Sarni's Scrolls: Dancing with NFL stars

By Jim Sarni

Adrian Peterson Has 'Dance' Fever; Jalen Hurts is 'Next'

Adrian Peterson showed off some nifty moves on the football field. Now we'll see what he can do on the dance floor. The 38-year-old former All-Pro running back will compete in the new edition of "Dancing With The Stars," which debuts Sept. 26 on ABC. "I'm here to win," Peterson said.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is one of three cover subjects for Time 100 Next, the newsmagazine's annual list of rising leaders. Hurts is one of seven athletes in the Phenoms section, joining Atlanta Braves' outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr., LSU basketball star Angel Reese, golfer Rose Zhang, USWNT forward Sophia Smith, Spanish soccer star Salma Paralluelo and Indian cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce? No, the pop star and the Kansas City tight end are "not officially dating," according to reps... but they reportedly got together in New York recently.

BTW, Gannett, the largest newspaper chain in the U.S., and USA Today are hiring reporters to cover Swift. That's what readers want... pop culture not investigative reporting.

Medals for this year's Dublin Marathon will commemorate Irish poet William Butler Yeats.

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The WNBA playoffs are underway. The defending champion Las Vegas Aces are favored (-145), followed by the New York Liberty (+145)... The WNBA enjoyed its best viewership on ESPN in 17 years, up 18% from 2022.

Coco Gauff's U.S. Open victory drew 3.4 million viewers on ESPN, more than a million more than Novak Djokovic's win (2.3M).

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The first of three Monday Night Football doubleheaders in Week 2: Saints-Panthers, 7:15, ESPN; Browns-Steelers, 8:15 p.m., ABC. The second in Week 3: Eagles-Bucs, 7:15, ESPN; Rams-Bengals, 8:15, ABC. The third in Week 14: Titans-Dolphins, 8:15, ESPN; Packers-Giants, 8:15, ABC

Inside The NFL is now on The CW, Tuesdays at 8. ESPN Ryan Clark hosts with a new panel: Jay Cutler, Chad Johnson, Channing Crowder, Chris Long. Fox reportedly blocked Greg Olsen and Mark Ingram from joining the show. NFL Films is still the star.

The two major properties in U.S. pickleball -- the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball -- have merged.

Bodog's has posted odds on Bill Belichick's Next Girl Friend: Christie Brinkley +4000, Sharon Stone +5000, Kim Cattrall +6000, Jane Fonda +8000, Melanie Griffith +8000, Sandra Bullock +8000, Susan Sarandon 8000, Madonna +10000, Jennifer Aniston +10000, Diane Keaton +10000.

North Carolina field hockey coach Erin Matson, 23, is the youngest Division 1 coach.

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St. Louis Cardinals pitcher/singer Adam Wainwright will perform a post-game concert at Busch Stadium on Sept. 30.

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Jim Sarni, BC Class of '69, is a former sportswriter for The Boston Globe and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He resides in Fort Lauderdale and watches a lot of television.