AFTER a decade of dominance, Pep Guardiola is leaving Manchester City and to celebrate his time at the Blues, the M.E.N. have produced a stunning special souvenir edition
Celebrating over a decade at City, this souvenir edition is a must-have for every City fan. You can order your copy here. He arrived with a stellar reputation having won the Champions League twice and three LaLiga titles with Barcelona, before adding three Bundesliga crowns with Bayern Munich. His time in Manchester brought sustained domestic dominance, including three FA Cup wins and five Carabao Cups, while his other successes included the Club World Cup.
Among the standout achievements of his tenure were the treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in 2023, a domestic treble in 2019 and a record-breaking 100-point league campaign in 2018.He leaves after a domestic cup double this term. Our special edition relives the success of Pep’s time at the Etihad, with analysis from our City experts, special features and amazing images. Order your copy here or pick up at participating retailers in the Manchester area from June 3, 2026.
Donovan Mitchell got quite a payday from the Cleveland Cavaliers Tuesday, agreeing to a four-year, $273 million maximum extension, which includes a full trade kicker and player option for the 2030-31 season.
While Mitchell could’ve waited one more year to get a potential five-year, $353 million deal, the 29-year-old wasted no time signing an extension on the first day he was eligible to do so this summer.
It’s hard for Cleveland not to want to build its team around Mitchell now and for the foreseeable future. He has been an All-Star seven straight seasons, which includes three with the Utah Jazz before he was traded to Cleveland during the 2022 offseason.
Donovan Mitchell (45) of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks to pass the ball during a game against the Memphis Grizzlies Feb. 2, 2023, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.(David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)
He has averaged 26.7 points in four seasons with the Cavaliers, including 27.9 last season, and has made an All-NBA team in three of his four years.
Mitchell also noted having “unfinished business” after the team got swept by the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals.
Mitchell was heading into the 2026-27 season on the last guaranteed season of his previous contract before a 2027 player option kicked in.
Now, the bigger question for the Cavaliers: Does Mitchell’s contract extension hurt or help their chances of yet another reunion with LeBron James?
The 41-year-old has made it clear he will be playing elsewhere for the 2026-27 NBA season, marking the end of his eight years with the Los Angeles Lakers.
James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, hasn’t indicated where he might be heading, but reports have indicated his agent, Rich Paul, is actively looking at specific teams.
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LeBron James (6) of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to a foul call during the second half of a game against Dallas Mavericks at Crypto.com Arena Jan. 12, 2023, in Los Angeles.(Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Among them is the Cavaliers, as the man from Akron, Ohio, has played a significant role in the franchise’s history, including an NBA title in 2016. If this is James’ final NBA run, why not do it where it all began, where he returned after his successful stint with the Miami Heat and where he can close the book on a one-of-a-kind career?
However, other teams, including the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors have been rumored and debated about.
Of course, the salary cap and staying within its parameters is a big deal for NBA teams. While a Cavaliers fan could view Mitchell’s max extension as a bad thing for James to land back in Cleveland, it is not believed it will affect their chances at signing him.
As for James’ NBA title chances, the Cavaliers did reach the Eastern Conference finals, and the 41-year-old wouldn’t have to be the center of attention in terms of offensive playmaking. Mitchell and Evan Mobley can lead the way there, while Jarrett Allen protects the rim down low.
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The Cavaliers and James Harden, whom they acquired before the trade deadline last season, are reportedly negotiating a team-friendly deal as well to keep their salary cap at bay.
Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons in Game 7 of the second round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on May 17, 2026 in Detroit.(Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
I recently ran a golf school for a great group of members at Aronimink, working alongside their assistant, Tessa Teachman. Tessa, along with my fellow dewsweepers, Morgan Hale and Connor Luke, worked together to help a great group of members make some dramatic improvements to their contact in less than a day.
The changes didn’t require anything drastic from a physical perspective. They all came down to helping players associate new feels for what the club can do when you get out of the way and stop working against it. Most amateurs don’t need a swing overhaul — they just need to find the ground in the right spot to get solid contact, and do it with a good pivot. That’s the whole battle for a huge percentage of golfers.
At the school (and with my regular students), I find that handicaps matter far less than the design of what you’re working on when it comes to improving. Give a player something simple they can do at home, in the gym or in the parking lot before a round, and nearly all of them will commit to doing it — and doing it well enough to make a real difference.
Take these five drills we used at the school and incorporate them into your routine this weekend and I promise you that by Sunday afternoon you’ll be hitting more solid shots. None of these drills require a bucket of balls or a trip to the course. You can run through all five in your living room or the backyard. You’ll find the ball at the bottom of your swing more consistently, make more solid contact, hit it farther, and have more control over how it curves.
