Reds sign star pitcher to $105 million contract extension
The Cincinnati Reds are locking down a breakout star with a new $100 million contract.
The Reds are signing pitcher Chase Burns to a 7-year, $105 million deal. The agreement ties Burns to the club through 2033.
Right-hander Chase Burns and the Cincinnati Reds are in agreement on a seven-year, $105 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Burns, 23, was an All-Star this season and one of the best young pitchers in baseball. No club options. A straight deal that will run through 2033.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 16, 2026
The Reds reward a talented young pitcher with one of the largest contracts they have given out in franchise history. It also represents a significant leap of faith, as Burns only has 31 career starts to his name. That is enough, however, for the Reds to commit to the 23-year-old.
Burns has had a breakout season for Cincinnati in 2026. Through 18 starts, the former No. 2 overall pick has posted a 2.54 ERA with 118 strikeouts in 102.2 innings of work. He has an 11-1 record on a team that is 43-52 overall, which is no small feat.
Overall, Cincinnati’s pitching has left a lot to be desired this season. Burns has stood out because he has not fallen into that trap, and he has quickly become a $100 million pitcher for that reason.
NBA issues statement about Bam Adebayo-Tyler Herro altercation
The NBA has weighed in on the recent altercation between former Miami Heat teammates Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro in Las Vegas.
In a statement, the league said it has had discussions with Adebayo and Herro, as well as representatives from the NBPA. The NBA determined that “everyone would prefer to move on from this unfortunate circumstance,” and no action would be taken against either player.
NBA spokesperson on Bam Adebayo-Tyler Herro incident: "After discussing with the players involved and the NBPA, everyone would prefer to move on from this unfortunate circumstance, and no further action will be taken by the league." https://t.co/S1xcPRvKWB
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 16, 2026
The lack of a punishment is not a huge surprise. The altercation did not take place on the court or during a game. While the league could theoretically issue a punishment over this, the incident does not appear to have risen to the point of real violence, and has mostly just been embarrassing for all involved.
Herro and Adebayo clashed last week, with reports indicating that Herro felt that Adebayo had done nothing to stand up for him when the guard’s name was coming up in trade talks. There were also claims that Herro felt underappreciated by Adebayo in Miami.
Ultimately, the league won’t follow through on even the silliest suggestions about how to settle things between the two ex-teammates. This appears to be behind both of them, at least for now.
Fans had the harshest reactions to the Savannah Bananas’ appearance at the ESPYs
Fans did not exactly go bananas over the appearance of the Savannah Bananas during Wednesday’s 2026 edition of the ESPYs.
With no action from the four major pro leagues happening, the ESPYs at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City, N.Y., attracted plenty of eyeballs, though many seemed ready to rip those out of their eye sockets based on their reception to the song-and-dance performance by the barnstorming exhibition baseball squad.
Not even the cameo appearance of DJ Khaled on the stage made it easier for many fans to stomach what they were seeing unfold.
— Tictacmagic (@tictacmagic_) July 16, 2026
They turned the ESPYS into a halftime show 💀😭 pic.twitter.com/L76jJGlQ6V
— pierre (@pierrepierrezxc) July 16, 2026
Now I know a great last place punishment for fantasy football this year! Have to watch this on repeat for 24 straight hours pic.twitter.com/Cf4MkoXt2I
— The GG (@THEGAMBLINGGAWD) July 16, 2026
What on gods green earth is this
— Myk (@mauleani) July 16, 2026
My imaginary 5 year old kid just stood up and turned off the TV
— RUDEGOUNDER (@RUDEGOUNDER) July 16, 2026
In the age of social media, it’s rare for an act to be universally loved online, and the reactions to the Savannah Bananas’ number exemplify the notion. ESPYs aside, the Bananas have always been received well, as evidenced by the packed stadiums whenever and wherever they play.
In any case, there is no stopping the popularity of the Savannah Bananas. In fact, they have sold out all of their remaining schedules in 2026, based on the information on their official website.
Their next appearance will be in a matchup against the Firefighters on July 24 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Ill.
Warriors reportedly bracing for bad news amid their LeBron James pursuit
Until LeBron James officially announces where he will take his talents next in NBA free agency, no one can say for sure what lies ahead for the four-time NBA MVP.
But even one of the teams most closely linked to James is said to be having doubts now about where it truly stands in the LeBron sweepstakes.
“Yeah, I was kind of hearing today that the [Golden State] Warriors internally kind of feel like they’re a dark horse at this point, that LeBron James is probably going out East,” Marc Spears of Andscape said on ESPN.
“I’m hearing today that the Warriors internally feel like they’re a dark horse at this point. That LeBron James is probably going out East.”
— Heat Central (@TheHeatCentral) July 15, 2026
— @MarcJSpears on LeBron to Golden State rumors https://t.co/mN7iTQhgPn pic.twitter.com/XxQXgHXhwA
James has been essentially radio silent when it comes to his immediate future, which is fueling even more speculation to fill the void. Even at 41 years old, James has teams on their toes looking for ways to improve their chances of landing the future Basketball Hall of Famer.
After all, apart from his star power and marketability, he is still a better player than most in the league after averaging 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds in 60 games with the Los Angeles Lakers last season.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers and the Minnesota Timberwolves are some of the other teams reportedly in the mix for James’ services.
H/T Heat Central
Tiger Woods becomes punchline of a bold joke at the ESPYs
Marcello Hernández was no Norm Macdonald on Wednesday, but he still delivered some audacious lines while hosting the 2026 ESPYs at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City, N.Y. Among those targeted by Hernandez during his monologue was none other than golf star Tiger Woods, who was not in attendance at the event.
“I want to congratulate Caleb Williams, the quarterback for the Chicago Bears, who will be on the cover of the new Madden video game. Congratulations to Caleb,” Hernández said, before turning his attention to the 15-time major champion. “And Tiger Woods will be on the cover of Grand Theft Auto.”
Marcello Hernández: "I want to congratulate Caleb Williams, the quarterback for the Chicago Bears, who will be on the cover of the new 'Madden' video game… And Tiger Woods will be on the cover of 'Grand Theft Auto.'" #ESPYs pic.twitter.com/GJfVU7Q6dd
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 16, 2026
Of course, Hernandez was referring to the golf great’s rollover two-vehicle crash in Jupiter, Fla., in March that led to Woods getting charged with a DUI, property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful urinalysis test.
After drawing laughs with that joke, Hernandez dialed it back a little.
“I love you Tiger. I’m a big fan, man,” Hernández said. “It’s just it was written so well.”
Woods has stepped away from competitive golf to focus on his health following his latest car accident, but as Wednesday once again proved, he can never really escape the spotlight, for better or for worse.
Fans flame former Spurs coach over his claim about losing NBA Finals to the Knicks
Fans are not feeling what former San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Sean Sweeney said about the team’s loss in the NBA Finals to Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks.
In a recent appearance on “The Ryen Russillo Show,” Sweeney admitted that he’s lost plenty of sleep over the Spurs falling short in their mission to win the NBA title despite being the series favorites against the Knicks.
But what really riled up many Knicks fans was Sweeney seemingly not giving full credit to the Knicks for simply being the better team. Instead, Sweeney primarily attributed San Antonio’s NBA Finals defeat to “attrition” after battling the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals and to “bad luck.”
“I’ve lost a lot of sleep over that series” -Sean Sweeney on The Finals pic.twitter.com/luloyOskD2
— The Ryen Russillo Show (@TheRyenRussillo) July 15, 2026
— Knick With The Knack (@KnickWitDaKnack) July 15, 2026
Give as little credit to the opponent as possible. Big time Kenny Atkinson vibes, good luck Magic fans.
— GM (@Knicksinitup) July 15, 2026
All I hear are excuses! Attrition, bad luck, Media, youth and the most laughable point was him mentioning that IF THE GAMES WERE 46 MINUTES THEY WOULD HAVE WON 4-1? Like WTF 😳 Why not just tell the truth, is it that hard? The Knicks played better when it counted the most!
— TO (@TO2602) July 16, 2026
What an absolutely moronic response, your feelings don’t matter, the duration of the game don’t matter, the final score is the only thing that matters.
— Nico (@FranklyMrNick) July 16, 2026
Maybe they lost because of this guy? If the game was only 10 minutes long then we would have won …..? The game is 48 minutes not 46. We were the better team but still lost mentality. Participation medal mentality.
— Kahnin (@KahninMusic) July 16, 2026
San Antonio held leads in each of the five games in the Knicks series, but it was not the Knicks’ fault that the Spurs failed to take advantage of those cushions.
At the end of the day, it is not how San Antonio squandered its leads in the series that fans remember, but how the Knicks overcame the odds and took down Victor Wembanyama and company in what turned out to be one of the most memorable NBA Finals in recent years.
As for Sweeney, he will see more of the Knicks, as he is now in the Eastern Conference after getting hired by the Orlando Magic to be their next head coach.
Harry Kane had a heartbreaking quote after England’s loss to Argentina
Perhaps words can’t really capture the pain England players and supporters felt after the side’s 2-1 loss to Argentina in a FIFA World Cup semifinal match on Wednesday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. But England star Harry Kane might have summed up the heartbreak best.
“I’m gutted for the team, the staff, the fans,” the Bayern Munich striker said after the match, via James Robson of the Associated Press. “
“We worked so hard to be here. The lads have given every bit of blood, sweat and tears. To fall short like we did is just gutting.”
England was already smelling the final when Anthony Gordon found the back of the net in the 55th minute to open the scoring.
The Three Lions have been to the final round of the World Cup just once, and it stays that way after Argentina scored the final two goals of the match, courtesy of Enzo Fernández in the 85th minute and Lautaro Martínez in extra time.
Instead, Kane and England are left picking up the pieces, but they will have to get it together right away, as they have a third-place match still to play against France on Saturday in the same venue.
England will now have to wait another four years for a chance to end its World Cup title drought, dating back to 1966.
Karl-Anthony Towns takes a swipe at Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson during ESPYs
Karl-Anthony Towns produced some good banter at this week’s ESPY Awards.
The New York Knicks star Towns was in attendance during Wednesday’s ESPYs at David H. Koch Theater in New York, N.Y. Towns was interviewed by ESPN before the ceremony and was asked about the Knicks being nominated for the 2026 Best Team Award.
At one point during his response, Towns took a funny swipe at Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson.
“Analytically, we should win this one,” said Towns. “We should win this one analytically.”
Karl Anthony Towns makes a joke towards Kenny Atkinson
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) July 15, 2026
"Analytically, we should win this one. We should win this one analytically." https://t.co/7p0D0JWM6h pic.twitter.com/PYn9dC6M78
For reference, the Knicks defeated the Cavaliers in a four-game sweep during this year’s Eastern Conference Finals. After losing Game 3 to go down 0-3, Atkinson made some absurd comments about how Cleveland had actually won two out of the three games “analytically” (and got very deservedly roasted online for it).
Eventually, the Knicks went on to beat the San Antonio Spurs in five games during the NBA Finals to win the championship. They indeed went on to win Wednesday night’s Best Team Award at the ESPYs as well, continuing on what has already been quite the victory tour for both Towns and the Knicks.
Mike Tyson makes a bizarre comment about Shohei Ohtani at the ESPYs
Mike Tyson appeared to be on a completely different planet while at this year’s ESPY Awards.
The boxing legend Tyson was one of three presenters for the Best Single Game Performance Award at Wednesday’s ESPYs at David H. Koch Theater in New York, N.Y. While up on the stage with Jake Paul and DJ Khaled, Tyson had the honor of announcing the winner of the award — Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani.
Tyson’s co-presenter Paul then announced to the crowd that Ohtani could not be in attendance that night but noted that “he sends his gratitude and appreciation to ESPN and everyone who voted for him.”
That then led to an extremely strange comment from Tyson away from the microphone but still within earshot. “Shohei’s a guy?” Tyson appeared to ask Paul. Here is the bizarre video.
"Shohei's a guy?"
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) July 16, 2026
Mike Tyson awarded Shohei Ohtani the ESPY for best single-game performance, but had one very important question afterwards pic.twitter.com/sdDZFW0dwS
The four-time MVP Ohtani is one of the most popular and well-known athletes on the entire planet right now. As such, it is pretty hard to believe that the 60-year-old Tyson is so far out of touch that he does not even know what gender Ohtani is (especially since Ohtani’s image was being prominently displayed in the theater both during and immediately before that moment as well).
It is possible that Tyson was actually making a complimentary “that guy” comment about Ohtani there instead. But given that Tyson has produced some other truly zany moments in recent years, the likelier explanation here is that the former heavyweight champion legitimately did not even have the remotest clue who Ohtani was.
Prince Fielder’s son lands with a prominent new team in trade
Little Prince is officially headed to a new MLB team.
Jadyn Fielder, the son of former NL home runs leader Prince Fielder, has been acquired by the Houston Astros in a trade, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reported on Wednesday. Jadyn is headed to the Astros after spending the last couple of seasons in the Milwaukee Brewers organization.
Houston’s acquisition of Jadyn is part of their return package for former All-Star pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. The Astros traded McCullers to the Brewers on Wednesday in what was originally reported as a one-for-one swap. However, Jadyn has since been revealed to be part of the McCullers trade as well.
Jadyn, 21, is the oldest son of the six-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger Award winner Prince, 42. He is also the grandson of former AL home runs leader Cecil Fielder, 62.
After attending high school at TNXL Academy in Altamonte Springs, Fla., Jadyn was not selected in the 2024 MLB Draft. He then signed as an undrafted free agent with the Brewers, his father’s beloved former team from 2005-11.
A lefty batter, Jadyn was hitting .233 with an .813 OPS in Single-A ball this season. Now Jadyn will be getting a fresh start as the newest member of the Astros organization.
Caitlin Clark completely curses out referee over no-call
Caitlin Clark was at it again during Wednesday’s game.
The Indiana Fever superstar Clark had a viral moment as her team faced off against the Golden State Valkyries. In the second quarter at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., Clark cursed out referee Gerda Gatling (No. 24) during a stoppage in play.
Apparently incensed about a no-call from when she had the ball on the other end of the floor, Clark waited for the next whistle and then absolutely let Gatling have it. She walked right up into Gatling’s face and screamed multiple expletives directly at her.
Clark appeared to say, “Give me a f–king call! F–k! I got fouled five times!” Here is the video.
Caitlin Clark was FURIOUS
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) July 16, 2026
Screaming in the referee’s face. pic.twitter.com/fqVhtlMmaJ
Interestingly enough, Gatling let the entire tirade slide and did not give Clark a technical foul. Still, the Fever went into halftime trailing the Valkyries by a 40-30 score.
For as immensely talented as Clark is, constant complaining to the referees is a major part of her reputation as well. The third-year pro Clark has already had countless instances during games of getting heated with the officials, and Wednesday’s incident with Gatling might have been Clark’s ugliest one yet.
Mason Miller is being linked to 1 team in trade rumors
One powerhouse team is apparently hoping that the San Diego Padres’ slide continues.
The New York Yankees would “love” to trade for Padres star reliever Mason Miller, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported this week. Heyman adds though that the Yankees would likely keep top infield prospect George Lombard Jr. off the table in any such negotiations for Miller.
Miller, the 27-year-old righty, is the best reliever in baseball right now. With an elite combination of velocity and movement, Miller just made his second career All-Star team this year on the strength of a 0.91 ERA, a 0.78 WHIP, an MLB-leading 25 saves, and an absurd 16.3 K/9.
But the Padres have not been having the season that they were hoping for. At 48-48, they have virtually no chance of winning the division and are 3.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot in the NL.
Miller, who is under contract through 2029, is by far the single most valuable asset on the San Diego roster right now. Though the Padres recently cast doubt on the chances of moving Miller ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline, they will have to consider every possibility if they continue to struggle in the standings.
As for the Yankees, they occupy the first AL Wild Card spot at 54-42 and are currently relying on 2027 free agent David Bednar (who has a passable 2.70 ERA and 18 saves this season) as their closer. Thus, Miller figures to be a top target for New York at the deadline along with this other All-Star on the opposite side of the ball.
LeBron James may be waiting for 1 date to make his decision
LeBron James appears to have his plan in motion.
The former Los Angeles Lakers star James may be waiting for one particular date before making his decision, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report said in a livestream on Wednesday. There is reportedly a sense that James will announce his decision after NBA Summer League is over, Fischer says.
NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Nev. began on July 9. It is set to run through July 19, after which James might finally reveal which NBA team he is signing with for the 2026-27 campaign.
Additionally, July 19 marks the final of the 2026 World Cup between Spain and Argentina. Once those major events are complete, the sports news cycle could potentially be wide open again for James.
Now 41 years old, James has not given much other than the fact that he will not be returning to the Lakers next season. Some insiders believe though that there are three particular teams that James is focused on.
One recent report gave a more optimistic timeline for James to announce his decision. In any case though, we may only be about 4-to-5 days away from an end to this entire saga with The King.
Josh Hart had a perfect comparison after Argentina’s latest World Cup comeback
After Lionel Messi and Argentina knocked off England 2-1 in the World Cup semifinals, New York Knicks star Josh Hart took to X with a neat comparison.
Hart had a simple reaction, and in turn, essentially compared Argentina to the Knicks.
Argentina = Knicks
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) July 15, 2026
Argentina defeated Cape Verde in the first match of the knockout stage. Then, in the Round of 16, Egypt was up 2-0 before Argentina scored three times in a matter of 15 minutes to stun the Egyptians with a 3-2 win.
On Wednesday against England, Argentina trailed 1-0 before Messi assisted on both of the goals. Enzo Fernández scored the equalizer in the 85th minute, and Lautaro Martínez played hero with the game-winner in stoppage time to send Argentina back to the World Cup final.
The Knicks pulled off four double-digit comebacks in this past postseason en route to an NBA Finals victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
Perhaps the most remarkable was the fact that New York came back from a 29-point deficit in Game 4 to defeat the Spurs, 107-106.
In Game 5 of the NBA Finals, the Spurs had a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter before the Knicks came from behind to win, 94-90, and capture their first NBA title since 1973.
Now, Argentina will look to keep the magic going with a showdown against Spain on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
World Cup final sets staggering ticket price record
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final is now set after Argentina defeated England in a 2-1 comeback victory on Wednesday in Atlanta, Ga.
Lionel Messi and Argentina will face off against Lamine Yamal and Spain on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
Right after the Argentina-England match went final, ticket prices for the title game had already gone through the roof. TickPick announced that the current get-in price is $7,451, and the average price is $11,327, making it the most expensive event in TickPick’s existence.
RECORD: The World Cup Final between Spain and Argentina is the MOST expensive sporting event on record at TickPick.
— TickPick (@TickPick) July 15, 2026
Current get-in price: $7,451
Average Purchase Price: $11,327 pic.twitter.com/xymK1BvOm8
For perspective, Super Bowl LVIII between the 49ers and Chiefs had an average purchase price of $9,411.
It’s quite the jump in price from the get-in price for either of the semifinal games. For Argentina-England, it was just over $2,600, while France-Spain was just over $1,300.
The World Cup semifinals start today highlighted by the top two teams (France v. Spain) in the "final before the final."
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) July 14, 2026
Interestingly, the get-in price for France-Spain is half the price of Argentina-England on @TickPick.
France vs. Spain: $1,301
Argentina vs. England: $2,602
Argentina won the World Cup final in 2022 with a victory over France, and Lionel Messi and company are hoping for a repeat on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Lionel Messi tied Pele with remarkable feat in Argentina’s comeback over England
Lionel Messi and Argentina are headed back to the World Cup final after a thrilling 2-1 comeback win over England on Wednesday in Atlanta, Ga.
England took a 1-0 lead, but Argentina scored two goals in a span of 10 minutes, with Messi recording an assist on both goals.
As a result, Messi joins Pele and Antoine Griezmann, with each star recording four assists in the knockout stage.
He just keeps doing it …
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) July 15, 2026
No other player in the last 60 years has more than Messi's four World Cup KO stage assists (tied with Pele and Antoine Griezmann). https://t.co/y45eHHVCs7
The first assist of the semifinal game came in the 85th minute with Enzo Fernández tying the game.
GOOOOAAL! ENZO FERNÁNDEZ DRAWS ARGENTINA LEVEL WITH ENGLAND IN THE SEMIFINALS 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/A84NfiCmWH
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 15, 2026
Messi had one assist against Egypt and one against Switzerland, and he also scored a goal in the win over Egypt.
In total, Messi has eight goals and four assists so far in this World Cup as Argentina looks to repeat as champions.
Argentina has defeated Algeria, Austria, Jordan, Cape Verde, Egypt, Switzerland and now England to punch the ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup title game.
Lionel Messi and Argentina will face Spain on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
If Argentina wins, it will be the third team to win back-to-back World Cups, with Italy (1934 and 1938) and Brazil (1958 and 1962) as the others.
Saints make decision on RB Alvin Kamara
The New Orleans Saints faced questions all offseason about running back Alvin Kamara.
On Wednesday, the Saints got clarity, and Kamara agreed to a restructured deal to stay in New Orleans for his 10th season in the NFL.
Saints reporter Nick Underhill and former Saints star Terron Armstead revealed the news on Wednesday.
BREAKING NEWS‼️‼️
— Terron Armstead (@T_Armstead72) July 15, 2026
New Orleans Saints … 👀
I’m going live in less than 30 mins, me and @nick_underhill has HUGE news for the @NFL
BE THERE!! https://t.co/NuJy9cmxSt
Kamara was entering the final season of a two-year, $24.5 million contract. Questions swirled more when the Saints signed Travis Etienne to a four-year, $52 million contract.
Kamara made a special appearance at a Savannah Bananas game and grabbed his leg after jumping, scaring fans. Ultimately, it seems that it was an act by Kamara, and the video can be seen here.
Kamara has spent his entire career with the Saints since they selected him in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He has made the Pro Bowl team five times, but he rushed for just 471 yards with one touchdown in 11 games last season.
The Saints are entering their second year with Kellen Moore as the head coach, but the questions about the future of Alvin Kamara can be put to bed, at least for this season.
Panthers QB retires from the NFL after 7 seasons
The Carolina Panthers’ depth chart has an opening in the quarterback room now.
On Wednesday, veteran Will Grier decided to retire from the NFL, and the team put him on the reserve/retired list. The Panthers selected Grier in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft after he played college football at West Virginia and put up massive numbers.
Panthers QB Will Grier is retiring, the team announced. The Charlotte native put up big passing numbers in HS and college. But his only two NFL starts came in 2019 with his hometown team.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) July 15, 2026
Grier played one season with the Florida Gators before transferring to West Virginia, and he threw for 7,354 yards with 71 scores in two seasons with the Mountaineers.
Unfortunately, Grier didn’t have much success in the NFL and he was mainly a practice squad player.
Grier spent time in the NFL with each of the Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles. He had two stints with each of the Cowboys and Panthers.
Grier’s lone starts came in 2019, and he threw for 228 yards with zero touchdowns and four interceptions.
Grier’s chances of making the 53-man roster were very unlikely with Bryce Young as QB1 and Kenny Pickett being acquired in a trade. Georgia Tech QB Haynes King is also in training camp.
Matt Freese makes emotional admission about World Cup blunder
Team USA’s FIFA World Cup run came to a crushing end with a 4-1 loss to Belgium in the Round of 16.
Team USA was trailing 2-1 before goalie Matt Freese committed a blunder that will stick with him for a long time.
Belgium finds a third pic.twitter.com/0m1Hu4qzwR
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 7, 2026
Days after the crushing loss, Freese opened up about the play and the loss.
“It hurt. It was devastating,” Freese said, via Tom Bogert of The Athletic. “In that moment. In the hours and days after that.”
However, Freese says he will use that moment, as well as team USA manager Mauricio Pochettino’s postgame speech, as motivation going forward.
“In two years when you’re gearing up for the summer of 2028. You look to the memory of that when it’s 6 a.m. and your alarm clock goes off on a Tuesday when you try to be the first one in the facility,” Freese added.
Team USA began the World Cup with wins over Paraguay and Australia, and Freese allowed just one goal in those two matches. The Americans then lost to Turkey in the final group stage game before defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina in a 2-0 win in the knockout stage.
The Americans are still trying to find a way to get to the quarterfinals, and the next chance to do so will be in the 2030 World Cup.
Dodgers reach remarkable milestone not seen in over 50 years
The Los Angeles Dodgers are coming out of the All-Star break with an MLB-best 61-36 record and hoping for a World Series three-peat.
The Dodgers have an 11.5-game lead in the National League West, and they are two games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers for the No. 1 record. And, the Dodgers have accomplished a feat only one other team has done.
Seasons leading MLB in winning percentage, on-base percentage and opponent OBP at the All-Star break:@Dodgers – 3 (1955, 1974, 2026)
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) July 15, 2026
Rest of MLB – 1 (Orioles in 1969) pic.twitter.com/qCEVmTxsDL
The Dodgers have done this three times now, and the only other team to do so in the history of baseball was the Baltimore Orioles in 1969.
The Dodgers have a winning percentage of .629 and an on-base percentage of .343.
LA is also second in the MLB in batting average (.262) and slugging percentage (.434), as well as third in runs and fifth in home runs.
The pitching has also been excellent as LA is 1st in batting average against (.216) and walks plus hits per innings pitched (1.14) and third in ERA (3.55).
Superstar Shohei Ohtani is in the Cy Young conversation with an 8-2 record and a 1.79 ERA through 14 starts, and there is a very realistic scenario that the Dodgers become the first team with three straight World Series wins since the New York Yankees at the start of the century.
