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Good morning! Try that poster dunk today. It’ll look cool no matter what.
Glimpses: The prodigal son almost did a big dunk
Before we get to football, we must talk about Cooper Flagg and what he attempted to do last night.
Flagg, the No. 1 pick in last month’s NBA Draft, made his Summer League debut last night against Bronny James and the Lakers. Flagg was … fine (10 points on 5-of-21 shooting), but showed flashes of his supreme talent, including this:
COOPER FLAGG ALMOST THREW THIS DOWN IN GAME 1 😱 pic.twitter.com/4zrk2oqM2a
— NBA (@NBA) July 11, 2025
I talked to Bounce author Zach Harper, who was in the building for this game and gave me a short review of the 18-year-old Flagg’s effort:
“Flagg had lots of good aggressive moments, an attempted baptism at the rim with a missed dunk, and showed a great sense of the court and how to move the ball. But he still needs to figure out how to cleanly create shots for himself at the NBA level, as was evident in his poor shooting night.”
Sounds about right. You know who looked comfortable? James, who seems quite ready to make a developmental leap this year.
Onto the gridiron:
Appetizers: Mmm, football
July is a unique time in the sports calendar. Baseball is humming but the playoffs are still off in the distance. Special events take center stage, like Wimbledon or whatever grand soccer tournament is occurring that year. But on the back of our palates lies a familiar taste, calling to us from the near future: football.
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NFL training camps start next week, and for all intents and purposes, August is football season. We’re so, so close. I figured it was time to whet our appetite a bit.
Consider this an appetizer course, featuring Scoop City’s Jacob Robinson:
1. Let’s start broadly. What’s your most interesting division? I nominate the AFC North and the AFC West.
My gut reaction was the AFC West, but no division is more interesting than the NFC North. Ben Johnson’s Bears are challenged by a division that was historically great in 2024. Can Detroit’s new coaching staff maintain the prior regime’s success? Will Jordan Love take another step for the Packers? Can J.J. McCarthy become a franchise quarterback?
2. What’s one thing we aren’t talking about enough right now?
The Vikings are somehow better on paper than last year’s 14-win team. Blame their late-season collapse on the interior of their offensive line and Sam Darnold. Both are fixed, with the interior of their line drastically improved via free agency and the draft, while McCarthy, the No. 10 pick in 2024, should be an upgrade over Darnold. Pair an elite offense with one of the league’s best defenses — which remains almost fully intact — and you have a team that can hang with anyone.
3. Who gets more wins this year: Aaron Rodgers or Justin Fields?
Rodgers. He goes 10-7 before losing in the Wild Card round. Would you expect anything else from a Mike Tomlin-coached team?
4. I’d like one blazing take from you, and I’ll offer a spicy one of my own: Saquon Barkley comes nowhere near his production from last year. I think the wear and tear of last year was too much. OK, go:
The Athletic’s Jim Ayello agrees with you.
As for my pick, I see the Cardinals finishing ahead of the 49ers, Rams and Seahawks to win the competitive NFC West. Kyler Murray gets MVP votes (but finishes second), while coach Jonathan Gannon, who doubled his team’s win totals in each of his first two seasons, wins Coach of the Year.
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Not spicy enough? How about this: This year’s NFC winner isn’t the Eagles, Lions or Vikings. Instead, Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers represent the NFC in this year’s Super Bowl. I’ll explain why in an upcoming edition of The Athletic’s NFL newsletter, which you can subscribe to here.
Wow, elite sell at the end there. Jacob’s newsletter is a must-read and will be ramping up to five days a week soon as we truly enter football season.
Let’s keep moving:
News to Know
A Wimbledon stunner
Amanda Anisimova is through to the Wimbledon final after upsetting No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka yesterday in three sets, becoming the best story of this tournament in the process. Anisimova is a former teen tennis prodigy who lost her way after her father (who was also her coach) died unexpectedly in 2019. Awaiting her in the final: Iga Świątek, who put on a “masterclass” yesterday.
The Thunder pay up, again
The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder agreed to a five-year rookie extension with Jalen Williams worth up to $287 million, a source told The Athletic, the third time in the last two weeks this organization has committed $250 million-plus to a player. Williams was awesome during a season that produced 68 regular-season wins and a title. Still, whew.
