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WWW.CBSSPORTS.COMEastern Conference Power Rankings: Where do new-look 76ers stack up vs. Knicks, Celtics after adding LeBron?James' decision to sign with the 76ers has shifted the league's power balance further toward the East0 Comments 0 Shares 48 Views 0 Reviews -
SPORTS.YAHOO.COMTrump Attacks LeBron James in Oval Office Rant: Maybe Hes a RacistPresident Donald Trump cast his vote for the greatest basketball player of all time and it aint LeBron James.The president was asked by Fox News senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy to settle who the best ever was during a Friday press conference at the White House hours after James announced he is joining the Philadelphia 76ers. Doocy asked Trump to pick between James and Michael Jordan, and Trump said the decision was a layup and attacked the newest member of the Sixers.Well, Michael Jordan is a guy thats a friend of mine, played golf with him. Hes a really good guy, Trump said. And I think LeBron is, may be hes a racist. But maybe he doesnt like Trump I dont know? But I only like people that like me. So I would say Michael Jordan, all the way.Trumps pick comes after the Air Jordan v. King James debate has been a hot topic among hoops heads for years.James has won four titles and four MVP awards during his 23-season-and-counting career, which has included two stops in Cleveland, along with stints in Miami, Los Angeles, and now Philly. Jordan won six titles and five MVP awards while leading the Chicago Bulls during 13 seasons between the 80s and 90s; he came out of retirement a second time and played for the Washington Wizards in the early 00s for two years an era most fans tend to just ignore.Other basketball fans have floated the greatest of all time or GOAT title could go to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Magic Johnson,among a handful of other legends.Trumps beef with James goes back years. James campaigned for Hillary Clinton during her failed 2016 presidential run, and the following year he branded Trump a bum.Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up! James posted in 2017.A few years later,James scoffed at Trump ripping very dumb players for kneeling during the National Anthem, and he later endorsed ex-Vice President Kamala Harris during her own failed run against Trump in 2024.Watch above via Fox News.The post Trump Attacks LeBron James in Oval Office Rant: Maybe Hes a Racist first appeared on Mediaite.0 Comments 0 Shares 51 Views 0 Reviews
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SPORTS.YAHOO.COMWinners and losers of the LeBron James SweepstakesThe content-creating worlds long international nightmare is over: LeBron James has chosen his new team. And, in a move that will bring no small consternation to fans in Northeast Ohio and Biscayne Bay, he has indeed chosen a new team.The leading scorer in NBA history is now a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, agreeing to terms on a two-year, $8 million contract to line up alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, fellow new arrival Jaylen Brown and rising sophomore VJ Edgecombe in the City of Brotherly Love. (What percentage of the Sixers salary cap figure will James account for? Just over 2.3%, for No. 23. There are no coincidences.)The reverberations from this one will be felt far and wide; lets start getting our arms around it all.What follows is a stab at a first draft of history a thumbnail sketch of who and what seems to have been helped and hurt by Fridays blockbuster announcement. We begin with the man himself:WINNER: LeBron James After spending most of the 16 months between the Luka Doni trade and the end of the 2025-26 NBA season wrangling with the fact that the Los Angeles Lakers not only no longer revolved around him, but were prepared to move on from him come the end of his contract, James informed the world he wouldnt be returning to L.A. and that he intended to continue his career elsewhere. (A you cant fire me because I quit move? Perhaps!) He then proceeded to hold the attention of the basketball-watching world in the palm of his hand for weeks, sparking countless discussions about on-court fits and off-court narratives, about history and legacy and, crucially, about just how good, valuable and important a player he still is, even with more than 1,900 NBA games and 73,000 minutes on his odometer.He got a handful of teams to throw bouquets at his feet, to vie for his favor. He got a multi-year deal that could pay him millions through age 43, through his 25th season, an unthinkable career that now just keeps going. And he got to come back to the Eastern Conference he once dominated, to join a team with young talent that had already put itself on the upswing earlier this summer, and to give