THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” FRIDAY JULY 26, 2024

“THE SCOREBOARD”

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES

SAN DIEGO 3 WASHINGTON 0

BALTIMORE 7 MIAMI 6 (10)

DETROIT 3 CLEVELAND 0

TEXAS 2 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 1

TAMPA BAY 13 TORONTO 0

LA DODGERS 6 SAN FRANCISCO 4

NEW YORK METS 3 ATLANTA 2 (11)

OAKLAND 6 LA ANGELS 5

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES

INDIANAPOLIS 7 IOWA 2

WNBA SCORES

OLYMPIC BREAK

MLS

OLYMPIC BREAK

NFL WEEK ONE SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, SEPT. 5

• BALTIMORE RAVENS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS, 8:20 P.M. ET (NBC)

FRIDAY, SEPT. 6

• GREEN BAY PACKERS VS. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (IN SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL), 8:15 P.M. ET (PEACOCK)

SUNDAY, SEPT. 8

• PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
• ARIZONA CARDINALS AT BUFFALO BILLS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
• TENNESSEE TITANS AT CHICAGO BEARS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
• NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
• HOUSTON TEXANS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
• JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
• CAROLINA PANTHERS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
• MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT NEW YORK GIANTS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
• LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS, 4:05 P.M. ET (CBS)
• DENVER BRONCOS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS, 4:05 P.M. ET (CBS)
• DALLAS COWBOYS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS, 4:25 P.M. ET (CBS)
• WASHINGTON COMMANDERS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS, 4:25 P.M. ET (FOX)
• LOS ANGELES RAMS AT DETROIT LIONS, 8:20 P.M. ET (NBC)

MONDAY, SEPT. 9

• NEW YORK JETS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS, 8:15 P.M. ET (ESPN/ABC)

TOP NATIONAL SPORTS HEADLINES

OLYMPIC NEWS

ALL ABOARD! US WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM ARRIVES AT OLYMPICS VIA TRAIN FROM LONDON

VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France (AP) — Brittney Griner settled into her seat on the Eurostar train and put on her headphones to watch “Vikings” — one of her favorite TV shows — during the 90-minute trip to France from London.

It was an escape to help her forget her last time on a train. That occurred in 2022 when she was headed to a Russian prison after being sentenced to nine years in jail for drug possession and smuggling.

“Walking up to the train I was fine,” Griner told The Associated Press. “When I sat down and looked out the window I was like, ‘Damn, last time I was here I was on my way to prison.’ Anxiety started to heighten up. Then I realized I was good, there were no bars. I’m going to win gold.”

Griner turned to Netflix to calm her mind during a simple commute with her U.S. teammates to the Paris Olympics.

“Everything was cool,” she said.

Griner and her U.S. teammates were commuters on Thursday, traveling to the Olympics via train. The Associated Press tagged along for the trip.

The U.S. had special accommodations, just like the men’s team did for its train travel on Wednesday. The women’s team arrived at the London station an hour before departure, and the group was whisked through passport control.

National team director Briana Weiss collected the passport of each player and coach and put them in a red bag to hold for the rest of the trip. She first collected the passports once the players got off the plane in London, and she gave them back to each member of the traveling party before they got to the train station.

It’s a practice the U.S. has done for years so that no one potentially would lose their passport.

The players then were escorted to a private lounge area before going down to the train.

Following a quick photo op at the Saint Pancras station with a golden basketball, the Americans boarded their private car at the front of the train.

Players used the 90-minute trip to watch movies, have a quick bite to eat or catch a nap. They mostly kept to themselves.

The coaching staff spent the time watching game-video.

The team was kept away from the public except for a quick few seconds when the players and coaches were heading out of the lounge and going to the train. They exited from their car at the Lille station before everyone else did. As they walked toward the escalator out of the building, some of the passengers held up their phones to take pictures of the players through the windows of the train cars.

When the team got out of the station, the group got into a waiting bus for a trip to the arena for practice. The U.S. was set to head down to Paris on another train after practice was done.

“They wanted to make the travel as easy as possible for us and this was the best way,” U.S. guard Sabrina Ionescu said. “Everything so far has been great. I kind of like trains. My family said they wanted to go to London on one of the off days so I was testing this out for them as well. It seems like a really easy way to travel.”

This was the first time that the Americans had taken a train to arrive to the Olympics. While it was something new for the U.S., Jewell Loyd said it’s a common practice when playing overseas in the winter.

“We do it all the time,” she said. “It’s just an easy way to get around with those teams.”

The U.S. women played an exhibition game in London on Tuesday night against Germany, and the train was the quickest and best option to get to Lille for pool play. The U.S. spent Wednesday sightseeing around London on a double-decker bus.

While the players traveled via train on Thursday, their bags were sent to their Paris hotel Tuesday night after the game against Germany. Over 600 bags belonging to the men’s and women’s teams as well as their guests were driven to Paris in two 26-foot trucks.

The bags would be waiting for the players and their guests when they arrived in their hotel rooms late Thursday night.

An additional truck went to Lille with training supplies and other items needed for practice.

The Americans play Japan in their Olympic opener on Monday night.

US OLYMPIC BASKETBALL TEAM IS EAGER TO FIND BALANCE BETWEEN BEING PLAYERS AND BEING FANS

PARIS (AP) — The U.S. men’s basketball team is headed to the athletes village on Friday to mingle with fellow Olympians before the opening ceremony. Next week, the group wants to see Simone Biles compete. Stephen Curry hopes to watch beach volleyball and swimming. And most of the players have sponsor-related obligations.

It’s a busy couple of weeks.

Also, there are games to play.

Such is the challenge of the Olympics for some of the biggest stars in Paris — they want to enjoy being part of the show, while remaining mindful that they can’t let the spectacles distract from the business of winning a fifth consecutive gold medal. Olympic veterans like four-timer Kevin Durant know the drill. The first-time Olympians like Curry are figuring it out on the fly.

“There’s those times throughout the day when you get your work in, you get your treatment, make sure you’re prepared,” Curry said. “And then the rest is allowing yourself to be free to be a part of the Olympic experience as a whole. I think that’ll be contagious, the joy of being in the moment. We say ‘be where your feet are’ when it comes to enjoying the games that we get to play, too, because it goes by quick. It’s only six games, hopefully, to win a gold.”

Thursday’s practice — the first for the Americans in Paris, following a workout on Wednesday at the arena a couple of hours away in Villeneuve-D’Ascq, France, where group-play games start this weekend — was the one where U.S. coach Steve Kerr hoped the team would start really locking in on the Olympic task.

The round-the-world tour — Las Vegas to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to London — the Americans took to get ready for Paris, with five exhibition games along the way, is over.

“It’s time,” Kerr said. “We’re not traveling around anymore. We’re here. We’ve got six games. We’ve got to get into the pool play, advance and it’s like the NCAA Tournament. It’s 40 minutes of forced attention and focus and we can’t let teams outplay us effort- and energy-wise like we did the other night against Germany, like we did against South Sudan.”

It’s been a good balance so far. The last exhibition game against Germany was Monday in London, where the spent an off day Tuesday for sightseeing. Wednesday was a travel-and-practice day, Thursday was a full practice day and Friday will be an off day for the trip to the village and then the opening ceremony, where LeBron James is one of the U.S. flag bearers alongside tennis star Coco Gauff.

Saturday is back to work — practice and a trip north back to Villeneuve-D’Ascq — and then the tournament starts Sunday against Serbia.

“I always say we can do all things,” Durant said. “You get a lot of energy when you come out here. So, we get energy to play, obviously, but you want to go support other sports, other athletes that you may know. And it just works out. Like I said, the energy level is high. You kind of feed off of that, to be honest.”

Kerr said he isn’t worried. Everyone on the U.S. team is a proven pro, used to juggling multiple responsibilities at once.

He’s sure that there will be a full understanding of when it’s time to lock in and when it’s time to let loose. And he’s going to ask the veteran Olympians to explain to the newcomers how all the pieces ideally fit.

“All these guys are corporations unto themselves,” Kerr said. “They have stuff. They have business partners. So, they’re going to be pulled in all directions. Everybody’s got family here. This should be one of the great experiences of our lives. But the best way to make it an incredible experience is to win a gold medal, obviously.”

UNITED STATES BLANKS ZAMBIA IN PARIS GAMES OPENER

PARIS — The U.S. squad began its quest for a fifth gold medal with a resounding 3-0 victory over Zambia at Nice Stadium on the first day of the Olympics women’s soccer competition on Thursday.

Trinity Rodman scored after a brilliant move in the 17th minute and Mallory Swanson found the net twice in a minute, between the 24th and 25th, to clinch their three points for the United States in Group B.

Rodman, 22, was making her Olympic debut as part of a roster that no longer includes some of the more legendary USWNT names.

Zambia were reduced to 10 players at the half-hour mark after a red card for Pauline Zulu, who left the pitch in tears.

Olympic debutants Spain recovered from going behind to an early goal in Nantes and beat Group C rivals Japan 2-1 to avenge a 4-0 group stage loss to the Asians in last year’s World Cup, which they went on to win.

Aoba Fujino’s superb free kick opened the scoring for Japan in the 13th minute, but Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati equalized for only nine minutes later with an easy finish.

Spain dominated possession in the second half and sealed the win in the 74th minute courtesy of a Mariona Caldentey strike following a Bonmati pass to go top of the group.

“We have started the Games very well. I’m happy for the win. (The World Cup loss against) Japan left us with a thorn in our side,” Bonmati said.

“The goal we conceded didn’t change our mentality. We played our football and we deserved the win.”

Elsewhere, reigning Olympic champions Canada also claimed a 2-1 comeback victory over New Zealand in Saint-Etienne in the first day of action in Group A.

France’s Marie-Antoinette Katoto struck twice to help the hosts to a 3-2 win over Colombia in their Group A opener in Lyon.

Katoto opened the scoring after six minutes, pouncing on a misplaced pass by Linda Caicedo.

Kenza Dali doubled the lead in the 18th minute before Katoto got her second and made it 3-0 with a header three minutes before half-time.

Colombia’s Catalina Usme and Manuela Pavi then made it 3-2 scoring in the 54th and 64th minutes, respectively.

But their hopes of a comeback and a first Olympic win were dashed when Mayra Ramirez was shown a red card five minutes from time.

Germany made a strong start to the tournament in Marseille with a 3-0 win over Australia in Group B match, thanks to goals from Marina Hegering, Lea Schueller and Jule Brand.

Towering headers from Hegering in the 24th and Schueller in the 64th, as well as a Brand effort in the 68th sealed the rout for the 2016 Olympic champions.

Brazil earned a 1-0 win over Nigeria in Bordeaux in Group C. Gabi Nunes scored in the 37th minute following a pass from Brazil’s all-time leading scorer Marta, who is playing at her sixth Olympics.

AN OLYMPIC-SIZED FIGHT ERUPTS AMONG ANTI-DOPING OFFICIALS, AND IT’S JUST GETTING STARTED

PARIS (AP) — The stream of threats, recriminations and anti-doping innuendo flowed freely again Thursday when tensions over a U.S. law designed to combat drugs in sports escalated on the eve of the Paris Olympics.

It’s a fight that’s been simmering for a decade, sparked by Russia’s brazen doping scandal at the Sochi Olympics. The reaction from the World Anti-Doping Agency and IOC was criticized as too weak by many, including the United States. So much so, that the U.S. passed a law in 2020 giving federal authorities power to investigate sports doping and cover-ups.

After details emerged about 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned substance – Chinese authorities blamed it on contamination from a hotel kitchen – but none were suspended and some went on to win medals at the Tokyo Olympics, the U.S. launched an investigation.

The latest round of backlash played out in a trio of news conferences in Paris, the highlight of which came when leaders at WADA suggested they might sanction one of their biggest critics, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, over the law.

“As a global regulator, one of our duties is to make sure our stakeholders are following our regulations and rules, and that the national legislation is in accordance with the world anti-doping code,” WADA president Witold Banka explained.

While some tried to calm things down, others could see a worst-case scenario: that the U.S. not be allowed to host big-time events such as the Olympics in the future.

Banka’s statement came a day after the International Olympic Committee awarded the 2034 Winter Games to Salt Lake City, but cast a pall over that celebration by extracting a promise that organizers pressure U.S. lawmakers to scuttle the law, along with a related investigation into the Chinese doping case.

A law that passed unanimously

Chances of that are slim — the American Congress passed that bill in 2020 without a dissenting vote — so another strategy would be to go after USADA.

If WADA determines the law, called the Rodchenkov Act, doesn’t adhere to the rules, it could start the process of finding USADA in noncompliance.

That, in turn, could trigger sanctions, which can jeopardize America’s ability to host international events. It’s the same treatment WADA handed to Russia’s anti-doping agency during that country’s long-running drug scandal.

Congress recently held a hearing about the Chinese doping scandal and there have been suggestions that the U.S. government might withhold its annual funding from WADA.

The chair and ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee — Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.) — released a statement.

“It speaks volumes that the IOC would demand a one-sided contract condition to protect WADA rather than work together to ensure it is fulfilling its mission to protect clean sport,” they said.

Threatening USADA

The mere threat of putting USADA on a noncompliant list marks the latest broadside in a mushrooming exchange of rhetoric.

USADA’s CEO, Travis Tygart struck back.

“You know it’s a broken system when WADA … threatens a compliance case against USADA for a U.S. law enacted by Congress that has cleaned up sport consistent with the WADA rules and has been in existence for several years,” he said in a statement to The Associated Press.

At his own news conference in Paris, USOPC chair Gene Sykes, who was just made a member of the IOC, said he hopes this pattern of “throwing rocks at each other” would calm down soon.

“I think the tempers between WADA and USADA as reflected in the statements that go back and forth between the two of them are unfortunately just too emotional,” Sykes said.

Some athletes, including Caeleb Dressel, don’t trust the system

World Aquatics, which runs swimming, held its own news conference, where swimmers and executives were asked about the Chinese case.

American swimmer Caeleb Dressel was asked if he had confidence in the anti-doping system.

“No. Not really.” Dressel said. “I don’t really think they’ve given us enough evidence to support them in how this case was handled.”

A few seats away was World Aquatics executive director Brent Nowicki who, as the AP reported earlier this month, recently received a subpoena from U.S. investigators as part of their probe into the China case.

“We have to regain his trust and those athletes’ trust who share that same opinion,” Nowicki said. “I’d like you to ask that same question of Caeleb in L.A. (at the 2028 Olympics). My hope, my goal, is that his mind changes.”

Some IOC leaders are worried about traveling to the U.S.

The Nowicki subpoena is part of the first known use of the Rodchenkov Act for an international incident.

It illustrates the wide net U.S. investigators might cast to fight doping — wide enough that it seems some folks are avoiding the United States, altogether. For instance, WADA moved a conference it had planned for this fall from New York to Montreal.

“I don’t think I would share my private travel schedule in a press conference,” WADA director general Olivier Niggli said, drawing laughs, when asked if he had plans to visit the U.S.

The law was passed to allow American authorities to prosecute doping conspiracies in any sports event involving U.S. athletes — which includes the Olympics and pretty much every major competition around the world.

WADA has long lobbied against this law, specifically its “extraterritorial” clause, which it says gives U.S. authorities a separate and inappropriate role in enforcing anti-doping rules against foreigners.

“It’s highly incorrect that one country tries to impose jurisdiction on anti-doping decisions on the rest of the world,” Banka said.

Salt Lake City caught in the middle

None of this was on the radar of leaders in Salt Lake City, who came to Paris expecting a celebration, and maybe even a pat on the back for offering to host the Winter Games — an event cities aren’t lining up to underwrite anymore.

SLC organizing president Fraser Bullock said despite the language in the contract “in my mind, there’s zero doubt” that Utah will host the Games, as promised.

“For us, we feel bad that we did get pulled into it,” Bullock said. “But we understand that’s an issue that has to be addressed. It’s just very unfortunate timing.”

CANADA OUSTS WOMEN’S SOCCER COACH FROM OLYMPICS OVER DRONE SCANDAL

The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) removed head coach Bev Priestman on Thursday following her suspension by Canada Soccer over a drone spying scandal that has thrust the 2020 Olympic gold medalists into an unsavory global spotlight.

The Canadian women’s squad will be led by assistant coach Andy Spence for the remainder of the Paris games, the COC said.

“Over the past 24 hours, additional information has come to our attention regarding previous drone use against opponents, predating the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” Canada Soccer CEO and general secretary Kevin Blue said in an emailed statement.

“In light of these new revelations, Canada Soccer has made the decision to suspend Women’s National Team Head Coach, Bev Priestman for the remainder of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and until the completion of our recently announced independent external review.”

Canada defeated New Zealand 2-1 in their Paris Olympics opening game on Thursday, a match for which Priestman voluntarily sat out after the spying scandal broke this week.

A drone flown by a Canada Soccer staff member disrupted a New Zealand training session on Monday just days ahead of their opening match against the Tokyo 2020 gold medalists.

Priestman apologized to the New Zealand players for what happened and said ultimate responsibility lay with her.

“This does not represent the values that our team stands for,” she said. “I am ultimately responsible for conduct in our program.”

Global soccer’s governing body FIFA has launched disciplinary proceedings against Canada Soccer, Priestman and two Canada Soccer staff members who were booted from the Paris Games this week over the scandal.

Canada Soccer said Wednesday it would launch an independent external review about the drone incident and the historical culture of competitive ethics within all of its programs.

Canada Soccer did not immediately reply to a request for additional comment.

The Canadian women are scheduled to take on Group A opponent France on Sunday in Saint-Etienne.

ARGENTINA COACH SLAMS CHAOTIC ‘SCANDAL’ AT OLYMPIC SOCCER MATCH VS MOROCCO

The head of Argentina’s soccer federation said the chaotic ending to its Olympic soccer match against Morocco on Wednesday “makes no sense,” and coach Javier Mascherano called the scene “a scandal.”

The opening match of the men’s soccer tournament was suspended for nearly two hours during added time after Morocco fans invaded the field and threw bottles in protest of a late goal by Argentina. The goal was later overturned by the video assistant referee, and Argentina lost 2-1.

“What happened on the field was a scandal. This isn’t a neighborhood tournament, these are the Olympic Games,” Mascherano said.

Paris organizers said they were trying to “understand the causes and identify appropriate actions” after the match in Saint-Etienne. Argentina’s soccer federation said it issued a formal protest Wednesday to world governing body FIFA and would do “what is necessary” to guarantee the safety of players.

