As expected, we won't be seeing the headliners for the Carolina Panthers hitting the field in the Hall of Fame Game. Head coach Dave Canales told reporters earlier this week that he will not send out his starters on Thursday night.
That, however, doesn't mean there won't be anyone worth watching.
Here are four defensive players to keep an eye on during the Panthers' 2026 preseason opener . . .
Hall, a Durham, N.C. native, became an early offseason darling for Panthers fans after a standout spring. And now, between the neck injury to starter Tershawn Wharton and the sudden retirement of LaBryan Ray, the undrafted rookie might have an initial 53-man roster well within reach.
Given Carolina's questionable depth along their defensive trench, Hall could provide some much-needed backup for Derrick Brown and Bobby Brown III. The 6-foot-4, 297-pounder, who recorded 56 pressures at Duke University in 2024 and 2025, should have a chance to show off his pass-rushing chops on Thursday night.

#thursday #fame #game

Football fans often credit a big defensive play to the scheme. Disguised coverages confuse the quarterback. A perfectly timed blitz forces an errant throw. A safety rotates into position for a game-changing interception. Baltimore Ravens pass game coordinator and secondary coach Mike Mickens certainly appreciates a good scheme. He doesn't believe it's the deciding factor once the ball is snapped.
Recently, he spoke with reporters during training camp. As part of the discussion, he offered a revealing glimpse into the coaching philosophy driving the Ravens' secondary.
"Football is always about technique. We're always going to have great schemes. We're always going to put you in great positions, but your technique takes over when talent is equal."
That's an important distinction, especially in the NFL. At football's highest level, nearly every player possesses elite athletic ability. Most know the playbook. Most understand the coverage. What often separates a completed pass from a breakup or an interception is something far less glamorous.
As one of Jesse Minter's first hires, Coach Mickens offers something that's always appreciated: someone who has both coached and played the game at a high level. He understands the cornerback position having played it. Success is about footwork at the line of scrimmage, proper leverage against a route, and patient eyes before breaking on the football.

#we 're #scheme

All signs continue to point to a potential return to the Rams by defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who retired after the 2023 season.
Everyone on the outside is thinking about what it would mean for the team. Folks on the inside are thinking about it, too.
"Obviously, I'd be really excited about that," defensive coordinator Chris Shula told reporters on Wednesday regarding the possibility of Donald coming back. "You're getting one of the best players of all time. I've had a great history with him. I was here in '17, coaching other positions with him. I know what a great guy he is, what a hard worker he is, and what he would mean to this defense. But at the same time, we're going to coach the guys who are here and if he decides to come back, that'd be great."
Donald took the next step earlier this week, with a "tryout" during (we're told) a day off for players at training camp. Shula wasn't present for the session that was far less about evaluating Donald and much more about Donald seeing how he felt — with the goal of finding out if he can get back to being the great player he was.
What made him so great?

#great #mean

The forgotten man in the Cleveland quarterback rotation is forcing himself into the conversation by performing well in practice. But Dillon Gabriel has yet to officially enter the competition to win the starting quarterback job with the Browns.
Does he feel disrespected by that?
"Never disrespected," Gabriel told reporters on Wednesday. "I don't take things personally, it's a business. I'm focused on what I need to do to get better, and that's all I'm focused on. I'm present with that."
Gabriel also was asked whether he believes earning more reps gives him a chance to seize the job.
"I'm really just focused on mastering my reps," Gabriel said. "I really appreciate [pass game coordinator] Danny Bryer and [senior director of player development] James Cook. James Cook and [offensive skill development specialist] Demetric Felton are big on walkthroughs in the morning, which helps set me up for a good day. And afterwards with Danny Bryer, a guy I've really leaned on, getting coached up — three or five reps, talking through it as best I can and improving. And same with [assistant quarterbacks] coach [Matt] Baker, he's been really good for me."

