EVANSTON, Ill. — Against the window seal of David Braun's office conference room at Northwestern, a bronze statue of a man glares toward visitors.
An award Braun won in 2023, the miniature depiction of Bear Bryant, dressed in his trademark suit and a houndstooth hat, is fitting considering the program's upward trajectory and that his offense, under new coordinator Chip Kelly, is showing flashes of yesteryear: the Wing-T, Wishbone and option concepts that Bryant used to claim six national championships at Alabama more than four decades ago.
"You can call them dated. That's not fair," Braun says with a smile. "But creative!"
Life is good here in this northern Chicago suburb.
The 6-1 and 18th-ranked Wildcats are off to their best start since 2012; the fall foliage sweeps across this campus like a painter's brush; the university alignment and athletic investment is as its best since before the tumult around the clumsy handling of the end of the Pat Fitzgerald era; the program opened a more than $850 million new stadium earlier this season; and the offense is an entertaining throwback under one of the sport's most heralded gurus.

#bryant #evanston #northwestern #bear

CLEVELAND (AP) — Stephen Vogt and his Cleveland Guardians are used to this situation by now: needing two wins on the road to keep alive their season.
Cleveland faced a 3-2 deficit in the best-of-seven AL Championship Series and not a lot of time to rebound after Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. There is no travel day because of a rainout, and Game 6 is Monday night at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
"Let's go. We don't have another choice," Vogt said. "This is when this team thrives."
Cleveland rallied in September for the second straight season to win the AL Central. The Guardians were 60-65 and 5 1/2 games behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central on Aug. 17 before winning eight of nine and then going 16-9 in September to win the division by one game.
The Guardians dropped the first two AL Division Series games at home to the White Sox before winning the next two in Chicago and closing with a 2-0 win at Progressive Field in Game 5.

#cleveland #vogt #central #white

Some plays don't show up in the box score.
Yet if it wasn't for a tackle from John Harbaugh, Malik Nabers' name might not be in the box score at all. The New York Giants star receiver had been on the fence about playing all week long, hesitant to step onto the MetLife Stadium field – the same field where he suffered a torn ACL last season.
Nabers figures to be a key piece to the Giants' offense, but he needed some reassurance before giving it a go on "Sunday Night Football" against the rival Dallas Cowboys in Week 1. And that reassurance came in the form of a tackle from his new head coach during walkthroughs, quarterback Jaxson Dart shared after the game.
"Things were just up-in-the-air, we didn't know exactly what was gonna happen," Dart said, "Me and Coach Harbs kinda had some conversations and he's like, 'You know what? I think that once he gets hit for the first time and realizes that he's OK, he's gonna feel confident.'"
Dart said that in Harbaugh's mind, that meant the coach had to tackle his star receiver.

#dart #tackle #Giants #week

A week after Nick Saban and Pat McAfee practically did an infomercial for the Protect College Sports Act during College GameDay, one of the bill's co-sponsors, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), was given the chance to make a full-throated defense of the bill and why it needed to be passed by the Senate and House, with Cruz previously saying that if passed, President Donald Trump would sign it into law on a future episode of ESPN's flagship college football show.
Even by the standards of College GameDay, which has been known to put its thumb on the scale when it wanted, this whole affair has been wildly inappropriate. It's one thing for Kirk Herbstreit to chastise football players for opting out of meaningless bowl games; it's another thing for the show to put its full weight behind a Congressional bill without providing ample time to those proponents and opponents, especially when those who oppose the bill do so on the grounds that it will negatively impact the earning ability of the athletes who make the sport work.
However, it helps you understand this all-out blitz when you realize where ESPN's parent company is putting its money.
Joedy McCreary at OpenSecrets recently laid out the fight surrounding the PCSA, spelling out which entities are pushing for it and which are pushing back.
Per McCreary, several major broadcasting and cable companies are putting their money where their mouth is. The National ****** ociation of Broadcasters (NAB) and NCTA – the Internet and Television ****** ociation lobbied for the legislation. Amazon, Paramount Skydance, and Disney (which owns ESPN) listed the college sports measure among the dozens of bills they worked on between April 1 and June 30.

