CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 26: Head coach Dave Canales of the Carolina Panthers looks on during a joint practice with the Houston Texans at Carolina Panthers Practice Fields on August 26, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Matt Kelley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
78% of Carolina Panthers fans will be disappointed in head coach Dave Canales’ decision to hold starters out of tonight preseason finale against the Houston Texans. There is always a debate between keeping your guys healthy and getting them enough experience to be ready for Week 1. Canales has always erred on the side of caution in that debate. His Panthers teams are also 2-6 in September over his first two years as a head coach.
22% of y’all agree with his decision to rest starters while another 22% want them to play a full half. 9% want more than that while a near majority, at 47% of fans, want to see the starters play the first quarter.
This data came off of a one question survey and obviously doesn’t capture a whole lot of nuance. I want to see y’all down in the comments between now and kick off arguing for your vote. If you want them to play a whole game, tell us why their experience and risk matters more than evaluating the bottom of the roster guys who are getting their last time to shine tonight. If you want to see no time at all, I want to hear why another slow start to the regular season is a worthy risk.
Sign up, scroll down, and sound off to share your opinion.
Asa Montgomery, one of the summer’s biggest risers, is taking an official visit to LSU this weekend, sources told Rivals.
The 6-foot-7 small forward out of Hillgrove High School (GA) is now ranked as the No. 15 overall recruit in the 2027 class, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking.
Montgomery, a high-four prospect, led the Nike EYCL Circuit in scoring this summer, averaging 27.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game for AOT.
In addition to the Tigers, he’s received offers Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, UConn, Louisville, Florida, Alabama, Houston, Auburn, Arkansas, Georgia, Michigan, Michigan State, and more.
Scouting Asa Montgomery + what he’s looking for in a school
Rivals National Recruiting Analyst Jamie Shaw has evaluated Montgomery multiple times in person. Here’s what he had to say about him after watching him in July:
In the most recent 2027 Rivals150 update Asa Montgomery jumped to No. 15 overall. The length and explosive 6-foot-7 forward has had as much success as anyone through the spring and summer. On Wednesday night, Montgomery was able to do whatever he wanted on the court. He showcased his handle, creating advantages for himself and his team. He knocked down multiple threes, both off the catch and the bounce. And he displayed top-level-type explosive burst finishing above the rim.
The upside remains very high with Montgomery, but with that upside comes the current level of production he is seeing. A lengthy and explosive wing with positional size and three-level scoring ability is intriguing. Especially when you also look at his defensive upside. Montgomery has been one of the steepest spring risers, and I don’t expect that to change in the coming week.
In a previous interview with Rivals, Montgomery discussed what he is looking for in a college program.
“I want to go to a family-oriented team. A tight team, and I want to play for a coach that can help me develop and who will put me in the right situations for where I am trying to go.”
Ohio State Buckeyes guard Taison Chatman (3) and forward Devin Royal (21) fight for a loose ball with USC Trojans guard Kam Woods (13) during the first half of the NCAA men's basketball game at the Schottenstein Center on Feb. 11, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
Happy Friday, and welcome to another heart-stopping, breathtaking edition of “You’re Nuts.” Specifically, this is the hoops-related version — despite college football being mere hours away, we at Land-Grant Holy Land will continue to sprinkle in the basketball-related content wherever we see fit, even during the lean, dark days of the off-season.
The Buckeyes are back on campus, and on top of that, the Ohio State men’s team made a late-summer addition to the roster in 6-foot-9 power forward Lee Aaliya. Aaliya, who turns 22 in November, has played professionally in Argentina for multiple seasons, and actually was committed to play for Juwan Howard at Michigan in 2023. That never materialized for whatever reason, with Michigan coaches citing “logistical” issues, including visa problems and friction with the University of Michigan admissions office.
Aaliya is not expected to be a “project” player or someone who will take several months to acclimate to this level of basketball. He will have an opportunity to compete for minutes right away, despite not having been with the team for summer practices or the team’s trip to Puerto Rico, where they beat two local professional teams by a combined 80 points. Aaliya is considered more of a post player who is more explosive around the rim, not around the three-point line. He will likely log some minutes at power forward and center.
Last week, Connor and Justin predicted Ohio State’s record in the non-conference portion of the schedule, since that part of the schedule has officially been published on the team’s website. The guys were pretty close, with Connor picking Ohio State to go 10-2 in those 12 games, with losses to UConn and Vanderbilt. Justin picked them to go 9-3 in those 12 games, with losses to UConn, Vanderbilt, and BYU.
Full transparency — news is slow right now in the men’s basketball world, unless you’re interested in talking about lawsuits, temporary restraining orders, and 20-something’s trying to play another season when they should probably be updating their resumes.
For that reason, we’re backing up a few months and revisiting the group of players who transferred out of Ohio State in the spring. Five guys left Ohio State — Devin Royal (Villanova), Taison Chatman (Utah), Colin White (Akron), Gabe Cupps (UIC), and Mathieu Grujicic (Radford). Which guy do you think set themselves up for the most success in their new program?
This week’s question: Which outgoing Ohio State transfer will have the most success with their new team?
