EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Members of Los Angeles Air Force Base came unneurotic for the highly anticipated yearly Sports Day competition, July 1, 2026. Airmen, Guardians, civilians, and contractors, paused their regular operations to unite nether a shared goal. The affable contention promoted wellness and wellness and fostered camaraderie extracurricular the accepted workplace environment. Da Vinci Schools successful El Segundo hosted basal unit and their families, highlighting the beardown assemblage enslaved betwixt the basal and school. Throughout the time teams faced disconnected successful divers diversion challenges and sports that emphasized teamwork crossed antithetic ranks and organizations. As the Space Base Delta 3 Action Officer, 2nd Lt. Kevin Duong shared his enthusiasm for the lawsuit and its wide purpose. “Without bully morale, we don’t person bully squad bonds. When we are retired warring wars, oregon we’re retired successful the field, oregon we’re moving together, determination is thing amended than that squad cohesion to physique ratio wrong the group,” Duong said. Sports time concluded with a ceremonial grant presentation, wherever Col. Brendan Hochstein, commander, System Delta 89, Space Systems Command, accepted the title loop for his team. “I can’t instrumentality immoderate recognition for it. It was truly the antithetic teams, the enactment of our fittingness folks, and the idiosyncratic athletes that enactment together. But really, a batch of it comes down to the large enactment we person successful System Delta 89,” Hochstein said. Though the lawsuit is implicit and the tract is clear, the competitory tone and spot built astatine Sports Day straight translates to continued ngo occurrence successful the abstraction and aerial domains.

(Courtesy of Leilani Rodriguez, Space Base Delta 3 Public Affairs, United States Space Force)

Wizard Camp, present successful its 2nd year, puts a phantasy rotation connected accepted summertime programming.

Kids gain points for their wizard location done a premix of sports and originative activities, including a chaotic crippled of wizard shot — implicit with a bluish frost shot that stops players successful their tracks.

A antithetic benignant of summertime camp

Staff subordinate Paul Passino said the campy is designed for kids who privation thing a small extracurricular the ordinary.

“We bash a batch of sports present astatine the Y, but we truly similar being originative and having a antithetic rotation successful activities, and truly those kids that possibly wanna play sports but privation thing different. We similar doing an adventure-type campy successful fantasy. It’s conscionable great,” Passino said.

Fellow unit subordinate Haley LaVancha said watching the kids acquisition the games for the archetypal clip is portion of what makes the week special.

“I emotion seeing them person amusive and everything and they conscionable bask being capable to conscionable caller radical and laugh. They’ve ne'er seen games similar these before, so, like, to beryllium capable to ideate playing a wizard game, they get excited. It’s thing new,” LaVancha said.

Filling up fast

The campy has been a gully for kids since its debut.

“Last twelvemonth we had a large turnout. We inactive person a bully turnout this year. It seems the 1 that fills up archetypal arsenic we nonstop worldly retired successful the outpouring for summertime programming,” Passino said.

Beyond wizard ball, campers besides overgarment their ain wands arsenic portion of the week’s activities.

Kids springiness it precocious marks

Camper Barry Bresler didn’t clasp backmost erstwhile asked what helium thought.

“I would springiness this campy a 100 percent retired of a 100 percent. I bask playing with friends and being creative,” Breslar said.

Copyright 2026 WWNY. All rights reserved.

Every NFL squad has players who don’t rather lucifer the worth of their contracts, and based connected existent extent illustration construction, the 2026 Minnesota Vikings are not excluded.

The nine begins the regular play successful astir 9 weeks, and unless the pursuing players little their headdress hits, they reasonably acceptable successful an “overpaid” bucket. The players are listed ascendingly (No. 1 = astir overpaid Viking).

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Vikings’ Cap Sheet Reveals a Few Expensive Questions

4. Josh Oliver | TE2

2026 Cap Hit: $9.9 Million

Oliver is simply a blocking choky end, which is fantastic. It’s besides a spot ironic due to the fact that coming retired of assemblage (San Jose State) successful 2019, that was expected to beryllium his problem. The scouting study said the feline could batch, but his tally blocking stank.

Well, Oliver flipped the script, astir apt aft the Baltimore Ravens‘ coaching unit got a clasp of him.

The contented with a blocking choky end? They’re not worthy $10 million. Teams tin find capable versions for fractional the terms oregon adjacent less. The Vikings shouldn’t chopped Oliver oregon devalue him connected the extent chart, but the information remains that $9.9 cardinal is expensive.

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Thankfully, Oliver has immoderate redzone utility. He’s dependable erstwhile quarterbacks people him.

3. Aaron Jones | RB

2026 Cap Hit: $10.2 Million

You tin constitute this successful ink: 2026 volition beryllium Jones’s last play successful Minnesota. He’ll crook 32 successful December, and his career, for amended oregon worse, is winding down. When the offseason began, astir Vikings fans and analysts theorized Jones arsenic a roster-cut candidate, and they didn’t bash that connected a whim. He’s effectual successful spots, particularly aboriginal successful the regular season, yet injuries habitually instrumentality their toll connected Jones. That’s his jam.

The Vikings proposed a paycut for Jones successful March. He accepted. He’s backmost successful the saddle arsenic RB1 oregon RB2 due to the fact that of his pass-blocking and locker country leadership. It’s conscionable rather evident that his premier is good successful the past.

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Minnesota besides refused to motion a free-agent moving backmost similar Travis Etienne oregon draught a mid-round rookie similar Mike Washington. It’s Jones again — and astir apt for the past time.

He averaged 4.2 yards per carry, played 12 games, and banked 548 rushing yards past year. His vocation has been fantastic, and the feline is an awesome dude. Still, he’s not worthy $10.2 cardinal unless helium forges a wholly unforeseen and steadfast late-career resurgence.

2. T.J. Hockenson | TE

2026 Cap Hit: $15.6 Million

Of each men connected this overpaid list, Hockenson mightiness person the clearest way to a resurrection. He blew retired his genu successful the 2023 season, acknowledgment to a debased deed by Detroit Lions information Kerby Joseph, and, owed to the displacement successful the Vikings’ discourtesy — utilizing Hockenson arsenic the sixth violative lineman — he’s ne'er regained his form.

Hockenson signed a monster hold during the summertime of 2023. Four months later, the wounded occurred, rendering the declaration not worthy the squeeze. If a squad pays a choky extremity implicit $15 million, it must target him heavy successful the passing game. The Vikings don’t bash that anymore. Hockenson’s occurrence successful the Twin Cities feels similar a Kirk Cousins peculiar successful hindsight.

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Here’s the metallic lining, though: caller Vikings backmost Kyler Murray has cooked with choky ends. Ask Trey McBride, who astir see the champion oregon second-best choky extremity successful the sport. If Murray could unlock McBride, helium should beryllium capable to get Hockenson backmost up to speed.

If not, 2026 volition apt beryllium Hockenson’s last play successful Minnesota. There’s a crushed truthful galore fans thought the franchise mightiness draught Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq successful April.

1. Will Fries | RG

2026 Cap Hit: $17.2 Million

Was Fries unspeakable successful 2025? Absolutely not. Was Fries worthy $17.2 cardinal successful 2025? Absolutely not.

The feline posted a Pro Football Focus people conscionable implicit 60.0, which would’ve been singular during the Mike Zimmer epoch of Vikings shot erstwhile guards similar Dakota Dozier and Dru Samia graced your tv sets. But that was then, and this is now.

Former Vikings brag Kwesi Adofo-Mensah paid Fries handsomely past season, and based connected his 2025 output, helium should beryllium earning astir $6 cardinal annually — not $17 million.

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Perhaps Fries volition settee successful the Vikings discourtesy with different twelvemonth of experience. If helium does not, you are astir 7 months from Googling oregon putting Fries’ dead headdress hit into ChatGPT. Always remember: Adofo-Mensah handed Fries the information declaration based connected five good games for the Indianapolis Colts successful 2024. He has nary verifiable past of consistency.

Is Von Miller trying to archer america something?

The 37-year-old borderline rusher, 7-time NFL All-Pro, and Super Bowl MVP seemed to tease that helium was signing a free-agent declaration with the Dallas Cowboys connected Wednesday successful a beauteous nonstop mode — posting a photoshopped representation connected Instagram stories of himself successful a Dallas Cowboys jersey wearing the No. 24 helium wore for the Washington Commanders successful 2025.

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Miller utilized “They Don’t Know” by Paul Wall arsenic the euphony implicit the photo, lone further adding to the mystery.

“Von Miller posted a representation of himself successful a Cowboys jersey connected IG,” DNVR’s Zac Stevens wrote connected his authoritative X account.

Miller, the No. 2 wide prime successful the 2011 NFL draught and Super Bowl 50 MVP for the Broncos, played for the Commanders successful 2025 connected a 1-year, $6 cardinal declaration and led the squad with 9.0 sacks. It was besides the 1st clip helium played successful each regular-season crippled since 2018. Through the extremity of the 2025 season, Miller has accumulated a staggering $198.8 cardinal successful vocation earnings.

“Miller played conscionable 37 percent of the antiaircraft snaps successful 2025 but managed to log 9 sacks, six tackles for loss, and 19 backmost pressures,” Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox wrote connected July 3. “He’d beryllium a large summation to a defence that is acceptable to pursuit the Super Bowl close now.

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The Carolina Panthers are entering the 2026 NFL play with overmuch higher expectations than they person faced successful caller years.

Last season, Bryce Young and institution were capable to squeak retired an NFC South part title. They made the playoffs earlier being eliminated by the Los Angeles Rams successful the Wild Card round.

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While the nonaccomplishment successful the Wild Card was disappointing, it gave Panthers fans hope. Heading into this season, determination are galore who are expecting Carolina to beryllium a subordinate successful the part erstwhile again. However, determination are immoderate glaring question marks.

Of course, the questions surrounding Young arsenic a franchise backmost proceed to swirl. He has much enactment to bash to beryllium that helium tin beryllium the semipermanent guy. But, the Panthers besides request to person capable enactment for him.

That brings up different violative question mark. Does Carolina person a bully capable moving game?

Currently, the Panthers person 2 moving backs expected to person a bulk of the workload connected the ground. Chuba Hubbard projects to beryllium the team's starter, with Jonathon Brooks down him. They besides have Trevor Etienne and AJ Dillon connected the roster.

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None of those moving backs volition onslaught fearfulness successful opposing defenses.

With that being said, should Carolina see pursuing a commercialized for different moving back? How astir a astonishing woody with the NFC South rival New Orleans Saints for Alvin Kamara?

Kamara has travel up arsenic a imaginable commercialized people passim the full 2026 offseason. Would the Saints adjacent see trading him to the Panthers? That is unknown, but Kamara would beryllium good worthy taking a plaything on.

Last season, the 30-year-old moving backmost had a unsmooth year. He played in 11 games, carrying the shot 131 times for 471 yards and a touchdown. Kamara besides caught 33 passes for 186 yards.

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Obviously, helium is nary longer the elite superstar that helium erstwhile was. However, backmost successful 2024, helium racked up 950 yards and six touchdowns connected 228 carries. Kamara besides caught 68 passes for 543 yards and 2 much scores that year.

At the precise least, Kamara would beryllium capable to connection the menace of large plays connected the ground. He could besides beryllium a limb for Young successful the passing crippled retired of the backfield.

Seeing the 2 part rivals travel unneurotic connected a commercialized involving 1 of the astir notable players successful caller New Orleans past would beryllium surprising. But, it's a determination that the Panthers should astatine slightest see pursuing.

Do you deliberation Carolina should see trying to get Kamara successful a commercialized with the Saints?

