Sports
Big Ten explores self-governance model as College Sports Commission sputters
RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. — Ross Bjork is done waiting.
The Ohio State athletic director stood outside the Big Ten’s spring meetings this week and laid out, plainly, where he believes his conference — the biggest and richest in college sports — is headed if Washington, D.C. keeps stalling and the College Sports Commission continues to sputter.
“We cannot govern nationally right now,” Bjork said. “There are too many extenuating forces. So, can we have a subset at our conference, but we’re still going to play each other?”
Big Ten weighs governing itself as national model falters
No one is shying away from the conversation in the Big Ten. At a luxury resort tucked into the cliffs along the Pacific Coast, conference officials spent three days discussing a future in which the Big Ten governs revenue-sharing deals itself, setting its own rules built on the foundation of a legally defensible framework.
This contingency plan – or idea – will grow legs if the CSC’s slowly evolving enforcement arm needs a jolt and the federal help they have sought in Congress falls through in the near future.
Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti did not discount the idea of the conference looking inward to police itself, but added a fundamental change in enforcement isn’t contingent on what happens in Congress.
“I would tie it to, can we see progress in the CSC?” he said Tuesday. “Can we make the change we think to adjust it? Can you protect that with help from Washington? That’s one piece of it.”
Frustration with NIL enforcement, House settlement reaches breaking point
The growing pains of the CSC, the enforcement arm that the power conferences themselves created out of the multibillion-dollar House v. NCAA settlement last July, have been apparent. Its NIL clearinghouse was supposed to clear or reject third-party deals within 24 to 48 hours, but only 45% of deals have been resolved within that window. Bjork, who served on the House Implementation Committee, said the system is jammed but salvageable if the conferences can convince the plaintiffs in the House case to change the language in the deal.
He and other athletic directors believe the system is too restrictive on players by limiting third-party deals with multimedia rights companies. Earlier this month, an arbitrator held up the CSC’s decision to deny 18 NIL deals between Nebraska football players and Playfly Sports, which is partnered with Nebraska’s athletics department, because the CSC labeled it as an “associated entity.” In an unrelated case, House plaintiffs are set to question the CSC’s definition of an “associated entity” in a California courtroom in June.
Big Ten leaders also believe the revenue-sharing cap needs to be tweaked, Bjork said.
Revenue-sharing overhaul could widen gap
One concept on the table: scrap the House settlement’s cap structure, built on the average revenue of all 68 power-conference athletic departments, and instead let each league build its cap based solely on its own conference’s average revenue. Schools are currently allowed to distribute up to 22% of the average revenue among schools in the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC, which amounted to $20.5 million for the 2025-26 academic year.
“We went down this path because we created this fraudulent market to be able to compensate our athletes,” Washington athletic director Pat Chun said. “You agreed to these aspects of the settlement, which basically put a system in place to measure these fraudulent deals. And lo and behold, go figure out that this whole thing just doesn’t work.”
Such a change would almost certainly hand the SEC and Big Ten higher caps than the ACC and Big 12. More than 75% of the value of third-party deals submitted to the CSC this year has come from the Big Ten and the SEC.
Such a change on the conference level would lead to another seismic change among competitive programs in the power conferences, but Bjork didn’t seem apologetic.
“If it’s percentage based off revenue, then drive more revenue,” Bjork said. “And that can lift your percentage.”
The other power leagues are unlikely to sign off, at least immediately, and any changes would likely require unanimous agreement among the five conferences named in the House settlement. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark told Yahoo Sports this week he opposes immediate changes to the settlement without a long-term plan for the CSC.
There is hope that the CSC can be fixed, even though most schools have yet to sign the CSC’s participation agreement. The CSC continues to operate without those signatures, and Petitti believes that it can continue.
“I just want to be really clear, because I’ve seen some reports and I’ve seen some people say that you’re breaking this rule or that rule,” Petitti said. “We’ve put in virtually more deals than anybody. We’re doing what we’re supposed to do: put the deals in, get the results.”
Passing legislation in Congress to codify the House settlement terms and introduce proper antitrust protection for the NCAA and its membership would strengthen the CSC’s enforcement, too, but Petitti insists tweaks to the system must come from the membership, not Washington D.C.
“Can we get to make adjustments that we think we need, based on the real-time experiences of what’s happened?” Petitti said. “And what’s sustainable about that? How does it impact what we’re doing going forward? Because we’re going to still face that with or without Washington. So we’ve got to be willing to come up with some sustainable model.”
