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Tim Bradley believes Terence Crawford can be ‘enticed’ out of retirement if one rival cleans out 160lbs

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Tim Bradley has named one man who could present Terence Crawford with an appealing opportunity to come out of retirement.

The sure-fire Hall of Famer called time on his career in December, just a few months after dethroning Canelo Alvarez for the undisputed super-middleweight crown.

In doing so, Crawford became a three-division undisputed champion and retired as one of the modern greats, having also claimed world titles in two other weight classes.

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But while the unbeaten American seems content with his non-fighting lifestyle, there has been repeated talk of him returning to action for a clash with Jaron Ennis.

‘Boots’ became a two-division unified champion in June, dethroning Xander Zayas with a vicious seventh-round finish for the WBA and WBO world super-welterweight titles.

As a result, many feel that he is now the top dog at 154lbs, despite having not yet tested himself against fellow champions Sebastian Fundora and Josh Kelly.

Those unification matches do seem to be on his radar, though, and while the Crawford fight appears unlikely, Ennis has nonetheless expressed his interest in facing ‘Bud’ on multiple occasions.

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In order for it to make sense for Crawford, however, Hall of Famer Bradley has said on his YouTube channel that Ennis would need to become the undisputed middleweight king.

“Boots ain’t got [anything] that Crawford needs, nothing at all. Well, Boots … if you go up to 160[lbs] and you wipe out the whole division and you win all the straps there, maybe that might be enticing.”

Ennis first attempted to challenge Crawford in 2023, when he was the IBF mandatory challenger at 147lbs and Bud had just stopped Errol Spence Jr in nine rounds.

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An unexpected U.S. Amateur semifinalist has his very own Merion cheat code

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15 August 2026

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ARDMORE, Pa. — Carter Loflin doesn’t know the answer to the question. He’s standing outside the Merion clubhouse, having just punched his ticket to the U.S. Amateur semifinals after a 3&2 win over Brandon Knight, but unlike the rest of this week at Merion, he doesn’t have a cheat code that’s available only to him.

“I don’t know. I don’t think so,” Loflin said. “I feel like I’m a good player. I feel like I’m definitely capable of doing this type of stuff, but I can’t say that it hasn’t helped me having like a positive voice on my shoulder the entire time. Yeah, it’s hard to say.”

All week, when Loflin has found himself in a spot of bother or flummoxed by the tough questions Merion has asked of the world’s top amateurs, he has leaned on his caddie, Jack Hopkins. Hopkins started caddying at Merion when he was 12 years old. He is now in his 35th year carrying bags at the famed Hugh Wilson design and has helped guide Loflin to an unexpected semifinal berth in the Georgia senior’s first-ever U.S. Amateur appearance.

As other top amateurs struggled to get out of stroke play, Loflin shot three under over the first two days of stroke play to claim the No. 8 seed. He easily dispatched Greyson Wood in the Round of 64 and rolled up Wolfgang Glawe in the Round of 32, while Hopkins helped unearth all of Merion’s secrets to keep the 22-year-old in the fight.

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It’s a superpower to have someone like Hopkins on the bag. A superpower that Loflin acquired thanks to a stroke of fate. During a scouting trip to Merion in July, Hopkins was added to Loflin’s group. After the round, Loflin went to the Merion caddie master and asked if there was any way he could get Hopkins on his bag for this week’s grueling U.S. Amateur exam. Getting to walk with Hopkins this week has been an unquantifiable advantage for Loflin, helping him go from under-the-radar contender to one of Merion’s Final Four.

“He’s helped me immensely,” Loflin said on Saturday. “I was telling somebody out there, I was like, this must be what Scottie [Scheffler] feels like having Ted Scott on his bag. Before he even tees up his ball, he knows he’s going to save two or three strokes somewhere today. Maybe. It might not be that much if you just stripe it. But you feel like you’re saving shots before you even start, which is like just such a big confidence builder because it takes so much pressure off of you feeling like you have to play your A-game.

