As Florida State prepares to visit Alabama football Saturday to complete the back end of a home-and-home series, its football coach, Mike Norvell, is firmly planted on the hottest seat in the ACC. As it turns out, however, athletics director Michael Alford's seat was even hotter.
The school fired Alford Monday after just four years on the job − he got less time than the most high-profile football coaches and less than Norvell himself. Alford's predecessor, David Coburn, had a four-year run of his own. Prior to that, Stan Wilcox lasted just five years in the role. One departure was a resignation, another a retirement, and the third a firing, but collectively, they represent a lot of administrative upheaval.
MOVING ON: Florida State AD Michael Alford fired after four years
BACK FOR MORE: Does Alabama football want 'revenge' heading into Florida State week?
Alabama has been there. And it doesn't want to go back.

#four #years #michael

ATLANTA — Tennessee football fans will get two free cookies because Braylon Staley scored a touchdown against Georgia Tech.
Staley is UT's current so-called "Cookie Monster" for Moonshine Mountain Cookie Co., which gives fans two free cookies when the wide receiver scores a touchdown as part of his NIL deal.
The 18th-ranked Vols played Georgia Tech on Saturday, Sept. 12. But fans can pick up their free cookies on Monday, Sept. 14, at Moonshine Mountain Cookie Co. in Knoxville.
Staley's 20-yard TD catch in the second quarter earned the free cookies for UT fans.
Staley is UT's latest "Cookie Monster" for Moonshine Mountain Cookie Co. as part of an annual NIL deal. That ******* le was held by cornerback Alontae Taylor in 2021, wide receiver Cedric Tillman in 2022, wide receiver Bru McCoy in 2023-24 and kicker Max Gilbert in 2025.

#cookies

Friday marked the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City. And the two Major League Baseball teams who played a role in the city's emotional recovery met at Yankee Stadium to commemorate the occasion, allowing fans to remember and pay tribute to all those affected by what happened 25 years ago.
Both the New York Yankees and New York Mets wore first responder caps paying tribute to the FDNY and NYPD.
Earlier in the day, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was joined by Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole to lay a wreath beside a plaque in Yankee Stadium's Monument Park paying tribute to the victims and heroes of 9/11.
New flower arrangement next to the permanent Monument Garden tribute to the victims & heroes of 9/11 at Yankee Stadium. Yankees will be commemorating the day later this evening before their game w/the Mets. pic.twitter.com/TonJac3XuT
Members of the 2001 team that advanced to the World Series took the field, beginning with manager Joe Torre. He was followed by key team leaders Jorge Posada and Paul O'Neill. Tino Martinez and Scott Brosius, who hit home runs in that World Series then joined their teammates. Finally, Hall of Famers Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera came out to the pitching mound with the other five.

#yankee #yankees #stadium #aaron

The New England Patriots might be without star wide receiver A.J. Brown for longer than hoped.
An MRI on Thursday reportedly confirmed that Brown had suffered a high ankle sprain, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. As a result, Brown is expected to miss at least four weeks with the injury, per Rapoport. High ankle sprains typically require four to six weeks of recovery.
Brown suffered the injury during the third quarter of Wednesday night's loss to the Seattle Seahawks, with the 29-year-old receiver grabbing at his lower left leg after an incompletion. Brown stayed down while athletic staff tended to him before he was helped off the field.
Given the recovery timeline, it's possible that the Patriots will choose to place Brown on injured reserve, which will require him to miss the next four games.
This story will be updated.

#Patriots #high #ankle #miss

We made it.
No more trying to ******* emble linebacker depth charts like a Temu toy. We have three linebackers, two starting spots, four extra pieces and instructions that somehow skipped from Step 3 to Step 11.
The preseason is over. Put the tiny screwdriver down. It is time to see who actually stays on the field.
Over the last few weeks, we have tracked green dots, starter treatment, nickel packages, substitutions and enough linebacker rotations to make me question several life choices. Some situations became crystal clear. Others somehow became more confusing.
With Week 1 approaching, here is my final look at all 32 linebacker rooms, who I expect to stay on the field, and most importantly, who should wear the green dot.

#became

Aryna Sabalenka is clinging on to her US Open **** le and the world number one spot after an unconvincing win over Taylor Townsend.
The Belarusian battled through 6-4, 6-3 on Arthur Ashe Stadium in a bizarre match which featured 11 breaks of serve from 19 games.
Sabalenka has spent 99 weeks at the top of the rankings but she needs to win a third straight Flushing Meadows crown - and for current number two Elena Rybakina to lose before the semi-finals - if she is to reach a century.
Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula are also within striking distance in a four-way battle for the number one spot.
But Sabalenka insisted: "I completely separate myself from that, because it's just guessing.

