From 'The Blind Side' bombshell to an NBA star standoff, here's what's happening in entertainment.
Blind(ed) Side
Michael Oher, former NFL tackle and the focus of the hit 2009 film The Blind Side, has alleged the couple that took him in during his teenage years lied about adopting him. In a Tennessee court filing, Oher said the couple, Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, did not tell the truth about his adoption status and instead tricked him into signing papers that made them his conservators.
He asked a judge to terminate the conservatorship and to require the couple to turn over a full account of money they made off of his name. Oher also requested the Tuohys face some sort of sanctions and be required to pay compensatory and punitive damages, according to the Associated Press. The filing also revealed that Oher only learned of the status of his adoption this year.
ESPN x NBA
ESPN analyst and color commentator Doris Burke will be making history come the NBA finals. She will become the first woman to serve as TV analyst during a championship final for any of the four major U.S. sports.
The network announced she'll be calling the game along with former Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers and long-time commentator Mike Breen. The news comes just weeks after the network cleared the house of some of its most tenured analysts, like Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson.
Rivers joins the analyst team after losing his coaching job when the 76ers failed to reach the NBA finals this year.
Harden Drama
Also, in NBA news: what's beef? 76ers star James Harden is in a standoff with the team that he clearly wants to leave. Harden, who headed to Philly in 2022 after his 1-year stint on the Brooklyn Nets, wanted to head to the L.A. Clippers, but talks between the teams didn't pan out.
This weekend, during a promotional even in China, Harden called 76ers owner Daryl Morey a liar. The declaration comes after the 76ers announced that they stopped entertaining trade offers for Harden and would retain him for the upcoming season. It's unclear what happens next with training camps scheduled to start in October.
While the United States were once again among the top nations in 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics to medal, with the games just ended, the focus turns to the athletes coming home and the mental toll the competition take on them. Lauren Gibbs, the 2018 Team USA silver medalist in bobsledding, joined Cheddar News to give her perspective on this year's games and what the competitors have gone through. “Its definitely a mixed bag, you know? It's like I just had the most incredible athletic experience of my life, but then its like its over in a flash," Gibbs said about the feelings an athlete can go through after finishing. She noted that it's important for them to be vocal and reach out to support networks after the rush of competition ends.
As the Beijing winter Olympics start to wind down, its ratings are heading towards a historic low. An average of only 12.3 million viewers per day have tuned into NBC to watch the games, compared with about 23 million viewers for the 2018 games in South Korea. Seth Schachner, managing director of StratAmericas and digital business executive, breaks down what could be behind this trend.
As we celebrate Black History Month, Cheddar is highlighting prominent Black Americans who are carving their own historic paths and trailblazing in their fields. Today we feature NFL all-time great and current college coach Deion Sanders.
As Super Bowl LVI shapes up to be the biggest gambling event in sports history, restaurants and bars are looking to get in on the rapidly growing world of legalized sports betting.
The NFL was struck with a bombshell lawsuit by former Dolphins Head Coach Brian Flores that accuses them and three teams of discrimination. The league's hiring practices when it comes to minority coaches have been in question for years but may finally see some change after Flores' suit. Cheddar News was joined by Matt Lombardo, National NFL Insider at Fansided to discuss the suit and its possible implications.
The Rams will technically be the road team for Super Bowl LIV despite the event being play at their home venue, Sofi Stadium. Why? Because the league alternates which conference's team is designated as home, and this year, it's the Bengals turn. Cody Roark, NFL Analyst for Pro Football Network, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell for some more Super Bowl nuggets and discusses what viewers should watch for when the game kicks off.
Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback in NFL history, has retired after winning seven Super Bowls and setting numerous passing records in an unprecedented 22-year-career.
