“-

Three weeks into the recent NFL season, there was a sense of rejuvenation and reinvention in Minnesota, with Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold becoming the epicenter of a great redemption story.

Darnold, on his fourth NFL team, enters the league’s fourth week ranked second in the league in passing yards, first in touchdown passes, fifth in yards per attempt and has just two interceptions in three games.

After three disappointing seasons with the New York Jets, Darnold was sent to the Carolina Panthers, and after a disappointing performance in Carolina, he was sent to the San Francisco 49ers as a backup.

While Darnold’s performance to date has been a revelation, the most impactful story in the NFL could also be on the other side of the ball in Minnesota, where defensive coordinator Brian Flores has shaped the Vikings into one among the most dominant defenses in the league.

Flores is the talk of the league ahead of Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers, together with praise for his unique — some might call it revolutionary — defensive style. Through the first three weeks of the season, the Vikings lead the NFL in sacks (11) and quarterback hits (19), and lead the league in quarterback pressures with 36. The Vikings are third in points allowed. After a 23-17 loss to the Vikings on September 15, the 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy I met Flores on the field and told him, “Your plan is crazy.”

However, there’s a difference between Darnold’s redemption story and Flores’ story, which may very well be called a vindication quest. While Darnold is doing something he has never done in his NFL profession, Flores is doing what everyone knew he could do, or quite what was expected of him. He is a cruel and no-nonsense defensive coordinator who made his mark early in the season.

The greater query looming over Flores is whether or not he’ll get a second likelihood to grow to be an NFL head coach.

Flores is just not your average coaching candidate. Not only was he already an NFL coach, but he also became involved with the league and had the courage to sue it over the long-standing issue of hiring African-American coaches.

In February 2022, Flores filed a class motion lawsuit against the NFL, alleging racial discrimination. His allegations included specific claims against the New York Giants, Denver Broncos and Houston Texans, and he was later joined by two more former NFL coaches. Currently, most lawsuits are pending in NFL arbitration.

There was immediate speculation that Flores would receive the same treatment as former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who was essentially barred by team owners from playing in the league again in 2016 after he protested by kneeling during the national anthem. However, there’s a significant difference. Kaepernick used his platform to bring attention to injustice outside the arena. Issues discussed included police violence and economic injustice.

Flores, on the other hand, was simply difficult the NFL team to keep its vow to ensure fair and equal treatment for African-Americans who aspired to be coaches.

No matter what the Vikings defense does this 12 months under Flores, his lawsuit is hanging over his head.

“I think common sense dictates that as long as the suit is available, it will be in people’s minds, if not at the forefront of their minds,” Rod Graves, executive director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, said in a telephone interview. on Wednesday. Since its founding in 2003, the Fritz Pollard Alliance has actively fought, especially to promote African Americans as coaches and front-office executives in the NFL.

Whether Flores gets one other head coaching job depends upon a referendum on how long the league chooses to hold a grudge – or whether it holds a grudge in any respect and easily commits to doing the right thing.

“Just the fact that he’s a coach in the National Football League is a positive sign that the league has made progress and is actually willing to do that,” Graves said.

Flores was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019 to 2021. After filing the lawsuit, Flores was hired by the Pittsburgh Steelers as a senior defensive assistant. I talked to Steelers coach Mike Tomlin a few months ago and he said the hiring of Flores didn’t occur just because Flores had an exceptional defensive mind, but because he couldn’t stand by and watch Flores lose the ball.

“If I hadn’t hired this guy, man, would he be employable right now?” Tomlin said.

Flores interviewed with the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons and Cleveland Browns before accepting a position with the Vikings in February 2023.

During his introductory press conference with the Vikings, Flores was asked about his lawsuit. Although he didn’t go into details, he said: “Of course, diversity can be necessary to me. I actually have no intention of running away from this. But after I walk into this constructing, there is really comprehensive diversity in every department. That’s exciting too. So these are things which are a work in progress. Of course, the lawsuit is pending, but I stand my ground. Right now my feet are here in Eden.

