The WNBA's momentum, which started gaining steam with Caitlin Clark's arrival in the 2024 draft, has been unstoppable. Heading into the 2026 season, ESPN's VP of women's sports programming and espnW, Susie Piotrkowski, spoke about the network's view of Clark as a "gateway drug" into women's sports.
"If that brought you in, I'm going to keep you here," Piotrkowski said.
Through the first half of the season, she, along with the WNBA's other media partners in its new 11-year, $2.2 billion media deal, have delivered. The league held its 2026 All-Star Weekend in Chicago over the weekend, and per a report from Austin Karp at Sports Business Journal, WNBA telecasts are up 12% compared to last season at the All-Star Break across its rights partners.
To Piotrkowski's credit, Clark has certainly been the biggest driver of that success, as the top seven broadcasts in the first half of the season all involved her Indiana Fever. Indiana's win over the New York Liberty on July 18, which averaged 2.58 million viewers, was the most-watched WNBA telecast ever on CBS, and the second-most-watched WNBA game this season, behind only Fever-Las Vegas Aces (2.64 million) on NBC and Peacock on July 12.
Unsurprisingly, Clark's ratings impact was also felt over All-Star Weekend.

#WNBA #sports #piotrkowski #clark

Long before LeBron James bid farewell to the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason, the transition of power within the franchise began. Luka Dončić, whom the Lakers famously traded for in February 2025, became their crown jewel.
But James remained at the heart of JJ Redick's squad that season and this past season. James and Dončić co-existed remarkably well, each respecting the other's game while forming an entertaining three-headed attack with Austin Reaves.
Even though the Lakers have been planning their future around Dončić for a good bit of time now, it wasn't until James officially closed the door on his chapter in L.A. that Dončić stood alone in the spotlight. He's the undisputed face of the franchise, and he's reportedly embracing a leadership role that's seemingly heightened in the absence of James, a four-time NBA champion and four-time league MVP.
In fact, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, Dončić is hosting the entire Lakers roster in Slovenia for a four-day minicamp in August. The trip will feature workouts, golf, bonding and touring Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia, McMenamin reported on Wednesday.
Dončić, a six-time All-NBA first teamer, is preparing for a pivotal season in his already prolific career. He played his way into the MVP conversation last season before a Grade 2 left hamstring strain effectively ended his campaign prematurely. He experienced that setback in early April and didn't make it back for the Lakers' postseason run, which came to a screeching halt in the Western Conference semifinals.

#lebron

Dave McMenamin: Luka Doncic is hosting the entire Los Angeles Lakers roster in Slovenia for a four-day minicamp in August, a source close to the Lakers told ESPN. The itinerary will include workouts, golf and some Ljubljana tourism and bonding ahead of training camp.
x.com
No matter where LeBron decides to go, it would be seen as him chasing rings, since almost every team in the league already has stars. "Where does Charles and the legends want LeBron to go? Do they want him to go to the G League? Because if he went to Cleveland, is that team stacked? Is Miami with Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo is that team stacked? Jokic and Jamal Murray is that team stacked? Ant Edwards, Rudy Gobert I don't know; he left Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves is that not? I don't understand the premise of the complaint," Windhorst said in response. — 7/28/2026 basketballnews.com
Shams Charania: "The Heat are among several championship contending teams that are monitoring Klay Thompson's situation and have interest in Klay Thompson potentially via trade or a buyout. Klay Thompson is in the final year of his deal. You know he wants to compete for a championship as a four-time ****** le winner. He signed on with the Mavs a couple years ago to play with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. A lot has changed in Dallas." — 7/27/2026 YouTube

