Megan Thee Stallion had one tiny problem while filming with Daniel Radcliffe: She kept seeing Harry Potter. The rapper admitted she struggled to separate Radcliffe from his iconic role while filming NBC's The Fall and Rise of Reggie ****** ins.
The unexpected fangirl moment came during a packed year for Megan. Alongside her acting work, she made her Broadway debut, navigated a breakup, and continued shaping her delayed Act III album.
Megan discussed the experience in a new interview with Marie Claire. She played Denise, a divorced mail carrier who developed a flirtation with Radcliffe's documentary filmmaker character, Arthur Tobin. "I was on that set, calling that man Harry Potter all day," Megan admitted.
Radcliffe apparently took the teasing well. Megan said their easy friendship helped create their chemistry onscreen. "Daniel made me feel so, so, so comfortable," she said. "We were literally talking and joking the whole time. I think that's why the chemistry was so good." Radcliffe returned the compliment, praising Megan's willingness to jump into acting. "We were honestly so lucky to get Megan to be on the show," he said.
He added that guest stars of her stature usually took longer to join established shows. Radcliffe called her "a total pro, a delight to work with, and really ****** funny." The role added another credit to Megan's expanding acting résumé. She also appeared in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Big Mouth, ****** s: The Musical and Mean Girls.

#daniel #harry #potter #filming

Choosing between a clean energy innovator and a traditional oil giant reflects a core tension in today's market. Investors must decide if Bloom Energy (NYSE:BE) or Diamondback Energy (NASDAQ:FANG) is the better buy.
Bloom Energy manufactures solid oxide fuel cells that provide reliable onsite power, targeting the surging demand from artificial intelligence infrastructure. Diamondback Energy focuses on extracting oil and gas from the Permian Basin, prioritizing operational efficiency and shareholder returns. While both operate in the energy **** e, their business models, risk profiles, and valuation metrics differ significantly for 2026 investors.
Bloom Energy serves as a prominent player among renewable energy stocks, focusing on solid oxide technology for onsite electricity and hydrogen production. The company targets large-load customers in the data center, semiconductor, and industrial sectors where power reliability is critical. Key partnerships include an agreement with American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) to provide up to one gigawatt of fuel cells and a financing framework worth nearly $5.0 billion with Brookfield (NYSE:BN).
In FY 2025, Bloom Energy reported revenue of approximately $2.0 billion, which represents a growth rate of roughly 37.3% compared to the prior year. Despite this robust top-line performance, the company reported a net loss of nearly $88.4 million for the same period. This loss widened from a net loss of approximately $29.2 million in FY 2024, although the net margin of negative 4.4% in FY 2025 was a significant improvement over the negative 22.7% margin seen in FY 2023.
As of its December 2025 balance sheet, Bloom Energy holds a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.9x. This ratio measures total debt against shareholder equity, indicating the company relies moderately on borrowed funds to fuel its expansion. The current ratio, which measures a company's ability to cover short-term debts with its short-term **** ets, stands at a strong 6.0x. For FY 2025, free cash flow reached close to $57.2 million, which is the cash remaining after paying for operating costs and equipment investments.

#bloom #million

This was the 23rd week of full minor league play (stats are entering play on Monday, September 14th).
According to FanGraphs (which factors in age and proximity to the big leagues), prospect Theo Gillen tops the system and might just find himself in the running for Minor League Player of the Year. Gillen ranks 4th among all minor leaguers while Caden Bodine ranks 11th.
Meanwhile, Aidan Cremarosa is the top hurler in the system. Over his first professional season, Cremarosa has a 2.82 ERA | 3.02 FIP with a 29.8 K% & 6.0 BB% over 76.2 IP in Single-A. FanGraphs slotted the 22-year old as the 30th top prospect in the Rays system during their midseason rankings.
The Bowling Green Hot Rods lost to the Winston-Salem Dash in the South Division portion of the South Atlantic League playoffs.
Grady Emerson returned to action to pinch run for the Charleston River Dogs a few days after leaving a game early after being hit by a pitch

