NEW YORK — The same Yankees saga has been playing out all season:
Every time one or two players are ready to come off the injured list, someone else gets hurt.
Manager Aaron Boone's Wednesday pre-game news conference included good and bad updates, then his post-game session ended with a big dose of ugly that had nothing to do with rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr.'s bobble for a fifth game in a row with an error.
Following the Yankees' 9-3 win over the Astros, Boone shared the imaging results for reliever Fernando Cruz, who went on the 15-day IL earlier in the day with right elbow discomfort.
Yankees -1.5 run line is listed at +128 on FanDuel for Thursday night's game against the Astros. Our complete FanDuel Sportsbook review will show you how to navigate through their app.

#york #aaron #wednesday

Uncrowned has Duel: Arena live results, round-by-round updates, highlights and start time for the Mike Perry vs. Brandon Jenkins fight card on Saturday night at the Kia Center in Orlando, Florida. Bare-knuckle boxing superstar Mike Perry is sticking with MMA and staying on the inaugural Duel: Arena card, despite the last-minute withdrawal of his original opponent, Dillon Danis. Taking Danis' place will be UFC veteran Brandon Jenkins.
Perry (15-8) returned to the win column in MMA when he took on fellow veteran Nate Diaz at the MVP MMA card in May on Netflix. In a lopsided effort, Perry battered Diaz with his patented aggression, ****** ing Diaz en route to a second-round TKO via doctor's stoppage. Since his UFC departure in 2021, Perry has gone undefeated across bare-knuckle boxing matches and MMA, with his lone combat sports loss coming in a boxing match against Jake Paul in July 2024.
Jenkins (17-11) steps in on short notice, having last fought the same night as Perry. In his MVP MMA bout, Jenkins scored a split decision nod over Chris Avila to snap a two-fight losing skid. It's been a journey of ups and downs for Jenkins after he left the UFC in 2022, fighting across MMA, bare-knuckle MMA and Karate Combat.
Duel Arena: Perry vs. Jenkins begins at 6 p.m. ET on DuelArena.TV pay-per-view.
Follow along with Uncrowned's live Mike Perry vs. Brandon Jenkins results, highlights and live blog below, including round-by-round play-by-play of the main event.

#duel #mike #diaz

The Cleveland Browns have until Sunday at 6:00 PM ET to make roster cuts and announce their initial 53-man roster. Some of those cuts or rumors about roster moves might leak early, though. The Browns may also announce them in waves — for example, some cuts may be announced Friday, some on Saturday, etc.
All players who are released with less than four years of service must go through waivers and are eligible to be claimed by any other team until 1:00 PM ET on Monday. After that, any unclaimed player can be signed and teams will begin to fill out their 16-man practice squads.
Veterans with more than four years of service can sign immediately after being released.
You can also use the comments section to discuss cuts around the NFL that may be of interest to Cleveland. According to FanDuel, the Browns are 225/1 odds to win the Super Bowl, heading into final roster cuts.
3:25 PM: We have our first batch of Browns cuts: 16 moves in total (4 contracts terminated, 12 players waived).

#cuts #Browns #players #four

At the Olimpico on Saturday, August 24, Roma put together a display that went further than the usual opening-day adrenaline: dominant possession and chance creation that kept coming, while Fiorentina struggled to build anything resembling a move.
Possession sat at 61% for the hosts against 39% for Fiorentina, which is more than can be said for the shot counts, where the numbers moved around depending on who was counting. Shots on target were the clearest gap: seven for Roma against a single one from Fiorentina all afternoon. Roma also completed nearly twice as many passes as their visitors and won the aerial battle comfortably, 9 duels to 3. What stood out more than any single number was the shape of the pressing: wing backs pushing forward with real consistency and a high line that didn't switch off even when the ball looked lost, closer to the front-foot version of Gasperini's football than the more cautious, results-first team we mostly saw for long stretches last season.
One match isn't enough to declare a tactical shift official, but when what you watched lines up with what little hard data holds steady across sources, the signal still carries some weight.
Malen and Dybala are already speaking the same language
Donyell Malen closed the game with a hat-trick, in the 27th, 52nd and 60th minutes, and every single goal came from a Paulo Dybala ****** ist. One player supplying all three ****** ists for a Serie A hat-trick is rarer than you'd think: the last time it happened was May 2, 2021, when Rodrigo Palacio scored a treble for Bologna against Fiorentina off three ****** ists from Emanuel Vignato, in a game that finished 3-3. Malen walked off with a perfect 10.0 Sofascore rating after just 68 minutes, subbed before full time because there was nothing left to prove.

