rocchio, who has had a solid start to the season, was 0-for-4 Wednesday to end a career-best eight-game hitting streak. He was 13-for-27 (.481/.517/.778) with two home runs and nine RBIs in that span.</p> </section><section id="section-17"> <p>“Brayan’s growing up,” Vogt said on Tuesday after Rocchio’s single ignited a six-run eighth. “Brayan is figuring out who he is. He’s on a nice little run right now, and we want to keep that going as long as we can. I think for Rocchio, it’s just go play. He knows what his role is. His role is to get on base, whether that’s taking a walk (or) getting something he can handle to hit.”</p> </section><section id="section-18"> <p>Rocchio is staying grounded. </p> </section><section id="section-19"> <p>“As a baseball player, you never have to feel comfortable at the plate because this sport can humble you,” he said.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-20"> <p>–Field Level Media</p> </section> </div> #Deadspin #Blue #Jays #evaluation #mode #homestand #opens #Guardians

#Peles #FIFA #World #Cup #final #shirt #sells #USD #million">

Pele’s 1958 FIFA World Cup final shirt sells for USD 4.9 million The shirt worn by Brazil great Pele when he scored twice in ‌the 1958 FIFA World Cup final has sold for USD 4.9 ⁠million at auction, becoming the most valuable piece of memorabilia ‌linked to the football legend, Sotheby’s said on ‌Thursday.The number 10 ‌shirt, ⁠worn by the ⁠then 17-year-old as Brazil beat host Sweden 5-2 in Stockholm to win its first ‌world title, attracted 10 bids from more than five bidders, the auction house ‌said.ALSO READ | FIFA World Cup trophy to arrive in style in bespoke Louis Vuitton trunkThe sale made it the second-most expensive football shirt sold at ⁠auction, behind the USD 9.3 million paid in 2022 for the shirt ‌worn by Diego Maradona when he scored his “Hand of God” goal for Argentina against England at the 1986 World Cup.Pele, ‌who died in 2022 aged 82, scored twice in the 1958 showpiece and ⁠remains the youngest player to score ⁠in a World Cup final.The shirt ‌had previously sold at auction in 2004 for 70,505 pounds (5,600), according to Sotheby’sPublished on Jul 17, 2026 #Peles #FIFA #World #Cup #final #shirt #sells #USD #million

mwasimuddin125 0

The shirt worn by Brazil great Pele when he scored twice in ‌the 1958 FIFA World Cup final has sold for USD 4.9 ⁠million at auction, becoming the most valuable piece of memorabilia ‌linked to the football legend, Sotheby’s said on ‌Thursday.
The number 10 ‌shirt, ⁠worn by the ⁠then 17-year-old as Brazil beat host Sweden 5-2 in Stockholm to win its first ‌world title, attracted 10 bids from more than five bidders, the auction house ‌said.
ALSO READ | FIFA World Cup trophy to arrive in style in bespoke Louis Vuitton trunk
The sale made it the second-most expensive football shirt sold at ⁠auction, behind the USD 9.3 million paid in 2022 for the shirt ‌worn by Diego Maradona when he scored his “Hand of God” goal for Argentina against England at the 1986 World Cup.
Pele, ‌who died in 2022 aged 82, scored twice in the 1958 showpiece and ⁠remains the youngest player to score ⁠in a World Cup final.
The shirt ‌had previously sold at auction in 2004 for 70,505 pounds ($105,600), according to Sotheby’s
Published on Jul 17, 2026

#Peles #FIFA #World #Cup #final #shirt #sells #USD #million">Pele’s 1958 FIFA World Cup final shirt sells for USD 4.9 million

The shirt worn by Brazil great Pele when he scored twice in ‌the 1958 FIFA World Cup final has sold for USD 4.9 ⁠million at auction, becoming the most valuable piece of memorabilia ‌linked to the football legend, Sotheby’s said on ‌Thursday.

The number 10 ‌shirt, ⁠worn by the ⁠then 17-year-old as Brazil beat host Sweden 5-2 in Stockholm to win its first ‌world title, attracted 10 bids from more than five bidders, the auction house ‌said.

ALSO READ | FIFA World Cup trophy to arrive in style in bespoke Louis Vuitton trunk

The sale made it the second-most expensive football shirt sold at ⁠auction, behind the USD 9.3 million paid in 2022 for the shirt ‌worn by Diego Maradona when he scored his “Hand of God” goal for Argentina against England at the 1986 World Cup.

Pele, ‌who died in 2022 aged 82, scored twice in the 1958 showpiece and ⁠remains the youngest player to score ⁠in a World Cup final.