“But he knows this place so well. He’s an incredible green reader, and he’s a very calming influence. He doesn’t talk very much. He’s very quiet, which I like because I talk a lot. I’ll talk to you if I’m pissed off or if I’m happy. It’s nice for me to have a caddie that doesn’t quite talk as much because he’s more — just like whenever he says stuff, it really means something. If he tells me no, then I’m not going to do it, type of thing. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Jack Hopkins knows every nook and cranny of Merion. He understands the mystique, knows where to miss it, where to take your medicine, and, maybe most importantly, his personality blends perfectly with Loflin. It was that part of the Hopkins-Loflin pairing that helped Loflin avoid a collapse in his Round of 16 match against William Jennings. Loflin was 3 up through 13 holes, but his lead shrunk to one after 17, and when his approach shot into the 18th green landed in the rough, Loflin started to spiral. He saw that his U.S. Amateur run was about to end in a horrific meltdown.

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Except Hopkins wasn’t going to allow Loflin’s mind to lose him the match.

“He’s, like, endlessly — he’s kind of a foot in your ass a little bit,” Loflin said of Hopkins. “But yesterday on 18, I’m 2 up with two to play. I lose 17 hitting a horrible shot. Hit a horrible tee shot on 18. I hit a good punch shot, but I’m over the green. Jennings is on the green. All he has to do is two-putt basically. I’m in the rough, and Jack is like, ‘How are you feeling?’ I’m like, ‘Man, I can’t believe I feel like I’m just blowing this thing.’ He’s like, ‘You haven’t blown it yet; chip the ball in.

“That was one of those moments he helped me out a lot, being super short, straight to the point, no, you’re not out of this. He’s a fighter.”

Another moment arrived on Friday during Loflin’s quarterfinal match with Brandon Knight. Loflin admitted to being “shell-shocked” by the bigger crowds on Friday at Merion, and he immediately fell 2 down through four. What turned out to be the decisive moment in the match came on the fifth hole. Lofflin snap-hooked his drive left, chipped out and then duffed a wedge short of the green. Sitting 25 yards away and staring at an early 3-down hole in the face, Hopkins walked to the green and pointed out the line where Loflin wanted to land his chip shot on to get up-and-down for bogey and hopefully halve the hole. Lofflin pulled his 58-degree wedge and landed the shot right on Hopkins’ line; the ball took the right-to-left slope and found the bottom of the hole. Knight missed his par putt and Loflin won the hole en route to a 3&2 win.

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After he finished off Knight on 16, Loflin, now one win away from a Masters and U.S. Open invite and two away from the Havemeyer Trophy, faced the hardest question of his week because this time he didn’t have a Merion encyclopedia to lean on: Would he be here if he hadn’t been walking with Hopkins this week?

He has hit the shots and rolled in the putts, but he also has something no one else does. A guide through the Merion fog — one that’s a calming presence when the white-knuckle U.S. Am pressure gets ratcheted up.

“I don’t think so. I just can’t see it,” Loflin said. “There’s been too many situations where he’s helped out to — it’s like small stuff, but those small things add up. A tenth of a shot here, a tenth of a shot there, a quarter shot there. That really makes a difference.”

That difference has Loflin — and Hopkins — on history’s doorstep at Merion.

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Keely Hodgkinson reflective after losing European 800m crown to Audrey Werro

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15 August 2026

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Keely Hodgkinson offered a blunt assessment of her feelings after graciously conceding European 800m gold to Swiss rival Audrey Werro and settling for silver on home soil.

After days of controversy over empty seats, Birmingham finally delivered a capacity crowd, no doubt drawn to the Alexander Stadium to watch the Olympic champion and the three other fastest women in Europe clash in the most hotly-anticipated race of the championships – if not the season.

Werro, the favourite before she fell in the semi-final and was controversially advanced, overtook Hodgkinson on the back straight in the first lap and never relinquished her lead after 200m, winning in a championship-record one minute and 54.81 seconds, and bronze went to the Netherlands’ Femke Broeders-Bol.

Keely Hodgkinson had to settle for silver in Birmingham (Mike Egerton/PA)
Keely Hodgkinson had to settle for silver in Birmingham (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Wire)

“I don’t want it to be easy,” said Hodgkinson, who experienced her own knee-scraping freak fall in training before the Prefontaine Classic.

“We’re all going to win some, lose some. S*** happens. Audrey fell over yesterday, she did amazing to bounce back. I know what that took out of me a few weeks ago. So yeah, incredible to her. And, yeah, life goes on. I’ll go back and train, and just hope I get it next time.”

Hodgkinson, who set a new indoor 800m world record in March, had insisted before this race that Birmingham gold would mean almost as much as her Olympic title at Paris two years ago.

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She said: “Yeah, that last 50m, I really thought I had it. But she’s a strong athlete. Sometimes you want it so much, and sometimes in terms of real parts it might just not be enough.”

