The SEC failed to put a team in the national championship game for a second straight season last year, but the league still will have something to say about who wears the crown in 2025.

Even among the greatest players and teams in college football, however, there are a few standouts. In the final part of the 79th annual SEC post-spring football report — first published by the Birmingham News in 1947 — we seek to identify the best of the best and answer the big questions facing the SEC in 2025.

In voting conducted among AL.com sports staff members, here are how we see 10 key issues shaping up and panning out heading into the season:

1. Who is the SEC’s top Heisman Trophy candidate?

Answer: Arch Manning, QB, Texas

“Arch Madness” will begin in earnest this season in Austin, with Quinn Ewers having left for the NFL and ceded the starting job to the former 5-star scion of football’s most-famous quarterback family. In addition to his name recognition and skill set, Manning will be playing for a national-championship contender, always a plus when it comes to Heisman candidacy.

Others receiving votes: Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU; Diego Pavia, QB, Vanderbilt; Ryan Williams, WR, Alabama

2. Who is the league’s best overall defensive player?

Answer: Anthony Hill, LB, Texas

The Longhorns are loaded on defense, and Hill is the leader on that side of the ball. He’s a tackling and big-play machine, adept as both a run-stuffer and pass-rusher. A defensive line featuring three seniors should allow Hill plenty of freedom to make plays.

Others receiving votes: Keldric Faulk, DL, Auburn; Harold Perkins, LB, LSU; Colin Simmons, DL, Texas; Dylan Stewart, DL, South Carolina; Whit Weeks, LB, LSU

3. Who is the SEC’s best offensive lineman?

Answer: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama

Proctor is technically on his second stint in Tuscaloosa following a brief transfer back home to Iowa during the winter of 2023-24, but he showed last season why he was so highly touted coming out of high school. He’s physical and aggressive, and uses his long arms and mammoth frame to swallow up opposing pass-rushers.

Others receiving votes: Connor Lew, C, Auburn; Jake Slaughter, C, Florida

4. Who will be the league’s most-impactful transfer in 2024?

Answer: John Mateer, QB, Oklahoma

The Sooners seem to cycle through a new quarterback every year, and the multi-talented Mateer is the latest to assume control of the offense in Norman. He passed for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns with just seven interceptions last season at Washington State, while adding 826 yards and 15 TDs rushing.

Others receiving votes: Jackson Arnold, QB, Auburn; Jake Endries, TE, Texas; Ahmad Hardy, RB, Missouri; Jaydn Ott, RB, Oklahoma; Eric Singleton, WR, Auburn

5. Which true freshman will make the biggest impact this season?

Answer: DJ Pickett, CB, LSU

Pickett was a two-way star at receiver and defensive back at Zephyrillis High School in Tampa, Fla., but will look to become the latest in a long line of standout cornerbacks in Baton Rouge. At 6-foot-4, he features a unique blend of size, speed and leaping ability that should allow him to more than hold his own in the SEC.

Others receiving votes: Harlem Berry, RB, LSU; Lotzeir Brooks, WR, Alabama; Elijah Griffin, DL, Georgia; Keelon Russell, QB, Alabama; David Sanders, OT, Tennessee

6. Who will be the SEC’s surprise team (in a good way) in 2024?

Answer: Oklahoma

The Sooners were ravaged by injuries on offense in 2025, but added some intriguing transfers to the mix this season in hopes of a bounce back. Mateer and running back transfer Jaydn Ott should at least make OU much more explosive this time around. It’s now or never time for third-year coach Brent Venables, who probably needs to at least approach double-digit victories to stay off the hot seat.

Others receiving votes: Auburn, Florida, Ole Miss, Texas A&M

7. Which SEC team will disappoint this season, relative to expectations?

Answer: Missouri

The Tigers have enjoyed back-to-back double-digit win seasons, but have leaked a lot of offensive talent over the last two years. Eli Drinkwitz’s team is expected to start at least 10 transfers, including three on the offensive line. The schedule is somewhat manageable, however, with only Alabama on Mizzou’s docket among the league’s top contenders.