himself a punchers chance at a fifth ring this time, with a fresh new angle on how to make even more history.No player in NBA history has won a ring with four different teams, per @StatsWilliams. LeBron James is trying to become the first with this last chapter in Philadelphia. Dave McMenamin (@mcten) July 24, 2026It is, as always, good to be the King.WINNER: Philadelphia 76ersZoom out, and over the past three-plus weeks, the Sixers have turned Paul George (who played 78 regular-season games during his two seasons in Philly), two first-round picks and two second-round picks into Jaylen Brown and LeBron James. Pretty good!Before the Brown trade, the Sixers looked like a team that might have a tough time improving significantly on last seasons 45-37 play-in finish. Dealing for the five-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA swingman seemed like a boost worth a couple of wins, one that could get Philly into the Easts top six and within hailing distance of home-court advantage in Round 1. Add in LeBron, and its easy to start talking yourself into 50-plus wins and a real shot at challenging the defending NBA champion New York Knicks for Eastern Conference supremacy.Brown gives the Sixers the sort of dynamic perimeter slasher more drives to the basket per game last season than anybody but Deni Avdija and bruising, reliable high-level two-way big wing they havent had since Jimmy Butlers brief stint in Pennsylvania. LeBron remains one of the NBAs visionary passers and playmakers, capable of injecting pace, precision and a whole bunch of points into virtually any offensive setting.Welcome to Philly, LeBron. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)Emilee Chinn via Getty ImagesBoth can sprint the floor and fill the lane in transition. Both can work either end of a pick-and-roll, hunting more lumbering bigs or mashing smaller defenders in the low post on switches. Both can contribute on or off the ball; both can command the offense in second units; both can lighten the load on All-NBA point guard Maxey, who led the NBA in minutes per game last season, and former MVP center Embiid, whose ability to remain upright and ambulatory remains the biggest question lording over the entire Philadelphia enterprise.Adding James bumps free-agent signing Dean Wade from the starting lineup to the bench, improving Phillys depth by bolstering a reserve corps that also features gunner Anfernee Simons, big men Ariel Hukporti, Adem Bona and Dominick Barlow, wings Justin Edwards and Jabari Walker, and 2026 first-round pick Labaron Philon Jr. That second unit might not look like a murderers row; the fact that Nurse will likely be able to keep at least two of Embiid, Maxey, James and Brown on the floor at all times, though, ought to make those reserves lives a hell of a lot easier from a shot-creation and floor-raising perspective.Only 10 qualifying players averaged at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game last season. The Sixers just added two of them. Theyre going to be better. Maybe a lot better.WINNER: Joel Embiid, Playing the Long GameWhat started in 2014 and continued in 2018 has now, finally, come together. Its like they always say in Philly: Have faith in the system.STILL THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF THIS WHOLE SHEBANG: Joel Embiids HealthThe big fella has played just 109 total regular-season and playoff games over the last three seasons. In that span, the Sixers have outscored opponents by 356 points in 3,604 minutes with him on the floor, and have been outscored by -729 in 9,206 minutes with him off it.At the risk of oversimplifying things: When Embiid plays, the Sixers are good, and often very good, and when he doesnt, they are not, and often extremely not. This has held true virtually regardless of which co-stars the Sixers have employed, which coach is calling plays from the sideline, and which front office is building the roster.Yes, the arrivals of James and Brown to join Maxey and Edgecombe represent what looks like an excellent failsafe, particularly on the offensive end. But can Hukporti, Bona and (gasp) LeBron-at-the-5 give the Sixers enough on the glass and protecting the paint to keep the defense from falling off a cliff when Embiids not available, whether due to injury or just needing a breather? Can Embiid get his lower limbs sufficiently oiled up to be able to hold up in pick-and-roll coverage more effectively than he did during the second round, when the Knicks absolutely flame-broiled him in space? And, as always, the billion-dollar question: Can Embiid stay upright and productive into April, May and June?If the answer to that question is the same as its been to this point in his career, then its hard to see the Sixers getting where they and their extremely well-decorated newcomer desperately