Barcelona star Eric García has this week revealed his take that the podium for this year's Ballon d'Or award should be filled entirely by teammates from Hansi Flick's squad.
The subject of the upcoming 'Golden Ball' ceremony has of course dominated the headlines in Catalunya's capital over the course of the last week.
This comes owing not only to those Barcelona stars included on the 30-man shortlist, but also those left off.
Featuring front and centre were Blaugrana trio Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Pau Cubarsí, as well as the recently departed Ferran Torres. Surprisingly nowhere to be seen on the shortlist, though, were either Pedri or Raphinha.
Speaking during an interview with Cadena SER on Monday, the aforementioned Eric García was in turn asked for his take on the race to be named world football's best player for 2026.

#Barcelona #eric #garc #week

The news that Tucker Kraft signed a new contract ahead of the Green Bay Packers' 2026 season opener has fired up former teammates, current teammates and fans.
Kraft is getting a four-year contract extension worth $75 million, plus a $26.5 million signing bonus, reports PackersNews' Tom Silverstein.
The tight end signed the contract in Lambeau Field facilities on Saturday before the team departed for Minneapolis for the Week 1 game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Kraft, entering his fourth season, is making his highly anticipated return to game action after he tore his ACL in a Nov. 2 game last season.
He'll look to pick up where he left off prior to the injury. He was having a breakout season where a week prior had set career highs for receptions and receiving yards.

#million

College football, in its purest form, is a remarkable game full of tradition, pageantry and so much fun. At the apex of that purity sits rivalry games. Texas-Oklahoma. Ohio State-Michigan. Iowa-Iowa State. There are generations of tradition and hatred built up among the fanbases and the games just bring more juice.
Tonight marks the 73rd meeting of the Cy-Hawk series, which dates back to 1894. The Hawkeyes lead the all-time series 46-25, officially.
But things have been tight recently. Iowa hasn't officially won this game since 2021 (the 2023 win was vacated) and they haven't won it at home since 2018.
Dating back to 2017, every game in this series has been decided by 10 or fewer points. The Cyclones haven't won this matchup by more than 3 since 2005. The last time either team won by more than 10 in this series was in 2016, when the Hawkeyes emerged victorious 42-3.
This week, we've been exploring the parallels to that 2016 season for this series and there certainly are a few. For starters, that 2016 season marked year one of the Matt Campbell era. Now, 2026 marks year one of the Jimmy Rogers era after Campbell departed for Penn State.

#game #since #games #marks

Led by Elliot Anderson, reloaded Man City midfield gets first chance to impress in Manchester derby originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Manchester City were one of the biggest spenders in the free-wheeling 2026 summer transfer window, as the Premier League side made a host of big-money moves ahead of the current season.
Always known as one of the most lavish clubs in the world with their transfer budget, they went especially big this summer as they looked to refurbish the squad in a period of transition after the departure of legendary manager Pep Guardiola.
The club mainly focused on the central midfield position, where multiple key players departed and an immediate refresh was needed to keep the club's levels up.
With the new players now slotting into their established roles and Enzo Maresca's system beginning to become evident, Sunday's Manchester derby at Old Trafford is the perfect showcase for all the pieces to finally come together.

#manchester #transfer #players

Rising featherweights will collide at the Meta APEX this fall.
At UFC Fight Night 293, Austin Bashi and Lucas Brennan will look to regain momentum against one another in Las Vegas.
Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Bashi (14-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) entered the UFC with much hype but has encountered mixed results. He lost his debut to Christian Rodriguez, but bounced back with a win over John Yannis. In July, Bashi lost a hard-fought battle against Jose Delgado, who is now considered a contender at featherweight.
Brennan (11-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) gained notoriety for his nine-fight stint in Bellator during which he went undefeated. After a loss in PFL, Brennan departed the promotion and went to the regional scene. After a 2-1 run there, the UFC picked him up in April. He lost his debut to Francis Marshall by unanimous decision. Brennan is a second generation UFC fighter, being the son of promotional alumnus Chris Brennan.