Others receiving votes: Alabama, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt

8. Which SEC coach has the hottest ‘seat’ in 2024?

Answer: Hugh Freeze, Auburn

Freeze has recruited at a high level since arriving on The Plains prior to the 2023 season, but the results have not yet shown up on the field. The Tigers found every way imaginable to lose a game in 2024, and have endured three straight seasons for the first time since the Truman administration. Another sub-.500 record, and Freeze likely won’t get a fourth year.

Others receiving votes: Kalen DeBoer, Alabama; Sam Pittman, Arkansas; Brent Venables, Oklahoma

9. How many SEC teams (and which ones) will make the College Football Playoff?

Answer: Probably 3, but maybe 4

This will likely be the last year before they tweak the playoff format to favor leagues like the SEC, if not outright grant them four guaranteed spots. This year, however, Texas, Alabama and Georgia were the most-popular candidates in our voting to make the 12-team field. If a fourth team makes it, LSU looks like the strongest possibility. Auburn, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt (seriously) also received at least one vote.

10. Who will win the national championship?

Answer: Texas

Voters were allowed to choose someone from outside the SEC in this category, but the majority went with the Longhorns, who return a rock-solid defense and plenty of weapons on offense. Should Texas falter, Georgia and LSU could also contend from the SEC. This is probably the first year in recent memory Alabama isn’t on the short list of most-likely title challengers.

Others receiving votes: Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Penn State

Creg Stephenson is a sports writer for AL.com. He has covered college football for a variety of publications since 1994. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @CregStephenson.

Biscuits? Tailgating? Southern brunch? Octavia Spencer has an affinity for all of these, and the Oscar-winning actress will prove it this summer on reality TV.

Spencer, an Alabama native, is the host of “Family Recipe Showdown,” a new series on the Food Network. The show, set to debut on July 17, focuses on home cooking duos who’ll showcase their skills and compete on each episode for a $10,000 prize.

“It’s the heart that they’re bringing to the plate,” Spencer says in a preview video for the series posted on Instagram. (Watch the clip below.)

Spencer describes herself as “an expert at tasting” in the video, as she introduces the show’s primary judge, Edgar “Dook” Chase IV.

“Family Recipe Showdown” is set in New Orleans, and Chase is restaurant royalty in the city, as part of the family that founded the famed Dooky Chase’s Restaurant. He’s also a chef, a business owner and the president of Chase Hospitality Group and Chase Concessions.

Celebrity guest judges will appear on the show, as well, including Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Chastain, Danielle Brooks, Kandi Burruss, Tim Gunn and Al Roker.

Spencer and Witherspoon both have a stake in “Family Recipe Showdown,” which is produced for the Food Network by Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine and Spencer’s Orit Entertainment.

“Each episode features two rounds of culinary throwdowns with themes from a Southern brunch with all the fixings to a top-notch biscuit bakeoff,” a news release says. “Three teams of home cooks must impress Octavia and Dook to advance to the final round. The two duos that move on to the second showdown are tasked with putting their own delicious spin on a family favorite recipe of the episode’s guest judge. Each week, only one family takes home the win and $10,000 prize.”

It’s unclear if any Alabama contestants will be in the mix, but episodes listed on the Food Network site focus on biscuits, brunch, seafood, cocktails, cast-iron skillet recipes, family superstitions and tailgating.

Spencer, a Montgomery native and Auburn University graduate, is no stranger to New Orleans. The actress showcased her love for the Big Easy in a June 1 episode of “My Happy Place,” a series on CNN.

“Octavia Spencer first came to New Orleans for Mardi Gras as a broke college student and has been hooked ever since,” the CNN website says.

Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that Spencer’s reality series for the Food Network has a New Orleans flavor.

Spencer, 55, earned an Oscar in 2012 for Best Supporting Actress for her work in “The Help,” directed by Tate Taylor. She won a Golden Globe, as well, along with awards from the Screen Actors Guild, NAACP, National Board of Review and more. The 2011 movie was a box-office hit and a springboard for Spencer, propelling her to roles in “The Shape of Water,” “Hidden Figures,” “The Witches,” “Green Book” and more. In 2022, she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

If you watch: “Family Recipe Showdown” debuts on Thursday, July 17, at 8 p.m. CT on the Food Network. New episodes air on Thursdays and stream the next day on HBO Max. Episodes also repeat at various times during the week on Food Network.

