ESPN Co-Founder Bill Rasmussen Dies Aged 93

ESPN co-founder Bill Rasmussen died at his home in Land O’ Lakes, Florida, on Tuesday, 18 August 2026. He was 93.

Rasmussen died from complications linked to Parkinson’s disease. He was diagnosed in 2014 and disclosed his diagnosis publicly in 2019. mchezo.life

Founding ESPN

Rasmussen co-founded ESPN with his son, Scott Rasmussen.

The network launched on 7 September 1979 as the world’s first 24-hour television network dedicated to sport.

The idea followed Rasmussen’s dismissal as public relations director for the New England Whalers hockey team. He helped fund the early network with a $9,000 credit card advance.

Changing Sports Broadcasting

ESPN introduced continuous sports programming and gave audiences access to sporting coverage throughout the day.

The network also televised the early rounds of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

Rasmussen did not own ESPN at the time of his death. The network is owned by The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Communications.

Recognition for His Contribution

Rasmussen was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2025.

He was also named among the 100 most important people in American sporting history.

His work helped establish the round-the-clock sports television format ESPN became known for after its 1979 launch.

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Former All Blacks flyhalf Stephen Donald believes New Zealand have made subtle adjustments to their attacking approach ahead of Saturday’s Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry opener against the Springboks at Ellis Park.

The All Blacks are expected to face a ferocious defensive challenge from the Boks, but Donald says they have not abandoned the attacking philosophy that has underpinned their game under coach Dave Rennie so far.

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Speaking on The Aftermatch with Kirst & Beav, Donald explained that New Zealand are still looking to play with pace and ambition, while accepting that South Africa will attempt to disrupt their rhythm.

“The All Blacks are still trying to play that up-tempo, brilliant attacking game against defences who are going to try to slow it down, who are going to use every little advantage they can find,” Donald said.

“The All Blacks are still finding a way to create a disjointed defence line to play against. They know they’re not going to have it perfect and they’re not going to have it all on their terms, but they’re still trying to be brave and adventurous.”

Donald believes the Boks will have to take the opposite approach if they are to limit New Zealand’s attacking threat.

“Being able to shut down the line speed is one of the first things,” he said.

“When you think about what the All Blacks are trying to do, the Springboks are going to have to do the opposite. They’re going to have to slow the ruck speed down, which they will.”

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The former Test flyhalf also highlighted the importance of the set-piece and kicking game for the Boks.

“They’re obviously going to come at the All Blacks’ set-piece because if you can come at the set-piece and disrupt the set-piece, then all of a sudden you can win that first collision a lot easier,” Donald said.

“And their kicking game is going to be important. They’re going to try and land kicks on our receivers and get their chase-line at the same time to flood the ruck and slow the All Black defence down.”

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Photo: Johan Orton/Gallo Images

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Audrey Werro, Mondo Duplantis, Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Masai Russell will be among the stars in action when Wanda Diamond League action resumes in Lausanne this week at the Pontaise Olympic Stadium on 20 August 2026

The men’s 800m sees Kenya’s Olympic and world champion Wanyonyi return to the scene of his 1:41.11 from 2024 – a performance that places him joint second on the world all-time list. He goes on the hunt for his first Diamond League 800m win of the year, following the world 1000m record of 2:11.83 he set in Monaco last month. His competition includes Canada’s world leader Marco Arop, who won at the Paris Diamond League in 1:41.84, and USA’s Brandon Miller, the winner of the London Diamond League.

Olympic champion Winfred Yavi goes up against world champion Faith Cherotich in the 3000m steeplechase, both athletes having clocked 8:51 this season. Switzerland’s Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu will target back-to-back Diamond League wins following his 5000m victory in Monaco but will line up after a busy week at the European Championships where he contested the 5000m and 10,000m, getting silver in the latter. He faces Birhanu Balew, Parker Wolfe and Grant Fisher.

World pole vault record-holder Duplantis headlines the city event on the shores of Lake Geneva on Thursday, 20 August 2026 before the main Athletissima meeting on Friday.

