Two members of Furniture Row Racing’s No. 78 pit crew have been suspended by Joe Gibbs Racing, which supplies FFR’s pit crew and why JGR issued the suspensions and not FRR.

Crew members Lee Cunningham (rear tire changer) and Chris Taylor (front tire changer) were suspended for three races Thursday after a confrontation with Kyle Busch’s crew chief, Adam Stevens, following an accident between Busch and FRR’s Martin Truex during the Brickyard 400 Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Truex and Busch were first and second, respectively, on a restart when Truex and Busch got together entering Turn 1 with both spinning and crashing hard into the outside wall. The crash ended the race for both drivers, who had the dominant cars before the collision.

Afterward, as Stevens was walking toward the garage area, Cunningham began sarcastically clapping at the crew chief, who then walked over to the crew member, and as he did, Taylor heatedly confronted Stevens.

Complicating matters is that FRR is an affiliate of JGR. That partnership includes JGR providing FRR with cars, equipment, technical data and a pit crew, making Cunningham and Taylor employees of the Joe Gibbs-owned team.

John Royer and Kip Wolfmeier will fill in for Cunningham and Taylor during their suspensions.

“Our No. 78 pit crew is hired, trained and managed by Joe Gibbs Racing,” FRR team owner Barney Visser said. "They are one of the best pit crews on the circuit and have kept us up front all season. We admire the talent and dedication of our pit crew and support all of the decisions and actions taken by Joe Gibbs Racing."

Here’s how it works and how it’s different from the NFI list.

Andrew Luck and Dont’a Hightower are two big names who will start NFL training camp on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. But it’s scarier than it sounds. If a player goes on the PUP list during training camp, it doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t be ready to go for the season.

What are the rules for the PUP list?

There are specific rules about when a player can be placed on PUP and when he’s allowed to come off of it.

If a player has practiced during training camp — even for one minute — he’s not eligible for PUP. Players like Luck and Hightower, who started training camp on the PUP, can be removed from the list at any time during the preseason. Once they are, they can get back on the practice field.

The player also has to be a dealing with an NFL-related injury to be placed on the PUP.

What’s the NFI list?

If a player suffered the injury away from the team, or if a rookie is coming off an injury he suffered in his final college season, then he’s not eligible for the PUP list.

Instead, those players go on the Active/Non-Football Injury list. The Broncos placed two rookies on the NFI list this week: tight end Jake Butt, who tore his ACL in Michigan’s Orange Bowl loss last December, and Chad Kelly, who underwent wrist surgery before he was drafted.

The rules on when a player can return from NFI are the same as PUP. But if a player is cleared from the NFI or PUP list, he can’t be placed back on that list after the fact. The team will either have to cut the player or place him on injured reserve.

When should I worry if a player is on the PUP list?

The time for concern is when a player can’t get off the PUP list before the end of the preseason. If he’s still on PUP when the regular season begins, then that player is stuck on there for the first six games. Luck is expected to start Week 1, but if he’s still on the PUP right before the regular season starts, the Colts will be without their quarterback until mid-October.

Teams always have the option of shifting a player from PUP to injured reserve if it looks like he won’t be physically ready within that six-week timeframe.

Who’s on the PUP and NFI lists right now?

Here’s a running list of the players on PUP and NFI lists as training camps start around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Deone Bucannon - PUP
Jarvis Jones - NFI

Baltimore Ravens

Michael Campanaro - PUP
Patrick Ricard - PUP
Tavon Young - PUP

Buffalo Bills

Colt Anderson - PUP

Cincinnati Bengals

Jarveon Williams - PUP
Brandon Wilson - NFI

Cleveland Browns

Howard Wilson - PUP

Dallas Cowboys

Richard Ash - PUP
Justin Durant - PUP

Denver Broncos

Jake Butt - NFI
Shaquil Barrett - NFI
Chad Kelly - NFI
Kyle Peko - PUP

Detroit Lions

Armonty Bryant - PUP
Don Carey - PUP
Taylor Decker - PUP
Cyrus Kouandjio - NFI
Sam Martin - NFI
Rolan Milligan - PUP
Corey Robinson - PUP
Teez Tabor - NFI
Jeremiah Valoaga - PUP

Green Bay Packers

Vince Biegel - PUP
Demetri Goodson - PUP

Houston Texans

T.J. Daniel - PUP
Joel Heath - NFI
Dayon Pratt - NFI

Indianapolis Colts

Clayton Geathers - PUP
Malik Hooker - PUP
Kendall Langford - PUP
Andrew Luck - PUP
Brian Schwenke - PUP

Jacksonville Jaguars

Aaron Colvin - PUP
Jalen Ramsey - PUP
Marquez Williams - PUP

Kansas City Chiefs

Parker Ehinger - PUP
Chris Jones - PUP
Dadi Nicolas - PUP

Miami Dolphins

Reshad Jones - NFI
Rashawn Scott - PUP
Avery Young - NFI

Minnesota Vikings

Teddy Bridgewater - PUP
Sharrif Floyd - NFI
Latavius Murray - PUP
Shaan Washington - PUP

New England Patriots

Alan Branch - PUP
Dont’a Hightower - PUP
Andrew Jelks - NFI

New Orleans Saints

Terron Armstead - PUP
Senio Kelemete - PUP
Devaroe Lawrence - NFI
Damian Swann - PUP
Max Unger - PUP

New York Giants

Valentino Blake - PUP
Shaun Draughn - PUP

Oakland Raiders

Ben Heeney - NFL
Cooper Helfet - NFI

Pittsburgh Steelers

Sammie Coates (knee scope, candidate for the PUP list)

Philadelphia Eagles

Beau Allen - NFI
Sidney Jones - NFI

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jacquies Smith - PUP

Washington

Houston Bates - PUP
DeAngelo Hall - PUP
Jordan Reed - PUP
Kendal Thompson - PUP

The Ravens don’t actually want to upgrade their quarterback situation.

The Baltimore Ravens had to sign a new quarterback after Joe Flacco suffered a back injury that will keep him out of practice for a while.

Despite talking up Colin Kaepernick on Thursday, the Ravens passed on the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback as well as other free agents with NFL experience to take David Olson instead.

If you’re not sure who Olson is, neither is anyone else.

Even the Ravens aren’t quite sure what his name is. On Thursday night, the team announced the signing of “David Olson” on Twitter, but as of Friday morning, it lists “David Olsen” on its roster.

Who is David Olson?

Olson, 25, just finished a 12-game season with the Kansas City Phantoms of the Champions Indoor Football (CIF) league, an arena football league based in the Midwest.

He also spent time with the CIF’s Wichita Force and the Indoor Football League’s Iowa Barnstormers — the same arena team that produced Kurt Warner.

Before his pro career got started, Olson was a career backup in college, spending four seasons at Stanford before transferring as a graduate student to Clemson. He never threw a pass at Stanford and completed one of three passes at Clemson for a loss of 1 yard.

All of his passes in college can fit in one gif:

While Olson stands at 6’2, 220 pounds — decent size for a passer — he may have the least impressive athletic resume of any NFL quarterback ever.

Why sign David Olson?

The Ravens had other options at quarterback. Even if the team wanted to steer clear of Kaepernick, there’s a lengthy list of available players with NFL experience or, at the very least, positive passing yardage in college.

The logical explanation so far is that Olson’s time at Stanford gave him the inside track to John Harbaugh:

But the realistic answer is that the Ravens don’t actually want to upgrade their quarterback situation.

