BOSTON - AUGUST 12: Ailing NESN Red Sox color commentator Jerry Remy was in the booth with Don Orsillo and Dennis Eckersley during the top of the second inning of tonight's Red Sox game against the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park. Here he acknowledges the cheers of the crowd below. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
Like Elaine Benes trying to become a submarine captain, I spent much of my winter eating a lot of bad sandwiches watching a lot of old NESN footage to uncover some gems from past broadcasts. I wanted the Pokey Leap from 2004, but also found That Catch Coco Made. And that wasn’t all. There were a few more things in the archives I want to share.
With the Red Sox off for the All-Star break what is even on NESN? Here was yesterday’s schedule:
I guess the big feature is Boston’s Entered the Chat. And a rerun of a game from 2005. Actually, that’s kinda fun, I was at that game. In addition to a Trot inside-the-parker, it was started by David Wells! Remember The Wells era?
But there used to be more. The mid-2000s were peak NESN custom programming. Think Sox Appeal. Well maybe not that. But think The Remys. Or documentaries. I’ve found NESN to be really hit or miss over the years. Does anyone watch the restaurant show? Or even their talk show? I honestly don’t know. But maybe people should and it will encourage more weird and wonderful stuff like the Spaceman piece. That was even released on DVD!
Or what about a musical number?
You’ve heard of Go Cubs Go? What about Go Red Sox!
It’s no Dirty Water or Tessie but honestly what is?
This might have been hit with a cease & desist for copyright infringement, but hopefully is still up and playing. It’s weird and I didn’t remember it at all when it came on during a game.
How about a goofy PSA with Big Papi and the mayor? Actually this is something we do see, if not as ads but over social media. There is something about Menino and Ortiz though. Maybe it’s all nostalgia, but the ad is just weird. And he gave us the “rolling rally” so who can ever forget Menino when he is the guy who created the Duck Boat parade we’ve enjoyed so many times?
The All-Star Game had a whole segment about baseball and nostalgia. Pedro’s on the mound. Baseball isn’t gone. It’s still here. And NESN is still around. But there is something missing from the time when NESN really did take some bigger swings at content. The Dave O’Brien or the Middlebrooks awards? Maybe it’s time to try again. Maybe that time will come when Payton Tolle has retired many, many years from now and is a broadcaster.
If you could get a show on the air at NESN what would it be? A special? A game show? Red Sox themed Bob Ross-style painting?
This year's NHL schedule will feature 84 games. Per the league, "This change allows the league to establish a more balanced scheduling matrix where every team plays its division rivals exactly four times."
The exact breakdown of how a team's 84-game regular season is structured includes:
Divisional Games (28 games): 4 games against each of the other 7 teams in your own division (2 home, 2 away).
Conference Games (24 games): 3 games against each of the 8 teams in the other division within your same conference (alternating home/away balance yearly).
Inter-Conference Games (32 games): 2 games against all 16 teams from the opposing conference (1 home, 1 away), ensuring every team visits every arena at least once per year.
Important Dates for the CBJ
October 1, 2026 - Home Opener/Season Opener against the Buffalo Sabres
CBJ play 7 of first 9 games at home.
12 Saturday home games.
2 Sunday Home Games.
13 back-to-backs. 5-game homestand in February and March, which is a season high.
Multiple 4 game road trips will be the longest road trips.
PLAYTIME'S ABOUT TO BEGIN, THE 2026-27 SCHEDULE IS HERE!
No more make-believe! The season comes alive on October 1st 💥 Download the full schedule now at https://t.co/vIc4cAAqaG
Düsseldorf, Germany: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Ottawa Senators (Dec. 18 & 20, 2026).
The CBJ still have lots of business to take care of from now until October 1st. Don Waddell has players to sign and a farm team to stock.
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Jul 6, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) warming up before the game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
When MLB decided to feature Phillies vs. Mets as the featured second half opening night game, they probably thought they be featuring two teams vying for control of the National League East. I suppose in baseball, a .500 batting average is pretty good.
It’s possible that the Mets have a miracle run in them and can get back into playoff position, but historically, the miracle runs have gone against the Mets, not for them. They are basically reduced to spoilers for the other teams contending for the division lead, and the Phillies would do well to make sure that they aren’t the team that gets spoiled.
Opposition research: Francisco Lindor
At least the Phillies aren’t the only team whose highly paid would-be star shortstop is struggling. One of the reasons the Mets have had such a disastrous season is because one of their franchise players is having a disastrous season. (Although he’s certainly not alone!)
Francisco Lindor’s bad year started in February when he required surgery on his hamate bone. While he was able to return for the start of the season, hamate injuries tend to produce lingering detrimental effects on a player’s ability to hit. Sure enough, Lindor got off to a poor start to the season, and had a .669 OPS with two home runs at the end of April when he suffered his second major injury of the year.