The Pittsburgh Steelers had a precise disappointing play defensively successful 2026. Pittsburgh finished 26th successful full defence and 29th successful passing defense, contempt having the NFL’s astir costly defense. Because of this, then-defensive coordinator Teryl Austin faced a ton of scrutiny – much than helium was already subjected to. Not lone was it fans and media that were calling retired Austin, present his erstwhile players are taking portion successful pointing retired his flaws.

Commenting connected a Tik Tok video, erstwhile Steelers information Juan Thornhill made his feelings toward Austin known.

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“I didn’t bask playing for that DC,” Thornhill replied to a instrumentality saying they enjoyed erstwhile helium was a Steeler.

Thornhill was signed by the Steelers astatine the opening of the 2025 offseason successful March. He appeared successful 9 games for Pittsburgh earlier being released, yet signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars to decorativeness retired the season. He is presently a escaped agent.

Austin, connected the different hand, was replaced by Patrick Graham aft Mike McCarthy took implicit arsenic caput coach. He was the past of Mike Tomlin’s unit to get different job, ending up connected the Arizona Cardinals unit arsenic a elder antiaircraft assistant.

Let america cognize what you deliberation successful the comments. Be definite to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for each the latest news, breakdowns, and more!

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This year's Home Run Derby tract is opening to instrumentality shape.

Two much American League stars announced their information successful the yearly All-Star showcase connected Wednesday. Kansas City Royals archetypal baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone and Boston Red Sox archetypal baseman Willson Contreras each entered the fold.

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Caglianone appeared to corroborate that his begetter volition transportation to him astatine Citizens Bank Park connected Monday night.

"Excited to beryllium a portion of this year's Home Run Derby!" Caglianone wrote connected Instagram. "Pops and I can’t wait! See y’all successful Philly!"

Following a pedestrian commencement to his archetypal afloat large league season, Caglianone recovered his footing by crushing 9 location runs successful June. The 23-year-old has 14 agelong balls this year, the fewest of the 4 confirmed contestants, but a bright-red Statcast page could nevertheless marque him a fashionable prime to win.

Caglianone rates supra MLB's 90th percentile successful tube complaint (15.4%), mean exit velocity (93.7 mph), bat velocity (77.2 mph) and hard-hit complaint (57.2%). His location runs person traveled an mean region of 418 feet, tied with Mickey Moniak for sixth connected MLB's leaderboard.

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Do you person a instrumentality to get disconnected your chest? Do you privation to prosecute successful a increasing Red Sox community? Comment connected our contented alongside unit and fans alike!

Meanwhile, Contreras has unlocked a caller level of power, matching past year's tally adjacent the midway people with 20 location runs. The 34-year-old went gait connected Saturday and Sunday and present brandishes a .287/.381/.545 slash enactment successful his archetypal twelvemonth with the Red Sox, who person different struggled to wide the fences.

Although helium was initially near disconnected the All-Star Game roster, the AL named Contreras arsenic a replacement for part rival Vladimir Guerrero Jr. connected Tuesday. He'll vie successful his archetypal Home Run Derby alongside his 4th All-Star nod.

Caglianone and Contreras articulation Ben Rice and 2025 runner-up Junior Caminero arsenic the announced Home Run Derby contestants. Each of those young AL East All-Stars has 26 location runs this season, tied for the Junior Circuit's second-highest tally down Yordan Alvarez (29).

Four spots stay successful the Home Run Derby, which Netflix volition watercourse exclusively connected Monday astatine 8 p.m. ET.

More MLB: Surging Rookie Outfielder Offers Mets Bright Spot Amid Last-Place Season

It has been a infinitesimal since we had a bully rumor, but Wednesday brought a juicy one. Von Miller, NFL escaped cause walk rusher extraordinaire, posted an edit of himself successful a Dallas Cowboys azygous to his Instagram story. You tin spot it here.

Things similar this hap each of the clip erstwhile it comes to the Cowboys. They are the biggest gully successful nonrecreational sports. Connecting yourself to them tin beryllium beneficial. Again, communicative arsenic aged arsenic clip connected immoderate level.

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But this is simply a small different. Miller is simply a Dallas dude. He played, and starred, adjacent astatine Texas A&M. It makes consciousness to judge that helium has a tendency to play for the team.

Thankfully, we really bash cognize Miller’s stance connected the substance beyond this post. It conscionable truthful happened that I interviewed Von connected Monday, astir 48 hours earlier this station began to spell viral, owed to his concern with Raising Cane’s and their sponsorship of the Sack Summit that helium is simply a portion of.

This could each beryllium a clump of nothing. Maybe Miller is conscionable trying to manifest. Or possibly helium believes this is really happening. Maybe helium knows. By the mode the “magnetic field” was a portion of our treatment of his clip astatine A&M if that isn’t obvious.

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What bash you believe?

Celtics nonstop wide connection implicit Jayson Tatum commercialized rumors primitively appeared connected The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News arsenic a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Celtics perfectly shocked everyone past week by trading Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George and immoderate draught picks. It each started aft Boston wholly choked successful the archetypal circular against Philly. They were up 3-1 successful the bid but blew it due to the fact that Brown struggled, shooting conscionable 28-for-67 implicit those past 3 losses.

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While that postseason exit acceptable the commercialized instrumentality successful motion, teams astir the league started calling Boston to spot if they could get Jayson Tatum, too. But according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Boston unopen down that doorway immediately.

"Over the past three, 4 weeks portion this Jaylen Brown worldly was going on, teams were calling the Celtics connected Jayson Tatum," Charania said. "Their reply was hard stop, 'No, we're not trading Jayson Tatum. He's untouchable. He's not connected the table.'"

Charania highlighted the stark opposition successful Boston's organizational approach, adding, "Jaylen Brown, antithetic communicative - unfastened for business, acceptable to commercialized him, springiness america your champion offer. So that's the dichotomy of some of those situations."

Teams were trying to commercialized for Tatum adjacent though helium was inactive recovering from that torn Achilles. Remember, helium lone made it backmost for the last agelong of the regular play and that abbreviated playoff run.

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Critics could decidedly archer helium was rusty arsenic helium averaged 21.8 points connected 41.1% shooting successful the regular season, which is mode beneath his mean numbers. But helium recovered his groove successful the playoffs, bumping things up to 23.3 points connected 47.5% shooting.

Honestly, the Celtics' logic makes consciousness from each angle. He is lone 28 and locked into his monolithic five-year, $314 cardinal supermax deal. With nary Brown connected the squad now, helium is the wide cornerstone for immoderate they physique next, wounded oregon not.

Brown was a wholly antithetic story. Reports leaked that helium and Tatum didn’t acceptable good connected the court, making him expendable. Trading a prima who conscionable won a rubric with years near connected his declaration is rare, but Boston drew the enactment astatine trading Tatum portion helium recovered from a large injury.

Charania made it wide that the beforehand bureau ne'er treated the 2 situations arsenic comparable, careless of however large the Tatum rumors got.

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More NBA news:

Key Facts

Contra

An unnamed elder Trump medication authoritative insisted to MS NOW “there were nary shortcuts taken” to unafraid the level and it “went done the aforesaid information protocols that each Air Force One has gone done successful accordance with FAA standards, and it is an FAA-certified aircraft.” An Air Force spokesperson said, “we are assured the craft is safe, unafraid and equipped with the astir precocious technologies indispensable to conscionable the requirements of the statesmanlike mission. To accelerate delivery, we prioritized captious ngo requirements implicit aesthetics.”

Tangent

Trump said the U.S. would “probably” onslaught Iran again Wednesday nighttime aft saying earlier successful the time the ceasefire betwixt Iran and the U.S. was “over” and calling ongoing negotiations betwixt the 2 sides a “waste of time.”

Key Background

The Trump medication accepted the talented level successful May past twelvemonth and Trump took his inaugural formation connected the level past week erstwhile helium traveled to North Dakota for the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. The Air Force has said it spent little than $400 cardinal connected information upgrades to the plane, though immoderate experts person estimated the outgo is apt person to $1 billion. The pitchy is intended to service arsenic a “bridge” craft utilized temporarily by Trump portion Boeing builds 2 caller customized planes that are years down schedule. The acquisition has drawn wide conflict-of-interest concerns, though Trump has claimed it was purely a acquisition that Qatar seeks thing successful instrumentality for. He intends for it to spell to his statesmanlike room successful Miami aft leaving office, though it’s unclear if Trump has the authorization to find its fate.

further reading

Trump Threatens Fresh Iran Strikes After Declaring Ceasefire ‘Over’ (Forbes)

Trump Said Gifted Qatari Jet Was ‘Free’—But Renovation Cost Could Reportedly Near $1 Billion (Forbes)

Republicans Question Trump’s Plan To Accept Luxury Plane Gift From Qatar (Forbes)

When the New England Patriots led by Tom Brady defeated the Seattle Seahawks successful Super Bowl XLIX, the effect began the anticipation of 1 dynasty and ended another. The Seahawks were looking similar the adjacent franchise to triumph backmost to backmost Super Bowls. Meanwhile, the Patriots were looking to get backmost connected apical of the podium for the archetypal clip successful a decade.

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Brady recollected the triumph implicit the Seattle Seahawks connected the New Heights podcast hosted by the Kelce brothers. They asked him what his favourite Super Bowl triumph was of his seven. He mentioned the Super Bowl against the Seahawks specifically arsenic 1 of his fondest memories.

Brady said, “We had gone 10 years, and 3 clip we won it, past I had 2 wherever we mislaid it. And past 2024 came, and we’re going against the Legion of Boom, and we’re down 10 successful the 4th quarter, and past we extremity up having the astir unthinkable past 20 minutes of the game.”

As we each know, the Seahawks mislaid connected a crippled winning interception by Malcolm Butler disconnected Russell Wilson. The remainder is history, and this is simply a infinitesimal Seahawks tin hide present that the franchise claimed its 2nd Super Bowl.

Brady’s Super Bowl Victory Against the Seattle Seahawks Still Lives successful Infamy

GettyIf the Seahawks defeated Brady, who knows however the NFL would person changed.

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The Seattle Seahawks losing Super Bowl XLIX continues to haunt fans of the franchise contempt their caller success. It volition beryllium 1 of those games that radical volition speech astir until the extremity of time. The crippled ranks arsenic 1 of the top Super Bowls of each clip connected aggregate lists.

Even though the Patriots won the match, the information that radical inactive speech astir it centered astir the Legion of Boom speaks to however peculiar this epoch was for Seattle. The Legion of Boom remains a hallmark successful NFL past for however large of a defence they were. Their publication to Seattle sports successful wide helps animate the Seahawks today. Although they changed their sanction to the Dark Side, the Mike MacDonald Seattle Seahawks inactive gully truthful overmuch from the Carroll era.

The Seattle Seahawks Have Moved On: “We Do Not Care”

GettyMike MacDonald does not attraction astir what happened successful the past.

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With the Seahawks victorious implicit the Patriots successful Super Bowl LX, they removed a tremendous value disconnected the shoulders of Seahawks fans. Now, radical tin bask this squad for what it is alternatively of having to combat disconnected demons of Super Bowls past. While the remainder of the NFL satellite inactive focuses connected immoderate they attraction about, the Seattle Seahawks person their ain worries. They privation to triumph different Super Bowl.

As MacDonald was asked astir the Butler play continuously the week of the Super Bowl, helium stayed steadfast successful his resoluteness astir focusing connected this team. The Seahawks simply bash not attraction astir what happened. They conscionable privation to triumph games and stack trophies. They are already moving connected from this past Super Bowl, truthful wherefore would they attraction astir 1 10 years ago? Thanks for memories, Brady, but we person different things connected our schedule.

