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TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | 8/31

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

NORTON (Mass) – The stars are aligning in the game of golf. Let us count the ways:

  • The PGA Tour concluded with a very entertaining FedEx Cup Playoffs (won by England’s Tommy Fleetwood in grand Fashion).
  • The LPGA tour is cruising through Massachusetts during this great Labor Day weekend as the best female golfers in the world compete in the FM Championship at TPC Boston – formerly the site of a PGA Tour/FedEx Cup Playoff round.
  • The Ryder Cup is on the horizon and United States Ryder Cup captain, Keegan Bradley, had a very difficult decision this week as he made is choices for Captain’s picks to round out the 12-player USA team. England’s Luke Donald will do the same and make his Captain’s selections on Monday (September 1). The Ryder Cup will be contested between Europe and the USA from September 26-28 at Bethpage State Park on Long Island, NY.
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While readers of WWYI might’ve expected a full column on the Baseball home stretch, the start of college football or a preview of the NFL season ahead, you’ll be keen to know that an amazing connection to the PGA Tour-LPGA Tour-and-Ryder Cup walked right into the path of your intrepid columnist earlier this week. Thus, footy can wait a week or so and WWYI will educate you on the great Pat Bradley, aunt of Keegan, and one of the classiest athletes in history – any sport, anywhere. Ms. Bradley was publicizing the 2025 FM Championship when WWYI ran into her and reminisced about rainy summer days on Long Island.

From this observer’s point of view, the FM Championship at TPC Boston is the LPGA equivalent of the Traveller’s Championship, held each June at TPC River Highlands near Hartford.

Why?

They are both the best run, organized, challenging but reward for risk golf tournaments on the circuit. The Traveller’s is a Signature Event (elevated purse) and it comes at a challenging time, usually right after the U.S. Open. Nevertheless, the pro golfers all turn up, as the tournament has the best reputation of taking good care of the golfers and their families.

So it says for the (relatively) new FM Championship for the LPGA. Raised purse, great course in a great place (players stay in locales near either Boston or Providence). The sponsors have dedicated time, hard work, money and Human Resources (volunteers as good as they get) to staging what will surely be the model for all future LPGA events in the years to come.

Bradley was on hand as the media met the powers that be in staging this weekend’s FM Championship in Norton. She was fabulous and this columnist remembers watching her play on Long Island at the Meadowbrook Golf Course in the Western Union International (1979-1982). Pat Bradley was often high on the leaderboard and came from the Commonwealth and was quite accustomed to golf in the Northeast.

“I remember playing the LPGA Championship at Pleasant Valley in 1975 when I was on tour, so the history of professional golf has always been strong in Massachusetts,” said Bradley. “To be back here at TPC (Boston) is a huge treat. The talented athletes are great ambassadors, not only to the game of golf, but to the world of golf. It’s a joy to walk the fairways and watch them do their thing.

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“I am celebrating my 50th year on the LPGA Tour, and when I think back, gee wiz, when I joined the tour in ‘74, the LPGA was about 25 years and here we’re celebrating 75 years. It’s been a tremendous organization and it gets stronger and stronger every year. And, when you have sponsors like FM believing in you as an organization, as athletes, as golfers, it just makes your heart grow and full. You just can’t wait to play these fairways.”

Bradley was joined by Brockton, Massachusetts native Megan Khang who proudly noted she winters in Boston, although it’s a short break with the fact the LPGA Tour runs from about January 18 to November 24. This weekend, Khang sits T-18 after a (-3) score of 69 on Saturday.

“I love being around Massachusetts,” said Khang. “It’s where my family is. For me, being from Massachusetts and playing MassGolf growing up, it’s cool to say, you don’t have to move somewhere warm full-time.’

Bringing it back to Pat Bradley, the 1981 U.S. Open champion, she’ll always have eyes on the LPGA, but this week she was watching her nephew on television, first at the TOUR Championship where he finished T-7 and pocketed a cool $1,121,667 for his efforts after shooting 70-64-63-70 on the championship weekend. Despite his No. 11 ranking on Tour, (No. 8 if you only look at USA golfers), Keegan did not pick himself to play on the Ryder Cup and his aunt had faith in his decision.

“If I said anything to Keegan, it was whatever decision you make, it will be the right decision,” noted Aunt Pat, keeping the family business as close as a Corleone might practice. “I know he’s been dealing with it (Ryder Cup pressure) and he’ll be dealing with it for a little more time. Keegan is the right guy for Bethpage Black, and he and his team will bring the Cup home. He’ll let the fellas know to keep their focus, because otherwise Bethpage Black will let them know.

“It’s been a tremendous moment for Keegan and his family,” added Ms. Bradley. “I’m so proud of all that he has done. I’ve never been so proud of him than the day he took that phone call (to be the US Ryder Cup captain) a couple years ago.

“When a young man goes into Yankee Stadium with a Red Sox baseball cap, you know he’s got guts,” she concluded in her sum-up of the USA’s captain.

FOR THE RECORD: These United States pro golfers made the Ryder Cup team by points earned during the past season:

  1. Scottie Scheffler
  2. J.J. Spaun
  3. Xander Schauffele
  4. Russell Henley
  5. Harris English
  6. Bryson DeChambeau

Then to round out the team, Bradley’s Captain’s picks were: (in alphabetical order)

Sam Burns

Patrick Cantlay

Ben Griffin

Collin Morakawa

Justin Thomas

Cameron Young

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HERE NOW, THE NOTES: There’s been no better moment for the college football season than watching the retiring ESPN commentator and former coach, Lee Corso,make his final pick of the week in front of 100,000 Ohio State fans on Saturday at Noon. ESPN College Game Day ranks neck and neck with the Inside the NBA crew of Turner Sports as the best two wrap-around shows in the business. Game Day might have the edge, as it’s always a live remote on a pumped-up college campus, always the “biggest” game of the week, the best match-up, the most important game. It was no surprise to see Corso pick Ohio State to please the hometown fans. Corso donned the head piece of Brutas the Buckeye mascot to a standing ovation, possibly the loudest in college sports. Second to the Lee Corso tribute, was the college football pageantry on display at the legendary “Horseshoe” in Columbus. Saturday proved to be a perfect, 70-degree, 44% humidity, deep blue postcard blue sky day. Can you imagine being a first-year student just enrolled at The Ohio State University and on campus for a week or two? (Corso was correct, by the3 way, as Ohio State defeated No. 1 ranked Texas, 14-7).

