Latest news with #PeterRosenberg
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
ESPN Gets Major Backlash for Cooper Flagg-Caitlin Clark 'White American' Rant
ESPN Gets Major Backlash for Cooper Flagg-Caitlin Clark 'White American' Rant originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Over the last few days, ESPN has taken considerable lumps for the way it covered the 2025 NBA draft, packed as it was with uncomfortable moments marked by more shouting than analysis. Advertisement When it was over on Friday morning, ESPN was still at it, raising rancor among fans with an especially questionable comparison on one of its top shows. Speaking on "First Take," Peter Rosenberg of the "Don, Hahn and Rosenberg Show" on ESPN Radio noted that No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg was going to make the Mavericks the most intriguing team in the NBA because he is white and American. Rosenberg pointed out that there has not been a top white American prospect in the NBA draft since Larry Bird in the late 1970s. While that is true, Rosenberg was already on shaky ground, given that the NBA has exploded in popularity over the past 40 years mostly because of four players: Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and most recently Stephen Curry. All four American, and all four Black. But Rosenberg really stepped in it when he compared the impact of Flagg to the impact Caitlin Clark is having on the WNBA. Said Rosenberg: "Cooper Flagg is a white guy, maybe the best white American prospect since Larry Bird. Let's not act as if we don't live in America and we're not seeing what's happening with Caitlin Clark in the WNBA. Advertisement "Cooper Flagg is going to be an instant impact player in the NBA. I think Danny (Green) will agree, he is ready to go, that kid can play right now. If he's nearly as good as people expect, I think when it comes to intrigue, actual intrigue that people are talking about day to day, no one's going to be more intriguing or get more eyeballs than what Cooper Flagg's doing in Dallas." Cooper Flagg (left) and Caitlin ClarkGrace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images, and Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Rosenberg is 0-for-2 on the points made. Viewers were quick to point it out. First, there is the Clark assertion, which fails to acknowledge that some of the biggest stars in that league have been white, including Elena Della Donne and Breanna Stewart, a pair who combined for four of the past 10 WNBA MVP awards. One fan wrote, "People like Caitlin Clark because of how she plays. Why do people act like Caitlin Clark is the 1st white star in the WNBA?!?" Advertisement Jared Smith of Fox Sports Radio, noted, "1) Caitlin Clark isn't getting attention because she's white, she's getting attention because she's a generational talent 2) Cooper Flagg is intriguing because he's the best college basketball player we've seen in a long time Why does ESPN always have to make it about race?" And second, there is the notion that Flagg will be intriguing because he's a good player, just as 2023 No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama (who is black and French) is intriguing because he, too, is good. Former ESPN writer Chris Palmer wrote, "Ugh. This is so dumb. Flagg and Clark are popular because they are incredible basketball players. That's it. They pay people to do this?" And maybe the most salient point came from this user, who noted that perhaps ESPN should have less Rosenberg, whose main beat is wrestling: "The last thing First Take needs is Peter Rosenberg." This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Thunder Disrespected After Lakers Claim During Offseason
Thunder Disrespected After Lakers Claim During Offseason originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Oklahoma City Thunder just capped off a magical postseason run by winning the NBA Championship. The Thunder had only made one appearance in the NBA Finals before this season's trip, but this one ended in the Thunder's favor, hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy for the first time in their young history. Advertisement Many believed that the Thunder were the best team in the league, a sentiment that had been held for months. And why not? They finished the regular season third in offensive efficiency and first in defensive efficiency. It also helped that they had the best player in the league on their team in Most Valuable Player award winner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) against the Indiana Pacers during the 2025 NBA Adams-Imagn Images Thunder disrespected after Lakers claim during offseason Following the Thunder's win in the NBA Finals, some are already knocking their road to the championship. On Friday's edition of First Take on ESPN, Peter Rosenberg seemingly disrespected the Thunder while talking about how close the Los Angeles Lakers are to contending for a championship. Advertisement "We can all act as if it's impossible that they