I'm not saying he's Knownshon Moreno. But Chauncey Bowens hurdling a defender without breaking stride to casually stroll into the endzone at 225 pounds is a thing that doesn't look like it should be possible.
So far, so good in Athens with the Red and Black (and White) up by three touchdowns halfway through the first quarter.
Go 'Dawgs!!!

#white

The annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series has arrived. And it's set to be played under the lights.
For the first time since 2016, Iowa hosts Iowa State at night at Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeyes won that meeting going away, 42-3. Iowa hopes it can conjure up a similar result on Saturday night.
Iowa (1-0) will need to reverse the recent series history against Iowa State (1-0), though. The Cyclones have won each of the last two meetings and three of the past four.
Watch Iowa vs. Iowa State
As No. 21 Iowa looks to reverse its fortunes in the annual rivalry contest, here's where and when Hawkeye fans can tune in to see Iowa host Iowa State:

#state

Rams news: Stephen A. Smith calls out Los Angeles' 'mistake' in loss vs. 49ers appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Rams' unusual travel strategy to Australia is already receiving criticism after their disastrous season opener against the San Francisco 49ers.
Stephen A. Smith called out the Rams for arriving in Melbourne roughly 28 hours before kickoff ahead of their 27-7 loss to the Niners.
"You got there 28 hours before the game; clearly that appeared to be a mistake," Smith said. On the Rams' worst day, they are scoring more than seven points. On their worst day, they are averaging more than 6.2 yards per play. Being up 7-3 and being outscored 24-0 after that is not the Los Angeles Rams."
The Rams intentionally stayed on Pacific Time and arrived shortly before the game, while the 49ers took the opposite approach. San Francisco arrived about a week early, giving Kyle Shanahan's team significantly more time to acclimate to Melbourne and its 17-hour time difference from Los Angeles.

#angeles

The Los Angeles Rams didn't get to see much of Myles Garrett this summer after acquiring him in a trade with the Cleveland Browns. He sat out multiple training camp practices due to lower-body soreness, and as the Rams continued preparing for Week 1, he missed time with knee swelling.
Sean McVay never sounded overly concerned about the injury, saying the goal all along was to get him 100% healthy for Week 1. In the coach's mind, they accomplished that. But in Garrett's opinion, he wasn't fully healthy for the start of the season.
The two gave conflicting reports of Garrett's health after Thursday's 27-7 loss to the 49ers. Each held a press conference after the game, and they don't seem to be on the same page when it comes to the condition of Garrett's knee.
After the game, Garrett was asked if he felt 100% healthy going into the game against San Francisco.
"No. I mean, this was the worst version of myself that I've put out there," he said. "I've got to be better. I've got to find a way to recover and get back to the player I know I can be and I've shown that I've been before."

#i 've #garrett #myles #cleveland

Dan Hurley and his UConn men's basketball staff hosted top Class of 2027 recruit NaVorro Bowman Jr. over Labor Day weekend.
Bowman and his family apparently liked what the saw.
On Thursday, Bowman reportedly committed to UConn. The news spread on social media in the morning, including a post from ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. There is an NFL angle to the story: Bowman's father was a three-time Pro Bowl linebacker with the San Francisco 49ers and a former **** istant coach with the Los Angeles Charger.
NaVorro Bowman Sr. accompanied his son on the visit to Connecticut. Bowman Jr. posted photos from the visit on his Instagram account, although he was scheduled to visit Illinois this weekend and Arizona later in the month.
Instead, he picked UConn. The 6-foot-3 combo guard from Notre Dame High in Sherman Oaks, Calif., is the No. 11 overall player and No. 2 combo guard in the nation, per 247Sports.com's composite rankings. He is the 12th-best prospect in the Class of 2027 according to On3.