On the other hand, the vaunted Army Black Knights football team suffered one of its most stunning defeats in history, falling 30-27 in double overtime to the Tarleton State Texans football team, an FCS program.

PREDICTIONS: Making these College Football Playoff prediction with the benefit of seeing the Ohio State win over Texas, here are the WWYI thoughts for CFB Playoffs 2025-26:

  1. Ohio State
  2. Clemson
  3. Penn State
  4. Georgia
  5. Notre Dame
  6. Texas (lost Saturday)
  7. Oregon
  8. LSU
  9. Alabama (lost Saturday)
  10. Miami (Florida)
  11. Texas Tech
  12. Arizona State

TL’S – In the Hunt: Illinois, South Carolina, Michigan, Florida, Ole Miss and SMU.

NFL Predictions will come next week.

THIS JEST IN: The bat tossed in the air by a New Jersey Little Leaguer to celebrate a home run which earned him a suspension (lifted by a judge in appeal) was sold Friday for nearly $10,000 at auction. The proceeds from the sale of 12-year-old Marco Rocco‘s autographed bat will be donated to the program he plays for, Haddonfield Little League. The auction was conducted by the reputable firm of Goldin Auctions and it drew 68 bids. The winning bid was $9,882, but the name of the winning bidder was not announced. Marco’s bat flip on July 16 in the final of the NJ Little League sectional tournament resulted in an ejection, a one-game suspension and a legal fight won by the flipper.

THIS JUST IN: In Saturday’s semifinal of the AmeriCup men’s basketball tournament, the United States (3-2) fell to Brazil (4-1), 92-77, in Managua, Nicaragua. Canada and Argentina were playing in the other semifinal at press time. The USA will face the loser of that game for the 2025 FIBA Men’s AmeriCup bronze medal.

Over in FIBA EuroBasket 2025, the Group stage is just being completed and the tournament will advance to the Final phase this week. See the STANDINGS.

Celtics fans want to know: Kristaps Porzingis is averaging 16.7 points per game while playing 26.8 minutes per game for Latvia. The Celtics traded Porzingis and a second-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks this past June in a three-team deal that sent TeranceMann and the No. 22 pick (Drake Powell) in the 2025 NBA Draft to the Nets, while Georges Niang and a second-round pick headed to Boston. In another move to clear additional salary off the books, the Celtics subsequently sent Niang and two future second-round picks to the Utah Jazz for rookie wing RJ Luis Jr., out of St. John’s.

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CAN’T MAKE IT UP: As reported annually by the Associated Press with a dateline of BUÑOL (Spain), thousands of people from all around the world seeking a challenging date for their Tide detergent skills and a messy thrill to boot, spent one fun-filled hour flinging bushels of overripe tomatoes at each other during Spain’s “Tomatina”celebration this week. It was dubbed, “the mother of all food fights” as a packed street in the town of Buñol went deep red as revelers squished, smashed and hurled 120 tons of the overripe garden favorite. Tarps covered building fronts as an estimated 20,000 people let loose amid screams and laughter. The gazpacho didn’t stand a chance, but it beats getting gored by an angry Bull.

STREAKING: Heading into today’s (Sunday) series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates, arguably the worst hitting team in MLB, the Boston Red Sox have lost five home games in a row. That’s after the Sox won nine of the previous ten (July 26-August 16). Adding to the woes of inconsistency for this hometown team, the Sox have lost four of their last seven series after winning four straight series from July 25-August 6. … Boston has scored three or fewer runs in 11 of their last 16 games. Boston is now (75-62) and are positioned as the American League’s 2nd World Card team, trailing the New York Yankees by one game. Boston is 3.5 games back of AL East division leader Toronto (78-58) … The Seattle Mariners are the 3rd Wild Card team and trail the Red Sox by 2.0 games.

IF THE PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY: Here’s the way the teams would match-up if the MLB postseason began today.

AMERICAN LEAGUE:

(1) Blue Jays vs. winner of (4) Red Sox vs. (5) Yankees

(2) Tigers vs. winner of (3) Astros vs. (6) Mariners

NATIONAL LEAGUE:

(1) Brewers vs. winner of (4) Cubs vs. (5) Padres

(2) Phillies vs. winner of (3) Dodgers vs. (6) Mets

Red Sox Entend Chapman

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox agreed to a contract extension with left-hander Aroldis Chapman, per multiple reports. The deal contains $13.3 million in guarantees, according to MassLive. He will be under contract for next season and carry an option for 2027.

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Chapman, an eight-time All-Star, has posted career-lows in ERA (1.04) and WHIP (0.673) in 57 relief appearances this season, his first with Boston, which signed him to a one-year, $10.75 million contract in December. In addition, he has racked up 26 saves and 74 strikeouts with 14 walks in 52 innings.

The 37-year-old has a career 2.53 ERA in 853 appearances.

Chapman is 13th on the all-time career saves list (361); he is only 17 saves away from passing Joe Nathan and moving into the top 10.

The Red Sox are in the midst of a successful regular season. They currently have a 75-62 record and occupy the second wild card spot in the American League.

–Field Level Media

Pirates are Pham-ily, Down Sox

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Fresh off their Cy Young Award candidate Paul Skenes victory in the series opener, the Pittsburgh Pirates will look to make it two wins in a row in Boston and eight victories in their last 10 games when they face the playoff-chasing Red Sox again this afternoon.

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The Pirates are seven games deep in the basement of the National League Central, but their bats woke up late in a 4-2 win on Friday. Seven of their 10 hits came after Boston MLB-debuting star Payton Tolle exited through 5 1/3 innings.

Former Red Sox player Tommy Pham hit a game-tying, two-run double in the sixth inning before Andrew McCutchen highlighted his 3-for-3 performance with a deciding RBI double in the next at-bat.

Pham has been a major key of late for Pittsburgh, hitting .300 with a 1.017 OPS and 10 RBIs in his last 12 games. He hit just .170 over the first 28 games.

“People wanted him out, and look what he’s been able to do the second half of the season,” McCutchen said of Pham. “That’s why baseball’s a crazy game. For him to be able to turn his season around like he’s done, it just goes to show you just no excuses, you’ve gotta work.”