#bill #sports

Joe Burrow's former teammate thinks NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani's heartfelt 9/11 admission is a lie.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani recently gave an emotional speech about the tragic events of 9/11 in 2001.
Even 25 years later, the wounds of the tragedy are fresh among the families of the victims. Connecting with the victims, Mamdani claimed that the 'real victim' of the incident was his aunt.
That didn't sit well with Joe Burrow's former teammate Breiden Fehoko, who went off at the NYC Mayor.
Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images

#mayor #teammate #york #even

Brunswick takes on Grayson tonight as the 2026 high school football schedule ramps up across the country.
Searching for how to watch the game live?
Fans can stream the Georgia high school football game live on the NFHS Network from a laptop, mobile device or even Smart TV apps like Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Google TV and Roku.
Don't miss a moment of the game with on-demand replays, too.
Ahead of the kickoff, here's what to know about the Brunswick vs. Grayson clash.

#game

A stunning new rumor claims the Los Angeles Clippers might scrap the planned trade sending Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors for a very petty reason.
When Pablo Torre broke the news last year about Clippers management creating shell companies to pay Leonard extra money and win his free agent sweepstakes in 2019, many wondered how severe the punishment for salary cap circumvention would be. Well, the long-awaited hammer dropped last week.
After the NBA found undeniable evidence of illegal violations by the Clippers, the franchise was fined $30 million. Owner Steve Ballmer was suspended from all league and team activities for a year. Clippers President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker was suspended without pay for a year, and President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank was suspended without pay for 6 months. The team was also stripped of five future first-round picks in upcoming seasons.
It is the stiffest penalty in NBA history. However, the one individual involved who got a slap on the wrist was Leonard. After speculation that he could be suspended or have his contract voided, the seven-time All-Star received a $700,000 fine. He also released a statement taking partial ownership of the fiasco.
With the punishment for cap circumvention finalized, the Clippers are expected to complete a previously agreed-upon trade sending the 35-year-old to the Raptors. Or maybe not. It is a bit odd that the two teams haven't completed a deal over a week after the penalty was handed down. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, some around the league believe there is a surprising reason the trade is still in limbo.

#clippers #year #trade

The decisive stage of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana quarterfinals is about to begin! This Tuesday (8), at 9:30 p.m., in Buenos Aires, Tricolor will face Boca Juniors (ARG) in the first leg.
São Paulo heads into the clash at La Bombonera on the back of two straight wins: they beat Red Bull Bragantino 2-1 and Atlético-MG 2-0, both at MorumBIS, in the Brazilian Championship.
Tonight's match will mark the reunion between the Brazilians and Argentines after nearly 19 years: the last game took place on September 26, 2007, and ended in a 1-0 win for São Paulo at MorumBIS in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana. With the goal scored by Aloísio at home, Tricolor knocked out Boca Juniors and secured a place in the quarterfinals of the competition. In the first leg, at La Bombonera, the opposition had won 2-1 — at that time, away goals were a tiebreaker.
There have been 20 matches between the two clubs in history, with seven wins for Tricolor, five draws, and eight victories for the Argentines. Each team has scored 29 goals in these meetings.
The teams have already faced each other seven times at La Bombonera, with two wins for São Paulo, one draw, and four wins for the home side. Tricolor won on October 10, 1995, by 3-2, in the Supercopa, and on January 25, 1961, by 5-1, in the South American Octagonal.

#wins #morumbis

Penn State faced Marshall as a 23.5-point favorite in week one, crushing expectations with a 45-0 victory. They have now opened as Temple with the same line – as a 23.5-point favorite in week two over the Owls.
The Nittany Lions kicked off the Matt Campbell era with a satisfying shutout victory, with strong performances in all three phases of the game. Rocco Becht had a career-high four passing touchdowns before exiting the game early in the third quarter. Koby Howard had the breakout performance that Nittany Lion fans have been waiting for, catching six passes for 161 yards and a touchdown. The Penn State defense swarmed Marshall all game long, with Caleb Bacon among the top performers with four TFLs in a game where he seemed to nearly always find himself in the Herd backfield.
Temple also began the season on a winning note on Saturday, taking down Rhode Island 38-14. Former Penn State quarterback Jaxon Smolik was four-of-six passing for 57 yards and a touchdown for the Owls, while running back Keveun Mason had 192 yards from scrimmage and two scores.
Penn State will visit Temple for its first road game of the season on Saturday. Kickoff is set for noon with the game airing on ESPN2.

