After back-to-back injury-wrecked seasons in Seattle and Chicago, left-hander Drew Smyly joined the Rangers via trade with the Cubs last November. The transaction all but completed the teams' midsummer deal centering on southpaw Cole Hamels , and it was a bit of an eye-opener that the Cubs parted with Smyly. The 29-year-old has been a more-than-capable big leaguer for most of his career, after all, but the Cubs   who wanted to cut unnecessary payroll   deemed him and his $7M salary expendable. Smyly never threw a pitch for Chicago after it signed him to a two-year, $10M guarantee in December 2017. The Cubs' hope at the time was Smyly would eventually recover from the Tommy John surgery he underwent as a member of the Mariners in June 2017 and return to his past form. The Rangers had the same hope when they acquired Smyly, but the union between the two sides hasn't worked out to this point, as Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News explains. In his most recent start of the year, Smyly turned in 3 1/3 innings of seven-earned run, eight-hit ball and allowed three homers in a loss to the lowly Orioles on Tuesday. Smyly has now taken the ball 10 times (eight starts) with Texas, and most of his outings have been middling to poor. He's now running a 7.93 ERA/7.35 FIP with 8.79 K/9, 6.21 BB/9, a 27.3 percent groundball rate and a 20.3 percent home run-to-fly ball rate in 42 innings. Those numbers are a far cry from the production Smyly registered with the Tigers and Rays from 2014-16, a 77-start, 388-inning span in which he managed a 4.01 ERA/4.16 FIP with 8.58 K/9 and 2.55 BB/9. Smyly didn't generate many grounders then, as shown by his 34 percent rate, but he helped limit homers (11.9 HR/FB%) with the majors' leading infield fly percentage (15.3). He's down to 7.1 percent in that category this season. Even though there hasn't been a change in Smyly's velocity from 2016 to this year, it's clear nothing is working in his return from TJ surgery. And with the Rangers surprisingly sitting at 30-28 and in a tie for the American League's second Wild Card spot, they may have to bounce Smyly out of their rotation to make a Cinderella run. However, that's not going to happen yet, manager Chris Woodward said after Smyly's start Tuesday (via Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram ). Woodward has shown a willingness to make such a move, having shifted Shelby Miller   another offseason addition with a notable injury history   to the Rangers' relief unit last month. It's a small sample, but Miller has logged much better results as a reliever than a starter this season. The Rangers' reluctance to pull the plug on the Smyly experiment stems from a lack of alternatives, suggests Grant, who names only Double-A starters Joe Palumbo and Jonathan Hernandez as realistic in-house replacements. Palumbo, a 24-year-old lefty whom MLB.com considers the Rangers' seventh-best prospect, has produced good results this season. Hernandez has a 5.47 ERA in Triple-A, on the other hand, but the 22-year-old has racked up a solid amount of strikeouts and grounders. At No. 8, Hernandez falls right behind Palumbo on MLB.com's list of Rangers prospects. Nevertheless, the team doesn't seem inclined to rush either to the majors, even as it clings to a playoff spot. In the event Texas stays in the race over the next month and a half but still doesn't find an inside replacement for Smyly, it could consider the trade market. General manager Jon Daniels has made it known the Rangers will be aggressive spenders heading into a new ballpark next season, so it could make sense to acquire a starter who's under control past this year. In doing so, the Rangers would ideally better their playoff odds this season while strengthening their roster for 2020. Blue Jays righties Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez spring to mind as controllable upgrades who could be on the move in the coming weeks. Detroit lefty Matt Boyd would require a lot more than Stroman or Sanchez in return if the Tigers were to move him, but he's someone who'd be worth inquiring about from the Rangers' perspective. For now, the Rangers will continue with the rotation they have. It's not the most confidence-inspiring group, but there have been bright spots. Two of Daniels' reasonably priced free-agent pickups, Mike Minor (two offseasons ago) and Lance Lynn (last winter), have lived up to their contracts. Ariel Jurado has pitched well, albeit over just three starts, and Adrian Sampson has been effective of late. But the Rangers' starting five is difficult to trust after Minor and Lynn, especially because of Smyly's struggles, and the unit's shakiness will make it tough for the team to snap its two-year playoff drought this season.


Duke Johnson showed up and took the field in Berea for the first day of Cleveland Browns mandatory minicamp on Tuesday. His appearance was in doubt after skipping the entire voluntary portion offseason to this point, and with his earlier request to be traded. The running back confirms he still would like to be traded away from the only NFL team he's played for. He reiterated he feels "unwanted" by the team despite GM John Dorsey's continued insistence that Johnson is a valuable piece of the Browns offense. However, the veteran declared he would be a good teammate and will not be a distraction or a problem child as long as he remains in Cleveland. MORE: Why James Holzhauer's small Final Jeopardy! bet made total sense Did Nike accidentally reveal that Kevin Durant is staying with the Warriors? Report: Suns, Bulls offering lottery picks for Lonzo Ball PFF projects Raiders DE Maxx Crosby to beat out Arden Key for starting role Return of NASCAR: Packers planning ways to get 4 OLBs on the field together


LANSING   Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Republican lawmakers have reached a deal to lower Michigan's highest-in-the-nation auto insurance premiums, and legislation is expected to be passed Friday, officials announced. "After constructive conversations over the past week, I am pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement in concept on bipartisan auto no-fault reform legislation that will lower costs and protect coverage for Michigan drivers," Whitmer said in a news release Friday morning. "The deal: guarantees rate relief for every Michigan driver; provides a choice in coverage levels; establishes more uniform and structured compensation levels for medical providers; and removes the ability of insurance companies to discriminate based on non-driving factors. "I look forward to working with the legislature to pass and sign this important legislation into law." Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, and Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Claklake, released a joint statement. More: Michigan House Democrats guarantee 40% cut on your car insurance bill "The people we serve are demanding action. For far too long, drivers from Macomb to Menominee and from Kalamazoo to the Keweenaw have been absolutely fed up with paying the nation's highest car insurance rates," they said. "They have been waiting decades for state government leaders to step up and deliver results. Today, that wait is over." The auto insurance issue emerged early as a top issue for legislative Republicans, with Whitmer saying she would veto legislation that did not guarantee real relief, protect consumers, and restrict the use of non-driving factors in setting auto insurance premiums. Pressure to reach a deal ramped up in the last week when Detroit billionaire businessman Dan Gilbert formed a ballot committee to send a reform plan to voters. That move, if successful, would have taken away the governor's veto power. Chatfield and Shirkey said Friday's vote "will be a significant victory for the hard-working people of Michigan that will finally fix our broken car insurance system and deliver real, meaningful rate relief for families, seniors and household budgets all over the state." The deal is expected to include choices for Michigan motorists on what level of coverage they want in their auto insurance premiums, as well as a fee schedule for certain medical services arising from auto accidents. Michigan is currently the only state in the nation with unlimited catastrophic health coverage as part of its no-fault auto insurance law. Many details were still pending. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan reacted to the deal on Twitter. "The bipartisan auto insurance agreement announced today is outstanding," Duggan said. "It will cut rates for Michigan drivers significantly, and we congratulate Gov. Whitmer and the Republican and Democratic leadership for coming up with an excellent bipartisan deal." Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, said the agreement "shows how, when we work together, we can find common ground." The deal announced Friday is expected to go beyond auto insurance reform plans approved separately in the House and Senate. Early on May 9, the state House approved massive changes to Michigan's auto insurance law that were introduced only late Wednesday. House Bill 4397 would replace Michigan's unlimited medical coverage for catastrophic injuries with a range of personal injury protection coverage options and mandate five years of reduced rates for that portion of a motorist's auto insurance bill. Three Democrats   two from Detroit   joined all Republicans to pass the measure 61-49. The House action followed similar action on May 7 in the GOP-controlled Senate, where major auto insurance changes were introduced, rushed through committee and approved in a 24-14 vote, with two Detroit Democrats voting yes with the Republicans. Senate Bill 1 would not mandate specific reductions in portions of the auto insurance premium, as the House bill would. But it, too, would give a range of coverage options and would phase out the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association. That piece of the package alone was expected to reduce the current catastrophic claims surcharge of $192 per vehicle to about $40. Whitmer said she would veto either measure. Both the House and Senate versions included limits on the use of non-driving factors, such as ZIP codes, in setting auto insurance premiums. However, many Democrats and other critics said those safeguards did not go far enough. Contact Paul Egan at 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4 . Read more on Michigan politics and sign up for our elections newsletter . This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Whitmer, GOP leaders announce deal to lower auto insurance premiums


