There was quite the mistake made at SEC media days on Tuesday, July 15, as Texas coach Steve Sarkisian took the stage.

Sarkisian was introduced to the podium to the wrong fight song. And it wasn’t just any other fight song, either: It was that of the Longhorns’ fierce in-state rival, Texas A&M.

The fifth-year coach seemed either to not realize that the ‘Aggie War Hymn’ was being played, or at didn’t acknowledge it, since it didn’t spur much reaction as he arrived to give his opening address. The song was, at least, corrected to ‘Texas Fight’ as Sarkisian left the stage after his media availability.

Texas and Texas A&M’s rivalry was renewed in 2024 after the Longhorns’ arrival to the SEC. Texas defeated the Aggies 17-7 on the road in the two programs’ first matchup since 2011, when both teams were members of the Big 12.

The Longhorns and Aggies face again this season on Friday, Nov. 28, in the regular season finale.

The hymn didn’t include the lyrics, of course, though diving into the song reveals Texas A&M’s hatred for Texas. The second verse of the song includes lines, ‘Good-bye to Texas University, so long to the orange and the white’ and ‘So good-bye to Texas University, we’re going to beat you all to Chig-gar-roo-gar-rem, Chig-gar-roo-gar-rem.’

While the move was likely nothing more than a mistake at SEC media days, it still made for quite the comedic entrance for Sarkisian to kick off the 2025 college football season in the conference.

Maybe Texas A&M coach Mike Elko will make it even and enter to ‘Texas Fight’ when he takes the stage on Thursday, July 17, in Atlanta.

ATLANTA — Freddie Freeman’s eyes started moistening when he walked into the clubhouse Monday, and the tears began flowing the moment he saw Atlanta manager Brian Snitker.

It had been nearly four years since Freeman stepped into Atlanta’s home locker room.

Freeman has received ovations every time he has returned to Atlanta, even while wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform, but Tuesday night will be like nothing he ever felt before.

Freeman’s departure was tumultuous, with contract negotiations that broke down and ultimately led him to the Dodgers, but for a couple of days, one of Atlanta’s favorite sons is back at home where he spent the first 12 years of his career.

Freeman is expected to be showered with adulation the moment he’s introduced with the others in the National League starting lineup, with the sellout crowd at Truist Park giving him a standing ovation that could linger for awhile.

Freeman is already anticipating the emotions that could leave him a bubbling mess.

“I think everyone who knows me,’ Freeman says, “know I usually get emotional during these kind of things. Coming back here, it’s always very special to me.

“So, whatever emotions I feel, they usually come out, and I’m not afraid to show my emotions.’

This is Freeman’s ninth All-Star appearance, but this one will mean more than any other, playing in the ballpark that he and his Atlanta teammates helped build. Freeman was even part of the groundbreaking ceremony wearing a hard hat and holding a shovel, with pictures placed in a Truist Park time capsule.

“When they announced it was coming here a year or two ago,’ Freeman said, “I think we kind of circled that I need to play well in 2025 to get here. I’m excited. It’s always great coming back here.

“When you spend so much time like I did here in Atlanta, it’s special.’

The first time Freeman returned in 2022 after signing a six-year, $162 million contract with the Dodgers, he sat down in the interview room, looked at the familiar faces and TV cameras around him, and broke down. He walked out, composed himself and returned, speaking of his painful departure.

“I think every time I come back, I try and portray what Atlanta means to me,’ Freeman says. “It’s so special. I spent a lot of wonderful years here, winning a championship, so to play in front of these fans again, I can’t wait to be back.’’

It all began to hit him again on Monday when he walked into the National League All-Stars’ clubhouse, looked at his old locker, now occupied by Atlanta first baseman Matt Olson, and then saw Snitker.

Snitker was Atlanta’s third base coach when Freeman broke into the major leagues in 2010. Snitker returned to the minors, was invited to Freeman’s wedding, became Atlanta’s manager in 2016, and the two remain best of friends.

“To see him take over and see all of the success he’s had over the last seven, eight years, it’s special,’ Freeman says. “He means so much to me and my family. We still talk in the offseason and throughout the year, but now I get to hang out with him.’

Perhaps for the last time.

Snitker is expected to retire after the season, and Freeman — who turns 36 in September — could be following in a few years.

