6:04 am | September 6, 2019 | Go to Source | Author:
WEEKEND BINGE READS
The hat that shaped Khabib’s identity … If you’ve paid attention to the UFC at all in the past few years, you’ve seen it: Khabib Nurmagomedov wearing a huge sheepskin hat. He bought it on impulse at an airport gift shop, but the hat — which is known as a “papakha” — has become an integral part of who he is, a symbol of his connection to his Dagestani heritage. Here’s how that one purchase defined Khabib for a generation of MMA fans. Read More
Watching football without the love of her life … Cherry and Bart Starr were together for 68 years, from the time when he shyly asked her out in high school through his Hall of Fame NFL career. Now, for the first time since 1951, she’ll begin her first season without her soulmate. Ian O’Connor has her story. Read More
When two is more than three … LeBron and AD. Kawhi and PG. Kyrie and KD. It’s time to say goodbye to the era of the Big Three, because the Big Two system seems to be where it’s at in the NBA. Zach Lowe tries to figure out whether it’s here to stay or just another fad. Read More
THINGS TO CARE ABOUT
A power surge in the minors … It’s a record year for home runs in MLB, and that’s reflected in Triple-A. Home run rates have surged by 58 percent this year following the switch to major league-standard baseballs, a stat that must have minor league hurlers less than thrilled. It doesn’t look like the barrage of home runs will let up when the next generation makes it to the majors. Read More
Numbers these players would like to forget … We talk a lot about players whose numbers are shattering records — you know, the Mike Trouts and the like. But what about those this season that just couldn’t get it together? Be forewarned: If you click on this link, you’ll see batting averages below .100. Just don’t say we didn’t tell you. Read More
CFB Week 2’s biggest games … A&M-Clemson. LSU-Texas. College football has barely started this season and already we’ve got some absolutely fantastic matchups. Our experts have the rundown on those matchups and the other most intriguing games of the week. Read More
GUESS WHO’S BACK
The unofficial start of fall … The season kicked off with the Packers and Bears in Chicago last night, but this weekend is the first Sunday of the year that you’ll be able to watch NFL football pretty much all day — and that’s to say nothing of the fact that we’ve got TWO Monday Night Football matchups this week. Need a last-minute refresher before the chorus of whistles blow this weekend? We’ve got you covered. Read More
Everyone’s got a chance … The wonderful thing about a new season? The slate has been wiped clean. Tabula rasa! Nothing you did in 2018 matters anymore, and you get to start all over again. Heck, anybody could win the Super Bowl. Even you! Assuming you are a current member of an NFL team, of course, in which case: Thanks for subscribing. Only one team will win, but Bill Barnwell has got a good case for how every team could pull it off. Read More
THINGS TO WATCH
0:44
Serena Williams handles Elina Svitolina in the semifinals, 6-3, 6-1 to advance to finals for the second year in a row.
0:31
Jon Gruden doesn’t want to go into much detail about the latest with Antonio Brown and adds that he thinks a lot of Brown.
OVERHEARD
“I’m going to have to look into what Babe Ruth would be making today and sit down with [the front office].”
— Michael Lorenzen, on being the first person since Babe Ruth to hit a home run at the plate, earn a win on the mound, and make an appearance in the outfield in the same game. Read more
REMEMBER WHEN?
On this date in 1990, Herschel Walker laid one of the most devastating hits of all time on Bill Bates during the Georgia-Tennessee game, leading announcer Larry Munson to exclaim “My God, a freshman!” Watch
WHAT’S ON THIS WEEKEND?
London Spitfire vs. New York Excelsior (7 p.m. ET, ESPNEWS); Atlanta Reign vs. San Francisco Shock (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPNEWS): Last year’s champion London Spitfire take on the New York Excelsior in the first game of tonight’s Overwatch League playoffs. In the later game, newly crowned MVP Jay “Sinatraa” Won leads the San Francisco Shock against the Atlanta Reign.
US Open men’s semifinals (Friday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN); Women’s championship (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN); Men’s championship (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN): Serena Williams is in the women’s final and going for her 24th grand slam title. That’s unreal. In the men’s bracket, Rafael Nadal is still alive and will be looking to contend for his fourth US Open title, but must first get past Matteo Berrettini in the semifinals.
Greece vs. USA (Saturday, 8:30 a.m. ET, ESPN+): Team USA cruised to a 53-point win against Japan, but Saturday morning’s game against Greece is a different story, as the Americans face reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
College GameDay (Saturday, 9 a.m. ET, ESPN): Gameday is coming to Austin, Texas, this weekend, and we’ll have none other than Matthew McConaughey as a guest picker, all right. All right? All right. After the crew has made their picks, you can settle in to a full day of college football across the ESPN family of networks, including Stanford taking on USC on ESPN at 10:30 p.m. ET. But make sure you pay special attention to the following two:
No. 12 Texas A&M at No. 1 Clemson (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC); No. 6 LSU at No. 9 Texas (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC): The SEC West has a chance to make a statement this weekend with Texas A&M traveling to Clemson and LSU visiting Texas. There are easier ways to make a statement, of course, but would it really be much of a statement otherwise?
UFC 242: Nurmagomedov vs. Poirier (Saturday, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN PPV): Khabib Nurmagomedov returns to the Octagon for the first time since his decisive win over Conor McGregor at UFC 229. He’ll face off against interim UFC lightweight champion Dustin Poirier. You can catch the prelims on ESPN+ beginning at noon ET and the early prelims on ESPN+ starting at 10:15 a.m. ET.
Yankees at Red Sox (Sunday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN): The age-old rivalry resumes Sunday night, with the two squads in very different situations. The Yankees can cruise to the playoffs, while the Red Sox need to make every game count as they try to close the gap on their deep wild-card deficit.
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