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Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, center, campaigns with Democratic candidate for Governor David Crowley, right, Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer)2026-08-11T04:00:54Z MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A democratic socialist is trying to rise above the party establishment’s chosen candidate who revived his campaign after another leading contender dropped out in Wisconsin’s chaotic primary race for governor on Tuesday.The winner will advance to take on Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in November in an open race that could test the limits of progressives’ appeal in a critical battleground state. Democrats are hoping to capitalize on low approval ratings for President Donald Trump in a state he won in 2016 and 2024 to retain control of the governor’s office and flip both chambers of the Legislature to earn full control of Wisconsin state government for the first time since 2010.In other races, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s 26-year-old son-in-law Michael Alfonso is trying to win a five-way primary in Duffy’s old seat in the U.S. House. And Democrat Rebecca Cooke is looking to emerge from the primary to force a rematch with Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden in the state’s most hotly contested and narrowly divided congressional district. Democratic socialist shakes up Wisconsin race, fueled by national movementSingle mother and former line cook Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist, has tapped into Democratic anger with the party’s mainstream and Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement.The 37-year-old known for sprinkling her comments with profanity and leaning into her edgy and sometimes humorous social media profile excited the liberal wing of the party. Hong called for free childcare and healthcare and a moratorium on data center construction. But she also wrestled with her past support for defunding the police, saying at the race’s only debate that she would not support cutting law enforcement funding.She also drew criticism for past social media posts where she called for canceling Thanksgiving because “we should stop celebrating colonialism” and disparaged Valentine’s Day as “another day capitalism tells you how to show love.” Hong has since downplayed the posts as her attempt at making jokes. Read More Hong supporter Dan Jakubek, 44, of Marshall, dismissed concerns over Hong’s past statements and said her message of affordability is resonating across generations. “I’ve never seen so many young, out of high school, college students revved up for change,” he said.Establishment Democrats worried that a Hong win would make it easier for Tiffany to win in November, as her platform would be a tougher sell among moderate and independent voters who are critical in the swing state known for razor-thin election margins.Gov. Tony Evers endorsed Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, saying he has the best chance of beating Tiffany in November.Crowley told supporters at a Sunday night rally that they must come together after the primary to beat Tiffany.“Our ultimate goal is to make sure we don’t have a MAGA extremist occupying the governor’s office,” Crowley said.Hong said she would welcome Evers’ support after the primary.“We have to come together to beat Tom Tiffany,” she said Monday.Hong voter Kelly McClurg, 40, of Sun Prairie, rejected concerns that Hong can’t beat Tiffany.“She can win if people let her,” she said, referring to Democrats who raise electability concerns. Crowley voter Susan Uraneck, of Madison, said she wished that Evers had gotten involved sooner.“I hope for the best,” she said. “As I say, it is what it is.”Hong is the first Asian American elected to the state Assembly in 2020. She is looking to become Wisconsin’s first female governor and first Asian American governor. Crowley would be the state’s first Black governor. Chaotic Democratic primary saw candidates drop, come back inEvers’ decision not to seek a third term created an open race for governor that initially had seven Democrats file to run. Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez appeared to be making a move to consolidate mainstream Democratic support in July, but she dropped out in the middle of the month amid a campaign finance scandal. That led Crowley, who had dropped out a week earlier and endorsed Rodriguez, to get back in the race, this time with Evers’ backing. Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who was seen as an early front-runner after nearly beating Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson in 2022, bowed out less than two weeks before the election amid questions about inappropriate behavior. Sean Duffy’s son-in-law looks to win back Duffy’s old congressional districtAlfonso is looking to become the youngest member of Congress by winning Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, a seat previously held for nine years by his father-in-law before Duffy stepped down in 2019.He secured Trump’s endorsement, who called him a “MAGA warrior,” to separate him from the field that also includes Kevin Hermening, a Trump supporter and longtime Republican operative in the congressional district.Trump spoke on a telephone rally for Alfonso on Monday night, calling him “a fantastic young guy who’s going to be a star in Washington.” It was the second event Trump hosted for Alfonso in the primary.Alfonso’s candidacy drew blowback from some longtime Republican leaders in the district who said he was too young and inexperienced for the job, especially compared to Hermening. Democrat Cooke looks for repeat race against Rep. Derrick Van OrdenCooke, a former Democratic fundraiser and small business owner, faces a challenge from former Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District. Berge ran an underdog, insurgent campaign against Cooke, who was more well-known and better financed.Cooke narrowly lost to Van Orden in 2024 and also ran in 2022 but lost in the Democratic primary that year.Van Orden is one of Trump’s biggest supporters but will face a tough reelection bid in a narrowly divided district in a year where Trump’s approval ratings are low in Wisconsin. SCOTT BAUER Bauer is the AP’s Statehouse reporter covering politics and state government in Madison, Wisconsin. He also writes music reviews. twitter mailto 获取更多RSS：https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

