Paul George’s first night in green was memorable for all the right reasons, except for the final score. The nine-time All-Star delivered a record-setting performance during Tuesday's NBA opener, despite the Boston Celtics falling 121-113 to the Detroit Pistons.
George scored 38 points in 31 minutes during his Celtics debut, the most ever by a player in his first game with the franchise.
While the loss dampened George’s performance, it did give Boston an encouraging glimpse of what he can provide after injury-plagued stints with his previous teams.
George said the last time he felt this healthy was toward the end of his tenure with the Los Angeles Clippers, and admitted an injury lingered during his run with the 76ers.
"My stint in LA. I was pretty healthy to finish my last year there, and then, honestly, going to Philly, I just had a bad hyperextension that really set me back, and I couldn’t quite shake that one — it was an ongoing thing of my leg, my knee not feeling strong, and it was rough, right?" the 36-year-old said.
"Because I was trying to rest, but I was also trying to be available for the team, and just couldn’t quite find the time to let it all come together."
Injury setbacks and load management arguably became a theme of George's stints with the Clippers and Sixers. He's managed to play at least 57 games during the regular season just once since taking the court for 77 contests in the 2018-19 campaign. That year also marked his last season with Oklahoma City.
The Celtics visit New York City on Friday night to face the defending champion Knicks. Both teams are seeking their first win of the 2026-27 season after losing their openers.
President Donald Trump has been a part of many Team USA golf events recently, making appearances at the 2025 Ryder Cup in New York and this September's Presidents Cup in Illinois. On Wednesday, you could say Team USA returned the favor.
The President held a rally on the campus of Clemson University in South Carolina, and among the guest speakers was Jacob Bridgeman, the two-time PGA Tour winner who made the Presidents Cup clinching putt for the Americans in September.
Bridgeman, a South Carolina native who played collegiately at Clemson, was sure to join in on one of the Tigers' fight songs before sharing supportive remarks for President Trump.
"I just thank President Donald Trump for having me here. It has been great to get to know him and to have him, as he mentioned, at the Presidents Cup, watching us have a pretty historic comeback on Sunday.
"And thank you to my captain, Brandt Snedeker, he had some good remarks for us after the round at the tournament for our President here, so thank you to him. Just glad to be here with you guys and proud to represent one of the best states in the country. I travel a lot, I travel 25 to 30 weeks a year, and every time I come home it feels like at home and there is no place I would rather be.
"Thank you for everyone who lives in this great state, and thank you for making it what it is, and thank you to the President for having me."
Bridgeman, making his Presidents Cup debut, went 1-2-0 in the biennial event, with his win coming during Sunday's singles matches against Min Woo Lee. The Americans faced a three-point deficit heading into the final day, but ultimately came away with a 17-13 victory.
As the former Clemson standout alluded to, Team USA captain Brandt Snedeker had some glowing remarks for President Trump after the team managed to pull off the comeback.
"One last shoutout: Donald Trump. President Trump. He told me, 'I [am] going to bring energy today for you. You guys need it,'" Snedeker said on Sunday evening. "I told him if we did this, he gets all the credit. So, thank you, President Trump."
President Trump, an honorary chairman for the event, briefly addressed the crowd from the first tee before play began.
"You know, the fake news media will say I get a very bad reception," Trump said as the crowd laughed. "But we get a good reception.
"[PGA Tour CEO] Brian [Rolapp] said, 'Could you make a short speech?' I said, 'No, I don't have the courage to make a speech. These people wanna see golf. They don't wanna hear speeches.' I'll only say this: Our country is doing great, better than ever before."
Since the event's inception in 1994, the Americans have fallen to the International team just once in the Presidents Cup.
There are reports of some serious drama in the"Monday Night Football" booth between play-by-play announcer Joe Buck and commentator Troy Aikman, and now broadcaster and NBA legend Charles Barkley is weighing in.
This comes after Buck signed a big extension with ESPN, while Aikman is still in talks with the network, which will broadcast its first Super Bowl next February with the duo in the booth.
Many folks have given their take on the matter, and now we can add the Round Mound of Rebound to the list.
Barkley joined "Unfiltered" on Philadelphia sports station 97.5 The Fanatic on Wednesday, and he didn't hide where he was placing the blame.
"I'm very disappointed in Troy Aikman, honestly," he said, per Awful Announcing. "It's not Joe Buck's job to get him a deal. Like, he can’t tell them to give him a deal. Now, if he wants to talk to Joe privately, that's fine. But why are you mad? They gave Joe a deal. It looks like they don't want to give you a deal, which they don’t have to give you a deal.
"But you don't have to drag Joe Buck into it. Like, it ain't his job."
Buck and Aikman have become thought of as a duo, but they're not joined at the hip.
You can understand why Aikman would be frustrated, but you also can't fault Buck for signing on the dotted line when they slid a contract worth over $100 million under his nose.
"But I don't understand why you would be mad at Joe Buck. He ain’t negotiating the contract," he continued. "When he went there first, you didn't negotiate with him. Remember? He left the network first."
Get ready because this week's True Romance is filled to the brim. I'm talking so full it looks like it's actually slightly over the top of the side of the cup.
We're going to do some learning today. We're going to learn about an influencer and professional golfer moving in with one another.
We're going to learn about what happens when a couple invites the babysitter to go swinging. And we're going to learn about women who cheat with married men.
Even with all this learning that is taking place, we're never going to unlock the mystery of Billy Ray Cyrus. At 65, he's engaged for the fourth time.
This time he somehow convinced Elizabeth Hurley to say yes. Congratulations. While confusing, I'm not going to lower myself in order to trash romance.
Let's get back to why we're here this week. That's, of course, to learn. Let's learn about manscaping from influencer Emily Tanner. She and her boyfriend, Wyndham Clark, have moved in with each other.
That opened the golfer up to having his girlfriend riffle through his belongings in order to make content for social media. She shared a video this week from his bathroom for those who want to be boyfriend/husband material.
Here's Emily's list of bathroom green flags. I don't know if they're ranked in any particular order, but first to be mentioned was having a good smelling candle. Next on the list is a good grooming tool for manscaping.
You have to keep it under control, fellas. After that came fluffy soft white towels, a good hand soap, lotion, mouthwash and cleaning up after those manscaping sessions all ended up as her green flags.
There you go. Now you're all set to take that next step and have your girlfriend move in with you. The bottom line is; keep it clean and stay groomed all over.
What happens when the babysitter is invited to go swinging?
It's a question that many have asked themselves. Thanks to one babysitter who received an invitation from a couple she was babysitting for, we're getting a glimpse into the possible outcome.
Katy Orah told The Sun that the couple she had been babysitting for sat her down one day and left her stunned by what they asked her. She said the question was, "Do you want to go to a swingers' party with us?"
She was blindsided by the question. She said, "I assumed it was going to be something about the kids. But they told me they both fancied me and asked if I wanted to go to a swingers' party with them."
That was the beginning of the journey. She surprised herself as much as she surprised them when she accepted. A few weeks later, she was with the couple at a swingers club.
"The wife had explained what would happen and made it clear there was absolutely no pressure to do anything," Katy said.
She learned the terminology, then found herself on the dance floor making out with the couple. A natural next step after walking into a swingers club for the first time.
"I was incredibly innocent," she said. "I was their babysitter, but this didn’t feel weird."
