PGA pro Max Homa sat at the microphone for his media availability ahead of July’s John Deere Classic. It had been one of the least productive seasons of his career, with a T12 at The Masters standing as his only top-20 finish to that point.

But for all those frustrations on the course, that day, the 34-year-old took time to talk about the challenges he had been feeling off the course… specifically, on why he had largely taken a step back on some social media. “It is quite absurd how comfortable people feel writing awful things,” he said, alluding to the anonymity these platforms provide.

“I don’t know if it’s the gambling world or whatnot. I’m happy they can do it because it seems fun as hell in golf, but people say some bad, bad things. You get people telling you you should die on the internet,” Homa said. “It has nothing to do with not connecting. I love connecting with people, but I try to do it in person a bit more because I have yet to meet somebody in person who has said something even remotely mean.”

That Sunday, Homa finished tied for fifth at John Deere, his best finish of the season. But that wasn’t good enough for “zane_layer3” on Instagram (an account that no longer exists or is unsearchable), who direct messaged a vulgar rant to Homa’s account. The golfer eventually posted a screenshot with the caption “I think he lost his parlay” along with a laughing emoji.

Homa’s performance also wasn’t good enough for “Carl-Watkins-5” on Venmo, who requested $1,900 from Homa with the caption “Bc you can’t putt under pressure.” Homa took a screenshot and responded sharply on his Instagram story, “Gamble like a big boy Carl and take ur lumps like the rest of us.”

This wasn’t the first time Homa has had to deal with the public acting in this manner. Around the time of the 2024 U.S. Open, The Washington Post reported Homa received Venmo requests multiple times per week, with the golfer saying, “That gets old.” A year later, ahead of the 2025 U.S. Open, world No. 1-ranked golfer Scottie Scheffler said he deleted Venmo because he was tired of the interactions he would have with fans on the platform.

“I was either getting paid by people or people were requesting me a bunch of money when I didn’t win, it wasn’t a good feeling. But no, I don’t pay attention to the favorite stuff or anything like that,” Scheffler said, referring to betting odds. “The most that somebody would send me was a couple of bucks here or there.

“That didn’t happen nearly as much as the requests did.”

Venmo was designed to be an easy way for people to pay each other, generally for things such as reimbursements on meals and movie tickets.

However, Venmo’s newsfeed — where users can see what their friends are paying and receiving, if they choose to make that public — inherently creates a social media aspect that encourages engagement. In the social media age, where the veil of anonymity grants those spectators the gusto to disrespect athletes with near impunity, adding money to the mix creates a potentially troubling precedent.

It takes effort and luck to find celebrities on Venmo. For example, Homa has never publicly revealed his Venmo account handle, but a search for his name on the platform reveals an account that very well could be his. Venmo does allow users to make themselves private in the sense that they can limit who sees who their friends are and what payments they make, but it does not have a way for users to be “totally unfindable” to the public, as that would conflict with the central use case for the vast majority of its customers.

It creates a scenario where users can find public figures and continually send them Venmo requests, if they so choose, leaving prominent athletes with really only one solution.

“I eventually had to change my name on Venmo,” Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk told ESPN. “I had it since college — there was a selfie of me and my name. People got a hold of that, so I had to change my name on it and take down my profile picture. Now when I Venmo people they’re probably like, ‘Who the hell is Venmoing me?'”

“Ensuring a safe and positive experience on Venmo is a top priority,” a Venmo spokesperson told ESPN. “Venmo users are prohibited from acting in a manner that could be considered harassment. When we become aware of this taking place on the platform we take immediate action, including potentially banning users from the platform.” While the spokesperson said the company tracks these cases and bans users as necessary, they would not elaborate on how often it occurs.

Venmo requests are just one avenue for people to harass athletes online and can actually be among the more innocuous forms of heckling. Retired professional tennis player Mardy Fish said he heard and saw almost every form of razzing when he was playing tournaments all over the world, but the internet can add a whole new layer to the cruelty.

“The Venmo request seems pretty funny and easy in a ‘haha’ funny way of like, ‘Hey dude, I bet 20 bucks on you, you owe me 20 bucks. Can’t believe you didn’t win.’ ‘Yeah, screw off, whatever,'” he told ESPN. “It’s when they get personal and they start really attacking. Max is a buddy of mine, so I saw what he posted after his final round in John Deere and it’s gross. These people would never say it to your face and they just feel so comfortable with this social media stuff that there’s no accountability. There’s zero accountability.”

From the time Fish began his career in the early 2000s until now, he said there has been a marked difference in the way spectators treat players because of betting being so prevalent, and he’s not the only athlete who shares that sentiment. In an anonymous poll of 133 respondents, The Athletic found that 78.2% of MLB players feel that “legalized sports betting has changed how fans treat you or your teammates.”

