The World Series hasn’t started yet, but one player is already a champion.
Relief pitcher Jake Woodford played for both the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays this season, guaranteeing that he becomes a champion.
The Rays traded the 29-year-old to Milwaukee just before the season began in March. Woodford was in the Brewers’ bullpen to start the season, appearing in 16 games. He had a 1-0 record with a 6.94 ERA and one save in 23 1/3 innings pitched.
On June 5, Woodford was designated for assignment and subsequently released a few days later. On July 4, he signed a contract with the Chicago Cubs.
Woodford appeared in just one game for the Cubs, allowing three runs in two innings. The Cubs designated Woodford for assignment on July 11, and he was released on July 16. However, the Cubs signed him to a minor league contract on July 18. On July 29, the Cubs selected his contract, returning him to the major league roster.
Woodford threw one scoreless inning on Aug. 3 but was once again designated for assignment by the Cubs on Aug. 4 and released on Aug. 10.
The Rays then brought him back, signing him to a minor league contract on Aug. 11. After more than a month in the minor leagues, the Rays selected his contract and added him to their major league roster on Sept. 24.
Woodford pitched against the New York Yankees, giving up three earned runs in 1 1/3 innings. He was designated for assignment on Sept. 25 and released again on Sept. 29.
Woodford’s roller-coaster ride took him through three different teams over the course of the 2026 season, but one of those teams is guaranteed to win the World Series.
However, Woodford is not guaranteed to receive a ring. There is no official rule that requires teams to give rings to every player, as ring distribution is at the discretion of team ownership and management.
The World Series begins on Friday at 8 p.m. ET, with the Brewers hosting the Rays.
When you do something on the baseball field that’s only been done twice in nearly 114 years by two Hall of Famers, you know it’s extraordinary.
Tampa Bay Rays star and ALCS MVP Freddy Peralta has been lights out down the stretch. In his last 10 starts dating back to the regular season, he has pitched more than 50 innings, allowed one run or fewer in each start, and his team has won all 10 games, according to Opta STATS.
The only two other pitchers to have such streaks were St. Louis Cardinals legend Bob Gibson in 1968 and Walter Johnson in 1913 with the Washington Nationals. However, Johnson’s Nationals are not today’s Nationals. The franchise later became known as the Washington Senators before moving to Minnesota and becoming the Twins in 1961.
When the Rays acquired Peralta from the New York Mets at the trade deadline, he had a 4.99 ERA in 22 starts. While they expected him to improve, no one could have expected this.
"This is crazy," Peralta said. "I’m very happy to be here and grateful to be here because when I was in July, I had no idea where I was going to be. I think that this was the right place."
Since joining the Rays, the 30-year-old went 5-2 in 10 regular-season starts with a 3.25 ERA and was named the American League’s Pitcher of the Month for September. In the postseason, he has been especially dominant. In four appearances (three starts), Peralta has a sparkling 1.08 ERA in 16 2/3 innings pitched.
Nicknamed "Fastball Freddy" for his heater, Peralta credited Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder, along with bullpen coach Jorge Moncada and bullpen catcher Charlie Valerio, for his turnaround.
"They helped me a lot," Peralta said. "I can’t thank them enough because the way that they helped me is amazing, something I’m never going to forget in life. I’m very grateful to have people like that here, people that I never saw before and now they are part of my family."
While Peralta is on a roll, the World Series is going to be a little odd for him: He will face the Milwaukee Brewers, with whom he spent the first eight seasons of his career.
"Milwaukee is a team and a city that gave me the opportunity to make my dream, and also Milwaukee is going to be always in my heart," Peralta said. "But this is a time to compete ... and excited to go."
The right-hander is set to hit free agency this offseason and could earn a big payday. First, however, he is looking to take down his old team and help the Rays win their first World Series title.
The New York Giants may still be searching for their feature back, but they appear to know who won't fill the role.
Two days after criticizing the coaching staff's game plan following a four-carry, two-yard performance, the G-Men released Najee Harris.
Harris, a training camp pickup following struggles by Tyrone Tracy, got the start on Sunday, as Cam Skattebo was all but benched after another fumble, perhaps this one the most costly, last week. Skattebo was on the field for just six snaps and did not touch the ball.
The Giants used a three-running-back rotation of Harris, Tracy and Devin Singletary, yet their top two leading rushers were quarterback JJ McCarthy (26 yards) and wide receiver Darnell Mooney (20). As John Harbaugh put it after Sunday's loss, "Nobody's really taken the bull by the horns."
Well, Harris said it was difficult for him and the other backs to get into a rhythm.
"I don't think nobody can," Harris said, via the New York Daily News. "And this is not to anything that's the coaching staff or anything. This is just personal, running backs, quarterbacks. It's hard to get in a rhythm with one or two plays.
"The first couple runs will be, 'OK, how are they playing me?' The next one is gonna be, 'OK, this is how you attack it.' But if you're getting a play here and get taken out four series, there's nothing you can do. I don't know. I've never been through this before."
Harris has 99 rushing yards on 31 carries (3.2 yards per carry), a far cry from his four straight 1,000-yard seasons to open up his NFL career, which began just five years ago.
Harris was a first-round pick out of Alabama and was the Pittsburgh Steelers' bell cow but left after four seasons. He joined the Los Angeles Chargers, but injuries kept him out for almost the entire season.
Giants running backs are averaging just 3.4 yards per carry this season, with Skattebo barely leading the way at 3.6. Out of his 294 rushing yards, 81 of them came against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1. He followed up with 36, 60, 58, and 59.
Harbaugh is patiently waiting to see who will take the bull by the horns, but one thing is for certain — it won't be Harris. New York will go to Houston to take on the suddenly-hot Texans before their Week 8 bye.
Monday night in San Francisco, for the second consecutive game of the WNBA Finals, the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries stepped off the court before the national anthem and then immediately returned to the court after Canadian-born Alanis Morissette finished her performance.
The spineless league hasn't said a word despite the women continuing to break an anthem rulebook provision that requires them to attend the performance. Now that we've reported, it's time for you guys to react and share your feelings on this drama that isn't going away.
OutKick readers weigh in on how the anthem situation should be handled:
• UNLV Doc has some deep thoughts to share: WNBA types and political sycophants probably think they're rebels, and they are. But they are rebelling against order and creation in favor of chaos, which is always the easy way to mindlessly effect change, and what the selfish have always done. Honorable rebels take a stand, work, and sacrifice, even against self-interest to bravely bring about something other than the chaos that naturally exists without applied effort to create something good. I'm looking forward to seeing such leaders emerge from the WNBA mob; I know they're in there somewhere.
• Richard C. sent in this great take:How about a double disqualification and no champion recognized this year.
