EUGENE, OR — Four days of competition are complete at the 2025 U.S. track and field trials.

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden accomplished the sprint double, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was golden in the 400 and Noah Lyles was braggadocious as he won another 200 national title.

On the field, Valarie Allman continued her reign over the discus and Tara Davis-Woodhall leaped to the top mark in the world in the long jump.

The U.S. track and field championships served as the qualifying stage for next month’s world championships in Tokyo, Japan.

WINNERS

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden wins 100-200 double

Jefferson-Wooden dominated the 100, leading from start to finish. She crossed the line well ahead of the other competitors with an impressive personal-best and world-leading time of 10.65. It’s tied for the fifth fastest time in the history of the event.

‘Amazing,’ Jefferson-Wooden said following her win in the 100. ‘I’ve been dreaming of days like this, and it’s finally starting to come true. Right now the sky is the limit. I just got to keep working toward bigger and better things.’

Jefferson-Wooden wasn’t done after the 100. On the final day of the championships, Jefferson-Wooden accomplished the sprint double by winning the women’s 200, running a personal-best 21.84. She was the only sprinter to run sub-22 seconds in the race.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone shines in 400

McLaughlin-Levrone is dominating her new event just like she did her old one.

McLaughlin-Levrone easily won the women’s 400 with a gold-medal winning time of 48.90.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist came up just short of the American record (48.70) that’s stood for almost 20 years.

“Everyone talks about the American record of course, that’s gonna come when it’s supposed to come,” McLaughlin-Levrone said after the win.

McLaughlin-Levrone already owns the American and world records in the women’s 400-meter hurdles.

Kenny Bednarek wins first national title

Bednarek ran a personal-best 9.79 to win his first national championship in what was a fast men’s 100 final. The top seven finishers all ran sub-10 seconds.

‘It’s about damn time,’ Bednarek said after winning his first national championship. ‘I always knew I had the capability of doing it but I just had to believe in myself. This year I feel like I started living up to my expectations.’

Bednarek’s 9.79 is the second fastest time in the world this year.

Noah Lyles boasts as he won men’s 200

Lyles had to come from behind to beat Kenny Bednarek in the 200. Lyles passed Bednarek with less than 10 meters remaining in the race and stared him down as he crossed the finish line, running a world-leading time of 19.63.

An annoyed Bednarek pushed Lyles after his boastful gesture.

“It’s unsportsmanlike (expletive),” Bednarek said after getting the silver medal. “I don’t deal with that.”

Lyles, who hasn’t raced a lot this year, said the win proves that he’s still on top.

“If they ain’t gonna beat me now, they ain’t gonna beat me ever,” Lyles said.  

Masai Russell has 100 hurdles crown

Russell gestured as if to put a crown on herself after winning the women’s 100-meter hurdles in convincing fashion, clocking in at 12.22.

Russell is on an impressive run. She’s the reigning Olympic champion, a two-time national champion in the event and is ranked No. 1 in the world this season.

“Winning the Olympics put a little more pressure on myself. Like now I feel like I have a standard to uphold. People expect something from the reigning Olympic champion,” Russell said. “I don’t think I would’ve been blessed with that title if I wasn’t able to carry the weight of that.”

Tara Davis-Woodhall jumps to top mark in world

On the first day of the U.S. championships, Tara Davis-Woodhall leaped 23 feet, 4 ½ inches to win the women’s long jump. It’s the top mark in the world this year. Davis-Woodhall is coming off a women’s long jump gold medal at the Paris Olympics.

Valarie Allman’s undefeated streak continues

Allman tossed 234 feet, 5 inches to win the women’s discus by more than 20 feet. The two-time Olympic champion hasn’t lost in the event since 2023. She is the No. 1-ranked discus thrower in the world as she heads to Tokyo.

LOSERS

Track and field fans located outside of Oregon

Eugene, Oregon, is affectionately known as Track Town, U.S.A. for its rich track and field history, and University of Oregon’s Hayward Field is a state-of-the-art track and field stadium. But this year was the 14th time Eugene’s hosted the championships.

