Before we talk about Day 2 of Tennessee Titans training camp, let's clean up with three quick quotes from Day 1:"The trenches lead the team," said Jeffery Simmons."The team goes as we go," said John Franklin-Myers."Ahhh... (expletive) Jeff Simmons," a Titans offensive coach watching from the sideline as the All-Pro defensive tackle blows up a screen play.Expectations on the Titans' defensive front are huge. Simmons is arguably the best interior defensive lineman in the league, and the Titans paid him like it. If Franklin-Myers is Simmons' sidekick, he's the NFL's second-highest-paid sidekick at that position coming off back-to-back seven-sack seasons and six straight years with 40 or more quarterback pressures. The supporting cast includes talented top-60 draft picks (Keldric Faulk, Femi Oladejo), veterans of coach Robert Saleh's scheme (Jordan Elliott, Jacob Martin) and guys who fit both categories (Jermaine Johnson II, Solomon Thomas).It's the strength of the team, full stop. And it's a peculiar strength at that. Maybe the best way to think about it is to think about cat toys.You know those cat toys that are essentially just feathery strings dangling off of rods? If you lay the rod flat and slither it around the floor, your cat's going to chase the string. But not just chase. It's here where the phrase "cat-like reflexes" really does its work. It's less like the cat is moving with the string and more like the cat is moving with the rod. See toy, get toy. There's no doubt, no second-guessing, no delayed reaction. The first sign of movement is the only sign of movement.Why bring this up? Because Titans defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton uses a device eerily similar to this sort of cat toy to simulate snap counts in individual drills. He gets down low and drags a rod that brings a string along with it, and that's the sign for players to get off and go upfield. See string, chase string. A drill concept so simple that Mittens, Whiskers and Fluffy could figure it out.But this might be the core of why Saleh's defenses work. It's not about reading or reacting. It's all attack, all the time. Spend five minutes watching a Whitecotton-run drill and you'll hear a nonstop barrage of grunts, thuds, lessons, taunts and commands. Whitecotton has something to say about every rep, and his players do too. Simmons, unsurprisingly, is the ringleader. On one rep on July 30, Simmons plowed through his blocking dummy so decisively that he bowled over Bill Walsh Coaching Fellow Malik Davis too. Then Simmons got up and taunted Davis and the dummy for about 15 seconds until he got to take another rep.If the Titans accomplish anything in 2026, it's going to be because Simmons and his position mates are capable of doing things like that in a defense where they'll be encouraged to do things like that. Johnson, who was a Pro Bowler under Saleh with the New York Jets, says the two main philosophies are to keep things simple and to keep things stupid. Don't overthink. Don't overcomplicate. Get off the ball faster than your opponent. Go through them or go around them. Swarm. Pursue. Dominate.It's a little early to talk about the "dominate" aspect there. The pads aren't even on, and the offensive line is working through some questions. But this combination of top-end talent, diversified depth and so-easy-a-house-cat-can-do-it approach looks every bit the part early on.Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick atnsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X@nicksuss. Subscribe to theTalkin Titans newsletterfor updates sent directly to your inbox.This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What's going to make Jeffery Simmons and the Titans' D-line great? It's already visible

With training camp underway, the Indianapolis Colts announced an addition at wide receiver on Thursday.The Colts are signing undrafted free agent Liam Clifford.Listed at 6-1, 200 pounds, Clifford took part in the Colts' rookie minicamp earlier this offseason as a tryout candidate. we have signed undrafted free agent WR Liam Clifford. Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) July 30, 2026He went undrafted this past April after playing in college for Penn State. Over four seasons, he caught 42 passes for 530 yards with one touchdown. The bulk of his career snaps came from the slot, according to PFF, although he has outside experience as well.To go along with his contributions at wideout, Clifford played 204 career special teams snaps as well, which includes scoring a touchdown last season on a blocked punt.No corresponding roster move was announced.Colts wide receiver depth chartAlec PierceJosh DownsAshton DulinNick Westbrook-IkhineLaquon TreadwellAnthony GouldDeion BurksColeman OwenEli PancolRaylen SharpeSahmir HagansEJ HortonLiam CliffordThis article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts make signing at wide receiver with training camp underway

A good jacket should offer both comfort and style. That is why Kurtka Trapstar has become a popular choice among streetwear fans. It combines premium materials with a bold design. The jacket is suitable for everyday wear and different weather conditions. Its modern appearance makes it easy to include in casual outfits. People who enjoy urban fashion often choose this jacket because it...