#arthur

Despite starting 32 minutes later than anticipated due to lightning in the area, Saturday saw Jaylen Raynor pass for two touchdowns and run for a pair as Iowa State (1-0, 0-0 Big 12) opened the Jimmy Rogers era with a 38-10 win over SEMO (1-1, 0-0 OVC).
Even though the first two plays from scrimmage by Aiden Flora gained 22 yards on the ground – a rush of 17 yards and a rush of five yards – a pair of incompletions brought out Jonah DuPont who punted 39 yards to the Redhawks' 14-yard line.
The ensuing SEMO drive was a three-and-out, but, notably for the Cyclones defense Isaac "Bobby" Terrell picked up the first of his three sacks on the day. Iowa State finished with six sacks to the Redhawks' one.
The Cyclones struck quickly on their second possession of the day, starting with a 45 yard reception by Dominic Overby. Three plays later, the first touchdown of ISU's 2026 season came from the feet of Raynor.
SEMO's second drive began on their own 25-yard line with a self-inflicted five-yard delay of game penalty. Though Khyair Spain and Braylen Ragland scratched out consecutive one-yard rushes, a deep third-down incompletion brought out Teagan Cobb. His 44-yard punt was ***** ed by Aiden Flora and recovered by Cooper Falconite at the Iowa State 31-yard line, gifting the Redhawks an immediate second chance in Cyclone territory.

#yards #raynor

Aberdeen captain Kevin Nisbet insists there is no "crisis" at Pittodrie after back-to-back Scottish Premiership defeats to Rangers and Celtic.
They head into Saturday's league visit of bottom club Kilmarnock looking to return to winning ways after last weekend's 1-0 home loss to Rangers and a 3-0 midweek reverse at champions Celtic.
The Dons, who will also play Killie in the quarter-finals of the League Cup the following week, have won one of their opening four leagues.
And Nisbet remains optimistic about what the Dons can achieve this term.
"We have got a lot of quality in there," the striker said.

#back

Rangers have confirmed they have bought Venezuela striker Kevin Kelsy from Portland Timbers for an undisclosed fee and taken Algeria winger Badredine Bouanani on a season-long loan from Stuttgart.
Their double announcement as the Scottish summer transfer window closed on Thursday takes the total of additions to the Ibrox squad to 14.
The 22-year-old Kelsy, who has signed a four-year contract with the option of an additional year with the Scottish Premiership club, had joined Portland on a four-year deal when he was sold by Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2025.
Kelsy has made 16 appearances this season for Portland, scoring 10 goals and contributing three ***** ists, for the side sitting 11th in the Western Conference and 17th overall in Major League Soccer.
Overall, the 6ft, 4in left-footed striker has played 63 times, scored 19 goals and registered five ***** ists, having helped Timbers finish eighth in the Western Conference and 17th overall last year.

#year

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Denny Hamlin has never won a Cup Series championship.
This may be the 45-year-old's best chance based on his overall body of work this season.
Hamlin enters NASCAR's modified 10-race playoff format known as "The Chase" with a 25-point cushion over second-place Ryan Blaney and an even bigger advantage over the rest of the 16-driver field after finishing the regular season with the most driver points.
The new format — which was last used in 2013 — is designed to reward performance throughout the entire season and provide a larger sample size to determine a champion. Fans have been clamoring for its return because of its simplicity.
And the drivers love it.

#hamlin #driver #blaney

Manchester City completed its $440-million midfield rebuild on Tuesday by signing Argentina international Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea in a deal worth 125 million pounds ($169 million), a fee that ties the British transfer record.
Fernandez, who was sent off against Spain in the World Cup final in July, becomes the third central midfielder to join City for more than $100 million in this summer transfer window, with 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi coming from Lille in a $117 million deal and England international Elliot Anderson moving for $155 million.
"I could not be happier to be here," Fernandez said, "and I am ready for the challenge of helping City continue winning trophies. This is a club built for success."
Also Tuesday, City bought Senegal winger Iliman Ndiaye from Everton for an initial 60 million pounds ($81 million) in a move that provides competition for Antoine ******* yo, Jeremy Doku, Phil Foden and fellow new signing Allan — the other wide attackers in recently hired manager Enzo Maresca's squad.
Jack Grealish, who joined City for $139 million in 2021, was another one but he has been loaned to Everton for the second straight season.