#visit #combo

NEW YORK — Coco Gauff showed that youth would not be served on this night, beating 18-year-old and fellow American Iva Jovic 6-1, 6-4 to earn a spot in the US Open quarterfinals.
Before a raucous crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Gauff started out slow and was broken on her initial serve but then showed fierceness and a pinpoint serve to systematically dismantle the No. 14 seed, winning the next six games and taking the set in an efficient 33 minutes.
Gauff, herself, was looking to avoid another disappointment at Flushing Meadows. Since winning the championship in 2023, she has lost in this round each of the past two years. At age 22, Gauff is the youngest American woman to make three Grand Slam quarterfinals in one year since Serena Williams in 2003.
US OPEN DAY 9 SCORES: Round of 16 results, matchups, schedule
Gauff, the No. 4 seed, has now won her last 10 matches, beaten seven Americans in a row in Grand Slams and reached her 12th Grand Slam quarterfinal.

#grand #open

Fifa president Gianni Infantino will stand for re-election in March, says football's world governing body.
Infantino, who has filled the role since 2016, has been under pressure following his scrapped plan to sell stakes in Fifa competitions to private investment firms.
Infantino's lucrative plan sparked a global outcry, with European football's governing body Uefa threatening to boycott all Fifa competitions, including the World Cup.
"The Fifa president announced in April that he will stand for re-election in 2027," read a Fifa statement.
"Of course, nothing has changed. Mr Infantino will be standing for re-election."

#fifa #president

After a slow start to the season, there would have been hope that this fixture against Nottingham Forest would be the moment things started to click for Tottenham Hotspur. Instead, Spurs had to settle for a goalless draw as their wait for a first Premier League goal of the season continued.
Roberto De Zerbi made three changes from the loss against Newcastle United, with Destiny Udogie and Savio getting their first league starts of the season, and Conor Gallagher returning to the XI in favor of Mateus Fernandes. Forest made one change, as Liam Delap was preferred to Igor Jesus up front.
This first half was full of physicality but not much quality. Both sides struggled to create clearcut scoring opportunities, with set pieces and long-range efforts the only real threats from either side. There was a sort of symmetry to the chance creation, though, as both Spurs and Forest saw attackers in behind one-on-one with the keeper only for the attacker to fail to capitalize and the referee to also call the play back. Omar Marmoush for Spurs was the first, breaking away from Neco Williams to latch onto Porro's long ball, only for a foul to be awarded to Williams for a shove by the Egyptian; while Morgan Gibbs-White was flagged for offside as he sprinted in behind Jan Paul van Hecke.
With both sides failing to score in the first half, it looked like Forest may have opened the scoring in the second. Really poor positioning from Jan Paul van Hecke allowed Gibbs-White to get in behind; Kinsky did enough to at least deflect Gibbs-White's shot, but Sandro Tonali whiffed on a clearance before Williams appeared to bundle the ball into the net by way of a diving header. It was a calamitous concession by Spurs, but one that did not stand for long, as replays showed the ball ended up in the net off Williams' arms with VAR overturning the goal.
A flurry of substitutions followed from both sides as both managers searched for a winner. Neither side was able to muster the quality to create anything to break the deadlock, however, and a late headed chance from substitute Dominic Solanke that went well over the crossbar was the final chance of a reasonably low-quality affair with the match finishing 0-0.

#SPURS #williams #only

BERLIN (AP) — Opponents will be looking up to China during the women's FIBA World Cup, starting with the the United States.
The Americans and everyone else will have to navigate around and over some of the tallest women on the planet: China's 19-year-old Zhang Ziyu stands 7-foot-3. The U.S. team is already familiar with 6-10 Han Xu from her WNBA games with the New York Liberty.
If not for a passport mishap, Zhang and Han would be joined by another center — 6-7 Li Yueru, who plays with the WNBA's Dallas Wings. Li posted on social media Wednesday that her passport was lost in the mail and she won't be able to compete.
China opens its campaign against the four-time defending champion in Berlin on Friday.
Zhang wasn't playing when the U.S. beat China 83-61 in the 2022 World Cup final in Sydney for a fourth consecutive gold medal. She made her senior debut at the Women's Asia Cup last year and helped China capture the bronze, averaging 14.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in the tournament.

