The Houston Rockets have had players donning a total of 52 different jersey numbers (and have one not part of any numerical series for Houston ***** istant coach and general manager Carroll Dawson) since their founding at the start of the 1967-68 season, worn by just under 500 players in the course of Rockets history.
To honor all of the players who wore those numbers over the decades, Rockets Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who wore them since the founding of the team all those years ago right up to the present day.
With seven of those jerseys now retired to honor some of the greatest Rockets of all time to wear those jerseys, there is a lot of history to cover.
And for today's article, we will continue with the fourth of 14 who wore the No. 25, wing Bernard Thompson. After ending his college career at Fresno State, Thompson was picked up with the 19th overall selection of the 1984 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Phoenix, Arizona native played the first season of his pro career with Portland. He also played for the Phoenix Suns before he was dealt to the Houston Rockets for the final season of his career in 1988 by way of the Charlotte Hornets expansion draft.

#numbers

The New York Giants wrapped up their fourth consecutive day of workouts at their 2026 training camp in West Virginia on Saturday afternoon.
How did it go?
"Great day," head coach John Harbaugh told reporters after practice. "Very pleased with the effort. We'll have a day off tomorrow. We'll be back at it on Monday, so that's our schedule. Happy with where we're at."
The Giants will take Sunday off and hit the ground again in full pads on Monday. Harbaugh said don't expect too many changes. His practices thus far have been described as "relentless" and fast-paced.
"It'll be a very similar practice. It'll just change the tempo of the period," Harbaugh said. "Without the pads, you're not wrapping. We're not going to be tackling to the ground on Monday. We'll be doing what we call wrap and release. We're trying to stop the ball carrier if we can on defense and get the pads behind us on offense, things like that. I'm sure inside will be a little more physical than it is out here without the shoulder pads. It just ramps up just a little bit. But other than that, everything will be exactly the same."

#we 'll

Former West Ham co-owner David Gold's daughter Vanessa has confirmed the family plan to sell their shares in the club to a consortium headed by ex-Newcastle co-owner Amanda Staveley.
BBC Sport previously reported Gold's family had been holding discussions with Staveley's consortium, which also includes her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi, over a 25% stake in the Championship club.
In a statement, Vanessa Gold said: "I have now reached an agreement to sell my family's shareholding to a consortium of PCP Capital Partners, led by Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi, in partnership with Ashland Forest Capital Partners.
"While the process has not yet concluded, I wanted to be open with our fans about where things stand and my intentions."
David Gold, who died in 2023, was joint chairman of the Hammers for 13 years in tandem with long-time business partner David Sullivan.

#david #capital

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA – Yeah, Casey Mize was saying on Friday, July 31 – it's a weird place to be. In limbo. Uncertain for whom he will take the mound next.
Could be for the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday in Seattle. Or it could be for any number of contenders who could use a former All-Star pitcher having a career season.
Mize, the No. 1 overall pick in 2018, is set to be a free agent come this winter, meaning there's a chance he could be on the move at the MLB trade deadline, set for 6 p.m. ET Monday. His numbers – 85 strikeouts, 19 walks, 2.70 ERA over 86 innings in 16 starts – would translate well to a team trying to get to the postseason, a description of the Tigers themselves not so long ago.
THE NEXT GENERATION: Kevin McGonigle reunited with Max Clark: 'Good to feed off each other'
As in, the past week in Detroit, before the Tigers went 3-4 against American League also-rans Kansas City and Baltimore. It's hardly coincidence that the Tigers fell flat during their most recent homestand and suddenly Mize was scratched from his scheduled start here at Sutter Health Park against the Athletics.

#detroit

Heat Central: Pat Riley admits he has given up full control over almost everything in the Heat organization: "I love the people I work with, they've been with me 30 years… All the department heads, I've given up control. Which was the hardest thing for me to do. To give up control over almost everything and every decision, everything… I don't say give up the power because I don't think I ever had it. I was given a **** le by Micky as the head coach and president" (Via LeBatardShow)
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Pat Riley admits he has given up full control over …

#riley

When Dakota Ditcheva makes her PFL return against Denise Kielholtz in New York City on Friday night, she will do so with a very different mindset.
It has been a year like no other for Ditcheva, who has been sidelined by injury since breaking her left hand against Sumiko Inaba in July 2025.
The British-Bulgarian, unbeaten in her 15-fight professional career, was scheduled to return against Keilholtz in February, but the fight was postponed after she suffered another significant injury, this time to her right hand.
For Ditcheva, who won the PFL flyweight tournament and $1m (£740,000) in 2024, her time away has underlined the importance of building a successful career outside the cage.
"It has been tough, and I have been really lucky that I am building things outside of the sport where I have other things I can do and keep busy," Ditcheva told BBC Sport.