More news
- Remember we wrote about Michael Jordan’s house for sale last year? You can now rent it on Airbnb.
- MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is pushing for a salary cap, according to the union. Also in favor of a salary cap in his sport: Colorado coach Deion Sanders.
- Also in baseball, which we missed yesterday: Robot umps are coming to the All-Star Game.
- Lee Elia, the MLB manager best remembered for one of the best profane rants in baseball history, died Wednesday at 87.
- Chargers running back Najee Harris suffered a “superficial eye injury” in a fireworks accident at a July 4 party. Ouch. Details here.
- Some Caitlin Clark rookie cards that figure to break a record are going up for auction over the next two days. One is up to $170,000 already.
- The New York Cosmos are alive again, this time in the USL. Read more here.
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What to Watch
📺 Wimbledon: Fritz vs. Alcaraz
8:30 a.m. ET on ESPN
I must use this space as an apology to Fritz, who’s the actual last American man standing in this tournament, despite what we wrote yesterday about Ben Shelton. Upsetting the defending champion would be proper punishment for the Pulse. Jannik Sinner-Novak Djokovic is on after this, too.
📺 Euros 2025: Portugal vs. Belgium
3 p.m. ET on FS1
We’re in the final matches of the group stage here, and Portugal needs a win and a dream to advance. They trail second-place Italy by three points and six goals, so they’ll need a blowout win and an Italian loss to Spain. See all the tiebreaking scenarios here.
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📺 MLB: Mariners at Tigers
7:15 p.m. ET on Apple TV+
Wait, two straight days recommending the Mariners? Yes, because they’re fun, but this is more about watching Tarik Skubal throw for the MLB-best Tigers. Click it.
Get tickets to games like these here.
Pulse Picks
A pertinent follow-up from the college football rivalries content this week: fan survey results. I agree about the Cocktail Party, too.
Why was Christian Horner fired? Luke Smith has the inside story on the saga still rocking F1 two days later.
NCAA Tournament expansion is a joke, as Joe Rexrode writes, but sadly the punchline is drawing ever closer. Nothing’s been so clearly and grossly greedy, in my opinion.
How big is the “no-state-tax” advantage for the Florida Panthers? Dom Luszczyszyn has the numbers.
The HBCU Swingman Classic isn’t just some one-off event at the MLB All-Star Game. It’s crucial exposure for players who don’t play at bigger schools.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: The hilarious and unflattering trading cards.
Most-read on the website yesterday: Our story on Anisimova’s upset.
(Top photo: Elsa / Getty Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
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2025 CFB Odds: UCLA Takes Down Penn State in Historic Upset
FOX Sports Research UCLA did the unthinkable.A week after losing a thriller to Oregon in overtime, James Franklin & Co. lost to an 0-4 UCLA team. The Bruins fired head coach Deshaun Foster three games into the season, and named former Fresno State head coach Tim Skipper as the interim. The Bruins entered as a 24.5-point underdog, with +1300 odds to win. Prior to today, there had been four teams all-time to have been 0-4 or worse and beat an AP top 10 team:UTEP (0-6) beats No. 7 BYU in 1985Tulane (0-4) beats No. 6 Navy in 1958Purdue (0-4) beats No. 2 Michigan State in 1953Pittsburgh (0-5) beats No. 3 Fordham in 1941Below we've further broken down just how historic this upset is, from both a statistical and odds perspective. Let's take a look: ADVERTISEMENT This page may contain affiliate links […]
Mariners vs. Tigers ALDS schedule, prediction, odds, TV channel with Game 1 set for Saturday
Getty Images The Seattle Mariners earned a bye to the ALDS round by virtue of finishing 90-72 this season, which was good enough for their first AL West title since 2001 and the second-best record among AL division winners. The Detroit Tigers had hopes of getting a bye for nearly the entire season, but blowing a 14-game lead in the AL Central meant they needed to hit the road in the Wild Card Series as a No. 6 seed. No matter -- the Tigers took down the Guardians in three games to advance here.The Tigers and Mariners have never squared off in the playoffs before, so it's a fresh matchup. The Tigers haven't won the World Series since 1984, while the Mariners are the only team in baseball to have never been to the World Series. Bet Tigers vs. Mariners […]
