Baseball: Weekly updates. Season ends Oct 1. CA wins LLWS.
Basketball: Bronny is (close to being +) back.
Football: Week 0 updates! ACC rumors. ASU bowl ban. NFL season next week.
Golf: Hovland wins FedEx Cup.
Motorsports: Busch retires.
Olympic Sports: Lots of T&F as worlds ends. Biles takes 8th US Nationals.
Tennis: US Open begins
Baseball – MLB:
- This week’s updates: We start Monday with an improbable in-park HR by Phillies star Bryce Harper and P Nola had a strong 7 innings to win 10-4. Anytime there is an in-park HR, we have to say it! The Mariners take their 7th and 8th win by beating the White Sox 14-2 on Monday and 6-3 Tuesday but fall to them to end the streak on Wednesday in extra innings. The Diamondbacks upset the Rangers in the 11th inning with a big 2-run double after a lackluster first 8 innings. Padres Ha-Seong Kim had a killer day with a grand slam, double, stole 3rd and scored 2xs to beat the Marlins 6-2. The Blue Jays upset the Orioles scoring 3 runs in the 10th. The Yankees lost their 9th straight game to the Nationals on Tuesday for the first time since 1982. That would be their last loss though as the beat the Washington team the next day to put that ugly streak behind them. Rays SS Basabe had his first major league HR and it’s a Grand slam to put the Rockies away 12-4. They would need an extra inning to beat them the next day though. The Red Sox needed their 3-run HR in the 10th to beat the Astros on Wed. Ohtani had his 44th HR against the Reds but left the mound early and therefore they lost 9-4. He will not pitch again this season. The Diamondbacks have 6 straight wins including putting away the Rangers. That streak would end Saturday in the 11th inning against the Reds.
- The Rangers lost 8 in a row to drop out of first place in AL West with the Mariners. Braves P Strider becomes the first to get to 15 wins after they beat the Giants on Friday 5-1. The Mariners destroyed the Royals 15-2 on Saturday. The Rangers ended their losing streak by scoring 4-runs in the 9th to comeback to beat the Twins 6-2. Braves 3B Austin Riley hit his 30th HR of the season to help the Braves put up 7 against the Giants. The Padres end the week with 8 wins in a row after sweeping the Rangers, Twins (2) and Padres. Astros P Verlander faced former Tigers team and put on a show; they won 17-4. The Mets beat the Angels 3-2 on Sunday to stop their 4 game skid. On the same note, the Rockies stop their 6-game losing streak beating the Orioles 4-3. The Guardians upset the Blue Jays winning 10-7 in the 11th. Marlins DH Jorge Soler hit his 35th HR in the Marlins win over the Nationals in a close one 2-1. Just when you think I was done with Rangers news, their game vs Twins on Sunday was a marathon going 13 innings. The Twins came back to win 7-6 after being down 5 runs.
- The end of the season is scheduled to be October 1 so we are coming to the end of the season and that means we should start seeing playoffs clinched and competitions for wild card spots. No one has clinched yet but we do have 4 teams over the 80 win mark: (AL) Orioles and Rays, (NL) Braves and Dodgers.
- California won the LLWS over Curacao with a walk-off HR.
Basketball – NBA:
- An update on Bronny James, it appears that when he suffered cardiac arrest due to a congenital heart defect that has been identified at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. This doesn’t tell us a ton as that term is very general meaning an abnormality of the heart structure present from birth that led to unusual development. He is expected back soon!
Football:
- It is finally here yall! Week 0 was great and all but 7 games doesn’t cut it. #6 USC handled San Jose St. They pulled away in the 3Q and Caleb Williams didn’t play in the 4th. #13 Notre Dame destroys Navy in Ireland 42-3 and yes those 3 points were in the 4Q. Vanderbilt was the only other Power 5 team in action and they beat Hawaii 35-28 at home. Week 1 games start Thursday.
- Rumors are still up in the air about the realignment of the ACC taking in Cal, Stanford and SMU. SMU has said they would forgo their shares of the media rights.
- Arizona State has self-imposed a bowl ban on themselves this year to show to the NCAA that they are taking the violations during Herm Edwards seriously. Its so big of them considering they may not reach a bowl (their O/U win total currently sits at 4.5).
- No more preseason NFL football because we are getting geared up for season now. Season begins Sept 7th with the Lions at Chiefs.
