Mikel Brown Jr.: "I really didn't have a favorite player. If you would say that I had a favorite player growing up, I was a big Bron guy just because he's the greatest. Besides Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan is my GOAT in my book. But yeah, I mean, I learned from all the guards and all the greats. You too, obviously. Like you guys, I can learn a lot from. Your footwork. I think both of you all have tremendous footwork. So trying to take that away from you all. Then you go to the guards. I was a big Steve Nash guy growing up. Big Rajon Rondo guy and a big CP3 guy growing up."YouTubeThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: If you would say that I had a favorite player growing

DAZN will become the exclusive digital home of the MSG and YES networks this fall, in a breakthrough announcement Wednesday that is a likely precursor to deals with seven more NBA teams in the coming days and weeks. While paying undisclosed rights fees and sharing advertising revenue, DAZN will stream all non-national game broadcasts for MSGs Knicks, Rangers, Islanders, Devils and Sabres and YES Networks Yankees and Nets -- effectively a takeover of the entire Gotham Sports direct to consumer app.Sports Business JournalThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: DAZN will become the exclusive digital home of the MSG

The Atlanta Falcons took the field for their first official training camp practice under head coach Kevin Stefanski on Wednesday. While it was a good first step, the team is dealing with some crucial injuries at the game's most important position.In today's Falcons Wire Recap, quarterback injuries overshadow the start of training camp, Atlanta is ranked among the NFL's most-cursed franchises, we look at some highlights from Wednesday's practice and examine the team's flurry of roster moves. QB injuries overshadow Day 1 of Falcons training campFalcons fans were hoping to see the start of an intense training camp battle for the starting quarterback job, but neither Michael Penix nor Tua Tagovailoa were fully healthy to begin practice. Penix has yet to be cleared for contract but participated in 7-on-7 drills. As for Tua, he sat out with an undisclosed issue (reportedly a back injury). That left undrafted free agent Jack Strand to take the majority of 11-on-11 reps. Atlanta also released Trevor Siemian, which brings us to our next point. | READ MOREFalcons sign QB, place 4 players on PUP listThe Falcons released Siemian before practice and signed veteran quarterback Cooper Rush to the roster. That wasn't all, though. The team placed four players -- Jawaan Taylor, Billy Bowman, DeAngelo Malone and Troy Andersen -- on the PUP list. Atlanta also placed defensive lineman Zach Harrison and Anterio Thompson on the non-football injury list (NFI). All six players can be activated before camp ends and still technically count against the 90-man roster. | READ MOREFalcons training camp highlights: Day 1Day 1 in the books pic.twitter.com/BW69z0Uq06 Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) July 29, 2026#Falcons QBs Michael Penix Jr., Jack Strand and Cooper Rush doing individual drills pic.twitter.com/zy19R4gbly Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) July 29, 2026Falcons ranked among NFL's most-cursed teamsGiven the way training camp has started, it's tough to argue that this team is poised for a big breakthrough this season from the NFC's longest-running playoff drought.According to Bleacher Report, Atlanta is one of the NFL's 11 most-cursed franchises, coming in at No. 6 on their list."They suffered arguably the most extreme big-game choke in modern sports history in the 2016 Super Bowl, and they haven't won a division title since then," wrote Brad Gagnon. "They've won just six playoff games this century They're still stuck in a slump of eight consecutive losing seasons, and only a handful of teams have worse Super Bowl odds this summer." | READ MOREFormer Falcons WR signing with PanthersThe Carolina Panthers are expected to sign former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Casey Washington, according to a report from Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer. Washington, a former sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, spent the last two seasons in Atlanta but played sparingly. Despite appearing in 15 games, Washington recorded just seven career catches for 108 receiving yards. On the bright side, all seven of those catches went for first downs. At 25 years old, he still has some upside. Washington will help replace Panthers rookie Chris Brazzell. The Falcons will return for their first open camp practice this Friday at IBM Performance Field. This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons Recap: Training camp highlights, QB news, roster moves

Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn ImagesNBC is introducing flex scheduling to Sunday Night Baseball, marking what appears to be the first time the long-running package has changed its nationally televised matchups after the schedule was announced.On Sunday, Aug. 30, rather than replacing the matchup entirely, NBC is simply swapping the time slots of its two nationally televised games. Cincinnati Reds-Chicago Cubs, previously scheduled to air at 3 p.m., will now air at 7 p.m. Houston Astros-New York Mets, originally announced for primetime, will move to 3 p.m.A week later, on Sunday, Sept. 6, NBC has flexed out Toronto Blue Jays-Kansas City Royals in favor of Chicago White Sox-Minnesota Twins. The new game will air at 6 p.m. on NBCSN and Peacock, with Blue Jays-Royals returning to each teams local networks.The changes also represent a departure from how ESPN handled the package during its 35-year run. ESPN held the rights to Sunday Night Baseball from 1990 to 2025. Under ESPN, especially in recent years, the network would announce games the month before they were scheduled to be played. July games, for example, would be announced in June.NBC took a different approach, announcing its full schedule before the season began. That has led to some duds, especially later in the season. On Labor Day, for example, NBC will air the St. Louis Cardinals-San Francisco Giants game. That seemed like a great matchup entering the season, but the Cardinals are currently a game under .500, and the Giants are 17 games under .500.Still, Sunday Night Baseball has been a strong draw for NBC overall. Last weeks New York Yankees-Philadelphia Phillies matchup averaged 3.2 million viewers on NBC. That is the fifth game this season on NBC to average more than 3 million viewers. On ESPN, from 2021 to 2025, not a single regular-season game averaged more than 3 million viewers. Yankees-Washington Nationals on Opening Day in 2020, which averaged 4.1 million viewers, was the last regular-season game to reach that mark.So even though NBC has scheduled some late-season duds, its overall strategy for Sunday Night Baseball appears to be paying off.The post NBC makes first flex scheduling changes to Sunday Night Baseball appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Kovac on Cerezo: Thats just how it is during preseasonOf course we want to win games like this, especially since there were so many BVB fans in attendance. But to be honest, we have to admit that today we saw a team made up of U19 and U23 players, with only a few first team players. We simply lack that instinctive chemistry. Our opponent is already a bit further along. Unfortunately, we werent able to bring the quality weve shown in training over the last few days onto the field today. The national team players will be back for the next game. Its just part of preseason that things dont always go smoothly every now and then.Niko Kovac: It was a good test for the young team. The lads wont be playing together in this lineup all that often. Thats just how it is during preseason after a major tournament. The national team players are joining us one after another. Still, you never want to lose games, no matter the circumstances. Nevertheless, I have to give the team credit today. Physically, they held their own; in terms of play, we still have room for improvement. Substituting Filippo Mane was a precautionary measure. He came off because he thought something might happen, and that was the right call.Alex Meyer: Of course, we were already familiar with the conditions from previous years, but when youre back out on the field here and have to hold your own against a strong opponent, it really took a lot out of us. In the second half, we got into the game better and had some good chances. I think a draw would have been deserved in the end, but the ball just wouldnt go in. The people here are very positive and very friendly toward us. Many are Dortmund fans. We already experienced that two years ago.

Defeat in Japan: BVB lose to Cerezo OsakaAfter two intense days of cultural activities and an open training session, Borussia Dortmund faced Cerezo Osaka. World Cup participants Felix Nmecha, Waldemar Anton, Maximilian Beier, Daniel Svensson, and Carney Chukwuemeka who had joined preseason training late were part of the traveling squad but were not included in the game roster due to their delayed arrival. For the hosts, former Borussian player Shinji Kagawa led the team onto the field as captain.The 25,000 spectators could see right from the start that Cerezo was a step ahead in their preseason preparations. Shortly after kickoff, Filippo Mane slid in to take the ball away from Osakas Solomon Sakuragawa. Dortmunds defense was kept busy in the opening stages, and goalkeeper Alex Meyer and Almugera Kabar initially kept the score at 0-0. But in the eighth minute, their resistance was broken: Sakuragawa headed in a corner kick that was unstoppable to make it 1-0.After conceding the goal, BVB began to control the game more. Justin Lerma had his first dangerous shot on goal: however, the new signing curled the ball just past the right post (15th minute). It was the first good chance, but it came to nothing. Shortly afterward, Serhou Guirassy was unable to capitalize on a nice layoff from Takato Yamamoto. The Japanese player had joined BVB from Gamba Osaka just a few weeks earlier.Instead, it was Cerezo again: Around the half-hour mark, Kagawa drove the ball forward. However, Filippo Mane and Kabar shut down the lively Sakuragawa. Mane was unable to continue after that play and was replaced by Jan-Luca Riedl. Before halftime, BVB had two more chances: Yamamotos shot from the edge of the penalty area was blocked (36th minute). Four minutes later, Guirassy had a very good chance, but his shot rolled just wide to the left. Following a quick attack, Yamamoto had once again set up the striker.BVB started the second half without making any substitutions. And once again, it was Cerezo that looked fresher in the sweltering temperatures of around 30 degrees. Yumeki Yokoyama appeared in front of the goal: Yan Couto deflected his acrobatic shot as he turned. In the 58th minute, it was Yokoyama again, but he posed no problems for Meyer.After an hour, BVB coach Niko Kovac brought eight new players into the game; only Meyer and Joane Gadou from the starting lineup remained on the field. One of the new players: Fabio Silva. The striker crossed into the middle in the 68th minute but found no one to receive it. The Borussians continued to lack precision in possession, and the final pass often failed to connect.Silva squandered the Black and Yellows best chance of the second half when the ball landed at his feet following a miscommunication by Cerezos. However, his shot at the near post was blocked at the last second (84th minute). Osaka remained the more dangerous team and had the opportunity to extend their lead with two free kicks shortly before the endbut failed to capitalize on them. Seconds before the final whistle, Romeo Ritter headed the ball into the net, but the goal was disallowed due to a narrow offside call. In the end, the score remained 01 from BVBs perspective.Onward to TokyoThe final whistle brought the Osaka chapter to a close after three eventful days of training, cultural activities, and soccer. Immediately after the game, the team headed to the airport, bound for Tokyo. In the Japanese capital, more cultural activities and a public training session await before they face FC Tokyo on August 1. Kickoff is at 19:00 JST (12:00 CEST), live on BVB-TV, Sky, and DAZN.CEREZO OSAKA BORUSSIA DORTMUND 10 (10)Friendly Match BVB: Meyer Couto (60. Mirza), Gadou, Mane (35. Riedl), Reggiani (60. Ritter), Kabar (60. dos Santos) Yamamoto (60 Adje), Bellingham (60 Azhil), Lerma (60 Wessels), Inacio (60 Albert) Guirassy (60 Silva)

