Nobody is quite sure about when the largest grandstand in Europe earned the name it is now famous for, though it is certain it happened more recently than most people think.
The Yellow Wall at Borussia Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion was described by German author and writer Uli Hesse in 2018 as the thing that Bayern Munich, the most successful and powerful club in that country, did not have: “a massive terrace that seemed like a throwback to football’s golden age”.
This architectural beast can hold 24,454 spectators for Bundesliga games — more than twice as many as Celtic’s fabled ‘Jungle’ did in the 1960s, and only slightly less than the maximum capacity of the Kop at Anfield during the same period, a golden age in Liverpool’s history.
“Unlike the Jungle or the Kop, the term Yellow Wall is not very old,” Hesse stressed, using Kicker, the most popular football magazine in Germany, as a reference point for its relevance. Only in May 2009 did the description ‘Yellow Wall’ appear in its pages for the first time and that was because of the reflections of Dortmund’s then goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller when he found out 10,000 of the club’s fans had travelled to a game against Eintracht Frankfurt.
“It’s incredible; even when we are playing away from home, the yellow wall will be there,” Weidenfeller said.
Yet another 21 months would pass before Kicker started to use the expression regularly, helping it become an established term in the global football language.
This was around the time Dortmund won the Bundesliga two seasons in a row under the management of Jurgen Klopp, who had transformed underachieving giants into a club competing for domestic and also European honours.
His Dortmund side would lose the Champions League final to Bayern at Wembley in May 2013.
This weekend, the club have the opportunity to win, at the same London venue, the same trophy for the first time since their only triumph in the competition in 1997. On this occasion, Real Madrid are the opponents and Dortmund, who finished fifth in the Bundesliga this season, 27 points behind champions Bayer Leverkusen, are a talented side but not quite in the same state of rude health as 11 years ago.
Klopp’s charisma and achievements helped Dortmund become the second club for lots of football supporters across Europe. Yet iconology was also a significant feature of Dortmund’s attraction.
Their popular former manager, who left Liverpool in May after almost nine years, described the experience of seeing the Yellow Wall as you emerge from the Westfalenstadion’s bowels as an almost out-of-body experience.
Dortmund fans say farewell and thank you to a departing Klopp in 2015 (Patrik Stollarz/AFP via Getty Images)
“This dark tunnel, it’s exactly two metres high (just under 6ft 7in), and when you come out it’s like being born,” the 6ft 3in Klopp said. “You come out and the place explodes — out of the darkness, into the light. You look to your left and it seems like there are 150,000 people up on the terrace all going completely nuts.”
Weidenfeller was a leader in Klopp’s team: “If you are the enemy, it crushes you, but if you have it at your back as a goalkeeper, it’s a fantastic feeling.”
This view was supported by Bayern’s Champions League and World Cup-winning midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, who later played for Manchester United and MLS team Chicago Fire. When he was asked whether he was more worried by Dortmund’s players or their manager, Klopp, he responded: “It’s the Yellow Wall that scares me the most.”
The sheer scale of the structure offers an array of vantage points. “From the front of the lower tier you can almost scratch the goalkeeper on the back — while way up high below the roof, where there is an inclined angle of 37 degrees, it’s like a ski jump,” concluded the German news magazine, Der Spiegel.
According to Hesse, Daniel Lorcher, born in 1985, was “more or less responsible” for creating the Yellow Wall term. In 2004, when Dortmund were facing doom on and off the pitch and as their financial position became bleaker, the club’s largest ultras group produced a mosaic that paraphrased an Oscar Wilde aphorism, “Many walk through dark alleys, but only a few are looking at the stars.”
Lorcher was a leading member of The Unity, who stood in the centre of what was then known simply as the Sudtribune, right behind the goal. It was their job to make as much noise as possible but Lorcher felt there were greater possibilities at Dortmund, due to the size of that stand. If the ultras could involve other fans, persuading them to dress in bright yellow while holding flags and banners of the same colour, say, the effect would be startling, helping Dortmund’s players, as well as potentially creating more of an intimidating atmosphere for opponents.
This not only required a huge amount of fabric, but it all had to be in the right shade of yellow.
Lorcher and other ultras contacted a Danish retail chain which had stores all over Germany. “They sold us more than three miles of cloth and we produced four thousand flags,” Lorcher told Hesse. “We rented sewing machines for weeks on end and then had to learn how to use them. It was hard work, but we had lots of fun.”
As the 2004-05 season reached its finale and Dortmund avoided oblivion, “the flags bathed the entire stand in yellow” before a home game with Hansa Rostock, Hesse wrote in his book, Building The Yellow Wall.
One of the banners read: “At the end of the dark alley shines the yellow wall,” and another said: “Yellow Wall, South Stand Dortmund.”
Since 2005, the Westfalenstadion has been known as Signal Iduna Park after the club decided to use a sponsorship deal to reduce a debt, which was eventually paid off to bank Morgan Stanley three years later.
There were lots of contributing factors towards Dortmund’s precarious financial state during that period and one of them was the demand for stadiums to be converted into all-seater venues in the wake of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster in England.
In the summer of 1992, the Westfalenstadion’s north stand terracing was converted into a seated area, reducing the overall capacity from 54,000 to less than 43,000. The club’s directors realised they could charge more money for a comfier experience but there was a reluctance to subject the southern Sudtribune (as it is still referred to by older Dortmunders) to the same treatment after discussions with fans, who made them realise the terrace was the club’s only real marketing tool.
After Dortmund beat 3-1 Juventus in Munich, securing the Champions League title in May 1997, the south stand was doubled in size. As the stadium became bigger and safer, Dortmund spent more money than ever on players. But more success did not follow and, by 2005, there was a real chance the club might go out of business.
Today, Dortmund’s ground is the biggest in Germany, while their mean attendance in the Bundesliga is greater than any other Bundesliga club — including Bayern: this season, Dortmund averaged over 81,000 and Bayern, at their futuristic Allianz Arena, were at 75,000. Between Dortmund and the third- and fourth-placed teams (Eintracht Frankfurt and Stuttgart), the drop was nearly 26,000, which is only slightly more than the capacity of the Yellow Wall alone, a terrace that could accommodate the population of a reasonably-sized town.
The Yellow Wall salutes Marco Reus at his final home game this month (Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Though the stadium’s capacity is reduced to make it an all-seater stand on European nights, the three clubs with the lowest average attendances in the Bundesliga (Union Berlin, Darmstadt and Heidenheim) could get their entire crowds onto the Sudtribune with room to spare; yet the club have not really sought to capitalise on it economically in a direct way.
Hesse even suggests the Yellow Wall “hurts” Dortmund in this sense, because ticket prices have been kept so low.
On average, season-ticket holders pay €14 (£11.90/$15.10) per match, but if Dortmund put seats there and charged more, the club, according to Hesse, would lose a sense of their soul.
The fact that, according to the financial experts at Forbes and Deloitte, Dortmund are not even in the top 20 clubs in Europe when it comes to matchday revenue (when they have one of the biggest stadiums on the continent) is a reflection of the attitude that exists in their region, the industrial heartland of Germany. Instead, there is a residual monetary benefit from the Yellow Wall, with businesses including chemical company Evonik, brewer Brinkhoff’s and pump manufacturer Wilo keen to be associated with a creation that is authentic to a working-class region of the country.
The Westfalenstadion has become a tourist destination but the Yellow Wall remains unaffected for the time being.
The biggest decision for visitors, says Hesse, is whether to join the party on the terrace, or watch its radiance from afar.
(Top photo: Alex Gottschalk/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
Growing up playing high school football in the early 2000s, the dream of seeing someone who looked like me playing at the highest level of a sport I loved was one I gave up on early in my youth. For many, representation at the pinnacle of something you obsessed over can be taken for granted. For Asian American kids in sports at the time, it was practically nonexistent. So when I first saw the “Nguyen” nameplate on the back of an NFL jersey, I was in genuine awe.
Someone with my last name in the NFL? And he wasn’t a kicker (not that there is anything wrong with that). He played linebacker, one of the most physical positions in sports, for the Dallas Cowboys.
That jersey belonged to Dat Nguyen, the All-Pro linebacker, who cemented himself as a legend at Texas A&M. He didn’t just have a spot on the roster, he was one of the best defenders in the league. Not only did it make it seem a little more possible that Asians could play in the NFL, but it also created a different type of connection to pro football that I didn’t have before.
We aren’t related — Nguyen is an incredibly common last name — but for me and the Asian kids from my generation who got to watch him, he represented us on the field. He broke a barrier we didn’t think could be broken, shattering it with every bone-rattling tackle. May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and a good time to reflect on the history Nguyen made and how he got there.
Discovering football
Nguyen and his family shared a similar experience as many Vietnamese migrants in America in the ’80s. During the Vietnam War, his parents made the harrowing escape by boat as the Viet Cong overtook their homes in Vietnam. They started their new lives in a refugee camp in Arkansas before moving to Texas, where Nguyen would grow up and discover football.
His family took up shrimping, a common occupation among Vietnamese immigrants because they did it in their homeland. Beginning in fourth grade, Nguyen spent each summer on the family boat as his brother’s deckhand.
Nguyen’s junior high school coach, Cliff Davis, discovered him while walking the halls looking to recruit kids to play football. Nguyen was nearly 5-foot-10 in eighth grade and could already dunk a basketball. He stood out from his friends. However, his parents initially didn’t support his playing football and wanted him to focus on academics. Nguyen forged their signatures to sign up for the football team.
Dat Nguyen, left, with his family at the premiere of “All American: The Dat Nguyen Story,” a documentary about his football journey, in 2023. (Courtesy of Nguyen family)
He didn’t know much about the sport, but as he learned more, he quickly fell in love with the mental side of the game.
“I was very fortunate and grateful that (Davis) taught me to visualize,” Nguyen, now 48, explained. “We went to the gym before the football game and he shared with us a moment. And the moment was when you closed your eyes and you play the play in your mind, saw the play before it happened, called the defense, adjust to the offensive formation, snap the ball and just see it. If it’s a run, if it’s a pass — what’s your responsibility? What’s your alignment? What’s your adjustment? All that quickly has to be diagnosed or decided within a few seconds. If you played it in your mind and you saw it the night before and you line up in the game, it’s a lot easier when you just don’t have to think … you just react.”
Nguyen’s athleticism and instinctual style of play helped him quickly excel on the gridiron, but his double life almost halted when he broke his elbow diving for a fumble toward the end of his eighth-grade season. His parents found out he was hurt playing football but realized he was passionate about the game and that it kept him out of trouble, so they let him continue to play. As he played high school football, the cerebral nature of the sport continued to compel him.
