Sports
No. 21 Memphis opens league play at FAU
Dec 21, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway reacts against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images In the aftermath of a 13-point home loss just before Christmas, Memphis coach Penny Hardaway made a decision to return to “old-school practices” every day.
That meant sprints on Christmas night. Some “choice words all week for a lot of guys,” Hardaway said. Seven days later, Memphis blew out then-No. 16 Mississippi by 17 points.
“It paid off,” Hardaway said.
Now, No. 21 Memphis (10-3) rides that momentum into Boca Raton to take on Florida Atlantic (7-6) in both teams’ American Athletic Conference opener on Thursday.
For Hardaway, Memphis opens its conference schedule on exactly the right step after being “as hard on them than I’ve ever been all year.”
“Just an unbelievable run, to be 10-3 after this schedule,” Hardaway said. “Every game was grueling, every game was fatiguing, every game was hard. Just kudos to the players for fighting hard every game to be 10-3.”
The Tigers could be in for quite the shootout at FAU. Florida Atlantic has scored the second-most points among AAC teams with 84.8, but the Owls have allowed the most points at 77.5.
It also does not help FAU that it has not played since Dec. 21. As a result, first-year Owls coach John Jakus has focused on conditioning to gear up his guys for Thursday while emphasizing a balanced attack.
“Certainly we can shoot the three, but I don’t want our season to be dictated by whether that shot goes in or not,” said Jakus, whose team features four players shooting at least 38 percent from long range. “We’ve got to control some of the other things, so that becomes a bonus and not something we have to count on.”
Florida Atlantic could have its hands full with Memphis. PJ Haggerty ranks second in the AAC and seventh nationally with 22.1 points per game. Tyrese Hunter (15.0 ppg) and Colby Rogers (12.8 ppg) bolster the backcourt.
“The three guards for them have been pretty special,” Jakus said, noting that all three can give Memphis 20 points on any given night. He added: “They’re a group, but they’re also individuals. So for us, it just comes down to breaking down each individual’s strength and us knowing what it is they do well and doing our best to take that away from them.”
Kaleb Glenn (13.3) leads a group of six Owls who average nine points or better. And Baba Miller — with 11 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks — serves as the anchor of the frontcourt.
At 6-feet-11, Moussa Cisse could provide an answer for Memphis. Cisse comes off his best game of the year against Mississippi with 13 points, 11 boards and three blocks. If Cisse can continue playing that way, Hardaway said, “it’s going to be a great end of the year” for the Tigers.
It’s a long road until then, however, and the Tigers are “the hunted,” Hardaway said, noting that the media picked Memphis to finish second behind UAB. The Tigers cannot expect to win every game. Rather, they need to learn from that Ole Miss win.
Said Hardaway: “We just have to continue to have that same edge that we had (against Mississippi) and never lose it.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami to visit White House
Dec 6, 2025; Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA; Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) lifts the Philip F. Anschutz trophy after winning the 2025 MLS Cup against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Chase Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Inter Miami received an invitation to the White House to commemorate the team’s MLS Cup championship in 2025, The Athletic reported.
The Miami Herald confirmed that the Herons will visit the White House on Thursday, two days before they play D.C. United in Washington, D.C. The newspaper also reported that every player — including superstar Lionel Messi — is expected to attend the ceremony with President Donald Trump.
Inter Miami captured the franchise’s first MLS Cup trophy by posting a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Dec. 6 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Herons co-owner David Beckham previously attended a White House ceremony while with the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2012. The Galaxy won the title in 2011.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Giants planning to release LB Bobby Okereke
Nov 9, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke (58) leaves the field after losing to the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images The New York Giants are planning to cut inside linebacker Bobby Okereke in a cost-saving move, The Athletic reported Saturday.
Releasing the seven-year NFL veteran, who turns 30 in July, will save the Giants $9 million against the 2026 salary cap.
Okereke has led New York in tackles in two of his three seasons with the team, including 143 stops in 2025 and 149 in 2023.
Okereke added one sack, two interceptions and one fumble recovery in 17 games (all starts) for the Giants in 2025.
He has recorded 805 tackles, 7.5 sacks, seven interceptions and 11 forced fumbles in 110 career games (95 starts) with the Colts (2019-22) and Giants. Indianapolis drafted him in the third round in 2019.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tyler Reddick starts bid for 3rd straight NASCAR Cup win with pole run
Feb 22, 2026; Hampton, Georgia, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Tyler Reddick rounds the track at EchoPark Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images AUSTIN, Texas — One of the few things that wasn’t startling about Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at Circuit of the Americas was Tyler Reddick’s run for the pole position.
Negotiating the 2.4-mile road course in 97.760 seconds (88.380 mph) in the second qualifying group, Reddick claimed his third Busch Light Pole Award in six attempts at the track. He will lead the field to green in Sunday’s DuraMAX Grand Prix Powered by Reladyne (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Of course, there’s more at stake for Reddick than simply a victory at COTA. In winning at EchoPark Speedway near Atlanta last Sunday, the driver of the No. 45 Toyota became the sixth Cup competitor to start a season with two consecutive wins. No driver has ever won three straight to open a season.
The 23XI Racing driver acknowledged that the pole position, the 12th of his career, is a positive first step toward that goal.
“It helps the chances, certainly,” said Reddick, whose series-best average finish of 4.6 at COTA includes a victory in 2023. “I think starting up front is huge.”
Michael McDowell led the first qualifying group of 19 drivers with a lap at 88.031 mph but fell to sixth soon after the second group took to the track. Ultimately, Ross Chastain posted the second-fastest lap at 88.256 mph (97.897 seconds) and will start on the front row beside Reddick.
The shocker was not that Chastain, the 2022 COTA winner, fashioned an excellent lap. What was surprising was that his two Trackhouse Racing teammates, Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch — both vaunted road course racers — failed to crack the top 10 in qualifying.
Van Gisbergen was 13th fastest on his third lap. Zilisch could do no better than 25th. Van Gisbergen is seeking his sixth straight road course victory in the Cup Series, a mark that would tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon for most consecutive road course wins.
Chase Briscoe (88.242 mph) will start third, followed by Ryan Blaney (88.179 mph) and Chase Elliott (88.161 mph). Elliott leads active drivers with seven road course victories.
Behind McDowell in sixth, AJ Allmendinger qualified seventh, followed by defending race winner Christopher Bell, Ty Gibbs and William Byron.
“We’ll see how it gets going,” Reddick said. “Certainly, Ross, Shane, Ryan Blaney-there’s a number of good drivers who were really strong in practice today. We’ll try to understand what that all looks like and make our best decisions on the car and everything.”
–Field Level Media
Reports: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami to visit White House
Report: Giants planning to release LB Bobby Okereke