The topic got here up again this spring when Flores met with reporters in Minnesota. He was asked if he was involved in the recent rounds of coaching interviews that resulted in the hiring of 4 African-American coaches.

“I didn’t have and don’t really have any control over this situation,” he said. “I’ll say that I’m very joyful where I’m. It was a great off-season. It’s been a very long time since I spent a lot time with my family in the off-season without moving. It’s been a while, but to answer your query: no. But I’m in a great position, I’m very joyful and excited to work with our guys and coach my boys.

Did he think his lack of opportunity had something to do along with his lawsuit?

“There is no way to know,” he said. “It’s not something I spend a lot of time thinking about. I try to stay where my feet are, here with the Vikings. I try not to worry about the things that I can’t control and focus on the things that I can control or some of the things that I can control, like making plans for these players, for this team and doing the best I can, where I am.”

​In so many words, Flores said he still wants to be a coach. “I just do the best I can where I’m. And wherever the chips fall, that is where they fall,” he said. “There are a lot of great coaches on this league. So I feel all I can do is prepare, do the right thing, give it my all, help the team as much as I can and I’ll let the odds fall where they fall.

In three seasons in Miami, Flores had two winning seasons and reported conflicts with the front office and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. We didn’t know the extent of the rift with Tagovailoa until August 19, when Tagovailoa made a statement about Flores on the podcast and went so far as to say Flores is a “terrible person.”

Tagovailoa issued a variety of complaints to Flores. The bottom line was that Flores was not as supportive and caring as he would have liked. Flores responded to Tagovailoa at his own press conference shortly after the podcast aired. He said he was joyful for Tagovailoa and wished him the best.

“Look, I’m human,” Flores told reporters. “So it hit me in a way that I would not say was positive for me. But at the same time, I actually have to take it and say, “Hey, how can I grow from this or how can I be better?” And from this perspective, that is where I’m at.

“Do I feel like this is me? NO. But how can I grow from this situation and create a world where that’s not the case when someone says that about Brian Flores?”

Perhaps Flores’ decision to go to Minnesota reflected an understanding that there was still room for growth, which he alluded to when referring to a Pittsburgh pastor who said, “you can either have control or you can have growth.” And you possibly can’t have each.”

In May, Flores participated in what the NFL calls its accelerator program. which allows potential coaching candidates to connect with former CEOs through a series of mock interviews. Graves was there and the feedback he received about Flores was impressive.

“He was outstanding. I mean, he was special in every way,” Graves said. “I feel what touched me most was how humble he was and the way honest he was about the lessons he had learned.

“When he crossed the threshold, there was no trace of anger or bitterness in him. He didn’t make me feel like I deserved anything or anything like that.”

Graves said they didn’t discuss Flores’ lawsuit. “He just wanted to come in and show that he was ready to lead and very capable of providing leadership as a head coach, and he did that,” Graves said.

Darnold and Flores have a good distance to go this NFL season. The quarterback is in search of profession redemption, the coach is in search of justice for himself and future Black coaches.

If Flores is given a second likelihood to coach in the NFL, his hiring can be truly significant and a milestone in the league’s conflicted relationship with hiring black coaches.

“That would be an indication that the league is in a different place,” Graves said. “If he can get back into the chair, I think we have to consider it a significant improvement. The question is whether this will get us to where we need to be for consistency remains to be seen.”

Darnold and Flores have a long season ahead of them and a very steep mountain to climb. But the league also has the burden of proof.

We often discuss the importance of second possibilities. In Flores’ case, a second likelihood would even be a key benchmark for the NFL.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Lawrence Butler is used to alter. A fixture in the baseball world that never really knows what city you are in or what day of the week it’s, rightfully comes with the territory. Unfortunately, and as expected, Oakland Athletics fans have seen more shake-ups in and out of town – not due to a trade, which is the typical path for young players in Alameda County. This time the entire team is gone.

On Thursday, the final day of baseball at the Oakland Coliseum, the 24-year-old outfielder went 1-for-4 and scored a run. A solid day to win, all emotions aside – which is not any small thing even for a debutant who has the world in front of him. For players like manager Mark Kotsay, who played for this city and park from 2004 to 2007, those feelings can’t be hidden.

