NCAA

The Atlanta Falcons social media team had a change of heart on Monday ... scrapping a post that appeared to make fun of Ohio State kicker Noah Ruggles for missing a game-winning field goal over the weekend.

The now-deleted tweet was published right after ATL's Younghoe Koo nailed a 21-yarder to lead the Falcons to a 20-19 home win over the Arizona Cardinals ... which read, "This is how you make a game-winning field goal at @MBStadium."

Of course, Ruggles was in a similar, yet much more important, position on Saturday night in the College Football Playoff semis against the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium ... but his 50-yard attempt ended up wide left, ending Ohio State's national championship hopes.

The Falcons' tweet was widely panned on social media ... with many pointing out Ruggles is just a kid, and he's probably already beating himself up over the situation.

On top of that, the Falcons were awful in 2022-23 ... and comparing a game-winning kick to earn a 6th win late in the season to a missed opportunity at a championship is laughable.

The Falcons must've agreed with the backlash ... 'cause the tweet was deleted on Monday.

But, considering this is the Internet we're talking about, the damage was already done ... and plenty of followers screenshot the bad joke and shared it all over social media.

Alabama Crimson Tide star quarterback Bryce Young is going pro -- the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner just declared for the NFL Draft.

The 21-year-old announced his departure from the program on Monday ... and is expected to be a top pick come April.

"Coming here was the best decision of my life," Young said. "I'm forever grateful for the University of Alabama."

Young had a stellar three seasons with Bama ... winning a national championship in 2020 and earning 8,356 yards, 80 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions. He was also awarded the AP College Football Player of the Year in 2021.

Some experts are predicting Young will go as high as first or second overall ... with Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud being another option for the Houston Texans, who will most likely secure the worst record and top pick of the draft.

Bama star edge rusher Will Anderson -- who's also expected to be a highly-coveted prospect in the 2023 class -- also announced his decision to forego the remainder of his college career.

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs also plans to enter the draft ... which might sound like Bama has a ton of holes to fill -- but if we know anything about the program, they always reload.

The Mississippi State football team will pay tribute to the late Mike Leach during its bowl game on Monday ... by wearing custom pirate helmets in honor of the legendary college coach.

The Bulldogs just unveiled the special lids to pay tribute to the coach's famous "Pirate" nickname ... hours before they play Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

The maroon and white helmets feature a flag with a skull and an eye patch ... with Leach's initials "ML" centered in between two swords.

Mississippi State released a hype video ahead of Monday's contest ... showing off the helmets with the caption, "Swing. Your. Sword."

The stadium's iconic pirate ship also has a memorial set up for Coach ... including flowers and a framed picture.

As we reported, the legendary head coach died in December ... due to complications from a heart condition. He was 61. The loss shocked the entire football community ... with former players, coaches and colleagues sharing their condolences.

The school is encouraging fans to arrive at the stadium early ... as officials plan to honor Leach's life and legacy throughout the game.

Heads up, baseball world ... another Sabathia is on the way -- and according to Momma Sabathia, the young infielder is itching to make a name for himself at Georgia Tech this year!!!

CC Sabathia's spawn, Carsten Sabathia, just arrived on GT's campus this year ... and he's expected to play right away as a freshman for the Yellow Jackets this season.

And, when we got his mom and dad out in New Jersey at a charity event earlier this month ... they both glowed about the kid -- with Amber Sabathia telling us Carsten is ready to inch out of CC's huge shadow while on the diamond in '23.

"Spring season hasn't started yet, so we've got some stuff to look forward to -- and he can really make a name for himself," Amber said. "I'm excited for that."

Carsten is a 6-foot-4, 240-pound giant who dominated so much at the dish in high school, he was named to play in the 2021 MLB All-American Game. As a senior this past year, he hit a staggering .363 and logged four home runs.

CC wouldn't give us a scouting report on his boy -- telling us Carsten actually hates hitting off of him -- but he did say he's "super proud" of his son nonetheless.

"It's more about him being happy in life than it is about the sport," CC said. "And he's in a good spot."

Chris Beard's fiancée, Randi Trew, says the Texas Longhorns men's basketball head coach did not strangle her ... walking back the initial comments she made to law enforcement nearly two weeks ago that led to Chris' arrest.

Trew released a statement on Friday ... saying, "Chris and I are deeply saddened that we have brought negative attention upon our family, friends, and the University of Texas, among others. As Chris’ fiancée and biggest supporter, I apologize for the role I played in this unfortunate event."

She continued ... "I realize that my frustration when breaking his glasses initiated a physical struggle between Chris and myself. Chris did not strangle me, and I told that to law enforcement that evening."