#malen #single #possession #last

Public perception often **** ociates high-profile investors with speculative **** ets like gold, real estate, or cryptocurrency. As a fan of the 24/7 horse racing TV channel from FanDuel, I have seen Tom Selleck, Henry Winkler, and even J.J. "Dynomite" Walker using their name recognition to hawk products from gold to reverse mortgages.
But this one is different. Because a certain U.S. president with a history of finding opportunity in everything from buildings to steaks, and more recently, crypto, has apparently been linked to active trading in the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG).
Seagate vs. Western Digital: Which One is The Best AI Storage Play for Dividend Investors?
Dear Dollar General Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for August 27
Get exclusive insights with the FREE Barchart Brief newsletter. Subscribe now for quick, incisive midday market **** ysis you won't find anywhere else.

#investors #fanduel

Maryland-based investment firm Hull Street Energy announced it has completed its acquisition of two Midwestern power plants that provide electricity in the PJM Interconnection.The company on August 26 said the facilities, which together are included in Hull Street's "GridFlex Portfolio," are the 677-ME gas-fired Lee County Generating Station in Illinois, and the 586-MW dual-fuel Tait Electric Generating Station in Ohio. Terms of the deal with Rockland Capital, which was first announced in March of this year, were not disclosed."Dispatchable resources are increasingly important as the resource mix becomes more intermittent and demand grows. This is particularly true in PJM where declining reserve margins are increasing the need to retain and improve ***** ets like Lee and Tait," said Sarah Wright, founder and managing partner of Hull Street Energy.Hull Street said the GridFlex Portfolio, together with the company's Milepost Power fleet, means Hull Street now owns nearly 5 GW of gas-fired and duel-fueled power generation capacity in the U.S. The company said it is positioned as one of the nation's largest, privately held power producers.
[evtx_block slug="ep-2026-textblock"]
The deal announced Wednesday was backed with equity from Hull Street Energy managed funds and committed senior secured debt financing. Rockland Capital, headquartered in Texas, is a private equity company that was formed in early 2003 in order to acquire and develop selected investment opportunities in power and energy infrastructure markets. The company has invested in energy projects in the U.S. and UK.Santander and Investec Inc. served as Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Bookrunners for the GridFlex deal, with Santander acting as Administrative Agent. Troutman Pepper Locke acted as legal counsel to Hull Street. PEI Global Partners, LLC and Houlihan Lokey acted as financial advisors, and Bracewell acted as legal counsel to Rockland.Hull Street earlier this year acquired a portfolio of renewable energy generation ***** ets from FirstLight USA. The deal includes ownership of Northfield Mountain, a 1,168-MW pumped storage hydro facility in Massachusetts that is the largest energy storage facility in New England. The acquisition also includes 14 hydroelectric stations located in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, along with three operational solar and battery facilities in the Northeast.—Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.

#hull #street #company #Portfolio

With training camp and the NFL preseason wrapped up, the New England Patriots are on to building their initial 53-man roster for the 2026 season.
New England, including the league's other 31 franchises, will need to reduce their rosters from a maximum of 90 to no more than 53 by 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 30. As a result, hundreds of players will hit the waiver wire and the open market over the next few days, including up to 37 Patriots.
In addition to the roster cuts, a multitude of other transactions, ranging from trades, waiver-wire pickups, free-agent signings and players being moved to injury lists, will be made. To not get lost in all the action, we have you covered: welcome to our annual Patriots roster cuts tracker.
Make sure to bookmark and regularly visit this page, where we will compile all the latest news, rumors and instant ******* ysis in one place. For an up-to-date look at the team's roster, please click here. For all the latest odds about the Patriots' 2026 season, head over to Fanduel Sportsbook.
Soon to come.

