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Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Davis: Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive line looking for another sack attack
Good job, D-line! Can you do it again? That's how things go in the CFL, where the Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive linemen just played their best, most dominating game of the season and are expected to repeat it Saturday when they visit the Montreal Alouettes. 'I think it was our best performance this year,' said defensive end Shane Ray, reflecting on the six (of eight) times Riders defensive linemen sacked Edmonton Elks quarterback Cody Fajardo in a 21-18 victory on Friday that improved Saskatchewan's league-best record to 6-1. 'You get two sacks across the board with me, Scoop (Malik Carney) and Micah (Johnson), that's big. To have eight sacks total, that's incredible! But we look at the film and we're like, 'Man, we left so many more sacks out there.' So for us it's about trying to capitalize and get the ones that we missed.' With starting quarterback Davis Alexander sidelined by injury, the 5-2 Alouettes will be led by veteran McLeod Bethel-Thompson. Not a tremendously mobile quarterback, Bethel-Thompson plays behind an offensive line that has allowed only 10 sacks and gets only 4.7 yards per carry from running back Sean Thomas Erlington. The Alouettes practised all week without game-breaking receivers Austin Mack and Tyson Philpot. Ray and Bethel-Thompson were teammates on the 2022 Grey Cup-winning Toronto Argonauts. 'I played with McLeod and I think he's going to stand in there when he feels pressure,' said Ray. 'He's the kind of quarterback that's going to stand in there, try to make throws. That's what we're looking at with him. 'You know, he's not very mobile. But he can make the throws and he can obviously make the deep ball down the field.' Despite the all-star credentials of starters Ray and linemates Johnson, Carney and Mike Rose, who joined the Roughriders in the off-season from the Calgary Stampeders, Saskatchewan's defensive linemen weren't having an outstanding season before manhandling the Elks. They have been rotating nine players through the line and expecting the front four to pressure opposing quarterbacks while eight teammates dropped into zone coverages. 'It's getting better and better,' said Ray, a former Super Bowl winner who also joined the Riders in the off-season. 'Early in the season we were trying to build our chemistry. 'It's difficult to build chemistry. I was out for a couple weeks in training camp and the pre-season. We needed those first few games to understand how we all rush because how we work together is crucial. Though we've been rushing very well, we just haven't hit home.' Maybe they just needed a little help. 'We were getting all (quarterback) pressures but no sacks,' said Ray. 'To continue to have pressure on guys, especially guys that can't really move in the pocket, putting a phone booth around them, having guys close around him so he can't extend his arm and make those throws, that changes the game. That's what we've got to do as a D-line every week.' Against Edmonton, the Roughriders relied heavily on a five-man pass rush and frequently added a defensive back or another linebacker in six-man blitzes. Linebackers A.J. Allen and C.J. Reavis also sacked Fajardo, whose offensive line struggled to protect him. The blitzes were particularly effective in shutting down Edmonton's rushing attack, which gained only 25 yards and repeatedly forced the Elks into passing situations. And the final two sacks came on the game's last two plays. After the Roughriders — who have struggled to hold late-game leads — had been outscored 14-0 in the fourth quarter to make it a three-point game, Edmonton had possession on its five-yard line and needed 60 quick yards to try a game-tying field goal. Johnson and Ray snuffed out those hopes. Credit those big plays to the nine-man rotation keeping everyone fresh. 'We've got a lot of guys that can play,' said Ray. 'We would be doing guys like Habba (Baldonado) and Caleb (Sanders) a disservice if we didn't get them an opportunity to get on the field and make plays. 'Rotating and having guys we can trust when me or Scoop comes out, or Micah or Rose, we have that. To be able to rotate and be fresh at the end of the game, that's part of our chemistry.' Related The Big Question: Why can't the Saskatchewan Roughriders close their CFL games? Davis: Saskatchewan Roughriders eke out CFL victory over easy Edmonton Elks The Regina Leader-Post has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe. With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.
