When Dan Le Batard left ESPN in early 2021 and founded Meadowlark Media with former ESPN president John Skipper, many expected the company would scoop up many of the exiled former ESPNers Le Batard and Skipper had championed during their time at the network.
That proved partially true, as talent like Amin El-Hassan, Kate **** an and Tom Haberstroh came aboard. But Meadowlark couldn't lure some of the bigger fish from that cohort, even as some left ESPN for other companies.
One such host is Bomani Jones, who hosted Highly Questionable with Le Batard for several years and, before that, was a regular voice on Le Batard's radio show. In an interview this week on The Awful Announcing Podcast, Jones revealed that he actually came quite close to signing with Meadowlark. If not for getting his own HBO show, Jones said may have reunited with Le Batard.
"Yeah, I talked to them about going there in 2022," he revealed.
"If you would have asked in 2021 when Dan left ESPN and they went to start that, if you would have asked me where I would have thought I would have ended up at the end of that contract, I would have said that was the place that I thought I was going to end up. In large part because the place I worked at the time didn't seem like they were going to want to keep me.

#jones

James Attwood: I don't really see how. Sure, the Brewers are a smaller market than the Dodgers. They have a much smaller payroll. But, if anything, the Brewers advancing is only going to fuel the MLBPA to get even stickier about trying to control salaries in any way, shape, or form. Also, even though plenty of fans and pundits like to give MLB front offices a hard time about making stupid decisions, those offices are by and large, stacked with incredibly intelligent people. Those people are going to be able to take a step back and recognize that one season's playoff picture is hardly a sample size large enough to be called indicative of the sport moving forward. There were questions after Arizona went to the World Series in 2023 about whether or not MLB had done enough to create obstacles for Wild Card teams in the playoffs, all because Arizona steamrolled the Brewers and Dodgers. This year, pundits are calling for the entire seeding system to be blown up because there was a team with a .500 record that not only made the playoffs, but won their division outright. Single seasons may bring some oddities, but they are usually not indicative of the reality of the game's overall health.
I suspect, both the ownership side of things and the MLBPA have already drawn their battle lines and have already started crafting their arguments. This outcome in the playoffs will do more to feed the online debates between fans and pundits than it will do for or against the CBA negotiations.
C. Wesley Baier: I think it will impact the CBA negotiations, but how much is the real question. I would be shocked if the MLBPA didn't use this as evidence against a salary cal, but I cant say if it wil be all that successful of a tactic.
Spencer: Nope. Anything can happen in a small sample size. Owners are greedy and want to abuse their employees/customers for profit still. Players are greedy and only care about the uppermost tiers of earning power. Fans will quiet down a little, but fan opinion and outrage has never been a driving force for either side.
Justin27: FTD

#brewers #only #Dodgers

Gigi Chasco of Wisconsin Lutheran girls volleyball was the winner of last week's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel high school athlete of the week poll for the week of Aug. 31-Sept. 5.
Vikings head coach Megan Mache described the Florida Gulf Coast commit as the "glue" for Wisco in its five-set thriller over New Berlin West on Thursday, Sept. 3. Chasco tallied 26 ******* ists, 14 digs, 12 kills, four blocks and a pair of aces in a 25-17, 23-25, 25-18, 19-25, 15-8 nailbiter in the all-Vikings battle.
Chasco received 11,462 out of a possible 21,352 total votes cast.
Claire Baldwin of Sussex Hamilton girls volleyball was the runner-up in last week's poll. The Chargers bounced back in a massive way during the previous week with a 6-0 record, including a tournament victory at the Summers End event in Winnetka, Illinois. The sophomore Baldwin had a huge week for the Chargers, tallying 54 digs and 52 kills on the week, which also included a win over Greater Metro Conference foe Wauwatosa West in a 3-0 sweep.
Other nominees in the poll included Ethan Potthast of Brookfield Academy football, Bear Bonk of Marquette football and Noah Gailey of Hartford boys cross-country.

