Alabama News

The Las Vegas Aces play against the Golden State Valkyries in a WNBA game tonight. The matchup is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. CT on NBA TV. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trial offered by DirecTV. Alternatively, fans can utilize the first-month discount offered by Fubo TV.

The Aces enter this matchup with a 15-14 record, and they have won three of their last four games. In their most recent game, the Aces defeated Golden State 101-77.

In order to win tonight’s game, the Aces will need to rely on their star player A’ja Wilson. She leads the Las Vegas offense in scoring, as she averages more than 21 points per game.

Notably, Wilson also leads the team with nearly 10 rebounds per game.

The Valkyries enter this matchup with a 14-14 record, and they have won three of their last four games.

In order to win this matchup, the Valkyries will need a great performance from their star player Veronica Burton. She averages nearly six assists per game, which leads the Golden State offense.

Fans can watch this WNBA game for free online by using the free trial offered by DirecTV. Alternatively, fans can utilize the first-month discount offered by Fubo TV.

The Arizona Diamondbacks play against the San Diego Padres in an MLB game tonight. The matchup is scheduled to begin at 8:40 p.m. CT on MLB Network/MLB.TV. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trial offered by DirecTV. Alternatively, fans can utilize the first-month discount offered by Fubo TV.

The Diamondbacks enter this matchup with a 54-60 record, and they have won three of their last four games. However, the team is coming off a 10-5 loss against San Diego.

In order to bounce back tonight, the Diamondbacks will need to rely on their star player Ketel Marte. He leads the Arizona offense with a .389 on-base percentage, so he will look to continue his offensive success this evening.

The Padres enter this matchup with a 63-51 record, and they have won two of their last three games.

In order to win this matchup, the Padres will need a great performance from their star player Manny Machado. He leads the San Diego offense with 20 home runs and a .302 batting average, which showcases his offensive prowess.

Fans can watch this MLB game for free online by using the free trial offered by DirecTV. Alternatively, fans can utilize the first-month discount offered by Fubo TV.

The Seattle Mariners play against the Chicago White Sox in an MLB game tonight. The matchup is scheduled to begin at 8:40 p.m. CT on MLB Network/MLB.TV. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trial offered by DirecTV. Alternatively, fans can utilize the first-month discount offered by Fubo TV.

The Mariners enter this matchup with a 61-53 record, and they have won four of their last five games. In their most recent game, the Mariners defeated the White Sox 8-3.

In order to win tonight’s game, the Mariners will need to rely on their star player Cal Raleigh. He leads the Seattle offense with 42 home runs and 88 RBI, which highlights his offensive prowess.

The White Sox enter this matchup with a 42-71 record, and they have lost back-to-back games.

In order to bounce back tonight, the White Sox will need a great performance from their star player Luis Robert Jr. He leads the Chicago offense with 46 RBI this season, so he will try to continue his offensive success this evening.

Fans can watch this MLB game for free online by using the free trial offered by DirecTV. Alternatively, fans can utilize the first-month discount offered by Fubo TV.

The Atlanta Braves play against the Milwaukee Brewers in an MLB game tonight. The matchup is scheduled to begin at 6:15 p.m. CT on FS1. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trial offered by DirecTV. Alternatively, fans can utilize the first-month discount offered by Fubo TV/Sling.

The Braves enter this matchup with a 47-65 record, and they have lost back-to-back games. In their most recent game, the Braves lost 7-2 against Milwaukee.

In order to bounce back tonight, the Braves will need a great performance from their star player Matt Olson. He leads the team with 18 home runs and 68 RBI, so he will look to continue his offensive success this evening.

The Brewers enter this matchup with a 69-44 record, and they have won five consecutive games.

In order to win tonight’s game, the Brewers will need to rely on their star player Christian Yelich. He leads the Milwaukee offense with 21 home runs and 74 RBI, which highlights his power at the plate.

Fans can watch this MLB game for free online by using the free trial offered by DirecTV. Alternatively, fans can utilize the first-month discount offered by Fubo TV/Sling.

What’s in a starting quarterback?

For Jacksonville State head coach Charles Kelly, it comes down to two things.

“First of all, we want to make the most important thing we look for in a quarterback is decision-making. That’s it,” Kelly said. “Does he make good decisions? Secondly, does he take care of the ball? Because, no matter how talented you are, how far you can throw it, any of that, how fast you can run, if you don’t make good decisions, it’s going to hurt your football team.”

Now in fall camp, the first-year Jax State coach has expressed plenty of confidence in his quarterbacks, a six-player group that includes two new transfers, two returners from last year’s team, and two freshmen.