CHICAGO (AP) Cole Hamels wasn't sharp. The Chicago Cubs compensated with power and a solid bullpen effort. Hamels struggled in his first start against his original team, Albert Almora Jr. hit his first career grand-slam and the Cubs rallied from an early three-run deficit with three homers, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 8-4 Wednesday night. With the game tied at 3 in the fifth, Almora launched Cole Irvin's changeup into the shrubs in the center-field batter's eye. The 25-year-old Almora popped out of the dugout for a curtain call and doffed his helmet to an ovation from the crowd of 39,246. Irvin got Almora to ground out with the bases loaded and two outs in the first, but not a second time. ''I didn't want to leave six men out there (on base) just on myself,'' Almora said. ''(Irvin) was good getting me out with the changeup. I saw everything else pretty well, so I told myself see the changeup.'' Anthony Rizzo hit his 12th homer, a mammoth shot in the third inning that struck the neon beer sign atop the right field scoreboard, tying it at 3-all. That allowed Hamels to escape with a no-decision and remain unbeaten this season, despite allowing three runs on nine hits and two walks through four innings. ''It literally almost knocked out the sign,'' manager Joe Maddon said. ''He got the `D' (in the sign).'' Javier Baez added a solo shot in the seventh. He started at shortstop after being held out of the lineup for two games with a bruised right heel. Tyler Chatwood (3-0) earned the win with four innings of one-run, three-hit relief. Steve Cishek worked around a single and got the final three outs. Chatwood seems to be overcoming control problems that have haunted him in the past. ''Chatty came in and really was outstanding,'' Maddon said. ''Great command. Great stuff. A lot of movement.'' Andrew McCutchen had three hits, including a solo homer off Chatwood in the eighth. Jean Segura extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a single and a double as the Phillies dropped their second straight to Chicago in a four-game series between division leaders. Irvin (2-1) was roughed up for seven runs on seven hits after winning his first two starts following his recall from Triple-A. ''Just wasn't executing what I needed to,'' Irvin said. ''The off-speed I wasn't locating. Fastball I wasn't locating. That's a recipe for trouble when you're facing a lineup like that.'' After 99 pitches on a warm night, Hamels was replaced by Chatwood to start the fifth. Hamels was 114-90 for the Phillies from 2006-15 after they signed him as a first-round pick in the 2002 amateur draft. He helped Philadelphia win the 2008 World Series and the 2009 NL pennant before being traded to Texas in July 2015 and then to the Cubs last July. The lefty said facing the Phillies wasn't a big distraction ''because it had been so long and the team has kind of changed over.'' Hamels has more pressing concerns. ''The past couple of weeks, I just haven't been able to really locate my fastball,'' Hamels said, ''and with that everything else just doesn't have the same sort of sharpness behind it.'' The left-hander labored through a 38-pitch first inning as the Phillies jumped out to a 1-0 lead on J.T. Realmuto's ground-rule double into the vines on the right-center wall. Philadelphia tacked on two more runs in the third against their former ace. Segura led off with a double and Bryce Harper followed with a drag bunt single under Hamels' glove. Rhys Hoskins and Cesar Hernandez hit RBI singles up the middle. Rizzo started Chicago's comeback with his homer to right. He crushed Irvin's 3-0 fastball following singles by Kyle Schwarber and Kris Bryant. NO-NO MEMORIES Hamels' threw a no-hitter against the Cubs at Wrigley Field in his final start for the Phillies on July 25, 2015. He struck out 13 and walked two in the 5-0 victory, then was dealt to Texas days later. A FIRST Irvin stroked a single up the middle in the second for his first major league hit. TRAINER'S ROOM Phillies: RHP Vince Velasquez (right forearm strain) threw a bullpen session on Wednesday and is scheduled to throw another on Friday in Milwaukee. The 26-year-old was 1-2 with a 3.86 ERA in six starts before going on the IL retroactive to May 8 and said he expects to be back in the starting rotation when he returns. ''That's my spot,'' Velasquez said. ''I believe that 100%.'' But manager Gabe Kapler said, ''I don't see it as a right.'' Cubs: Placed LHP Xavier Cedeno on the 10-day IL with left wrist inflammation and recalled RHP Rowan Wick from Triple-A-Iowa. Wick was 0-0 with a 2.84 ERA in 13 relief outings for Iowa. . RHP Pedro Strop (strained left hamstring) threw a successful 25-pitch bullpen session on Wednesday and is expected to toss another this weekend. UP NEXT: Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (4-0, 4.47) faces Cubs LHP Jon Lester (3-2, 2.09) in the series finale on Thursday afternoon. Lester is 8-0 with a 1.49 ERA in 10 career starts against the Philadelphia. Nola has allowed just one run in four of his last five starts and is 2-0 with a 2.30 ERA over the span. --- More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports


Detroit will see a return of last week's light rainfall this coming week, according to drone-powered weather forecasting service Saildrone . Today's forecast shows the greatest likelihood of rain at 99 percent, while the most rainfall is predicted on Saturday at 0.25 inches. The immediate forecast also has warm temperatures in store for today. Temperatures will reach a high of 79 degrees on Saturday, and remain warm through Sunday. Skies will be mostly cloudy tomorrow. Winds are forecast to reach a modest high of 18 mph today, but will calm beginning on Friday. This story was created automatically using Saildrone's local weather forecast data, then reviewed by an editor. We also incorporate historic weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Burlesque star Blaze Starr, who revived a moribund, post-war Baltimore and rocked New Orleans by having a scandalous affair with the governor, died Monday. She was 83. Born Fannie Belle Fleming in the coalfields of West Virginia, Starr moved to Baltimore as a young woman to launch a career as a burlesque dancer. She performed at the Two O'Clock Club, earning her the appellation, "The Hottest Blaze in Burlesque." She later bought the club and ran it herself. Starr's fame turned to notoriety when she moved to New Orleans and had an affair with Louisiana Gov. Earl Long. The married politician, who served in the 1940s and 1950s, enjoyed a yearlong dalliance with the "knockout beauty." She also claimed to have slept with John F. Kennedy before he won the presidency. Baltimore filmmaker John Waters said he watched Starr's shows as a teenager and cited her wardrobe as a major influence on Divine, the cross-dressing actor who starred in several of Waters' movies. "From a showbiz point of view, I respected her deeply," Waters said. Starr died in her Wilsondale, W. Va., home from heart issues, according to her nephew Earston Spaulding. With News Wire Services


There are high expectations for Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Harold Landry ahead of the 2019 season. Could the second-year hopeful make his Pro Bowl debut as well? NFL.com's Marc Sessler sees this as a very real possibility. Here is what the analyst had to say about his selection in his list of which player from each of the 16 AFC teams was most likely to be chosen to take part in the event. "Landry's part-time role is set to grow with Brian Orakpo (who retired) and Derrick Morgan (who's still a free agent) out the door," he wrote. A second-round pick in 2018, the rookie showed pass-rushing promise down the stretch and triggered a game-turning forced fumble of Carson Wentz in a Week 4 comeback win over the Eagles. Landry should benefit from one-on-one matchups, with Cameron Wake added to the mix. "I think he will break out. … First-step quickness, outstanding closing burst and had a knack for getting it done," NFL Network's Bucky Brooks said on the "Move The Sticks" podcast in May. "We saw flashes of it during his rookie season with the Titans. I believe we get a bigger dose [in 2019]." It's very possible Landry could achieve the honors, as he showed a lot of ability to become an integral part of Dean Pees' defensive scheme as just a rookie, racking up 44 tackles, 4.5 sacks, two passes defensed and one forced fumble in 2018. Other current Titans players who have already been named to the Pro Bowl in the past include punter Brett Kern, cornerback Malcolm Butler, tight end Delanie Walker, left tackle Taylor Lewan, defensive tackle Jurrell Casey, safety Kevin Byard and outside linebacker Cameron Wake. MORE: Everyone had so many LeBron jokes about the reported 'Space Jam 2' cast Rob Pelinka May Not Have Known the Cap Rules for Anthony Davis Trade Five potential Kevin Durant landing spots in free agency Reggie Bush takes shot at Lions, calls them cheap Mike Conley's trade to Utah could have a silver lining, for Boston


We might not be headed towards a labor stoppage after all. Talks between the NFL and the NFLPA are set to pick up this month with an eye towards hammering out a new collective bargaining agreement before the 2019 season gets underway, a source tells ESPN.com's Dan Graziano . The two sides have scheduled negotiating sessions for July 17-19, marking the first time the two parties will engage in talks for three straight days. As it stands, the current CBA expires after the 2020 season, but everyone involved is taking a proactive approach to get something done well in advance. It's all rather promising   owners locked out players in 2011, which led to a last-minute agreement and shortened training camps. There's optimism on both sides of the table, Graziano hears, though nothing is certain. It would behoove both sides to get something done before March 2020. Without a new deal in place, next offseason will include new contract and salary-cap rules specific to the final year of the CBA, which means no June 1 release designations and the ability of teams to use both the franchise and transition tags to keep players off the free agent market.


Manchester United have finally completed the signing of Leicester City and England defender Harry Maguire for a fee of £80m, on a six-year deal with the option for a seventh. The centre-back has been United's main target throughout the window so far, with initial competition from Manchester City and a hard bargain driven by Leicester - whose late push for an extra £5m in add-ons was rebuffed by United - meaning negotiations have been far from straightforward. #lcfc can confirm that an agreement has been reached with Manchester United for the transfer of defender @HarryMaguire93 . Best wishes, Harry! 👍   Leicester City (@LCFC) August 5, 2019 United , however, have persevered to get the deal over the line, and have finally landed the elite central defender they have been after since last summer - even if it cost them a new world record fee for a defender. Maguire said: "I am delighted to have signed for this great club. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Leicester and would like to thank everyone at the club, and the fans, for their fantastic support over the past two seasons. However, when Manchester United come knocking on your door, it is an incredible opportunity. "From my conversations with the manager, I am excited about the vision and plans he has for the team. It's clear to see that Ole is building a team to win trophies. I am now looking forward to meeting my new team-mates and getting the season started." We have an important announcement to make... Welcome, @HarryMaguire93 👋 #MUFC   Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 5, 2019 Maguire made 76 appearances for Leicester after his £12m move from Hull City in 2017, and was a key part of England's run to the World Cup semi-finals last summer. He will be available for their first league game against Chelsea next weekend, alongside fellow new signings Dan James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.