And why would it? What's weird about it? They eventually moved into a private room and the rest is history. But that's not where this ends. She went on to meet her husband at the club.
They kept the party going for a while until the marriage ended. It didn’t work out for them, but following the divorce they remained friends. She then moved to a Thai island to start a new life.
A new life where she would open a School of Sensuality. The invitation to the swingers club by the couple she was babysitting for opened up a whole new world for her. She had been given a gift.
It was time to start helping "thousands of people online and face-to-face to improve their sex lives, embrace their sexuality and reconnect with their partners."
The more selfish among us would keep it all to themselves. That's not who Katy is. She's a giver.
"I have replaced shame with loving myself and now help thousands of people do the same," she added.
And that's what happens when the babysitter is invited to go swinging.
The power of love: man wants to remarry ex-wife who cut his junk off
Be prepared to be blown away by the undeniable power of love. In 2023, reports Yahoo! News, Daiane dos Santos Farias found out on her birthday that her husband, Gilberto Nogueria de Oliveira, had cheated on her.
That isn’t a birthday present that most people want to receive. To get revenge on her husband, she reportedly seduced him, tied his hands up while they were in bed together, then grabbed a razor and cut off his penis with it.
She then flushed what had been severed down the toilet. Gilberto was rushed to the hospital for treatment. While there, he consented to having his mutilated penis photographed for medical purposes.
Daiane turned herself in. She was then sentenced to more than four years in prison after pleading guilty to the crime. The couple, understandably, got divorced. But that didn't keep Gilberto from visiting his ex-wife while behind bars.
In November 2025, when she was released early from prison, he reached out hoping to rekindle their romance. Now, almost a year later, he plans to marry his ex-wife who cut off his penis and flushed it down the toilet for a second time.
His missing member will help pay for the wedding, although it won't cover the entire cost. Those photographs that were taken for medical purposes ended up on social media and the hospital responsible paid him $20,000 in compensation.
Gilberto is seeking more money for the leaked photos. While that part of the saga is still ongoing, the rest of it is behind him.
"I really want to get back together with her. I love her," he said. "It never crossed my mind to do anything bad to her, and it still doesn't."
If these two can make it there truly is hope for everyone else.
Women who had an affair with a married man: why did you do it?
I told you we would be learning a lot today, which is a good thing.
Manscaping is important. Figuring out what happens when the babysitter is invited to go swinging is important. Understanding the power of love is important too.
So is getting to know the reason why some women have affairs with married men. Some put the blame on their age at the time or selfishness. Others don't think they're doing anything wrong.
He didn't tell me he was married and I found out about his wife when he died and I googled him and a news article mentioned a wife (and his real age).
I was 19 or 20. He was approaching 40. I was very naive and fell for his act. He made it sound like they were getting a divorce and not living together, said she was evil and cold, etc. The usual. I genuinely loved him, but when he cheated on me with another coworker, I realized that he wasn't a victim at all, he was a selfish a------. I felt so stupid for falling for it. I learned that him and his wife were not going through a divorce. She had no idea he was cheating, and it made me feel absolutely horrible. I learned a lot from that experience, it helped me to grow up. I still feel really guilty to this day.
I was 19, he was 45, and no one had ever paid attention to me before.
I knew he was married. I was 25 and he was 44 at that time. I worked with him but he lived 1500 miles away from me. It started innocently just flirting when we worked together. He was sent to our office on business and that's where it started physically. I was naive & I was enamored with him, he was smart & funny & adored me. It was a lot of fun, but I knew it wasn't going anywhere and ended it. To my knowledge his wife never found out & they are still married today. That was the only time I was ever knowingly involved w a married man. I wouldn't do it again.
I doubt anyone will admit it here but from being (ex) friends with women who did this, they clearly loved the feeling of being chosen over the wife. Especially if the wife was obviously more beautiful or accomplished or had a seemingly better home life where she was being taken care of.
I knew a girl in college who had no issue sleeping with married guys. I think she had 5 of them over a couple of years. When I asked her about it she said "If they don’t respect the relationship why should I?"
Young and dumb. Insecure. Had no morals. Did what I wanted to do because all I wanted to do was to please me me me. Pure selfishness.
My friend (in her 60s) freely admits to sleeping with married men in her 20s and 30s and she sees nothing wrong with it to this day. She said they were the cheaters, not her.
I was 23 and he was 47. I was a very naive stupid kid who thought at the time, I wasn’t the one cheating so therefore, I wasn’t doing anything wrong.
My ex-friend slept with her best friends husband. He convinced her that he wasn't getting what he wanted from his marriage and that he "loved" my friend. She thought he was going to leave his wife for her. She had been lonely for a long time and he said all the right things. Once the wife found out, he went crawling back.
That is it for today and for the month of October. I'll be in Florida next week, and I'm not taking my laptop with me. True Romance will return on the first Thursday in November, which is insane to think that it's going to be November already.
We had a solid finish to the month. A nice song selection to wrap it up. Keep the song of the week suggestions coming, even while I'm out. I'll sift through them when I return.
Also, feel free to send anything else my way. You can reach me, anonymously if you prefer, at sean.joseph@outkick.com. Go follow along on Twitter and Facebook.
LeBron James is officially back in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump over his performative antics during the national anthem during his debut with the Philadelphia 76ers this week.
James, who has turned into something of a golf addict, was spotted taking some practice swings in his new 76ers gear as the rest of the team stood respecting the anthem during Tuesday's game against the defending NBA champions.
"While listening to our National Anthem, LeBron James disrespects our Country! I said right from the beginning that he’s no good, a TOTAL DISGRACE. LeBron James should apologize to all of those Great American Warriors and Heroes who died for the American Flag, and all that our Country stands for!" the President wrote Thursday in a Truth Social post.
This isn't the first time James has pulled this stunt. Last year, on Christmas Day, while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, he went through the same golf swing routine.
It's no secret that Trump isn't a fan of James. Earlier this year, the president said why he believes Michael Jordan was better than James.
"Michael Jordan is a guy that's a friend of mine, play golf with him. He's a really good guy. And I think LeBron is, maybe he's a racist, but maybe he doesn't like Trump, I don't know. But I only like people that like me. So, I would say Michael Jordan all the way," the president said.
LeBron's history of anthem antics
In October 2019, as James was embroiled in drama surrounding his loving support of China, he pulled this stunt during the anthem. "LeBron is READY," the NBA on ESPN Twitter account proudly tweeted as if it was Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Do you want more instances of LeBron disrespecting the anthem? Let's fast-forward to 2023 at a USC basketball game featuring his son, Bronny James. That's the drama queen arriving to his seats during the anthem and taking a seat as the rest of the arena shows respect.
Aside from Team Europe dominating the Americans over the course of the first two days of the 2025 Ryder Cup, one of the wilder moments from the biennial event involved comedian Heather McMahan and chants of "f- - - you Rory" ringing out across the first tee at Bethpage Black.
Now, a year removed from helping lead the vulgar chants, McMahan is claiming that if she were a man, the consequences that followed never would have happened.
Ahead of Saturday's foursomes matches, McMahan, who was hired as an MC for the event, attempted to fire up the crowd on Long Island. While it's an admittedly awkward job for anyone to start chanting things into a microphone at sunrise in front of tens of thousands of rowdy golf fans screaming their own obscenities, McMahan made a mistake that immediately cost her.
