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Good morning! Decline that max extension today. Believe in yourself.

Sleeping Giants: All eyes on … Sacramento

The concept of a sleeping giant in college sports is almost a cliche at this point. Let this certain school get the right coach and recruiting staff! They’re gonna take off! See, currently: UNLV, Georgia Tech, Texas Tech, so on and so forth. 

Normally, this is all a little overblown. Take a large metro area and/or talent-rich state, find an athletics program that’s been meh and put them on the list. Some sleeping giants wake for a few minutes. Some stay in comas. 

One I’m actually interested in, though? Sacramento State. 

You have probably heard plenty of social media fodder about the big names and big money flowing into what has been a mostly dormant athletics program at a massive school. But, as Christopher Kamrani and Stewart Mandel write this morning, there is real momentum in Sacramento — and the program has specific, lofty goals. 

Three nuggets I found fascinating: 

• As with anything during this time in college sports, this is really an NIL story. Sacramento State has a potential donor base of nearly 300,000 alumni. The football program is plotting a move to FBS. The basketball teams are getting a new arena soon.
  
  
• Moreover, athletic success at Sac State is seen as a possible fiscal salve for budgetary issues at the university, and it’s easy to see the logic. A move to FBS — which has been denied for now — would bring millions in revenue. Then the media deal comes, which then brings more money and more stars, and the cycle of success churns upward.
  
  
• About those big names: Mike Bibby is the new basketball coach, and he hired Shaquille O’Neal as his general manager. Jaden Rashada — remember him? — is the new quarterback on the football team, coached by former UNLV offensive coordinator Brennan Marion. Both the football and basketball teams have cajoled good talent from the transfer portal. 

I find the Hornets’ story super compelling, and urge you to read the full saga for some fascinating details. The Pulse might have an FCS rooting interest this year. 

Let’s keep going:

News to Know

Franco convicted
Former Rays superstar Wander Franco was convicted yesterday in the Dominican Republic on charges of sexual abuse of a minor. Franco received a suspended two-year prison sentence — though prosecutors sought a five-year penalty — meaning he’ll avoid incarceration so long as he adheres to certain conditions. The 24-year-old was accused nearly two years ago of sexual exploitation of a 14-year-old girl and, subsequently, paying the girl’s mother exorbitant amounts of money to continue doing so. The girl’s mother was sentenced to 10 years in prison yesterday. See our full report.

Reaves says no — for now
Lakers guard Austin Reaves formally declined a max extension from the Lakers, sources told The Athletic, which is a major sign that Reaves intends to hit free agency next summer. The extension offer was for four years and $89.2 million, and Reaves clearly — for good reason, too — thinks he’ll fetch more on the open market. Read all the tentacles here.

An NHL blockbuster
Late Wednesday, the Buffalo Sabres traded star winger JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth (still a cool name) for defenseman Michael Kesselring and forward Josh Doan, sources told The Athletic, which counts as our first major trade of the NHL offseason. Though Buffalo understandably did not want to deal Peterka, it became clear the young player had no intention of signing an extension; he’s already agreed to a five-year deal with Utah. He’s a fantastic fit among the Mammoth’s rising stars, too.

More news

• Other big news out of the NHL: The league and the players’ association agreed on an 84-game schedule starting in 2026-27, sources told The Athletic.
  
• The NFL suspended former Ravens kicker Justin Tucker 10 games after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.
  
• The Trump administration threatened California with “imminent enforcement action” if the state did not change its transgender athlete policy. More details here.
  
• Louisiana police arrested the man who held up a Sudanese flag in support of Palestine during the Super Bowl halftime show yesterday.
  
• The Cleveland Browns are clear to build an indoor stadium in the suburbs. It’s been a contentious battle thus far.
  
• Cristiano Ronaldo, 40, will stay at Saudi side Al Nassr for two more years, the club announced yesterday.
  
• Oliver Boast, the highly touted 16-year-old Leeds striker, has chosen to continue his early career at Tottenham. Read up on him.

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Wait, What? The worst non-Luka trade?