A fter a two-year hiatus, Big Little Lies , the Emmy award winning drama, has finally returned to HBO for its second season. A continuation of Liane Moriarty's novel of the same name, Season 2 brings back the original cast of A-list celebrities including Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, plus Meryl Streep this time around along with the show's other star: the sweeping landscapes of California's Monterey Peninsula. While Otter Bay Elementary School and several of the characters' beautiful coastal homes are actually shot in Los Angeles, here are the filming locations you can visit in Monterey and other nearby towns from Season 2 (as well as some local favorites the cast frequented during their time on the California coast). Bixby Creek Bridge If you've ever taken a Highway 1 road trip through Big Sur, you'll recognize the iconic Bixby Creek Bridge that's featured in the both the title sequence of the show, as well as in shots whenever Kidman's character, Celeste, is shown driving to and from her house. In reality, the bridge is about a 15-minute drive south of where Celeste's Carmel Highlands home is located and a full 30-minute drive south from the rest of the filming locations around the towns of Monterey and Carmel, but that shouldn't stop you from making the drive to the scenic spot that serves as the unofficial entrance to the Big Sur area. Monterey Bay Aquarium Now that Shailene Woodley's character, Jane, has a new job at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Season 2, one of the most visited places in Monterey is bound to become even more popular this summer. Highlights of the aquarium include the 28-foot Kelp Forest one of the tallest aquarium exhibits in the world which is home to a leopard shark, Pacific sardines, and a red octopus that can camouflage itself to match its surroundings (as mentioned in the first episode of Season 2). Fans of Pixar's Finding Dory may also recognize the aquarium, which served as the inspiration for the Marine Life Institute featured in the 2016 animated film. Monterey Beaches For a show set in a coastal town, it's no surprise that the beaches of Monterey County are featured heavily throughout both seasons. If you're looking to go for a beach run as many characters on the show do, you'll want to head to Del Monte Beach near downtown Monterey, which was the backdrop for many of those scenes, according to the county's visitors bureau. The windswept scenes showing crashing waves and steep cliffs were mostly filmed off Highway 1 at Garrapata State Park and Beach , just before you reach the Bixby Creek Bridge. To make filming there easier, the production designers installed a staircase from the cliffs to the beach, which they left for visitors to use after filming wrapped, the tourism board says . Old Fisherman's Wharf Blue Blues, the coffee shop that the main characters frequent in Season 1 is actually filmed on a soundstage with the background "digitally dropped in," production designer John Paino told the New York Post . But the fictional café is based on a real family-run Italian restaurant, Paluca Trattoria , that is located at the end of the historic wharf in downtown Monterey. It has become so popular with the show's fans that the owners of Paluca Trattoria told San Jose's Mercury News that they've had to install a bigger espresso machine to keep up with demand. Lovers Point Park For unknown reasons, it looks like the Big Little Lies ladies have found a new café to patronize in Season 2 instead of Blue Blues. The new coffee spot is an outdoor café located at Lovers Point Park in Pacific Grove, a small town between Monterey and Carmel. The fictional Blissful Drip Café was built on location specifically for the show, according to the Hollywood Reporter . After filming wrapped, HBO donated the coffee shop to the city with the plans for how to reassemble it. It's unclear if Pacific Grove will open it as a coffee shop for people to visit, but the park is available to the public year-round. Happy Girl Kitchen Even though the cafés in the show don't exist, you can get a cup of coffee at Happy Girl Kitchen . While the Pacific Grove café and bakery doesn't appear in Big Little Lies , Witherspoon was spotted there several times during the filming of Season 2 (she even posted this Instagram shot there to promote a pick for her book club last year). In fact, if you look closely at Season 2 scenes filmed in the kitchen of Witherspoon's character, Madeline, you can spot jams and pickles from Happy Girl Kitchen. RELATED VIDEO: A Ghost Town In California Will be Turned Into a Tourist Attraction (via Buzz60)


He is calling it an "epic adventure." Nick Hobson, 38, of Holland will take off this week for a 55-mile swim across Lake Michigan. The swim will take him between 30 to 40 hours, starting in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and ending in Ludington. The swim will raise money for The Pink Fund, a Michigan based nonprofit that supports women undergoing treatment for breast cancer, and The Mike Daley Swim Fund, a nonprofit that helps teach people how to swim that may otherwise lack access due to financial means. According to his website , Hobson swims several times a week at the Holland Aquatic Center and regularly in Lake Michigan during the summer months. If successful, he will become only the second person to successfully swim this route after Jim Dreyer's crossing in 1998. Hobson will be supported on this adventure by several friends and swimmers, plus a medic for safety. You can follow him on his journey on Facebook. ►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now . Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com , visit our Facebook page or Twitter .


I have to admit, I was more than a little skeptical when the BBC announced last year that Top Gear was getting yet another new set of hosts. The car culture institution had been in an almost constant state of flux since Jeremy Clarkson was fired and James May and Richard Hammond quit in 2015. The show seemed to hit its stride again with Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris and Rory Reid hosting, but LeBlanc left and Reid moved aside for Top Gear's 27th season . It seemed like the BBC was changing things right as they were getting good. Harris, the sole carryover host, wasn't worried about his new costars, comedian Paddy McGuinness and retired cricket pro Freddie Flintoff. Car enthusiasts may have been surprised by the BBC's choice of new hosts, but Harris says they're real gearheads. "The Road & Track audience is basically me, you know, the car geeks. But, we have to acknowledge that most people find that, socially, very, very boring," Harris told Road & Track . "We huddle in corners and we talk about differentials and final drive ratios, and most people just don't care. You have to acknowledge the fact that Top Gear can't be about that. It's got to be an entertainment show that is based around cars." What made the previous iteration of Top Gear such a global phenomenon was the chemistry between Clarkson, Hammond and May. You didn't have to know everything about cars to enjoy the enthusiasm of the three hosts or to appreciate their constant joking around. Thankfully, that energy is immediately apparent with the new trio. "We went to an airfield last summer to do a day with a camera, just to mess around and see what it was like," Harris said. "As you probably know, I like to carry a few pounds around. So, I'm sitting in a GT-86 Toyota, and I've got the two of them next to me and Paddy looks at me and literally, I've only met him for ten minutes and goes, 'Mate, I suggest you wear something slightly less tight-fitting.' I turned around to Fred and said, 'Don't worry, I'm going to come back in different shape.' And Fred said, 'What shape, a circle?' And I thought, okay, we're absolutely fine here." Clearly, they're well practiced in the fine English art of taking the piss out of each other , and that's evident in the show. "The banter at times can seem a bit brutal. But, in my experience, your best friends are the ones that say the harshest things to you," Harris said. Season 27 of Top Gear just began airing in the US, but having viewed the first four episodes in advance, I can say the new trio works brilliantly together. They're all clearly fond of each other, and the show is both hilarious and deep enough for hardcore enthusiasts. This new version of the show isn't just a pastiche of the Clarkson, Hammond and May era. "The one thing I'm a firm believer in is that cars are the best thing to be around on television," Harris said. "They are exciting. They're fun. They elicit emotions. They can take you on adventures. They can make you laugh, make you cry. They're the best medium." What was the best car he drove this season? Mario Andretti's 1978 F1 championship-winning Lotus 79, but the McLaren 600LT was a highlight too. "I think we're moving into an era of hybridization, of too much weight, too much power. I think it's a bad direction for the industry," Harris said. "We'll look back on things like the 600LT, the [Porsche 911] GT3 Touring, and we'll go, 'God, that was it. That's when we had it right.'" You can stream the first episode of Top Gear season 27 right now . New episodes air on BBC America every Sunday at 8PM Eastern.


PARAMUS, NJ   Lindsey Njanja overcame a lot very early in life. Njanja is valedictorian of Bergen Community College's (BCC) class of 2019. She has a 4.0 grade point average. Her parents died of AIDS when she was just 2 years old. She will participate in commencement Thursday "Although I was lucky enough to not get the virus, I still faced stigmatization from a shallow-minded society," said Njanja, a Lodi resident. "I was discriminated and made to feel unimportant." Njanja is using that as fuel for her future endeavors. She aspires to three things in life: Find a cure for HIV and AIDS, eradicate the stigma directed toward victims of the virus, and build a children's home in Kenya and Uganda. She wants to share the love she experienced from the grandparents who raised her to others. "I enjoy studying biology, specifically viruses," Njajna said. "I find HIV very fascinating in how it only attacks the immune system and not anything else. The virus knows that the only way to bring down a human being is by attacking its defense mechanism." Njajna is transferring to Rutgers University in New Brunswick where she will major in cellular and molecular biology. She plans on getting her medical degree and become a clinical researcher. She was able to succeed at BCC because of the support she received from her professors. Alan Eliscu, whom Njanja took for Success 101, a computer science class, changed her life. "He mentored me from the very first class I took at Bergen, up to this very moment," Njanja said. "As soon as I told him about my interests in medicine, he contacted a world-renowned surgeon, Dr. Beth Schrope of Columbia Presbyterian Hospital." Njanja shadowed Schrope and interned in 2018 at the National Institutes of Health. Mathematics Professor Nelda Latham also had a big impact on Njanja's life. "She is very passionate in how she teaches, and she explains all the concepts very well in a precise manner," Njanja said. Professor Latham changes my disinterest in mathematics into a love for the subject such that I even joined the Math Club and became an officer." Njanja has the next few decades of her life planned. After getting her medical degree, she wants to build children's homes in her 30s. Fast forward to her 40s and Njanja wants to be "thriving in my field as a doctor, maybe even receive the Noble Peace Prize for finding the cure for AIDS, have raised and educated many children at the homes, and have a family of my own." Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com


DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Scott Parel shot a 6-under 66 on Saturday to extend his lead to five strokes in the PGA Tour Champions' Principal Charity Classic. Parel had a 15-under 129 total at Wakonda Club to break the tournament 36-hole record of 13 under set a year ago by eventual winner Tom Lehman. The 54-year-old Parel won twice last year on the 50-and-older tour, and he's a strong bet to add a third win Sunday after a second straight bogey-free round. ''I like how I'm playing,'' Parel said. ''Somebody's going to have to play good to beat me.'' The list of players who'll try to do just includes Marco Dawson, who shot a 65 to match Jerry Kelly (67) at 10 under. Gene Sauers (68), David Toms (68) and Billy Andrade (69) were 9 under. Parel tied the course record of 63 on Friday, finishing with five birdies on the back nine. Parel pulled away even more from the field with a second-round performance that was nearly as dominant. Parel stuck his approach to 6 feet on No. 10 to push his lead to four shots, and a birdie putt on No. 12 gave him a five-stroke lead. Parel's streak of par-5 birdies at Wakonda didn't end until he missed on No. 13 by about an inch. After Parel put himself into a green-side bunker on the 16th hole, he chipped to a foot. Parel will be tough to beat in the final round if he can at least stay under par, but that's not how he plans to approach it. ''I've played with these guys enough to know that somebody back there probably is going to shoot seven to nine under (par),'' Parel said. ''There's no let up.'' Dawson, who shot a first-round 69, kicked off his surge with an eagle on the par-5 fifth hole. Dawson bogeyed the next hole, but he rallied with seven more birdies to get within striking distance of Parel heading into Sunday - though he did blow a 3-foot birdie putt on No. 15. Despite shooting Saturday's low round, Dawson was still well off Parel's pace. ''You don't have any control over (Parel's) game. He doesn't have any control over your game. So if he plays great, great,'' Dawson said. ''You don't want to change your strategy, so to speak.'' Kelly picked up an eagle on the fifth hole to highlight a bogey-free day. Sauers surged up the leaderboard with six straight birdies before closing with a bogey and a short missed birdie putt on No. 18. Money leader Scott McCarron, whose first senior win came in Iowa in 2016, was 7 under after a 67. Chris DiMarco, who started the second round in second place, two strokes back of Parel, fell apart on Saturday. He bogeyed back-to-back holes on the front nine and finished with a 75.


