SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) — For four holes and one golden hour of golf just before twilight Thursday, Dustin Johnson looked a lot like the player who won the U.S. Open a decade ago.Just as quickly, he looked like the same sort of mystery he's been since leaving the PGA Tour four years ago.Four straight birdies over those four holes briefly put the captain of LIV Golf's Aces team in a tie for the lead at the U.S. Open. Then, a missed opportunity on the par-5 fifth and a sloppy three-putt for double-bogey on No. 6 dropped him four shots behind Wyndham Clark when the first round was suspended because of darkness. Johnson walked away from Shinnecock in a seven-way tie for second with three holes to finish Friday to close out the first round. His first shot when he returns will be a 3 1/2-foot putt for birdie on the par-3 seventh. Whether he makes that or not, the player who held the world's top ranking for 135 weeks between 2017 and 2021 is in the mix in a major for the first time in at least three years. The timing is good. Johnson's 10-year exemption to the U.S. Open, earned when he won at Oakmont in 2016, expires after this year. His other major victory — at the November playing of the COVID-delayed 2020 Masters — also feels like it comes from a different era in golf. And, in fact, it does. Back in 2010, Johnson was the talk of the majors. He held the lead after three rounds at Pebble Beach only to play the second and third holes in 5 over in a memorable U.S. Open meltdown. Two months later, he grounded his club in a bunker he thought was a waste area at Whistling Straits, costing him two shots and a chance at a playoff at the PGA. Only a matter of time, golf fans thought, before he finally broke through. In 2015, he three-putted on the 18th green at Chambers Bay and Jordan Spieth beat him at that U.S. Open by a shot. It made Johnson's wins at Oakmont the next year and Augusta four years later seem like feel-good affairs. When he signed a contract worth a reported nine figures with LIV, his move felt like one of the biggest blows to the PGA Tour. But while other LIV players — Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau — have won majors since they left, Johnson, now 41, has basically been an afterthought. He's missed six cuts in the 14 majors since he left. His best finish was a tie for 10th at the U.S. Open that Clark won in 2023 at LA Country Club. The last time Johnson led at the end of a U.S. Open round was in 2018 — here at Shinnecock — but Koepka overtook him. The last time Johnson led at the end of a round in a major was 2020 in Augusta.He was listed as a 200-1 long shot to win this week.But in this round, Johnson was paired with Clark and the two former champions seemed to feed off each other. After Johnson hit drives of 403 and 330 yards for his third and fourth straight birdies, he and Clark were tied at 4-under par as they left the fourth green. Johnson hit his first 11 fairways. On the par-5 fifth, he was pin high after two shots but a middling chip and a miss from 7 feet ended his chance at a fifth straight bridie. Clark made eagle there. Johnson responded by missing his first fairway of the day, then three-putted for the double that dropped him four out of the lead.___AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Javier Mendez isn't upset to see a superfight between UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria jeopardized.Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC) and Topuria (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) were on a collision course, but the promotion failed to match up two of their biggest stars at UFC Freedom 250, with Makhachev claiming Topuria priced himself out.Instead, Topuria unified his lightweight title against interim champ Justin Gaethje (28-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) but wound up suffering a stunning upset loss Sunday at the White House in Washington DC."I'm not disappointed at all," Mendez told Submission Radio. "It's in God's plans. We just go along with whatever God plans for us to do, and it just means we move on forward. Let's face it, Islam Makhachev has plenty of challengers in the welterweight division. We didn't need Topuria for Islam to vault himself to another level."Makhachev defends his title against Ian Machado Garry (17-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) in the UFC 330 headliner on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia (Paramount+). Makhachev's head coach, Mendez, now has turned his attention to another UFC superstar."Maybe if that Irish guy (Conor McGregor) may decide, if he's victorious on July 11, why not? He's up for the challenge, so we'd be up for the challenge," Mendez said.Conor McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) returns from a five-year layoff to rematch Max Holloway (27-9 MMA, 23-9 UFC) in the UFC 329 headliner on July 11 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. He was asked about the idea of a title fight against Makhachev."Islam, there's history there. It's at 170," McGregor said on "The Ariel Helwani Show." "I know he's fighting my fellow Irishman, who I've also trained with, who I also know. I'm open for it, for sure."Mendez is certainly open for it, as well, after Khabib Nurmagomedov's win over McGregor broke the UFC record for most pay-per-views sold in company history."If he becomes victorious, which for me, maybe I don't want him to be victorious. But if he is victorious, then maybe if he wants, that's something we could talk about," Mendez said. "That would be just as big, if not bigger to be honest. If he's victorious, in my opinion, it would be bigger. It could very well be the biggest fight in UFC history if that was to happen. To be honest with you, he brings so much to the table. If I had a wish list, that's the one."This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Islam Makhachev's coach eyes Conor McGregor after Ilia Topuria loss

Mar 7, 2026; University Park, PA, USA; Rutger’s Remy Cotton has his arm raised after defeating Northwestern’s Alex Smith in a 197-pound bout during the first round of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships at Bryce Jordan Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images Earlier today, the Big Ten conference confirmed its conference matchups for the 2026-2027 wrestling season, with Rutgers set to take on four conference opponents at home and four more on the road. Rutgers home Conference matchups will be against Penn State, Iowa, Indiana, and Northwestern, while their away matchups will be against Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. Penn State finished last season ranked No.1 overall, with Nebraska finishing No.5 overall, Iowa finishing No.7 overall, Minnesota finishing No.9 overall, Wisconsin finishing No.19 overall, and Indiana finishing No.20 overall. Rutgers finished just outside the top 10 at No.11 overall, posting a record of 14-5 in their dual meets last season. Only two of Rutgers’ future conference opponents finished last season unranked. Dates and times for the matches will be announced at a later date.In addition to the conference opponents being announced, we also know that Rutgers was selected to compete in the National Duals Invitational in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on December 12-13. Each team that participates in the event will receive $20,ooo for attending, with additional awards available based on the team’s performance. The event features a 16-team bracket, with the bottom 8 teams receiving no bonuses. Teams that place within the 6th-8th range will earn a cash reward ranging from $20,000-$40,000. 4th and 5th place will get $100,000 each, while 2nd and 3rd will get $175,000. The winner of the entire tournament will receive $250,000. Other schools competing in that event include Oklahoma State, Iowa State, NC State, North Carolina, Wyoming, Virginia Tech, Arizona State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Arkansas-Little Rock, Oklahoma, Missouri, Stanford, Pittsburgh, and Maryland. Rutgers will have five former NCAA qualifiers on the team next year: Andrew Barbosa, Shane Cartagena-Walsh, Remy Cotton, Iowa State transfer Daniel Herrera, and Cornell transfer Brett Ungar. They will also be welcoming in the highest-rated prospect in program history, Anthony Knox.

Canada coach Jesse Marsch embraces Ismael Kone as he is stretchered off the field during their Group B defeat of Qatar (Emilee Chinn)Canada coach Jesse Marsch said midfielder Ismael Kone was in hospital with a suspected broken leg after the horrific injury that marred the World Cup co-hosts' 6-0 thrashing of Qatar on Thursday.Kone was carried off on a stretcher after a clumsy challenge by Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo in the 51st minute of the Group B clash at Vancouver's BC Place.Marsch told reporters after the game the Canadian bench had realised the severity of Kone's injury immediately."It was right in front of us, and everyone could hear the bone snap," Marsch said."I haven't spoken to Ismael yet, but he's at the hospital. He will prepare for a surgery. I'm going to go see him after this press conference. We'll see exactly what we decide to do for him."Everybody's a little shaken by the whole experience because of the nature of the injury, and also because Ismael is a big part of the heart of our team. It will be a big loss for us."Kone, 24, who plays for Italian Serie A side Sassuolo, waved to the crowd as he was stretchered off the field while receiving oxygen."He was waving to the crowd and almost making everybody else feel at ease with the fact that he's injured and that's an incredible statement about Ismael as a person," Marsch said."Everybody was crushed when it happened, but we had to find a way to stay focused, we knew that Ismael wanted us to finish the job. There's a lot of thoughts that go through our heads right now, we're all thinking about him, but we're all very proud of what we are."Marsch though was unimpressed with the reaction of Qatar's bench, who had protested vociferously when Madibo was given a red card for the challenge on Kone after initially being shown a yellow."Let me be clear, the player apologised to Ismael, like came into the dressing room and apologised to him, and Ismael told the team, or let the team know, that that had happened," Marsch said. "So I don't think that he meant such a gruesome tackle or gruesome situation, so I don't fault him for that. "But I don't understand a reaction from their entire bench to try to start a fight about it being a red card when a clear foul just happened that broke a player's leg -- some strange behaviour."rcw/gj

A terrific maiden Test century by Glenn Phillips and a clinical bowling performance put New Zealand firmly in the driver’s seat, leaving England reeling at 222 for 6 on Day 2 of the second Test at Kennington Oval. At stumps, the hosts still trail New Zealand's first-innings total of 391 by 169 runs, facing a steep uphill battle.The morning session belonged entirely to Phillips. Resuming at an overnight 291 for 7, the dynamic all-rounder braved a barrage of short-pitched deliveries from England's rookie pace attack to complete a memorable, counter-attacking 100. Along with Tom Blundell's steady 51 and some lower-order resistance, the Kiwis posted a commanding 391. For England, youngster Jacob Bethell was the surprise star with the ball, returning impressive figures of 3 for 26 to wrap up the tail.In reply, England’s makeshift top-order started positively but crumbled under the weight of relentless Kiwi accuracy. Opener Ben Duckett fell for a brisk 36, while debutant Emilio Gay played a gritty anchor role. Gay notched a well-constructed 53 off 114 balls to steady the ship, but his resistance was broken just as he looked set for a massive score.The turning point came under the evening sunshine as New Zealand's relentless accuracy kept the pressure on with regular breakthroughs. Frontline pacer Matt Henry ran through the middle order, prising out two crucial wickets, including that of England’s interim captain Joe Root for a well-made 46.The middle-order collapse quickly gained track as England slipped dramatically from a comfortable 143 for 2 to a precarious 177 for 5. Harry Brook, whose third scoring shot was an outrageous, slap-shot six over backward point off a 90mph/145kph thunderbolt from Will O'Rourke, fell soon after in a similarly aggressive fashion.The slide left England desperately needing a rescue act from the two newest recruits in the middle-order, James Rew and Jordan Cox, both playing their maiden Test innings. The debutants showed stomach for a fight, putting together a gritty 40-run stand. James Rew was handed a massive lifeline on 23 when Rachin Ravindra put down a top edge at fine leg. However, the youngster failed to make the reprieve count as O'Rourke got his man just two overs later with another venomous, well-directed bumper.With England stuttering at 222 for 6 at the close of play, New Zealand will head into Day 3 with a upper hand, while the hosts face a monumental task to bridge the 169-run deficit.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. left the Royals’ game with the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night with right knee discomfort after making a sliding play in the field.With the bases loaded in the fourth inning, Witt went to his knees to prevent Jordan Walker’s RBI single from getting to the outfield. Witt was checked out by Royals staffers before remaining in the game for the rest of that half inning.But he was scheduled to lead off the bottom of the fourth, and the Royals instead had Tyler Tolbert pinch-hit for him. The Royals announced later that Witt's departure was due to knee discomfort.Before his departure, Witt had gone 2 for 2 with a solo homer in the first inning and an RBI single in the second. Witt also scored his second run of the night in the second inning.The two-time All-Star is batting .294 with a .368 on-base percentage, 10 homers, 32 RBIs and an MLB-leading 28 steals in 76 games this season.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA - JUNE 02: Tim Payne #2 of New Zealand looks on in the first half against Haiti during the international friendly match at Chase Stadium on June 02, 2026 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Megan Briggs/Getty Images/AFP (Megan Briggs)New Zealand's World Cup social media sensation Tim Payne has capitalised on his newfound fame, with the defender announcing on Friday that he has signed for Paraguayan powerhouse Club Olimpia.His current club, Wellington Phoenix, confirmed his sale to the 48-time champions of Paraguay for an undisclosed fee.The versatile 32-year-old shot to social media stardom in the lead-up to the World Cup after Argentinian influencer El Scarso sought to boost the following of the tournament's "least followed" player.Payne's Instagram following grew from just 4,000 to more than five million in the space of a week, and now sits just shy of six million."This wasn't an easy decision," Payne said in a post on Friday."Seven years at Wellington Phoenix. 149 games. To the fans, my teammates, and all those who have supported me throughout my career, the highs and the lows, thank you."To test myself at the very top of South American football, the Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana, is one of the most incredible opportunities I could have asked for as a professional."El Scarso, whose real name is Valen Scarsini, was among the first to comment, saying: "Best of luck brother."Payne started New Zealand's first match of the World Cup, a 2-2 draw with Iran in Los Angeles.New Zealand next play Egypt and Belgium in Group G.bes/oho/mjw

