“THE SCOREBOARD”
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
PHILADELPHIA 4 BALTIMORE 3
TAMPA BAY 4 MIAMI 1
NY METS 9 NY YANKEES 3
BOSTON 7 ATLANTA 1
CHICAGO CUBS 7 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 3
SAN FRANCISCO 2 OAKLAND 1
LA DODGERS 8 TORONTO 7 (10)
LA ANGELS 7 DETROIT 6 (10)
CLEVELAND 5 KANSAS CITY 1
SEATTLE 9 MINNESOTA 7
HOUSTON 4 TEXAS 3
WASHINGTON 6 COLORADO 5
CINCINNATI 4 MILWAUKEE 3
SAN DIEGO 5 PITTSBURGH 1
ARIZONA 3 ST. LOUIS 1
BOX SCORES: http://hosted.stats.com/mlb/scoreboard.asp
STATS: http://hosted.stats.com/mlb/index.asp
PLAYER NEWS: http://hosted.stats.com/mlb/players.asp
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INDIANAPOLIS 11 LOUISVILLE 7
FORT WAYNE 4 WEST MICHIGAN 1
SOUTH BEND 7 PEORIA 6
WNBA
ATLANTA 78 PHOENIX 65
NEW YORK 86 SEATTLE 82
LAS VEGAS 107 CHICAGO 95
CONNECTICUT 88 DALLAS 83
LOS ANGELES 79 INDIANA 78
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
MIAMI 4 ATLANTA 0
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL WEEK 1
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
| BOYLE COUNTY (KY.) | AT | GIBSON SOUTHERN | 6:00 PM | ||
| CENTER GROVE | VS. | ST. EDWARD (OHIO) | 12:05 AM | ||
| SOUTHSIDE HOMESCHOOL | AT | PHALEN ACADEMY | 5:00 PM |
BIG 10 WEEKLY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
WEEK 1
MINNESOTA VS. NEBRASKA
THURSDAY, AUG. 31
WISCONSIN VS. BUFFALO
MICHIGAN STATE VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN
MICHIGAN VS. EAST CAROLINA
PURDUE VS. FRESNO STATE
RUTGERS VS. NORTHWESTERN
INDIANA VS. OHIO STATE
ILLINOIS VS. TOLEDO
MARYLAND VS. TOWSON
IOWA VS. UTAH STATE
PENN STATE VS. WEST VIRGINIA
WEEK 2
MARYLAND VS. CHARLOTTE
PENN STATE VS. DELAWARE
MINNESOTA VS. EASTERN MICHIGAN
ILLINOIS AT KANSAS
INDIANA VS. INDIANA STATE
IOWA AT IOWA STATE
NEBRASKA AT COLORADO
PURDUE AT VIRGINIA TECH
MICHIGAN STATE VS. RICHMOND
RUTGERS VS. TEMPLE
MICHIGAN VS. UNLV
NORTHWESTERN VS. UTEP
WISCONSIN AT WASHINGTON STATE
OHIO STATE VS. YOUNGSTOWN STATE
WEEK 3
MICHIGAN VS. BOWLING GREEN
WISCONSIN VS. GEORGIA SOUTHERN
INDIANA VS. LOUISVILLE (IN INDIANAPOLIS, IN)
MINNESOTA AT NORTH CAROLINA
NEBRASKA VS. NORTHERN ILLINOIS
NORTHWESTERN AT DUKE
ILLINOIS VS. PENN STATE
PURDUE VS. SYRACUSE
MARYLAND VS. VIRGINIA
RUTGERS VS. VIRGINIA TECH
MICHIGAN STATE VS. WASHINGTON
IOWA VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN
OHIO STATE VS. WESTERN KENTUCKY
WEEK 4
INDIANA VS. AKRON
ILLINOIS VS. FLORIDA ATLANTIC
PENN STATE VS. IOWA
NEBRASKA VS. LOUISIANA TECH
MICHIGAN STATE VS. MARYLAND
NORTHWESTERN VS. MINNESOTA
OHIO STATE AT NOTRE DAME
MICHIGAN VS. RUTGERS
PURDUE VS. WISCONSIN
WEEK 5
PURDUE VS. ILLINOIS
MARYLAND VS. INDIANA
MINNESOTA VS. LOUISIANA
NEBRASKA VS. MICHIGAN
IOWA VS. MICHIGAN STATE
NORTHWESTERN VS. PENN STATE
RUTGERS VS. WAGNER
WEEK 6
NORTHWESTERN VS. HOWARD
OHIO STATE VS. MARYLAND
MINNESOTA VS. MICHIGAN
ILLINOIS VS. NEBRASKA
IOWA VS. PURDUE
WISCONSIN VS. RUTGERS
WEEK 7
MARYLAND VS. ILLINOIS
MICHIGAN VS. INDIANA
WISCONSIN VS. IOWA
RUTGERS VS. MICHIGAN STATE
PURDUE VS. OHIO STATE
PENN STATE VS. UMASS
WEEK 8
MICHIGAN STATE VS. MICHIGAN
IOWA VS. MINNESOTA
NEBRASKA VS. NORTHWESTERN
OHIO STATE VS. PENN STATE
INDIANA VS. RUTGERS
ILLINOIS VS. WISCONSIN
WEEK 9
PENN STATE VS. INDIANA
NORTHWESTERN VS. MARYLAND
MINNESOTA VS. MICHIGAN STATE
WISCONSIN VS. OHIO STATE
NEBRASKA VS. PURDUE
WEEK 10
MINNESOTA VS. ILLINOIS
NORTHWESTERN VS. IOWA (IN CHICAGO, IL)
MICHIGAN STATE VS. NEBRASKA
RUTGERS VS. OHIO STATE
MARYLAND VS. PENN STATE
MICHIGAN VS. PURDUE
INDIANA VS. WISCONSIN
WEEK 11
ILLINOIS VS. INDIANA
NEBRASKA VS. MARYLAND
PENN STATE VS. MICHIGAN
OHIO STATE VS. MICHIGAN STATE
PURDUE VS. MINNESOTA
WISCONSIN VS. NORTHWESTERN
IOWA VS. RUTGERS
WEEK 12
IOWA VS. ILLINOIS
MARYLAND VS. MICHIGAN
INDIANA VS. MICHIGAN STATE
OHIO STATE VS. MINNESOTA
WISCONSIN VS. NEBRASKA
NORTHWESTERN VS. PURDUE
PENN STATE VS. RUTGERS
WEEK 13
NEBRASKA VS. IOWA
FRIDAY, NOV. 24
PURDUE VS. INDIANA
RUTGERS VS. MARYLAND
ILLINOIS VS. NORTHWESTERN
MICHIGAN VS. OHIO STATE
MICHIGAN STATE VS. PENN STATE
MINNESOTA VS. WISCONSIN
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
WEEK 0
SATURDAY, AUG. 26
NOTRE DAME VS. NAVY (DUBLIN, IRELAND) | 2:30 P.M. | NBC
MERCER VS. NORTH ALABAMA (MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA) | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
JACKSONVILLE STATE VS. UTEP | 5:30 P.M. | CBSSN
NEW MEXICO STATE VS. UMASS | 7 P.M. | ESPN
SAN DIEGO STATE VS. OHIO | 7 P.M. | FS1
VANDERBILT VS. HAWAI’I | 7:30 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
JACKSON STATE VS. SOUTH CAROLINA STATE (ATLANTA, GEORGIA) | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
USC VS. SAN JOSE STATE | 8 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK
LOUISIANA TECH VS. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL | 9 P.M. | CBSSN
WEEK 1
THURSDAY, AUG. 31
WAKE FOREST VS. ELON | 7 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
UCF VS. KENT STATE | 7 P.M. | FS1
GEORGIA STATE VS. RHODE ISLAND | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
WESTERN MICHIGAN VS. ST. FRANCIS (PA) | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
UCONN VS. NC STATE | 7:30 P.M. | CBSSN
MINNESOTA VS. NEBRASKA | 8 P.M. | FOX
MISSOURI VS. SOUTH DAKOTA | 8 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
UTAH VS. FLORIDA | 8 P.M. | ESPN
TULSA VS. ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF | 8 P.M. | ESPN+
UAB VS. NORTH CAROLINA A&T | 8 P.M. | ESPN+
ARIZONA STATE VS. SOUTHERN UTAH | 10 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK
FRIDAY, SEPT. 1
EASTERN MICHIGAN VS. HOWARD | 6:30 P.M. | ESPN+
MICHIGAN STATE VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN | 7 P.M. | FS1
MIAMI (FLA.) VS. MIAMI (OHIO) | 7 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
GEORGIA TECH VS. LOUISVILLE (MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM IN ATLANTA) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
KANSAS VS. MISSOURI STATE | 8 P.M. | ESPN+
HAWAI’I VS. STANFORD | 11 P.M. | CBSSN
SATURDAY, SEPT. 2
IOWA VS. UTAH STATE | 12 P.M. | FS1
KENTUCKY VS. BALL STATE | 12 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
LIBERTY VS. BOWLING GREEN | 12 P.M. | CBSSN
MICHIGAN VS. EAST CAROLINA | 12 P.M. | PEACOCK
PURDUE VS. FRESNO STATE | 12 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
SMU VS. LOUISIANA TECH | 12 P.M. | ESPNU
TENNESSEE VS. VIRGINIA (NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE) | 12 P.M. | ABC
TCU VS. COLORADO | 12 P.M. | FOX
BOSTON COLLEGE VS. NORTHERN ILLINOIS | 12 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
OKLAHOMA VS. ARKANSAS STATE | 12 P.M. | ESPN
OLE MISS VS. MERCER | 2 P.M. | ESPN+/SECN+
IOWA STATE VS. UNI | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
TEMPLE VS. AKRON | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
OHIO VS. LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
AIR FORCE VS. ROBERT MORRIS | 2 P.M. | ALTITUDE SPORTS
OREGON VS. PORTLAND STATE | 3 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK
INDIANA VS. OHIO STATE | 3:30 P.M. | CBS
AUBURN VS. UMASS | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
MARYLAND VS. TOWSON | 3:30 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
WISCONSIN VS. BUFFALO | 3:30 P.M. | FS1
WESTERN KENTUCKY VS. SOUTH FLORIDA | 3:30 P.M. | CBSSN
WASHINGTON VS. BOISE STATE | 3:30 P.M. | ABC
NOTRE DAME VS. TENNESSEE STATE | 3:30 P.M. | NBC
PITT VS. WOFFORD | 3:30 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
CINCINNATI VS. EASTERN KENTUCKY | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
TEXAS VS. RICE | 3:30 P.M. | FOX
APPALACHIAN STATE VS. GARDNER-WEBB | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
ARKANSAS VS. WESTERN CAROLINA | 4 P.M. | ESPN+/SECN+
MISSISSIPPI STATE VS. SE LOUISIANA | 4 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
NORTH TEXAS VS. CAL | 4 P.M. | ESPNU
SYRACUSE VS. COLGATE | 4 P.M. | ESPN+/ACCNX
GEORGIA VS. UT MARTIN | 6 P.M. | ESPN+/SECN+
CHARLOTTE VS. SOUTH CAROLINA STATE | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
FLORIDA ATLANTIC VS. MONMOUTH | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
GEORGIA SOUTHERN VS. THE CITADEL | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
JAMES MADISON VS. BUCKNELL | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
MARSHALL VS. ALBANY | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL VS. MAINE | 6:30 P.M. | ESPN+
USC VS. NEVADA | 6:30 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK
TEXAS A&M VS. NEW MEXICO | 7 P.M. | ESPN
UL MONROE VS. ARMY | 7 P.M. | NFL NETWORK
VANDERBILT VS. ALABAMA A&M | 7 P.M. | ESPN+/SECN+
COLORADO STATE VS. WASHINGTON STATE | 7 P.M. | CBSSN
BAYLOR VS. TEXAS STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
HOUSTON VS. UTSA | 7 P.M. | FS1
KANSAS STATE VS. SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
OKLAHOMA STATE VS. CENTRAL ARKANSAS | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
MEMPHIS VS. BETHUNE-COOKMAN | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
SOUTHERN MISS VS. ALCORN STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
TROY VS. STEPHEN F. AUSTIN | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
ALABAMA VS. MIDDLE TENNESSEE | 7:30 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
ILLINOIS VS. TOLEDO | 7:30 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
SOUTH CAROLINA VS. NORTH CAROLINA (CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA) | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
PENN STATE VS. WEST VIRGINIA | 7:30 P.M. | NBC
WYOMING VS. TEXAS TECH | 7:30 P.M. | CBS
LOUISIANA VS. NORTHWESTERN STATE | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN+
VIRGINIA TECH VS. OLD DOMINION | 8 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
TULANE VS. SOUTH ALABAMA | 8 P.M. | ESPNU
NEW MEXICO STATE VS. WESTERN ILLINOIS | 9 P.M. | ESPN+
UTEP VS. UIW | 9 P.M. | ESPN+
ARIZONA VS. NORTHERN ARIZONA | 10 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK
BYU VS. SAM HOUSTON | 10:15 P.M. | FS1
UCLA VS. COASTAL CAROLINA | 10:30 P.M. | ESPN
SAN DIEGO STATE VS. IDAHO STATE | 10:30 P.M. | CBSSN
SUNDAY, SEPT. 3
RUTGERS VS. NORTHWESTERN | 12 P.M. | CBS
SAN JOSE STATE VS. OREGON STATE | 3:30 P.M. | CBS
FLORIDA STATE VS. LSU (ORLANDO, FLORIDA) | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
MONDAY, SEPT. 4
DUKE VS. CLEMSON | 8 P.M. | ESPN
COLTS TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY, JULY 26 – 10-11 A.M.
SATURDAY, AUG. 5 – 6-7:30 P.M.
SUNDAY, AUG. 6 – 2-3:45 P.M.
SATURDAY, AUG. 5 – 6-7:30 P.M.
SUNDAY, AUG. 6 – 2-3:45 P.M.
TUESDAY, AUG. 8 – 9-10:30 A.M.
THURSDAY, AUG. 10 – 9-10 A.M.
TUESDAY, AUG. 15 – 9-10 A.M.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 16 – 6-8 P.M.
THURSDAY, AUG. 17 – 6-8 P.M.
NFL PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE
NFL/HALL OF FAME GAME – AUGUST 3
N.Y. JETS VS. CLEVELAND (NBC), 8:00
WEEK 1
THURSDAY, AUGUST 10
HOUSTON AT NEW ENGLAND, 7:00
MINNESOTA AT SEATTLE, 10:00
FRIDAY, AUGUST 11
N.Y. GIANTS AT DETROIT, 7:00
GREEN BAY AT CINCINNATI, 7:00
ATLANTA AT MIAMI, 7:00
PITTSBURGH AT TAMPA BAY, 7:00
WASHINGTON AT CLEVELAND, 7:30
DENVER AT ARIZONA, 10:00
SATURDAY, AUGUST 12
INDIANAPOLIS AT BUFFALO, 1:00
TENNESSEE AT CHICAGO, 1:00
N.Y. JETS AT CAROLINA, 4:00
JACKSONVILLE AT DALLAS, 5:00
PHILADELPHIA AT BALTIMORE, 7:00
L.A. CHARGERS AT L.A. RAMS, 9:00
SUNDAY, AUGUST 13
KANSAS CITY AT NEW ORLEANS, 1:00
SAN FRANCISCO AT LAS VEGAS, 4:00
WEEK 2
THURSDAY, AUGUST 17
CLEVELAND AT PHILADELPHIA, 7:30
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18
CAROLINA AT N.Y. GIANTS, 7:00
CINCINNATI AT ATLANTA, 7:30
SATURDAY, AUGUST 19
JACKSONVILLE AT DETROIT, 1:00
MIAMI AT HOUSTON, 4:00
BUFFALO AT PITTSBURGH, 6:30
CHICAGO AT INDIANAPOLIS, 7:00
TAMPA BAY AT N.Y. JETS, 7:30
KANSAS CITY AT ARIZONA, 8:00
NEW ENGLAND AT GREEN BAY, 8:00
TENNESSEE AT MINNESOTA, 8:00
DENVER AT SAN FRANCISCO, 8:30
LAS VEGAS AT L.A. RAMS, 9:00
DALLAS AT SEATTLE, 10:00
SUNDAY, AUGUST 20
NEW ORLEANS AT L.A. CHARGERS, 7:05
MONDAY, AUGUST 21
BALTIMORE AT WASHINGTON (ESPN), 8:00
WEEK 3
THURSDAY, AUGUST 24
PITTSBURGH AT ATLANTA, 7:30
INDIANAPOLIS AT PHILADELPHIA (PRIME VIDEO), 8:00
FRIDAY, AUGUST 25
DETROIT AT CAROLINA (CBS), 8:00
NEW ENGLAND AT TENNESSEE, 8:15
L.A. CHARGERS AT SAN FRANCISCO, 10:00
SATURDAY, AUGUST 26
BUFFALO AT CHICAGO, 1:00
SEATTLE AT GREEN BAY, 1:00
CLEVELAND AT KANSAS CITY, 1:00
ARIZONA AT MINNESOTA, 1:00
N.Y. JETS AT N.Y. GIANTS, 6:00
CINCINNATI AT WASHINGTON, 6:05
MIAMI AT JACKSONVILLE, 7:00
BALTIMORE AT TAMPA BAY, 7:00
LAS VEGAS AT DALLAS, 8:00
L.A. RAMS AT DENVER, 9:00
SUNDAY, AUGUST 27
HOUSTON AT NEW ORLEANS (FOX), 8:00
WEEK 1 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
DETROIT LIONS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (THU) 7:20P (CT) 8:20P NBC
CAROLINA PANTHERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX
HOUSTON TEXANS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P CBS
CINCINNATI BENGALS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P CBS
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS 12:00P (CT) 1:00P CBS
TENNESSEE TITANS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 12:00P (CT) 1:00P CBS
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX
ARIZONA CARDINALS AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT CHICAGO BEARS 3:25P (CT) 4:25P FOX
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT DENVER BRONCOS 2:25P (MT) 4:25P CBS
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS 1:25P (PT) 4:25P CBS
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 4:25P (ET) 4:25P CBS
LOS ANGELES RAMS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 1:25P (PT) 4:25P FOX
DALLAS COWBOYS AT NEW YORK GIANTS 8:20P (ET) 8:20P NBC
BUFFALO BILLS AT NEW YORK JETS (MON) 8:15P (ET) 8:15P ESPN/ABC
TUESDAY’S TRANSACTIONS
BASEBALL
Major League Baseball
American League
BALTIMORE ORIOLES — Recalled OF Ryan McKenna from Norfolk (IL). Placed OF Aaron Hicks on the 10-day IL.
BOSTON RED SOX — Agreed to terms with SS Justin Riemer and C Drew Ehrhard.
CHICAGO WHITE SOX — Sent RHP Bryan Shaw outright to Charlotte (IL). Optioned C Carlos Perez to Charlotte. Reinstated 2B Yoan Moncada from the 10-day IL.
HOUSTON ASTROS — Sent RHP Jose Urquidy to Corpus Christi (TL) on a rehab assignment.
National League
ATLANTA BRAVES — Sent RHP Seth Elledge outright to Gwinnett (IL). Reinstated RHPs Yonny Chirinos and Pierce Johnson and LHP Taylor Hearn from the 15-day IL. Sent LHP A.J Minter to Gwinnett on a rehab assignment.
MIAMI MARLINS — Optioned LHP Jose Castillo to Jacksonville (IL).
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES — Reinstated RHP Seranthony Dominguez from the 15-day IL. Optioned RHP Andrew Bellatti to Lehigh Valley (IL).
SAN DIEGO PADRES — Traded LHP Jose Castillo to Miami in exchange for cash considerations.
Minor League Baseball
Atlantic League
LONG ISLAND DUCKS — Signed LHP Jake Fishman. Released RHP Chris Tessiltore.
FOOTBALL
National Football League
ARIZONA CARDINALS — Signed TE Geoff Swaim.
ATLANTA FALCONS — Re-signed TE MyCole Pruitt.
CHICAGO BEARS — Signed WR Isaiah Ford and LB Buddy Johnson. Waived LB Sterling Weatherford and P Ryan Anderson.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS — Signed Gs Max Garcia and Trai Turner and TE Jimmy Graham.
NEW YORK GIANTS — Signed DE Tashawn Bower. Re-signed RB Saquon Barkley to a one-year contract. Waived OLB Elerson Smith and S Trenton Thompson.
WASHINGTON COMMANDRS — Signed WR Byron Pringle.
HOCKEY
National Hockey League
BOSTON BRUINS — Announced the retirement of C Patrice Bergeron.
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS — Signed C Samuel Savoie to a three-year, entry-level contract.
FLORIDA PANTHERS — Signed F Eetu Luostarinen to a three-year contract extension.
MINNESOTA WILD — Named Matt Majka chief executive officer of Minnesota Sports & Entertainment, Mitch Helgerson chief revenue officer and Bill Guerin president of hockey operations.
Minor League Hockey
American Hockey League
LEHIGH VALLEY PHANTOMS — Re-signed D Adam Karashik.
