Sports
Hurricane Helene isn’t the only one to blame for Mets-Braves schedule mess
Major League Baseball didn’t ask for Hurricane Helene to interrupt what is shaping up to be two fantastic wild-card races. But the league isn’t blameless in avoiding the worst-case scenario announced Wednesday: the potential for the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets to play a doubleheader Monday, the day before postseason play begins.
The ripple effects of the announced postponement of Wednesday’s and Thursday’s games, a series that could decide both teams’ seasons, are enormous. The competitive disadvantages of playing 18 innings before a Wild Card Series can’t be overstated. (Though if, somehow, one or both games aren’t needed then they won’t be played.)
Could it have been avoided?
Maybe.
MLB has the power to force logistics, to force both teams to play when and where it wants, so long as the union is in agreement. But traditionally, it has tried to appease both teams and, in this case, that was impossible. The storm set to shut down Atlanta for two days was preceded by the perfect storm of events to make this a massive headache for the league.
Thursday’s game is a makeup of an April 10 game that was postponed after the Mets had gone through pregame preparations and taken batting practice and they weren’t willing to come back earlier and burn an off day. So they petitioned MLB to tack on the game to this September series, not only an unusually long wait for a makeup game but also a function of a more balanced schedule in which division teams play each other less, and complicate rescheduling opportunities. (The Braves agreed to the proposition.)
To all of our fans throughout Braves Country that will be impacted by Hurricane Helene, please stay safe. pic.twitter.com/AZ99CPQ7BJ
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 25, 2024
The Mets would likely not have been keen to move Thursday’s game up to this past Monday, another shared off day between the two clubs, as they were coming off a Sunday night game.
The Braves were concerned about the sold-out crowds expected, and earlier in the week the forecast had made it seem feasible for Wednesday’s game to be played, a possibility that got more remote as the weather forecast worsened. Tuesday, when the league mulled a time change, the forecast looked better in the evening. It started raining shortly after noon Wednesday in Atlanta, and pushing up the start time of the game would have mattered little, unless the two teams agreed to an unprecedented morning start. (MLB doesn’t like to start games that are unlikely to go at least five innings.)
Both teams — in contention but yet to clinch a playoff spot — were ultimately looking out for their own best interests, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. What is up for debate is whether the league, which started discussions with both teams Monday, should have acted more boldly with its power and forced the series to play at a neutral site or changed the schedule entirely with a game Monday and two more Tuesday. Perhaps.
On one hand, the weather forecast looked vastly different earlier this week, and all three parties thought Wednesday’s game wouldn’t be an issue. The hurricane isn’t hitting Atlanta until Thursday, with schools closed Thursday and Friday, and the possibility of one makeup game — not two — seemed considerably less daunting. The decision to change the series would have had to come Sunday at the latest when it wasn’t even clear how bad the storm would be and whether Atlanta would be in its path.
It would have been unprecedented — and also a logistical nightmare — to decide earlier this week to move all of or part of the series to a neutral site, one that would have required both teams to be on board and be proactive, which wasn’t the case. For a series with big stakes, it’s understandable that the league didn’t want to pull the plug on a highly anticipated sellout series.
It would have angered at least one, and probably both teams, to change the layout of the series to give them back Thursday’s off day, particularly as it became clear to everyone involved that Thursday wasn’t going to be feasible. But as the regular season winds down and numerous teams are fighting for their playoff lives, it also might have been better in this case to be safe than sorry. That might have required doing the unpleasant and unprecedented thing, even if both teams were upset about it, and decide to move up a series even when the weather report wasn’t crystallized.
Because the flip side is a nightmare, and it could be even more complicated if the AL wild card hopeful Kansas City Royals, who are slated to play in Atlanta this weekend, have travel issues getting in. (If they can’t play Friday, that would almost certainly be a Saturday doubleheader.)
MLB has — in recent years — set the schedule so that every single team plays at the same time Sunday to conclude the regular season. It creates excitement, drama and you can make the case that it evens the competitive field as best as possible. Everyone gets to reset Monday. Unless you’re the Braves or Mets, who could be looking at filling out 18 innings as a way to prepare for a do-or-die Wild Card Series that could start on the road.
The only hope now, for both teams and the league, is Arizona fades and renders those games meaningless enough that they don’t get played. (It’s widely assumed both teams would prefer the off day than to play for a mere playoff seed.) The alternative is bad for the Braves, bad for the Mets and just bad for baseball.
