This is the Sportacados Discussion Thread, for talking about all things sports! Feel free to live-chat games, talk about the latest news and rumours, discuss sports history, and anything else that relates to watching other grown adults throw or hit a ball. Hateration is allowed, but try to keep it within the realm of light banter.

News and Results

• Klay Thompson is headed to the Miami Heat after receiving a buyout from the Mavericks, joining Giannis Antetokounmpou and Bam “83 points” Adebayo. Klay will add some much-needed shooting, but this is looking a little too much like past “superteams” of aging stars that don’t go anywhere. Speaking of aging stars, DeMar DeRozan has signed with the Denver Nuggets as they look to get back to contender status.
• MMA legend Cris Cyborg defended her PFL featherweight title against Ketlen Viera in a surprisingly hard-fought decision (not helped by Viera missing weight by 7 pounds.) It was the final fight on Cyborg’s PFL contract. While the promotion for the fight leaned heavily into the idea of this potentially being her last fight, Cris seemed open to continuing, whether it be in the merged PFL/MVP organization, Scott Coker’s new promotion, or pursuing a boxing crossover fight with Claressa Shields.
• In the ongoing legal drama that is NCAA football, an appellate court granted a stay overturning an earlier decision that would have allowed for all college athletes who began playing in 2022 to have a fifth year like the classes immediately before and after them. It now appears that these decisions will be made piecemeal, in an approach bound to satisfy no one. Many players are looking to return to college after participating in NFL training camps and preseason games, with some even asking their teams to cut them so that they’ll be eligible. It’s a mess!
• Coco Gauff won the WTA side of the Cincinati Open with a dominant straight-sets win over Jessica Pegula, cementing herself as a top contender going into the US Open. This is her fourth Masters 1000 title at the age of 22. On the men’s side, Arthur Fils defeated Brandon Nakashima in a strange final, as the ATP continues to be weird and wide open.
• The Houston Astros fired general manager Dana Brown following a 2-6 run that saw them fall below the .500 mark. Brown’s contract was expiring at the end of the season, so perhaps the team was ready to move on anyways. Despite having a losing record, the Astros are still first in the wonderful world of the American League West, have the presumptive AL MVP, and could even have a wild card spot if someone passes them for the division.
• There’s also a lot of unsavoury stuff going around, like serial sexual assaulter DeShaun Watson being named the Browns starting quarterback, NBA washout turned right-wing grifter Enes Kanter trying to invade the court during a WNBA game, IndyCar running a Trump propaganda event in the streets of Washington, and 49ers owner Jed Brown being arrested in what appears to be a prostitution sting, but I try to focus on the positive, or at least the neutral, in this section.

Select Schedule (Times EDT, TV US/Canada)

Cricket

• Australia vs. Bangladesh, Men’s Test (Mon-Tue 8:00 PM, Willow)
• Sri Lanka vs. India, Men’s Test (Mon-Wed 12:30 AM, Willow)

MLB

• Tampa Bay Rays @ Detroit Tigers (Mon 6:45 PM, FS1/Sportsnet)
• Cincinatti Reds @ San Francisco Giants (Mon 9:45 PM, FS1)
• LA Dodgers @ Atlanta Braves (Tue 7:05 PM, TBS/TSN1)
• Philadelphia Phillies @ Seattle Mariners (Tue 9:40 PM, MLB Network)
• Regional TV games

NCAA

• Women’s Volleyball: Pittsburgh @ Xavier (Mon 6:00 PM, FS2)
• Women’s Volleyball: Texas @ Marquette (Mon 8:00 PM, FS2)

Soccer

• Serie A: Roma vs. Fiorentina (Mon 2:45 PM, Paramount+/Fubo)
• Premier League: Fulham vs. Chelsea (Mon 3:00 PM, USA/Fubo)
• Champions League Qualifying: LASK vs. Celtic (Tue 3:00 PM, Paramount+/DAZN)
• Leagues Cup Quarterfinal: Monterrey vs. Chicago Fire (Tue 8:30 PM, Apple TV)
• Full listings

Tennis

• US Open Qualifying and Mixed Doubles (ESPN2/TSN+) – Order of Play
• ATP Winston-Salem (Tennis Channel/TSN+) – Order of Play
• WTA Monterrey (Tennis Channel/DAZN) – Order of Play

WNBA

• Golden State Valkyries @ Minnesota Lynx (Mon 8:00 PM, USA/TSN)
• Atlanta Dream @ LA Sparks (Mon 10:00 PM, Peacock)
• Portland Fire @ Dallas Wings (Tue 8:00 PM, NBA TV/TSN)
• Regional TV games

Other

• Vuelta a Espana cycling (Peacock)
• UFC Dana White’s Contender Series (Tue 7 PM, Paramount+)