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TEXAS — The surge successful betting enactment surrounding the FIFA World Cup is renewing efforts by sports betting advocates to person Texas lawmakers to legalize sports wagering during the upcoming legislative session.

Industry advocates accidental the tournament, which is being held crossed North America, demonstrates that Texans are already placing bets contempt the state's prohibition connected accepted sports betting.

Sportsbooks crossed the United States person reported betting volumes during the World Cup that person exceeded expectations, adding momentum to the statement implicit legalized sports gambling successful Texas.

Some shot fans accidental they person joined successful the betting excitement.

“I don’t sports bet, um, sports stake a lot; but erstwhile I do, I propulsion 5 oregon 10 bucks connected my favourite player,” said shot instrumentality Preston Day, who uses Kalshi.

Although accepted sports betting remains amerciable successful Texas, prediction marketplace platforms specified arsenic Kalshi and Polymarket person emerged arsenic ineligible alternatives. Rather than placing accepted wagers, users bargain lawsuit contracts tied to the outcomes of sporting events and different occurrences.

“There are bills that person been produced to effort to prohibition it,” said shot instrumentality Thorleif Egeli.

Legalizing sports betting and casino gambling has received enactment from respective large nonrecreational sports franchises, including the Dallas Mavericks, and from the billionaire Adelson family, which owns casino institution Las Vegas Sands. Despite those efforts, authorities has failed to beforehand successful caller legislative sessions.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has remained opposed to expanding gambling successful Texas and has besides expressed involvement successful closing what critics picture arsenic a loophole allowing prediction marketplace platforms to operate.

Joe Maloney, president of the Sports Betting Alliance, said the enactment plans to proceed making its lawsuit erstwhile lawmakers instrumentality to Austin successful January.

“They don’t instrumentality this opportunity, prediction marketplace companies volition surely measurement into that void alongside amerciable and unregulated operators,” Maloney said.

Advocates reason that legalizing sports betting would let Texas to seizure taxation gross presently flowing elsewhere portion providing backing for gambling addiction attraction programs.

Texas presently does not dedicate authorities backing specifically to occupation gambling programs.

Las Vegas Sands precocious donated $100,000 to the nonprofit Texas Coalition connected Problem Gambling.

“With ineligible regulated wagering to really present immoderate of these taxation revenues to really assistance people, arsenic good arsenic money things that are truly important to Texans: nationalist education, roads, infrastructure, healthcare access,” Maloney said.

Some sports fans judge legalization is yet inevitable.

“They’re going to person to conscionable let it, astatine immoderate point, ‘cause it’s fundamentally already happening,” Day said.

For now, arsenic the World Cup continues, galore Texas shot fans are enjoying the tourney portion hoping some their favourite teams and their wagers travel retired connected top.

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler is an All-Star snub, and he's far from the lone person who thinks so. Following his ascendant commencement against the Cincinnati Reds connected Tuesday — successful which Wheeler struck retired 14 batters successful a 4-1 win — the ace expressed his feelings astir missing retired connected the honor.

Wheeler, 36, didn't mince words, saying the snub "pisses maine off," per The Athletic. He added, "I consciousness similar I've earned it."

"I felt similar that was a reminder," Wheeler said, "for whoever needs to beryllium reminded. It pisses maine off. It's benignant of B.S. Maybe if I wasn't needfully close successful [the All-Star mix], I wouldn't beryllium saying this. But I consciousness similar I've earned it."

He's not wrong. Wheeler has been fantastic this play aft coming backmost from thoracic outlet decompression surgery. Through 14 starts, helium has a 2.28 ERA and has struck retired 98 batters successful 87 innings. Despite getting a precocious commencement to the play owed to his recovery, Wheeler already ranks eighth among pitchers successful bWAR.

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Wheeler isn't the only one who believes helium should beryllium astatine the 2026 All-Star Game. Shortly aft rosters were announced, Wheeler's cause — B.B. Abbott — called it "tone deaf" that the pitcher was near retired of the mix.

To marque matters worse, the 2026 All-Star Game volition beryllium held astatine Citizens Bank Park successful Philadelphia. While 5 Phillies were selected for the crippled and volition play successful beforehand of their hometown fans, Wheeler won't get that honor.

There is, of course, inactive a mode for Wheeler to beryllium named to the All-Star team. Between present and Sunday, galore players volition apt driblet retired of the festivities owed to injury, remainder oregon different reasons. But adjacent that comes with a drawback for Wheeler.

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Because he's acceptable to instrumentality the mound Sunday, Wheeler would — by regularisation — not beryllium capable to transportation successful the All-Star Game. That makes it improbable he'll beryllium asked to beryllium a replacement for the contest.

Despite that, Wheeler said helium would beryllium consenting to marque himself eligible to propulsion an inning successful the All-Star Game, adjacent if helium takes the mound for the Phillies connected Sunday, per CBSSports.com.

"I consciousness good the 2nd and 3rd days [after a start], erstwhile I usually propulsion my bullpen," Wheeler added arsenic helium made his lawsuit to transportation successful the All-Star Game. "So I'd beryllium good throwing an inning, but it's not adjacent an option, I guess."

Throughout the past of the sport, determination person been immoderate high-profile All-Star snubs. That's going to hap erstwhile you person truthful galore talented players vying for a prime fewer roster spots.

But if Wheeler tin support pitching astatine this level, helium could go the uncommon pitcher who wins the Cy Young Award contempt not making the All-Star team. At this point, that mightiness beryllium the champion payback Wheeler tin get aft missing retired connected the All-Star festivities.

On Wednesday, the Chicago Blackhawks gave an unpleasant update connected guardant Connor Bedard, who appeared to wounded his enarthrosis astatine a summertime skate past week.

Bedard, who was preparing for his 4th NHL season, underwent palmy country to repair his near shoulder. The expected timeline is astir 4 months.

The punctuation successful the supra station from societal media comes from squad physician, Dr. Michael Terry.

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This four-month timeline has Bedard coming backmost successful mid-November. By that time, the Blackhawks volition person played implicit a month's worthy of games.

Although it is little than perfect to person Bedard distant from the rink for that long, it is encouraging that helium is expected to marque a afloat recovery. Of course, arsenic the look of the franchise, his aboriginal is the astir important thing.

Last year, a enarthrosis wounded that didn't necessitate country kept Bedard retired for astir a month. During that time, the Blackhawks fell wholly retired of the race, mostly due to the fact that of his absence.

This time, they volition beryllium trying to person a bully commencement to the season, truthful that they are successful a bully spot erstwhile Bedard returns to the ice.

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It is simply a atrocious luck concern for Bedard and the Blackhawks, but it isn't 1 that they consciousness can't beryllium overcome.

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The 2026 MLB Home Run Derby volition beryllium held connected July 13 astatine Citizens Bank Ballpark successful Philadelphia, location of the 2026 MLB All-Star Game. While we don't cognize precisely which players are participating yet, commitments are dilatory coming successful arsenic that day approaches.

Here is each subordinate who has officially committed to the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby.

Kansas City Royals slugger Jac Caglianone is the latest to perpetrate to participating successful the Home Run Derby connected Monday successful Philadelphia.

Five Kansas City players person antecedently participated successful the event: Bo Jackson (1989), Danny Tartabull (1991), Mike Moustakas (2017), Salvador Perez (2021) and Bobby Witt Jr. (2024). None person travel distant with the title. This is the archetypal Derby for the 23-year-old Caglianone.

Witt was the runner-up successful 2024 erstwhile helium deed 50 location runs successful total. He deed 13 HRs successful the last round, 1 shy of Teoscar Hernandez’s 14.

In his archetypal afloat play with the Royals, Caglianone is hitting .258/.322/.455 (77-for-299) with a team-high 14 location runs and 33 RBIs successful 85 games. His 14 location runs person averaged 418 feet successful length, which is tied for the champion mean successful the majors this season. Caglianone has besides gotten blistery of late, with 9 of those 14 homers coming successful June.

New York Yankees slugger Ben Rice volition beryllium swinging for the fences successful Philadelphia connected July 13. Rice, who leads the Yankees with 26 homers this play aft going heavy successful a 6-4 nonaccomplishment to Tampa Bay connected Tuesday, said that helium volition beryllium participating successful the Home Run Derby.

"I was truly honored. I was hoping they’d ask,' said Rice, who'll purpose to go the archetypal Yankees subordinate to triumph the derby since Aaron Judge successful 2017. 'It doesn’t consciousness existent until they really scope out, but it was chill erstwhile they did."

The 27-year-old Rice said connected societal media that his father, Dan, who pitched successful assemblage astatine Brown successful the 1980s, volition propulsion to him. Rice said they've already been practicing for the contest.

'I had to deliberation done it and marque definite it was the close determination to enactment and spot if my dada could bash it," Rice said, noting that his begetter has thrown to him from the clip helium learned to play to the present.

Rice has 59 homers implicit his archetypal 3 seasons successful the majors.

This is the 2nd consecutive a twelvemonth a Yankees subordinate volition look successful the Home Run Derby. Jazz Chisholm Jr. entered past twelvemonth but was eliminated successful the archetypal round.

Judge is 1 of 4 Yankees players to triumph the Home Run Derby. The others are Tino Martinez (1997), Jason Giambi (2002) and Robinson Canó (2011).

Just hours aft committing to participating successful the lawsuit successful Philadelphia connected July 13, Junior Caminero homered successful his 5th consecutive game, a three-run changeable disconnected the Royals' Noah Cameron. It was his eighth successful the past 7 games — thing cipher successful nine past has ever accomplished — and it sent Tampa Bay to a 10-4 rout of Kansas City successful the opener of their three-game series.

Asked to enactment Caminero's blistery streak successful perspective, Rays manager Kevin Cash replied: "I don't cognize if I can. He's truly seeing the shot well," Cash said, "and erstwhile helium gets a shot to hit, he's doing it."

Caminero, the AL subordinate of the week aft launching 7 homers and piling up 15 RBIs, enactment connected a amusement past twelvemonth successful the Home Run Derby. With his multicolored bat sending societal media ablaze, Caminero precocious to the last circular earlier losing a adjacent contention to Seattle slugger Cal Raleigh. The last was 18-15 successful a long-ball hitting showcase that boosted ratings connected ESPN.

Caminero, who turned 23 connected July 5, went connected to deed 45 homers past season, finishing sixth successful Major League Baseball. Through July 7, Caminero has 26, with 11 successful his past 14 games.

"I mean, convey God he's connected our team," Rays pitcher Griffin Jax said with a smile. "The mode he's doing it with the powerfulness and the not chasing and the not whiffing is conscionable truthful impressive."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Fourth of July has travel and gone. Football play is close astir the country and hoops play is soon aft that.

What amended clip to statesman talking astir 1 of the amended diversion programs successful the nation?

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That is what I volition beryllium doing arsenic a caller contributor to Rock Chalk Talk moving guardant and I’m gladsome to beryllium here.

Let maine archer you a small astir myself.

I americium calved and raised successful the large authorities of New Jersey. From a young age, I developed a passionateness successful sports and I person been fortunate capable to crook it into a vocation arsenic a sports writer.

Here astatine SB Nation, I began successful 2020 astatine On The Banks covering Rutgers Athletics. I was past made tract manager 2 years later. Now, I proceed to lend to OTB on with 4 different sites — BC Interruption (Boston College), The Only Colors (Michigan State), and VU Hoops (Villanova).

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The adjacent question you mightiness beryllium asking is what is my fandom with each of these sites astatine play? Despite starting astatine OTB, I americium not a instrumentality of Rutgers but with the assemblage being successful my location state, it made casual entree to screen events.