The shirt ‌had previously sold at auction in 2004 for 70,505 pounds ($105,600), according to Sotheby’s

Published on Jul 17, 2026

#Peles #FIFA #World #Cup #final #shirt #sells #USD #million

Over the past few seasons, Tarik Skubal has been one of the best, if not the best, pitchers in the sport. Since 2023, Skubal has the second-lowest ERA among pitchers with at least 50 starts and ranks 9th in total strikeouts, despite having 13 fewer starts than every pitcher above him on that list. The two Cy Youngs are a culmination of his continued dominance, but now his upcoming free-agent decision looms large for the Detroit Tigers.

Skubal is a Scott Boras client. If you know anything about Boras guys, it’s not common for any of them to take team-friendly deals to stay in smaller markets, so this could very well be his final season in Detroit.

At this moment, the Tigers are 44-52, good for 4th in the AL Central, but are still only 3.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot. Detroit closed out the first half of the regular season strong, going 9-3, and got as close as 4.5 games of the Central division.

In a normal year, the season would be all but over for the Tigers, but fortunately they’re playing in one of the worst American Leagues we’ve ever seen. The trade deadline is August 3rd, so Detroit has five series to decide whether to make a playoff push or sell. Only one of those series is against a team over .500, and three of the other four series are against the three worst teams in the American League.

Detroit isn’t out of it yet

Detroit is finally getting healthier, and a playoff push isn’t out of the question, but that doesn’t make them a contender. Skubal and Casey Mize make one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball, but the lineup is terrible.

Last season blinded Detroit to a flawed lineup. Most of the lineup outperformed their expected stats and have plummeted back to Earth this year. Kevin McGonigle, Riley Greene, and Dillon Dingler are a very solid top of the order, and Gelyber Torres should return from injury soon, but I’m just not very sold on this team.

The return you can get on a guy like Skubal can change the long-term direction of your organization. Mason Miller was dealt at the deadline for four players who are now the first, fourth, and twelfth-ranked players in the Athletics farm system. Skubal would only be a rental, but if you could land a top 10-20 prospect in the sport, I think you have to do it.

Unless Detroit is going to shock the world and pay Skubal’s massive extension, I think the Tigers should start preparing for a world without their ace. This team’s not strong enough to contend and will only set themselves back if they hold on to Skubal.

#Tigers #Moving #Tarik #Skubal #Trade #Deadline #Deadspin.com">

Why Tigers Should Consider Moving Tarik Skubal at the Trade Deadline | Deadspin.com Over the past few seasons, Tarik Skubal has been one of the best, if not the best, pitchers in the sport. Since 2023, Skubal has the second-lowest ERA among pitchers with at least 50 starts and ranks 9th in total strikeouts, despite having 13 fewer starts than every pitcher above him on that list. The two Cy Youngs are a culmination of his continued dominance, but now his upcoming free-agent decision looms large for the Detroit Tigers.Skubal is a Scott Boras client. If you know anything about Boras guys, it’s not common for any of them to take team-friendly deals to stay in smaller markets, so this could very well be his final season in Detroit.At this moment, the Tigers are 44-52, good for 4th in the AL Central, but are still only 3.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot. Detroit closed out the first half of the regular season strong, going 9-3, and got as close as 4.5 games of the Central division.In a normal year, the season would be all but over for the Tigers, but fortunately they’re playing in one of the worst American Leagues we’ve ever seen. The trade deadline is August 3rd, so Detroit has five series to decide whether to make a playoff push or sell. Only one of those series is against a team over .500, and three of the other four series are against the three worst teams in the American League.Detroit isn’t out of it yetDetroit is finally getting healthier, and a playoff push isn’t out of the question, but that doesn’t make them a contender. Skubal and Casey Mize make one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball, but the lineup is terrible.Last season blinded Detroit to a flawed lineup. Most of the lineup outperformed their expected stats and have plummeted back to Earth this year. Kevin McGonigle, Riley Greene, and Dillon Dingler are a very solid top of the order, and Gelyber Torres should return from injury soon, but I’m just not very sold on this team.The return you can get on a guy like Skubal can change the long-term direction of your organization. Mason Miller was dealt at the deadline for four players who are now the first, fourth, and twelfth-ranked players in the Athletics farm system. Skubal would only be a rental, but if you could land a top 10-20 prospect in the sport, I think you have to do it.Unless Detroit is going to shock the world and pay Skubal’s massive extension, I think the Tigers should start preparing for a world without their ace. This team’s not strong enough to contend and will only set themselves back if they hold on to Skubal. #Tigers #Moving #Tarik #Skubal #Trade #Deadline #Deadspin.com

