At the press conference in Chicago, Liverpool FC head coach Andoni Iraola offered up an update on the status of defender Joe Gomez after he limped off against Sunderland in Nashville last Saturday.
Joe has a muscle injury. I think it was quite clear since he complained straight away, so it will depend how he evolves, but he will be some weeks off."
"It's a muscle injury and [with] muscle injuries it is difficult to say one day, but normally I always put myself as one month.
"If it goes very good the injury is a little bit less, if [not] it goes a little more. It's not massive, it's a normal muscle injury, [but] I think it's going to be impossible to have him for the start of the season because we are not so far [away]. It shouldn't be a lot more."
As for how Liverpool plan to cope without Joe's services for the rest of preseason, Iraola said:

#injury

Eddie Howe leaves Newcastle United
Howe leaves after five years in the job
The 48-year-old had agreed to continue in the role in May
Howe led Newcastle to Champions League qualification in 2023 and 2025, and Carabao Cup success last year
Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon have departed Newcastle this summer

#eddie #champions

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below.
Sugar Land got on the board in the third inning putting up 4 runs on a Whitcomb grand slam. In the 4th, the offense would add 5 more runs on a Biggio 2 run single, Ferreras sac fly and Loperfido 2 run home run. Hendrickson got the start and pitched well allowing 2 runs over 5.2 innings with 7 strikeouts. The bullpen was solid tossing 3.1 scoreless innings as they closed out the 9-2 win.
Note: Loperfido is hitting .284 in Triple-A.
Cavan Biggio, RF: 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB
Pascanel Ferreras, SS: 0-for-2, R, RBI

#runs #land

The Oregon Ducks men's basketball program has gone through a litany of changes this offseason, with eight incoming transfers replacing eight outgoing transfers. The coaching staff has also experienced its fair share of changes, as long-time Dana Altman ***** istant coach Mike Mennenga departed for Creighton and Brandon Kuhn was hired as the new strength and conditioning coach.
The latest change comes from ***** istant coach Kevin McKenna, who has decided to retire. McKenna has worked on the player development side for the past few seasons, helping develop a trio of Jackson Shelstad, Nate Bittle and Kwame Evans Jr. into All-Big Ten caliber players. He spent 16 seasons at Oregon.
McKenna's basketball career spans back a number of decades, as he was a standout player at Creighton before being selected 88th overall in the fourth round by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1981 NBA Draft. He spent six seasons in the league with eight different teams before heading into coaching after his playing days concluded.
Thank you, Coach McKenna, for helping lead Oregon to new heights during your 16 seasons on the bench.

Enjoy retirement, K-Mac! #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/Ms0Zkv9PSW
The Minnesota native coached under Altman at Creighton, and held head coaching jobs at Nebraska-Omaha and Indiana State before being hired in 2010 to be an ***** istant coach with the Ducks.

#creighton

The Philadelphia Eagles are backing up the Brinks truck for defensive tackle Jalen Carter with a historic contract extension.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Eagles are signing Carter to a four-year, $152 million contract extension that is worth up to $160 million and includes $106 million guaranteed.
With the deal, Davis is now the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history.
"Eagles are signing two-time Pro-Bowl selection Jalen Carter to a four-year, $152 million extension worth up to $160 million, including $106 million guaranteed that now makes him the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history," Schefter reported.
MORE: Justin Herbert, Madison Beer share engagement photos before 2026 season

#contract

Although a writer from The Athletic recently reported that Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors "may no longer be on the same page," another NBA insider sees things differently.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, he "fully expects" there to be contract extension negotiations between Curry and the Warriors this summer. Charania also noted, "They (Golden State) are going to give him one (contract extension) if he wants one."
Curry is eligible to add one or two seasons on to his current deal. That said, if Curry doesn't extend with the team this summer, his relationship with the front office will be worth monitoring, especially if the team isn't able to improve on a 37-45 record that saw them finish 10th in the Western Conference.
This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: NBA insider reveals his expectations for Stephen Curry contract extension