#doncic #league

After several years as one of ESPN's most visible personalities, hosting the 6 p.m. SportsCenter and anchoring WNBA Finals coverage, Elle Duncan departed the Worldwide Leader to become the face of Netflix's growing sports venture. She's also been tabbed to lead USA Network's studio coverage for its WNBA broadcasts.
On Monday, Duncan appeared on The Sports Gossip Show podcast and discussed the ever-prevalent and increasingly bizarre coverage surrounding Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark. Over the 2026 WNBA All-Star Weekend, Clark sat down with ESPN's Malika Andrews and discussed how "emotionally exhausting" the constant coverage surrounding her can be.
"I feel like media and journalism have a responsibility to tell the stories," Clark told Andrews, "and a lot of the time you guys are the ones controlling the narratives about what people read and what people talk about. And a lot of that is sometimes so far out of touch with what is reality."
Although Duncan doesn't believe Clark is at fault for how far out of control things have spun, she wants to see the three-time All-Star take more ownership of the situation.
"I would love for it to be very clear to the people who think they are her fans but are using her, if she would say, 'stop that sh*t, I don't want it, I'm tired of it.' As opposed to what we've seen, which is 'the media makes up these narratives, the media makes up this discourse.'

#Media #andrews

Denny Hamlin's name has come up in NASCAR headlines following Alex Bowman's announcement to retire after the 2027 Cup Series season. With Hamlin's contract running through 2027, the driver of the No. 11 car has previously stated it will be his last contract. However, the Joe Gibbs Racing competitor hasn't officially announced his retirement.
Will Hamlin still retire after the 2027 NASCAR season? The current Cup Series points leader provided an update in a press conference on whether he has changed his thought process.
"No, I've just been so focused on the week-to-week that I haven't really thought too much about the future," Hamlin said. "Obviously, [Joe Gibbs Racing]'s got good plans set in place and whatnot for that. So, no, not really, haven't put any more thought into it or second thoughts or anything like that. So, it just really riding the wave of week to week right now and continue trying to get more wins."
Brent Crews figures to be the successor to Hamlin in the No. 11 car for Joe Gibbs Racing, but the latter is still at the top of his game. Many have wondered if the Joe Gibbs Racing driver might change his mind with his recent success. While Hamlin hasn't thought much about retirement, 2027 could be his final season.
Austin Cindric reveals major update on NASCAR future for 2027 season

#hamlin #season #week #retire

Nick Sanchez has earned more races with Peterson Racing Group in the NASCAR O'Reilly Series. Sanchez will drive the No. 87 car for Peterson Racing Group in the next five races during the 2026 O'Reilly Series season, as announced by the team. This comes after the former AM Racing driver's first batch of races with the organization.
Austin Green served as the full-time driver of the No. 87 car to start the 2026 NASCAR season, but Peterson Racing Group decided to give Sanchez a chance in its race cars. It has worked out well, as Sanchez came close to winning the O'Reilly Series race at EchoPark Speedway in July.
Now, Sanchez has earned the next five races with the organization, and it could help him return to a full-time seat on the O'Reilly Series grid for the 2027 NASCAR season. After all, Sanchez has been impressive in the No. 87 car, and Peterson Racing Group could be a potential landing spot in 2027.
NASCAR, IndyCar, and F1 all off with break to start August in 2026
This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Nick Sanchez earns more NASCAR O'Reilly Series races in No. 87 in 2026

#racing

In a major development, London-based streaming platform DAZN will have a major hand in distributing local NBA broadcasts to fans next season.
According to a report by Austin Karp in Sports Business Journal, "DAZN is close to acquiring full exclusive local broadcast rights next season" for five NBA teams formerly under contract with Main Street Sports Group, owner of the now-defunct FanDuel Sports Networks. Those teams are the Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs, and Memphis Grizzlies. Additionally, DAZN is close to securing streaming-only arrangements with the Orlando Magic and "possibly" the Charlotte Hornets.
DAZN will also overtake what is now known as the Gotham Sports app, a joint streaming venture between YES Network and MSG Networks that sells access to local broadcasts for seven New York-area franchises — the Yankees, Knicks, Nets, Rangers, Islanders, Devils, and Sabres.
The news is a culmination of DAZN's nearly year-long effort to break into the local sports broadcast market in the United States. After initially considering a lifesaving merger or acquisition of Main Street, DAZN instead chose to allow the company to collapse and attempt to court local rights for franchises independently. The streamer initially struck out on every MLB team following Main Street's collapse, but is now set to own streaming rights for at least nine NBA clubs, with the possibility of adding the Washington Wizards as a tenth under a non-exclusive streaming deal, per Sports Business Journal.
With the NBA looking to launch a centralized local streaming hub ahead of the 2027-28 season, DAZN will reportedly sign deals that are either one season in length or have mutual opt-out clauses following the upcoming season as teams demand the flexibility to join the league's aggregated local rights solution when it launches. If DAZN or a team invokes an opt-out clause, it will reportedly pay a termination fee unless, in the team's case, DAZN fails to meet certain performance metrics.