#return

The Cleveland Browns are back, with the official start of training camp on Wednesday as the team prepares for their first preseason game in a couple of weeks. The first day saw Grant Delpit sign a three-year extension with the team, as well as veteran pass rusher and former Brown Jadeveon Clowney visiting with the team, though they didn't agree to any deal yet.
The Browns announced ahead of Thursday's practice that the team's top two groundskeepers would be retiring before the start of this season. Chris Powell, the team's Head Groundskeeper, has been with the team for 29 seasons, including the last 27 seasons in his position as head groundskeeper.
Scott Springer, the team's Grounds Supervisor, is also retiring after spending 27 seasons working closely with Chris Powell, maintaining both practice fields and the stadium. Chris Powell released this statement after the announcement.
"For me, 27 seasons with the new Browns, to be able to do what we do and still want to come in and enjoy the company, enjoy the task at hand — it's one of these things where we don't want anything to pop up, but it's the challenge that keeps us going. We're not just going out and mowing the grass every day. We approach anything that's not correct and take it as a challenge."
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns top two groundskeepers retiring ahead of 2026 NFL season

#Browns #powell #groundskeeper #start

We would like to highlight the top performances from high school multi-sport female athletes on the SouthCoast from the 2025-26 school year.
For the Fan Choice SouthCoast Female Athlete of the Year, we've narrowed the list down to eight choices.
Now, we'd like you to vote for the person you think should be crowned the SouthCoast Female Athlete of the Year. Your vote will be part of the formula we use to select the winner. Our staff will also weigh in, and we'll wind up with an overall winner.
(Editor's Note: Voting will end at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7.)
Candidates are listed in alphabetical order by school.

#southcoast #athlete #like #vote

I recently released my first batch of my favorite NFL win totals to bet for the 2026-27 season. A derivative futures market off of that one is whether or not a team will make the postseason, which is what I'll explore in this article.
I like trying to find some longer shots in these markets, where our preseason priors might end up being far off and the returns from our wagers can loom larger. I found three teams with some asymmetry worth exploiting.
Here are a few NFL playoff make/miss wagers that I like right now:
The Rams have the shortest odds to win the Super Bowl, and yet I am interested in their market to miss the playoffs entirely. So, what gives?
Among NFL teams, Los Angeles is one where injury risk looms the largest. A 37-year old Matthew Stafford came into last season with serious concerns about his back injuries, sitting out most of training camp and all of preseason, while getting multiple pain injections into his spine. While Stafford went on to nullify those concerns — playing in all 17 games and winning MVP — it doesn't change the fact that he's now a year older and still has a heightened injury possibility compared to other QBs. If Stafford got hurt, the Rams would have to rely on rookie first-round pick QB Ty Simpson.

#wagers

Shane Bieber melted down, which cost the Jays a chance to win but probably more importantly derailed a string of solid starts that had hopefully been pushing his trade value back up. Also, Vladimir Guerrero jr. left the game before the bottom of the fourth after legging out an infield single and throwing error in the third. It was later reported to be a right hamstring injury. So a good day all around.
We got a fun moment before the game as Louis Varland and his brother Gus, recently recalled from AAA by the Nationals, got to do the lineup card exchange.
There was an hour long rain delay before we could get going tonight. Cade Cavalli didn't look bothered, but it looked like the delay really threw Shane Bieber. He couldn't get any of his pitches across, missing badly all over the plate. After the Jays were retired in the first with just a Nathan Lukes single erased by a Vladimir Guerrero jr. double play ball, Bieber walked two the first three Washington hitters. Then CJ Abrams reached on an infield ground ball when Bieber couldn't find the bag while recieving Luis Urias' toss, loading the bases with just one out. Walks to Keibert Ruiz and Daylen Lile forced in a pair of runs. A Nasim Nunez sac fly plated Abrams to make it 3-0. Then another walk, to Jorbit Vivas, re-loaded the bases, and a sixth, to Jacob Young, pushed yet another run across. That was enough for the Jays, who called for Brendon Little. He got a ground out to finally end the inning.
The Jays had a chance in the second, with George Springer walking and Ernie Clement lining a single, but they failed to capitalize. Little returned for the bottom half and struck out the side.
Toronto got on board in the third. Yohendrick Pinango walked with one out, but was traded for Lukes on a fielder's choice. The speed upgrade mattered, as Vlad hit a slow roller to third and Vivas's throw to first went wide, allowing Lukes to come all the way around to score, cutting the deficit to 4-1. Little kept dealing, getting a ground out and a strikeout among the first two batters. Nunez reached when Ernie Clement bobbled a soft chopper to third, but Brandon Valenzuela gunned him down stealing second with a beautiful throw.

