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Streak Done; It’s All About Series Wins

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief, Digital Sports Desk

FENWAY – With the 15-game winning streak in the rearview mirror, and a flat, 6-0 no-show loss to Toronto on Saturday, today’s Sunday afternoon rubber game became the most important game of the 10-game homestand the Boston Red Sox have just concluded. Adding to the intrigue was the return of starting pitcher Ranger Suarez who was activated today after missing 15 games (two-starts) due to a strained groin.

The Red Sox performed well, as did Suarez. Yes, Boston took an impressive 6-1 victory to the airport as they depart the now-friendly confines of Fenway Park for a four-game set against the swingin’ and travelin’ A’s, then a three-game series against Los Angeles at famed Dodgers Stadium.

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Put it all together and it just might show how to measure this year, – measure a year?

In daytime, (20-23),

At nightime? (34-27)

In June (12-14),

And July (17-3).

36,795 people,

Four consecutive sell-outs to cheer.

Sam Adams? The waves? The Tartan Army so dear.

Kids running bases? Sweet Carolines? And, Tarps off. No fear.

Truth be told, after an incredible 15-game winning streak, the best way to measure this season is by measuring series wins, and the 6-1 Red Sox victory over the Blue Jays made it the sixth consecutive series won – the most for the Sox since June 3-26, 2022.

Boston swept five of those series (vs. NYY, at LAA, at CWS, at NYM and home vs. Tampa Bay).

Boston is 8-2 over their last 10 series, dating back to June 19, and 9-3 over the last 12 series, dating back to June 12.

The 17-3 record in July ties the best record through 20 games to begin ANY calendar month in franchise history (also August 1995, August 1949 and June 1901).

On the scoreboard during this now completed 10-game homestand, the Red Sox outscored their opponents 53-34.

Today, the Sox faithful witnessed a very impressive comeback by Suarez, going 4.0 innings, (64 pitches, 42 strikes). He allowed only four hits, walked none and struck-out six Blue Jay batters. It was the fifth time this season he pitched a scoreless outing and it was his first start since July 5 (missing two outings and benefitting from the MLB All-Star break).

These are all signs of progress for a team that was once 17-27 at Fenway Park, playing in a building so dull, it could make former Senator and Secretary of State John Kerry the most interesting person in the crowd. Now? Fenway is not only sold out, but it’s been alive, with a vibe of confidence and cheers of encouragement not jeers from frustration.

It makes a big difference.

There’s one other important fact to note: The Red Sox, while certainly turning their season into an intriguing chess game going forward, have accomplished nothing. Yes, they are now four games over the .500 mark (54-50), and yes, they are now 25-29 at home, but they head to Sacramento (the temp home for the A’s) with a winning percentage equal to the Arizona Diamondbacks, similar to the Chicago White Sox, and two games ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In the AL Wild Card race (far too early to do too much scoreboard watching), the Red Sox have made their way to the No. 2 Wild Card slot, a game and a half ahead of the Cleveland Guardians. The Minnesota Twins and the Houston Astros are only 1.5 games under those clubs, while Seattle and Baltimore are only two games back from Cleveland.

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If the Sox played in the National League, they’d be chasing the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and Diamondbacks for wild card positioning.

In other words, it’s July 26th and there’s a very long way to go.

A trade of injured SP Connelly Early for mediocre-hitting infielder Curtis Mead from the Washington Nationals came with a tariff, err, modicum of uncertainty. Mead is a .254 hitter with some power (17 HRs, 17 2Bs). His bat might take to the dimensions of Fenway Park. The return of injured pitching ace Garrett Crochet would be just what the team doctor would order, and the return of face-of-the-franchise power hitter, Roman Anthony, would be a major dose of rejuvenation to a batting order thus far pieced together by interim (should be hired for the duration) Manager Chad Tracy.

Another trade, maybe a major trade at the August 3 deadline (6:00pm EDT) would make a huge difference. Colorado heavy-hitting catcher Hunter Goodman is apparently on the market, but is not a candidate to entice the Red Sox and GM Craig Breslow to take a major plunge in terms of giving up much in prospects or current roster players.

August 3 is an off-day for the Red Sox. They’ll be flying back from Los Angles after the upcoming road trip, and will face the Chicago White Sox in a three game series to start the next Fenway Park homestand.

Winning the series against the A’s is realistic. Winning the series against the defending champion LA Dodgers is not.

But winning the series in a Sox vs Sox battle at Fenway will be the next major milestone on the Red Sox “Comeback From the Dead” rock n’ roll tour of 2026.

Get your tickets now. There are Tarps to be twirled, pitchers to return and series to be won.

Or lost.

PGA Tour: Koivun Takes 3M Open

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BLAINE (Minn) – (Wire Service Report) – It didn’t take long for rookie Jackson Koivun to prove that he’s comfortable on the PGA Tour.

Koivun shot 5-under-par 66 to stave off hard-charging Scottie Scheffler and win on the PGA Tour for the first time at the 3M Open on Sunday at Blaine, Minn. Koivun, 21, finished at 25-under 259 for a three-shot victory on Scheffler, who closed with a 63 at TPC Twin Cities.

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“Definitely had some nerves coming down on 18,” Koivun said. “All throughout the crowd, I kept hearing, ‘Scottie’s coming, Scottie’s coming.’ I just tried to tone that out and keep playing the golf I knew I could.”

Less than two months ago, Koivun was helping Auburn to its second NCAA championship in a three-year stretch. He demonstrated more poise while playing the final two rounds of his third tournament since turning pro without carding a bogey.

“I just love this game. I love golf, it’s everything I do,” Koivun said. “I have a tough time getting away from it. Like I said, it’s been love at first sight.”

Denny McCarthy (66), Brian Harman (65), Chandler Phillips (67) and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (64) tied for third place at 20 under.

World No. 1 Scheffler birdied three consecutive holes to begin the back nine as part of his bogey-free round. He birdied Nos. 16 and 18, leaving him trailing by two strokes.

Koivun then birdied No. 16, extending the margin to three strokes with two holes to play.

“Depending on how Jackson played, I knew I was going to need a really low number regardless,” Scheffler said. “I wanted to get something really low on the front nine and kind of put myself on the leaderboard. I didn’t quite have that.”

Scheffler, who was competing in the 3M Open for the first time, still hasn’t seen Koivun hit a shot.

“I’m looking forward to that,” Scheffler said.

Koivun, a three-time Player of the Year in the Southeastern Conference, surged into the lead across the final nine holes Saturday and then went right to work Sunday, with his approach shot on the first hole spinning back to within 2 feet of the cup for an easy birdie putt. A birdie on No. 4 pushed his lead to five strokes, with Scheffler among five golfers tied for second place at the time.

He ended up with birdies on the first two par-5 layouts Sunday – and didn’t need it on No. 18.

Jake Knapp shot an early 62 to rise quickly on the leaderboard and finish at 16 under, tying for 13th. He posted seven consecutive birdies as part of a 28 on the back nine, tying a tournament record set a day earlier by Koivun.

“On the back nine, just like drove it a little bit better and I wedged it really well,” Knapp said. “That was the main thing and that was kind of the main focus coming into these last few weeks.”