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1. Find your balance
Before you can do anything else well, you need to be hinged correctly at your waist so your hips can turn and load instead of sliding. Set up in your posture and check that the base of your spine is stacked under the top of your spine — not tipped forward or hanging back. You should feel roughly 50/50 in your weight distribution, evenly balanced between your feet. Get that feeling right at address, and everything downstream gets easier.
2. Stabilize your lower body
A lot of golfers move their pressure side to side instead of rotating — sliding laterally on the way back and again on the way down. When your lower body is sliding around like that, it’s nearly impossible to find the same low point twice. Stand on two small balance discs so your base is a little unstable. Hold a club across your chest and make some slow backswings and downswings. The instability underneath you won’t let you lurch or slide; your body has no choice but to stay centered while it turns.
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3. Add rotation to your forward swing
If you stay stuck on your back foot and never rotate your upper body through the ball, you’ll never get the low point of your swing out in front of it, where it needs to be. Grab a light resistance band and stretch it so your arms are fully extended out to your sides — like you’re about to give somebody a big hug. Get into your golf posture, then turn your shoulders fully going back and fully going through, all without ever letting the band go slack. That tension is what teaches your upper body to keep rotating instead of stalling out.
4. Hold your spine tilt
This one will feel strange the first time you try it, but the results show up immediately. Hold a club across your chest like you did in tip 2, and this time watch the angle it makes with the ground as you turn back and through. If you keep the same spine tilt you had at address, that club stays at a consistent angle the whole way around. Lose your posture, and it’ll move parallel with the ground. Come over the top, and it’ll go more vertical. Use the club as your mirror, and keep that angle locked in.
5. Push off the ground to rotate your hips
The last piece is learning to use the ground to rotate your hips while staying in posture, instead of standing up or leaning through the shot. Use that same stretchy exercise band and have a partner the middle of it. Grab each end in one hand, and start your backswing like you’re pulling the cord on a lawn mower with your right (trail) hand. Push off the ground, and don’t let the band pull you forward! Now initiate the downswing by pulling with your left hand. The pull from the band forces your hips to actually rotate instead of stalling at the top or through impact.
Oleksandr Usyk and Muhammad Ali both ruled the heavyweight division during different eras and now Canelo Alvarez has revealed if he thinks the Ukrainian would have been able to overcome ‘The Greatest.’
Usyk has established himself as the best heavyweight of his generation after a number of impressive victories in recent years, notably defeating Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois all on two occasions each to twice become undisputed champion.
His achievements are all the more remarkable due to the fact he initially campaigned at cruiserweight, becoming undisputed champion in that division before moving up in weight and deciding to test himself against fighters that were naturally much bigger than him.
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He weighed just 221lbs when he first became world heavyweight champion, and while that is much lighter than some of the other world heavyweight champions in the past, it is similar to what Ali would campaign at throughout his illustrious career.
Ali first claimed world honours in February 1964, and would finish his career as a three-time world heavyweight champion, earning memorable wins in the ‘Rumble In The Jungle’ against George Foreman and the ‘Thrilla In Manila’ against Joe Frazier.
The success of both Usyk and Ali has led to discussions amongst fans about who would have triumphed in a fantasy clash between the two fighters, and now Mexican superstar Canelo has weighed in with his own take.
Speaking to Daily Mail Boxing, four-weight world champion Canelo was asked about several hypothetical fights between past and present heavyweights, and had no doubt about his answer when quizzed about Usyk and Ali.
Minnesota Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. lined up against the Los Angeles Rams during NFC Wild Card action at State Farm Stadium, giving Minnesota’s secondary a postseason test in Arizona. On January 13, 2025, in Glendale, Murphy worked through playoff snaps as the Vikings tried to slow Los Angeles in the elimination matchup. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.
Minnesota Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. will embark on Year No. 3 in the Twin Cities in 2026, and according to ESPN, he’s one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks, believe it or not. Jeremy Fowler from that website surveyed coaches, executives, and scouts in his annual rankings series, and Murphy Jr. was considered an “honorable mention” among the league’s top corners.
Murphy Jr. isn’t typically included in such lists, so this one is noteworthy.
A Little Praise for Brian Flores’s Trusted CB1
Minnesota Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. looked on after a Christmas Day matchup with the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium, closing another physical NFC North chapter. On December 25, 2025, in Minneapolis, Murphy stood near the field after the game as Minnesota’s secondary wrapped up a difficult divisional night at home against Detroit. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
Murphy Jr. an Honorable Mention in NFL’s Best CBs
Fowler described his CB pecking order process: “The pantheon of elite cornerbacks has a high barrier to entry. Nine players from last year’s list made this year’s top 10, and the one debut needed a first-team All-Pro season to grab the last spot. That’s serious competition, and the game’s best all jockeyed for position.”
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“Seven cornerbacks appeared on at least 85% of ballots. While the top two carried over from 2025, spot Nos. 3-10 were all reconfigured. A pair from the first round of the 2023 draft made a major move, and the No. 1 player appears to be on a path to Canton.”
