0:12
Gout Gout to miss World U20 Championships due to hamstring injury
Gout Gout's World U20 Championship hopes are over for this year after he suffered a serious hamstring tear during training in Brisbane. The 18-year-old sprint sensation had his sights set on becoming a 200m under-20 world champion in August, but now he's looking at 2027 as his next chance to shine. Gout posted the news on social media, vowing to return stronger and faster next season. He's currently sidelined for the rest of the year, which is a tough blow for someone with such big aspirations. Gout's injury is a setback, but he's already looking ahead to a comeback in 2027.
0:59
Wallabies name Declan Meredith for Test debut against France as injuries mount up
So the Wallabies are calling up 20-year-old Declan Meredith for his Test debut against France on Saturday. This comes as they're dealing with a bunch of soft-tissue injuries, which is exactly what they don't need heading into this tough matchup against the Six Nations champs. Meredith's getting the nod at flyhalf, replacing Jock Campbell, and Tom Wright's stepping in at fullback to round out the starting XV. They'll be looking to Meredith to bring some spark to the backline, but it's a big ask for a young guy making his debut against this caliber of opposition.
1:47
Report: Geno Smith was cited for speeding on Monday
It's supposed to be a quiet time for NFL players. Lately, it hasn't been quiet for Jets quarterback Geno Smith.
In June, police started (then stopped, then started again) an assault investigation in Florida. More recently, Smith was ticketed for speeding.
ESPN's Rich Cimini said in an appearance on the Jets Collective podcast that it happened on July 6 at roughly 11:00 a.m. ET. Per Cimini, police said Smith was driving 70 miles per hour in a 45 mph zone. Smith was also cited for not being able to produce a license.
In isolation, and as Cimini said, it's not a big deal. But Smith is the starting quarterback of the New York Jets, and there's already an unresolved cloud hanging over him. Anything he does is going to make news.
Cimini hasn't tweeted about it on his account, and there's no item on ESPN.com. But he said it on Jets Collective, and others have picked up on it.
It's just something else that brings the kind of attention to Smith and the Jets that they'd surely rather not have during the NFL's annual slow period.
3:04
Tom Brady: Receiver drama is like Real Housewives of the NFL
Tom Brady's got some honest words about receivers in the NFL. He's seen a lot over the years, and he thinks it's a tough spot for players, especially when they don't get the ball as often as they want. It's like they're stuck in a cycle of frustration, and it's hard to keep them motivated when they're not getting the results they want. Brady compares it to the drama you see on reality TV shows like the Real Housewives of the NFL. He's right, it's a challenging position, and it's not just about catching passes, it's about managing your emotions and staying committed to the team. Brady thinks it's a psychology thing, and he wishes he could just tell receivers to ride the highs and lows, that they'll catch 110 balls this year, but also have games where they only get three. He's seen it before, and he knows it's a pattern that repeats itself every year.
4:10
Travis Hunter is expected to be fully cleared for camp
Hey, so Travis Hunter's knee is looking good, he's expected to be fully cleared for training camp on the 28th. This is a big deal for the Jaguars, they were unsure about his status just last month. He tore his lateral collateral ligament back in October and had surgery in November, but now he's running at speeds over 20 mph, which is crazy considering the guy who won the Heisman last year can't even match that.
Hunter played a decent amount as a rookie, 324 snaps on offense and 162 on defense, before his injury. He had some solid numbers too, 28 catches for 298 yards and a touchdown on offense. This season, the Jaguars are expecting him to play even more on defense, they've got a need at cornerback and Hunter's got the skills to fill that gap.
5:08
No Bets Barred: What can we expect from Conor McGregor’s return at UFC 329?
The Mac is back!
On Saturday, Conor McGregor returns to the octagon after a five-year layoff, taking on Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 329 in Las Vegas. The bout is a rematch of their 2013 fight that McGregor won, but more than that, it’s a test to see what, if anything, McGregor has left to offer — and No Bets Barred is here to break it down.
This week, host Jed Meshew is joined by Luke Noseda, AKA Long Island Luke, of Morning Kombat, the Main Card Minute, and Prop Quiz to dive into all things UFC 329. Topics discussed include whether McGregor can recapture the magic against Holloway, whether Paddy Pimblett can win a fight against an elite lightweight, a surprisingly deep undercard, the latest update on The Climb, and more.
Tune in for episode 159 of No Bets Barred.
New episodes of the No Bets Barred podcast drop every Wednesday and are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you find your favorite podcasts. The latest episode can be heard below.
6:23
Candace Parker teases WNBA players for ‘insecurities’ folllowing Caitlin Clark All-Star vote
Caitlin Clark finished 11th among WNBA guards in All-Star voting by players this season, and Candace Parker isn’t mincing her words about the situation.
While Clark has missed three games and the Indiana Fever have hovered around .500 for much of the year, the star point guard is averaging a career-high in scoring and a career-low in turnovers per game while shooting a career-best 43 percent from the field.
Ultimately, Clark was named a starter thanks to her placement in the fan vote (No. 2) and media vote (No. 3). But Parker, a WNBA game and studio analyst for Prime Video and three-time WNBA champion, believes players’ views of Clark are about more than just pure analysis.
“You’ve got some insecurities if you’re sitting down and putting Caitlin Clark as the 11th-best guard,” Parker said on the Post Moves podcast, which she cohosts with Clark’s Fever teammate, Aliyah Boston. “Y’all need to go to a therapist and figure out what childhood issues you have.”