Brad Penner / Imagn Images

Drafts can move quickly, which is a good thing. But sometimes we let a transaction slide past in the moment that deserves a heavily scrutinized follow-up the next day. Which brings us to the New Orleans Pelicans. 

A brief recap before some context: 

• In the first splash of Joe Dumars’ tenure in New Orleans, the Pels traded up 10 spots in the first round to draft Derik Queen, a capable big man out of Maryland. Queen pairs with fellow first-rounder Jeremiah Fears. In a vacuum, nice picks.
  
  
• But Dumars gave up the Pelicans’ unprotected first-rounder next year to get Queen. New Orleans was 21-61 this year, the fourth-worst record in the NBA. That pick could be top-five, and even No. 1 if things go poorly — which is extremely possible! That could mean losing out on AJ Dybantsa. 

But I’m just a Pelicans fan still miffed about this shaky plan. Let’s excerpt two experts on the issue. 

Here’s draft guru Sam Vecenie in his winners and losers column: 

What are the Pelicans doing? That’s a question that was asked repeatedly in text messages from other teams following their decision to trade up … “This is the worst trade, non-Luka division, that we’ve seen in at least a decade,” one assistant GM texted me.

And here’s Zach Harper in yesterday’s Bounce: 

New Orleans giving up this unprotected pick is egregious.

Go Pels? Pray for me.

What to Watch

WNBA: Fever at Wings
7:30 p.m. ET on ION
If Caitlin Clark is healthy for this one, it’ll be the league’s brightest new star against the 2025 No. 1 pick in Paige Bueckers. Both teams could use a little help in the standings. 

MLB: Cardinals at Guardians
7:10 p.m. ET on Apple TV+
Both of these teams are treading water in the respective Central divisions, though I was intrigued to see Cleveland at 40-39 despite a -32 run differential. Both are theoretical sellers at the deadline, though there’s plenty of time left for things to improve or spiral. 

Get tickets to games like these here.

Pulse Picks

Tom Moore is an 86-year-old coach who arrives at the Buccaneers facility before 4 a.m. Bucky Irving is a 22-year-old player who gets there by 5:30 a.m. The two are best friends. 

The NHL Draft is here! We have the latest buzz. The Athletic Hockey Show also has a full preview. Listen up! Apple and Spotify. A ton of possible twists.

Matt Baker tried to answer an incredible question: How many college football teams could’ve won a national title with Nick Saban as head coach? Perfect offseason content. 

What is Tight End University, the NFL-centric event that featured a surprise Taylor Swift performance? Jayna Bardahl has answers. 

Jeremy Peña was supposed to be a superstar who filled the shoes of another superstar. He started flawlessly, then faltered. Now — still just 24 years old — he is back on top of baseball, writes Chandler Rome. Great story. 

In case you missed it, the USMNT drama between Christian Pulisic, Mauricio Pochettino and some program legends is still raging. Adam Crafton’s overview of the squabble was helpful. 

Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our list of every pick in the NBA Draft. 

Most-read on the website yesterday: Winners and losers from the first round of the NBA Draft.

(Top photo: Courtesy of Sacramento State)

The NBA Draft has long been a signature moment of the year in sports fashion, with multiple players dressed for the occasion making a statement about their new career.

As Greg Oden, the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, told a small media gathering earlier on Wednesday: “The work starts now. It’s not just about getting your name called in a rookie contract; it’s about your second contract and third contract. This is the time to work on yourself, work on your brand.”

Increasingly, athletes are turning to fashion to build the brand of themselves.

As curated by The Athletic’s Bre’ana Singleton and Hannah Vanbiber, these 10 players from Wednesday’s first night of the 2025 draft stood out for their looks, fits and overall aura:

MVP: Jeremiah Fears

Jeremiah Fears, drafted No. 7 by the New Orleans Pelicans, wore a Gucci suit on Wednesday. (Sarah Stier / Getty Images)

Fears brought the “No Fears” mantra to life in a bold, all-maroon Gucci suit. The textured logos brought just the right amount of depth and shine, while his all-black sneakers, also Gucci, grounded the look with an understated edge. What set off Fears’ fit were a pair of massive chains layered over his tie — one an Oklahoma Sooners number “0” and another underneath it spelling his last name.  It was a confident, cohesive fit — sharp and intentional with family photos lining his jacket. The Oklahoma star proved his game isn’t the only thing with flash. — Singleton

