Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham has created some headlines this year. His candid honesty and humor come out in front of cameras.

Usually, it’s helpful for ASU football.

We’re not sure if the latest instance counts. Dillingham spoke pretty glowingly of the atmosphere at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas, to start the week of preparation before the Sun Devils’ first official Big 12 game.

It was so complimentary that the head coach’s press conference was twisted by the Red Raiders to act as a voiceover for a Texas Tech hype video.

Red Raider Nation, you have a reputation to uphold.

BE THERE AND BE LOUD.

🎟️ » https://t.co/KOZxCTbv1v pic.twitter.com/W1yelmuq6A

— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) September 18, 2024

Whoops!

Dillingham was asked Friday on Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta about his words getting layered over some Red Raider hype. It sounded like there’s an inkling of regret.

“Yeah, uh, don’t really have a comment there,” Dillingham said playfully. “It’s a great environment. I guess they liked what I had to say about the environment.

“Hopefully, I didn’t hype their fan base up too much. It was to hype us up! Not them!”

Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham accidentally created a voiceover for a Texas Tech hype video.

"Hopefully, I didn’t hype their fan base up too much," he said.

Listen to Dillingham's full visit with @Bickley_Marotta ahead of ASU's first ever Big 12 game:… pic.twitter.com/hBgp5lmW70

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 20, 2024

How did Kenny Dillingham end up creating a voiceover for the Texas Tech hype video?

Dillingham on Monday was asked a rather innocuous question about Arizona State entering its first conference game as a new member of the Big 12.

He ended up diving into the game day details for the Red Raiders’ home. That includes a tortilla toss, a practice with a few origin stories.

“This will go down in literal history. Very few times in sports do you get to accomplish a first. Like a real first,” Dillingham said Monday. “Not a crazy first. A real first. … It’ll be remembered forever as ASU’s first Big 12 game.

“The crowd there, I’m very excited for the tortillas — I’ve heard that there’s tortillas that get thrown around. I’m excited for it because it’s a challenge, but it’s what college football is supposed to be. We walk out underneath the band, is where I was told our entrance is. A college band on the road, it’s going to be loud. Their fans are diehard fans, it’s a college town. It’s going to be an unbelievable environment to play in. I think that’s the exciting part about joining the Big 12.”

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Dennis Gardeck celebrated the first of his career-high, three-sack day with the St. Louis Stomp, a nod to Golden.

The Junkyard Dog pic.twitter.com/N8xY2yfl7O

— Desert Sports (@AZSportsFan20) September 16, 2024

“Markus Golden did not tell me he was doing the coin toss, which was absolutely absurd,” Gardeck said after the game. “He kind of got me charged up, seeing him out there. That’s my dog. One of my favorite teammates that I ever played with. He used to do the St. Louis Stomp, little something like this.

“He’d say, ‘We’ve been doing this since high school, Dennis!’ So that was a little nod toward Markus.”

Gardeck spent time with Golden as a rookie in 2018 when the undrafted linebacker out of Sioux Falls was a backup and special teamer. They later shared the same position room during Golden’s second run with Arizona in 2020-22.

Arizona Cardinals pass rusher Dennis Gardeck made sure to pay tribute to former teammate and recently retired Markus Golden (@markusgolden) during his 3-sack day vs. the Rams.

Junk was in attendance for the beatdown. pic.twitter.com/dMoedMWsXz

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) September 16, 2024

A brief history of Dennis Gardeck’s sack celebrations for the Cardinals

Gardeck is not just a student in the art of the sack celebration.

He is a teacher, too.

Inspiration for his sack celebrations has come from a bevy of places, be it from wrestling star Daniel Garcia, a former teammate or from his own imagination.

Gardeck reinvented a move from the movie Hot Rod as the “turn the cona.” As in, around the corner of a cone drill just like the outside linebacker room’s pass rush drills.

Then there’s Gardeck’s other go-to: “hitting the strobe.”

HIT THE STROBE https://t.co/Dk7UKyNeiL

— Dennis Gardeck (@DGardeck) December 13, 2020

Now in his seventh NFL season, Gardeck has assembled quite the resume when it comes to his sack celebrations. And his football career has come along pretty nicely, too.

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A 41-10 thrashing of the Los Angeles Rams will do that.

ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky on Monday called Murray’s perfect passer rating, 266 passing yards and 59 rushing yards “top-five player” stuff.

And Good Morning Football’s Kyle Brandt is taking it a step further as he awarded Murray the show’s game ball on Monday.

My gameball goes to a guy who is no longer yours to kick around… @gmfb pic.twitter.com/V78SkQ43V4

— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) September 16, 2024

“For the aggregators, for the content creators, for the podcasters, for the tweeters, Kyler Murray is no longer yours to kick around. I’m sorry,” the host said. “You’re going to have to find a new joke. It’s over guys. You’ve been feasting on this guy for two years, three years.

