NEW YORK – The expression ‘costs an arm and a leg’ dates back at least a century, but it indeed remains relevant in today’s inflation-rampant times … especially if you are planning to attend, eat, drink, or buy any sort of souvenir at the US Open over the next two weeks.

If your stomach and wallet can handle it, and you don’t have to take out a second mortgage to afford the trip to Flushing Meadows, this year’s cornucopia of food and drink choices at the final Grand Slam of the year is sure to turn some heads.

Let’s start with the drinks, where smiling (or annoyed, depending on the time of day) bartenders are situated at battle stations every couple of feet. They’re ready to charge your credit card and pour you a popular US Open staple, the Honey Deuce, which is responsible for nearly two decades of fans stumbling and bumbling around the grounds with impunity to the ire of the New York City Police Department.

This mixture of Grey Goose vodka, lemonade, and raspberry liqueur, topped with three honeydew melons that represent tennis balls, will cost you $23. But at least you get the collector glass that comes with the drink.

The United States Tennis Association sold 556,000 Honey Deuces during last year’s tournament (and 2.8 million have been sold since 2011, according to Grey Goose). For you math majors, the organization pocketed nearly $12.8 million off that drink alone in 2024, more than enough to pay the two singles champions, who will take home $5 million each for their victorious runs through the tournament.

Or, if you really want to live on the wild side, the newest drink on the menu is the $39 Watermelon Slice, from IHG Hotels & Resorts, the tournament’s official hotel sponsor. It comes in a neon-green wine glass shaped like a tennis ball, with a nice, healthy wedge of – you guessed it – watermelon, to top it off. The drink features an interesting Moët & Chandon Champagne, watermelon juice, elderflower liqueur, and lime. Taste buds, be damned.

But for some, the food and other amenities are not all they’re cracked up to be.

Mark Ruggiero, a retired pediatrician from Gardnerville, Nevada, said he had the Honey Deuce about 12 years ago and hasn’t had one since.

“I really liked it for about four hours, and after about the third one, I started to not like it as much,” he said.

Ruggiero, who was seated near courtside with his friends Phil and Diane Sheridan while snacking on donuts bought at Doughnut Plant at Grand Central Station, had some pointed advice for those coming to the Open.

“Bring some snacks,” he said, even though security prohibits any outside food and beverages, including water, from being brought inside the stadium grounds. “But there is some food that’s reasonably priced,’ he added.

If wine and spirits aren’t your thing, you could (theoretically) bring an empty water container and enjoy free H2O from the numerous water fountains around the complex, or spend $9 for a 750 ml bottle of Evian or $8.50 for a fountain drink.

When it comes to food, the talk of the US Open is the famous Golden Nugget chicken with caviar from COQODAQ, which can be found at Arthur Ashe Stadium’s club level and in the Food Village; if that’s your fix or piques your curiosity, six ‘golden nuggets’ will cost you a cool Benjamin, just for that dish alone, which features Petrossian caviar and crème fraîche. Also, prepare to shell out an Andrew Jackson for sides like macaroni and cheese or a dessert, like the $19 peaches and cream froyo.

‘There’s something magical about the combination of caviar and chicken nuggets. It’s unexpected, it’s playful, and it feels like a celebration,’ Simon Kim, CEO and Founder of Gracious Hospitality Management (COQODAQ, COTE Korean Steakhouse) told USA TODAY Sports. ‘That’s exactly what the US Open is – a celebration of sport, culture, and indulgence. Our goal has always been to create a high-low experience, where something as simple as a chicken nugget, which everyone loves, becomes elevated when paired with world-class caviar.’

COQODAQ, a Korean fried chicken restaurant in Manhattan located at 12 East 22nd Street, offers other US Open exclusive menu items, such as the ‘Gangnam Style’ crispy chicken sandwich, as well as exclusive off-menu surprises. The classic nuggets box, featuring three signature sauces and pickled radish, is priced at $26.

Kim said they sold about 100,000 chicken nuggets last year at the Open and expect to double that number in 2025.