#contract #stephen #state #insider

The LeBron James free agency frenzy finally concluded on Friday.
The 41-year-old future Hall-of-Famer announced on social media that he is signing with the Philadelphia 76ers, where he'll join former MVP Joel Embiid and perennial All-Stars Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown, who the team acquired from the Celtics earlier this month.
That forms a pretty strong core in the City of Brotherly Love, and former NBA star Vince Carter — a Hall of Famer in his own right — doesn't think the league is ready for it.
"That's cheating," Carter said of Philadelphia adding James on "Cousins with Vince Carter & Tracy McGrady. "That's cheating if he goes there, because he doesn't have to do much to still be him. Now, your fifth starter has to guard (one of the 76ers' other stars)."
Despite his age, James remains a productive player. In 60 regular-season appearances last season, he averaged 33.2 minutes along with 20.9 points, 7.2 ******* ists and 6.1 rebounds. Now, with a strong supporting cast around him, Carter is putting the league on notice.

#hall #former

Georgia Bulldogs running back Dante Dowdell was hospitalized after he was in an ATV accident this offseason. Dowdell's recovery is expected to take a significant period of time after he suffered "some serious injuries" in the accident.
Dowdell had a promising spring and was expected to be one of Georgia's top running backs this fall. Dowdell started his college football career at Oregon, transferred to Nebraska and then transferred to Kentucky. Last season, he posted 560 rushing yards and three touchdowns. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound running back was expected to take over Josh McCray's role at a minimum.
With Dowdell's status in doubt, let's take a look at the rest of Georgia's running back room. The Bulldogs return starting running back Nate Frazier along with Chauncey Bowens, who logged a few starts in 2025. Behind those two, Dwight Phillips and Bo Walker should see more action if Dowdell misses extended time.
Nate Frazier
Chauncey Bowens

#dowdell #expected #nate #frazier

Entering a season in which they are favored to win the Super Bowl, the Rams have added uniforms that pay homage to past glory.
On Thursday night, during a fan event at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, the Rams unveiled two alternate ensembles that commemorate their 1951 NFL championship team and their storied defensive front of the 1960s and '70s.
The "Classic Sol" uniform features a yellow jersey that honors the 75th anniversary of the Rams' ****** le. The "Fearsome White" uniform harks to the storied Fearsome Foursome defensive line that featured Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, Lamar Lundy and Rosey Grier.
Kathryn Kai-ling Frederick, the Rams' chief marketing officer, said the uniforms have been in the works for two years and were "heavily requested" by fans.
SoFi Stadium will be the site of Super Bowl LXI, and the Rams made several blockbuster offseason moves to increase their chances of playing in it.

#uniform

HSV continue their recruitment for the new season with the imminent transfer of French-Moroccan midfielder Bilal Nadir. The 22-year-old was a free agent following his refusal to extend his contract at Olympique de Marseille.
According to several outlets, including Kicker and Bild, the midfielder successfully passed his medical check on Thursday. His contract at the traditional club is expected to run until 2030 as he will join HSV's training on Friday.
The Nice-born central midfielder has played 40 Ligue 1 games since joining Marseille from OGC Nice in 2021. Hamburg are still hoping to find a breakthrough in their negotiations with ******* nal for the signing of Fabio Vieira.

#french #olympique

After some unexpected delays, FC Barcelona have finally officially announced the signing of German forward Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund.
The 24-year-old attacker has signed a five-year contract with the Blaugrana until the summer of 2031.
“FC Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund have reached an agreement for the transfer of forward Karim Adeyemi, who has signed a contract with the Catalans until 2031,” the official statement read.
A deal for Adeyemi was secured more than a week ago, with Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund reaching an agreement over a transfer worth €22 million plus another €7 million in add-ons.
As part of the agreement, the Bundesliga giants also retain a future sell-on percentage, with some reporting it to be 20% while some other media outlets have put it to be 35%.