#disrespected

President Donald Trump cast doubt in recent days on allegations that Russia is helping Iran target U.S. forces, even as members of his own administration acknowledge Moscow and Beijing are supporting Tehran in other ways.
Trump dismissed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's claim that Russia supplied Iran with satellite imagery of U.S. military installations in the Gulf, saying any ****** istance would have been "very unimpactful" given the damage inflicted on Iran's military.
"We'll find out if that's true. I'll ask Putin. We'll find out," Trump told reporters at the end of July.
Waltz Warns Of Chinese, Russian-fueled 'National Security Threat' Looming Close To Us Shores
President Donald Trump cast doubt in recent days on allegations that Russia is helping Iran target U.S. forces.

#president #donald #we 'll #days

Since Sophie Cunningham made her remarks on transgender athletes in women's sports, she has been asked by reporters to clarify her comments. For one WNBA ***** yst, this is completely unnecessary.
On Wednesday, Robin Lundberg tweeted his support for the Indiana Fever guard by arguing that the media response to her remarks has blown things out of proportion.
"Order of operations: Sophie made comment in article. Sophie asked to clarify when no clarification was needed. Media member hijacked presser based on like 15 people outside. Sophie leaned into it all. Pundits pushed issue endlessly. Sophie trying to tamper it down."
Lundberg's tweet comes on the heels of Cunningham criticizing the media as she spoke to reporters at the Fever's practice session.
"The WNBA media, all we ever do is cover everything except basketball…You can talk about other things. Those are great stories. It shows fans who people are outside the court. I also think we gotta keep the main thing, the main thing."

#cunningham #things

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Freddie Freeman are both optimistic the 10-time All-Star avoided a serious injury in the fifth inning of Wednesday's 7-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Freeman took a 91-mph fastball to the hand at the plate on the first pitch from Shota Imanaga. He took a second to grimace in pain, but finished his at-bat two pitches later with a flyout to center field before being subbed out defensively by Kiké Hernández for the home half of the inning.
"We had to get Freddie out of the game," manager Dave Roberts told reporters. "He got hit in the hand, but fortunately X-rays were negative. So, that was another positive."
Freeman echoed his manager's optimism and told reporters he expects to be in the lineup for the Dodgers' series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday.
"That's what I get for swinging at a ball at my face," he said, according to The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya.

#took #angeles

The Oregon Ducks opened fall camp on Wednesday, but remain without a promising young wideout on the field.
Dillon Gresham suffered a neck injury in fall camp before the 2025 season and has not been on the field in a Ducks uniform since. The former four-star wideout from San Jacinto, California, once appeared to be a rising star in the Ducks' wide receiver room, but his future is now firmly in question.
Greshman remains listed on Oregon's roster as a redshirt sophomore. Dan Lanning spoke to reporters after the first practice of fall camp and offered an update on Greshman. Unfortunately, Lanning isn't certain that the young receiver will make a return.
"There's not really a clear indication that Dillon's going to be able to help us here in the future," Lanning said. "He'll be a part of our team, but you know, from a medical standpoint, I don't know if that's clear that he'd be able to (play again)."
That's not the update Oregon fans or Gresham's teammate will want to hear, but it isn't unexpected. Back in the spring, Lanning admitted that Gresham's future in football was "a little bit uncertain" following the serious injury.

#camp #oregon #greshman #wideout

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Gold (GC=F) December futures opened at $4,109.60 per troy ounce on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, up 0.5% from Monday's closing price. The price of gold moved higher this morning to $4,136.30 per troy ounce as of 8:03 a.m. ET.
The opening price of gold continues to hold above $4,100 this week, and the precious metal continues to gain value in early trading, despite inflammatory comments from President Trump. While the president hopes his comments will accelerate a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, they could prolong the war and raise energy costs even further:
"I want to give them every last chance before decapitation," Trump told reporters on Monday. "You'll find out today or tomorrow. I mean, they're going to go quickly, one way or the other. It's not very complex."
This is a "last chance" for Iran to come to an agreement, the president said, after he called off what he described as a major attack on the Islamic Republic over the weekend that would have likely involved Israel.