“Having to wait almost two hours in the dressing room, after Morocco fans entering the pitch, the violence that the Argentina delegation suffered, our players having to warm up again and continue to play a match that should have been suspended by the main referee, is really something that makes no sense and that goes against the competition rules,” Argentina Football Association president Claudio Tapia said.

The Argentina team also said its training base was robbed before the game, with a watch belonging to midfielder Thiago Almada among the items taken.

Meanwhile, Argentine President Javier Milei arrived Thursday in Paris, his office said, and is expected to meet French President Emmanuel Macron after tensions escalated between their countries over the Argentine soccer team’s derogatory post-match chants about French players at Copa America.

Morocco fans rushed the field to protest Cristian Medina’s goal in the 16th minute of added time at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, which appeared to tie the game at 2. Bottles also were thrown from the crowd and, in frenzied scenes, security tackled fans on the field.

“Some of the fans thought it was the end of the match and decided to invade the pitch,” Thomas Collomb, the deputy director of security for Paris organizers, said Thursday. “The atmosphere was festive. At no time was there any security risk for players or spectators. Within minutes of the final whistle, a security bubble formed around the athletes.”

There were images of Argentina players flinching when what appeared to be a flare was thrown onto the field.

“I can understand why this might have been worrying for Argentine athletes,” said Bruno Le Ray, the organizing committee’s security director. “Stade Geoffroy-Guichard is known for having no barriers between the stands and the pitch. To our knowledge, no firecrackers were fired at any time. It’s definitely an incident, but not in the security sense.”

Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi wrote on X: “I deplore the attitude of certain supporters during the match, which tarnished the image of our loyal fans. Such behavior has no place in football.”

In the confusion, it was believed the final whistle had been blown when players headed to the locker room and fans were told to leave the stadium. FIFA’s official website declared the final score 2-2.

But it later emerged that the game had been suspended with just minutes of play remaining and that Medina’s goal was being reviewed.

The players re-emerged to warm up in an empty stadium after about two hours and referee Glenn Nyberg confirmed he was reviewing video of the goal on the touchline monitor. He then confirmed it would be overturned for offside.

Morocco held on for the win as the teams played out the final three minutes.

“The game was suspended because of security. At no moment did they talk to us about any revision (of the play),” Mascherano said.

“Obviously it’s confusing, but we have to move forward. It’s already happened, it’s over. We have to focus on the two games (remaining). Save up the anger and let it all out in the coming games.”

Two-time gold medalist Argentina was one of the pretournament favorites and was aiming for more hardware after winning the World Cup in 2022 and back-to-back Copa Americas.

On Saturday, Morocco is scheduled to face Ukraine at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.

“We’ll make sure we reinforce security by adding barriers or private security,” Le Ray said.

RAFAEL NADAL, NOVAK DJOKOVIC ON COURSE FOR EARLY CLASH AT OLYMPICS

Tennis legends Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal could have an early showdown at the Paris Olympics.

Draws for the Olympic tournament were held Thursday at Roland Garros, with No. 1 seed Djokovic set to face Australia’s Matthew Ebden in the first round.

If Nadal defeats Marton Fucsovics of Hungary in his opener, and Djokovic tops Ebden, the two will meet in the second round.

Djokovic, of Serbia, has 24 Grand Slam titles to his credit; the Spaniard Nadal has 22. But 14 of Nadal’s titles have come at the French Open on the clay courts at Roland Garros, where Djokovic has claimed three victories.

Nadal won the gold medal at the 2008 Games in Beijing, where Djokovic took the bronze.

Carlos Alcaraz, who won both the French Open and Wimbledon this summer, is the No. 2 seed and drew Lebanon’s Hady Habib in the first round.

No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev of Germany, the gold medalist at Tokyo in the 2020 Games, will open against Jaume Munar of Spain.

The No. 4 seed, Daniil Medvedev, drew Rinky Hijikata of Australia, while No. 5 Alex de Minaur of Australia will face Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany.

Nadal and Alcaraz will pair in men’s doubles and meet the sixth-seeded team, Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni of Argentina, in the opening round.

NFL NEWS

BILLS’ VON MILLER SAYS HE BELIEVES DOMESTIC ASSAULT CASE TO BE CLOSED, WITH NO CHARGES FILED

PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — No charges have been filed, and Von Miller said Thursday that he considers the case of him allegedly assaulting his pregnant girlfriend as being closed based on feedback the Buffalo Bills edge rusher got from his legal representatives.

“No charges were ever filed and the case is closed. I’m able to just move forward and focus solely on football,” Miller told reporters following the Bills’ second day of training camp in suburban Rochester, New York.

“My life is all about football right now and my kids, and being the best teammate and best football player I can possibly be,” he added. “I’m happy to be here with the Buffalo Bills. I’m happy to just be in this moment, living my life and do the things that we do normally.”

Miller’s agent Joby Branion repeated his client’s comments in saying the “case is closed” in a text to The Associated Press.

A message left with the Dallas district attorney’s office seeking an update on the matter was not immediately returned. The NFL, which was conducting its own investigation, also did not immediately reply to a request seeking comment.

The then-34-year-old Miller turned himself in to police in suburban Dallas on Nov. 30 after being accused by police of third-degree felony assault of a pregnant woman, which is punishable by two to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. He was free after posting a $5,000 bond. The woman and Miller have been in a relationship for seven years and have two other children together.

In his first comments about the matter made a month later, Miller disputed the allegations by calling them 100 percent false and being “blown out of proportion.” Miller indicated something happened between him and his girlfriend, but stressed it did not approach what he is alleged to have done.

“Whatever happened, I hate that it happened. I hate my name is attached to anything like that, and it’s just a matter of time until I can clear it up,” Miller said at the time. “Me and my girlfriend, we have problems just like any other couple does, but there has never been any of those things that was alleged against me.”

According to a police affidavit regarding the alleged assault on Nov. 29, Miller twice put his hands on the neck of the woman, pulled out a chunk of her hair and threw her onto a couch. The woman was treated for minor injuries, including bruising on her neck, officers wrote.

Police wrote that Miller became “visibly angry” when the woman went into an office in their shared apartment and slammed the door behind her.

Miller then told her to “get out,” police wrote, and when she tried to collect her laptop and cellphone, Miller began pushing her. She repeatedly yelled, “Stop. I’m pregnant,” the affidavit said. She fell into a chair after being pushed, and Miller then put one hand on her neck and held it with pressure for three to five seconds, police wrote.

According to the document, Miller then threw the woman’s laptop on the floor and stomped on it. She told police she recorded some of the attack and, when she threatened to call police, he left.

The alleged incident happened during the Bills’ bye week. Upon returning to Buffalo, Miller said he provided his version of what happened in a meeting that included team owner Terry Pegula, general manager Brandon Beane and coach Sean McDermott, and with the Dallas DA’s office listening in by phone.

The Bills followed the NFL’s lead in allowing Miller to continue playing because no charges had been filed.

REPORT: BRONCOS, SUTTON AGREE TO RESTRUCTURED DEAL

The Denver Broncos and wide receiver Courtland Sutton agreed to a restructured contract that can earn the wide receiver up to $15.2 million this season, reports Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

The 28-year-old signed a four-year, $60-million extension in 2021 and is locked up through the 2025 campaign.

Trade rumors swirled this offseason with Denver receiving multiple offers from teams. However, the Broncos told clubs they plan to keep Sutton.

In early June, Sutton said the two sides were at a “stalemate” but was confident a new contract would be reached.

The SMU product had a solid 2024 campaign, racking up 59 receptions for 772 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns. Sutton has spent his entire six-year career with the Broncos since being drafted in the second round in 2018.

49ERS PLACE HOLDOUT LT TRENT WILLIAMS ON DID NOT REPORT LIST

Left tackle Trent Williams was placed on the did not report list on Thursday as the San Francisco 49ers began training camp without their premier offensive lineman.

Under terms of the collective bargaining agreement, the 49ers can fine Williams $50,000 per absence during camp.

Williams, an 11-time Pro Bowl selection, is owed $74.76 million over the next three seasons — but none of the compensation is guaranteed. Williams cleared the midway point of six-year, $138.06 million deal and is entering the fourth year of the agreement.

“It’s something I knew could be a possibility, and I was hoping that he would be here,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said of Williams. “But I knew it could be a possibility, and I feel pretty confident that it will all work out in the long run and he’ll be here, and we’ll get on the same page with everything. It’s just one day of practice, and I think Trent will be all right missing a few practices.”

Williams was a first-team All-Pro in each of the past three seasons. The 36-year-old is entering his fifth season with San Francisco, which gave up third- and fifth-round picks to acquire him from Washington.

A seven-time Pro Bowl selection in nine campaigns with Washington, Williams sat out the entire 2019 season as part of a dispute with Washington over the handling of his health and injury issues, including a rare form of cancer, and his contract.

Williams has a cap figure of $31.6 million for 2024. He is stated to earn $20.05 million this season as well as $750,000 more in game-day roster bonuses.

He will make $22.5 million next season and $32.21 million in 2026.

Williams’ average annual salary of $23.01 million is fourth highest among NFL left tackles. He moved down a spot Tuesday when Christian Darrisaw of the Minnesota Vikings signed a four-year, $113 million extension that will average a tackle-record $28.25 million a season.

Shanahan didn’t want to have a deep discussion about the contract situation.

“A lot of things play into it but I’m not going to get into the personal parts of the contract,” Shanahan said.

COWBOYS’ JERRY JONES DEFENDS GM RECORD, ROLE AS CONTRACT DRAMA BOILS

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones claims to know what it’s like not to get everything on his wish list.

“Believe it or not, in my life, I’ve had a lot of things that I wanted but couldn’t afford it,” Jones said in his annual State of the Cowboys press conference, which was delayed due to a federal court appearance involving a paternity claim and countersuit involving Alexandra Davis.

Most of the attention in a press conference that trickled into the start of practice signaled by sounding air horns in the background was focused on financial issues and cap decisions with direct implications for the Cowboys’ critical personnel.

Dallas has 30 players on expiring contracts entering the 2024 season, with Pro Bowl quarterback Dak Prescott the most prominent. Jones understands that it sets up a year with “a lot on the line.”

“There’s nothing bright-lined about the kinds of things noted in this offseason that aren’t happening. It’s got a lot more ambiguity to it,” Jones said Thursday.

Jones said that “70 percent of your whole payroll” will go to Prescott, holdout wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and outside linebacker Micah Parsons eventually, and reminded the Cowboys are still paying “the credit card bill” for restructuring bygone contracts.

Prescott, who turns 31 on Monday, is in the final year of his contract and isn’t eligible to be given the franchise tag.

Lamb, 25, was a camp no-show with $17.99 million due in salary for 2024, the final year of his contract.

Parsons, 25, has one year left on his four-year, $17.1 million rookie deal, and the Cowboys exercised his $21.3 million option for 2025, making him eligible for an extension.

“That’s a challenge. How do you keep a supporting cast around (Dak) and make all of that work out? It’s real,” Jones said.

Head coach Mike McCarthy sits at the middle of the mounting challenges but said he feels none of the pressure or perspiration of the outside media and fans focused on contracts and players who aren’t in attendance at camp in Oxnard, Calif.

He’s also working on an expiring contract but didn’t want to discuss it Thursday.

“I view this question the same my whole tenure as a head coach. That’s part of the business of the National Football League,” McCarthy said. “My energy, my focus, the players and the coaching staff is not even close to what we’ve been talking about the last 30 minutes. We’re excited by the opportunity in front of us. … The contract conversations, we talked about that back in the spring, and that’s where that lies with me. That’s not the way we’re wired. We can’t be wired that way. We’re on an 11-hour workday.”

Jones said he’s still more than comfortable being responsible “for any and everything that goes on” under the Cowboys’ roof. He said he’s only comfortable operating that way because “I can’t delegate that.”

Jones said he’s not “sitting up there throwing darts” when asked about why the GM job wasn’t on the line but the coach and players are fighting for their next season, said other teams change coaches and general managers far more frequently while the Cowboys have had two.

Stephen Jones remains a loud voice in the front office and indicated the Cowboys expect to be able to sign all of their key players with roster situations in flux.

“I just think it’s very unique that you have a top quarterback on your team as well as two players on either side of the ball that feel like, and rightfully so, they’re the best non-quarterback players in the league. It stresses the cap,” Stephen Jones said. “We think we can get it done. We think we can get Dak done. But there are tough decisions that you have to make if you want to keep your up-and-coming players. It’s a good problem to have.”

Jerry Jones said in Lamb’s case he was “waiting for more leaves to fall,” before addressing his contract. Jones said there are “hundreds of times” in his life experiences when hindsight would indicate he maybe should have handed the ball off and not pitch it, equating his role as GM to being an option quarterback. He also referenced the “Ben Franklin Method” in listing

“We’re buying time. We’re option quarterbacking, going out toward the sideline and we haven’t pitched the ball,” Jerry Jones said. “That’s what we’re doing. And we’re waiting for something to happen in the morning.”

RUSSELL WILSON (CALF) SITS OUT FIRST STEELERS PRACTICE

Veteran quarterback Russell Wilson didn’t participate in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first practice of training camp on Thursday, with Justin Fields taking the first-team reps.

Coach Mike Tomlin told reporters after practice in Latrobe, Pa., that Wilson had calf tightness and is day-to-day. Tomlin said Wilson wanted to practice but coaches told him to take the day off.

Wilson, 35, stood to the side wearing his No. 3 jersey and a baseball cap and observed as Fields took part in the drills. After practice, Wilson got in some work with the wide receivers and tight ends.

The Steelers moved on from starter Kenny Pickett in the offseason, acquiring Wilson and Fields to fill the position.

On Wednesday, Tomlin reiterated Wilson, who won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks, was entering camp as the No. 1 QB over Fields, 25, the 2021 first-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears.

EAGLES PLAN TO SHIFT CB JAMES BRADBERRY TO SAFETY

Former Pro Bowl cornerback James Bradberry is on the move — in the Philadelphia secondary.

Bradberry is cross-training at safety under new Eagles coordinator Vic Fangio after a poor season in coverage. Fangio said the degree of difficulty with the move is extreme, but believes in Bradberry because of his intelligence.

“You say you’ve seen that a lot over the years,” he said. “The truth is: No, you haven’t. The list of guys successfully transitioning from corner to safety is very small — with success. … We’ll see if he can do that.”

“James has got a good feel for football, very knowledgeable,” Fangio added. “So that will help him in that transition. He’ll still play some corner for us, too.”

Bradberry, who turns 31 next month, was second-team All-Pro and scored the top coverage grade under Pro Football Focus evaluations in 2022. He had his worst year in the NFL in 2023, however, giving up a career-high 11 touchdown passes and a 114.3 passer rating when targeted. He allowed two TD passes and a QB rating under 50 in 2022.

Second-year corner Kelee Ringo played well in Bradberry’s absence as a rookie last season alongside No. 1 corner Darius Slay.

General manager Howie Roseman said in April that the Eagles were not running from the fact that Bradberry’s 2023 season “wasn’t what we expected.”

It’s possible Bradberry will be moved in a preseason trade if he doesn’t quickly take to the safety slot.

Charles Woodson, Rod Woodson and Troy Vincent — an All-Pro with the Eagles in a secondary that included Brian Dawkins — are among the success stories in the transition from the boundary to the deep middle.

Vincent prolonged his career by playing safety for the Bills and in Washington.

The current roster is bloated with cornerbacks. Philadelphia drafted first-rounder Quinyon Mitchell out of Toledo and then selected hybrid defensive back Cooper DeJean in the second round. Isaiah Rodgers is ready to return from the suspended list and the Eagles brought back Avonte Maddox.

FALCONS QB KIRK COUSINS (ACHILLES) CLEARED TO PRACTICE

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins has been medically cleared to practice at training camp, nearly nine months after surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon.

Falcons coach Raheem Morris confirmed the veteran signal-caller’s status Thursday on the first day of practices in Flowery Branch, Ga.

Morris said Cousins will take the vast majority of the first-team snaps. He said there will be minor restrictions, but “you won’t notice” the limitations.

Cousins, who turns 36 next month, had surgery Nov. 1 to repair the season-ending Achilles injury sustained during Minnesota’s Week 8 win at Green Bay on Oct. 29.

He participated in some non-contact workouts this offseason with the Falcons, who signed him to a four-year, $180 million deal in free agency in March.

A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Cousins has thrown for 39,471 yards with 270 touchdowns and 110 interceptions in 150 games (145 starts) with Washington (2012-17) and the Vikings (2018-23).

Morris said 2024 first-round draft pick Michael Penix Jr. will split the second-team reps at quarterback with veteran Taylor Heinicke.

JETS PLACE HAASON REDDICK ON RESERVE/DID NOT REPORT LIST

The New York Jets placed pass-rusher Haason Reddick on the reserve/did not report list Thursday, multiple outlets reported.

Training camp started Tuesday in Florham Park, N.J., without the veteran, who was acquired in a March trade with Philadelphia.

Reddick, who turns 30 in September, is in the final year of his contract and looking for a long-term deal.

Reddick has recorded 50.5 sacks the past four seasons and is due to earn $14.25 million this season.

By comparison, new Giants edge rusher Brian Burns — traded to New York from the Carolina Panthers in the offseason — has 38.5 sacks the past four seasons and signed a five-year, $141 million contract ($28.2 million per season).

New York considers Reddick a starter at one defensive end position after dealing away John Franklin-Myers, who was traded to the Broncos in April, and losing Bryce Huff to the Eagles in free agency.

A first-round pick (13th overall) by Arizona in 2017, Reddick is a two-time Pro Bowl selection with 410 tackles, 99 quarterback hits, 58 sacks and 16 forced fumbles in 114 games (81 starts) with the Cardinals (2017-20), Panthers (2021) and Eagles.

REPORT: RAMS FEAR TORN ACL FOR CB DERION KENDRICK

The Los Angeles Rams fear cornerback Derion Kendrick sustained a torn ACL in practice, ESPN reported Thursday.

Kendrick, who turns 24 next month, will have further testing to confirm the initial diagnosis, per the report.

A sixth-round draft pick in 2022, Kendrick appeared in all 17 games with 12 starts last season.

Kendrick has recorded 92 tackles, 14 passes defensed and one interception through 32 games (18 starts).

The Rams bolstered their secondary in the offseason by signing corners Tre’Davious White and Darious Williams.

REPORTS: BRONCOS SIGN WR COURTLAND SUTTON TO RESTRUCTURED CONTRACT

The Denver Broncos signed wide receiver Courtland Sutton to a restructured contract that can pay him up to $15.2 million this season, including $1.5 million in new incentives, multiple media outlets reported Thursday.