“Oh, I’m No. 1 on that list right now. I had so many [fans] at one point that were requesting money. It wasn’t even for winning or scoring — it was for my shots or my hits,” Tkachuk said. “Honestly, I think it’s funny. Like, people really think I’m going to send them money for not making the shots? I’m more pissed that I didn’t win the game or score or whatever it may be. I could care less about not hitting the four and a half or whatever the cover is for the [prop] bet.”

“It’s pretty funny that people get so emotional and mad,” Tkachuk adds. “That’s not even our thought process.”

Fish was at the center of an in-person incident at the American Century Championship, a celebrity golf tournament that he won in 2020 and 2024. In 2023, he held a slim lead over Stephen Curry headed to the final hole and, as he was teeing off on 18, a spectator yelled during his backswing causing him to shank the shot.

Curry would ultimately sink an eagle putt to win the tournament, but Fish claims that he found out later the heckler had placed money on Curry to win. It tarnished what had otherwise been a great event.

“It was more surprising that it happened here because American Century puts on such an awesome tournament and a friendly event, and everybody’s so happy and having a great time. So that’s why it was jarring for us,” Fish said.

The practice of bettors doing anything to get inside athletes’ heads is spreading, and the perpetrators are becoming more brazen. In June, a bettor relentlessly heckled Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas during a Grand Slam Track event in Philadelphia, later bragging that his actions caused Thomas to lose her race and allowed him to win his parlay. FanDuel has since banned the bettor from its platform.

In May, an intoxicated bettor overseas sent messages on social media threatening to murder the family of Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. after a bad start. The bettor eventually apologized to McCullers after the Houston Police Department got involved, a byproduct of efforts from the Major League Baseball Players Association to step in to protect its players in serious cases like this one.

“The Players Association takes player safety very seriously and because of that we employ a director of security who is a former FBI agent with law enforcement contacts across the U.S. and internationally,” an MLBPA spokesperson told ESPN. “He regularly fields safety questions and concerns from players and their families on a variety of issues and corresponds with MLB security and individual team security personnel across MLB and MiLB.”

Even college athletes, not at the age nor pay grade to necessarily be dealing with these issues, haven’t been spared from the ire of spurned bettors. In September, then-Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne tried to make light of bettors sending him Venmo requests. “It’s funny. When they lose money, they want their money back. But when they win money on a parlay, no one’s ever sent me any of the money,” he said on “The Next Round” podcast.

In October, the NCAA published a study outlining that at least 12% of publicly posted social media abuse was perpetrated by “angry sports bettors,” with some posts being explicitly linked to betting and others implicitly. The NCAA has made strides to stymie the issue and reported abuse related to sports betting was down by 23%, according to its studies in partnership with the Signify Group.

The sports world changed significantly when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018. The decision opened the floodgates for legal sports betting and instantly turned a recreation, played in the shadows by the few who sought it out, into the mainstream behemoth it is today.

While there are certainly benefits to be had through tax revenue and the elimination of the black market, there are, of course, unintended consequences — and the increased harassment of athletes is a prevalent one. One pro sports official told ESPN that they don’t recall these specific issues being present before the striking down of PASPA.

Sports betting drives engagement and gives fans a way to feel like they’re part of the game, but their use of social media and financial applications presents a troubling mental and emotional dimension that wasn’t present to athletes before this era. By having a literal investment in the action on the field, is it any wonder that some bettors might believe that they are now playing the game themselves?

Because they have paid the price of admission and, maybe, because they believe the customer is always right, the modern heckler seems to feel entitled to the money owed them by the player. Or, maybe they believe they need to play the mental game. Either way, this is not what the players signed up for.

ESPN senior NHL writer Greg Wyshynski contributed reporting for this piece.

Oregon linebacker Bryce Boettcher joined the University of Oregon as a baseball player. Liz Brenner, a multi-sport athlete, excelled at volleyball, track and field, basketball and softball at UO. And Kendre Harrison recently played at Peach Jam, a prestigious high school basketball tournament. He plans to play both basketball and football at UO. We learn more about elite athletes and the power they hold at the college level from Lindsay Schnell, a senior writer covering college sports for The Athletic.

“Think Out Loud®” broadcasts live at noon every day and rebroadcasts at 8 p.m.

If you’d like to comment on any of the topics in this show or suggest a topic of your own, please get in touch with us on Facebook, send an email to thinkoutloud@opb.org, or you can leave a voicemail for us at 503-293-1983.

Chris Miller can be contacted via email at cmiller@jdnews.com. Follow him on X @jdnsports.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – On Tuesday, city council met to discuss continuing the Lease to Locals program, lowering the speed limit on Sierra Boulevard, and new members of the Building and Housing Board of Appeals along with a new city engineer and traffic engineer. Mayor Tamara Wallace was absent so the meeting was headed by Mayor Pro Tem Cody Bass.

