Football

4/17/2024 |  This year’s NFL draft has lowest number of early entrants since 2011. That trend figures to continue (Associated Press (AP)) The lure of starting a pro career early apparently isn’t quite as tempting for underclassmen now as it was in the days before college stars could profit off their name, image and likeness.
This month’s draft features 58 early entrants, the lowest number of players to enter the draft with college eligibility remaining since 2011. That includes 54 underclassmen who were granted special eligibility by the NFL and four others (Miami defensive back Kamren Kinchens, Alabama defensive back Kool-Aid McKinstry, Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy and Clemson running back Will Shipley) who earned their degrees in three years.

4/17/2024 |  Michigan gets 3 years of probation for football recruiting violations; case vs. Jim Harbaugh pending (Associated Press (AP)) Michigan was given three years of probation, fined and hit with recruiting limits by the NCAA on Tuesday after football coaches and staff had impermissible contact with recruits and players under then-coach Jim Harbaugh while access was restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

4/17/2024 |  Bill Belichick joining Pat McAfee for NFL draft-day coverage (DEADSPIN) Bill Belichick, known as a man of few words while the head coach of the New England Patriots, apparently is ready to share his thoughts about next week's NFL draft.
Belichick will be part of the team on "The Pat McAfee Show Draft Spectacular," to air the opening night of the draft on ESPN+, the host announced Wednesday.

4/17/2024 |  Robert Kraft reportedly warned Falcons 'not to trust' Bill Belichick (Fox Sports) The Atlanta Falcons' decision to pass on Bill Belichick during the coach hiring cycle came as a surprise to many, but his former employer might have played a hand in preventing him from getting the job.

4/16/2024 |  To Sum Up Current Commanders, Coyotes Situations: It’s Complicated (Front Office Sports)

A pair of high-profile stadium and arena efforts are moving a step closer to reality, bringing much-discussed plans into sharper focus.

The Commanders have hired Kirtan Mehta, previously the chief of staff for Sen. John Hickenlooper (D., Colo.), as the club’s vice president of public affairs. The appointment of the political veteran arrives as the Josh Harris-owned team is still trying to close a stadium deal to develop a successor facility to Commanders Field, formerly known as FedEx Field. 

Those stadium discussions, which are complex in any one jurisdiction, in this case involve three spanning possibilities in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Perhaps the leading and likely the most popular site option among fans—the area where the team’s former home in D.C., RFK Stadium, sits—remains under consideration by Capitol Hill. A bill to turn federal control of that RFK Stadium land over to D.C., in turn allowing for the possibility of a new Commanders stadium being built there, could be taken up by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in the next month, sources with knowledge of the legislation tell Front Office Sports.

As that proposed legislation progresses, the hire of Mehta marks a rising intent by the Commanders to deepen ties to political leaders in the area.

“The Commanders’ relationships with federal and local leaders are vital to our organization,” said Jason Wright, Commanders president. “We’re confident that Kirtan will partner powerfully with them to advance community and policy efforts that benefit our fans and the area at large.”