This is how elections are so often fought now. Politicians slink into a constituency to meet fans, make content for their social media and melt away.

Authorities in California said he died in a climbing accident. He set a record in 2024 for climbing El Capitan’s Lurking Fear route in under three hours.

Let the bidding begin. A coveted, one-of-one autographed Cooper Flagg NBA Debut Patch card with a bounty on it appears to have been pulled. Topps, the producer of the card, shared an image on social media Monday night of the card being pulled by a Rhode Island collectibles streamer called “RhodyBreakers.”Video of the reveal was also shared on social media. Video of it being pulled pic.twitter.com/oA6sIGJ0RF— Kiki 🔨 (@certifiedkaki) August 11, 2026Why does this matter? The Flagg card is one of the most anticipated in modern collectibles history — so much that Flagg’s Dallas Mavericks have put a bounty on it to claim it as their own. How much is it worth? Nobody yet knows. That will only be determined via the time-tested market principle: how much is somebody willing to pay? But assuming that the card’s current owners intend to part with it for a windfall rather than keep it, they have options. The card is coveted in part because it features a game-worn patch from the jersey worn by Flagg in his NBA debut on Oct. 22, 2025. That’s a literal piece of Mavericks history, and the team has offered the finder of the card a premium package to part with it. The Mavericks issued the following offer to whomever pulled the card on Aug. 6 — four days before RhodyBreakers claims to have pulled it:Two premium season tickets in the lower level for 32 years (a reference to Flagg's jersey number)A signed, game-worn rookie jersey from FlaggA post-game photo with FlaggA private photoshoot with Flagg's Rookie of the Year trophy and the Championship Trophy (presumably from the Mavericks' win in 2011)VIP tour of the Mavericks' practice facility and meet-and-greet with the team"Private basketball experience" at Dallas' American Airlines Center for up to 10 guestsRoundtrip airfare, hotel accommodations and game tickets to see the Mavericks play against the Boston Celtics awayThat’s an appealing package, indeed. But it’s one that speaks specifically to Mavericks fans. And it’s lacking one key element: cash.The Pittsburgh Pirates offered a similar package in exchange for Paul Skenes’ MLB Debut Patch card in 2024. The lucky 11-year who pulled the card in Los Angeles wasn’t interested. He and his familry instead put it up for auction, where it sold for a whopping $1.1 million.That should buy him all the tickets to the Dodgers or the Angels or whomever his favorite team is that he desires. Also, that equates to life-changing money to the average 11-year-old.It’s a precedent that should ring true for the Mavericks. If they really want that Flagg card, they should pony up with a cash offer that RhodyBreakers — or whomever the rightful owner of the card is — can’t refuse. That, or expect to jump into the eventual bidding war.

