Manchester City will embark on their first season without Pep Guardiola as manager for over a decade, as incoming boss Enzo Maresca prepares to take on the role.
The Italian head coach becomes just City's fourth manager in more than two decades following Guardiola, Manuel Pellegrini, and Roberto Mancini, and embarking on his third stay at the Etihad Stadium.
After spells within the club's Academy system, before departing to take on a head coach role in Italian football and returning to become Guardiola's **** istant in the 2022/23 season, Enzo Maresca has now been tasked with steering the club into a new era.
Among the early challenges is the summer transfer window and how best to tackle the exits of Bernardo Silva, John Stones, Nathan Ake, and possibly more including Rodri, as well as identifying the necessary stars to bolster his playing squad.
Now, ahead of the start of the 2026/27 season, here are all of the key dates you need to know and make a note of for a big season in the history of Manchester City!

#manchester

It's been a wild ride for NuScale Power (NYSE: SMR) investors, but there could be one catalyst on the horizon that leads to a breakout and an end to the boom-and-bust cycle.
NuScale's project, a 6-gigawatt small modular reactor (SMR) system for the Tennessee Valley Authority, a major utility operator, could imminetly receive a power purchase agreement (PPA). This is according to CEO John Hopkins, who has implied that the company would have a PPA by the end of 2026.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
A signed PPA would lock in revenue for NuScale from a utility company for years or even decades to come. This would be welcome news for NuScale, which has suffered several meaningful setbacks this year.
The bad news for NuScale has included the exit of its largest shareholder, Fluor, as well as a $507.4 million milestone payment to commercialization partner ENTRA1 Energy. Delays in project timelines and skyrocketing operating losses amid declining revenue are prompting investors to head for the exit.

#NVIDIA #power #project

Cracker Barrel will soon have a new leader.
The company announced on July 27 CEO Julie Masino will step down as CEO and member of the board effective Aug. 10. Masino will be replaced by David Deno, most recently the CEO of Bloomin' Brands, the owner of casual restaurant chains such as Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill and Bonefish Grill.
Masino will remain with Cracker Barrel as an adviser until Oct. 9, the company said.
"Following a robust and thoughtful search process, we are pleased to welcome David as Cracker Barrel's next CEO," said Carl Berquist, independent chairman of the Cracker Barrel board, in a news release. "He brings decades of experience across the restaurant and retail industries, with a strong track record of leading businesses through growth and a demonstrated commitment to operational excellence, guest experience, and team member engagement."
Deno said in the news release he is "honored to lead the Cracker Barrel team" and looks forward to "unlocking the full potential of this remarkable brand." Deno began his tenure as CEO of Bloomin' Brands in 2019, having previously served as the company's executive vice president and chief financial officer from 2012 to 2019.

#barrel #masino

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Cracker Barrel is changing CEOs as it works to regain traffic and trust from guests.
The company announced Monday that David Deno will become CEO and join the board of directors effective August 10. He replaces Julie Masino, who has led Cracker Barrel since November 2023 and will step down from the top role and board on the same date. Masino will stay with the company in an advisory role through October 9 to ******* ist with the transition.
Deno brings decades of restaurant experience to the position, including five years as CEO of Bloomin' Brands, parent company of Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. He joined Bloomin' Brands in 2012 as CFO before taking over as CEO in 2019. He previously held senior positions at Best Buy, Yum! Brands, Pizza Hut, and Burger King.
During Deno's tenure, Bloomin' credited him with strengthening profitability and its balance sheet, including navigating the company through the COVID pandemic and optimizing its international portfolio. He retired from the CEO position in 2024.

#barrel #deno #steakhouse

July 27 (Reuters) - Cracker Barrel on Monday said Julie Masino would step down as its CEO, nearly a year ‌after the company faced criticism from conservatives, including U.S. ‌President Donald Trump, for a short-lived decision to change its decades-old logo.
Here are the details:
• Masino will step down as CEO on August 10 after about three years in the role and will remain with the company in an advisory capacity until October 9.
• Cracker Barrel named ‌restaurant industry veteran David ⁠Deno as its new top boss.
• In August 2025, the company faced backlash on social media for ⁠its decision to modernize its logo and stores and replace its decades-old "Old-Timer" signage which featured the image of an overalls-clad man known as "Uncle Herschel" leaning against a barrel.

