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Keyshawn Johnson to join 'Undisputed' after ESPN settlement
What seems to be the last piece of the puzzle for the new-look 'Undisputed' on FS1 has finally found its space.
Keyshawn Johnson reached a buyout on the remainder of his contract with ESPN, clearing the way for the former show host and NFL wide receiver to join the program starting on Monday. The initial report last week from Andrew Marchand of the New York Post noted that Johnson would join the revamped show after getting laid off by ESPN in June.
According to Marchand, ESPN's non-compete agreement was the hold-up, prompting Skip Bayless to pump the breaks on the initial report. Marchand's latest post said that both ESPN and Johnson were able to work out the financials that let him move to FOX:
Even though Johnson was let go by ESPN in late June as part of their layoffs, ESPN still controlled his on-air rights as part of a five-year, $18 million contract that he signed just a year ago. Between the buyout with ESPN and the new deal with FS1, Johnson will make the same amount and will retain his audio rights, meaning he could still do radio or a podcast elsewhere, according to sources.
It was a buyout that set off a ton of movement between the most talked about debate shows on sports television. Shannon Sharpe took a buyout after deciding to leave 'Undisputed' after the NBA Finals, largely based on a reportedly fractured relationship between him and Bayless. In late June, ESPN went through its second round of company-wide layoffs, largely impacting on-screen talents such as Johnson, who did double-duty on television and radio for a number of years.
Sharpe, of course, took full advantage of his free agency by not only going back to "First Take" - where he initially worked with Bayless - to spar with Stephen A. Smith but moving his "Club Shay Shay" onto Colin Cowherd's podcast network, The Volume. On Monday, less than two weeks before the start of the NFL season, "Undisputed" will return after a nearly two-month hiatus with several rotating co-hosts - Johnson, Richard Sherman, Rachel Nichols and rapper Lil Wayne, who is also providing the show's new theme, much to Bayless' delight.
More must-reads:
- TV free agent Shannon Sharpe joins Colin Cowherd's podcast network
- Report: Two more ex-NFL stars joining Skip Bayless on ‘Undisputed’
- The '2022 award winners' quiz
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OKC Thunder Forward Impressing at EuroBasket
The Oklahoma City Thunder are set to embark on an important season when it comes to making a decision on the No. 11 pick of the 2022 NBA Draft, Ousmane Dieng. Dieng enters the final year of his rookie contract and is set to be a restricted free agent following the 2025-26 campaign. The Thunder have rarely allowed players to hit restricted free agency after their rookie deals, often trading them before they get the chance –– most recently with former No. 6 overall pick Josh Giddey, who was shipped to the windy city last summer in favor of Alex Caruso, who eventually re-signed in Bricktown last December. This summer, the still just 22-year-old will head overseas to take part in EuroBasket with Team France. There is no question that this is a massive opportunity for Dieng, even to just practice with and play in the exhibition stage against the high-quality NBA players around him all August. For the exhibition play of EuroBasket, Dieng is flanked by ten other players with NBA experience, headlined by youngsters Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher. At a practice for Team France, Dieng was filmed sinking multiple half-court shots at the end of the team's shoot-around. The young wing appears confident and comfortable in this environment, which has a chance to make him tangibly better next season. Dieng would be far from the first player to come back from an international summer competition a better player. This could go a long way in Dieng defining himself as an NBA player long-term and perhaps sticking around Bricktown longer than most peg him to. Team France EuroBasket Schedule Aug. 4 vs. Montenegro Aug. 8 vs. Great Britain Aug. 14 vs. Spain Aug. 16 vs. Spain Aug. 24 vs. Greece Aug. 28 vs. Belgium Aug. 30 vs. Slovenia Aug. 31 vs. Israel Sept. 2 vs Poland Sept. 4 vs. Iceland It is unclear what Dieng's role will be with Team France, especially once they leave exhibition play, but the Oklahoma City Thunder forward should be able to gain plenty from this experience competing for his country. This marks a busy year for Dieng, who saw his NBA commitment span from October until late June and now will be involved in Eurobasket until September with NBA training camp opening up at the end of that month for an ever-important 2025-26 campaign for the former lottery pick. The Eurobasket will offer basketball fans another avenue to get their fix of hoops during the NBA offseason with plenty of high-profile competing throughout the event.