SOCCER
Major League Soccer
SAN JOSE EARHTQUAKES — Acquired F Ayo Akinola on loan for the remainder of the season from Toronto FC in exchange for a 2023 international spot. roster
COLLEGE
ROWAN — Named Kate Pearson head women’s basketball coach.
TOP NATIONAL RELEASES/HEADLINES
BASKETBALL NEWS
BRONNY JAMES, SON OF LEBRON, IN STABLE CONDITION AFTER CARDIAC ARREST AT USC BASKETBALL PRACTICE
Bronny James, the oldest son of NBA superstar LeBron James, was hospitalized in stable condition on Tuesday, a day after going into cardiac arrest while participating in a practice at the University of Southern California, a family spokesman said.
The spokesman said medical staff treated the 18-year-old James on site at USC’s Galen Center after he went into cardiac arrest on Monday morning. He was transported to a hospital, where he was in stable condition Tuesday after leaving the intensive care unit.
“We ask for respect and privacy for the James family and we will update media when there is more information,” the spokesman said. “LeBron and Savannah wish to publicly send their deepest thanks and appreciation to the USC medical and athletic staff for their incredible work and dedication to the safety of their athletes.”
USC spokesman Jeremy Pepper declined a request from The Associated Press for comment or additional details, citing student privacy concerns. The AP also left a message seeking comment from the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
A representative for USC outside the Galen Center on Tuesday said the school would not have a briefing or issue a statement about James’ health scare.
Bronny James announced in May that he would play college basketball for the Trojans, whose campus is less than two miles from the downtown arena of his father’s Los Angeles Lakers. USC’s basketball team is holding offseason practices in preparation for a two-week European tour next month.
His father is the leading scorer in NBA history and a four-time champion, but Bronny James is an elite talent in his own right, establishing himself as one of the nation’s top point guard recruits before he chose the Trojans late in the commitment cycle.
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who suffered cardiac arrest during an NFL game last season, tweeted his support: “Prayers to Bronny & The James Family as well (prayer emoji) here for you guys just like you have been for me my entire process.”
Sports figures across the world also sent messages of support. Jayson Tatum, Trae Young and Donovan Mitchell were among many NBA stars tweeting prayers for James, while former Lakers forward Metta Sandiford-Artest wrote: “Prayers for Bronny. What a great kid. Come back stronger young fella. Get better and feel better.”
Bronny James was stricken just over a year after USC freshman 7-footer Vincent Iwuchukwu collapsed during a practice. Iwuchukwu not only survived but returned to play for the Trojans in the second half of the season.
With his family fame and huge social media following, Bronny James has the top name, image and likeness valuation in sports at $6.3 million, On3.com estimates.
LeBron James has spoken frequently about his desire to play a season in the NBA with Bronny, the first of his three children with his wife, Savannah. The elder James recently confirmed he will play his 21st NBA season in the fall with the Lakers, his home since 2018.
Bronny’s decision to stay close to home was a coup for USC, which is expected to have one of college basketball’s most compelling teams next season after making its third straight NCAA Tournament appearance last March.
Bronny, whose name is LeBron James Jr., was one of the top college prospects in the country last season as a star two-way guard at Sierra Canyon School in suburban Chatsworth. His younger brother, 16-year-old Bryce, played at Sierra Canyon last season before transferring to Campbell Hall School in Studio City for the upcoming high school season.
Iwuchukwu, one of the nation’s top college basketball prospects a year ago, went into cardiac arrest on July 1, 2022, with athletic trainers using an automated external defibrillator to revive him. Iwuchukwu had a battery-powered pulse generator known as an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implanted in his chest, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Iwuchukwu made his Trojans debut Jan. 12 and eventually appeared in 14 games, including five starts. He will return this season to USC, which is expected to have a powerhouse team.
JAYLEN BROWN, CELTICS AGREE TO 5-YEAR SUPERMAX DEAL WORTH UP TO $304 MILLION, BIGGEST IN NBA HISTORY
BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics have answered their most pressing question of the offseason. Jaylen Brown will be part of the franchise for the foreseeable future.
The Celtics’ wing has agreed to terms on a five-year supermax contract extension that will pay him up to $304 million, his agent said Tuesday.
It’s the richest contract in NBA history, surpassing the $264 million deal signed by Nuggets center Nikola Jokic last summer.
The deal was first reported by ESPN and confirmed to The Associated Press by Brown’s agent, Jason Glushon.
It keeps Brown with the team that drafted him third overall in 2016 and watched him develop into a two-time All-Star.
He averaged career highs of 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists last season. But those numbers went down in the playoffs, when the Celtics lost to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals. In Game 7, Brown had 19 points on 8-of-23 shooting, making just one of nine 3-point attempts.
Still, the totality of his time in Boston has made him a key piece of the franchise’s current core that management wasn’t willing to risk seeing depart when his current four-year deal expiries after next season.
By virtue of making the All-NBA second team — Brown’s first such honor in his career — he was eligible for the supermax extension.
From the moment this past season ended, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has been adamant that he wanted to see Brown sign a long-term deal.
“He’s a big part of us. We believe in him and I’m thankful for him,” Stevens said last month. “I’m really thankful that when those guys have success they come back to work. And when they get beat, they own it and they come back to work. And so I know that’s what they’re about. And that’s hard to find.”
Those sentiments were echoed by All-Star Jayson Tatum, who has paired with Brown to lead the Celtics’ one-two punch in their runs to the NBA Finals in 2021-22 and the conference finals last season.
Following Boston’s East finals loss in May, Tatum said retaining Brown long-term was “extremely important.”
“He’s one of the best players in this league,” Tatum said. “He plays both ends of the ball and still is relatively young. And he’s accomplished a lot so far in his career. So, I think it’s extremely important.”
Brown’s new pact will likely lead to some financial maneuvering down the road with the league’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement bringing more limitations on how teams construct their rosters and additional luxury tax penalties.
Tatum is still playing under his rookie extension that kicked in last season and will be eligible for his potential supermax extension next summer.
UCONN FORWARD EL ALFY TO MISS FRESHMAN SEASON WITH A RUPTURED ACHILLES TENDON
STORRS, Conn. (AP) — UConn freshman forward Jana El Alfy will miss the 2023-24 season with a ruptured Achilles tendon, the school announced on Tuesday.
The 6-foot-5 forward from Egypt sustained the injury to her left leg Sunday in her country’s final game in the FIBA U19 World Cup in Spain. She led that tournament in scoring, averaging 21.4 points.
El Alfy returned to Connecticut, was evaluated at UConn Health and will have surgery there later this week, the school said.
El Alfy enrolled at UConn in January but did not play last season. She was expected to be a key piece to coach Geno Auriemma’s frontcourt this season.
This is the second straight year that UConn has suffered a season-ending injury before school has begun.
Guard Paige Bueckers, the former national player of the year, and freshman forward Ice Brady missed the 2022-23 season with knee injuries.
Both have since returned to practice and are expected to play for UConn in November.
WNBA NEWS
DEWANNA BONNER, TIFFANY HAYES SEND SUN PAST WINGS
DeWanna Bonner and Tiffany Hayes combined for 60 points as the Connecticut Sun scrapped past the Dallas Wings 88-83 on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas.
Bonner shot 9 of 20 from the field and went 11 of 11 from the free-throw line en route to 32 points, her second-highest total of the season. Hayes poured in a season-high 28 points on 8-of-15 field-goal shooting and 10-of-10 success at the foul line.
The pair combined for five of Connecticut’s seven 3-pointers, including back-to-back treys late in the fourth quarter that put the Sun ahead for good.
No other player scored more than nine points for Connecticut (18-6), which shot 29 of 66 (43.9 percent) from the field and 23 of 26 (88.5 percent) from the free-throw line.
Teaira McCowan and Satou Sabally each posted a double-double and Arike Ogunbowale recorded another 20-point game as Dallas (13-10) saw its winning streak end at five game. The franchise last won six straight games in 2015 during its final season as the Tulsa Shock.
McCowan logged 21 points and 15 rebounds, while Sabally racked up 16 points and 13 boards to complement Ogunbowale’s 25-point effort. Ogunbowale has logged exactly 25 points in three consecutive games.
The Wings, who entered Tuesday shooting 81.4 percent on foul shots, made just 14 of 20 (70 percent) from the free-throw line, including 3 of 8 in the fourth quarter.
Hayes rattled home a 3-pointer with 3:07 left that put the Sun ahead 79-76, and Bonner followed a Dallas miss with her own triple for a six-point cushion with 1:56 to play.
Ogunbowale canned a contested trey that whittled Connecticut’s lead to 86-83 with 24.2 seconds left, but Bonner tacked on two free throws to secure the Sun’s third straight win.
Connecticut led 38-26 after Bonner’s layup with 5:54 remaining in the second quarter but didn’t make another field goal until Natisha Hiedeman’s basket at the 7:38 mark of the third quarter.
McCowan’s putback basket gave the Wings their first lead since 2-0 as Dallas closed the half on a 16-2 run to enter the break ahead 42-40.
During the Sun’s eight-minute field-goal drought, the Wings engineered a 23-4 run and surged ahead 49-42 on McCowan’s layup with 7:57 left in the third period.
Dallas led by as many as nine in the quarter, but Hayes churned out seven points in the final three minutes to leave Connecticut trailing 64-63 entering the fourth.
ACES KEEP ROLLING, GET PAST SKY
Kelsey Plum had 27 points while A’ja Wilson scored 24 and Chelsea Gray added 22 as the visiting Las Vegas Aces beat the Chicago Sky 107-95 on Tuesday night to earn their sixth straight win.
Jackie Young scored 15 points and Kiah Stokes pulled down 17 rebounds for the WNBA-leading Aces (22-2), who shot 38 of 76 from the field, but fell short of the outright league record of six consecutive victories by at least 15 points.
All-Star Kahleah Copper scored 22 of her career-high 37 points in the first half and Courtney Williams added 11 points and 11 assists for Chicago (9-14), which hung around thanks to 10-for-17 3-point shooting in the first half.
Copper went 12 of 18 from the field and 9 of 11 from the free-throw line for the Sky, who made just three threes in the second half to suffer their fifth loss in six games.
Plum and Gray combined to score 17 of the Aces’ 24 points in the third quarter, when Las Vegas extended a seven-point halftime lead to 10 by the end of the period. The Sky scored the first four points of the fourth quarter to get within six, but never threatened the rest of the way. Young’s four-point play with 5:17 remaining gave Las Vegas a 95-81 lead.
Copper scored 15 points in the first quarter and Wilson had 13. Chicago led 24-22 with just under two minutes left in the frame, but four free throws from Plum and a Wilson basket headlined an 8-0 run that put the Aces ahead, 30-24.
Las Vegas scored 11 of the first 15 in the second quarter and led 41-30. Chicago, though, used an 11-3 run to get within three with 4:32 left until intermission.
Injured Las Vegas star and Chicago native Candace Parker missed a sixth straight game. Parker underwent successful foot surgery this week and is out indefinitely.
Meanwhile, Aces reserve Alysha Clark, who had eight points on Tuesday, exited late in the third quarter after being hit in the face.
DREAM USE BALANCED ATTACK TO STUMP MERCURY
Allisha Gray and Asia (AD) Durr each scored 12 points as the Atlanta Dream used a balanced scoring effort to capture a 78-65 victory over the visiting Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday night.
Aari McDonald posted 11 points in a reserve role and Rhyne Howard added 10 points as the Dream (13-10) won for the eighth time in their last 10 games.
Howard drained two 3-pointers and now has 151 in her career. She reached that mark in 57 games, becoming the fastest player in WNBA history to sink 150 threes.
Megan Gustafson scored 19 points off the bench and Brittney Griner had all 16 of her points in the first half as the Mercury (6-17) lost their second straight game. Sophie Cunningham had 11 points for Phoenix, which dropped to 1-11 in road games and couldn’t overcome 5-for-24 shooting on 3-pointers.
The Dream won despite recording 17 turnovers in the first meeting of the season between the teams.
Atlanta opened the second half on a 13-3 spurt to create a 58-36 lead. Howard had five straight points during that stretch, while the Mercury went more than six minutes without scoring.
Phoenix went almost 2 1/2 minutes without a field goal to begin the fourth quarter, pretty much negating any chance of a comeback. The Mercury ended up shooting 35.8 percent from the field for the game.
For the Dream, McDonald and Durr both shot 5-for-7 from the field.
Ten Atlanta players scored in the first half as the Dream carried a 45-33 lead into halftime. A 10-2 run in the second quarter helped stretch the margin, while a 19-7 advantage in bench scoring before the break also made a difference.
Griner took nearly half of her team’s 33 field-goal attempts in the first half. The Mercury were hurt by 1-for-8 shooting from beyond the arc, while Atlanta was 5-for-11 from deep in the opening half.
The Dream evened their record at home to 6-6.
LIBERTY RALLY TO AVOID UPSET, HAND STORM 10TH STRAIGHT LOSS
Breanna Stewart scored a team-high 22 points as the New York Liberty rallied from an 18-point deficit, sending the visiting Seattle Storm to their 10th consecutive loss with an 86-82 win on Tuesday night.
Liberty All-Star Sabrina Ionescu was held to 2-for-14 shooting, but she produced a triple-double with 12 points, a game-high 12 assists and 12 rebounds.
Stewart, who helped Seattle win two WNBA titles before leaving for her home state of New York in February, added seven rebounds and three blocks.
Storm guard Jewell Loyd scored a game-high 32 points, but she had just 10 second-half points and couldn’t do enough for Seattle (4-19) to earn what would’ve been its first win since June 24. The skid is the longest in Storm history and the longest active skid in the WNBA.
Ezi Magbegor added 22 points and a team-high 12 rebounds for Seattle.
New York (17-5), which completed a 4-0 sweep of its season series with Seattle, also got 19 points from Betnijah Laney.
New York center Jonquel Jones had a double-double of 13 points and a game-high 17 rebounds.
The Storm led after each of the first three quarters and entered the fourth leading 60-54. But the Liberty finally caught the Storm, 70-70, on Marines Johannes’ bucket with 4:36 left.
The teams traded leads a few times before Jones banked in a 3-pointer with 1:16 left to make it 79-77 New York. The Liberty iced it from the foul line from there, finishing the game 12-of-14 on free throws.
Loyd was on fire early on Tuesday. She scored 15 points in the first quarter as Seattle grabbed a 26-21 lead. She made 6 of 9 shots, including 3 of 5 on 3-pointers.
Seattle stretched its lead to 45-35 at halftime, with Loyd up to 22 points and 5-of-8 3-point shooting.
Stewart led New York with 10 first-half points, but she scored only two in the second quarter. Ionescu went scoreless in the second quarter, missing all five of her shots.
It was a shockingly poor first half for the Liberty, who on Sunday set a league record with a 44-point first quarter.
New York, though, roared back by closing the third quarter on a 13-3 run. Loyd scored just two points in the third.
ACES F CANDACE PARKER (FOOT SURGERY) OUT INDEFINITELY
Las Vegas Aces forward Candace Parker is sidelined indefinitely after undergoing surgery to repair a fracture in her left foot.
The Aces said Parker underwent the surgery on Monday and has been dealing with the fracture all season.
The two-time MVP said on social media Monday night that the surgery was necessary.
“I’ve been playing on a fracture all season, tolerating the pain, but after consulting with doctors, the only option for me to be healthy again and avoid further injury was to elect for surgery,” Parker said on Instagram. “I’ll rehab and work my way towards being healthy as soon as possible.”
Parker missed her sixth straight game when the Aces played the Chicago Sky — one of her former teams — on Tuesday night.
Parker joined the Aces as a free agent in the offseason, giving the team a powerful starting five of A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray and Parker. Las Vegas was tied for the best 23-game record (21-2) with the 1998 Houston Comets entering Tuesday’s contest.
The 37-year-old Parker is in her 16th WNBA season and has career averages of 16.0 points and 8.5 rebounds. She is averaging 9.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 18 games this season.
Parker is a seven-time All-Star who ranks ninth on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list with 6,574 points and third in rebounds with 3,467.
Parker played her first 13 seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks before playing two seasons in her hometown of Chicago. The Sky won the 2021 title with Parker as one of the key contributors. Parker also was part of the Sparks’ title-winning squad in 2016.
BASEBALL NEWS
MLB ROUNDUP: DODGERS RALLY, STUN JAYS IN 10 INNINGS
James Outman doubled home the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning and the host Los Angeles Dodgers came back from down four runs in the ninth to stun the Toronto Blue Jays 8-7 on Tuesday night.
Freddie Freeman and J.D. Martinez hit home runs for the Dodgers, who trailed 7-3 heading into the bottom of the ninth after the Blue Jays scored three in the top of the inning.
Outman, who had three hits and walked twice, socked his walk-off double off the top of the wall in right-center against Blue Jays right-hander Mitch White (0-1). The umpires reviewed the play to see if it cleared the wall for a home run but called the hit a double.
Bo Bichette had four hits, including a home run, to end an 0-for-18 drought, but the Blue Jays saw their two-game winning streak end. Closer Jordan Romano had the night off after he pitched four times in the previous five games.
Reds 4, Brewers 3
Rookie Andrew Abbott scattered seven hits over six scoreless innings to best ace Corbin Burnes as Cincinnati won at Milwaukee. The Reds had lost five straight to the Brewers.
Christian Yelich pulled Milwaukee within 4-3 with two outs in ninth with a three-run homer before Alexis Diaz came in, put two runners on base but got Andruw Monasterio on a fly to center for his 30th save.
The Reds scored twice in the fourth and got a two-run homer from Will Benson in the ninth. Abbott (6-2) struck out nine and walked one. Burnes (9-6) gave up two runs in six innings.
Diamondbacks 3, Cardinals 1
Corbin Carroll hit a two-run triple with two outs in the eighth inning to lift Arizona past St. Louis in Phoenix, ending a five-game losing streak.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo celebrated his 58th birthday with the victory. Ketel Marte ignited the three-run, eighth-inning rally with a leadoff triple against Cardinals reliever JoJo Romero (2-1). Jake McCarthy then singled up the middle to score Marte to tie the game at 1.
Kyle Nelson (5-2) earned the win in relief and Kevin Ginkel logged his third save, working around a single in the ninth inning.
Mets 9, Yankees 3
Pete Alonso homered in consecutive at-bats and drove in a season-high five runs as the visiting Mets beat the Yankees in the matchup of New York rivals.
Justin Verlander (5-5) pitched six scoreless innings of two-hit ball for his 249th career victory as he won consecutive starts for the first time as a Met.. Daniel Vogelbach also homered for the Mets, and Jeff McNeil drove in three runs.
Alonso started his big night with an RBI single in the opening inning against Domingo German (5-7), who allowed six runs, including three homers, on seven hits in six innings.
Mariners 9, Twins 7
Julio Rodriguez belted two home runs and Eugenio Suarez hit a go-ahead, two-run double to highlight a three-run ninth as Seattle rallied to win in Minneapolis and end a two-game losing streak.
Cade Marlowe hit his first major league home run to go along with a double and two runs, and Cal Raleigh added two hits for the Mariners. Matt Brash (5-3) picked up the win with one inning of scoreless relief, and Paul Sewald garnered his 20th save.
Matt Wallner and Michael A. Taylor homered and Edouard Julien and Willi Castro each had an RBI triple for the Twins, whose four-game winning streak ended. Oliver Ortega (0-1) gave up all three runs in the ninth.
Guardians 5, Royals 1
Bo Naylor homered twice to help Cleveland defeat visiting Kansas City in the second game of a three-game series.
Cleveland starter Aaron Civale (4-2) allowed one run and five hits in eight innings. Emmanuel Clase retired the side in order in the ninth, wrapping up the victory in 1 hour, 59 minutes.
Royals starter Zack Greinke (1-11) allowed four runs and four hits in five innings. Nicky Lopez had two hits and an RBI for Kansas City, which has dropped six of seven.
Angels 7, Tigers 6 (10 innings)
Mickey Moniak had a run-scoring double in the top of the 10th and Los Angeles, which blew a four-run lead in the ninth, edged host Detroit.
Moniak doubled to right off Alex Lange (5-3) with one out in the 10th to drive in automatic runner Mike Moustakas. Aaron Loup then picked up two strikeouts in the bottom of the 10th for his first save. Moustakas and Taylor Ward drove in two runs apiece for the Angels.
Carlos Estevez (4-1) gave up four unearned runs in the ninth but got the victory for the Angels. Spencer Torkelson had a game-tying, two-run double for the Tigers, while Jake Rogers hit a solo homer and drove in two runs.
Giants 2, Athletics 1
Mike Yastrzemski lashed a tiebreaking, two-out double in the eighth inning to lift host San Francisco past Oakland, ending a six-game losing streak.
After the A’s tied the score in the top of the eighth on a JJ Bleday RBI single, the Giants got a one-out single from LaMonte Wade Jr. and a two-out walk from J.D. Davis before Oakland pulled reliever Lucas Erceg (2-2) in favor of Sam Moll. Yastrzemski prevailed in the lefty-on-lefty matchup.
Tyler Rogers (4-4), who allowed Oakland’s only run in two innings of relief, was credited with the win. Giants closer Camilo Doval needed 16 pitches to strike out the side in the ninth for his 31st save.