If you were being attentive to the Athletics simply because front office ineptitude over the past few years has made them the saddest laughingstock in the league this side of Chicago’s South Side, nobody would doubt you. It’s only a shame that Oakland specifically did not have more time with a man who embodies every part the league wants in a personality.

“I think for people who have been here the longest, it’s more emotional. I mean, I know a lot of employees are probably going to lose their jobs and be looking for jobs,” Butler said after the 3-2 victory over the Texas Rangers. “I mean, there’s a lot of long, hard-core A’s fans who have just, you know, been here forever from the beginning, I feel for them.”

Over the last six seasons, all six of his skilled profession, he has played for 10 teams in the event you include the Arizona Fall League but not the major leagues. Leaving was never the hardest part, but you’ll be able to’t help but think that in a really perfect world, Butler is strictly the form of player Oakland would retain, develop, and turn right into a star.

He looks and dresses like several necessary person of that age. He isn’t a robot with no visible personality. In April, he met with MLB Network sportscaster Siera Santos at Quad Studios in New York to record some on-camera scenes. He described his admiration for musical artists Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls, Beyoncé and Whitney Houston.

“You can have a song that is special to you, or you can have a song that just draws the audience to your attack. It might push you to do something special on the field,” Butler says simply. “I think music has a big influence on baseball.”

It sounds so easy, so obvious, so easy, but sometimes that is what you wish. Talking to players about their personal preferences in almost anything related to the arts may be an especially time-consuming process. Guys don’t need to disclose any personal motivational secrets they’ve, or they’re afraid the unsuitable confession might go viral, and while you stack 25 of those guys on top of one another in a club, you are in for a sleep that turns an all-sane person right into a bore.

Butler can never be taken for square footage. Whether it’s oversized sunglasses, vibrant accessories, or an all-around game, his outfit feels familiar when he’s wearing his kelly-colored Oakland tees. That’s because the Athletics were a team back in the day that weren’t afraid to combine up their personalities. In some ways, that is where the series’ identity lies, somewhat than the latest incarnation dropped at the bay by hated team owner John Fisher.

The kid, who goes by the name Z4law on Instagram, is the closest thing we have seen to the style and charisma that the A’s of the ’70s and ’90s dropped at the game. Vida Blue, Rollie Fingers and Reggie Jackson franchise. The band that brought Bash brothers Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire, the Hendersons and countless other names plastered on the limitless concrete partitions of the Coliseum arena.

In short, exactly the sort of player you might construct a team, league or city around. The form of player who puts their butts in the seats and the balls in the stands at the plate. This all is smart as a product of the Marquis Grissom Baseball Association in Atlanta. And while you see him after games, giving style tricks to his teammates in front of everyone and generally having a superb time, it’s hard to breathe a breath of fresh air.

Despite all the nonsense MLB puts out attempting to make the game more fun and diverse blah blah blah, I do not understand why Butler is not the league’s newest darling. It’s all there and we have not even talked about baseball. That’s what it’s all about to some extent.

Ask many black individuals who were kids back in the day and they’ll let you know that those high fives and that whole attitude were the reason they liked the game in the first place. When you set a bunch of fellows in white shoes against the soul and core of a spot that has change into cultural legends like Digital Underground, MC Hammer, Keyshia Cole, Too Short, En Vogue and Tony! Toni! Toné!, all of it makes an excessive amount of sense. But no, as a substitute we’ve a culture of doom and dismay, with owners crying that fans aren’t showing up because raw sewage flows through the last dugouts in the big leagues.

When you see it up close along with your own eyes, it breaks your heart. Never mind that the city has lost three skilled sports teams in five years, which is an actual shame. Butler is the closest thing to real pride in Oakland in YEARS, and for the next few years he’ll be stationed in West Sacramento, where few people will find out about it.

In his first full MLB season, Butler hit .265 with 22 home runs, 57 RBI, 18 stolen bases and recorded 3.1 wins above substitute in 124 games.

