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By Marc Lawrence
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Weekend, June 21-22 |
Money isn't everything for at least one of the SEC's top quarterbacks.
Following an impressive freshman season at South Carolina, Gamecocks QB LaNorris Sellers reportedly received several multi-million dollar NIL offers to enter the transfer portal — including a two-year, $8 million contract. However, he turned it down.
In a conversation with The Athletic, Sellers' dad Norris revealed the lengths schools were willing to go to in an effort to poach his son out of Columbia. But he and his son wanted to keep the main thing the main thing.
"He was offered all kinds of crazy numbers," Norris said. "I told him he could say, I'm gonna stay or I'm gonna go. By my two cents: It was to get into college on a scholarship, play ball, get our degree and go on about our business. This NIL deal came later. We didn't come here to make money. We came here to get our education, play ball, and with schools calling, we're not gonna jump ship because they're offering more than what we're getting. If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Sellers threw for 2,534 yards with 25 total touchdowns and another 674 rushing yards on the ground in his first season as a full-time starter on the way to SEC Freshman of the Year honors.
But as hard as it is for someone so young to turn down that kind of money, Sellers' father says LaNorris never really entertained leaving SC.
"You're 19," he told his son. "You don't need $8 million. You're in a great spot. There were several talks, but it never really crossed his mind to leave. It's a challenge with colleges offering younger guys that kind of money. Who's gonna say no to $8 million for two years? They're gonna be swayed if you don't have the right people in your corner."
Some have Sellers projected to be the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft with how high expectations are for him in Year 2. And this kind of mindset could serve him well in the future when it comes to finding the right fit in the pros.
How refreshing is that?
Have a great weekend. |
ON TODAY'S SCORECARD
The Ultimate Underdogs
The best two words in all of sports – Game 7 – takes place Sunday night when the upstart Indiana Pacers meet the Thunder in Oklahoma City.
Rather surprisingly, the Pacers have not and will not be favored once in this classic tug-of-war between the heavily favored, top-seeded Thunder and the No. 5 seeds out of the east, Indiana.
In fact, the Pacers have been the favorite in only six of their 22 games this postseason, yet they are 10-1 SUATS in the playoff this season against foes coming off win.
They have also been the underdog in ten of the last 11 games between these two teams the last three seasons.
Through it all, Indiana is one win away from the 2024-25 NBA championship. It’s playing in what will be the season's last game. As CBS Sports put it, they've felled three postseason opponents and taken a fourth to the absolute brink. And yet, amazingly, they have not yet spent a single second as the betting favorite to win the championship.
All of this from a team that started the season 10-15 that will be taking on a team in Oklahoma City that is 10-2 at home this postseason with a mind-boggling +247 point-differential. Thursday's Game 6 victory gave them their 10th playoff win as an underdog in 2025. That tied the 2023 Heat for the record.
Despite it all, OKC was a -700 favorite entering the Finals.
Sure, if the postseason were played on paper, the Pacers would have been eliminated a month ago. In a single-game setting, though, it's hard to imagine a more dangerous Game 7 opponent than Indiana.
May the best team win. |
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GRINDING OUT THE PROFITS
Super Mario
This capsule is from the 2025 Playbook
Football Preview Guide magazine.
On sale July 15:
MIAMI, FLA
Mario Cristobal’s Hurricanes roared to a 10-3 record in 2024, Miami’s first double-digit win season since 2017 and only the second since 2003. The burning question: can they replace Heisman-winning QB Cam Ward? Enter Carson Beck, a 2024 Heisman co-favorite, lured from Georgia for $4M. Beck’s 7,912 yards, 58 TDs, and 156.4 passer rating scream elite. Miami’s offense led the nation with 6.95 yards per play, fueled by 70+ explosive plays. All three losses? A mere 10 points combined. Cristobal’s never had back-to-back 10-win seasons, and doubters whisper “regression.” That’s because in Miami, they spell it C-R-I-S-T-O-B-A-L. Can he defy the odds?
The analysis above was copied from the 2025 Playbook Football Preview Guide magazine. Get your copy instantly:
You can now download a PDF copy of this
year’s Playbook Preview Guide magazine.
By clicking right here...right now.
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TRENDING TODAY
And the Hits Keep on Coming
Since fleecing the Calgary Flames with trades for Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett three and two years ago, Florida’s Bill Zito has risen to the top of the NHL General Manager ladder (see Quote of the Week below for a follow-up).
It’s no coincidence that the Panthers have been in the Stanley Cup Finals each year since acquiring Tkachuk three season ago.
The Panthers have also won a team trophy every year that Anton Lundell has been on the team: 2022- President’s Trophy; 2023- Eastern Conference Champion; 2024- Stanley Cup; 2025 Stanley Cup. |
BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW
Gator Bites
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In his six years with Florida, the Gators went 65-15 under Urban Meyer.
They’ve gone 99-67 since, however they enter the 2025 campaign on a three-year losing skein.
The last time Florida incurred four consecutive losing seasons on the gridiron was 1935-38.
Multiple sources, including ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI), 247Sports, and College Football Network, consistently ranked Florida's schedule as the toughest in the nation last season.
The Gators confronted the most challenging college football schedule in 2024, including eight preseason Top 25 opponents and 11 matchups against Power 5 teams – more than any other team faced.
This season appears just as challenging as they face Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, and Texas.
QB DJ Lagway showed promise in 2024, but he also tossed 9 interceptions in limited action. In Year 2, Florida needs him to take better care of the ball
Safe to say, head coach Billy Napier is sitting a on VERY hot seat this year. |
QUOTE OF THE DAY
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"Why do the folks in Calgary even pick
up
the phone when Zito calls?"
- Joe Schad, Plam Bach Post columnist on Panthers’
GM Bill Zito’s pillaging of the Flames after acquiring Matthew Tkachuk AND Sam Bennett in trades
over consecutive seasons. |
STAT OF THE DAY
7 |
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There have been only 7 Game 7s in the
NBA Finals since 1980. The average
winning score has been 97–89.
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SONG OF THE WEEKEND
How the Florida Panthers are
feeling these days.
Click Here To Listen
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