So much focus this time of year is placed on the biggest names on the trade market. And while it's understandable that everyone wants to know where Madison Bumgarner , Marcus Stroman and other star players will land, it's also true that smaller-scale deals can often have considerable postseason ramifications. So it's worth noting that the Royals are all but certain to trade outfielders Billy Hamilton and Terrance Gore (who has already been designated for assignment) in the near future. The switch-hitting Hamilton has recently been dropped to a backup role following the promotion of former top prospect Bubba Starling and hasn't started a game since July 3. "There's definitely interest out there," Hamilton tells MLB.com's Jeffrey Flanagan , noting that he's regularly in touch with his agent about his future. It stands to reason, of course, that his representatives are in contact with the K.C. front office about Hamilton's status. As Hamilton further explains, Royals general manager Dayton Moore was professional and up-front with him about the fact that he'd lose playing time to Starling, giving him notice well in advance of the move: "I really appreciate it from (general manager) Dayton (Moore) all the way down. … I understand that that's their guy. That's part of the business." A trade of Hamilton seems likely and could come at any time between now and July 31. A move involving Gore might be even more immediate. The Royals designated Gore for assignment on July 12, which kicked off a seven-day period to either trade Gore, attempt to pass him through outright waivers or release him. As The Athletic's Alec Lewis writes , even if Gore hits waivers and goes unclaimed, Moore will likely find a way to place the speedster with a contender. Following Gore's DFA, Moore told reporters: "I told Terrance yesterday that when we signed him, we said, 'Look, Terrance, if we're not in this thing, we'll look to find you a spot with a contending team so you can do your thing in October." Both 28 years old, Hamilton and Gore are elite base runners and defenders who offer minimal value at the plate. Hamilton carries far more big league experience, having spent six seasons as the Reds' primary center fielder. While he authored four straight seasons with at least 56 stolen bases, Hamilton has never even approached a league-average campaign with the bat. A career .243/.297/.327 hitter, Hamilton has managed a .217/.284/.271 slash in his first season away from Cincinnati's hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park. He's earning $5.25M in 2019, with $2.76M yet to be paid out. And, as Flanagan adds, he could earn another another $1M via plate-appearance-based incentives. Gore, meanwhile, has never received any type of extended look in the big leagues. In fact, despite entering the 2019 season with 27 career stolen bases, Gore only had 19 big-league plate appearances. He has been used almost exclusively as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement with the Royals and Cubs. To his credit, Gore batted .275/.362/.353 in 58 plate appearances this season   including a perfect 4-for-4 showing when attempting to bunt for a hit. He's only a .221/.304/.271 hitter in Triple A and a .257/.333/.277 hitter in Double A, however, so it's understandable that teams have been reluctant to give him a regular look at the game's highest level. Gore's glove and wheels have frequently landed him on postseason rosters as a pinch-running specialist, but the elimination of August trades in 2019 means any team wishing to utilize him in that capacity will need to acquire him sooner than usual. Hamilton could land a similar role, but one would think he'd be in line for a bit more playing time. The return in each deal will be minimal, but both players have the type of skill-set that can impact a playoff race and a postseason series. The greater question may be one of whether a contending team wants to carry either player for the final 10 weeks of the season. It's possible, particularly with Gore, that other teams will show greater interest once he has cleared waivers and can be acquired without immediately requiring a 40-man roster spot.


Washington left tackle Trent Williams is unhappy enough with the team to skip mandatory minicamp, but even one of his closest friends on the team doesn't know exactly what the issue is. Asked about the report that Williams is upset with how the team's medical staff handled a recent health scare, Peterson said he and Williams are close and that's the first he's heard of it. "I don't know where that came from. I talk to Trent all the time and that's not something I've heard come out of his mouth. So I don't know," Peterson said. Peterson and Williams have been friends since 2006, when they played together at Oklahoma, and Peterson seemed genuinely puzzled about what is bothering his buddy. Coach Jay Gruden also says he doesn't know what exactly the issue is with Williams, so whatever it is that has him upset, he hasn't communicated it throughout the locker room.


Pirates southpaw Steven Brault exited his start against the Brewers on Friday with an ominous-sounding issue   left shoulder discomfort   per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . The severity of Brault's injury isn't known yet, but he's not feeling great at the moment, according to Will Graves of the Associated Press . Should Brault require a stint on the IL, he'd become the fifth notable Pittsburgh starter to go on the shelf this season. Jameson Taillon , Chris Archer , Trevor Williams and Jordan Lyles have all missed various amounts of time. The onslaught of starter injuries is a key reason the Pirates have turned to the swingman Brault, who has done a decent job over 60 2/3 innings. Across 15 appearances and nine starts, he owns a 4.15 ERA/4.53 FIP with 7.86 K/9, though he has walked a hefty 4.75 per nine. Checking in on the latest notable injury news from the National League… Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon finally earned his first All-Star nod this season, but the 29-year-old is going to miss the game, as Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com was among those to tweet. Rendon will instead rest his ailing hamstring and quad, two areas that have nagged him since the Nationals' series against the Reds from May 31 to June 2. Despite having to play through pain over the past month-plus, Rendon's performance has remained stellar for the surging Nats. He's hitting .304/.389/.615 (152 wRC+) with 20 home runs through 316 plate appearances. The Dodgers offered updates on a slew of injured players today, with Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register among those covering the news ( all links to Twitter ). Backstop Will Smith and righty Tony Gonsolin , who are present depth pieces with bright long-term outlooks, are each headed to the injured list. The former has a strained right oblique and will be placed on the MLB IL, having not played since being sent down. The latter is dealing with a left hamstring issue and will go on ice for a stretch to avoid any complications. Meanwhile, the club is awaiting the returns of infielders David Freese and Corey Seager . The former is just waiting for his hamstring to heal up; he'll seemingly remain out through the All-Star break. The latter is also not a candidate for activation before the mid-summer festivities but could rejoin the club immediately thereafter.


When Washington inside linebacker Mason Foster was placed on injured reserve in 2017, he blasted the team's front office . Last year he came back and started every game, but now the front office has decided to get rid of Foster. The team told Foster today that he is being released , Erin Hawksworth reports. Although Foster and the team obviously haven't seen eye-to-eye in the past, the decision to cut him today comes as a surprise. He was a 16-game starter, and when inside linebacker Reuben Foster suffered a season-ending injury in the offseason, it seemed likely that Mason Foster would stick around if for no other reason than the team had few other options at the position. Now the 30-year-old Foster will try to find another job just as training camps open, and Washington will try to find another inside linebacker.


The choreography of progressive reform was on display with the springtime unveiling by ex-Seattle Mayor (briefly) Tim Burgess of what he depicted as a broad-based People for Seattle political committee. The promises of accountability and transparency were laid out, reminiscent of a reform movement called Choose an Effective City Council that swept out a "musty, crusty" Seattle City Council half-a-century ago. Lately, however, lots of folk are surprised at getting nasty, negative, consultant-crafted direct mail hit pieces from People for Seattle. The group is not boosting candidates of promise so much as slinging mud. The mailings are part of a multi-group effort to boost a slate of business-backed candidates for Council, and doing early damage to promising progressives. The Council flippers: Civic Alliance for a Sound Economy (CASE), political arm of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce; People for Seattle; Moms for Seattle; Speak Out Seattle (a volunteer outfit); and a Seattle Times editorial page bossed by a publisher who can't stand labor unions. RELATED: Council vs. Mayor Durkan on sugary beverage tax money People for Seattle has gone negative on two targets. The first is Seattle School Board member Zachary DeWolf, running against militant socialist incumbent Councilmember Kshama Sawant. Its mail depicts DeWolf, backed by labor and Democratic groups, as a carbon copy of Sawant. In small print, it quotes a Times editorial boosting another District 3 candidate, Egan Orion, who's running with big-money backing from CASE. The second mailing goes after District 1 Council incumbent Lisa Herbold, one colleague who joined Burgess in voting against the Pronto bike sharing program, a seven-figure fiasco. It accuses Herbold of voting "to cut funding for the Navigation Teams tasked with reducing homeless camps." The charge deserves several Pinocchios. Herbold has explained -- as has independent journalist Erica C. Barnett in her The C is for Crank posts -- that councilmembers wanted a smaller increase than Mayor Durkan. Her Worship ultimately got what she wanted. What gives with Burgess, who has also used a Times op-ed piece to flay Council members as excessively critical of police? Mayor Durkan has joined the Council-flipping effort. She has gone after, as "another socialist," community organizer Tammy Morales, who almost upset incumbent Bruce Harrell in 2015. The Mayor is backing Mark Solomon, a crime prevention coordinator with the Seattle Police Department. Morales has described the Mayor's attack as "Trump-like fear mongering," accurately in that Durkan depicts her as an extremist. Politics ain't beanbag, or so the old slogan goes. Hit mailings are a fixture of politics in Seattle. Nor should mud slung on their behalf take away from positive qualifications of candidates Solomon and Orion. But . . . there is a clear strategy -- or "strategery" as George W. Bush would call it -- at work in the Emerald City. Use the Aug. 6 primary to cut people down to size, notably the strongest, smartest progressive candidates on the ballot. RELATED: Big bucks from business boost Seattle City Council candidates Herbold and Morales are favored in their races: Putting Herbold's knowledge of city government up against that of her business-backed opponent is like comparing Mt. Rainier to the Tatoosh Range. Collegial and cooperative, DeWolf is an antithesis of Sawant who demagogues and ignores her District 3 constituents. He has won support from groups (e.g. M.L. King County Labor Council) that backed Sawant in 2015. Tim Burgess delivered a glowing endorsement of DeWolf when he ran for School Board. The business mavens, corporate Democrat consultants and Tim Burgess might ask themselves a question: Where will we be if Herbold, Morales and DeWolf win election to the Council?


