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There are many important business items on the agenda for Commissioner Greg Sankey, conference coaches, athletic directors and Paul Finebaum to discuss at the Southeastern Conference spring meetings, which started Tuesday in a swanky hotel on the sugary white beaches of Destin in Florida’s Panhandle.Such as:Advertisement• Counting their money.• Having Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher settle their differences like true southern gentlemen — with a Civil War reenactment of the Battle at Chancellorsville. (Jimbo to Sankey: “Commissioner, can I be Robert E. Lee this time? He always gets to be Robert E. Lee!”)Advertisement• Discussing the SEC’s future scheduling model once Texas and Oklahoma join the league in the next couple of years.• Trying to come to some common sense solutions on how to regulate the transfer portal and Name, Image and Likeness.• Counting more of their money.• And the most important piece of business of all: Setting the wheels in motion so that the SEC can officially become the only conference in college football that matters.Of course, we know the SEC is already unofficially the only conference in college football that matters, but University of Florida athletics director Scott Stricklin said something last week in a story published by Pete Thamel, ESPN’s respected college football insider, that raised eyebrows throughout intercollegiate athletics.“We have an incredibly strong league, one that will be even stronger once Oklahoma and Texas join,” Stricklin told Thamel. “The focus should be on how we as a league use that strength to further position the SEC as we face new realities. Commissioner Sankey has encouraged our athletic directors to think creatively, and an SEC-only playoff is a different idea that we should absolutely consider an option.”Added Sankey: “As we think as a conference. … it’s vitally important we think about the range of possibilities.”You’re probably thinking to yourself: “An SEC-only playoff? That’s insanity! That’s the height of SEC arrogance! A playoff would never work without Ohio State, Michigan, Clemson, USC, Penn State, Oregon, etc.”AdvertisementPardon my French, but … Au contraire mon frère.A potential eight-team, SEC-only playoff wouldn’t be as appealing, but it would certainly work and we’d watch it and here’s the best part of all: The SEC gets to keep all the money for itself.“You have to have SEC involvement for something to be legitimate,” Stricklin told reporters from the Orlando Sentinel and Gainesville Sun a few days ago. “The SEC has taken up a majority or certainly it’s taken up more playoff spots than any other conference. We’ve proven you could have a national championship with two SEC teams. Our league is strong and my guess is it is getting stronger. In a perfect world, I think it [a playoff] would be a national approach, but there’s got to be agreement and everyone has to be on the same page. I don’t think we should hold our league back in the name of a national approach, if a national approach is not achievable.”Allow me to translate what Stricklin is saying:“Memo to the ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 and Big 12: You need the SEC more than the SEC needs you. You either get on board the expanded playoff train or you’re going get flattened by SEC’s unstoppable locomotive.”It’s no secret that Sankey, the godfather of college football, is still livid about the way College Football Playoff expansion talks collapsed a few months ago after he and others spent two years working on a carefully crafted plan for a 12-team playoff.AdvertisementSEC Commissioner Greg Sankey was not happy when other conference commissioners voted down his plan for an expanded, 12-team College Football Playoff. (Butch Dill/AP)The plan was quashed by conference commissioners from the Big Ten, Pac-12 and ACC who got their feelings hurt when the SEC pulled off a monumental coup last summer by adding Texas and Oklahoma into its already formidable lineup of teams. Of course, all three of those other leagues would have added Texas and Oklahoma, too, if only given the opportunity, but they threw a hissy fit because Sankey and the SEC actually pulled it off. In response to the SEC’s expansion, the Big Ten, Pac-12 and ACC formed “The Alliance” and spitefully trashed the 12-team playoff plan Sankey worked so hard to construct.So now Sankey and Stricklin are at least floating the idea of turning the Power 5 into the SEC and its four little bubbas. Just the mere mention of the SEC exploring the idea of its own playoff is just another way for league officials to flex their muscles and tell the rest of college football that SEC stands for “Superior in Everything Conference.”Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.The SEC has won 12 of the last 16 national championships with five programs (Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, Florida and LSU) winning titles during that span. The other four Power 5 leagues have had three programs (Clemson, FSU and Ohio State) win the remaining four national titles.In addition, the SEC has the most passionate fans (the largest average attendance in college football for 23 straight years), the best players (the most overall NFL Draft picks for 16 straight years) and the most money (10 of the 20 biggest revenue-producers in college athletics come from the SEC).[ Get used to SEC dominance: It’s only going to get stronger ]Obviously, for the overall health of college football, we would all love to see an all-inclusive, all-encompassing expanded college football playoff.However, if the Big Ten, ACC and Pac-12 are going to continue to whine and pout and block playoff expansion then they need to face the consequences and recognize the reality.AdvertisementAnd the reality is this:An eight-team playoff with only SEC teams is a lot more appealing than a four-team playoff without any SEC teams.Email me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Hit me up on 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 HD 101.1-2

DESTIN — During a recent visit to Disney World, Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz found himself caught between two people who didn’t get their way.In this case, 2-year-old Parker and 4-year-old Ella Drinkwitz wanted their own cotton candy.Advertisement[ NIL king Jimbo Fisher should embrace what Nick Saban said | Commentary ]“My wife was like, ‘You’re an idiot. You don’t bring back one bag of cotton candy, you bring two bags of cotton candy,’” Drinkwitz recalled.At Tuesday’s SEC Meetings, Drinkwitz was pulled into a more high-profile public spat between Alabama coach Nick Saban and Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher over the sticky subject of name, image and likeness.AdvertisementSaban’s and Fisher’s recent dustup over NIL’s role in recruiting was a hot topic coaches did their best to deflect or diffuse.“When tensions are high and uncertainty is at a high, people’s emotions are strong,” Drinkwitz told reporters at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Resort. “I think that’s what happened. We’re all competitive. We’re talking about two of the greats in the game. They’re both successful and have opinions on how things should operate.“It probably shouldn’t have occurred publicly and it’s probably unfortunate that it did. But it’s a real issue and we have to find real solutions.”Alabama head coach Nick Saban, left, and Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher, right, shake hands prior the Aggies’ 41-38 upset win in 2021. (Sam Craft/AP)How to best navigate and legislate NIL was front of mind for SEC administrators and football and basketball coaches at the league’s first in-person spring meetings since 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.Saban and Fisher were thick as thieves during their last junket to Destin. In less than a year since its July 1 inception, NIL legislation has changed much about college football, including the relationship of two men who won the 2003 national title at LSU during their five seasons together (2000-04).[ Gators coach Billy Napier on NIL bidding wars: ‘We don’t operate that way’  ]Saban downplayed any tension with Fisher.“I have no problem with Jimbo at all,” the 70-year-old Crimson Tide coach said.Saban reiterated he should have chosen his words more carefully when two weeks ago he called for NIL regulation of compensating recruits while singling out Texas A&M. The Aggies signed the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class while Alabama’s class was No. 2.Advertisement“I didn’t really say that anybody did anything wrong,” Saban said. “I should have never mentioned any individual institutions.”At left, Alabama head coach Nick Saban yells from the sideline. At right, Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher reacts to an official’s call. The two mens are now at odds over Saban’s comments directed at Fisher regarding NIL legislation. (AP)Fisher, who approaches his fifth season at Texas A&M, did not plan to address reporters Tuesday. He was scheduled to serve as chairman of the coaches group with Saban, the other 12 SEC coaches and several administrators met for several hours Tuesday and several more Wednesday.Fisher and Saban were seated four spots away from each other and out of direct eye line.They put Jimbo between all the SEC officials so they have a buffer to keep him from going after Nick Saban. Everyone but Texas A&M is in alphabetical order. pic.twitter.com/LWvNmu9N6V— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) May 31, 2022