#roster #waiver #latest

Mike Perry will not be fighting Dillon Danis this weekend in Orlando, Fla.
Perry made the announcement during Thursday's Duel Arena 1 pre-fight press conference. On 48-hours notice, former UFC fight Brandon Jenkins stepped in to face "Platinum" at Kia Center. The bout headlines the fight card.
"Let's not beat around the bush. This p*ssy ****** b*tch Dillon Danis didn't show the f*ck up," Perry said. "He's not here. He backed the f*ck out because he's a p*ssy.
"I want to give a shout out to my new opponent Brandon Jenkins. He's getting on a plane right now. He's flying here to weigh in the morning like a professional and fight me on Saturday night."
Danis pulling out of fights is nothing new. He last fought MMA in August 2025, defeating Warren Spencer at Misfits 22. He's had freestyle wresting matches in RAF against Colby Covington and Khamzat Chimaev earlier this year and is scheduled to face Arman Tsarukyan for the inaugural RAF Middleweight Crossover Championship in the main event on October 3, 2026 at RAF 14.

#jenkins #here #mike #orlando

The Oklahoma City Thunder have announced their broadcast plans for the 2026-27 regular season. Following FanDuel Sports Network's demise, the ***** le contender was one of several teams living in flux over the last few years regarding their broadcast situation.
Finally, the Thunder cleared up some long-asked questions. There will be multiple ways to catch OKC's 2026-27 regular season games. The 'Thunder Gameday Network' will launch the 'Thunder+' app as well as expand its relationship with Griffin Media.
Now, what exactly is 'Thunder+' and what should OKC fans know about the new streaming option? Let's take a look at what it means for this upcoming season:
At the heart of the Thunder Gameday Network is Thunder+, a new direct-to-fan subscription streaming service available through the NBA App across the five-state Thunder broadcast region. The five states are Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Fans will be able to watch the scheduled 67 Thunder games that are not among the team's 15 scheduled national exclusive broadcasts.
Thunder+ will be available throughout Oklahoma and the five-state region for $19.99 per month or $108.99 for a season subscription. Fans who sign up for Thunder+ between Sept. 8 and Sept. 30 will receive a special season price of $99.99. In addition to live games, Thunder+ will feature on-demand full game replays and recaps for the entire season.

#thunder #oklahoma #fans #sept

Chris Sale clearly wanted that one.
The Atlanta Braves ace threw a shutout against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, finishing off a three-game sweep with a 1-0 win. The game was billed as a pitchers' duel against Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto and he most certainly delivered.
Sale's final line: 9 innings, 5 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks and 11 strikeouts (tying a season high) on 109 pitches. He finished things off with a punchout of Alex Call.
The 27-year-old Sale turned back the clock in multiple ways. It was his first shutout since 2019, a span of time that includes 117 starts, three All-Star berths and the 2024 NL Cy Young Award. Only five older pitchers have thrown a shutout with double-digit strikeouts and no walks in MLB's modern era: Cy Young, Eddie Plank, Steve Carlton, Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson.
He also found some rare heat against the Dodgers' most dangerous hitter. Facing Shohei Ohtani in the third inning, Sale threw a 100.1 mph fastball, his fastest pitch since July 6, 2018 according to MLB.com's Sarah Langs.

#shutout #strikeouts

"Untouchable" defined the performance of Chris Sale, outdueling Yoshinobu Yamamoto in a battle of aces that lived up to expectations as the Braves won 1-0. Raising their respective games up to the occasion, Yamamoto and Sale made true on the standard **** umption that great pitching beats great hitting, operating as the two best players in the game. An early ambush from leadoff hitter Drake Baldwin proved the difference maker, homering in the bottom of the opening frame on the first pitch Yamamoto threw.
Facing the likes of Sale and Yamamoto, one cannot afford to get behind in the count, and it's with that thought in mind that both teams shared a similar approach early in the game. The Dodgers and Braves came out swinging early and often, trying to avoid any two-strike counts against pitchers with different paths to the same destination: one of utter domination.
In that approach, Atlanta was able to draw first blood when Drake Baldwin guessed right and crushed a not-so-well-located heater in the zone. While on a fundamental level it makes sense to be more willing to swing early as a team, the risks of it are fairly clear, and the Dodgers suffered from it. Aggressive swinging ensures you won't be capable of drawing out long at-bats, and you're a few lousy contacts away from allowing the opposing starter to go deeper into the game than he normally would, maintaining a low pitch count. And Sale did exactly that, with his first complete game shutout since 2019.
One of the rare Dodgers with success against Sale in this game was Mookie Betts, twice taking advantage of down-and-in off-speed pitches that didn't quite break enough. Still, without leaving the yard, Mookie was just a helpless spectator on the basepaths, which included getting stranded at second after a leadoff double in the fourth.
If players ever try to downplay the extra significance of certain moments, point to what we saw from Sale against Shohei Ohtani in the fifth inning as an argument against it. Hitting with one on and two outs, Ohtani was punched out by Sale on a 100 mph fastball up above the zone, Sale's fastest pitch in nearly a decade, giving Ohtani all it had and then some.

