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General Daily Insight for August 26, 2024

Our current direction might be tested at any moment. As the inspired Gemini Moon delivers a reality check to the relentlessly productive Virgo Sun at 5:26 am EDT, we’ll have to come up for air sooner or later! Our emotional reactions fueled by the Moon may show us what the Sun’s intense focus has been leaving out lately. Although feelings aren’t always facts, they are, at minimum, useful information. When something isn’t quite working, we should step back and re-evaluate instead of doubling down.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Your work ethic is likely at a high point now. Under the circumstances, you could feel guilty for taking a break to chat. That being said, a conversational interlude is probably exactly what you need. Stepping back may give you room to see a fresh perspective on your task. If you’re talking with someone whose skillset is different from yours, you might even cross-pollinate ideas. Although you don’t have to pursue every passing thought, some brainstorms have the potential to develop into meaningful improvements.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

You’re likely to be embracing the pursuit of pleasure at this time. That said, as the anxious Moon in your money zone interrogates the energetic Sun in your indulgent 5th house, you might need to stop and think about your financial picture for a moment. The answer isn’t that you should never do anything fun. Rather, you must ask yourself whether your current activities are cutting into other desirable things you hope to do later. Either way, you can get something you want!

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Dealing with recent family issues may consume your attention. As the intimate Moon in your sign pushes back against the blazing Sun in your domestic 4th house, you might have to pin down exactly where you are in all of this. It can be engrossing to get caught up in a big group dynamic and imagine that you’re capable of arranging everyone just so, like pieces on a game board. That’s not necessarily what others need! Simply bring yourself to the table.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

An atmosphere of chatter could surround you with abrupt speed. No matter how much you’re learning from all the conversations you suddenly find yourself involved in, you don’t have to keep at it until you pass your saturation point. With the delicate Moon in your contemplative 12th house reproaching the dynamic Sun in your communication sector, you might want to proactively take some time alone to think through everything you’ve absorbed lately. You can bring your conclusions to your next great discussion.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

You’re potentially making solid progress on money issues today. Unfortunately, the wrong comment from a peer, well-meaning or otherwise, could get you questioning what you’ve achieved so far as the impulsive Moon in your social sector disturbs the steady Sun in your finance zone. It’s potentially true that there are multiple possible roads to your desired destination, but you don’t really need that distraction. You had to start somewhere, so you might as well stay with the path you’re on for now.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Following your bliss can come naturally now. You’re likely doing it because it feels genuine for you, not because you want a reaction from anyone else. Be careful, as once the perceptive Moon in your public 10th house takes note of the passionate Sun in your sign, others might weigh in on what you’re up to. The verdict won’t necessarily be a bad one, so don’t fear the scrutiny too much — your audience could make genuinely valuable suggestions regarding your next steps.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

There’s no shame in thoroughly enjoying your inner world at present. Still, sometimes it’s good to have a reality check on your fantasies. While the inquisitive Moon in your research sector engages with the potent Sun in your 12th House of the Subconscious, you might benefit from reading up on how others have understood experiences similar to yours. You are a unique individual, but you aren’t separate from the vast heritage of humanity — you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Opportunities to socialize widely may be on offer at the moment. On the other hand, as the sensitive Moon in your 8th House of Deep Sharing conflicts with the vibrant Sun in your networking zone, perhaps you’d prefer a more intimate gathering. That sort of thing probably won’t just be handed to you, so you’ll have to speak up and ask for it. Someone else could be interested once you take care of the hard part — the reward might be worth the risk!

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

The needs of a loved one might now seem to put a damper on your ambitions. Even if you’re immensely frustrated, try to hear them out with patience as the clingy Moon in your relationship sector irritates the enterprising Sun in your 10th House of Career. This person may eventually be on your side once their issues are addressed. Make an effort to identify specific ways you wish they would support you, then share those with them as you hash things out together.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

An exciting adventure could currently be stressing you out more than you’d like to admit. Maybe you strongly believe you should go all in on a special experience, especially if you worked hard to make it happen. As the comfort-craving Moon in your 6th House of Daily Routines complains to the enthusiastic Sun in your expansive 9th house, accommodating your basic human needs is still necessary. Sticking to a manageable and predictable schedule can help you get the most out of your big day.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Unrealistic expectations could currently be dragging down a close relationship of yours. Your dynamic might be overly focused on heavy and intense issues, and maybe you believe that’s what defines a connection that really matters. Even so, while the spontaneous Moon in your playful 5th house nudges the illuminating Sun in your 8th House of Intimacy, you don’t need to spend every second that you’re together digging into the darkest depths. Let the clouds lift and just have fun for once!

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Finding the right balance between healthy confrontation and retreat could be a challenge now. Sometimes telling a companion what’s bothering you is useful because it gives them an opportunity to fix the problem. Opposingly, it’s also possible to make some grievances worse by picking at them. While the fretful Moon in your internal 4th house clashes with the candid Sun in your partnership zone, try to identify the frustrations that are really yours to chew on privately. Avoid creating an atmosphere of constant criticism.

MIAMI — Connor Norby homered, doubled and singled, and the Miami Marlins snapped a five-game losing streak with a 7-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.

Jesús Sánchez also went deep and Jonah Bride had two hits for the Marlins, who began Sunday with an NL-worst record of 46-83.

Acquired from the Baltimore Orioles at the trade deadline on July 30, Norby has extra-base hits in his first six games since being called up from Triple-A on Monday.

“I’m just trying to keep it simple now, stick to my plan and approach,” Norby said. “Trust my work that I put in. Try to play team baseball. The more you focus on the team, I think it takes pressure off you individually.”

Marlins starter Adam Oller allowed one run and four hits over 5 2/3 innings. Oller (1-1) retired 11 straight before Cody Bellinger’s one-out walk in the sixth. Called up from Triple-A on Monday, Oller walked two and struck out six.

“It’s just a focus on getting ahead and attacking the zone,” Oller said. “First two innings I was trying to be a little too fine with certain things, which ran the pitch count up. The next three had to be a little quicker and it worked.”

Javier Assad (6-4) limited Miami to three runs and six hits in a season-high seven innings. The right-hander walked one and struck out three.

The Marlins broke it open with a four-run eighth against reliever Julian Merryweather. Bride hit an RBI single and Otto López and Kyle Stowers followed with run-scoring doubles. Derek Hill capped the outburst with an RBI single.

Another run was prevented by Chicago when Sánchez failed to touch first after he was intentionally walked to load the bases. The Cubs successfully appealed after Merryweather threw to first baseman Michael Busch.

“When guys don’t know the rules, that’s on me,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “That’s 100 percent my fault. If a player does not know or understand the rules then I have not delivered it. I’m assuming it won’t happen again now that it was exposed to him.”

Schumaker sent Cristian Pache to pinch run for Sánchez before the out was called.

“I had Pache go out there pretty early,” Schumaker said. “A lot of it is, too, is he saw Pache come out there. He probably thought, ‘I’m out of the game.’ But it’s not on him.”

A day after reaching .500 for the first time since June 5, the Cubs dropped to 65-66.

“It’s a good series, it’s a road win series, but had a chance to make it a great series today and couldn’t finish it,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “But winning series is a good thing and have to keep doing that.”

Homers from Norby and Sánchez in the first put the Marlins ahead 2-0. Norby homered for the second straight game as his leadoff drive cleared the wall in right.

“I was just trying to be aggressive early and that’s just kind of who I am as a hitter,” Norby said. “These guys are too good up here to hang around in at-bats.”

The Cubs narrowed the deficit on Christian Bethancourt’s RBI single in the second.

Miami regained the two-run lead in the third on Sánchez’s RBI groundout.

Chicago’s Patrick Wisdom was ejected by plate umpire James Jean after he argued a called third strike that ended the fourth.

Before the game, Miami Heat star center and two-time U.S. Olympian Bam Adebayo threw the ceremonial first pitch. Adebayo’s toss from the pitching rubber reached the plate and was caught by Marlins’ pitcher Sandy Alcantara.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: LHP Jordan Wicks (oblique) threw 4 2/3 scoreless in his second rehab outing with Triple-A Iowa on Sunday. Wicks is scheduled to make another appearance with the minor league club before a possible return in September.

Marlins: INF Xavier Edwards (lower back discomfort) sat out his second consecutive game. … Transferred OF Dane Myers (left ankle fracture) to the 60-day injured list. … Selected the contract of LHP Jonathan Bermudez from Triple-A Jacksonville and optioned Jonathan Ramirez to the same minor league club.

UP NEXT

Cubs: RHP Jameson Taillon (8-8, 3.77) will start the opener of a three-game series at Pittsburgh on Monday.

Marlins: Begin a four-game series Monday at Colorado and RHP Edward Cabrera (2-5, 5.65) will start the opener.