#sports #Streaming #season

IfJay Shetty was going to level up his podcast, he figured he needed to upgrade the studio in which he records it. So before his seven-year-old show, On Purpose, relaunched this month on Netflix, the 38-year-old self-help guru says he spent around $500,000 to renovate the ****** e with specific colors and custom artwork (such asincluding a piece of glass covered in bubble wrap) to evoke the kind of vulnerability and fragility he hopes to encourage from his guests.
Sitting inside his sprawling Hollywood Hills home, worth an estimated $8 million, Shetty's digs are a far cry from the Hindu monk principles of humble detachment he once practiced and has encouraged to display. But for a star in media's hottest category—who recently signed a new podcast deal with Spotify and Netflix that will pay him a combined $100 million over the next three years—the studio and residence are fitting.
"I mean, I'm not a monk anymore," Shetty tells Forbes. "Today I consider myself an entrepreneur and a leader in this ****** e, and that allows me to have the ability to use money as a resource to do good in the world and create impact in the way that we've chosen to do that."
For top podcasters like Shetty, the money has also never been better. The entry of video platforms such as Netflix, Hulu and Tubi into a still-frothy marketplace of audio distributors (including Spotify, SiriusXM and Amazon) have pushed paydays into territory once reserved for movie stars. Shetty earned an estimated $21 million over the past 12 months from his previous podcast distribution and ad sales agreement with iHeart Media (before paying taxes and fees to agents and managers) and he i's in line to make far more from his new deal.
He is pouring those earnings into an expanding business portfolio, investing in the Austin-based blood testing company Function Health and founding his own sparkling tea brand, Juni. He also has a production company, Perfect Strangers, which produces the podcast Friends Keep Secrets and has a handful of TV projects in development. The goal, Shetty says, is to build a "conscious empire" of content and products promoting physical and mental health.

#netflix #spotify #space

NEW YORK — The New York Yankees finally added a catcher on Tuesday … via a minor league contract.
The team signed veteran backstop Christian Bethancourt and ***** igned him to Triple-A before beating the White Sox, 3-2, in Chicago. The move shouldn't have any impact on the Yankees' pursuit of a righty-swinging catcher prior to the Aug. 3 trade deadline, though options appear limited for them and a handful of other needy clubs.
While Bethancourt is a right-handed hitter, he's ideally just another experienced Triple-A depth catcher for the Yankees alongside J.C. Escarra, a lefty. That depth could prove useful down the road since big league backup Ali Sánchez is out of minor league options.
Sánchez, a right-handed hitter who crushed the first homer of his career in Tuesday's win, would likely be forced out if the Yankees trade for a catcher to pair with the lefty-swinging Austin Wells.
Bethancourt has played in parts of eight big league seasons with the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins and Chicago Cubs, but he hasn't appeared in an MLB game since 2024. He had a .775 OPS (.783 vs. righties, .736 vs. lefties) over 59 games for the Cubs' Triple-A affiliate this year.

#league #triple #minor #swinging

The latest Brotherhood Podcast is out, and this time, Cayden Boozer interviews new ***** istant KJ Conklin.
He talks about his path to Duke, which includes some interesting stops before he got to the San Antonio Spurs, where he worked as ***** istant coach and director of player development for the Austin Spurs, their NBA G League affiliate. Here's a bit of what he had to say about his path and what he's learned:
"I think every, I think the biggest lesson I've learned is is everywhere I've went, I've made very meaningful relationships. And most of all, and it's what I really appreciate about this place is the people make the place.
I mean, we obviously here, we're extremely fortunate with the things we get on the day to day. And then we get to, I've experienced a lot of things as a part of the Duke brand and the standard that we have here. But the people and the meaningful relationships that you make along the way is what you remember the most."
You can hit the links above or below, or catch it on your favorite podcast player.
Go to the DBR Boards to find Blue Healer Auctions || Drop us a line