Sutton, 28, had skipped the Broncos’ voluntary organized team activities because he wanted an adjustment in pay. He attended the mandatory minicamp and reported to training camp this week, however.

He is under contract through the 2025 season and was due to make $13.5 million this season through his base salary and a $500,000 roster bonus, according to reports.

Sutton scored a career-high 10 touchdowns last season while catching 59 passes for 772 yards. A second-round selection by Denver in the 2018 NFL Draft out of SMU, Sutton has 298 receptions for 4,259 yards and 24 touchdowns in 81 games (69 starts) in six seasons.

The 2019 Pro Bowl selection is the veteran leader of the Broncos’ wide receiving corps, as Jerry Jeudy was traded to the Cleveland Browns in March.

1 SOPHOMORE BREAKOUT CANDIDATE FOR EVERY NFL TEAM: ANTHONY RICHARDSON, BRYCE YOUNG AMONG PLAYERS WHO COULD ERUPT IN YEAR 2

The 2023 NFL Draft was full of talented rookies that stood out last season. Which sophomores are breakout candidates for each team in 2024?

The 2023 NFL Draft was loaded with talent as several rookies shocked the league last season. While C.J. Stroud and Puka Nacua emerged as some of the top players at their respective positions last season, others from the class are eager to take that leap in 2024.

As training camp begins around the NFL, optimism is in the air. Which second-year players could have breakout performances for each team this upcoming season?

Second-Year Breakout Players for Each NFL Team

Arizona Cardinals: Michael Wilson

Although the Arizona Cardinals added Marvin Harrison Jr. in the 2024 NFL Draft, second-year wide receiver Michael Wilson is ready for a breakout campaign as well. Wilson is projected as Arizona’s WR2 and should see plenty of targets, given the attention that Harrison will demand as the team’s top target.

Atlanta Falcons: Clark Phillips III

Atlanta Falcons cornerback Clark Phillips III started the team’s last five games a season ago. He showcased his potential by allowing just 151 receiving yards in those five starts and is projected to start this upcoming season.

Phillips should successfully build on his impressive rookie season.

Baltimore Ravens: Trenton Simpson

Following the departure of Patrick Queen in free agency, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Trenton Simpson suddenly has huge shoes to fill. Simpson is projected to start alongside Roquan Smith at inside linebacker for Baltimore’s fearsome defense.

As a rookie, Simpson recorded 13 total tackles and one sack in just 46 defensive snaps.

Buffalo Bills: Dalton Kincaid

Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid showcased plenty of potential during his rookie campaign, but there seems to be another level to his game that hasn’t yet been unlocked. Following the departure of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, Kincaid could lead the Bills in targets in just his second NFL season.

Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young

There’s no way around it, Bryce Young looked absolutely lost during his rookie season with the Carolina Panthers. But the Panthers made the right move this offseason and hired Dave Canales as their head coach.

Carolina also found Young a WR1 by trading for Diontae Johnson. Now, Young is in a significantly better position to enjoy a potential breakout performance in 2024.

Chicago Bears: Gervon Dexter Sr.

The Chicago Bears’ defense reached a new level once they traded for Montez Sweat. Rookie DT Gervon Dexter Sr. also took a step forward following Sweat’s arrival. Now, Dexter is a projected starter and will look to build on the momentum that he had down the stretch for Chicago as a rookie.

Cincinnati Bengals: Chase Brown

Earlier this offseason, the Cincinnati Bengals traded former starting running back Joe Mixon to the Houston Texans. While the Bengals also signed Zack Moss, the move was a vote of confidence in second-year RB Chase Brown. The 24-year-old showcased his explosive ability as both a runner and receiver last year.

Cleveland Browns: Cedric Tillman

Cleveland Browns WR Cedric Tillman barely saw the field his rookie season. However, he did start three games down the stretch and eclipsed the 40-receiving-yard mark three times in his final seven games. Despite the addition of Jerry Jeudy this offseason, Tillman could play a role for Cleveland in 2024.

Dallas Cowboys: Mazi Smith

The Dallas Cowboys were eager to welcome in Mazi Smith as a monstrous nose tackle. Unfortunately, the 23-year-old failed to make a notable impact on Dallas’ defense.

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Now, Smith has reportedly worked on his conditioning and diet, as he looks to take a step forward in 2024. Given his size and potential, he very well could.

Denver Broncos: Marvin Mims Jr.

While the Denver Broncos disappointed many last season, rookie wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. was one of the team’s lone bright spots. Mims showcased his game-breaking speed with several explosive plays, and following Jeudy’s departure, he should have a much bigger role in his second season.

Detroit Lions: Jahmyr Gibbs

While it might seem odd to include Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs as a breakout candidate, his rookie performance was likely just the beginning. Gibbs lost out on several touches to veteran David Montgomery, but his role expanded down the stretch. He could very well clear 300 total touches during his second season.

Green Bay Packers: Jayden Reed

The Green Bay Packers shocked the NFL with their performance last season. Jordan Love received most of the attention, but rookie WR Jayden Reed also played a huge role.

Reed’s role should only expand in Year 2, as he will potentially cross the 1,000-yard mark in receiving this year.

Houston Texans: Tank Dell

Before suffering a season-ending fibula injury, Tank Dell was a massive part of the Houston Texans’ success in 2023. He established a special connection with Stroud and was well on his way to eclipsing 1,000 yards receiving. Now Dell will return with a vengeance and should only benefit from the arrival of Stefon Diggs.

Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Richardson

While Stroud took over the NFL, Anthony Richardson was turning heads for the Indianapolis Colts. Unfortunately, Richardson dealt with injuries, and his season was cut short.

Nevertheless, there’s no denying how special Richardson looked at times during his rookie season. He’s healthy now and ready to take the NFL by storm in Year 2 with the Colts.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Antonio Johnson

Jacksonville Jaguars safety Antonio Johnson only started three games last year, but he made a notable impact. Johnson recorded 17 tackles, two interceptions, one sack, and one forced fumble in just 171 total defensive snaps. Now he’s projected to start alongside Andre Cisco to form one of the most underrated safety duos in the NFL.

Kansas City Chiefs: Wanya Morris

After starting just four games as a rookie, Wanya Morris projects to be the Kansas City Chiefs’ starting left tackle in 2024.

Morris held his own in 2023, allowing just two sacks in 235 total pass-blocking snaps. It’s clear that the Chiefs believe in him watching Patrick Mahomes’ blindside in 2024.

Las Vegas Raiders: Aidan O’Connell

The Las Vegas Raiders were spiraling out of control last season during the first half. But once they named Antonio Pierce interim head coach, rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell was handed the starting job.

Suddenly, the Raiders were competitive again, and O’Connell showed significant flashes of potential. He’ll look to beat out Gardner Minshew this year for the starting spot and build on that performance.

Los Angeles Chargers: Quentin Johnston

Despite being selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Quentin Johnston was essentially invisible for the Los Angeles Chargers last season. Nevertheless, following the departure of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, Johnston will need to step up in Year 2.

Given his experience working with Justin Herbert, Johnston could enjoy a huge leap in 2024.

Los Angeles Rams: Byron Young

The Los Angeles Rams absolutely nailed the 2023 NFL Draft. Nacua established himself as a rising star, and Kobie Turner dominated at defensive tackle.

Byron Young also enjoyed a strong rookie season, recording eight sacks and 61 total tackles. He could take another step forward and reach double-digit sacks in his sophomore season.

Miami Dolphins: De’Von Achane

The only thing that could slow down Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane during his rookie season was a knee injury. Achane should be fully healthy now and ready to take over as RB1 in Miami. He averaged an absurd 7.7 yards per rush last year and should easily eclipse 1,000 yards rushing if he’s able to stay healthy.

Minnesota Vikings: Ivan Pace Jr.

The Minnesota Vikings found an absolute gem in undrafted linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. He started 11 games for Minnesota last year, recording 102 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, and one interception.

This season, Pace will reportedly wear the green dot for Brian Flores’ defense. Pace also doesn’t lack confidence, having recently declared himself one of the top three linebackers in the NFL.

New England Patriots: Christian Gonzalez

New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez suffered a season-ending shoulder injury just four weeks into his rookie campaign. He was playing at an elite level to start his career, having allowed just a 67.5 passer rating when targeted. Now Gonzalez is healthy and should be able to prove he’s one of the NFL’s top cornerbacks in 2024.

New Orleans Saints: A.T. Perry

Through the first nine games of his rookie campaign, New Orleans Saints wide receiver A.T. Perry barely saw the field. Yet, he earned a role down the stretch and showcased his potential, hauling in three touchdowns in the team’s final three games.

In 2024, Perry projects to start and should take a step forward.

New York Giants: Deonte Banks

While the New York Giants were one of the worst teams in the NFL last season, rookie cornerback Deonte Banks was one of the lone bright spots for Big Blue. Banks was put in a tough situation in former defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s scheme. Now he’ll be looking to build on his impressive rookie campaign under a new DC.

New York Jets: Will McDonald IV

Due to the New York Jets’ EDGE depth, Will McDonald IV hardly saw the field his rookie season. However, following the departures of Bryce Huff and John Franklin-Myers, McDonald could have a significantly larger role going forward – especially given the unknown status of frustrated pass rusher Haason Reddick, as he continues to seek a new contract.

Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Carter

Jalen Carter started off his NFL career taking the league by storm by recording five sacks in his first eight games for the Philadelphia Eagles. Yet, Carter slowed down a bit during the second half of the season.

MORE: Simulate the 2024 NFL Season With PFN’s Playoff Predictor

With Fletcher Cox’s retirement, Carter is now viewed as Philadelphia’s top DL player and should make a massive leap in 2024.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Nick Herbig

Although the Pittsburgh Steelers already have a ton of talent along the defensive front, Nick Herbig could take a step forward this season. Herbig showed flashes in his rookie season and recorded three sacks despite only 81 total pass-rushing snaps. The 22-year-old edge rusher could have a bigger role during his sophomore year.

San Francisco 49ers: Ji’Ayir Brown

After starting safety Talanoa Hufanga went down with a season-ending injury, Ji’Ayir stepped up in a major way for the San Francisco 49ers. Brown allowed just two touchdowns in coverage in 2023, while also recording three interceptions. As a result, he’s now a projected starter.

Seattle Seahawks: Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Despite being selected No. 20 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, Jaxon Smith-Njigba had a relatively inconsistent role for the Seattle Seahawks as a rookie and failed to record more than 63 receiving yards in a single game last season.

Nevertheless, Smith-Njigba could be in line for a bigger role as the Seahawks made a change at offensive coordinator, and Tyler Lockett is only getting older.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: YaYa Diaby

Although he only started seven games as a rookie, Yaya Diaby showed flashes of pass-rushing dominance for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He recorded 7.5 sacks in just 342 pass-rushing snaps and is now expected to be a full-time starter. Assuming he takes a massive step forward, Diaby could reach double-digit sacks in Year 2.

Tennessee Titans: Will Levis

Will Levis was the talk of the NFL in Week 7 last year after throwing four touchdowns in his Tennessee Titans debut. However, Levis threw just four passing touchdowns for the remainder of his rookie season and came crashing back down to earth.

Despite those struggles, he’s in a much better position to succeed in 2024 and beyond, particularly because the Titans hired Brian Callahan as head coach and added WRs Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd.

Washington Commanders: KJ Henry

The Washington Commanders are embracing a new era in 2024 with Dan Quinn as head coach. Quinn will bring a feisty defense to Washington that currently lacks significant talent along the edge.

However, second-year defensive end KJ Henry could turn heads in Quinn’s scheme. Henry has the size, speed, and athleticism to flourish.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS

OREGON’S DAN LANNING RESPONDS TO KIRBY SMART’S NIL BARB

Defending Oregon’s name, image and likeness program in the wake of recent comments from Georgia coach Kirby Smart, Ducks coach Dan Lanning said it’s an “exaggeration” that his program receives significantly more funding than other top-10 teams.

“The reality is, find a top-10 team in college football right now that doesn’t have great support,” Lanning told ESPN on Thursday. “Do we have a lot more than everybody else? I think that’d be an exaggeration or we’d never lose. Everyone else right now is focused on our ice cream cone, and if I’m busy looking at theirs, that means mine’s melting.”

Last week at SEC Media Days, Smart — whom Lanning coached under at Georgia before taking over at Oregon — jokingly said he wished he “could get some of that NIL money (Nike founder and Oregon alum Phil Knight) is giving Dan Lanning.”

Lanning said that the Ducks’ NIL program, which helped them land key transfers such as linebacker Evan Stewart and quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore, will always give them a shot to land some of the country’s best players, but they’re hardly alone.

“I’m sure there’s a correlation, right?” Lanning said, noting how defending national champion Michigan had 13 players selected in this year’s NFL draft. “Is our situation different than other teams in the nation? Absolutely. Is our team’s situation different than the premier teams in the nation? Probably not. And that’s OK. We want to be in that (group).”

While there will be an adjustment period as Oregon prepares for its first season in the Big Ten, Lanning wants to see his players be themselves.

“We don’t want to come in and be a team that follows the trends; we want to be a team that sets the trends,” Lanning told ESPN. “That just means studying yourself and how you can improve. It’ll be a learning experience.”

NEW COACH, SAME MISSION FOR DEFENDING CHAMPS MICHIGAN

When Jim Harbaugh bolted back to the NFL and took over as head coach of the Chargers, defending national champion Michigan already knew where it would turn.

Offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore was elevated to head coach with Harbaugh’s typical energetic backing and a reset defined by major changes was underway.

A bunch of new coaches were hired, there will be a new starting quarterback in Ann Arbor — J.J. McCarthy was the No. 10 pick in the NFL draft — and a couple first-time conference opponents; USC pays a visit to the Big House on Sept. 21, and Oregon rolls in Nov. 2.

Moore didn’t change one specific part of Harbaugh’s program: the primary goal is still the same.

“I think every year for us, our goal is to win (the national title). We’re not going to stray away from the goal of trying to win it all every year,” Moore said Thursday at Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis. “When you’re at Michigan, that should be your goal every single year.”

Harbaugh isn’t an easy act to follow. He won 10 games six times in nine seasons and left after three straight years in the College Football Playoff, capped with a 15-0 season and national title.

The significance of standing before the media in Indianapolis as the head coach of the Wolverines wasn’t lost on Moore.

“It’s a humble blessing, first African American head coach at Michigan. It’s a blessing,” he said. “I think it’s awesome. But it also shows that every young man, regardless of the color of your skin, wherever you’re from, you can do whatever you want. Don’t allow people to tell you that you can’t do something. If you want to go do it, go take the opportunity and strive to be great.”

Moore said there is no timetable for naming McCarthy’s successor or any other depth chart decision. Each spot will be determined on merit in fall camp, he said, an intentional plot to encourage the collective group to focus on what he said Michigan defines as important.

“Taking the necessary steps to be elite, to do all the things that we set out to do — win the big games, beat our rivals, beat Ohio State, win the Big Ten, go to College Football Playoff and win it,” Moore said.

CLEMSON LEANS ON QB, EXPERIENCE IN NEW-LOOK ACC

Cade Klubnik and Clemson are counting on experience to make a difference in the new-look ACC this season.

The Tigers bring back Klubnik and seven other starters on offense, an asset head coach Dabo Swinney understands can be a difference-maker.

“It’s a blessing certainly when you have your starting quarterback back, for sure. I mean, we’ve had great ones that have come in, it was their first year in our system, and have done well,” Swinney said Thursday at ACC Media Days in Charlotte, N.C. “It’s always great when you’re not starting over, and you’ve got a guy that’s grown, had some experience under his belt. I mean, Cade is a great young man, a great talent. He’s just blossoming right before our eyes physically and mentally, also as a leader.

“We’re excited about Year 2 with him as our starter. Also with (offensive coordinator and QBs coach) Garrett (Riley). It will be Cade’s first time to have the same coach, same system. I think we all expect to see some great growth from that.”

Klubnik was a full-time starter for the first time in 2023 and also played under Riley in 2022. He had 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season and credits a simplification from Riley for his optimistic outlook on 2024.

“I would just say one of the biggest things is taking it one week at a time,” Klubnik said. “I’m never looking to the next opponent, never looking to two weeks ahead, three weeks ahead. Truly just focusing on one day at a time. That’s one thing we’ve talked about. Just being automatic in everything, every little play, automatic and efficient. Making the routine plays routine. Just sticking to the system.”

In addition to Riley, Klubnik has used networking and resources available to pick the brains of other quarterbacks. He’s checked in with Clemson greats Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence in addition to Eli and Peyton Manning and a connection to Klubnik’s hometown of Austin, Texas.

“I’ve talked to Deshaun and Trevor a little bit each. They’re both chasing their NFL careers right now, so they don’t have a lot of time to come back to Clemson and train with me,” Klubnik said. “I’ve definitely had some great mentors. Nick Foles is a guy that went to my high school (Westlake). Got to spend a couple days with the Mannings, pick their brains. Learned a couple little cheat codes that I never even heard before.”

ANOTHER ORANGE

Syracuse was excited to introduce another quarterback with experience — Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord. He left the Buckeyes at the end of the 2023 season and said he didn’t think twice about returning close to his New Jersey home for the “conference of quarterbacks.”

Where does McCord fit in the league QB pecking order?

“I guess we’ll see. I’m not one to stand up here and make predictions or whatever. But I’m confident in my game. I’m confident in the players around me. So more than anything, I’m excited to play,” he said. “Still have a little bit of a sour taste in my mouth from the last time I was on the field against Michigan. I’ve been eager to get back out on the field and start competing.”

NORTH BY SUBTRACTION
Mack Brown anticipates feeling the loss of his quarterback, No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye. But he also expects the Tar Heels to be … better in 2024.

North Carolina enters fall camp eyeing a third different starting quarterback in three seasons following Sam Howell and Maye. The competitors include Jacolby Criswell, Texas A&M transfer Max Johnson and Conner Harrell.

“I remember the year that Drake started,” said Brown, who returned to coaching from a broadcasting role at ESPN five years ago. “(Someone) told me the other day: There’s not much buzz about your team right now. I think that’s what was said when Drake and Jacolby were competing for the quarterback spot. We started 9-1. Conner has played enough now that he gets it. He’s got to chance to be really good. Max has thrown 900 balls in the SEC.

“I do think what will happen is our defense is going to be better. Last year, we ran the ball more like we did when Michael Carter and Javonte Williams were here. We’re going to help the defense more with our offense. These guys have to step up and they can’t be Drake, they can’t be Sam, but we can be a better team.”