#cracker

The Oregon Ducks men's basketball program has gone through a litany of changes this offseason, with eight incoming transfers replacing eight outgoing transfers. The coaching staff has also experienced its fair share of changes, as long-time Dana Altman ***** istant coach Mike Mennenga departed for Creighton and Brandon Kuhn was hired as the new strength and conditioning coach.
The latest change comes from ***** istant coach Kevin McKenna, who has decided to retire. McKenna has worked on the player development side for the past few seasons, helping develop a trio of Jackson Shelstad, Nate Bittle and Kwame Evans Jr. into All-Big Ten caliber players. He spent 16 seasons at Oregon.
McKenna's basketball career spans back a number of decades, as he was a standout player at Creighton before being selected 88th overall in the fourth round by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1981 NBA Draft. He spent six seasons in the league with eight different teams before heading into coaching after his playing days concluded.
Thank you, Coach McKenna, for helping lead Oregon to new heights during your 16 seasons on the bench.

Enjoy retirement, K-Mac! #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/Ms0Zkv9PSW
The Minnesota native coached under Altman at Creighton, and held head coaching jobs at Nebraska-Omaha and Indiana State before being hired in 2010 to be an ***** istant coach with the Ducks.

#creighton

The Trump administration is weighing whether to extend access to some Chinese rare earth materials beyond the January 1, 2027 cutoff after U.S. producers acknowledged they cannot build sufficient domestic processing and magnet capacity before the deadline, Reuters reported on Monday.
Industry executives and Pentagon suppliers told Reuters that U.S. processing and magnet manufacturing capacity remains insufficient to meet despite billions of dollars in federal support for new mines, separation facilities and downstream manufacturing.
The gap threatens not only military procurement but also supply chains serving electric vehicles, offshore wind, robotics, data centers and other energy-intensive industries that depend on high-performance permanent magnets.
The shortage centers on neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) and samarium-cobalt magnets, which rely on rare earth supply chains that China continues to dominate. Beijing still controls the overwhelming majority of global rare earth refining and permanent magnet production, giving it enormous leverage over downstream manufacturing even as Western governments accelerate efforts to diversify supply.
While the United States has made meaningful progress expanding domestic mining, processing, alloy production and magnet manufacturing require specialized infrastructure that has taken China decades to develop.

#earth #supply

The Houston Rockets have had players donning a total of 52 different jersey numbers (and have one not part of any numerical series for Houston ****** istant coach and general manager Carroll Dawson) since their founding at the start of the 1967-68 season, worn by just under 500 players in the course of Rockets history.
To honor all of the players who wore those numbers over the decades, Rockets Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who wore them since the founding of the team all those years ago right up to the present day.
With seven of those jerseys now retired to honor some of the greatest Rockets of all time to wear those jerseys, there is a lot of history to cover.
And for today's article, we will continue with the first of four who wore the No. 24, forward alum Bud Acton. After ending his college career at Hillsdale, Acton went unselected in the 1966 NBA Draft, playing in other leagues until he signed with the (then) San Diego (now, Houston) Rockets in 1968.
The Troy, Michigan native played the only 23 games of his NBA career with the Rockets, leaving the league as a player afterward.

#history

This story was originally published on BioPharma Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily BioPharma Dive newsletter.
Sarepta Therapeutics has found the leader it hopes can engineer a desperately needed turnaround.
The company on Monday announced that Michael Severino, an executive with leadership experience at startups as well as large drugmakers, will become its next CEO effective July 28. He'll replace longtime leader Doug Ingram, who in February announced plans to retire after a tumultuous run.
Severino has been working in the biopharmaceutical industry for more than two decades, including stops at AbbVie and Amgen. At AbbVie, Severino helped bring to market multiple drugs for psoriasis, arthritis, cancer and hepatitis C. At Amgen, he oversaw research and development as the company's senior vice president of development and corporate chief medical officer.
In 2022, Severino left AbbVie to run Tessera Therapeutics, a buzzy "gene writing" startup backed by Flagship Pioneering. Tessera recently brought its first drug prospect, a gene editing treatment for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, into clinical testing. Last week, Tessera announced that Severino had joined a "commercial stage" biotech company and that former Merck & Co. executive Joseph Romanelli would serve as its next leader.