#i 've #podcast #path

It seems like a good bet Joe Rogan will not be voting for James Talarico (D).
The podcast star-turned-Texan said he does not want The Lone Star state to be controlled by Democrats on the Tuesday episode of his show.
"The liberals who want to turn Texas Blue, like, don'tttt," Rogan pleaded. "You're going to ruin it. You're going to ruin it for you, too."
He told guest his guest, Animal Planet star Forrest Galante, the liberals in Texas are "way less crazy" than those in Los Angeles or New York. But he said would still prefer Texas stay Red, and only have a few dashes of Blue mixed in.
"There's a saying about Austin: Keep Austin Weird and Surrounded,'" Rogan said.

#liberals

The Yankees got some of the worst news possible when MRI scans revealed that Cody Bellinger had suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain in Saturday's win over the Phillies and will likely miss 4-to-6 weeks. As it happens, it is from that very same game, an inning prior to the injury, that we find our nominee for At-bat of the Week, Jasson Domínguez crushing a solo home run off José Alvarado.
We join Domínguez leading off the seventh on Saturday night in Philadelphia. The Yankees are clinging to a 2-1 lead courtesy of an Austin Wells solo bomb and Bellinger RBI single. However, the Phillies have their flame throwing lefty Alvarado in the game and the dangerous top of their order due up in the bottom half of the frame, so the Yankees would love to tack on another insurance run.
There is no mystery to how Alvarado is going to attack you, the lefty throwing the fastball 97.3 percent of the time. The one wrinkle he introduces is the type of fastball he's going to throw, using the sinker about two-thirds of the time and the cutter about one-third of the time. He goes with his primary offering to start things off here.
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Domínguez takes this 96 mph sinker for a called strike one. You might wonder how he could take a pitch right down the middle. The camera angle doesn't quite do this pitch justice, but this sinker starts about a half-foot in off the plate before its 16 inches of arm-side run carries it back into the zone. It's therefore easy to see how a hitter might give up early on a pitch initially aimed toward him.

#yankees #solo

Kaitlyn Collins responded Monday to the string of insults President Trump lobbed at the CNN journalist during his first White House Correspondents' ****** ociation dinner speech, saying it was unsurprising, since hearing similar personal attacks has become normalized in the Oval Office.
The cable network's White House correspondent and anchor has become Trump's new favorite punching bag, and at Friday night's make-up dinner, he didn't hold back as he stumbled through a lengthy and exhausting speech. The pared-down event was rescheduled after a gunman attempted to enter the gala in April and fired a gun in an alleged attempt to kill Trump.
More from The Hollywood Reporter
Jon Stewart, Pete Davidson Set 9/11 Comedy Benefit at Madison Square Garden
'President Curtis' Creator Dan Harmon on Trump, Obama Influencing Show and His Vision for 'Rick and Morty' Movie

#president

No matter where LeBron decides to go, it would be seen as him chasing rings, since almost every team in the league already has stars. "Where does Charles and the legends want LeBron to go? Do they want him to go to the G League? Because if he went to Cleveland, is that team stacked? Is Miami with Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo is that team stacked? Jokic and Jamal Murray is that team stacked? Ant Edwards, Rudy Gobert I don't know; he left Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves is that not? I don't understand the premise of the complaint," Windhorst said in response.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: "Where does Charles and the legends want LeBron to go? …

#stacked #charles #cleveland #Miami

Magic Johnson is optimistic about the Los Angeles Lakers' summer rebuild following LeBron James' departure.
The Lakers have signed seven new players, including two draft picks, to build around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
These include former Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler and ex-Toronto Raptors forward Sandro Mamukelashvili.
However, Johnson appears most pleased with the Lakers' one-year, $3.3 million signing of Matisse Thybulle.
Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

