Fans question NFL's roughing-the-passer rules after controversial calls against Packers, Chiefs originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Roughing-the-passer has always proved to be a sore subject for NFL fans. That fact resurfaced once more in Week 6.
Some might consider the penalty, ushered in to protect passers from sustaining major injuries, as a godsend. Others view it more negatively, believing it should be reformed to prevent honest defenders from coming under its wretched glare.
Regardless of where you stand on the debate, it's clear that many don't believe slight contact should come under its purview. Someone appeared to inform some of the NFL's referees, however.
Here's what you need to know.

#passer

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAIN) announced on September 14 that it agreed to sell most international operations to AURELIUS for estimated cash consideration of $323 million. Expected net proceeds of $305 million to $310 million would repay debt and leave a business concentrated in North America.
The immediate hurdle is financing. The agreement, signed September 12, requires a credit-agreement amendment by October 12 extending the December 22, 2026 maturity by at least nine months. AURELIUS can terminate if that amendment is not secured by the deadline.
The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAIN) expects closing in its fiscal second quarter ending December 31, subject to lender agreement and regulatory approvals. The dollar consideration estimates also depend on exchange rates because the purchase price is denominated in sterling.
The transaction could materially reduce the debt burden. The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAIN) reported $558 million of total debt as of June 30. Subtracting the estimated net proceeds implies approximately $248 million to $253 million remaining, a calculation using rounded figures before subsequent borrowings, repayments, or other changes.
That reduction could lower interest expense and give management more room to stabilize the retained brands. The remaining portfolio includes Celestial Seasonings tea, The Greek Gods yogurt and Earth's Best baby and kids foods.

#december

Sourav Ganguly is widely regarded as one of the most influential captains in Indian cricket history. During his career, "Dada" was known for several memorable moments on and off the field, from making Steve Waugh wait at the toss and celebrating shirtless on the Lord's balcony to clashes with coaches Greg Chappell and John Buchanan, arguments with Shane Warne, and refusing to walk after Graeme Smith claimed a catch.

But former Australia captain Michael Clarke has shared another story that shows a lighter side of Ganguly.

In his book Eleven Gods and a Billion Indians, author Boria Majumdar quotes Clarke recalling an incident involving Ganguly and Ricky Ponting during a toss in India, although Clarke admits he does not remember which match it was.

"One of Clarke's favourite anecdotes goes thus: Ganguly and Ricky Ponting were out at the toss during one of the matches in India — Clarke doesn't specifically remember which one — and Ponting had the coin in hand. Just as he flipped the coin, Ganguly, if Clarke is to be believed, said, 'Head-Tail'.

"'Trust me, mate, that's what Ricky told me,' Clarke says, cracking up. 'Ricky said he couldn't fathom what had happened with Dada having said Head-Tail. [And, apparently it was said at the speed of lightning.] It had taken Ricky a second or two to come to grips with the situation and by that time the coin had come down. Ganguly just picked it up and said to Ricky, "We'll bat" and walked off. India had won the toss and were batting. Ricky did not really know what to do or say and all he did was tell us in the dressing room exactly what happened at the toss," Clarke was quoted as saying in the book.

Clarke is not sure which match the incident took place in.

According to available records, Ganguly won five tosses against Ricky Ponting, and all of those came outside India; twice during the 2003 World Cup and three times in the 2003-04 VB Series. That means Clarke may have mixed up the venue while recalling the story, as Ponting would have been the one calling the toss if the match had been played in India.

Clarke, however, clearly states that he does not remember the exact match in which the incident happened.

#clarke #ponting

EAST LANSING – Alessio Milivojevic took a knee to run out the clock. Wide receiver Rodney Bullard Jr. gave his quarterback a quick hug and pat on the helmet.
It was a victorious opener for Michigan State football thanks a few big plays by that duo. Yet the Spartans' offense struggled to find the end zone for much of their 30-20 victory over Toledo on Friday, Sept. 4, despite giving itself plenty of opportunities to score more.
Eliminating the "self-inflicted wounds," coach Pat Fitzgerald said, is among the primary fixes for his new team between game 1 and 2.
COACH SPEAK: Michigan State football seeing early returns from toughness tests
"We gotta finish drives," Fitzgerald said during his weekly press conference on Monday. "The football gods will not allow you to kick field goals and win a lot of games the way we just did."