You also can’t go wrong with a Maine lobster roll from Red Hook Lobster Pound, which will run you around $40. And for foodies who want to chow down just for the sake of gluttony, Hill Country Barbecue will more than fulfill those needs, with a sliced brisket sandwich ($26) or a loaded barbecue nachos ($24).

(This story was updated to add videos.)

The NFL and Nike unveiled eight new ‘Rivalries’ uniforms for the AFC East and NFC West teams.
The uniforms celebrate local traditions and team legacies with unique designs.
The uniforms will be worn once during the 2025 season in a divisional rivalry game.

After four months of anticipation, particularly among those who fancy themselves football fashionistas, the NFL and Nike revealed their new “Rivalries” uniforms Thursday morning – kits that make a departure from the fairly conservative looks the league has featured for most of its hundred-plus years of existence.

Effectively cousins to the NBA’s popular ‘City Edition’ uniforms or Major League Baseball’s ‘City Connect’ jerseys, the ‘Rivalries’ unis present looks – if ones that may not be embraced by traditionalists – that will make the AFC East and NFC West teams that wear them this season pop for viewers while attempting to celebrate the local ethos of those clubs.

‘Everyone loves good rivalries, which have the power to connect and transform athletes, fans, teams and entire communities,’ Nike relayed in a press release regarding the uniforms it first teased on the second day of the 2025 NFL draft.

‘The 2025 Rivalries uniforms will celebrate storied local traditions and unite fan communities with designs unique to select cities and teams.

‘The designs are rooted extensively in the legacies and inspirations true to each team, serving as authentic, competitive expressions of community pride while giving athletes and fans an opportunity to connect like never before.’

NFL UNIFORM POWER RANKS: Which teams are dressed best? Worst?

The new uniforms for all eight teams – and they all had direct input into their customized threads – will be worn once this season during a home game against a division rival (details below). They will then become part of the club’s uniform closet for the next three years.

The league’s other 24 teams will get their own ‘Rivalries’ uniforms in future years, two additional divisions to be added to the rotation annually through the 2028 season.

‘Rivalries will bring fresh energy to the field with each new uniform, while providing a platform to amplify the community and hometown pride that is rooted in each NFL fan,’ said Taryn Hutt, the NFL’s vice president of club marketing, said in a statement.

The new ‘Rivalries’ jerseys and associated gear and apparel will be available at nike.com, NFLshop.com and fanatics.com starting Sept. 10.

The league will literally look quite different in 2025 as eight teams – the Bills, Browns, Steelers, Chargers, Commanders, Packers, Saints (a new helmet and a new/old jersey) and Buccaneers – previously revealed new throwback and/or alternate uniform looks earlier this summer.

USA TODAY Sports was granted an early look at the ‘Rivalries’ uniforms, and they certainly demand a ranking of their own, so here goes – from best to worst:

1. Arizona Cardinals

Did you hear about the haboob (better known as a dust storm) that engulfed Phoenix on Tuesday? Apparently it also sand-blasted the Cards’ new uniforms – to glorious effect.

Arizona’s ‘Rivalries’ unis appear pockmarked by sand and feature a reimagined state flag on the shoulder (a callback to the flag also pops off the helmet bumper). The flag, jersey number and pant stripes are outlined with copper trim, an ode to the official metal of Arizona. Literally a gritty look, the official theme of the Cardinals’ Rivalries unis is “Built to Last.”

2. Seattle Seahawks

They’re a close second, mainly because – I think – going predominantly with ‘Wolf Grey’ for the jerseys and pants might be a slight miss. But a “High-Decibel Zone” presentation meant to honor the team’s loud, proud, vocal fans is pretty sweet − Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Heart and Seattle’s other legendary rock bands surely approving. A soundwave pattern ripples across the shoulders and down the pants, appropriate given this team has set off seismometers in Seattle amid playoff touchdowns, like Marshawn Lynch’s epic one in a 2011 wild-card upset of New Orleans.