Harbaugh told reporters Thursday that he believes Flacco will need just one week on the sideline before he’s ready to return to action in training camp. When he does, he’ll be the unquestioned starter for Baltimore with Ryan Mallett ready to back him up.

That’s a stable quarterback situation, regardless if it can be improved or not.

By signing Olson, the Ravens can have a third quarterback throwing passes in camp and maybe brew some competition with Dustin Vaughan for the third-string job. When Flacco is ready to return, it could mean the end of the road for Olson, unless he can show he brings more value than Vaughan.

Why not sign Colin Kaepernick?

Unless Olson shocks everyone as the second coming of Warner, he’s a significantly worse player than Kaepernick. Just four years ago, Kaepernick was a starter in the Super Bowl, and in his most recent season in the NFL he finished with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions.

But signing Kaepernick would’ve immediately meant a quarterback competition in training camp. He would’ve been pitted against Mallett, and if he won the job, the pressure would be on Flacco to step up his game.

Flacco is due to count $24.55 million against the salary cap in 2017 but finished last season with 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. His 83.5 passer rating was 24th among starting quarterbacks, one spot behind Trevor Siemian.

In October, he finished a 24-16 loss to the Jets with no touchdowns, two interceptions, and 56.8 percent of his passes completed. Now imagine Flacco having a game like that in 2017 with Kaepernick standing on the sideline.

Harbaugh would have decisions to make, and he’d have to explain those decisions to the media.

There’s safety in the NFL when there’s no alternative. The Ravens committed huge amounts of money to Flacco in 2016 and want him to be their starter. As long as he’s healthy and ready to play, he’s the player the team wants under center.

Kaepernick’s chance at another go in the NFL may still be on the way, and it may even be with the Ravens. But as long as they have Flacco and Mallett ready for action, the team would evidently be more comfortable with camp arms like Olson.

Belichick wants you to know that things don’t really mean a whole lot... yet.

Training camps are underway around the NFL, and it’s everybody’s first true football fix since the Super Bowl in February. While it feels like a monumental milestone, Bill Belichick wants to remind you that what you’re seeing now doesn’t mean as much as you might think it does.

On Friday, Belichick — who is usually short-winded with his answers (except when it involves actual football) — delivered a long speech on why the early parts of camp don’t really matter.

Belichick makes some great points. To attempt to make a true evaluation off of a player with little to no contact is nonsensical:

“So I know everybody’s all excited when a guy catches a pass, but when the defense doesn’t jam him or they’re not allowed to really, because we don’t have heavy contact out there, aren’t competing for contact at the end of the play then it’s not quite the same as when all of that’s going on.”

In other words, even the average Joe walking down the street has an opportunity to complete such plays. You can’t evaluate some of the best athletes in the world on less than half speed plays.

As Belichick so eloquently put it, “It’s hard to evaluate how they’re doing competitively against somebody else when it’s really not a competitive situation.”

This is essentially what Belichick was getting at:

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

*shrug emoji*

The Patriots have been the most consistent team in the NFL during the Belichick era. They’ve made the postseason 14 out of 17 of his seasons — one of them they were left out with an 11-5 record. Sprinkle in five Super Bowls, and the Patriots have been the NFL’s best franchise for the past 16 seasons.

It’s fine to enjoy training camp (and if you’re a Patriots fan looking for coverage, hit up Pats Pulpit), but don’t give it more meaning than it deserves. Real football will be here soon enough.

But hey, $100 is $100.

Frank Kaminsky is a basketball player, so there’s no reason to believe he’d be any good at baseball. Sure, both sports have balls, but like, one is big and one is small. Totally different.

But that’s not stopping Kaminsky, who just won ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS by betting a friend he could pitch a baseball 85 miles per hour.

Wow! What speed! That’s a pitch deserving of 100 smackers (big ones, dead presidents, singles, etc.) if I’ve ever seen one.

Except for one minor detail...HE HIT THE DANG BATTER. I know Frank is no baseball buff (and, yes, that’s not a real batter) but, still, that’s definitely not allowed. I’m not sure Kaminsky really cares though...he seems excited just to have pitched 85.

Just look at the hashtags he used in that post:

“#Winning #Force #Power #Velocity #NoAccuracyTho #HeWontPayMe”

At least he admits accuracy isn’t his strong suit. But still, he should definitely be paid for that pitch. After all, a bet is a bet...and Kaminsky probably won’t have an MLB contract coming his way anytime soon.

The Dodgers are confident they’ll get one of these pitchers. Let’s help them pick.

The Dodgers are currently 92-8. I’m not looking that up, but it sounds right, so let’s all save some time and just go with it. And because they have a .920 winning percentage, they would be excused for sitting the trade deadline out. They’re already set at several positions. They can weather the Clayton Kershaw injury and still win the NL West by 20 games without doing a thing.

And then the postseason starts.

In recent years, the Dodgers have had a plan: Pitch Clayton Kershaw or Rich Hill or whomever is hot and available on short rest. Some years it’s just Kershaw on short rest. Some years it’s Kershaw and Hill or Greinke. Every permutation has Kershaw, though. And it’s never worked out as well as they’ve hoped.

This year, the Dodgers have Kershaw. They have Rich Hill. They have Alex Wood. All three deserve to start a postseason game. But it takes four deserving starters to avoid the short-rest bogeyman in the postseason. If the Dodgers were a normal team, they would be fine with trusting one of Brandon McCarthy, Kenta Maeda, or Hyun-jin Ryu for that fourth slot. Any of those pitchers would be roughly as good as the No. 4 starters they’ll face in the postseason.

The Dodgers are not a normal team. So this rumor makes sense:

Which one should they go for? I have opinions.

3. Justin Verlander

I do wish we had a recording of the calls where the Dodgers keep insisting they need the Tigers to pick up more of the contract.

ZAIDI: Look, ownership is really breaking my back, here. I need you to send over more money to make this work.

AVILA: You’re breaking up a little bit, so I couldn’t hear that last part.

ZAIDI: Sorry, we’re all up here on the moon for a midseason retreat and the reception is horrible. You’re going to need to pay more of Verlander’s salary. We can’t afford it.

Verlander is 34, he’s owed $28 million over the next two years, and he’s pitching poorly this season. There’s pickle juice in that cocktail, and there might not be enough booze to save it. I’d like to cherry pick some micro-splits to suggest that Verlander is on an upward trajectory, but ...

Justin Verlander’s season ERA at the end of each month
April: 4.60
May: 4.50
June: 4.47
July (in progress): 4.50

I would joke that he’ll pitch a complete game for his next start, allowing exactly 4 1/2 runs, except complete games aren’t something Verlander does anymore. He hasn’t pitched into the eighth inning once this year in 21 starts, which is remarkable.

There are two reasons the Dodgers would prefer Verlander: The first is that they can absorb more money to give up lesser prospects. The second is that they might think they can get Verlander back on track; that they’ve identified something that can be fixed.

Could be! But if the question is, “Is Justin Verlander guaranteed to be better than Brandon McCarthy in a postseason start, and is that guarantee worth scores of millions?”, the answer is very much up for debate.

2. Sonny Gray

Gray’s appeal isn’t that he’s the greatest pitcher on the market or that he’s exceedingly dominant and will be for years. His appeal is that he’s under contract through 2019 and cheap. While the Dodgers are very much into the idea of that kind of pitcher — see, Alex Wood — it’s not really the upgrade they’re shooting for. They want a postseason rotation that breathes fire. Gray would make them markedly better, but his 2017 season has been a story of consistency, not dominance. His high in innings pitched this month is 6 1/3 innings, and his low is 6 IP. All four starts have been quality.

