Alabama News

With Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt manning their offensive tackles, Los Angeles has “two great ones,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh.

Los Angeles signed Mekhi Becton to a two-year, $20 million contract as a free agent in March, putting a 2024 Super Bowl winner into the Chargers’ lineup at right guard.

But when Los Angeles became the first NFL team to have a full-squad training-camp practice for the 2025 season on Thursday, the Chargers still had a decision to make at the other two offensive-line positions, even though they return a starter at each spot.

Los Angeles is trying to decide if the offense will be better with Bradley Bozeman staying at center and Zion Johnson remaining at left guard or if it would be beneficial to switch their positions. Each player is working at both spots.

“I don’t know how many days it’ll go like that until we lock it in,” Harbaugh said on Thursday. “We know we got a trusted agent, known friend in Brad Bozeman at center, and we know he could be a really good guard and has been a really good guard. Zion, known friend, trusted agent, starting guard. Will it be a better combination with him at center and Boze at guard, or it’s going to be better with Zion at guard and Boze at center? Hey, let’s find out.

“And how’re we going to know? Like we do everything. They play the best, so we’ll get them in the best position for them and for our team.”

Johnson has started at guard for the Chargers since joining the team from Boston College in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

In his first season with Los Angeles, Bozeman made every offensive snap in 16 of the Chargers’ 17 games in 2024. He missed 10 snaps in the other contest. In his past 45 games, those are the only offensive snaps that Bozeman has missed out of 2,795.

Bozeman could have become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Instead, he stayed with Los Angeles for a two-year, $6.5 million contract.

Bozeman made the transition from college center to NFL guard and back to center.

A former Handley High School standout, Bozeman served as Alabama’s starting center in the 2016 and 2017 seasons, capping his career in the Crimson Tide’s 26-23 overtime victory against Georgia in the CFP national-championship game.

As a sixth-round rookie, Bozeman played 214 offensive snaps in 14 games with one start for the Baltimore Ravens in 2018. But during the next three seasons, he hardly came off the field for the Ravens offense.

With Bozeman at left guard, the Ravens rushed for more than 3,000 yards in the 2019 and 2020 seasons – two of the six times that had been accomplished in NFL history.

Bozeman shifted to center for Baltimore in 2021 and has played that position exclusively since then.

The Chargers will play in the first game on the NFL’s preseason schedule. Los Angeles will take on the Detroit Lions in the annual Hall of Fame Game on July 31 in Canton, Ohio. The Chargers also will play the New Orleans Saints on Aug. 10, Los Angeles Rams on Aug. 16 and San Francisco 49ers on Aug. 23 in preseason games.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

The Atlanta Braves play against the New York Yankees in an MLB game tonight. The matchup will begin at 6:15 p.m. CT on MLB Network. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV.

The Braves enter this matchup with a 42-53 record, and they have won three of their last five games. However, the team is coming off a 5-4 loss against St. Louis.

In order to bounce back tonight, the Braves will need to rely on their star player Matt Olson. He leads the Atlanta offense with 17 home runs and 61 RBI, so he will look to continue his offensive success this evening.

The Yankees enter this matchup with a 53-43 record, and they have lost back-to-back games. In their most recent game, the Yankees lost 4-1 against the Chicago Cubs.

In order to win tonight’s game, the Yankees will need a great performance from their star player Aaron Judge. He leads the New York offense with 35 home runs and 81 RBI, which highlights his power at the plate.

Fans can watch this MLB game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV.

By Ruben Castañeda | Edited by Patricia Guadalupe

Before he became a hip-hop basketball sneakerhead impresario, before he wrote books about his lifelong love affair with the city game and the shoes players wear on and off the court, before he was mentored by playground legend Earl “The Goat” Manigault, before he palled around with MCs and consulted for an animated movie starring A-list actors about designer kicks who embark on an adventure in New York City, Bobbito García was a skinny kid who just wanted to play ball.

In his entertaining new memoir, “Bobbito’s Book of B-Ball Bong Bong! A Memoir of Sports, Style, and Soul,” which was released July 1, García chronicles his evolution from playground baller to a D-2 college player, to a writer, basketball kicks promoter, and trusted historian-voice for a major documentary on New York hoops legends.

With colorful prose, García, 58, describes the different phases of his life through the prism of his love for basketball. In the 1950s, García’s father, Ramón, was invited to try out for a Puerto Rican professional basketball team at the age of 18. But before the tryout, Ramón’s mother asked him to move to New York City to help her care for his younger siblings. The Garcías were part of the more than 200,000 Puerto Ricans who moved to the Big Apple during the ‘50s.