#adeyemi #agreement #karim #signed

FORT DODGE — Grand View Christian made history on July 22, becoming the first team to battle back from an opening-round loss in the Iowa high school state softball tournament to reach the championship game.
The Thunder did it with two comeback wins over Iowa City Regina on July 22.
GVC rallied from two deficits to take down the Regals to open the day by an 11-8 score and then came back from a 2-0 deficit in a winner-take-all game to claim a 4-2 victory. The two wins pushed GVC (30-4) to a spot in Thursday's state ***** le game in its first-ever trip to the state tournament.
The top-seeded Thunder took full advantage of the first year of the double-elimination format.
A 4-3 upset loss to No. 8 seed Cardinal in the opening round of the tournament would have ended their season in every previous year of the tournament. But thanks to the new format, they were able to rally their way back to the championship game after defeating Hinton (7-4) and winning a rematch with Cardinal (11-3) before sweeping Regina.

#tournament #back #iowa #cardinal

There's no bad blood between the worldwide leader and the Carolina Panthers' all-time leading passer.
On Tuesday, news broke that franchise legend Cam Newton was let go from his role as a panelist on ESPN's hit show First Take. The former quarterback, who spent two years at the debate desk, took to his own desk over on the set of 4th & 1 with Cam Newton to speak on the parting of ways.
"You can't make me hate ESPN," Newton stated on Wednesday's episode of his YouTube show. "What I learned, it was an internship, almost.
"The production value—they're the leading sports source for a reason. They have the leading talent not only in front of the camera, but behind the scenes . . . that make sure whether it's a live show or whether it's in studio, that they are always on the cutting edge of topics and information and also how it's rolled out. So, when the news came about, yes, I felt like anybody else would."
He continued.

#tuesday #first

What does Cleveland Cavaliers guard Meleek Thomas have in common with Cameron Boozer (Memphis Grizzlies), Brayden Burries (Milwaukee Bucks), Yaxel Lendeborg (Golden State Warriors) and Caleb Wilson (Chicago Bulls)?
It's not draft status. Their respective teams selected those players in the first round of the recent NBA draft. Thomas? He dropped into the second.

#draft #cleveland #grizzlies

After a competitive 2026 Texas high school softball season across the Big Country and beyond, the Texas Sportswriters ******* ociation has released its 2026 all-state softball selections for Class 1A-6A.
In total, 30 high school softball players representing 10 Big Country-area schools received TSWA Class 1A-4A first team, second team, third team or honorable mention all-state softball honors.
Coahoma senior center fielder Addi Hart (Class 3A), Cross Plains freshman pitcher Kenzie McLean (Class 1A) and Hermleigh freshman third baseman Kooper Hiracheta (Class 1A) were all named TSWA First Team All-State Softball selections.
Hart helped lead the Bulldogettes to the 3A DII UIL State Championship game, batting .622 with 70 runs scored, 46 RBIs, 10 home runs, 16 doubles, two triples, 31 stolen bases and a 1.882 OPS.
McLean burst onto the Big Country's high softball scene by leading the Lady Buffs to the state semifinals of the Class 1A UIL Softball Playoffs, hitting .539 at the plate with 34 RBIs, 31 runs scored, 17 doubles, four home runs and six stolen bases

Miguel Vargas is 3rd player to make special White Sox All-Star Game history originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It's been a special season for Miguel Vargas.
It got even more wonderful on Tuesday night at the 2026 MLB All-Star Game.
The Chicago White Sox slugger launched a 433-foot home run deep into the night.
It was the game's first extra-base hit, and about as no-doubt a homer as you can get in Philadelphia.

United States men’s national team striker Folarin Balogun has just signed with Rich Paul’s Klutch Sports Group.
Paul founded the sports agency in 2012 and immediately signed his close friend and NBA superstar, LeBron James.
The agency also represents Anthony Davis, Draymond Green, Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Hurts, and Odell Beckham Jr.
USMNT star Folarin Balogun has become the latest high-profile athlete to join the agency after the 2026 World Cup.
Folarin Balogun was expected to be a key player for the USMNT at the 2026 World Cup, but he exceeded expectations.