Miami Marlins’ Jesus Sanchez, center, is sprinkled with sunflower seeds after hitting a solo home run during the first inning Sunday against the Chicago Cubs in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

The carbon monoxide leak in Cypress Bay High School’s cafeteria, which sent six people to the hospital Friday, has been repaired, school principal Dr. Kassandra Fried said Sunday.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we will continue to monitor the cafeteria and conduct additional testing on Monday morning before students and staff arrive,” Dr. Fried wrote in an email to students and their families. She added that school operations will resume as usual on Monday.

Six people were hospitalized Friday morning and at least nine were affected after a carbon monoxide leak in the high school’s cafeteria in Weston. Rescue crews found high carbon monoxide levels inside and shut off all gas in the high school’s Building One before evacuating everyone. The school dismissed all students at noon Friday, though no students were thought to be affected by the gas.

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to our dedicated Broward County Public Schools staff and first responders for their swift actions and efforts to ensure everyone’s safety,” Fried wrote. “We also appreciate your patience and understanding as we prioritized the health and safety of our students and staff.”

 

The Broward Sheriff’s Office has identified Ammon Watson, 18, as the man who was shot and killed in Oakland Park on Saturday near the 2100 block of NW 28th Street.

The shooting happened at about 11:53 a.m. Watson, the father of a six-month-old boy, was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to investigators, the shooter ran up to Watson and shot him in the driveway of a family home before running away. Watson was arriving home from a store with his grandmother, and he was shot after she walked inside, relatives told WPLG.

The shooter remains at large, according to the sheriff’s office.

Broward detectives are investigating the homicide.

Anyone with information on Watson’s murder should contact BSO Homicide Det. Kevin Nitsch at 954-321-4876. Tipsters can also submit information through the SaferWatch app. If tipsters wish to remain anonymous, they can contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477) or online at browardcrimestoppers.org. Tipsters can also dial **TIPS (8477) from any cellphone in the United States.

FORT LAUDERDALE — The Miami Hurricanes have one running back in their 2025 class, four-star prospect Girard Pringle Jr., but another four-star recruit from closer to home is considering joining UM’s class, as well.

American Heritage standout Byron Louis announced his top four college choices on Friday night. In addition to Miami, he is considering Florida State, Georgia and Wisconsin. He plans to announce his commitment on Sept. 21, shortly after his birthday on Sept. 17.

“They’re the ones that have been showing me the most love since I was in the eighth grade,” Louis said. “So being able to drop the list down to Power 5, Power 4, schools is honestly a blessing. At the end of the day, I’m still going to college, so I’m blessed.”

Louis said he plans to use the final month before his commitment to evaluate his options. He does not plan to visit any of the schools before his commitment, having already taken official visits to those schools in the summer.

All four schools on his list appeal to Louis, a South Florida Sun Sentinel Super 12 selection. He noted that Miami has brought in other South Florida running backs who he knows well, including for American Heritage halfback Mark Fletcher Jr., who Louis is close to.

“Wisconsin, I think that’s RB-U. They’re going to run the ball,” Louis said. “With Georgia, they run almost three running backs a game. They’re going to average that. With Miami, they’re building a stable back there with Jordan Lyle, Mark Fletcher and Chris (Wheatley-Humphrey) and the other Chris (Johnson Jr.). All of those guys are from South Florida, and why not play with the best? And with FSU, they run a lot of 21 personnel and I want to be a part of something where I’m not just carrying the load. … I do want to be somewhere where I know I’ll be able to have that help next to me and I know I can lean on the guy next to me.”

When it comes to the Hurricanes, Louis has been getting to know UM running backs coach Matt Merritt since Miami hired the new assistant from USF in February. Louis said he talks to Merritt weekly, and that the Hurricanes coach wants him to “put on a show.” Louis did that in a loss to current UM commit Luke Nickel’s Milton High on Friday, rushing for over 170 yards in the Patriots’ loss to the Eagles.

“Coach Merritt talks to my dad more than he talks to me. Honestly, I think my dad and him are best friends,” Louis said. “But that’s my guy. I respect coach Merritt. I love his coaching style. He’s very detail-oriented and one of the best coaches.”

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Louis said he has gotten advice from Heritage’s coaches and other Patriots running backs that have come before him, including Fletcher, Sony Michel and Khalil Herbert. He said they advised him to pick the right fit.

“That’s the best part of having alums from American Heritage,” Louis said. “We had great running backs.”

Louis said his primary deciding factor will be whether he can see himself living at one of those schools for the next several years.

“Honestly, it’s just the place that feels like home. Whichever place feels like home,” Louis said. “I’m going there to play football, but I’ve also got to live there, too. That’s a very big factor. I don’t want to get homesick, so whatever choice I make, just know it’ll be good.”

Louis also said he knows the importance of his decision next month, calling it his first “big-boy decision.”

“This is the only time where a high school student is able to make that big decision,” Louis said. “When you go to the NFL, they draft you. When you pick a high school, your parents pick. So this is my first big-boy decision, growing into manhood.”

Thursday

Inlet Grove 46, Avant Garde 0

University School 51, Coral Springs Charter 7

Miami Northwestern 45, Coconut Creek 0

Pembroke Pines Charter 41, Northeast 13

Monarch 30, Peachtree Ridge (Georgia) 29

Oxbridge Academy 14, Pine Crest 7

West Boca Raton 14, Benjamin 13

Centennial 26, Wellington 12

Dr. Joaquin Garcia 49, Lake Worth 13

Palm Beach Central 21, Pahokee 14

Friday

Archbishop McCarthy 23, Community School of Naples 6

Blanche Ely 62, Boyd Anderson 31

Calvary Christian Academy 45, Belen Jesuit 17

Cooper City 16, Coral Glades 7

Piper 23, Deerfield Beach 0

Plantation 27, Dillard 21

Goleman 22, Flanagan 0

Everglades 24, Fort Lauderdale 10

McArthur 18, Hallandale 15

Hollywood Hills 40, Taravella 0

Lake Mary 49, Cardinal Gibbons 20

Miami Norland 27, Miramar 0

Milton (Georgia) 37, American Heritage 28

Nova 18, Moore Haven 14

Palm Beach Lakes 41, Coral Springs 13

Marathon 39, Pompano Beach 30

Somerset Academy 35, North Broward Prep 0

Somerset Prep 53, Somerset Academy Key 21

West Broward 57, South Broward 14

Cypress Bay 48, Stoneman Douglas 22

Westminster Academy 28, Tradition Prep 20

American Heritage-Delray 36, Westminster Christian 12

Boca Raton 21, Boynton Beach 0

Glades Day 35, Boca Raton Christian 7

Cardinal Newman 46, Monsignor Pace 7

Glades Central 34, Seminole Ridge 31

Forest Hill 44, John I. Leonard 0

Jupiter 27, Dwyer 0

Jupiter Christian 42, Father Lopez 0

Atlantic 42, Palm Beach Gardens 3

Spanish River 46, Park Vista 21

Royal Palm Beach 28, Port St. Lucie 27

Santaluces 27, Somerset Academy Canyons 21

King’s Academy 13, St. Andrew’s 0

Suncoast 16, Olympic Heights 13

Saturday

Bishop Gorman (Nevada) 29, St. Thomas Aquinas 21

Hoover (Alabama) 17, Western 14

St. John Bosco (California) 34, Chaminade-Madonna 27

Beware highway drivers.

A stretch of I-95 in Broward County, northbound and southbound from 10th Street to Hillsboro Boulevard, will be closed overnight this week for Florida Power & Light (FPL) transmission line installation. The section falls within the city of Deerfield Beach.

The Florida Department of Transportation says the first lane will close at 9 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 26, and all lanes will be closed by 11 p.m. The I-95 stretch will reopen by 5 a.m. on Aug. 27.

Alternatives include Federal Highway, Powerline Road, Dixie Highway, Andrews Avenue, State Road 7 and University Drive.

FPL has said the transmission line is intended to improve system reliability for customers and support future growth.

Training camp is over for the Miami Dolphins, and overall it was productive.

But before we turn our attention to Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline to trim the roster to 53 players, or the Sept. 8 season opener against Jacksonville, let’s take a quick minute to review what we learned during training camp.

As a reminder, the full training camp was possible because quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle got contract extensions, and wide receiver Tyreek Hill had his contract restructured. 

That was a great move by general manager Chris Grier, Brandon Shore, the senior vice president of football and business administration (and lead contract negotiator) and coach Mike McDaniel. At this point it doesn’t matter whether you favored the moves. The Dolphins wisely took care of business so that business didn’t further interrupt football.

We learned the Dolphins were determined not to allow business to interrupt football.

Could you imagine Tagovailoa doing a hold-in during those joint practices against Atlanta, Washington and Tampa Bay?

Yes, technically, only Tagovailoa and Hill’s contract work came during training camp (camp started July 23; Tagovailoa’s deal was July 26, and Hill’s was Aug. 3). Waddle’s contract extension was before training camp. But for this purpose we’ll just group them all together and say they were all early in camp, and we learned the Dolphins wanted camp to be about football.

