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It's been a dream season so far for Alex Palou in the NTT IndyCar Series.
The three-time NTT IndyCar Series champion appears to be heading toward a fourth championship as the 28-year-old has amassed five wins through the opening six races of the season, and this past weekend, he scored his first career win in the Indianapolis 500, one of the most prestigious races in the world.
As Palou continues to pile on career accolades in the NTT IndyCar Series, he's allowed himself to start daydreaming about other opportunities in addition to his full-time IndyCar driving duties with Chip Ganassi Racing.
Palou, who had aspirations of moving to Formula One a few years ago, before being entangled in a strange and public contract dispute between Chip Ganassi Racing and McLaren during the 2022 season, explained in an interview with the Indy Star that he no longer has a desire to move from the NTT IndyCar Series ranks to Formula One.
"(F1) is not calling me anymore. I still follow it. It’s a huge series. It’s amazing. I’m a big fan, but I don’t think they’re having as much fun as I’m having here," Palou said to the Indy Star. "I don’t see people celebrating with their wives and their kids as much as we do. I don’t see them hanging in the bus lot or having dinner with their mechanics. I only enjoy driving and having fun and being with my people, so I think (F1) is the total opposite."
While F1 is off the table, Palou, who appeared on Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour Podcast this week, didn't rule out competing in NASCAR in the future. Palou said while he knows he wouldn't have much of a chance of competing against the full-time NASCAR drivers on ovals, he'd like to mix it up with them on a road course or street course down the line.
"Oh, absolutely. I'd be down for that," Palou said of running in NASCAR. "I mean, it's a very different car, it's a very different kind of racing, but I know I would get smashed by all of you guys on ovals, but I would love to give it a try at a road or a street course."
That's an interesting answer as Palou's NTT IndyCar Series team owner, Chip Ganassi, was a longtime NASCAR Cup Series team owner, who sold his race team and assets to Justin Marks and Trackhouse Racing a few of years ago.
Interestingly enough, Trackhouse Racing fields a part-time No. 91 entry, known as PROJECT91, where it gives opportunities to world-class drivers attempting to make one-off starts in the NASCAR Cup Series. Perhaps there could be a path there for Palou if he truly wants to run a NASCAR Cup Series event on a road course?
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Tennessee's groundbreaking Adidas deal a game-changer for college sports in NIL era
The Tennessee Volunteers are going back to Adidas as its primary apparel provider after a decade of wearing the Nike swoosh. On Wednesday, Adidas announced a $100M, 10-year deal to be the exclusive apparel provider for the school's sports teams. The deal is set to begin on July 1, 2026, following the expiration of the current agreement with Nike. On the surface, it's just another apparel deal between two popular brands, but in the era of NIL (name, image and likeness) in college sports, it's a game-changing agreement. As part of the agreement, Adidas will establish a fund for NIL deals between the University of Tennessee and student-athletes. The German-based company will provide Tennessee with at least $10 million annually for the NIL deals, which, as of now, is about half of the $20.5 million that schools participating in the revenue-sharing model are allowed to give directly to student-athletes. That figure will almost assuredly increase with each passing year, meaning both current and future Tennessee Volunteers will benefit directly from this deal. Adidas will aim to make top student-athletes brand ambassadors by giving them national marketing campaigns and signature shoe lines. With NIL deals becoming a centerpiece of how college athletic departments attract top recruits, this deal is a bellwether for how apparel deals will be renegotiated across the world of college sports. Of course, at the center of this deal is football, as it remains the most popular sport in the country. According to The Athletic, the Volunteers' football program is estimated to be valued at $1.37B, the ninth-highest valuation in college football. It's only natural, then, that Adidas wants to get its logo back on Tennessee football jerseys. Adidas sponsored the team for 20 years before the university switched to Nike in 2014. While some fans were hoping Tennessee would re-up their partnership with Nike, fans who remember the 1998 National Championship team will probably feel good seeing the Adidas logo on the jersey again. Adidas also sweetened the deal by providing assurances that Tennessee athletics can design its apparel in-house, in collaboration with the company. Aside from nostalgia and big business, Tennessee and Adidas both know that for the school to remain one of the top programs in the country, they'll need star recruits. Before the ascendance of NIL deals, recruiting top talent was a mix of promising top-of-the-line facilities and flaunting the pedigree of the program. NIL money has changed that equation and already impacted Tennessee. In April, star quarterback Nico Iamaleava shocked the school by not reporting to spring practice and transferring to UCLA. Reports suggested part of the disagreements between Iamaleava and the school was over his NIL deal. How Iamaleava plays this season will make Tennessee wonder if it should've allocated more NIL money to keeping him happy. If that's the case, it's safe to wonder if Tennessee will tap into this deal as much as possible to keep future stars away from the transfer portal. This deal with Adidas certainly opens new doors for athletes to maximize their branding and will test the NIL distribution system over the next decade. Expect these types of deals to become the norm, too, as universities seek every competitive advantage against one another.