‘Hawks fans are further honored with “12s” embedded throughout the uniform including a cascade of them within the jersey numbers. The “Beetle Green,” aka iridescent green, trim is a nice change from the typical ‘Action Green’ that looks like highlighter ink.

But the coolest element is the helmet, a metallic chrome dome with bluish-green coloring that’s been much better executed than the black-and-gold two-tone crowns the Jaguars wore a few years ago.

3. Buffalo Bills

Nike’s hype video will make “Game of Thrones” fans wonder if the Bills will be now playing north of the Wall (they do have a new stadium under construction after all, but unclear if it’s rising in Westeros).

As for the uniforms, they’re quite iced out – similar to the Vikings’ “Winter Warrior” look, complete with silver numbers and helmet logo. Buffalo’s ‘Rivalries’ duds carry a ‘Cold Front” lable, and fans will be thrilled to see “Bills Mafia” stitched inside the collar. But the coolest detail is the silvery, texturized charging buffalo logo on the sleeve.

4. New England Patriots

If the Bills are north of the Wall, then the Pats seem based somewhere near the Iron Islands. Their “Nor’Easter” uniforms feature a sharp “Storm Blue” jersey “inspired by the New England fog.” The shoulder and tapered pants striping boast reflective silver material “designed to represent beams of light shining off the lighthouse connected to Gillette Stadium.” Also unveiled, a new “NE” logo appearing on the jersey’s sleeves.

The collar is busy but not in a bad way, encompassed by six red stars representing each state in New England. “We Are All Patriots,” which owner Robert Kraft declared after the team’s first Super Bowl win in 2002 – just five months after 9/11 – is written inside of it. Solid.

5. San Francisco 49ers

They clearly want you to know their fan base is known as the “Faithful,” the word written in gold script above the jersey numbers while “Faithful to the Bay” rings the collar’s interior. The red jersey numbers are presented in a slick “saloon font” and trimmed in a vibrant gold the team has never really featured aside from its helmets.

Given how the team has incorporated a cream color into its overall palette recently – noticeably on its website and social accounts – it is a bit disappointing the Niners went with a primarily black uniform. But this “For the Faithful” version is the team’s best homage yet to the California gold rush for which it’s named.

6. New York Jets

Sadly, its best aspect – “Gotham City Football Club” written in Gothic font and topped by the Jets’ plane logo – rests inside the neckline. The colors (“Empire Green,” black and gray) are meant to serve as a callback to Hall of Fame QB Joe Namath, who led the NYJ to their only Super Bowl nearly 57 years ago. The helmet, which has a stripe down the centerline, looks nice, but the Gothic jersey nubmers are shaky. The graphics on the sleeves and chest logo are a whiff, evoking a manhole cover … though the Jets often wind up in the gutter.

We’ll continue to wish this team would go whole hog on intimidating military airframes or, if Gotham is going to be the theme, give us something more Batman-adjacent. Alas.

7. Los Angeles Rams

Nike can be forgiven given a team that’s played in Cleveland, L.A. (twice), Anaheim and St. Louis doesn’t have especially deep roots. So the Rams’ “Midnight Mode” really just renders them yet another squad with a nearly black (midnight blue) alternate, though the sleeves do a better job showcasing the team’s iconic horns. “Rams House” is stitched inside the collar – even though SoFi Stadium is notoriously often overrun by visiting teams’ fans. The dark helmet does somewhat recall the ones worn by the ‘Greatest Show on Turf’ teams led by Hall of Fame QB Kurt Warner in STL.

8. Miami Dolphins

Feels like we’re reverting to the 1990s – it was a better time, right? – with more teams wanting a black-ish version uniform in their closet. Miami’s “Dark Waters” unis are meant to convey speed and South Florida’s night life in what’s officially a “dark pitch-blue” uniform with hits of “Turbo Green,” and the club’s standard aqua and orange. Meh, we’re not fooled. Missed opportunity not pivot to something closer to a “Miami Vice” feel.

When will the ‘Rivalries’ uniforms be worn in 2025?