#last

Matt Damon brought his wife, Luciana Barroso, and their two youngest daughters to the Seoul premiere of The Odyssey, where the family greeted fans with heart-hand poses.
Gia, 17, and Stella, 15, joined their parents at Yeongdeungpo Time Square in South Korea on August 4th. Gia wore a long white dress, while Stella selected a pale blue slip dress with white lace detailing.
Damon arrived in a burgundy suit with a silver-gray shirt and matching tie. Luciana wore a fitted cobalt blue gown as the four posed together on the red carpet.
The actor said returning to Korea after 10 years became especially memorable because he was able to introduce his wife and daughters to the country for the first time.
"It's been incredible being back. It's my first time in 10 years," Damon told reporters at the event. "But this time I was able to bring my wife and my two youngest daughters, and to be able to see this town with them and to meet people with them, and expose them to Korea for the first time has been incredibly memorable," he added in remarks reported by Entertainment Weekly.

#wife #able

LAS VEGAS – "This is it, brother."
Those were the first words out of Darren Elkins' mouth after he took to the stage at Meta APEX on Wednesday and made it officially official. A bit more weathered and sporting a few more scars than the 25-year-old who made his promotional debut vs. Duane Ludwig at UFC on Versus 1 in March 2010, Elkins (29-12 MMA, 19-11 UFC) said his time has come.
"I'm older in age now," Elkins told MMA Junkie and other reporters. "But mostly I'm starting to get hurt a little bit more often. Getting to train all the time is taking more of a toll on my body than it used to. It's time. I've been contemplating it for a while. I just talked to my family, worked it all out. I'm like, 'I've always wanted to lay my gloves in the octagon and do it where most people don't get that chance. They either get cut, or they just have to say on social media that they retired. I wanted it to be in the moment, lay my gloves down, and ride off into the sunset."
Elkins, 42, is one of the promotion's longest-tenured roster members. He'll put a bow on a near-20-year professional fighting career Saturday when he makes the final walk to the cage to battle Yadier del Valle (10-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in a three-round featherweight bout at UFC Fight Night 284.
While some fighters might be nostalgic and emotional, Elkins said he's more appreciative and grateful than anything else. The sport has come a long way, and Elkins is proud to have evolved with it.

#elkins #wanted #vegas

LAS VEGAS – Mateusz Gamrot claims he's bringing "crazy conditioning" into Saturday's UFC Fight Night 284 main event, and it will be up to Quillan Salkilld to find an answer.
Gamrot (26-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) will put his ranking on the line against surging contender Salkilld (12-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) in a five-round lightweight bout at Meta APEX (Paramount+), and it's a familiar situation for the Polish fighter.
The past two wins for Gamrot have come against rising names in Esteban Ribovics and Ludovit Klein. He derailed them, and he's eager to do the same against Salkilld.
"I feel like world champ, brother," Salkilld told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday's UFC Fight Night 284 media day. "I have nice number in the ranking and everyone wants to take my number. I understand this position. OK. I invite you to cage. Let's fight. I'm happy to fight against Quillan because his style is perfect for me."
Gamrot said he is giving the Aussie his full focus and holds complete respect for the danger that will stand across from him in the octagon. And he especially welcomes Salkilld to engage in his world.

#salkilld #night

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Mike McDaniel apologized for wearing Tony Stark-style glasses when he began his press conference on Wednesday, but his 27-minute session with reporters turned out to be one of the more interesting media availabilities of training camp.
He praised both quarterback Justin Herbert and running back Omarion Hampton for the way they have started camp.
When it comes to Herbert, McDaniel believes his quarterback is fully committed to learning the new offense, and that has been one of the most encouraging parts of camp.
"Full lean-in, full buy-in and I can't stress it enough, it's very difficult for high performers to do things outside of what's given them success," McDaniel said.
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) greeting running back Omarion Hampton (8) during Chargers training camp at the Bolt on Wednesday, July 29th in El Segundo, CA.

