Sports

Manning has a tough debut against Ohio State

Published

5 months ago

September 2, 2025

Austin Reed

Arch Manning – Abysmal Debut A Breakdown

By: Matthew Weatherby

Capital Sports Network

On Saturday, Arch Manning finally took the field for his first real start against a legitimate opponent (sorry, 2024 Mississippi State). His final stat line: 17-of-30 for 170 yards, one touchdown, one interception, plus 10 carries for 38 yards. On paper, not awful. On the field, it looked worse. Arch Manning wasn’t just battling Ohio State—he was battling the uncontrollable.

MUST READS

SPORTS TALK UNITED

SPORTS TALK FLORIDA

The Uncontrollables

Manning entered Saturday carrying more baggage than just his pads. The media had crowned him the sport’s next great hope before he’d done much on the field. Paul Finebaum practically turned into a fanboy whenever Manning’s name came up. As recent history shows—think 2023 Colorado—media hype can be as damaging as it is flattering. The Buffaloes were 3–0, and suddenly the press was putting them in conversations they didn’t belong in. That hype made people root for their failure.

Now, Manning is in the same spot. His shaky performance became fuel for critics who were waiting to pounce, even though the backlash was aimed more at the hype than the player himself.

The Football Uncontrollables

Then there was the stage: your first true road start at Ohio State, preseason No. 3 in the country. As if that weren’t enough, the Buckeyes had just hired Matt Patricia, a three-time Super Bowl champion and longtime Bill Belichick understudy. Few coaches know better how to make an inexperienced quarterback feel their inexperience like Patricia. It’s part of what made him so successful in New England.

Patricia had the tools to do it, too. Ohio State’s defense returned leaders like Caleb Downs and David Igbinosun in the secondary, plus linebackers Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese—who could easily be the nation’s best tandem by year’s end.

Manning had never faced team speed like this. A quick look back at his limited snaps against Georgia last year might have given fans a hint of what was to come, but most relied on media narratives instead: that the newest member of football’s “First Family” was already the best of the bunch.

The Controllables

Still, Manning had a job to do—win the game. And on that front, he failed. His mechanics and timing unraveled under pressure. He looked like a quarterback overwhelmed by the speed and weight of the moment.

The most obvious flaw: his sidearm throws. Against Ohio State, it felt like almost everything came out sidearm—less Matthew Stafford sidearming a throw to create a new throwing lane, more a panicked fallback that screamed thing were moving a bit too fast. The viral clip of Manning sidearming an open throw over the middle, with his hips parallel to the o-line, a clear lane, was especially glaring. You cannot make those kinds of simple errors consistently.

His timing wasn’t much better. Several throws were late, mistimed, or forced, making routine plays unnecessarily difficult. For a quarterback with his pedigree, those mistakes stood out.

The Bigger Picture

Here’s the thing: Manning will be fine. That’s not the hot take social media wants, but it’s the truth. Timing and trusting what you’re seeing improve with reps, and when those improve, mechanics usually follow.

He’s not a star yet, and it’s impossible to predict when the switch flips. But Texas fans have reason to be patient. Over the next three weeks they have home games against San José State, UTEP, Sam Houston. He has a chance to settle in before a real litmus test: October 4th in Gainesville against Florida. That game will tell us far more about what Texas’ 2025 season will look like than his rough night in Columbus.

Source link

Sports

MLB Owners And Players Continue To Court Public Opinion In CBA Talks

Published

2 hours ago

January 20, 2026

Austin Reed

Tony Clark

The CBA ends in December.

The sparring between Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and the Executive Director of the Major League Baseball Players Association Tony Clark continues as MLB gets ready for the 2026 season. The collective bargaining agreement between the players and the owners ends in December and the central issue seems to be this. The owners want cost certainty which could mean a salary cap and the players want no part of that. There is also the question of how much the owners are really hurting financially when the Los Angeles Dodgers owners can give Kyle Tucker a $64 million signing bonus within a four-year deal reportedly worth $240 million and the owner of the New York Mets franchise Steve Cohen can hand out a three-year deal to Bo Bichette that reportedly is worth $126 million. Of course, New York and Los Angeles are the two biggest markets in the country with a lot of wealth. It is the small market owners who are going to tell Manfred that cannot compete with the Dodgers and the Mets.

Manfred is trying to put a positive spin on the negotiations. “Until I got elected commissioner, all I did was labor relations. That’s how I made my living. I’ve never been in a negotiation where, before the first piece of paper went across the table, I, or anyone I represented, was out there saying, ‘This, we absolutely will not talk about.’ I just think it’s a hard way to begin a negotiation.” The players put out a statement that contradicts Manfred. “The league and owners say they want to avoid missing games but at the same time they appear to be dead-set on trying to force players into a system that, the last time they proposed it, led to the most missed games ever and a cancelled World Series” in 1994. The sniping continues.

Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191

Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com

Kyle Tucker

Source link

Sports

Saudi Darts Masters: Littler triumphs as atmosphere fails to ignite

Published

4 hours ago

January 20, 2026

Austin Reed

Luke-Littler (PA)

Luke Littler 8 – 5 Michael van Gerwen (best of 15 legs)

Reigning double world champion and world number one Luke Littler bounced back from his Bahrain setback to win the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters on the eve of his 19th birthday, rounding off a sensational day by defeating Michael van Gerwen 8–5 in a high-quality final.