Fast Company
23 minutes ago
- Fast Company
How the MLB turned a giant Nascar stadium into a baseball field
The Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee is dubbed the 'Last Great Colosseum'—and for good reason. It's a massive homage to spectacle, with a seating capacity of around 150,000 encircling a half-mile track that's home to various Nascar races throughout the year. Now, it's being transformed for another purpose: it will serve as the field for the biggest regular-season baseball game of all time. On August 2, Bristol is hosting the new Speedway Classic, which will see the Cincinnati Reds face off against the Atlanta Braves in the biggest Major League Baseball (MLB) game ever played in Tennessee. So far, more than 85,000 tickets have been sold—a figure that's higher than the capacity of both teams' stadiums put together, and a figure that breaks the record for the biggest regular-season game, set in 1954 when Cleveland hosted the Yankees. In Bristol there will be headlining music acts, cameras mounted on custom RC car rigs and, nestled within that grey concrete racetrack, the striking verdant green of a baseball field. 'To see a ballpark sitting in the middle of a racetrack is not something that you see every day,' says Jeremiah Yolkut, SVP of global events for the MLB. Here's how it got there. THE COLOSSUS PROBLEM The MLB has been doing special-event games for the past nine years, with highlights including the Negro leagues tribute last year in Birmingham, Alabama and the Field of Dreams games in Iowa. Yolkut says the MLB had pondered doing a game at a speedway, but most are simply too long and wide to be a fitting frame for a regulation-sized field. But then in September 2021 they went to check out Bristol, and were blown away by the track—and how its dimensions might uniquely cradle a baseball field. That kicked off six to nine months of viability studies. The most logical place to put a field would be at the center of the venue—but there was one critical problem: Bristol is home to the 127-ton 'Colossus,' the world's largest center-hung outdoor scoreboard. It would cut right through center field, posing a massive logistical issue in the field of play. Then there was the challenge of finding the optimal field positioning to avoid the sun being in players' eyes; the issue of permanent structures on-site that could not be removed; the high banks of the track's turns, and, well, that sacrosanct track itself ('we could not repave Bristol Motor Speedway to level the entire space,' Yolkut notes). They eventually jigsawed everything together and discovered an orientation within the infield of the track that satisfied all the requirements. They put the Colossus into foul territory—and then they got to work. DIRT RECIPES AND TIM MCGRAW Work started in May with a crew of around 150, who removed 1,000 feet of pit walls, demolished half of a building, removed a gas pump station, and other foundational tasks. Next, hundreds more workers took on the construction phase. Over the years, the MLB has developed relationships with various specialty partners on bringing baseball to unconventional spaces, such as the global design firm Populous and the commercial landscaper BrightView. The team had to first raise and level the ground with 17,500 tons of rock from Tennessee; they then brought in 340 tons of clay from Pennsylvania, which utilizes the same 'dirt recipe' as 25 other professional baseball stadiums (since the clay must be kept moist, Yolkut says they also installed an irrigation system). Next came the turf—124,000 square feet of Diamond Series Astroturf, the same kind that is used on the Toronto Blue Jays' home field. And then all the rest: 450 wall pads for the perimeter; two 60-foot foul poles; 80,000 square feet of backstop netting; 275 extra light fixtures; 2,400 extra infield seats; and two full bullpens and dugouts. Yolkut adds that the team clubhouses had to be on par with what players are used to at home. To that end, each facility includes showers, bathrooms, a meal room, a training room, a video room, stretching area, weight room, and so on. And that's just half of Bristol. The MLB is making use of the entire venue, and the rest of it will be home to a fan experience and pregame concert with Tim McGraw, Pitbull, and Jake Owen. The event is also set to feature a pregame player parade inspired by Nascar's driver intros, and when FOX Sports televises the game, they'll have extra tech on hand consistent with the race theme—such as an RC car camera that will show viewers the perspective of what it's like to be on the track at Bristol, and the baseball diamond's unique location within the infield. The teardown When the big game ends, the field will disappear as quickly as it went up—and for good reason, as Nascar races come to the track September 11 to 13. Yolkut says the teardown is a three-week marathon that involves around 200 crew members, with the turf itself being donated to East Tennessee State University. 