First Runner-Up: Carter Bryant

New San Antonio Spurs forward Carter Bryant wore his double-breasted suit without a shirt Wednesday. (Sarah Stier / Getty Images)

The Arizona Wildcats power forward created a deep-V moment with a double-breasted maroon suit, turning to the suit-without-shirt trend popularized by multiple stars, including Timothée Chalamet who debuted his at the 2022 Academy Awards. Bryant credited his “mom and sisters going crazy” for how the look came together, and fittingly, he has his family’s names stitched on the inside of the jacket. My favorite touch? The sleeves acted as a gilded mirror of his forearm tattoos, almost as if the ink was projecting through the fabric, transformed into embroidered gold: the word “ilaya” (which his mom has tweeted to him, too) and an embellished infinity symbol. This look, for me, is the word “drip” personified. — Vanbiber

Most ‘Boss’ Look: Cooper Flagg

The No. 1 pick Wednesday, Cooper Flagg (right) went with a dark Hugo Boss suit for his big announcement. (Brad Penner / Imagn Images)

Here’s one way to describe Flagg’s night: With his selection at No. 1, the young forward became one of an elite group of just 79 people in history, a list that includes immortals like LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal. To match the occasion, Flagg flew in BOSS. The meticulously tailored three-piece suit by Hugo Boss is almost understated on the star’s 6-foot-8 frame: sharp, classy, calm, cool, collected. He paired it with velvet loafers from Christian Louboutin (a favored brand among this draft class) that retail for $945 and a Hublot timepiece. Want to dress like Flagg? BOSS is selling the suit off the rack for $999. — Vanbiber

Best Group Effort: Ace Bailey (and family)

Ace Bailey, headed to the Utah Jazz, wore a bejeweled suit with custom family photos on the lining. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

“Without the ones that’s in the jacket or the ones that’s there, I wouldn’t be in this position,” Bailey said before he got dressed for the biggest night of his life — and he wasn’t kidding. His loved ones were by his side on draft night — in matching Christian Louboutin red bottoms. A pair of black high-top lace-ups were the No. 5 pick’s selection for the occasion. While Bailey had some questions entering the draft, his suit compensated with shine and shimmer. A bejeweled black suit honored his family with custom pictures on the jacket’s lining. A red shirt, lapels and cuffs paid homage to his Rutgers allegiance. With every step and sparkle, Bailey made it clear: One life and one franchise would be changed forever. — Singleton

Most Deceptively Simple: VJ Edgecombe

VJ Edgecombe didn’t need a ton of colors for his ensemble to pop on Wednesday. (Sarah Stier / Getty Images)

I guess when you’re as explosive an athlete as Edgecombe, you don’t need bursts of color to make a fashion impact. The No. 3 pick’s striking all-black fit was interwoven with deeper nods to his home and family. Styled by his older brother, the suit sported a subtle latticework pattern paired with YSL shoes, Prada glasses, silver and diamond jewelry and — perhaps best of all — the colors of the Bahamian flag flashing at his wrists. The all-business look opened up to reveal a collage of family photos sewn in the lining, a long-standing tradition in NBA Draft fashion. — Vanbiber

Glintiest (much like a Spur …): Dylan Harper

Harper is going from Rutgers to San Antonio, and Wednesday’s suit was a representation. (Sarah Stier / Getty Images)

The No. 2 pick looked understated — until he walked into the light. Harper’s all-black jacquard suit shimmered under the bright spotlights of Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. His black Louboutin loafers were studded with silver spikes, completing a smooth look. The former Rutgers guard was a massive favorite to go second in the draft: Could his glinting black suit be a nod to the black and silver of the San Antonio Spurs, his new home team? Inside the bright red lining of his jacket (matching his red-bottom shoes!) was sewn the quote “Never too high, never too low,” a phrase he credits to his mother. — Vanbiber