“The short jokes. The video game jokes. I’m going to go all in here. It has been brought to my attention that there is a new edition of the ‘Call Of Duty’ franchise that comes out this fall. It comes out Oct. 25. …I’m going to say right now that Kyler Murray is going to be brilliant in that game (against the Miami Dolphins days later).”

Nice to see Brandt getting ahead of it, even though Murray’s success won’t exactly put a dead end to those jokes.

THIS DUO IS SPECIAL pic.twitter.com/76H3mCTusj

— NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) September 16, 2024

Kyler Murray is playing really well. You have a sell high window until Week 8. pic.twitter.com/peQywjK1OX

— Al Smizzle (@AlZeidenfeld) September 15, 2024

Brandt has been pushing positive Cardinals vibes since the preseason. He named Arizona as a playoff team in early September, a pick that at the time stood out.

Still, turning others into believers has happened more quickly than expected.

Murray’s highlight reels and stats have done the talking.

Murray’s performance against the Rams was historic.

He’s the second NFL player ever and first since 1974 to surpass 250 passing yards and 50 rushing yards with a perfect passer rating.

It’s a small, two-game sample size with a perfect passer rating carrying some weight. But as of Monday morning before the final game of the week, Murray ranks fourth in passer rating (122.9) and second in adjusted QBR (91.2), the latter of which accounts for his threat on the ground.

Murray ranks first in ESPN’s points above average (PAA) and second in expected points added (EPA) as well.

In more graspable terms, he’s completing 73% of his passes, averaging 8.2 yards per attempt, has thrown for four touchdowns without an interception and has added 116 rushing yards on just 10 carries through two games.

And in more blunt terms, he’s causing problems for opponents.

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The Cougars defeated Jedd Fisch’s Washington Huskies, 24-19 in the Apple Cup after the Cougars got a defensive stop on fourth down near the goal line.

WASHINGTON STATE GETS THE STOP ON 4TH DOWN!!! 🤩 @WSUCougarFB pic.twitter.com/u9X0TMsaKR

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 14, 2024

The Pac-12 Conference X page celebrated the win over the former Pac-12 team.

😤😤😤 pic.twitter.com/1WpvrTn4XW

— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) September 14, 2024

Seattle Forecast: CRIMSON REIGN #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/Y5uz3KnQyt

— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) September 14, 2024

Arizona Fans on X did not hold back on Fisch, who left Arizona this offseason for the Huskies after leading the Wildcats to a 10-3 season, including a win in the Alamo Bowl in 2023.

as an Arizona fan who watched us get mashed by K-State last night, this was exactly the hangover cure I needed

— dylan (@alltimeworst) September 14, 2024

Arizona fans watching Jedd Fisch and Washington lose after getting blown out by Kansas State. pic.twitter.com/vL7zDBMiGd

— ESPN Tucson (@ESPNTucson) September 14, 2024

Arizona may have been blown out yesterday but seeing Jedd Fisch lose to a zombie Pac-12 team sparks immense joy

— Mikal Bridges Fan (@MikaIBridges25) September 14, 2024

Jedd Fisch shouldn’t have left Arizona

— Drew Nixon (@drewbnix) September 14, 2024

Jedd Fisch looks the most like Brad Garrett when he’s upset after a loss.

— Aaron Levine (@AaronLevine_) September 14, 2024

The play call on fourth seemed similar to a call Fisch made with Arizona in a 43-41 loss to USC last season. Fisch wasn’t exactly applauded for repeating history on Saturday.

Jedd Fisch loves running sideways when you absolutely have to have a TD with the game on the line pic.twitter.com/PZEBbEIH0Q

— Curtis Rogers (@AKidFromKent) September 14, 2024

Jedd Fisch losing on the 1 with a HB pitch is poetry. History repeats itself… pic.twitter.com/0HruufJbet

— heemathor (@heemathor) September 14, 2024

4th & Goal on the 1 down 5 in a rivalry game…

Jedd Fisch: “let’s run a speed option to the short side of the field”

BRUH😂😭 https://t.co/7sOQ6MqOAx

— Jackson Groff (@JacksonGroff) September 14, 2024

Fisch discussed the play call after the game and took the blame for it.

Jedd Fisch on 4th-and-1 call: “That’s on me” pic.twitter.com/KFn32FiuGa

— Ty Gilstrap (@ty_gilstrap) September 14, 2024

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ASU thought quarterback Sam Leavitt had kneeled down after the game clock hit 0:00, but after the Sun Devils celebrated, they were called back to defend one more play from Texas State.

“You and I are finally speaking because, after a while, they put a second back on the clock and ran another play,” ESPN sideline reporter Harry Lyles Jr. said to Dillingham. “Can you explain what the referee told you there?”

“Yeah, I’m only out here right now so I don’t get fined. That’s all I got to say because that was ridiculous,” Dillingham answered following the Sun Devils’ 31-28 win.

‘I’m only out here right now so I don’t get fined’ hahaha pic.twitter.com/t519dBBAVB

— Kyle Martin (@StrangersAstory) September 13, 2024

He had reason to be confused or a little impatient.