Audrey Werro celebrates her gold medal (Martin Rickett/PA)
Audrey Werro celebrates her gold medal (Martin Rickett/PA) (PA Wire)

Werro, who like Hodgkinson is targeting the 43-year-old women’s 800m world record, has enjoyed a spectacular season, flawless outdoors before the Birmingham semi-final.

That included her shock victory over Hodgkinson in Stockholm – despite a national record from the Briton – to move third on the women’s 800m all-time list, then lowered her personal best to 1:53.80 a few weeks later.

Two-time world 400m hurdles champion Broeders-Bol entered Birmingham with just four professional outdoor 800m races under her belt, having debuted at the Ostrava Golden Spike in June and was a dark horse.

Hodgkinson added: “It doesn’t sting because I was beaten by a great athlete. I think I put together a pretty good race. I don’t think I did anything wrong.

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Hodgkinson was gracious in defeat (Mike Egerton/PA)
Hodgkinson was gracious in defeat (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Wire)

“The thing about the 800m is you have a million different ways it could go in your head. Nobody really knew, so you have to think on your feet, but I think I covered every move well. I just didn’t have enough.”

Earlier, Zharnel Hughes had to settle for silver in the men’s 200m final behind Germany’s Owen Ansah.

Ansah clinched gold with a time of 19.95, while Hughes followed him home in 20.16s and the bronze medal was shared by Fausto Desalu and Timothe Mumenthaler.

Ansah is a controversial winner as he faces possible sanctions by the National Anti Doping Agency of Germany for alleged whereabouts failures, but the German has denied any wrongdoing.

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2026 FedEx St. Jude Championship Saturday tee times: Round 3

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15 August 2026

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The 2026 FedEx St. Jude Championship continues on Saturday with Round 3 at TPC Southwind in Memphis. You can find full FedEx St. Jude Championship tee times for Saturday’s third round at the bottom of this post.

FedEx St. Jude Round 3 tee times: What to know

Saturday is traditionally referred to as Moving Day on the PGA Tour, but World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler made a big statement one day early during Friday’s Round 2.

Scheffler birdied 11 of 18 holes in the second round, ultimately signing for a nine-under 61 and launching himself 16 places up the leaderboard and into the top spot at 11 under par — good enough to lead Sungjae Im and Viktor Hovland by three shots.

Scheffler came into the week as the top-ranked player in the FedEx Cup points rankings, despite the fact that he has only one win on his resume in 2026: his first tournament of the year, the American Express. Since then, he’s finished in the top 5 an impressive 10 times, including five runner-up finishes.

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Scheffler will continue to chase his second win of the year and 21st of his Tour career on Saturday, when he tees off for Round 3 at 1:45 p.m. ET alongside Im.

You can watch Saturday’s third round of the 2026 FedEx St. Jude Championship from 1-3 p.m. on Golf Channel, followed by the CBS broadcast from 3-6 p.m. ET. PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ will provide exclusive early streaming coverage starting at 7:45 a.m. ET on Saturday, in addition to featured group and featured hole coverage.

Check out the complete Round 3 tee times and pairings for the FedEx St. Jude Championship below.


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2026 FedEx St. Jude Championship tee times for Saturday: Round 3 (ET)

