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We’ve come a long way from pushing around on those little wooden toys and carving around empty pools. Progression is natural, but geez, the level of talent on display during the Men’s Skateboard Park Finals at the 2024 Paris Olympics almost had me speechless.

Keegan Palmer was in the top spot after the dust from the first two rounds had settled, but Tate Carew made a BIG leap to second place after his second run, which was a standout moment for sure. Unreal!

Every one of the final eight skaters hit the park in their own unique way, which is cool in itself, but every single one of them also went above and beyond with each line they carved. They left it all out there and undeniably proved they deserved to be there on the World Stage. 

Tom Schaar’s second run was absolutely mind-blowing. When Snoop Dogg is giving you dap, you know you're doing something right. Personally, I think he sort of got cheated out of that second score (Sheckler had to agree during the live broadcast as well) but what can you do?

Keegan Palmer was on fire and kept his top position after all the second runs were compete, despite not pulling one of his tricks, but Team USA was right on his tail going into the third and final round with Schaar in second and Carew in third.

However, Brazilian powerhouse, Augusto Akio jumped to third with his final run while Pedro Barros brought that Brazilian aggression to the course in his own unique way. 

Tate Carew’s third and final run started out unbelievably strong but he unfortunately missed a trick mid-line, which would inevitably end up knocking him off the podium. (That bluntslide through the pocket was bonkers, though!)

Alex Sorgente came into his third run charging but unfortunately also missed a heartbreaking trick mid-line, keeping him off the podium as well. The top three were set after Sorgente’s line, but the medals weren’t set in order just yet. 

Tom Schaar came out swinging during his final run, hungry for gold but took a heartbreaking slam with seconds left on the clock. Hey, a silver medal ain’t too shabby, Tom! 

By that point, Keegan Palmer was already in tears of joy, knowing he had earned that gold medal and took a victory lap to celebrate. Like the die-hard skate rat he is, the two-time Olympic gold medalist from Australia still put on quite a show for the fans with that glory run. 

The Australians swept the Park contest with Keegan Palmer and Arisa Trew both taking home gold. So much incredible skateboarding went down during the Men's and Women's Park contests, I almost can't even imagine them progressing even further! But skateboarders are skateboarders—that desire to push the boundaries will always be there. In a way, this is just the beginning. 

Congrats to every skateboarder who handled biz out in Paris. From street to park, skateboarding is clearly in good hands. And this new generation is as hungry as ever. 

2024 Paris Olympics Men's Skateboard Park Podium

Gold: Keegan Palmer

Silver: Tom Schaar

Bronze: Augusto Akio

Thumbnail Photos: World Skate / Bryce Kanights & Atiba Jefferson

This article first appeared on TransWorld Skateboarding and was syndicated with permission.

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Commanders looking to trade offensive star amid Terry McLaurin drama
NFL

Commanders looking to trade offensive star amid Terry McLaurin drama

The Washington Commanders have another offensive player on the radar for the preseason trade market. Per NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Commanders are shopping running back Brian Robinson Jr. in the final year of his rookie contract. "Sources: The Commanders have been shopping RB Brian Robinson Jr. to teams around the NFL," Schultz posted on X. "The former 3rd-round pick out of Alabama is entering the final year of his contract." Robinson's situation with the Commanders comes at a time when Terry McLaurin's future with the team is unclear. The star wide receiver requested a trade early during training camp amid an impasse in negotiations with the front office for a contract extension. On Saturday, the Commanders took McLaurin off the physically unable to perform list, but the move doesn't mean anything has changed on the stalemate front. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has been frustrated with injuries and McLaurin's contract situation making it hard on the staff to prepare and evaluate the unit for the regular season. Robinson's potential trade is another obstacle Kingsbury will have to think about in the preseason. Kinsbury recently praised Robinson for his performance last week against the New England Patriots. "He's a guy that when you put the pads on and you really practice full speed is when he really shows up," Kinsbury said, via JP Finlay of NBC Sports. "I thought he had his best practice against New England when we did the competition versus them before the game." Robinson has appeared in 41 games and started 37. He's rushed for 2,329 yards and 15 touchdowns during his first three years in the league. He's added 587 receiving yards and five touchdowns in the passing game. With one more preseason game remaining, the Commanders have their No. 1 receiver and running back attached to the trade market.

Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's biggest find is ready to take a huge step forward, and it could be huge for Brian Flores' defense
NFL

Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's biggest find is ready to take a huge step forward, and it could be huge for Brian Flores' defense

After joint practice on Wednesday between the Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots, I was asked by some members of the Patriots beat about just one player. "Who's 61? He's a dude." That player is Jalen Redmond, who has quite the story heading into his second season with the Vikings. He was playing in the UFL in the spring of 2024 with the Arlington Renegades. He was a signing the Vikings made on June 18th, 2024, which came after mandatory minicamp. Redmond was the 90th player on the roster and excelled throughout training camp to earn a roster spot. That ability is showing up once again. Jalen Redmond is taking another step forward The signing of Redmond was a massive win for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and his scouting staff, especially Ryan Grigson, who was given a lot of credit for finding him. "I remember he [Grigson] called me and said, 'I like this guy.' I think it was late May," Adofo-Mensah explained. "You have to ask yourself, what's your standard for bringing people in, because a lot of good players are on teams already, so there's going to be something there that's not perfect, not clean, and earlier he had injuries, so you've got to understand why he's available, but ultimately here's why he might be a good bet. "And you saw the flashes for an interior guy with burst, his run defense kind of jumped out to me. That's the other thing, when you've been together for two or three years, and my history with Grigson before, he knows how to communicate with me, makes a cut-up, knows exactly what we look for." You can see the power and explosiveness in Redmond's game. He rarely gets washed out by the offensive line, and often penetrates the backfield with his ability. Where things have gotten really interesting with Redmons is seeing how good he can be from a short and long-term perspective. Last season, Redmond played in 13 games and flashed in a major way. While he went undrafted out of Oklahoma, it wasn't so much due to talent, but a health issue that kept him from being selected. He certainly looks like a player who should have been selected. Over the course of the season, Redmond got one sack and 6.0 tackles for loss to pair with 18 tackles. His ability to be a penetrating force on the line earned him a starting role at the end of the season, with two starts in his first year with the Vikings. Going into year two, Redmond shouldn't be overlooked. He won't be a starter with the additions of Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, but it shouldn't be much of a surprise if he approaches 500 snaps as a rotational player. His teammates believe he's a stud, something that Jonathan Greenard emphasized last week. "Redmond is a dog," said Greenard after Redmond's great practice on Thursday. "Jalen's been a dog since last year in training camp. I knew he was a dog when he got thrown out of practices last year. So I was like, listen, from that day forward, he got thrown out, he came back in just completely, just dominating. And at that point even to see it during the season and see him continuously build. Now I'm like, man, everybody knows, but when you see, obviously, you bring in two guys like JA [Jonathan Allen] and Grave [Javon Hargrave], you kind of think that he gets put in the wayside, making the same place he was last year, if not more. And that just helps us out to know that it's not gonna drop off whenever those guys get a breather or something like that. If I'm coaching, I'm putting him in." Don't sleep on Redmond going into this season, as he's only getting better.

Raiders’ Pete Carroll gushes about key offseason acquisition after loss to 49ers
NFL