Add into the mix that Gray would be expensive in terms of prospects, which is something the Dodgers have shied away from in recent years, and this doesn’t make perfect sense. But Gray ...

1. Is good.
2. Would make the Dodgers better.

That’s an important point, and the Dodgers would have their four starters. Not just this year, either.

1. Yu Darvish

This is clearly the correct option, though. If they’re going to ditch prospects, ditch them for a fire-breather. Technically, Darvish has been something of a disappointment, with a 4.01 ERA (3.99 FIP) and a 6-9 record that isn’t as nice as the Rangers would have hoped. He’s striking out nearly two batters fewer per nine innings this year, and he allowed 10 earned runs in his last start. Kershaw has allowed 12 earned runs in 10 starts since the end of May.

He’s still great, though. That’s my theory, and I’m sticking with it. The Marlins disaster was a hiccup, and he’s still a pitcher who would give the Cubs, Brewers, Nationals, Diamondbacks, or Rockies fits. He’s still concentrated doom, and he would fit perfectly behind Kershaw.

But it’s not a stretch to suggest this is the worst year for the Dodgers to be eager for that Kershaw complement. There isn’t a blue-chip ace at the deadline like there were in previous seasons with David Price, CC Sabathia, or Randy Johnson. Even the best options this season come with red flags and tugged collars, and the prospect cost isn’t going to be much different.

They’ll do something, though, and that something is apparently to get one of these three pitchers. Darvish is the clear favorite. Gray makes sense in a lot of ways, but he makes more sense for a lot of other teams. Verlander’s reputation gets him in the conversation, but he doesn’t seem to fit what the Dodgers are trying to build, which is an impervious postseason force.

Or, to put it another way: Cody Bellinger for Chris Sale? Who says no?

We’ve been waiting to find out what Tim Duncan’s calling would be after basketball, and nobody’s guesses included “Muay Thai kickboxer,” but here we are.

Is this just a workout? Is Duncan training for something bigger? We’ll need to wait and see. Let’s be real: There’s no way future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan is actually going to fight in Muay Thai, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t avenues for him.

One of my favorite Bruce Lee movies is Game of Death. I know purists say it was a pretty weak movie — but I love compartmentalized movies, and the fight scene between Lee and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was just the best:

You’ve got to admit there’s a striking resemblance here when it comes to just how obscene the reach advantage is when you’re a 7’0 NBA superstar. What I’m trying to say is that I am absolutely on board for a Game of Death remake with Duncan in the Kareem role and John Cena as Chuck Norris, because he’s the closest thing we have to Norris these days.

Bruce Lee is impossible to replicate, so let’s just go full Muay Thai with this and cast Tony Jaa in the role.

Dang. I want to see this movie.

LaVar threatened to walk his team off the court again. Adidas cited a history between him and the female ref.

LaVar Ball was issued yet another technical foul during Big Baller Brand’s game in an Adidas-sponsored AAU event in Las Vegas on Thursday. He was later ejected and did not leave the court, so the referees ended the game.

Here is the first technical foul:

At this point, Ball threatened to walk his team off the court, according to ESPN’s Myron Medcalf:

Not sure what's happening here in Vegas. LaVar Ball drew another technical and told his team "let's go." Team still on the bench with organizers trying to sort through the chaos.

Instead, Ball appeared to have given Adidas an ultimatum: Big Baller Brand or the female referee who issued LaVar a tech. The referee — the only woman on the officiating crew whose name was not available — was eventually replaced:

Adidas told ESPN’s Jeff Borzello that it was their decision, not LaVar’s, to replace the referee, citing a history between she and Ball. Ball was also assessed a technical foul in Big Baller Brand’s Wednesday night AAU matchup against Zion Williamson’s SC Supreme team.

It is not immediately clear if she blew the whistle on him on Wednesday. After the game, Ball insinuated the referee had something against him. He also said “she needs to stay in her lane.”

LaVar was then assessed a second technical foul and refused to leave the game:

Instead, the referees merely ended the game.

What happens in Vegas...

The 5-star big man stunned everyone by signing with the Hilltoppers. Now he might be about to stun WKU fans by walking away.

Multiple members of the recruiting class of 2017 surprised the college basketball world with their school selections. None more so than Mitchell Robinson, the five-star center ranked in everyone’s top 10 who opted to sign with Rick Stansbury and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

Now, less than a month before the start of the 2017-18 school year, Robinson has left the WKU campus and taken all of his belongings with him. So far there has been no indication that he plans on returning.

Before speculating on what the future may or may not hold for Mitchell, let’s go back and look at how we ended up at this bizarre spot in the first place.

Despite modest returns on the court as a coach, Stansbury has long been known as a skilled recruiter. He brought great talent to Mississippi State during his 22 years as the head coach there, and was the driving force behind the top-five 2015 recruiting class at Texas A&M when he was serving as an assistant in College Station.

Stansbury had also laid the foundation for a bright future for the Aggies, receiving a commitment from Robinson in Oct. 2015 when the big man was just a four-star recruit. That changed months later when Stansbury was offered the head coaching gig at Western Kentucky. Robinson quickly decommitted from Texas A&M, and soon after Stansbury hired Robinson’s godfather, former North Carolina star Shammond Williams, to his coaching staff. The table was set.

On Nov. 15, 2016, Robinson officially signed his letter of intent to play at Western Kentucky. The moment was supposed to mark the conclusion of an overly dramatic recruitment. It did not.

Twelve days later, Robinson made national headlines by tweeting that he was decommitting from Western Kentucky and exploring his options. The tweet was almost immediately deleted and Robinson quickly claimed that his account had been hacked by a friend.

Robinson’s future at Western Kentucky was again called into question July 3 when Williams abruptly resigned from his position with the team. Hilltopper fans were on pins and needles until five days later when Robinson’s mother confirmed to ESPN her son was still planning on playing for WKU in 2017-18.

Fast forward to the end of the month and it now seems more likely than not that Robinson will be spending his first year out of high school somewhere other than Bowling Green, KY. If that is indeed the case, then the talented 7-footer has two options: Convince the school to release him from his NLI so he can play for another college this season, or play overseas and then throw his name into the 2018 NBA Draft. The second would seem more likely than the first.

It’s not easy for the non-bluebloods in college basketball to bring in high-profile recruits without also bringing in high-profile drama. Stansbury and Western Kentucky are currently living with that reality.

Simpson will be free soon, but he has a difficult relationship with his alma mater.

O.J. Simpson could be a free man as soon as October, having been paroled in Nevada after about nine years of a 33-year sentence stemming from a 2007 armed robbery.

Simpson is many things, and one of those things is an alumnus of the University of Southern California. So USC’s current head football coach, Clay Helton, fielded questions this week about Simpson’s future involvement on campus.

Via the Los Angeles Times:

What would you do if O.J. Simpson walked into your office?

There was laughter around the patio table. Clay Helton smiled.

“I’m cordial to every person I’ve ever met,” Helton replied.

Would you let the soon-to-be parolee watch practice?

“Currently, right now, what USC, the administration, and the athletic department have said is, ‘No, O.J. will not be a part of functions or invited,’ ” he said. “That’s been the statement by the university.”

Simpson played for the Trojans in 1967 and 1968, finishing second in Heisman Trophy voting the first year and winning the award the next. The San Francisco native ran for 3,423 yards in his two seasons at USC, before the Bills picked him first overall in the 1969 draft.

Simpson’s had a complicated relationship with USC over the years.

