if any sportswriter in Happy Valley is curious, the bible verse on Omar Cooper's wrist band is Jeremiah 29:11 ... “For I know the plans I have for you plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future"

That. Was insane.

zero chance any of your stupid football games are currently as good as Alabama-St. John’s at the Garden

The NFL’s first regular-season game in Berlin, which sees the Falcons take on the Colts, will be played on Sunday at the Olympiastadion — a stadium originally built and funded on the orders of Adolf Hitler. Its events have shaped a profound and complicated history.

If you, like me, have been fairly confused about the status of Russian athletes at the 2026 Winter Olympics, here's @mjslater.bsky.social laying it all out. Good, informative read. www.nytimes.com/athletic/676...

Nepotism, thy name is Bethune.

Seeing some decent uptick tonight in CBB posts from accounts that were a bit sleepy in recent months. Keep it up, ball is back.

Everyone complaining is welcome to come over and watch St Joe’s-Lafayette on my ESPN+ feed

Resharing for the weekend long-readers. On Matt Berninger and the baseballs of writing … Story: www.nytimes.com/athletic/675...

I can’t stress this enough: you cannot understand politics without reading this paragraph about why there’s no such thing as a 1/3rd pound hamburger

Alejandro Juarez, who worked for more than a decade at a Trump Organization golf club, said he was never given a chance to contest his deportation in front of an immigration judge before he was returned to Mexico. ICE agents told him that they were just following orders. Those orders were wrong.

From @theathletic.com: A few years ago, Matt Berninger, the singer-songwriter and frontman of The National, was stuck with writer’s block. “I started getting depressed by notebooks.” So he wrote on a baseball instead. Then the words kept coming. nyti.ms/3WtMo2Q

A new story I'm pretty pumped to share. It's about words, and our pastime, and changing your traumas by changing your patterns. On Matt Berninger, and the baseballs of writing:

I'm so excited to announce that I'm now a senior writer with The Athletic! I'm going to be writing long-form NBA features. I’ll also dabble in other sports from time to time too! 💜💜💜I wrote a column introducing myself: www.nytimes.com/athletic/675...

Taking the Liberty job and pretending to speak in tongues at the intro presser would be a great bit

First down. No notes.

Go Jays

Forty-one years after 1984 and 37 years after 1988, Kirk Gibson is in the midst of his biggest October yet. Here’s how Parkinson’s disease changed a World Series legend. And here’s how the new Kirk Gibson Center is helping change lives. www.nytimes.com/athletic/674...

A potentially unpopular take, but one that needs to be said as we slide further toward incivility: Stop bringing your children to breweries.

we absolutely have and have had data that Twitter is nothing but a complete and utter time suck that offers zero juice for your squeeze ... there is NO engagement. people do not click on links, they don't want to chat and unless you pay Elon you get zero signal on these meaningless posts

Bob Knight once mocked reporters, "All of us learn to write in second grade. Most of us go on to bigger & better things.'' I disagree. There's nothing better than telling great stories. So some personal news: I'm joining the @cnnsport team. #OnceASportswriterAlwaysASportswriter

this country is still worth fighting for

A story 🧵 I profiled Ace Dybantsa. Father of one of the best young basketball players in the world. Man of many, many words (very few of which he'll spend on whether his involvement in his son's career is too much): www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

Man, this @brianchamilton.bsky.social story on Cam Rising, Brady Smigiel and the ties that bind. www.nytimes.com/athletic/672...

NEW for @washingtonpost.com: Pentagon reporters exited the building in unison Wednesday after turning in their badges, having refused to sign the Defense Department's press policy. @nancyayoussef.bsky.social called it a “sad day for those who support a free press.”

‘Please, quick … they’re coming’: How a homegrown burglary crew terrorized some of Seattle's best-known athletes. www.nytimes.com/athletic/671...

Did you know that if you buy my book on Amazon, Jeff Bezos makes 5 times as much as I do on each copy sold? Sharing some behind-the-scenes book math on why buying directly from presses is best for EVERYONE (except Bezos) in my newsletter today! aubreyhirsch.substack.com/p/book-math

a story that's decidedly not AI generated — our @gabbyherzig.bsky.social on taking a 12 during the most important golf tournament of her life www.nytimes.com/athletic/670...

Truly atrocious piece, too. Screencapping so you don't have to give them the traffic. Literally just an emotionless, robotic summary of the game sheet, with a note telling us that they couldn't even bother getting an editor to skim it The race to the bottom is such garbage

this game absolutely rules. Go Tigs

what ya got for the atheists?

Turns out it’s good when your best players do stuff

This administration has again and again revealed itself to be in philosophical agreement with the greatest monsters of the 20th century: the New York Yankees

As the blame game comes for Keegan Bradley, let’s remember how this all began, back in July 2024, when he was first asked in a press conference why he was chosen as U.S. captain. His response? “I don’t know.” www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

They won it for Shane. (The other one.) www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s8l...

On Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry navigating an army of idiots to exemplify Europe's beatdown at Bethpage www.nytimes.com/athletic/666...

The bullshit scene around Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry has totally jumped the shark. Not sure how it’ll be possible to survive four-plus hours of this without cracking.

Let's check in on the Americans' plans to rally a comeback at Bethpage

If curious, Trump has departed Bethpage and returned to Air Force One, per WH pool reporters. Had heard some rumblings that he might emerge on the course as the pairings made the turn, but that will not be the case. His visit to the Ryder Cup consisted of an hour on the first tee.

Mark the time 10:42 p.m. on Friday. One of the lowest moments in U.S. Ryder Cup history. Down 3-0 At home In New York With whopping four holes won by the three opening pairings. As the President is en route to watch afternoon sessions. Tough scene, so to speak.

Good morning, Bluesky.

Donald Trump is coming to the Ryder Cup. Today's story on what we know about his Friday appearance at Bethpage and the preparations in place by event organizers facing a major stress test: www.nytimes.com/athletic/666...

welp, just heard the Golf Channel compare Luke Donald to Phil Jackson, Bill Russell and Pat Riley, so it's probably time to suspend all Ryder Cup coverage until tomorrow morning's start

Friday morning's foursome schedule at the Ryder Cup: Rahm/Hatton vs DeChambeau/Thomas (pick: Europe) Åberg/Fitzpatrick vs Scheffler/Henley (pick: USA) McIlroy/Fleetwood vs Morikawa/English (pick: Europe) Hovland/MacIntyre vs Schauffele/Cantlay (pick: Europe)

NEWS: Oklahoma State has fired Mike Gundy, according to multiple reports. Gundy compiled a 170-90 record in 20+ seasons in Stillwater, including a 12-6 bowl game record. www.nytimes.com/athletic/660...

Gave up on the Phils after Wheeler went down. Want to jump back, but worried about reverse-jinxing em to a first round loss. Send help. And whiskey.

I wrote about the strange lack of criticism Kawhi Leonard has received.

Eagles record the last two seasons when they have fewer than 100 net passing yards: 4-0. The rest of the NFL when they have fewer than 100 net passing yards: 5-17. Might be the perfect Philadelphia team -- just constantly trolling...