• Carmen has hit a breaking point:I love Daily Outkick and I hate the WNBA and everyday it's just funny to read and move on. It's not that funny anymore. The WNBA has failed women. As a female coach, I do my best to build strong, confident, capable, athletes who happen to be females. They are held to a standard that doesn't include entitlement, excuses, or any agenda other than TEAM.
The WNBA is about anything but sport, and that is inexcusable for so many young women pursuing professional sports. Pushing themselves to another level to achieve their goals. It's embarrassing that this is women's professional basketball when so few hold themselves to that level. It's a soap opera that deserves zero attention.
As an organization that is supposed to promote the best in women's sport, it's become laughable. It's a joke that has a played out punchline. You have failed those you are supposed to be a trailblazer for. When athletic performance is secondary to everything else, you have failed as a league.
• Pops makes a good point: The WNBA proves once again they are a political activist organization not a women’s basketball organization. They decide what rules they want to enforce and what rules they will not enforce.
• Kenneth is fed up:Well I have an answer. If the WNBA had any balls (which they don’t) both teams would be banned from playing the game and all players suspended indefinitely. If you can’t attend and stand for the national anthem of the country that has given you everything then you have no business being here.
• Mark S. sends a message to WNBA executives:What a crock. The league is a farce and an embarrassment to our country, not thier country. Fine them all. This is not a political forum it is a game and rules are rules. Enough of the lesbian leaque and who wnba management listen to. Stand up and control your players or get rid of them Set an example.
• Mike Mc. says:The WNBA is a sideshow of awkward misfits playing a child's game poorly. It's no surprise that they do dumb things, but it is surprising that any discerning "fan" pays attention to this collection of grumpy malcontents. On second thought, if you had any discernment, you wouldn't be a fan. Problem solved.
• Joe B. wants the WNBA to take a hike: Remove the entire league from USA arenas. Sell the entire group to Europe, Asia or a South America country. Who needs these disrespectful ingrates playing here?
• Don says enough is enough: Why are we continually putting up with the WNBA? They have proven they are a league that continually cares only about themselves and no one or nothing else.The league fails to react to any of the players who disobey the rules. They have tried to turn this into a racial bias league. I think i am done.
• Gary says punish them for breaking the rules: This is just another example of disrespect for our nation and should not go unpunished by the league. Actions should have consequences.
• Richard S. tells us: Stop giving the anti American league any more print.
• Michael M. emails: I think all the international players should be deported for not respecting the American flag and National Anthem and all the lesbians be disbarred from playing in the WNBA.
• Jerry has a simple message: Real Americans don't watch this trash anyway.
Here's a sampling of other comments posted to our WNBA anthem coverage:
It’s like this league/teams/players go out of their way to make people not like them. I’ve never seen a major sports or entertainment franchise so hell bent as this one to be as unappealing to the public at large as this one. It’s quite amazing.
Disgusting. But as a private organization I guess the players can do what they want…. as can I. I immediately changed the channel. I won’t watch that baloney. We don’t need another France.
Once could be a mix up. Twice in a row is INTENTIONAL! The coaches, the players, and the owners should be fined.
Fine each team $250,000 for this offense. Third offense $350,000 each. Fourth offense each team gets one game forfeited. Get serious WNBA! This is a disgrace.
The WNBA finally has a shot at gaining traction and instead of embracing it, they seem determined to throw it away.
This aligns with the sickness of our culture - lack of gratitude. the fact that a person can kneel during the national anthem is reason to stand for it. That alone, we should be grateful.
It is amazing to watch an organization "Bud-Light" themselves. They already can't support themselves. They have to be subsidized by the NBA. I don't see much of a future for the WNBA.
The NBA tips off today at 3:00 p.m. ET for another great year of action. Will we see the Knicks repeat as champions, or will we see yet another new winner? Hard Rock Bet is offering new users a chance to bet $5 and earn No Sweat Bets. If those bets lose, you’ll be given up to $500 in bonus bets.
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There are three NBA games on today’s schedule, and all six teams have slightly different goals. Let’s take a look at each as they start today’s slate:
Celtics vs Pistons | Tuesday, Oct 20, 2026 at 3:00 pm ET | Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI | NBC/Peacock
Boston Celtics — Prove they did the right thing by trading away Jaylen Brown — It isn’t often that you see a young superstar sent away, especially after he just led your team to the playoffs. However, it started becoming clear that Boston needed to split up Brown and Jayson Tatum. This year will be about establishing Tatum again as the key to their team.
Detroit Pistons — Prove last year wasn’t a fluke — the Pistons were the best team in the East by record last season. This is just a few years removed from being one of the worst teams in the league. Cade Cunningham and company need to find a way to earn another home-court advantage, at least in the first round of the postseason.
76ers vs Knicks | Tuesday, Oct 20, 2026 at 7:00 pm ET | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY | NBC/Peacock
Philadelphia 76ers — Championship or bust — Expectations are high for the city of brotherly love. That’s what happens when you have Jaylen Brown and LeBron James come into town. If they fall short, this season will be looked at as a failure, fair or not.
New York Knicks — Repeat — Winning back-to-back championships has been rarer in the NBA than in any other sport in the past decade. The Knicks have the same team they won with last year; can they make the right moves and get to the Finals once again? If they fall short, some fans will be frustrated, but others will just accept last year’s victory and be happy.
Thunder vs Spurs | Tuesday, Oct 20, 2026 at 9:30 pm ET | Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX | NBC/Peacock
Oklahoma City Thunder — Prove they know how to stop Victor Wembanyama — The Thunder are two years removed from a championship. In order to get to the Finals again, they need to find a way to get past Wembanyama. The Spurs are the only true threat in both age and outlook to beat the Thunder in the West.
San Antonio Spurs — Win the championship — If the Spurs don’t make it to the Finals this year, it won’t be a complete failure. Wembanyama and company made it last year, but couldn’t finish the deal. Losses in back-to-back seasons will only open the door to questions. They have to seal the deal.
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76ers vs Knicks | Tuesday, Oct 20, 2026 at 7:00 pm ET | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY | NBC/Peacock
A lot has changed over the summer. The 76ers have added two major pieces to their starting lineup, and even one to their rotation. The additions of Jaylen Brown, LeBron James and Anfernee Simons will give the team a boost. The big question, as always, surrounds Joel Embiid and his health.
The Knicks were able to capture their first championship in over 40 years. Jalen Brunson established himself as a true 1A option for the team, and the Knicks now have a chance to be the first team in about a decade to win the NBA Championship in back-to-back years. There are some cracks in the foundation, though. Karl-Anthony Towns wants a new contract, the team lost some depth, and it is hard to win two years in a row.
