2 days ago
Having not logged a winning season since 2021, Joplin High School volleyball has turned to a proven winner to lead it for the 2026 season.
Head coach Delice Downing will look to turn the squad around in her first year at the helm of the program. The Eagles finished 5-26-1 last season.
Downing is a former collegiate coach who captured back-to-back NJCAA national ****** les for the Coffeyville Community College Ravens in 2017 and 2018. She also was an NJCAA National Coach of the Year and was named Conference and District Coach of the Year multiple times.
After Coffeyville, Downing surpassed the 500-win mark in her career while coaching at Hutchinson Community College. Last year, she coached at Hesston High School in Kansas, where in her first season she led the team to the Kansas 3A state tournament, where they finished fifth.
"I thought I was ready to let coaching go because my daughter (sophomore Aah'Lice Jackson) is at the age where I want to watch her more, but this opportunity came and I now have the opportunity to coach my daughter," Downing said.
#downing
Head coach Delice Downing will look to turn the squad around in her first year at the helm of the program. The Eagles finished 5-26-1 last season.
Downing is a former collegiate coach who captured back-to-back NJCAA national ****** les for the Coffeyville Community College Ravens in 2017 and 2018. She also was an NJCAA National Coach of the Year and was named Conference and District Coach of the Year multiple times.
After Coffeyville, Downing surpassed the 500-win mark in her career while coaching at Hutchinson Community College. Last year, she coached at Hesston High School in Kansas, where in her first season she led the team to the Kansas 3A state tournament, where they finished fifth.
"I thought I was ready to let coaching go because my daughter (sophomore Aah'Lice Jackson) is at the age where I want to watch her more, but this opportunity came and I now have the opportunity to coach my daughter," Downing said.
#downing
15 days ago
Former Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski has on Thursday sent a message of congratulations the way of some of his ex-teammates in Catalunya's capital.
This of course comes after no fewer than eight members of Hansi Flick's squad were crowned world champions last weekend.
Owing to a 1-0 extra-time downing of Argentina, Spain emerged triumphant at the 2026 World Cup. Luis da la Fuente's ranks were packed with Barcelona players, with all of Joan García, Eric García, Pau Cubarsí, Pedri, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres having made the trip to North America.
The latter even notched the decisive goal in Sunday's final.
Spotted celebrating in the aftermath of Ferran's extra-time strike in New York was the aforementioned Robert Lewandowski, fresh off bringing a close to his Blaugrana stint earlier this summer.
#World #extra #hansi
This of course comes after no fewer than eight members of Hansi Flick's squad were crowned world champions last weekend.
Owing to a 1-0 extra-time downing of Argentina, Spain emerged triumphant at the 2026 World Cup. Luis da la Fuente's ranks were packed with Barcelona players, with all of Joan García, Eric García, Pau Cubarsí, Pedri, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres having made the trip to North America.
The latter even notched the decisive goal in Sunday's final.
Spotted celebrating in the aftermath of Ferran's extra-time strike in New York was the aforementioned Robert Lewandowski, fresh off bringing a close to his Blaugrana stint earlier this summer.
#World #extra #hansi
1 month ago
Crowds gathered in the sweltering heat Saturday to celebrate the United States’ 250th birthday by watching famed competitive eater Joey “Jaws” Chestnut defend his world hot dog eating championship in Coney Island, where he downed 66 hot dogs in just 10 minutes. Miki Sudo defended her ******* le as well in the women’s division.
Saturday marked the 18th time Chestnut, 42, won the so-called Mustard Belt in just 21 appearances at the internationally televised Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest. He beat out 13 competitors who came from around the country and world, trekking from the Czech Republic, Australia and South Korea.
“It’s a dream, it’s electric, there’s no place better on Earth,” Chestnut said breathlessly in an interview immediately after the showdown, donning a bulky, bejeweled necklace bearing the name of the sports betting company “Polymarket” around his neck. In a video posted on Instagram before the competition, Chestnut called competitive hot dog eating “the most patriotic sport we’ve got.”