When asked to evaluate the room, Kelly said transfer quarterback Gavin Wimsatt still leads the way if the team were to kick off today, with Fairhope native Caden Creel and Memphis transfer Cade Cunningham all in the mix.

RELATED: Quarterback Gavin Wimsatt finds familiarity, fresh challenges at Jacksonville State

“All the quarterbacks have done some really good things, even our freshmen. I think right now, and this could change, because it’s a competition, but Gavin and Caden and Cade are battling, as I’ve said before. I would say Gavin’s got a little bit of a lead, probably more because of experience; he’s been there, he’s been in games, but listen: I love these other guys. I mean, I feel comfortable with them being in the game.”

Wimsatt came to Jax State from Kentucky, where he served as the backup to Brock Vandagriff and played in eight games.

Before his time with the Wildcats, he spent three seasons at Rutgers and served as the starter in 2023; he threw for 1,735 yards and nine touchdowns while running for 497 yards and 11 touchdowns as Rutgers posted a winning record for the first time since 2014 during his tenure as the lead quarterback.

Creel, a former star at Fairhope High, signed with Jax State as part of the 2023 signing class and has not appeared in a game, but remains the longest-tenured quarterback within the program following the departure of now-Alabama State quarterback Te’Sean Smoot.

Cunningham, a senior, played at Memphis and Marshall before joining the Gamecocks ahead of the spring game; he has not thrown a pass at the collegiate level.

Kelly also praised the work that junior Greg Jones has put in, as well as freshmen Jack Moran and Kaidyn Mitchell, who helped lead Houston Academy to a Class 3A state runner-up finish last season.

“We’re going to have a quarterback, he’s going to be our starter, but again: I want him to keep competing. I would say those three right now, I’m telling you, Jack and Kadyn have done some really good things too throughout camp, and they’ll keep developing.”

Jacksonville State will open its season on Thursday, Aug. 28 at UCF before its home opener against Conference USA foe Liberty on Saturday, Sept. 6.

“We’ve got to evaluate talent, but now we want to find out about the young man,” Kelly said. ”Does he make good decisions off the field? Because that’s going to carry over on the field. How you do anything is how you do everything.”

Qua Russaw is expected to be Alabama football’s top contributor at the edge-rusher position Kane Wommack calls the “wolf.” However, he’s won’t be the only player ready to chip in at that position, and some of the next men up have impressed Wommack so far through camp.

Noah Carter, who redshirted his true freshman season last year for the Crimson Tide, has caught Wommack’s eye early in camp.

Despite Auburn coach Hugh Freeze calling Wednesday’s practice ‘not as good’ as previous days in fall camp, the Tigers’ defense persevered through the team’s struggles.

“There were spurts of practice that were really good, and there were others where I think we just kind of got through,” Freeze said. “I thought in the third, short period, defense really had great energy there.”

Freeze highlighted two linebackers during his press conference who were also recently featured in AL.com’s Auburn football notebook series as standouts during fall camp.

“Really, two guys really flashed, and that’s [Xavier Atkins] and [Bryce Deas],” Freeze added. “They really flashed, man. When they decide to hit a gap, it’s in a hurry. Obviously, the front had to play well to free them up also. I thought they really dominated that drill, and that’s one where, again, you go back to some of the reasons we haven’t had the success that we wanted.”

Atkins transferred to Auburn after spending one season at LSU, playing in five games and recording three total tackles. He’s seen reps with the first and second team defense since the start of fall camp last week.

Deas, a freshman from Baltimore, Maryland, has quickly elevated himself in Auburn’s depth chart since his arrival on the Plains during the spring.

Freeze further elaborated on the specific drills where the defense excelled and explained how those performances could impact the team this fall.

“You’ve got to execute and get those first downs. But, also, it’s nice to see the defense not give those up,” Freeze said. “Reasons we haven’t had the success that we wanted — it’s been some of those critical downs like those third-and-1s, third-and-2s. We’ve got to be excellent in those, on offense and defense.”

“[Wednesday], defense was really dang good in those,” Freeze continued. “I think we had eight reps of it, and we were probably 2 of 8, which is not going to be enough to win games. So, again, I thought we had one of our best days in a long, long time [Monday]. [Wednesday], up and down. But still some good things.”

Auburn returns to practice Thursday morning and will scrimmage Friday.

Jerry Humphrey III covers Auburn sports forAL.com. You can follow him on X at @Jerryhump3or email him at [email protected].

