World Series champion Mitch Garver has announced his retirement from baseball at age 35.
Garver played for the Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners during his 10-season major league career. He confirmed his retirement to MLB.com in a text message.
The Albuquerque native spent the first five seasons of his career with the Twins. The catcher and designated hitter won a Silver Slugger Award in 2019 when he hit 31 home runs, drove in 67 runs and posted an impressive .995 OPS.
In 2022, Garver was traded to the Rangers and became a key contributor to their 2023 World Series championship team. During the 2023 postseason , Garver played in 14 games, hitting .226 with three home runs and 14 RBI.
Following his postseason success, Garver signed a two-year, $24 million contract with the Mariners. At the time, it was the richest contract Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto had ever handed out. First baseman Josh Naylor set a new high mark with his five-year, $92.5 million contract last offseason.
Garver struggled offensively in Seattle compared with his time in Texas and was relegated to a backup role behind catcher Cal Raleigh. Despite no longer being a starter, Garver remained an important clubhouse presence and helped Raleigh during his record-setting 2025 season.
The Mariners released Garver in August, and he signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees but never appeared in a major league game for the team.
The New York Knicks raised their first NBA title banner in 53 years on Tuesday night before tipping off their 2026-27 season, and we were all reminded of just how much this championship meant to the city of New York.
For one family, the championship was so impactful, it inspired the name of their firstborn son.
Yvonne Gonzalez-Bradford and her husband Vance were expecting their son when the Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games during the NBA Finals this summer, capping a run of destiny in the best way possible – ending a 53-year title drought for a city that has been waiting forever to celebrate them again.
The historic moment ultimately led the Bradfords down a path of names, and they settled on one: Knickson Fyve Bradford.
The Bradfords spoke with TODAY.com about the name choice, saying they already had Prestige Wisdom in place if the baby were a boy, and Lady Victoria if it were a girl.
But the Knicks changed everything.
"You know how when something happens so well in your favor, you don’t want to jinx it?" Vance said. "I was just like, ‘Yep! Absolutely. That’s it!"
Knickson was the first time, but Fyve as the middle name brought together the "Knicks in Five" slogan this fan base rallied around after they defeated the Spurs in five games.
Knickson was born on Aug. 8, weighing a healthy eight pounds, eight ounces. And for Yvonne, he was born on her birthday.
"We wanted to have a very strong and firm name that would lead to a cool life," Vance told the outlet. "Knickson Fyve is definitely our motto, Knickson Fyve forever!"
It’s also worth noting the Bradford family has a strong Knicks connection, with Vance’s mother being a scorekeeper for the 1972-73 Knicks. They went on to win the NBA title that season as well – and it remained the last time New York hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy before this group, led by Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, got the job done.
Brunson spoke to a sold-out, emotional Madison Square Garden crowd on Tuesday night before facing LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers, thanking the crowd and the Knicks fans at home for their support throughout the playoff run.
Well, he and his teammates have one new supporter who has no choice but to be a Knicks fan for life now that his name is attached to franchise history.
Getting angry with officials can cost coaches on the field — and off it, too.
The NFL fined New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, New York Jets coach Aaron Glenn and Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni $250,000 each for their conduct toward officials, according to Sports Illustrated. The fines are being held in abeyance, meaning they could be waived if the coaches demonstrate good behavior, according to the report.
It is unclear whether the fines stemmed from specific incidents or a pattern of conduct by the coaches.
In Week 4, Vrabel was flagged after expressing his displeasure with an official's call.
"I told him it was a terrible — I’m not going to say effing — call," Vrabel said after the game. "I’ve said that 87 times since I’ve been a head coach. It was nothing derogatory. You’d have to ask him. I think he was a little sensitive."
Officials have also made headlines this season, as the NFL disciplined two officials for their conduct in Week 5. Line judge Jeff Seeman was fined for apparently cursing at Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride.
Referee Adrian Hill was suspended for one game for unprofessional conduct toward Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson.
Wilson was pushed into Hill by a Miami Dolphins player after the play was blown dead, knocking the referee to the ground. Wilson offered to help Hill up, but the referee jumped to his feet, pointed at Wilson and yelled at him to get away.
"That was funny, honestly," Wilson told reporters in the Vikings' locker room, according to ESPN. "I ended up apologizing to him and explained the situation. He was cool about it. He understood what was going on. He just said he didn't want us fighting, me and (Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon II). He said he was just trying to break us up."