Chestnut handily defeated the second-place winner, Patrick Bertoletti, 41, who ate 50 hot dogs, but fell short of his own 2021 record of 76 wieners and buns — or approximately 7.6 hot dogs per minute.
Defending champion in the women’s division, the 40-year-old Sudo of Tampa, Florida, won the bright pink Mustard Belt for the 12th time, downing 38.75 dogs. In 2024, she ate a record 51 links.
Saturday marked the 18th time Chestnut, 42, won the so-called Mustard Belt in just 21 appearances at the internationally televised Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest. He beat out 13 competitors who came from around the country and world, trekking from the Czech Republic, Australia and South Korea.
“It’s a dream, it’s electric, there’s no place better on Earth,” Chestnut said breathlessly in an interview immediately after the showdown, donning a bulky, bejeweled necklace bearing the name of the sports betting company “Polymarket” around his neck. In a video posted on Instagram before the competition, Chestnut called competitive hot dog eating “the most patriotic sport we’ve got.”
Chestnut handily defeated the second-place winner, Patrick Bertoletti, 41, who ate 50 hot dogs, but fell short of his own 2021 record of 76 wieners and buns — or approximately 7.6 hot dogs per minute.
Defending champion in the women’s division, the 40-year-old Sudo of Tampa, Florida, won the bright pink Mustard Belt for the 12th time, downing 38.75 dogs. In 2024, she ate a record 51 links.
1 month ago
Crowds gathered in the sweltering heat Saturday to celebrate the United States’ 250th birthday by watching famed competitive eater Joey “Jaws” Chestnut defend his world hot dog eating championship in Coney Island, where he downed 66 hot dogs in just 10 minutes. Miki Sudo defended her ***** le as well in the women’s division.
Saturday marked the 18th time Chestnut, 42, won the so-called Mustard Belt in just 21 appearances at the internationally televised Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest. He beat out 13 competitors who came from around the country and world, trekking from the Czech Republic, Australia and South Korea.
“It’s a dream, it’s electric, there’s no place better on Earth,” Chestnut said breathlessly in an interview immediately after the showdown, donning a bulky, bejeweled necklace bearing the name of the sports betting company “Polymarket” around his neck. In a video posted on Instagram before the competition, Chestnut called competitive hot dog eating “the most patriotic sport we’ve got.”
Chestnut handily defeated the second-place winner, Patrick Bertoletti, 41, who ate 50 hot dogs, but fell short of his own 2021 record of 76 wieners and buns — or approximately 7.6 hot dogs per minute.
Defending champion in the women’s division, the 40-year-old Sudo of Tampa, Florida, won the bright pink Mustard Belt for the 12th time, downing 38.75 dogs. In 2024, she ate a record 51 links.
Saturday marked the 18th time Chestnut, 42, won the so-called Mustard Belt in just 21 appearances at the internationally televised Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest. He beat out 13 competitors who came from around the country and world, trekking from the Czech Republic, Australia and South Korea.
“It’s a dream, it’s electric, there’s no place better on Earth,” Chestnut said breathlessly in an interview immediately after the showdown, donning a bulky, bejeweled necklace bearing the name of the sports betting company “Polymarket” around his neck. In a video posted on Instagram before the competition, Chestnut called competitive hot dog eating “the most patriotic sport we’ve got.”
Chestnut handily defeated the second-place winner, Patrick Bertoletti, 41, who ate 50 hot dogs, but fell short of his own 2021 record of 76 wieners and buns — or approximately 7.6 hot dogs per minute.
Defending champion in the women’s division, the 40-year-old Sudo of Tampa, Florida, won the bright pink Mustard Belt for the 12th time, downing 38.75 dogs. In 2024, she ate a record 51 links.
1 month ago
For Kyle Youmans, play-by-play isn’t just a job description; it’s authorship in real time. Every snap, drive, and game-winning moment becomes part of something larger than the broadcast itself. While talking with Garrett Downing and Clifton Brown on The Lounge podcast, he described the unique responsibility that comes with stepping into a role where your voice becomes permanently tied to franchise history.