#sale #early #Dodgers #drake

The MMA personality best known for constantly talking but rarely fighting is out of yet another scheduled bout.
Mike Perry announced Thursday at his pre-fight press conference that Dillon Danis is out of their Saturday MMA fight at Duel Arena 1 inside the Kia Center in Orlando, Florida.
Perry said there was "no communication" from Danis, so instead the undefeated bare-knuckle sensation will face Brandon Jenkins, a former UFC competitor, in the MMA contest.
Depending on the source, Danis is either 2-0 or 3-0 as an MMA fighter, but he's spent most of his time talking about and trolling other fighters and losing grappling, wrestling and boxing matches.
He's lost his two most recent RAF matches to Khamzat Chimaev and Colby Covington, lost in boxing to Logan Paul in 2023, and lost four straight grappling matches from 2016-17. He last fought in MMA in 2019.

#matches #lost #grappling #thursday

It's deja vu all over again. Dillon Danis won't be fighting this weekend against Mike Perry.
Perry (15-8) announced at a pre-fight news conference Thursday that he'll instead be fighting former UFC fighter Brandon Jenkins (17-11) at Duel Arena 1 at Kia Center in Orlando, Fla.
"Let's not beat around the bush," Perry said. "This p*ssy-ass b*tch Dillon Danis didn't show the f*ck up. He's not here. He backed the f*ck out because he's a p*ssy."
It's unclear why Danis (3-0) is no longer fighting. He has not publicly spoken on the issue, but he's built a reputation for withdrawing from fights over the years.
Jenkins, 34, was in Nevada on Thursday when he got the call to compete. He is currently en route from Las Vegas to Orlando to weigh in tomorrow morning. Over the course of his nearly 17-year competitive career, Jenkins has made stops in the UFC, LFA, PFL, Gamebred Bareknuckle, Karate Combat, and most recently, MVP MMA in May, when he defeated Chris Avila by split decision.

#jenkins #dillon #orlando #mike

The high school football season kicks off this week with 16 coaches making their debuts in Greater San Antonio. About half are veteran coaches who landed at a new school. The others are getting a chance to lead a program for the first time.
Regardless of their experience, each job has its challenges. Here's a look at the challenges each coach faces at his new position:
Myles Duelm, Madison
Duelm is taking the reins of a program that lost one of the city's top football players to graduation. Wide receiver Jordan Clay is now at the University of Washington after spending all four years of his high school career at Madison. Although Duelm is a first-year head coach, he has plenty of familiarity with the region. He was previously Reagan's offensive coordinator and also worked at Brandeis.
Vernon Hughes, Judson
Hughes takes over a team that hasn't had a winning season since 2021, which is a shocker considering the Rockets' reputation as San Antonio's most decorated football program. Hughes takes over for Mark Soto, a Judson alum who played for and won a state championship under D.W. Rutledge in 1988 but was unable to restore the Rockets to state prominence from the sidelines. The Rockets are never short on talent. Hughes' task will be utilizing that talent to get the Rockets back on track in one of Region IV's toughest Class 6A districts.
Matt McKinney, Harlan
McKinney is tasked with leading one of the city's top 6A programs in his first season as a head coach. He will look to sustain the success the Hawks had under Eddie Salas, who led Harlan to the postseason in all eight of its varsity seasons. While McKinney is in a new role, he is no stranger to the program after serving as Harlan's offensive coordinator since the school opened.

#Football #coach

Detroit Tigers starter Troy Melton did his part in an afternoon pitchers duel, save for one early inning that put his squad behind for good.
Despite another quality start from Melton, the Tigers lost, 3-0, to the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, Aug. 26, at Comerica Park in Detroit. The loss gave the Rays the series win and dropped the Tigers to 62-71.
It was Melton's ninth quality start of the season, as the righty allowed three runs over seven innings but left with the loss, his third of the year. Melton's efficient outing didn't help the Tigers match Tampa Bay starter Freddy Peralta, who threw six scoreless innings in his best start since the Rays acquired him at the trade deadline from the New York Mets.
The Rays scored two runs in the second inning, which turned out to be all the offense they needed to secure the win. Meanwhile, the Tigers recorded just two total hits and didn't bring a single runner into scoring position.
And the challenge only gets greater for the Tigers. After a day off on Thursday, Aug. 27, Detroit hosts the back-to-back World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-game set, with a familiar friend taking the hill on Friday, Aug. 28, for the defending champions.

