Andres Nocioni: As arival Kobe Bryant would kill you, hewas a serial killer,very competitive. I imagine he must have been theclosest thing to Jordan in thatmindset,because I played against LeBron James.LeBron seems to me to be top two, top three in theNBA, one of the best,but I don't know if he has whatKobe and Jordan had. They were serial killers,a certain mindset.And I think LeBron is a total star,but I don't know if he has thatkiller mentality.YouTubeThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Andres Nocioni: LeBron James doesn't have the killer mentality Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant had

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer has a chance to be the first Sooner quarterback since Josh Heupel in 2000 to win a national championship. This comes after Mateer elected to return to Norman rather than pursue an NFL career.Mateer had a down year in his first year in Norman. He completed 62.2% of his passes for 2,885 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, while rushing for 431 yards and eight scores. This comes after leading college football in 2024 at Washington State with 44 total touchdowns.But there is some optimism for Mateer as the Sooners revamped the playmakers around him. It's due to those new players that ESPN's Greg McElroy believes Mateer could be in for a bounce-back season."He had to do a lot of it on his own," McElroy said on 'Always College Football.' "The run game last year was not what you were looking for. I mean, Venables even described it as not good. So, they go out and hire a great running backs coach who helped develop Ashton Jeanty and Jeremiyah Love... They upgraded the receiver room with Parker Livinstone from Texas and Trell Harris from Virginia. Remember those two names. I think those two names will be really good."Mateer's 2025 season showed the challenges of transitioning to the SEC, especially when an offense lacks consistent playmakers around its quarterback. This season should look much different. Oklahoma has improved its running back room, added more weapons at receiver and returns an offensive line that gained valuable experience last season.If Mateer can return to the form he showed at Washington State while limiting the mistakes he made in his first season with the Sooners, Oklahoma could have one of the most dangerous offenses in the SEC. With Brent Venables' defense already playing at a championship level, a confident and productive Mateer could be the missing piece that turns the Sooners from a playoff team into a legitimate national title contender. Contact/Follow us@SoonersWireon X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page onFacebookto follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.You can also follow Jaron on X@jaronspor.This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: ESPN CFB reveals why Sooners' John Mateer will have bounce-back season

The Detroit Tigers took the second of their three-game road series against the Athletics with an 8-6 win on Saturday night. Max Clark hit his first major league home run and Framber Valdez threw a quality start, but the bullpen almost gave another one away in the late innings.Looking to seal the sweep in Sacramento, the Motor City Kitties send right-hander Keider Montero to the mound. The 26-year-olds last outing against the Baltimore Orioles was a dud, serving up six runs (four earned) on nine hits (one home run) and a walk while striking out one and hitting a batter over 4 1/3 innings to earn his sixth loss of 2026 in an 8-5 final. For the As, left-hander Gage Jump will be making the 13th start of his rookie campaign coming off one of his better outings of the summer. At home against the Boston Red Sox, the 23-year-old threw six scoreless frames on three hits and four walks while striking out seven to earn his fourth win in a 4-3 final. Here is how things look on paper heading into the series finale on Sunday afternoon. Detroit Tigers(53-58) vs.Athletics(44-66)Time (ET):4:05 p.m.Place:Sutter Health Park, Sacramento, CaliforniaSB Nation Site:Athletics NationMedia: Detroit SportsNet,MLB.TV,Tigers Radio NetworkGame 112: RHP Keider Montero (7-6,3.34 ERA) vs. LHP Gage Jump(4-6,4.00 ERA)PlayerGIPK%BB%GB%FIPfWARMontero23110.117.85.241.43.712.1Jump1263.025.59.440.63.731.1MONTEROJUMP

MIAMI GARDENS The Miami Dolphins are progressing toward their first practice of training camp in pads Monday.Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley, ahead of Sundays fourth practice of camp, appreciates how the practice setting is getting closer to how the game is truly played.I think the game changes when pads come on, Hafley said.He mentioned that coaches can get a true assessment of linemen blocking and shedding blocks at the line of scrimmage.It becomes way more real, Hafley said. I do think you need to have that physicality and you need to callous your body, allow your body to get used to that physical contact.He wants to see who can tackle and who can break tackles, especially teaching proper technique when it comes to tackling.How do you do that if you dont practice it and get it on tape and evaluate it? Hafley said.In front of fansBefore Mondays padded practice, Sunday was the Dolphins first practice in front of fans.I think its great for our players, Hafley said. I think its good to get them in an environment where people are watching. It changes the energy, gives them some juice.Hafley plans to keep his practice format the same in front of fans. In the past, rookies have been sent out at the start of drills to hype up the crowd, but that wasnt something on his mind entering the days drills.Hopefully we hype them up by the way we make plays, Hafley said. Im focused on getting better (Sunday).But he added that if players want to do something for the fans, theyre welcome.Hafley called Sundays practice a medium intensity day.This story will be updated.