Arsenal captain Laurent Koscielny has refused to travel with the club for the pre-season tour of the United States, the club have confirmed. The 33-year-old has been heavily linked with a move back to France this summer as he prepares to enter the final year of his contract in north London, but so far there's been no indication that the Gunners are willing to let the player go. Koscielny has a number of offers from clubs in Ligue 1, with Bordeaux among the strongest linked, and the player has requested that Arsenal cancel his contract so he's able to finalise a move back home. However, Arsenal are continuing to stand firm - and this may be the tigger for the decision the player has made. "We are very disappointed by Laurent's actions, which are against our clear instructions," reads a club statement on their official website . "We hope to resolve this matter and will not be providing any further comment at this time." Arsenal's numbers are already light in defensive areas and so far they've only signed teenage forward Gabriel Martinelli, so they would be loathe to losing another of their options. Calum Chambers has returned from his loan spell with relegated Fulham to offer some extra cover at centre-back, while Rob Holding is close to returning for a lengthy knee injury which kept him out for most of last season. Laurent Koscielny has told Arsenal he wants to be released for free. He wants to go back to France.   James Benge (@jamesbenge) July 11, 2019 Arsenal are set to face MLS side Colorado Rapids in a friendly match on July 16 to kick-off their pre-season tour in the United States, while they'll also face Bayern Munich , Fiorentina and Real Madrid in the International Champions Cup later this month. The club then have four more pre-season games before kicking off the Premier League season against Newcastle United on August 11.


Police in Prince George's County are investigating a homicide after finding a man dead on the sidewalk in Camp Springs. Police said officers responded to the 5400 block of Morris Avenue around 12:40 a.m. on Tuesday for a welfare check call. When they got there, they found a man lying outside on the sidewalk "suffering from trauma to the upper body." PGPD said he was pronounced dead at the scene. Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at 1-866-411-TIPS.


In a classic example of NIMBYism   the disdain for nearby change   neighbors of the last big open tract of land in Grosse Pointe Shores spent five years in court and at town hall meetings trying to block its development. The city itself joined in the fight to preserve the so-called Stackpole property, 8 acres of wooded land that once was the center of an 80-acre lakeside estate. Last month, the hard-fought battle appeared to be ending. A developer removed scores of trees after getting the green light from the Michigan Court of Appeals, prevailing in a lawsuit filed by 16 neighbors. He can build 16 houses, just not the 18 he wanted, on land where residents tried to mandate just six. "They took down probably 100 trees," said Chace Wakefield, a real-estate agent who lives around the corner. The site, owned by a bird watcher, was long considered the neighborhood's private nature preserve. After the tree cutters' visit, Wakefield joined neighbors on social media, lamenting the loss of greenery and the resulting flight of birds and furry critters into nearby yards. "We have a turkey now that hangs around our yard," said Wakefield, who counts 75 trees on his own three-quarter-acre lot. Still, as someone who buys and sells property, he's resigned to seeing open land in a coveted area eventually get developed. "I hate seeing the trees go, big time, but I respect the right of an owner to build," he said. As dramatically as change swept the Grosse Pointes in the last century, one constant remains: people's aversion to change. Yet, when there's open land in a prized location amid a booming, it can't stay virgin forever   not if it's in private hands. More: Grosse Pointe Shores residents dispute how many houses should fit on 8 acres Grosse Pointe Shores Mayor Ted Kedzierski said he thinks all will turn out for the best. At the outset, the city as well as neighbors fought the developer. "We spent probably $100,000 in legal costs to defend our position," Kedzierski said last week. The city prevailed in that fight, forcing the developer to have   instead of one street going into the property   two streets. Each is to be a dead-end, better known in Grosse Pointe Shores as a "cul de sac." With both the city's and neighbors' lawsuits settled, Kedzierski said, the development has his blessing. "Property rights are big in Grosse Pointe, and we have some well-to-do people who feel strongly about this and they have the money to sue," Kedzierski said, adding: "But the bottom line is, we're all neighbors" and ultimately all will co-exist peaceably. "I think we all now want this development to succeed because it will bring in new families and new children to our school district, and I think it's going to increase everyone's property values," Kedzierski said. NUMBERING TREES Painted the bad guy by nature-loving neighbors is home builder Richard Russell, who lives in Grosse Pointe Shores. Russell said he has built more than 100 luxury homes in the five Grosse Pointes over a 40-year career that began with his father as partner. Thanks to the Court of Appeals' ruling, Russell said last week that he's ready to break ground on the first of what likely will be a swath of 4,000-square-foot, million-dollar homes. At the request of the Free Press, Russell stopped by the site last week with his wife, Jennifer Peck, who is the registered owner of the land, along with her son and another partner with a last name familiar to beer lovers   Stroh. Numerous trees had been removed, yet many remained, including some giants. "We saved as many as we could. Every one of them has a tag," Russell said, pointing out shiny numbered medallions pegged into bark. More could've been saved had the city not required two streets instead of one, he said. The couple laughed as a boy of about 10 ran across the property while shouting something unintelligible. Before Russell and Peak arrived, a reporter watched the youth trying to climb a fence around the property, erected to keep trespassers from stumbling into a water-filled hole   the former basement of an aged 9,000-square-foot mini-mansion that had been on the property and that Russsell's firm demolished. "Oh, he's getting his boomerang   it went over the fence," Russell said, laughing, as his wife shook her head. "There's been so many things going on here, sometimes I want to wear a Kevlar vest," Peck said. Her husband said he was sorry that "the neighbors had such bad legal advice," which led to their suing him. The Court of Appeals ruling was a clear vindication of his right to subdivide, he said. The neighbors' lawsuit claimed that Russell's plans should be strictly curtailed by deed restrictions on the property, dating to the wishes of former owner Annette Stackpole, granddaughter of lumber baron and Michigan's 20th governor Russell Alger. The original estate included 1,200 feet of lake frontage and a stately mansion, built in 1911, then demolished soon after World War II. By the early 1950s, according to the Grosse Pointe Historical Society, developers began building houses on all but 8 of those acres. That remaining parcel was where Annette Stackpole raised her only child, Stephen, a bird lover who never married and who lived his entire life there until he died at 88 in 2014. Court ruling The Appeals Court ruling said that, based on deed restrictions, Annette Stackpole's intent was clear. She never wanted to block construction of a new street on the property, as the 16 neighbors claimed in their lawsuit; and never intended to force all of the new lots to face Deeplands Road, as they also claimed. Slapping down those claims in a published opinion   that is, a ruling that lawyers in future cases can cite forevermore, anywhere in Michigan   the ruling stated: ". . . this Court will not infer restrictions not expressly provided in the controlling documents." In other words, if Ms. Stackpole didn't say something way back when, don't have her saying it now. The decisive language cleared the way for construction as much as the foresters removing trees. Still, there's a chance that one more hurdle could remain for Russell, a boat-loving builder who disdains socks. One near neighbor of the proposed subdivision is veteran attorney John Lizza, widely acknowledged to be one of Michigan's deans of deed restrictions. Lizza was co-counsel on the 16 residents' unsuccessful lawsuit against Russell. To say that Lizza hates losing is a gross understatement. He even hates losing in the Michigan Court of Appeals; no, he especially hates losing in the Court of Appeals. Referring to a three-judge panel that ruled against the residents, Lizza said unabashedly, "I think, man for man, I'm a better lawyer than they are." In his long career   he is 92 and still at it   Lizza has lost major cases on deed restrictions in the Court of Appeals, only to prevail in the Michigan Supreme Court. "So, will we take it to the next court? We're thinking about that," he said last week. For someone used to winning his cases, change is hard. Contact Bill Laitner: blaitner@freepress.com This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Residents lose lawsuit to block new homes in Grosse Pointe Shores