BASEBALL NEWS

MLB ROUNDUP: PADRES’ DYLAN CEASE NO-HITS NATIONALS

Dylan Cease pitched the second no-hitter in the majors this season, lifting the visiting San Diego Padres to a 3-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Thursday.

Cease, 28, struck out nine batters and walked three while throwing a career-high 114 pitches to complete San Diego’s three-game sweep of Washington.

Cease (10-8) became the second pitcher in Padres history to toss a no-hitter. San Diego native Joe Musgrove accomplished the feat against the Texas Rangers on April 9, 2021.

Houston Astros right-hander Ronel Blanco tossed a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 1 this season.

A’s 6, Angels 5

Daz Cameron hit the go-ahead two-run homer in the fourth inning as visiting Oakland edged Los Angeles in the opener of a four-game series.

Brent Rooker hit a solo homer in the first inning and Lawrence Butler added a two-run blast in the third for the Athletics, who have won six of eight. Butler and Max Schuemann had two hits apiece. Ross Stripling (2-9), who was activated from the injured list prior to the game, earned the win after allowing five runs on six hits and two walks while striking out three over 5 2/3 innings.

The Angels, who scored all of their runs in the second inning, had their four-game winning streak end. O’Hoppe and Zach Neto had RBI singles and Mickey Moniak lofted a sacrifice fly before Luis Rengifo laced a two-run double. Angels starter Kenny Rosenberg (0-1) gave up all six runs on six hits and one walk while striking out one over 3 1/3 innings.

Mets 3, Braves 2 (10 innings)

Jeff McNeil’s second hit of the night, an RBI single in the 10th inning, gave New York a walk-off win over Atlanta in the opener of a four-game series between the National League East rivals.

Francisco Lindor hit a two-run homer in the third inning — the Mets’ last hit before the 10th. New York has won four straight games to improve to 14-7 this month and is within a half-game of Atlanta for the top wild-card spot in the National League. McNeil has three consecutive multi-hit games, and he is 10-for-24 (.417) with four homers and nine RBIs in seven games since the All-Star break.

Mets starter Luis Severino allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out six in five innings. Braves starter Chris Sale gave up two runs on two hits and one walk while striking out nine in 7 1/3 innings.

Rangers 2, White Sox 1

Max Scherzer recorded a season-high nine strikeouts over six innings to help Texas complete a four-game sweep of Chicago in Arlington, Texas.

Marcus Semien homered and Leody Taveras gave Texas the lead in the fourth inning with an RBI on a fielder’s choice. Just two days before his 40th birthday, Scherzer (2-3) limited the White Sox to one run on three hits. The three-time Cy Young Award winner surpassed former teammate Justin Verlander and moved into 10th place on the all-time MLB strikeout leaders list. Scherzer also now leads all active MLB pitchers with 3,400 career strikeouts.

Jonathan Cannon (1-5) gave up two earned runs and eight hits over six innings as Chicago lost its 11th straight. He struck out one batter and walked two. Korey Lee hit an RBI double to give the White Sox a 1-0 lead in the top of the third.

Rays 13, Blue Jays 0

Brandon Lowe went 4-for-4 with an upper-deck solo home run, Taj Bradley extended his scoreless streak to 23 innings as visiting Tampa Bay defeated Toronto.

Brandon Lowe finished with three RBIs, Isaac Paredes had two hits and four RBIs and Alex Jackson added two hits and three RBIs for the Rays in the decisive game of a three-game series. Bradley (6-4) allowed two hits and one walk while striking out seven.

Toronto starter Chris Bassitt (8-9) gave up three runs on five hits in five innings.

Tigers 3, Guardians 0

Javier Baez’s three-run homer in the second inning was all that six Detroit pitchers needed to beat host Cleveland and split the four-game set.

Tyler Holton, Easton Lucas (1-0), Alex Faedo, Jason Foley, Andrew Chafin and Shelby Miller held the AL Central-leading Guardians to four hits and a walk, while recording 10 strikeouts and not allowing more than one runner on base in any inning.

Baez’s homer proved to be the only major mistake made by Cleveland starter Gavin Williams (0-3), who yielded six hits and two walks and struck out nine in six innings. The Guardians are 10-14 since June 26, and they have been shut out five times in the last 14 contests.

Dodgers 6, Giants 4

Clayton Kershaw pitched four innings in his season debut, Nick Ahmed hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning and Los Angeles downed visiting San Francisco.

Kershaw gave up two runs on six hits with two walks and six strikeouts in his first outing since he was roughed up by Arizona in last year’s National League Division Series. The three-time Cy Young Award winner underwent shoulder surgery in the offseason. Enrique Hernandez had three hits with two RBIs, while Shohei Ohtani followed Ahmed’s home run with one of his own.

Heliot Ramos had three hits with an RBI for the Giants, while rookie Tyler Fitzgerald continued to produce with an RBI triple and a run scored. Fitzgerald had his five-game home-run streak snapped Wednesday.

Orioles 7, Marlins 6 (10 innings)

Ryan Mountcastle singled home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning as Baltimore recovered from squandering a six-run lead to beat host Miami.

Connor Norby homered in his first game back in the majors since June 8, and teammates Anthony Santander and hot-hitting Colton Cowser also went deep for the Orioles. The Marlins scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 6-6. Orioles closer Craig Kimbrel walked two and allowed two singles and all three runs (one earned) while getting only two outs in the ninth.

Yennier Cano (4-2) came on to send the game to extra innings. Cionel Perez worked a perfect 10th with two strikeouts for his second save. Josh Bell homered in his second straight game for the Marlins, and Calvin Faucher (2-2) took the loss.

ORIOLES PLACE 2B JORGE MATEO (ELBOW) ON INJURED LIST

The Baltimore Orioles placed second baseman Jorge Mateo on the 10-day injured list Thursday due to a dislocated left elbow.

The injury occurred during Tuesday’s 6-3 loss at Miami when Mateo collided with shortstop Gunnar Henderson as both players pursued a third-inning ground ball by Marlins outfielder Jesus Sanchez.

Mateo, 29, is batting .229 with five homers, 18 RBIs and 13 stolen bases in 68 games this season. He has started 52 games at second base, three at shortstop and two in center field.

The Orioles also recalled infielder/outfielder Connor Norby and right-hander Bryan Baker from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned right-hander Chayce McDermott to Norfolk.

REPORT: BLUE JAYS CF KEVIN KIERMAIER TO RETIRE AFTER 2024 SEASON

Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier plans to retire after the 2024 season, he told the Tampa Bay Times.

“I envisioned that this was going to be my last year and here I am, with the way my body feels and with the state of our team and with what our record is, just been doing a lot of reflecting lately,” Kiermaier said after the Blue Jays defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 6-3 on Wednesday.

The Blue Jays put the 34-year-old Kiermaier on revocable waivers earlier this month but no team put in a claim.

Kiermaier was a 31st-round draft pick by the Rays in 2010 who went on to win four Gold Gloves and a Platinum Glove. He is hitting just .195 this season, his second with the Blue Jays after nine full seasons with the Rays.

He remains a defensive force, but he told the Times that preparation is tougher on his body.

“The way I reflect on it, the product I put on the field now still can be good, but the effort it takes to get it to what I’ve been used to all those years, with my speed and defense and arm and everything, it’s tough,” he said.

“I knew this year was going to be tough just with how I felt last year, and I know as the years go by it’s going to get tougher and tougher. I have my third kid coming in December, and it’s time for me to be a dad and let my body recover.”

Kiermaier has four homers and 18 RBIs in 76 games this season.

He’s a .247 hitter with a .710 OPS to go with 94 home runs and 370 RBIs in 1,119 games.

Kiermaier isn’t ending his career with regrets.

“I’m very proud and very happy,” Kiermaier said. “It’s just been the best journey I could ever ask for. … It’s been incredible.”

REPORT: DODGERS SIGNING P JORDAN LYLES TO MINORS DEAL

The Los Angeles Dodgers are signing right-hander Jordan Lyles to a minor league deal, the New York Post reported Thursday.

Lyles, 33, was released by the Kansas City Royals last week after posting five scoreless relief appearances this season. He led the majors with 17 losses and 124 earned runs allowed during the 2023 season with Kansas City.

Lyles is 72-107 with a 5.22 ERA in 357 career games (245 starts) with eight teams over 14 seasons. He was drafted in the first round by the Houston Astros in 2008.

MARINERS ACQUIRE OF RANDY AROZARENA FROM RAYS

Adding a talented player experiencing a tough season, the Seattle Mariners acquired former All-Star outfielder Randy Arozarena from the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night.

The Rays will receive outfielder Aidan Smith and right-hander Brody Hopkins, both minor-leaguers, and a player to be named.

The Mariners (53-51) have struggled on offense all season — they are hitting a major-league-worst .216 and have a big-league-high 1,066 strikeouts — and they recently placed center fielder Julio Rodriguez (high ankle sprain) and shortstop J.P. Crawford (broken right pinkie) on the injured list. However, they are still in the thick of the playoff race, one game behind the first-place Houston Astros (53-49) in the American League West.

Arozarena, 29, is hitting just .211, but he has 15 homers and has been making better contact over the past two months. Since June 1, he has hit .284 and ranks sixth in the American League with a .397 on-base percentage.

“Randy is a dynamic, high-energy all-around player who has excelled in the biggest moments on the biggest stages,” Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said in a statement. “He’s going to be a great addition to our clubhouse and lineup.”

Arozarena became a full-time major-leaguer in 2021 after being selected the Most Valuable Player of the 2020 AL Championship Series. He is one of three players who recorded 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in each season from 2021-23. He is on pace to do it again, with the 15 homers and 16 stolen bases this season.

Arozarena started in the 2023 All-Star Game at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park. He finished that season with a .254 average, 23 homers, 83 RBIs and 22 stolen bases.

In 587 career games, Arozarena is hitting .256 with 86 homers, 291 RBIs, 325 runs and 96 stolen bases. He started his career with the St. Louis Cardinals, who traded him to Tampa Bay in January 2020.

Smith, 20, and Hopkins, 22, are both playing for Seattle’s Class-A club in Modesto, Calif. Smith, a fourth-round pick by the Mariners in 2023, is batting .284 and has an active 20-game hitting streak. Hopkins, a sixth-rounder in 2023, is 4-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 18 starts for Modesto.

NHL NEWS

FLYERS SIGN ALL-STAR TRAVIS KONECNY TO AN 8-YEAR EXTENSION WORTH $70 MILLION

The Philadelphia Flyers signed All-Star Travis Konecny to an eight-year extension worth $70 million, committing to him being a long-term part of their core as they seek to shift from rebuilding mode to contending.

The deal announced Thursday keeps Konecny under contract through 2033. He will count $8.75 million against the salary cap starting when it kicks in for the 2025-26 NHL season, which would make him Philadelphia’s highest-paid player.

On a video call with reporters, Konecny described his decision as a no-brainer given what he sees as the organization’s trajectory. And he had no doubt in his mind that he wanted to play for the Flyers for the foreseeable future.

“That was one of the biggest things for me was I just wanted to get this over with,” Konecny said. “This is where I wanted to be, so it was pretty easy for me to make the decision I was going to stay here as long as possible.”

General manager Daniel Briere called Konecny an integral part of the team’s fabric and a player who has grown into a significant leader.

“His work ethic, combined with his tenacity and talent, makes him a central figure for what we are building towards,” Briere said. “And his determination for our future success speaks volumes about his commitment to our team and city.”

Konecny, 27, set career highs with 33 goals and 68 points last season. He was set to be an unrestricted free agent next summer and as a result had been the subject of trade buzz in recent months.

“It never really bothered me,” Konecny said. “You always know if something came along that you never know what happens. But I was pretty confident just from conversations that I had had with Danny and how he knew I felt … that we were going to be able to sort something out.”

Instead, the Flyers added Konecny to the list of players signed for multiple years, a group that includes captain Sean Couturier, fellow forwards Joel Farabee and Owen Tippett and defenseman Travis Sanheim.

One of the most exciting developments for the franchise’s future came earlier this week when top prospect Matvei Michkov arrived in the U.S. after getting out of his contract in the Russia-based KHL and signing his entry-level deal with Philadelphia. The Flyers selected Michkov with the seventh pick in the 2023 draft, and he immediately became the most important part of the organization’s attempt to return to the playoffs in the not-too-distant future.

“From the little videos I’ve seen on the internet, he looks like a great player and he’s going to be a great addition to the team,” Konecny said. “I really looking forward to helping him out as much as I can and seeing what he’s capable of doing on the ice.”

AUTO RACING NEWS

COREY LAJOIE, SPIRE MOTORSPORTS TO PART WAYS AFTER SEASON

Corey LaJoie announced Thursday that he will not return to Spire Motorsports after this season.

“I won’t be driving the (No.) 7 car next year,” LaJoie told The Athletic. “I take a lot of satisfaction from having an integral part of building Spire into a respectable team on the grid, but unfortunately, the future won’t involve me.

“We will finish the remainder of 2024 strong, continuing to deliver for my partners, my guys who work hard to build good cars, family, fans and friends who have supported me since Day 1 in the Cup Series.”

LaJoie, 32, recorded four top-5 finishes in 129 races during his four years with Spire in the NASCAR Cup Series. He made his Cup debut in 2014 and competed with BK Racing, TriStar Motorsports and GoFas Racing prior to Spire.

LaJoie sits 28th in points with four races remaining in the regular season.

GOLF NEWS

LAUREN COUGHLIN ON TOP AFTER FIRST ROUND OF CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN

Lauren Coughlin enjoyed a run of four birdies over six holes and emerged with the first-round lead at the CPKC Women’s Open on Thursday in Calgary.

Coughlin carded a 4-under-par 68 at Earl Grey Golf Club to establish a one-shot edge over Jennifer Kupcho, Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn and Australians Hannah Green and Minjee Lee.

Alison Lee, Gigi Stoll, New Zealand’s Lydia Ko and South Koreans Haeran Ryu, Jenny Shin and Hye-Jin Choi are tied for sixth at 70.

Coughlin, 31, never finished in the top five in an LPGA Tour event until this year, when she did so in two majors. She tied for third at the Chevron Championship in April, then placed fourth at the Amundi Evian Championship earlier this month.

“Pretty much ever since Evian, I’ve been hitting the ball extremely well,” she said. “To keep it going even in an off week felt really good. Yeah, it’s just trying to be myself and have fun, and then see what I shoot.”

Coughlin began on the back nine and made nine consecutive pars. She birdied No. 1, then added birdies at Nos. 4, 5, 8 and 9, sandwiching her lone bogey at No. 6.

“It was a lot windier than I was expecting, so just had to stay super patient in the beginning,” Coughlin said. “Kind of started getting some putts dropping. Yeah, I mean, it was tough out there for sure, but I hit a lot of really good shots and a lot of good putts.”

Green, Minjee Lee and Kupcho each had four birdies and one bogey.

Jutanugarn logged consecutive birdies at Nos. 14, 15 and 16, then gave back two strokes with bogeys at Nos. 17 and 18. Her front nine consisted of seven pars and two birdies.

Jutanugarn is attempting to repeat her feat of 2016, when she won the tournament in Calgary.

“I (haven’t had) a good year yet, like starting my first tournament until this event,” she said. “And when I play the practice round Tuesday and play the pro-am on Wednesday, I feel like this course is so hard. Like the rough is so long. The fairway is so small. (Greens are) so firm.

“So today just play (with) no expectation because, like, it’s really windy when we start. Especially, like, the first 12 holes (are) so hard. I think when I play without expectations, … everything starts to get better.”

Megan Khang, who won the event last year when it was held in Vancouver, is tied for 62nd after shooting a 74.

JACOB BRIDGEMAN LEADS 3M OPEN AFTER FIRST-ROUND 63

Rookie Jacob Bridgeman shot a career-low 8-under 63 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the 3M Open on Thursday in Blaine, Minn.

The 24-year-old Bridgeman finished with nine birdies, including three in a row on Nos. 12-14 at TPC Twin Cities. The Clemson product, who has yet to win on the PGA Tour, had one bogey (on the par-4 ninth hole) but birdied his last two holes to finish one stroke ahead of Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes (64).

Hughes collected seven birdies to finish one shot ahead of Patrick Rodgers, Andrew Novak and France’s Martin Trainer.

Sahith Theegala and seven others shot a first-round 66 and are three shots off the pace. Tony Finau (67) is among a large contingent four shots back.

STEPHEN AMES HOLDS 1-STROKE LEAD AT SENIOR OPEN

Stephen Ames carded a 4-under-par 68 to seize a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Senior Open on Thursday in Carnoustie, Scotland.

Ames recorded five birdies against one bogey during his round at Carnoustie Golf Links.

The 60-year-old Canadian is seeking his third win of the calendar year — he won the Chubb Classic in February and the Mitsubishi Electric Classic in April — and join Ernie Els for the most victories by a Champions Tour player this season.

Ames is bidding for his ninth win on the Champions Tour and first major.

“Well, hit the ball nicely,” Ames said of his round. “Hit some good shots and I missed a lot of putts out there, unfortunately, for birdies. But I think overall, the pace of play kind of hindered us a little bit coming down at the end there. So that kind of threw me off-balance.

“But I think overall this is a good test here this week for us. So I quite enjoyed the 68.”

Ames holds a one-shot lead over the quartet of South Korean K.J. Choi, Australian Richard Green and England’s Peter Baker and Paul Broadhurst.

Broadhurst lamented a brief lapse in concentration on the seventh hole, resulting in a failed tap-in.

“My balance wasn’t quite right, and I sort of pulled out of it,” Broadhurst said. “Putter went past the ball — and went past it. I checked with the referee. I had made a legitimate attempt at it but I sort of went back and didn’t get to the ball. So I had to call that.”

Australian Scott Hend is alone in sixth place at 2-under after a spirited surge over his final seven holes. He chipped in for an eagle on the 12th hole and recorded birdies on Nos. 14-15 and 18 to offset a bogey on No. 16.

Padraig Harrington, a two-time runner-up who fell to Alex Cejka in the playoff last year, carded a 1-under 71 and sits in a congested tie for seventh place.

“Yeah, OK with it,” Harrington said of his round. “I think I played well at times out there, and then I struggled the last couple of holes and made some good saves on 16 and 17. I think 71 is fine. It’s well in there.”

TOP INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

Cathedral senior Brady Koehler has narrowed his college choices down to five schools which include Iowa, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. Koehler is ranked as a 4-star prospect after averaging 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.3 blocks per game.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

TRAINING CAMP NOTEBOOK: ANTHONY RICHARDSON ‘SHARP’ IN RED ZONE-FOCUSED FIRST PRACTICE

WESTFIELD, Ind. – After about 30 minutes of methodical warmups and individual drills, the Colts held their first full-team practice period of training camp Thursday morning at Grand Park.