#went #rising

The Green Bay Packers have become the NFC's Baltimore Ravens under head coach Matt LaFleur. They've found a way to stack winning regular seasons around an electric quarterback. Then, they crumble into powder in the postseason.
LaFleur is 76-40-1 in Weeks 1-18 and 3-6 in win-or-go-home playoff games. Jordan Love has advanced beyond the Wild Card round only once. His most recent postseason start saw a 21-3 halftime lead become a 31-27 Chicago Bears victory.
That leaves plenty to prove in 2026 and a roster loaded with holes. Wideouts Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks have departed. Josh Jacobs is on the exempt list as the league sorts out the domestic violence charges against him. Micah Parsons will miss at least the first four weeks of the season as he recovers from a torn ACL.
This year's Packers look like a diminished version of the one that stalked the NFC North in years past. What comes next?
Several new additions will have larger roles for the Packers, including linebacker Zaire Franklin and second round rookie cornerback Brandon Cisse. None may be able to provide more peace of mind than Smack if he can live up to his draft status.

#packers #become #postseason

By Steve Holland and David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, Sept 9 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump departed Washington for Texas ‌on Wednesday aboard the Air Force One plane ‌gifted by Qatar after an emergency slide was accidentally deployed and was removed.
Military personnel accidentally triggered the slide, a person briefed on the matter told Reuters.
The slide was activated shortly before Trump was due to board for a flight to ‌Dallas for the first-ever Republican ⁠midterm convention. The issue briefly delayed Trump's departure.
Asked by a journalist whether he was sure that ⁠the plane was safe to fly, Trump said: "Yeah, I am, or I wouldn't be on it."

#slide #steve #holland

DELMAR - The Columbia football team opened a lot of eyes with its Week 1 victory over Queensbury. For those still wondering whether that win was an aberration, the Blue Devils showed Bethlehem Thursday evening that they are a force to be reckoned with.
Columbia shook off a slow start and registered another impressive all-around performance in posting a 31-0 Class A road victory over the Eagles.
It seemed apropos that Columbia senior two-way lineman Adam Burek departed the field after the game with a sledgehammer draped over his right shoulder. The Blue Devils sure brought the muscle Thursday.
The Blue Devils (2-0 overall, 2-0 Class A) were coming off a resounding 48-27 Week 1 triumph over Queensbury, a team that knocked Columbia out of the Class A playoffs in 2025 and 2024. Thursday, Columbia generated a 443-138 edge in offense and never allowed Bethlehem (0-2, 0-2) to reach the red zone.
"It feels great. We had a great offseason with all the guys. We had a good camp and we have really just brought it together the last two weeks," Burek said.

#blue #bethlehem #burek #team

Week 1 of the 2026 Washington Commanders season has arrived.
Can you believe it? No more mini-camps, no more organized team activities, no more training camp, no more preseason games, no more massive cuts to get down to the 53-man roster. No more signing released players to ****** emble a 16-man practice squad.
Week 1 is on! The Commanders are preparing to face their opening opponent, two-time defending NFC East champion the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles were the 2024 NFC and Super Bowl Champions, while Washington lost to the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. The 2025 Eagles won the division, finishing 11-6, followed by Dallas at 7-9-1, Washington at 5-12, and the New York Giants at 4-13.
The Commanders' offense was one of the best in the NFL in 2024, averaging 28.5 points per game. But injuries to receivers, and in particular QB Jayden Daniels, cut offensive production to 20.9 points per game in 2025. OC Kliff Kingsbury and Dan Quinn didn't see eye-to-eye on how the offense would move forward. Consequently, Quinn remains the head coach, and Kingsbury departed and is now on Sean McVay's LA Rams staff.
The Commanders lost tight end Zach Ertz, so they signed free agent TE Chig Okonkwo. GM Adam Peters felt the Commanders really needed help at receiver, so he drafted rookie Antonio Williams 71st overall and then signed veteran free agent receiver Stefon Diggs. Also returning after one season in Jacksonville, is deep threat, Dyami Brown.

#Eagles #game #offense

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may have been among the early contributors for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy final, but it was captain Ishan Kishan who eventually stole the show with a breathtaking double century against South Zone at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Sooryavanshi opened the innings for East Zone and made a brisk 44 off 37 deliveries. During the match, former India cricketer and commentator Vivek Razdan used Kishan's remarkable innings to offer some advice to the teenage batter.

"Sooryavanshi sahab, now you have to learn from players like Ishan Kishan. Once you are set, you have to learn how to play a long innings," Razdan said on commentary.

