Sports
With 1 epic putt, an all-time Solheim Cup is brewing in the Netherlands
Big-serving Ben Shelton overpowered American compatriot Frances Tiafoe in four sets to reach the first Grand Slam final of his career at the US Open on Friday.
Eighth-seeded Shelton blasted 20 aces on his way to a thrilling 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 victory on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court that sends the 23-year-old into Sunday’s championship match against top-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany.
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A pulsating all-American semi-final had seen both players vying to reach a Grand Slam final for the first time.
Shelton — who took down defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals — will now have the chance to become the first American man to win a Grand Slam title since 2003, when Andy Roddick triumphed at the US Open.
Tiafoe got off to a bright start, claiming the first set after breaking when Shelton uncharacteristically double-faulted to trail at 5-4.
Tiafoe held to love to clinch the first set but Shelton came flying out of the blocks to start the second.
An early break helped him into a 2-0 lead before Tiafoe responded with a break to level at 2-2.
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Yet with Tiafoe’s serve increasingly erratic, Shelton grabbed another break in the eighth game to go 5-3 up and then held to level.
The momentum was all with Shelton and Tiafoe had to fight off two break points before holding early in the third set.
However Shelton – who had one serve initially clocked at 158mph before it was later adjusted to 144mph — made no mistake in the fifth game with a break to go 3-2 up.
Tiafoe needed to hold to keep the set alive in the ninth game, and a furious arm-wrestle saw the 11th seed once again save three break and set points.
Shelton though earned his fourth break point after pouncing on Tiafoe’s second serve once more, scorching a backhand return down the line.
Shelton converted that when Tiafoe netted a forehand to find himself 2-1 down.
The fourth set went with serve until the 12th game, when Shelton grabbed the crucial break to seal victory.
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For the first time in three years, the Tampa Bay Rays are heading to the postseason. The Rays clinched a playoff berth with their 3-1 win over the Astros (box score) on Friday night. They punched their ticket in walk-off fashion, thanks to Junior Caminero’s 40th home run of the season:
They are the first team to clinch a postseason berth this season.
To be clear, the Rays have clinched only a spot in the postseason. They are assured of being no worse than the third wild card team. Tampa will now try to hold off the New York Yankees and win their first AL East title since 2021. The division title will almost certainly come with a Wild Card Series bye, so there is still a lot at stake the rest of the regular season.
The Rays are a top 10 team at preventing runs, though they’re only middle of the pack offensively. Depending on your metric of choice, Tampa is either one of the best defensive teams in baseball (defensive runs saved) or middle of the pack (outs above average). No team in baseball has outperformed its run differential more to date than these Rays.
This will be the Rays’ first postseason appearance since 2023, when they won 99 games but had to settle for second place in the AL East behind the 101-win Baltimore Orioles. The Rays were swept in two games at home by the eventual World Series champion Texas Rangers in the Wild Card Series that year. They have not won a postseason game since 2021.
The Rays have won two AL pennants (2008 and 2020) but are still searching for the franchise’s first World Series championship. Can they get over the hump this season? Here are three reasons the Rays are a threat to win this year’s World Series.
1. Junior Caminero is 1 of 1
Depth wins divisions and stars win championships, and the Rays have a bona fide superstar in third baseman Junior Caminero. He is only the second player in baseball history with multiple 40-homer seasons through age 22, joining Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews, and Caminero gets to that power without excessive swing-and-miss.
This is an impressive plate discipline trend for any young hitter, and especially one with this much power:
|
2024 |
21.5% |
6.2% |
14.1% |
|
2025 |
19.1% |
6.3% |
11.7% |
|
2026 |
18.4% |
11.5% |
10.6% |
|
MLB average |
22.1% |
8.9% |
10.8% |
It takes more than one player to win in the postseason, but a star player performing like a star is a major advantage. The Rays know this well after watching Randy Arozarena carry them in 2020. The Blue Jays had Vladimir Guerrero Jr. last year; the Rangers had Corey Seager in 2023, and so on. They all authored “put his team on his back” kind of performances.
Caminero has developed a special blend of power and contact. You can be a great hitter with one of those two things, but the very best hitters have both. Bottom line: Few players in baseball have the potential to change the game with one swing in the way Caminero does. He’s a threat to flip the script every time he steps to the plate.
2. Their pitching staff can create matchup nightmares
Other than ace righty Drew Rasmussen, the Rays might not have traditional starters in the postseason. Shane McClanahan (who’s currently on the IL with forearm soreness) and Nick Martinez are candidates to work shorter starts, perhaps as short as one time through the lineup, and the 2026 version of Freddy Peralta warrants a short leash. It is a rotation built for excellence in short bursts, not length.