Here are some more takeaways from training camp:

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1.Skylar Thompson wins backup QB battle

The Dolphins are releasing quarterback Mike White, the South Florida Sun Sentinel has confirmed, so that means Skylar Thompson has won the battle to back up Tagovailoa.

Thompson clearly performed better during training camp so the only question was whether White’s intangibles (leadership, likability, etc …) could surpass Thompson’s on-field edge in areas such as making quick reads and getting the ball out of his hand quickly. They didn’t.

Thompson, Miami’s 2022 seventh-round pick, gets the No. 2 job.

2. Shhh … Anthony Weaver’s defense is exciting

Anthony Weaver, the first-year defensive coordinator, brings exciting blitzes and interesting personnel packages. Unfortunately, we didn’t see it at full effect because of so many injuries and veteran rest days. Still, what we saw was good enough. We can’t go into too much detail.

The Sun Sentinel was politely admonished for reporting too much information during the early days of training camp.

So suffice to say that what we saw defensively was promising in pass rush, pass coverage and base defense.

3. The rookie draft class was productive overall

Edge rusher Chop Robinson, the first-round pick, and left tackle Patrick Paul, the second-round pick, and running back Jaylen Wright, the fourth-round pick, all were noticeably better against backups than against starters. No problem. That’s expected. All have been good overall, though.

Robinson will get the most regular-season work followed by Wright. Both should be productive. Paul will be used, but sparingly, at this point.

Edge rusher Mohamed Kamara, the fifth-round pick, has had his moments. He’ll be at the end of the edge-rusher rotation but he’ll get regular-season snaps.

Wide receiver Malik Washington, the sixth-round pick, started camp in understated fashion but finished with an exclamation mark with his electric performance against Tampa Bay in the preseason finale. He took a big hit on a pass over the middle, had a 40-yard run on a reverse and continued to show promise on punt returns and kickoff returns. He has a bright rookie future as a punt returner.

Safety Patrick McMorris (foot), also a sixth-round pick who was having a good camp, is considered week to week after being injured in a joint practice at Tampa Bay.

Overall, the rookie class had a good training camp and looks to be productive.

4. Club Mike makes training camp progress tough to judge

McDaniel gave plenty of off days to veteran starters and players returning/recovering from injuries. Plenty.

Therefore, training camp was playfully dubbed “Club Mike” by Sun Sentinel communist Dave Hyde, and it made it tough to determine how much progress the Dolphins have made from a year ago.

Among the Dolphins who had red-hot training camps are Hill, Waddle and cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

Tagovailoa had a strong camp, too, but for the final week or so he didn’t have either Hill (right thumb) or Waddle (undisclosed ailment that caused him to miss the final two weeks).

Veteran left tackle Terron Armstead, in his 12th season, did very little 11-on-11 work, which was the plan all along.

Defensively, safeties Jordan Poyer (thumb) and Jevon Holland (undisclosed ailment) did very little work together. Both were injured early in camp. The fact that Ramsey had plenty of days off late in camp meant the starting secondary got little work together.

Edge rusher Jaelan Phillips triumphantly returned from his season-ending Achilles injury late last season and is wisely being brought along slowly. But considering linebackers David Long Jr. and Jordyn Brooks got time off or reduced practice time for various minor ailments, the front seven didn’t get much work together.

Most of this rest, it should be noted, is with the goal of taking work off of players’ bodies in hopes they’ll be available in December and January.

5. Edge rushers must establish a pass rush

Veteran edge rusher Emmanuel Ogbah will join Phillips, Robinson, Kamara and possibly Quinton Bell to form the edge rushing rotation. But their performance fell off as training camp progressed. Their pass-rush skills will be tested early, as the Dolphins face Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen in the first two games.

Edge rusher Bradley Chubb, still recovering from last year’s knee injury, seems weeks away from a return.

The edge rushers have shown promise, but they must prove themselves.

6. Tua, Hill and Waddle look as good as ever … OBJ an unknown

The passing combination of Tagovailoa to Hill and Waddle was good during camp. Scary good. 

However, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who has had three consecutive injury-shortened seasons and is now battling an undisclosed ailment, never practiced during camp.

Beckham appears fit and has been seen a few times lately casually tossing the football on the field with Hill and Waddle, among others.

The most recent update from McDaniel, which came after Friday’s preseason finale, merely said the team is taking it “one day at a time.”

Yikes.

7. We know nothing about kickoffs or kickoff returns

Unfortunately, there’s nothing to see here. We think Washington and fellow wide receiver Braxton Berrios will be deep for the Dolphins on kickoffs. We think kicker Jason Sanders will handle kickoffs, although punter Jake Bailey might slide in from time to time, just as it happened last season.

That’s the kickoff report for the newfangled kickoff and kickoff return formations.

Tune in for Week 1 of the regular season for more.

8. Season outlook is bright, playoffs almost a lock

Overall, the Dolphins appeared poised for a third consecutive playoff appearance. It doesn’t even appear injuries could derail Miami’s playoff train. They didn’t for the previous two seasons.

The question remains, however, whether the Dolphins are good enough to win a playoff game.

Training camp didn’t provide that answer.

However, training camp did reveal there’s almost no way this team misses the playoffs. It’d be nearly impossible.

By Eric J. Lyman

Special to the Sentinel

DUBLIN, Ireland — Florida State’s football team and its fans will have made the long trip home from the Week Zero opener in Ireland wondering whether a campaign that began with the highest of high hopes can be salvaged.

The Seminoles were double-digit favorites heading into Saturday’s game against Georgia Tech, a perennial mid-pack finisher in the ACC. Instead, a field goal with no time left gave the Yellow Jackets a messy 24-21 win.

The ACC showdown in Dublin and a few other games Stateside were the amuse-bouche of the 2024 college football season, which hits full throttle this coming weekend with a full slate of games across all conferences.

Florida State started each of the last two seasons with victories over traditional SEC powerhouse Louisiana State, and the team had won 19 consecutive games across the two seasons and felt snubbed when it was left out of the last college football playoff despite a 13-0 record. Now the team has lost two in a row — both to teams from Georgia, counting the 63-3 blowout to the Georgia Bulldogs in last season’s Orange Bowl.

A general view of action during the 2024 Aer Lingus College Football Classic match between Florida State and Georgia Tech at Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday. (Ben McShane/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Georgia Tech’s gritty victory will solidify the Yellowjackets as a team on the ascent, but the real winner of the game may be Ireland, the host country. It’s the sixth time since 2012 that Ireland has hosted a college football game, and this year’s contest — the middle game in a five-game stretch sponsored by Aer Lingus, Ireland’s national airline — is said to have injected more than $130 million into the Irish economy.

A lot of that came from fans of both teams (local media said FSU fans outnumbered their Georgia Tech compatriots four to one), making vacations out of the game and fanning out across the country in the lead-up to the game. In Dublin, Aviva Stadium ran out of beer during the game, though it was resupplied quickly. Even after the game, disappointed FSU fans were singing and making toasts at pubs along with those wearing Georgia Tech gear and with locals just enjoying the spectacle of it all.

Joyce Giordano, left, Terri Britton, center, and Mimi Arnall, all from the Sarasota, Florida area, were part of the electric vibe in Dublin before the game. But they didn’t get the win they wanted. (Eric J. Lyman, Special to the Orlando Sentinel)

That’s what most coverage of the game in the local media focused on — what one paper called the “Razzmatazz of American football.” Locals say they are already looking forward to next year’s edition of the game, which will pit Big 12 rivals Kansas State and Iowa State.

The series of games on the Emerald Isle are helping to establish American football as a niche sport in the country. A few dozen schools in Ireland now have teams playing American football, and there’s a growing community that meets to watch and discuss college and NFL games. It’s unclear, though, the extent to which the sport will ultimately catch on in a country that already has three popular rough sports in rugby, hurling and Gaelic Football (not to mention soccer, which, when the Irish play, can become a contact sport).

Florida State fans cheer during the 2024 Aer Lingus College Football Classic match between Florida State and Georgia Tech at Aviva Stadium on Aug. 24 in Dublin, Ireland. (Mario Hommes/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

Back in Tallahassee, FSU coach Mike Norvell will face his own set of questions. Norvell has earned a reputation as a coach who artfully used the transfer portal to build teams capable of double-digit win totals, filling roster gaps with a mixture of under-utilized talents and diamonds in the rough. That strategy had never been used to that extent, and it stands in stark contrast to traditional programs like rival Clemson, which won two national championships and seven ACC titles in an eight-year span until FSU snatched the crown away last season.

The sun sets at Aviva Stadium in Dublin with seconds left on the clock in the matchup between Florida State and Georgia Tech. (Eric J. Lyman, Special to the Orlando Sentinel)

Now the question is whether a team with so many players who hadn’t played together until this year will pull together a run that’ll get it into the first year of a 12-team playoff. It could happen: FSU’s upcoming four games are not exactly daunting: the Seminoles host Boston College, Memphis and California before going on the road to SMU. But then things get harder, with three games against pre-season ranked teams in a five-game stretch starting with Clemson on Oct. 5.