As fans in the stands started a ‘f you Rory’ chant for Team Europe leader Rory McIlroy, McMahan joined in and started shouting the chant into her microphone. The following day, the PGA of America issued a statement explaining that McMahan had extended an apology to McIlroy and had stepped down from her role. McMahan recently told Oona McCaughan of Barstool Sports that she was "immediately fired" after joining in on the chants.
During a recent sit-down with The Hollywood Reporter, McMahan reflected on nearly being "cancelled" after the incident while pinning the blame on golf not knowing its identity, whatever that means.
"The Ryder Cup has always been known to be heavily competitive between Europe and America," McMahan told the outlet. "But it's always been in good fun? I think [having it in Long Island], the already the weird animosity that America was having to outsiders, I don't think they were set up for success that year. And, I'll fall on the sword. I did not help the cause. It's just really wild.
"What does golf want to be? Is it all buttoned up like The Masters? Is it trying to be Happy Gilmore? I do think golf needed to like shake off the cobwebs, quit being as stuffy, but it doesn't know where it wants to go."
After explaining that she's only planning on attending LPGA events from now on, McMahan claimed that her being a woman played a role in the backlash and firing.
"I went to the Masters and got to see him win again. I'm still a huge fan," McMahan said, referring to McIlroy winning the green jacket in April. "It's not the players. They're doing their thing. It's just this kind of weird environment with some of the male fans these days. And again, I apologized, but I do think, had a male comedian been in my shoes, we would have never had this conversation. They wouldn't have given a s - - t. Dudes being dudes. Set it on fire, man."
It's extremely hard to find a modicum of truth in what McMahan is implying.
If anyone who is hired to MC one of the largest events in golf grabs a microphone and joins in on ‘f you’ chants directed at a player in the event you're being paid to be a part of, that person is undoubtedly being fired, regardless of gender.
When it comes to the idea that McMahan should have been cancelled for the chant, that's equally as absurd.
The 2025 Ryder Cup was three full days of American fans shouting obscenities at every European player, but fans aren't held to the same standard as a paid employee of the event, as McMahan was presumed to be.
Hal Steinbrenner was not fond of answering questions about Major League Baseball's labor negotiations with the players' association, but he came as close as possible to answering a very important one.
When asked at the New York Yankees' postmortem presser if he was in favor of a salary cap, the team's owner said he "support[s]" the owners' proposals - all of which include a cap.
"I've said before - let me put it this way as a member of the labor policy committee - I helped craft, one of many, the proposals that we have given at the bargaining table. And I support those proposals in their entirety. That's absolutely the case, so that should answer your question," Steinbrenner told reporters.
"What I will say is as a member of the labor policy committee is that we are working hard on our end. We are completely focused on the task ahead of us, on the negotiating. And I'm optimistic we're gonna get a deal done, and we''e gonna get a deal done that's favorable for both sides."
Players have adamantly opposed a salary cap and said it is non-negotiable. The owners are expected to lock out the players on Dec. 1, when the current collective bargaining agreement expires.
The Yankees' $336 million payroll was the third-largest in baseball during the 2026 season, behind the Los Angeles Dodgers ($422 million) and New York Mets ($338 million).
Arguments skew both ways, but a constant has remained in that the highest payrolls continue to go up, while the lowest payrolls remain at a stall. The Marlins' payroll is actually roughly half of what it used to be in 2017, despite a sale of the team and everyone in the league making more money than ever. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have already committed more money in 2030 than 12 teams have this season.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has said that owners are simply "listening to our fans" regarding a salary cap and said it "defies human experience... to think that the bottom end of that [payroll] gap has the same opportunity to win the top end." It should be noted, though, that the National League-winning Milwaukee Brewers swept the Dodgers with the 11th-smallest payroll, and they will be facing the Tampa Bay Rays, who have the league's third-smallest payroll. They defeated the Cleveland Guardians, who rank 29th in payroll, in the American League Division Series.
Major League Baseball has never had a salary cap.
"Salary cap is the ultimate excuse not to compete. It's the ultimate excuse for an owner to say, ‘Gee, I would like to make the team better, but you know I can’t,'" interim MLBPA executive director Bruce Meyer said during the All-Star break. "Salary caps are bad for fans. Salary caps prevent teams from doing the things that they believe are in their interest to make the team better."
The NFL has insisted multiple times this week that Sunday's game in France will be safe to play and safe for fans to attend amid civil unrest in Paris, but the Pittsburgh Steelers showed a different side to that confidence on Thursday by canceling one of their fan events.
The club confirmed to OutKick that it has canceled a Steelers House fan event scheduled for this week.
"Following recent events in the Bastille neighborhood and after careful consideration, we felt it appropriate not to move forward with the planned Steelers House fan event in Paris," the club announced.
This isn't the lone crack in the "all is well" armor the NFL has put on about this event. Earlier this week, Dani Watt, the wife of Steelers defensive end TJ Watt, questioned publicly why the game has not been moved.
This is an obvious break from the the league's narrative that the civil unrest in Paris and other parts of France will not hinder it from playing its game and, indeed, holding a fan event of its own.
The NFL on Thursday told OutKick that its own NFL Fan House event scheduled for Friday and Saturday remains as scheduled.
"It's happening," a league spokesman said.
So what we have is the NFL taking another bold step in virtually guaranteeing the safety of its players and fans during the game, but also doing the same for a fan event over a two-day span at 46 Rue Cambon in Paris.
And this is where you should know it's not only the NFL that seems confident about the safety of Americans tied to the game in France.
On Wednesday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he's going to the game and he spoke with United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the event in recent days about moving forward with the game.
Rubio told OutKick that the American embassy in France believes the game "will be fine."
So the NFL is moving ahead, including with its own fan event at which multiple thousand French and American football fans are expected in the days prior to the game.
"There's nothing more important from our standpoint than the teams' security, the fans' security, everybody involved with this game," NFL executive vice president Peter O'Reilly said at the League Fall Meeting this week.
"Again, we've made all the preparations," Goodell said. "We've been in touch with all the appropriate authorities."
Hal Steinbrenner was not fond of answering questions about Major League Baseball's labor negotiations with the players' association, but he came as close as possible to answering a very important one.
When asked at the New York Yankees' postmortem presser if he was in favor of a salary cap, the team's owner said he "support[s]" the owners' proposals - all of which include a cap.
"I've said before - let me put it this way as a member of the labor policy committee - I helped craft, one of many, the proposals that we have given at the bargaining table. And I support those proposals in their entirety. That's absolutely the case, so that should answer your question," Steinbrenner told reporters.
"What I will say is as a member of the labor policy committee is that we are working hard on our end. We are completely focused on the task ahead of us, on the negotiating. And I'm optimistic we're gonna get a deal done, and we''e gonna get a deal done that's favorable for both sides."
Players have adamantly opposed a salary cap and said it is non-negotiable. The owners are expected to lock out the players on Dec. 1, when the current collective bargaining agreement expires.
The Yankees' $336 million payroll was the third-largest in baseball during the 2026 season, behind the Los Angeles Dodgers ($422 million) and New York Mets ($338 million).