#Vikings

Georgia football easily handled Western Kentucky with a 70-20 blowout win Saturday in Sanford Stadium.
Grading a team that has dominated the first two opponents isn't easy.
Go ahead and call us an easy grader, but the Bulldogs look very much like the No. 2 team in the country.
Here's our postgame report card for the Bulldogs.
More: Georgia football Former Georgia QB Stetson Bennett makes NFL regular-season debut Down Under

#Football #team #easy #saturday

Diego Simeone says Atlético Madrid must improve at the back to start winning again.
Atlético have had a difficult week with Tuesday's 2-1 Champions League defeat at Liverpool following the 3-0 loss at Athletic Bilbao last weekend.
They return to La Liga action at Real Sociedad on Saturday seeking to rediscover the form that brought them seven points from their first three matches.
"We have room for improvement, but the team has done some very good things," Atlético boss Simeone said ahead of his side's trip to San Sebastián.
"We need to improve defensively to keep clean sheets and have more opportunities to improve because we've scored in every match except one.

#madrid #league #bilbao

NEW YORK — On the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the matchup between the Mets and Yankees will take Major League Baseball's center stage.
Expect some powerful moments pregame between New York's two baseball teams square off at 7:10 p.m. on Friday night at Yankee Stadium.
The meaning of Friday's game will go beyond the standings, at least for the Mets. They enter the game at 68-78 and winners of four straight games and looking to play spoiler for their crosstown rivals' division ****** le hopes.
The Yankees enter the Subway Series playing solid baseball, as well. The Yankees (84-62) are coming off a three-game sweep of the Rockies to move within three games of the Rays in the race for the AL East.
The Mets are coming off a three-game sweep of the Marlins after securing the series finale against the Giants last weekend.

#series

Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images
Just weeks into ***** nal's 2026/27 campaign, details have already leaked concerning the Gunners' kits for the 2027/28 season.
On the home kit, Footy Headlines report that ***** nal are set to wear a pinstriped design in the usual red and white, with the kit also utilising navy details.
There's also speculation that the Adidas stripes on the shoulders will be in navy blue, although that detail hasn't been confirmed. Previous reports had also revealed that the front-of-shirt sponsorship logo will just read 'Emirates', rather than 'Fly Emirates' or 'Emirates – Fly Better'.
Photo by Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images

#images #pecoraro #footy

Willie Lampkin projects as a backup center for the Philadelphia Eagles, but special teams could provide the rookie with another path onto the active game-day roster.
Special teams coordinator Michael Clay believes Lampkin's unique size, strength, and movement skills make him an appealing option for several units. The former North Carolina standout is undersized by traditional NFL offensive line standards, but his compact build allows him to play with natural leverage.
Those traits could translate to field-goal protection and other blocking responsibilities. Lampkin must first earn a spot among Philadelphia's active players on Sundays. NFL teams generally carry only a limited number of reserve offensive linemen on game day, and those backups must provide flexibility beyond one position. Cam Jurgens is established as the starting center, while rookie Drew Kendall also provides depth inside. Lampkin's ability to handle center duties and contribute on special teams would give the coaching staff another reason to dress him.
Philadelphia has previously found special teams responsibilities for reserve linemen, particularly players with the athleticism to move in ***** e and the strength to handle power rushers.
Lampkin's size will remain part of the evaluation, but Clay sees potential value rather than only a limitation. If the rookie can become dependable in the kicking game, he could strengthen his chances of remaining active while continuing his development as an interior offensive lineman.

#center #philadelphia

Manchester City open their Champions League campaign at Porto on Tuesday, with Enzo Maresca taking charge of a European fixture for the club for the first time.
City arrive on the back of three straight Premier League wins, though a three-day turnaround before Sunday's Manchester derby is likely to shape his selection.
Porto have never beaten City in a competitive meeting, but their unbeaten start to the season and vociferous home support make the Estádio do Dragão an awkward opening ******* ignment.
Nico O'Reilly is a serious doubt for Tuesday's trip to Portugal after suffering a back injury in the warm-up before Saturday's win over Coventry City, forcing Enzo Fernandez into an unplanned full debut. Jeremy Doku remains sidelined with the calf problem that has kept him out of City's opening three Premier League fixtures.
Iliman Ndiaye was withdrawn in the 87th minute of his own debut with cramp, though the issue is not considered serious and he should be available for selection. With O'Reilly a doubt and Doku out, Maresca's options in wide areas are reduced to Phil Foden, Rayan Cherki and Antoine ******* yo.