ASU’s weird ending vs. Texas State leads to Kenny Dillingham’s meme moment

Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt took a few seconds before he put his knee down with whistles blowing, thinking he’d ended the game.

Leavitt met with Dillingham with a celebratory mid-air body bump. And Dillingham even made it all the way to Lyles in front of ESPN’s camera to prepare for a postgame interview but was caught saying “if they put another second on this clock …” before he ran off to prepare his team for a final play.

Officials had to clear the field of players off the field and reconvene with a message they were giving the ball back to Texas State at its own 30-yard line to run one more play.

Nothing came of a little bubble screen and a lateral recovered by ASU, but it delayed the postgame proceedings.

Dillingham at his podium press conference made clear it wasn’t the fault of the referees on the field. He said the clock went to a replay review room but wasn’t sure why.

And despite Dillingham’s appearance of being perturbed in the second interview with Lyles, he promised to reporters afterward he was not mad at the game officials and not all that upset to be standing with Lyles.

He admitted his sarcasm was layered on a little thick.

“First things first, I said something on TV … That was a joke, right?” Dillingham said later.

“They said they’re reviewing the time on the clock. … To be clear it’s not the guys’ on the field’s fault,” Dillingham added. “Not fun for them, obviously … I thought for sure we could take two seconds (off the clock) and take a delayed knee. If that’s how it’s going to work, we should start throwing those away, which is also fine.”

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Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham is embracing everything about ASU’s toasty home field and high enrollment numbers.

Phoenix broke an unfortunate weather record Thursday when it surpassed 110 degrees for the 56th day of 2024, and Dillingham hopes Tempe’s temperatures sneak back close to that mark for Arizona State’s 7:30 p.m. kickoff against Mississippi State on Saturday. Combined with a rowdy student section, he believes his football team’s home-field advantage can make a difference.

"Loud, hot, 7:30 at night, that's the vibe we want. I hope this thing is 110."

Kenny Dillingham told @Bickley_Marotta that a big student section and some toasty weather will help the Sun Devils against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. pic.twitter.com/IjZ2mSoCKe

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 6, 2024

“That’s why college sports are so fun is ’cause so many people can have an impact on a program,” Dillingham told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Friday. “From the students to the donors to the average fan who shows up so it becomes a sellout, everybody can have an impact on a college program.

“I think that’s what makes it fun and that’s part of being one of the biggest universities is that we get, arguably, one of the biggest student sections in the country to come out and be passionate. And loud, hot, 7:30 at night, that’s the vibe we want. I hope this thing is 110 (degrees).”

Phoenix reached a high of 116 on Thursday before Dillingham’s comment, the latest it’s ever been that hot at this point in the calendar year on record.

The low Friday morning was 93 degrees, which is 12 degrees above normal. It’s the warmest low on record for the month of September.

As for Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. when it will presumably be loud, expect it to be hot — but not quite 110 hot. Weather.com as of Friday morning projected the temperature to dip under 100 between the 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. hours.

The Sun Devils are banking on another strong nonconference showing from their student section, too.

Arizona State last Saturday against Wyoming recorded 13,698 in the student section at Mountain America Stadium, the second-highest attendance on record dating back to 2010.

Mississippi State preps for hot weather against ASU

It will be an adjustment for Mississippi State. Temperatures in Starkville, Mississippi, this week have been in the mid-90s with more humidity than in the desert, and it did hit 100 at the end of August.

The Bulldogs left for Arizona a day early, on Thursday, to acclimate to the climate.

“Coach (Jeff) Lebby has already been harping on that,” tight end Justin Ball told The Clarion-Ledger. “We’ve already been hydrating and making sure we are getting rest every single day.

“We leave on Thursday, so we already talked about the plan to make sure we are hydrating the entire plane ride there, making sure when we get there we get acclimated as quickly as you can and just staying together.”

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And the animals there have a history of being correct in making their sports picks of late.

Led by new tank mates Kyler MurRay and Marvin HarRaySon Jr., the cownose rays predicted Arizona to go 11-6 in 2024.

They have a history of being correct. Raylor Swift in February led a group of rays who picked the Kansas City Chiefs to win Super Bowl LVIII over the San Francisco 49ers, which came to be with a 25-22 final score.

Last year, the cownose rays nailed a prediction of the Cardinals going 4-13.

While Kyler MurRay and Marvin HarRaySon Jr. made the final roster at SEA LIFE Arizona for the picks, Arizona Sports has vetted the Cardinals roster to compile a list of more ray-based names in case the aquarium welcomes any new rays in the future:

Tip Rayman

DeeRay Dallas

Matt Rayter

Ray Benson

Ray McBride

Ray Lopez

Victory DimuRayje

DanRay Stills

EmaRay Demercado

Rayven Collins

You can meet the optimistic Cardinals fans at the Bay of Rays exhibit at SEA LIFE Arizona.