Philadelphia 76ers Starting Lineup
Tyrese Maxey, PG
VJ Edgecombe, SG
Jaylen Brown, SF
LeBron James, PF
Joel Embiid, C
New York Knicks Starting Lineup
Jalen Brunson, PG
Josh Hart, SG
Mikal Bridges, SF
OG Anunoby, PF
Karl-Anthony Towns, C
Thunder vs Spurs | Tuesday, Oct 20, 2026 at 9:30 pm ET | Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX | NBC/Peacock
How does a team respond to getting knocked out of the postseason, in Game 7, on their home court? That’s the question the Thunder will have to answer today. Oklahoma City won the championship two years ago, and they were knocked out by the Spurs last year. This year, they are opening the year against their biggest threat to returning to the Finals.
If we question how a team responds to being knocked out in the Western Conference Finals, we probably need to wonder how a team responds to being knocked out of the NBA Finals. The Spurs had leads in a few games and, simply put, they blew it. Sometimes, teams need to lose in order to learn how to win. Will the Spurs start their journey to the championship with a win today?
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Celtics vs Pistons | Tuesday, Oct 20, 2026 at 3:00 pm ET | Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI | NBC/Peacock
The first game of the season takes place in the early afternoon, with the Celtics going to Detroit and taking on the Pistons. Boston will look to figure out how they can get Paul George and Mitchell Robinson involved in the new-look offense. The Pistons were able to take the top spot in the East last season, but really didn’t make any significant additions in the offseason. They added John Collins to replace Tobias Harris.
Celtics vs. Pistons Odds
Odds are subject to change
76ers vs Knicks | Tuesday, Oct 20, 2026 at 7:00 pm ET | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY | NBC/Peacock
Philadelphia is one of the teams with the brightest outlooks in the NBA. They have revamped their team with major additions. They traded for Jaylen Brown, a former NBA Finals MVP. Then they signed LeBron James as a free agent. Their starting five might be the best in the entire NBA. The Knicks are coming off winning an NBA championship, but they didn’t really make an addition to the team; they lost Mitchell Robinson. They do have the main five starters still on the roster, though.
76ers vs Knicks Odds
Odds are subject to change
Thunder vs Spurs | Tuesday, Oct 20, 2026 at 9:30 pm ET | Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX | NBC/Peacock
The Oklahoma City Thunder are coming into the game without making too many additions to their roster. They added Aday Mara, who could be a big piece for their defense. The bench is still deep and one of the best in basketball. The Spurs fell short in the NBA Championship last season. Victor Wembanyama is looking to establish himself as the best player in the league and get over that hump. Tobias Harris was added to the team, but he is out for this game. The team is deep enough that it shouldn’t matter.
Supporters of the New Orleans Saints are marching into France, and the wave began early Tuesday when an Air France charter flight carrying Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and others was expected to arrive at Charles de Gaulle Airport northeast of Paris.
The Republican governor, wearing a hoodie with the Saints' trademark fleur-de-lis symbol across his chest, left Louis Armstrong Airport on Monday evening. He spoke with reporters before boarding his flight "with a bunch of folks" who would spend the week in France before Sunday's NFL game between the Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers at Stade de France in Saint-Denis.
Landry seemed confident the trip's safety risk was manageable — so much so that the group carried the Saints' Super Bowl XLIV Lombardi Trophy on the trip.
"Yeah, look, we've been in contact with the State Department and talking to our partners over there," Landry told reporters. "One thing the NFL does very well is work with the FBI, to use Department of Justice, Interpol, they do a great job of securing new stadiums out there.
"And we waited to hear the comment from the NFL. They said it's safe. We're gonna go out there with a bunch of folks from Louisiana and hopefully have a good time."
The NFL on Sunday released a statement that said the game is still on. but nothing in the statement unequivocally said the situation is safe.
"Preparations continue as scheduled for NFL events and the game at Stade de France next Sunday," the NFL statement provided to OutKick and Fox News Digital read.
"We continue to work closely with local authorities and partners on all operational and security matters. We are also providing the two clubs with regular updates. There’s been no disruption or impact at league sites."
The Saints traveled to France after their game on Sunday and some fans are obviously following. The Steelers plan to fly to France on Thursday but on Monday afternoon held a Zoom meeting with the league office about the trip. All the players, coaches and even Steelers owner Art Rooney II were on the call.
"That's part of the normal planning anytime you go abroad," Steelers coach Mike McCarthy said. "The team is excited to go over there but we're in contact with the league...
"We are aware of the situations over there, and have a lot of confidence in our plan."
New Orleans players, already in France, are off Tuesday and free to roam away from their temporary headquarters near Versailles. Some players planned to attend a Paris Saint-Germain FC soccer match in the evening.
This is against the backdrop of the French government imposing a curfew and many businesses and some famous tourist attractions shutting down amid the wave of violence that engulfed sections of Paris and other cites around the country.
Despite all this, Landry is expecting to conduct some business on behalf of the people of Louisiana while in France.
"Look, we do a lot of work and business in Europe, and so we're very excited," he said. "We got a number of meetings, a meeting with the CEO of Shell, the CEO of BP, and others."
Another meeting Landry hopes to have is with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who is scheduled to attend the game. Landry hopes to lobby Goodell to hold another Super Bowl in New Orleans.
The NBA returns to action with three NBA games tipping off tonight to get the season started. FanDuel is offering new users a chance to be part of the game with an offer of betting $5 to earn $350 in bonuses. Bet $5 per day for seven straight days and earn a $50 bonus bet token each day.
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Celtics vs Pistons | Tuesday, Oct 20, 2026 at 3:00 pm ET | Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI | NBC/Peacock
The Boston Celtics are on a quest to return to the top of the East, but there are many teams standing in their way. The first of which is tonight’s Detroit team that held the top spot in the regular season last year. The Pistons have one of the better young guards in the league, Cade Cunningham.
The Celtics are built around a combination of guys, but their roster continues to change each year. They have Paul George and Jayson Tatum leading the way, but Derrick White is the silent hero. White is one of the better defenders in the game, and he is a strong shooter and scorer as well. His scoring should see an increase this year without Jaylen Brown on the roster.
The Pistons didn’t really make many changes from last season. They added John Collins, replacing Tobias Harris. Collins is not as good a scorer, but might be a better rebounder and defender than Harris. Perhaps he can get some lobs and open threes from Cunningham.
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The NBA returns to action tonight with three games for us to enjoy, and all three are elite matchups. Betr is offering new users an elite offer of $200 and four free picks to enjoy on the NBA’s opening day! Use promo code FOXNEWS to earn $200 in bonuses.