The message came as Kishan continued to pile on the runs and turn the final into a one-sided contest.
Resuming on 385/4, East Zone's batters showed little sign of slowing down. South Zone turned to the new ball in search of wickets, but Mohammad Siraj and MD Nidheesh struggled to make an impact.

Kishan immediately put pressure on the bowlers, collecting consecutive boundaries against Siraj before taking on Nidheesh. ***** ar Kushagra also joined the ***** ault as South Zone rotated between pace and spin.

Kushagra eventually completed his sixth first-class century, scoring 101 from 132 ***** with eight fours and five sixes. His dismissal shortly before lunch finally gave South Zone a breakthrough.

Kishan, meanwhile, remained in complete control.

The East Zone captain repeatedly found gaps in the field and punished anything loose. Even when South Zone introduced part-timers Devdutt Padikkal and Shaikh Rasheed, the flow of runs did not stop.

Kishan brought up his double century from 270 ***** and continued attacking thereafter. He raced beyond 250 before fatigue briefly forced him to retire from the field.

East Zone continued marching towards a massive total, eventually crossing 600 and then 700. When Mohammed Shami was dismissed for a quick 28, Kishan returned to the crease with the possibility of reaching an extraordinary triple century.
Kishan's pursuit of 300 ultimately came to an end when he was caught near the long-on boundary. The left-hander departed for a monumental 270 from 334 ***** , having smashed 30 fours and seven sixes.

His innings was the eighth-highest individual score in Duleep Trophy history and formed the backbone of East Zone's mammoth 708 all out.

Razdan had earlier highlighted not just the quality of Kishan's batting but also the physical demands of staying at the crease for such an extended period.

"Every person who is present here at this time stood up and applauded this innings. Because this is not just technique, this is not just temperament, this is also match fitness. To stay out there for so long in such heat and play an innings like this. What an innings by Ishan Kishan."

Kishan's marathon effort, alongside Kushagra's century, ensured East Zone posted more than 700 for only the third time in first-class cricket history at Chepauk.

It is a new era - but Aston Villa have been here before.
No goals in their first three Premier League games, with one shot on target, has followed a summer of change.
They open their second Champions League campaign under Unai Emery at Club Brugge on Tuesday aiming to ignite the season.
Villa took five games to score their first top-flight goal last season before ending the campaign triumphant, winning the Europa League in Istanbul.
Since then, six of the starting XI from that victory have departed Villa Park, leaving them rebuilding their forward line.

#league #premier

Ishan Kishan led from the front with a superb unbeaten century as East Zone finished Day 1 of the Duleep Trophy 2026 final on 385/4 against South Zone at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.

After winning the toss and opting to bat, Kishan anchored a strong batting display from East Zone, scoring 111 not out off 135 ****** . His innings featured 14 fours and two sixes as he took control of the contest in the final session.

Kishan found an excellent partner in ****** ar Kushagra, who remained unbeaten on 63 off 75 ****** . The pair added an unbeaten 144-run partnership for the fifth wicket off 160 ****** , completely taking the game away from South Zone towards the end of the day.
East Zone made a solid start through Abhimanyu Easwaran (72) and teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (44). Easwaran and Sooryavanshi gave the side a strong platform before both departed. Sudip ****** ar Gharami was then dismissed for 6, bringing Shikhar Mohan to the crease. Mohan played a composed knock of 85 off 120 ****** , helping East Zone build another important partnership before Chama Milind ended his innings at 241/4.

That dismissal brought Kishan and Kushagra together, and the pair ensured there were no further setbacks.

Kishan accelerated as the innings progressed and brought up his century in style, remaining unbeaten at the close. His knock was particularly important given his role as captain, with East Zone now firmly in control after the opening day.
South Zone's bowling attack found little ****** istance from a placid batting surface, while the bowlers also struggled with consistency. Chama Milind was the most successful bowler, finishing the day with figures of 2/56 from 13 overs. Tripurana Vijay picked up one wicket but conceded 114 runs from his 22 overs.

Mohammed Siraj, meanwhile, went wicketless despite bowling 14 overs and conceded 96 runs. East Zone also benefited from a late surge, scoring 74 runs without losing a wicket in the final 10 overs. Kishan and Kushagra's partnership allowed them to finish the day strongly at 385/4.

