The North Carolina Tar Heels football program is kicking off training camp on Thursday, ushering the second season of the Bill Belichick era.
After a year in which the Tar Heels went 4-8 overall, it was a disappointing start to the Belichick era. As we hit the offseason, the hope was that the program could turn this thing around and get back on track. Then Monday happened.
The program announced that general manager Michael Lombardi has been placed on paid leave. UNC has put out another statement on the situation on Thursday, but it's still a matter that they will keep under wraps until the situation is resolved.
As Belichick met the media on Thursday, he was asked about what the Tar Heels are doing with Lombardi being on leave in terms of the roster and general manager duties.
"We're taking it day to day and working through things that are on the table now," Belichick said on Thursday. "We've made a few adjustments. We're working through the process."

#we 're #general

Inter confirm Yann Bisseck has signed a contract extension until June 2031.
German centre-back Bisseck has signed a new contract with Inter.
The defending Serie A champions confirmed the deal with an official statement.
"FC Internazionale Milano is pleased to announce that Yann Bisseck has extended his contract with the Club: the 2000-born defender will remain with the Nerazzurri until 30 June 2031," the club said on Wednesday.
Bisseck, 25, joined Inter in the summer of 2023, completing a permanent €7m transfer from Austrian side Aarhus.

#yann #until

The Ravens' biggest offseason addition is ready to silence the doubters originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
When the Baltimore Ravens take the field for training camp, one player will draw more attention than almost anyone else: newly acquired edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.
After the Ravens missed out on trading for Maxx Crosby when a failed physical sent the star pass rusher back to the Las Vegas Raiders, Baltimore quickly pivoted and landed one of the NFL's premier defensive playmakers. Now, expectations are high for Hendrickson as he prepares for his first season in purple and black.
The veteran edge defender enters camp looking to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2025 campaign that limited him to just seven games. While the shortened season slowed his production, it did little to diminish his reputation as one of football's most relentless pass rushers.
Just one season earlier, Hendrickson reminded the league why he is considered an elite defender. During the 2024 campaign, he led the NFL with 17.5 sacks while generating 65 quarterback pressures, consistently disrupting opposing offenses and changing games with his ability to collapse the pocket.

#sporting #baltimore

The board at La Liga heavyweights Real Madrid have come to the collective decision that star attacker Vinícius Jr. will not be allowed to depart this summer.
This of course comes fresh off a surprise round of speculation linking the Brazilian with a move to Premier League giants ****** nal.
Vinícius' future remains something of a touchy subject in Spain's capital at present. Despite long-term efforts to tie him down to a new contract, the 26-year-old is due to see his current terms expire in just 12 months' time.
Mikel Arteta's ****** nal, in turn, have expressed a keen interest in taking advantage of the situation, courtesy of a proposal of their own to Vinícius and his entourage.
As alluded to above, though, if the latest word stemming from the media on Tuesday is anything to go by, then the Gunners need not get their hopes up.

#cius #arsenal #madrid

Abhishek Sharma's struggles in T20Is have come under renewed focus following another disappointing series against Zimbabwe, with former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth calling on the selectors to make a difficult decision if the opener's poor run continues.

The left-handed batter endured a forgettable three-match series, failing to register a double-digit score. His recent numbers have also become a concern, with Abhishek unable to cross 20 in each of his last six T20I innings. Since India's T20 World Cup triumph, he has managed just one half-century, putting his place in the side under the scanner as competition for the opening spot continues to grow.

The debate has intensified further after Sanju Samson, India's Player of the Tournament during the T20 World Cup-winning campaign, was left out of the Zimbabwe series despite his impressive performances. With several opening options available, Abhishek's extended lean spell has only added to the pressure on the ICC's former top-ranked T20I batter.

Reacting to the opener's dip in form, Srikkanth said rival teams have worked out a way to contain Abhishek and believes the selection panel may soon have to make a bold call. He also expressed confidence that Samson would return to the Indian setup.

"Abhishek Sharma has been sorted out (by opponents) in international cricket, right from the World Cup. I think a tough call has to be taken against him now. I feel Sanju will get his chance again now. He will receive a call back 100%. The selectors will have to take a tough call," he said in a video on his YouTube channel.

