Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is warning that President Trump's threat to withdraw Todd Blanche's nomination to serve as attorney general and resubmit it in 2027 to circumvent GOP critics could backfire because control of the Senate could flip in November.
Asked by a reporter Thursday whether it would be "risky" to delay Blanche's nomination until the next Congress, Kennedy responded: "Well, duh. Yeah."
"This place could be very different," Kennedy said, noting Democrats could pick up seats in the Senate or win control of the upper chamber.
Senate Republicans now control 53 seats.
Trump on Thursday threatened to withdraw Blanche's nomination because Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) are threatening to block it in the Judiciary Committee unless the Department of Justice and Trump agree to revise or clarify a settlement with the IRS to establish a $1.8 billion legal compensation fund for MAGA allies.

#kennedy #control #committee #thursday

It's a tough job. But somebody's gotta do it.
Step right up, Michele Meyer-Shipp.
Nearly five months ago, Meyer-Shipp replaced Rod Graves as executive director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance (FPA), an independent organization that promotes and monitors minority hiring for head coaching roles and other high-level positions in the NFL.
Yeah, that NFL. The one where Black coaches were 1-for-18 in landing the top jobs over the past two hiring cycles. The one that is a defendant, along with several teams, in a class-action lawsuit brought forth by Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and two former coaches alleging racial discrimination. The one under attack from the Florida attorney general, aiming to wipe out the Rooney Rule, which ties so closely to the FPA's mission.
The challenges for Meyer-Shipp come from multiple directions, with multiple layers, against the political winds of the anti-DEI movement pushed by the highest levels of government.

#graves

Tarik Skubal trade update from ESPN's Jeff Passan makes Tigers' plan clear originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Detroit Tigers, in what could've been the final start of Tarik Skubal's career in Detroit, fell to the Baltimore Orioles in extra-innings.
It wasn't just a sad loss for the Tigers; it might've been the nail in the coffin for Detroit to be sellers this season as well. With just a few days left before the August 3 MLB trade deadline, the Tigers' plan for the deadline has become clear.
According to ESPN's Jeff Passan on SportsCenter, the Tigers' plan with Skubal is clear: the back-to-back Cy Young-winning ace is fully expected to be traded in the coming days.
"Yeah, Tarik Skubal is going to be traded," Passan said. "... the expectation is that's going to happen in the next day or two..."

#tigers #passan

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton spoke with reporters after practice on Wednesday at Missouri Western State University. He expressed his appreciation for being named a new inductee into the Missouri Athletic Hall of Fame.
"Coming from Texas, Coach (Barry) Odom took a chance on me. I was offered about two weeks before signing day, so I told him, man-to-man, I'm going to give this program everything I've got for giving me a chance. Looking back on it - what is it? from nine years ago on the first day in the building," said Bolton, "So yeah, super proud. Super proud to be a the true son in the University of Missouri. This place has been my home, let me be myself, allowed me to grow into my own and grow into a man. So yeah, man, I was super excited."
Bolton had another impressive season in 2025, leading the Chiefs with 154 total tackles, along with a sack and an interception. He was selected as an alternate for the 2026 Pro Bowl Games. During his college football career at Missouri, Bolton was named First-Team All-SEC in 2019 and 2020 and Second-Team All-American in 2020.
This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Chiefs LB Nick Bolton comments on a significant offseason announcement

#missouri #named

It's by far the biggest decision of the 2026 MLB trade deadline: Do the Detroit Tigers -- at 51-58 and six games out of first in the AL Central as of writing this -- keep ace Tarik Skubal for a possible playoff run or should they deal him given that free agency is looming and they could lose him for nothing?
We have a reported answer from ESPN's Jeff Passan on SportsCenter after Skubal may have made his last start in a Tigers uniform on Wednesday: Yup, it's happening.
"Yeah, Tarik Skubal is going to be traded," he said. "The Tigers haven't gone to teams that are interested in him and said as much at this point, but the expectation is that's going to happen in the next day or two."
He cited the fact that the Tigers haven't played so well as of late and that's a factor for the franchise. Here's more:
We'll see if this happens by the Aug. 3 trade deadline and what the Tigers can get for the biggest name on the market who could change a contender's fortunes.