With Kishan unbeaten on 111 and Kushagra on 63, East Zone will resume on Day 2 with an opportunity to push towards a total of 400 and beyond. South Zone, meanwhile, will desperately need early wickets with the second new ball to prevent East Zone from building an even bigger first-innings total.

#balls

Hamburger SV's lacklustre start to the new Bundesliga season continued this afternoon on home soil. In the Hanseatic sun, an FSV Mainz 05 side inspired by the brilliance of Sheraldo Becker and Phillip Tietz ran out comfortable winners on a 5-0 scoreline.
Similar to their opening day struggles in Dortmund, the hosts seemed to struggle as Mainz piled on the pressure. Sheraldo Becker stung the palms of Daniel Heuer Fernandes, before Nadiem Amiri fired wide on the end of a neat set-piece routine inside 15 minutes.
The warning signs were clear and HSV took no heed of it as an atmospheric Volksparkstadion fell momentarily silent. A misplaced pass from skipper Nicolai Remberg was picked off by Kaishu Sano. From there, he played in Becker who dispatched from a one-on-one scenario.
Aside from the occasional threat of Albert Grønbaek, HSV failed to even test debutante Alexander Schwolow before the break. Mainz swiftly led 2-0 when Nadiem Amiri pulled the strings in midfield for Becker to find **** e and deliver a routine tap-in for Philipp Mwene.
Half-time whistles from supporters forced Merlin Polzin's hand at the break. Torunarigha, Nadir and Adeline departed for Shafiq Nandja, Patson Daka and Fábio Vieira. The latter receiving a massive cheer since returning on a permanent basis from **** nal.

#nadiem #break #hamburger #bundesliga

Former Leicester City and England striker Jamie Vardy has joined Burnley until the end of the season.
The 39-year-old, who is Leicester's record Premier League scorer with 145 goals, departed for Cremonese in 2025.
Vardy left the Italian side in the summer and now joins the winless Clarets who are bottom of the Championship.
"This club has a proper footballing history and passionate fans who deserve a team that represents them and their town," Vardy told the club website.
"I can't wait to get going on the pitch and help the team move in the right direction."

#team #leicester #england

A versatile and highley rated performer, on paper it seemed to some as if Calvin Palmer's big money move in February 1968 was exactly what Sunderland's struggling squad needed, and yet when he departed two years the later his release felt inevitable – and the man that had brought him was certainly happy to see him go.
Bought by the recently reinstalled Alan Brown, Palmer's issues rarely came down to ability. Although fans felt they never got to see the same all action displays he produced at previous club Stoke City they still recognised his versatility and commitment to winning, particularly during one early appearance when against Stoke he took over from the injured Jimmy Montgomery in goal. It was an example of the type of self-sacrifice Brown would usually appreciate and yet the pair were unable to ever strike up a working relationship, a clash of personalities meaning that the notoriously formidable manager and his unconventional recruit often ***** ed heads.
Palmer would invariably take his football seriously but as a character struggled to acquiesce to Brown's rigid structure and expectations. A squad trip to a cinema the month after signing, during which Palmer decided to leave early, led to Brown disciplining him for a breach of club rules for instance, and once the tone was set a number of other battles followed. By January 1970 Palmer was on the transfer list at his own request, and there was clearly no way back for him.
A court case and subsequent driving ban that month served to emphasise the differences between the player and manager; Palmer had found himself on the wrong side of the law whilst Brown had previously served as a police officer and maintained a strict zero tolerance attitude towards any sort of infringements thereafter. In more modern times it might be sensed that Palmer's nature simply warranted a different approach, but the 'Bomber's' management style never relied on subtlety and in the May he confirmed his decision to cut his losses on the £70,000 fee that had been paid and gave his player a free transfer.
It was presumed that this would be the end of the matter, but Palmer, often accused of being 'outspoken' in those more deferential times, did still intend of having the final word. In August he joined Cape Town City and the following month there was to be a rude awakening for Brown when on this day a national Sunday paper launched a 'warts and all' series detailing from South Africa the views and stories of the now ex Rokerman. Whereas Palmer's seemingly divergent traits would be better understood now it was easy then to tag him as a controversial figure, but even still the new column was quite the exposé, with the account being labelled as an 'explosive' chat with 'football's stormiest rebel'.