While Abhishek's form emerged as a talking point, India also found plenty to celebrate through the return of Mayank Yadav. The fast bowler made his comeback after a lengthy injury break, featuring in his first international match since October 2024.

Mayank made an immediate impact by claiming two wickets in the opening T20I before ending the series with a three-wicket haul in the final game. Bowling with genuine pace throughout the tour, he consistently troubled Zimbabwe's batting line-up and looked close to his best.

Srikkanth was delighted to see the pacer complete all three matches without any fitness concerns and urged the team management to continue investing in young talent.
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"It was good to see Mayank Yadav playing all three games. So happy for him. Look at how consistent this boy was. The Indian future is very good. You have to back the right youngsters. I don't mind Ashok Sharma either," he said.

#three #World

Sure, there have been a lot of stories in the MLB media about Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman. Some of those stories have indicated that Goodman might be solid trade bait as the MLB Trade Deadline draws closer on Aug. 3.
But one media outlet is making a prediction. What is it? The Rockies will extend Goodman on his contract.
This season, Goodman has been the power hitter in the middle of the Rockies' lineup. He has 30-plus home runs already and reaching the 40-home run level is not out of the realm of possibilities.
Keeping Goodman is a wise choice for Colorado, should they not trade him at all. A couple of other stories have come out in the past couple of days indicating that the asks that the Rockies are making for any deal is too steep.
Another factor involved not only for the Rockies, but for all of the MLB world, is that some executives believe there will be a play stoppage in the 2027 MLB season. There are those even wondering how many games will happen, too.

#goodman #couple

Jersey's Filip Nowacki won his heat to make the semi-finals of the 100m ******* troke at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The world junior champion came back over the final 10 metres to overtake South Africa's Michael Houlie and clock a time of 59.93 - 0.21 ahead of Houlie.
The time saw the Jerseyman qualify third-fastest for the Friday night's semi-finals behind former Olympic champion Adam Ramsay-Peaty and Australia's Sam Williamson.
Nowacki is aiming to become the first person representing Jersey to win a Commonwealth Games medal since 1990.
He was the only Jersey swimmer to progress out of the heats as Megan Hansford finished fifth in her two heats.

#games #houlie #semi #heats

During the UCLA Bruins NCAA championship season, freshman forward Sienna Betts had to take a backseat. While her older sister, Lauren Betts, was championed as the team's marquee star, Sienna waited on the sidelines.
Not only did the younger Betts get off to a late start to her season, not appearing in a game with UCLA until December, she never got a huge role. As a freshman, Betts played only 14.1 minutes and scored 6.0 per game.
Being buried behind her sister, Angela Dugalic and Gabriela Jaquez, there weren't many minutes for Sienna to snag. UCLA opened up their 2026-2027 season with an exhibition match on Wednesday and it appears that Sienna Betts is ready to become a star.
Betts scored 20 points with 12 rebounds and two blocks despite facing off against the Canadian National Team. Those stats were far from empty, as she kept UCLA in the game until the fourth quarter when Team Canada began to break away.
Even with the strong performance, Betts wasn't completely satisfied with her game.

#sienna #team

Red Sox should remove Chad Tracy’s interim tag after season-changing turnaround originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
In a few moments, the Boston Red Sox have a chance to make franchise history, as they try to set the record for the longest win streak, by sweeping the Baltimore Orioles for their 16th win in a row.
Boston is now 52-48, and a contender in the American League. However, if you looked at where they were in mid-April, you would think this would be impossible. So what changed? Boston fired their 2018 World Series and Manager of the Year skipper Alex Cora, and replaced him with their AAA Worcester manager, Chad Tracy.
Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
To start the season, the Sox did awfully under Cora. They were 10-17, had a team OPS of .667, and a team ERA of 4.44.

