Author: Michael

Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Rookie kicker Blake Grupe kicked a game-winning field goal, but security was skeptical
New Orleans Saints rookie kicker Blake Grupe is small by NFL standards. He is listed on their roster as 5’7 — the shortest player on the team — and 156 pounds, also making him the lightest.
That may have played a role in how his first NFL preseason game unfolded.
Grupe hit a 31-yard field goal as time expired to give the Saints a 26-24 win over the visiting Kansas City Chiefs:

FG is GOOD! Saints win it, 26-24! pic.twitter.

It’s always a bit jarring for fans seeing a franchise quarterback switch teams. Playing in different colors and cities takes some getting used to, and the same can be said for the players themselves. At least that’s the case with Derek Carr. 
The new Saints quarterback admitted that both he and his family were taken aback when he wore his new uniform for the first time.

The Women’s World Cup is down to the final four, and here is how they stack up
We are down to the final four at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and one thing is clear.
Soccer fans will see a first-time winner in a few days.
With Japan losing to Sweden in the quarter-finals, that means the last four teams standing are all seeking their first World Cup title. Sweden has been the closest, with a trio of third-place finishes in their history.
How do these teams stack up? Let’s try and sort that out.
1.

You can officially add James Harden’s name to the list of athletes willing to bend the knee to China. Those that think Harden recently calling Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey a “liar” is strictly about basketball and his unhappiness with the organization haven’t been paying attention. There are layers to the situation.
We have to do some scene setting to get the complete picture here.
Harden is still under contract with the 76ers. He hasn’t hidden his frustration with the franchise this offseason after taking a pay cut a year ago and feeling left in the dark.

As he sweated his way through his pants, Lucas Glover remained an inspiration to golfers everywhere.

We are backing the Rangers Monday night on the run line vs. the Angels. These two AL West teams are trending in opposite directions despite both pushing their chips in at the trade deadline, and we have an opportunity to capitalize.
The Rangers’ arrow is pointing upward as Texas has won eight of their last 10, and have a 2.5-game lead over the Astros in the AL West.
The Angels, by contrast, have won only three of their last 10, and are 11.5 games behind the Rangers.
For the month of August, the Rangers have scored 5.25 runs per game, while the Angels have mustered only 3.5.

James Harden bluntly ripped 76ers president Daryl Morey on Monday when asked about a recent ESPN report that the team has stopped looking to trade him after failing to find an acceptable deal. 
“Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be part of an organization that he’s a part of,” Harden said while in Beijing. “Let me say that again. Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of in the NBA.

The Big Ten reportedly is interested in playing its conference title football games in Las Vegas.
USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington all join the conference starting in 2023, and the B1G will have a huge West Coast presence by this time next year.
That means major changes are coming. One of them might be moving the conference title game from Indianapolis to Sin City.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported early talks are underway between city officials and the Big Ten about possibly bringing the title game out west.
The Big Ten reportedly in talks to move title game to Las Vegas.

Of the most encouraging performances of the weekend, Derek Carr’s had to be near the top of the list. This is not a rebuilding job in New Orleans. Carr, on Sunday, entered a huddle loaded with accomplished vets. The defense in New Orleans has a chance to be really good, too. And all that is indicative of where the brass there has felt they’ve been the past few years—consistent quarterback play shy of being a very real contender, with the clock ticking on a core that’s been together for more than a half decade now.

Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK
Some new rules will be in effect this college football season
The 2023 college football season is just weeks away.
The year ahead could be transformative for the sport, with conference movement, the transfer portal, and NIL deals changing the nature of college football. But those are not the only changes coming to the game. When “Week 0” kicks off at the end of August, some new rules will be in effect for the college game.
So before things get going, we thought it made sense to run through the major new rules, to get ready for the season.