#tarik #biggest #trade

Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi is giving fans a look at her preparations for her upcoming hysterectomy amid her battle with cervical cancer.
The Jersey Shore: Family Vacation star, 38, took to TikTok on Tuesday, July 28, to share the must-have items she's purchased in preparation for her surgery.
The products for the procedure, which Polizzi said is happening "soon," include several fan-recommended buys, like an abdominal band to support her midsection, constipation aids and a weighted heating pad.
In another video, Polizzi shared that she also purchased a few loose-fitting nightgowns, as well as oversized underwear to keep the area around her incision comfortable.
"You guys know I don't like pain, and I want to be cozy and comfy, and I needed recommendations on how to, like, recover the best way after my hysterectomy," Polizzii said. "If I'm missing anything, mamas, anybody who has gotten a hysterectomy with the big cut, please help. I don't want to feel pain. If you know me, I'm a baby. I don't like pain. I don't like any type of uncomfortableness, and yeah, I just, I don't like it. So obviously, I'll have, like, some pain meds and stuff."

#don 't #polizzi #purchased

Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons is making good progress in his rehab from a torn ACL, but it continues to sound like he will not be ready to play at the start of the season.
While General Manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters that he's open to the possibility of Parsons coming off the active/physically unable to perform list before the end of training camp, it doesn't seem like that's going to happen.
"Yeah, I'd like to have enough flexibility to leave the door open. But that would be unlikely, just from a timing perspective," Gutekunst said in his Wednesday press conference. "We've invested a lot in him, so we want to make sure he's ready to go before we even think about putting him out there."
That being said, Parsons has made plenty of progress since suffering the injury in December.
"I may have mentioned it before, but he's a little bit of a genetic freak, so things come pretty easy to him," Gutekunst said. "Again, he's still, obviously, got a long ways to go. These are major injuries, so as you go through these things and how hard they have to work to get back, there's always going to be little setbacks here and there. But he's doing great right now."

#like

During his prime with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Antonio Brown established himself as the premier wide receiver in the NFL. But behind the scenes, former Steelers safety Ryan Clark saw the seeds of future turmoil being planted long before Brown's public breakdown and eventual departure from Pittsburgh.
Appearing on the "Not Just Football with Cam Heyward" podcast with current Steelers captain Cameron Heyward, Clark reflected on the locker room dynamics surrounding Brown's rise to stardom.
Heyward recalled Clark's immediate, emotional reaction the day Pittsburgh signed Brown to his first major contract extension. He shared a story about how Brown had said something to former defensive coordinator **** LeBeau, and the defense, including Clark, did not take kindly to it.
He recalled how emotional Clark became when he heard that Brown had been paid. Heyward asked Clark if he remembered what he said in response.
"Yeah, he's gonna F it up," said Clark. "The entire Antonio Brown thing, just makes me sad, you know, how it played out."

#steelers

It's official; training camp is here. The Washington Commanders will unofficially kick off preparations for the 2026 season on Wednesday, the first day of training camp. Rookies reported to Ashburn last Friday, while the rest of the team reported on Tuesday.
Before players hit the practice field on Wednesday, general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn met with the media to preview camp and discuss other topics surrounding the team. Last week, the Commanders made some moves, placing cornerback Trey Amos, edge rusher Dorance Armstrong and defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.
Peters was asked about Amos, who suffered a fractured fibula in Week 10 last season.
"Yeah, I think with Trey, he's doing really well," Peters said. "I think the first thing I'll say is he's been outstanding in his rehab and really, you know, taken all the things that the medical team has asked him to do and done really well. With him, just had a little soft tissue soreness in the offseason, so we wanted to just take it slow. So, he's actually doing really well right now. Just had a report on him earlier. He should be back soon as well. Just wanted to be overly cautious there, but he's doing great. He'll be back pretty soon."
https://t.co/K4ccYvBxaX