#source

Per a release from FCBayern.com, Bayern Munich has extended the contract of 17-year-old midfielder Erblin OsmaniL
FC Bayern have extended Erblin Osmani's contract early on. The 17-year-old midfield talent joined the record champions' youth academy when the campus opened in 2017 and has since progressed through all the youth teams.
Osmani joined FC Bayern's academy from TSV Milbertshofen's U9 team. Last season, he initially played for the U17s, then also for the U19s, and in March, in the Bundesliga home match against Union Berlin (4-0), he made his debut at the Allianz Arena under head coach Vincent Kompany. He is initially slated to play for the U19s next season. His new contract will automatically convert into a professional contract upon his 18th birthday.
Bayern Munich director of youth development Jochen Sauer is happy to see Osmani stick with the club.
"Erblin is a native of Munich and a true FC Bayern homegrown talent. He has already made his debut with our first team and we are convinced of his further development potential. We are delighted that Erblin will also take the next steps with us," Sauer said.

#bayern #erblin #extended #year

'English cricket is more important than IPL' - Alastair Cook and RCB director Mo Babat in heated debate over Jacob Bethell originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Alastair Cook renewed criticism of Jacob Bethell staying with RCB over England prep.
Mo Bobat defends Bethell, blaming scheduling clashes, not player choices.
Debate reignites after Bethell ruled out of The Hundred with injury.
England legend Alastair Cook has reignited a long-running debate around Jacob Bethell's decision to stay with the IPL despite limited playing time, insisting international duty should always take precedence over franchise commitments.

#bethell #jacob #debate #babat

Braves could compete with five teams for Angels' 25-year-old shortstop with 30% trade odds originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Atlanta Braves are heading towards the 2026 MLB trade deadline with needs in the outfield, shortstop, and the starting rotation.
While outfield and the rotation might be easily resolved, shortstop is a much more difficult position to address. CJ Abrams of the rival Washington Nationals might not be an option, and Jeremy Pena might be dealt in the offseason. But another target has emerged.
ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan named the Braves as a potential fit for the Los Angeles Angels' 25-year-old shortstop Zach Neto, with five other teams also tabbed as fits for the star infielder with a 30% chance of being traded.
"Chance of being traded: 30%... The Angels are at the very least listening, which is more than they've done at past deadlines," Passan and McDaniel write. "Best fits: Boston, Atlanta, Toronto, Minnesota, Tampa Bay, New York Yankees."

#Angels #sporting #chance

Manuel Ugarte suffered a knee ligament injury whilst at the World Cup with Uruguay and there have been several questions submitted via our Manchester United Ask Me Anything form about whether the Old Trafford club will be compensated for it.
The short answer is yes. The detail is more complicated.
The money doesn't come from Uruguay, it comes from Fifa's insurers. The actual detail states: "Players can receive up to $7.5m (£5.6m) per accident, paid daily for a maximum of 365 days after the first 28 days of absence. Payments are calculated on the player's fixed salary only, excluding bonuses or other variable pay."
It is not completely clear what Ugarte's salary is because most Premier League players will have bonuses and image rights included as part of their contract.
If he hits the threshold, though, it means United would get about £13,500 per day from 28 days after Ugarte's absence, which is also variable, depending on whether it starts when the injury happened – or when it was diagnosed.

On this episode of College Football Enquirer, Andy Staples, Ross Dellenger, and Steven Godfrey break down all the latest from Ann Arbor as Warde Manuel is rumored to be on the outs at Michigan.
From there, LSU invites top donors to the Louisiana Governor's Mansion to unveil a new financial model for the athletics department.
To finish the show Andy, Ross and Steven give a preview of the upcoming ACC Media Days.
All that and more on this edition of College Football Enquirer.