#abbvie #tessera #biopharma #amgen

For the first time in nearly two decades, a new era has officially dawned at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp. Appearing on "The Pat McAfee Show," veteran Steelers reporter Mark Kaboly revealed that the biggest storyline coming out of Latrobe isn't a specific position battle, but rather new head coach Mike McCarthy and the sweeping changes he has implemented in record time.
"It's the first time in 19 years now that we've seen something different up here at training camp," Kaboly noted, highlighting the stark contrast to the franchise's long-standing routines. "I say the story of camp so far would be Mike McCarthy and just how he has changed virtually everything about this organization and how they go about their business in such a small portion of time."
According to Kaboly, McCarthy's transition has been seamless, largely driven by his extensive experience as an NFL head coach. "His attention to detail is just off the charts here and that surprised a lot of people," Kaboly explained. "I think it surprised some of the players. It definitely surprised me."
Among the most noticeable shifts is a complete overhaul of daily practice structures, including a major departure from team tradition: eliminating live hitting during camp, a former staple of Steelers football.
"He's raring to go. Like I said, he has changed everything, from the start of practice to how they go about practice," Kaboly shared. "They're not going to hit at all during training camp. But how McCarthy has just taken over, you can tell that he's a 16-year veteran in this business of how quickly he's been able to get up to speed."

#steelers #mccarthy #mike

Corey Heim is a special driver, and I think we were already aware of that even before his recent Cup victories. He's won 26 Truck races in less than 100 starts, and toppled various records there en route to his 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series **** le.
But there's always an adjustment period when a rising star moves up to Cup, right? Well, maybe not for Heim. 23XI Racing being a top-level team certainly helps, but Heim is actively beating fellow Toyota drivers like Reddick, Hamlin and Bell in head-to-head battles.
He won at the San Diego Street Course by passing Reddick late in the race, and he reclaimed the lead from Hamlin on the final restart of the Brickyard 400, before withstanding the pressure of Bell in the closing laps to win that race as well.
In doing so, Heim is accomplishing feats NASCAR hasn't seen in literally decades.
Corey Heim is the first driver to win two races in just his first 15 career starts as a NASCAR Cup driver since A.J. Foyt did it in 1965 -- 61 years ago. Foyt managed to win the summer Daytona race in both 1964 and 1965 while competing part-time. The legendary driver also won those races with two different race teams, which even Heim won't can't match.

#heim #truck #hamlin

A long era has come to an end for the Baltimore Ravens, as the franchise is set to embark upon its first season in nearly two decades without John Harbaugh as the head coach.
Harbaugh took over as coach in 2008, leading the Ravens to the postseason in 12 of the 18 years he was in charge, including one Super Bowl win. Despite his long-term success in Baltimore, whispers of locker room issues and a losing season that kept the organization out of the playoffs brought an end to his tenure. Now, with a fresh face taking over in Jesse Minter, what is the ceiling (and the floor) for the Baltimore Ravens in 2026?
Ceiling: 13-4
Jesse Minter has been the architect of several elite defenses at both the college and NFL level for Jim Harbaugh, the brother of the man he is replacing. He also has one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL in Lamar Jackson. The Ravens won 13 games in 2023 and 12 games in 2024, and if Minter is up for the task as the head coach and he gets his defense right early, the Ravens could be right back at that level again this season.
Floor: 8-9

#Ravens #ceiling

For nearly two decades, John Harbaugh defined Baltimore Ravens football. His teams were disciplined, physical and consistently among the NFL's playoff contenders. Players came and went, coordinators accepted promotions elsewhere and rosters evolved, but Harbaugh remained the constant that tied every season together.
That chapter has closed. As the Ravens report for training camp, the organization begins navigating unfamiliar territory. A new coaching staff inherits one of the NFL's most talented rosters, but replacing a respected culture builder is never as simple as changing the name on the office door.
The Ravens enter this summer with a chance to establish a new identity while preserving the standards that made them one of football's model franchises. Coaching changes often coincide with rebuilding projects. That isn't the case in Baltimore.
The Ravens still possess one of the league's premier quarterbacks in Lamar Jackson, an offense capable of challenging any defense and a defense talented enough to help fuel an AFC North ***** le. Expectations haven't changed simply because leadership has.
The new coaching staff isn't being asked to build a contender from scratch. It's being asked to sustain one.