Tee No. 1

8:00 a.m. – Ryan Fox, Ricky Castillo
8:10 a.m. – Matt McCarty, Alex Fitzpatrick
8:20 a.m. – Rory McIlroy, Jordan Smith
8:30 a.m. – Akshay Bhatia, Eric Cole
8:40 a.m. – Matti Schmid, Ben Griffin
8:50 a.m. – Kristoffer Reitan, Nicolai Højgaard
9:00 a.m. – Justin Rose, Harris English
9:10 a.m. – Aldrich Potgieter, Michael Brennan
9:20 a.m. – Rickie Fowler, Corey Conners
9:35 a.m. – Tom Kim, Russell Henley
9:45 a.m. – Jackson Koivun, Sepp Straka
9:55 a.m. – Shane Lowry, Sahith Theegala
10:05 a.m. – Michael Thorbjornsen, Ryan Gerard
10:15 a.m. – Collin Morikawa, Sam Stevens
10:25 a.m. – Max Homa, J.J. Spaun
10:35 a.m. – J.T. Poston, Harry Hall
10:45 a.m. – Xander Schauffele, Ryo Hisatsune
10:55 a.m. – Si Woo Kim, Jacob Bridgeman
11:10 a.m. – Maverick McNealy, Kurt Kitayama
11:20 a.m. – Aaron Rai, Cameron Young
11:30 a.m. – Min Woo Lee, Bud Cauley
11:40 a.m. – Gary Woodland, Justin Thomas
11:50 a.m. – Pierceson Coody, Alex Noren
12:00 p.m. – Nick Taylor, Michael Kim
12:10 p.m. – Matt Fitzpatrick, Sam Burns
12:20 p.m. – Alex Smalley, Hideki Matsuyama
12:30 p.m. – Adam Scott, Patrick Rodgers
12:45 p.m. – Wyndham Clark, Chris Gotterup
12:55 p.m. – Patrick Cantlay, Jake Knapp
1:05 p.m. – Sudarshan Yellamaraju, Keith Mitchell
1:15 p.m. – Jordan Spieth, Brian Harman
1:25 p.m. – Nico Echavarria, Tommy Fleetwood
1:35 p.m. – Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Åberg
1:45 p.m. – Scottie Scheffler, Sungjae Im

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“He was never going to fight me”: Devin Haney accused of using champion as a ‘decoy’

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15 August 2026

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Devin Haney had been expected to take on Keyshawn Davis in October, until the latter withdrew from the contest, and Haney has now been accused of using one fighter as a ‘decoy’, in order to gain leverage in negotiations for an alternate fight.

Davis had been calling for a shot at Haney throughout 2026 and was eventually mandated by the WBO for a shot at the welterweight champion, only to then pull out of the fight after Top Rank won the purse bids, believing that he was worth more than the $2 million purse he was set to earn for his title challenge.

Since then, Haney has been linked to a unification bout with newly-crowned IBF titleholder Liam Paro, but it was then reported that the Aussie had priced himself out of the scrap, with Haney appearing to move on to a dust-up with WBA (Regular) champion Jack Catterall instead.

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When that news became public, fans questioned whether Catterall should proceed with the opportunity or not, given the fact that he is well positioned for a shot at the victor of Rolando Romero and Teofimo Lopez’s WBA (Super) title bout next weekend.

On X, Catterall’s manager Sam Jones shared his concern that Catterall was being used as a pawn by Haney, hoping to drive Paro’s asking price down.

“What I hope isn’t the case is that Jack is been used as a decoy so that Paro is scared into taking the fight for less money than he’s wanting. 

“All I can tell you is we’ve accepted the fight and the date and location, so if the fight doesn’t happen it’s not on Jack.”

Now, Catterall has spoken out, admitting that he believes Jones’ fears have come true, insinuating that Haney-Paro is now back on the cards and that he will instead wait to take on either Romero or Lopez for the WBA crown later in the year.

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“Devin was never going to fight me it was this [what Jones feared] all along. I’ll be in Vegas next week for Rolly-Lopez and I’m in line for the winner.” 

Jones has since confirmed to Boxing News that he believes Haney and Paro have come to an agreement, with Saturday, October 3, understood to be the date for the proposed unification.

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“Didn’t Look At His Best”: Brutal Reality-Check Provided On India Star Ahead Of Sri Lanka Test Series

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India will play two Tests against Sri Lanka in August© AFP




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With Jasprit Bumrah out injured and spin-friendly conditions in play in Sri Lanka, India’s pace attack is set for a big challenge in the upcoming two-match Test series, starting August 15. In Bumrah’s absence, Mohammed Siraj will have to take the responsibility of spearheading India’s fast-bowling unit. However, Siraj is not in the best of form, having picked up just two wickets in his last two red-ball outings. Former India cricketer and reputed commentator Murali Kartik provided a reality-check on Siraj ahead of the Sri Lanka series.

Kartik tipped Siraj to be the leader of the pace unit, but admitted that he hasn’t looked at his best of late.

“Once again, it has to be Siraj (leading the pace attack) because we saw what he did in England. He didn’t look at his best; I watched a bit of the footage of the warm-up game that they had. I’m pretty sure he was easing his way back in,” Kartik said, in an interview with Times Now.

“And you know, I was talking to a few of my friends in Sri Lanka; it is pretty warm and muggy, as it is in the rest of India as well with all the monsoons and the sun out. So it does take a lot out of a bowler, and he might have been easing himself in,” Kartik further said.

