MADRID (AP) — Changes are expected to the new Madring track next year after its lackluster debut at the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend.
Organizers said they are open to trying to improve the layout that produced virtually no overtaking opportunities and drew widespread criticism from Formula 1 drivers. The lack of track action was criticized by fans as well as F1 returned to Madrid after a 45-year absence.
Event director Luis García Abad said that governing body FIA has already indicated the changes that might be needed on the urban track that mixes existing roads and purpose-built sections. Madrid signed a 10-year contract to be on the F1 calendar.
"Well, to be honest, FIA has clearly defined how to improve the circuit layout, and we will be open to that because we will have to refurbish the circuit for next year," Abad told Motorsport.com.
Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli won Sunday's race after pole-sitter Lando Norris caught an unlucky break with the timing of the deployment of the virtual safety car. Norris ended third, behind Max Verstappen.

#track #improve

There aren't many grand conclusions to be drawn from what was for the most part a lackluster Week 1 college football schedule. Of course, that never stops professional and amateur pundits alike from attempting to do just that. We're back once again to bring a bit of perspective to the sport's weekly debates.
For the uninitiated, here's how this works. The following statements are hyperbolic to some degree. We'll discuss whether there's an element of truth to them or if they're serious overreactions.
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We'll start with the result that caused the loudest commotion over the weekend from a game that undoubtedly wasn't on anybody's radar.
As someone once famously said, 'Playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs?" Tainted or not, the Wolverines' victory against Western Michigan is in the books and the case is closed.

#playoffs #Football

MichaelPage may have reached the end of his Ultimate Fighting Championship run.

Page completed his current UFC contract with a unanimous decisionwin over NursultonRuziboev at UFC Paris on Sept. 5. Despite the victory, the former Bellatorstandout has now been removed from the promotion's latest round ofrankings eligibility, according to an email sent to rankingpanelists.
Longtime mixed martial arts reporter John Morgan shared an email he received from the UFCregarding the latest round of ranking updates.

"Dear Panelists, Michael Page has been removed from rankingseligibility effective immediately," the email read. "If you rankedhim in your middleweight division already, we ask that you pleasere-rank that division to make sure you have 15 athletes."

This comes after Page himself acknowledged that he may not beoffered another UFC contract after another lackluster decisionwin.

"They weren't happy with me before; they're not gonna be happy withme now," Page said following the fight. "If I put myself in theirshoes, it's like, same thing. 'We can sign him again, but are wegonna see much more?'"

Page joined the UFC in 2024 and has gone 5-1 inside the Octagon,with his only defeat coming against IanGarry.

#email #happy #michaelpage

The second AP Top 25 Football Poll will be released on Sept. 8. The lone remaining team to play is SMU, which faces Florida State in a Labor Day special.
Most of the top teams in the country enjoyed romps. Notre Dame pulled away from Wisconsin with a strong second half performance on Sunday.
Top 10 teams that had a major struggle were Oregon, which managed to outlast Boise State in a tussle on Saturday between a Big 10 and Pac-12 school, and Ole Miss, which survived a slobberknocker against Louisville on a last-second field goal.
Michigan falls out of these predictions after its lackluster performance that needed a miracle to defeat MAC foe Western Michigan. The Wolverines get a chance to find a spot back in the rankings this week because they play host to Oklahoma at the Big House on Saturday.
Record: 1-0

#second #play #performance

Manchester United clashed heads with Everton at the Hill ****** inson Stadium earlier today as they hoped to secure a win on the road in the Premier League. The Red Devils made a decent start to the game and managed to get to the half-time break with a goalless scoreline.
Bryan Mbeumo scored the opening goal for the visitors in the 47th minute before Tyrique George equalised for Everton with a great effort in the 83rd minute. Benjamin Sesko put his team 2-1 ahead just five minutes later, but Ainsley Maitland-Niles equalised for the Toffees with a great strike in injury time. The match ended with Michael Carrick's men securing a lackluster 2-2 draw away from home.
Let's take a look at how each Manchester United player fared during the clash against the Toffees.
GK: Senne Lammens – 6.5/10
He made his fair share of saves during the game, but couldn't do much about either of Everton's goals this afternoon.