#wide

EAST LANSING – Alessio Milivojevic took a knee to run out the clock. Wide receiver Rodney Bullard Jr. gave his quarterback a quick hug and pat on the helmet.
It was a victorious opener for Michigan State football thanks a few big plays by that duo. Yet the Spartans' offense struggled to find the end zone for much of their 30-20 victory over Toledo on Friday, Sept. 4, despite giving themselves plenty of opportunities to score more.
Eliminating the "self-inflicted wounds," coach Pat Fitzgerald said, is among the primary fixes for his new team between game 1 and 2.
COACH SPEAK: Michigan State football seeing early returns from toughness tests
"We gotta finish drives," Fitzgerald said during his weekly press conference on Monday. "The football gods will not allow you to kick field goals and win a lot of games the way we just did."

#Football #fitzgerald #alessio #wide

EAST LANSING – Alessio Milivojevic took a knee to run out the clock. Wide receiver Rodney Bullard Jr. gave his quarterback a quick hug and pat on the helmet.
It was a victorious opener for Michigan State football thanks a few big plays by that duo. Yet the Spartans' offense struggled to find the end zone for much of their 30-20 victory over Toledo on Friday, Sept. 4, despite giving themselves plenty of opportunities to score more.
Eliminating the "self-inflicted wounds," coach Pat Fitzgerald said, is among the primary fixes for his new team between game 1 and 2.
COACH SPEAK: Michigan State football seeing early returns from toughness tests
"We gotta finish drives," Fitzgerald said during his weekly press conference on Monday. "The football gods will not allow you to kick field goals and win a lot of games the way we just did."

#michigan #fitzgerald

Due to some sporadic runs of form and a very big helping hand from the footballing Gods, Liverpool found themselves qualifying for this season's Champions League and so the dream of more European nights at Anfield again became reality. For all of us Reds supporters and club it's the bare minimum requirement, and this writer has been luckily enough to have watched all six finals that Liverpool won, the first in 1977 when I was eight years old.
More importantly in the present moment, Wednesday evening is going to be the very first European game for head coach Andoni Iraola as head coach of any club, and let's hope that it will be even more than he could ever imagine because it's at Anfield and against one of the most difficult opponents in the Champions League in recent years in Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid.
Everyone involved in European football probably knows about those Famous European Nights at Anfield under the lights, but it's not all up to the supporters—the players will need to start in the right mood as they did against Ipswich, with intensity from the first whistle but unlike in that game the players won't be allowed to ease up until the final whistle is blown.
There is history between Liverpool and Atleti, with the Reds winning three of the seven times the clubs have faced off in the Champions League whilst Atletico have won two and then two draws between them. More than the match ups being fairly even there are the tough tactics of Simeone, who has a knack of getting under the skin of opposing managers as well his players being very physical in their play. It's going to be an interesting test for Iraola and the players but especially Liverpool's head coach as this will be his first experience of the Champions league and a congested fixture list.
"Big game, the first Champions League for me as a coach," Iraola noted during the post-Ipswich match interviews when he was asked about the approaching match against Atletico. "At Anfield, under the lights. I love to play at night."

#first

All of the hype and the hoopla of the offseason was quickly wiped away for Notre Dame. Despite the "leave no doubt" mantra and the focus on starting fast — the football gods had something to say about it with Wisconsin and Lambeau Field. In the end, however, the Irish put in enough work to get a 41-13 win over Wisconsin in the season opener.
Both Notre Dame and Wisconsin started the game with a 3 and out and followed them up with a field goal each. Spencer Porath's three pointer was the first Irish field goal since October of last year.
Notre Dame's offense just looked apprehensive and way too conservative with a quarterback like CJ Carr, and they tried **** ing and dunking to no real success. The Irish caught a big break, however, when Wisconsin fumbled the kickoff after the Porath field goal, and Ko'o Kia recovered the ball (seemingly) inbounds. A few plays later, Carr found tight end James Flanigan for the first touchdown of the season.
Wisconsin, however, fought back and Badger WR Malachi Coleman put a move on Jayden Sanders to get wide open and Colton Joseph found him in the corner of the end zone to tie the game up at 10 a piece. Notre Dame answered that Badger score with another field goal, but looked basically inept on offense for the rest of the half. The Irish went into the locker room up 13-10, and they had a lot to discuss.
To their credit, Notre Dame found new life at the start of the third quarter with the opening possession of the half. The Irish went 70 yards on 9 plays, and Aneyas Williams found the end zone with a shifty three yard run. The momentum looked real because on Wisconsin's ensuing possession, cornerback DJ McKinney intercepted a Colton Jospeh pass and took it 55 yards for a touchdown to make the game 27-10.

