News broke Tuesday that five-star small forward prospect AJ Williams re-classified from the class of 2028 to 2027. Williams was the No. 1 ranked player from the class of 2028 but will now move to No. 5 in the class of 2027 according to 247 Sports.
Williams recently spoke about the decision.
"I put in the hard work, and felt ready to accelerate the process," he said. "I saw this summer, when I moved up to 17U, that I was ready to play with the 2027's and was one of the best in their class too."
Williams played U17 basketball for Team USA this summer, teaming up with current Duke forward Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje and Beckham Black (a Duke recruit). In seven games for Team USA, Williams averaged 14 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.1 **** ists while shooting 42.4% from beyond the arc, helping lead Team USA to a gold medal.
Williams was offered by Jon Scheyer and Duke earlier this summer, but has yet to commit to any school. He also has offers from eight other universities including: UConn, North Carolina, Illinois, Georgia, BYU, Auburn, Mississippi State and Georgia Tech.

#tuesday

By now, you've heard the same advice a thousand times: "Stop purchasing packs. Buy singles!" But what if your nearest "local" card shop is hours away or you're searching for a chase card for sale located across the country? That's where eBay comes in.
From cards to Funko Pops, eBay has been a vital lifeline for collectors for decades. As the worldwide brand continues to adapt to meet the needs of its users, Mantel met with Luci Yang, eBay's GM of U.S. Collectibles, at The National to learn more about how the marketplace's latest changes. Here's what she had to say about her career, the importance of community, and how eBay is putting powerful data into the hands of collectors.
Luci Yang, eBay's GM of U.S. Collectibles
You've got undergrad degrees from Harvard, and both an MBA and a JD from Yale. How did you end up working for eBay?
Everyone's path is a little windier than people expect, and mine was too. I spent a long time earlier in my career in business and management consulting. I joined eBay about five years ago, right as the company was leaning hard into its focus-category strategy—you've probably heard our CEO talk about that.
At the time, I joined the automotive parts and accessories team, since that was one of the focus categories then. Over the last five years, I've worked in parts and accessories, electronics, and heavy equipment, another focus area for eBay. This past January, I moved into collectibles. So I come from more of a corporate background, but I'm excited to tap into the childhood passion of collecting. Right now my role is head of U.S. collectibles, with trading cards a big piece of it, along with comics, toys, coins and more.

#collectibles #luci #yang #heard

It's never great when you show up to play your local public golf course and find that the superintendent just had the fairways or greens punched—or both. Obviously, it's a necessary part of golf-course maintenance, otherwise you'd eventually be playing on dead grass, but it can wreak havoc on everything from putting to chipping to full-swing irons shots.
If you're new to the game, you should know that there are times when you can repair damage to a golf course. Under Rule 13.1c, for example, you can repair things such as spike marks, ball marks, old hole plugs and animal tracks on a putting green. Rule 16.1b allows you to take relief from abnormal course conditions in the general area.
But here's the thing: The definition of abnormal course conditions does not include aeration holes. If the maintenance crew created a hole after removing turf, a tree or to repair drainage pipes, you absolutely get relief. And the plugs created from punching the aeration holes are considered loose impediments and can be removed. However, the hole itself is considered just a normal part of course maintenance. If your putt is ******* py as a result, or your chip takes a sideways bounce on its way into a green, unfortunately, that is just part of the game.
More Rules Reviews from Golf Digest
Rules Review Rules of Golf Review: He rotated his golf ball without marking it. He says it's OK because he didn't lift it. True?

#course

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made clear in the immediate aftermath of the Gunners' Premier League ****** le win that they would need to be ambitious to build on their success - and the club have backed him with the move to sign Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes.
Arsenal won the league for the first time in 22 years last season and reached the Champions League final where they were beaten by Paris St-Germain.
But as soon as the curtain came down on that campaign and the parade to celebrate their new silverware had finished, Arteta's thoughts moved to taking ****** nal to a "different dimension".
And with Brazil's Guimaraes set to be part of a new-look ****** nal midfield, the club believe they are signing a player who will do exactly that.
Arteta has always been keen on signing players with Premier League experience and who have shown they can operate with the demands at the highest level.