#mcdaniel #camp #full

Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison jammed his thumb, but his absence from practice should not be long, coach Kevin O'Connell said.
O'Connell was not scheduled to talk to reporters on Wednesday but met with them to update Addison's injury.
"Just wanted to let you know Jordan Addison will be out here moving around today but probably not participating," O'Connell said, via Craig Peters of the team website. "He had a little thumb [injury], just kind of jammed it in the routes on air the other day. We had it checked out. All the imaging and everything came back clean. It's just a little sore, and we want to let him put this thing behind him in the next day or two, but nothing to be concerned about."
Addison, who is entering his fourth season, has totaled 175 receptions for 2,396 yards and 22 scores in his career.
In 2025, he had career lows in games played (14), targets (79), receptions (42), receiving yards (610) and touchdowns (three).

#yards

Whether or not Aaron Judge will play baseball again in 2026 has lingered over the New York Yankees all summer.
They got news in the right direction on Tuesday.
Manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Wednesday that Judge underwent imaging on his injured rib Tuesday and has been cleared for "light activity." This includes running and strength training.
He's not yet cleared for baseball activities, most notably swinging a bat. But this is a step in the right direction. And it's a significant step considering that as of Sunday, Judge didn't even have a timetable to undergo further imaging.
Judge has since had that imaging, and the results appear to be encouraging.

#tuesday #right #whether

One might think that being traded internationally twice in a four-month span is particularly taxing on an NHL player — but former Utah Mammoth defenseman Olli Määttä said it wasn't that bad.
"This move is the easiest one yet," Määttä said on a Finnish-language podcast (interpreted by Google Translate). "Our gear is already in storage, so we just have to tell the company not to unload it in Calgary but to bring it back across the border."
Määttä, 31, was traded from the Calgary Flames to the Minnesota Wild on July 2. He'd only been in Calgary since March, when the Mammoth traded him there as part of the MacKenzie Weegar deal.
Any day with an NHL logo on your chest is a good day, right?
"It's more exciting than anything," Määttä said in his introductory press conference with the Wild reporters. "I'm happy to be part of a team like that that's pushing to win. It's a really good feeling that they want me."

#part #good #utah #finnish

The Dow Jones Industrial Average held in record-high territory Wednesday afternoon, following reports that Iran and Oman have reached a tentative agreement about waterway routes in the Strait of Hormuz. But a broader drop in tech names including ******* e Exploration Technologies (SPCX), known as ******* eX, on the stock market today pressured other indexes.
The Nasdaq reversed into the red, losing 0.4%. The Dow rose more than 400 points, or 0.8%, but pared its gain. The S&P 500 trimmed its advance to 0.1%, with six of its 11 sectors moving lower. Tech gained but lagged the rise in the defensive materials and health sectors. The S&P 500 and the Dow ended with record closing highs on Tuesday. Small caps turned lower Wednesday, pushing the Russell 2000 down 0.4%.
On the Dow, Walt Disney (DIS) climbed following the entertainment giant's third-quarter earnings report, but pared gains. The Nasdaq was hurt by slides in Astera Labs (ALAB) and ******* eX, as each fell more than 10%, and a loss of 6% in Advanced Micro Devices (AMD).
Reports Wednesday citing Iran's Foreign Ministry said Iran reached a memorandum of understanding related to coordinates for routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
Stocks opened higher Wednesday after President Donald Trump late Tuesday told reporters there had been progress in talks about reopening the Strait of Hormuz and that an agreement could be announced Wednesday or Thursday.