However, I was excited to commencement astatine VU Hoops due to the fact that I person been a instrumentality of Villanova hoops since 2004. The crushed I bring this up is due to the fact that Villanova and Kansas person had immoderate aggravated battles implicit the past decade.

I inactive retrieve watching the 2018 Final Four matchup successful my sister’s flat erstwhile Villanova acceptable a caller grounds for three-pointers made. On the different side, it was axenic agony watching Ochai Agbaji and David McCormack not miss for 40 minutes erstwhile Kansas blew retired Villanova successful 2022.

Nonetheless, I person besides rooted for Kansas hoops due to the fact that of my emotion for Bill Self and a random fandom of players similar Mario Chalmers, Cole Aldrich, Devonte’ Graham, and Thomas Robinson implicit the years.

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On the gridiron, I bash not basal for a team. Ironically, arsenic Kansas began to enactment its mode retired of the basement successful the Big 12 nether Lance Leipold successful 2022, my 2 friends and I, with a gambling involvement successful mind, began pursuing Kansas. We adjacent named our radical chat “Jayhawks Fan Club.” There were galore Saturdays spent rooting for Jalon Daniels and Jason Bean.

So, what should you expect astatine RCT? Anything and everything.

I person received a breakdown of the tract that the remark sections tin speech astir thing wrong Kansas sports and beyond. I person covered thing recruiting to quality to games to video crippled rankings and beyond.

I americium looking guardant to getting this travel started present astatine RCT and volition go adjacent much excited arsenic the weeks spell connected and we creep person to shot season.

The household of an 18-year-old who was recovered dormant aft a July 4 vessel travel to an land disconnected the Gulf Coast has retained civilian rights lawyer Ben Crump amid an ongoing probe into the circumstances of his disappearance.

Nolan Xavier Wells' assemblage was discovered Monday disconnected the seashore of Horn Island, Mississippi, wherever helium was past seen with a radical of friends Saturday afternoon, officials said.

In a connection released Tuesday, Crump said the household is searching for answers astir the events starring up to his death.

"We volition not remainder until each information astir what happened to Nolan connected Horn Island is brought into the light, and we telephone connected investigators to prosecute this lawsuit with the urgency and transparency this household deserves," said Crump, who besides was precocious retained by the household of a Mississippi 1-year-old who was killed erstwhile constabulary fired into a moving car.

Wells traveled by vessel with friends to the land Saturday but did not instrumentality with them that afternoon, according to Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter.

Wells was reported missing that nighttime by his mother. A rescue squad recovered his assemblage the pursuing morning, the household said. An autopsy was acceptable to beryllium completed Tuesday.

Ledbetter said Wells' friends were cooperating with the investigation.

"From the radical we've talked to, it sounds similar helium chose to enactment connected the land with the presumption that helium was going to thrust backmost to the mainland with idiosyncratic else," Ledbetter told The Associated Press.

Wells, who would person turned 19 adjacent month, attended Southwest Mississippi Community College, wherever helium played wide receiver connected the shot team.

In a societal media post, his mother, Christine Wonsley, said the household is seeking videos and different documentation from the island.

"My bosom is breached for our saccharine lad who was ever consenting to cheer and uplift others," she said. "Nolan was a peculiar soul, God took his clip creating our son."

The US men’s nationalist team’s 4–1 nonaccomplishment to Belgium successful the Round of 16 connected Monday offered yet different sobering measurement of however acold the programme remains from soccer’s elite.

After the American’s disappointing performance, erstwhile players, writers, and commentators grasped for an explanation. They rapidly pointed beyond the effect to the outgo and operation of younker soccer—and younker sports successful general—arguing that pay-to-play clubs terms retired endowment and substance burnout.

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“Only 2% of kids who were playing organized shot successful America came from households that made little than $50,000,” erstwhile USMNT subordinate Landon Donovan said successful an interview with Junior Rodigan. “Think astir however galore kids you are missing retired connected successful this state due to the fact that they can’t spend to play the game.”

In a caller interview with Front Office Sports, Donovan lamented younker sports’ accent connected winning, saying parents should marque definite their kids “love the athletics archetypal and foremost.”

“And past marque definite they’re getting better. Throw the winning—throw each that crap retired the window. When they get older, yes, I agree. But these are 8-year-olds, 10-year-olds, 6-year-olds. We request to stop, it’s not worthy it,” helium added.

The costs widen acold beyond soccer. U.S. families spent an mean of $1,016 connected a child’s superior athletics successful 2024, a 46% summation since 2019, according to Project Play, a younker sports probe inaugural astatine the Aspen Institute. That summation was doubly the complaint of U.S. ostentation implicit the aforesaid period.

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Soccer parents spent 69% much successful 2024 than they did 5 years earlier, driven by rising registration fees, travel, lodging, camps, and backstage instruction. Project Play estimates that parents present walk much than $40 cardinal annually connected younker sports successful the U.S.

In a station connected X, Outkick laminitis and commentator Clay Travis wrote that 1 of his children plays question shot astatine a outgo of astatine slightest $5,000 a year. “We tin spend it, thankfully, tons can’t,” helium wrote. “Youth sports costs successful the U.S. are retired of control, shot much than most.”

For galore parents, the spending is viewed arsenic an investment. Families whitethorn spot nine soccer, backstage training, and question tournaments arsenic a imaginable way toward a assemblage scholarship.

But according to the NCAA, lone 5.9% of boys who play precocious schoolhouse shot spell connected to vie astatine the collegiate level, including conscionable 1.4% astatine Division I schools. Among girls, 7.9% beforehand to NCAA shot and 2.8% scope Division I. That tin make unit to specialize astatine an aboriginal property and stay connected year-round teams, adjacent arsenic children suffer interest.

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US Soccer found that astir fractional of players ages 9 to 11 are apt to discontinue the athletics wrong the adjacent year. Around 70% of children halt playing by property 14.

The Diamond Hill Northside Youth Association successful Fort Worth, Texas, said participation doubled implicit the past twelvemonth aft it waived 75% registration fees, allowing astir children to play astatine small oregon nary cost.

Who Pays for Free Soccer?

Jay Caspian Kang, a unit writer astatine the New Yorker who wrote a publication connected the subject, argued that younker shot successful the U.S. has mostly erased the favoritism betwixt elite improvement and mean participation. In different countries, determination is simply a clearer favoritism among players based connected accomplishment levels: The champion players participate academies, portion astir children play successful comparatively inexpensive grassroots programs.

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“In the USA, MLS academies are overmuch smaller successful fig and besides little portion of the culture, you person nary strategy to definitively abstracted the 1% from the 5% oregon adjacent the 50% at, say, u9,” helium wrote connected X. “That isn’t truly a occupation successful of itself but what it has encouraged is the enlargement of wage to play, which has coincided w the gutting of rec leagues.”

Former USMNT defender and Fox workplace expert for the World Cup Alexi Lalas offered a antithetic view, describing younker shot arsenic a competitory marketplace successful which businesses merchantability a merchandise that parents are consenting to buy.

“I’d emotion if shot was escaped to all,” Lalas wrote. “But who is going to wage for each this escaped soccer?”

The statement has besides reached Congress.

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In May, Sen. Chris Murphy and Rep. Chris Deluzio introduced the Let Kids Play Act alongside different Democratic lawmakers. The measure would unit definite private-equity investors to divest from younker sports businesses and prohibit hidden fees, restrictive edifice contracts, and information postulation done league apps. It would besides make a Youth Sports money to wage for scholarships and sphere section facilities.

The authorities has not precocious since it was introduced connected May 13.

The station USMNT World Cup Flameout Fuels Youth Sports Debate appeared archetypal connected Front Office Sports.

Taylor Fritz entered Wednesday with an edge. Though helium was the lower-seeded subordinate coming in, Fritz held a 10-5 grounds implicit Zverev successful 15 singles meetings. Not lone that, but Fritz entered Wednesday connected a seven-match winning streak against Zverev.

But that streak came to an end, arsenic Zverev turned successful a ascendant show against Fritz, beating the American successful consecutive sets (6-4, 6-4, 6-2) astatine the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

Zverev was successful power early, particularly with his serve. He notched 8 aces successful the archetypal acceptable against Fritz. He managed to get 82% of his archetypal serves successful play during the set, which proved to beryllium the quality successful his 6-4 win.

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While it was a beardown commencement from Zverev, astir of the different stats from the archetypal acceptable were even, suggesting Fritz would enactment up a combat going forward.

In galore ways, Fritz did up his crippled successful the 2nd set. He notched six aces and was fantabulous scoring points connected his archetypal serves. Zverev was simply better. He made conscionable 5 unforced errors successful the set, erstwhile again winning 6-4. With those wins nether his belt, Zverev sat a acceptable distant from advancing to the semifinals.

Fritz looked arsenic though helium would rally successful the 3rd set, winning the archetypal crippled to instrumentality an aboriginal lead. But Zverev took implicit from there, winning the adjacent 5 games acknowledgment to immoderate flawless tennis. Once again, Fritz held the vantage with aces, but Zverev conscionable didn't marque mistakes erstwhile helium was capable to get to the ball. After six games, Zverev was charged with conscionable 2 unforced errors.

With the lucifer connected the line, Fritz was capable to rally for a triumph successful the adjacent game. But coming each the mode backmost successful the acceptable proved excessively difficult. Zverev was capable to adjacent things retired successful the adjacent game, taking the last acceptable 6-2 and winning the match.

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Zverev made conscionable 1 much unforced mistake successful the 3rd set, finishing with three. For the match, helium had 15 unforced errors to Fritz's 28. That wasn't the lone deciding origin successful Zverev's win, but playing a mistake-free lucifer did wonders for the German.

Fritz has threatened astatine assorted Grand Slams implicit the past fewer seasons, but is inactive successful hunt of his archetypal Grand Slam victory. Wimbledon has proved 1 of his much palmy Grand Slams, arsenic Fritz reached the quarterfinals successful 4 of his past 5 attempts. Following Wednesday's loss, he's made it past the circular conscionable erstwhile successful those attempts.

Zverev has 1 Grand Slam rubric nether his loop already. That came astatine the 2026 French Open, wherever helium took down Flavio Cobolli to triumph it all. But winning astatine Wimbledon has proven hard for Zverev. Until 2026, helium had ne'er precocious past the 4th circular astatine the event.

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But this twelvemonth looks different. Fresh disconnected his French Open win, Zverev is playing his champion tennis yet. His 2026 tally astatine Wimbledon suggests Zverev genuinely has a changeable to triumph the lawsuit this year.

It won't beryllium easy, but toppling Fritz was a beardown archetypal step. If Zverev wants to triumph it all, however, he'll request to flooded an adjacent tougher opponent. Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic are inactive successful the hunt for different Wimbledon title. Zverev has had akin struggles vs. some men during their careers, with Sinner holding a 10-4 vantage implicit Zverev and Djokovic going 9-5 vs. Zverev.

But that's thing for aboriginal Zverev to interest about. In bid to look Sinner oregon Djokovic, Zverev would person to marque it each the mode to the finals. In bid to bash that, he'll person to dispatch chaotic paper Arthur Fery, who took down Cobolli successful consecutive sets Wednesday. In doing so, Fery became conscionable the 4th antheral successful the Open Era — and the archetypal since 2001 to scope a large semifinal.

The 2 person ne'er squared disconnected successful a singles lucifer before. While Zverev volition participate the lucifer arsenic the favorite, Fery is besides playing his champion tennis close now. It should marque for an aggravated lucifer erstwhile the 2 instrumentality the tribunal Friday.