Two weeks ago, Fisher railed against his former boss following his comments, calling Saban a “narcissist,” and claiming, “we’re done.”Fisher said he refused to answer Saban’s phone calls, a reaction Georgia coach Kirby Smart found unremarkable Tuesday. Smart worked with Saban at LSU in 2004, with the Miami Dolphins in 2006 and then at Alabama from 2007-2015.Yet, Smart said he rarely chit-chats with Saban or other coaches he worked with.Advertisement“They don’t call. I don’t call them,” Smart said. “It’s not commonplace for guys to be reaching out and be friendly when you’re competing on the field, and we’re constantly competing for prospects day in and day out. So, it’s not super unusual to me.”Even so, the Saban-Fisher showdown fueled plenty of offseason conversation. A public and highly personal exchange between two national title-winning coaches also highlighted the lack of transparency and direction with NIL.“There’s a ton of gray area relative to what you can do, what you can’t do,” Florida first-year coach Billy Napier said. “Until we have some formal guidelines and parameters to operate by, we’ve got problems on our hands.”Florida football coach Billy Napier speaks to reporters April 27 at Full Sail University in Winter Park before a Gators speaking engagement. (Stephen M. Dowell/AP)Having spent four seasons (2011, 2013-15) at Alabama coaching with Saban, Napier steered clear of the kerfuffle with Fisher.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.“We’ll let those two gentlemen handle that,” Napier said. “Both are very accomplished. Both are competitive. Both have conviction about who they are and what they do.“It’s one of the reasons they’ve had success.”AdvertisementSouth Carolina’s Shane Beamer, the son of Hall of Fame coach Frank Beamer and former Steve Spurrier assistant, has been exposed to alpha males all his life.The Gamecocks’ second-year coach said his first in-person gathering with his SEC coaching brethren in February featured plenty of posturing. It just wasn’t public.“We were in there all day and there were some intense conversations,” Beamer said. “We certainly all have our opinions and strong-minded and want what’s best for our teams and our universities. We were all professional that day.“I have no doubt we will be this time.”This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Edgar Thompson at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @osgators.

TORONTO — Alejandro Kirk hit a pair of two-run home runs in the Toronto Blue Jays’ 6-5 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, which extended the Blue Jays’ streak to six games.Kevin Gausman (5-3) pitched five innings to win his second straight start, getting five strikeouts while allowing three runs, six hits and one walk. The right-hander has won four of his last six outings.AdvertisementKirk connected in the second for his second homer of the season, then went deep again with a two-out drive in the fifth, the third multi-homer game of his career.Both came off White Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito (3-2), who allowed season highs of six runs and eight hits in 4⅔ innings and raised his ERA from 2.63 to 3.61.AdvertisementGiolito hadn’t allowed more than three earned runs in any of his seven prior starts this season, but it was the third time he has given up at least two home runs.The Blue Jays are 15-7 in one-run games, the best record in the majors, and have won four consecutive one-run decisions.Andrew Vaughn homered and had four hits and two RBIs for the White Sox, who began a stretch without All-Star shortstop Tim Anderson. He is expected to miss at least three weeks after straining his right groin in Sunday’s win over the Cubs.Trevor Richards allowed two runs without retiring any of the four batters he faced in the sixth, but Adam Cimber, Yimi Garcia and Julian Merryweather each worked one scoreless inning and Jordan Romano finished for his AL-leading 16th save in 18 chances.Danny Mendick and Vaughn had RBI hits off Gausman in the fifth as the Sox took a 3-2 lead, but the Blue Jays scored four in the bottom half on Kirk’s second homer and a two-run double by Teoscar Hernández that fell beyond the reach of diving center fielder Adam Engel.Four straight Sox batters reached against Richards to begin the sixth as Reese McGuire’s second double of the game drove in a run to make it 6-5.OF Luis Robert was activated off the COVID-19 IL. … Anderson’s IL stint is retroactive to Monday. … OF AJ Pollock sat because of a non-COVID illness. … 3B Yoán Moncada (quadriceps) did not start for the fourth straight game. … OF Eloy Jiménez (right hamstring) missed his second straight game at Triple-A Charlotte. Jiménez left Saturday’s game because of soreness in his leg.White Sox RHP Michael Kopech (1-1, 1.29) will face Blue Jays LHP Hyun Jin Ryu (2-0, 5.48) on Wednesday night. Ryu went 0-2 with a 9.31 ERA in two 2021 starts against the Sox.