#really #camp

Remember when Will Howard was considered to have an advantage in the Pittsburgh Steelers QB2 battle with Mason Rudolph? Yeah, me too. But apparently, Mike McCarthy has different plans in mind, at least to start training camp. And it's bad news for Howard.
As the Steelers reported to Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, McCarthy revealed that Rudolph will be getting QB2 reps to start camp, while Howard and Drew Allar will split time at QB3.
Howard, selected by the Steelers in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, was considered to be in pole position for the backup quarterback job in Pittsburgh. And considering the Steelers are more than likely to keep only three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, the loser of the QB2 battle between Howard and Rudolph would likely be a trade or roster-cut candidate.
It's still extremely early in training camp, with plenty of time for Howard to prove he deserves a spot on the Steelers' roster over Rudolph. But as things stand right now, it's basically Rudolph's job to lose.
For up-to-date Steelers coverage, including any training camp news and updates, follow us on X TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.

#rudolph

Caroline Dubois spends some time talking about her disappointment in not being able to secure a ****** le unification fight just yet as she aims to go undisputed, and keeping busy in the meanwhile rather than sitting around and waiting for the big fights to come her way. Dubois would also call out some rivals who she believes to be ducking the smoke.
"It's very disappointing. The goal was to fight either Elif Turhan or Stephanie Han. Unfortunately the Elif Turhan fight fell apart and unfortunately the Stephanie Han fight is something that has to wait, she just fought recently. So, she's resting or recovering and hopefully we can get that fight end of the year, that's the plan. I'm disappointed with Elif. We sent her an offer, she turned it down and, yeah, at the end of the day you can't force someone into the ring."
"There's a few reasons, I'm not going to go into them. At the end of the day, all I can say is the facts. I'm so happy with what we've achieved, I'm so happy for where I'm at, and I'm so excited for the future. And I know another fact is I want to be better…I want to dominate. You have to train to dominate. You have to train, you have to push yourself and I think the definition of insanity is to do the same thing and expect a different result. So if you want something you've never had, you have to do something you've never done.
"Working with Manny Robles now, I've been with him for three weeks now and it's been really good, really positive, great sparring, the work is good…I'm just happy to be in an exciting, booming gym."
"I think she's a coward. At the end of the day I think she knew I was going to be here, she knew that Mikaela Mayer was going to be here — she probably just thought 'nah, I don't want it'. She doesn't want it and I think it's a lame move. You come all the way out to the UK and you don't turn up? You don't want to be in the mix of some big fights? You got a table full of opponents that could possibly be in [with], you're not about it?! I think it's real disappointing and it shows her character."

#going #don 't

Tom Holland failed a husband test in hilarious fashion during a recent "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" interview with his wife Zendaya when he failed to remember the lyrics to her 2013 song, "Replay."
Holland, Zendaya and fellow "Spider-Man" co-star Jacob Batalon participated in an interview shared online Monday with Australian news outlet Pedestrian. During the conversation, the three were asked which one of them would be able to finish the lyrics to "one of the most iconic songs of all time," which turned out to be "Replay."
After interviewer Lachlan Guertin read out loud a few lines from the song, Holland and Batalon quickly gave up, with the former telling Guertin, "I have no idea." He also did not know Zendaya had already put it all together.
"That's my song, guys," Zendaya said, much to Holland and Batalon's embarrassment, adding, "Yeah, that's 'Replay.' So, thanks, guys. You know, you think you know someone, you know? And that's alright. It's okay."
"That was the wrong reaction," Holland admitted with his head in his hand. You can watch the full, cheeky moment yourself in the video below.