Last season, the Houston Texans featured one of the league's top defenses, ranking top-10 in nearly every statistical category. Perhaps their biggest win was keeping opponents at bay, as they allowed 20 points or less in 12 regular-season games.Nine starters returned from the No. 1-ranked unit, but Houston needed to find a replacement for the interchangeable Denico Autry on the defensive line. Tampa Bay's defensive end Logan Hall played a role similar to Autry's during his four seasons with the Buccaneers, collecting 10 sacks, 101 tackles, including 15 for loss, and 23 quarterback hits.Hall signed a two-year, $13.75 million contract this offseason with Houston and is already through the early stages of camp; he seems to be coming along the defensive line. Logan has done a good job with just working himself back to getting out to playing football. He had surgery in the offseason, so hes been doing a good job of working with our guys on the side and now getting integrated back to football," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. "He just has to get used to the techniques and the things were asking the defensive line to do.Houston will be looking for Hall to live up to his expectations coming out of college.A second-round draft pick of the University of Houston, Hall put up 6.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss in his final season of college.Asked DeMeco Ryans about the vision and plan for DL Logan Hall in Texans defense. pic.twitter.com/r84wwpdmBq Landry Locker (@LandryLocker) August 1, 2026While his tenure in Tampa started off slowly, Hall has flashed improvements in his craft over the last two seasons. According to Pro Football Focus, he ranked in the top 40 among defensive linemen last season.The biggest transition for Hall will be playing in a new-look front. With the Buccaneers, he played a 3-4 defensive end, which usually sets the tone of against the run, working between guards and tackles. With the Texans, he'll play a tweener-type role, going back and forth between reps at defensive ends on early downs before shifting inside to more of an interior pass-rusher on third down pass-rushing sets.Matt Burke on Logan Hall:Were not going to limit his role. Whatever he can handle, well let him handle. Excited for him, I was excited when we signed him. I was really high on him in the draft when he came out 4 years ago when I was in Arizona. Theres a lot of potential, pic.twitter.com/0ALx3mtucD Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) July 31, 2026 "As we know, its a completely different scheme from what hes used to, so itll take some time for him to get caught up with what were doing," Ryans siad. "Well see how he continues to grow with that, but hes done a great job in his first four days."The Texans are a good landing spot for Hall. He will have the chance to learn behind some of the best defenders in the game, including Houstons dynamic duo Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. Hall could also prove to be a valuable depth piece as the season goes on, something needed for a line that lost arguably its best No. 3 pass-rusher in Derek Barnett this offseason. This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: DeMeco Ryans says new Texans DE Logan Hall has performed well in training camp