Tampa’s pitching staff, as it often does, boasts a variety of looks. Lefty Ian Seymour brings the funk from a low arm slot. Few pitchers in baseball can spin the ball like Griffin Jax. Tyler Wells is 6-foot-8 with one of the highest arm angles (and thus release points) in the game. Kevin Kelly’s near-sidearm slot eats up righties. Every pitcher the Rays use is different than the guy he replaced.
The variety and matchup ability is difficult to quantify, but the last few years tell us the Rays value it, believe it, and build their pitching staff around it. They are once again one of the best pitching and overall run-prevention teams in the game. Their ability to make hitters uncomfortable is almost unmatched, thanks to the different looks and angles they can throw at you.
3. The AL field is unimposing
There’s a real chance a team with a losing record wins the AL West and the third AL wild-card spot. Five of the seven best records in baseball belong to National League teams and the Rays are one of the two exceptions. The AL is mediocrity defined and, at least on paper, that creates a potentially easy — “easy” — path through the ALCS to the World Series.
To be sure, any team can beat any team in a short series, and the postseason format is likely to force the Rays to go through the Yankees or Red Sox in the ALDS. They might even have to go through both AL East rivals if they don’t win the division and get a bye.
If there is such a thing as an “easy” path through October, though, this year’s American League provides it.
Ben Rice also homered as the Yankees (85-62) won for the 17th time in 24 games and moved a season-high 23 games over .500 on a night the team remembered the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Rookie Spencer Jones added an RBI single in the first inning and Ryan McMahon hit an RBI single in the eighth as the Yankees remained three games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East and moved 5 1/2 ahead of Boston for the first American League wild card.
Carlos Rodón (6-3) allowed two runs and three hits in a season-high 6 1/3 innings. The left-hander notched two of his eight strikeouts on slugger Juan Soto, who heard boos from Yankee fans before each at-bat.
Bellinger homered after catching the ceremonial first pitch from Brielle Saracini, whose father Victor Saracini was the pilot on United Airlines Flight 175, which was flown into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
Bellinger gave the Yankees a 4-1 lead by hitting a full-count curveball off McLean (11-9) into the right-field seats. Rice added his 37th homer by sending a sinker the opposite way into the left-field seats on the first pitch of the fifth.
After scoring 31 runs in a three-game sweep at Miami, the Mets had their four-game winning streak stopped. Christopher Morel hit a tying RBI groundout in the second, A.J. Ewing had an RBI single in the seventh and homered on the first pitch of the ninth.
After Ewing’s homer, David Bednar retired Soto on a double play for his 33rd save in 36 chances.
McClean allowed five runs and a career-worst 10 hits in five innings.
Rookie LHP Zac Thornton (3-5, 3.53 ERA) starts for the Mets against RHP Gerrit Cole (8-8, 3.41) on Saturday.
Kylie Kelce showed her support for Dan Orlovsky’s son Madden by wearing his Eagles shirt, helping spotlight his artwork and the Philadelphia Eagles’ ongoing autism awareness efforts.
Football is supposed to be fun. On an annual basis, the Minnesota Vikings display an unusual desire to deprive fans of that feeling — fun — but the reality remains.
Sports = fun.
Accordingly, the effort is to track down all of the nicknames associated with the Vikings. Doing so has been an annual tradition for a little while (though usually on PurplePTSD). Recent years have seen some stellar nicknames go out the door, such as Speedy, The Passtronaut, The Gilly Lock, Nudie, and Kirko Chainz. Check out some of the Minnesota Vikings nicknames to remain as you try to have fun following this squad.
Minnesota Vikings Nickname Tracker
Adams, Jamal — Prez
Addison, Jordan — 2-Car
Brandel, Blake — Beaver (sort of)
Cashman, Blake — Cash
Claiborne, Demond — Lightning (source)
Daniels, Matt — Hat
Darrisaw, Christian — CD, Crime Dog
Demmings, Chuck — Chuck D
DePaola, Andrew — Sir Po, Depo, All Pro Po (source)
Flores, Brian — The Mad Scientist, Flo
Fries, Will — Spud
Hockenson, T.J. — Hock
Jackson, Theo — The Closer
Jefferson, Justin — Jets
Jennings, Jauan — Third and Jauan (source)
Jones, Aaron — Showtyme
Jones, Jeshaun — J2
Mason, Jordan — JP (source)
McCardell, Keenan — Thunder
Metellus, Josh — Telly
McCarthy, J.J. — Nine
Murray, Kyler — K1
O’Connell, Kevin — KOC, KO
Oliver, Josh — The Sears Tower, Willis Tower (source)
Orange, Domonique — Big Citrus
Price, Myles — Jug
Redmond, Jalen — J-Red
Reichard, Will — Will Record, Striker, Will the Thrill
Rodgers, Isaiah — Fuzzy, Zay (source)
Smith, Harrison — The Hitman
Turner, Dallas — Stab Club Dal (source)
Ward, Jihad — Haddy
Williams, Elijah — Tay (source)
Van Demark, Ryan — Vandy (source)
Van Ginkel, Andrew — Gink
Wilson, Eric — Allstate (source)
Alexander Zverev enjoyed his day in the sun as he beat Karen Khachanov in straight sets to reach the US Open final.
