Browsing: J.J

The 2025 season was a big one for PGA Tour veteran J.J. Spaun. He captured his first major by winning the U.S. Open at Oakmont. Then, as a rookie at the 2025 Ryder Cup, Spaun’s stellar play was one of the few highlights from the U.S. team’s devastating 15-13 loss at Bethpage Black.

One of the biggest controversies coming out of the Ryder Cup (that didn’t involve rowdy fans) was why Spaun was benched for both Friday and Saturday foursomes matches, in which the European team dominated the Americans.

While some have suggested captain Keegan Bradley left Spaun on the bench because of his golf ball, that turns out not to be the case. Spaun revealed the real reason he only played three matches at Bethpage Black in a recent podcast appearance.

But that’s not all. He also claimed that the entire team wanted Bradley to be a playing captain, and that Bradley deserves to be captain again, just maybe not in 2027.

Spaun explains why he was left out of Ryder Cup foursomes

The first two days of the 2025 Ryder Cup were a tale of European domination, but it was the foursomes sessions specifically where they ran up the score.

Europe dusted the U.S. 3-1 in both foursomes sessions on Friday and Saturday morning, making a Sunday comeback all but impossible (though the Americans nearly pulled it off anyway).

Tour Confidential: Will Keegan Bradley get another Ryder Cup chance?

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GOLF Editors

Spaun, who finished second in the U.S. Ryder Cup rankings and is in the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking, was benched for both of those matches.

When he played great despite a loss in Friday’s four-ball, and then won his Saturday four-ball and Sunday singles matches, many questioned why Bradley hadn’t let Spaun play in foursomes.

In an appearance on Trey Wingo’s Straight Facts Homie! Podcast after the Ryder Cup, Colt Knost claimed Spaun knew he wasn’t going to play foursomes at Bethpage because he was the only member of the team who plays a Srixon golf ball.

But in his own recent guest spot on Wingo’s podcast, Spaun revealed that he was surprised he didn’t play foursomes, and that Bradley’s real reasons boiled down to wanting experienced Ryder Cuppers in those matches.

“Maybe a little bit,” Spaun said, admitting he was surprised to ride the bench at Bethpage. “I wasn’t sure what format I would start in. I talked to Keegan [Bradley] a few weeks prior, and he was adamant about having a pretty veteran-heavy lineup going out in the first match, which was foursomes.”

He continued, explaining that his equipment was not the culprit:

“So, it had nothing to do with how I was playing, had nothing to do with what equipment I played,” Spaun said. “He wanted to put guys out there first that have been in that arena, and have had success, and have the experience versus getting my feet wet in four balls, which is probably an easier format, I think, was appropriate.”

That’s his explanation for not playing Friday foursomes. But Spaun is less sure why he was left out again when Bradley made his pairings for Saturday’s foursomes matches, which included trotting out the team of Collin Morikawa and Harris English again after they were drubbed in Friday’s session.

“But who knows? I don’t know what the thought process was for Saturday’s matches, but I think Keegan didn’t want to freak out and start changing things around, just assuming, put the batting lineup out there, and eventually get things turned around,” Spaun told Wingo. “I thought there would be a little bit of a change, whether it was someone else — I think Cam [Young] was the only one who subbed in for the foursomes on Saturday that was different, maybe.”

Ultimately, Spaun argued that lineup changes wouldn’t have made a difference because the entire European team was playing incredibly well on Friday and Saturday, especially on the greens.

“Honestly, though, the European team were playing so good. They were putting amazing. They were shooting eight under par on alternate shot, which, that’s just so hard to do.”

He used his loss alongside Scottie Scheffler in Friday four-balls as an example, explaining that at one point he and Scheffler made five-straight birdies … and didn’t win a hole.

“It boiled down to the putting … they just outright beat us Friday and Saturday and, unfortunately, we were just too far behind going into Sunday.”

Spaun says U.S. team wanted Keegan Bradley to play in the Ryder Cup

Another hot topic of Spaun’s interview with Wingo was Captain Bradley. The biggest question leading up to the event was whether Bradley would use one of his captain’s picks on himself and play on the team in addition to serving as captain.

