{"id":"1792723864316-sports-segment","slug":"fight-night-is-back-baby","title":"Fight Night is back, baby","summary":"A co-defendant in the NBA gambling case, Eric Earnest, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud on Thursday. He admitted his role in the scheme but denied receiving inside information from Chauncey Billups.\n\nThe case centers on allegations that inside NBA information was used for betting fraud; Earnest's guilty plea moves his portion of the case forward while disputing the Billups link.\n\nIn tonight's Patriots-Bears game on Prime Video, Caleb Williams went right back to tight end Colston Loveland after a drop, converting a fourth down.\n\nCristiano Ronaldo's 2008 season did include 42 goals, the Premier League title, the Champions League and the Ballon d'Or. Whether his 2008 season is \"leading the ballot\" for a Super Ballon d'Or is framing/engagement bait, not a verified vote result.\n\nEric Earnest pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in the NBA gambling case but denied receiving inside information from Chauncey Billups.\n\nGuardians manager Stephen Vogt said he will return for the 2027 season, dismissing speculation about the Mariners job.","publishedAt":"2026-10-23T02:51:04.316Z","channel":{"id":"sports","name":"Oncast Sports","language":"en"},"show":"Primetime Sports","verification":{"status":"verified","leadVerdict":"TRUE","notes":"TRUE: In tonight's Patriots-Bears game on Prime Video, Caleb Williams went right back to tight end Colston Loveland after a drop, converting a fourth down.\nSource: [nfl.com](https://www.nfl.com/videos/bears-move-chains-from-bagent-to-loveland-on-gutsy-fourth-down-call) POST 2113462791541809462: NOCLAIM POST 211285375150968 (https://x.com/NFL/status/2113462531406663799)\n\nMISLEADING: Cristiano Ronaldo's 2008 season did include 42 goals, the Premier League title, the Champions League and the Ballon d'Or. Whether his 2008 season is \"leading the ballot\" for a Super Ballon d'Or is framing/engagement bait, not a verified vote result.\nSource: Historical soccer records (https://x.com/joelexy200/status/2112081662850830413)\n\nTRUE: Eric Earnest pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in the NBA gambling case but denied receiving inside information from Chauncey Billups.\nSource: [espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/story//id/50252916/co-defendant-denies-billups-gave-info-nba-gambling-case) (https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/50252916/co-defendant-denies-billups-gave-info-nba-gambling-case)\n\nTRUE: Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said he will return for the 2027 season, dismissing speculation about the Mariners job.\nSource: [espn.com](https://www.espn.com/mlb/story//id/50252938/stephen-vogt-back-guardians-27-shuns-mariners-rumors) NAMES: Ronaldo = Cristiano Ronaldo, Portuguese socc (https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/50252938/stephen-vogt-back-guardians-27-shuns-mariners-rumors)","claims":[{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"In tonight's Patriots-Bears game on Prime Video, Caleb Williams went right back to tight end Colston Loveland after a drop, converting a fourth down.","sourceName":"[nfl.com](https://www.nfl.com/videos/bears-move-chains-from-bagent-to-loveland-on-gutsy-fourth-down-call) POST 2113462791541809462: NOCLAIM POST 211285375150968","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/NFL/status/2113462531406663799","claim":"Even after a drop, Williams goes right back to Loveland for a crucial pickup on 4th down. NEvsCHI on Prime Video Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/0vaATuYHQp","author":"@NFL"},{"verdict":"MISLEADING","summary":"Cristiano Ronaldo's 2008 season did include 42 goals, the Premier League title, the Champions League and the Ballon d'Or. Whether his 2008 season is \"leading the ballot\" for a Super Ballon d'Or is framing/engagement bait, not a verified vote result.","sourceName":"Historical soccer records","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/joelexy200/status/2112081662850830413","claim":"RONALDO’S 2008 SEASON IS LEADING THE BALLOT ⚽ 42 goals 🏆 Premier League winner 🏆 Champions League winner 🥇 Ballon d’Or winner Prime CR7 was UNSTOPPABLE 🇵🇹 Let’s start a war: Was 2008 Ronaldo better than Messi at ANY point in his career? 👀","author":"Joelexy 🦅 (@joelexy200)"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"Eric Earnest pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in the NBA gambling case but denied receiving inside information from Chauncey Billups.","sourceName":"[espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/story//id/50252916/co-defendant-denies-billups-gave-info-nba-gambling-case)","sourceUrl":"https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/50252916/co-defendant-denies-billups-gave-info-nba-gambling-case","claim":"Co-defendant denies Billups gave him info, pleads guilty in NBA gambling case - Eric Earnest pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud Thursday but denied receiving inside information from former NBA player and coach Chauncey Billups.","author":"ESPN"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said he will return for the 2027 season, dismissing speculation about the Mariners job.","sourceName":"[espn.com](https://www.espn.com/mlb/story//id/50252938/stephen-vogt-back-guardians-27-shuns-mariners-rumors) NAMES: Ronaldo = Cristiano Ronaldo, Portuguese socc","sourceUrl":"https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/50252938/stephen-vogt-back-guardians-27-shuns-mariners-rumors","claim":"Vogt shuns Mariners rumors, says