Arguments skew both ways, but a constant has remained in that the highest payrolls continue to go up, while the lowest payrolls remain at a stall. The Marlins' payroll is actually roughly half of what it used to be in 2017, despite a sale of the team and everyone in the league making more money than ever. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have already committed more money in 2030 than 12 teams have this season.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has said that owners are simply "listening to our fans" regarding a salary cap and said it "defies human experience... to think that the bottom end of that [payroll] gap has the same opportunity to win the top end." It should be noted, though, that the National League-winning Milwaukee Brewers swept the Dodgers with the 11th-smallest payroll, and they will be facing the Tampa Bay Rays, who have the league's third-smallest payroll. They defeated the Cleveland Guardians, who rank 29th in payroll, in the American League Division Series.
Major League Baseball has never had a salary cap.
"Salary cap is the ultimate excuse not to compete. It's the ultimate excuse for an owner to say, âGee, I would like to make the team better, but you know I canât,'" interim MLBPA executive director Bruce Meyer said during the All-Star break. "Salary caps are bad for fans. Salary caps prevent teams from doing the things that they believe are in their interest to make the team better."
If NBA referees called every travel they saw, games would never end, but blowing the whistle every now and again to remind players that they can't take an infinite number of steps would be appreciated by all involved. Unfortunately, the exact opposite precedent was set during the season opener between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat on Wednesday.
LaMelo Ball put on an impressive performance in his official debut for Minnesota, scoring 21 points and dishing out six assists in his team's 131-106 victory on the road, but three of his 21 points should not have counted.
Just over three minutes into the first quarter, Ball dribbled around a well-set screen that got his defender off balance. Instead of driving towards the basket, he opted to pick his spot beyond the three-point line, but forgot to put the ball on the floor on his way there.
Ball appeared to take every bit of four full steps without taking a dribble. The carry was so egregious that each of the announcers on the broadcast couldn't help but call out how bad the no-call was.
The 25-year-old guard immediately talking trash to some courtside fans after he made the three made the whole scene that much worse. Then again, Ball and essentially every other player in the league have gotten away with traveling with the basketball throughout their NBA careers.
Oftentimes, the missed travel calls take place with players driving to the basket and getting away with an extra half-step while carrying the basketball. For Ball not to get whistled while standing well beyond the three-point line is a bit of a surprise, even by NBA standards.
As for the contest itself, the Timberwolves looked as good and entertaining as expected with their new two-headed monster of Anthony Edwards and Ball in the 25-point win over Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Heat.
Edwards finished the night with 45 points, including nine made three-pointers, to go along with 10 rebounds.
While the duo of Ball and Edwards combining for 66 points stands out, maybe the most promising stat line to look at if you're a Minnesota fan is that the two only turned the ball over five times total in the win.
The numbers are in, and they paint a disturbing picture for NASCAR as the series barrels toward its championship race in three short weeks.
Bottom line? Fans are leaving the sport ... in droves.
Nobody is watching. And those who are watching, are complaining. A lot. About the car. About the tracks. About the lack of drama, and personality, and, frankly, about the TV channel.
Most folks have turned it off completely. Those who have stayed aren't thrilled.
I don't need to tell you guys, but that's not a great place to be.
Take a look:
Why are fans leaving NASCAR? It's simple.
Last Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix drew a pathetic audience of just 1.2 million viewers. That number is alarming, folks. I've seen a lot of bad TV numbers for NASCAR over the years. Believe me.
It's not like they're hard to find.
But that's a low number. It's an unfathomable number given the series is smack dab in the middle of its playoffs. I never thought we'd see the day where a NASCAR Cup Series race drops below the Mendoza line (1 million), but we're getting close. Too close.
For comparison's sake, NASCAR averaged more than 4.5 million viewers per race in 2016, which was a really bad time for the sport. That's when viewers were fleeing left and right. Jeff Gordon had retired. Tony Stewart was on his way out. Dale Jr. was right behind him.
There's been a nearly 50% drop-off in viewership since then! Through 33 races this season, the Cup Series is averaging 2.3 million viewers per race. Through seven Chase races (that's what we're calling the playoffs this season), the number drops to 1.5 million.
So, yeah â I'd imagine alarms are going off in the big glass building across from Daytona International Speedway this morning. At least they should be.
Now, the obvious question they'll be asking themselves is ... why? Why is this happening? Where are fans going? Why are they leaving?
To me, it's a fairly simple answer if everyone is just honest with themselves for 30 seconds. I'll go in order from what I consider most pressing, to least:
The TV deal stinks. It brought in a lot of money, but it's really poor for exposure. Do you know how many races have been on network TV this season? Seven. Seven! Six on FOX, one on NBC. That means there has been one race on network TV since the spring (Daytona in August). That's awful. Asking folks to hunt down the USA Network, and TNT, and then download Amazon Prime, and also find FS1 for 26 of your 33 races is a slap in the face.
The schedule stinks. I don't mean the tracks themselves, I mean the time of year. NASCAR is putting its 10-race "Chase" right up against college football and the NFL. That's like taking a knife to a gun fight. No sport is going to win that fight, much less NASCAR. Chase Elliott said it years ago, and it's still true today: The season needs to end around Labor Day weekend. There's no upside in going up against the NFL.
The Next Gen car has been a bigger turnoff than a Kamala Harris cackle. Fans despise it. Drivers despise it. You can't pass. You can't push the car. God forbid you try to run in "dirty air." Folks aren't stupid. They've seen what it's done to these races, and they've lost interest.
To steal a phrase from the great Rick Pitino, "Dale Jr. is not walking through that door." There's no real personality in the garage anymore, beyond Carson Hocevar. Like him or hate him, Carson has moved the needle all season. Nobody else does. Chase Elliott is your "Most Popular Driver" year in and year out, and he was supposed to be NASCAR's Dale Earnhardt Jr. replacement. That hasn't worked out. Chase has no interest in carrying that torch.
Jeff Gordon is gone. Dale Jr. is gone. Tony Stewart is gone. Kyle Busch, tragically, died. He was, perhaps, the last of the "old guard" when it came to NASCAR. Beyond hoping someone goes viral and physically attacks Carson Hocevar every week, I'm not sure who NASCAR is looking at to bring in new fans. He doesn't exist.
And finally ...
Let's be honest, the drama isn't there anymore. At least it's not what it's been over the past decade. Yes, the shift back to The Chase format was popular amongst hardcore NASCAR fans. I get it. But the sport gave up elimination races in the process, which is naturally going to hurt interest from casual fans. People like drama. Having an elimination race every third race in the fall certainly helped with interest. Those are gone now.
OK, that was a long-winded "30 seconds" of honesty, but you get the picture. You add all those up, and I think it's fairly easy to see how the series has cratered in terms of viewership over the past few years.
As for the answers? I don't know. I'd shorten the season and own the summer. That's probably atop my list. Utilize midweek races in June and July. End the regular season in July, and end the postseason on Labor Day weekend.
The TV deal is done, so I'm not sure you're changing that any time soon. A new-era car would take a while to build, so that's probably a ways off, too. As for the lack of personalities in the garage ...
Tony Romo's loss has been J.J. Watt's gain at CBS â and now it's permanent.
Watt on Thursday was named lead analyst for the NFL on CBS in a new multi-year contract agreement. The announcement was made by David Berson, Chairman of Skydance's Global Sports Group.
Watt will continue to call the networkâs top NFL games alongside Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson as CBS Sportsâ lead NFL announce team, including during the 2027 season when they call Super Bowl LXII in Atlanta.