In the end, Bradley decided it was best to focus on his captain duties, despite being one of the top American players.

But that wasn’t what the players on the U.S. team wanted. According to Spaun, they tried to convince Bradley to pick himself.

‘This effing event’: Keegan Bradley questions Ryder Cup future in first comments since Bethpage

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Kevin Cunningham

“He was put in a tough spot. The whole team really believed he should have been on the team. And we tried to almost talk him into it,” Spaun revealed.

And it got down to the wire before Bradley decided to go against their wishes.

“It got down to really close to before he had to make picks. He thought about it that long to where he had to finalize the lineup. We all said, ‘if you weren’t the captain and you’re sitting here No. 10 in the world, is that captain going to take you?’ Of course, 100% of the time,” Spaun said.

Spaun also said that he has so much respect for Keegan because he did “triple the amount of work” as normal captains, due to the fact that he was still playing and competing at a high level on the PGA Tour.

But should Bradley be captain again? When Wingo asked Spaun that question, he said, “I think [Bradley] deserves another chance,” but suggested the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor might not be the right time.

“I think it would be the ultimate redemption if he played his way on [to the 2027 U.S. Ryder Cup team], played and then maybe two years later he captained and won,” Spaun imagined. “That would be the ultimate comeback.”

Spaun feared ‘letting down his teammates’ at Ryder Cup

Another topic of conversation in Spaun’s appearance was what the experience was like playing in his first Ryder Cup.

He admitted that from the moment Bradley told him he’d be on the team following his U.S. Open win, the Ryder Cup dominated Spaun’s thoughts, and he experienced a huge amount of stress.

“Ok, so I was stressed for the Ryder Cup … From that point on all I could think about was the Ryder Cup, how I’m going to perform, am I going to be ready? Can I handle this? Honestly, leading up to it was so much stress. I tried to put it in the back of mind … but it just consumed so much of my mental space … the Ryder Cup was the only thing I could think about,” Spaun explained. “I was worried that I wouldn’t play good because I don’t have an issue with me playing poorly and letting myself down. But here I am on the Ryder Cup team and you can let down your teammates, your country, your captains, and I’m just like ‘I don’t know if I’m ready for this.’”

J.J. Spaun’s caddie and coach kept telling him 3 sentences. Magic followed

By:

Nick Piastowski

So how did he end up playing so well? It turns out Bradley and fellow teammate Justin Thomas spoke with him when he got to Bethpage, explained that he earned his spot on the team and reminded Spaun that he and Scheffler were the only players on the U.S. team who had won majors in 2025.

Despite the pep talk, Spaun said he felt a lot of nerves when it was time to tee it up.

“Yes, I was very nervous on the 1st tee. I was nervous on every shot, literally.” But following his first match, a loss, he “calmed down.”

In the end, Spaun finished with a 2-1-0 record and nearly helped the U.S. pull off a historic comeback on Sunday. But he also assured his spot on future U.S. teams, where it would be unwise to sit him out of any matches.

You can watch Spaun’s full appearance on the Straight Facts Homie! Podcast here.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy reportedly could be back on the field for the team’s Week 9 game against the Detroit Lions.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday that the high ankle sprain was initially seen as a six-week setback when he suffered it in Week 2.

“That means it’s unlikely he’ll be back next week against the Chargers. They’re hopeful he’ll be back a week after at Detroit.”

The Vikings selected McCarthy, a former Michigan star who led the Wolverines to an undefeated, national championship-winning 2023 season, with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft.

Unfortunately, McCarthy suffered a torn meniscus in the 2024 preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders, and he missed the entire campaign.

McCarthy returned for 2025 and played his team’s first two games, completing 24-of-41 passes for 301 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. He also rushed for 50 yards and another score.

Unfortunately, McCarthy suffered a right high ankle sprain in Week 2, when Minnesota fell 22-6 at home to the Atlanta Falcons. Per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, McCarthy completed the game but “reported significant soreness the next morning.”

Carson Wentz has been the team’s starter in McCarthy’s place. Over three starts, Wentz has completed 69 percent of his passes for 759 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions.

He will remain in the role for Sunday’s game against his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles.