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Both teams have direct ties to this iteration of the Arizona State Sun Devils, most deeply involving Florida State.

ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham got his first job in the college ranks thanks to now-FSU head coach Mike Norvell, when the then-ASU offensive coordinator offered Dillingham a job on his staff.

Dillingham would follow Norvell to Memphis and eventually Florida State where he coached quarterback Jordan Travis, who along with Bo Nix make up Dillingham’s most successful quarterbacks he has coached in his young career.

Former Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei will make his Seminole debut and try to fill Travis’ cleats, after his departure from Oregon State coincided with the mass exodus of 10 schools leaving the Pac-12.

Kenny Dillingham on the inspiration he takes from Florida State HC Mike Norvell, whom he worked under at ASU, Memphis and FSU:

“The consistency he had and the process.” pic.twitter.com/JdpaIENiek

— SunDevilSource.com (@SunDevilSource) August 24, 2024

Roughly 4,000 miles of travel for both teams

Uiagelelei has already come through in a big way for his new team, working with NIL partner Beats by Dre to hook up every teammate with new headphones for the long journey across the pond.

Traveling in style 😎🎧 @DJUiagalelei + @beatsbydre#NoleFamily | #KeepCLIMBing |#BeatsElite | #BeatsPartner pic.twitter.com/ppTcZWxBjG

— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) August 22, 2024

Once they arrived, FSU quarterback Trever Jackson and his teammates jigged their way into the Irish spirit in a video shared on his TikTok.

LMAOOO pic.twitter.com/BfdTQbD7if

— Jeremy Ireland (@JIreland80) August 23, 2024

For Georgia Tech ties, Arizona State’s new backup quarterback, Jeff Sims, began his career with the Yellow Jackets. Sims threw 30 touchdowns in 25 games across three seasons while at Georgia Tech.

Sims in his collegiate debut faced off against the Seminoles with Dillingham on the sideline, throwing for 277 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions along with 64 rushing yards.

When the Yellow Jackets arrived, they quickly became familiar with Aviva Stadium, which is hosting college football for the fifth time.

Atlanta, GA ➡️ Dublin, Ireland #StingEm 🐝 pic.twitter.com/jZbxkFTZ5n

— Georgia Tech Football (@GeorgiaTechFB) August 22, 2024

Georgia Tech punter David Shanahan was entering a homecoming game of sorts, as he grew up playing Gaelic football and rugby in County Kerry, which is about 300 kilometers away from Dublin on the opposite Irish coast.

Two more games in Dublin are scheduled down the line: Iowa State and Kansas State will face off in 2025 before Pitt and Wisconsin do so in 2027.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Manager Torey Lovullo grabbed a fungo bat at Fenway Park and took cuts at numbered baseballs.

The distance of which he hit each ball determined the draft order. D-backs players gathered around the turtle to watch their fantasy football fates and talk a little smack.

Starting pitcher Merrill Kelly’s baseball hit the wall, so he will have the chance to take Christian McCaffrey or CeeDee Lamb with the first overall pick. Lovullo popped up Joc Pederson’s ball, so the veteran designated hitter will go last.

D’backs manager Torey Lovullo took BP at Fenway to set his team’s fantasy football draft order. Each ball was numbered & the distance he hit each determined position. He hit the wall on Merrill Kelley’s baseball (he goes 1st) and popped up on Joc Pederson’s (he’s last) pic.twitter.com/aohDpCSmAE

— Tom Caron (@TomCaron) August 24, 2024

Lovullo was familiar with the Fenway Park sightlines having coached in Boston from 2013-16 before getting hired by Arizona. His last professional at-bat as a player was in 2000, but he still showed some pop to come up clutch for his guys, other than Pederson.

After the pregame fun, the Diamondbacks clobbered the Red Sox 12-2 to open the three-game series.

The NFL season is only two weeks away, starting Sept. 5 with a Thursday Night Football matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens.

Skip can still swing it. 💪 pic.twitter.com/Xnjgt3PCNx

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) August 23, 2024

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The D-backs have survived a lot going against them. Ketel Marte has been the MVP on paper, but others have stepped up in big moments.

But let’s get to the matter: Who is Him on this year’s team?

Slugger Joc Pederson earlier this month announced out loud that he is Him.

“I’m him” – Joc Pederson 🔥

pic.twitter.com/Sx4avcWN9a

— Fanatics Sportsbook (@FanaticsBook) August 6, 2024

Well, there appears to be controversy afoot, because in a win against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday, video from D-backs reporter Jody Jackson caught outfielder Jake McCarthy appointing himself as Himself.

Jake: “I’m HIM”
memo to Joc 😂 pic.twitter.com/fqxj92KOvU

— Jody Jackson (@Jody_Jackson) August 20, 2024

Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta, a radio show devoted to the toughest aspects of journalism, attempted to ask the tough question to an unbiased third party. That on Tuesday morning happened to be guest Blaze Alexander, who recently got recalled to the D-backs from a stint in Triple-A Reno.

