Every year I take a look at who I think will be the top players on Boise State's football team. With so many unproven players, coming up with this season's list was a bit tougher than previous years. This team's squad is definitely more proven on the offensive side of the ball and that is reflected in our list. Last week, we continued our countdown by taking a look at a veteran defensive back. This week, we move back to the offensive side of the ball with a senior quarterback that has a lot to prove. Coming in at number four we have…
Maddux Madsen
The most polarizing player on Boise State's roster is almost always a quarterback and this season is no exception. Senior quarterback Maddux Madsen is entering his third full season as the starting quarterback and will look to win over a fan base that has mixed feelings about him. Madsen's sophomore season was a success, as he played a key role in helping the Broncos reach the College Football Playoff. Madsen's junior season was a bit of a roller coaster. He battled a lower leg injury for much of the season and was sidelined for two games after leaving with that same injury against Fresno State. Madsen returned in the Mountain West Championship and had his best game of the year in a victory over UNLV where he passed for 289 yards and three touchdowns.
Madsen enters his senior season with the lofty expectations that come with being Boise State's quarterback. The expectations with this group are a conference championship and an appearance in the College Football Playoff. In order to do so, Madsen will need to stay healthy and show more poise in the pocket. Last season, Madsen was hesitant to tuck the ball and run. Now that he's healthy, will he be more willing to use his legs? If this team meets its goals, it will be because Madsen has the best season of his career.
Countdown so far:

#madsen #Football #last

It's time for the annual post to highlight how the Mountain West Conference compares to the American Athletic Conference in a variety of important categories. Since this yearly post began, the American has had the advantage overall, although the MW narrowed the gap in 2024. Which one was the top Group of 5 conference in 2024? Read below to find out.
The Mountain West and American don't have many opportunities to play each other from season to season, and it's sad that that hasn't changed over the years. In 2024, the conferences played one another four times, with two of those being the CIC Trophy games, Air Force battling Army and Navy. The other two were Boise State opening against South Florida and Colorado State taking on Texas-San Antonio. Last season, all of those games ended in losses for the Mountain West teams, which is extremely disappointing. They have now lost head-to-head matchups to the American two seasons in a row.
The American's top tier enjoyed a successful season and has been seen as a top-heavy conference for years, with this year being no different. Memphis led the way with a 12-2 record (good for a winning percentage of .857). Behind them was Navy at 11-2 (.846), and Tulane at 11-3 (.786). The three-team average ends up being a .829 score for the American. On the other side of things, UNLV was the top Mountain West team with a 10-4 record (.714 winning percentage). Then, New Mexico, San Diego State, Fresno State, and Hawaii all finished with identical 9-4 records (.692). Taking the three-team average, and it comes out to a .699 winning percentage, which is a drop from 2025. Unfortunately for the Mountain West, even a good season and a top-heavy bunch of teams, the conference couldn't measure up to the American, which takes this one once again.
Playing games against Power 4 teams is usually a great measuring stick for any mid-major conference. The Mountain West continues to have a poor showing in this category, but improved in 2025, going 4-12 in 2025. That is an increase of one win from 2024, though they played four fewer games this past season. The wins over Stanford, Cal, and UCLA (twice) represent a 25% winning percentage for the conference.
The American ended up improving as well, going from 1-14 to 6-13, which amounts to a 32% winning percentage. The additional five games against P4 teams should be noted as well. Beating Northwestern, Army, and Oklahoma State last year may not mean much, but wins over Florida, Duke, and Arkansas look impressive to varying degrees. It's nice to see both conferences improve, but the American takes this category back in 2025.

#american #mountain #season #percentage

The Prince and Princess of Wales have shared a 20-slide Instagram carousel, packed with videos and photos of their recent family life.
Captioned "The Summer Rewind," Prince William and Princess Kate's roundup featured royal engagements, charitable work and a few photos of life away from the public eye. "Thank you to everyone who has made the last few months so special!" the caption read.
Moments from Royal Ascot (the prestigious British horse racing event), Wimbledon, a Buckingham Palace garden party, Kate's 24-hour hike up three U.K. mountains, as well as her solo tour of Italy, were included, along with William honoring English broadcaster and naturalist David Attenborough during a celebration for Attenborough's 100th birthday.
Another photo showed William speaking on a panel during Climate Action Week, alongside actors Emma Watson and Benedict ******* berbatch.
Also included was the family photo the couple released to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary in April. The image, taken by one of the family's go-to photographers, Matt Porteous, showed the couple and their three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — lying on the grass in the sun. The family's two dogs, Orla and Otto, were with them.