#arteta #premier #signing

No, the Denver Broncos are not moving second-year cornerback Jahdae Barron to safety. Broncos coach Sean Payton made that very clear after Monday's practice.
"He's doing good," Payton said when asked about Barron earlier this week. "I read somewhere where we moved him to safety, and I don't know who wrote the article. I'm not. He's playing nickel, he's playing corner and then when we get into dime, he replaces a linebacker. So he's doing really good. There's been no position change."
Riley Moss continues to play across from Pat Surtain as the team's No. 2 outside cornerback, and Ja'Quan McMillian has been playing in the slot. Barron can rotate in with McMillian as the nickelback, and he gets on the field in "dime" packages when Denver plays with six defensive backs.
"No safety work," Payton said. "He's playing [outside] corner, nickel and dime."
PS2 is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, and Moss and McMillian are both seemingly playing too well to be benched. So Barron might be looking at another season as a rotational defensive back in Denver.

#barron #denver #dime #cornerback

Zyhir Hope did not pretend he had everything sorted out the moment he learned he had been traded to the Detroit Tigers.
The 21-year-old outfielder had just been moved for the second time in a little more than two years, this time becoming the centerpiece of Detroit's return for Tarik Skubal. His first reaction was not polished or rehearsed.
"I didn't know what to feel in the moment," Hope said via the Detroit Free Press. "You know what I'm saying? But yeah, I'm just ready for some ball. I'm excited."
That combination of uncertainty and excitement makes sense. One day, Hope was part of the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. The next, he was packing, flying across the country and joining Double-A Erie as one of the most important prospects in Detroit's system.
A trade can turn a player's life upside down in a matter of hours.

#hope

Sean "P Diddy" Combs' release date has been pushed back once again.
According to the records of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Last Night rapper, 56, won't be released from prison until February 20, 2028, a month after his last release date.
Just last month, his prison sentence was shortened to January 24. However, a recent altercation seems to have affected his release.
TMZ shared Combs got physical with an inmate a few weeks ago after he was reportedly dissed. Prison staff had to separate the men. The rapper was then placed in solitary confinement.
The change to his release date marks the sixth time it has been moved since a New York jury convicted him of transporting prostitutes across state lines for drug-fueled ******* parties. Just two months after the verdict was announced in July 2025, Combs' legal team began pleading for a short sentence.

#release #last #rapper #diddy

Mohamed Salah's next move now appears settled, with Trabzonspor effectively confirming the arrival of the former Liverpool forward after days of growing expectation. As first reported and discussed by Liverpool.com, the Turkish side have moved into the open, releasing travel details before any formal unveiling.
For a player of Salah's stature, the process has been unusually public. Yet the message from Trabzonspor leaves very little room for doubt. Addressing supporters directly, the club said: "Professional footballer Mohamed Salah, with whom we have begun transfer negotiations, will be at Istanbul Atatürk Airport General Aviation Terminal at 12:00 on Wednesday, August 5 (tomorrow)." It added: "The player is scheduled to arrive in Trabzon on the same day in the evening hours. The time and other details regarding the welcome program in Trabzon will be shared with the public through our club's official communication channels during the day."
LFC Website
The wording stops short of a final contract announcement, though in practical terms this is as close to confirmation as it gets. Trabzonspor had already posted that discussions were under way and then followed that with a teaser carrying Egyptian imagery, signalling clearly where the story was heading.
Salah has been a free agent since leaving Liverpool earlier this summer after waiving the final year of his deal. Since then, there has been no shortage of interest or noise around the market. Saudi Arabia remained an obvious talking point because of long-running admiration, while Major League Soccer was mentioned in some quarters as another possible route.