#batalon #failed #interview

LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England – Charley Hull admits she never watches YouTube golf but nevertheless has decided to launch her own YouTube channel.
"Sweet Spot Golf" makes its debut this week with a tour 'round Royal Lytham and St. Annes, site of this week's AIG Women's British Open. Hull hosts the channel alongside good friend Ryan Evans, the guy she bet 10,000 pounds that she could quit smoking.
"Ryan is one of my very good friends, my best friends, and he's played golf with me since I was 10, 11 years old," she said during a pre-tournament press conference. "We was just playing loads of golf rounds last year, and like some of the rounds I was – I think one of the rounds I was 8 under through nine holes and then he birdied six of last seven holes to then be all square.
"I turned around to him I was like, oh, my gosh, like we have like played so well and like had so much banter in this round. Imagine someone recording this. It would be hilarious. He was like, yeah, and I was like, maybe we should start our own YouTube channel like joking around.
"I actually never watched YouTube golf, just to let you guys know. So then we've just thought, screw this, go ahead with it, and, yeah, launched it the other day."

#lytham

Detroit Tigers fans who paid good money to be at Comerica Park on Monday night has reason to be upset. Their hometown team allowed the visiting Baltimore Orioles to score a bunch of early runs, which eventually sealed a third consecutive defeat for A.J. Hinch's team. Time is slipping away for the Tigers to make a run at the American League Central crown or, failing that, an American League wild card spot. And oh yeah, the latest stumbles might be just enough to convince the front office to send Tarik Skubal out of town at the trade deadline.
But all those frowns turned upside-down thanks to one uninvited guest who caused all types of chaos on the playing surface.
As hope began dwindling for the Tigers in the seventh inning, a squirrel made its way onto the diamond. It did not possess any type of healthy fear and therefore got really close to players and explored **** es that could have put it right in the center of the action. Orioles third base coach Buck Britton certainly did not help when he decided to feed the uninvited guest.
Eventually, everyone had enough of the squirrel and the decision was made to remove it from the premises.
That task proved easier on paper than in practice.

#american

When Anna Moesch matriculated at the University of Virginia in 2024, she had long-term goals to swim personal bests and make the Olympic team in four years.
Todd DeSorbo, her new coach in Charlottesville, had something more in mind.
"He told me my first year that he thought I could break the American record in the long course 100m free," Moesch said.
Moesch, who had just tied for eighth in the 100m free at the 2024 Olympic Trials, wasn't quite that confident.
"I kind of was like, yeah, OK, sure," she said.

#anna #virginia #desorbo #charlottesville

Philip's $45,000 household income in Los Angeles is an earnings problem. California's cost of living runs 11% above the national baseline, and average consumer expenditures hit $78,535 in 2024.
At a record 21% APR, carrying medical copays on credit cards makes debt repayment nearly impossible at Philip's current income level.
Ramsey argues Philip moving to full-time work at the national median wage of $1,251 per week would roughly double his household income.
Two retirees, same $1 million, same 4% rule, buy one finished with $1.4 million, the other hit $0 in 12 years. Our free reader guide explains the flaw that separated them, and the income-first method built to avoid it.
On July 23, a caller named Philip told Dave Ramsey he could not stop taking on new debt. He is 49, works part-time as a grocery store courtesy clerk in Southern California, and shares a household income of roughly $40,000 to $45,000 with his wife. The debt was credit cards and routine medical bills, copays, doctor visits, dental care. When asked why he was not working full-time, Philip said, "A lot of emotional stuff, a lot of baggage, a lot of... yeah, I have a long history."

#income #time

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin is one of the longest-tenured players on the roster. He was drafted by the organization in 2019 and hasn't looked back. Even in the midst of the Dan Snyder drama, McLaurin is one of a handful of players who stuck around when things got hard.
Last season, McLaurin's loyalty was rewarded with a three-year contract extension worth an average of $29 million per year. The biggest problem McLaurin has (and has had since he was drafted) is that he doesn't have a counterpart to take some of the workload. Sure, there are other receivers on the roster, but McLaurin has been tasked with carrying the bulk of the workload his entire career.
Recently, McLaurin was asked about the wide receivers' room and if the Commanders should add another receiver. He replied in typical McLaurin fashion.
"Yeah, that's not really my job to add or subtract on the team," McLaurin replied. "My job is to embrace whoever they bring in. If they bring someone in, if they don't bring anybody in, I have the utmost confidence that the guys in our room are going to step it up."
McLaurin goes on to discuss how the NFL presents opportunities and that guys step up, "every single time."