The German had played all his previous matches during the night sessions, existing in a perpetual loop of darkness and midnight finishes.
But Zverev’s semi-final against Khachanov was scheduled for the afternoon session on Arthur Ashe Stadium, and he came through 6-3 7-6 (7) 7-6 (6).
The 29-year-old has capitalised on the absence of Jannik Sinner and defeats for Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, as well as a kind draw, to reach a third consecutive grand slam final.
He spent a record total of 16 hours and 40 minutes on court en route to the last four – and took another three hours against Khachanov – having not faced a single player inside the top 20.
Nevertheless, having broken his major duck at the French Open before losing the Wimbledon final to Sinner, Zverev now has the chance for a second grand slam title.
He can also banish the memory of the 2020 final in New York, where he served for the match against Dominic Thiem but lost in five sets.
Khachanov, a former top-10 player now ranked 50, had blown his quarter of the draw wide open when he knocked out third seed Felix Augur-Aliassime in round two.
But a solitary break was all Zverev needed to pinch a tight first set from the Russian and when he broke again at start of the second, a routine afternoon looked on the cards.
However, a double fault allowed Khachanov back on serve and instead Zverev became embroiled in a tie-break, at one point trailing 5-3 and only winning it after a lung-busting 35-shot rally.
The third set went the same way and Khachanov had set points at 6-4, but two wayward forehands and a Zverev ace gave him match point which he took at the first attempt.
Zverev said: “After the second round, at about 3am, we were laughing our asses off about how badly I was playing.
“Moving forward I was playing better tennis. Obviously I’ve been improving otherwise I wouldn’t be in the final. I’m enjoying it and I can’t wait for Sunday.”
Just three minutes of all-out sprinting can provoke a far broader immediate molecular response
than 90 minutes of moderate exercise, according to new research from Rockefeller University.
Greg Schiano didn’t come into the 2026 season on the hot seat, but he quickly found himself on it after Rutgers got dominated in their home opener by lowly UMass — which hadn’t beaten a Power Four team since joining FBS in 2012 and hadn’t won against any FBS opponent since 2023.
The Scarlet Knights looked hapless on defense and weren’t much sharper on offense, and while Schiano is comfortably the most accomplished coach at Rutgers since Frank Burns in the 1970s, a loss like that to UMass is enough to raise questions about one’s job security. A slow start on the road at Boston College on Friday night only accelerated the frustration among the Rutgers faithful, as they began to ponder the possible reality that they were the worst team in a Power Four conference.
That’s not a position Rutgers wants to be in and was a major reason it brought Schiano back in 2020. However, in his second stint in New Jersey, Schiano has not managed to win more than seven games in a season with the Scarlet Knights.
With Schiano yet to recapture the magic from his first tenure at Rutgers and the Scarlet Knights seemingly plummeting back into football obscurity in 2026, many have wondered if the program might look to make a change.
Greg Schiano buyout, contract details
Schiano signed an extension in 2023 after a 7-6 season that culminated in a Pinstripe Bowl victory that would keep him at Rutgers through the 2030 season.
Schiano is scheduled to make $6.75 million in 2026 and has three years and $22.5 million remaining on his contract, with his buyout clause calling for him to get paid the extremely specific amount of 76.875% of the remainder of that contract — which would be $17,296,875. Schiano’s contract includes a mitigation clause where the buyout is offset by any football coaching contract he signs in the future, but the 60-year-old is not required to pursue other employment.
That is not a massive buyout by Big Ten standards as a whole, but for a Rutgers program that is already underwater when it comes to finances, it might not be reasonable to pay a coach more than $17 million to go away after a couple of bad games. At the very least, Schiano figures to get the remainder of 2026 to see if he can turn things around and get the Scarlet Knights back to respectability.
If a turnaround isn’t on the horizon for Rutgers and they go 1-11 with their lone win coming against Howard, then there could be phone calls made to see about raising the funds to make a change.
Sports
Cronulla Sharks vs North Queensland Cowboys Tips, Odds, Teams & Predictions – NRL Finals Week 1 2026
Cronulla welcomes back several important players for a challenging elimination final against a North Queensland side capable of producing plenty of points.
