Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times Sports Brief for Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas, we’ve got some really exciting stories to share with you today, and here’s all you need to know in the world of sports.
College football premiers its new package in the land of the leprechauns, NFL hopefuls get one last chance to beat the bubble, and big league baseball slides down the home stretch with a slate of crucial matchups. Also, one of the sports world’s biggest stars has landed ankle-deep in hot water, and a former league MVP has decided it’s finally time to hang up his cleats.
College Football Kicks Off in Ireland
We’re talking about the Florida State Seminoles, of course, whose fans were fuming after the team was unceremoniously rejected by last year’s competition committee and left without a chair when the playoff music stopped.The still-simmering ‘Noles were undefeated when they were dumped at the altar, and now they’re set to begin their redemption tour when they open up the college football season against their ACC conference rival, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, with kickoff set for noon Eastern on Saturday.
The ‘Noles and coach Mike Norvell are certainly hoping Lady Luck will be kinder to them this season, and what better place to start than Dublin, Ireland, where a sold-out crowd of over 51,000 is expected to pack the stands for a season-opening tilt, brimming with excitement.
They’re calling the game the Aer Lingus Classic, and while the site is considered neutral, one player will certainly have a home field advantage. That’s Georgia Tech punter David Shanahan, the first Irish-born player to score a full ride to play college ball in the United States.
Shanahan grew up playing rugby and Gaelic football before trading in the moors for the green fields of the South, and now the senior will finally get a chance to show off his skills to a raucous hometown crowd, including 40 of his closest friends and relatives.
With a little luck, this Irish transplant will kick away the blarney stone that’s been the bane of the Yellow Jackets for years, and help Tech beat the bully on the block for a great start to the year.
On the other sideline, QB Jordan Travis and edge rusher Jared Verse are both gone from last year’s heralded FSU squad, and well-traveled quarterback DJ Uiagalelei is set to start behind center for the ‘Noles. The dual threat stopped long enough for a cup of coffee at both Oregon State and Clemson, and now he’s anxious to suit up for the defending ACC champs as they aim to repeat last year’s surprising success.
Uiagalelei and scores of other well-regarded collegians are taking advantage of the new Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules that allow players to be paid and transfer from program to program with ease, and the high turnover rate is part of a tumultuous off-season that has seen the college football landscape flip, head over heels.
This offseason alone has witnessed the most significant changes in decades, including the break-up of the Pac 12 conference, which scattered its teams to various leagues across the continent, and powerhouse programs, Texas and Oklahoma, are both now set to suit up in the SEC.
With players swapping teams more often than the weather changes in Seattle, the NIL cash grab, and a new championship playoff format that includes 12 teams, this college season is shaping up to be one for the ages.
NFL Preseason Heads to Week 3
Speaking of new beginnings, this weekend also offers one last chance for young players on the bubble to make a case that they should start the year with one of the most coveted jobs in all of sports.Of course, we’re talking about earning a precious spot on an NFL roster, and this weekend is the last chance for many hopeful youngsters to show what they can do on the playing field.
A full slate of 14 preseason games is on tap for the next three days, with the majority taking place on Saturday, and roster spots are up for grabs all across the league. Some seasoned veterans will get the weekend off, but for those hopefuls still on the bubble, it’s time to fish or cut bait.
The tail end of the preseason always sees a flurry of activity, and trades are happening throughout the league with the pace of a fast food diner. Teams are exchanging washouts and failed draft picks, hoping a change of scenery will resurrect the careers of all involved. We’ve already seen the Commanders say bye-bye to first-round bust Jahan Dotson, sending the receiver back home to Philly for some future draft picks and a greasy cheesesteak, while the Seahawks sent cornerback Michael Jackson moon-walking to woeful Carolina for rookie linebacker Michael Barrett. It’s only the beginning, folks, so strap in your seatbelts and buckle up.
With massive cuts looming Tuesday, when all teams trim their rosters down to 53 from the current 90, every gladiator who suits up this weekend will be auditioning for their football lives. For serious football fanatics, this weekend’s action will be the most compelling show in town.
Taking a peek down the road, the Chiefs are still the team to beat, and they’ll try to make history by becoming the first franchise ever to win three Lombardi trophies in a row. The defending champs are led by the dynamic duo of legendary quarterback Pat Mahomes, considered by many to be the best player in the league, and his sidekick Travis Kelce, better known as Taylor Swift’s boyfriend.
Mariners Fire Manager as Baseball Heads for Home
While things heat up for players on the gridiron, they’re cooling off for some less fortunate people on the diamond, where another manager has been canned as a long baseball season heads down to the wire.Let’s start in Seattle, where the struggling Mariners have decided it’s time to ship out longtime manager Scott Servais. The Ms sat firmly atop the AL West and were 10 games up only two short months ago, but since then, they’ve crashed harder than a wave in Puget Sound, and management is opting to make a scapegoat out of the skipper.
The Mariners were 13 games above five hundred in June, but are now dead even at 64 and 64 and on the outside of the playoff window. After the team dropped eight of its last ten games, management said they’d seen enough.