#since #player #public

Namibia is rapidly emerging as Africa's next major oil producer while neighboring South Africa, which controls roughly two-thirds of the same Orange Basin petroleum province, remains years behind in developing essentially the same petroleum system. The Orange Basin, an offshore deepwater petroleum province spanning the Atlantic maritime border between the two countries, is estimated to contain more than 20 billion barrels of oil equivalent. Yet while Namibia has attracted a succession of world-class discoveries and moved rapidly toward commercial development, South Africa has struggled to translate the same geological opportunity into producing **** ets.
TotalEnergies' (NYSE:TTE) deepwater Venus Project in offshore Namibia now targets an initial production capacity of roughly 150,000 barrels of oil per day, with first oil aimed for 2030. Venus-1X is estimated to contain 1.5 billion barrels of light crude and 4.8 trillion cubic feet of gas. TotalEnergies has also taken over operations of the massive Mopane discovery from Portugal's Galp Energia (OTCPK:GLPEF).
Last month, Shell Plc (NYSE:SHEL) and its JV partners reported a major oil discovery at the Merlin-1X exploration well within Petroleum Exploration Licence 39 (PEL 39). Located in Namibia's Orange Basin roughly 290 kilometers off the coast, the resource has recoverable reserves estimated at 750 million barrels for Phase 1. The success of Merlin-1X marks a critical turnaround for the consortium.
In early 2025, Shell booked a $400 million impairment on its Namibian offshore portfolio following engineering hurdles at older discovery wells with complex geology and high gas-to-oil ratios, including Graff-1X and Jonker-1X. Those challenges had initially slowed commercialization plans, but the Merlin-1X discovery has significantly improved the outlook for the company's Namibian acreage.
Related: Harold Hamm Bets Bigger on Argentina's Vaca Muerta Shale Boom

#petroleum #orange #roughly #offshore

Meghan Markle's alleged "outsider" complaint drew fresh criticism after her UK trip with Prince Harry. The ****** ss of Sussex was reportedly hurt by the way palace arrangements unfolded during the visit. A new YouTube segment linked that reaction to her wider trouble with royal life. The royal experts' discussion framed the issue around family protocol, public expectations, and whether the "Suits" actor ever adjusted to the royal family's way of operating.
As per TalkTV's YouTube video uploaded on August 4, 2026, Kevin O'Sullivan discussed Meghan Markle's birthday. He was joined by royal biographer Angela Levin. The segment then moved to the recent UK trip.
O'Sullivan said reports claimed Meghan was upset about being treated like "a pair of outsiders." Levin said Meghan came from "a different family." She added that the ****** ss "can't really know how to deal with it."
Meanwhile, Levin argued that the issue extended beyond a single visit. She said Meghan "won't do anything to fit in." The biographer added she would not adapt to "how the royals fit in." Levin also claimed Meghan "didn't do that from the start."
She said the former "Suits" actress "hated it." The comments framed the royal family clash as cultural and personal. They also followed renewed discussion about Prince Harry's wish for closer royal ties.

#youtube #duchess #trip

Jenna O'Malley/PitchBook News
In the first half of 2026, a record number of private equity managers used continuation funds to return cash to their investors without having to sell companies. They also moved to capture a bigger slice of returns when that sale eventually comes.
By dollar volume, around 35% of continuation funds closing in the first six months of the year had premium economics, colloquially known as super carry, baked into their fund documents, according to investment bank Evercore. This compares with 15% in the bank's full-year 2025 survey.
While there is no single definition of what constitutes super carry, Evercore, the most active broker of continuation fund deals, defines it as terms that allow a fund manager to claim more than 20% of the profit generated by a deal.
The highest level of carry observed in a 2025 study of continuation funds by law firm Morgan Lewis was 30%. The firm, which often represents institutional investors in secondary deals, also noted that three-quarters of continuation funds had tiered carry structures. For example, in the case of a fund employing super carry, a 2x return might net the manager a 20% profit share, with a 3x return bringing it 30%.