Meanwhile, it was McCutchen’s second game with multiple extra-base hits in the last seven. His effort Friday supported Skenes, who overcame a career high-tying seven hits in six innings but gave up only two runs (one earned) and struck out six.

Now, in the second game of a three-game series, Pittsburgh right-hander Johan Oviedo (1-0, 3.60 ERA) is set to make his fourth start since returning from a 2024 season-long absence due to Tommy John surgery.

After lasting just one inning in his Aug. 4 season debut, Oviedo has back-to-back solid starts. He struck out five across four innings of one-run ball Monday against the St. Louis Cardinals, but the Pirates lost 7-6.

“Looked really sharp, you know, and stuff was good,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said of that outing. “Fastball was electric, and kept them off balance with the offspeed, and went to the curveball really effectively there in the middle of the outing.”

Oviedo, 27, pitched 4 2/3 innings in his only career start against the Red Sox on April 3, 2023, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits — including three homers.

The Red Sox entered Friday off a four-game sweep in Baltimore but have still won seven of their last nine games. However, they have lost four straight contests at home.

Boston was out-hit 10-9 on Friday, but Roman Anthony hit a solo home run and Romy Gonzalez went 3-for-4.

“I think we put good at-bats,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We had three innings to try to get to the bullpen. It just didn’t work out.”

Right-hander Dustin May (7-10, 4.79 ERA) enters his first career start against Pittsburgh looking to stop back-to-back losses and three in four outings with Boston.

In his first taste of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry last Sunday in the Bronx, May allowed three home runs among five hits and five runs in 4 1/3 innings.

May’s start not only comes a day after Tolle’s impressive debut, but also after the Red Sox parted ways with pitcher Walker Buehler before the game.

A week ago, Buehler was demoted from his starting spot and made one relief appearance before his release. Tolle and May are holding down the end of the rotation behind the consistent trio of Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito.

“We’re playing important games and want to give ourselves every opportunity to win as many of those as possible, and we think that Payton and Dustin give us the best chance to do that right now,” said Craig Breslow, Boston’s chief baseball officer.

–Field Level Media

Story, Refsnyder HR for the Sweep

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BALTIMORE – (Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Trevor Story and Rob Refsnyder homered, and Romy’s Gonzalez’s tiebreaking single in the eighth inning lifted the Boston Red Sox to a 3-2 victory against the host Baltimore Orioles to complete a four-game series sweep Thursday afternoon.

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Roman Anthony had two hits for the Red Sox, who went 7-1 on an eight-game road trip vs. American League East Division rivals. Refsnyder, who rejoined the roster from the IL earlier in the day, homered for the first time in more than a month and ended up with two hits.

Jordan Hicks (2-7) was the winning pitcher with a shutout inning in relief of Garrett Crochet. Steven Matz picked up his second save despite surrendering a double to Dylan Carlson to lead off the ninth.

Alex Jackson homered for the Orioles, who stranded nine runners on base and finished a 1-7 homestand. Jackson Holliday, Emmanuel Rivera and Jeremiah Jackson all had two hits.

Baltimore starter Cade Povich gave up two runs on seven hits in five innings. Shawn Dubin, claimed off waivers from the Astros, threw a shutout top of the ninth in his debut with the Orioles.

Crochet worked six innings, allowing two runs on six hits with seven strikeouts and no walks.

Three games in the series were decided by one run.

It was also the third time in the series that the Red Sox had a first-inning solo home run. Story homered for the second time this week and for the 22nd time this season.

Alex Jackson hit his fourth homer of the year in the third inning to tie the score.

Refsnyder, who had been out since Aug. 13 because of an oblique strain, regained the lead for Boston in the fourth with his seventh homer. Jeremiah Jackson tied it for Baltimore in the fifth on a double to left that scored Alex Jackson.

With two outs in the eighth, Gonzalez hit a full-count curveball to left to score Anthony from second.

The Red Sox were without first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, who went on the paternity list Thursday just 10 days after signing with Boston following his release from the Washington Nationals.

–Field Level Media

Crochet Throws for Sox Sweep

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BALTIMORE – (Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox, seeking a positive finishing act on what has been a rewarding road trip, will go for a four-game series sweep of the Baltimore Orioles today.

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“It’s a different group,” Boston manager Alex Cora said of his team. “We’re winning, which is important, too.”

The Red Sox defeated the Orioles 3-2 on Wednesday night courtesy of Ceddanne Rafaela’s two-run homer in the ninth inning. It was Boston’s second one-run victory in the series.

Boston is 6-1 on the road trip, which began against the New York Yankees. After losing the finale of that series, the Red Sox won the next three nights in Baltimore.

“Let’s take care of business here,” Cora said, “and I truly believe this weekend at home (against the Pittsburgh Pirates) is going to be fun.”

Much of the good times have come with outfielder Roman Anthony providing key production. The top prospect in pro baseball this spring, he has made good use of his promotion to the major leagues. This week, he has led off two games with home runs.

“The one thing lately, he has opened it up a little bit more as a person,” Cora said. “He’s a cool kid.”

The Orioles have lost six of their past seven games. They are still making player transactions in attempts to have the right combinations available despite their last-place standing in the American League East. They brought back infielder Emmanuel Rivera on Wednesday while designating Vimael Machin for assignment.

“I think Emmanuel Rivera is a guy who’s excelled defensively in the big leagues at third base,” Baltimore interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “I think just trying to get a little more stability at the position for us, knowing that the other corner spot we have a young infielder learning there as well.”

Rivera came off the bench as a defensive replacement on Wednesday and grounded out in his lone at-bat.

Baltimore also promoted Roansy Contreras from Triple-A Norfolk, and he threw 4 1/3 shutout innings Wednesday night. Yaramil Hiraldo was optioned to Norfolk.

After Contreras exited, the Orioles went back to Keegan Akin for his third appearance in four games, and the left-hander gave up the winning home run.

“We felt very comfortable with it,” Mansolino said. “Just didn’t work out.”

The pitching matchup for the finale will involve a pair of left-handers.

Boston’s Garrett Crochet (14-5, 2.38 ERA) continues his bid to be in line for postseason honors. He has allowed one run in each of his past two outings, both covering seven innings. He matched his season-high strikeout total with 11 on Saturday against the Yankees.