#enzo

Real Madrid kept up their winning run at the start of the new La Liga season by beating Malaga last night with a 4-0 scoreline. Before that, they had defeated Espanyol 1-2 away from home and Real Sociedad 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Keeping in view the quality in their squad, the win against La Real must have been valued more by the Merengue players and fans in general. However, one individual who would value the win against Malaga more must be the goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, as this game brought him his first clean sheet of the season.
Overall, the Belgian star did not have a lot to do in the last night's game. He had to make only a single save, even though the visitors appeared threatening at some points in the game. As Diario AS has reported, the goalkeeper also talked to the media after the game, and commented on his first clean sheet of the season and some aspects of the Real Madrid team.
The Belgian veteran came up with a fair ****** ysis of the game against Malaga:
"The first half was very good. In the last five or ten minutes, we dropped too deep and they created chances. We didn't play as well in the second half; we had several chances, but we gave them too much of the ball. The fourth goal means the game ends well. 4-0 is a good result."

#belgian

The Basha and Chandler high school football teams both showed why they are nationally ranked during their season-opening game on Saturday, Aug. 29.
Each time Chandler scored, it was answered by Basha with either a big play by receiver Makai Nelson or a defensive statement during the top-ranked Bears' 37-26 win before an overflow crowd at Basha High and a national TV audience on ESPN.
The game was a rematch of last year's Open Division **** le game, won by Basha. Both teams entered the game ranked among the Top 25 nationally, with Basha No. 1 in The Arizona Republic's preseason 6A rankings and Chandler No. 3.
This game was a much more competitive contest than last year's championship, which Basha won 34-7.
"They battled through adversity," Basha coach Chris McDonald said of his team. "They got punched in the mouth, and they punched back."

#basha #game #ranked #punched

Real Madrid have published their squad list for Sunday's home match against Málaga.
REAL MADRID SQUAD:
Goalkeepers: Courtois, Lunin, and Javi Navarro.
Defenders: Huijsen, Trent, Konaté, Cucurella, Á. Carreras, Rüdiger, Dumfries, and Mario Rivas.
Midfielders: Bellingham, Camavinga, Valverde, Arda Güler, Bernardo, Cestero, and Alexis Ciria.
Forwards: Vini Jr., Mbappé, C. Espí, Brahim, and Yan Diomande.
No significant news on this list even though Mourinho will be expected to make some changes after the team's first two games. Málaga should be manageable opposition at home and that's why rotations could be on the way.
HOW TO WATCH, STREAM LA LIGA
Date: 08/30/2026

#goalkeepers

If you hold your nose and squint, you'll find that Cincinnati Reds 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes has actually turned things around – a bit.
Though he owns just a .463 OPS for the entirety of the 2026 season, that's ticked up to a .588 OPS since the start of the month of August. Over his most recent 13 games, he's hit a robust (for him!) .241/.333/.345 in 33 PA, and he even drove in a run (himself) to up his season total to 8 RBI.
Small victories! Except, of course, these are the Cincinnati Reds we are talking about, and the baseball gods long ago decided that the Reds cannot have nice things – even in small packages. On Friday prior to the start of their series against the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field, the Reds were forced to place Hayes back on the 10-day injured list, this time with a hamstring problem.
Infielder Edwin Arroyo was recalled.
It's just the latest chapter in the terribly disappointing tenure Hayes has had with the Reds across just 13 months. It's one that seemingly is destined to continue, though, as nothing he's done so far – not the league-worst hitting, not the injuries – has been enough for the Reds to cut bait on him, and that's obviously due to the ~$30 some million he's still owed between now and 2030.

#reds

For the first time this season the New England Patriots hit the road as they get set to conclude their preseason against the Cleveland Browns.
Drake Maye and the Patriots frontline players will not play again Thursday night, as the emphasis remains on health with Week 1 just under two weeks away. In total, 38 players are not in uniform which includes a handful of those already dealing with injuries.
Follow along live down below throughout preseason game No. 3.
Thursday, Aug. 27, 8 p.m. ET | Huntington Bank Field, Cleveland, OH | Broadcast information | Game day roster
The Patriots lost the coin toss putting the defense on the field first against Dillon Gabriel and the Browns reserves. A third-down defensive pass interference penalty downfield on Kindle Vildor quickly put Cleveland outside the red zone. From there, the Browns needed just four plays to find the end zone. [Patriots 0 : 7 Browns]