García caught the hoops bug, and in 1977, at age 11, started for his sixth-grade squad, though he was “a complete burger.”

By 1981, García was a regular at the playground known as the Goat, named after Manigault, a legendary leaper whose potential pro career was derailed by a heroin habit.

“The Goat was a mythical mentor at the park who led by example, with an approachable and kind demeanor,” García writes in his book. “There was a melancholy aura to him, though. As a ballplayer in the fifties and sixties … the hard truth was that he had been an underachiever, someone who never reached his full potential.

“While Earl never had to convince me not to drink or smoke – I was already on that — the lesson he did indirectly impress upon me was that in life we can make some great decisions, and some wrong and hurtful ones. Which side did I want to stand on?”

At the Goat playground and other hoops locales, García began meeting music industry figures, making the kinds of connections that would later prove helpful. After playing for the storied Lower Merion High School basketball team in Pennsylvania (Kobe Bryant’s alma mater) by way of a college prep program for economically disadvantaged students, Bobbito played for Wesleyan University in Connecticut, a Division 2 school.

After barely leaving the bench at Wesleyan, García returned to the Goat playground, where one day Ray Díaz, a pro baller from Puerto Rico, told him after a game that he was ready to play professionally in Puerto Rico.

On the island, García didn’t play much, but he gained immeasurable pride by competing in his homeland. “I had many identity issues growing up as a Boricua who couldn’t speak Spanish,” García writes. “Black opponents in Harlem would call me whiteboy. Two Puerto Rican stickup hoods in my hood once did the same. On my visits to the island, even my cousins would call me gringo when I couldn’t understand what they were saying.”

On the island, he took in the sheer beauty of the island, “how ridiculously gorgeous the biodiversity was, from the mountains to the shores, the palm trees, the bioluminescent bay, the rainforest, the coquís singing at night, the roosters crowing in the morning, and all the enchanted tropical country could offer. For the first time in my life, I felt a spiritual connection to my heritage, one that no one could ever detract from again moving forward.”

While he never became a basketball star, García moved forward – becoming a DJ, briefly showcasing his hoops skills on a Nike commercial, interviewing Kobe Bryant for ESPN, co-hosting a hip-hop radio show, writing for basketball-themed magazines, and then penning his own books, including “Where’d You Get Those? New York City’s Sneaker Culture: 1960-1987,” winning an award from Hoops 4 Hope for giving basketball clinics in Senegal, and becoming a key figure in a Showtime documentary about star New York point guards during the 1980s and 1990s.

“Perhaps the illest component of being involved for me,” García writes, was his credit at the end of NYC Point Gods: Bobbito García, B-ball Sage. “Not bad for a Puerto Rican kid from the Goat who not a soul would have predicted would make an entire career out of loving basketball with global impact, whether storytelling, documenting, curating, teaching, announcing, performing, playing, advocating, or simply inspiring others by example,” García writes.

He’s the “Sneaker Culture Ambassador” for the 2025 animated movie “Sneaks,” which features characters voiced by stars Anthony Mackie and Laurence Fishburne.

In an interview with palabra, García says he started writing his memoir about 22 years ago, but never finished it. In 2023, he returned to it and finished it in a matter of months.

Asked what he hopes readers get from his story, García says, “You don’t have to give two (bleeps) about basketball and still enjoy my memoir. There’s a story about my family, there’s levels of identity, there’s a social justice component. I hope people read the book and maybe get inspired to go out and play, or become energized to become involved in the game and the culture if you don’t play.”

Lunchtime doesn’t have to mean boring. It also doesn’t have to mean soggy sandwiches and lukewarm drinks.

All you need for back to school – or that midday work break – is Stanley’s 7 qt. Easy Carry Lunch Cooler. It’s $50 and users rave about its portability, style and ability to keep their lunch fresh and chilled.

It comes in a variety of beautiful colors: Rose Quartz, Azure, Pamelo, Twilight, Stanley Green, Tigerlily Plum and Dried Pine.

Order yours here.

Here’s all you need to know:

Cool up to 27 hours

The Stanley Easy Carry Lunch Cooler | 7 QT is designed with double-wall foam insulation to keep contents cool for up to 27 hours. It features a leak-resistant gasket to prevent spills and rugged latches and handles for durability. An adjustable bungee system on the lid allows users to secure a Stanley bottle or other items. The cooler weighs 3.9 pounds and has dimensions of 13.3 x 11.1 x 8.6 inches.