Connor: Taison Chatman
Unlike the other four guys, there’s a real chance that Taison Chatman becomes one of — if not the — key player in his team’s offense. Especially after the news earlier this week that former Israeli basketball star Noam Yaacov won’t be allowed to play at Utah, this Running Utes’ roster is looking pretty bleak.
Utah went 10-22 last year overall and 2-16 in conference play, and there’s not a ton of confidence that they’ll be a whole lot better this season. Chatman projects as the starting shooting guard for Utah this season, which means in his fourth year of college basketball, the 6-foot-4 guard will finally have a wide open lane to a starting role, consistent minutes, and a large role in an offense.
Last season from January 26 onward, Chatman averaged just over 7.2 points per game while playing 21.7 minutes per game in those final 13 games. He’s a career 43.8% shooter, 42.4% from beyond the arc, and better than 80% from the free throw line.
Fair or unfair, Chatman was really never given the opportunity at Ohio State to be a featured guy. Would those shooting numbers hold steady if Chatman was taking nine shots per game instead of the three per game he took last season? That question is going to be answered this season for Chatman, because nothing will be stopping him from playing a boatload of minutes for second-year Utes coach Alex Jensen. I think Chatman is going to easily score 10 points per game this year in the Big 12, and perhaps even more if Utah finds a way to get out of the basement of their own conference.
Justin: Devin Royal
Devin Royal transferred to Villanova for his senior season after spending three seasons at Ohio State. Being a kid from Columbus and a large contributor for the Buckeyes for his career, it was a bummer to see Royal hit the transfer portal, but it wasn’t unexpected.
With the emergence of Amare Bynum last season and five-star freshman Anthony Thompson joining the team. There were two starting spots for three guys, and Royal seemed like the odd man out from the jump. He only has one season of college basketball left, and I doubt he wants to spend that coming off the bench after two years of being a starter.
Last season, Royal averaged 13.7 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game, and 1.6 assists per game. For his career, he averages 10.6 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per game in 96 games played.
Things were rocky with Ohio State a couple of times, but for the most part, Royal was great for the Buckeyes and is easily the best player who hit the portal. He will go to Villanova and likely average somewhere in between 12 and 15 points per game and could be an All-Conference type player.
Confusion was the first reaction to the TMZ item in which former Cowboys quarterback and CBS broadcaster Tony Romo accepted “full responsibility” for his recent OWI arrest in Milwaukee, in a statement issued by an unnamed spokesperson.
The same statement arrived, unsolicited, in the PFT email box.
"Reaching out as we are working with Tony Romo’s team," the email began. "Below please find a statement to be attributed to an unnamed spokesperson: 'Tony accepts full responsibility for his actions and has taken proactive steps to ensure that this isolated civil matter is properly resolved. We are working with local authorities to bring this matter to a close and we are communicating with CBS about next steps.'" (Emphasis in original.)
While we won't name the spokesperson or his firm as a courtesy, any email that suddenly lands in the PFT account without prior communication is fair game to be used on the record. The ability to speak on an off-the-record basis can't be unilaterally activated — especially when there's no prior relationship whatsoever between the person who sends the email and the person who receives it.
The bigger issue is this. How can Romo, or anyone, accept "full responsibility" by issuing a statement through an unnamed spokesperson? To accept full responsibility, the responsibility must be fully accepted. That can't happen by issuing a statement through an unnamed spokesperson.
Really, who uses an unnamed spokesperson, for anything? Romo has a spokesperson who, for whatever reason, won't attach the spokesperson's name to the statement.
If Romo wants to accept "full responsibility," he needs to conduct a press conference, issue a statement in his own name, or submit to an interview. Maybe he eventually will. For now, though, it's impossible to regard a statement from an unnamed spokesperson as the acceptance of responsibility, full or partial.
The Raiders wrapped up their preseason games on Thursday night and running back Ashton Jeanty's status will be one of the team's focal points as they turn their attention toward Week 1.
Jeanty sprained his ankle last weekend and the team has not shared much detail about the severity of the injury or the outlook for when he will be back on the field. Head coach Klint Kubiak stayed the course on that during a Friday videoconference with reporters, but he did make it clear that the team's plans include having the 2025 first-round pick in the backfield.
“Still on the mend, still working to get him back," Kubiak said. "We’ve got another week to assess how he’s gonna look going into this first game, but we’re counting on him.”
Fourth-round pick Mike Washington had a good camp and Kubiak said he will have a role once the regular season is underway, but the Raiders would prefer it to be a complementary rather than starring one.
This is another round of the biggest risers and fallers by ADP over the past week. I’ve excluded players previously written about in this series from appearing again. Otherwise, I’m forced to write about De’Zhaun Stribling and Ja’Kobi Lane every week. For last week’s article, click here. The ADP comes via DraftKings, though most sites have the same general group of players moving up and down boards.
The easiest hack for getting CLV is to simply draft free agents before they sign.
CLV, or closing line value, is the difference between what a player cost when you drafted them and what they cost in the final drafts before the season starts. Getting positive CLV usually means you made a good pick.