Aug 10, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Texas Rangers second baseman Cam Cauley (27) lays down a bunt against the Los Angeles Angels during the third inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect The Texas Rangers scored four runs while the Anaheim Angels scored one run in ten innings.Despite the fact that the Angels are among the worst teams in baseball, and indeed the team currently with the worst record in the American League, the Rangers came into tonight’s game winless at Angel Stadium in 2026 after getting swept by their divisional rivals up the road from Disneyland back in late May. The Rangers only fared marginally better when last these two teams met in Arlington around a month ago with Texas claiming two of three against the Angels despite suffering a 13-1 loss to Anaheim in the middle game of the series, a game started by MacKenzie Gore. Gore was on the hill tonight for the Rangers as they tried to inch closer to a positive record against the division’s basement dwellers. Two batters into the game and it was already 1-0 Angels as Mike Trout hit his 785th career home run against Texas.Ultimately though, that first inning solo home run amounted to the Gore Inning (TM) as Gore settled in and didn’t allow another run through his 5 1/3 innings of work. The Angels did make him work a little as it took him 103 pitches to get to one out in the sixth before hitting the showers, but he finished allowing just the one run on four hits and a couple of walks with nine strikeouts.Meanwhile, tonight’s starter for the Angels was Reid Detmers and he seems to enjoy alternating between being pedestrian and dominant against the Rangers. The last time Detmers took the mound against Texas he allowed five runs in four innings which seemed seemed to mean the Rangers were in for a struggle tonight.Detmers didn’t reach dominance but he did hold the Rangers to a run in six innings on three hits and four walks with six strikeouts. After the lefty starters left, we eventually had a battle of the bullpens. I’m loath to assume that’s a situation that favors the Rangers in any particular game this season but against Anaheim, it should be. Luckily Texas’ ‘pen held firm keeping the Angels off the board for the remaining 4 2/3 innings, not even allowing Anaheim’s Manfred Man to touch home in the bottom of the tenth.As for the Manfred Man for the Rangers, Nicky Lopez scored the go-ahead and eventual winning run when the Rangers loaded the bases (scary, I know!) and got consecutive weakly-hit RBI base hits from Brandon Nimmo and Jake Burger. Burger’s hit, which drove in two, included Corey Seager scoring from second base where Seager decided to test the arm of Anaheim right fielder Wade Meckler. Perhaps that was a bit out of spite after Meckler had committed robbery against Seager earlier in the game, reaching over the fence to take away a potential two-out, three-run home run in the top of the seventh with the score 1-1 that would have saved us all a little grief with the need for extra innings.Nevertheless, Jacob Latz came in with a three run lead and worked around an 11-pitch walk to Trout but nothing else as the Rangers are again above .500 and have their first win at the Big A this year. It doesn’t seem like it needed to be that difficult but will be marked off in the win column regardless.Player of the Game: I supposed I could highlight Elias Diaz for collecting a couple of hits including an RBI single off of Detmers to tie the score when it looked like the Rangers were about to waste a two on, no outs situation in the top of the fourth. Or Nimmo for the winning hit with the bases loaded.Also, though, Robby Ahlstrom came in to clean up an inning where Chase Silseth had gotten into a little trouble with the game tied. Ahlstrom pitched another scoreless frame after that and hasn’t allowed a run since July 12 spanning 13 appearances.Up Next: The Rangers and Angels will be back at it for some late night baseball with LHP Cody Bradford expected to make another start for Texas against RHP Ryan Johnson for Anaheim.The Tuesday night first pitch from the Big A is once again scheduled for 8:38 pm CDT and will once again air on the Rangers Sports Network.

LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 10: Jac Caglianone #14 of the Kansas City Royals rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the third inning during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Monday, August 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Nicole Vasquez/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images Well, I’m not sure what I expected. The Royals stars (Witt, Cags) were showing out both offensively and defensively, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the moribund bullpen in a 6-5 loss to the Dodgers that was full of punch-counterpunch.The 6th inning was the key part. The Royals held a 3-2 lead and Noah Cameron, who had pitched pretty well up to this point, gave up a few hard-hit balls in a row to put runners on second and third with two outs. John Schreiber came in and promptly blew the game by walking Kyle Tucker and giving up a weak line drive down the right field line just beyond Cags’ outstretched glove. All three runners scored to give the Dodgers the lead. Sigh.The Royals counterpunched with a Kyle Isbel two-run homer in the seventh inning to bring the game back to even-steven at 5-5, but Alex Lange gave up two singles in the bottom of the seventh to relinquish the lead for good. It goes as two runs total charged to Schreiber and Lange, but I don’t think Cameron really deserved those runs being charged to him.It’s a shame. Facing Tarik Skubal, the Royals position players put up a good fight.In the first inning, in his first-ever at-bat against Skubal (really?), Cags fouled off four pitches to hit a grounder that squeaked through the middle to score Witt from second (Cags extended his hitting streak to 9 games with that hit).In the third inning, once again Cags came up to bat and continued his torrid second-half power show. After a Nick Loftin double, Cags was down 0-2 in the count. Then he ripped a 110.8mph line drive home run to push the lead to 3-0. It was beautiful – one of those rising liners that seemed to just keep elevating as it went. Skubal embodied the grimace emoji as soon as the ball left the bat. The Royals chased Skubal after only five innings pitched in which he gave up three runs. I think if you’re facing Skubal, you take that every time.The star on the other side, Shohei Ohtani, then counter-punched with a deep hit of his own after seeing Jac hit the dinger in the third. It was just short of a homer, but with Hunter Feduccia on second after a double, Ohtani got a bread-basket changeup from Cameron and blasted it to the gap. Freddie Freeman followed with a single to score Ohtani.On the defensive side, throughout the game, Witt flashed the leather in the deep hole, like in the bottom of the second when he ranged to his right and fired a perfect throw to Massey to allow him to turn the double play. Witt was all over the place. I think he even caught a pop fly in left-center later in the game. Rex was talking about his hands so much that my wife wanted to file a complaint with HR. Fair. He was ridiculous.It felt like a good effort from the boys. Well..at least it was a good effort from half the team.The Royals fall to 49-71. The Dodgers are 71-48. They play again tomorrow at 9:10pm US Central time. Michael Wacha will pitch against Blake Snell.