#Coaching

2026 has marked a significant turning point in biotech capital markets, not just a small comeback. Venture funding for biotech startups reached $9.1 billion in the first half of the year, the highest first-half total since 2022, while 13 biotech IPOs raised a combined $4.5 billion, with a median haul of nearly $302 million per offering, unusually high by recent standards, with the majority of this year's debutants still trading above their offering price. Dealmaking has also maintained its pace, with 38 acquisitions closing in the same time period, placing the industry at its fastest M&A pace in at least seven years.
Underneath that broad comeback is a more unique validation story for RNA interference in particular. The market for RNAi treatments is expected to rise from $2.9 billion in 2025 to $3.6 billion in 2026. This growth comes after RNAi spent nearly two decades as a research curiosity before receiving its first licensed medicine in 2018. Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALNY) has recently emerged as the clearest example of this transition, and the market's reaction raises the question of whether the story has been properly priced.
During Q1 2026, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALNY) exceeded $1 billion in quarterly product revenue for the first time in its history, with $1.036 billion in net product revenue, up 121% year-over-year and 4% sequentially over Q4 2025, on total revenue of $1.17 billion, up 96% year-over-year. AMVUTTRA alone delivered $890 million, bringing total TTR franchise revenue (AMVUTTRA plus ONPATTRO) to $910 million, up 153% from the previous year.
That growth completely flipped the company's bottom line: GAAP net income was $206 million, compared to a $15.9 million loss in the same quarter the previous year, and GAAP income from operations came in at $268.6 million, up from a prior-year loss. A company that continued to burn cash a year ago is now solidly profitable on a GAAP basis.
The growth is also not driven by a single medicine, which is important for long-term viability. The rare disease franchise, GIVLAARI and OXLUMO, added $126 million, increasing 15% year-over-year, while AMVUTTRA's worldwide rollout has reached seven markets, with payment negotiations still ongoing in the Spanish and French markets. This means that a significant portion of the revenue base is yet to be released.

#revenue #first #gaap #markets

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There has long been an elephant in the Federal Open Market Committee's room as it tries to accomplish its mission of promoting maximum employment and stable prices. It's just much, much bigger now, and it's hard to ignore a $2 trillion elephant.
That's roughly how much the US government is issuing in new Treasury bills and bonds each year as the country's budget deficit swells. Its massive spending problem isn't new: The US has run a deficit for more than two decades, helped along by the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. But the economy is looking relatively healthy now, with inflation down from its decades-high record in 2022, shrinking to 3.5% in June. Weekly jobless claims just dropped to their lowest level since 1969. And yet the government is still issuing increasing amounts of debt. Economists say it's unsustainable.
Reducing the federal deficit may be Congress's job, but the central bank, led by Chair Kevin Warsh, has to contend with the economic effects of Treasury borrowing as it determines whether to hike, cut or hold interest rates steady. A committee that already is split on where interest rates should head will gather this week to decide what's next as a growing chorus of experts point to the problem the federal deficit poses.
Sign up for The Daily Upside at no cost for premium **** ysis on all your favorite stocks.

#much

Retired wrestling legend AJ Styles made a bold point calling out WWE for not pushing new star Bron Breakker fast enough into the world ***** le scene. Breakker was viewed as a "can't miss prospect" after an epic NXT run and a hot start to his main roster career. WWE seemed ready to push Breakker to the top after storylines with Paul Heyman, Seth Rollins and CM Punk. Recent months have seen things slowing for Breakker and seemingly distanced from the main event scene.
Styles had the following to say on his podcast about being confused at WWE's logic:
"How long are we going to wait for Bron Breakker to be Heavyweight Champion? He should be next. I think that he's definitely a star right now. Why we haven't put it on him to put the rocket up his ***** and send him to the freaking moon? I don't know why we haven't done that because he is the destroyer."
The current role of Styles sees him retired from in-ring competition but active in various background roles for WWE. Styles uses his experience of well over two decades to contribute via coaching, training and scouting for the company. The new role likely makes it more pivotal on AJ's side to see obvious new stars getting truly elevated.
One noteworthy subject here goes back to WWE's overall main event. Roman Reigns, CM Punk, and Cody Rhodes are treated on a full tier above the rest of the roster. Young stars must be presented on an equal level to these three or fans will never view them as a top name.