'It's an exhaustive process,' he says. 'In fact, a lot of the partners have separate teams that literally come in at the end of the event to do it.' You may wonder how the Reds and Braves wound up in the biggest baseball game of all time—and Yolkut says it first came down to location. Atlanta and Cincinnati are both within a reasonable driving distance of Bristol, and beyond that, 'These teams have players that are fast, that are energized, that are young, and are bringing a lot of that power to the game.' The ticket sales are perhaps a testament to that strategy—and ultimately Yolkut notes that it'll be as much a spectacle for those fans on-site and at home as it will be for the players themselves. 'To see 90,000 people watching you is not something any of these players have had in their baseball time,' he says. 'They've played in all kinds of venues but I think they're going to be mystified by just that feeling and that 'Last Great Colosseum' feel . . . I think that'll be a pretty magical moment.' The early-rate deadline for Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies Awards is Friday, September 5, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
New York Times
25 minutes ago
- New York Times
Turnovers thwart Lions in Hall of Fame Game vs. Chargers: Evaluating the first look at Detroit's roster
CANTON, Ohio — The preseason, of course, is more about process and less about product. That's important to remember because the product we saw from the Detroit Lions on Thursday evening wouldn't make the shelves in most stores. The Lions lost to the Los Angeles Chargers 34-7 in the annual Hall of Fame Game, turning the ball over five times on a night where sustained drives were hard to come by. Advertisement 'Alright, first one out of the gate, the story of the game is we turned it over five times and then we didn't get any takeaways,' Lions coach Dan Campbell said bluntly. 'So that's hard just from that standpoint. When you put your defense in that kind of position, that's tough. … So, that was kind of the nature of it. We're excited to watch some of these guys, see how they did, read the tape, learn from it, grow from it. That's what it's about.' Detroit's coaching staff now has some game tape to evaluate, in addition to what they've seen in practice. That's what these games are about. So which players helped their cause and who hurt theirs? Let's recap. Edge Ahmed Hassanein The word on Hassanein coming out of Boise State was that he was more motor than traits. He's not the biggest, the longest or the fastest. But man, he maximizes everything he's got. He's also a quick study. We saw that Thursday night. Hassanein made several standout plays. He nearly had his first sack, but Chargers quarterback Trey Lance slipped away. Hassanein was tossing linemen with ease and shedding would-be blockers in his path. He did some things you didn't know he could do, probably because he continues to learn on the job. After all, it's not like he's been playing this sport that long. His bag is expanding. Quickly. What stands out about Hassanein when you're talking to him is how he appreciates being here. It's a genuine gratitude that is sometimes overlooked. The dude loves playing football and loves being a Lion. You're reminded of this every time he speaks. 'I always call my dad at the beginning of the game, and man, it's kind of crazy that I have the NFL logo,' Hassanein said. 'Before every game, I call him, and it's like Boise State before every game, and we pray together. I call my wife, and we pray together. It's kind of unreal to me. Advertisement 'I Facetimed him, and you can see the NFL logo, and I was like, 'Dad, we're here. We're here.' It's unreal to me, you know. I'm so grateful to be here. I just wanna keep growing, and I really want to prove myself for this team.' He's well on his way. WR Isaac TeSlaa TeSlaa led the Lions in yards Thursday night, which isn't saying a lot, but he made the most of his opportunities. His first catch in an NFL game (used loosely) went for 24 yards on a play-action crosser, and he finished the catch-and-run by lowering his shoulder and delivering a physical hit to the nearest defensive back. You have to think the coaching staff loved that. And on the next play, Allen went right back to him for a gain of 22 yards. They were his only two catches of the evening, but he showed off the traits that made him coveted by this staff — strong hands, long speed and a big frame. Nice debut for him. 