He attempted to answer to both sides of the argument about who’s Him. 

Who is HIM on the @Dbacks? Joc Pederson? Jake McCarthy?

Diamondbacks INF Blaze Alexander is asked the tough questions on @Bickley_Marotta. pic.twitter.com/MOknteCM6J

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) August 20, 2024

“Hey, I’m going to keep it simple. They’re both Him, man,” Alexander said. “They’re both raking. They’re both Him. I’ll let them decide that. They’re just fun to watch, man.

“I remember even yesterday, I mean, Joc hit that homer at his forehead. Looked at the dugout — I don’t know if they gave a little side view — but I yelled, ‘You’re him.’ In my opinion, they’re both Him, man.”

JOC ROCKET. 🚀 pic.twitter.com/7t4VJbjBGi

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) August 19, 2024

Even as McCarthy and Pederson each hit a bomb in the 9-6 victory against the Rays, rookie catcher Adrian Del Castillo hit a grand slam and finished with six RBIs on Monday. Is he Him, too?

We might need to put this to a vote. 😂 pic.twitter.com/jaN8zAOr2S

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) August 21, 2024

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The ball struck by Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Brandon Lowe never came down at Tropicana Field, a quirk unique to the St. Petersburg ballpark.

Lowe, who hit the high fly ball at a 42-degree launch angle off D-backs ace Zac Gallen in the second inning, was awarded a double.

The roof at the Trop strikes again 😅😂

(via @BallyRays) pic.twitter.com/wanwBR8Ago

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) August 17, 2024

Why? Tropicana Field has a set of rules for this very event, which occasionally occurs.

There are four catwalks that look like rings around the ballpark (A, B, C and D).

If the ball hits the C or D rings, the lower two, in fair territory, it is declared a home run. If the ball strikes the upper two rings in fair ground, it is live and can be caught by a defender or fall for a hit.

In Lowe’s case, the ball hit one of the upper two rings and never came down, which is ruled a double.

Everything you’ve always wanted to know about Tropicana Field pic.twitter.com/mmmD7XFez6

— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) October 8, 2021

Had Grichuk caught the ball, the Rays would have had one runner aboard and two outs. Instead, Tampa Bay found itself with two runners in scoring position and one out.

Gallen escaped the jam, although the Rays had already tagged him with four runs to take an early lead. The Rays went on to win the game 6-1.

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Carroll reached third on a McCarthy single against Rockies starter Tanner Gordon with no outs in the bottom of the first. Third up, Joc Pederson put a ball into play that jetted off the first-base bag and deep into right field.

Right fielder Sam Hilliard eventually tracked it down and got the ball back in the infield to first baseman Michael Toglia, but the damage was hardly done with two runners in and Pederson on second.

Because for some reason, Toglia thought he could cut down Pederson standing off the bag at second. The errant throw not only got past second baseman Brendan Rodgers but cruised into left-center field — like all the way to the Chase Field wall.

Clear the bases, Joc! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/MdGGx9kXux

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) August 14, 2024

So with that, Pederson ramped back into base-running mode, turning third with clarity that he’d probably score so much that he was chuckling the whole way.

🤪 pic.twitter.com/dSyP8vY15q

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) August 14, 2024

The tone was effectively set in the D-backs’ favor because Colorado found five different ways to allow a player on base in the first inning.

To follow the little-league homer, Josh Bell reached on catcher’s interference, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. singled, Eduardo Rodriguez was hit by a pitch and Geraldo Perdomo walked to score a fourth run.

The Diamondbacks left the first inning with that 4-0 lead after chasing Gordon just two outs into his start.

A fresh inning did not curb the Rockies’ mistakes either, with a Hilliard throwing error in the second giving the D-backs another run.

https://x.com/Dbacks/status/1823818537229824092

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Is he intimidating to a group of kids more interested in a trip to a Sizzler steakhouse than playing a baseball game?

It would not appear so.

Johnson stars in an extended Sizzler commercial where the Arizona Diamondbacks World Series co-MVP is tasked with whipping some kids into shape. It’s not so much intimidation he uses but blunt honesty.

“Alright boys and girls. Playtime is over … You know what it takes to win?” he asks. “No, you don’t, because you guys are losers.”

Johnson’s advice to the kids includes:

— “How can you run and be fast if you fall down?”

— “The thing with hitting is you got to have your eyes open. You see that? Open.”

— “Do I think they should play other sports? I’ll be honest, absolutely.”

— “That’s much better. You didn’t fall down.”

Johnson tries to build credibility with the youngsters by mentioning his pitch velocity and accolades. Like:

“I didn’t do it on purpose,” he says of once hitting a bird with a pitch. “It was just flying and next thing I know I see feathers everywhere.”

So does his style of motivation work?

Spoilers: No!

But the kids do score a run, have fun and earn a trip to Sizzler even though they lose 9-1.