NEW YORK I sat across from Ron Darling in the media dining room not long after the ceremony at Citi Field honoring the 1986 Mets on Saturday. Just about the whole crew was there, although I needed to check the names on the jerseys to recognize a couple of them.Its been 40 years. Everyone is older and softer now. No matter. The nostalgia brought me right back to a more innocent time in Flushing, even if Citi Field was barely half full.Thats what saddened me. It wasnt so much seeing Ray Knight in a wheelchair pushed by Howard Johnson. Or that Bobby Ojeda appeared to be limping. Or that Davey Johnson, Gary Carter and Buddy Harrelson, all deceased, had to be represented by family members. Its that a reunion like this shouldve been a sell-out.The fact that only 30,000 fans showed up spoke volumes about how far the Mets, 47-65, have fallen this season. They lost another meaningless game to the Marlins, but the sense of melancholy ran deeper than that.It was what Darling said over lunch that stayed with me on the drive home.Its like we were doing a necrology update during the ceremony, Darling said. Next time we have a reunion, there might be a half-dozen of us who wont be there.Darling is right. One by one, year by year, the 86 legacy will fade. The process has already begun. Sure, folks will always talk about Mookie Wilsons ground ball trickling through Bill Buckners legs and the miracle comeback against the Red Sox in the World Series. But fewer people will be around who actually saw it happen.Im one of them. Of the reporters who covered the 86 Mets, Im the last whos still working full time. Dan Castellano (Star-Ledger), Marty Noble (Newsday) and Joe Durso (New York Times) have died. The others have retired or are writing part-time as freelancers.Ive been around long enough to watch baseball and New York become almost unrecognizable since 1986. That includes how talent was evaluated (no advanced analytics), how players spoke (unfiltered), how games were reported (by the tabloids), and how the sport was consumed by fans (without social media).The entire city was on a first-name basis with the Mets. Lenny Dykstra was Nails. Gary Carter was Kid. Keith Hernandez was Mex. Doc Gooden and Darryl Strawberry were of course, you know.Few teams in New York have had such a close relationship with their fan bases. And for good reason: The Mets were the glory boys back then, a roster full of charismatic characters who loved seeing their names in the papers.As a reporter, you only had to keep your eyes and ears open. Something was bound to come your way. Of all the Mets from that golden era, Dykstra was the most entertaining. He was reckless, fearless, and consumed with rumors and innuendo.But Dykstra also had a short attention span. He was honest, too, never bothering to hide his impatience with the interview process.Lenny, you got some time this morning? I asked one morning.Puffing on a cigarette, Dykstra answered, Dude, you know Ive got nothing to say.Lenny, people want to read about you, I replied.Dude, youve asked me all the questions before, Dykstra said. Ive given you all the answers. You know what Im going to say. So go ahead and write the interview. What you say I said, I said. I trust ya, dude.And with a friendly pat on the shoulder, Dykstra would leave me with an empty notebook.I miss Davey Johnson, who was so sure of himself that he gave the Mets complete freedom of speech. He ripped the players in the papers. They ripped him right back. Johnson loved the tabloids because he knew the big headlines irritated his boss, general manager Frank Cashen. The Mets took their cue from Johnson, especially Strawberry.Today, he is a minister, sober and in control of his addictions. Forty years ago, Strawberry was volatile and unpredictable. Fans either loved him or loathed him, but they all wanted to know what he was like.Like most star athletes, Strawberry was as self-centered then as he is humble today. But what was most fascinating was Strawberrys friendship not with Gooden, but with Darling.Darling, who attended Yale, was the Robert Redford of the big leagues: handsome, intelligent, polite. Everyone assumed Darling was using baseball as a stepping stone to politics. Hence, outsiders tried to force themselves into Darlings personal life. They figured he was their ticket to bigger and better things maybe even Hollywood.Strawberry wasnt one of the hangers-on. Darling trusted him because Strawberry wasnt pretentious. He had no ulterior motives. Even today, Strawberry isnt afraid to tell it like it is.When asked about the collapse of the 2026 Mets, Strawberry tore them to pieces.It takes fight to win here in New York, he said. It can be so great in New York, but thats where the human part comes in when youre building a team. Whos going to lead? Somebodys gotta take the responsibility.Strawberry was one of the main characters in the team-produced Lets Go Mets Go video. It was a four-minute production that debuted on Aug. 27 of that year. By then, the Mets had an insurmountable lead in the NL East. It was obvious they were heading straight for October.The goofy, upbeat action featured the Mets, local fans and high-profile celebrity cameos, including Tony Bennett, Howard Stern, Robert Klein, Joe Piscopo, Dr. Joyce Brothers and Mayor Ed Koch.The music, the hairstyles and the sheer audacity were pure 80s New York: pre-cell phones, pre-internet, pre-everything. MORE BY BOB KLAPISCHYankees Anthony Volpe on the bubble as trade deadline nears: Wheres he going? | KlapischJul. 31, 2026, 12:03 p.m.Yankees can survive Cody Bellinger blow with Plan B blockbuster move | KlapischJul. 27, 2026, 4:51 p.m.On Saturday, the crowd at Citi Field, beaten down by months of bad baseball, came to life. They loved the video. It got the biggest cheer of the day.Watching that video on the big Jumbotron screen in center field, I wonder how many of those Mets miss that summer of 86. I bet every single hand would be raised. Make that plus one.Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

SportsLine simulated the upcoming NFL season 10,000 times to help form your early 2026 Fantasy football draft strategy

Skubal is headed to the Dodgers and now the rest of the league will look elsewhere for rotation help

The Mercury are sending Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 second-rounder to the Sparks