'Definitely a lot of emotion on that first one,' TeSlaa said. 'It kinda felt good to drop my shoulder a bit on that DB, definitely got hyped up about that one, and then, I don't know. Football's an emotional game, but you've gotta be able to tame those emotions, so when you're making plays, don't let the highs be too high, the lows be too low.' His most impressive play of the evening might've been a rep at gunner, where he cut inside and sprinted 40-plus yards downfield without breaking a sweat. It looked like the Charger tasked with blocking TeSlaa underestimated his speed. It's legit. And it's here to stay. He's starting to feel like a guy who's going to carve out a role for himself sooner rather than later. LB Grant Stuard and CB Rock Ya-Sin A couple of veterans stood out amid all the young talent Detroit put on the field. Stuard and Ya-Sin each proved their value in this game. Outside of a fumble on the opening kick return, Stuard was active, near the ball and showed great closing speed when sacking Lance in the first half. Stuard has a chance to be a valuable depth piece and an ace on special teams. Advertisement Ya-Sin was physical in the run game, highlighted by an excellent open-field tackle of rookie Omarion Hampton. It saved a touchdown. Ya-Sin gives the Lions quality depth at corner. These additions flew under the radar a bit, but Campbell is happy to have them around. They'll be needed. 'I kind of expect that out of both of those guys,' Campbell said. 'So it's encouraging. They both, man, they bust their rear. They give you everything they got. They play hard, they practice hard. They learn. They don't make the same mistake twice. Those are the type of guys you're looking for.' The quarterbacks Kyle Allen and Hendon Hooker combined for three interceptions on the evening. The turnovers prevented the offense from getting into a rhythm or sustaining drives. It was hard to watch. Before we get into things, some context: One of Allen's interceptions came on a route in which TeSlaa took some questionable contact downfield, bumping him off his route and unable to make a play on the ball. Another was a jump ball from Hooker to Dominic Lovett with two minutes to go, down 27, just trying to make a play. He gave Lovett a chance, but it was ripped away by Myles Purchase, putting a bow on an overall bad night. Simply put, these quarterbacks need to be better. Allen's first interception was an abysmal throw — his worst of the summer, so far, for a guy who has otherwise looked sharp. But this is why you preface practice reports. It's early. There's a long way to go, and performances like this can help or hurt you. This was not a good night for Allen. As for Hooker, he spent the evening with the third-team offense, with Allen getting the first shot with the second team. It's probably not worth reading into since the Lions alternate quarterbacks in practice. Hooker will likely start the next preseason game versus the Atlanta Falcons, but it was not a particularly sharp night for him either. He threw the ball six times, completing three passes for 18 yards. His internal clock was sped up. He tucked it and ran. Hooker never looked comfortable. Advertisement For two guys who looked good in practice, this collective QB performance did not support that notion. CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and LB Trevor Nowaske It's been a bit of an odd start for Rakestraw, a second-year cornerback. Coaches and teammates praised his work this summer. He was there for the start of training camp before a chest contusion cost him several practices. Rakestraw returned to action last Saturday and was healthy enough to start Thursday, but he allowed a 28-yard reception to KeAndre Lambert-Smith. He was also penalized for illegal hands to the face. You'd rather he learn in moments like this. Nowaske, a starter out of necessity a year ago, was flagged for offsides twice and looked a bit stiff in coverage. I'd expect these two to bounce back. They'll have a role on the team this year. CB Dicaprio Bootle Not the best night for Bootle. He was beaten badly on a slant by Lambert-Smith for a touchdown. Bootle was also flagged for defensive pass interference, costing the Lions 27 yards on the penalty and setting the Chargers up with first-and-goal from the 6. Rough evening for the former Charger.