#star #roster

Next weekend, the Pro Football Hall of Fame welcomes the Class of 2026. This year, five NFL legends will be recognized for their accomplishments on the field as their stories become immortalized forever in Canton, Ohio. Off the field, another distinguished honoree will also be recognized. During the Enshrinees' Gold Jacket Dinner, Sandy Grossman will become the first television director to receive the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Grossman's recognition marks a historic first for the Hall. Over a broadcasting career that spanned more than five decades, he directed coverage of a record 10 Super Bowls, 18 NBA Finals, five Stanley Cup Finals and multiple Olympic Games opening and closing ceremonies.
Grossman retired in 2012 and passed away in 2014 in Boca Raton, Florida, at the age of 78. Earlier this year, his son, Dean Grossman, received the call informing him that his father would finally receive one of football's highest honors.
"I got a text from Rich [Desrosiers] at the Hall asking if I was available to speak in about an hour. So, he called me along with Joe [Hawkins] and Jim [Porter]. I told them I had never been to the Hall of Fame before, and they told me I'm going to get on a plane this year because my father will be winning the Pete Rozelle Award," said Grossman. "It was very emotional. I hung up and started to cry."
Earning a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame is one of the most difficult accomplishments in football, whether as a player or broadcaster. The selection process for the Pete Rozelle Award is equally demanding. Candidates require an extensive case for consideration, and only one recipient earns the reward each year.

#Football #year

Generating $48,000 annually requires capital ranging from $400,000 at a 12% yield to $1,371,000 at 3.5%, depending on your chosen income tier.
Dividend growers like KO and MCD have multiplied payouts many times over decades, making them stronger inflation hedges than high-yield funds with flat distributions.
Aggressive-yield vehicles like covered-call funds and mortgage REITs frequently return capital rather than grow it, causing gradual principal erosion even as distributions arrive.
Two retirees, same $1 million, same 4% rule, buy one finished with $1.4 million, the other hit $0 in 12 years. Our free reader guide explains the flaw that separated them, and the income-first method built to avoid it.
Replacing $4,000 a month in take-home pay through dividends means generating $48,000 a year without touching principal. That number sits close to the $68,391 per capita disposable income the Bureau of Economic ******* ysis reported for the first quarter of 2026, and it is well within reach for anyone with real capital and a coherent yield strategy. The question is what yield you accept, and what you trade to get it.

#generating

Like most investors, I stepped into the stock market rather cautiously, doing my best to follow Warren Buffett's primary rule: "Don't lose money."
Three decades later, I now realize I didn't fully appreciate the nuances of this tip. Namely, I conflated temporary setbacks with locking in losses. Oh, I knew the difference between realized and unrealized. It's just that, mentally, I convinced myself that some pullbacks never stop. Big mistake. Most do. This mindset kept me out of some stocks that would have ended up being very big winners.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
I can't go back in time and do things over. I can, however, help others learn from my mistakes and tell them the very first stock I would have bought and held back then if I had known then what I know now. That's Google parent Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG).
OK, Google wasn't around when I first started investing. It wouldn't exist until 1998, and it didn't go public until 2004. If I were just starting out or starting over again today, however, it would be the foundational position in my portfolio.