#showed

The writing has been on the wall at Parkhead for some time. Celtic are ready to listen to offers for Johnny Kenny this summer, with Millwall positioning themselves at the front of the queue. Sky Sports, via The72, confirmed that the Scottish champions won't stand in the striker's way if a decent bid comes in. Alex Neil wants the 23-year-old Republic of Ireland international at The Den, convinced he can hit the ground running straight away in the Championship.
The signing of Colombian attacker Camilo Duran from Qarabag effectively sealed Kenny's fate. Celtic originally paid Sligo Rovers £140,000 for the forward back in January 2022. Alan Nixon reports via his Patreon that a figure around £850,000 should get the deal done now. That represents a tidy profit on a player who never quite nailed down a starting spot.
Millwall aren't alone in their chase. Bolton Wanderers want him back permanently after his impressive loan spell last term. Kenny clicked quickly under Steven Schumacher, bagging six goals in 14 matches to help push Bolton towards promotion from League One before a knee issue cut his campaign short.
Add those figures to his Celtic return, and he managed 12 goals and two ******* ists across 36 total games in 2025/26. Four of those goals came in 22 Scottish Premiership matches for Celtic. Respectable enough for a squad member. Not enough to demand a starting shirt under Martin O'Neill. Publicly, O'Neill has noted that no final decision has been made on the Irishman's long-term future. Behind the scenes, sources suggest breaking into the first team this summer looks like a mountain too steep to climb.
Taking £850,000 for a squad player isn't defeatist. It is basic business. Celtic get a clean exit, pocket a profit, and free up ******* e on the wage bill for O'Neill to reinvest where it matters. Kenny gets the chance to kickstart his career somewhere he will actually play week in, week out.

#o 'neill #Millwall

The Las Vegas Raiders have made one of the biggest decisions of training camp, and for now, they're putting their trust in NFL experience over potential.
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, first-year head coach Klint Kubiak has named veteran Kirk Cousins as the team's starting quarterback ahead of their opening practice at training camp. While the decision isn't necessarily permanent, it signals that the Raiders believe Cousins gives them the best opportunity to win right now, even with one of the league's most highly anticipated rookies waiting in the wings.
MORE: Vikings to honor legend during 2026 NFL season
Jun 9, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarteback Kirk Cousins (8) during minicamp at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Kubiak made his stance clear about the quarterback competition. "When we go out to practice tomorrow, Kirk Cousins is the starting quarterback. He's the guy, and he deserves it because he's played really good football."

#made

Ryan Seacrest was all smiles in a series of photos, where he showed off his biceps and favorite flower. The Wheel of Fortune host shared the pictures on his Instagram, which a few fans swooned over.
"My favorite flower. They bloom for about 20 days, then make you wait a whole year til they return. Catch them while they're smiling back," he captioned the post.
In the photos, Seacrest stood in a field of sunflowers. He smiled in a white sleeveless shirt, sunglasses, and navy blue shorts while holding onto two sunflowers that were taller than him.
The next few photos featured the fields of sunflowers he saw with mountains and trees in the background. The fourth photo was a further-away shot of the American Idol host standing in the field.
He looked to the side with a big smile on his face, no sunglasses this time, and held onto a flower. His biceps were on display in it.

#photos #flower #seacrest #host

LeBron James or Giannis Antetokounmpo might have joined the New York Knicks this summer if the 2026 NBA Finals hadn't ended the way they did.
The Knicks have returned to the NBA's mountaintop after an arduous 53-year journey, where the franchise went from being called one of the worst in the NBA to now proving they're the best.
If the 2025-26 season didn't end in New York's favor, the summer of 2026 might have seen them make major additions to take the final step towards a championship.
Sam Quinn pointed out that both James and Antetokounmpo had to settle for their No. 2 choices, with LeBron heading to the 76ers and Giannis heading to the Heat.
"The two most famous players that moved this offseason, LeBron and Giannis, both wanted to be Knicks and are now playing for their backup teams because the Knicks won the ***** le."