The NFL hopes to prevent further incidents involving coaches and officials from becoming distractions for the remainder of the season.
The NBA season may be only two days old, but Charles Barkley already appears to be in midseason form. During the first hour of Wednesday night’s "NBA Tip-Off" pregame show, Barkley appeared to surprise host Ernie Johnson with an unexpected revelation about Shaquille O’Neal.
Barkley suggested that O’Neal knows FBI Director Kash Patel, delivering the comment so casually that the entire "Inside the NBA" crew broke into laughter.
"Hey, Kenny. Should we be standing this close to Shaq?" Barkley asked.
Fellow NBA analyst Kenny Smith responded: "Why is that?"
"He’s been hanging out with Kash Patel," Barkley explained. "That’s dangerous."
"Oh!! Oh! Oh, I didn’t know you were gonna be going there," Johnson said. "But I should have known you would."
"Alright, Chuck," O’Neal replied as he continued to laugh. "Alright, Chuck."
For more than three decades, Ernie Johnson has hosted "Inside the NBA," which originates from a television studio in Atlanta. Two-time NBA champion Kenny Smith joined the show in 1998, Barkley came aboard in 2000 and O’Neal became a permanent fixture in 2011.
"I got your back, big fella," Barkley said. "We can hang out with who the hell we want to."
Barkley was hinting to Patel’s decision in September to name O’Neal an honorary FBI special agent.
"This session is historic – FBI was honored to be joined by one of the best supporters of law enforcement in the country -Shaq- who graduated with this session and became an honorary FBI Special Agent," Patel wrote on Sept. 17, in a post to X.
During his graduation ceremony, O’Neal joked that Barkley could be his first arrest. "Some of you will go back to your regular jobs, some of you will go to specialized training," O’Neal said in a speech to the graduating class.
"Some of you will go do what I do, be undercover. Well, I was undercover… But I just wanna say I appreciate you guys so much. Congratulations. I am not here for this; I am here for you… And if you see Charles Barkley, arrest him."
Parker McCollum has spent years chasing big whitetail bucks with his bow. And when the opportunity of a lifetime finally presented itself earlier this month, he almost blew it … because of a can of ZYN.
The country star joined OutKick OutDoors this week and enthusiastically recounted the story of a massive buck he harvested in northern Oklahoma on just the second day of archery season.
"I've been bowhunting for so long, and to finally have that kind of encounter with that caliber of a deer was just my 'finally' moment," McCollum said. "So rare for that to go down the way it did."
The funny part is that he wasn't even particularly excited about this buck when he'd seen it on his trail cameras. There were a couple of other deer in the area that had really caught his attention.
McCollum was sitting in his stand on Oct. 2 when the deer suddenly appeared directly beneath him. Unfortunately, the singer happened to be reaching for a ZYN at that exact moment.
"This mature, heavy-horned deer walks right underneath my stand, and I was putting a ZYN in," he recalled. "I was closing the can right as I saw him."
Watch Parker McCollum's entire interview with OutKick OutDoors here:
The buck heard the plastic can snap shut and stopped.
"I'm like, oh no," McCollum recalled. "Thinking, you know, he's about to bust ass out of here."
Fortunately, the buck didn't bolt. But the ZYN incident wasn't the only thing that threatened to derail McCollum's hunt. What followed were several nerve-racking minutes of trying to get into position for a shot without spooking the deer.
At one point, he even managed to hit his elbow against the tree while drawing his bow.
"I'm feeling it. My heart's racing. The whole deal is going," McCollum said. "And in my mind, I'm like, 'This is the encounter you have been waiting for.'"
Fortunately for McCollum, the story has a happy ending. He made a clean shot and recovered a buck that turned out to be even more impressive than he'd imagined.
"I've never shot a deer that I underestimated that much and was surprised by that much," he said. "It was phenomenal."
And while McCollum is heading overseas with Cody Johnson this weekend for his first UK and Ireland tour, he's already counting down the days until he can get back in the stand.
Here's hoping he can keep that ZYN can quiet next time.
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As is so often the case with modern college football, it seems like the decision to move to a 24-team College Football Playoff was made without thinking through potential long-term side effects.