“That’s the way I look at it — it is an art form,” he said. “You get to put your stamp on those unique moments in sports, and you do it live.”
There’s no script in that environment. No second take. And in a place like Baltimore, where historic moments are already deeply embedded in fan memory, the margin for impact is even greater.
“You get to create the artwork that is play-by-play,” he said. “Some people will love it, some people won’t, but it becomes part of who you are in this industry.”
He also acknowledged the weight that comes with it — the idea that future Ravens highlights, playoff runs, and defining plays will carry his voice.
“That’s the way I look at it — it is an art form,” he said. “You get to put your stamp on those unique moments in sports, and you do it live.”
There’s no script in that environment. No second take. And in a place like Baltimore, where historic moments are already deeply embedded in fan memory, the margin for impact is even greater.
“You get to create the artwork that is play-by-play,” he said. “Some people will love it, some people won’t, but it becomes part of who you are in this industry.”
He also acknowledged the weight that comes with it — the idea that future Ravens highlights, playoff runs, and defining plays will carry his voice.
1 month ago
The Baltimore Ravens didn’t just hire a new broadcaster; they handed someone the job of shaping how future generations will hear their biggest moments. Kyle Youmans steps into that role with a mix of gratitude, urgency, and the kind of preparation that comes from years inside NFL media environments. Speaking with Garrett Downing and Clifton Brown on The Lounge podcast, Youmans made it clear this wasn’t just another career move. It’s the destination he’s been chasing since he first picked up play-by-play as a craft, moving through college sports, national **** ignments, and a long stretch with the Dallas Cowboys media team.
“I feel like anybody who has been able to call games play-by-play, this is the ultimate goal,” Youmans said. “To be the voice of a franchise as respected as the Baltimore Ravens… that’s what you work toward.”
He also reflected on how football shaped his identity growing up in Texas, watching games from multiple teams and eventually realizing how much impact a single voice can have on a fan’s memory of a moment.
“I knew at some point I wanted to go into sports,” he said. “Play-by-play was always that goal for me.”
What stands out most is how he framed the job itself — not as broadcasting, but as creation. In his view, every big Ravens moment from here on out becomes part of a living archive, where his calls will be tied to wins, losses, playoff runs, and everything in between. That mindset matters in Baltimore, where radio calls from past eras are still replayed and still matter. The expectation isn’t just accuracy — it’s identity. Now the question shifts from introduction to execution: how quickly his voice becomes part of the Ravens’ memory bank, and how those future moments sound when they arrive.
“I feel like anybody who has been able to call games play-by-play, this is the ultimate goal,” Youmans said. “To be the voice of a franchise as respected as the Baltimore Ravens… that’s what you work toward.”
He also reflected on how football shaped his identity growing up in Texas, watching games from multiple teams and eventually realizing how much impact a single voice can have on a fan’s memory of a moment.
“I knew at some point I wanted to go into sports,” he said. “Play-by-play was always that goal for me.”
What stands out most is how he framed the job itself — not as broadcasting, but as creation. In his view, every big Ravens moment from here on out becomes part of a living archive, where his calls will be tied to wins, losses, playoff runs, and everything in between. That mindset matters in Baltimore, where radio calls from past eras are still replayed and still matter. The expectation isn’t just accuracy — it’s identity. Now the question shifts from introduction to execution: how quickly his voice becomes part of the Ravens’ memory bank, and how those future moments sound when they arrive.
2 months ago
West Bromwich Albion have confirmed Matt Gill will be staying as ****** istant head coach to boss James Morrison and added Celtic first-team coach Gavin Strachan and former Middlesbrough defender Tony McMahon to the coaching staff.
Gill joined up with the Baggies for the last 11 fixtures of 2025-26, as they went on to secure their Championship survival off the back of a 10-game unbeaten run.
Strachan, 47, has been with the Scottish champions since 2020 after previous ****** istant manager roles in the EFL with Doncaster and Peterborough.