Like clockwork, fantasy managers see that a player who was almost certainly going to play football for another season has decided to once again play football, and said player rockets up draft boards. Allen is no exception. He joins a Colts team that just got Alec Pierce back at practice, though in a very limited capacity, and is once again without Josh Downs. Downs is dealing with a very minor injury that shouldn’t keep him out long. Still, Allen is a year-in, year-out target earner on a team in need of, at minimum, a No. 3 receiver. I have been buying Allen as he climbs up the later rounds.
Kaelon Black, RB, 49ers (+30)
Jordan James was banged up and Black looked strong in the preseason after missing some time with an injury of his own. I have the benefit of foresight versus ADP and can look at the 49ers’ preseason game from Thursday night, in which both backs played. Black got the start alongside Mac Jones, followed by James later in the game. Both backs looked good, with Black averaging seven YPC on four attempts and James posting 4.4 YPC on eight totes. James also caught a 20-yard pass. Based on the tape and the preseason usage, Black appears to be the 49ers’ RB2. This rise is warranted and won’t stop at his current 16th-round price.
Devaughn Vele, WR, Saints (+30)
Vele has been the riser corresponding with Jordyn Tyson’s fall. In last week’s article, I wrote that Week 9 looked like the most likely return date for Tyson. That gives Vele half a season to run as the Saints’ No. 2 receiver. On the downside, he wasn’t very good last year. He was targeted on 16 percent of his routes and averaged a measly 1.2 yards per route run. Juwan Johnson operated as the team’s de facto WR2 and was quite successful, finishing as the TE8. Johnson should be the biggest mover after the Tyson injury, and rookie Bryce Lance deserves some 20th-round looks as well.
Malachi Fields, WR, Giants (+21)
Fields looks locked in as the Giants’ No. 2 receiver based on his preseason usage. That shouldn’t be too surprising given that the team spent the No. 74 overall pick on him. They also lost Calvin Austin to a torn ACL. Austin was slated for slot duties while Fields is an outside receiver, but the injury could still result in a few extra targets for the rookie. The fact that the Giants will be starting a rookie and one of Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney, or Odell Beckham alongside Malik Nabers makes me want to keep buying Nabers, as he hasn’t pushed meaningfully past the 2/3 turn.
Emmett Johnson, RB, Chiefs (+18)
This one is weird. Johnson was reportedly the second running back up during practice, and Kenneth Walker is now a little banged up with an ankle issue, but we have more data than just one report from practice. The Chiefs have played two preseason games. Walker briefly appeared in both. Of the three backs contending for the backup job, Johnson is the only one who hasn’t gotten the RB2 treatment in one of those preseason contests. Johnson might be the RB2 right now, but that’s not something I would bet on.
Bonus: Travis Etienne, RB, Saints (+7)
If you look at the value of the draft picks instead of just the number, Etienne is the biggest riser who I haven’t already mentioned. Alvin Kamara is hurt and he was the main threat to Etienne seeing the bulk of the work on passing downs. At this point in his career, an injured Kamara might not even be of any use as a receiving specialist. He averaged .74 yards per route run. That was easily a career low for Kamara and was just the 49th-best mark by a running back. Etienne was at a solid 1.1 YPRR. That should still be enough to keep him on the field over Kamara if the latter isn’t fully healthy.
On August 19th, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Kamara was expected to miss “at least the next month.” That alone would keep him out for Week 1, and the “at least” in his report suggests it could be much longer than a month. The team strong-armed Kamara into taking a pay cut, likely with the threat of releasing him outright despite gaining no meaningful cap space from such a move. Now he has to board a moving train at some point beyond Week 1. Kamara is not a bet I have made much this summer and I won’t be doing so for the rest of drafting season.
Tyrone Tracy, RB, Giants (-24)
Tracy missed a block in the Giants’ first preseason game that resulted in a pass-rusher de-cleating Jaxson Dart. He was evaluated for a concussion following the hit. The team signed Najee Harris after that debacle. Then, in the team’s second preseason contest, Tracy fumbled in the red zone. Tracy entered the summer as the clear backup to Cam Skattebo, who was recovering from a catastrophic ankle injury. Skattebo seems to have recovered as well as Giants fans could hope for and Tracy may not even be the backup anymore. He’s a clear avoid in drafts, even as his price plummets.
Oronde Gadsden, TE, Chargers (-16)
Gadsden is another one of the preseason’s biggest fallers. The Chargers rested their starters in the first week of preseason action. Gadsden played with the reserves. They played the starters the following week. Gadsden did not see a snap with Herbert. He finally played alongside Herbert in Thursday night’s bout with the 49ers but was still the TE3, only seeing the field for LA’s lone 13-personnel snap. Mike McDaniel is screaming from the top of the mountain that Gadsden is a backup. He’s a player I’m willing to buy as the price continues to drop because of how impressive his rookie season was, but the fall is deserved.
Travis Hunter, WR, Jaguars (-16)
Hunter didn’t get any snaps with the offense in some practices and people are freaking out.
“With both Thomas and Meyers not practicing, the Jaguars had rookie receivers Josh Cameron and CJ Williams get reps with the 1s.”