Photo by Angelina Katsanis/Getty ImagesThe New York Knicks’ championship parade was always going to be loud, but the celebrity turnout made it feel even bigger than basketball.New York celebrated its first NBA title since 1973 with a ticker-tape parade through the Canyon of Heroes on Thursday, June 18. The parade began near Bowling Green, moved up Broadway and ended with a City Hall ceremony after the Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs in five games.It was a celebration for a team, a city and a fan base that had waited 53 years for this moment. It also became a showcase for the famous faces who have been courtside throughout the Knicks’ rise.Photo by DAVID DEE DELGADO / AFP via Getty ImagesKnicks championship parade brought out New York celebrity fansSpike Lee was the most expected name on the route, and also the most fitting. The filmmaker has been the face of celebrity Knicks fandom for decades, so seeing him celebrate a title finally made the wait feel complete.Ben Stiller was also spotted at the parade with Christine Taylor, while Timothée Chalamet joined the celebrations in Knicks colors. Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, Jon Stewart, Martha Stewart and Edie Falco were also among the stars seen around the event.Mariska Hargitay was reportedly on Jalen Brunson’s float with her son, while Teyana Taylor took part in the procession.The celebrity list worked because it reflected the Knicks’ reach. This was not just a sports parade, it was a New York cultural event.Knicks players and fans made parade feel historicJalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson were among the key players involved in the celebration. Brunson remained the center of attention after winning Finals MVP.The Knicks earned the parade by beating San Antonio 94-90 in Game 5 and closing the Finals 4-1. Brunson scored 45 points in the clincher, sealing one of the great individual nights in franchise history.Fans packed Lower Manhattan, with chants, signs and Knicks colors filling the route. The reaction was emotional because many fans had never seen the franchise win a title in their lifetime.For the Knicks, this was more than a victory lap. It was 53 years of frustration, loyalty and celebrity fandom finally spilling onto Broadway.Read more:LeBron James and Steph Curry teaming up? The obstacles are clearSpurs stand by De’Aaron Fox despite Finals performance questionsThe hilarious reason Mike Brown rocked a ’10 weeks’ shirt at New York Knicks title parade

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) — Ryder Cowan knew he was playing good golf coming into the U.S. Open.Midway through his round Thursday, the leaderboard showed that the amateur was playing the best golf of anyone at Shinnecock Hills.Cowan, a 21-year-old who will be a senior at Oklahoma, briefly held the lead in his first major championship before finishing with a 2-under 68, matching the lowest round by an amateur at Shinnecock. He was tied for second when the first round was suspended because of darkness.“Through nine, I looked up and I was 3-under par,” Cowan said. “I definitely looked at that leaderboard, and I saw it up there.”A couple bogeys on his second nine knocked him back, but with the sun setting, Cowan finished strong shortly before play was stopped for the day. Playing the ninth hole, he hit his approach to 5 feet and knocked in the putt for his fourth birdie of the round. Starting on the back, he he had three of them in his first eight holes, moving to 3-under and into the lead after his birdie at the par-3 17th.“I feel like I started well. I got some momentum from that,” Cowan said. "I knew, if I could get through those holes, I had a couple easy holes coming in."I hit it good all day, put myself in good positions throughout the day. Cowan was four shots behind Wyndham Clark, in position to be the first amateur to finish a U.S. Open round in the top five since Brian Campbell was tied for fourth after the first round in 2015.Cowan earned his trip to Shinnecock through a qualifier at BallenIsles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, shooting 6-under 138 and then surviving a three-man playoff for two spots. The other was earned by 17-year-old Miles Russell, who also played well Thursday and finished at 2 over while playing in a group with three-time major champion Padraig Harrington, 54.Cowan said the practice he did to prepare had him believing he would play well. But playing on his home course looks and sounds much different than what he faced at Shinnecock.“I think that I’ve really just been trying this week to focus on each shot, especially today. One at a time, not worry about what’s going on in the crowds or everything,” Cowan said. “I’m not used to all these crowds. We don’t ever really play with a lot of crowds.”If he can keep up his strong play, he might have a big one following him around on the weekend.“I feel like all the work I put in every single day gives me that belief that I can come out here and play with anyone and the guys that I surround myself with,” Cowan said.___AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Nature, Published online: 19 June 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01925-7Two people were the first to receive the therapy for a condition that damages the spinal cord and optic nerve.

A White House spokeswoman said the president was not involved in selecting Greenwater Services, the business owned by a trust led by John J. Cafaro.

The first lady and the mayor showed up for the celebration in style.

SEATTLE — Before the U.S. training session began in earnest Thursday, coach Mauricio Pochettino walked by himself onto a grass hill overlooking his players and staff working inside Husky Soccer Stadium.With Union Bay shimmering under a blue sky on the University of Washington campus, he took it all in.“I wanted to see how everything looks without me,” he said with a smile, drawing laughter at a Lumen Field news conference on the eve of the World Cup Group D match against Australia.Pochettino likes what he is seeing, up close and from a vista. Well, except for Christian Pulisic’s calf ailment, which has cast doubt on his availability Friday.The U.S. arrived in the Emerald City with the wind at their backs following a 4-1 victory over Paraguay last week in Greater Los Angeles. Momentum has gathered off the field as well, with the exceptional performance creating a groundswell of support across the country.Another home victory would do wonders not only for the team, but further elevate the excitement around the 48-nation competition.“We're still all hungry,” right wing Sergiño Dest said. “It's the beginning. We had a great game against Paraguay, but we want more. We are hungry to show all the opponents in the group and the world what we’ve got.”Not since the 1930 inaugural World Cup, however, has the U.S. won consecutive matches. There have been several unbeaten streaks, sure. But not a winning streak.And if that were to occur Friday, the Americans would all but secure passage to the knockout stage and, by the end of the night, could clinch first place in the group. (That hinges on the Paraguay-Türkiye match in Santa Clara, California.)World Cup schedule | Group schedule, results | Standings“Our confidence and trust is there,” Pochettino said. “The challenge now is to keep that level that was so high. I have no doubt I think we can show [it] again.”The big personnel issue is whether Pulisic will be available after aggravating a soft-tissue injury in the Paraguay match. His status remains day to day after working on his own all week.“He's evolving. He's much better from Friday,” Pochettino said. “We'll see … if [he’s] not available for tomorrow, he will be available for the next game, but he's doing a massive effort trying to be ready.”The star attacker has not spoken to reporters this week.Teammate Weston McKennie offered insight and humor.“I know he really wants to be [in the match] and he's doing everything he can, and the staff is doing everything that they can as well,” the midfielder said. “That's also another question that's probably better to ask him rather than me. I'm in my own La La Land.”Mauricio Pochettino and the USMNT regroup in Seattle ahead of Friday's pivotal Group D clash with Australia.John Dorton/USSF via Getty ImagesPulisic’s absence would open a number of options for Pochettino.Would he go back to Sebastian Berhalter, who replaced Pulisic last Friday, and push Malik Tillman higher in the formation again?Would he opt for Tim Weah, Gio Reyna, Brenden Aaronson or Alex Zendejas?Pochettino did not offer any clues Thursday.“At the moment we are evaluating all the possibilities, just in case, and then we will decide when we have the confirmation in one or another direction tonight,” he said.Pulisic’s influence is immeasurable, though. And should Pochettino let him rest, his team would need to find different ways to create the abundance of opportunities Pulisic played a hand in against Paraguay.Aside from Pulisic, the U.S. is healthy and confident. It will also carry the experience of facing Australia in a friendly last fall in the Denver area — a 2-1 comeback victory marred by Pulisic’s first-half exit with a leg injury. Given the feistyness of that match — Pochettino on Thursday called it a “street game” — the U.S. coach might want to avoid exposing Pulisic to further issues ahead of the group finale June 25 vs. Türkiye in LA.That first meeting with Australia was also a rallying point for the U.S., which, at halftime, received a fiery message from Pochettino.“That was a tough, tough conversation but necessary,” Pochettino said Thursday. “We all need sometimes to wake up.”For sure, Pochettino has had their full attention since the 26-man squad gathered for World Cup training camp last month. In the tuneups, a victory over Senegal was followed by a narrow loss to Germany. Then came the fabulous performance against Paraguay — a U.S. record for World Cup goals and a share of the record for margin of victory.All week, the U.S. has carried itself with a growing sense that something special is brewing.Nevertheless …“We're grounded,” midfielder Cristian Roldan said. “We understand it was just one game, but what excites me is the entire nation is behind us. They enjoyed watching us play, and what we want to do is inspire and motivate the next generation. … But we have to build off it, and that's a truth where we can't just talk about it. We have to show it.”They will try to show it in one of America’s best soccer cities — one that Roldan, a Sounders midfielder, has called home since enrolling at the University of Washington in 2013.“It means a lot to play soccer here, and I'm excited for the world to see what the city is all about,” he said. “They're going to energize our group. I fully expected the city of Seattle to come out and show out, and I think the guys are going to feel that type of energy.”

Angel Reese mocks Caitlin Clark after foul call in latest installment of duo's longstanding rivalry originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Arguably no player vs. player matchup in the WNBA draws more attention than Angel Reese vs. Caitlin Clark.Both have shot down any "rivalry" talks in the past, but regardless, the collegiate and professional history between the two stars suggests its a matchup with a little added intensity — and now, after Reese's offseason trade, their head-to-head meetings come in Dream vs. Fever.On Thursday, that was the lone game on the WNBA schedule, and Reese had a moment where she poked fun at Clark for her reaction to a foul.Here's a look at Reese appearing to mock Clark a bit in Fever vs. Dream on Thursday.SN's WNBA HQ: Live WNBA scores | Updated WNBA standings | Full WNBA scheduleAngel Reese mocks Caitlin ClarkWhile the first matchup between Reese and Clark, which came in early June, was relatively quiet in terms of any head-to-head fireworks, the new Atlanta star slightly increased the intensity on Thursday.In the second quarter, Clark went to set a screen, or at least move through Reese, on the offensive side of the ball — but the whistle quickly sounded when Clark flailed her arms up after a light shove from Reese.Reese clearly wasn't a fan of the call. First, she flailed her own arms in the air. Then, the broadcast caught her mocking Clark a bit with a smile on her face:Angel 😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/jV4IrEwH7W— Shabazz 💫 (@ShowCaseShabazz) June 19, 2026MORE: Full Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese head-to-head history Why is there beef between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese?As many WNBA and college basketball fans are aware of, Clark and Reese have developed a rivalry, whether they've owned up to it or not.It dates back to their college days, with Clark at Iowa and Reese at LSU — the player matchup was amplified with their schools being powerhouses, but in the 2023 NCAA title game, Reese also made a taunting gesture toward Clark. Since then, from debates over their impact on the growth of women's basketball, to a 2025 hard foul and small skirmishes, the two have always been at the center of attention when they meet.In reality, however, Clark and Reese have maintained that it's nothing beyond competitive spirit.MORE: Full beef history, comments made between Caitlin Clark and Angel ReeseAngel Reese season statsReese has remained a nightly double-double threat in Atlanta, with the Dream also off to a good start to 2026.Here's a look at Reese's numbers so far in 2026:GamesMPGPPGRPGAPGSPGBPGFG%3PT%FT%1330.614.612.33.01.40.941.7%11.8%75.3%Caitlin Clark season statsClark, meanwhile, is tracking for her first 20 PPG season in the WNBA, off to a great start putting the ball in the basket with Indiana sitting at 9-5 entering Thursday.Here's a look at Clark's numbers so far in 2026:GamesMPGPPGRPGAPGSPGBPGFG%3PT%FT%1331.520.44.68.30.80.840.2%32.4%88.3%