Why Cubs’ decision to start Matthew Boyd on short rest backfired spectacularly in blowout NLDS loss to Brewers
The Brewers cruised against the Cubs, 9-3, in Game 1 of the NLDS Saturday (box score). Cubs leadoff man Michael Busch started the series with a home run, but it was 9-1 Brewers before the end of the second inning and the rest of the game became a mere formality. The Cubs went with left-handed All-Star Matthew Boyd on the mound for this one. In a vacuum, it might sound like the reasonable move. In context, though, it was a head-scratcher even before the implosion. First off, Boyd was starting on short rest. He worked Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Padres on Tuesday. He had previously started three games on short rest in his career and those came one time each in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Further, Boyd ran out of gas in the second half. Remember, he was […]
Oklahoma WR Keontez Lewis carted off field after brutal collision with brick wall behind end zone
Imagn Images Oklahoma wide receiver Keontez Lewis was carted off the field after falling headfirst into the brick barrier behind the end zone during Saturday's game against Kent State. According to the Oklahoma radio broadcast, Lewis was up and walking around in the training room after being taken off the field.Early in the first quarter, a pass from Sooners quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. led Lewis through the end zone, and the receiver collided with the brick wall while trying to reel in the catch. Lewis remained motionless on the field for about 10 minutes until he was strapped to a stretcher, per the Associated Press. Lewis was eventually carted off the field, and the entire Oklahoma team came over to offer support. According to the Associated Press, Lewis underwent additional testing away from the stadium and the outlook for him […]
NFL Week 5 Injury Report, Inactives: Lamar Jackson Out, Jayden Daniels In
Week 5 of the NFL season is underway, and there are some key players dealing with injuries. The Ravens will be without star quarterback Lamar Jackson because of a hamstring injury, while the Commanders will get their elite signal-caller, Jayden Daniels, back. The Buccaneers will be without running back Bucky Irving, and Raiders' tight end Brock Bowers could sit out this week as his knee injury continues to linger. See who's in and who's out for Week 5:QB Lamar Jackson (Ravens)Practice schedule: DNP-DNP-DNPInjury: HamstringKickoff: 1 p.m. ETJackson tweaked his hamstring during the Ravens' Week 4 loss to the Chiefs, and is seemingly set to miss some time. He didn't practice all week and was ruled out Friday for Baltimore's game against the Houston Texans on Sunday. It's unfortunate timing for the Ravens to lose their two-time MVP as they're trying to right the […]
Shedeur Sanders Reportedly Expected to Start For Browns ‘At Some Point’ in 2025
Shedeur Sanders will play for the Cleveland Browns this season.It's a matter of when, not if. The Browns reportedly want to make sure he's ready — fully prepared with a week of practice and a gameplan suited to the rookie quarterback's playstyle. He's not at that point, yet, but the Browns are confident that time will come "at some point" in 2025. While Sanders continues to develop, Cleveland has promoted its other rookie QB, Dillon Gabriel, to starter in place of veteran Joe Flacco after starting 1-3. Gabriel will make his NFL regular-season debut on Sunday when the Browns face the Minnesota Vikings in England at 9:30 a.m. ET. Flacco will backup Gabriel, while Sanders remains in the third-string role barring injuries.The struggling Browns are in the midst of a rebuilding season, so leaving the door open for both Gabriel and Sanders to […]
Related
2025 CFB Odds: UCLA Takes Down Penn State in Historic Upset
FOX Sports Research UCLA did the unthinkable.A week after losing a thriller to Oregon in overtime, James Franklin & Co. lost to an 0-4 UCLA team. The Bruins fired head coach Deshaun Foster three games into the season, and named former Fresno State head coach Tim Skipper as the interim. The Bruins entered as a 24.5-point underdog, with +1300 odds to win. Prior to today, there had been four teams all-time to have been 0-4 or worse and beat an AP top 10 team:UTEP (0-6) beats No. 7 BYU in 1985Tulane (0-4) beats No. 6 Navy in 1958Purdue (0-4) beats No. 2 Michigan State in 1953Pittsburgh (0-5) beats No. 3 Fordham in 1941Below we've further broken down just how historic this upset is, from both a statistical and odds perspective. Let's take a look: ADVERTISEMENT This page may contain affiliate links […]