Juan Soto returns from a calf injury…
And then Francisco Lindor left the game with “calf tightness”.
The calf injury required a two month stay on the Injured List. If the Mets hoped that his return would provide a spark to the team, that has yet to materialize. Since returning on June 24, Lindor has a .673 OPS.
Worse, the former defensive standout hasn’t even been good in the field. He’s made multiple errors, including this one that cost the Mets a game:
Here’s the brutal error from Mets SS Francisco Lindor, one of the key reasons to the blown 2-0 lead.
It’s gotten so bad that many Mets fans are speculating what Lindor could fetch in a trade. Perhaps they’d like to do a one-for-one swap of shortstops with the Phillies?
Hating on the Mets
In 2023, my series previews compared the Phillies’ opponents to villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I really nailed it when I compared the Mets to Justin Hammer: Rich, but ultimately more of a threat to themselves than others.
It’s hilarious that the Mets spend all that money and have ended up with a team that ranks 23rd in runs scored and 18th in ERA. It’s gotten so bad that some Mets fans are openly wishing the team had matched the contract the Orioles gave to Pete Alonso.
Alonso is having a solid year in Baltimore but:
How much of a difference would Alonso have made?
The road to Hell is paved with expensive contracts given to aging, big-bodied first basemen.
Many of those same fans thought Alonso epitomized the team’s underperformance in recent years and couldn’t wait for him to leave.
This is peak hypocrisy.
The same people calling Lindor washed at 32 completely ignored those exact same red flags with Pete Alonso yet cried bloody murder that the Mets had to keep him because “he’s a Met for life.”
Last week’s answer: The losing pitcher in the first ever Phillies vs. Tigers game was former first round pick Tyler Green. SLDH was correct.
This week’s question: On April 10, 2017, what future Phillie had two home runs in a game to lead the Mets to a 4-3 at Citizens Bank Park?
Non-Phillies thought
Tuesday re-iterated that people hate “nostalgia porn” unless it happens to be things that they are personally nostalgic for. In that case, they think it’s amazing.
I’ve never seen The Sandlot, so the fifth inning fireworks/Ray Charles thing felt cheesy to me. Most of the players didn’t seem to know what they were supposed to be doing, and a few of the guys holding sparklers had a “WTF are we doing?” look on their faces. (Also, nostalgia for The Sandlot is weird, because the movie was nostalgia to begin with, so basically millennials are feeling nostalgia for a time they never actually experienced.)
During the MLB All-Star Game, they recreated the iconic Fourth of July scene from The Sandlot.
Ray Charles’ “America the Beautiful” played, kids rode bikes onto the field, fireworks went off, one of the coolest things baseball has done in a long time. pic.twitter.com/ObLhMeHekY
— Dudes Posting Their W’s (@DudespostingWs) July 15, 2026
But if you enjoyed it, great! I’m glad you were entertained by something during that snooze fest of a game.
Additional thought about the series
The Phillies have decided to give both Cristopher Sanchez and Zack Wheeler additional rest (and maybe to have them face the Dodgers), so the Mets might actually have the starting pitching advantage this series. On Thursday, Aaron Nola faces Christian Scott. Saturday has Jesus Luzardo against Sean Manaea (the one clear advantage for the Phillies), and Sunday will feature Alan Rangel vs. Nolan McLean.
There are other reasons to think this series might be a bit tricky for the Phillies: Recent editions have stumbled out of the break, and with series against the Dodgers and Yankees up next, I could see them looking past the Mets a bit. On the other hand, I thought the Phillies would sleepwalk through their final series before the break, and they ended that one by knocking around Tarik Skubal.
In other words, baseball is tough to predict. On to the second half!
Jack Kayil has impressed the Knicks with his play in Summer League.
The rookie had 19 points, three steals and four assists earlier this week against the Pistons. Kayil added 12 points and three assists in his Summer League debut last week against San Antonio.
Not bad for a 19-year-old taken with the 39th pick in the NBA Draft.
If you’re watching these games, you may be surprised by Kayil’s play so far. But those who have followed him closely overseas are not.
“With him, it’s always basketball. He has a conviction and commitment on trying to be the best possible player he can be,” said Himar Ojeda, the sporting director for Kayil’s team in Germany, Alba Berlin. “He put a lot of effort in trying to take care of himself physically, mentally – sometimes even too much for a young kid. …you know, he’s 19 and he acts like a veteran in certain routines. But that's why he's been successful.”
The Knicks obviously thought highly enough of Kayil to select him in the second round of the draft. Both Kayil and fellow rookie Tyler Nickel have impressed team personnel in Las Vegas.
