Oklahoma regains No. 1 spot on ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll

Photo credit: Morgan Givens/University of Oklahoma

By Chris Price
Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 12, 2024) In the latest Week 5 ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll, the Oklahoma Sooners have climbed back to the No. 1 spot after a fantastic week. They dominated with a big win mid-week and then swept Iowa State in their Big 12 conference opener. The Sooners were on fire, outscoring their opponents 29-3 in the series.

The LSU Tigers are also making waves, staying undefeated with a 22-0 record and moving up one spot in the rankings. Meanwhile, Texas slips down three spots after a mixed performance against Houston, managing to win the series but suffering a tough loss in the process.

Duke holds strong in the No. 4 spot after securing wins against Elon and South Dakota State, while Georgia rounds out the Top 5 after a successful weekend at the Bulldog Classic, including wins against Miami-OH.

Here's how the Top 10 looks:

1. Oklahoma

2. LSU

3. Texas

4. Duke

5. Georgia

6. Stanford

7. Oklahoma State

8. Washington

9. Tennessee

10. Florida

The rankings show that the competition is heating up as teams battle it out on the field. With each week, we're seeing some exciting matchups and impressive performances from these top college softball teams. Stay tuned for more action-packed games ahead!

German soccer league Bundesliga to resume play

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (April 8, 2020) Bundesliga, the German professional soccer league, is planning to resume their season in early May with no fans in attendance at the games. Chief Executive Officer of the league, Christian Seifert, stated to the New York Times that play is ready to get back underway in both of Germany's top two tiers, Bundesliga and Bundesliga2
The idea is to play in all of the leagues 36 stadiums with no fans in attendance at games until 2021. The cost to the clubs not playing in front of fans would be close to $110 million US dollars. It is expected that approximately 240 people would be needed for each match, including players, coaching staff, medical staff, match officials and production staff. There has been no mention if media would be allowed access to the matches. 

ESPN has the multi-platform broadcast rights to the German Bundesliga in the United State until 2026. The broacaster will cover every game live on its streaming service ESPN+, while its TV networks will telecast select Bundesliga games every season.

ESPN8: The Ocho is back

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved

BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT (March 21, 2020) "If you can play it, we cover it. ESPN8: The Ocho." For the entire day on Sunday, March 22, 2020, The Ocho is back. The fictional sports network channel, made famous by the 2004 movie "Dodgeball: A Ture Underdog Story" will be returning to television for its fourth edition on ESPN2.

The lineup for Sunday will certainly adhere to a line from the movie, "Bringing you the finest in seldom seen sports from around the globe. If its almost a sport, we got it here." 

Beginning at 12 midnight EDT, the programing will kickoff with the Johnsonville ACL Cornhole Championships: 2020 Kickoff Battle. The day will continue until the final show at 10:30 p.m. with a one-and-a-half hour broadcast of Moxie Games 3

This will be the fourth edition of  "The Ocho" since the initiative began in the summer of 2017. The schedule for Sunday is as follows. All times listed are EDT.

Midnight – Johnsonville ACL Cornhole Championships: 2020 Kickoff Battle

2 a.m. – World Axe Throwing League: 2019 World Championship

4 a.m. – U.S. Open Ultimate Championships

6 a.m. – 2019 Spikeball College Championship

7 a.m. – 2019 Las Vegas Highland Games

7:30 a.m. – Putt-Putt Championships

8 a.m. – 2019 IDEAL Electricians National Championship

9 a.m. – E:60 as part of The Ocho

9:30 a.m. – 51st National Stone Skipping Competition

10:30 a.m. – 2007 World Sport Stacking Championships

11:30 a.m. – 2019 World Sign Spinning Championship

Noon – 2006 Krystal World Hamburger Eating Championship

1 p.m. – 2006 Johnsonville Brat Eating World Championship

2 p.m. -European TramDriver Championship

3 p.m. -2019 Stupid Robot Fighting League

3:30 p.m. – 46th Annual Cherry Pit Spitting Championship

4 p.m. – Professional Arm Wrestling Championships

4:30 p.m. – 2019 Golden Tee World Championship

5 p.m. – 2018 Classic Tetris World Championship

5:30 p.m. – E:60 on ESPN8 Presented by Liberty Mutual

6:30 p.m. – America’s Dodgeball Continental Cup: USA vs. Canada

7:30 p.m. – 2019 Jelle’s Marble Runs

8 p.m. – Slippery Stairs: College Tour

8:30 p.m. – 2019 Death Diving World Championship

9:30 p.m. – Dodge Juggle 3

10:30 p.m. – Moxie Games 3

Former Texas Tech Head Football Coach Mike Leach Sues ESPN

(Photo by Robert H Kelly-TexSport Publications, Copyright 2010, All Rights Reserved)

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2010 TexSport Publications

PASADENA, TEXAS (November 24, 2010) It is being reported by ESPN.com and the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal that former Texas Tech head football coach Mike Leach is suing ESPN for deformation of character, slander and libel.

Leach was fired last December after allegations were made, accusing him of mistreatment of running back Adam James.

Leach filed a lawsuit on Wednesday alleging that he was defamed by ESPN and college football analyst Craig James, who is also the father of the younger James.

The suit, which was filled in Texas district court, claims ESPN failed to "retract false and damaging statements" made from "misinformation" James provided.

The suit also names Spaeth Communications as a co-defendant, claiming the elder James hired the firm for "purposes of creating public opinion hostile to Leach."

Leach is now working as an announcer for CBS College Sports, while the elder James is currently working as a sports commentator for games on ABC and ESPN television.

The younger James is in his junior year at Texas Tech, playing inside receiver. He has played in a total of eight games this season, catching two passes for 16 yards.

USA Softball on ESPN over the Holiday Weekend

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA (July 3, 2008) ESPN is airing the game between the USA Softball Women’s National Team and the Canadian National team on July 4 at 6:30 p.m./CST as part of the KFC Bound 4 Beijing Tour. The game was a “pink out” with the USA team wearing pink jerseys in support of the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

In conjunction with the airing of the game, the Amateur Softball Association is hosting an eBay auction featuring all the jerseys as well as one-of-a-kind cleats, gloves and much more that the team wore against Canada. Log onto http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZsoftballoutlet to bid beginning Fri., July 4 at noon CST.

In addition, more USA Softball action can also be seen this weekend as the family of ESPN networks is re-airing three other games this upcoming weekend holiday.

They include:

Thur. July 3 USA vs.Tennessee 7:00 p.m./CST (ESPN2)
Sat. July 5 USA vs. Virginia Tech 11:00 a.m./CST (ESPN)
Sun. July 6 USA vs. Michigan 3:00 a.m./CST (ESPN)