Crochet’s first victory of the season came via eight shutout innings at Baltimore on April 2. The 26-year-old is 1-1 with a 1.13 ERA in four career games (two starts) vs. the Orioles.

Cade Povich (2-7, 5.13) goes to the mound for the Orioles, who have lost all four of the games he has pitched this month. On Friday against the visiting Houston Astros, he got the defeat after permitting six runs (four earned) in 4 2/3 innings.

Povich, who lost to Boston twice last season as a rookie, has allowed four runs in 9 1/3 total innings over two no-decisions against the Red Sox this year.

–Field Level Media

 

Patriots Waive Two, Claim Two

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FOXBORO – (Staff Report from Official Team News Release) – The New England Patriots announced that they have released WR Javon Baker and WR Kendrick Bourne. The Patriots also claimed and were awarded QB Tommy DeVito from the New York Giants and CB Charles Woods from the Los Angeles Rams.

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In addition, the Patriots announced that they have signed 16 players to the practice squad: CB Miles Battle, G Mehki Butler, G Jack Conley, CB Brandon Crossley, TE C.J. Dippre, RB Terrell Jennings, WR John Jiles, DE Truman Jones, C Alec Lindstrom, DB Kobee Minor, DT David Olajiga, LB Cam Riley, DT Jahvaree Ritzie, TE Gee Scott Jr., LB Bradyn Swinson and WR Jeremiah Webb. All of those players were released by the team on August 26.

Baker, 23, was drafted by New England in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of UCF. The 6-foot-1, 202-pounder, played in 11 games with one start and finished with 1 reception for 12 yards and returned 3 kickoffs for 79 yards.

Bourne, 30, has spent the last four seasons with New England after signing with the team as an unrestricted free agent from San Francisco on March 19, 2021. The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with San Francisco on May 5, 2017, out of Eastern Washington. Bourne has played in 111 games with 34 starts and has registered 292 receptions for 3,714 yards with 22 touchdowns. In addition, he has played in four postseason games and has 13 receptions for 165 yards and 3 touchdowns. He had his best NFL season in 2021 with New England with 55 receptions for 800 yards and 5 touchdowns. Last season, Bourne was limited to 12 games with nine starts and had 28 receptions for 305 yards with 1 touchdown.

DeVito, 27, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the New York Giants on May 5, 2023, out of Illinois. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder, began his career on the practice squad before being signed to the 53-man roster on Oct. 31, 2023. In two seasons with the Giants, DeVito played in 12 games with eight starts and completed 145-of-222 attempts for 1,358 yards and 8 touchdowns. He was released by the Giants on Aug. 26, 2025.

Woods, 25, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the L.A. Rams on May 2, 2024, out of Southern Methodist. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder, spent the majority of the season on the 53-man roster before finishing the year on the practice squad. He played in 12 games and finished with 1 tackle on defense and 1 special teams tackle. He was released by the Rams on Aug. 26, 2025.

Landslide Victory for Fleetwood

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ATLANTA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – England’s Tommy Fleetwood finally broke the chain. Now, Fleetwood can go his own way. Even his biggest rivals at the TOUR Championship said, “Fleetwood played over my head.’ And, as the Englishman clinched the $10 million first prize, it was said the Fleetwood made ‘PUTTIN fun.

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No matter what, golf fans can stop questioning Fleetwood about getting his first PGA Tour victory. He got his win, after so many close calls, and he did so in the biggest way. The English Ryder Cup mainstay captured the FedEx Cup championship with a victory in the annual Super Bowl of Golf – the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club on Sunday. He takes away the coveted playoff championship and a $10 million winner’s check.

Fleetwood finished 18-under par with a final-round 68. Patrick Cantlay (71), who played in the final pairing, and Russell Henley (69), the first- and second-round leader, tied for second at 15-under.

Fleetwood had a huge smile, maybe of relief, after making his tap-in putt to finish as fans circled the 18th green. They chanted “Tom-my, Tom-my,” as he hugged his caddie.

The win came in Fleetwood’s 164th career start on tour, which included 30 top-5 finishes. Two of those near misses came in these playoffs, a tie for third at the St. Jude’s Championship and a tie for fourth at the BMW Championship. He’s had to answer questions about finally breaking through, especially when he entered the final round holding a share of the lead.

“I love that I’m up there again, and it’s just another chance,” Fleetwood said after the Ithird round where he shared the lead at 16-under with Cantlay. “It’s another opportunity. It’s another day where I get to go out and do what I love and enjoy it and be in contention and just go and hit the golf shots, and what is like the best pressure, if you like. We’re trying to win a golf tournament and do something very special.”

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Fleetwood, who entered fifth in the points standings, became the first player in the FedEx Cup era (since 2007) to claim his first career PGA tour title at the Tour Championship.

Cantlay found trouble early with a bogey at the first hole and a double-bogey at the second hole. When Fleetwood birdied the second, he was 17-under to Cantlay’s 13-under. First- and second-round leader Russell Henley took over second place at 15-under. Fleetwood took a three-stroke lead, at 18-under, into the second nine over Cantay and Henley.

When Cantlay birdied and Fleetwood bogeyed the 10th, just a stroke separated the two. Cantlay bogeyed the 11th, and Fleetwood’s edge was back to two strokes. A Fleetwood birdie at the 13th, and the lead was back to three at 19-under.

When Fleetwood’s tee shot at the par-3 15th landed on dry land, after he hit water in the third round, the tournament was all but over even though he took a bogey. He would play the final hole with a three-stroke lead.

Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player and FedEx Cup points leader, started four strokes back. He hit his opening drive out of bounds and managed bogey. He would get two within two strokes of Fleetwood on the back nine but put his tee shot on the par-3 15th in the water and made double-bogey. Scheffler’s chance at back-to-back FedEx Cup titles was over. Scheffler (68) finished tied for fourth at 14-under.

The Tour Championship changed formats this year to a winner-take-all final with all players starting at even par. However, had they used the starting-strokes format from the previous six years, Scheffler would have won the tournament and the title. Fleetwood, starting at 5-under, who have finished at 23-under. Scheffler, starting 10-under, who have finished 24-under.

–Chris Vivlamore, Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Aug. 24

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While We’re Young (Ideas) on the Worldwide Leader/D.T.C.

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

“Friends, Roman Anthony, countrymen, lend me your ears;

I come not to bury ESPN, but to praise it.