From legends who've become institutions to up-and-coming superstars with the world there for the taking, these are the 15 coaches who are among the very best, but slightly below the current elite.All of them have won big things, but each is missing something. Can he win the really big games? Where's the national title? How long before all the great things turn into something special at a whole other level?They're all fantastic, and they're all in the top 25 in our 2026 ranking of the best head coaches in college football going into the season.CFN Preseason Head Coach Rankings 11 to 25Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley (right) talks with quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) in the second half against the UCLA Bruins at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images25. Jeff Monken, Army2025 Coach Rank: 10 FBS Record: 89-63 | FBS Win %: 58.6% No one seems to grasp that it’s way harder than it seems to consistently win at Army. 12 seasons in, Monken continues to produce. - Army 2026 Team Preview- CFN Preseason Top 10 Head Coaches24. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa2025 Coach Rank: 24 FBS Record: 213-128 | FBS Win %: 62.5% The head man at Iowa since 1999 - Troy Calhoun (Air Force) and Dabo Swinney (2009) are the only other coaches to be around since before 2013 - he’s an institution with over 100 more FBS wins than all but 11 other current head coaches. - Iowa 2026 Team Preview23. Brian Newberry, Navy2025 Coach Rank: 69 FBS Record: 26-12 | FBS Win %: 68.4% From five wins to ten, to 11, two straight bowl victories over Army. What more could you want? (Maybe an American Conference title.) Always remember that winning big at a service academy isn’t a given. - Navy 2026 Team Preview22. Sonny Dykes, TCU2025 Coach Rank: 27 FBS Record: 107-80 | FBS Win %: 57.2% Six winning seasons in seven years, a national championship appearance, and three seasons with nine or more wins in four runs with the Horned Frogs. He’s just that good. - TCU 2026 Team Preview21. Jon Sumrall, Florida2025 Coach Rank: 34* (at Tulane) FBS Record: 43-12 | FBS Win %: 78.2% The cell phone thing at SEC media days (he was JOKING) and pedicures got the headlines - whatever. He won three conference titles with a trip to the CFP in four seasons between Troy and Tulane. Watch out for Florida. - Florida 2026 Team Preview20. Kyle Whittingham, Michigan2025 Coach Rank: 12* (at Utah) FBS Record: 177-88 | FBS Win %: 66.8% Very good for very long at Utah, he’s getting the shot to do something special with everything in place to win a national title - even if it's not this year. He should be able to turn Michigan back into a College Football Playoff team.- Michigan 2026 Team Preview19. Mike Elko, Texas A&M2025 Coach Rank: 40 FBS Record: 35-16 | FBS Win %: 68.6% How many double-digit win seasons did Texas A&M have from 1999 to 2024? One. Elko got the Aggies to the College Football Playoff in Year Two, going 11-2. Watch him make the high-end success a regular thing. - Texas A&M 2026 Team Preview18. Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State2025 Coach Rank: 13 FBS Record: 22-16 | FBS Win %: 57.9% A rising star we loved from jump, he could’ve been the Michigan head coach, stayed at ASU, and has the energy and staying power to become a superstar. - Arizona State 2026 Team Preview17. Josh Heupel, Tennessee2025 Coach Rank: 14 FBS Record: 73-28 | FBS Win %: 72.3% Don’t get into a twist over Heupel’s disappointing 8-5 season - he won 30 games over the previous three years and won 72% of his games overall between UCF and the Vols. - Tennessee 2026 Team Preview16. Kalani Sitake, BYUNov 29, 2025; Provo, Utah, USA; BYU Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake during the first half against the UCF Knights at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images© Rob Gray-Imagn Images2025 Coach Rank: 30 FBS Record: 84-45 | FBS Win %: 65.1% Rumored for the Penn State gig, nothing buys goodwill more than staying put. Winning 23 games in the last two years and four ten-win seasons in the last six helps, too. - BYU 2026 Team Preview15. Matt Campbell, Penn State2025 Coach Rank: 17* (at Iowa State) FBS Record: 107-70 | FBS Win %: 60.5% Win now, win big, win big games, win, win, win. He got to two Big 12 championship games at Iowa State and made the program a consistent winner, but that’s not good enough for Penn State. There’s zero grace period, but this was the right gig at the right time. - Penn State 2026 Team Preview14. Lincoln Riley, USC2025 Coach Rank: 20 FBS Record: 91-27 | FBS Win %: 77.1% By most reasonable standards, he’s been among the top coaches in college football over the last nine seasons. USC doesn’t have reasonable standards - and rightly so. He’s been very good, but that’s not quite good enough. It’s Year Five - USC needs to be in the CFP. - USC 2026 Team Preview13. Rhett Lashlee, SMU2025 Coach Rank: 15 FBS Record: 38-17 | FBS Win %: 69.1% Could he make the jump from top OC to head coach? After 31 wins and a CFP appearance in the last three years, all while turning SMU into an ACC player, yeah, he’s doing just fine. - SMU 2026 Team Preview12. James Franklin, Virginia Tech2025 Coach Rank: 8* (at Penn State) FBS Record: 128-60 | FBS Win %: 68.1% All the guy did was get Penn State into the CFP Semifinals in 2024, was on a run of 34 wins in three years before last season, and was a fourth down stop against Oregon away from probably still being in Happy Valley. He’s a program changing get for Virginia Tech. - Virginia Tech 2026 Team Preview11. Mario Cristobal, Miami2025 Coach Rank: 22 FBS Record: 97-79 | FBS Win %: 55.1% From five wins to seven, to ten, to one slightly better throw away from a national title, he’s where he’s supposed to be, and he’s doing what he’s supposed to do. He got Miami back up to national-relevant speed. - Miami 2026 Team Preview