#temple #yards #marshall #nittany

Sunderland boss Regis le Bris, speaking to BBC Sport: "I was really happy and pleased with our first half. It was probably one of our best first halves in the Premier League so far because Brentford are a really good team at home. But you have to be clinical.
"We dominated the ball and had a good bit of possession. It's a bit of a shame to concede the goal when we di. But the lads stayed connected. It was good for the substitutes because when they came on they were good and gave us extra drive."
On Dan Ballard's disallowed goal: "It's always tough. We respect the decision."
On Wilson Isidor's contribution after coming on: "The depth of the squad is getting better, we can feel it. It is positive for the future."
On Kevin Danso's debut: "He brings authority and physicality. In this league, if you don't have this quality, it's hard to manage long **** ."

#goal #regis

The 2026 college football season is underway, and the Oklahoma Sooners will kick things off at home on Friday night against the UTEP Miners. OU's roster has been mostly set since the transfer portal madness died down in January, but the madness of eligibility lawsuits in college football has given the Sooners the opportunity to make some very last-minute additions to their roster.
According to multiple reports, former Boise State defensive lineman Braxton Fely has been granted a temporary restraining order against the NCAA. That TRO allows him to enter the transfer portal and play this season.
Fely was invited to an NFL minicamp, but he never signed an NFL contract. He plans to transfer to and play for Oklahoma in 2026. Fely spent four seasons with the Broncos. He was listed at 6-foot-1 and 296 pounds last season, and he was a starter at defensive tackle for Boise State. Fely was a second-team all-conference player for each of the last two years, and was a starter for three straight years.
Of course, Fely's status still depends on a preliminary injunction hearing, a process college football fans have become all too familiar with this offseason. The same goes for defensive lineman and incoming Arkansas transfer Danny Saili, who had an update in his case on Thursday as well. Saili committed to OU out of the transfer portal in August, having never pursued the NFL.
According to multiple reports, Saili was also granted a temporary restraining order on Thursday in a separate ruling from Fely's case. His situation is also pending a preliminary injunction hearing. However, Saili now appears on OU's official roster, and head coach Brent Venables stated that he is on the team and practicing. Saili has been allowed to go through team activities, but not play, at least until he was ruled eligible to play.

#saili #fely #play #college

As you get set to potentially shuffle your FPL squad ahead of Matchweek Three of the 2026/27 Premier League season, we thought it'd be worth letting you know the prices of our newest signings.
Enzo Fernández and Iliman Ndiaye arrived on deadline day and followed in the footsteps of Elliot Anderson, Gerónimo Rulli, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Allan Elias in linking up with Enzo Maresca's first team squad.
In terms of their prices ahead of the weekend, of our newest stars Fernández is £6.9m while Ndiaye is £6.0m.
As for the other new recruits this season – Anderson is £6.4m, Rulli is £5.0m, Bouaddi is £5.5m and Allan is £6.0m.
In FPL, you start with a budget of £100 million to select a squad of 15 players: two goalkeepers, five defenders, five midfielders, and three forwards. You can only pick three players per club – meaning only three of your favourite Blues in your selection.

#three #enzo #rulli #ahead

Newcastle United have signed forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo from Lille for an initial £51.4m.
Fernandez-Pardo flew into Tyneside on Monday night to have a medical and sign a long-term contract.
The 21-year-old said he was "very proud to be at such a big club" following talks with head coach Matthias Jaissle.
"He really showed how much he wanted me to be here," the Belgium international said.
"In terms of my own career progression, it made complete sense to come so I didn't hesitate at all.