want to go.WINNER: That Domino Effect Memehttps://t.co/nEWP7jjprBpic.twitter.com/OZznTa7pVd Pablo Torre (@PabloTorre) July 24, 2026pic.twitter.com/aWqSfl7BKg Velodus (@velodus) July 24, 2026A very useful tool.WINNER: The Sixers New BrassJosh Harris hired Bob Myers, front-office face of the Golden State Warriors dynasty, to steer the ship for his basketball and football clubs. After moving on from Daryl Morey, Myers hires Mike Gansey out of Cleveland to be Phillys new general manager. Less than two months later, they have Brown whose arrival reportedly made the Sixers more attractive to the free-agent King and LeBron.Shouts to old Ohiohigh schoolbasketball connections. Shouts to working your way into the third chair on a podcast to make your pitch. Shouts to coming through in the clutch (or Klutch, as the case might be) when given the opportunity to do so.WINNER: The Element of SurpriseIf you didnt see LeBron picking Philly coming, dont sweat it. Neither, apparently, did the Sixers. From Tony Jones of The Athletic:The Sixers were surprised by LeBron James' decision, not learning of his choice to accept their offer until minutes before his statement was issued through his representation, according to a team source close to the process.As surprises go, this one aint half bad. Speaking of which:LOSER: Everybody Else Trying to Figure Out What to Get Nick Nurse for His Birthdayhappy birthday, coach! pic.twitter.com/cJIjb9f4tM Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) July 24, 2026Sorry, yall. Bob and Mike just got him LeBron. Your gift card to the local paint n sip spot and authentic tablature book for Creeds My Own Prison well, theyre playing for second. (Still pretty thoughtful, though.)WINNER: BreadcrumbsLeBron Trusting the Process pic.twitter.com/8d0ISbKsZf Rights To Ricky Sanchez Podcast (@RTRSPodcast) July 24, 2026The signs were there all along!LOSER: BreadcrumbsThe Miami Heat mistakenly posted a link to a scheduled live stream titled "LeBron James Introductory Press Conference" for July 27 to its YouTube channel, per @ShamsCharania. The team spokesperson said on Tuesday that the club's social media department was preparing for the pic.twitter.com/AmtRFAHKuo Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) July 22, 2026 OK, I guess not those ones.LOSER: Cleveland CavaliersOn one hand, after extending Donovan Mitchell earlier this month, and with James Harden likely to sign his own multi-year re-up any second now that the LeBron chase is done, the Cavs are in position to return eight of the top nine players from the team that just made the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since James left for L.A., and for the first time without James being on the roster since 1992. So its not exactly Factory of Sadness time at Rocket Arena.On the other, though: The Cavs got, yknow, destroyed in the Eastern Conference finals, due in part to the fact that they got a grand total of 80 points in four games on 25-for-79 shooting (31.6%) from their wings: Wade (who since left for Philly), Max Strus, Sam Merrill and Jaylon Tyson.LeBron represented the Cavs best chance for a dramatic improvement on the wing between the backcourt of Mitchell and Harden and the frontcourt of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Now, their best chance is Jonathan Kuminga? DeMar DeRozan? A returning-from-Europe Mario Hezonja? Whoever you can get for a package of the expiring contracts of Strus and Dennis Schrder plus their one tradable first-round pick and two tradable seconds?How much are any of those options raising the ceiling of a team that saw just how far they were away from the promised land against the Knicks, that has seen a handful of conference rivals work to level up in the offseason, and that has added only (admittedly exciting) rookie Meleek Thomas to a roster that, once Harden re-signs, will have virtually no financial flexibility for the next three seasons?Next years Cavs might not be demonstrably worse than last years. Its hard to see them being demonstrably better, though and in an East thats moving forward, standing still can start to feel like falling back pretty damn quick.WINNER: Lovers of Competitive NBA Cup Group StagesFeast your eyes on East Group B, you sick freaks:Just an absurd NBA Cup group the Knicks find themselves in https://t.co/iecUQiWonvpic.twitter.com/wPeV967VjL Andrew Claudio (@AndrewJClaudio_) July 24, 2026The defending champs. The last team to beat them in the playoffs, who are getting their All-NBA point guard back. Two teams that said defending champs just knocked off in the playoffs, one of whom just added LeBron and the other of whom just lost out on LeBron. And another team that lost out on LeBron, but who also ICYMI traded for Giannis freakin Antetokounmpo. Get your point-differential-as-tiebreaker