If their early play in Vegas is an indication, both players could have a future with the Knicks. New York needs to find young players and sign them to team-friendly contracts in order to navigate the NBA’s second apron rules. It would be an organizational win if both Nickel and Kayil play their way on to New York’s NBA roster.
It’s only Summer League, but it seems as if the Knicks have found two promising young players in Nickel and Kayil. Can they earn a spot on the 2026-27 roster?
New York is currently $3.3 million below the second apron with 13 players and with room for one more minimum. Owner James Dolan said in June that the team would not exceed the NBA’s second apron in team salary.
New York still needs a third center. If the club signs a center to a veteran’s minimum contract, New York would not have enough room under the second apron to sign either Nickel or Kayil to a contract via the second round exception.
Entering free agency, the plan for Kayil was to spend next season with his overseas club. The Knicks can obviously alter those plans by offering him an NBA contract, but as noted above, they are limited by the second apron.
New York could offer Kayil or Nickel a two-way contract for next season. But in this scenario, New York would be prohibited from paying Kayil’s buyout from his German club. The buyout has to be executed between the player and his overseas team. The Knicks can offer Nickel a two-way contract without this limitation.
In the two-way scenario, the Knicks could convert either Kayil or Nickel to a standard contract once the pro-rated amount fits under the second apron.
Whatever happens from here, it’s safe to assume that both Nickel and Kayil will have an opportunity to play for the Knicks in the near future. For Kayil, the only question is whether he is with New York in 2026-27 or in a subsequent season.
Whenever Kayil gets his chance, the guard will come to New York with some qualities that are precursors to NBA success.
“He can play defense and he can shoot the ball. Normally, for a point guard, it limits you if you don’t have these capacities and he definitely has them,” Ojeda, who previously served as Director of International Scouting for the Atlanta Hawks, says. “He's also mature in the sense that he has been a clutch player for us this season (in Kayil’s first year in the Bundesliga, the most senior league in Germany). He’s the one that wants to have the ball in his hands and he's not afraid to take the last shot.”
Case in point: Kayil struggled early in the do-or-die Game 5 of Alba Berlin’s championship series against traditional powerhouse Bayern Munich. But he wasn’t scared to have the ball in his hands late – and he delivered. Kayil scored 10 crucial points in the last six minutes of the fourth quarter as Alba Berlin came back from down 20 points at halftime to win.
Ojeda, who has known Kayil since he was "a little kid," was impressed by Kayil’s mentality late in games.
“I've known him since he's very, very young, but this is still something that surprises me. So yeah, this is Jack Kayil,” Ojeda says. “It shows that he’s a competitor and (has) a brave mentality.
“Here, every game counts. It’s not like you can try three, four times to take the last shot (and miss the shot while expecting another opportunity). No, no. We need to win the games. Of course, maybe (you miss a big shot) one time. But it’s not as if you can take that shot three times and miss.
“So when he came back and still wanted to redeem himself and he (played well in the fourth quarter of the decisive championship game), that was a big thing.”
Kayil’s mentality was probably one of the qualities that kept him on New York’s radar ahead of the draft. If things continue to go well, it will be one of the reasons Kayil earns a bigger opportunity with the Knicks.
James has switched between the Nos. 6 and 23 throughout his long NBA career, but he returned to the latter in 2023 after the NBA retired Bill Russell’s No. 6 league-wide.
Seems like Green already has put some thought into it. Does that mean he knows something we don’t about James’ next destination? It certainly is possible.
For those interested, the last Warriors player to wear No. 5 was big man Kevon Looney from 2017-25; Marreese Speights, Baron Davis, Tim Hardaway (just during his rookie season) and Guy Rodgers are other notable players to wear that number in franchise history.
For years, Joe Sakic and Steve Yzerman were viewed as two of the greatest examples of superstar players who successfully transitioned into NHL front offices. They were Hall of Fame captains, Stanley Cup champions, Olympic gold medalists, and architects of championship-caliber teams.
Now, that comparison is over.
After the Detroit Red Wings dismissed Yzerman as general manager and executive vice president on Wednesday, Sakic is the last member of that exclusive club still standing. His legacy as both a player and executive has only grown stronger with time.
Long before he built a Stanley Cup champion from the front office, Sakic helped deliver Denver its first major professional sports championship as the face of the Avalanche.
He was the driving force behind Colorado's sweep of the Florida Panthers in the 1996 Stanley Cup Final, producing 34 points (18 goals, 16 assists) in 22 playoff games on his way to winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as postseason MVP.
As remarkable as his accomplishments were, Sakic became just as respected for the way he carried himself.