#jaissle

National League
Eastleigh 1 - 1 Aldershot Town FT
Aaron Blair scored a stoppage-time equaliser as Eastleigh ******* ed a 1-1 draw with Aldershot in the National League.
Blair pounced on a mistake to tuck home in the fourth minute of added time to cancel out Tristan Abrahams' 75th-minute free-kick at the Silverlake Stadium.
Marcus Dinanga had a couple of opportunities for the Shots in the first half and Nino Adom-Malaki forced a save from Nick Townsend.

#national #minute #town

Despite his late fears, the high-school substitute teacher and real estate agent from Ohio made it.
There was also the expected stash of Zach Charbonnet on an injury list as he continues to train.
A chess move with former All-Pro Trevon Diggs, plus five other veterans, who just got cut. For now.
And a wait for Terrion Arnold to eventually, maybe come off on a special list set by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
The defending Super Bowl-champion Seahawks set their initial, 53-man roster for the regular season Sunday — with general manager John Schneider doing his characteristically advanced roster gymnastics and practice-squad maneuvering to treat his roster more like a 70-man team for 2026.

#zach #charbonnet #trevon

A trip to Dublin, Ireland, was all it took to get Bill Belichick's second season as North Carolina coach off to a great start.
The Tar Heels faced TCU on Saturday and came in as an underdog. That didn't matter as they thwarted the Horned Frogs, 15-10.
Belichick was 4-8 in his first season in Chapel Hill, causing a ton of criticism and people scoffing at his decision to take on a college job.
In the 2026 season opener, Billy Edwards threw for 232 yards in the victory. The win was sealed when TCU jumped offsides late in the game.
A year ago, the Horned Frogs came into Chapel Hill and ruined Belichick's debut, 48-14.

#chapel #dublin #north

Fabrizio Romano has ******* ured Manchester United fans that the club are still actively doing their utmost to bring in a left-back before the transfer deadline.
Having completed the much-needed midfield rebuild, INEOS have now turned their attention to bolstering Michael Carrick's backline.
(Photo via MUFCMpb)
However, after shelling out £148 million upfront for the arrivals of Andrey Santos (£48m), Carlos Baleba (£65m) and Youri Tielemans (£35m), the budget is limited in these final days.
The Reds have accepted that a deal for first-choice target Lewis Hall is not feasible this summer, partly due to the fee he would command, but primarily because of Newcastle United deeming him off-limits.

#romano #santos

Los Angeles Sparks center Cameron Brink minced no words while sharing her feelings about former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom.
"I don't even know what the (expletive) his name is – Enes Kanter – he's a stupid piece of (expletive)," Brink said on Aug. 24 ahead of a matchup with the Atlanta Dream. "And I think a lot of people think that, and I think he's just trying to stay relevant."
Brink's words came Aug. 24, a day after Kanter Freedom was removed from an Indiana Fever-Chicago Sky game after he and Sky guard Natasha Cloud exchanged words. A former NBA player, Kanter Freedom on Aug. 7 declared himself eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft, saying he identifies as a woman. He was sitting courtside at Wintrust Arena in a T-shirt that said: "WOMAN noun. adult human female."
Cloud approached Kanter Freedom when a timeout was called with 1:22 remaining in the third quarter. He stood up, arms outstretched and approached the court, stepping over photographers on the floor. Cloud was held back by teammates, and Kanter Freedom was quickly surrounded by security. He was eventually escorted out.
Kanter Freedom has been outspoken about the current transgender athlete conversation surrounding the WNBA. An openly trans woman has never played in the WNBA.

#WNBA #words #enes #former

A piece of NBA history donned by Michael Jordan in the 1998 Finals against the Utah Jazz is set to hit auction next month. A game-worn jersey sported by Jordan in game three at the United Center is expected to reach an eight-figure price tag while on auction from September 15 to September 29.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: A game-worn jersey sported by Jordan in game three at …

#jordan #finals

Catastrophe, capitulation, calamity.
All applicable, all too familiar, all can be levied at Celtic after their Champions League qualification blunder away to LASK.
A night that started full of hope and optimism as Celtic edged four goals clear on aggregate after 21 minutes ended in deep humiliation in a 5-4 aggregate defeat after extra time.
At the same stage last season, their disastrous loss to Kairat Almaty ultimately cast a long shadow over their season and was the nexus point for an overflow of negative fan sentiment towards the club.
Here's how Celtic's nightmare evening unfolded.

