Saturday's Report: Bacon, Russell Henley; Falcons, UGA, Braves, Hawks MLB, college 🏈/Big Ten/news, NCAA changes, soccer, golf, NASCAR, NFL, WNBA, colleges, NHL, golf, NBA, boxing
📰S📰C📰O📰R📰E📰B📰O📰A📰R📰D
⚾ ⚾ ⚾ Baseball ⚾ ⚾ ⚾
⚾ ⚾ ⚾ Coastal Plain ⚾ ⚾ ⚾
Macon’s winning streak is stopped at 13, thanks to a 7-run eighth by the hosts. Hayden Testerman and Carter Hennon had 2 hits each for Macon, which hosts Florence on Saturday in the regular-season finale.
Pro
⚾ ⚾ ⚾MLB ⚾ ⚾ ⚾
🏀🏀🏀WNBA 🏀🏀🏀
📰C📰O📰V📰E📰R📰A📰G📰E📰
Around/About Central Georgia
Henley in the hunt in Detroit
The day got off to a brutal start: a double bogey on the second hole.
Russell Henley basically shrugged that off en route to a 3-under second round of the Rocket Classic in Detroit to move into a tie for 12st.
With a 6-under 134, Henley is only four shots back of tri-leaders Cam Young, Patrick Cantlay, and Patrick Fishburn.
The weekend should be quite the ride, with 31 players on Henley’s level or better, within four of the lead.
The cut line was 3 under, ending the weekends of top 50 players Ben Griffin, Jake Knapp, Eric Cole, Akshay Bhatia, Chris Gotterup, and Wyndham Clark, among others.
Henley was set up for a nice save on that double bogey, on his second hole, No. 11, a 227-yard par 3. He was in the bunker off the tee, 42 feet from the pin.
He doinked the second shot onto the green, but he lost 20 feet. Henley’s next shot was off target, and he just missed the bogey shot left.
Henley went on a three-of-four birdie run before a bogey on 18 to close out the first nine. He was warm on the second nine until a bogey on No. 7, ending up with four birdies and a bogey for a 3-under second nine.
He tees off at 12:05 p.m. on Saturday with David Lipsky.
Around/About Georgia
Jackets add NFL WR standout Hopkins to staff
Strand enjoying his moment behind center in Atlanta
Will Atlanta starters play in the preseason?
Injuries might complicate Braves’ Trade Deadline plans
Elder's quality start comes at opportune time, with talk of needing starters rampant
Six intriguing Georgia Tech freshmen on offense
Sophomore surge? 7 2nd-year Georgia Bulldogs to pay attention to during fall camp
There’s one key difference between Georgia wide receiver position in 2024 and now
Braves blast past the Nationals 6-2 as Harris and Olson launch long home runs
Reese has 19th double-double of the season in the Dream’s win over the Storm
A Worthy Read
Rock Chalk ... Algeria? How U.S. college campuses embraced World Cup visitors and made a profit
MLB/NL
Henderson triples in 4-run 7th in the Orioles’ win over the Phillies
Marsee and Kyle Stowers lead the Marlins over the Mets
Bowen hits 1st career home run and Padres toss combined 2-hitter
Diamondbacks score 4 in 8th to beat Guardians and move into second in NL wild-card race
Stewart hits 2-run HR, drives in 4 as Reds come back to beat Pirates
MLB/AL
Rafaela has 2-run homer to spark a 5-run 7th as Red Sox rally past Dodgers
Diaz powers the Astros past the Rangers, pushing Houston into first
Baseball/MLB
Giants suspend pay to injured outfielder Bader following scooter accident
Women’s Pro Baseball
Decades after ‘A League of Their Own,’ women’s pro baseball returns
New Women's Professional Baseball League is looking like 'a movement'
‘It’s just what we’ve all dreamed of.’ L.A. team helps launch Women’s Pro Baseball League
WPBL looking for longevity as players take the field amid rising popularity for women’s sports
WNBA/Women’s Basketball
Wilson, Young help the Aces beat the Liberty
Clark has 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the Fever’s victory over the Fire
Collier, Miles, Williams help Lynx beat Tempo for 9th consecutive win
College football/Big Ten Media Days
New Michigan coach Whittingham loves rivalry intensity but not hatred
Rhule says peers to blame for broken college football narrative
Big Ten believes its reputation as a top-heavy league is unfair as it claims conference supremacy
Pressured Terps coach leans on QB for revival
Michigan’s Whittingham, Michigan State’s Fitzgerald have similar missions in a bitter rivalry
Cignetti won't allow complacency in Hoosiers' title defense
Smith never considered leaving Ohio State this offseason: 'That would have been a stupid move'
Fitzgerald says he and Michigan State have ‘a bag of chips on our shoulder’
Is Ohio State's running game good enough to win a national title?
Smith chasing Heisman, 'more hardware' for OSU
College Football
The 14 college football teams poised to break through and bounce back in 2026
Day calls for 'much, much higher' salary cap in college football
NFL/NFC
Barkley says he loves the challenge of 'learning a new language' in Mannion's offense
Panthers rookie WR Brazzell III could miss up to 8 weeks with knee injury
Fangio makes Fauci joke, invokes Fifth Amendment during Eagles presser
Darnold uninterested in narratives about him, but ready to help Seahawks defend Super Bowl crown
Bears banking on better speed to bolster a defense that’s still adjusting to new lineup
Rookie Love looks the part of a star during Cardinals’ first week of camp
Giants RB Skattebo is ready to play football and take a break from backflips
NFL/AFC
'I’m the best safety.' James is chasing something more
Payton tearfully accepts Brees' invitation to introduce QB for HOF
A fired-up Cousins digs in as Raiders starter while Mendoza surges in camp
Maye is being more vocal and it’s already paying off as he prepares for Year 3 with Patriots
Ravens’ Henry enters season No. 11 and says he isn’t thinking about retirement
Titans’ new-look defensive front eager to ‘get pads on’ in Saleh’s fast defense
NFL/USFL/UFL/Football
Court delays for son of Chiefs coach accused of shooting his mom delayed pending mental health check
Lessons from Stringer’s death led to cold water immersion tubs by every NFL practice field
Stringer died from heat stroke 25 years ago. His widow has made prevention her life’s mission
College Sports, the changing landscape
Courts hand NCAA major loss on five-year eligibility rule
Chancellor grants 19 college basketball players a 5th season and orders portal open Monday
SEC, Big Ten vote to support Congressional college sports bill after mad scramble
Golf
Young shares 2nd-round lead at Rocket Classic after cooling off to shoot 9-under 61
Ryu takes a 1-shot lead after 2 rounds of the British Women’s Open
Auto Racing
Johnson adds Bryce Harper, Andy Roddick and other winners as investors to his NASCAR team
Tennis
Noskova, Rybakina and Zheng nominated to play in Billie Jean King Cup finals
Soccer
Infantino abandons plans to sell World Cup profits to private equity following massive pushback
Ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter blasts plan to bring in private investment
Gotham, USWNT defender Emily Sonnett out with a ruptured patellar tendon
College Basketball
Over 100 women’s college basketball players team up in unionization effort
NBA/Basketball
Spanish League MVP Mario Hezonja returns to NBA on 1-year contract with Cleveland Cavaliers
NHL/Hockey
Sharks re-sign F Collin Graf to a 3-year, $12.75M contract
Boxing/UFC/MMA
Boxer earns Tuvalu’s first Commonwealth Games medal despite losing her only bout
Scoreboards