Aaron Rodgers made headlines for his absence from the New York Jets’ offseason voluntary workouts. Granted, he was injured in the fourth play of last season and had limited playing time, so a big concern for him is getting healthy for the upcoming year, but why didn’t he show up for the minicamp to support the team and mentor the younger players from the sidelines? Given his status as someone who has won a Super Bowl and is paid very handsomely for it, shouldn’t one of his main responsibilities as a leader be sharing his experience with his new teammates? Is this behavior a worrying preview of his leadership style and commitment to the team?

As the MLB season reaches its midpoint, the race for Most Valuable Player awards is heating up in both leagues. Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees remains the frontrunner in the American League, but the National League has a longer list with candidates Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, Marcell Ozuna, and Kyle Tucker all in the conversation. Will Mookie Betts remain in contention despite his recent injury, after a stellar start to the season? The most surprising omission from MVP discussions is Mike Trout, once considered a generational talent, who has slipped to 70th in betting odds. Is this the end of an era for the Angels’ superstar, or can he bounce back from his recent struggles?

The recent passing of Jerry West led to a ranking of Los Angeles Lakers’ all-time greatest players that omitted Elgin Baylor from the top five. The exclusion of Baylor, revered by his contemporaries for his innovative style and impressive statistics, highlights the ongoing debate about how to compare players across different eras. As newer fans may be less familiar with Baylor’s contributions, only more recent Lakers made it to the highest slots of the list alongside West. Did Baylor rank in the top ten? How do we ensure that the legacies of past greats are not forgotten?

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