#Commanders

Kelly Ripa playfully teased her husband, Mark Consuelos, after recalling a hilarious anecdote during the July 24 episode of LIVE! The couple discussed a time when they visited their daughter, Lola, at summer camp in Maine.
The ABC host shared that parents were asked to join their children in the camp's "snake lake." "I keep going back to the time Lola was at summer camp," said Kelly.
"You had to be the swim parent to get in the snake lake. Cause there were snakes in the lake, and I simply refused. And all the other moms refused too. And we were like, look, look, we've done everything else for this camp, 'You're getting in the lake.'"
The couple couldn't contain their laughter (ABC)
Mark then shared his version of events. "So, yeah, it was all the dads did this. All the dads did this with their kids, when we went to visit Lola in Maine, and I had been racing on a bike team for a couple years at that point. And so my legs were bigger, like your quads just get big," he explained.

#couple

Fraternal twins Iman and Jihan Qamhiyeh have their sights set on playing basketball at the highest level, and their talent is already attracting attention from college programs before they begin high school.
The twins, who recently graduated from eighth grade, have received six Division I offers, according to Buchanan High School head coach Adam Wall.
"Yeah, the word's getting out about their game and how they play," Wall said.
Iman and Jihan, both 6-foot-1, have spent years competing in travel basketball, participating in twice-daily workouts and training in high-level practices. Their dedication has translated into success on the court against top competition.
"One time we were shopping and someone was like: 'Oh are you shopping for college?' I was like, 'I'm in eighth grade,' and they were like, ' What the heck," the twins said.

#level

Paul Felder isn't confident Conor McGregor comes back better after UFC 329.
McGregor (22-7 MMA, 10-5 UFC) tore his right ACL and meniscus in the first kick he threw against Max Holloway two weeks ago at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The fight was waved off after just 69 seconds as McGregor was unable to continue.
McGregor attempted to come back after breaking his left leg in July 2021. He was first scheduled to face Michael Chandler at UFC 303, but a broken pinky toe forced him out. Despite the slew of injuries and unfortunate events, McGregor insists on fighting again. He thinks with "today's regenerative medicine advancements and improved training methods," he can return as soon as summer of 2027.
"I do agree that with the advancements in medicine and things that you can do to support ligaments, and your knee, you can be back quick, but you're also way older than you were the first time you went through this surgery," Felder said on the "Believe You Me" podcast. "You didn't have a broken shin that you had already recovered from in the other leg.
"So I think yeah, he'll be back relatively quick, but I just don't know what your legs are going to be like after yet another big setback. I know he's trying to keep mentally strong. He keeps posting that he's not putting any substances in his body and I'm glad to hear that – good for him. But I just don't know if that's enough to get you back within a year, ready to go when you've had five years to get ready for this one, and your body still didn't seem to hold up to it."

#back #felder #didn 't

Jose Delgado is ready to test himself against higher-ranked opposition.
Delgado (12-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) thinks it's time to get a bigger name following his latest win. The MMA Lab product beat fellow featherweight prospect Austin Bashi (14-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) with a unanimous decision this past Saturday on the UFC Fight Night 281 preliminary card in Oklahoma City. The win gave Delgado a two-fight winning streak after a decision loss to veteran Nathaniel Wood.
"I've always rated Nathaniel Wood very highly," Delgado told MMA Junkie. "I think he's a guy who hasn't gotten the opportunities to move up the ranking, but I think skill for skill he deserves to be up there. So skill for skill, I'm ready to compete with them all. I like the idea of a Steve Garcia or an Aaron Pico, I like the idea of that type of range of fights, and I think that's pretty realistic to what I can get, so I'm looking forward to those opportunities in the future. Yeah, somebody in those ranges would be sick."
Being a Mexican-American and living and fighting out of Arizona, many think a return at this year's Noche UFC would be perfect for Delgado. Noche UFC takes place Sept. 12 at the Diamond Desert Arena in Glendale, Ariz.
Delgado would love to participate on that card, and wouldn't say no if a name of interest came up, but he admits the timeline is looking tough.

