Simmons: 'With these guys, you don't not ride'
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Washington Post
41 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Jacob Bridgeman an example that having a PGA Tour card is enough to earn the way
His rookie year on the PGA Tour was challenging enough for Jacob Bridgeman. He got in 20 tournaments, none of them majors or The Players Championship, $20 million signature events or the FedEx Cup playoffs. He played seven times in the fall and did just well enough to keep his heart rate down and his ranking inside the top 125 to keep his card.
Tom's Guide
an hour ago
- Tom's Guide
Prime Video's new soccer show rivals ‘Welcome to Wrexham' — and it subs Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac for Tom Brady
Hulu's 'Welcome to Wrexham' series has turned a small city in Wales into one of the biggest soccer teams around. Thanks to the charisma of co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac (formerly Rob McElhenney), and the enduring popularity of an underdog story, Wrexham is the talk of not just soccer but the entire sporting world. Tom Brady, NFL legend and arguably the greatest quarterback to ever play the game, is looking to follow in Reynolds and Mac's footsteps by turning perennial underperformers Birmingham City FC into a household name in the U.S and beyond. Naturally, part of this plan involves a rival documentary series that chronicles the club's results on the pitch and its story off the field. Brady has teamed up with Prime Video for this effort, and the docuseries' first season has just started streaming this month. It's called 'Built in Birmingham: Brady & the Blues,' and it's a must-watch for anybody who found a love of soccer (or football to the rest of the world) thanks to 'Welcome to Wrexham.' It's probably not going to convert any American viewers who have already taken Wrexham into their hearts — switching clubs is a huge no-no in European football — but it's a slickly produced documentary that captures the highs (and lows) of the world's most popular sport. "Built in Birmingham" doesn't try to hide the fact that it's copying the formula that has brought so much success to Wrexham, and has turned the club into a sporting force with a global platform far beyond its current level in English football's second-tier, the Championship. The five-part documentary opens with a brief history of Birmingham City FC and explores how the club has spent the majority of its 150-year existence as a 'nearly' team. Some locals even believe their stadium is cursed after travelers were removed from the land to start construction. In steps billionaire Tom Wagner and his close personal friend Tom Brady, to save the club after years of disastrous ownership, with a singular mission to take Birmingham City FC to the top. Their first season in charge, which is covered in the first episode, was a disaster and saw the club relegated from the Championship down to League One. Yes, British league names are confusing; League One is actually the third tier, two steps below the top-tier Premier League. After this setback, the rest of the first season chronicles the 2024/25 season, which concluded in May, as Birmingham City seek promotion back to the Championship. So, much like "Welcome to Wrexham," it's an underdog story focusing on a soccer team that has historically underachieved, but is hoping for brighter days under American ownership. And that's a compelling enough hook. The Tom Brady factor is something that always comes up when Birmingham City are discussed these days. Much like Wrexham has leaned into the starpower of Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, Birmingham City is more than happy to mine the Brady connection for all its worth. This has resulted in the rather clunky subtitle, 'Brady & the Blues,' when simply 'Built in Birmingham' would have been a lot cleaner. It also means that Brady is pretty much the main character of the documentary — despite his lack of soccer experience, or seemingly all that much interest in the sport before teaming up with Wagner to co-own Birmingham City. I've seen quite a few early viewers suggest that Brady comes across as unlikeable and a little clueless, especially in the early episodes of 'Built in Birmingham,' but I've found his driven mindset and his understanding of what it takes to be an elite athlete surprisingly fascinating. Unlike Reynolds and Mac, who are both actors by trade, Brady has spent almost his entire life competing on some of the biggest stages in professional sports. And even if he barely understands the offside rule, he knows what it takes to become a champion and maintain that level. A scene in the first episode where Tom Brady casts doubts on the work ethic of Birmingham City's new head coach, Wayne Rooney, shows that his natural instincts are sharp, even if soccer isn't his game. Rooney would eventually be fired after a horror run of just two wins in 15 matches. One of "Welcome to Wrexham's" biggest strengths is that it focuses on the people behind the scenes at the club and even the local residents of the town, just as much as the action on the pitch. For example, the documentary has turned The Turf pub into a tourist hotspot and its owner, Wayne Jones, into a minor celebrity. Unfortunately, 'Built in Birmingham' doesn't quite have the same heart. Yes, there are talking head interviews that aim to promote Birmingham's hardworking population and the city's critical role in the Industrial Revolution, but these come across as a