#irish #field

Baseball has a way of humbling you, regressing your performance to the mean wherever the mean may be and however you may be skirting it. The Baseball Gods are equally jealous and impish. In other words, the other shoe always drops. Though Randy Dobnak's peripherals and underlying stats have flashed danger throughout his Kansas City tenure, his luck ran out and his magic evaporated—on Harry Potter night at the ballpark, no less—during a 6-3 loss to the Miami Marlins.
Entering tonight, Dobnak had a 1.92 ERA but a 4.55 expected ERA. He wasn't striking guys out, and he wasn't allowing any home runs. Unfortunately, Dobnak gave up a pair of looong home runs. The first one was to third baseman Graham Pauley in the second inning, a two-run shot:
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Dobnak wobbled through the next few innings before giving up another big ol blast to designated hitter Kyle Stowers, his 17th of the year.
View Link

#gods

If you hold your nose and squint, you'll find that Cincinnati Reds 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes has actually turned things around – a bit.
Though he owns just a .463 OPS for the entirety of the 2026 season, that's ticked up to a .588 OPS since the start of the month of August. Over his most recent 13 games, he's hit a robust (for him!) .241/.333/.345 in 33 PA, and he even drove in a run (himself) to up his season total to 8 RBI.
Small victories! Except, of course, these are the Cincinnati Reds we are talking about, and the baseball gods long ago decided that the Reds cannot have nice things – even in small packages. On Friday prior to the start of their series against the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field, the Reds were forced to place Hayes back on the 10-day injured list, this time with a hamstring problem.
Infielder Edwin Arroyo was recalled.
It's just the latest chapter in the terribly disappointing tenure Hayes has had with the Reds across just 13 months. It's one that seemingly is destined to continue, though, as nothing he's done so far – not the league-worst hitting, not the injuries – has been enough for the Reds to cut bait on him, and that's obviously due to the ~$30 some million he's still owed between now and 2030.

#reds

After Russell Westbrook announced his NBA retirement, the entire sports world remembered one of the most epic careers in recent history. Even though he walked away ringless, the NBA superstar was one of the era-defining figures in the 2010s.
When you think of that decade, you think of Westbrook. Alongside Kevin Durant, he co-starred on a constant **** le contender. The Oklahoma City Thunder were frequently one of the main characters. The all-time triple-double leader was a one-time MVP winner and a perennial All-NBA member. He completely lit up the box score.
NBA legends — past and present — have spent the last two weeks commemorating Westbrook's mythical run. He's a future Hall-of-Famer and part of a pantheon of basketball gods. Someone else he shares company with in that regard? Tracy McGrady.
McGrady already sits in the Hall of Fame. He's one of the more dynamic scorers of the 2000s. The seven-time All-Star might also be ringless, but the basketball universe fondly remembers his impact on the game. He recently went on his 'Cousins' podcast with Vince Carter to make a bold statement.
"20-20-20, bro? That's only been done twice. Like, I know Kobe had 81. Bam had 83. I seen Luka hit 70. I seen Donovan Mitchell hit 70. I seen Book hit 70," McGrady said. "But the 20-20-20 to me is probably the greatest individual performance that I've seen out of a player from Westbrook."

#time #think

Roger Federer's formal induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame is scheduled for August 29, 2026 at 6:30 PM EDT.
Tickets for the weekend's events with Federer and fellow inductee player/broadcaster Mary Carillo's induction sold out immediately. However, the ceremony will be televised worldwide on Tennis Channel, Sky Sports, and other international channels.
Details about Federer's induction have been kept quiet. Here is what we can anticipate.
MORE: Updated 2026 US Open odds after surprise Jannik Sinner withdrawal
We expect Federer's parents, Robert and Lynette, his wife Mirka, and children, Myla, Charlene, Leo and Lenny. as well as his longtime agent Tony Godsick and his wife Mary Fernandez to be in the front row for the big event.