This Cinderella story continues, but don’t search for the glass slippers.Hardly.AdvertisementKatelyn Serafin is all about the spikes, whether she’s firing away in the circle or swinging away in the batter’s box. And she’s doing both quite well lately.“She’s a gamer,” West Aurora coach Randy Hayslett said of his sophomore pitcher. “I don’t know how else to say it. She’s surpassing our expectations.Advertisement“If I had known this a month ago, she’d have a whole lot more innings than she’s had. Obviously, this is the lineup we’re going with the rest of the way.”West Aurora’s Katelyn Serafin (14) has reason to smile after hitting a two-out RBI double against the host Foxes in a Class 4A Yorkville Sectional semifinal on Tuesday, May 31, 2022. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News)Serafin was good to go Tuesday afternoon, winning a 3-2 duel against ace Madi Reeves and the top-seeded host Foxes in the Class 4A Yorkville Sectional semifinals.On top of that, Serafin’s two-out double sparked the winning rally for sixth-seeded West Aurora (17-14), which advances to the 4:30 p.m. Friday championship game.It will be the first appearance in the sectional final since 2017 and only the third since 2001 for the Blackhawks, who will meet the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal between Naperville North and Neuqua Valley.“I know we were a little bit of an underdog, but the advantage is, we had faced her twice,” Hayslett said of Reeves. “We knew the speed, where she was going.“She’s still tougher than anything, but we were well-prepared and felt confident coming in.”Serafin and Reeves matched up May 11. Reeves left with a 1-0 lead after throwing a no-hitter through five innings. Serafin earned a 3-1 win after a late rally.“It gave me a lot of confidence because I beat them,” she said.AdvertisementLast week, Serafin followed that up with a three-hitter in an 8-1 victory over Oswego for the regional title.Yorkville’s Madi Reeves (2) points to a pop-up against West Aurora during a Class 4A Yorkville Sectional semifinal on Tuesday, May 31, 2022.on Tuesday, May 31, 2022. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News)Serafin (6-3) gave up unearned runs in the second inning Tuesday on Katlyn Schraeder’s sacrifice fly and in the seventh on an outfield error. But Serafin stranded the tying and winning runs by inducing a pop-up to her for the second out and capped the win with a runner’s interference call going against Yorkville (28-6) on a grounder to Riley Mont at shortstop.“I kept it together,” Serafin said of the tense seventh inning. “I just took my usual walk to the back of the mound, took a deep breath and thought about the next pitch.”Reeves (18-4) struck out six batters the first time through West Aurora’s order but only two the second time, finishing with 11.Senior center fielder Callie Meinel, who had two of the six hits off Reeves, said West Aurora had to adjust.Advertisement“We thought the first pitch might be the best pitch we’d get, so you have to go up there being aggressive,” Meinel said. “But you also have to keep your head down. “It’s about pitch selection, and a lot of people are chasing her riseball because it looks good coming in and then they can’t catch it.”West Aurora’s Riley Mont (12) slides safely into third base with an RBI triple against the host Foxes in a Class 4A Yorkville Sectional semifinal on Tuesday, May 31, 2022. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News)West Aurora’s offense did all its damage with two outs in the fifth.Ionicca Rivera had a single and Serafin, who hit a home run and double against Oswego, lined a double down the left field line to score Rivera. Mia Malczyk’s single up the middle scored Serafin, while Mont followed with an RBI triple on a blast to right-center.“It was an adrenaline rush,” said Serafin, who did not remember jumping up and down on the base after hitting the double.Advertisement“I couldn’t even hear myself screaming in the dugout,” Meinel said.Serafin ended up with only two strikeouts, but she retired eight batters on infield pop-ups.“She’s not overpowering, but she hits her spots,” Hayslett said of Serafin. “She moves it in and out and a little bit up and down.”Yorkville coach Jory Regnier said her team couldn’t come up with the big hit, struggling to make solid contact.“They came out and had a big inning and that’s all they needed,” Regnier said of West Aurora.