Islam Makhachev is far more comfortable competing at welterweight and won’t move back down to 155 pounds. Makhachev (28-1) defended the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight title four times before moving up to welterweight. He dominantly dethroned Jack Della Maddalena to win the 170-pound title last year and is now scheduled to defend it against Ian Garry (17-1) at UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.Javier Mendez shuts down possibility of Islam Makhachev returning to lightweight Makhachev’s coach, Javier Mendez, doesn’t believe his fighter will switch between weight classes and is likely done with lightweight entirely. Mendez recently revealed that the champion has gained five kilos (11 pounds) of muscle since moving up to welterweight and isn’t looking to move back down. “He’s gained five kilos of muscle and feels better at welterweight,” Mendez told Alvaro Colmenero. “He prefers this weight class. I don’t think he’ll ever fight at lightweight.” Notably, Makhachev has previously stated that he can compete at middleweight as well. When Dricus Du Plessis was the 185-pound champion, then-lightweight king Makhachev claimed that if the UFC offered him a title fight against the South African, he would gladly accept. However, the Russian hasn’t mentioned middleweight since moving up, shining a light on 170-pound contenders like Carlos Prates instead.I’ve been interviewing Javier Mendez, Islam Makhachev’s coach. Here’s a summary of some of the interesting comments he shared with me."He’s gained 5 kilos of muscle, and feels better at welterweight—he prefers this weight class. I don’t think he’ll ever fight at lightweight".— Álvaro Colmenero (@KOlmeneroMMA) August 10, 2026

Anthony Anderson, a guest host on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” said he’d “seen better weaves on ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta.’”