Golf:
- Well the FedEx Cup is over as the TOUR Championship ended Sunday. And for the second year in a row, Scottie Scheffler went in as #1 and did not win. NOR Viktor Hovland has been playing lights out lately and this week was no different. He started the event at -8 (2nd place behind Scottie at -10) and shot -19 for a total score of -27. He won by 5 strokes over Xander Schauffle. Hovland won BMW Championship just last week to put him in prime position to take this tournament. He also won the Memorial tournament this year to bring his total PGA Tour wins to 6.
Motorsports:
- Kurt Busch officially retired on Saturday at the age of 45. He was the 2004 NASCAR champion.
Olympic Sports:
- Track & Field World Championships ended last night after 8 days of competition and man was it an appetizer for Paris 2024. We brought home 12 titles (golds) and 29 medals total. Fittingly the final world championship medal was given out to the HJ and UKR Mahuchikh won for her country.
- We had some crazy action in the W PV. USA Katie Moon and AUS Nina Kennedy were jump for jump and you could tell the heat was getting to them as both women were gassed. In a show of sportsmanship, they split the gold medal and are both World Champ. Katie for the 2nd
- We also had a tie for the American in the M Pole Vault. Christopher Nilsen tied for the bronze with AUS Kurtis Marschall. To no one’s surprise SWE Duplantis won gold and went for the WR (his own) but ultimately didn’t get it. He won with a height 4 inches lower.
- The USA got their first ever world title in the W Discus and it wasn’t the favorite and Olympic champ, Valarie Allman. It was Lagi Tausaga who PR’d to get herself into the final at 65.5m then PRs again on throw 5 with a further 4m to 69.49 to steal first place. Allman also threw 69m and got 2nd.
- JAM Shericka Jackson was not to be denied twice. She came out of the blocks ready for revenge and she got it. She beat the entire field by 0.4 seconds, the 2nd largest margin since Allyson Felix in 2005. USA Gabby Thomas got 2nd and Sha’Carri Richardson got the bronze. All 3 ran sub 22.
- Undoubtedly the break out star of this World Championships was Noah Lyles. He was a 2x WC in the 200m but wanted the fastest man title and came in trying to do the 100m/200m double. We all know what he did in the 100m and he dominated the 200m as well, winning by an easy 0.2 seconds. USA Erriyon Knighton got silver at just the age of 19. BOT Tebogo got 3rd (he was the silver medalist in the 100m). USA went 1, 3 and 5.
- Chase Ealey won gold in the W shot put with a seasons best throw for her 2nd world title. The USA swept that event in M&W for the 2nd
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- Big upsets:
- JAM Watson won the M 400m – becoming the first JAM in the top spot in the lap race for the first time since 1983, the year of the first world championships. The favorite in the event went down in the semifinals with a cramp.
- JAM Williams won the W 100h. She was the 2015 world champion but was not expected to win here against a stacked field. She is only the 4th ever 2x World Champ. PR Comancho-Quin for silver and USA Kennie Harrison got bronze.
- USA Athing Mu hadn’t lost an 800m final in years and never as a pro until Sunday. She had taken some time off and we have had back-to-back-to-back years of worlds and Olympics and she still looked at ease during the rounds. But she had nothing left when KEN and GBR challenged at the end of the race. We had 3 in the final and only came home with the bronze.
- Big upsets:
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- The USA swept the 4x100m Relays for the first time since 2007. The men looked great with less than solid passes but all in the exchange zones and got it in Lyle’s hands for the final 100m and it was over. They beat ITA and JAM. The women had solid passes and set a championship record with their time. Sha’Carri was the anchor and had to hold off Shericka Jackson (again) but managed it. JAM and GBR round out the podium. 3 teams either DNF or were DQ’d.
- The USA men also took the 4x400m Relay by a full 1.14seconds over FRA and GBR. India also made their first final in the event ever and are guaranteed a spot in the Olympics because of it. They finished 5th. The women’s was a tale of two women. USA Hughes was the hero of the Mixed 4×400, beating NED Femke Bol at the line (who fell). However it was Hughes who was the downfall of the women’s team. The women got DQ’d in the prelims after they exchanged the baton outside the exchange zone. Fittingly, Femke Bol ran down JAM who had led the whole race to get their first World title in the event for NED then JAM and GBR for the women.