Rays 4, Marlins 1
Tampa Bay received a much-needed seven strong innings from Tyler Glasnow, who struck out eight in a victory over Miami in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Glasnow (4-3) yielded one run on two hits as the Rays took the opener of the interleague series with the Marlins, who dropped their 10th straight road game. Brandon Lowe had three hits, including his 11th home run, for Tampa Bay.
Miami was limited to two hits, singles from Jesus Sanchez in the second inning and Jon Berti in the sixth. Marlins right-hander Edward Cabrera (5-6) worked just two innings and was replaced due to a recurring blister issue.
Phillies 4, Orioles 3
Alec Bohm hit a walk-off RBI single to left field as host Philadelphia scored twice in the ninth inning to defeat Baltimore.
Bryce Harper hit a solo home run and a single while Bryson Stott added an RBI double in the ninth to tie the game at 3. Phillies starter Taijuan Walker tossed 5 2/3 innings and allowed six hits and two runs. Yunior Marte (1-1) earned the win by pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
Ryan O’Hearn hit a go-ahead solo home run in the eighth inning for the Orioles. Ryan Mountcastle added two hits, two walks and two runs. Reliever Yennier Cano (1-2) took the loss.
Cubs 7, White Sox 3
Dansby Swanson went 3-for-3 with two home runs and four RBIs and Nico Hoerner homered among his three hits as the visiting Cubs defeated the White Sox.
The Cubs stretched their winning streak to four games behind a 13-hit attack that featured four home runs. Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks (4-4) yielded three runs on four hits in 6 1/3 innings.
White Sox starter Michael Kopech (4-9) allowed five runs (four earned) and nine hits in five innings. Andrew Vaughn drove in two runs for Chicago.
Astros 4, Rangers 3
Rookie J.P. France logged his eighth quality start over his past nine appearances while Kyle Tucker and Martin Maldonado slugged solo home runs to pace Houston to a victory over visiting Texas.
France (6-3) matched his career high by logging seven innings. He allowed one unearned run on five hits and two walks while recording three strikeouts.
Mitch Garver belted a two-run homer off Astros closer Ryan Pressly in the ninth, but Pressly recorded his 24th save thanks to a leaping catch from Tucker at the wall in right.
Red Sox 7, Braves 1
Nick Pivetta pitched five scoreless innings of relief and Masataka Yoshida homered to help Boston beat Atlanta and stretch its winning streak to three games.
Pivetta (7-5) limited the Braves to three hits, struck out five and walked one. Yoshida, who capped the scoring with a two-run homer in the eighth inning, also had two singles for his 10th three-hit game this season.
Atlanta starter Charlie Morton (10-8) gave up four runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings. The damage could have been worse if the Braves didn’t turn an 8-3-5 triple play in the third. It was the first triple play in the major leagues this season.
Padres 5, Pirates 1
Manny Machado and Juan Soto each hit his 20th home run of the season and Blake Snell allowed just one run across six innings as host San Diego beat Pittsburgh.
Gary Sanchez also went deep for the Padres, who snapped a two-game skid. Snell (7-8) surrendered two hits while walking five and striking out four.
The Pirates finished with just three hits. Pittsburgh starter Rich Hill (7-10) allowed two runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Nationals 6, Rockies 5
Joey Meneses belted a go-ahead, three-run homer in the eighth inning to cap his three-hit performance, lifting host Washington to a victory over Colorado.
Stone Garrett launched a solo homer and Riley Adams and Jeimer Candelario each had an RBI double for the Nationals, who have won four of their past five games.
Elias Diaz’s second RBI single accounted for his third hit of the night and staked the Rockies to a 5-2 lead in the top of the eighth before Washington rallied. Justin Lawrence (3-4) took the loss, while Jose Ferrer (1-0) emerged with his first major league victory.
OHTANI BUZZ DOMINATES MLB TRADE DEADLINE, EVEN IF SMALLER DEALS ARE MORE LIKELY
PHOENIX (AP) — MLB’s trade deadline is rapidly approaching on Aug. 1 and with less than a week remaining, it’s sometimes hard to figure out which teams are the buyers and which are the sellers.
Could two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani be on the move from the Los Angeles Angels? Could the New York Mets and San Diego Padres — two hugely disappointing teams with some of the game’s highest payrolls — really turn into sellers?
Few scenarios seem too far-fetched.
The sport’s expanded 12-team playoff bracket, which was introduced last season, means that at least 20 teams have legitimate playoff aspirations more than halfway through the season. However, that doesn’t mean all of them will be buyers.
Take the Arizona Diamondbacks: They were the darlings of the National League for much of the first half of the season, ascending to the top of the NL West for a big chunk of June. But a 5-13 mark in July has sent them spiraling back to the pack.
Entering Tuesday’s games, they were one of five teams in the NL — including the Cincinnati Reds (55-47), Miami Marlins (54-47), Diamondbacks (54-47), San Francisco Giants (54-47) and Philadelphia Phillies (53-47) — that are in an incredibly close race for the league’s three wild-card spots.
And the calculus changes daily.
D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said the communication with general manager Mike Hazen is constant.
“Mike’s like my second wife — we talk every day on the phone,” Lovullo said. “We talk about everything under the sun involving the Arizona Diamondbacks. That’s our job. We have some easy conversations and we have some aggressive conversations. That’s just how we are.
“I try to give him a bird’s-eye view of what’s happening in the dugout. He’s got some decisions he needs to make.”
OHTANI’S FUTURE
Ohtani is in the final year of his contract with the Angels, who have had some good moments this season but at 51-49 through Monday are far from a certainty to make the postseason. It doesn’t help that fellow superstar Mike Trout is on the injured list with a broken bone in his wrist.
It’s unclear whether Ohtani would be willing to re-sign with the Angels during the offseason, so owner Arte Moreno could instead trade the 29-year-old, which undoubtedly would bring back a sizable haul of talent.
But the Japanese star is a one-of-a-kind talent who can’t be replaced — on the field or when selling tickets.
BIG MONEY, LITTLE RESULTS
Money can’t buy everything in baseball — just ask the Mets and Padres.
Mets owner Steve Cohen is spending upward of $350 million for a team that had a 46-53 record through Monday’s games. With that in mind, it feels like the Mets could part with some veterans — like reliever David Robertson or outfielder Tommy Pham — who would be useful pieces for just about any contender.
The Padres cost nearly as much and have been nearly as disappointing at 48-53. General manager A.J. Preller hasn’t been shy about making big deals in the past, so it’s fair to wonder if pitchers like lefty starter Blake Snell and closer Josh Hader might be available for the right price. Both are free agents after this season.
PITCHING A PREMIUM
Pitching is almost always a hot commodity at the trade deadline, and this year is no exception.
The disappointing Chicago White Sox could be shopping Lance Lynn and Lucas Giolito while the St. Louis Cardinals might move Jack Flaherty, Jordan Montgomery or reliever Jordan Hicks.
Chicago Cubs ace Marcus Stroman has had a great year and could be a game-changer for a contender. The same goes for Detroit Tigers lefty Eduardo Rodriguez, who has a 2.69 ERA over 14 starts.
OTHERS TO WATCH
— It makes sense that the last-place Colorado Rockies would be sellers at the deadline. They’ve got a few veteran bats like C.J. Cron and Randal Grichuk who could provide some pop.
— The New York Yankees could use another good bat or two as they continue to fight in the brutally tough AL East. Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger or Nationals third baseman Jeimer Candelario could be good fits. Bellinger, the 2019 NL MVP with the Dodgers, has had a great bounce-back year in Chicago, batting .319 with 14 homers and 44 RBIs.
CHICAGO WHITE SOX REINSTATE 3B YOÁN MONCADA FROM THE 10-DAY INJURED LIST
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox reinstated third baseman Yoán Moncada from the 10-day injured list on Tuesday and optioned catcher Carlos Pérez to Triple-A Charlotte.
Moncada was placed on the IL on June 15 with lower back inflammation. He played eight games in a rehab stint at Charlotte, batting .333 (10 for 30).
The 28-year-old Moncada is hitting .232 with three homers and 13 RBIs in 38 games with Chicago this year.
The White Sox opened a two-game series against the crosstown Cubs on Tuesday night.
The White Sox also announced that they had outrighted veteran reliever Bryan Shaw to Charlotte. The 35-year-old Shaw was designated for assignment on Saturday.
FOOTBALL NEWS
CHARGERS, QB JUSTIN HERBERT AGREE TO 5-YEAR EXTENSION WORTH $262.5 MILLION, AP SOURCE SAYS
(AP) — Justin Herbert is set to become the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback by annual salary, agreeing to a five-year, $262.5 million extension with the Los Angeles Chargers on Tuesday.
Herbert’s total value and $52.5 million average per season surpasses the $260 million, five-year extension ($52 million average) Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson signed three months ago. Herbert will get $218.7 million guaranteed, which is second to the fully guaranteed $230 million deal Deshaun Watson signed with Cleveland in 2022, a person close to the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity because the Chargers did not release the financial details.
The team and Herbert agreed to the extension on the first day of training camp. The Chargers’ first practice will be Wednesday.
Herbert is the second member of the 2020 draft class to sign a big extension, after Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts signed a five-year extension worth $255 million.
Herbert’s contract also sets the playing field for the Cincinnati Bengals and Joe Burrow. Bengals owner Mike Brown on Monday said talks are ongoing.
Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes is in the third year of a 10-year contract worth $450 million, the largest overall deal for a quarterback.
The 25-year-old Herbert – the sixth overall pick in 2020 – is the first quarterback in NFL history to begin his career with three consecutive seasons of at least 4,000 passing yards and is one of two players to throw 25 touchdown passes in each of his first three years.
Since entering the league, Herbert is second in the league in completions (1,316), third in passing yards (14,089) and sixth in TD passes (102).
Despite Herbert’s numbers, he hasn’t pushed the Chargers into the echelon of Super Bowl contenders. Los Angeles is 25-25 including the playoffs with Herbert under center.
Last season, the Chargers went 10-7 and reached the postseason for the first time since 2018. They blew a 27-point first-half lead and lost to Jacksonville 31-30 in the first round of the playoffs.
Herbert was set to enter the final year of his rookie contract and had a base salary of $4.2 million for the upcoming season. The Chargers picked up his fifth-year option for 2024 worth $29.5 million.
SAQUON BARKLEY, GIANTS SETTLE ON 1-YEAR DEAL WORTH UP TO $11 MILLION, AP SOURCE SAYS
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Saquon Barkley and his contract are not going to be a distraction in training camp for the New York Giants.
The two-time Pro Bowl running back and the Giants surprisingly came to an agreement on a one-year, $11 million deal on Tuesday as players reported to camp and looked forward to getting back to the playoffs for the second straight year under coach Brian Daboll.
Those plans seemed in jeopardy for the past week as the Giants faced the prospect of their star back missing camp. Barkley was unhappy having a franchise tag put on him in March and his mood probably didn’t improve on July 17 when the two sides failed to reach an agreement on a long-term extension. It meant Barkley would have to play for the $10.1 million value of the franchise tag, if he chose to play.
There was speculation he might sit out all of camp and maybe even miss some of the season. That would have been a major disruption because Barkley is well liked by teammates and fans and his absence would have forced Daboll to constantly field questions about him. The coach doesn’t like to discuss missing players.
The concern ended Tuesday with the Giants confirming Barkley signed his franchise tender. The potential value of the contract was bumped up to $11 million with $909,000 worth of incentives, a person close to the negotiations told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the Giants did not release the incentive details.
“Obviously we are glad we were able to work things out with Saquon,” general manager Joe Schoen said in a statement. “We all recognize the player and person Saquon is and what he means to our team. He is a good teammate, a leader and a really good player. We are looking forward to getting on the field tomorrow.”
The Giants did not make Barkley available on Tuesday. Emails to his agents Ed Berry of Creative Artists Agency and Kim Maile of Roc Nation Sports seeking comment were not immediately answered.
The Giants and Barkley, who is entering his sixth season, cannot discuss a new contract again until the end of this season. New York maintains the right to franchise him again in 2024.
Barkley ran for a career-best 1,312 yards and scored 10 touchdowns last season in helping the Giants (9-7-1) make the playoffs for the first time since 2016. He also shared the team lead in receptions with 57.
The $11 million salary puts Barkley among the NFL’s highest-paid running backs. San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey ($16 million) New Orleans’ Alvin Kamara ($15 million), Tennessee’s Derrick Henry ($12.5 million) and Cleveland’s Nick Chubb ($12.2 million) are the top four earners among running backs in average annual salary.
Barkley’s injury history was a concern during negotiations. He was spectacular as a rookie out of Penn State, rushing for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns while catching 91 passes for 721 yards and four more TDs. An ankle injury caused him to miss three games in 2019. The devastating injury was a season-ending torn ACL in the second game of the 2020 season, and he wasn’t the same player coming off the injury in 2021, rushing for 593 yards. He returned to form in 2022.
Barkley was one of six players franchised after last season. Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson got a five-year, $260 million contract. Washington defensive lineman Daron Payne got $90 million over four years and Jacksonville tight end and former Giants player Evan Engram received $41.25 million in a three-year deal.
Barkley and fellow running backs Josh Jacobs of Las Vegas and Tony Pollard of Dallas didn’t get deals in a market where the value of running back has fallen dramatically. Pollard signed his tender offer. Jacobs did not.
VRABEL, HENRY PART OF WHAT HELPED TITANS LAND 3-TIME ALL-PRO DEANDRE HOPKINS
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — DeAndre Hopkins has had a good relationship with Mike Vrabel since their Houston days, a man who was one of the first to congratulate the three-time All-Pro receiver on being traded to Arizona and also the first to call him out for not making a catch for the Cardinals.
”I appreciate that right away because that’s how he was in Houston with me,” Hopkins said Tuesday, a day after signing his two-year deal with the Titans.
Hopkins also is friends with three-time Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry. Now they’re all together with the Tennessee Titans, and Hopkins believes he can be one of the pieces they need to win in the AFC South again.
Why?
Well, Hopkins watched the Titans come three minutes away from winning a third straight division title with a quarterback sign days before the regular-season finale.
“That right there kind of woke my eyes up to see that they’re only a couple of pieces away from where they want to be,” Hopkins said.
The Titans certainly hope Hopkins helps fill their biggest offseason need as veterans reported to camp Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s first full practice.
Even at the age of 31, Hopkins easily should help the Titans take a big step toward improving a passing game that ranked 30th in the NFL last season, averaging a mere 171.4 yards per game. Only four NFL teams scored fewer points per game in 2022 than Tennessee’s 17.5 points a game.
The five-time Pro Bowler would have led Tennessee last season despite being limited to only nine games by a six-game suspension to start the season and missing the final two with a knee injury. He finished with 64 catches for 717 yards, and his three touchdown receptions would have tied for third on Tennessee.
Hopkins still ranked fourth among all NFL players in averaging 7.1 catches per game.
Vrabel said he made clear to Hopkins not to waste the Titans’ time if he wasn’t interested in joining Tennessee as a free agent.
The Titans were the first NFL team Hopkins visited after Arizona cut him for salary cap savings in late May. During Hopkins’ seven seasons in Houston (2013-19), Vrabel started coaching Texans’ linebackers in 2014 and was defensive coordinator in 2017 before the Titans hired him in 2018 as their head coach.
Hopkins also is reunited with offensive coordinator Tim Kelly, his coordinator in Houston in 2019 when the receiver had 104 catches for 1,165 yards and seven TDs. Passing game coordinator Charles London also was in Houston coaching running backs between 2014 and 2017.
Vrabel said Hopkins has always built a strong trust factor with his quarterbacks, which he expects will happen with Ryan Tannehill.
“He’s strong with the football,” Vrabel said. “Contested catches we know how many of those there are in this league, so those are things that we’ll have to continue to work on and continue to make a strength of his.”
No one in the NFL has more catches since 2013 than Hopkins with 853 in his 10 seasons. Hopkins also has at least one catch in each of his 145 regular-season games played.
Only Julio Jones (11,472) has more yards receiving since 2013 in the NFL than Hopkins, and Jones was Tennessee’s attempt at upgrading its receiving group in 2021 before being released in 2022. Since 2013, Hopkins’ 71 TD catches rank fourth behind Davante Adams, Mike Evans and Antonio Brown.
Hopkins said Henry played a big role in him choosing Tennessee. Hopkins played with Arian Foster in Houston and wanted to be a part of this offense with Henry.
“Derrick Henry is definitely by far one of the best running backs that I would be able to have a chance to play with,” Hopkins said.
NOTES: Vrabel said Hopkins will miss a couple of days early in camp for a commitment he told them about earlier. … The Titans start camp with CB Caleb Farley and Dillon Radunz, the top two draft picks of 2021, on the physically unable to perform list. They reported last weekend along with rookies. OLB Harold Landry III, who tore an ACL on Aug. 31, will be available starting Wednesday.
JUDGE SAYS SHE WON’T CHANGE RULING LETTING NFL COACH’S RACIAL DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS PROCEED TO TRIAL
NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge said Tuesday that she’s not changing her decision to let NFL coach Brian Flores put the league and three of its teams on trial over his claims that he and other Black coaches face discrimination.
Judge Valerie Caproni’s written ruling in Manhattan federal court came after both sides in the case asked her to reconsider her March decision.
The judge ruled then that claims by two coaches who joined the Flores lawsuit after it was filed early last year must proceed to arbitration, where NFL Commission Roger Goodell will presumably serve as arbitrator.
She said Flores can proceed to trial with his claims against the league and three teams: the Denver Broncos, the New York Giants and the Houston Texans.
In February 2022, Flores sued the league and several teams, saying the league was “rife with racism,” particularly in its hiring and promotion of Black coaches.
When she ruled in March, Caproni wrote that descriptions by the coaches of their experiences of racial discrimination in a league with a “long history of systematic discrimination toward Black players, coaches, and managers — are incredibly troubling.”
“Although the clear majority of professional football players are Black, only a tiny percentage of coaches are Black,” she said.
She said it was “difficult to understand” how there was only one Black head coach at the time Flores filed his lawsuit in a league of 32 teams with Black players making up about 70% of the rosters.
In her ruling Tuesday, Caproni rejected an effort by the NFL to argue that a contract Flores signed last year with the Pittsburgh Steelers prevented him from taking any claim to trial because it contained language that would apply retroactively to claims against any NFL team.
She said the copy of the contract that the NFL submitted to her before she ruled in March contained a signature line for Goodell that was blank and the contract was not “valid and binding” unless signed by all parties.
The judge rejected a signed copy that was submitted after her ruling, saying “a motion for reconsideration is not a means to mend holes in the record with neglected evidence.”
Caproni also rejected arguments by lawyers for Flores who claimed that the arbitration agreements between the NFL and some of its coaches are “unconscionable” because Goodell would be a biased arbitrator.
She said the lawyers must wait until the arbitration occurs to decide whether their fears were warranted and whether Goodell “gave them a fair shake to prove their claims.”
She said the lawyers were asking her “to fashion a specific rule out of whole cloth to protect them from potential arbitrator bias that may never manifest itself.”
Lawyers on both sides, along with a spokesperson for the NFL, did not immediately comment.
Last year after filing his lawsuit, Flores said he believed he was risking the coaching career he loves by suing the NFL, but he said it was worth it for generations to come if he could succeed in challenging systemic racism in the league.
In March, the judge noted that Flores had recently been hired as the new defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings.
49ERS QB BROCK PURDY CLEARED FOR START OF TRAINING CAMP FOLLOWING OFFSEASON ELBOW SURGERY
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has been cleared to take part in training camp after undergoing surgery on his throwing elbow in the offseason.
General manager John Lynch said Tuesday that Purdy has been given the green light from doctors to practice after making good progress in his rehabilitation.
“Brock’s cleared and ready to go,” general manager John Lynch said. “He’s been cleared. He’s going to be without restrictions. Having said that, we’re sticking to and adhering to a plan. He got after it the last couple days and we upped his pitch count. We believe in that plan.”
The Niners will ease Purdy back into the flow and won’t have him throw more than two days in a row so he won’t take part in the team’s first practice Wednesday after throwing the past two days.
But Purdy is expected to resume his role as starter with the first team at practice Thursday, with Trey Lance and Sam Darnold sharing first-team reps when Purdy can’t go.
The 49ers are expected to start camp without 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa on the field. Bosa is seeking a long-term contract and could be in line for the richest deal of any defensive player. Bosa is currently under contract on the fifth-year option for $17.9 million this season. He is subject to fines of $40,000 a day if he doesn’t show up to camp, according to the collective bargaining agreement.
NO. 1 PICK BRYCE YOUNG SET TO OPEN FIRST NFL TRAINING CAMP WITH PANTHERS AMID LOFTY EXPECTATIONS
SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) — Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young is set to begin his first NFL training camp amid lofty expectations.
The Panthers have not been to the playoffs since 2017 and Young, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, has been entrusted with the task of making Carolina relevant again.
The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner from Alabama, who is well polished when it comes to his dealings with reporters, smiled and took it all in stride on his 22nd birthday as he addressed a large group of reporters at Wofford College not seen here since Cam Newton’s arrival as the top pick in 2011.
