Let’s Play Football
August 12, 2021By: Carlos Alvarez
Good Morning
No fluff to open today’s newsletter. Fans won’t have to go another weekend without football until February. The NFL preseason is officially here.
Letter Rip!
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PROGRAMMING
The Sportsletter will not be sent tomorrow (Friday, Aug. 13). Today’s edition will serve as the weekend preview. We’ll return to your inbox on Monday (Aug. 16). Thanks!
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NFL
Let’s Play Football!
Photo: Doug Pensinger / Getty Images
NFL Preseason Week 1 Kicks Off Tonight
The 2021 NFL season is less than one month away, but football is already making its long-awaited return. No, you won’t get to see your favorite players in action during Week 1 of the preseason, but football is football, and football is back. Tonight’s doubleheader kicks off the six-month half of the calendar where football dominates every weekend. The good news? No matter how bad your team is by season’s end, they start right now with hope and high expectations. Here’s the Week 1 preseason schedule:
Preseason Schedule (Week 1)
Tonight
Washington at Patriots (7:30 pm ET)
Steelers at Eagles (7:30 pm ET)
Friday
Titans at Falcons (7:00 pm ET)
Bills at Lions (7:00 pm ET)
Cowboys at Cardinals (10:00 pm ET)
Saturday
Dolphins at Bears (1:00 pm ET)
Broncos at Vikings (4:00 pm ET)
Saints at Ravens (7:00 pm ET)
Browns at Jaguars (7:00 pm ET)
Jets at Giants (7:30 pm ET)
Bengals at Bucs (7:30 pm ET)
Texans at Packers (8:00 pm ET)
Chiefs at 49ers (8:30 pm ET)
Seahawks at Raiders (9:00 pm ET)
Chargers at Rams (10:00 pm ET)
Sunday
Panthers at Colts (1:00 pm ET)
Additional Storylines
USA Today: 5 ‘Hard Knocks’ Takeaways for Dallas Cowboys
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MLS
The MLS Playoff Picture
Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images
Who’s Who at the Halfway Point of the 2021 MLS Season
After finally getting through the Euros, Copa America, the Olympics and a Lionel Messi fiasco, our soccer coverage turns its focus to the second half of the MLS season. Teams has played at least 17 of the 34 schedule regular-season matches, and we’ve got a good idea of who’s who heading down the stretch. Spoiler alert: The New England Revolution are “who” the league is trying to track down. Here’s the standings and playoff outlook with the second half to play.
MLS Standings
Eastern Conference
1. New England Revolution (40 points)
2. Orlando City SC (30 points)
3. New York City FC (28 points)
4. Philadelphia Union (28 points)
5. Nashville SC (28 points)
6. DC United (27 points)
7. Columbus Crew (24 points)
Rest of Eastern Conference: 8. CF Montreal (23 points), 9. New York Red Bulls (19 points), 10. Atlanta United FC (18 points), 11. Chicago Fire (17 points), 12. Inter Miami CF (16 points), 13. FC Cincinnati (16 points), 14. Toronto FC (15 points)
Western Conference
1. Sporting Kansas City (34 points)
2. Seattle Sounders FC (33 points)
3. LA Galaxy (32 points)
4. Colorado Rapids (28 points)
5. Minnesota United FC (26 points)
6. Portland Timbers (23 points)
7. LAFC (23 points)
Rest of Western Conference: 8. Real Salt Lake (21 points), 9. FC Dallas (21 points), 10. San Jose Earthquakes (21 points), 11. Houston Dynamo FC (18 points), 12. Austin FC (16 points), 13. Vancouver Whitecaps (16 points)
Additional Storylines
MLS: The 11 Most Underrated Players of the 2021 MLS Season (So Far)
ESPNFC: MLS Power Rankings: New England Consolidates Place at the Top
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MLB
Burnes Blazes Into Record Books
Photo: Nuccio DiNuzzo / Getty Images
Brewers Right-Hander Corbin Burnes Fans 15, Ties MLB Record With 10 Straight Ks
Stand ‘em up and sit ‘em down. Milwaukee Brewers ace Corbin Burnes dealt a historic strikeout streak against the Cubs Wednesday night in Wrigley Field. The right-hander struck out the side in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th innings before registered his 10th consecutive strikeout in the fifth to tie Aaron Nola (2021) and Tom Seaver (1970) for the most consecutive Ks in MLB history. Best of all? All 10 batters went down swinging. The Brewers beat the Cubs (10-0), and Burnes had a night he’ll never forget.
Corbin Burnes: 8IP, 4H, 0R, 15Ks
Watch: Burnes Ties MLB Record With 10 Straight Ks
MLB Quick-Hitters
Ohtani Cranks No. 38: After 14 days without a home run, Angels star Shohei Ohtani has finally went yard again. His 38th homer of the season came in a 10-2 loss to the Blue Jays, but Ohtani still holds the outright lead in the MLB home run race.
Red Sox Hang 20 Runs: Last night’s game in Fenway was a scoreboard runaway when the Boston Red Sox put up 20 runs on 19 hits in a 20-8 win over the Rays.
Ozzie in the 11th: The Braves blew a 5-0 lead on Wednesday before the Reds pushed it into extra innings, but Ozzie Albies smashed a 3-run walk-off shot to win it (8-6) with two outs in the bottom of the 11th.
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MLB
Heaven in Iowa
Screenshot from the 1989 Film ‘Field of Dreams’
Yankees & White Sox Meet in Iowa Tonight for MLB’s ‘Field of Dreams’ Game
One of baseball’s most special events takes center stage tonight in Dyersville, Iowa, a small town of about 4,100 people. For those who don’t know, ‘Field of Dreams’ pays homage to the 1989 film with actor Kevin Costner, who will be in attendance at tonight’s game. The diamond amid the backdrop of the Iowa cornfields is an iconic image for baseball fans.
Field of Dreams Game (7:00 pm ET, FOX)
Yankees (62-51) vs. White Sox (67-47)
Pitchers: Andrew Heaney (7-8) vs. Lance Lynn (10-3)
With tonight’s game making history as the first regular-season game ever played in Iowa, fans and players alike will be sink into a magical throwback night of baseball tradition you won’t want to miss.
“If you build it, they will come.”
Additional Storylines
MLB: 11 Field of Dreams Facts You Never Knew
FOX Sports: Everything You Need to Know About MLB’s Field of Dreams Game
FiveThirtyEight: What If ‘Field of Dreams’ Got A Do-Over? Our Picks for Updated Lineup
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THE HEADLINES
Colts Starters QB Carson Wentz & OL Quenton Nelson Trending Towards Playing in Week 1 Opener
(CBS Sports)
Valparaiso University Changes Nickname From ‘Crusaders’ to ‘Beacons’
(ESPN)
Former NBA Player J.R. Smith Hopes to Play Golf at Division I North Carolina A&T
(USA Today)
Seahawks Release DE Aldon Smith Before Week 1 of Preseason
(Bleacher Report)
Former NFL QB Alex Smith Joins ESPN as NFL Analyst
(Yahoo! Sports)
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