#might

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) on Sunday said President Trump likes the daily strikes on Iran, which paused going into the weekend after nearly two straight weeks of attacks on Iranian infrastructure.
"I think we ought to continue the blockade and starve them out. I think we ought to bomb Pickaxe Mountain and try to reach what's underneath it, " Kennedy told CBS News's Margaret Brennan during his appearance on "Face the Nation."
"The president likes the daily attacks," Kennedy added. "He believes that sometimes you have to kill a few chickens to scare the monkeys."
Kennedy compared Iran's leaders to American serial killer Son of Sam and cult leader Charles Manson, calling them "more than mildly insane." But he added that the U.S. should not "just cut and run."
"If we can stand the pain of the rising cost of energy, we need to stay the course," he said. "At least for a few more months. I also don't think we need to send in troops. That's my opinion, for what it's worth."

#think

Nebraska baseball earned a spot in the 2027 Battle at the Ballpark next season. The Huskers are one of four teams to play, including Air Force, Army West Point and Notre Dame.
The three-day tournament will be hosted by the San Antonio Missions, the San Diego Padres' Double-A affiliate at Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium on Feb. 26-28, 2027. The tournament will have two games per day, with each team playing each other in a round-robin format.
Nebraska finished last season 43-17, leading to it hosting an NCAA Regional. The Huskers are the only team in the Battle at the Ballpark lineup that reached the NCAA tournament. Notre Dame earned a 31-22 record last season but missed the NCAA tournament after falling in the second round of the ACC tournament. Army finished 28-20 and fell in the Patriot League Baseball Championships. Air Force finished 27-28 and finished 2-2 in the Mountain West tournament.
Air Force and Army previously played against Creighton in the Battle at the Ballpark back in 2024. Now, Nebraska gets a turn to face Air Force and Army, along with Notre Dame. Fans can sign up for pre-sale ticket access at www.peak.com/events.
Contact/Follow us CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes and opinions.

#army #battle #finished #ncaa

The 2026 Shriners Children's East-West Bowl released its watch list on Thursday. The list contains six returning Huskers and five Nebraska transfers.
Returning Huskers to make the list included wide receiver Nyziah Hunter, tight end Luke Lindenmeyer, edge rusher Williams Nwaneri, defensive back Andrew Marshall, and offensive linemen Justin Evans and Elijah Pritchett. Transfers include quarterback Anthony Colandrea, edge rusher Anthony Jones Jr., defensive back Dwayne McDougle III and offensive linemen Brendan Black and Paul Mubenga.
Colandrea is the standout, playing in 33 games in his career with 31 starts at quarterback. The 2025 Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year across three seasons completed 627-of-983 passes for 7,542 yards and 49 touchdowns. He also had 328 carries for 1,151 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Jones Jr. played one season each at Oregon, Indiana, Michigan State and UCLA before transferring to Nebraska. Jones has played in 37 games, totaling 58 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and one pass breakup. McDougle III followed new defensive coordinator Rob Aurich from San Diego State.
McDougle III played in 40 games across four seasons and recorded 143 tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss, six interceptions, 12 pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Black and Mubenga combined for 56 games and 41 starts. Black played in 36 games across three seasons at Iowa State. Mubenga also played for three seasons, taking part in 20 games at LSU.

#played #black #state

The future of Rodri has been a hot topic ever since the 2026 World Cup ended. All week Rodri has been linked with a summer move to La Liga giants, while Manchester City were hoping to extend Rodri's contract. Now it has been reported that Real Madrid do indeed hope to sign Manchester City's midfield general this summer. All of a sudden, a summer defining moment has landed at Manchester City's doorstep.
David Ornstein and Mario Cortegana have reported for The Athletic that Real Madrid are aiming to sign Rodri this summer. Furthermore, it is reported that Real Madrid are confident of securing the Ballon d'Or-winning midfielder. It is also reported that as yet no direct talks have taken place between Manchester City and Real Madrid over a deal for Rodri. It is also included in The Athletic report that Manchester City are hopeful that Rodri will see out the final year of his contract. However, Rodri has previously expressed his wish to return to Spain and now Real Madrid are determined to make Rodri's wish come true this summer.
A fork in the moment has arrived for Manchester City in the summer transfer window. David Ornstein and Mario Cortegana's report illustrates that Real Madrid do indeed want to sign Rodri this summer. Rodri's wish to one day play for the La Liga giants is by now well-established. City now have a decision to make ******* uming that Real Madrid can satisfy City's asking price to sell the World Cup winner.
Does Manchester City hold Rodri to the final year of his contract? Rodri remains Manchester City's most important player. A fully fit Rodri turns City from a very good side into an elite side. Selling Rodri would create a sizable void in Manchester City's midfield and in their leadership. Is that something City are willing to allow to occur? That answer isn't immediately clear but the fact that Rodri is so important to City may provide that particular answer.
The other side to the coin is whether Manchester City keeps a player who clearly wants to leave the club. Typically, besides Bernardo Silva, City do not keep players who wish to leave. This is the situation that they find themselves in with Rodri. It is no secret that Rodri wants to a move to Real Madrid. That has been obvious since the World Cup concluded. Perhaps Rodri's time at City has naturally concluded as he has nothing left to achieve at the club. He has scaled every mountain.