“The expectations for me and really everyone are to just push each other and make sure we get the best that we can out of each other every single day,” Young said on the eve of his first NFL training camp practice. “If we keep stacking those days then that’s all we can really control.”
Young will try to do what Newton didn’t — win a Super Bowl for the Panthers.
That’s been the clearly stated goal of team owner David Tepper ever since the Panthers traded away four draft picks and wide receiver D.J. Moore to move up from the ninth spot to get Young, an undersized but highly successful quarterback who went 24-3 in two years as Alabama’s starter.
Tepper said in April he anticipates the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Young winning multiple Super Bowls for Carolina.
“There is no sure thing here, but it’s a probability sort of (thing) — and we thought he has the best probability of winning Super Bowls,” Tepper said.
Young enters training camp as the presumptive starter after wrestling away first-team reps from 12-year NFL veteran Andy Dalton at OTAs in June.
He’s already gained the respect of his teammates in his brief time with the franchise through a professional approach, relationship building and the amount of time he spends in the film room.
Tight end Hayden Hurst said in many ways Young is similar to his former teammate Joe Burrow with the Cincinnati Bengals.
“He’s not in your face, he’s not screaming,” Hurst said. “He is just in there watching film every day. You don’t want to let guys like that down because you know they’re going to come to practice every single day and be on top of their stuff. So you better be on top of yours as well.”
Panthers running back Miles Sanders has noticed it, too.
“He’s sharp, man,” Sanders said. “(Coach) Nick Saban is doing a great job down there at Alabama. I played with another Alabama quarterback in Philly (Jalen Hurts) and all I can say is them boys is sharp. I’m excited to see what he can do this year.”
The Panthers have been searching for quarterback stability for the past five seasons, a journey that includes signing free agent Teddy Bridgewater, trading for Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield, bringing back Newton for an unsuccessful second stint and a failed pursuit of Deshaun Watson.
Cornerback Jaycee Horn, now in his third season in Carolina, said there’s been a noticeable uptick in enthusiasm within the organization since Young’s arrival.
“Oh yeah, the No. 1 pick, a new coach (in Frank Reich) and learning a whole bunch of different things,” Horn said. “Bryce was great in OTAs, so I’m excited to get out and work with him — and hopefully pick him off once or twice.”
The NFC South appears up for grabs.
Tampa Bay is moving on following Tom Brady’s retirement, while Atlanta and New Orleans appear in rebuild mode as well.
“It’s a huge opportunity for us to win a division and make some noise,” Horn said. “But no matter what we have on paper — the No. 1 pick, these defensive acquisitions — it don’t matter if you don’t put in the work. We’re going to try to go out and do that these next couple of weeks.”
NOTES: Panthers starting guard Austin Corbett has been placed on the PUP list after tearing his ACL in the final game of the 2022 season. Reich previously said Corbett is likely to miss some games. … Horn, the No. 8 overall pick in 2021, said he’s recovered from an offseason foot injury and plans to practice Wednesday.
PACKERS’ YOUTH HAS LAFLEUR FEELING AS IF HE’S A FIRST-YEAR COACH AGAIN HEADING INTO TRAINING CAMP
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Matt LaFleur enters his fifth season as the Green Bay Packers head coach feeling as though he’s just getting started.
The trade of a four-time MVP quarterback has a way of doing that.
“It feels like Year 1, quite frankly,” LaFleur said Tuesday, the day before the Packers begin their first training camp since the trade of Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets. “It feels like we’re right back where we started when I first got hired here.”
The exit of Rodgers and several other veterans make this one of Green Bay’s most intriguing camps in recent memory.
New first-team quarterback Jordan Love has started only one game since the Packers selected him out of Utah State with the 26th overall pick in the 2020 draft. Many of his receivers are also young and inexperienced.
LaFleur said the biggest obstacle heading into camp is all the unknowns now that Rodgers has moved on.
“Every year has its own unique set of challenges,” said LaFleur, who led the Packers to three straight 13-win seasons before they slipped to 8-9 last season. “But I think it’s going to be how quickly we can acclimate these young players and get them ready to roll and how we come together as a team. So there’s a lot of excitement today.”
There’s a lot of youth, as well.
Green Bay’s top two returning wideouts are Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, who were rookies last season. The Packers gave Love a few more options by drafting Oregon State tight end Luke Musgrave and Michigan State wide receiver Jayden Reed in the second round as well as South Dakota State tight end Tucker Kraft in the third.
The Packers passed up on adding a veteran receiver after the departure of Allen Lazard, whose 60 catches for 788 yards led Green Bay in both categories last season. Lazard and Rodgers are now teammates with the Jets.
“If the right player and the right price and all that kind of stuff comes around, we’ll certainly contemplate it and see if that makes some sense,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said. “But the players we have right now in that group need to play. They need the reps.”
That could lead to an adjustment in how the Packers handle their preseason games.
The past two years, the Packers didn’t play most of their starters in any exhibition games. They already essentially knew what they had and figured the reps the first-team players got in joint practices during training camp would suffice.
Now that this team is less experienced in key areas, LaFleur said he hasn’t decided on how he might use his starters in the preaseason games.
“I think it’s going to be fluid in regard to that approach,” LaFleur said. “We’ll kind of take it one day at a time and really want to feel where we’re at. And if it’s something that we feel that they need to play a little more in the preseason, then we’ll do that.”
Gutekunst said he has mixed emotions about using Love in preseason games, and he said that applied to all the young players on Green Bay’s roster.
“It’s a little bit of that double-edged thing,” Gutekunst said. “You’d like to see him play a lot if you could promise me we could protect him and keep him healthy, you know. I think that will probably be something Matt, as he goes through it, it’s a feel thing for what he feels he needs. I go back and forth.”
Love and his receivers already will get chances to test themselves before the season when the Packers have joint practices against two different teams. They’ve scheduled a joint practice with the Bengals in Cincinnati on Aug. 9 and two practice sessions with the New England Patriots from Aug. 16-17 in Green Bay.
That should give LaFleur’s staff a little better idea about what they can expect from their young offense heading into the Sept. 10 season opener at Chicago.
“I think we’ve got a lot of talented players,” LaFleur said. “And it’s everybody’s responsibility to get them to become the best version of themselves sooner than later.”
SAINTS BRING BACK TIGHT END JIMMY GRAHAM AND ADD GUARD TRAI TURNER
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Jimmy Graham, one of the most productive and popular tight ends in New Orleans Saints history, is back with the club that developed the former college basketball power forward more than a decade ago — albeit under considerably different circumstances.
Veteran NFL guard Trai Turner is returning to the state where he starred for LSU, making New Orleans his fifth different NFL home in the past five years.
The Saints announced the one-year contracts for each player on Tuesday as veterans reported for the club’s training camp at team headquarters.
“We wanted to make sure that Jimmy still had the desire to play, which he does. He looked great, he’s in great shape. He wants to be here,” Saints coach Dennis Allen said, alluding to the fact that the 36-year-old Graham did not play last season.
Mentioning fellow Saints tight ends Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau, Allen added that New Orleans has “some young players that we feel good about and are looking to develop, and we felt like Jimmy was a perfect fit for that room.”
While Graham’s production tapered off in his most recent NFL season in 2021 with Chicago, he was an unusual success story early in his career, having played only one season of college football at Miami — where he was a four-year basketball player — before the Saints made him a third-round draft choice in 2010.
In just his second NFL season, with Drew Brees as his quarterback, the 6-foot-7 Graham caught 99 passes for 1,310 yards and 11 touchdowns and was selected to his first of five Pro Bowls. He had another banner season in 2013, with 1,215 yards and a career-high 16 TDs receiving.
His run in New Orleans ended when he was traded in 2015 to Seattle, where he twice more caught 10 TD passes in a season but never reached the 1,000-yard receiving plateau in his three seasons with the Seahawks.
“Maybe I’ll get the respect of my daughter back because she killed me when we traded him years ago,” Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said.
Graham also spent two seasons each at Green Bay and Chicago. In his final season with the Bears in 2021, Graham caught 14 passes for 167 yards and three TDs.
Now Graham’s quarterback will be former Raider Derek Carr, who is in his first season in New Orleans. Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. held the same title when Graham last played for the Saints, but former coach Sean Payton — now with Denver — designed and usually called the offense back then.
Bringing Graham back “came down to a need on our part and a desire on his part to play,” Loomis said. “We’ve got a role that fits him and fits us. … He also brings a presence and resume and, I guess, an attitude.”
The 6-3, 315-pound Turner, a former LSU standout and a starter throughout his career, was a Carolina Panthers’ third-round draft choice in 2014. He spent his first six NFL seasons with Carolina before hopping from the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020 to Pittsburgh in 2021 and to Washington last season.
“We played against him a lot. He’s a big physical offensive guard,” Allen said. “We’ve had some good battles against him in the past and feel like he’s a good fit.”
While Turner could potentially push either of the Saints’ incumbent starting guards for snaps, Allen stopped short of putting either Andrus Peat or 2020 first-round draft choice Cesar Ruiz — on notice. Both are in their final seasons under contract.
“This is not a help-related signing,” Allen said. “We felt like (Turner is) a veteran player we could bring in, put into the mix and let’s see how the competition plays out.”
NOTES: Allen said he has not heard anything from the NFL “at all” about potential discipline for star running back Alvin Kamara, who recently reached a plea agreement in a criminal case in Las Vegas stemming from a fight in a hotel. Although Kamara pleaded to a misdemeanor, he also agreed to pay $100,000 in restitution and reached an additional, undisclosed financial settlement with the victim, who was seriously injured. There also was hotel security video evidence in the case. Similar incidents have resulted in multi-game suspensions for other players. Loomis said he didn’t “have an expectation” of when the NFL might notify the club of any discipline. … Allen and Loomis said they both expect two-time All-Pro receiver Michael Thomas — who has played in just three games the past two seasons and just 10 regular-season games since 2020 — to be fit to practice fully in Wednesday’s opening camp practice. “I feel really good about where Mike’s at physically,” Loomis said.
JETS RUNNING BACK MICHAEL CARTER CONFIDENT HE’LL BOUNCE BACK AFTER SECOND-YEAR STRUGGLES
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Michael Carter was a bright spot in the New York Jets’ offense as a rookie, a versatile running back who could turn a small play into a big gain from anywhere on the field.
Then came a shaky second season that included frustration for Carter and doubts from outside the organization.
“To be honest, it was a long … year,” Carter said Tuesday. “But it was a lot of stuff out of my control, if I’m being honest, too.”
Carter averaged 4.3 yards per carry as a rookie, rushing for 639 yards and four touchdowns while catching 36 passes for 325 yards. Last season, the 2021 fourth-round pick out of North Carolina ran for just 3.5 yards per attempt while finishing with 402 yards and three scores. He caught 41 passes for 288 yards but seemed to lack the explosiveness that made him appear to be such a promising weapon.
“I was a little too emotional last year because I really love football,” Carter said. “All you want to do is be great. It’s the only job I’ve ever had. I’ve never worked at Publix or none of that. I’ve just played football my whole life, so I put my all into it. When something doesn’t go your way, it hurts extra.”
Especially when your performance is publicly dissected on a regular basis.
Some fans and media think the Aaron Rodgers-led offense should sign free agent Dalvin Cook to help the backfield as Breece Hall continues his comeback from a serious knee injury. Carter is part of a running backs room that also includes Zonovan Knight, who saw a lot of work late last season, and speedy rookie fifth-rounder Israel Abanikanda.
Carter — who told reporters, “I see everything y’all say” — thinks some are counting him out as being a major contributor again.
“Yeah,” Carter said. “I do feel like that.”
And does that make him a bit angry?
“Hmm, yeah,” Carter said with a grin. “But also, they’re fans, so it’s like, they really enjoy watching their team succeed and if I’m not helping that, from a fan standpoint, I understand. But also, I’m only human and players (screw) up, too.”
Hall broke out as a major playmaker last season until a torn ACL in his left knee ended a promising campaign after just seven games. Instead of Carter getting more carries, the Jets traded for veteran James Robinson — a move that puzzled Carter.
“So I’m thinking, y’all don’t think I’m that good here?” Carter said. “So, it’s a mental game.”
Carter said his preparation last year was no less intense than it was his first season, adding he thinks he actually did more each week. But one big factor was the Jets’ offense struggling as a whole to find consistency. That led to defenses loading up on the run game.
“I did get some tough looks last year,” he said. “At one point, I was probably like leading the league in stacked boxes,” he said. “Not that I demand that respect but just situations. And then on top of that, there are some moments where I could have come up big and I just, you know, probably didn’t.”
The Jets moved on from offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur in the offseason and hired Nathaniel Hackett, reuniting Rodgers with the play caller who helped lead him to his last two NFL MVP awards in Green Bay.
Carter said having a quarterback of Rodgers’ experience and ability surely will help alleviate those stacked boxes — giving the offensive skill players chances to make plays. And Carter came to camp a bit slimmer this summer and has been impressive.
“He’s been great this entire offseason,” coach Robert Saleh said. “I think he’s going to bounce back really well.”
With Hall on the physically unable to perform list, Carter is getting the bulk of the carries with the starting offense in training camp. It has him feeling confident again — and he insists last season was a personal anomaly.
“I’m 24 years old and I’ve been playing football since I was 4,” Carter said. “So statistically, my year wasn’t great. But if you really look at it, I’m like 19 for 20. I’m in good shape. …
“I know what I’m capable of and you’ll see.”
NOTES: WR Allen Lazard didn’t practice with what Saleh said was muscle tightness in his left leg, which was covered in a sleeve. … First-round pick Will McDonald returned after missing a few days with a bruised leg and had a few would-be sacks in padded team drill sessions.
COWBOYS, TREVON DIGGS AGREE ON EXTENSION AS ZACK MARTIN BECOMES CAMP HOLDOUT, AP SOURCES SAY
The Dallas Cowboys have settled one of their looming situations with contracts just as another gets interesting.
Dallas and cornerback Trevon Diggs agreed Tuesday, the reporting day for training camp, on a $97 million, five-year contract extension, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.
The Diggs news came just as right guard Zack Martin officially became a camp holdout, with another person telling the AP the six-time All-Pro didn’t report to camp as he seeks a reworked contract.
Both people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the matters weren’t being discussed publicly.
Diggs led the NFL and tied the franchise record with 11 interceptions in 2021. As a second-round pick, he is entering the final year of his four-year rookie deal this season. The $19.4 million per-year average on the extension is among the top six in the league.
Martin is one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL, but only eighth among the highest-paid guards with an annual average of $14 million on the extension he signed five years ago. The 32-year-old has two years remaining on his deal.
THE NEW-LOOK NFL PRO BOWL IS RETURNING TO ORLANDO, FLORIDA IN FEBRUARY
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The 2024 Pro Bowl Games are coming back to Orlando.
The NFL announced Tuesday the reimagined Pro Bowl, which was held in central Florida four straight seasons between 2017-2020, will be played at Camping World Stadium on Feb. 4.
The weeklong event features AFC vs. NFC stars competing in various skills challenges and culminates with a flag-football game. Peyton Manning and his brother, Eli, again will coach the two teams.
Last year’s inaugural Pro Bowl Games in Las Vegas drew 6.4 million viewers and more than 58,000 in-person fans at Allegiant Stadium, up 16% from the previous year.
“Building off the success from last year’s reinvented format that elevated flag football and introduced fun forms of competition and entertainment, we are thrilled to bring The 2024 Pro Bowl Games to Orlando,” said Peter O’Reilly, NFL executive vice president, club business and league events. “Hosting multiple Pro Bowls in years past, Orlando is a world-class destination and a favorite getaway for our players and their families, and we look forward to working with the city of Orlando and Florida Citrus Sports to create the ultimate all-star celebration for players, their families and our fans.”
BUCCANEERS DL WILLIAM GHOLSTON TO RETURN FOR 11TH SEASON
Defensive end William Gholston re-signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Tuesday.
The Bucs did not disclosed terms of the deal for Gholston, however the Tampa Bay Times said it was a one-year deal.
He is the second longest-serving tenured Buccaneer behind linebacker Lavonte David, who’s played for Tampa for 12 seasons.
Gholston, who turns 32 on Monday, has been with the Bucs since being selected in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He’s ranked ninth in franchise history for games played with 153 and hasn’t missed a game since the 2017 season.
Gholston has recorded 401 career tackles (58 for loss), including 49 last season. He’s compiled 77 quarterback hits, 19.5 sacks, 12 passes defensed, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
Gholston also is a strong presence off the field in the Tampa Bay community, having been the Bucs’ 2022 nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for his work with food pantry programs, cancer research and youth mentorships.
The Bucs earlier waived linebacker Jeremy Banks to make room for Gholston on the roster.
CHIEFS WR KADARIUS TONEY UNDERGOES KNEE SURGERY
Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney is out several weeks following arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee.
Kansas City could be without Toney into the regular season, but head coach Andy Reid said the surgery performed Tuesday gives the electric playmaker a chance to return to the field for the opening game against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 7.
Reid said the procedure was performed Tuesday.
“We’ll just see. He’s determined that he’s going to be there,” Reid said of a Week 1 return. “I’m pulling for him.”
Toney was injured in training camp Sunday while working on punt returns. Reid said Toney felt the injury when he was attempting to change direction suddenly.
Toney also underwent an offseason “cleanup procedure” on his knee.
Tight end Travis Kelce said Monday that the Chiefs are going to need “KT” in order to be whole on offense.
“We’re going to miss KT, his ability to make a play out of nowhere and kind of gain that momentum. He was that piece for us in the Super Bowl, he was that piece for us throughout the season last year,” Kelce said.
Toney, 24, had 16 catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns in nine games split between the New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs last season. The Chiefs acquired Toney from the Giants on Oct. 27 in exchange for a compensatory third-round pick and a sixth-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Toney’s biggest moments with Kansas City came in the 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII. Toney set a Super Bowl record with a 65-yard punt return that set up a fourth-quarter touchdown. He also caught a 5-yard scoring pass earlier in the final period.
Toney has totaled 55 receptions for 591 yards and two touchdowns in 19 games (eight starts) since being selected by the Giants in the first round (20th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft.
He played in 10 games as a rookie and two in 2022 for the Giants, and then seven with Kansas City as injuries have been an issue for him.
NFL PREVIEW: ATLANTA FALCONS
The Falcons play in a stadium named for a car company. It’s fitting, because for the last five years, they’ve been stuck in neutral.
Atlanta hasn’t made the playoffs since 2017 and in the ensuing campaigns has won exactly seven games four times. The Falcons are still trying to find their way, with third-year coach Arthur Smith looking to take the next step in a winnable NFC South.
The big question mark is quarterback Desmond Ridder. While the offensive line is respectable and the weapons are intriguing, Ridder is the great unknown. A third-round pick last year out of Cincinnati, the second-year signal-caller started only four games as a rookie, throwing for 708 yards and two touchdowns with zero interceptions.
If Ridder can play, Atlanta can soar. If he can’t, the onus will fall on a remade defense. General manager Terry Fontenot threw significant resources at the unit this winter, led by a $64 million deal for free-agent safety Jessie Bates III. The Falcons also signed veterans David Onyemata and Calais Campbell for the front four, while signing edge rusher Bud Dupree for $3 million this season.
Few teams have a wider range of outcomes in 2023 than Atlanta.
Biggest gamble this offseason: Not adding another proven wideout
If you’re going to bet big on a second-year quarterback, it’s wise to give him all possible help.
Instead, Fontenot stood pat outside of a small signing of Mack Hollins, who gives the Falcons a veteran depth piece on the perimeter. As things stand, only Drake London is a proven threat, and he’s played all of 17 games at the NFL level. Last year as a rookie, the USC product caught 72 passes for 866 yards and four touchdowns, including a 120-yard effort against the Buccaneers in Week 18.
While London and tight end Kyle Pitts are excellent targets, there’s little punch beyond them. Atlanta would have been well advised to find another capable talent, someone in the realm of Jakobi Meyers or JuJu Smith-Schuster. Instead, the Falcons are relying on Hollins, along with Scotty Miller and do-it-all first-year back Bijan Robinson.
It could all work out, but it could easily backfire as well.
Toughest stretch of the season: Weeks 12 to 15
The Falcons have one of the league’s most favorable schedules. For starters, they play only four games against teams who made the playoffs last year, and two of those are against the rebuilding Buccaneers.
Additionally, Atlanta doesn’t have the same big road stretch that most NFC teams do this year. The Falcons don’t have a single three-game trip or four road tilts in five weeks.
If there’s a tough stretch, it’s after the bye week. Atlanta will emerge to face the Saints in Week 12 at home before traveling to take on Aaron Rodgers and the Jets. Then it’s a home date with Tampa Bay before a trip to Carolina. Again, an easy slate awaits Atlanta.
Breakout player to watch: Drake London
As mentioned above, London had a terrific rookie campaign, during which he pushed for almost 900 receiving yards. Now, with a full offseason and 819 NFL snaps to his name, the 2022 first-round pick could be primed to explode.
London has excellent size at 6’4″ and 213 pounds, and, while he never ran an official 40, it’s believed the time would have been around 4.5 seconds. The tools are there to become a Pro Bowl talent, and, if he can connect with Ridder and produce chemistry, there’s no limit to his game.