It wasn't too long ago that Ben Simmons was one of the NBA's more promising young talents. A 6-foot-10 ball-handler who could play multiple positions but seemed to function well as a point guard or point forward, he possessed ample athleticism and was a naturally strong defender.However, he not only didn't hit perimeter shots, but he almost completely refused to attempt any shots from outside of the paint. After demanding the Philadelphia 76ers trade him in 2021, his career went through a rapid downward spiral, during which he was dealing with injuries and saw his production decline precipitously.After being out of the NBA last season, Simmons is reportedly taking part in a player-led minicamp for the Australian national team, per Marc J. Spears of ESPN. This news has led some to wonder if Simmons will attempt a return to the NBA, and given the Los Angeles Lakers' need for a starting-level wing or forward, there are likely some Lakers fans who want the organization to take a flier on him.A player such as Simmons is tempting, especially since he's only 30 years of age and doesn't have a lot of mileage on him, but as Colin Keane of Lake Show Life wrote, there isn't a lot of substance behind that intrigue."Simmons as a small-ball five backing up Walker Kessler instead of Kevon Looney! Simmons as a defensive monster roaming behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves!"Intriguing, innit?"Sure is. But then again, intrigue has never been something Simmons fails to produce in NBA onlookers, even of the front office variety. It's the whole execution and playing basketball thing that Simmons has failed at time and time again since around 2021 or so."Simmons didn't play at all last season while recovering from multiple injuries. He played in 18 regular-season games and five playoff games for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2024-25. He was solid for the Clips, but nothing to get excited about."What the Lakers need in a starting wing or forward is two-way play, which means excellent 3-point shooting, something Simmons cannot exactly provide at all. Then there is the matter of his mental qualities. The narrative is that he's mentally weak, and this quality became beyond evident when, during Game 7 of the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals between the Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks, he passed up an open dunk and scored just five points on four shot attempts.The 76ers lost the game, 103-96, and when coach Doc Rivers was asked afterward if Simmons could be the starting point guard on a championship team, he simply said he didn't know the answer to that question.Simmons took what seemed like a neutral statement as an insult and demanded a trade while cutting off almost all communication between himself and the Sixers organization. After the organization traded him months later to the Brooklyn Nets, he was diagnosed with a herniated disk in his back, and he would continue to have back problems for a couple of years afterward.Still, Keane feels that Simmons may be worth taking a chance on -- under several conditions."Now, Simmons' godfather is telling the press that Simmons' prime athleticism has returned and this is the best he's felt in years … classic quotes that you'd be feeding reporters to get teams to call."But back to the question -- should the Lakers be one of those teams? Normally, this would be a big, fat 'NO' from me, but the interesting thing this time around with Simmons is that he's reportedly willing to play on a minimum deal."Without much fiscal risk involved at all, the Lakers might be tempted to take a look at Simmons and see if his defensive versatility can be additive in the way that one assumes it would be, provided Simmons stays healthy (humongous IF) and actually still desires to play the sport of basketball (another big mystery)."The Lakers have enough ball-handlers and creators now that they've added Collin Sexton to [Luka] Doncic and {Austin] Reaves, so Simmons wouldn't be doing his vintage point-forward act, which is a good thing. At this phase in his career, you'd want Simmons to just be rim-running as a five, crashing the glass, and exerting all of his energy on the defensive end."Simmons has career averages of 13.1 points on 55.8% shooting, 7.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.5 steals a game over seven NBA seasons. He was voted into the All-Star game three times and made the All-Defensive first team twice.This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Writer warns against Lakers taking a chance on Ben Simmons