Some say Jesus Christ healed the sick and died to redeem humankind. Little is said about his views on the Pumpkin Spice Latte. Still, secular coffee maker Starbucks has come under fire from some Christians who say the company isn't repping hard enough for Jesus on its recent understated holiday cups. The problem? Political correctness, according to one evangelical. "I think in the age of political correctness we become so open-minded our brains have literally fallen out of our head," Joshua Feuerstein said in a widely viewed anti-Starbucks rant on Facebook titled "Starbucks REMOVED CHRISTMAS from their cups because they hate Jesus." "Do you realize that Starbucks wanted to take Christ and Christmas off of their brand new cups? That's why they're just plain red." Feuerstein, an Arizona-based evangelist and "social media personality," according to his Web site , had a plan. He didn't want a boycott. He wanted a movement. "I went in," he said in the video . "I asked for my coffee. They asked for my name. And I told them my name is 'Merry Christmas.'" The result? "Guess what, Starbucks?" Feuerstein said. "I tricked you into putting 'Merry Christmas' on your cup." Moreover, he challenged "great Americans and Christians" to do the same by making "coffee selfies" with Christmas messages on Starbucks cups. Feuerstein's message was quickly embraced by many. Posted on Thursday, Nov. 5, his video had been viewed more than 11 million times by early Monday. "It's not just about a cup," he explained in an e-mail to The Washington Post. "The cup is symbolic of a larger war against Christianity in this country. The policemen of political correctness have demanded that the silent majority bend its knee to a vocal minority." He added: "Starbucks and others know that Americans are drawing a line in the sand and refusing to remain silent any longer." In the video, Feuerstein added that he wore a Jesus Christ T-shirt into the store "just to offend"   and also brought his gun with him, since Starbucks "hates" the Second Amendment. (Starbucks has expressed disapproval of guns in its locations in the past, but not banned them. Arizona, meanwhile, is an open-carry state .) "Choose to not be political correct,' just correct," Feuerstein said. Some supported the message. "Love it Joshua," one commenter wrote. "AMEN AMEN. I will ALWAYS KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS." However, some commenters   a few claiming to be current or former Starbucks employees   said that the company has never endorsed explicitly Christian messages. And wouldn't sending more business to a company to make a point just result in higher profits for the allegedly offending company? "I normally like your post but not this one," one commenter wrote. "Starbucks is trying to remain neutral and be culturally sensitive to everyone by leaving them blank. You are offended that they don't say Merry Christmas, but Jewish people would be offended if it only said that, not Happy Hanukkah. So they are leaving them blank so they can't offend anyone." "If you need a coffee chain to be your ambassador of Christ you need to re-examine your relationship w/God," one Twitter critic wrote . Starbucks certainly didn't seem to anticipate this furor when it released its holiday-themed cups last week   cups that, as the company made clear in a press release, are not really Christmas cups. No crosses. No Mary and Joseph. And definitely no Jesus. In many ways, the cups seemed designed to be unremarkable   unlike, say, the " Race Together " cups the company tried to push in the wake of unrest in Ferguson, Mo., earlier this year. "Creating a culture of belonging, inclusion and diversity is one of the core values of Starbucks, and each year during the holidays the company aims to bring customers an experience that inspires the spirit of the season," the company wrote in a press release . "Starbucks will continue to embrace and welcome customers from all backgrounds and religions in our stores around the world." Indeed, save for the shade, the cups looked pretty much like regular Starbucks cups. Well, if you got technical, as the company did , the cups were "a bright poppy color on top that shades into a darker cranberry below." "We have anchored the design with the classic Starbucks holiday red that is bright and exciting," Jeffrey Fields, Starbucks vice president of design and content, said in a statement . "The ombré creates a distinctive dimension, fluidity and weightedness." (For those in need of a definition of "ombré": "colors or tones that shade into each other   used especially of fabrics in which the color is graduated from light to dark," according to Merriam-Webster .) Holiday cups have been a tradition at Starbucks since 1997. The design "has told a story of the holidays by featuring symbols of the season from vintage ornaments and hand-drawn reindeer to modern vector-illustrated characters," according to the company . Except this year, the story is, in a way, not a story. "This year's design is another way Starbucks is inviting customers to create their own stories with a red cup that mimics a blank canvas," the company said. Fields added: "This year we wanted to usher in the holidays with a purity of design that welcomes all of our stories." Or maybe the story is sort of a silent story. Kind of like "Silent Night." But definitely, definitely not "Silent Night." "We're embracing the simplicity and the quietness of it," Fields said . "It's more open way to usher in the holiday." Breitbart wasn't buying it. "You can see what's going on here," Raheem Kassam wrote , offering a detailed rundown of the history of Starbucks Christmas cups. "More open? You mean, you're trying not to 'offend' anyone. Frankly, the only thing that can redeem them from this whitewashing of Christmas is to print Bible verses on their cups next year."


Tiger Woods is back. But can he take it all the way back? A month after completing arguably the greatest comeback in sports history by capturing his 15th major championship at the Masters, Woods arrives at the scene of one of the most impressive of his first 14   the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black. It's the PGA Championship this time but the stage will be just as grand as it was then with rabid New York golf fans set to live up to their reputation just as they hope Woods lives up to his. "I can't even imagine," said Tiger's caddie, Joe LaCava, a big time New York sports fan. "I think the atmosphere is going to be off the hook after winning the Masters." It will be a spectacle. The PGA traditionally pairs the last three major winners the first two rounds so Woods will be going off with Brooks Koepka, whom he edged at the Masters, and Francesco Molinari, who pulled away from Tiger at last year's Open Championship. Woods will be trying to replicate what he did 17 years ago at age 26 when he became the sixth player in history to win the first two legs of the Grand Slam. He won going away that rainy week, carrying a four-shot lead into Sunday after opening with rounds of 67-68. Even after uncharacteristic three-putt bogeys on the first two holes of the fourth round, Woods did was what was necessary to protect the lead. Sergio Garcia, his playing partner, faded early, and Phil Mickelson, in the group ahead, couldn't make enough putts. Woods, despite a closing bogey for a final round 72, finished as the only player in red numbers at 3-under, three shots clear of Mickelson, then 0-for-40 in the majors. Even Garcia had to give Woods his due. "Unfortunately, I didn't have the chance of seeing Jack Nicklaus play in his prime but I tell you one thing: it doesn't get much better than this. He's unbelievable," Garcia said. Woods, of course, had already won the "Tiger Slam" by then, winning four straight majors between 2000 and 2001. With his seventh major win in his last 11 starts, the debate began to rage   was he the best player of all time? "I'm only 26. It's not like my career is finished," he said, deflecting any Golden Bear comparisons. "I have a long way to go and in that span of time I'm going to try to get better. This is what we all play for. I'm just living out a dream." Tiger, however, acknowledged that no matter how many majors he'd end up winning, the Bethpage win would rank among his best. "It's even more special to do it here in front of these fans at this facility. In view of what all New Yorkers have gone through recently (9/11), it makes it that much more special." The PGA of America is hoping this one is just as special. Things couldn't have worked out better moving the tournament from August to May this year, making this year's PGA one the most anticipated ever. "Obviously Tiger has the impact, sort of the moon landing. It's not golf; it's where were you when, kind of stuff," PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh said. "We really expect to have an amazing Championship at an amazing place and this couldn't be a better kind of story: Every Man's Country Club, Tiger, with his history, obviously having won there, as well." Woods grew up on public tracks in Southern California and his father, Earl, first took up the game at Dyker Beach Golf Course when he was stationed at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn. When the USGA chose Bethpage Black as the 2002 U.S. Open site, it was bringing it for the first time to a place where the weekend hacker reigned supreme, even if it meant camping out in the parking lot overnight for a tee time. The Black Course was a comeback story in itself, a reclamation project that grew out of USGA executive director David Fay's crazy idea that there was a great golf course hidden under what was then a veritable cow pasture. But one round with staffers in 1995 convinced Fay that if enough resources were thrown into it, A.W. Tillinghast's magnificent layout would rival any championship golf course in the world. Seven years later, the people's champion won the People's Open. This time, he is definitely the people's favorite but is he the actual favorite? Koepka probably merits that distinction, having won, in Tiger-like fashion, three of his last 11 majors with eight top 10 finishes in his last 13 major starts. If not for a misread of the shifting winds on the 12th hole at Augusta and two missed birdie chances on 17 and 18, he would have been the story coming in. Where Woods' distance advantage off the tee was even more of a premium on the wet fairways in 2002, Koepka's ability to overpower any golf course will be a huge factor if, as expected, showers make things a bit soggy. Woods will also need better accuracy off the tee than he showed at the Masters, which offers more chances for recovery than any major. No one is going to win this tournament from the rough, as CBS analyst and five-time major winner Nick Faldo noted. "Our expectations have to come down a notch or two for Bethpage," Faldo said. Faldo's broadcast partner Jim Nance brought up the mental challenge Woods faces. He pulled out of the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow in Charlotte because he didn't feel he was mentally or physically ready yet and this will be only the third time in his career he hasn't played in between majors. He'll also have to ward off a letdown like the one he suffered at the Ryder Cup the week after his breakthrough win at the Tour Championship last year. "I'm not going to question his intensity or his ability to fight for every single shot. He's the best I've ever seen at that," Nance said. "But I just think the biggest problem for him is going to be just being back in the arena again this soon after a win that was as important to him as anything he's done in his life." The Bethpage fans are sure to lift him if he needs it. He didn't need it in 2002. NOT A MAJOR PLAYER IN NY/NJ Aside from his U.S. Open victory at Bethpage in 2002, Tiger Woods hasn't excelled in major championships played in New York and New Jersey with a tie for fourth at the 2005 PGA at Baltusrol his next best finish. 1995 U.S. Open (A) Shinnecock Hills   WD 1997 PGA Winged Foot   T29 2002 U.S. Open Bethpage   W 2004 U.S. Open Shinnecock Hills   T9 2005 PGA Baltusrol   T4 2006 U.S. Open Winged Foot   MC 2009 U.S. Open Bethpage   T6 2016 PGA Baltusrol   DNP 2018 U.S. Open Shinnecock Hills   MC     ©2019 New York Daily News Visit New York Daily News at www.nydailynews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Related slideshow: 2019 PGA Tour winners (provided by imagn)


.mcclatchy-embed{position:relative;padding:40px 0 56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;max-width:100%}.mcclatchy-embed iframe{position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%} From the moment he was arrested on charges of sex crimes against children Anthony Strickland has professed his innocence. He told investigators they were wrong, he offered to answer questions and take a polygraph. For three years he had to see his name linked to the charges and appear in court. That was until prosecutors announced this week they were dropping the charges. "Pretty much going through hell," is how Strickland described the case. His eyes turned red, water began to swell at his lower eyelids, and Strickland paced towards a window in a lawyer's conference room as he described the ordeal. "One day at a time. One step, one day, one week, one month, trying to get to the end," he said. Strickland and three other people   Panteleimon Spirakis, Lindsey Honeycutt, Ambrose Heavener   were charged with sex crimes against children in March 2016. Police say two children were forced to have sex with each other and adults. Some of the alleged incidents occurred at a strip club, Chez Joey, where Honeycutt worked and Strickland was a manager. Others were alleged to have happened at Strickland's house. Spirakis pleaded guilty as his trial was set to begin and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Heavener entered an Alford plea during a hearing last week and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. An Alford plea is when a defendant does not admit to the facts of the case, but says there is enough evidence to be found guilty during a trial. Honeycutt was also sentenced to 15 years in prison after she pleaded guilty during a hearing last year. On Monday, the 15th Judicial Circuit Solicitor's Office released a letter detailing why it was dropping charges against Strickland. The state didn't have enough evidence to move forward and none of the co-defendants would detail Strickland's involvement, the letter said. If he knew what the victims were going through, Strickland said he would alerted others. "It wasn't me," he said. "I had nothing to do with it." Defense Attorney Jarret Bouchette said some of the evidence didn't match the case. For example, they described the club interior where the events happened. But, it didn't match the interior of Chez Joey. Strickland said he had a month-long relationship with Honeycutt, but ended it when he saw her drug use. There was also no video evidence in the case, despite arrests warrants claiming as much, Bouchette said. "The reality is you have an innocent guy who had his world turned upside down," Bouchette said. Strickland spent months in jail and then had to wear an ankle monitor for two years while on bond, he said. He was not allowed on school property while facing charges, meaning he missed events in his own high school-aged children's lives. As the case sat in limbo, Strickland said he nearly lost custody of his kids, was dismissed from five jobs and faced death threats. When he finally got word that charges were dismissed, Strickland said, "I went outside and screamed at the top of my lungs." The lifelong Horry County resident is considering moving from the area for a fresh start. Though he knows there is no return to life like it was before the charges and his name will be synonymous with the case. "It's not over," he said. "It still looks bad."     ©2019 The Sun News (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) Visit The Sun News (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) at www.thesunnews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


