Sports
Paris Gentle Mates get redemption as CDL Stage 1 Major champions
The Paris Gentle Mates avenged their first defeat earlier Sunday by defeating OpTic Texas in their rematch in the grand final of the Call of Duty League Stage 1 Major in Dallas.
Paris collected the $150,000 first prize and 100 CDL points with the 4-3 victory over OpTic Texas, which had swept the Gentle Mates 3-0 in the upper-bracket final to advance to the grand final. Texas earned $90,000 and 75 CDL points.
American Travis “Neptune” McCloud of Paris Gentle Mates was selected the most valuable player.
FaZe Vegas had ousted G2 Minnesota 3-2 in the lower-bracket semifinal on Sunday, only to be edged by Paris Gentle Mates 3-2 in the lower-bracket final and finish in third.
All 12 Call of Duty League teams qualified for Major 1. The teams that finished qualifying in the top eight spots began in the upper bracket, and places 9-12 were slotted into the lower bracket.
All matches were best-of-five until the grand final, which was best-of-seven.
Paris Gentle Mates needed all seven maps to win the grand final. They opened with victories on Colossus Hardpoint (250-158) and Raid Search and Destroy (6-5), only for Texas to draw even in Scar Overload (4-3) and Exposure Hardpoint (250-166).
The Gentle Mates won on Exposure Search and Destroy 6-2, then OpTic responded with a 4-1 win on Exposure Overload before the match was decided with Paris’ 6-4 victory on Scar Search and Destroy.
OpTic Texas had swept the upper-bracket final, beating Paris 250-209 on Scar Hardpoint, 6-0 on Scar Search and Destroy and 4-1 on Exposure Overload.
Paris then eliminated FaZe Vegas 3-2 in the lower-bracket final despite falling in the opener 250-182 on Scar Hardpoint. The Gentle Mates won 6-1 on Exposure Search and Destroy, lost 3-1 on Exposure Overload and survived with a 250-169 victory on Colossus Hardpoint before capturing the match 6-5 on Colossus Search and Destroy.
FaZe Vegas had an earlier battle with G2 Minnesota, winning 3-2 in the lower-bracket semifinal. Minnesota won the opener on Blackheart Hardpoint (250-236) before Vegas surged ahead with wins on Colossus Search and Destroy (6-4) and Den Overload (5-1). Minnesota won on Den Hardpoint (250-206) before Vegas took Scar Search and Destroy 6-0.
Call of Duty League Season 7 Stage 1 Major prize pool:
1. $150,000, 100 CDL points — Paris Gentle Mates
2. $90,000, 75 points — OpTic Texas
3. $50,000, 60 points — FaZe Vegas
4. $30,000, 45 points — G2 Minnesota
5-6. $15,000, 30 points — Miami Heretics, Los Angeles Thieves
7-8. $7,500, 15 points — Vancouver Surge, Riyadh Falcons
9-12. No money, no points — Toronto KOI, Carolina Royal Ravens, Boston Breach, Cloud9 New York
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: LHP Jordan Montgomery agrees to reunion with Rangers
Sep 22, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery (52) pitches in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images Left-hander Jordan Montgomery agreed to a one-year contract with the Texas Rangers, multiple media outlets reported on Wednesday.
Per the Dallas Morning News, the deal is worth $1.25 million.
Montgomery, 33, is recovering from his second Tommy John surgery of his career. He also had the procedure in 2018.
He was 8-7 with a 6.23 ERA in 25 games (21 starts) in his first season with Arizona in 2024.
A World Series champion with Texas in 2023, Montgomery is 46-41 with a 4.03 ERA in 166 career games (161 starts) with the New York Yankees (2017-22), St. Louis Cardinals (2022-23), Rangers (2023) and Diamondbacks.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Orioles' Jackson Holliday (hand) likely out weeks after Opening Day
Sep 27, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday (7) at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday will miss Opening Day due to a broken hamate bone in his right hand, general manager Mike Elias announced on Wednesday morning.
Holliday, who sustained the injury during live batting practice last Friday, will undergo a procedure to address the issue on Thursday. His timeline for recovery likely will be measured in weeks, per Elias.
Holliday, 22, batted just .242 with 17 homers and 55 RBIs in 149 games last season.
He is the top overall pick of the 2022 MLB June Amateur Draft and the son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday.
New acquisition Blaze Alexander likely will take the younger Holliday’s place in the field.
Also on Wednesday, Elias announced third baseman Jordan Westburg is nursing a right oblique injury. The injury, however, is not expected to prevent Westburg from playing at the start of the regular season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Giants hire Brian Callahan as QBs coach
Tennessee Titans coach Brian Callahan exits the field after the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. Former Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan is being added to John Harbaugh’s coaching staff as the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator for the New York Giants, ESPN reported Wednesday.
Callahan, 41, was fired by the Titans last October after a 1-5 start. Tennessee posted a 4-19 record under Callahan, who was hired by the Titans after five seasons as the Cincinnati Bengals’ offensive coordinator that included a three-point loss in Super Bowl LVI.
ESPN reported Callahan also interviewed with the Giants for the offensive coordinator position, which ultimately went to Matt Nagy. The latter was a former offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs and head coach of the Chicago Bears.
Callahan, who will be coaching former first-round pick Jaxson Dart in his second season in the league, has extensive experience developing quarterbacks. He was the offensive coordinator for four seasons for Joe Burrow with the Bengals, was the quarterbacks coach in 2018 for Derek Carr with the Las Vegas Raiders and for two seasons for Matthew Stafford with the Detroit Lions.
In addition to Dart, Callahan will be working with veteran quarterback Jameis Winston.
Callahan and Nagy are part of an offensive staff that also includes former Rice University head coach Mike Bloomgren as offensive line coach and former offensive coordinators Greg Roman as senior offensive assistant and Tim Kelly as tight ends coach.
–Field Level Media
The best Breville deals from the Amazon Presidents Day sale — save up to $200
The AI industry has a big Chicken Little problem