#delgado #think #skill #decision

Vince Goodwill: Jalen Brunson is going to come get all of his money. Every bit that he.. I won't say he sacrificed. He signed a year early, right? He signed a year early. He could have signed for a hundred million dollars more by signing later. Every dollar of that what 280 or 300 million that he's supposed to get next summer, he's going to get all of that.
YouTube
Vince Goodwill: Jalen Brunson is going to come get all of his money. Every bit that he.. I won't say he sacrificed. He signed a year early, right? He signed a year early. He could have signed for a hundred million dollars more by signing later. Every dollar of that what 280 or 300 million that he's supposed to get next summer, he's going to get all of that. — 7/24/2026 YouTube
NBA 2K: Ball Over Everything 100%. Pre-order NBA 2K27 now! Andre Drummond: How’s Jalen Brunson not the cover? — 7/23/2026 x.com
Following the Knicks’ championship win, in which Jalen Brunson was named NBA Finals MVP and scored 45 points in the close-out game, he had surgery to repair a tendon in his left wrist. Fans — including this writer — were surprised that Brunson turned in a Michael Jordan-esque performance in the Finals with a **** wrist, and he sported a cast to the interview. “I was more in pain when I wasn’t in the game versus when we were actually playing. I feel like the adrenaline took over. But yeah, it was definitely an obstacle, but we found a way through,” he describes, adding, “Because it’s my tendon and my structure, my wrist is fine. There was soft tissue that was holding my tendon and it kept flipping and snapping over the bone every time I shot, every time I flicked my wrist, and so clearly it was causing pain, causing friction… I’ll be in this [cast] for about another six weeks, and then from that point on, it’s just my rehab after that. But I should be good.” — 7/22/2026 Variety.com

#year #early

Q. You played well with LaMelo Ball. You guys were kind of like branded as the you know the future of the Hornets. Was that a shock to you? Kon Knueppel: Yeah, definitely a shock. Melo’s a great dude. (…) He was great to be around every day. So that's already missed, you know, just the joy and energy that he brought to the locker room.
YouTube
Q. You played well with LaMelo Ball. You guys were kind of like branded as the you know the future of the Hornets. Was that a shock to you? Kon Knueppel: Yeah, definitely a shock. Melo’s a great dude. (…) He was great to be around every day. So that's already missed, you know, just the joy and energy that he brought to the locker room. — 7/24/2026 YouTube
But in Lee’s first interview since the official completion of all of the Hornets’ offseason moves, he laughed off the suggestion he wasn’t aware of the wheeling and dealing of Jeff Peterson, Charlotte’s president of basketball operations. “Yeah, I would say I was not caught off guard by it,” Lee told The Charlotte Observer. “I think one of the great things about our organization is that there’s always really good communication amongst all departments and groups. And I think that’s what Jeff does so well, is that he wants to communicate and collaborate with people. “And ultimately, he has to make some tough decisions to help our basketball team and our organization be in the best place to flourish and try to be the premier sports franchise.” — 7/23/2026 Charlotte Observer
NBA Courtside: Anthony Edwards on playing with LaMelo Ball: “It’s definitely going to be ups and downs. First year together maybe a lot of downs. We’ll celebrate both of them. Celebrate the ups, celebrate the downs.” (Via Fanatics) — 7/20/2026 x.com