calculators ready!LOSER: Golden State Warriors, and the Dream of One Last RideNobody thought that LeBron teaming up with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Steve Kerr would guarantee the Warriors anything, necessarily. It did seem, though, like one last shot at wringing just a bit more magic out of what the head coach has famously called a fading dynasty.With James heading east, the Warriors course of action will likely be to re-sign Green, either for one year at the $27.7 million he just declined to afford them the opportunity to chase LeBron or for multiple years at a lower average annual value, and then mostly just sit tight?Golden State has scarcely any money on the balance sheet beyond the end of next season. The contracts of Curry and the injured Jimmy Butler expire after this year though youd obviously imagine that Steph will get whatever extension he wants whenever he wants it. Kristaps Porziis and Al Horford hold player options for 2027-28, and Brandin Podziemskis ticketed for restricted free agency after the season if he doesnt come to terms on an extension of his rookie-scale deal before opening night. Right now, the only Warriors on the books after this season are Moses Moody, first-round pick Yaxel Lendeborg, Gui Santos and Will Richard all of whom will be making less than 8% of the salary cap in 27-28.All of that gives the Warriors plenty of flexibility in charting a new path forward perhaps, even, beyond the end of Currys magical run in the Bay. Thats fine; its good to have options. But for a franchise and fanbase that became accustomed to annual runs deep into spring and early summer and to competing for championships, the idea of doing whats sensible and prudent as you watch the light of your all-time superstar start to fade well, it doesnt make you a winner, I dont think.0 Comments 0 Shares 57 Views 0 Reviews
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SPORTS.YAHOO.COMCharles Barkley believes LeBron James can surpass Michael JordanCredit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports, ESPN, The Last DanceCharles Barkley has long maintained LeBron James cant catch Michael Jordan in the GOAT debate, but hes finally willing to reconsider.Throughout this latest summer of LeBron, Barkley has insisted he should return to the Cleveland Cavaliers for one last go-around with his hometown team. Championships and money be damned, the only good story for LeBron James would have been finishing out his career in the place it started. Because according to Barkley, there was no way for LeBron to catch the ghost of Michael Jordan, certainly not by winning another championship or two with a stacked team.Barkley joined Stephen A. Smith on his SiriusXM Radio show to react to the news of James signing with the Philadelphia 76ers Friday afternoon. And now that James is set to play the final season or two of his career on a team that, if healthy, is stacked, Barkley is softening on the idea of Jordans legacy being untouchable.If he wins back-to-back championships to walk away from this thing at 44 or 45, Ill say something I aint never said before, Barkley told Smith. I think I just saw the greatest basketball ever.Smith pressed Barkley, questioning if he would really give LeBron James the title of GOAT with two more championships on his resume.I probably would, Barkley admitted. It aint no shame saying hes the third best basketball player youve ever seen. But if he can win two more now, I didnt say one more, you said two more. If he wins two more, youd have to be kinda crazy not to say hes the best to ever do it.Most reasonable NBA fans and analysts would have to agree LeBron James should be the undisputed GOAT with two more championships. Many fans and analysts can already point to his four championships, four regular-season MVPs, 22 All-Star selections, and most points in league history to say he deserves to be considered the best ever. But Barkley has famously ranked James seventh on his all-time list, sitting behind Jordan, Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell and Kobe Bryant.Earlier this offseason, Barkley said theres nothing LeBron could do to catch Jordan, criticizing him for always chasing rings by stacking super-teams. What changed now that James is attempting to stack another super-team by joining Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey in Philadelphia? Maybe Barkley just never really considered the idea that LeBron could win two more championships in his 40s.And while thats the scenario Stephen A. Smith created, winning two championships in Philadelphia is still a long shot. The 76ers have to prove they can stay healthy. They also have to prove they can gel immediately. No team has won back-to-back championships since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018. And