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The Lumberjacks’ alternate Astrojacks identity was chosen to celebrate Flagstaff and the greater Northern Arizona region’s lunar legacy.

Go for launch 🚀

🔗 https://t.co/zsn5l84UvY pic.twitter.com/z3q2qLysA5

— NAU Athletics (@NAUAthletics) August 12, 2024

The team’s uniform will feature an interstellar color scheme of nova navy, stardust gold and pluto blue in celebration of Flagstaff’s discovery of Pluto.

It was also include multiple cosmic characters, including a symbolic “A” in the Astrojacks brand font that embodies a space shuttle prepared for launch. In addition, planetary rings surround the lettering in an upward left-to-right trajectory.

Louie the Lumberjack also has a new cosmic companion, Blouie the Space Ox.

All Astrojack games will feature one-of-a-kind fan giveaways, contests and special entertainment.

Take a closer look at the inspiration of all the details in our new alternate identity, the Astrojacks 🚀

🔗 https://t.co/zOZPPQBz9u pic.twitter.com/T6LF2JB5Ro

— NAU Athletics (@NAUAthletics) August 13, 2024

When will the Astrojacks play?

This alternate identity will be featured six times during the 2024-25 athletics season.

The Astrojacks will compete on the following dates in 2024-25:

• Astrojack soccer – Thursday, Sept. 19 vs. New Mexico at 7 p.m. – Lumberjack Stadium
• Astrojack volleyball – Thursday, Oct. 17 vs. Montana at 6:30 p.m. – Rolle Activity Center
• Astrojack women’s basketball – Thursday, Jan. 23 vs. Eastern Washington and Saturday, Jan. 25 vs. Idaho
• Astrojack men’s basketball – Thursday, Feb. 20 vs. Idaho and Saturday, Feb. 22 vs. Eastern Washington

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The NBA regular season isn’t that far away. The schedule is about to drop, and training camps will ramp up in about a month and a half.

So Durant and Booker jetted off to Saint-Tropez in the south of France, according to Deuxmoi World, which posted photographs of the Phoenix Suns teammates enjoying themselves on a yacht. Among the images: Durant doing a very vacationing man thing and hitting a water slide.

DEUXMOI EXCLUSIVE…Olympic basketball champions Kevin Durant and Devin Booker enjoying their vacation in style, relaxing on a luxurious yacht in Saint-Tropez 📸 @backgrid_usa pic.twitter.com/Jl4pWZjOG2

— deuxmoi (@deuxmoiworld) August 13, 2024

The arms up.

The eyes closed before hitting the water.

Finally, the man is able to relax a little bit.

Meanwhile, Booker was chilling in a floating vessel with some pals below.

The internet enjoyed the snapshots of NBA players doing regular people stuff — well except for the whole yacht part.

And kinda annoyed at it too pic.twitter.com/Yy3Gg0H5zD

— Chel (@chel_talksports) August 13, 2024

pic.twitter.com/0I2jLvrnXN

— JM =^) (@JM539581) August 13, 2024

The look on his face. He’s just trying to feel something

— Adam Blake (@adamab925) August 13, 2024

pic.twitter.com/m79M99sBCW

— Mia Agraviador (@MiaAgraviador) August 13, 2024

Bro this pic of KD has me weak 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/kqpYIOw3nf

— Isaac 🔱🇺🇸🏀🥇 (@mikalbridge) August 13, 2024

Kevin Durant’s case to deserve a nice vacation after the Paris Olympics

Durant averaged 13.8 points and shot 54% from the floor in the Olympics, mostly coming off the bench after sitting out the exhibition portion of the schedule due to a calf strain.

He jumped into the starting lineup in the gold medal matchup victory against France, scoring 15 points and adding four assists to add to his legacy as the first American men’s basketball player to win four gold medals.

He’s also the all-time leading scorer for Team USA.

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A two-angle edited highlight of quarterback Shedeur Sanders accompanied by a “darts only” caption was either two different throws or edited to make it seem that way. In any case, the Colorado football X account attempted to show its work with a follow-up post.

🤫🤷‍♂️ https://t.co/9VoGtbVpFD pic.twitter.com/1qhV8Gg2Rd

— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) August 7, 2024

It’s probably the same throw. But it was too late. Others grabbed the caption and ran with the darts only posts with questionable ethics.

Darts only 🎯🥵#FallCamp 🐗 pic.twitter.com/iOz5AThQqP

— Arkansas Razorback Football (@RazorbackFB) August 7, 2024

Darts only 🎯

(real, unedited footage 😉)#BRADDAHHOOD x #GoBows pic.twitter.com/edDhH7MtbD

— Hawaii Football (@HawaiiFootball) August 8, 2024

It got wild from there.

The darts only meme went across the college football social media landscape and across sports.

We even got former Arizona Cardinals cornerback Marco Wilson’s cleat toss while at Florida remixed with then-President George W. Bush ducking a thrown shoe.