Atlanta will certainly give him the targets to make an impact. London simply needs to prove he’s the game-breaking star many believe he’ll become.
Position of strength: Front four
If there’s one thing we know about this Falcons team, it’s that they’ll rush the passer.
Atlanta spent real money upgrading its defense this offseason, and the additions of Campbell, Dupree and Onyemata are significant. Last year, Campbell posted 5.5 sacks in his age-36 season, while Onyemata had five in 17 games with the archrival Saints. Dupree was a disappointment in Tennessee over two years with only seven combined sacks, but when healthy, he’s capable of producing.
Of course, that trio will revolve around defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. Jarrett is a two-time Pro Bowler who has 32.5 career sacks and, alongside Onyemata, should cave in a few pockets come fall.
Position of weakness: Quarterback
Ridder isn’t so much a weakness as he is an unknown. The Falcons are essentially betting their entire season on a player with four starts who they didn’t take until the No. 74 pick of last year’s draft.
While Fontenot did bring in veteran Taylor Heinicke as insurance, he’s more of a break-glass option than anything else. If the Falcons are truly going to do something meaningful in 2023, it’ll be due to a surprise performance under center. Otherwise, Atlanta remains stuck in football purgatory, hoping to find its next Matt Ryan.
X-factor: Can Kyle Pitts find another gear?
Pitts is arguably the most-hyped tight end coming out of college in recent memory. After dominating to the tune of 1,492 yards and 18 touchdowns at Florida, Pitts made the Pro Bowl as a rookie. However, he was limited to 10 games last year, totaling 28 catches for 356 yards and two scores.
The Falcons didn’t draft Pitts to be a good player—they drafted him to be special. So far, he’s shown glimpses but is yet to put the entire package together. For Atlanta to reach the playoffs, Pitts needs to be a driving force.
Sleeper/fantasy pick: QB Desmond Ridder
Ridder is more of a “deep sleeper,” as he’s not being selected in the majority of traditional, one-quarterback leagues. The second-year field general will have Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts at his disposal. Ridder will also face one of the five best schedules among quarterbacks in 2023. —Michael Fabiano, SI Fantasy
Best bet: Let’s take the over for 1100.5 rushing yards for Robinson
Tyler Allgeier logged 1,035 in this run-first Smith offense in 2022, and Robinson should have more opportunity than Allgeier in his first season after the Falcons took him as the eighth pick in the NFL draft. —Jennifer Piacenti, SI Betting
Final record: 7–10, third in NFC South
COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS: MICHIGAN COACH JIM HARBAUGH FACING 4-GAME SUSPENSION FOR BREAKING NCAA RULES, AP SOURCE SAYS
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh is facing a four-game suspension for breaking NCAA rules over improper contact with recruits, a person with knowledge of a proposed settlement between the school and NCAA enforcement said Tuesday.
Michigan recently submitted a negotiated resolution to the NCAA in a case that has been in the works for about two years. The NCAA’s committee on infractions must approve the resolution, a process that typically takes about 30 days. The details were confirmed by a person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement is not finalized. It was first reported by Yahoo Sports.
“We are continuing to work cooperatively with the NCAA staff on an enforcement matter,” Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement. “At this time, we cannot comment further on any aspect of the matter.”
The Wolverines are coming off two straight Big Ten championships and two College Football Playoff appearances, and are expected to enter the season as one of the highest ranked teams in the country.
Michigan opens the season with four straight home games, starting Sept. 2 against East Carolina. Games with UNLV, Bowling Green and the Big Ten opener against Rutgers follow. Michigan is expected to be a huge favorite in all four. The Wolverines’ fifth game is Sept. 30 at Nebraska.
The person with knowledge of the situation said Michigan offensive coordinator and line coach Sherrone Moore and tight ends coach Grant Newsome are also facing one-game suspensions. The proposed suspensions for Harbaugh and his assistants would be only for game day, the person said.
Michigan received notice earlier this year that the NCAA was looking into potential rules infractions. The investigation involved impermissible texts and calls — including some by Harbaugh — to high school prospects during part of a pandemic-related dead period for contact with potential recruits. The NCAA also was looking at whether a member of Michigan’s off-field football staff violated rules by doing on-the-field coaching during practice.
Harbaugh previously told NCAA investigators in multiple meetings that he would not agree to an unethical conduct charge for not being forthright, according to two people familiar with the situation. The people spoke earlier this year to the AP on condition of anonymity because details of the investigation have not been shared.
Harbaugh, 59, is entering his ninth season coaching at his alma mater. Harbaugh, who coached the San Francisco 49ers for four seasons before taking over at Michigan, has flirted with returning to the NFL each of the past two seasons before deciding to stay in Ann Arbor.
The unresolved NCAA issues have delayed Michigan finalizing a long-expected new contract for Harbaugh, the person who spoke to the AP on Tuesday said.
Harbaugh is 74-25 at Michigan, and has beaten archrival Ohio State each of the last two seasons after beginning his tenure with five straight losses to the Buckeyes.
NOTEBOOK NINE: BIG TEN FOOTBALL PREVIEW
It’s the end of an era for the Big Ten in 2023. Next year, USC and UCLA come in and the Midwestern league that this writer grew up in will have completed its transformation into a coast-to-coast conglomerate. Our nine talking points for Big Ten football will break down into three segments, starting with…
THE BIG THREE
The powers of the Eastern Division define this league right now, with Michigan and Ohio State fresh off appearances in the College Football Playoff (CFP) and Penn State having won the Rose Bowl. Based on current betting odds, the Wolverines, Buckeyes, and Nittany Lions are among the seven most likely teams to be in the CFP, with the former two both favored to return. Initial thoughts on these teams are…
*In the pre-transfer portal era, Michigan and Ohio State would both be dealing with young offensive lines. In the new era, both added “veteran free agent help” to shore up the trenches. It’s still going to be interesting to see how quickly the new lines come together. Cohesion matters up front and I could see both teams taking some time to really get their running games going. And while I wouldn’t anticipate Jim Harbaugh’s potential four-game suspension for recruiting violations mattering all that much on the field, it will be interesting to see if there is impact on offensive line development. Ultimately, Michigan’s schedule is pretty easy until mid-October and any transitional pains can be covered up. Ohio State will need to be able to run the ball when they go to Notre Dame in September.
*The Wolverines and Buckeyes seem almost dead even, but I think you have to make Michigan a narrow favorite. They bring back J.J. McCarthy at quarterback and Blake Corum is one of the nation’s top running backs. Furthermore, this rivalry has tended to run in streaks, at least since around the late 1980s. Ohio State had been on a long winning streak. But Michigan has not only won the last two, but they’ve done so decisively, taking apart the Buckeye defensive front in the second half each of the last two years. I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself and start analyzing a game that won’t be played until Thanksgiving weekend. But that game will be in Ann Arbor and the recent history now favors the Wolverines. That’s reason enough to make them the early conference favorite, however narrowly.
*In the pre-portal era, I’d have been all over Penn State as the team to beat in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions have a veteran offensive line, and tackle Olu Fashanu is one of the best in the country, a likely high draft pick next spring. The running back tandem of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen should put up some big numbers. But there is a transition going on at quarterback. A road trip to Illinois on September 16 will provide an early clue on how good Penn State is, and they will otherwise be untested before going to Columbus on October 21.
THE BEST OF THE WEST
The Big Ten’s 2024 expansion will include getting rid of the divisional splits. That means this is the last chance for the teams of the West to get the artificial juice that comes from winning one of the weaker divisions in all of college football. From this vantage point, Wisconsin and Iowa continue to be the favorites, with Illinois and Minnesota having viable chances to get to Indianapolis in December. This quartet will be the focus of our next four talking points…
*Wisconsin is who betting markets are lining up on, coming off a tumultuous year where they fired the winningest coach in program history (Paul Chryst) and then declined to permanently hire one of the most well-regarded young coordinators in the country (Jim Leonhard). There’s no question that the ultimate hire, Luke Fickell, is a top coach, but if you’re going to create that kind of mess to get him, he better win big. The Badgers have the pieces in place for a vintage Wisconsin running game. But this will be a different offensive system. Will they get of “best of both worlds” situation, building off their traditional physicality with a little more spread to juice it up? Or will there be an identity crisis? Will the defense continue to thrive without Leonhard, now on the staff at Illinois? Put me down as a pessimist, at least for a year or two.
*I am buying in on Iowa. Yes, the Hawkeye losses are significant, from All-American tight end Sam LaPorta to Butkus Award winner Jack Campbell to a first-round pick at defensive end in Lukas Van Ness. But Kirk Ferentz has shown a capacity to put together a defense and he’s got seven starters back. Iowa has also been producing good tight ends of late. I think those personnel losses can be managed. What the Hawkeyes have not done is score any points. The arrival of quarterback Cade McNamara, who took Michigan to the CFP in 2021 is a big addition. I think they score enough to at least win the West. And if they don’t, it’s time for Ferentz to tell his son Brian, who runs the offense, that it’s time to consider a career change.
*Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck first made his name at Western Michigan, when he took the Broncos to the Cotton Bowl back in 2016. Fleck went back to Kalamazoo for some transfer portal help at the skill positions, bringing over running back Sean Tyler and wide receiver Corey Crooms. But there are a lot of holes on the offensive line. And it seems like this program has plateaued over the last couple years. Still successful, to be sure—with eight-win regular seasons plus bowl victories each of the last two years. But after the 10-2 breakout year of 2019, capped off by beating Auburn in a bowl game, it seemed like Minnesota was ready to take over the West. They still feel like one of the crowd—like a comfortable second or third-place team.
*Illinois fans got a taste for their immediate future last year. Bret Bielama is a good coach who knows how to produce a running game, and he returned the Illini to relevance. Bret Bielama is also someone who knows how to mess up close games. In short, he’s good enough to break your heart. Illinois had the West in firm command last year, until three straight tough losses—including a heartbreaker in Ann Arbor, ended the bid. Illinois again has some great talent in the trenches, from the left side of the offensive line to defensive end Jer’Zahn Newton. They’ll win games and have to be taken seriously. Until Bielama mismanages the clock and blows the one or two games that would have put them in Indy.
CLOSING NOTES
The teams that make it to Indianapolis on December 2 will come from those discussed above—I’m guessing Michigan and Iowa. Here are our two closing points to wrap it up…
*Purdue won the West last year, but head coach Jeff Brohm left for Louisville, and there’s a lot of rebuilding to do. New head coach Ryan Walters is a defensive guy and there is experience on that side of the ball. But in this era—as much as it pains my more traditionalist heart to say it—you need to be able to score to win consistently. Just making a bowl would be a win for the Boilermakers this year. As would winning the Old Oaken Bucket rivalry with Indiana. The promise the Hoosiers had coming off success in 2020 has faded into a 6-18 record the last two years. One thing to watch though—IU hired former Wisconsin offensive line coach Bob Bostad for the staff, and Bostad will oversee an experienced front. We’ll see if he can transport the traditional Badger power south to Bloomington.
*Michigan State and Maryland have to be thrilled with the ending of the divisional splits and the tougher schedules that came with it. The Spartans, after a down year in 2022, look stable in both trenches and ready to return to a bowl game. How good of a bowl will depend on how much quarterback play they get. The Terps will have no problem at quarterback—Taulia Tagovailoa would be my pick as the top QB in this league. But Maryland has no substance anywhere else. Both Sparty and Maryland are above-average teams with completely opposite profiles. If you could combine them, you’d have a superpower.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW: WAKE FOREST
2022 Record: 8-5 overall, 3-5 in ACC
Head Coach: Dave Clawson, 10th year: 59-53, 24th year overall: 149-133
Wake Forest fans got mad at me last year – and rightly so.
Every year when trying to figure out the preseason predictions and win totals, it’s hard to do for teams with a ton of 50/50 games. When it came to last year’s Wake Forest slate, the call was around a 6-6 record and a finish near the bottom of the ACC. And why?
It’s Wake Forest, and eight of the teams in the last ten games on the 2022 schedule ended up going bowling, and that was after dealing with a trip to Vanderbilt. Army and Boston College were the two teams that didn’t go bowing – the slate wasn’t easy.
And the second half of the season was just that rough after pushing Clemson and beating Florida State – I wasn’t THAT off with the 6-6 call; the team went 7-5 before the bowl – but it’s Wake Forest. Under head coach Dave Clawson it deserves the benefit of the doubt at this point, and we all need to learn our lesson.
It shouldn’t work, but it does. The really smart school with the small enrollment in a relatively even top-to-bottom conference is supposed to have ebbs and flows – like Northwestern or Duke. Maybe there’s a season here and there when everything goes right, but a 3-9 clunker to follow feels more like the norm.
Nope, not Wake Forest.
Seven straight bowl games under Clawson, and six winning seasons in the last seven with the outlier being the shortened 2020. The school had nine winning seasons in 11 years in the 1940s, but considering the eras, bigger schedules, and tougher overall circumstances, go ahead and include this as the best era of Demon Deacon football ever.
At this point, you know what you’re getting. Great offense, occasionally questionable defense, and a whole lot of production from a fun team that’s always a tough out, but …
Wake Forest Demon Deacons Preview: Offense
There’s going to be some work to do this year on the offense that finished third in the ACC in total yards and No. 1 in scoring. The passing game will still work, but the line that struggled in protection has a whole slew of parts to replace.
Michael Jurgens is great no matter where he plays on the inside – like at guard this year – and there’s decent young depth, but the 2s from 2022 have to quickly rise up into good 1s.
The backs need the depth to emerge, too. Overall the ground game averaged just 3.4 yards per carry, but Justice Ellison averaged over four yards a pop with a team-high 707 yards. He’s back, but Christian Turner left for Indiana and Quinton Cooley is off to Liberty.
QB Sam Hartman is gone to Notre Dame, but Mitch Griffis and Michael Kern can both play. Griffis isn’t all that big, but he produced in the opener against VMI when Hartman was out and was good in mop-up duty. Kern’s in his fifth year in the system.
Star WR AT Perry is gone to the New Orleans Saints, but Donavon Greene, Jamal Banks, Taylor Morin, and Ke’Shawn Williams form a terrific veteran corps to keep spreading around the wealth. Throw in Merrill Walker from Tennessee, and this group is more than fine.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons Preview: Defense
The defense has enough parts back to not fall off the map, but it’s still not going to be a rock. The Demon Deacons were 13th in the ACC in total defense and allowed 28 points per game, but the pass rush was good and the run defense wasn’t bad, but …
The line needs some retooling. Rondell Bothroyd was the main disruptive force on one else, but he’s off to Oklahoma. Fellow end Jasheen Davis led the team with 13 tackles for loss and tied Bothroyd with 13 tackles for loss. He’s back, Kevin Pointer is a decent veteran tackle, and coming in from Villanova is the 6-2, 280-pound Bryce Ganious, a quick interior playmaker who made 58 tackles, four sacks, and ten tackles for loss over the last two seasons.
The linebacking corps is getting a big-time tackler. North Carolina A&T’s Jacob Roberts will eat up everything in the middle – more on him in the Top Transfer blurb – and Chase Jones is back on the outside after finishing with 74 tackles. The depth is young, but the group can move.
The pass rush was good and will be again. Now the experienced secondary has to come up with more big plays and stops with just five of the seven picks last year and no one getting more than one. Caelen Carson is good at one corner spot, and DaShawn Jones is a promising sophomore on the other side. Safety Chilean Garnes was second on the team with 71 tackles, and Evan Slocum should shine as a veteran in the nickel job.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons Key to the Season
The secondary has to come up with more stops. The defense will never be a brick wall – it’s the cost of doing business with an offensive side that forces shootouts – but as long as the pass defense keeps from getting gouged – and with more third down stops and more picks – it should be okay.
It’s not even about the yards, it’s about the completions. Wake Forest was 7-0 last year when allowed teams to hit 62% or fewer of their passes, and 1-5 when it gave up more. BTW, Most of those losses came on the road.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons Top Transfer, Biggest Loss
LB Jacob Roberts in from North Carolina A&T, QB Sam Hartman gone to Notre Dame. Wake Forest didn’t do a ton with the transfer portal, but it got itself a tackling machine in the 6-1, 235-pound Roberts. He made 218 stops with 9.5 sacks and 29.5 tackles for loss at North Carolina A&T, and he should be the team’s leading tackler if all goes right.
The quarterback situation is fine – the system makes the player as much as it’s the other way around – but Hartman was amazing. He threw for almost 13,000 yards with 110 yards in his five seasons, and there’s a shot he closes out his college career as the No. 2 all-time passer in NCAA history – he’s currently 4,105 yards behind Timmy Chang – and that means …
Wake Forest Demon Deacons Key Player
Mitch Griffis, QB Soph. He’s a 5-11, 192-pound bomber who dominated as a Virginia high school star, got in a little work over his first two seasons at Wake Forest, and now is being asked to keep the high-powered offense going. It’s asking the world to be another Sam Hartman, but … be another Sam Hartman. He has the receivers to shine right away.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons Key Game
at Virginia Tech, Oct. 14. Not to assume anything, but if Wake Forest is strong it should win home games against Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech on the way to a 4-0 start before going to Clemson. Realistically, going 4-1 would be just fine, but the back half of the schedule is a bear making the date against a much-improved Virginia Tech a possible must win. It’s not pushing it to suggest the Demon Deacons will be the underdog in every game after going to Blacksburg.
AUTO RACING
AUTO RACING: HAMLIN HEADS HOME WITH MOMENTUM WHILE VERSTAPPEN REMAINS UNTOUCHABLE IN FORMULA 1
All Times Eastern
NASCAR CUP SERIES
Cook Out 400
Site: Richmond, Virginia.
Schedule: Saturday, practice, 12:35 p.m., and qualifying, 1:20 p.m.; Sunday, race, 3 p.m. (USA).
Track: Richmond Raceway.
Race distance: 400 laps, 300 miles.
Last year: Kevin Harvick won after starting 13th.
Last race: Denny Hamlin pulled away on the final restart and won his record seventh race at Pocono and the 50th of his career.
Fast facts: Hamlin became just the 15th driver in NASCAR’s 75 years to win 50 races. His victory was also the 600th in NASCAR for Joe Gibbs Racing. … Hamlin and Kyle Larson battled for the lead nearing the end before Larson crashed, finishing 20th. Larson claimed Hamlin nudged him; Hamlin said he did not. … The victory came a year after Hamlin and then-teammate Kyle Busch were both disqualified after finishing 1-2 at the track. … Hamlin’s teammate, Martin Truex Jr., expanded his points lead to 30 over William Byron with Hamlin 55 back.
Next race: Aug. 6, Brooklyn, Michigan.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
NASCAR XFINITY SERIES
Road America 180
Site: Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
Schedule: Friday, practice, 5 p.m., and qualifying, 6 p.m.; Saturday, race, 3 p.m. (NBC).
Track: Road America.
Race distance: 45 laps, 182.16 miles.
Last year: Ty Gibbs won from the pole position.
Last race: Austin Hill grabbed the lead when dominant Josh Berry slammed the wall on a restart in overtime at Pocono. It was Hill’s fourth victory of the season.
Fast facts: Hill ended a 13-race winless drought and tied points leader John Hunter Nemechek for the victories lead. … The two overtime laps were the only ones Hill led in the race. … Berry won both stages before crashing. He finished 24th. … Sam Mayer was second, followed by Cup Series regular Chase Elliott, Riley Herbst and Daniel Hemric. … With six races left to determine the 12-car field for the playoffs, five spots remain open. … Nemechek, who had won two straight, finished 32nd.
Next race: Aug. 5, Brooklyn, Michigan.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
NASCAR TRUCK SERIES
Worldwide Express 250
Site: Richmond, Virginia.
Schedule: Friday, practice, 5:05 p.m., and qualifying, 5:35 p.m.; Saturday, race, 7:30 p.m. (FS1).
Track: Richmond Raceway.
Race distance: 250 laps, 187.5 miles.
Last year: Chandler Smith won after starting second.
Last race: Kyle Busch passed points leader Corey Heim on the final lap at Pocono and gave his Kyle Busch Motorsports its 100th victory in the truck series.
Fast facts: Busch has won twice in five starts in the series this year. His two wins tie him with five series regulars. … Heim, with one fewer start than the rest of the contenders, stretched his points lead from 26 over defending champion Zane Smith to 42 points over Smith with Grant Enfinger, Ty Majeski and Ben Rhodes 59 back. … The Richmond race is the last one to gain a spot in the 10-driver playoffs.
Next race: Aug. 11, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
FORMULA ONE
Belgian Grand Prix
Site: Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.
Schedule: Friday, practice, 7:30 a.m., and qualifying, 11 a.m.; Saturday, sprint shootout, 6 a.m., and sprint, 10:30 a.m.; Sunday, race, 9 a.m. (ESPN).
Track: Circuit De Spa-Francorchamps
Race distance: 44 laps, 191.398 miles.
Last year: Max Verstappen won after starting the 14th, the deepest starting spot on the grid for any winner all season and during a five-race winning streak.