#manchester #madrid #World

It took years for Magomed Ankalaev to climb to the top of the light heavyweight mountain, and less than 90 seconds for his reign to end. There's no telling how long it will take him to make it back, but he takes his first steps to another championship opportunity at UFC Abu Dhabi.
Saturday's main event features Ankalaev in his first fight since a brutal knockout loss to rival Alex Pereira at UFC 320 this past October. Ankalaev was originally set to face Khalil Rountree Jr., but with Rountree forced to withdraw, in steps up-and-coming contender Bogdan Guskov. This is a change of plans for Guskov as well as he was lined up to rematch Jan Blachowicz at UFC Belgrade next week, only for the matchmakers to call upon him to save the UFC Abu Dhabi headliner.
For one reason or another, Ankalaev has seemingly never been a favorite of the UFC's shot-callers as it took a seven-year unbeaten streak for him to earn his first ******* le shot; now, he needs to stifle Guskov just to keep his spot in line. On the other side, Guskov is undefeated in his past five fights and suddenly finds himself with an opportunity to jump into the top 5 of the rankings.
Will it be status quo or a new face in the ******* le picture by the end of the weekend?
What: UFC Abu Dhabi

#guskov #steps #Opportunity #past

Lauren Gardner's run in Secaucus is over.
The MLB and NHL Network host announced on social media Friday that she and her husband, Patrick, had decided to return to Colorado to be closer to family as they begin a new chapter together.
"Lauren's been a fantastic colleague and friend to us all throughout her eight years here in Secaucus," the networks said, confirming her departure in a joint statement to Awful Announcing. "We thank her for the wonderful contributions she's given across our platforms and projects, and we wish her nothing but the absolute best as she heads back home to Colorado."
Gardner first arrived in Secaucus in March 2019 for DAZN's baseball coverage, which was co-produced by MLB Network out of its own studios in Secaucus. The move capped a long, unconventional climb chronicled the same month by The Athletic's Ryan S. Clark, who profiled Gardner as she prepared to leave behind the Colorado sports scene for what ended up being seven years in New York/New Jersey.
A Denver native, Gardner had spent that stretch working the Avalanche and Nuggets beats for Altitude Sports, but her path there ran through nearly every odd job the local sports world had to offer. She interned at Mile High Sports Magazine at 19, cheered for the Broncos, spent two years as the on-camera face of the Champ Car racing series, and pieced together a living through sideline reporting for the Colorado Eagles and Mammoth while working day jobs in commercial real estate and condo sales just to keep the broadcasting dream alive. Gardner told Clark the decision to leave for the Tri-state area arrived almost like a premonition, recalling a specific drive down Colorado Boulevard, right where the road crests and the mountains come into view, when she suddenly knew, without any real explanation, that she was about to move east.

#secaucus

In case one has missed it, LeBron James is now a member of the Philadelphia 76ers. He will be joining a roster with Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe. Jaylen Brown, and Joel Embiid already featured while also having some serious depth with Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Labaron Philon Jr., and others. This is a roster as talented as any in the Eastern Conference.
The Sixers got James on a 2-year $8 million deal as they only had so much money left to spend in free agency. After playing the waiting game to make it work and bring him in on a deal, the Sixers were able to come out as the big winners of the offseason, if they weren't already.
In terms of the details of his contract, Spotrac has the details on his deal that includes a player option for the 2027-28 season.
The Sixers will be looking to reach the mountaintop and win their first championship since 1983 following the busy offseason and will look to move forward with the future Hall of Famer on the roster.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Details of LeBron James' contract with the Philadelphia 76ers revealed