Max Brosmer has been the team’s backup with McCarthy out. Brosmer is an undrafted rookie who played college ball at New Hampshire before transferring to Minnesota for the 2024 season. He was a First-team FCS All-American for New Hampshire in 2023.

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Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy offered an update on his injured high ankle sprain on Wednesday.

“It’s getting there,” he told reporters. “I wouldn’t say it’s 100 percent. … We’ve got to be smart and understand there’s a lot of things that go on. I’m just going to do what I’m told and try to get better.”

McCarthy, who was limited at practice on Wednesday ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles, added that “a lot of well-respected second opinions” from medical professionals offered an initial recovery timeline of anywhere from two to six weeks, and “we’re still in that.”

The second-year quarterback first suffered the injury on Sept. 14.

His backup, Carson Wentz, is also dealing with an injury to his shoulder, though he was a full participant in practice on Wednesday. Head coach Kevin O’Connell has said he wants McCarthy to be 100 percent recovered before he returns to play.

“I think the big thing is just getting him back on the grass in uniform, practicing, getting real live reps of a pass rush and taking drops and applying some of the things that he’s worked really hard on as of late as he’s kind of gotten to that phase of his rehab,” O’Connell told reporters regarding McCarthy. “Then when he does that, instant dialogue about what he’s able to do and what it felt like and, ‘Hey, let’s log that away.’ And then if he doesn’t do the same thing, it’s going to be [the same]. I’m having a blast coaching him. It started last week when he was able to really start ramping up a little bit as he gets there and that one-on-one work and then obviously the work he does with [assistant coaches] is going to be critical.”

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J.J. McCarthy has struggled at points during his first season as the Minnesota Vikings’ starting quarterback, to the point that some people have questioned whether his current injury isn’t quite as serious as the team has suggested and instead is a covert demotion.

But The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported on Sunday that she’s “been told by multiple sources that McCarthy isn’t healthy, and while the target return has been Week 7 against the Eagles, it could still be longer. I’m told, ‘Nothing to see here.'”

The “secret demotion” theory sort of falls apart when you consider that McCarthy hasn’t been practicing. Keeping McCarthy out of games is one thing, but not letting a young, developing player practice makes zero sense.

And Russini reported that McCarthy “hasn’t returned in any capacity, not even on a limited basis” as he recovers from a high ankle sprain.

In two games, the second-year quarterback has thrown for 301 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions, completing just 58.5 percent of his passes while taking nine sacks. The Vikings went 1-1 in those games.

So it’s been a bit rocky after Sam Darnold—now with the Seattle Seahawks—was such a revelation last year. But for now, we can all put those tinfoil hats away.

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Stephanie Vaquer

SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

A striking look, in-ring excellence, and star charisma… pick any two.

No one is perfect.

WWE wrestlers are rightly portrayed as larger-than-life, even superhuman, paragons.  The performers who portray them, however, are flawed human beings like the rest of us.

A major task of WWE booking is to hide a wrestlerâ€s weaknesses and highlight their strengths.  Doing so requires a deft sleight of hand, and results vary depending in part on the quality of performance.

Who in WWE is being portrayed in an ideal light, and who is being exposed?  Letâ€s take a look.

Rising Star of the Week: Stephanie Vaquer

WWE creative has gone all-in on La Primera, who has ascended to the top of the Womenâ€s Division faster than any other talent in recent memory.  A clean win over Iyo Sky, the most dominant champion of the past few years, cements the Dark Angelâ€s legitimacy as champion.

Will the gamble on Vaquer pay off?  The last talent to be elevated this quickly was Tiffany Stratton, who has in many ways been a disappointment.  Will Vaquer follow suit?

Vaquerâ€s greatest assets are top-notch ring work, a strikingly unique look, and a strong presence.  She has proven herself able to have excellent matches with a variety of opponents, and her match with the masterful Sky was predictably the best on the Wrestlepalooza card.

Her signature “Devilâ€s Kiss†is perhaps the most over wrestling move of 2025, although its popularity is undermined by commentators†ever-present sexual innuendo surrounding the maneuver – reminiscent of Jerry Lawler at his worst.