Closed session report and public comment

City attorney Heather Stroud was able to provide a report on case 22CV0761, where the police department was sued by two plaintiffs who were injured in the pursuit of a stolen vehicle in 2021. A settlement was reached on July 30, 2025, with a total payment of $2 million, $1 million per plaintiff. These costs were covered by the city’s risk-pool insurance through Sierra.

During public comment, the Tahoe Bear League requested the city to require education and take certain preventative measures before depredation measures were taken by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. They also expressed their interest in being part of a working group.

Melissa Soderston agreed, “We have to stop punishing the bears for what humans do.”

Dennis Cobb also brought up the topic of animals, asking the city to potentially put up signs to stop feeding geese at Pope Beach. He also brought up concerns of electric bikes and scooters on the path and their speeds, and wondered if the city could provide preventative measures such as speed limit signs.

Lastly, vacation home rental (VHR) owners spoke about the issues with the current rollout of the VHR permits. Brad Adams, who lives in Folsom, said that he was unable to get a permit despite being in good standing due to the timing of his inspection. The current system is first-come, first-serve, which he said made him feel “completely blindsided.”

Caleb Fry requested the city to delay the general start date to give more time for the city to study the current rollout, and to consider the issues that VHR owners were highlighting.

Lease to Locals

Lydia Zuniga, associate management analyst in the housing division, presented on the Lease to Locals program. Placemate has had a professional services agreement with the city where they manage the Lease to Locals program. So far, the program has unlocked 59 households, housing 144 residents, including children. As of Tuesday, they have closed 50 grants. Currently, the balance to administer the program is $47,500, with a remaining $7,500 balance for grants.

Zuniga offered several options to the city regarding the future of the program. The most cost-effective option was to end the professional services agreement with Placemate in the next 30 days, bringing program management in-house to the city staff and changing the name to the Long-Term Rental Incentive Program.

The development services department recently updated its software, allowing it to more efficiently track data. The city also has its own rental assistance program which would be supplemented by bringing the program in-house.

“It was time and money well-spent so far (on Placemate),” said councilmember Scott Robbins. “This was a pilot program that has succeeded. The time has come for it to not be a pilot anymore and for it to just be a program.”

Councilmember David Jinkens said he was interested in having large business partners do their part in helping fund these kinds of programs. “They need to step up and do their jobs, just like we’re doing our jobs,” he said.

The council ultimately passed a unanimous motion to bring the Lease to Locals program in-house, along with gauging interest and requesting participation for funding from regional government partners and businesses.

Though Lease to Locals will now be a city program, councilmember Keith Roberts did express his interest in the Rooted Renters program through Placemate, which will be a future item for the council to consider.

Citizen appointment

The council unanimously passed a motion to appoint Dan May to the Building and Housing Board of Appeals, which had a single missing seat to fill.

May was the sole applicant to the position, and said, “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to work on this board. I was looking for ways to help make the city run well and this looked like a good opportunity.”

Lower speed limits

Anush Nejad, director of public works, presented a report to the council regarding the JLB Traffic Engineering Co.’s engineering and traffic survey for Sierra Boulevard. The previous one was conducted about a decade ago.

The survey found that many people were driving at approximately 5 mph above the speed limit and recommended that the speed limit be lowered to 30 mph, rather than the current 35 mph. The street has pedestrian and bikeway connections, as well as proximity to the college and parks.

Nejad said that this change would align with the Vision Zero plan to reduce car accidents in the city. The new limits would be out sometime in early October and would cost $2,000 to implement the changes.

Robbins said that the street’s design incentivizes fast driving and requested alternate options of traffic and speed control, especially as he has received constituent complaints about traffic in the city. Nejad mentioned that speed limit complaints were some of the most common he received.

During public comment, Melissa Soderston voiced her support for lower speed limits. “I have not owned a car for more than a decade now, and it is absolutely terrifying to be on our streets… we are watching our wildlife be annihilated on a daily basis.”

The motion passed unanimously, and the item will come back to council in September for a second reading before implementation.

City engineer and traffic engineer delegation

Bass took a moment on this item to recognize that it was Nejad’s last meeting with city council. “These items truly exemplify the service you’ve given to our city over the past four years. Our public works department has really transformed, and in my 27 years of being here, I’ve never seen our public works department operate in such a professional way. I cannot thank you enough for the time you’ve given this community and all you have done.”

Robbins and Roberts both joked about not wanting Nejad to leave, with Roberts saying he and Jinkens would put potholes in the streets to prevent him from leaving.

Jinkens complimented Nejad especially for his responsiveness to public concerns and meeting with residents when they have problems.

“It really has been my pleasure to serve city council. I really appreciate all the support the city gave to the public works department and hope you will continue to support it,” said Nejad.