#offseason #contract

Iowa women's basketball continued its quest to attract some of the nation's top talent to Iowa City. On Wednesday, the Hawkeyes offered four-star small forward and the top player out of Arizona in the 2028 class, Taylor Morris.
Morris is rated as the nation's No. 20 player per 2028 SportsCenter NEXT - Super 60 rankings. According to Prep Girls Hoops' 2028 Arizona rankings, Morris is the No. 1 prospect in the state.
A 6-foot-4 prospect, Morris has averaged 14.7 points per game during her 55 games played at the varsity level in two seasons at Mesa High School, per MaxPreps. Morris also plays for Mountain West Premier, which is the same Nike EYBL program as fellow Hawkeyes prospect Sienna Williams.
Along with Iowa, Morris already has a long list of offers from premier college basketball programs such as Texas Tech, BYU, Missouri, Alabama, Colorado, Florida, and Big Ten foes Oregon, Rutgers, Michigan, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and UCLA.
Here's a look at Morris' highlights:

#morris #prospect #hawkeyes #premier

The 2026 Tour de France will meet the famous 21 hairpins of Alpe d’Huez on Friday, in the first of two back-to-back days scaling the famous peak. But it is the second journey, up the lesser travelled Col de Sarenne, which has provoked protest, a petition and criticism of race organisers.
The route for this year’s Tour was announced at a Paris ceremony last October. Saturday’s stage 20 immediately stood out, partly as a rare double ascent of Alpe d’Huez, perhaps the most famous mountain in Tour de France lore; and partly because the stage is brutal in its own right. It features 5,000m of elevation gain over four Tour behemoths: the Croix de Fer, the Col du Telegraphe, Col du Galibier, and finally the Col de Sarenne – the eastern back road up the Alpe – before an undulating final 14km to the finish, via the final four hairpins of the traditional route.
The Col de Sarenne is an unusual pass for the Tour to tackle. This is the first time it has been used as an ascent, after it was used once as a descent in 2013. The debate back then was about rider safety, with sheer drops either side of the narrow, uneven path near the top, and hay bales were hastily planted along the road’s edge to protect a disgruntled peloton.
Ahead of this year’s return to the Col de Sarenne, environmentalists have led protests against race organiser ASO and its decision to send the world’s biggest bike race over the Sarenne pass in the Ferrand Valley, part of Ecrins National Park and an ecologically sensitive area.
A petition which garnered more than 15,000 signatures called for the stage to be re-routed away from the “beautiful and wild” area, which the petition stresses is home to numerous animals including stoats, marmots, foxes, chamois, eagles, bearded vultures, ptarmigan, rock partridges and the rare black grouse, whose chicks hatch in July.

#france #huez

LAS VEGAS — For a defense as talented and deep as New Mexico's, one key question remains with fall camp less than two weeks away: After since-departed defensive linemen Keyshawn James-Newby and Brett Karhu terrorized opposing offenses to the tune of 16.5 sacks last season — nearly half of UNM's league-leading 36 — what Lobos can help replace that staggering level of production?
Last week, Brian Booker made one thing clear: He wants to be a big part of the answer.
Speaking at Mountain West Media Days, UNM's fifth-year interior defensive lineman said he's hoping to make more plays than last season while still serving as one of the Lobos' most effective run defenders.
A preseason All-Mountain West honoree, the 6-foot-3, 330-pound Booker made 19 total tackles and 1.5 sacks in a starting role last season after transferring to UNM from Texas Southern. But if the Mansfield, Texas native was more than adequate playing the run, Booker entered the offseason feeling he left a "lot of meat on the table."
"I could have had so much (more)," he said last Wednesday at Palms Casino Resort. "… I gave it all I could give, but sometimes it didn't pay off, you know what I'm saying? It's just a more personal thing for me — I left a lot of plays on the table, a lot of sacks, a lot of (tackles for loss), that kind of thing."