#tennis #international #fame #august

I'd say "stop me if you heard this one before," but you can't stop me, because I have a recap to write. The Braves fell behind early, and didn't hit any homers, losing a close-ish game on the margins to the Twins. When you don't hit homers, you need BABIP, and when you don't get BABIP, chances are you're going to lose. That's pretty much what happened on Monday night at Target Field.
This game was a weird one in many ways. After a 45-minute rain delay, the Braves grinded Bailey Ober for 26 pitches, but ultimately came up short. Both Drake Baldwin and Michael Harris II singled, but Mauricio Dubon fouled out weakly to right on the eighth pitch he saw from Ober. Then, the Twins pulled off some high-wire only-in-baseball garbage, aided by Martin Perez' inability to keep the ball in the zone. Look, I'll just post the snip from the Baseball Savant gamefeed:
Basically, a soft double, two walks, a bloop double that basically kissed the chalk that no one was able to run down, a very soft bloop, and then a perfectly-placed slow roller. Put that together, and it's four runs. Yeah, Perez shouldn't be walking two guys in an inning if he's not going to strike anyone out, but… help us out a bit, BABIP gods, eh?
They would not. The funny thing is, the Twins didn't manage to get much of anything going the rest of the way, but neither did the Braves. Perez basically cruised until the fourth, when the Twins managed two hard liners, but Ryan Jeffers had a weak flyout to strand them. Perez completed five innings with a 3/2 K/BB ratio — no walks after those two to the second and third batters he faced. Victor Mederos had a 1-2-3 sixth, and then Tyler Kinley came on (white flag?), hit a batter, walked another, and gave way to Ray Kerr, making his first MLB appearance since June 15, 2024. Kerr threw literally one pitch, a down-the-middle sinker to Kody Clemens, which turned into a groundout. For the eighth, the Braves left Kerr in the game, and somehow, the Twins loaded the bases with none out again (somehow equals a hit-by-pitch, a single, and a bunt that Kerr threw too high for Ozzie Albies to flag down at first and still touch the base). But, despite me looking very askance at the Braves for deciding to throw Kerr in for an up-down in a close game while still recovering from Tommy John Surgery, he somehow got out of it with no runs scoring, thanks to two pop-outs and a groundout.
That was the pitching slate for Atlanta; the hitting slate was a lot more frustrating. The Braves made Ober throw a ton of pitches, a la the first inning, but to little avail the first two times through the order. After that first inning, they got a leadoff single in the second and a two-out walk in the third, but didn't do anything with either. They finally broke through in the fifth: Austin Riley singled to start the frame, and Drake Baldwin pulled a double down the right-field line. Ronald Acuña Jr. got a fastball down the pipe on 2-1 at a sad 85.6 mph and yanked it down the left-fiel

Devdutt Padikkal made a strong statement in India's first Test against Sri Lanka, dominating the opening day in Galle and strengthening his case for a permanent place at No. 3. Drafted into the playing XI after Sai Sudharsan was ruled out with an injury, Padikkal produced a magnificent unbeaten 131 on Day 1. He looked completely at ease against Sri Lanka's spinners and helped India finish the rain-curtailed opening day on 288/2 after 73 overs.

His performance has now earned high praise from former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar, who believes Padikkal's ability against spin makes him an ideal No. 3 option for India even after Sudharsan returns.
While Padikkal was compiling his century, Manjrekar took to X to highlight the batter's impressive technique against spin.

"Devdutt Padikkal god sent for India v spinners. Excellent technique, both in defence & attack."
Manjrekar later elaborated on Padikkal's strengths during a discussion on Sony Sports, pointing to his ability to combine defence, strike rotation and attacking strokes against spin.

"Devdutt Padikkal was the big change that India had, I really think selection is so good that when you see Padikkal walk in and play spin so comfortably, because he's good in defense against spin, he's good at picking 1s and 2s when the field is slightly deep, and then he's also good at playing attacking shots, and that too off the back foot on slow, turning pitches, " Manjrekar said.
Padikkal repeatedly used the depth of the crease to negate Sri Lanka's spinners while also stepping out whenever the bowlers offered him an opportunity. One of the standout moments came when he charged Prabath Jayasuriya and lofted the left-arm spinner over long-on for a six.

For Manjrekar, however, it was Padikkal's ability to score off the back foot on a slow, turning surface that particularly impressed him.

"That's something remarkable. On slow, turning pitches, to hit shots off the back foot with a straight bat and the pull shot tells you that it's somebody who wants to get onto the back foot, and the best way to play spin on a slow, turning pitch is to play the majority of the bowling off the back foot, " he added.

"Along with that, he's also got this knack of going down the pitch and hitting the ball over the sight screen. So on pitches where there is going to be an emphasis on spin, India should bat him at number 3 even if Sai Sudharsan comes back, because he looks such a formidable player against spin, I think it was godsent for India, Devdutt Padikkal at No. 3 with the kind of spin talent he has," Manjrekar said.
Padikkal was handed the No. 3 role following Sudharsan's injury and responded with a career-defining performance. His unbeaten 131 also made him the first Indian batter to score a Test century on Independence Day, while he became only the second Indian cricketer after Virat Kohli to score an international century on August 15.

