Robson’s weekly pro sports roundup: 2/17-2/23

Patriots Owner Robert Kraft In Prostitution Scandal

It was announced Friday morning that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft had been arrested on charges related to solicitation of prostitution.

Police are said to have recorded footage of Kraft purchasing illicit services from a massage parlor in Jupiter, Fla., a venue that allegedly has ties to human trafficking.

The arrest comes after a months-long police investigation into the prostitution ring at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter.

Within 30 minutes of news breaking, Kraft’s personal spokesperson released a statement to ‘catergorically deny’ that Kraft was involved in any ‘illegal activity’.

NFL Settle Grievances With Kaepernick and Reid

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and current Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid have both been granted grievance settlements by the National Football League.

In October 2017, Kaepernick filed under the collective bargaining agreement, alleging obvious evidence of collusion against his signing with another NFL team. It has taken all this time, but Kaepernick has finally won.

The settlement has been reported to be worth $60-80 million, fully paid by the NFL. Yet, the dollar value in this has little meaning. The fact that an athlete was virtually expelled from a professional league for a form of protest, in the 21st century, is atrocious.

Eric Reid has enjoyed his role in Carolina while recently earning a $22 million contract extension, but Kaepernick has been the spearhead of a social movement larger than life. He has been the face of equality campaigns from Nike and GQ, and is one of the pioneering trailblazers for social change.

Rumors have started to surface claiming the Panthers and the Patriots are both interested in signing Kaepernick. Even though the latter seems unlikely, the time for Kaepernick to come back to the NFL is now.

Zion Williamson Damages Knee, Nike Stock with Shoe Debacle

Duke University basketball star and top-rated NBA prospect Zion Williamson sprained his knee Wednesday night in a loss against the University of North Carolina. But that losing effort was just the tip of the iceberg.

One of Williamson’s Nike shoes split in half during the play he was injured on, causing the sportswear giant’s stock to lose over $1 billion in market value the next day.

The loss represented a 1.7 percent tumble in Nike’s overall value, one of the most expensive clothing/apparel malfunctions in history.

Williamson, a freshman forward who is expected by many to be the number one overall selection in the 2019 NBA Draft, will miss his first collegiate game on Saturday.

NBA Action Returns: Celtics Lose By One, LeBron Leads Lakers

After the All-Star break, the NBA resumed its regular season as franchises look to make the final push towards the playoffs. On Thursday, a host of teams played with several tantalizing fixtures on the agenda.

The Celtics traveled to Milwaukee to take on the first-ranked Bucks. There was frustration all around for the Celtics where they endured a terrible shooting performance. Kyrie Irving finished 9-of-27 in field goal attempts as he went toe-to-toe with Giannis all night long. Yet, it was the Bucks who came away with the 98-97 win, as Irving came short on a challenged layup in the final second.

The Lakers resumed play after the All-Star weekend with a win against the Houston Rockets, 111-106. LeBron James recorded 29 points on 11-of-23 shooting, and Brandon Ingram also put on a show for the Lakers as he finished with 27 points. To add insult to injury, Rockets guard James Harden fouled out with 1:24 remaining in 4th after James drew a charge.

Stephen Curry was the catalyst of the Golden State Warriors victory against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday. The Warriors ended up 125-123 winners as Curry finished with 36 points. After his minutes restriction was lifted, DeMarcus Cousins called in a dominant performance with 17 points and 10 rebounds. The Warriors will undoubtedly make the playoffs and probably make the NBA finals, but as we associate sports with excitement, I believe it has gotten to the point where we want to see the Warriors lose and hopefully and a new team will prevail.

Machado Signs $300 Million, 10-Year Deal With Padres

Manny Machado won the race against Bryce Harper to be the first major baseball name to sign a hefty contract this offseason.

On Thursday, the San Diego Padres officially announced the signing of Machado to a 10-year, $300 million contract, the biggest free agent deal in league history. Machado is set to earn a $20 million signing bonus within the 30 days of the deal being approved by the league.

Machado’s deal means that the ball is now in Bryce Harper’s court. Harper has the leverage to make a case to potential suitors that he is worth more than Machado. With the Padres now out of the equation for Harper, the Chicago White Sox now look like the most likely destination for the former Nationals star.

The Padres now have Machado tied down for the prime of his years, but it leaves them still far from a team that could be in contention for a World Series.

Follow Jacob on Twitter @jacoborobson and on Instagram @jacoboliverobson.