Quarterback competition heats up Raiders OTAs
Raiders Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew are embroiled in arguably the biggest quarterback competition in the NFL this offseason.
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1. Quarterback competition heats up Raiders OTAs
Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew are embroiled in arguably the biggest quarterback competition in the NFL this offseason, writes The Sporting Tribune’s W.G. Ramirez.
The NFL season might be three months away, but there is plenty of competition at the Las Vegas Raiders facility.
In arguably the biggest quarterback competition in the NFL, Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew were nothing short of praise for one another after Tuesday's session in the sweltering heat.
Compliments aside, QB1 is up for grabs and they both understand what's at stake.
"I think that's not unique to us," O'Connell said. "I think that's in any position really, but especially in this sport, there's only one quarterback in play.
"And so, I think we've both been around long enough and we've both had to compete really our whole lives, so I don't think it's really anything new for either of us."
2. Sparks forward Brink selected to USA Basketball 3×3 Women’s National team
Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink will compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Rey Moralde.
Cameron Brink will be competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
USA Basketball has selected Brink to be part of the 2024 USA Basketball 3×3 Women’s National Team roster along with Rhyne Howard from the Atlanta Dream, Hailey Van Lith from TCU, and former Lady Vol Cierra Burdick.
Brink was the #2 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Coming into Wednesday night, she’s averaging 8.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks, which is good for third in the league.
“I’ve dreamed of this since I was a very little girl so it means the world,” Brink said before Wednesday’s game against the Lynx. “It’s one of the highest honors to have. I don’t take it lightly.”
3. Angels complete sweep of Padres
Zach Neto’s two-run homer proved to be the difference in a 3-2 victory over the Padres to complete the first home sweep by the Angels, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Anthony Bautista.
It took until June 5, but the Angels have completed their first series sweep at home this season after a 3-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night at Angel Stadium.
While right-hander Jose Soriano earned his first victory at home this season as he finished with six hits, two runs and one earned in six innings, his outing wasn’t the only noteworthy performance on the mound.
Right-hander and No. 4 prospect Ben Joyce made his debut since getting called up from Double-A Rocket City earlier this week. Joyce threw a scoreless eighth inning and allowed one hit.
Joyce finished with 13 strikes on 17 pitches, which included 14 fastballs and each of them more than 100 mph. Joyce’s fastest pitch clocked in at 103.3 mph, according to Baseball Savant.
”He started finding the strike zone and he challenged them, he didn’t try to run from them,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “There was a thought about sending him back out there but I said no.”
Matt Moore came in to earn his first save since the 2022 season and had a crucial out at first to get the penultimate out of the evening.
“Matt Moore came in and did an outstanding job,” Washington said.
4. NBA Finals betting guide provides preview, predictions
The stage is set for an entertaining showdown in the NBA Finals. The Sporting Tribune’s Danny Burke previews the matchup from the betting angles.
Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown versus Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving: Who’s your NBA Finals pick?
Several sportsbooks opened the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics as a -210 favorite, with the Western Conference titleist Dallas Mavericks listed at +180.
Let’s take a look at how these organizations reached this point, their previous encounters and playoff history.
5. Trick Williams discusses his once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
WWE NXT champion Trick Williams speaks with The Sporting Tribune's Fredo Cervantes as he gets ready for NXT Battleground in Las Vegas on Sunday.
The WWE NXT Champion Trick Williams is rising through the ranks, marking the beginning of a promising career.
At NXT Spring Breakin, Williams defeated Ilja Dragunov to become the new NXT Champion. Williams is prepared to defend his title at NXT Battleground this upcoming Sunday in Las Vegas. However, the WWE has not yet announced his opponent.
6. Sparks start slow, never recover against Lynx
The Sparks fall to 2-7 on the season and have lost six straight games overall to the Minnesota Lynx, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Rey Moralde.
This was not a good night in the office for the Los Angeles Sparks.
The Minnesota Lynx (7-2) scored the first 11 points of the game and had little trouble putting away the Los Angeles Sparks, who are now 2-7. The final score was 86-62.
Simply put, the Sparks couldn’t put the ball through the hoop. They shot a miserable .260 (20 for 77) from the field. It’s tough for any basketball team on any level to win if they’re only making barely more than a quarter of their shots.
In the first half, the Sparks made no three-pointers, missing all 14 of their attempts. Overall, they would make 4 for 28 (.143) from behind the arc.
The Lynx never let up. They led by as many as 28 points. The Sparks did rally a bit in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 12 but the Lynx quickly got it together and built the lead back to 20.
7. Video of the Day
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8. Ticket Time
Here are the “get in” prices for tickets if you’re thinking about going to a game Friday:
6:38 p.m. – Astros at Angels – $12
7:00 p.m. – Wings at Sparks – $8
7:00 p.m. – Storm at Aces – $30
9. On the Air
Here are the game times and television channels for professional teams in the region today:
3:40 p.m. – Dodgers at Pirates – SportsNet LA
10. The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune
Listen to The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune on The Mightier 1090 ESPN Radio in Southern California, 98.5 The Bet in Las Vegas and the Hawaii Sports Radio Network 95.1 FM and 760 AM in Hawaii. You can also listen to the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher. You can also watch every Friday on BLEAV on FuboTV.
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That’s it for today. Talk to you tomorrow!