“Travis Hunter once again spent his entire day on the defensive side of the ball. He did not get a single team rep with the offense.” https://t.co/0E6oUURJQw
I will admit, I would rather see a player I’m drafting loads of practice with the offense, but this also isn’t that surprising. The Jags have been adamant throughout the offseason that Hunter will play both ways. In some practices (and probably some games), that will entail playing exclusively on defense. Going in the 15th-round of Best Ball drafts, Hunter needs a pair of spike weeks to pay off. That’s still easily attainable, even if he spends some games playing mostly on defense.
Kyle Monangai, RB, Bears (-14)
Monangai went down with a hyperextended knee just under two weeks ago and has yet to resume practicing. Bears coach Ben Johnson has since called him week-to-week. He should be ready to go for Week 1, but that isn’t guaranteed. With a good camp, Monangai might have forced more of a true backfield by committee in Chicago, but that ship has sailed. Johnson has also been effusive in his praise of D’Andre Swift.
Johnson says D'Andre Swift's vision and execution of intended run reads have improved entering the season.
Ben Johnson: “It's the best I've seen him this time of year. You look back at a year ago, he was very explosive, and yet it takes a little while to gel between him and the… pic.twitter.com/yYwSXvkvq0
Swift is locked in for a strong workload out of the gates and could hold on to the bulk of the Bears’ touches for the entirety of the season.
Bonus: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Raiders (-7)
It’s hard for Jeanty to fall more than a dozen picks, but his seven-spot drop through the second round is a bigger value loss than almost anyone over the past week. The team hasn’t given us a clear timeline for his return, and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport could only say it was a sprain that’s “more low than high.” To make things worse, Mike Washington Jr. has looked phenomenal in the preseason. If the Raiders want to ease Jeanty’s workload early in the year, they have a guy who can handle some extra touches.
The NFL's new approach to on-field safety infractions creates a three-strike formula for player suspensions.
The process also extends potential responsibility to coaches and teams.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, fines for position coaches, coordinators, head coaches, and owners are "on the table" in connection with chronic violations by one player of various specific rules (hip-drop tackles, horse-collar tackles, launching, hits on defenseless players, and blindside blocks).
There's no specific equation for determining when, and if, responsibility would extend beyond the player. The fact that it's now available is appropriate, and overdue.
The new procedure also entails the possibility that the position coach, the coordinator, and/or the coach will be required to make with the player any trips to 345 Park Avenue arising from a string of violations.
Coaches lose nothing when players are fined for techniques that violate the rules. When the player is flagged, the team loses field position. When the player is suspended, the coach loses the player. But the coach never faces direct accountability.
Now, he does. In theory. It's unclear how it will play out, but the potential exists for direct financial punishment for coaches and teams if a player continues to violate one of the five specific rules that are included in the three-strike formula.
ANAHEIM, CA - AUGUST 26: Travis Bazzana #37 of the Cleveland Guardians runs to first base during the game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Wednesday, August 26, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Two streaking baseball teams face each other tonight in Cleveland.
9-1 in their past 10 games, the Royals are 60-75 with -81 run differential, 19th in team wRC+ at 98, tenth in baserunning runs above average at 3.1, sixth in Defense at -0.4, 19th in starting pitcher ERA at 4.34 (4.25 FIP), and 29th in bullpen ERA at 5.15 (5.20 FIP).
8-2 in their past 10 games and owners of seven-game win streak, the Guardians are 68-66 with a -4 run differential, 23rd in team wRC+ at 94, eighth in baserunning runs above average at 5.1, seventh in defense at -0.6, seventh in starting pitcher ERA at 3.84 (4.05 FIP), and seventh in bullpen ERA at 3.72 (3.78 FIP).
Keys: Get into the bullpen as soon as you can and take advantage and don’t let Witt or Caglianone beat you.
Matchups: Game One, Friday, 7:10PM ET: Wacha 3.49 ERA (4.18 FIP) vs. Bibee RHP 3.97 ERA (4.61 FIP) Game Two, Saturday, 4:10PM ET: Lynch IV (opener) 2.93 ERA (3.48 FIP) vs. Griffin LHP 3.19 ERA (4.20 FIP) Game Three, Sunday, 1:40PM ET: Lugo 4.61 ERA (4.00 FIP) vs. Messick LHP 2.50 ERA (3.08 FIP)
The Royals are led by Jac Caglianone 128 wRC+, Bobby Witt Jr. 127 wRC+, and Tyler Tolbert 123 wRC+.
The Guardians are led by Chase DeLauter 130 wRC+, Nathaniel Lowe 116 wRC+, Steven Kwan 110 wRC+, Angel Genao 108 wRC+, Austin Hedges 105 wRC+, Jose Ramirez 102 wRC+, and Travis Bazzana 102 wRC+.
The Guardians lead the season series 4-3 and need three wins in the remaining six games to secure the season win. Really need to find a way to minimize the damage that Witt and Caglianone can do and you can win this series.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - AUGUST 27: Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Las Vegas Raiders passes against the San Francisco 49ers during the second quarter of a preseason game at Allegiant Stadium on August 27, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Nothing says preseason football quite like a game with 10 field goals and no touchdowns, as the Las Vegas Raiders fell to the San Francisco 49ers 18-12. That drops the Raiders to 1-2 over the last three weeks, officially wraps up training camp, and sets up the final winners and losers before the regular season.