While the endless search for more money throughout the sport is justifiable, given the increasing costs of fielding a competitive coaching staff and roster, the conferences that pushed the 24-team format through may not have fully considered the obvious implications. One of which is the necessary end of conference championship games.
In decades past, winning the Big Ten, ACC or SEC meant something. Both for the teams and their fanbases, and for poll voters who helped determine bowl selections. But in this new era, with a massive tournament field, if conference championships are meaningless, it raises a number of other questions. Namely, why should conferences even exist?
Theoretically, conferences are designed to create regional groupings, making travel and scheduling easier. In reality, as the modern ACC and Big Ten have demonstrated, they now exist mostly to make negotiating group media rights easier. There's no reason for UCLA and Rutgers to be in the same conference, other than a collective desire to increase their media value. Or Stanford and the Miami Hurricanes.
But with the 24-team playoff in place, a whole new world of possibilities could now be available. Chief among them, independence and the advantages that it offers. Why share television revenue with other schools? Why essentially give away your flexibility with scheduling? Notre Dame has more flexibility than anyone, and their schedule in 2026 gives them a tremendous leg up in the race for a 12-team playoff over, say, SEC teams playing much tougher opponents week in and week out.
In a new interview with Yahoo Sports!and Ross Dellenger, University of Miami president Joe Echevarria was very forthcoming about his interest in leaving the ACC and the potential opportunity to go independent.
"We are proud members of the ACC," he told Dellenger. "If the economics were even, we wouldn't be having any of these conversations. Thing is, we sit in the second tier. It's a reason we don't get a vote on the 24-team playoff and the Big Ten and SEC do."
One provision in the endlessly shifting Protect College Sports Act would prevent teams from switching conferences without going independent for several years. Echevarria strongly prefers that provision removed, to put it mildly, "You cannot lock us into a conference," he explained.
The Big Ten and SEC already shell out around $25 million more per team than the ACC does, which could increase significantly in just a few years when those conferences are able to negotiate new deals. If the ACC continues to fall behind, it could put Miami at a major competitive disadvantage relative to peer institutions. So would the Hurricanes go independent? Echevarria didn't shy away from the possibility, through brought up that it presents challenges for other, non-football sports.
"If we have to go independent, I like our chances because we are a national brand," he said. "I wouldn't like to do that because scheduling [other sports] is really tough. It's great for football but what about track, volleyball and the golf team?"
Still, as we've seen, conferences have been willing to figure out scheduling challenges in other sports. USC plays Penn State in other, non-football sports, even though it makes little sense and comes with immense travel difficulties. Miami now has a conference rivalry with the Cal Bears. If streaming services, television networks, or other sports broadcasters are willing to shell out more money for television rights for independent programs, and conference championships are now meaningless, what's to stop big brands from Miami from following Notre Dame's example?
And if they start the trend, how many others will follow?
Would programs like Alabama, Georgia and Texas bolt as opposed to sentencing themselves to the rigors of an SEC schedule for little reward? Or Ohio State and Michigan? Or USC?
As always, once conference realignment started, it seemed inevitable that the future would some sort of breakaway college football league. 64 teams, or whatever the number is, of the top programs competing against each other, ensuring that most games would pair a relatively big name against another. Which would mean a smaller playoff again, a far more popular configuration with fans anyway, and the potential for even more media revenue thanks to higher-profile matchups. With Group of Six teams left behind.
Once again, the desire to push relentlessly ahead toward more revenue might backfire for the major conferences, as teams like Miami question the need to remain in the ACC. Though it would be ironic if the 24-team playoff winds up being the straw that broke the camel's back when it comes to maintaining the conference structure.
Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson's one-game suspension for spitting at an opponent was upheld, the NFL announced Thursday.
The Bills have a bye in Week 7, so Gardner-Johnson will miss the team’s Week 8 game against the Baltimore Ravens. Appeals hearing officer Jordy Nelson heard the appeal.
Bills head coach Joe Brady called Gardner-Johnson's actions inexcusable.
"It’s hard enough to win enough in this league with 48 guys, much less 47. He knows that that can’t happen, it’s inexcusable, that’s not the standard that we’re going to have and play with. He’s addressed it, it’s been addressed," Brady told reporters on Monday.
"Those are the things that can’t happen on a football field. We want to toe the line in everything we do but we can’t cross the line."