#Lakers #johnson #Magic #lebron

Texas A&M's No. 1-ranked 2027 recruiting class features a nation-high six five-star commitments, led by the program's top prospect, five-star offensive tackle Mark Matthews, who is widely considered the best pass protector with the potential to become a future first-round NFL Draft selection.
Combined with fellow OL Kennedy Brown, safety Kamarui Dorsey, Edge Zyron Forstall, cornerback Raylaun Henry, and wide receiver Eric McFarland, third-year coach Mike Elko and his staff are very close to locking down the No. 1-ranked 2027 cycle.
After landing four-star linebacker Mikahi Allen, five-star running back Landen Williams-Callis, who will announce his commitment on August 1, remains the lone priority prospect, but is expected to land with the Texas Longhorns after his OV to Austin this summer. Even if the Aggies don't secure Williams-Callis's commitment, Texas A&M's 2027 running back room will be in good shape regardless.
At wide receiver, three-star Demani Warren and four-star Jayden Upshawn complement Eric McFarland's elite speed and versatility as the likely future starting slot receiver once Mario Craver departs for the NFL, and will immediately compete for a starting role in 2027 with second-year receiver Madden Williams in the slot.
Among the top-ranked wide receiver prospects in the 2027 cycle, McFarland comes in at No. 7 in MaxPreps writer Zach Poff's top-10 rankings, which is quite impressive given the site's sole dedication to covering high school prospects.

#ranked #wide #mcfarland

Tesla (TSLA) is an electric vehicle (EV) and clean energy company led by CEO Elon Musk. Founded in 2003 and based in Austin, Texas, the company designs, manufactures, and sells EVs alongside energy storage and generation products, including Megapack and solar solutions. Tesla operates across two core segments: Automotive — which includes vehicle sales, regulatory credits, and Full Self-Driving (FSD) subscriptions — and Energy Generation and Storage.
Rapidly emerging businesses including Tesla's robotaxi service, Optimus humanoid robots, and artificial intelligence (AI) computing infrastructure are increasingly shaping the company's long-term valuation narrative. That's positioning Tesla as a full-stack autonomous technology and energy platform. Let's take a closer look.
What Do Monday Morning's Markets Bring to Mind?
Dear Bloom Energy Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for July 28
Crude Oil Prices Plunge as Supply Threats Ease

#energy #full #vehicle

Matisse Thybulle is officially headed to the Los Angeles Lakers, the team announced on Monday, giving the team a proven perimeter defender to its reshaped roster.
Thybulle, 29, is a two-time NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection, adding one of the league's most disruptive defensive players to piece alongside Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and new starting center Walker Kessler.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Thybulle spent last season with the Portland Trail Blazers, playing in 30 games off the bench while averaging 5.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals in 16.0 minutes per game.
He also shot 39.8% from 3-point range last season, developing into a consistent 3-and-D piece as he shot 41.8% comibied in the last two seasons. The only knock is he only played just 45 games the last two seasons.

#thybulle #team #only

The race to become America's next economic heavyweight may already have a frontrunner.
The latest Internal Revenue Service (IRS) migration data show billions of dollars in taxpayer wealth flowing into Texas, while Census figures show the state's largest metropolitan areas continue to outpace much of the country in population growth, strengthening a decades-long shift in America's economic center of gravity.
What's more, Texas isn't relying on a single boomtown. Dallas-Fort Worth added more residents than any metropolitan area in the country over the past year, while Houston, Austin and San Antonio also ranked among the nation's fastest-growing metros.
That unusual breadth gives Texas multiple engines of economic growth, providing businesses with larger labor pools, diversified industries and a broader customer base than states anchored by a single dominant city.
Billions In Taxpayer Income Are Leaving Two Iconic States — As A New Economic Map Emerges