#catastrophe

Jeff Teague sees the Miami Heat as a better contender than the Philadelphia 76ers originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The 2026 offseason has been quite eventful for most Eastern Conference teams. At the start of the offseason, the Miami Heat made a big splash by finally trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo. As the superstar for the Heat, he has improved their chances of succeeding.
Now, the Philadelphia 76ers may have usurped them with the signing of LeBron James and the trade for Jaylen Brown. Despite that, there are people who believe the Heat are the top team, especially with the latest addition of Klay Thompson.
Of course, the Eastern Conference goes beyond the 76ers and the Heat because they also have the defending champions, the New York Knicks. For a lot of people, the Knicks are the favorites, especially with the winning pedigree they now have.
For former All-Star guard Jeff Teague, he believes that the Heat are ready to compete with the other two teams. In fact, he believes that the Heat are the better team compared to the projected rivals they are having in the Eastern Conference.

#heat #eastern #better

With five of the six Buss siblings looking to sell their 17.8% stake in the Los Angeles Lakers to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger just 10 months after selling their majority stake to Mark Walter, it is unknown exactly who will be in charge of the storied franchise.
Jeanie Buss, who is the team's governor, is the one Buss sibling opposed to selling that minority share. If the Buss family sells its portion, she will lose her position as governor. Earlier this month, Walter agreed to sell his majority share to Kushner and Iger, and that sale is expected to become official within several weeks.
According to a report by Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal, NBA commissioner Adam Silver is expected to step in and help find some sort of solution to the Lakers' ownership saga.
"The Lakers' situation isn't as clear cut, with sources believing Commissioner Adam Silver -- who has always been close with Jeanie Buss -- will try to help smooth over the Buss family chaos."
If Silver does step in, it is unclear what that would entail. There have been other NBA franchises sold in recent months, and the new owners of those teams haven't necessarily been better than the previous owners. For example, Thomas Dundon, who bought the Portland Trail Blazers last year, has taken very aggressive measures to cut costs, while the Celtics traded away five-time All-Star Jaylen Brown earlier this summer under the new ownership regime of William Chisholm and Aditya Mittal.

#silver #iger

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Right-hander Casey Mize of the San Diego Padres left Saturday night's game against the Minnesota Twins with a sprained right ankle with two outs in the third inning.
Mize, acquired from Detroit on Aug. 3, allowed three solo home runs in the first two innings. He apparently slipped going down the steps into the dugout after the top of the second.
Mize was checked by a trainer and manager Craig Stammen after throwing his warmup pitches in the third and stayed in the game. He got two outs and allowed a double by Ryan Jeffers before being lifted for Kyle Hart.
Mize allowed a leadoff homer to Luke Keaschall and then consecutive homers by Brooks Lee and rookie Kaelen Culpepper with two outs in the second.
The Padres entered the night holding the National League's third wild-card spot.

#diego

What channel is Cardinals vs. Cowboys on today? Time, TV schedule, live stream to watch NFL Week 2 preseason game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Cardinals will be short-handed when they take the field for Week 2 of the preseason.
Arizona entered the preliminary season with high hopes, buoyed by newcomer Jeremiyah Love's dancing feet and an impressive Hall of Fame Game performance by Carson Beck.
Things have soured for Arizona in recent weeks, however. Beck is day-to-day with a rib injury, while Love will miss the remainder of preseason due to a high ankle sprain. Fellow first-years Chase Bisontis and Kaleb Proctor suffered season-ending injuries, adding to the heartbreak.
Mike LaFleur's side will look for signs of positivity when it takes on the Cowboys — and their high-profile rookie, Caleb Downs — in Week 2. Dallas secured a 17-7 win over the Seahawks in Week 1, benefitting from strong displays by Joe Milton III, Sam Howell and Camden Brown.