It was late morning, July 13, 1993. I sat on the floor of my boss’ office, my back against the wall, my knees pulled up to my chest and my head bowed.

“Are you OK? Do you want to take the rest of the day off?” my news director at WBRC TV in Birmingham asked me.

“I want to stay at work,” I said. “I need to do this for Davey.”

It’s still hard for me to believe he is gone. Davey Allison was 32 when he died, while I was still a young TV sports anchor at 35. Today the memories come flooding back, for on this day 32 years ago, that 32-year-old race driver went to Heaven.

He was 28 years old when I met him. It was 1989, and I was drawn to his down-home likeability.

Just 10 years after graduating from Hueytown High School, driving race cars at Birmingham International Raceway and building race cars with his buddies, the former member of the “Peach Fuzz Gang” was an official member of “The Alabama Gang.”

“He was the fan’s racer,” Liz Allison, who married Davey in 1989, told me. “Davey was kind of goofy, but in a good way. He made everyone feel special, whether it was an HVAC guy asking for an autograph or talking with the president of the United States, Davey made everyone feel special.

“He always made eye contact with whoever was in front of him, and he gave that person his undivided attention.”

Said Davey’s sister Bonnie, “Davey was always a practical joker, but he was also a perfectionist. Everything he did he had to do right.”

NASCAR racing’s down-home country boy drew me in. After winning his first Cup Series race at the 1987 Winston 500 at Talladega, Davey was off and running, his sleek black Robert Yates Ford race car with the orange number 28 seemingly always near the lead.

Davey officially arrived in America’s homes when he finished second to his father Bobby in the 1988 Daytona 500. And as Davey’s success grew, his loyalty to family and friends remained.

“We’re having a big paintball tournament, and I want you to take part in it,” Davey told me back in the early ‘90s. I was shocked and impressed when Davey presented me with official paintball fatigues, complete with my name stitched across the top.

“This guy is serious about paintball,” I thought. That was proven during the first round of the tournament when Davey hit me with a paintball on the top of my noggin, the only part of my head that was exposed.

I was in pain for a month. I might still have egg on my head to this day.

It was quite a sight to see: The sport of NASCAR was flourishing. Bobby and Davey were star race drivers. Davey’s brother Clifford was an up-and-coming race driver. Alabama Gang members Neil Bonnett and Red Farmer and Hut Stricklin were talented drivers, too. Bobby’s brothers Donnie and Eddie were nearby and ready to sit behind the wheel or build another engine, right down Church Street in Hueytown.

They were big-time stars in a small-town operation.

“C’mon on over and eat with us,” said Davey’s sister Bonnie. It was the spring of 1989, and the Allison family Talladega ritual of putting out a big food spread in the ‘Dega ARCA garages was in full swing. The Allisons grilled and cooked and served up great food, hours before Sunday’s Winston Cup race was held.

Bobby and Davey often ate standing in their race suits, while Bobby’s wife Judy and their daughters Bonnie and Carrie helped serve food.

“We also fed the crew members,” Bonnie told me. “After the race we would take home the leftover food and have a pool party at our house in Hueytown.”

A big-time racing family remembering its roots. I can only imagine a star racecar driver would invite a media member to eat alongside them today. I’ll forever cherish those pre-race meals.

It was February 1992, and Davey Allison’s fame was about to grow. The Daytona 500 is one of the biggest racing events in the world. Davey won the 500 that year. It was the beginning of what the Allison family thought would be years of joy.

 Instead, it marked the beginning of years of sorrow.

“Everything was right in our world when we stood in victory lane in 1992,” said Liz. “But then…”

The victory lane celebration wound down the evening of Feb. 16, 1992. I was a 34-year-old TV sports anchor sent to Daytona to follow Davey. I approached the Daytona 500 winner and asked him if he would join me live on the evening news on WBRC Channel 6.

“Well, ESPN and CNN already have me slated to join them,” Davey told me. Davey paused and said, “Let me go back to the hauler and change clothes.”

I was 10 minutes from going live back to Birmingham from victory lane. My earpiece installed and my microphone in hand, I went over my scripts so as to be prepared for the live hit. I felt a tap on my shoulder.

“You said you wanted me to join you live?” asked Davey. I smiled, tossed away my scripts and ad-libbed a live TV interview with Davey even before ESPN and CNN conducted their own interviews. Great memories. A fan’s racer, for sure.

