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👨🍳 Good morning to everyone but especially …
BAKER MAYFIELD
It’s been a bumpy ride for Baker Mayfield the last few years, but he has once again earned himself a Week 1 starting job. Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles named Mayfield the starter over Kyle Trask on Tuesday, officially ending the quarterback battle in Tampa.
Things seemed to be trending in this direction
Mayfield, on the other hand, went 8 of 9 for 63 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 of the preseason.
Mayfield will be just the sixth quarterback since 1950 to start for a different team in three consecutive Week 1 games. He was the Panthers’ opening-day starter last year (before a brief cameo with the Rams to close the season) and was the Browns’ Week 1 starter in 2021.
Mayfield’s rollercoaster career has been well documented. The No. 1 overall pick in 2018, Mayfield seemed to be the future at a position that had been a revolving door for the franchise. In 2020, he led Cleveland to its first playoff berth since 2002. But then Mayfield struggled on the field and with injuries, leading to a public breakup that eventually sent him to Carolina.
Expectations are obviously lowered in Tampa following Tom Brady’s retirement, but Mayfield does have a talented supporting cast around him led by star wide receiver duo Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Garrett Podell looked at how Mayfield will impact those two pass catchers.
Podell: “Godwin, a one-time Pro Bowl selection and Evans, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, rival Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. for the most talented pass-catching duo of Mayfield’s six-year career. He’ll lean hard on both of them, especially the 6-foot-5, 231-pound Evans, to corral jump balls. The 28-year-old passer has become a little more erratic since his career year in 2020. However, Godwin, Evans and [offensive coordinator] Dave Canales could easily be the trio to right Mayfield’s proverbial ship.”
Given that group behind him, plus an NFC South that figures to be underwhelming, Mayfield should have a decent shot of turning things around.
👍 Honorable mentions
💰 And not such a good morning for …
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JAMES HARDEN
Words have consequences, and for James Harden, that means a $100,000 fine, the maximum allowed under the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Harden’s fine from the NBA comes roughly a week after he said “[76ers president] Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be part of an organization that he’s a part of” in a shocking rant during an event in China
in a The NBA says the fine is due to “public comments … indicating that he would not perform the services called for under his player contract unless traded to another team.”
The NBA Players Association plans to challenge the ruling.
Harden opted into his player option this season hoping to be traded — specifically to the Clippers — but trade talks broke down and Harden reportedly planned to skip training camp before going scorched-Earth against Morey.
It’s certainly not a good look for Harden, Bill Reiter wrote shortly after the diatribe. Now, Harden has a fine to go along with a problem that has no solution in sight.
👎 Not so honorable mentions
⚾ Wander Franco placed on administrative leave
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Rays shortstop Wander Franco was placed on administrative leave Tuesday under the MLB and MLBPA’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. The league is investigating allegations of an inappropriate relationship between Franco and a minor.
Franco, 22, has not played since Aug. 12 and was initially put on the restricted list.
On Aug. 15, the AP reported that Dominican Republic authorities are investigating a relationship between Franco and a minor. The office of the attorney general confirmed that report, and a prosecutor later told the AP the investigation fell under the jurisdiction of a division specializing in minors and gender violence.
Under MLB’s policy, administrative leave lasts for seven days but can be extended multiple times until an investigation concludes — if approved by the MLBPA. The MLB’s statement says the MLBPA has already approved Franco’s leave.
Franco signed an 11-year, $182-million extension with the Rays in November 2021. He made his first All-Star Game this season and is slashing .281/.344/.475.
⚾ White Sox fire VP Ken Williams, GM Rick Hahn
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Amid a brutally disappointing year on the South Side of Chicago, the White Sox are making some major changes. The team fired executive vice president Ken Williams and senior vice president/general manager Rick Hahn on Tuesday, two much-needed moves as the franchise has fallen rapidly from a bright future to an abysmal present. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf made the decision.
First-year manager Pedro Grifol is safe, according to reports.
Williams, who had been with the team since 1992, was GM from 2000-12 and had served in his current position after that. Hahn joined the club in 2002 and succeeded Williams as GM in 2012. Both were huge parts of building the 2005 World Series champions, but 2005 is a long time ago.
After winning the AL Central in 2021 and boasting a seemingly promising young core, the White Sox went 81-81 last year and entered Tuesday 49-76, well out of the playoff race. This will likely be the seventh time in the last 11 years that they finish fourth or fifth in the five-team division.
Since 2012, their 834-970 record entering Tuesday was 26th in the majors.
The rough results on the field have mixed with an allegedly poor culture off it. Keynan Middleton — traded to the Yankees as part of the White Sox’s trade deadline sell-off — ripped the organization saying there were rookies sleeping in the bullpen during games and “no rules” in general.
There is still some young talent led by Luis Robert Jr. and Eloy Jiménez, and the farm system got a boost at the trade deadline, but there’s clearly a lot of work to do.
⚽ Watch Lionel Messi, Inter Miami in U.S. Open Cup tonight
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It’s easier than ever to watch Lionel Messi with Inter Miami. And based on the stunning results so far, this is one you won’t want to miss. Messi and Inter Miami take on FC Cincinnati in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals, and you can watch it for free on CBS Sports Golazo Network as well as on Paramount+ tonight.
We’ll also have a Star Cam focused exclusively on Messi.
The Argentinian superstar has run rampant in his early days stateside scoring 10 goals in seven matches with Inter Miami. He has already led the club to its first trophy in a thrilling triumph over Nashville SC in the Leagues Cup Final.
Chuck Booth has the full preview for tonight’s match as well as insight on how Messi is handling his heavy minutes so far.
Booth: “His influence has been immense with the club winning five matches and drawing two since his arrival while also scoring 22 goals during that timeframe. Messi has scored in each Inter Miami game he’s played in. Each member of the squad has stepped up their game to lift Miami to new heights but with Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba logging most of those minutes, their talented youth players will be needed sooner than later as they pursue more glory.”
📺 What we’re watching Wednesday
⚽ FC Cincinnati vs. Inter Miami, 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Golazo and Paramount+
🏀 Mercury at Sparks, 10 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
Baker Mayfield wins Bucs’ QB battle, James Harden fined $100,000, White Sox finally clean house
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