00:00 Show Rundown
01:00 Michigan AD Warde Manuel under fire

Some executives are skeptical of the growing narrative that a third Cleveland stint is a certainty. Multiple Western Conference executives told Front Office Sports they expect James to sign with the Warriors over the Cavaliers for his 24th NBA season. While Cleveland has been the favorite on prediction markets—and Bill Simmons said the move was a “done deal”—some executives believe Golden State is still a real player for James’s services.
Front Office Sports
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Western conference executives believe LeBron James will sign with Warriors

The Los Angeles Lakers have officially added a veteran presence to their frontcourt, signing Kevon Looney on Monday.
Looney, 30, joins the Lakers after spending the 2025-26 season with the New Orleans Pelicans. He brings 11 seasons of NBA experience, along with the championship pedigree of a player who helped the Golden State Warriors win three NBA ****** les.
Throughout his career, Looney has built a reputation as a reliable rebounder, defender and ball screener, which will work well with Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.
In 620 career regular-season games with the Warriors and Pelicans, he has averaged 4.9 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 57.0% from the field.
The 6-foot-9 big man has been especially effective on the offensive glass. During the 2022-23 season, Looney led the NBA with 274 offensive rebounds and averaged a career-high 9.3 rebounds per game in 82 contests.

The summer transfer window has already delivered plenty of major moves involving Bundesliga clubs. Here, we take a look at the most notable transfers so far.
PSV → Bayern Munich (€50m)
FC Bayern moved quickly in the summer transfer window by signing Saibari during the World Cup – and they were likely pleased with that decision after the versatile Moroccan attacker made a strong impression with three goals before injury cut his tournament short.
Having racked up19 goals and nine ******* ists in 37 games for PSV last season, Saibari is set to add even more firepower to Bayern's already dangerous attack. Capable of playing as an attacking midfielder, on the wing or as a striker, he also provides valuable versatility to Vincent Kompany's squad.
Eintracht Frankfurt → Bayern Munich (€50m)

The day before the Tour's first rest stage proved to be a highly charged rollercoaster. As overall leader, Tadej Pogacar chose who would be allowed in the breakaway and who would not, the worn out peloton was ready for the day to be over.
The unbearable heat matched with the speed of both the breakaway and peloton proved every rider was ready to wrap this day up early. From Malemort to Ussel, the hills were calm compared to the intensity of the riders.
At one thrilling point, Tom Pidcock's gears broke on him in the breakaway. After a few swift kicks, the gears were fixed, and he was back with the leaders.
The final breakaway included the likes of Mathieu Van Der Poel, Tobias Johannessen, Tom Pidcock, and Alex Baudin. The peloton nipped at their heels the entire day. So much so, the peloton filled with the leaders, finished 6 seconds behind today's stage winner.
As they approached the final turn, no one would dare challenge MVDP. Sure enough, he held off not only his breakaway group, but the entire peloton as Fillipo Ganna hauled the rest of the cyclists behind him.

It was a point that encapsulated Jannik Sinner's journey to a second Wimbledon ****** le.
In a tight final, Sinner had a chance to break opponent Alexander Zverev's serve. He fell to the ground mid-rally, picked himself back up and forced an error out of Zverev to clinch the first break of serve almost three hours into the match.
Sinner would not be denied from there.
The Italian world number one again dropped to the ground two games later - but this time in celebration after completing a four-set comeback victory to become only the 10th man in the Open era to retain the Wimbledon men's singles ****** le.
Once again triumphant at the only tennis tournament he would watch as a child - when the sport he would come to master still had to compete with skiing and football for his attention - the manner of his fifth Grand Slam success suggested normal service had resumed.

The Eagles are the favorites to win the NFC East for a third consecutive year, something that had not been done since the Eagles won four-straight NFC East ******* les from 2001-2004.
The Eagles should have no problems threepeating—but, they could receive a challenge from a team that has gotten gradually better over the last few years, and that's the New York Giants, who split with the Eagles last season. It may seem strange here, considering the Giants finished 4-13 last season—the second-worst record in the NFC behind the 3-14 Arizona Cardinals.
Here, however, are a few things to consider: New York lost two games in overtime last year, one in which the Dallas Cowboys' Brandon Aubrey had to boot a 64-yard game-tying field goal in the final seconds of regulation, and another in Denver when the Giants blew a 19-0 four-quarter lead. The Giants lost four games by four points or less, two of those four came against the NFC North champion Chicago Bears and AFC West champion Denver Broncos.
It's a fan-friendly team that has become highly competitive.
Now consider the addition of Super Bowl-winning head coach John Harbaugh, who in his previous 18 years as a head coach in Baltimore has amassed a 180-113 record, with just three losing seasons, and is 13-11 in the postseason. The Giants have had one winning season (9-7-1 in 2022) in the last nine years, and haven't won the NFC East since 2011, when they won the Super Bowl.

