NFL – National Football League Preseason
Last Night
New York Giants 14, Detroit Lions 3
Giants 14, Lions 3 – Gray runs for 2 touchdowns as the Giants beat the Lions 14-3 in a game with few starters
Tommy DeVito replaced an injured Drew Lock late in the first quarter and led New York on two first-half scoring drives that Eric Gray capped with runs of 48 and 1 yard as the Giants beat the Detroit Lions 14-3 in a preseason opener limited to mostly backups. With the game played in a light rain Thursday night, neither Dan Campbell of the NFC North champion Lions nor Brian Daboll of the Giants was going to risk their starters in the contest at MetLife Stadium, close to where the teams held two of fight-filled joint practices on Monday and Tuesday. Lions coach Dan Campbell said he learned a lot about some players and there is a lot to build off. Brandon Joseph intercepted Lock’s pass over the middle and returned it 20 yards to set up a 53-yard field goal by former United Football League kicker Jake Bates with 3:21 left in the quarter.
Saturday
Chicago Bears at Buffalo Bills, 1:00 p.m.
Sunday
Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts, 1:00 p.m.
NFL – More NFL teams are deciding joint practices don’t need to last beyond a single day
The first week of joint practices at NFL training camps already has included one player getting carted off the field and two teams getting fined $200,000 each for excessive fighting. Those events lent credence to the notion that joint practice sessions don’t need to last longer than one day. The idea is growing in popularity. Over two-thirds of the scheduled joint practice sessions this year are one-day affairs. Nearly 80% of the 2023 joint practices lasted two days.
NFL – Caleb Williams will get his first preseason action against Buffalo on Saturday
The Chicago Bears will use their starters in Saturday’s preseason game at Buffalo, which means the first NFL action for quarterback Caleb Williams. The No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft and the other starters were held out of the Hall of Fame Game last week. There will be a limited number of plays for the first-team offense. Coach Matt Eberflus called it a good time for Williams to face a live rush and to try to run the offense without penalties or other mistakes. The team’s offensive line health has improved since earlier in the week and the only O-line starter who appears unlikely to play is right guard Nate Davis.
MLB – Major League Baseball
Last Night
Seattle Mariners 4, Detroit Tigers 3
Cubs and White Sox were off
Mariners 4, Tigers 3 – Haniger hits 3-run double in ninth to rally Mariners to 4-3 win over Tigers
Mitch Haniger hit a game-ending three-run double as the Seattle Mariners rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 4-3. Luke Raley, who homered in the bottom of the sixth to get Seattle on the scoreboard after Detroit led 3-0, opened the ninth with a single against Luke Holton. Will Vest (2-4) then relieved and gave up a single to Randy Arozarena before striking out the next two batters. After Jorge Polanco walked to load the bases, Haniger hit a fly ball that got past Tigers right fielder Ryan Vilade to clear the bases and give the Mariners the win. It was Haniger’s franchise-leading eighth walk-off. Reliever J.T. Chargois (2-0) pitched a scoreless ninth to get the win. With division-leading Houston off, Seattle pulled back into a tie with the Astros atop the AL West.
Tonight
Chicago Cubs (Taillon 7-6) at Chicago White Sox (Crochet 6-8), 8:10 p.m.
Detroit (TBD) at San Francisco (Ray 2-1), 10:15 p.m. News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 9:50
MLB – White Sox fire manager Pedro Grifol after AL record tying 21-game losing streak
The Chicago White Sox have fired manager Pedro Grifol, two days after the team ended a 21-game losing streak that tied the American League record. The White Sox began Thursday 28-89. They ended the losing streak with a 5-1 victory at Oakland on Tuesday night, then wasted a two-run lead in a 3-2 loss on Wednesday. White Sox general manager Chris Getz said the team’s “performance this season has been disappointing on many levels.” Major league coach Grady Sizemore will take over as interim manager. Chicago also fired bench coach Charlie Montoyo, third base coach Eddie Rodriguez and assistant hitting coach Mike Tosar.
Olympics – US men’s basketball team rallies to beat Serbia
With six points in two seconds, the U.S. Olympic team was on its way. To a comeback. To a win. And to another Olympic gold medal game. Stephen Curry scored 36 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:16 left, and the U.S. will play for gold against France in the Paris Olympics on Saturday night after beating Serbia 95-91. The U.S. trailed by 17 points in the first half, plus faced an 11-point halftime deficit — the biggest one successfully overcome by an American team since NBA players were added to the Olympic mix in 1992. Curry says “that was a special one.”
Olympics – COVID-stricken Noah Lyles collapses after bronze
Noah Lyles lost the Olympic 200 meters, falling to Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, then collapsing on the track and being carted off in a wheelchair. Later, wearing a mask, Lyles told reporters he had COVID. After crossing the line third, Lyles fell to his back and writhed around in pain, staying down for nearly 30 seconds before getting up, asking for water and getting to the wheelchair. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone broke her own record and won gold again in the women’s 400 hurdles; Grant Holloway and Daniel Roberts went 1-2 for the U.S. in the 110 hurdles. Tara Davis-Woohall of the U.S. won gold in the long jump.
