YSU’s Kilpatrick on award watch list

Youngstown State senior punter Brendon Kilpatrick (Lakeview), the 2024 FCS Punter of the Year, is one of 11 candidates on the preseason Watch List to win the 2025 award the Augusta Sports Council announced on Friday.

The 11 candidates on the list incorporate a broad spectrum of FCS punters and were compiled based on the 2024 FCS Punter of the Year semifinalists, 2024 All-American, and All-Conference selections, and 2025 Preseason All-American and Preseason All-Conference selections.

The FCS Punter of the Year Award winner will be determined by the FCS Punter of the Year Award national voting body, which consists of FCS sports information directors and national sports writers.

Kilpatrick has already garnered attention heading into the 2025 season which starts on August 28. He has been named a third-team preseason All-American by SI.com FCS Football Central and FCS Stats Perform.

Frederick Keys to leave Draft League

FREDERICK, Md. — Attain Sports announced Friday a reorganization within its baseball portfolio.

Beginning with the 2026 season, the Baltimore Orioles’ High-A affiliate will relocate to Frederick, while the Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft League team will relocate to Aberdeen. The team names and identities — the Frederick Keys and the Aberdeen IronBirds — will remain in their respective cities; only the leagues in which the teams play are changing as part of this strategic realignment.

Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium, home of the Frederick Keys, will be fully renovated prior to the start of the 2026 season. These improvements will ensure the ballpark is in compliance with the facility standards of the MLB Professional Development Leagues (PDL) and provide an elevated experience for players, fans, and the community.

With this move, the Frederick Keys are returning to affiliated baseball for the first time since 2020 — a milestone that reconnects the franchise with its long-standing relationship with the Baltimore Orioles.

“We are thrilled that affiliated baseball is returning to Frederick,” Orioles Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Elias said. “The Frederick community and fans have always been strong supporters of the Orioles, and we look forward to building on a 30-year partnership with the Keys.”

As a Draft League team, Aberdeen will play from June through the first week of September, a structure that mirrors its history as a Class-A Short Season team in the New York-Penn League from 2002-20.

NFL looks to sell assets to ESPN

The NFL and ESPN are expected to announce an agreement next week under which most of the league’s significant media holdings would go to the sports network.

People familiar with the transaction said the multibillion-dollar deal would give the NFL an equity stake in ESPN.

The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been finalized. It was first reported by The Athletic.

The NFL and ESPN had no comment.

The NFL has been trying to sell its media properties for nearly five years. ESPN and the league have been involved in on-again, off-again talks for the past three years.

The proposed move comes as ESPN is expected to soon launch its direct-to-consumer service, possibly before the end of August. The service would give cord cutters access to all of ESPN’s programs and networks for $29.99 per month. Most cable, satellite and viewers who have streaming services will receive the service for free as part of their subscription.

ESPN would get access to the popular RedZone channel, as well as NFL Network and an additional seven regular-season games (six international and a Saturday afternoon late-season contest).

A couple of weeks ago, ESPN announced that NFL Network host Rich Eisen’s three-hour program would air on ESPN Radio as well as stream on Disney+ and ESPN+. “The Rich Eisen Show” is not affiliated with NFL Network.

ESPN has carried NFL games since 1987 and “Monday Night Football” since 2006. Under the current TV contract, it will have the 2027 and 2031 Super Bowls for the first time.

NFL Network started in November 2003 and was the second major pro league to have its own network. NBA TV started in 1999, MLB Network in 2009 and NHL Network in the United States in 2007.

Parker criticizes WNBA All-Stars

Seven-time WNBA All-Star Candace Parker was unimpressed by the effort in the All-Star Game.

Parker criticized the game on a podcast that aired Wednesday, calling it “awful.”

“Y’all cannot come out there with those shirts of ‘Pay Us What You Owe Us’ and then do that,” Parker told All-Star Aliyah Boston on their new podcast “Post Moves.”

Parker was referencing the warmup shirts both teams wore at the July 19 game in response to failed collective-bargaining negotiations with the league earlier that week. Players are fighting for higher pay and better benefits, among other improvements.

The game set a WNBA All-Star record for points scored and Napheesa Collier set the individual scoring mark with 36 points. Team Collier beat Team Clark 151-131.

Defense was at a minimum as the league’s stars allowed each other to get shots up without contest.

It wasn’t unlike the all-star games across other pro leagues, but Parker was looking for more from WNBA players at a time when they’re in the spotlight.

“I think on one of the biggest stages, in an All-Star setting that was invested in more than any other All-Star game previously. … I think it would’ve really maximized the moment.”

Fever forward Boston, who played on Team Clark, defended the performance of her and her peers.

“An All-Star Game, where we have another game in two days, I think that it’s OK to just go out there and hoop and have some fun,” she said. “Because on Tuesday, we were back at it, and we were playing and we were showing once again why we deserve to get paid.”