On this day in sports history

Is The Undertaker telling us the truth?

On his podcast, Undertaker said he doesn't know why a match with Sting never happened and suggested it was ultimately Vince McMahon's decision.

But Sting's own comments over the years tell a different story.

- In 2014, before signing with WWE, Sting called Undertaker his dream opponent and said he hoped The Streak ending wouldn't mean Undertaker had retired, specifically hoping for a match at WrestleMania 31.

- After his WWE run, Sting told WWE himself that the one thing he had wanted to accomplish was simple:
"The Undertaker match. That's what I wanted to do."

- In 2017, Sting revealed he had spoken directly with Undertaker:
"I just always wanted to have that match. It wasn't necessarily reciprocated, so I'm not sure where he stands or if he had any interest at all, to be quite honest."

- In 2020, Sting said he was still pushing WWE to make a cinematic match with Undertaker happen, but it wasn't going to happen for "a litany of reasons."

- As recently as 2024, Sting said one of the main reasons he joined WWE was the hope of eventually facing The Undertaker.

So, for nearly a decade, Sting consistently and publicly said he wanted the match.

If Undertaker also wanted it, why did Sting say the interest wasn't being reciprocated?

Someone isn't telling us the whole truth...

33 years ago today on TV:
WWF Monday Night RAW - July 26, 1993

[Manhattan Center in New York City, New York]

Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Bret Hart

Mr. Hughes vs. Russ Greenberg

The Smoking Gunns vs. Duane Gill & Glen Ruth

Doink The Clown vs. Phil Apollo

BREAKING: WWE has reportedly been very impressed with Solo Sikoa and his recent work on TV🚨

It was noted that Sikoa has been receiving a ton of praise internally for his growth throughout his recent storyline with The Bloodline, LA Knight and Royce Keys

Additionally it was noted that WWE officials are extremely happy with his development and expect Solo Sikoa to remain heavily featured on WWE programming moving forward

Do you think Solo Sikoa has become one of WWE’s top stars?

🏈On July 22, 1985 the Los Angeles Raiders Howie Long was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Long was voted the NFL Alumni Defensive Lineman of the Year and the NFLPA AFC Defensive Lineman of the Year in 1985. He capped off a stellar ‘85 season earning the George S. Halas Trophy for having been voted the NEA's co-NFL Defensive Player of the Year (sharing the honor with Andre Tippett). He was also named the Seagrams' Seven Crown NFL Defensive Player of the year. The following year, Long was voted the Miller Lite NFL Defensive Lineman of the Year. Both of those awards were decided of polls taken by NFL players. In 1986, Long was voted to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl and was key in helping the Raiders record 63 sacks, and being ranked the number one defense in the AFC. From 1983 to 1986 the Raiders defense recorded 249 sacks, which was tied with the Chicago Bears for tops in the NFL over that span.🏈

30 years ago today on TV:
WCW MONDAY NITRO - July 22, 1996

[Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida]

Dave Taylor vs. Scott Norton

Konnan vs. V.K. Wallstreet

Alex Wright, Jim Powers & Joe Gomez vs. The Leprechaun, Hugh Morrus, Kevin Sullivan & The Barbarian

Diamond Dallas Page vs. Prince Iaukea

Dean Malenko vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.

Meng vs. Ice Train

Eddie Guerrero vs. Psychosis

Sting, Lex Luger & Randy Savage vs. Arn Anderson, Chris Benoit & Steve McMichael

In 1931, Lou Gehrig drove in an American League record 184 runs. Batting directly behind Babe Ruth gave him an astronomical advantage in one category, but absolutely zero help in another.

To understand how Ruth’s presence affected Gehrig, baseball statistics must be split into two distinct metrics: counting stats (like runs batted in) and rate stats (like batting average and slugging percentage).

For counting stats, hitting behind a batter who reached base nearly half the time was a massive help. Ruth holds the all-time major league record for career on-base percentage at .474. Because Ruth drew 2,062 walks and hit consistently for average, Gehrig constantly arrived at the plate with men on base. A traditional counter-argument notes that Ruth hit 714 home runs, frequently clearing the bases and depriving Gehrig of RBI opportunities. While true, the sheer volume of times Ruth reached base on a walk, single, or double vastly outweighed the times he hit a solo home run. Gehrig simply had far more baserunners to drive in than an average cleanup hitter.

For rate stats, however, the dynamic was negligible. A traditional baseball theory argues that pitchers were forced to throw better pitches to Gehrig because they had just pitched around or intentionally walked Ruth. But modern statistical analysis of decades of baseball data shows that lineup protection is largely a myth. A batter’s true hitting metrics—like average, slugging percentage, and walk rate—are overwhelmingly determined by their own talent level, regardless of who hits before or after them in the lineup.

While Gehrig often hit with Ruth on base—forcing pitchers to throw from the stretch rather than a full windup—this mechanical difference did not meaningfully inflate Gehrig’s production. Pitchers were certainly terrified of Ruth, but they were equally cautious around Gehrig. He posted a career .340 batting average and .632 slugging percentage not because Ruth wore pitchers down, but because he was a once-in-a-generation hitter in his own right.

This Day in Baseball History: July 4 — Negro Leagues

Biggest July 4 Tradition: The Doubleheader
July 4 was the date on the Negro Leagues calendar. Almost every team scheduled morning/afternoon doubleheaders because crowds were huge and it was often the biggest payday of the year. Players called it "Independence Day Money Day."

Notable July 4 Moments & Context

1940s-1950s: Barnstorming & Big Crowds
July 4, 1947: Games were played across the country. Holiday doubleheaders were standard — Kansas City Monarchs, Homestead Grays, Birmingham Black Barons would draw 20,000+ in places like Chicago’s Comiskey Park or Yankee Stadium.
1950s: Pedro Sierra, who pitched for the Indianapolis Clowns and Detroit Stars, said July 4 games were brutal travel days. Teams often played a morning game in one city, then bused to another for an afternoon game. 88bbaa85

The Reality of Travel
Minnie Forbes, owner of the Detroit Stars 1956-1958, described July 4 road trips:
> “The players, traveling, they had nowhere to stay because of the discrimination, so they slept in the buses. And they couldn't go in places to eat... one person would go to the back door, and get food for all the players.” 280c

Why July 4 Mattered
Money: Biggest gate receipts of the season. Owners counted on July 4 to make payroll.
Showcase: Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, Cool Papa Bell often headlined July 4 games to pack parks.
Community: Black communities treated July 4 Negro League games like reunions — picnics, bands, fireworks after night games started. 280c

Legacy Note
The Negro National League was founded in 1920 in Kansas City. By the 1940s, July 4 doubleheaders were the backbone of the league schedule. Bob Kendrick of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum put it: “So you won't let me play with you. Then I'll create my own.” July 4 was proof they did.