#sacks #lobos #west #defensive

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. The Oklahoma City Thunder have experienced that firsthand over the last year. Thanks to a two-season run that has seen them put up historic numbers and win one NBA championship, other sports organizations are hoping to copy their blueprint.
One SEC football powerhouse wants to remain at the top of the college football mountain. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart recently said at 2026 SEC Media Day that he's studied up on the Thunder. He's turning over every stone to figure out ways to get fresh ideas on how the Bulldogs can remain in the national championship conversation.
"This season, like many others, we chose to study a successful brand or team or follow someone. This year, the reigning NBA champions at the time when we studied them was the OKC Thunder," Smart said. "They talked about being uncommon and how you can be uncommon in today's world."
Smart is the longest-tenured SEC football head coach. He's called the shots at George for a decade now. In that time, he's gone an impressive 117-21 (.848 win percentage) and won two national championships in 2021 and 2022. They're always smack-dab in the middle of the conversation for best team in the country.
Meanwhile, the Thunder have had back-to-back 60-plus win seasons with point differentials north of double-digit points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has won two consecutive MVP awards. Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams have earned All-NBA honors. On top of that, OKC has put up historic defensive numbers.

#historic #remain

Hello, and welcome back to the Pac-Mountain Pulse, a Mountain West Connection podcast. Thank you for joining us today!
In this episode, Hike's Peak host Jack Thompson (JackTalksCFB) joins Derek to discuss various Pac-12 topics, such as the hype and expectations surrounding Texas State quarterback Brad Johnson, which teams will exceed or fall below their FanDuel win total expectations and the ongoing discussions of conference realignment a couple of years down the line.
View Link

#expectations #hello #pulse

POTOMAC PARK — Walker Smith struck out 13 in five-plus strong innings, and the Cresaptown Eagles defeated Frostburg, 6-2, in a Mountain League Baseball Junior Division semifinal game on Wednesday at Memorial Field.
Smith held Frostburg to an unearned run on one hit in 5 2/3 frames, and Smith and Grayson Long led the Eagles' lineup with two hits each.
Cory Vizza drove in two runs, and Carson Vonstein scored twice.
Frostburg's Scott Cowan and Bobby Seifarth drove in the team's two runs. Landon Smith was dealt the loss on the mound.
The Cresaptown Eagles (16-3) face Flintstone (14-1) in the Junior Division **** le game on Friday at Memorial Field.

#cresaptown #junior #division #memorial

HENDERSON, Nev. — There'll be no holdouts among the rookies at the Las Vegas Raiders' training camp. Which means fewer distractions for first-year head coach Klint Kubiak.

Quarterback Fernando Mendoza put his signature to a four-year deal worth a reported $57.27 million and is fully guaranteed. He reported to the Intermountain Health Performance Center Thursday with the rest of the 10 rookies, all of who are signed.

Mendoza is receiving a signing bonus of $38.1 million so he can now concentrate on football, which has been his mantra since the Raiders took him No. 1 overall in late April.

"I'm so excited to be part of the family. Can't wait to get to work," Mendoza, who led Indiana to the national championship earlier this year, said on the Raiders' X account Thursday. "Appreciate your guys' all support. Let's get this thing rolling!"

And while Kirk Cousins is the favorite to be the Raiders' starter on Sept. 13 vs. Miami at Allegiant Stadium, it was important for Mendoza to not miss any time. He may be highly intelligent, but it's a big learning curve from college football to the NFL, something he has acknowledged on more than one occasion.

There is a team option fifth year in the contract so No. 15 is going to be around Las Vegas for a while. The plan is not to rush his development, let him learn and progress at a pace both he and the coaching staff are comfortable with and be ready to stay the starter once they make him the No. 1 QB.

The veterans report next Tuesday and the first day of overall camp is Wednesday. But there were images on the Raiders' social media of some of the veterans showing up at the team's facility in Henderson, including Maxx Crosby and Jackson Powers-Johnson.

For the next few days, it'll be Mendoza and his fellow rookies who will be the center of attention as they acclimate themselves to NFL life and Kubiak and his staff get a feel for what they have to work with.

#rookies #vegas #thursday #camp

On Thursday afternoon, a French ultrarunner hustling through the remote mountains of Washington State reached the Canadian border and tagged the northernmost end of the Pacific Crest Trail, completing the 2,600-mile route in record time.
Aurélien Sanchez, 35, set out June 7 from the U.S.-Mexico border with the goal of setting the so-called fastest known time on the famous wilderness trail, which weaves through mountain ranges in California, Oregon and Washington.
It's a competitive record, having fallen three times in the past decade and been unsuccessfully attempted by ultrarunners and speed hikers on several more occasions. The record Sanchez had to beat - 46 days, 12 hours and 50 minutes - was set in 2023 by Belgian ultrarunner Karel Sabbe, who covered nearly 57 miles per day on average.
According to Sanchez's GPS tracker, he completed the mammoth trek from Southern California to the Canadian border in
45 days and about 15 hours, coming in roughly one day earlier than the previous record.

