The ESPN Daily: NFL stars primed for a bounce back, MLB deadline drama, and what’s it like to be a viral college football sensation?

4:03 am | July 30, 2019 | Go to Source | Author:

Jul 26, 2019

The ESPN Daily Staff

THINGS TO CARE ABOUT

Forecasting the deadline … Time is running out before the MLB trade deadline, and it’s anybody’s guess as to how it’ll all play out. Plenty of teams are still in contention, and have to make the difficult choice of potentially mortgaging their future for a shot at a title. Our MLB experts have their predictions for who’ll be making moves and who’ll be standing pat when the deadline hits Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET. Read More

Last year took an L … … but this year they’ll bounce back? We can’t know for certain, but after teaming up with our friends at Pro Football Focus, we have a pretty good feeling about these 32 guys. From Josh Rosen to Jarvis Landry, here’s which notable player — who had what we’ll call a “forgettable” 2018 campaign — from each franchise is primed to go off on the gridiron this season: Read More

New programs, new challenges … How ’bout that coaching carousel, huh? From John Beilein’s departure at Michigan to sudden firings as recently as this month, the college basketball world has kept us on our toes all offseason. But there’s no use ruminating over the past, so we should turn our attention to the future. … Wow, that was profound. Anyhow, the slew of newly minted head coaches are going to have their work cut out for them this season. Proof: Read More

THE MEME TEAM

When your reaction goes viral … We’re gonna let you in on a little inside baseball here: Oftentimes, how someone reacts to something is more interesting than the thing they’re reacting to. That’s why you see the camera cut to fans in the stands after a big play. We respond on a deeply human level to the emotions of others, and when a fan shows a particularly memorable reaction, they quickly become memes. What’s it like to go viral just from being at a college football game? We caught up with some of the most famous ones to see how it changed their lives. Read More

THINGS TO WATCH

Sam Darnold admits he was unsure if he should sign a fan’s speeding ticket and jokes, “I didn’t give him my card or anything, so I’m all right.”

Marcus Smart joins The Jump in studio to talk about the Celtics’ tough season and what it was like to be teammates with Kyrie Irving.

Freddie Prinze Jr. recounts the time he and John Cena got into a debate after Cena interrupted Prinze’s acting class at WWE.

OVERHEARD

“Being at home and look at my family celebrating that I’m here safe is priceless.”

— David Ortiz, on returning home from the hospital after his shooting Read more

REMEMBER WHEN?

On this date last year, Lionel Messi played keepaway with what appeared to be a small horse, but in reality was his gigantic, adorable dog. Read More

WHAT’S ON TONIGHT?

Braves at Nationals (7:05 p.m. ET, ESPN+): It’s going down in D.C. as the NL East-leading Braves look to put more distance between themselves and the Nats, who currently sit in second place.

Dana White’s Contender Series, Week 6 (8 p.m. ET, ESPN+): Another week, another chance for up-and-coming fighters to face off in Las Vegas with a UFC contract on the line. A pair of unbeaten light heavyweights with matching records headline this week’s action as Aleksa Camur goes toe-to-toe with Fabio Cherant.