#know #celebrate

At SEC media days, plenty of teams got people up to speed on what's going on with their programs. Georgia Bulldogs head football coach Kirby Smart was in attendance as expected, and he gave an injury update on starting defensive lineman Gabe Harris.
“Gabe’s been doing good," Smart said. "He’s similar to Drew (Bobo). It was a very significant injury. Those two were the two biggest missing pieces for us towards the end of the year and made it really tough. But he’s out there doing everything now. He did not do anything in the spring. And we need him to have a big year. But, yeah, he’s on a load-management deal, so he’s not like out there every day doing everything. But he’s healthy."
Harris injured his toe last season in the SEC championship against Alabama, then he got turf toe surgery, which held him out of the Sugar Bowl against Mississippi. Harris missed Georgia's 2026 spring practice in late March and early April. Harris has been a key player for the Bulldogs' defense, racking up 26 tackles, 6 1/2 of which were for loss, and a sack in 2025. He's expected to be in a bigger role in 2026, especially after Auburn transfer Amaris Williams tore his ACL in spring practice.
If Harris can be healthy for Georgia's Sept. 5 season opener against Tennessee State, then that would be ideal.
Follow UGA Wire on Instagram, Facebook, X, or Threads for more Georgia football coverage!

#bulldogs #Football

The Arizona Cardinals began training camp this week, and all eyes were on whether or not quarterback Jacoby Brissett would show.Â
Brissett is in the midst of a contract dispute with the Cardinals, and did not participate in OTA’s earlier this offseason. After finishing the 2025 season as the starter, he’s hoping to finally get paid like one, but the two sides have been unable to come to an agreement just yet.Â
Still, when asked about the situation, head coach Mike LaFleur remained positive about the direction they were headed with their veteran signal caller.Â
“It’s been productive between us and his team, so it's still ongoing. But I’d say the word productive,” said LaFleur.Â
“Yeah, he’s here. He’s under contract, and it’s the first day of practice,” he added.Â

#contract #productive #yeah

BLAINE, Minn. – Ben Kohles is playing the best golf of his career and he's not afraid to say it.
"Yeah, I'd say. The last two months has been the best I've ever felt," he said. "At times, I've had every part of my game clicking but not all of it put together. It feels like it's all right there right now."
It was all clicking on Thursday at the first round of the 3M Open. Kohles hit 17 greens in regulation and drilled a hybrid from 245 yards to 4 feet for an eagle at 18 and a 9-under 62 to grab a two-shot lead.
"I was just in control all day," he said.
Confidence is knowing your best golf is still to come and Kohles has been rolling.

#i 've

Santiago Ponzinibbio is on the verge of hitting a big milestone in his fighting career. Saturday, the Argentinian will compete in his 40th professional MMA fight – a number few reach in their careers.
"Yeah, I did know that, and that's without counting the fights from 'TUF,' which were four," Ponzinibbio told Hablemos MMA in Spanish.
Ponzinibbio (30-9 MMA, 12-8 UFC), a longtime welterweight, returns against Sam Patterson (14-3-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) on the preliminary card of UFC Fight Night 282 (Paramount+) at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Ponzinibbio revealed this wasn't the original matchup, but in a way, he's glad he drew a younger opponent, as he gets an opportunity to show he can hang with newer talent.
"I was supposed to fight Jack Hermansson, but he ended up getting injured, and I was offered Patterson," Ponzinibbio said. "It's a much different challenge, but it is still a challenge. It's one of those clashes of generations that the company likes to make, and it's a great opportunity to show that I'm still good and relevant and that I can hang with the new generation. I'm not focused on him. I'm focused on me."
Apart from competing in his 40th fight Saturday, Ponzinibbio is also just weeks away from his 40th birthday. He knows he's reaching the end of his fighting days, but retirement is not something he thinks about much.