Servais had captained the ship for nine seasons, but he won’t be heading to shore with the team any longer. President of Baseball Operations Jerry DiPoto, who’s next on the chopping block, said the team needs a new voice in the clubhouse, and he’s bringing in former catcher Dan Wilson to do the job. With the best starting pitchers in the league but batters that strike out more than the local fishermen, Wilson’s got his job cut out for him. Good luck, Dan. The way this team hits, you’ll need it.
The Ms now find themselves staring straight up at the Astros, who’ve overcome a woeful start to take their traditional place atop the division. The surging ‘stros find themselves well above five hundred and in the midst of a tough weekend series against the Orioles, with both teams positioned firmly in the thick of the playoff race.
Over to interleague play, the surprising Red Sox are hosting last year’s NL champs, the Diamondbacks, in a series with significant playoff implications for both leagues. The startling Sox find themselves in the thick of the American league wildcard race, while the Diamondbacks still trail the powerhouse Dodgers in the NL West but are a near lock to make the playoffs.
Arizona’s going to be keeping a close watch on the other coast and the series between their rival Padres and the miracle Mets, who will be squaring off in sunny Southern California over the weekend. Both teams have outperformed expectations, but the Mets still have a steep hill to climb if they want to make it to the postseason—and an even bigger mountain to climb to attract fans outside of New York.
That’s not a problem over in Kansas City, where the scrappy Royals look to continue a strong push for the playoffs against the team with the second-best record in the league, the Philadelphia Phillies. The small market Royals sport the underdog mantle proudly, while the high-flying Phillies are the bully on the block.
Yankee Slugger Feels the Heat
Speaking of striking out, one of the biggest stars in all of sports has discovered that no good deed goes unpunished, and he’s catching flak for something he didn’t even do.Of course, we’re talking about baseball superstar Aaron Judge, who’s taking heat for snubbing a bunch of little league baseball players when a PR move backfired in Pennsylvania earlier this week.
South Shore Little League Manager Bob Laterza says that the super slugger, who leads the American League with nearly 50 home runs, didn’t acknowledge his players when the Yankees played the Tigers in the annual classic game in Williamsport last weekend.
After the game, the miffed manager railed against the Yankees giant for not turning around and waving to his disappointed players. For their part, the Yankees organization has closed ranks around their superstar, and refers to Judge as a great ambassador and role model for the game.
As you know, Williamsport hosts the Little League World Series each summer, which concludes this Sunday when the American and International championships are set to square off.
While who you believe is a matter of perspective, neither the South Shore squad nor the Yankees will be there when they toss out the first pitch for the big game. The Staten Island team was given the boot on Tuesday when they were knocked out by a team from Florida, and the big league Yanks will be playing at home in front of the Bronx Zoo.
Votto Calls It a Career
Moving along, it’s time to say so long to a former MVP and a future Hall of Famer.We’re talking about Reds superstar Joey Votto, who spent his entire 17-year career in Cincinnati before deciding to call it quits earlier this week at the ripe old age of 40.
Votto may be best known for snagging baseball’s biggest individual prize back in 2010, when he hit .324 with 37 home runs and 113 runs batted in, helping the Reds make it to the playoffs. The fan-favorite slugger walks away with a Gold Glove and six All-Star selections as part of a very impressive resume.
The beloved first baseman recently tried to make a comeback with his hometown Blue Jays, but after signing a minor league contract in March, the Toronto native was never able to crack the big league squad and decided it was finally time to lay up the spikes for the first time since 2007.
In a touching farewell media post, Votto thanked his parents and the fans, and expressed how much he wanted to play in front of his hometown crowd, but he said that he’s just not good enough anymore to get the job done.
Fans throughout Cincinnati and the league might beg to differ. The former first baseman may be hanging up his cleats, but he can hold his head high. Thanks for the highlights, slugger, and we’ll see you in Cooperstown.
And now, it looks like our time is just about up for today. But before we go, let’s take a look back and remember some of the great sports action that took place on this very day, all those years ago.
We’ll begin in Sweden, where one of track and field’s most hallowed records is about to be broken. It’s 1923 and we’re in Stockholm, where runner Paavo Nurmi is gearing up for a little run. Nurmi’s nickname is the Flying Finn, and today he lives up to his name, breaking the mark for fastest time in the mile at just over 4 minutes and 10 seconds.
The illustrious runner will go on to set a number of long-distance marks before he’s honored with igniting the Olympic flame for the 1952 games in Helsinki. His prestige will continue to grow to such magnificent heights in his home country that they’ll paste his smiling mug onto the country’s 10 markkaa banknote. Paavo Nurmi—who set the record for the mile on this day just over one century ago.
That’s the way it was back in the day, but fortunately for us, there’s plenty more action on tap in the coming weeks, and you can find it right here.
So, while we’re going to call it a wrap for today’s edition of the Sports Brief, remember to tune in next time for another insightful and up-to-date look at the exciting world of sports, brought to you by The Epoch Times.
Thanks again for sharing some time with us today, and please tell your friends, family, and co-workers to join our Sports Brief family as well.
For all of us here at The Epoch Times Sports Brief, I’m Bill Thomas.
Thank you for making us your one-stop source for a concise, accurate, and engaging daily rundown of many of the sports stories you need to know about.
Enjoy the remainder of your day, and we’ll see you right back here next time for another edition of The Epoch Times Sports Brief. Let’s all continue to watch out for one another, have a superb day today, and remember to keep your eyes on the game.