Arizona Cardinals: Sept. 25 vs. Seattle Seahawks

Buffalo Bills: Oct. 5 vs. New England Patriots

Los Angeles Rams: Nov. 16 vs. Seattle Seahawks

Miami Dolphins: Sept. 29 vs. New York Jets

New England Patriots: Nov. 13 vs. New York Jets

New York Jets: Dec. 7 vs. Miami Dolphins

San Francisco 49ers: Jan. 4, 2026 vs. Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks: Dec. 18 vs. Los Angeles Rams

New Green Bay Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons wasted no time to thank fans of his former team.

In the wake of a blockbuster trade that sent the 26-year-old to Green Bay, Parsons took to social media to show his appreciation for the Dallas Cowboys’ fandom and Dallas community that accepted him.

‘Cowboys Nation,’ he wrote in a social media post. ‘Growing up in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, I was one of the few kids in my neighborhood who cheered for the Dallas Cowboys. Nearly everyone around supported the Eagles, but I always believed in the star. To wear the blue and white at Penn State and then carry those same colors into the NFL as a Cowboys, it was more than a dream, it was destiny.’

He went on to express his gratitude for the warm welcome he received upon arriving in Dallas, as well as his disappointment that things didn’t work out with the Cowboys.

‘This is a sad day, but not a bitter one,’ he wrote.

‘Thank you, Cowboys Nation, for every cheer, every moment, and every ounce of love you showed me. Wearing the star has been the honor of my life.’

Parsons landed in Green Bay via trade after a months-long standoff with Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones over contract extension negotiations.

The breakdown in contract talks and hold-in at Dallas’ training camp eventually led to Parsons requesting a trade on Aug. 1. Four weeks later, he’s making his way to Titletown on a new, four-year contract extension with the Packers.

The Cowboys are set to host the Packers on ‘Sunday Night Football’ in Week 4 of the 2025 season.

Two-time major champion Coco Gauff is back in action at the 2025 US Open on Thursday, Aug. 28.

Gauff, the No. 3 seed in the tournament, will face off against Donna Vekic of Croatia in the second-round under the bright lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean National Tennis Center in New York City.

There have been questions surrounding Gauff’s serve heading into the fourth and final major of the year, but Gauff outlasted Australian Ajla Tomljanović in a nearly three-hour first-round match, 6-4, 6-7 (2-7), 7-5. Gauff had 10 double-faults during that match, a stat that will be key to watch Thursday against Vekic.

The head-to-head series between Gauff and Vekic is tied 1-1. Vekic defeated Gauff 7-6 (9-7), 6-2 at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but Gauff took their last matchup at the 2025 Australian Open 6-4, 6-2 on a hard court.

Gauff won the entire tournament in 2023 and picked up her second Grand Slam singles trophy at the 2025 French Open.

USA TODAY Sports will have live updates from the Gauff-Vekic match tonight. Follow along for scores and highlights:

Gauff takes first set in tiebreak

After receiving treatment on her arm, Vekic served for the first set but was immediately broken, sending the first set to a tiebreak. Neither player got command during the tiebreak, going back and forth with mostly unforced errors, before Gauff settled the issue with a forehand winner and an error by Vekic to take the set 7-6 (5).

Vekic gets medical treatment

Vekic is receiving treatment on her right arm from the medical staff and is set to serve for the first set, which has been poorly played with dozens of unforced errors and double faults.

Vekic struggling with her serve

Vekic has already double-faulted six times in the first set, including three times in the third game. Gauff failed to take advantage at times and after taking four games in a row after being down 0-2, Vekic has rallied to even up the match.

Gauff down early

Gauff’s serve betrayed her to start the match as she was broken, double-faulting to give Vekic the first game. She was blitzed in the second game and will have to dig out of a hole to get back in the match.

Coco Gauff and Donna Vekic enter stadium court

Expecting a packed house at Arthur Ashe Stadium as Gauff is introduced to loud applause. Gauff’s serve has been the subject of her game lately, so it will be interesting if she can get off to a good start tonight. Vekic, a 29-year-old from Croatia, is ranked No. 49 in the world and is expected to play aggressively from the start.

