[Posted Sunday p.m., prior to late sports action.]
Brief Add-on up top by noon, Tues.
College Football Quiz: The Associated Press is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its All-America teams, by coming up with an All-Time, All-America team, which I get into below. But for purposes of a quiz, name the ten schools with the most first-team All-Americans throughout the 100-year history.
MLB
—The godawful stretch for Mets fans continued this week. Going back to Tuesday, the start of a 3-game series with the Braves at Citi Field, the Mets broke a 7-game losing streak with a rare laugher, 13-5, as Pete Alonso set the franchise record with career home run No. 253 (adding No. 254 later in the contest).
But Wednesday, after the Mets grabbed a 6-0 lead after two innings, the normally reliable starter David Peterson couldn’t get out of the fourth, reliever Reid Garrett compounded the issue, and the Braves scored 9 runs in the inning, going on to an 11-6 win. The worst loss of the season.
Thursday, the Mets had a 3-2 lead in the eighth against Atlanta, but trade deadline pickup Ryan Helsley yielded two runs in the top of the frame, the Mets losing 4-3.
Friday night at Citi, the Mets welcomed the surging Mariners and the Mets led it 6-4 after five, but then Helsley and the always reliable Brooks Raley gave up 5 earned, the Mets falling 11-9, despite two home runs from Franciso Lindor.
It was New York’s 14th loss in 16 games, as they fell 6 games back of the Phillies, who defeated the pathetic Nationals 6-2 in Washington.
Back to Raley, coming back from injury and having been re-signed by the Mets, he had given up zero runs in his first 10 appearances before falling victim to the disease afflicting the Mets’ staff.
Helsley, who had an MLB-leading 49 saves last season, and was having a solid 2025 with St. Louis, was fine his first three outings for the Mets, but he has been dreadful the last four.
GM David Stearns did all he could at the deadline to shore up the pen, acquiring Helsley, Gregory Soto and Tyler Rogers…but then it’s up to the players to perform. Soto and Rogers have been generally OK. Not so much Helsley, who has the key setup role ahead of Edwin Diaz.
On to Saturday, and the Mets got a huge shot in the arm with the major-league debut of top pitching prospect Nolan McLean, who threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings, 8 strikeouts, the Mets winning it 3-1.
There were a couple interesting records set in this one…McLean was the Mets’ 43rd pitcher of the season, most ever in franchise history and only two shy of the major league record.
Francisco Lindor became the first shortstop in MLB history with five 20/20 seasons (HR/SB).
And Seattle’s Bryan Woo set an amazing record. He became the first pitcher since Juan Marichal in 1968 to have 24 consecutive starts with six innings and two or fewer walks. That is every one of Woo’s starts this season. In this day and age to never go less than six is amazing, but then to have that kind of control is unbelievable…so good on him, but he took the loss, now 10-7, 3.01.
Pete Alonso also hit the 100-RBI mark for the fourth time in his career.
The Mets picked up a game on Philadelphia, who fell for the second time in three days to the Nationals Saturday, 2-0, as Cade Cavalli threw 7 scoreless for Washington.
The Phillies also received some scary news as ace Zack Wheeler was placed on the injured list with an “upper extremity blood clot,” team president Dave Dombrowski told media after the game.
There is no timetable for Wheeler’s return, but it will be a while…a huge blow.
Wheeler pitched five innings of two-run ball in Philadelphia’s 6-2 win on Friday. He’s 10-5, 2.71 ERA.
The Phillies then faced the Nats in the Roku Sunday morning game and they were tied 6-6 after three, but Philadelphia went on to win it 11-9.
However, Aaron Nola, making his first start since May 14, gave up 6 earned in 2 1/3.
The Mets and Mariners are playing the ESPN Sunday night game in Williamsport, Pa.
–Meanwhile, the Yankees are in St. Louis, and they beat the Cards Friday night, 4-3, Luis Gil with an encouraging 5 1/3, one run effort for New York, David Bednar the save. So the Yanks are barely holding on to the third wild card slot.
[Going back to last week, even after the Twins beat the Yanks 4-1 Wednesday at the Stadium, New York had an absurd 125-45 record against Minnesota since 2002.]