DUBLIN, Ohio — Three months after declaring he was “fully committed” to the PGA Tour, Dustin Johnson is among 42 players in the field for next week’s LIV Golf Invitational, which offers $25 million in prize money that’s backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.Phil Mickelson was missing from the list that was released Tuesday night. It was his damaging remarks in February that led Johnson and other top players to say they would stay on the PGA Tour.AdvertisementThe LIV Golf Invitational is scheduled for June 9-11 at Centurion Club outside of London. The PGA Tour and European tour denied releases for players, meaning they risk punishment — possibly a loss of tour membership — by competing.Other players in the field were not a surprise. Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter had indicated they would be playing.AdvertisementAmerican players who are chasing the Saudi riches are Talor Gooch, who won his first PGA Tour event last fall at the RSM Classic, and three-time tour winner Hudson Swafford.Greg Norman’s group also went after amateurs, adding U.S. Amateur champion James Piot and David Puig, who is competing for Arizona State in the NCAA Championships this week.

Chicago Cubs manager David Ross has an important decision to make when Jason Heyward returns from the injured list.What to do with Christopher Morel?AdvertisementThe Cubs rookie has excelled since his call-up from Double-A Tennessee, setting a franchise record by reaching base in his first 14 games with a fourth-inning walk Tuesday night against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field. Morel broke a tie with teammate Willson Contreras, who reached in the first 13 games of his career in 2016.Morel, who led off and started in center field Tuesday, has shown he can play center, second base, shortstop and third. But Nico Hoerner is the starting shortstop, Patrick Wisdom is the regular third baseman and second baseman Nick Madrigal returned from his IL stint Tuesday.AdvertisementThat leaves Morel mostly in center, which appears to be his best position, right?“He’ll define his best spot,” Ross said. “Elite center fielders are hard to find. But he’s played a darn good second base, and the one time we put him at short he did a really nice job. Versatility is a bonus in our game, and it helps with roster construction and some of the things you look at when you’re building a team.“Love him in center. Love him at second. If he’s on the field, he’s a spark for us right now, and I’ll continue to take what we can get and try to fit the most offense in the lineup.”Cubs center fielder Christopher Morel flies out during the first inning against the Brewers on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)Heyward was cleared over the weekend from his COVID-19-related absence. He has been sidelined since May 17, and the Cubs haven’t given a timetable for his return as he ramps back up. He moved from right field to center this season to make way for free-agent signee Seiya Suzuki but struggled offensively with a .208 average, no home runs and four RBIs in 72 at-bats.A sprained left finger suffered during a slide in Cincinnati last week put Suzuki on the 10-day IL, so Heyward could move back to his old position in right for the time being, assuming he’s deemed ready this week. But the Cubs have made a five-year commitment to Suzuki, so a move would be temporary if it happened.[ [Don’t miss] From Division II and an adult rec league, Matt Swarmer achieves his MLB dream with the Cubs: ‘My adrenaline was pumping’ ]Ross also could move Morel around defensively, but slowing his development in center just because it’s Heyward’s spot would be risky for an organization focusing on the long term. The Cubs seemingly would like to move Heyward’s contract, but that’s easier said than done with $36.7 million remaining through 2023.They also don’t seem inclined to designate Heyward for assignment and pay the remainder of his deal in order to look toward the future.Morel is here to stay, however, no matter what happens with Heyward. The Cubs have seen enough to know they have a player fans can cling to and buy his No. 5 jersey for years to come. And unlike Kris Bryant, Javier Báez and Kyle Schwarber, Morel was called up without any hype or premature billing as a star of the future. Recall the Cubs once put a photo of Starlin Castro on a billboard next to a picture of Derek Jeter.AdvertisementCubs center fielder Christopher Morel signs autographs before playing the Brewers on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)Cubs President Jed Hoyer said Saturday the “energy” Morel has provided is impossible to replicate.