“I was so looking forward to being in that same clubhouse with him again,’ Snitker says. “It was pretty cool to be in that clubhouse and be reunited. He has meant so much to me, and this entire organization.

“I mean, when we were going through that rebuild, he was right there, front and center there, leading by example, and never griping about anything or what we were doing. He saw where we were and that the end result was going to be good. He had that huge impact on everybody he played with, and he’s still doing it today.

“I guarantee you this is going to be emotional, and very special for him.’

Atlanta lost at least 90 games three consecutive years from 2015-2017, but then won six consecutive division titles, including the 2021 World Series with Freeman leading the way. It wasn’t just his performance on the field, but his clubhouse leadership, holding teammates accountable. He stressed the importance of playing every day, playing at least 157 games in eight seasons, including every game three different years.

“He set the ultimate example, a Hall of Fame player that led us in all kinds of ways,’ Atlanta GM Alex Anthopoulos says. “He played the game the right way, played hurt, and was the ultimate teammate. I mean, when he came off the injured list in 2017, and saw that Matt Adams was playing well at first base, he volunteered to play third base. He did it for (16) games, just to make sure that Adams could stay in the lineup.

“How can you not root for a guy like that?’

Freeman’s teammates, including the coaching staff and manager Dave Roberts, will tell you that Freeman has been looking forward to this day since November 2023, when Major League Baseball announced that Atlanta would host the game.

It could bring closure to any open wounds that remain from his departure, with the hometown fans cheering him one last time, while on the same team as their favorite Atlanta players.

“Obviously, he loved being an Atlanta Brave,’ Dodgers All-Star catcher Will Smith says. “Fortunately for us, we got to bring him over, but you know how much it means to him every time we come back to Atlanta.’

Says Roberts: “I know once they announced that [the All-Star game] was going to be held here, it was marked on his calendar. His goal was to get back here and get in front of the Braves’ faithful that cheered him on for 11, 12 years, So he’s back sleeping in his own bed, back in his old clubhouse, and he’s excited.’’

Well, so is the entire Freeman family, with about 20 family members expected to be in attendance for the All-Star Game, knowing this will be a moment they will forever cherish.

“You never know when you’re going to make an All Star game, or whether it will be your last one,’ Freeman says. “We’re going to look around, see all of the wonderful things that I experienced on this field, our whole family experienced, and savor it all.’

The cheers will come, and the tears will follow.

“I know it’s going to be emotional,’’ Freeman says, “and, well, you know me. I’m not going to hold back.’’

Follow Bob Nightengale on X @Bnightengale.

ATLANTA — He’s a 23-year-old kid.

He still plays baseball video games before he goes to work, and Fortnite when he comes home.

He loves pizza, burgers and a good milkshake.

His name is Jacob Wilson, rookie shortstop for the Athletics of Sacramento.

He also just happens to be the best pure old-school hitter in baseball.

Wilson, who was playing at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix two years ago, will have his coming-out party at the All-Star Game.

He’s the first rookie shortstop to be voted by the fans to start an All-Star game, the youngest A’s player to start an All-Star Game since Vida Blue in 1971, and joins his father, Jack, as the only father-son combination to be All Star shortstops.

“What he’s doing is unbelievable,’ said Kansas City Royals All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. “It’s great seeing a young guy hitting for that high of average. I look forward to talking to him about what he’s doing as a hitter.’

In this world of launch angle and exit velocity, filled with walks, strikeouts and homers, Wilson is the anomaly.

Wilson is hitting .332 with just 26 extra-base hits and nine home runs.

And are you ready for this?

He has struck out just 28 times and walked 20 times in 340 at-bats.

It’s as if Tony Gwynn and Rod Carew, who combined to win 15 batting titles in their Hall of Fame careers, walked through the door.

Gwynn, a career .338 hitter, never struck out more than 40 times in a season during his career, and never walked more than 59 times.

Carew, a career .327 hitter, struck out 62 or fewer times in his last 14 seasons, and never walked 80 times in a year.

So here comes Wilson, the young kid, with an old soul, reminding everyone what baseball used to look like when there were pure hitters in the game.

“I cannot talk hitting with Jacob,’ A’s All-Star DH Brent Rooker said, “because I don’t understand what he’s doing up there. And what he does well, it’s not what I do well. So I can’t relate to what he’s doing at all.

“He just goes up there, he sees the ball, he hits the ball on the barrel, and he gets hits. I absolutely cannot do that.’