Floyd Mayweather's June 27 exhibition boxing match against Mike Zambidis is in jeopardy — and so are many more of his millions.Mayweather was sued Thursday in a federal court in New York by promoter CSI Entertainment, which claims the Hall of Fame boxer pocketed $4.65 million in advances to fight Mike Tyson and Manny Pacquiao, but then walked away from the deal, according to the 34-page complaint obtained by Uncrowned.CSI Entertainment is asking the court to grant an injunction stopping Mayweather from facing Zambidis and preventing Mayweather from taking any fight other than against Tyson next with CSI and for him to face Pacquiao — or another opponent of CSI's approval — immediately after Tyson.The promoters are also seeking monetary damages in an amount to be determined for Mayweather's alleged breach of his exclusive two-fight agreement. In the event the courts do not grant these damages, CSI is seeking restitution of $6.65 million, including $2.15 million from Mayweather, $2 million from Frist Apex Ventures and another $2.5 million from Mayweather and Frist.CSI says that on Aug. 10 of last year, it agreed on a deal for Mayweather to take on Tyson in an exhibition bout for $14 million with a $2 million advance wired the following day. On Nov. 6, it allegedly reached an agreement with Mayweather to rematch Pacquiao in a professional fight for $50 million guaranteed or $35 million guaranteed and 20% of the pay-per-view revenues for the bout. The Pacquiao deal had a caveat that if he wasn't available, Mayweather would face another opponent for $25 million guaranteed or $20 million and 20% of PPV revenues for the contest. CSI claims it advanced Mayweather and Frist $2.5 million on Nov. 6.After Mayweather completed his medicals on March 1, he was paid another $150,000 in cash. CSI says that representatives hand-delivered the money to a female associate of Mayweather's at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills. The following day, Mayweather promoted the Zambidis exhibition on Instagram, which CSI alleges amounted to a violation of their contract.CSI argues that it was paying for the exclusive rights for Mayweather's next two fights to be against Tyson and Pacquiao consecutively. The complaint says that clauses in both Mayweather deals to fight Tyson and Pacquiao prevented him from taking any other fight before Tyson or in between Tyson and Pacquiao, and when Mayweather announced his exhibition match with Zambidis, he interfered with those rights and caused CSI "irreparable harm."An exhibition between Mayweather and Tyson was scheduled for May 30, but an injury to Tyson forced it to be postponed. CSI says that if Tyson was fit to fight by Nov. 30 — which it claimed he would be — then Mayweather was still bound by the contract. Instead, it claims he broke the deal when announcing his exhibition against Zambidis.The 34-page complaint also claims that while under contract with CSI, Mayweather entered into a separate promotional agreement with Everwonder Studios for a Pacquiao bout that was intended to air on Netflix, once again said to be breaching CSI's exclusive rights.The lawsuit is the latest legal and financial issue facing Mayweather. In April, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) filed a $7.3 million lien in Las Vegas against the former pound-for-pound king for unpaid taxes dating back to 2018 and 2023. While earlier this week, news broke that Mayweather was facing two felony criminal charges over a bad check. He is also suing Frist for $175 million and Showtime for at least $340 million.

Jalen Carter's future with the Philadelphia Eagles has never felt uncertain. The timeline, however, might be. For months, many have assumed he would eventually become the latest homegrown star to land a massive contract extension. The organization has long built its reputation for identifying cornerstone players early and rewarding them before the market forces prices even higher. That's why one recent observation from NFL insider Albert Breer caught attention.Albert Breer makes a bold statement about Jalen CarterIn a recent 'mailbag' bearing Breer's name, he was asked whether the Eagles were hesitant to extend Carter and offered a direct response. The answer raises eyebrows."The answer is yes. They are hesitant to pay him."Whether fans agree with that assessment or not, Breer's reasoning deserves consideration. Philadelphia's actions speak loudly. The Eagles have rarely been shy about rewarding their own players. General manager Howie Roseman has repeatedly shown a willingness to strike early on extension talks. The philosophy is simple. The sooner a deal gets done, the less expensive it often becomes. Philadelphia has followed that blueprint with numerous cornerstone players over the years.That is why Carter's situation feels different. Breer expresses that."The fact that we’re into June without Jalen Carter having a deal is notable, and I’d guess if they do one now, before his fourth season as a pro, then it’d come with flexibility for the team. If Carter won’t give them that flexibility now, maybe he’ll just wait another year. Which would make this a little like the George Pickens situation in Dallas, where a team might want to see a little more from a player, just from a character perspective, before committing long term."Philadelphia exercised Carter's fifth-year option, ensuring he remains under team control through the 2028 season. That decision bought Philadelphia additional time and removed any immediate pressure to negotiate.Perhaps that's all this is. Or perhaps the Eagles want more information before committing hundreds of millions of dollars. Let's be clear. The talent isn't the issue. No one questions Carter's ability. The former Georgia Bulldogs star has already established himself as one of the NFL's premier young defensive tackles.He is a two-time Pro Bowler, an All-Pro talent, and one of the foundational pieces of Philadelphia's defense. If contract negotiations were based solely on production, there likely wouldn't be much to discuss. Carter is exactly the type of player teams spend years trying to find. That's why Breer's comments are noteworthy. His theory centers less on performance and more on comfort level. He compared the situation to teams wanting additional reassurance before making a long-term commitment, particularly when there are off-field considerations or maturity-related questions they still want answered. Time isn't necessarily completely on Philadelphia's side. The fifth-year option provides flexibility. Carter remains under contract. Philadelphia can continue gathering information while allowing the young defensive tackle to further strengthen his case. That strategy has advantages, but the longer the Eagles wait, the higher the proce becomes.If Carter continues ascending, the Eagles will eventually write a massive check with confidence. If they feel additional evaluation is necessary, they have created the runway needed to do so. Either way, nothing about the current situation suggests Philadelphia is preparing to move on from one of its best young players.The more likely outcome remains the one most have expected all along. At some point, Carter will get paid. The only question is whether the Eagles believe that moment should come now or after another season of evidence convinces them to remove any remaining hesitation.This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: NFL insider offers blunt theory for Eagles delay in extending Jalen Carter

Official: Chivu signs new Inter contract until 2028Inter have officially announced that head coach Cristian Chivu has put pen to paper on a new contract extension, which will tie the Romanian to the club until the summer of 2028.Chivu’s contract extension comes as a reward after a remarkable first season in charge, guiding the Nerazzurri to a Serie A and Coppa Italia double in what was the 45-year-old’s first full season as a head coach.Chivu spent the final seven years of his playing career in San Siro and held coaching roles with Inter’s U14s, U17s, U18s and the Primavera side before taking charge of Parma in the second half of the 2024-25 campaign.Chivu was then brought back to Inter following the departure of Simone Inzaghi at the end of the 2024-25 season and ended up guiding the Nerazzurri to both the Coppa Italia trophy and the Scudetto in 2025-26.Chivu’s previous contract had been due to expire next year, in the summer of 2027.What Inter said about Chivu’s contract extension“FC Internazionale Milano is delighted to confirm the contract extension of head coach Cristian Chivu. Thanks to the contract renewal, Coach Chivu will stay in charge of the Nerazzurri until 2028,” read a statement on the club website.“Cristian Chivu’s story is truly unique: it’s a story defined by passion and sacrifice, it’s a tale of memorable and defining moments. It’s a story entrenched in Nerazzurri colours, with the Club there at every stage of the coach’s life, as was the case when Chivu was appointed Inter head coach on 9 June 2025.Official: Inter appoint Cristian Chivu as head coach (via www.inter.it)“Since then, Cristian has been on the touchlines for Inter for 58 matches in an intense and demanding season that proved unforgettable as the months went by. The coach won a historic double featuring Inter’s 21st Scudetto, the Club’s tenth Coppa Italia. These were victories from a special team built under the Romanian coach, who was also recognised as Serie A Coach of the Season for 2025/26.“Pride, loyalty, and passion for Inter: these were Chivu’s words to introduce himself to the Nerazzurri family at the start of his third stint with Inter. Words that served as a mantra, guiding his daily work with the squad and building the foundations for a triumphant season.“They are also values he recognised in his players, the core of a special team that went on to achieve remarkable success. Chivu has always allowed his team to be recognised for their merits, stepping back to let them have their moments to shine, even in the most celebratory moments.“These include the Coppa Italia ceremony in Rome, when he left the stage to the players, and at San Siro during the Serie A trophy celebration, when his players had to encourage him to lift the trophy with captain Lautaro Martinez. Perhaps the most special recognition of all: a group that truly views Chivu as their leader and guide.via www.inter.it“He’s a coach who can read every moment, a master who has passed on the values of Inter passion, a tradition long carried forward by a group that has consistently raised the profile of the Nerazzurri colours over the years.“This has been a key part of Inter’s journey, a factor that has given the players self-belief and allowed them to pick themselves back up after they were knocked down, a driving force ready to propel the team towards new challenges and new goals: from the Champions League to the league title, via the Coppa Italia and the Italian Super Cup.“This season has also seen the Romanian coach set several records: Chivu won the Scudetto as a coach after winning three league titles as a player, a feat achieved only by Armando Castellazzi in 1937/38, after winning in midfield for Inter’s 1929/30 Scudetto, while the legendary Virgilio Fossati had won as player-manager of the first championship in Nerazzurri history.MILAN, ITALY – MAY 17: Lautaro Martinez lifts the Coppa Campioni d’Italia trophy following the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Hellas Verona FC at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on May 17, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)“That’s not all, Chivu is also the fifth Inter coach in history to win Serie A in his first season, after Árpad Weisz (1929/30), Alfredo Foni (1952/53), Giovanni Invernizzi (1970/71), and Jose Mourinho (2008/09). Chivu’s records extent to more than this as he is the second coach to win Serie A with both the first team and the Primavera side, having previously won with Inter’s youth squad in 2022.“Alongside him, only Invernizzi had accomplished this, who, as well as the 1971 title, also won three Primavera tournaments in 1964, 1966, and 1969. Chivu is therefore the first to win the Scudetto across all three of his Nerazzurri ‘lives’. With the addition of the Coppa Italia, he has once again rewritten the record books, becoming the only figure in Inter history to win both competitions in the same season as both player and coach.Cristian Chivu is the new coach of Inter“Triumphs and spectacular achievements, possible only for those who truly know what it means to have passion for Inter, a value that has defined the entire season and will once again guide Cristian Chivu until 2028.”

The Atlanta Dream held off a determined comeback by the Indiana Fever for a 108-101 win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Thursday night. Angel Reese scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Dream. Her layup and free throw with 23 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter clinched the game for Atlanta. Indiana could not stop Reese, Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard when it was most needed in the closing minutes.The Fever trailed 83-70 with just over two minutes left in the third quarter. However, with 7:22 remaining in the fourth, Indiana went on a 9-0 run. Kelsey Mitchell hit the 700th 3-pointer of her WNBA career to pull Indiana to within three points, then Sophie Cunningham hit a reverse layup to tie the score at 93-93 with five minutes to go. The Fever generated their rally with Caitlin Clark on the bench, sitting down after drawing her fifth personal foul with 8:41 left. Clark and Mitchell both finished with 26 points, followed by 23 and 8 rebounds from Alliyah Boston. Sophie Cunningham added 12 points off the bench, but the Fever did not get much from the rest of the lineup. This story will be updated with more information.

SOUTHAMPTON, New York — Bryson DeChambeau hit a 427-yard drive in his first round at the U.S. Open, the second-longest drive on tour this season."That's my longest drive ever on tour, which is great," DeChambeau said.3... 2... 1... LIFTOFF! Bryson's drive on 12 was already big, then it hit the road and ended up going 427 yards. pic.twitter.com/hqvtZhRu0Z— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 18, 2026It's actually not his longest. He drove it 428 yards at the 2020 Travelers Championship, benefiting from hitting pavement as his ball also did Thursday.It is the longest drive at a U.S. Open since Bubba Watson unleashed one 455 yards in 2019 at Pebble Beach.Wyndham Clark, who leads the U.S. Open by four shots, also has the longest drive on tour this year -- 446 yards at the Valspar Championship in March.DeChambeau, the U.S. Open champ in 2020 and 2024, missed the cut in this year's first two majors at the Masters and the PGA Championship, his lone PGA Tour starts of 2026 as he otherwise plays on LIV.He is 1 under through 16 holes of his first round at Shinnecock, which he will finish Friday morning. He is tied for ninth."I'm feeling pretty good," DeChambeau said. "Golf game is in a solid place."DeChambeau was asked if he's doing anything special Thursday night to prepare for Friday,"Chocolate milk," he said.How to watch 2026 U.S. Open: Full schedule, TV/streaming info, golfers to watch, coverage guideScottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are among the challengers to J.J. Spaun’s U.S. Open title. Aidan Berg,