“He’s such a positive guy, and I do think with any team, bringing up guys like that really energizes the group,” Hoyer said. “And just the versatility. There’s development left certainly, but I don’t see that ability going away. He’s such a great athlete. He can run and play the middle of the field. The way today’s game is, that is so valuable.“I’ve always been excited about his future, but I’m even more excited watching him play those positions so easily in the big leagues.”Hoyer said “taking a long view is really important” when it comes to roster decisions, adding he would “lean strongly toward” the future when mulling those moves. If that’s the case, Morel must be in the lineup on a daily basis the rest of the way, even if it means eventually sitting Heyward and his $22 million salary when everyone is healthy.[ [Don’t miss] Analysis: Jed Hoyer and the Cubs must learn from mistakes to build the franchise’s next title contender ]Suzuki’s injury and Heyward’s delayed return buys Ross some time. But for how long?Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.The Cubs were 12 games behind the division-leading Brewers on May 31, and fans were looking for reasons to continue watching this team the next four months. The Heyward decision is no doubt difficult for Hoyer and Ross, who know that his contributions to the 2016 championship were significant and that his leadership skills in the clubhouse remain valuable.AdvertisementBut it’s also a business, as everyone always says.Hoyer continued to insist his plan should not be labeled a “rebuild,” though he also argued that “people weren’t that receptive” to the rebuild he and former Cubs President Theo Epstein executed a decade ago.Cubs outfielders Seiya Suzuki and Jason Heyward talk during batting practice on opening day at Wrigley Field on April 7, 2022. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)“I don’t remember a lot of bouquets in 2012 or ‘13,” he said. “There were a lot of people that were very skeptical about what was happening, oftentimes resentful of what was happening. So as we look backward, like, ‘Oh, wow, that led to the best run of success in Cubs history,’ I think people had a little different view. At the time, that wasn’t the case.”That’s a bit of revisionist history considering how patient Cubs fans were from 2012-14, not to mention how much national media praise Epstein received during those years for building a team almost from scratch. The core prospects — Bryant, Báez, Schwarber and Addison Russell — were covered in the minors almost as much as the Cubs themselves.But now we’re in a new era with youngsters such as Morel, Hoerner, Keegan Thompson and Justin Steele trying to make names for themselves — and more prospects on the way. Having given up on the season, Cubs fans just want to see what the kids can do.It shouldn’t be that hard for Hoyer and Ross to give them what they want.

Courtney Vandersloot scored 18 points, Candace Parker grabbed 11 rebounds and the Chicago Sky beat the short-handed Phoenix Mercury 73-70 on Tuesday night at Wintrust Arena in a WNBA Finals rematch.Mercury star Diana Taurasi was ejected with 3:43 left in the second quarter for arguing a no-call with an official. The Mercury were trailing 31-21 at the time but rallied in the third quarter by scoring 31 points and shooting 72% from the field.AdvertisementVandersloot made 1 of 2 free throws with nine seconds left in the fourth quarter for a 72-70 lead, and she knocked the ball away from Skylar Diggins-Smith on a drive at the other end. Rebekah Gardner also went 1 for 2 at the line for a three-point lead, and former Sky player Diamond DeShields didn’t hit the rim on a corner 3-pointer as time expired.Kahleah Copper added 11 points and Emma Meesseman and Gardner each scored 10 for the Sky (5-3). Parker was 2 of 9 from the field as both teams shot under 42%.AdvertisementTina Charles scored 25 points for the Mercury (2-7). Diggins-Smith had 12 points and eight assists and DeShields added 10 points and seven rebounds.The Sky jumped out to a 20-10 first-quarter lead after holding the Mercury to 4-of-20 shooting. Charles had six of the Mercury’s 10 points.