Defending champion Kurt Kitayama (68) finished tied for 24th at 13 under.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | July 26

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Sports Desk

“Don’t Call Me Chief” – Perry White

BOSTON – Do you wonder if the “Tartan Army” checks their bagpipes at the curb or carries them on board, and if so, do they fit in the overhead compartments?

The Rise of the Tartan Army was well documented here in Boston during the recently concluded World Cup. While Spain took home the glorious cup, Boston was rewarded with something even more special; that being a connection with Scotland that just might last forever and a day.

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The sports fans of Boston – a passionate bunch – were not going to see Team USA here in the Commonwealth. Of course, they adopted a team to root for. Enter Scotland, sort of the Sandman of the Futbol types, coming out of the streets like Yankees’ reliever Mariano Rivera used to exit the bullpen, ready to annihilate and and all batters.

There’s a difference, though. Boston fans were not happy with the routine Rivera put forth for the hated Yanks, while Bostonians immediately fell in love with some 50,000 Scottish fans, with bagpipes leading the march straight to the local Sam Adams Brewery to drink all of the beer – and we do mean ALL of the beer.

The Tartan Army of Scots injected more than $1b – with a b – into the Greater Boston – Foxborough – Providence economy, but left much more in the tip jar. They departed with a vibe of the love of sports, the love of people, the love of Boston and they imparted true friendship that will last a lifetime or more.

The Scots visited Fenway Park on the off-nights of the soccer games and marched their way in with 5,000 fans following the bagpipes. For the bars and restaurants in the Fens, it was finding buckets of gold coins in the cash registers. It kept coming and coming and coming.

The Tartan Army also left something money can’t buy and the Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau has no way to measure. They left smiles and positive vibes – dotting local monuments with orange traffic cones to mark their place. The mantra, “No Boston, No Party,” became the rallying cry and it provided young men with confidence to go full Tarps Off in the right field grandstands. (The “Tarps Off” movement started with a small group of fans deciding to remove their shirts in the right-field stands and wave them around like rally towels. The swarm of shirtless spectators continued to grow until almost the entire section was filled with men with hats but no shirts. It’s a GROWING phenomenon, surely to make its way to a cold October evening at Fenway.

All of it together worked miracles – to the tune of 15 straight victories for the local baseball team, a teams mired in last place, and they had to dig-out after falling 11 games under the .500 mark. They’re risen from the dead and this week occupied a Wild Card berth in the American League ladder.

Before the streak, they ranked 27th in scoring (4.0 runs per game), 25th in home runs (0.9), 28th in RBI (3.8), 27th in walks (2.9), and 25th in total bases (12.8).

Since the streak began, they’re fourth in runs (5.9 per game), extra-base hits (3.5), and RBI (5.6). They’re also fifth in home runs (1.6 per game) and seventh in total bases (15.4).

Like the Scots, the Long Ball has been the friend of the Red Sox.

Come next April (2027), Boston Mayor Michele Wu already signed document will begin a formalized international partnership with the City of Glasgow, Scotland, to strengthen economic, cultural and institutional ties. Building on shared values and the collaboration during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the two cities will consider opportunities for cooperation in innovation, education, sustainability and tourism.Orange traffic cones will be in demand.

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HERE NOW, THE NOTES: There are a few things in sports that never get old. For instance, when the San Diego Chicken used to dance backwards with one leg up, it was hysterical. But, then he’d go walking towards the basket and bump his beak into the basket stanchion and turn it inside out. It was Slapstick City, but he’d get the laughs every time he did it. … How about the Olympics? We’ve all seen the scene of any athlete from any country in the world totally losing it on the medal stand when they hear their country’s National Anthem as the flag is raised in the classy medal ceremonies. It’s the best. … Want another tear-jerker? How about the “on the court” surprise family reunion of a member of the military with his/her loved ones after a long deployment always puts a lump the size of a golf ball in my throat. It never fails. … The Red Panda performing is an act seen a million times, but it’s always great. She never fails (although a bad fall sidelined her for a while this year). … There’s another: It NEVER gets old when you hear the story of a minor league baseball player getting the call to join the “Big Leagues,” the “Show,” the “Majors.” It’s just a great story to see a guy rewarded for all the years of hard work; All the batting practice, all the doubleheaders in the park on hot summer days. Then, the time in the minors – Rookie ball, Single A, High A, Double AA, and, usually the final stop, Triple AAA. … The phone call came to Tommy “Tommy Tanks” White this week and he happened to be at his hometown on a break. Let him tell it: “I was on the golf cart just going to get some stuff for the boat,” White said. “It was just me driving the golf cart. Fran called me from Las Vegas and said, ‘You’re going up to the big leagues.’ It was, like, a ‘drop everything’ moment. I was at home, so I got to tell my parents in person. They broke down crying. It was really cool. … This is something I’ve dreamed of and talked about since I was a little kid.”

“Tommy Tanks” – an extra base hit machine for the A’s – has a new fan in Boston.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: Some might call it a “hockey assist.” Others, like Bill Bradley, United States Senator of New Jersey, Princeton man, and Basketball Hall of Famer plus two-time champion with the New York Knickerbockers, put it as “the pass that led to the pass that led to the basket.” Bradley had his share, dishing perimeter passes to teammates like Dave DeBusschere, Walt “Clyde” Frazier or two-guard Dick Barnett, never mind a cutting Willis Reed. Bradley made a living of it.

Well, Celtics team GM and head of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens might get credited with one of Bradley’s specialties. Stevens made the trade that led to deal that led to the Philadelphia 76ers signing coveted free agent Lebron James.

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James worked with the Sixers and Topps to make his “final NBA decision” of signing with Philadelphia utilizing a TOPPS trading card and social media post to break the news.

He’ll join former NBA MVP Joel Embiid (healthy or not), all-stars Tyrese Maxey and newly acquired Jaylen Brown (from the Celtics) and V.J. Edgecombe to create the best starting five in the league, assuming Embiid reports to training camp in condition and ready to go.

Truthfully, the Sixers could allow Embiid to work his way back to 100% throughout the Fall and report to play after the NBA All-Star break. As long as Embiid is ready to go and healthy for April-May-June, 2027, the 76ers are Eastern Conference title favorites, edging the reigning NBA champion New York Knicks.

Regardless, the Sixers are likely to play positionless basketball and giddy-up unless they need to pull up and go into half-court sets when Embiid makes his way to the paint. Add. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, too, as he agreed to a buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies and plans to sign a one-year, $3.9 million deal with the 76ers.

“This (was) my last decision. I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point?” James wrote on his social media post. “I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship.

“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time.”

You’ve got to wonder why Stevens traded Brown to an Atlantic division rival, never mind one who knocked the Celtics out of the 2026 NBA Playoffs. Certainly, the unintended circumstance was making Philly good enough to attract FA James.