#palmer #paper #squad

Surprised the Seahawks' top rookie didn't play at all this preseason?
Taken aback that the 22-year-old first-round draft pick the Super Bowl champions are entrusting to replace departed Kenneth Walker as lead running back hasn't played a game since last November, for Notre Dame?
So is Jadarian Price.
He said he expected to play in at least one of the Seahawks' three preseason games last month.
"I was a little bit surprised, yeah," Price said Saturday, before the first practice of his first NFL game week — of any kind, fake season or real.

#first #preseason #game

Let's look at the Las Vegas Raiders' cornerback position going to into the regular season.
New free agent added:
None.
Free agent who departed:
Darnay Holmes (Atlanta Falcons).

#darnay

FC Augsburg talisman Anton Kade is a doubt to feature for Manuel Baum's team who travel to face Eintracht Frankfurt this weekend.
Kade departed the training pitches early during the week, and it remains unclear whether he'll be fit in time for Sunday's clash.
"He had to cut training short in Wednesday's session - we don't know yet if he's fit for the weekend," explained coach Baum.
The 47-year-old hinted that a decision on the versatile attacker for their meeting with Frankfurt will come "in the next few hours."
Kade made a strong start to the season in their 3-0 win over Schalke, ****** isting Michael Gregoritsch's goal before scoring himself.

#kade #augsburg #anton

Former ****** nal and Manchester City fullback Bacary Sagna believes Inter Milan are "the perfect club" for England stars John Stones, Djed Spence and Curtis Jones.
Sagna argued that Inter Milan is the club in the Serie A that most resembles a Premier League club in terms of how they play.
Furthermore, Sagna, revealed that he is an Inter Milan and was close to joining the club. However the move never materialized and Sagna suggested this was a what-if moment in his career.
The former France international also praised Inter Milan's now former Sporting Director Piero Ausilio, who recently departed the club after 28 years.
Subsequently, Sagna backed Djed Spence to not only succeed at Inter Milan and the Serie A, but also deemed the England star as being better balanced than Denzel Dumfries who joined

#Inter #former

Ukrainian Kate Koval says she left Louisiana State University's basketball program because of the team's decision to sign a Russian player.
Following the arrival of Anna Minaeva, it was announced that 20-year-old Koval had departed for "personal reasons" after one season.
Koval said Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine was why she stepped away.
"My father serves in the Ukrainian military and takes tremendous pride in defending his country against Russian aggression," she wrote on Instagram.
"For me, this war is not distant or abstract. People close to me have been killed and wounded in Russian attacks, and places where I grew up and first began playing basketball have been destroyed by missile strikes.

#russian #louisiana

Nova Minerals Corp (ASX:NVA, NYSE-A:NVA) has shipped almost 500 tons (454 tons) of antimony processing and refining equipment to Alaska, marking a major step towards construction of its Port MacKenzie facility and targeted first production in 2027.
The shipment includes crushing, ore sorting, milling, flotation, and refining equipment packed into more than 40 containers, along with several oversized loads.
A barge carrying the equipment departed Seattle on August 26 and is expected to reach Port MacKenzie in early September, allowing construction of the processing facilities to begin.
The development forms part of Nova's strategy to establish a vertically integrated US antimony supply chain linking its Estelle Gold and Critical Minerals Project with downstream processing and refining infrastructure in Alaska.
Nova acquired a recently decommissioned modern processing facility in North America, together with additional equipment sourced elsewhere across the continent, before consolidating the plant in Seattle for shipment north.

#equipment #port #Seattle

Fees revealed for incoming Rangers striker and departed Celtic midfielder, with free agent linked to the champions...
Rangers will pay Portland Timbers $13m (£9.6m) for Venezuela striker Kevin Kelsy, plus add-ons, with a sell-on percentage also agreed for the 22-year-old. (Tom Bogert)
Celtic were unable to reach an agreement for midfield target Gvidas Gineitis after talks with Torino stalled despite reaching an advanced stage. (Anthony Joseph)
Celtic failed with late loan offer to bring left-back Greg Taylor back to the club from Greek side PAOK. (Gazzetta - in Greek)
Former Southampton midfielder Will Smallbone may be a player of interest to Celtic after becoming a free agent. (Michael Shearer)