#canadian #sanchez #trail

Coleraine manager Ruaidhrí Higgins says his side "contributed" to their own downfall in Thursday's 5-0 away defeat by HJK in the first leg of their Uefa Conference League second qualifying round tie.
The Bannsiders were two down at the break through goals from Liam Moller and Pyry Mentu, while Toivo Mero added a third early in the second have with a quickfire brace by Teemu Pukki completing the rout.
Higgins expressed his "disappointment" at the manner of the defeat but had no complaints as they now have a mountain to climb in next week's second leg at home.
"The manner of the goals we gave away and the timing were extremely disappointing," Higgins told Coleraine TV.
"We contributed to a lot of their goals and that's on us, so we have to accept it."

#coleraine #away #uefa

Hull City tried their luck. It failed. Nicolas Raskin has flatly turned down an approach from the newly-promoted Premier League outfit, despite the Yorkshire side putting a hefty sum on the table. According to reports from the Daily Record, Hull were ready to meet Rangers' valuation in principle, but the player's camp slammed the brakes on the whole thing. He simply has no interest in moving to the MKM Stadium.
It leaves the Tigers stranded. TEAMtalk and the Yorkshire Post suggest Hull put forward somewhere between £12m and £14m. Rangers, however, are clinging to a valuation north of £20m. That is a massive gap in Scottish football terms. Hull might have the cash from their promotion, but they face a steep mountain if they think a second attempt will change Raskin's mind. Money is only half the battle here. The player wants elite European football, and his representatives are working overtime to land a move to a far bigger stage.
To understand the Belgian's ambition, you only have to look at his last 12 months. It was a standout year. Across 33 Scottish Premiership outings during the 2025/26 campaign, he notched six goals and seven ***** ists. He clocked nearly 2,800 minutes in domestic action, finishing as the top-rated player in the entire Rangers squad with an average rating of 7.54. Throw in eight appearances in the Europa League, and it becomes clear why he was the engine driving Ibrox.
Then came the World Cup. Raskin took that domestic form straight to North America, starting every group match for Belgium. His display in the 4-1 thrashing of the USA on 4 July turned plenty of heads across the continent. Now, the suitors are lining up. Real Betis, Atalanta, Bologna, and Tottenham Hotspur are all monitoring the situation. Teams across La Liga and Serie A have sniffed around, along with several established Premier League sides.
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – NOVEMBER 06: Nico Raskin of Rangers is seen during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD4 match between Rangers FC and AS Roma at Ibrox Stadium on November 06, 2025 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

#rangers

This story was originally published on Healthcare Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Healthcare Dive newsletter.
Nonprofit health systems AdventHealth and Intermountain Health have taken the first step toward inking a partnership to unite their services in the Denver area.
The proposed joint venture would bring together AdventHealth's five hospitals, urgent care centers, medical practices and off-site emergency clinics around Denver with Intermountain's three hospitals and related practices in the area, the systems announced Tuesday.
AdventHealth and Intermountain have signed a letter of intent and anticipate signing a definitive agreement in the next few weeks. The transaction is expected to close early next year if it clears regulatory hurdles, the systems said.
The joint venture would bring together AdventHealth hospitals Avista, Castle Rock, Littleton, Parker and Porter with Intermountain hospitals Good Samaritan, Lutheran and Platte Valley, along with related clinics.