Mariners vs. Tigers ALDS schedule, prediction, odds, TV channel with Game 1 set for Saturday
Getty Images The Seattle Mariners earned a bye to the ALDS round by virtue of finishing 90-72 this season, which was good enough for their first AL West title since 2001 and the second-best record among AL division winners. The Detroit Tigers had hopes of getting a bye for nearly the entire season, but blowing a 14-game lead in the AL Central meant they needed to hit the road in the Wild Card Series as a No. 6 seed. No matter -- the Tigers took down the Guardians in three games to advance here.The Tigers and Mariners have never squared off in the playoffs before, so it's a fresh matchup. The Tigers haven't won the World Series since 1984, while the Mariners are the only team in baseball to have never been to the World Series. Bet Tigers vs. Mariners […]
Why Cubs’ decision to start Matthew Boyd on short rest backfired spectacularly in blowout NLDS loss to Brewers
The Brewers cruised against the Cubs, 9-3, in Game 1 of the NLDS Saturday (box score). Cubs leadoff man Michael Busch started the series with a home run, but it was 9-1 Brewers before the end of the second inning and the rest of the game became a mere formality. The Cubs went with left-handed All-Star Matthew Boyd on the mound for this one. In a vacuum, it might sound like the reasonable move. In context, though, it was a head-scratcher even before the implosion. First off, Boyd was starting on short rest. He worked Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Padres on Tuesday. He had previously started three games on short rest in his career and those came one time each in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Further, Boyd ran out of gas in the second half. Remember, he was […]
Oklahoma WR Keontez Lewis carted off field after brutal collision with brick wall behind end zone
Imagn Images Oklahoma wide receiver Keontez Lewis was carted off the field after falling headfirst into the brick barrier behind the end zone during Saturday's game against Kent State. According to the Oklahoma radio broadcast, Lewis was up and walking around in the training room after being taken off the field.Early in the first quarter, a pass from Sooners quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. led Lewis through the end zone, and the receiver collided with the brick wall while trying to reel in the catch. Lewis remained motionless on the field for about 10 minutes until he was strapped to a stretcher, per the Associated Press. Lewis was eventually carted off the field, and the entire Oklahoma team came over to offer support. According to the Associated Press, Lewis underwent additional testing away from the stadium and the outlook for him […]
NFL Week 5 Injury Report, Inactives: Lamar Jackson Out, Jayden Daniels In
Week 5 of the NFL season is underway, and there are some key players dealing with injuries. The Ravens will be without star quarterback Lamar Jackson because of a hamstring injury, while the Commanders will get their elite signal-caller, Jayden Daniels, back. The Buccaneers will be without running back Bucky Irving, and Raiders' tight end Brock Bowers could sit out this week as his knee injury continues to linger. See who's in and who's out for Week 5:QB Lamar Jackson (Ravens)Practice schedule: DNP-DNP-DNPInjury: HamstringKickoff: 1 p.m. ETJackson tweaked his hamstring during the Ravens' Week 4 loss to the Chiefs, and is seemingly set to miss some time. He didn't practice all week and was ruled out Friday for Baltimore's game against the Houston Texans on Sunday. It's unfortunate timing for the Ravens to lose their two-time MVP as they're trying to right the […]
Shedeur Sanders Reportedly Expected to Start For Browns ‘At Some Point’ in 2025
Shedeur Sanders will play for the Cleveland Browns this season.It's a matter of when, not if. The Browns reportedly want to make sure he's ready — fully prepared with a week of practice and a gameplan suited to the rookie quarterback's playstyle. He's not at that point, yet, but the Browns are confident that time will come "at some point" in 2025. While Sanders continues to develop, Cleveland has promoted its other rookie QB, Dillon Gabriel, to starter in place of veteran Joe Flacco after starting 1-3. Gabriel will make his NFL regular-season debut on Sunday when the Browns face the Minnesota Vikings in England at 9:30 a.m. ET. Flacco will backup Gabriel, while Sanders remains in the third-string role barring injuries.The struggling Browns are in the midst of a rebuilding season, so leaving the door open for both Gabriel and Sanders to […]
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