#league #system #year

The way I'd frame the Philadelphia Eagles' Week 1 win over the Washington Commanders? I'd say it's a performance to build on.
The offense as a collective clearly needs to be better. They only managed 10 first downs on Sunday … the fewest of any team in the league so far.
Maybe Sean Mannion's group can get it going against the Tennessee ****** ans? The Eagles are entering Week 2 as seven-point road favorites, according to FanDuel.
This after the ****** ans, now coached by Robert Saleh, lost to the New York Jets by a final score of 23 to 10. Geno Smith completed 19 of 24 attempts for 215 yards and a 104 passer rating. The Jets' top two running backs combined for 142 rushing yards and one touchdown on 32 carries (4.4 average).
Until we actually see the Eagles prove they can block better, it might be hard to fully believe it. But you have to feel good about Jalen Hurts' ability to make plays for this team after watching what he did against the Commanders. You also have to like Vic Fangio's chances of being able to stifle the ****** ans' offense, which managed a mere 195 yards yesterday. That's 123 fewer yards than the Eagles managed to muster in Week 1.

#Eagles #team

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Kyle Tucker has started to click for another promising run of games, this time due to a mechanical shift.
He finished Friday's game against the Miami Marlins going 3-for-3 with a sacrifice fly, along with a triple and a grand slam.
Over his last two games, he is 6-for-8 with just one strikeout, two home runs, a triple, and a double.
Tucker has been a disappointment by all accounts this season, hitting just .225/.323/.361 with a 93 wRC+ and a 0.2 fWAR, per FanGraphs.
Sep 11, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker (23) runs toward third base after hitting a triple against the Miami Marlins during the sixth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

#triple #angeles #kyle #games

Hello! I'm back this year with BGN, as always, and I'll have two review articles and two preview articles every week. If you missed the first preview of the year, make sure you check it out here.
The same Week 1 warning applies here. Washington's new offensive coordinator, David Blough, has never called an NFL offense, so there is no real film that tells us exactly what Vic Fangio will be preparing for. We can make educated guesses based on Blough's background and what Blough has said publicly, but anyone claiming to know precisely what this offense will look like is guessing.
It's really hard for me not to spend the whole article comparing Sean Mannion and David Blough, but the similarities are so obvious. Blough only stopped playing quarterback recently and spent the past two seasons as Washington's ******* istant quarterbacks coach under Kingsbury. Before that, his playing career put him around a wide range of offensive coaches, including Ben Johnson in Detroit and Kevin O'Connell in Minnesota. Washington has also been open about wanting to move away from some of the philosophical elements of Kingsbury's offense, particularly by becoming more balanced and using more under-center play action. Sound familiar?!
Blough's challenge is deciding how much to change. Daniels has already spent two seasons getting comfortable in Kingsbury's system, particularly operating from shotgun, using tempo, and using his legs a lot. Daniels looks like someone suited to a shotgun, spread-heavy RPO offense.
Throwing all of that away would make very little sense. At the same time, Washington didn't change coordinators because it wanted the exact same offense, so I would expect the eventual structure to keep some of the shotgun and RPO elements Daniels already excels at while adding more motion, heavier personnel, under-center formations, and a more connected run and play-action game. Once again… sound familiar?!

#offense #same #washington

The Eagles' defense will probably be ahead of the offense to start the 2026 season, and that should prove positive for a unit that's completely meshed with their legendary defensive coordinator. Third down is where Vic Fangio's creativity and the Eagles' defensive versatility should become most apparent. Philadelphia can use Cooper DeJean and Michael Carter II together, move Jalen Carter across the defensive front, and rotate several edge rushers without sacrificing coverage on the backend. Fangio could remove traditional positions entirely when Philadelphia reaches obvious passing situations.
With Washington presenting a mobile quarterback and multiple receiving threats, here is what the Eagles' third-down defense could look like in Week 1.
A likely third-and-long package would feature Jalen Carter and Moro Ojomo inside, with Nolan Smith Jr. and Jalyx Hunt or Jonathan Greenard rushing from the edges. Jihaad Campbell could join the rush from several alignments. Zack Baun would remain as the primary linebacker because of his coverage ability and understanding of Fangio's scheme.
The secondary could include Riq Woolen and Quinyon Mitchell outside, Cooper DeJean and Michael Carter II inside, and Andrew Mukuba as the deepest safety. Marcus Epps or another pass rusher would claim the final position depending on the distance.
DeJean gives Fangio the ability to disguise the coverage. He can begin near the line of scrimmage before dropping to safety, blitz from the slot, or match a tight end. Carter can cover a traditional slot receiver and allow DeJean to move elsewhere.