“Simpson Warmly Received at USC Practice” is the headline of a Times dispatch from 2002, when Pete Carroll was the Trojans head coach. That was about seven years after Simpson’s 1995 acquittal of charges that he murdered Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman in Los Angeles. An excerpt from that practice in ‘02:

"I don't think I could ever feel disconnected from 'SC, I really don't," said Simpson, who shook hands, signed autographs and posed for pictures with onlookers.

After practice, USC players and coaches warmly received Simpson with handshakes and hugs before inviting him to their makeshift locker room.

"It was good to have him out here," USC Coach Pete Carroll said. "At 'SC, our guys hold a Heisman Trophy winner in the highest regard. For them to get a chance to see him and visit with him was very special for them."

Here, you can see a picture of Simpson chatting warmly with quarterback Carson Palmer, who’d just won the Heisman himself.

"It's great to finally have another Heisman winner at SC,” Simpson told him.

The murder trial was “at the back of anybody's mind," offensive lineman Lenny Vandermade said after Simpson’s visit, which came while the team practiced in Miami before an Orange Bowl win against Iowa. "You're not going to totally block it out, but you try to look at him in a positive manner and not put a negative spin on it. I just kind of remember him as a football player and what he did for 'SC."

Simpson’s visit was controversial. One column,” Simpson Has No Place in This Family Practice,” got to that argument pretty well. Whether the school should remove a display commemorating Simpson’s Heisman win from its Heritage Hall is a debate that’s come up several times over the years.

Simpson’s not welcome back, but parts of him are still there.

All the trade rumors and completed deals in one convenient place.

The non-waiver trade deadline is July 31, and even if every whispered potential deal won’t come to pass, you still need to be able to keep up with said whispers just in case they do. That’s where we come in, as we’ll keep track of not just the completed trades, but any rumors out there worth paying attention to.

Completed Deals

Jul. 28: Phillies trade Jeremy Hellickson to Baltimore

Jul. 28: Marlins send A.J. Ramos to the Mets

Jul. 28: Phillies trade Howie Kendrick to Nationals

Jul. 28: Dodgers acquire Royals’ RHP Luke Farrell

Jul. 28: Rays, Mariners swap Erasmo Ramirez for Steve Cishek

Jul. 27: Mets trade Lucas Duda to the Rays

Jul. 27: Twins trade John Ryan Murphy to D-Backs for LHP Gabriel Moya

Jul. 27: Rays acquire reliever Dan Jennings for 1B prospect Casey Gillaspie

Jul. 26: Rockies acquire Pat Neshek from Phillies

Jul. 26: Giants send Eduardo Nunez to the Red Sox.

Jul. 25: White Sox send Anthony Swarzak to Brewers for Ryan Cordell

Jul. 24: Royals and Padres complete a six-player trade that includes Brandon Maurer and Travis Wood.

Jul. 23: Rockies acquire Will Lamb from White Sox

Jul. 23: Braves send Jaime Garcia and Anthony Recker to Twins for RHP Huascar Ynoa.

Jul. 23: Yankees trade Rob Refsnyder to Blue Jays for Ryan McBroom.

Jul. 22: Rays acquired recently DFA’d pitcher Sergio Romo and cash from the Dodgers for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Jul. 21: Mariners trade minor leaguers Mark Lowe and Jean Machi to White Sox for cash.

Jul. 21: Mariners trade prospect Tyler O’Neill to the Cardinals for Marco Gonzales

Jul. 20: Mariners acquire David Phelps from Marlins in exchange for four prospects

Jul. 19: Yankees trade a quartet of prospects to the White Sox for Todd Frazier, David Robertson, and Tommy Kahnle.

Jul. 18: Diamondbacks acquire J.D. Martinez from Tigers for multiple prospects.

Jul. 18: Rays acquire Chaz Roe from the Braves for cash considerations

Jul. 16: Nationals acquire Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson from the A’s

Jul. 13: Cubs acquire Jose Quintana for top prospect Eloy Jimenez, three others

Trade Rumors

Jul. 29: Orioles still looking to trade Zach Britton, Brad Brach

Jul. 28: Jeremy Hellickson could be a Brewers trade target

Jul. 28: The Dodgers want Yu Darvish, but they also want to keep their top prospects

Jul. 28: Yu Darvish is available... for a price

Jul. 28: The Cubs aren’t prioritizing Alex Avila, and the Rockies might have the edge

Jul. 28: Braves’ reliever Jim Johnson drawing trade interest

Jul. 28: Red Sox interested in Twins reliever Brandon Kintzler

Jul. 28: Nationals scouting Trevor Rosenthal, Tommy Pham

Jul. 27: Brewers have ‘shown interest’ in Mets Curtis Granderson

Jul. 27: Multiple teams are interested in Detroit’s Justin Wilson

Jul. 27: Rangers are officially trading Yu Darvish

Jul. 27: Rangers reliever Keone Kela may be available

Jul. 27: Twins are receiving calls about Jaime Garcia, Ervin Santana, Brandon Kintzler, and Brian Dozier

Jul. 27: The Rays are mostly buyers, but they could sell off some pieces too

Jul. 27: Interest in Tigers’ Jose Iglesias is growing

Jul. 27: Brewers are looking at Curtis Granderson

Jul. 27: Rockies are interested in Tigers Alex Avila

Jul. 27: The Marlins are open to trading Dan Straily

Jul. 27: Dodgers ‘increasingly confident’ they’ll land one of Yu Darvish, Sonny Gray, or Justin Verlander

Jul. 27: Royals ‘making progress’ on trade for Francisco Liriano

Jul. 27: Royals interested in Marlins starter Dan Straily

Jul. 27: The Rangers are shopping reliever Jeremy Jeffress

Jul. 27: The Rockies are in ‘ongoing discussions’ for AJ Ramos

Jul. 27: The Yu Darvish market is still hazy

Jul. 27: The Red Sox are done shopping for bats and are focusing on the bullpen

Jul. 26: Minnesota might trade Jaime Garcia or Ervin Santana

Jul. 26: Milwaukee is ‘monitoring’ Yu Darvish as a rental

Jul. 26: Nationals also want a shot at getting Yu Darvish

Jul. 26: The Cubs could be interested in Mets’ Seth Lugo.

Jul. 26: Baltimore could ‘go either way’ when it comes to trading pieces

Jul. 26: Rockies are ‘aggressively’ pursuing a right-handed reliever

Jul. 26: Justin Verlander’s contract making it difficult to trade him

Jul. 26: Yu Darvish’s no-trade list includes the Red Sox and Cubs

Jul. 26: The Royals are interested in trading for Francisco Liriano

Jul. 25: Detroit is looking to get rid of some salary and could trade Michael Fulmer to do it

Jul. 25: The A’s may want Ronald Acuna from the Braves in a Sonny Gray trade

Jul. 25: The Yankees could be getting close to a Sonny Gray trade

Jul. 25: Milwaukee is discussing a trade for Anthony Swarzak with the White Sox

Jul. 25: Brewers are talking to the Tigers about Justin Wilson and Ian Kinsler

Jul. 25: O’s looking for starting pitching, haven’t given up on season

Jul. 25: Red Sox interested in Reds shortstop Zack Cozart

Jul. 25: Will Lance Lynn make tonight’s start for the Cardinals?