Brady said Gardner-Johnson would remain in the starting lineup when he returns in Week 9. The 28-year-old was ejected from the game after spitting toward Las Vegas Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum and tight end Brock Bowers just before halftime.
Gardner-Johnson told reporters he would accept the consequences and needed to better control his emotions.
The Bills also had safety Sam Franklin Jr. suspended for spitting toward a player during the team’s win Sunday. Franklin denied the allegations in a social media post.
"Not a dirty play what so ever! Will always defend myself though. Still won't spit on anyone," Franklin posted on his Instagram Story Wednesday.
The NFL is gearing up for the next international game on its annual slate, with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints battling it out at Stade de France.
Of course, there has been some criticism of this plan, as France is experiencing some pretty nasty civil unrest at the moment, but the game will go ahead, with the Saints having been in the country for a few days already.
The Steelers? Well, people are already questioning their travel plans a little bit.
According to reports, the Steelers plan to take a red-eye to France that will depart on Thursday night.
Now, there are plenty of reasons why they might want to do this. It allows for more game prep at home; plus, with all the uncertainty around the game, there's a case to be made that it's less disruptive to players' sleep habits, and it makes some sense to hang around to make sure it's all going to happen.
We did get an example of why it might work better to go abroad earlier rather than later.
The Los Angeles Rams were goofed on for their decision to fly to Melbourne, Australia very close to game time, with some blaming it for their big loss to a San Francisco 49ers team that had been down under so long, they were starting to develop a taste for Vegemite.
Of course, in hindsight, the Rams aren't quite the worldbeaters we all thought before the season, but that travel schedule couldn't have helped matters.
While a red-eye to France isn't as brutal as a red-eye to Australia, travel is exhausting, and many people on social media were quick to point that out.
So who is going to end up being right on this one? The early-to-the-party Saints, or the fashionably late (compared to the Saints) Steelers?
Paul Finebaum says ESPN did, indeed, sideline him after an interview with OutKick last year.
Last September, Finebaum told Clay Travis during a podcast that he was considering leaving ESPN to run for U.S. Senate in Alabama as a Republican, revealing that he had also voted for President Donald Trump in 2024. A week later, Travis reported that ESPN had removed Finebaum from his scheduled television appearances because of the interview.
"Per sources: Disney/ESPN has removed @finebaum from appearing on @ESPN since his @outkick interview expressing interest in running as a Republican for senate in Alabama. ESPN has canceled all network appearances on all shows, including some that have occurred for a decade plus," Travis posted on X.
An ESPN public relations executive disputed the report, despite the obvious fact that Finebaum had disappeared from his usual ESPN television appearances, even following a weekend of major college football upsets.
"This is not true at all. The below is TOTALLY FALSE," ESPN's Bill Hofheimer wrote above Travis' report.
Finebaum sided with Travis' version of events this week.
"Of course, I was sidelined," Finebaum told Awful Announcing when asked about the story. "I’d done the same shows every day for 13 years, and the next thing you know, I’m not on there after a college football weekend."
OutKick asked ESPN for comment Thursday following Finebaum's remarks. The network sent the following statement:
"As we stated last year, Finebaum was never banned."
The dispute is largely a matter of semantics. Finebaum was not booked for his regular appearances on shows like SportsCenter and Get Up the week after his interview with OutKick. He did, however, continue hosting his eponymous show on SEC Network and ESPN Radio. He remained on some ESPN platforms.
The network can also claim it simply chose not to book him for certain television appearances and tried out other personalities in case Finebaum ultimately left the company to run for office. In fact, that is what we hear ESPN told people who inquired at the time.
As a matter of technicality, ESPN did not "ban" Finebaum. However, what is technically true is not always the same as what is obvious.
What appears obvious is that ESPN responded to Finebaum's interview by not booking him on the shows he has spent the past decade appearing on during the college football season.
Further, it would have been understandable for ESPN to take issue with Finebaum making national news about a potential political campaign while still employed by the company. We wouldn't have faulted ESPN for deciding not to use Finebaum on television while he was publicly flirting with a run for office, which he ultimately decided against.
Stephen A. Smith has spent years publicly discussing the possibility of running for president as a Democrat. ESPN did not respond by removing him from his regular television appearances or publicly preparing replacements in case he left the company to seek office.