As we previously reported, Chris, 49, was arrested in Texas after law enforcement officials charged him with a felony -- assault on a member of a family or household by impeding breath circulation.

According to court documents, Trew alleged that she and Beard had been upset at each other for a few days and were having "relationship issues" -- and claimed things finally reached a boiling point with Chris slapping reading glasses off her face and choking her with his arm.

Police said in the docs they observed visible teeth marks and redness on Randi's right forearm and an abrasion on her right eyebrow and leg. They also noted a cut to her left thumb.

"Chris has stated that he was acting in self-defense, and I do not refute that,” Trew’s statement continued. “I do not believe Chris was trying to intentionally harm me in any way. It was never my intent to have him arrested or prosecuted. We appreciate everyone’s support and prayers during this difficult time."

Beard posted a $10,000 bond and was released from custody.

College basketball player Phil Urban -- a freshman forward at Post University -- was tragically shot and killed at a nature preserve in New Jersey on Saturday, officials said.

He was just 20 years old.

According to the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office, police responded to the Hopewell Valley Nature Preserve in Hopewell Township at 7 PM on Saturday ... and found Urban "slumped over" in the driver's seat of a Mercedes on a trail.

Officials say Urban was taken to a local medical facility -- but was pronounced dead there from a gunshot wound.

Authorities say a preliminary investigation showed Urban appeared to have been attempting to meet someone at the preserve ... and "was shot at some point during the encounter."

No arrests have been made ... and a probe is ongoing.

Post Univ. president John Hopkins said in a statement that Urban "modeled the attributes of leadership, commitment and hard work on the court and in the classroom."

Hopkins added the school and its community are "heartbroken" over Urban's death.

Urban committed to play hoops at Post Univ. back in April. The school welcomed him at the time with a tweet ... writing, "We are excited about what Phil will add to our team both as a player and person. Welcome to the nest, Phil!"

Louis Orr, former New York Knicks forward, Syracuse University star and Seton Hall head coach, passed away at the age of 64.

The cause of Orr's death is currently unclear ... but it was recently revealed the basketball player and coach was in hospice and not doing well.

Louie starred in the Cincinnati area as a high schooler before heading off to Syracuse where he played college basketball for four seasons under Jim Boeheim.

After Cuse, Orr entered the NBA Draft, where he was selected in the second round by the Pacers. Louis spent two seasons in Indiana.

Orr resumed his professional basketball career in New York, playing six seasons with the Knicks. Louis was teammates with Patrick Ewing ... whom he later coached with at Georgetown.

Orr averaged nearly 10 points and 4 rebounds a game over his NBA career.

Louis went into coaching in the early '90s, serving as an assistant coach with stops at Xavier, Providence and for JB at his alma mater, Syracuse.

After coaching one year at Sienna in New York, Orr was hired as the head man at Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ ... replacing Tommy Amaker, who'd just bolted for Michigan, following a terribly disappointing season.

Orr brought back stability and respectability at SHU -- twice leading the Pirates to an NCAA tournament birth -- including during the 2003-2004 season when his team beat a stacked University of Arizona squad in the first round.

The basketball world is mourning the loss of Orr ... with former players, coaches and teammates expressing sorrow over the loss of not just a good coach, but a good man.

"So heartbroken with the news of Louis Orr's passing. My first Syracuse recruit n Knick player was as kind a person to play in the NBA - our thoughts and prayers are with his family," Rick Pitino wrote.

Despite having no ties to Mike Leach, the Miami Redhawks are still paying homage to the late coach in an awesome way -- putting huge decals featuring crossbones on the backs of their helmets on Friday.

The school unveiled the tribute at the Bahamas Bowl against the UAB Blazers ... showing off a big, black sticker that has Leach's name on it with a pirate-themed MAC logo.

Leach, of course, was nicknamed "The Pirate" due to his obsession with sea robbers ... and on the Miami decal, they added another tribute to that by putting the hashtag "#FlyTheFlag" at the bottom.

The ode is particularly meaningful considering Leach never coached at Miami -- nor in the MAC ... which shows just how far his coaching genius reached during his life.

As we previously reported, the former Mississippi State football head coach died on Monday ... due to complications from a heart condition.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver says the league is long overdue for a female head coach ... admitting he'd be "hugely disappointed" if it doesn't happen within the next 5 years.

The commish made his intentions known in an interview with Bonnie Bernstein on the NCAA's "College Sports Conversations - Title IX at 50" podcast this week ... admitting the Association needs to improve at including women in coaching roles.

"Progress isn't happening as fast as I'd like to see," Silver said.

"In jobs that aren't about how high you can jump, or how strong you are or how tall you are, things should be completely equal."