Oddsmakers still have the reigning NBA champion New York Knicks as future favorite to win their divisional title. The ESPN odds read:

  1. New York +170
  2. Philly +200
  3. Boston +240
  4. Toronto +600

A MONTH OF FUN-DAYS: Since June 25, the Red Sox are 21-4, best since 2004. Sunday, they’ll have a chance to win their sixth consecutive series. That would be a first since June, 2022. The Sox won 16 of their last 18 games and goes into the final game of a ten-game home stand with a 7-2 record. Of course, that’s all a part of the team’s 15-game winning streak (July 3-22). … Boston closer Aroldis Chaapman earned his 391st save on Friday night, passing Dennis Eckersley for ninth on the MLB all-time saves list. Billy Wagner is eighth with 422 close-outs.

Sox Call In the Ranger

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FENWAY – (Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox have won 16 of their last 18 games and will get two-time All-Star southpaw Ranger Suarez back from the injured list to face the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon.

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Boston, which had a 15-game winning streak broken by the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday, will try to win the three-game series against Toronto after being one-hit by All-Star right-hander Dylan Cease on Saturday in a 6-0 Blue Jays win.

Suarez (4-3, 3.15 ERA) has not pitched since he strained his groin July 5, the day he found out he was named to his second All-Star team.

The 30-year-old was scheduled to return last week, but his comeback was delayed because he was ill.

The Red Sox also were without left-hander Connelly Early the past few rotation turns but went 16-3 without Suarez and him.

Early, on the injured list since July 1 with elbow inflammation, was traded to the Washington Nationals for infielder Curtis Mead on Saturday night.

Early is 7-5 with a 3.44 ERA in 17 games (all starts) covering 91 2/3 innings this season, while Mead is batting .254 with 17 homers and 48 RBIs in 87 games.

“If you scripted that out before any of this happened and said, ‘This is going to happen — Suarez’s going to go down; Early’s going to go down — you’d be like, ‘That’s going to be the end of that (streak),’ ” Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy told MLB.com on Saturday before the trade was made. “But we’ve had guys that have stepped up. (Payton) Tolle’s been great all year. Jake Bennett came in and did great.”

Activating Suarez to pitch Sunday will allow rookie lefty Tolle to pitch Monday when the Red Sox open a series in West Sacramento, Calif., against the Athletics.

“When we talked about it (the rotation) … it’s like, first of all, if we can get Ranger the days he needs, but also sliding him behind (Patrick Sandoval) and (Sonny) Gray, not disrupting him,” Tracy said. “You get the other two guys (Tolle and Bennett) a little bit extra break, which is good for them, too.”

Suarez is 57-40 with a 3.35 ERA in 204 games, including 136 starts. He is 2-0 with an 0.00 ERA in three appearances (two starts) against the Blue Jays in his career. Suarez has thrown 17 1/3 innings against Toronto and has allowed only one unearned run while striking out 17.

The Blue Jays will counter with Kevin Gausman (4-9, 4.51 ERA). They have lost seven straight games he has started, with the last win coming June 7 against the Orioles.

The right-hander has not recorded a win since beating the Pirates 6-2 on May 22. The 35-year-old is 116-122 with a 3.85 ERA in 382 career games (343 starts) and is 9-11 with a 4.25 ERA in 33 games against the Red Sox, including 28 starts.

The Red Sox are just glad they won’t see Cease for a while.

Andruw Monasterio managed the only hit for the Red Sox on Saturday, a double to lead off the sixth.

The All-Star Game starter, Cease was averaging 93 mph on his fastball early in the game, and struck out Wilyer Abreu with a 99 mph to end the ninth.

“It was a great pitch, no regrets,” Cease said of his pitch to Monasterio. “My body was a little cranky early, but it woke up as the game went on. At the end, you don’t want to let it go. I emptied the tank.”

Cease also acknowledged that Fenway Park is his favorite place to play. He is 2-0 with an 0.88 ERA there and has held hitters to a .194 batting average.

“When I play Nintendo 64, it is always here,” Cease said.

He isn’t the only Blue Jays player who loves Fenway.

George Springer, who hit a three-run homer to cap a five-run third inning Saturday, is a .320 hitter with 41 RBIs and 10 home runs in 50 career games in Boston.

–Field Level Media

 

Red Sox Trade Early (Hopefully Often)

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – It won’t go down as the worst Boston trade of the summer of ’26, but it’s close. The Boston Red Sox are trading rookie left-hander and promising prospect Connelly Early to the Washington Nationals for infielder Curtis Mead, according to multiple reports on Saturday night.

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The Red Sox reportedly are seeking help at shortstop ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline and were looking at Mead’s teammate, All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams. Boston’s Trevor Story, out since May 14, has played only 41 games because of a sports hernia.

Early, 24, hasn’t pitched since June 30, going on the injured list July 1 due to left elbow inflammation. The starting pitcher is expected to return in August.

Boston selected Early in the fifth round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of the University of Virginia.

Early is 7-5 this season with a 3.44 ERA, 34 walks and 93 strikeouts in 91 2/3 innings over 17 starts. He appeared in four games (all starts) last season and went 1-2 with a 2.33 ERA over 19 1/3 innings.

Mead, a 25-year-old native of Australia, is batting .254 with a .352 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage after going 0-for-3 with two walks and one run after playing third base in Washington’s 5-3 home win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday. He has 17 home runs and 48 RBIs in 87 games. Mead, who has played first, second and third base as well as designated hitter this season, is a career .244 hitter with 22 homers and 79 RBIs in 239 games for the Tampa Bay Rays (2023-25), Chicago White Sox (2025) and Nationals (2026).

He signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018 and was traded to the Rays in November 2019 for left-hander Cristopher Sanchez, who was selected to his second All-Star Game this season.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox: The Streak is None

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Dylan Cease threw a one-hitter and George Springer hit a three-run home run as the visiting Toronto Blue Jays beat the Boston Red Sox 6-0 Saturday. Cease (7-5), who took a no-hitter into the ninth against the San Francisco Giants on July 8, only allowed four Red Sox hitters to reach base.

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The teams will play the rubber match of the series on Sunday. Boston is 11-2 in its last 13 games against the American League East and has won 16 of its last 18.

Cease was perfect until walking Caleb Durbin with two outs in the fifth and didn’t allow a hit through five innings. The complete game was the first for Toronto this season and the 12th in the majors. Seven of the complete games have been shutouts.

It was Cease’s fourth career complete game and his fourth career shutout. The right-hander walked three and struck out 12 on a career-high 120 pitches.

Boston starter Sonny Gray (12-2) gave up five runs on 10 hits in five innings. The right-hander didn’t walk anyone and struck out three on 75 pitches.

The Blue Jays took control in the third when they used six straight hits to score five runs with two outs. Nathan Lukes started the rally with a double into the left-field corner and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. lined a single to left. Kazuma Okamoto kept it going by singling off the glove of third baseman Durbin and Springer made the Red Sox pay by homering just over the Green Monster in left to make it 4-0.

Varsho continued the inning with a single to center and he scored when Ernie Clement doubled off the base of the left-field wall to go up 5-0.

Gray had been 10-0 since coming off the injured list in mid-May. This was his worst outing since giving up five earned runs in four innings in a 6-0 loss to Minnesota on April 14.

Cease, pitching on the second anniversary of his no-hitter for the Padres, didn’t give up a hit until Andruw Monasterio doubled to lead off the sixth.