Max Johnson reacts to Bill Belichick going to transfer portal for new QB
North Carolina's Bill Belichick has found himself in a very interesting situation as he gears up for his first season as a college football head coach. On one hand, he has what every new coach covets: An experienced quarterback with an NFL pedigree. That would be Max Johnson, the son of former NFL quarterback Brad Johnson. Johnson missed a majority of the 2024 season after suffering a broken femur in the season opener, but he's healthy heading into this 2025 season and has 22 starts under his belt between stops at LSU and Texas A M. One would think Johnson would be UNC's clear starter, but he is coming off a catastrophic injury and only just recently got back to full-strength. On the other hand, one of Belichick's first moves at UNC was going into the transfer portal to bring in redshirt sophomore Gio Lopez from South Alabama to compete for the starting job. That's a move that could have easily rattled Johnson, but in an in-depth look at his recovery from that terrible femur injury by Andrea Adelson of ESPN, the sixth-year quarterback explained that he understood why Belichick did what he did. "I get it. You have to go in the portal," Johnson says. "I didn't know if I was going to be ready. They didn't know. They asked me those questions. I'm telling them I'm going to be ready, because I know myself. But it's tough from their point of view because it's like, 'OK, we've got to make a business decision.'" Belichick made a business decision and it's worth noting that while Johnson is saying the right things about the introduction of Lopez into the equation, he's also walking the walk. "I transfer in, we're both competing for the spot, and people paint this narrative like they must not like each other. Me and Max are actually great friends," Lopez explained. A starter has not yet been named by Belichick, but one gets the sense that if Johnson gets the call, he'll be ready to pick right back off where he left off with no reservations. And as Lopez tells it, if he ends up winning the starting gig, UNC can expect to have a more than supportive backup in Johnson. "He's been super helpful with the offense. There's no second agenda with him, where he's trying to throw me off. He's been great," Lopez said.
Pete Alonso gets awesome gift from Mets after breaking HR record
Pete Alonso is officially the New York Mets' all-time home run king, and the team has pulled out all the stops while crowning its slugger. Alonso hit the 253rd and 254th home runs of his Mets career in the team's 13-5 win over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night. He surpassed previous franchise record-holder Darryl Strawberry, who hit 252 home runs with the Mets from 1983-1990. Prior to Thursday night's game against the Braves, the Mets presented Alonso with a custom painting that was made from 253 baseballs. The portrait shows Alonso in the home-run trot from his 253rd homer. That was not the only gift the Mets had for Alonso, either. They also gave him a new Ford F-150 truck. Alonso entered free agency last offseason but did not generate as much interest as he had hoped. He wound up returning to the Mets on a two-year, $54M deal. The second year is a player option, and Alonso is widely expected to opt out. One Mets player suggested that Alonso's new home run record could inspire the 30-year-old to re-sign with the team, but New York would have to pay up to make that happen. Alonso entered Thursday batting .272 with 28 home runs and an MLB-leading 98 RBI. His relationship with the Mets seems strong at the moment, and the gifts may have helped solidify it even further. That does not mean Alonso is going to offer any type of hometown discount.
Red Sox should consider adding former World Series champion 1B
Since Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas was lost for the season with a knee injury in early May, the combo of Abraham Toro and Romy Gonzalez has held down the position in Boston. Gonzalez, in particular, has consistently produced offensively, posting a .305 batting average and .893 OPS across 63 games entering Thursday. He's especially seen lefties well, slashing .357/.407/.673 with six homers across 108 plate appearances against southpaws. Toro has been serviceable, at best, with a .689 OPS batting from both sides of the plate. Luckily, a former World Series champion suddenly became available on Thursday and could be a formidable platoon partner with Gonzalez. The Washington Nationals surprisingly designated first baseman Nathaniel Lowe for assignment on Thursday, despite launching a grand slam less than 24 hours before in a win against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday. The Nationals traded for Lowe in December, bringing an experienced voice, a former Gold Glove winner and a postseason veteran to the young club. Lowe has been fairly productive overall this season, popping 16 home runs and driving in 68 runs, both second on the Nationals, over 119 games. Still, thanks in large part to a dreadful second-half slump, his batting average has sunk to a career-worst .216, and he has struck out at a 26.5% rate. Despite being mired in a slump since the All-Star break, Lowe's career resume should take precedent in any evaluation by the Red Sox. During his four seasons with the Texas Rangers, Lowe earned a Silver Slugger award in 2022 before playing a key role in their first World Series title in franchise history in 2023. Since debuting in 2019, Lowe has hit .264 while averaging 20 homers, 25 doubles and 80 RBI per 162 games. He could be a real asset in the Red Sox's lineup as they make a playoff push. Boston holds the second American League wild-card spot with a 66-56 record.
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