“I fell in love with the game because it was fascinating to me,” he said. “I was one of the 11 guys every time the puzzle was moved. As I got older, the game was so much more interesting because of the situations in football.”
Breaking out with the Aggies
Nguyen became a star for his hometown team and had people from every background chanting his name, but his parents came to only two games. His mom worked two jobs and his dad was on the boat all day. Plus, entering a crowded stadium full of people who didn’t speak their language was daunting. It wasn’t until Nguyen got a scholarship to Texas A&M that he truly felt they embraced his football career.
When he first got to Texas A&M, he thought he was too small and needed to gain weight to be an effective college player, but then he got too big. He couldn’t move effectively and he slid down the depth chart. He almost gave up on playing college football but recommitted himself in the offseason. He woke up at 6 a.m. every day to work out on his own, went to class at 8 a.m. and got in a second workout at noon before working out with his team at 4 p.m. He got into fantastic shape and surprised the team and coaching staff with his body transformation.
He worked his way up from eighth on the depth chart to No. 2. The only linebacker ahead of him was Trent Driver, who had prototypical size and speed. One day, while running sprints, Driver twisted his ankle on a sprinkler. Nguyen got his shot, and the rest was history. He became an Aggies legend, starting 51 consecutive games and amassing 517 tackles and six interceptions.
Dat Nguyen is one of the greatest defensive players in @AggieFootball history. The @cfbhall linebacker is the only player in @TAMU history to lead the team in tackles four consecutive seasons and still holds school records with 517 career tackles and 30 double-digit tackle games!… pic.twitter.com/6Hvg13Qlb4
His parents started coming to his home games, and for the away games, they would have company come over to watch their son play on TV. They picked up how the game worked, but the magnitude of how big football was, especially in Texas, was hard to grasp. Their son went from helping them on a shrimp boat to playing on national television.
Nguyen had one of the best games of his career in the 1998 Cotton Bowl against UCLA, but when he talked about the game, he didn’t highlight the win or his interception and lateral for a touchdown or the fact that he was named MVP of that game. He talked about the feeling when he found out his parents, who were across the country for a wedding, were gathered around a TV with friends and family hooting and cheering him on in the Cotton Bowl.
“That might be the best game of my career,” Nguyen said. “I still have some records there in the Cotton Bowl, and it’s not like some of those records might not be broken, right? And for them to witness that with relatives and family and gatherings and in another state … yeah, that was pretty cool for them to share with me.”
Growing up in an Asian household, winning the approval of the family sometimes felt like chasing after a carrot on a stick that was tied to your back. When you’ve achieved the status of state legend and get a free education out of it, no parent, no matter how high their standards, could resist cheering.
How ’bout them Cowboys?
The next achievement to check off was getting drafted. Though Nguyen had gaudy statistics and accolades, he was still undersized (5-11, 234 pounds at the 1999 NFL Scouting Combine) in an era of football when the prototypical linebacker was 250 pounds. Nguyen was one of Dallas’ top-30 visits, so although the Cowboys were interested, he knew he wouldn’t be a first-round pick.
The draft spanned two days back then. On the first day, Nguyen helped a friend move and went to a kid’s birthday party before ending up at his mom’s house where they would watch the end of day one of the draft together. Nine linebackers with better measurables got drafted before him. He then got the call from Jerry Jones. The Cowboys drafted him in the third round. Nguyen would be playing pro football in his home state.
“I landed in Dallas and I thought, ‘Your family left Vietnam to come here just for freedom and you get the chance to play this game we called the American sport and you get drafted by America’s Team,’” Nguyen said.
He remembered in his first OTAs getting into the defensive huddle, getting the signal and calling the defense — something he’d done thousands of times. No big deal. He then looked across and saw Troy Aikman and Emmit Smith, and to his left was Michael Irvin. When the ball was snapped, Nguyen froze and didn’t move. These were guys he watched every Sunday, and just sharing the field with them caused him to short-circuit for a second. Though there were some historically big personalities in the Dallas locker room, he said they respected his play and he never felt ostracized for his ethnicity.
Dat Nguyen celebrates a fumble recovery for the Cowboys during a game in 2005. (Tim Heitman / USA Today)
Bill Parcells was hired as head coach in 2003, Nguyen’s fifth year in the league. Parcells came from a 3-4 defensive background and preferred bigger, more physical linebackers. Nguyen was quick, undersized and made plays because of his anticipation and angles.
The old-school Parcells wasn’t easy to impress. But as Nguyen had done his entire football career, he made his size an afterthought and earned Parcells’ trust. Nguyen had a career year in his first season playing for him and was named second-team All-Pro.
“I learned more football with (Parcells) than my 15 years prior,” Nguyen said. “He made the game very interesting. Situational football was a big part of what he did, and I really learned a lot about the game on that aspect of it. He’s a guy that really cares about you as a person even though at times he doesn’t feel like he does. But I’ll send him a text right now, and he’ll text me back. I feel like I’m in that inner circle with him, and it’s hard to get in that inner circle.”
Nguyen shined brightly when he was on the field, but injuries took a toll on his body. In 2004, playing the Pittsburgh Steelers, some Cowboys defenders had a bet on who would put the biggest hit on Jerome Bettis. Early in the game, Nguyen saw his chance. The play unfolded in slow motion. He watched quarterback Ben Roethlisberger turn around to hand the ball off to Bettis.
“I was like, ‘Oh, shoot, I’m beelining him. I’m about to win this pot,’” he said. “So I’m about to blow him up. All of a sudden I get blown up from somewhere else.”
Steelers receiver Hines Ward blindsided and de-cleated him. His legs were 6 feet in the air and he smashed his head on the ground. The next thing he could remember was the trainer bringing him to his wife and explaining to her that he had a severe concussion.
He went the next morning to the facility to work out, get treatment and attend his position meeting. In his meeting, he looked down at his grade sheet and saw he was given a positive grade on 63 out of 64 plays. He realized he’d just played one of the best games ever — the problem was, he didn’t remember anything past the blindside hit.
The following season, he prepared hard and felt great. He thought he would have a career year but injured his knee in training camp and had meniscus surgery before the season. During a West Coast trip in which they played the 49ers and Raiders, he hurt his neck against the 49ers but played through it. He completed a Cowboys comeback with a game-sealing interception but knew something wasn’t right.
“I remember calling my wife the morning I woke up,” Nguyen said. “I was like, my knees are bothering me. My neck’s bothering me. I don’t feel right.”
After the Raiders game, on the flight back to Dallas, he sat next to Dan Campbell, Nguyen’s teammate with the Cowboys and at Texas A&M.
“I was like, ‘Dan, man, I can see the plays. I can’t get there.’ Like I worked so hard in the off-season just to get a chance to get the edge, right? I put so many hours into it, but I think my body’s just breaking down.”
The next morning, Nguyen told Parcells he needed to take some time off to recover and regroup, and Parcells obliged. Nguyen tried coming back on Thanksgiving, but his body didn’t respond. His arm went numb every time he got hit.
Dat Nguyen is recognized during halftime of a Dallas Cowboys preseason game in 2006 for his contributions to the team. (Khampha Bouaphanh / Getty Images)
“So that’s when I knew it was over,” Nguyen said. “I was glad I was able to walk away. And, you know, you miss it. I’m sorry, you miss the locker room. You miss the competition. You miss the four seconds of the game when the ball snaps. I can’t explain this to anybody or share it with people because it’s so unique.”
Nguyen retired in 2005 and went on to have brief stints coaching with the Cowboys and Texas A&M. He’s earned several accolades since his retirement including making the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame, All-Time Big 12 Team and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. But his seven seasons, a relatively long career, were not enough to get Pro Football Hall of Fame consideration. Though he won’t be enshrined in Canton, his career was truly unique. He was the first Vietnamese player to be drafted in the NFL and the only one to date. Nguyen was a barrier breaker, and he hopes his story can inspire other Asian kids to follow in his footsteps.
“I thought when you broke the barrier back then when I was playing, I was hoping that it was open to people,” he said. “I was hoping that more kids would be participants. It’s hard to find. … I mean, even my nephew, that’s going to graduation tonight, he’s a good ball player. I don’t think he’s a DI player, but I think he’s able to play DIII if he wants to pursue it. And then (many kids wave) off the option, but it’s like, man, you never know how you develop your body. It might be small stature, but man, a lot of times, football teaches you so much. But the opportunity to make it and fulfill a dream, man, it’s like no other, though. And I think a lot of them don’t want to pursue it because the chances are against them, which it is.”
(Top photo: Al Messerschmidt and Doug Pensinger / Getty Images)
On May 20 in Atlanta, in the evening game of a doubleheader, Fernando Tatis, Jr. sped 84 feet across the outfield grass in Atlanta and crashed into the Truist Park fence to take away a hit from good friend Ronald Acuña, Jr. The impact knocked him to the ground, leaving significant scrapes.
“That’s the love for the game more than anything else,” Tatis told reporters about the catch afterward. “I knew it was going to hurt.”
Tatis, 25, has always played the game loud, uninhibited. Borderline reckless. He’s known for his leaping and diving catches, for dancing in the outfield and skipping around the bases and stealing home. In 2021, Tatis became the youngest player ever to grace the cover of “MLB the Show.” His jersey sales were among the league’s top three. Young fans tried to emulate his swing and his swagger, copying his epic bat flips and salivating over his shoes.
Tatis’ ever-changing cleats this season are flashy and fun, but the fact that he is a star without a shoe sponsorship deal is also a reminder of what else he is known for now. Two years ago, just months after he signed a 14-year, $340 million contract extension that set a record for a player who hadn’t yet reached salary arbitration, the league found the steroid Clostebol in his system. Tatis, who was on rehab assignment during the failed drug test, was suspended 80 games. He initially claimed the failed drug test was because of a treatment for ringworm, but later apologized for his actions and took accountability.
Once viewed as the future face of baseball, Tatis was immediately dropped by Adidas. Gatorade and Dairy Queen ads featuring him were pulled, and he acquired a new, unflattering label: steroid user.
Tatis, who was also coming off multiple surgeries, won a Platinum Gold Glove last season, his first in the outfield. But he struggled at the plate, hitting .257/.322/.449 with a 112 OPS+. On the road, Tatis was booed. On the national scale, baseball found other young stars to promote in the 564 days Tatis spent between big-league games.
This season, Tatis, the son of former big leaguer Fernando Tatis, still isn’t hitting as he once did — .244/.328/.412 through Wednesday. But his enthusiasm for the game has returned, and he is feeling more like himself.
“I actually love being under the radar,” Tatis, Jr. said in front of his locker this spring. Then, realizing how surprising that sounds, he dips his head back and cackles. “But also, we can’t deny ourselves.”