And Anthony Richardson, over a handful of red zone plays, did not disappoint a sizable crowd that gave him a standing ovation upon his arrival on the practice fields for the start of training camp.

Lining up next to running back Jonathan Taylor – a combination we only saw for two plays in 2023 – Richardson ripped touchdown passes to wide receivers Josh Downs, Alec Pierce and Michael Pittman Jr. and tight end Kylen Granson during the Colts’ first 11-on-11 period of the preseason.

“He looked sharp,” head coach Shane Steichen said. “We’ll go back and look at the tape but he looked really good today.”

The Colts stuck to red zone work in Thursday’s training camp curtain-lifter as a way to ease the team into the first of 12 practices at Grand Park.

“I think it’s just the ramp-up period,” Steichen said. “We didn’t want long running distances right off the bat, sometimes hamstrings happen the first couple days, we’re trying to limit that. So we started in the red zone.”

But while sports science drove the decision to start players off in the red zone, it’s an important area of improvement for the Colts’ offense in 2024.

The Colts in 2023 ran the 11th-most red zone plays (174) in the NFL but were 27th in red zone passing touchdowns (11), leaning heavily on the run (17 red zone touchdowns, 7th) to get in the end zone. Ultimately, the Colts were 23rd in red zone touchdown rate (49.1 percent) despite finishing tied for 10th in points per game (23.3).

Notably, again, Richardson and Taylor were only on the field for two snaps in 2023 – neither of which were in the red zone.

“It’s exciting because the playbook is open to everything,” Steichen said of the Colts’ quarterback-running back duo. “You got a quarterback that can do everything — he can throw from the pocket, he can get out of the pocket, he can run the football and then you got Jonathan Taylor, who’s one of the best backs in the league. Having both those guys in the backfield is going to be critical for our success.”

Opening up the playbook with Richardson and Taylor will mean leaning on Richardson’s running ability when necessary. But that’s not something Steichen will shy away from while designing game plans on a game-to-game basis.

“People ask this too a lot, hey, are you going to limit the run game,” Steichen said. “I kind of think, like, shoot, are you going to limit Steph Curry from shooting three-pointers? Well, that’s one of Anthony’s strengths. We’re not going to get away from that. That’s what he does well.”

For Richardson, it’s less about how much he runs and more about being cognizant of the situation in which he’s carrying the ball.

“My legs have always been one of my superpowers,” Richardson said. “Trying to take that away from me, I don’t think that’s a good thing for this offense. It’s just more so me playing a little bit smarter and learning how to take care of myself for my teammates, knowing when to make the right play and when to try to get an extra few yards.”

But whether Richardson is using his legs or not on a given play, just the threat he can – coupled with the rest of the Colts’ running backs, receivers and tight ends – is an advantage in and of itself.

“I don’t feel like it’s any way you can stop the offense,” Richardson said. “We got too many options. Me, I’m two options in myself, throwing the ball and running the ball. And then you got JT back there and all these weapons catching the ball for us.”

COLTS TO USE ANTHONY RICHARDSON’S ‘SUPERPOWERS’ AS A DUAL-THREAT QB

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson regards his legs as one of his “superpowers,” but his many strengths did not include immunity from injury in his rookie campaign in 2023.

Richardson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Game 4, and with his return to the field this week at training camp came the team’s designation as no limitations on his running as a dual-threat quarterback.

“My legs (have) always been one of my superpowers,” Richardson, 22, said Thursday. “So, trying to take that away from me, I don’t think that’s a good thing for this offense. It’s just more so me playing a little bit smarter, and learning how to take care of myself and my teammates. Knowing when to make the right play and knowing when to try to get the extra few yards. Don’t take my legs away, but being more smart.”

Head coach Shane Steichen said it wouldn’t be smart to curtail Richardson’s options behind center, given his abilities to pass and run.

“People ask this, too, a lot,” Steichen said at a Thursday news conference. “It’s just like ‘Hey, are you gonna limit the run game?’ And I kind of think, like, shoot, are you gonna limit (the Golden State Warriors’) Steph Curry from shooting 3-pointers? Well, that’s one of Anthony’s strengths. So, we’re not gonna get away from that. That’s what he does well.”

Indianapolis selected Richardson with the fourth overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Florida after seeing the 6-foot-4, 255-pound quarterback play in college and post some eye-catching numbers at the NFL Scouting Combine.

He played in only four games (all starts) for the Colts and completed 50 of 84 passes (59.5 percent) for 577 yards and three touchdowns. Richardson also rushed 25 times for 136 yards and four scores.

“I think it’s exciting because the playbook is open to everything,” Steichen said. “You’ve got a quarterback that can do everything. He can throw from the pocket, get out of the pocket, he can run the football. And then you have (running back) Jonathan Taylor, who’s one of the best backs in the league. To have both of those guys in the backfield is going to be critical to our success.”

Taylor, a Pro Bowl selection and first-team All-Pro in 2021, was on the physically unable to perform list before playing in Game 4. He and Richardson were in on just two snaps when the quarterback injured the AC joint in his right shoulder in the second quarter of the Week 5 victory over the Tennessee Titans.

The assortment of offensive weapons has Richardson highly optimistic about the Colts’ ability, or superpower, to put up big numbers.

“I don’t feel like it’s any way you can stop the offense,” Richardson said. “We got too many options. Me, I’m two options in myself, throwing the ball and running the ball. And then you got JT back there and all these weapons catching the ball for us.”

INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS

BURROWS SHARP IN RETURN AS INDIANS WIN THIRD IN A ROW, 7-2

DES MOINES, Iowa – In his first appearance with the Indianapolis Indians since April 8, 2023, No. 9 Pirates prospect Mike Burrows worked 4.0 innings of one-run ball in a 7-2 win over the Iowa Cubs on Thursday night at Principal Park.

Burrows retired the first six men he faced before the I-Cubs (10-14, 43-56) struck for their lone run against him in the bottom of the third. However, the Indians (10-12, 43-52) had already jumped out to a 4-0 lead thanks to a two-run double from Jake Lamb and a two-run single from Malcom Nuñez in the top half of the inning against Iowa starter Riley Thompson (L, 4-4).

Burrows’ night concluded with five strikeouts and no walks on 60 pitches through his 4.0 innings, topping at 95.9 miles-per-hour with his four-seam fastball. After Burrows was done, right-hander Aaron Shortridge (W, 1-0) took the baton and ran with it, allowing just one hit and one unearned run while striking out six in his 4.0 innings of relief. Indians pitching combined for 12 strikeouts and just two walks issued in the victory.

The Indians added a run in the fifth inning before plating two more in the top of the eighth on a throwing error and a sacrifice fly. Three Indians hitters tallied multiple hits, including Alika Williams, who was 3-for-3 with two walks to reach base in all five of his plate appearances. Since the start of the series with Iowa, Williams has reached base safely in 12 of his 14 plate appearances over three games.

The Indians and I-Cubs continue their six-game series on Friday night at Principal Park at 8:08 PM ET. Right-hander Jake Woodford (1-5, 4.16) will toe the rubber for the Indians, opposing Iowa starter Brandon Birdsell (0-2, 6.10).

NOTRE DAME BASEBALL

STIFFLER ADDS LUCAS JONES TO STAFF

South Bend, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame’s John P. and Catherine Murphy Head Baseball Coach Shawn Stiffler has announced the hiring of Lucas Jones as an assistant coach for the baseball program. Jones will coordinate infield development and oversee all aspects of baserunning and the short game, while assisting Ryan Munger, who has been promoted to recruiting coordinator in addition to his current role as assistant coach, with hitting.

“Lucas has been a winner at every level of college baseball,” Stiffler said. “During his head coaching stops, Lucas has taken three different programs and turned them into national brands and champions. His love for teaching the game and ability to develop relationships will have a huge impact on our program. We are thrilled to have Lucas, Karla and their three children join the Notre Dame family.”

“My wife and I, along with our three children – Gavin, Hadley and Dayton – are extremely grateful to the University of Notre Dame and Coach Shawn Stiffler for this incredible opportunity,” said Jones. “My goal is to assist this great institution by serving our student-athletes at the highest level and helping share in the vision that Coach Stiffer and his staff have established.”

Jones joins the Fighting Irish after a successful coaching stint at the University of Lynchburg. He was hired as the head coach for the Hornets in May 2017 and made an immediate impact. Jones was named the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Coach of the Year after he led the program to an ODAC Championship and NCAA Division III Regional Tournament berth in 2021. His squad made their second-consecutive NCAA Regional Tournament as Jones repeated as ODAC Coach of the Year in 2022.

In his sixth season at Lynchburg, Jones guided the program to the 2023 NCAA Division III National Championship. The Hornets established new program records for ODAC wins (19) and total wins (48) in a season on the way to the title. He was named as Region 6 Coach of the Year and the American Baseball Coaches Association/ATEC Sports Division III Coach of the Year in 2023.

Jones mentored three ODAC Rookies of the Year, two Pitchers of the Year, and a Player of the Year from 2019 through 2023. Additionally, the Hornets had 24 all-conference, 11 all-region and six all-American selections while Jones was at the helm of the program.

Jones served two seasons as the head coach of Washington and Lee University in 2016 and 2017. He was the 2016 ODAC Coach of the Year while his 2017 squad tied the program record for wins in a season while competing in the ODAC Championship.

His first head coaching role was at Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville, Virginia, where his Patriots went 77-32 in two seasons (2014-15). The 2014 squad placed fourth at the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 10 finals as Jones was named region Coach of the Year. The team then went on to finish second in the 2015 National Junior College Athletic Association Region 10 finals.

Jones began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2007. The Rams won the Colonial Athletic Association and advanced to the NCAA Tournament that season. Jones spent three seasons as an assistant at Randolph-Macon College (2007-10) with another three-year stint at George Mason University (2010-13).

Jones is a 2005 magna cum laude graduate of Lynchburg College with a bachelor of arts in communications studies and a minor in sports management. He was a three-year starter at first base for the Hornets, finishing second all-time at Lynchburg with a .426 career batting average. He batted .481 in 2005 on his way to earning First Team All-ODAC honors and the ODAC Player and Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards. He received ABCA First Team All-America honors, was a CoSIDA First Team Academic All-America selection, the VaSID College Division Player of the Year, and the Lynchburg College Male Athlete of the Year.

BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL

BUTLER AND SMU TO BEGIN HOME-AND-HOME SERIES AT HINKLE IN NOVEMBER

Butler and SMU have agreed to a home-and-home series that will begin at Hinkle Fieldhouse Friday, Nov. 15.

The teams will then meet in Dallas during the 2025-26 season.

The tip time and television assignment for the Nov. 15 contest will be announced at a later date.

Butler and SMU have met only once previously, a 42-37 win by the Bulldogs at Hinkle Fieldhouse during the 1939-40 season.

SMU went 20-13 a season ago, joining Butler in the 2024 NIT field. The Mustangs are embarking upon their inaugural season in the ACC and will do so under first-year coach Andy Enfield, who arrived in Dallas from USC earlier this offseason.

Mustangs guard Chuck Harris will return to Hinkle Fieldhouse for the contest; he played his first three seasons of college basketball for the Bulldogs (2020-21 through 2022-23).

Coach Thad Matta and his Bulldogs will have 18 games on the Hinkle portion of the 2024-25 schedule. Coming off a postseason appearance and electric atmospheres on our home court, the upcoming home schedule includes all 10 BIG EAST opponents visiting Hinkle.

Additional games on Butler’s non-conference schedule will continue to be released over the coming weeks.

BUTLER WOMEN’S SWIMMING

STEWART ADDS SEVEN STUDENT-ATHLETES TO 2024-25 ROSTER

INDIANAPOLIS – Head Coach Maurice Stewart added seven student-athletes to the Butler swim roster over the off-season. These seven swimmers head to Indianapolis from seven different states and provide depth to the team in many different areas. 

CeCe Gerard

5-7

Sprint Free / Fly

Omaha, Neb.

Westside H.S.

High School: All-Conference selection… Helped set school records in the 200 Free Relay and in the 200 Medley Relay… Part of two State Championship teams (2024, 2023)… Metro Champs in 2024…Became the 100 Fly Invite Champ with a time of 57.13… Metro Champion in the 50 Free, clocking in at 24.6… Earned four varsity letters… Also swam for the Greater Omaha Aquatic Leopard Sharks… Member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish Nation Honor Society… Also ran cross country.

Personal: Daughter of Matt and Melissa Gerard… Has two siblings… Plans to major in strategic communications / journalism.

Why Gerard Chose Butler

“Butler has an inviting atmosphere and a wide selection of majors. Butler allows me to be involved in many things that I am passionate about and I can see myself thriving there.”

Kayla Wright

5-3

Distance Free

Marietta, Ga.

Harrison H.S.

High School: Two-time First Team All-State selection… First Team All-County honoree… Made the Second Team All-County Team two times… Top performances came in the 500 Free, 400 Free and 1500 Free… Set three school records at Harrison H.S. (400 Free Relay, 200 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay)… Earned four varsity letters… Member of the Tidal Wave Swimming Club Team… Set two team club records (400 Free, 1500 Free)… Member of the French Honors Society.

Personal: Daughter of Peter and Amy Wright… Has a sibling named Nate… Plans to major in Sports Media.

Why Wright Chose Butler

“I chose Butler for the incredible team environment. It feels like family.”

Meghan Voelker

5-7

Free / Fly

Fishers, Ind.

Hamilton Southeastern H.S.

High School: Earned four varsity letters… Received the Nathan King Outstanding Mental Attitude award… Member of the Southeastern Swim Club.

Personal: Daughter of Chris and Melissa Voelker… Has two siblings; Justin and Nathan… Plans to major in elementary education.

Why Voelker Chose Butler

“Everyone at Butler is welcoming and I’m excited about the athletic and academic opportunities that the university has to offer.”

Caitlin Herring

5-7

Free

Sugar Land, Texas

Homeschool

Before Butler: Member of the Swim Houston Aquatics Center… Top times include: 50 Free – 24.53… 100 Free – 52.61… 200 Free – 1:54.52… 500 Free – 5:11.79… National Homeschool Honor Society member… Vice President in 2022-23 and President in 2023-24… Summa Cum Laude on the National Latin Exam… Maxima Cum Laude.

Personal: Daughter of William and Gina Herring… Has four siblings; Noah, Hannah, Luke and Hazel… Accounting major.

Why Herring Chose Butler

“Butler allows me to compete within an elite athletic program at a small school without sacrificing high-level academics.”

Zizi Mateja

5-7

Free

Northbrook, Ill.

Loyola Academy

High School: Earned four varsity letters… Tabbed All-Conference and All-Sectional… Top times include: 50 Free – 24.7… 100 Free – 52.61… 200 Free – 1:55.26… Member of the COHO Swim Club.

Personal: Daughter of Tim and Julia Mateja… Has two siblings; Vivienne and Dylan… Plans to major in Software Engineering.

Why Mateja Chose Butler

“Butler has a welcoming team environment, supportive coaches and a great academic environment.”

Emma Ciesla

5-3

Fly / IM

Rochester Hills, Mich.

Notre Dame Prep

High School: Earned four varsity letters… Part of three SMISL Championship Teams… Two-time All-State honors… Top times include: 200 Fly – 2:04.8… 100 Fly – 57.09… 400 IM – 4:32.22… Member of four state championship teams… Team Captain as a senior… 12-Time All-State honors… Six-Time All-County honors… 15-Time All-League honors… All-time leader for points scored at Notre Dame Prep… All-time leader in all-state honors earned… Two-time state championship runner-up in the 100 Fly… Member of the OLY Swimming Club… Three-time NCSA Junior National Qualifier… Four-time MISCA Academic All-State honors… NISCA Academic All-American honors… Graduated magna cum laude.

Personal: Daughter of Carolyn Ciesla… Has one sibling; Frances… Plans to major in finance.

Why Ciesla Chose Butler

“I had a great feeling about Butler after meeting Coach Stewart. The university has a strong reputation for academic and athletic excellence. The team and coaching staff made me feel welcome and I feel supported.”

Ava Whittaker

5-9

Free / Fly

South Riding, Va.

Freedom H.S.

High School: All-State selection… Team Captain from 2022-2024… Team MVP 2021-2024… Set the school record in the 50 Free (24.1)… Swam a 52.9 in the 100 Free… Finished eighth at the state meet in the 50 Free… Took 12th at the state meet in the 100 Free in 2023… Finished 16th at the state meet in the 50 Free in 2022… Placed fifth at the state meet in the 200 Medley Relay in 2021… Earned four varsity letters… Member of the Machine Aquatics club team… Also part of the dance team at Freedom.

Personal: Daughter of Jim and Stephanie Whittaker… Has a sibling named Daniel… Marketing major.

Why Whittaker Chose Butler

“I chose Butler for the welcoming community surrounding both athletics and academics.”

BALL STATE AHTLETICS

THREE BALL STATE ALUMS INVOLVED IN PARIS OLYMPICS

Three Ball State alums have stakes in this year’s Olympics in Paris: former Cardinals basketball forward Mike Drews, former MAC Championship-winning linebacker Mark Parris and record-breaking swimmer Apsara Sakbun.

Sakbun, a spring 2023 graduate of Ball State, heads to Paris to represent Cambodia as she competes in the women’s 50-meter freestyle. Sakbun left as Ball State as the program’s record-holder in the 200-yard relay (1:31.38), 400-yard freestyle relay (3:21.74) and 200-yard medley relay (1:39.69). She finished her college career with 15 relay wins on top of her 18 career individual victories. Sakbun earned her spot with Cambodia after setting national records in multiple events at the 2023 Southeast Asian (SEA) games.

Sakbun competes in the 50-meter freestyle Aug. 5, at Paris La Defense Arena. Her younger sister, Haley, is entering her junior year for the Cardinals and is Cambodia’s national record holder in the 200-meter freestyle (2:12.85).

Drews, a two-year Cardinals letterwinner in 1978 and 1979 while leading Ball State in points per game as a freshman (12.5) and sophomore (16.2), saw his playing career cut short due to a heart murmur after his second college season. Fast-forward 45 years, he proudly boasts a daughter, Annie, who heads to her second Olympics as a member of the U.S. women’s volleyball team. A graduate from Penn High School and an All-American during her time at Purdue University, Drews has aspirations of winning her second straight gold medal. She is the first Indiana-born player to make the U.S. women’s volleyball team. U.S. faces China in the Pool A preliminaries on July 29, and the quarterfinals begin Aug. 6.