LOSER: Fernando Mendoza
I cut Mendoza some slack last week, but it’s hard to ignore back-to-back games with interceptions. This time, he got greedy and tried to fit a ball into a very tight window while targeting the 5-foot-11 Jalen Nailor. To be fair, Mendoza managed to get the ball over the linebacker, and a bigger/taller receiver might have been able to come down with it. But it was the wrong throw/decision for the pass-catcher he was throwing to.
Also, the Raiders’ offense operates more smoothly with Kirk Cousins behind center right now. Of course, that’s to be expected since he’s the veteran and has played in Klint Kubiak’s system before. However, that’s another strong sign that the rookie won’t be the team’s Week 1 starter, and it feels like any hopes of that ended on Thursday night.
WINNER: Mike Washington Jr.
Washington has been deserving of some recognition in the winners column but hasn’t gotten it yet. That had nothing to do with his play, though, and everything to do with the fact that he’s held down the second running back job essentially since he was drafted. But that changes because not only did the Arkansas product have another strong outing with eight carries for 49 yards (6.1 ypc), he also eased some concerns if Ashton Jeanty has to miss some time.
The rookie provided some hope that he’s capable of taking on a bigger role if needed and that he can be more than just a home-run hitter out of the backfield.
LOSER: Aidan O’Connell
In a way, this preseason has summarized O’Connell’s tenure in Las Vegas. He’s been up and down, with a shaky outing in the first contest against the Cardinals, then was much better to lead a game-winning drive last week, and had another tough performance on Thursday night. If the Silver and Black were hoping to shop the fourth-year pro ahead of cutdown day, going three-for-nine with 32 passing yards didn’t exactly help matters.
WINNER: JJ Pegeus
The Raiders have been looking for defensive tackles to step up all preseason, and not many had answered the call in the first two games. However, Pegues made a statement against San Francisco, standing out against the run with four tackles, the majority of which were near the line of scrimmage.
He also made a few plays that won’t show up on the stat sheet by plugging up gaps to make runs bounce, and he had a great rep as a pass rusher, pushing the pocket with a bull rush and getting his hands up to record a batted pass. If the 2025 sixth-round pick was on the bubble heading into the game, he certainly made a strong case to stay on the roster.
LOSER: Atonio Mafi
I thought Mafi had a chance to make the team with what he was bringing as a run blocker. But he’s been a problem in pass protection, and that continued in the third preseason game by giving up another sack. The franchise needs to protect its investment in Mendoza, and it’s becoming clear that the fourth-year lineman isn’t up for the job.
WINNER: Brandon Cleveland
Along the same lines as Pegues, Cleveland had a much-needed outing to boost his odds of making the team. The seventh-round pick tied for the team lead with five total tackles and led the club outright with a pair of TFLs. He also had an impressive win as a pass-rusher to get a quarterback hit and was in the 49ers’ backfield on several occasions throughout the night. That should give the coaching staff something to think about ahead of cutdown day.
LOSER: Wide Receivers
To cut the quarterbacks mentioned above some slack, it seemed like the Raiders’ wide receivers struggled to get open. The passing game was filled with a lot of check downs, and there wasn’t a receiver who really stood out against San Francisco. Tre Tucker led the team with 25 receiving yards and no one else even eclipsed 20 yards, while the group had a handful of drops on the evening.
Kubiak called out the position group after last week’s game and can’t be much happier with what he saw on Thursday night. Even after cutdown day, the receivers at the bottom of the roster shouldn’t feel comfortable because it seems like the Silver and Black will be taking a long look at the position on the waiver wire.
WINNER: Cameron McGrone
It will be interesting to see how many linebackers the coaching staff wants to keep, and if there’s an open spot, McGrone made a strong case to fill it. He was flying around all night, showing off some impressive instincts to tie Cleveland and Greedy Vance for the team lead in total tackles (five). At the least, that could have earned the 26-year-old one of the six veteran practice squad spots.
It’s the last podcast before we get back into the in-season flow next week. Today, we’re answering listener questions as we get ready for what would seem to be an extremely promising 2026-27 U of L athletics season.
BADALONA, SPAIN - AUGUST 14: Sylvain Francisco #00, Alexandre Sarr #44, Elie Okobo #0 and Bilal Coulibaly #99 of France during friendly match between Spain and France to preparation to Eurobasket ’25 at Olimpic Arena on August 14, 2025 in Badalona, Spain. (Photo by Borja B. Hojas/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The France men’s basketball team defeated Slovenia, 92-67 yesterday in Paris at Accor Arena. The Washington Wizards have Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr as part of the pipeline. They were not named for the roster yesterday however. Sarr is recovering from foot surgery earlier this offseason, but he should be ready to go this fall.
As one of the top teams in the world, France should easily make the FIBA World Cup next year. Hopefully, we’ll also see Sarr and Coulibaly playing for Les Bleus as well when the World Cup happens.