So, just how do you get him out, anyway?

“Believe me, we’ve tried everything,’ Seattle Mariners All-Star catcher Cal Raleigh said. “He just has really good zone control. He’s not trying to do too much damage, but he can do damage. He’s just a scrappy guy that is just trying to do whatever he can to get on base.

“It’s impressive what he’s able to do, especially at that young age.’

‘It’s not fair’

Yankees All-Star pitcher Carlos Rodon saw him in the American League clubhouse Monday, stopped him, and moaned about the difficulty of pitching to him.

“I said, ‘Dude, I’m looking at scouting reports on you and it says to throw fastballs up and in because you’re not supposed to have any hard contact.’ I throw a four-seamer up and in, and you hit a double off me. Come on.

“You don’t know what to expect with a guy that has low-miss, and can put up quality contact out there,’ Rodon said. ‘It’s not fair. What do I do with a guy like this? You’re not going to strike him out. So, you’re trying to get a pitch that limits launch or limits exit velocity, and hopefully he gets out. That’s what makes it tough, especially when you have a guy on base, because he’s more than likely to drive that run in because of the ability to put the bat on the ball.

“It’s very different what guys do now.’

Well, refreshing, even.

“It’s a blast to watch, it’s awesome to watch,’ Rooker said. “Just the ability to swing at every pitch, hit every pitch, and get a hit on every pitch, is something that’s unique in our game. And it makes him incredibly valuable.

“That’s why you saw him elected as a starter. It speaks to the amount of success he’s had, the impact he’s had in a short time, and the statement he’s making.’

Wilson’s batting average and hit total is second only to New York Yankees MVP Aaron Judge, and Wilson could become the first Athletic player to hit higher than .321 since former A’s MVP Jason Giambi in 2001. It’s enough to make the great hitters of the past taking notice, delighted that the art of pure hitting is making a return.

“I’ve definitely got gotten a lot of comments from guys,’ Wilson said, “on just wanting to go up there and swing. I want to go up there and be aggressive. That’s what I love doing. I want to hit.

“I want to swing. I never want to walk. I just want to hit and get on base.’

Yep, the same mindset that Carew and Gwynn took throughout their careers, leading them right through the doors of Cooperstown.

It’s similar, as well, to San Diego Padres three-time batting champion Luis Arráez. He’s a career .317 hitter who has never struck out more than 48 times or walked 50 times in a season during his seven-year career.

“That guy hits everything,’ Wilson says of Arráez. “You throw the ball anywhere, and he’ll swing and hit. It’s pretty awesome just to watch, and from a hitter standpoint, you appreciate that. I love watching hitters go up there and just battle, whether its foul off a tough pitch, or just take their base hit the other way. He’s a great example of pure hitting, and he does that every day.’

Certainly, he’s a throwback with hitters today almost as thrilled drawing a walk than getting a hit. It will drive managers nuts watching their power hitter draw a walk with runners in scoring position instead of trying to drive in runs.

“What good is a walk from my power hitter if he can’t run?’ one NL manager told USA TODAY Sports. ‘All he does is clog the basepaths. I don’t understand it.’

Neither does Wilson.

“There’s a lot of guys that do that,’ Wilson said, “that’s part of their game. For me, that’s not the strength that I have. I get up there and get thrown a lot of strikes because I hit. So, when they throw strikes, I go up there and just try to hit them. Some guys just enjoy wanting to walk. Not me. I want to hit.

“To me, batting average should be a stat that matters to every hitter.’’

Who knows, maybe even one day, being a .300 hitter will be considered cool again.

“I can only hope,’ Wilson said.

When the 2025 WNBA All-Star rosters were first announced, many people considered Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride one of the biggest snubs.

The veteran guard is averaging over 14 points per game on the season with a solid 37.9% 3-point field goal percentage. The three-time All-Star is also shooting an absurd 94.3% from the charity stripe.

As a pivotal player on a Minnesota team with the best record in the WNBA (19-4), many fans couldn’t comprehend why McBride was left off this year’s All-Star Game roster. Well, she’s getting her chance now.

After a knee injury sidelined Atlanta Dream star Rhyne Howard, McBride has been named as a replacement, joining Napheesa Collier’s team drafted on July 8.