With little faith in Congress, college sports leaders eye conference-driven future
Frustration isn’t localized in college athletics. Legislation to protect the NCAA and its conferences appears to be on its last leg on Capitol Hill. After months of committee meetings and debates, the SCORE Act was pulled from the House floor this week. Meanwhile, a bipartisan Senate effort from Sens. Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell continues to be negotiated behind the scenes and has yet to be introduced. Several collegiate power players, including the ACC’s and Big 12’s commissioners, signed a letter supporting the yet-to-be-seen legislation this week. Noticeably absent from the signatories were the sport’s big brothers: the SEC and Big Ten.
Several Big Ten athletic directors told CBS Sports they haven’t been shown what’s actually in the bill, a shared point of contention and anxiety among the nation’s larger schools and conferences.
The bill, should it be introduced, also faces a tight runway before Congress’s summer recess.
Chun, a constituent in Cantwell’s home state, doesn’t have much confidence in the bill’s prospects.
“I am also in the camp that is not expecting help from D.C.,” said Chun, who has spent time on Capitol Hill. “Because there comes a point where, after all these years, you just can’t expect it.”
Petitti, who serves on President Trump’s rules committee tasked with presenting proposals to “save college sports,” is not as pessimistic.
“As long as there are people in D.C. that are motivated to try to help college athletics, I think they deserve our time,” he said.
He added: “At some point, if we can’t get something, does it sort of stop? It won’t be us stopping. There’s no reason for us to stop. We’ve been on this road long before I got here.”
Inside the Big Ten’s meetings this week, Bjork said, the talk turned to what the Big Ten could actually do on its own and what it could legally defend.
One legal opening, reported this week by Yahoo Sports, came earlier this spring. In Choh v. Brown University, a federal appeals court upheld the Ivy League’s prohibition on athletic scholarships, ruling the plaintiffs failed to define the relevant market. With legal precedent, conference-by-conference rule-making may survive antitrust scrutiny in a way NCAA-wide rule-making no longer can.
Again, that’s a point the conferences and their highly paid attorneys will discuss and debate. It’s a common scene in college athletics, one that has tired decision-makers who increasingly feel impotent in the face of the strain of dwindling revenue streams and uncertainty on revenue-sharing enforcement.
“It feels like … since COVID hit (in 2020), whatever league that I’ve been in, it seems like we talk around in circles, but we can never put a pin on something and then say, ‘OK, let’s do this,’” Bjork said. “Now’s the time. Let’s put a pin on something, and let’s at least have our options.”
The coaches in the meetings echoed the AD’s frustration with the quickly changing world of college athletics, ranging from rules changes on the football field to the bigger issues tied to the House settlement and CSC.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning said the sport has reached a breaking point that the NCAA’s existing structure cannot resolve.
“There’s not 138 teams that can compete for a national championship or are playing on the same level. There isn’t parity,” Lanning said. “Maybe they shouldn’t all be represented by the same people.”
USC coach Lincoln Riley said coaches inside the room pushed for the Big Ten to model its rule-making more closely on the NFL, which attended the conference’s meetings this week and offered a presentation. Coaches, Riley said, would be directly involved in rules-making discussions, and there would be fewer committees, fewer veto points and more authority at the conference level. College football has “a lot of cooks in the kitchen,” he added, and the conferences need to “take control of” how rules get made.
Market value. Antitrust. Collusion. The need for “guardrails” from Congress, the popular buzzword in college athletics over the last five years, which schools seemingly hop over in the current ecosystem the moment they identify a competitive advantage.
Big Ten pushes toward action as clock ticks on fractured system
The path forward, Bjork said, runs through a matrix of decision-makers: presidents, athletic directors, attorneys general across the conference’s 14 states, public university boards and the league’s Council of Presidents and Chancellors. The first step, he said, is to align with the states within the Big Ten’s footprint.
“Oh, I think they would all be in alignment, especially within our footprint to say, hey, look, we think this is a clear pathway,” Bjork said. “Let’s work together. If we have clear, salient points around the legal side, around some kind of durability, around some kind of cost certainty, then I think we can have a beautiful framework.”
For now, it’s just an idea. The doomsday clock might be ticking, but there’s no intention of pulling off the radical – like leaving the NCAA altogether. The decision-makers are still toiling away, trying to fix the system they created. Radical Ideas are seemingly the new normal.
