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Win or lose, NiJaree Canady is the face of college softball — and her star is only rising

NiJaree Canady sliced a rise ball through the evening air, leaving it hovering over the plate just long enough to fool Ole Miss catcher Lexie Brady. Swing, miss, strikeout. Then came Canady’s footstomp, a thunderous statement from the best player in the game, a celebration of joy, dominance and swagger that has catapulted her into […]

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Win or lose, NiJaree Canady is the face of college softball — and her star is only rising

NiJaree Canady sliced a rise ball through the evening air, leaving it hovering over the plate just long enough to fool Ole Miss catcher Lexie Brady. Swing, miss, strikeout.

Then came Canady’s footstomp, a thunderous statement from the best player in the game, a celebration of joy, dominance and swagger that has catapulted her into the mainstream. The “NiJa stomp” has echoed around Devon Park, home of the Women’s College World Series, over the last week as Canady asserts herself in the circle, celebrating each strikeout — and doing it loudly.

“I am definitely stomping with her,” said former James Madison pitcher Odicci Alexander, who played in the 2021 WCWS. “There is so much shine on her. Some people are like, why is she stomping, why are you stomping with her? But I’m like, ‘Girl, put a hole in the ground.’”

By now you have probably heard of, and may have seen, Canady, the million-dollar pitcher who spurned a Stanford degree to enroll at Texas Tech last summer, curious to see if she could lift a program from doormat to dominant. A 6-foot ace with long black braids and a megawatt smile, Canady has become the face of the sport as her stomp vibrates beyond Oklahoma City.

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On Thursday, Canady and the Red Raiders will try to force a winner-take-all Game 3 vs. Texas after losing 2-1 in Game 1 on Wednesday. The defeat came after a rare mistake from Canady, who has been nearly flawless throughout the postseason.

Leading 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth, with a runner on second and third base and two outs, Canady attempted to intentionally walk UT catcher Reese Atwood. But her pitch with a 3-0 count hung too close to the strike zone and Atwood smashed it for a two-run single to propel Texas to the win. Intentional walks are uncommon for Canady, but she wasn’t making excuses afterward.

“I’m a college pitcher,” she said. “I should be able to do that.”

Both programs are seeking their first national title. It feels overdue for the Longhorns, runners-up two of the last three years. For Texas Tech, appearing in its first title series in its first WCWS, it is validation of a titanic investment in a previously mediocre program.

And for Canady, it is a chance to lift an entire sport to another stratosphere.

Softball has had generational talent before — UCLA pitcher Lisa Fernandez, Texas ace Cat Osterman, Oklahoma slugger Jocelyn Alo — but none had quite the opportunity to go mainstream like Canady. It started because of her unprecedented payday. It’s been heightened because of her ability in the circle.

Canady is, in many ways, the perfect player at the perfect time: As the WCWS celebrates record viewership, a new pro softball league prepares to launch and the sport readies for a return to the Olympics, her potential to propel softball into the public consciousness is Caitlin Clark-esque — regardless of whether she walks away from this week with a national championship.

“She got paid $1 million, and we don’t see that in women’s sports,” said ESPN analyst Jessica Mendoza, a two-time Olympian who is on the call in Oklahoma City. “That type of news definitely broke through outside of our sport. But then, to do exactly what they paid her to do — more times than not, people succumb to pressure.”

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Because of their ability to silence the other team’s offense, no single player impacts a team sport more than a standout softball pitcher. Canady is proof of that, throwing every one of Tech’s 388 pitches in Oklahoma City and totaling 32 strikeouts across four games. Her power from the circle is especially impressive because softball is built to be a hitters’ game. And Canady is perhaps even more valuable to Tech because of her ability to hit, too; she’s batting .288 going into Thursday.

But her hold on the sport is about more than her mesmerizing play.

Retired Arizona coach Mike Candrea, who won eight WCWS titles and two medals as the Olympic coach in 2004 and 2008, has been impressed by Canady’s poise, efficiency and the infectious joy she plays with. It’s clear that people love her and love playing with her.

“But, man, when she gets in the circle,” he said, “she is an assassin.”

‘What we’re witnessing is a renaissance’

Canady reached the WCWS twice as the ace at Stanford, but became more well-known last summer when she commanded that $1 million in the transfer portal, an unheard-of number for an athlete outside of football and men’s basketball. (Texas, traditionally the power in its state, couldn’t compete financially with that figure, said Osterman, the former UT star.) She has more than proved her worth, pushing the program to its first Big 12 title and first Super Regional appearance behind a 0.94 ERA, the best in Division I this year.