Adjustable for your Stanley bottle

The adjustable bungee system on the lid stands out as a particularly useful feature. It allows users to securely attach a Stanley bottle or other items to the top of the cooler, freeing up space inside and making it convenient to carry everything needed for a hike, picnic, or other outing.

Leak-resistant

The leak-resistant gasket is a notable feature, ensuring that the cooler can be transported without worrying about spills, making it suitable for various activities and environments.

Generative AI was used to create product description for this story, based on data provided by Stanley. It was reviewed and edited by AL.com.

The brand new reality series The Fixer premieres on FOX Friday, July 18 at 8/7c.

Those looking to check out the latest reality series to hit FOX can stream the premiere of The Fixer through Fubo or DirecTV—both of which offer free trials for new subscribers to enjoy before committing to a paid subscription.

What is The Fixer about?

Marcus Lemonis, a popular TV personality and entrepreneur, is hitting the road to meet with business owners from across the country whose companies are at a crossroads and need to make impactful changes.

Struggling with tough decisions and looking for direction, he assesses their prospects and picks one business in the hope that they will all make a profit.

As they address extraordinary challenges together in a revealing behind-the-scenes journey to success, they benefit from Marcus’s candid instruction and business know-how in an effort to seek an investment.

To kick off the new series, Marcus steps into help a dance and trampoline-based fitness studio that desperately needs a bit of guidance to move forward.

How to watch The Fixer season 1

Those interested in checking out the new series can stream the live premiere through Fubo or DirecTV—both of which offer free trials to new subscribers.

What is Fubo and DirecTV?

Fubo and DirecTV are two of the top streaming services steadily replacing traditional cable services. Both offer free trials to new subscribers, a plethora of popular live TV channels, on-demand streaming options and helpful features such as unlimited DVR storage.

Fubo considers itself a sports-focused live streaming service, but with over 100 live TV channels available through its base package at just $84.99 after its free trial, it offers much more to its subscribers.

Popular TV channels available through Fubo include ABC, FOX, BET, MTV, CNBC, MSNBC, USA and much more.

DirecTV mirrors Fubo by offering many of the same live TV channels and useful features. The base package starts at just $86.99 a month after its 5-day free trial and includes popular channels such as HGTV, ESPN, Bravo, CMT, CNN, BET and much more.

Two other DirecTV packages are the Choice package (original price $114.99) and the Ultimate package (original price $129.99), both of which are part of an ongoing promotion that offers new subscribers $10 off the original price for the first three months of their subscription.

Those interested in comparing all DirecTV’s channel packages can check them out here.

Rather than melting outside in the summer heat this weekend, many are choosing to stay inside and play at their favorite online sweepstakes casinos.

These unique gaming platforms are legal throughout most of the country and offer a huge variety of fun casino games.

Here, I highlight four of the best new sweepstakes slots to play this weekend. Each of these games is exciting and comes from what many consider to be the best sweepstakes casinos in the country.

The best new sweeps slots for this weekend

Slot games are the most popular types of casino games in the US. For decades, these were available only inside land-based casinos and licensed gaming establishments.

Online real money casinos later began offering these games, yet these platforms are legal in only seven states.

For most Americans, online sweepstakes casinos remain the best option to legally play slots online. The majority of sweeps casinos provide hundreds or even thousands of slots from the top developers in the online gaming industry.

Below, I highlight four of the best new sweepstakes slots you can play this weekend:

Candy Blitz Bombs

Pragmatic Play has developed some of the most iconic online slot games in history. In late 2024, this developer launched Candy Blitz Bombs. It’s since turned into one of the hottest slots available at Crown Coins Casino.

This candy-themed slot game features an average RTP rate of 96.49%, six reels and a Pay Anywhere mechanic that allows players to earn winning combinations anywhere on the grid with eight or more matching symbols.

It’s packed with fun features, including a free spins round, triggered by landing between four and six scatter symbols on the grid.

Candy Blitz Bombs is certainly not the only candy-themed slot available to play today. It’s one of the best-looking, though. The graphics are incredible and the soundtrack deserves credit for enhancing the gameplay.

Money Stacks

Yet another fantastic online slot developed by Pragmatic Play is Money Stacks, which can be found at Real Prize.

Like Candy Blitz Bombs, this game features six reels. This game, however, offers players 4,096 paylines, has an average RTP rate of 96.55% and provides a maximum payout of 5,000x their wager.

All of the high RTP slots from Pragmatic Play come with some kind of unique bonus feature. Money Stacks is filled with them, including three unique free spins rounds. Each of these rounds allows players to earn huge multipliers that can offer massive payouts.