Earlier this month, the Detroit Red Wings announced their promotional schedule for the 2026-27 season, packed with giveaways and theme nights designed to give fans plenty of reasons to head down to Little Caesars Arena for the franchise's 101st season.
Familiar fan favorites are returning, including Halloween, Thanksgiving Eve and New Year's Eve games, Star Wars Night, Heritage Games, College Games and three separate Kids Day contests.
Among the new additions, the headline giveaway will almost certainly be the 2002 Stanley Cup 25th Anniversary Bobblehead Series, featuring Sergei Fedorov, Nicklas Lidstrom and Scotty Bowman. Other new giveaways include Salt and Pepper Shakers around Thanksgiving and a nod to Moritz Seider's German heritage with a Seider-themed beer stein.
College Night ticket packages will let fans represent their alma mater alongside the Red Wings, with participating schools including several notable around the state like Ferris State, Detroit Mercy, Michigan Tech, Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, Michigan State, Western Michigan and Michigan among others.
Heritage nights make up a huge chunk of this year's giveaway slate, and the Red Wings are covering a lot of ground. Fans can look forward to shirseys honoring Canadian, Hispanic, Chaldean, Polish on Hockey Fights Cancer Night, Albanian, Greek, Italian, Swedish, Filipino, French, and Irish Heritage on participating nights.
Beyond heritage nights, there's also a Star Wars Night shirsey, a Grateful Dead shirsey, Hometown Heroes shirseys honoring police officers and fire/EMS personnel, a Military Appreciation Night shirsey, and a Faith Day shirt presented by The Walk.
The Red Wings are also leaning into a full "Build-Your-Own-Fit" series this season, letting fans piece together a look one giveaway at a time. That includes a Build-Your-Own-Fit crewneck, sweatpants, socks, a vest, and a hat, giving dedicated fans the chance to collect an entire wardrobe over the course of the season if they hit enough games.
Rounding out the schedule is a wide mix of specialty items, including a Sisterhood hat, a Love Your Melon beanie, a Winged Wheel Podcast beanie along with a separate Winged Wheel Podcast item later in the year, the classic Zamboni gravy boat making its return, a Margaritaville tote bag, and Pride Night and Weekend tumblers.
Fans supporting community causes will also see two separate Educator Appreciation lunch box nights and two Healthcare Appreciation tote bag nights throughout the year, along with a Red Wings ugly sweater giveaway around the holidays.
It's shaping up to be a packed slate of theme nights and giveaways at LCA this season, one that should give Red Wings fans plenty of reasons to come out to the rink no matter the night.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride. | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
As the FIBA World Cup break looms, the WNBA’s playoff picture is looking a lot clearer.
We know who will be playing in the postseason now that all eight teams have clinched their spots. However, seeding is still very much up for grabs.
Only three games separate the No. 3 seed and the No. 8 seed, so which teams will have homecourt in the opening round and beyond is still unknown. Here is an overview of the current playoff outlook for each team, with every team having about five games left to play.
No. 1-seed Minnesota Lynx (31-8)
The Minnesota Lynx are sitting pretty as the top seed. They are three games in front of the No. 2-seed Golden State Valkyries, and considering that they won the season series, only an utter collapse will have them falling in the standings.
Minnesota is right where they want to be: in complete control of their destiny.
No. 2-seed Golden State Valkyries (28-11)
The Valkyries might not catch the Lynx, but they have to keep playing to win.
The Las Vegas Aces are right behind them, just two games back in the standings. Since they lost all three matchups against Las Vegas, the Aces own the tiebreaker. So, the Valkyries need a couple more wins to lock up the second-best record in the WNBA.
No. 3-seed Las Vegas Aces (26-13)
Here is where things start to get interesting.
The Aces are just a half game ahead of the Atlanta Dream and a full game in front of the Indiana Fever. Even with just five games left, that leaves plenty of possibilities.
Las Vegas owns the tiebreaker over the Dream, but they lost the season series against the Fever. Luckily, they have the easiest schedule in the WNBA, giving them an advantage as they try to maintain their position.
However, the season-ending injury to NaLyssa Smith could result in the Aces experiencing more challenges than their strength of schedule suggests.
No. 4-seed Atlanta Dream (25-13)
The Dream have had a very good year. Head coach Karl Smesko has his team on track for another season with a better than 60-percent winning percentage. They are hanging on to the No. 4 spot, just a half game in front of the Fever.
Atlanta and Indiana split their head-to-head matchups, and they are currently neck and neck on the next tiebreaker, which is the best record against teams with a record over .500.
The Dream are 11-11 and the Fever are 10-12 against winning teams, so the team that will end up with the fourth seed will likely come down to the last weekend of the WNBA season.
No. 5-seed Indiana Fever (25-14)
The Fever have the firepower to win it all. But, they need to stack up some victories to be in position to do it.
That’s not going to be easy for Indiana because they have so many matchups left against playoff opponents. They play the Lynx twice and face the Washington Mystics, New York Liberty and Dallas Wings.
If they are truly title contenders, then they’ll win more than they lose and will stay at the No. 5 spot, and perhaps even jump up in the standings.