mwasimuddin125 0

Over the past few seasons, Tarik Skubal has been one of the best, if not the best, pitchers in the sport. Since 2023, Skubal has the second-lowest ERA among pitchers with at least 50 starts and ranks 9th in total strikeouts, despite having 13 fewer starts than every pitcher above him on that list. The two Cy Youngs are a culmination of his continued dominance, but now his upcoming free-agent decision looms large for the Detroit Tigers.
Skubal is a Scott Boras client. If you know anything about Boras guys, it’s not common for any of them to take team-friendly deals to stay in smaller markets, so this could very well be his final season in Detroit.
At this moment, the Tigers are 44-52, good for 4th in the AL Central, but are still only 3.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot. Detroit closed out the first half of the regular season strong, going 9-3, and got as close as 4.5 games of the Central division.
In a normal year, the season would be all but over for the Tigers, but fortunately they’re playing in one of the worst American Leagues we’ve ever seen. The trade deadline is August 3rd, so Detroit has five series to decide whether to make a playoff push or sell. Only one of those series is against a team over .500, and three of the other four series are against the three worst teams in the American League.

Detroit isn’t out of it yet

#Tigers #Moving #Tarik #Skubal #Trade #Deadline #Deadspin.com">Why Tigers Should Consider Moving Tarik Skubal at the Trade Deadline | Deadspin.com

Detroit isn’t out of it yet

#Tigers #Moving #Tarik #Skubal #Trade #Deadline #Deadspin.com

Death, taxes, and speculation about Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 future.

The sport has been dominated in recent weeks by speculation over Verstappen’s future with Red Bull, keyed by some difficult sessions this season. After crashes during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix and in the closing stages of the British Grand Prix — with Verstappen chasing a podium finish — it is confirmed that he cannot rise to the top two spots in the Drivers’ Championship standings by the summer shutdown, which comes after the Hungarian Grand Prix next weekend.

With that, according to multiple reports, a clause in his Red Bull contract can be triggered, giving him an out for the 2027 season.

Sprinkle in a dash of the general frenzy that is the F1 driver transfer market, and you have arguably the dominant story ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

And despite his manager, Raymond Vermeulen, tamping down those rumors recently, the F1 world got a chance to hear from the driver himself on Thursday in the buildup to this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

And Verstappen made it clear that his focus is elsewhere.

Mainly, on turning the season around, and his “future” driving for Red Bull.

“There’s nothing to say,” answered Verstappen when asked about the speculation during the FIA Press Conference on Thursday. “I don’t want to say yes and no, and this and that about my future. I said already many times that if there was something new, I would say it myself.”

The driver then addressed the recent struggles, as well as his efforts alongside the team to right the ship.

“Now we’re just looking to the future trying to fix current issues that we have on the car, but that’s an open discussion,” he said. “Yes, sometimes you get a little bit disappointed or upset after a race, but for example after Silverstone, you go home and you reset.

“On Wednesday I was back at the factory and then you prepare again for the weekends ahead. That’s how I’ve been operating in all the years together. And of course, some years are just a little bit more competitive than others, but in terms of my approach and how we work as a team, nothing really changes.”

Part of that process is a focus on the rear wing of the RB22. That component — the revolving design referred to as the “Macarena” wing in the media — has been identified as the reason for those two high-speed crashes from Verstappen in recent weeks. The driver called the situation “super dangerous” when speaking to the media after the crash in Silverstone, and the team will reportedly shelve the component for this weekend.

But in terms of his future beyond Spa, Verstappen remained adamant on Thursday.

“Red Bull are like a second family to me,“ added the driver.

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#Belgian #Grand #Prix #Max #Verstappen #focused #future #Red #Bull">