#week #high #cardinals #cowboys

Chris Haynes: Dallas Mavericks announce they have reached a buyout agreement with sharpshooter Klay Thompson, making him an unrestricted free agent.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Mavericks reach buyout agreement with Klay Thompson to make him unrestricted free agent

#mavericks #thompson #unrestricted #free

High school football programs across Rhode Island hit the practice fields this week as the fall high school sports season officially opened on Monday, Aug. 17.
The Providence Journal has been getting our reps in, too, as we criss-crossed Rhode Island to capture the images of high school football practices from Woonsocket to Westerly. We're still at it, and will be visiting more practice fields this weekend, but here's a quick roundup of where our photographers have been so far.
More: New coach takes over after controversial football season in Smithfield

#fields

Brian Schottenheimer identifies two major Cowboys concerns originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Dallas Cowboys won their preseason opener, but Brian Schottenheimer found two areas that failed to meet his standard. Dallas defeated the Seattle Seahawks 17-7 behind an impressive defensive performance. The Cowboys allowed only 76 total yards over Seattle's final seven possessions and received multiple encouraging contributions from players competing for roster spots.
Schottenheimer still was not pleased with the special teams or the offensive line. The Cowboys allowed 144 yards on six combined kickoff and punt returns. Seattle's average offensive possession began at its own 42-yard line, repeatedly creating difficult situations for the Dallas defense.
"Our mantra is get back to basics," Schottenheimer said. "Got to pay more attention to detail. Very, very disappointed in how we lost contain. Very disappointed in how we gave up kick-side leverage."
Schottenheimer also criticized the communication from Dallas' coverage units.

#brian #sporting #line #disappointed

The Oklahoma Sooners could have one of the most improved offenses in college football in 2026. A team that finished No. 93 in the nation in scoring offense will have a better offensive line and improved play from quarterback John Mateer, simply because he's healthier. But the Sooners have a deeper wide receiver corps this season.
Oklahoma made upgrades through the transfer portal with the additions of Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone, but they have talent developing on the depth chart in 2025 signees Manny Choice and Elijah Thomas. With a week left in fall camp, it sounds like Thomas, a former four-star prospect out of Checotah, Okla., is turning heads.
"...shoot made in the lab," veteran wide receiver Isaiah Sategna said after practice on Tuesday. "He, I mean, yoked up (strong), super fast, you know. And like I said, with the young guys, you know, we just gotta work the details, you know."
Elijah Thomas' athleticism and big-play ability earned him four-star status coming out of high school. As a true freshman, he didn't get many opportunities on offense, but he was a standout special teams performer. He's parlayed that work, along with the absence of Harris and Livingstone in spring ball, into opportunities with the first-team offense during training camp. Thomas is creating buzz and could be a player for the Sooners this fall.
When Teddy Lehman and Gabe Ikard were discussing what stood out to them on The Oklahoma Breakdown at fall camp from the skill positions, Ikard immediately said Thomas.

#livingstone

The Washington Commanders are back on the practice fields of Ashburn for Day 12 of training camp. The team hosted the Miami Dolphins on Friday night, and have only been doing walk through. That changes today with the team preparing to visit the Lions on Saturday afternoon. There won't be any joint practices in Detroit, so expect more pads this week as the team continues to evaluate the roster and settle position battles.
Hogs Haven will be covering everything over the next month as we prepare for the new season!

#team #Commanders #dolphins

PITTSBURGH – The Detroit Tigers miss Riley Greene, as anyone who is breathing will tell you – including manager A.J. Hinch, who feels the left-fielder's absence as he makes his lineup card out every day.
"You notice it because he's a tremendous player and because he plays every single day," Hinch said Monday, Aug. 17, "he's a mainstay in the middle of our order. He's definitely missed. Like a lot of teams, when you lose a mainstay, you feel it."
The loss is even more acute, he pointed out, when the Tigers face a string of right-handed starters, as they will at PNC Park on Monday-Wednesday. Greene doesn't just provide power, he provides protection as a lefty. His absence isn't why Kevin McGonigle and Dillon Dingler have been scuffling lately – especially Dingler, who went 1-for-34 before doubling against the White Sox on Sunday.

#hinch #Monday #every