can get there, but we also just saw the Indiana Pacers take the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games," Rosenberg said. "As great as OKC is, and they are a great team, they were taken to seven games two times throughout the playoffs. "Did anyone realistically think about the Indiana Pacers challenging and making it to a seventh game for the NBA Finals? So, I'm sorry, no. I cannot rule out a LeBron James and Luka Doncic-led Lakers this year." While it's not impossible for a Lakers team starring those two players to make the NBA Finals, it feels unlikely based on what we've seen from them. Top-tier talent is clearly there. However, what makes the Thunder so lethal beyond Gilgeous-Alexander is their depth. Advertisement Their depth is what allows them to play as tenaciously on the defensive end because they always have bodies on the bench that can come in and give them real minutes in big games. Former Lakers guard Alex Caruso is the case and point. While they didn't rely on him for his scoring, he was brought in for his defense, which helped shift games at times. The Thunder return many of this group, and repeating as champions will undoubtedly be on their minds next season. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
ESPN star Peter Rosenberg sparks new Caitlin Clark 'race' storm with claim about NBA prospect Cooper Flagg
Caitlin Clark has been dragged into yet another debate about race after Cooper Flagg was selected first overall in the NBA draft. The 18-year-old, considered one of the most exciting prospects of recent times, was taken by the Dallas Mavericks with the No 1 pick this week. Flagg has been tipped to become a basketball superstar, much like Caitlin Clark, who has lifted the WNBA to new heights since joining the Indiana Fever. But Clark has also become a lightning rod for discussions around race since joining the league, with some accusing her rivals of bullying and jealousy, while others have suggested she benefits from 'white privilege'. Now the WNBA star finds herself at the center of another storm after ESPN analyst Peter Rosenberg compared her and Flagg. Rosenberg was accused of 'race-baiting' during his appearance on First Take, when he discussed Flagg's potential impact in the NBA. Peter Rosenberg: "Cooper Flagg is a white guy, maybe the best white American prospect since Larry Bird. Let's not act as if we don't live in America and we're not seeing what's happening with Caitlin Clark in the WNBA... if he's nearly as good as people expect... no one's going… — Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 27, 2025 'We're all adults, we can have a real-life conversation,' he said. 'Last time I checked, we still live in America. Cooper Flagg is a white guy, maybe the best white American prospect since Larry Bird. 'Let's not act as if we don't live in America and we're not seeing what's happening with Caitlin Clark in the WNBA. 'Cooper Flagg is going to be an instant impact player in the NBA. He is ready to go. That kid could play right now. 'If he's nearly as good as people expect then I think when it comes to "intrigue" - that people are talking about day to day - no one is going to be more intriguing and get more eyeballs than Cooper Flagg in Dallas.' But Rosenberg came under fire from some basketball fans for bringing up race. 'Caitlin Clark isn't getting attention because she's white, she's getting attention because she's a generational talent,' one said on social media. 'Cooper Flagg is intriguing because he's the best college basketball player we've seen in a long time Why does ESPN always have to make it about race?' Another fan echoed those thoughts, claiming it was 'sad' and 'pitiful' that race had been brought into the conversation. 'This is very cringe, ESPN should be ashamed of themselves,' a third said. But others defended Rosenberg. 'He's right,' said one fan, while another agreed that Clark is being treated differently because she is white.
New York Post
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Street Profits, DIY, Motor City Machine Guns made undeniable WWE statement with epic TLC match
The Street Profits, DIY and the Motor City Machine Guns made a statement with their masterpiece of a TLC match in the main event of SmackDown. So much so that one post on X pained me when it was over, even if it was trying to heap the highest praise on the trio who risked their bodies repeatedly with big spot after big spot. The post read that they had one of the best TLC matches 'in SmackDown history.' It felt like a cruel way to echo the other sentiments circulating among wrestling fans on social media — the group Triple H railed against during his pre-WrestleMania interview with Peter Rosenberg — that the match should have been on one of the two WrestleMania 41 cards in Las Vegas the previous weekend. 3 Angelo Dawkins jumps off a ladder to spear a hanging Tommaso Ciampa onto a table during a TLC match on SmackDown on April 25, 2025. WWE via Getty Images It absolutely should have been.