PARIS — Rafael Nadal got past rival Novak Djokovic 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4) in a monumental match in the French Open quarterfinals to move a step closer to his 14th championship at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament and 22nd major trophy overall.The match began a little past 9 p.m. Tuesday in Paris and concluded more than four hours later, after 1 a.m. Wednesday.AdvertisementNadal ended the top-seeded Djokovic’s bid for a second consecutive French Open title. He also made sure Djokovic remains behind him in the Grand Slam count with 20.Nadal improved to 110-3 for his career at Roland Garros. Two of those losses came against Djokovic, including in last year’s semifinals.AdvertisementThis showdown was the 59th of their careers, more than any other two men have played each other in the Open era. Nadal narrowed Djokovic’s lead to 30-29.Nadal turns 36 on Friday, when he will face third-seeded Alexander Zverev in the semifinals.

Curtis Francois was introduced to racing much the same way as Roger Penske, who attended his first Indianapolis 500 as a child with his father and now owns the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.For Francois, his father took him to St. Louis International Raceway Park in Madison, Illinois, a drag strip built in 1967 that introduced Francois to adrenaline-pumping fast cars and eventually a brief career as a racer.AdvertisementThe drag strip was renovated into a full-purpose racing venue that had decent success until an economic downturn led to its 2010 closure. The facility began to deteriorate, and plans were put in motion to dismantle the grandstands to sell for scrap metal.Francois, a St. Louis native and real estate developer, stepped in before the speedway became an abandoned eyesore.AdvertisementHe purchased the track referred to as Gateway in 2011 and has spent the last decade preparing it for its crowning moment: World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway on Sunday will host NASCAR’s premiere Cup Series for the first time with the Enjoy Illinois 300 (2:30 p.m., FS1).It’s the only race in Illinois on the 2022 Cup Series schedule. Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet last hosted NASCAR’s top series in 2019.Francois’ first day as the track owner was a challenge.“The first thing I had to do was figure out a way to drive across the parking lot because the weeds were 6 and 8 feet tall,” Francois said in an interview with The Associated Press. “And so that’s what I did first, focus on the capital improvement needed to stabilize the property.”The final result has made Gateway the only new points-paying venue on the 2022 Cup schedule, and Francois expects a sold-out 80,000 spectators Sunday.“I really felt that I was put in position, for some reason or other — the fact that my background was in real estate was a key piece,” Francois said. “But also I’d had some experience with racing and so I’ve been to a lot of tracks, got a view from behind the wheel and there really wasn’t anyone else around St. Louis that had that skill set.“It was not something I took lightly, but I felt that I was probably the right person to take this task on.”Curtis Francois, owner of World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, poses on the start/finish line on May 23, 2022, in Madison, Ill. (Colter Peterson/AP)Gateway hosted CART and IndyCar over the years, NASCAR’s second-tier Xfinity Series from 1997 through 2010 and the Truck Series from 1998 until the track’s brief closure. IndyCar returned in 2017, and the NASCAR trucks followed the next year.AdvertisementFrancois kept spending, developing and renovating. He has spent at least $50 million on renovations so far — $15 million alone in the 10 months since IndyCar was there last August — and expects to eclipse $100 million in property upgrades by 2025.Among the enhancements Francois made since his 2011 purchase:A new track surface around the 1.25-mile oval.The addition of 450 acres in an expansion that stretched Gateway’s footprint to nearly 700 acres. The property now includes an adjacent 18-hole golf course, 1,200 new camping sites and additional parking areas.A renovated suite tower and grandstand, a new fan zone that provides an infield experience and a walkway for spectators to observe active garages.The “Confluence Festival: Crossroads of Concert & Community,” a live entertainment showcase that will feature a diverse all-star musical lineup all weekend, headlined by Old Dominion, Nelly, Cole Swindell and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.For his efforts, Francois has received the Innovator Award from the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission, and after the Cup Series closes its Sunday show, Gateway will be the only motorsports facility in the United States to host NASCAR, IndyCar and NHRA in one year.Francois, who paused his preparations for this weekend to attend the Indy 500 on Sunday at Penske’s invitation, has high hopes to turn Gateway into an elite motorsports venue. In his brief racing career, Francois made exactly one start in the Indy Lights Series — at Gateway. He started third and finished fifth in his lone 2002 appearance at the track he now owns.“Anyone who knows me recognizes that I am always singing the praises of St. Louis and I have a deep commitment to St. Louis and really recognize what a gem this speedway is,” Francois said. “I think it can be difficult for folks to understand why we’ve been investing so much, but that’s what it takes to make facilities vibrant. It took $40 million in investments to even start a conversation to get a Cup date, and there certainly were no guarantees that I was going to get a return on that investment.“But it goes back to my belief in the strength of the NASCAR brand, IndyCar and the NHRA and what they can bring to the city and how we can showcase St. Louis.”