Michael Rapaport’s Tuesday show at the Comedy Club Stardome in Alabama was canceled due to safety concerns, the venue’s owner said.

Bruce Ayers, founder of the club in Hoover, told AL.com the venue received a flood of messages and emails over the past few days, urging organizers to cancel a performance by the actor and comedian. According to Ayers, some of the messages said protests were planned at the Stardome, due to Rapaport’s outspoken views supporting Israel in the Israel-Gaza War.

After discussions with Rapaport’s management team and the Hoover Police Department, Ayers said, he decided the best thing to do was cancel the show.

“I’m not taking sides. I was just trying to book a comedy show,” Ayers said. “I didn’t want a big protest outside and somebody getting hurt. I’m here to do comedy, make people laugh. There was nothing political about it in any way. I was just trying to put on a show, and we had sold tickets for the show. There were some people that really wanted to come. It’s just unfortunate the way it came down.”

Rapaport, 55, has been a staunch advocate for Israel, posting often on social media about his views on the war with Hamas. Rapaport has more than 3.6 million followers across three platforms — Facebook, Instagram and X — and he told them Tuesday afternoon that the Stardome show had been canceled against his wishes.

“I did not cancel. I would never cancel — especially since I’m already here in Birmingham, ready to perform,” Rapaport said in a 3 p.m. Facebook post.

“It was shut down because of protests and threats over my support for Israel and for speaking up about the 50 hostages still being held in Gaza. 670 days in captivity — and people are protesting me for demanding their release?

“It’s embarrassing. It’s sad. But I’m not ashamed. I stand by what I say and who I stand with.”

Initally, the actor had announced his Stardome show on July 23 via Facebook, saying he would be in Birmingham to film a movie and had scheduled the performance on his night off.

At the time, Ayers said, he approached Rapaport’s show as he would any celebrity appearance at the club in Hoover. Ayers founded the Stardome in 1983, and and has presented shows by stars such as Sinbad, Chris Rock, Tim Allen, Jeff Foxworthy, Craig Ferguson, Roy Wood Jr., Rickey Smiley and more.

“(Rapaport’s) agency, who I do a lot of business with, called me several weeks ago and said, ‘Listen, Michael’s going to be in town. I’d like to do a show. Would you book him for us?,’“ Ayers said. ”I said, ‘Well, sure.’ I mean, it’s just a comedy show on a Tuesday. I didn’t get involved in politics or know that he was fiery. So we decided to do the show.”

Ayers said he became concerned as messages opposing Rapaport’s show started to come in, increasing after the actor did a Friday interview with Jeff Tyson Nysewander on iHeartRadio. In the interview, Rapaport talked about the Stardome date and noted it would be his first trip to Alabama.

“In dealing with Michael over text and whatnot, he seemed like a great guy,” Ayers said. ”I have no problems with him. I really don’t have any problems with anybody. But once we put the show (announcement) up, we got a little bit of backlash. Then last Friday, it really started to get intense. Jeff Tyson did a interview with him on his radio show, and it just blew up. We’ve had over 100 or so threats and things on our social media, and it was just getting out of hand.“

Ayers said he wasn’t contacted by any pro-Palestinian groups or specific organizations threatening to protest at the Stardome. All of the messages appeared to come from individuals, Ayers said, and it was unclear if the people opposing the show lived in Alabama or elsewhere.

Rapaport receives regular praise from his followers on social media, along with fans who admire his work in movies and TV shows such as “True Romance,” “Mighty Aphrodite,“ ”Justified, “My Name is Earl” and more. He also hosts two podcasts, “I Am Rapaport” and ”Rapaport’s Reality” with his wife Kebe Rapaport.

The actor received nearly 7,000 likes and about 1,400 comments on his Tuesday Facebook post about the Stardome cancellation, for example, and most of the responses were extremely supportive.

“Thank you Michael for standing up when others are cowering,” Larry Mils said via Facebook. “So many in Hollywood and corporate America are afraid to stand up for what’s right. You are a bright and shining star unafraid to show your moral clarity.”

But Rapaport’s views on the Israel-Gaza conflict also have inspired plenty of criticism, especially from folks who find his posts provocative, inflammatory or lacking in empathy for Palestinian civilians caught up in the nearly two-year-old war.

“Michael used to strike me as the type to deal with nuance head-on but he’s missing the point of this protest by so far that it seems deliberate to me,” @optikalblitz said in an Instagram comment about the Hoover show. “His handling of this has caused me to lose the respect I had for him. Maybe disagreeing with genocide is just a bridge too far for some people. I’m glad he lost this opportunity to perform here.”