Littler had to come from behind in a hard-fought quarter-final against Gian van Veen, before exacting revenge on Gerwyn Price in the semi-final, having lost to the Welshman at last week’s event in Bahrain.

‘The Nuke’ then started off like a bullet train against van Gerwen, racing into a 4–0 lead in a matter of minutes while averaging a remarkable 114. ‘Mighty Mike’, to his credit, raised his level to haul it back to 4–3, only to miss three darts at double 10 to draw level.

From there, Littler regained his edge, and despite pressure from the Dutchman, got over the line with a superb 11-darter to seal the victory.

Explosive darts action in a restrained atmosphere in Riyadh

If the sport is judged purely on the competition itself, then the crowd were treated to a spectacular showcase of darts at its very best. van Gerwen illustrated that range perfectly, averaging just 87 in a laboured quarter-final win over Stephen Bunting before lifting his level dramatically to post 100-plus averages in both his semi-final and final.

Then there was Littler, who had to produce his best to overcome three opponents in high-quality encounters, while surprise quarter-finalist Man Lok Leung impressed by pushing Nathan Aspinall all the way. From a purely sporting perspective, it was the kind of day any darts fan would happily lap up.

But Riyadh had never hosted a PDC event before, and it showed. Without the usual fancy dress, constant noise and crowd-led momentum that darts thrives on, the atmosphere was noticeably muted from start to finish.

Culturally, that is understandable and works well enough for many sports, but darts is different. The gap in understanding was evident when the crowd greeted an early sub-50 checkout with the same muted enthusiasm as a ton-plus finish later on, flattening moments that would normally lift the room.

The players would have felt it too. Darts players feed off the crowd in different ways, and there was little coming back at them to draw energy from. Most are media-trained to not criticise openly, although Nathan Aspinall did suggest that the crowd were still finding their way with the finer details of the sport, and some may even have been ringers.

As a first staging of the event, lessons will inevitably be learned and things may improve when darts returns to the Kingdom. One thing is certain – Saudi Arabia rarely loosens its grip once it has a sport in its grasp, and it is unlikely to be content in the long term with hosting a solitary, minor tournament while the game itself is still shaking off the afterglow of the World Championship.

But if the sport is to truly thrive here long term, a balance will need to be found between local traditions and the atmosphere that has long been part of what makes darts what it is.

Results round-up

Quarter-finals (best of 11 legs)

Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Stephen Bunting
Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Man Lok Lueng
Luke Littler 6-4 Gian van Veen
Gerwyn Price 6-5 Luke Humphies

Semi-finals (best of 13 legs)

Michael van Gerwen 7-5 Nathan Aspinall
Luke Littler 7-5 Gerwyn Price

Final (best of 15 legs)

Luke Littler 8-5 Michael van Gerwen

Source link

Sports

Tampa Bay Downs special: Let ’em Run live from Florida

Published

8 hours ago

January 20, 2026

Austin Reed

Tune în Wednesday for a special show from Tampa Bay Downs

Let ‘em Run Special Wednesday Podcast LIVE from Tampa Bay Downs

Midweek racing brings fresh opportunity, sharper opinions, and real-time insight from the track. This Wednesday, Let ‘em Run takes the show on the road with live analysis straight from Tampa Bay Downs. With strong angles, value-driven plays, and boots on the ground, this special edition delivers the kind of edge horseplayers look for during the week.

Be sure to tune in on Wednesday at 12:30 PM EST for our special “Boots on the Ground” segment. John Kostin will be live from Tampa Bay Downs and joined by guest handicapper Wadie Khalaf. Together, they will break down the card with a sharp focus on the Late P5 and key spot plays, including the always-popular Bro’s BRISnet Play of the Day. You can catch the show live on Sports Talk Media Network, along with multiple streaming apps and social channels. Let’s take a closer look at a few races that stand out.

Tampa Bay Downs | Wednesday 1/21/26

Race 2 | 12:20 PM EST

This race offers a strong opinion with limited value, but there is still a way to make it pay. The #5 Uncashed sits at 2-1 on the morning line and owns a +10 BRISnet Prime Power advantage over the rest of the field. That edge pushes the projected win percentage to around 55%. He also profiles as the lone “E” type in the race, which strengthens the pace advantage. Trainer numbers support the play as well, with a 31% win rate when sending out runners who won last time out.

Since the price will likely drop, the value shifts to a double play. The suggested approach is a $50 double using 5 with 9 and 10 in Race 3. The outside posts win often in that race, and the odds should offer a better return.

Race 8 | 3:55 PM EST

This race sets up nicely for another BRISnet-based angle and should provide a fairer price at post time. The #1 Paynter’s Prodigy sits at 3-1 and checks several important boxes. He is an “E” type, owns the highest last-race speed figure, and also tops the field in early TimeformUS Pace.

The only other true speed appears to be #12 Chico Charlie at 6-1, but that runner draws a tough, ground-losing outside post. The price on the #1 may drift up, as jockey Wesley Ho remains capable but does not draw heavy public support. That scenario could create solid betting value.

All three of us will share insights and opinions on the full Late P5 during the live podcast. Be sure to tune in. Bet smart, cheer hard, fast horses equal serious fun, and as always, Let ‘em Run.

Source link