“She is leading a shift,” Osterman said. “This is going to force other schools to up their game. Other athletes who have been in contention for player of the year awards, now they’re saying, ‘Hey, if that’s what she got, I can’t just say OK to $10,000 or $20,000.’”

People are paying attention. ESPN has shattered viewership ratings, setting an all-time pre-finals record, up 25 percent year-over-year. Three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, a Tech alum, has been posting to social media in real time during Red Raiders games, seemingly living and dying with every Canady pitch. He gifted the players gear this week and was expected to try to attend the series in person.

For softball stakeholders, the best news about Canady’s meteoric rise is that she’ll be back in Lubbock next year. Given that she’s already entered the rarified air of being known only by one name — say “NiJa” and softball fans know who you mean — it’s enticing to imagine how popular she can become. Could she mimic Clark in capturing the public’s attention so much that ESPN puts her on prime time during the regular season, as happened with Iowa women’s basketball during Clark’s senior year?

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“Please, please, please,” begged Mendoza, a four-time All-American at Stanford who calls both softball and baseball for ESPN. “That is my dream.”

“You wait for these once-in-a-generation athletes to bring us right to the brink and we’ve had them, but for some reason it hasn’t been the player,” Mendoza said. “You can have all kinds of theories about what it’s going to take to bring people to our sport, what will get them excited, get their attention. Right now, I’m watching all these men’s sports shows and they’re talking about softball. This is exactly what we’ve wanted. I’ve been waiting for this.”

She’s not the only one.

“There is a Rubik’s cube of criteria that’s twisting and turning all these decades,” said retired UCLA coach Sue Enquist, who won 11 titles with the Bruins. “So many pieces have to turn and twist to line up and get all the colors to match on one side. What we’re witnessing is a renaissance.”

There’s been an undeniable burst of energy around women’s sports over the last few years, from skyrocketing valuations of pro franchises to the continued commitment to build facilities specifically for women’s teams and events. A new professional softball league, with significant financial backing from MLB, starts Saturday, hopeful to capitalize on momentum from the WCWS. The spike in popularity — evidenced by a jump in attendance, viewership, sponsorships and merchandise sales — comes from a foundation laid by basketball and soccer, Enquist said.

Now, behind Canady and her trademark stomp, it’s softball’s turn.

“Star power changes the ratings significantly,” said play-by-play announcer Beth Mowins, calling her 31st WCWS this week. “Our research shows that fans follow their team, but there really is tremendous interest in star players. For years in women’s sports, there was room for maybe one star — Mia Hamm in soccer, Serena (Williams) in tennis.

“But now, with social media, it’s spread out more and you have a constant connection to every game. Because women play four years of college sports, NiJaree’s star power, just like Caitlin’s, will grow each season. And like we’ve seen with Caitlin, a rising tide lifts all boats.”


Canady’s celebration after big strikeouts — the “Nija stomp” — has taken the college softball world by storm. (Nathan J. Fish / The Oklahoman / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

An inspiration for the next generation

Four years ago, Alexander — the former James Madison pitcher whose first name is pronounced “Odyssey” — became the darling of the WCWS, leading the Dukes to the semifinals before being eliminated by Oklahoma. She was the rare softball superstar talented enough to lead a mid-major to the WCWS. She is also Black.

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Other Black pitchers have excelled at previous WCWS, including Aleshia Ocasio from Florida and UCLA’s Anjelica Sheldon. But they aren’t common. In 2021, Alexander talked frankly about the fact that often, she looked around the field during youth travel softball tournaments and realized she was the only Black player.

That Canady, a Black woman, has become a folk hero of sorts in a predominantly White sport isn’t lost on people.

“It’s important for any young girl to see themselves,” Mendoza said. “For me, with Lisa Fernandez, seeing a Hispanic woman on a big stage, understanding my own culture, seeing that brown skin matters, that was huge.”

That she is excelling loudly matters, too.

The origin of Canady’s stomp is unknown. She’s been doing it nearly as long as she’s been in the circle. Her reactions, just like her rise ball, set her apart from others who have come before her. Dominant pitchers are nothing new, but demonstrative ones are.

“You might see a high five or a fist pump, but that’s it, and it’s usually hitters. You never really saw pitchers do it,” Mendoza said. “Now, NiJa has allowed what’s within her — she’s fired up, she’s passionate — to come out.”