Of course, ex-WNBA star Becky Hammon reportedly came close to being the first woman to lead an NBA bench -- she interviewed for the Milwaukee Bucks' vacancy while serving as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs.

She eventually left to take an HC gig with the Las Vegas Aces, where she won a WNBA title.

Silver points out the league has done better with hiring female referees ... and expects the number of female coaches to increase over time, especially now that there are seven female assistants throughout the league.

Silver thinks as more women continue to move up the ranks and get experience as assistants, they will soon get their time to shine.

UVA running back Mike Hollins says he isn't sure why a gunman opened fire on him and three other football players last month ... explaining this week the shooter was silent during his killing spree -- and had looked "normal" earlier in the day.

Hollins sat down with Michael Strahan on "Good Morning America" ... and gave some insight into the shooter's mindset -- while walking the ex-NFL star through how he was able to survive the terrifying Nov. 13 tragedy.

Hollins said he initially heard the gunshots ring out on the bus as it made its return to UVA's campus following a class field trip ... and he got off in a hurry -- unharmed.

But, he told Strahan that when he realized others weren't following him, he ran back in ... and that's when he said he locked eyes with suspected shooter Christopher Darnell Jones Jr.

"It was just a cold look," Hollins said, adding that the man said "nothing at all" to him. "It was, I don't know, it was just like a numb look."

Hollins said he turned to run again, and was shot in the back.

The football player said he didn't know Jones Jr. -- a former walk-on on the UVA football team -- "at all" ... and added that the guy had given him no indication that was upset earlier in the day.

"I had saw him that morning before we got on the bus," Hollins said. "He was looking normal to me."

Hollins suffered serious injuries in the shooting -- and required multiple surgeries to fix the damage. He told Strahan it wasn't until he came out of his initial surgery two days after the incident that he learned of the deaths of his teammates, D'Sean Perry, Lavel Davis and Devin Chandler.

"I've never cried like that before," he said.

Hollins is expected to make a full recovery.

Deion Sanders may be heading to Colorado, but his love for Jackson State still seemingly runs deep -- Coach Prime congratulated JSU's new head coach, T.C. Taylor, for landing the coveted job!

The NFL Hall of Famer shared an emotional video showing the moment Taylor was named the new head coach -- and the players went absolutely wild!

"Congratulations [Coach Taylor] on being the new [Jackson State football] head coach!" Sanders wrote on Instagram. "You deserve it! Love ya and appreciate u my brother. #CoachPrime."

"It has been a dream of mine to be a coach here," Taylor told his players. "But to be a head coach with some of the names that have been through here: W.C. Gorden, James Carson, and Coach Prime. Those are big shoes to fill, but I am excited."

Taylor was a standout wide receiver for the Tigers during his playing days. During his senior year, he broke the JSU single-season record with 84 receptions ... totaling 1,234 yards and 11 TDs.

T.C. graduated from Jackson State in 2005 ... and in 2019, he reunited with the Tigers, joining JSU's coaching staff, where he coached tight ends and wide receivers until last year.

After Deion announced he was leaving, the NFL legend advocated for Taylor ... saying he was the guy he'd hire if the decision were up to him.

Taylor is following a tough act at JSU ... in three years with Jackson State, Deion led the Tigers to a 27-5 record and back-to-back SWAC championships.

Sanders is also taking some of his best players, including his son, star JSU QB Shedeur Sanders with him to Colorado ... meaning Taylor will have to recruit or develop a new QB.

Mississippi State will not pull out of its bowl game against Illinois despite Mike Leach's death ... the school's interim AD just said the Bulldogs will play in the postseason contest -- because, "We all know that's what Coach Leach would want."

Bracky Brett, who took over MSU's AD reins in October, told ESPN on Tuesday the football team's players are "100%" ready to play in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Jan. 2 ... and do "what Coach Leach would expect them to do."

"It's what we should do," Brett added.

Leach, MSU's head coach since 2020, tragically passed away on Monday night after suffering a medical emergency on Sunday. He was 61 years old.

The school announced following Leach's initial hospitalization that defensive coordinator Zach Arnett would fill in for the legend ... and Brett said Tuesday that plan will continue against the Fighting Illini after Leach's death.

"Coach Arnett has made it clear that we're going to finish what we started," Brett said, "and honor Coach Leach."

The game will go down in Tampa at Raymond James Stadium ... where, of course, Leach (nicknamed The Pirate) would have felt right at home -- something not lost on Brett.

The spawns of LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony brought out all the stars on Monday night ... 'cause a slew of A-listers hit up a H.S. gym in L.A. -- all to catch a glimpse of the NBA stars' sons go at it on the hardwood.

Sierra Canyon, led by Bronny and Bryce James, hosted Kiyan Anthony's school, Christ The King, in a nationally televised basketball showcase in Chatsworth -- and, as expected, the matchup lived up to expectations ... both on and off the court.