Tatis Jr. (homering against the Cubs in April) plays with flair, but off the field, he speaks so softly that teammates often strain to hear him. (Matt Thomas / San Diego Padres via Getty Images)
On the field, Tatis is responsible for some of the game’s most emphatic bat flips, often accompanied by yelling, jumping, or pounding his chest. Off of it, you have to strain to hear him. Behind the animated plays, Tatis is soft-spoken — “sweet,” as first-year Padres manager Mike Shildt puts it.
“I’ve always been quieter than my siblings,” said Tatis who is from San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic. “I like to listen and to laugh.”
Tatis’ first steps in the big leagues were as a young child, following his dad in the clubhouse in Montreal, toting a tiny bat and taking swings on the field. In New York with the Mets, Sr. would take Jr. to the batting cages and encourage him to talk to the other big leaguers, players like Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado and Angel Pagan. Tatis Sr. finished his career playing a few seasons in winter ball, and by then, Tatis Jr., already showing signs of being a star, was old enough to pay close attention and hone his skills.
In 2015, at age 16, he signed with the White Sox. They later traded him to the Padres, and by 2019, Manny Machado and then-Padres veteran Eric Hosmer were lobbying general manager A.J. Preller to bring Tatis up from the minors, saying that if the Padres were serious about winning, Tatis needed to be on the team. Preller listened, and Tatis’s career launched in a hurry.
Tatis finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting that year despite appearing in only 84 games after a season-ending back injury. The following season, he finished fourth in the NL MVP race and was third in 2022. He was a two-time Silver Slugger, an All-Star in 2021, on the cover of “MLB The Show,” and he had his own colorway of Adidas’ Ultra Boost running shoe.
“It was a lot,” Tatis said, looking back at his first few years in the league. “It was a lot more than baseball. I don’t want to say I got misguided, but sometimes I got a little bit distracted.”
Then it all came crashing down. When the news became public that Tatis had tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug, he was at Double-A San Antonio on rehab assignment for a broken wrist from a motorcycle accident suffered in the Dominican during the offseason. The injury occurred during baseball’s lockout, when teams were prohibited from talking to players. Tatis showed up to spring training with the wrist still sore, and a subsequent MRI confirmed the fracture. He was on the cusp of returning when the suspension was levied.
Reaction to the suspension was swift and visceral. Tatis’ bobblehead night was canceled, his presence almost immediately scrubbed from team videos on the JumboTron. A giant mural of Tatis on Petco Park’s exterior was taken down. The guy baseball couldn’t get enough of was nowhere to be found.
“It’s not an easy situation, reputationally. People are going to make judgments,” Preller said. “He’s had to deal with that in the last couple years.”
When Tatis reported to spring training last year, he was still suspended, but was able to train with the team. He went to work with Padres outfield coach David Macias, who helped Tatis make the transition from shortstop to right field, a move precipitated by the hope that having less action and fewer collisions would keep Tatis, who has had multiple shoulder dislocations and several other injuries in his short career, healthier.
When he returned on April 20, 2023, Tatis — now in right field — had a front-row seat to fans’ hostility. Teammate Nelson Cruz, who was suspended 50 games in 2013 for his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal, became a voice of support, as did Machado. Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove, one of the handful of veterans Tatis first addressed his suspension with, said teammates were quick to move on. But, he told Tatis, eventually he needed to forgive himself.
“You can’t let it linger over your head, ‘I’m known as this cheater and this guy that took steroids and I have to act a certain way,’” Musgrove said. “It’s over. Now move on so you can be the player that you were before the steroid use. He was unbelievable before any of that happened. I continue to believe that he’s going to be a great player after.”
In 141 games in 2023, Tatis was a great defender — second among outfielders in Defensive Runs Saved (+27) and Ultimate Zone Rating (+12.3) — but he was a more pedestrian hitter.
This past offseason, Tatis returned to the Dominican Republic, and for the first time since he became a big leaguer he played winter ball, returning to his former team, Estrellas Orientales in Lidom. His coach? His father. Though he only played in a few winter ball games, Tatis put on an offensive show reminiscent of his best days.
“I needed that. I needed to play again,” said Tatis.
Said Machado, “It’s given him a chip on his shoulder heading into (this season), which I don’t think is a bad thing.”
Tatis entered spring training more vocal with teammates and in meetings, more confident, free of the uncertainty of how his presence would be perceived.
“I told him, ‘we’re going to win with you being more outspoken,’” Machado said. “’We need you, people look up to you. If you use your voice, you’re going to lead us in the right direction.’ And he’s been doing it ever since the offseason. He’s definitely matured in a big way.”
Asked what he’s learned the past two years, Tatis said, “things are never as bad as they seem.”
The Padres are asking Tatis to cover more ground in his second season as an outfielder, a way to better utilize his athleticism and also help rookie center fielder Jackson Merrill. In the early going, Tatis has experimented with playing closer to centerfield and deeper.
“He’s going to be able to change the game, robbing home runs and making really athletic plays where he’s leaping over the wall or jumping off it acrobatically,” Macias said. “There’s just not a lot of players like him in the game.”
Tatis’ offense, he and his teammates believe, will eventually return to its peak.
“The field is like his playground,” said Macias, who was impressed that Tatis took live reps in batting practice before every game last year, an unusual habit in the big leagues. “He’s always trying to create something and he’s never content. He wants to master everything, and because of that you are going to keep seeing a better Tati.”
If 2023 was the Redemption Tour, 2024 feels like it can be about baseball again for Tatis. Even after his suspension, Tatis is still one of the more marketable players in baseball. He’s charismatic, Latino in a sport where nearly half of its players are born outside the U.S., speaks perfect English and plays with a showman’s flair. He has already added new partnerships this year, appearing in an Opening Day ad for Corona and securing a deal with Champs, with a handful of other potential companies being discussed.
For all the ups and downs Tatis’ career has seen, he’s still only 25.
“He’s how old?” Musgrove said.
Cronenworth, 30, laughed when Tatis’s age is mentioned, then said: “I feel like he should be closer to my age.”
Tatis says he does want to be the face of baseball again, or to at least be in that conversation, but only because that would mean he’s playing at an All-Star level. And along the way, he believes that fans will come to see that there’s more to him below the surface.
“There is still a lot that people don’t know about me,” he said this spring, before grabbing his glove and heading out to the field. “It will come out with time.”
(Top image: John Bradford / The Athletic; Photos: Rob Tringali / Getty Images)
Last week, the Phillies jumped past the Dodgers, taking over the No. 1 spot in our Power Rankings. This week, another team has leapfrogged Los Angeles — the Yankees.
As May comes to a close, Philly holds on to the top spot, with New York grabbing the No. 2 slot. Another shake-up in the top 5: The Guardians join the party, with the Braves slipping two spots.
We’re past Memorial Day, so it’s finally OK to look at the standings. Although some teams — like the Cubs, who dropped out of our top 10, and the Mets, who now have just five teams below them on the list — might not want to.
Our expert panel has combined to rank every team in baseball based on a combination of what we’ve seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts David Schoenfield, Bradford Doolittle, Jesse Rogers, Alden Gonzalez and Jorge Castillo to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.
The Phillies have soared to the best record in the National League and put themselves on pace for the best season in franchise history thanks to the best offense in the NL — and an out-of-this-world start from Ranger Suarez, who has outpitched Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola (and they’ve pitched pretty well). Suarez is 9-1 with a 1.75 ERA and has allowed no runs in four of his 11 starts. On offense, the clutch hitting of Alec Bohm has helped the lineup keep the runs coming even without the injured Trea Turner for the past three weeks or so. And Bryce Harper? After a slow start (other than that three-homer game), he’s been crushing it in May. — Schoenfield
Record: 38-19 Previous ranking: 3
The Yankees’ rotation hasn’t been just solid during Gerrit Cole‘s absence, it has been elite. The group has combined for a 2.73 ERA, tops in the majors, and ranks fourth in innings pitched. Carlos Rodon and Nestor Cortes have rebounded nicely from deeply disappointing seasons. Marcus Stroman and Clarke Schmidt each boast an ERA under 3. But Luis Gil, Cole’s replacement, has been the best of the bunch. After a rocky April, Gil has recorded a 0.70 ERA with 44 strikeouts in six May starts. Overall, he owns a 1.99 ERA — sixth in the majors — with 79 strikeouts and has given up just 4.1 hits per nine innings in 11 outings. The 26-year-old rookie went from optioned to the minors to an ace-level performer in two months. The Yankees have arguably the deepest rotation in baseball because of it. — Castillo
Record: 36-22 Previous ranking: 2
The Dodgers showed some rare vulnerability over the weekend, getting swept in a three-game series by the Reds and extending their losing streak to a season-high five games. (They then snapped it with Tuesday’s doubleheader sweep of the Mets.) On Friday, three Dodgers pitchers combined to allow six runs in the fifth inning, highlighting the lack of depth in the current bullpen. On Saturday and Sunday, the Nos. 5-9 hitters combined to go 1-for-30, highlighting the lack of depth in the current lineup. A lot of this can be addressed with health, though. The Dodgers’ typical No. 5 hitter, Max Muncy, is currently on the injured list. So are four high-leverage relievers — Ryan Brasier, Joe Kelly, Brusdar Graterol and Evan Phillips. — Gonzalez
Record: 35-19 Previous ranking: 4
A new American League MVP candidate emerges seemingly every week. The list is long — and Gunnar Henderson belongs near the top. Baltimore’s shortstop — the reigning AL Rookie of the Year — has taken the next step in his age-23 sophomore season. His 18 home runs are tied with Kyle Tucker for the MLB lead. HIs 3.3 fWAR is tied for fourth in the majors with Aaron Judge. His 164 wRC+ is eighth. All while playing top-notch defense at a premium position after splitting time between shortstop and third base last season. The Orioles must bolster the back end of their bullpen to contend late in October, but a deep lineup with Henderson in the leadoff spot — and Adley Rutschman right behind him — will be difficult to handle. — Castillo
Record: 37-19 Previous ranking: 6
Yes, that’s the Guardians battling the Phillies and Yankees for the best record in the majors after two months. How are they doing it? A bullpen that has arguably been the best in the big leagues, and a lineup that, shockingly, leads the AL in runs scored. Jose Ramirez, after a bit of a slow start, is back to hitting home runs and has absolutely destroyed opposing pitchers with runners in scoring position — in fact, the entire team has, with the best OPS in the majors in those situations. There might be a little smoke and mirrors going on with the offense, but given the fast start and the dominant bullpen, Cleveland’s playoffs odds are hovering around 75%. — Schoenfield