The quarter-finals are over! After intense battles, the nations that will contest the World Cup semi-finals have finally been decided.
Spain return to a World Cup semi-final after 16 years, and they will face France at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday, July 14 at 14:00 Arlington (Texas) time.
Meanwhile, a football classic is coming up: England will play their third semi-final against the current world champion (Argentina) on Wednesday, July 15 at 15:00 Atlanta time.

In a surprise turn of events, a Diamond Heel was drafted in the first round.
Former North Carolina shortstop Jake Schaffner was selected No. 20 overall by the Boston Red Sox in the first round of the MLB Draft. Ranked No. 75 on the Top 250 prospects list, the North Dakota State transfer finished his lone season at UNC among the team leaders in batting average, on-base percentage and stolen bases.
Schaffner is the highest UNC player picked since the Houston Astros made J.B. Bukauskas the No. 15 overall selection in 2017. He became the 26th Tar Heel taken in the first round and the first since the Baltimore Orioles drafted Vance Honeycutt at No. 22 in 2024.
Schaffner proved a near-guarantee to reach base as North Carolina’s leadoff man, stealing a team-high 26 bases. He hit .356 with 96 hits, six home runs, 50 RBIs and a UNC-best 85 runs scored in his first season in Chapel Hill.
Before transferring to North Carolina, Schaffner earned All-Summit League honors in both of his seasons at North Dakota State and was the league’s defensive player of the year in 2025.

FC Barcelona have successfully concluded negotiations with Club Brugge for the transfer of Jesse Bisiwu. Both clubs have reached a full and final agreement to complete the deal immediately.
The news was confirmed exclusively by the renowned sports journalist Sacha Tavolieri. The specialist stated that the institutional agreement is absolute and the transfer is fully sealed.
For his part, the promising Belgian footballer has already given his final green light to join the Blaugrana project. The player showed his full enthusiasm about wearing the Barça shirt in the future.
At present, only the final formalities of the operation remain, including the signing of the paperwork and the relevant medical examination. Once these mandatory requirements have been completed, the official announcement of the signing will follow.
The agreed financial package includes significant performance-related bonuses. In addition, Club Brugge have secured a future sell-on clause as part of the financial agreement.

And here we go again for another France vs. Spain clash that PROMISES a lot!
The first semifinal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will pit against each other two national teams that keep building up heavyweight showdowns.
And next Tuesday's (14) could be the biggest of them all.
The last three meetings involving the senior national teams were decisive ones. And there was also a match with a gold medal on the line.

The Brooklyn Nets (0-0) came away from the California Classic last weekend with a 2-1 record thanks to players like Egor Demin and Mikel Brown Jr. stepping up during their time on the floor. Brooklyn now turns the page to the Las Vegas Summer League where they will begin their slate with a matchup against the New York Knicks (0-0) on Friday and if interested in watching the game, you've come to the right place.
The Nets have not played in Las Vegas yet this year, but fans are familiar with how the team has been playing to this point, especially for players like Demin and Brown. Demin is enjoying a strong start to his second NBA season as it looks like his work in the offseason has been paying off while Brown is hoping to show why Brooklyn selected him with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Knicks will be playing their first game of the summer league circuit in this matchup and while the roster is filled with veterans, New York is hoping to see leaps from players like Pacome Dadiet and Mohamed Diowara. For Brooklyn, it will be interesting to see how much Demin and Brown play over the course of the summer league, but for now, they will be looking to build on what they did in Sacramento.
Here's what you need to know to get ready for the Nets' summer league matchup against the Knicks on Friday:
Date: Friday, Jul. 10