But, the evil that TV types do, lives long after them;

The good is oft interred with their bones in the vast, growing cemetery that are the aging trends of sports, technology and television”

BRISTOL – We are in the age of constantly changing and ever evolving technology. Our iPhones number 16. Our Chicago (Transit Authority) albums have unpleasantly reached Chicago XXXVIII (38). The iPhones have improved over the years. Not so much for Chicago.

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Change is good, but often, change is difficult.

Take the launch of ESPN’s direct-to-consumer (DTC) offerings unveiled this week; the product is good but the pre-launch instructions to the consumer (we call ‘em fans) was not so good.

Case in point: The new and improved ESPN launched just as the PGA Tour was ready to tee-off its Super Bowl Weekend – a la the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. For you non-Tour fans, pro golf’s season draws to a close with the annual FedEx Cup Playoffs. This year, 70 golfers qualified and played the FedEx St. Jude Championship three weekends ago. Fifty golfers moved on to last week’s BMW Championship and only the Top 30 PGA Tour pros qualified for the TOUR Championship (held this Thursday through Sunday).

For those of us who follow the TOUR in religious fashion (see PGATourBrunch.com), we purchased ESPN+ to watch the early rounds each week from January to September with full coverage, especially in the 6am-2:00pm range before Golf Channel airs its excellent coverage. ESPN/Disney bought what used to be known as PGA Tour Live and transitioned it to the paywalled ESPN+ platform.

When the editors of PGATourBrunch woke up on Thursday, we had no idea if ESPN’s new app was going to automatically recognize those who had purchased ESPN+. It certainly wasn’t made clear (by communication or call-outs from the ESPN.com site) whether our hefty payment(s) for add ons, or sports tiers with our Cable TV provider would qualify us for the new ESPN App unlimited levels of coverage.

Those levels of coverage are:

  • Disney+, HULU, ESPN Unlimited Bundle ($29.99 a month)
  • ESPN Unlimited ($29.99 a month)
  • ESPN’s Unlimited plan subscribers have access to all ESPN networks and services, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SECN, ACCN, ESPN+, ESPN on ABC, SECN+, ACCNX, and ESPN3.
  • ESPN Select includes ESPN+ content only. Fans who want ESPN+ exclusively may subscribe to the ESPN Select plan.
  • All of these details were hard to find and not on the home page to subscribe or log-in if you already have a Cable TV provider, such as Verizon FIOS)

Now, it really gets confusing:

If you’re changing from the Select plan to the Unlimited plan, the change takes effect immediately. You will be charged a pro-rated amount for the first month or year of your new plan. Moving forward, you will remain on your new plan for the life of your subscription and will be charged in accordance with the then applicable price of this plan. If you’re changing to the Select plan, the change takes effect on your next billing date.
Note: Once you’ve been charged for an annual plan, you will not be able to immediately change to monthly billing for the same plan.

Now, let’s dig-in some more:

Hulu + Live TV, DIRECTV (streaming only), Fubo TV, and Spectrum TV customers may already get ESPN Unlimited as part of their pay-TV package. You will need to activate your ESPN plan and connect your MyDisney login. To activate your ESPN plan or to learn more, please visit the links below. Keep in mind that if you cancel or switch out of an eligible TV provider plan, your ESPN subscription will also be canceled in accordance with your provider’s terms, conditions, and policies.
So, let’s get that straight: If you already have Hulu+ Live, then you already get ESPN Unlimited but you need to activate an ESPN Plan by connecting to MyDisney.

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Got it? It’s almost as tough as ‘Person, woman, man, camera, TV.’

If you own a business (a la Sports Bar), it is rather simple but still very expensive.

There is no change to the “ESPN+ for Business” product.
Now, what if you’re a subscriber to Verizon FIOS and you’ve paid a steep price for their Sports Tier?

They have:

  • The MOST Fios TV: 425 channels at $139 a month
  • More Fios TV: 325 channels at $119 a month
  • Fios TV Test Drive: Watch for 60 days and they’ll recommend best plan ($95)
  • YouTube TV: 100+ channels, usually $82.99 but on sale for $72.99 for new subscribers for one year (and, if you ask, they’ll toss in the NFL Sunday Ticket).
  • Sports Packages can be ordered semi-a la carte (but on the Verizon page, they do not tell you how much each channel costs, so you have to click Order Now and go into the rabbit hole of signing in, username and password, verifying and sending in your first born child as collateral:
  • NBA TV
  • NHL Center Ice (wow, ICE has a whole new meaning these days, doesn’t it?)
  • MLB Extra Innings
  • MLB TV Premium
  • FOX Soccer Plus (as opposed to +)
  • NFL RedZone (recently purchased by ESPN, and I have no idea whether it’s going to be on my system/service tier and will only find out on Sunday, September 7th at 1:00pm – when there’s a chance for “seven hours of commercial free, un-interrupted football.”
  • Looking back this past week, the ESPN home page was amazingly unchanged, except for the fact my little ESPN+ call-out on the top of my home page was gone. Aside from that, there was no indication that anything was changed or updated. No instructions. No nothing.

I did see the word – Verizon – in the upper right hand corner of the ESPN home page, and I thought that was good. It was there from a previous log-in – (see above with name/pass/first born child).

That was good for my Chrome browser which had been previously used for ESPN+’s PGA TOUR coverage for the BMW the week before. My Safari Browser? – No. My quite popular DuckDuckGo browser? – Nope. And, Firefox? – Nada.

Let’s dig a little deeper and step aside from the new ESPN DTC streaming to see how to stack your sports viewing needs:

  • Peacock Network – If I want to watch English Premier League and the Olympics
  • Paramount+ – If you want to watch English Championship, Leagues One & Two
  • Apple TV+ – If I want to watch MLB Friday Night – including the hometown team
  • Apple TV+ – If you want to watch MLS Futbol
  • ESPN+ (or new service) – If you like Premier Lacrosse
  • Paramount+ or DAZN – If you like Serie A futbol
  • YouTube TV – If you want the NFL’s Sunday Ticket
  • UFC Fight Pass – UFC Fight Pass and soon on ESPN’s new service
  • UFC 319 – Pay-per-View via ESPN+
  • FOX ONE – Some UEFA offerings; LIV Golf; some NASCAR and IndyCar

Suffice to say: It’s all a damn mess, and it seems to be getting messier by the day.