Record: 32-23 Previous ranking: 7
An unexpected power surge has helped Milwaukee to the top of the standings as it boasts eight different players with at least five home runs, though none has reached double digits yet. And the Brewers have done it with veterans like Rhys Hoskins and Christian Yelich in and out of the lineup due to injuries. Young players like Joey Ortiz have stepped up. Ortiz, acquired in the trade of Corbin Burnes to Baltimore, has opened eyes in the clubhouse with his slugging ability. Most impressive is catcher William Contreras, who looks more than comfortable in his second season with Milwaukee. He’s an MVP-caliber player right now. — Rogers
Record: 31-22 Previous ranking: 5
The season-ending injuries to Spencer Strider (after two starts) and now to Ronald Acuna Jr. are obviously crushing blows. We’re talking about the best position player in the game a season ago and the odds-on favorite to win the Cy Young Award this season. It doesn’t help that Atlanta’s offense has been nowhere near as powerful as last season’s record-setting lineup — Acuna himself had struggled with just four home runs. The 2024 Braves might now end up being a pitcher-centered club, at least with the way Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez and Max Fried are pitching right now, and we’ll see if Alex Anthopoulos makes an outfield acquisition like he did in 2021, when he acquired Jorge Soler, Joc Pederson, Adam DuvallandEddie Rosario after Acuna went down that season. — Schoenfield
Record: 35-22 Previous ranking: 8
As much as the rapid maturation of Bobby Witt Jr. into one of baseball’s best players grabs your attention, we have to cite the Royals’ starting rotation here — mostly because its success has been so unexpected. On a Cy Young leaderboard full of unexpected front-runners, Seth Lugo rates right at the top as a shocking entrant. But Cole Ragans and Brady Singer aren’t far behind, while Michael Wacha and Alec Marsh have been good enough that, game in and game out, the Royals are competitive. The rotation ranks third in bWAR and second in fWAR. They’re third in ERA and tied for third in quality starts. Who saw that coming? — Doolittle
Record: 31-26 Previous ranking: 10
The Mariners are in first place in the AL West even though they really aren’t that great at anything. At least that’s true when you look at positional breakdowns. According to the wins above average table at baseball-reference.com, Seattle doesn’t rank in the top 10 at any spot. Not one. The highest rank is at shortstop (primarily J.P. Crawford and Dylan Moore), where the Mariners are 11th. It’s hard to see how this adds up to a first-place club but, so far, it has. However, if this continues deep into the season, it doesn’t feel like the first-place standing will hold up. A Seattle division title would certainly feature a top-five rotation and a return to star-level production by the utterly baffling Julio Rodriguez. — Doolittle
Record: 30-29 Previous ranking: 13
The second full month of the baseball season is coming to an end, and the Padres’ best hitter remains … Jurickson Profar, of course. The Padres are built around three superstars in Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts, and they recently traded for Luis Arraez, a batting champion each of the past two years. But it’s Profar, signed to a $1 million contract this offseason, who has been their biggest contributor, boasting a .323/.421/.495 slash line with nearly as many walks (31) as strikeouts (33). It’s a credit to Profar, who clearly fits in with the Padres a lot better than he did with the Rockies last year. But it’s also a reminder that the Padres’ best players have yet to get going, particularly Machado and Bogaerts, the latter of whom is nursing a fractured left shoulder. — Gonzalez
With injuries again surfacing for Royce Lewis, Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa over the first two months, the Twins remain within striking distance of the Guardians in the AL Central largely because Ryan Jeffers and Max Kepler have emerged to help carry the offense. Jeffers’ slash line is .247/.333/.506 with 10 home runs in 49 games between catcher and designated hitter. Kepler is slashing .282/.343/.484 in 37 games as the team’s primary right fielder. They rank first and second, respectively, on the club in bWAR. The Twins need Correa, Lewis and Buxton to stay healthy and produce to make a deep October run. But you need to reach October first, and Jeffers and Kepler have been indispensable thus far. — Castillo
Record: 29-28 Previous ranking: 19
The Giants came out of Memorial Day weekend with nine wins in a span of 11 games, their only two losses coming in walk-off fashion. Blake Snell was back. Matt Chapman was starting to play like a star. The record had crept back over .500. And then, just like that, another setback: LaMonte Wade Jr., who carried a .470 on-base percentage through his first 52 games, suffered a Grade 2 strain of his left hamstring, joining Michael Conforto and Jung Hoo Lee on the injured list. “He’s as good a left-handed hitter as there is in the league right now,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said of Wade, who will now miss the next four weeks. — Gonzalez
Record: 28-28 Previous ranking: 9
Led by newcomer Shota Imanaga, starting pitching has defined the Cubs through the first two months. Imanaga is dominating, utilizing a rising fastball and dipping split-finger, while teammate Javier Assad has been equally good flashing an unhittable sinker to right-handers. Then there’s rookie Ben Brown, who hurled seven no-hit innings Tuesday in Milwaukee behind a wicked fastball and curve. That came one day after Justin Steele gave up just three hits over seven shutout innings. Starting to get the picture in Chicago? The Cubs rank third in starter’s ERA in the NL. It’s carried them. — Rogers
Record: 27-29 Previous ranking: 12
A funny thing happened while we were waiting for Texas’ powerhouse October rotation to gradually come together through a continually improving injury list: Texas’ high-powered offense that helped propel the Rangers to their first title last year has been flat-out mediocre. Texas has dropped from second to 15th in average, third to 12th in OBP and third to 15th in slugging. If the Rangers were hitting as expected, the middling work of the pitching staff would have been good enough to keep Texas solidly in first place, with hopes of a steep ascension as the rotation gets healthier. Instead, Texas’ headaches have turned out to be more widespread than the injuries to Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom. — Doolittle
Record: 24-32 Previous ranking: 17
Is the dynasty crumbling? For most of the first two months, that’s how it’s looked for the Astros. Houston is below replacement in both starting and relief pitching. The offense has been above average but also uneven. Kyle Tucker is having an MVP-level season and Jose Altuve has been as good as ever. However, Alex Bregman has flailed and Jose Abreu simply looks done. Two months in, the Astros still haven’t gotten truly hot. The only reason they remain a factor in the AL West race is the division as a whole has been so disappointing. These are the Astros, and until that little “e” (for eliminated) pops up next to their line in the standings, you can’t count them out. But it ain’t looking good. — Doolittle
Record: 25-30 Previous ranking: 16
The D-backs made an inspired run to the World Series last fall, then bolstered their payroll with some exciting offseason additions. But they have mostly disappointed through the first two months of the season. And while Corbin Carroll‘s offensive struggles have absorbed a lot of the attention, the starting pitching is probably even more to blame. Merrill Kelly, the co-ace to Zac Gallen, made four starts before going on the injured list with a shoulder strain. Eduardo Rodriguez, signed to an $80 million contract, has yet to pitch because of a lat strain. And Jordan Montgomery, the other major addition, has a 4.69 ERA through seven starts. — Gonzalez
Record: 27-28 Previous ranking: 18
One of the best developments with the Tigers this season has been the continued emergence of Tarik Skubal as a bona fide ace. And Wednesday, in the first game of a doubleheader against the Pirates, he punctuated the season’s second month in dramatic fashion, outdueling the electric Jared Jones with seven scoreless innings. Skubal, 27, is now 7-1 with a 2.01 ERA and a 0.82 WHIP through his first 11 starts, striking out 80 batters and walking 11 in 67 innings. With Jack Flaherty and Reese Olson also impressing, the Tigers hold the sixth-lowest starter’s ERA in the AL, giving them a fighting chance in what has become a very competitive AL Central. — Gonzalez
Record: 27-29 Previous ranking: 15
The Rays are the sport’s model franchise because they almost always overcome a payroll shortfall to snatch a playoff spot. But this season has so far proved that even the Rays can’t surmount extensive pitching injuries and widespread underperformance in the batter’s box. On the pitching side, Shane McClanahan, Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen haven’t toed the rubber at all. Zach Eflin is on the injured list. Ryan Pepiot, Pete Fairbanks, Shane Baz and Chris Devenski have all been on the injured list. On the offensive side, Josh Lowe, Brandon Lowe and Jonny DeLuca all missed time with injuries — but a lack of production is the pressing issue. Yandy Diaz is batting .245 after claiming the 2023 AL batting title. Randy Arozarena is hitting .161 with a .571 OPS. Jose Siri is slashing .180/.272/.289. Isaac Paredes is the team’s only All-Star-level hitter with a .296 average and .881 OPS. That hasn’t been nearly enough. — Castillo
Record: 26-29 Previous ranking: 20
Perhaps no game encapsulates the 2024 Blue Jays’ frustrations better than what transpired at Comerica Park on Sunday when they overcame two five-run deficits only to watch Matt Vierling crank a walk-off three-run home run off closer Jordan Romano in a 14-11 loss. In a season in which the Blue Jays’ offense has been a major letdown, one of the worst bullpens in the sport couldn’t keep the light-hitting Tigers in the ballpark. Time is running out on these Blue Jays. General manager Ross Atkins said it himself earlier this month. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is on a tear after a frigid April, but Bo Bichette, George Springer, Alejandro Kirk and Justin Turner all have an OPS+ of 91 or below. The bullpen, meanwhile, ranks 21st in win probability added. Either the roster performs better or significant changes are likely to come ahead of the July 30 trade deadline. — Castillo
Record: 27-27 Previous ranking: 25
St. Louis hasn’t been great but it’s still in the race thanks, in part, to the newcomers on the mound who were widely criticized when they were acquired. So far, Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson and Sonny Gray have been better than anticipated — especially the former two pitchers, who boast ERAs in the 3s after struggling last season. Gray, on the other hand, has come as anticipated — even with a late start due to an injury. He’s given up 40 hits in 52 innings, walking just 12 over his first nine starts. The trio has kept the Cardinals afloat while their offense has found its footing of late. Perhaps the front office wasn’t so wrong bringing in three older pitchers. We’ll see. — Rogers
Record: 24-32 Previous ranking: 24
A lack of offensive punch — outside of Elly De La Cruz — has banished the Reds to the second tier of teams in the NL Central. The Reds currently rank 26th in OPS after finishing 10th in that category last season. Everyone from Spencer Steer to Jonathan India to newcomer Jeimer Candelario has struggled to find rhythm at the plate, and while De La Cruz has stolen 31 bases already, even his OPS dipped below .800 recently. He can’t do it all by himself. Outfielder Will Benson is a great example of the Reds’ struggles so far. He’s shown some pop with eight home runs but is hitting below .200 with 74 strikeouts in just 168 at-bats. It’s a microcosm of Cincinnati at the plate right now. — Rogers