MLB All-Star schedule 2026: Times, TV channels for Home Run Derby, Futures Game, MLB Draft and more originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
An MLB All-Star celebration years in the making is finally here, with most of baseball's best and brightest gathered for five days of action.
MLB typically awards All-Star Games a couple of years out — the host team for 2028 still has not been determined — but the commissioner's office announced the 2026 game would be in Philadelphia more than seven years ago. As intended, the festivities will serve as a continuation of the America 250 celebrations held over the Fourth of July weekend.
A series of events beyond the centerpiece Midsummer Classic will take place at Citizens Bank Park and elsewhere around Philadelphia over the next several days. That includes the MLB Draft moving into a new slot in the calendar and the Home Run Derby airing on a new broadcast partner.
The stars will be out in Philly throughout the long weekend. Here's all you need to know to tune in to every event.

The biggest story of the offseason for the Arizona Cardinals has been the ongoing contract dispute with Jacoby Brissett. Projected to be the Cardinals' starting quarterback and due to make only about $4.9 million in salary, of which $1.5 million is guaranteed, he seeks to be paid like a starter.
One of his Cardinals teammates appears to have made a real statement about the situation on social media.
Safety Budda Baker, seemingly in support of Brissett, or perhaps some other teammate in contract talks, posted:
"Just want bro to get his (expletive) done… he is not asking for what you think. Bro is asking for below the bare minimum. Let’s just get it done!!!"
If it is about Brissett, it is interesting that Baker says that what is being asked is below the bare minimum. The last we heard about negotiations was that the Cardinals and Brissett were very far apart.

We are only three weeks away from the start of the Baltimore Ravens training camp. So football talking season (the prelude to football season) is now here. And it is always mock draft season. That's a year-round thing.
For this mock draft, we will only project the picks that are definitive at this time. We're only doing the six selections that we know Baltimore will definitely have. According to the league's website, they are likely to be awarded three more compensatory picks: two selections in round five and one in round six.
After the additional selections are made official, we will be back with a Ravens mock draft that includes them.
Round 1: Kade Pieper, C, Iowa
Perhaps the team's biggest question mark, heading into this season, is center. We just don't really know who is going to replace Tyler Linderbaum. The Ravens could go back to the same well (the University of Iowa) where they got Linderbaum, because, coincidentally, it is Pieper who is the highest-rated prospect at the position.

Morocco will have to manage without Ismael Saibari when they face France in the World Cup quarter-finals on Thursday night.
The 25-year-old, who recently joined FC Bayern, was forced off with a hamstring injury during Morocco's 3-0 round-of-16 victory over Canada and will miss the clash with France, head coach Mohamed Ouahbi confirmed at his pre-match press conference.
"Everyone is available except Saibari. The match comes too soon for him, although I hope he's not out for the rest of the tournament," Ouahbi said.
With Saibari out, Ouahbi is counting on the strength of his squad to carry Morocco further in the tournament.
"When you want to go very far in a competition, you need everybody. The players who are not in the starting XI know they have the opportunity to make an impact when they come on," he said.

When it comes to third-and-short or goal-line situations, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan often goes for the simplest move in the playbook.
Shanahan ranks third in the NFL with a 30.1% quarterback sneak rate in one-yard situations among offensiveplay-callers since 2022, according to NFL **** yst Ryan Paganetti. Over a span of 76 games that includes the playoffs, the 49ers faced 193 of these specific one-yard opportunities, calling a quarterback sneak 58 times. Shanahan trails only Joe Brady of the Buffalo Bills (51.9%) and Kellen Moore of the New Orleans Saints (31.0%) in utilizing the play.
The data presented by Paganetti strongly justifies Shanahan's mathematical aggression. When a team opts for a quarterback sneak in these scenarios, the play yields an 81.8% success rate and a massive +0.45 Expected Points Added (EPA) per play, according to Paganetti. By comparison, all other play designs in those same situations result in a far lower 63.8% success rate and a minuscule +0.03 EPA per play.
49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who has started for Shanahan since 2022, has rushed the ball 160 times for 627 yards and 11 touchdowns in his 49 career games. He turned 69 of those runs directly into first downs. He isn't a scrambling quarterback, but Shanahan knows when to use him on plays that matter.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers rely on this play call at high rate under Kyle Shanahan