Vaquer holds herself like a star, and possesses a rare poise which makes her seem in command of almost any situation.   She also has a “cool” factor that many of her peers, such as Sky, simply lack. Her ring garb is striking, although I canâ€t help but wonder if it would benefit from adding a pair of shorts.

Her chief weakness is undoubtedly her ability to deliver a strong promo, hampered by limited English.  Sky overcame a similar problem to connect solidly with the audience, although it took her several years to do so. If Vaquer can do the same, and is booked well, a successful title reign is all but guaranteed.

After 16 years of perfecting her craft as a professional wrestler, the Dark Angel finally has the spotlight. I, for one, and am excited to see what she is able to make of it.

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First Runner-up: Brock Lesnar

The Beast is back!

Many fans have mixed feelings about Lesnarâ€s return, given his alleged misconduct outside of the ring as a part of the Vince McMahon scandal.  However, his value as a special attraction performer is undeniable.  Having Lesnar return as a vicious heel fans are encouraged to boo seems in line with how fans want to react to him.

The decision to have Lesnar defeat Cena decisively is a welcome one. WWE matches are typically close contests, which makes them more entertaining, taken individually. But over time, too many such bouts condition fans to expect inevitable comebacks.

More one-sided matches feel realistic and make actual comebacks more exciting.

A true superstar with only a handful of WWE appearances left, Cena has little to lose in defeat. Lesnar, on the other hand, still holds value for WWE beyond 2025, and a decisive win over Cena reestablishes him as a dominant force.

Some foresee a rematch in which Cena wins, giving his retirement tour a happy ending. I hope that doesnâ€t happen. If Lesnarâ€s win stands, his prospects going forward — e.g., challenging Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship — become far more exciting.

Second Runner up: Jimmy Uso

Why Jey has found such success as a singles star, while Jimmy has not, is a mystery to me.  The Usos†reunification has made it clear which twin is stronger on the mic.  Jimmy is natural, quick-witted, and believable in promos — all areas where Jey struggles.

Ring skills are more of a toss-up. Jimmy boasts a deeper offensive repertoire and appears slightly more athletically gifted. While he hasnâ€t connected with audiences on the emotional level Jey recently has, heâ€s highly effective in eliciting crowd reactions — as either heel or babyface.

One wonders whether his lesser success compared to Jey is more due to storyline roles than ability.

Jimmy is an unsung hero of the Bloodline saga. Though his role was relatively minor, he played it well and gave teammates and opponents a skilled performer to work off. Heâ€s served a similar role in his return to Raw, elevating L.A. Knight, Jey, and The Vision.

Heâ€s certainly brought out the best in his brother and Knight, helping make their rivalry unexpectedly compelling. Heâ€s more than earned his spot — and greater opportunities moving forward.

…and the award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role goes to… Big Jim!

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Fading Star of the Week: Jacy Jayne

Jayne is solidly exceeding expectations as NXT Womenâ€s Champion. Sheâ€s at her best on the mic, hitting promo beats in a believable and dramatic way. Jayne has a distinctive heavy-metal look and is a passable in-ring worker — having proven she can carry her end of a long-form title match with a talented opponent like Jordynne Grace.

She also holds the distinction of being the first to simultaneously hold the NXT Womenâ€s and TNA Knockouts Championships.

Why, then, is she a falling star?

Expectations for Jayneâ€s reign were exceedingly modest, so surpassing them is a low bar. “Better than expected†doesnâ€t mean “good,†and she still falls short of the standard set by past NXT champions.

Her booking hasnâ€t helped. While sheâ€s had some entertaining tag matches with Fatal Influence — most notably a crushing defeat by Rhea Ripley, Lyra Valkyria, and Stephanie Vaquer — her singles competition has been lacking.

Aside from Grace, sheâ€s mostly faced Lainey Reid and TNAâ€s Ash by Elegance — neither particularly over or strong in-ring. Her upcoming opponent at No Mercy, Lola Vice, is only a marginal improvement.

In her five years on NXT TV, Jayne has made notable strides — but are they enough? I donâ€t believe so.

Itâ€s hard to imagine a long-term role for Jayne on the main roster. Sheâ€s not a strong enough promo to anchor a top act, nor good enough in the ring to thrive as an enhancement talent. It will take inspired booking to make this “Rockstar†a success on Raw or SmackDown.