Perhaps no moment captures that better than after the Avalanche won their second Stanley Cup in 2001. Moments after NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman handed him the Stanley Cup, Sakic skipped the traditional solo celebration and immediately passed it to Ray Bourque, allowing the Hall of Fame defenseman to finally lift hockey's ultimate prize after waiting 22 NHL seasons.
That same season marked the pinnacle of Sakic's playing career.
He recorded a career-high 118 points with 54 goals and 64 assists while adding 12 game-winning goals, earning both the Hart Trophy as league MVP and the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct.
The following winter, Sakic added another defining chapter to his résumé.
He captained Canada to its first Olympic gold medal in men's hockey in 50 years at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, defeating the United States in the gold-medal game. His performance throughout the tournament earned him MVP honors.
Years later, Sakic proved his greatness wasn't limited to the ice.
As general manager, he assembled the roster that brought the Stanley Cup back to Colorado in 2022. Afterward, he handed day-to-day general manager duties to Chris MacFarland while remaining president of hockey operations before reassuming the GM role following MacFarland's departure to the Nashville Predators.
Yzerman's second act, however, unfolded much differently.
His seven-year tenure leading the Red Wings never produced a single playoff appearance. Detroit remained stuck in rebuilding mode, and this offseason even captain Dylan Larkin—a hometown star long viewed as the face of the franchise—requested a trade after years of growing frustration. The organization now finds itself searching for answers once again.
None of that diminishes what Yzerman accomplished as a player.
He remains one of the greatest captains in NHL history, leading the Red Wings from 1986 to 2006 while helping Detroit win three Stanley Cups and reach four Stanley Cup Finals during an eight-year stretch between 1995 and 2002.
As an executive, though, his résumé tells two very different stories.
During his time in Tampa Bay, Yzerman built one of the NHL's premier organizations through exceptional drafting, shrewd trades, and under-the-radar signings. He selected Andrei Vasilevskiy, Anthony Cirelli, Cal Foote, Nikita Kucherov, Ondřej Palát, and Brayden Point, signed undrafted contributors Tyler Johnson and Yanni Gourde, and acquired Erik Černák, Ryan McDonagh, and Mikhail Sergachev to form the backbone of a future dynasty.
The Lightning reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2015, and that same year Yzerman became the first general manager in franchise history to win the NHL's General Manager of the Year Award. Under his leadership, Tampa Bay also established franchise records with 50 wins, 108 points, 262 goals, and 32 home victories.
The success continued.
The Lightning captured the Atlantic Division title in 2017-18 and advanced to the Eastern Conference Final before falling to the Washington Capitals.
Then, in September 2018, Yzerman chose not to renew his contract as general manager, transitioning into a senior advisor role while assistant general manager Julien BriseBois took over.
Ironically, Yzerman wasn't the executive who ultimately watched Tampa Bay raise the Stanley Cup.
The roster he built reached three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals, winning back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021 under BriseBois.
Meanwhile, Yzerman returned to Detroit hoping to engineer a similar turnaround for the franchise where he became a legend.
Instead, the rebuild failed.
That's the unfortunate reality of professional sports.
Recency bias has a way of reshaping legacies. Younger fans won't remember Yzerman primarily as one of hockey's greatest captains or the architect who laid the groundwork for Tampa Bay's championship core. Many will remember a seven-year rebuild in Detroit that never got off the ground.
And history shows he isn't alone.
Some of the greatest players in NHL history have struggled when moving into executive roles.
Joe Nieuwendyk enjoyed a Hall of Fame-caliber playing career that included two 50-goal seasons with the Calgary Flames and a Stanley Cup championship with the Dallas Stars in 1999. But as Dallas' general manager, his four-year tenure produced three last-place finishes in the Pacific Division.
Wayne Gretzky's post-playing career followed a similar path. Widely regarded as the greatest player the sport has ever seen, Gretzky never guided the Arizona Coyotes to a playoff appearance during his time as minority owner and head coach.
That's what makes Sakic so rare.
He didn't just become a successful executive after an iconic playing career—he became one of the very best. He built a Stanley Cup champion, sustained a perennial contender, and continues to shape one of the NHL's model organizations.
Avalanche fans have never needed another reason to appreciate Joe Sakic.
But with Steve Yzerman's tenure in Detroit now over, Sakic's place in hockey history feels even more unique.
He isn't just one of the greatest players the game has ever seen.
He's one of the few who proved he could build a champion long after he stopped playing.
The Winnipeg Jets added another name to their blue line depth chart this week, signing defenseman Jack St. Ivany. The move raises an interesting question for the 26-year-old right shot heading into training camp as to if he can take the offensive flashes he showed last season and turn them into a real foothold in the NHL?
St. Ivany split last season between the Pittsburgh Penguins and their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and the results were promising at both levels. In 20 games with Pittsburgh, he recorded seven assists, showing he could move the puck and contribute offensively even against top competition.