LOS ANGELES — At least when it comes to its top announcing crews, the NFL’s free agency is over for this year.Fox Sports completed its lineup for the 2022 season on Tuesday by announcing Greg Olsen as its lead NFL analyst. During its upfront presentation for advertisers two weeks ago, Fox announced that Kevin Burkhardt would be the top play-by-play announcer.AdvertisementThe move was expected for a couple of months after Joe Buck and Troy Aikman moved to ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.”How long Olsen will remain in the top spot remains to be seen. Tom Brady has signed with Fox and will move into the booth after he retires for good.AdvertisementFox has two of the next three Super Bowls, including the game in Phoenix at the end of the 2022 season.Fox Sports president of production/operations and executive producer Brad Zager said that the past couple of months has been stressful but rewarding.“There have been a lot of dominoes out there. You just tried to focus on the people and making sure that everybody was happy at the end of all these moving pieces,” Zager said in a phone interview with The Associated Press.“I don’t want to speak for anybody else. But you know, we’re excited for the future after all this and knowing that we’re set up for a long time. But it’s a lot of different emotions as you go through something like that.”Olsen has worked for Fox since 2017 and did some game, and studio analyst work while still playing. Olsen and Burkhardt were the network’s No. 2 crew last season when Olsen retired following a 14-year NFL career.Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi will return as the sideline reporters.The team makes its regular-season debut on Sept. 11, when the Minnesota Vikings host the Green Bay Packers.Olsen’s promotion caps an unprecedented offseason of announcer transactions. In March, Buck and Aikman had the most significant move to ESPN after being Fox’s No. 1 team since 2002.AdvertisementBuck said two weeks ago during an ESPN teleconference that he has been as surprised as everyone else with the movement.“Somebody said to me the other day that we as fans need a sportsperson to tell us where all these sports announcers are ending up because everybody has shifted and moved places,” he said.“My dad (Hall of Fame announcer Jack Buck) passed away 20 years ago. I think he’d be stunned if he walked out of the grave right now and said, ‘Wow, that’s what’s going on in this business?’ Nobody saw that coming.“It’s been kind of crazy. It’s been exciting on this end of the business.”Al Michaels, who had been on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” since 2006, started the movement by signing with Amazon. He will team up with Kirk Herbstreit on Prime Video’s inaugural season of “Thursday Night Football.”Many thought Michaels and Aikman would be working together at Amazon until ESPN got its dream booth with Buck and Aikman.AdvertisementWith Michaels going to Prime, Mike Tirico will call “Sunday Night Football” with Cris Collinsworth.In a phone interview with The Associated Press last month, Tirico said he was stunned at first over the attention devoted to the announcer moves. However, with the longevity of most booths and networks devoting an average of $10.27 billion per year in rights fees when the new television contracts begin in 2023, the lead voice on NFL packages is significant.“It’s the power of the NFL. With Sunday afternoons, Sunday nights, Monday nights, and now Thursdays, people have that as part of their routine. And by extension, we as announcers become part of that routine,” he said. “So, I think that’s a natural reason for this becoming such big news and why some change and upheaval becomes part of the story.“Obviously, Joe and Troy still working together is going to be natural, but hearing them on Monday nights instead of Sunday afternoons will be a little bit different. I just think having our habits changed a little bit is multiplied by the power and visibility of the NFL, which is different than any other entertainment entity out there right now.”The only booth that hasn’t changed is CBS. Jim Nantz and Tony Romo will be in their seventh year together when the season kicks off in September.