Duplantis makes his eighth appearance in Lausanne, fresh off clearing a championship record of 6.15m to win his fourth successive European pole vault title in Birmingham. That height also stands as the Athletissima record, set by Duplantis in 2024. He will again be challenged by Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis, who added European silver to his major medal collection on Sunday, and Australia’s Kurtis Marschall, who handed Duplantis his first defeat in almost three years in Stockholm in June.

It was also in Stockholm that Swiss star Werro ran 1:53.98 to move to third on the world 800m all-time list. She strengthened that position by clocking 1:53.80 in Paris later that month and most recently beat Keely Hodgkinson and Femke Broeders-Bol to the European title in Birmingham.

Werro and Broeders-Bol clash again in Lausanne and this time they face Kenya’s world champion Lilian Odira, winner at the Diamond League meeting in Eugene.

Beyond victory in Lausanne, athletes will be competing for places at the Diamond League Final in Brussels where Werro will want to retain her Diamond League title. A win in Brussels also secures guaranteed entry for events contested at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, making the Diamond League Final the last opportunity for athletes to book their place in Budapest automatically.

Díaz set to soar

Italy’s Andy Díaz Hernández soared to fourth on the world triple jump all-time list at the European Championships and the world indoor champion will want to maintain the momentum in Lausanne as he competes for the first time since that 18.15m leap.

Portugal’s world champion Pedro Pichardo was runner-up in that high-quality contest, while Díaz’s compatriot Andrea Dallavalle was third and they all compete again, up against Jamaica’s Jordan Scott who beat Díaz during the Diamond League in Oslo. Christian Taylor’s meeting record, set in 2015, stands at 18.06m.

The top three in the European long jump final also renew their rivalry as Olympic champion Miltiádis Tentóglou again meets Swiss favourite Simon Ehammer and Bulgaria’s Bozhidar Sarâboyukov.

Another home star goes in the pole vault as two-time world indoor medallist Angelica Moser returns to action after winning European gold with a 4.80m clearance. Finland’s Wilma Heltelä secured European silver behind her and in Lausanne they face multiple global champions Nina Kennedy and Katie Moon.

Two athletes who have surpassed 90 metres this season – Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage and Germany’s Julian Weber – will clash in a javelin contest that also brings together the winners of the past four world titles: Keshorn Walcott, Neeraj Chopra and Anderson Peters.

The women’s event features Colombia’s Flor Denis Ruiz Hurtado who improved her own South American record to 67.34m to retain her title at the Central American and Caribbean Games earlier this month. She competes for her first Diamond League win of the year against Sigrid Borge, who threw 65.00m to finish second in Xiamen, and Adriana Vilagoš, the runner-up in Paris, as well as Olympic champion Haruka Kitaguchi.

Sprint showdowns

The 100m hurdles stars a clash between the Olympic champion and the world champion as USA’s Masai Russell goes up against home star Ditaji Kambundji. Russell is unbeaten in the 100m hurdles this year and she ran 12.14 in Xiamen in May – a performance just 0.02 off the world record. Adding further strength to the field are Monaco runner-up Alaysha Johnson, Nadine Visser and Pia Skrzyszowska.

The 110m hurdles is not a Diamond discipline in Lausanne but it still features a formidable field led by USA’s world record-holder Ja’Kobe Tharp.

The men’s 200m is the final Diamond discipline on the programme and it brings together Botswana’s Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo, Puerto Rico’s José Figueroa and South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile, who have all broken 19.85 this season.

Jamaica’s two-time world 200m champion Shericka Jackson takes on Favour Ofili, Kayla White and Amy Hunt in the women’s race, Jackson looking to add to her two Diamond League victories this year in China. Hunt returns to Diamond League action after winning a record four gold medals at the European Championships.

Emma Zapletalová goes for her fifth Diamond League win this year in the 400m hurdles, while the men’s non-Diamond League event includes Olympic and world champion Rai Benjamin in what looks to be his sole hurdles outing in a season in which he is focused on the 400m. His most recent race was the London Diamond League 400m, which he won in a PB of 44.05.

SOURCE: WORLD ATHLETICS

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Former All Blacks fullback Israel Dagg believes the theatre created by Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus is great for the game.

Erasmus raised eyebrows on Monday when he brought Bok technical adviser and former Test referee Jaco Peyper to his press conference ahead of Saturday’s opening Test of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series at Ellis Park.