#lukes

FIFA said Tuesday it plans to sell a stake in the business operations of the World Cup and its other competitions through the creation of a semi-private subsidiary.
World football's governing body said it would retain a majority share in FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) but hoped to raise $4.2 billion later this year by "carefully selecting long-term investors who will purchase minority, non-controlling interests".
FIFA's statement was a rapid response to a story in British newspaper The Times based on leaks of the plan from two sources.
The Times reported that FIFA president Gianni Infantino, 56, stood to profit from the scheme by becoming commissioner of the FFE after his expected next term expires in 2031.
The article also said discussion had started with potential investors.

#forward #enterprise

What's clear in Cleveland: Even after the signing of Mario Hezonja, sources with knowledge of the Cavaliers' thinking insisted Monday that they continue to maintain ****** inga interest. The problem: Cleveland's lack of available salary-cap ****** e means it would require a sign-and-trade to add ****** inga. And sources say that the Cavaliers, because they are already hard-capped at the first apron, have found it challenging to ****** emble a trade construction that Atlanta would find suitable.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Even after the signing of Mario Hezonja, sources with …

#trade

NBA insider Shams Charania recently revealed details of the package that was offered from Golden State to Milwaukee for Giannis Antetokounmpo before he landed with the Miami Heat. According to Charania, the Warriors offered four first-round picks to land Antetokounmpo, an offer that was ultimately rebuffed by the Bucks.
Charania also revealed that Golden State was in talks to land Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics but wasn't comfortable giving up the same amount of draft capital that they offered for Giannis.
All in all, both Brown and Antetokounmpo wound up with other contenders, leaving the Warriors searching for another true star to pair with Stephen Curry.
This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: NBA insider reveals Warriors discussed Jaylen Brown trade with Celtics

#offered #giannis

Peter Schrager's 2 p.m. show seems to be sports media's worst-kept secret at this point.
OutKick's Bobby Burack reported that ESPN is expected to announce a new 2 p.m. show hosted by Schrager in the coming week(s). The show itself has been the expected outcome of ESPN's afternoon lineup shuffle since at least May, when The Athletic's Andrew Marchand reported that a program built around Schrager was the leading candidate to replace the 2 p.m. edition of SportsCenter.
Schrager's name has been tied to ESPN's afternoon shakeup since almost the moment Around the Horn was canceled. When CNBC's Alex Sherman first reported that ESPN was considering replacing the 2 p.m. SportsCenter, he described the concept as an "all-sports" show rather than another NFL-only hour, and Marchand reported last spring that Schrager doing a show at 2 or 5 p.m. was "pretty likely," floating the idea that he could be "a central figure in some sort of ensemble" rather than a solo act.
Schrager joined ESPN from NFL Network and Fox Sports last April after nearly a decade as one of the faces of Good Morning Football, and quickly became a fixture across Get Up, First Take, NFL Live, and The Pat McAfee Show. He stole the show at McAfee's NFL Draft Spectacular that spring, launched The Schrager Hour podcast with Omaha Productions in the fall, and stepped in as a guest host for Mike Greenberg on Get Up, a run that gave ESPN executives confidence he could anchor an hour of his own, per Marchand's reporting. He's also been candid about missing the three-hour daily runway he had at Good Morning Football, where he could spend eight minutes on whatever topic interested him that day. A solo show would hand him something close to that format again.
The 5 p.m. hour, by contrast, looks like it's staying put. That slot has also been filled by SportsCenter since Around the Horn's cancellation, and while Scott Van Pelt was floated for months as a candidate to take it over, he confirmed on his own podcast in April that he's staying in his late-night role rather than moving. ESPN executive Burke Magnus had pushed hard for a reunion between Van Pelt and Ryen Russillo to anchor the new hour, telling Andrew Marchand it was "a bit of a selfish concept by me" given how big a fan he'd been of their old radio pairing, but Russillo's own schedule — and later move to Barstool — made the setup unlikely. Without a concept he could actually build around, Van Pelt opted to stay with the format that's already earned his SportsCenter 10 Emmy nominations and regularly lands him timely interviews with players and coaches in the immediate aftermath of major games, interviews that simply wouldn't be available to a show airing at 5 p.m. instead of after primetime.

