AUSTIN, Texas — On Thursday, on the eve of a heavyweight clash between No. 1 Texas and No. 5 Georgia, Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian was asked what it would take for him to change quarterbacks mid-game from Quinn Ewers to Arch Manning. The coach quickly dismissed the question, saying, “I’m …
Read More »For Juan Soto, the thrill of the hunt captures a pennant for the Yankees
CLEVELAND — The joy of watching Juan Soto is that he shows you how much he loves baseball. He knows precisely how to unleash his greatness, and though he’s eager to display it, he’s willing to wait. He won’t always succeed, because baseball doesn’t work that way. But he seems …
Read More »NFL Week 7 top storylines: A Super Bowl rematch and Lions-Vikings NFC North battle
Week 7 of the NFL season kicked off with great intrigue on Thursday. Sean Payton made his return to New Orleans, the city where he coached for 15 seasons and guided the Saints to their lone Super Bowl victory in February 2010. Payton’s new team, the Denver Broncos, blew out …
Read More »Mandel’s Final Thoughts: Kirby Smart’s Georgia defense unleashes havoc on Texas offense
And now, 20 Final Thoughts from a college football weekend filled with wild comebacks, big-time performances and one heck of a mess to clean up off the field in Austin. 1. All the gentlemen who made picks on ESPN’s “College GameDay” set Saturday morning said No. 1 Texas would beat …
Read More »The tragic death of George Baldock in Greece: Loss and confusion after ‘one of the darkest days’
At Astakos restaurant in Glyfada, on the edge of the promenade in this quiet Athens suburb, a waiter is busy laying the tables for lunch. It’s Saturday morning, shortly before midday, and the sun is breaking through the clouds as a steady stream of people stroll by on the seafront. …
Read More »USC has invested heavily in Lincoln Riley and his staff. Where are the results?
Lincoln Riley is the fourth-highest-paid coach in college football, according to USA Today’s database. It’s a pretty safe bet to assume USC is in the top 10 — and probably closer to the top five — in assistant coach salaries. Theoretically, the return for that sort of pay should be …
Read More »Wild Tennessee rivalry win against Alabama puts Tide in perilous Playoff bubble position
By Kennington Smith III, Joe Rexrode and David Ubben KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 11 Tennessee earned a statement 24-17 win on Saturday against No. 7 Alabama, dealing another blow to its rival’s College Football Playoff hopes in the Crimson Tide’s first season under Kalen DeBoer. After a stagnant first half …
Read More »Russini’s what I’m hearing: Wilson over Fields? Steelers QB shocker; Tua return date set
In the aftermath of his heated exchange with local radio hosts, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has succeeded in one thing: deflection. Despite the team’s blowout loss on his 82nd birthday, Jones has completely taken the heat off his players and coaching staff during their bye week. It’s been all …
Read More »The Blowout Series: Mets-Dodgers is bonkers baseball, an NLCS filled with runaway wins
NEW YORK — Welcome to one of the strangest postseason series ever played. Can we just call it The Blowout Series? Every day, you think this National League Championship Series is due for a breathtaking October classic. Then you look up at the scoreboard, and it’s 10-2 in the fourth …
Read More »What to expect in Game 5 of the unpredictable WNBA Finals between the Liberty and Lynx
MINNEAPOLIS — Cheryl Reeve is familiar with what the hours leading up to Sunday night will bring. The Minnesota Lynx coach has participated in five of the last seven Game 5s in the WNBA Finals. Each of her three assistants was with her for at least one of those contests, …
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