US President Donald Trump was awarded the Fifa Peace Prize by Infantino in 2025 [Getty Images]US President Donald Trump says it would be a "terrible mistake" if under pressure Fifa president Gianni Infantino was ousted from his position.Trump's backing followed Uefa, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation issuing an open letter accusing Infantino of breaking trust "through deception" with his aborted Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal.FFE would have meant a new company being created to manage commercial and ticketing rights of all Fifa competitions, including World Cups, with 21% sold off to a private investment company.Trump's comments are the first time he has come out in defence of Infantino since the FFE plans came to light on 28 July."Fifa would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing president Gianni Infantino," Trump wrote on social media."He is fantastic, having just presided over the most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented. If he is gone, it will never be as successful or profitable again."The 2026 World Cup was co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico this summer, with Spain crowned champions after beating Argentina in the final.When addressing the FFE proposals for the first time on 31 July, Trump said he had not spoken to Infantino about the plans.Thrive Eternal was expected to lead the proposed investor group for FFE.Thrive is an American venture capital firm founded by Joshua Kushner - the brother of Trump's son-in-law Jared.More to follow.Infantino broke trust 'through deception' - confederation presidentsFollow your club with BBC SportListen to the latest Football Daily podcastGet football news sent straight to your phone

Breaking: Inter close in on €30 million deal for Tottenham star Djed SpenceSerie A side Inter are nearing an agreement with Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur for the transfer of Djed Spence. A report by La Gazzetta dello Sportreveals that Inter and Tottenham are close to reaching an understanding on transfer fees for Djed Spence. The total deal is expected to be around €30 million plus bonuses. Following the €20 million transfer of Denzel Dumfries to Real Madrid earlier this summer, Inter were left with the task of finding a reliable successor to the right-back role. The Nerazzurri had Spence and Al-Ittihad’s wide midfielder Moussa Diaby in their sights, but negotiations for the latter turned out to be a complicated affair since the Saudi Arabian side had already received a tempting offer from Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. Tottenham Pre-Season Return: Will Spence Be Ready for Inter Debut?The objective right now for Inter is to put pen to paper on the contract for Spence before the start of the season. However, it is unlikely that he will be fit to start the opener since he just returned to training at Spurs following the post-World Cup break. Like his England teammate, Inter’s new signing John Stones is also expected to miss the first match, and should Spence’s transfer go through successfully, both should be fit for the second one. Trambak Bhattacherjee | GIFN

MUNICH, GERMANY - JUNE 05: A general view outside the stadium during the England Training Camp at FC Bayern Campus on June 05, 2022 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images) | The FA via Getty Images FC Bayern Munich have announced they will host a Team Day on the FC Bayern Campus in Munich on August 17th. The senior men’s and women’s teams — both double winners from last season — will return from their Asian tours and have public trainings at the campus. There will also be interactive events that will feature teams made up of three groups — players, content creators, and fans — going up against each other.2000 tickets have been made available for the event, but if you cannot make it, the 12-hour event will be streamed for free on the teams Twitch and YouTube pages and moderated by the FC Bayern hosts, Lukas and Ersin. The streams will begin at noon local time (6:00 AM Eastern US). The stream will include the live trainings, some of the other events, and behind the scenes content from the event.The event will kickoff the week in which both senior teams will play their first competitive matches. The FC Bayern Frauen will begin their Frauen-Bundesliga season the following Friday in Berlin against 1. FC Union Berlin. The men will travel to Dortmund to face BVB in the Supercup that Saturday.

The top pound-for-pound fighter in the world, welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, puts his title on the line in the UFC 330 main event against No. 2 ranked contender Ian Machado Garry. It will be Makhachev's first title defense and heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall believes it will be one of his toughest tests to date. "I think this is going to be Islam' toughest fight that we've seen recently," Aspinall said on his YouTube channel. "I think stylistically, Ian Garry is a pretty bad matchup for him to be honest."He's long, rangy, moves really well. You don't often see him getting taken down and held there. Super tall, super like elusive, elite striking, judges the distance really well. He's young, he's fresh, he's not had, you know, loads of damage or anything like that. He's not got a lot of miles on the clock."While Garry may present unique challenges to the champion, Aspinall still predicted that Makhachev will retain his title at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia."But we're talking about Islam Makhachev, mate. In my opinion, pound for pound No. 1 in the argument at the minute for that. Once he gets ahold of you, you done. That head kick.""Again, we're talking about Islam Makhachev. He's getting a little bit older now, but he's still in his prime. He's definitely still in his prime. "I think it's tough fight. I do think it's a tough fight for both guys. But I can't think at any point that Islam is going to lose."