bit hollow. Even the inclusion of 'Peaky Blinders' creator and lifelong Birmingham City fan, Steven Knight, feels more like an effort in corporate synergy and branding than born out of true authenticity. Overall, 'Built in Birmingham' feels less scrappy than 'Welcome to Wrexham.' Perhaps that's because Birmingham City starts in a comparatively stronger position. When Rob and Ryan took over at Wrexham, the club was playing in non-league, whereas when Birmingham City's new owners arrive, they're just one step below the Premier League. "Welcome to Wrexham" also chronicles Rob and Ryan's journey as they completely fall in love with not just Wrexham, but the sport of soccer as a whole (Rob Mac even enjoys a goalless draw!). Brady and Wagner never seem to get to the same point, and make no secret that their ultimate aim with Birmingham City is to make a lot of money from this venture. The documentary series is probably closer in vibe to Amazon's ongoing 'All or Nothing' series, which has covered some of the biggest names in English football, including Arsenal and Manchester City. Nevertheless, Wrexham fans, or just soccer lovers in general, will still enjoy it. At this stage, I'm not sure 'Built in Birmingham' is going to turn the club into the global phenomenon that Wrexham has become, but it's a well-produced sports documentary that offers an insightful look into what it takes to turn a failing club into one well-built for future success. Watch "Built in Birmingham: Brady & the Blues" on Prime Video now Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Tom's Guide
an hour ago
- Tom's Guide
How to watch NFL 2025 on NFL Network without cable
Are the Chiefs done? How will the Cowboys cope without Micah Parsons? Can Aaron Rodgers roll back the years? After a long offseason, the NFL is finally back and, no matter which team you follow, NFL Network will let you see how they're shaping up. That's because the channel is showing every single preseason game ahead of the 2025 campaign. Though NFL Network holds the exclusive broadcast rights for only a handful of regular-season games, it has two of the NFL's biggest properties: RedZone and "Good Morning Football". Read on as we explain exactly how to watch NFL on NFL Network without cable, from anywhere in the world. NFL Network is available on a selection of the best cable TV alternatives. You'll get the most bang for your buck from Sling TV, which has a lower starting price than Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV and Fubo. Sling includes NFL Network in its Blue plan. Sling Blue also carries USA, FS1, FX, TruTV, TBS and TNT, plus ABC, Fox and NBC in select markets, and usually costs $45.99 per month. However, you'll get your first month half price. The cheapest way to watch NFL on NFL Network is via the $45.99 per month Sling Blue plan, which carries the major networks. New users can get 50% off their first month. Hulu + Live TV costs $82.99 after a 3-day FREE trial; YouTube TV costs $82.99, but you'll get your first two months for $59.99 each; Fubo costs $84.99 after a 7-day FREE trial, but you'll get your first month for $64.99. Although NFL Network is only available in the U.S., American residents visiting Canada, the U.K., Australia and anywhere else can stream it through Sling, Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV with the aid of VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software sets your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are. So, it's ideal for sports and TV fans away on vacation or on business. Our favorite is NordVPN. It's the best on the market: We specialize in testing and reviewing VPN services and NordVPN is the one we rate best. It's fast, has top-level security features, and has a brilliant track record when it comes to unblocking streamers like NFL Network. It's terrific value too, and with over 7,000 servers across 115+ countries, we thoroughly recommend it. Get over 70% off with this NordVPN deal NFL Network shows all 65 preseason games, either live or on tape-delay. The channel also shows up to six international games each season, as well as late-season Saturday games. NFL Network's biggest draw, however, is NFL RedZone, the breathless, Scott Hanson-fronted whip-around all of the Sunday afternoon games. The seven-hour show tends to be more exhilarating than most of the games themselves, not least the witching hour, when wins become losses and losses become wins. "Good Morning Football" is the jewel of NFL Network's regular programming. Hosted by Jamie Erdahl and Kyle Brandt, the mosrning show is essential viewing for hardcore NFL fans, breaking news, providing deep-dive analysis and coaxing players out of their shells. "NFL GameDay" and "NFL GameDay Morning" are essentially its weekend equivalents. NFL Network also has a number of once-per-season exclusives, including "Live from the Owners Meeting", "Live from the Pro Bowl", "Live from the Rookie Symposium", "Live from the Super Bowl", the NFL Draft, NFL Scouting Combine, and Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies. Much like American football itself, NFL Network isn't international. If you venture outside the U.S. for work or on vacation, you'll no longer be able to access NFL network. However, a VPN will give you a route back in, no matter where in the world you are. VPNs also encrypt and anonymize your internet use, thereby preventing cybercriminals, government agents and internet service providers from keeping tabs on you. We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