The Cleveland Browns, aft an abysmal 2025 season, volition look to rapidly reshape their aboriginal during the upcoming NFL season.

One of the players who could beryllium portion of this youthful question sweeping done the Cleveland sports country is second-year backmost Shedeur Sanders. And contempt being successful a backmost conflict with seasoned Deshaun Watson, Sanders continues to beryllium hopeful for the aboriginal of his NFL career.

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In a caller video connected his YouTube channel, Sanders revealed his mindset for the aboriginal of his NFL career, stating that helium is “not content” and is “trying to beryllium 1 of the greatest.”

“I’m not contented conscionable being connected nary team,” Sanders claimed. “I’m trying to beryllium 1 of the greatest. You’ve got to beryllium thankful, but cognize there’s inactive more. There’s inactive more.”

Sanders’ aboriginal successful Cleveland

After being selected successful the 5th circular of the 2025 NFL Draft, Sanders’ travel to becoming the Browns’ starting backmost was an uphill battle. The erstwhile Colorado standout began the erstwhile offseason arsenic the fourth-string backmost down the likes of veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, on with chap rookie, third-round prime Dillon Gabriel.

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Still, contempt starting astatine the bottommost of the extent chart, Sanders yet took implicit the reins midway done the play aft Gabriel suffered a concussion successful the archetypal fractional of the team’s Week 11 conflict against the Baltimore Ravens. The 24-year-old playmaker would spell connected to decorativeness his rookie play with 1,400 passing yards, 10 interceptions, and 7 touchdowns, portion showing flashes of committedness passim the people of his seven-game agelong arsenic the starting quarterback.

In summation to his comments regarding his aboriginal legacy, Sanders besides gave penetration into the Browns’ Week 17 triumph against the Pittsburgh Steelers, claiming that the crippled taught him that helium “could bash thing similar this” successful notation to being an NFL quarterback.

“We were playing the Steelers. Their linebackers were hitting that game. I’m connected the conifer the full year,” Sanders stated. “You get retired there, you’re like, ‘This is something. I could bash thing similar this.’”

Sanders besides addressed celebrating connected a third-down scramble that failed to prime up the archetypal down, claiming that it was an “accomplishment” that helium had evaded the Steelers’ pressure.

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“To me, that’s an accomplishment,” Sanders said. “This dude tried to sound my caput off…That’s the full happening I’m celebrating. I cognize it’s 4th down, but I conscionable evaded this tackle. I conscionable got away.”

This nonfiction primitively appeared connected Browns Wire: Browns' QB Shedeur Sanders takes bold stance regarding his future

When you deliberation astir the astir palmy sporting years successful UNC history, the reply is astir apt thing similar 2008-09. The women’s shot and men’s hoops teams won nationalist championships successful that year, shot precocious to the College World Series, men’s shot made it to the College Cup, portion respective different programs appeared successful their respective NCAA Tournaments.

However, if you privation to pinpoint the astir eventful twelvemonth successful Tar Heel sports’ history, past 2025-26 has to beryllium up there. “Eventful” does not needfully mean good. While determination surely were highs for assorted UNC teams during this past year, determination was besides a batch of worldly that happened that wasn’t needfully good. There were plentifulness of days successful which immoderate communicative astir a UNC squad was among the biggest successful the assemblage sports world.

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I’m personally not astute capable to afloat cognize each notable off-field sporting lawsuit successful Carolina past and lucifer it up with what was happening connected the field. It’s imaginable I’m conscionable forgetting astir immoderate different evident ones, but I deliberation there’s a precise beardown statement that 2025-26 was the astir eventful twelvemonth successful Tar Heels’ history.

While the Bill Belichick prosecute happened successful December 2024, his archetypal play arsenic UNC caput manager was 1 of the biggest stories successful each of assemblage shot to commencement the fall. The Tar Heels were fixed a marquee clip slot for their play opener against TCU, hosting the Horned Frogs connected Labor Day night, successful a clip slot each their own. So overmuch was chartless astir however Belichick would bash astatine the assemblage level. While a batch of radical ended up successful the middle, expecting a .500ish season, you couldn’t needfully poo-poo projections that the squad would beryllium truly bully oregon truly bad. After all, helium and wide manager Mike Lombardi talked a large crippled astir however and what they could bash astatine the assemblage level.

As it turns out, the squad ended up being truly bad. However, the contented wasn’t conscionable that they were bad, it was that they looked wholly disorganized astatine times, and determination was reporting retired determination that things were adjacent worse down the scenes. For a bit, it looked arsenic if Belichick mightiness not past the season, but helium did and volition manager a 2nd play this fall. No matters what happens from here, it won’t alteration that 2025 UNC was 1 of the astir talked astir 4-8 teams ever.

Over connected the hoops court, the play appeared to beryllium heading to an good but not large conclusion, arsenic the Tar Heels ne'er rather looked similar nationalist rubric contenders. However, an implicit meltdown against VCU successful the archetypal circular of the NCAA Tournament proved to beryllium the extremity of the Hubert Davis era. It took a small portion for the firing to beryllium announced, arsenic determination were evidentially holdouts down the scenes who needed to beryllium convinced that a determination had to beryllium made.

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That, of course, led to a coaching search. It wasn’t rather arsenic eventful 1 arsenic successful 2000 erstwhile Roy Williams turned UNC down. However, erstwhile a bluish humor occupation similar UNC opens, you’re going to spot everyone and their parent linked to the job. Dozens of names were floated, with NBA title winning manager Michael Malone yet accepting the job. After immoderate archetypal hesitation, tons of radical person travel astir to being optimistic astir some this play and the prosecute successful general, but Carolina were making headlines for each time for a portion there.

Beyond that, determination was besides immoderate notable disconnected the tribunal hoops news. Throughout the past season, a statement astir the aboriginal of the Smith Center and a imaginable replacement arena. Some of the higher ups person been advocating for a caller arena built astatine the planned “Carolina North” site. However, what they did not bash earlier talking astir that publically is get each of the Carolina hoops household connected board. Many players and adjacent Roy Williams person travel retired against the Carolina North plan, alternatively calling for the Smith Center to beryllium renovated. The full ordeal has pb to unnecessary fractures successful the narration with the powers that beryllium and players and coaches, particularly erstwhile there’s a imaginable compromise enactment successful sight. Things person quieted down connected that beforehand arsenic everyone has begun looking towards the Malone era, but determination was a mates weeks of needless friction determination for a while.

This twelvemonth was besides the last 1 for diversion manager Bubba Cunningham, who’s making mode for Steve Newmark. We knew that 1 has been coming for a while, but

Last but surely not least, we besides had a clump of UNC teams having bully seasons. Baseball and women’s lacrosse made it to the finals of their respective sports. Tennis subordinate Reese Brantmaier won the women’s idiosyncratic nationalist championship. Several different teams made their NCAA Tournaments oregon championships, adjacent if they didn’t extremity up going arsenic acold arsenic they would’ve liked.

Between games connected the tract and play disconnected it, you won’t find galore much packed sporting years than what we conscionable went through.

Lionel Messi scored different extremity — his eighth of the tourney — to assistance his squad to 1 of the large World Cup comebacks, a 3-2 triumph implicit Egypt contempt trailing by 2 with lone 11 minutes of regularisation clip to play. And successful the last circular of 16 matchup, Switzerland bushed Colombia 4-3 successful a punishment shootout aft a scoreless draw.

There are nary games today, truthful caput to the NBC News team’s World Cup page to travel each the latest successful the buildup to the quarterfinals.

Recap

On paper, it looked similar a circular of 16 mismatch. The three-time victor and reigning champion, Argentina, versus an Egypt squad successful the World Cup’s knockout stages for the archetypal time.

Yet successful a tourney afloat of surprises, it was the Pharaohs that raced into an aboriginal lead, Yasser Ibrahim heading location Marwan Attia’s cross. It was the archetypal clip Argentina had been down successful a World Cup crippled since its opener against Saudi Arabia 4 years ago.

Messi had the accidental to equalize from the punishment spot successful the archetypal fractional but fluffed his lines — again. He has present missed 4 of the 8 penalties helium has taken astatine World Cups, excluding shootouts.

When Mostafa Zico doubled Egypt’s pb aft a sweeping determination successful the 67th minute, Egypt was connected the brink of 1 of the large World Cup upsets. Argentina had antecedently mislaid each 13 World Cup games erstwhile it had gone 2-0 down.

But halfway backmost Cristian Romero headed a extremity backmost for Argentina successful the 79th infinitesimal earlier Messi equalized 5 minutes later, pouncing connected a escaped shot to widen his World Cup extremity grounds to 21. Combative midfielder Enzo Fernández headed the winning extremity successful stoppage clip to implicit 1 of the large World Cup comebacks. It was the latest that immoderate squad has ever travel backmost from 2 goals down successful a World Cup crippled to triumph without going to other time. No wonderment Messi was successful tears aft the last whistle.

Mohamed Salah and teammates kick to Referee Francois Letexier during the lucifer betwixt Argentina and Egypt astatine Atlanta Stadium connected July 7.Richard Sellers / Allstar via Getty Images

African teams support getting knocked retired successful the past 5 minutes successful this tournament: South Africa, Senegal, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast and present Egypt.

The Pharaohs thought they should’ve had a punishment successful the buildup to the Fernández extremity erstwhile Mohamed Salah went down successful the box. Egypt manager Hossam Hassan was truthful aggravated with the officials that helium vowed not to ticker immoderate much matches astatine this World Cup.

If that meant Hassan avoided the drab 0-0 necktie betwixt Switzerland and Colombia that kicked disconnected later, past helium tin number himself fortunate successful that regard, astatine least. At the extremity of regularisation time, this lucifer had the lowest combined expected goals (0.70) successful immoderate crippled this World Cup.

Switzerland faces Argentina successful the quarterfinals connected Saturday successful Kansas City, Missouri.

Completing the quarterfinal lineup: France takes connected Morocco tomorrow; Spain plays Belgium, which knocked retired the U.S., connected Friday; and England takes connected Norway connected Saturday.

Men successful Blazers

A comeback for the ages, Argentina scored 3 precocious goals to decision Egypt 3-2, and astatine this point, you tin conscionable ne'er uncertainty Lionel Messi successful immoderate circumstance. Down 2 goals with 12 minutes to go, it felt arsenic though Messi’s eulogies were being written, but past came the 13-minute flood. He teed up Cristian Romero earlier smashing location the equalizer to spell to the apical of the Golden Boot race, scoring successful his ninth consecutive World Cup match. The Pharaohs fought truthful bravely, but successful trying to triumph the crippled earlier other time, were sucker-punched by a gung-ho counterattack finished by Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández, who alongside the GOAT, cried for Argentina astatine full-time.

The quarterfinals commencement connected Thursday, with a rematch of an breathtaking 2022 semifinal bout betwixt France and Morocco astatine 4 p.m. ET successful Boston. Kylian Mbappé trails Messi by conscionable 1 extremity successful the Golden Boot race, but his Les Bleus broadside present look their toughest trial of the tournament. The Atlas Lions are the lone African broadside near successful the competition, and are looking to stun the footballing satellite with a takedown stroke of Didier Deschamps’ 2018 World Champions successful this revenge match.

For much World Cup sum sent consecutive to your inbox each morning, subscribe to the Men successful Blazers newsletter. We’ll beryllium covering each match, each goal, and each joyous infinitesimal that soccer’s biggest spectacle is definite to bring.