#China #World #united

Colorado football predictions 2026: Projecting Deion Sanders' make-or-break season in Year 3 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
For Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes, 2026 is a crucial year. Although Sanders arrived in Boulder with a 19-2 record across three seasons at Jackson State, his tenure at Colorado has gone poorly.
Through three seasons, he has a 16-21 record, including a 3-9 finish last year and a 1-8 record in the Big 12. He went 4-8 in his first season in 2023. His lone successful year was a 9-4 finish in 2024, when Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter both had career-best seasons.
As Sanders enters his fourth season, he will be coaching to keep his job at Colorado in 2026. Let's take a look at each game on the Buffs' schedule to try to predict just how this season will go for Sanders and company.
PRESEASON RANKINGS: All 138 teams | All 138 coaches

#deion #finish

The Milwaukee Bucks has moved on from Giannis Antetokounmpo and team officials admitted they are about to undergo a big transition.
This transition starts this summer and they are doing it together as the team posted a summer camp with almost of its players for the 2026-27 season. Players got their fans feeling excited for the new season as they post their workout together.
First, it was forward Kyle Kuzma. Then, Myles Turner posted a short clip of him and teammates having fun in Wisconsin.
Turner's video featured themselves lifting weights, doing on-court drills, playing billiards, going fishing, and eating in restaurants.
It was meant to hype their fans but some see another thing. They looked back to the times they had Antetokounmpo and wondered how they did not see the same initiative from their two-time MVP.

#posted #season

Justin Rose turned a difficult stretch into a highlight reel moment during the final round of the Tour Championship. At East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, the veteran golfer conquered the par-3 ninth hole. He launched a tee shot from 208 yards that found the cup for an ace. This was the fourth hole-in-one of his Tour career. The shot happened on Sunday, August 30, 2026, during the final round. It was a massive relief for Rose, who had started the day with two early bogeys. The ace brought him back to even par for the round. According to ESPN Golf, the hole has been the second-most difficult one played at East Lake this week. The feat was so rare that it hadn't been seen on this specific hole since Xander Schauffele did it in 2019.
The statistics surrounding the ninth hole show just how hard it is to score well there. Per ESPN Golf reporting, the hole produced a scoring average of 0.077 above par for the week. That figure trailed only the opening hole in terms of difficulty. Before Rose's moment, there were only three birdies recorded on the hole all week. The rest of the field managed 88 pars, 11 bogeys, and one double-bogey. Rose, who is 46 years old, celebrated the shot by throwing both arms in the air and mimicking a basketball slam dunk. He then high-fived his playing partner, Si Woo Kim, and Kim's caddie, Manny Villegas. This shot was crucial for his standing. An intimidating uphill tee shot over a lake characterizes the hole, accounting for the severe struggles players face.
The difficulty of East Lake creates a unique challenge for the leaders and chasers alike. While Rose found a miracle, Scottie Scheffler has expressed concerns about how the course setup affects the leaderboard. The Rome News-Tribune reported that Scheffler noted the congestion on the board due to the course design. This tight grouping makes it hard to separate the field. Scheffler mentioned that the old course used to spread the field out more before it was redone.

#hole #shot #golf #week

For the second straight summer, Juventus and Atlético Madrid have agreed to a loan deal involving a player who had a bit of a struggle during his first season in Turin with the hope that Spain cures some of those previous ills.
Last summer it was Nico Gonzalez, who is now back in Turin and looks set to stay after scoring the game-winning goal against Parma over the weekend. This summer, it's Canadian striker Jonathan David, whose first season in Turin could be described as quite the difficult one with not very many goals scored.
According to multiple reports out of Italy and Spain on Monday, Juventus at Atlético Madrid have agreed to a season-long loan deal for David. It ends a 12-month period in Turin in which David's struggles were vastly superior to good moments he showed under Igor Tudor and then especially Luciano Spalletti. David, who arrived on a free transfer from Lille and was subsequently handed a contract by former sporting chief Damien Comolli that made him one of the highest earners on the team, will now head to Atléti in hopes of following the same kind of path that Gonzalez did during the 2025-26 season. But as we found out with Nico, it doesn't necessarily equate to Atlético Madrid actually activating the buy option that they will have in the deal.
Said buy option is around €25 million, according to Fabrizio Romano. There are apparently no set clauses worked into the deal — it is very much a loan with option to buy situation.
The move to La Liga is the chance for David to get his career back on track after his performances with Juventus resulted in the lowest goal tally of his career, scoring just six goals in 35 appearances in Serie A last season. Once he got in a funk, it was tough for him to get out of it, and it was reflected in how his minutes suffered as a result as the season went on under Spalletti.