#Eagles #defensive

The Philadelphia Eagles are less than ten days away from opening up the 2026 regular season, and it wouldn't be shocking to see the defense far ahead of a revamped offensive unit. Vic Fangio's defense is among the NFL's best, and his personnel will change with the situation, making a traditional 11-player depth chart less useful than identifying his primary packages.
Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Moro Ojomo should anchor the defensive line, with Ty Robinson and Byron Young rotating heavily enough to receive meaningful snaps. Carter will remain the interior pass-rush centerpiece, while Davis' conditioning should allow him to handle another substantial workload.
Nolan Smith is projected to start on one edge. Jonathan Greenard was acquired to start opposite him, but his uncertain Week 1 availability could push Jalyx Hunt into the opening lineup. Epenesa and Ebiketie provide experienced rotational depth. Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell give the Eagles two linebackers capable of rushing, covering, and defending the run. Trotter should remain involved, particularly in packages that allow Campbell to move toward the line of scrimmage.
Riq Woolen and Quinyon Mitchell project as the outside cornerbacks, with Cooper DeJean operating from the slot. DeJean's versatility also allows Fangio to move him to safety and insert Carter into the nickel role. Mukuba and Epps are the projected starting safeties, but Philadelphia's actual secondary could contain six defensive backs on obvious passing downs.
The depth gives Fangio several options. The primary Week 1 question is whether Philadelphia can generate enough edge pressure if Greenard is unavailable.

#fangio

The Philadelphia Eagles enter the 2026 season with a re-energized roster talented enough to compete for another Super Bowl appearance, but the path through the NFC will require several prominent players to perform at or near their ceilings.
While the loss of A.J. Brown is tough, Philadelphia's front office strengthened the secondary, added more options on offense, and replenished several key positions with young talent. Still, championship teams ultimately rely on their foundational players when injuries accumulate, the schedule becomes more challenging, and postseason games are decided by a handful of snaps.
With the regular season approaching, here are the 10 Eagles most important to a potential Super Bowl run.
Everything begins with Hurts, who will be responsible for directing Sean Mannion's offense while maintaining the efficiency and ball security that defined his 2025 season. Philadelphia can win games with its offensive line, running game, and defense, but its Super Bowl ceiling remains connected to its quarterback. Hurts must distribute the football, punish defenses through the air, and continue creating problems as a runner without exposing himself to unnecessary contact.
Carter possesses the talent to become the NFL's most disruptive interior defender. His ability to collapse the pocket, command double-teams, and destroy running plays can change the structure of Vic Fangio's entire defense. With questions surrounding the consistency of Philadelphia's edge rush, Carter generating pressure from the middle will be essential.

#several #players #offense

The Philadelphia Eagles possess one of the NFL's most complete rosters, but even championship contenders enter every season with players who must step up and provide more.
The Birds are stacked with young players and key veterans preparing to inherit larger roles. Others are veterans attempting to reestablish themselves after uneven performances. As the season opener against Washington looms,t here are a handful of players on the roster who need to take another jump.
Here are five Eagles who must improve during the 2026 season.
Smith enters a pivotal stage of his development after having his fifth-year option exercised. His speed and effort have never been questioned, but Philadelphia needs him to become a more consistent pass-rushing threat who can win without being schemed into favorable situations. Jonathan Greenard, A.J. Epenesa, Arnold Ebiketie and Jalyx Hunt give Vic Fangio options on the edge. Smith must separate himself by finishing pressures and holding up against the run.
Steen's physical ability has always made him an intriguing option along the interior offensive line. Now, the Eagles need dependable week-to-week production from a player who has Pro Bowl potential. He must play with better balance in pass protection, recognize pressure more quickly, and eliminate the lapses that can derail otherwise productive possessions. A strong season in a contract year would stabilize the offensive line and reduce the need to accelerate the development of Philadelphia's younger blockers.