Early Wynn (1959), LaMarr Hoyt (1983), and Jack McDowell (1993). That’s it. That’s the franchise list of White Sox Cy Young winners in MLB history. Dylan Cease almost had it. Chris Sale, too, had several near misses. But it’s been a minute. And headed into the All-Star break, they have another contender to add to the list. No, it’s not Davis Martin. Sean Burke has pitched his way into the American League Cy Young conversation. He probably will not win it. But that is not the point.
MORE: MLB Power Rankings: All 30 teams ranked ahead of the 2026 All-Star Game
The point is that Burke has become one of the more credible starters in the league, and almost ****** ody outside Chicago seems interested in noticing. Through the first half, he has posted a 3.41 ERA with 115 strikeouts, numbers that place him among the American League’s more productive starters.
This is not just a fluke stretch anymore. Burke has always had the size and raw stuff. At 6-foot-6, he can create difficult angles and miss bats when his fastball and breaking ball are working together. The difference this season has been consistency. He is staying in games, limiting damage, and giving a young White Sox team a legitimate chance every fifth day.
Chicago is still building, which means Burke does not benefit from the same national attention as pitchers on contenders. Cy Young voting should not become a team award, but it often helps to pitch in games people are actually watching. Burke has to overcome that.

Robert Griffin III, just like everyone else watching UFC 329 last weekend in Las Vegas, suffered through the disappointment of Conor McGregor's failed comeback, which ended in just 69 seconds after "Notorious" botched a series of jumping kicks and blew out his knee.
The retired NFL star, who now talks for FOX Sports after getting released by ESPN, wants the promotion to refund every fan who spent money to watch UFC 329. That would only be ticket holders since UFC no longer sells pay-per-view (PPV) events and sorry, but Dana White and Co. are not going to part with that $25 million windfall.
Griffin also wants McGregor to retire.
Griffin is not the only **** yst who expects McGregor to fade away.
"There was one other moment, and it was the bad one for me where I go, 'We can't do this work anymore.' It was actually a punch," retired UFC fighter, Chael Sonnen, told MMA Junkie. "Conor threw a punch and he went down. He fell forward like a drunk guy. All the way to his knee. He hadn't thrown punches at full speed in so long, he lost his own balance doing it. No part of me is teasing. That was the real moment. You cannot main event him. You cannot repackage and sell this story, nor would they be interested."

Good news and strange news for members of the Brotherhood on Contract Watch:
First, the good news, as Isaiah Evans has signed a four-year deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The first three years are guaranteed, while the fourth is a team option.
Here’s the breakdown:
2026/27: $1.36 million
2027/28: $2.29 million

Lakers urged to cut ties with rookie guard, sign 6-foot-7 Summer League star originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Summer League is a great opportunity for franchises to evaluate talent that could prove useful in both the short and long term.
For the Los Angeles Lakers, there are plenty of high-upside contributors the organization should keep close tabs on.
Former Creighton forward Arthur Kaluma is one of them, as he's off to a promising start to the exciting offseason event. The Boston, Massachusetts, native has improved his scoring in each of his first four contests in Las Vegas, finishing with 12 points against the Golden State Warriors, 16 against the San Antonio Spurs, 18 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and a remarkable 34 against the Dallas Mavericks.
Lakers Nation's Daniel Starkand is a fan of the young pro's game and believes the Lakers should consider signing him to a two-way deal before it's too late.

Jul. 12—Illinois' high-profile nonconference games (Texas Tech, Duke, Connecticut, Missouri and North Carolina) have all been announced. Unless that's not all of them. Based on other reported matchups, the Illini still have two open spots to fill among their now 12 nonconference games with college basketball moving to a 32-game schedule.
Those other nonconference matchups — all home games — have been reported by Rocco Miller, who contributes to the Field of 68 and Basket Under Review in addition to his own website .
Let's dive in to the five mid-major opponents that reportedly are headed to State Farm Center in November:
Fairleigh **** inson, Nov. 2
The Knights are four years removed from shocking No. 1 Purdue as a No. 16 seed in the 2023 NCAA tournament. They've had diminishing returns since, with 15, 13 and 11 wins the past three seasons. The top five scorers from the 2025-26 team that went 11-21 and finished sixth in the Northeast Conference were all seniors. Sophomore guard David Jevtic is the top returning scorer (6.6 ppg). Former Gonzaga/Pepperdine forward Pavle Stosic was FDU's top pull in the transfer portal.

