Sports
Clemson tackles Charleston Southern in opener with tournament return on its mind
Mar 30, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Clemson Tigers forward Ian Schieffelin (4) shoots against Alabama Crimson Tide forward Nick Pringle (23) in the second half in the finals of the West Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images After a memorable run to the Elite Eight in March, how the Clemson men’s basketball team performs early this season ranks among interesting storylines in the new-look Atlantic Coast Conference.
The Tigers tip off the 2024-25 season on Monday against visiting Charleston Southern. Clemson has never lost to the Buccaneers, posting 20 consecutive victories dating to their first meeting in 1975.
Clemson’s reshaped roster no longer features big man PJ Hall, who signed a two-way contract with the NBA’s Denver Nuggets in July. The Tigers were left out of the Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll despite winning 24 games and reaching the West Region final of the NCAA Tournament against Alabama a season ago, but they figured prominently when it came to forecasting the ACC, which now includes SMU, California and Stanford.
Head coach Brad Brownell’s team placed fourth out of 18 schools in the ACC preseason poll behind top vote-getter Duke, North Carolina and Wake Forest. Senior forward Ian Schieffelin and sixth-year guard Chase Hunter — both named preseason Second Team All-ACC — are major reasons why Clemson received its highest preseason prediction since 2010 when the Tigers were picked to finish third.
“I think we know what it takes, and we can just express that with the new guys and show them the ropes, and I think we’ll have a good chance to get back to where we were,” Schieffelin said during the ACC Tipoff event.
Coming off a 10-20 (6-10 Big South) season, Charleston Southern placed fifth in the Big South Conference preseason poll. The Buccaneers bring back their top three scorers from last season in senior forward Taje’ Kelly (preseason First Team All-Big South) as well as the guard tandem of RJ Johnson and A’lahn Sumler, both named preseason Second Team All-Conference.
“We are very excited for this year and the conference season,” Buccaneers head coach Saah Nimley said. “We are going to test ourselves early in the nonconference and that will prepare us for league play.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Karl Ravech, Tom Pelissero among ESPN cuts
Jul 13, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; ESPN commentator Karl Ravech before the MLB Draft at The Coca-Cola Roxy. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Longtime baseball broadcaster Karl Ravech and NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero are among the ESPN employees being laid off in a wave of cuts, according to multiple media reports on Tuesday.
These layoffs are linked to ESPN’s acquisition of NFL Network, according to an internal memo from ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro that multiple media outlets obtained.
After the deal was announced last August and gained government approval in January, NFL Network’s employees were brought under the ESPN umbrella starting on April 1.
Other ESPN employees reportedly laid off or who announced the news on social media include longtime “SportsCenter” anchor David Lloyd, NFL Network analyst Charles Davis, injury/fantasy football writer Stephania Bell, First Take contributor Cam Newton, radio host/NFL analyst Bart Scott, staff writer Dan Hajducky, and combat sports reporter Andreas Hale.
It was also reported on Monday that NFL analyst Ryan Clark was being let go, with news breaking while he was on “NFL Live.”
“Over the past several months, we’ve made significant progress integrating the NFL assets that we acquired into ESPN,” Pitaro wrote in the memo. “Throughout this process, we have taken the time to carefully evaluate our collective teams, resources and organizational structure to best position us for the future. As a result, we had to make some difficult decisions about job impacts that we will be communicating today.
“While most of the job impacts are tied to the acquisition, we will also notify colleagues in other parts of the company today that their positions have been impacted. We are committed to treating employees with compassion and respect and to providing support as they navigate this transition.”
Ravech has been with ESPN since 1993, working as a “SportsCenter” anchor, college basketball and baseball broadcaster and studio host for “Baseball Tonight.” He was ESPN’s primary MLB broadcaster, including for Monday night’s Phillies-Dodgers game.