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With three games on the day, let’s pick out a player prop in each of the games:
Celtics vs Pistons | Tuesday, Oct 20, 2026 at 3:00 pm ET | Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI | NBC/Peacock
Jalen Duren under 17.5 points
Jalen Duren spent a lot of the offseason in contract negotiations. That is behind him, and he can work to build on a season where he averaged 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists. He did not face the Knicks last season, so we can’t really compare what he did against Mitchell Robinson. However, in three games against the Knicks with Robinson as his primary defender, he has averaged just 10 points per game.
76ers vs Knicks | Tuesday, Oct 20, 2026 at 7:00 pm ET | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY | NBC/Peacock
Tyrese Maxey over 4.5 assists
The 76ers point guard is primarily a scorer, but with weapons all around him, expect Philadelphia to ask him to do less scoring and more facilitating. It will be someone different’s night each night. Jalen Brunson isn’t exactly a good defender, and the Knicks won’t be able to switch as much as they did in the postseason against him. Maxey had 6.6 assists per game last season with a worse supporting cast. He is averaging 4.3 assists per game against the Knicks in his career, but this is a bet on him having more help than normal.
Thunder vs Spurs | Tuesday, Oct 20, 2026 at 9:30 pm ET | Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX | NBC/Peacock
Chet Holmgren over 13.5 points
The last time we saw Holmgren, he was a shell of himself against this same Spurs team. We’ve heard for years that Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama would be the battle of the future. So far, that battle has been one-sided. Expect the Thunder to get him involved in the offense early. This should be a game where they specifically try to get him ready for future matchups against the Spurs.
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It is like Christmas morning because we get the gift of basketball returning to our screens as the NBA starts up. We have three games on the slate, and Underdog is offering new users the promo code FOXNEWS to play $10 on any game and earn $50 in bonuses. Wager $10 and earn a $10 token; repeat that process for five days to earn the full $50.
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Celtics vs Pistons | Tuesday, Oct 20, 2026 at 3:00 pm ET | Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI | NBC/Peacock
The Celtics are coming to Detroit to take on the Pistons. Boston is looking to return to glory, just a few years removed from a championship. Detroit is a few years removed from being one of the worst teams in the league, but they’ve found themselves with a competitive team that tries hard.
Let’s look at the career stats of both of their team’s superstars and how they stack up against each other:
76ers vs Knicks | Tuesday, Oct 20, 2026 at 7:00 pm ET | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY | NBC/Peacock
We have two unveilings tonight. We see the Knicks unveil their championship banner, and we also see the 76ers unveil their new roster. New York will be rocking, raising their banner to the rafters. However, they are doing it in front of a team that lost to them in the postseason last year. The 76ers are one of this year’s favorites to dethrone the Knicks.
New York is essentially running back their championship roster. The 76ers made two big additions in the offseason: LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. Those two, coupled with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey (and even VJ Edgecombe), could provide an unstoppable big four. We could see a preview of potentially the Eastern Conference Finals if things align.
The NBA season is just about to tip off, and we have three games of action today with some excellent matchups. Fanatics Sportsbook is offering new users a chance to celebrate with promo code FOXNEWS350 to earn $350 on a $20 wager on today’s NBA slate.
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Celtics vs Pistons | Tuesday, Oct 20, 2026 at 3:00 pm ET | Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI | NBC/Peacock
The Boston Celtics head into Detroit to take on the upstart Pistons. Last season, the Pistons ended the season with the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics had a playoff meltdown against the 76ers and then dismantled their star duo.
Jaylen Brown was shipped off to Philadelphia (and he plays later today if you’re interested). Now they have Paul George in his place, and they’ve added Mitchell Robinson to the roster. This isn’t as deep or as talented as their championship team, but Jayson Tatum may be on a mission to prove they kept the right guy.
The Detroit Pistons are just a few years removed from being one of the worst teams in the NBA. The turnaround is complete, and the goal now is sustaining it. They have one of the best young guards in the league, Cade Cunningham. John Collins is a nice addition to the team, but clearly he isn’t a perfect fit anywhere, as this is already his fifth team in 10 seasons. They resigned Jalen Duren, and now they look to run it back and get the 1st seed once again.
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Hello and welcome to another edition of Free Agent! Be careful when you're behind the wheel this week.
College football is great! Surely you want even more of it, right? We'll get into the problems with a 24-team College Football Playoff (CFP), then talk about the NBA's new betting restrictions, and close with thoughts about President Donald Trump's new government golf course plans. And just in case you don't make it to the end, here's a shortcut to our survey on who you're rooting for in the World Series.
But first, many congratulations to "Gary's 1st Entry" on outlasting everyone else in our NFL Survivor group. There's no prize other than this shoutout, so be sure to print out today's newsletter, highlight this paragraph, and frame it in gold. Perhaps Gary can keep going and challenge Primetime Paulie Rothrock's 13-game winning streak from last season.
Locker Room Links
Both teams in the WNBA Finals left the court for the National Anthem—unclear if this was a protest or just part of the pregame routine. WNBA policy doesn't require teams to be on the court for the anthem, but does require a "dignified posture" if they are.
In the thick of a playoff race, three Zambian women's soccer players are separated from their National Women's Soccer League teams because they played in Uganda, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a three-week restriction on reentry due to Ebola. (There are zero active Ebola cases in Uganda and Zambia.)
This is the kind of excessively nerdy fantasy football content I live for. (Yahoo remains the best fantasy sports system. ESPN's is trash, relying on name recognition to get by.)
I figured out how ESPN calculates fantasy football win percentage, it's bad!
ESPN made a stats 101 error when calculating their win percentage which leads to horribly miscalibrated numbers. ( thread) pic.twitter.com/bDypgjelKj
Saturday was one of the best days of college football ever—or perhaps it could have been, if we thought any of the five top-10 teams who took a loss were now certainly out of playoff contention. Instead, Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana, Alabama, and Texas are all still very much alive in the championship hunt.
Today was one of the craziest days in college football history:
- First time ever five teams ranked in the top 7 lose in a single week - First time the No. 1-ranked team loses to an unranked team in consecutive weeks since 1990 - First time Texas, Alabama, and Georgia all lose… pic.twitter.com/psVRoM5s5b
With two losses, Alabama and Texas are at least on the edge of the playoff bubble with perhaps no more room for error. But that's only true under this year's CFP format. Next year, the playoff is almost officially set to balloon to 24 teams, making the chaos of a day like Saturday matter even less.
Fans will always celebrate a huge upset or major rivalry win, of course—Tennessee fans don't need playoff stakes as an excuse to get drunk when they beat Alabama. But the joy of a rivalry win in the past was always bigger because of the off-field stakes, too—the first loss for your rival meant they probably wouldn't be national champions, the second meant they'd be out of the Rose Bowl, a third meant you could be proud your team sent them packing for the Alamo Bowl. Winning is great; ruining your rival's season is even better.