#melton #starter #quality

Unfortunately for Elliot Anderson, his home debut for Manchester City only lasted 63 minutes. The England international was substituted due to cramp in the second half of Manchester City's 2-1 win over Bournemouth. However, it may have been Maresca's plan to take off Anderson around that time of the game anyway before cramp struck. While Anderson was on the pitch, he showed plenty of positive signs and it is easy to see how his strengths as a player will suit this Manchester City side.
Until Elliot Anderson was substituted after 63 minutes, he was nearly the best-performing player on the pitch for Manchester City against Bournemouth. Anderson played alongside Marc Guehi in the double pivot that Enzo Maresca prefers to use in midfield. With Marc Guehi playing in an unfamiliar role, Anderson was more than willing to drop in and offer Guehi an option when the makeshift midfielder had possession. That was pleasing to see and showed that Anderson had a great read on the situation at hand.
In terms of what Anderson offered in possession that really caught the eye. As per Anderson's pass map on SofaScore, the Manchester City midfielder received possession all over the pitch. When City had possession in the final third, he took up the 'Kevin De Bruyne' position on the right. Once Anderson and his teammates are on the same wavelength this should be a viable source for City to create chances and goals.
Where Elliot Anderson's radar was just off was with his long passing. He completed 1/4 but it was easy to see how much Anderson's ability to switch the play and break the lines will be vital to Enzo Maresca's side. Also, Elliot Anderson's set-piece delivery looms as a major weapon. He should have had his first Manchester City ***** ist just after halftime as his pinpoint corner was met by Marc Guehi. Unfortunately, Guehi headed a great chance from two yards out wide of the target. Despite this, Anderson's set-piece delivery should be a weapon that City profit off of.
One of the major strengths of Elliot Anderson's play is his ability to cover the pitch out of possession and win duels. With how Manchester City's win over Bournemouth played out, this wasn't a standout aspect of his performance. But you could still see how his energy and ability to work for his team out of possession will help shape Manchester City's rebuild midfield.

#manchester

The Mariners brought a dumper to a duel.
George Kirby outpitched Aaron Nola on Tuesday in the Mariners electric 4-1 win over the Phillies. Kirby struck out nine over 7 2/3 innings and turned in his best outing of the year. Cal Raleigh smacked another homer, giving him four on the series. And the rest of the lineup scratched and clawed a few more runs late to give the Mariners an impressive, all around, and fun win. That's back-to-back series victories over the top two Wild Card teams in the National League.
It's been a weird season for Kirby, something I feel I've written a dozen times in the last five months. He's walked a lot of batters (relative to himself) and struck out very few (relative to everyone). He survived the early part of the season by keeping the ball on the ground, but that's no longer the case and he's since been getting crushed. He's often seemed to nibble at the edges of the zone, unable to get chase out of it, and unable to get whiffs in it. He gave up 11 runs in his last two starts, making early exits in both.
But Kirby on Tuesday looked like the near-ace level pitcher of the past. He attacked the zone relentlessly with his four-seamer, ripping upper-90s fastballs with his best velocity of the season (97.9 mph). When he did expand the zone with the slow and bendy stuff, he got chase 49% of the time. Kirby generated 21 whiffs on Tuesday — the second most in a game for his career. He was aggressive, sharp, and borderline unhittable.
It was obvious right from the jump that something was special for Kirby. He led off the game throwing three pretty much middle-middle fastballs to Kyle Schwarber, each greater than 98 mph, and Schwarber swung through them all. "I knew I had it today," Kirby said of the four-seamer after the game. He then got ahead of Trea Turner with a few more fastballs registering 99 mph, before finishing him off with devastating sweeper away.