The Yankees then won Saturday night, 12-8, as Ben Rice had a career-tying 7 RBIs. Aaron Judge also had his first multi-hit game since the All-Star Game, including his 39th home run.
Max Fried picked up his 13th win (13-5, 3.26) despite yielding 5 earned in 5 innings for New York.
And New York won today 8-4.
The Guardians lost to the Braves 5-4 and are now 3 ½ back of the Yanks in the wild card race.
–Out West, the Dodgers had gone 12-21 since July 4, an inexplicable slide, and going into the weekend were suddenly a game back in the NL West of San Diego.
But the Padres went to Dodger Stadium for three and lost Friday night to Clayton Kershaw, 3-2, the future Hall of Famer with 6 innings, one run, now 7-2, 3.01.
Entering Friday’s play the Padres had won 13 of 16, bolstered by trade deadline pickups Ramon Laureano. Ryan O’Hearn and Freddy Fermin.
And the Dodgers regained the division lead on Saturday, 6-0, as Blake Snell threw six scoreless.
–Then there are the amazing Brewers. Wednesday afternoon they gave their fans a big present, a free hamburger from the George Webb restaurant chain in Wisconsin, as Milwaukee won its 12th straight, 12-5 over the Pirates.
Friday, the Brewers, 77-44, beat the Reds in Cincinnati 10-8 for No. 13 (a staggering 28 of 32), Christian Yelich with two homers, a double, 5 RBIs, the Reds blowing an 8-1 lead.
The Reds remained a ½-game back of the Mets for the final NL wild card position.
But the Brewers did the Mets another solid, winning a franchise best 14th straight Saturday, 6-5 in 11 on an Andruw Monasterio 3-run homer in the 11th.
So the Mets’ lead over the Reds for the final wild card is 1 ½.
But the Reds today snapped the Brewers winning streak, 3-2, and are now one back of the Metropolitans, prior to tonight’s Mets contest.
—Wake Forest’s Nick Kurtz snapped out of the power slump he’s been in since his 4-homer game, homering and doubling in the A’s 10-7 win over the Angels Friday in Sacramento. Kurtz still has a 1.015 OPS, and 65 RBIs in the first 82 games of his big-league career.
Saturday, Kurtz went 1-for-3, 2 walks, as the A’s won again, 7-2.
[He’s homered Sunday in a game that is finishing after I post.]
—The Minnesota Twins are no longer for sale, executive chair Joe Pohland announced Wednesday on behalf of his family.
After exploring a variety of options since publicizing the sale 10 months ago, the Pohland family will remain the principal owner of the club and add new investors instead.
Carl Pohland, a banking magnate and the late grandfather of Joe Pohland, bought the Twins in 1984 for $44 million.
Forbes has valued the franchise at $1.5 billion, ranked 23rd in MLB.
Golf Balls
—Week two of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, the BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland. It’s down to 50, playing to be among the 30 to meet next week at East Lake for the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup title…and a boatload of money.
After two rounds….
Robert MacIntyre -14
Scottie Scheffler -9
Ludvig Aberg -8
Hideki Matsuyama -7
Tommy Fleetwood -6
Michael Kim -6
Maverick McNealy -6
Speaking of the battle to get into the final 30, Harry Hall, T5 at -5, has moved from 45 to 30, Bubble Boy.
Lucas Glover, on the other hand, T45 at +8, had moved from 30 to 37.
Rory McIlroy was at -4.
Scheffler’s regular caddie, Ted Scott, left before the final round of last week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship to attend to a “family emergency.” Scheffler used a personal friend for last Sunday’s play.
So this week Scottie is using Chris Kirk’s caddie (Kirk having finished No. 51 in the playoffs after last week), Michael Cromie.
Saturday, Bobby Mac kept his composure after an opening bogey and maintained the lead playing alongside Scheffler, gut check time…and after three rounds….
MacIntyre -16
Scheffler -12
Aberg -9
Sam Buns -8
Harry Hall -8
Rickie Fowler, -6, had moved up to 32 on the points list after starting the week No. 48. Go Rickie!