What time is Coco Gauff vs. Donna Vekic?

Coco Gauff will face off against Donna Vekic in the second-round of the 2025 US Open on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET on Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Watch Coco Gauff at the US Open on Fubo

How to watch Coco Gauff vs. Donna Vekic: US Open TV channel, stream

Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (New York)
TV: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN+, Fubo

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The Dallas Cowboys traded Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers for two future first-round picks and Kenny Clark.
Kenny Clark, a 29-year-old defensive tackle, is a three-time Pro Bowler and former first-round pick.
Clark recently signed a three-year, $64 million contract extension.

The Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers agreed to a blockbuster trade involving Micah Parsons on Thursday.

The Cowboys will be sending Parsons – a star, 26-year-old pass rusher who tallied 52.5 sacks across his four seasons in Dallas – to the Packers, a person familiar with the situation confirmed to USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon.

Dallas will receive two future draft picks in exchange for Parsons and veteran defensive lineman Kenny Clark.

Here are the full details of the trade and what to know about what the Cowboys are getting in Clark.

Kenny Clark trade details

Cowboys get:

2026 first-round pick
2027 first-round pick
DL Kenny Clark

Packers get:

EDGE Micah Parsons

Who is Kenny Clark?

Clark is a veteran defensive tackle who spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Green Bay Packers. The UCLA product was a first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and has been selected for the Pro Bowl three times during his career.

Kenny Clark stats

Clark has posted 35 sacks across 140 games with the Packers. Here’s a full look at his stats from his nine seasons in Green Bay:

Games: 140
Starts: 126
Tackles: 417
Sacks: 35
Forced fumbles: 7
Fumble recoveries: 8
Pass defenses: 12

In 2024, Clark played in 17 games and recorded 37 tackles, one sack, two fumble recoveries and three pass defenses. He graded 53rd among 118 qualified interior defenders last season, according to Pro Football Focus, but was a staple of the top 25 at the position from 2016 to 2021.

Kenny Clark contract details

Clark signed a three-year, $64 million contract extension with the Packers in July 2024. The first year of that deal will be in 2025, and the veteran defensive tackle will be tied to Dallas through the 2027 NFL season.

Below are the full details of his contract, per Spotrac.com.

Term: 3
Total value: $64 million
Average annual value (AAV): $21.33 million
Guaranteed money: $17.5 million

Clark will count just $2.3 million against Dallas’ salary cap in 2025. His cap hit will rise to $21.5 million and $20 million in 2026 and 2027 respectively, but the Cowboys will not owe him any guaranteed money during those seasons.

As such, Clark will be playing on a year-to-year basis with the Cowboys, barring a restructured contract.

Kenny Clark age

Clark is currently 29 years old but will turn 30 on Oct. 4, 2025, just six days after the Cowboys face off against the Packers at AT&T Stadium.

The Dallas Cowboys traded Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
Parsons signed a four-year, $188 million extension with the Packers, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
The trade follows a contentious contract dispute between Parsons and the Cowboys, including a failed negotiation attempt by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones that bypassed Parsons’ agent.

Micah Parsons wanted a new contract from the Dallas Cowboys. On Thursday, the Cowboys decided he would have to settle for a new city.

The Cowboys have traded Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, a source confirmed to USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon. The Cowboys are receiving two first-round picks as part of the return.

Parsons also agreed to a four-year, $188 million extension deal with Green Bay, including $136 million guaranteed, making him the new highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

A relationship that began with such promise ends on a sour note for the Cowboys’ first round pick in 2021. Drafted 12th overall, Parsons became a fixture in the Dallas defense – rising to stardom almost instantly as the Defensive Rookie of the Year and All-Pro.

It all began to fall apart this offseason, however, as Parsons sought a new contract from the Cowboys. Both sides dug their heels in, with more than a few bizarre twists and turns along the way.

The Cowboys are no stranger to contract disputes with their stars, but have traditionally resolved them – as evidenced by the Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb extensions in 2024.