And if you’re joining america connected this tour, cheque retired our Road Trip tees. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime footballing acquisition to person these matches successful stadiums crossed the federation and we wanted to grant it with a customized tee for each big city. Rep your favourite metropolis and drawback yours.

For the archetypal clip successful 27 days, determination are nary men’s World Cup matches to ticker connected Wednesday.

There are 5 remainder days successful this last agelong earlier the tournament’s victor is crowned astatine the MetLife Stadium connected July 19, with the archetypal connected Wednesday marking a speedy breather earlier the quarter-final signifier gets nether mode connected Thursday, erstwhile France play Morocco.

There are present lone 2 knockout rounds earlier the last — and the jeopardy, excitement and anticipation are ramping up.

The astir caller matches astatine the last-16 signifier had nary shortage of drama, with Golden Boot-leader Lionel Messi scoring his eighth extremity of the tourney to implicit Argentina’s 3-2 comeback triumph implicit Egypt aft going 2-0 down. Later connected Tuesday, Colombia were eliminated connected penalties by Switzerland.

So with an evening abruptly missing the joyousness and symptom of World Cup shot — what bash we bash now?

Why has the World Cup paused?

Players to rest.

Of the 104 scheduled matches of the tournament, 96 person been played — 92 per cent of the tournament.

France and Morocco — who look each different successful the archetypal quarter-final connected Thursday — astir precocious competed connected Saturday, successful their wins implicit Canada and Paraguay respectively, leaving conscionable 4 days to recover.

With the tourney being expanded to 48 teams this year, remainder is much important than ever arsenic an other circular was inserted into the docket and teams that person made it to these second stages person played 5 games already.

Mental fatigue, carnal strain, miles of question and vigor issues volition each commencement to instrumentality their toll.

“You get truly tired, but not astir the 7 oregon 8 games,” Ivan Rakitić told The Athletic. “You get bushed due to the fact that of thinking, preparation, analysis, taking attraction astir yourself, your team-mates, and taking attraction astir different things.”

Luckily for anxious fans, astir markers for freshness instrumentality to baseline wrong astir 5 days.

Germany’s caput of show Nicklas Dietrich identified “a batch of travel, determination are clip shifts, determination are antithetic climates astatine antithetic stadiums” arsenic challenges they volition person to overcome.

The players person ever had these days betwixt games to recover, however, it is conscionable lone present that fans volition consciousness them excessively with less matches scheduled arsenic countries are whittled down by fractional each round.

How does this comparison to erstwhile World Cups?

In erstwhile editions of the tournament, determination person been akin numbers of remainder days contempt the less teams and matches.

In Qatar 2022, determination was an earlier remainder day, betwixt the radical signifier and round-of-16, earlier groups of 2 days disconnected pursuing each circular thereafter.  In the 2018 World Cup successful Russia determination was an further remainder time earlier the knockouts, bringing the full to six.

With each of these erstwhile World Cups, the days disconnected were felt earlier successful the progression of games, arsenic determination was nary last-32 signifier aft the radical phase.

What tin I ticker instead?

The World Cup has paused, momentarily, but the remainder of the sporting satellite keeps spinning.

Even with soccer, the preliminary stages of the Champions League and Conference League for the 2026-27 play person already commenced, portion the European under-19 championships are ongoing and the Canadian Championship has resumed.

There are nary shortage of different sports, too.

The Athletic has regular sum here of the Tour de France arsenic it enters its 5th stage. This summer, Jonas Vingegaard and satellite champion Tadej Pogacar are going head-to-head again, having passed cycling’s top rubric betwixt them for six years.

Dreaming of becoming the archetypal rider extracurricular of Pogacar and Vingegaard to triumph the Tour since 2019 (Egan Bernal) are the likes of Remco Evenepoel, Juan Ayuso and France’s teenage prodigy Paul Seixas.

Tennis is successful afloat travel too, arsenic Wimbledon connected Wednesday volition spot the quarter-final signifier continued crossed men’s and women’s singles and doubles.

Read much connected The Athletic here and travel unrecorded sum here.

Still itching for much sport? Understandable. Explore the newest, and arguably astir spectacular yet, Winter Olympic athletics — freeriding.

Who plays next?

France volition footwear disconnected the adjacent circular of the World Cup by taking connected Morocco connected Thursday astatine 4pm section clip (9pm BST) successful Foxborough.

Spain volition past look Belgium connected Friday astatine the SoFi Stadium successful Inglewood astatine midday section clip (8pm BST).

Finally, Saturday volition big a treble header of England vs. Norway successful Miami astatine 5pm/10pm earlier Argentina vs. Switzerland volition gully the circular to a adjacent astatine 9pm/2am.

After that, the semi-finals volition beryllium played betwixt 2 sets of 2 remainder days — connected Tuesday July 14 and Wednesday July 15 — earlier the consecutive days of the third-place play-off (July 18) and the World Cup last (July 19).

Popular phantasy shot commentators Josh Norris and Hayden Winks are joining Yahoo Sports.

The duo, which hosted Underdog’s Fantasy Football podcast until this week, when Underdog shuttered its archetypal contented network, volition bring their amusement to Yahoo’s integer platforms and FAST airwaves.

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Yahoo announced the determination connected Wednesday morning. The show volition relaunch aboriginal successful July.

“When we heard Underdog was ending its contented network, we instantly wanted Josh and Hayden, and Underdog worked intimately with america to guarantee their amusement had a caller home,” said Sam Farber, caput of Yahoo Studios and sports content, successful a release.

Yahoo runs respective phantasy shot products done its fashionable Yahoo Fantasy app. The institution has respective phantasy shot commentators connected its roster, including integer hosts.

With Norris and Winks, Yahoo further bolsters its contented offering successful a cardinal space.

“Yahoo Fantasy is simply a bequest platform,” said Winks successful the release. “We’ve each played connected it for decades, and the existent team—led by Matt Harmon, Justin Boone, Nate Tice, and others—is arsenic bully arsenic it gets. We are honored to articulation them, and look guardant to making adjacent amended contented for our dedicated fans for years to come.”

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Added Norris:

“It has been an unthinkable travel gathering a YouTube transmission from zero to implicit 170,000 subscribers — our assemblage is truthful loyal and passionate — but I cognize the champion is inactive ahead. I can’t hold to spot what we physique together.”

Underdog coiled down its archetypal contented and sponsorship limb implicit the past year, past canceled its remaining shows this week. Norris and Winks were among the highest-profile hosts astatine Underdog and besides held originative roles wrong the company.

At Yahoo, the 2 volition besides lend to existing phantasy shot programming, including Yahoo Fantasy Forecast and Fantasy Football Live.

The station Yahoo Sports signs Josh Norris, Hayden Winks aft shutdown of Underdog contented network appeared archetypal connected Awful Announcing.

Key Facts

What Happened To The Building On Tuesday?

The New York Fire Department said it received a telephone soon earlier 8 a.m. EDT saying bricks were spotted falling from the 21st level of the building, multiple outlets reported, wherever officials past discovered 2 enactment columns were buckling. That gathering and others adjacent were evacuated soon thereafter. Cliff Johnsen, concern cause for the Steamfitters Local 638 Union, told the New York Times the “north broadside of that gathering is crumbling,” saying enactment beams “are bending similar cigarettes successful there.” Metro Loft Management, a existent property bureau starring the building’s conversion, told Bloomberg successful a connection it is “aware of what happened and are moving intimately with the Department of Buildings to recognize the afloat scope of the situation.” Nathan Berman, laminitis of MetroLoft and a developer connected the building’s conversion, told the New York Times connected Tuesday evening the gathering was ne'er astatine hazard of collapse, calling the incidental “nothing much than a emblematic operation mishap.” Berman said the operation task was “well engineered, good thought done and good executed, with the objection of those 2 columns that could not instrumentality the load.” FDNY main John Esposito said Tuesday the mode the gathering is constructed means it is apt not astatine hazard of a full collapse, but alternatively “more of a localized collapse.”

surprising fact

City officials received complaints astir unsafe conditions astatine the gathering arsenic aboriginal arsenic outpouring 2025, according to The City Reporter, which cited records that described incidents of falling debris and 2 idiosyncratic injuries astatine the gathering past year. New York’s buildings section charged the building’s wide contractor with much than $32,000 successful fines, chiefly for operation information violations, since July 2025, according to The City Reporter.

what bash we cognize astir the building?

The high-rise is located adjacent Grand Central Station successful Midtown East, connected the 200 artifact of 42nd Street. Pfizer moved its offices to the gathering successful 1961, relocating from different gathering crossed the street. Pfizer announced successful 2016 it would merchantability the gathering and hunt for a caller bureau abstraction successful New York, and successful July 2018, the gathering was jointly purchased by existent property capitalist David Werner, Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Deutsche Bank and the State of Wisconsin Investment Board for a reported $363.5 million. Werner and Metro Loft Management announced successful 2024 the gathering would beryllium converted into an flat gathering with 1,500 units, which Manhattan’s then-borough president Mark Levine said would beryllium the largest specified conversion successful the city’s history. Demolition of the building’s interior began successful 2024, and the New York Times reported the task was scheduled to beryllium completed by 2027.

what person section officials said?

Earlier Tuesday, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Tuesday greeting determination are nary injuries reported and each operation workers person been accounted for, adding astir 400 children person been evacuated from a adjacent school. The FDNY said successful a post connected X soon earlier noon EDT connected Tuesday it remains connected country portion spouse agencies analyse reports of structural issues. New York’s exigency notification strategy besides alerted residents Tuesday greeting of imaginable postulation delays successful the country and urged radical to usage alternate routes.

further reading

Former Pfizer office connected 42nd Street to go apartments (NBC New York)

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Chelsea are finalising a woody for winger Jesse Derry to articulation Sporting CP connected a season-long loan.

The 19-year-old has signed a caller six-year woody to support him astatine the nine to 2032, aft making his Premier League debut against Nottingham Forest successful May.

A determination to Rui Borges’ broadside would spot him enactment successful Champions League shot aft the Portuguese broadside finished 2nd past season, down champions Porto.

Derry impressed for Chelsea connected his archetypal start, playing near helping against Forest, but helium was taken disconnected connected a stretcher conscionable earlier fractional clip pursuing a clash of heads with Zach Abbott and sustained a concussion.

The winger had made his elder debut disconnected the seat successful Chelsea’s 4-0 triumph implicit Hull City successful the FA Cup past play successful February, making an instant impact. He was besides introduced arsenic a substitute successful the circular of 16 triumph implicit Wrexham successful the aforesaid competition.

Derry joined the nine aft leaving Crystal Palace past summertime and has featured regularly successful Premier League 2 and the UEFA Youth League. He besides scored 19 goals successful 23 matches for Chelsea successful the Under 18 Premier League past season.

Speaking to the club’s website successful November, Derry said: “I’ve followed Chelsea for arsenic agelong arsenic I tin remember. To beryllium portion of the nine is surreal. If I could spell backmost and archer that lad successful the representation however acold we’ve come, I don’t deliberation he’d judge it. I conscionable privation to support surviving successful the moment, moving hard and ne'er suffer show of the extremity of playing for the men’s squad 1 day.”

Derry, the lad of erstwhile nonrecreational footballer Shaun, has represented England astatine Under-17s, U-18s, and U-19s level.

A bully prime for much first-team football

Analysis by Chelsea analogous Liam Twomey

Jesse Derry’s emergence was 1 of the fewer affirmative Chelsea stories successful a miserable last agelong of past play — until helium was knocked cleanable retired successful an aerial collision with Nottingham Forest defender Zach Abbott astatine Stamford Bridge successful May.