#healthcare #denver #Health

Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables has long been viewed as one of the brightest defensive minds in college football. Since taking over in Norman, Venables has had to find the right balance between overseeing the entire program and continuing to lead the defense he built his reputation on.
When Venables first took over as head coach, Ted Roof called the plays defensively. It has been rumored that Venables took over play calling in Year 2, but nothing has been confirmed on that front. Then in Year 3, he hired Zac Alley to call the defense. Alley left after one season to become the defensive coordinator for the West Virginia Mountaineers. So, Venables returned to calling the defense. It might not be a coincidence that the two seasons Venables allegedly called the defense, Oklahoma went 10-3 both years, whereas the two years he didn't, the team went 6-7 both years.
Venables' ability to balance his responsibilities as a head coach while still leading the defense has earned respect throughout the SEC, including from Ole Miss Rebels head coach Pete Golding. He faced a similar transition after serving as Ole Miss' defensive coordinator before being promoted to head coach following the regular season. During SEC media days, Golding revealed that Venables was the first person he reached out to for advice on managing both roles.
"He was my first phone call," Golding said via OU Nightly. "There's so much respect for him and the job that he's done… I knew that he had been through it. Didn't do it in Year 1 and did it in Year 2. Brought in the protege and didn't do it in Year 3... He's like, 'look, man, ******* ody's going to call it like you. It's your system. You've done a great job.'"
Venables has spent his career building elite defenses, and Oklahoma's recent success has shown the value of his direct involvement. While balancing play calling with being a head coach is a difficult challenge, Venables has found a way to make it work.

#defense #didn 't

From the mountain range of Utah to the country roads of West Virginia and the bounce house in Orlando, the Big 12 has a wide arrange of stadiums that contribute to what makes college football so special.
Some of the most hallowed grounds in college football reside in the Big 12, with a great blend of history in stadiums more than a century old, to those that have struck fear in opponents the moment their feet touches the surface. Plus, the Big 12 may own the ****** le of having the most scenic backdrops that make for stunning visuals when taking in a game.
There is no correct way to rank stadiums, but there are several factors that go into them: tradition, aesthetics, gameday atmosphere and of course, home field advantage. Using a mix of it, this is where every Big 12 stadium ranks:
At 51,444 strong, Rice-Eccles Stadium stands alone as the best in the Big 12. Not only is it a picteresque stadium that hosted the 2002 Winter Olympic opening ceremonies, but it is a fearsome place to play for opponents. The Mighty Utah Student Section rocks the stands and its rare to have an empty seat. Utah is 47-13 at home since 2016, and somehow, the energy turns up if its a night game; the Utes are 29-6 under the lights in the past 10 seasons. All of it is why former Washington coach Chris Petersen said "it's what college football should be."
PROGRAM RANKINGS: Top 25 | Big Ten | SEC | ACC | Big 12

#home

The New Mexico Highlands football team was picked to finish sixth in the 10-team Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference preseason coaches poll, released Wednesday.
The Cowboys, who went 6-5 last year and 4-5 in RMAC games, had two players — linebackers Dawson Chapman and Dontaivious Nelson — selected to the preseason All-RMAC team.
NMHU also finished sixth in last season's standings and in the preseason poll — one in which coaches could not vote for their own team.
This year, the Cowboys earned 38 points.
Defending champion CSU Pueblo was picked to win the league, receiving eight — of a possible 10 — first place votes. Western Colorado (picked second) and Chadron State (picked fourth) each received two first place votes, as well. Colorado School of Mines was picked third, with no first place votes.

#preseason

LAS VEGAS — Hurt or not, Jack Layne isn’t making excuses after last season.
“Last year, I think we were good as an offense, but we can be better, and I think we will be better this year,” New Mexico’s fifth-year senior said last Wednesday at Mountain West Media Days. “And, you know, everyone’s dealing with injuries – it’s not just me. Everyone’s got something.”
By all indications, Layne shouldn’t be dealing with something soon.
After undergoing offseason surgery to repair a torn tendon in his elbow, Layne said his arm is “feeling good” entering what’s expected to be a four-player quarterback competition during fall camp.
The 6-foot-2, 209-pound former Idaho transfer tore his common flexor tendon last season during warmups ahead of a 35-10 win over UCLA, the Lobos’ fourth game of the season. But the injury went undiagnosed until Layne underwent a routine clean-up procedure in late December, with the significance of the tear surprising both him and his surgeon.

#think #better #dealing

Christine Brown shared a video of husband David Woolley retrieving her dropped cup during a mountain visit
Fans praised Woolley in the comments, calling him the loving partner Christine deserves after her past marriage
Christine and David married in October 2023 after her 2021 split from ex Kody Brown and their polygamous marriage
Christine Brown is sharing her appreciation for her husband David Woolley!
The Sister Wives star took to Instagram on Tuesday, July 21, to share the sweet gesture her husband made for her while they were visiting a scenic mountain area.

#brown #husband #marriage