“He’s that particular guy, if you were running an organization that you wanted to put a lot of marketing money into, someone who’s personable, who can play and, you know, and who has a good rapport with the fans” – Trent Henderson, son of the late outfielder Dave Henderson, who played for the A’s from 1988 to 1993, said Thursday at a postgame fan event where fans gathered after the final break. “He would be the perfect franchise guy.”

There are, after all, countless the explanation why Thursday was such an oddly depressing yet cathartic day. In The Bay, fans are too indignant with Fisher to take into consideration the greater picture, which is fair. But when you see the individuals who show up at the tailgate and have supported and boycotted this band in various forms over the years, it is easy to guess why a scoundrel like Fisher doesn’t prefer it. This man sees no a part of himself on this culture.

There’s no way Fisher ever shared the bag together with his homies and faded. He has no idea who rapper Del the Funky Homosapien is, let alone “Mr. Dobalina.” If rapper Dru Down himself – the son of funk musician Bootsy Collins – had taken the field with crazy curls, Fisher would have had no idea. Meanwhile, after the game, as players and team staff collect dirt to maintain as souvenirs, the stadium’s public address system blares through the Luniz team speakers I actually have a remix of “I’ve Got Five On It”.when Richie Rich drops the iconic line “” and the bottom bowl screams “OAKLAND” in unison because that is what you do when that happens.

Fisher has no idea why grown adults wear gold grills during their game – which is ironic. It’s sad that in a city with as much culture as another major city, the MLB commissioner’s office didn’t fight tooth and nail to maintain this team there because diversity is clearly a priority. Instead, a gaggle of other owners cowardly allowed a miser to spoil certainly one of the best franchises the game has ever seen.

“I believe it’s just a bit of s— and not good for business because this area may be very profitable. And in the event you have a look at people like his friend, like (Golden State Warriors majority owner) Joe Lacob, right, you will find individuals who understand how much money there’s in the Bay Area and how much we’re already spending. It’s not like everyone here is just broke, and half the individuals who come to the games will not be just from Oakland,” Sacramento Kings announcer Gary “G-Man” Gerould said after the game. Nearby, women of their 60s were taking photos while sitting on the back of an SUV’s open tailgate. “He would somewhat go somewhere where he thinks people will spend more cash. You can easily get people here to spend even more cash. If you give us something, fix the lights, give us one player, right, like us, you could have players like Khris Davis who come back to the team and take pay cuts simply to play with us? Yes, Negro. But I do not know who of their right mind goes to are available and play for a minor league team for a minor league salary in a minor league stadium in the hottest city in California, outside on AstroTurf.

That said, Butler has had a monster 12 months. This 12 months he played TWO home games that resulted in three runs. He drives for a reason. He comes from a pedigree and a gaggle of friends of other young players who’re also not afraid to be themselves. The first time I met him, we were sitting with friends and family as his minor league season ended and everyone went home to look at Atlanta Braves center fielder Michael Harris II the 12 months he won Rookie of the Year in 2019. There was a conversation about how playing video games is a savior that keeps a tight-knit group of friends. If you realize, you realize.

Thursday was a day filled with confusion. So much potential, a lot love, a lot passion, and it’s all thrown away because a bunch of wealthy guys are too scared to get up to some moron who doesn’t know the difference between a swipe and a zipper. You haven’t got to be an A fan to get indignant about this.

Meanwhile, there’s a portal to the past and the future, containing every part the game expects from young players. Exactly the potential star that Oakland needs, night after night, without the opportunity to really connect together with his fan base.

“It was the biggest variety of fans I’ve ever played in front of in my life. And to have that atmosphere, to have them behind you, you realize, to make a noise each time someone comes on base, or during an enormous strike, I’ll definitely keep in mind that,” Butler said before the team squeezed into their buses – even after tying the home game — because the organization was concerned about potential outbreaks of violence after the tilt. “I mean, just like any other offseason, you can’t take the offseason off just because you had a good season. You have to come in, work harder and try to do better next year. ”

But for the fans of that day, there might be no next 12 months.