Fowler then revealed additional votes for Honorable Mention: “Also receiving votes: DJ Turner II, Marlon Humphrey, Alontae Taylor, DaRon Bland, Kool-Aid McKinstry, Travis Hunter, Tyson Campbell, Byron Murphy Jr., Deommodore Lenoir, Riq Woolen.”
The same series also published the NFL’s top running backs this week, and no Vikings whatsoever were mentioned.
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The Production in 2025
Murphy Jr. has quietly built a remarkably solid NFL career.
Over seven seasons, he’s played 104 games, starting 96 of them. His career totals include 438 tackles, 16 interceptions, and 68 passes defended. This is notable production for a cornerback who has adapted to various teams and schemes while remaining highly effective.
His standout year was undoubtedly the 2024 season. Murphy started all 17 games for the Vikings, recording six interceptions — including a pick-six — and earning a Pro Bowl selection. Opposing quarterbacks targeted him 110 times, completing 70% of those passes, but Murphy limited the impact, holding them to a 79.3 passer rating. Pro Football Focus acknowledged his strong performance with an overall grade of 73.4 and a 73.5 in coverage.
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The 2025 season presented a more mixed outcome. Murphy again started every game, finishing with 71 tackles, two interceptions, and seven passes defended. His coverage statistics showed some improvement, as he allowed only 45 catches on 76 targets for 448 yards. However, PFF’s overall grade dropped to 58.5, indicating a more unstable performance throughout the year.
Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze hauled in a reception during first-half action against the Minnesota Vikings, adding an early highlight at Soldier Field. On September 8, 2025, in Chicago, Odunze made the athletic grab as the Bears offense looked to build rhythm in an NFC North matchup with momentum still up for grabs. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images.
Despite some fluctuations, Murphy remains a reliable starting cornerback in Brian Flores’ demanding defense, where corners bear substantial responsibility.
Another Year Lined Up as Vikings’ Main CB
Murphy Jr. enters Year No. 3 as Minnesota’s primary cornerback, and truth be told, the team defense has flourished along the way. Over the last two seasons, the Vikings rank No. 1 in the NFL per EPA/Play, and that’s precisely when Murphy Jr. came aboard, at the start of 2024.
Flores, the Vikings’ defensive coordinator, has proven that he doesn’t need utterly elite cornerback performance to cook, evidenced by men like Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, Stephon Gilmore, Shaquill Griffin, and Fabian Moreau on the roster.
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While Minnesota will eventually use a high-round draft pick on a cornerback of the future, the group, headlined by Murphy Jr., certainly isn’t hurting anything. It’s tough to decry the cornerbacks from the NFL’s best defense since 2024.
Pat Surtain Is the Top Dog
Surtain II in Denver took home the top prize, and Fowler wrote, “Surtain held a convincing grip on the process, eliciting more than 75% of the first-place votes. Surtain is the prototype, with the ideal combination of size (6-foot-2, 202 pounds), lateral agility, downfield speed and instincts.”
“The 2024 Defensive Player of the Year missed three games due to a shoulder injury in 2025 but still deflected 12 passes. From the nit-pick file: A few coaches and scouts thought he got handsy in 2025 (finished the season with 10 penalties) and didn’t always show an extra gear to close gaps for interceptions.”
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Few onlookers will disagree with the ranking.
Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II warmed up at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium before a road matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs. On January 1, 2023, in Kansas City, Missouri, Surtain went through pregame work as Denver prepared for another AFC West test in one of the league’s loudest venues. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports.
“But when lined up against the game’s best — Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase in Week 4 — Surtain allowed one reception for 8 yards across 13 coverage matchups. And his 12 interceptions over five seasons are a reminder that ball production is not a problem,” Fowler added.
“Surtain is one of seven NFL cornerbacks to win Defensive Player of the Year. Four are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”
The Vikings will see Surtain II when the Broncos roll into U.S. Bank Stadium in 2027.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
Lionel Messi once again showed why he is regarded as one of football’s greatest players after inspiring Argentina national football team to a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Egypt national football team in the FIFA World Cup.
Argentina looked to be heading out of the tournament after falling 2-0 behind with less than 20 minutes left at Atlanta Stadium. Egypt took control through goals from Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico, while goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir produced a brilliant performance to frustrate the defending champions.
Messi also had a difficult night early on. The 39-year-old saw his first-half penalty saved by Shobeir, adding to his list of missed World Cup spot-kicks. At that stage, Argentina appeared to be on the verge of a shocking exit.
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However, the South American giants refused to give up.
With 11 minutes remaining, Messi delivered a perfect cross for Cristian Romero, who headed home to make it 2-1 and give Argentina hope.
Just over four minutes later, Messi produced another moment of magic. The veteran forward fired a powerful left-footed shot that flew past Shobeir and went in off the crossbar to level the score at 2-2.