#flashing

How much someone needs for retirement can vary greatly depending on where they live and what kind of lifestyle they want to maintain. According to a recent retirement survey from investment firm Schroders, in order to "retire comfortably," Americans estimate they'll need to have around $1.2 million saved up.
That's a high figure, but the good news is even if someone doesn't have a large lump sum saved up today, they can still potentially be on track to retire with that much by making regular monthly investments in the stock market. Here's a look at how much someone would need to invest each month to be on track to reach that goal.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
The S&P 500 is a fairly safe way to invest in the stock market. The index tracks the top 500 U.S. stocks and provides investors with exposure to a broad mix of sectors. But to generate the best returns, specifically targeting growth stocks may be a better move for investors.
The Vanguard Growth ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) does just that. Rather than trying to be too diversified, the exchange-traded fund (ETF) focuses on holding positions in the country's top growth stocks. That has enabled it to outperform the S&P 500 index funds in recent years. While the volatility from one year to the next can be high with growth stocks, for investors willing to hold on for not only years but decades, it can be a no-brainer option to invest in this type of fund.

#NVIDIA #signal #Invest #investors

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

Dave Joerger is headed to Denver.
Joerger reached a deal on Monday night to join the Nuggets' coaching staff next season, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Joerger will serve as the lead ******* istant on head coach David Adelman's staff.
Joerger has been an ******* istant in the league for nearly two decades, and he served as the head coach for both the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings. The Grizzlies fired Joerger after three seasons in 2016, though Joerger had sought permission to talk to other teams about job openings during his final campaign. He then joined the Kings the following season, and spent three years there, too. In total, Joerger compiled a 245-247 record as a head coach.
Since his last head job, Joerger has spent time as an ******* istant with both the Philadelphia 76ers and most recently the Milwaukee Bucks.
Joerger will now get to join the Nuggets as Adelman enters his second full season at the helm. The Nuggets went 54-28 last season, but were knocked out in the opening round of the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves. The team has had a busy offseason already, including waiving center Jonas Valančiūnas and matching an offer to retain Spencer Jones. The Nuggets will also have to decide what to do about restricted free agent Peyton Watson in the near future, too.

#season

BENGALURU: Rahul Dravid, once a hockey midfielder, famously put away the stick and stuck to weaving magic with the willow. Almost four decades later, with a stick in hand, he can still trap a ball with precision and position a pass well too. The former India captain and coach, who played in the same school team– St. Joseph's Boys High School– as former international hockey players Anil Aldrin and Sandeep Somesh, counts hockey as one of his favourite sports. Speaking at the opening of the inter-college hockey tournament commemorating the platinum jubilee of his alma mater, St Joseph's College of Commerce (SJCC), here on Friday, Dravid reminisced about his days on the hockey field.
"I played a lot of hockey in school. I was fortunate to play with people like Anil Aldrin and Sandeep Somesh for two reasons. Firstly, we were a strong team and won tournaments like Centenary Shield and the Father Eric Vaz inter-school tournaments because of these two guys. Also, it was a good lesson for me because when I watched them play or played with them, I realised that I was better off playing cricket," Dravid joked.

Incidentally, Dravid and Somesh both played as midfielders, while 1996 Atlanta Olympian Aldrin was a defender. The 53-year-old Dravid said hockey had played an important role in his formative years. "I loved playing hockey. It was a great team sport. India has such an incredible history, legacy and tradition in hockey," he said.
Dravid also praised the resurgence of Indian hockey after the men's team secured back-to-back Olympic bronze medals in Paris and Tokyo. "We haven't been able to reach the heights and standards that we had in the past, but I'm glad we have been quite successful in recent times. There is a revival of hockey," he observed.
The two-day five-a-side inter-college hockey tournament, which has attracted 17 teams, has been organised by SJCC's Old Students' ****** ociation (OSA) and Yes For Hockey. The competition is timely for the revival of collegiate hockey, which has declined over the years.
Lauding the efforts of OSA, Dravid said, "They've been very passionate about trying to revive hockey and get more youngsters to play it, which is really important because it's such a phenomenal sport to be a part of. I think it's only going to keep getting better."
Known throughout his playing career for exemplifying sportsmanship, Dravid urged young players to uphold the spirit of the game. "Play in the right spirit, competitively but also with the right sense of camaraderie," he stated, adding, "Not everyone is going to play for the country, but there is so much that sport can give you. The lessons that you learn from sport will carry you for the rest of your life."