#Browns #thursday

The Colorado Rockies came into this game having just ended their longest losing streak of the season by narrowly beating the Washington Nationals 3-1 on Tuesday. A magnificent start from Tanner Gordon combined with a home run parade from the Rockies lineup made for a remarkable tone shift compared to just two days ago with the Rockies winning 13-1.
After rejoining the rotation just last week, Gordon had his best outing of the season.
When the game began, it did not seem like Gordon would last nearly as long as he did as Washington hitters came out of the gate with hard contact. In the first, Dylan Crews notched a triple into deep right field where he was stranded thanks to a groundout by Daylen Lile.
In the second, though, the Nationals got on the board with a leadoff home run from Andres Chaparro.
View Link

#washington #home #last

Mourinho returns to the Bernabéu thirteen years later and MARCA sums up the challenge of Madrid's season in one word: connection — the one that must click between Vinicius and Mbappé if Real Madrid want to challenge for the biggest ******* les.
Livakovic arrives in Barcelona and, meanwhile, Laporta meets with Deco and puts the backup plan for Julián on hold for now.
The other Xavi of the day is academy product Espart, who stays with the first-team squad and takes the No. 12 shirt.
Betis knocked out Valencia with a stunning goal from Pablo García and saves from Álvaro Valles. A harsh reality check for Corberán's side.
The win leaves Betis and Sevilla, the two Seville clubs, as the only leaders with six points.

#mourinho #real #madrid

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho said Tuesday he is "very happy" with his squad, which he considers complete despite missing out on midfielder Rodri, later signed by rivals Barcelona.
Los Blancos revamped their squad this summer, signing six players including record arrival Yan Diomande, Bernardo Silva and Marc Cucurella.
However Madrid's approach for Rodri broke down, meaning beyond former Man City playmaker Silva, they have not strengthened in midfield.
"For me the squad is closed, but the market is still open -- you never know if a player will come and say 'I've been benched twice and I want to leave'," Mourinho told reporters.
"In theory no (more deals)... but something could always happen... In my head the squad is closed closed, and I have not asked for anyone. I am very happy with the players I have."

#mourinho #happy

How many roster spots are up for grabs as the Green Bay Packers enter the final week of the preseason? It's possible there's not as many as you think. While things can and often do change late in the process, especially with a joint practice and the preseason finale still to go this week, the Packers' roster is starting to solidify before Sunday's final cutdown day.
To see how many spots are still in question, we compared 53-man roster predictions from three sources: Justis Mosqueda of Acme Packing Co., Rob Demovsky of ESPN and Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. The idea here was to identify which players made all three 53-man roster predictions, and then determine who is on the roster bubble.
There wasn't much to separate the individual projections, suggesting the roster is being viewed similarly by those on the outside. Is there a similar consensus inside Lambeau Field? We'll see.
The following players were on each 53-man roster projection. Incredibly, 50 players made all three. While not all of those players are stone cold roster locks, there might only be a few roster spots truly up for grabs entering the final week.
QB Jordan Love

#players #week #three

It is a season of change at Liverpool.
Andoni Iraola has arrived as manager, hoping to get the club back into competition for the ******* le after a bit of a slump last year. The offseason has brought more change, with Mo Salah leaving the club after nearly a decade with the Reds.
So, the visit to Newcastle United in Iraola's first official match in charge feels important. But which of the many new acquisitions will take a place in the squad - and which regulars will provide stability? And how will forward Alexander Isak react to returning to the club where he made his name?

#Liverpool #salah

Formula 1 returns from its summer break and heads to Zandvoort for the Dutch Grand Prix - for the final time - from 21-23 August.
McLaren's Lando Norris took pole position on Saturday and will be joined on the front row by sprint winner George Russell.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli qualified in third, ahead of Australian Oscar Piastri in fourth.
Dutchman Max Verstappen secured seventh on the grid for his last home race.
Mercedes' Antonelli leads the drivers' championship by 53 points from Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton.

#championship #dutch #august #lando

The Jacksonville Jaguars fell in their second preseason game of the season to the Carolina Panthers, 34-17.
After being undecided earlier in the week, head coach Liam Coen did not play starters in the game. He opted to rest Trevor Lawrence and several other Jaguars with two joint practices with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on deck next week.
The Panthers played their starting offense for two series, scoring on the second drive after a seven-play series where they marched 58 yards.

