Welcome to your weekly sports recap, The Week That Was, where we will do a quick overview of the stories, scores, and items from the world of sports that you might have missed. Checkout out the rest of MentalDimes.com for sport-specific content on your favorite teams and do not forget to check out our podcast, which is available on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube; search for Mental Dimes.
NBA
Some sad news to report hall-of-Famer Bill Russell passed away at the age of 88 on Sunday. Russell won eleven NBA championships with the Boston Celtics during his 13-year career. Russell was a five-time MVP, an Olympic gold medalist, and a two-time NCAA champion.
Charles Barkley has decided not to pursue a position with LIV Golf and will remain with Turner Broadcasting as an NBA analyst. According to an ESPN report, Barkley stated, “…Turner and basketball have given me every single thing in my life — It is best for me to move on, and I’m staying with Turner for the rest of my TV career.”
MLB
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge hit his league-leading 42nd home run. Judge joins Babe Ruth and Roger Maris as the only Yankees to hit 40 home runs before the end of July.
The Seattle Mariners acquired right-handed pitcher Luis Castillo from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for four prospects. Castillo is 29 years old and posted a remarkable 1.93 ERA in the month of July.
NFL
Training camp opened for all 32 NFL football teams last week!
45-year-old wide receiver Julio Jones agreed to a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jones is a seven-time Pro-Bowler who played for the Titans in 2021. Jones will join a receiving corps that includes Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Tyler Johnson.
KJ Wright signed a one-day contract with the Seattle Seahawks to announce his retirement. According to the Associated Press, Wright issued the following statement: “I gave this game every ounce I had in my body. I gave it my heart and my soul. I put my body on the line. I made sacrifices in my personal life. It’s safe to say I’m on empty right now.”
Seattle running back Chris Carson has announced his retirement from the league due to a neck injury. The 27-year-old played five seasons for Seattle after being drafted to the team in 2017. According to on3.com, “Seattle will reportedly release Carson with a failed physical designation. That will qualify the running back to receive several million dollars in injury protection benefits, which would not be the case if he went on the retired list.” In some positive news for the Seahawks, the team came to terms on a contract extension with wide receiver DJ Metcalf. The three-year contract extension includes a $30 million signing bonus, and the total contract is worth $72 million with $58.2 million guaranteed.
Tampa Bay Buc’s center Ryan Jensen suffered a potentially season-ending knee injury on day two of training camp. Jensen has played in 81 consecutive games and is the only center from which Tom Brady has taken in-game snaps.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will miss an undetermined amount of practice time after having successful surgery to remove his appendix.
The Arizona Cardinals have removed the addendum to Kyler Murray’s contract extension. The clause required Murray to commit to four hours of “independent film study.” The Cardinals issued the following statement regarding removing the addendum: “After seeing the distraction it created, we removed the addendum from the contract. It was clearly perceived in ways that were never intended. Our confidence in Kyler Murray is as high as it’s ever been, and nothing demonstrates our belief in his ability to lead this team more than the commitment reflected in this contract.”
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel agreed to a 3-year contract extension with a total max value of $73.5 million with $58.1 million guaranteed.
The arbiter is expected to decide on a potential suspension for Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson at 9:00 am ET Monday, August 1st. The NFL and the NFLPA can appeal the decision.
NCAAF
Thirty-four days until the start of the college football season for most teams!
All charges have been dropped against Texas A&M wide receiver Ainias Smith. The charges stemmed from an arrest for DWI, unlawful carrying of a weapon, and possession of marijuana.
Well, that’s a wrap for The Week That Was. Be sure to check out the rest of our site daily for news on all your favorite teams, and click on our “Bets” tab to receive your picks from our panel of experts. Check out our weekly “Hot Take Tuesday” and “Fresh Take Friday” content. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to like and retweet/share our content. Check out our store on MentalDimes.com for all the hottest merch.
