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Fox Sports
36 minutes ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
The wait is over for Texas and Arch Manning, though quarterback admits it wasn't easy being backup
Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Arch Manning admits now that going from highly sought-after high school recruit to the Texas backup quarterback wasn't an easy transition. 'This is not really a big deal, but I played every year in high school,' Manning said on Tuesday at SEC Media Days. "It was a 2-A high school. That doesn't mean anything, but from sitting out and not playing, that was pretty tough." The son of Cooper Manning, the grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and the nephew of Super Bowl-winning QBs Peyton and Eli Manning passed for 939 yards and nine touchdowns and ran for four touchdowns last season but saw only limited playing time after September behind Quinn Ewers. Manning could have seen the field earlier had he gone elsewhere. But in an era where college athletes have newfound maneuverability thanks to the transfer portal — and the ability strike lucrative deals at interested schools — the quarterback chose to ride it out. '(Transferring) never really crossed my mind,' Manning said. 'I knew Texas was the place I wanted to be. It was the city I wanted to be in, a great education. I had friends there. I was still developing and growing as a football player and a person. So I never really wanted to leave. If there was somewhere else I wanted to be, I would have gone.' Two years since first arriving in Austin, his days of watching offensive possessions from the sideline is likely behind him. Ewers moved on and up, drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round in April, passing the torch to the newest playmaker in one of football's most famous families. Manning's confidence masks the simple fact that the most talked-about player in college football has played in just 12 career games going into the Aug. 30 season-opener at Ohio State, the defending national champion and the team that beat the Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl last January. Now that the wait is over, coach Steve Sarkisian thinks he is ready. 'He's got an unbelievable work ethic. And I think, if he stays true to himself, that's going to help him navigate these waters as they present themselves,' Sarkisian said. 'I think he's prepared for the moment, but now it's just time for him to go do it and enjoy doing it quite frankly.' recommended Item 1 of 3 in this topic
Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Business
- Fox Sports
McLaurin casts doubt on attending Commanders training camp given lack of progress on a new contract
Associated Press LAUREL, Md. (AP) — A week before veterans arrive for Washington Commanders training camp, top wide receiver Terry McLaurin did not commit to practicing with the rest of the team, expressing frustration over a lack of progress toward a new contract. McLaurin said Tuesday after taping a local television commercial he wants 'things to work out ... but at the end of the day, it takes two to tango.' 'I don't know what happens next,' McLaurin said. 'But without any progressive discussions, it's kind of hard to see how I step on the field.' What happens next, starting with his attendance at training camp or seeking a trade, is unclear. Instead of building on a dynamic passing connection with Offensive Rookie of the Year quarterback Jayden Daniels, McLaurin skipped mandatory minicamp and some voluntary workouts this spring. 'I've been pretty frustrated — I'm not gonna lie,' McLaurin said in his first expansive comments on the contract talks, which became a 30-minute discussion with reporters. 'Everything that has transpired to this point has been disappointing and frustrating. I've wanted to continue my career here. I've created my life here.' McLaurin, who turns 30 in September, signed a three-year, $68.2 million extension in 2022 under the Commanders' previous regime. His $23.2 million average annual salary ranks 17th among active wide receivers after the New York Jets agreed with Garrett Wilson on a four-year, $130 million extension Monday. McLaurin's 2025 base salary is $15.5 million. He had a career-high 13 touchdowns last season, his fifth in a row surpassing 1,000 yards receiving, on 82 receptions. McLaurin added another three touchdowns and 227 yards on 14 catches in three playoff games as Washington reached the NFC championship game for the first time since 1991. Instead of that success leading to smooth extension talks, McLaurin said his camp has not heard from the front office in the past month. McLaurin, a 2019 third-round pick out of Ohio State, said his status for training camp and future with the organization are 'up in the air.' That is a twist for someone who had been a face of the franchise before Daniels' arrival, producing on teams with a rotating cast of suspect QBs. That changed last season as the Commanders won 12 regular-season games with Daniels running the offense. Only Daniels rivals McLaurin's popularity among fans and for his locker room leadership. 'I understand that everything is a business, but at the same time, I want to put myself in a position where I'm valued and I feel appreciated and things like that,' McLaurin said. 'Unfortunately, that hasn't transpired the way I wanted it to.' The Commanders have remained quiet during the protracted negotiations beyond general manager Adam Peters and coach Dan Quinn expressing a desire to keep McLaurin around for a long time. While Wilson is on the verge of 25, McLaurin's primary comparison may be closer to fellow 2019 draft pick D.K. Metcalf, who is two years younger and signed a $132 million extension with Pittsburgh following an offseason trade from Seattle. 'I think how the market is today, I think it pretty much conveys what guys of my caliber are deserving of," McLaurin said. "I feel like I fit in that box because of how I've always carried myself on and off the field and the value I know I bring to a team.' The topic of age befuddles McLaurin, who has not missed a game since 2020. He noted that he wasn't a full-time player until deep into his Ohio State career and that this will only be his seventh NFL season. 'I'm not dismissing (age) completely,' McLaurin said. 'There are data points to support that, but how come it's not OK to say this may be a different case, and based on what he's proven, showing no signs of deterioration? I feel that should be acknowledged, as well.' ___ AP NFL: recommended Item 1 of 3
Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Cal Raleigh's Home Run Derby win boosts ESPN ratings by 5%
Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Big Dumper helped drive a big boost to ratings for Monday night's Home Run Derby. ESPN said Tuesday that viewership for Cal Raleigh's Home Run Derby victory was up 5% from 2024, according to Nielsen ratings. Raleigh's win over fellow finalist Junior Caminero of Tampa Bay drew an average audience of 5,729,000 viewers, up from 5,451,000 viewers in 2024 when Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Teoscar Hernandez topped Bobby Witt Jr. in the finals. ESPN says the combined audience on ESPN and ESPN2 peaked with 6,307,000 viewers at 9:30 p.m. ET. That made the Home Run Derby one of the most-watched programs of the day, including all broadcast and cable choices. Raleigh's father, Todd was his personal pitcher for the event. The Seattle catcher's 15-year-old brother, Todd Jr., was his catcher. The elder Raleigh is a former coach of Tennessee and Western Carolina. Raleigh, 28, leads the majors with 38 homers and 82 RBIs and is the American League's starting catcher in Tuesday night's All-Star Game. Raleigh became the second Mariners player to take the title, following three-time winner Ken Griffey Jr., who was on the field, snapping photos. ___ AP MLB: recommended Item 1 of 3
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
A Florida man is set to be the 26th person executed in the US this year, surpassing 2024's total
Advertisement John Blume, the director of the Cornell Death Penalty Project, says the uptick in executions doesn't appear to be linked to a change in public support for the death penalty or an increase in the rate of death sentences, but is rather the function of the discretion of state governors. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'A number of these people being executed are people that have been in the system for a long time; they've been on death row for a long time,' Blume said, adding that there are aggressive executives and attorney generals 'who want to execute these people.' He pointed to a sweeping executive order signed by President Donald Trump on his first day back in office aimed at urging prosecutors to seek the death penalty and preserving capital punishment in the states. Advertisement 'The most cynical view would be: It seems to matter to the president, so it matters to them,' Blume said of the governors. Florida Department of Corrections spokesperson Ted Veerman said Tuesday that the department was well-prepared to do its duty as assigned by the courts and the governor. This undated provided by the Florida Department of Corrections shows Bell, who is scheduled to receive a lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke on Tuesday. Uncredited/Associated Press Bell would be the eighth person put to death in Florida this year, with a ninth scheduled for later this month. The state executed six people in 2023 but only one last year. Florida has executed more people than any other state this year, with Texas and South Carolina tied for second place at four each. Alabama has executed three people, Oklahoma has killed two, and Arizona, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee each have killed one. In December 1993, Bell spotted what he thought was the car of the man who fatally shot his brother earlier that year, according to court records. Bell was apparently unaware that the man had sold the car to West. Bell called on two friends and armed himself with an AK-47 rifle, authorities said. They found the car parked outside a liquor lounge and waited. When West, Smith and another woman eventually exited the club, Bell approached the car and opened fire, officials said. West died at the scene, and Smith died on the way to the hospital. The other woman escaped injury. Witnesses said Bell also fired at a crowd of onlookers before fleeing the area. He was eventually arrested the next year. Bell was later convicted of three additional murders. He fatally shot a woman and her toddler son in 1989 and killed his mother's boyfriend about four months before the attack on West and Smith, officials said. Advertisement Prison officials said Bell woke up at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday and ate his last meal, which was an omelet, bacon, home fries and orange juice. He met with a spiritual adviser but did not have any other visitors. The U.S. Supreme Court denied Bell's request to stay the execution Tuesday. His lawyers argued in their state filing that Bell's execution should be halted because of newly discovered evidence about witness testimony. But justices unanimously rejected the argument last week and pointed to overwhelming evidence of Bell's guilt in a 54-page opinion. Associated Press reporters Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Fla., and Freida Frisaro in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, contributed to this report.
Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
LAFC defender Aaron Long out for the season, has surgery on ruptured left Achilles
Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles FC defender Aaron Long will miss the rest of the season after having surgery to repair a ruptured left Achilles. The team — which said the surgery was successful — made the announcement on Tuesday, three days after Long was injured in the 76th minute of a 2-0 win over FC Dallas. The 32-year-old Long is in his third season with LAFC and has started all 15 games this year, scoring one goal. He's started 60 games for the club over the past three seasons. LAFC is currently in sixth place in the MLS Western Conference standings with a 9-5-5 record. ___ AP soccer: recommended Item 1 of 1 in this topic
