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It’s official — the Texas Rangers games will not air on Bally Sports Southwest in 2025.
But the Rangers didn’t announce it — Major League Baseball did.
In a release to the media on Tuesday, MLB announced that the Rangers would be leaving the regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group and will look for a new way to broadcast its games in 2025.
It’s the end of a nearly two-year long saga that saw DSG go into bankruptcy and nearly surrender the Rangers’ broadcast rights entirely last year before curing money it owed the Rangers for those rights.
What’s next for the Rangers is unclear, though the release noted that the team is exploring “local media options.” The Dallas Morning News reported two weeks ago that the Rangers were exploring creating their own Regional Sports Network, or RSN.
MLB announced that three teams with deals with DSG — Cleveland, Minnesota, and Milwaukee — would have their games produced and distributed by the league next season. San Diego, Arizona, and Colorado, also former DSG clients, have a similar arrangement.
The league has discussed the possibility of bringing as many teams under its umbrella as possible to either create its own network or its own direct-to-consumer (DTC) option.
Tuesday’s announcement brought some clarity for teams such as the Twins. Per The Athletic, 150 games will air locally without restrictions, with a dedicated local television station and direct to consumer digital streaming.
The Padres, the Diamondbacks and the Rockies offer DTC packages through MLB that are $19.99 per month or $99.00 for the season.
The Rangers have to replace the lost revenue of the TV deal in any way they can. They had a deal with DSG, signed when its rights went to Fox Sports Southwest, which brought the franchise more than $100 million per year. The Rangers received a reduced payment from DSG for 2024.
Texas president of baseball operations Chris Young acknowledged last month that the TV situation might again be a “factor” in what the Rangers can do in free agency.
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Braves' Brian Snitker Announces Matt Olson News After 746 Straight Games
Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson has been the most durable player in MLB over the course of his ten-year career. The 31-year-old left-handed slugger has not missed a regular-season game for the Braves, appearing in all 162 matchups over the past three seasons. Olson also appeared in every possible regular-season game twice during his six-year stint with the Athletics, accomplishing the feat in both 2018 and the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. His offensive production continues to be elite as his career progresses, despite the workload—making him one of the league’s most valuable players to roster. He earned his third All-Star appearance at Truist Park this year. Matt Olson Injury News Heading into Wednesday’s series finale against the Chicago White Sox, Olson has logged 746 consecutive games dating back to May 2021, the 12th-longest streak in MLB history. Before the game, manager Brian Snitker announced that Olson had been dealing with a sore toe sustained while running the bases on Tuesday, but believed Olson could play through it. The first baseman was reportedly adamant about remaining in the starting lineup. “#Braves' Matt Olson is dealing w/ a sore toe, which Snitker said happened while running out a double Tuesday. He's in the lineup tonight, his 747th consecutive game. ‘I tried to get him to take (day off), but he wouldn't,’ Snitker said. ‘Something that he can play through, I think,’” wrote The Athletic’s David O’Brien. Olson’s Durability Continues to Anchor Braves Amid Disappointing Season The Braves have had a disappointing season after entering the year with World Series aspirations, and without Olson’s durability, the team may have fared even worse. Olson has smashed 19 home runs and driven in 72 runs while batting .267 with a .366 on-base percentage and .819 OPS across 125 games for Atlanta. He’s locked into the Braves’ long-term future after signing an eight-year, $168 million contract in 2022, and although he’s made it clear the streak is important to him, the toe injury and its severity will be worth monitoring. Atlanta may have to make a tough decision if it worsens.
