Hot Button: Chiefs' Kelce mocked over first-pitch in Cleveland ... Bengals back Mixon facing charges related to road rage incident ... Reese will join teammates at LSU's White House visit

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Hot Button is a 'round-the-clock feature that covers anything across the scope of sports. We're here to bring you everything hot: News items, highlights, takes — everything but hot meals — whether local, national or international. Better yet, it’s interactive. Share your thoughts in comments, and even post your own links to interesting, safe-for-work sports stories.

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KELCE HAS UNFORGETTABLE
FIRST PITCH IN CLEVELAND

Saturday, April 8: Travis Kelce realized a dream Friday, throwing out the first pitch at a Guardians game. The Cleveland Heights native appeared with his mother, Donna. Kelce hyped up the crowd, went into his full windup and …

Kelce took some good-natured ribbing online, including from his brother, Eagels center Jason Kelce, who tweeted a .gif of the intense but wild Ricky Vaughn, from the movie "Major League." Fellow All-Pro teammate Patrick Mahomes tweeted a bunch of laughing emojis in response, but offered a potential solution with another club, tweeting "Ayyy @Royals lets give him another chance. ASAP!!!"

Kelce was happy to poke fun at himself, tweeting out the video with the caption, "Been spiking the football the last 10 years ... can you tell?"

My take: If there’s anything that will humble a famous person, it’s a first pitch — a tough thing to do well because of the pressure. Seriously, how often do you see a really good one from anyone but a baseball player? Best way for others to realize these celebrities and top athletes are mere mortals like the rest of us. — Bob

MIXON RECHARGED WITH
MISDEMEANOR MENACING 

Friday, April 7: Bengals running back Joe Mixon was charged Friday with aggravated menacing, a misdemeanor, related to a road-rage incident on February 2, in which it was alleged Mixon threatened a woman and pointed a gun at her.

The original charge was dropped on February 3, but was done so with the option to present new charges following a more thorough investigation. Cincinnati police now say they have new evidence to support the charge but will not release it publicly. The Bengals issued a statement acknowledging they were aware of the new charge and will monitor the situation.

My take: I didn’t even cover it here when it happened because the initial charges were dropped so quickly. Kind of odd to just drop a case then investigate, then charge, but whatever. We’ll let the justice system take it from here, but the league might have something to say on supplemental discipline as more becomes known. — Bob

REESE RELENTS, WILL JOIN
TEAMMATES AT WHITE HOUSE 

Friday, April 7: Angel Reese is headed to the White House. Women's national champion LSU formally accepted the invitation to celebrate their first-ever championship at the traditional ceremony held for most U.S. sports champions. The only question remaining was whether or not team captain Reese would be joining them. Reese was angry when First Lady Dr. Jill Biden said she would recommend that finalist Iowa also be invited. Reese called the notion “a joke” online, accused the invitation of having racist undertones and suggested that LSU visit former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama instead. Instead, though no invitation was ever extended from them. 

Reese announced Friday she will join her LSU teammates on the trip to D.C., telling ESPN, “In the beginning we were hurt. It was emotional because we know how hard we worked all year for everything. You don’t get [the White House] experience ever, and I know my team probably wants to go for sure and my coaches are supportive of that so I’m going to do what’s best for the team and we’ve decided we’re going to go. I’m a team player. I’m going to do what’s best for the team.” 

My take: So ends, at last, this drama. The only way it was going to end. LSU will attend, have a great time and celebrate in a time-honored tradition. One wonders if anyone would miss these White House visits, which have become increasingly political over the last decade, if they just ended. I’m sure it’s a nice experience for the players, coaches and front offices/administration, but nothing approximating a downtown parade, for example. — Bob 

‘CHEETAH’ TO RUN FREE IN 2026,
ANNOUNCES INTENT TO RETIRE 

Thursday, April 6: Tyreek Hill has announced that he will retire after his current contract with the Dolphins expires after the 2025-26 season. 

Hill, 29, would be 32 at the expiration of the 4-year, $120-million contract, but recently told Kansas City’s SportsRadio 810 WHB that he wants to pay 10 NFL seasons and then retire, saying "I'm gonna finish out this contract with the Dolphins and then I'm gonna call it quits. I want to go into the business side. I want to do so many things in my life … I really want to get into, like, the gaming space. I really want to get huge in that and that's kind of what I'm doing right now. I'm using my platform, creating a gaming team, which isn't launched yet. It should launch by the end of this month. I'm gonna just sign, like, different content creators, different athletes. I just been working that, talking to different sponsors."