NEW YORK (AP) — Andrew Benintendi launched a pinch-hit grand slam off Camilo Doval in the eighth inning Thursday night and the Chicago White Sox ended a nine-game losing streak at Yankee Stadium with a 5-1 victory over New York.Benintendi batted for Randal Grichuk and was Chicago’s third pinch hitter of the inning. He snapped a 1-all tie by driving Doval’s first pitch, a 100 mph sinker, into the right-center seats.It was the fourth career slam for Benintendi, who played 33 games for the Yankees in 2022, and his second pinch-hit homer.Benintendi went deep after pinch-hitter Sam Antonacci doubled off Fernando Cruz (4-2). Tim Hill plunked pinch-hitter Jacob Gonzalez and Tristan Peters with pitches before getting an out.The White Sox won in the Bronx for the first time since June 8, 2023. Chicago was outscored 22-7 in the first two games of the three-game series and 58-18 during its skid in the Bronx.Colson Montgomery also homered and made a key defensive play in the seventh before Chicago went ahead.Montgomery tagged out Anthony Volpe trying to stretch a double. Volpe hit a ball over the head of left fielder Junior Perez, but he recovered to make a strong one-hop throw to Montgomery at third base and Volpe was out by several feet.Ryan McMahon hit a tying homer in the third off bulk reliever Sean Burke (4-4), but the Yankees had their four-game winning streak snapped and fell to 9-5 since losing captain Aaron Judge to a fractured right rib.New York also lost Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the fourth when the second baseman fouled a pitch off the area near his groin.Yankees starter Ryan Weathers allowed one run and three hits in 6 1/3 innings. The left-hander struck out eight and walked one.Burke followed opener Bryan Hudson and permitted one run and five hits in 7 1/3 innings.The White Sox won for the fifth time in their last 17 road games and finished 6-5 in an 11-game stretch against the Phillies, Braves, Dodgers and Yankees.Up nextWhite Sox: RHP Erick Fedde (2-5, 4.50 ERA) opposes LHP Tarik Skubal (3-3, 2.81) in the opener of a three-game series Friday at Detroit.Yankees: RHP Cam Schlittler (7-3, 1.82 ERA) faces RHP Rhett Lowder (3-3, 4.60) in the opener of a three-game series against visiting Cincinnati on Friday.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Jun 18, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets second baseman Marcus Semien (10) watches his two RBI triple against Philadelphia Phillies pitcher José Alvarado (46) during the seventh inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Given that the Mets are in last place in the National League East and their roster is brutalized with injuries, the biggest story of this series will be about Bo Bichette’s free agent decision from January. The Phillies offered Bo Bichette a seven year deal, worth $200 million but the New York Mets swooped in at the last hour with a three-year deal at over $40 million a season and two opt-outs.As Bichette stepped into the right-handed batter’s box at Citizens Bank Park, the fans rained boos for each of his five hitless at-bats. For the Mets offense, who entered Thursday night’s game ranked third worst in wRC+ at 89 and have the third worst on-base percentage in the sport at .298. Like the Phillies, they have not been able to score consistent runs but haven’t had the pitching health and results to go on a run. None of that mattered when Juan Soto took a down-the-middle cutter to the right-field seats to give the Mets an early lead. Second deck Soto! 😤 pic.twitter.com/mWzSiN2eFw— New York Mets (@Mets) June 18, 2026Two out damage followed when Jared Young hit a dribbler that Nola could not handle. AJ Ewing, one of the Mets best prospects heading into the season, then followed by taking a fastball to the right-center field gap to them a two-nothing lead. In the bottom of the first, more shenanigans began as Trea Turner got hit by a backfoot sweeper that hit his well… backfoot. Turner had to exit the game with a right calf contusion.Kyle Schwarber singled then Bryce Harper grounded into a forceout that put runners on first and third with one out. Alec Bohm then lined a sharp single into center field to cut the Mets lead in half. In the third, Nola had to face Soto again and threw another fastball down the middle. And once again, the same result happened, a solo home run to give the Mets a three-one lead. Two homer game for Soto 😤Send @JuanSoto25_ to the All-Star Game 👉https://t.co/xicRYD3n7Lpic.twitter.com/yMbXxRpclH— New York Mets (@Mets) June 18, 2026In the bottom of the third, every fan was reminded that this is a Phillies-Mets series and the weirdest was yet to come. Schwarber struck out on a sweeper but landed on first because Francisco Alvarez couldn’t handle the pitch. He threw the ball right through Jared Young at first base that went into foul territory in right field, allowing Schwarber to take second base. Bohm then crushed a line-drive down the right field line that Carson Benge could not handle, once again cutting the Mets lead down to one. In the fourth, the Phillies once again got to Manaea with a Bryson Stott single and stole second base before a JT Realmuto lineout. Derek Hill then slapped a single into center field and Ewing’s throw hit the mound and the game was tied. Fast forward to the seventh inning, José Alvarado entered to face the top of the Mets order. Carson Benge, another one of the Mets top outfield prospects, lined a sinker into center field for a leadoff single. After a Bichette lineout and Soto pop out, Carlos Mendoza went to his bench to bring out Mark Vientos. After a Vientos walk, Mendoza then hit for Ewing with Eric Wagaman, who smacked a hard single into right field to drive in a run and give the Mets the lead. Marcus Semien stepped in with two outs and two runners on against the hard-throwing Alvarado. He initially looked overmatched on Alvarado’s fastball but then finally got one he liked on the eighth pitch of the at bat, crushing a ball to Monty’s Angle that brought two more runs home to give the Mets a three-run lead. The Phillies and Mets offenses slogged into Devin Williams entered for New York. The shaky closer was in to protect a three run ninth inning lead but nearly blew it. After an Edmundo Sosa strikeout, Stott worked a walk and then Realmuto hit into a forceout. Gabriel Rincones jr stepped up to the plate and looked overmatched on the first two Williams fastballs but was able to poke an infield hit to put the tying run on base. Justin Crawford had looked overmatched all night against tough left-handed pitching but against a right hander, was able to poke a changeup into center field that he probably shouldn’t be swinging at consistently. Kyle Schwarber then stepped into the left-handed batters box with the game on the line. Williams got ahead nothing-and-two on fastball but couldn’t put him away. Schwarber didn’t offer at the down-and-away changeup and Williams threw an uncompetitive fastball for ball two. Not looking to make the count full, Williams gives Schwarber a fastball he’s looking for and Schwarber crushed it, 104.6 mph off the bat but the line drive ended in the glove of Carson Benge in right field and the game was over. There is an off-day Friday because of some little thing called the World Cup and apparently there is a game in Philadelphia. No one said anything until now! So, Cristopher Sánchez will get the ball Saturday night against Freddy Peralta when the two teams resume their three-game series. Weird to have an off-day on Friday. Really weird.

Why South Korea is wearing purple jerseys in World Cup originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The South Korean flag doesn't include the color purple.But on Thursday night in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Korean jerseys are that color as they take on Mexico.Technically, according to the broadcast, they're "magenta."Anyone watching, though, would call them purple, or maybe lavender.MORE: How Cristiano Ronaldo cost Portugal in its draw with DR CongoWhy is South Korea wearing purple jerseys?This is South Korea's official away kit.While it may seem that it'd be an alternate, it's not. They simply chose that in 2026, for the World Cup, they'd wear this non-white look as their visitor jersey.Their red kit is their home look, and they wear this "floral violet" away uniform instead of a white look.The Nike meaning behind these floral, violet uniforms is that they're supposed to draw from the "explosive momentum of a blooming flower."MORE: Messi, Mbappe, Haaland provide a World Cup day made in heavenThey're certainly a pretty look. They've likely sold a lot of them to fans.They are far from a classic look, but they look sharp on Thursday night with Mexico in their black kits. The purple color provides an awesome contrast.Fans will likely mostly determine how they feel about it based on the final result they get in the new look.More FIFA World Cup news:USA, England can't actually play on July 4thSpain makes a massive Lamine Yamal mistakeRef cams are making quite the fashion statementCape Verde pulls off one of craziest results in World Cup historyPink cleats are everywhere at the World Cup

Andy Burnham, Labour’s most popular politician, beat the populist right-wing Reform U.K. party in the Makerfield by-election. The decisive victory will energize his bid to become prime minister.

Fever tie brutal WNBA record in nightmare loss to Dream originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.There are some records you want.The one the Indiana Fever tied during Thursday night's loss to the Atlanta Dream does not qualify as one of those.The Fever are now tied for the WNBA's record for most times in a season losing while scoring at least 100 points.On Thursday night, the loss was 108-101.It's the third time the Fever have scored at least 100 points and lost. It's taken just 15 games to get that mark.The Fever have tied a WNBA record for most losses in a season when scoring 100+ points (3).They're only 15 games into the season. pic.twitter.com/kgVKkZx7Kx— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) June 19, 2026The bad defense has been a narrative around the Fever all season.They've previously spoken about not being able to install varied schemes yet as players work to get up to speed.It's a bit weird, though, because very few players are different with the Fever this season from last season, and Stephanie White is still the head coach.Regardless, it's a nightmare to be dealing with this right now. The Fever are 9-6, but if they had a better defense, they'd be really rolling.The Dream shot 54% from the floor on Thursday night, along with 39% from 3-point range. It's going to be tough for Indiana to win games when they give up marks like that.They'll be hoping they don't set this record outright for a while, but at this rate, it may be soon.

Rifdean “Magic Boy” Masdor is looking to smash open the door to a life-changing US$100,000 main roster contract when he collides with Iran’s Javad Mozafari in atomweight Muay Thai action at The Inner Circle 19.The high-octane three-round strikefest precedes two massive World Title bouts live in Asia primetime on Friday, June 19, from Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium, streaming exclusively for members on live.onefc.com.View this post on InstagramCompiling an impressive 6-1 promotional record, the Malaysian striking star has quickly transformed into must-see television on the weekly ONE Friday Fights circuit. His uncanny ability to pull devastating finishes out of thin air has earned him the fitting moniker of “Magic Boy.”For the 23-year-old phenom, explosive offense flows entirely naturally in the heat of battle, operating on pure instinct that bypasses conscious thought.The three-time IFMA World Champion shared:“Because [in my fights] I do elbows, flying knees, sometimes they get KO’d, like magic. Sometimes I don’t know what’s happening. I just do it, like magic.”View this post on InstagramConfronting this natural force is Mozafari, a debuting Iranian striker who enters Bangkok with an aggressive intent to completely derail the Malaysian hype train.Despite the mystery surrounding his opponent’s overall game, Masdor has never been one to lose sleep over another man’s capabilities. His focus remains firmly inward, trusting his rigorous preparation and elite fight IQ to do the talking when the green light shines.Masdor said:“I don’t know much [about him], but in fighting, anything can happen, so I’m always careful.“I think his style is more of a boxing style. But I’m not scared because I have punches too. I have hands, I have IQ.”View this post on InstagramA fifth consecutive promotional victory would go a long way toward firmly establishing Masdor as Malaysia’s next major breakout superstar on the global stage.The highly motivated contender is primed to tread the exact same path as his talented countrymen Johan “Jojo” Ghazali and Aliff Sor Dechapan — elite peers who have already made massive waves on the main roster.The Sor Sommai and Sor Kitrungroj representative offered:“I think I’m the dangerous one. For this fight, I’m 100 percent healthy, and my body feels good.“If I get a contract — oh, that’s my dream. Like my friends Alif and Johan have a contract. I want to be like them too. I want to be happy, and I get to be a professional fighter.”View this post on InstagramMasdor Is Driven By Something Bigger Than A ContractRifdean Masdor is turning doubters into believers one spectacular performance at a time. Boasting pristine technical prowess, natural charisma, and unyielding drive, the Malaysian warrior has all the tools required for greatness. He just needs the final piece of the puzzle to fall into place.That confidence starts entirely from within. Masdor is deeply energized by the international recognition his talents are earning, and he is determined to honor his pedigree by pushing his skills to the absolute limit.“Magic Boy” stated:“Sometimes they believe, sometimes they don’t believe. Now I believe because a lot of people, not just Malaysian people, but people from other countries, trust me. I believe I can be champion.”View this post on InstagramFor Masdor, competing at the highest tier of martial arts runs significantly deeper than personal glory. The “art of eight limbs” is not simply his profession — it is his core identity, his purpose, and the calling he was put on earth to answer.A main roster contract would send him on a direct path toward the stacked atomweight Muay Thai division, where undisputed king Nadaka Yoshinari reigns supreme. That long road continues this Friday night, and the Malaysian phenom is fully prepared to leave everything in the ring.He concluded:“My dream is to fight all the time. Not fight for money, but I want to fight for my heart, fight for my family. I love fighting. I love Muay Thai.”View this post on InstagramSource

NEW YORK (AP) — Andrew Benintendi launched a pinch-hit grand slam off Camilo Doval in the eighth inning Thursday night and the Chicago White Sox ended a nine-game losing streak at Yankee Stadium with a 5-1 victory over New York.Benintendi batted for Randal Grichuk and was Chicago’s third pinch hitter of the inning. He snapped a 1-all tie by driving Doval’s first pitch, a 100 mph sinker, into the right-center seats.It was the fourth career slam for Benintendi, who played 33 games for the Yankees in 2022, and his second pinch-hit homer.Benintendi went deep after pinch-hitter Sam Antonacci doubled off Fernando Cruz (4-2). Tim Hill plunked pinch-hitter Jacob Gonzalez and Tristan Peters with pitches before getting an out.The White Sox won in the Bronx for the first time since June 8, 2023. Chicago was outscored 22-7 in the first two games of the three-game series and 58-18 during its skid in the Bronx.Colson Montgomery also homered and made a key defensive play in the seventh before Chicago went ahead.Montgomery tagged out Anthony Volpe trying to stretch a double. Volpe hit a ball over the head of left fielder Junior Perez, but he recovered to make a strong one-hop throw to Montgomery at third base and Volpe was out by several feet.Ryan McMahon hit a tying homer in the third off bulk reliever Sean Burke (4-4), but the Yankees had their four-game winning streak snapped and fell to 9-5 since losing captain Aaron Judge to a fractured right rib.New York also lost Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the fourth when the second baseman fouled a pitch off the area near his groin.Yankees starter Ryan Weathers allowed one run and three hits in 6 1/3 innings. The left-hander struck out eight and walked one.Burke followed Chicago opener Bryan Hudson and permitted one run and five hits while striking out eight over the final 7 1/3 innings.The White Sox won for the fifth time in their last 17 road games and finished 6-5 in an 11-game stretch against the Phillies, Braves, Dodgers and Yankees.Up nextWhite Sox: RHP Erick Fedde (2-5, 4.50 ERA) opposes LHP Tarik Skubal (3-3, 2.81) in the opener of a three-game series Friday at Detroit.Yankees: RHP Cam Schlittler (7-3, 1.82 ERA) faces RHP Rhett Lowder (3-3, 4.60) in the opener of a three-game series against visiting Cincinnati on Friday.