Monasterio did not advance, however, as Cease induced Connor Wong to ground out, struck out Anthony Seigler and retired Ceddanne Rafaela with a pop out to shallow center.

–Field Level Media

 

LeBron Signs with Philadelphia

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PHILADELPHIA – (Wire Service Report) – NBA great and sure first ballot Hall of Famer LeBron James is heading to the City of Brotherly Love. James, 41, is signing a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option, Klutch CEO Rich Paul told ESPN on Friday. The 76ers will be the fourth team for James, who spent the past eight seasons with the Lakers, highlighted by helping the franchise win the 2020 NBA title.

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A four-time NBA MVP and the league’s all-time leading scorer, James completed his record-setting 23rd NBA season in 2025-26. He addressed his reasoning to return to the court on Friday in a series of posts on X.

“I thought I was done when the season ended. I wasn’t ready to announce it, and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game,” James wrote. “I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and decide if I still love (playing).”

The 76ers certainly hope so as they seek to halt a 43-year championship.

Per ESPN, 76ers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey stayed in constant communication with Paul behind the scenes. The network also noted that Philadelphia players Tyrese Maxey, who is a fellow Klutch client, Joel Embiid and the newly acquired Jaylen Brown also worked on getting James aboard with the 76ers.

“This is my last decision. I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point?

“I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship.

“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time.

“Thank you LA. Miami I’ll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always home!”

The 76ers posted a 45-37 record last season and advanced to the second round in the Eastern Conference before getting swept by the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks.

While James warmed up to the 76ers, that meant he left teams like the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat out in the cold.

The time he needed to make his decision also affected other aspects of the NBA offseason, including next season’s schedule as well as key players’ respective destinations.

“We have to finish up the schedule, and where LeBron plays affects the schedule,” commissioner Adam Silver said last week at a CNBC event. “It will influence how we set the schedule — opening week, Christmas. So I need him to make a decision.”

James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds this past season with the Lakers. The 22-time All-Star and four-time NBA champion is the all-time leader in games (1,622) and points (43,440).

A native of Akron, Ohio, James was the No. 1 pick of his hometown team, the Cavaliers, in 2003. He played for the Cavs (2003-10, 2014-18) and the Heat (2010-14) before joining the Lakers.

 

 

PGA Tour: Koivun Leads 3M Open

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BLAINE – (Wire Service Report) – PGA Tour newcomer Jackson Koivun fired a 10-under-par 61 on the way to taking the third-round lead at the 3M Open on Saturday in the Twin Cities.

Koivun, in his just third tournament as a professional, holds a three-shot lead on Ben Kohles and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo going to Sunday’s final round at TPC Twin Cities. Koivun, who announced last month that he would forgo his senior collegiate season at Auburn to turn pro, finished on a tear with two eagles on the backside that allowed him to play the final 10 holes in 9-under. That contributed to a tournament-record 28 on the backside, rolling in a 14-foot eagle putt on the last hole.

Koivun’s bogey-free round included an eagle 3 on No. 12.

Grillo and Kohles also were without bogeys on the way to posting 65s. Grillo eagled No. 18 shortly after Koivun accomplished that. Kohles, the first-round leader, had three birdies on both sides.

Michael Brennan (63) and Chandler Phillips (66) are tied for fourth place at 16 under.

Michael Kim, fresh off Friday’s 59, was unable to maintain the momentum, shooting 70 and joining Denny McCarthy (64) and Billy Horschel (65) at 15 under. Kim had only one birdie until No. 16 on Saturday.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler had his best round of the tournament with 64 to move to 14 under, holding a share of first place when he left the final green. Competing in the tournament for the first time, he posted an 8 under score on the backside, highlighted by an eagle with a chip from the greenside rough on the par-4 16th.

Davis Thompson and Ireland’s Seamus Power were early finishers with 63s, also among those at 14 under before other golfers got rolling. Brian Harman (66) is at 14 under as well.

Defending champion Kurt Kitayama shot 66 to move to 10 under.

–Field Level Media

Kraft Being Krafty

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FOXBOROUGH – (Wire Service Report) – New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said the team offered Christian Gonzalez a contract extension that would make him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL.

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Kraft did not reveal the specific terms of the deal on Saturday, the first day of training camp.

“We love Christian Gonzalez,” Kraft said during the team’s Pawtriots pet adoption event, per the Boston Herald. “We love him as a player, as a person. That’s why we’ve made an offer to him that makes him the highest-paid player ever to play that position in the NFL, and coincidentally, it’s the highest contract in the Patriots franchise history.

“So we’re glad we drafted him and we developed here, and we hope he’ll be with us for a long time.”

Gonzalez is eligible for a contract extension for the first time after being selected by the Patriots with the 17th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Kraft did not reveal the specific terms of the deal on Saturday, the first day of training camp.

“We love Christian Gonzalez,” Kraft said during the team’s Pawtriots pet adoption event, per the Boston Herald. “We love him as a player, as a person. That’s why we’ve made an offer to him that makes him the highest-paid player ever to play that position in the NFL, and coincidentally, it’s the highest contract in the Patriots franchise history.

“So we’re glad we drafted him and we developed here, and we hope he’ll be with us for a long time.”

Gonzalez is eligible for a contract extension for the first time after being selected by the Patriots with the 17th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.

The Los Angeles Rams’ Trent McDuffie is currently the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback, pocketing $31 million per season on his four-year, $131 million contract that he signed this offseason.

Gonzalez, 24, made the Pro Bowl last season after posting 69 tackles and 10 passes defensed in 14 starts. He has three interceptions, 24 passes defensed, one fumble recovery, one sack and 145 tackles in 34 career games (all starts).

–Field Level Media

Streak Snapped; Time to Start Over

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – The saying goes, “All good things must come to an end.”

For the Boston Red Sox, that meant the end of a franchise-record-tying 15-game winning streak. The quest for a new streak begins on Friday night as the Toronto Blue Jays enter for the start of a three-game weekend series.

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“All of us knew that it was going to end at some point. It just happened to end (on Wednesday),” Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said after a 5-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles in the second game of a doubleheader. “The big thing is if we continue to play baseball that way, regardless of how many wins in a row, we’re going to win a heck of a lot more than we lose.”

To say the least, it was a season-turning stretch for Tracy’s group, which went from 37-48 then to 52-49 now. Before Wednesday night, the Red Sox had not lost since July 1, and they were 20-2 since completing a four-game sweep of the archrival New York Yankees on June 28.

Before Tracy could even speak to his team at the end of the streak, veterans Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray took the lead in addressing the clubhouse, imparting a message that matched that of their skipper.

“We can beat anybody. That’s lesson No. 1,” Contreras said. “We are a good team in the battles. We are resilient and a team that sits together, winning or losing. … There’s nothing to be sad about. We have to be happy. We should be proud of what we did.”

The past few weeks have seen Contreras break out to the tune of a .381 average with 13 RBIs in 12 July games. The first baseman had three hits in the Wednesday twin bill, with the nightcap being Boston’s first game scoring fewer than two runs since June 30.