Jerry Jones tried to end the stalemate, negotiating a deal with Parsons by cutting out his agent, David Mulugheta. The deal was never finalized and Jones blasted Mulugheta during an appearance on Michael Irvin’s YouTube channel for holding up the agreement.

Jones previously noted that he had no plans to trade Parsons and pointed out that the Cowboys can retain him for three more seasons – thanks to one year left on his current contract and two franchise tags.

Plans changed quickly and Parsons is set to suit up for a new team in 2025 and beyond. Here’s a look at what it took for the Cowboys to trade their superstar on the edge.

Micah Parsons trade details

Packers receive:

Micah Parsons + four-year, $188 million extension ($136 million guaranteed)

Cowboys receive:

2026 first-round pick
2027 first-round pick
DT Kenny Clark

Micah Parsons stats

Parsons has been a superstar ever since he stepped onto the field for the Cowboys. He’s registered at least 12 sacks in all four seasons, totaling 52.5 in 63 games.

The 12th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, Parsons has been stacking awards and accolades over the years. He’s a four-time Pro Bowler, a two-time All-Pro and was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021.

With 256 total tackles and 112 quarterback hits, Parsons has been a one-man wrecking crew for the Dallas defense. Now he’s set to cash in on all that work to this point.

Micah Parsons’s trade to the Green Bay Packers and subsequent extension made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
The top 10 highest-paid defensive players by average annual value and total contract value include Parsons, T.J. Watt, and Myles Garrett.

The commonly held belief is that defense wins championships.

For some of the NFL’s top defenders, they are just now starting to get paid that way.

While quarterbacks broke $50 million in terms of average annual value (AAV) years ago, defensive players are now just getting into the $40 million range and moving up the charts.

This offseason has been particularly lucrative for those eyeing new contracts. Since the end of Super Bowl 59, Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby each broke the record for the highest-paid non-quarterbacks in league history. Danielle Hunter also etched his name onto the list, checking in between those two. Then T.J. Watt managed to pass them all.

Now Micah Parsons is set to join the party amongst the NFL’s highest-paid. The Cowboys traded Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, and the star pass rusher agreed to a historic extension with his new team, a deal that makes him the new highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

It might not come with the flash or notoriety that a quarterback, running back and receiver might get, but playing defense is still honest work. And hard work at that.

In a world where rule changes have made life difficult for the defense, the best have still managed to make their presence felt and the prices will only grow from here.

Highest-paid NFL defensive players

Here’s a look at the top-10 highest-paid defensive players in terms of AAV and total contract value, according to Spotrac.

AAV

Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys: $48 million
T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers: $41 million
Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns: $40 million
Danielle Hunter, Houston Texans: $35.6 million
Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders: $35.5. million
Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers: $34 million
Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs: $31.75 million
Sauce Gardner, New York Jets: $30.1 million
Derek Stingley Jr., Houston Texans: $30 million
Josh Hines-Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars: $28.25 million

Total contract value

Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys: $188 million
Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers: $170 million
Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns: $160 million
Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs: $158.75 million
Joshua Hines-Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars: $141.25 million
Brian Burns, New York Giants: $141 million
T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers: $123 million
Sauce Gardner, New York Jets: $120.4 million
Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders: $106.5 million
Milton Williams, New England Patriots: $104 million

ESPN has made a shakeup to its top NBA broadcast team.

Analyst Doris Burke has been demoted from the network’s No. 1 team, the same outfit that covers the NBA Finals, and has been replaced by Tim Legler, the outlet announced on Thursday, Aug. 28.

The Athletic first reported the news.

Legler will join play-by-play veteran Mike Breen and fellow analyst Richard Jefferson, who were Burke’s partners on the broadcast in the previous two NBA Finals. Along with reporter Lisa Salters, Legler will call the NBA Finals on ABC, the Conference Finals, high-profile first- and second-round games during the NBA Playoffs, a Christmas Day game and NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC.