Riskiest Move: Tre Johnson

Tre Johnson chose a bold look at Wednesday’s draft night: baggy shorts, slouched socks and a double-breasted jacket. (Brad Penner / Imagn Images)

Suit shorts? Slouch socks? Why not? It was business up top, party down low for Johnson. The 19-year-old made one of the boldest fashion statements of the NBA Draft, mixing preppy with playful as he makes the jump to the big league. Johnson paired a navy double-breasted suit jacket with tailored shorts that fell below his knees with a casual flow before rounding it all out with slouch socks and Dr. Martens’ Adrian Bex loafers. The Texas Longhorns star ditched the “corporate climb” look for more of a “creative direction” feel. Trae Young wore shorts on draft night. It’s worked out for him; maybe it’ll do the same for Johnson. — Singleton

Most Old-World Slick: Collin Murray-Boyles

Collin Murray-Boyles became a top-10 draft pick while wearing a blue pinstriped suit. (Mike Lawrie / Getty Images)

Pinstripes on pinstripes on pinstripes! The No. 9 pick from South Carolina recalled the suiting of the Jazz Age with his sharp-cut, blue pinstriped number, featuring pants cut narrow at the knee and slightly wider at the ankle, which gave him a dapper, lengthened look. His equally famous girlfriend, fellow Gamecock baller Chloe Kitts, watched alongside his family as Murray-Boyles went in the top 10 to the Toronto Raptors. — Vanbiber

Best Character Development: Nique Clifford

Nique Clifford’s gradient jacket was a hit during Wednesday’s draft. (Brad Penner / Imagn Images)

Clifford brought color and character to the draft with a bold gradient jacket, fading from a deep violet to a softer pinkish hue. He paired the jacket with black pants and custom two-tone Air Force 1s, which were a drip of their own. The Colorado State star fully leaned into the Gen Z draft night ethos with a nod to Clifford, the Big Red Dog, his namesake. The iconic animated pup was stitched inside Clifford’s jacket lining for added internet flair. The look was playful, polished and hard to forget. — Singleton

Most Understated Luxury: Asa Newell

Asa Newell, who is headed to the Atlanta Hawks was stylish with a double-breasted suit and jewelry. (Sarah Stier / Getty Images)

Newell brought understated luxury to the red carpet on a night when plenty of players opted for bolder, more in-your-face styles. The Atlanta Hawks’ No. 23 pick sported a double-breasted suit and accessorized his look with silver and diamonds. He topped off his look with a pair of Louis Vuitton Time Out sneakers originally designed by the late fashion icon Virgil Abloh. The sneakers Newell wore — currently sold out in the white colorway on Louis Vuitton’s site — normally go for $1,360. The creamy-white leather kicks, adorned with the brand’s signature monogram and a subtle pop of metallic, grounded his suit with quiet confidence and balanced street-smart swagger and designer polish. — Singleton

Newell’s shoe choice do not come cheap. They retail at more than $1,300. (Sarah Stier / Getty Images)

 (Top photo: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)

Cooper Manning began to suspect his oldest son might be a gifted athlete when in elementary school. He noticed Arch could really throw and was always able to run around and make plays in flag football. But even when Arch was only 4 or 5, there was something different about him.

Whenever he’d go to a Colts game to watch his Uncle Peyton or a Giants game to see his Uncle Eli, the little kid would sit there riveted from start to finish.

“He never wanted to go run around in the halls or go eat popcorn and nachos,” Cooper said. “He’d just watch football like he was in a trance.”

At home, Arch didn’t play video games. He wanted to go outside and play catch, shoot hoops or have his dad hit him fly balls.

“We threw more footballs in the den over his mother’s head while a football game was going on, and she’d be like, ‘Please don’t do this — oh, here comes a lamp!’ And she was right,” Cooper said. “There was always something getting broken.”

Now, Arch is 21, a former top-ranked recruit from New Orleans entering his third season at Texas but first as starter after patiently waiting behind Quinn Ewers. He’s made two spot starts in his first two seasons, but the Longhorns could top preseason polls in large part because of excitement around the 6-foot-4, 225-pound redshirt sophomore. Behind the scenes, Arch has drawn rave reviews from coaches for his football intelligence, athleticism and make-up.

