Sports
N.J. hosting four World Cup camps with addition of Haiti
Jun 16, 2022; New York, New York, USA; A general view of a hallway showing the FIFA World Cup 2026 logo leading to the FIFA World Cup Announcement room. Mandatory Credit: Jessica Alcheh-Imagn Images It will be a melting pot in the Garden State with Morocco and Haiti joining Brazil and Senegal with base camps in New Jersey for this summer’s World Cup, The Athletic reported Tuesday.
Brazil, Morocco and Haiti all were selected into Group C for the tournament.
Brazil will be based at the New York Red Bulls’ training facility in Morris Township ahead of its opening pair of group stage games June 13 at East Rutherford, N.J., and June 19 at Philadelphia.
Morocco will set up camp at Pingry School, a private college preparatory school near Bridgewater Township, as it gets set for its group-stage opener against Brazil at East Rutherford.
Haiti will be based at Stockton University in Galloway, which was host to Brazil’s Flamengo during last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup. Haiti plays its opener June 13 against Scotland in Foxborough, Mass., before facing Brazil at Philadelphia.
Senegal, which was selected into Group I, will be based at Rutgers University in Piscataway as it prepares for back-to-back games at East Rutherford on June 16 against France and June 22 against Norway.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mets-Rockies game postponed with snow in forecast
Aug 30, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Members of the grounds crew prepare to remove the tarp from the field after a 20 minute weather delay before the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images Tuesday’s scheduled game between the New York Mets and the Colorado Rockies in Denver has been postponed due to inclement weather in the forecast.
The game is scheduled to be made up Thursday at 3:10 p.m. ET. Wednesday’s game, initially slated to start at 3:10 p.m. ET has been moved back to 9:20 p.m.
With inclement weather expected Monday night, Tuesday’s game initially was moved up by three hours to start at 3:40 local time. The area is under a winter storm warning from 8 p.m. Tuesday through 3 p.m. Wednesday. Up to 8 inches of snow is expected, with more near the foothills.
Freddy Peralta (1-3, 3.52 ERA) was scheduled to start for New York against fellow right-hander Michael Lorenzen (2-3, 6.09) on Tuesday in a rematch from Colorado’s 4-3 road win on April 24. It is not immediately known if both pitchers will start in either game of Wednesday’s scheduled doubleheader.
The teams also had their April 25 game postponed due to rain in the forecast in New York. The Rockies swept the Mets in a doubleheader on April 26.
–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
Mets-Rockies game postponed with snow in forecast
Why Stephen A. and Skip Bayless Are Reuniting on First Take