LeBron only accomplished the feat once in his career during his second and third seasons with the Miami Heat. Believing he can do it again while playing for a new team in his 40s seems farfetched, regardless of how much talent the 76ers are boasting.So, yes, Charles Barkley believes theres an avenue for LeBron James to surpass Michael Jordan as the greatest of all time, but it would only come under unlikely circumstances. Hopefully Jordan doesnt take this too personally. Barkley and Jordan just reconciled after a 14-year estrangement; it would be a shame if this put them back on bad terms.The post Charles Barkley believes LeBron James can surpass Michael Jordan appeared first on Awful Announcing.0 Comments 0 Shares 84 Views 0 Reviews
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SPORTS.YAHOO.COMElite 2028 running back plans to visit FSU2028 four-star running Xander Edwards is in high demand with around 40 scholarship offers. One of them is from the Florida State Seminoles, which came back in October of last year.Edwards visited FSU at the end of March, and the star runner had an amazing time while he was on campus. He has plans to take several visits during the season, and Florida State is a program that's on his itinerary."I'm going to Ohio State at Indiana. That's a for sure one. For sure going to Miami, Georgia, I'm going to try to get up to Florida State and Ohio State -- those are the definites," Edwards told 247Sports.Edwards is coming off an incredible sophomore year. He rushed for 2,629 yards on 265 carries and scored 44 touchdowns, plus he gained 211 receiving yards on 17 receptions. He helped the Bolles School go 14-2 and finish as the Class 2A state runner-up. This earned him the All-News4JAX Offensive Player of the Year award, and he finished as the runner-up for Florida's Mr. Football award.The Miami Hurricanes are the leader for Edwards right now. However, Florida State is positioned to make some noise in his recruitment if they continue to keep the lines of communication open and have a turnaround performance on the field.Contact/Follow us @FSUWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida State news, notes and opinions. You can also follow Matthew on X @StarConscienceThis article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Elite 2028 running back plans to visit FSU0 Comments 0 Shares 88 Views 0 Reviews -
SPORTS.YAHOO.COMMyles Garrett ranked as NFL's best edge rusher by Sports IllustratedThe Los Angeles Rams made a bold move to add star defender Myles Garrett, and it appears Garrett's value continues to rise.Sports Illustrated ranked Garrett as the NFL's best edge rusher entering 2026. "Without question, Garrett is the best edge rusher in the NFLand perhaps even the best player in the game," wrote Sports Illustrated's Eva Geitheim. "This past season, Garrett made history, breaking the NFLs official single-season sack record, tallying 23 sacks during the season as he captured his second Defensive Player of the Year award. He also owns the record for most consecutive seasons with at least 12 sacks, having achieved this feat in six consecutive years from 2020 to 25.""He has now been a first-team All-Pro in three consecutive seasons, and five times overall. He continues to make even the leagues best offensive linemen lose sleep as he adds more signal-callers into his quarterback graveyard. In 2026, Garrett will take his talents to HollywoodO.K., Inglewoodafter the Browns traded him to the Rams. With the trade, hell get the opportunity to add postseason successand perhaps a ringto his Hall of Fame rsum."What the rankings meanIt means the Rams were more than justified in making the move for Garrett. There are rare situations in which a team should trade a Pro Bowl pass rusher before they've hit their prime, and if the Rams were to lose Jared Verse, Garrett is the only player that makes sense in the long run.While the team loses out on Verse's potential long-term productivity, what they gain is the insurance of a pass rusher who is built for the big moment. The difference between the Rams winning and losing in the last two seasons has been their success at bringing down the passer. They have the undisputed king of sacks and the critical part is that they were able to add Garrett at a reasonable price.Verse didn't make the top 10 of SI's list this season, showing just how highly regarded Garrett is compared to Verse.This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Myles Garrett ranked as NFL's best edge rusher by Sports Illustrated0 Comments 0 Shares 89 Views 0 Reviews
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LIVS Biotin Gummies for Hair Skin and Nail Support
Support healthy hair skin and nails with LIVS Biotin Gummies featuring 10000 mcg biotin real strawberry flavor and vegan friendly ingredients.