Eric J. Lyman is a freelance writer based in Italy. He was the sports editor for the Florida Flambeau, a Tallahassee newspaper that focused on Florida State, and helped cover the university’s sports program for the Orlando Sentinel in the late 1980s and early 1990s. 

Up next …

FSU vs. Boston College in Tallahassee

When: 6:30 p.m. Sept. 2

TV: 7:30 p.m., ESPN

Today is Sunday, Aug. 25, the 238th day of 2024. There are 128 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On August 25, 1916, Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act, establishing the National Park Service as an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior to maintain the country’s natural and historic wonders and “leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

Also on this date:

In 1875, Matthew Webb became the first person to swim across the English Channel, crossing from Dover, England, to Calais (ka-LAY’), France, in under 22 hours.

In 1928, an expedition led by Richard E. Byrd set sail from Hoboken, N.J., on its journey to Antarctica.

In 1944, Paris was liberated by Allied forces after four years of Nazi occupation during World War II.

1948 – In the House Un-American Activities Committee’s first televised congressional hearing, Alger Hiss denied charges by Whittaker Chambers that Hiss was a communist involved in espionage. (Hiss was later charged with perjury and sentenced to five years in prison, but maintained his innocence until his death in 1996.)

In 1981, the U.S. spacecraft Voyager 2 came within 63,000 miles of Saturn’s cloud cover, sending back pictures of and data about the ringed planet.

In 2001, R&B singer Aaliyah (ah-LEE’-yah) was killed with eight others in a plane crash in the Bahamas; she was 22.

In 2012, Neil Armstrong, 82, who commanded the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing and was the first man to set foot on the moon in July 1969, died in Cincinnati, Ohio.

In 2017, Hurricane Harvey, the fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in more than a decade, made landfall near Corpus Christi, Texas, with 130 mph sustained winds; the storm would deliver five days of rain totaling close to 52 inches, the heaviest tropical downpour that had ever been recorded in the continental U.S.

In 2020, two people were shot to death and a third was wounded as 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse opened fire with an AR-15-style rifle during a third night of protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, over the police shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake. (Rittenhouse, who was taken into custody in Illinois the next day, said he was defending himself after the three men attacked him as he tried to protect businesses from protesters; he was acquitted on all charges, including homicide.)

In 2022, regulators approved California’s plans to require all new cars, trucks and SUVs to run on electricity or hydrogen by 2035.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Actor Tom Skerritt is 91.
• Former U.S. Poet Laureate Charles Wright is 89.
• Author Frederick Forsyth is 86.
• Film director John Badham is 85.
• Baseball Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers is 78.
• Rock musician Gene Simmons (Kiss) is 75.
• Rock singer Rob Halford (Judas Priest) is 73.
• Musician Elvis Costello is 70.
• Film director Tim Burton is 66.
• Country musician Billy Ray Cyrus is 63.
• Actor Blair Underwood is 60.
• NFL Hall of Famer Cornelius Bennett is 59.
• DJ Terminator X (Public Enemy) is 57.
• Singer-songwriter Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) is 57.
• Television chef Rachael Ray is 56.
• Country singer Jo Dee Messina is 54.
• Model Claudia Schiffer is 54.
• NFL Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison is 52.
• Actor Alexander Skarsgard is 48.
• Actor Kel Mitchell is 46.
• Actor Rachel Bilson is 43.
• Actor Blake Lively is 37.
• Actor China Anne McClain is 26.

FORT LAUDERDALE — Sophomore running back Maliq Blackwell-Allen scored on a 71-yard run with 4:39 remaining to give St. John Bosco (California) a come-from-behind 34-27 victory over Chaminade-Madonna in a battle of two nationally ranked teams at St. Thomas Aquinas on Saturday night.

Blackwell-Allen, who finished the game with nine carries for 140 yards and one touchdown for the No. 4 Braves, took the pitch from junior quarterback Matai Fuiava and bolted down the right sideline for the score in a game that featured seven lead changes, more than 40 penalties and a total of 265 yards between the two teams. No. 9 Chaminade-Madonna’s win streak of 25 consecutive regular-season wins dating back to 2022 was snapped.

The game, part of the third annual Broward County National High School Football Showcase, was televised by ESPN, which ranked Chaminade-Madonna No. 8 and St. John Bosco No. 9 nationally.

St. John Bosco (1-0) was state runner-up in the California Open Division after winning both the state and national championships in 2022. The Lions are bidding for a fourth consecutive state title and have been to the state championship game eight consecutive years, winning five of the past six.

The Lions graduated 21 players from last year’s team, and Chaminade-Madonna coach Dameon Jones said there are a few things this year’s squad needs to clean up.

“It’s hard to win a football game when you have that many penalties,” Jones said after the game. “We have a whole new cast under the lights, and we have a lot of work we need to do. We have to clean up some stuff and we’ll be fine.

“Our defense had a couple of stops,” Jones said. “They have a tremendous O-Line and offense. We couldn’t get past the penalties and the cramping. It was really humid, and it has been a while since these guys played four quarters.”

Chaminade-Madonna’s 2023 team closed out the season winning its last eight games with a running clock because they were ahead by 35 or more points.

Chaminade-Madonna (0-1) fell behind early as Fuiava was razor sharp in the first half, going 21 for 29 for 226 yards and accounting for three touchdowns, two through the air and one rushing.

St. John Bosco scored on its opening series of the game when Fuiava hit Carson Clark for a 6-yard touchdown for a 7-0 lead.

CJ Wallace missed an extra point and a 27-yard field goal as the Lions stayed in the game in the first half. They cut the lead to 7-3 on a 21-yard field goal by Noah Sidan.

Chaminade-Madonna sophomore quarterback Tyler Chance was 9 of 15 for 124 yards and two scores in the first half for the Lions. He put the Lions ahead 10-7 on a 35-yard scoring toss to Jasen Lopez with 7:12 left in the first half.

The Braves took a 13-10 lead on Fuiava’s 11-yard TD scamper, and Chaminade countered with a 15-yard TD toss from Chance to Jabari Brady for a 17-13 lead. St. John Bosco took a 20-17 halftime lead on an 80-yard drive that featured seven penalties between the two teams. Fuiava hit Dorian Franklin for a 13-yard score with 31 seconds left in the half.

The Lions held on the first defensive series of the second half and wasted little time in taking a 24-20 lead. Chance hit junior WR Auburn commit Denairus Gray for a 14-yard scoring pass with 9:04 remaining in the third quarter to put the Lions back in front.

General Daily Insight for August 25, 2024

Stubborn attitudes could cause sparks to fly at any moment. Under the committed Taurus Moon, we may push back against the challenges of picky Mercury. When Luna conjoins disruptive Uranus, however, our best efforts to resist change might get blown apart. The Moon then glides into Gemini at 11:04 pm EDT, encouraging freely flowing exchanges. Luna trines transformative Pluto shortly thereafter, allowing us to get to the heart of what’s really going on. Loosening attachment to the status quo can bring us a better future.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

You’re currently capable of making an unconventional financial decision that really speaks to you. How much should you tell the people around you about it? That depends on what’s motivating you. Don’t go looking to others for validation, because they probably aren’t informed enough regarding your situation to accurately comment on it one way or another. However, someone in your network might benefit from hearing of your experiences so they can do something similar. Being a trailblazer is hard, but sometimes it’s worth it!

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

You could do something that surprises others today. As the impulsive Moon in your sign clashes with tightly wound Mercury in your domestic sector, your family might be especially rattled — this isn’t what they’d expected from you! Soothing their feelings may not be the best use of your energy. You’re potentially on the verge of an important insight regarding your path forward, and maybe there’s no way to get that without a little chaos. They won’t see the answer until you see it.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Interesting synchronicities and even psychic experiences could flow your way at present. Unfortunately, as the fluctuating Moon in your intuitive 12th house fails to satisfy detail-oriented Mercury in your verbal 3rd house, trying to tell someone else what happened might suck the joy out of it for you. Not everything translates well into words, and any follow-up questions are likely to be more annoying than helpful. Keep in mind that you’re welcome to research whatever this brings up for you on your own terms!

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Socializing outside your usual circle could be rewarding at the moment. As the connection-craving Moon in your networking sector challenges calculating Mercury in your money zone, you might find common ground with someone whose financial status is noticeably higher or lower than your own. This is an exceptional opportunity for you to look within and identify your preconceived notions about that. Even when there are legitimate differences between you and your companion, any stereotypes you’ve absorbed probably aren’t the whole story.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

You may be called upon to take charge of something on short notice. As the visible Moon in your public 10th house provokes articulate Mercury in your sign, there’s a chance that your role will involve serving as a spokesperson or answering questions from the public. Relationships with people you don’t yet know well have the potential to grow deeper as a consequence of this effort. Even if you’re working on important tasks, you can still genuinely enjoy the human element of the situation!

