Morning sports update: DeAngelo Hall explained why his ‘biggest regret’ was not signing with the Patriots
"Over a few million, I could've changed my legacy by being part of that dynasty."
Major League Soccer begins the MLS is Back Tournament in its Disney World “bubble” today, with the Revolution set to kick off on Thursday at 8 p.m. against the Montreal Impact.
The tournament has already encountered major obstacles, with FC Dallas withdrawing due to 10 players testing positive for COVID-19, and other matches having to be rescheduled due to coronavirus-related issues.
As other leagues look toward their own restart plans, the sports world continues to view it through the prism of wider social issues.
After Georgia senator (and Atlanta Dream co-owner) Kelly Loeffler objected to the WNBA’s plans regarding social justice (particularly its intention to honor the Black Lives Matter movement), former Dream player Layshia Clarendon responded — first on social media — and in an interview with ABC News.
“As a Black woman, as a queer woman playing in sports, my existence is political like sport is,” Clarendon explained.
DeAngelo Hall’s biggest regret: In a recent story for NFL.com, former players-turned-analysts named the biggest regrets of their careers. Former cornerback DeAngelo Hall, who made three Pro Bowls in his 14 seasons in the NFL, had an interesting response.
He thought back to a moment following the 2008 season when he was a free agent. A former first-round pick in the prime of his career, he was a coveted target.
Eventually, he re-signed with Washington, but Hall admitted he should’ve taken less money to play for Bill Belichick in New England.
“When I signed to play half the season with Washington in 2008, there was a line in my contract that said the team could not franchise tag me that next season,” Hall began. “I remember negotiations for a new deal with Washington weren’t going well, and there were other teams in the picture, including New England. At that time, players didn’t take short-term deals, but Randy Moss had just signed a three-year, $27 million deal with the Patriots. I couldn’t believe it.
“In my own contract discussions with the Pats, I recall Bill Belichick telling me they couldn’t give me the contract Moss signed,” Hall explained. “Being a young and greedy knucklehead, I chose to stay in Washington on a long-term deal [six years, $54 million], which ultimately had me making the same per-year salary as Moss.”
Yet in the end, Hall acknowledged that he forfeited his chance to play in big games. Washington only made the playoffs twice over the next nine seasons, losing both times on wild-card weekend. The Patriots made the postseason every year during that stretch, winning two Super Bowls.
“Over a few million, I could’ve changed my legacy by being part of that dynasty,” Hall concluded. “That was on the table for me, and I wish I would’ve made the decision to take less money and play for Belichick.”
Trivia: Because Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis have been stripped of their Tour de France titles, who is the only U.S. cyclist to have officially won the race?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: He won his second Tour by the smallest margin in race history (eight seconds, in 1989).
More from Boston.com:
- From Jayson Tatum to Tuukka Rask, Boston’s pro athletes are flocking to this golf center in Natick
- Tom Brady’s TB12 and Floyd Mayweather’s promotions company among stimulus recipients
- Eduardo Rodriguez among four Red Sox to test positive for COVID-19
- Dream owner Kelly Loeffler objects to WNBA’s social justice plans
- Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson apologizes for anti-Semitic post
- More positive tests, canceled workouts add to MLB unease
- Red Sox sign first-round pick Nick Yorke
- It’s hard to be optimistic when baseball is botching even the simple things
- Patriots reportedly restructure Rex Burkhead’s contract
Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain used to race their sports cars
:
.@Lamborghini 400GT. If the seat was all the way back I could not touch the pedals. I used to race Wilt in his @Maserati_HQ Ghibli. Don’t ask who won, you know the answer https://t.co/3nCVQfUFeE
— TheBillRussell (@RealBillRussell) July 7, 2020
American Christian Pulisic scored yet again for Chelsea on Tuesday: The 21-year-old has scored three goals in five games since the Premier League restarted in June. His goal proved vital, helping Chelsea to a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace.
Christian Pulisic was a top trend all day on Twitter after doing this today against Crystal Palace. #MyPLSummer pic.twitter.com/a7YQ2vpvVP
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) July 8, 2020
On this day: Ten years ago, LeBron James took his talents to South Beach, announcing on live television that he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat.
Daily highlight: Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot scored after a spectacular solo run, though it wasn’t enough in the end as A.C. Milan prevailed thanks to four unanswered goals.
https://youtu.be/F3JgYXYhX5E
Trivia answer: Greg LeMond
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