#three #manchester #Porto

Matt LaFleur's win percentage puts him in elite company. His 65.4% mark is tied for 16th all time. It's better than Bill Belichick's career mark of 64.7%.
But maybe that's not good enough for Green Bay Packers fans.
There were questions late last season if LaFleur was coaching for his job. As the Packers faltered following Micah Parsons' injury, speculation grew. That ultimately didn't matter. Despite the Packers losing their last five games, including two blown leads to the Chicago Bears, LaFleur signed a multi-year extension in January.
Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL season
Still, if the Packers fail to make the playoffs this season, would LaFleur be on the hot seat? The fact that it's even a topic says something about the lack of patience in the NFL.

#mark #green #micah

On Saturday night, Katie Taylor bids farewell to boxing on what is sure to be an emotional evening in Dublin.
The Irish icon, 40, will finally get to realise her dream of fighting at the iconic Croke Park, and she will do so in a main-event clash with Flora Pili.
• Follow LIVE: Taylor boxes Pili in final fight of legendary career
For Taylor, the fight represents a chance to become a three-time undisputed champion. The Olympic gold medalist previously held undisputed gold at lightweight and super-lightweight, and it's in the latter division that she will meet Pili this weekend.
Katie Taylor will box the unbeaten Flora Pili (right) (PA)

#katie #flora #fight

Barcelona's next visit to Mestalla is set to carry a historic significance. If the stadium is eventually replaced or loses its role as Valencia's home for competitive football, owing to redevelopment, this meeting could be the final chapter of one of Spanish football's longest-running fixtures at the historic ground.
Few venues have provided such an evenly balanced setting for Barcelona.
Simply put, the two clubs have met at Mestalla 115 times across six competitions, with Barça narrowly ahead on 43 victories to Valencia's 42. The remaining 30 encounters ended level.
That near-perfect balance makes Mestalla one of the rare grounds where Barcelona have never enjoyed overwhelming historical dominance.
Recent history, though, has shifted in their direction.

#historic #recent #carry #significance

Enes Kanter has been asked how many points he thinks he would be scoring in the WNBA if he were allowed to compete.
Kanter declared for the 2027 WNBA draft over the summer and has now spoken to Piers Morgan about the league and the ongoing transgender athlete debate.
When doing so, he suggested he could destroy the current NBA single-game scoring record, which is held by Wilt Chamberlain.
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Morgan asked: "I mean just in pure cold hard reality if you were to play in the WNBA in an average game, how many points do you think you'd score?"

#enes

How USMNT star Folarin Balogun's Everton transfer sensationally collapsed after medical tests originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Everything seemed all set for USMNT star Folarin Balogun to embark on a triumphant return to the Premier League.
On the heels of a controversial but bright 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 25-year-old has been a wanted man this summer, linked with Barcelona and Aston Villa before a move to Everton began to materialise. As the deal advanced and Deadline Day progressed, the two clubs reportedly agreed to a deal, leaving Balogun to undergo a medical with the Merseyside club.
However, the deal for the former ******* nal striker seemed to nearly fall through at the last moment, causing complications for both clubs and sparking a wide-ranging ripple effect.
The Sporting News brings you all we know about the collapsed Balogun deal and what comes next for the U.S. international.

#collapsed

The 2026 PGA Tour season concluded last weekend at the Tour Championship, with Scottie Scheffler winning by three strokes.
With a three-week hiatus until the Biltmore Championship Asheville, this is the perfect time to reflect on the past season.
We have looked at the leaders of each statistical category on the PGA Tour, and the longest driver was particularly interesting.
Photo by David Berding/Getty Images
21-year-old South African golfer Aldrich Potgieter was the PGA Tour's biggest hitter in 2026, ahead of Rory McIlroy.