"Iâve had a front-row seat to J.J.âs growth as a top-tier broadcaster, watching him tackle this role just like he did his Hall-of-Fame playing career," Berson said in a release by the network. "Heâs insightful, entertaining, passionate, meticulous in his preparation, and the ultimate teammate. He has a unique ability to see things and communicate to fans of all levels. We are thrilled to have him leading our NFL coverage."
Watt didn't start the 2026 NFL season in his current role. That belonged to Romo, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback.
But Romo ran afoul of his assignment when he was arrested on July 23, after a traffic stop on southbound Interstate 43 near downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He later pleaded no contest to a first-offense OWI, with the sentence including a six-month revocation of his driving privileges and an alcohol-assessment requirement.
CBS said on July 31 that Romo was on leave "until further notice," but then the network announced on Oct. 2 that it had "mutually agreed to part ways" with its long-time lead analyst.
Watt, meanwhile, was the next man up. He has served as the network's lead analyst since the start of the season and that now becomes a permanent role after what was obviously a successful trial period.
The network chose the man in the seat over other possible permanent replacements for Romo, Greg Olsen and others among them.
"I am incredibly honored and grateful to have the opportunity to represent CBS Sports and all of the fantastic people who make this place so special," Watt said in a statement. "From the brotherhood of The NFL Today to my crews calling games, I couldnât ask for better teammates alongside me on this television journey.
"I am thankful to David Berson for his leadership, vision and trust. I love this job and canât wait to see ya Sunday with Jim and Tracy and many more Sundays to come!"
Watt joined CBS Sports in 2023 as a studio analyst on The NFL Today. Last season, Watt moved to the booth to call games with Ian Eagle and Evan Washburn.
Watt was a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and was honored as the 2017 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.
Palin posted on her Instagram Story on Wednesday asking for prayers for the former NHLer.
Duguay spent his first six NFL seasons with the Blueshirts before joining the Detroit Red Wings for the better half of three seasons and a short stint with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He returned to the Rangers for two seasons and wrapped up with the Los Angeles Kings.
"The New York Rangers organization mourns the loss of Ron Duguay, one of the most popular players in franchise history," the team said in a statement.
"Ron's signature skating style, with his hair flowing as he moved down the ice, captivated The Garden Faithful, and his skill, tenacity, and charisma earned him the admiration of all New Yorkers. We join the hockey community in sending our condolences to Ron's friends, family, and loved ones during this difficult time."
In his 864 games, he scored 274 goals and handed out 346 assists.
Duguay, who made his NHL debut in 1977, continued to play in other leagues until finally hanging up the skates in 1999. He began his pro career with the Ontario Hockey League in 1973.
Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Fla., is asking the Atlantic Coast Conference to disclose its policies governing online sports betting by conference employees, referees and other individuals connected to its competitions.
In a letter sent Thursday to ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips and the conference's board of directors, Patronis said the request was prompted by the ACC's support for the Protect College Sports Act, a sweeping federal proposal addressing NIL rights, revenue sharing, athlete health and safety, transfers and other issues in college athletics.
"Seeing as the ACC is asking Congress for help with NIL, I believe we must have transparency regarding each body's policies and how they navigate online betting," Patronis wrote.
The Senate passed the Protect College Sports Act, S. 4668, by a 77-22 vote on Sept. 28. The legislation now awaits consideration in the House. Supporters describe the bill as an effort to establish national standards for NIL compensation, revenue sharing, scholarships, medical coverage and the preservation of women's and Olympic sports.
Patronis asked the ACC to provide its online gambling policies before Congress returns in November, including rules governing staff members, officials and "other interested parties." He also questioned how the conference is protecting the integrity of college sports as sports betting becomes more widespread.
The NCAA has continued to enforce restrictions on wagering that could affect the integrity of college competition. The association says violations can result in severe penalties, including the loss of athletic eligibility, while warning that betting-related harassment and pressure can affect athletes, coaches and officials.
At the same time, the NCAA's Division I Administrative Committee has moved toward allowing athletes and athletics staff to bet on professional sports, while preserving restrictions involving college competitions. The NCAA said conferences and schools may impose additional rules of their own.
The ACC has been involved in lobbying efforts surrounding the Protect College Sports Act, which conference leaders have described as a way to create more consistent national rules for college athletics.
Welcome to Screencaps, "America's Best Daily Column," as named by the readers. Screencaps, which publishes seven-days-a-week, is a mix of sports, pop culture, and emails from sane readers from around the world. This column isn't for the coastal elites. Give us a week to steal your heart. Our track record is pretty good. Let's have some fun.
Thank you, Paige
Ladies, have you been wondering how to tee up a golf ball? You're in luck, Paige and her playing partner have created a step-by-step lesson plan.
I have to give credit to Paige. She spent years as OutKick's No. 1 ranked golf influencer in the world, but the content was just Paige in some costume and it started to get old. Once she started doing this playing partner thing where she leans into just being Paige, giggling, dropping innuendo jokes and having fun, the content HAS POPPED.
The formula seems to be rather simple: Create content that neanderthals will share in their golf group chats.
"Good girls bend at the knee, bad girls bend at the hip . . . Or something like that . . . might be the other way round," some guy named Rich, who's clearly in a golf group chat, wrote on Instagram.
By the way, that's Kendall Toole, the former Peloton instructor golfing with Paige. I'm sure some of you who rode a stationary bike during COVID remember her.
I deserve an IMDb entry after doing this voice work for the Cal McCallister show
In case you've been in a coma, OutKick's Matt Reigle created this show and has been using OutKick talent to voice many of the characters. In this episode, my voice talent is on display. Give it a watch and rate my performance.
Speaking of OutKick coworkers, I have to give props to OutKick senior WNBA writer (I gave him that title; it's not an official role) Dan Zaksheske for this single piece of content
This is about as perfect as it gets and shows exactly what it's like to be an OutKick outsider going into many of these environments where the Big Js and the team media staffs absolutely despise you. But, someone has to do it.
Dump Dinners: Are the Millennial parents doing this stuff so they can collect 'Likes' on social media or is it to actually have fun with the kids?
I'm on the fence here. Part of me feels like this would be fun with toddlers who are a complete mess anyway, why not let them go wild. The other part of my brain tells me this is just another dopamine hit for Millennial parents who want to throw this content on Instagram so their yuppie friends smash that like button.
Random Mailbag Time®
⢠Kevin F. in Naples, FL writes:Food that is hard to screw up? Nachos. A sign of a bad restaurant is when their nachos are terrible.
Kinsey: Hold up, nachos are screwed up at an astounding rate. In fact, a few years ago, I told Mrs. Screencaps that there wasn't a single place within 20 miles of our house that can do nachos correctly.
Burning shredded cheese onto chips isn't nachos. I got to the point where I couldn't even trust the Mexicans to produce a legit plate of nachos. I get where Kevin's going here, but they're easy to screw up because these places don't put in the effort.
⢠Kevin in Frederick checks in:Checking out the site and the Astros chick made me think about the ALCS and WS. I had to jump on the 4 letter website to see where the ALCS stood - the World Series starts Friday, after all, right? Just checked, and apparently it's over (Go Rays!). Didn't even know.
It serves MLB right to have to show the Trop for at least 2 games. Place is a soulless shâbox unlike American Family Field (aka Miller Park). Would cheer for the Brewers if Uke was still kicking it. Would love to hear him call a WS for the home team.
Never really been a MLB fan since the days of the Cubs afternoon games interrupting the 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM window of Scooby Doo and Tom and Jerry - stupid Cubs.
