Browsing: Critics

The Los Angeles Dodgers are headed to the World Series after sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series, capping the four-game stretch with a 5-1 home win on Friday.

Afterward, exuberant Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had something to say for his team’s preseason critics while being interviewed by TNT Sports’ Lauren Shehadi.

“I’ll tell ya, before this season started, they said, ‘The Dodgers are ruining baseball.’

“Let’s get four more wins and really ruin baseball! Let’s go!”

Per USA Today, the Dodgers had the second-highest payroll in baseball for 2025 at $321.3 million. However, L.A. also has over a billion dollars in deferred payments alone to eight players from 2018-2046.

The Dodgers’ practices even got commissioner Rob Manfred talking, per Ronald Blum of the Associated Press back in February.

“The Dodgers have gone out and done everything possible, always within the rules that currently exist, to put the best possible team on the field and that’s a great thing for the game. That type of competitive spirit is what people want to see,” commissioner Rob Manfred said last week.

“By the same token, it’s clear that we have fans in some markets that are concerned about the ability of the team in their market to compete with the financial resources of the Dodgers. And I think if we’ve been consistent on one point it is we try to listen to our fans on topics like this and I have heard people on this, believe me, I get a lot of emails about it.”

The Dodgers won the World Series last year with a loaded lineup headlined by Shohei Ohtani, and the rich got richer in 2025 with the team adding a host of new talents, including pitchers Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki and Tanner Scott.

The debate, of course, before the season was whether the Dodgers were ruining baseball with their spending ways.

On one side, you had people concerned about a big market team being able to spend as much money as they want and defer as much money as they want while smaller market teams get squeezed out of adding players.

On the other side, some fans recognized that the Dodgers were doing whatever they can to compete, which is a lot more than can be said for some teams and their owners who are known for penny-pinching.

Injuries hampered the Dodgers during the regular season, but they still had 93 wins and took the NL West. L.A. has since gone 7-1 in the playoffs to cruise to the World Series. The Dodgers need four more wins for back-to-back Fall Classic titles, something Roberts clearly wants for his team but also to send a message to L.A.’s critics.

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Ishan Kishan (Image credit: X) NEW DELHI: Jharkhand captain Ishan Kishan played a commanding innings to rescue his team from a precarious position, scoring a statement century as the visitors reached 307 for six against Tamil Nadu on day one of the Ranji Trophy season on Wednesday. Kishan, who has lost his place in the Indian side across formats, remained unbeaten on 125 off 183 balls, sharing a crucial unbroken partnership of 150 runs for the seventh wicket with Sahil Raj, who was batting on 64 at stumps.Jharkhand had been struggling and looked in danger of being bowled out for under 200, but the Kishan-Raj stand steadied the innings. For Tamil Nadu, left-arm pacer Gurjapneet Singh took the early wicket and finished with three scalps, while left-arm spinner DT Chandrasekar, making his Ranji return after a decade, chipped in with two wickets.At the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, defending champions Vidarbha put up a solid total against Nagaland, closing day one at 302 for three. Opener Aman Mokhade anchored the innings with an unbeaten 148, while Dhruv Shorey made 64, and Yash Rathod was unbeaten on 66.In Kanpur, Andhra got off to a strong start against Uttar Pradesh, with opener and wicket-keeper batter KS Bharat scoring a patient 144 off 244 balls, including 13 fours. Number three Shaik Rasheed complemented Bharat with an unbeaten 94, giving Andhra a strong platform at stumps.

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Booker T isnâ€t backing down when it comes to defending his recent comments about Jade Cargill—and heâ€s got a message for everyone from keyboard warriors to active wrestlers.

On an episode of The Hall of Fame, the two-time WWE Hall of Famer lit into wrestling journalists and online critics who questioned Jadeâ€s fast rise in WWE despite limited experience. Booker made it clear that many of the people calling him out have zero knowledge of what it takes to survive in the ring, let alone thrive on a main event level. To drive his point home, Booker extended a bold invitation to his critics:

“None of these guys have ever taken one bump. Never taken one wrestling class,†he said. “If they would like to take a wrestling class, I would say come to my fantasy camp. See what a five-hour day consists of and how you make it out of that five-hour day. Trust me, I promise you, youâ€re going to be saying, ‘I wish I wouldnâ€t have never thought about doing something like this.â€â€

He explained the motivation behind his remarks on Jade, saying it wasnâ€t a personal attack but a discussion about how rare it is for someone with limited time in the business to already be in a prime spot. Booker acknowledged her presence and star power, even praising her courage:

“I give her a lot of credit to be able to walk out in front of those people not having the experience of a Charlotte Flair, not having the experience of a Bayley, Naomi… and still say, ‘Man, Iâ€m willing to step in the middle of the frying pan and look as good as I possibly can.â€â€

He then challenged the wrestling world directly, asking for even a single name who disputed what he said:

“Name one wrestler that has snapped back on me and said Booker T is wrong. Name one. Iâ€m baffled.â€

Booker even pointed out that Jade, like Goldberg and Brock Lesnar, didnâ€t rise alone. They had veterans like himself guiding them:

“Think about the guys that Kurt Angle was working with. Trust me, I was one of those guys. Think about the people Brock Lesnar worked with—I was one of those guys. Think about Goldberg—I was one of those guys. At two years in the business, I knew very, very little.â€

And if you think Booker is being harsh just to stir drama, think again. Heâ€s open to dialogue—but only with people who actually do this for a living:

“Iâ€m willing to talk, debate with anyone thatâ€s in this business to debate with me about what two years is… because I know.â€

Booker Tâ€s take wasnâ€t just a defensive rant—it was a veteran drawing a line between opinion and experience, and reminding everyone just how steep the climb in wrestling really is. Whether you agree with him or not, itâ€s hard to argue with a man whoâ€s lived it, taught it, and still gives back to the business every week.

Are wrestling critics forgetting what it actually takes to get over in this business? Drop your thoughts below and let us know where you stand—do you side with Booker, or think Jadeâ€s rise is fair game?

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.

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Recording artist Bad Bunny quipped his critics “have four months to learn” Spanish while delivering his opening monologue on Saturday Night Live.

The three-time Grammy Award winner referenced his selection as the halftime performer at Super Bowl LX next February. He then teed up a carefully edited clip of Fox News personalities saying, “Bad Bunny is my favorite musician, and he should be the next president.”

Bad Bunny followed up by saying how excited he is to have the Super Bowl halftime slot before giving a message in his native Spanish.

“Especially all of the Latinos and Latinas in the world here in the United States who have worked to open doors, it’s more than a win for myself, it’s a win for all of us,” he said, as translated by People‘s Nicholas Rice. “Our footprints and our contribution in this country, no one will ever be able to take that away or erase it.”

He closed the monologue by reminding viewers how much time they have to brush up on the language before the Super Bowl.

The NFL announced on Sept. 28 that Bad Bunny will be taking the stage at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

The 31-year-old is one of the most popular musicians in the world, regularly sitting near the top of Spotify’s annual streaming rankings. Combine that with the NFL’s continued efforts to expand the sport abroad, and he’s the perfect fit for the Super Bowl.

Bad Bunny’s selection is historic as he’s the first halftime performer who sings exclusively in Spanish.

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Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora had some choice words for those who claimed his team wouldn’t make the playoffs this year, noting that no one believed in his squad before the season.

“Let’s be honest, nobody thought we were gonna make it to October (when the season started),” Cora said, per Christopher Smith of MassLive.

“Whoever says that, ‘Yeah, we were a playoff team,’ that’s f–king bulls–t, to be honest with you. Nobody thought we were gonna make it to October. It was New York. It was Baltimore, it was Toronto, you know, and we believed we were going to play in October. We set our standards every single day. And we hit our standards.”

The Red Sox endured two non-winning seasons (78-84 in 2023; 81-81 in 2024) after last making the playoffs in 2022. Expectations weren’t great for Boston this year, but they’re currently 88-72 and have safely clinched a wild card spot.

This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.

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Eddie Howe says Newcastle United will do all they can to “protect” Lewis Miley after the teenager received “totally unjustified” criticism on social media.

Miley chose to limit replies to a post he made on X to mark his 50th first-team game for Newcastle against Bournemouth on Sunday. It is understood this was a precaution as he is still young.

The 19-year-old came under fire from a minority of social media users, who questioned the midfielder’s first-team credentials during the goalless draw at the Vitality Stadium, and Howe said it was “totally unjustified”.

Howe knows such comments can affect players if they “absorb it”, but the Newcastle head coach stressed Miley was “strong mentally”.

“Lewie is an outstanding player and a player we need to support and protect,” he said. “Sometimes, when you look at him, you forget how young he is because of his stature and maturity both on and off the pitch.

“All players need support, help and guidance. Anything other, I’d encourage the players to switch off from and just try to listen to the people that really matter in their lives like their family, friends and, of course, us. We will do everything we can to support him and treat him as the talent that we know he is.”

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Joelinton says it was troubling to see Newcastle United team-mate Lewis Miley “get stick” after a landmark moment, but the Brazilian believes genuine supporters are firmly behind the teenager.