“Now’s the time,” Bjork said.
Every NFL team has players who don’t quite match the value of their contracts, and based on current depth chart construction, the 2026 Minnesota Vikings are not excluded.
The club begins the regular season in about nine weeks, and unless the following players lower their cap hits, they reasonably fit in an “overpaid” bucket. The players are listed ascendingly (No. 1 = most overpaid Viking).
Vikings’ Cap Sheet Reveals a Few Expensive Questions
4. Josh Oliver | TE2
2026 Cap Hit: $9.9 Million
Oliver is a blocking tight end, which is fantastic. It’s also a bit ironic because coming out of college (San Jose State) in 2019, that was supposed to be his problem. The scouting report said the guy could batch, but his run blocking stank.
Well, Oliver flipped the script, probably after the Baltimore Ravens‘ coaching staff got a hold of him.
The issue with a blocking tight end? They’re not worth $10 million. Teams can find sufficient versions for half the price or even less. The Vikings shouldn’t cut Oliver or devalue him on the depth chart, but the fact remains that $9.9 million is expensive.
Thankfully, Oliver has some redzone utility. He’s dependable when quarterbacks target him.
3. Aaron Jones | RB
2026 Cap Hit: $10.2 Million
You can write this in ink: 2026 will be Jones’s final season in Minnesota. He’ll turn 32 in December, and his career, for better or worse, is winding down. When the offseason began, most Vikings fans and analysts theorized Jones as a roster-cut candidate, and they didn’t do that on a whim. He’s effective in spots, especially early in the regular season, yet injuries habitually take their toll on Jones. That’s his jam.
The Vikings proposed a paycut for Jones in March. He accepted. He’s back in the saddle as RB1 or RB2 because of his pass-blocking and locker room leadership. It’s just quite obvious that his prime is well in the past.
Minnesota also refused to sign a free-agent running back like Travis Etienne or draft a mid-round rookie like Mike Washington. It’s Jones again — and probably for the last time.
He averaged 4.2 yards per carry, played 12 games, and banked 548 rushing yards last year. His career has been fantastic, and the guy is an awesome dude. Still, he’s not worth $10.2 million unless he forges a totally unforeseen and healthy late-career resurgence.
2. T.J. Hockenson | TE
2026 Cap Hit: $15.6 Million
Of all men on this overpaid list, Hockenson might have the clearest path to a resurrection. He blew out his knee in the 2023 season, thanks to a low hit by Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph, and, due to the shift in the Vikings’ offense — using Hockenson as the sixth offensive lineman — he’s never regained his form.
Hockenson signed a monster extension during the summer of 2023. Four months later, the injury occurred, rendering the contract not worth the squeeze. If a team pays a tight end over $15 million, it must target him heavily in the passing game. The Vikings don’t do that anymore. Hockenson’s success in the Twin Cities feels like a Kirk Cousins special in hindsight.
Here’s the silver lining, though: new Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray has cooked with tight ends. Ask Trey McBride, who most consider the best or second-best tight end in the sport. If Murray could unlock McBride, he should be able to get Hockenson back up to speed.
If not, 2026 will likely be Hockenson’s final season in Minnesota. There’s a reason so many fans thought the franchise might draft Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq in April.
1. Will Fries | RG
2026 Cap Hit: $17.2 Million
Was Fries terrible in 2025? Absolutely not. Was Fries worth $17.2 million in 2025? Absolutely not.
The guy posted a Pro Football Focus grade just over 60.0, which would’ve been remarkable during the Mike Zimmer era of Vikings football when guards like Dakota Dozier and Dru Samia graced your television sets. But that was then, and this is now.
Former Vikings boss Kwesi Adofo-Mensah paid Fries handsomely last season, and based on his 2025 output, he should be earning about $6 million annually — not $17 million.
Perhaps Fries will settle in the Vikings offense with another year of experience. If he does not, you are about seven months from Googling or putting Fries’ dead cap hit into ChatGPT. Always remember: Adofo-Mensah handed Fries the fact contract based on five good games for the Indianapolis Colts in 2024. He has no verifiable history of consistency.