Pelissero has been with NFL Network since 2017, establishing himself as an insider. However, he’s reportedly not being retained over ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Besides the more visible on-air personalities, several production and behind-the-scenes employees are expected to lose their jobs during this round of layoffs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Kirby Smart challenges Georgia to make like Thunder, be 'uncommon'
Jul 21, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart speaks to the press during SEC Football Kickoff Media Day at the Tampa Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Kirby Smart borrows strategy, philosophy and teaching tools from many walks of life to maintain an edge at Georgia.
In the past he’s studied corporate success stories, the Chicago Bulls’ dynasty and crossover elite athletes. So it’s not abundantly surprising to hear the Bulldogs’ head coach to invoke the 2025 NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder when discussing expectation-setting in Athens this offseason.
“We study successful programs all the time,” Smart said at SEC Media Days in Tampa on Tuesday. “If you’re not studying how other people are doing it and you’re just fixated on your own team and your own roster, I think you’re missing out.
“We’re always trying to grow in our program. We don’t want to stay the same. You need to study how other people are doing it and maybe the ways they’re doing it in creating roles for others. It’s very unique what the Thunder was doing, especially when they won the championship in terms of leading in so many categories, but most importantly selflessness. That’s what we try to emulate.”
A lot of programs are trying to emulate Smart and Georgia.
He’s 117-21 and Georgia has 11-plus wins in five consecutive seasons for the first time in program history.
But Smart said he’ll never stand still or rely on the same recipe year-over-year.
“We chose to study a successful brand or team or follow someone, and this year the reigning NBA champions at the time was the OKC Thunder and they talked about being uncommon and how you can be uncommon in today’s world,” Smart said. “Our guys took a week-by-week section of being uncommon, believing in the success of others is greater than the success of yourself in a day and age when that’s not normal.”
Smart finds himself in novel territory entering the 2026 season as the longest-tenured SEC coach. He remains a throwback when it comes to roster building, emphasizing again Tuesday he recruits to marry and welcomes the label “retention team.” Of course, the current college football landscape won’t allow any program to fully ignore the transfer portal.
“It’s changing more rapid, yes, but what wins football games has not changed,” Smart said. “Has the role of the head coach changed? If you want it to, it can. You can be as involved in offense, defense in coaching and remove yourself from all this changing landscape. Or you can dive over here and spend your time in the changing landscape and try to navigate it better and let your coaches coach. Each coach has to decide within their own program what they want to major in, because you cannot sit back. … You got to be able to wear multiple hats, more than I ever imagined.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Argentina's Emi Martinez 'to reflect' on World Cup heartbreak before deciding future
July 19, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S.; Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez reacts on the centre circle during the match. Mandatory Credit: John Sibley-Reuters via Imagn Images Argentina goalkeeper Emi Martinez is considering stepping away from international soccer after his country fell short of winning a second consecutive World Cup.
Martinez raised questions about his future in an emotional Instagram post following Argentina’s 1-0 extra-time loss to Spain in Sunday’s final in East Rutherford, N.J.
“I dreamed of winning it again; I dreamed of bringing it back to Argentina and making history once more,” Martinez wrote. “Honestly, the pain is hard to put into words.”
The 33-year-old said he plans to take time before deciding whether to continue with the national team.
“Now I have to reflect on many things, see how to move forward, and decide if it’s time to step aside,” Martinez wrote. “I am truly sorry. I gave it my all to help my country and my teammates.”
Martinez started all eight of Argentina’s matches during the tournament, recording two clean sheets while allowing eight goals.
The Aston Villa goalkeeper has made 67 international appearances and played a major role in Argentina’s recent run of success. He won the Golden Glove award after helping the country capture the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and was also part of its Copa America championship teams in 2021 and 2024, also winning the Golden Glove in each of those tournaments.
Martinez remains under contract with Aston Villa through 2029. His immediate uncertainty concerns only his international career, with no timetable given for a decision.
–Field Level Media
Reports: Karl Ravech, Tom Pelissero among ESPN cuts
Kirby Smart challenges Georgia to make like Thunder, be 'uncommon'