That contrast makes ESPN's handling of Finebaum harder to dismiss as ordinary programming rotation.
Finally, there is the broader question of how much longer Finebaum will remain at ESPN.
Nearly every football season seems to bring another story about Finebaum potentially leaving the network, whether for political office or a media competitor. At some point, that recurring uncertainty begins to say something about the partnership.
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Shortly after Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh came to the defense of a released player following a gun-related incident, the other person involved in the altercation did the same.
Offensive lineman JC Latham got into an altercation with Jordan Elliott, and afterward, Elliott retrieved a gun from his car in the parking lot.
Latham was mostly mum on the incident, saying it was "an unfortunate situation."
"Heat of the moment, s— happens," Latham told reporters on Wednesday.
Despite the wild moment, Latham is hoping for the best for his now-former teammate.
"There ain’t never been no bad blood between us two," Latham said. "We were here over the summer getting treatment. Before that, we hung out whenever we were in the same city together. We actually had never had an argument leading up to it."
Saleh described the incident as a possible cry for help, a notion Latham appeared to agree with.
"I do think mental health is extremely important. That's just one of those situations where you just pray for a guy like that, if you can, reach out to him, hope for the best for him. There's no bad blood. It's nothing personal on my end."
"I will stand on the table for Jordan's character. Unfortunately, rules are rules with regards to guns on property. And sometimes it's far greater than the knee-jerk reaction of kicking somebody when they're down," Saleh told reporters on Wednesday.
"My message to 31 other teams would be if you need a hell of a run stopping d-tackle that can help you on a playoff run, give me a call. I'll tell you everything you need to know about him. He's a good man. Had a terrible lapse in judgment that I recognized as a call for help more than a criminal act."
"The reason why I think the NFL and the organization did an outstanding job is because this is a man who is a father, a great husband, he's never committed a crime in his entire life, and he pulled a gun in the parking lot. And the first question that I think everyone forgets to ask is why would a great man, a great father, a man who shows up on time every day, works his a-- off every day, contributes the way he's supposed to contribute, is well-liked in the locker room, why did he go off the rails and grab a gun?" Saleh added.
"And to me, those are small signs of a cry of help if you in terms of obviously there's something greater happening. And I thought the team in the NFL did an outstanding job in regard to pausing and asking those questions and checking every single box with regards to getting him the help that he needs."
Did everyone involved in the Arch Manning story create an edgier monster this week ahead of the Longhorns' showdown against Ole Miss on Saturday night?
In the middle of a season that has warranted a lot of questions pertaining to this Texas offense, the story of offensive woes from this Steve Sarkisian-led football team has created more drama than one could have foreseen before the first game in September.
Should it come as a surprise that Texas is currently feeling the pressure as it pertains to making the college football playoffs?
Absolutely not. The expectations around Austin are to put themselves in a position that could lead to a postseason run.
The problem centers around the fact that this offense has not produced enough with Arch Manning up to this point that would keep them from losing to consecutive unranked opponents.
Outside of a fourth quarter comeback against Ohio State, there has not been a moment where we looked at this football team and thought that they were living up to expectations.
Making it past the CFP quarterfinals and having a shot at competing for a national title with four other teams.
Those aren’t the goals from within the media, but more so centered around the fact that Steve Sarkisian made it abundantly clear that the semifinals were no longer good enough for this Texas football program.
Did we in the media create a monster in Arch Manning? Guess we'll find out ...
Did we in the media, along with the coaches at Texas, turn this whole ordeal into a massive storyline around Manning?
Did we imply that Arch had taken on the persona of the family legacy that came before him?
I don't know. But what I do know is that the Texas quarterback has looked pretty timid in the pocket for a majority of this season, though it obviously doesn’t fall on just Manning. This is a Sarkisian problem as well, for his interesting and inept play-calling through this point in the season.
So, has the demeanor of Arch changed this week as the volume continues to get louder in Austin?
"I would use the word edgy, and I like it. He’s edgy right now," Steve Sarkisian noted. "And I think that somebody texted me today that we lost the ‘Aw Shucks’ kid and we created something else. I don’t know if we lost him. We created this. We did. All of us. Y’all included. Me. The whole thing, right. Everybody on ESPN, we’ve created this. And so we’ll see what comes out of it.