#manchester #toffees #game #equalised

LSU Blowout of Clemson by the numbers: Kiffin's Tigers dismantle opponent in every facet of game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
In a relatively underwhelming slate of games for Week 1, Saturday night's showdown between the No. 11 LSU Tigers and Clemson was expected to make up for the overall lackluster day of games. To amp up the anticipation, the game was delayed over two hours thanks to lightning and storms in the area that pushed kickoff to 9:40 p.m. ET.
LSU entered as 10-point favorites but ended up winning by 41, winning by a final score of 51-10. If the final score wasn't indication enough, LSU completely dominated Clemson in virtually every statistical facet of this game.
Let's take a deeper look at the numbers to show just how dominant LSU was.
MORE:College football Week 1 overreactions: Is Dabo is done? Is Oregon a fraud?

#sporting #week #numbers #games

USF's defense dictated the game and aided the offense as the Bulls bested Florida International, 19-9, in Brian Hartline's head coaching debut Saturday at Raymond James Stadium.
The difference a year — or more accurately, a massive roster and staff overhaul — can make was clear.
In 2025, the Bulls boasted a high-octane offensive operation. Their lowest scoring effort at Raymond James last season was a 34-point performance in their season-opening win over Boise State, and they entered Saturday having won seven consecutive home games by at least 25 points.
On Saturday, they won by 10 and their longest play went for 14 yards.
The offensive performance was lackluster, but the defense, now led by Josh Aldridge, delivered three turnovers and four fourth-down stops to lift USF to a comfortable victory.

#saturday #Bulls #james #international

Top-seeded Alexander Zverev scraped into the second round of the US Open on Tuesday, beating 89th-ranked Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7/9), 7-5, 6-4.
Zverev fought off a determined challenge from Sonego in a tense all-court battle spiced by unlikely retrievals, impossibly angled winners and some inexplicable errors, which wrapped up on Arthur Ashe Stadium after four hours and 53 minutes at 1:55 in the morning.
"I'm just happy I won, that's it," Zverev said. "Incredible battle, a lot of up and downs -- nearly five hours for a first round, I think it's the longest first round match I ever played in my life.
"Credit to him, he played an incredible match," Zverev said, adding it was just the kind of battle he needed after lackluster performances in two hard court tournaments coming into the Open.
Zverev, who followed his first Grand Slam ***** le at Roland Garros with a Wimbledon final appearance, notched his seventh win in as many matches against Sonego.

#zverev #incredible

Week 1 of the NFL season is on the horizon and we're about to enter the REAL start of the college football season this weekend. But it's not too early to peek at the talent expected to hear their names called in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Here is my first big board, ranking players Nos. 1-31 and a list of 10 to watch who could break into the mix later this season. Why 31 instead of 30? You'll see why I gave both of those ranked players, each quarterbacks, some shine.
Manning is an excellent athlete with size. He plays with a proper timing on plays when working from the pocket, but he can also throw consistently on the move and has the toughness and core strength to get any throw off no matter his platform or how muddy the pocket is or how he is getting hit. He has a good arm that he unlocks because of his creativity, ability to anticipate and willingness to push the football down the field. Manning's quick throwing motion unlocks underneath throws and he already has advanced feel in the pocket. He constantly keeps his eyes downfield, which allows him to get the ball off and avoid sacks, turning negative plays to positive, or even explosive ones.
His progression as a player was overlooked last year after an early-season loss to Ohio State and Texas having to gut out several wins, but his play, along with his tools, indicated a future No. 1 draft pick despite what looked like lackluster performances. There's a lot of hype, but he looks like he's worth it.
A force of nature at receiver, Smith has been a standout player and absurdly productive at every level of his career. He is strong, explosive, and has an excellent build that allows him to bounce off tackles and constantly eat up yards after the catch. His power as a player makes him dangerous on in-breakers that allow him to build up speed and get downhill in a hurry, and his speed and burst out of breaks make him dangerous. Even without pristine route refinement, Smith is still dominant. It's hard to compare any athlete to Julio Jones, and welp, here we are with Smith. At worst you're looking at a Josh Gordon-like player.