Record: 26-30 Previous ranking: 21
The Pirates’ storyline so far revolves around the young pitching combo of Paul Skenes and Jared Jones. They provide hope for a franchise still looking for help on offense. Skenes lit up the radar gun in his first few starts, and Jones wasn’t far behind him. Pittsburgh will tread lightly using both budding stars, as the team might need to remake its bullpen before it can contend. Thought to be a strength heading into the season, the Pirates’ pen ranks 27th in ERA through the first two months. David Bednar looks very hittable this season compared to 2023, as his ERA hovers just under 7. — Rogers
Record: 25-29 Previous ranking: 23
The Nationals have been competitive — more so than many would have projected — thanks to some solid and surprising performances. CJ Abrams has played well, although has slowed down the past few weeks after a blazing start. MacKenzie Gore has pitched well, combining with Abrams to make the Juan Soto trade look better (and better yet when James Wood arrives at some point this season). Trevor Williams has been excellent and rookie starter Mitchell Parker has emerged out of nowhere to add another arm to the rotation, which has been drastically better than last season. The offense still needs a lot of work, however, as some of the stopgap veterans such as Joey Gallo and Eddie Rosario haven’t helped. — Schoenfield
Record: 22-33 Previous ranking: 22
It doesn’t take a nuclear physicist to explain the rough first two months for the Mets: Their best five players were supposed to be Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Kodai Senga and Edwin Diaz. Senga has been hurt all season, Diaz, now also on the IL, blew four saves in May, and the three position players haven’t hit like they have in the past. Things got so bad last weekend that Lindor simply stood at the plate on a 3-2 pitch with no intention to swing and took a called third strike. And after another Diaz-blown save and five-run 10th inning for the Giants, announcer Gary Cohen had to remind Mets fans that the sun would still come up the next morning. — Schoenfield
Record: 21-34 Previous ranking: 26
This is a bad team with no obvious path to near-term contention, one that needs to start calculating when and how thoroughly it wants to lean into a rebuild. Assuming the Angels’ brass comes to the same conclusion, the Cy Young-level season starter Tyler Anderson has enjoyed should give L.A. a chance to leverage one of the trade deadline’s most alluring upgrades, especially since he has a team-friendly season left on his pact after 2024. If anyone thought the Angels might remain relevant after Shohei Ohtani‘s departure, those notions have to be dead by now. This team needs a fresh start. — Doolittle
Record: 23-34 Previous ranking: 27
The Athletics have punched above their weight over the first two months. but they still have the second worst run differential in the AL. There is not going to be an inspirational swan song in the club’s last season in the Bay Area. However, they did a good thing in converting Mason Miller into a closer, if only to attract contending teams to the possibility of adding an elite ninth-inning hammer. Miller — and this is not a mistake — has a 0.09 FIP this season. Given Oakland’s place on the winning cycle — if it indeed has one — and Miller’s injury history, the A’s should give serious thought to moving Miller while he’s dealing at this level. — Doolittle
Record: 20-35 Previous ranking: 28
After a brutal April, the Rockies have been mostly treading water this month. And a big reason for that has been Austin Gomber, the 30-year-old left-hander who has secretly been one of the game’s best pitchers in May. Gomber has a 0.68 ERA in four starts this month, limiting the Pirates, Rangers, Padres and A’s to three runs (two earned) in 26⅔ innings. The Rockies have won three of those games. Gomber was scratched from his start earlier this week because of discomfort near his elbow, just below his left triceps muscle, but he’s expected to take the ball this weekend at Dodger Stadium. Gomber said it’s nothing serious or altogether foreign to him. The Rockies hope that’s the case. — Gonzalez
Record: 20-37 Previous ranking: 29
Injuries, injuries, injuries. Sandy Alcantara, already out for the season from last September’s Tommy John surgery. Eury Perez, out for the season. Edward Cabrera, currently out with a shoulder issue. Braxton Garrett, missed April with a shoulder problem (although his recent shutout was a good sign). Jesus Luzardo? Missed a few starts. The Marlins have already churned through 25 pitchers. All that led to the early trade of Luis Arraez to the Padres. One season after making the playoffs, the Marlins are back to being the Marlins — and a bad version at that. — Schoenfield
Record: 15-42 Previous ranking: 30
A lack of offense has defined the White Sox over the first two months of the season as they rank last in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging. Almost on cue, their veteran hitters got hurt again this year as Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert Jr. missed most of April and all of May, while Eloy Jimenez has been in and out of the lineup. The team wasn’t supposed to be very good in the first place, but those injuries have simply made Chicago very easy to pitch to. Because of that, the White Sox have almost no chance to beat the good teams around the league, as evidenced by their 6-30 mark against plus-.500 squads. — Rogers
French authorities in New Caledonia regained full control of their Pacific territory’s capital, the French interior and overseas minister said on Friday after two weeks of unrest that had left seven people dead and significant destruction in the archipelago that has seen decades of tensions between those seeking independence and those loyal to France.
Gerald Darmanin said in a post on X Friday that “a major police operation has taken place successfully” in the Riviere-Salee district of Noumea, the last area of New Caledonia’s capital that was under the protesters’ control.
Darmanin said 400 members of French and New Caledonia’s security forces were involved in the operation, including members of the French elite anti-terrorism and anti-organized crime police unit and its counterparts of the French military. Twelve people were arrested in the operation and 26 roadblocks were dismantled and cleared, the minister said.
The violence flared on May 13 in response to attempts by French President Emmanuel Macron’s government to amend the French Constitution and change voting lists in New Caledonia. France declared a state of emergency in its Pacific territory on May 15 and rushed hundreds of troop reinforcements to help police quell the revolt that included shootings, clashes, looting and arson.
Both sides of New Caledonia’s bitter divide — Indigenous Kanaks, who want independence and those loyal to France — erected barricades, either to revolt against authorities or to protect their homes and properties. Pro-independence protesters built up barricades of charred vehicles and other debris, turning parts of the capital, Noumea into no-go zones.
French President Emmanuel Macron decided on Monday to lift the state of emergency in New Caledonia to help facilitate dialogue between local parties and French authorities for the future of the 270,000 residents of the archipelago and restore peace.
Pro-independence parties and Kanak leaders have urged Macron to withdraw the electoral reform bill if France wants to “end the crisis.” Opponents fear the voting legislation will benefit pro-France politicians in New Caledonia and further marginalize the Indigenous Kanaks who have long pushed to be free of French rule amid sharp economic disparities and decades of discrimination.
Although violence has subsided in the past days, tensions remain as pro-independence leaders have called on supporters to and “remain mobilized” and “maintain resistance” against France.
While emergency measures have been lifted, an evening and overnight curfew is still in place. Travel is banned in New Caledonia between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. except for health emergencies, and a ban on public gatherings, transport and carrying of weapons and sale of alcohol remains in place.
The main international airport, La Tontouta, will remain closed to commercial traffic at least until Monday, and schools will not resume before mid-June, according to local authorities.
New Caledonia became French in 1853 under Emperor Napoleon III, Napoleon’s nephew and heir. It became an overseas territory after World War II, with French citizenship granted to all Kanaks in 1957.
After three different winners in the last three grands prix, the increasingly-competitive 2024 Formula 1 season makes its second trip of the year over the Atlantic for this weekend’s ever-popular – and often dramatic – Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.
In a temporary pause to the European season that will otherwise dominate F1’s summer months, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve stages the year’s ninth round live on Sky Sports F1 on June 7-9 on a partial street track that tends to produce exciting racing and also features the infamous ‘Wall of Champions’.
It is reigning champions Red Bull who head to North America looking to hit back after underperforming around the streets of Monaco last time out when they not only lost out to impressive race winners Ferrari, but McLaren and Mercedes too.
Charles Leclerc’s first home win in the Principality, and first anywhere for the Monegasque for 22 months, has cut Max Verstappen’s title advantage to 31 points with just a quarter of the record 24-race season completed.
And although McLaren’s Lando Norris could not quite follow up his win in Miami and close second-place in Imola with another podium in the Principality, he still moved into the top three of the Drivers’ Championship for the first time since 2021 and is 56 points behind Verstappen.
Ferrari and McLaren both also took big points out of Red Bull’s advantage in the Constructors’ Championship too, with the former now just 24 points adrift.
Verstappen has won on F1’s past two visits to Montreal but things could be different this year with margins among the leading teams continuing to close and the picture at the front currently changing from track to track.
The Canadian GP represents more evening prime-time viewing for Sky Sports F1 viewers in the UK and Ireland, with qualifying at 9pm on the Saturday before the 70-lap race itself at 7pm on the Sunday.
Sky Sports F1’s live Canadian GP schedule
Thursday June 6 7.30pm: Drivers’ Press Conference
Friday June 7 6pm: Canadian GP Practice One (session starts at 6.30pm) 8pm: The F1 Show 9.45pm: Canadian GP Practice Two (session starts at 10pm)
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Sky F1’s Simon Lazenby looks back to a brilliant moment when Sebastian Vettel ambushed Lewis Hamilton’s interview to explain that ‘seagulls’ were to blame for his costly lock-up at the 2016 Canadian GP.
Saturday June 8 5.15pm: Canadian GP Practice Three (session starts at 5.30pm) 8pm: Canadian GP Qualifying build-up 9pm: Canadian GP Qualifying 11pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
Sunday June 9 5.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday – Canadian GP build-up 7pm: THE CANADIAN GRAND PRIX 9pm: Chequered Flag – Canadian GP reaction 10pm: Ted’s Notebook
There are seven weeks until NFL training camp, more than three months until the 2024 regular season and nearly a year until the 2025 NFL draft. We know what you’re thinking: Is it too early to think about the 2025 draft? The answer is no.
Let’s take a first look at the projected first-round draft order for 32 teams with ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI). The FPI projects the draft order by simulating the season 10,000 times. Game probabilities are based largely on the model’s ratings for individual teams in addition to game locations. The order is based on the records the model believes the teams will have after 17 games and each team’s average draft position in the simulations.
After you check out the the full 1-32 projection for the 2025 NFL draft below, take a glance at more FPI takeaways for the upcoming season.