When he was sent down to the AHL, his production picked up even more, with St. Ivany posting six points in just eight games, a near point-per-game pace that suggests there may be more offense to unlock if given a longer runway.
The right side of the Jets' defense already looks fairly settled, with Dylan DeMelo and Neal Pionk both locked into established roles. That leaves St. Ivany looking at a competition for a third pairing spot, likely against Elias Salomonsson, one of the organization's more highly regarded defensive prospects.
He could also find himself competing for a seventh defenseman role, going up against fellow offseason addition Henry Thrun for a depth spot on the roster. For St. Ivany, the path forward comes down to consistency as his NHL sample size is still fairly small, but his numbers continue to rise each season as he further adjusts to the pro game.
If he can find that consistency, he gives the Jets a legitimate option for puck moving depth on the right side. If not, he still provides organizational insurance in a group that could use it heading into a crucial season for the franchise.
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A free agency decision now appears to be imminent. The favorites to land the 41-year-old's services include familiar names like the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, but don't count out the possibility of James closing his career with a new team such as the Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves or Denver Nuggets.
As the NBA world waits for James to announce where he will write the closing chapter on his storybook career, here's the latest we're hearing on where things stand on The Decision 3.0:
LeBron James shouts out Lakers at Fanatics Fest
01:51 PM ET, July 16 2026
With his former head coach and "Mind the Game" co-host JJ Redick in attendance, LeBron took some time early in the live show to acknowledge the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Shout out my former team. I spent eight great years with the Los Angeles Lakers," he said. "… That was an unbelievable ride and I am looking forward to what comes next as I wind down my journey. It’s going to be fun wherever I land.”
LeBron James: “Shout out my former team. I spent eight great years with the Los Angeles Lakers … That was an unbelievable ride and I am looking forward to what comes next as I wind down my journey.
ESPN's Dave McMenamin is at the event and doused water on the thought we may get a decision soon. McMenamin writes the following on X.
Tyrese Haliburton attempted to ask LeBron James about his decision early on in the program and James did not bite, saying “didn’t we already talk about this in the back.” Haliburton acquiesced and said, “I’ll leave it alone.”
LeBron takes the stage
01:32 PM ET, July 16 2026, Gabe Zaldivar
LeBron James is now talking live at Fanatics Fest. We will have to wait to see if any news comes from the appearance.
LeBron James makes public appearence for "Mind the Game" podcast
01:17 PM ET, July 16 2026, Gabe Zaldivar
LeBron James is set to take the stage for his "Mind the Game" podcast at Fanatics Fest in New York City, which he is co-hosting with Tyrese Haliburton. It remains to be seen if there is any substantial free agency news to come with the event.
The Miz makes impassioned plea to James on behalf of Cleveland
01:02 PM ET, July 16 2026
During the red carpet show ahead of tonight's ESPY Awards, WWE wrestler and Ohio native The Miz made his case for James to return to the Cavaliers to bookend his career with his hometown team.
"I don't think I need to sell him," he told ESPN's Monica McNutt. "I was at the American Century Championship playing with Charles Barkley. Barkley told me ... 'There's only one move. The only move is going home to Cleveland.' Why you ask? Well, anywhere else you're chasing Michael Jordan's championships. When you go home, it's a homecoming. It's like 2016 all over again.
"Bring Draymond, bring Kyrie, bring everyone to Cleveland and get your hometown a championship once again."
Is LeBron James close choosing his next team? What we're hearing
12:46 PM ET, July 16 2026, Lorenzo Reyes
At this stage, James has all the information he needs from teams and is weighing his options, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told USA TODAY Sports.
The person spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly comment on the specifics of James’ thinking. As a result, a decision could be imminent.
James, 41, is a player who has unparalleled stature in the NBA. As such, he’s calculated and deliberate about his decision making and is able to decide his future on his own terms. James has earned that right, and he’s being intentional about his decision.
James, a 22-time All-Star and four-time champion, has played a record 23 seasons in the NBA and wants to compete for another championship.
LeBron James next team: Are Warriors favorites for the King?
12:34 PM ET, July 16 2026, Andrés Soto
Front Office Sports reported on Tuesday that several NBA front office executives expect LeBron to sign with the Warriors over the Cavs, citing the proximity to his family in Los Angeles and the on-court fit alongside Steph Curry compared to Cleveland, which has James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.
"I would be stunned if he picked a team that wasn’t Golden State or Cleveland," an anonymous Western Conference executive said in the report.
There will be no direct consequences — at least from the league — for Bam Adebayo or Tyler Herro after their altercation outside a Las Vegas casino last week.
