Anchor Drop, June 27, 2019: 65 Days to Kickoff

Good morning.

We’re now 65 days away from Vanderbilt football’s season opener against Georgia. #65 for the Commodores is offensive lineman Michael Warden. The 6’2”, 287-pound sophomore from Loveland, Ohio, walked on the football team last year and didn’t see any action in his first year on campus.

(And just FYI, the next Vanderbilt sporting event of any kind is 45 days away, when the soccer team plays Belmont in an exhibition game. You’re welcome.)

Nothing important happened last night.

So, housekeeping matters: now that baseball season is over and Vanderbilt is your national champion (for the second time in baseball, and the fifth time in any sport), we’re going to be transitioning into football previewin’ season. Expect the first of that content later today. Hey, we have 65 days of offseason to fill after all. Enjoy the ride, and Anchor Down.

Off the West End

From our sister blogs: Roll Bama Roll updates the crootin’ ... Arkansas Fight has final thoughts on Omaha ... College and Magnolia podcasts ... Florida landed Kerry Blackshear, a grad transfer from VIrginia Tech in the shooty hoops ... A Sea of Blue breaks down how juniors fare under John Calipari ... And the Valley Shook discusses the latest scandal LSU has gotten itself into, and also podcasts ... For Whom the Cowbell Tolls thanks Jake Mangum ... Rock M Nation is extremely confident in over 6.5 wins ... Red Cup Rebellion previews the SEC West, in podcast form ... Good Bull Hunting regrets to inform you that LSU is cheating again, and also podcasts about Jimbo leaving a mess at Florida State.

The NCAA has threatened its member schools in California with a postseason ban over a new state law allowing college athletes to profit off their likeness. Get your popcorn ready. At SI, Michael McCann asks if the NCAA can really do this.

It’s official: UConn is headed back to the Big East.

College Basketball Talk resets the ACC in the offseason.

Somehow, Tommy Tuberville is leading the Republican primary to be the Senator from Alabama.

Pat Forde goes through the winners and losers of the last decade’s realignment.

From The Athletic ($): Completely and utterly predictable bitching about NCAA transfer rules. Also, State of the Program: Iowa State.

Scoreboard

MLB: White Sox 8, Red Sox 7 ... Yankees 8, Blue Jays 7 ... Indians 5, Royals 3 ... Padres 10, Orioles 5 ... Diamondbacks 8, Dodgers 2 ... Rockies 6, Giants 3 ... Phillies 5, Mets 4 ... Rangers 4, Tigers 1 ... Nationals 7, Marlins 5 ... A’s 2, Cardinals 0 ... Mariners 4, Brewers 2 ... Angels 5, Reds 1 ... Pirates 14, Astros 2 ... Twins 6, Rays 4 ... Braves 5, Cubs 3.

Gold Cup: Trinidad & Tobago 1-1 Guyana ... Panama 0-1 United States.

Today: Walker Buehler (Dodgers at Rockies, 7:40 PM CT) and Tyler Beede (Diamondbacks at GIants, 8:45 PM CT) are both scheduled to be on the mound in MLB action. There is also the PGA Tour’s Rocket Mortgage Classic, and Brazil vs. Paraguay in Copa America on ESPN+.