With apologies to World Cup 2026 co-hosts Canada, Mexico and the United States, this is the perfect semifinal field. France and Spain on one side. England and Argentina on the other.
Is there anything better?
Not according to FIFA's world rankings. Yeah, they're a very imperfect metric. But this is the first World Cup ever with the semifinal spots occupied by the top four teams entering the World Cup. France is at No. 1, Argentina is at No. 2, Spain is third and England is fourth.
A semifinal field with the USMNT or Mexico wouldn't have been that farfetched given their home-field advantage. But it wouldn't have been nearly as strong.
And each of the four global powers has been buoyed by its superstars. Everybody knows about Lionel Messi's continued greatness. There are hardly any superlatives left to describe the 38-year-old's pursuit of the Golden Boot and a second straight World Cup **** le.

The World Cup quarter-final between England and Norway is living up to the hype. It took a little while to get going, but before half-time the match really picked up pace.
The first real statement came from the Scandinavians through Andreas Schjelderup. Just under ten minutes before the break, the 22-year-old blasted the ball over England keeper Jordan Pickford from an apparently impossible angle and into the top corner.
The Three Lions protested furiously, as Harry Kane had lost the ball before the goal. But was he fairly dispossessed, or did referee Clément Turpin miss a foul?
The TV replays showed no clear foul. MagentaTV refereeing expert Patrick Ittrich also could not identify any infringement in the build-up to the goal.
The blow had landed, and the Three Lions looked shaken. Norway even missed the chance to score a second during this spell. Then, in first-half stoppage time, it was Jude Bellingham who gave his team renewed belief.

USC women's basketball will have star power this coming season with JuJu Watkins joining Jazzy Davidson and Kennedy Smith. More than that, USC should have cohesion on the court, as Cece Clay explains at her USC Women's Basketball Media Lab.
"This year's offseason feels different," Clay began. "Last year, USC had to move fast. This year, they got to move with purpose. When you look at this roster now, it's clear what the priority was: fit. They needed players who could balance out what was already on the team and address what the gaps/deficiencies were, from this past season, defensively and offensively. And when you look at the additions, that's exactly what they did.
"Ryann Bennett brings stability to the backcourt, but defensively, she also brings something USC wanted. She's a disruptor. She can guard on the ball. She has great hands. She can pressure, bother ball-handlers, and create problems without needing the offense to run through her. That matters because USC didn't just need another guard. They needed a guard who could fit, defend, connect possessions, and bring energy without forcing the game. That's Ryann Bennett.
"Pania Davis is exactly what USC needed inside. Size. Athleticism. Rim protection. Defensive disruption. USC needed an athletic big who could protect the paint, move her feet, run the floor, and bring a different level of physical presence inside. Pania gives them that. She's not just a big body. She's a defensive piece. She can alter shots, protect the rim, run and ******* e the floor and give USC the kind of interior presence they were missing. And most importantly, she doesn't need touches to impact the game. That's what makes her such an important fit.
"With JuJu Watkins returning, and with the influx of talent USC has coming in, the biggest difference with this team is that a lot of these players already have some form of connection. This isn't just a group of strangers being thrown together in November. Jazzy Davidson has played with Saniyah Hall. Kennedy Smith has played with both Ryann Bennett and JuJu Watkins. JuJu has also been tutoring, helping, and mentoring Jazzy. Even while recovering, JuJu has still been active with the team, sitting on the sidelines, watching where players like to get the ball, studying how they move, watching film, and staying connected to the group.

Ferran Torres is reportedly in advanced talks with Paris Saint-Germain over a potential move to the French capital before the start of the season.
The Spain star is into the last year of his contract at Barcelona and is yet to pen an extension with the Catalan giants.
PSG may be about to take advantage of the situation, with Mundo Deportivo reporting "negotiations are at an advanced stage" between the two parties.
Sky Sport reporter Luca Bendoni even says that Torres has already given the move the green light: "Ferran Torres has given his green light to a PSG transfer after the World Cup, he wants the move. His contract extension with Barcelona looks now very difficult, while Barça agree Karim Adeyemi signing."
The news comes during a summer where Barcelona have signed Anthony Gordon and are expected to land Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund. Barca are also hoping to bring in Julian Alvarez as well to revamp their attack.