Last race: Verstappen passed pole-sitting seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the first turn in Hungary and extended his winning streak to seven races.
Fast facts: Verstappen, the two-time defending series champion, and Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez (two wins) have combined to win 12 straight races, including all 11 this season. That breaks the record the team shared with McLaren, which won 11 in a row in 1988. … Verstappen extended his points lead to 110 points over Perez, a cushion of more than four races in which he doesn’t score a point with a maximum of 26 available in each race. … Fernando Alonso is 142 behind in third.
Next race: Aug. 27, Zandvoort, North Holland, the Netherlands.
Online: http://www.formula1.com
INDYCAR
Last race: Josef Newgarden swept a weekend doubleheader in Iowa, matching Alex Palou with a series-best four wins this season, but he still trails Palou by 98 with just five races remaining.
Next race: Aug. 6, Nashville, Tennessee.
Online: http://www.indycar.com
NHRA DRAG RACING
Last event: Steve Torrence won in Top Fuel and Tim Wilkerson won in Funny Car in Washington state.
Next event: July 30, Sonoma, California.
Online: http://www.nhra.com
WORLD OF OUTLAWS
Next events: July 29 & 30, Weedsport, New York.
Online: http://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars
HOCKEY NEWS
PATRICE BERGERON, BOSTON BRUINS FORWARD AND CAPTAIN, ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT AFTER 19 SEASONS
BOSTON (AP) — Patrice Bergeron, who led the Boston Bruins to the 2011 championship and two other trips to the Stanley Cup Final over two decades in which he established himself as the NHL’s dominant two-way forward and one of the most respected players in the game, announced Tuesday “with a full heart and a lot of gratitude” that he was retiring.
“I have given the game everything that I have physically and emotionally, and the game has given me back more than I could have ever imagined,” the Bruins captain said in a statement posted on social media. “As I step away today, I have no regrets. I have only gratitude that I lived my dream, and excitement for what is next for my family and I. I left everything out there and I’m humbled and honored it was representing this incredible city and for the Boston Bruins fans.”
The Bruins are expected to retire Bergeron’s No. 37, making him the 12th player so honored. He is a certain first-ballot inductee for the Hockey Hall of Fame when he is eligible in three years.
“Patrice is a perfect example of what Boston Bruins hockey is all about,” said team president Cam Neely, himself a Hall of Fame player whose number has been retired by the Original Six franchise. “He has been an amazing teammate and extraordinary leader, helping establish a culture of work ethic, respect and selflessness.”
Bergeron, who turned 38 on Monday, considered retirement last summer only to return for another season. With him as the captain and the first-line center, the Bruins set NHL records with 65 wins and 135 points, and Bergeron won an unprecedented sixth Selke Trophy as the NHL’s top defensive forward.
But Bergeron missed the first four games of the playoffs with a herniated disk, and the Presidents Trophy winners lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Florida Panthers.
Bergeron wrote Tuesday that he knows “how blessed and lucky I feel to have had the career that I have had, and that I have the opportunity to leave the game I love on my terms.”
“It wasn’t a decision that I came to lightly,” he said. “But after listening to my body, and talking with my family, I know in my heart that this is the right time to step away from playing the game I love.”
In all, Bergeron scored 427 goals with 613 assists in 19 seasons with the Bruins, who selected him in the second round of the 2003 draft. He added 50 more goals and 78 points in the playoffs, leading the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final three times, and scoring twice — one of them shorthanded — in the Game 7 clincher against Vancouver. The French-speaking native of the Quebec City suburbs also won two Olympic gold medals with Canada.
He is third all-time for the 100-year-old franchise in goals, points (1,040) and games played (1,294), and fourth in assists behind only Hall of Famers Ray Bourque, Johnny Bucyk and Bobby Orr. With Bergeron’s retirement, Brad Marchand becomes the only remaining member of the 2011 championship team, though Milan Lucic re-signed with the team this summer after eight seasons away.
To his teammates, Bergeron wrote: “I have tried to learn something from each and every one of you and I always tried to be the best teammate that I could be. I will never forget your trust, the laughs, the endless memories, the ups and downs, and ultimately the long lasting friendships. I will forever be grateful being a part of such an exceptional group of men, and I will carry the pride of winning in 2011 with me forever.”
He also thanked the Bruins management and staff, the Boston fans and media, and his teammates and family and ended with a message to the next generation of hockey players.
“I had a dream at 12 years old, and through hard work and perseverance my dreams came true more than I ever could have imagined,” he wrote. “Respect the game and your peers. Welcome adversity and simply enjoy yourself. No matter where you go from there the game will bring you so much happiness.”
GOLF NEWS
GOLF GLANCE: JUSTIN THOMAS AT 3M OPEN DESPERATE FOR PLAYOFF PUSH
Field Level Media’s Golf Glance provides weekly news and storylines from each of the major North American golf tours.
PGA TOUR
LAST TOURNAMENT: The 151st Open Championship (Brian Harman)
THIS WEEK: 3M Open, Blaine, Minn., July 27-30
Course: TPC Twin Cities (Par 71, 7,431 yards)
Purse: $7.8M (Winner: $1.404M)
Defending Champion: Tony Finau
FedEx Cup leader: Jon Rahm
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday, 4-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (CBS)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday, 7:45 a.m.-7 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Twitter: @3MOpen
NOTES: Two tournaments remain before the start of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, with the top 70 players in the standings qualifying for the first leg. … Justin Thomas is in this week’s field as he currently sits 75th in the standings and is trying to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time in his ninth year on tour. No. 90 Gary Woodland and No. 118 Billy Horschel are among the other notable names in the field. … Finau is making his second start as a defending champion this week. He missed the cut in his defense at the Rocket Mortgage Classic last month. Finau is trying to become the fourth player to successfully defend a title this season, and would join Max Homa, Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler. … Patrick Rodgers is coming off a playoff loss to Akshay Bhatia at the Barracuda Championship. Rodgers has made 219 starts since joining the PGA Tour for the 2015-16 season, the most of any player during that span without a win. … Paul Haley II is playing on tour for the eighth consecutive week, the longest active streak in the field. He’s 132nd in the standings.
BEST BETS: Cameron Young (+1400 at BetMGM) is the highest ranked player in the field at No. 15 and is coming off a T8 at The Open, his second consecutive top-10. Young is the highest-ranked player in the world yet to win on the PGA Tour. … Finau (+1400) is the second highest ranked player in the field, but he has also missed three of his past five cuts and doesn’t have a top-20 in seven starts since winning in Mexico. … Sungjae Im (+1600) quietly posted a T20 at Royal Liverpool and finished T2 behind Finau last year. … Emiliano Grillo (+2500) also tied for second at last year’s 3M. He also won the Charles Schwab Challenge earlier this year and held a share of the first-round lead last week before tying for sixth. … Thomas (+2500) can’t be discounted despite missing four of his past six cuts. Thomas did finish T9 at the Travelers and showed some strides with an even-par 71 in the second round of The Open. … Sepp Straka (+2500) is a career-high No. 25 in the world after winning the John Deere Classic and tying for second at The Open in his past two starts.
NEXT WEEK: Wyndham Championship, Greensboro, N.C., Aug. 3-6
LPGA Tour
LAST TOURNAMENT: Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational (Cheyenne Knight, Elizabeth Szokol)
THIS WEEK: Evian Championship, Evian-les-Bains, France, July 27-30
Course: Evian Resort Golf Club (Par 71, 6,527 yards)
Purse: $6.5M (Winner: $1M)
Defending Champion: Brooke Henderson
Race to the CME Globe leader: Ruoning Yin
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV/Streaming: Thursday-Friday, 5-7 a.m. ET (Golf Channel), 7-8 a.m. (NBC Digital, Peacock), 9:20-11:30 (GC), 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (NBC Digital, Peacock); Saturday-Sunday, 5:30-11 a.m. (GC, NBC Digital, Peacock)
Twitter: @EvianChamp
NOTES: This is the fifth and final major of the year. The field includes each of the top 10 players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings and all 15 winners this season. … The 132-player field will be cut to the top 65 players and ties after 36 holes. … In Gee Chun holds the tournament scoring record of 263 set in her 2016 victory. … The is the 10th playing of the event as a major, with all previous champions in this week’s field except for the retired Suzann Pettersen, who won in 2013. … World No. 5 Yin is among 28 players who will make their tournament debuts this week. That list also includes tour rookie Grace Kim, who counts a win at the Lotte Championship among four consecutive top-20s. … Three players have secured spots on the Team USA Solheim Cup roster: Nelly Korda, Lilia Vu and Allisen Corpuz.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Women’s Scottish Open, Ayrshire, Scotland, Aug. 3-6
Champions Tour
LAST TOURNAMENT: Kaulig Companies Championship (Steve Stricker)
THIS WEEK: The Senior Open, Bridgend, Wales, July 27-30
Course: Royal Porthcawl Golf Club (Par 71, 6,901 yards)
Purse: $2.75M
Defending Champion: Darren Clarke
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Steve Stricker
HOT TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday, 7-9 a.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. (CNBC), 12-2 p.m. (NBC); Sunday, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. (CNBC), 12-2 p.m. (NBC)
Twitter: @SeniorOpen
NOTES: This is the fifth time the Senior Open has been held at Royal Porthcrawl. Bernhard Langer has won each of the past two held at the club, including a 13-stroke victory in 2014, the largest margin of victory in Champions tour history. … Clark last year became only the fourth player to win both The Open and the Senior Open, joining Bob Charles, Gary Player and Tom Watson. … Nine events remain before the start of the playoffs. Stricker leads the Charles Schwab Cup Standings with $3.59 million in earnings this season, more than twice that of Langer ($1.5 million) in second place.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Boeing Classic, Snoqualmie, Wash., Aug. 11-13
LIV Golf League
LAST TOURNAMENT: London, Hertfordshire (Individual: Cam Smith; Team: 4Aces)
THIS WEEK: OFF.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, W.V., Aug. 4-6
TOP INDIANA NEWS/RELEASES FROM ORGANIZATIONS
COLTS FOOTBALL
COLTS RB JONATHAN TAYLOR REPORTS TO CAMP, CONTRACT BATTLE LOOMING
Colts running back Jonathan Taylor reported to training camp to avoid being docked service time as the centerpiece of the Indianapolis offense enters the final year of his contract.
Speculation was rampant that Taylor might play hardball by skipping camp, but the market for running backs has devolved to the extent players at the position have gone public with their concern over the direction of the market.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard said Tuesday that he remains open to a long-term deal with Taylor. He added the market for running backs isn’t in his control.
But Ballard also said in January at his end-of-season press conference that there are situations that call for breaking market norms, implying Taylor was one such example.
Ballard said the exception is applied “when you’re a special player and special playmaker.”
Taylor said last month he reached out to the team hoping to get the ball rolling on a new deal.
“We definitely have approached (the Colts),” Taylor said. “Hopefully, that they can see the value, hopefully we can explain the value, not that it needs explanation. But we just want to be here, like I said, to help the team, help uplift the community. We’ll see where things go. It’s kind of on them right now.”
Ballard also said All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard, who has had multiple back surgeries, passed his physical on Tuesday. Leonard is not yet cleared for full contact.
The Colts selected Taylor in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. In three seasons in Indianapolis, he has run for 3,841 yards, including a league-leading 1,811 in 2021, when he was selected to the All-Pro team.
He has a career 4,643 yards from scrimmage to go with 36 touchdown.
FEVER BASKETBALL
JORDIN CANADA’S LATE TREY PUSHES SPARKS PAST FEVER
Jordin Canada’s 3-pointer with 3.1 seconds remaining capped a fourth-quarter rally, and the host Los Angeles Sparks snapped a franchise-long eight-game losing streak with their 79-78 defeat of the Indiana Fever on Tuesday.
Los Angeles (8-15) came into Tuesday’s contest, the first of two straight against visiting Indiana, on an eight-game skid. The Sparks appeared to be in danger of a ninth consecutive loss when their 11-point lead with 7:28 left in the third quarter was gone early in the fourth.
The Sparks endured a 4:17 drought without a field goal in the fourth quarter. The Fever could not fully capitalize, however, expanding their lead to only five points.
That let Los Angeles remain in striking distance until they took their only lead of the quarter on Canada’s go-ahead bucket in the closing seconds.
The Sparks set up the game-winner thanks to Nneka Ogwumike, who scored six of her game-high 30 points in the final 2:39 — including two on a put-back with 38.1 seconds remaining.
That basket cut Indiana’s lead to two, allowing Los Angeles to defend without fouling on the ensuing Fever possession, which ended with a missed 3-point attempt by Victoria Vivians. Zia Cooke got the rebound for Los Angeles.
Canada finished with 20 points, and Ogwumike’s eight rebounds were the game high.
Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana (6-17) with 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the floor. Vivians scored 17 points and Erica Wheeler finished with 15 points and a team-high eight assists.
Azura Stevens collected 15 points and six rebounds for Los Angeles. Two of her points came on a critical jumper with 1:13 to keep the Sparks within a possession. Canada assisted on the play, one of her game-high 10 assists.
INDIANA PACERS
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers announced Tuesday they have signed forward Kendall Brown to a two-way contract.
INDIANS BASEBALL
INDIANS BLITZ BATS EARLY, ROLL TO 11-7 WIN
INDIANAPOLIS – Chris Owings capped a five-run first inning with a three-run homer, and Josh Palacios and Aaron Shackelford tacked on solo home runs for good measure as the Indianapolis Indians blasted their way to an 11-7 win over the Louisville Bats on Tuesday night at Victory Field.
The Indians (45-51, 12-10) wasted little time in doing damage against right-hander Michael Mariot (L, 4-2), sending eight batters to the dish in the opening frame. After Ke’Bryan Hayes and Palacios worked one-out walks, Miguel Andújar – who entered the contest third in batting among International League qualifiers – roped a run-scoring single into left-center. Canaan Smith-Njigba followed with an RBI double high off the left-field wall ahead of Owings’ ninth blast of the season.
After the Bats (51-44, 11-11) scored their first run in the top of the third on an Alejo López two-out infield single, Indy responded with three runs in the bottom half to knock Mariot out of the game. Ryan Vilade rocked a run-scoring double into the left-field corner to bring home Palacios, and Shackelford added a two-out, two-run single to push the lead to 8-1.
Louisville chipped away at its deficit over the next four innings to tighten the score. Palacios’ seventh Triple-A blast countered a solo home run off the bat of Nick Martini and two-run shot by Jose Barrero in the fourth. The Bats crept within slam range again in the sixth on a two-out RBI double by Chuckie Robinson and pulled within two in the seventh on RBI groundouts by Martini and Noelvi Marte that followed three consecutive walks issued by Colin Selby.
Leading 9-7 at the stretch, Shackelford clubbed his team-leading 13th home run off a light pole beyond the right-field wall. The Indians manufactured another insurance run thanks to heads-up play by Jason Delay who singled, advanced to second base on a foul out, took third on a wild pitch and scored on a Vinny Capra infield single to second.
The Bats’ first two hitters reached safely in the ninth, but Hunter Stratton struck out Marte and induced a game-ending double play to seal the win.
Cam Alldred (W, 6-3) took over for Cody Bolton in the second and yielded four earned runs on seven hits in 4.0 innings of relief.
Palacios reached base safely a game-high four times, going 2-for-3 with a home run, two walks and three runs. Vilade, Shackelford and Delay also recorded two-hit performances.
The Indians and Bats continue their series on Wednesday at 1:35 PM ET. RHP Kyle Nicolas (0-2, 10.31) is slated to start for Indy against RHP Connor Phillips (1-0, 2.55).
INFIELDER ALIKA WILLIAMS SELECTED BY PITTSBURGH
INDIANAPOLIS – The Pittsburgh Pirates today selected the contract of infielder Alika Williams, their No. 29 prospect according MLB Pipeline. He will become the ninth player from the 2023 Indianapolis Indians to debut this season, following right-handers Osvaldo Bido, Cody Bolton, Carmen Mlodzinski and Quinn Priester, catcher Endy Rodríguez, outfielder Henry Davis and infielders Nick Gonzales and Jared Triolo.
Williams, 24, has been on a tear for the Indians since being traded to Pittsburgh from Tampa Bay in exchange for right-hander Robert Stephenson on June 2. In 36 games, he owns a .305 batting average (39-for-128) with 25 runs, 15 extra-base hits, 20 RBI and 15 walks to just 22 strikeouts. Since beginning a season-high nine-game hitting streak on June 20, he is hitting .358 (34-for-95) with 12 multi-hit performances and seven home runs in 26 games.
In the middle infield, Williams – primarily a shortstop over the course of his career – has consistently made stellar defensive plays. He has logged a .958 fielding percentage (four errors in 95 total chances) in 244.1 innings and a .970 fielding percentage (one error in 33 total chances) in 69.1 innings at second base with Indy.
Williams was originally drafted by Tampa Bay in the first round (37th overall) of the 2020 First-Year Player Draft out of Arizona State (Tempe) University prior to being traded to Pittsburgh. His alma mater Rancho Bernardo (San Diego) High School and the Padres’ Petco Park, where he could make his MLB debut tonight or tomorrow afternoon, are separated by just 25 miles.
INDY ELEVEN
PIT-IND TIED 1-1 IN FIRST MEETING OF SEASON
#PITvIND Preview
Indy Eleven vs Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
Wednesday, July 26, 2023 – 7:00 p.m. ET
Highmark Stadium – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Follow Live
Streaming Video: ESPN+ (click to subscribe)
In-game updates: @IndyElevenLive Twitter feed
Stats: #PITvIND MatchCenter at USLChampionship.com
2023 USL Championship Records
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC: 10W-3L-8D (11), 38pts; 1st in Eastern Conference
Indy Eleven: 5W-7L-7D (-1), 22 pts; 9th in Eastern Conference
Community Health Network Sports Medicine Indy Eleven Injury Report
OUT: DF B. Rebellon (L adductor), DF J. Vazquez (leg)
QUESTIONABLE: None
SETTING THE SCENE
The Boys in Blue return to action Wednesday for a midweek match-up at USL Championship Eastern Conference leader Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. This is the second of two matches between the clubs this season, with the teams tying 1-1 in Indianapolis on April 29.
The Eleven are coming off a 0-0 draw with Tampa Bay and are 1-1-3 in their last five games. With a 5-7-7 record, Indy is ninth in the USLC Eastern Conference.
Pittsburgh is 2-1-2 in its last five matches and is coming off a 3-1 loss to Charleston Battery. Pittsburgh leads the Eastern Conference at 10-3-8.
SERIES VS. PITTSBURGH
Saturday marks the 12th meeting between the two teams, with Pittsburgh holding the 5-3-3 all-time advantage in USL Championship action. The is the second meeting of two this season.
PIT leads: 5-3-3
GF 9, GA 14
Recent Meetings
4.29.23 | home | D, 1-1
8.6.22 | home | L, 2-0
7.6.22 | at PIT | L, 1-0
6.15.21 | home | L, 1-0
8.15.20 | home | W, 1-0
USL Championship Regular Season
Indy Eleven 1:1 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
Saturday, April 29, 2023
Michael A. Carroll Stadium – Indianapolis, Ind.
Scoring Summary
PIT – Albert Dikwa (Luke Biasi) 18’
IND – Jack Blake (unassisted) 81’
LAST TIME OUT
IND 0:0 TBR
JULY 22, 2023
Indy Eleven played to a 0-0 draw with the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday night at Carroll Stadium.
A scoreless first half was dominated by the Eleven, earning 62% of the possession and registering the 9-2 advantage in shots and 2-0 lead in shots on target. Sebastian Velasquez, Aodhan Quinn and Sebastian Guenzatti each had two apiece for Indy.
The final stats saw Indy hold a 58%-42% edge in possession after a much more equal second frame. Tampa Bay finished with 13 shots to the Eleven’s 11, and a 4-2 advantage in shots on target.
Quinn led the Indy attack with three shots, while Velasquez and Guenzatti accounted for the Eleven’s shots on goal. Defensively, Mechack Jerome led Indy with six clearances, Macauley King cleared a ball off the line to keep the game level and Yannik Oettl had three saves.
Quinn became the USL Championship’s leader in regular-season minutes played at 20,096, while Douglas Martinez played in his 100th career USLC regular-season match.
Scoring Summary
none
Discipline Summary
TBR – Jake Areman (caution) 12’
TBR – Forrest Lasso (caution) 16’
IND – Sebastian Velasquez (caution) 27’
20,000 AND COUNTING…
Aodhan Quinn reached the 20,000-minute mark in USL Championship regular season action with his 90 minutes played against Charleston on July 12, and went on to become the USLC’s leader in regular-season minutes played at 20,096 after 90 against Tampa Bay on July 22.
20,000+ minutes | 20,096 | 1st
Appearances | 242 | T7
Approaching… 50 assists | 49 | 3rd
Quinn has 51 goals after a pair of PKs against San Diego Loyal SC (7.1.23) and one against Charleston (7.12). He is the 24th player in USL Championship history to hit 50 goals.
Quinn has recorded 24 penalty kick goals in 27 attempts in his career in the league, the most of any individual player on record in league history.