#devdutt #good

This week, we asked the community to vote on who they thought the Rockies would call up next. Apparently, the Baseball Gods were listening because when we first asked, 53% of folks thought Zac Veen would be called up.
Later that same evening, Veen was indeed called up.
Then, on Tuesday, we asked once again who the Rockies would call up but changed the answers to reflect Veen's promotion.
35% voted that Adael Amador would be called up next.
As fate would have it, Kyle Karros unfortunately suffered a concussion during Tuesday's game after a nasty collision with Ezequiel Tovar, which forced the Rockies to make another roster move. This time, Amador was indeed called up to take his place.

#veen #call #indeed #apparently

Georgia Tech's football season kicks off on Thursday, September 3 against Colorado, finishing the home & home series that began last year out in Boulder with a 27-20 win for the Jackets. Last year's was the first between the schools, retroactively becoming the 1990 National Championship Game as the two schools did not actually play in 1990 when chasing the national ***** le.
Both teams will look quite different this time around. Of course on Tech's side, the offense has new leadership between offensive coordinator George Godsey and new starting quarterback Alberto Mendoza. For Colorado, they bring back Carrollton, GA native Julian Lewis at quarterback, who did not play in last year's game in favor of Kaidon Salter. Lewis only played in four games late year, completing 55% of his passes and throwing for 299 yards in a start against West Virginia.
On the whole, Colorado is not predicted to be competitive in the Big 12 with predictions around the college preview woorld putting them at around 3-4 wins. Deion Sanders' team is in a full rebuild after version 1.0 of his Buffaloes with Travis Hunter playing both ways and Shedeur Sanders at QB (who both for some reason got their uniform numbers retired immediately after graduating).
Last month at Big 12 media days, Lewis noted to what I can ***** ume was a very startled audience that in 2025, Lewis didn't really plan for defenses.
"My play, I'm actually looking at the defenses now. Last year, we wasn't really looking at defenses much, just kind of high school free-balling, just out there playing football. But it's a lot bigger than that now, so it should be fun."

#year #defenses #sanders #national

Sometimes, you gotta make the tough call to put the old steer out to pasture.
Rhys Hoskins has a 95 wRC+ this season. That, especially on the Guardians, is not bad. However, this includes a 79 wRC+ since June 1st, during which time he has struck out 37% of the time. Even more prominently, since June 1st of LAST season, Hoskins has a 57 wRC+ against LHP. Why has Hoskins forgotten how to hit southpaws on a team that needs him to be able to be the career 130 wRC+ against them he has traditionally been like no other? I don't know. Because the baseball gods hate us, probably. It's likely one of two options: 1. small sample size and he'll eventually correct things, or 2. the canary in the coal mine that he is washed overall.
Regardless, Hoskins isn't helping the Cleveland Guardians win baseball games in his current role of supposed lefty masher who plays first base when LHP are on the mound. He's not a good defender. But, he is, from all accounts, great in the clubhouse. So great that the team is a game under .500 on August 8th. You can probably sense my skepticism that his clubhouse skills are indispensible to this team's success.
I think it's probably time to give Kody Huff a chance at a platoon first-base/occasional catching reps role. Huff has a .793 OPS against LHP and .914 OPS against RHP this season, but has traditionally hit LHP better than RHP as most RHH's do. Most importantly, he has a higher OPS away from the Columbus bandbox than at home (.888/.879). Zach Meisel of the Athletic has repeatedly mentioned on the Selby is Godcast that the team "LOVES" Huff and it was a big reason they were willing to trade Jacob Cozart and Bo Naylor at the trade deadline. Great opportunity to potentially get Huff some experience with Austin Hedges and Patrick Bailey and make use of the 235 innings he has played at first base to hopefully leverage their way to an improvement over what Hoskins has done against left-handed pitching.
By September, if Huff struggles and Ralphy Velazquez continues his recent breakout, I would love to see the team give Velazquez reps in a first base/DH role and let him hit LHP. (Cooper Ingle cannot hit lefties, in case anyone is wondering about him in a full-time DH role). Ralphy has consistently hit LHP slightly better than he has RHP over the past two seasons. He's a full-time hitter, eventually, and it would be great to give him a chance to experience big league pitching and potentially help a team trying to make the playoffs. But, for now, the team needs to take a shot at improving their roster in the Hoskins' role, even at the risk to clubhouse chemistry, and Huff seems to be the best potential option.