#championship #biltmore

After reports emerged earlier on Monday that Borussia Dortmund were exploring a late move for Ethan Nwaneri, the Black and Yellows have now seemingly stepped up their interest.
According to the BBC, Dortmund have submitted an offer to take the young forward on loan for the remainder of the season.
The report adds that ***** nal are expected to make a decision on the proposal on Tuesday morning.
Meanwhile, transfer insider Sacha Tavolieri claims that Dortmund are confident of completing a deal for Nwaneri before Tuesday's deadline.

#Monday #borussia #ethan #arsenal

Jaylen Brown said goodbye to his old fans of the Boston Celtics at a fan festival in Boston where he was honored by supporters.
Brown spent 10 dedicated seasons wearing Celtics green and was the star who won Finals MVP when it came to delivering them their first championship since 2008.
He was traded away and never had a chance to betray the fanbase, so he was given a hero's goodbye at a recent fan festival which also had Mayor Jennifer Wu in attendance.
Brown took the stage at the 741 Frequency Fest in Boston and addressed the fans, sharing his love with them and thanking them for their support over the last decade.
"I —— love y'all man. Listen up, I ain't got too much to say because I am at a loss for words… I love each and everyone one of y'all. I have been in this city for the last 10 years, and I said 'I'm gonna go to war for this city' when I got here… I just wanna say thank you to Boston. Thank you to the city. And I love you."

#boston

Eintracht Frankfurt have confirmed the departure of Belgium international Arthur Theate, who has joined Bologna FC on a season-long loan.
The deal includes an option for the Italian Serie A side to make the transfer permanent.
"We would like to thank Arthur for the past two years spent with us and all of his commitment to Eintracht Frankfurt," said Eintracht Frankfurt sporting director Timmo Hardung.
"He quickly established himself as an important part of our team, and we would like to wish him all the very best for the future both on and off the pitch in Bologna."
Theate initially joined Eintracht Frankfurt on loan from Stade Rennais in the summer of 2024 before the German club made his move permanent a year later.

#eintracht #frankfurt #like

ATLANTA (AP) — Michael Harris II hit a two-out, two-run double in the eighth inning to lift the Atlanta Braves to a 2-1 win over the Colorado Rockies, the sixth straight for the National League East leaders.
Brent Suter (2-2) pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief and picked up his first victory since joining the Braves at the trade deadline. Rookie Didier Fuentes allowed two baserunners in the ninth but retired Jake McCarthy to end the game and pick up his third save.
Harris lifted a fly ball to left center field that was just out of the diving reach of Cole Carrigg and scored Matt Olson from second and Mauricio Dubón from first.
Scheduled Rockies starter Ryan Feltner was scratched Saturday afternoon due to illness and replaced with Zach Agnos as manager Warren Schaeffer went with a bullpen game, using six pitchers. Jaden Hill (0-3) surrendered Harris' double in the eighth.
The Rockies entered the game with an MLB-worst 5.54 team ERA but came within four outs of just their second shutout of the season.

#harris #Rockies

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Fever knew the importance of going into the FIBA World Cup break on a high note.
Following the game against Connecticut on Friday night, Indiana has nearly three weeks off from games as WNBA players represent their home countries at the World Cup in Berlin, Germany.
The Fever, who are fighting for a top-4 spot in the playoffs, didn't want to sulk for three weeks. Especially if that loss came to Connecticut, the second-worst team in the league.
"I think for everyone, we want to end this segment of games on a good note," Fever guard Lexie Hull said at practice on Thursday. "I feel like we've picked up momentum since the end of the All-Star break, so we want to spend the next couple weeks in a good mood."
Buy Fever tickets