But Cooper, the oldest of former Saints star quarterback Archie Manning’s three sons, wasn’t about to go telling anyone that his kid was some athletic prodigy growing up. Being the Next Manning meant he didn’t need to say anything like that on his own.

“You never wanna be that dad who says his son is really something special,” he said. “When you share that with someone, you sound like a lunatic.”

When you’re from football’s first family of quarterbacks, that kind of thing is already baked in, whether you want all that comes with it or not.

Cooper wasn’t a quarterback like his dad or younger brothers. The 51-year-old entrepreneur/television personality was a gifted wide receiver who signed to play at Ole Miss, his father’s alma mater. But as a freshman, he felt numbness in his fingers and toes during training camp. He was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spine and pinching of the nerves that meant the end of his playing career.

As Cooper’s children were growing up, he watched as his kid brothers blossomed into football icons. Peyton was the wizard who had the answers to every defensive scheme and adjustment whenever he dropped back to pass. Eli was the unflappable one who always seemed to be at his best when the spotlight was brightest. Eli led the Giants to two Super Bowls and was named MVP in both games. Peyton, a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer, won five NFL MVPs and two Super Bowls.

People assume that the two former NFL stars have mentored their nephew, but that wasn’t so much the case. Archie’s been around a lot and always has been, said Arch’s mother, Ellen, “but really, Coop taught Arch how to play football.”

Arch Manning chose Texas over finalists Alabama and Georgia. (Scott Wachter / Imagn Images)

Ellen and Cooper realize that doesn’t make for a good story. Or draw as many eyeballs.

“As much as they are great influences, they weren’t around a ton,” Cooper said. “I don’t think Eli ever saw Arch play a high school or college football game. He is coming in this year. Peyton would come in for a game or two occasionally. Arch would see them at the Manning Passing Academy and may see ’em at Mardi Gras, but that’s like five nights in a year, so it’s hard to say whether he’s ‘like them or like someone else.’

“I do think you can pick up little pieces of people that you like. Arch is probably just as likely to pick up a habit of Patrick Mahomes as he is of Eli with things that you just like about people and the way they handle themselves. And fortunately, anybody who watches anything can get more exposure to players they like and want to mimic.”

Arch is actually much faster than either of his famous uncles. Cooper said Arch gets his speed from his mom. Ellen was the track star in the family, an all-district selection as a high-jumper in New Orleans who led her high school to its first state title in volleyball and was inducted into its sports hall of fame.

Ask Cooper about how he and Ellen raised their children knowing the challenges that would come with the hype associated with being Mannings, and he can’t help but laugh, knowing that he and his brothers didn’t grow up in an era of social media and cellphones with cameras.

They decided they’d deflect all the early attention on Arch as best as they could. It helped that New Orleans offered a more laidback, easygoing vibe than most places. It also helped that Arch, from a young age, never wanted any of it.

But that didn’t stop college coaches from calling as early as sixth grade trying to talk about scholarships.

“I was like, ‘We’re not having any of this scholarship stuff,’” Cooper said. “‘This is ridiculous. He doesn’t even have braces yet.’”

Cooper and Ellen, who is an attorney, set up ground rules raising their three children, May, Arch and Heid. When it came to cellphones and curfews, the Manning kids had a lot less flexibility than most of their friends did. They didn’t get cellphones until middle school. Even then, cellphones couldn’t be used at dinner. And until they were in the 11th grade, they had to charge their phones at night in their parents’ bedroom.

“Did they bitch and complain about it? Sure, they did,” Ellen said. “But I mention that to other people and they say, ‘Oh, I can’t get my kid’s face out of the screen,’ and my response is, ‘Well, take it away from ’em! It’s like they’re scared to do that.

“We never were scared to enforce the rules that we put in place for them because we believed in them.”

They had seen how social media had come into vogue and didn’t love where some of that could be headed. Though their kids complained about restrictions, Ellen said, they’ve come to look back and appreciate it.