#continuation #carry #funds

For most of the last two decades, the anxiety in power planning was about demand: would consumption grow fast enough to justify new capacity, and how would an aging fleet keep pace? That question has inverted. Demand is no longer the uncertain variable—it is the one thing forecasters are confident about. The uncertainty now sits on the supply side: whether the workforce, the equipment, and the political and economic conditions needed to build and run generation can keep up with a demand curve that is accelerating for the first time in a generation.The International Energy Agency (IEA) put a number on the demand side in its Electricity 2026 report, projecting that global electricity demand will grow by an average of 3.6% per year through 2030, roughly 50% faster than the average over the previous decade, driven by industrial electrification, electric vehicles, air conditioning, and data centers. For the first time in three decades outside of a crisis period, electricity demand has begun to grow faster than the global economy itself. The demand is coming. The open question is deliverability.That framing—supply-side constraints as the binding risk—runs through recent research from Verdantix, a UK-based **** yst firm whose Industrial Dislocation Index scores nine major economies on how far their operating conditions have diverged from their own 30-year norms. For power generation specifically, Verdantix identifies four factors that carry disproportionate weight: politics, geo-economic friction, energy prices, and production inputs.
The clearest signal in the Verdantix data for a power audience is the energy sub-index, which scores each country on how far its energy position has moved from its own historical baseline. The spread is wide. The U.S. sits at the resilient end, with the lowest energy-dislocation score in the study at 1.83, a reflection of its position as a net exporter of natural gas, crude, and coal, with electricity and fuel costs below the global average. At the other end is the UK, at 7.33, the highest in the study—a measure of how sharply its energy position has diverged from what UK industry was historically built around. Germany (5.67) and France (5.50) sit high as well; **** an (4.50), India (3.50), China (3.17), Saudi Arabia (3.00), and Canada (2.67) fall in between.What that gap looks like on the ground varies by market, and Verdantix's country profiles fill it in. The UK's high score traces to underinvestment in nuclear, the grid-modernization costs of shifting to decentralized renewables, and windfall taxes on oil and gas—a combination severe enough that Verdantix notes chemical producers citing UK energy costs as a reason to pull back operations. France is Europe's largest net electricity exporter thanks to its nuclear fleet, but that same concentration is a vulnerability: recent questions about the quality of French reactor maintenance, Verdantix observes, show how quickly a strength can turn into a present-day problem. ****

The company published the arithmetic of its own margin repair, and the first hard proof landed a quarter before the shares started compounding.
CVS Health (CVS) stock has climbed 73% over the past year, from $60.38 to $104.43, against 18.7% for the S&P 500. The group did not move as one: UNH gained 60% and ELV 31%, while CI fell 4.2%. If you watched it run without owning it, the question is not what happened at the top, but what was sitting in the public record before the price responded.
The company puts its fiscal Q1 2026 improvement primarily on Health Care Benefits, the Aetna insurance business. Segment adjusted operating income was about $3 billion on a medical benefit ratio of 85%, against 87% in fiscal Q1 2025, and Aetna contributed over $1 billion of year-over-year improvement. Enterprise adjusted operating income of about $5.2 billion rose more than 12% and adjusted earnings of $2.57 a share rose over 14%, on revenue above $100 billion that grew over 6%. Its two non-insurance segments went the other way, with adjusted operating income down about 7% at Health Services and about 9% at Pharmacy and Consumer Wellness. Full-year 2026 adjusted earnings guidance moved to $7.30 to $7.50 from $7 to $7.20. So the shape of the recovery is clear enough: insurance margin coming back, with the other two segments giving some of it away.
That recovery was no discovery. At its fiscal Q3 2024 results, Health Care Benefits posted an adjusted operating loss of $924 million on a medical benefit ratio of 95%, and management warned the segment might show operating losses for full-year 2024 after earning over $5.5 billion of adjusted operating income in 2023. It then did the arithmetic out loud: restoring Aetna to 2023 profitability was worth well over $3 of embedded adjusted earnings per share. By the fiscal Q4 2024 report it had published the conversion rate too: roughly $0.75 of adjusted earnings per share for each point of Health Care Benefits margin, and about $800 million of segment adjusted operating income for each point of medical cost trend. Medicare Advantage margins had ended 2024 between negative 4.5% and negative 5%, against a 3% to 5% target. That was the promise, and only the promise.
The fiscal Q1 2025 report, the last one public before the run began, is where the swing actually landed: Health Care Benefits adjusted operating income of about $2 billion, up over $1.2 billion from a year earlier, on a medical benefit ratio of 87%, down 310 basis points. Full-year 2025 adjusted earnings guidance went up to $6 to $6.20 from $5.75 to $6, and the company committed to exiting the individual exchange business in 2026, a book then projected to lose $350 million to $400 million across 2025. The base was visibly depressed: revenue over the trailing twelve months was $378.96 billion, up 5.0% year over year, against a three-year average of 8.1%, with net margin at 1.4% against a three-year peak of 2.7%. The evidence was public. Whether it was usable is

NEW DELHI: Pakistan moved closer to a rare away Test win after reducing West Indies to 103/6 at stumps on Day 3 of the second and final Test. Despite West Indies holding a lead of 60 runs, the hosts have only four wickets left, giving Pakistan the upper hand heading into the fourth day.

West Indies ended the day on 103/6, leading by 60 runs with only four wickets remaining.