To fix it? That’s a tough question unless you’re in the room where it’s been happening for the last few years. The rights acquisitions and overall planning has been plentiful, but the basic instructions and a “What to Expect” section online would’ve helped this week.

Yes, there are lists of the FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), but the question most sports fans were asking was, “What the hell are you guys doing?”

ESPN, to its credit, is attempting to place everything it offers under one roof. In other words, “ESPN is going anywhere sports fans are,” according to ESPN head honcho Jimmy Pitaro.

That was the strategy employed by the NBA under the late Commissioner David Stern and it still remains true today, under Commissioner Adam Silver. Go where the fans are and be ubiquitous in terms of offerings via every platform on earth. That strategy is a must for every broadcaster and sports property.

ESPN is blending the lines between rights holder/broadcaster and rights seller/sports property. In recent times, ESPN (Disney) has bought out PGA Tour Live, Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM), aka BAMTech, NFL Network and RedZone, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC Net), Southeast Conference (SEC Network) while FOX Sports has a piece of the Big Ten Network, among others.

The more the lines are blurred, the more expensive the platforms will become for sports fans.

Yes, the leagues and networks will go where sports fans are, but they’ll charge them a fortune to gain admission to the party. And, standing outside, listening to the party on radio is nice, a throwback, but it’s not as much fun.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: There’s been quite a bit of bickering and arguing about the recent $325m bid by Steve Pagliuca (former Celtics minority owner) to bring the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun to play at TD Boston Garden in 2027. Pagliuca promised to build a $100m “State of the Art” practice facility for the WNBA team, as well.

The offer was leaked to the Boston Globe and positioned as if it were a “done deal.” Wow, $325 million to relocate a team while WNBA expansion teams were going for a cool $250 million

Boston rejoiced. The WNBA fans, some who trekked to beautiful Uncasville, Connecticut to see the Sun play at the Mohegan Sun’s wonderful arena – adjacent to a beautiful casino resort, all applauded the effort of Pagliuca. Those fans had just convened as a sellout crowd at TD Garden on July 15th for a Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever 85-77 win over the Sun. A year ago was much the same for a Sun vs Los Angeles Sparks game that made fans think of Sam Jones vs. Jerry West or Paul Pierce vs. Kobe Bryant.

Sellouts are great, especially when you only have to sell out one game of an entire season.

But, that’s not the point.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey took the leaked bait hook, line, and sinker. The Guv’nah attended the Sun vs Fever game and was championing Boston’s loyal support of women’s sports, calling for Boston to get a WNBA team as soon as possible.

There was a catch that Healey seemed to either ignore or not even be aware of: Boston hadn’t even applied to the WNBA for an expansion franchise. The WNBA was on an expansion quest, awarding teams to the Bay Area’s Golden State (Valkyries) playing now, in 2025, the Portland (Fire) and Toronto (Tempo) to begin play in 2026, and future expansion to three cities with new teams in Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia. The Cleveland team will begin play in 2028, followed by Detroit in 2029, and Philadelphia in 2030.

It’s a full-scale WNBA nationwide roll-out, carefully planned, and not encouraging relocation of a franchise as part of the plan.

That means the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun are in a bit of a bind, since their own arena is the home venue. A sale of the franchise is one thing, but relocating it goes under a whole other set of league rules, even with a $325m offer on the table.

Another suitor, Marc Lasry, sought a similar deal but to simply drive down New England’s I-91, I-95, or I-84 corridors to Hartford to play home games at the vaunted XL Center. The Mohegan Tribe liked Pagliuca’s green better than Lasry’s and stood aside as the false alarm announcement was leaked. The WNBA slapped some ears of those involved:

“Relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and not by individual teams,” the WNBA said in a statement to the Globe’s Gary Washburn. “As part of our most recent expansion process, in which three new franchises were awarded to Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia on June 30, 2025, nine additional cities also applied for WNBA teams and remain under active consideration. No groups from Boston applied for a team at that time and those other cities remain under consideration based on the extensive work they did as part of the expansion process and currently have priority over Boston. Celtics’ prospective owner Bill Chisholm has also reached out to the league office and asked that Boston receive strong consideration for a WNBA franchise at the appropriate time.”

While Boston media and the Guv’nah hemmed and hawed about Boston being a great city for sports, about the relationship of the WNBA with the NBA, and even Governor Healey going as far as trying to broker a new deal between brand new franchise owner Bill Chisolm (just closed on the $6.1 billion deal) and Pagliuca, everyone in the room seemed to miss a major elephant in that room.

The venue.

Would the WNBA want to place a franchise in a place where the arena is owned by a hockey team, i.e. Delaware North – much like the unfortunate deal the Celtics have been operating under for decades of championships? Would the WNBA award a franchise that might be forced to play at Boston University’s Agganis Arena – light on premium hospitality, suites, parking and all the money-makers of sports property ownership? Might Boston College’s Conte Forum be an option? See the same problems.

Nope.

And, while extending the discussion on a slight tangent, let’s keep in mind that Boston totally punted on a 2014 bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics – a bid the USOC accepted and put forth to the IOC, only to revoke and place Los Angeles’ successful bid for the 2028 Summer Olympics in its place. A major mistake on the world sports scene.

By the way, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts also botched a D-League franchise. Who can forget the 2009 Springfield Armor, banished in 2014 to become the Grand Rapids Drive (and Gold). Another D-League (now G-League) team – the Maine Red Claws – crawled to Portland, Maine rather than navigate the Worcester DCU Center.

For baseball? The City of Worcester reportedly footed 55% of $159 million Polar Park as part of a $240 million redevelopment of Worcester’s Kelley Square and Canal District. That’s $87,450,000 for those scoring at home. It’s not like Governor Healey was ready to commit to building a new venue for the Setting Sun.

If that’s not enough past history proof, how about the fact the great and powerful NFL Oz, Bob Kraft and his New England Patriots, threatened to move to Hartford before settling on building Gillette Stadium out in the middle of nowhere, Massachusetts (Foxboro).

And lastly, Kraft and his mayoral candidate son, Josh, are hammering current Boston Mayor Michele Wu over squashed plans to build a 25,000 seat stadium in Everett, Mass. – not far from the Encore (Wynn) Casino campus. Wu, in turn, championed a refurbishment of White Stadium in Boston’s Franklin Park at a reported cost of $172 million. That venue would become the home of a NWSL expansion franchise for women’s soccer as the Boston Legacy FC plans to open up shop in 2026.

