1. As we kick off this final week of summer, the main storyline in sports will be the real beginning of the college football season. When we get our first full slate of games this Saturday, it will also mark the final episode of College GameDay for ESPN legend Lee Corso, who has been with the show since 1987.

You can be sure the show will send off the 90-year-old Corso in grand fashion on Saturday, but ESPN already got the ball rolling this past weekend with a show dedicated to Corso’s lengthy career.

During that show, Corso sat alone in a theater and watched an emotional and heartfelt tribute video featuring family, friends and colleagues. Among those featured: Mike Tirico, Maria Taylor, Charles Barkley, Will Ferrell, Ken Jeong, Bill Belichick, Andrew Luck, Scottie Scheffler, Lane Kiffin, Drew Brees, Tom Jackson, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee, Chris Fowler, Rece Davis, Desmond Howard and Kirk Herbstreit.

Herbstreit was unable to keep it together, which led to quite a powerful ending.

2. The decision by the U.S. Open to begin its tournament on Sunday instead of Monday has instantly paid off because we had fireworks already.

While Benjamin Bonzi was serving for match point against Daniil Medvedev on Sunday night, a photographer walked on to the court. Bonzi had faulted on his first serve, but for some reason, the chair umpire awarded him another first serve thanks to the wandering photographer.

This caused Medvedev to snap. In going off on the umpire, Medvedev got on the stadium microphone and fired off one hell of an insult, telling the New York crowd, “He wants to go home, guys. He doesn’t like to be here. He gets paid by the match, not by the hour.”

The crowd was then relentless in preventing Bonzi from making his serve to win the watch, while getting egged on by Medvedev.

3. Marlins reliever Tyler Phillips picked up his second save of the season on Sunday, but he clearly has the closer mentality/persona down pat.

For starters, Phillips slapped the hell out of himself when he was making his run from the bullpen to the mound.

Then he gave a postgame interview that you just have to see to believe.

4. No one can accuse journeyman quarterback Ben DiNucci of not being self-aware after he got cut by the Falcons on Sunday and then sent this message.

5. I can’t even begin to imagine how much Bill Belichick absolutely detested making this announcement.

6. The latest SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast is half “Traina Thoughts” and half mailbag, with WFAN’s Sal Licata joining me for the entire show.

Topics discussed include the onslaught of sports docuseries, ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer app and its best feature, preseason NFL magazines and the perils of MLB betting.

In the mailbag segment, we tackle questions about the possibility of a woman becoming a full-time NFL game analyst, UFC leaving ESPN for Paramount, Howard Stern’s future on SiriusXM, ESPN buying MLB.tv, ESPN’s plan for its direct-to-consumer product, Russell Wilson vs. Jaxson Dart, the pinnacle of HBO’s Hard Knocks, Cris Collinsworth’s future with NBC, MLB realignment, my aversion to flying and whether Sal has called 911 recently.

You can listen to the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast below or on Apple and Spotify.

7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: RIP to actor Jerry Adler who passed away at the age of 96 on Sunday. Adler’s Hesh was one of the more underrated characters on The Sopranos.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on X and Instagram.


This article was originally published on www.si.com as ESPN Airs Must-See Tribute Video to Lee Corso.