The Yankees continue their push toward the top of the AL East on Wednesday night when they visit the first-place White Sox in a matchup between two American League contenders.Jul 27, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice (22) runs after hitting an RBI-single against the Chicago White Sox during the seventh inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn ImagesHow to Watch Yankees vs White SoxDate: Wednesday, July 29, 2026Time: 7:40 PM ETTV Channel: PrimeStream: Prime Video (try for free)The New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox meet Wednesday, July 29, at Rate Field in Chicago, with first pitch scheduled for 7:40 PM ET. New York enters the matchup at 61-46, sitting 1.5 games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East, while Chicago is 55-51 and holds first place in a tightly packed AL Central. The Yankees have won two straight and seven of their last 10, while the White Sox enter on a two-game losing streak.Live stream Yankees vs White Sox with Prime VideoCam Schlittler is scheduled to start for New York, bringing a 10-6 record, 2.07 ERA and 157 strikeouts into Wednesdays game. Chicago is set to counter with Davis Martin, who is 9-5 with a 3.49 ERA and 100 strikeouts. Schlittler has allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his four July starts, giving the Yankees a strong option on the mound as they look to keep gaining ground in the division race.Live stream Yankees vs White Sox on Prime Video: Start your free trial now!With Prime Video, you can watch live television without cable on your phone, TV, or tablet. They carry a wide array of sports and entertainment channels, as well as much more. The best part is you can try it out today for free.Regional restrictions may apply. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The Minnesota Twins placed center fielder Byron Buxton on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday with a right hip impingement.Buxton, who has battled soreness in his right hip most of the season, left Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Kansas City Royals in the fifth inning. The 32-year-old Buxton spent 15 days on the IL earlier this month with a similar injury. He was unable to play in the All-Star Game after being voted as one of the American League's starting outfielders.In 82 games this season, Buxton is hitting .263 with 25 homers and 45 RBIs. However, he hasn't homered since June 22, and hit .160 with no extra-base hits in seven games since returning from his first IL stint.In a corresponding move, the Twins recalled infielder Tristan Gray from Triple-A St. Paul.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

DETROIT, MI - JULY 26: Randy Dobnak #62 of the Kansas City Royals looks on from the dugout during the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on July 26, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. The Royals defeated the Tigers 5-4. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty ImagesAfter a blown save ruined game one of the series, the Royals head back onto the field to face the Twins again this evening. It is still fun to watch games, but the looming trade deadline is really the star of this week unless it continues to be near radio silence across the league. The injury train keeps rolling in KC as well, with Vinnie Pasquantino going back on the IL with wrist soreness. Luckily for the Royals, they have their ace going tonight. Since joining Kansas City, Randy Dobnak has only given up 3 runs across four outings for a sparkling 1.42 ERA. He certainly wont keep that up over the long-term, but hopefully he can keep it rolling for tonight. It will be frequent foe Joe Ryan going for Minnesota.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 29: Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates in the dugout after hitting a two run home run during the sixth inning against the New York Mets during game one of a doubleheader at Citi Field on July 29, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesAtlanta Braves vs New York Mets series finale. Once again, the Braves are in a position where theyre trying to avoid a sweep. Can they do it and score the runs they need with Chris Sale on the mound?First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. E.T.LineupsPreview