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
PURDUE DRAWS GONZAGA IN MAUI JIM MAUI INVITATIONAL QUARTERFINAL
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The 2023 Maui Jim Maui Invitational has announced that Purdue will face Gonzaga in the opening round on Monday, Nov. 20, tipping off at 5 p.m. ET (noon HT) on ESPN2.
The contest will be the second game of the day following Tennessee vs. Syracuse from the Lahaina Civic Center in Lahaina, Hawai’i. The other side of the bracket pits Kansas vs. Chaminade and Marquette vs. UCLA.
The semifinals will be played on Tuesday afternoon in Hawai’i, with the championship game on Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET.
The field is one of the most-stacked tournaments in the history of multi-team events. Five teams are ranked in the top 10 ESPN’s “Way Too Early Top 25”, featuring Kansas (#1), Purdue (#3), Tennessee (#6), Gonzaga (#8) and Marquette (#10). A sixth team, UCLA, made the Sweet 16 a year ago, where it lost to Gonzaga.
It will mark the second straight season that Purdue will play Gonzaga after previously not meeting since the 2000 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. Purdue defeated Gonzaga 84-66 in last year’s semifinals of the Phil Knight Legacy and hold a 3-0 series lead against the Bulldogs with wins coming in Nov. 1998 (83-68) and the before-mentioned 2000 NCAA Tournament (75-66).
This marks Purdue’s fourth appearance in the Maui Invitational, but first since 2014. The Boilermakers have gone 2-1 in every event with a second-place finish (1999) and two fifth-place showings (2006, 2014).
Purdue has won five straight multi-team event games, capturing championships in the 2021 Hall of Fame Tipoff and the 2022 Phil Knight Legacy. Four of the five wins have come against teams ranked in the top 18 of the AP Top 25 poll (#18 North Carolina, #5 Villanova, #6 Gonzaga, #8 Duke).
With the addition of Gonzaga, Purdue’s schedule figures to be one of the most difficult in the country. The Boilermakers will face Alabama (#22) in Toronto, Arizona (#11) in Indianapolis, Xavier in Mackey Arena for the Gavitt Games, Gonzaga (#8) in Maui and possibly two more top-10 teams in Maui.
For more information, including ticket details, visit mauiinvitational.com.
Purdue vs. the 2023 Maui Invitational field
Chaminade: Purdue leads, 1-0 (Last: Nov. 22, 1999)
Gonzaga: Purdue leads, 3-0 (Last: Nov. 25, 2022)
Kansas: Kansas leads, 4-2 (Last: March 23, 2017)
Marquette: Purdue leads, 10-1 (Last: Nov. 15, 2022)
Syracuse: Syracuse leads, 3-0 (Last: Dec. 19, 1981)
Tennessee: Purdue leads, 3-2 (Last: March 28, 2019)
UCLA: UCLA leads, 10-3 (Last: Dec. 30, 2000)
Maui Invitational Schedule
Monday, Nov. 20 (All Times Eastern)
2:30 p.m. – Tennessee vs. Syracuse
5 p.m. – Purdue vs. Gonzaga
9 p.m. – Kansas vs. Chaminade
11:30 p.m. – Marquette vs. UCLA
Tuesday, Nov. 21 (All Times Eastern)
2:30 p.m. – Loser of Tennessee / Syracuse vs. Loser of Purdue / Gonzaga
5 p.m. – Loser of Chaminade / Kansas vs. Loser of UCLA / Marquette
8 p.m. – Winner of Tennessee / Syracuse vs. Winner of Purdue / Gonzaga
10:30 p.m. – Winner of Kansas / Chaminade vs. Winner of UCLA / Marquette
Wednesday, Nov. 22 (All Times Eastern)
2:30 p.m. – 3rd-place game
5 p.m. – Championship game
9:30 p.m. – 7th-place game
Midnight – 5th-place game
PURDUE SWIMMING
9 SWIMMERS SET TO RACE AT NATIONALS IN SOCAL
By: Ben Turner
IRVINE, Calif. – Nine Boilermakers – six men and three women – are set to close out the summer long course season on the national stage, returning to Southern California for USA Swimming’s TYR Pro Championships.
Purdue’s events are set for Thursday to Saturday, with prelims daily at noon ET and finals at 8 p.m. ET.
Andrew Alders, Masy Folcik, Brady Samuels and Andrew Witty are representing at nationals in Irvine to close out the month of July for the second year in a row. They’re joined this year by Hannah Hill and rising sophomores Max Blume, Dylan Burau, Kelsey Cooper and Raymond Whittaker.
Samuels also raced at USA Swimming’s Phillips 66 National Championships the final week of June, where he posted career bests in all five of his events and posted a pair of qualifying times for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. He’s entered in a team-high five individual events and is likely to race as part of both relays as well.
Highlighted by event victories from Kelsey Cooper (200m back) and Raymond Whittaker (200m breast), five of the Boilermakers racing this week won medals at the Indiana Senior State Championships two weeks ago in Indianapolis. Masy Folcik posted an Olympic Trials cut while claiming silver in the 100-meter breaststroke. Blume (silver in 100m breast, bronze in 200m breast) and Hill (bronze in 50m free) were also medalists while qualifying for nationals.
The Boilermakers are slated to compete in 10 events over the three days. Friday’s 100 breast features a team-high five Purdue entries.
PURDUE AT 2023 TYR PRO CHAMPIONSHIPS
William Woolett Jr. Aquatic Center // Irvine, California
Prelims at Noon, Finals at 8 p.m. ET
Results Added Below as Available
Thursday, July 27
• 50m Free – Hannah Hill, Brady Samuels
• 4×100 Medley Relay (Finals Only) – Men’s Quartet TBD
Friday, July 28
• 100m Fly – Brady Samuels
• 200m Free – Brady Samuels
• 100m Breast – Masy Folcik, Andrew Witty, Max Blume, Raymond Whittaker, Andrew Alders
• 100m Back – Brady Samuels
Saturday, July 29
• 200m Back – Kelsey Cooper, Dylan Burau
• 100m Free – Brady Samuels
• 200m Breast – Raymond Whittaker
• 4×100 Free Relay (Finals Only) – Men’s Quartet TBD
Individual Event Schedule
• Andrew Alders – 100m Breast
• Max Blume – 100m Breast
• Dylan Burau – 200m Back
• Kelsey Cooper – 200m Back
• Masy Folcik – 200m Breast
• Hannah Hill – 50m Free
•Brady Samuels – 50m, 100m & 200m Free; 100m Back, 100m Fly, Relays
• Raymond Whittaker – 100m & 200m Breast
• Andrew Witty – 100m Breast
BUTLER WOMEN’S SOCCER
FORMER BULLDOG, KATIE SODERSTROM, TO PLAY PROFESSIONALLY IN DENMARK
Former Butler women’s soccer forward Katie Soderstrom has signed a professional contract with Odense Boldklub Q in Denmark. Soderstrom joined up with her new teammates shortly after winning the USL W League Final on the 22nd of July with Indy Eleven.
Coach John Bæksted expressed excitement to start working with Sodertrom: “Our scouting department had nothing but praise for Katie. She knows how to score and assist, which we will need big time this season.”
Soderstrom, from Carmel, Indiana, was a four-time All-BIG EAST First Team selection at Butler. Her senior season, she led the Bulldogs in assists (6) and was second in goals (6) and points (18), receiving National Player of the Week on August 24 after her game-winning goal at No. 9 Michigan. On Butler’s career lists, the forward/midfielder is second all-time with 30 assists, fourth with 98 total points, and tied for fourth with 34 goals.
Soderstrom’s performances during her collegiate career were awarded with a trial at NWSL club Angel City FC. This past summer, Soderstrom played for Indy Eleven, for which she scored 11 goals and secured a spot in the USL W Team of the Year.
Odense Q currently plays in the Kvinde 1. Division, the second highest division of women’s soccer in Denmark. Additional recent aquisitions include Reese Moffatt, who played at LSU and Oregon State, and Zoë Hasenauer, who played at Oregon.
Soderstrom joins recent Butler women’s soccer graduates Amanda Kowalski, Macy Miller, Annika Schmidt, Paige Monaghan, Serina Kashimoto, and Elise Kotsakis in signing on to compete in the professional ranks.
BUTLER MEN’S GOLF
BUTLER MEN’S GOLF ANNOUNCES 2023-24 SCHEDULE
The Butler men’s golf team will travel to such locations as Myrtle Beach and Puerto Rico during the 2023-24 season while also competing throughout the Midwest, as the schedule was announced by coach Colby Huffman Tuesday (July 25).
The Bulldogs will open the season at Ball State Sept. 9 for the Earl Yestingmeier Invitational and will then participate in the Virtues Invitational at Miami (Ohio) two weeks later. Three events in October will be the Tom Tontimonia Invitational at Cleveland State (Oct. 2-3), the Purdue Fall Invitational (Oct. 9-10), and the Xavier Invitational (Oct. 16-17).
The spring season kicks off in unique style, Feb. 5-6, with the BIG EAST Match Play event in West Palm Beach, Fla. Five tournaments follow, including the Don Benbow Butler Spring Invitational, which Butler will host at the Highland Golf Club, April 1-2.
Prior to the season’s only home event, Butler travels to Puerto Rico for the Advance Golf Partners Collegiate (Feb. 25-27) and to Myrtle Beach for the App State Surf Club Invitational (March 11-12). The regular season concludes with a pair of events in April, the Hoosier Collegiate in Bloomington (April 6-7) and the University of Illinois Invitational (April 21-22).
For the second consecutive season, the BIG EAST Championships will be held at Riverton Pointe in Hardeeville, S.C., with competition scheduled April 27-29.
The 2023-24 season will be Huffman’s third at the helm of the program. Damon Dickey, a junior who led the Bulldogs with a 72.88 scoring average last season, returns to lead a squad comprised of a pair of seniors, two additional juniors, and four sophomores.
IUPUI WOMEN’S GOLF
FOX, ROLSTON CAPTURE TOP-10 FINISHES AT THE 2023 STATE AM
COLUMBUS, Ind. – The IUPUI women’s golf team was well represented at the Indiana Women’s State Amateur Championship that concluded Friday (July 21). Senior Annaliese Fox led the way, finishing T-3 after carding a 2-over 218 while Yanah Rolston – who just finished her first year at IUPUI – followed closely behind, finishing T-7 with an overall score of 222 (6-over).
Fox got off to a fantastic start at Otter Creek Golf Club, tallying three birdies and an eagle to hold the 18-hole lead after her 3-under 69. Round two was a different story for the Fountaintown native, who shot 77 and dropped to a T-4 position heading into the final round. An even-par 72 on day three of the tournament secured the T-3 placement with an overall score of 218.
“It was a great time. I went out there with an open mind about my game,” Fox said. “I haven’t been on top of practice as much as I needed to this summer. But when I got out there for those three days, all I told myself is what happens, happens and you can’t be upset about it.
“I think during this tournament I took a lot more time on my landing spots and picking targets out. But most of all, every time I stepped up to the ball I would take two deep breaths and tell myself to commit to the shot no matter what your mind is going through and breathe. Those were the two things that help me play the best that I can.”
Rolston had an extremely steady start, carding an opening round-high 17 pars and one bogey for a 73. The Fishers native battled back after shooting 4-over on the front nine, recording eight pars and a birdie on the back for a 75 overall. After an up-and-down final 18 holes that featured four birdies and six bogeys for a 2-over 74, her 54-hole total of 222 was good for a T-7 finish.
Another rising senior, Ally Stuckey, showed well at 242 (80-81-81), continuing to build off an already promising summer schedule.
Fox and Rolston along with the rest of the IUPUI women’s golf team will continue to prepare for the 2023-24 season that begins at the Redbird Invitational in Normal, Ill. on Sunday, Sept. 10.
NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL
NOTRE DAME STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH RESIGNS FOR PERSONAL REASONS AS FOOTBALL TEAM RAMPS UP
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame strength and conditioning coach Matt Balis has resigned for personal reasons, the school announced Tuesday, the day before the Fighting Irish begin preparation for the upcoming season.
Balis, whose official title was director of football performances, has led Notre Dame football’s strength and conditioning program since 2017.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for who he is as a coach and a man,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said in a statement. “While there is never a perfect time to lose a valuable teammate, we are thankful that Coach Balis was able to see us through our summer program and have our players physically prepared to head into the upcoming season.”
The Irish open the season Aug. 26 against Navy in Dublin, Ireland.
Balis was considered a key member of a staff that helped guide the Irish to six straight bowl games, including appearances in the 2018 and 2020 College Football Playoffs.
The Irish have had 29 players were selected in the NFL Draft, including four first-round picks, during Balis’ tenure.
Fred Hale, who has worked as one of Balis’ assistants, will lead the strength and conditioning program, Freeman said.
JOHNNY LUJACK, 1947 HEISMAN WINNER WHO LED NOTRE DAME TO 3 NATIONAL TITLES, DIES AT THE AGE OF 98
Johnny Lujack, the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who led Notre Dame to three national championships in the 1940s, died in Florida on Tuesday following a brief illness. He was 98.
Lujack’s death was confirmed by his granddaughter, Amy Schiller, who said he had entered hospice care recently after having been in good health until a couple of weeks ago.
“He was not only a legend in Notre Dame football and the sports world,” Schiller said, “he was a legend as a father and grandfather and great grandfather.”
Lujack is considered one of the greatest Notre Dame players of all time, having won the Heisman in 1947 and leading the Irish to national titles in 1943, 1946 and 1947.
Lujack posted a 20-1-1 record as starting quarterback for coach Frank Leahy. He played for the Irish in 1942 and ‘43, served two years in the Navy during World War II, and returned to Notre Dame for the 1946 and ’47 seasons.
He was The Associated Press athlete of the year in 1947, when he was a first-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears. He played four seasons for the Bears, leading the team in scoring each year before retiring at age 26.
While Lujack had plenty of offensive highlights at Notre Dame, he is best remembered for a play he made as a defensive back in an era when players stayed on the field for nearly every play.
A standing-room-only crowd of about 75,000 packed Yankee Stadium in 1946 to see No. 1 Army — the two-time defending national champions — face then-rival Notre Dame, which was ranked No. 2. Lujack made the game-saving tackle against Doc Blanchard in a 0-0 tie. That contest is frequently referred to as the game of the century.
Lujack, in a 1996 interview with the AP, said that was the game he was asked about most often. He downplayed the tackle of Blanchard, who won the Heisman in 1945.
“You were back there,” Lujack said. “You were supposed to make the tackle.”
Lujack finished third in Heisman voting in 1946 before he won the award as the college game’s outstanding player the next year, when he completed 61 of 109 passes for 777 yards with nine touchdowns in leading the Irish to a 9-0 record and their second straight title.
He took over as the starting quarterback for the top-ranked Irish in 1943, after Angelo Bertelli left after six games to join the Marines. Among the other Irish greats he played with were Creighton Miller, Terry Brennan, Emil Sitko, George Connor, Bill Fischer and 1949 Heisman winner Leon Hart.
“We always felt that a game was kind of an easy scrimmage because the scrimmages we had against each other were mean and rough,” Lujack once said.
The one loss in his college football career came in the final game of his sophomore season against Great Lakes Naval Training Station, a military base team that had some college players serving in the military, including some Notre Dame players.
Lujack intercepted eight passes as a rookie with the Bears and in 1949 he threw for 468 yards and six touchdowns in a 52-21 win over the Chicago Cardinals. He played in the Pro Bowl his final two seasons before retiring.
He served as an assistant coach at Notre Dame in Leahy’s final two seasons. He then moved to Davenport, Iowa, where he owned an auto dealership until 1988.
NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS ANNOUNCES FIGHTINGIRISH.COM & FUTURE DIGITAL PLANS
Notre Dame Athletics is embarking on an innovative website redesign, beginning with a domain change of its official website to FightingIrish.com.
Led by Fighting Irish Media, this project brings an array of new features, aiming to elevate story-driven content, improve accessibility across various devices and enhance overall user experience.
New features include:
DOMAIN CHANGE: Effective immediately, UND.com transforms into FightingIrish.com, embodying Notre Dame’s spirit and identity. All existing UND.com links will redirect to the new domain.
COSMETIC CHANGES (ongoing): FightingIrish.com gets a vibrant visual makeover, making navigation intuitive and user-friendly.
SECURITY ASSESSMENT: Rigorous security measures will safeguard user information and protect against cyber threats.
SIGN-ON INTEGRATION (coming soon): Seamless access through credentials for personalized experiences across the Fighting Irish Digital Ecosystem.
AUDIO/PODCAST (coming soon): An engaging audio/podcast section featuring inspiring content on Notre Dame topics.
In addition to the website, features on Fighting Irish Mobile, the athletics department mobile app, will continue to super-serve the customer through a seamless mobile ticketing experience and gameday-focused fan offerings.
“Our domain shift to FightingIrish.com has been a long-awaited step towards creating a cohesive digital brand identity for Notre Dame Athletics,” said Alessandra Dickos, Assistant Athletics Director of Media Partnerships, Distribution and Revenue. “The overall transformation that is to come represents our commitment to providing an exceptional digital experience for our students, alumni and Fighting Irish fans worldwide.”
Full completion of this project is expected by summer ’24. For updates and announcements, visit FightingIrish.com/info.
NOTRE DAME MEN’S SOCCER
IRISH MEN’S SOCCER UNVEILS 2023 SCHEDULE
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame men’s soccer program and McFarland Family Head Men’s Soccer Coach Chad Riley announced the 2023 schedule, a slate that features 16 regular season matches.
TEN-MATCH HOME SLATE
The Irish will host 10 regular season matches at Alumni Stadium this fall, including four conference matchups and two against Big Ten opponents. Notre Dame opens the regular season against intrastate rival Indiana at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 24.
ROAD WORK AHEAD
Notre Dame’s 2023 fall schedule features six road matches, but each will present a challenge, as four are against ACC opponents (UNC 9/15, NC State 10/1, Virginia Tecn (10/13) and Wake Forest (10/20). The other two are against Akron (9/19) and Michigan (10/17).
TOURNEY TIME
The ACC Championship will run from Nov. 1 through Nov. 12. The first, quarterfinal and semifinal rounds will take place on college campuses with the final being held at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.
PRESEASON EXHIBITIONS
The Irish will play a total of three exhibitions in preparation for the regular season. Notre Dame will be on the road to take on Saint Louis (8/13) before returning to Alumni to host both Holy Cross (8/16) and Butler (8/19).
BALL STATE MEN’S GOLF
BALL STATE 2023-24 MEN’S GOLF SCHEDULE FEATURES SIX EVENTS AT POWER 5 SCHOOLS
MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State University men’s golf coach Mike Fleck has announced a 2023-24 competition schedule of ten events, with the Cardinals eager to continue momentum after an appearance in the National Golf Invitational last month. Fleck, a 1993 Ball State graduate, begins his 26th season leading the Cardinals men’s golf program.
Six of Ball State’s ten team events this year will be hosted by Power 5 schools, ensuring a quality course and field as the Cards prepare for the 2024 Mid-American Conference Championships and a hopeful bid in the NCAA Championships. Last year’s club finished second in the MAC Championships and, upon securing a bid in the first-ever National Golf Invitational, sophomore Kash Bellar captured the NGI’s individual title.
The Cardinals tee it up Sept. 4-5 at the 2023 GolfWeek Invitational, hosted by the University of Missouri, at Dalhousie Golf Club in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. A week later, the Cardinals host their annual Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational, Sept. 9-10 at Delaware CC in Muncie.
October events feature invitational play at Wisconsin, Purdue and Arkansas-Little Rock, and the schedule resumes in February with the MAC/Atlantic 10 Challenge – a match play event conducted at Lake Jovita South Course in Dade City, Florida.
The challenging slate continues Feb. 25-27 at the Dorado Beach Collegiate, played at TPC Dorado Beach in Puerto Rico, and March 11-12 at Auburn University’s Tiger Invitational in Opelika, Alabama.
Ball State concludes its regular season slate with April tournaments hosted by Vanderbilt and Illinois, in advance of the MAC Championships, April 26-28, at The Club at Chatham Hills in nearby Westfield (though hosted by the University of Toledo per the MAC’s annual rotation).
2023-24 Men’s Golf Tournament Schedule
Sept. 4-5 2023 GolfWeek (Missouri | Dalhousie Golf Club) Cape Girardeau, Mo.
September 9-10 Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational (BSU | Delaware CC) Muncie, Ind.
October 1-3 Badger Invitational (Wisconsin | University Ridge GC) Madison, Wisc.
October 9-10 Purdue Fall Invite (Purdue | Ackerman GC) West Lafayette, Ind.
October 16-17 UALR Invitational (Little Rock | Chenal CC) Little Rock, Ark.
February 5-6 MAC / A10 Challenge (Lake Jovita South GC) Dade City, Fla.
February 25-27 Dorado Beach Collegiate (UNCG | TPC Dorado Beach) Dorado, Puerto Rico
March 11-12 Tiger Invitational (Auburn | RTJ Grand National GC) Opelika, Alabama
April 5-7 MRC (Vanderbilt | Vanderbilt Legends Club) Franklin, Tennessee
April 20-21 Fighting Illini Spring Invite (Illinois | Atkins Golf Club) Champagne, Illinois
April 26-28 MAC Championship (The Club at Chatham Hills) Westfield, Ind.
