Tuesday Tidbits You Might Have Missed
NFL
The Washington Commanders are expected to place a franchise tag on defensive tackle Daron Payne. The 25-year-old finished this last season with the best stats of his career, he had 64 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and 11.5 sacks.
Former Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch talking publicly on the "I Am Athlete" podcast about the fines that were handed down from the NFL for not speaking to the media. The 36-year-old dished out a total of $1.2 million in fines which led to the infamous media day interview for Super Bowl XLIX in 2015. Lynch answered " I'm just here so I won't get fined" to every question he was asked that day.
The Cleveland Browns fired special teams coordinator Mike Priefer on Tuesday. The 56-year-old spent the last 4 seasons in Cleveland. Head coach Kevin Stefanski saying about the move:
“I appreciate everything Prief has done for this team in his three seasons as my special teams coordinator, but I have decided to move in another direction in the best interest of our organization. I know this city will forever be grateful for the job he did as acting head coach in our AFC wild-card win and for all his contributions while leading the Browns special teams units for the last four seasons.”
NBA
The Atlanta Hawks have fired coach Nate McMillian, the team making the announcement on Tuesday. They have named Assistant coach Joe Prunty as the interim coach, but have said they will begin the search for a new coach immediately. General manager Landry Fields saying in a statement:
"I would like to thank Nate for his leadership and professionalism during his time with the Hawks. He is truly a class act, and we appreciate the graciousness and work ethic he brought with him every day. Decisions like these, especially in-season, are always extremely difficult, but we believe it's in the best interest of our team to move forward with another voice leading the way."
Chicago Bulls point guard, Lonzo Ball will be held out for the rest of the 2023 season. The 25-year-old has not played since January of 2022 and has undergone 2 knee surgeries in that time. The Bulls executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas saying:
"Despite making significant increases in strength and function over the past several months, Bulls guard Lonzo Ball continues to experience performance-limiting discomfort during participation in high-level basketball-related activities. Considering the required time period to achieve the necessary level of fitness to return to play and the current stage of the NBA season, Ball will not return this season. The focus for Ball will continue to be on the resolution of his discomfort and a full return for the 2023-24 season."
The Brooklyn Nets and head coach Jacque Vaughn have agreed to a multi-year contract extension. The contract will take the 48-year-old coach through the 2026-2027 season.
MLB
The Minnesota Twins and veteran infielder Donovan Solano have come to an agreement on a 1-year deal. The financial details of the contract are not known yet, finalization is pending a physical.
Former New York Mets pitching coach Phil Regan is suing the team and general manager Brodie Van Wagenen. The soon to be 86-year-old was fired after the 2019 season. Regan is suing for age discrimination and wrongful termination and also mentions harassment and hostile work environment. His attorney Matthew J. Blit saying in a statement on Tuesday:
“Phil came into an underperforming pitching staff and immediately righted the ship. He helped lower the team ERA and brought the staff back to where it was supposed to be. Instead of rewarding him for his masterful performance he was tossed aside because of his age.”