Candace Parker saying Caitlin Clark being voted as the 11th-best guard by WNBA players is “crazy”
“You’ve got some insecurities if you’re sitting down and putting Caitlin Clark as the 11th-best guard. Y’all need to go to a therapist.”
: @PostMovesShow pic.twitter.com/lH93W8YWAv
— Grant Young (@GrvntYoung) July 8, 2026
Beyond Clark’s strange rank in the player vote, Parker also called out Los Angeles’ Kelsey Plum finishing 12th.
But Boston and fellow Fever star Kelsey Mitchell, both All-Star starters this year, also finished far below the other starters in the player vote. The pattern was impossible to miss and has become the subject of online fan scrutiny.
“I wholeheartedly believe that there needs to be some rules with the WNBA players, because this is getting out of hand,” Parker said. “Caitlin Clark voted the 11th-best guard by WNBA players, that’s crazy.”
The Athletic reported that the Los Angeles Sparks failed to distribute All-Star voting ballots to its players, which may explain Plum’s low finish and could have affected the Fever stars’ placement as well.
Among the guardrails for players voting pitched by Parker was a rule against voting for teammates. One might guess, however, that Indiana’s trio would have suffered even more without votes from other Fever players.
As more strange tensions between Clark and the Fever and the rest of the league continue to come to the fore this season, Parker is the most prominent analyst to call out the clear issue with this year’s All-Star voting.
The post Candace Parker teases WNBA players for ‘insecurities’ folllowing Caitlin Clark All-Star vote appeared first on Awful Announcing.
9:32
With NFL Network in the fold, ESPN increases its NFL preseason games
The acquisition of NFL Network includes an uptick in preseason games televised by ESPN.
ESPN has annouced that NFL Network will televise 19 live, out-of-market games during the three-week 2026 preseason.
Twelve more out-of-market games will be available live via the ESPN App's Unlimited plan.
ESPN will televise one preseason game — Raiders at Texans on August 20. It will be the national TV debut of rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, if he plays in the game.
All 48 preseason games will be re-aired on NFL Network, as usual.
The preseason begins on Thursday, August 13. It ends on Saturday, August 29.
10:21
Nearly 45 million watched England vs. Mexico on Sunday night
Monday night's Round of 16 match between the U.S. and Belgium generate 42 million viewers, between Fox, Telemundo, and Peacock. And that wasn't the biggest American TV audience of the week.
Via Richard Deitsch of Sports Business Journal, nearly 45 million watched England vs. Mexico on Sunday night.
The total figure comes from 23.1 million watching on Telemundo and Peacock, and 21.742 million watching on Fox. That's a total of 44.842 million.
By way of comparison, the NFL's AFC and NFC Championship games in January averaged 47.4 million viewers.
There's no doubt about it. Soccer is a mainstream sport in the U.S. Even with the U.S. and Mexican team exiting, there could be come big numbers for the remaining seven matches.
Which explains why the U.S. TV deal for the 2030 World Cup is expected to spike from $485 million to as much as $2 billion.
11:26
Taylor Twellman: Those surprised by Christian Pulisic’s struggles ‘didn’t read the tea leaves’
While there will come a day when everyone looks back fondly on the USMNT’s run in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, we’re still in the process of making sense of the team’s 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Belgium.
While expectations were sky-high, the criticism towards the USMNT, and star player Christian Pulisic specifically, has been near-universal since Monday’s match.
Apple MLS analyst Taylor Twellman has been among those with strong words about what went wrong in the pivotal match. In a conversation with Dan Patrick on Wednesday, Twellman was asked what to make of Pulisic’s performance and if it deserved some kind of asterisk.
“If anyone’s a little surprised that he struggled in this World Cup, you didn’t read the tea leaves.”
– @TaylorTwellman on Christian Pulisic pic.twitter.com/Jqfxe8fL1v
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) July 8, 2026
“Listen, Christian’s a fantastic player and I still think he’s always going to be in the conversation for the best [American] player ever,” said Twellman. “But you can’t be naive and not remember that from January 1st to the World Cup, he had zero goal contributions for [AC] Milan. Before that, I just want everyone that’s listening to know: July 27th, 2025 to January 1st, 2026, he was second in goal contributions in Serie A and then literally saw a ghost.
“Because a player of his caliber, you can get assists. … So he’s not just a goalscorer. I need the general public to understand. But he’s a playmaker. He does things that other players can’t. He’s your guy for the United States. However, from January 1st, 2026 to the beginning of World Cup camp before the Senegal game, he had zero goal contributions. So if anyone’s a little surprised that he struggled in this World Cup, well, you didn’t read the tea leaves.
“But then Senegal came. And he was really good. And then Germany came and he was solid. And then the first 45 minutes against Paraguay, I was like, hang on a minute, and then he’s injured.
“So there’s no asterisk, Dan. It’s a long-winded answer to your question. There’s no asterisk. … Everybody on the field against Belgium was not good enough. It wasn’t because Pulisic didn’t do anything attacking third. They were all not good enough.”
There’s going to be a lot of hindsight vision and soul-searching over the next four years as Pulisic and the USMNT look to the 2030 World Cup for a way forward.
The post Taylor Twellman: Those surprised by Christian Pulisic’s struggles ‘didn’t read the tea leaves’ appeared first on Awful Announcing.