Belgian Grand Prix: Max Verstappen is focused on the ‘future’ at Red Bull Death, taxes, and speculation about Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 future.The sport has been dominated in recent weeks by speculation over Verstappen’s future with Red Bull, keyed by some difficult sessions this season. After crashes during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix and in the closing stages of the British Grand Prix — with Verstappen chasing a podium finish — it is confirmed that he cannot rise to the top two spots in the Drivers’ Championship standings by the summer shutdown, which comes after the Hungarian Grand Prix next weekend.With that, according to multiple reports, a clause in his Red Bull contract can be triggered, giving him an out for the 2027 season.Sprinkle in a dash of the general frenzy that is the F1 driver transfer market, and you have arguably the dominant story ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.And despite his manager, Raymond Vermeulen, tamping down those rumors recently, the F1 world got a chance to hear from the driver himself on Thursday in the buildup to this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.And Verstappen made it clear that his focus is elsewhere.Mainly, on turning the season around, and his “future” driving for Red Bull.“There’s nothing to say,” answered Verstappen when asked about the speculation during the FIA Press Conference on Thursday. “I don’t want to say yes and no, and this and that about my future. I said already many times that if there was something new, I would say it myself.”The driver then addressed the recent struggles, as well as his efforts alongside the team to right the ship.“Now we’re just looking to the future trying to fix current issues that we have on the car, but that’s an open discussion,” he said. “Yes, sometimes you get a little bit disappointed or upset after a race, but for example after Silverstone, you go home and you reset.“On Wednesday I was back at the factory and then you prepare again for the weekends ahead. That’s how I’ve been operating in all the years together. And of course, some years are just a little bit more competitive than others, but in terms of my approach and how we work as a team, nothing really changes.”Part of that process is a focus on the rear wing of the RB22. That component — the revolving design referred to as the “Macarena” wing in the media — has been identified as the reason for those two high-speed crashes from Verstappen in recent weeks. The driver called the situation “super dangerous” when speaking to the media after the crash in Silverstone, and the team will reportedly shelve the component for this weekend.But in terms of his future beyond Spa, Verstappen remained adamant on Thursday.“Red Bull are like a second family to me,“ added the driver.Here at SB Nation we are talking F1 every hour, every day. Join the discussion at the new F1 Feed, a community for Formula 1 fans! #Belgian #Grand #Prix #Max #Verstappen #focused #future #Red #Bull

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Death, taxes, and speculation about Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 future.
The sport has been dominated in recent weeks by speculation over Verstappen’s future with Red Bull, keyed by some difficult sessions this season. After crashes during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix and in the closing stages of the British Grand Prix — with Verstappen chasing a podium finish — it is confirmed that he cannot rise to the top two spots in the Drivers’ Championship standings by the summer shutdown, which comes after the Hungarian Grand Prix next weekend.
With that, according to multiple reports, a clause in his Red Bull contract can be triggered, giving him an out for the 2027 season.
Sprinkle in a dash of the general frenzy that is the F1 driver transfer market, and you have arguably the dominant story ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.
And despite his manager, Raymond Vermeulen, tamping down those rumors recently, the F1 world got a chance to hear from the driver himself on Thursday in the buildup to this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.
And Verstappen made it clear that his focus is elsewhere.
Mainly, on turning the season around, and his “future” driving for Red Bull.
“There’s nothing to say,” answered Verstappen when asked about the speculation during the FIA Press Conference on Thursday. “I don’t want to say yes and no, and this and that about my future. I said already many times that if there was something new, I would say it myself.”
The driver then addressed the recent struggles, as well as his efforts alongside the team to right the ship.
“Now we’re just looking to the future trying to fix current issues that we have on the car, but that’s an open discussion,” he said. “Yes, sometimes you get a little bit disappointed or upset after a race, but for example after Silverstone, you go home and you reset.
“On Wednesday I was back at the factory and then you prepare again for the weekends ahead. That’s how I’ve been operating in all the years together. And of course, some years are just a little bit more competitive than others, but in terms of my approach and how we work as a team, nothing really changes.”
Part of that process is a focus on the rear wing of the RB22. That component — the revolving design referred to as the “Macarena” wing in the media — has been identified as the reason for those two high-speed crashes from Verstappen in recent weeks. The driver called the situation “super dangerous” when speaking to the media after the crash in Silverstone, and the team will reportedly shelve the component for this weekend.
But in terms of his future beyond Spa, Verstappen remained adamant on Thursday.
“Red Bull are like a second family to me,“ added the driver.
Here at SB Nation we are talking F1 every hour, every day. Join the discussion at the new F1 Feed, a community for Formula 1 fans!

#Belgian #Grand #Prix #Max #Verstappen #focused #future #Red #Bull">Belgian Grand Prix: Max Verstappen is focused on the ‘future’ at Red Bull

Death, taxes, and speculation about Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 future.

With that, according to multiple reports, a clause in his Red Bull contract can be triggered, giving him an out for the 2027 season.

Sprinkle in a dash of the general frenzy that is the F1 driver transfer market, and you have arguably the dominant story ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

And Verstappen made it clear that his focus is elsewhere.

Mainly, on turning the season around, and his “future” driving for Red Bull.

The driver then addressed the recent struggles, as well as his efforts alongside the team to right the ship.

But in terms of his future beyond Spa, Verstappen remained adamant on Thursday.

“Red Bull are like a second family to me,“ added the driver.

Here at SB Nation we are talking F1 every hour, every day. Join the discussion at the new F1 Feed, a community for Formula 1 fans!

#Belgian #Grand #Prix #Max #Verstappen #focused #future #Red #Bull

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