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USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Texas is just a placeholder No. 1 seed in the preseason AP rankings
Good morning, and welcome back to The Morning Win. If you're a Texas Longhorns fan, it's more like a great morning. For the first time in school history, your football team is the preseason AP No. 1-ranked team in the country. Life is good for the Longhorns, who continue an upward trend after consecutive trips to the College Football Playoff. And now the Arch Manning era is officially here to push them over the top. Unfortunately for Steve Sarkisian's squad, that reign at the top isn't expected to last very long. In fact, Texas may not make it past the first game with a "1" next to its name. Opening their season on the road against the preseason No. 3-ranked team, Ohio State, the Longhorns are actually underdogs in Week 1. Despite holding top odds to win the national championship at +475 at BetMGM, they're getting 2.5 points and +110 odds on the moneyline for the opener in Columbus. Absolutely wild for a team everyone expects to be the best in college football. Unless the line flips, Texas will be the first No. 1 team to open a season as an underdog. On one hand, this is really cool. It's nice that we'll get to see two amazing teams square off this early in the season in a rematch of the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl. On another, it's quite meaningless... these teams will be drastically different at the end of the season (likely for the better) than they will be in the opener. There won't be much we can glean from a game on Aug. 30. Regardless, a loss would no doubt flip these teams' place in the AP rankings. And if Ohio State grabs the top spot, it won't likely relinquish it until hitting the heart of its conference schedule in mid-October, at the earliest. Considering the SEC gauntlet Texas has to play, the Longhorns may never get that top seed back -- no matter how the Buckeyes play. So, enjoy this little bit of history while you can, Texas. There's a chance it doesn't last long. But hey, there's always a national championship to play for at the end of the year. NBA teases schedule release With the NBA schedule release coming Thursday, the league has already revealed some of its biggest dates of the 2025-26 season, including the full schedule of games for Christmas Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. One thing that jumped out to me, though, is the two-game slate for Opening Night because it includes a Lakers-Warriors matchup that used to be a thing of dreams. Now? I'm not so sure they couldn't have found a more appealing matchup given the uncertain state of those two teams, even as the two aging legends of the Lakers and Warriors remain huge draws. The earlier Rockets-Thunder game is much more interesting to me. Either way, I'll be tuned in. Here's a look at all the other games that have been teased so far. Quick Hits: Gambling rumors ... Taylor Swift dropping ... and more This was For The Win's daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Travis Hunter's NFL debut brings him a step closer to the unthinkable
Good morning, and welcome back to The Morning Win. With two more games Sunday, Week 1 of the NFL preseason is in the books. On to Week 2. Before the calendar flips, though, we need to acknowledge something that's taking place that a lot of us didn't think was possible. Something I still have a great deal of skepticism about but have to admit it's looking more and more likely to happen. Travis Hunter is doing it, y'all. He's playing both sides of the ball in the NFL. Now, listen, he did it in limited action in a single preseason game, so I don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves. The No. 2 overall pick took 11 snaps on offense and eight snaps on defense in Saturday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, with a series off in between his appearance on each side. But the way he was deployed makes it clear the Jacksonville Jaguars at least want to give him the opportunity to have an impact on both sides. That's the part that has me so locked in what happens next. MIC'D UP: Shedeur Sanders chats up Myles Garrett On Saturday, Hunter's impact was minimal. In his lone offensive series, he had two catches for nine yards. In two defensive series, he wasn't targeted and only stood out for a missed tackle. Those splits, though, make you wonder. Are the Jaguars really going to play Hunter an equal amount on each side of the ball? That's the part I remain skeptical about. I have no doubt Hunter can be a good and maybe even great wide receiver or cornerback in the NFL. But to be good at both while playing both a close to equal amount? I don't believe Hunter or anyone else could even stay healthy long enough to try. Which is why I'm so curious to see how the Jaguars move forward this preseason. It's possible his near-even split on limited snaps was intentional to see exactly what they have before making a decision either way. But I'd be surprised if it results in anything other than Hunter gaining a permanent starting spot on one side of the ball (probably alongside Trevor Lawrence) while carving out a limited role on the other. Not because he didn't prove to be good enough to do both. It'll be for his own preservation. A'ja Wilson makes WNBA history Again. A'ja Wilson made WNBA history again. This time, the three-time MVP put her name in the record books as the first player in WNBA history to record 30-plus points and 20-plus rebounds in a single game. Wilson went for 32 and 20 Sunday against the Connecticut Sun, helping the Las Vegas Aces erase a 12-point deficit for their fourth win in a row and sixth in the last seven games. They're rolling, and a big part of that is Wilson and her 29-13 average over the last three games. This 30-20 game just adds to the legend that is A'ja Wilson, who already owns the WNBA's single-season scoring and rebound records. She's also the career points per game record holder, among other incredible career accomplishments. Quick Hits: Jen Pawol gets a mulligan ... EuroBasket rankings ... and more Jen Pawol badly missed her first call behind plate as MLB's first woman umpire... then she bounced back in a big way. With EuroBasket 2025 set to tip in a couple weeks, Robert Zeglinski ranked the 20 best NBA players expected to appear in the tournament, including some of the league's biggest stars. Dak Prescott made a bold NFC Championship Game prediction. One team was obviously the Cowboys. The other was... actually not a bad sleeper pick. The UFC has reached a streaming rights deal with Paramount. Here's everything to know about the new partnership. This article originally appeared on For The Win: Travis Hunter plays both sides in NFL preseason debut
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Travis Hunter's NFL debut brings him a step closer to the unthinkable