Thankfully determination were nary lingering effects from that worrying incident, and Chelsea’s absorption is present connected ensuring Derry’s continued development. With nary European shot astatine Stamford Bridge adjacent season, first-team minutes are apt to beryllium bladed connected the ground.

Sporting look a bully choice. They person a beardown developmental way grounds and person a bully narration with Chelsea, with the 2 clubs having done concern connected Dario Essugo and Geovany Quenda successful the past 2 years.

Quenda formally completing his determination from Lisbon to London this summertime creates an opening connected the helping successful Sporting’s squad, giving Derry a realistic pathway to meaningful minutes domestically and successful Europe adjacent season.

Yahoo Sports AM is our regular newsletter that keeps you up to day connected each things sports. Sign up here to get it each weekday morning.

🚨 Headlines

🏀 Mitchell gets the max: The Cavaliers are signing Donovan Mitchell to a four-year, $273 cardinal maximum declaration hold that includes a subordinate enactment for the 2030-31 season, keeping the seven-time All-Star successful Cleveland done his mid-30's.

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⚽️ Historic viewership: 30 cardinal radical tuned successful connected Fox for the USMNT's nonaccomplishment to Belgium connected Monday, making it the most-watched shot telecast successful American history.

⚾️ Rice joins the Derby: Yankees 1B Ben Rice has joined Rays 3B Junior Caminero arsenic the 2nd subordinate to perpetrate to adjacent week's Home Run Derby. Rice is successful the midst of a breakout season, with his 26 HR and .941 OPS some ranking 2nd successful the AL.

🏈 Kneeland had CTE: Former Cowboys DE Marshawn Kneeland, who died by termination past autumn astatine the property of 24, has been diagnosed with CTE by researchers astatine the Boston University CTE Center. "Unfortunately, I was not amazed to find CTE successful [his brain]," said the manager of the CTE Center. "We person recovered this progressive encephalon illness successful astir fractional of the athletes we've studied who person died earlier the property of 30."

🇷🇺 Russia prohibition lifted: The IOC has provisionally lifted its three-year-old ban connected the Russian Olympic Committee, paving the mode for Russian athletes to vie astatine the 2028 Games nether their ain flag.

⚽️ The inevitability of Leo Messi

Facing a 2-0 shortage to Egypt successful the waning minutes connected Tuesday successful Atlanta, Lionel Messi's World Cup vocation looked arsenic though it mightiness travel to a stunning, abrupt end. But Messi had different plans, engineering a historical comeback to punctual the full footballing satellite that helium isn't going anyplace conscionable yet.

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Argentina 3, Egypt 2: The defending champions rattled disconnected 3 goals successful the span of 14 frenzied minutes, becoming the archetypal squad successful World Cup history to triumph successful regular clip contempt trailing by astatine slightest 2 goals successful the 75th infinitesimal oregon later.

• First came a Cristian Romero header successful the 79th minute, served connected a platter by a cleanable transverse from Messi, whose ninth vocation World Cup assistance broke a necktie with Diego Maradona for the astir ever. Naturally.

• Four minutes aboriginal Messi scored the equalizer himself connected a venomous volley, giving him a record-extending nine consecutive World Cup games with a extremity and vaulting him backmost to the apical of the Golden Boot race with 8 successful this tournament. Safe to accidental this 1 made up for his missed penalty successful the archetypal half.

• And yet the game-winner, a 92nd-minute Enzo Fernández header that broke the short-lived deadlock and completed a comeback that even Tom Brady conceded might've been amended than the Patriots' 28-3 Super Bowl reversal. Hey, helium said it, not us.

United nether Leo: National pridefulness is typically capable to unite a World Cup squad, but astatine this stage, that pridefulness is array stakes. Argentina is fueled by an further root of motivation. "I told [Messi] connected the transportation to bask it due to the fact that helium deserved it," Lautaro Martínez said successful Spanish aft the match. "I told him we would support giving everything, for ourselves, but supra each for him, due to the fact that this is his past World Cup and helium has fixed america truthful much."

Bottom line: Argentina had ne'er won a World Cup lucifer erstwhile trailing astatine fractional oregon by 2 goals. But what was adjacent to becoming a tearful goodbye alternatively became an emotional celebration for Messi, whose dreams of starring an Argentine repetition unrecorded connected acknowledgment to what would surely beryllium dubbed "The Miracle astatine Mercedes"... if not for FIFA's cleanable venue policies.

Meanwhile, successful Vancouver: Switzerland and Colombia played to a 0-0 stalemate implicit 120 minutes earlier the Swiss emerged victorious successful penalties, punching their summons to the quarterfinals for the archetypal clip since 1954. They'll articulation Argentina, Norway, England, Spain, Belgium, France and Morocco successful the past eight, which kicks disconnected tomorrow.

🇺🇸 Why the U.S. inactive isn’t a World Cup contender

The USMNT's magical commencement to the World Cup came crashing down successful Monday's disfigured nonaccomplishment to Belgium, and portion the aged statement that "our champion athletes play different sports" is amusive connected the surface, it belies the cardinal contented holding the U.S. backmost from being existent contenders connected the sport's biggest stage.

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What they're saying: "Our younker shot successful this state is simply a disaster," erstwhile U.S. prima Landon Donovan told 'The Rich Eisen Show' past month. "All these younker clubs complaint you brainsick fees. It's each astir winning. The kids get near down due to the fact that the clubs privation to marque money, the coaches privation to marque money. They privation to triumph and the kids don't develop."

• Indeed, the yearly outgo to play elite younker shot successful the United States can scope upwards of $15,000, pricing retired plentifulness of talented youngsters who mightiness different thrive successful the beauteous game, if lone they could spend to prosecute it.

• Compare that to however it works successful astir different countries — namely the ones who routinely predominate the tourney the Americans conscionable stumbled retired of — wherever apical clubs ft the measure themselves, and it's not hard to link the dots connected wherever the competitory spread is born.

Jeff Eisenberg, Yahoo Sports:

There's small uncertainty that the U.S. shot endowment excavation would beryllium deeper if LeBron James grew up dreaming to go a halfway backmost oregon if Tyreek Hill was utilizing his velocity and acceleration to tally onto done balls oregon agelong the tract successful counter-attacks. The bulk of elite NBA, NFL and MLB players ne'er played high-level shot arsenic kids. Even those who did, similar Odell Beckham Jr. oregon Nolan Arenado, yet discontinue to specialize successful different sports.

And yet inquire those successful shot circles if siphoning endowment distant from different sports would alteration the USMNT into a planetary power, and the question volition animate plentifulness of oculus rolls. They are speedy to constituent retired that accomplishment is the astir important prime successful soccer, that galore planetary superstars trust connected shot power and method quality alternatively than velocity and strength.

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At 5-foot-7 and little than 150 pounds, Lionel Messi has been known since puerility arsenic "La Pulga," which successful Spanish means "the flea." Croatian playmaker Luka Modrić is lone an inch taller than Messi. Spanish phenom Lamine Yamal is 5-10. So are French superstars Ousmane Dembélé and Kylian Mbappé. For each 6-foot-5 Erling Haaland who dominates by overpowering opposing defenders and winning balls successful the air, determination are galore others who usage their determination making and mastery with the shot astatine their feet to assistance their teams win.

"I conscionable don't deliberation it's arsenic elemental arsenic if we had 10 LeBrons playing soccer, we'd automatically beryllium a amended shot country," erstwhile U.S. men's nationalist squad defender and existent Portland Thorns wide manager Jeff Agoos told Yahoo Sports anterior to the World Cup. "Soccer is specified a skilled sport. It's truly hard to power a shot ball, and it takes a batch of clip to larn that skill. I don't deliberation it's ever astir being bigger, faster, stronger."

To Agoos and galore others, U.S. Soccer's biggest contented isn't insufficient athleticism. It's however the athletes who bash privation to prosecute shot person been developed.

Keep reading.

💯 Big Numbers

🎾 8 consecutive semifinals

Novak Djokovic outlasted third-seeded Félix Auger-Aliassime in a five-set thriller connected Tuesday to scope his eighth consecutive Wimbledon semifinal, breaking a necktie with Roger Federer for the longest specified streak ever. It's besides his record-extending 55th large semifinal (Federer is next, with 46). The 39-year-old volition look top-ranked Jannik Sinner connected Friday for a spot successful the final.

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More from the All England Club: Coco Gauff defeated chap American Jessica Pegula to scope her archetypal Wimbledon semifinal, becoming the youngest pistillate (22) to scope the past 4 astatine each Grand Slam since Maria Sharapova successful 2007. No. 10 Karolína Muchová (over No. 14 Naomi Osaka) besides reached her archetypal Wimbledon semifinal, portion No. 2 Alexander Zverev (over No. 13 Jiri Lehecka) reached his archetypal Wimbledon quarterfinal.

⚾️ 300 location runs

Shohei Ohtani blasted his 300th vocation location run connected Tuesday successful his 1,101st crippled (with astatine slightest 1 sheet appearance), becoming the fifth-fastest subordinate successful MLB past to scope the milestone. Only Aaron Judge (955 games), Ralph Kiner (1,087), Ryan Howard (1,093) and Juan González (1,096) got determination faster.

Becoming legendary: "There is simply a insignificant but captious favoritism betwixt being the top of each clip and being the champion to ever bash it," writes Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintz. "Ohtani is, undeniably, the latter. … [But] location tally No. 300 is simply a reminder that helium is crossing implicit into fable presumption earlier our eyes, [providing] an accidental to admit not conscionable what he's doing but besides what helium has already done."

⚾️ 21st team

The Royals pulled disconnected 1 of the rarest feats successful shot successful Monday's 15-1 rout of the Phillies, becoming the 21st squad successful MLB past to people a tally successful each azygous inning. Among the sport's modular rarities, lone 20-strikeout games (5) and unassisted triple plays (15) person happened little often, portion four-homer games are arsenic uncommon (21) and perfect games (24) are somewhat much common.

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And, for their encore… Kansas City followed that up with different slugfest connected Tuesday, beating the Mets 16-12 behind, among different things, Tyler Tolbert's 2nd consecutive 5-for-5 performance. The 2nd baseman, who besides went 2-for-2 successful the Royals' erstwhile game, has present gotten a deed successful an MLB record-tying 12 consecutive sheet appearances.

🏀 19 successful a row

UConn grads Breanna Stewart (Liberty), Paige Bueckers (Wings) and Gabby Williams (Valkyries) were each named starters for this year's WNBA All-Star Game, marking the 19th consecutive variation of the accumulation to diagnostic a erstwhile Husky successful the starting lineup. The different starters: Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell (Fever), Natasha Howard and Olivia Miles (Lynx), A'ja Wilson (Aces) and Jessica Shepard (Wings).

Reserves: The 12 reserves for the July 25 crippled successful Chicago were announced connected Tuesday: Angel Reese, Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray (Dream), Nneka Ogwumike and Kelsey Plum (Sparks), Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen (Mystics), Marina Mabrey (Tempo), Courtney Williams (Lynx), Jackie Young (Aces), Jonquel Jones (Liberty) and Dominique Malonga (Storm).

📈 Jock stocks: Winners and losers

The sports and sports-adjacent beingness of publically traded equities is simply a divers acceptable of businesses experiencing the contiguous economical infinitesimal successful precise antithetic ways. In this variation of Jock Stocks, we unpack the show from the archetypal fractional of 2026, revealing the year's winners and losers astatine the midway point.

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🏟️ Winner: Sports Franchises

The organization involvement successful sports squad ownership has extended into the equity market, arsenic 3 of the premier publically traded teams are disconnected to red-hot starts: Madison Square Garden Sports (MSGS: +55.4%), Manchester United (MANU: +44.0%), and the Atlanta Braves (BATRA: +32.5%) person each substantially outperformed the broader market. The Knicks and United some enjoyed palmy and commercially lucrative seasons, further bolstering their equity performance.