The coach of the reigning national champs threw a not-so-subtle jab at his neighbors to the south to close out Big Ten Media Days from Chicago

The Atlanta Braves will be facing the Washington Nationals this evening and it will be a clash between two teams that are in the top three in runs scored for the month of July.A lot has gone wrong with star players for the Braves this year, and the month of June as atrocious, but overall the Braves offense has been one of the best in MLB, even factoring in injuries and underperformance from players like Austin Riley and Mike Yastrzemski.The Braves lineup is now as healthy as it has been all season. Of course some players are on the IL, but there was never a time this season where everyone was healthy. The biggest question recently before the lineup drops is now typically if Drake Baldwin will be the DH, and who will play LF. This late in the season, and before the trade deadline, lineups get pretty predictable.That is not the case today. Austin Riley is getting a much needed night off with Mauricio Dubn playing 3B.The Braves lineup will be facing Jake Irvin who handled them with ease in May. In that game Irvin limited the Braves to one hit and zero runs over 5.0 innings of work. That being said there are a couple of players who have had success against him in the past. Michael Harris has twenty-two at-bats against Irvin and has maintained a .318 average, and Matt Olson has a .812 OPS in nineteen at-bats. It is interesting to see Albies hitting so high in the lineup since he has been in a bit of a slump since the All-Star break with a wRC+ forty-two percent below average against righties and has also struggled to an OPS of .435 against Irvin in fifteen career at-bats. To likely the surprise of many, the National are easily MLBs best offense this season. They have continued that throughout July as well, having scored the most runs yet again. Grant Holmes was able to pitch well against them in May when he held them to two earned runs while striking out ten in five innings of work. No one on the Nationals has more than seven at-bats against Holmes, but a few have had success in their limited sample size. James Wood has a HR and an OPS of 1.500 in four ABs, Jorbit Vivas has a HR and 1.850 OPS in four ABs, and Dylan Crews has a HR and 1.833 OPS in three ABs.Holmes has his work cut out for him today. Hopefully he can get more run support than the offense provided those that pitched in New York recently.First pitch is at 7:15 EDT.

Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn ImagesThe National Womens Soccer League has become the latest rightsholder to walk away from Victory+, continuing a difficult stretch for the free streaming service amid ongoing financial problems.Beginning Sunday, Aug. 2, all NWSL matches scheduled to air on Victory+ will instead air for free on NWSL+. The agreement came to a halt after the streamer missed a rights payment to the league, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to Awful Announcing. The Athletic first reported that the agreement ended because of missed rights payments.The NWSL did not comment on the reason for the termination of the deal. Victory+ was scheduled to air 57 NWSL matches during the 2026 season, primarily on Sunday nights.Five clubs Bay FC, Washington Spirit, Orlando Pride, Gotham FC and Angel City FC also had separate region-locked local deals with Victory+. Two of those teams Bay FC, and Orlando Pride announced that those agreements had also been terminated and would move to NWSL+.A club spokesman for Gotham FC confirmed the team has also terminated its agreement, with an official announcement expected Friday.NWSL+ streams through the NWSL app and at nwslsoccer.com. On smart TVs, the app is available on Apple TV, Roku, and Fire TV. That is somewhat more limited than Victory+, which also has apps on LG, Samsung, Vizio, and Google TV.The NWSL is the third major agreement that Victory+ has lost in recent weeks. On July 15, the Texas Rangers announced they were moving their direct-to-consumer streaming service from Victory+ to BZZR. Later that same day, Sports Business Journal reported that the Anaheim Ducks had also ended their agreement.Sports Business Journal also reported that Victory+ has struggled to secure additional financing since February 2026 and has missed several rights payments. At one point, Victory+ was viewed as a major player in acquiring additional local rights following the shutdown of the FanDuel Sports Network regional sports networks.Despite the recent departures, Victory+ continues to operate and still has several local rights agreements. The Dallas Stars, which founded the streamer, have not announced any changes. The streaming service continues to promote its agreement to air Texas University Interscholastic League high school football and still has local agreements with the WNBAs Minnesota Lynx and Atlanta Dream.The post Victory+ loses NWSL rights amid ongoing financial troubles appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesGoalkeeper Marc-Andr ter Stegen is expected to travel to Amsterdam in the next couple of days to complete his signing for Ajax. The German has been a part of FC Barcelona for 12 years now, though he spent last season at loan to Girona FC.Reports say the deal will be a loan for one year in which the Catalan club will cover around 90% of the keepers salary. Ter Stegen has a deal with Barcelona until 2028, but many experts expect that he will not return to play for the club again.The long-rumored deal was held up by tax issues, where both the keeper and Ajax said another party should assume responsibility. In the end, Bara assumed that cost as well.Therefore, Ter Stegen will not travel with Barcelona to play in their preseason matches and will instead undergo a medical in the Netherlands before being officially announced as a new player for Ajax.

