Editor’s note: The Athletic 134 is a weekly ranking of all FBS college football teams. Week 1 is complete, and we’ve finally gotten a look at everyone in FBS. Well, not everyone (sorry you have to wait, Ball State). After a weekend that gave us only a few upsets but several mighty impressive performances, where […]
Ranking 134 college football teams after Week 1, from Georgia to Temple Read More »
After focusing on the top half of the playoff bracket last week, it’s time to check in on a surprisingly spirited race for the eighth seed. With about two weeks left in the regular season, seven playoff teams are essentially set in stone, though the matchups aren’t yet set. There is drama at the bottom
WNBA power rankings: Will the Chicago Sky slip out of playoff contention? Read More »
SAO PAULO — Thiago Souza emerges from the barricades a man making history. A single-file line spirals the Ibirapuera mall and spills onto the street. Hundreds watch as the man they call “Curitiba,” the guy with the giant backpack, glasses and Green Bay gear — Jordan Love jersey, Packers hoodie and hat — unsheathes his credit
Fans in a number of major-league cities want change. Ownership changes in many cases, yes. But front-office changes, at the very least. And in many cases, those changes seem unlikely. “I’m a huge believer in stability and continuity, and those are competitive advantages in professional sports, that reacting and change don’t necessarily mean improvement,” Toronto
Why front-office changes for most underachieving MLB teams appear unlikely Read More »
The basic arc of Andy Roddick’s life goes something like this: One day you’re a chirpy, hot-shot teenager with a thunderclap serve, who wears a baseball cap on a tennis court before that becomes a thing, and then one day you’re not good enough anymore, because inevitably nobody is. In between, you go to the
Andy Roddick, the U.S. Open’s last American male champion, sees himself a tennis schlub Read More »
Although the Premier League’s summer transfer window has closed, many big-name players still have their futures unresolved. Other transfer windows remain open, including in Turkey, whose clubs can do business until September 13, so moves could still happen. But with four months until the start of the January window in the major European leagues, The
Premier League players who didn’t get a move: The Uncertain XI Read More »
It’s Week 1 of the NFL season, a time for optimism. After all, every team is undefeated. But the reality is even the best teams have concerns as they prepare for the regular season to kick off this week. It could be depth at a position, a young player stepping into a starting role or
Every NFL team’s biggest concern as 2024 season begins: O-line play, health, rookie QB Read More »
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Before the first scoop of dirt was raised from the farmstead where Michigan Stadium was built, controversy was brewing about the professionalization of college sports. By 1926, Michigan’s football program had outgrown Ferry Field, where big games prompted far more demand than the 42,000-seat stadium could accommodate. Fielding Yost, Michigan’s athletic
How Michigan built the Big House, a symbol of college football controversy and lore Read More »
Quarterbacks have never been more valuable in the NFL, and that’s now true on multiple fronts. Not only do teams need a great one to contend for a Super Bowl, but they also need to be great at asset management to maintain roster integrity around these exploding contracts. Nineteen quarterbacks are earning at least $30
The Athletic’s NFL QB stock report, Week 1: It’s Patrick Mahomes, then everyone else Read More »
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Adam Thielen didn’t need six weeks of training camp and preseason practices to see a change in Bryce Young. Thielen noticed something different about the Carolina Panthers’ second-year quarterback in April when the team convened for the start of its offseason program. “I saw it the day he got back here for
‘This is his opportunity’: The Panthers are banking on a Year 2 bump for Bryce Young Read More »