#Eagles #philadelphia #Veterans

Americans painted the scoreboard red at Lahinch during Sunday morning's foursomes only to be capsized by a blue wave in the afternoon singles that saw Great Britain and Ireland rally to win the 51st Walker Cup.
The home team got off to a blazing start in the final session on a gusty Irish day, winning each of the first four singles matches.
Stuart Grehan topped Preston Stout for the second straight day and Jack Whaley recorded a historic, 8-and-7 runaway victory over William Jennings.
Then came two more wins for Team GB&I — Luke Poulter beat Ethan Fang when the latter's putt on No. 17 came up just short of the hole. Moments later, Tyler Weaver closed out his match over Jay Leng Jr. with a 4-and-3 win.
Those four results flipped the script at the 51st Walker Cup, putting GB&I up 10 1/2 to 9 1/2 with six more matches left.

#team #matches #came #americans

Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter received record-setting contract extensions this offseason, but neither defensive tackle views financial security as a reason to become comfortable. During his appearance on "Takeoff with John Clark," Davis spoke strongly about a close-knit Eagles defensive line that holds its members accountable before position coach Clint Hurtt needs to intervene.
That approach extends to conditioning.
Vic Fangio challenged Davis to improve his conditioning after arriving in Philadelphia, and the results were evident during Davis' breakout 2025 season. Fangio also established a target weight for Carter, who arrived for mandatory minicamp in improved shape. Davis said Fangio remains involved throughout the offseason, occasionally calling players to ask about their workouts and progress. Head coach Nick Sirianni shares that commitment because both coaches understand how conditioning can affect performance late in games and deep into the season.
The responsibility does not stop with Davis and Carter. Moro Ojomo, Ty Robinson and the other defensive linemen exchange observations and accept coaching from one another regardless of experience or draft status.
That willingness to listen has helped create one of Philadelphia's closest position groups.

#offseason #position

3 reasons why Mariners are likely to fire Dan Wilson after 2026 season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
There are plenty of teams that have been major disappointments during the 2026 MLB season. The New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, and Cincinnati Reds are just a few. The Seattle Mariners might be the biggest disappointment.
While the Mets and Blue Jays stand out as huge disappointments, the Mariners have a real case as the biggest disappointment this year. In a wide-open American League and a weak AL West, the Mariners have failed to capitalize on a great opportunity.
With the 2026 season almost over, and the Mariners looking likely to miss the postseason, Dan Wilson's job is very much on the line. Andy McCullough of The Athletic revealed three reasons why Wilson will be fired by the end of the year.
"The Mariners do not play a particularly crisp brand of baseball," McCullough writes. "Nearly a quarter of their at-bats end in strikeouts. They rank 27th in FanGraphs' metric measuring base-running value and 30th in defensive value."

#Mariners #sporting #likely

LAHINCH, Ireland – Multiple players on the U.S. Walker Cup team are dealing with stomach issues ahead of the 51st edition at Lahinch Golf Club.
William Jennings, a rising junior at Alabama, and Oklahoma State senior Ethan Fang, who competed in last year's Walker Cup at Cypress Point, did not join their other eight teammates for on-course practice on Thursday morning as they recover from stomach illnesses.
"They're good," U.S. captain Nathan Smith said. "They're just going to get a little rest and should be good to go."
This is not the first time that a stomach illness has stricken Walker Cup competitors the week of the competition. In 2021 at Seminole, 16 members from both teams, including the two captains, contracted stomach bugs, with some gastrointestinal issues so severe that they required players be sent to the emergency room.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two teams had alternates on site, and two of them – American Mac Meissner and GB&I's Jake Bolton – were subbed into action. It marked the first time in the event, which dates to 1922, that alternates were used.