Good morning, and welcome back to The Morning Win. With two more games Sunday, Week 1 of the NFL preseason is in the books. On to Week 2. Before the calendar flips, though, we need to acknowledge something that's taking place that a lot of us didn't think was possible. Something I still have a great deal of skepticism about but have to admit it's looking more and more likely to happen. Travis Hunter is doing it, y'all. He's playing both sides of the ball in the NFL. Now, listen, he did it in limited action in a single preseason game, so I don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves. The No. 2 overall pick took 11 snaps on offense and eight snaps on defense in Saturday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, with a series off in between his appearance on each side. But the way he was deployed makes it clear the Jacksonville Jaguars at least want to give him the opportunity to have an impact on both sides. That's the part that has me so locked in what happens next. MIC'D UP: Shedeur Sanders chats up Myles Garrett On Saturday, Hunter's impact was minimal. In his lone offensive series, he had two catches for nine yards. In two defensive series, he wasn't targeted and only stood out for a missed tackle. Those splits, though, make you wonder. Are the Jaguars really going to play Hunter an equal amount on each side of the ball? That's the part I remain skeptical about. I have no doubt Hunter can be a good and maybe even great wide receiver or cornerback in the NFL. But to be good at both while playing both a close to equal amount? I don't believe Hunter or anyone else could even stay healthy long enough to try. Which is why I'm so curious to see how the Jaguars move forward this preseason. It's possible his near-even split on limited snaps was intentional to see exactly what they have before making a decision either way. But I'd be surprised if it results in anything other than Hunter gaining a permanent starting spot on one side of the ball (probably alongside Trevor Lawrence) while carving out a limited role on the other. Not because he didn't prove to be good enough to do both. It'll be for his own preservation. A'ja Wilson makes WNBA history Again. A'ja Wilson made WNBA history again. This time, the three-time MVP put her name in the record books as the first player in WNBA history to record 30-plus points and 20-plus rebounds in a single game. Wilson went for 32 and 20 Sunday against the Connecticut Sun, helping the Las Vegas Aces erase a 12-point deficit for their fourth win in a row and sixth in the last seven games. They're rolling, and a big part of that is Wilson and her 29-13 average over the last three games. This 30-20 game just adds to the legend that is A'ja Wilson, who already owns the WNBA's single-season scoring and rebound records. She's also the career points per game record holder, among other incredible career accomplishments. Quick Hits: Jen Pawol gets a mulligan ... EuroBasket rankings ... and more This was For The Win's daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here.
USA Today
06-08-2025
- Business
- USA Today
ESPN completely sheds disguise of objectivity with NFL deal
Good morning and welcome back to The Morning Win, where I'm still allowed to voice an opinion on just about anything in sports without fear of consequence. Today, the same can't be said about ESPN after it was announced Tuesday that Disney agreed to sell a 10 percent equity stake of the network to the NFL in exchange for the rights to distribute the NFL Network and RedZone Channel. Reaction to the news seemed mostly negative, as fans on social media worried ESPN might ruin a couple properties they enjoy which... yikes. Really tells you how people feel about ESPN these days. There's also the obvious gambling conflict that comes up with ESPN Bet. But that's not the part I'm concerned with right now. What jumped out to me about this deal is the journalism of it all. ESPN is the biggest sports media company in the country. It's supposed to cover the NFL. How on earth can it do that objectively if the NFL is a part-owner? ESPN DTC: Everything to know about the new streaming service The answer, of course, is it probably can't. This deal is ESPN completely taking off any disguise of being a trusted source of hard-hitting, independent journalism. At least when it comes to the big, bad National Football League. Or at least it won't be able to shake it if there's a controversial story handled a certain way. The truth is, this was always the case. Has been for a while. When you earn the broadcast rights for games from a league as powerful as the NFL, you have to be a good little partner to keep those rights. Let me say that ESPN has done good work on the journalism side, from the writers who cover each team to the investigative stories penned by Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham. And Disney CEO Bob Iger recently told the Wall Street Journal "nothing in this deal in any way changes ESPN's approach when it comes to journalism," and he's right, because ESPN always tip-toed in its coverage. Remember when the network suspended Bill Simmons in 2014 for calling Roger Goodell a liar? That happened to one of its most popular sports personalities when the NFL only had a fraction of the power and influence it'll have now. But here's the thing: Even as ESPN likely played nice all along, the network at least cared about its optics before. Even if objectivity was compromised, the Worldwide Leader in sports separated itself enough to give an impression its writers and personalities had the freedom to hold partners accountable if necessary. Now? That veil is completely gone. Ripped off overnight. ESPN has completely leaned into the "E" of it all. The NFL is boss. So, yeah, ESPN might ruin the NFL Network and RedZone, but that's not the part I'm worried about because ESPN's coverage of the NFL will probably ruin ESPN first. PSA: STOP THROWING THINGS AT WNBA GAMES! I really didn't think it'd become necessary to address this, but people can be stupid sometimes and love to give us constant reminders of how stupid they can be. So here it is: Can we please stop throwing sex toys on the court at WNBA games? It's not funny and it never was. Not the first time, and not the latest time during Tuesday's game between the Fever and Sparks, which Sophie Cunningham addressed in a tweet and Sparks coach Lynne Roberts had this to say about: "I think it's ridiculous. It's dumb. It's stupid. It's also dangerous. Player safety is number one. Respecting the game. All those things. I think it's really stupid." At least one of the people caught for throwing something at a game has been arrested and faces multiple charges. I personally hope they catch the others too. This is getting out of hand. Quick Hits: No more smelling salts ... Spider-Man is back ... and more This was For The Win's daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here.