Jul 13, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Tate Southisene is drafted by the Atlanta Braves with the 22nd pick during the first round of the MLB Draft at The Coca-Cola Roxy. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images As part of the current collective bargaining agreement talks, Major League Baseball has proposed a radical overhaul of the MLB Draft. The changes include not only the introduction of an international draft (which MLB has been advocating for a while) but the end of draft eligibility for high school players and the ability to trade picks. The proposal would also reduce the number of rounds in the draft from 20 to 12 and come with major restrictions on the amount of money teams could give out in amateur bonuses.J.J. Cooper at Baseball America has an excellent overview of the changes and the effects that it would have. Unfortunately, much of that article is behind a paywall. Bob Nightengale at USA Today has a piece on the proposed draft changes as does Mike Axisa at CBS Sports for those of you who don’t have a BA subscription. Evan Drellich also has a piece on the changes at The Athletic for those of you with a subscription to that. Let’s go through the changes one by one to see what MLB is proposing.Reducing the number of rounds in the draftMLB has been slowly chipping away at the number of rounds in the draft for years. Up until 1986, there were two separate drafts, one in June and one in January. Then for years the draft in June would continue as long as teams still wanted to make picks. Then it became a 50-round draft, which was reduced to a 40-round draft that was once again reduced to the current 20 rounds in 2021. MLB is now proposing that the draft be reduced to 12 rounds. They are also proposing that any undrafted player be limited to a $10,000 signing bonus. Currently, MLB teams are allowed to give up to $125,000 to any undrafted amateur without it counting against their bonus pool. They can even give a player more if they have leftover bonus pool money.The obvious impact of this is that it would disincentivize marginal prospects from starting a professional career. While most baseball players don’t get the kinds of NIL money in college that football and basketball players get and sometimes they don’t even get full scholarships, ten thousand dollars is not much of an incentive to give up the chance to play in college. I think it’s a fair question as to how many rounds the draft should last, but the hard cap of $10,000 on amateur free agents is clearly punitive. You can argue that players not taken in the first 12 rounds don’t have much of a chance at making the majors anyway, but Cubs catching prospect Owen Ayers was a 19th-round pick in 2024 and signed for $50,000. He’s now listed on several Top 100 prospect lists. Would Ayers have signed if he hadn’t been drafted and only offered 10k? Who knows? But this system would certainly save the owners a lot of money, even if it might cost MLB some talented players. International DraftThis one is the least surprising because MLB has been proposing it for a long time. The last CBA had an agreement that the owners and the players would discuss adopting an international draft, but they were unable to come to an agreement. To be fair, everyone agrees that the current system of talent acquisition in (mostly) Latin America is broken. Teams are coming to “handshake” agreements for millions of dollars with 12- and 13-year-old kids from the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. No one thinks that’s a good thing. The question has always been whether an international draft is a cure worse than the disease. So MLB is proposing two 12-round drafts, one for players from the US and Canada and one for international players. There would be an equal bonus pool for both the international and domestic draft.The argument in favor of the international draft is that everyone realizes that it’s insane to offer 12-year-olds a million dollars (to be paid, maybe, in four years) under the table. The argument against it is that under the current system, the buscones who identify and train Latin American players and the teams that offer them money under the table have a real incentive to develop those players into the best players they can be. Those incentives would go away (or at least greatly lessen) under a draft, where any team could scoop up another team’s hard work with an earlier pick.Bonus pool moneyWith this draft, the owners are proposing a massive reduction in the amount of money that could be offered in amateur bonuses. Currently, the 30 MLB teams spend around a collective $600 million a year on player signing bonuses. Under this proposal, there would be $200 million (split 30 ways) for domestic bonuses and $200 million (again split) for international bonuses. This money would also count against any salary cap that would be agreed to in the collective bargaining talks.Hard draft slotNo longer would teams negotiate with players over what their signing bonus would be. Players would be required to accept the MLB mandates slot bonus for their pick. This would end some players holding out for more money and teams drafting several players who agree to sign for cheap in the later rounds to even things out. Since most players who want overslot bonuses are high school players, this might not have a big impact because of the next proposal. Age restrictionsHere’s the big one. Currently, there are several points where players become eligible to sign with a major league team. International players become eligible at 16. An American player becomes eligible when they graduate from high school, which is usually at age 18 but sometimes as young as 17. If they don’t sign out of high school and enroll in a four-year college, they they have to wait until after their junior year until they are eligible to be drafted again. Which is usually at age 21. There are a few draft-eligible sophomores, which we don’t need to go into here.However, if they sign with a junior college out of high school, they become eligible for the draft after every season. So a player can be eligible to be signed at 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 or 21 years old, depending on their circumstances. What MLB is proposing is that international players become eligible for the draft at 18 and US/Canada players become eligible at 20. So high school players would no longer be eligible to be drafted and almost all college players could be drafted after their sophomore seasons.This move would be a major boon for college baseball. Instead of Pete Crow-Armstrong being drafted by the Mets in the first round, he would have gone to Vanderbilt for two years. Current Cubs top prospect Josiah Hartshorn would have just finished up his freshman season at Texas A&M. For MLB, this would push a lot of the costs of development onto the NCAA. It would also mean an end to elite players making their major-league debut at 19 and 20 and then becoming free agents at 26 or 27, when they get the massive contracts. The Pirates’ Konnor Griffith, rather than being a Rookie-of-the-Year candidate, would have just finished up his sophomore year at LSU and would be a likely candidate for the first pick in the draft this July.But the goal of NCAA programs isn’t to develop players. It’s to win ballgames. As one unnamed scouting director was quoted as saying in Nightengale’s article, most college freshmen don’t even play. Sure, they get training and coaching outside of games, but for all but the most elite prospects, such a proposal would mean players missing at least a year of development. MLB probably doesn’t have a problem with the elite players being drafted at 20, the solid prospects drafted at 21 and the rest at 22. The union likely does. It’s also been noted that it seems unfair that international players can sign at 18 and US/Canada players have to wait until they’re 20. International players could still make the majors at 20 and 21 while American players could not. Trading draft picksCurrently, only competitive balance picks are eligible to be traded. MLB is proposing that all draft picks are eligible to be dealt with some limitations.A pick could not be traded more than a year in advance. So a team could not trade a 2027 draft pick until after the 2026 draft was concluded. Teams could “trade up” or “down” during the first round, and first round only, of the draft as it is underway. It wouldn’t have to be only first-round picks involved in deals, but the ability to trade picks would end after the first round ended. No team could trade away their first-round pick two years in a row, and no team could acquire more than three extra picks in the first three rounds of any draft.Competitive balance picks would be eliminated.The draft lottery, established in the last CBA, would be reduced from the first six picks to the first four picks. No team could get a lottery (top four) pick three years in a row. Other current restrictions would be eliminated.Medical evaluations at the MLB Draft combines would go from optional to mandatory for all draft-eligible players. Currently a player can opt out of a physical, but then the team that drafts him is not required to make them a minimum bonus offer.There’s also a weird rule designed to increased the watchability of the MLB Draft on television. Ten players designated by MLB would be required to attend the draft in person. They would be paid $50,000 for their troubles. These rules aren’t really pro or anti-player. They seem mostly designed to increase interest in the draft. Should interest in college baseball increase because of MLB’s new age limits, that could have a positive impact on public interest in the draft as well.The Minor Leagues?With the draft dropping back to 12 rounds and severe restrictions on the non-drafted players that often fill out every minor league roster, there is some suspicion that MLB would like to eliminate yet another level of minor league baseball in this provision. They insist that they will keep the number of teams in affiliated baseball at 120, at least through 2040. MLB feels confident that they can fill out their 165 minor league roster spots under this new system. There’s a lot to digest here. Pretty much all of it is, other than trading draft picks, beneficial to the owners and against the players’ interests. There is no way the union accepts this proposal as offered and the owners likely know that. It’s an opening bid. But it is a sign that the owners want to radically restructure the way baseball talent is identified, signed and developed in the years to come.

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 28: Detail view of a baseball bat weight with a Boston Red Sox logo during a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 28, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images)Getty ImagesThe Boston Red Sox have been home to countless memorable pitchers throughout their history, from Hall of Famers to short-term contributors who left a lasting mark on the game. One former Red Sox hurler who would fall into the latter category was remembered this week after he died at age 97 following a noteworthy, championship career that included a stint in Boston.Al Worthington, whose MLB journey brought him to the Red Sox for part of the 1960 season, was a standout reliever with the Minnesota Twins and a champion with the New York Giants, died this week at the age of 97. His passing closes the chapter on one of baseball’s longest and most fascinating careers.FORBES | By Peter ChawagaBlue Jays’ Future Hall Of Famer Offers 4-Word Response On Future After Injury SetbackFormer Red Sox Pitcher Al Worthington Remembered For Long And Controversial MLB Career“Pitcher Al Worthington, the Minnesota Twins’ closer during their first World Series season in 1965 who earlier walked away from the game two times because he objected when two of his teams were stealing signs, has died, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame announced on Thursday,” according to WGAU. “He was 97.”Worthington spent 14 seasons in the major leagues and appeared in 602 games, establishing himself as one of the premier relief pitchers of his era. While many fans remember him most for his years with the Twins, he also pitched for the New York Giants organization and earned a World Series championship during the Giants’ 1954 title run.His connection to baseball history extended well beyond his playing accomplishments. “Worthington’s passing was announced by the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, into which he was inducted in 2011,” AL.com’s Creg Stephenson reported. “Born Feb. 5, 1929, he had been the fourth oldest living former Major League Baseball player prior to his death and was one one of only a handful of remaining men who saw action for the New York Giants, who moved to San Francisco in 1958.”FORBES | By Peter ChawagaPhillies’ 3-Year Outfielder Joins Division Leader Shortly After CutBoston Red Sox Stop A Key Part Of Al Worthington’s Unique Baseball JourneyAlthough his tenure in Boston was relatively brief, the Red Sox were part of a career that saw Worthington play for several notable franchises while maintaining a reputation for never shying away from controversy with his own teammates.“Worthington was traded twice in the next year: in March 1960 to the Boston Red Sox and in August 1960 to the Chicago White Sox,” JP Hoornstra noted for Newsweek. “In Chicago, he confronted White Sox general manager Hank Greenberg when sign-stealing allegations surfaced against them.”That was the second time in his career that Worthington made a public stance against sign stealing with his teammates, previously doing so with Giants manager Bill Rigney in 1959.That willingness to speak up became a defining aspect of Worthington’s legacy. Long before sign-stealing became one of baseball’s biggest modern controversies, he was known for objecting to practices he believed violated the spirit of the game.For Red Sox fans, Worthington’s passing serves as a reminder of a unique baseball figure whose career connected multiple historic franchises, a World Series championship, and a reputation for standing by his principles throughout a Hall of Fame-caliber baseball life.This article was originally published on Forbes.com