#juventus #madrid #tico #loan

There was a very familiar face back at practice on Sunday, and we're not talking about Puka Nacua. Aaron Donald, who announced his return to the NFL before final roster cuts, was on the practice field for the first time since retiring after the 2023 season.
The Rams are working him back into the picture along the defensive line with less than two weeks to go until the season opener. For a guy who's always stayed in shape, it seemingly shouldn't take too long for him to be game-ready, but Sean McVay isn't going to put any timelines on things.
He told reporters after practice on Sunday that the team is going to take it one day at a time with Donald, ramping things up as the season approaches. So will he play in Week 1 against the 49ers? That's to be determined, McVay suggests.
"Good to be able to get Aaron back into the mix," McVay said. "You guys know how close we are and there's been a lot of dialogue that we've had and excited to be able to just take it a day at a time. I'm not going to talk about any sort of plans. It's going to be a day at a time for us. What does that mean for Australia? The first step was, all right, if you're coming back, let's do that, let's get you on the practice field, let's get you acclimated to your teammates, to your coaches, and then we'll see what that ramp-up period looks like, whether or not he's available or whether or not we think it's best to be able to play him in Australia. I think the best way to do it is to take it one day at a time, but we're obviously excited to be able to have him back."
On Sunday, Donald went through individual drills with the defensive linemen before heading back to the locker room, Gary Klein of the LA Times reports. That's not surprising with this being his first practice back.

#sunday #able #first

Trent Alexander-Arnold left Liverpool for a discount £10m deal in summer 2025.
The 27-year-old brought the curtain down on a glorious reign at his hometown club in favour of the riches on offer at Real Madrid.
Trent let his contract run down and right before it expired Madrid pounced in a bargain move. But things haven't gone to plan for the England international.
Last season was a write-off owing to problems with Trent's form and fitness.
The situation deteriorated to such an extent that the 15-time European champions saw fit to sign Denzel Dumfries in a summer deal from Inter Milan.

#trent #deal #alexander

A 2025 draft pick is among the Ravens' cuts as they move toward a 53-man roster.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Ravens have waived cornerback Robert Longerbeam. The Ravens selected Longerbeam in the sixth round last year.
Longerbeam did not appear in any games during his rookie season and spent the year on injured reserve after suffering a knee injury in the summer. He had 11 tackles in three preseason games this summer.
The Ravens have until 6 p.m. ET on Sunday to set their initial 53-man roster. They cleared another roster spot on Saturday by trading defensive tackle C.J. Okoye to the Giants.

#year #adam #schefter #robert

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Lars Nootbaar homered to center on the first pitch of the game and had three of Arizona's 12 hits to help the Diamondbacks beat the San Francisco Giants 10-6 on Friday night.
Arizona moved a half-game back of San Diego for the third wild-card spot in the National League.
Nootbaar's home run was his fifth of the season and one of three hit by the Diamondbacks off Blade Tidwell. Corbin Carroll took Tidwell (0-1) deep to center in the third inning for a two-run homer that put Arizona on top 3-2. It was Carroll's 19th home run of the season.
With two outs in the third, Tim Tawa launched a three-run shot to left off Tidwell to increase the Diamondbacks' lead to 6-2.
The Giants got a solo homer in the first inning and an RBI double in the third from Bryce Eldridge. The rookie has 15 home runs this season.