With all the building, the lack of engagement by Massachusetts or Boston for a new basketball venue is notable and should not be overlooked in the WNBA discussions. Boston Garden/Shawmut Center/Fleet Center/TD Garden was built in 1993-95 and is now one of the oldest arenas in the land. It has next to no parking, and – again, is owned by the Bruins’ parent, Delaware North. Despite massive renovations in 2006-07 and again in 2021-22, the building is nowhere close to the new $1.4 billion Chase Center in San Francisco, now the model for mixed-use arenas and home of the WNBA’s Valkyries.

For Boston and the Honorable WNBA fan and former Harvard point guard Guv’nah, let’s not point fingers at the WNBA and NBA before looking in the very mirror of sports venues aging in the Commonwealth.

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Ron Turcotte riding Secretariat at the ‘73 Belmont Stakes (file photo)

THIS JEST IN: So sadly, we lost legendary jockey and horseman Ron Turcotte this week. It’s been stated by WWYI that Turcotte and his ride, the great Secretariat, are the first part of the two answer question to: “When was perfection reached in the upper echelon of sports?” … Secretariat’s run at The Belmont Stakes (1973) and Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series are the only times true perfection was reached. (And, no, a 300 game in Bowling doesn’t count).

Turcotte passed away Friday in Drummond, New Brunswick. He was 84.

YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP: “We have to reschedule because there’s an Osprey nest in our stadium. You can’t make this type of stuff up, right,” asked Cory Hanson, the athletic director at the school in the Minneapolis suburbs? … Seems the majestic Ospreys built a huge nest to raise their chicks, high up on a light pole at the Apple Valley High School football field. Because of it, the migratory raptors that are protected under State and Federal law, forced the school, known as the Eagles, to rearrange their football and soccer schedules, switching to day games instead of night. Turning on the hot stadium lights might burn the birds or start a fire. Maybe the school might consider a rename to the Apple Valley Ospreys?

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TIDBITS & NUGGETS: The PGA TOUR’s finale, the TOUR Championship will conclude today (Sunday) at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. There’s a crowded leaderboard competing for the $40 million purse/$10 million prize to the winner of the Tour’s most lucrative tournament. Weather wreaked a bit of havoc during Friday’s round and some stiff winds hindered play on Saturday. England’s Tommy Fleetwood, who’s been waving the hottest of sticks during the FedEx Cup Playoffs, has a chance to capture $10mil and the FedEx Cup for 2025.

KEEGAN: United States Ryder Cup captain, Keegan Bradley, of St. John’s University by way of New England, will name the remaining players for his 2025 team on Wednesday. The Ryder Cup “Captain’s Picks” will be a tough choice. A can’t win unless you win choice. “I know this is the biggest decision of my life,” said Bradley at the TOUR Championship, of which he qualified as one of the Top 30 players on the tour. On Saturday, Bradley was climbing the leaderboard and he’s a legitimate choice to be a Captain’s pick, himself.

“I think we have to get together as captain and vice-captains and look at the data, look at what’s going on and make a decision based on what’s best for the team. So that certainly feels nice to me,” said Bradley, a member of the Boston Common TGL Team. “But when we look at me as a player… we look at the stats, we look at everything, and I’m Player X, basically. Certainly strange, but I’ve wanted them to, if there’s negatives about me playing, I want to hear those things. I would be more upset if they didn’t express those feelings,” he said.

Note: We’ll have more on Keegan Bradley, his aunt, Pat Bradley, and the LPGA next week.

BROWNS: The 2025 NFL schedule maker was not too kind to the Cleveland Browns. Consider the first six games on Cleveland’s schedule this year:

  • September 7 vs Cincinnati
  • September 14 at Baltimore
  • September 21 vs Green Bay
  • September 28 at Detroit
  • October 5 vs Minnesota
  • October 12 at Pittsburgh

That’s 0-6, thank you very much, NFL. A glimmer of light might shine on October 19th, vs. Miami, the first day the Browns might have a chance for a “Dub” and that’ll open a three-game stretch (at New England and at New York Jets) when Cleveland might put a few wins on the ledger.

Slaughterhouse Nine in Da Bronx

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BRONX – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – After another win over the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox were unclear about why they are dominating their longest rival.

The Red Sox hope to field more inquiries about getting another victory over the Yankees on Sunday night when the American League East foes conclude a four-game set in New York.

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The Red Sox will seek a series sweep.

Boston is 8-1 in the season series, and after starting with a 9-6 loss on June 6, the Red Sox have outscored the Yankees 48-22. Three of Boston’s major-league-leading 20 games with at least 10 runs have come against the Yankees, including Saturday’s 12-1 rout.

Trevor Story had three of Boston’s 17 hits with a two-run double and a solo homer in the opening five innings Saturday. Story got his third hit during a seven-run ninth inning and is batting .351 (13-for-37) with two homers and 11 RBIs in the season series.

Carlos Narvaez had three hits, including a two-run homer, as Boston scored its most runs against the Yankees in New York since a 13-9 victory on Sept. 7, 2013. Narvaez is hitting .284 (78-for-275) in its past eight games against the Yankees.

“Just playing good baseball,” Story said. “I don’t know if there’s a certain thing you can pinpoint. Obviously tensions are high, the rivalry and all that, but we’re just playing good baseball I think at the right time.”

Boston’s eight-game winning streak over the Yankees is the longest since from Sept. 20, 2020, to July 16, 2021. The Red Sox last won nine straight over the Yankees Sept. 28, 2008, to June 11, 2009.

The Yankees are trying to avoid getting swept in a four-game series by the Red Sox for the first time since Aug. 2-5, 2018, in Fenway Park.

“We’re definitely angry, especially against your rivals,” New York captain Aaron Judge said Saturday. “We don’t like the showing we’ve had here at home. We just got to step up. That’s it. Everybody in this room has got to play a little bit better, pick up a notch and go out there and take care of business tomorrow.”

Giancarlo Stanton homered, but the Yankees struck out 13 times, and their bottom four hitters of Trent Grisham, Anthony Volpe, Jose Caballero and Austin Wells were a combined 0-for-13.