LYON, France   This idea floating around that the United States women's national team could underestimate the Netherlands in Sunday's World Cup final? The Americans are having none of it. After ripping through Spain , France and England on the tougher side of the knockout stage bracket to reach the title match [11 a.m. ET], some have suggested that the USWNT could regard the contest against the Dutch at Stade de Lyon as a mere formality. On Friday, three-time World Cup veterans Alex Morgan and Kelley O'Hara scoffed at that narrative, as did youngsters Lindsey Horan and Rose Lavelle, insisting that it would most certainly not be the case. "Seeing the games be pretty close and the score lines, I don't know how we could possibly be overly confident," Morgan told reporters at the team hotel here. "I don't think we underestimate anybody," O'Hara said. "I think that we step on the field every time and we know we're going to get the [opponent's] best game and we have to play to our very best." "I don't think we ever underestimate anything," O'Hara added. "I think that's what what people project onto us." The confidence level of FIFA's No. 1-ranked team has been a talking point all tournament, ever since the U.S. humiliated Thailand 13-0 in its opener at France 2019 with the most lopsided scoreline, men's or women's, in World Cup history. The Americans were branded as overconfident, cocky, even unsporting. They shouldn't have celebrated, or over- celebrated, those last few goals against the Thais. And the criticism continued as the competition went on. Before their win over England in the semifinal earlier this week, Lionesses coach Phil Neville was asked by a British reporter if it was "arrogant" for the U.S. support staff to scout out the hotel they would use for the final in advance, despite the fact that it's standard practice. Neville basically agreed that it was. There's no question that the U.S. enters Sunday's finale as the heavy favorite. Still, the Dutch women are no minnows. They're the reigning European champions and a rising global power. They beat 2015 runner-up Japan in the round of 16 and dispatched Sweden   the team that eliminated the Americans from the 2016 Olympics   in the semis on Wednesday to reach the title game. "We haven't played the Dutch in quite a while but I've been watching them throughout this tournament," Morgan said. "They are a quality team. We both made it through to the final via different routes ... it's a team that is worthy of making it to the final." After losing to Japan in the 2011 final, Morgan and O'Hara know that nothing is guaranteed. The U.S. team's next generation seems to have gotten the message. "The Netherlands have been on their game this tournament," said Lavelle, who like Horan is participating in her first World Cup. "We know that we're going to have to go in and fight. I think it's going to be a tooth-and-nail battle. I think it's going to be really close." In any case, the USA's approach doesn't change no matter the foe. Jill Ellis' side always comes out of the gates at full gallop. The longest it's taken them to score in any match in France is 12 minutes, and that was in that tournament-opening rout. They're ruthless on both sides of the ball. They know they're good   a well-earned swagger that comes from being the most successful program, by some distance, in women's soccer history   but they always show up to play. "We're proud of what we've put out on the field," Morgan said. "We feel confident as a team and individually in our roles. "We've also gained momentum throughout this tournament," she added. "So I think we're in a really good spot, and we want to bring back the [World] Cup." That's not the same as thinking it will be easy, though, or assuming that the repeat is in the bag before the whistle blows. More from Yahoo Sports: Man accused of cheating in L.A. marathon found dead It's time for IOC to expand women's soccer field Meet Dutch striker Martens, breakout star of World Cup Chestnut wins fourth straight hotdog eating competition "They're one of the best teams in the world and they're playing in a World Cup final," Horan said of the Dutch. "It's going to be an incredible game." Related slideshow: Best Photos of the Women's World Cup (Provided by imagn)


Manchester United appear to be edging closer and closer to the €80m (£71m) signing of Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic after it has been claimed in Italy that his agent has travelled to England and that the player has informed teammates he will leave this summer. United are known to be in the market for a central midfielder and Milinkovic-Savic has emerged in recent days as the target most heavily linked with an Old Trafford switch, ahead of the likes of Sporting CP's Bruno Fernandes and Newcastle's Sean Longstaff. Earlier this week, Rome-based newspaper La Repubblica alleged that a €75m (£67m) deal with Lazio for Milinkovic-Savic is 'practically' agreed. The report described the pursuit as a 'well-established operation' and claimed that the player will sign a lucrative five-year contract. Sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport has independently reported similar, claiming that a slightly larger deal worth €75m plus €5m 'represents the decisive turning point in the negotiation'. The report goes on to declare that Milinkovic-Savic would be paid between €6m and €7m per year in wages at United , the approximate equivalent of up to £120,000-per-week. It is even said that Lazio would immediately reinvest €40m of the transfer fee in midfielders Yusuf Yazici and Dominic Szoboszlai from Trabzonspor and Red Bull Salzburg respectively as replacements. Gazzetta dello Sport report that Man Utd will sign Sergei Milinkovic-Savic from Lazio for €75m + €5m add ons. 5-year deal worth €6.7m per year, will be Pogba's replacement & will open #MUFC to sell to Real Madrid. It's even named Lazio's replacements - Yazici & Szoboszlai.   Scott Saunders (@_scottsaunders) July 24, 2019 On top of that, Il Tempo has claimed that Milinkovic-Savic has already informed Lazio teammates he will be leaving, while further gossip from Italy claims that agent Mateja Kezman, the former Chelsea striker, has been given permission to 'define the details' of the move. That means arriving in Manchester, where he is expected to meet United executive-vice chairman Ed Woodward, who hasn't travelled with the first-team squad on their summer tour of Australia and Asia precisely so he could stay behind and work on transfers. The key detail, however, at least as far Gazetta dello Sport are concerned, is that United signing Milinkovic-Savic would still hinge on Paul Pogba being sold to Real Madrid . Whether the 20-time English champions would go ahead otherwise remains unclear, even if a deal is in place. This all comes as serious interest in Sporting CP star Bruno Fernandes appears to be over, after Sky Sports reported that the goalscoring midfielder is not seen as a priority target, noting that the speculation has been driven from Portugal, rather than Manchester. That would be the initial concern with Milinkovic-Savic. Detail is always key to transfer gossip and these reports have it. But it has so far been a one-way street of stories from Italy. That doesn't mean the information isn't accurate, although it is something to bear in mind, for now.


This was quite literally the birth of a legend. The Chevrolet Corvette has become a thing of legend. Called America's Sports Car by many, it has been a constant standard bearer for American automotive performance. You could even argue the sports car stands for freedom and you wouldn't be wrong. But sometimes we forget the humble roots of the vehicle that's become larger than life, which is why this video of 1953 Corvettes being built is a great reminder of how far the 'Vette has come. Watching the workers perform their various tasks is most satisfying, almost mesmerizing. They work with expert skill only someone who has performed these tasks countless times can command. Slowly, the cars begin to take shape using methods that by today's standards look quaint, even backwards. It's a far cry from the advanced production lines we have now, complete with robots doing welding, paint, and more. The uniforms worn by different workers range from mundane to almost hilarious. At one point, a GM employee is wearing the kind of getup you'd expect to see someone at an old time soda fountain donning. Also notable is the lack of safety equipment being used by GM workers. They work with resin, fiberglass, and paint sprayers without wearing gloves, respirators, or eye protection. It was a different time where standards were more relaxed and workers probably thought coughing uncontrollably was just them getting old. When GM displayed the first full-scale Corvette concept in January of 1953 at the company's Motorama in Waldorf Astoria Hotel, it was called a "dream car." People went wild over it, and soon the 'Vette was green-lit for production. Wasting no time, the first Chevy Corvette rolled off the assembly line in Flint, Michigan on June 30. All 1953 models were white with an all-red interior. Today, 1953 Chevrolet Corvette prices have soared to almost unbelievable levels. That's been fueled by the fact only 300 cars were produced for the 1953 model year, with a documented 255 survivors. More Classic Cars 1977 Porsche 911 Strosek Puts A Spin On A Beloved Original This 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS is One Sinister Sedan Show And Go Become One In A 1934 Ford Tudor Street Rod Time Capsule 1974 Oldsmobile Toronado Is An Amazing Survivor


An anti-gay preacher has become the first person banned from Ireland. Pastor Steven L Anderson, who founded the Faithful Word Baptist Church in 2005, in Arizona, USA, was set to deliver a sermon in Dublin on May 26 as part of a short tour of Europe. The Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan, has signed an exclusion order 'with immediate effect under Section 4 of the Immigration Act 1999 in respect of Mr Steven Anderson, aka Pastor Steven L Anderson'. The Minister said: 'I have signed the exclusion order under my executive powers in the interests of public policy.' The Department has the power to make such orders under the Immigration Act 1999. LGBT Ireland tweeted their support for the decision on Monday morning, thanking the Minister for his decision, saying: 'We are very thankful for your decision today to ban Steven Anderson from Ireland.' Mr Anderson's church website introduces itself saying: 'Don't expect anything contemporary or liberal. We are an old-fashioned, independent, fundamental, King James Bible only, soul-winning Baptist church.' A list of sermons available have titles such as: 'The Homo Agenda vs Reality', 'Iceland: a Nation of Bastards' and 'Queer Sounding Music & Skinny Jeans'. In one sermon, which was uploaded to YouTube, Pastor Anderson claimed God had ordered in the scriptures that gay people should be killed, and that if humanity wanted to have an 'Aids-free world by Christmas' that is what should be done. In another YouTube video, the pastor claimed he prayed for the death of then-US president Barack Obama. After 49 people were killed in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, Mr Anderson told his audience the victims 'deserved to die in the shooting'. A petition launched on Change.org over four months ago calling for the ban garnered over 14,000 signatures. The petition organiser said: 'Steven Anderson is a Holocaust-denier, Islamophobe and anti-LGBT+ extremist who is scheduled to preach in Dublin, Ireland on May 26 2019, possibly in an attempt to get people to change their minds on last year's abortion referendum. 'This petition is for the people to show that they want Pastor Steven Anderson banned from entering the Republic of Ireland.' In September 2016, Mr Anderson was banned from South Africa, the United Kingdom, and later deported from Botswana. Anderson was denied entry to Canada on November 10 2017, and later banned from entering Jamaica last year. He was banned from visiting the Netherlands this month.


