It’s cutdown day in the NFL. Each team will slash its 90-man training camp roster to 53 by COB. That’s an awful lot of blood and tears.
The Texans began the phlebotomy early, releasing veteran cornerback Desmond King and veteran linebacker Christian Kirksey on Monday. Kirksey was a surprise. He started 25 games for the Texans over the last two seasons, was a captain last year and had been running with the first team defense throughout training camp.
You sure you want that job, Jonathan Gannon? The Arizona Cardinals’ rookie head coach may be having second thoughts. Kyler Murray will miss at least the first four games as he continues rehabbing his post-surgical right knee. The front office cut backup Colt McCoy on Monday. That means the Birds will have to go with either retread Joshua Dobbs or rookie Clayton Tune for now. Arizona’s first four games are against the Commanders, Giants, Cowboys and 49ers. That’s a guaranteed 0-4. Yeesh.
He needed a homer in the 8th to complete the cycle. So he did it. I’m talking about Jose Altuve, who performed that feat for the first time in his career as the ‘Stros won their third straight, beating the Red Sox at Fenway 13-5. The cycle was the ninth in Astros history and the first in a decade. Jose doubled in the third, singled in the fifth and tripled off the center field wall in the sixth.
Houston finished the game with 18 hits, one day after posting 25 Sunday in Detroit.
The Astros remain a game behind Seattle in the AL West. Julio Rodriguez had another four-hit game in the Mariners’ 7-0 blanking of the A’s. That’s the fifth game in August in which Rodriguez has recorded at least four hits. Huh?
The Rangers had lost 100 straight games in which they trailed in the ninth inning. That ended Monday when Texas rallied to beat the Mets 4-3.
How cool is Braves star Ronald Acuna, Jr.? So cool he could shake off getting assaulted by two crazed fans at Coors Field and finish the night with four hits in a 14-4 Atlanta rout. Looks like it’s down to either Acuna or the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts for NL MVP.
Nine straight for the Brew Crew following a 6-2 win over the Cubs.
A planned Monday evening conference call among the ACC presidents was postponed following the tragic shooting at North Carolina. It still appears likely that Stanford, Cal and SMU will be admitted to create an 18-team conference. Nothing says “Atlantic Coast” like the Cardinal, Bears and Mustangs.
The top two teams in the WNBA have met for the final time in the regular season. The New York Liberty took the season series 3-2 by beating the Las Vegas Aces 94-85. Almost certain to be continued in the postseason.
I’m really not into these early round matches at the U.S. Open. Gimme about a week to get with the program.
ESPN has ranked its top 100 NFL players for 2023. The list starts with Mahomes, Jefferson, Hurts, Burrow, Chase and Parsons.
Jalen Hurts at #3. That’s remarkable, given the fact he wasn’t even ranked a year ago.
The Niners have the most players in the Top 100 with eight. The only team not represented on the list is…you guessed it…your Arizona Cardinals.