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Fresh insights about a controversial or hidden subject could come to you at this time. Still, the knowledge might seem too theoretical. Once the impressionable Moon shifts into your goal-oriented 10th house and aligns with grounded Pluto in your practical 6th house, you may benefit from taking action, major or minor, based on what you’ve learned. It’s possible that you’re on the right track, but don’t settle for an overly idealistic view — make an effort to understand both the pros and cons.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

An enticing offer could come to you through your social network today. Perhaps you hadn’t pondered a particular way of sharing money or property before. Now that a friend or acquaintance is suggesting it, though, it might sound enticing. Before you commit, take a careful look at any rules that govern the situation. You’ll need to retain a reasonable amount of personal freedom in order to prevent resentment from taking root. If you have that, the opportunity may be worth pursuing!

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Hitting it off with someone you wouldn’t expect isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Maybe you never saw this person as a peer because there was a difference of power or status between the two of you. That gap could still be present, but you’re capable of connecting meaningfully with them in spite of it. Recognize the boundaries of your connection — accept reality, whether or not you think it’s fair. Let those guardrails form a container strong enough to hold deep emotional sharing.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

A cool idea to go on a trip could currently cause more upheaval than you bargained for. While the anxious Moon meets unstable Uranus in your 6th House of Daily Routines, you might feel frustrated and exhausted by all the necessary prep work and disruption to your schedule. You don’t have to push yourself to feel excited when you’re not. Instead, consider talking to someone else involved in the situation to see if they can make things easier for you!

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Joking around could hit a nerve without warning. When the perceptive Moon in your playful 5th house goads incisive Mercury in your intimacy zone, a wisecrack about a personal issue may really offend you. Perhaps it’s referring to a valid problem that you already know you have. At least the spotlight will potentially motivate you to take action. When you have the opportunity to do so in a way that’s true to your deepest priorities, you might as well seize it!

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

A frustrating incident in your home life could be the last straw today. When the volatile Moon in your domestic 4th house confronts talkative Mercury in your relationship sector, you might find yourself embroiled in a big conversation about your whole dynamic. The truth is probably that you need more freedom and space to do your thing. This isn’t anything to be ashamed of, so you can ask for it honestly rather than trying to manipulate others into doing what you want.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Making a provocative comment has the potential to upend your whole day. Maybe that’s what needs to happen! After the intimate Moon passes into your 4th House of Roots, you’ll be ideally situated to dig into a difficult issue, particularly one that has been avoided for a long time. If the conflict is truly entrenched, perhaps everyone involved gets something out of its continued existence. Try to identify what you, personally, are willing to give up in order to make it stop.

FORT LAUDREDALE — Bishop Gorman, ranked No. 2 in the nation by Maxpreps, rallied from an 11-point third-quarter deficit and then held on to defeat host St. Thomas Aquinas 29-21 on Saturday.

Senior quarterback Melvin Spicer led the Gaels to three straight scores in the second half as Bishop Gorman (Nevada) scored 19 unanswered points to rally from a 21-10 third-quarter deficit past the No. 11 ranked Raiders at Brian Piccolo Stadium. The game was part of the third annual Broward County National High School Football Showcase.

Spicer was 7 for 9 for 96 yards and a 29-yard TD throw to Kaina Watson in the second half to spark the Gaels (2-0). Sophomore running back Terrance Grant went 10 carries for 70 yards in the second half, including a 3-yard run off right tackle with 6:44 remaining in the game to give Bishop Gorman its first lead of the game at 26-21. Spicer finished the game 13-18-1, for 189 yards and 2 TDs. He also ran for 74 yards. Grant wound up with 89 rushing yards.

St. Thomas Aquinas (0-1) had two chances after that to either take the lead or force overtime, however, both drives ended in interceptions by senior quarterback Andrew Indorf. The last one came on a fourth-and-21 play from the Gaels’ 24-yard line following an 11-yard sack by 38-33 with 54 seconds remaining in the game. Indorf’s desperation heave was picked off by Brayton Correa with 45 seconds left at the 5-yard line to ice the contest.

“It was a battle in the first half of the game,” St. Thomas coach Roger Harriott said. “We made some adjustments at the half and felt good about our defense and then our offense in the first part of the second half. Things didn’t really go as planned and they capitalized on a few mistakes. The ball bounced their way.”

St. Thomas Aquinas capitalized on a short field to take a 7-0 lead with 5:24 remaining in the first quarter. The Raiders got the ball on the Bishop Gorman 31-yard line following a 17-yard punt by Aksel Ferry. Indorf then led a six-play drive capped by a 2-yard plunge by junior Jerry Derosier.

The Gaels wasted little time in answering as they took just 1 minute, 53 seconds to move 83 yards and knot the game at 7-7. Spicer found LSU commit Derek Meadows on a 41-yard scoring toss with 3:36 left in the first quarter.

St. Thomas Aquinas seized a 14-7 lead, marching 63 yards in just four plays. Indorf and sophomore Julius Jones teamed up for a 37-yard gain to the 10, and one play later, Indorf found Richard Compton for a 10-yard scoring play with 8:37 to go in the first half.

The Raiders got the ball right back when sophomore DB Jaden Carey picked off Spicer at the Bishop Gorman 30. St. Thomas Aquinas failed to score, and Bishop Gorman was able to tack on a 28-yard field goal by junior kicker Hudson Borsari to pull within 14-10 with 17 seconds remaining before the intermission.

Jones, who finished the game with 11 catches for 175 yards, helped the Raiders stretch the lead to 21-10 on a 53-yard TD on the first possession of the second half. Indorf completed 22 of 38 for 260 yards with two scores and two INTs.

Bishop Gorman closed to within 21-17 as Spicer went 4 for 4 for 71 and finished the drive on a 29-yard TD pass to Watson with 2:52 left in the third quarter.

Borsari connected on his second field goal of the game — a 27-yarder — to pull the Gaels within 21-20 with 10:05 left in the game.

Bishop Gorman took its first lead of the game with 6:44 left in the contest on a 3-yard scoring run by Grant. They attempted a 2-point conversion, however, Spicer’s pass intended for Brandon Gaea slipped through his hands in the end zone. Borsari added a 35-yard field goal with 2:32 left in the game to close out the scoring.

“We have to pull ourselves together and get ready for the next game,” Harriott added. “I am proud of the whole team and their effort. I was proud of the fight they gave. It is part of their development in life, beyond the football field.”

The game was televised by ESPN, which ranked Bishop Gorman No. 1 and St. Thomas No. 5 nationally.

The start of the game was delayed nearly an hour due to lightning and inclement weather.

Bishop Gorman has won 13 of the past 14 Nevada state football championships, including three straight, while St. Thomas Aquinas has won 15 overall and a state record five in a row.

FORT LAUDERDALE  — Luis Suárez scored 30 seconds into the match and again in the sixth minute and that was all goalkeeper Drake Callender needed as Inter Miami beat FC Cincinnati 2-0 on Saturday night to become the first team this season to clinch a spot in the playoffs.

Inter Miami (17-4-5) avenged a 6-1 drubbing in Cincinnati earlier this season and moved eight points ahead of second-place Cincinnati (15-8-3) in the Eastern Conference and in the Supporters’ Shield race.

Rookie defender Marcelo Weigandt picked up his first career assist and fellow rookie defender Yaniick Bright notched his second just 30 seconds into the match as Inter Miami grabbed the lead.

Suárez netted his 15th goal in his 15th start and 19th appearance in his first season with the club when he used rookie midfielder Matías Rojas’ third assist to make it 2-0.

Inter Miami was forced to play a man down from the 42nd on after defender Tomás Avilés was tagged with his second yellow card. It did not matter in the end.

Callender turned away six shots for Inter Miami to earn his fifth clean sheet of the season and first since back-to-back shutout efforts against Orlando City and D.C. United in mid-May. Callender had three saves to keep Cincinnati off the scoreboard in the first half.

Roman Celentano had one save for Cincinnati, which has lost four in a row since routing Inter Miami.

Cincinnati’s Pat Noonan, the reigning coach of the year, was unavailable. He was suspended for the match after a red-card offense prior to the Leagues Cup break. Cincinnati had a league record-tying seven-game win streak on the road end with a 3-1 loss to the New York Red Bulls before the layoff.

Inter Miami’s Jordi Alba and Diego Gómez were serving suspensions and missed the first matchup between the clubs this season. Inter Miami continued to play with superstar Lionel Messi, who is still recovering from an ankle injury suffered while playing for Argentina in the Copa America final.

Cincinnati returns home to play CF Montreal on Saturday. Inter Miami travels to play the Chicago Fire on Saturday.