McMahon, 40, has had previous coaching experience at Scunthorpe United and York City.
Albion also confirmed Boaz Myhill will continue as goalkeeper coach, Leigh Downing will return to his senior role with the Baggies' under-21 team while ****** yst Damia Abella is leaving after three years.
Gill joined up with the Baggies for the last 11 fixtures of 2025-26, as they went on to secure their Championship survival off the back of a 10-game unbeaten run.
Strachan, 47, has been with the Scottish champions since 2020 after previous ****** istant manager roles in the EFL with Doncaster and Peterborough.
McMahon, 40, has had previous coaching experience at Scunthorpe United and York City.
Albion also confirmed Boaz Myhill will continue as goalkeeper coach, Leigh Downing will return to his senior role with the Baggies' under-21 team while ****** yst Damia Abella is leaving after three years.
2 months ago
For the third time in four years, we appear on the brink of a prime minister announcing their plan to leave office, not because they have lost a general election but because their own party has concluded they would be better off without them.
Many people within government and in the wider Labour Party expect Sir Keir Starmer to say just this, perhaps as soon as this morning.
Four years ago, and three prime ministers ago, Boris Johnson was running the country.
He was arguing defiantly he would carry on, but that defiance drained away as it became clear his capacity to viably govern was deserting him.
In early July 2022, I was standing in Downing Street as the lectern appeared and Johnson set out that, despite winning a big majority just a handful of years before, his own MPs were fed up of him and so reluctantly he was standing down.
Many people within government and in the wider Labour Party expect Sir Keir Starmer to say just this, perhaps as soon as this morning.
Four years ago, and three prime ministers ago, Boris Johnson was running the country.
He was arguing defiantly he would carry on, but that defiance drained away as it became clear his capacity to viably govern was deserting him.
In early July 2022, I was standing in Downing Street as the lectern appeared and Johnson set out that, despite winning a big majority just a handful of years before, his own MPs were fed up of him and so reluctantly he was standing down.
2 months ago
NEW YORK (AP) — Cam Schlittler struck out 13 in six overpowering innings for his first double-digit strikeout game in the regular season, and the New York Yankees beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-0 on Friday night.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a solo homer and Ben Rice launched a three-run shot in the second against Rhett Lowder (3-4) as the Yankees won for the 10th time in 15 games since losing Aaron Judge to a fractured right rib. Anthony Volpe added a late RBI single.
Schlittler (8-3) notched five strikeouts on his four-seam fastball that averaged 97.9 mph. He had four strikeouts apiece on cutters and sinkers.
The right-hander threw first-pitch strikes to 15 of 23 hitters and eclipsed the 12 strikeouts he had over eight innings in the deciding Game 3 of last year's AL Wild Card Series against rival Boston. At 25 years, 134 days, Schlittler became the youngest Yankees pitcher with 13 strikeouts since Al Downing (22 years, 359 days) also fanned 13 against the Chicago White Sox on June 21, 1964.
Schlittler also became the youngest Yankees pitcher to strike out 13 without issuing a walk. He threw 66 of 96 pitches for strikes and got his 10th strikeout when Eugenio Suárez swung at a 99.1 mph sinker to end the fourth.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a solo homer and Ben Rice launched a three-run shot in the second against Rhett Lowder (3-4) as the Yankees won for the 10th time in 15 games since losing Aaron Judge to a fractured right rib. Anthony Volpe added a late RBI single.
Schlittler (8-3) notched five strikeouts on his four-seam fastball that averaged 97.9 mph. He had four strikeouts apiece on cutters and sinkers.
The right-hander threw first-pitch strikes to 15 of 23 hitters and eclipsed the 12 strikeouts he had over eight innings in the deciding Game 3 of last year's AL Wild Card Series against rival Boston. At 25 years, 134 days, Schlittler became the youngest Yankees pitcher with 13 strikeouts since Al Downing (22 years, 359 days) also fanned 13 against the Chicago White Sox on June 21, 1964.