Sports
FIFA Makes Big Call On Referee Francois Letexier Following Argentina vs Egypt World Cup Match Row: Report
The referee for the Argentina vs Egypt match, Francois Letexier, and other match officials are in focus after what transpired in a dramatic FIFA World Cup 2026 clash on Tuesday. Egypt appeared close to a historic upset after taking a 2-0 lead. Argentina produced a late comeback starting in the 79th minute, with Lionel Messi playing a decisive role by scoring one goal and setting up another before Enzo Fernandez completed the turnaround in stoppage time. However, Mohamed Salah’s Egypt were furious with some crucial decisions by the officials going against the team, including a disallowed goal following a VAR review and a penalty appeal that was not reviewed in the buildup to Argentina’s winning goal.
The Egyptian Football Federation (EFF) has reportedly approached FIFA, lodging a formal protest against the decisions of referee Francois Letexier. According to a report in Spanish publication Diario AS, the president of the Egypt Football Association, Hany Abo Rida, has lodged a formal complaint with FIFA against French referee Francois Letexier and his officiating team.
The report further states that the complaint calls for an investigation into what Egypt describes as controversial decisions that went against the Pharaohs. The federation has also officially requested that the French officiating team be removed from the remainder of the tournament because of what it considers crucial errors.
Now, according to a report by L’Equipe, the Frenchman’s performance “will be reviewed, and FIFA’s refereeing officials will decide, based on his technical performance, the officials’ reports, and the disputed video footage, whether he will continue in this World Cup.”
However, the report added that the complaint may not succeed, as a country/member association “cannot exercise a veto over the appointment of the refereeing body, which falls under the purview of the FIFA Referees Committee.”
Past instances
Though requests and complaints like Egypt’s have been made at past FIFA World Cups, they did not result in a referee being excluded. However, in 2002, Italy complained against Ecuadorian referee Byron Moreno after the Round of 16 match against South Korea (1-2). He had awarded 15 minutes of added time, and the Azzurri lost. After that match, he did not officiate any other game in that competition, but FIFA never officially clarified whether it was due to the Italian protests.
Francois Letexier officiated the Euro 2024 final between Spain and England. He has also been voted the world’s best referee by the IFFHS (International Federation of Football History & Statistics)
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LeBron James reportedly taking 76ers’ pitch ‘really seriously’; Bob Myers says Philly gives him ‘best chance to win’
Bob Myers, the former Golden State Warriors executive renowned for constructing the league’s most recent dynasty, made an appearance on Wednesday’s episode of the “Game Over” podcast with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul, the Klutch Sports CEO who famously represents LeBron James.
Myers’ current role as president of sports for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, in which he hired new Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations, made his presence particularly intriguing. After all, the Sixers, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, are among the top-three contenders pursuing James, who is reportedly taking Philadelphia‘s pitch “really seriously.”
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Myers, seated next to Paul, illustrated a version of that pitch on the podcast, the same place Paul previously listed the potential teams James could join this offseason. Myers repeated that he believes the Sixers give James the “best chance to win” in his 24th NBA season.
“If you’re talking about the Sixers, if he was here, I would say, ‘I honestly believe this is your best chance to win,’” Myers said. “You have to decide all the other things, that are equally important, because it’s his life. He has to play, he has to face the scrutiny of his decision. Half the people will say, ‘You should have done this, you should have done that.’ Criticize him or whatever, which is his life, so he’s been through all that.
“What I would just say is, if it’s about winning, let’s talk about this team. Because you can win here, in Philadelphia. If you want to talk about other stuff: What’s this guy like, what’s that guy like — by the way, he knows players, a lot of them, better than I do. Their games — this is a guy that probably watches more basketball than anybody understands. He’s probably watching a game in February that nobody’s watching. So not only does he know the guys, he knows how they play.”
Josh Harris and David Blitzer called upon Myers last year to help further the company’s portfolio of teams, including the Sixers. Since the Sixers moved on from Daryl Morey in May — following their Eastern Conference semifinals playoff exit — Myers has taken on larger role around the franchise despite him not carrying an official title within the organization.
While taking part in a lighthearted, free-flowing conversation with Kellerman and Paul, Myers didn’t try to overtly sell Paul on the Sixers. He even theorized that whatever he says won’t affect James’ decision-making process.
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“And I’m okay saying that,” Myers conceded.
Myers pointed out that James, who will turn 42 in December, is “well-equipped” to make this call. That’s not say Myers wouldn’t want the NBA’s all-time leading scorer on the Sixers, of course. James is a 22-time All-Star, four-time NBA champion and four-time league MVP.
Plus, Myers believes James would slide right into Philadelphia’s starting five.