#celtic #rangers #fees

The Boston Red Sox lost Wednesday's series finale against the Seattle Mariners at home by a final score of 8-3. Even with the series loss, Boston remains in position to earn a spot in the American League wild card race for the second consecutive season.
The priority moving forward will be not only securing their spot but also getting as close to full strength as possible before October arrives. That means keeping all their core players healthy, including center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela.
MORE: Red Sox forced to replace Willson Contreras after Yankees series
Rafaela departed Wednesday's game in the top of the seventh inning with backup outfielder Eli White entering in his place in center field. After the game, interim manager Chad Tracy provided the reasoning behind his exit.
Tracy revealed that Rafaela is dealing with quad tightness and with the game out of reach he decided the smart move was to not push it and remove him from the contes, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.

#series #spot #Seattle

Bloomington native, former Indiana University standout and 1976 Olympian Jennifer Brinegar has been named the new head swimming coach at Franklin College.
She succeeds Zach Rayce, who departed after two seasons to become the aquatic director and head coach at Indian Creek High School.
"Jennifer Brinegar is one of the most accomplished names in the history of Indiana swimming, and we are thrilled to welcome her to Franklin College," Griz athletic director Lance Marshall said in a press release Tuesday, Sept. 1. "Her championship pedigree, years of coaching success and her deep roots in this state's swimming community make her the ideal person to lead our program into its next chapter. Our student-athletes are going to learn from someone who has competed and coached at the highest level, and that's a tremendous opportunity for Griz athletics."
Brinegar attended Bloomington South High School before moving to Louisville, Kentucky to train and find more competition. Girls swimming was not offered as a competitive sport by the IHSAA in 1974-75.
She made the 1976 U.S. Olympic team as a 15-year-old and made the final in the women's 200-meter freestyle while also swimming in a preliminary heat for the gold-medal winning 400 free relay. She went on to win a pair of national championships in 1977, a gold medal in the 400 free relay at the 1978 World Aquatics Championships and a silver in the 800 free at the 1979 Pan American Games.

#indiana #high

[Getty Images]
Manchester City spent a Premier League record £458m in the summer transfer window to complete a rapid rebuild of the squad.
The midfield trio of Enzo Fernandez, Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi have been brought in to the tune of more than £300m, replacing the departed Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders and Nico Gonzalez.
Iliman Ndiaye, Allan and Geronimo Rulli were the other first-team players brought in by the club during this transfer window.
But they have also managed to recoup over £300m by selling the likes of Savio and James Trafford.

#window #premier

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he is nominating acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao for the permanent job, giving the Navy combat veteran the nod as concerns have emerged that some sailors have been stretched to the limit during the Iran war.
Cao has been serving as acting Navy secretary since John Phelan departed the job unexpectedly and without explanation in late April. Unlike Phelan, who had not served in the military or had a civilian leadership role in the service, Cao spent 25 years in the Navy as a special operations officer and went on to serve with SEAL teams and special forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"I am pleased to nominate a true WARRIOR," Trump wrote on social media, prodding the Senate "to confirm this Warfighter, ASAP."
Cao on social media called it the "honor of a lifetime to lead the great warriors of the Navy and Marine Corps team."
Cao's nomination comes as some, including Democrats in Congress, believe Trump has been overtaxing the Navy. The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier's nine-month deployment to support the Iran war has included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea.

#navy #Trump #secretary #special

Texas A&M will kick off the 2026 season against Missouri State on Saturday night, as coach Mike Elko's third year at the helm is expected to be his toughest, largely because of the new nine-game SEC schedule that includes road tests against LSU, Missouri, Alabama, South Carolina, and Oklahoma. However, after making the College Football Playoff last season, doubting the Aggies is a pointless exercise.
Through 16 preseason practices, Elko's revamped roster is one of the deepest in the SEC, even after 15 starters, including a record 10 players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, departed this offseason.
However, among the 17 transfer portal additions, combined with the 2026 signing class, Elko is confident that several positions have been upgraded, while redshirt junior quarterback Marcel Reed has seemingly taken the next step, based on what we witnessed during fall camp.
To avoid repeating the same information about Texas A&M's roster, the start of the 2026 season means looking ahead to SEC play after the Aggies face Missouri State and Arizona State in Kyle Field, needing to get off to a hot start before facing the brutal second half of the schedule.
According to ESPN's updated FPI predictions for all 12 of the Aggies' regular season games, Texas A&M is predicted to finish 9-3, matching my Aggies Wire contributors Jarrett Johnson and Dylan Flippo, who feel a 9-3 finish is more realistic. Ahead of Saturday's season opener, here are the updated FPI predictions for Texas A&M's 2026 season.