Congratulations are so as for actress Candice Patton and retired NBA player JR Smith, who just welcomed a baby boy.

However, the news brings a surprise – Smith continues to be married to the mother of his two daughters, Shirley “Jewel” Smith.

Patton shared the exciting news on her social media on Friday, September 27, around 4 p.m., posting a series of 4 slides, including a video and photos of the infant’s feet, with each parent touching the infant. Distinctive tattoos on his father’s arms indicated Smith’s identity.

Patton signed post“Son in Virgo. Born at home. My heart now beats outside my chest. Forever in love.” Although she didn’t reveal her exact date of birth, it’s believed that the infant was born throughout the last month.

Gossip from town picked up on the post office, participatory some images, including one showing Smith’s recognizable ink. Comments on the post ranged from joyful to shocked.

One person exclaimed: “That’s not his wife?!” while one other joked: “Oh she finally has her boy! But I believed he went back to his wife?

One commenter added: “Lmaooo I loved her so much but man did you forget that a few years ago you went online and told us you would pray for JR Smith’s wife after she accused you of having an affair? That’s interesting.”

Others pointed to Smith’s alleged history of infidelity, with one claiming: “He has been cheating on his wife for years, starting publicly with Tahiry Jose.”

Another observer observing their marital drama said: “Remember when his then-wife called them out for having an affair?”

“Didn’t he have a problem that one of his kids was sick or something, now he has more kids?” one comment asked the others, with one person stating, “What he did to his wife, even after her last traumatic pregnancy and childbirth, he will not prosper.”

Five years ago, Smith’s wife, Jewel, publicly addressed the alleged affair on Instagram Live, asking for divine intervention.

“God is crazy wild. There’s quite a bit going on… Help me, God. So after I was taking Demi to highschool, God said, ‘Yes, you’ll pray and post it,'” she said.

She continued, “God, I would like to lift up my husband and ask You, Lord, Father God, to just cover him with Your blood,” and he or she prayed, “Wherever he is broken, You repair him (and) heal him.”

“My husband is hurting and Candice, Lord God, she is hurting,” Jewel continued, mentioning the “The Flash” actress by name. “For her to come back out here, Lord God the Father, and look for a married man, God the Father, I just pray that You would give her grace and mercy through all of this. I pick it up.

At the time, neither JR nor Patton denied or confirmed that they were in a relationship, but Smith went a step further by claiming that he was not with his spouse.

On December 17, 2019, Smith wrote on his Instagram Story: “No weapon has been formed against me. IG is not the place for relationships!!”

In a second post, he added: “IG is not the place for relationships. But God told me to tell you all that I have been separated for months. He doesn’t understand why his child didn’t mention it… #ThatsAll.” According to to the American warehouse.

Candice Patton, JR Smith, Matthew Kang and guests of the Arizona golf club, pic.twitter.com/5RSSnanwe8

— ⚡❤️ WestAllen / Grandice ❤️⚡ (@GenotHariette) April 17, 2023

It appears that rumors that Smith and Patton are a pair began after they were seen together at a Halloween party in October 2019, just two months before news of their relationship broke. AND photo According to them, “Riverdale” star Vanessa Morgan also posted a photograph of them together on Instagram People then.

Although Smith stated that he and his wife had separated, the couple it seemed to satisfy briefly to have fun the birthday of one among their daughters in January 2020.

Later that month, Jewel sent Smith liked her Instagram photos, prompting some to invest a couple of possible reconciliation. However, reconciliation, if it occurred in any respect, seemed short-lived.

Smith’s daughter’s IG page wished him well Happy Father’s Day in 2022 and later, a vacation appeared on the account post on Smith’s birthday on September 9 this yr.

The recent baby means 4 years for Smith, who’s currently a senior at North Carolina A&T and a member of the HBCU golf team.

Smith and Jewel are parents to daughters Dakota (7) and Denver (4). He has one other 15-year-old daughter, Demi, from a previous relationship, and Jewel can be Peyton’s mother from a pre-marital relationship.