Steelers have major injury concern leaving preseason
The No. 1 priority for NFL teams in the preseason is to get out of the games without major injury. The Pittsburgh Steelers may have failed with that one on Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers. Defensive lineman Derrick Harmon, the team's first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, had to be carted to the locker room with a knee injury while also looking visibly upset as he was taken back. The team announced almost immediately that he would be out for the remainder of the game with a knee injury. Head coach Mike Tomlin provided an update after the game: Defensive line was a top priority for the Steelers this offseason, especially after their playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens where they allowed nearly 300 rushing yards to end their season. Along with Harmon, they also selected Iowa's Yahya Black in this year's class to help try to beef up their line. Harmon is expected to play a major role in this year's defense and was already in a starting position. With star defensive lineman Cameron Heyward holding in as he tries to get a new contract from the team, that puts even more importance on Harmon's ability to make an impact. He has had a strong training camp, and after a quiet first preseason game, he really took a big leap forward in the team's second game, recording a sack against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Heyward returns, and if Harmon's injury is not serious, the Steelers would have the potential to have a really strong defensive line with those two joining rising star Keeanu Benton. Right now, though, those are a lot of "ifs," especially as it relates to the availability for Heyward and Harmon for the team's season opener.
Commanders' Terry McLaurin reportedly wants more money than previously thought
Previous reports indicated that unsettled Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin was looking to land "parts" of the five-year, $150M contract that the Pittsburgh Steelers gave DK Metcalf earlier this year. For an article published on Wednesday morning, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic offered an update regarding why McLaurin and the Commanders haven't come to terms on an extension after the 29-year-old requested a trade on July 31. "One person with knowledge of McLaurin’s contract negotiations said the veteran receiver has asked for more than DK Metcalf," Jhabvala revealed. McLaurin is in the final year of his current deal and will turn 30 years old in September. To compare, Metcalf will turn 28 in December. That said, McLaurin emerged last season as the favorite target for quarterback Jayden Daniels as Daniels guided the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game. "McLaurin believes he’s one of the best receivers in the NFL," Jhabvala added. "He’s been the Commanders' leading receiver every season since he entered the league (in 2019), and last year had the second-most receiving TDs in the league behind Ja’Marr Chase’s 17. He also ranked third in (expected points added) on targets and seventh in catch rate among receivers with at least 100 targets last year, but among that same group, McLaurin’s total receiving yards (1,096) ranked 12th and his average yards after the catch ranked 25th." Daniels seemed optimistic while speaking about the ongoing contract standoff during the ESPN broadcast of Monday's preseason game between the Commanders and Cincinnati Bengals when he said he knew McLaurin would "be coming through the door soon." However, Jhabvala noted that "it wouldn’t be a surprise if the [Commanders have] set a maximum range of $27M to $28M a year in average annual value for McLaurin." That seems to suggest the two sides aren't all that close to coming to terms on an agreement. It's unclear if McLaurin is willing to forfeit money by sitting out Washington's Week 1 game against the New York Giants on Sept. 7 amid his desire for a pay raise. If he isn't, he may have to soon accept the offer that's on the table to guarantee himself future earnings beyond the upcoming season.
Bill Belichick's trademark snark already showing in North Carolina's QB battle
North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick doesn't want anybody to know anything about the way he does things. He's always been tight-lipped, and that's been especially true as it relates to prying questions from the media. Belichick's "we're onto Cincinnati" is an infamous line in the sports world, as is his disdain for allowing anybody to see how "the sausage is made." Perhaps, then, it's no surprise that Belichick's trademark snarkiness revealed itself in a Wednesday news conference for North Carolina. He was asked by a member of the media when he felt he'd be able to name the Tar Heels' starting quarterback for 2025, and the legendary head coach responded with sarcasm. “We’re getting ready to do that this afternoon — to announce the starting lineups and the play times and how we’ll be substituting everything,” Belichick joked, according to Chandler Vessels of On3. “So Brandon will get that to you as soon as we get done. We want to make sure we get that out there right away.” That's classic Belichick snark right there. North Carolina kicks off its 2025 campaign against TCU on Sept. 1, and Belichick doesn't want the Horned Frogs to have any time to prepare for who will be the starting quarterback. The Tar Heels will, of course, have to release a depth chart eventually, but you can bet that Belichick is going to slow-play his quarterback competition as long as possible. Max Johnson, son of former NFL quarterback Brad Johnson, and South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez are the two players in the running for the job. Johnson missed most of last season with a devastating leg injury he suffered in UNC's first game. He's had previous stops at LSU and Texas A M as a starter. Lopez threw for 2,559 yards and 18 touchdowns with five interceptions last season for South Alabama. He also rushed for 465 yards and seven touchdowns.
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