The Red Sox will give the ball on Friday to left-hander Patrick Sandoval, who remains in search of his first win in his third start since returning from a two-year absence following Tommy John surgery. Sandoval (0-0, 4.82 ERA) was touched for five runs, four earned, on nine hits in five innings against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday.

Sandoval has faced the Blue Jays twice in his career, posting a 6.00 ERA and no decisions in nine innings.

The red-hot run has the Red Sox sitting in third place in the American League East, now six games ahead of the bottom-dwelling Blue Jays.

Toronto arrives in Boston having broken a four-game skid with a 3-1 Thursday afternoon win over first-place Tampa Bay. It was just the second victory for the Blue Jays in a nine-game span.

Shane Bieber dealt seven innings of one-run ball in his second consecutive strong start, while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer both had two hits and an RBI.

“Today we played a complete game,” Springer said. “We pitched. We got guys on (the bases), over and in, and we caught the ball, so it was a good day for us, but it’s on to (Friday), and that’s against another extremely good team.”

Trey Yesavage (4-5, 3.78 ERA) will look to keep the Blue Jays on the right track. The 22-year-old right-hander took a loss to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday despite logging a season-high nine strikeouts over six innings of three-run ball.

Yesavage, who made his major league debut last September, has gotten his first taste of the Red Sox this season. He is 1-0 with a 2.13 ERA in two head-to-head starts, recording a home win on April 28 with 5 1/3 shutout innings before working 7 1/3 innings of three-run ball in a June 18 no-decision at Boston.

–Field Level Media

 

It’s All About Spain

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EAST RUTHERFORD – (Wire Service Report) – Ferran Torres believed it was Spain’s destiny to win this World Cup. And he struck his decisive finish like a man certain of his convictions.

Torres powered home an emphatic half-volley from nine yards out in the 106th minute to lift Spain to their second World Cup title with a 1-0 win over gutsy, 10-man Argentina in Sunday’s final.

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“I think that in the end, the goal belonged to 47 million people, not to me or the 26 players here,” Torres said via an interpreter. “I believe that today destiny was written. It was meant for us to win, far from our fans, but we tried to make them feel as close as possible.”

Torres’ deserved decider came 16 years and eight days after Andres Iniesta also scored in extra time to lift the Spaniards to their first World Cup with a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands.

The winning goal came on La Roja’s 20th shot of the contest against the defending champions, who failed to manage any to that point and struggled to wrest possession away from their superior Iberian opponents.

That was true at even strength and became more difficult when the Albiceleste’s numbers were reduced when Enzo Fernandez’s late challenge of Pau Cubarsi left referee Slavko Vincic no choice but to produce a second caution just before the end of normal time.

Spain remain the only nation ever to win the European Championship and World Cup in successive tournaments, having now done so a second time after their Euro 2024 title. They are also the first World Cup champion ever to concede only once across an entire tournament. And they are the first winner of the UEFA Nations League to capture a world title, having triumphed at the eight-year-old competition in 2023.

“We’ve won everything, everything,” Spain manager Luis de la Fuente said through an interpreter. “And that’s wonderful, with a generation of footballers, I’ll say it again and again, who are an example for Spanish  sport, for Spanish youth, for Spain. Together we are stronger, let there be no doubt about that.”

Lionel Messi’s Argentina failed to earn another title after winning their last three major tournaments, having also captured the 2021 and 2024 Copa Americas on either side of their 2022 World Cup triumph.

The 39-year-old, eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi finished the competition with eight goals and four assists, but had little time on the ball until Spain finally took the lead. Even in some nervy late moments for Spain, he never seriously looked like lifting his side to another great moment as he has so many times in the last two World Cup cycles.

“Well, in the end, all finals are difficult, and when you have Messi on the opposing team, you always get nervous,” Torres said. “But ultimately, we’ve always depended on ourselves, on playing our style of football, and I think we demonstrated that once again today.”

Spanish midfielder Rodri won the FIFA Golden Ball for his efforts throughout the tournament, including his help in containing Messi Sunday, despite not tallying a single goal or assist himself.

Emi Martinez made 11 saves for the Albiceleste, who fell short in their bid to be the first consecutive World Cup champions since Brazil won the 1958 and 1962 titles.

“Yes, I think the game should have been decided much earlier,” de la Fuente said. “Dibu’s great saves prevented us from winning the game sooner. We could have taken a more comfortable lead. But this is a world championship final, and even with 10 men, you have to suffer at the end. But since we like to suffer, we’ve shown once again that we’re ready for anything.”

What had felt so difficult for the first 105 minutes suddenly looked easy after 37 seconds of play in the second period of extra time.

Pedro Porro curled in an outswinging cross from the left to the back post. Nico Williams won the header and nodded it back into space, and Torres hammered a half-volley at last past the flailing Martinez. It was his only goal of the tournament, making him the seventh player to score during a tournament in which his side never trailed.

An Argentina side that literally hadn’t managed a shot somehow found its way forward in the dying stages.

Messi curled a speculative effort just over the top left corner of Unai Simon’s goal, and after consecutive corners, Giuliano Simeone fired high from just beyond the top of the six-yard box. But for once this tournament, there was no miracle late drama in the Albiceleste’s favor.

Simon, who took home the Golden Glove award, notched his seventh clean sheet in eight matches this tournament and has nine clean sheets in his World Cup career, one away from tying the all-time mark.

–Field Level Media

 

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | July 19

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

PHILADELPHIA – (Reported at this week’s MLB ASG) – Each summer, Major League Baseball takes a little break for the annual All-Star Game and Home Run Derby. This season, the Midsummer Classic, as they love to call it, was here in the City of Brotherly Love. The Philadelphia Phillies were the hosts and their fans – those with a terrible reputation as being just a tad too passionate – were out in force.

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Yes, the same people who threw snowballs at Santa Claus (Eagles) and outwardly boo’d Saint Nick were dressed in Phillies red this week and they were rooting hard for their hometown heroes. The Philly fanatics were especially proud of starting pitcher Christopher Sanchez and sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, although ace Zack “I’m not going to be disrespected” Wheeler declined his late invite to the game when Cincinnati Reds starter Chase Burns came up lame.

The Philly fans were vocal on Monday night when the MLB Home Run Derby (rumored to be on Netflix) took over the stadium and 43,863 spectators jammed their way into gorgeous Citizens Bank Ballpark 41 years to the day when Sir Bob Geldorfstaged the greatest rock concert of all-time right down the block at John F. Kennedy Stadium.

That concert – coupled with a simultaneously staged show at Wembley in London – raised money in relief of the famine in Ethiopia and what stands as proof from that incredible 1985 rock show and this week’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game is that sports and music are two international languages, each with the power to change the world for the better.

Case in point for the All-Star Game; at the end of the 5th inning, all those mean and nasty Philly fans stood as one. They grabbed ‘sharpies’ or whatever marker was handy and scribbled the name of someone they love, loved or maybe someone losing a battle against cancer and they participated in utter silence when the FOX Sports television cameras came back from a very brief break.

On a brighter note, some saluted survivors while others thanked doctors and nurses, surgeons and oncologists who cured their special someone of the dreaded diseases that all form one, terribly tagged as Cancer.