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Siraj managed figures of 0/44 and 1/25 in the two innings of India’s three-day warm-up game against Sri Lanka Cricket XI, which took place ahead of the series.

In June, Siraj had returned figures of 0/29 and 1/11 in India’s one-off Test against Afghanistan.

With Bumrah out of action, Siraj will have to lead an otherwise inexperienced attack. While the 32-year-old Siraj is a veteran of 46 Tests, Prasidh Krishna has just seven Tests under his belt, while one of Gurnoor Brar or Auqib Nabi is likely to make their debut in the series.


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Rashford smiling, Sesko and De Ligt back in action – What we spotted in Man United training

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Manchester United trained ahead of their friendly against AC Milan in Poland

Manchester United take on AC Milan in their final pre-season fixture before the Premier League campaign gets up and running. Michael Carrick’s side have landed in Wroclaw, Poland, where they’ll take on the Serie A giants tomorrow afternoon.

Marcus Rashford has been named in the United squad for that friendly against AC Milan, and could feature for the first time in 18 months. The England international has been the subject of speculation about his future at Old Trafford, but looks set to be a United player next season.

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Tomorrow’s game will be the last time Carrick and his coaching staff can experiment before they take on Hull City at the MKM Stadium next weekend.

Here are some interesting things the Manchester Evening News spotted from training this week:

Marcus Rashford playing with a smile on his face

So much has been made of Rashford’s future at Manchester United, will he, or won’t he stay? After Carrick’s comments last week, it appears all signs are pointing towards the England international being reintegrated into the first team set-up.

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That may not be such a bad thing if his performances last season are anything to go by. Rashford spent last season on loan at Barcelona, netting 14 goals and notching 14 assists in 47 outings as the Catalan giants clinched La Liga.

And yet the Spanish club chose not to exercise their £26million option to buy in their loan agreement with United, instead snapping up Rashford’s England teammate Anthony Gordon in a £69million move.

Rashford returned to training earlier this week and was photographed with a huge smile on his face as he trainned alongside his teammates for the first time in 18 months. At his best, Rashford is one of the best forwards in the Premier League and all eyes are on Carrick to see if he can get the United graduate back to his pomp.

Speaking earlier this week, Carrick said: “He’s our player, he came back Sunday night, he arrived with Kobbie [Mainoo], and Lisandro [Martinez] came the day after, and he’s part of the group like anybody else. He came in, he’s trained really well.

“I’ve known him a long time, like I’ve known some of the others a long time, so I don’t treat him any different to anybody else, but it’s been good to have him around the group again this week. So I’m really positive with that.”

“We’re really calm, we just treat it like anybody else coming into the group and there’s obviously this slight twist that he knows the club as well as anybody and that’s a real positive,” he said.

“He’s been here all his career, all his life before the last 18 months or so, to understand what it means. That side of things is natural, that’s a given. I know he’s got history, but I’ve got history with a number of the players as well, so that doesn’t make that a unique situation at all and treat him as exactly like any other player.

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“Bringing him into the group and carrying on as normal brings the good things that we haven’t got, and we want to get that balance with every individual player, and Marcus has come back and he’s in good form, and it’s been good to have him around this week.”

United handed major injury boosts

Pre-season can be a disjointed couple of weeks with players away on international duty and returning to training at different stages of preparations.

Add injuries into the mix and Carrick has had to utilise the full depth at his disposal.

But the United boss was given a major boost this week with Benjamin Sesko and Matthijs De Ligt back in training having missed a large chunk of pre-season with injury.

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Sesko has been struggling with a shin injury that kept him out of the latter end of the season, having been in fine form under Carrick prior to that blow, with seven goals in 13 games.

United have maintained the striker will be fit for the season opener against Hull City and seeing him back in training is a major boost.

The same can be said for De Ligt, having had surgery on a back injury. Speaking after the operation in May, he said: “Since November I have done everything, pushing myself in every session and exploring every option, to get back to doing what I love, playing football.

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“I am grateful to everyone who has supported me throughout a difficult period in my career. I remain as determined as ever to represent Manchester United and play in front of our incredible supporters as soon as possible.”

De Ligt and Sesko have not travelled to Poland for tomorrow’s game and have instead returned to Carrington to continue their rehabilitation.

Youngsters with opportunity to impress

Michael Carrick has given several youngsters opportunities to force their way into his plans this season, with Harry Amass, Ayden Heaven and Tyler Fletcher starting the pre-season draw with Leeds United.