#hockey #play #played #school

William Shatner plans to boldly go where few have gone before, reveals a source, becoming a supercentenarian with the help of the latest in science advances!
"He genuinely believes he can make it to at least 110 if he keeps looking after himself and stays mentally engaged," dishes the source. "He's immersed in learning about all the possibilities, spending hours reading, listening to experts and following breakthroughs. William seems convinced we're living through a period where people will be able to extend their lives longer than ever."
According to the source, the Star Trek legend, 95, appears especially invigorated after "being pulled back from the brink" during his stage 4 cancer battle.
Now in remission, Shatner — who was diagnosed back in 2023 — required surgery and two years of immunotherapy to eradicate the malignant melanoma that had spread to his lungs and brain, per People.
"He's feeling absolutely fantastic these days and has confidence that he's still got decades ahead of him," shares our source. "He's got far too many things left on his bucket list to start thinking about slowing down."

#source #shatner #star #trek

The WNBA All-Star Game is a testament to player talents and fan cultures. It's also a good measure of this league's ongoing evolution.
In its first season, the brand-new WNBA didn't even have an All-Star celebration. A decade after that, both All-Star coaches hailed from franchises soon to be relocated or disbanded. Two decades after inauguration, Maya Moore led the field with around 33,000 fan votes. Now cut to 2026, when both Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark exceeded the 1 million mark.
This year's All-Star Game shows how much the W has going for it right now. Bueckers, Clark, Olivia Miles, Dominique Malonga and Angel Reese lead the next generation into the spotlight. They're joined by enduring superstars like A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. Gabby Williams highlights the instant success of the Golden State Valkyries, and Marina Mabrey gets love on behalf of one of this year's expansion teams, the Toronto Tempo. There are twerking mascots and blue-haired goofballs for those with eyes to see them.
Here's what to know ahead of the main event. All times listed are ET.
Venue: United Center — Chicago

#star #moore #olivia

GRAND RAPIDS – Tony Annese is the head coach of the successful Division II football program in decades ... and maybe ever.
Yet he still can't believe his Ferris State University team has won four of the past five national championships.
"It's hard to win even once," Annese said. "It's a once in a lifetime thing to win the national championship, and we've been able to do it four times. Everyone here wants to win the national championship. Sometimes I look back and I pinch myself because I'm shocked that we even did it once, let alone four times."
Not surprisingly, Ferris State was named as the No. 1 team in the preseason Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coaches Poll. The Bulldogs were followed by Grand Valley State, Michigan Tech University, Davenport University and Saginaw Valley State University.
More: Grand Valley State releases 2026 football schedule with home Ferris State showdown

#state #ferris

Italy will appoint legendary midfielder Andrea Pirlo as the country's new manager, according to local reports.
Pirlo was a key part of Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning side and played for Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus in a gloried playing career. He also coached Juventus, as well as Sampdoria and Turkish side Fatih Karagumruk, before his current role in charge of Dubai United.
Pirlo will sign a four-year contract, taking him to the 2030 World Cup, Italian publication La Repubblica reported.
Italian ⁠football is facing one of its deepest crises in decades, and the ⁠appointment of a new national team coach is seen as the first step in a wider effort to ‌rebuild a youth development and talent pathway system that has deteriorated ‌significantly in a country where football remains a national obsession.
Gennaro Gattuso resigned as Italy head coach in April after the four-time world champions failed to qualify for a third World Cup in a row.