Alexander, watching from Chicago this week, loves that Canady plays with “such a free, passionate spirit.” Tech pitching coach Tara Archibald described the stomp as “a release.”

“When you see her in those moments — it’s always getting out of a big inning — she’ll have that reaction after that, but it’s for her team, it’s for her teammates,” Archibald said. “It’s ‘we did this.’ I think it’s knowing how much she’s put into it to be able to get to that point. It’s just pouring out of her. It’s so fun to watch.”

And it’s probably about to become a lot more common.

“I guarantee you when we all watch the Softball Little League World Series in August, we’re gonna see little girls throwing their foot down, fist pumping, igniting the crowd,” Mendoza said. “The ‘NiJa stomp’ will be heard ’round the world.”

(Top photo: Brett Rojo / Imagn Images)

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SBJ Unpacks

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SBJ Unpacks

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The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used,
except with the prior written permission of Leaders Group.

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LeBron James, Travis Kelce Break Into YouTube Podcast Charts– See This Week's Top 100

Share Copy Link   Some of sports’ biggest names made their way onto the YouTube Top Podcast Shows ranking this week, bringing a lighter tone to the chart still dominated by true crime and political commentary. LeBron James and Steve Nash’s podcast, Mind the Game, hit the charts for the first time this week at #31. The pod’s second […]

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LeBron James, Travis Kelce Break Into YouTube Podcast Charts– See This Week's Top 100

 

Some of sports’ biggest names made their way onto the YouTube Top Podcast Shows ranking this week, bringing a lighter tone to the chart still dominated by true crime and political commentary.

LeBron James and Steve Nash’s podcast, Mind the Game, hit the charts for the first time this week at #31. The pod’s second season debuted in April after an almost year-long hiatus, with Nash replacing previous co-host JJ Redick of ESPN. Part one of the show’s extensive interview with NBA legend Kevin Durant, which debuted this week, has already gained over two million views.

Two more sports world celebrities joined the charts this week. New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce broke into the top 100 at #89, the first time the brothers have made the cut since the charts began being published. The football stars’ pod has done well for over two years, but hasn’t cracked a million views for months now. Their interview with Brad Pitt this week didn’t hit the million marker, but it definitely played a role in catapulting the brothers upward.

Checking in with the top five: Joe Rogan is still king, but this week the #2 spot – which The MeidasTouch Podcast has had locked up recently– has been claimed by top five regular Kill Tony. The Meiselas brothers have been bumped into third, with Rotten Mango maintaining its fourth place spot from last week. Last but not least, the Shawn Ryan Show has finally edged its way into the #5 slot. The former Navy SEAL and CIA contractor has been hovering at sixth or seventh for months now, and this week finally nudged 48 Hours aside to take its place.

Famous faces rundown: Tucker Carlson moved down to 12th, Megyn Kelly sits at 16th, Call Her Daddy at #68, and Benny Johnson is nowhere to be found.

Here’s a full rundown of the top 100 podcasts from YouTube, June 30 – July 6, 2025:

  • The Joe Rogan Experience
  • Kill Tony
  • The MeidasTouch Podcast
  • Rotten Mango
  • Shawn Ryan Show
  • 48 Hours
  • Smosh Reads Reddit Stories
  • Creepcast
  • The Diary Of A CEO
  • The Why Files: Operation Podcast (All of ‘Em)
  • This Past Weekend w/Theo Von
  • The Tucker Carlson Show
  • Brian Tyler Cohen
  • The Pat McAfee Show
  • Law&Crime Sidebar with Jesse Weber
  • The Megyn Kelly Show
  • 60 Minutes
  • Bad Friends Podcast
  • Black Conservative Perspective
  • PBD Podcast
  • Club Shay Shay
  • Murder, Mystery & Makeup
  • The DeVory Darkins Show
  • Timcast IRL
  • Gil’s Arena
  • Dr Insanity
  • Crime Stories with Nancy Grace
  • Just Trish
  • The Adam Mockler Show
  • Lex Fridman Podcast
  • Mind the Game
  • The Phillip DeFranco Show
  • Unsubscribe Podcast
  • Dark History
  • 520 in the Morning
  • Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast
  • IHIP News
  • The Lets Read Podcast
  • Legal AF Podcast
  • Barry Cunningham Podcasts and Live Shows
  • StarTalk Podcast
  • True Crime with Kendall Rae
  • Distractible
  • Breaking Points
  • Turtleboy Live
  • The Joe Budden Podcast
  • You Should Know Podcast
  • Reel Rejects
  • Stories from the Bible
  • Flagrant
  • Tomcats News Stories
  • CinePals
  • NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas
  • Joe And Jada
  • rSlash
  • Pardon My Take
  • Live Trials with Emily D. Baker
  • The 85 South Comedy Show
  • Democracy Now!
  • Impaulsive Podcast
  • Club 520 Podcast
  • The Ben Shapiro Show
  • Bulwark Takes
  • The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller
  • The Majority Report
  • The Bald and the Beautiful with Trixie and Katya
  • Law&Crime On the Case with Chris Stewart
  • Call Her Daddy Podcast
  • The Pivot Podcast
  • Javier Ceriani Show
  • Reality Check with Ross Coulthart
  • The Rubin Report Podcast
  • Así Veo las Cosas
  • MrBallen Crime
  • The Broski Report
  • Julian Dorey Podcast
  • Shane Dawson Podcast
  • Matthew Cox | Inside True Crime
  • Two Hot Takes
  • No Spin News
  • PBS NewsHour
  • Episodes – Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley
  • David Pakman Daily
  • The Stephen A. Smith Show
  • Your Mom’s House w/Tom Segura & Christina P
  • DEBRIEFED – An AREA52 Podcast with Chris Ramsay
  • Huberman Lab
  • Trap Lore Ross
  • New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce
  • Drop Dead Serious with Ashleigh Banfield
  • The Young Turks
  • Piers Morgan Uncensored: US Politics
  • The Yard Podcast
  • Law&Crime Crime Fix with Angenette Levy
  • Crime Weekly
  • The Mel Robbins Podcast
  • The WAN Show
  • Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
  • Cancelled with Tana Mongeau & Brooke Schofield
  • The Confessionals Episodes

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'The Domonique Foxworth Show' summer slate is exactly what an ESPN podcast should be

For tons of sports hosts, the calendar flipping to July doubles as an invitation to mail in the content. The long NBA season mercifully ends, and we all start to see football coming on the horizon. This is the time for vacations and fill-in hosts, GOAT debates, and schedule talk. But on The Domonique Foxworth […]

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'The Domonique Foxworth Show' summer slate is exactly what an ESPN podcast should be

For tons of sports hosts, the calendar flipping to July doubles as an invitation to mail in the content. The long NBA season mercifully ends, and we all start to see football coming on the horizon. This is the time for vacations and fill-in hosts, GOAT debates, and schedule talk.

But on The Domonique Foxworth Show, this might just be the best time of year.

The retired NFL cornerback took a circuitous path to hosting his own show for the four letters, writing features for Andscape before hosting weekend radio and breaking into the new-look Get Up roster. Since 2022, Foxworth has used the podcast to explore all the corners of his own skill set as a commentator. This summer, Foxworth and producer Charlie Kravitz have taken full advantage of the break from big-time sports to reach into their deep toolbag for conversations on labor, media, youth sports, and athlete health.

That these two would create compelling and creative content together is no surprise. Foxworth, beyond his playing career on the gridiron, is an experienced union leader. He was the president of the NFL Players’ Association executive committee, a Harvard Business School graduate, and a former COO of the NBPA. It would be no exaggeration to call Foxworth one of the most interesting and thoughtful people at ESPN.

As hard as it would seem to keep up with a host like that, Kravitz makes it look easy. Coming up in the Erik Rydholm branch of ESPN as a producer on Highly Questionable and then its digital spinoff, Debatable, Kravitz knows how to take the silly and make it serious. But, the Foxworth Show shines because of the chemistry Kravitz has developed with Foxworth and the effort he puts into shaping each conversation.

Their resumes make the Foxworth Show a place where the audience will see a television-worthy breakdown of Minnesota’s stifling secondary, followed by an Ivy League panel discussion on the economics of Caitlin Clark, within a few months. This is what podcasting used to be.

A decade or more ago, podcasts were intended for in-depth discussions and offbeat conversations. The top shows were known for “Half-Baked Ideas,” getting high with Elon Musk, and hardcore history. They were radio’s black sheep younger cousin. You listened to them to stretch your mind out and have a laugh.

The blast of new podcasts in recent years has morphed their identity. Now, podcast is a term that is almost impossible to define. In sports, they are for live reaction streams, sit-down interviews, and bro outs. They appear to be replacing the traditional studio show.