MLB’s “Stand Up to Cancer” is, by far, the most amazing community event any sports or entertainment entity undertakes. While the JIMMY Fund in Boston is doing its thing every summer by raising some $1 billion at a $75 million clip each year with thePan Mass Challenge (PMC) with every cent going to cancer research at Dana Farberand some of the other great research institutions of the USA (thank-you Johns Hopkins), MLB takes a broader approach and simply asks everyone in attendance to “Stand Up” in the fight against cancer.

It is an incredibly powerful moment in time for, as once, everything in the world of baseball – STOPPED 🛑.

How often does that happen? (No labor jokes are allowed).

Philly faves Boyz to Men sang Michael Jackson’s “I’ll be there,” as the players, umpires and, most importantly, 43,000+ fans stood in a silent tribute.

The moment is so powerful on site at the game that it actually travels through time and space and into the living rooms, TV rooms, bars and saloons to every single fan watching the game come the break between the home (National League) 5th and the visitor’s (American League) top of the 6th inning.

Names are displayed. Everyone has a direct connection.

Everyone.

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Memories are etched into a small 8 1/2 x 11 placard and tears begin to flow.

Put simply, it’s impossible not to cry, to weep, to bawl unrestrainedly as you recall a loved one lost to cancer.

Personally, I was thanking my lucky stars and the very research money being collected to have had a Johns Hopkins and Harvard trained surgeon work his magic to use an incredible robotic device and his masterful, steady hands to literally “zip out” what he later told me was “quite a bit of it” from my innards.

My thanks to Dr. Douglas M. Dahl of Mass General.

And to his colleague Dr. Anthony Zeitman of Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute Radiation Oncology and his capable team who brought in the cavalry to be sure the cancer was gone for good. Side note: The cocky MD said, “Listen, you’re going to die … pause … but you’re not dying from this!”

Dr. Zeitman learned his craft at the Imperial College London School of Medicine and is always recognized amongst America’s top doctors. I’ll second the motion and will be thinking of him tonight as I do of him, and Dr. Dahl, almost every day of my life.

I was thinking of Heather Walker of the Boston Celtics who was diagnosed with the rare brain cancer, glioblastoma, in January 2021 and passed away on April 26, 2023 after undergoing several clinical trials but also raising more than $644,000 in her #Move4Heather campaign to raise money for very specific cancer glioblastoma research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston where she had been treated.

TL, Heather Walker, John Caron

Heather was a force of nature and she performed her job with the utmost professionalism, as the Celtics noted in a news release when she passed and later when they dedicated the pressroom at TD Garden to her, “Displaying exceptional courage, she made a point of raising awareness for glioblastoma through the Move4Heather movement, wanting to use her situation to help the lives of others, which was entirely consistent with her character,” the Celtics said. “Through her illness, she was resolute and extraordinary in boosting the spirits of those around her, and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and essential awareness in hopes of easing the suffering and saving the lives of others.”

Sadly, I’ve had a few other NBA PR colleagues pass away from various forms of cancer and we remember them all, naming press rooms and celebrating their memories each basketball season. One, “A.T,” has been fighting for what he calls a long journey, fighting the disease in hospitals and cancer centers from Atlanta to Houston.

Tuesday night, after the 5th inning, I was thinking of my high school friend, “J.J.”

He played third base for the Holy Trinity Titans, so an “H.T. (or Titans) for J.J. will be on my placard at Citizens Bank Park and I’ll be thinking of his decade-plus more fight against several different forms of cancer. With some, just as we thought he had it licked, another form of the disease would surface.

Most recently, J.J. has been making monthly trips from New York to Los Angeles, California to see Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong – the man who saved his life two times over. In fact, they have a little saying, “I’m one day closer to being cured and I hope that those you love are one day closer, too.”

Readers of WWYI can still participate in any way you choose. Visit StandUpToCancer.org and make a donation of any dollar figure you can afford.

Don’t be afraid or ashamed to shed a tear when you donate, but do so knowing “we’re one day closer to a cure.”

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Oh my, the D-R-A-M-A in the W-N-B-A continues. Just this week, we had …

  • Toronto Tempo coach Sandy Brondello disparaged Atlanta Dream center-forward Angel Reese
  • Brondello apologized
  • Caitlin Clark put up a record 45-points, 10-assists outing vs. Seattle Storm
  • That performance included a key 3-pt FG to give Indy a 105-102 lead at :39.2
  • On Thursday, in answer to a question on a CNBC Roundtable broadcast, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Clark was being used as a “political football”
  • Going back to a June 24 game between the Indiana Fever and Mercury, Phoenix forward Alyssa Thomas made contact with her fist to Clark’s throat in the second quarter.
  • Thomas was not called for a foul on the play during the game, but the league subsequently upgraded the play to a flagrant foul and suspended her one game for “recklessly making contact with her fist.”

Here are some basic thoughts on the big picture issues:

The league is – always was and will be – VERY physical. It’s nothing new. Right from ‘97, we used to say, ‘these girls are NASTY.” At Olympic level, our bigs would BANG with Aussies, Russians like it was football.

Thus, it’s impossible to officiate. – if you replaced WNBA staff with best BIG EAST officials or even the NBA officiating staff, they’d struggle. It’s war under there, and a lot of contact at top of key and perimeter – “Jordan Rules kinda stuff”

Caitlin gets it x2. (racial and/or jealous players). 4). Commish should’ve resigned day after last season as she lost players

And, my opinion – which is not widely agreed upon by the experts – Caitlin Clark was GREAT in college, and she played at such a high confidence level, but no one defended her. Zippo. S

She’s still GREAT – easily one of the Top 10 in WNBA – but she gets bullied and bounced. She’s young, and a bit slight (weight/body strength). Every night, she’s facing more physically gifted players. Think John Wall, Trae Young, or Jeremy Lin as NBA type comparisons.

Now, think of the way the great Allen Iverson dealt with all the pressure, the attention, the tag as “The Franchise and The Answer,” as he was getting decked every time he drove the lane. Iverson kept his mouth shut, barely, maybe never showed aggression after he got clobbered. Iverson just walked to the free throw line and drained two shots.

In my opinion, and I totally agree it might not be fair, but I think Clark needs to watch a lot of Iverson footage.

HALL ESCORTS: Each year, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame indictees are asked to choose another (or more than one other) Hall of Famer to present them to the masses at the hallowed Hall in Springfield and accompany them on-stage at the ceremony. It is quite an honor.