#four #season #zone #schwarber

An old-fashioned pitcher's duel is unfolding in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, as Bayonne's Jett Bridges and West Side Ohio's Boone Treadway battle through the early innings.
With both teams facing elimination from the Little League World Series, neither side has been able to break through in a scoreless game Tuesday at Lamade Stadium.
Treadway has dominated with six strikeouts through three innings, while Bridges has matched him nearly pitch for pitch, recording five punchouts of his own.
AJ Tapia recorded Bayonne's first hit of the game with a two-out single in the second inning. The hit snapped a lengthy drought for the Bees, who had not recorded a hit since the third inning of Sunday's 6-0 loss to Davenport Northwest (Midwest) in Game 3.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Bayonne locked in tight battle with Ohio in LLWS elimination game

#bridges #side #innings #elimination

As the season opener nears for the Wisconsin Badgers, I've had tempered optimism for the upcoming season, pointing out some of my top concerns and reasons for cautious expectations with this new-look team.
But alongside those concerns, there are, admittedly, several reasons to be optimistic for the Badgers, whose current win total is projected at 6.5, with the over slightly favored on FanDuel. Let's dig into them.
The schedule
Now, every year is different from years past when it comes to team quality. We've seen success stories come out of nowhere, and several teams are projected to do far better in 2026 than 2025 (including the Badgers).
But the schedule is looking much more bearable for Wisconsin this season than it was when they had one of the toughest strengths of schedules last year.

#wisconsin #several

Chelsea are keeping tabs on Atalanta defender Honest Ahanor, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Blues are eyeing the 18-year-old as one for the future, and it remains unclear how willing they are to bring him to Stamford Bridge.
The Chelsea target caught the eye in Serie A playing as a centre-half and a left-wing-back.
Ahanor won 55 percent of his aerial and 62% of his ground duels last season while helping to keep four clean sheets in 22 league appearances.
Interestingly, the Italian club has already rejected two offers for his services, and it remains to be seen whether Chelsea can convince them to part ways.

#ahanor

The White Sox week started by getting walked off on back-to-back nights, there was a midweek goose egg to lose a makeup game to Atlanta, and then the pitching gave up 10 runs to a Mets team that is well worse than .500. Oh, and not to mention, it's the middle of a 16-game stretch, so Chicago's pitching staff was extremely taxed.
So much so that when Will Venable was asked this week what the plan was for the North Side portion of the Crosstown Classic, he told reporters there wasn't one. I am no idiot. I know this was likely a half-truth. There had to be concepts of a plan. That plan was "The Opener."
Following a loss that was lead off by and ended by Pete Crow-Armstrong home runs, Bryan Hudson was tapped to start Tuesday's duel against the Cubs. He gave up a pair of homers in his opening inning before he turned it over to Erick Fedde for 4 2/3 innings of scoreless work. In the end, Huascar Brazobán and his one-third of an inning would be enough to lose Fedde the bid for the win and allow Alex Bregman to walk things off in the ninth.
Sean Newcomb opened the last game at Wrigley. He earned one more inning than Hudson did the day prior, keeping the game scoreless before turning things over to the bulk reliever. The strategy worked well for the White Sox, with José Urquidy going six innings and striking out eight Cubbies en route to a 3-0 victory to avoid a sweep. Sometimes veterans still have some of that young stud left in them. It's nice when they allow it to peak out in-between the past-their-prime outings.
View Link

#white #fedde #week

Liverpool left St James' Park with a 2-2 draw, a point rescued late by Dominik Szoboszlai from the penalty spot, and that probably tells you two things. First, there was character. Second, there were still too many familiar flaws.
Andoni Iraola's first competitive game as Liverpool head coach did not provide a clean statement of intent. Newcastle found ***** e too easily, moved through midfield too cleanly and exposed a defensive shape that still looks like a work in progress. That will concern supporters more than the result itself, because structural problems tend to linger if they are not fixed quickly.
One player, however, emerged with genuine credit. Ronald Araujo's debut off the bench gave Liverpool some badly needed authority at the back. As Pat Nevin on BBC Radio put it: "There wasn't a great deal in it but you can see the weaknesses that Liverpool had last season have not gone away. The defence doesn't look quite there." He then added: "I would say Ronald Araujo came on and looked quite impressive. very, very powerful and very, very strong. He might be a massive part of the answer."
Photo: liverpoolfc.com
That ***** sment is fair. Araujo did not arrive and transform the contest, but he did something almost as useful, he looked reliable immediately. For a defender making his first official Liverpool appearance, that matters. There was no fuss, no rashness, no obvious panic. He competed physically, handled duels well and looked comfortable with the intensity.

