Madrid is absolutely electric right now. Spain punched their ticket to the World Cup final in style, and the scenes in the capital were pure pandemonium. Pedro Porro doubled the lead and the crowd went ballistic. Oyarzabal from the spot? Ice in his veins. This is a team that’s peaking at the perfect time.
But not everyone’s celebrating. Frank Leboeuf called France’s semifinal loss to Spain a ‘failure.’ And he’s not wrong—Les Bleus had title expectations, and now they’re heading home. Meanwhile, over in NFL land, Lamar Jackson’s plummet to No. 69 on the ‘NFL Top 100’ list has Ryan Clark fuming. ‘INEXPLICABLE!’ he shouted on air. And honestly? I kind of get it. A healthy Lamar is way better than 69th. But then again, the list is always a popularity contest.
Speaking of quarterbacks, why is Jalen Hurts down to the 6th tier in that QB survey? RC has a problem with it, and so should you. Hurts is a winner, a leader, and he’s only getting better. Also, Michigan’s athletic director is not ready to go—’I love this place’—so stability in Ann Arbor. And Buster Olney says the Home Run Derby was a lot of fun. No argument there, but let’s not pretend it’s the same as the real thing.
Now, a few burning questions: Should World Cup semifinalists be concerned about the change of ball? That’s a huge variable. Was Lamar’s fall deserved? No way. And how far can Bill Belichick take UNC in his second year? If anyone can turn a college program around, it’s him. Oh, and Aaron Donald to the Rams? Adam Schefter says the return is ‘awfully enticing.’ Donald is a legend, but can he still dominate? Lastly, will Baker Mayfield and the Bucs agree to a new deal before camp? Schefter’s got his ear to the ground. Training camp’s coming fast, folks. Buckle up.