Sports
Jon Rahm doesn't see 'many ways out' of LIV Golf contract
Jon Rahm during the first round of the 2026 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. Credit: Michael Madrid-Imagn Images Jon Rahm confirmed he has multiple years left on his LIV Golf contract and doesn’t currently see an avenue towards leaving the fledgling league even if he wanted to.
Rahm signed with LIV Golf in December 2023 for a deal reported to be in the $300-500 million range. While he did not provide specifics while speaking at the league’s Virginia event on Tuesday, the Spaniard did acknowledge his contract runs beyond 2026.
“I have several years on my contract left, and I’m pretty sure they did a pretty good job when they drafted that. So I don’t see many ways out,” Rahm said.
LIV Golf is currently seeking new funding sources after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund confirmed last month that it will end its financial backing of the league. That has led to reports that several players have reached out to the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour about potentially returning.
LIV’s two marketable stars are Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. While DeChambeau’s contract expires at the end of 2026, he has maintained his focus is on helping the team-based league survive. And Rahm confirmed that he’s contractually obligated to stay, at least for the time being.
“I’ll say I’m also not a lawyer. I have no idea. I couldn’t tell you. I have very few talents in my life, and reading a contract or business are not two of them,” Rahm said.
LIV’s future beyond 2026 remains highly uncertain. The league has retained an investment firm as it transitions to a “multi-partner” format, but CEO Scott O’Neil has acknowledged new funding sources must be brought on board with PIF ending its support.
Rahm did confirm Tuesday that he has reached an agreement with the DP World Tour that will allow him to play in several events later this year, which will also help him remain eligible to compete in the 2027 Ryder Cup. O’Neil insisted Tuesday that LIV remains a place where “golfers want to play,” and he would like to see other tours accommodate the desire of LIV players to compete elsewhere on non-league event weeks.
“We are for golf. We always have been and we always will be,” O’Neil said. “Our players, we commit them to 14 weeks. They come and play. They know exactly the weeks they’re expected to play, they show up, and they play.
“If another tour is open for them to play, that’s 14 weeks out of 52. That’s 38 weeks. So if you want to see the best players in the world playing together more often, no problem, let’s do it on the other 38 weeks. Like it’s such a special opportunity.
“I feel like the opportunity, the chance, the gift we’ve been given here at LIV Golf is that we have players who will travel the world, and that is a gift to the game.”
Despite O’Neil’s stance, LIV Golf is expected to see several players pursue other options at the end of the 2026 season, likely with or without new funding. Whether Rahm wants to be among them is a moot point so long as he’s under contract.
“As of right now, I’m not really thinking about it since we still have a season to play and majors to compete for,” he said. “So, it’s not something I want to think about just yet.”
Rahm has the added complication that he’s the captain of Legion XIII that also includes Tyrrell Hatton, Caleb Surratt and Tom McKibbin. He acknowledged that if LIV continues beyond this season, the business will likely look significantly different, including a reduction in the lucrative event purses.
“It’s not just about me, it’s a team effort,” Rahm said. “It’s not about one person agreeing or not. I think we all, as captains and team owners and players that are involved in the league, need to in essence have a large majority to agree on for it to work.
“I do believe that for the business plan to change, whatever they’re coming up with, there will need to be some concessions on our part, yeah.”
Surratt said that he’s “bought in” and will support Rahm, while Hatton confirmed that he also has multiple years left on his contract. The Englishman signed with LIV along with Rahm, and was the league’s lone player to be a factor at last month’s Masters where he tied for third.
“It’s not really a focus for me at the moment,” Hatton said when asked about LIV’s future. “Obviously focused on playing well this week, playing well the rest of the year, and seeing what happens.”
Rahm admitted the news of the PIF ending its financial support of the league was “unexpected” after being told that LIV had several more years of backing. But he also added that he has enjoyed the experience.
“As the future of the league goes, I think that’s obviously a question for the business people. We want to be here. It’s been a lot of fun. I want to keep competing. I want to keep sharing some time with them,” Rahm said.
“But only time will tell. Scott and his team have a lot of hard work to do, but obviously they’re experienced in the area, and that’s why they’ve been chosen to take this role.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Why Stephen A. and Skip Bayless Are Reuniting on First Take
For the first time in one decade, Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless will be back together on ESPN.
On Friday, Bayless will appear on a special edition of “First Take” on ESPN at 10:00 a.m.
The dynamic duo debated sports together on television for over 15 years until Bayless departed for FOX Sports in a move that fractured their relationship.
Bayless exited FS1 in 2024 and has been hinting at a return to the mainstream sports talk scene ever since. The 74-year-old has continued to post on his YouTube channel and co-hosts a show for Underdog Sports, where Smith appeared as a guest a few months ago. Bayless tried to reunite with Smith in 2020, but FOX offered him a deal that he couldn’t turn down.