#games

The PGA Tour finally pulled the trigger on a massive overhaul for its season finale. After years of sticking to the same starting-strokes format at East Lake, the circuit is shifting to a two-week match play event. We're seeing a complete reinvention of how the season ends, not just a tweak. The changes kick in for the 2028 season. Fans who love the drama of head-to-head golf now have a reason to tune in for the final two weeks of the year.
The new structure breaks the final event into two distinct parts. The first week features a group stage, according to Golf Monthly. Thirty-two players will split into eight groups of four. They will play three rounds of stroke play within their groups. The top two from each group move on. Week two shifts to pure match play. This format hasn't been seen on the PGA Tour since the 2023 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. Brian Rolapp, the PGA Tour CEO, addressed the media ahead of the current Tour Championship to clarify the path forward. He noted that the current model is just the start of a broader evolution.
The goal is to create more excitement and higher stakes. The season-long points list will still determine who qualifies. The top 32 on that list earn their spot in the finale. But the way they compete will be totally different. The top 90 players on the points list will still retain their cards, but only the elite 32 get to fight for the trophy in this new way.
For years, East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta has been the only home for the Tour Championship. That ends in 2028. The tournament will now rotate between prestigious venues. The Tour has promised to include courses that the modern circuit hasn't traditionally been able to feature. This opens up the door for historic layouts to host the finale. Rolapp confirmed that conversations are already underway to secure these new locations. He told reporters that East Lake is still a strong option for the future, but it won't hold a monopoly anymore.
East Lake remains among the options being considered for upcoming Tour Championship events. This flexibility allows the Tour to bring the championship to different markets and fan bases. It also adds a layer of novelty that the starting-strokes format lacked. The rotation ensures that the final event feels like a grand tour rather than a local fixture.

#east #play #season #golf

Brazil's Alison dos Santos smashed the 400m hurdles world record in an astonishing night of action at the Zurich Diamond League meeting.
The 26-year-old has been in excellent form this season, undefeated in the event, but there was little to suggest that Karsten Warholm's 2021 mark of 45.94 seconds was under threat.
But, with Warholm a distant second, Tokyo 2025 silver medallist Dos Santos cantered off the final hurdle and pushed through to clock 45.80 seconds.
His previous personal best stood at 46.29 and was set four years ago.
Just 75 minutes later, another world record fell in front of the 25,000-strong capacity crowd

#World #zurich #karsten #warholm

The Minnesota Vikings have made one of the most important decisions for the organization, as the franchise's head coach, Kevin O'Connell, announced Kyler Murray as the Week 1 starting quarterback, thus leaving J.J. McCarthy in an uncertain position.
Although the quarterback has lost the starting job to Murray, the head coach insisted that McCarthy still has a future in Minnesota, and the organization looks forward to working with him.
In a recent episode of Pro Football Talk, ******* yst Mike Florio shared his thoughts, as he believes that McCarthy might be cut from the Vikings' roster, and said:
"Two weeks ago, Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy lost the starting job to Kyler Murray.
Now, McCarthy could be on the verge of losing the backup job to Carson Wentz.The two split reps at practice for the second team on Tuesday.And the Vikings have to ultimately fill out the depth chart. Coach Kevin O'Connell has left the door open to the possibility of the backup quarterback job being available to either guy.And if McCarthy should somehow fail to be QB2, with the roster cuts coming, it's possible that McCarthy won't be a Viking come next Monday. Whether it's because he's traded or whether because they decided to just eat the remainder of his guaranteed salary through 2027 and release him."
If J.J. McCarthy loses the QB2 spot to Carson Wentz, will McCarthy be on the team after the roster reduces to 53? pic.twitter.com/vdL7Z7EGM5

#coach #minnesota #kevin

Here's the Guardians lineup:
Here's the Angels lineup
Lets go, Guardians!

#Guardians #lineup #Angels #lets

"There's memories that we've had inside that ground that will stay with us all for the rest of our lives," say football fans reflecting on 25 years at the stadium they learned to call home.
St Mary's Stadium, the home of Southampton Football Club, hosted its first competitive game on 25 August 2001.
Now, a quarter of a century on, those who know the ground best have shared their memories.
Southampton played their matches at the Dell for more than 100 years [PA Media]
Southampton Football Club was first founded at St Mary's Church in 1885.