Pulling for TB, (another fan base that does not deserve a title) as I lived there while Sapp was playing. He was always a jerk. His philosophy was always he wouldn't take pics or sign anything because someone would be left unhappy - so he just made everyone unhappy. At least he was consistent.
Finally, The WNBA finals fix is in!. Atlanta beats GSV on the road and gets 15 more FT's than the home team? The WNBA decided they've got the chance to ride the Angel Reece train and they are gonna do just that - by any means possible. This is going 7 games for sure...and crowning her as the new face of the WNBA. Can't promote CC over a WNBA champ can you?
⢠Greg writes on the world of fast-food buffets: KFC has a good all-u-can-eat buffet here in Tallahassee.
⢠CF in Kansas tells me: We went to Wendyâs drive-thru the other day and "lo and behold!" there was an older lady working the window. We had a smooth experience for a welcome change. Perhaps that Wendyâs manager reads your column and was smart enough to take your advice. Bring back the old ladies!!!!!!
Kinsey: Thank you for this report, CF. The quicker Wendy's rids itself of the meth addicts and prison-release system workers, the sooner this brand restores order. Now, I'm concerned that too much damage has been done, but it's a great step. Remember how Cracker Barrel created an unnecessary mess with that whole logo change idea from the Rachel Maddow ripoff CEO? She learned a valuable lesson, left and now look at the stock: It hit $69/share this week.
Bring back the Superbar. Fire the meth addicts. I'd even sell monthly Superbar subscriptions. VIP lines like you're waiting for a ride at Cedar Point. You know what Chick-fil-A doesn't have? A f'ing SUPERBAR! DO IT, WENDY'S!
⢠Greg shares his experience with Warren Sapp:I graduated Univ of Miami in 1978 and have been a huge Cane fan since 1974, my first year on campus. I donât recall the exact year but it was likely around 2004, I was returning back to Florida from Nassau, and Warren Sapp was on the same plane. After we landed, I was standing in the terminal with some Cane fans who just wanted to shake his hand and perhaps get a picture. He could not have been more UNFRIENDLY AND RUDE as he ungraciously denied their request. I knew from that moment on that despite being a great football player, he was a lousy human being. It is no wonder you donât see too many endorsement deals for this miserable person.
How to sync your TV to NFL radio broadcasts
â Tom T. says: Finally! You are covering a topic on which I am an expert. I have been listening to NFL home team broadcasts synced with the TV since Sonny & Sam were calling the Washington REDSKINS back in the 80's and 90's. Back then, over the air AM radio was already synced perfectly with cable TV, so all we had to do was mute the TV and turn on the Technics receiver pre-tuned to 960 AM.
Nowadays, I listen to the skins on BIG100 out of DC, over the Internet. It is normally about 60 seconds ahead of the cable TV broadcast, so I have to pause TV1 AND pause TV2, which shows Redzone channel. I usually sync on the opening kickoff. I also have to avoid looking at my fantasy football scoreboard until commercial breaks, so I can remain in the 60 second "cone of silence".
A funny thing happens around 5pm, however. At that time, BIG100 starts telling me that I am out of the authorized listening area, so for 4pm or night games, I have to rely on an NFL+ subscription, which runs about $13 per month to listen to any game.
Most of the time, everything stays synced up, but occasionally it is necessary to re-sync. If you can handle that, it is the BEST way to watch your favorite team. I was travelling for work on Monday, and I ended up watching the second half on mute, because I was sooooooo tired of Buck and Troy sucking up to Kyle Shanahan and talking about how much the REDSKINS stink..... I can't handle the truth.
Kinsey: I'm still not hearing how you sync the broadcast with the radio when the radio is running ahead of the video stream. Are you guys pausing the radio broadcasts for a set amount of time? Have you determined the exact amount of delay the TV stream is on and then you use some sort of counter to get this stuff perfectly synced?
â Steve C. in Kentucky writes:You have to delay and pause both the tv and radio apps then sync them by myself. After a while it is pretty easy.
That should be more than enough content to get the juices pumping on a Thursday morning. The sun is still out here in Ohio. The weather has been absolutely phenomenal. I'm talking 69, sunny, no wind, no clouds. Just amazing for this time of year which means we're probably going to get pummeled in about seven days.
Anyway, let's enjoy life. Let's get some work done and get one step closer to the weekend.
The NBA season arrived Tuesday night with the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons opening the 2026-27 campaign in a matinee matchup. The new-look Philadelphia 76ers, featuring four-time MVP LeBron James, followed by spoiling the New York Knicks' banner night as the franchise celebrated its long-awaited title from last season.
The San Antonio Spurs, whom the Knicks defeated in the Finals, then fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the 2025 champions, to close out the league's three-game opening-night slate.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., took notice as the NBA season got underway and weighed in Wednesday while the leagueâs other teams played their opening games.
"As the NBA season begins this week, remember: 26 out of 30 NBA owners are billionaires â getting richer every day. Meanwhile, the average ticket price to see the Knicks play the Sixers last night cost $1,894. No. You should not have to be rich to take your kids to a ball game," Sanders wrote on X.
Sanders did not make mention of player salaries in his criticism.
Sanders has regularly spoken about affordability, and this is not the first time he has addressed ticket prices for major U.S. professional sports leagues. On Aug. 20, Sanders pointed to the tax dollars often used to help fund the construction of new sports venues.
"31 out of 32 NFL owners are billionaires. 26 out of 30 NBA owners are billionaires. 26 out of 30 MLB owners are billionaires. Your tax dollars helped build their stadiums," the senator from Vermont wrote on X at the time. "But today, the average person can't afford the price of a ticket to a sporting event. That must change."
Steve Ballmer is the wealthiest person who currently owns an NBA franchise, according to Forbes' latest estimates, with an estimated net worth of $166 billion. He is also suspended from attending Los Angeles Clippers games, the team he owns, and participating in all league activities for one year. The suspension followed an NBA investigation that determined Ballmer was "knowingly" involved in "seeking to help Mr. Leonard obtain off-court income opportunities."
The year-long probe looked into whether the Clippers circumvented salary-cap rules to sign Leonard. The Clippers were fined $30 million and ordered to forfeit multiple first-round draft picks.
Clippers' opening-night ticket prices on Ticketmaster for Wednesday ranged from $51 for standard-admission terrace-level seats to $163 for lower-level center-court club seats on the secondary market. The prices did not include taxes or additional fees.
Tickets for Wednesday's Portland Trail Blazers-Phoenix Suns game were listed for as little as $50 on Vivid Seats, a secondary-ticket marketplace. That price also excluded taxes and fees.
Season-ticket prices vary widely from team to team, with the Golden State Warriors becoming the first NBA team to introduce a personal seat license program.
The fee, which several NFL teams use to help offset stadium construction costs, requires fans to pay an upfront fee per seat for the right to purchase season tickets in a specific location.
The location of the seats determines the license fee. Half of the seating options at the $1 billion Chase Center initially were sold with license fees of $15,000 or less, while the other half cost more, according to ESPN.
The WNBA is still having a heck of a time definitively saying what a woman is, but according to a letter from league commissioner Cathy Engelbert to Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White are not it â women, that is.
Stutzman joined OutKick's Dan Dakich on the Wednesday edition of "Don't @ Me with Dan Dakich" to discuss it.
Dakich asked the representative point-blank what the league needed to put in writing so that this discussion â which Dakich called "dumbest conversation ever" â could be put to rest.