Legler joined ESPN in 2000 and has been a game analyst on the network and on ESPN Radio and a frequent contributor to marquee programming like SportsCenter. Legler, 58, played 10 seasons in the NBA, from 1989-2000.

ESPN also signed Jefferson to a new, multi-year agreement.

What is Doris Burke’s role at ESPN?

ESPN has signed Burke to multi-year extension, and she will continue to call high-profile NBA games on ESPN and ABC, including the NBA Sunday Showcase series. Burke will regularly work alongside play-by-play broadcaster Dave Pasch.

Burke, a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, had been ESPN’s lead analyst and had covered two consecutive NBA Finals. In 2024 she became the first woman to be a broadcast analyst for a major U.S. men’s sports championship event. Four years earlier, during the NBA Finals held in Orlando against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, Burke served as an analyst on ESPN radio, becoming the first woman to handle analyst duties during an NBA Finals on any platform.

When the network appointed Burke as a national game analyst for the 2017-18 season, she set another milestone, becoming the first woman to hold that role.

Burke, who also covered men’s and women’s college basketball and the WNBA, has covered basketball for the network since 1991.

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Former New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, Atlanta Braves, and Texas Rangers first baseman Mark Teixeira made a big announcement Thursday. The three-time MLB All-Star revealed that he plans on running for Congress in Texas’ 21st district.

Teixeira enters the race just a week after the district’s sitting congressman, Republican Chip Roy, revealed that he would not be seeking re-election. Instead, Roy will run for Texas Attorney General. Roy had served as the representative for Texas’ 21st district since 2018, winning three separate re-election campaigns since then (2020, 2022, 2024), all by sizable margins.

Teixeira is looking to fill the void left by Roy, despite minimal previous political experience.

Is Teixeira running as a Republican or Democrat?

Teixeira made it clear that he will be campaigning on conservative policies. In the announcement, Teixeira was detailed as a ‘lifelong conservative who loves our country.’ It also said Teixeira’s decision to run for Congress is an effort to pursue ‘his passion for public service and the America First agenda.’

Teixeira will enter the Republican primary, set for March 3, 2026.

Teixeira’s political history

Teixeira has never worked in the public sector but, according to his announcement, he has ‘championed’ many conservative causes since retiring from baseball. He has been a vocal supporter of Texas governor Greg Abbott and has volunteered with the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

When is the election?

The general election is still more than a year away, scheduled for November 3, 2026. The primary will be March 3, 2026, and a primary runoff is set for May 26, 2026. The deadline for filing is December 8, 2025.

As of right now, three Democrats, an Independent, and zero Republicans (excluding Teixeira) have already registered with a federal or state campaign finance agency and already appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies:

Gary Taylor (D)
Regina Vanburg (D)
Daniel Weber (D)
Dan McQueen (Independent)

Mark Teixeira stats

14-year career
1,862 regular-season games
409 career home runs
Five Gold Glove awards
Three-time All-Star

The former Colorado safety, who is the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer and Colorado coach Deion Sanders as well as the brother of Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, was not selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to be one of the team’s initial 17 practice-squad players.

News broke Saturday that the Buccaneers planned to waive the undrafted rookie free agent, with the transaction becoming official when the team set its 53-man active roster on Tuesday.

Sanders was ejected from Tampa Bay’s preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills when he punched tight end Zach Davidson.

‘You can’t throw punches in this league. I mean, that’s inexcusable,’ Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said. ‘They’re gonna get you every time. Gotta grow from that.’

Prior to the finale, Bowles had praised Sanders in training camp and preseason for his tenacity, but he noted how vital making a strong final impression would be.

‘Shilo’s very aggressive, very young, very hungry,’ Bowles said last week. ‘He can make plays in the box and we know he can run down and give us 100% on special teams, so this last week is going to be very important for those guys to show up.’

“We’re praying that he gets another opportunity to go with a team, but if he doesn’t, the plans have already been put forward to what he’s going to do next,” Deion Sanders said. “So, Shilo is a man of many talents. I don’t know if you guys know. He’s a man of many talents, and he’s gonna be straight.’