Average draft position: 5.1 FPI chance to earn No. 1 pick: 21.9% FPI chance to earn top-five pick: 66.3% FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 87.4%
Average draft position: 5.7 FPI chance to earn No. 1 pick: 20.8% FPI chance to earn top-five pick: 62.9% FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 84.7%
Average draft position: 7.0 FPI chance to earn No. 1 pick: 12.4% FPI chance to earn top-five pick: 50.9% FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 77.1%
Average draft position: 9.1 FPI chance to earn No. 1 pick: 7.1% FPI chance to earn top-five pick: 36.7% FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 65.1%
Average draft position: 9.8 FPI chance to earn No. 1 pick: 5.7% FPI chance to earn top-five pick: 32.3% FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 60.8%
Average draft position: 9.8 FPI chance to earn No. 1 pick: 5.8% FPI chance to earn top-five pick: 32.4% FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 60.9%
Average draft position: 10.7 FPI chance to earn No. 1 pick: 4.7% FPI chance to earn top-five pick: 28% FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 54.8%
Average draft position: 11.2 FPI chance to earn No. 1 pick: 3.56% FPI chance to earn top-five pick: 25.3% FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 52.1%
Average draft position: 11.6 FPI chance to earn No. 1 pick: 3.5% FPI chance to earn top-five pick: 23.4% FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 50.5%
Average draft position: 13.1 FPI chance to earn No. 1 pick: 2.6% FPI chance to earn top-five pick: 19.4% FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 43.6%
Average draft position: 14.1 FPI chance to earn top-5 pick: 13.9% FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 36.1%
Average draft position: 14.4 FPI chance to earn top-5 pick: 14% FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 36.6%
Average draft position: 14.9 FPI chance to earn top-5 pick: 11.3% FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 30.9%
Average draft position: 15.0 FPI chance to earn top-5 pick: 13.3% FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 33.2%
Average draft position: 15.8 FPI chance to earn top-5 pick: 11% FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 29.5%
Average draft position: 15.9 FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 26%
Average draft position: 16.2 FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 27.4%
Average draft position: 16.8 FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 24.9%
Average draft position: 17.9 FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 19.2%
Average draft position: 18.5 FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 36.6%
Average draft position: 20.2 FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 18.2%
Average draft position: 20.2 FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 14.8%
Average draft position: 21.3 FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 10%
Average draft position: 21.4 FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 9.6%
Average draft position: 22.5 FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 6.6%
Average draft position: 22.5 FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 6.9%
Average draft position: 23.6 FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 4.9%
Average draft position: 23.6 FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 4.9%
Average draft position: 24.3 FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 3.1%
Average draft position: 24.4 FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 3.5%
Average draft position: 25.7 FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 2.3%
Average draft position: 25.8 FPI chance to earn top-10 pick: 2.1%
One of the top pass-catchers in the state of Florida is committed no more. Waden Charles, the big and physical Rivals250 prospect out of Wellington (Fla.) Palm Beach Central, announced his intentio…
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LANCASTER, Pa. — Nelly Korda was not even three holes into the U.S. Women’s Open when she dropped to a crouch and bowed her head in disbelief after her third straight shot — all of them from inside 70 feet away — tumbled into a stream.
She walked off the par-3 12th hole at Lancaster Country Club with a 10.
It didn’t get much better from there.
“Making a 10 on a par-3 will definitely not do you any good at a U.S. Open,” Korda said when her nightmare start to the biggest championship in women’s golf ended with an 80.
“Just a bad day in the office.”
Korda came into the U.S. Women’s Open as an overwhelming favorite, with six victories in her past seven tournaments, including a major that tied an LPGA record for five wins in a row.
That’s what made the most imperfect 10 so shocking.
It didn’t help that two groups were on the tee at the 161-yard 12th hole — Korda had about a 25-minute wait — and she watched trouble unfold before she pulled a club. In the group ahead, Gaby Lopez came up short of the water. Ingrid Lindblad‘s tee shot rolled into the water.
Korda curiously chose 6-iron — most players not as long as her hit 7-iron — and it took a hard hop into a back bunker. And then the trouble began.
Korda said she had a leaf under her golf ball, and the bunker shot came out a little hot and rolled — and rolled — past the front pin and off the false front and then disappeared into the stream.
“Couldn’t really do anything about that,” she said. “Yeah, just hit some really bad chips, over and over again.”
She played a low pitch up the slope, but it banged into the hill and rolled back down into the water. She took another penalty drop, played another low pitch that was only slightly better, still not nearly enough to avoid rolling back into the water.
She got it right the third time, only to miss an 8-foot putt and take septuple-bogey 10. Korda walked off the green, removed her visor and placed her hand over her forehead for a few seconds, then headed to the 13th tee.
A video crew kept the camera fixed on the walking scorer as “+1” was changed to a “+8” next to her name.
She still had 15 holes ahead of her on a course that didn’t present a lot of scoring chances. Only three players from the morning wave broke par, at 1-under 69. Her objective?
“I just didn’t really want to shoot 80,” Korda said. “And I just kept making bogeys.”
It was her second straight round of 80 in the U.S. Women’s Open, separated by 11 months and some 3,000 miles — Korda shot 80 in the final round at Pebble Beach last summer.
The only higher rounds in her career were 81s — one at the 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship when she was 15, the other at the 2013 U.S. Women’s Open at age 14.
The 12th hole was playing the toughest for the opening round. The tee was moved forward, and the pin was in the front of a green that slopes from back to front, with a slightly more severe pitch that sends balls into the creek.
It was playing nearly a full stroke over par as the afternoon groups began play. There also was some suspect execution on Korda’s part, starting with the club selection.
Sei Young Kim also watched the group ahead hit into the water, although that helped her realize the wind was stronger than it might have felt. She had 8-iron in her hand and then switched to a 7-iron, which she hit to 18 feet behind the flag.
Korda was between 7-iron and 6-iron and took the stronger club, then moved back one length of the club.
“I just didn’t really know what to hit,” she said. “Sometimes it’s not really good seeing the girls play in front of you because of them — Gaby up short of the water, and I think Ingrid went into the water. It was just a tough day.”
She also flirted with trouble by playing the low pitch instead of a safer shot behind the hole.
Turns out that was only the start of her problems. She laid up in the rough on the par-5 13th and had to two-putt from 55 feet for par. She missed a 3-foot par putt on the 15th and a 5-foot par putt on the 17th.
Korda didn’t make her first birdie until her 12th hole, No. 3, when she holed a 12-foot putt and smiled with a mock celebration. Two holes later, however, she missed a 4-foot par putt and then nearly found the water on the par-3 sixth, leading to bogey.
She finished with an approach up the hill to the ninth that left her 55 feet away with a fast putt to a front pin. She ran that 12 feet by and missed for her sixth bogey, to go along with one septuple bogey on a hole where she left her mark for all the wrong reasons.
“I’m human,” Korda said. “I’m going to have bad days. I played some really solid golf up to this point. Today was just a bad day. That’s all I can say.”
LANCASTER, Pa. — Nelly Korda was not even three holes into the U.S. Women’s Open when she dropped to a crouch and bowed her head in disbelief after her third straight shot — all of them from inside 70 feet away — tumbled into a stream.
She walked off the par-3 12th hole at Lancaster Country Club with a 10.
It didn’t get much better from there.
“Making a 10 on a par 3 will definitely not do you any good at a U.S. Open,” Korda said when her nightmare start to the biggest championship in women’s golf ended with an 80.
“Just a bad day in the office.”
Korda came into the U.S. Women’s Open as an overwhelming favorite, with six victories in her last seven tournaments, including a major that tied an LPGA record for five wins in a row.
That’s what made the most imperfect 10 so shocking.
It didn’t help that two groups were on the tee at the 161-yard 12th hole — Korda had about a 25-minute wait — and she watched trouble unfold before she pulled a club. In the group ahead, Gaby Lopez came up short of the water. Ingrid Lindblad’s tee shot rolled into the water.
Korda curiously chose 6-iron — most players not as long as her hit 7-iron — and it took a hard hop into a back bunker. And then the trouble began.
Korda said she had a leaf under her golf ball, and the bunker shot came out a little hot and rolled — and rolled — past the front pin, off the false front and disappeared into the stream.
“Couldn’t really do anything about that,” she said. “Yeah, just hit some really bad chips, over and over again.”
She played a low pitch up the slope, but the it banged into the hill and rolled back down into the water. She took another penalty drop, played another low pitch that was only slightly better, still not nearly enough to avoid rolling back into the water.
She got it right the third time, only to miss an 8-foot putt and take septuple-bogey 10. Korda walked off the green, removed her visor and placed her hand over her forehead for a few seconds, then headed to the 13th tee.
A video crew kept the camera fixed on the walking scorer as “+1” was changed to a “+8” next to her name.
She still had 15 holes ahead of her on a course that didn’t present a lot of scoring chances. Only three players from the morning wave broke par at 1-under 69. Her objective?
“I just didn’t really want to shoot 80,” Korda said. “And I just kept making bogeys.”
It was her second straight round of 80 in the U.S. Women’s Open, separated by 11 months and some 3,000 miles — Korda shot 80 in the final round at Pebble Beach last summer.
The only higher rounds in her career were 81 — one at the 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship when she was 15, the other at the 2013 U.S. Women’s Open at age 14.
The 12th hole was playing the toughest for the opening round. The tee was moved forward and the pin was in the front of a green that slopes from back to front, with a slightly more severe pitch that sends balls into the creek.
It was playing nearly a full stroke over par as the afternoon groups began play. There also was some suspect execution on Korda’s part, starting with the club selection.
Sei Young Kim also watched the group ahead hit into the water, though that helped her realize the wind was stronger than it might have felt. She had 8-iron in her hand and then switched to a 7-iron, which she hit to 18 feet behind the flag.
Korda was between 7-iron and 6-iron, and took the stronger club, then moved back one length of the club.
“I just didn’t really know what to hit,” she said. “Sometimes it’s not really good seeing the girls play in front of you because of them — Gaby up short of the water, and I think Ingrid went into the water. It was just a tough day.”
She also flirted with trouble by playing the low pitch instead of a safer shot behind the hole.
Turns out that was only the start of her problems. She laid up in the rough on the par-5 13th and had to two-putt from 55 feet for par. She missed a 3-foot par putt on the 15th and a 5-foot par putt on the 17th.
Korda didn’t make her first birdie until her 12th hole, No. 3, when she holed a 12-foot putt and smiled with a mock celebration. Two holes later, however, she missed a 4-foot par putt and then nearly found the water on the par-3 sixth, leading to bogey.
She finished with an approach up the hill to the ninth that left her 55 feet away with a fast putt to a front pin. She ran that 12 feet by and missed for her sixth bogey, to go along with one septuple bogey on a hole where she left her mark for all the wrong reasons.
“I’m human,” Korda said. “I’m going to have bad days. I played some really solid golf up to this point. Today was just a bad day. That’s all I can say.”
With the updated 2025 Rivals250 being unveiled Tuesday, it’s time to dive into the position rankings. The offensive position rankings are being released today, and up next are the receivers and tight ends.