Charismatic, northern and exuding a relaxed optimism, Mr. Burnham is a contrast to Keir Starmer. His allies hope he could mend Labour’s relationship with voters.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Angel Reese had 21 points and 11 rebounds for her 10th double-double of the season, Jordin Canada added 18 points, and the Atlanta Dream beat the Indiana Fever 108-101 on Thursday night.Naz Hillmon and Allisha Gray each scored 17 points and Rhyne Howard added 16 as all five Atlanta starters scored in double figures.Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana (9-6) with 26 points apiece. Aliyah Boston had 23 points and eight rebounds, missing her fifth straight double-double. Mitchell became the eighth player in WNBA history to make 700 career 3-pointers.Atlanta (10-4) led by as many as 13 points in the second half. But Indiana went on a 9-0 run in the fourth quarter to tie it at 93-all on Sophie Cunningham's layup with 5:07 remaining. Mitchell scored the first seven points of the run, including her milestone 3-pointer.Atlanta took advantage of Indiana’s 17th turnover late in the fourth with a fast-break layup to take a 99-95 lead with 2:08 left. Then, Howard scored on Atlanta’s next two possessions to make it 103-97.Reese sealed it by making a layup while being fouled with 23.1 seconds left, completing the three-point play.Reese played the entire second half without picking up a foul after being called for four in the first half. She went to the bench with 5:45 left in the second quarter, but Atlanta responded by outscoring Indiana 19-11 the rest of the half for a 58-49 lead.Clark's signature shoeClark put her new signature shoes in game action, one day after Nike announced it was releasing the “Caitlin 1” this fall. But Clark, and the racer blue shoes that feature her initials on the tongue, did not log as many minutes as planned after picking up her fifth foul with 8:41 remaining in the fourth.Clark came back into the game at the 3:28 mark, with Indiana trailing 95-93, but she did not attempt another shot to go scoreless in the frame. Clark had been hinting at the shoe’s long-anticipated arrival recently on social media posts. “I think even yesterday, like knowing I was going to post that early in the morning, I didn’t sleep very well because I was just so excited,” Clark said before the game. Clark finished 8 of 17 from the floor, with two made 3-pointers. Up nextAtlanta hosts Indiana on Saturday. ___AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/WNBA-basketball

Jun. 18—BEMIDJI — Annabelle Myhre and her Unified partner Isabelle Vaughn, as well as Lindy Westover and her Unified partner Kady St. Peter, will represent Bemidji Unified at the ESPN Sports Challenge during the Special Olympics USA Games on Monday, June 22.First introduced at the 2018 USA Games in Seattle, the ESPN Unified Sports Challenge pairs Special Olympics athletes with Unified partners and celebrities to compete together in sports-themed challenges.The event raises awareness for Special Olympics' Unified Sports program, which promotes inclusion and teamwork."ESPN, the global presenting sponsor of Unified Sports and the official broadcaster for the Special Olympics USA Games, continues to support this exciting initiative, helping to spotlight the power of sport to unite people of all abilities," a release said.More information can be found at2026specialolympicsusagames.org.

We are deep in the throes of the college football offseason, and that means there's plenty of previews and updated lists to take a look at. One that we're checking in on is ESPN's updated preseason rankings. When the worldwide leader last published its preseason Top 25 after the transfer portal window closed, Ohio State was listed as the No. 1 team. Now, as we sit here in June, ESPN has kept OSU in that same spot atop all the other college football teams heading into the 2026 season. We, of course, still have the rest of the summer and fall camp to go, but with all the players being sucked in and spit out of the transfer portal, ESPN still believes the Scarlet and Gray are the best team.Here's what Mark Schlabach says about where and why Ohio State landed as the preseason No. 1 at this point in time."With quarterback Julian Sayin, tailback Bo Jackson and all-world receiver Jeremiah Smith returning, the Buckeyes should be back in the national championship hunt. OSU's offense is going to be difficult to stop, especially if its offensive line improves, wrote Schlabach. "Coach Ryan Day hired former NFL head coach/offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to replace offensive coordinator Brian Hartline. That recipe worked on defense, as former NFL defensive coordinator Matt Patricia has turned OSU's unit into one of the sport's best. Ohio State will have to navigate one of the most demanding schedules in the FBS, including games at Texas, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska and USC."While Ohio State remains No. 1 according to ESPN, Oregon (2), Georgia (3), Notre Dame (4), Texas (5), Indiana (6), Miami (FL) (7), Ole Miss (8), Texas A&M (9), and LSU (10) round out the top ten. If you're counting, that's the Big Ten with three of the top six, and the SEC with five of the top ten. The rich continue to get richer.While Ohio State might have a lot of talent on this squad once again, the schedule is indeed daunting, so we'll see if head coach Ryan Day can keep the OSU streak of 14 seasons in a row of not losing more than two games going.The Buckeyes open the season on Saturday, Sept. 5 vs. Ball State inside the 'Shoe.Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State still ranked highly in ESPN's updated preseason CFB Top 25

Jun. 18—BEMIDJI — After scoring 26 runs in 10 innings two days ago, the Bemidji American Legion baseball team took things one step further on Thursday.Post 14 swept Detroit Lakes by scores of 15-0 and 16-0. Gunner Ganske pitched a complete-game, one-hit shutout in the first game, striking out nine batters, while Wyatt Tverstol threw all five innings in Game 2. Tverstol allowed just five hits and one walk with six strikeouts.Ganske was also a force at the plate in the first game, going 2-for-4 with a triple and a double with two RBIs. Brennen Brower also tripled in a 2-for-3 day. Lawson Berg doubled twice in a 3-for-4 showing at the plate, while Kash Rasmus and Heaton Brodina each doubled.In the second game, Ganske and Jack Zellmann each homered. Ganske was 3-for-3 with two RBIS, while Eli Hoffman and Zellmann each recorded multi-hit games. Hoffman, Berg, Brodina, J.D. Wood and James Garrison all had extra-base hits.Since starting the season 0-2, Centaurs (7-2) are on a seven-game winning streak.Bemidji 15, Detroit Lakes 0 (F/5)DL 000 00 — 0-1-3BEM 317 4X— 15-12-0WP: Ganske (5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K)LP: White (3 IP, 8 H, 11 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K)Bemidji 16, Detroit Lakes 0 (F/5)DL 000 00 — 0-5-5BEM 242 8X — 16-12-1WP: Tverstol (5 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K)LP: Goodrich (4 IP, 12 H, 16 R, 11 ER, 4 BB, 2 K)

Jun. 18—BEMIDJI — When Katie Fellows got up in front of her supporters at Lucky Dogs on Thursday, she had to be completely transparent."I'm really nervous," she said into the microphone, "(but) thanks for being here."Friends, family and others were there to support Fellows and her Unified partner and sister, Lisa Kiewatt, as they prepare to compete in the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in the Twin Cities. They will both compete in bowling against competition from all across the country in Blaine.Before Fellows handed the microphone to her sister, she was quickly asked how she's going to do at the games."I'm going to rock it," she replied.After the sisters thanked their supporters, Bemidji mayor Jorge Prince shared a few words of encouragement on behalf of the community. The group made their way over to Paul Bunyan Park before waving goodbye to Fellows and Kiewatt as they started their journey down to the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where the Athletes Village is located.The national games, held every four years since 2006, feature athletes from all 50 states competing in 19 different sports. Athletes need to win the gold medal at a qualifying event in their sport before being randomly drawn to represent their state at the national games.To be able to represent Bemidji is an incredible accomplishment for the sisters, they said."We've been in Special Olympics together for over 30 years, so it's a big deal for us to do," Kiewatt said. "To represent Bemidji, especially. It's over 400 athletes that were picked to go for this, so for us two to be picked out of the whole state like this is a pretty big deal."Kiewatt, Fellows and three other unified pairswere selected for Team Minnesotaone year ago. Since then, they've been practicing across the state in preparation for the national games."We've gone to Albany, we've gone to St. Cloud, Brainerd, Blaine," Kiewatt said. "We usually bowl three to four games to get ready for it with the team. So Katie and I are Unified partners, but there's also different athletes there that are just bowling singles. Usually it consists of a couple hours and just practicing as much as we can."Fellows has been having a lot of fun competing and meeting new people. But her favorite part of unified bowling?"That I get to bowl with my sister," she said. "It makes me feel good."Having athletes from Bemidji in the national games is no small feat. The pair of Parker Bruns and Shawn Kiefer competed in swimmingat the national games in 2018,held in Seattle. Kiefer also competed in the games' inaugural year in 2006 in Ames, Iowa, also in swimming.Now, Fellows and Kiewatt's names are added to that exclusive list."Just to participate in Special Olympics, many communities can do that," said Jodi Sandmeyer of Bemidji Community Special Olympics. "Going to nationals is a huge step up. We can send several people to state, which we do every year, normally. But to actually go to nationals is not very common."Sandmeyer, a teacher from Nevis, has been a part of the Special Olympics since 1984."I was 12 years old when I started," she said. "The mother of one of our athletes, still today, she started the program here. ... She was looking for volunteers, so my mother voluntold me. And so it started there, and this is where I am today now."In her 42 years with the Special Olympics, she's seen firsthand how the Bemidji community has done its part to support the organization. From the Jaycees Polar Plunge to the Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic, organizations across the community have made sure the Special Olympics is well supported."You look at all the different groups that support Special Olympics, and it's huge. Bemidji is super, super supportive," Sandmeyer said. "I can't say enough about the community. It's amazing when they come out and support us in the middle of the day when you're working and everything else is going on, but yet take the time to come and do it."Kiewatt, Fellows and the rest of Team Minnesota will take part in the opening ceremony at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. It will be broadcast at 7:30 p.m. on June 20 on ESPN+ and Disney+."Demi Lovato is opening for it, so that's kind of a big deal," Kiewatt said. "There's going to be a lot of people there, packed crowd, so that'll be fun."

Thomas Tuchel threw the first pitch for the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium [Getty Images]Thomas Tuchel threw the first pitch at the home of baseball team Kansas City Royals as his England squad enjoyed some downtime after winning their opening game at the World Cup.Manager Tuchel was joined by captain Harry Kane and defenders Dan Burn and Djed Spence at Kauffman Stadium as he completed the ceremonial throw just over 24 hours after England beat Croatia 4-2 in Dallas.Kane, who scored two goals in the win over Croatia, posted on social media about the trip."Great recovery day with the boys at the baseball," he wrote."Would love to give batting a go one day! Thanks for having us @Royals."The Bayern Munich forward played the whole match against Croatia and did not take part in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Sporting KC which was for members of the squad who needed game time.Ivan Toney and Morgan Rogers were among the scorers as England recorded a comprehensive 5-1 victory over the Major League Soccer side in a practice match on Thursday.The game, played at England's Swope Soccer Village training facility, featured the players not used in Wednesday's win over Croatia and the squad members who did not play significant minutes in Dallas.Toney scored a hat-trick while Aston Villa duo Rogers and Ollie Watkins were also on target as England ran out comfortable winners.Burn, Jordan Henderson, Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi, Kobbie Mainoo, Djed Spence and Jarell Quansah were among the players also involved in the training game.The game was broken up into two halves of around 25 minutes each.BBC Sport revealed on Tuesday that the Football Association had arranged the friendly to get minutes into certain players' legs.Having arrived back from Dallas at around 10.30pm local time on Wednesday, England players were afforded most of Thursday off.Players were allowed to see family and friends immediately after the Group L game against Croatia, and loved ones were given access into the camp on Thursday to spend time with the team before they start preparations for next Tuesday's game against Ghana in Boston (21:00 BST).England ran out 5-1 winners with Ivan Toney (3), Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers the scorers [Getty Images]Tuchel's complaints lead to Fifa moving photographersKane is England's greatest striker, says LinekerWorld Cup fixtures and group standingsHow to watch the World Cup on the BBCEverything you need to know about the World Cup

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. left Thursday night's game with right knee discomfort, the latest scare for a team that least afford to lose a franchise player.Witt appeared to tweak the knee fielding an infield single in the fourth inning on July 18, landing awkwardly on his right leg. He stayed in for a few outs before exiting. It is the same knee that forced Witt out of a June 7 win over the Minnesota Twins with soreness, though he returned two days later and manager Matt Quatraro said there was nothing structurally hurt.Depth behind Witt is thin Maikel Garcia slid to shortstop when Witt exited in early June, but he left Tuesday night's game and is now on the IL with lumbrical muscle strain on the top of his left hand. Utility man Tyler Tolbert is the only other Royal to play the spot with any regularity, though Josh Rojas has recently joined the Royals roster and can cover short. Neither approaches Witt's production.Witt is the Royals leaderWitt is the engine of the Royals' lineup and an American League MVP candidate. The 25-year-old is a two-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove winner and the 2024 batting champion. He again leads the AL in stolen bases this season with 28 while hitting .294 with 10 home runs. Witt is signed long term on a deal that can keep him in Kansas City into the next decade.More: MLB power rankings: Brewers and The Miz rise after conquering PhillyThe timing stings for a club already buried. Kansas City entered Thursday at 30-45, last in the AL Central and 9.5 games out of first. They already have Vinnie Pasquantino, Jonathan India, James McArthur, Alec Marsh, Seth Lugo, Kyle Isbel, Carlos Estevez, Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic on the injured list. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bobby Witt Jr. exits Royals game with knee injury