Daniel Armer, Toby Collyer, Tynan Thompson and Jack Fletcher were all second half substitutes and given minutes from the bench.

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Fred Heath, Solomon Honour, Shea Lacey and JJ Gabriel were named as unused substitutes on the bench and the latter two youngsters have caused quite the stir.

The duo have impressed in pre-season and continue to train with Carrick’s squad ahead of the upcoming Premier League campaign.

At just 15-years-old, Gabriel is the crown jewel in United’s academy and could play in the Premier League this season.

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United aren’t in a rush to throw Gabriel into the deep end, but his talent may be too difficult to ignore.

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Arsenal: Mikel Arteta not worried about contract talks with deal expiring in 2027

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Mikel Arteta has said that supporters “don’t have to worry about” his future at Arsenal as he wants to extend his contract and the time left on his deal is “not an issue”.

The Gunners boss is into the final 12 months of his agreement that he signed in 2024 but says he is relaxed about formal talks taking place regarding a renewal.

Arteta has been in charge of Arsenal since 2019 and led the club to their first Premier League title in 22 years last season.

Arsenal face Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday (15:00 BST) and Arteta was asked in his news conference about the concern some supporters may have given he is yet to agreed a new deal before the 2026-27 campaign kicks off.

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“No, they don’t have to worry about any of that because I want to be here, I’m extremely happy,” Arteta said.

“I feel very grateful to work with the people that I work with and whenever we have the possibility we will resolve that and that’s it.”

The Gunners are attempting to build on their success of last season and strengthen their squad in the transfer window.

They were unsuccessful in their pursuit of Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr but have signed midfielder Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle, Greece international winger Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge and made Piero Hincapie’s loan move from Bayern Leverkusen into a permanent transfer for a combined £143.5m.

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Goalkeeper Illan Meslier has also arrived on a free transfer from Leeds United while, from last season’s squad, Leandro Trossard, Jakub Kiwior and Christian Norgaard have been moved on.

The Gunners remain interested in Aston Villa‘s Ezri Konsa or Jarell Quansah of Bayer Leverkusen as a further defensive reinforcement in the market following injuries to William Saliba and Jurrien Timber.

With the transfer window open until 1 September, the feeling at the club is that finalising a contract can come at a quieter period in the season.

“There’s always another priority I think and that’s the way we’ve been treating it. Arteta added.

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“I think because everybody feels comfortable that the time on the contract is not going to be an issue.

“I think because my will certainly is to be here and I’m very happy here.

“And my feeling from the club is is the same one so I think that’s why everybody doing it things in a really organic way.”

Arsenal also reached the Champions League final last season where they were beaten by Paris St-Germain and Arteta has repeatedly spoken of his ambition since that loss to take the Gunners to next level.

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“I’m not going to talk about any individuals, obviously what I can tell you is the ambition of the club.” Arteta said.

“It’s big that we want to improve the squad, we want to evolve the squad in order to achieve that.

“We have obviously detected some areas that they can be strengthened and that’s what we are trying to do.”

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Report: Atlanta United nearing $18M transfer for Breel Embolo

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Jul 2, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Switzerland forward Breel Embolo (7) enters the pitch prior to the first half against Algeria during a Round of 32 match in the 2026 FIFA World Cup at BC Place Vancouver. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-Imagn ImagesJul 2, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Switzerland forward Breel Embolo (7) enters the pitch prior to the first half against Algeria during a Round of 32 match in the 2026 FIFA World Cup at BC Place Vancouver. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-Imagn Images

Atlanta United are finalizing a massive deal to acquire forward Breel Embolo from French side Rennes, The Athletic reported Friday.

The reported $18 million transfer fee would make the 29-year-old Swiss international one of the top five most expensive players in MLS history.

Embolo tallied 10 goals and three assists in 34 appearances last season for Rennes, his first season with the Ligue 1 club. He previously played for AS Monaco (2022-25), Germany’s Borussia Monchengladbach (2019-22) and Schalke 04 (2016-19) and Switzerland’s Basel (2014-16).

Embolo competed with Switzerland at this summer’s FIFA World Cup, where he picked up a controversial red card in a 3-1 loss to Argentina in the quarterfinals. He has 26 goals in 92 career caps for Switzerland.