Schlittler also became the youngest Yankees pitcher to strike out 13 without issuing a walk. He threw 66 of 96 pitches for strikes and got his 10th strikeout when Eugenio Suárez swung at a 99.1 mph sinker to end the fourth.
2 months ago
US stocks were modestly lower on Wednesday after consumer inflation soared to its highest level in three years and renewed US-Iran military clashes cast doubt on the odds for peace talks.
The Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) fell 0.2% as Tuesday's sell-off in tech stocks deepened, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) declined by 0.1% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) dropped by 0.4%.
The focus was on May's CPI report, which showed consumer prices rose at the fastest rate since May 2023. The 4.2% annual rise in CPI inflation was in line with expectations; however, the hot reading may boost bets that the Federal Reserve will hike interest rates this year.
Energy prices remained the biggest driver of inflation, amid the protracted war with Iran. Tensions between the US and Iran ramped back up, with the two sides trading strikes overnight after the downing of an Apache helicopter. President Trump said on Wednesday that Iran has "taken too long" to negotiate and would have to "pay the price." Oil prices gained after Trump's post on social media.
Techs look set for another bruising as the rotation out of the AI trade continues, as concerns around OpenAI (OPAI.PVT) and Anthropic's (ANTH.PVT) mega-IPOs build. Eyes are now on Oracle (ORCL) results due after market close, as the company counts OpenAI as a customer. Details of its cloud business are in focus, amid fluctuations in the AI trade.
The Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) fell 0.2% as Tuesday's sell-off in tech stocks deepened, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) declined by 0.1% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) dropped by 0.4%.
The focus was on May's CPI report, which showed consumer prices rose at the fastest rate since May 2023. The 4.2% annual rise in CPI inflation was in line with expectations; however, the hot reading may boost bets that the Federal Reserve will hike interest rates this year.
Energy prices remained the biggest driver of inflation, amid the protracted war with Iran. Tensions between the US and Iran ramped back up, with the two sides trading strikes overnight after the downing of an Apache helicopter. President Trump said on Wednesday that Iran has "taken too long" to negotiate and would have to "pay the price." Oil prices gained after Trump's post on social media.
Techs look set for another bruising as the rotation out of the AI trade continues, as concerns around OpenAI (OPAI.PVT) and Anthropic's (ANTH.PVT) mega-IPOs build. Eyes are now on Oracle (ORCL) results due after market close, as the company counts OpenAI as a customer. Details of its cloud business are in focus, amid fluctuations in the AI trade.
4 months ago
Starmer travels to Middle East to 'support and sustain' ceasefire
ITV News Political Editor Robert Peston is travelling with the prime minister on his trip to the Middle East following the ceasefire between the US and Iran
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has welcomed a ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran overnight as he travels to the Middle East to meet leaders of Gulf countries.
Downing Street said the prime minister would use his visit to the Gulf on Wednesday to make clear the UK’s commitment to de-escalation and hold further talks on “practical efforts” to restore freedom of
ITV News Political Editor Robert Peston is travelling with the prime minister on his trip to the Middle East following the ceasefire between the US and Iran
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has welcomed a ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran overnight as he travels to the Middle East to meet leaders of Gulf countries.
Downing Street said the prime minister would use his visit to the Gulf on Wednesday to make clear the UK’s commitment to de-escalation and hold further talks on “practical efforts” to restore freedom of
8 months ago
Shadow chancellor Mel Stride has called for the UK's financial regulator to investigate "possible market abuse" by people working in the Treasury and Downing Street in the run-up the Budget.
The move comes as Chancellor Rachel Reeves denied she misled the public over the state of the country's finances, after it emerged she and officials had been told they were in better shape than widely thought - but she still gave briefings that the Tories described as overly pessimistic.
The Conservatives have called on her to resign and Stride sent a letter to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) reque
The move comes as Chancellor Rachel Reeves denied she misled the public over the state of the country's finances, after it emerged she and officials had been told they were in better shape than widely thought - but she still gave briefings that the Tories described as overly pessimistic.
The Conservatives have called on her to resign and Stride sent a letter to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) reque