With 24 teams in the playoff, the joy is a bit diminished because it will take four or possibly five losses to knock a powerhouse program out of the CFP (Iowa, at 8–4, was ranked 23rd by the committee before last year's playoffs). It'll be a bit like a rivalry win in college basketball—we win, you suck, congrats on getting a slightly worse NCAA Tournament seed.
In the business of sports, more inventory for TV is king, and the powers that be think more teams playing more playoff games will make more money. At Free Agent, we don't begrudge institutions for trying to make more money—we all do the same every day. But it's not clear abandoning conference championship games will be the answer, especially when the Big Ten and SEC championships apparently outdraw many playoff games.
ESPN and the power conferences know fans aren't happy about it—just look at allthechatteronline, and how the crowd at BYU reacted when College GameDay discussed expansion on Saturday (especially when BYU would probably benefit from expansion!). They're betting enough people will watch to make the expansion profitable anyway. The last hope is that fans get loud enough to bully them into abandoning expansion—which only occasionally works, sometimes on things small (putting the trophy logo on the court for the NBA Finals) and large (soccer's European Super League). If any powerhouse considers going independent, that might shock leaders into a rethink too.
Almost every sport I know is adding more: more teams, bigger playoffs, more for TV. As fans, we still eat it up, of course—much to the excitement of the TV executives who are selling commercial time to the people trying to reach us, the viewing public. (The only counterexample is the MLB proposal to cut eight games from the regular season—I'd love to see each sport I follow cut its season by about 25 percent to make regular season games matter more, so I'm interested to see how this goes.)
Perhaps I'm biased because my favorite team, Michigan State, is a dumpster fire—they could expand the playoff to 64 teams and the Spartans still wouldn't deserve a bid. I personally don't have a whole lot at stake in the playoff format now or anytime soon. But as a neutral, the chaos of Saturday might have been viewed with my full attention in the past—instead, this year I just had it on in the background while I played video games.
Sports Are Regulating Bets Without Politicians, Part 3
After last year's major betting scandal, the NBA asked sportsbooks late last week to stop offering certain types of potentially problematic bets. The sportsbooks, which the NBA says handle roughly 99 percent of the U.S. betting market, agreed. No politician or regulation was necessary to solve the problem.
No longer can bettors bet on unders for a bit player who likely won't get more than 12 minutes of playtime. Bettors also can't wager on the opening tip or on players to miss specific shots. Parlays that string together under bets on the same player's statistics are also out (this one seems a bit harsh—if you just want to bet on a certain major player to have an off night, you can bet on stats separately, but not in a big multiplier parlay). Bets on players who have two-way contracts between the NBA and G League were already banned.
This all comes on the heels of similar developments last year in the NFL and MLB. While some people want to ban prop bets altogether, the NFL asked sportsbooks to eliminate bets in four different categories. Sportsbooks largely agreed or weren't offering those bets anyway. MLB, in light of some pitching-related scandals, asked for a $200 limit on pitch-specific bets and to keep them out of parlays—sportsbooks agreed to that too.
As I wrote last year, "Ideally, this is how the regulation of the sports betting industry should go….These approaches are catching the nuances of what works for both the leagues and for sportsbooks without the heavy-handed approaches of politicians who would use an axe to ban all prop bets instead of a scalpel to limit problematic bets."
It's important to note leagues are able to do this because they have commercial partnerships with the sportsbooks. Otherwise, the leagues would have no direct leverage over a sportsbook offering a bet the league doesn't like. Keep that in mind the next time you see people bemoaning a league partnership with a sportsbook or a prediction market.
Trump's Golf Course Plans Have People Teed Off
President Donald Trump has new plans for the National Park Service golf course at East Potomac—again. Last time new plans were announced, the site plan still had its historic miniature golf course, a par-3 course, and the existing road still ringing the property for bicycling, running, etc. Much of the public didn't like that plan anyway—now, none of that remains in the latest plans, just 18 holes of golf and a driving range.
What's really going on here seems quite clear to me: Like so many other things going on in the second Trump administration, this is a scheme to enrich the Trump family. The plan?
Step 2: Use taxpayer dollars to pay for renovation of the course into, allegedly, a championship-level course capable of hosting major golf tournaments (no matter that the area has next to zero parking, is a mile from the nearest Metro station, and only accessible by narrow roads not meant to handle tens of thousands of spectators).
Step 3: Have the federal government sign a sweetheart deal with, who else, the golf division of the Trump Organization to operate the course on extremely favorable and profitable terms.
If you're wondering why the Trump administration is doing something, corruption is usually a good guess.
The arguments for the course don't make much sense. There are plenty of adequate, competitively priced golf courses in the broader Washington, D.C., area. Several of them are already capable of hosting professional golf tournaments. Between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, there were three tournaments at three different courses in the last couple years. The 2030 PGA Championship and 2037 Ryder Cup will happen just over the D.C. line in Bethesda, Maryland.
East Potomac is not the nicest course around, no thanks to the legal limbo it's been in for the past year. But if the National Park Service is going to, for some reason, be in the business of running a golf course, it should be a course that emphasizes and teaches its history instead of the pipe dream of a corrupt madman.
Who Ya Got? 2026 World Series Edition
For the first time in 46 years, we've got a World Series contested by two teams that have never won it before. Brewers against Rays is also a rare instance of the top seeds from each league outlasting the randomness of the MLB playoffs to make the World Series. And before you trot out the tired line that "TV executives must be seething about the small market teams" remember that they care much more about getting a playoff series that goes seven games with close results in each game (What did I say above? Inventory rules all!).
Carmelo Anthony can’t wait for Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, as he watches Jalen Brunson and the rest of the New York Knicks receive their long-awaited NBA title rings, and even better, watching a banner fly to the rafters for the first time in 53 years.
In fact, Anthony, who will be working the NBC Sports desk as part of their NBA crew, has to stop himself from prepping like he’s the one on the court wearing his No. 7 jersey again for the Knicks.
"A game like tomorrow – opening night, ring night, banner night. Like right now, I’m preparing myself to get ready for the game like I’m about to go play," he told OutKick, while highlighting his partnership with DraftKings ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season.
"And I have to pinch myself, like, ‘Yo bro, you ain’t getting back out there. You’re good on this side.’ Just the fact that I can still be in tuned to the game of basketball like that, and more importantly, to moments and still feel what those moments actually feel like.
"I can imagine what will be going through those guys’ minds tomorrow, the adrenaline that will be pumping through them. Because winning one is a dream – we all dream of winning one. You don’t play this game without dreaming of winning a championship."