It's time to ask the Sophie Cunningham bench question for Indiana Fever originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Indiana Fever continue to bring Sophie Cunningham off the bench.To ask a very blunt question: Why?At this point, Cunningham is getting the minutes of a starter. She just isn't on the floor at the start of the game.Sure, there are reasons coaches do this. They want to stagger certain lineups and whatnot.But at this point, it's time to start Cunningham.MORE: Caitlin Clark had one metric not in her favorIn Thursday night's 108-101 loss to the Atlanta Dream, Cunningham played 30 of the possible 40 minutes.That was much more than starters Monique Billings (13 minutes) and Lexie Hull (11 minutes).Hull would be the player to move out of the lineup for Cunningham, and while there are aspects to Hull's game to appreciate, too, Cunningham seems more polished at this point.Against the Dream, Cunningham had 12 points, two rebounds and two assists. She shot 4-for-5 from the floor, including 2-for-3 from 3-point range. She added 2-of-2 at the foul line.The only three Fever players to get more minutes than Cunningham were the big three stars of Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston.MORE: Fever tie a brutal WNBA record in nightmare loss to DreamCunningham is a de facto starter, but is there any actually good reason to leave her on the bench at the start of games? At this point, it's worth changing it up for Indiana. The defense has been bad, and Cunningham at least has a positive reputation on that end of the floor, whether it is legitimate or not.There's no reason not to try it. Indiana is 9-6, with its defense letting it down on multiple occasions.It can't get worse with Cunningham in the starting lineup, and it might actually get better.MORE: Angel Reese finally took the right approach against Caitlin Clark

Ricky Pearsall showed enough in his first two NFL seasons to generate real breakout buzz heading into 2026, and Sports Illustrated believes he could be the San Francisco 49ers' next star receiver.Sports Illustrated's Eva Geitheim identified Pearsall as the player most likely to take a significant step forward for the 49ers this season, noting that he was on his way to a big year before his mid-season PCL injury.He was among the league’s receiving leaders through three weeks last year, recording two 100-yard receiving games before that injury. If he can stay healthy—a massive “if” for a 49ers team plagued by injuries and with an ever-looming electrical substation—he could certainly emerge as the team’s top receiving threat, even after the additions of Mike Evans, Christian Kirk and rookie De’Zhaun Stribling. Pearsall has the advantage of playing under coach Kyle Shanahan, who has long excelled at getting receivers open from Kendrick Bourne and Demarcus Robinson to All-Pros such as Julio Jones and George Kittle.Pearsall finished his second season with just 36 receptions for 528 yards and no touchdowns in nine games, which was actually worse than his rookie year. The health caveat is real, and the receiver room is more crowded than it has been in years. Pearsall will have to earn his targets. But few coaches manufacture opportunities for receivers better than Shanahan, and Pearsall's route-running ability fits the system well.The bigger picture is that the 49ers need him to step up. Evans, Kirk and Stribling have clear roles in the offense, but Pearsall offers a home-run threat the team doesn't have at the receiver position. His 14.7 yards per reception last year with incredible when he was heathy, and he has the skills to build on that if he can stay on the field.At 24 years old, he's entering a pivotal season. If he can stay on the field and build on what he showed in those first three weeks last year, a breakout performance is well within reach in 2026. But on the other hand, Pearsall is reaching a tipping point in his career that could derail the former first-round pick's potential.This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers WR Ricky Pearsall named top breakout candidate for 2026

Three players each from state powers St. Laurence and Mount Carmel and two from Class 3A state champ St. Rita highlight first two teams.First TeamJuan Avila, Reavis, senior, infielder/pitcher: Went 11-0 with 1.87 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 63 2/3 innings. Hit .316 with three homers and 27 RBIs. All-state. All-conference.Justin Canvin, Oak Lawn, senior, infielder/pitcher: Hit .505 with 54 runs, 30 stolen bases, 12 doubles, six triples, nine homers, 43 RBIs, breaking six program records. Went 6-0 with 1.12 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings. All-state. Conference player of the year. Committed to Illinois-Chicago.Brady Cunningham, Brother Rice, junior, utility: Batted .539 with 52 runs, 13 stolen bases, nine doubles, five triples, 17 homers and 62 RBIs, setting seven program records. Added four pitching wins. All-state. Conference co-player of the year. Committed to Texas A&M.Cory Les, St. Laurence, senior, infielder/pitcher: Hit .486 with 64 runs, 21 stolen bases, 12 doubles, 10 homers, 52 RBIs. Went 3-1 with a save, 2.82 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings. All-state. Co-Lawless Award winner for Catholic League MVP. Committed to Louisville.Jazarris Mackmore, Marian Catholic, junior, outfielder: Batted .461 with 30 runs, 12 stolen bases, 16 doubles, 10 homers, 51 RBIs, breaking program records for homers and RBIs. All-conference. Committed to Illinois-Chicago.Cannon Madej, Lemont, senior, infielder/pitcher: Went 7-1 with 1.73 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 52 2/3 innings. Broke program record with 24 career wins. Hit .340 with 21 runs, five doubles, two homers, 34 RBIs. All-state. Conference player of the year. Committed to Southwestern Illinois.TJ McQuillan, Mount Carmel, senior, infielder: Hit .464 with 60 runs, 17 doubles, seven homers, 45 RBIs. All-state. Co-Lawless Award winner for Catholic League MVP. Committed to Wake Forest.Colin Quinn, St. Rita, senior, catcher: Batted .474 with 13 doubles, four homers and 51 RBIs for the Class 3A state champs. All-state. All-conference. Committed to Heartland.Trace Schaaf, Lockport, senior, pitcher: Went 5-1 with 1.69 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 49 2/3 innings. Honorable mention all-state. Conference player of the year. Committed to Morton College.Tristan Steger, St. Laurence, junior, catcher/designated hitter: Hit .505 with 19 doubles, 14 homers, 60 RBIs. All-state. Conference co-player of the year. Committed to Kentucky.Ian Tosi, Mount Carmel, senior, pitcher: Went 8-0 with 2.06 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 51 innings for Class 4A third-place finisher. All-state. Committed to Miami.Rocco Triolo, Lincoln-Way East, junior, outfielder: Hit .410 with 33 runs, nine doubles, 11 homers, 35 RBIs. Honorable mention all-state. All-conference.Second TeamJosh Aggen, Tinley Park, senior, utility: Hit .533 with 42 runs, 10 doubles, six triples, four homers, 38 RBIs. Went 2-0 with 2.80 ERA. Honorable mention all-state. All-conference. Committed to Northwestern-St. Paul.Sammy Atkinson, Providence, senior, outfielder: Batted .443 with 38 runs, 25 stolen bases, 12 doubles, four triples, four homers, 24 RBIs. All-state. All-conference. Committed to Heartland.Jimmy Benson, St. Laurence, junior, pitcher: Went 7-1 with 2.19 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 54 1/3 innings. All-state. All-conference. Committed to TCU.Connor Elenteny, Mount Carmel, senior, pitcher: Finished 10-2 with 2.84 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 69 innings. All-conference. Committed to Notre Dame.Terrell Hampton-Hall, De La Salle, freshman, catcher: Hit .477 with 16 doubles, five triples, nine homers and 45 RBIs. Honorable mention all-state. Conference player of the year.Collin Lawlor, Marist, sophomore, infielder/pitcher: Went 7-2 with 1.35 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 52 innings. Hit .311 with six doubles and 20 RBIs. All-conference.Jackson Mansker, Lincoln-Way West, senior, infielder: Hit .449 with 40 runs, 15 stolen bases, 12 doubles, three homers, 41 RBIs. All-conference.Braydon McKendrick, Brother Rice, senior, pitcher: Finished 8-2 with 1.87 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 52 1/3 innings. Honorable mention all-state. Conference pitcher of the year. Committed to John A. Logan College.Noah Munoz, Evergreen Park, junior, infielder: Hit .450 with 34 runs, 19 doubles, nine homers, 61 RBIs. All-state. All-conference.Will Rewers, St. Rita, senior, pitcher: Went 10-3 with 3.28 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 68 1/3 innings. Started four playoff wins on way to 3A state title. Committed to St. Ambrose.Lucas Rosas, Sandburg, senior, infielder/pitcher: Hit .404 with 25 runs, 16 stolen bases, three homers and 26 RBIs for sectional champs. Went 2-0 with 3.40 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 24 innings. All-conference. Committed to Benedictine.Luke Tingley, Lincoln-Way Central, senior, outfielder: Batted .400 with 29 runs, nine doubles, five triples, two homers, 22 RBIs. All-conference.Honorable Mention• Austin Assink, Chicago Christian, senior, infielder. • Colin Bettenhausen, Lincoln-Way East, junior, pitcher. • Colin Campbell, Brother Rice, junior, infielder/pitcher. • Ashton Cardinal, Bremen, senior, infielder. • Cavion Danley, Rich Township, senior, outfielder. • Luis De Avila, Richards, senior, infielder/pitcher. • Danny Donovan, St. Laurence, senior, outfielder. • Landon Ehman, Providence, senior, outfielder. • Henry Humes, Homewood-Flossmoor, senior, pitcher. • Joey Ireland, Mount Carmel, senior, infielder. • Ryan Jones, St. Rita, junior, infielder/pitcher. • Peter Jurcenko, Sandburg, senior, pitcher. • Sully Kazee, St. Rita, senior, pitcher. • Adam Kozak, Lockport, senior, outfielder. • Ryan Lawlor, Marist, senior, infielder/outfielder. • Jonathan Liesen, Reavis, senior, infielder/outfielder. • Chase Maher, Beecher, junior, catcher/pitcher. • Jake Matise, Mount Carmel, senior, pitcher. • Anthony Monegan Jr., Crete-Monee, senior, outfielder. • Owen Novak, Lincoln-Way Central, senior, pitcher, • Michael Pettit, Lincoln-Way West, senior, infielder. • Ben Reilly, Andrew, senior, outfielder/pitcher. • Drew Satunas, Lockport, senior, catcher. • Zane Schneider, Lemont, junior, infielder. • Rocco Szambelan, Joliet Catholic, senior, pitcher.

Mr. Vance said earlier at a press briefing that he did not know if he would travel to Switzerland on Friday for the talks, where he was initially expected for a signing ceremony.

USMNT Growth, Player Availability Ahead of Australia MeetingSEATTLE – Christian Pulisic’s availability is still to be determined for tomorrow’s FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage match between the U.S. Men’s National Team and Australia, USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino confirmed at his pre-match press conference held this afternoon at Seattle Stadium.Pochettino said he will meet with his medical staff and make a determination, one way or the other, later tonight.“Christian is strong, with a great mentality, and he’s making a fantastic effort to be ready as soon as possible,” Pochettino said.Pulisic left at halftime of the USA’s emphatic 4-1 win over Paraguay in the group stage opener at Los Angeles Stadium. His replacement, midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, was one of seven players to make his FIFA World Cup debut in the match. In fact, five players in Pochettino’s starting XI last Friday appeared in their first FIFA World Cup match, plus two more players – Berhalter and striker Ricardo Pepi – who came off the bench.The number of U.S. debutants in the rousing victory shows the mix of fresh talent and veteran experience on Pochettino’s 26-player squad. Four years ago, the U.S. featured four of the five youngest lineups at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. This time around, the U.S. fielded the 13th youngest lineup in 38 matches the USMNT has played at the FIFA World Cup, ranking just behind the XI that began the team’s 1994 World Cup opener against Switzerland, the last time a FIFA World Cup took place on home soil.Like the U.S., Australia has grown in the four years since a Round of 16 exit. In Qatar, the Socceroos finished second in their group behind the eventual tournament runner-up, France, then faced the eventual champion, Argentina, in the knockout round. After conceding two goals, Australia put up a fight against La Albiceleste but fell 2-1 to officially end its 2022 run.Now ranked 22nd in FIFA's world rankings, Tony Popovic’s group is well-organized, defensively sound and opportunistic in transition. Australia dispatched UEFA Playoff Patch C winners, Türkiye, to open the tournament, winning 2-0 despite holding the lowest possession of any team so far at FIFA World Cup 2026 (28.3%).“They are a very strong team and really believing in what they are doing,” Pochettino said.U.S. and Australia recently faced off on Oct. 14, 2025, a non-official match that the U.S. won 2-1 behind striker Haji Wright’s impressive brace and a pair of assists for Seattle Sounders star Cristian Roldan. The October win was part of a five-match unbeaten streak for the U.S. against World Cup-bound opponents, and the come-from-behind victory ended Australia’s 12-match unbeaten streak at the time.“When we played them in Denver, [it] was really one of the most difficult games that we played in the run-up to today,” Pochettino said.The U.S. and Australia enter Friday’s matchup as the top two teams in the Group D standings at FIFA World Cup 2026. Both sides are full of belief and confidence after kicking off their summer campaigns on strong notes.“We’re so happy to arrive in this moment knowing that Australia is going to be a really tough opponent,” Pochettino said. “Good players, good organization, great coach… [Since the 2022 FIFA World Cup] they were improving every day, every week, every month, every year and now they arrive in good condition. They beat a very difficult team, a great team, in Türkiye. Only we can show, like the Draw, our full respect to them, but at the same time we want to beat them. We are ready to fight.”USA-Australia kicks off Friday, June 19 at noon PT/3 p.m. ET at Seattle Stadium. Here’s how to watch, listen and follow along.