Editor's note: The opinions in this article are the author's, as published by our content partner, and do not necessarily represent the views of MSN or Microsoft. Shortly before the Women's World Cup finals kicked off, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) gave a shout out to the U.S. soccer team. Schumer took it upon himself to complain about how much less the female players get paid, in numeric terms, than their male counterparts. "The women make just as much of a sacrifice, put in just as much mental and physical energy, absorb just as much risk of injury as the men who play for our national team," Schumer said. "Yet, when you break it down, a women's national soccer team player earns a base salary of $3,600 per game while a men's player earns $5,000." An impassioned Schumer continued, "Discrimination is staring us all in the face. These women, who inspire our country with their poise, tenacity, skill and excellence every time they take the field, deserve to be fairly compensated." This is virtue signaling 101. In the United States, especially in politics, expressions of moral outrage play a prominent role. This sort of feigned righteousness is clearly intended to make the speaker appear morally superior. Schumer's exaggerated feelings of outrage are clearly strategic. It's reasonable to ask, whenever someone is expressing indignation, "Is he genuinely outraged or just virtue signaling?" Schumer is clearly signaling. Now that the women have returned from France, triumphant and heroic, the calls for equal pay have never been as loud. Shortly after Shumer's performative plea, Jennifer Bendery, writing in the Huffington Post , also decided to weigh in: "Female soccer players earn a much smaller bonus in the World Cup ($15,000) than male players ($55,000). And here's a stark comparison: the U.S. Soccer Federation awarded the men's team a $5.4 million bonus after losing in Round 16 of the 2014 World Cup. It awarded the women's team $1.7 million when it won the entire 2015 tournament." People like these believe that clear inequalities exist. After all, they argue, the U.S. women's national team has been ridiculously successful: three World Cup titles and four Olympic gold medals. This is the most successful team ever to play women's soccer. Nevertheless, as Brodery notes, "it has been fighting for equal pay for years." Clearly incensed, the writer goes on to discuss an incident from 2016, where five prominent members of the team filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The women alleged that the U.S. Soccer Federation was sexist, hence the reason for the pay disparity. In 2017, they signed a new collective bargaining agreement . Although the deal resulted in additional pay, it clearly wasn't good enough. Three months ago, on International Women's Day, as Brodery notes, "28 members of the team filed a lawsuit accusing U.S. Soccer of institutionalized gender discrimination, a violation of both the Equal Pay Act and the Civil Rights Act. It looks like they're heading to trial next year." In March of this year, The Los Angeles Times published a stinging op-ed that said: "The U.S. women's soccer team outperforms the men's team when it comes to victories, domestic viewership, name recognition and general awesomeness. Its members are stars, consistently ranked No. 1 in the world, and they make millions of dollars for their employer, the U.S. Soccer Federation." The op-ed goes on to discuss the aforementioned lawsuits and the reasons the ladies should be paid the same figures as the men. However, just like the other commentators, the article misses the point. Yes, the women are indeed "No. 1 in the world," but they're number one in women's sports, which has far fewer fans and plays far fewer games. Events like the World Cup and the Olympics come around every four years. The rest of the time, unlike many of the players on the men's national time, many of whom play for elite clubs, the ladies are rarely in the limelight. The men are consistent cash cows, playing in front of huge crowds once, if not twice, a week. But this only scratches the surface of the quality differences between the two teams. Many of the people complaining about the pay gap are actually part of the problem. How many of these critics have actually attended a women's professional soccer game? I would be interested to know if Schumer or Bendery, two people clearly enraged by the so-called inequality, have ever attended a game in their lives. One of the major factors that separate men's sports and women's is a not so little thing called revenue. To put it bluntly, female soccer players, just like female basketball players and female hockey players, are paid less because their respective sports make less. The total prize money for the Women's World Cup in France this July was $30 million; the total prize money for the men's 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be $440 million. This gap is criminal, right? It's not. When viewed objectively based on how much money each competition generates  women actually make more than men . How so? Well, there is a sizable difference in the revenue available to pay the male and female teams. According to Mike Oznian, a writer for Forbes , the 2015 Women's World Cup "brought in almost $73 million, of which the players got 13%. The 2010 men's World Cup in South Africa made almost $4 billion, of which 9% went to the players." Last year, the men's World Cup in Russia generated more than $6 billion in revenue; the participating teams shared about $400 million . That is less than 7 percent of overall revenue. Meanwhile, the 2019 Women's World Cup made somewhere in the region of $131 million , doling out $30 million, well more than 20 percent of collected revenue, to the participating teams. It seems a pay gap does exist, after all. Lastly, men's sports, especially men's team sports, are inherently more entertaining to watch than women's. Whether it happens to be men's soccer or basketball, when compared with the female equivalent, the skill levels on show are incomparable. In a 2015 article for The Atlantic, Field Zhukov wrote : "Women's sports that are identical to men's sports soccer and basketball, for example will never be popular, because men are faster, stronger and more athletic. On the other hand, sports that highlight the different strengths of female athletes tennis, gymnastics, ice skating  are popular. None of those are team sports, so there may be something there." There is something there, most definitely. When you sit down and watch the intricate movement and passing of teams like Liverpool or Manchester City, you quickly realize that nothing like this exists within women's soccer. This is not to say that supreme female athletes do not exist. Of course, someone like Serena Williams is clearly a fantastic athlete. Powerful and highly skilled, she is a genuinely gifted athlete. However, even Serena realizes the fact that men, in general, are better athletes, and certainly more compelling to watch. Despite having won 23 Grand Slam titles, Williams, in a 2013 appearance on "Late Night With David Letterman," said, "For me, men's' tennis and women's' tennis are completely, almost, two separate sports. If I was to play Andy Murray (then one of the best players in the world), I would lose 6-0, 6-0 in five to six minutes, maybe 10 minutes." We can debate the qualities of men's sports and women's sports all day and still clash heads. However, if people really want to have an honest conversation about earning disparities, then, instead of virtue signaling, how about attending some women's games? After all, actions speak louder than words.


OAKLAND   Draymond Green admitted that the uncertainty over the future of the Golden State Warriors' dynasty has given him extra motivation to clinch another title this season. Green helped the Warriors to a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference finals series against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night, but despite the team seemingly cruising to another crack at a championship, he conceded that there was a different feel this year. "We know that these runs don't last forever," Green said after the 114-111 victory. "Obviously there are so many questions about things that can possibly happen with this team in the summer. We are going to try to take advantage of this opportunity and make the most of it and deal with the things that come after whenever those things arrive." MORE NBA: Ja Morant eager for NBA future: 'I just want to play basketball at the highest level' Zion Williamson hasn't 'even considered' returning to Duke, says stepfather 'Don't': Dell Curry says he told Warriors not to draft son Steph Sign up for our NBA newsletter for exclusive content, must-see moments Kevin Durant has uttered virtually nothing on what he plans to do in free agency, though consensus around the league is that he is headed East, bound for the New York Knicks following a three-year stint with the Warriors that may end up bringing a trio of NBA championships. And while Golden State has shown glimpses during Durant's lingering calf injury that they can still win without him   and though they won one title and lost another following a 73-9 campaign before his arrival   there is also a realization that his departure would create a power shift in the NBA. Klay Thompson's contract is also set to expire, and while the most likely outcome appears to be that he will rejoin the Warriors on a long-term deal , he will have no shortage of interested parties. For now, however, the length of time this current Warriors group has spent together only works in their favor. After a tired and miserable showing Game 1 , the Trail Blazers came out strongly on Thursday to open up a 15-point gap at halftime, and another eight-point buffer with four minutes remaining. Experience, poise and calm heads allowed the home side to prevail, capped off by Andre Iguodala stealing the ball from Damian Lillard on the final play. "You can definitely credit it to experience," Thompson said. "When you play 100-plus playoff games it doesn't feel normal, but it feels like you have been there before." What this postseason has shown is the extent to which Golden State is better than the rest of the field. They endured some struggles in the regular season, finding it apparently hard to fully switch on at times, perhaps an unfortunate by-product of such a long period of sustained success. However, whenever the serious questions have been asked during the playoffs, they have responded. "Never losing our composure, understanding we can get stops and create open looks and get right back into the game," Stephen Curry said. "You have just got to find a way to win and that's what we did. We obviously got challenged to play with more energy, more fight and more focus and we answered. There is more edge when your back is against the wall. We have done it before." Heading to Portland for Game 3 on Saturday there is a growing sense that the Warriors are just hitting top gear. They have found some misfortune, and weathered as well as could have been hoped for. Durant's injury has no fixed timeline, though it seems certain that he will miss at least the bulk of this series. "We can't sit and look over our shoulders and think when is (he) going to be back," Green added, noting that the recent injury to DeMarcus Cousins was handled the same way. "We have just got to play and give him an opportunity to get back. That's what really falls on our shoulders. "We are a much better team when he is on the floor. We have got to assume that they are not coming back and play with what we got. We are hoping that they do but while they are not out there we just got to play." The Warriors are indeed playing, at a higher level than we've seen since last year's playoffs and several levels higher than anyone else. Who knows what the future holds, but with more and more certainty it seems the only people who can stop this recent glut of Warriors success are themselves. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Opinion: Warriors' uncertain future only makes them hungrier, more dangerous Related slideshow: Best of the 2019 NBA playoffs (Provided by imagn)