#hormuz #SpaceX #Tech #record

The Kings nearly traded Domantas Sabonis to the Toronto Raptors at the deadline in February -- a move he would've welcomed, a source with knowledge of the situation said -- for a package that included RJ Barrett, but the Raptors were unable to get off the three-year, $84 million remaining on Jakob Poeltl's contract, which doomed the deal.
ESPN
Sean Cunningham: Domantas Sabonis will be courtside in Vegas for today's Kings summer league game against the Wizards. — 7/12/2026 Twitter SeanCunningham
Meanwhile, Perry also is expecting Sabonis to play a big role in Sacramento's rebuild following a disappointing 22-60 record during the 2025-26 season, despite previous reports that the Kings were in trade talks with the Charlotte Hornets involving the three-time NBA All-Star center. "Come in and compete just like everybody else," Perry told reporters. "Obviously, he's an excellent player. He's done it for a while in this league. I've been in constant contact with him as well in the offseason. Just expect him to come in here healthy, first and foremost, and he's trending in that direction. "Obviously, he missed a lot of last year because he was not. He's always played hard, and so I expect him to do that. Provide some veteran presence for this team and really have a tremendous rebound year and help us build some winning habits here and start heading in the right direction." — 7/9/2026 NBC Sports Bay Area

#kings #sabonis #come #league

The Baltimore Ravens haven't lacked talent in recent seasons, or most seasons for that matter. What's been unique to these new Ravens, however, is their identity. For much of this team's history, the vocal leaders and faces of this franchise played on defense: Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, Tony Siragusa, etc.
This is now, unquestionably, Lamar Jackson's team, and that's hardly a criticism. We're talking about a team built around one of the best quarterbacks of his generation. With that, however, came a cultural shift. An organization once defined by Hall of Fame defenders is now recognized for an offense capable of overwhelming opponents. Under new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, many believe that ceiling is even higher.
Anytime the Ravens have a healthy Lamar Jackson, they enter the game with a chance to win. This is a team that has championship aspirations, but the problem hasn't always been getting into position to win. It's been finishing.
Third-year right tackle Roger Rosengarten believes one of the lessons this team has carried into training camp under first-year head coach Jesse Minter is developing the mindset to put teams away. Speaking with reporters after Baltimore's first padded practice, Rosengarten acknowledged that the Ravens have left too much on the field late in games during his first two NFL seasons.
"One hundred percent... It showed from my rookie year to second year, and now going into my third year... Myself, as a player, and as a team, finishing in the fourth quarter has not been our best. I feel like that's not Ravens football. We talk about Ravens football and the history behind it. You want to be talked about like one of the greats, but that's about finishing in the fourth quarter."

#rosengarten

Yankees receive 'fans are still upset' trade deadline award from ESPN originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New York Yankees added two new players to their lineup at the trade deadline.
First baseman Luis Garcia Jr. and outfielder Heliot Ramos should help New York's offense while Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton are injured.
"One of our first areas of need was to try to upgrade the offense in any way, shape or form while waiting for important players to come back off the IL," general manager Brian Cashman told reporters. "Ramos crushes left-handed pitching, García crushes right-handed pitching ... [manager] Aaron Boone has a better chance to match up than he did yesterday."
What Cashman said about the Yankees' new acquisitions is accurate. Manager Aaron Boone's lineup is much better with those two players.

#aaron #manager #sporting

Manager Xabi Alonso hailed Mykhailo Mudryk's "emotional" return from a doping ban as the winger played for Chelsea for the first time in nearly two years in a 1-0 friendly defeat to Juventus in Hong Kong on Wednesday.
The Ukrainian international came on as a substitute for Nicolas Jackson in the 82nd minute, drawing applause from his teammates and loud cheers from Chelsea fans in the 43,575 crowd at Kai Tak Stadium.
Mudryk had not played since November 2024 because of a doping ban, but won permission to resume his football career on Friday after winning an appeal.
Despite a lively cameo on the left side, he was unable to stop Juventus taking the spoils courtesy of a wonderful second-half strike from Kosovo international Edon Zhegrova.
"Really pleased for him. It was emotional for everyone from the club to see him back," Alonso told reporters.