Jul. 25: Nationals could pursue Sonny Gray if Stephen Strasburg injury persists

Jul. 25: Brewers may be ‘fading’ in Sonny Gray sweepstakes

Jul. 25: Milwaukee renews interest in reliever Joe Smith

Jul. 25: Rangers leaning toward keeping Yu Darvish

Jul. 24: Braves getting more involved in Sonny Gray trade talks, per report

Jul. 24: Washington could be looking at Marlins AJ Ramos

Jul. 24: Seattle is also interested in acquiring Sonny Gray from Oakland

Jul. 24: Justin Verlander trade interest is heating up, and the Tigers are rumored to be ‘aggressively’ shopping him

Jul. 24: The Brewers are still looking for trades despite recent slide

Jul. 24: The Dodgers are back in the Justin Verlander conversation

Jul. 24: The Yankees have inquired about Yu Darvish and Giancarlo Stanton

Jul. 24: The Tigers might trade Justin Wilson and Ian Kinsler together

Jul. 24: Indians ‘definitely going to be active at the trade deadline’.

Jul. 24: Clayton Kershaw’s back injury has added fuel to Yu Darvish rumors

Jul. 24: Zach Britton might not be worth the trade return the Orioles want

Jul. 23: Cubs looking at several different veteran catchers.

Jul. 23: Phillies might be targeting Tigers righty Michael Fulmer.

Jul. 22: Interest in Jaime Garcia heating up after talks with Twins stall; at least eight teams interested

Jul. 22: Dodgers’ bullpen search reportedly includes Mets RHP Addison Reed.

Jul. 22: ‘Difference of opinion’ between Attanasio, Stearns on Brewers playoff push

Jul. 22: Braves’ rumored Jaime Garcia deal with Twins held up over prospect health

Jul. 22: At least six teams are interested in trading for Marlins closer A.J. Ramos

Jul. 22: Michael A. Taylor’s injury could lead Nationals to pursue a bat

Jul. 22: Brewers ‘digging in’ on Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler

Jul. 22: Cubs looking at LH relievers Brad Hand, Justin Wilson, and Zach Britton

Jul. 21: Jaime Garcia to Twins now ‘not probable’

Jul. 21: Rays are in on reliever Justin Wilson

Jul. 21: Dodgers may also be interested in Yu Darvish, along with the Cubs.

Jul. 21: Brewers are now very much after Justin Wilson.

Jul. 21: Cubs may be willing to take on Verlander’s contract.

Jul. 21: Jaime Garcia to the Twins has now been downgraded to ‘not probable’ by some camps.

Jul. 21: The Yu Darvish asking price is high, per report

Jul. 21: The Rays could be interested in Yu Darvish

Jul. 21: Twins, Braves appear to be in the ‘haggling’ phase with Jaime Garcia

Jul. 21: There is trade interest in Blue Jays’ Jose Bautista

Jul. 21: The Yankees are still open to trading for a first baseman

Jul. 21: Jaime Garcia deal not done yet, Braves and Twins still discussing

Jul. 21: Red Sox might have a fit for Ian Kinsler at third base

Jul. 21: The Rangers are checking on Yu Darvish’s trade value

Jul. 21: The A’s reportedly named their price for Sonny Gray in talks with the Yankees

Jul. 21: Indians considering Asdrubal Cabrera reunion as a fallback plan

Jul. 20: Brewers targeting Mets’ Addison Reed.

Jul. 20: Twins rumored to be acquiring Braves’ Jaime Garcia.

Jul. 20: Rays are reaching out about Marlins reliever AJ Ramos

Jul. 20: Brewers among teams interested in Justin Verlander

Jul. 20: Rockies’ GM says team targeting relief help

Jul. 20: Astros eyeing Tigers’ pitchers Justin Verlander and Justin Wilson

Jul. 20: Red Sox reportedly showing interest in Eduardo Nuñez

Jul. 20: Reds’ All-Star shortstop Zack Cozart ‘highly unlikely’ to sign extension, could be traded

Jul. 20: Astros showing interest in Justin Verlander

Jul. 20: Nationals still in the mix for a Justin Wilson trade?

Jul. 20: Cubs still looking at Alex Avila as a backup catcher

Jul. 20: Justin Wilson trade could happen soon, multiple teams interested

Jul. 20: Mariners are close to landing a reliever

Jul. 19: Indians are scouting Eduardo Nuñez, among other infielders.

Jul. 19: Mets are looking to trade either Jay Bruce or Curtis Granderson, and soon.

Jul. 19: Royals reportedly interested in Marco Estrada

Jul. 19: Red Sox interested in Giants’ Eduardo Nuñez

Jul. 19: Red Sox have scouted Wilmer Flores, Asdrubal Cabrera, and T.J. Rivera

Jul. 19: Yu Darvish could become available, per report

Jul. 19: Martin Prado is still likely getting traded

Jul. 19: Indians were ‘seriously involved’ in J.D. Martinez trade talks

Jul. 19: Cubs, Rockies in pursuit of Alex Avila

Jul. 19: Brewers may be able to get Sonny Gray without giving up Lewis Brinson, per report

Jul. 18: Royals interested in Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn

Jul. 18: Yankees close to deal with White Sox for Todd Frazier and pitching help

Jul. 18: Orioles have permission from ownership to deal Zach Britton and Brad Brach

Jul. 18: Tigers aren’t going to make deadline decisions based only on money

Jul. 18: Diamondbacks’ interest in Tigers’ J.D. Martinez could be strengthening

Jul. 18: Yankees have reached out about both David Phelps and Pat Neshek

Jul. 18: Yankees are interested in Mets’ Lucas Duda and Addison Reed

Jul. 18: Rockies have reached out to Orioles about Kevin Gausman, Dylan Bundy

Jul. 18: Rockies prepared to upgrade at the trade deadline

Jul. 18: Yankees, A’s discussing Yonder Alonso trade

Jul. 18: Rays among those in on Phillies’ Pat Neshek

Jul. 18: Marlins reportedly won’t trade outfielders this season

Jul. 18: Milwaukee Brewers showing interest in Marlins reliever David Phelps, per report

Jul. 18: Royals “aggressive” in targeting starting pitchers

Jul. 18: Brewers reportedly interested in All-Star reliever Pat Neshek

Jul. 17: The Royals made a strong offer on Greg Holland

Jul. 17: Red Sox reportedly interested in Asdrubal Cabrera, T.J. Rivera

Jul. 17: Royals interested in Braves’ starter Jaime Garcia

Jul. 17: The Orioles are looking to sell while keeping hope for next year

Jul. 17: Rays interested in Hunter Strickland

Jul. 17: There’s a Giancarlo Stanton-to-the-Giants rumor, so, sure, why not?

Jul. 17: Nats still showing interest in Detroit Tigers Justin Wilson

Jul. 17: Michael Fulmer is not getting traded

Jul. 17: Pirates trade rumors: Josh Harrison and Tony Watson

Jul. 17: Rays asking about relievers

Jul. 16: Blue Jays asked Cubs for major league player in Marcus Stroman talks

Jul. 16: Angels could be perfect fit for Dee Gordon

Jul. 16: Cardinals, Dodgers, Royals in the lead for Tigers J.D. Martinez

Prepare your eyes accordingly.

We decided to ask you about the worst uniforms you’ve ever seen in college football.

We got a whole bunch of them, so let’s get started!

Some of these older ones are extra special.

Brief Michigan interjection here:

Michigan interjection is now over. Back to other teams.

Louisville has had its fair share of alternate uniforms, thanks to its Adidas deal.

“DUDE THERE’S A GIANT BIRD ATTACKING YOUR HELMET!”

The jersey’s undershirt was something.

When you forget what your nickname is ...

... and then overcompensate:

Some camouflage looks went very wrong.

The Bowling ball helmet look:

Continuing that tradition, with Miami (Ohio):

Sir, there’s a foot on your helmet.