#huff #base

I never liked playing chess growing up. It made me think too much. Having to plan out five moves ahead while contemplating my opponent's response or potential counters before even touching a piece made the whole idea sound less like a game. This was work! But once I learned the general rules and overarching strategies, I could understand the appeal.
Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL season
Drafting fantasy football teams can have the same vibe. It's organized chaos. You have a plan, and the fantasy gods laugh at you. The draft grades you receive afterward are enough to make you log out and forget you even joined a league before opening kickoff. Trust me, I've been there. And I still short-circuit sometimes when I'm on the clock. But after a few years of cobbling together winning teams, here are a few Dos and Don'ts to simplify things when trying to build a squad.
Admittedly, disregarding a player's name and focusing on their production sounds exactly like something a nerd like myself would suggest. The thought runs counter to the excitement we experience every Thursday, Sunday and Monday. Specifically who touches the ball is what keeps us debating about this beautiful sport all the way until the next season starts.
On the one hand, the highlights and constant attention to offseason news and notes are what shape the market. Puka Nacua and Colston Loveland (featured in the top-10 plays) are two of the best at their position. We should value them accordingly. But the other side of that coin is the notion their production (not talent) is unique. In turn, if you don't draft that particular player, you've fallen behind. However, you can find similar levels of opportunity elsewhere.

#like #even

Yes, receiver DeAndre Hopkins has taken a coaching job at Georgia Tech. No, he hasn't closed the door on playing in 2026.
"I haven't retired from the NFL," Hopkins posted Saturday on Twitter, via Andy Backstrom of Yahoo Sports. "But if you're a WR and you want to be great, come to Georgia Tech football."
Hopkins, 34, is keeping himself busy as he waits for another opportunity.
"DeAndre is one of the greatest receivers of all time, but his value to our program goes far beyond that," Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key said in the statement announcing Hopkins's arrival. "He has an exceptional knowledge of what we're doing on offense due to his long relationship with [offensive coordinator] George Godsey and strong familiarity with the ACC, but, most importantly, he's a leader of men that I'm very excited for our players to be around, on and off the field."
Hopkins, who spent time working with the Patriots' coaching staff early in camp, would prefer not to be around, if that means continuing to play. For now, opportunity hasn't knocked. Hopkins wants the league to know that, even as he works as a coach, he's ready to keep playing.

#Tech #time #coach

In the end, he left the way we all knew he would, to play with the rich kids, to star in the land of movie stars. Didn't matter that he was drafted by the Detroit Tigers, developed by the Tigers or elevated to greatness with the Tigers.
Once Tarik Skubal became the best pitcher in baseball, he was no longer ours. The gods of money, greedy agents and big markets took over, pushing mere mortals in smaller markets aside.
Skubal became the pretty girl you knew was going to leave you for the football star, the startup genius you knew was going to get lured away by Google. Now he's the object of that Drifters song, "There Goes My Baby," moving on down the line.
There goes our baby. A little before midnight on the first day of August, Scott Harris, the Tigers' president of baseball operatons, traded Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers for three prospects: two pitchers and an outfielder, none of whom rank higher than fifth in LA's farm system.
FANS REACT: MLB lockout omen? Reaction to Tarik Skubal trade has fans feeling dark

#goes

Former Arizona Cardinals All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is transitioning from the NFL to Georgia Tech football's coaching staff.
CBS Sports reported on Friday, July 31, that Hopkins will be the Yellow Jackets' wide receivers coach.
Hopkins, 34, last played for the Baltimore Ravens on a one-year deal in 2025 and was briefly part of the New England Patriots' coaching staff during the team's first week of training camp.
"It was a great experience for all of us," Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said about Hopkins on July 30. "That's what we try to do when we have some of these unique situations where a player — or former player or whatever it might be — wants to come in and help and learn, and they love football, and I think it was good for everybody."
Hopkins, who's played 13 NFL seasons with five Pro Bowl selections, will reunite with Georgia Tech offensive coordinator George Godsey. Godsey was the OC of Hopkins' first NFL team, the Houston Texans, from 2015-16, and was the Ravens tight ends coach last year when Hopkins was on the roster.