It came after the All Blacks had pushed the narrative that South African teams – including the Boks – deliberately slow matches down to disrupt New Zealand’s high-tempo approach.

Erasmus rejected the allegation.

“Over five games that we’ve played [this year], we’ve not had one feedback that we slowed down the game,” said Erasmus. “Maybe [the All Blacks] have played against teams in pre-season mode. It’s like playing those Super Rugby warm-ups in January.”

Peyper then provided a detailed breakdown of what happens after a referee marks a scrum or lineout and the time teams have before play resumes.

MORE: Peyper shuts down ‘slow down’ talk

Speaking on Sport Nation’s Scotty and Izzy show, Dagg admitted Erasmus’ approach is increasingly winning him over.

“I can’t believe that I’m saying this but the more and more I see him in the media and at press conferences, the more and more I enjoy him, and that is Rassie Erasmus,” Dagg said.

“The way that the thug life, he brought out Jaco Peyper to his press conference knowing exactly the question line that was going to be brought to him from the media pack there in regards to slowing the ball down.

“I just think it’s great for rugby in general. Yes, there’s some things we have a laugh about and talk about a lot with the way that he approaches certain things, but there’s something in me that’s drawing closer and closer to Rassie.”

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Co-host Scotty Stevenson was less impressed, arguing that Erasmus and Peyper had answered a different question to the one being raised about South Africa’s tactics.

“I’ve got no issue that Jaco Peyper is now officially part of that management team or coaching team and he’s there to impart his knowledge,” Stevenson said.

“The interesting issue for me is it was a strawman argument that he brought to a genuine question.

“The genuine question here is how you slow ball down in the game flow. It’s a very different point that people are trying to make about the game and Rassie chose to take that argument just over here to the left to make it look like that’s what the point is, and it’s not.

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“It was very clever diversion and he’s very good at it and he has been for a very long time.

“Wheeling out Jaco Peyper and throwing out the question to him, who gladly picked up on the tactic and ran with it, I thought was quite intriguing.”

Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images

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Daniel Msendami hopes his maiden Orlando Pirates goal will earn him more playing time at the Buccaneers this season.

Msendami netted the third goal as Pirates defeated Chippa United 3-0 in a Betway Premiership clash played at the Kings Park Stadium in Durban last Sunday.

It was his first competitive goal for Pirates since joining the Soweto giants from Marumo Gallants in January.

“I am happy to have scored my first goal for Orlando Pirates, and I hope to continue getting more opportunities to play,” Msendami told Zimbabwe’s Herald Online.

“My aim is to keep working hard, score more goals and help the team continue winning matches. There is a lot of competition in the squad, so I have to make the most of every opportunity I get.”

Msendami added that he was delighted to have fulfilled his dream of playing for a big club like Pirates.

“Joining Pirates is a dream come true for me because Pirates are one of the biggest teams in Africa,” Msendami said in January.

“I am excited to be here and I am looking forward to delivering by scoring goals to help the team continue to win matches.”

Msendami has faced stiff competition for places in a Pirates attack since joining them from Gallants, but Sunday’s contribution strengthened his case for more minutes.

“I joined Pirates knowing that they have a big squad and for me that was a big motivation because I always want to compete and be one of the best in the team.

“I am now focusing on improving game by game and being in the best physical and mental state as the season progresses,” commented Msendami.

Ouaddou hails Msendami

Meanwhile, Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou praised Msendami following his maiden goal in Buccaneers’ colours.

“He’s somebody who was dreaming to play for Pirates. I know coming into a big club like that, sometimes it’s not easy. Sometimes you have to be patient because there is a lot of competition, but he gets there,” said Ouaddou.

“He’s holding, he’s working and we start to see the benefit of his work. I was very happy about his goal. Like you said, it’s very important for his confidence.

“But me, all the time I had this trust on him because I know him from a previous club [Ouaddou and Msendami worked together at Marumo Gallants] and I know what he can bring for the club. He has a different profile regarding the other ones, but I’m sure we will be able to use him in different games.”

Following the win against Chippa, Pirates will now shift their focus to Saturday’s MTN8 semifinal first leg game against Sekhukhune United at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium (kick-off is at 3pm).