Victory lane in Daytona was what the Alabama Gang wanted, and Davey’s family was on top of the world.

“I held my 3-year-old daughter Krista and 1-year-old son Robbie in victory lane next to Davey. We had no idea what was to come. So much joy, and then so much heartbreak,” added Liz.

It was Aug. 13, 1992, when the call came. Just seven months after Davey’s Daytona 500 win, Davey’s brother Clifford died in a practice run at Michigan International Speedway. He was 27 years old.

Eleven months later, Davey Allison decided to fly his helicopter to the Talladega Superspeedway to watch his friend Neil Bonnett and Neil’s son David test a race car. Davey invited his friend, race legend Red Farmer, to fly to the superspeedway with him.

It was July 12, 1993. Davey attempted to land the chopper inside a fenced area near the media center in the Talladega infield.

The chopper went nose up.

Neil Bonnett pulled Red Farmer from the wreckage, while first responders freed Davey, who was flown to Carraway Methodist Medical Center in Birmingham. Davey had suffered a critical head injury.

He was pronounced dead the following morning at 7 am.

The funeral at St. Aloysious Church saw 2,000 people attend. The procession to get to the church was 5 miles long. While my memories of Davey and The Alabama Gang are fond, the image of Bobby Allison being carried from the church, inconsolable after losing two sons in a span of 11 months, stays with me to this day.

It was an unthinkable stretch. Clifford in 1992. Davey in 1993.

And then Neil Bonnett in 1994.

Bobby Allison’s best friend died at Daytona International Speedway during a Daytona 500 practice run on February 11, 1994.

Since the 32 years that Davey left us at the age of 32, so much has happened.

Davey’s mother Judy passed away on Dec. 18, 2015. His father Bobby died on Nov. 9, 2024.

Davey’s grandparents passed on: “Pop” Allison died at the age of 86 and Kittie died at the age of 101.

Davey’s sisters Bonnie and Carrie live in Hueytown and China Grove, N.C., respectively.

Bobby’s brother Donnie Allison was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame last fall, joining Bobby, Davey and Red in the Hall.

Bobby’s brother Eddie, who built engines, lives in Hueytown with his wife Penny. Red Farmer will be 93 this fall. He’s still tinkering with race cars and attending events at short tracks across America.

Liz Allison lives just south of Nashville in Brentwood, Tennessee, with Ryan Hackett, her husband of 25 years. Liz’s daughter Krista is now 35, while son Robbie is 33.

“It’s amazing to think Robbie and Krista are now older than Davey when Davey passed,” said Liz, now a grandmother of four.

Thirty-two years after Davey Allison died at the age of 32, memories of the Allison family’s golden age remain.

“It’s hard to believe it’s been 32 years,” Bonnie told me. “Certain things remind me of Davey today, of course, his children Robbie and Krista, the old racing shop, pictures and more.”

Davey’s resting place is at Highland Memorial Gardens in Bessemer, right off the interstate. Perhaps Davey can hear the rumble of car and truck engines that whiz by his grave.

As I stop at the grave every July 13 to honor my friend, I chuckle when I think of his mischievous grin, his sparkling eyes as he dropped his window netting and drove into the NASCAR garage, the three deer heads mounted in his Hueytown home’s living room, knots on my head and food spreads at the Talladega Superspeedway.

I think of how much more Davey would have accomplished in his life had he lived. He owned 19 Cup Series wins when he died. Today he would be 64, likely a car owner and broadcaster, a husband, a father and a grandfather.

I also think selfishly of myself. I think of how blessed I am to have known Davey and his entire family.

While I can’t help but think back today to the bad times, I am trying my best to think only of the good times.

The good times when the fan’s racer made me feel special.

The great memories I’ll never surrender.

Rick Karle, who writes a weekly ‘Good News’ story, is a 25-time Emmy winner and a 43-year veteran of broadcast news who has lived and worked in Alabama for 35 years. You can find his work on Facebook at Rick Karle Good News. Send your story suggestions to: [email protected]

BJ’s Wholesale Club is looking to build a mega facility on 14.27 acres off Ala. 59 and south of the Juniper Street extension in Foley, according to the Foley Planning Commission.