This past summer felt like a dream for millions of New Yorkers and others in the surrounding area who were all pulling for the Knicks to break their championship drought. It felt like destiny, from the OG Anunoby tip-in to win Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, to the other key moments in their playoff run that Anthony and many other former Knicks had great seats for at The Garden.
But now, Anthony knows what comes with the title territory: everyone is hunting for the crown.
"Defending it is a job," Anthony said. "So, nobody’s sneaking up on anybody anymore. That banner is going up there and the target goes on [the backs of the Knicks] instantly. Every team is going to circle the Knicks on the schedule, so that price of being champs in New York. You better embrace it and it’s going to be a fun ride."
The ride this past season was one Anthony didn’t want to get off. He admitted watching the team at first felt like he was a player all over again – until he realized he needed to just enjoy the moment like the rest of his peers and all Knicks fans hoping things would end with the Larry O’Brien Trophy being hoisted.
"I was putting myself into those moments and kind of thinking from a mental standpoint like, ‘What would I do here? What play?’ I was playing those games in my head, and then after a while I was like, ‘No, Melo, what are you doing? Just be a fan,’" he said. "So, I started to turn that part of my brain off and operating that way. To be a fan of basketball and the New York Knicks and of the players that were out there representing. It’s a beautiful thing, because as a former player, I love those moments. I live for those moments. The tip-in was like – ah! That was a moment! Jalen Brunson’s three was a moment. So, I understand what the Garden feels like in those moments, but that moment right there was special."
A new season brings new opportunity for not just the Knicks, but every NBA team hoping this will be their year. The Knicks have the crown, but teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, who will have LeBron James and Jaylen Brown suiting up for their first regular-season game with them in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, gunning for the title.
"When you know you have the crown, you’re not going to let anybody knock that crown off," Anthony said. "No matter what we gotta do, no matter how we gotta do it, no matter how hard it is to maintain this crown, we gotta do what we gotta do. And I think that’s the mentality coming into this season. Also, I think each individual player had to get better at something and get stronger in their weaknesses this offseason. If they did that, again, that’s the championship mindset.
"If they’re coming back like that, New York is the team to beat."
While Anthony is looking forward to what the Knicks do this season, he’s excited for his partnership with DraftKings and being a part of its campaign ahead of the season.
"We got a great campaign, man. Myself, Kevin Hart, Nick Jonas. We really came together, and I got to give a shoutout to DraftKings and that creative team for putting that concept together," he said. "The beauty in that is the fact that we can have more fun with DraftKings because it’s in all 50 states now, which is major. I just love the fact that more people are involved, and more people can have fun with the game of basketball in this sense, and just sports in general. I love that."
Anthony called it a "beautiful thing" being able to work alongside Hart and Jonas for the campaign, which he is excited for fans to see.
With DraftKings available in all 50 states, the campaign revolves around Hart and Jonas traveling throughout the country, where car troubles can happen. As the tow truck figures out their situation, Anthony is waiting with his own car problems in the clip as he tries to get the word out about DraftKings.
Dan Quinn has a public relations problem right now and at the heart of the issue is some powerful people that are painting him as something of an NFL sideline bungler as the Washington Commanders coach.
That's exactly how he looked in the second quarter of the Monday Night Football game where his team rallied to lose against the San Francisco 49ers.
The problem? Quinn seemed to lose track of the downs in a key second-quarter situation. He seemed to think it was fourth down and called for a field goal when, in fact, his offense had just run a fourth-down play and, not only didn't convert, but also drew a penalty.
So, there was the coach on national television, seemingly calling for his field goal unit to get on the field when his offense had surrendered the football.
And we interrupt this coaching nightmare to say Quinn contends that's not what happened at all. He told reporters a much different version of events after the game.
"No, I definitely knew it was fourth down," the coach said. "We were going for it, and I was, I think with whatever you're referring to, I think it was the illegal shift, there's not a penalty to go for a field goal.
"Like, it's the turnover on downs. Like, I think somebody asked me, 'Can we kick a field goal?' ... I knew what happened. I think I was probably just commenting that I remember, at least on the headset, somebody asked me after an illegal shift, um, like, it was a turnover on downs."
That's an explanation most of the country missed because it happened in Quinn's postgame press conference which wasn't nationally televised.
What many instead will remember was what they saw on TV, which made the coach look bad.
So, if perception is reality, Quinn is going to have to rehabilitate his increasingly tarnished reputation as a sideline game manager.
That's because just last week, Quinn's Commanders utterly embarrassed themselves in how they managed a last-minute situation against the New York Giants, wasting precious seconds, mismanaging the clock and the downs, and settling for a tie when they should have likely won the game.
That terrible scenario that doesn't easily fade definitely caused everyone to believe Quinn was at it again on Monday night – messing up again, forgetting that the last play was fourth down instead of third down.
"Field goal," Quinn seemingly said as ABC's cameras caught him and lip readers across the world did their thing.
And then he followed with, "Oh, that was fourth down."
That scene not only played out during the game, but was then discussed at halftime on both the ESPN main broadcast and the Pat McAfee alternate broadcast.
"We found out at halftime Dan Quinn didn't know what down it was," McAfee told his audience. "That's a real problem."
The McAfee crew that featured Dan Orlovsky had some fun with the issue because the former quarterback was yelling for Quinn to kick a field goal on fourth down instead of going for it.
Quinn, they joked, wanted to kick the field goal Orlovsky wanted on fifth down.
"Dan Quinn did not know it's fourth down coming off of last week, and then to go for it and get the penalty," Orlovsky said. "I'm a Dan Quinn guy. But you gotta get the operation better."
He's probably going to have to explain what happened to Commanders' owner Josh Harris because last week opened the door to everyone believing the coach is indeed capable of making a boneheaded mistake.
The question now is whether everyone, including Harris, believes Quinn's explanation or they believe the lip-readers more.
The question during Monday's OutKick meeting went as follows: Did Michael Robinson just give the worst-aged sports take in history?
It happened Thursday on NFL Network, when the former fullback suggested that Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was faking an injury so as not to be the fall guy for a losing team.
"He's pulling himself out, so this doesn't look like it's on me," Robinson said.
On October 4, Hurts was cleated in the calf against the Rams. Six days later, an ultrasound revealed a superficial blood clot. He still played against the Jaguars the following day in London, despite doctors reportedly keeping him awake all night over concerns about the risks associated with sleeping with a blood clot. On October 15, the Eagles released a statement saying Hurts wouldn't play Sunday against the Panthers.
That night, Robinson chucked his now-infamous verbal air ball.
"If I'm Jalen Hurts or anybody in the Jalen Hurts' camp, I'm saying 'if everybody is hurt, then I'm hurt, too'," he said, referring to the rash of injuries on the Eagles roster.