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As Egypt struggled to recover from the late pressure, Argentina completed the turnaround in stoppage time when Enzo Fernández headed home the winning goal, sealing an incredible 3-2 victory.
The final whistle sparked emotional scenes. Messi, who had looked heartbroken when Argentina were two goals down, was left in tears as he celebrated with his team-mates. The Argentina players lifted him into the air while their fans filled the stadium with songs long after the match ended.
The victory keeps Argentina’s hopes of defending their World Cup title alive. Messi and his team will now face either Switzerland national football team or Colombia national football team in the quarter-finals as they continue their bid for another world title.
The US Men’s National Team entered Monday night’s game against Belgium in Seattle with the highest expectations of any U.S. World Cup team in decades.
They had a mostly “golden generation” of players in their peaks, like Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, Malik Tillman, and Sergino Dest. Folarin Balogun, arguably the best striker the US has had in recent memory, was also available for the must-win match after FIFA controversially postponed his red card suspension with some involvement from President Donald Trump.
Belgium was widely viewed as a “beatable” opponent. They’d trailed Senegal 2-0 in the 86th minute in the round of 32, before a ferocious, fortunate comeback led to a 3-2 victory deep in extra time after a questionable penalty allowed Youri Tielemans to slot home the winner. Their defense was seen as questionable, at best, and their “golden generation” had aged past their primes. Star forward Jeremy Doku was also out of the starting 11, seemingly giving the US back line an advantage.
Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku (9) kicks the ball past the United States’ Chris Richards (3) to score his team’s fourth goal during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between the United States and Belgium in Seattle, Washington. Monday, July 6, 2026.(Lindsey Wasson/AP Photo)
As it turns out, not only did the USMNT not have an advantage, they were hopelessly outplayed and outclassed by an organized, composed, aggressive Belgian attack. They created few good chances, facing a much better defensive structure without Kevin De Bruyne on the pitch. After tying the match on another fantastic free kick from Tillman, they conceded again in less than 70 seconds. There was a humiliating goalkeeper error when Matt Freese kicked the ground instead of the ball, leading to the third goal that effectively put the match away. 4-1 defeat, and little to show for it.
All that might be more forgivable, after all, Belgium is still a very good international team, if the USMNT had a clean match and were simply beaten by a better team. But they didn’t just get beaten. They embarrassed themselves on the biggest stage they’ve ever had. Literally. And soccer analyst Taylor Twellman went off on the players and staff for the many, many, inexcusable mistakes.
Tim Ream (L) #13 and Sebastian Berhalter #14 of the United States lament after a 4-1 loss in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 16 match between USA and Belgium at Seattle Stadium on July 6, 2026 in Seattle, United States. (Photo by Al Sermeno/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)(ISI Photos via Getty Images)
He discussed what happened with Yahoo Sports! “The Cooligans” podcast after the loss, saying the team failed their first “real test.”
“That was the first real test of the World Cup,” he said. “What’d we get? Yeah, I mean, what’d we get?
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“And listen, we’ve done stuff, right? We did stuff…[but] you can’t make mistakes at the highest level. You can’t miss fundamentals. The first two goals from Belgium. They make you want to…it’s not an easy watch guys. That’s not an easy watch…That’s a 50-50 ball inside the 18 that Dest just looks around, lets it bounce. Run through it.”
He continued, saying that he’d rather have players ready to “run through the wall” instead of being passive or unsure of themselves.
“And listen, everyone on social media talks about, oh, Sebastian Berhalter this…Give me 10 Sebastian Berhalters,” he said. “They’ll run through the wall, at least. You cannot forget fundamentals. The little things, that is gonna be, for that group of players, the most difficult pill to swallow. Because when you watch the tape, when you watch, the tape, it’s not my experience, I watched it, that’s a difficult one to swallow. Those are simple fundamentals and we missed all of them tonight. All of them.”
Not much to argue with there. Just look at the lack of defensive effort on Belgium’s first goal, in the 10th minute. When the ball goes into the air, there are literally four US players around one Belgian player. Plus three more defenders nearby or in front of the goal. Somehow, that one Belgian player got by all of them, before threading a pass into an unmarked Charles De Ketelaere for the easiest shot of his life.
Belgium’s Charles De Ketelaere (17) celebrates after scoring his side’s opening goal during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between the United States and Belgium in Seattle, Washington. Monday, July 6, 2026.(Maddy Grassy/AP Photo)
Freese’s error was compounded by Ream jumping to try and deflect an open shot on goal by Hans Vanaken, only to mostly whiff and see the ball roll directly into the net. On the second goal, De Ketelaere just outjumped two US defenders, while two other stood around helplessly.
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These are fundamental problems that cannot happen at this level. Inexcusable, indefensible mistakes. There’s a focus on managers and coaching in the international game, when managerial importance pales in comparison to having better players. Right now? The USMNT simply doesn’t have enough good ones.