The membership-based retail chain offers bulk groceries, electronics and other goods in a warehouse-type space.

The future site is located on acreage behind Texas Roadhouse restaurant and Culver’s.

BJ’s is based in Massachusetts and as of May 2025 operates 250 BJ’s clubs in 21 states.

The deal was one of several real estate transactions making news across coastal Alabama in recent days.

Additionally:

• An investor paid $5.7 million for Paradise Isle, a multi-tenant retail center anchored by Publix at 1720 Gulf Shores Parkway in Gulf Shores, according to  Pratt Thomas of Merrill P. Thomas Co., who represented the seller. Nathan D. Handmacher of Zarzour Companies worked for the buyer. The 47,520-square-foot center sits on 4.57 acres. The tenants include AutoZone, Resale Heaven,  Gulf Shores Methodist Church and Nail Boutique & Spa. 
• An out-of-state contractor has leased 3,600 square feet of space at 593 Zeigler Circle W., in Mobile, according to Chris Harle and Leigh Dale Younce of White-Spunner Realty, who represented the landlord.
• Developers are seeking approval for the site plan review for Current Tides, a proposed multi-family residential development with four units at  24566 Perdido Beach Blvd., in Orange Beach, according to planning records.
•  A Slidell, LA.-based company has received site plan approval to build a 32-foot-by-70-foot fireworks stand on almost an acre at Baldwin County 99 and U.S. 98 in the Lillian community, according to Baldwin County Planning Commission. 
• Portside on Main, the latest expansion along Main Street at The Wharf in Orange Beach, will host an official opening on Wednesday, July 16. The new project consists of more than 33,000 square feet of retail, office and entertainment space. The tenants include Brand, Love, JUDE, Kilwins, Little Sunshine by the Sea, LM Boutique, SALT, Tee Off at The Wharf, Gulf Babe Wine Boutique, Legacy Spirits, LAVISH RETAIL + CO., Crave Cookies Salt & Stone and Alabama Sweet Tea Company.

When Six Flags announced recently it would close two of its theme parks – one by the end of the year – fans of roller coasters suddenly faced a scary situation.

But although the company has been known to close rides with little warning, this time, instead of a sudden drop, riders and other theme park visitors get a little space to prepare.

Six Flags fans in Maryland and California are learning they’ll have to get their amusement somewhere else. Six Flags America and Six Flags California’s Great America are both shutting down.

Here is what you need to know about why Six Flags plans to close both parks.

When are Six Flags America and Six Flags California’s Great America closing?

Six Flags America, which is located in Bowie, Maryland, is expected to close at the end of the year the company said. And the water park Hurricane Harbor Maryland will also close at the end of the season. The company’s calendar online shows that both Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor will stop full weekday operations on Friday, Aug. 22, with the exception of Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 1, when they will be open.

Both parks will remain open on weekends through the end of August. Six Flags America will keep operating into the fall for Fright Fest. Hurricane Harbor Maryland’s last weekend will be Sept. 6, while Six Flags America will remain open on weekends until Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025.

Santa Clara, California’s Six Flags California’s Great America, will stay open until at least the end of 2027.

Why are Six Flags America and Six Flags California’s Great America closing?

Turns out the land where Six Flags America is located is due for redevelopment, forcing the park’s closure.

“As part of our comprehensive review of our park portfolio, we have determined that Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor are not a strategic fit with the company’s long-term growth plan,” Six Flags President & CEO Richard A. Zimmerman said in a statement.

“After reviewing a number of options, we believe that marketing the property for redevelopment will generate the highest value and return on investment,” the statement continued.

Six Flags California Great America is closing for a different reason: its lease is expiring. The company does not plan to extend the lease – at least for the forseeable future.

“Unless we decide to extend, and exercise one of our options to extend that lease, that park’s last year without that extension would be after the ‘27 season,” Six Flags chief financial officer Brian Witherow said. He made the statement at the company’s most recent Investor Day, according to People Magazine.

Witherow added that both parks were “very low on the ranking of margins.”

Dear Eric: My Mom is planning our Dad’s 90th birthday party. My adult children and their adult children are super excited. Unfortunately, I found out that my mom will not be inviting my grandchildren or my stepdaughters’ families. I have been married to their father for more than 23 years.