Darts only 🎯🥵 pic.twitter.com/aFp7mFxLw6

— Austin B (@Austin_Vols) August 8, 2024

Darts only 🎯 pic.twitter.com/N2d0Y8Vlom

— Pregame Empire (@PregameEmpire) August 8, 2024

Darts only 🎯 #FiestaBowl 🌵 pic.twitter.com/lnEr8QJ64g

— Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (@Fiesta_Bowl) August 8, 2024

Darts only 🎯 pic.twitter.com/vFXlf7dlt5

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 8, 2024

Darts only 🎯😏#FallCamp 🌽 pic.twitter.com/0GWJgo7KL8

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) August 7, 2024

DARTS ONLY 🎯#FallCamp 🦬 #CFB25 pic.twitter.com/EdTbLCZNEA

— Herd Bros (@TheHerdBros) August 7, 2024

Darts only 🎯👀#FallCamp 🐢 pic.twitter.com/sxI8bWmYab

— Maryland Football (@TerpsFootball) August 7, 2024

DARTS ONLY🎯#GoVandals | @JackLayne18 pic.twitter.com/WAZrH3YfWl

— Idaho Football (@VandalFootball) August 7, 2024

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“Cut him!” you said. “Let Deyvison fly!” you screamed at the TV.

Yeah, you all are sheepish about it. You in the back, get your hand up. We saw your tweet.

Time to apologize. If you aren’t good at apologizing, there is this semi-official apology form created by X user @Marxiners to help you out.

TWO home run night for Eugenio Suárez! @ProspectInsider you ready to fill out the form yet? pic.twitter.com/PzW9xmkrZm

— c ✨ (@marxiners) July 31, 2024

You may choose your reasons for being wrong:

– The media convinced me he was washed

– I miss Longo

– I don’t know ball

– I was jealous of Geno’s good vibes

– Mercury was in retrograde

Many D-backs fans are coming to the realization they might’ve been wrong for giving up on one of Arizona’s biggest offseason acquisitions.

It’s true his average tanked at .192 and OPS fell to as low as .575 in late June.

A month later, with a game to go in the month of July, the third baseman is in a completely different place.

After his three-homer, five-RBI game Tuesday in a 17-0 shellacking of the Washington Nationals, Suarez’s average is up to .227. His OPS (.721) is now seventh on the team, not terrible considering he struggled mightily for the full months of May and June. He’s hit 10 dingers this month!

Diamondbacks fans are saying their sorries.

I am going with Mercury was in retrograde – whatever that means. https://t.co/8kvY8Af3l9

— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) July 31, 2024

Consider this tweet my official apology to Eugenio Suarez for every bad thing I’ve said about him the first three months of this season https://t.co/FUhBKV4iFR

— The Diamond (@TheDiamondOnYT) July 31, 2024

Dear Eugenio Suárez,
I am writing to express my sincere apologies for the negative comments I made about you.

— . (@yeonreal_) July 31, 2024

I owe Geno Suarez an apology 😔

I wasn't familiar with your game pic.twitter.com/dvC6VaAtfH

— cesar (@cesar_alcaraz46) July 31, 2024

Preparing my Eugenio Suarez apology letter.

— Russell Schilt (@rsschilt) July 31, 2024

I wanted this guy to be Sent down. I need a Geno Suarez apology form badly 😭 pic.twitter.com/azz9PHOLgv

— BreadMan (@OneShotBreadMan) July 31, 2024

the long list of geno suarez apologies are coming in

— Kevin (@K3V1N) July 31, 2024

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Even with the anticipation and buzz coming to fruition on Monday with the Arizona Cardinals, there are limits to what safety Budda Baker will do on defense when things get a bit more physical.

First-round pick and rookie wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. is off limits for Baker to line up for a hit.

“I’m tagging off on Marv’,” he told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Monday. “No hitting Marvin. … I might try to hit the ball but he does a great job of holding the ball with two hands when he’s in traffic but no hitting Marvin.”

Now, this doesn’t mean Baker is laying off all the pass catchers.

“Sorry Zay Jones but you can hit Zay Jones,” Baker said. “Shoutout Zay Jones.”

Baker said wide receiver Greg Dortch at 5-foot-7 tried to get physical with Baker, indicating Dortch tried his best to give Baker a crack block.

“Shoutout Greg Dortch not being afraid,” Baker said.

But as Baker confirmed, Harrison gets a different treatment.

“He doesn’t but he does,” Baker joked.

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The Phoenix Suns guard posted the footage he recorded to X on Saturday that includes a behind-the-scenes look into his day as an Olympian in Paris.

The video features Booker’s journey from the team hotel to team bus before ultimately arriving on the Team USA boat that floated down the River Seine.

Plenty of USA Basketball stars including Suns forward Kevin Durant, as well as Mercury star Diana Taurasi, are featured in the footage captured by Booker.

Opening ceremony🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/NJKpEtINmN

— Book (@DevinBook) July 27, 2024

Booker even poked fun at Team USA flag bearer LeBron James in his vlog and said:

“That boy standing like Captain America, that boy got posture! … Stop playing with Bron, Bron!”