he'll manage Guardians in '27 - Guardians manager Stephen Vogt dispelled speculation about his future, saying he'll return next season to chase an elusive World Series title.","author":"ESPN"}]},"sources":[{"url":"https://x.com/NFL/status/2113462531406663799","name":"[nfl.com](https://www.nfl.com/videos/bears-move-chains-from-bagent-to-loveland-on-gutsy-fourth-down-call) POST 2113462791541809462: NOCLAIM POST 211285375150968","kind":"x","verdict":"TRUE","author":"@NFL"},{"url":"https://x.com/joelexy200/status/2112081662850830413","name":"Historical soccer records","kind":"x","verdict":"MISLEADING","author":"Joelexy 🦅 (@joelexy200)"},{"url":"https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/50252916/co-defendant-denies-billups-gave-info-nba-gambling-case","name":"[espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/story//id/50252916/co-defendant-denies-billups-gave-info-nba-gambling-case)","kind":"news","verdict":"TRUE","author":"ESPN"},{"url":"https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/50252938/stephen-vogt-back-guardians-27-shuns-mariners-rumors","name":"[espn.com](https://www.espn.com/mlb/story//id/50252938/stephen-vogt-back-guardians-27-shuns-mariners-rumors) NAMES: Ronaldo = Cristiano Ronaldo, Portuguese socc","kind":"news","verdict":"TRUE","author":"ESPN"}],"url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1792723864316-sports-segment-fight-night-is-back-baby","listenUrl":"https://oncast.fm/c/sports","attribution":{"publisher":"Oncast","site":"https://oncast.fm","url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1792723864316-sports-segment-fight-night-is-back-baby","cite":"Cite https://oncast.fm/story/1792723864316-sports-segment-fight-night-is-back-baby and the original source links. Fact-check by Oncast (oncast.fm)."},"hostsSaid":[{"host":"Liam","text":"Fight Night is BACK, baby! EA Sports just dusted off the gloves."},{"host":"Marcus","text":"Hold on. Is this real or just an account posting a teaser?"},{"host":"Liam","text":"The new EA Sports Fight Night account posted: 'Fight Night is coming back.' Fifteen years since Fight Night Champion!"},{"host":"Marcus","text":"Those games were special. The stick-based punching, the cuts and swelling. Best boxing feel ever."},{"host":"Liam","text":"Dude, I broke three controllers playing Fight Night Round 4. Worth every rage quit."},{"host":"Marcus","text":"Your anger management issues aside, EA hasn't confirmed a developer or release window yet."},{"host":"Liam","text":"Oh, come on. The official account says it's coming back. That's enough for me."},{"host":"Marcus","text":"It's a good sign, but after 15 years, I need a trailer and a feature list before I get hyped."},{"host":"Liam","text":"You'll be the first one creating a fighter named 'Marcus The Machine'."},{"host":"Marcus","text":"You're not wrong. That new angle from the Bears game, though — wow."},{"host":"Liam","text":"Caleb Williams drops a pass to Colston Loveland, then goes RIGHT back to him on fourth down. Gutsy."},{"host":"Marcus","text":"And he converted. The NFL posted that angle and it's beautiful. Williams trusts his rookie tight end."},{"host":"Liam","text":"That's the stuff you can't teach. Most young QBs would check down or bail. He attacked."},{"host":"Marcus","text":"Chicago needed that drive. On Prime Video, national audience, defense getting pressure. Big moment."},{"host":"Liam","text":"Loveland dropped the first one and Williams said, 'Don't worry, I'm coming right back to you.'"},{"host":"Marcus","text":"The angle from behind the quarterback, all 22 or whatever, it's cinema. The league's social team nailed it."},{"host":"Liam","text":"Speaking of cinema, this NBA gambling case took another turn today."},{"host":"Marcus","text":"Eric Earnest pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. But here's the twist — he says Chauncey Billups never gave him inside info."},{"host":"Liam","text":"So he's admitting he helped run a fraud scheme, but he's drawing a line: Billups wasn't my source."},{"host":"Marcus","text":"And Billups hasn't been charged. He's denied any wrongdoing from the start."},{"host":"Liam","text":"This feels like a legal chess move. Earnest pleads guilty, maybe gets a deal, and his denial could protect him from being forced to flip on Billups."},{"host":"Marcus","text":"But it also creates a weird gap. If Earnest was running a betting fraud scheme, where did his 'inside' edge come from?"},{"host":"Liam","text":"Exactly! You don't run a wire fraud scheme on NBA games without an edge. That's what makes this so interesting."},{"host":"Marcus","text":"Or maybe the edge was never real. Maybe the whole thing was a scam on the bettors, not the bookmakers."},{"host":"Liam","text":"That's the part the feds have to prove. Billups says he's clean. Earnest says Billups didn't give him anything. Now we wait."},{"host":"Marcus","text":"The case isn't over. Other defendants still facing charges. This was just Earnest's piece."},{"host":"Liam","text":"Chauncey Billups built a Hall of Fame career on being a leader. Having his name in this mud, even without charges, stings."},{"host":"Marcus","text":"Meanwhile, in baseball, Stephen Vogt just said he's staying in Cleveland."},{"host":"Liam","text":"Guardians fans should be relieved. Vogt told ESPN he'll manage in 2027, shoots down the Mariners rumors."},{"host":"Marcus","text":"He's been good for that young roster. Kept them competitive when people thought they'd rebuild."},{"host":"Liam","text":"And he said he's chasing an elusive World Series title. That's the right attitude for Cleveland."},{"host":"Liam","text":"That's the show for this hour."}]}