(Photo: Kevin D. Liles / Atlanta Braves / Getty Images)
Caitlin Clark hit in throat during WNBA loose-ball scramble, sparking backlash and game suspension
WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark was hit in the throat during a loose-ball scramble, sparking outrage and a one-game suspension for Alyssa Thomas. Fox News’ Garrett Tenney reports on the ‘absolutely unacceptable’ incident and the coach’s reaction. Political analyst Gianno Caldwell discusses Clark’s immense impact on WNBA viewership, including a $2.2 billion deal, and the role of gender and race in the controversy.
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Phoenix Mercury All-Star Alyssa Thomas is the latest villain to Caitlin Clark fans after punching Clark in the throat during a game on Wednesday night.
The referees missed the punch in real time, but fans and the league office did not.
A viral clip of the punch in slow motion spread across social media, pouring gasoline on the ongoing culture war surrounding Clark’s physical treatment by opposing players, which has been a controversial issue dating back to Clark’s rookie season in 2024.
And Less than 24 hours after the incident, the WNBA slapped Thomas with a one-game suspension for what was deemed a “reckless” and “non-basketball act.”
Who is the woman behind the punch?
If Thomas wasn’t in the WNBA, she says she would go pro in combat sports
In a 2019 interview with Nike PLAYlist, Thomas answered what sport she would have gone pro in if she didn’t go pro in basketball.
“Either boxing or MMA,” Thomas said.
If Thomas never went pro in any sport, she said she would have gotten into dentistry.
“Since I was a kid, I loved going to the dentist. I just was fascinated with teeth and still am. I’m passionate about that whole process of cleaning,” according to a profile on WNBA.com.
The first time Thomas stepped on a basketball court, she threw a ‘hissy fit’
Thomas was signed up to try basketball for the first time at the age of five by her mother, Tina, per the WNBA.
Thomas said she “Threw myself all down the stairs, down the hallway,” while her mom said “She just threw an absolute hissy fit.”
WNBA SUSPENDS ALYSSA THOMAS FOR ‘RECKLESSLY’ HITTING CAITLIN CLARK IN THROAT DURING SCRAMBLE
Her parents didn’t let her win a popular board game
Thomas’ parents never took it easy on her when they played “Candyland” as she was growing up.
“We weren’t the parents that were just going to let you win,” Tina said, per the WNBA.
“In life, you have to fight, and how are you going to fight if you don’t teach your kids to fight? So if she fell over, ‘get up, you’re alright,’ and if she didn’t get up, you knew something was wrong.”
It was a parenting tactic also used by the father of New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter, who famously never let Jeter win in board games or card games when he was growing up, to instill harsh competitiveness at an early age.
Thomas added that her mom was especially hard on her and helped develop her toughness.
“By no means was it easy, and it’s still not easy,” Thomas said.
Thomas plays more physically because shoulder issues hinder her shooting ability
Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas scrambles to get up over Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark during a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on June 24, 2026. The Phoenix Mercury defeated the Indiana Fever 111-109. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
Thomas currently plays basketball with torn labrums in both of her shoulders.
The injuries are so severe that she completely lacks the structural integrity to lift her arms and shoot a traditional, fluid jump shot. Instead, she is forced to use a rigid, one-handed pushing motion from her chest just to get the ball to the rim.
Because she cannot rely on outside shooting, Thomas adapted by leaning entirely into her physical frame. She drives directly into the teeth of opposing defenses, absorbing heavy contact in the paint to score closer to the basket.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark shown after falling in the lane while Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas watches the ball at Gainbridge Fieldhouse Indianapolis, Indiana on June 24, 2026. (Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
That brutal, driving style requires her to initiate intense physical collisions on nearly every single possession.
Despite the mechanical limitations and constant pain, the tactical shift worked. She transformed herself into a six-time All-Star, three-time First-Team All-WNBA, an Olympic gold medalist and the undisputed triple-double queen of the WNBA.
Thomas has been the center of immense criticism this week
The throat punch on Clark ignited a fierce wave of backlash.
Indiana Fever Head Coach Stephanie White led the charge, completely unloading on Thomas and the league’s officials during her postgame press conference.
“We have a generational talent and a WNBA superstar who had two cheap shots right there that weren’t called,” White said, pointing directly at Thomas’s actions. “Absolutely unacceptable.”
White argued that Thomas regularly crosses the line from playing physical defense into inflicting dangerous, non-basketball contact.