Logistically, traveling to the city and hotel lodging aren’t very convenient. Plus, there isn’t an array of tourist attractions. It would behoove USA Track and Field to periodically change the host site for the national championships.

Los Angeles is a logical location. Afterall, the 2028 Olympics are in LA.  

Sha’Carri Richardson 

Unfortunately for Richardson, most of the news she made was off the track.

Richardson was arrested after an alleged incident at the Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, according to a police report obtained by USA TODAY Sports. According to the report, Richardson was arrested for domestic violence.

Richardson competed in the women’s 200 but didn’t advance to the final round.

Joe Kovacs misses team in men’s shot put

Kovacs was upset in the shot put. The two-time world champion finished fourth with a put of 72 feet, 5 inches.

Josh Awotunde won the event with a personal-best toss of 73 feet, 8 ¾ inches.

Athing Mu-Nikolayev comes up short in 800

Mu-Nikolayev failed to qualify for the world championships in the women’s 800. She placed fourth in her semifinal heat and didn’t advance on time.

Mu-Nikolayev is the American-record holder (1:54.97) and won gold at the Tokyo Olympics in the 800, but she’s struggled recently to regain her form.

Mu-Nikolayev admitted she’s had a difficult time mentally and physically the past year but is finding her way back. The good news is she ran a season-best 1:59.79 in the semifinal round and is still just 23 years old.

“I think I’m still pretty fit. When it comes to track your mentality and your mental side of things takes a big toll,” Mu-Nikolayev said. “If you’re not mentally in it, then your body won’t be in it. That’s what kind of held me back I think both in practice and also competing in bigger races this past year. So, I have to get myself back to being wholly Athing Mu and not just a good athlete running.”

EUGENE, OR — Noah Lyles had something to say after winning gold in the men’s 200 meters at the U.S. track and field championships.

Lyles ran a world-leading 19.63 to get the gold in the 200, but he had to work for it.  

Lyles was behind Kenny Bednarek at the turn. He pulled even with him with roughly 10 meters remaining. Lyles turned to look at Bednarek as he ran past him with only five meters remaining and continued to stare him down after he crossed the finish line first.

Bednarek retaliated by giving Lyles a slight push before the two shook hands.

“Noah is gonna be Noah. If he wants to stare me down that fine,” Bednarek said after the race. “I’m very confident I can beat him. What he said doesn’t matter. It’s just what he did. It’s unsportsmanlike (expletive) and I don’t deal with that.”

Lyles didn’t comment when asked what compelled him to taunt Bednarek.

“It felt really good,” Lyles said following the win. “If they ain’t gonna beat me now, they ain’t gonna beat me ever.”

It’s Lyles fifth national championship in the 200. Lyles said he had no doubt he would be victorious with roughly 80 meters left.

“We came off the turn and I saw how far Kenny was and I was like, ‘As long as I can keep him in my pocket then I can catch him,’” Lyles explained. “We got to the straight away, we passed the 60 meters left mark and I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m coming for him.’ He ran out of energy and he ran out of momentum and mine was just starting to hit it.”

The 200 has always been Lyles’ marquee event despite being the defending world champion in both the 100 and 200 and the Olympic champion in the 100.

USA TODAY Sports was on the ground for the final day of action at the U.S. track and field championships. Here are the highlights from the competition:  

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden leaves no doubt in women’s 200

Jefferson-Wooden ran a personal-best 21.84 to win gold in the 200. She was the only sprinter to run sub-22 seconds in the race.

“It’s something I’ve been working toward,” Jefferson-Wooden said after winning the sprint double. “I’m excited. I get to say I completed the double at the U.S. championships, which is very hard by the way. It’s not easy.”

Anavia Battle took second, running a season-best 22.13. Gabby Thomas barely got the third and final qualifying spot, running a 22.20 in a photo finish for third place.

Valarie Allman remains undefeated this season

Allman continued her dominant run in the discus. She tossed 234 feet, 5 inches to win gold. Her mark was over 20 feet better than all other competitors.

Allman is undefeated in two seasons. She hasn’t lost since the 2023 world championships.

The two-time-Olympic champion heads to the world championships as the No.1 ranked discus thrower in the world.