FRIDAY: New defensive position rankings released | DL rankings breakdown | LB rankings breakdown | DB rankings breakdown | ATH rankings breakdown
SATURDAY: New state rankings released | Who is No. 1 in each state?
*****
THE GAP IS CLOSING ATOP THE TIGHT END RANKINGS
Linkon Cure
The top of the tight end group has very little separation within it. Any of the the top four prospects, Elyiss Williams, Linkon Cure, Kiotti Armstrong or DaSaahn Brame, could be ranked as the No. 1 player at the position. They are all different types of prospects, too. The upside with each is very high and how they turn out in college could largely depend on making the right scheme fit choice.
Williams has had a stronghold on the spot and will remain tough to dethrone. However, this summer might tell us even more about the rankings here. We’ll get a chance to see more of these guys in person ahead of their senior seasons.
*****
WILL OTHER RECEIVERS PUSH FOR FIVE-STAR STATUS?
Dakorien Moore (Rivals.com)
We can all agree that it would be stunning for Dakorien Moore to lose the top spot at receiver this cycle. He’s a truly elite prospect. Winston Watkins will need a strong summer and season to remain a five-star and keep that No. 2 ranking.
Cunningham is the one that we know the least about because we never see him at national events. If he came to one or two he’d probably make a strong case.
The receiver group isn’t as top heavy as previous years but the depth in the top 15 or 20 is very good.
*****
DEPTH AT TIGHT END IS IMPRESSIVE
There’s a lot to like about the tight end class outside the big four.
As you look down the list there are prospects who will certainly make their case to move up as we transition through the summer. Brock Schott was one of my favorite tight ends to watch on film. An injury slowed him this offseason but he’s going to make a big comeback when healthy.
We should never count out an Iowa tight end commit and Thomas Meyer has the look of the next big thing for the Hawkeyes.
Another prospect to watch is Nebraska native Chase Loftin. There is a reason why Nebraska, Missouri, Florida State and Texas A&M are the programs receiving official visits. He’s a big-time playmaker, who transferred high schools to get more opportunities in the passing game.
*****
RECEIVER RISERS TO WATCH MOVING FORWARD
Vernell Brown III (Nick Lucero/Rivals.com)
There is a four-pack of wide receivers who moved up this update that I have my eye on. Florida native Vernell Brown III moved up into borderline five-star range and his climb might not be done this cycle. Georgia native CJ Wiley was a huge riser, up 71 spots in the Rivals250.
Arizona speedster Cooper Perry went up 75 spots and is nearly a top-100 prospect in the country now. Travis Smith Jr. from Georgia has as much potential as anyone at the position this cycle.
If someone from outside the top group will crash the five-star party it’ll likely be one of them down the line.
World No 2 Aryna Sabalenka breezed past Japanese qualifier Moyuka Uchijima in straight sets on Thursday to reach the third round of the French Open.
Uchijima, playing in the second round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time, could not cope with Sabalenka’s powerful serve and groundstrokes as she succumbed 6-2 6-2 to the second seed.
Sabalenka won six points in a row at the start of the match before Uchijima finally began to settle her nerves and won her opening service game.
But, at 3-2, Uchijima would be broken by the Belarusian, Sabalenka pouncing on a break point with a fierce winner before taking the first set in 29 minutes without dropping another game.
Uchijima wore a sombre expression during the changeover before the second set and she simply had no answers for the power of Sabalenka, who also played some telling drop shots.
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The Japanese No 1 afforded herself a smile when she got the better of Sabalenka on a long rally to make it 4-2 in the second set, but the two-time Australian Open champion refocused to save a break point before breaking Uchijima’s serve once more to seal an emphatic victory.
Sabalenka will next face either Paula Badosa or Yulia Putintseva in the third round at Roland Garros.
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Nick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers and the NFL at ESPN since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In his 10 years with the company, Nick has led ESPN’s coverage of the Niners’ 2019 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick’s protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam’s subsequent pursuit of a roster spot and the team’s relocation and stadium saga. You can follow Nick via Twitter @nwagoner
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — As the San Francisco 49ers continue to work on trying to sign receiver Brandon Aiyuk to a long-term contract extension, they handled another important piece of wideout-related business Wednesday.
Restricted free agent Jauan Jennings, who has emerged as the team’s reliable third receiver option over the past three seasons, agreed to a two-year contract with the Niners that will keep him in San Francisco through the 2025 season.
Jennings did not sign his restricted free agent tender and instead did this deal, which is akin to a one-year extension.
The contract is worth up to $15.4 million, including $10.5 million guaranteed, agents Drew and Jason Rosenhaus told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Jennings had not been participating in organized team activities because he was technically not under contract as he and the Niners worked on striking a deal. San Francisco placed the second-round tender on Jennings in March, which meant Jennings could shop elsewhere for a new deal but the Niners would have the right to match any outside offer or receive a second-round choice if they did not match.
While Jennings did not receive any outside offers, he also had not signed his tender, which is why he had not been in Santa Clara for OTAs. But Jennings was on the field Wednesday as the Niners held their second OTA open to media.
At the NFL combine in February, Niners general manager John Lynch said the team was interested in working out an extension with Jennings. The 49ers have done similar short-term deals with key players such as linebacker Dre Greenlaw and right tackle Colton McKivitz in recent seasons.
A former seventh-round pick out of Tennessee, Jennings has played in 45 regular-season games with 78 catches for 963 yards and seven touchdowns while also serving as one of the team’s best outside run blockers.
Had the 49ers won Super Bowl LVIII against the Kansas City Chiefs, Jennings might have been that game’s Most Valuable Player. He had four catches for 42 yards and a touchdown and threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to running back Christian McCaffrey before the Niners fell 25-22 in overtime.
“I think every single person in the NFL that watches tape, every general manager, every scout, anybody that watches tape, they look at Jauan’s film and they’re like, ‘Holy cow, this guy is one of one,’” tight end George Kittle said. “His mindset and his attitude when he’s on a football field is completely different. He goes to that dark place that Coach Shanahan will talk about with like Pierre Garcon and he just is very violent in the way that he plays the game, which you don’t see in all receivers. He will hit defensive ends as hard as he can. He’ll hit linebackers as hard as he can. He’s not scared of anything.”
Aiyuk, meanwhile, is still in the midst of negotiations on what will presumably be a much bigger and longer deal. He has not been participating in the voluntary portion of the offseason program.
ATHENS, Greece — Setting off wild celebrations in Athens, Olympiakos won Greece’s first European club title by beating Fiorentina 1-0 with a goal in extra time of the Europa Conference League final on Wednesday.
Ayoub El Kaabi provided the dramatic ending, diving to nudge in a last-gasp goal in the second period of extra time, with fans erupting in celebration after a lengthy wait for a VAR check for offside.
“Praise be to God, we promised our supporters we’d do this today and we did it,” El Kaabi said.
The Morocco striker – who finished as the competition’s top scorer – struck in the 116th minute of the match and dropped to his knees as he waited to see if the goal would stand after he had met a cross from Santiago Hezze.
The goal decided a game that had looked destined for a penalty shootout following an energetic but largely risk-free encounter at AEK Arena, and condemned Fiorentina and its coach Vincenzo Italiano to a second straight defeat in the final of the Europa Conference League after losing last year to West Ham.
“We created chances and had the opportunity to lift the cup but unfortunately it didn’t happy – I’m sorry,” Italiano said. “In Europe it’s not an easy thing to get this far and lose.”
Olympiakos coach Jose Luis Mendilibar secured a second straight European title after winning the Europa League with Sevilla last season.
“It’s an honor to have made all these people happy, I feel immense joy and happiness to have made people feel this way and I dedicate it to them,” Mendilibar said.
“We have achieved something that our club has never achieved before. We will celebrate it and celebrate it the way we should. Then we will start working on what comes next.” Tens of thousands of Olympiakos fans joined boisterous celebrations across the Greek capital after attending outdoor viewing parties. Youths held up lit flares in the port city of Piraeus, near Athens, where the team is based.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis described Olympiakos as “a true legend,” adding in an online post: “Olympiakos has won the Europa Conference League and made history! A sensational night for the club itself, but also for Greek football as a whole.”
The third-tier European club competition took place amid a massive security operation, with some 5,000 police officers forming concentric cordons around a northern area of the capital – amid Europe-wide security concerns this summer for major sporting events including the Paris Olympics and European soccer championship in Germany.
The final was briefly marred by scuffles between Fiorentina fans inside the stadium and riot police next to them.
Although the visitors dominated the early stages of the final, Fiorentina goalkeeper Pietro Terracciano kept his team in the game with two impressive fingertip saves to block on-target shots from Daniel Podence in the fourth minute and Stevan Jovetic in the sixth minute of extra time.
El Kaabi, who scored a total of 11 goals in the competition, had been largely sidelined in the match by Fiorentina’s unyielding four-man defense.
Olympiakos players celebrated with 15,000 fans after the game, some holding their young children as golden confetti was fired into the air around the awards podium.
“It’s the best emotion I’ve felt so far in my career,” defender Panagiotis Retsos said. “I’ve had a lot of ups-and-downs but I’m very, very happy to be here.” ___
Nicholas Paphitis and Michael Varaklas in Athens, Greece contributed.
DJ Bien-Aime covers the Houston Texans for ESPN. He joined ESPN in July of 2022 after covering the New York Jets. He’s a former athlete who finished his college career at Louisville. You can catch DJ on ESPN Radio on his show, “Talkin’ Texans.”
The Houston Texans and wide receiver Nico Collins have agreed to a three-year, $72.75 million extension that includes $52 million guaranteed, agents Drew Rosenhaus, Ryan Matha and Jason Rosenhaus told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday.
The contract has a maximum value of $75 million.
Collins, 25, is coming off a career-best season in which he had 80 receptions (ranked 23rd in the NFL last season) for 1,297 yards (ranked 8th) and eight touchdowns (tied for 8th) in 15 games.
Collins, selected in the third round of the 2021 draft, was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season. In three seasons, the former Michigan standout has 150 catches for 2,224 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The extension comes after Houston bolstered its receiver room when it traded a 2025 second-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for wide receiver Stefon Diggs and two draft picks in early April. Diggs is set to be a free agent following this season after the Texans voided the final three years on his contract while giving him a $3.5 million raise, increasing his 2024 base salary to $22.52 million.
Extending Collins gives the Texans two receivers they view as dynamic playmakers who are under contract past the 2024 season: 2023 third-rounder Tank Dell and Collins. Dell finished last season with 709 yards as a rookie but was on pace for 1,205 yards before suffering a broken leg against the Denver Broncos in early December.
Dell is healthy and participated in Texans OTAs after he was shot at a private event in Sanford, Florida, where authorities say a teenage gunman injured 10 people after an altercation on April 28.