My mom said it’s just too much for our dad to have the extra daughters and their families.

She says we’re family, but I guess not. I just don’t know if I can attend knowing that all my kids can’t come. They will all be very hurt, as they think of them as grandparents.

There’s time for me to figure this out as I haven’t said anything to the other kids. But I’m so disappointed and have to really decide if I’ll attend or not.

– Split Family

Dear Family: This is unfair, but I don’t think you should let it prevent you from going to the party. This is a once-in-a-lifetime celebration for your father, and you’d be sorry you missed it. Plus, your presence will be meaningful to him, which is the most important thing.

You should, however, circle back with your mother to get more information about her decision. Planning a party is a taxing affair for someone of any age, so see if there are ways that you can lighten her load or help her think through space or food or costs. It’s possible that she is thinking less about emotional bonds and more about logistics.

If she’s set on it, however, you can also have your own little get together with your stepdaughters and their families and your dad. Better to over-celebrate than under celebrate.

Read more Asking Eric and other advice columns.

Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at [email protected] or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.

The days of the media are almost upon us. The back-to-school event is about to begin.

Starting Monday, all of the SEC coaches and players from each squad will descend upon Atlanta and the College Football Hall of Fame to take part in SEC Media Days. Alabama football won’t go until Wednesday, however. The four-day event will wrap Thursday.

The Crimson Tide will bring coach Kalen DeBoer, defensive tackle Tim Keenan III, linebacker Deontae Lawson and left tackle Kadyn Proctor.

Here are three of the biggest questions for Alabama heading into SEC Media Days.

When will we get the quarterback answer?

Ty Simpson is the frontrunner entering preseason camp at quarterback. That much has been made clear by the coaching staff. But will we get an answer soon on if he will be the starter against Florida State? Maybe. Maybe not.

Past history says no. DeBoer didn’t name Michael Penix Jr. the starter at Washington until 10 days before the first game. DeBoer didn’t name Jake Haener the starter at Fresno State until four days before the first game.

That indicates the answer is going to take several weeks, but could DeBoer depart from that path with the Alabama quarterback decision? Time will tell. But no official decision has been announced publicly heading into media days.

Can the pass rush be elite?

Alabama brings back most of its defense from a season ago, a group that finished 10th in the nation in points per game allowed (17.4).

It’s not a big leap to think the defense can take an even bigger step forward in 2025. But the pass rush lacked at times in 2024. Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack often had to get creative to dial up pressure in his first season running the defense. Alabama finished with 25 sacks, nowhere near the top 10 in college football. Boise State tallied the most with 55. Sacks aren’t everything, but it’s still a stat worth improving for Alabama.

LT Overton figures to be the top pass rusher. He was a season ago. Overton taking the next step in his game (and getting sacks) could go a long way in improving the pass rush. But Alabama will need someone to pair with him so offenses can’t focus on blocking only Overton.

Qua Russaw has the potential to be that guy opposite Overton creating havoc for offenses. Or perhaps, someone else can step up.

Either way, Alabama needs players chasing the quarterback to step up in 2025. That will be the difference in another good defense and an elite one.

Can Ryan Williams take the next step in his game?

Williams is an exceptional talent. He proved that against Georgia. But he never had another 100-yard game again the rest of the season. Quarterback play impacted Williams some no doubt, but the freshman receiver from Saraland didn’t have the same impact the rest of the season as he did against the Bulldogs.

If Williams can continue to improve and sustain playing at a high-level, it can make a big difference for the offense.

But focus will be key. Williams has always, and will always, have all kinds of attention and eyeballs on him. Such is the nature of being on the cover of EA College Football 26 video game after only his freshman season. He has shown to be mature beyond his years, but even people much older than 18 would struggle balancing all of the attention and NIL deals with taking care of business on the football field. Williams will need to make sure to have elite focus on his work related to football in order to grow into the player he can become.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.

No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz plays against No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon Final today. The match is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. CT on ESPN. Fans can watch this match for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.

Alcaraz enters this matchup with a 6-0 record at Wimbledon this year, and he is coming off an impressive four-set victory against No. 5 Taylor Fritz. During the victory, Alcaraz was able to win the final set via tiebreakers.