Parris, a four-year letterwinner on the gridiron from 1989-92, helped the Cardinals to a MAC Championship in 1989. Parris was twice named All-MAC and will be featured during Ball State’s 100th season as a nominee for the Cardinals’ All-Century Team. He is the No. 2 career tackler in Ball State history (515) and he will watch his son, Mason, participate in this year’s Olympics in freestyle wrestling.

A former wrestler for the University of Michigan, Mason Parris earned gold at 125kg at the 2019 Jr. World Championships. Parris also competed at the 2023 World Championships where he won bronze at 125kg. Parris qualified for the 2024 Olympics at the U.S. Wrestling Trials. The first round of the men’s freestyle 125kg starts Aug. 9.

INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES

INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/

EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/

WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/

FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/

ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/

ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index

TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index

BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/

DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/

HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/

MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/

HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/

OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx

ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index

IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/

IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/

IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/

PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/

INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx

GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/

ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/

GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/

HOY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php

TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/

VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index

NUMBERS IN SPORTS

8 – 37 – 7 – 32 – 5 – 21 – 14 – 27 – 29 – 26

July 26, 1939 – New York Yankees catcher Bill Dickey, Number 8 hit 3 consecutive home runs in a 14 -1 route over the St Louis Browns. The Yankees scored in every inning of the contest, at the time becoming the fifth team in MLB history to do so.

July 26, 1948 – “Babe Ruth Story” premieres, and with its star deathly ill, Babe Ruth made his last public appearance in front of appreciative fans.

July 26, 1950 – Brooklyn Dodgers’ Jim Russell, Number 37 was the first to switch-hit a pair of HRs twice in a game

July 26, 1952 – Mickey Mantle, Number 7 of the New York Yankees hit his 1st grand slam

July 26, 1957 – The same Number 7, Mickey Mantle hit his career home run number 200

July 26, 1959 – Chicago White Sox Larry Doby, Number 32 played his final MLB game. Doby retired from baseball altogether in 1962 after playing for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan.

July 26, 1962 – Milwaukee Brave Warren Spahn, Number 21 set a home run record for pitchers when he smacked the 31st of his career over the wall. The Braves used it for a 6-1 victory over the New York Mets.

July 26, 1970 – Cincinnati Reds Johnny Bench, Number 5 hit 3 consecutive home runs off of Philadelphia Phillies Steve Carlton, Number 32.

July 26, 1978 – That same Number 5, Johnny Bench hit his 300th career home run. The two-run shot in the fourth was to no avail though as the New York Mets pounded the Reds 14-3.

July 26, 1984 – Playing for the Montreal Expos, Pete Rose, Number 14 tied Ty Cobb’s long-standing record with his 3,502nd single

July 26, 1987 – Catfish Hunter who wore Number 27 for much of his career with the A’s and Number 29 with the Yankees,  Billy Williams who wore Number 26 for most of his career with the Cubs, and Ray Dandridge who played for a variety of teams in the Negro Leagues inducted in Baseball Hall of Fame

July 26, 1988 – Third basemen Mike Schmidt, Number 20 of the Philadelphia Phillies set a National League record appearing in 2,155 games at 3rd base, as Phillies & NY Mets end that very same game at 2:13 AM

FOOTBALL HISTORY

College All-Star Game Off; Sponsors Blame NFLPA

The big game that traditionally pitted the incoming rookie All-Star team against the previous year’s champs was scheduled to take place on July 26, 1974. However, the Chicago College All-Star game that was supposed to be played on this date was canceled due to the NFL Players strike of that year. The Miami Dolphins were on tap to play the All-Stars in this edition of the game. Phins coach Don Shule told the press that he was very sorry that the game had to be canceled. “Our veterans deserved the trip to Chicago, both financially and for the prestige.”

A more recent SI.com article states that the NFLPA was led by the rallying cry, “No Freedom, No Football,” as players wanted the ability to switch teams when their contracts expired. Owners scoffed, saying this would lead to “anarchy.” In Today’s game, we call it “free agency.” The strike lasted 42 days but was fruitless as the owners stayed strong and players broke ranks. What it may have done though was eventually show the players that they needed a stronger, better communicating Union. What they did work towards and within a couple of decades most of the items they fought for in 1974, they received in a CBA and free agency after a rookie contract was fulfilled.

July 26, 2012 – According to an NFL.com post the league announced the NFL Total Wellness program that they would be initiating. The thought was that a comprehensive health program that would provide current and former players with physical and mental health resources would benefit the players of all eras. The mission of NFL Total Wellness per the article was to enhance the overall well-being of the NFL community in the areas of physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and financial health.

July 26, 2019 – NFL Veterans report to camp for the following teams; Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, LA Rams, and the San Francisco 49ers. Fast forward to the end of the season and it was the Chiefs defeating the 49ers 31-20 in Super Bowl LIV played at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.

Hall of Fame Birthdays for July 26

July 26, 1896 – Everett Strupper was a halfback from Georgia Tech who earned a place in the College Football Hall of Fame’s 1972 class of enrolled stars. In the 1916 season, Strupper scored 8 touchdowns in his team’s 222-0 defeat of Cumberland College. Yes that is a football record for lopsided scores.

July 26, 1920 – Bob Waterfield Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined QB of the Rams franchise both in Cleveland and Los Angeles. He was important enough to the Rams franchise that his number 7 jersey was retired by the organization. Read more about this legend by clicking his name above.

July 26, 1934 – Tommy McDonald was a halfback/flanker who made it into both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. His college ball was played at Oklahoma while he played professionally for the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, LA Rams, Atlanta Falcons, and the Cleveland Browns. As a Sooner in the 1955 college season, Mr. McDonald became the first Oklahoma player to ever score a touchdown in each game played in a season. He followed that up in 1956 by winning the coveted Maxwell Award and ranking third in the Heisman voting. In the Pros he may be most remembered scoring on a 35-yard pass from Norm Van Brocklin as he and the Eagles defeated Vince Lombardi’s Packers in the 1960 NFL Championship game.

July 26, 1939 – Bob Lilly is a member of both the Pro Football Hall of Fame & the College Football Hall of Fame. The defensive tackle played his college ball at TCU and as a Horned Frog, he soon became a consensus All-American. An interesting fact about Bob LIlly is that through a series of trades and circumstances, he became the first Dallas Cowboy ever draft pick. The pick was a great one too as Lilly graced the Cowboy defense for 14 seasons and earned the nickname of “Mr. Cowboy”. He played in a couple of Super Bowls for Dallas including a convincing 24-3 victory over Miami in Super Bowl VI where Bob Lilly registered an NFL record 29 yard loss by sacking the great Dolphin QB, Bob Griese!

TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

July 26

1928 — Bob Meusel of the New York Yankees hit for the cycle for the third time in his career. The Yankees scored 11 runs in the top of the 12th to beat the Detroit Tigers 12-1 in 12 innings.

1939 — The New York Yankees tied a major league record by scoring in every inning against the St. Louis Browns. Bill Dickey hit three home runs in the 14-1 win.

1962 — Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves set the National League record for home runs by a pitcher when he hit his 31st off New York’s Craig Anderson. Spahn dealt the Mets their 11th straight loss with a 6-1 victory.

1970 — Johnny Bench of the Cincinnati Reds hit three straight homers off Steve Carlton of the St. Louis Cardinals. On the same day, Orlando Cepeda of the Atlanta Braves connected for three consecutive homers in an 8-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

1984 — Pete Rose of the Montreal Expos tied Ty Cobb on the career singles list, No. 3,052, with a base hit in the eighth inning in a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

1991 — Montreal’s Mark Gardner became the first to pitch nine no-hit innings against a Dodger home team since Johnny Vander Meer beat Brooklyn at Ebbets Field on June 15, 1938, for his second straight gem. But the Dodgers won in the 10th on two singles off Gardner and Darryl Strawberry’s RBI single off Jeff Fassero.

1998 — Trevor Hoffman’s bid to set a major league record with 42 straight saves ended when the San Diego closer gave up a home run to Moises Alou on his first delivery in the ninth inning, tying the game. The Padres wound up beating Houston 5-4 in the 10th, but Hoffman blew his chance at history.

2005 — Greg Maddux reached 3,000 career strikeouts, striking out Omar Vizquel in the third inning of a 3-2, 11-inning victory for San Francisco.

2008 — Skip Schumaker went 6-for-7 to help St. Louis beat the New York Mets 10-8 in 14 innings. He became the first Cardinals player to have six hits in a game since 1935 when Terry Moore did it against Boston.

2009 — Rickey Henderson, Jim Rice and Joe Gordon are inducted into the Hall of Fame in a ceremony in Cooperstown, NY. Gordon is the first player to be voted in by the Veterans Committee since its rules were reformulated following the controversial election of Bill Mazeroski in 2001.

2010 — Matt Garza pitched the first no-hitter in Tampa Bay Rays history and the fifth in the major leagues this season, beating the Detroit Tigers 5-0. Garza faced the minimum 27 batters, allowing only a second-inning walk.

2013 — Edwin Encarnacion hit two home runs in one inning, including his sixth career grand slam, to power the Toronto Blue Jays past the Houston Astros 12-6.

2014 — The Hall of Fame announces a change in voting rules, as players will now be able to stay on the BBWAA ballot for a maximum of 10 and not 15 years, as long as they meet the minimum 5% threshold. The move is designed to prevent the ballot from becoming overly crowded because of players tainted by steroids staying on the ballot for years on end with no realistic chance of election, but drawing votes away from more legitimate candidates. However, a number of inductees with an untainted record have had to wait over 10 years for election in recent years, such as Jim Rice, Bert Blyleven or Andre Dawson, making it likely that the rule change will have the effect of also squeezing out some worthy candidates.

2015 — Zack Greinke’s shutout streak ended at 45 2/3 innings when the Mets scored the first of two scratch runs against him. The streak was the longest in the majors since Orel Hershiser set the record with 59 for the Dodgers in 1988. New York beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 on Juan Uribe’s single off the wall in the 10th.

2015 — Four players, all elected by the BBWAA, are inducted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY as the Class of 2015: pitchers Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz, all elected on their first presence on the ballot, and 2B Craig Biggio. Martinez steals the show by dancing on stage and entertaining the large contingent of visitors from the Dominican Republic who have come to witness his induction.

2017 — Dee Gordon homered on the first pitch by Yu Darvish, and Miami set a franchise scoring record with a 22-10 rout of the Texas Rangers.

_____

July 27

1918 — Brooklyn rookie Henry Heitman completed one of the shortest careers in major league history. Heitman appeared on the mound against the St. Louis Cardinals, gave up four consecutive hits and then left the game, never to play a major league game again.

1930 — Ken Ash of Cincinnati got his last major league victory by throwing one pitch. Ash came into relieve in the fifth inning and got Chicago’s Charlie Grimm to hit into a triple play. Ash was removed for a pinch hitter and the Reds beat the Cubs 6-5.

1946 — Rudy York of Boston hit two grand slams and drove in 10 runs as the Red Sox beat the St. Louis Browns 13-6.

1950 — Del Ennis of the Philadelphia Phillies drove in seven runs in the seventh and eighth innings of a 13-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Ennis doubled with the bases loaded in the seventh and hit a grand slam in the eighth.

1959 — New York lawyer William Shea announced the formation of the Continental League. New York, Houston, Toronto, Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul were the five cities named and Branch Rickey was named league president.

1978 — Duane Kuiper of Cleveland tied a major league record by becoming the third player in the 20th century to hit two triples in a game. Both came with the bases loaded as the Indians beat the New York Yankees 17-5.

1984 — Montreal’s Pete Rose passed Ty Cobb for the most singles in a career with No. 3,053, against the Philadelphia Phillies.

1986 — Two 300-game winners faced each other , with Don Sutton going six strong innings to outpitch Tom Seaver and give the California Angels a 3-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

1996 — The San Diego Padres pounded the Florida Marlins 20-12. Wally Joyner led the way with five RBIs and John Flaherty hit a grand slam. The Padres were the sixth club to score 20 runs in a game this season. The last time that happened was 1929.

2008 — Oakland reliever Brad Ziegler recorded six outs to set a major league record with 27 scoreless innings to begin his career. Ziegler broke the previous mark of 25 innings set by Philadelphia Phillies right-hander George McQuillan in 1907.

2009 — Washington’s Josh Willingham became the 13th player to hit two grand slams in a game, doing so in the Nationals’ 14-6 win at Milwaukee. Willingham’s eight RBIs were the most in Nationals history and tied the franchise mark.

2011 — Major League Baseball acknowledged umpire Jerry Meals made the wrong call in Atlanta’s 4-3, 19th-inning win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates filed a complaint hours after the longest game in team history.

2011 — Ervin Santana pitched the first solo no-hitter for the Angels in nearly 27 years, striking out 10 and leading Los Angeles over Cleveland 3-1. Santana allowed two runners — an error on the leadoff batter that resulted in a first-inning run and a walk in the eighth.

2011 — The Tampa Bay Rays broke one of baseball’s oldest records when they played their 705th consecutive game with a starting pitcher younger than 30 years old. The Rays lost to Oakland 13-4.

2013 — Tampa Bay Rays rookie Chris Archer helped American League teams pitch a trio of 1-0 games, the first time that’s happened on the same day in nearly a half-century. The last time three AL games ended 1-0 on the same day was Sept. 4, 1965. Archer and Tampa Bay edged New York at Yankee Stadium, Justin Masterson and the Cleveland bullpen blanked Texas and Wade Davis and Royals relievers shut out the Chicago White Sox by the same 1-0 score.

2014 — A huge crowd estimated at 48,000 is on hand for the annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cooperstown, NY. This year’s class is unusually large and prestigious, featuring three players elected on the first ballot: 300-game winnersGreg Maddux and Tom Glavine and slugger Frank Thomas, a member of the 500 home run club. Joining them are three managers who stand at #3, 4 and 5 on the all-time win list in Tony LaRussa, Bobby Cox and Joe Torre. Maddux, Glavine and Cox all found their greatest success in the great Atlanta Braves teams of the late 1990s.

2015 — Alex Rodriguez became the fourth player in major league history to homer as a teen and in his 40s, marking his birthday by lining an opposite-field shot to right against his former team to help the New York Yankees beat the Texas Rangers 6-2. Ty Cobb, Rusty Staub and Gary Sheffield are the only other players to achieve the feat.

2017 — The Nationals tied a franchise record with eight home runs, including two apiece by Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman, in a 15-2 rout of the Milwaukee Brewers. Washington matched two major league records in a seven-run third inning: Most consecutive home runs (four) and most home runs in an inning (five).

July 30

1917 — Ty Cobb, Bobby Veach and Ossie Vitt, each went 5-for-5 in Detroit’s 16-4 romp over Washington.

1933 — Dizzy Dean struck out 17 Cubs for the St. Louis Cardinals, who beat Chicago 8-2.

1947 — The New York Giants defeated Ewell Blackwell and the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 in 10 innings, ending Blackwell’s 16-game winning streak.

1959 — Willie McCovey had four hits in four at-bats in his major league debut, with the San Francisco Giants. His hits included two triples in a 7-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

1962 — The American League, led by homers from Leon Wagner, Pete Runnels and Rocky Colavito, powered past the National League 9-4, in the second All-Star Game of the year. Wagner of the Angels was named MVP.

1968 — Washington shortstop Ron Hansen pulled off an unassisted triple play, but the Cleveland Indians still won the game 10-1.

1969 — Houston, behind grand slams by Denis Menke and Jim Wynn, scored 11 runs in the ninth inning to pound the New York Mets 16-3 in a doubleheader opener at Shea Stadium. Mets pitchers Cal Koonce and Ron Taylor gave up the slams, marking the first time this century that two grand slams were hit in the same inning of a National League game.

1973 — Jim Bibby of the Texas Rangers pitched a 6-0 no-hitter against the Oakland A’s.

1980 — Houston Astros pitcher J.R. Richard had a stroke during a workout at the Astrodome and underwent surgery to remove a blood clot behind his right collarbone.

1982 — The Atlanta Braves returned Chief Noc-A-Homa and his teepee to left field after losing 19 of 21 games and blowing a 10½-game lead. The teepee was removed for more seats. The team recovered to regain first place.

1988 — John Franco of the Cincinnati Reds set a major league record with 13 saves in one month. Franco was tied with Sparky Lyle, Bruce Sutter and Bob Stanley.

1990 — George Steinbrenner was forced to resign as general partner of the New York Yankees by Commissioner Fay Vincent.

2008 — Kelly Shoppach of Cleveland tied a major league record with five extra-base hits, including a game-tying homer in the ninth, but Detroit beat the Indians 14-12 in 13 innings. Shoppach had two homers and three doubles.

2009 — A story in the New York Times states that sluggers David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are among the 104 major leaguers who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003. The test results were supposed to be kept secret, but Alex Rodriguez’s presence on the list of those who tested positive had already been leaked earlier this year. Ortiz states that he was not aware he had tested positive six years earlier and denies using steroids.

2011 — The New York Yankees broke loose for 12 runs in the first inning of the nightcap of a day-night doubleheader, setting a franchise record en route to a 17-3 rout of Baltimore.

2012 — Kendrys Morales homered from both sides of the plate during a nine-run sixth inning, capping the burst with a grand slam that sent the Los Angeles Angels romping past the Texas Rangers 15-8. Morales became the third switch-hitter in major league history to homer as a lefty and righty in the same inning. Carlos Baerga did it for Cleveland in 1993 and Mark Bellhorn of the Chicago Cubs duplicated the feat in 2002.

2017 — Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Ivan Rodriguez are inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

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July 31

1930 — Lou Gehrig drove in eight runs with a grand slam and two doubles, and the New York Yankees outlasted the Boston Red Sox 14-13.

1932 — Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium opened and Lefty Grove and the Philadelphia A’s beat the Indians 1-0 before 76,979 fans.

1934 — The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Cincinnati Reds 8-6 in 18 innings at Cincinnati as Dizzy Dean and Tony Freitas both went the distance.

1954 — Joe Adcock hit four home runs and a double to lead the Milwaukee Braves to a 15-7 victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. Adcock’s 18 total bases set a major league record at the time. Adcock homered in the second inning off Don Newcombe, doubled in the third and homered in the fifth off Erv Palica. He connected off Pete Wojey in the seventh and off Johnny Podres in the ninth. Adcock saw only seven pitches and his double off the left-center field fence just missed going out by inches.

1961 — The All-Star Game ended in a 1-1 tie at Fenway Park because of heavy rain.