"But he’s edgy right now. And honestly, I appreciate that about him. At some point, he’s gotta fight back. And the best way for him to fight back is going out and playing really good football with his teammates and enjoy playing football with his teammates. And so I’m looking forward to watching him compete Saturday night."
Will we get the quarterback who looks to play timid at times, or will we see Arch just "let it rip" as he proclaimed this week after the loss to Florida?
I think we all know which passer Texas fans want to see against Ole Miss.
That type of quarterback has essentially been buried deep within the body of Manning over the past two months. But we have all seen the fierce side of Arch before, dating back to last season on multiple occasions.
We have also seen it against Ohio State, with a quarterback that was playing with an aggression on the field that circumvents throughout this football team.
I guess we're about to find out if we created a monster or not, even if that means Steve Sarkisian can use the outside noise to entice his quarterback into playing with more aggression.
Who would have thought a "Wet & Wild" show put on by a touring group by the name of UK Pleasure Boys would get out of hand? Not the English soccer team who allowed the 18-plus show to take place at their clubhouse last weekend.
Banbury United FC was as surprised as anyone when footage of the event hosted at The Spencer Clubhouse started popping up on social media. Now they're reviewing how this could have ever taken place.
The clips of the event that surfaced show male dancers in cowboy hats dancing and stripping on stage, reports the Daily Mail. The dancers then go into the audience where they appear to "perform sex acts on members of a raucous crowd."
It sounds wet and wild to me, but I have no idea what they thought they were signing up for. The apology they ended up issuing after the event indicates that they were expecting a much tamer wet and wild.
"I've worked in hospitality for a long time. Whenever these events happen the women just go nuts - particularly the mums," a source told the Daily Mail. "I guess if it is your one night out in God knows how long, you are going to need to let off some steam."
That's one way to look at it. Banbury United FC had a different way of looking at it. One that required an apology to be issued.
"We are aware of video clips circulating online from the UK Pleasure Boys' 'Wet & Wild' show held at The Spencer Clubhouse on Saturday, October 17. This was a ticketed, 18+ event," they said in a statement.
"The images suggest that part of the performance towards the end went beyond what we find acceptable at our venue. We apologise to anyone in attendance who was offended. The venue was booked for that evening by an external promoter as part of a UK-wide tour," the statement continued.
"We are reviewing what happened and will revise our hire and conduct terms for performance events as a result."
This should be a simple fix. If the UK Pleasure Boys are coming to town for a "Wet & Wild" show, believe that they're going to deliver said show.
If a wet and wild show by a group calling themselves pleasure boys is out of your comfort zone, don't allow them to book it. Problem solved and, at the end of the day, that's all I'm trying to do is help solve problems.
A friend and teammate of Tiger Woods revealed the 50-year-old wants to get back to golf early next year following his arrest on charges of driving under the influence.
Woods completed a rehab stint in Switzerland after he was arrested on charges of driving under the influence as well as two other misdemeanors in Florida. He entered a plea deal in September where his charges were reduced.
Now home, Woods appears like he’s ready to golf once again, as fellow PGA Tour Pro Jason Kisner alluded to him being back with his TGL squad, Jupiter Links.
"Obviously, I’m not on the team anymore," Kisner told the "Fore Play" podcast, where he serves as co-host. "I had a two-year contract with Jupiter Links. …Tiger wants to play and then they wanted to sign Keith Mitchell, which is totally fine with me. It gives me a chance to hang out in January and February instead of flying back and forth to Palm Beach every Monday."
Kisner said that he spoke with Rob McNamara, Woods’ longtime friend and business partner, via text, where he explained what the 15-time major winner has planned for the 2027 TGL schedule.
"[Rob] texted me a long text last week, I think. Just telling me what they did on their decisions, how they were moving around and what players were going to do and that Tiger wanted to play a full schedule. I mean, we talked about it at the end of the season obviously."
Kisner also believes that Woods will play in regular tournaments: the Hero World Challenge, which is the annual tournament hosted by Woods to benefit his TGR Foundation, and the PNC Championship, a family-focused event where he’s played with his son, Charlie, in past years.
If all goes well, Kisner could even see Woods back playing at The Masters in 2027.
"The way he was swinging and moving on the range, I mean, the guy loves to compete," Kisner added. "Come back, get your feet wet at the Hero, play with Charlie in the father-son, play some TGL [and] get ready for Augusta."