Raiders’ Pete Carroll gushes about key offseason acquisition after loss to 49ers

While most Las Vegas Raiders fans are excited about Ashton Jeanty in the preseason, other players under the radar made an impact in the 22-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday. When the Raiders signed former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Terrell Edmunds, people were wondering how he would perform, as he’s already caught the attention of head coach Pete Carroll. After Edmunds recorded five total tackles (fourth on the team), three of them solo, against San Francisco, Carroll would be asked about his thoughts on the former first-round pick’s performance. Carroll would say how much he “really” likes Edmunds and how much of a “very versatile player” he is for the system, according to Anthony Galaviz. “I like him. Yeah, I really like him. I like the experience that he brings,” Carroll said. “He’s been in a lot of situations. He’s been a very versatile player in the style that he’s been asked to play, and that’s shown up already.” Edmunds would speak with reporters for the first time last Tuesday since being signed by Las Vegas and shared how “excited” he was to start a new chapter in his NFL journey. “My first thoughts when the opportunity presented itself, I was just excited,” Edmunds said, via the team’s YouTube page. “Excited to come and join a new team, excited to come and join these guys. I saw how much they were grinding. I watched the (preseason) game before I even came out here.” Pete Carroll on the Raiders losing to the 49ers in the preseason Despite the loss from the Raiders to the 49ers, Carroll would point out the one positive being that it was a “hard-fought game from start to finish,” with many areas that need correction. “First off, I thought this was a really good, hard-fought game from start to finish,” Pete Carroll said in his post-game press conference, via the team’s website. “We had some things that we needed to correct from the practice that we had, and we did. Played the running game much more with impact than we did in practice.” “The adjustments the coaches made worked out well, players were able to adapt in just a couple days time,” Carroll continued. “Against a really formidable running team that loves to run the football, I thought we did that really well. Just a terrific game back and forth the whole time.” Consequently, as Edmunds looks for Las Vegas to be his permanent team, they open the season on Sunday, Sept. 7, against the New England Patriots.

Winners And Losers From Eagles Surprise Trade For John Metchie
NFL

Winners And Losers From Eagles Surprise Trade For John Metchie

It feels like there’s another shoe to drop after the Eagles acquired another receiver in a trade for John Metchie III with the Houston Texans. They dipped into their tight end depth and dealt Harrison Bryant in the deal, but did they really need another receiver? Well, they do if they trade what is now a surplus of them for something else – say another cornerback or maybe some defensive edge depth. And they certainly do if there is more to the injury that has followed A.J. Brown throughout most of training camp. It was general manager Howie Roseman’s second trade of summer. Last week, he on-boarded cornerback Jakorian Bennett in a deal that sent defensive tackle Thomas Booker to the Las Vegas Raiders. As of now, here are winners and loser from the somewhat surprise trade for a receiver: WINNERS John Metchie. The receiver leaves a crowded receiver room where playing time could have been scarce. Plus, he’s another product of the University of Alabama. He becomes the ninth player from the Crimson Tide program on the Eagles’ current 91-man roster, including Jalen Hurts, who spent three seasons at Alabama before transferring to Oklahoma for his final collegiate season. Of course, Metchie could be a loser on this list, too, because he is leaving one deep receiver room and stepping into another – unless the Eagles trade one away. Kylen Granson and E.J. Jenkins. The two tight ends are in good position to stick around with Bryant gone. Granson probably will be the third tight end on the 53-man roster. Jenkins is likely ticketed for the practice squad, though the converted receiver has taken big steps this season in his transition to being a tight end and he is up to 255 pounds. Run game. Metchie is considered an above average blocker in the run game as a receiver. It was one of his strengths at Alabama and has only gotten better during his time in the league. Who Are Some Of The Losers From The Deal To Acquire John Metchie? LOSERS (pick a receiver, any receiver) Darius Cooper. After a breakout game in the preseason opener and a solid camp, Cooper was targeted only once against the Browns on Saturday. Of course, he played with a pair of quarterbacks who struggled in Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Kyle McCord. Perhaps the Eagles’ plan was to slow-play Cooper in the second preseason game and hope to stash him on the practice squad. Terrace Marshall. The receiver started camp strong but suffered an injury that cost him some time. He returned recently and played against the Browns, catching two passes for 15 yards on four targets. He will likely be cut now. Or traded. Jahan Dotson. The receiver has had a strong camp and has looked extremely confident in his first full season with the Eagles. Perhaps good enough to trade for something Roseman believes is a bigger need after three weeks of camp. Has his job as the No. 3 receiver been compromised? Bubble players. If the Eagles don’t trade another receiver, they will probably end up keeping six, which means a job for one less player on the roster bubble. Perhaps an offensive lineman, for instance, such as Trevor Keegan or Cam Williams or a linebacker like Lance Dixon. Last year’s draft picks, Johnny Wilson and Ainias Smith, have done enough to make the roster. Wilson didn’t play on Saturday, which is a sure indication he has a spot sewn up. Smith has a pair of touchdown catches in the preseason, both on third-and-goal throws. Maybe one of them will be dangled in a deal.