 

MIAMI — Seiya Suzuki homered twice and tripled, Shota Imanaga threw seven innings of two-run ball and the Chicago Cubs beat the Miami Marlins 14-2 on Saturday.

A day after hitting an inside-the-park home run, Pete Crow-Armstrong went deep with a 437-foot drive into the upper deck seats for the Cubs.

Miguel Amaya had three hits and a walk. The Cubs’ catcher is 8 for 12 over the last three games. Patrick Wisdom also homered for Chicago, which finished with 17 hits.

“We got to relax a little bit late in the game,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “It sets up the pitching really well.”

Imanaga (10-3) allowed four hits, walked two and struck out three. It was the rookie left-hander’s seventh start of seven completed innings.

“I was able to go into the seventh but my goal is try to get into the eighth inning,” Imanaga said through a translator. “They were aggressive early in the count and I was noticing that. It was kind of my game plan — let them hit it and keep going from there.”

The Cubs (65-65) are 14-7 since July 31 and reached .500 for the first time since they were 31-31 on June 5. They dropped to a season low nine games under .500 at 39-48 on July 3.

“We dug ourselves a big hole,” Counsell said. “It’s taken us a bit but this stretch, specifically at the end of August, we’ve played consistent baseball. It means that a lot of people are contributing. Consistency means you’re getting contributions up and down the roster.”

The Marlins have lost eight of nine and dropped to an NL-worst 46-83.

Chicago struck quickly against Miami starter Valente Bellozo (2-2) with Suzuki’s solo blast in the first. He drove Bellozo’s fastball over the wall in center.

Suzuki connected again off Bellozo in the third with a 446-foot shot for his third career multi-homer game and 18th of the season.

“I’ve been seeing the ball well the last couple of games,” Suzuki said through a translator. “It’s not anything particular today just the results were good. I just want to continue it (Sunday).”

Suzuki started in right field after being the designated hitter the last seven games.

“It’s a lot easier being involved, obviously playing the field,” Suzuki said. “You feel the momentum of the game.”

Crow-Armstrong’s two-run blast in the fifth made it 5-1. Later in the inning, a throwing error by Marlins reliever John McMillon allowed Amaya and Ian Happ to score.

Run-scoring doubles by Michael Busch and Cody Bellinger and Suzuki’s RBI triple in the seventh made it 10-2.

Imanaga retired the first nine until Miami’s Connor Norby homered to lead off the fourth. David Hensley also homered off Imanaga with a solo shot in the fifth.

Bellozo gave up six runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. The right-hander walked five, struck out one and hit a batter.

“He was behind in the count a lot,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “(The Cubs) didn’t miss the fastball at the top of the zone. The walks caught up with him, and they made him pay.”

Miami infielder Vidal Brujan pitched the ninth and allowed Wisdom’s two-run blast.

Trainer’s room

Marlins: INF Xavier Edwards (lower back discomfort) underwent an imaging test Saturday … Placed LHP Andrew Nardi (left elbow muscle) on the 15-day injured list and recalled RHP George Soriano from Triple-A Jacksonville.

Up next

RHP Javier Assad (6-3, 3.11) will start the series finale for the Cubs on Sunday. RHP Adam Oller (0-1, 9.64) will go for the Marlins.

By AVERY HILL

Associated Press

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Everything seemed to be going Texas’ way.

The Southwest region champ was ahead by four runs over Lake Mary in the third inning Saturday in the U.S. bracket title game at the Little League World Series.

Starting pitcher Julian Hurst hadn’t given up a hit, much less a run, and had beaten Lake Mary on Monday.

Then things got crazy. Three lead changes later, Lake Mary is headed to LLWS championship on Sunday.

Luis Calo hit a go-ahead two-run double in the sixth inning as Lake Mary beat Boerne, Texas, 10-7 in a semifinal matchup.

“We’ve prepared for this. We’ve worked for this,” Lake Mary manager Jonathan Anderson said. “It’s been our summer.”

Lake Mary, the Southeast region representative, will take on Taiwan, a 4-1 winner over Venezuela, on Sunday afternoon.

It will be the first appearance by a Florida team in the title game since 2003 when East Boynton Beach fell to Musashi-Fuchi of Japan, 10-1.

Texas seemed in control after Doc Mogford hit a two-run double past the outstretched glove of Jacob Bibaud, which made it 4-0.

Florida’s comeback started an inning later when JJ Feliciano got a pop-up to drop for an RBI single. An inning after that, Teraj Alexander capped a four-run rally when he stole home, giving Lake Mary its first lead of the game, 5-4.

“I saw the catcher was looking into the hill,” Teraj said. “I just started creeping. Then once I thought I had it, like 100%, I just took off.”

• Lake Mary, Fla. poses with the United States Championship banner after their 10-7 win Boerne, Texas during the United States Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

• Lake Mary, Fla.’s Jacob Bibaud celebrates after scoring on a single by Teraj Alexander during the fifth inning of the United States Championship baseball game against Boerne, Texas at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

• Lake Mary, Fla.’s Teraj Alexander (26) and DeMarcos Mieses hug as they and their teammates celebrate their 10-7 win against Boerne, Texas in the United States Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

• Lake Mary, Fla. celebrates their 10-7 win against Boerne, Texas during the United States Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

• Lake Mary, Fla.’s DeMarcos Mieses (25) and Jacob Bibaud, right, celebrate after getting the final out of the United States Championship baseball game against Boerne, Texas, at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

• Lake Mary, Fla.’s Teraj Alexander (26) tries to avoid the tag by Boerne, Texas’ Dylan Burke at third base, Alexander was out on the play during the sixth inning of the United States Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

• Lake Mary, Fla. coach Paul Ribaud, center, celebrates with his team after getting the final out of the United State Championship baseball game against Boerne, Texas at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. Florida won 10-7. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

• Lake Mary, Fla.’s Garrett Rohozen (22) connects with a pitch for a double Boerne, Texas during the sixth inning of the United States Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

• Lake Mary, Fla.’s James Feliciano (14) and Jacob Bibaud celebrate after getting the final out in a 10-7 win against Boerne, Texas in the United States Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

• Lake Mary, Fla.’s.’s Teraj Alexander (26) tries to avoid the tag by Boerne, Texas’ Dylan Burke at third base, Alexander was out on the play during the sixth inning of the United States Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

• Boerne, Texas catcher Caden Guffey reaches for the high throw as Lake Mary, Fla.’s.’s Garrett Rohozen (22) scores on Liam Morrisey single during the sixth inning of the United States Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

• Lake Mary, Fla.’s.’s Garrett Rohozen (22) takes a selfie with as Lake Mary, Fla. poses with the United States Championship banner after their 10-7 win Boerne, Texas during the United States Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

• Lake Mary, Fla.’s Jacob Bibaud dives but cannot catch a fly ball by Boerne, Texas’ Doc Mogford during the third inning of the United States Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. Two runs scored on the hit. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

• Lake Mary, Fla.’s Garrett Rohozen (22) takes a selfie with as Lake Mary, Fla. poses with the United States Championship banner after their 10-7 win Boerne, Texas during the United States Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

• Boerne, Texas’ Dylan Burke, right, is consoled by Lake Mary, Fla.’s.’s Teraj Alexander (26) after Lake Mary, Fla. defeated Boerne, Texas 10-7 during the United States Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

• Boerne, Texas’ Julian Hurst, left, steals second on a wild pitch as the ball gets away from Lake Mary, Fla.’s Chase Anderson (7) during the first inning of the United State Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

• Boerne, Texas’ Julian Hurst (15) steals second on a wild pitch as the ball gets away from Lake Mary, Fla.’s Chase Anderson, left, during the first inning of the United State Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

• Boerne, Texas’ Caden Guffey, right, and teammates get hugs from Lake Mary, Fla. coach Paul Bibaud after the United State Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. Florida won 10-7. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

• Lake Mary, Fla. celebrates their 10-7 win against Boerne, Texas during the United States Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

• Lake Mary, Fla. celebrates their 10-7 win against Boerne, Texas during the United States Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

• Lake Mary, Fla.’s James Feliciano collects himself on the mound after giving up a two-run double to Boerne, Texas’ Doc Mogford during the third inning of the United States Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

• Lake Mary, Fla. coach Paul Ribaud, center, and Lake Mary, Fla.’s Teraj Alexander, right, celebrate after getting the final out for a 10-7 win against Boerne, Texas in the United States Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

• Boerne, Texas’ Julian Hurst (15) steals second base on a wild pitch as the ball gets away from Lake Mary, Fla.’s Chase Anderson, left, during the first inning of the United States Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

• Lake Mary, Fla.’s James Feliciano delivers during the first inning of the United States Championship baseball game against Boerne, Texas at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

• Lake Mary, Fla.’s Jacob Bibaud, left, and Liam Morrisey celebrate after scoring on a double by Luis Calo during the sixth inning of the United State Championship baseball game against Boerne, Texas at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. Florida won 10-7. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