“It was all a distraction,” Cooper said. “I just saw too many people taking their kids to dinner and everybody else was talking and the kids are on their phones. I thought, we’re not having this junk. I was a little old-school, kind of copying my dad. We’re not playing video games. Get outside and go play. I don’t care, you’re not hanging around here just swiping and thumbing through some useless, endless stuff.

“Arch was kind of wired that way anyhow so it made it easier.”

Cooper remembers Arch protesting that he couldn’t stay out until 11 o’clock in high school, saying friends’ parents let their sons come home later.

But then he’d say: “I didn’t really wanna go out anyway. I was just testing y’all.”

The irony is that now that all three kids have gone off to college — Heid is at Texas with Arch and May graduated this spring from Virginia — when they come home to New Orleans, they’ll spot their old man thumbing away on his phone.

Dad! Enough with the phone!

“I’ll lie and say I’m doing something work-related,” Cooper said, “but now it’s reversed, and they make me put it away for hours, so that’s good.”

When Arch’s recruitment began in earnest while at Isidore Newman School, Ellen and Cooper were thorough in how he chose where he went to college. They took visits to Clemson, Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss and LSU.

They ended up going to Alabama, Texas and Georgia four times each before Arch chose to play for Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns ahead of his senior season.

“When you’re 16, you don’t know what college is like, much less what the locker room is like, what the coaches are like, what the meetings are like, what practices are like, what it’s like to be going to classes in the summer — all that stuff,” Cooper said. “The more you get exposed to, the more you can make a relatively educated decision on where you can see yourself going, and if things may go wrong, you’re not gonna get homesick and think, ‘Golly, I screwed up.’

“We’re just the concierge, you get to figure out what feels right to you.”

Arch Manning made his first start in a 51-3 win over ULM last September. (Tim Warner / Getty Images)

After making brief appearances as a freshman in 2023, Arch played in 10 games last season, starting two when Ewers was injured. The younger Manning was impressive in limited time, as he completed 68 percent of his passes, going 61-for-90 for 939 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions. More impressively, he completed over 78 percent on third downs and 85 percent in the red zone. He also ran for 108 yards and four touchdowns for a Texas team that made it to the College Football Playoff semifinals for the second consecutive season.

The Mannings are well aware that Arch is a hot-button subject — and has been since he got to Texas (and even before that). They appreciate how UT has handled him. He’s been there for two and a half years and been available for interviews just five times: once during Sugar Bowl media day in his freshman year, another time for Cotton Bowl media last year, once this spring and twice after his two starts last fall.

Cooper set his phone up to get Google Alerts daily for articles mentioning Arch, but for as many as there are, he’s realized there’s rarely anything to them.

“There’s not really anything new because he’s not saying anything, and no one is really saying anything with new information,” he said. “It’s just recycled stuff. He’s kept his head down and kept a low-profile, so when he does something, it kinda matters.

“I think they’ve done a great job of protecting him, developing him, and letting him be a regular kid as best you can. Now, when the time is right, you’re ready to go, you’re ready to go. Playing is good, but playing when you’re really ready and prepared usually works out better, in every league.”

Cooper is also proud to say that Arch was never on social media growing up. His first tweet didn’t come until June 23, 2022, when he announced his commitment to Texas. It has been retweeted over 35,000 times and liked over 200,000 times. He’s tweeted only four times in the three years since. He’s slightly more active on Instagram, where he has posted 16 times. He doesn’t read a lot of the stuff on social media, either, Cooper said, adding that they “don’t ever discuss” the things being talked about or written about him.

Committed to the University of Texas. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/jHYbjBaF5K

— Arch Manning (@ArchManning) June 23, 2022

It’s all part of the careful curation of a quarterback, and of a young man, at a time when not everything can be controlled.

Arch, who is majoring in communication and leadership, can’t help but encounter some unique challenges no one else in his family faced. Like, how do you handle when you’re walking to class and realize you’re being filmed? Or every time when you go out to eat?

“He struggles with that right now,” Ellen said. “Especially when he’s in Austin, he feels like he can’t go out because everybody wants to take a picture. He said it’s not even the ones that are coming up and saying, ‘Hey, can I get a picture?’ He’s always been very gracious about that. He learned that from his grandfather. You always take the time to take a picture, talk to a fan.