Ultimately, sports podcasts could become something like the Foxworth Show.

The offseason has given Foxworth and Kravitz time to delve into the NBA’s Achilles’ epidemic, the ramifications of Ace Bailey’s potential holdout, the NBA’s new CBA, a Caitlin Clark spinoff league, and the professionalization of youth sports. In previous years, Foxworth has hosted conversations with sports science writer David Epstein and NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum during these quiet weeks.

But he can do sports talk too. During football season, the more traditional Sunday night recap episodes with ESPN NFL writer Bill Barnwell are just as great.

Looking through the cracks of megadeals for top talent and the spending spree for live game rights, ESPN does need content. As much as the network might prefer it this way, many fans won’t pay to subscribe to the Worldwide Leader simply for games that they can illegally pirate or catch at a local bar. ESPN needs to establish a brand and a library featuring exceptional hosts.

Particularly at a time when ESPN (and most of sports media) faces the perception that it has backgrounded journalism over loud, messy entertainment, the Foxworth Show can do both. Perhaps the trick of today is to simply Trojan Horse the former into the latter. If so, Foxworth and Kravitz have been playing that trick on the audience for years.

Foxworth is not among the names typically listed among ESPN’s great hosts. Kravitz isn’t a recognizable producer like Stanford Steve, Ty Schmit, or Paul “Hembo” Hembekides. But ESPN clearly believes in the Foxworth Show, giving it a primo syndicated spot on ESPN2.

While other shows relax, the Foxworth Show has shown why it deserves that belief and is on its way up.

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Confidential memo reveals Dem official urged Kamala Harris to go on Bill Simmons during campaign

It’s officially been eight months since Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris lost the 2024 election to now-President Donald Trump, and the campaign retrospectives are already hitting the presses. On Tuesday, Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager, and Isaac Arnsdorf released “2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America,” detailing the 2024 presidential campaign […]

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Confidential memo reveals Dem official urged Kamala Harris to go on Bill Simmons during campaign

It’s officially been eight months since Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris lost the 2024 election to now-President Donald Trump, and the campaign retrospectives are already hitting the presses.

On Tuesday, Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager, and Isaac Arnsdorf released “2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America,” detailing the 2024 presidential campaign and perceived missteps by Harris and her team that led to Trump’s win in November. The book details confidential memos, obtained by Politico and published in Tuesday morning’s “Politico Playbook,” written by Democratic strategist Maria Comella to Harris’ campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon.

Within the memos is a surprising sports media tie-in. Written in the final weeks of the campaign, Comella warned O’Malley Dillon that the current Harris strategy was not working and that the Democratic nominee should alter her media strategy to get herself in front of different groups of voters.

One name specifically mentioned by Comella was The Ringer founder Bill Simmons. Simmons, of course, hosts one of the most-popular sports podcasts in the country. He’s also historically been friendly with the Democratic party, having hosted former President Barack Obama on his show while he was still in office.

Simmons’ show isn’t inherently political and rarely strays that way, but that’s exactly the type of interview the Harris team believed their candidate should’ve been looking for. The memo includes suggestions like “consider a male moderator as a contrast so it doesn’t feel and look too much like ‘girl talk.’”

Comella wasn’t the only Democratic operative pushing for Harris to appear on these platforms. In September, Harris ally Bakari Sellers was urging the nominee to appear on shows like Simmons’ and Paul Finebaum’s.

Of course, even if Harris wanted to appear on The Bill Simmons Podcast, it’s unclear whether he would’ve agreed to have her on. In an interview with Semafor one month after the election, Harris’ deputy campaign manager Rob Flaherty acknowledged the difficulty the Harris campaign faced getting her booked on mainstream sports programs. “It got more complicated for sports personalities to take us on their shows because they didn’t want to ‘do politics,’” he suggested.

In today’s political climate, there is likely little to gain for the most popular sports hosts by having on political figures. Doing so guarantees angering a portion of your audience, so why bother?

That’s why it’s easier said than done when a strategist like Comella suggests something like this. There’s little upside for a sports personality to get political, unless it’s part of his or her brand. And seeing that politics isn’t a big part of the Simmons brand, especially in 2024, maybe that particular recommendation from Comella was a bit shortsighted.