#show #sportscenter #marchand #sports

Chris Sale tied a season-high with 11 strikeouts and earned his 11th win of the season in the Atlanta Braves' 6-5 win over the San Diego Padres on Thursday.
Sale tallied three strikeouts in the first inning, but the Padres tagged him for a 3-0 lead in the second.
Gavin Sheets and Freddy Fermin led off the frame with consecutive singles. Fermin hit a weak pop-up to left field, but outfielder Mauricio Dubón lost the ball in the sun and allowed it to drop.
Sale then hit Jake Cronenworth with one out to load the bases and Fernando Tatis Jr. drew a walk to bring in San Diego's first run. Fermin and Cronenworth scored on a Luis Rengifo single.
Atlanta began chipping away at the Padres' lead as Griffin Canning took over for Padres opener Kyle Hart in the second inning. Michael Harris II led off the frame with a solo home run, cutting the deficit to 3-1. Sale then allowed no hits or runs in the third and fourth frames.

#season

Tyson Fury will return to the ring on Friday, boxing in a warm-up bout for his long-awaited fight against Anthony Joshua.
In Thailand, where Fury has been training throughout the past year, the British heavyweight will face ex-world-title challenger Mariusz Wach, one day before Joshua fights Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia.
Should Fury and his “AJ” win these contests, they will finally clash towards the end of this year, with a November showdown at Wembley Stadium possible – if the fight begins in the early hours of the morning, apparently.
Some might say that Fury, 37, has already had a warm-up for his planned fight with Joshua; in April, Fury ended his fifth retirement and outpointed Arslanbek Makhmudov in Tottenham. But the former world heavyweight champion wants to go again, facing Wach in a fight whose proceeds will go to charity, according to Fury.
The big question, however, is if fans can watch the fight at all... Here’s all you need to know:

#year #heavyweight #World

With the college football season approaching, there are still plenty of off-field storylines. The 2026-27 school year will be the second of the rev-share era and the Protect College Sports Act is still on track for the Senate floor after a markup and committee vote.
All the while, coaches have been vocal about the need for consequences if programs violate the rules. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian is among them, and he shared his ****** sment of the current landscape, particularly with regard to tampering.
[ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ]
Sarkisian is hopeful the NCAA will be able to have stronger rules enforcement, alluding to the Protect College Sports Act and federal ****** istance for the landscape. He knows the realities about tampering in college football, but said there needs to be repercussions if rules are broken.
“I don’t want to be worried about my fourth wide receiver getting talked to by another school’s coach in pregame warmups,” Sarkisian said on The Stampede. “‘Hey, come transfer here at the end of the season. You’re not playing there anyway.’ Those are the things, like, if you do those things, there’s got to be consequences for breaking rules. And right now, we can’t govern our own rules, and that’s the most frustrating part of where we’re at in college football society right now. We can’t enforce our own laws. We can’t enforce our own rules. There’s no consequences right now.

#consequences

Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Isaiah Adams faces four gun charges in Canada but still intends to report to training camp Wednesday, according to ESPN.
Adams, who was born in Canada, turned himself in to Durham Regional Police in Toronto on Sunday. He faces charges of "possessing a weapon by crime, possessing a restricted or prohibited firearm without a license, possessing a loaded firearm and possessing a prohibited device," per ESPN.
The 25-year-old Adams was arrested in connection with a Guns and Gangs investigation that resulted in four arrests. Adams and his sister, 27-year-old Allyson Adams, were arrested on the same four gun charges.
Two other individuals — Jaelin Gamble and Natasha Rotta — were arrested on charges of fentanyl possession and trafficking.
Adams reportedly already returned to Arizona following the arrest, per ESPN.