#aggies #however

Aston Villa host **** nal at Villa Park on Monday looking to respond after a 4-0 opening-weekend defeat at Brighton, a result that left Unai Emery's side without a point or a shot on target.
The visit of the champions arrives amid significant summer turnover at Villa Park, with several new signings in line to feature for the first time.
Leon Bailey, Amadou Onana (knee), Johan Manzambi (knee) and Brian Madjo (ankle/foot) are all unavailable, and Joao Gomes is suspended. Tammy Abraham is a doubt with a groin/hip issue. Ollie Watkins departed the club this summer, adding to the selection questions facing Emery in attack.
Zion Suzuki, a £30 million signing from Parma, is expected to make his Villa debut in goal after Marco Bizot started the defeat at Brighton. Leon Goretzka, who joined the club on Thursday, is set to come straight into midfield in place of the suspended Gomes, partnering Boubacar Kamara. Nicolas Jackson is also in line for his first involvement, leading the line in Watkins' absence, with John McGinn, Emiliano Buendía and George Hemmings providing support behind him.
Aston Villa possible starting XI (4-2-3-1): Suzuki; Cash, Lindelöf, Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, Goretzka; McGinn, Buendía, Hemmings; Jackson

#villa #line #park #leon

Before he established himself at the professional level, Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Cooper DeJean was a superstar for the Iowa Hawkeyes. DeJean was primarily an outside cornerback, but he also played the cash/hybrid DB positions, and was also was a very dangerous punt returner.
He was in Iowa City during some of the leanest years of the Brian Ferentz offenses, so having DeJean to sometimes get them six points off of special teams was a huge difference maker for those teams. In the late 2010s and early 2020s, Iowa's special teams and defense simply just had to be a critical component of the formula to score points. DeJean was a second round pick (40th overall) in 2024, and he was first team All-Pro last season.
In redshirt junior Zach Lutmer, Iowa has another star player at the cash position, who is set to return punts. Lutmer, whose versatility is a major ******* et, will shift over to free safety this year, and take over the punt returning duties from the departed Katen Wetjen.
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz has not exactly compared Lutmer to DeJean, but he has pointed out their similarities.
"Cooper gave me a lot of knowledge my freshman year and helped me out in a lot of different ways," Lutmer said at Media Day.

#cooper #cash #points

Marcus Rashford's future has moved back into focus in the closing days of the transfer window, with TeamTalk reporting that both ****** nal and Barcelona are tracking developments around the Manchester United forward.
The current picture is relatively clear. United have reintegrated Rashford, handed him the number nine shirt and used him from the bench in the opening-day 2-1 defeat at Hull City. Internally, the plan is for him to remain. Even so, the report states that club sources "have not ruled out the prospect of Marcus Rashford leaving the club before next Tuesday's transfer deadline", a line that will inevitably attract attention given the scale of the player and the clubs involved.
Arsenal's interest appears to be one of the more notable elements here. With Gabriel Martinelli having departed for Al-Hilal, the need for left-sided attacking reinforcement is obvious. Rashford is described as "a player ****** nal have admired for a long time", and that alone makes this worth watching in the final days of the market.
The key detail is that a move remains possible rather than probable. United are "currently planning with Rashford and remain keen to retain him", while any shift would likely depend on two conditions, a suitable offer arriving and United being able to restructure their attacking options before the deadline. That point feels especially relevant given Joshua Zirkzee is heading towards Fiorentina, a development that would leave United requiring careful cover if another forward departs.
Barcelona's long-standing interest has not gone away. According to the report, they "have maintained a line of communication with Rashford's camp", despite the player's return to first-team involvement at Old Trafford. That contact matters, particularly because Barcelona are said to remain "huge admirers of Rashford" after his loan spell at the Nou Camp last season.

#remain