No. 6-seed Washington Mystics (24-15)
The Mystics have been the pleasant surprise of the year. Their youth movement is ahead of schedule, and they’ll be competing in the playoffs this year instead of tanking for a draft pick.
They are only a game ahead of the Wings and Liberty, so they could still drop down to eighth if they have a bad ending to the regular season. Regardless, it’s been a good year in Washington, and they are playing with house money.
There is no pressure at this point, and whatever happens will be a good learning experience for the Mystics as their rebuild is going better than anyone, even if the organization itself, could have envisioned.
No. 7-seed Dallas Wings (23-16)
The Wings have been up and down lately. While they’ve won three-straight games, they’re 5-5 over their last 10 contests, and with Azzi Fudd out for the rest of the year, it’s hard to see how they can make a jump in the standings.
However, with Paige Bueckers, all things are possible. Dallas is just a game behind the Mystics, so there is hope they can avoid the bottom two playoff spots.
No. 8-seed New York Liberty (23-16)
The Liberty’s entire year has been a struggle.
They were supposed to take a step forward, and they’ve done the opposite. Unless they dominate their remaining schedule, they’ll finish with their worst winning percentage since 2022.
The good news is they’re in the playoffs. Also, with five games left, a strong finish could push them as high as the No. 4 seed. It’s unlikely they’ll end up that high, but they can finish better than they currently stand.
Despite all eight teams securing their spot, just getting in isn’t the only thing that matters.
Last year, the only lower seed to win in the first round was the No. 6-seed Fever. Homecourt advantage is incredibly value, so every team needs to try to set themselves up for success. When the World Cup break ends, there will be just one week of WNBA regular-season action for these eight teams to improve their playoff position, or put themselves at risk of an early postseason exit.
Jump in the comments and let us know how you think the playoff seeds will shake out.
You’ll have to forgive me as we get a little stuck in the weeds. I promise it will be worth it. One of the more interesting debates in statistical circles is in how much fidelity Pythagorean records have. In plain English, can we use run differentials as a way to accurately gauge the quality of a baseball team? It was established baseball “science” for several decades, but science always has a way of updating itself.
For many of you, your eyes have glazed over and you are wondering what this has to do with the price of whiskey in Ireland. Simply put, Pythagorean records are one of the things we use to determine if a manager is doing a good job and whether teams are overachieving or underachieving. When we spit runs scored and runs allowed into Bill James’ trusty formula, it spits out an expected record based on that differential. The Astros are currently four games better than their expected record. Does this mean Espada is actually doing a good job?
Obviously, that explanation is overly simplistic for a number of reasons. For one, we would have to include the manager’s input into why they have scored and allowed those runs. For instance, do shoddy bullpen decisions lead to more runs allowed? Do you shaky lineup decisions limit runs scored? Is how the manager using players and does that have an impact on player health? These are things that run differentials can’t tell us on their own.
Maybe more importantly to those of us crunching the numbers, we have a baseline explanation for things we have yet to figure out. If we don’t know why something is occurring then we are apt to assume it is random. This is not something we know mind you. It is more of a default that we put in place until a better explanation comes down the pike.
There have been a ton of theories to explain why teams overachieve or underachieve their expected records. Often times, bullpen performance can turn the tide between a good and bad record in one run games for instance. Others point to performance in clutch situations. There certainly is nothing to suggest that those are not factors in Pythagorean records, but most of it comes down to simple math.
There is an affectionate term that I have attributed to the Astros throughout their World Series run. They play something called “bully ball.” Essentially, bully ball occurs when you blow out your opponents. Those games have a way of covering up a ton of sins. Suddenly, numbers like performance with runners in scoring position or with two outs suddenly look a lot better. However, the difference between a 7-2 win and an 11-2 win are negligible for those of us watching the game.
Before we look at the obligatory table, one must appreciate the history of all this. Teams that win 100 or more games almost always overachieve their Pythagorean record. In other words, there is some luck involved in piling on that many wins. I want you to notice what happens to the Astros win differentials in those seasons where they won 100 or more games (2017, 2018, 2019, 2022).
Run Differential
Pythag +/-
One Run Games
Blowout games
2017
+196
+2
19-13
35-19
2018
+263
-6
24-24
37-8
2019
+280
0
24-19
36-12
2021
+205
-6
21-19
36-12
2022
+219
0
28-16
35-13
2023
+129
-3
20-21
28-15
2024
+91
-2
18-27
29-23
2025
+21
+4
27-17
23-21
2026
-44
+4
13-13
13-25
AVG
+151.1
-0.78
0.534
0.648
Based on the Pythagorean records, the Astros should have won 100 or more games in 2021 as well. So, they not only won 100 or more games four times, but they SHOULD have won 100 or more games four times. That is extremely rare and when you remove 2020, those seasons would have happened consecutively. I think we need to take a step back and appreciate how unique that is. There aren’t many teams in history that can say the same thing. You can probably count them on one hand.
if you remove 2026 from the equation, the Astros record in blowout games (games decided by four or more runs) moves to 259-123. That is a .678 winning percentage. That is absolutely stupid good. That would be equivalent to 110-52 in a 162 game schedule. You’ll notice that the Pythag differentials started to change in 2025 when the Astros weren’t quite as good at blowing out opponents. This year has been an inverse of their recent history dating back to 2017.