#taxpayer

Once upon a time (although it wasn't just once), the Braves used Carlos Carrasco in a close game. Ronald Acuña Jr. got injured in that game and ended up missing about six weeks of play. The use of Carrasco turned sinister, the Braves lost that game, and then ended up mired in a funk that lasted for a good chunk of Acuña's absence.
Tonight, Ronald Acuña Jr. made his return to the lineup. It could have been a triumphant time, building on the Braves' recent strong run of results. Instead, amid some rain and another indifferent outing from Martin Perez, the Braves opted to insert Connor Thomas, the "last guy" in their bullpen, into a tie game. It went south almost immediately, and then it kind of ran out south to go, as the Mets just pummeled Thomas into oblivion. To the Braves' credit, they let Thomas wear it and didn't use another pitcher, avoiding a double-down mistake of using Thomas to save the rest of the bullpen but then not actually saving the rest of the bullpen. (Jorge Mateo got the last out in lieu of Thomas, after the score had ballooned to 14-3 in favor of the Mets.)
Before all that, though, the game was pretty cool. In his first major league PA in a while, Acuña fell behind 0-2 against Zac Thornton, battled back to 3-2, and then teed off on a pitch down the middle, knocking it 108 mph to center for a solid single. Drake Baldwin followed followed with a hard liner single of his own, and the Braves seemed to be in business. Unfortunately, Matt Olson hit into a double play, but Ozzie Albies, as part of a measure of personal revenge for possibly a career-worst game on Sunday, legged out an infield hit to plate his buddy for the first run of the game.
Martin Perez did not have a shutdown first inning. A hard-hit grounder went for a leadoff hit, and then Francisco Lindor got his arms extended on a cutter on the edge away and nearly hit it out of the park. The play ended up being kind of weird, as it looked like it was just going to be a double, but the ball bounced far enough off the wall that Lindor ended up getting an RBI triple. But, Perez pachinko also cuts the other way, as a grounder to third, a strikeout, and flyout to center kept the game tied at one run apiece.
Nothing much happened in the second or the top of the third. In the bottom half of the inning, after a leadoff single, Lindor again took a Perez pitch on the outer edge, this time a changeup, and pulled it into left for a two-run homer. Perez was hitting his spots, but it didn't matter. That score didn't last long: after Olson drew a leadoff walk in the fourth, Albies victimized Thornton by crushing an elevated fastball for a definitive non-cheapie homer. Michael Harris II singled and it looked like the Braves might've solved Thornton, but that didn't end up being the case, as Mauricio Dubon popped out and Austin Riley hit into a double play.

#thomas #play #double #lindor

Australian Rules Football
AFL Men's — Round 19
Brisbane Lions vs. Port Adelaide Power — Fox Soccer Plus, 11 p.m.
North Melbourne Kangaroos vs. St. Kilda Saints — FS2/Fox One, 1 a.m. (Sunday)
Baseball
Banana Ball World Tour
Game 2, Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Savannah Bananas vs. Firefighters — ESPN/ESPN Unlimited, 5 p.m.
Beach Volleyball
AVP League
Week 7, EHP Resort & Marina, East Hampton, NY
Women: Austin Aces vs. Brooklyn Blaze/Men's: Miami Mayhem vs. San Diego Smash — The CW, 1 p.m.
Men's: Austin Aces vs. Brooklyn Blaze/Women's: Miami Mayhem vs. San Diego Smash — YouTube, 3 p.m.
CFL
Week 8
Toronto Argonauts at BC Lions — TSN1/TSN4/CBS Sports Network, 7 p.m.
College Football
Sun Belt Conference Football Media Days — ESPNU/ESPN Unlimited, 8 a.m.

#unlimited #brooklyn

The Georgia Bulldogs have been nominated for several different awards as part of USA TODAY Sports Readers' Choice Awards. Georgia fans can vote for Georgia in multiple different categories.
At the time of writing this post, Athens is No. 6 in the best college sports towns in America. Athens is among 20 different college towns nominated including Chapel Hill (North Carolina), Eugene (Oregon), Austin (Texas) and more.
Uga is among the top nominated mascot. Other nominated mascots include Big Red (Western Kentucky) and Bevo (Texas), who is one of Uga's fiercest rivals after charging Uga at the Sugar Bowl. Uga is ranked No. 14 of 20 mascots.
The Red Coat Marching Band is among the nominees for the best band. The Red Coats are No. 11 in the voting.
Georgia's fight song, "Glory, Glory" is one of 20 nominees for the best fight song. It ranks No. 6 out of the nominees.