These weeks, between golf’s two great championships, are lovely, despite the sog-fest upon us now. In these long summer days, Wimbledon is on in the morning, its grass at the T getting browner by the day. In this year of World Cup fútbol, there’s almost always something to watch. The U.S. Senior Open is played annually in this fast month, its fields loaded with familiar names. (Ernie, Paddy, Vijay, Davis, this year at Scioto, the Columbus course where young Jackie Nicklaus first broke par.) Across the Lower 48, in these weeks after Father’s Day, the yellowish light of afternoon summons you to the course murmuring this: Quick nine?
Or 10. I nod here to the routing of the village-owned course in Bellport, in Suffolk County, on the South Shore of Long Island. The Bellport loops go 1 through 8, a collection of good holes without a showstopper. The more common late-day move there is the second loop, nine to the house, with its various whiffs of the bay. I have played those holes while fading into sleep more than a few times. Smell and memory have had a long and good marriage. Don’t they?
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I grew up in Patchogue, one town west of Bellport, a baseball town (ballfields everywhere) and a ferry town (the Davis Park Ferry shuttling beach people to Fire Island and back). In high school and college, I logged many fast summer rounds at Bellport with my friend Larry Lodi, who broke 80 regularly with a strong right-hand grip and in various guitar god T-shirts. (Peter Frampton, etc.) We dug clams in the Great South Bay, sold them dockside, ate fast suppers at our respective homes, then raced the 5 miles to the Bellport course, our last putts slowed by rising dew. Larry’s car (by which I mean his mother’s Buick) had an FM radio with the Bee Gees (it seemed) always playing on WBLI. Forgive me, I’m drifting. In the summer of ’78, or one of those Ford or Carter summers, floats with Hispanic themes made their first appearance in Patchogue’s annual July 4th parade. The floats were colorful, proud, fun, overdue. Bellport doesn’t have a July 4th parade but it does have a longstanding Independence Day street fair called “Artists on the Lane” — pleasant enough though low on funk.
Come summer, I’m drawn to Patchogue, to Bellport, to the courses and beaches of Suffolk County. I’m drawn home. The U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills last month was a gift, as were the Opens there in 1986 and ’95, in 2004 and ’18. On Wednesday night, this year at Shinnecock, I slipped out of the press tent at maybe half past six and was still able to get in 10 holes at Bellport before sunset. The bay holes there are like a North Star for me.
A fortnight or so later, on July 4th, I was back in Bellport. It was a scorcher there, as it was across Long Island, as it was across the country. My wife, Christine, and I made a listless walk down Bellport Lane, peeking sluggishly at the various artist booths, lingering at length in the museum-barn owned by the Bellport Historical Society. It had air conditioning.
In mid-afternoon, to continue this sluggish theme from a sluggish day, we made a listless drive east on Sunrise Highway, in search of cooler temperatures. As we approached Shinnecock Hills, I realized for the first time that its Stanford White clubhouse, though high on a hill, was no longer visible from the highway. Kind of annoying. I had never noticed how tall and thick a stand of barrier trees, between Sunrise Highway and the club, had become.
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During the Open, there were members hanging on the clubhouse porch, some of them in club blazers, clinging to tradition and yesteryear. You could almost picture Thurston Howell III, Ascot-wearing Wall Street (get this) millionaire from “Gilligan’s Island,” smiling in his approval. BTW, what was Thurston thinking, signing up for that three-hour cruise-ship tour, along with his bride, Lovey Howell? Maybe they were looking for relief from a sluggish day, as Christine and I were on Independence Day 250. The Howells boarded the S.S. Minnow, which promptly got blown off-course by a tropical storm and CBS had another sit-com hit. I played Bellport the other day with a light-footed gent named Marcel who was wearing a floppy bucket hat he could have borrowed from Gilligan. Somewhere, Gilligan was smiling, too.
Back to the real world. There’s a winding public road, Tuckahoe Road, that intersects the Shinnecock Hills course. It was closed all through the U.S. Open but now it was open again and I pointed our green Mini (160,000 miles and going strong) to it. There were golfers at play on the course, caddies trailing them. Several massive U.S. Open tents were still up but coming down and there were dozens of sweltering workers in construction bibs working in the rising heat of this national holiday. On the other side of the Atlantic, you could imagine, tents and grandstands going up at Royal Birkdale for the British Open. The first round is on July 16. Scottie Scheffler will return the trophy to the R&A before that. You only get it for a year. Well, what don’t we borrow, when you get right down to it?
The bay holes at Bellport are like a North Star for me.