- Other USA medals: JuVaughn Harrison (Silver) M HJ, Rai Benjamin (bronze) M 400h, Janee Kassanvoid and DeAnna Price (silver & bronze) W Hammer, Quincy Hall (bronze) M 400m, Shamier Little (Silver) 400h,
- Stories from other countries: First world championship for CAN in 800m for Arop. First medal in T&F for PAK in the M Jav (silver). First World championship for India (M Jav). KEN Faith Kipyegon 3-pats in the W 1500m. CAN had a great world championships, coming home with 4 titles and 6 medals. The most they had before this was 2!
- No USA on the podium: the M 800m, M&W Marathon, M&W 1500m, M&W 5000m, M&W 3000m Steeplechase, W 400m, M&W Racewalks, M LJ, W TJ, M Jav, Decathlon,
- No USA in the final: M Jav and W 4x400m relay.
- Simone Biles won her 8th US Nationals title, which is the most of any gymnast ever man or woman. The competition was fierce with 58 world and Olympic medals between the women including Suni Lee and Jordan Chiles (although she fell on 2 separate apparatuses). Biles still won by 3.9 points. World Championships will be in Belgium Sept 30 – Oct 8th.
Tennis:
- US Open begins today! Alcaraz and Swiatek are defending champs and are both currently ranked #1 still.
What to watch this week
Baseball – MLB:
- Mon 8/28
- Pirates at Royals @ 7:10pm on FS1
- Javier vs Sale
- Pirates at Royals @ 7:10pm on FS1
- Sat 9/2
- Twins at Rangers – or – Phillies at Brewers @ 6:15pm on FOX
- Sun 9/3
- Phillies at Brewers @ 12:05pm on Peacock
- Yankees at Astros @ 6pm on ESPN
- Mon 9/4
- Orioles at Angels @ 8:38pm on FS1
- Rodriguez vs Giolito
- Orioles at Angels @ 8:38pm on FS1
Football-NCAAF:
Football-NFL:
| Top 25 | |||||
| Week 1 | |||||
| Top 25 Games | |||||
| Visitor | Home | Day | Time (CT) | TV | Line |
| Florida | 14. Utah | Thurs 8/31 | 7:00 PM | ESPN | +6.5 |
| Colorado | 17. TCU | Sat 9/2 | 11:00 AM | FOX | +20.5 |
| 21. UNC | South Carolina | Sat 9/2 | 6:30 PM | ABC | -2.5 |
| 5. LSU | 8. Florida St | Sun 9/3 | 6:30 PM | ABC | -2.5 |
| *GameDay indicated in bold* | |||||
Motorsports:
- Sun 9/3
- F1: Italian GP @ 8am on ESPN
- MotoGP: ESP GP @ 12:30pm on NBC
Soccer:
- Fri 9/1
- Premier League: Luton Town vs West Ham @ 2pm on USA
- Sat 9/2
- Premier League: SheffieldU vs Everton @ 6:30am on USA
- Premier League: Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest @ 9am on USA
- Premier League: Brighton & Hove vs Newcastle @ 11:30am on NBC
- Sun 9/3
- Premier League: Liverpool vs Aston Villa @ 8am on USA
- Premier League: Teams TBA @ 10:30am on NBC
- MLS: NY Red Bulls vs Phili Union @ 6:30pm on FS1
Tennis:
- Mon 8/28
- US Open – Round 1 @ 6pm on ESPN
- Tues 8/29
- US Open – Round 1
- @ 11am on ESPN
- @ 6pm on ESPN
- US Open – Round 1
- Wed 8/30
- US Open – Round 2
- @ 11am on ESPN
- @ 6pm on ESPN
- US Open – Round 2
- Thurs 8/31
- US Open – Round 2
- @ 11am on ESPN
- @ 6pm on ESPN
- US Open – Round 2
- Fri 9/1
- US Open – Round 3
- @ 11am on ESPN
- @ 5pm on ESPN2
- US Open – Round 3
- Sat 9/2
- US Open – Round 3
- @ 11am on ESPN2
- @ 6pm on ESPN2
- US Open – Round 3
- Sun 9/3
- US Open – Round of 16
- @ 10am on ESPN
- @ 5pm on ESPN2
- US Open – Round of 16
- Mon 9/4
- US Open – Round of 16
- @ 10am on ESPN
- @ 6pm on ESPN2
- US Open – Round of 16