"After discussing with the players involved and the NBPA, everyone would prefer to move on from this unfortunate circumstance, and no further action will be taken by the league," a league spokesman told Shams Charania of ESPN.
This summer, Miami traded Herro to Milwaukee as part of a package to bring Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Heat. On his way out the door, Herro allegedly used a secondary Instagram account he controls (not his official one) to send direct messages to a fan disrespecting Adebayo, reportedly including "You should get paid 60 million to be a top tier defender on some nights?"
Last week, outside the Resort World Resort, Adebayo reportedly walked up to Herro, confronted him, and the altercation got physical but was quickly broken up.
The league is officially done with this, although it will be a subplot when Miami and Milwaukee face each other this season.
New York City will be the host to this weekend's Fanatics Fest, which will bring some of the world's biggest names in sports and entertainment to the Big Apple.
Billed as the world's No. 1 fan festival, the Fanatics Fest will take place from Thursday, July 16 to Sunday, July 19 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in midtown Manhattan and will also feature the second annual Fanatics Games, in which 50 fans compete alongside celebrities for a share of a $2 million prize pool.
Most of the athletes appearing at the Fanatics Fest are already in town as the annual ESPY awards show took place at Lincoln Center on July 15. Other talent scheduled to appear include Serena Williams, Derek Jeter, Jay-Z, Shaquille O'Neal and members of the NBA champion New York Knicks.
The Fanatics Games will also be livestreamed on YouTube, featuring matchups such as Tom Brady vs. Novak Djokovic, CC Sabathia vs. David Ortiz, DJ Khaled vs. Karl-Anthony Towns, John Cena vs. Noah Lyles and Rhea Ripley vs. Rob Gronkowski. One athlete of note who will be making an appearance is NBA free agent LeBron James, who will be doing a podcast and a live taping of "The Show." It is not known whether James will announce where he will play for his 24th season during the Fanatics Fest, but inquiring minds will be tuning in case he does.
James's "Mind the Game" podcast featuring Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton is set for 1:15 p.m. ET Thursday, July 16, and "The Shop" will commence shooting at noon on July 17.
The schedule for the Fanatics Fest will feature programming across five different areas of the Javits Center, including panel discussions and podcasts.
After three straight games coming off the bench, Kylan Boswell earned his first start in the NBA Summer League. The former Illini has continued to improve throughout the summer.
Boswell finished the game with 11 points on 4-7 shooting and went 3-5 from beyond the arc. He also grabbed 7 rebounds, despite being 6-foot-1. Boswell was the second-leading rebounder in the game.
After playing 14 minutes and not scoring in his first game, Boswell has been a reliable bench piece for the Hornets. In the next game, he had 8 points, 4 boards and 7 assists in 15 minutes, while shooting a perfect 3-3. The following game, Boswell had 4 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists in 11 minutes, making two of his three shots.
There’s one more scheduled game for the Hornets Summer League squad. Boswell will likely start the season with the G-League affiliate, as he’s on a two-way contract.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JULY 09: Paul Blackburn #58 of the New York Yankees reacts following the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on July 09, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees starred in one of the most drab All-Star Games in recent memory, Cody Bellinger picking up MVP honors for his two-run single in the first while Ben Rice also drove in a run. It means we are just a day away from the second half kicking off, the Yankees starting a pivotal stretch of 66 games with a marquee series against the two-time defending champion Dodgers. Before we get to that, let’s take one last look back with our final Sequence of the Week of the first half, and Paul Blackburn’s first appearance in this series.
We join Blackburn with one out in the bottom of the eighth on Sunday, the Yankees five outs away from what looked at many points during the series like an improbable sweep of the Nationals. The late heroics by the offense was the story of that series, achieving three straight comebacks in the eighth inning or later to sweep a series for the first time since they were the Highlanders sweeping the Cleveland Naps in 1910. The bullpen is light a few arms, particularly as closer David Bendar had pitched three innings to secure saves in the previous two wins, so it’s more than likely that Blackburn will be asked to record the final six outs of this one-run game. He has already retired Curtis Mead on a popup to open the frame, the lefty already having tied the game with a pinch-hit solo home run off Tim Hill in the sixth. That brings the ever-dangerous two-time All-Star CJ Abrams to the plate, the lefty shortstop in the midst of a breakout campaign with 20 home runs before the break.
Abrams has done the lion’s share of his damage against the fastball, so it is no surprise to see Blackburn start this AB off with a curveball.
Ali Sánchez sets a target in the zone, encouraging Blackburn to make this pitch look like a strike out of the hand to fool the hitter into swinging at a pitch that will break below the zone. Blackburn achieves both objectives, making Abrams think it’s an elevated fastball, resulting in a swing that is almost a foot over the top of a pitch that pretty much ends up in the dirt.