Donavan Brazier wins exciting 800

Brazier was in fourth after the first lap, but sprinted past the pack during the final 60 meters to win the men’s 800 with a personal-best time of 1:42.16

Cooper Lutkenhaus placed second and broke the under-18 world record (1:42.27) in the process.

Dalilah Muhammad earns national title

The 35-year-old crossed the finish line first in the women’s 400-meter hurdles to win her first national championship since 2019 and fifth overall.

Muhammad won gold in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2016 Olympics. She’s said this will be her last year of competition.

Training camps are fully underway and this year features plenty of position battles, injuries and holdouts, all of which can have huge fantasy football implications.

Each year, fantasy managers across the country try to maximize the value as much as possible to win a championship and avoid punishments for finishing last.

Training camps can tip off who is improving and getting more of a share of the offense than expected. These developments aren’t an outright guarantee but could help fantasy managers get a clearer picture of what the 2025 season may hold.

Through the early part of training camp, some players have stood out as risers in the fantasy football landscape. Here are our top 10 as August begins:

2025 POSITION RANKINGS: QB | RB | WR | TE | K | D/ST | Overall

QB J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings

McCarthy inherits an incredibly talented offense in his first year as a starter. He’s getting reps in training camp against what was one of the tougher defenses in the league last season. Reporters attending training camp have noted how well he’s throwing; The Athletic’s Alec Lewis wrote the second-year quarterback has ‘checked critical boxes early on.’

As a first-year starter, McCarthy is an unknown in the fantasy landscape but signs point to him being at least a solid starter in 2025. With the pieces in place in this offense, that’s firmly high-end QB2 material.

RB Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers

Najee Harris’ eye injury from a fireworks incident earlier this summer cleared the way for Hampton to take full control of RB1 status with the Chargers. He had a pair of carries for 9 yards in the Hall of Fame game against Detroit and that may be the last we see of him in the preseason.

There’s no denying the Chargers offense wants to run the ball. Head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman established that at previous spots. Hampton has the opportunity with Harris out to start the season with a large share of the touches out of the backfield.

RB Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers

McCaffrey had a rough season in 2024 amid injuries and a struggling 49ers offense. The 2023 Offensive Player of the Year failed to score a touchdown for the first time in his career. San Francisco drafted running back Jordan James in Round 5 of the 2025 NFL draft and he could eat into McCaffrey’s touches.

But James will miss time with a knee injury and McCaffrey seems to be fully healthy for the first time in more than a year. The 49ers offense will be without top wideout Brandon Aiyuk to start the season and second-year receiver Ricky Pearsall’s getting back up to speed after a hamstring injury. The conditions are there for McCaffrey to have a large share of the offensive load even in his age-30 season.

RB Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns

Cleveland’s offense has plenty of questions entering the 2025 season. There’s a four-way battle for starting quarterback and the running back room has a pair of rookies in addition to Ford competing for carries.

One of those rookies, Quinshon Judkins, has yet to sign a contract following his battery charge in July. That’s left fellow rookie Dylan Sampson competing with Ford for carries. Ford’s the incumbent and with a likely suspension pending for Judkins, he’s in line for a bigger role as the season starts.

RB Jordan Mason, Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings traded for Mason in the offseason in a move that reflects a shift to a more effective ground game in Minnesota this year. Aaron Jones Sr. was the top back and had the majority of carries last year, but Mason’s arrival could signal a shift.

With training camp underway, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reported that it may be closer to an even split in carries between Jones and Mason than what the Vikings have done in prior seasons. Jones should still be the lead back, but from training camp reps it looks like Mason should get a solid share of carries to start the season. That could raise his status from handcuff to low-end RB3.

RB Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks

The more training camp rolls on, the more Walker hype builds. New offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak said ‘we’re going to ask a lot out of him’ during his introductory press conference, and that’s been backed up in camp so far. Health is always a question mark with Walker; he’s missed a combined 10 games over his first three seasons. But if he can stay on the field there’s a chance he could outperform his draft slot.