“It’s, like, ‘Boom,’” he said. “It’s right there. And the skill sets complement. It’s very complementary. Because LeBron’s been a high-usage guy, but he doesn’t have to be. He can be, but he doesn’t have to be.”
That five now includes five-time All-Star and 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown. The Sixers shocked the basketball world in acquiring the former Boston Celtics standout this summer. That head-turning trade has reportedly thrust the Sixers to the forefront of a conversation that started when James informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he’d be playing elsewhere during the 2026-27 season.
“When I talk to teams around the league, when I do my research, the teams that continue to come up are Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia after they got Jaylen Brown,” Charania reported. “Like, Philadelphia was not in the picture, and I think that’s why this is somewhat a true free agency for LeBron James because he didn’t go into it with a calculation in mind, a plan in place.
“You leave the Lakers. You don’t necessarily know what your value is. There’s not like a guaranteed max that he’s walking into. There’s not a guaranteed $20-30 million salary that you’re walking into, so you have to be open-minded.
“So when the Sixers got Jaylen Brown, I did some research, and I found out within 24 hours [that] he’s taking their pitch really seriously.”
Charania added: “I look at it, when I talk to teams now, as kind of a hierarchy of Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia — and then I think there’s some teams on the periphery.”
The Sixers haven’t made the NBA Finals since 2001. That’s also the last year they reached the Eastern Conference finals. If James signed with them, he’d have an opportunity to help bring the franchise its first NBA championship since 1983.
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“You hook me up to a polygraph, all these teams you’re thinking about, I think the Sixers would beat those teams,” Myers said. “Am I right? That’s just my opinion.
He added: “All you can say [as] somebody representing a team, or all I would say is, ‘Win.’ This is the best chance to win.”
Trainer Greg Eurell is targeting a second successive Flemington win with his gelding Obvious this Saturday, a goal that seemed unlikely just two months ago.
The son of Toronado is entered for the 1600-metre Silver Bowl Final, an event restricted to three-year-olds.
Obvious cemented his status as a leading contender for the Silver Bowl after securing a heat victory on June 20. This followed a second-place finish at Caulfield on May 30, performances that offered Eurell considerable relief given his horse’s previous form.
Obvious finished last at Sandown on April 6 and again at Mornington twelve days later. Eurell attributes his gelding’s late-season resurgence to a period of rest and rehabilitation at Monomeith Stud, utilising their water walker facilities.
“It was hard to work it out, he led into those runs in his usual manner and then he just failed to fire a shot,” Eurell commented.
“So we thought we’d give him a freshen up and send him down to Monomeith on the water walker.”
“Then we just brought him back in and we’re doing a bit with him, gave him a jumpout, the jumpout was good, so we thought, ‘oh well, we’ll go again.”
Obvious was beaten three-quarters of a length at Caulfield by Clevor Trever, who stands as a significant rival this week. A number of other horses contesting the Silver Bowl were also unsuccessful in their most recent outings.
While Obvious carried 52.5kg to victory at Flemington thanks to Luke Cartwright’s allowance, he now shoulders 57.5kg in this week’s non-claiming race, with Eurell opting to retain the winning jockey.
“He gets a bit of a penalty weight-wise after the win, but I think he’s in great shape and the beauty of him is he can handle any surface.”
Obvious has drawn barrier seven in the thirteen-horse Silver Bowl Final and is currently sharing the second line of betting with Lucky Lucky Boom, with Clevor Trever the favourite.
For those interested in the action, investigating the betting markets for the main race could be a worthwhile endeavour.
Explore the latest betting markets for the race at betting sites.
Jockey Billy Egan is set to partner the Patrick Payne-trained gelding Jimmy The Bear again for the $200,000 Listed Winter Championship final at Flemington this Saturday.
Despite Egan not having ridden Jimmy The Bear extensively during his Winter Championship defence campaign, he will reclaim the ride at a crucial juncture.
This marks the first time Egan has been aboard Jimmy The Bear in 2026. His last association with the horse was in the Kensington Stakes on New Year’s Eve, and he has maintained a keen interest in the gelding’s performances.
“I galloped with him on Tuesday morning at Werribee – Patrick rode him and I rode his stablemate, but he worked good,” Egan commented.
“He’s been going pretty good. I think he’s had a similar lead up with all the races he’s run in, it’s been the same sort of plan as last year, and he’s going well.”
Much like last year, Jimmy The Bear commenced his campaign at Caulfield in early May and completed his Winter Championship preparations in The David Bourke (1620m) at Flemington.