#panthers #second

NBA star Anthony Edwards is now on the hook for $14K a month in child support to his ex, Alexandria Descroches, and the money is for a kid he claims he's never even met. According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, the amount was determined based on the Minnesota Timberwolves guard's monthly income of nearly $4.8 million ... and the figure represents a massive increase over the baseline amount of around $3,200 per month. Alexandria was asking for a higher amount in child support.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Anthony Edwards is now on the hook for $14K a month in …

#month #anthony #support

Head coach Brian Barry-Murphy says his Cardiff City squad is "vulnerable" after centre-back Gabriel Osho joined their list of fitness concerns.
Osho was seen on crutches after the 1-1 draw with Wrexham on Monday due to a knee issue.
The Championship side are already without fellow defenders Will Fish, Dylan Lawlor and Calum Chambers and have had to move established full-backs into central defence this season.
Left-back Joel Bagan started the Wrexham game in a central role and Perry Ng, who normally operates at right-back, did the same in the EFL Cup win over Swindon.
"We're in a situation at the moment where we're a little bit stretched, so we're a little bit vulnerable, but we feel as if we can be really competitive at the start of the season," Barry-Murphy said.

#back #osho #vulnerable

PITTSBURGH – Sometimes a game looks like it's headed one way and then heads another in an instant, which is what happened to the Detroit Tigers in their 4-1 loss to the Pirates Tuesday, Aug. 18, at PNC Park.
Keider Montero had a perfect game going for a while and then lost his ability to throw strikes. But then the Tigers starting pitcher only gave up three runs in five innings, and wasn't the only reason they lost.
They couldn't hit. Or even manufacture many chances. Not more than one, anyway, as Braxton Ashcraft stymied the Tigers for eight innings, giving up only five hits that felt like even less.
One was to rookie outfielder Brett Callahan, who is the latest in a recent string of call-ups who've announced themselves loudly at the Major League level, and did so again Tuesday with a solo home run in the fifth.
Callahan's blast gave the Tigers a lead that Montero relinquished in the bottom of the inning, and they never threatened again.

#tuesday #montero #like #five

Can Fernando Mendoza become a savior for a big NFL franchise like the Las Vegas Raiders? Rookie quarterback Mendoza is a towering 6 feet 5 inches tall, throwing the ball all over the field with incredible speed and brilliance.
Fans and experts are eager to know when his time will come to step onto the field as the Raiders' starting quarterback.
The plans regarding the Raiders' quarterback are now starting to become clear at the training camp. The current situation is:
Kirk Cousins has been designated as the No. 1 QB on the roster.
Fernando Mendoza's name is on the list as the No. 2 QB.

#vegas

MASON − Making her first Cincinnati Open appearance since 2022, Serena Williams' return to Warren County was short-lived.
Playing alongside her sister, Venus Williams, in the Cincinnati Open WTA doubles draw, the 14-time Grand Slam-winning duo lost in the first round to the tandem of Mason native Peyton Stearns and Marta Kostyuk, 6-2, 1-6, 1-0 (8).
More: Serena Williams isn't sure how she got back to Cincy, but she 'loves' it
More: Just how rare is Cincinnati Open doubles for Serena-Venus Williams?
It was the first time either Williams sister had appeared in the Cincinnati Open doubles draw and their first match together since the 2022 U.S. Open. They had not played in a doubles event at a non-Grand Slam since 2016 (Italian Open).

#first

Chelsea are considering selling Pedro Neto to Saudi Arabia – but they're asking serious money for him.
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There have been whispers about Pedro Neto leaving Chelsea all summer. Now they're getting louder.
Thus far it's mainly been links to Man City which have been mentioned. But the last couple of weeks have seen Saudi teams (specifically Al Hilal) mentioned more and more often, and today Fabrizio Romano has given more information about a potential deal.
Pedro Neto (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

#Chelsea #saudi #thus

MackenzieDern has already started looking ahead after defending herUltimate Fighting Championship ***** le.

Dern (17-5) thoroughly outclassed GillianRobertson at UFC330, using her grappling to secure a unanimous decision andretain the strawweight belt in Philadelphia. She's now name-droppedwho could be next in line for a ***** le shot.
When asked in a post-fight interview who she could face next, Derninitially admitted she's unsure. She claimed the next challengerfor the 115-pound throne could be TatianaSuarez (12-1), LupitaGodinez (14-6), or former champ Weili Zhang(26-4).

"I know there's Tatiana, Weili… Who else? Lupita could be coming uppretty soon," Dern said.

Godinez is unlikely next in line, having lost three of her lastfive bouts. Moreover, the Mexican contender has already lost toDern.

Suarez previously challenged for UFC gold, losing to Zhang inFebruary last year. The former then bounced back with two wins,beating AmandaLemos and Godinez. Meanwhile, Zhang vacated the ***** le afterbeating Suarez to challenge for the women's flyweight ***** le, butlost to current 125-pound queen ValentinaShevchenko.

#next #godinez #suarez #pound