After tricking the hitter so effectively, it’s only logical that Blackburn attempt to replicate his execution of the pitch until Abrams shows he can adjust.
Blackburn executes this pitch to a similar spot as the first one. However, it is apparent that Abrams is already beginning to make the necessary adjustment to the curve. You can see the way he delays his swing, getting his front foot down later to match the timing of the slower curve, and he drops the bat head more in anticipation of the downward break, allowing him to ground it foul.
Blackburn has two choices here following that swing. It’s clear Abrams is now hunting the curveball, so you either throw the pitch he is looking for but in an unhittable location, or you throw a different pitch type down the same tunnel to deceive the hitter into thinking it’s another curveball — think an elevated heater with the same high aiming point as those last two curveballs.
Blackburn opts for the former option, bouncing a curveball on top of home plate to see if he can get Abrams to chase for a third straight time. Abrams displays excellent pitch recognition to take this curveball given it looked like it was traveling right down the middle out of Blackburn’s hand.
Despite not getting the chase he was looking for, Blackburn opts to throw a fourth straight curveball.
The dangerous part of throwing so many breaking balls in a row is that each subsequent one needs to be a little better than the one before it to nullify the adjustment the hitter is making with repeated exposure to the pitch. Alternatively, you could try to sneak one to a location where the hitter isn’t expecting it, Blackburn attempting to back-door one for a called strike three. After seeing three straight curveballs over the plate but below the zone, Abrams is indeed fooled by this curve commanded to the corner up and away, and he’s just able to get off an emergency hack to foul off the pitch and stay alive.
After four straight curveballs, Blackburn finally picks his spot to switch things up with a changeup.
Even though he didn’t get the chase he was after, I love this pitch selection by Blackburn. It shows Abrams a secondary offering with less downward break than the curveball and a pitch that breaks away from the batter rather than toward him, meaning Abrams now can no longer automatically eliminate any pitch that starts out aimed in the region from up-and-in to middle-middle
Indeed, that changeup functioned as purely a setup pitch to boost the chase potential of the curveball.
Blackburn throws his fifth curveball of the encounter, and it is by far the best one he has thrown. It looks like a strike right down Broadway before dropping almost five feet during its path toward home, Abrams unable to check his swing in time on a pitch that lands in the dirt.
Here’s the full sequence:
I love the savvy Blackburn displayed against such a dangerous hitter. He clearly read the scouting report on Abrams’ propensity to crush the fastball, so he stuck with his two most platoon-neutral offerings in the curveball and changeup. It also helps that those two pitches have been his most effective weapons this season, the changeup holding hitters to a .105 average and .184 SLG against while the curveball has been even stingier, opponents batting just .087 and slugging .087 against the Uncle Charlie. The curveballs he threw in this encounter in particular make me excited to see him use the pitch more — in addition to his excellent command of the pitch to chase areas below the zone, it’s objectively one of the best curveballs in baseball. It sports the third-most downward drop vs. average of any curveball in MLB, allowing it to rack up a 45-percent whiff rate, 39.1-percent chase rate, and 37.1-percent put-away rate — all top-15 marks among all MLB curveballs.
It is no exaggeration to say that Blackburn has been one of the most effective pitchers in baseball over the last two months. He has pitched to the lowest ERA (1.16) in MLB since his May 16th appearance against the Mets among all pitchers with at least 30 innings pitched over that span. He has become Aaron Boone’s Swiss Army knife relief ace not dissimilar to the role Luke Weaver played in his first season with the team, though they profile very differently in terms of arsenal and pitching philosophy. My college John was one of the first people on staff to pick up on Blackburn’s surging form back in the beginning of June, and his words have proven prescient, Blackburn developing into one of the team’s most reliable relievers capable of pitching in a variety of roles.
Former Florida Panthers assistant GM and current New Jersey Devils GM Sunny Mehta continues to nab Panthers staff members, as Leo Luongo has signed with the Devils.
Luongo, the brother of Roberto Luongo, has been with the Panthers for the past 10 seasons, serving as a goaltending development coach and director of player development with the Panthers, while also serving as the director of goaltending and the head of goalie development and scouting with the Charlotte Checkers, the Panthers’ AHL affiliate.
In addition to Luongo, the Devils have added Ted Granto and A.J. MacLean as assistant coaches to work under coach Sheldon Keefe, while Dan Stewart will work as the Devils’ goaltending coach.
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Pictured above is Rob Dibble, White Sox reliever, caught in a brief moment between temper tantrums, off-color comments and blind rages. | (Photo by Ron Vesely/Getty Images)
1920 With the White Sox down to their last two outs in the ninth, trailing the Senators, 5-4, Joe Jackson capped a rally by hitting an inside-the-park grand slam past (or over) Washington center fielder Sam Rice. That score, 8-5, would hold up as a winner for the White Sox.