LBJ, Melo, La La Anthony, Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Scottie Pippen and more all had front-row seats for the action ... and the kids didn't disappoint.

Bronny and Bryce pulled off the big win, 62-51 ... with the older James having a great game, logging 12 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Kiyan, meanwhile, had eight points in the loss.

The moment appeared to be surreal for both LeBron and Carmelo ... as 20 years ago, the two faced off against each other in a high school basketball showcase as well.

The two future Hall of Famers were spotted chatting throughout the night -- and the proud dads posted a bunch of pics on their social media pages chronicling it all.

In fact, the guys even took a group pic with their sons!!

Coastal Carolina quarterback Bryce Carpenter, who played in 12 games for the Chanticleers this season, was arrested Sunday after he allegedly threw a woman onto a concrete sidewalk -- causing injuries ... though he denies the whole thing.

Police say in an incident report, obtained by TMZ Sports, that officers responded to a house party in Conway, S.C. on Saturday night regarding an alleged assault that had taken place at around 11:30 PM.

In the docs, officers say a woman claimed that earlier in the night, she and Carpenter were in the garage of the party ... when he "began making sexual advances towards her."

Police say the woman told them she rejected him -- but he still attempted to kiss her and "grab her butt." According to the report, the woman said other partygoers saw what was going on, and pulled the football player away from her.

Later on, police say the woman told them she saw Carpenter sitting on a sidewalk and "approached him to speak to him about what he was doing."

Cops say Carpenter then got up from the curb, and "attempted to advance on the victim again."

According to the report, she pushed him away -- and that's when he allegedly snapped.

Carpenter was accused of grabbing her, picking her up and throwing her down onto a concrete sidewalk. In the docs, cops say the woman suffered scratches on her back and arms -- as well as a hematoma on the back of her head.

Cops say in the docs that Carpenter told them he never went to any parties on Saturday night -- "and was home the entire time."

Police say Carpenter was arrested at 1:45 AM on Sunday morning. Court records show he's since been charged with one count of third-degree assault and battery.

Coastal Carolina said in a statement following the arrest that Carpenter has now been suspended indefinitely from the team.

Longhorns men's basketball head coach Chris Beard is in jail in Texas ... after officials say he committed an assault on one of his family/household members.

According to jail records, Beard was booked in Travis County, Texas on Monday at 2:18 AM ... on a charge of felony "assault on family/household member impede breath circulation."

A spokesperson for the Austin Police Dept. said officers were called to a residence in Austin "for a disturbance" at 12:15 AM -- and Beard was arrested a short time later. No further details surrounding the allegations have been released.

49-year-old Beard is in his second season at UT -- in 2021, he led the Longhorns to a 22-12 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance. This year, he got the team off to a 7-1 start.

The Longhorns last played on Saturday night, beating Arkansas - Pine Bluff, 88-43. Their next game is scheduled for Monday night against Rice. The school said in a statement Monday morning, "The University is aware of the situation regarding Chris Beard. We are continuing to gather information and monitoring the legal process."

A Tennessee State University staffer was arrested earlier this month ... after she allegedly rammed her vehicle into a Tigers player's car in a fit of jealous rage.

According to court records, Devon Starling -- a TSU junior running back -- called police at 2:30 AM on Dec. 3 in Davidson County, TN after he said he saw his "ex-'fling'" Ariel Escobar, the Tigers' director of football operations and on-campus recruiting, in her car outside of his apartment as he was arriving home with his girlfriend.

The football player -- who logged 540 rushing yards and 2 total touchdowns this season -- claims he told Escobar to leave, but she refused. Police said in the documents that Starling then proceeded to drive around with his girlfriend while waiting for the cops to arrive.

According to the docs, Starling said that after pulling into a parking lot, Escobar followed him ... and then blocked him into a spot. The Tigers tailback alleged she then rammed her vehicle into his car while he and his girlfriend were still in it.

In the docs, Starling said Escobar actually backed up and hit his car a second time ... before pulling off. He claimed his car had minor damage.

According to the docs, Escobar later showed back up at his apartment ... where she was arrested. Police say she told them she did block them in with her car and said she wanted Starling to confess to his girlfriend that he had "had a sexual relationship" with her the day before.

Cops say the 22-year-old also admitted to throwing ketchup and scratching Starling's apartment door as well.

Court records show Escobar has been charged with 2 felony counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon ... and one count of misdemeanor vandalism. She's scheduled to appear in court in January.

Escobar is in her 2nd year as TSU's director of football operations and on-campus recruiting. We've reached out to the school for an update on her status with the program, but so far, no word back yet.