#first

Vinicius Jr. finally has his long-term future at Real Madrid sorted, having ended months of uncertainty by signing a new contract until 2032 earlier this month.
Yet, the renewal has done little to silence one of his fiercest critics.
Former Spain and Valencia goalkeeper Santiago Canizares has launched a remarkable attack on Vinicius, questioning not only his value to Real Madrid but also whether other top clubs would even want to sign a player with his profile.
Canizares' comments come after a summer in which Vinicius' future became a genuine talking point.
Notably, negotiations over a new deal had dragged on for more than a year, with the player's salary and signing bonus demands proving to be major obstacles.

#signing

Teofimo Lopez is a three-weight world champion.
On Saturday night, Lopez moved up to the welterweight division to challenge his friend, Rolly Romero, for the WBA welterweight ******* le at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. After 12 rounds, Lopez edged out a majority decision to take the ******* le after 12 rounds of tepid action.
Longtime friends, the relationship between Lopez and Romero appeared to be on rocky ground heading into the bout, leading many to wonder what sort of fight fans might be in store for, and in the end, it looked more like a sparring session between friends rather than a world ******* le fight.
For most of the 12 rounds, Lopez leaned on a high-volume style, relying on his hand speed and craft to consistently out-work Romero with jabs and body shots. Romero, meanwhile, spent much of the fight waiting on Lopez, looking for an opportunity to land a big counter shot to turn the tide.
In the fifth round, Romero finally got just that, landing a check left hook when Lopez came in that put "The Takeover" on skates. Lopez was able to survive the scary moment and make it to the end of the round. That could have been a tide shift for Romero, but instead he returned to his low-output style in the next round and was comfortably outworked for the remainder of the fight.

#romero #welterweight #style

Will the Dodgers be heading toward new ownership? Will Mark Walter sell the World Series champions? These rumors have circulated among baseball fans since Walter sold the LA Lakers for $12.5 billion, just months after acquiring a controlling stake in the NBA franchise from the Buss family.
According to reports, the DOJ is investigating the CEO of Guggenheim Partners over alleged loan fraud, which allegedly prompted Walter to sell his majority stake in the Lakers.
As speculation intensifies, team president and part-owner Stan Kasten was asked by the media to explain the developments involving Walter and the federal investigation.
"I'm not contemplating anything about the investigation. If you are prepared to already conclude the investigation before anyone else is, you can do that. But that's what you're trying to do. I'm not going to do that," Kasten told the media.
When a reporter drew comparisons between Walter and the way the previous owner, Frank McCourt, ran the ballclub into bankruptcy, Kasten said such an "inappropriate" comparison should not be made.

#kasten #investigation #Lakers

Replacing Jayden Higgins is going to take a community effort.
The Houston Texans lost the second-year receiver to a torn ACL during a joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders on Aug. 18, an injury that ends his season before it started. Feeling a little light in the receiver room, the Texans knew that some reinforcements would be required.
On Aug. 21, they made a pair of veteran additions in the form of Sterling Shepard and Zay Jones, according to multiple reports.
The team also worked out Josh Reynolds alongside the other two receivers, but the roster spots are going to Shepard and Jones for the time being. Both veterans will now be tasked with doing enough to earn a roster spot, even if time is running short on the preseason.
Houston has just one game left before the big roster cuts take place, meaning Shepard and Jones will have to make an impact in practice to earn a spot on the 53.

#shepard #roster #receiver

GAINESVILLE, FL — Florida soccer outlasted Coastal Carolina, 3-2, on Thursday night to even up their record to 1-1.
In a game that had a two-hour rain delay, the Gators came out firing on all cylinders, taking a 2-0 lead in the first half of play.
Senior forward Kyra Taylor led the way with two first-half goals in her home debut for the program. Katie Johnston also contributed with a goal in the second half to put the team up 3-2 in the 76th minute to seize control of the match.
Florida was more aggressive and controlled the pace with 19 shots, 13 of them coming on goal, compared to Coastal's five shots, three of them on goal. The program also had 11 more fouls than Coastal.
Thursday's win also marks the first win under head coach Nick Zimmerman. The new head coach spoke on the team's performance in the one-score victory.

#goal #coastal #coach