#home #arizona #center

Referees know every decision will be scrutinised.
Fans, pundits and players will pour over their calls, creating never-ending debates.
It is why they are prepared.
Many of the Professional Referee Group, the top officials in the country, have met in Loughborough this week.
They meet every few weeks to work and train together, with the officials spread across the country.

#fans #referee #group

Last season proved to be a fairly unspectacular one for Union in terms of results, with Steffen Baumgart eventually dismissed in April following a run of just two wins in 14 matches.
Then came the big storyline that dominated German football for some time, with Marie-Louise Eta taking charge for the remainder of the season and subsequently becoming the first woman to manage a men's team in one of Europe's top five leagues. After a winless opening three fixtures, Eta secured victories in her final two games to guide Union to an 11th-place finish.
Now Mauro ****** rinelli has been handed the keys to the vehicle, with the Swiss manager arriving in Berlin off the back of an exceptional season with FC Thun, guiding them to the first Swiss Super League ****** le in the club's history.
Pre-season proved something of a baptism of fire for ****** rinelli, with Union recording just two wins from their nine friendly matches as the new head coach looked to implement his ideas and identity on his squad.
Their two victories came against fifth-tier Rathenow, whom they defeated 12-2, and Cypriot side Aris Limassol, with Union running out 3-2 winners.

#union #came

New York Yankees ******* istant director of baseball operations Mike Pinsky has been revealed as a castaway for the 51st season of "Survivor" airing this fall.
Pinsky's bio for the show says he is a baseball executive living in New York City, New York. He also answered why he wants to be on the show.
"When I was 8, I used to play Survivor with my friends in our New York City apartments. When I was 18, my college friends and I would drop everything for our sacred Wednesday night viewings. When I was 28, my marriage proposal to my wife Becky incorporated a Probst catchphrase.
"Getting to actually live this dream for real is a one-of-one life experience, and the thrill of this type of adventure sets my heart on fire!"
Pinsky is joining the show for what is expected to be an interesting season. Host Jeff Probst ended Season 50, saying that this coming season was considered the "Open Era." He explained that this meant that "anything that's ever happened on 'Survivor' can happen again — at any time, in any order, without warning."

#york #season #pinsky #friends

The Chicago Bears have been involved in trade discussions surrounding defensive tackle, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported on Tuesday. Dexter, who turns 25 in October, is currently in the final year of his rookie contract.
Schultz previously reported in February that teams were calling on Dexter's availability around the time of the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. Now, Schultz is claiming that there are "multiple scenarios where a deal could get done".
Dexter was a second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft coming out of Florida. He is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he tallied 44 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, and a career-high 6.0 sacks. He placed No. 32 among 107 qualified defensive tackles in PFN DT Impact Scoring, a ranking which indicates he's an average starting defensive tackle. That said, his pass-rushing production and youth gives him considerable upside on the open market.
Should the Bears actually trade Dexter, they would free up over $1.6 million in 2026 cap **** e. The reason to trade Dexter wouldn't be highlighted by the immediate cap relief, but rather, the draft capital Chicago could obtain in a deal. If the team realizes they likely won't extend him at the price he and his agency are asking for, it could make sense in the long run to get a draft pick for him, rather than let him walk in free agency for nothing.
Of course, the Bears' defensive line has been the subject of much discussion leading up to the 2026-27 NFL season. Their four-man front consistently struggled to generate pressure in the pass rush and had issues in run support, and they didn't do much to address the need this offseason. Trading Dexter would certainly weaken their interior defensive line and thrust the likes of Neville Gallimore, Kentavius Street, and sixth-round pick Jordan van den Berg into bigger roles alongside Grady Jarrett, who is coming off a disappointing 2025 season.