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LIVSNUTRITION.COMBiotin (10,000 mcg)Let us help you simplify health. Our highly concentrated Biotin Gummies are packed with nutrients that help nourish your body from the inside out. Helping you feel your best can be easy and delicious with strawberry flavored gummies you’ll actually love taking. Why LIVS Biotin Gummies? Strength in Potency: Just 2 Gummies per serving providing 10,000 mcg of Biotin (as D-biotin) to support the hair you want. High-Quality Ingredients: Vegan-friendly, Non-GMO and made with only clean ingredients like citrus pectin instead of gelatin. Easy to Take: No more nasty tasting pills that are difficult to swallow. Our tasty gummies are easy to take and fit into your lifestyle. Clean Living: Gluten free, dairy free and non-GMO with no artificial fillers or junk. You’ll Love Them Because They Support Your Best You: Our gummies are intended to support your hair, skin and nails. No Artificial Fillers: Our quality gummies are made with only the highest quality ingredients and contain no junk. Buy More Save More: Each bottle has 90 gummies which equals 45 servings. That’s a 45-day supply when taken 1 serving per day. Natural Flavoring: Our strawberry gummies are made with real strawberry flavor and black carrot extract. Enjoy that fresh fruit taste with no chemical aftertaste. Product Specifications Amount Of Biotin: 10,000 mcg Serving. Vegetarian Friendly: Vegan, Non-GMO & Gluten Free. Flavor: Strawberry Quantity: 90Count People Ask For .soc-faq-wrap{max-width:900px;margin:18px 0;color:#000} .soc-faq-title{font-weight:800;margin:0 0 12px 0;color:#000} .soc-faq-card{border:1px solid #e6e8ec;border-radius:14px;background:#fff;overflow:hidden;margin:10px 0;color:#000} .soc-faq-card summary{cursor:pointer;padding:14px 16px;font-weight:800;list-style:none;color:#000} .soc-faq-card summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none} .soc-faq-card[open] summary{border-bottom:1px solid #e6e8ec} .soc-faq-answer{padding:12px 16px 16px 16px;margin:0;line-height:1.55;color:#000} How many gummies is 1 serving? There are 2 gummies per serving. As a dietary supplement, take 1 serving daily or as directed by your physician. Chew thoroughly and swallow. Please consume with a meal. Are these Vegan Friendly? Yes they are. Our Biotin gummies are vegan friendly. Unlike traditional gummies that use animal-derived gelatin we use citrus pectin as a gelling agent. How are these better than regular biotin pills? Most brand pills are very hard to swallow and contain low amounts of biotin. Some use animal by-products. LIVS Biotin Gummies contains high potency 10,000 mcg of Biotin in a tasty gummy that's easy to take. What allergens are in these Gummies? Our gummies are free from gluten (wheat), milk, eggs, peanuts, and soy. However, they are produced in a facility that also produces products with soy. How long will I get out of 1 bottle? There are 90 gummies in 1 bottle. The recommended serving is 2 gummies per day. This will give you a 45 day supply. Do these gummies have a lot of sugar? There are 3g of total sugars in 1 serving. We wanted to make sure our gummies tasted great without being packed with sugar.0 Comments 0 Shares 74 Views 0 Reviews -
SPORTS.YAHOO.COMDoes a hockey fight need a game around it? Bare Knuckle Ice Wars will find out with ESPN dealIf youve been to one of those sports bars with 25 screens, youve seen what happens when a fight breaks out in the middle of a hockey game. People pause a second to watch it play out, the way they do when strolling past somebody on a slot machine in Vegas whos hit an unexpected bonus.Theres no guarantee that a fight will break out in a hockey game, of course, but it always feels a little lucky when one does.This is what the Bare Knuckle Ice Wars, which officially debuted in 2022, built its premise on. To do away with the hockey and focus just on the fights. Some people go in for the toe drags and odd man rushes and game-altering shorthanded chances, but the only goal here is to do away with the puck. To give people just the fights they crave, the game within the game, without the distraction of a game.To some this might seem like just extracting the cream filling from a Hostess Twinkie. But you know who understands a good on-ice fight, which has been a bonus attraction to the professional hockey ranks for more than 100 years?ESPN, thats who.On Wednesday, Ice Wars announced it has signed a partnership with ESPN to air a deliberate dropping of the gloves come Aug. 8 at 10:30 p.m. ET. Four fights that took place live on May 14 at the River Cree Casino just outside of Edmonton, Alberta will be aired as part of half-hour broadcast on ESPN8: The Ocho.Coming soon to an ESPN channel near you. (Photo credit: Bare Knuckle Ice Wars)Last summer, BKFC Ice Wars, as it was then known, held an unsanctioned event at the Soaring Eagle Resort and Casino in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, which featured gloved fighters on synthetic ice. A year later those fighters are using their bare knuckles and skating