If you’ve gotten this far then you’ve reached the point where we can arrive at some conclusions. First, this is not a good baseball team. I know I’m not breaking any ground there and I know many of you are thinking you don’t need the fancy numbers to tell you that. However, the Pythagorean records say they shouldn’t even be .500 and we should take a step back before we reach that conclusion because this team gets its doors blown off with more frequency than in the past.
The second point is that it is fair to suggest that Espada is doing a good job based on these numbers alone. One could argue that the art of giving up on a lost game helps preserve players for future games when they are close. I’m not sure I would completely buy into it, but it an understandable inference from the numbers above. I do think it is important to look at the differences in how these numbers break down. By sheer definition, you would likely have to score five runs or more to register a blowout. The Astros did so 23 to 37 times between 2017 and 2025 and registered between 28 and 37 between 2017 and 2024. They have only 13 with approximately 30 games to go. Unless they suddenly go absolutely nuts down the stretch, they will drastically underachieve in that department.
Many will point to the Astros;’ pitching woes as a reason for the decline in this department and it certainly is a factor, but the offensive challenges have also played a dramatic role. This means that independent of what happens to Espada, this team was not good enough when constructed. Certainly, the use of certain players will come into focus when management makes the call on Espada. The end result is that Pythagorean records are one tool we can use to evaluate managers, but they shouldn’t be the first tool and obviously should not be the only tool.
UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 21: Final Game at Yankee Stadium., N.Y.Yankees vs Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium., Derek Jeter celebrates (Photo by Linda Cataffo/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images) | NY Daily News via Getty Images
Everything started with an email.
On July 26, 2022, just a couple of months after graduating from high school, an 18-year-old who had already been rejected for a position once before decided to try his luck one more time. He pressed send as his heart raced and fingers twitched with excitement and nervousness. Twenty-four hours later in the beige-leather interior of his mom’s Lexus, he received a response from the man he had been trying to reach — Pinstripe Alley managing editor Andrew Mearns. After being asked for a mock piece that would be “indicative of something we might publish on the site,” the 18-year-old happily obliged, feeling fortunate even to be asked for a sample, and sent a Google Doc with an article on Joey Gallo.
The article was fundamentally sound, but not good enough. Not nearly good enough.
So came a large round of edits suggested by Andrew, and the young writer sent it back after making major changes. And after a suspense-building wait, a small dream come true.
I am, of course, writing (and reminiscing) about my story of joining this incredible site.
Since that late July day, I’ve had the immense pleasure of working at Pinstripe Alley. Talking Yankees (and baseball in general) with my wonderful co-workers, hearing their opinions, seeing their reactions through some of the best and worst times, and of course, giving mine too when I wasn’t busy screaming at the TV for all the right or wrong reasons, was just a bonus for me. The real prize? Being a young, aspiring sports journalist who got to write about his favorite team every week for an outlet he had been reading consistently since the middle of high school.
My favorite memory of my time with Pinstripe Alley was easily writing an article for my grandfather’s birthday. I’ve been a Yankees fan since I was born, and it’s because of him that I fell in love with the men in pinstripes and my favorite player ever, Derek Jeter. Having that published on this site and reading it aloud to him was one of the best, most impactful moments of my writing career, even today. I will never forget it, and I owe this site everything for creating a memory like that for me.
Pinstripe Alley wasn’t just a place where I got to write about the Yankees; it was where I learned the ins and outs of journalism on a stricter, more regimented schedule. And while I admittedly wasn’t always the best at it, especially during stressful times in college, my amazing editors greeted me with the utmost grace and acceptance. And, most importantly, it showed me early on how important that part of the job is when entering the real world.
There aren’t many words to describe how I felt when I got Andrew’s email about becoming a member of the staff here at Pinstripe Alley. In that moment, I had accomplished a goal that I had set for myself, and it helped me grow not only as a writer but also as a professional.
For four years, I woke up every week and wrote about my favorite baseball team, the New York Yankees. Now, I’m stepping into the real world, with two college degrees and a full-time sports editor job on the horizon. And had it not been for Pinstripe Alley and the amazing people at this site, I don’t believe I would have made it to where I am today and, more importantly, where I intend to be in the future.
When I began this job, I was just a kid. And to many, I still am. But Pinstripe Alley afforded me all sorts of different new experiences that helped me as I stepped into my college newsroom, my internship newsroom, and my now-sports editor newsroom. The experience I gained here was invaluable, but at the crux were the people, and the people who not only made such an incredibly accepting atmosphere for a relatively inexperienced kid, but who also loved the team just as much, if not more than I do. That is what makes this place so special, and I’m so excited to continue reading as much content from this outlet as possible.
So, after four years here at Pinstripe Alley, it’s time I bid this site adieu. But every word I wrote, and every article I published, is one I’m proud of because of where it was posted and the team it’s about. I’ll never take any of it for granted, and I can’t say thank you enough to everyone on this incredible staff and all of you amazing readers. Until next time.
Patrick Daugherty