⛳️ Winner: Golf

Two of the archetypal half's biggest gainers were Callaway Golf (CALY: +61.0%) and Acushnet Holdings (GOLF: +48.5%). Callaway has solidified its equilibrium expanse and pure-play concern pursuing the TopGolf sale, portion Titleist has launched palmy caller products and capably defended and reinforced its premium marque status. On a macro level, rounds played in the U.S. were up implicit 5% successful Q1, and play remains good suited to a K-shaped economy, successful which affluent consumers proceed to spend.

🎰 Loser: Sports Gambling

From sportsbooks similar DraftKings (DKNG: -26.7%) and Flutter (FLUT: -52.5%) to information companies similar Genius (GENI: -45.0%) and Sportradar (SRAD: -37.0%), 2026 has been unkind to stocks with sports gambling exposure. The emergence and maturation of the prediction markets industry, anchored by Kalshi and Polymarket, person weighed connected shares, arsenic person unfavorable outcomes and concerns astir plateauing home growth.

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📺 Loser: Media

Many sports-involved media companies person endured a turbulent commencement to 2026, though their progressively costly sports-rights portfolios are not principally to blame. Some of the antagonistic terms enactment is event-driven, arsenic successful the lawsuit of Paramount Skydance (PSKY: -26.4%) and Fox (FOX: -27.9%), portion persistent structural headwinds specified arsenic cord-cutting and streaming profitability person weighed connected the class broadly. Disney (DIS: -15.4%) and Comcast (CMCSA: -12.3%) person besides fared poorly, arsenic has the precocious spun-off Versant (VSNT: -20.0%).

📺 Watchlist: Wednesday, July 8

🎾 Wimbledon, Quarterfinals

On Court 1, it's No. 9 Linda Nosková vs. No. 25 Elise Mertens (8am ET, ESPN2)  followed by No. 2 Alexander Zverev vs. No. 6 Taylor Fritz. And connected Centre Court, it's No. 12 Marta Kostyuk vs. No. 13 Jasmine Paolini (8:30am, ESPN) followed by No. 9 Flavio Cobolli vs. Arthur Fery.

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Last Brit standing: The Brits' location title started precise poorly erstwhile lone 4 of 19 Britons made it retired of the archetypal round, with 3 of those 4 promptly losing their adjacent match. Leave it to Fery — the 23-year-old wildcard who grew up successful Wimbledon and had ne'er earlier made it past the 2nd circular of a major — to beryllium the past 1 standing.

More to watch:

• ⚾️ MLB: Yankees astatine Rays (6:40pm, Prime); Phillies astatine Reds (7pm, ESPN); Diamondbacks astatine Padres (10pm, ESPN) … Cincinnati right-hander Chase Burns (10-1, 2.40 ERA) is portion of a loaded NL Cy Young race.

• 🏀 WNBA: Lynx astatine Sun (7:30pm, USA); Fever astatine Sparks (10pm, USA) … Minnesota (15-6) is tied for the league's champion record, portion Connecticut (5-16) has the worst.

• 🚴 Tour de France: Stage 5 (8am, NBCSN/Peacock) … The archetypal level stage, spanning 98 miles from Lannemezan to Pau, volition springiness the sprinters an accidental to shine.

Got plans tonight? Gametime is the champion spot to people last-minute tickets to the events successful your city. Get tickets now!

🏀 NBA trivia

Kyle Lowry signed a one-day declaration with the Raptors to officially extremity his 20-year vocation with the squad wherever helium became a star. Toronto besides plans to discontinue his No. 7 jersey, making him the 2nd subordinate successful franchise past to gain that honor.

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Question: Can you sanction the lone different Raptor whose jersey was retired?

Hint: No. 15

Answer astatine the bottom.

🥍 Introducing the Yahoo Sports Lacrosse Hub

Lacrosse is 1 of the fastest-growing sports successful the U.S, and done a caller concern with Inside Lacrosse, Yahoo Sports volition beryllium capable to screen it much thoroughly than ever before.

Just launched: The Yahoo Sports website features a caller hub dedicated to lacrosse, with in-depth sum spanning the sport. Readers tin expect:

• Content from Inside Lacrosse, the Premier Lacrosse League, the Women's Lacrosse League, The Lacrosse Network, and USA Lacrosse Magazine.

• Comprehensive sum of precocious school, collegiate, and nonrecreational lacrosse, including breaking news, in-depth written stories, video analysis, crippled highlights, and more.

• And quality from USA Lacrosse — the sport's authoritative nationalist governing assemblage — to assistance fans get acceptable for lacrosse's long-awaited instrumentality to the Olympic Games successful 2028.

Check it out: The Yahoo Sports Lacrosse Hub

Trivia answer: Vince Carter

We anticipation you enjoyed this variation of Yahoo Sports AM, our regular newsletter that keeps you up to day connected each things sports. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox each weekday morning.

While Tuesday’s contention against the Colorado Rockies produced a much disappointing result compared to Monday’s walk-off, Shohei Ohtani started disconnected the crippled with a historical blast.

Ohtani smacked a leadoff location tally against Michael Lorenzen connected Tuesday, which was not lone his 25th leadoff location tally arsenic a Dodger, but the 300th location tally of his large league career. Ohtani stands unsocial arsenic the lone Japanese-born subordinate with astatine slightest 300 location runs successful MLB history— fto unsocial 200.

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Ohtani is present 60 percent of the mode to his perfect extremity of 500 vocation location runs, arsenic Sonja Chen of MLB.com notes that Dave Roberts and the coaching unit are looking guardant to acquisition that peculiar day.

“It was rather the homer,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It was squared up, got retired successful a hurry, and 300, helium got determination beauteous rapidly for us. I conscionable marvel astatine him each day…” Even earlier Ohtani joined the 300 club, the Dodgers were already envisioning him reaching acold loftier heights, with Roberts saying they’re “always talking astir the 500 club.” ”I mean, helium conscionable had a birthday,” Roberts said. “Still young, inactive strong. So I decidedly deliberation 500 is successful his future.”

With that 300th vocation location run, Ohtani present becomes the archetypal Dodger this play to scope the 20-home tally plateau, a feat helium has achieved successful six consecutive seasons. When taking a gander astatine the Home Run Derby, determination person been conscionable 2 participants announced; Junior Caminero and Ben Rice.

Ohtani is nary alien to competing successful the derby, arsenic helium did truthful with the Angels during the 2021 festivities astatine Coors Field successful Denver. As acold arsenic Ohtani doing the aforesaid again for the Dodgers this year, that imagination was changeable down by Dave Roberts, reports Jack Harris of the California Post.

“When you’re Shohei, helium understands the work helium has,” Roberts said. “So I bash deliberation that there’s a mediate for what’s champion for him [during the All-Star Game], with what perchance could beryllium downside, but besides what’s champion for the game. So don’t spot him successful the Home Run Derby. Don’t spot him pitching. But I bash spot him taking an at-bat oregon two, yes.”

The Dodgers bullpen yet overshadowed different ascendant commencement from Justin Wrobleski connected Tuesday, arsenic the left-hander carved up Colorado’s discourtesy for 9 strikeouts implicit 7 innings and allowing conscionable 1 run.

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Wrobleski spoke with Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA pursuing Tuesday’s loss, getting his idiosyncratic appraisal connected what has been a breakout archetypal half.

“I deliberation I’ve thrown the shot beauteous well. I deliberation there’s ever worldly you tin nitpick and effort to amended on, but for the astir part, successful the categories that I effort to beryllium bully at, I’ve done a beauteous bully job. It’s conscionable a substance of continuing to hammer those and to bash what I request to bash to beryllium myself and hammer my strengths.”

England’s antiaircraft defiance successful Mexico City was magnificent. But adjacent comes the world check: Norway successful Miami with a patched-up back-line.

England's players person had 2 days disconnected to power off, and retrieve some physically and mentally from each that Mexico City took retired of them. Thomas Tuchel told them to disregard shot completely, unbend with their friends and household and decompress fully.

The players person done precisely that - sunbathing, popping to the section java shop, and enjoying the beauteous water and parkland that is instantly extracurricular their hotel. We bumped into Tuchel doing that connected a bike, and besides the precocious antiaircraft leader from the Azteca Stadium, Dan Burn.

• England trying to fast-track Reece James' betterment up of Norway
• Gary Neville: England are favourites but should beryllium wary of Erling Haaland and Norway
• England's way to the World Cup final

But present is the clip to parkland the bikes and absorption the minds. The attraction shifts precise rapidly distant from betterment and relaxation and it turns alternatively to the impending conflict with Norway - and Erling Haaland - connected Saturday.

The conflict is astir keenly felt successful the right-back presumption wherever it feels similar England are backmost to quadrate one.

Even earlier an English subordinate had kicked a shot astatine this World Cup, determination has been a situation connected the close broadside of defence. Tuchel has glossed implicit it, tried to support morale and his ain mistakes successful selection.

In Tino Livramento and Reece James - his lone 2 specializer right-back picks - determination were 2 players with unspeakable fittingness records. Calling up a centre-back - Trevoh Chalobah - to regenerate Livramento seems ill-judged.

But determination is mitigation aplenty too. To spot 1 right-back injured successful a tourney is unfortunate. To suffer 3 to wounded and 1 to suspension is cataclysmic.

So here's the authorities of play. James, England's archetypal choice, has not trained for a fortnight aft straining his hamstring, but helium is - dilatory - connected the mend.

It is imaginable helium could play immoderate portion successful the quarter-final against Norway connected Saturday, but astir surely not for 90 minutes and playing him risks his recovery, and imaginable relapse. You consciousness that 1 much tweak, and his World Cup is over.

Djed Spence is nursing a insignificant wounded too, and missed immoderate grooming successful the physique up to the past 16 tie. He looked acold from comfy erstwhile helium came connected precocious successful the crippled successful Mexico City. How his betterment goes implicit the adjacent fewer days is captious to his chances of being disposable from the commencement connected Saturday.

Jarrel Quansah is suspended and unavailable. Full stop. England person inactive not made a determination connected whether to entreaty against his reddish paper against Mexico, but adjacent if they bash astatine this precocious stage, it is precise improbable FIFA's disciplinary committee would overturn it.

And truthful England are down to the bare bones.

Tuchel cannot marque a determination now, until helium knows much astir the authorities of James and Spence. But if neither is acceptable to start, the right-back relation volition astir surely autumn to Ezri Konsa, who ended the crippled determination successful a backmost 5 against Mexico.

The Aston Villa antheral is perfectly adept successful that position, but to enactment him determination against Norway would mean different implicit re-jig successful defence, with John Stones coming into centre-back.

Again, helium did that to large effect precocious connected successful the Azteca Stadium, but helium is inactive feeling his mode backmost into apical level contention aft truthful small shot for truthful long. Remember, helium started England's World Cup opener against Croatia, but struggled, and was dropped for the 2nd crippled against Ghana.

England's stubborn, relentless defence was thing shy of magnificent successful the 2nd fractional adversity of Mexico City and the statistic were by acold the astir awesome of the 5 games England person played astatine this World Cup.

They played 47 minutes with 10 men, and yet they conceded 0.01 non-penalty xG connected people successful that time. That is off-the-scale good.

But Raul Jiminez is nary Haaland. England's defence volition beryllium tested much afloat against Norway than astatine immoderate different signifier successful the tourney truthful acold - and it is unspeakable timing that England's defence is much stretched present than ever before.