#player #like

The euro has been trying to recover early on Monday, but in a very lackluster fashion. I think at this point, traders are out there trying to sort out what the Friday speech actually means for forex markets when Kevin Warsh basically eliminated the idea of Federal Reserve rate cuts that many traders had been trying to price in.
As usual, the market got way ahead of itself with that. We've been seeing this for a couple of years now where the market gets excited about potential rate cuts coming out of the United States for a couple of weeks, and then reality sets in. And I think that's part of what's going on here.
So, I'm watching the euro to sell it, not to buy it. Somewhere around the 1.1620 level, if we start to see signs of exhaustion, that would be about a 50% retracement of the move from Friday; I might look for getting short there.
The British pound, I think, is probably going to be somewhat range-bound, mainly because the British pound, of course, has a higher interest rate attached to it. So, it is a little insulated from US dollar strength, and I think most of the reaction was more about the US dollar than anything else.
I wouldn't read too much into British pound weakness, because at this point in time, even if I want to buy the US dollar, I am going to short other currencies, weaker currencies.

#british

Over the weekend, images went viral on social media showing a mostly empty stadium for the USC Trojans' home opener against the San Jose State Spartans. The attendance was so poor that USC's athletic department even felt the need to issue a statement. Now, Fox Sports' Joel Klatt is explaining the issue with the attendance the best way he can.
On Monday's episode of The Joel Klatt Show, Klatt explained that the attendance at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday afternoon was so sparse for one simple reason: people in Los Angeles are "soft."
While there are likely a lot of factors that went into the low attendance for Saturday's game – the week 0 schedule, an inferior opponent, and a noon local kickoff – Klatt blames one thing for the lackluster crowd: the weather.
While there were sunny skies throughout Saturday's contest, Klatt claims it was simply too hot for the Southern California residents, who have grown accustomed to "perfect" weather throughout the year.
"We in the Los Angeles area, in Southern California, are soft," Klatt said simply. "I am as soft as they come. And I have now been here since 2013. And guess what – over 90 [degrees] is too hot, below 56 [degrees] is too cold."

#attendance #went #weather

The quarterback competition between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders was already an interesting one going into the preseason matchup against the Buffalo Bills. Watson's postgame comments certainly made things more interesting following his lackluster second-half performance, in which he completed just 5 of 12 passes for 36 yards and an interception.
Watson was asked about the boos from the Cleveland crowd, and he didn't hold back when sharing his thoughts. He said, "I think the whole world knows it has nothing to do with the performance. It's a little bit more personal than that. So, I think it's a disrespectful thing." He also pointed out that he feels like he gets more support from opposing crowds on the road than he gets from the home crowd in Cleveland. He even referenced the fans who cheered when he tore his Achilles back in 2024.
While it is clear that Watson does not appreciate the response he is receiving from fans, there are larger issues that he may not be able to handle: the pressure that comes with being the quarterback of this team.
His response to the fans this week will likely only increase that response in the final preseason game. If he earns the starting job for Week 1, the boos from Cleveland fans are likely to continue. Would it be irresponsible of the coaching staff to subject the rest of the roster to an extremely hostile environment?
The Browns' offense is filled with young, exciting talent who deserve a chance to develop on this team without the pressure and criticism that comes along with having Watson as the starting quarterback.

#watson #cleveland #preseason #performance

Fans attending the latest Ultimate Fighting Championship event at Golden 1 Center inSacramento, California, were treated to an action-packed card.

The UFC Sacramento headliner featured a middleweight clash betweenAnthonyHernandez and GregoryRodrigues. The two delivered an entertaining fight, butRodrigues ultimately had his hand raised. In the co-main event,VitorPetrino defeated SergheiSpivac in a heavyweight bout. Although the co-feature did notlive up to expectations, the event produced 10 finishes in 13fights.
Let's examine what could be next for the main-card winners.
Thanks to sharper striking and punishing leg kicks, Rodrigues(20-6, 11-3 UFC) outstruck fellow former Legacy Fighting Alliance ****** leholder Hernandez (15-4, 1 NC; 9-4UFC) in the UFC Sacramento main event. Hernandez rallied in Rounds3 and 4, but "Robocop" did enough to earn a unanimous decision.Rodrigues has won seven of his past eight Octagon appearances.