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How Jannik Sinner advanced after injury to Grigor Dimitrov on day eight at Wimbledon 2025

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner was on the precipice of a fourth-round exit from Wimbledon when he ended up on the receiving end of the absolute worst kind of good luck in sports. Sinner lost the first two sets, as Grigor Dimitrov put on a sizzling performance of aces, net rushes and all-out attack in […]

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How Jannik Sinner advanced after injury to Grigor Dimitrov on day eight at Wimbledon 2025

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner was on the precipice of a fourth-round exit from Wimbledon when he ended up on the receiving end of the absolute worst kind of good luck in sports.

Sinner lost the first two sets, as Grigor Dimitrov put on a sizzling performance of aces, net rushes and all-out attack in the face of a player who has been untouchable this first week in London.

A lightning storm was brewing, ready to remind a tennis world accustomed to the Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz duopoly that this sport still has its vicissitudes. But early in the third set, with the match on serve, Dimitrov hit an ace and seemed to seriously injure his right pectoral muscle.

He collapsed on the court, and grabbed his chest. Sinner made his way around the net and knelt next to his close friend, then helped him to his chair.

“I don’t know what to say, he is an incredible player,” a visibly shaken Sinner said, after Dimitrov came back from some brief off-court treatment and said he could not continue. “I don’t take this as a win at all, this is just a very unfortunate moment to witness for all of us.”

Sinner emerged unscathed from what would have been a shock result in a tournament that has been filled with them from day one. This one would have been different to all the others. This is how and why.

Grigor Dimitrov forced to retire hurt one set from beating Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon

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Grigor Dimitrov forced to retire hurt one set from beating Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon

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Colin Cowherd on Radio Hall of Fame induction

Whether you’re a fan or not, Colin Cowherd’s influence on sports radio is undeniable. This year, the Fox Sports personality and former ESPN host will be honored in the Radio Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025. When the news of his Hall of Fame induction sank in, Cowherd didn’t hold back on how much it […]

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Colin Cowherd on Radio Hall of Fame induction

Whether you’re a fan or not, Colin Cowherd’s influence on sports radio is undeniable. This year, the Fox Sports personality and former ESPN host will be honored in the Radio Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025.

When the news of his Hall of Fame induction sank in, Cowherd didn’t hold back on how much it truly means to him, despite his usually unflappable demeanor.

“It’s a huge deal. I don’t get terribly emotional about stuff,” Cowherd admitted. “I’ve seen everything now at this point. But my wife knows how much it means. My friends know how much it means. It’s a big deal for me. I don’t want to be congratulatory, but yeah, in my life, it’s been one of my goals.”

Cowherd’s phone buzzed nonstop with congratulatory messages from longtime friend Joe Fortenbaugh to former bosses alike. One notable exception was Danny Parkins, the Breakfast Ball co-host, who purposely held off, knowing he’d have the chance to congratulate Colin in person on The Colin Cowherd Podcast.

“You inspired people like Nick [Wright] and my generation to do radio,” Parkins said. “And then Nick and I would always joke…that you also kind of ruined the next generation of radio hosts, because people would try to be you. But your brain is so singular in terms of the analogies and the comparisons. It was an amazing thing. And then you would hear people try to be you and it’s like, ‘No, man, this is a one of one talent.’ You crushed it in TV and podcasting and all that, but it was made for radio.”

“You really deserve it. I don’t know how many more people in generations after you — if any — will have a big impact on the genre of radio, just because it’s changed,” Parkins continued. “There’s going to have to be a podcasting Hall of Fame. People younger than Colin Cowherd that made an impact in radio. It’s a short list, man. It’s just not as influential anymore, sadly. You’re probably one of the last radio titans. Other people will get in. They’ll keep inducting people. But in terms of people who meant more to the medium to you…you’re one of the last ones, man. You meant a ton to radio.”

And radio has meant a ton to Cowherd.

At 61, Cowherd began his broadcasting career as the play-by-play voice for the Las Vegas Stars, then the Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. After roles in Las Vegas, Tampa, and Portland, he joined ESPN Radio in 2004, taking over the late-morning slot with his show The Herd, quickly emerging as one of the network’s biggest stars.

Cowherd later hosted ESPN’s SportsNation from 2009-12. In 2015, he jumped to Fox Sports amid the launch of FS1, and unlike many peers, he has remained a steady presence for over a decade. Earlier this year, he signed a new three-year deal despite ESPN’s reported interest in bringing him back.

Part of the new contract involved moving his operations from Los Angeles to Chicago, which is conveniently close to the Swissôtel Hotel, where his Radio Hall of Fame induction will take place on October 30.

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