Robinson added: "I would advise all of our viewers to go Google 'superficial blood clot' as opposed to a real blood clot."
Well, it turns out Hurts' condition was far more serious than Robinson suggested. Doctors subsequently discovered blood clots in his lungs — and now he's expected to miss the rest of the season. Part of me wondered if Robinson's season as a broadcaster was in jeopardy as well, although he did issue the following apology Monday night."
"I want to sincerely apologize to Jalen Hurts, his family, the Philadelphia Eagles organization and fan base for my comments last Thursday. They were unfounded and I never should've speculated on a health issue of a player nor his commitment to this team."
The mea culpa seems sincere — and boy was it necessary.
I will admit that my favorite key on my laptop is delete. It's rare that I have to come up with an opinion on a hot mic. But to imply that a world-class athlete is exaggerating an injury to preserve his reputation is a staggering lapse in judgment.
On the off chance that Robinson was correct, he might have scored a day-long victory lap. But whiffing like that gave his credibility a permanent stain.
Don't get me wrong, there have been a lot of bad sports opinions that had little impact on the pundit's career. In 2016, Max Kellerman said that Tom Brady was about to "fall off a cliff," only to watch the QB win three more Super Bowls. In 2014, Skip Bayless said that Johnny Manziel was going to be bigger in Cleveland than LeBron James ever was. In 2010, Mel Kiper Jr. said he would retire from ESPN if Jimmy Clausen — who went 1-13 in the 14 NFL games he started — was not a successful quarterback. And last month, LA Times columnist Bill Plaschke said that this year's Rams would go undefeated en route to the Super Bowl (they are 2-4).
But none of those takes attacked a man's character the way Robinson attacked Hurts'. They might have been ridiculous, but they were also harmless.
Look, I don't want to see Robinson lose his gig the way some online angry villagers do. He gave an egregious opinion, but one reckless remark shouldn't erase a career's worth of work.
This one is going to stick with the former Seahawk for a while, though, even with the apology. Bad predictions are forgotten. Baseless accusations aren't.
SAN FRANCISCO – Angel Reese started Game 1 of the WNBA Finals with 11 points in the first quarter, then went the rest of the afternoon without making another field goal. In Game 2, she gave the Atlanta Dream considerably more than a good start.
Reese scored 30 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead Atlanta to a 79-65 victory over the Golden State Valkyries on Monday night at Chase Center, evening the best-of-seven series at 1-1. She added 3 assists, 2 blocks and a steal.
She became the youngest player to record at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a WNBA postseason game.
It took four trips to the Finals for the Dream to finally win a game. Atlanta was swept in 2010, 2011 and 2013, then lost Saturday’s opener to fall to 0-10 in championship series games. Reese helped put an end to that streak with one of the best games of her career.
But before tipoff, there was another national anthem controversy. Both teams again stayed off the court for the anthem, leaving the floor just before the start of the "Star-Spangled Banner" and returning seconds after Alanis Morissette finished her performance.
The WNBA’s rulebook calls for players, coaches and trainers to stand and line up during the anthem. The league has not answered OutKick’s questions about the teams’ absences.
Once the game began, Reese attacked the basket and kept giving Atlanta offense. She scored eight points in the first quarter and seven in the second, giving her 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the first half. Those 15 points represented one more than she scored in all of Game 1.
Reese’s strong night still included a brief tantrum early in the third quarter. With the game tied at 40, she stomped her feet after not getting the ball and walked away while Atlanta’s possession continued, taking herself out of position to pursue an offensive rebound. That’s a bad look in a Finals game.
To Reese's credit, she didn't let one bad moment define her night. She followed the outburst with a block on Tiffany Hayes, then later finished through contact against Kiah Stokes and completed the three-point play.
Cameras showed Reese yelling "Give me the f-----g ball!" after the and-1 bucket.
Reese finished with nine third-quarter points, matching Golden State’s entire output.
The Valkyries never made Reese pay for entering the second half with three fouls. She stayed on the floor for the entire third quarter without picking up another one, while Golden State kept firing jump shots and failed to get to the free-throw line.
Both teams made four field goals in the third quarter, including one three-pointer apiece. Atlanta went 12-for-12 at the foul line. Golden State didn’t attempt a free throw. This wasn't a case of a one-way whistle, either; Golden State routinely settled for outside shots rather than attacking the paint.
The Tampa Bay Rays will take on the Milwaukee Brewers, as they defeated the Cleveland Guardians, 7-3, in Game 6 of the ALCS to win the American League pennant.
The Brewers, who shockingly swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS, have been watching this ALCS patiently to see who their opponent will be.
Tampa Bay won Game 5 on the road, which is always a pivotal tilt when the series is tied at two games apiece, and they didn’t squander their first trip back home at Tropicana Field.
With a sold-out "Trop," the Rays used their momentum to get the job done.
Richie Palacios got the Rays on the board first in the bottom of the second inning after a clutch, two-out double to make it 2-0 early.
Then, with the game at 3-1 in favor of Tampa Bay, it was their superstar, Junior Caminero, hitting what felt like the series-sealing home run that sent the Trop into rapture.
Caminero turned on an inside pitch and was willing the ball to stay fair, as it smacked off the foul pole and the celebration ensued. Caminero stopped before hitting first base, screaming in elation with the crowd and his nearby teammates in the dugout as he understood making it a 5-1 game in the bottom of the seventh inning was a back-breaker for the Guardians.
Caminero took his time rounding the bases before touching home plate, and the Rays fans in the stadium matched his energy the entire time.
Cleveland, though, wouldn’t go down without a fight. They found some juice in the ensuing frame, scoring twice to make it a 5-3 game. But as they’ve done all season, the Rays responded when they needed it.
Yandy Diaz hit his own home run, and there was no doubt about the 416-footer he sent over the left field wall to give his squad a four-run lead.
As the top of the ninth began, Bryan Baker, the Rays’ lockdown closer, took the mound to finish the job in Game 6. He got Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez to both ground out to first base before Chase DeLauter popped out foul to punch Tampa Bay’s ticket into the Fall Classic.
This marks the first time the Rays have been to the World Series since the 2020 COVID-19-shortened season, while the Brewers are in for the first time in 44 years.
Either way, one of these franchises will be winning its first-ever World Series as neither have been able to place one in their trophy case in history.
The San Francisco 49ers held off a fourth-quarter rally to remain undefeated with a 23-17 victory on Monday night, but the Commanders left Levi's Stadium with far bigger concerns as injuries continue to pile up.
Top Commanders wideout Terry McLaurin had to be carted off the field in the first half with an apparent left knee injury after going down without contact.