Akshay Bhatia, with a hole-in eagle and hole-in-one Saturday (winning a car…one guess what make it is), started the week at No. 29 and moved to 28.
So on to the fourth round and after two holes we had this….
MacIntyre -14…bogeys first two…
Scheffler -13…birdies first
But Scheffler bogeys the third…lead back to two.
Scheffler birdies No. 5, Bobby Mac bogeys it….
MacIntyre -13
Scheffler -13
Burns -10
Meanwhile, Bhatia bogeyed Nos. 12-14 to fall to No. 30. Talk about a tension convention to get to East Lake.
Fowler, playing his ass off, birdies No. 9 to move No. 27!… -3 on the day.
Scheffler birdies No. 7 to go to -14, in the lead by one.
Burns is at -11 thru 8.
Fowler, with another birdie is -10…now 25th for East Lake!
But he bogeys 12, then birdies 13, and now 26.
Scheffler bogeys 12, missing a short putt.
Scheffler -14
MacIntyre -13
Fowler then bogeys 14, and inexplicably double bogeys 15 from the fairway and falls to 33rd.
Scheffler with a stunning short missed par putt on No. 14.
Scheffler -13…14
MacIntyre -12…14
Burns -11…15
But Scheffler birdies 15…Bobby Mac pars it…back to a 2-shot lead.
Harry Hall with a spectacular birdie on par-3 17th, he’s 27 in the standings.
Fowler finishes up and is out…a sad choke job the back nine. But we love him.
Scheffler then with a beyond spectacular chip for birdie on 17! One of the best shots I’ve ever seen.
Scheffler -15
MacIntyre -13
Game over…Scheffler with win No. 18, five this year. On to East Lake.
Akshay Bhatia grabs the No. 30 slot. Chris Gotterup gets No. 29. More in my Add-on Tuesday.
–This week also determined the final Ryder Cup points standings and the six automatic qualifiers are going to be Scheffler, J.J. Spaun, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Bryson DeChambeau and Harris English.
Captain Keegan Bradley will announce his six captain’s picks on Aug. 27, but Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa, seventh and eighth on the points list, are surefire picks.
Bradley should not select himself, but there are going to be some tough selections for the final four, with Ben Griffin, Maverick McNealy, Andrew Novak, Brian Harman, Cameron Young, Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns in the running.
College Football
–As noted above the Associated Press is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its All-America teams and with that, a panel of 12 AP sports writers who cover college football selected the all-time team.
For a player to qualify, he must have been an AP first-team All-American at least once. His professional career, if any, was not to be considered. All-purpose players could come from any position.
Voters were cautioned against recency bias, but it is notable that only three of the first-team selections played before 1970.
First team offense
Wide receivers – Randy Moss, Marshall, 1997; Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh, 2003.
Tackles – Orlando Pace, Ohio State, 1995-96; Bill Fralic, Pittsburgh, 1982-83-84.
Guards – John Hannah, Alabama, 1972; Jim Parker, Ohio State, 1956.
Center – Chuck Bednarik, Penn, 1947-48.
Tight end – Brock Bowers, Georgia, 2023.
QB – Tim Tebow, Florida, 2007.
Running backs – Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State, 1988; Herschel Walker, Georgia, 1980-81-82.
Kicker – Sebastian Janikowski, Florida State, 1998-99.
All-purpose – Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska, 1972.
First team defense
Ends – Hugh Green, Pittsburgh, 1978-79-80; Randy White, Maryland, 1974.
Tackles – Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska, 2009; Bronko Nagurski, Minnesota, 1929.
Linebackers – Dick Butkus, Illinois, 1964; Derrick Thomas, Alabama, 1988; Chris Spielman, Ohio State, 1986-87.
Cornerbacks – Charles Woodson, Michigan, 1996-97; Deion Sanders, Florida State, 1987-88.
Safeties – Ronnie Lott, Southern California, 1980; Ed Reed, Miami, 2000-01.
Punter – Troy Taylor, Iowa, 2023.
That’s a great list.
If you’re wondering about Tebow, he was truly a great, great college football player, a winner (two national titles), and still SEC career leader in rushing touchdowns and touchdowns responsible for.