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Atlanta United (3-12-3, 12 points) are in last place in the 15-team Eastern Conference heading into Saturday night’s home match against the New York Red Bulls.

–Field Level Media

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This 63-year-old went viral at U.S. Amateur. Then went back to work

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Sixty-three-old Mike McCoy was never going to win this 126th U.S. Amateur, not when he was giving up 50 yards off the tee to many players in the field, as he did in his two stroke-play rounds alongside 21-year-old U.S. Amateur champion Noah Maclauchlan and 39-year-old U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Brandon Holtz. 

The first of those rounds, on Monday, came at Philadelphia Country Club, in Gladwyne, home to a beefy William Flynn design. McCoy made five bogeys and a double and signed for a five-over 75. On Tuesday, he and his partners headed about 6 miles due south for their second round, at storied Merion Golf Club, the star of this week’s show. McCoy had fewer blemishes on his card — three bogeys and a double — en route to a four-over 74. Nine over for 36 holes for the U.S. Senior Amateur champion was a commendable showing but still seven shots more than McCoy needed to join a playoff for a spot in the 64-player match-play field. By Wednesday afternoon, McCoy, who runs an insurance business, was back at his desk in West Des Moines, Iowa. 

McCoy’s scorecards might suggest that he didn’t leave much of a mark on this championship, but that decidedly was not the case, because what McCoy lacked in birdie conversions, he more than made up for in social-media impressions. Maybe you’ve seen the photos and videos of him floating around Instagram and X: cigar in mouth, steely gaze, Pine Valley visor paired with a matching polo. Grab your Merriam-Webster and look up “Debonair Golfer Who Could Probably Wax You 7 and 6 With a Half-Set” and you might just find a picture of McCoy. Likely also fanning the viral flames was McCoy’s straight-out-of-a-Western surname. The whole package.

On Monday evening, the USGA’s social-media team shared a photo of a stogie-chomping McCoy staring straight into the lens of a camera — and deep into the souls of phone-swiping golf fans. That snapshot, in which McCoy’s vibes are way less Horton Smith than “Hannibal” Smith, has now been viewed more than 2.7 million times. The following morning, the social handles for the site you’re reading got in on the fun, posting a short montage of McCoy that now has more than 1.7 million views on X; an Instagram version of the same video has been viewed 300,000 times and shared nearly 10,000 times.         

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“I guess it’s an anomaly to see an old insurance guy out there playing with these kids,” McCoy, who is far more soft-spoken than his perception suggests, said in a phone interview before a client meeting Friday morning.           

Maybe, but gosh — could that alone explain his virality? There seemingly was more to it; to a swath of golf fans, the McCoy imagery appeared to be aspirational.   

“Badass,” one commenter wrote. 

“I hope this is me in 25 years,” another typed.

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A third observer proclaimed, “Mike McCoy has become everyone’s favorite golfer overnight, and it’s 100% valid.”

McCoy is well known in high-level amateur-golf circles — he’s a former Mid-Amateur winner and in 2023 captained the winning U.S. Walker Cup team — but for fans who don’t closely follow that side of the game, this week seemed to be a coming-out party for McCoy. What, after decades of showing up to tournaments with little or no fanfare, did he make of his star turn?

“It’s all fun,” he said. “I do try to have fun out there, and I prepare and I compete hard. I’m highly competitive. I also know that — look, I was enjoying the walk. I never thought I’d play another Amateur. But here I am at 63, playing in the U.S. Amateur at Merion.”

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McCoy said he first got clued into his digital fame when he came off the course on Tuesday and looked at his phone. “I got literally hundreds of texts, and a lot of people wanted to connect on LinkedIn or Facebook,” he said. “They came out of the woodwork.”

Along for the ride at PCC and Merion was Pat Coyle, McCoy’s go-to caddie at Pine Valley, where McCoy has been a member for two decades (eagle-eyed observers noted that the PV logo on McCoy’s shirt was the version available only to members). Pine Valley annually hosts the Crump Cup, one of the game’s most coveted amateur titles. McCoy has won it four times and in 2021 added a Crump Cup senior-division trophy to his mantle.

Before playing in his first Crump final, McCoy had picked up a crisp new visor in the golf shop. Because that day went well, McCoy decided to invest in a new visor before each of his other final appearances. Coyle knew of McCoy’s superstition, so when he reconnected with his boss-for-the-week at Merion, he had something for him.

“That’s why I was wearing the white visor,” McCoy said of his Amateur stylings.