#draft #pick #tackles

DETROIT (AP) — Jonathan Aranda homered and Drew Rasmussen gave up three hits in six strong innings as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the slumping Detroit Tigers 4-1 on Monday night.
Tampa Bay had lost seven of its last 10, but never trailed against the Tigers, who have lost six straight and nine of 10 to fall behind in the race for the final AL wild card.
Rasmussen (14-5) allowed one run to win his seventh straight start. It is the second longest streak in franchise history, trailing only Blake Snell's nine-start streak in 2018.
Bryan Baker pitched the ninth for his 38th save.
Detroit starter Framber Valdez (8-9) gave up four runs — three earned — on eight hits in six innings. He walked two without striking out a batter.

#hits

On a scorching afternoon in Madrid, Atlético de Madrid finally got their first weekend home kickoff of the season, with over 60,000 fans packed into the Metropolitano to welcome the Rojiblancos and properly usher in the new campaign against fellow Champions League side Villarreal.
Two penalties, a red card, and a very complicated homecoming later, Atleti walked away with a point they were truthfully fortunate to get.
Let's dive into the takeaways!
Between the heat and a lineup still finding its feet, this always had the makings of a sluggish start. Several of these players are only just back from a shortened summer, still getting reacquainted, and it showed.
For the opening hour, Atleti dominated the shooting charts on paper, outshooting Villarreal 11 to 6. But only two efforts were on target, and the underlying picture told a very different story. Villarreal had 23 touches in Atleti's box to Atleti's 19 in theirs. The visitors also created three big chances in the first half alone, while Atleti created zero. They even out-passed Atleti, 271 to 217. The Rojiblancos were a team going through the motions of control without really controlling anything.

#still #only #metropolitano #champions

California high school football coach fired after booting ball into player's groin in fit rage originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
While football season is certainly a stressful time for players, coaches and parents alike, one coach in Simi Valley, Calif., took things a bit too far during practice.
Adam Brubaker, a second-year coach for Royal High School, was captured on video kicking a football at one of his players. The ball, unfortunately for the player, hit him in the groin, causing him to go down writhing in pain. He was promptly checked on by his teammates and other coaches, but Brubaker was nowhere to be seen in the footage.
Just hours before the school's season opener on Friday, Brubaker was dismissed after a meeting at the Simi Valley Unified School District.
Here's a look at Brubaker's outburst and what the coach said about the incident.

#Football #simi

Liverpool have made an enquiry over the availability of Real Madrid forward Endrick as Andoni Iraola looks to strengthen his attacking options before the summer transfer window closes.
Paul Joyce of The Times reports that Liverpool have asked about the Brazilian international, whose prospects of regular football at the Bernabeu have been affected by Real Madrid's £120million signing of Yan Diomande.
However, Real Madrid's position is understood to be clear at present, with the Spanish club not looking to allow Endrick to leave.
The Endrick development represents one of the more intriguing elements of Liverpool's attempts to reinforce their forward line.
Joyce reports that Liverpool "asked about the availability of Endrick", although Madrid "are not looking to let the Brazilian leave."

#Liverpool #reports #asked

Check out the best images from the City Football Academy and Friday's training session.
Men's Team
The long wait for football at the Etihad Stadium is almost over with our first game of the season against Bournemouth on Sunday at 14:00 (UK).
It will be the first at our home for new boss Enzo Maresca but the Italian is fully focused on kicking off the Premier League with three points.
At his press conference, Maresca confirmed that only Jeremy Doku is not fully fit for the encounter.

#fully #check

Nebraska football is in the mix with class of 2028 four-star tight end Israel Johnigan. Now, he is planning to visit Nebraska multiple times, including for a game-day visit. This was reported by Husker Online's Bobby Schneider last week. (Subscription needed)
Johnigan earned an offer following Nebraska's Battle of the Boneyard camp in June. He is the 299th overall player in the 2028 class, the 14th overall player at his position, and the fourth overall player in his class from the state of Missouri, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings.
In addition to the Huskers, he has offers from Iowa State, Kansas, Minnesota, and Illinois. The tight end will be coming for the October 10 game against Indiana.
The Huskers need tight end depth for the future, with the position boasting ample upperclassman experience. Luke Lindenmeyer headlines the group, with Carter Nelson and Luke Sorensen as others to watch. This room will need a boost following Lindenmeyer's departure, and Johnigan could provide that.
Contact/Follow us CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes and opinions.