#adams #charges #canada #faces

ESPN parted ways with Ryan Clark on Monday in an awkward on-air dismissal during "NFL Live." On Tuesday, more layoffs swept through Bristol, and former NFL MVP Cam Newton was among those let go.
The move sparked an immediate pile-on from the NFL community on X, with fans and media personalities believing that firing Newton was the right decision, and some even brought up his viral comments on Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman from the 2025 season.
Newton wasn't the only recognizable face to get fired on Tuesday. NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, longtime **** yst Charles Davis, NFL **** yst Bart Scott, SportsCenter anchor David Lloyd, injury and fantasy expert Stephania Bell, and MLB play-by-play announcer Karl Ravech were all let go as part of the cuts.
Before his dismissal, Newton had served as Stephen A. Smith's primary Monday co-host on "First Take" during the football season, replacing Shannon Sharpe in that role last year.
With both Newton and Clark gone, Smith now enters the 2026 football season without either of his primary debate partners on the show's highest-rated day of the week. ESPN has said it will look for a permanent replacement for Newton on Mondays, though no candidates have been named.

#analyst

For a man who led France with such distinction, it was not a Bastille Day to savour. Didier Deschamps led his country for longer than Charles de Gaulle, albeit in rather different roles and with a less bombastic style. But he is football's most decorated Frenchman on the global stage. On a day seemingly designed for the French, however, his World Cup in effect ended. Spain outclassed France in Dallas.
After 14 years, after this 14 July, his reign only has a third-place play-off to come. There will be no third World Cup for Deschamps as player or manager, no third consecutive final in the dugout. He can retire the dark suit and white shirt he wore even in the 100-degree heat of Philadelphia. He can still figure in the conversations for the best World Cup manager of all, but victory in New York on Sunday could have rendered him the nonpareil.
"It was not important on a personal level if I leave in a semi-final or final," said Deschamps. In a sense, there was no false modesty; Deschamps has not made it about him, always designing his team around his players, not vice-versa. Yet when he reached the end, it was to a side built around a philosophy, a style of play, an identity. In a sense, Deschamps has seemed the ultimate international manager: because international football can be based around building an environment that players enjoy and decided by moments. Kylian Mbappe can be the best moments player in the world, France the best moments team: but there were no moments against Spain, who suffocated the French forwards and passed with intelligence. They were less reliant on the spectacular.
Until they reached Texas, Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise had obliged; against Senegal, Iraq, Norway and Sweden, and then in a six-minute burst against Morocco. It illustrated that France possessed attacking talent of the highest quality in greater depth than anyone else. Olise was outstanding in the first four games, when France scored 13 goals; less so in the last three, when they got three. Dembele, after his 2022 World Cup ended so ignominiously, proved there were second acts in Deschamps' France, with five goals. Mbappe delivered in every match, except against Spain, before pointing the finger elsewhere in the aftermath of this comprehensive loss.
For much of his tenure, Deschamps was deemed a dullard; maybe unfairly, given his sides have scored four and three in World Cup finals. At the last, and even as France barely threatened the Spain goal, he may have perished by being too adventurous. The tournament began with an underlying question if he should bring in a third midfielder, sacrificing whichever of Desire Doue or Bradley Barcola started for more solidity, and with the ***** umption he would do it at the business end of the competition. If ever there was a time to do it, it was against Spain's pass masters. But Deschamps stuck with 4-2-3-1 and, too often, Spain manoeuvred their way around France in midfield. Deschamps' difficulties were

The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2026, honoring three legendary players and three iconic coaches whose collegiate careers represent the highest levels of achievement in the history of the game.
The inductees include coaches Jay Wright, Orlando “Tubby” Smith and Ted Owens, alongside players Danny Ainge, Glen Rice and the late Walt Hazzard.
“The Class of 2026 represents the very best of college basketball—individuals whose performance, leadership and impact helped shape the game at the highest level,” NACB Hall of Fame CEO Kevin Henderson said. “Their legacies will forever be preserved as part of the sport’s rich history.”
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Over his more than 30-year career, Smith led seven Division I programs, including Tulsa, the University of Georgia, Kentucky, Minnesota, Texas Tech, Memphis and High Point. Smith’s career included leading Kentucky to the 1998 national championship during his first season with the Wildcats.