This year saw him have only one additional start before the final, a win over 1600m at Caulfield on May 30, whereas in 2025, he had two runs in between.
The son of Jimmy Creed is assigned 60kg for Saturday’s assignment, a kilogram more than last year. He aims to join Glaneuse as the only horse to win the 1600m race, first run in 1980, in consecutive years.
“He’s pretty highly rated now, so he deserves to carry the weight,” Egan said of the 13-time winner.
“He’s a big horse and he’s proven he can carry the weight.”
Jimmy The Bear drew barrier one for the Winter Championship Final. This contrasts with his younger half-brother and stablemate, Clevor Trever, who will start from the second-widest gate in the 13-horse Silver Bowl Final, which closes the meeting.
The Omaha Beach three-year-old also carries 60kg for his first attempt at 1600m. Egan acknowledges the challenge but believes the colt is up to the task.
“Maybe the weights might be a little bit different for him, because they got so close to him last time and he is getting out to the mile,” he observed.
“He’s probably got a few more obstacles to overcome, but he’s in really good form.”
Egan’s other mounts on Finals Day, both trained by Payne, are Bold Soul in the $150,000 Banjo Paterson Series Final (2600m) and Falset Star in the $175,000 Listed A R Creswick Stakes (1200m).
Check out the latest betting markets for the Winter Championship Final with leading Australian betting sites.
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One of the greatest pitchers in the history of baseball will be hanging up his cleats after this season.
Three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander announced on Wednesday that the 2026 season will be his last.
Amid an injury-riddled season with the Detroit Tigers, Verlander decided it’s time to go.
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Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander watches from the dugout during a game against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park in Detroit June 21, 2026. (David Rodriguez-Munoz/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
“This season has challenged me in ways I haven’t experienced before, both physically and mentally. I’ve always believed that as long as I could compete at the level I expect of myself, I’d keep playing. I never wanted to retire because of a milestone, a number, or a date on the calendar. I wanted the game to tell me when it was time. Over the last several months, I’ve realized that time has come,” Verlander said in a social media post.
“While I’m fully committed to giving my team everything I have for the rest of this season, I’ve decided this will be my last. It’s fitting that I get to finish where it all started – with the Detroit Tigers, the organization that drafted me and gave me my first opportunity.”
Verlander inked a one-year deal with the Tigers, with whom he spent his first 12½ seasons before being traded to the Houston Astros, in the offseason. In Houston, he returned to dominance, winning both of his World Series titles and two of his Cy Young Awards.
“Baseball has given me more than I could have imagined. It taught me discipline, resilience, and the value of continuing to adapt and evolve. I’ve been fortunate to play with and against incredible players, for outstanding organizations, and compete in-front of fans who deeply appreciate the game,” Verlander added in his announcement.
Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros celebrates after the Astros defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 of the 2022 World Series at Minute Maid Park Nov. 5, 2022, in Houston, Texas. (Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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“To every teammate, coach, player, clubhouse attendant, and fan who has been part of this journey – thank you. It’s been a privilege to share the field with you. To my family, especially my wife Kate, thank you for standing beside me through every season, every rehab, and every high and low. I couldn’t have done this without you. It’s time for the next chapter. But first, I’m excited to finish this season the only way I know how – with everything I’ve got.”
Verlander is the active leader with 3,554 strikeouts, which is good for eighth all-time. He needs 21 to surpass Don Sutton and 87 to pass Tom Seaver.
The 43-year-old made his MLB debut in 2005 and won the American League Rookie of the Year Award the following season in what was just a small glimpse of what was to come.
Verlander was a Cy Young Award finalist on four other occasions, consistently near the top of the leaderboard in just about every pitching stat. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred gave Verlander a legend’s exemption to this year’s Midsummer Classic, making him a 10-time All-Star.
One could argue that Verlander should have at least one more Cy Young Award on his mantle, but he is on the fast track to Cooperstown and very much in the conversation to join Mariano Rivera as the only player unanimously elected to the Hall of Fame.
Verlander’s best season came in 2022, when he pitched to a career-best 1.75 ERA along with a 0.829 WHIP. However, that came after he missed the entire 2021 season due to Tommy John surgery for an injury he suffered after pitching just one inning in the abbreviated 2020 season.
Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander throws against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning Aug. 22, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)
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He won his first Cy Young Award in 2011, when he was also awarded the MVP Award, and his second in 2019. Verlander’s 11 seasons between his first and final Cy Young Awards are the second-most behind Roger Clemens, who had 18 seasons between his first and seventh.
Verlander led the majors in innings and WHIP four times while recording the most strikeouts in three seasons.
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A minor mix-up in a recent barrier trial nearly prevented Tyler Schiller from assessing Gatineau, but there will be no such confusion for the juvenile’s upcoming debut at Rosehill.
Schiller was mistakenly aboard Gatineau’s stablemate, Blackbelt, during the same 900-metre heat on June 19. The error was only identified and rectified once the horses were en route to the starting stalls.
“There was a bit of a mix-up, and I ended up on the other horse of the Hawkes’ in the trial on the way to the gates,” Schiller stated. “Jay Ford was on the grey (Gatineau) going to the gates, and he’d been told to win the trial. I obviously wasn’t told that, but I knew he was expected to go out there and perform well, so I just gave him a good experience.”
Blackbelt finished second in the trial, while Gatineau secured fourth place. However, Gatineau caught the eye with his strong finish under his own steam, closing in on the placegetters.
Although Gatineau faces a challenge competing against more experienced horses in Saturday’s Thank You ATC Members Handicap (1100m) at Rosehill, Schiller believes the colt possesses natural talent and is keen to see his race-day potential.
“I thought his trial was terrific. He trucked up behind them well,” Schiller commented. “He’s got plenty of ability. It will be interesting to see what he does when he gets a gap and hits the front, because I know sitting behind them on the bridle can be a different story.”
A win for Gatineau would continue a successful late-season trend for Hawkes Racing’s two-year-olds.
The stable previously celebrated an impressive victory with the All Too Hard colt Why So Hard at Randwick on June 6, followed by Marwooba’s win at Rosehill a week later.
Schiller, who rides extensively for John, Wayne, and Michael Hawkes in Sydney, indicated that this late-season surge is not surprising.
“We had a few early in the season that had setbacks with shin soreness and that sort of thing,” he explained. “They’ve missed all the big races, but the team has been able to get the horses into races where they can knock off a two-year-old win before they turn three. The team has been going well of late, so hopefully we can keep up the momentum.”
Schiller is also anticipating a strong performance from the Jim and Greg Lee-trained gelding Glorious Moments as he makes his black-type debut in the Listed Winter Stakes (1400m). Having won four of his seven starts, the gelding demonstrated tenacity when winning with a considerable weight at Randwick last start, adding intrigue to the typical field in the feature sprint. “It’s a quality field, so you can’t say he’s going to come out and be dominant, but I think he’s a really good chance down in the weights,” Schiller noted.
Explore the latest online bookmakers for potential wagers on this weekend’s racing action at Rosehill.
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‘It’s harder to build rallies’: India’s star shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa criticises badminton’s new 15×3 scoring system | Badminton News
KOCHI: Star shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa, who won the women’s doubles gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, says she is not a fan of badminton’s new 15×3 scoring system, arguing that the diet version strips the sport of the drama and intensity that have made it so riveting. The All India Senior Ranking Badminton Tournament, which began at Kochi’s Regional Sports Centre on Tuesday, is the first tournament at the domestic circuit to introduce this format to ensure seamless transition for Indian shuttlers. The Badminton World Federation plans a global roll out of the 15×3 scoring system from Jan 2027.In this format, all matches will be played as best-of-three games under rally-point scoring system in which each game will be played till 15 points instead of 21. The traditional mid-game interval will now be taken when the leading player or pair reaches eight points.“The beauty of the 21-point system lies in its ebbs and flows. It allows momentum shifts, creates drama, and allows comebacks,” Ponnappa told TOI at the Regional Sports Centre, after she and Satish Karunakaran won their opening mixed doubles match 15-8,15-10 against Farhan Muhammad and Meera Nair.“Some of the greatest matches in badminton have lasted for at least 90 minutes, with the longest stretching to over 160 minutes. Those are contests people remember,” Ponnappa elaborated.The BWF plans to introduce this diet version to reduce match durations, limit player fatigue, make it less physical, and create faster-paced games to suit the ethos of modern broadcasting. Ponnappa, 36, reckoned that the sport’s governing body missed a trick by failing to innovate, choosing instead to tinker with a tested format.“If you feel that the sport is becoming too physical, then add another break,” the Coorgi explained. Ponnappa said the authorities should have retained the 21-point format at Tour 1000 events and conducted a trial run of the 15-point system at some of the lower-ranked events.“It’s harder to build rallies. Who wants to see a badminton game getting over in 20 minutes?” Ponnappa argued. Ponnappa acknowledged that players have little choice but to be adaptable and embrace the new normal.“It is what it is. The sooner players adapt to the new scoring system, the better it is for them,” she added.