#lahinch

Here at Over The Monster, we like to ask a topical question of the day; but on this dreary morning, we might as well be asking the question of the month. Very simply: If the Wild Card series started today, who would you want starting those three games?
Of course, the Wild Card series doesn't start today, and Red Sox haven't officially punched their ticket into the dance yet. But with FanGraphs giving them a 97.1 percent chance to make the playoffs and only 0.3 percent chance to win the division as of this morning, it seems pretty darn likely they're going to be playing baseball on September 29th (and playing it somewhere other than Fenway Park).
The Red Sox know this as well and have already reshuffled their rotation to pitch Sonny Gray on Saturday (September 5th) and Payton Tolle on Sunday (September 6th). With off days for the month already scheduled for the 10th, 14th, 17th, and 28th (assuming they make the playoffs), this means Gray and Tolle could pitch with an extra day of rest every start from here to the end of the year in a normal five man rotation and be perfectly lined up to pitch Game 1 and Game 2 of the Wild Card series. (September 11th and 12th against the Royals, September 17th and 18th against the Rangers and Rays, September 23rd and 24th against the Guardians, and September 29th and 30th against the Wild Card opponent.)
So the Red Sox have already told us who they believe will start the first two games of the playoffs indirectly, but third option is far more complex. Historically, Ranger Suarez would be the best man for the job. Not only did they just give him a $130 million contract in January, but he also has a 1.48 career ERA in the playoffs. However, the Sox might not be too pleased with the way he threw the ball in Sunday's start against the Yankees with the tiebreaker on the line, and they might not want to set things up that way again for a potential winner take all game on October 1st.
So what about tonight's starter Jake Bennett? He just might be pitching for a postseason starting job over the next few weeks. If he does well and ****** ody steps up, the Sox could end up sending a rookie to the mound to start and do or die game in Yankee Stadium for the second year in a row.

#game #might #series

Last season, Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little drilled a 68-yard field goal that became the longest field goal ever made in an NFL game. That kick was actually shorter than the 70-yarder he hit during the preseason. Then, just last week, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker hit a 69-yarder of his own.
Absurdly long field goals are becoming a pattern in the NFL, and it's almost surely going to continue this year.
Over the past few seasons, the NFL has quietly made some changes to its kicking **** that seem to have made things noticeably easier on kickers. That, coupled with the recent kickoff changes that have made a drastic impact on starting field position, has led to an increase in incredibly long field goals.
Ahead of the 2025 season, the NFL quietly passed a resolution that allowed teams to prepare their kicking **** – known in the league as "K-balls" – before game day, rather than during game day. The change got very little publicity, likely because **** ody really expected the change to make a drastic difference. But it seems to have, and Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio took notice.
Following a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in which kicker Chase McLaughlin hit a 65-yard field goal and a 58-yard field goal, Fangio brought up the quiet rule change, saying that it made a "drastic" impact on the kicking game. Fangio said the impact has been so drastic that he compared it to the steroid era of Major League Baseball.

#game #drastic #yard #kicking

Matthew Kaes Van'T Hof, Chief Executive Officer of Diamondback Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:FANG), sold 10,000 shares of common stock on Aug. 20, 2026, according to a recent SEC Form 4 filing.
Metric
Value
Transaction value
$2.1 million