The 2026 MLB Draft provided another reminder that Clemson continues to send talent to the professional ranks.
Five Tigers were selected over the course of the draft, with Aidan Knaak leading the group after the Milwaukee Brewers made him a fifth-round pick. Justin LeGuernic followed in the sixth round when the Kansas City Royals called his name, while Jacob Jarrell was taken by the Atlanta Braves in the eighth. Ariston Veasey and Drew ***** worth rounded out Clemson’s draft class as 11th-round selections by the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies.
Jarrell leaves Clemson with one of the more accomplished offensive careers among the group’s draftees. The catcher appeared in four seasons for the Tigers and steadily developed into one of the team’s most dependable bats. He finished his college career hitting .260 with a .375 on-base percentage and a .519 slugging percentage. He also totaled 44 home runs, 22 doubles, 133 RBIs, 123 runs scored, and an .895 OPS before earning his opportunity with the Braves.
Knaak’s college career featured stretches where he looked like one of the ACC’s better starters. He burst onto the scene as a freshman, recording a 3.35 ERA with 108 strikeouts and a 1.152 WHIP. He followed that with another 110-strikeout season as a sophomore while lowering his WHIP to 1.107, although his ERA climbed to 4.18. His junior campaign was a different story, as he finished with a 5.81 ERA, 88 strikeouts, and a 1.64 WHIP. Milwaukee is hoping the right-hander can rediscover the consistency he showed earlier in his Clemson career.
LeGuernic also spent three seasons in Clemson’s pitching staff before becoming a sixth-round selection. He closed his college career with a 6.40 ERA, 93 strikeouts, and a 1.674 WHIP, giving the Royals a pitcher they believe can continue to develop in their farm system.

Happy Monday, Spurs fans! Want another poll? 'Course ya do. This time we're going in a slightly different direction.
One of the unexpected effects of this year's expanded tournament has been a series of delightful encounters with various international fan bases, and how they've formed connections with the host nations, and cheekily ingratiated themselves into American, Mexican, and Canadian culture.
Who can forget Scotland's Tartan Army literally drinking Boston out of beer before taking over a Red Sox baseball game, and plopping traffic cones on the heads of all the statues? Or Netherlands fans swamping the roads in a sea of orange as they Hup-Hup-Hupped around? There's the Congo's sheer enthusiasm (along with the Statue Guy imitating a beloved former political icon), Norway's Scandinavian rowing thing (except for, y'know, that one guy who held on principle and historical accuracy), and Mexico's bromance with visiting ***** anese fans? Or any fanbase discovering the joys of American food, especially Waffle House?
God, there were so many. So let's take a quick poll — which World Cup fanbase has been the most fun during this summer's tournament? And of course, since you're naturally going to yell at me for not including England, let me just pre-empt you with this graphic, which I've posted in the comments of the last two polls and is still appropriate here.

Harvey Elliott is back at Liverpool and, frankly, he needs this summer. Last season drifted into a mess, his loan at Aston Villa became tangled in contract terms, and football took a back seat. That happens. What matters now is whether he can force his way back into the picture under Andoni Iraola.
The new Liverpool head coach sounds open to it. More than open, actually. He sees intent, energy and a player who knows this is a big moment. Iraola said: “Definitely! Harvey is here with us, I have seen him with the eagerness to show up, get super ready, he’ll have a chance in pre-season, we’ll need him and it’s a good sign.”
That is clear enough. No waffle, no hedging. Elliott will get an opportunity in Liverpool pre-season, and after a campaign where he barely got rhythm, that is exactly what he requires.
The Aston Villa spell told its own story. An obligation-to-buy clause was triggered at 10 league appearances, he made nine, and then largely disappeared from view. By the end, it looked more like bookkeeping than squad management. For a 23-year-old trying to build momentum, that is damaging.
Iraola acknowledged as much, saying: “I hope we can see him in a good place. I think Harvey comes from last season had to be difficult for him, strange situation, they couldn’t even play him and I think he uses this experience – the bad situation – to make himself even more eager to be a Liverpool player.”

It's been a good while since we've done an edition of the PhHN Daily, so I figured we'd give one a go!
Last week, the Philadelphia Flyers and Anaheim Ducks kept us waiting in anticipation as the Leo Carlsson Saga came to an end. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, it did not result in them landing their 1C. But there is still plenty of aftermath to look at!
Around the league, one superstar goalie could be as good as gone. Two defensemen are set to reset the market for defensemen in the NHL. There are still lingering questions for all 32 NHL teams. One NHL Insider takes a look at those questions.
In the National Hockey Now network, we look at one of the biggest "What Ifs" from last season, and how a different result could have changed the offseason. We also look at one team that most definitely got better this offseason, but will still miss their departing players.
Get it all on the 7/12 PhHN Daily.