NEW YORK (AP) — FIFA had nearly 1,200 category two tickets priced at $7,380 on sale Friday for the World Cup final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The governing body's last-minute tickets sales site, which at times had listed the game as sold out, had 1,178 seats available across five sections of the top deck along the sidelines: 282 in section 344, 299 in section 343, 139 in section 335, 443 in section 334 and 15 in section 333.
FIFA also was selling 68 front category one tickets in the lower deck at prices ranging from $19,995 to $32,970 and had remaining hospitality tickets in its Trophy Lounge and Trophy Lounge+ sections priced at $34,500 and $32,500, including food and drinks.
Soccer's governing body did not immediately respond to a request for details on why the additional tickets had become available.
In addition, FIFA had tickets available at $1,600 to $3,995 for Saturday's quarterfinal between Argentina and Switzerland at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

Jacob Tobey, the TV play-by-play voice of the San Antonio Spurs, is reportedly being fired after an alleged affair with a team player’s sister, and Colin Cowherd doesn’t think he should go quietly.
The alleged affair went viral on social media earlier this week after Tobey’s Instagram account posted a story outing the Spurs TV voice for the relationship.
“This is my girlfriend of six years. But I cheated on her with Loren Waters. lorenkwatrs So feel free to continue following me if you really think I’m a good guy because I’m not. :)” the post read.
The Instagram story was followed by photos that appeared to show Tobey and Loren Waters, the sister of Spurs guard Lindy Waters III. In the photos, the two were seen together and kissing. Two days later, Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports reported that Tobey is out as the Spurs TV announcer, which Cowherd appears to find confusing.
“I did learn something new today, that you can get fired in America for cheating on your girlfriend,” Cowherd said during his Thursday afternoon FS1 and Fox Sports Radio show. “I had no idea that was legal. You can get fired in America for cheating on, not your wife, your girlfriend. Feels like he should hire an attorney. That is a crazy story.”

Chesterfield have signed former Bristol Rovers forward Ruel Sotiriou and Leyton Orient forward Josh Koroma on a season-long loan.
Sotiriou, 25, who started his career with the O's and scored 35 goals in 153 league games before joining Rovers in June 2024, ended last season with Israeli side Hapoel Jerusalem.
Koroma, 27, scored three goals in 33 League One appearances for Orient last season.
"Ruel comes into the squad at a good age and will bring both energy and experience," Chesterfield ****** istant boss Danny Webb told the club website.
The Spireites have not disclosed the length of the deal that Cyprus international Sotiriou has signed.

Excitement around the wildcard run of Arthur Fery is sweeping through Wimbledon as the British hope faces Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals while Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic will meet on the other side of the draw.
Fery, who started the tournament ranked No 114 in the world, is only the second wildcard to reach the men's semi-finals at Wimbledon and is the first since the 2001 champion Goran Ivanisevic.
Defending champion Sinner will not have injured rival Carlos Alcaraz in his way as he bids to retain the **** le, but he will have to face Djokovic, who is aiming to win a record-breaking 25th major **** le.
There will be a new women's champion for the 10th year in a row as Coco Gauff will face Karolina Muchova in the semi-finals and Marta Kostyuk meets Linda Noskova. None of the four players left have played in a Wimbledon final before.
In the UK, every match from Wimbledon will be available to watch live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website, with viewers able to access a stream from all 18 courts. There will also be live coverage across BBC One and BBC Two, starting before the day's play each morning and lasting until the conclusion of the day's action in the evening. Highlights show 'Today at Wimbledon' will then follow. The BBC confirmed before the start of the tournament that they had secured the rights to Wimbledon until at least 2033, keeping the tournament on free-to-air. TNT Sports will also show both the men's and singles finals in the UK.