Braves GM acknowledges ‘we’re not playing well’
Atlanta Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos held a media session before a game — which sort of says it all about how the team has been playing.
“I don’t normally do scrums during the season, because we’ve done well,” he told reporters Wednesday. “If I’m doing them, that means we’re not playing well.”
This is, of course, all relative. The Braves have the fourth-best record in the National League. But they entered Wednesday night’s game at Baltimore on a four-game losing streak (which they extended to five with a 4-2 loss) and 10 games behind NL East-leading Philadelphia. So Anthopoulos was available to discuss that disappointing reality.
He acknowledged that, by their standards, the Braves aren’t looking good, but there’s obviously a lot of season left. Right now three teams in the NL — Philadelphia, Milwaukee and the Los Angeles Dodgers — have significant division leads. Atlanta (35-30 with Wednesday’s loss) is the best of the rest. In fact, only five teams in the league entered Wednesday above .500.
Three seasons ago, the Braves went 88-73, but that was enough to take the division. They went on to win the World Series.
“The Phillies are obviously playing exceptionally well — best team arguably in the game right now — but it’s about making sure you get to the playoffs one way or the other,” Anthopoulos said. “Right now, the NL, I bet you if you took a lot of these teams and these front offices, they’d tell you the same thing. No one’s playing the way they thought they would — barring Brewers, Dodgers, Phillies.”
Still, Atlanta hadn’t dropped five straight since 2017, the last time the Braves didn’t win the NL East. Two years ago, the Braves came from behind to win to win the division after the New York Mets had a big lead.
A similar comeback this year will be tough, since reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. is out for the season because of a knee injury. Anthopoulos said he’s been more active than usual in terms of pursuing trades, but nothing is imminent.
“The offensive issues seem like they’re spread across the league,” Anthopoulos said. “A lot of GMs are saying the same thing. People feel like they’re not hitting the way they can.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Pete Thamel, ESPN
Ball State fired coach Mike Neu, the school announced Saturday. The Cardinals are 3-7.
Neu was 40-63 in nine seasons at Ball State. Neu led the Cardinals to the MAC title in 2020, which was his only winning season at Ball State.
Sources told ESPN that the staff was informed of Neu’s dismissal early Saturday.
Offensive line coach Colin Johnson will serve as the interim head coach for the last two games, athletic director Jeff Mitchell said in a statement. Ball State hosts Bowling Green on Nov. 23 then plays at Ohio on Nov. 29.
Neu, 53, is a beloved alum with a strong campus reputation, but the lack of results ultimately led to his dismissal. Ball State lost 51-48 in overtime at Buffalo this week and fell to 2-4 in MAC play.
That clinched a fourth consecutive losing season for Ball State.
“Coach Neu has poured his heart into the Ball State football program,” Mitchell said in the statement. “I commend him for his professionalism and the positive team culture he has constructed. His efforts have greatly impacted the lives of hundreds of young men. He has represented the Ball State brand with integrity and class, and I wish him well in future pursuits.”
Neu led Ball State to two bowl games. That included a win over San Jose State in the Arizona Bowl to conclude the 2020 season, when Ball State finished 7-1 and won its first MAC title since 1996.
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Pete Thamel, ESPN
Pittsburgh quarterback Eli Holstein will not play against No. 20 Clemson on Saturday, with redshirt junior Nate Yarnell getting the start for the Panthers.
Holstein hadn’t been cleared medically, sources said, and was considered a game-time decision by coach Pat Narduzzi after leaving two of Pitt’s past three games following apparent head injuries. Holstein took part in warmups Saturday.
Yarnell, who lost a camp battle to Holstein, will make his first start this season and fourth in his career for the Panthers. He has a 2-1 record as a starter, with wins over Western Michigan (2022) and Boston College (2023) and a loss to Duke (2023).
Yarnell has a strong amount of experience for a backup, as he has thrown for 1,104 yards and 10 touchdowns in his career. That includes a 65.3% completion percentage and an average of 8.9 yards per attempt. This season, he has thrown for five touchdowns and two interceptions while playing in the past three games.
Holstein has been a revelatory player for the Panthers under new offensive coordinator Kade Bell. Holstein, a transfer from Alabama, has thrown for 17 touchdowns with six interceptions.
Pittsburgh has the country’s No. 16 scoring offense at 36.7 points per game. That’s up from No. 114 last season, when it averaged 20.2 points.
Holstein has completed 61.9% of his passes and thrown for 2,174 yards.
Indiana has agreed to a contract extension with Curt Cignetti amid the Hoosiers’ unprecedented 10-0 start, the school announced Saturday.
Cignetti’s new eight-year contract runs through the 2032 season and will pay him an average of $8 million per year with an annual $1 million retention bonus, putting the total value of the new contract at $72 million.
“I am beyond appreciative for the tremendous commitment, confidence, and support from President Pam Whitten and Athletic Director Scott Dolson,” Cignetti said in a statement. “Manette [his wife] and I love Bloomington and are grateful for how the IU community has embraced us. I look forward to leading this outstanding program and doing my part to continue the momentum for Hoosier football.”
Cignetti originally received a six-year, $27 million contract when he was hired in December. He took the Indiana job after leading James Madison to an 11-1 season in 2023 — when he made $677,311 — with the goal of changing the Hoosiers’ historically woeful image in football.
He then led Indiana to the first 10-win season in school history and a possible push for the College Football Playoff. No. 5 Indiana (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) has one more win than its combined total over the previous three seasons. Its No. 5 ranking is one spot shy of the team’s highest ever, last reached in 1967, also the last time the Hoosiers won or shared a Big Ten title.
Indiana has scored at least 40 points seven times, won nine times by 14 or more points and trailed only twice briefly all season.
“We were confident IU could become a winning program and we love what he’s building here,” Dolson said in a statement. “We love the student-athletes that he’s bringing here. We love how our fanbase has rallied around this team and made Memorial Stadium the place to be on Saturday afternoons. And now, we love the fact that he’s going to be doing all those things right here in Bloomington for a long, long time.”
A source told ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg that Indiana will also significantly increase the pool for Cignetti’s assistants and staff.
The Hoosiers are on a bye this week before a pivotal matchup with No. 2 Ohio State next Saturday that could determine Indiana’s playoff hopes and a potential spot in the Big Ten championship game.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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