Some college football teams win titles, but a different tier makes the rest of the sport look like it showed up a weight class too light. This list is about those seasons when a program didnt just win, it removed doubt for four months.This is not a greatest-programs debate. It is a single-season dominance list, weighing schedule strength, scoring margin, NFL talent and how often the game felt over by halftime.MORE: Predicting the college football 2026 preseason AP Top 25 rankingsReasonable people will fight about the order. That is half the fun.25. 1987 Miami HurricanesThe Miami Hurricanes 1987 group went 12-0, beat Florida, Florida State and Notre Dame, then closed out Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl for the national title. They outscored opponents by more than three touchdowns a game and carried the swagger that turned the program into a national touchstone. The only reason they are this low is because some later Miami editions were even more loaded.24. 2018 Clemson TigersThe Clemson Tigers finished 15-0 and handed Alabama a 44-16 beating in the College Football Playoff title game. A true freshman quarterback in Trevor Lawrence took over midseason and turned the offense into a machine, while the defensive line bullied just about everyone. The schedule was not quite as brutal as some others on this list, which nudges them toward the back end.23. 1974 Oklahoma SoonersThe 1974 Oklahoma Sooners were on probation and ineligible for bowls, which sometimes makes them easy to forget. The wishbone offense ran wild, producing an 11-0 record and nearly 500 yards of offense per game against a rugged Big Eight slate. They beat four ranked teams and won six games by at least four touchdowns.22. 1945 Army CadetsThe Army Cadets during World War II were a different animal, stocked with talent that, in other eras, would have been spread across the country. The 1945 team went 9-0 and outscored opponents 412-46, with Heisman winners Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis sharing the backfield. They posted five shutouts and won three games by at least 45 points.21. 2019 LSU TigersJoe Burrows Heisman season powered one of the great modern offenses. The LSU Tigers went 15-0, beat seven top-10 opponents and scored an FBS-record 726 total points. LSU racked up 693 yards in a 63-28 semifinal demolition of Oklahoma. The defense had leaky moments, which keeps them out of the top tier here, but nobody put together a better reel of big-game scalps in a single year.MORE: 12 most rabid, loyal fan bases in college football20. 1947 Notre Dame Fighting IrishThe 1947 Notre Dame Fighting Irish steamrolled opponents by a tally of 291-52 on the way to a 9-0 record and a national championship. The Irish enjoyed a four-year stretch from 1946-49 in which they went 46-0-2 and won three titles. The 1947 squad was the best, featuring Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Lujack. And the defense allowed just one team to score more than seven points.19. 1972 Nebraska CornhuskersThe 1971 Cornhuskers often get the lions share of the praise, but the 1972 Nebraska team was another juggernaut capping a run of dominance. Nebraska went 9-2-1 with a 40-6 Orange Bowl blasting of Notre Dame and spent much of the season ranked near the top of the polls. Over a multiyear stretch the Huskers redefined physical football, and this edition still crushed most of its schedule.18. 1994 Penn State Nittany LionsThe Penn State Nittany Lions went 12-0, averaged more than 47 points per game and still somehow did not win a consensus national championship. That went to the 13-0 Nebraska Cornhuskers. Kerry Collins, Ki-Jana Carter and Bobby Engram headlined an offense that topped 45 points six times. The defense had occasional hiccups, but nobody could keep pace for four quarters.17. 1997 Michigan WolverinesThe Michigan Wolverines 1997 title team won with suffocating defense and timely offense. Charles Woodson did everything, from locking down receivers to returning punts to catching touchdowns in big moments on his way to the Heisman Trophy. The Wolverines went 12-0, won the Rose Bowl over Washington State and finished No. 1 in the AP poll while sharing the national title with Nebraska.16. 1978 Alabama Crimson TideBear Bryants 1978 Alabama Crimson Tide went 11-1 and claimed a national title after a classic Sugar Bowl win over Penn State. The Tide allowed just 12 points per game, playing the kind of field-position game that defined the era. Their sustained excellence across the decade gives extra weight to this particular season.15. 2013 Florida State SeminolesThe Florida State Seminoles crushed people for three months, then had to rally late to beat Auburn in a wild BCS title game. The Seminoles finished 14-0, with an average margin of victory of more than 39 points. Jameis Winstons redshirt freshman season produced a Heisman Trophy and gaudy numbers, and the defense held seven opponents to single digits.14. 1956 Oklahoma SoonersThe 1956 Oklahoma Sooners were in the middle of a record 47-game winning streak that still stands. The Sooners went 10-0 and shut out six opponents. Oklahoma didnt get to play in the Orange Bowl because the then-Big Seven had a no-repeat rule that prevented a team from playing in a bowl game in consecutive years. This was old-school dominance, built on line play and a grinding run game that simply wore teams down.13. 