#awards

With rookies already in camp, the Tennessee **** ans are just a few days away from taking the field and watching the position battles commence.
Tennessee made some significant changes to its roster throughout the offseason and will look a lot different than it did in 2025, but it still has some questions to answer on both sides of the ball. In his preseason preview, ESPN's Turron Davenport outlines three key position battles to watch once camp kicks off that could have a major impact on the outcome of the 2026 season.
There's no slam-dunk favorite in the three-way battle between veterans Austin Schlottmann and Andre James and rookie Pat Coogan. Schlottmann has the upper hand, having played in Daboll's offense the past two seasons. But James, a late addition during minicamp, started 31 games for offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo with the Raiders in 2022 and 2023. Coogan has an outside shot at the job because of his top-level communication skills, but he has an uphill battle after being selected in the sixth round in April.
The late addition of James adds some more intrigue to this competition, which had the appearance of a two-horse race throughout most of the offseason. James did have his best seasons under Bricillo, and could surprise. Coogan has championship pedigree from his college days, and could eventually see some reps, definitely making it one of the positions to watch.
Veterans Cordell Volson and Jackson Slater are the primary competitors in this battle. Volson has 48 starts under his belt after being selected by the Bengals in the fourth round in 2022. He missed the 2025 season after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder last August. Slater enters his second season after being selected in the fifth round last year. He played 34 snaps last season, all of which came in the season finale against the Jaguars. Someone needs to emerge quickly to help solidify the right side, especially with questions surrounding Latham at right tackle.

#james

Based on the New England Patriots' 2026 offseason moves, the organization made improving quarterback Drake Maye's offensive weapons a priority. In the process, the Patriots added to a previously aging tight end room.
Following an Austin Hooper exit to the Atlanta Falcons in free agency, New England signed hybrid tight end Julian Hill. It also selected Notre Dame's Eli Raridon in the third round of the NFL Draft. However, a season-ending injury to Hill during a spring practice left a void in the group that remains unresolved.
In the final edition of our Patriots training camp preview series, we'll take a look at New England's tight end corps in its entirety and discuss the biggest takeaways heading into the summer practices.
*Denotes player on the Pats Pulpit 53-man roster projection
Starters: Hunter Henry (31)*, Eli Raridon (22/R)* | Backups: Tanner Arkin (22/R)*, Jack Westover (27), C.J. Dippre (24), Mitch Van Vooren (25), Jeremiah Franklin (22) | IR: Julian Hill (25)

#hill #tight #drake

Where to watch AVP beach volleyball today: TV schedule, channel, live stream for 2026 East Hampton tournament originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The AVP is nearing closer and closer to its championship weekend, but first, the circuit will be heading to East Hampton, New York, for another regular season tournament.
For Week 7, the 2026 AVP League will play at EHP Resort and Marina, with the iconic Three Mile Harbor and waterfront views as the backdrop. This marks the league's second year playing at this venue, bringing the world's most elite professional players out to Long Island a week after competing in Manhattan.
The field has already been determined for this weekend's competition, with the Austin Aces, Brooklyn Blaze, Miami Mayhem and San Diego Smash all set to take the court. Each franchise will have one men's duo and one women's duo representing them in East Hampton.
Here's everything you need to know about AVP beach volleyball in East Hampton, including TV channel and streaming options for the professional meet.

#east #hampton #volleyball

July 23 (Reuters) - Digital Realty Trust raised its full-year forecast for funds from operations on Thursday, betting on resilient leasing ‌momentum from cloud and AI customers to drive growth, sending ‌its shares up 3% in extended trading.
Austin, Texas-based Digital Realty is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that provides data center, colocation and interconnection solutions.
The company leases managed data centers to clients across industries ranging from cloud and information technology to social networking, communications, and manufacturing, and has been a ‌major beneficiary of the ⁠race to adopt generative AI, which requires vast amounts of computing power housed in specialized facilities.
Here are some ⁠more details:
• Digital Realty now expects fiscal 2026 adjusted funds from operations, a key cash flow metric for REITs, in the range of $8.15 to $8.20 per share, compared with its earlier projection of $8 to $8.10 per share.