Julian Alvarez's unstoppable 113th-minute strike sends Argentina through to the 2026 World Cup semi-final at Switzerland's expense. The holders were far from their best in all three knockout stage fixtures so far, but they continued fighting until the end to join a star-studded semi-final lineup.
The three-time winners looked in total control in a cagey first-half as Alexis Mac Allister put them in front in the tenth minute. Lionel Messi produced his tenth World Cup ***** ist with a corner-kick delivery.
Murat Yakin's Switzerland massively improved after the break, and they scored the equalizer with Dan Ndoye slotting it home after a perfect one-two with former Wolfsburg defender Ricardo Rodríguez. However, they were reduced to ten when Breel Embolo saw a second yellow card for a dive following a VAR intervention.
Gregor Kobel faced several shots with Argentina dominating the game after the red card. Borussia Dortmund’s shot-stopper and his defense managed to keep the holder until the final ten minutes of extra-time. Following Alvarez's stunning goal, Lautaro Martinez added a third to seal the victory.
Despite stopping Messi from scoring in ten successive World Cup games, Alvarez, who is pushing for a mega summer transfer, ended Switzerland's dream of reaching a first-ever semi-final. Five Bundesliga players featured in Switzerland's first quarter-final since 1938, while seven more had previous stints in Germany's top-flight league.

Betfred Super League
Catalans Dragons (0) 6
Try: Tison Goal: **** ton
Leeds Rhinos (16) 28
Tries: Newman, Croft 3, Miller Goals: Connor 4

Teofimo Lopez returns in a world **** le opportunity against Rolly Romero on August 22, and with the fighters having a personal relationship with one another over the years, Teofimo Lopez Sr gets asked about what it's like that they'll now be heading into combat with a family friend. Teofimo Sr, however was more preoccupied with other ideas.
"There was a time where Rolly said he would never fight us but, you know, **** ody wants to fight Rolly so we stepped in for a world **** le after a loss, a bad loss that my son wasn't even that fight. It was a horrible fight, it was more mental, and it had a lot to do with the way they don't give my son credit for all the things that he has done. Not putting him in the P4P list, that you could say he was two-time undisputed…
"That hurts a boxer, mentally. My son is like that, he takes that personal. And he just gave the fight to Shakur. He didn't even slip, he didn't do the things he does in boxing. You heard me, man. I was going crazy, I couldn't believe what he was doing. He was fighting him to the right the whole night, stepping out and getting hit with that jab all night, and that's not my son. That was a gift.
"But this is not a race, man. This is a marathon and let's see what happens five years from now. Let's see who's up top.
"It's good for Shakur, but at least we know how to lose. I feel bad for Shakur when he loses, and he's a boring fighter, **** ody going to see him, and we're going to the top. Let's see who's up on top five years from now. We're going for a real **** le right now, we're fighting the champion. We're not fighting for a vacant belt like Shakur does. He got two vacant belts.

The final two places in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals are up for grabs on Saturday as England face Norway before defending champions Argentina take on Switzerland.
France and Spain have already booked their places in the last four, leaving four teams battling to complete the semifinal lineup. England and Argentina head into their quarterfinals as favourites according to the Opta supercomputer, but both Norway and Switzerland will look to pull off another upset.
Here's everything you need to know.
Norway vs England on Saturday, July 11, at 5pm (21:00 GMT) – Miami Stadium, US
Argentina vs Switzerland on Saturday, July 11, at 8pm (01:00 GMT on Sunday) – Kansas City Stadium, US

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Lucas Glover shot a 6-under 64 in wet conditions Friday to take a two-stroke lead into the weekend in the ISCO Championship.
Played opposite the Scottish Open, the event is sanctioned by the PGA Tour and the European tour. The winner will get into the PGA Championship but not the Masters next year.
The 46-year-old Glover had a 13-under 127 total at Hurstbourne Country Club, playing through rain in the morning Friday.
"It was a little bit nasty this morning when we started, had some rain through the first few holes," Glover said. "Played nice, solid, no bogeys through two days. Need to keep that up. Scores are going to be low, so keep the pedal down."
Chan Kim (65) and Steven Fisk (66) were tied for second. Aaron Wise (65) and Jeong Weon Ko (65) were another stroke back at 10 under. Defending champion William Mouw was 9 under after a 63.