It’s difficult to narrow down the specific theme of this game. It features common classic slot symbols, including the 7 symbols and various fruits. The four different jackpot payouts are also clearly visible to players on the left side of the screen.

3 Coin Volcanoes

Those looking for a more simplistic slot game this weekend may enjoy 3 Coin Volcanoes at Mega Frenzy.

This game, developed by 3 Oaks Gaming, features only three reels and three paylines. It’s a basic slot game with a decent RTP rate of 95.68% and a maximum payout of 2,000x your wager.

3 Oaks is also well known for adding great bonus perks to its slots. 3 Coin Volcanoes has numerous bonus features that can offer some good payouts. Perhaps the best is the Volcano Multiplier feature, which randomly triggers during gameplay and can offer up to nine individual multipliers.

This game is tailor-made for beginners. It’s extremely easy to understand. With that being said, it comes with enough unique bonuses to keep even the most hardcore slot fan satisfied.

Flame and Fortune: Hold and Win

Flame and Fortune: Hold and Win was launched earlier this year by Octoplay. It’s gained a huge fanbase since that time, especially at Rolla Casino, because of its great graphics and fun bonuses.

This game features five reels, five paylines and an average RTP rate of 95.97%.

There is no shortage of ways for players to boost their payout in this game. The Crown symbol represents the wild symbol and can help players land winning combinations. The Treasure Dragon acts as the collect symbol, allowing players to immediately earn payouts for every cash symbol featured on the grid.

I am a huge fan of this game’s fantasy theme. It looks like many of the best real money slots, yet focuses more on gameplay and bonuses than flashy animations. It does most things right and certainly deserves a mention as one of the best new sweeps slots to play this weekend.

Learn more about our gaming editorial staff.

If you or a loved one has questions or needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit 1800gambler.net for more information.

If summer isn’t summer without a nice place to lounge, Wayfair has a sale for you.

The online mega-retailer has slashed the price of its 2-piece Outdoor Chaise Lounge Chair set by Arlmont and Co. by almost 50 percent. The chairs are normally $236 but are now on sale for $126. The best deal is for the black set but you can pay a little more and get some other colors like dark brown, gray or light brown.

You can order yours here.

The standout feature of these chaise lounges is the 5-position adjustable backrest. This allows users to customize their reclining angle for reading, sunbathing, chatting, or even taking a nap, providing a versatile seating experience for various outdoor activities.

They are made with high-grade waterproof and sun-resistant material. The chairs are crafted from PP plastic, which is not only waterproof but also UV – protected, preventing fading and degradation over time. It’s extremely sturdy, capable of supporting up to 300 pounds, and is perfect for long – term outdoor use, standing up to the test of different weather conditions.

Generative AI was used to create product description for this story, based on data provided by Wayfair. It was reviewed and edited by AL.com.

Women’s sports are on the rise and the WNBA has played a major role. Last season sparked an uptick in interest, with Caitlin Clark taking the league by storm and winning Rookie of the Year honors.

One year later, Clark was named a captain for this year’s WNBA All-Star game. Unfortunately for her, a groin injury will keep her sidelined in the game, as well as the 3-point contest. Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx was named the other captain and she’s ready to play.

On Friday, WNBA All-Star festivities will kick off with the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest. Fans looking to watch can do so on Fubo, offering a free trial to new members.

Here’s everything you need to know before the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest tonight:

When: Friday, July 18, 2025

Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

Time: 8 p.m. ET

Here’s a look at which players will be competing in these challenges:

Skills Challenge: Allisha Gray (Atlanta), Erica Wheeler and Skylar Diggins (Seattle), Natasha Cloud (New York), Courtney Williams (Minnesota)

3-Point Contest: Lexie Hull (Indiana), Sabrina Ionescu (New York), Sonia Citron (Washington), Kelsey Plum (Los Angeles), Allisha Gray (Atlanta)

Georgia and Texas led all teams by placing 13 players on the preseason All-SEC teams voted on this week at SEC Media Days in Atlanta.

The Bulldogs placed 10 players on the first team, one on the second team and two on the third team. The Longhorns had four players on the first team, two on the second team and five on the third team.

Alabama was third with 11 players on the All-SEC teams, followed by Florida with nine, LSU with eight and Texas A&M with six. Auburn was next with five, followed by Ole Miss (4), Arkansas (3), Oklahoma (3), South Carolina (3), Tennessee (3), Missouri (2), Kentucky (1), Mississippi State (1) and Vanderbilt (1).

Ties in voting were not broken. In addition players were eligible to be elected at more than one position.