The next logical step for Rodrigues could be a clash with NassourdineImavov. Both fighters consistently pursue finishes, making thisan appealing matchup. Although Imavov has called for a ****** le shot,he might have to wait with KhamzatChimaev and Dricus DuPlessis also pursuing the championship currently held bySeanStrickland. A victory over Imavov could move Rodrigues close tohis own shot at the middleweight crown.
In the heavyweight co-main event, Petrino (15-2, 8-2 UFC) grappledhis way to a unanimous decision over former World Warriors FightingChampionship ****** leholder Spivac (18-7, 9-7 UFC) in a lacklusteraffair. It was not Petrino's best performance, but the victoryextended his winning streak to four.

The Brazilian continues to climb the rankings in a heavyweightdivision badly in need of new contenders. A matchup with notedfinisher BrandoPericic, who is building momentum of his own, could offer aninteresting test. The pairing would give both men an opportunity toestablish themselves as emerging threats in the division.
Former two-division OneChampionship ****** leholder Reinierde Ridder (22-4, 5-2 UFC) made a successful UFC lightheavyweight debut by defeating RomanDolidze (15-6, 9-6 UFC). De Ridder capitalized on Dolidze'sdecision to pull guard early, overwhelming his opponent on thecanvas by continually advancing position and landing punches.

The end came 4:01 into the first round, when Dolidze could no longer intelligently defend himself as de Ridder poured onstrikes from back control. Although "The Dutch Knight"rebounded from consecutive defeats, the victory came against afellow middleweight competing outside his usual weight class.

To secure a spot in the light heavyweight rankings, de Riddershould next face an established 205-pounder such as BogdanGuskov. Although Guskov lost his most recent ****** ignment, heremains a dangerous opponent who could provide a meaningfultest.

#although

After a lackluster performance in a 29-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills last weekend, the Carolina Panthers bounced back against the reigning AFC South champs on Friday. Behind a sharp offensive offering and a stingy defensive showing, the Panthers took back a 34-17 win over the host Jacksonville Jaguars in their third preseason contest of the summer.
So, who shined down in the "Sunshine State" the most? And who didn't?
Here are the team's best and worst Pro Football Focus grades from the victory . . .
*Players listed recorded at least 10 offensive snaps or 10 defensive snaps.
1. RT Albert Reese IV: 91.5

#back #defensive #snaps #carolina

It's showtime again in Chicago. Patrick Kane is back where it all began, signing a 2-year contract to likely finish his career as a Blackhawk.
Reactions were mixed, but most Blackhawks fans were thrilled to see him back where he belongs. The $8 million cap hit raised concerns, and many hockey fans were surprised by the high number. Regardless, the team has the cash, and they used it on a player whose value transcends the ice.
The truth is, Kane might be more of a business decision than a hockey decision. With Connor Bedard out to start the season, Kane will get fans at the United Center through the opening chapter of the year. Even after a lackluster offseason headlined by their star's injury, this signing alone has Blackhawks buzz at a recent high. Fans are excited, and the team should keep filling the United Center.
Of course, that doesn't mean Kane won't improve the team's overall quality. Had Kane played for the Blackhawks last year, he would have been third in total points and fourth in goals. Even playing just 67 games, Kane would have been an important offensive contributor. He provides stability in the top-six, an exits-and-entries game that the Blackhawks are desperate for, and he can help lead the power play to success that they struggled to find last season.
Additionally, and most obviously, is his leadership. Who better to lead a young group of Blackhawks than the man himself? Originally, Kyle Davidson wanted to move on from Kane so that the next generation could take over. Now that players like Bedard, Frank Nazar, and Alex Vlasic are starting to establish themselves as leaders, there should be little concern about whether Kane will stunt their growth. If anything, it's the opposite. Three Stanley Cups just entered the locker room, and he's going to teach them how to win a few more.