Pakistan will look to dismiss the remaining batters quickly on Day 4 and chase a modest target to secure their first away Test victory since 2023. West Indies, meanwhile, are aiming to complete a 2-0 series sweep after winning the opening Test by 90 runs.

Shafique's 160 helps Pakistan take first-innings lead

Pakistan began the day still behind West Indies' first-innings total of 344, but Abdullah Shafique produced a superb unbeaten 160 to guide his team to 387.

His innings helped Pakistan secure a 43-run first-innings lead before the visitors were bowled out.

Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican starred for West Indies with six wickets for 112 runs. He cleaned up the Pakistan lower order after already removing key batters earlier in the innings.

Babar Azam's wait for Test hundred continues

Pakistan captain Babar Azam once again missed out on a Test century.

He was run out for 88 after a brilliant direct hit from Brandon King ended his 183-run partnership with Shafique. Pakistan were still trailing by 63 runs when the wicket fell.

Babar attempted a quick single after pushing the ball into the off side, but Shafique changed his mind and sent him back. King collected the ball and hit the stumps with a flat throw, leaving Babar short of his ground despite a desperate dive.

It was Babar's highest Test score in 35 innings, but he is still waiting for his first Test century since scoring one against New Zealand in Karachi in December 2022.

King injured after match-changing run-out

Brandon King's brilliant fielding effort came at a cost.

The West Indies batter injured his lower back after landing awkwardly while throwing down the stumps. He had to be taken off the field, and it remains unclear whether he will be able to bat on Day 4.

Warrican leads West Indies bowling attack

Warrican was the pick of the bowlers for West Indies.

He dismissed debutant Awais Zafar for 1 before Shamar Joseph trapped Salman Ali Agha lbw. Warrican then bowled Mohammad Rizwan for 18 with the second new ball and later finished the innings by taking three wickets in four deliveries to complete a six-wicket haul.

Pakistan strikes back with the ball

West Indies made a solid start to their second innings as Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Kavem Hodge added 40 runs for the opening wicket.

However, Pakistan's spinners quickly took control.

Sajid Khan removed Chanderpaul and Amir Jangoo before West Indies recovered through a partnership between Shai Hope and captain Roston Chase.

The visitors then lost three wickets in the final five overs of the day. S

A scorecard settled it on paper. It did nothing to settle it everywhere else, though. Russian knockout merchant Abdulla "Smash Boy" Dayakaev and Thai megastar "The Kicking Machine" Superlek return at The Inner Circle 25 to end their conversation for good.
The pair are ready to blow the roof off Bangkok's iconic Lumpinee Stadium with another epic slugfest in their bantamweight Muay Thai rematch, which streams live in Asia primetime this Friday, August 7, exclusively for members at live.onefc.com.
Both men walked into their first meeting at The Inner Circle 14 this past May desperate for a bounce-back victory.
Dayakaev arrived just four months removed from a shocking knockout loss to now-reigning ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon – a defeat that put an end to his brilliant run of four successive highlight-reel finishes.
Superlek's road to that night was even rockier. The Thai striker had been stripped of his bantamweight Muay Thai gold for missing weight before dropping a three-round battle to Nabil Anane. Then came another stinging loss to former K-1 Champion Yuki Yoza at ONE 173 in Tokyo, **** an.

#champion #live

Where to watch Lions preseason games 2026: Full schedule, times, TV channels, live streams for Detroit originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Detroit Lions look to return to prominence in 2026 after finishing at the bottom of the NFC North a year ago.
The team remained mostly intact on offense, except for the trade of running back David Montgomery to the Texans in the offseason. That leaves Jahmyr Gibbs as the lone force in the backfield for Detroit with Jared Goff under center and receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams out wide.
Head coach Dan Campbell brought in Drew Petzing as the new offensive coordinator while retooling the offensive line following the departures of veterans Taylor Decker and Graham Glasgow.
Defensively, the Lions look thin after injuries to Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph last year and the release of Terrion Arnold this offseason. The team also moved on from Alex Anzalone in free agency but drafted offensive lineman Blake Miller and edge rusher Derrick Moore in the first two rounds.