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And his cigar of choice? Fuente, McCoy said. Always.

Next up for McCoy: his Senior Amateur defense, at Baltimore Country Club at the end of the month. Also on the horizon: yet one more U.S. Amateur appearance, in 2027, courtesy of the two-year exemption that McCoy earned for his Senior Am win. That event is slated for Aug. 9-15 at Oak Hill CC in Upstate New York.

Someone alert the internet.      

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Adam New’s Vikings Predictions for the 2026 Season

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14 August 2026

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Fans greet Kirk Cousins’ return before Falcons–Vikings kickoff at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Fans line the rail at U.S. Bank Stadium to welcome Kirk Cousins back to Minneapolis as Atlanta arrives for its matchup, with the scene unfolding on Dec 8, 2024 during pregame activity. Supporters cluster near the tunnel entrance while players finish warmups, creating a brief surge of energy tied to the quarterback’s return in a new uniform. The moment offers a clean look at the crowd’s early reaction. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.

Ahead of the Minnesota Vikings preseason opener against the New York Giants this Saturday, I am ready to drop my Vikings predictions for the 2026 season.

Adam New’s Vikings Predictions for the 2026 Season

My predictions last year didn’t fare so well, as they were all about the Vikings’ offense, and it wasn’t a good year for that side of the ball in Minnesota. With that in mind I’ve made sure to get the defense involved this time around. Here are my Vikings predictions for 2026.

Kyler Murray Makes the Pro Bowl

NFL: Arizona Cardinals at Chicago Bears
Dec 5, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) passes the football in the second half against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports

The first of my Vikings predictions for 2026 involves the most important position on the team. Stay healthy and a good quarterback can get himself to the Pro Bowl in Minnesota. Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold are proof of that, and it can be the same for Kyler Murray – who already has a couple of Pro Bowl appearances to his name from earlier in his career. Minnesota should have a strong offensive line and certainly an abundance of offensive weapons, with Justin Jefferson leading the charge. 

Kevin O’Connell likes to lean on his passing game as much as possible, so there will be ample opportunity for Murray. If Murray can get well over 3500 passing yards and 20+ touchdowns he can be in Pro Bowl contention. He has achieved that in every season where he has played at least 14 games. If he stays healthy he should be doing it in Minnesota.

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Dallas Turner has 10+ Sacks

NFL: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings
Dec 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Dallas Turner (15) celebrates after a play as Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) reacts in the second half at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Dallas Turner getting 10+ sacks shouldn’t be a huge leap. He managed eight last season and he wasn’t a regular starter to begin the season. Now he is the leader of the Vikings’ pass rush but that does come with extra attention as opposing teams will be focused on stopping him. I’m confident that Turner has the talent and has shown the development to take on his increased role in 2026 and be a success. Reaching double figures in sacks should be well within his reach.

Charles Demmings is the Breakout Rookie

NCAA Football: Senior Bowl Practice
Jan 29, 2026; Mobile, AL, USA; National wide receiver Reggie Virgil (15) of Texas Tech grabs a pass over National cornerback Charles Demmings (16) of Stephen F. Austin during National Senior Bowl practice at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

He might only be a fifth-round pick but Charles Demmings is showing up in training camp. He’s already being put up against the Vikings 1s and proving that he has the ability to compete.

Demmings is a physical man-to-man cornerback who loves to talk when he wins a rep, something this group has desperately missed in recent years. The man who goes by Chuck doesn’t lack confidence as shown when he swatted a pass away from Jefferson in camp and got chirpy. 

The next step for Demmings is to take the good work from training camp into the upcoming preseason games as he pushes for playing time when the regular season begins. The secondary is an area that rotation can be used giving him potential to get on the field. If he does he comes across as the kind of character who will make the most of his opportunities.

One and Done Again in the Playoffs

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell in Dallas in Week 15 of 2025
Dec 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell before a game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images.

It’s all been positive so far with my Vikings predictions but this one is a mixed bag. I believe the Vikings will make it back to the playoffs this season, which is a positive after a disappointing 2025 season. However, I’m not seeing enough to convince me that O’Connell can lead the team to a first playoff win of his tenure as head coach.

If Minnesota makes the playoffs then maybe they get a favorable draw, but against the top teams I feel the team still has too many weaknesses or needs serious development – particularly in the trenches on both sides of the ball, the secondary, and the rushing attack.

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Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.

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