1999 Florida State SeminolesThe 1999 Florida State Seminoles became the first team in the modern era to go wire-to-wire as No. 1 in the AP poll. They went 12-0, then beat Virginia Tech and Michael Vick in the Sugar Bowl for the national title. The offense averaged nearly 38 points per game, and the defense held seven opponents to 14 or fewer.MORE: 12 most rabid, loyal fan bases in college football12. 2012 Alabama Crimson TideThe Alabama Crimson Tides 2012 title team was clinical. The Tide went 13-1, with the only loss coming against Texas A&M. They then dismantled Notre Dame 42-14 in the BCS Championship, leading 28-0 at halftime. This was peak Nick Saban football: suffocating defense, a power running game and ruthless execution in big moments.11. 2011 Alabama Crimson TideThe Alabama Crimson Tides 2011 defense might be the gold standard. The Tide allowed just 8.2 points per game and shut out LSU 21-0 in a BCS Championship rematch that looked nothing like the regular-season meeting. Their only loss was a 9-6 overtime game to the Tigers, and no FBS opponent scored more than 14 points all season.10. 2005 Texas LonghornsEveryone remembers the Rose Bowl win over USC, but the 2005 Texas Longhorns dominated for months to earn that stage. The Longhorns went 13-0, led the nation in scoring at 50.2 points per game and won eight games by at least 30. Vince Young was nearly impossible to tackle in space, and the defense quietly finished among the countrys best.9. 1971 Nebraska CornhuskersThe 1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers went 13-0, outscored opponents 507-104 and won what many still call the Game of the Century at Oklahoma, 35-31, in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown. They followed that by crushing Alabama 38-6 in the Orange Bowl. This team combined a rugged defense with an offense that wore teams out over four quarters.8. 1992 Alabama Crimson TideThe Alabama Crimson Tides 1992 group went 13-0 and allowed just 9.1 points per game. The defining image is the Sugar Bowl, where the Tides defense swarmed Miami and turned a heavily favored Hurricanes offense into a turnover machine in a 34-13 win. They won with defense and field position, and almost nobody even made them sweat.7. 2010 Auburn TigersFrom a pure point-spread angle, the 2010 Auburn Tigers had more close calls than some other teams here, but schedule strength and star power matter. The Tigers went 14-0 behind Cam Newtons Heisman season, survived a brutal SEC slate and came back from 24 down to beat Alabama in the Iron Bowl. The defense bent plenty, but when you factor in the opponents and the stakes in almost every game, the body of work holds up.6. 1974 USC TrojansUSCs 1974 team went 10-1-1 and won a national title with a wild comeback against Notre Dame plus a Rose Bowl win over Ohio State. They outscored opponents 467-178 and leaned on a devastating ground game paired with a fast, aggressive defense. It was a season that cemented the Trojans status as a West Coast powerhouse.5. 2001 Miami HurricanesThe 2001 Miami Hurricanes might be the most talented roster ever assembled, with double-digit future first-round picks. They went 12-0, outscored opponents 475-103 in the regular season and embarrassed Nebraska, 37-14, in the Rose Bowl for the national title. The schedule was not the stiffest top to bottom, and a closer-than-expected win over Boston College is one of the few blemishes on an otherwise overwhelming season.4. 2009 Alabama Crimson TideThe 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide marked the beginning of Alabamas modern dynasty. They went 14-0, grinded out a 32-13 SEC Championship win over Tim Tebow and Florida, then controlled Texas, 37-21, in the BCS title game. Mark Ingram won the Heisman, the defense finished first in the country in scoring and no opponent topped 24 points.3. 1995 Nebraska CornhuskersThe 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers were a force of nature. They went 12-0 and averaged more than 52 points per game during the regular season, then crushed Florida 62-24 in the Fiesta Bowl. Tom Osbornes offense rushed for 399.8 yards per game, and many still argue this is the single most physically overwhelming team of the modern era.2. 1991 Washington HuskiesWashington went 12-0, shared a national title and owned one of the nastiest defenses the sport has seen. The Huskies beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl 34-14 and held eight opponents to 14 points or fewer. They were physical on both lines and fast everywhere else, overwhelming a Pac-10 that was deeper than it often gets credit for.1. 1972 USC TrojansThe 1972 USC Trojans are a benchmark for all-around dominance. They went 12-0, outscored opponents 467-134 and destroyed Ohio State 42-17 in the Rose Bowl to finish a wire-to-wire No. 1 season. USC beat six ranked teams, won nine games by at least 17 points and rarely even flirted with danger. In a sport that changes every decade, this teams combination of physicality, balance and sustained control of every game keeps them at the top of the mountain.The debate over the greatest ever is not going away, but the programs on this list all share one thing: for one season, they made everyone else look like they were playing a different sport.