Christine and I did a drive-by tour of the adjacent courses, the courses of the Southampton Golf Club, the Sebonack Golf Club, the National Golf Links of America. Sebonack’s developer, Michael Pascucci, bought the 300-acre property from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local No. 3, and Bob Rubin, owner of another course in the vicinity, The Bridge, used to float another name in Sebonack’s direction, The Local, to set it apart from its neighbor, The National, and to acknowledge its IBEW roots. Bob is a Francophile among other things and can’t resist a double entendre. (The Local — so good.) I showed Christine the fabulous entry columns at Sebonack and announced grandly, “The Macdonald Gates.” “Wait,” Christine said. “I thought the Macdonald Gates were at The National?” The things she has picked up on, fortyish years in.
We drove by the actual Macdonald Gates and to the public beach that runs parallel to N.G.L.’s spectacular uphill 18th hole, a short par-5 called Home. Home — so good. Charles Blair Macdonald, when designing The National often considered golf in Scotland as he considered the course, and in the auld country Home is a common name for finishing holes and a handsome coda on their cute little scorecards. (Check out Elie, Brora, Prestwick.) I stumbled recently onto these sturdy sentences and I include them here for you CBMacD buffs out there, from a short 1928 New Yorker piece about Macdonald and his N.G.L. course: “As it turned out, half of the course was copied from historic holes abroad and half created out of Macdonald’s own fancy. He thus became the pioneer golf-course architect in this country.”
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The bayfront beach in front of the course — please note: it is not lifeguarded — is named for Thomas Rewinski, a former N.G.L. greenkeeper. I’ve known that name forever. When I was a kid, the South Fork of the East End of Long Island still had many prominent families with Polish surnames, families that owned potato farms and thriving small businesses, Carl Yastrzemski’s family among them. I’m sure, on the right day and in the right conditions, the Rewinski beach is wonderful, but on our day there Christine and I struggled to navigate its rocks, could find no breeze and swam in water that was too still and eerily warm. We baked for 20 minutes and left.
An ice cream stop followed by a dusk stop at an ocean beach called Sagg Main, where the bodysurfing conditions were superb. The ocean water was appropriately cold, and the beach air was warm without being hot. Oh the joy. I finished reading a long profile of the writer Colson Whitehead in The New Yorker. Our day was finally coming together.
From the beach, Christine and I drove to Sag Harbor for dinner, to a mom-and-pop Italian restaurant we like there. On our way to it we drove by a wee inland course in Bridgehampton. I can tell you almost nothing about it except that it has nine holes, it looks old and no right-minded golfer would dare to sneak on it. We parked near a church on the outskirts of Sag Harbor’s downtown.
Colson Whitehead, I had just read, spent his childhood summers in Sag Harbor with his family. A lot of the New Yorker piece dwells on that, Whitehead as an affluent Black summer kid in a town with few Black people in it, biking around town with his brother, making the scene, in their own way. Our waiter at Il Capuccino, a local young man studying urban planning at Vassar, knew a lot about Colson Whitehead. Good food, good times, no dessert course. We left the restaurant at 9:15 p.m, with Sag Harbor’s fireworks, over Sag Harbor’s harbor, announced for 9:30. Christine and I were married a short ferry-ride away, on Shelter Island.
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We started walking downhill, bound for the harbor, and were surprised to immediately see the first firework low in the sky, 15 minutes ahead of schedule. For the next 45 minutes, we took in the light show, concluding with (per custom) a shoot-the-works blast that often brings to mind for me Francis Scott Key’s ode to “red glare” and the Grucci family of Bellport, the first family of American fireworks. In 1983, while visiting my parents for Thanksgiving, I covered a fatal factory blast at the Grucci factory in Bellport for the Boston Globe.
A few minutes after the last spark of the Sag Harbor’s show last blast evaporated, a thousand cellphones went buzzing at once, with an emergency notification from the National Weather Service:
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING in effect for this area.
DESTRUCTIVE 80 mph winds.
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Take shelter in a sturdy building, away from windows.
Flying debris may be deadly to those caught without shelter.
All along Sag Harbor’s crowded sidewalks, there was a sense of urgency, as this storm moved in and the air got heavy, bordering on panic but short of it. We could hear the fierce wind in the trees above us and could see heavy raindrops landing on the roof of the Mini as we entered it. Sag Harbor’s narrow streets were almost overwhelmed by the fleeing cars, most of them twice the size of ours. Christine wondered aloud if we should just stay put, not that that seemed particularly safe. We were in an area crowded with mature trees. We had to go somewhere and headed out. Christine asked Waze to direct us to the SpringHill Suites, our weekend home on the outskirts of Bellport. Room 109. We’ve been in it before.
The Mini plowed through pools of water that were at least a half-foot deep and maybe double that. You needed some speed to get through them. I kept repeating the same question to Christine: “Next turn, please.” We’re on this road for 1.5 miles. We’re on this road for 2 miles. Bear left at the next sharp turn. Twigs and branches were falling all around us. The rain and wind were fierce. Passing vehicles sprayed us like we were in the early stages of a car wash, our windshield momentarily opaque. Waze was rerouting us every half-mile or so, out of informed and sudden necessity. These back South Fork roads, more rural than suburban, were pitch black even when the sky turned an ominous gray, filled with the white glare of an electrical storm. We were on roads I had never seen in my life. In a manner of speaking, we were blown off course. There was no safe place to stop even if we had wanted to. My skin was clammy.