WR Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs

Worthy closed his rookie season well with two top-15 WR performances in the final three weeks. He could be in for a strong start to his sophomore year in the NFL. Chiefs wideout Rashee Rice may be serving a suspension to open the season stemming from a car crash during the 2024 offseason. Whether he can hold onto a large share of the targets once Rice returns is a question. Until then, he’s looking like an improving option as a WR3 as the regular season approaches.

WR Deebo Samuel, Washington Commanders

San Francisco shipped Samuel east this offseason and he suddenly finds himself as the top wide receiver in the offense because Terry McLaurin requested a trade. Samuel dropped off in 2024 with just 806 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns, both the lowest since his injury-shortened season in 2020.

With McLaurin’s status in question amid contract negotiations, Samuel could capitalize with a larger target share through training camp. McLaurin may be off the field for a while and may need time to get up to speed once he comes back. That gives Samuel plenty of opportunity to produce as the top wideout for reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels.

WR Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Egbuka was widely considered one of the most pro-ready prospects in the 2025 NFL draft. That made him an attractive pick in dynasty leagues, and now he’s becoming a more attractive option to have a good rookie season. Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin is recovering from another surgery on his ankle and is on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list in the early parts of training camp. Egbuka’s ceiling is likely capped given Mike Evans’ presence and late-season riser Jalen McMillan’s return for a sophomore season. He could be a low-end WR3 as the season starts, though.

TE A.J. Barner, Seattle Seahawks

Seattle released tight end Noah Fant and the former Seahawk has since signed with the Bengals. Barner is entering Year 2 with a new offensive coordinator in Kubiak. Seattle lacks a lot of weapons in the passing game and, with Fant’s departure, Barner could get a larger target share. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the top man but behind him it could be a mix of Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Cooper Kupp and a pair of rookies who are getting a lot of work in training camp.

Barner has to fend off a rookie as well in Round 2 pick Elijah Arroyo. Both have impressed in camp early but Barner’s experience could keep him ahead as the season starts.

Cameron Young earned his first PGA Tour victory after winning the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Sunday, Aug. 3.

Young finished at 22-under par at the event, six strokes ahead of second-place finisher Mac Meissner.

While the 28-year-old Young had never won a PGA Tour event prior to Sunday’s victory, he has had success at some of golf’s biggest tournaments. He finished tied for fourth at this year’s U.S. Open, In 2022, he finished second in the British Open and tied for third in the PGA Championship.

With his victory at the Wyndham Championship, Young became the 1,000th first-time winner on the tour and will take home $1,476,000 in prize money. Young’s portion of the winning comes from the prize fund that was shared across all competitors.

2025 Wyndham Championship purse

The Wyndham Championship had a total purse of $8.2 million, with $1.476 million going to the winner.

2025 Wyndham Championship payouts

Young will take home the top prize, but here are the tournament’s payouts for 2025, detailing what each participant was awarded.