Miley chose to limit replies to a post he made on X to mark his 50th first-team game for Newcastle at the weekend. It is understood this was a precaution as he is still young.

The 19-year-old put in an accomplished display in the goalless draw against Bournemouth – his first Premier League start since February – but he still came in for criticism from a small minority of social media users who questioned his first-team credentials.

Miley’s course of action on the social media platform was noticed, and fans have since sent messages of support, while captain Bruno Guimaraes hailed his fellow midfielder as a “top player and guy”.

Joelinton played alongside academy graduate Miley in Newcastle’s 4-1 win against Bradford City on Wednesday night and said the youngster has a “great future in front of him”.

“It’s always difficult when you see your team-mate get stick,” Joelinton said following the Carabao Cup third-round tie. “I have had a difficult time here, too. I know how it is.

“I know the fans are behind the team and a really good young player. He played really well on Sunday. The team has to get better and everyone has to look on the mirror and get better.”

Miley praised Newcastle’s “amazing” travelling support in his post on Sunday, saying he was “very proud” to have hit the milestone for his boyhood club.

The midfielder broke a number of records during a breakout campaign at Newcastle a couple of years ago, including becoming the youngest player in Champions League history to provide an assist for an English side by doing so at the age of 17 years and 226 days.

Miley went on to suffer back and foot injuries and has faced intense competition for a starting berth while competing with fellow midfielders Guimaraes, Joelinton and Sandro Tonali.

But Miley, tellingly, kept his place in Eddie Howe’s starting line-up for the visit of Bradford.

“I thought Lewie was excellent,” the Newcastle head coach said. “In part, I think he really helped us in the first half. He played some lovely little deft touches and short passes into midfield using Joe and Bruno as a springboard, really, to control that midfield area.

“He’s come back into the team and produced two really good performances back-to-back. I thought he was really good against Bournemouth in maybe a slightly different way to tonight, but he’s developing his experience all the time and I’m really pleased with him.”

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Sep 23, 2025, 01:15 PM ET

A defiant Mikel Arteta has hit back at critics who have claimed his “handbrake tactics” are threatening to derail Arsenal’s bid to win the Premier League.

Sky Sports pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher both accused Arteta of selecting a cautious team following Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Manchester City at the Emirates on Sunday.

Arsenal’s marque summer signing Eberechi Eze dropped to the bench, despite Martin Ødegaard’s absence, with Martín Zubimendi, Declan Rice and Mikel Merino forming a midfield three.

Addressing criticism that he approaches big matches with the handbrake on, Arteta said: “Surprised? In football? I don’t think I’m surprised by anything.

“I don’t read it but if you tell me that this is the main one [narrative], I’m surprised, I would be extremely surprised with my knowledge and my know-how and how I analyse a football game.

“Because it was impossible for somebody to predict such a dominance from Arsenal throughout 96 minutes, because it never happened in 17 years of Pep (Guardiola) as a manager.

“So if the narrative goes somewhere else and we’re talking about dominance, how can you be dominant against such a team if you have, what was the word? Handbrake. Dominance and handbrake, they are two different words. But I accept everything. I will learn more to have a different vision.”

Mikel Arteta has defended his tactical approach against Manchester City. eague match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Emirates Stadium on September 21, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images

Arsenal trailed 1-0 at the interval with Eze brought on to replace Merino, while Bukayo Saka was also introduced at the break in place of the injured Noni Madueke.

Arteta confirmed on Tuesday that the England international faces a period on the sidelines with a knee injury.

Arteta continued: “I respect everybody’s opinion but when I saw everything and I watched it back and all the stats, I was surprised.

“I don’t think that one player makes that. When you see the behaviour of our team. We played Ebz on the right-hand side. Could he play 90 minutes? That’s a question I put for myself because none of you know the load that he can do.

“So it’s easy to say he could have played from the start. Maybe not. Because he already played two games from the start. And he’s never played as a right attacking midfielder. So that’s another one. A new element for him. But all good.”

Arsenal, five points behind runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool after just five matches, will face Port Vale in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

Madueke will be absent from Arteta’s travelling squad but 15-year-old Max Dowman could make his first start for Arsenal, while former Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga is set to replace David Raya.

On Madueke, Arteta said: “He’s going to be out for a few weeks. We’re probably going to have to do a scan again next week.

“He felt something at the beginning of the match [against City]. He tried to carry on and at half-time he was too sore.

“It doesn’t look too bad. He was gutted, obviously. It is very disappointing to see, he was in such a good state. He looked a real threat so it’s a big miss for us.”

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