It was at least the sixth grand slam in White Sox history (definitive records go back only to the 1912 season), and strangely the previous two (Happy Felsch, 1916, and Eddie Collins, 1919) both broke open tie games late. Four of the six grand slams were inside-the-park.
Jackson would had a second (and final) grand slam on Sept. 11, 1920, a deep blast well out of Comiskey Park, in one of the last games of his career.
1980 Bill Veeck’s ownership syndicate accepted offers to buy the White Sox. Sox broadcaster Harry Caray was one of those expressing interest, along with millionaire Edward DeBartolo Sr. Veeck would accept DeBartolo’s offer a month later, but the deal would get nixed twice by commissioner Bowie Kuhn and the other owners. Veeckeventually sold the club to Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn in January 1981.
1990 It was one of the funniest moments in White Sox history, as utility player Steve “Psycho” Lyons made a mistake that wound up on every highlight show in the nation. In the fifth inning at Detroit, Lyonsbunted his way on, with a diving slide at first base to beat the throw. He then called time and completely blanked out as he started to drop his pants to get the dirt out of them. (Fortunately, he was wearing sliding shorts.) When he realized what he was doing, Lyons quickly yanked his pants back up and turned beet red with embarrassment.
After Lyons was forced at second base later in the inning and ran back to the dugout, female fans in the first few rows behind the Sox bench, among the 14,770 at Tiger Stadium that night, began waving dollar bills at him.
1992 With two singles in a 5-4 win over Milwaukee in 12 innings, Lance Johnson began what would become a 25-game hitting streak — at the time the third-longest in White Sox history (remaining fifth-best today).
Over the course of the streak, the White Sox went 15-10, as One Dog sprayed 43 hits (39 singles, a double and three triples) and swiped 16-of-19 bags, slashing .439/.477/.510. The amazing streak ran his batting average from .261 to .305 — no small feat 100 games into the season!
Johnson finished 1992 at a downright pedestrian .279/.318/.363, so slumps were forthcoming after this fiery run. However, taking into account his stellar defense, his final value for the season was a career-best 3.8, almost a win better than his previous best and setting the stage for a miraculously good 1993 season.
1995 The Rob Dibble experiment ended with the White Sox waiving the mercurial reliever. Dibble signed with the White Sox in 1995 after six years with Cincinnati, interrupted by a broken forearm in 1993 and rotator cuff surgery in 1994. He saw action in just 16 games with Chicago, pitching to a 6.28 ERA and 2.372 WHIP, for -0.2 WAR. He was suspended by the team at least once (criticizing 1995’s replacement players), and ironically at the end of July was picked up by the same Brewers team he threw at on June 29, getting ejected after just one pitch.
Dibble’s locker neighbor for the 15-game stint in Milwaukee that would mark the end of his career? The player he threw at back in June, Pat Listach.
2000 The astounding rise of 36th round draft pick Mark Buehrle was made complete on this day, when the southpaw was called up from Double-A Birmingham after just 36 career games in the minors (and 16 with the Barons). Buehrle was inserted into the ninth inning of an 11-5 win over the Brewers in Chicago.
Buehrle struck out the first batter he faced, José Hernández, and got a second quick out before Milwaukee touched him for a short rally and a run. Buehrle would start his next three games, then work out of the pen to finish the season. From 2001-on, Buehrle’s next 490 games in the majors were all starts, as he ran up 59.1 WAR in a career worthy of the Hall of Fame. He finished his career with 48.9 WAR with the White Sox, seventh-highest total for a pitcher in club history.
Commemorating that and more, in 2025 the White Sox placed a statue of Buerhle on the concourse at Sox Park.
2003 As the designated hitter for the St. Paul Saints (owned by Mike Veeck), Minnie Miñoso became the first player to be active in professional baseball for seven decades. Miñoso drew a walk in his only plate appearance, in independent Northern League play, at age 77.
2013 Chris Sale got the win, as the AL beat the NL, 3-0, at the All-Star Game from Citi Field in New York. Sale pitched the second and third innings, facing the minimum six batters and recording two strikeouts. His strikeout victims were Carlos González and Troy Tulowitzki. He got credit for the win when the AL took the lead and scored eventual winning run in the top of the fourth inning, when he was still the pitcher of record.
Those changes to the format didn't impress viewers at all. Last year's derby, which was broadcast on ESPN/ESPN2, was seen by 5.7 million and drew 5.5 million in 2024.
In 2003, the event on ESPN was watched by 5.2 million people.
For the next two years, if fans want to watch the Home Run Derby, they will again have to watch it on Netflix, as the streaming service paid $50 million a year to broadcast the event for three years.