“But it’s the people who are filming him from across the quad when he walks to class. That’s the most awkward thing for him. He calls me: ‘Mom, will you just talk to me while I’m walking to class because this is so awkward. I don’t know whether to wave and smile.’”

Still, Cooper said the biggest area he thinks Arch has grown since going to Austin is his independence.

As a kid, he struggled getting up early, whether for school or for an 8 a.m. baseball tournament an hour away. He quickly learned he needed to take initiative in Austin.

“When you don’t have someone nagging you, who you know is gonna bail you out,” Cooper said, “all of a sudden, you grow up.”

Arch gushed to his father about Kelvin Banks, the All-American Texas left tackle, who he said might be the best teammate he’ll ever have — and provided stiff competition to be the first one at 6 a.m. workouts.

“He said Kelvin’s always the first one in,” Cooper recalled, “so he said, ‘I started trying to beat him in. I’d get there 10 minutes earlier than him, but Kelvin had gotten there 20 minutes earlier. It was like this unspoken rule —No, no, no, no one is gonna be in before me.’ He just takes it seriously, which is good.”

Banks is gone, taken with the No. 9 pick in the NFL Draft by the Saints in April. With Ewers gone, too, there’s no doubt it’s Arch’s team now.

He’s come a long way from scrambling to get to those 8 a.m. youth baseball tournaments. Though he’s set up to succeed, what happens next?

It’s up to Arch Manning.

“That’s what you do as a parent — you do your best, and then hope when you send them off to college, they’ve absorbed some of the things you instilled in them,” Cooper said, “but you can’t micromanage anything.”

(Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic; Kevin C. Cox / Getty, Icon Sportswire / Getty, Wesley Hitt / Getty)

CINCINNATI — Seven games are not nearly enough to know what the Yankees are going to get out of Giancarlo Stanton this season. 

But in the limited sample size, Aaron Boone has liked what he has seen so far, even without Stanton flashing any of his power just yet. 

“I feel like he looks pretty good,” Boone said after Stanton went 1-for-4 with three strikeouts in a 6-1 loss to the Reds at Great American Ballpark. 

“I feel like he’s on time for things, tracking the ball. … There’s going to be swing-and-miss in G’s game, that’s part of it. I actually feel like he’s in a pretty good place right now.” 

Stanton finished Monday batting 7-for-23 with one double, two walks and nine strikeouts in the week since making his season debut after missing the first two and a half months with tendinitis in both elbows. Eight of those strikeouts have come in his last three games alone. 

The 35-year-old DH, who started Monday for the sixth time in eight games, has continued to hit the ball hard when he makes contact, including a 109.8 mph single against the Reds. Where he can improve, Boone indicated, is getting those balls in the air. 

“Some of his best shots have been a low liner or ball in the ground,” Boone said. “I think the next step is getting some balls a little bit more airborne. But feel like he’s recognizing pitches pretty well.” 

Before the game, Boone said he will be deliberate in getting Stanton days off to try to make sure he stays healthy the rest of the season. 

“With our club and the roster, we have that freedom a little bit to say, be a little bit more disciplined to probably play him two out of three days here and there,” Boone said. “We’ll continue to evolve as we go and continue to pay attention to how he’s doing and how he’s recovering.But right now, especially in these early days, I’m putting a value on making sure I give him that day, even when maybe you want to do otherwise.” 

Marcus Stroman will make another rehab start with Double-A Somerset on Tuesday, when he is expected to throw around 70 pitches. It could be the veteran’s last rehab outing, depending on what the Yankees want to do with him — possibly slotting him back into the rotation while Ryan Yarbrough is on the injured list, though Allan Winans was called up on Monday to fill his spot in the meantime. 

In the latest update on fan voting for the All-Star Game, Aaron Judge was the only Yankee leading his position — not to mention all of baseball. Paul Goldschmidt (who was overtaken by the Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the lead at first base) and Ben Rice (at DH) ranked second at their respective positions. 

The first phase of fan voting ends on Thursday at noon, with the top two vote-getters at each position advancing to the second phase of voting to determine who makes the team.