“It’s absolutely egregious and utterly disrespectful,” White continued to fume to reporters. “The fist in the throat is crazy. It’s crazy. It’s dangerous.”
On Thursday, Fever President Kelly Krauskopf released a statement praising the decision to suspend Thomas.
“Player safety should be paramount in our league. We appreciate the WNBA’s review of last night’s incident and the action taken. Right now our focus is on Caitlin and our entire team as we prepare for Saturday,” Krauskopf wrote.
Former Minnesota Vikings captain and prominent conservative activist Jack Brewer said the punch would be considered a “hate crime” if the roles were reversed.
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“This would be considered a hate crime if it were the other way around,” Brewer told Fox News Digital.
Other critics have expressed their own outrage on social media.
Sports
Parents of ex-NFL player Doug Martin allege excessive force by Oakland police in wrongful death suit
The parents of Doug Martin filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging that police officers used excessive force in trying to subdue the former NFL running back while he was “experiencing a mental health crisis” last October.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the Northern District of California, also claims that paramedics contributed to Martin’s death by failing to “provide timely medical care.” The city of Oakland, several police officers and emergency medical service provider Falck USA/Northern California were named as defendants.
Martin died Oct. 18 in a hospital following his arrest by officers responding to reports of a break-in at a residence. He was 36. His death remains under investigation by Oakland police.
According to the Alameda County coroner’s office, Martin’s autopsy reports still are being finalized. Martin family attorney John Burris told the Athletic that an independent pathologist told the family that Martin potentially died from restraint asphyxia.
“Plaintiffs allege, on information and belief, that Decedent Martin died from restraint asphyxia caused by Oakland police officers and the FALCK NORCAL paramedics’ failure to provide timely medical care,” the lawsuit states.
The Oakland Police Department and Falck Norcal did not immediately respond to messages from The Times.
According to the complaint, Martin was “experiencing a mental health crisis” when his mother called for paramedics. He then fled and hid in a neighbor’s basement, where officers found him.
“After a brief struggle, defendant police officers physically restrained him,” the complaint states. “During the restraint, decedent Martin was placed face down while one or more officers pressed on his back. After a period of time, defendant Officers turned him onto his side.
“When they did so decedent Martin was unresponsive seemingly unconscious; However, the defendant officers initially believed he was sleeping or pretending to be sleep. When decedent Martin remained unresponsive, an officer requested medical assistance.
“Plaintiffs are informed and believe that decedent Martin did not receive immediate medical attention. Falck paramedics arrived over 15 minutes after the call for service and, and when they arrived, did not promptly provide medical care.”
A Stockton native, Martin was a first-round pick by Tampa Bay in the 2012 draft. He played six seasons for the Buccaneers, making the Pro Bowl in 2012 and 2015, before spending his final season with the Oakland Raiders in 2018. In his career, Martin rushed for 5,356 yards and 30 touchdowns.
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With 48 teams competing and a grueling path through the knockout stage, reaching the semifinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be an accomplishment in itself.
Only four nations will survive the tournament’s first 100 matches and earn a spot in the final four, putting themselves within two victories of lifting the most coveted trophy in sports.
Let’s take a look at the latest odds to reach the semifinals at FanDuel Sportsbook as of June 26.
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To Reach Semifinals
Argentina: +100 (bet $10 to win $20 total)
France: +110 (bet $10 to win $21 total)
Spain: +120 (bet $10 to win $22 total)
England: +165 (bet $10 to win $26.50 total)
Portugal: +210 (bet $10 to win $31 total)
Brazil: +270 (bet $10 to win $37 total)
Netherlands: +300 (bet $10 to win $40 total)
Germany: +330 (bet $10 to win $43 total)
USA: +380 (bet $10 to win $48 total)
Norway: +550 (bet $10 to win $65 total)
Colombia: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)
Belgium: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
Morocco: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Switzerland: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Mexico: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total)
Japan: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Croatia: +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)
Ecuador: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
Canada: +1700 (bet $10 to win $180 total)
Austria: +1900 (bet $10 to win $200 total)
Here’s what to know about this oddsboard:
The Top 10: Argentina, France, Spain, England, Portugal, Brazil, the Netherlands and Germany — all considered powerhouse countries — stand at the top of the board, with each nation listed at +330 or better to reach the semifinals. But right after that group? The USA and Norway. The Americans have never made it to the semifinals of the World Cup, and this is Norway’s first appearance in the tournament since 1998.
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