#value #matthew #executive

James Franco's glittering career first showed signs of faltering in 2014, when a 17-year-old girl shared messages the then-35-year-old sent her on Instagram, trying to coerce her into showing up at his hotel despite knowing her age. At the time, Franco brushed off his behavior, saying he "used bad judgment." But in 2018, at the height of the #MeToo movement, multiple women came forward to accuse Franco of ******* ual misconduct at his former acting school, Studio 4, which eventually led to a class-action lawsuit and a multi-million-dollar legal settlement in 2021. Though Franco admitted to having ******* with his students and previously undergoing treatment for ******* addiction, he did not address any allegations of ******* ual exploitation or misconduct. Since then, the now 48-year-old has mostly remained out of the spotlight.
Now, just like other previously canceled men who are making comebacks — including Louis C.K., Jonathan Majors and Kevin ******* ey, among others — Franco has re-emerged in the Shortical microdrama "Love, Lies & Frank." In the series, he plays Jimmy Frank, a dejected ad agency CEO who is millions of dollars in debt to a pack of unsavory werewolves donning terrible prosthetics who are threatening the company Jimmy's father built from the ground up. Across 46 episodes, ranging from 40 seconds to two minutes, Franco appears alongside established vertical actors Eric Guilmette and Neela Jolen. Guilmette, playing Jimmy's stepbrother Cameron Frank, and Jolen, who stars as Daniella Hansen, a junior creative at the company determined to rise in the ranks, embrace their roles with gusto despite a predictable plot and having to act through werewolf fangs.
More from Variety
James Franco Stars in 'Love, Lies & Frank' Microdrama on Shortical
Seth Rogen Has 'No Plans' to Work With James Franco Again and Says They Haven't Spoken in a 'Long Time'

#shortical #love #lies

Red Sox place five players among ESPN's top MLB award contenders originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox might not have the favorite for any of Major League Baseball's biggest individual awards. They do have something no other team can easily match: candidates everywhere.
Five Red Sox players appeared prominently across three categories in ESPN's latest MLB Awards Watch. Willson Contreras and Ceddanne Rafaela ranked among the top five candidates for American League MVP, while Payton Tolle and Jake Bennett landed in the top 10 for AL Rookie of the Year.
Veteran right-hander Sonny Gray also appeared eighth in the AL Cy Young race. The rankings were produced through AXE, an ESPN rating system that combines several value metrics, including Baseball Reference WAR, FanGraphs WAR, win probability added and championship probability added.
AXE does not reflect the official vote. It provides a consensus measurement of each player's overall value. By that measurement, Boston's roster is loaded with some of the most impactful players in the American League.

#players #value

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Eagles lost 24-21 to the New England Patriots on Saturday night at Gillette Stadium, but it was not a bad night.
Many of their players stood out positively. So for this edition of winners and losers, we have seven winners and two losers.
Let's begin ...
Trotter is in a tough situation for his own development. He is a starting-caliber linebacker stuck in one of the NFL's deepest units, with little chance of earning meaningful playing time. Unless injuries occur or Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio decides to play three linebackers at a higher rate, he won't play for most of the year.
Trotter may not get the opportunity, but he deserves more playing time. He proved as much against the Patriots, shooting through the A-gap in the first quarter to sack quarterback Tommy DeVito.

#Eagles #trotter #night

Among the 122 major league outfielders with at least 200 plate appearances entering Friday, Teoscar Hernández (.250/.313/.401, 97 wRC+, 0.4 fWAR) and Kyle Tucker (.232/.327/.368, 95 wRC+, 0.3 fWAR) ranked 87th and 94th, respectively in FanGraphs WAR.
With the Dodgers getting such little production offensively and defensively from the corner outfield this season, calling up one of their many productive minor league outfielders seems more and more appealing by the day.
Dustin Nosler at Dodgers Digest this week argued for calling up 21-year-old Josue De Paula, the club's top prospect, directly from Double-A Tulsa.
Geoff Pontes on Hot Sheet podcast at Baseball America acknowledged the rawness of De Paula but suggested that because De Paula will be added to the 40-man roster this November to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, calling him up now would not fundamentally alter his long-term timeline.
Keith Law at The Athletic is not as high as De Paula, ranking another Dodgers outfielder Eduardo Quintero higher, and said Mike Sirota is a better athlete with a better long-term ceiling. Law was a guest of Jeff Speigel on the Dodger Heads podcast this week and talked De Paula among others, and suggested James Tibbs III as the more feasible Dodgers outfield call-up if they so choose this season.