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There was no safe place to stop even if we had wanted to. My skin was clammy.
All I wanted to do was to get to Sunrise Highway, where there would be safe places to pull over, strip malls with overhangs and the like. At one point we were a few hundred yards from the highway but couldn’t get to it, as a downed tree crossed our road. One car after another made a three-point turn. The alternate route, or routes, took forever. Waze was in control and there was no choice but to keep the faith. We drove by the entrance to The Bridge, or so I sensed. We were driving blind. With a kind of blind faith, I should say.
Eventually, amazingly, Waze led us to a road that offered a clear shot to Sunrise Highway: Tuckahoe Road, right through the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club course. In the afternoon, on that same road, the clubhouse was on our left, and there were people here and there, golfers and caddies and workers. Now the old clubhouse was on our right and it was a ghost town, dark and lonely on the top of its hill. But comforting, too: I knew it. You could wait out a storm there if you had to. Nobody would deny you that, even after the fact. The opposite, if anything. Glad to hear you’re safe and sound. Easy to imagine that. Golf and golfers are good that way. We’re a kind of clan, really. I have found that often.
The windshield wipers were keeping up, pretty much, and I offered silent praise to our trusty green Mini, surely with less urgency than Washington did when riding Nelson, his beloved wartime horse, though the comparison did cross my mind, knowing all the while it was a wild reach.
We made it to Sunrise Highway and the driving was fine. We made it back to our room. A 50-minute drive took an hour and 50. My clubs were in the boot, along with a damp bathing suit.
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Flying debris may be deadly. There’s a sentence that gets your attention. The National Weather Service should take a bow here. Waze, too. While I’m at it, I tip my hat to my bride here. (Here and always, really.) I often bring back golf caps from my little trips, to this course or that tournament, lightweight white ones you can put in the wash, and Christine wears them all summer long, right through Labor Day, sticking her ponytail through the protractor-shaped keyhole above the adjustable strap in the back and with a style (I would like to say) all her own.
We got lucky. Flying debris fell around us but not on us. We made it back to the SpringHill Suite and the night manager at the front desk was holding down the fort on a wild night, a wild conclusion to 7/4/250. Midnight was closing in. We were in, the curtains drawn, the TV on. For the night, 109 was Home.
Bill Belichick may be the University of North Carolina head football coach, but there was almost a plan to get him back in the NFL thanks to a fellow head coach he has great ties with.
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton and Bill Belichick go back years. Both served on Bill Parcells’ staff, albeit at different times, before crossing paths as NFL head coaches.
In a detailed story about Payton and the Broncos’ playoff appearances last season, which ended with an AFC Championship Game loss to Belichick’s old New England Patriots, ESPN reported that Payton had the idea of going to Broncos owner Greg Penner with a plan to hire Belichick as the team’s temporary head coach until he reached 15 wins.
North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick on the sidelines in the first quarter at Kenan Stadium on Sept. 1, 2025.(Bob Donnan/Imagn Images)
That exact win total would’ve had Belichick pass the great Don Shula for the all-time coaching wins record.
The report indicated that Payton would’ve still been on the staff as the assistant head coach, and once Belichick reached the win total, Payton would take back over as head coach.
Ultimately, Payton didn’t officially make the offer to Penner, deciding it would’ve been too complicated and Belichick would’ve also had to agree on his end.
There hasn’t been anything like it in football, but it brings about the question again regarding Belichick’s history in the league, which has been a hot topic since he and the Patriots parted ways.
Belichick’s impact on football is second to none, though it became clouded during the most recent Pro Football Hall of Fame voting as he found himself at the center of controversy.
Head coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos reacts during the first half against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on September 24, 2023 in Miami Gardens, Florida.(Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Belichick wasn’t a first-ballot Hall of Famer, with the likes of Tom Brady and others dumbfounded by the fact the coach with the second-most wins in history wasn’t getting his bust already made for the halls in Canton, Ohio. But some voters considered the controversy that swirled around Belichick during his time in Foxborough, which included Spygate, and believed he wasn’t worthy of the honor yet.
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Since he left the NFL, many have wondered whether Belichick would ever pass Shula’s win total. That question remained even after he took North Carolina’s vacant job, his first as a college head coach.
And it still hovers over Belichick’s legacy, especially after his firm stance that he will be seeing his role with the Tar Heels into his second season despite murmurs that he would entertain NFL head coaching vacancies following the 2025 season.