May 13-15 NCAA Regionals (TBD)
May 24-29 NCAA Finals Carlsbad, Calif.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S SOCCER
ZOE GREENHALGE WINS UNITED WOMEN’S SOCCER NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – Purdue Fort Wayne women’s soccer student-athlete Zoe Greenhalge enters her senior season just weeks after winning the United Women’s Soccer national championship.
Greenhalge led Michigan Jaguars FC past Sporting CT in the semifinal 4-2, then beat Santa Clarita Blue Heat 4-2 in penalties after a 0-0 regulation.
Santa Clarita was the host of the national championship at the College of the Canyons.
Greenhalge enters her senior season as one of five players returning from last year’s team that scored at least three goals in 2022. The Mastodons are poised for a chance at their first Horizon League Championship, returning 11 seniors from last year’s regular season runner-up squad.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC SITES:
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
“SPORTS EXTRA”
MLB STANDINGS
| American League | |||||||||||
| East | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Baltimore | 62 | 39 | .614 | – | 30 – 20 | 32 – 19 | 19 – 12 | 18 – 7 | 10 – 7 | 6 – 4 | L 1 |
| Tampa Bay | 62 | 42 | .596 | 1.5 | 37 – 18 | 25 – 24 | 18 – 13 | 16 – 4 | 9 – 10 | 3 – 7 | W 1 |
| Toronto | 56 | 46 | .549 | 6.5 | 27 – 20 | 29 – 26 | 7 – 20 | 16 – 6 | 12 – 10 | 5 – 5 | L 1 |
| Boston | 54 | 47 | .535 | 8 | 29 – 23 | 25 – 24 | 16 – 11 | 11 – 8 | 11 – 8 | 6 – 4 | W 3 |
| NY Yankees | 53 | 48 | .525 | 9 | 31 – 24 | 22 – 24 | 13 – 17 | 11 – 8 | 14 – 11 | 4 – 6 | L 1 |
| Central | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Minnesota | 54 | 49 | .524 | – | 30 – 23 | 24 – 26 | 12 – 17 | 21 – 12 | 11 – 7 | 7 – 3 | L 1 |
| Cleveland | 50 | 51 | .495 | 3 | 27 – 24 | 23 – 27 | 7 – 8 | 14 – 14 | 13 – 9 | 5 – 5 | W 1 |
| Detroit | 46 | 55 | .455 | 7 | 22 – 28 | 24 – 27 | 3 – 16 | 18 – 12 | 9 – 11 | 5 – 5 | L 1 |
| Chi White Sox | 41 | 61 | .402 | 12.5 | 21 – 26 | 20 – 35 | 6 – 16 | 15 – 14 | 9 – 14 | 3 – 7 | L 4 |
| Kansas City | 29 | 74 | .282 | 25 | 15 – 36 | 14 – 38 | 5 – 15 | 10 – 26 | 4 – 11 | 3 – 7 | L 1 |
| West | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Texas | 59 | 43 | .578 | – | 34 – 20 | 25 – 23 | 14 – 11 | 14 – 5 | 16 – 13 | 6 – 4 | L 2 |
| Houston | 58 | 44 | .569 | 1 | 27 – 22 | 31 – 22 | 5 – 5 | 8 – 11 | 24 – 12 | 7 – 3 | W 3 |
| LA Angels | 52 | 49 | .515 | 6.5 | 29 – 23 | 23 – 26 | 11 – 9 | 12 – 8 | 16 – 14 | 7 – 3 | W 2 |
| Seattle | 51 | 50 | .505 | 7.5 | 29 – 25 | 22 – 25 | 9 – 12 | 11 – 11 | 15 – 11 | 6 – 4 | W 1 |
| Oakland | 28 | 75 | .272 | 31.5 | 15 – 39 | 13 – 36 | 7 – 19 | 7 – 11 | 5 – 26 | 3 – 7 | L 2 |
| National League | |||||||||||
| East | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Atlanta | 64 | 35 | .646 | – | 32 – 19 | 32 – 16 | 22 – 6 | 10 – 2 | 11 – 9 | 4 – 6 | L 1 |
| Philadelphia | 54 | 47 | .535 | 11 | 27 – 20 | 27 – 27 | 9 – 15 | 10 – 6 | 14 – 13 | 5 – 5 | W 1 |
| Miami | 54 | 48 | .529 | 11.5 | 31 – 20 | 23 – 28 | 13 – 16 | 11 – 9 | 10 – 12 | 1 – 9 | L 1 |
| NY Mets | 47 | 53 | .470 | 17.5 | 23 – 22 | 24 – 31 | 13 – 13 | 5 – 14 | 15 – 13 | 5 – 5 | W 1 |
| Washington | 42 | 59 | .416 | 23 | 19 – 33 | 23 – 26 | 9 – 16 | 7 – 13 | 13 – 14 | 5 – 5 | W 1 |
| Central | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Milwaukee | 56 | 46 | .549 | – | 28 – 24 | 28 – 22 | 9 – 4 | 21 – 10 | 8 – 15 | 6 – 4 | L 1 |
| Cincinnati | 56 | 47 | .544 | 0.5 | 28 – 26 | 28 – 21 | 12 – 11 | 13 – 18 | 14 – 8 | 6 – 4 | W 1 |
| Chi Cubs | 49 | 51 | .490 | 6 | 27 – 26 | 22 – 25 | 8 – 14 | 15 – 12 | 9 – 8 | 7 – 3 | W 4 |
| St. Louis | 45 | 57 | .441 | 11 | 22 – 26 | 23 – 31 | 10 – 9 | 12 – 17 | 8 – 14 | 6 – 4 | L 1 |
| Pittsburgh | 44 | 57 | .436 | 11.5 | 23 – 26 | 21 – 31 | 5 – 5 | 11 – 15 | 15 – 15 | 3 – 7 | L 1 |
| West | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| LA Dodgers | 58 | 42 | .580 | – | 30 – 17 | 28 – 25 | 11 – 7 | 15 – 12 | 14 – 11 | 6 – 4 | W 1 |
| Arizona | 55 | 47 | .539 | 4 | 27 – 25 | 28 – 22 | 13 – 15 | 11 – 9 | 17 – 11 | 3 – 7 | W 1 |
| San Francisco | 55 | 47 | .539 | 4 | 27 – 22 | 28 – 25 | 10 – 12 | 18 – 9 | 15 – 10 | 4 – 6 | W 1 |
| San Diego | 49 | 53 | .480 | 10 | 26 – 24 | 23 – 29 | 13 – 13 | 8 – 14 | 12 – 13 | 5 – 5 | W 1 |
| Colorado | 40 | 61 | .396 | 18.5 | 23 – 26 | 17 – 35 | 14 – 16 | 8 – 10 | 6 – 19 | 6 – 4 | L 1 |
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
July 26
1928 — Bob Meusel of the New York Yankees hit for the cycle for the third time in his career. The Yankees scored 11 runs in the top of the 12th to beat the Detroit Tigers 12-1 in 12 innings.
1939 — The New York Yankees tied a major league record by scoring in every inning against the St. Louis Browns. Bill Dickey hit three home runs in the 14-1 win.
1962 — Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves set the National League record for home runs by a pitcher when he hit his 31st off New York’s Craig Anderson. Spahn dealt the Mets their 11th straight loss with a 6-1 victory.
1970 — Johnny Bench of the Cincinnati Reds hit three straight homers off Steve Carlton of the St. Louis Cardinals. On the same day, Orlando Cepeda of the Atlanta Braves connected for three consecutive homers in an 8-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs.
1984 — Pete Rose of the Montreal Expos tied Ty Cobb on the career singles list, No. 3,052, with a base hit in the eighth inning in a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
1991 — Montreal’s Mark Gardner became the first to pitch nine no-hit innings against a Dodger home team since Johnny Vander Meer beat Brooklyn at Ebbets Field on June 15, 1938, for his second straight gem. But the Dodgers won in the 10th on two singles off Gardner and Darryl Strawberry’s RBI single off Jeff Fassero.
1998 — Trevor Hoffman’s bid to set a major league record with 42 straight saves ended when the San Diego closer gave up a home run to Moises Alou on his first delivery in the ninth inning, tying the game. The Padres wound up beating Houston 5-4 in the 10th, but Hoffman blew his chance at history.
2005 — Greg Maddux reached 3,000 career strikeouts, striking out Omar Vizquel in the third inning of a 3-2, 11-inning victory for San Francisco.
2008 — Skip Schumaker went 6-for-7 to help St. Louis beat the New York Mets 10-8 in 14 innings. He became the first Cardinals player to have six hits in a game since 1935 when Terry Moore did it against Boston.
2009 — Rickey Henderson, Jim Rice and Joe Gordon are inducted into the Hall of Fame in a ceremony in Cooperstown, NY. Gordon is the first player to be voted in by the Veterans Committee since its rules were reformulated following the controversial election of Bill Mazeroski in 2001.
2010 — Matt Garza pitched the first no-hitter in Tampa Bay Rays history and the fifth in the major leagues this season, beating the Detroit Tigers 5-0. Garza faced the minimum 27 batters, allowing only a second-inning walk.
2013 — Edwin Encarnacion hit two home runs in one inning, including his sixth career grand slam, to power the Toronto Blue Jays past the Houston Astros 12-6.
2014 — The Hall of Fame announces a change in voting rules, as players will now be able to stay on the BBWAA ballot for a maximum of 10 and not 15 years, as long as they meet the minimum 5% threshold. The move is designed to prevent the ballot from becoming overly crowded because of players tainted by steroids staying on the ballot for years on end with no realistic chance of election, but drawing votes away from more legitimate candidates. However, a number of inductees with an untainted record have had to wait over 10 years for election in recent years, such as Jim Rice, Bert Blyleven or Andre Dawson, making it likely that the rule change will have the effect of also squeezing out some worthy candidates.
2015 — Zack Greinke’s shutout streak ended at 45 2/3 innings when the Mets scored the first of two scratch runs against him. The streak was the longest in the majors since Orel Hershiser set the record with 59 for the Dodgers in 1988. New York beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 on Juan Uribe’s single off the wall in the 10th.
2015 — Four players, all elected by the BBWAA, are inducted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY as the Class of 2015: pitchers Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz, all elected on their first presence on the ballot, and 2B Craig Biggio. Martinez steals the show by dancing on stage and entertaining the large contingent of visitors from the Dominican Republic who have come to witness his induction.
2017 — Dee Gordon homered on the first pitch by Yu Darvish, and Miami set a franchise scoring record with a 22-10 rout of the Texas Rangers.
BASEBALL HALL OF FAME
BEN TAYLOR
1st Baseman
Belonging to one of the most famous families in African-American baseball history, Ben Taylor had a career that spanned almost four decades, serving as most a premier first baseman and as a successful manager.
Playing along with his brothers C.I, Steel Arm John, and Candy Jim, Ben Taylor starred for a number of teams in the pre-Negro Leagues era of 1908 to 1920, and then moved around the various leagues and teams during the golden era from 1921 to 1941.
Taylor was a lifetime .300 hitter who maintained a scientific approach to the game. He was noted for his ability to hit to all fields, his execution of the hit-and-run – and became known as “Old Reliable” for both his clutch-hitting and his outstanding defensive play at first base.
His was soft-spoken and well-respected – and his reputation as a teacher was noted by Hall of Famer Buck Leonard, who said: “I got most of my learning from Ben Taylor. He helped me when I first broke in with his team. He had been the best first baseman in Negro baseball up until that time, and he was the one who really taught me to play first base.”
According to the Chicago Defender in 1935, Taylor was described as “a man who has inspired, trained and led baseball teams for many years,” and as having “one of the keenest minds in all of baseball and knows the game from all angles.”
Upon his passing on Jan. 24, 1953, the Defender said simply: “Ben was recognized as one of the great first baseman in Negro baseball. His name is bracketed with that of other top first sackers of that period. He was an excellent fielder and a cracking good hitter from the left side.”
As biographer Todd Bolton has noted, Ben Taylor’s life can be summed up from 10 words on his gravestone: “A Graceful Player, A Superb Teacher, and A True Gentleman.”
Taylor was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2006.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
College All-Star Game Off; Sponsors Blame NFLPA
The big game that traditionally pitted the incoming rookie All-Star team against the previous year’s champs was scheduled to take place on July 26, 1974. However the Chicago College All-Star game that was supposed to be played on this date was cancelled due to the NFL Players strike of that year. The Miami Dolphins were on tap to play the All-Stars in this edition of the game. Phins coach Don Shula told the press that he was very sorry that the game had to be cancelled. “Our veterans deserved the trip to Chicago, both financially and for the prestige.”
A more recent SI.com article states that the NFLPA was led by the rallying cry, “No Freedom, No Football,” as players wanted the ability to switch teams when their contracts expired. Owners scoffed, saying this would lead to “anarchy.” In Today’s game, we call it “free agency.” The strike lasted 42 days but was fruitless as the owners stayed strong and players broke ranks. What it may have done though was eventually show the players that they needed a stronger, better communicating Union. What they did work towards and within a couple of decades most of the items they fought for in 1974, they received in a CBA and free agency after a rookie contract was fulfilled.
July 26, 2012 – According to an NFL.com post the league announced the NFL Total Wellness program that they would be initiating. The thought was that a comprehensive health program that would provide current and former players with physical and mental health resources would benefit the players of all eras. The mission of NFL Total Wellness per the article was to enhance the overall well-being of the NFL community in the areas of physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and financial health.
July 26, 2019 – NFL Veterans report to camp for the following teams; Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, LA Rams and the San Francisco 49ers. Fast forward to the end of the season and it was the Chiefs defeating the 49ers 31-20 in Super Bowl LIV played at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.
HALL OF FAME BIRTHDAYS FOR JULY 26
July 26, 1896 – Everett Strupper was halfback from Georgia Tech that earned a place in the College Football Hall of Fame’s 1972 class of enrolled stars. In the 1916 season Strupper scored 8 touchdowns in his team’s 222-0 defeat of Cumberland College. Yes that is a football record for lopsided scores.
July 26, 1920 – Bob Waterfield Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined QB of the Rams franchise both in Cleveland and Los Angeles. He was important enough to the Rams franchise that his number 7 jersey was retired by the organization. Read more about this legend by clicking his name above.
July 26, 1934 – Tommy McDonald was a halfback/flanker that made it into both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. His college ball was played at Oklahoma while he played professionally for the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, LA Rams, Atlanta Falcons and the Cleveland Browns. As a Sooner in the 1955 college season, Mr. McDonald became the first Oklahoma player to ever score a touchdown in each game played in a season. He followed that up in 1956 by winning the Maxwell Award and ranking third in the Heisman voting. In the Pros he may be most remembered scoring on a 35 yard pass from Norm Van Brocklin as he and the Eagles defeated Vince Lombardi’s Packers in the 1960 NFL Championship game.
July 26, 1939 – Bob Lilly is a member in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame & the College Football Hall of Fame. The defensive tackle played his college ball at TCU and as a Horned Frog he soon became a consensus All- American. An interesting fact about Bob LIlly is that through a series of trades and circumstances he became the first Dallas Cowboy ever draft pick. The pick was a great one too as Lilly graced the Cowboy defense for 14 seasons an earned the nickname of “Mr. Cowboy”. He played in a couple Super Bowls for Dallas including a convincing 24-3 victory over Miami in Super Bowl VI where Bob Lilly registered an NFL record 29 yard loss by sacking the great Dolphin QB, Bob Griese!
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
8 – 37 – 7 – 32 – 5 – 21 – 14 – 27 – 29 – 26
July 26, 1939 – New York Yankees catcher Bill Dickey, Number 8 hit 3 consecutive home runs in a 14 -1 route over the St Louis Browns. The Yankees scored in every inning of the contest, at the time becoming the fifth team in MLB history to do so.
July 26, 1948 – “Babe Ruth Story” premieres, and with its star deathly ill, Babe Ruth made his last public appearance in front of appreciative fans.
July 26, 1950 – Brooklyn Dodgers’ Jim Russell, Number 37 was the first to switch-hit a pair of HRs twice in a game
July 26, 1952 – Mickey Mantle, Number 7 of the New York Yankees hit his 1st grand-slam
July 26, 1957 – The same Number 7, Mickey Mantle hit his career home run number 200
July 26, 1959 – Chicago White Sox Larry Doby, Number 32 played his final MLB game. Doby retired from baseball altogether in 1962 after playing for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan.
July 26, 1962 – Milwaukee Brave Warren Spahn, Number 21 set a home run record for pitchers when he smacked the 31st of his career over the wall. The Braves used it for a 6-1 victory over the New York Mets.
July 26, 1970 – Cincinnati Reds Johnny Bench, Number 5 hit 3 consecutive home runs off of Philadelphia Phillies Steve Carlton, Number 32.
July 26, 1978 – That same Number 5, Johnny Bench hit his 300th career home run. The two run shot in the fourth was to no avail though as the New York Mets pounded the Reds 14-3.
July 26, 1984 – Playing for the Montreal Expos, Pete Rose, Number 14 tied Ty Cobb’s long standing record with his 3,502nd single
July 26, 1987 – Catfish Hunter who wore Number 27 for much of his career withthe A’s and Number 29 with the Yankees, Billy Williams who wore Number 26 for most of his career with the Cubs, and Ray Dandridge who played for a variety of teams in the Negro Leagues inducted in Baseball Hall of Fame
July 26, 1988 – Third basemen Mike Schmidt, Number 20 of the Philadelphia Phillies set a National League record appearing in 2,155 games at 3rd base, as Phillies & NY Mets end that very same game at 2:13 AM
FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
EVERETT BACON
Position: Quarterback
Years: 1909-1912
Place of Birth: Westbrook, CT
Date of Birth: Aug 18, 1890
Place of Death: Southampton, NY
Date of Death: Feb 01, 1989
Height: 5-10
Weight: 165
High School: Westbrook, CT (Westbrook HS)
Everett Bacon was a slick and dazzling back who became one of the pioneers of the forward pass, making it a lethal weapon in an era when most collegiate teams shied from its use. Many coaches felt unsure of the pass, convinced it did little more than produce turnovers. Bacon’s willingness to use the pass captured the attention of All-America selectors who listed him in both his sophomore and senior years. During his four seasons at Wesleyan, the Cardinals were 19-14-3, playing against much larger schools. Not only was he feared as a passer, but “Ev” established himself as a dangerous punt return specialist. An all-around athlete, Bacon was a four sport star who also captained the basketball team. As a baseball player he was the squad’s top pitcher while he hit for over a .400 average. In tennis, he was a member of the champion New England doubles team of 1910. During World War I Bacon served in the 312th Infantry and 48th Field Artillery. In later years he became a prominent Wall Street investment banker and he served on the board of trustees at Wesleyan. In his honor, Wesleyan annually awards the C. Everett Bacon Trophy to its Most Valuable Player.
TV SPORTS WEDNESDAY
GOLF
5 a.m. (Thursday)
GOLF — LPGA Tour: The Amundi Evian Championship, First Round, Evian Resort Golf Club, Évian-les-Bains, France
MLB BASEBALL
1 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Seattle at Minnesota OR Kansas City at Cleveland
4 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Toronto at LA Dodgers OR Pittsburgh at San Diego
7 p.m.
ESPN — Atlanta at Boston
10 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Oakland at San Francisco OR Texas at Houston (Joined in Progress)
RUGBY (MEN’S)
5:30 a.m. (Thursday)
FS2 — NRL: Brisbane at Sydney
SOCCER (MEN’S)
11 p.m.
FS1 — Leagues Cup: Tigres UANL at Portland, Group A
SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
3:30 a.m.
FS1 — FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Spain vs. Zambia, Group C, Auckland, New Zealand
8 a.m.
FS1 — FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Canada vs. Ireland, Group B, Perth, Australia
9 p.m.
FOX — FIFA World Cup Group Stage: U.S. vs. Netherlands, Group E, Wellington, New Zealand
3:30 a.m. (Thursday)
FS1 — FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Portugal vs. Vietnam, Group E, Hamilton, New Zealand
6 a.m. (Thursday)
FS1 — FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Australia vs. Nigeria, Group B, Brisbane, Australia
TENNIS
5 a.m.
TENNIS — Warsaw-WTA, Lausanne-WTA, Hamburg-ATP/WTA, Umag-ATP, Atlanta-ATP Early Rounds
6 a.m.
TENNIS — Warsaw-WTA, Lausanne-WTA, Hamburg-ATP/WTA, Umag-ATP, Atlanta-ATP Early Rounds
7 p.m.
TENNIS — Atlanta-ATP Early Rounds
5 a.m. (Thursday)
TENNIS — Warsaw-WTA, Lausanne-WTA, Hamburg-ATP, Umag-ATP, Atlanta-ATP Early Rounds; Hamburg-WTA Quarterfinals
6 a.m. (Thursday)
TENNIS — Warsaw-WTA, Lausanne-WTA, Hamburg-ATP, Umag-ATP, Atlanta-ATP Early Rounds; Hamburg-WTA Quarterfinals
WNBA BASKETBALL
8 p.m.NBATV — Washington at Minnesota