The Stardome cancellation comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hints at wider military action in Gaza even as some former army and intelligence chiefs call for an end to the war, The Associated Press reports.

The new pressure on Netanyahu comes as Gaza’s Health Ministry on Tuesday said the war’s Palestinian death toll has surpassed 61,000, according to AP. Meanwhile, health officials have reported new deaths of hungry people seeking food. Families of the 50 Israeli hostages remaining in Gaza fear that hunger endangers them too, and they blame Hamas.

For his part, Ayers compared the Stardome to Switzerland amid the controversy over Rapaport, saying the venue was neutral and had no hidden agenda when it scheduled or canceled the performance. He emphasized that in a Wednesday news release about the cancellation, as well.

“This wasn’t about silencing anyone,” Ayers said in the release, which was posted on Facebook. “It was about avoiding a potentially volatile situation and keeping things safe and peaceful for everyone involved.”

Courting public controversy isn’t the Stardome’s style, Ayers told AL.com, and the comedy club hasn’t seen any large political protests to date.

“I want to book people that are funny,“ Ayers said. ”so people are going to come in, buy tickets and laugh, and buy chicken fingers and beer. … I’ve been in this business and in this town for 50 years, right? People know me. I’m just trying to do comedy shows. Everybody is just all fired up (about Rapaport) for their own reasons, but I’m not in the middle of that. I don’t want to be. I want to sell tickets for people to come see a good show and laugh. That’s our business.”

Refunds have been issued to folks who bought tickets to Rapaport’s show, Ayers said in the news release, and “the Stardome remains committed to offering high-quality entertainment in a respectful and safe environment for all guests.”

Meanwhile, fans hoping to see Rapaport in Alabama have another option this week. Chabad of Alabama, a nonprofit organization, has announced a Thursday meet-and-greet with the actor at its headquarters in Mountain Brook.

“Cancelled? Nah we’re just getting started!,” Chabad of Alabama said Tuesday night via Facebook and Instagram. “Join us in welcoming @michaelrapaport to Birmingham and showing our deep appreciation for his unwavering support of Israel — even when it comes at personal and professional costs. Light breakfast will be served. Due to security, all attendees must register in advance.”

A registration form for the 10:15 a.m. event is posted on Chabad’s website.

Rapaport met with representatives from Chabad of Alabama on Tuesday, according to his Facebook post, and offered kudos to the organization.

“Fortunately, I got to meet some incredible people from Chabad of Alabama today and had the blessing of wrapping tefillin — a ginormous mitzvah and a reminder of what really matters,” Rapaport said via Facebook. “Am Yisrael Chai.”

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The season 15 finale of the hit adventure docuseries Expedition Unknown premieres on the Discovery Channel Wednesday, Aug. 6 at 9/8c.

This season of Expedition Unknown has followed host Josh Gates as he’s traveled to off-the-grid historic sites to uncover some of the most shocking mysterious and incredible phenomena. So far this season, Gates has visited the African savanna, trudged through the South Carolina swamps, and more.

Where to watch the Expedition Unknown season 15 finale

Cord cutters hoping to catch Gates’ adventure to a Turkish dig site can stream the season 15 finale through Philo, DirecTV or Sling.

Philo is considered one of the most affordable traditional cable alternatives out there. At just $28 a month after a 7-day free trial, subscribers can enjoy over 70 top-rated TV channels such as TLC, MTV, BET, AMC, CMT, Investigation Discovery and more.

Hit shows like Discovery’s Expedition Unknown is available for streaming through DirecTV, too. With plans starting at $86.99 after its 5-day free trial, DirecTV offers a plethora of live TV channels, tailor-made genre packs to slim down filler overload, and a load of other appealing features.

Sling is another great streaming platform replacing basic cable. By offering new users half off their first month and a stellar selection of popular TV channels, Sling is a popular alternative to the hassle of traditional cable. Plans start at just $45.99 a month after the first month.

What to expect from the finale

During the highly anticipated journey Gates takes during the upcoming finale, the long-time host investigates rumors swirling around a Turkish dig site that is 6,000 years older than Stonehenge.

Separating fact from fiction, Gates and his team uncover evidence of tribal skull rituals, debunking the legend of an alien-constructed observatory.

What is Expedition Unknown about?

For those unfamiliar with the long-running Discovery Channel series, the show follows Gates and chronicles his global adventures as he investigates iconic unsolved events, lost cities, buried treasures and other puzzling stories.

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