“We want to put defenses in binds, and I think with those three guys it allows us to do that because they are so different, and they can all do different things,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “But at the end of the day, they are all explosive finishers with the football, and that is what makes those guys great players. They can win on third down and they can finish and get in the end zone, and that’s what we look for at all skill positions on offense.”
Louisiana speedster Phillip Wright III is one of the nation’s fastest prospects. Four schools are set to get the four-star wide receiver on campus over the next four weekends, beginning with a trip…
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England spinner Sophie Ecclestone broke the record for the fastest woman to 100 ODI wickets as England clinched a series win over Pakistan in the third ODI in Chelmsford.
Ecclestone reached the milestone in 64 matches to level Australian great Cathryn Fitzpatrick, but beats the record in terms of number of innings bowled (63).
Ecclestone removed Pakistan’s Umm-e-Hani and Nashra Sandhu with consecutive deliveries to reach the 100 mark and find herself on a hat-trick – which Diana Baig denied her by blocking out the third delivery.
England clinched an emphatic 178-run victory shortly after, the hosts triumphing 2-0 in the three-match ODI series to go with their 3-0 whitewash win in the preceding T20s.
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The best of Nat Sciver-Brunt’s batting performance as she picks up a century in England’s third ODI against Pakistan
Heather’s Knight side earlier posted 302-5 with the bat, Nat Sciver-Brunt (124no) smashing her ninth ODI ton before Pakistan were dismissed for 124 in reply.
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Todd Archer is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Dallas Cowboys. Archer has covered the NFL since 1997 and Dallas since 2003. He joined ESPN in 2010. You can follow him on Twitter at @toddarcher.
FRISCO, Texas — It was only a rookie minicamp in early May without any pads or even any full-team drills, but Mike Zimmer could not help but smile.
After two years away from the game, he was in his element again, on a field coaching football early in his second stint as the Dallas Cowboys‘ defensive coordinator.
“This last couple weeks when we go out here and we’re doing the (Phase 2 of the offseason program) stuff, it’s been a lot of fun to get out with the players and start to understand them and try to teach them as much as I can about not just the position but the other positions and why we do certain things,” Zimmer said. “I think that’s been the best part.”
Zimmer is back in a familiar place, if not the same facility. The Cowboys moved from Valley Ranch, where Zimmer worked from 1994 to 2006 as a Cowboys assistant, to The Star, which the Cowboys have called home since 2016. Some of the faces remain the same, like the Jones family and other members of the front office and personnel staff.
For the past two years, following an eight-year run as the Minnesota Viking‘ head coach, he stayed around the game, doing a podcast for The 33rd Team website with former Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis.
They would be given topics to discuss and each would do his own prep work and just talk ball, as coaches like to do. They studied trends in the game, such as teams matching up against bigger personnel groups with five defensive backs versus staying with a base defense against three wide receiver sets.
“You miss that kind of detail, the preparation and everything that goes into it [when not coaching],” said Lewis, who is now the assistant head coach with the Las Vegas Raiders under head coach Antonio Pierce.
Greg Ellis was a defensive end for the Cowboys when Zimmer was named defensive coordinator in 2000. He now works for Zimmer as an assistant defensive line coach.
“I have tremendous respect for him, as when I played for him, because he’s a tremendous teacher of the game,” Ellis said. “He taught me a lot about the game. So to be on the other side of it with him, it’s something different for me.”
So Zimmer doesn’t yell at him as a coach.
“See, you said that; I didn’t,” Ellis said. “But I agree with you.”
Not that Zimmer is easy on his coaches. He has had to teach what he wants in his new scheme to a staff that includes a number of holdovers from former DC Dan Quinn, who left Dallas in February to become the head coach of the Washington Commanders.
“He holds coaches to be responsible,” Ellis said. “I’ve been around him long enough to know whatever you tell him you’re going to do, he’s going to hold you to it. He’s not going to forget it.”
Zimmer is not inheriting a reclamation program on defense. The Cowboys were No. 5 in yards and points allowed last season. In three years with Quinn, the Cowboys led the NFL in takeaways with 93 (59 interceptions, 34 fumble recoveries). In 2021, cornerback Trevon Diggs led the NFL with 11 interceptions. Last season, cornerback DaRon Bland led the NFL with nine interceptions and set an NFL record with five returns for touchdowns. Then there’s pass-rusher Micah Parsons, who has 40.5 sacks in his first three years and has finished second twice and third once in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
In 2007, the Bengals’ defense ranked 24th and 27th in points and yards allowed per game before Zimmer joined Lewis in Cincinnati. In 2008, they finished 19th and 12th with five new starters. In 2013, the year before he became the Vikings’ head coach, Minnesota’s defense finished last in points allowed and second to last in yards allowed per game. In Zimmer’s first year, they finished 11th and 14th, respectively, with nine new starters.
With the Cowboys, he is looking at using at least four new starters compared to 2023.
“It’s like I told the defense the first day I got here. I said, this is a different deal for me. Usually when I come in, the defense is not good. You know? They’re pretty darn good,” Zimmer said. “So it’s a little different for me because we have to advance some of the things they were doing good and try to improve on the things they weren’t doing as good. But for the most part they’ve played pretty darn good, and we’re going to try to accentuate that and maybe be a little bit more technique oriented, maybe a little bit more disciplined. Some of those things.
“At the end of the day, we’ve got to do it the way I want it done. I know if you try to come in and do somebody else’s thing, it just doesn’t go well.”
This week, the Cowboys have their first organized team activities that can feature 11-on-11 work. Parsons is expected to be in attendance at some point after spending the early part of the offseason program working out on his own. 2023 first-round defensive tackle Mazi Smith is also expected to be around, although how much he participates because of offseason shoulder surgery, for which he has spent most of his time rehabbing in Michigan, is up in the air.
For Zimmer, it will be another step in his return, doing what he has missed. The players better be ready.
“He’s demanding,” Lewis said. “That was the thing when people talked to me about him before he became a head coach. They were inquiring, ‘Was he ready?’ and so forth. And they said, ‘Well, people say he’s abrasive.’
“He’s not abrasive. He’s demanding. He wants things done the right way, and he understands how it should be done from front to back. That’s a great skill, a great gift.”
Courtois walked out on the Belgium squad last June when he was not named captain in the wake of Eden Hazard’s retirement, leading to a public falling out with coach Domenico Tedesco.
The 32-year-old was was criticised by teammates and has since expressed regret.
Coutois has been sidelined for much of the season after suffering two serious knee injuries. He returned against Cádiz in LaLiga on May 4, before sitting out Madrid’s Champions League semifinal second leg against Bayern Munich. He has since kept clean sheets against Granada, Alavés and Real Betis.
Sources have told ESPN that the club believes that, if he is physically fit, there is no debate that he will start in the Champions League final.
“Courtois was very clear and honest and early in his communication. The latest information we received is that he is not ready for the European Championship. He knows his body best,” Tedesco said at a news conference on Tuesday.
Despite rules permitting coaches to take a 26-man squad to the tournament, Tedesco decided to name only 25 players in the group he will take to Germany.
Tuesday’s squad did feature a recall for Axel Witsel who had announced his international retirement last year. His return comes after Tedesco visited Atlético Madrid to persuade the midfielder to come back to the team.
The 35-year-old won the last of his 130 caps at the World Cup in Qatar, where Belgium were eliminated in the group stage.
“I have had Axel in my mind for a long time, even during the qualification,” Tedesco said. “It’s about quality, Witsel offers a lot of quality.
“He is a key player at Atlético Madrid. I met him, wanted to see him, look into his eyes. We need him, he has experience and can help the young players. Experience in that position is important. We are playing a European Championship, that is no small thing.”
Former Ajax and Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen, who has earned 154 caps for his country, has been included in the squad at the age of 37. The squad also includes top scorer Romelu Lukaku, who has netted 83 times in 114 appearances for his country.
SEATTLE — Julio Rodríguez drove in the go-ahead run with an infield single in the eighth inning after Josh Rojas tied the game with an RBI double and the Seattle Mariners beat the Houston Astros 4-2 on Tuesday night.
A second run also scored on Rodríguez’s single, as Alex Bregman’s throwing error allowed Rojas to score and Rodríguez to take second base.
Mitch Haniger led off the inning with a double and Jonatan Clase came in to pinch run. Clase reached third on a wild pitch and scored on Rojas’ double down the first-base line after rookie Ryan Bliss walked and J.P. Crawford struck out.
Rodríguez hit an infield dribbler to Bregman, who looked home before throwing the ball past first baseman José Abreu to allow Rojas to score.
The winning rally came off reliever Ryan Pressly (0-2).
“It was the double by Haniger and the (Bliss) walk,” Houston manager Joe Espada said. “That was a huge at-bat there. We needed to put away hitters and we just did not do that in the inning.”
The Astros had retired 15 straight Mariners hitters before Haniger’s double, as Astros starter Hunter Brown allowed just one run and four hits over six innings with nine strikeouts. Brown retired the final 12 batters he faced, and Astros pitchers struck out 14 Mariners.
“You can’t panic out there,” Rojas said. “And I think tonight was another case of that. Being down a run for majority of the game, it felt like, but there was no sense of panic. I think everybody knew, we’ve just got to put together one good inning.”
Rodríguez got the scoring started for Seattle with an RBI single in the first inning.
Houston’s Jeremy Peña hit a deep fly ball to left field in the second, but Luke Raley robbed him of a home run to keep the Mariners in the lead.
Two innings later, Bregman hit a two-run homer off Mariners starter Luis Castillo, who gave up five hits and two earned runs over six innings, with six strikeouts.
Castillo now has made nine consecutive starts where he has gone five-plus innings while allowing two or fewer earned runs, tied for the third-longest streak in Mariners history.
Austin Voth and Taylor Saucedo (2-0) each pitched one scoreless inning of relief for Seattle, and Ryne Stanek worked a perfect ninth inning for his third save.
The Mariners have now won three straight games.
“We’re on a good roll here,” manager Scott Servais said. “You know, after having a rough little end of the road trip there, it’s nice to see guys get back going again, confidence coming and again, it’s how we win games. We pitch really well, you good defense, and you get some big hits and big at-bats late in the game.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Houston: The Astros claimed RHP Kaleb Ort from Baltimore and optioned him to Triple-A Sugar Land. Ort spent parts of three years in the big leagues with Boston, but had an 0-1 record with a 12.08 ERA in 14 games this season for Triple-A Norfolk.
UP NEXT
Houston RHP Justin Verlander (3-2, 3.60 ERA) will take the mound for the Astros on Wednesday against Seattle RHP George Kirby (4-5, 4.33 ERA)