#quite

The days of Clemson dominating the ACC Championship appear to be over.
From 2015 to 2022, the Tigers won seven of eight ACC **** les during the peak of Dabo Swinney's dynasty at CU. But with the transfer portal upending the college football landscape and the ACC ending divisions at the start of the 2023 season, the conference **** le has opened up. The league has had a different winner each of the last three seasons, and last year's champion was its most shocking. Duke won its first ACC **** le in the conference-championship era after finishing the 2025 regular season at 7-5 and winning the five-way tiebreaker for second place.
This season should be a lot different for the ACC. For starters, the conference redid its tiebreaker policy in the event of another logjam. On the field, the conference seems to be a one-horse race. According to FanDuel, the Hurricanes are the odds-on favorite to win the ACC at -150, the highest odds to win a P4 conference (Texas Tech is -105 to win the Big 12). However, a second tier has plenty of firepower and is looking to upset Miami. Louisville and SMU, each ranked in the AP Preseason top 25, are tied for second to win the ACC at +750. Although SMU returns starting QB Kevin Jennings, both teams must replace a majority of starters from their nine-win seasons in 2025, but they should be two of the more high-powered offenses in college football this season.
Behind SMU and UL, Clemson sits at +1600 after finally utilizing the portal in the offseason. However, they are starting a quarterback with only one collegiate start under his belt, Christopher Vizzina, who backed up Cade Klubnik for the last three years.
If Miami did not win the ACC this season, it would be a shock. After going to the national championship last year, Mario Cristobal did an excellent job blending his lineup, full of returning starters and high-value transfers.

#season #championship #starters #clemson

Liverpool's opening day defeat at Newcastle raised a few obvious concerns, and the most glaring one sat on both flanks. In a difficult first half at St James' Park, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong struggled badly, with Ian Doyle of the Liverpool Echo putting it plainly: "Both Kerkez and Frimpong have been particularly shocking at left and right-back respectively."
That is strong language, but it fitted what unfolded. Newcastle scored early through Anthony Elanga after slicing through Liverpool's midfield far too easily, and from there the visitors never looked secure. The issue was not only the goal. It was the general sense of disorder. Liverpool had shots before the break, nine of them, but they barely tested Lukas Hornicek. For all the possession in spells, the attack looked loose and the defending looked looser.
Doyle added, "Each is on a booking, which is surely something Newcastle will look to expose as the game progresses. Might we see Tsimikas and Araujo in the second half?" That felt like the natural question. Once both full-backs were booked, every duel became risky and every Newcastle transition looked dangerous.
Frimpong's first half summed up the problem. There was little attacking thrust, his delivery was poor, and he kept giving the ball away. Kerkez fared no better. He was exposed for the opening goal, struggled with Elanga's pace and then wasted the few moments he had going forward. If your full-backs are meant to provide width, recovery pace and control, Liverpool got none of the three.
Photo: IMAGO

#kerkez #Liverpool #looked #half

In addition to fending off a Democratic challenger, Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, is wrestling against confusion caused by a candidate who shares his name — Dan J. Sullivan Jr., an independent — and a shrinking window to clear it up.
Alaska state Sen. James Kaufman, a Republican, said he personally remains worried about conflation between the two.
"I've had at least one person say they had to slow down to make sure they didn't make a mistake. And I can only imagine people who are less engaged in politics — I think it can be confusing," Kaufman said.
Results on Tuesday seem to confirm his hunch.
Sullivan Jr.'s campaign, which has focused on his background as a logger, has meaningfully splintered support from the incumbent Republican candidate in the primary — but not enough to create ambiguity about who the frontrunner was in the primary. Now, the question becomes whether the Sullivan look-alike will have a proportional impact in November, given Alaska's ranked choice voting system, a larger pool of voters and more time for Republicans to warn voters about the dueling Sullivans.

#republican

Leeds United saved their best moment of the match for the final few minutes in our season opening clash away at Nottingham Forest to take three points from the City Ground.
With the scores level approaching the 90-minute mark, Anton Stach was fouled outside of the Forest box. The midfielder stepped up himself and curled home a delightful free-kick, which sparked jubilant scenes behind the goal from the away fans.
Speaking after the match, the German international gave his thoughts on the goal, the fans, and the game as a whole, saying: "I think first of all, it is so important to get good start.
"It is such a difficult away game. I think the game was really tight overall, it was a lot about duels and winning second ***** , and of course it is really nice that we won the game at the end.
"I always try. I think the first free kick [Stach's earlier attempt from a similar position] was also not too bad over the post and then I tried again! It was nice that it went in today and we took the big three points.