Kayla McBride stats

Points per Game: 14.1
Assists per Game: 3.1
Rebounds per Game: 2.3
Field Goal Percentage: 41.3%
3-pt Field Goal Percentage: 37.9%

Rhyne Howard injury

Howard suffered a left knee injury during the Dream’s July 11 game against the Indiana Fever. The Dream have since confirmed that she will be sidelined through the remainder of July. There is currently no official timetable for her return.

Prior to her injury, the Dream (12-9) had won two of their last three games, including a massive victory over the only team ahead of them in the Eastern Conference standings, the New York Liberty. Since the injury though, the Dream have dropped their games against the Fever and Liberty.

When is the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game?

The 2025 WNBA All-Star Game is scheduled for Saturday, July 19 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, home of the Indiana Fever. The game will be broadcast nationally on ABC and can be streamed on Fubo, which is offering a free trial to new subscribers.

Stream the WNBA All-Star Game on Fubo

Caitlin Clark is bringing the WNBA back to Boston.

Almost a year after the Connecticut Sun hosted the first WNBA game at TD Garden, the franchise is returning to the home of the Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins with Clark and the Indiana Fever in town Tuesday night.

Clark’s star power has required many WNBA teams to move their games to larger venues over the past two seasons. The Sun typically play their home games at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut with a capacity of about 10,000. There were 19,156 tickets sold to last year’s Sun game against the Los Angeles Sparks in Boston, according to the team.

Clark and the Fever have won two games in a row entering the first game of a back-to-back before the WNBA’s all-star break. Though Clark is struggling with her shot, she finished with 14 points, 13 assists and five steals when Indiana beat the Dallas Wings and rookie of the year favorite Paige Bueckers. Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard combined for 55 points in the 102-83 win.

The Sun enter Tuesday’s game with the league’s worst record (3-18) and snapped a 10-game losing skid last week. They’re coming off back-to-back losses on the road to the Seattle Storm and Los Angeles Sparks.

Here’s how to watch the WNBA game between the Indiana Fever and Connecticut Sun at TD Garden in Boston on Tuesday, July 15:

What time is Fever vs. Sun?

The Indiana Fever’s WNBA game on Tuesday, July 15 at the Connecticut Sun is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. ET at TD Garden in Boston.

How to watch Fever vs. Sun: TV, stream for Caitlin Clark

Date: Tuesday, July 15
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: TD Garden (Boston)
TV: ESPN
Stream: Fubo

Watch Fever vs. Sun with Fubo

If you love a touch of “Creamsicle” during the sweltering summer days of July − or even September, especially if you live in Florida − then you’re in luck.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are bringing back another flavor of their famous/infamous uniforms featuring “Florida Orange” and the winking pirate, “Bucco Bruce,” that they featured for the first 21 seasons of their existence, beginning in 1976. And, in honor of their upcoming 50th anniversary campaign, the Bucs will also wear their white creamsicle jerseys, typically worn on the road, which had not seen the light of day in any form since 1996. The ones that will be used as throwbacks in 2025 actually haven’t been since ’76, the only year the team sported orange jersey numbers with red trim before subsequently reversing that pattern in 1977.

They’ll make their first appearance in Tampa, officially hitting the field September 21 at Raymond James Stadium for the home opener against the New York Jets.

‘The ’76 Jersey represents a piece of Buccaneers history and serves as a tribute to the generations of fans and players who shaped this franchise,’ said Brian Ford, the team’s chief operating officer, in a statement.

‘As we launch into our 50th season, we’re proud to reintroduce The ’76 Jersey and the tradition it embodies. It is a reminder that every Buccaneers fan, from the originals to the newest generation, is part of an evolving story that started in 1976 and continues being written today.’

The throwbacks will also feature a jersey patch nodding to the anniversary, and the collars have been modified with ‘Hey! Hey! Tampa Bay!’ stitched on the inside to honor the team’s initial fight song, which debuted in 1979.

The uniforms remain among the most notable in league history, the Buccaneers losing their first 26 games while being widely ridiculed for their appearance – both sartorially and from an epically poor football perspective.

“If (Bucco Bruce) is the guy who’s in charge of losing, let’s get rid of him,” John McKay, the club’s original coach, cracked when the logo was first retired in 1997.

Shop new TB Bucs Creamsicle jersey

The Buccaneers only won one postseason game in Creamsicle before becoming something of a routine playoff entry in their current garb, which features red, pewter, a pirate flag helmet logo and a ship on the sleeve. Both of the organization’s Super Bowl triumphs have come with the contemporary look.