It was just three days prior to his arrest on charges of driving under the influence where Woods returned to the TGL to play with Jupiter Links following back and Achilles rehab. Woods, then, was in a car crash on Jupiter Island, flipping his Land Rover.
Woods performed a breathalyzer test that found no alcohol in his system, but he refused to take a urine test following the crash. He was found with two hydrocodone pills on his person during a search at the scene.
Levi Kitchen is on top of the SuperMotocross world. But getting there required more than recovering from a serious injury. He had to learn to trust himself again.
The 25-year-old Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider captured the 2026 Monster Energy SMX 250 Class World Championship in September 2026, securing his first professional title and ending a seven-year championship drought for his team.
It was a career-defining moment for Kitchen, who had spent years coming close to winning a championship while battling injuries and setbacks along the way.
"It was unreal," Kitchen told OutKick OutDoors in an exclusive interview. "I've had some heartbreaks, obviously been close, but it felt really good."
"It was pretty emotional for me just because it had taken a while to win anything of that caliber," he added.
But the road to that championship was anything but smooth.
The long road back from Daytona
In March 2025, Kitchen suffered a violent crash during the Daytona Supercross that left him with a broken collarbone and fractures in his upper back. The injuries sidelined him for the remainder of the Supercross season.
And while he eventually healed enough to return to racing, Kitchen said the mental recovery was a different battle entirely.
"Oh yeah, big time," he said when asked whether it was difficult to regain his confidence after the crash.
"If I look back at that season, even when I came back on the bike, in 2025, I was maybe a top-five guy outdoors. And then at least was able to compete for the championship this year."
Watch Levi Kitchen's entire interview with OutKick OutDoors here:
That progression didn't happen overnight.
"Slowly but surely, I've made really good progress, and I have all my confidence back," Kitchen said. "It just goes to show, I think fans, or just anybody, don't realize how much injuries can really affect everything."
"It can be a real pain in the butt to build yourself back up."
For fans watching from the sidelines, a rider's return to competition might signal that the recovery process is complete. But as Kitchen explained, getting back on the bike doesn't necessarily mean getting back to the same level of confidence and performance.
It took time, patience and a different approach to racing.
Learning when to back off
Looking back on everything he's experienced, Kitchen believes one of his biggest improvements has come from learning to trust his abilities while also recognizing his limits.
"The biggest thing I would say is just finally the belief," he said. "The belief side of it is super important. And I think on any given day, if I show up with the belief that I can get something done, normally I can get it done."
Kitchen also had to develop a little more restraint — something that doesn't always come naturally in a sport where riders are constantly pushing the limits of speed and control.
"Just maturity of racing," he explained. "Now, if I don't really have it on a day, I try to be as smart as I can. Where before, I would probably still try and then end up on the ground or something."
It's a lesson learned the hard way, but one Kitchen believes will serve him well beyond a single championship season.
"I want to race for a lot more years to come and can't be too stupid," he said.
That shift in mentality paid off in September when Kitchen secured the 250SMX World Championship at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Ridgedale, Mo.
And the victory meant something special beyond his own accomplishments.
Kitchen's title ended a seven-year championship drought for Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki, one of the most decorated organizations in 250-class racing.
"Mitch has done so much for me," Kitchen said, referring to team owner Mitch Payton. "Me and Mitch have gotten close over the years, and he's been a great boss and friend of mine now. So it was super special."
One championship down, but plenty more to chase
Despite finally capturing that elusive first title, Kitchen insists he isn't suddenly feeling satisfied.
In fact, winning the championship has only strengthened his belief in what he's capable of accomplishing.
"It didn't really take any pressure off," he said. "The only thing it did was help me with the belief side of things. Just being able to execute."
Kitchen has his sights set on both a Supercross and a Pro Motocross championship in 2027, and he plans to remain in the 250 class for at least another season.
"The Supercross Championship has been a major goal of mine, so that's my first goal," he said. "But overall, just maybe be a little better than I was this year."
And while the first championship was certainly worth celebrating, Kitchen knows there's no guarantee the next one will come any easier.
"I don't think you'll ever be satisfied, really, which is a tough thing," he said.
For now, though, Kitchen can take some satisfaction in knowing how far he's come.
A year ago, he was still working to rebuild his confidence after a frightening crash. Now, he's a world champion.
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