#lions #offseason #full #preferred

Mohamed Salah's next move appears to be taking shape quickly, with BBC Sport reporting that Trabzonspor have begun negotiations to sign the former Liverpool forward. The Egypt international left Anfield at the end of last season and is now in discussions over a free transfer to the Turkish club.
Trabzonspor have moved publicly and decisively, confirming that Salah is due in Istanbul on Wednesday. In their statement, the club said: "The player is planned to reach Trabzon in the evening of the same day." They added: "The time and other details regarding the welcome program in Trabzon will be shared with the public through our club's official communication channels during the day."
For a player of Salah's stature, the speed and clarity of the update is striking. Clubs often keep negotiations private until the final stages, so Trabzonspor's communication suggests confidence that this deal is advancing well. Salah, now 34, remains one of the most decorated forwards of the modern era and would represent a statement signing for any side in the Turkish Super Lig.
Photo: IMAGO
Trabzonspor, known as the Black Sea Storm, carry significant domestic pedigree. Their most recent league ****** le came in 2022, ending a 38-year wait, and their history places them among a select group of clubs to have won the Turkish top flight. Bringing in Salah would elevate their profile even further, both competitively and commercially.

#turkish #salah #statement #communication

Daniel Kretinsky has made a decisive move in the battle for control of West Ham United, setting up a major ownership showdown that could block Amanda Staveley's planned investment in the club, The Times reports.
Staveley's consortium recently agreed a £150 million deal to buy the 25.1% stake owned by the family of the late David Gold.
However, under West Ham's shareholder agreement, the current shareholders have the right to match that offer before any outside buyer can complete a purchase.
Kretinsky has now moved to strengthen his position.
The Czech billionaire, who is also the club's co-chair, has reduced his own shareholding from 27% to below 25% by agreeing to sell more than two per cent to Czech entrepreneur Jakub Havrlant.

#Gold #however

You can hear a pin drop as these contests take place - we are at the British Chess Championships, held at the University of Warwick this month.
The sport, once thought to be the domain of intellectuals and "not cool" by most, has been getting a lot more interest in recent years - and attracting those from young to old.
Riyaan was three years old when he first moved a chess piece. Now, aged six, he is competing at a national chess tournament.
The Coventry schoolboy is the youngest competitor at this year's championships and is already Britain's highest-ranked player in his age group, ninth in the world for under sevens.
He was introduced to chess by his older sister three years ago, and within weeks was holding his own against his father, Robert.

#british

Jaylen Brown reveals he's looking for love after attending Donovan Mitchell, Coco Jones wedding originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Jaylen Brown is feeling inspired by love.
The NBA champion shared how moved he was after he attended Donovan Mitchell and Coco Jones' wedding over the weekend and is asking fans to aid in his desire for a partner.
"If y'all got somebody for me let me know," Brown said on his Twitch stream on Monday, Aug. 2. "Coco and Donovan ... they touched me, it was great to see it ... some beautiful people coming together."
The Cleveland Cavaliers star and Grammy-winning R&B singer tied the knot on Aug. 1 in Greenwich, Connecticut. They began dating in 2023, and Mitchell proposed in 2025.

#brown #donovan #jones #preferred

This was Tampa Bay Rays starter Freddy Peralta's third time to face the Rockies this season following two starts with his previous team, the New York Mets. He came into the game with a 3-0 record at Coors in addition to a 1.23 ERA.
But it didn't seem like it would matter against a persistent Colorado Rockies club that took an early lead.
However, the Rockies offense stalled after the fourth inning, and the Rays got back in the game ultimately winning 9-7 in extra innings.
The Rockies got off to a quick start on the offensive side in their third time facing Peralta this season. (They faced him twice when he was with the New York Mets.)
Jake McCarthy kicked things off with a lead-off single, and Cole Carrigg followed his example with another single that moved McCarthy to third. Mickey Moniak then hit into a double play, but it was enough to score McCarthy and give the Rockies a 1-0 when the first inning had concluded.

#mccarthy #rays #york #game

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Newly acquired Phillies second baseman Luis Arraez is excited to be in Philadelphia and in a playoff race. He's also grateful that two-time MVP Bryce Harper was willing to make a position switch.
"I was surprised, but I'm really excited to be here," Arraez said Tuesday ahead of his Phillies debut.
A three-time batting champion and four-time All-Star, Arraez was slotted into the cleanup spot behind Harper for Tuesday night's game against Washington. In 105 games with the San Francisco Giants this season, he batted an NL-best .324 with just 21 strikeouts in 464 plate appearances.
"I love to put the ball in play," he said. "I hate strikeouts."
Arraez's acquisition for a pair of minor leaguers required Philadelphia to revamp its defensive lineup, most notably with Harper moving back to right field from first base. Harper last played the outfield on April 16, 2022, and moved to the infield after he suffered an elbow injury on a throw that led to Tommy John surgery. He consented to the switch to help the team, he said Monday.