Olympics – Grant Holloway finally gets his Olympic gold
Grant Holloway’s long wait to reach the top of the Olympic podium is over. The American hurdler cruised to victory in the men’s 110-meter final. The three-time world champion and silver medalist in Tokyo three years ago exploded out of the blocks to win going away. Holloway finished at 12.99 seconds, well clear of teammate Daniel Roberts in second at 13.09. Roberts out-leaned Rasheed Broadbell of Jamaica, who finished with bronze.
Olympics – Gold for McLaughlin-Levrone, who breaks her own world record
American sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone broke her own world record in winning the women’s 400-meter hurdle final.
McLaughlin-Levrone ran away from the rest of the field, posting a time of 50.37, easily breaking the Olympic mark of 51.46 she set in Tokyo three years ago and just ahead of the 50.65 she put up at the U.S. Olympic trials earlier this year. Anna Cockrell of the U.S. was second at 51.87, with Femke Bol of the Netherlands in third at 52.15.Both were well behind McLaughlin-Levrone, who was around 10 meters in front of everyone else when she hit the tape.
Olympics – Defending champion US women’s volleyball team beats Brazil in semifinal
Karch Kiraly’s reigning Olympic champion U.S. women’s volleyball team will get its shot at a repeat gold medal. And it took every extra hustle play by every American on the floor against the mighty Brazilians. As Brazil’s fans waved flags, chanted and sang from every corner of South Paris Arena, the U.S. women outdueled their fellow world powerhouse to win a five-set thriller in a compelling rematch of their Tokyo final won in straight sets by the U.S.
| MEDAL COUNT |
G |
S |
B |
TOTAL |
| United States |
30 |
38 |
35 |
103 |
| China |
29 |
25 |
19 |
73 |
| France |
14 |
19 |
21 |
54 |
| Great Britain |
13 |
17 |
21 |
51 |
| Australia |
18 |
14 |
13 |
45 |
| Japan |
13 |
7 |
13 |
33 |
| Italy |
10 |
11 |
9 |
30 |
| South Korea |
13 |
8 |
7 |
28 |
| Netherlands |
11 |
6 |
8 |
25 |
| Germany |
9 |
8 |
5 |
22 |
| Canada |
6 |
5 |
10 |
21 |
| Brazil |
2 |
5 |
8 |
15 |
| New Zealand |
5 |
6 |
2 |
13 |
| Spain |
2 |
3 |
8 |
13 |
| Ukraine |
3 |
3 |
4 |
10 |
| Sweden |
3 |
3 |
3 |
9 |
| Hungary |
3 |
3 |
3 |
9 |
| Romania |
3 |
4 |
1 |
8 |
| Ireland |
4 |
0 |
3 |
7 |
| Kazakhstan |
1 |
3 |
3 |
7 |
| Switzerland |
1 |
2 |
4 |
7 |
| Greece |
1 |
1 |
5 |
7 |
| Iran |
2 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
| Cuba |
2 |
1 |
3 |
6 |
| Croatia |
2 |
1 |
3 |
6 |
| Belgium |
2 |
0 |
4 |
6 |
| Israel |
1 |
4 |
1 |
6 |
| Thailand |
1 |
3 |
2 |
6 |
| Jamaica |
1 |
3 |
2 |
6 |
| Poland |
1 |
1 |
4 |
6 |
| Chinese Taipei |
1 |
0 |
5 |
6 |
| North Korea |
0 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
| Uzbekistan |
3 |
0 |
2 |
5 |
| Kenya |
1 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
| Turkey |
0 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
| India |
0 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
| Azerbaijan |
2 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
| Philippines |
2 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
| Hong Kong |
2 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
| Georgia |
1 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
| Denmark |
1 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
| South Africa |
1 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
| Bulgaria |
1 |
0 |
3 |
4 |
| Mexico |
0 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
| Kyrgyzstan |
0 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
| Indonesia |
2 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
| Ecuador |
1 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
| Armenia |
0 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
| Lithuania |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| Tajikistan |
0 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
| Serbia |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
| Uganda |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
| Saint Lucia |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
| Chile |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
| Argentina |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
| Morocco |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
| Guatemala |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
| Norway |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
| Czechia |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
| Austria |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
| Ethiopia |
0 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
| Kosovo |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| Tunisia |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| Portugal |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| Malaysia |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
| Grenada |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
| Dominican Republic |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
| Moldova |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
| Bahrain |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Dominica |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Botswana |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Algeria |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Slovenia |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Pakistan |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Colombia |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Jordan |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Mongolia |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Fiji |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Cyprus |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Olympic Refugees |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Zambia |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Peru |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Egypt |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Cape Verde |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Slovakia |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
MWL – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night
Beloit 5, West Michigan 1
Great Lakes 5, Lansing 0
Fort Wayne 5, South Bend 2
Tonight
Beloit Sky Carp at West Michigan Whitecaps, 6:35 p.m.
Lansing Lugnuts at Great Lakes Loons, 7:05 p.m.
Fort Wayne Tin Caps at South Bend Cubs, 7:05 p.m.