Hill also took the opportunity to predict "Chiefs Kingdom … I hate to say it, man. … I'm gonna be y'all worst enemy that day,” when the Dolphins play at Arrowhead this season.

It will be Hill’s first return to Kansas City since being traded to the Dolphins in March 2022. Miami made Hill the highest-paid receiver ever in average annual value and he responded with an All-Pro season — the fourth of his seven-year career — catching 119 passes for 1,710 yards and 7 TDs, and that was playing four full games and parts of two others without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

My take: Good for him. Smart, too, to set up his future now while he’s still playing and earning. Also smart to realize his “Cheetah” legs might not be what they once were when this contract expires. Should leave the game healthy physically and financially. Kudos. — Bob 

NUGENT-HOPKINS JOINS
TEAMMATES WITH 100 POINTS

Wednesday, April 5: The 2023 Oilers are in rare air. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored an empty-net goal Wednesday night against the Ducks, giving him 100 points on the season, joining teammates Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl with 100 or more points this season, marking the first time since the 1995-96 Penguins three teammates had accomplished the feat (Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Ron Francis). Nugent-Hopkins, the longest-tenured Oiler at 12 seasons, had never before had more than 68 points in a season but has found a home on the top line alongside McDavid and Zach Hyman.

The win also brought Edmonton within one point of the Golden Knights for the Pacific Division lead. The Oilers have allowed only two goals over their last four games as they race for the division title. They have three games remaining, but Vegas has one game in hand.

My take: Edmonton’s cruising. I’m still not sold on their goaltending come playoffs with Stuart Skinner and Jack Campbell, but they’ve evolved into more than a one-line team and that makes them a dangerous bunch. — Bob

NEWTON NAMES LIST OF
QUARTERBACKS HE’D BACK UP

Wednesday, April 5: Cam Newton insisted Wednesday in a video he released online that there aren’t 32 starting quarterbacks better than him in the National Football League, but he then named 12 quarterbacks for whom he’d be willing to serve as a backup in 2023.

The free-agent former MVP named two from the AFC North — Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson — and added Josh Allen, Justin Fields, Sam Howell, Jalen Hurts, Aaron Rodgers, Tua Tagovailoa and Malik Willis.

Newton, 34, also named three potential rookie quarterbacks he’d be willing to mentor: C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young and Anthony Richardson.

Newton was not signed anywhere to play last season after playing eight games for the Panthers in 2021. His last full season was with the Patriots in 2020.

My take: Newton’s not the player he was, but he’d be a good backup for one of the 32 teams. I doubt he’s going to get a chance with any of the players he mentioned — maybe Howell in Washington — but it would be odd not to see him on an NFL sideline at some point in 2023. — Bob

ON THE CLOCK: ANDERSON EJECTED
ONE DAY AFTER MACHADO

Wednesday, April 5: The first week of Major League Baseball’s first season with a pitch clock had its foibles and a few controversies as players and umpires adjust. However, the last two days have seen one ejection each, and both were related to incidents with the pitch clock.

White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson was ejected Wednesday, Anderson thought he was being quick-pitched by Giants starter Logan Webb and stepped out of the box with 11 seconds remaining. Anderson was in motion and threw the pitch, which the home-plate umpire D.J. Reyburn called strike three. Anderson was upset and argued as he walked to the dugout, claiming he wasn’t set and alert, facing the pitcher, which he had until 8 seconds remaining on the clock to do so. 

Anderson was not ejected immediately but just one batter later when he was tossed for hurling foul language from the dugout since his at-bat ended. Webb stated he didn’t think Anderson should have been ejected because Anderson was swearing at him, not the umpire. The White Sox did get the last laugh, winning 7-3.

Tuesday saw Padres third baseman Manny Machado get ejected after he argued with umpire Ron Kulpa when he was rung up for strike three — Kulpa deemed Machado was unready to hit by the 8-second mark. Video shows Macahdo looking at the pitcher, which is one requirement, but he clearly was not set in a hitting position when Kulpsa called the violation. An argument ensued and Kulpa ejected both Machado and manager Bob Melvin, who had come out to lobby for Machado.

Machado has a history. He was the first MLB hitter to have a clock violation, which occurred during the first game in spring training. Now he's the first to get tossed for arguing it.