#cloud #july

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice? Shame on me. Win the SEC twice in a row over the teams that league media had thought would take home the trophy? Well then people decide they won't be fooled again.
The ******* embled voters at SEC Media Days have tabbed the Red and Black to be back in Atlanta this December. Georgia is projected to finish first in the SEC, according to the predicted order of finish poll conducted at Media Days. The Bulldogs comfortably beat out the Texas Longhorns for the top spot ahead of the 2026 season.
The 'Dawgs received 88 votes to be crowned SEC Champions on December 5 in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with Texas being picked to be the Bulldogs' opponent. The ''Horns picked up 57 votes to win the ******* le under the leadership of reputed genius Steve Sarkisian and golden child Arch Manning, who has one more year to win one of the three Heisman Trophies Longhorn fans ******* ured me he'd pick up before leaving Austin.
Before you get too excited, bear in mind that only 10 times since the league began playing a championship game in 1992 has the predicted preseason champion at SEC Media Days gone on to win the SEC Championship Game. But there's no doubt that a Bulldog team bringing back loads of talent and experience on both sides of the ball will be a contender once again.
Go 'Dawgs!!!

#shame

Following four-time MVP LeBron James' historic decision to shock the world by joining the Philadelphia 76ers, the news was met with elation by those in the City of Brotherly Love, including Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro, who already officially declared July 24 to be known as LeBron James Day in the state.
And the elation in Philadelphia is more than justified, as the 76ers now have as good a chance as anyone of taking home the 2026-27 NBA championship, with James set to be signed to one of the best value contracts in league history. Lest we forget, although James is now 41, he still put up a 21/7/6 stat line last season while having to share the ball with the likes of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
James will now be signed to a deal that will pay him just $3.9 million next campaign, so we're having a hard time figuring out a player who might give their team a better bang for their buck than James will for Philadelphia next season at that salary.
And that was without even discussing the fact that Philadelphia also managed to get rid of Paul George this offseason, while adding Jaylen Brown and Anfernee Simons. Simply put, the Sixers are going to be an absolute force, at least on the offensive end, next season, and should be seen by everyone as a top ****** le contender.
However, there is some business the team still has to take care of.

#philadelphia #season #next

Tesla reported second-quarter revenue of $28.24 billion, up 26% year over year, while executives highlighted progress toward launching production of the Tesla Semi Class 8 electric truck at its Nevada manufacturing facility.
Austin, Texas-based Tesla (Nasdaq: TSLA) released its second-quarter earnings and held a conference call with ******* ysts after the market closed on Wednesday.
The company generated $20.5 billion in automotive revenue during the quarter, delivered a record 480,126 vehicles worldwide and reported diluted earnings per share of 32 cents.
Operating income totaled $398 million, reflecting higher research and development spending in artificial intelligence, robotics, battery manufacturing and commercial vehicle production.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company is entering what they described as its largest investment cycle, with spending focused on expanding manufacturing capacity across several businesses, including the Tesla Semi program.

#quarter #Manufacturing #semi #year

Jose Delgado is ready to test himself against higher-ranked opposition.
Delgado (12-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) thinks it's time to get a bigger name following his latest win. The MMA Lab product beat fellow featherweight prospect Austin Bashi (14-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) with a unanimous decision this past Saturday on the UFC Fight Night 281 preliminary card in Oklahoma City. The win gave Delgado a two-fight winning streak after a decision loss to veteran Nathaniel Wood.
"I've always rated Nathaniel Wood very highly," Delgado told MMA Junkie. "I think he's a guy who hasn't gotten the opportunities to move up the ranking, but I think skill for skill he deserves to be up there. So skill for skill, I'm ready to compete with them all. I like the idea of a Steve Garcia or an Aaron Pico, I like the idea of that type of range of fights, and I think that's pretty realistic to what I can get, so I'm looking forward to those opportunities in the future. Yeah, somebody in those ranges would be sick."
Being a Mexican-American and living and fighting out of Arizona, many think a return at this year's Noche UFC would be perfect for Delgado. Noche UFC takes place Sept. 12 at the Diamond Desert Arena in Glendale, Ariz.
Delgado would love to participate on that card, and wouldn't say no if a name of interest came up, but he admits the timeline is looking tough.

#delgado #think #skill #decision