Wyndham Championship 2025 prize money, payouts

Position, golfer, final score, winnings

1. Cameron Young | -22 | $1,476,000
2. Mac Meissner | -16 | $729,800
T3. Mark Hubbard | -15 | $483,800
T3. Alex Noren | -15 | $483,800
T5. A. Rai | -14 | $316,725
T5. Chris Kirk | -14 | $316,725
T5. Jackson Koivun (a) | -14 | $0
T8. Matt McCarty | -13 | $239,850
T8. Patrick Fishburn | -13 | $239,850
T8. Matt Fitzpatrick | -13 | $239,850
T11. Denny McCarthy | -12 | $182,450
T11. Ben Griffin | -12 | $182,450
T11. J.T. Poston | -12 | $182,450
T11. Davis Thompson | -12 | $182,450
T15. Harry Hall | -11 | $137,350
T15. Beau Hossler | -11 | $137,350
T15. Patrick Rodgers | -11 | $137,350
T15. Joel Dahmen | -11 | $137,350
T19. Sam Ryder | -10 | $104,550
T19. Hideki Matsuyama | -10 | $104,550
T19. Karl Vilips | -10 | $104,550
T19. Nico Echavarria | -10 | $104,550
T23. Lanto Griffin | -9 | $75,850
T23. Noah Goodwin | -9 | $75,850
T23. Ricky Castillo | -9 | $75,850
T23. Gary Woodland | -9 | $75,850
T27. Harry Higgs | -8 | $59,860
T27. Matt Wallace | -8 | $59,860
T27. Webb Simpson | -8 | $59,860
T27. Sungjae Im | -8 | $59,860
T31. Jordan Spieth | -7 | $51,250
T31. Kurt Kitayama | -7 | $51,250
T31. Matthias Schmid | -7 | $51,250
T34. Rasmus Højgaard | -6 | $43,665
T34. Chandler Phillips | -6 | $43,665
T34. Sami Välimäki | -6 | $43,665
T34. Max McGreevy | -6 | $43,665
T38. Matthew Riedel | -5 | $34,850
T38. Michael Thorbjornsen | -5 | $34,850
T38. Victor Perez | -5 | $34,850
T38. Chesson Hadley | -5 | $34,850
T38. Jacob Bridgeman | -5 | $34,850
T38. William Mouw | -5 | $34,850
T44. Justin Lower | -4 | $22,923
T44. Rickie Fowler | -4 | $22,923
T44. Trevor Cone | -4 | $22,923
T44. Robert MacIntyre | -4 | $22,923
T44 | Emiliano Grillo | -4 | $22,923
T44. Patton Kizzire | -4 | $22,923
T44. Matt Kuchar | -4 | $22,923
T44. Cam Davis | -4 | $22,923
T44. Séamus Power | -4 | $22,923
T44. Tony Finau | -4 | $22,923
T44. David Lipsky | -4 | $22,923
T55. Paul Peterson | -3 | $18,942
T55. David Skinns | -3 | $18,942
T55. Lee Hodges | -3 | $18,942
T55. Nicolai Højgaard | -3 | $18,942
T55. Adam Scott | -3 | $18,942
T60. Steven Fisk | -2 | $18,368
T60. Carson Young | -2 | $18,368
T62. Peter Malnati | -1 | $17,794
T62. Henrik Norlander | -1 | $17,794
T62. Thorbjørn Olesen | -1 | $17,794
T62. Christiaan Bezuidenhout | -1 | $17,794
T62. Michael Kim | -1 | $17,794
T67. Thomas Rosenmueller | E | $17,056
T67. Rico Hoey | E | $17,056
T67. Luke Clanton | E | $17,056
T67. Trey Mullinax | E | $17,056
71. Taylor Dickson | +1 | $16,646
T72. Aaron Baddeley | +2 | $16,400
T72. Matthieu Pavon| +2 | $16,400
T74 | Eric Cole |+5 | $16,072
T74. Vince Whaley | +5 | $16,072

EUGENE, OR — Christian Coleman defended Sha’Carri Richardson after an alleged incident at the at the Seattle–Tacoma International Airport in which Richardson was arrested for domestic violence, according to the police report obtained by USA TODAY Sports.

Police say Coleman was the victim in the incident.

‘For me personally, I feel like it was a sucky situation all round,’ Coleman said Sunday. ‘I don’t feel like she should have been arrested. I mean people have discussions and emotions and stuff like that. She has things that she needs to work on for herself, of course. So do I, so do you, so does everybody. But I’m the type of guy who’s in the business of extending grace, and mercy and love.’

Coleman competed in the 100 and 200 meters at the U.S. Track and Field Championships. He failed to qualify for next month’s world championships. He ran a season-best 9.86 in the 100 and placed fifth. He placed sixth in the 200, running a season-best 20.02.

The sprinter said incident at the airport didn’t affect him at the U.S. championships.

Coleman is a three-time world championship gold medalist. He won the 100 at the 2019 World Championships.

Richardson scratched from the 100 competition after running in the opening round. She automatically qualified for this year’s world championships due to being the defending champion. Richardson didn’t qualify in the 200.

Richardson declined comment to reporters at the U.S. championships.

“She’s a human being and a great person,” Coleman said. “To me she’s the best female athlete in the world. I see it every day.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).