on real ice, in the original spirit of the enterprise, with a big-time broadcast partner.It's been about three, four months in the making, says Ice Wars president and former UFC fighter Ian Heinisch. It was difficult because we couldn't leak it. We had to tape the last show. We had to pull four fights off the show. We couldn't tell the fans why, but it's cool to see that ESPN has us on their radar and we think it's going to move the needle for them, bring more people than they expect, and we're hoping to get a distribution deal off this.Thats because this first show is a one-off, a taped and edited icebreaker of sorts to see if theres an audience for jersey-pulling fisticuff between enforcers.The four bouts were chosen from the 12-fight card at the River Cree back in May, meaning only eight fights were shown on the Fight Network when the card originally aired. Only those in attendance that night in Edmonton saw the four fights that will air on The Ocho, handpicked to show the potential of what Ice Wars founder Charlie Nama refers to as a new sports league, rather than a new combat league.This deal gives us the exposure we needed for people to understand what Bare Knuckle Ice Wars is, and how its evolved from hockey fights in a game to an exclusive sport, he says. This is for the enforcers to showcase their talents, and for the fans, too, who sometimes have to go to 10 games just to see a fight.Of the four fights that will appear on the half-hour block, one features the former enforcer Brad Pawlowski, a bearded Ontario native who has 55 fights catalogued on the Hockey Fights website, against Divyne Apollon, a player who has just one goal in 96 pro hockey games spanning three seasons, to go along with 652 penalty minutes.Apollon, both Heinisch and Nama believe, could be a star.We want to crown some championships soon, but also as this sport grows, paychecks grow, clout grows, you're going to see these NHL stars want to come in and prove themselves, test themselves, says Heinisch. Thats basically what BKFC did, right? With these retired MMA fighters. And I think they will also be stars in this promotion.Hopefully we find a Mike Perry type guy whos going to come in and dominate.Unearthing a star is the first pivotal piece in all things combat (or sport).As I reported from Ice Wars show last summer in Michigan, there are some who naturally fit the bill. The LaPorte twins, Will and Nick of Canada, stole that first show by bringing the crowd to life in scoring their on-ice victories. Since then, Valerie Ruley has made a few waves, beating Christina Barry last October at the Amerant Arena in Sunrise, Florida.Nama says that heavyweights Nick Fitzpatrick and Zane Briggs have star potential too, as they throw haymakers with a fan-friendly sense of abandon, and weve seen some UFC fighters lace up the skates, like Charles Rosa.Can hockey fights without the hockey make an impact in today's combat landscape? (Photo: Bare Knuckle Ice Wars)But we also want to grow the personalities and let the fans know who these fighters are, Heinisch says. And that's what we have. [Comedian/sports commentator] Jonny Laquasto has joined the team and he's going to help tell the stories of these fighters, because that's what fans need. They need a connection with the fighters, and the cream will rise to the top, and we want to build some stars as well.Back in the day, the UFC coveted the 18-34 male demographic as it carved out a place for itself in the broader world of sports, based on Dana Whites favorite premise that fighting was in our DNA. These days that demographic has expanded along with the UFCs now $7.7 billion business, which has operated as a blueprint for all enterprising combat leagues ever since including the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), of which Ice Wars was originally a creative arm of in the way PowerSlap is to the UFC.Bare Knuckle Ice Wars operates independent of BKFC nowadays, though Nama and BKFC president Dave Feldman still work together.But airing on ESPN is a big deal, and itll go a long way to determine just how far this sport, as Nama calls it, can go. The next live Bare Knuckle Ice Wars is set to take place back at the River Cree on Sept. 5, and there are plans to return to Florida for another show in the States later in the year.When asked where Ice Wars might be in five years, Heinisch says he can imagine people not only dropping gloves, but plenty of cash into the realm of on-ice fighting.In five years or less and I would say less I see this being over a billion-dollar company, he says. PowerSlap right now is a billion-dollar company.I think we can blow this up, having the crossroads to so many different fans between hockey and combat sports. So yeah, I want this to be recognized as a sport. We maybe want to do something like the World Cup of Hockey Fighting, where we take a team of hockey fighters from every country and make it kind of like an Olympic thing. We want this to be a staple recognized as a new sport and be in the billions of valuation.0 Comments 0 Shares 47 Views 0 Reviews