#Phillies

Antoine Winfield Jr. may not have revealed much, but what he did say could be one of the biggest storylines surrounding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense entering the 2026 season.
When asked about the defense during training camp, Winfield smiled before saying he "might be involved in some of the scheme changes," adding that he couldn't say much because he didn't want to give anything away. It wasn't a lengthy answer, but it was enough to spark curiosity about what Todd Bowles could have in store for one of the NFL's most versatile defensive playmakers.
During his All-Pro campaign, Winfield was everywhere. He blitzed off the edge, lined up in the slot, played deep safety, defended the run, and forced turnovers at an elite rate. His unique versatility made him nearly impossible for opposing offenses to account for, as Bowles constantly moved him around the formation to create confusion before the snap.
Last season, however, Winfield wasn't quite the same game-changing presence. Whether it was injuries, opposing offenses adjusting, or simply the way he was deployed, the splash plays that had become synonymous with his game weren't as frequent. For Tampa Bay's defense to return to elite status, getting Winfield back to that All-Pro level has to be one of the coaching staff's biggest priorities.
His comments suggest Bowles may have found new ways to maximize his skill set. That could mean more opportunities to blitz, more snaps closer to the line of scrimmage, or even a hybrid role that allows him to disguise coverages before rotating into different responsibilities after the snap. Bowles has long been known for his creativity, and no player on the roster is better suited to execute those concepts than Winfield.

#winfield #opposing

It's been almost three weeks since Booker High announced it had removed head football coach and athletic director Carlos Woods, and a lot had happened in the wake of that move.
The Tornadoes have seen a massive roster shakeup, have hired a new coach and have seen games slip from their schedule.
Here's it was we know about the Booker High football program and the status of Woods as of Aug. 4.
Woods was removed as Booker's athletic director and head football coach on July 16 with no reason given by the Sarasota School District and the district has yet to explain other to say Woods is under a district investigation. Woods led the Tornadoes to a 12-2 record and a state semifinal appearance in his only season as head coach.
The Sarasota Police Department confirmed Woods was under a criminal investigation "for allegations we received from an outside agency," in a email sent on July 29.

#coach #district #Football #booker

The Boston Red Sox made some major moves at the trade deadline, and the future of their infield has been greatly impacted.
For starters, despite many rumors, the Red Sox did not acquire a long-term shortstop. That leaves the door wide open for Franklin Arias to earn the job next season. Additionally, the Red Sox moved on from Marcelo Mayer, practically ensuring that Curtis Mead will be the team's second baseman moving forward.
As it stands right now, Willson Contreras will be the Red Sox's first baseman next season, and then he has a club option for 2028. Caleb Durbin, who has turned his season around and proven he belongs, will be the third baseman for the foreseeable future. Mead is under contract through 2030 and figures to be locked into second base.
Newly acquired catcher Adley Rutschman is under contract through next season, but is a strong extension candidate after the Red Sox gave up a haul to add him. The only question mark is at shortstop. Trevor Story is due $25 million next season, and has a $25 million club option for 2028.
Looking for the perfect gift for a baseball player in your life? Check out our brand new baseball lifestyle brand!

#future #second #contract

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — NASCAR's exhibition Clash is returning to Daytona International Speedway for the first time in six years.
The sanctioning body announced the move Tuesday, saying the race will be held Feb. 13, 2027. It will be sponsored by Wheatley American Vodka.
The race doesn't count for points and is the lead-up to the season-opening Daytona 500, which is set for Feb. 21.
Daytona hosted the Clash from 1979 to 2021. It was moved to a temporary track inside Los Angeles Memorial Stadium for three years in an effort to shake up the annual event and then relocated to tiny Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the last two years in a return to NASCAR's grassroots racing.
The event was postponed twice this year because of historic winter weather in North Carolina. Snow-covered roads were too dangerous for teams and fans to get to the historic short track.