Some of Texas Tech’s alternates were, um, interesting.

Obligatory Oregon section!

Yep, you knew there’d be one.

One of the most oddball combinations was the blue and gold “Webfoot” jerseys the Ducks wore last season. Oregon officially adopted the Webfoots as its nickname in 1932 before the Ducks eventually caught on.

But moving forward, Oregon will go back to sticking with a more traditional ones.

When all-black unis don’t come out looking as intimidating as planned:

Tennessee:

There have been some pretty bad Virginia Tech alternates.

That’s Virginia Tech’s QB at the time, talking about these turkey-track hats:

Virginia Tech

In 2009, four Hokies hilariously had to wear Georgia Tech jerseys after their tops had gone missing on the way to Bobby Dodd. Here’s former Hokie quarterback Sean Glennon rocking it.

LSU has had some special ones, too.

Georgia, wyd fam.

Next is probably the single most reviled uniform sent to us on Twitter during this experiment. We got this one over and over:

Not really sure what Iowa State was thinking here, but ...

On a ketchup-and-mustard note:

These Ohio State looks were something.

Notre Dame’s managed to have appalling looks by two different apparel companies.

Ahh, the good ole crackled rock number design.

Southern Miss wore these in 2013.

Some of these matching jersey/pants combos didn’t look quite right.

Northwestern, with the purple-out design:

Roll Tide.

WE GOT OURSELVES A #BUTTLOGO AT IDAHO, FOLKS.

Texas A&M wore these glow in the dark helmets, but there was one problem.

Glowing helmet logos sounds like a sweet idea for a night game, right? Well TAMU’s game on Halloween against South Carolina ended up being kicked off at 11 a.m. local.

Nothing like pumpkin orange and green unis.

Colorado State wore these bad boys to honor its pumpkin and green colored Colorado A&M past.

Two words: BANANA UNIFORMS!

There’s something about these BYU bib uniforms that make me laugh out loud.

More ridiculousness:

Props to Joe on Twitter for the excellent description on these Tulsa alternates.

Speaking of Maryland!

Non-CFB bad alternate unis deserve honorable mentions.

Thank you for your time, and God bless these designers who came up with these hilariously awful uniforms.

UFC 214 is a packed card, and we have all you need to know to follow the action on Saturday.

Jon Jones will try and take back his light heavyweight title in a hotly anticipated fight with Daniel Cormier as the headliner for UFC 214: Cormier vs. Jones 2 on Saturday. The card will also see Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino take on Tonya Evinger for the women’s featherweight title now that it’s been stripped from Germaine de Randamie for refusing to fight Justino.

On top of all that, Tyron Woodley will defend the welterweight title against Demian Maia, and Robbie Lawler will take on Donald Cerrone in a non-title fight that is as exciting as the three billed above it. It’s an awesome card, and it will all get underway with the live streamed UFC Fight Pass prelims at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Prelims will be televised beginning at 8 p.m., and the pay-per-view main card is set to begin at 10 p.m. Live streaming can be found at Fight Pass, the UFC YouTube channel and UFC.TV.

The main card will open with a bout between light heavyweights Jimi Manuwa and Volkan Oezdemir. Manuwa is right on the cusp of the title picture, so Saturday’s main card really does feature some of the best fights of the year.

Cormier lost the first meeting with Jones, but won the light heavyweight title over Anthony Johnson when the title was stripped from Jones. He was stripped for the first time following his connection with a hit-and-run incident, and he was stripped again when he was suspended by USADA for anti-doping violations.

Cormier has defended the title three times, with wins over Alexander Gustafsson, Anderson Silva and a rematch with Johnson. Jones has only one fight since his win over Cormier, a decision win over Ovince Saint Preux.

Woodley has looked great in the UFC, but his past two fights were a majority draw and a majority decision win over Stephen Thompson. Still, he’s retained his belt and now has to face the surging Maia.

Cyborg has won both of her UFC fights, while Evinger, a promotional newcomer, is the former Invicta FC bantamweight champion. Lawler and Cerrone will likely combine for a fight-of-the-night contender as they always do.

Below is the full viewing information for Saturday as well as the full list of fights.

More UFC 214 coverage

All Times Eastern

How to watch UFC 214: Cormier vs. Jones 2

Time: Prelims 1 at 6:30 p.m. prelims 2 at 8 p.m.; main card at 10 p.m.

Location: Honda Center, Anaheim, California

TV: FXX

Online Streaming:UFC Fight Pass, UFC.TV, UFC YouTube

UFC 214 Full Fight Card

PPV Main Card (10 p.m.)

Light heavyweight: Daniel Cormier vs. Jon Jones
Welterweight: Tyron Woodley vs. Demian Maia
Women’s featherweight Cristiane Justino vs. Tonya Evinger
Welterweight: Robbie Lawler vs. Donald Cerrone
Light heavyweight: Jimi Manuwa vs. Volkan Oezdemir

FFX Preliminary Card (8 p.m.)

Featherweight: Ricardo Lamas vs. Jason Knight
Catchweight (140 lbs): Aljamain Sterling vs. Renan Barão
Featherweight: Brian Ortega vs. Renato Moicano
Featherweight: Andre Fili vs. Calvin Kattar

Fight Pass Preliminary Card (6:30 p.m.)

Women’s strawweight: Kailin Curran vs. Alexandra Albu
Flyweight: Eric Shelton vs. Jarred Brooks
Lightweight: Josh Burkman vs. Drew Dober

Saturday’s SHOWTIME Sports card features some huge fights, and we have all you need to know to follow the action.

Adrien Broner and Mikey Garcia will meet in a super lightweight contest headlining a SHOWTIME Sports boxing card on Saturday. The card will also feature a middleweight clash between Jermall Charlo and Jorge Sebastian Heiland.

There will be multiple undercard matches streamed online, including a heavyweight matchup between Jarrell Miller and Gerald Washington and a women’s lightweight contest between Katie Taylor and Jasmine Clarkson.

Those matches will be streamed beginning at 7:15 p.m. ET on the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel. The main card begins at 9 p.m. on SHOWTIME and can be streamed online via SHOWTIME Anytime.

Saturday’s headliner is viewed as Broner’s last chance to compete at the highest level of the sport. He’s lost some big fights, while the undefeated Garcia is looking at Broner as his shot to break into the upper echelon of the sport. Garcia is the favored fighter, but Broner can never be counted out with his aggressive slugfest style.

The middleweight contest between Jermall Charlo and Jorge Sebastian Heiland might be the more exciting fight, however. That bout is on the undercard, but it is the SHOWTIME co-feature. Charlo is making his middleweight debut and is looking to establish himself at that weight class.

There will also be undercard bouts streamed live before the card. The first will see women’s lightweights Katie Taylor and Jasmine Clarkson fight, and the other will feature heavyweights Jarrell Miller and Gerald Washington.

Below is the full list of undercard bouts as well as the viewing information for Saturday’s action.

All Times Eastern

How to watch Broner vs. Garcia

Date: Saturday, July 29

Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York

Time: 9 p.m.

TV: Showtime

Online Streaming:SHOWTIME Anytime, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube

Broner vs. Garcia fight card

SHOWTIME main card (9 p.m.)

Super lightweight: Adrien Broner vs. Mikey Garcia
Middleweight: Jermall Charlo vs. Jorge Sebastian Heiland

SHOWTIME Sports undercard (7:15 p.m.)

Heavyweight: Jarrell Miller vs. Gerald Washington
Women’s lightweight: Katie Taylor vs. Jasmine Clarkson

The Premier League giants clash in Tennessee on Saturday.