• Lake Mary, Fla.’s DeMarcos Mieses (25) and Jacob Bibaud, left, celebrate after getting the final out of the United States Championship baseball game against Boerne, Texas, at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

• Lake Mary, Fla.’s Luis Calo drives in two runs with a double during the sixth inning of the United States Championship baseball game against Boerne, Texas at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

• Boerne, Texas’ Dylan Burke, right, is consoled by Lake Mary, Fla.’s Teraj Alexander (26) after Lake Mary, Fla. defeated Boerne, Texas 10-7 during the United States Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

• Boerne, Texas catcher Caden Guffey reaches for the high throw as Lake Mary, Fla.’s Garrett Rohozen (22) scores on Liam Morrisey single during the sixth inning of the United States Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

• Lake Mary, Fla.’s. shortstop James Feliciano (14) turns a double play forcing out Boerne, Texas’ Jet Matthews on a ball hit by Aiden Munoz during the sixth inning of the United States Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

• Lake Mary, Fla.’s Jacob Bibaud (12) and Liam Morrisey (15) celebrate on the way back to the dugout after scoring on Luis Calo’s double against Boerne, Texas during the sixth inning of the United States Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

• Lake Mary, Fla.’s James Feliciano (14) and Jacob Bibaud celebrate after getting the final out in a 10-7 win against Boerne, Texas in the United States Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

• Lake Mary players celebrate their 10-7 win against Boerne, Texas, during the U.S. Championship at the Little League World Series on Saturday in South Williamsport. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

• Supporters cheer on the Lake Mary Little League team in the World Series U.S. Championship game during a watch party at Friendly Confines in Orlando, Fla., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (Willie J. Allen Jr/Orlando Sentinel)

• Concerned Lake Mary Little League team fans watch their team in the World Series U.S. Championship game during a watch party at Friendly Confines in Orlando, Fla., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel)

• Supporters cheer on the Lake Mary Little League team in the World Series U.S. Championship game during a watch party at Friendly Confines in Orlando, Fla., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (Willie J. Allen Jr/Orlando Sentinel)

• Concerned Lake Mary Little League team fans watch their team in the World Series U.S. Championship game during a watch party at Friendly Confines in Orlando, Fla., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel)

• Supporters cheer on the Lake Mary Little League team in the World Series U.S. Championship game during a watch party at Friendly Confines in Orlando, Fla., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (Willie J. Allen Jr/Orlando Sentinel)

Show Caption1 of 38

Lake Mary, Fla. poses with the United States Championship banner after their 10-7 win Boerne, Texas during the United States Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

Expand

After Texas rallied for three runs, Lake Mary came into its final at-bat in the sixth inning down 7-5.

But Bibaud hit a ground ball that bounced through the infield, bringing in Feliciano and cutting the lead to 7-6. A sacrifice fly from Liam Morrisey brought in Garrett Rohozen to tie the game.

After Luis smacked his go-ahead hit, Liam — in as a courtesy runner — stole third and went on to score when an error left the ball loose down the third base line.

“I know I pushed them hard, and I know I told them that work would get them to the promised land. And I’m sure they didn’t believe me,” Anderson said. “But here we are, boys, here we are. Job’s not done. We got one more. But boy, are we close!”

 

 

Tribune News Service

DUBLIN, Ireland — What a day for a dub in Dublin.

Aidan Birr’s 44-yard field goal as time expired gave Georgia Tech a win for the ages Saturday, a 24-21 triumph over No. 10 Florida State at Aviva Stadium in  the season opener.

Birr, who missed from 51 yards earlier on the opposite end of the field, let his right-footed boot fly with five seconds on the clock. Those seconds ticked away as the ball sailed through. The Yellow Jackets stormed the field. The Seminoles fell to the ground in disbelief.

Birr’s kick capped a 12-play drive that covered just 49 yards but ate up the final 6:33 of clock.

Tech got 75 yards rushing and two touchdowns from running back Jamal Haynes. Haynes King threw for 146 yards and rushed another 54. The Jackets racked up 190 yards on the ground and averaged 5.3 yards per carry.

The Jackets’ afternoon didn’t start the way it ended. The Seminoles took the opening possession and gashed Tech’s defense to the tune of 11.6 yards per carry and scored on Lawrence Toafili’s 28-yard run down the right side of the field.

FSU tight end Brian Courtney ran in a two-point conversion making the score 8-0, less than five minutes into the game.

But the Jackets came right back — and quickly.

Zach Pyron’s 1-yard touchdown run up the gut made it an 8-7 game at the 7:26 mark. That drive was highlighted by a slip-screen completion by King to Malik Rutherford that went for 42 yards into the red zone.

Ryan Fitzgerald kicked a 52-yard field goal for FSU with 11:06 left in the second quarter making the Noles’ lead 11-7.

The Jackets put on a clinic on the ensuing drive. They ran 14 plays over 75 yards and bled 7:53 off the clock before Haynes scored from a yard out on third down. Tech finished the drive with eighth consecutive runs and took a 14-11 lead with 3:13 left in the half.

Fitzgerald made a 59-yard kick as time expired to end the first half making the score 14-all.

Tech was outgained by 20 yards in the first two quarters but averaged 6.7 yards per play and 5.6 yards per rush. King threw only five passes, while Uiagalelei was 12-of-14 passing for 96 yards.

After a scoreless third quarter, one that included Birr missing a long field-goal attempt, and Tech guard Keylan Rutledge recovering a botched handoff, the Jackets opened the final period with a 2-yard touchdown run from Haynes to go up 21-14. That score capped a drive that swallowed 6:22 of clock over 11 plays.

The Seminoles responded with a 15-play drive that lasted more than eight minutes and included two Uiagalelei completions on fourth down to keep the series alive. That score made the score 21-21 with 6:33 to go, setting the stage for the finish.

Up next …

FSU vs. Boston College

When: Sept. 2, 7:30 p.m.

TV: ESPN

Somewhere, Kirk Herbstreit must have been laughing.

Herbstreit, the ESPN analyst who led the charge last season to put one-loss Alabama in the College Football Playoff over undefeated Florida State, was booed unmercifully by Seminoles fans every time he spoke during the GameDay telecast  from Ireland on Saturday before the college football season opener between FSU and Georgia Tech.

But when the Yellow Jackets upset the 10th-ranked Seminoles 24-21 hours later, it was Herbstreit, Paul Finebaum and FSU’s other critics who got the last laugh.

Losing to a Georgia Tech program that had dropped 15 straight games to Top-10 opponents is certainly not the way FSU coach Mike Norvell and the Seminoles wanted to follow up last year’s undefeated regular season.

We found out last season that the Seminoles were a great football team under Norvell.

This was supposed to season when we found out if Norvell is on his way to building a great football program.

Quite frankly, it’s off to an horrendous start.

Norvell’s 10th-ranked Seminoles kicked off one of the most historic college football seasons on Saturday in Ireland by losing to 10 ½-point underdog Georgia Tech on Aidan Birr’s 44-yard field goal as time expired. It was the biggest upset they’ve seen in these parts since Billy Joe Doodlehopper of Umatilla ordered a Guinness on the rocks at Mulligan’s Pub in Dublin.

“We’re all hurt,” Norvell said. “You want to start the season a certain way and we came up short. We take ownership of this and I take responsibility. I’ve got to put our guys in the best position to be successful.”

The changes in college football are immense this season from the expanded 12-team playoff … to conference realignment … to Kalen DeBoer replacing the legendary Nick Saban. Likewise, the Seminoles have also seen a sea of change with 10 players from last year’s undefeated ACC championship team getting drafted into the NFL, including starting quarterback Jordan Travis, their starting running back, their two best receivers and two best defensive linemen.

Norvell, per his reputation, replenished the roster through the transfer portal, but obviously it’s still a major work in progress. Maybe everyone should have seen this coming. I mean, seriously, trying to integrate a new quarterback and many other new starters into the lineup for a Week Zero game against a hungry opponent in a foreign country had “upset” written all over it.

FSU’s offensive and defensive lines were purported to be among the best in the country this season, but they certainly didn’t look like it on Saturday.

The FSU defense allowed Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King to march his team down the field on its final two possessions — an 11-play, 89-yard touchdown drive and then the 12-play, 49-yard drive to set up Birr’s winning kick. Georgia Tech was able to run the ball effectively all day on FSU, with 190 rushing yards and 5.3 yards per carry.

Meanwhile, Georgia Tech’s maligned defense, last in the ACC a year ago and 123rd in the country, held FSU to just 98 rushing yards and two touchdowns. FSU’s new transfer quarterback DJ Uiagalelei completed 19 of 27 passes for 193 yards, including two fourth-down completions on FSU’s final game-tying drive, but his defense and offensive line let him down..

There was a thought that FSU would just keep on rolling after last season, but it’s not always so easy. When coaches like Saban, Georgia’s Kirby Smart and Ohio State’s Ryan Day have had such roster turnover in the past, their programs just kept on chugging. This is the season we are supposed to learn if Norvell is on the way to becoming college football’s next great program-builder.