#carolina #track

It was nothing more than a post-Open Championship vacation with his mother, but there could be no better place than Paris to remind Ryan Gerard how much life has changed in seven months.
Think back to the penultimate week in December when Gerard, a month into his offseason and at No. 57 in the world ranking, flew halfway around the globe to the tiny island of Mauritius for a shot at finishing the year in the top 50 in the world.
He lost in a playoff and moved to No. 46 to secure his trip to the Masters. His flight home included a long layover in Paris, enough time for him to see the Notre Dame cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. "Pretty sick," he said that day.
Gerard opened the year with consecutive runner-up finishes. He earned his way into the U.S. Open and British Open, lost in a playoff at the Memorial and goes into the Wyndham Championship at No. 16 in the FedEx Cup as he looks toward making the Tour Championship.
His mother came over to Royal Birkdale, where Gerard tied for ninth, and they were off to Paris for three days. That's when Gerard, who doesn't take much serious outside of his golf, went on a most unusual search to find "the worst statue that I could possibly find."

#championship #Paris #year #lost

Former England Test captain Ben Stokes has dismissed suggestions that England alone has a drinking problem, arguing that alcohol has long been embedded in cricket's culture across all levels of the sport.

Speaking on the For The Love of Cricket podcast with former teammates Stuart Broad and Jos **** ler, the 35-year-old reflected on cricket's long-standing relationship with alcohol just weeks after announcing his retirement from international cricket.
During the discussion, Broad put forward a question many fans have been asking in recent years: Does England cricket have a drinking problem? Stokes disagreed with the premise, insisting the issue extends far beyond one national team.

"No, I mean, that's such an extreme thing to put on a team. I think cricket has just a drinking culture and it hasn't changed. We are in 2026 now where the game has gone more professional over the years. One thing that has just stayed within cricket is its relationship with alcohol, from club cricket all the way up," Ben Stokes said.

Stokes added that despite major advances in nutrition, medical support and athlete preparation, cricket's traditional **** ociation with alcohol continues to exist.

"It's been embedded within the sport. The relationship between alcohol and cricket is something that hasn't moved on as the game has become more professional. There's been more science, medicine and nutrition information. So people think England cricket has a culture with alcohol, but I would say no, cricket has a culture **** ociated with alcohol, " he added.
Stokes' remarks come against the backdrop of a recent disciplinary incident that saw him suspended for one Test after breaching team curfew during England's series against New Zealand.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) stood down both Stokes and teammate Gus Atkinson for the second Test following a late-night outing. Although an investigation later cleared both players of further wrongdoing and they returned for the third Test, the incident prompted the ECB to introduce stricter alcohol guidelines for England players.

Shortly after returning to the squad, Stokes announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing an end to his distinguished England career while continuing to pursue domestic and franchise cricket opportunities.

#Cricket #stokes #drinking #broad

There are plenty of uncertainties in the new campaign, but one thing certain is this will be Falkirk's final season playing on an artificial surface at the Falkirk Stadium.
Top-flight clubs agreed last year synthetic pitches would be phased out, with grass becoming mandatory from summer 2027.
That decision means clubs with existing artificial pitches can continue using them until then, but the direction of travel is clear.
Kilmarnock have already moved ahead of schedule, ripping up their plastic pitch and replacing it with a new hybrid surface which, from the early images, looks extremely impressive.
Falkirk, meanwhile, will continue operating on plastic for one more season before making the switch.

#season #surface #pitches #continue

Jimmy Fallon spent a portion of Monday's Tonight Show celebrating Trump's defeat in the ongoing Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool saga.
The shallow pool was recently refurbished with a shade of dark blue and outfitted with "advanced nanobubbler technology" to tackle algae blooms that have long plagued the landmark — but algae returned shortly after the multi-million-dollar renovations were complete, and the new sealant started to peel off in chunks that bubbled to the surface.
Late last week, Washington, D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro moved to dismiss criminal charges against former Olympian David Hearn — one of several people arrested on suspicion of vandalizing the monument — after the Trump administration admitted that the damage to the recently installed blue liner was "the result of flawed installation by the contractor."
Fallon, 51, weighed in on the president's defeat, saying, "Trump is upset because his own Justice Department admitted the reflecting pool damage wasn't caused by vandalism, like he said. It was just a result of shoddy construction work.
"Trump claimed someone used a knife to quickly cut the pool liner the length of three football fields. I can barely use a knife to cut open my Amazon box," the late night host quipped.

#Trump #defeat #algae