BRISTOL, TN — This town of 28,000 year-round residents is typically a little on the sleepy side. When NASCAR comes to Bristol Motor Speedway two weekends a year, the place explodes with visitors from every corner of the country.

This weekend, though, the explosion in visitors was due to a (maybe) once-in-a-lifetime event sponsored by a different sport.

Major League Baseball partnered with the racetrack to present the MLB Speedway Classic, as the Cincinnati Reds fell to the Atlanta Braves, 4-2, after two lengthy rain delays Saturday pushed the game to Sunday afternoon. Not only did it mark the first regular-season game played in the state of Tennessee, it set the sport’s all-time attendance record, as 91,032 fans bought tickets to the contest, many of them hundreds of feet from the action in the massive seating bowl.

Far fewer than that number were in their seats Sunday to witness this bit of history, as many were unable to return for the suspended contest, but the record remains because of the number of tickets sold.

Here are the lessons I learned by attending the soggy event:

Bringing a big event here is risky due to weather

This has to be pointed out before all other lessons. Even before Saturday night’s two rain delays and eventual suspension, it was obvious that it was risky to bring a game here at this time of year. Fans who spent the week here in Eastern Tennessee learned something valuable: It rains nearly every day. Hard.

MLB keeps upping the ante with its ‘jewel’ events

When MLB brought a regular-season game to Fort Bragg in North Carolina in 2016, there were no superstar concerts or celebrity sightings. Even the national anthem was sung by a soldier on active duty at the base. The event proved that MLB could pull off a game in truly unusual circumstances – including constructing a temporary ballpark. Since then, there have been games in London, at the Little League World Series, the Field of Dreams site and the old Negro Leagues ballpark in Birmingham. With each new event, MLB has sought to make a bigger impact. It doesn’t get any bigger than Bristol Motor Speedway.

There’s much more than just baseball

In addition to huge-name performing acts, fan zones, local food and numerous attractions, MLB always brings a charitable component to these jewel events. In addition to donating the artificial playing field from this game to nearby East Tennessee State University, MLB’s Ambassador of PlayBall James Lowe (also known as “Coach Ballgame”) led a skills workshop for over 200 youth players on Friday. “Our goal was to inject joy and plain ol’ common sense in baseball, not a win-at-all-costs attitude toward the game,” Lowe says. “The kids really enjoyed it.”

Some players liked this break from the routine more than others

Reds manager Terry Francona implied that some of his players were grumbling about interrupting their series in Cincinnati to come to Eastern Tennessee. “For one time a year, if it’s good for the game, we need to put a smile on and do it,” he explains. Others welcomed the departure from their normal routine.

Before the game, Braves first baseman Matt Olson said he was looking forward to trying to hit a ball onto the racetrack. “It’s a really cool set-up here. I just can’t believe they did this just for one game,’ Olson said.

Fans are crazy about these unique events

Look no further than all the different license e plates in the massive parking lots surrounding the track Trey Kelley of Cedartown, Georgia says the draw of coming here, “was the experience of getting to see baseball in a different place. Bristol is really a special venue.”

Bristol Motor Speedway really knows what it’s doing

A major difference between bringing the event here versus all of the other jewel-game locations is that MLB had to do all of the heavy lifting of organizing and communicating at those other sites. Here, there was already a full staff of PR and communications professionals. They handle all of the NASCAR events, and they are exceptional at their jobs.

After last year’s emotional game honoring Negro Leagues players, did it make sense for MLB to come to a NASCAR track?

A criticism often heard when this game was announced a year ago is that it is, well, an odd choice on the heels of honoring the Negro Leagues in Birmingham last June. It’s a bit much to consider it tone-deaf, because it appears that there was no connection between last year’s game and this one. Each year’s location is selected independently from all previous games.

Playing in a venue with 150,000 seats allowed MLB to answer critics

If you look back at past jewel events, by far the biggest criticism from fans was their inability to buy seats due to the very small seating capacities. This event didn’t sell out until earlier this week, giving fans ample opportunity to buy as many tickets as they wanted, answering the critics. At Bristol, “we knew we could go really big,” says Jeremiah Yolkut, MLB’s Senior Vice President of Global Events.