On the second team we had the likes of Desmond Howard, Michigan, 1991 (WR); Keith Jackson, Oklahoma, 1986-87 (TE); Vince Young, Texas, 2005 (QB); Archie Griffin, Ohio State, 1974-75 (RB); Tony Dorsett, Pitt, 1976 (RB); Bubba Smith, Michigan State, 1966 (DE), Bruce Smith, Virginia Tech, 1984 (DE); Lee Roy Selmon, Oklahoma, 1975 (DT); and Lawrence Taylor, North Carolina, 1980 (LB).
Good job by the AP folks.
–The NCAA fined Michigan tens of millions of dollars Friday and suspended coach Sherrone Moore for three games for a sign-stealing scandal that has loomed over college football’s winningest program for nearly two years.
Moore, who was already issued a self-imposed two-game suspension by Michigan, will also be banned from the first game of the 2026-27 season for a total of three games. Moore received a two-year show-cause order, but he will be allowed to fulfill coaching commitments and other athletically related activities.
Michigan will receive a fine of more than $20 million mostly relating to postseason football revenue over the next two seasons.
Yup, no postseason ban. The NCAA instead will take the money.
Connor Stalions, a former low-level staffer who conducted the scouting and sign-stealing operation, was issued an eight-year show-cause order. Former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh faces a 10-year show-cause order following the conclusion of his previous four-year order effective Aug. 7, 2028.
The NCAA has alleged that Moore violated rules as an assistant under Harbaugh, who is now coaching the Los Angeles Chargers, having left Michigan after winning a national title.
The NCAA investigation surfaced early in the 2023 season amid allegations that Michigan used a robust in-person scouting and sign-stealing operation conducted by Stalions.
Stalions, who did not participate in the NCAA investigation, recently said he knew almost every signal opponents used in seven games over two seasons.
Premier League
The new 2025-26 season got underway Friday, with defending champions Liverpool defeating Bournemouth 4-2. The game was briefly paused in the first half after Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo reported racial abuse from a fan in the stands. Semenyo scored his team’s two goals.
Saturday, Tottenham opened with a nice 3-0 win over Burnley, Richarlison with two goals.
Manchester City whipped Wolverhampton 4-0, Erling Haaland tallying twice.
Sunday, Chelsea beat Crystal Palace 3-0; Arsenal with a big 1-0 win over Manchester United.
Stuff
–The Jets played their annual preseason game against the Giants Saturday night and the Giants rolled over my team, 31-12, as rookie QB Jaxson Dart continued to impress for the Giants, 14 of 16, 137 and a TD.
The Jets’ Justin Fields didn’t look good in his two possessions of play and the Jets overall were, in the words of coach Austin Glenn, “sloppy.” But it’s preseason. I’m not going to commit hari-kari until Week Four.
—Venus Williams will make her return to Grand Slam tennis at the U.S. Open after a two-year absence, receiving a wild-card invitation on Wednesday to compete in singles at Flushing Meadows at age 45.
Williams will be the oldest entrant in singles at the tournament since Renee Richards was 47 in 1981, according to the International Tennis Federation.
Singles play begins in New York on Aug. 24.
Venus has seven Grand Slam singles titles, including at the U.S. Open in 2000 and 2001. Serena retired with 23 Grand Slam singles trophies after playing at the 2022 U.S. Open.
Top 3 songs for the week 8/18/73: #1 “Touch Me In The Morning” (Diana Ross) #2 “Live And Let Die” (Wings) #3 “Brother Louie” (Stories)…and…#4 “The Morning After” (Maureen McGovern) #5 “Let’s Get It On” (Marvin Gaye) #6 “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” (Jim Croce) #7 “Get Down” (Gilbert O’Sullivan) #8 “Delta Dawn” (Helen Reddy) #9 “Uneasy Rider” (Charlie Daniels) #10 “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day” (Chicago…B week…)
College Football Quiz Answers: Top ten schools with the most AP first-team All-Americans the last 100 years.
Notre Dame 85
Alabama 83
Ohio State 79
USC 77
Oklahoma 75
Texas 65
Michigan 64
Nebraska 54
Miami 45
Florida State 43.
Brief Add-on up top by noon, Tuesday.