Stutzman had a pretty straightforward solution and one that would even allow the league to wipe its hands of criticism from the lefties by passing the buck.
"Well, I think they could just follow another organization's definitions," Stutzman suggested. "Say they're going to follow the Olympics organization's definition. They don't even have to define it themselves â there are already other organizations that define what a biological woman is."
That's about as easy as it gets. The International Olympic Committee took one on the chin from the pro-men in women's sports crowd, and, would you believe, the IOC is still, at last check, alive and kicking.
Still, as Stutzman pointed out, the league shouldn't even need to hide behind another organization, because it does seem to know the difference between men and women.
"But apparently it's not hard, because Cathy Engelbert can decide that Enes Freedom is a male without even meeting him in person," Stutzman said. "So, it can't be that hard."
There was no group to stand with her in solidarity. No teammate to lean on.
We've seen other girls cross country runners in Washington state walk off the start line in protest of having to compete against a boy, but Elise Bierer was the first to do it all by herself.
It happened Wednesday during the Greater St. Helens League District Meet, where a runner for Camas High was competing as a girl after starting the year racing against the boys. And when the gun went off for the women's varsity race, Bierer walked off the line toward her mother, Sheona, who embraced her tearful daughter.
This was certainly not how Elise, a sophomore at Battle Ground High, pictured her season ending when the school year began. She was the second-fastest female cross country runner on her team, and almost certainly would have advanced to regionals had she participated Wednesday.
But as her mom explained, Bierer had been anticipating a moment like this for a couple of years, and was prepared to stand â or more precisely, walk â on principle.
"Before she entered high school â she's a sophomore â I told her that it's a real possibility that this could come into play, that she might be forced to race against a male. When we talked about that, she said if that were to happen, she would stand up for what was right and just not compete," said Sheona Bierer, speaking for a daughter who didn't feel comfortable being interviewed.
So two Tuesdays ago, when Battle Ground met Camas in a dual meet, Bierer and other teammates decided that they were simply not going to compete. But there really wasn't a whole lot on the line in that race. This time, though, it was districts. This time, a protest meant saying sayonara to her season.
Sheona said Elise and other Battle Ground girls who didn't want to compete against the biological boy were pressured into running in the JV race Wednesday. This would maximize Battle Ground's chances of finishing in the top three of four teams to advance to regionals.
Two things, though. 1) Because of all this controversy, only five Battle Ground racers even showed up for Wednesday's women's varsity race (the other three teams had seven apiece). And 2) Elise felt it was her rightful place to line up with the varsity. She'd earned that position.
Sheona said that the initial plan was for other Battle Ground girls to walk off the start line with Elise. But those plans changed before the race, leaving Elise to make a statement all by herself.
What was that like to watch as a mom? I asked.
"I'm super proud. I'm still overwhelmed," said Sheona, adding that Elise has been running since sixth grade but would not return to the team next year if she had to run against the Camas boy. "I know this is really hard, but I love her, and I'm so glad that she's going to stand up for what's right, even when everybody else is walking away from what's right and chose to buckle under pressure."
Sheona said Elise didn't inform Battle Ground coach Patricia Tester of her plan for fear of being relegated to JV. I attempted to ask Tester about Bierer after the race â and about the exodus of female runners from her team â but she wouldn't even offer a no comment.
Then, another Battle Ground coach stepped in.
"Go away, please. That's my comment," he said.
I told him I was just trying to get answers about an athlete who protested.
I can't speak for other writers â and there were quite a few of them out there Wednesday â but I'd love to leave the kids alone. Unfortunately, Washington state law allows high school males to compete against high school females if they identify as the latter â leaving myriad girls distressed.
The Camas boy finished second out of 26 runners Wednesday, officially displacing a biological girl from competing in regionals â as only 21 can advance. He also helped lead his Papermakers to first place in the women's varsity team results. Earlier this season, he finished first in a varsity dual meet despite placing 76th among boys a couple weeks prior.
People are tired of this â and not just those on opposing teams. Eight days ago, about a dozen of the runner's own female teammates walked off the starting line for Camas.
One of them was Holly Burns, who spoke at a pre-meet rally attended by scores of supporters of Initiative 638, a Nov. 3 ballot measure in Washington state that would require K-12 athletes to compete according to their sex at birth. She had no idea her walking off the start line would spark the reaction it has â but it helped turn Wednesday's meet into the kind of media spectacle rarely seen in high school cross country.
"When I was talking about it with the girls, we were kind of like 'what's the point of even doing this?' It's not like it was going to change anything," said Burns, who, according to one parent, is one of 18 girls from Camas to have quit the team entirely. "But it seems like it definitely made a wave."
This won't be the only OutKick column from Wednesday's meet. There is much more to be written about the adults who are finally showing the courage that's been almost exclusive to the high schoolers so far.
But this one is dedicated to Elise Bierer, who showed what real integrity looks like. Her coach wants us to leave her alone. No. Not when she had the guts to stand alone.
Former San Jose State University (SJSU) volleyball coach Melissa Batie-Smoose alleges a school official told her transgender player Blaire Fleming could not compete at one point during the 2023 season because Flemingâs testosterone level exceeded the eligibility limit.
In a new interview with OutKick, Batie-Smoose, who is now the head volleyball coach at Cisco College, claimed SJSU associate athletics director Laura Alexander informed her of Fleming's failed test before the womenâs volleyball team left for its first conference match.
"So it was told to me by our associate AD, confirming to me that Fleming was not showing up for the test, the blood test," Batie-Smoose said.
"And that Fleming had one day left before we were going to leave for our first conference match, and that he needed to come in and test. And then, then she proceeded to tell me the next day that after the test, that the testosterone levels were too high, and Fleming is ineligible to play and will not be going on the trip that day."
The coach added that the alleged failed test was kept "a secret" from the rest of the team.
The allegation also appears in Batie-Smooseâs Oct. 13 federal lawsuit against the California State University (CSU) trustees and 11 SJSU employees.
Fleming then missed a long stretch of the 2023 season. SJSUâs athletics website claimed the player had not competed since Sept. 16 of that year "due to injuries," in a November 2023 game recap.
Batie-Smoose said, "The injury happened the day that Fleming went to go get tested, and it was very questionable."
Batie-Smoose believes the injury explanation helped keep the alleged eligibility issue secret. Her lawsuit also describes that conclusion as her belief.
"Around the same time the testosterone results were revealed, Fleming thereafter missed conference matches because of a reported hand injury, which Plaintiff believes was an excuse to hide his ineligibility to play because of his hormone level," the lawsuit states.
SJSU's own game records confirm that Fleming missed matches, but they do not establish whether a testosterone test result played a role in the absence.
In 2023, NCAA rules allowed transgender women to play on womenâs teams, but they had to meet requirements for hormone treatment and testosterone levels. The NCAA kept that policy, known as Phase Two, in place through the 2023â24 school year.
Under that framework, transgender women had to complete at least one year of testosterone suppression treatment before competing on a womenâs team. They also had to provide blood-test results that met the NCAAâs limit for their sport. For womenâs volleyball, the Phase Two limit was below 10 nanomoles per liter of total testosterone in the blood.
The requirements applied before an athleteâs first competition in each season segment, including nonconference games. Schools had to submit eligibility documents for an NCAA medical panel to review before the athlete competed. The requirement did not begin only when conference play started.