The 2026 Hall of Fame Inductees and Presenters:

Joey Crawford – Danny Crawford (Class of 2025), Rod Thorn (‘18)

Mike D’Antoni – Jerry Colangelo (‘04), Bob McAdoo (‘00), Steve Nash (‘18), Amar’e Stoudemire (‘26), Rod Thorn (‘18)

Elena Delle Donne – Sylvia Fowles (‘25), Marianne Stanley (‘22)

Mark Few – John Calipari (‘15), Grant Hill (‘18), John Stockton (‘09)

Chamique Holdsclaw – Tamika Catchings (‘20), Tina Thompson (‘18), Teresa Weatherspoon (‘19)

Candace Parker – Tamika Catchings (‘20), Allen Iverson (‘16), Cheryl Miller (‘95), Dwyane Wade (‘23)

Doc Rivers – Kevin Garnett (‘20), Paul Pierce (‘21)

Amar’e Stoudemire – Jerry Colangelo (‘04), Mike D’Antoni (‘26), Grant Hill (‘18), Tracy McGrady (‘17), Steve Nash (‘18), Rick Welts (‘18)

1996 USA Basketball Women’s National Team – Teresa Edwards (‘11), Lisa Leslie (‘15), Rebecca Lobo (‘17), Katrina McClain (‘12), Dawn Staley (‘13), Sheryl Swoopes (‘16), Tara VanDerveer (‘11)

When the Baseball World Stops

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

PHILADELPHIA – Each summer, Major League Baseball takes a little break for the annual All-Star Game and Home Run Derby. This season, the Midsummer Classic, as they love to call it, is here in the City of Brotherly Love. The Philadelphia Phillies are the host and their fans – those with a terrible reputation as being just a tad too passionate – are out in force.

Yes, the same people who threw snowballs at Santa Claus (Eagles) and outwardly boo’d Saint Nick are dressed in Phillies red this week and they’re rooting hard for their hometown heroes. The Philly fanatics are especially pleased with starting pitcher Christopher Sanchez and sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, although ace Zack “I’m not going to be disrespected” Wheeler declined his late invite to the game when Cincinnati Reds starter Chase Burns came up lame.

The Philly fans were vocal on Monday night when the MLB Home Run Derby (rumored to be on Netflix) took over the stadium and 43,863 spectators jammed their way into gorgeous Citizens Bank Ballpark 41 years to the day when Sir Bob Geldorf staged the greatest rock concert of all-time right down the block at John F. Kennedy Stadium.

That concert – coupled with a simultaneously stage show at Wembley in London – raised money in relief of the famine in Ethiopia.

What stands as proof from that incredible 1985 rock show and tonight’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game is that sports and music are two international languages, each with the power to change the world for the better.

Case in point for tonight’s game; At the end of the 5th inning, all those mean and nasty Philly fans will stand. They’ll take a ‘sharpie’ or whatever marker is handy and scribble the name of someone they love, loved or maybe someone losing a battle against cancer and they’ll participate in utter silence when the FOX Sports television cameras come back from a very brief break.

Embed from Getty Images

On a brighter note, some will salute survivors while others might thank doctors and nurses, surgeons and oncologists who cured their special someone of the dreaded diseases that all form one, terribly tagged as Cancer.

MLB’s “Stand Up to Cancer” is, by far, the most amazing community event any sports or entertainment entity undertakes. While the JIMMY Fund in Boston is doing its thing every summer by raising some $1 billion at a $75 million clip each year with the Pan Mass Challenge (PMC) with every cent going to cancer research at Dana Farber and some of the other great research institutions of the USA (thank-you Johns Hopkins), MLB will take a broader approach and simply ask everyone in attendance to “Stand Up” in the fight against cancer.

It is an incredibly powerful moment in time for, as once, everything in the world of baseball – STOPS.

How often does that happen? (No labor jokes are allowed).

Philly faves Boyz to Men will sing Michael Jackson’s “I’ll be there,” as the players, umpires and, most importaly 43,000+ fans stand in a silent tribute.

The moment is so powerful on site at the game that it actually travels through time and space and into the living rooms, TV rooms, bars and saloons to every single fan watching the game come the break between the home (National League) 5th and the visitor’s (American League) top of the 6th inning.

Names are displayed. Everyone has a direct connection.

Everyone.

Embed from Getty Images

Memories are etched into a small 8 1/2 x 11 placard and tears begin to flow.

Put simply, it’s impossible not to cry, to weep, to bawl unrestrainedly as you recall a loved one lost to cancer.

Personally, I’ll be thanking my lucky stars and the very research money being collected to have had a Johns Hopkins and Harvard trained surgeon work his magic to use an incredible robotic device and his masterful, steady hands to literally “zip out” what he later told me was “quite a bit of it” from my innards.

My thanks to Dr. Douglas M. Dahl of Mass General.

And to his colleague Dr. Anthony Zeitman of Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute Radiation Oncology and his capable team who brought in the cavalry to be sure the cancer was gone for good. Side note: The cocky MD said, “Listen, you’re going to die … pause … but you’re not dying from this!”

Dr. Zeitman learned his craft at the Imperial College London School of Medicine and is always recognized amongst America’s top doctors. I’ll second the motion and will be thinking of him tonight as I do of him, and Dr. Dahl, almost every day of my life.

I’ll be thinking of Heather Walker of the Boston Celtics who was diagnosed with the rare brain cancer, glioblastoma, in January 2021 and passed away on April 26, 2023 after undergoing several clinical trials but also raising more than $644,000 in her #Move4Heather campaign to raise money for very specific cancer glioblastoma research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston where she had been treated.

Heather was a force of nature and she performed her job with the utmost professionalism, as the Celtics noted in a news release when she passed and later when they dedicated the pressroom at TD Garden to her, “Displaying exceptional courage, she made a point of raising awareness for glioblastoma through the Move4Heather movement, wanting to use her situation to help the lives of others, which was entirely consistent with her character,” the Celtics said. “Through her illness, she was resolute and extraordinary in boosting the spirits of those around her, and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and essential awareness in hopes of easing the suffering and saving the lives of others.”

Sadly, I’ve had a few other NBA PR colleagues pass away from various forms of cancer and we remember them all, naming press rooms and celebrating their memories each basketball season. One, “A.T,” has been fighting for what he calls a long journey, fighting the disease in hospitals and cancer centers from Atlanta to Houston.

But tonight, after the 5th inning, I’ll also be thinking of my high school friend, “J.J.”

He played third base for the Holy Trinity Titans, so an “H.T. (or Titans) for J.J. will be on my placard at Citizens Bank Park and I’ll be thinking of his decade-plus more fight against several different forms of cancer. With some, just as we thought he had it licked, another form of the disease would surface.

Most recently, J.J. has been making monthly trips from New York to Los Angeles, California to see Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong – the man who saved his life two times over.  In fact, they have a little saying, “I’m one day closer to being cured and I hope that those you love are one day closer, too.”

Tonight, you can participate in any way you choose. Visit StandUpToCancer.org and make a donation of any dollar figure you can afford.

Don’t be afraid or ashamed to shed a tear, but do so knowing “we’re one day closer to a cure.”

NFL Schedule: Here’s a Top Ten

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LOS ANGELES – (Wire Service Report) – Not only do the Los Angeles Rams have a reasonable shot at becoming the first team to win the Super Bowl on its homefield twice, the NFC West runner-up is by far the easiest team to find on the NFL’s 2026 broadcast schedule.

Seven times the Rams are positioned for a primetime slot — tying a league record — barring a slip from contender status that would prompt networks to invoke the “flex” option and reassign Sean McVay’s team to an afternoon kickoff.

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You’ve got to appreciate McVay’s offensive machine as much as the next NFL fan, but let’s survey the broader landscape for the 10 games we are circling on the 2026 schedule.

1. Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears, Friday, Dec. 25
Are the Packers still gutted by two heartbreaking losses to the Bears? They’ll never admit it. The drama on the field and sidelines restored one of the  game’s best rivalries. Chicago’s schedule strength adds a degree of difficulty the Bears didn’t face rising from the bottom of the NFC North to a division title in Ben Johnson’s first season. The Packers had owned this series in recent years and want to pull the pendulum northward.

2. Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys, Thursday, Nov. 26
Thanksgiving Day amplifies whatever the state of the Dallas Cowboys happens to be, and this one should be extra spicy. It hasn’t happened since 2014 and will be the third Turkey Day meeting between the teams. Cowboys fans are crossing their fingers the results will be better than the last time (33-10 loss in ‘14) and 1989, when the Eagles used two Randall Cunningham-to-Cris Carter TDs and Philly’s defense ransacked Troy Aikman at Texas Stadium, 27-0. Philadelphia hosts the first meeting of the 2026 season with Dallas on “Monday Night Football” in October.

3. Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots, Sunday, Dec. 6
Josh Allen ran the AFC East for nearly a decade and Drake Maye was more than the new kid on the block in 2025. He played like an MVP candidate — even winning in Buffalo — and the Patriots went 5-1 in the division. The only loss was a 35-31 barnburner at Gillette Stadium won by the Bills on Dec. 14. It was New England’s only loss between Sept. 28 and the Super Bowl.

4. Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks, Friday, Dec. 25
Fine, we can talk Rams, too Merry Christmas to those who celebrate, the NFL wrapped up a matchup between teams who combined for 26 regular-season wins and took the division duel down to the wire last season. Lumen Field won’t be a present for the Rams, but Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay have usually done just fine in enemy territory. The game falls one week after the one-year anniversary of Seattle’s memorable fourth-quarter rally from 16 down, forced overtime and walked it off with a 38-37 victory over the Rams.

5. Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals, Thursday, Dec. 31
Last season wasn’t a typical set of Bengals-Ravens games. The AFC North rivals split with an average margin of victory of 21 points. Rewind to 2025 and unleashed Lamar Jackson vs. bomb-happy Joe Burrow produced scores of 35-34 and 41-38 (overtime). If we get a New Year’s Eve snow game with division and playoff consequences, even better.

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6. New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks, Wednesday, Sept. 9
A Wednesday night opener ahead of the Thursday Rams-49ers matchup in Australia, we’ll find out if the Patriots are better prepared for a Super Bowl rematch with months to prepare. New England oscillated from disjointed to complete disarray in the February loss to Seattle and didn’t have all oars in the water during an offseason when Mike Vrabel’s off-field, ahem, affairs were a constant talking point.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Chicago Bears, Sunday, Nov. 8
Baker Mayfield vs. Caleb Williams piques our interest in a midseason “Sunday Night Football” matchup with the undercard of Buccaneers head coach and defensive maestro Todd Bowles against Bears coach and offensive brain Ben Johnson. The Bucs fell short of the postseason in 2025 for the first time since 2019, while the Bears are trending upward after the franchise won a playoff game (well, two of them, actually) in January to snap a 15-year drought dating to 2011.

8. Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks, Monday, Dec. 7
Crossover games with the NFC West add a degree of difficulty to the Dallas schedule this season. While we wait to offer judgment on the revamped defense, the Cowboys are likely to bring all the smoke to test Seattle’s versatile, attacking defense in a game sandwiched between matchups with the Eagles and Rams for Dallas.

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9. Jacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos, Sunday, Sept. 20
Some called the Denver AFC West run last season but far fewer anticipated Jacksonville winning 13  games and dealing the Broncos one of the team’s three regular-season losses. First-year head coach Liam Coen reflects many of Broncos head coach Sean Payton’s qualities as a play-caller and designer, adding built-in entertainment value.

10. San Francisco 49ers at Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Dec. 27
What will the 49ers have left in the tank? San Francisco is setting a record for miles traveled in a season thanks to international treks to Mexico and Australia and the closing stretch for the 49ers is some kind of minefield from NFL schedulers. Patrick Mahomes and Brock Purdy are familiar foes but 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan has not beaten Andy Reid as a head coach (0-3). Two of those losses were agonizing Super Bowl defeats (LIV, 2020 and LVIII, 2024). After falling short of historical track and expectations in 2025, is the window closed on one or both of these longtime contenders?

–Field Level Media

The Streak is ONE

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FENWAY – (Wire Service Report) – Romy Gonzalez’s pinch-hit RBI double sparked a two-run eighth inning, leading the Boston Red Sox to a 6-4 win over the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night.

The shot into the left-field corner brought Jarren Duran home from first base with the go-ahead run before Anthony Seigler capped his 4-for-5 day with a wall-ball double to plate another off Toronto reliever CJ Van Eyk (0-1).

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Seigler, who batted leadoff, scored two runs, drove in two more, hit a leadoff homer, and added two doubles while falling just a triple short of a cycle.

The Red Sox have won 16 of their last 17 games.

Garrett Whitlock (6-1) earned the victory in relief, and Aroldis Chapman recorded his 391st career save to take sole possession of ninth on the all-time list.

The Blue Jays clawed back from 4-0 down to tie the game. Starter Trey Yesavage struck out nine across four innings of three-run ball.

Kazuma Okamoto, who entered the night 0-for-22 since the All-Star break, went 2-for-5 with a three-run homer in the seventh. It was his 23rd, which moved him past Shohei Ohtani for the most by a Japanese rookie in a single MLB season.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Daulton Varsho also had multi-hit games for Toronto.

After Patrick Sandoval danced out of a bases-loaded jam in the first, Seigler immediately staked the Red Sox to a 1-0 lead by depositing Yesavage’s fourth pitch into the right-field stands.

The Toronto righty’s frustrating outing continued two innings later, as he fanned the side in the second before allowing another home run in the third. Seigler knocked an opposite-field single before crossing the plate on Ceddanne Rafaela’s two-run shot just over the top of the Green Monster.

Yesavage retired six of the final seven batters he faced to keep it 3-0, but the offense could not take advantage of back-to-back innings with two aboard. In the fifth, Guerrero singled and Okamoto doubled to put two Blue Jays in scoring position with one out, but Tyron Guerrero relieved Sandoval and escaped the threat.

The Red Sox added to their lead when Masataka Yoshida scored on Andruw Monasterio’s sacrifice fly in the sixth. It could have been more, but Toronto left fielder Nathan Lukes gunned out Caleb Durbin trying to score from second on Connor Wong’s single to end the inning.

In the seventh, Okamoto brought Toronto right back into the game with one big swing, taking Greg Weissert deep to center field for a three-run shot. Ernie Clement (hit by pitch) and Guerrero (single) set the table.

After Jeff Hoffman’s bases-loaded escape in the seventh, the Blue Jays manufactured the tying run off Whitlock — the first he allowed in 13 appearances — in the eighth. Lukes hit a leadoff double to left and Varsho dunked a single into right, setting up pinch hitter Andres Gimenez’s sacrifice fly.

–Field Level Media