Brewers issue update on Jackson Chourio rehab timeline
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio was tearing it up in July before he strained his hamstring legging out a triple. He was placed on the injured list, and it only got worse from there. Less than 24 hours later, manager Pat Murphy said Chourio would be out beyond the 10-day minimum and possibly at least a month. On Saturday, beat reporter Curt Hogg shed another tidbit of light on the slugger’s timetable. It’s not necessarily worse news, but Hogg’s update probably does not illuminate much. Fans already knew Chourio was going to be out a while after Friday’s report, so this latest info isn’t surprising. It isn’t all that encouraging, either. It certainly suggests no expedited return schedule. Not to make assumptions, but the emphasis on the location of the damage versus evaluating its severity seems to indicate the Brewers are just hoping Chourio avoided a worse-case scenario. In that case, caution would indeed be first in the order of operations. Only after ascertaining clarity would it make sense to seriously estimate a recovery timetable. That he won’t be ready to immediately resume baseball workouts further points to a slow, methodical recovery process. For however long he remains out, the lineup will miss him badly. Chourio’s 17 home runs rank second on the team behind Christian Yelich, as do his 67 RBI. His .786 OPS leads the offense among qualified hitters. In 90 at-bats in July, he hit .367/.408/.600. The Brewers are resilient everywhere, but without one of their few genuine power threats and hottest bats, plus an everyday outfielder, they are courting a potential offensive slump. The most fans can hope for from Chourio is that he returns fully healthy by the first week of September. Until then, Blake Perkins and trade pickup Brandon Lockridge should see plenty of playing time while Yelich takes more reps in the outfield after getting most of his at-bats this season as the designated hitter.
Tiger Woods Sends Strong Message to Retiring CBS Broadcaster on Sunday
At Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, Sunday’s final round of the 2025 Wyndham Championship closed out the PGA Tour’s regular season. It also marked the end of an era for one of golf’s most revered broadcasters. For the last time, Ian Baker-Finch manned the hole-announcing microphone for CBS Sports, capping 30 years in the booth following a playing career that peaked with his victory at the 1991 Open Championship. Before the day was over, Tiger Woods took to X to salute "Finchy." "Congrats Finchy for 30 incredible years behind the microphone. You brought insight into things that the viewing audience could understand and relate to. From all of us—thanks for the memories." The message joined tributes from Jack Nicklaus, Jason Day, Adam Scott and others, underscoring Baker-Finch’s standing among champions past and present. Ian Baker-Finch: From Major Champion to Broadcast Mainstay Baker-Finch turned pro in 1979, winning 17 professional tournaments worldwide. His lone major title came at Royal Birkdale in 1991, where he secured the Open Championship by five strokes. After retiring in the mid-1990s, Baker-Finch transitioned smoothly into broadcasting. He cut his teeth as an analyst on Australian television before joining ESPN and ABC in 1998. In 2007, he became CBS Sports’ dedicated hole announcer, a role he held through 2025, calling golf’s defining moments with a blend of technical acumen and warm delivery. Over 19 seasons with CBS, he covered five Masters and contributed to countless PGA Tour telecasts. Throughout Woods’ five green-jacket haul (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2019), Baker-Finch was a trusted on-course voice that helped demystify championship golf for television audiences. As a player, Baker-Finch remains one of only seven Australian men to win a major championship and is one of a select few to dominate links golf on British soil. As a broadcaster, Baker-Finch’s voice guided generations of fans through golf’s signature moments, shaping how millions understand the game’s subtleties. When the G.O.A.T. of professional golf uses his platform to honor your contribution to the sport, it signals a broadcast career worth remembering.
Green Bay Packers: Jordan Love’s ‘Fiery’ Response to Wife’s Take on Franchise’s Timeless Tradition
Dolphins lock in defensive standout to long-term extension
It's been a lucrative weekend for some of the NFL's defensive tackles. Just one day after the Denver Broncos locked in Zach Allen on a long-term deal, the Miami Dolphins did the same with another Zach — Zach Sieler — and signed him to a three-year, $67 million extension that will now make him the highest-paid defensive player on the Dolphins roster. The Dolphins defense took a big step forward in 2024 and climbed to the top 10 in points allowed and the top four in yards allowed. They still struggled against some of the NFL's better teams, but it was a better unit overall and Sieler was a big part of that. He's been a full-time starter the past three seasons and is coming off back-to-back 10-sack campaigns for the Dolphins. He is going to turn 30 just after Week 1 of the season, but his game should age well throughout the contract extension. It was a quiet free agent signing period for the Dolphins defense, mainly focusing on depth additions, but they did make one blockbuster trade by sending Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers for Minkah Fitzpatrick. They also addressed the defensive line in the 2025 NFL Draft in a big way by selecting defensive lineman with two of their first three picks. That included first-round pick Kenneth Grant out of Michigan and fifth-round pick Jordan Phillips out of Maryland.
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