India left-arm spinner R. Sai Kishore has signed for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club for the final six matches of the 2026 County Championship season. The 29-year-old will be available from Gloucestershire’s match against Worcestershire County Cricket Club at Cheltenham on August 20. Kishore previously impressed during a stint with Surrey County Cricket Club in 2025, taking 11 wickets in just two matches.Speaking after completing the move, Kishore said he was eager to experience English conditions again. “I am deeply grateful to Jon and everyone at Gloucestershire for giving me this opportunity. Gloucestershire is a club with a rich history and a fantastic setup, and the chance to play my cricket here is incredibly exciting.“I’ve always wanted to test my skills in English conditions, and after speaking with the management, I knew this was the right fit. I’m looking forward to wearing the jersey, meeting the fans at Bristol and Cheltenham, and doing my part,” he said.
Gloucestershire back Sai Kishore to make an impact
Kishore has been one of India’s most consistent domestic red-ball bowlers, claiming 223 wickets in 54 first-class matches for Tamil Nadu. He was also part of India’s gold medal-winning squad at the 2023 Asian Games and has taken 33 wickets in 28 IPL matches.Gloucestershire head coach Jon Lewis welcomed the signing, saying, “We’re really excited to bring Sai Kishore into the squad. He’s a proven, experienced cricketer who will add a huge amount to our group.“The Club is fully committed to playing better cricket over the final six County Championship matches, and it’ll be really interesting to see the impact an overseas spinner can have at this stage of the season. The conditions at this time of year are often very conducive to spin bowling, so we’re hopeful Sai can make a significant contribution and have a really positive impact on the team.”
Ever finish a round of golf and feel like nothing went right? It’s a frustrating feeling, but simply saying, “I played badly,” won’t help you improve. To get better, you need to understand the types of mistakes you’re making. Once you can identify your errors, you can focus on the right things in practice and on the course.
I typically break down the mistakes golfers make into three categories.
1. Execution errors
These are the most obvious errors and the ones most golfers think of first. They are the dreaded mishits — chunks, tops, slices and hooks. They happen when your swing doesn’t quite match your intention, leading to a poor result.
While some execution errors are unavoidable, you can minimize them through consistent practice and lessons. But remember, no matter how much you practice, execution errors will happen. Even the best players in the world don’t hit every shot perfect.
2. Strategic errors
Strategic errors are more common than many golfers realize. They happen when you make a poor decision before you even hit the ball. This could be because you didn’t properly assess the conditions, such as a strong headwind, a wet lie, or the speed of the greens.
For example, imagine you have a 140-yard shot over water. You normally hit your 8-iron 140 yards, so you pull that club without thinking twice. However, you fail to notice a strong wind blowing directly into your face. The ball comes up short and lands in the water. Your swing wasn’t the problem. The mistake happened before you ever addressed the ball.
Other strategic errors include attempting shots you haven’t practiced enough or misjudging the risk versus the reward. Often, choosing the smarter, safer play leads to a better score than attempting a low-percentage shot. These are mistakes that are much easier to limit, because they boil down to making smarter decisions.
3. Mental errors
Mental errors are all about mindset, focus and concentration. Unlike a poor swing, these are mistakes that are entirely within your control. They include rushing your shot, skipping your pre-shot routine, or allowing one bad shot to affect the rest of your round.
Elite players understand that mental mistakes are often the easiest to eliminate and can have the greatest impact on scoring. If you can cut down — or even eliminate — mental errors, you can save several strokes per round.
How to avoid these mistakes
During your round, take a moment after every bad shot to determine what type of mistake occurred. Was it an execution error, such as a mishit? A strategic error, like choosing the wrong club? Or was it a mental error, such as rushing your routine? Simply identifying the cause helps you stay present and learn from each shot instead of reacting emotionally.
It can also be helpful to keep a simple record of your mistakes. Create a system using “E” for execution errors, “S” for strategic errors, and “M” for mental errors and mark them down on your scorecard. At the end of your round, tally each category. The results will quickly show you where your biggest opportunities for improvement lie and help guide your practice.
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