However the ‘Bucco Bruce’ insignia − a winking pirate emblem calling back swashbuckling actor Errol Flynn − and the Florida Orange have taken on a nostalgic feel in recent decades, serving as a delightful throwback option from the 2009 through ’12 seasons and returning anew in 2023 and ’24 now that the NFL has relaxed its rules by permitting teams to use multiple helmet shells.

Since their returns, Creamsicle and Bruce have been appreciated for breaking the mold of the NFL’s fairly traditional uniforms when they were introduced five decades ago. Bucco Bruce even occasionally took on the visage of Tom Brady, who quarterbacked Tampa Bay from 2020 to ’22 and led the Bucs to victory in Super Bowl 55.

Like their 1976 expansion brethren Bucs, the Seattle Seahawks are expected to resurface their classic white road uniforms to celebrate their 50th season in 2025.

The New York Jets are ensuring a key ingredient isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

On Tuesday, the team agreed to a four-year, $120.4 million extension to keep Sauce Gardner in town. The extension makes Gardner the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.

The star cornerback has been everything the Jets could’ve asked for and more since being drafted fourth overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Following in the footsteps of players like Darrelle Revis, it was no easy task for the young corner. Gardner may not have an island like Revis – at least one named after him – but the two-time All-Pro has blossomed into a star in his own right.

Named the 2022 Defensive Rookie of the Year, Gardner has been patiently waiting for his opportunity to sign a big-money contract extension. He has watched as peers like Derek Stingley Jr. and Jaycee Horn reset the market for defensive backs.

Unlike other players seeking contracts, Gardner participated in the Jets’ offseason activities. The fourth-year pro is eager to be part of the solution in New York, hoping to lead the Jets back to the postseason for the first time since 2010.

It comes as no surprise that ‘Gang Green’ rewarded their star in a big way. Here’s a look at where Gardner ranks on the list of highest-paid defensive backs.

NFL highest-paid defensive backs

Here’s a look at the top 10 highest-paid defensive backs in terms of AAV, according to Spotrac.

Sauce Gardner, New York Jets: $30.1 million
Derek Stingley Jr., Houston Texans: $30 million
Jaycee Horn, Carolina Panthers: $25 million
Jalen Ramsey, Pittsburgh Steelers: $24.1 million
Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos: $24 million
Kerby Joseph, Detroit Lions: $21.5 million
Antoine Winfield Jr., Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $21.02 million
A.J. Terrell, Atlanta Falcons: $20.25 million
Denzel Ward, Cleveland Browns: $20.1 million
Marshon Lattimore, Washington Commanders: $19.52 million

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen celebrated his 29th birthday on May 21, and this year, the occasion came with a ‘surprise’ that wasn’t necessarily a gift.

Allen learned the Bills would be featured during the training camp version of HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks,’ which debuts Aug. 5.

‘It was quite a surprise,’ Allen told USA TODAY Sports on July 14. ‘Typically, teams that make the playoffs were never a part of that conversation.’

Allen spoke to USA TODAY through his partnership with sleep-aid brand Natrol.

Rules previously to prevent teams that either made the playoffs in the past two seasons, been on the program in the past 10 years, or had a first-year head coach from being on the all-access program. But the NFL has amended some of the requirements, with other iterations of the show (‘Hard Knocks: Offseason’ and an in-season version of the show) debuting in recent years. Owners voted in 2024 to eliminate the playoff stipulation and decreased the potential gap from 10 years to eight.

‘I probably, initially, didn’t react too great to it,’ Allen said upon receiving the news. ‘But I do think it’s a cool opportunity for people to see some of the great men we have on our team and some of the great women we have in our staff as a whole.

Last offseason, the New York Giants’ time on ‘Hard Knocks: Offseason’ became a flashpoint and yearlong punchline as Saquon Barkley signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as owner John Mara told general manager Joe Schoen he’d be ‘sick’ if Barkley signed with the rival. Schoen and Giants head coach Brian Daboll were part of the Bills staff that drafted Allen seventh overall from Wyoming in 2017.

‘So I think it’s a thing we can’t let distract us,’ Allen said. ‘Got to keep the main thing the main thing. But I also think it could be a fun opportunity for guys to show their personality. And people get a better insight for how the Buffalo Bills operate.’