Notably, Alcaraz is looking to win Wimbledon for the second-straight year this morning.

Sinner also enters this matchup with a 6-0 record at Wimbledon this year, and he is coming off back-to-back wins against top 10 opponents. In his last two matches, Sinner has not lost a single set. With this in mind, he will try to continue his great play this morning.

In his most recent game, Sinner defeated No. 6 Novak Djokovic. During the victory, Sinner did not concede more than four games in a single set.

Fans can watch the Wimbledon Final for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.

Dear Eric: I am a middle-aged woman, who, for most of her life was the center of the social scene. I entertained in my home, organized outings and helped my friends out whenever I could. A lot of this was not reciprocated, but I was fine with it, because I enjoyed it, and deep down, I always suspected that if I did not make the fun, the fun would not come to me.

I kept this up long after I felt like doing it, but for the past couple of years, illness has kept me from organizing and participating in activities I used to enjoy. And I was right. No one thinks to include me very often anymore.

I can’t blame them – I’m ashamed to admit that I have dropped friends, too, when they could no longer keep up with me. And I’m mostly OK with not being included, anyway. I’m good at entertaining myself.

Here’s my problem: the people in the group I used to hang out with tend to discuss their plans for fun when I’m right there in the room. I try to leave when I can, but it’s not always possible. It is a sad reminder of how much of myself I’ve lost and how many people I’ve lost to my illness. This is not their fault, but I also think they’re being inconsiderate. I was taught not to discuss any events other people weren’t included in in front of them. Am I just being too thin-skinned? If so, what can I do to toughen myself up? I am already in therapy to deal with my grief over my losses, but it doesn’t help on days I’m feeling especially vulnerable.

– Want to Be Included

Dear Included: Your skin is just fine. As hard or, perhaps awkward, as it may initially feel to ask for what you need, I’d encourage you to do it.

Sometimes, yes, we can feel hurt in situations where we just need to change our perspective or, as you wrote, toughen up. But at other times, it’s helpful to say to friends, “Hey, my skin is a little thinner here. Handle with care.”

In your case, that might mean having one-on-one conversations with a few friends wherein you acknowledge the ways your capacity has changed and ask them to invite you to things they think you might enjoy. The curse of the social butterfly is that people assume you can always take flight without assistance. And so, they also assume if you’re not joining in an activity, it’s because you’re off doing something else or you don’t want to. This can be painful because it feels like being forgotten. But I’d encourage you to reframe it if you can.

It’s healthy that you’re working on accepting the ways your life has changed, but if your friends are still discussing their plans in front of you, they can be nudged to think more creatively about those plans so that everyone can be involved. Talking one-on-one, as well as using concrete examples, can help get your friends thinking in different ways about how to show up for you.

Read more Asking Eric and other advice columns.

Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at [email protected] or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.

DEAR ABBY: I have been seeing my partner, “Gil,” for five years. After my husband passed, Gil came into my life again. We had been colleagues about 10 years prior. We always had a spark but never acted on it, as I was deeply committed to my late husband.

After the funeral, Gil came into my life with guns blazing. We struck up a friendship, and it wasn’t long before it became more. I have come to care deeply for him, and I want to be there for him, as he is older and facing some health issues.

My problem is Gil and his youngest daughter, “Nicole,” are very close. I initially wanted a warm relationship with her and went out of my way to orchestrate vacations and time together.

Fast-forward to now: I dislike Nicole immensely because she takes advantage of her dad. She’s rude, inconsiderate and holier than everyone, even though she would have nothing if not for her father’s generosity. I hesitate to call her out, because I’ll become the “bad guy,” which she has already tried to make me out to be.

Nicole is in her late 20s with kids of her own. I’m younger than Gil, and I know she sees me as a threat. I know there is some jealousy there, but I’m concerned for his well-being. His health isn’t great, and Nicole is never around for doctor appointments, etc. I want to be gracious because she can do no wrong in his eyes. Your input would be greatly appreciated. — CARING ABOUT HIM

DEAR CARING: Continue to be gracious to Nicole. As I see it, you have little choice. Because she can do no wrong in her daddy’s eyes, if you try to point out otherwise, it won’t endear you to either of them. What you must decide is which is more important to you — calling out Nicole’s glaring flaws or a relationship with her father.

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Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.