My take: The mighty pitch clock reigns supreme and rules without empathy, so one must follow its strict guidelines. Obey or suffer the consequences. The umpire was justified in each case. Anderson just stepped out of the box without calling time and that was a mistake on his part. Machado simply wasn’t ready to hit — nothing controversial about it. — Bob

CLARK SHUTS DOWN REESE,
WHITE HOUSE CONTROVERSIES 

Tuesday, April 4: Iowa guard Caitlin Clark seemed to put a lid on two controversies that emerged following its loss to LSU in Sunday’s national championship game. 

Addressing ESPN's "SportsCenter" after being named the winner of the women’s Wooden Award as the nation’s top player, Clark first shut down any criticism of LSU forward Angel Reese for what some are claiming was unsportsmanlike behavior towards Clark during the closing moments of the title game. 

Clark said she didn’t “think Angel should be criticized at all. I'm just one that competes, and she competed. I think everybody knew there was going to be a little trash talk in the entire tournament. It's not just me and Angel. We're all competitive. We all show our emotions in a different way. … Angel is a tremendous, tremendous player. I have nothing but respect for her. I love her game -- the way she rebounds the ball, scores the ball, is absolutely incredible. I'm a big fan of her and even the entire LSU team. They played an amazing game."

The controversy stemmed from Reese taunting Clark with a face-wiping gesture Clark used toward an opponent in the Elite 8, then tried to get into Clark’s face while pointing at her own ring finger, indicating Reese would be the champion. Clark did not acknowledge Reese's behavior in any way. Reese also called out Clark in a postgame interview, claiming Clark needed to show LSU and their head coach Kim Mulkey proper respect, though there are no public statements to support the accusation.

The issue stirred up accusations of racial bias when some accused those who criticized Reese, who is Black, for not speaking out against Clark, who is white, when she did the same thing.

Race seeped into the second controversy, too, when First Lady Dr. Jill Biden said she would recommend to President Joseph R. Biden Jr. that both LSU and Iowa be invited to the White House. Traditionally, only the victor is invited. Dr. Biden attended the final and claims the idea was based on how well both teams played. Reese called the notion a “joke” on social media, and others claimed the First Lady was inviting Iowa because of its mostly white roster. 

Clark believed that only the champion should be invited — “It’s for LSU,” she said. 

The White House announced Tuesday that only LSU would be invited to celebrate its championship.

My take: A lot of this is just nonsense and fabricated outrage. Nothing Clark or Reese did was wrong, just a part of sports, whether or not that’s how I would have conducted myself. The First Lady having an inappropriate motive for inviting Iowa? Absurd. Do people really need a college junior to set the record straight on this stuff? — Bob

FORMER EXEC CLAIMS
BIDWELL CHEATED

Tuesday, April 4: The Cardinals are on offense against former team executive Terry McDonaugh who alleged Tuesday that team owner Michael Bidwell forced McDonaugh and former head coach Steve Wilks to use burner phones to contact then-general manager Steve Keim while Keim was serving an National Football League suspension for a DUI conviction in 2018. McDonaugh also claims Bidwell harassed him and created a hostile workplace environment when he refused to use illegal means to contact Keim. 

McDonaugh’s contract as Vice President of Player Personnel was not renewed following the 2021 season.

The Cardinals’ team statement in rebuttal was voluminous — 1,500 words — and dismissed McDonaugh’s allegations as “wildly false, reckless, and plainly intended to extract financial gain." It then detailed what it termed “a disturbing pattern” in McDonaugh’s behavior which it alleges was willfully insubordinate as Bidwell wanted a bigger role in player decisions while Keim served his five-game suspension. It alleges McDonaugh was prone to inappropriate verbal outbursts toward Bidwell and other co-workers, which he repeated after apologizing. Arizona then claimed it subsequently discovered emails on McDonaugh’s work computer which “include alarming, first-hand allegations of extreme domestic abuse." 

The National Football League acknowledged it was aware of the allegations from both sides and that Commissioner Roger Goodell would determine whether arbitration is needed and that he would oversee it if that is the decided course of action.

My take: Ugly. Just ugly. Doesn’t seem McDonaugh has much to stand on and the extreme detail by the Cardinals in its statement  clearly warranted a dismissal. The paper trail seems long against him. Also seems that, if true, Wilks would have made this cheating allegation against Bidwell in his lawsuit against the NFL over its minority hiring practices, the way Brian Flores did against Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, which proved true and resulted in a suspension and fine for Ross and the franchise forfeiting its first-round pick this year. — Bob

NANTZ ENDS 33-YEAR RUN IN
UCONN'S CHAMPIONSHIP WIN

Monday, April 3: The No. 4 University of Connecticut won its fifth national championship in men’s basketball with a 76-59 win over No. 5 San Diego State. The Huskies went on a 14-2 run in the middle of the first half, during which the Aztecs missed 12 consecutive shots from the field, and UConn never trailed after taking a 12-10 lead six minutes into the game. San Diego State struggled shooting throughout, making just 32.2 percent of shot attempts, compared to UConn at 43.4. The Huskies forced the issue with smothering defense to return to the top of the college basketball world for the first time since 2014 and its first national title under head coach Dan Hurley who revived the program after being hired in 2019.