#coach #georgia #godsey #former

The buzz around DeAndre Hopkins is that he is joining the coaching staff at Georgia Tech.
The school announced the news on Friday, July 31 that the NFL star and former Clemson standout will be an ***** istant wide receivers coach for the Yellow Jackets.
"DeAndre is one of the greatest receivers of all-time, but his value to our program goes far beyond the that," Georgia Tech head football coach Brent Key said on the team's website. "He has an exceptional knowledge of what we're doing on offense due his long relationship with (offensive coordinator) George Godsey and strong familiarity with the ACC, but most importantly, he's a leader of men that I'm very excited for our players to be around, on and off the field."
A day after the school announced his coaching position, Hopkins, who is currently a free agent, posted about his new role on X and gave clarity on his status in the NFL.
"I Haven't retired from the NFL," he said. "… But if you're a WR and you want to be great, come to GeorgiaTechFB."

#announced

The U.S. Army on Sunday revealed it has tested a new warfare system overseas designed to covertly scramble the navigation signals used by enemy precision weapons, making it harder for adversaries to accurately strike targets from long distances while avoiding detection.
The electronic system, dubbed "Hammer of the Gods," was tested at sea off the U.S. West Coast for the first time in mid-July as part of the Project Convergence Capstone 6 (PC-C6) experiment.
While land-based versions have been demonstrated over the past two years, the exercise marked the official debut of the maritime variant, the Army said.
The portable signal disruptor can reportedly blind enemy to several precision-guided weapons such as long-range artillery, guided missiles and cruise missiles.
Ukraine's Battlefield Is Transforming The Future Of Nato

#enemy

Former Houston Texans All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has found himself a new home before the start of the 2026 NFL season.
According to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, Georgia Tech is expected to hire Hopkins as a member of the program's offensive staff for the upcoming season. The former Clemson Tigers All-ACC wide receiver will work closely with new Yellow Jackets offensive coordinator George Godsey.
Godsey, the Texans' former offensive coordinator from 2015-2016, was also on staff with Hopkins as the tight ends coach with the Baltimore Ravens. He was inlfuential in helping Hopkins choose Baltimore as his destination last season following a run with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Georgia Tech is currently expected to add former NFL star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins as a member of its offensive staff, sources tell me and chris_hummer.

Had been in Atlanta this week visiting with the team. Has a longstanding relationship with GT OC George Godsey. pic.twitter.com/11pD66DTJM
Hopkins, who previously spent a week working alongside the New England Patriots, said earlier in the offseason he would like to play for a contender this season as he enters his 14th season. The problem? The 34-year-old pass-catcher seems not to have any suitors for the time being and could be looking toward the next option in his playing career.

#hopkins #season #godsey #deandre

Brazilian international Casemiro has become the latest in a rapidly growing list of high-profile names to have called Inter Miami home. The 34-year-old signed a deal with the Herons after the FIFA World Cup, joining through the 2027 MLS Sprint season, with the option for a further two years.
In joining Miami, which is co-owned by fellow Manchester United and Real Madrid legend David Beckham, Casemiro will become one of the few players to have had the opportunity to play alongside two of the all-time greats in Cristiano Ronaldo and Miami's Lionel Messi.
Looking ahead to this prospect, with Messi having recently returned to training following Argentina's run to the World Cup Final, where they lost 1-0 to Spain after extra time, Casemiro called his new teammate and former El Clásico rival "one of the gods, if not the god of football."
Donald Trump sparks outrage with Harry Kane World Cup comments
Argentina World Cup Final red card rescinded, face potential FIFA disciplinary action

#World #casemiro #fifa #become

Connor Thomas got thrown to the wolves on Monday night, and the Mets' broadcast booth could barely stomach watching it happen.
The Braves reliever was left in to twist against New York's lineup long after the outcome had been decided, and by the time Atlanta finally mercy-killed the outing, Thomas had been shelled for 11 earned runs — the most any reliever has allowed in a major-league game in more than half a decade — according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo.
His final line read: 2 2/3 innings, 10 hits, 11 runs, five walks, two strikeouts, three home runs, 78 pitches.
As Gary Cohen mentioned on the SNY broadcast of New York's 14-3 win, Atlanta had ground through five consecutive one-run games in the days before Monday, and rather than burn another arm in a game that was already lost, the Braves made the call to sacrifice Thomas to the baseball gods.
The 28-year-old left-hander — a Tifton, Georgia, native and Georgia Tech product who made his MLB debut with the Brewers back in 2025 — had only been summoned from the minors about two days prior. He's never been treated as a top prospect, and he entered Monday having not thrown more than 70 pitches in a single appearance since he was a starter for St. Louis' Triple-A Memphis affiliate back in September 2023 — more than 1,000 days ago.