#away #kick

For a second straight preseason game, the Green Bay Packers got a magnificent performance out of rookie kicker Trey Smack. In the Packers' 33-13 win over the Denver Broncos on Friday night, Smack had another perfect night, hitting all four of his field goal attempts.
Similarly to his debut in Pittsburgh, Smack also booted a pair of those attempts from 50-plus yards, this time hitting from 51 and 59 in the thin Denver air. He also was perfect on three extra points as well, and he still has yet to miss a kick in preseason game action. It's a big second data point for Smack, and these early returns are great for the team, which traded up to select Smack in the 6th round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Earlier this week, we asked Acme Packing Company readers about how confident they were that Smack would solve the team's recent kicking woes. The results of that survey are below, but in summary, Packers fans felt great after Smack's first preseason game:
More than 70 percent of survey respondents said that they were either "somewhat" or "very" confident in Smack, with only six percent in an "uncertain" category. (21 percent were neutral or had no opinion.) After Friday's performance, that confidence rating would surely increase even further.
None of Smack's kicks have yet come with a game on the line, so his clutch abilities still have yet to be put to the test. However, if he can deliver late in games the way he has so far in the preseason, the Packers should have an excellent opportunity to exceed the 9.5 win total set for the team by FanDuel and other sportsbooks.

#percent #denver #second

DALLAS — By Thursday afternoon, the get-in ticket price at the American Airlines Center hovered around $80. The cost to view the fourth-ever WNBA matchup between Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark from the upper deck — less than a week after the scintillating third meeting in Indianapolis — was not overly prohibitive.
The show had different stars and a different result this time. The Dallas Wings notched maybe their most-needed win of the season with a 91-85 victory over the Indiana Fever, at last finding some equilibrium after losing Azzi Fudd to season-ending knee surgery and sliding into eighth place in the WNBA standings. It also ended the Fever's five-game winning streak and prevented them from clinching a playoff spot on their first try.
Those among the 20,297 seeking another Bueckers-Clark duel, after each scored 29 points in last Friday's meeting?
They instead got Arike Ogunbowale scoring 32 points and Jessica Shepard adding 26 for Dallas in her return to the lineup, while Indiana's Kelsey Mitchell carried a too-heavy load with 37 points — though she made history in doing so. Bueckers and Clark, meanwhile, missed a combined 22 of 31 shots from the field.
Still, even without those two playing captivating basketball, it appears the Wings and Fever under the same roof is becoming a must-attend rivalry. Among the notables on hand Thursday night: Mark Cuban, Dallas Mavericks star Cooper Flagg and NBA Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady. Even WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert made an appearance, chatting up Cuban between the third and fourth quarters.

#bueckers #clark

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Brewers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
In this week's Reacts survey, we asked fans if they think the Brewers can finish the season with the best record in baseball and/or set another franchise record for wins in a season. The results were clear, but there were still some dissenting votes:
With 110 votes, 66% voted yes to both, followed by 18% voting for neither, 11% saying franchise record only, and 5% saying best record only. Given that the Brewers currently own the best record in baseball and are on pace for roughly 99-100 wins, it probably isn't much of a surprise that most fans said all or nothing to this question.
If the Brewers are able to hit 98 wins, they'll break the franchise record of 97 victories (set last season), and they'll also easily be in the running for best record in the league. Hitting the 100-win mark seems like the "safe" number for best record in baseball with roughly 35 games to go for every team.
What do you think? Can the Brewers hit 100 wins? Have something else you want to say? Keep the conversation going in the comments, and be sure to check out FanDuel Sportsbook for all your betting needs.

#record #season #franchise

The FIA will enforce its sporting regulations more strictly in Formula E's Gen4 era to clamp down on teams colluding to "manipulate" races.
Manufacturers in Formula E hold significant influence over their customer teams, with some agreements extending far beyond the supply of powertrains. This was particularly evident in last weekend's London finale, when Cupra Kiro driver Dan Ticktum admitted to slowing down in qualifying to help factory Porsche driver Pascal Wehrlein reach the final duel.
Read Also:
Did Formula E's London finale go too far with team games and personal vendettas?
While the London races put manufacturer and team orders in the spotlight, the FIA had already been planning a clampdown on such tactics since the summer break.

#down #team #manufacturers