#Chelsea

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III spoke with reporters after practice on Tuesday at Missouri Western State University. He discussed his care for the younger players in the running back room, watching him as a veteran mentor.
"Just bringing guys with me. I have been here longer than them in (the) league. I don't want them to make the same mistakes I made when I was just getting to the league, if that makes sense," said Walker. "I want them to learn quicker than I learned. I don't want there to be a drop-off at all. So, making sure those guys are good. They have been doing great. Everybody in the room has been doing great. I just want to make sure we are all on the same accord."
During the 2025 season, Walker rushed for 1,027 yards to go along with five touchdowns. He also made an impact in the passing game with 31 receptions for 282 yards. Kansas City revamped the running backs room to be led by Walker, with rookie Emmett Johnson added in the draft, Free agent signing Emari Demercado, and second-year player Brashard Smith.
The Super Bowl LX MVP is expected to be an upgrade over last year's Chiefs unit, which had no player reach 1,000 yards.
This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Kenneth Walker III discusses leadership in the running backs room

#walker #chiefs #want #city

New England Patriots rookie edge rusher Gabe Jacas sent a message to supporters of the franchise after the team's ninth training camp practice of the summer.
According to 98.5 The Sports Hub, Jacas stated before reporters on Tuesday that he is determined to play at the highest level possible in 2026.
"I just want to let all the Patriots fans know that I'm behind everybody and you're going to get the best player out of me each and every game," Jacas said. "And just, anything I can do to help the team win, I'm going to do it, whatever it takes."
Jacas signed his rookie deal with the Patriots on July 26, nearly three months after getting drafted by the Patriots with the No. 55 overall pick on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft. He took the practice field for the first time with the team this summer during training camp.
The 22-year-old is in line to play behind Harold Landry and Dre'Mont Jones on the edge in 2026 as one of the top backups on the team for next season.

#Patriots #edge #practice #play

For the third season in a row, the Oregon Ducks are rolling into the new season with a new leader in the tight end room. First Terrance Ferguson, then Kenyon Sadiq, and now Jamari Johnson will take the helm.
Last season, after transferring to Eugene from Louisville, Johnson saw his role slowly grow into a consistent pass-catcher for the Oregon offense. When Sadiq went down with an injury, Johnson was the one who stepped up and didn't allow the Ducks to skip a beat.
Johnson finished the season with 32 receptions for 510 yards and three touchdowns. The 6-foot-5 target has more size than his predecessor, but leading the room is another challenge he will have to take on this season. With the additions of Penn State transfer Andrew Olesh, Clemson transfer Marcus Dixon and freshman Kendre Harrison, there are plenty of talented contributors who still need to learn the playbook in fall camp.
Beyond leading the room, the best ability is availability. After watching Sadiq prepare last season, Johnson may have picked up a thing or two from the first-round pick.
"Film and treatment," Johnson told reporters on Monday. "Those are two things off the field. He's a dog all around. Off the field, (Sadiq) is as good as on the field."

#room #ducks #take

Kerolin Nicoli has spoken to the media for the first time since being officially unveiled as a Barcelona player.
The 26-year-old, whose long-awaited move to Catalunya was announced on social media on Tuesday, was presented to the media at the club's Palau Blaugrana on Wednesday afternoon.
There, she told gathered reporters that she is "grateful for the offer they made to have me here," with the fee paid expected to exceed €1.2m [£1m] plus performance-based add-ons.
"I think I had a really good season at [Manchester] City so I'm grateful to Barcelona for paying City to have me here. On the pitch, I'm going to show what they did for me.
"I'm a very attacking player. I'm always going to go forward to score goals or put my teammates in front of goal."