Huskies forward Adama Sanogo was named the Final Four’s most outstanding player, posting a double-double in each game and four in the tournament.

Legendary announcer Jim Nantz called his last Final Four for CBS after 33 years and 32 tournaments, having now been on the mic for all of UConn’s national championships. UNLV was the champion at his first championship call in 1990. Nantz, 62, announced before the season that he was going to step away from college basketball after this Final Four to focus more time on his young family. He will still call certain golf tournaments for CBS, including The Masters this week, and will continue to pair with Tony Romo as the network’s top play-by-play booth team. Ian Eagle will replace Nantz for the Final Four.

My take: What a disappointing final after such an exciting men’s tournament. UConn was favored, but SDSU was just bad in the biggest moment. Maybe it finally caught up to them. Full credit, though, to a well-coached UConn squad which won 30 games and has now returned to preeminence following some rough years after its last title run. Nantz has had so many memorable calls, it’s going to be odd not hearing him on the call next year. — Bob

RENDON SUSPENDED FOR
GRABBING, SWATTING AT FAN

Monday, April 3: Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon has been suspended by Major League Baseball without pay for four games and fined an undisclosed sum for his altercation with an Athletics fan following the team’s season-opening loss in Oakland. Originally, MLB suspended Rendon five games, but he threatened to appeal that fine. Together with the players' union, Rendon negotiated a four-game suspension which he agreed to serve immediately, beginning with Monday night's game at the Mariners. MLB has yet to make an official statement.

As the players were walking to the locker room postgame Thursday — they have to walk past fans to do this in that stadium — Rendon was recorded grabbing the fan by the shirt and bending him over the railing, while rhetorically and repeatedly shouting the question “You call me a b***h?” After several seconds, Rendon released the man and took a swat at him with his left hand, though he was not close to striking him.

My take: Seems about right, based on league precedent. Rendon is lucky he didn’t connect on that swipe he took at the fan. Just take the suspension and move on. Rendon had no defense — outside of not wanting to miss the Mariners series — in contesting this, but just a threat got it to one game less. — Bob

RAVENS MAKE
PLAY FOR OBJ

Monday, April 3: Numerous reports confirm the Ravens have offered a contract to free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. It is just an offer; OBJ is not in agreement on the proposal at this time.

The Ravens have a young receiving corps, with Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay as outside receivers alongside veteran Nelson Agholor, who was signed in free agency to be a stabilizing presence out of the slot who can rotate outside. Signing OBJ would put Duvernay as the fourth receiver — an ideal situation for Baltimore because of his return duties. If a veteran is not signed, most mock drafts have the Ravens leaning toward a receiver with the 22nd-overall pick. 

Beckham, Jr. is said to be expecting offers from the Jets and Rams. Of the three teams, only L.A. has a solidified quarterback situation, with Matthew Stafford returning for his third season at the helm. Baltimore is still struggling to resolve the Lamar Jackson contract quagmire, having placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on the former league MVP, which allows other teams to make offers to the six-year veteran. The Jets are still pursuing a trade for Aaron Rodgers, considered a sure thing, but nothing has been announced after three weeks of reports that Rodgers is headed to New York. The Jets do have 2021 first-round pick Zach Wilson atop the depth chart, but he’s struggled with injuries and consistency over his two seasons and the coaching staff feels he would benefit learning behind a top veteran.

Beckham Jr., 30, has not played since Super Bowl LVI, when he injured his ACL during the game. The three-time Pro Bowl selection was a free agent last season and was not well enough to play until November, then could not reach an agreement on a contract with a playoff-bound team, though he was heavily recruited by the Cowboys.

Dallas would seem to be out on OBJ this offseason after acquiring Brandin Cooks in free agency.

My take: Be interesting to see how teams value OBJ coming off the injury at age 30 (he’ll turn 31 in November) and having not played in 19 months by the time the season starts. He might not be as expensive as one might think and if he’s lost his cut and burst, he’s just an average receiver. Will someone overpay — in terms or dollars — for the name? — Bob