You see, there’s a big difference between coaching a great football team and building a great football program. Just ask LSU about Ed Orgeron. Or ask Auburn about Gene Chizik.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying Norvell is going to be a one-hit wonder like Orgeron and Chizik; I’m just saying one undefeated regular season does not suddenly turn FSU into an A-list program.

That’s why I believe this season is so important for the Seminoles if they truly want to get back to the “elite” status they enjoyed under Bobby Bowden and, to a lesser extent, Jimbo Fisher. Those national championship glory years became fading memories until Norvell arrived in 2020.

As Norvell embarks on his fifth season in Tallahassee, the question isn’t whether he’s improved the team — because obviously he has — but whether he can sustain the upward trajectory and put Florida State into the same exclusive category as Georgia, Alabama and Ohio State.

After Saturday’s loss, it’s apparent that “the climb” Norvell often talks about just got a whole lot steeper..

Which is why I believe FSU needs to think long and hard about leaving the ACC. Yes, the Seminoles are at a financial disadvantage with SEC and Big Ten programs if they stay in the ACC, but they are at a competitive advantage.

There’s a reason Bowden pushed for FSU to join the ACC instead of the SEC back In 1990 when the school had a choice between the two leagues. Bowden used a boxing analogy at the time and compared the competition in the ACC to the tomato cans that the aging and overweight George Foreman was beating up at the time in his quest to regain the heavyweight championship.

“I’m like George Foreman,” Bowden said then. “I like to pick those unranked guys out and fight ’em. Ol’ George is out there knocking out these no-names, but he’ll be fighting for the heavyweight championship directly. Everybody just assumed ol’ Bobby was raised in the heart of the SEC, so naturally he’s going to want to jump right in. Maybe I know too much about the SEC to want to join up.”

Translation: Bobby knew that FSU had a much better chance of competing for national championships in the ACC rather than the SEC.

That still holds true today.

If you ask me, FSU needs to focus on being a consistent ACC power before the Seminoles think about jumping in with the SEC heavyweights. And as it stands now, FSU is in for a dogfight with the likes of Clemson, Miami, Virginia Tech, North Carolina State, etc. if they expect to win the ACC championship again and get the league’s automatic bid into the 12-team playoff.

Forget about Georgia.

Right now, the Seminoles aren’t even as good as Georgia Tech.

Somewhere, Kirk Herbstreit is laughing.

Email me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Hit me up on X (formerly Twitter) @BianchiWrites and listen to my Open Mike radio show every weekday from 6 to 9:30 a.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740 and 969TheGame.com/listen

DUBLIN — Avery Boyd, Chase Lane and Malik Rutherford stepped in front of their Georgia Tech teammates, who were passing around the Aer Lingus College Football Classic trophy, and decided to let loose.

There was one dance fitting for the moment: an Irish jig.

They delivered. It was their second perfect performance of the day at Aviva Stadium.

Aidan Birr made a 44-yard field goal as time expired, and Georgia Tech upset No. 10 Florida State 24-21 on Saturday in the first major college football game of the season.

The win was Georgia Tech’s first over a top-10 opponent since a 22-16 victory over the Seminoles in October 2015.

Jamal Haynes ran for 75 yards and two touchdowns for Georgia Tech, while Haynes King threw for 146 yards and ran for 54 yards. The Yellow Jackets (1-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) were able to control the line of scrimmage and accumulate 190 rushing yards and 5.3 yards per carry.

“Really proud of the offensive line,” coach Brent Key said. “Shocking there, right? Really proud of those guys and how they were prepared.”

Coming off an undefeated regular season and with a remade roster, the Seminoles tied the game with 6:33 left in the fourth quarter on a 15-play touchdown drive that included two fourth-down conversions by DJ Uiagalelei.

Florida State (0-1, 0-1), which was favored to win by 10 1/2 points according to BetMGM Sportsbook, never touched the ball again. Birr came on with 5 seconds left to hit the winner that just stayed inside the left upright.

Uiagalelei completed 19 of 27 passes for 193 yards in his Florida State debut, completing mostly shorter passes until the late fourth-down completions.

Ryan Fitzgerald made a 59-yard field goal, a career long and the second longest in school history, just before halftime to tie the game at 14. Fitzgerald had a 52-yarder earlier.

The teams had just seven drives apiece. Georgia Tech’s final two drives were among the best, an 11-play, 89-yard touchdown drive and then the 12-play, 49-yard drive to set up Birr’s kick.

“Very limited possessions,” Florida State coach Mike Norvell said. “The importance of every snap in that game was monumental.”

Florida State was able to build four scoring drives, but just one in the second half. While Lawrance Toafili and Roydell Williams had rushing touchdowns, the ground attack stalled as Georgia Tech’s defense held FSU to 98 yards on 31 carries.

“We’re not trying to prove anything to anyone,” Key said. “We’re not trying to go out and impress people. All we’re trying to do is play as hard as we can possibly play — as a team, as a family.”

Coming off a 7-6 season, Georgia Tech certainly impressed, sending quite the message to the rest of the ACC.

Florida State fans packed Aviva Stadium for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, the third straight Week 0 opener in Dublin.

Takeaways

Florida State: The Seminoles’ defensive line was viewed as one of the ACC’s best but did not record a sack and allowed Tech to run at will.

Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets averaged 203 rushing yards per game (13th in the FBS) in 2023 and picked up right where they left off.

Up next

Florida State plays host to Boston College on Sept. 2.

Georgia Tech plays host to Georgia State on Aug. 31.

Today is Saturday, Aug. 24, the 237th day of 2024. There are 129 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On August 24, 1932, Amelia Earhart embarked on a 19-hour flight from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey, making her the first woman to fly solo, non-stop, from coast to coast.

Also on this date:

In 1814, during the War of 1812, British forces invaded Washington, D.C., setting fire to the still-under-construction Capitol and the White House, as well as other public buildings.

In 1912, Congress passed a measure creating the Alaska Territory.

In 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty came into force.

In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Communist Control Act, outlawing the Communist Party in the United States.

In 1981, Mark David Chapman was sentenced in New York to 20 years to life in prison for murdering John Lennon.

In 1989, Baseball Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti (juh-MAH’-tee) banned Pete Rose from the game for betting on his own team, the Cincinnati Reds.

In 1991, in response to a coup attempt by hardline Communist leaders attempting to reassert control over the Soviet Union, Ukrainian parliamentarians voted to approve a Declaration of Independence for the state of Ukraine.

In 1992, Hurricane Andrew smashed into Florida; the storm resulted in 65 deaths and caused more than $26 billion in damage across Florida, Louisiana and the Bahamas.

In 2006, the International Astronomical Union declared that Pluto was no longer a full-fledged planet, demoting it to the status of a “dwarf planet.”

In 2012, a Norwegian court found Anders Behring Breivik guilty of terrorism and premeditated murder for twin attacks on July 22, 2011 that killed 77 people; he received a 21-year prison sentence that can be extended as long as he is considered dangerous to society.

In 2018, the family of Arizona Sen. John McCain announced that he had discontinued medical treatment for an aggressive form of brain cancer; McCain died the following day.

In 2019, police in Aurora, Colorado, responding to a report of a suspicious person, used a chokehold to subdue Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Black man; he suffered cardiac arrest on the way to the hospital and was later declared brain dead and taken off life support.

In 2020, Republicans formally nominated President Donald Trump for a second term on the opening day of a scaled-down convention; during a visit to the convention city of Charlotte, North Carolina, Trump told delegates that “ the only way they can take this election away from us is if this is a rigged election. ”

Today’s Birthdays:

• Composer-musician Mason Williams is 86.
• R&B singer Marshall Thompson (The Chi-Lites) is 82.
• WWE co-founder Vince McMahon is 79.
• Author Paulo Coelho is 77.
• Actor Anne Archer is 77.
• Author Alexander McCall Smith is 76.
• Composer Jean-Michel Jarre is 76.
• Author Orson Scott Card is 73.
• Poet Linton Kwesi Johnson is 72.
• Actor Kevin Dunn is 69.
• Former Arkansas governor and political commentator Mike Huckabee is 69.
• Actor-writer Stephen Fry is 67.
• Actor Steve Guttenberg is 66.
• Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. is 64.
• Actor Jared Harris is 63.
• Talk show host Craig Kilborn is 62.
• Actor Marlee Matlin is 59.
• Basketball Hall of Famer Reggie Miller is 59.
• Film director Ava DuVernay is 52.
• Actor-comedian Dave Chappelle is 51.
• Actor James D’Arcy is 50.
• Actor Carmine Giovinazzo (jee-oh-vihn-AH’-zoh) is 51.
• Actor Alex O’Loughlin is 48.
• Author John Green is 47.
• Actor Chad Michael Murray is 43.
• Actor Rupert Grint is 36.
• Basketball player Kelsey Plum is 30.