Teammates and Niners players alike took a knee for McLaurin as he exited, leaving Washington facing a 13-3 deficit that grew to 20-3 by halftime behind a Brock Purdy touchdown pass to George Kittle and two Christian McCaffrey scoring runs.
Before kickoff, McLaurin — long regarded as the leader of Washington's locker room — spoke to the ESPN broadcast crew about steadying the team through the rough stretch.
"I've just been telling our guys we're going through the fire right now," McLaurin said. "You want to get to something, you gotta go through it. You can't go around it."
McLaurin entered Monday leading Washington with 14 receptions for 203 yards and a touchdown.
Since entering the league in 2019, McLaurin has remained Washington's most dependable receiving threat. The two-time Pro Bowler's knack for contested catches yielded five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons (2020-2024) despite an inconsistent quarterback carousel, though injuries did limit his 2025 campaign to 10 games.
San Francisco also sustained a notable injury hit before the break, as wide receiver Mike Evans left the game with less than a minute left in the second quarter. Evans went to the locker room after a 16-yard reception, leaving with three receptions for 94 yards.
Jayden Daniels nearly salvaged the night without his top weapon, throwing second-half touchdown passes to Stefon Diggs and Rachaad White to cut the deficit to 23-17 before the 49ers' defense held firm on Washington's final possession.
Now, Washington's offensive depth faces another test.
While Diggs found the end zone late, the veteran wideout also took several hard hits from the Niners' defense before halftime, and the Commanders have already lost star offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil to a season-ending triceps injury.
The 2026 World Series starts later this week, and with it, potentially the last Major League Baseball games we'll see for quite some time.
On Dec. 1, the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the league's owners and the MLB Players Association expires. Barring some extremely unforeseen circumstances, the owners will immediately proceed to a lockout. Players will be barred from contact with team personnel, unable to use team facilities, along with many other noticeable changes designed to pretend as though the stars who sustain the sport don't exist.
Nobody knows how long negotiations to determine the next Collective Bargaining Agreement will take to resolve. Nobody knows how long the lockout will continue, or if spring training or the 2027 regular season will start on time. If the league will miss games and potentially jeopardize the sustained growth baseball has enjoyed. For example, the 2026 NLCS between the Dodgers and Brewers was the highest rated LCS from either league since 2015, despite lasting just four games.
Attendance has increased. National ratings have increased. And the owners are reportedly committed to blowing it all up in order to fight for a salary cap. Except one of their newest members just accidentally blew up their entire case and rationalization for it.
The salary cap fight stems from anger and outrage over the Los Angeles Dodgers' offseason spending. After winning the 2024 and 2025 World Series, the Dodgers added Kyle Tucker on a $240 million, 4-year deal. Then signed closer Edwin Diaz to a 3-year, $69 million contract. Opposing fans were furious, some suggested canceling the season because a third straight title was a foregone conclusion, and prominent writers egged them on with misleading comments.
Fast forward to late October and it's almost impossible to age worse than these predictions of baseball doom. Kyle Tucker was a below average hitter in Los Angeles, one of the worst values of any player in the sport. Edwin Diaz had an ERA near nine in the regular season, battled several injuries, and turned in one of the worst reliever seasons in baseball. The Dodgers won the division series, then got swept by the small market Brewers. The American League will send either the Cleveland Guardians, with the lowest payroll in the league, or the endlessly cheap Tampa Bay Rays to the World Series.
But that's not even the worst part for the league office. Fans are quick to dismiss these (quite common) results as "outliers." Even though the Rays are one win from their second World Series appearance in the past seven seasons, more than the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Giants, Cubs, or Angels. Even though a Guardians appearance would be their second appearance since 2016, again, more than any of those organizations. And even though the Brewers have the best record in baseball for two straight seasons.
They might be able to (inaccurately) dismiss the results. But they can't dismiss a small market owner proudly bragging about how much money he and his team are making.
That's exactly what Baltimore Orioles owner David Rubenstein last week. Local outlet Baltimore Baseball reported that Rubenstein, speaking at the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., told a group of other sports team owners that he bought the organization in part because of how much money they were making.
"A lot of my friends were buying teams, and I realized they're making money. They're making more money than I'm making in private equity," Rubenstein explained, per Baltimore Baseball. "I thought I should look at it as a financial thing, but ultimately I bought the Orioles for a philanthropic purpose. I grew up in Baltimore, as people know. I didn't think I'd done enough for Baltimore, so I bought the team to help revive the team a bit and ultimately revive Baltimore because Baltimore had some challenges."
He did claim that "owners care more about winning than making money (but they're) not against making money." Hilarious.
Rubenstein's laudable "charity" aside, the admission that baseball teams are making more money than private equity is about as damning as it gets for the league's salary cap arguments. Baseball is a highly profitable industry, small market teams are bringing in enormous sums of money, and many owners are choosing to pocket it instead of reinvesting in their rosters. Because they're not "against making money."
One X user showed how prolific small market owners are at pocketing money. While the highest payrolls have increased substantially over the last decade, the lowest payrolls have remained nearly flat. Yet the league is making substantially more money than it was in the 2010s, and cumulative inflation since 2015 has been over 42%.
Not to mention that MLB's form of socialism, revenue sharing, means the Dodgers' success benefits teams like the Pirates, Orioles, and Marlins, to the tune of tens of millions of dollars per year...each. Some estimates put the Pirates' revenue sharing payout at anywhere from $60-100 million. Just for existing. Before any income they get from tickets, television, advertising, parking, concessions, merchandise, or non-baseball events.
It's ironic though, that the season in which the league angrily posted that too many fans have no hope of their team winning a World Series has been a complete dismantling of that argument. In every conceivable way.
One of the Brewers, Rays, or Guardians are going to win the World Series, demonstrating that fans can indeed have "hope" if their front offices are competent. The Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Giants, Angels, Cubs, Astros, Rangers and Red Sox combined to win five postseason games. And one of the league's small market owners accidentally admitted that baseball is more profitable than one of the most famously lucrative industries on planet earth.
Rubenstein is, of course, fully entitled to make as much money as he can or wants to with the Orioles. He's also already proven to be one of the better small market owners when it comes to investing money, signing Pete Alonso and Kyle Bradish this past offseason, extending Samuel Basallo, and locking up Shane Baz. But it's ludicrous to act as though there isn't an enormous amount of money coming into MLB. And that plenty of it flows to the "poorer" teams.
Will this matter to the owners' fanbase calling for players to take less money so Rubenstein can make more money? Of course not, they're happily set to continue demanding a salary cap to be more like the NFL, the sport with the worst competitive balance in the country and the most predictable outcomes. Why would they let a little thing like reality interfere with that?
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