#paula #calling #week #podcast

Heartthrob Jacob Elordi stepped out in London on August 20 for the premiere of his new film, The Dog Stars (making the fangirls swoon). Meanwhile, Hollywood star Michelle Pfeiffer enjoys a velvety fashion moment on August 20...
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Heartthrob Jacob Elordi steps out in London for the world premiere of The Dog Stars on August 20.
2/120
Michelle Pfeiffer looks luxurious in a velvet dress during an interview on The Jimmy Fallon Show on August 20.

#jacob #elordi #stars #pfeiffer

DETROIT — It's grim for the Tigers, but it's not game over. Not yet.
The Tigers (61-66) have 35 games remaining on the schedule, starting Friday, Aug. 21, with the opener of a three-game road series against the Kansas City Royals.
The Tigers, coming off another crushing loss at the hands of a bullpen blowup, start play Friday five games back of the first-place Chicago White Sox in the American League Central. The Tigers are in fourth place in the division, just behind the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Guardians. Detroit is 1.5 games back of the third and final wild-card spot in the AL, with several teams ahead of them to race down, and more teams behind them to fend off.
So, yes, grim — hence the long-shot odds they're facing to make the playoffs. According to FanGraphs, the Tigers odds of making the postseason for a third consecutive season are 14.8%. Their odds of winning the division are even longer, at 7.7%.
Those aren't the lowest odds they've faced this season. At May's end, when they were 22-38, they had just a 9.8% of making the playoffs and a 5.1% of winning the division.

#grim

The Denver Broncos have added a new player to the roster with two preseason games left before the regular season kicks off.
After bringing former second-round pick Taylor Rapp in for a look last week, the Broncos officially signed him on Thursday, adding veteran depth to the safety position. Rapp was a free agent after spending the past three seasons with the Buffalo Bills.
Rapp could enter the season as the primary backup safety behind starters Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones. Here, we'll get Broncos fans a little bit more familiar with the team's newest addition.
Rapp put together a solid college career at the University of Washington. He was a starter as a freshman and won the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Award in 2016. He was named to the first-team All-Pac-12 team in 2017 and 2018. This put Rapp on the map as a legitimate NFL prospect.
He decided to forego his senior season and entered the draft following his junior year.

#thursday

The Eagles are up in New England for joint practices ahead of their second preseason game. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio spoke to reporters before taking the field, and he gave some insights into players performance in the first preseason game, and also gave an unfortunate update regarding Jonathan Greenard's return from injury.
Here's what else the DC had to say:
When asked if there was concern that Greenard's pec injury could keep him sidelined to start the regular season, he admitted that was a possibility.
" I don't know when Greenard will be back. That injury he got in our weight room is going to take some time to heal."
In the meantime, though, Fangio said he's been happy with Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith, and also mentioned Arnold Ebiketie has been coming along. The DC said they are really looking for the third and fourth guy on the depth chart to solidify himself while they wait for Greenard to get back.

#greenard

This was the 19th week of full minor league play (stats are entering play on Tuesday, August 18th).
According to FanGraphs (which factors in age and proximity to the big leagues), prospect Theo Gillen tops the system and might just find himself in the running for Minor League Player of the Year.
Meanwhile, Aidan Cremarosa remains the top hurler in the system despite spending the past several weeks on the Injured List; he was recently activated. Thus far in his first professional season, Cremarosa has a 2.75 ERA | 2.62 FIP with a 32.7 K% & 4.4 BB% over 59 IP in Single-A
Theo Gillen left a game early last weekend after being hit in the left leg by a pitch. Gillen stayed on his feet but was clearly in a lot of pain. He would walk off the field under his own power but with a noticeable limp.
Grady Emerson has been **** igned to Single-A Charleston and will make his professional debut. The #2 overall draft pick has been excelling in the Bridge League.

#theo

The vagabond Athletics will make their annual journey to Kansas City for the home series this week. They stand at 49-75. Heading into July, FanGraphs playoff odds had them about equal to the Astros for making the playoffs. They have had some truly unfortunate injury issues, with Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers both on the injured list right now.
It's not like the Royals are much better at 51-74, but tonight Vinnie Pasquantino and Maikel Garcia are returning to the squad and will start.
Hopefully those guys are healthy and rested and can show us what they can do the rest of the season.
The Royals will put Michael Wacha on the hill. Once again, I seem to get him a lot for my Monday games. He's had a run of pretty good starts over the past few weeks, and with two of the Athletics stars out, no reason to believe that won't continue.
Mason Barnett starts for the Athletics. The Athletics got him from the Royals in the Lucas Erceg trade in 2024. This year, he's been stretched into a starter only in the past few weeks and has generally been shelled.

