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Good morning! Don’t give up on that fly ball today.
Prodigal Sons: The intriguing arc of Andrew Luck
College football seems to change by the month, or week even. Even to the most astute viewer, it’s hard to remember which team plays in which conference now, or which rules apply to anyone at any given time. But there are flashes when you realize how this sport has truly changed at the granular level.
I can tell you a crystal one for me: Stanford’s firing of former coach Troy Taylor, which came last March amid a bullying investigation. It wasn’t Taylor’s dismissal itself that stuck, it was who made the call: general manager Andrew Luck.
At some schools, the general manager is a ceremonious one, given to a program’s famous alumnus who can help gin up interest and money. Luck fit that profile at Stanford, but he also had real power … much like an NFL GM would.
I filed that moment away then, and it’s a perfect window today into Zak Keefer’s interview this morning with Luck, which I found compelling on multiple levels. Two quick things:
Luck may be the most interesting man in this sport, just by story arc alone. A quirky, uber-talented QB drafted No. 1 by the Colts and retired by 30. After some years in the emotional wilderness, he’s found his love for the game again. He’s still just 35 years old, and clearly wants to succeed at his alma mater.
He clearly feels pain and regret over how his NFL career ended. Not that it did, but how. He’s always been a thoughtful quote, and that’s no different today.
The full story is really great. Read it here.
News to Know
Scheffler gobbles up another win
What’s left to say about Scottie Scheffler these days? We’ve written at length about his Tiger Woods-like presence on Sundays, and yesterday’s BMW Championship was no different, as Scheffler erased a four-shot deficit against poor Bob Macintyre to win his 18th career PGA Tour title. It’s also his fifth win of the season, which includes two majors. What a year. Read more on his electric performance — including a chip-in — here.
An NFL transactions flurry
It was surprisingly busy on the NFL trade market yesterday, as the Texans sent wide receiver John Metchie III to the Eagles, a source told The Athletic, in exchange for tight end Harrison Bryant and a fifth-round pick. Metchie is a big talent who has not broken out yet, as leukemia kept him off the field for his rookie year. In other possible trade news yesterday: Cincinnati is listening to offers on Pro Bowl pass rusher Trey Hendrickson as the two sides continue to spar over a contract extension. 👀
More news
The Brewers lost their 14-game win streak in extra innings despite a ninth-inning comeback against the Reds yesterday. Milwaukee is still an MLB-leading 78-45.
Spike Lee’s multipart docuseries about former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick is no longer coming to ESPN after the parties experienced “creative differences.” More context here.
Alabama starting tailback Jam Miller is expected to miss the season opener vs. FSU with an upper-body injury suffered in Saturday’s scrimmage. The senior’s return timetable is uncertain.
Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez will begin a minor-league rehab assignment tomorrow, moving him closer to a return after missing over three months with a fractured hand. Catch up on this injury saga.
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Things You Need to See: The ol’ knee catch
Giants center fielder Jung Hoo Lee pulled off what I can only call a Little-League catch yesterday, and I meant that as a high compliment. Just look at this:
It’s Little-League because he missed the initial catch: It’s also Little-League because he somehow kept his focus and trapped the ball between his knees. Still counts!
Speaking of Little League baseball:
What to Watch
📺 LLBWS: Latin America vs. Japan
1 p.m. ET on ESPN
Once again, here’s a placeholder for an entire day’s worth of Little League action on ESPN. Four consecutive games ending with the 7 p.m. window.
📺 EPL: Everton at Leeds
3 p.m. ET on USA
Need more Premier League soccer after a great first weekend? Leeds has a ton to prove after earning a promotion to the EPL last season, and coach Daniel Farke might have the most pressure of anyone, as Phil Hay told us Friday. Nerves make for good matches.
📺 MLB: Mariners at Phillies
6:45 p.m. ET on MLB Network
Seattle sits tied atop a tight AL wild-card race right now while Philadelphia maintains a solid but loseable lead in the NL East (5 games). Good stretch game here.
Get tickets to games like these here.
Pulse Picks
After The Athletic’s excellent investigative series on the stalking of sports figures last week, reporters Carson Kessler and Nathan Fenno shared their takeaways. Make time for this one.
Chris Vannini unveiled his preseason ranking of all 136 FBS teams today, with a comment on every single one. Whew.
Despite the U.S. women’s loss in the flag football final at the World Games yesterday, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with star receiver Isabella Geraci and her meteoric rise.
Another fun one from last week: The Atlanta Dream are now the only WNBA team without a mascot, so Steven Louis Goldstein shared a few ideas for them.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our interview with Greg Olsen on the state of youth sports. He was spitting fire.
Most-read on the website yesterday: The Spike Lee story mentioned above.
(Top photo: Eakin Howard / Getty Images)