Venus Williams and Rich Hill are making 45 the new 20
Move over LeBron James. You're no longer the old head on the sports block.
No sir. That title is going back to two athletes who probably owned it before their recent breaks that could've been mistaken for retirements had they not returned Tuesday like they never left. If James gets a sudden inspiration to go another five years, we now know who to blame. It's Venus Williams and Rich Hill.
Williams, one of the all-time great tennis players, participated in the DC Open for her first professional match in over a year, and the 45-year-old wasn't just there to play, she was there to compete. Williams defeated world No. 35 Peyton Stearns for her first win since August 2023.
VENUS' BEAU: Meet Williams' fiancé Andrea Preti
On the same day Williams turned back the clock, Hill made his return to the majors after 11 months away, taking the mound for his 14th different team (the Kansas City Royals), which tied an MLB record. But unlike his four relief appearances last season, Hill actually opened the game Tuesday, marking his first start in two years.
And he was also good! Hill only allowed three runs and one earned run over five innings and 90 pitches. KC didn't get the win, but it was the most innings he's pitched since... August 2023.
Look, 45 isn't really old in the grand scheme of life, but in sports, it's ancient. Hill made his MLB debut in 2005... 20 years ago! And by that point Williams was already a four-time Grand Slam champion going on No. 5 that same summer. They've been at this a really long time.
It's worth appreciating that these athletes are still competing at all, let alone competing at a high level. Things like this make it easier to understand why someone like LeBron, who hasn't suffered nearly the same decline as other athletes in their 40s, might want to hang around a little longer. Longevity like this is rare.
Mike Locksley goes deep on NIL troubles
The difficulties of coaching college athletes in the NIL era have been apparent from the start, but I haven't heard many coaches detail those struggles quite like Maryland coach Mike Locksley did Tuesday at Big Ten media days.
Locksley went so far as to say he lost his locker room over having to decide which players to pay.
"And this is Coach Locks, the locker room king, telling you this landscape, I had to choose between paying young players who were coming in or reward the older players that have been through the fire, three bowl wins, and I tried to do both with limited resources. And that's what you get: a locker room with the haves and have-nots."
That's really interesting stuff.
DON'T TAP THE GLASS
With Tyler, the Creator's surprise release of DON'T TAP THE GLASS on Monday, FTW's Cory Woodroof ranked all nine albums in the rapper's discography. And while I won't tell you where the latest offering falls in the list, here's a snippet of what Cory had to say about it:
"However, Don't Tap the Glass only comes from an artist at the absolute peak of their power. Okonma wrote that he wanted the album to help people loosen up a bit in a culture where we hold ourselves back from having fun at risk of being judged. Don't Tap the Glass isn't meant to be dissected as much as it's meant to be danced to, and the production is as free and innovative as Okonma has been in his career so far without sacrificing his sonic hallmarks."
As promising as that sounds, DON'T TAP THE GLASS had some stiff competition to reach the top.
Quick Hits: RIP Ozzy Osbourne ... Saints retirements ... and more
- Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne died Tuesday, and the tributes poured in from across the internet. FTW also remembered the Black Sabbath frontman with a list of his 10 best songs.
- A couple of New Orleans greats retired Tuesday, with Jimmy Graham and Tyrann Mathieu both officially hanging it up. Here's Christian D'Andrea on why Graham probably won't make the Hall of Fame despite how good he was.
- Mike Vrabel learned from the best. Here he is pulling his best Bill Belichick impression by sassing a Patriots reporter.
- Micah Parsons answered questions about the holdup in his negotiations with the Cowboys. It doesn't sound like he's interested in leaving Dallas.
Thanks for reading. We'll be back tomorrow.
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