#july #fangraphs

The Philadelphia 76ers have been handed a surprisingly gentle opening to the 2026-27 NBA season, prompting accusations that the league is making things easier for the team. Radio host Monse Bolanos has even questioned whether LeBron James is part of the reason.
Philadelphia will not face its first Western Conference opponent until its 18th game, when the Portland Trail Blazers arrive. Its first trip to the West comes four games later against the Houston Rockets.
The Sixers also avoid a multi-game Western Conference road trip until Christmas, while having fewer three-games-in-four-nights stretches and fewer back-to-backs than any other team.
Photo by You Fang/VCG via Getty Images
Speaking on The Odd Couple, Bolanos questioned why the NBA would supposedly want to make life easier for James and the Sixers.

#james

We didn't know what we were getting from the Dallas Cowboys' secondary in 2026. We knew Christian Parker had intricate plans for schematic change. We knew new players were expected to compete, and rehabbing players were hoping to return. We even knew what things were supposed to look like on paper. What we didn't know is if any of it, or even some of it, was going to work out.
Parker, a first-time defensive coordinator, was more a projection than proven entity. DaRon Bland and Shevon Revel were rehabbing cornerbacks with an uncertain permanent physical status. Malik Hooker and P.J. Locke were safeties with something to prove. While Caleb Downs and Jalen Thompson were new faces with massive expectations.
With so many questions in the secondary, the entire situation had the potential to go extremely well or devastatingly horrible. Halfway through training camp, things are going pretty darn well.
At the top of the food pyramid, Parker is completely as advertised. Not only does he look like Vic Fangio 2.0 in scheme, but his knowledge and ability to educate look next level. He's instilling work ethic and accountability across the unit and his highly complicated scheme is getting digested at an impressive rate.
After avoiding the PUP list at the start of camp, DaRon Bland has looked shockingly healthy in Oxnard. He may not be on a full workload, but he appears ahead of the curve and ready to reclaim the CB1 label that's alluded him for two seasons.

#secondary

There is one name in the Dallas Cowboys secondary that is starting to become impossible to ignore for his consistent play, and that name is second-year cornerback Shavon Revel Jr.
Revel is healthy and living up to the first-round potential he had as a prospect out of Eastern Carolina in the 2025 draft, where his injury history allowed the Cowboys to draft him in the third round. Revel is not only enjoying being a full participant in Cowboys training camp in Oxnard for the first time, but like the rest of the defense and secondary in particular, getting this fresh start under the tutelage of new defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
Parker arrived at his first DC job with the Cowboys as a known commodity when it came to quickly developing cornerback talent and getting them to play well within the greater Vic Fangio-styled defensive scheme. The names often **** ociated with this have much higher draft pedigree than Revel, though.
In Parker's first job as a position coach in the NFL, with the Denver Broncos in 2021, they drafted Patrick Surtain in the first round. When Parker left for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024, they double-dipped at cornerback in the first round with CBs Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Parker's first pick with the Cowboys was obviously Caleb Downs this April, which remains highly exciting as Downs has made an impact right away too. Parker didn't draft Revel, but the excitement is that his 2025 season was enough of a wash to almost make this a rookie redo – under significantly better circumstances all around – for the talented corner. It's like a bonus pick for Parker that's paying off beautifully.
Watching that dreadful '25 Cowboys defense, it didn't feel like there was any solution to move forward with if this defense was going to improve quickly. On the eve of the Cowboys first preseason test of 2026, we're now living in a world where undrafted free agent carryovers like Justin Barron are making plays at linebacker, Julius Wood and Alijah Clark are doing the same at safety, and Revel has the overall situation at cornerback looking up.

#draft