Yahoo
06-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ESPN completely sheds disguise of objectivity with NFL deal
Good morning and welcome back to The Morning Win, where I'm still allowed to voice an opinion on just about anything in sports without fear of consequence. Today, the same can't be said about ESPN after it was announced Tuesday that Disney agreed to sell a 10 percent equity stake of the network to the NFL in exchange for the rights to distribute the NFL Network and RedZone Channel. Reaction to the news seemed mostly negative, as fans on social media worried ESPN might ruin a couple properties they enjoy which... yikes. Really tells you how people feel about ESPN these days. There's also the obvious gambling conflict that comes up with ESPN Bet. But that's not the part I'm concerned with right now. What jumped out to me about this deal is the journalism of it all. ESPN is the biggest sports media company in the country. It's supposed to cover the NFL. How on earth can it do that objectively if the NFL is a part-owner? ESPN DTC: Everything to know about the new streaming service The answer, of course, is it probably can't. This deal is ESPN completely taking off any disguise of being a trusted source of hard-hitting, independent journalism. At least when it comes to the big, bad National Football League. Or at least it won't be able to shake it if there's a controversial story handled a certain way. The truth is, this was always the case. Has been for a while. When you earn the broadcast rights for games from a league as powerful as the NFL, you have to be a good little partner to keep those rights. Let me say that ESPN has done good work on the journalism side, from the writers who cover each team to the investigative stories penned by Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham. And Disney CEO Bob Iger recently told the Wall Street Journal "nothing in this deal in any way changes ESPN's approach when it comes to journalism," and he's right, because ESPN always tip-toed in its coverage. But remember when the network suspended Bill Simmons in 2014 for calling Roger Goodell a liar? That happened to one of its most popular sports personalities when the NFL only had a fraction of the power and influence it'll have now. But here's the thing: Even as ESPN likely played nice all along, the network at least cared about its optics before. Even if objectivity was compromised, the Worldwide Leader in sports separated itself enough to give an impression its writers and personalities had the freedom to hold partners accountable if necessary. Now? That veil is completely gone. Ripped off overnight. ESPN has completely leaned into the "E" of it all. The NFL is boss. So, yeah, ESPN might ruin the NFL Network and RedZone, but that's not the part I'm worried about because ESPN's coverage of the NFL will probably ruin ESPN first. PSA: STOP THROWING THINGS AT WNBA GAMES! I really didn't think it'd become necessary to address this, but people can be stupid sometimes and love to give us constant reminders of how stupid they can be. So here it is: Can we please stop throwing sex toys on the court at WNBA games? It's not funny and it never was. Not the first time, and not the latest time during Tuesday's game between the Fever and Sparks, which Sophie Cunningham addressed in a tweet and Sparks coach Lynne Roberts had this to say about: "I think it's ridiculous. It's dumb. It's stupid. It's also dangerous. Player safety is number one. Respecting the game. All those things. I think it's really stupid." At least one of the people caught for throwing something at a game has been arrested and faces multiple charges. I personally hope they catch the others too. This is getting out of hand. Quick Hits: No more smelling salts ... Spider-Man is back ... and more The NFL has a new ban on smelling salts and ammonia inhalants and at least one player is taking the news really hard. George Kittle said he considered retirement over the ban. Filming for the new MCU Spider-Man flick, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, is underway, and this one photo from the set has me so fired up for the release. The Mystics traded all-star guard Brittany Sykes to the contending Storm. Here's Meg Hall with trade grades for the surprising deal. If the Cowboys stink this year, it won't be because of the bad vibes created by Jerry Jones or an absence of Micah Parsons. It'll be because new coach Brian Schottenheimer wears a backwards visor. Umm, OK. This article originally appeared on For The Win: ESPN and NFL deal brings in objectivity questions