On Friday morning, Smith and Bayless will reunite on ESPN for a one-time episode – at least that’s how it has been marketed.
Could this be more than a one-time broadcast?
Smith had claimed to have moved on from one of the most dominant debate pairings ever and has ascended into his own tier of sports talk. He’s blossomed into the premier talent across ESPN’s properties and has even floated a potential United States presidential nomination. But sports debate is his passion, and “First Take” has become a bit of a revolving door since Bayless exited.
Max Kellerman’s stint on the show ended at Smith’s request. Host Molly Qerim departed shortly after, but Stephen A. insists he was not behind that decision.
Currently, a revolving cast of ESPN personalities spanning from Dan Orlovsky, Marcus Spears and Kendrick Perkins debate Smith on a show that hasn’t had the same identity that it once had.
The show remains a ratings juggernaut for ESPN, even without a fixed cast. Despite speculation that a pairing of Smith and Bayless is due to declining ratings, they’ve continued to lap their competition, even in an evolving media landscape.
That’s what makes Friday’s pairing of Smith and Bayless even more interesting. Everybody involved continues to market this as a one-time appearance. And perhaps that’s true.
But watching Smith lose his marbles over Skip’s hot takes is going to be a nostalgia play for plenty of sports fans. It could leave the audience yearning for more of this duo together. In a rapidly-changing media climate, ESPN has chased what sports fans are chasing. It’s why Pat McAfee dominates the daytime airwaves while simulcasting on YouTube with ESPN logos plastered all over the set.
Even though Bayless is 74, he’s consistently posting to YouTube to an audience of over a quarter million subscribers. Smith is an even more powerful digital engine with over 1.25 million subscribers on YouTube.
Even if “First Take” with Stephen A. and Skip never returns to what it once was, this certainly feels like an experiment of sorts for ESPN. This “one-time” broadcast will certainly drive massive ratings based on intrigue alone.
But could the four-letter network be priming us for some greater plans? It’s a scenario that certainly shouldn’t be ignored.
Sports
Tigers dismiss Triple-A Toledo manager Gabe Alvarez
Erie SeaWolves manager Gabe Alvarez works against the Somerset Patriots at UPMC Park in Erie on July 11, 2024. The Detroit Tigers fired Triple-A manager Gabe Alvarez on Tuesday, saying the decision stemmed from a “violation of club policy.”
Alvarez, 52, was in his second season as manager of the Toledo Mud Hens, who had a 17-16 record through Monday’s minor league play and were tied for fourth place in the International League West.
“We have terminated the contract of Gabe Alvarez as the manager of Triple A Toledo due to a violation of club policy,” the Tigers said in a statement. “Mike Hessman will serve as interim manager. We will have no further comment.”
A major leaguer for parts of three seasons, Alvarez was a career .222 hitter with seven home runs and 33 RBIs over 92 games for the Tigers (1998-2000) and San Diego Padres (2000). During nine seasons in the minor leagues, Alvarez batted .278 with 114 home runs.
A second-round pick out of Southern California in 1995, Alvarez served as an assistant coach at his alma mater starting in 2010. He was hired by the Tigers to be the manager at Double-A Erie starting in the 2022 season and was promoted to manager at Toledo in October of 2024.
–Field Level Media
Sports
MLS great Kei Kamara retires from soccer at age 41
Jul 16, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; FC Cincinnati forward Kei Kamara (85) controls the ball against Inter Miami CF in the first half at TQL Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images Legendary MLS striker Kei Kamara has announced his retirement from professional soccer at the age of 41.
Kamar, ranked No. 2 in league history with 147 regular-season goals, announced his decision on social media.
“I never played for just one crest,” he said in a video posted Monday on X. “I played for the love of the game.”
Kamara’s MLS career spanned 20 years with a league-record 12 teams. His 464 regular-season matches are tied for third behind Kyle Beckerman (498) and Dax McCarty (488). Only Chris Wondolowski (171) scored more goals.
The Sierra Leone native entered the league in 2006 as a first-round pick by the Columbus Crew and has also played for the Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids, Houston Dynamo, Los Angeles FC, Minnesota United, CF Montreal, New England Revolution, San Jose Earthquakes, Sporting Kansas City, Vancouver Whitecaps and most recently, FC Cincinnati in 2025.
“From Sierra Leone to America, 20 years of chasing something bigger,” Kamara said. “Goals fade, records fade. But what you carry forward, that stays.”
Kamara was an MLS All-Star in 2015 and 2023 and made the MLS Best XI in 2015. He won the U.S. Open Cup with Sporting KC in 2012 and LAFC in 2024.
–Field Level Media