1981 — The second baseball strike ended after 42 days.

1990 — Nolan Ryan, 43, won his 300th game, reaching the milestone in his second try, as the Texas Rangers beat the Milwaukee Brewers 11-3.

2002 — Mike Mussina became the second pitcher in major league history to give up six doubles in one inning, during the New York Yankees’ 17-6 loss to Texas. Hall of Famer Lefty Grove allowed that many with Boston in 1934 against Washington.

2003 — John Smoltz broke his own record as the fastest pitcher to record 40 saves by pitching a scoreless ninth in Atlanta’s 7-4 win over Houston. Last year, he got his 40th save on Aug. 8, en route to breaking the NL record with 55.

2007 — The New York Yankees tied a franchise record by hitting eight home runs, including two by Hideki Matsui, in a 16-3 rout of the Chicago White Sox. New York last hit eight homers in a game in a doubleheader opener at the Philadelphia Athletics on June 28, 1939.

2010 — Carlos Gonzalez hit a game-ending home run to complete the cycle, and Colorado rallied to a 6-5 win after blowing a three-run lead in the eighth inning to the Chicago Cubs.

2011 — Ricky Nolasco scattered 12 hits, Emilio Bonifacio homered and Florida handed the Atlanta Braves the 10,000th loss in franchise history. With the 3-1 loss, the Braves become the second big league team with 10,000 losses. The Phillies reached that mark in 2007.

2015 — New York’s Mark Teixeira homered from both sides of the plate for the record 14th time, hitting his 10th grand slam and a two-run homer that led the Yankees past the Chicago White Sox 13-6.

2021 — Seby Zavala becomes the first player in MLB history to record his first three home runs in the same game.

_____

Aug. 1

1906 — Harry McIntire of the Brooklyn Dodgers pitched 10 2-3 innings of no-hit ball before Claude Ritchey of Pittsburgh singled. McIntire weakened in the 13th and lost 1-0 to the Pirates on an unearned run, finishing with a four-hitter.

1937 — Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees hit for the cycle in a 14-5 rout of the St. Louis Browns. It was the second cycle of Gehrig’s career. Gehrig hit a two-run homer in the first inning, doubled in the second, singled in the fourth and tripled in the seventh.

1941 — New York Yankees pitcher Lefty Gomez walked 11 St. Louis batters in a 9-0 victory to set a major league record for walks in a shutout.

1962 — Bill Monbouquette of the Boston Red Sox pitched a no-hitter to beat the White Sox 1-0 at Chicago.

1970 — Willie Stargell of Pittsburgh hit three doubles and two home runs to power the Pirates to a 20-10 rout of the Braves in Atlanta.

1972 — Nate Colbert of the San Diego Padres drove in 13 runs in a doubleheader with five home runs and two singles. San Diego beat the Atlanta Braves in both games, 9-0 and 11-7.

1977 — Willie McCovey of the San Francisco Giants hit two home runs, including his 18th career grand slam, a total that still leads the National League.

1978 — Pete Rose went 0-for-4 against Atlanta pitchers Larry McWilliams and Gene Garber to end his 44-game hitting streak as the Braves defeated the Cincinnati Reds 16-4.

1986 — Bert Blyleven threw a two-hitter and struck out 15 to become the 10th major league pitcher with 3,000 career strikeouts and Kirby Puckett hit for the cycle to lead the Minnesota Twins to a 10-1 victory over the Oakland A’s. Puckett tripled in the first inning, doubled in the fifth, singled in the sixth homered in the eighth. Puckett finished 4 for 5 with three runs and two RBIs. It was the first cycle to happen at the Metrodome.

1994 — Baltimore’s Cal Ripken became the second major leaguer to play 2,000 straight games, and the Orioles edged Minnesota 1-0.

1998 — Switch-hitter Tony Clark set an AL record by homering from both sides of the plate for the third time this year, powering the Detroit Tigers past Tampa Bay 8-0.

2005 — Rafael Palmeiro was suspended 10 days following a positive test for steroids, less than five months after the Baltimore Orioles first baseman emphatically told Congress: “I have never used steroids. Period.”

2006 — Carlos Guillen hit for the cycle in Detroit’s 10-4 victory over Tampa Bay.

2009 — The Oakland A’s retire Rickey Henderson’s uniform number 24.

2017 — Evan Longoria hits for the cycle, becoming the second player in team history to pull off the feat, as the Rays defeat the Astros, 6 – 4. It takes a video review to confirm that he slid safely into second base in the 9th for the missing double that completes the quartet of hits.

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

July 26

1859 — The first intercollegiate Regatta is held in Worcester, Mass., with Harvard beating Yale and Brown.

1928 — Gene Tunney beats Tom Heeney on a technical knockout in the 11th round at Yankee Stadium to retain the world heavyweight title.

1952 — Bob Mathias wins his second Olympic decathlon in Helsinki, Finland.

1955 — Doug Ford defeats Cary Middlecoff 4 and 3 in the final round to capture the PGA title.

1981 — Pat Bradley shoots a record 279 total to win the U.S. Women’s Open. Kathy Whitworth, who finishes third, becomes the first million-dollar golfer in LPGA history.

1987 — Stephen Roche of Ireland wins the Tour de France by 40 seconds over Spain’s Pedro Delgado. Jeannie Longo of France wins the women’s race, finishing 2:52 ahead of Italy’s Maria Canins.

1992 — Miguel Indurain of Spain, the holder of the yellow jersey as overall leader for the final nine days, rides in the pack to clinch his second straight victory in the Tour de France.

1996 — American swimmer Amy Van Dyken wins the 50-meter freestyle to become Atlanta’s first quadruple gold medalist and the first U.S. woman to win four in a single Olympics.

1998 — Three spectators are killed — the first fan deaths at a major race in the United States in more than a decade — and six are injured by flying debris from a one-car crash at the U.S. 500 at Michigan Speedway.

2005 — Greg Maddux records his 3,000th career strikeout against San Francisco, striking out Omar Vizquel in the third inning of a 3-2, 11-inning victory for the Giants.

2009 — Alberto Contador wins the Tour de France for a second time. Andy Schleck of Luxembourg, Contador’s biggest rival among title contenders in the mountains, finishes second.

2013 — He Chong wins his record-tying third consecutive world title in the men’s 3-meter springboard at Barcelona, Spain, giving China its seventh gold medal in eight diving events. His victories in 2009, 2011, and 2013, matches Phillip Boggs’ record of three titles from 1973-78.

2015 — Christina Jones and Bill May of the U.S. win the first gold medal in new mixed duet technical synchronized swimming at the world championships in Kazan, Russia. The mixed duet is new to the world championships.

2015 — Kyle Busch’s incredible comeback continues with a weekend sweep at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He wins the Brickyard 400 a day after winning the second-tier Xfinity Series race. Busch, who missed the first 11 races of the season with a broken right leg and broken left foot, wins the fourth of the last five Sprint Cup Series races, including three straight.

2020 — Italian soccer team Juventus wins its 9th straight Serie A title in a 2-0 victory over Sampdoria.

2021 — Hidilyn Diaz becomes the first athlete from the Philippines to win an Olympic gold medal in the 55kg class of weightlifting at the Tokyo Games.

_____

July 27

1920 — Resolute defeats Shamrock IV of Britain to defend the America’s Cup title for the United States.

1937 — The United States wins the Davis Cup by beating Britain four matches to one.

1954 — Chick Harbart beats Walter Burkemo 4 and 3 in the final round to win the PGA championship.

1969 — Betsy Rawls wins the LPGA championship by four strokes over Sue Berning and Carol Mann.

1973 — The Miami Dolphins beat the College All-Stars 14-3 in Chicago.

1986 — Greg Lemond becomes the first American to win the Tour de France. LeMond’s teammate, Bernard Hinault of France, finishes second.

1986 — Pat Bradley sinks a 12-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to defeat hard-charging Japanese veteran Ayako Okamoto in the LPGA-du Maurier tournament. Bradley birdied five of the first six holes and finishes at 6-under 66 for a 72-hole total of 276.

1986 — Speedskater Bonnie Blair sets a U.S. Olympic Festival record for total medals won with 16 and total golds with 10 by taking two titles.

1986 — Bobby Hillin Jr. becomes the youngest winner in the history of NASCAR stock car racing, surviving the Talladega 500 at Alabama International Motor Speedway. Hillin, 22, takes the lead from Tim Richmond eight laps from the end of the 188-lap event.

1987 — The Salt Lake Trappers, an independent team in the Pioneer League, have their record 29-game winning streak snapped with a 7-5 loss to Billings.

1992 — Patty Sheehan shoots a 1-over 72 for a two-stroke victory over Juli Inkster in their 18-hole playoff in the U.S. Women’s Open.

1993 — Reggie Lewis, the 27-year-old Boston Celtics star who collapsed during a playoff game on April 29 from a heart ailment, dies after a light workout at the team’s practice facility at Brandeis University.

1996 — Canada’s Donovan Bailey sets the world record to win the 100 meters in 9.84 seconds at the Summer Olympics. The Atlanta Games are later marred by the Centennial Olympic Park bombing that kills Alice Hawthorne, wounds 111 others.

1999 — Tony Hawk is the first skateboarder to land a “900”.

2002 — John Ruiz retains the WBA heavyweight title he won from Evander Holyfield, this time getting off the canvas three times — all after low blows — and lasting long enough for Kirk Johnson to be disqualified.

2005 — Grant Hackett bumps off one of swimmimg’s most enduring world records, eclipsing Ian Thorpe’s mark in the 800-meter freestyle. The 6-foot-6 Hackett claims his second gold and third medal of the World Swimming Championships with a time of 7:38.65, breaking the mark set four years earlier by his countryman Thorpe.

2006 — Floyd Landis’ stunning Tour de France victory just four days earlier is thrown into question when he tests positive for high levels of testosterone during the race.

2008 — Carlos Sastre wins the Tour de France in one of the closest finishes in the 105-year-old race. The third Spaniard in a row to win cycling’s premier event, Sastre holds his 65-second lead over Cadel Evans of Australia. As in the last two years, this year’s Tour is plagued by doping.

2013 — Candace Parker scores a record 23 points to lead the West to a 102-98 win over the East and earn MVP honors in the WNBA All-Star game.

2013 — Hunter Mahan withdraws from the RBC Canadian Open after his wife went into labor. Mahan, the tournament leader at 13 under after 36 holes, had yet to tee off for the third round.

2014 — Italy’s Vincenzo Nibali wins the Tour de France, becoming the first Italian to win cycling’s greatest race in 16 years. Nibali is the sixth rider to win all three Grand Tours — France, Italy and Spain— and is the first Italian to win the Tour de France since Marco Pantani in 1998.

2014 — Martina Hingis leads Washington to its fourth straight World TeamTennis title and fifth in six years, beating Olga Govortsova 5-2 in singles in the Kastles’ 25-13 victory over the Springfield Lasers.

2015 — The Arizona Cardinals hire Jen Welter to coach inside linebackers through their upcoming training camp and preseason. The Cardinals say Welter is believed to be the first woman to hold a coaching position of any kind in the NFL.

2019 — Israel qualifies for their first European Baseball Championship.

2021 — Four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles withdraws from the women’s team final at the Tokyo Games citing needs to focus on her mental health.

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July 28

1913 — The United States wins its first Davis Cup since 1902 by beating Britain three matches to two.

1928 — The Summer Olympics open in Amsterdam and the Olympic flame is lit for the first time.

1929 — The Chicago Cardinals become the first NFL team to train out of state, holding camp in Michigan.

1972 — The American Basketball Association announces that San Diego will receive a franchise and the NBA’s Buffalo Braves relocate to San Diego and are renamed the San Diego Clippers.

1972 — The Dallas Cowboys beat the College All-Stars in Chicago 20-7.

1984 — The Summer Olympics open in Los Angeles with a record 140 nations competing. The Soviet Union and 13 Communist allies, including Cuba and East Germany, boycott the games.

1987 — Laura Davies shoots a 1-under 71 to defeat Ayako Okamoto and JoAnne Carner in an 18-hole playoff to win the U.S. Women’s Open.

1987 — Angel Cordero Jr. becomes the fourth U.S. jockey to win 6,000 races when he rides Lost Kitty to victory at Monmouth Park, N.J.

1991 — Dennis Martinez pitches a perfect game for the Montreal Expos, who beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-0.

1992 — American Mike Barrowman sets a world record in winning the 200-meter breaststroke, and Russian Evgueni Sadovyi becomes the Summer Olympics’ first triple gold medalist, also smashing a world record in the men’s 400-meter freestyle.

1994 — On the night baseball players set an Aug. 12 strike date, Kenny Rogers of the Texas Rangers pitches a perfect game for a 4-0 victory over California.

2000 — Blaine Wilson, America’s pre-eminent gymnast, wins his fifth straight championship in St. Louis. He becomes the first gymnast to win five straight national titles since George Wheeler did it from 1937-41.

2009 — Germany’s Paul Biedermann hands Michael Phelps his first major individual loss in four years, setting a world record in the 200-meter freestyle at the world championships in Rome. Phelps, a body length behind, loses for the first time in a major international meet since Ian Crocker beat him in the 100 butterfly final at the 2005 worlds.

2011 — Ryan Lochte celebrates the first world record set since high-tech bodysuits were banned 1 1/2 years ago. Lochte edges Michael Phelps in 200-meter individual medley at the world championships at Shanghai.

2013 — Brek Shea scores less than a minute after entering the game as a second-half substitute, giving the United States a 1-0 victory over Panama in the Gold Cup final. It’s the fifth Gold Cup title for the Americans but their first since 2007.

2016 — Mirim Lee shoots a 10-under 62 to match the Women’s British Open record and take a three-stroke lead in the major championship at tree-lined Woburn (England) Golf Club.

2016 — Stephan Jaeger shoots a 12-under 58 in the Web.com Tour’s Ellie Mae Classic in Hayward, Calif., for the lowest score in major tour play. The German finishes with a 10-foot birdie putt.

2019 — 22-year-old Egan Bernal becomes the first Colombian and Latin American cyclist to win the Tour de France.

_____

July 29

1751 — The first International World Title Prize Fight takes place in Harlston, England. The champion, Jack Slack of England, beats the challenger, M. Petit of France, in 25 minutes.

1934 — Paul Runyan beats Craig Wood on the 38th hole to win the PGA Championship at Park Country Club in Williamsville, N.Y.

1956 — Cathy Cornelius wins a playoff over Barbara McIntyre to win the U.S. Women’s Open.

1957 — At the Polo Grounds in New York, Floyd Patterson TKOs Tommy Jackson at 1:52 of the 10th round to retain the heavyweight title.

1960 — The first American Football League preseason game is played in Buffalo, N.Y. The Boston Patriots, led by quarterback Butch Songin, beat the Bills 28-7 before 16,474 fans at War Memorial Stadium .

1979 — Amy Alcott shoots a 7-under 285 to beat Nancy Lopez in the Peter Jackson Classic, later named The du Maurier Classic. The du Maurier is one of the LPGA Tour’s major championships from 1979-2000.

1986 — The U.S. Football League wins and loses in its lawsuit against the NFL. The jury finds the NFL violated antitrust laws, as the USFL claimed, but awards the USFL only $1 in damages.

1989 — Cuba’s Javier Sotomayor becomes the first person to high jump 8 feet, breaking his world record at the Caribbean Championship in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He surpasses his mark of 7-11½.

1990 — Beth Daniel shoots a 66 to overcome a 5-shot deficit and win the LPGA Championship — her first major title in 12 years on the tour. Daniel beats Rosie Jones by one stroke and pockets $150,000, the largest in LPGA Tour history.

1992 — The U.S. 400-meter freestyle relay team wins the gold medal, with Matt Biondi and Tom Jager becoming the first U.S. male swimmers to win golds in three Olympics.

1996 — Michael Johnson sweeps to victory in an Olympic 400-meter record 43.49 seconds, while Carl Lewis leaps into history in Atlanta. Lewis’ long jump of 27 feet, 10¾ inches earns him his ninth gold medal, equaling the American mark held by swimmer Mark Spitz.

2001 — Copa América Final, Estadio El Campín, Bogotá: Defender Iván Córdoba scores winner as home team Columbia edge Mexico, 1-0.

2008 — Disgraced ex-NBA official Tim Donaghy admits he brought shame on his profession as a federal judge sentenced him to 15 months behind bars for a gambling scandal.

2012 — Kimberly Rhode wins the Olympic gold medal in women’s skeet shooting, becoming the first American to take an individual-sport medal in five consecutive Olympics.

2012 — Dana Vollmer of the U.S. sets a world record to win the 100-meter butterfly at the London Olympics. Vollmer hits the wall in 55.98 seconds to shave 0.08 off the mark set by Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden at the 2009 world championships in Rome.

2015 — Russia’s Natalya Ishchenko wins a record 18th career synchronized swimming gold medal at the world championships at Kazan, Russia.

2021 — Sunisa Lee wins the women’s all-around gymnastics gold medal in Tokyo.

July 30

1870 — Monmouth Park opens with a five-day meet.

1930 — Host Uruguay beats Argentina 4-2 for soccer’s first World Cup in Montevideo.

1932 — The 10th modern Olympic Games open in Los Angeles.

1961 — Jerry Barber edges Don January by one stroke in a playoff to win the PGA title at Olympia Fields in Illinois.

1966 — England beats West Germany 4-2 at London’s Wembley Stadium to capture soccer’s World Cup.

1968 — Washington’s Ron Hansen pulls off an unassisted triple play in a 10-1 loss to the Cleveland Indians.

1971 — In the NFL Chicago All-Star Game, the Baltimore Colts beat the All-Stars 24-17.

1976 — Bruce Jenner sets the world record in the Olympic decathlon with 8,618 points, breaking Nikolai Avilov’s mark by 164 points.

1980 — Houston pitcher J.R. Richard suffers a stroke during a workout at the Astrodome.

1984 — Michael Gross of West Germany sets a world record in the 200-meter freestyle with a time of 1:47.44 at a meet in Munich.

1996 — The American softball team wins the gold medal, beating China 3-1 behind a controversial two-run homer from Dot Richardson in the first Olympic competition in that sport.

2009 — Seven more world records on the fifth night of the world swimming championships in Rome are set, pushing the total to 29 and moving past last summer’s Beijing Olympics. Ryan Lochte gets things rolling by breaking Phelps’ mark in the 200-meter individual medley. The Chinese women finish it off, eclipsing the 800 freestyle relay mark by more than two seconds, with the Americans also breaking the previous record but only getting silver.