North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick greets a recruit on the sidelines before an NCAA college football game against Stanford, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.(AP Photo/Chris Seward)
England produced a ruthless all-round performance to crush India by 125 runs in the third T20I at Trent Bridge on Tuesday, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the five-match series after the opener was washed out.The defeat was one India will want to forget in a hurry. Chasing 202, the visitors were bundled out for just 76 in 11.4 overs, registering their biggest defeat by runs in men’s T20I history and their second-lowest total in the format. For Shreyas Iyer, the loss also extended his wait for a maiden victory as India’s full-time T20I captain.
Salt, Curran lay the foundation
Asked to bat first, England overcame a quiet start to post an imposing 201/7, thanks largely to Philip Salt’s fluent 70 off 44 deliveries.India’s new-ball attack, led by Arshdeep Singh, began with discipline, but Jos Buttler shifted the momentum with a counter-attacking 32. Debutant Prince Yadav then made an immediate impact, dismissing Buttler with a pinpoint yorker off his very first delivery before sending captain Harry Brook back soon after.Harshit Rana kept India in the contest by removing Jacob Bethell and Tom Banton in successive deliveries, but Salt continued to anchor the innings with controlled aggression. The opener brought up a composed half-century before Axar Patel eventually ended his stay.Sam Curran provided the finishing touches with an unbeaten 41 from 24 balls, ensuring England crossed the 200-run mark despite India’s late fightback. Prince Yadav (2/30) impressed on debut, while Harshit Rana (2/40) also picked up two wickets.
Archer, Tongue rip through India
India’s chase never gained any momentum as England’s pace attack tore through the batting order. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi entertained briefly with two towering sixes but was caught behind off Jofra Archer for 13. Ishan Kishan soon followed, edging Josh Tongue to Jacob Bethell, before Archer struck the decisive blows by dismissing captain Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel.India’s innings unravelled at alarming speed as they lost their first five wickets inside six overs for the first time in T20I history. The visitors found themselves in complete disarray against Archer’s pace and Tongue’s relentless accuracy.Will Jacks joined the party by stumping Tilak Varma, while Tongue removed Shivam Dube and Harshit Rana to finish with outstanding figures of 4/28. Archer returned 3/29, and Adil Rashid wrapped up the innings by bowling Varun Chakravarthy to seal a crushing victory.
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India’s UK tour goes from bad to worse
The defeat continued India’s miserable run on the tour. Having already been whitewashed 2-0 by Ireland before arriving in England, Iyer’s men are yet to register a victory since lifting the T20 World Cup. Tactical errors, fragile batting and an inability to absorb pressure have all contributed to a worrying slide in form.With two matches still to play, England have already secured the series, while India will now look to salvage pride and avoid a complete whitewash.
Brief Scores
England: 201/7 in 20 overs (Philip Salt 70, Sam Curran 41*; Prince Yadav 2/30, Harshit Rana 2/40)India: 76 all out in 11.4 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 13; Josh Tongue 4/28, Jofra Archer 3/29)Result: England won by 125 runs.Series: England lead the five-match series 2-0 (first T20I abandoned due to rain).
In a thrilling Round of 16 showdown, Argentina emerged victorious, defeating Egypt 3-2. Lionel Messi was visibly overcome with emotion, shedding tears of joy at the end of the match. (AP Photo)
Lionel Messi could not contain his emotions at the final whistle as Argentina staged a sensational late comeback to beat Egypt 3-2 in the Round of 16. After watching old rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar suffer painful exits in previous matches, the Inter Miami star shed tears of joy as the reigning champions secured their place in the quarter-finals.At the final whistle, after Argentina’s victory over Egypt was confirmed, he let out all his tension and broke down in tears as if he hadn’t already won everything in football, as if nothing else mattered, or as if it were the first time.The match had everything. Argentina trailed 2-0 with just over ten minutes of regulation remaining, staring down one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. And then Messi took over. He set up Cristian Romero’s header to make it 2-1. He scored himself four minutes later, a clinical finish that made him the first player in history to score in six consecutive World Cup knockout matches. Then Enzo Fernández headed home a cross from Lautaro Martínez in stoppage time to complete a comeback that left the football world speechless.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi reacts after their World Cup round of 16 comeback win against Egypt. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Lautaro Martínez summed it up perfectly after the match. “He deserved to cry,” he said of Messi. “Because he is our example, our guide, the one who helped us the most.”For Messi, the images of his emotional celebration will serve as a defining moment of this World Cup, illustrating that even after all his success, the hunger to win with his country remains as strong as ever.Ronaldo had cried in defeat in Dallas 24 hours earlier. Neymar had cried in defeat in New Jersey the night before that. On Tuesday in Atlanta, Messi cried in victory and the difference between those two sets of tears tells you everything about where he stands above them all at this moment in time.The dream of back-to-back World Cups is alive. Messi is alive. And that image of the greatest footballer who ever lived, flat on the Atlanta grass with tears streaming down his face, is already the photograph of this entire tournament.
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