#city #going

Shortly after the New York Giants hired John Harbaugh, speculation began about which former players would follow the Super Bowl-winning head coach to New York.
With the Giants needing weapons on offense for Jaxson Dart and Harbaugh's former tight end Isaiah Likely set to become a free agent, it seemed inevitable that Likely would sign with the team. He ultimately agreed to a three-year, $40 million deal early in free agency, giving Dart another weapon in the passing game.
Now in his first training camp with the Giants, Likely continues to build chemistry with Dart and the rest of the offense. After practice on Tuesday, he discussed his role as a chess piece in the Giants' attack.
"Being able to put me anywhere. I mean, I can line up outside, in a slot, in line, in the backfield. I've done it all. I've called myself a chess piece before in the past, and I feel like I've lived up to the name," he told reporters.
Likely appears eager to help the team however the coaches intend to use him. While he will spend considerable time lined up at tight end and in the slot as a pass catcher, offensive coordinator Matt Nagy will have the flexibility to move him around the formation as needed.

#Giants #likely #team

CHICAGO – Wisconsin volleyball coach Kelly Sheffield opened his comments at the Big Ten's annual media day with one of his go-to sayings.
"Great morning," Sheffield said.
Sheffield's optimism matched his outlook for the Big Ten, as the number of returning players is "going to be a step up in class for the league this year." His peers seem in turn to be optimistic about the Badgers, who were picked to finish second in the conference's preseason poll.
Here were three takeaways as Sheffield, setter Charlie Fuerbringer and outside hitter Grace Egan spoke with reporters in Chicago ahead of the 2026 season:
Egan and Fuerbringer both said they have seen improvement from the Badgers' entire roster between the spring and start of preseason practices. But Fuerbringer did praise one group in particular – the nine-person freshman class.

#preseason #wisconsin

The Washington Commanders took the practice field on Tuesday morning with a new face. Well, he wasn't new to everyone. Cornerback Fabian Moreau signed with the Commanders on Tuesday morning after cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon's surprise retirement.
Moreau is a former Washington draft pick, having been selected in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He spent four seasons in the burgundy and gold, departing after the 2020 season. Since his time with Washington, Moreau has played for the Falcons, Texans, Giants, Broncos, Vikings, 49ers and Vikings again in 2025. It was during his time with the Vikings that he met new Commanders defensive coordinator Daronte Jones — then Minnesota's secondary coach.
The 32-year-old Moreau was on the practice field Tuesday and met with reporters after practice.
"Just help the team win, man, I wanna win, win for the city," Moreau said about returning to Washington. "It's a blessing to be back, and I just want to enjoy it all."
During Moreau's first stint with Washington, he wore No. 31. That number is currently shared by running back Kaytron Allen and cornerback Rasul Douglas. This time around, Moreau will wear No. 30.

#moreau

Manchester United goalkeeper Radek Vitek is close to completing a permanent move to Middlesbrough.
Vitek scooped all the Bristol City Player of the Year awards last season but returned to United for the start of pre-season.
However, the 22-year-old made it clear when he spoke to reporters in Norway last month he expected to spend the season away from Old Trafford.
"I'm ready to go somewhere again and hopefully be number one," he said.
Middlesbrough are one of a number of clubs keen to sign the Czech.

#radek

The mood in the home clubhouse was upbeat a day after a trade deadline in which few teams showed interest in the bevy of available Cincinnati Reds players.
There seemed to be a resolve among a group of guys who generally like each other, an attitude of embracing the underdog role to try to make a run down the stretch. Some players seemed open to the suggestion that they could use the fact no serious playoff contenders wanted them as a motivating factor.
"A lot of guys love playing here and have been wanting to stay," Reds outfielder JJ Bleday said. "Whether teams were interested or not, we've still got to show up at 7 o'clock ready to go."
More: How Reds' Tyler Stephenson passed time during stressful trade deadline
Manager Terry Francona told reporters: "I don't care what makes them play better. But I don't know why they'd have a chip on their shoulder, because they know they're wanted. I think they're happy to be here. … That's the last thing you want is somebody to stay here and say, 'I wanted to go somewhere else.' "

#reds #trade #seemed #guys