2012 — In London, Missy Franklin, a 17-year-old from Colorado, wins the women’s 100-meter backstroke. Franklin has a brief 13-minute break after taking the final qualifying spot in the 200 freestyle semifinals before she had to get back into the water for the backstroke final. Ruta Meilutyte, 15, becomes the first Lithuanian to win an Olympic swimming medal by holding off a late charge from world champion Rebecca Soni of the U.S. in the 100 breaststroke.

2013 — Katie Ledecky crushes the world record in the 1,500 freestyle for her second gold medal at the world swimming championships in Barcelona, Spain. The 16-year-old American finishes with a time of 15:36.53 to beat the previous mark by more than 6 seconds — Kate Ziegler’s 15:42.54 in 2007.

2015 — North Korea wins its first gold medal at the world aquatics championships through 16-year-old Kim Kuk Hyang in women’s 10-meter diving. In her first international competition, Kim produces a stunning final dive, earning two perfect 10 scores from the seven judges, for a total of 397.05 points. On the next dive, the leader up to that point, world champion Si Yajie of China, makes an error to drop to fourth.

2021 — South African swimmer Tatjana Shoemaker sets a new women’s 200m breaststroke world record of 2:18.95 at the Tokyo Olympics.

_____

July 31

1932 — France beats the U.S. 3-2 for its sixth consecutive Davis Cup championship.

1934 — Britain, led by Fred Perry and Bunny Austin, defeats the U.S. 4-1 at Wimbledon to win the Davis Cup title.

1942 — Jockey Bill Turnbull wins seven of nine races at Rockingham Park in Salem, N.H.

1954 — Joe Adcock hits four homers and a double to lift the Milwaukee Braves a 15-7 victory over Brooklyn.

1963 — The Cleveland Indians become the first American League club to hit four straight home runs. No. 8 hitter Woody Held hits a two-out homer off Paul Foytack and pitcher Pedro Ramos follows with his second homer of the game before Tito Francona and Larry Brown’s first major league homer finish this odd power surge. Foytack is the only major league pitcher to give up four straight home runs.

1973 — Julius Erving, the American Basketball Association’s leading scorer, is traded by the cash-strapped Virginia Squires to the New York Nets for forward George Carter and cash.

1983 — Jan Stephenson beats JoAnne Carner and Patty Sheehan by one stroke to win the U.S. Women’s Open.

1990 — Nolan Ryan wins his 300th game, reaching the milestone in his second try, as the Texas Rangers beat the Milwaukee Brewers 11-3.

1993 — Mike Aulby becomes the third player in PBA history to win a tournament by rolling a 300 game in the title game. Aulby beats David Ozio 300-279 in the Wichita Open.

1994 — Sergei Bubka sets a world pole vault record for the 35th time in his career at a meet in Sestriere, Italy. Bubka soars 20 feet, 1¾ inches, adding a half-inch to his mark set in Tokyo in 1992.

2000 — Dorothy Delasin becomes the LPGA’s youngest winner in 25 years by beating Pat Hurst on the second extra hole to win the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic. The 19-year-old Delasin is the youngest winner on the tour since Amy Alcott took the Orange Blossom Classic at age 19 in 1975.

2005 — Grant Hackett becomes the first swimmer to win four straight world titles in the same event, capturing another 1,500-meter freestyle. The Aussie stretches out his own record for world championship medals to 17.

2007 — All-Star Kevin Garnett is traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves to Boston for five players and two draft picks. The Celtics obtain the former MVP and 10-time All-Star from Minnesota for forwards Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes and Gerald Green, guard Sebastian Telfair and center Theo Ratliff and two first-round draft picks.

2011 — Yani Tseng wins the Women’s British Open for the second straight year, beating Brittany Lang by four strokes and becoming the youngest woman to capture a fifth major title. The 22-year-old top-ranked Taiwanese shot a 3-under 69 to finish at 16-under 272.

2012 — Michael Phelps breaks the Olympic medals record with his 19th, helping the U.S. romp to a 4×200-meter freestyle relay victory at the London Games. With 19 medals spanning three Olympics, Phelps moves one ahead of Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, who got her haul in 1956, 1960 and 1964.

2012 — The team of Gabrielle Douglas, McKayla Maroney, Alexandra Raisman, Kyla Ross and Jordyn Wieber lives up to all the hype, winning the first U.S. Olympic title in women’s gymnastics since 1996.

2021 — Katie Ledecky wins the women’s 800m gold in Tokyo. This is the third consecutive Olympics she has won the race.

_____

Aug. 1

1936 — The Berlin Olympics begin.

1945 — New York’s Mel Ott hits his 500th home run in a 9-2 victory over the Boston Braves at the Polo Grounds. Only Babe Ruth with 714 and Jimmie Foxx with 527 have more.

1963 — Arthur Ashe becomes first African-American tennis player to be named in the US Davis Cup team.

1972 — Nate Colbert of the San Diego Padres drives in 13 runs in a doubleheader sweep of the Atlanta Braves, 9-0 and 11-7.

1982 — American Greg Louganis becomes 1st diver to score 700 (752.67) in 11 dives in winning 3m springboard gold, World Championships in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

1987 — Mike Tyson wins the undisputed heavyweight championship with a 12-round unanimous decision over IBF champion Tony Tucker in Las Vegas.

1992 — Eric Griffin, a two-time world champion at 106 pounds, loses to Rafael Lozano of Spain under the new electronic scoring system at the Olympics. All five judges credit him with more blows than his opponent as did five jury members used as a backup in case the computer failed.

1994 — Baltimore’s Cal Ripken becomes the second major leaguer to play 2,000 straight games when the Orioles beat Minnesota 1-0.

1996 — Michael Johnson wins Olympic gold in the 200 meters in a record 19.32 seconds, becoming the first male Olympian to win the 200 and 400 in a single games. Dan O’Brien wins gold in the decathlon, four years after failing to make the U.S. Olympic team.

2002 — In signing star linebacker Ray Lewis to a 5-year contract extension the Baltimore Ravens give him a $19m signing bonus, then the largest in NFL history.

2004 — Karen Stupples wins her first major title with a record-tying 19-under 269 at the Women’s British Open. Stupples ties the low score in a major, set by Dottie Pepper at the 1999 Nabisco Dinah Shore.

2009 — Rachel Alexandra rolls past the boys again to win the $1.25 million Haskell Ivitational at Monmouth Park, establishing herself as one of the greatest fillies. Ridden by Calvin Borel, she beats Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird by six lengths.

2010 — Stuart Appleby hits golf’s magic number, shooting a 59 to win the Greenbrier Classic. He is the fifth PGA Tour player to reach the milestone.

2010 — Yani Tseng of Taiwan wins the Women’s British Open by one stroke for her third major title and second of the year to go with the Kraft Nabisco.

2010 — Bob and Mike Bryan win their record 62nd career doubles title on the ATP Tour. The twins were tied with Hall of Famers Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde of Australia.

2012 — Four teams are kicked out of the women’s badminton doubles at the London Games for trying to lose on purpose. The eight players from China, South Korea and Indonesia are cited for conduct “clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport.”

2021 — Marcel Jacobs becomes the first Italian athlete to win the 100m dash in 9.80 at the Tokyo Olympics.

TV SPORTS FRIDAY

OLYMPICS	TIME ET	TV
Men’s Rugby	7:00am	USA Peacock
Men’s Soccer: France vs USA	8:00am	USA Peacock
Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics	1:30pm	NBC Peacock
MLB REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
Guardians at Phillies	6:40pm	Bally Sports Great Lakes NBC Sports Philadelphia
Twins at Tigers	6:40pm	Bally Sports North Bally Sports Detroit
Reds at Rays	6:50pm	Bally Sports Sun Bally Sports Ohio
Padres at Orioles	7:05pm	MLBN MASN Padres.TV
Rangers at Blue Jays	7:07pm	Apple TV+ Bally Sports Southwest Sportsnet1
Braves at Mets	7:10pm	Bally Sports Southeast SNY
Yankees at Red Sox	7:10pm	MLBN Prime NESN YES
Cubs at Royals	8:10pm	MARQ Bally Sports Kansas City
Dodgers at Astros	8:10pm	Apple TV+ SNLA SCHN
Mariners at White Sox	8:10pm	ROOT NBC Sports Chicago
Marlins at Brewers	8:10pm	Bally Sports Florida Bally Sports Wisconsin
Nationals at Cardinals	8:15pm	MASN2 Bally Sports Midwest
Athletics at Angels	9:38pm	NBC Sports Califorina Bally Sports West
Pirates at Diamondbacks	9:40pm	YurView ATTSN-PIT
Rockies at Giants	10:15pm	Rockies.TV NBC Sports Bay
GOLF	TIME ET	TV
Senior Open Championship	7:30am	GOLF
PGA Tour: 3M Open	3:30pm	GOLF
LPGA Tour: Canadien Open	6:30pm	GOLF
SOCCER	TIME ET	TV
Friendly: Rot-Weiss Essen vs Bayer Leverkusen	1:00pm	ESPN Deportes Fubo
Belgium Pro League: Club Brugge vs Mechelen	2:45pm	ESPN+ Fubo
Canadian Premier League: York United vs Atlético Ottawa	7:00pm	FS2 Fubo
CONCACAF U20 Championship: El Salvador U20 vs Canada U20	7:00pm	FOX Soccer Plus VIX Fubo
Liga MX Femenil: Pumas UNAM vs Juárez	7:00pm	VIX
Friendly: Liverpool vs Real Betis	7:30pm	ESPN Deportes ESPN+ Fubo
USL Championship: Hartford Athletic vs Phoenix Rising	7:30pm	CBSSN ESPN+ Fubo
Leagues Cup: Atlanta United vs DC United	8:00pm	MLS Season Pass
Leagues Cup: Orlando City SC vs CF Montréal	8:00pm	MLS Season Pass
NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup: Chicago Red Stars vs Guadalajara	8:00pm	Paramount+ Fubo
NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup: Racing Louisville FC vs North Carolina Courage	8:00pm	Paramount+ Fubo
USL Championship: Hartford Athletic vs Phoenix Rising	8:30pm	ESPN+ Fubo
Leagues Cup: Pumas UNAM vs Austin	9:00pm	FS1 MLS Season Pass
Leagues Cup: Seattle Sounders FC vs Minnesota United	10:00pm	MLS Season Pass
NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup: San Diego Wave vs América	10:00pm	Paramount+
CONCACAF U20 Championship: Honduras U20 vs Dominican Republic U20	10:00pm	FS2 Fubo
NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup: Bay FC vs Angel City	10:30pm	CBSSN Paramount+
Leagues Cup: Los Angeles FC vs Tijuana	11:00pm	MLS Season Pass
TENNIS	TIME ET	TV
Atlanta-ATP Early Rounds; Kitzbuhel-ATP & Umag-ATP Quarterfinals; Iasi-WTA & Prague-WTA Finals	6:30am	TENNIS
Atlanta-ATP Early Rounds; Kitzbuhel-ATP & Umag-ATP Quarterfinals; Iasi-WTA & Prague-WTA Finals	2:30pm	TENNIS

TV SPORTS SATURDAY

OLYMPICS	TIME ET	TV
Badminton	2:30am	Peacock
Rowing	3:00am	USA Peacock
Men’s Handball: Spain vs Slovenia	3:00am	Peacock
Men’s Volleyball: Japan vs Germany	3:00am	Peacock
Equestrian	3:30am	USA Peacock
Fencing	4:00am	Peacock
Men’s Field Hockey: Britain vs Spain	4:00am	Peacock
Badminton	4:30am	USA Peacock
Men’s Field Hockey: Belguim vs Ireland	4:30am	Peacock
Shooting	4:30am	Peacock
Swimming	5:00am	USA Peacock
Shooting	5:00am	CNBC Peacock
Women’s Diving	5:00am	Peacock
Men’s Gymnastics	5:00am	Peacock
Men’s Handball: Hungary vs Egypt	5:00am	Peacock
Men’s Basketball: Australia vs Spain	5:30am	CNBC Peacock
Skateboarding	6:00am	Peacock
Tennis	6:00am	Peacock
Skateboarding	6:45am	CNBC Peacock
Men’s Field Hockey: Netherlands vs South Africa	6:45am	Peacock
Men’s Volleyball: Itlay vs Brazil	7:00am	Peacock
Rowing	7:15am	USA Peacock
Men’s Field Hockey: Australia vs Argentina	7:15am	Peacock
Badminton	7:30am	E! Peacock
Swimming	7:30am	NBC Peacock
Men’s Volleyball: Italy vs Brazil	7:45am	USA Peacock
Women’s Water Polo: Netherlands vs Hungary	8:00am	E! Peacock
Men’s Beach Volleybal: United States vs Cuba	8:00am	NBC Peacock
Badminton	9:00am	USA Peacock
Cycling	9:00am	NBC Peacock
Men’s Gymnastics	9:30am	E! Peacock
Women’s Water Polo: USA vs Greece	9:35am	USA Peacock
Men’s Rugby	9:35am	CNBC Peacock
Men’s Rugby	10:00am	NBC Peacock
Swimming	10:30am	NBC Peacock
Cycling	10:45am	USA Peacock
Men’s Gymnastics	11:00am	NBC Peacock
Men’s Basketball: France vs Brazil	11:15am	CNBC Peacock
Skateboarding	11:30am	NBC Peacock
Women’s Canoeing	12:00pm	E! Peacock
Surfing	1:00pm	Peacock
Men’s Soccer: USA vs New Zealand	1:00pm	USA Peacock
Men’s Rugby	1:00pm	CNBC Peacock
Men’s Rugby	1:45pm	NBC Peacock
Women’s Field Hockey: USA vs Argentina	1:45pm	CNBC Peacock
Men’s Gymnastics	2:00pm	E! Peacock
Women’s Wwater Polo: Australia vs China	2:05pm	Peacock
Women’s Field Hockey: Netherlands vs France	2:15pm	Peacock
Men’s Swimming	2:30pm	NBC Peacock
Men’s Volleyball: USA vs Argentina	3:00pm	USA Peacock
Men’s Soccer: France vs Guinea	3:00pm	Telemundo Peacock
Men’s Soccer: Japan vs Mali	3:00pm	Peacock
Men’s Tennis	3:00pm	Peacock
Men’s Handball: Denmark vs France	3:00pm	Peacock
Men’s Basketball: Greece vs Canada	3:15pm	CNBC Peacock
MLB REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
Rangers at Blue Jays	3:07pm	Bally Sports Southwest Sportsnet1
Padres at Orioles	4:05pm	FS1 MASN Padres.TV
Braves at Mets	4:10pm	Bally Sports Southeast SNY
Guardians at Phillies	6:05pm	Bally Sports Great Lakes NBC Sports Philadelphia
Twins at Tigers	6:10pm	Bally Sports North Bally Sports Detroit
Rockies at Giants	7:05pm	Rockies.TV NBC Sports Bay
Cubs at Royals	7:10pm	MARQ Bally Sports Kansas City
Dodgers at Astros	7:10pm	SNLA SCHN
Marlins at Brewers	7:10pm	Bally Sports Florida Bally Sports Wisconsin
Mariners at White Sox	7:15pm	FOX
Yankees at Red Sox	7:15pm	FOX
Nationals at Cardinals	7:15pm	MASN2 Bally Sports Midwest
Pirates at Diamondbacks	8:10pm	MLBN YurView ATTSN-PIT
Athletics at Angels	9:38pm	MLBN NBC Sports Califorina Bally Sports West
MOTORSPORTS	TIME ET	TV
ARCA Menards Series	8:00pm	FS1
NHRA: Sonoma Nationals	6:00pm	FOX
GOLF	TIME ET	TV
Senior Open Championship	7:30am	GOLF
PGA Tour: 3M Open	1:00pm	GOLF
PGA Tour: 3M Open	3:00pm	CBS
LPGA Tour: Canadien Open	6:00pm	GOLF
SOCCER	TIME ET	TV
Friendly: Vissel Kobe vs Tottenham Hotspur	6:00am	Paramount+
Friendly: Union Berlin vs Rangers	11:00am	ESPN Deportes Fubo
Friendly: PSV vs Valencia	12:00pm	Paramount+
Friendly: Levante vs Deportivo Alavés	1:30pm	ESPN Deportes Fubo
Friendly: Wolverhampton Wanderers vs West Ham United	2:00pm	Fanatiz beIN Sports
Belgium Pro League: Anderlecht vs Sint-Truiden	2:00pm	ESPN+
Primera División: Independiente Rivadavia vs Independiente	2:00pm	Paramount+
Friendly: Chelsea vs Celtic	4:00pm	ESPN+ Fubo
Primera División: San Lorenzo vs Newell’s Old Boys	4:00pm	Paramount+
Friendly: Manchester City vs Milan	6:00pm	ESPN ESPN+ Fubo
Primera División: Rosario Central vs Huracán	6:00pm	Paramount+
Canadian Premier League: Forge vs HFX Wanderers	7:00pm	FS2 Fubo
NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup: Kansas City Current vs Pachuca	7:00pm	Paramount+
NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup: Orlando Pride vs Monterrey	7:00pm	Paramount+
USL Championship: Pittsburgh Riverhounds vs Loudoun United	7:00pm	Paramount+ Fubo
CONCACAF U20 Championship: Guatemala U20 vs Haiti U20	7:00pm	FOX Soccer Plus VIX Fubo
USL Championship: Rhode Island vs North Carolina	7:30pm	ESPN+
Leagues Cup: Houston Dynamo vs Atlas	8:00pm	MLS Season Pass
Leagues Cup: Philadelphia Union vs Charlotte	8:00pm	MLS Season Pass
Leagues Cup: New England vs Mazatlán	8:00pm	MLS Season Pass
Leagues Cup: New York RB vs Toronto FC	8:00pm	MLS Season Pass
Leagues Cup: Puebla vs Inter Miami	8:00pm	MLS Season Pass
Friendly: Arsenal vs Manchester United	8:00pm	ESPN ESPN+ Fubo
Leagues Cup: St. Louis City vs Dallas	9:00pm	MLS Season Pass
Leagues Cup: Guadalajara vs SJ Earthquakes	10:00pm	FS1 Fubo MLS Season Pass
NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup: Utah Royals vs Portland Thorns	10:00pm	CBSSN Paramount+ Fubo
CONCACAF U20 Championship: Mexico U20 vs Panama U20	10:00pm	VIX
MMA	TIME ET	TV
UFC: Lemos vs. Jandiroba	5:00pm	ESPN/2
TENNIS	TIME ET	TV
Atlanta-ATP Semifinal 1 & Umag-ATP Final	2:00pm	TENNIS