Jul 30, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Michigan Football head coach Kyle Wittingham speaks during Big Ten Media Days at Hilton Chicago. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectMichigan head coach Kyle Whittingham took the podium at Big Ten Media Days for the very first time on Thursday in Chicago, offering insight into his quarterback, the culture hes trying to build, and his vision for the Wolverines entering the 2026 season.While Whittingham touched on a variety of topics, three themes stood out to me.Whittingham is confident in his QBWhittingham made it clear he believes sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood has all the tools to become one of the nations elite signal callers. After winning nine games as a true freshman in 2025, Underwood entered the offseason with lofty expectations. Whittingham acknowledged those expectations last year may have been unrealistic given Underwoods age and lack of college experience, but he also emphasized the progress the former five-star has made since the new staff arrived.First of all, I think the expectations might have been a little high for him last year, Whittingham said. He just turned 18 years old, true freshman, thrust into the starting role of the Michigan Wolverines.Hes got everything you want: 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, runs about a 4.6 40. Has a cannon for an arm, throws well on the move. He has a very high ceiling. It think hes going to turn out to be a very successful quarterback at Michigan.Whittingham also revealed where the coaching staff has focused its attention this offseason, citing improvements in Underwoods footwork, pocket presence and progression reads. More notably, Whittingham hinted that the offense will be built around maximizing Underwoods athleticism.One thing about Bryce, he does a really good job of throwing accurate balls on the move, Whittingham said. Weve got to make sure we as coaches structure that in, change the launch point for him. Also involve him in the run game. Hes a very capable runner. A lot of what we did with Devon Dampier last year at Utah is what youre going to see Bryce doing this year.That could be one of the biggest things weve heard this offseason about how offensive coordinator Jason Beck plans to run Michigans offense in 2026.Michigan wont abandon its identityAlthough Whittingham hinted at a more dynamic offense with Underwood under center, he also made it clear Michigans physical identity isnt changing. Asked what type of defense succeeds in the Big Ten, Whittingham quickly pivoted to what he believes wins football games regardless of conference.You better be able to stop the run, he said. To me, that is universal in football. The key to playing great defense is turn a team one-dimensional by taking away the run, getting them in third-and-long, and when theyre in third-and-long, get after the quarterback. Its a pretty simple equation. That will be no different here at Michigan.Whittingham then pointed to Utahs success last season, where the Utes finished No. 2 in the country in rushing offense. That is the type of offensive formula he intends to bring to Ann Arbor.Conversely, we have to be able to run the football, he said. Last year at the place I was, University of Utah, we were second in the nation running the football. If you run the football and defend the run, your chances of success go way up, so I think thats going to be a key.That philosophy has long defined Whittinghams coaching career and aligns with Michigans traditional blueprint for success.Stability is just as important as winsWhittingham inherited a program that has spent much of the last two seasons dealing with coaching changes, investigations and off-field distractions. Throughout the press conference, he repeatedly returned to one message: its time for Michigan to get back to playing football.The players at Michigan right now, theyre hungry and ready to get back in a season, Whittingham said. Theyve been through a lot in the last four or five years. Hopefully we can put the drama to bed and just get back to being student-athletes and having a great college experience.Later, when asked what stability could mean for a program that still managed to win nine games last season, Whittingham praised the resilience of his players.Winning nine games under the circumstances really speaks to who they are as young men, their character, their ability to focus and handle adversity, Whittingham said.Rather than dwell on the controversies that preceded his arrival, Whittingham emphasized academics, recruiting and football as the priorities moving forward. The goal moving forward is to eliminate distractions, establish consistency and hopefully see results follow.What things stood out to you during Whittinghams time with the media in Chicago? Let us know down in the comments section.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 29: Andy Pages #44 of the Los Angeles Dodgers rounds the bases on a solo home run during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Dodger Stadium on July 29, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesPerhaps no starting pitcher on the Mariners staff better represents the drop-off from last season than Bryan Woo, the starter the Dodgers will be facing in this series finale. Despite similar underlying numbers, including a lower FIP than he had a year ago, Woo hasnt delivered as the ace he established himself as, posting back-to-back seasons with an ERA under 3.00 in 2024 and 2025.Against Luis Castillo and Emerson Hancock in the first two games of this series, getting people on hasnt been a problemthe issue has been driving them in, at least as efficiently as the Dodgers would like. With just one walk, the Dodgers stopped at four runs on 11 hits in last nights win; the difference is that, unlike Justin Wrobleski, who gave up homers like they were candy, Eric Lauer was able to shut down Seattle for a low-scoring win. High among the list of problems for Woo in 2026 has been his inability to strand base runners, with a LOB% cratering from an 80.4% mark a year ago to 63.1% this season.Seeking consistency, Roki Sasaki returns to Dodger Stadium having been absolutely phenomenal on a road trip through New York, allowing a single earned run in 12.2 innings against the Mets and Yankees. That run came on a long ball, exactly whats plagued Sasaki in his worst moments of the season and the driving force behind Seattles win on Tuesday.Thursdays game infoTeams: Dodgers vs. MarinersBallpark: Dodger Stadium, Los AngelesStart time: 7:10 p.m. PTTV: SportsNet LARadio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Streetwear has become one of the biggest fashion movements in recent years. People want clothing that feels comfortable and looks stylish. Trapstar UK has earned a strong reputation by offering both. The brand combines premium materials with bold designs that stand out. Its collections appeal to fashion lovers who value originality and quality. Today, Trapstar UK continues to influence...