On Friday, the Nationals hired Justin Horowitz as an assistant general manager. Horowitz most recently served as director of amateur scouting for the Pirates beginning in 2023. But Horowitz becomes the second high-profile AGM who previously worked under Paul Toboni in Boston. This hire follows Devin Pearson's, who also served on Toboni's staff in his Red Sox days. Both new AGMs are viewed as sharp, modern voices in scouting and player development.
Autzen Stadium is about to sound like a two-minute drill with the national spotlight parked in Eugene as number three Oregon hosts number seven Indiana in a game that feels every bit like playoff game. Think Cowboys logic here, win the edges, protect the rock, and own third down. Curt Cignetti's Hoosiers need to stay on schedule in the noise and land a couple of explosive plays to keep pace.
To get the bad out of the way first: Kawhi Leonard is currently wrapped in a league-wide investigation after allegedly manipulating the salary cap by accepting money under-the-table from a now-bankrupt tree-planting company, Aspiration. We don't know how - or when - this investigation will be resolved. But the Clippers could be in a lot of trouble, even though they only have one eligible first-round pick they can lose with the richest owner in professional sports.
SAN JOSE The Sharks' success was once so constant, so reliable, so predictable, that they ran out of room to hang their accolades. With twenty playoff appearances in 24 years, the Sharks literally filled up an entire banner at their practice facility, top to bottom, with their postseason berths. It was such steady excellence that the team had to commission a new banner just to keep up.