This will be a big offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers, mostly because it will be their first real opportunity to build a roster around and for Luka Doncic, 16 months after acquiring him in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks. They're projected to have up to approximately $50 million in salary cap space, and while they have multiple players they will want to re-sign to new contracts, they should have the opportunity to secure at least one outside player who would upgrade their roster.First on their to-do list as far as going after outside players is likely upgrading at the center position. Starter Deandre Ayton was, from time to time, disappointing, and he has an $8.1 million player option for next season, while backup Jaxson Hayes is about to become a free agent.Per Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Doncic wants the Lakers to obtain an "A-list center.""Luka's first and foremost desire is an A-list center," the source said.The three best teams in the NBA — the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and the world champion New York Knicks — all have All-Stars at the 5 spot. Various other teams across the league also have stars or near-stars in the middle. Unfortunately, the Lakers' options as far as obtaining the type of center Doncic reportedly wants don't look great.Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz and the Detroit Pistons' Jalen Duren, the two targets who have been linked to the Lakers and are on every fan's wish list, are restricted free agents. There is every indication that their current teams will aggressively match any offer sheet the Lakers present to either player, although Kessler is now reportedly "at odds" with Jazz management.Other centers mentioned as possible targets for L.A. include Daniel Gafford of the Dallas Mavericks and Nic Claxton of the Brooklyn Nets, but neither man may fit the description of an "A-list center."At a minimum, the Lakers need an athletic, defensive-minded center who consistently blocks shots, protects the rim, boxes out, rebounds well and runs the floor adeptly. In the past, Doncic has done well with such centers who are lob threats, including Gafford, his former teammate in Dallas.This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Report: Luka Doncic wants Lakers to get 'A-list center'

The Oklahoma Sooners made three additions in the transfer portal on Thursday. In addition to catcher Abbie Gregus and outfielder Adi Hansen, the Sooners brought in outfielder Macie Harter from Middle Tennessee State. Harter was a second-team All-Conference USA selection after hitting .346 with 15 doubles, four triples, seven home runs, and 23 RBIs. She also recorded 19 stolen bases and had an on-base plus slugging percentage of 1.163 on the season. She recorded 12 multi-hit games in 2026 A two-year starter at Middle Tennessee State, Harter raised her batting average by over 60 points and recorded 11 more extra-base hits this year than in 2025. Harter comes to Oklahoma looking to compete for a role in the Sooners' outfield. The Sooners bring back Ella Parker, Kai Minor, and Chaney Helton and add the nation's No. 1 prospect to the team in Peyton Westra. Harter adds competition and experience to an outfield that lost Abby Dayton to graduation and Kasidi Pickering to Texas Tech. Plot twist? Not really…Same work ethic. Bigger dreams.Beyond blessed to announce my commitment to the University of Oklahoma!See you soon, Norman! 🫶🏼❤️🤍#BoomerSooner#OUSoftball#Committed#SoonerNation@GassoPatty@OU_Softball@D1Softballpic.twitter.com/yH4K55l64y— Macie Harter (@HarterMacie) June 18, 2026Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.You can also follow John on X @john9williams.This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Sooners pick up transfer outfielder Macie Harter

Mexico is officially moving on, and they’re doing it at home. With a 1-0 win over South Korea on Thursday, El Tri has secured its spot at the top of Group A, becoming the first team to clinch a berth in the World Cup knockout round.The first half was pretty listless for both teams, with only three shots for Mexico and none for South Korea to keep it 0-0 heading into halftime. Things were dull enough that the Mexican fans booed their team as they headed into the locker room in response to the fruitless half.Oddly enough, that seems to have worked: Mexico came out with renewed vigor for the second half, and broke through with a goal in the 50th minute.The goal was helped by a costly mistake from Korean keeper Kim Seung-gyu, who jumped to catch the ball but got tangled up with his own player, losing his grip. That failure to secure the ball led it to land at the feet of Luis Romo, who sent it into the wide-open net.Both South Korea and Mexico kept pushing for the rest of the half. Kim made up for his earlier mistakes with three great saves to keep Mexico from adding any more points, while the Koreans picked up a few great chances, but couldn’t find the equalizer.But Mexican goalkeeper Raúl Rangel kept the shutout alive with a number of saves, including a miraculous double save in the 87th minute.The victory secures the top of the Group A standings for Mexico, ensuring an appearance in the Round of 32. The first-place route also means that El Tri will get to play knockout games in Mexico, with the chance to play their next three games in front of a home crowd.South Korea, who faces South Africa in the final group stage match, can still guarantee a second-place finish with a win or draw in that game.

Ohio State basketball legend Dennis Hopson is entering the college ranks once again. According to a social media post and press release, Hopson was chosen as the head coach of the new NAIA basketball program at Florida Polytechnic.The news comes after Hopson had a two-year hiatus from the college game. He most recently led Lourdes (NAIA) in Sylvania, Ohio, from 2019-24. He also was an assistant at Bowling Green and Northwood prior. But Buckeye fans will most remember him for what he did in the Scarlet and Gray.Prior to this past season, when Bruce Thornton eclipsed him, Hopson held the all-time scoring mark at Ohio State, a mark he held for 39 years. He was the 1987 Big Ten Player of the Year and went on to enjoy a ten-year NBA career, including a spot on the 1991 Chicago Bulls NBA championship team that had a tongue-wagging player named Michael Jordan leading it.“I think my background means a whole lot to this process, and I will use it to get players to come here,” Hopson said in a press release. “I used to be them, and I know the importance of going to a school that’s in a great situation with a great location and sound academics that also has a strong basketball program.”Championship experience is coming to #FLPolyAthletics. Dennis Hopson, an NBA champion alongside Michael Jordan on the 1991 Chicago Bulls, has been named the inaugural head coach of our men’s basketball program. 🏀 https://t.co/dh4sCGoqPw— Florida Polytechnic University (@FLPolyU) June 16, 2026Florida Polytechnic athletic director Derek Lower also praised the hiring, calling Hopson “the best person to lead us in our inaugural basketball season.” If you are keeping track, there are now two Buckeye legends who took their talents from Ohio to Florida. Hopson joins former OSU player and assistant coach Brian Hartline, who took the head football coaching job at USF this past offseason. Perhaps the two will meet for some coffee at Disney or something.Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State legend Dennis Hopson named coach Florida college program

Judith Sheldon, 84, daughter of an Oscar-winning director, and her husband, Wylie, 86, were traveling to Oregon on a hot day. Their deaths are under investigation.

St. Paul was eliminated from first-half playoff contention Thursday evening after being swept in both games of a doubleheader against Omaha at CHS Field. With the losses, the Saints fell to 40-31 with three games remaining in the first half of the International League season.Game 1Saint Paul knotted at 2-all through three innings before the visiting Storm Chasers put up four runs in the fourth and five more in the sixth to turn a tight game into a 12-4 blowout.Saints first baseman Gabriel Gonzalez was 2 for 3 with a solo home run, with catcher Noah Cardenas also going yard on a 1 for 2 turn at the plate. Both homers were solo shots.Starter Austin Voth (1-3, 3.65 ERA) took the loss after allowing six hits and six runs (five earned) over four innings with a five strikeouts and two walks.Game 2The nightcap was a back-and-forth affair after centerfielder Ben Ross led off the bottom of the first with a homer to left field to give St. Paul an early 1-0 lead.Omaha seized a 3-1 edge in the second, only to see the Saints surge back on a three-run double by third baseman Henry Kusiak to go on top 4-3 after three innings.However, the visitors stashed the win away with a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth as St. Paul’s bats fell largely silent for the remainder of the contest.Gonzalez went 4 for 4 for St. Paul, scoring once. He was the only Saints player with more than one hit in the second game.Pitcher John Klein, who came on in relief of starter Ricky Castro in the third inning, took the loss after allowing three earned runs on four hits (two homers) in three innings. Klein struck out five batters.St. Paul and Omaha face one another again at 7:07 p.m. Friday.Related Articles Record-setting night for Saints at home against Omaha Graham Brown bursts upon Triple-A in Saints victory Matt Wallner homers again as Saints defeat Mud Hens Saints defeat Mud Hens in slugfest Saints blank Mud Hens for second-straight win

World Cup: Co-hosts Mexico first to qualify for Round of 32 after win over South KoreaMexico are through to the Round of 32 at the World Cup as Group A winners after they narrowly beat South Korea. Since head-to-head results take precedence ahead of goal difference as tie breaker, Mexico will not lose their place at the top whatever happens in the final games for the two teams.The only goal of the game came from Luis Romo as he took advantage of Kim Seung-gyu's mistake in South Korea's goal five minutes after the restart. The midfielder was an unused substitute in the opener against South Africa.South Korea upped the pressure late in the game as Raul Rangel made a superb double save before they earned the game's only two corner-kicks in injury-time. Mexico will play their Round of 32 tie in Mexico City, where they stay for the next round if they progress.The only time Mexico won a knockout stage game was when they hosted the tournament in 1986. Javier Aguirre's side are yet to concede a goal at the 2026 World Cup. South Korea are still the favorites to join them in the Round of 32 as they aim to qualify for the knockout stages in back-to-back tournaments for the first time. Bayern's Kim Min-jae and Mainz's Lee Jae-sung started for South Korea once again, while Borussia Mönchengladbach's German-born midfielder Jens Castrop is still waiting for his first minutes.

Houston Astros star Jeremy PenaThe Toronto Blue Jays are a team that could contend this season in the American League. The season started off slowly due to injuries, but the Blue Jays have turned their season around. They just swept the Boston Red Sox and now are 37-38 on the season. The American League is vulnerable in general. For example, the New York Yankees are missing Aaron Judge at the moment. It's anyone's guess who is going to get through the American League this year and the Blue Jays have a legit shot, especially if they add another big piece this summer ahead of the trade deadline. The Blue Jays are never afraid to get bold and one idea that was interesting was the fact that ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel mentioned Toronto among the best fits for Houston Astros All-Star Jeremy Peña."Jeremy Peña, SS, Houston Astros," Passan and McDaniel wrote. "Chance of being traded: 35 percent. Rest-of-season impact: High. Years of control: One more year after 2026. The buzz: After nearly signing a contract extension last year, Peña hired agent Scott Boras and put the kibosh on the deal. Now, Houston finds itself in a pickle: always wanting to contend, lacking the roster to do it. Replenishing a bad farm system with few players close to the big leagues takes a move like trading Pena, and the only question at this point is whether it will be before Aug. 3 or before the Dec. 1 lockout. ... "Best fits: Braves, Rays, Yankees, Blue Jays, Red Sox."Do you have a take to get off your chest? Do you want to engage in a growing Blue Jays community? Comment on our content alongside staff and fans alike!Peña is making just over $9.4 million this season and has one more season of team control left. The 28-year-old would be a major addition. Should Toronto try to make a move?More MLB: Red Sox Debate Emerging Over Aroldis Chapman’s Future

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. hit the first of Kansas City's three home runs before leaving with a sore right knee, and the Royals smacked a club-record five doubles in a six-run second inning Thursday night on the way to a 14-6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.Jac Caglianone and Salvador Perez also went deep for the Royals, who set season highs for runs and hits (17). Each of the first eight batters in the starting lineup had at least one RBI.Witt homered in the first inning and delivered an RBI single in the second. But he was lifted for a pinch hitter in the fourth after making a sliding play at shortstop in the top of the inning.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb