Sports Headlines
Uncertainty clouds the forecast on whether wildfire smoke will affect the World Cup final
NEW YORK (AP) — Mikel Merino can smell and see the smoke from the Canadian wildfires that are making for hazy conditions across large parts of the U.S., including northern New Jersey where he and Spain are set to face Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday. Merino is trying not to focus on it. It remains unclear how much, if at all, the smoke will affect the final. The World Health Organization forecast calls for an improvement to “moderate” air quality in East Rutherford. “For a game that is as important as a World Cup final, you have to be able to shut out external factors as much as possible,” Merino said Friday. “Luckily, we are being careful ... Read MoreTitans to honor ALS-diagnosed Chris Johnson by inducting him into Ring of Honor
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans will induct Chris Johnson, the sixth man in NFL history to run for 2,000 yards in a season, into their Ring of Honor during halftime of their regular-season opener Sept. 13. The Titans announced the honor Friday following Johnson’s announcement June 29 on ABC’s “ Good Morning America ” that he was diagnosed with ALS, the fatal nervous system disease a year earlier. “Chris Johnson holds a special place in the hearts of our organization and our fans,” Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said. “His stats speak for themselves, and he will forever remain a leader in our record books, but the man behind the yardage deserves just as much celebration.” Johnson ... Read MoreWith Deschamps stepping down after 14 years, France needs a new coach and Zidane is in pole position
PARIS (AP) — Adieu Didier. Bonjour Zinedine? Coach Didier Deschamps takes charge of his last game for France on Saturday when Les Bleus face England at the World Cup in Miami. The winner gets third place, an anti-climactic award brought about by agonizing semifinal defeats. It is a disappointing end to Deschamps’ reign when many observers touted his star-studded attack to win another World Cup. Zinedine Zidane is widely expected to be confirmed as France’s new coach in the coming days by the French soccer federation. The Deschamps years France won the World Cup under Deschamps in 2018, lost a gut-wrenching final on penalties in 2022, and fell short tactically against Spain on Tuesday. In his 14 years in charge, ... Read MoreStoried men’s mile record set 27 years ago in sights of British runner Josh Kerr
LONDON (AP) — The storied men’s mile record in track that has stood for 27 years will come under attack Saturday from Britain’s Josh Kerr. Kerr, the 2023 world champion over the 1,500 meters metric mile, has called it “Project 222” — for each second he aims to take in breaking Hicham El Guerrouj’s mark of 3 minutes, 43.13 seconds. “It’s in my favor,” Kerr said Friday at a news conference at London Stadium that staged track and field at the 2012 Olympics. “My body is capable of the mark and so my job tomorrow is to have my mind to be available to let my body do its job.” The 28-year-old Kerr has targeted the mile race at the ... Read MoreArgentina to face Spain in the World Cup final: What to know
Pedro Porro of Spain celebrates after scoring their second goal against France during their FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal match in Arlington, Texas, July 14, 2026. (Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- Argentina's Lionel Messi could add another milestone to his storied career on Sunday by winning his second World Cup title. To achieve that feat, the defending champions will have to beat Spain, a team that has only allowed one goal this entire tournament.The 2026 FIFA World Cup final arrives after 48 teams competed in over 100 matches across the United States, Mexico and Canada over the past six weeks.Here's what to know ahead of the final weekend of the World Cup.How did Spain and Argentina get to the ... Read More
Swinney says help from Congress is only way to discourage ‘blatant’ tampering in college football
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — It’s been six months since Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney publicly called out Ole Miss for engaging in what he called “blatant” tampering to lure away transfer linebacker Luke Ferrelli. He has heard nothing back despite providing an alleged timeline, evidence and receipts to the NCAA. Swinney said Thursday he doesn’t regret pointing the finger at Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding and general manager Austin Thomas. And he again pushed for change and accountability on Thursday for what he called “rampant” tampering in college football. “We’re probably gonna need some congressional help for that,” Swinney said during the Atlantic Coast Conference's preseason football media days. “There has to be some type of order put in ... Read MoreJackson Suber leads a day of surprises at Birkdale with a 65 in his first British Open
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Jackson Suber got his first taste of links golf — on his first trip to Europe — when he arrived at Royal Birkdale. Three days later, he proved to be a quick study with a superb par save and a 6-foot eagle late in his round for a 5-under 65 to lead the British Open. Bryson DeChambeau might be getting the hang of this, too, no matter what three-time British Open champion Nick Faldo thinks about his strategy. An opening round lasting some 15 hours included just about everything during a warm and breezy start. Five of the leading 12 players were playing the British Open for the first time. Rory McIlroy missed three 4-foot putts ... Read MoreUK urges FIFA to investigate Argentina over Falklands banner at World Cup
LONDON (AP) — The British government on Thursday urged FIFA to investigate Argentina’s team after players celebrating their 2-1 win over England in the World Cup semifinals posed with a banner that claimed sovereignty over the contested Falkland Islands. During post-match celebrations Wednesday in Atlanta, Argentine players held a banner handed over by fans, reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” — “The Malvinas are Argentine.” Argentina refers to the Falkland Islands as Islas Malvinas. They were invaded in 1982 under orders from Argentina's then-military dictatorship, triggering a 10-week war won by Britain. “The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are," a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Thursday. "Self-determination rests with the islanders and our ... Read MoreMyles Garrett of the Rams is voted as the top edge rusher in the NFL by an AP panel
Myles Garrett has been the NFL's dominant defensive player for years, leading to his record-setting campaign with 23 sacks last season before being traded in June from Cleveland to the Los Angeles Rams. Garrett's performance helped him earn the honor of being named the top off-ball linebacker in the NFL by The Associated Press. A panel of eight AP Pro Football Writers ranked the top five players at edge rusher, basing selections on current status entering the 2026 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points. Garrett got all eight first-place votes and won the voting with 80 points. Green Bay's Micah Parsons was the only other player named ... Read MoreA’ja Wilson is drafted No. 1 as Cooper and Weatherspoon pick WNBA All-Star teams
CHICAGO (AP) - Four-time MVP A’ja Wilson was selected first in the WNBA All-Star draft for the exhibition game that will be played on July 25 in Chicago. Acting as honorary general managers, WNBA greats Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon each drafted All-Star teams Wednesday from players that previously were either voted as starters by fans, media and fellow players or chosen as reserves by the league’s coaches. Previously, the top two fan vote-getters would serve as captains and draft their own teams. This year that would have been Dallas’ Paige Bueckers and Indiana’s Caitlin Clark. Instead, they were each assigned to a team, with Bueckers headlining Cooper’s team and Clark atop Weatherspoon’s squad. Joining Bueckers in the starting lineup ... Read MoreExpanded playoffs make it hard to predict whether Skubal, Chapman, Gray get dealt
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Expanded playoffs make it harder to predict whether Tarik Skubal and other choice acquisitions will be dealt before the Aug, 3 trade deadline. Twenty-three of the 30 teams are within four games of a playoff position heading into the season’s second half, which opens Thursday with the back-in-contention Philadelphia Phillies hosting the woeful New York Mets. “You’ve got a lot of really good teams that were on the bubble that have gotten in and kind of made it,” Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper said. “Anybody that has an opportunity to get in, anything can happen and that’s what makes our sport great.” Skubal, a two-time Cy Young Award winner who can become a free agent after the ... Read MoreRumbunctious pro-Argentina crowd makes defending World Cup champions feel at home in Atlanta
ATLANTA (AP) — Argentina fans are well known for their rabid, boisterous support of their national soccer squad, and that fevered passion made their beloved team feel right at home in Atlanta at the World Cup. This wasn’t Buenos Aires, but the rumbunctious pro-Argentina crowd made their voices heard: Serenading the team with songs, chants and screaming at the top of their lungs throughout Wednesday’s semifinal match. And when Enzo Fernandez scored the equalizing goal for Argentina off an assist from Lionel Messi in the 85th minute, water splashed from the top floor to the bottom at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Cups and water bottles followed. Shirts were removed and swung in the air. Long after Lautaro Martinez scored the winning goal ... Read MoreSponsor-driven Cowboys waste little time pulling World Cup covers from stadium signage
ARLINGTON (AP) — Jerry Jones didn’t waste any time starting to get his stadium signage back when the World Cup was finished at the home of his Dallas Cowboys. The high-profile owner of the NFL’s Cowboys had to surrender AT&T Stadium to FIFA for the tournament-high nine matches held under the giant video board and retractable roof. It was renamed Dallas Stadium for a month — even on Google maps. Since none of the primary sponsors of the Cowboys matched those of the governing body of the World Cup, coverings were put over the large letters and logos on the roof and the smaller “AT&T Stadium” signs above the giant sliding glass doors on each end of the stadium. Less ... Read MoreNHL unveils its 2026-27 schedule, the first with 84 games apiece since ’93-94
NEW YORK (AP) — The most expansive season in NHL history will begin in September, not October, and limit most teams to four preseason games. The league’s first 84-game season since 1993-94 opens Sept. 29 as 32 teams will combine to play a total of 1,344 games. The season runs through Saturday, April 10, before the playoffs begin the following week. The increase from an 82-game slate, which had been the standard since the mid-’90s, was agreed upon by team owners and players in the last round of talks on a collective bargaining agreement. The intent is to provide more space between the end of the Stanley Cup Final and the draft in late June before free agency commences July ... Read MoreBritish Open returns to a new Royal Birkdale and an old chase for the claret jug
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Matthew Baldwin teed off at Royal Birkdale, just as he has done countless times as a member of the century-old links who grew up a short walk away. What made Thursday different was having a full grandstand surrounding him and a shiny claret jug reminding him what’s at stake. Baldwin hit the opening tee shot at the 154th edition of the British Open, an iron that split the middle of the brown fairway and was approved by a cheering crowd. James Nicholas was in the first group for the second straight major. The New York native was first off at Shinnecock Hills last month in the U.S. Open, hitting his opening tee shot in fog so ... Read MoreNYC’s Rikers Island jail hosts World Cup watch party for inmates
NEW YORK (AP) — New York City’s official World Cup guide lists no less than 100 free places to take in soccer’s biggest tournament on big screens. One place that isn’t listed? The city’s notorious Rikers Island jail complex, better known for its overcrowding and violence than for hosting social events. But more than 100 inmates were rewarded with a special viewing of the World Cup semifinal match Wednesday between England and Argentina because of their model behavior behind bars. The inmates, dressed in tan uniforms, took seats at tables facing a large projection screen set up in a gymnasium. The jail has hosted about 90 such watch parties since the tournament kicked off last month, with about 4,500 of ... Read MoreACC revamps tiebreakers for conference title game after 5-loss Duke team got in over No. 10 Miami
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Atlantic Coast Conference is revamping the tiebreaker format for its football championship game following a controversial finish last season that allowed a five-loss Duke team to get in over then-No. 10-ranked Miami — a situation that put the Hurricanes at risk of missing the expanded College Football Playoff. Miami, which had been the ACC's most dominant team during the regular season, wound up being selected for the playoff and went on to reach the national title game, where it fell short to No. 1 Indiana 27-21. Duke beat No. 20 Virginia in the ACC championship game last year for its first outright ACC title since 1962 but was not selected for the CFP, much to ... Read MoreKylian Mbappé-led France falls flat in World Cup loss to Spain when hopes for a title were high
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kylian Mbappé had France poised for another run to the World Cup final with a team that seemingly had the offensive firepower to solve Spain's stout defense. Instead, Les Bleus had no answers in a 2-0 semifinal loss at the home of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday in what is presumably coach Didier Deschamps' final appearance on soccer's biggest stage. Deschamps, who has said this would be his last World Cup, won a title as a player in 1998 and again as a coach eight years ago in Russia before leading France to the final in 2022 in Qatar. Argentina won that championship in a penalty shootout. “I’ve been lucky as a player to enjoy ... Read MoreBrewers bolster rotation by getting Lance McCullers Jr. and Colton Gordon in a deal with the Astros
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers acquired right-handed pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. and left-hander Colton Gordon from the Houston Astros on Wednesday for outfield prospect Jadyn Fielder. Houston agreed to pay Milwaukee $4,227,273 to offset most of McCullers' remaining salary, leaving his cost to the Brewers at $2.5 million. Astros general manager Dana Brown said they created flexibility in payroll and the roster for a team currently three games back of Texas in the AL West. “Make no mistakes, we are still trying to improve this team," Brown said. "We are still actively talking about acquiring a left-hand bat.” Milwaukee cleared space on the 40-man roster by placing left-hander Rob Zastryzny to the 60-day injured list. Milwaukee went into the ... Read MoreRunning back Alvin Kamara has a new deal with the Saints for 2026
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara agreed on Wednesday to restructure his contract for the coming season. “His goal is to remain with the Saints,” Kamara's agent, Bradley Cicala, told The Associated Press after confirming the agreement. Kamara's future with New Orleans became cloudy in March, when New Orleans signed free-agent running back Travis Etienne to a four-year $52 million contract. Kamara, who'll be 31 this season, was entering the final season of a two-year, $24.5 million extension he’d signed before the 2024 season. Cicala and Saints general manager Mickey Loomis did not disclose specific financial terms of the new agreement. But Loomis had foreshadowed some sort of pay cut when he stated in May ... Read MoreArgentina advances to the World Cup final with 2-1 win over England
Argentina players pose for a team photograph before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi Final match between England and Argentina at Atlanta Stadium on July 15, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)(ATLANTA) -- Argentina will advance to the 2026 World Cup final after defeating England 2-1 on Wednesday.Spain and Argentina will now face each other to determine the winner of the 2026 tournament on Sunday, July 19, at 3 p.m. ET from New York-New Jersey Stadium.After a scoreless first half, England struck first in the match with a goal from Anthony Gordon in the 55th minute. Argentina responded with a late goal from Enzo Fernandez in the 85th minute to tie the game.A goal by Argentina's Lautaro ... Read More
Texas Rangers leave Victory+, move game broadcasts to BZZR platform
ARLINGTON (KETK)– While the Texas Rangers are currently on an All-Star break, the organization made a surprising announcement on Wednesday that they will be airing their games on a new platform for the remainder of the season. The Rangers have been streaming their games through Victory Plus for nearly two seasons now; however, on Wednesday, the organization announced that, moving forward, they will air their games solely on the digital content platform BZZR, according to the MLB. Rangers fans who have already paid for subscriptions to watch the team on Victroy Plus this year will have their subscriptions transferred to BZZR. The MLB said that Victory Plus customers will receive an email this week providing directions on how to create ... Read MoreDonovan Mitchell signs 4-year, $273M extension with Cavaliers, who await LeBron James’ decision
CLEVELAND (AP) - The Cleveland Cavaliers have achieved one of their primary aims of the offseason while the wait continues on whether LeBron James will return to the franchise for a third time. The team announced Thursday that Donovan Mitchell has signed his four-year, $273 million contract extension. The seven-time All-Star agreed to the extension on Tuesday, the first day the Cavs could offer it. Mitchell had two seasons remaining on his contract and could have waited to re-sign until next summer, when he would be eligible for a five-year supermax deal worth $350 million. “From day one, he embraced this organization, our fans, and our community. He’s been clear in his desire to be here, and that speaks volumes ... Read MoreBig 12 commissioner declines to address Sorsby gambling saga and describes league as `16 strong’
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark wanted to talk Tuesday about the league’s upcoming season, not the Brendan Sorsby gambling saga at Texas Tech that led to a lot of legal wrangling and a since-dismissed court order that had sent shockwaves through college sports. Even though that was the first thing Yormark was asked about after his opening remarks at Big 12 football media days. “I appreciate the question. I appreciate other questions that are probably going to come forth today. Today is not the time to address that issue,” Yormark answered. “Today is about celebrating the upcoming football season and celebrating our 16 schools.” Yormark later spoke about the conference “moving ahead as 16 strong.” That ... Read MoreEgypt coach Hossam Hassan says he considers matter closed after confrontation with Dallas police
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said he considered the matter resolved after he and team director Ibrahim Hassan had a physical confrontation with a police officer at the team's hotel in Dallas. Video began circulating Thursday, a day before Egypt beat Australia in the round of the 32 at the World Cup, showing both men arguing with a Dallas police officer, apparently over a player preparing to take a picture with a young fan in the hotel lobby. The officer approaches Hossam Hassan first, but his interaction with Ibrahim Hassan became a shoving match. Ibrahim Hassan appeared to be upset at the officer intervening. Dallas police issued a statement saying officers were responding to a request from ... Read MoreLeague in FIFA’s home nation Switzerland rejects World Cup-style mandatory drinks breaks
BERN, Switzerland (AP) — The soccer league in FIFA’s home country Switzerland is not interested in World Cup -style mandatory drinks breaks splitting games into four quarters. The Swiss Football League said Wednesday “hydration breaks” are not planned in its games next season. It starts July 25 with two 6 p.m. kickoffs, then games at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. the next day. Switzerland has sweltered in the European heat wave during the World Cup with some evening temperatures around 35 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit). FIFA ordered three-minute breaks midway through each half of all 104 World Cup games to let players hydrate, regardless of the temperature or if the stadium is cooled under a roof. Critics of “hydration breaks” say ... Read MoreHere’s the Dallas Cowboys’ 2026 NFL Schedule
DALLAS (KETK) – The 2026 NFL season is almost here but the Silver Star Nation doesn’t have to wait any longer to learn who the Dallas Cowboys will be facing on the field this year. Here’s the 2026 Houston Texans regular season schedule The NFL released team schedules on Thursday and KETK News has put Dallas’ regular season games together in the list below: WEEK 1 · Sun 09/13 · 7:20 PM CDT at New York Giants WEEK 2 · Sun 09/20 · 3:25 PM CDT vs Washington Commanders WEEK 3 · Sun 09/27 · 3:25 PM CDT vs Baltimore Ravens in Brazil WEEK 4 · Sun 10/04 · 12:00 PM CDT at Houston Texans WEEK 5 · Thu 10/08 ... Read MoreTop of page