Two of the Premier League’s top teams go head-to-head at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium on Saturday, with Manchester City taking on Tottenham Hotspur. Both of these sides have designs on the domestic league title this season, and will be hoping to use this opportunity to fire a warning shot two weeks before a ball is finally kicked in anger.

City are sure to be buoyant heading into this match, having bounced back from a defeat to Manchester United by seeing off Real Madrid 4-1 in the second of their three International Champions Cup matches. Spurs have been on a rather different trajectory, suffering a 3-2 defeat to AS Roma after kicking off their ICC campaign with a very promising win over Paris Saint-Germain.

Manchester City fringe player to watch: Gabriel Jesus

Describing Gabriel Jesus as a fringe player isn’t entirely accurate: the 20-year-old scored seven goals in 10 appearances in his first season in the Premier League, and looks set to be a crucial part of Pep Guardiola’s team in the upcoming campaign. However, the fact remains that he’s still very young and equally inexperienced, and the Palmeiras man is only going to get better. There’s no doubting that he’s got what it takes to become one of the very best.

Tottenham Hotspur fringe player to watch: Harry Winks

Last season represented something of a breakthrough for 21-year-old Harry Winks, who made his first league appearance for Spurs, and went on to appear in over half of the club's fixtures. However, he started all but three of his Premier League matches from the bench, and is still occupying the frustrating liminal space between first-team regular and perennial backup. He scored in Spurs' recent defeat to Roma, and will be hoping to establish himself as the long-term replacement for the aging Mousa Dembélé.

Compared to other friendlies, is this worth my time?

It’s certainly not a bad one. Both of these sides have scored plenty of goals in pre-season so far, and the fact they’re both Premier League contenders adds to the intrigue. Watch out also for City’s new right-back Kyle Walker, who’s set to face his former club for the first time. 7/10.

Match date/time: Saturday, 6:05 p.m. ET, 5:05 p.m. local

Venue: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.

TV: ESPN2 (U.S. — English); TLN (Canada); Premier Sports (U.K.).

Online: WatchESPN (U.S. — English).

Saturday’s Say Hey, Baseball is about Instagram and the inevitable Dodgers comeback win.

Friday night, the Tampa Bay Rays announced that the New York Mets would be sending first baseman Lucas Duda to Tampa Bay, and the Rays would send minor league pitcher Drew Smith. The trade adds “a pretty special bat” to the Rays lineup, according to Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash. Cash slotted Duda in the DH role for Friday's game, where he went 1-for-3 with a home run and a strikeout, which is just about as Duda as it gets. The Rays fell to the New York Yankees anyway, setting back the Rays to three and a half games behind the Yankees in the AL East.

Even with the Mets steamrolling through pitchers at an alarming rate, Smith seems like a small price to pay for Duda’s bat. Smith is a right handed reliever who ranked as the Tigers’ 24th overall prospect in 2016 and has a 1.60 ERA, no earned runs in his last three starts and no more than one walk per appearance all season. But he only just recently made the move from high-A to A to AA. Granted, Duda’s defense should relegate him to the first base/DH-only role. But the best part of this deal is the social media.

The Rays are bringing on the entirety of Duda’s salary, $2.5 million, but that isn’t enough to get Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson to part ways with the Instagram account he runs: The coveted “We Follow Lucas Duda.” Granderson is probably his former locker-mate’s biggest fan, or at least the only fan with enough access to post photos of the first baseman doing various daily activities. The Rays’ Twitter account is doing its best to get a deal done, though, and Granderson is willing to trade before the deadline, even though Evan Longoria has declined to take over the duties the account requires.

It’s good for the league to have players involved in social media like this. It’s fun for the fan that doesn’t even require a tone deaf rule change. Encouraging social media use can get dicey if your players are the ones with questionable Twitter favorites or controversial opinions. But the publicity and goodwill a well run Instagram account can generate is well worth the price. I mean, when is a video of a distraught Granderson being dragged across the floor as he grabs onto his teammate’s ankle not worth it?

• The Seattle Mariners have a long line of questionable trades in their past. Today, Grant Brisbee celebrates the 20th anniversary of one bad trade that set up a Boston Red SoxWorld Series team
• In the seventh inning of Friday night's game against the Giants, Corey Seager sealed what would be the Dodgers’ 30th come-from-behind win of the season.
• MLB is finally expanding its international schedule. MLB teams will be playing in Mexico, England, and Asia in the coming years.
• The Trade Deadline Rumor Tracker is up to date, including Friday's flurry of trades.
• If baseball players understand anything, it's the importance of toilet paper, at least, according to the CBA.
• The Dodgers are very good. The Giants are very not. Friday night's outcome was all but inevitable, no matter how much you cheered.
• The Nationals acquired Howie Kendrick out of left field (get it?), and as ever, Twitter had some things to say about it.
• Things got wild at Wrigley on this day in history 40 whole years ago.

El Clásico has come to Miami.

The season hasn’t even yet begun, and El Clásico is here, with the International Champions Cup bringing us an early rendition of arguably the greatest and certainly highest-profile football rivalry in the world between La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid, and it’s going to be played out in Miami, Florida.

The fact that the season is still weeks away doesn’t matter for El Clásico, with both teams always ready to go at the others’ throat. It’s a must-watch match whenever Barcelona and Real Madrids square off, no matter the context and no matter the location. This is going to be a heck of a show, and it’s going to be something fans need to watch.

Fun Barcelona player to watch: Samuel Umtiti

Umtiti has been drawing some attention on the transfer market thanks to a release clause that suddenly looks reasonable compared to an exploding defender market, and there’s a lot of reason why teams like the idea of signing him. He’s young, athletic, and immensely talented, capable of shutting down almost anyone on his day. He’s still on the raw side, but he’s shown rapid improvement since joining Barcelona.

Fun Real Madrid player to watch: Marco Asensio

Asensio made waves for Real Madrid late last season, and looks set for a bigger role in the side in this upcoming campaign. He’s young and exciting, with a solid range of creative talents and the ability to bring the game right to the face of the defenders in front of him. This kind of match is the perfect kind of proving ground for a player like him — if Asensio does well Saturday, it will help prove to Zinedine Zidane that he’s ready for a whole lot more.

Compared to other friendlies, is this worth my time?

El Clásico is always an entertaining match just for the pure venom on the pitch between the two clubs, though the fact that this is pre-season and that both teams have major lingering questions hanging over them means that this match probably won’t quite be as great as it can be. 6/10.

Match date/time: Saturday, 8:05 p.m. ET

Venue: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, Florida

TV: ESPN, ESPN2 (U.S. - English), ESPN Deportes (U.S. - Spanish), TV3, Cuatro (Spain)

Online: ESPN3, WatchESPN (U.S.)

Listings from LiveSoccerTV.

Anticipation is building as the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor fight rapidly approaches, with the sportsbooks continuing to roll out betting lines and props for the event.

Floyd Mayweather has never lost a boxing match as a professional, building up a record of 49-0 over the course of his career. Mayweather will face his most unorthodox challenge to date when he squares off against Conor McGregor in Las Vegas on August 26.

The undefeated boxer is a -600 favorite to win the fight at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com, with McGregor going off at +400 as an underdog. Since opening as a -2250 favorite, Mayweather has seen the action move heavily against him to bring his odds down this low. As the fight gets closer, these lines may adjust some more as big money bets could come in on Mayweather.