#johnigan #class

With Arne Engels now a West Ham United player, after his £25 million move, and Reo Hatate seeking a move elsewhere, it's imperative that we add some more quality to our low on numbers midfield.
Mika Baur has of course arrived, but we are still in need of more additions all the same.
One of the several midfield players Celtic have been credited with an interest in is Bosnian international Ermin Mahmic. Mahmec who starred for his nation in the recent World Cup, plays his club football for Czech side Slovan Liberec, and is undoubtedly a player of great potential.
Having studied the 22 year old quite a bit since he was credited as a player of interest, it's clear to see that he's more than just a playmaker, with his ability to score from outside the box also forming a huge part of his game.
The youngster regularly likes to have a pop from distance, and more often than not he hits the target, with the ball either ending up in the back of the net, or resulting in the keeper having to make a save.

#arne #engels #united

TimesofIndia.com in Galle: The match was over. The formalities were completed, and both teams had already left the stadium. The broadcast crew was busy packing up for the next game, but the work was only getting started for Manjula and the 130 groundstaff at the Galle International Cricket Stadium. It rained immediately after the two teams completed their handshakes, but unlike the preceding week, there was no urgency to cover the square or the ground. Overseeing operations, Manjula stood on top of the advertising board and kept a close eye as the covers were neatly folded and parked after a week of intense activity.

Since India and Sri Lanka arrived in the coastal city for the series opener, rain has appeared frequently enough to keep Manjula and his team on their toes. Not all of them are employees of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). Only 16 are permanent staff in Galle, while 10 came from Hambantota to help with the international fixture. The remaining staff were hired as daily workers.

"We have 16 permanent employees and 10 come from Hambantota whenever an international match comes to Galle. For the rest, we hire daily workers for the duration of the match and practice sessions, and they are paid between 2,500 LKR and 4,000 LKR per day for the work," says Manjula.
From anticipation to execution, the groundstaff stuck to their methods and ensured there was no chaos, even during a heavy downpour. The average time they take to cover the entire ground is less than five minutes, and they work quickly depending on the situation. They look for cues, observe the cloud behaviour and are always staring towards the Indian Ocean near the Galle Fort.

"We keep our eyes there," he says, pointing towards the ocean near the fort. "When clouds start building up, we know it's coming. Then we are ready and wait for the official signal to start covering the pitch, square, run-up and then the entire ground. That's the order we follow."

"The reaction time is very important," he adds.
When the groundstaff run from all directions, dragging the covers, the synchronised effort is a sight. The first batch, covering the pitch and square, times their runs so there is no overlapping, and speed cannot be compromised because the run-up and the remainder of the field must be covered next. These are anything but light covers, and a 100x100 piece can weigh over 650 kg. Add to this the challenges of wind and rain.

"These are not light," Manjula says with a laugh. "They are well over 650 kg each for a 100x100 piece, and there are about 28 pieces we have to cover the entire ground and ensure no damage is done to the outfield."
While the covers are heavy enough to stay grounded on their own, heavy crosswinds present a challenge, and the next step is to carefully place heavy rubber tyres to keep the covers in place. More than 300 tyres are ready to be rolled onto the ground the moment rain arrives.

"We keep these tyres over the covers because, as you have seen, it does

Why Karl Ravech is calling Little League World Series games despite layoff from ESPN originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Since 1987, those tuning into the Little League World Series have turned to the same network: ESPN.
First televising a LLWS game in 1983 and broadcasting the tournament full-time for nearly 40 years, ESPN has become the home of the beloved event every summer. For half of that time, the same play-by-play voice has called the games.
Karl Ravech was reportedly part of ESPN's layoffs earlier in the summer, but when fans watch the 2026 Little League World Series, he'll still be on the call throughout the tournament.
Here's why Ravech is still broadcasting the Little League World Series despite being laid off by ESPN.

#little #sporting