When: Saturday September 12, 2026 at 7:50 pm
Where: Allianz Stadium
Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE
Cronulla Sharks vs North Queensland Cowboys Odds
Cronulla Sharks vs North Queensland Cowboys Preview
Cronulla begins this elimination final under pressure after losing four of its past five matches, but several important returns strengthen the side for another postseason meeting with North Queensland. Braydon Trindall is back to partner Nicho Hynes, while KL Iro, Blayke Brailey and Teig Wilton are recalled after being rested. Thomas Hazelton also returns to the pack. The Cowboys regain Griffin Neame, Jeremiah Nanai and Zac Laybutt, although their defence remains a concern after conceding 50 points against Canberra last week and more points than any other top-eight team across the season. North Queensland did beat Cronulla 46-34 in Round 8, while the Sharks won their most recent finals clash 26-18 in 2024. Ronaldo Mulitalo’s seven-game try-scoring streak against the Cowboys adds a clear edge threat. With its first-choice spine restored, Cronulla has the firmer foundation at Allianz Stadium.
Cronulla Sharks vs North Queensland Cowboys Teams
Sharks team: 1. William Kennedy 2. Sione Katoa 3. Riley Jones 4. KL Iro 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Braydon Trindall 7. Nicho Hynes 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Jesse Colquhoun 11. Briton Nikora 12. Teig Wilton 13. Cameron McInnes 14. Siosifa Talakai 15. Billy Burns 16. Oregon Kaufusi 17. Thomas Hazelton 18. Hohepa Puru 19. Toby Rudolf 20. Niwhai Puru 21. Samuel Stonestreet 22. Mawene Hiroti
Cowboys team: 1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Braidon Burns 3. Jaxon Purdue 4. Tomas Chester 5. Zac Laybutt 6. Jake Clifford 7. Tom Dearden 8. Griffin Neame 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Jason Taumalolo 11. Heilum Luki 12. Jeremiah Nanai 13. Reuben Cotter 14. Soni Luke 15. John Bateman 16. Thomas Mikaele 17. Coen Hess 18. Kaiden Lahrs 19. Ethan King 20. Kai O’Donnell 21. Sam McIntyre 22. Liam Sutton
Jul 13, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Santiago Ponzinibbio (red gloves) fights Muslim Salikhov (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports This weekend’s Noche UFC card is producing some of the widest gaps between ticket count and dollar volume we’ve tracked in recent months, with three fights standing out as clear sharp-money signals.
When a fighter’s share of the handle dramatically outpaces or lags their share of bets, that’s the clearest tell that professional bettors are positioned differently than the betting public.
The Three Biggest Sharp Signals
Nothing on this card compares to the difference in the Sean King-Jessie Rosas bout. Rosas is drawing 56% of all bets at +170, but he’s carrying just 2% of the total handle. King, priced at -205, is pulling 98% of the money on only 44% of tickets, a massive 54-point gap between his bet share and handle share. That means a small number of large, informed wagers are completely overwhelming a much bigger pool of small public bets on the underdog, making King the single clearest sharp play of fight week.
Nearly as extreme is Muslim Salikhov against Ignacio Bahamondes. Bahamondes sits as the -535 favorite with 77% of bets but only 28% of the handle, while Salikhov at +400 is drawing 72% of the money despite just 23% of tickets. That 49-point gap points the sharp signal in the opposite direction, favoring the live underdog. Rounding out the top three is Manon Fiorot versus Alexa Grasso, where Grasso is pulling 42% of bets but just 2% of the handle, while Fiorot’s 98% handle share against her 58% bet share creates a 40-point gap confirming sharp money is stacked heavily on the favorite.
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Two more fights show favorites drawing disproportionately larger handle than bet shares, meaning sharp money agrees with the public lean rather than fading it. Rongzhu is taking 78% of the handle against Rafa Garcia despite only 51% of bets, a 27-point gap suggesting real dollars are reinforcing the -166 favorite while the public splits its tickets more evenly. Tommy Gantt shows a similar pattern against Drakkar Klose, carrying 96% of the handle on 78% of bets, an 18-point spread that confirms sharp bettors are comfortable laying the heavy -425 price.
One matchup shows visible momentum shifting in real time. Joseph Morales is seeing his bet share climb to 22% while still favored at -120 and holding 34% of the handle, a 12-point gap in his favor. Brandon Moreno, meanwhile, is seeing his bet share slide to 78% while his handle share sits lower at 66%, meaning public tickets are drifting away from him even as he remains the recipient of more raw dollars. That combination of shifting bet percentages with a maintained handle edge for Moreno is worth tracking closely as fight night approaches, since further movement could confirm which side sharps are truly building toward.
For bettors following the smart money into Noche UFC, King, Salikhov, and Fiorot represent this week’s clearest sharp signals, while Rongzhu, Gantt, and the Morales-Moreno line movement offer additional angles worth monitoring before the first bell.Additional Favorites Backed by Real Money
Line Movement Worth Watching
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Lack of financial education in india #education #finance
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