The general public heavily favors McGregor in this fight. Despite the fact that McGregor has never boxed professionally, many believe that his toughness as well as his advantages in size, strength, and age will help him overcome any technical shortcomings he may have against Mayweather. The consensus among most in the McGregor supporting camp is that the UFC superstar will need to score a knockout to win this fight.

Betting on McGregor to win by KO, TKO or DQ pays +500, which is a slightly better payout than his outright odds to win the fight. Another option for McGregor backers could be to bet on the exact method of victory with “McGregor by Knockout” specifically going off at +600. Or for bettors that believe McGregor will end this fight in short order, a special prop of “Conor McGregor Inside Four Rounds” is available at +700.

Mayweather hasn't scored a knockout since Sept. 17, 2011, winning each of his last seven fights by decision. This fact, coupled with McGregor's toughness, might suggest that backers expect Mayweather to defend his way to a decision win, but many prop bets are actually coming in on a Mayweather knockout.

Mayweather by KO, TKO or DQ is a -140 favorite as the most likely method of victory in the fight, followed by Mayweather by Decision at +200.

Linesmakers seem to be pegging this fight to go about eight rounds. The OVER 7.5 rounds is a slight favorite at -135 over the UNDER 7.5 rounds at -105. But when the line is set at 8.5, the UNDER is a -135 favorite and the OVER 8.5 is the underdog at -105.

Being kicked in the head looked like it really hurt

Last night Daniel Cormier got kicked in the head by Jon Jones in the third round of UFC 214’s main event. There was less than two and a half minutes left in the round and Cormier was hunting down Jones as he had during the whole fight — and he was doing so well! — before he caught a Ryu-style Joudan Sokutogeri to the side of the head. And that was it.

After the first kick, Jones completed his Tekken 7 Hwoarang combo by chasing the retreating Cormier down and kicking his left leg from under him, which sent Cormier spinning and tumbling into the cage, where Jones caught him partially with a tiger-knee and then an old-fashioned demolition of the human skull and senses when Cormier fell to the ground.

Just a few seconds before that, Cormier must have had the legitimate hope that he could avenge his previous loss to Jones. He took more punches in total but he was landing brutal ones to the Jones’ head and he was forcing his rival into uncomfortable situations. He was smiling, talking trash and looked very composed in fighting the man who had haunted him forever. He had arguably won the first two rounds! Then Jones hit him with a Sanji from One Piece“Collier Shoot” kick to the head and the credits rolled.

As Jones celebrated after, Cormier attempted to walk out of the octagon. When Joe Rogan interviewed him a few minutes after he was hit with a Liu Kang fatality, Cormier broke down in tears. Asked for his thoughts, he said “I don’t know, man. I thought the fight was going well ... I don’t even know what happened. They say I got kicked in the head ... I’m so disappointed.”

White pressed him on his rivalry with Jones and Cormier responded by disagreeing that such a rivalry even existed. He said “If he wins both fights, there is no rivalry.”

It was a saddening fall for a man who knew he had to beat Jones to be considered a true champion, not only by the fans, but in his own mind. He even declared confidently that he would beat Jones after their face off before the fight.

Jones praised Cormier and gave him a lot of credit as a man and as a champion in his post-fight interview, but before, during their press conference, he had said that he wanted to make Cormier cry again. And he succeeded, because he kicked Cormier in the head with a Chun-Li spinning bird kick.

Cormier crying became an instant meme and the jokes came, but there was really nothing else that he could do. Crying is a perfectly suitable response to being kicked in the head.

There’s a real chance that he was crying as a physical reaction to (possibly) having a concussion. The same thing happened to Luke Kuechly of the Panthers last year. But he was also very disappointed in the result and said so himself.

He had trained his hardest to fight the man who represented his biggest obstacle and still came up short. He gave his best and it wasn’t good enough. That’s a frustration that all humans know from experience and many of us react in the same way. Some of us cry in the bathroom, others wait till they get in their cars to curse the heavens as the tears blur our vision. Jay Z even names that frustration — to try and to fail — as the two things in this world that he hates, on the third verse of “H to the Izzo.”

On top of that inadequacy, he got kicked in the head. That bears repeating. Jones kicked that man in the head.

Cormier got close to Jones, flinched and ducked his head to the right because he thought a punch was coming, and instead was greeted by a Jack-Black-kicking-Baxter-off-the-bridge-in-Anchorman-style kick to the right side of his face. If you can’t cry after that, there’s no such thing as a good time to cry.

Combat sports are a peak celebration of stereotypical masculinity. The sporting world in general is filled with it, but it’s all fighting really is. It’s physical violence, trash talking and all of the theater of being a “real man,” tough and unflinching, even in the face of gruesome injury and real human fear. Fear that would cripple any ordinary human being. Between rounds, the trainers for both fighters spent most of their time having their fighters take deep breaths to calm down their heart-rate. They were excited and scared, because being in dangerous situations can be both thrilling and absolutely terrifying.

Add that to the respectability in sports of how a sportsman and a champion should behave — graceful in both victory and defeat — and it’s somewhat understandable why an emotional reaction by Cormier became a joke so fast. It happened to Kevin Durant and Michael Jordan, and that’s in basketball.

And while there could be a long discussion on how people are uncomfortable with public displays of emotion, especially by men, I feel like the only retort to the laughter at Cormier should be that he got kicked in the head. Yes, his behavior when he lost was a bit odd ... because he got kicked in the head. Yes, he was disappointed and cried in front of thousands of people ... because he got kicked in the head. If you get kicked in the head, it is your natural right, as a living creature with the ability to feel things and react to those feelings, to cry. Doesn’t matter where you are. There’s no need to tough it out. Someone kicks you in the head, you should cry. Even before the kick lands, if you sense that someone is capable of, and wants to, kick you in the head, you should start crying instantly.

Beyond the narratives involved, the greatest lesson of this second fight between Cormier and Jones is that getting kicked in the head hurts like hell. Even thinking about the prospect of it is enough for the eyes to start watering.

For two years, the Mets’ Curtis Granderson had been running an Instagram account called “wefollowlucasduda.” As the name suggests, Granderson puts up posts where he follows Lucas Duda, whether he’s in the locker room, on TV, or in a throwback photo. On July 27, the Mets traded Duda to the Rays, which subsequently put Granderson’s Duda fan account in jeopardy of being obsolete.

The last thing “wefollowlucasduda” posted before Duda left was a video of Granderson clutching his teammate’s ankle so he couldn’t leave.

The Rays took notice of the Instagram account, and tweeted an invitation to Granderson to presumably negotiate new ownership of the account.

Granderson acknowledged it, and put a call out to Mets fans on what they should get in return for the “wefollowlucasduda” password:

And while negotiations went on, Sergio Romo— who was also traded to the Rays recently — posted what was essentially his audition video for taking the reins on Granderson’s account. He’s ready to mess around with him on the regular.

On Sunday, Granderson announced that he will indeed let the Rays take over “wefollowlucasduda” in exchange for some demands:

The caption:

The time has come. We are closing in on the terms of our trade of @WeFollowLucasDuda to @raysbaseball. Deal includes a Sting Ray to be named later & a donation of #Rays tickets to a community group of Duda's choosing (hopefully our #GrandKids in the Tampa Bay Area in celebration of #GK10)! Undisclosed rights to remain in our (founders) possession - so @Mets fans, Duda can run to the Sunshine State, but he can't hide!

Naming a stingray and free Rays tickets for charity? That’s a sweet deal. Duda and Granderson had a sad (but also funny) farewell, but it ended on a happy note, and it was all because everyone rallied around the idea of keeping the tradition of messing with Lucas Duda on Instagram.