#blackhawks #fans #united #back

The Dodgers roster has been a carousel of All-Star (both current and former) talent playing nearly every day and the taxi squad members whose role is equally vital to the team's success.
One of those former taxi squad members, Santiago Espinal, has found a new home within the NL West. Espinal signed a minor league deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, as per an announcement from the Triple-A Reno Aces via X.
It's been a chaotic 2026 season for Espinal, who initially latched onto a minor league deal with the Dodgers and eventually made the opening day roster. He played in 36 games with the big league squad, slashing .268/.276/.375 with a home run and seven RBI across 60 plate appearances. He was released by the Dodgers on June 18 before signing a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers on July 2, only to once again be released 26 days later. Espinal slashed .262/.333/.310 with six RBI with the Triple-A Round Rock Express.
Right now the biggest talking point for the Dodgers outside of Shohei Ohtani's battle for MVP is the turbulent, lackluster first year of the Kyle Tucker experience. As the Dodgers prepare to open a three-game set against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday, all eyes will be pointed towards Tucker and whether he'll continue to underperform at home or possibly find his old, pre-Dodger self at the plate.
Mookie Betts and Miguel Rojas both sat down and spoke about Tucker's difficult season in the most recent episode of the On Base with Mookie Betts podcast, where Rojas touched on having his teammate's back despite the challenges.

#triple

It's not too far of a stretch to say that Microchip Technology (MCHP) may not be on most investors' radar. Although MCHP stock is up almost 23% on a year-to-date basis, its recent performance has been lackluster. For example, in the trailing month, the ticker is down nearly 3%. Further, the volatility has triggered the Barchart Technical Opinion indicator, which rates Microchip as a 24% Weak Sell.
Fundamentally, the pessimism appears justified. According to Google Finance's summary, MCHP stock has faded due to broader macroeconomic pressures and yield concerns. Worryingly, this downturn occurred despite solid earnings performances and a strong forward guidance.
QQQ Just 'Gamma Flipped' as Market Makers Were Forced to Sell. Here's What Our Top Chart Expert is Tracking Next.
Analysts Keep Hiking Intel's Revenue Forecasts and Price Targets - Is INTC Still a Buy?
Terrible Nike Stock Historically Offers a Near-Term Bounce When Things Are This Bad

#Stock #although #barchart

It's not too far of a stretch to say that Microchip Technology (MCHP) may not be on most investors' radar. Although MCHP stock is up almost 23% on a year-to-date basis, its recent performance has been lackluster. For example, in the trailing month, the ticker is down nearly 3%. Further, the volatility has triggered the Barchart Technical Opinion indicator, which rates Microchip as a 24% Weak Sell.
Fundamentally, the pessimism appears justified. According to Google Finance's summary, MCHP stock has faded due to broader macroeconomic pressures and yield concerns. Worryingly, this downturn occurred despite solid earnings performances and a strong forward guidance.
QQQ Just 'Gamma Flipped' as Market Makers Were Forced to Sell. Here's What Our Top Chart Expert is Tracking Next.
Analysts Keep Hiking Intel's Revenue Forecasts and Price Targets - Is INTC Still a Buy?
Terrible Nike Stock Historically Offers a Near-Term Bounce When Things Are This Bad

#sell

ESPN recently dropped their annual set of "future" power rankings, which are based on how well the franchise is set up to be successful over the next three or so seasons. The Cardinals were unfortunately ranked dead last thanks to a lackluster quarterback situation.
Jacoby Brissett is not what any team wants as their long-term franchise guy, and Carson Beck as not played enough to show if he's the answer there, either. If the latter does work out, the Cardinals would understandably shoot upwards in these rankings. If he doesn't, it would all hinge on whether or not they land their guy in 2027.
It's a ******* mer to think that their young nucleus of offensive talent doesn't add up to much for these rankings, but if there's a silver lining at all right now, it's that.
In the comments below, let us know all of your thoughts below on where the Cardinals ranked in this exercise and what your outlook should be on the team over the next three seasons!
Marvin Harrison Jr. is finding a way to smile through all of the noise (AZCardinals.com)

#team

Mackenzie Dern successfully defended her strawweight **** le with a largely one-sided but somewhat lackluster outing against Gillian Robertson in the UFC 330 co-main event.
Takedowns and submission attempts ruled the day for Dern as she came close to finishing Robertson a couple of times during the fight but she mostly just maintained control and showed she was the superior grappler. Robertson really didn't produce any offense until the final round and even then she just managed to stay in control on the ground without really damaging Dern.
When it was over the judges scored the fight 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 with Dern getting the unanimous decision victory.
"I'm super happy," Dern said about her win. "My first **** le win I got taken down a lot of times so I've been working on my wrestling. I'm still the champion. I definitely wanted to submit her, that was the goal. I try to get submissions in all my fights. I wish I could do some more damage to set up the submissions."
A striking exchange led to Robertson shooting for a takedown but Dern countered effectively before the strawweights separated again. Dern was very effective with her combinations including a stiff leg kick that kept chipping away at Robertson's base.

#dern #robertson #fight #really

If you're a Royals fan of a certain age, the phrase "Lima Time!" will mean something to you. In 2003, the Royals were surprise contenders after getting off to an incredibly hot start. But they needed starting pitching help due to injury and ineffectiveness. Enter José Lima.
Lima was an interesting case; he'd been a 20-game winner as recently as 1999 for the Houston Astros. But he'd also been cut by the Detroit Tigers in 2002 after pitching to a 7.77 ERA in 68.1 innings both as a starter and a reliever. To open the 2003 season, he was pitching in the Independent Atlanta League. His first start for the Royals that year saw him allow 4 runs in 6 innings and take a no-decision with the Royals rallied with two runs in the ninth off of Giants closer Tim Worrell. From then on, it was Lima Time! Lima won 7 straight starts while pitching to a ridiculous 1.65 ERA. I was young and cut off from other Royals fans at the time, but I remember thinking the Royals had found a true ace that would lead them for years to come. With the benefit of hindsight and more advanced ***** ytics than pitcher wins, I can see now that the 3.4% K-BB% he had over that span pointed to oncoming problems. Lima went 1-3 over his final 6 starts with a 10.65 ERA. Sadly, Lima time was not to last.
Why do I bring all this up? Randy Dobnak reminds me a lot of José. I'm older and wiser now, so I can see past the shiny 2.00 ERA to the remarkably similar 3.3% K-BB%. Still, given that the Royals aren't competing for a playoff spot as they were when Lima was around, it's safe to just enjoy the ride of Dobnak time for as long as we can. Maybe it will even last until the end of the season! Hopefully, it lasts at least one more start, tonight.
The Angels will have Reid Detmers on the mound. Reid was considered the 47th-best prospect in MLB when he graduated from the list in 2022. He has a killer curveball and he has shown occasional flashes of brilliance, but he's never been able to fully put things together. He does have a 3.99 ERA going back to the start of last year, and he's been worth 3.0 fWAR this year, but he has been very up-and-down this season and is definitely not the true ace the Angels would like him to be, despite the ridiculous 14-strikeout, 1-hit, 0-walk outing he had against Texas earlier this season.
Unfortunately for the Royals, Detmers is in one of those up spans right this moment. He has a 2.39 ERA while striking out 33 and walking only 8 in his last 5 starts covering 26.1 innings. He's also gone 0-2 over that span because the Angels' offense has been… lackluster.

#time #start #pitching #last

The Los Angeles Dodgers are continuing their quest for the National League's No. 1 seed during the 2026 MLB season. The back-to-back defending World Series champions are 74-49, first place in the NL West.
They have achieved this with a good amount of injuries/underperformances from key players. On offense, Kyle Tucker and Mookie Betts have been lackluster. For the pitching staff, Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell have missed much of the season with injury.
Snell made his first start back on Tuesday. Now heading into the final quarter of the regular season, the Dodgers received an update on Glasnow's back injury. He is scheduled to make one more rehab start before joining the team next week.
The news of Glasnow's impending return also prompted manager Dave Roberts to comment on how left-hander Justin Wrobleski will be used. He will apparently be moving back to the bullpen "at some point in time."
The oft-injured Glasnow has made 47 total starts since joining the Dodgers in the 2024 season. He has made seven starts this season, going 3-0 with a 2.72 ERA. He has thrown 39 ⅔ innings, striking out 49 and walking 13.