City manager Joe Irvin indicated that Nejad’s position would be taken over in the interim by airport manager John Dickinson. In the future, he said he hoped the public works director could also operate in multiple capacities, as Nejad has in the past, especially with regard to the city engineer and traffic engineer capabilities.

For now, city council approved Michael Lefrancois of Lefrancois Engineering for city engineer and Bill Suen of LSC Transportation Consultants Inc. for city traffic engineer.

Future items

Robbins and Jinkens brought up the topic of how the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s (TRPA) policies on traffic mitigation fees were inhibiting local business investment. Bass suggested they give input at the local government council, as it’s something that is still under discussion.

Roberts directed staff to look into the management of bears in the area and the possibilities of speed bumps or other traffic control methods on bike paths, which were supported by the rest of council.

Bass requested that the council revisit the sign ordinances, as he felt that it “seemed unfair” with regard to sandwich board signs outside of the tourist core.

Peace Love Tahoe made a request to recognize September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and the Daughters of the American Revolution requested a recognition of Constitution Week.

During councilmember reports, Robbins brought up the Lake Link contracts, saying that Lake Link would now count for public transit ridership numbers on South Shore, which helps drive available federal government funding.

Jinkens mentioned that during his vacation to Catalina Island that other communities were dealing with similar housing issues.

Bass ended on a controversial note, saying he was interested in staff opening conversations regarding the lower Ski Run area and cooperation with Vail Resorts in managing that area. He also mentioned that he took issue with the TRPA’s policy not to have new uses for the airport, as he felt it would hinder future uses of electric aircraft.

The next city council meeting will be on August 26 and will primarily be about the city budget.

Eli Ramos is a reporter for Tahoe Daily Tribune. They are part of the 2024–26 cohort of California Local News Fellows through UC Berkeley.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt swimming earned Scholar All-America Team recognition from the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) in both the fall and spring during the 2024-25 season, marking the third year in a row that the Commodores have accomplished the feat.

In addition, Vandy had three individuals honored for the second straight season after Kailia Utley, Emily Constable and Aubrey Hull were each named second-team Scholar All-America after the conclusion of the campaign.

Programs must post a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or better for the semester in order to receive the award, with the Dores accomplishing the feat with a 3.73 mark in the fall and a 3.70 GPA in the spring. Individually, the three Commodores were recognized after recording a 3.5 or higher GPA and meeting the NCAA B Standard in at least one event.

During the 2024-25 season, Vanderbilt had six swimmers break school records eight time while Constable and Hull combined to set new freshman standards in three events on six occasions. In all, 17 individuals achieved a mark in at least one event that either met qualification for the NCAA and CSCAA National Invitational Championships, and 14 Dores had times that made the program’s all-time top-10 list on 28 occasions.

Utley, who hails from Huntington Beach, California, concluded her Vandy career by becoming the first member of the program to swim at the NCAA Championships in consecutive seasons since 1987-89. She departs as the school record holder in the 100 and 200 butterfly as well as the 200 individual medley, while Utley is the first member of the program to be named a CSCAA Scholar All-American each of her four years and to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team three times.

In her first season at the collegiate level, Constable broke the school freshman record in the 100 breaststroke—a mark that had stood for more than a dozen years—with a time that ranks second on the Dores’ all-time performer list. The Westfield, New Jersey, native also finished the season among the top 10 all-time at Vanderbilt in the 200 breaststroke after picking up three individuals victories during the campaign.

Hull began the season by being named the initial SEC Freshman of the Week and ended it as the Commodores’ overall and freshman record holder in the 100 backstroke after becoming the first swimmer in program history to post a time below 54 seconds in the event. Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, she also set the school freshman record and stands second all-time in the 200 backstroke as she won eight individual races throughout the campaign.

Utley was joined on the CSC Academic All-District team by Kate Heintz, Quinlan Hinerfeld and Reagan Mathieson, while the Dores had 20 swimmers on the Winter SEC Academic Honor Roll—the second year in a row that Vandy has had 20 or more individuals earn the honor—and 11 members of the program make the First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll.

ANCHORAGE (Aug. 13) – Single-match volleyball tickets and season tickets for 2025-26 University of Alaska Anchorage athletic events at the Alaska Airlines Center are on sale now at GoSeawolves.com.

For season tickets, Seawolves fans can choose either the volleyball package for $135 (16 UAA home matches), the men’s and women’s basketball combined package for $225 (34 UAA home games), or the combined volleyball/basketball/gymnastics package for $345. The basketball and combo packages include the ConocoPhillips Great Alaska Shootout.

UAA single-match volleyball tickets start at $10 (general admission) and $13 (reserved) online, with significant discounts available for groups and student guests. UAA students still receive free admission with valid WolfCard.

Season tickets for UAA hockey will be sold separately. Check GoSeawolves.com for updates.