Below is the complete preseason Media Days All-SEC team for 2025:

First-team offense

QB — LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina

RB — Quintrevion Wisner, Texas

RB — Le’Veon Moss, Texas A&M

WR — Ryan Williams, Alabama

WR — Cam Coleman, Auburn

TE — Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt

OL — Kadyn Proctor, Alabama

OL — Cayden Green, Missouri

OL — DJ Campbell, Texas

OL — Austin Barber, Florida

C — Jake Slaughter, Florida

First-team defense

DL — Keldric Faulk, Auburn

DL — Dylan Stewart, South Carolina

DL — Colin Simmons, Texas

DL — Christian Miller, Georgia

LB — Anthony Hill, Texas

LB — Whit Weeks, LSU

LB — CJ Allen, Georgia

DB — KJ Bolden, Georgia

DB — Michael Taaffe, Texas

DB — Daylen Everette, Georgia

DB — Jermod McCoy, Tennessee

First-team specialists

P — Brett Thorson, Georgia

PK — Peyton Woodring, Georgia

LS — Beau Gardner, Georgia

KOS — Peyton Woodring, Georgia

RS — Zachariah Branch, Georgia

AP — Zachariah Branch, Georgia

Second-team offense

QB — Garrett Nussmeier, LSU

RB — Jaydn Ott, Oklahoma

RB — Caden Durham, LSU

WR — Aaron Anderson, LSU

WR — Ryan Wingo, Texas

TE — Oscar Delp, Georgia

OL — Ar’maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M

OL — Trey Zuhn, Texas A&M

OL — Jaeden Roberts, Alabama

OL — Fernando Carmona, Arkansas

C — Parker Brailsford, Alabama

Second-team defense

DL — Caleb Banks, Florida

DL — Tim Keenan, Alabama

DL — LT Overton, Alabama

DL — R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma

LB — Deontae Lawson, Alabama

LB — Harold Perkins, LSU

LB — Suntarine Perkins, Ole Miss

DB — Malik Muhammad, Texas

DB — Domani Jackson, Alabama

DB — Will Lee, Texas A&M

DB — Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina

Second-team specialists

P — Jack Bouwmeester, Texas

PK — Trey Smack, Florida*

PK — Lucas Carneiro, Ole Miss*

LS — Rocco Underwood, Florida

KOS — Trey Smack, Florida

RS — Barion Brown, LSU

AP — Zavion Thomas, LSU

Third-team offense

QB — Arch Manning, Texas

RB — Nate Frazier, Georgia

RB — Jam Miller, Alabama

WR — Eric Singleton, Auburn

WR — Kevin Coleman, Missouri

TE — Jack Endries, Texas

OL — Earnest Greene III, Georgia

OL — Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M

OL — Xavier Chaplin, Auburn

OL — Trevor Goosby, Texas

C — Connor Lew, Auburn

Third-team defense

DL — Tyreak Sapp, Florida

DL — Trey Moore, Texas

DL — Cam Ball, Arkansas

DL — Zxavian Harris, Ole Miss

LB — Taurean York, Texas A&M

LB — Arion Carter, Tennessee

LB — Princewill Umanmielen, Ole Miss

DB — Keon Sabb, Alabama

DB — Boo Carter, Tennessee

DB — Bray Hubbard, Alabama

DB — Isaac Smith, Mississippi State

Third-team specialists

P — Devin Bale, Arkansas*

P — Aidan Laros, Kentucky*

PK — Alex McPherson, Auburn

LS — Ben Anderson, Oklahoma

KOS — Will Stone, Texas

RS — Zavion Thomas, LSU

AP — Eugene Wilson, Florida*

AP — Jadan Baugh, Florida*

* — Indicates a tie

Alabama football had 11 players named to the preseason All-SEC teams announced Friday after SEC Media Days, as voted on by conference media.

Wide receiver Ryan Williams and left tackle Kadyn Proctor each made the first team. No defensive players were included on the first team.

Meanwhile, six different players made the second team: offensive linemen Jaeden Roberts and Parker Brailsford, defensive linemen Tim Keenan III and LT Overton, linebacker Deontae Lawson and defensive back Domani Jackson.

The third team included running back Jam Mille and defensive backs Bray Hubbard and Keon Sabb.

Alabama is heading into the second season under coach Kalen DeBoer. The Crimson Tide was picked to finish third in the SEC behind Texas and Georgia. Alabama also received the third-most votes to win the SEC Championship Game.

The Crimson Tide will aim to make the College Football Playoff for the first time under DeBoer in 2025 after missing it slightly in his first season.

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