Some grudges never go away. That is the case with former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer.

Meyer revealed on “The Triple Option Podcast” last week that he’s holding onto some lingering anger against Sports Illustrated over a story from 14 years ago that detailed the Buckeye program’s memorabilia-for-ink scandal and put then-coach Jim Tressel on the cover. 

“I still hold a grudge about that whole thing,” Meyer said. “I know Jim Tressel. I followed him, so I know exactly what his program was all about. And that was wrong. The support Tressel received in Columbus, I don’t think was fair, and certainly the national [media], it’s actually a joke, to be honest with you.”

On June 6, 2011, SI published its story by writers George Dohrmann and David Epstein that detailed the scandal in which six players from the Ohio State football team had traded memorabilia for cash or tattoos, one being star quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

SI’s report showed that the Department of Justice’s December 2010 investigation didn’t go back far enough — going back to 2002, it involved over 28 players.

The story led to the resignation of Tressel as the Ohio State head coach. 

Meyer took over as head coach after Luke Fickell’s season as interim in 2011, and he was left to deal with the fallout: the Buckeyes were banned from the postseason in 2012, placed on two-year probation, and lost five football scholarships for a three-year period. 

“I know this one well because I lived it,” Meyer said. “Our 2012 team went undefeated and was not able to compete (in the postseason). We would have played Notre Dame for the national championship that year. It was very punitive. Jim Tressel, whom I know well — once again, I know this case because I lived it, and I was hired directly after Coach Tressel resigned. There was no competitive advantage (to the penalties).

“They were trading memorabilia for tattoos. Competitive advantage, zero. There’s nothing there. Was it wrong? Yes. Jim Tressel was accused of lying. … He was aware of (the trading). He ended it. … But the inconsistency of that penalty, to this day, still bothers me.”

Tressel went on to become the president of Youngstown State University from 2014-2023 and in February of 2025, was sworn in as the 67th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio.

Meyer, on the other hand, coached the Buckeyes until 2018, until he endured his own set of scandals that led to his retirement after the 2018 season. He won a national championship with Ohio State in 2014.

He went on to coach the NFL’s Jaguars in a disastrous stint that saw him fired with a 2-11 record and spate of on- and off-the-field controversies.

How long is Urban Meyer willing to hold onto a grudge? Apparently, more than 14 years.

That’s how long it’s been since Sports Illustrated published its famous longform report on Jim Tressel, which came out just hours after he resigned from his position as Ohio State’s head coach on Memorial Day 2011. The story, authored by George Dohrmann with David Epstein, was accompanied by a dramatic cover featuring a close-up of Tressel, along with the headline “How Deep It Went,” and came amid the tattoos-for-memorabilia scandal that had engulfed the Buckeyes program since late 2010.

Unsurprisingly, SI‘s story didn’t sit well with Ohio State fans, who argued that the outlet’s findings were much ado about nothing. And that apparently included Urban Meyer, who would ultimately become the Buckeyes’ next full-time head coach after Luke Fickell served on an interim basis in 2011.

“To this day, I still hold a grudge about that whole thing,” Meyer said on a recent episode of his podcast, The Triple Option. “I know Jim Tressel. I followed him, so I know exactly what his program was all about. And that was wrong. I mean, that was a mistake on a lot of fronts. The support Tressel received in Columbus, I don’t think was fair, and certainly the national [media], it’s actually a joke, to be honest with you. And so remember now, competitive advantage [that Ohio State received from the scandal] negligible. None. There wasn’t.”

It’s also worth noting that the Tressel cover story seemingly started a trend of controversial Sports Illustrated investigations into college athletic programs, including Oklahoma State football and UCLA men’s basketball. As for Tressel, just about everything related to the “Tatgate” scandal that ended his coaching career in Columbus now seems relatively overdramatic, including the SI cover.

Ultimately, it’s hardly surprising that Meyer would side with Tressel here, considering their shared Ohio State connection (and that the penalties imposed on the Buckeyes bled into Meyer’s tenure). As for his grudge against SI, it’s hard to find any evidence of that playing out in a meaningful way, at least in the public eye.