#fight #saturday #Opportunity #hang

Because not even the off-day can come without some ****** mer Mariners news, Adam Jude of the Seattle Times reports that the Mariners are parting ways with ****** istant hitting coach Bobby Magallenes.
Magallanes joined the staff prior to the 2025 season along with hitting coach Kevin Seitzer, both of whom had been unceremoniously fired by Atlanta after the 2024 season when the Braves finished the season 89-73. That mark was good for second place in the AL East, but broke the Braves' streak of six consecutive division ****** les, even though Atlanta still qualified for the playoffs, where they were swept by the Padres in the Wild Card series. It was a surprising move at the time, and looked on with consternation by many Atlanta fans as Seitzer and Magallanes went on to help the 2025 Mariners get deeper into the playoffs than any other Mariners team in history, making it all the way to the ALCS.
But baseball is often a sport of what-have-you-done-for-me-lately, and the Mariners, floundering after a 3-3 homestand against two of the worst teams in the NL, opted to make a move to try to spark some offense. While bold staffing changes is a common mid-season move among teams that are dramatically failing to live up to expectations, it's curious that Seitzer and Magallanes – long regarded as a package deal and sharing a similar hitting philosophy – weren't both let go. The ineptitude of the Mariners offense, last or near the bottom of the list in most offensive categories, is obvious, but like the 2024 Braves, Seattle's lineup has been wracked by injuries that have affected, at least temporarily, basically every member of the Opening Day roster except second baseman Cole Young [knocks on wood, pours salt circle, extends giant protective umbrella over Cole]. Furthermore, the bilingual Magallanes was a popular figure in the clubhouse, known for his "heck yeah, shoot yeah!" exclamation after wins or offensive outbursts; the deeply religious Magallanes was also a faith leader on the staff, something that resonated with hitters and pitchers alike.
While Seitzer preached an overall hitting mindset and approach, Magallanes's role on staff was to be responsible for more of the nuts-and-bolts mechanical adjustments, something Director of Hitting Edgar Martinez (who remains on staff) also focuses on, so the team might be looking for a new voice to fill that particular role and hopefully create some better on-field results.
To do that, they've promoted Ed Paparella, the Mariners' minor-league hitting coordinator, to a major-league role. The Mariners actually signed Paparella back in 2021 as a free agent out of South Alabama, and while he never played professionally, he quickly ascended the ranks of the minor leagues. At 31, Paparella is more than two decades younger than the 56-year-old Magallanes, and three decades younger than Martinez or Seitzer, perhaps providing more of a peer-adjacent perspective for the Mariners and creating some age diversity on the hi

The Panthers are set to open the season without either of their starting offensive tackles from 2025, but General Manager Dan Morgan didn't seem worried about that during a Wednesday press conference.
Carolina signed Rasheed Walker as a free agent in March because they knew left tackle Ikem Ekwonu had a long rehab ahead of him after tearing his patellar tendon, but news this week that right tackle Taylor Moton is dealing with a blood clot in his lung came as a surprise. Moton is expected to be out into the regular season and that puts first-round pick Monroe Freeling on track to start on that side of the offensive line.
Freeling played left tackle at Georgia and he appeared set to play an apprentice role as a rookie, but Morgan said he feels comfortable with how things are currently taking shape up front.
"I think we’ll be covered there," Morgan said, via the team's website. "We feel good about it, and I know T-Mo will definitely support Monroe there at right tackle and teach him all he knows. So, yeah, we feel good about it. I think that's why depth matters so much in this league. And drafting Monroe and taking the best player available, it happened to be a tackle, it worked out really well for us. So we feel really good about him. We're confident in him, and I know he's going to attack it and he's going to be out there competing."
The Panthers also have a new center in Luke Fortner and the offensive line will have to gel over the coming weeks for the team to get off on the right foot come September.

#monroe #offensive #right #panthers

There's a logical explanation to why it's taking so long for LeBron James to announce his free agency decision on where he will play in the 2026-27 season.
A Cleveland sports radio host believes that James has intentionally pushed back his announcement because he was "irritated" with comments made last week by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
Cleveland sports radio personality Andy Baskin said Silver's comments "irritated" James and the former Los Angeles Lakers star decided to push back the announcement.
Baskin, who has a radio show called Baskin and Phelps on 92.3 The Fan, went as far as to say that James was ready to announce his decision last week.
"LeBron's crew was probably ready to make an announcement, especially because they were in New York," Baskin said. "The world had their eyes on New York because of the World Cup as well. Yeah, and so that they were probably comfortable making an announcement as early as last week that they were there, and then people were like telling them what to do."

#baskin #last #World #announce