[Read more…] about Slaughterhouse Nine in Da Bronx

WNBA in Boston? Not So Fast!

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk 
BOSTON – There’s been quite a bit of bickering and arguing about the recent $325m bid by Steve Pagliuca (former Celtics minority owner) to bring the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun to play at TD Boston Garden in 2027. Pagliuca promised to build a $100m “State of the Art” practice facility for the WNBA team, as well.
The proposed offer was leaked to the Boston Globe and positioned as if it were a “done deal.” Wow, $325 million to relocate a team while WNBA expansion teams were going for a cool $250 million.
Boston rejoiced. The WNBA fans, some who trekked to beautiful Uncasville, Connecticut to see the Sun play at the Mohegan Sun’s wonderful arena – adjacent to a beautiful casino resort, all applauded the effort of Pagliuca. Those fans had just convened as a sellout crowd at TD Garden on July 15th for a Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever 85-11 win over the Sun. A year ago was much the same for a Sun vs Los Angeles Sparks game that made fans think of early Cs day Sam Jones vs. LA’s Jerry West or maybe more recent day Celtics’ Paul Pierce vs. Kobe Bryant, the late all-star of the Lakers.
Sellouts are great, especially when you only have to sell out one game of an entire season.
But, that’s not the point.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey took the leaked bait hook, line, and sinker. The Guv’nah attended the Sun vs Fever game and was championing Boston’s loyal support of women’s sports, calling for Boston to get a WNBA team, as soon as possible.
There was a catch that Healey seemed to either ignore or not be aware of: Boston hadn’t even applied to the WNBA for an expansion franchise in the past decade. The WNBA is on an expansion quest, awarding teams to the Bay Area’s Golden State (Valkyries) playing now, in 2025, the Portland Fire and Toronto (Tempo) to begin play in 2026, and future expansion to three cities with new teams in Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia. The Cleveland team will begin play in 2028, followed by Detroit in 2029, and Philadelphia in 2030.
It’s a full-scale WNBA roll-out, carefully planned with a strategy of not seeking the relocation of a franchise as part of the deal.
That means, the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun are in a bit of a bind, since their own arena is the home venue. A sale of the franchise is one thing, but relocating it goes under a whole other set of league rules, even with a $325m offer on the table.
Another suitor, Marc Lasry, sought a similar deal but to simply move down the I-91, I-95, and I-84 New England corridor to Hartford to play home games at the vaunted XL Center. The Mohegan Tribe liked Pagliuca’s green better than Lasry’s and stood aside as the false alarm announcement was leaked.
The WNBA slapped some ears of those involved: “Relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and not by individual teams,” the WNBA said in a statement to the Globe’s Gary Washburn. “As part of our most recent expansion process, in which three new franchises were awarded to Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia on June 30, 2025, nine additional cities also applied for WNBA teams and remain under active consideration. No groups from Boston applied for a team at that time and those other cities remain under consideration based on the extensive work they did as part of the expansion process and currently have priority over Boston. Celtics’ prospective owner Bill Chisholm has also reached out to the league office and asked that Boston receive strong consideration for a WNBA franchise at the appropriate time.”
While Boston media and the Guv’nah hemmed and hawed about Boston being a great city for sports, about the relationship of the WNBA with the NBA, and even Governor Healey going as far as trying to broker a new deal between brand new C’s franchise owner Bill Chisolm (just closed on the $6.1 billion deal) and Pagliuca, everyone in the room seemed to miss a major elephant in that room.
The venue.
Would the WNBA want to place a franchise in a place where the arena is owned by a hockey team, via Delaware North – much like the unfortunate deal the Celtics have been operating under for decades of championships? Would the WNBA award a franchise that might be forced to play at Boston University’s Agganis Arena – light on premium hospitality, suites, parking and all the money-makers of sports property ownership? Might Boston College’s Conte Forum be an option? (See same problems).
Nope. And, pardon this slight tangent, let’s keep in mind that Boston totally punted on a 2014 bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics – a bid the USOC accepted and put forth to the IOC, only to revoke and place Los Angeles’ successful bid for the 2028 Summer Olympics in its place. A major mistake on the world sports map.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts also botched a D-League franchise. Who can forget the 2009 Springfield Armor, banished in 2014 to become the Grand Rapids Drive (and Gold). Another D-League (now G-League) team – the Maine Red Claws – crawled to Portland, Maine rather than navigate the Worcester DCU Center.
For baseball? The City of Worcester reportedly footed 55% of $159 million Polar Park as part of a $240 million redevelopment of Worcester’s Kelley Square and Canal District. (That’s $87,450,000 for those scoring at home). It’s not like Governor Healey was ready to commit cash for building a new venue for the Setting Sun, or the Celts for that matter.
If that’s not enough past history proof, how about the fact the great and powerful NFL Oz, Bob Kraft and his New England Patriots, threatened to move to Hartford before settling on building Gillette Stadium out in the middle of nowhere, Massachusetts (Foxboro). By the way, Kraft’s New England Revolution are averaging a paltry 23,978 this year, down some 5,000 fans a game in their 66,000+ stadium.
Additionally, Kraft and his mayoral candidate son, Josh, are hammering current Boston Mayor Michele Wu over squashed plans to build a 25,000 seat stadium in Everett, Mass. – not far from the Encore (Wynn) Casino campus. Wu, in turn, championed a refurbishment of rundown, rat-infested White Stadium in Boston’s Franklin Park at a reported cost of $172 million. That venue would become the home of a NWSL expansion franchise for women’s soccer as the Boston Legacy FC plans to open up shop in 2026.
With all the building, the lack of engagement by Massachusetts or Boston for a new basketball venue is notable and should not be overlooked in the WNBA discussions. Boston Garden/Shawmut Center/Fleet Center/TD Garden was built in 1993-95 and is now one of the oldest arenas in the land. It has next to no parking, and – again, is owned by the Bruins’ parent, Delaware North. Despite massive renovations in 2026-07 and again in 2021-22, the building is nowhere close to the new $1.4 billion Chase Center in San Francisco, now the model for mixed-use arenas and home of the WNBA’s Valkyries.
All that said, there’s a clear message for Boston and the Honorable WNBA fan and former Harvard point guard and enthusiastic Guv’nah; let’s not point fingers at the WNBA and NBA before looking in the very mirror of sports and aging venues and philosophies in the Commonwealth.