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That’s the image before it all got underway. From Peyton Manning wearing a playbook on his forearm to a piano being engulfed in flames, the French capital offered some unforgettable and at times questionable moments.

Mysterious torch bearer

The ceremony was put in motion by a prerecorded video of former French soccer player and current team manager Zinedine Zidane. With a fencing-type mask on his face, “Zizou” dodged his way through Parisian traffic donned in an all black suit with accompanying white blouse.

He handed off a torch to a group of children before the broadcast went live with a wide shot of the Seine.

Zinedine Zidane played a starring role in the #ParisOlympics Opening Ceremony intro video, carrying the Olympic torch. 🇫🇷⚽️ pic.twitter.com/j3Wb0DsoqN

— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) July 26, 2024

Peyton Manning thinks he still plays QB

The 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee was sporting one of his quarterback wrist playbooks over his navy blue jacket sleeve. When fellow NBC co-host Kelly Clarkson addressed the oddity, Manning jokingly said he had written down notes on “all 200 countries, all 10,000 athletes” to compete over the next few weeks.

Now Peyton Manning just took me out 😂😂😂#OpeninCeremony #Olympics #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/JADcGBdnbu

— KT ⁶𓅓 (@T_RA1N) July 26, 2024

Lady Gaga surprised as opening musical act

The pop phenomenon was not even listed on the program given to the media ahead of time, but she certainly was a spectacle. Masked by flamingo-like wings, Lady Gaga slowly descended golden steps and began her rendition of “Mon Truc en Plumes,” a song by French singer Zizi Jeanmaire.

Though the performance was prerecorded, the 13-time Grammy award winner still dazzled with her typical dramatic flare and grand presence.

I feel so completely grateful to have been asked to open the Paris @Olympics 2024 this year. I am also humbled to be asked by the Olympics organizing committee to sing such a special French song—a song to honor the French people and their tremendous history of art, music, and… pic.twitter.com/FMNyiosHUR

— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) July 26, 2024

The opening ceremony wouldn’t be complete without…metal rock?

Local metal rock band Gojira put on a head-banging performance from the overlooking balconies of the nearby Conciergerie, a historic site where Queen Marie Antoinette was held captive during the French Revolution.

Oh, and canons of fire shot off periodically to really drive home the theme of France’s war-torn history.

Gojira, a leading French heavy metal band, became the first hard rock act to perform in an Olympic opening ceremony when it did a metal version of “Ah! Ça Ira,” a song that was popular during the French Revolution. Follow updates. https://t.co/uqaeUpGvFz pic.twitter.com/8ZyJXbpoTG

— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 26, 2024

Snoop Dogg soaks it all in

Despite the downpour, legendary rapper Snoop Dogg did not let it bother his high spirits. He was seen dancing under an umbrella while rocking sunglasses and the classic Team USA Ralph Lauren suit jackets.

The American pop culture star was even given a shoutout by Algerian-French rapper Rim’K, who was one of 3,500 actors, dancers and musical performers to take the stage Friday night.

Snoop Dogg told NBC broadcast hosts his opening ceremony experience was “like a drive-in movie, baby.”

A little rain never stopped Snoop Dogg. 😮‍💨 #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/nlMDTlYnfV

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 26, 2024

Musical number given a fiery twist

Like at the 2012 and 2020 Summer Olympics, John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Imagine” was a focal point of Paris’ opening ceremony. This time, however, not even being the first ceremony to take place outside of a stadium was enough. The instrument of choice, a piano, was set ablaze after just a few opening notes.

The two performing artists, Sofianne Pamary on the piano and Juliette Armanet as the vocalist, made an unforgettable impression on viewers worldwide. Just not for the reasons — an adequate rendition — they may have wanted.

Social media was on fire (metaphorically this time), as various users suggested Taylor Swift and Alicia Keys take notes for their future concerts.

Please @AGT, light a piano on fire during the live shows. #AGT #Olympics #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/RyANkeGRe4

— AGT Time Podcast (@agttimepod) July 26, 2024

Horses can fly now

A silver-casted mechanical horse and hooded mannequin rider made their way across the Seine. If this opening ceremony wasn’t already a trip, this brought it up another level.

Draped in an Olympic flag, the horse appeared to be striding for quite some time before the broadcast transitioned to a graphic segmenting through past Olympic sites and years.

Once under a bridge and out of view, a real horse and rider manifested themselves in front of the cameras and a golden Eiffel Tower. It parted the Red Sea of onlookers bearing each country’s flag. Quite the spectacle, to say the least.

The horse on the Seine was spectacular! 🐎…

… and the transition from water to land was nicely done. #OlympicGames #OlympicOpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/xYSJWq6rDc

— Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp CBE, FRSA (@KennethTharp) July 26, 2024

The Associated Press, Variety and NPR contributed to this report.

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