Runner-Up: Nathan Frazer

Frazer is a phenomenal worker.  His incredible speed and high-flying athleticism make him a treat to watch.  However, his booking on Smackdown as one half of a moderately successful tag team with Axiom has slowly but surely defined him down in the eyes of the fans.  Fraxiomâ€s clean loss to the Vision on last weekâ€s Smackdown cements the teamâ€s status as mid-carder gatekeepers.

Frazer has potential as a singles star, or a part of a tag team (perhaps with a more dynamic partner), but WWEâ€s willingness and ability to invest in him wanes with every loss he takes.

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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — J.J. Redick showed he could handle the job in his first season as the Los Angeles Lakers head coach, leading the team to 50 wins and the No. 3 seed.

That was enough for general manager Rob Pelinka and the Lakers organization to give Redick a contract extension, Pelinka announced Thursday.

“Confidence and belief,†Pelinka said as to why he wanted to give his coach an extension after just one season. “We think heâ€s a special coach with a special voice thatâ€s really helping us to continue to define the culture of Lakers excellence. We just wanted to make a clear statement that this is what we believe in, what weâ€re going to lean into, and what our players are going to mold into as we continue to develop the identity. I think having long-term planning is helpful as we build this team and go forward.â€

There were no details on the extension, but Redick had three years remaining on the contract he signed just more than a year ago. A good guess is that this aligns Redickâ€s contract with Pelinkaâ€s.

“I think it starts with just a high level of gratitude to the Lakers, to Mark [Walters, incoming team owner], Jeannie [Buss, team governor], and Rob for having that confidence in me,†Redick said. “And itâ€s not lost on me the sort of rarity of a first-time head coach getting an extension. Like I recognize how fortunate I am to be with an organization that supports me that way.â€

Redick also discussed what he learned in his first year on the job, and how he plans to approach it in the future.

“I thought about a lot of things. You certainly reflect on the previous season, both successes and failures, and you do a lot of self-assessment, and that was really where I spent a lot of the first probably four to six weeks, was on sort of self-assessment,†Redick said of his offseason. “But I would say the two words that immediately, when you ask that question, pop into my mind are philosophy and methodology, the philosophy of how we want to play, the methodology as a coach of how I want to teach that. And so thatâ€s where I spent a lot of time this summer.â€

Redick and Pelinka talked all things Lakers for more than half an hour at the Lakers practice facility in the days before training camp opens next Tuesday. Among the topics covered:

• LeBron James†future in Los Angeles. Entering his 23rd season, when he will turn 41, LeBron remains a crucial part of the Lakers†attack this season. He will also be a free agent after this season. Will he return to the Lakers? Retire?

“The first thing we want to do in terms of LeBron and his future is just give him absolute respect to choose his story with his family in terms of how many years heâ€s going to continue to play,†Pelinka said. “Heâ€s earned that right.â€

Pelinka added, as he has before, that he would love LeBron to retire a Laker. Whether that happens or not is another question.

• Luka Doncicâ€s leadership. The Lakers signed Luka Doncic to an extension, and as part of that process, Pelinka and Buss traveled to Poland to meet with him and watch him play in a EuroBasket game for Slovenia. Outside of Doncic looking fit, it was his leadership that impressed Pelinka.

“I think the thing that probably stood out among many things… just his overall leadership tone and how he not only led by example, but he was very demonstrative in the practice in terms of his expectations of the team, how they played, their togetherness,†Pelinka said. “And I think just seeing that continued evolution and growth with him is not only a leader by example, but a leader with his voice really stood out to me, and I think itâ€s something thatâ€s going to carry into camp this year.â€

Doncic was shocked when he was traded in the middle of last season, then landed on a team with the commanding presence of LeBron in the locker room. Understandably, Doncic didnâ€t walk in the door a vocal leader, but that may change this season.

As for his improved conditioning, Redick said this is not just a one-summer thing, but rather a new routine.

“I get the sense from talking to him all summer or spending time with him, not only just here but at the Backstreet Boys, that this is his life now,†Redick said. “This is his routine. This is just a daily commitment to the new standard that heâ€s set for himself.â€

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