If this racetrack has 150,000 seats, why did MLB stop selling tickets around 90,000?

For those who attended this game, it was obvious that wide swaths of the seating bowl simply couldn’t see the playing field at all. The seats are great for racing, but not baseball, so there was no need to sell them. Those sections were covered with colorful tarps instead.

Gorgeous merch, but ridiculously priced

These events are heaven for souvenir collectors, and the creative use of racing graphics made the merchandise irresistible. The prices, to be honest, were ridiculous. I bought a shirt and a cap, and the total including tax was $169. That is no way to treat fans.

The Appalachian League matters

When MLB reduced the number of affiliated Minor League teams from 160 to 120 four years ago, it wiped out leagues like the New York-Penn League, and relegated circuits like the Pioneer League and Appalachian League to un-affiliated status. But franchises in the Appy League lived on, thanks in part to entities like Boyd Sports that agreed to acquire half of the teams in this ten-team league. The players are no longer pros, supplied by big-league teams. Instead, they are college students, much like in the Cape Cod League.

And do the communities supporting the players and the players themselves believe that this league matters? One look at the jubilation exhibited by the Bluefield Ridge Runners after the final out of the Appy League championship game Friday night tells you all you need to know. Even if there’s no room for these teams in the affiliated world, the sport needs the Appy League. “It’s a special league. I’m sorry we don’t have it for our young players anymore,” observes Braves manager Brian Snitker, whose first games as a pro were for Kingsport in this league.

Despite what most people assume, playing here is a two-way street

This is the most important lesson. MLB emphasizes the fact that it prioritizes holding these jewel games in places where MLB has rarely or never been played. However, after spending the week going to Appy League games and dining in local eateries, I came to the conclusion that it was more important for baseball fans from across the country to experience life here, than for folks living here to experience MLB.

Some may have looked at this as “fly-over country,” but locals are as genuine and welcoming as you’ll ever encounter – and their sense of community is unmatched. The big win is allowing fans from all over to experience how these folks live, not that MLB brought the sport to them.

It would be great for MLB to continue this trend of bringing jewel games to places that benefit fans to visit.

Joe Mock runs BaseballParks.com and covers sports facilities for USA TODAY publications

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The NFL Players Association has a new leader.

The NFLPA on Sunday night announced the hiring of David White to take over as the interim executive director in a move that was necessitated by the stunning resignation of Lloyd Howell Jr. on July 17.

The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported that JC Tretter, the union’s chief strategy officer, and Don Davis, the chief player officer, emerged as the lead candidates following Howell’s departure. Tretter later resigned from his position.

One union official, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation, said that a voting player representative from all 32 teams participated in the Board vote. The person also said that on the final short list of candidates, there were multiple internal candidates and multiple external ones.

The Board conducted interviews with each candidate over the last two weeks, and the process was player-led and voted on by the Board. The person also said that ultimately, the Board voted on their elected candidate this evening.

NFLPA leadership initially expressed their support for Howell, but the fallout from the ‘Pablo Torre Finds Out’ podcast’s release of a 61-page arbitration report proved to be too much.

The report revealed the NFLPA agreed to keep the arbitration decision from earlier this year about potential collusion by the league confidential – despite evidence that ‘commissioner Roger Goodell and former general counsel Jeff Pash instructed teams at the March 2022 league meeting to limit guaranteed money in players’ contracts.’

Howell was later found to be a paid, part-time consultant for the private-equity firm The Carlyle Group since March 2023, as reported by ESPN. It highlighted a potential conflict of interest as the group was given approval by the NFL to seek a minority ownership stake in a team.

More revelations regarding Howell’s conduct have come to light following his resignation. On July 18, ESPN reported that Howell submitted expense reports charging the union for two visits to strip clubs.

The former leader’s controversial tenure was short-lived and came to an end just over two years following his hiring on June 28, 2023.

Now White will be tasked with cleaning up the mess that was left behind in addition to restoring trust between the union and its membership.

They won’t have the luxury of time, however, as training camps are already underway and the regular season is fast approaching.

NFL writer Chris Bumbaca contributed to this story.

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