Schools also had to certify athletesâ eligibility before allowing them to compete. If an athlete became ineligible, NCAA rules required the school to immediately keep that athlete out of competition.
Batie-Smooseâs account does not establish that Fleming played while ineligible. Fleming did return in November of that season, missing 17 matches.
SJSU has declined to respond to a request for clarification.
"Due to pending litigation, San Jose State is unable to respond to your inquiry," a university spokesperson told OutKick.
OutKick also reached out to Fleming, the NCAA, the Mountain West and the CSU for comment, but did not receive a response.
Batie-Smooseâs allegations extend beyond Flemingâs eligibility. She also says her relationship with head coach Todd Kress unraveled as their political views grew apart â and accuses him of using her support for Trump to turn players against her.
She described Kress as a longtime friend who once shared her conservative beliefs.
"Todd was a conservative Republican, and we shared the same views on a lot of things. And thatâs why we were friends for so long," she said. "And then somewhere in the craziness, he went left and really extreme left."
Asked when she noticed that change, Batie-Smoose said it happened "before the first Trump election."
The two continued discussing politics, she said. But she alleges Kress began raising their differences in front of athletes, crossing a boundary she wanted to keep between their personal disagreements and their coaching jobs.
"Oh, yeah. We talked about politics all the time," she said. "You know, once he turned, it was more, um, he would bring it up in settings that I felt like it was very inappropriate."
"We can talk and debate on those subjects when weâre in a room together, but not in front of student athletes. I feel like that is not the time and the place to speak on that."
Batie-Smoose said the treatment intensified after they arrived at SJSU in 2023. She believes Kress brought up her political and religious views to mock her and weaken her relationships with the team.
"Especially once we arrived at San Jose State, and Iâve referred to this before, this man was unrecognizable," she said.
She alleged that Kress knew which players would object to her views and raised the subject in front of them to create division.
Asked whether Kress told those players that he had once held similar conservative beliefs, Batie-Smoose replied: "Oh, no way. No way. He would never state that."
She said she did not share his past political views with the athletes herself.
"I do not talk about those things in front of athletes ever," she said.
Her lawsuit alleges that Kress called her a "Trump lover." It also says she repeatedly expressed her religious belief that "God made man and woman," and that she believes his treatment reflected hostility toward her faith.
She further alleges that he cornered and berated her during an office confrontation in about August 2023, after a canceled recruiting visit. The complaint says he threatened that he could get her fired.
Batie-Smoose says she reported the encounter to administrators and human resources. She alleges they told her Kress was her boss and she needed to listen to him.
Her attorney, Vernadette Broyles, described what she sees as a broader effort to silence her client.
"There was a watchdog that was assigned to be at every practice and to travel with Melissa to watch what she said, to watch what she did," Broyles said.
The lawsuit identifies a university administrator in connection with that allegation. The complaint presents the claimed purpose as Batie-Smooseâs belief.
CSU has defended its handling of Batie-Smoose in its March lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education.
The employment dispute grew as the volleyball controversy spread.
During the 2024 season, former SJSU co-captain Slusser publicly challenged Flemingâs participation, and several opponents refused to play against SJSU. Batie-Smoose filed a Title IX complaint Oct. 29 alleging unequal treatment and failures to address concerns inside the program.
SJSU placed Batie-Smoose on paid leave days later. Its suspension letter cited several grounds, including alleged disclosure of private student information, differential treatment of athletes and unprofessional conduct. Batie-Smoose disputes those grounds.
On Jan. 31, 2025, the university told her it would not renew her temporary appointment. Batie-Smoose then filed an employment lawsuit against SJSU last September.
Then, this year, on Sept. 4, Judge Noël Wise dismissed her second amended complaint in an earlier employment case. Wise found that her allegations did not adequately show that SJSU punished her because of her sex or for raising complaints protected by law. The judge emphasized the complaintâs account that SJSU acted after she shared student information with the media despite instructions to keep it confidential.
Wise allowed her to amend. The ruling addressed whether that complaint stated a valid legal claim. It did not decide the dispute after a trial.
The October filing accuses officials of violating her rights to speak, practice her faith and hold political beliefs. It also alleges unequal treatment under the law. Batie-Smoose seeks reinstatement or a comparable job, compensation and correction of adverse personnel records.
Federal investigators have separately challenged SJSUâs handling of the volleyball program.
In January, the Education Departmentâs Office for Civil Rights concluded that the school violated Title IX over athletic participation, facilities and its response to complaints. The agency also raised concerns about unequal treatment in employment, while acknowledging that incomplete records limited its conclusions.
CSU disputes the federal findings. The system sued the Education Department in March, arguing that SJSU followed the law and NCAA rules that governed the seasons under review.
Batie-Smoose says legal advice shaped how much she shared publicly as the dispute unfolded.
"When this all began, I did not have legal representation," she said.
ATLANTA â Angel Reese helped the Atlanta Dream win a WNBA Finals game for the first time Monday. Two nights later, she helped them take their first lead in a Finals series.
Reese finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds as Atlanta beat the Golden State Valkyries 97-71 on Wednesday night at State Farm Arena, taking a 2â1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Reese has totaled 51 points and 28 rebounds in Atlantaâs two victories.
Reese became the youngest player in WNBA Finals history to record at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in consecutive games, joining Aâja Wilson as the only players to accomplish the feat.
And to give the Dream and their fans credit, I previously questioned whether Atlanta could fill State Farm Arena for the Finals. They answered that with a resounding yes on Wednesday night. Game 3 was a sellout, and the building was loud.
Before tip-off, both teams again left the court for the national anthem, marking their third straight absence in the series. They returned moments after the performance ended. The WNBAâs rulebook calls for players, coaches and trainers to stand and line up during the anthem, and the league has not answered OutKickâs questions about the absences.
Once the game started, Reese picked up where she left off in San Francisco. She scored Atlantaâs first basket and finished the opening quarter with eight points, including a three-pointer that pushed the Dreamâs lead to 22â12.
Golden State missed its first eight shots and didnât make a field goal until 4:38 remained in the first quarter. Atlanta led 23â15 after one.
Reese added another three in the second quarter and went into halftime with 15 points, matching her first-half total from Game 2. Naz Hillmon made three first-half threes of her own, helping Atlanta take a 46â40 lead into the break.
The Valkyries made a push to start the third. Cecilia Zandalasini hit two threes in the opening 68 seconds, and Golden State tied the game at 48, then again at 49.
Reese helped Atlanta answer. After Rhyne Howard put the Dream back in front, Reese made two free throws, assisted on an Isobel Borlase layup and scored on a running layup herself. That completed an 8â0 run and gave Atlanta a 57â49 lead.
Golden State cut the deficit to four, but the Dream kept scoring after Reese went to the bench with 3:31 left in the quarter. DeWanna Bonner hit a three to start a 12â2 finish to the period, scoring five points during that stretch.
Atlanta led 71â57 entering the fourth and Golden State never really threatened in the final period.
Hillmon finished with 15 points, while Jordin Canada added 8 assists. Rhyne Howard had her best offensive performance of the series, scoring 16 points.
Atlanta again held down Golden Stateâs Gabby Williams, who finished with 15 points on 5-of-18 shooting.
Atlanta entered these Finals without a win in its three previous appearances, then lost Saturdayâs opener. Now Reese and the Dream are two victories from a championship.
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