#made

Given how long Sean Payton spent in the past coaching the New Orleans Saints, perhaps it should come as no surprise to fans that he loves any excuse he can get to troll the Atlanta Falcons. And he found a prime opportunity to do so as his current team, the Denver Broncos, visited the Falcons to open the preseason on Friday.
The Broncos took no time in getting back to looking like the team that captured the AFC's No. 1 seed in the playoffs last year, jumping out to a 24-0 lead at the halftime break before eventually capturing a 27-7 win. And when interviewed at halftime, Payton also took no time in finding a way to add insult to injury with a reference to a lackluster turnout by Falcons fans
"A lot of people dressed up as empty seats today," Payton quipped.
Of course, the fans who were in attendance weren't feeling too chipper about Atlanta's performance either, with boos being showered down upon the team as they hit the locker room at the end of the first half. So while Payton wasn't impressed with the fan turnout, those who did make their way to the game didn't seem to feel there was much reason to return.
The Falcons totaled just 192 yards of offense and turned the ball over twice in the loss, which doesn't paint the most optimistic picture of what the Kevin Stefanski era might look like. But the Broncos, on the other hand, looked every bit the elite defense that they were in 2025 – indicating that their reign atop the AFC might not yet be finished.

#like

Burned-out employees are often easy to spot. But what about people who some workplace experts describe as "rusting out" on the job?
A survey by scheduling software provider Deputy of hourly workers across the hospitality, retail, healthcare and other sectors found that many people are languishing in their jobs and are functionally less productive than their employers expect.
Roughly 15% of those polled reported feeling merely "OK" about their jobs, a sign that researchers say can lead to lackluster performance, Star Levandowski, senior vice president of business and people operations at Deputy, told CBS News. "We see that as an early indicator to rust out, when people are not feeling challenged enough," she said.
Think of a mechanical tool that's shiny and sharp when new, but that can get rusty over time if left hanging unused.
"If you feel like you're not being used to the best of your abilities, you feel like you're just hanging out, or rusting out," Levandowski said.

#rusting #like #you 're

Tapestry (TPR) gave lackluster guidance early Thursday as Kate Spade challenges persist, offsetting an earnings and revenue beat for the fiscal fourth quarter. Intraday, TPR stock plunged below key levels, setting off a sell signal.
The designer handbag, accessories and apparel company's Kate Spade New York brand continued to drag on earnings, outweighing strength in the Coach brand.
For the quarter ended June 27, Tapestry delivered earnings per share of $1.32, ahead of estimates for $1.28. Revenue of $1.88 billion edged past views. Year over year, Tapestry earnings jumped 27% while sales rose 9%.
On a brand level, Kate Spade sales fell 7% in Q4 and were down 11% for the full year. Coach sales grew 14% and 23% over those periods.
Management has struggled to rejuvenate the Kate Spade brand, appointing a new creative director last month.

#kate #year

Hope you all had a great weekend! I haven't written in a while, so here's what's going on in BVB land:
Normally, I wouldn't really care about a win in a preseason friendly, but after so much acrimony among the fan base after BVB's lackluster friendly performances in **** an, I'm happy to see a positive result, especially against an **** nal team that had quite a few of its elite players in the lineup.
There are many young players who have a very strong chance of playing big minutes this season. Several of them were in the squad today, and they gave us fans many reasons to be excited. Everyone will speak highly of Konstantinos Karestas and his wonder-goal, but I was even more impressed by Samuele Inacio. He was using his pace very effectively throughout the game, and was positioned perfectly to finish a chance set up by Felix Nmecha. On the defensive end, Joane Gadou had a terrific game, looking right at home defending against players like Viktor Gyökeres and Kai Havertz.
On the negative side, I do not think that this experiment of playing Maximilian Beier at wing-back has legs. It's not that he's a horrible defender, but I just don't like giving one of our more talented attacking players so much defensive responsibility. Beier only had 19 touches in 59 minutes and had essentially no offensive impact. Kauã Prates also came on for a cameo and conceded a pretty sloppy penalty.
The **** nal YouTube channel posted the game's highlights:

#beier #chance

PFL Charlotte sent fans home sleepy on Friday night.
Making his sophomore appearance in the promotion, Charlotte's own Bryan Battle entered the cage to take on Dalton Rosta. The middleweight main event ended somewhat controversially, as the hometown middleweight Battle (13-3, 1 NC) came out the victor via a lackluster split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).
Rosta (11-4) started the early goings of the bout with some strong leg kicks early, chopping at Battle's upright stance. That appeared to be a great recipe for success until it was entirely abandoned for a big Rosta body-lock takedown. Control didn't last for Rosta, as Battle defended well, pushing down Rosta's hands as he stood and walked around the cage wall. That was effectively where the rest of the round was spent until the 30-second mark. Some strikes were attempted between the two, leading to a failed late Battle double leg.
The second frame saw Battle get more aggressive, seeking long punches until Rosta worked his legs with kicks again. Those shots forced Battle to switch stance, and allowed Rosta to pursue another takedown. The remainder of the round was largely "highlighted" with more wall control exchanges and minimal strikes interjected.
Round 3 saw Battle tied up within the first minute to land some elbows and punches against the cage. Rosta started to land some punches at range once separated, and it was right back to failed takedown attempts and cage control in arguably the most forgettable fight of the year.

#cage #control #started

Amid a lackluster offseason by many accounts, the Golden State Warriors are prepared to face the writing on the wall. Although Stephen Curry and Kristaps Porzingis are fully healthy, the Warriors will be without both Moses Moody and Jimmy Butler III to begin the year.
Considering Golden State has made zero new free agent additions to this point, many expect the Warriors to hover around NBA Play-In Tournament territory once again, even with recent No. 11 overall pick Yaxel Lendeborg.
According to NBA insider Danny Emerman, long-time members of the organization, Curry, Draymond Green, and Steve Kerr are aware that the Warriors are no longer ****** le contenders, but their priority is "going out together with dignity."
Barring significant changes, Golden State seems destined to face an uphill battle in the Western Conference, a task that will prove even more difficult if the team remains unhealthy.
This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Report: Warriors prioritize 'dignity' amid roster shortcomings

#golden #state #curry #face

Reds blasted by ex-MLB GM for 'very disappointing' trade deadline originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Cincinnati Reds had one of the quieter trade deadlines of any team around Major League Baseball. Only the Athletics can compare with how lackluster their deadline was.
While other teams bought and sold at the deadline, the Reds really didn't do a whole lot. After not really upgrading the team nor selling off all their expiring ***** ets, the deadline came and went for the Reds with some clear, underwhelming results.
But, after the deadline passed, former MLB GM Jim Bowden for The Athletic blasted the Reds organization, calling them out for a "very disappointing" deadline that the Reds punted away for no good reason.
"Worst job of standing pat: Cincinnati Reds. The Reds didn't buy and didn't sell; they just punted," Bowden writes. "An organization that had so many needs at the major-league level wasn't able to add anything to help this year's team, nor improve it for future years. Very disappointing."

#reds #team #didn 't

Phillies executive remains confident in Trea Turner's defensive skills originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
While Trea Turner has been reliable from the batter's box, slashing .250/.299/.404 with 16 home runs, the same can't be said for his work on the defensive side of the field. It's an area that sees the Philadelphia Phillies' shortstop put up some rather lackluster performances, recording the second-highest errors in the league (18) for players at any position, while ranking in the bottom ten for putouts by a shortstop (83).
These numbers are one thing, but it's worth noting that they are the makeup of one of the more critical sides to Turner's defensive statistics; he has the lowest fielding percentage among shortstops in the league, .954, which ranks fourth among all players at the time of writing. Some of the more advanced metrics would indicate that Turner has been more than costly in the field, having a defensive runs saved of -14, meaning he's been quite the detriment to his team throughout the season.
All of this is to say that the three-time All-Star has been struggling throughout the campaign, but it's worth highlighting that he has the full support of the Phillies' President of Baseball Operations, Dave Dombrowski.
Prior to Monday night's series opener against the Washington Nationals, Dombrowski spoke to the press about Turner's defensive development and apparent slump, something he isn't all that concerned about at the moment.

#defensive #trea #runs #shortstop