#georgia

The U.S. military unleashed airstrikes against Iran on Saturday evening in retaliation for Tehran hitting two military bases in Jordan a day prior, during which two U.S. service members were killed, the U.S. Central Command announced (Centcom).
The new wave of strikes began at 6 p.m. EDT in what U.S. officials said was an effort to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and "punish" the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces who launched missiles and drones against U.S. soldiers in Jordan on Friday.
Apart from the U.S. service members who were killed in action in Jordan, one service member is currently missing, according to Centcom. The U.S. military death toll has now risen to 16 since the start of the conflict.
Four U.S. service members were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals and they have been discharged since. Other personnel who sustained "minor injuries" have returned to duty, according to the U.S. military.
"Godspeed, heroes. Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Saturday.

In a closely contested presidential election in Colombia, controversial far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella emerged victorious. After an official recount, his opponent, left-wing senator Ivan Cepeda, conceded defeat. This was a hard-fought campaign which split the community, sparking much controversy across Colombia. While debate rages over De la Espriella's policies and ascension to power, it is clear his presidency will be a godsend for Colombia's beaten-down, economically critical oil industry.
After the closest election in Colombia's modern history, president-elect De la Espriella emerged victorious after a recount with a narrow margin of less than one percent. Considerable controversy surrounds his victory despite left-wing contender Ivan Cepeda conceding defeat after the recount by Colombia's electoral authority, the National Electoral Council (CNE). There are fears that De la Espriella will clamp down on law and order in such a radical manner that it will lead to widespread human rights violations and crimes.
Central to the president-elect's platform is his plan to revive Colombia's fiscally strained economy and achieve annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 7%. To pursue that goal, he is supported by Vice President José Manuel Restrepo Abondano, who served as Colombia's Minister of Finance and Public Credit from May 2021 to August 2022 under President Iván Duque. Alongside fiscal austerity aimed at bringing Colombia's ballooning fiscal deficit, expected to reach 7 to 8% of GDP, under control, De la Espriella plans to revive the economically vital oil industry.
A key factor behind Colombia's recent economic malaise is the collapse of the once-dominant hydrocarbon sector. Indeed, over the last decade, oil and natural gas production has declined sharply, sparking fears of an energy crisis, especially with costly liquified natural gas (LNG) imports spiraling ever higher. By April 2026, oil output of 724,910 barrels per day is well below the 915,087 barrels per day lifted for the same month 10 years earlier. Falling production and limited refining capacity are forcing Colombia to import considerably more diesel, mainly for agriculture and transport.
The marked drop in natural gas production poses a dire threat to the economy and the electricity grid. In April 2026, Colombia lifted 694 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, which is close to a multidecade low. It is also significantly less than the 1 billion cubic feet per day produced for the same period a month earlier. The widening supply gap between domestic demand and production forced Bogota, during December 2016, to start importing liquefied natural gas (LNG).

If a loss happens on Apple TV (and after midnight), did it really ever happen?
The bullpen choices of Walt Weiss are unknowable, but the lineup is largely predictable. For tonight’s contest, he’s running with the same 1-5 as last night. Drake Baldwin remains in the cleanup spot but will DH. Joey Bart, the only Brave to have a homer off Matthew Liberatore in seven plate appearances, will catch for Reynaldo López and bat eighth. Austin Riley moves up a spot to hit sixth. Jorge Mateo gets the start over Jim Jarvis in the nine-hole and at shortshop.
Mike Yastrzemski was going to sit in favor of Eli White anyway versus the lefty Liberatore, but he has been swinging it well in the month of July. Unfortunately, the baseball gods have come to collect. His left elbow inflammation has landed him on the IL in a host of roster moves announced this afternoon.
TL;DR:
IL: Yaz

Good morning! It's draft day for Major League Baseball which, strangely, comes at a terrible time for the Red Sox. They've won seven in a row! They're somehow surging up the standings despite suffering a new injury every day! It's time to celebrate the NOW! Not to look to the future!
Alas, the schedule is what it is, and the baseball gods Rob Manfred has decided that the best time to hold the MLB draft is on a Saturday afternoon, when it will compete against a full slate of MLB games as fans gear up for the All-Star Break. So, to some extent, the big league club will take a backseat today.
The Draft begins with rounds 1-4 today, which will be broadcast on NBC/Peacock starting at 1PM, with coverage moving to MLB Network at 2:30.
The Red Sox will make the 20th, 67th, and 96th picks in the first four rounds today.
Yesterday, Bob touched upon the question of what strategy the Sox should pursue, as Craig Breslow is coming off several years in a row of loading up on arms (to great success). Check out the discussion and mock drafts there, and then stay tuned to OTM as the picks come in.