#juventus #four

Linda Cohn leaving ESPN feels like a generation ago after seeing the number of prominent on-air personalities who were laid off this week.
Cohn mutually agreed to part ways with ESPN last month after a tenure that lasted more than three decades. And as the longest-tenured SportsCenter anchor in ESPN history, Cohn received a proper sendoff that was both deserved and earned. Three weeks later, however, ESPN reminded everyone how coldblooded the industry is when they executed their latest round of layoffs. And while everyone understands layoffs are part of the business, ESPN has been condemned for the manner in which they handled those cuts.
"The ESPN layoffs were awful. You hate to see anybody lose their job," Cohn said on her recently launched YouTube show. "It's all bad. When you're laid off, when you're fired, when your salary is cut, when you have to think, 'what do I do now?' Well, the ESPN layoffs, that was awful. What made it even worse, if that could be possible, was the way ESPN PR handled it, or mishandled it, because they treated everyone on this latest firing list with zero respect. Zero. Beginning with Ryan Clark."
"That whole PR nightmare could have been avoided if Ryan Clark was alerted, how about the night before? And how about before he took the set for NFL Live?" Cohn continued. "If you knew there were media outlets going to break the news and you were concerned about Ryan finding out by looking at his phone during the show, then why didn't you just tell him before the show? That is **** bling and fumbling. That buffoonery electrified this story in a negative way even more."
Clark was arguably the most prominent personality laid off by ESPN this week, but it was the fact that he learned his fate during a commercial break on NFL Live that garnered the most headlines. ESPN learned Outkick was set to report the news on Clark's looming layoff while he was on NFL Live Monday afternoon. Not wanting to risk Clark's phone blowing up with news of the layoff while he was on-camera, ESPN decided to let him go during a commercial break.

#espn #live #break

Bengaluru: Rahul Dravid, once a hockey midfielder, famously put away the stick and stuck to weaving magic with the willow. Almost four decades later, with a stick in hand, he can still trap a ball with precision and position a pass well too.

The former India captain and coach, who played in the same school team– St. Joseph's Boys High School– as former international hockey players Anil Aldrin and Sandeep Somesh, counts hockey as one of his favourite sports. Speaking at the opening of the inter-college hockey tournament commemorating the platinum jubilee of his alma mater, St Joseph's College of Commerce (SJCC), here on Friday, Dravid reminisced about his days on the hockey field.

"I played a lot of hockey in school. I was fortunate to play with people like Anil Aldrin and Sandeep Somesh for two reasons. Firstly, we were a strong team and won tournaments like Centenary Shield and the Father Eric Vaz inter-school tournaments because of these two guys. Also, it was a good lesson for me because when I watched them play or played with them, I realised that I was better off playing cricket," Dravid joked.

Incidentally, Dravid and Somesh both played as midfielders, while 1996 Atlanta Olympian Aldrin was a defender. The 53-year-old Dravid said hockey had played an important role in his formative years. "I loved playing hockey. It was a great team sport. India has such an incredible history, legacy and tradition in hockey," he said.
Dravid also praised the resurgence of Indian hockey after the men's team secured back-to-back Olympic bronze medals in Paris and Tokyo. "We haven't been able to reach the heights and standards that we had in the past, but I'm glad we have been quite successful in recent times. There is a revival of hockey," he observed.

The two-day five-a-side inter-college hockey tournament, which has attracted 17 teams, has been organised by SJCC's Old Students' **** ociation (OSA) and Yes For Hockey. The competition is timely for the revival of collegiate hockey, which has declined over the years.
Lauding the efforts of OSA, Dravid said, "They've been very passionate about trying to revive hockey and get more youngsters to play it, which is really important because it's such a phenomenal sport to be a part of. I think it's only going to keep getting better."

#school #play

For the first time in nearly two decades, both the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox have entered the second half of the season with legitimate playoff aspirations.
While the Cubs entered the year expecting to compete for the National League Central, the White Sox have exceeded every preseason outlook after one of the worst stretches in franchise history. As the trade deadline approaches, the White Sox find themselves in a position few predicted, while the Cubs continue to manage expectations; both clubs are playing meaningful baseball in July.
Throughout the season, fans have seen both teams step up and play with their deep rosters carrying them to victory.
The Cubs entered 2026 with one goal: a return to the postseason. Through the first half of the season, they have looked like a playoff contender. Rather than relying on one superstar, Chicago has won through roster depth, strong defense, quality starting pitching and timely hitting. They have consistently remained near the top of the National League despite competing in one of baseball's toughest divisions and recovering from a 10-game losing streak earlier in the season.
One of the biggest reasons for the Cubs' success has been their ability to get production throughout the lineup. Pete Crow-Armstrong has continued his emergence as one of baseball's premier defensive center fielders while becoming a dangerous hitter at the top of the order. Seiya Suzuki has provided middle-of-the-order power and run production, giving the Cubs one of the more balanced offenses in the National League.

#first