Germany name their World Cup 2026 squad with Manuel Neuer making a surprise return after retiring post-Euro 2024, sparking a goalkeeping debate as Nagelsmann backs experience for Group E glory.

Rodgers' place among the greatest players at his position is secure

Its the crossover that was always meant to happen: Pittsburgh sports and HBOs smash series The Pitt. Not only does the medical series showcase the brutal job of medical workers, but it helps when everyone in the show loves Pittsburgh so much theyre all repping little bits of Pirates, Steelers, or Penguins merch.Now, as part of Yinzerpalooza Weekend, the Pirates are rolling out their own Dr. Robby bobbleheads, styled after Noah Wyles iconic character in the show. I say styled after, because to say this is Dr. Robby is a bit of a stretch.Making bobbleheads look good is difficult so Ill give some gracem because it actually looks a little like Noah Wyle but not really enough like Noah Wyle to look at the bobble head and say hey, thats Noah Wyle. In case you need a little tester on this uncanny valley I have created a composite to show that the bobblehead isnt quite right.The least the bobblehead manufacturers could have done was put Robby in his iconic hoodie.

The clock is ticking on Cleveland's core, even though the franchise is back in the conference finals for the first time since the LeBron James era ended.

Aston Villa ended their 30-year trophy drought in style as spectacular goals from Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Buendia inspired a 3-0 win against Freiburg in the Europa League final on Wednesday (Thursday AEST).

Vanessa - the ex-wife of President Donald Trump's eldest son, Don Jr . - revealed Wednesday that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer and is 'working closely' on a treatment plan.

Howard Fendrich, a national sports writer for The Associated Press whose persistent reporting and detail-rich prose brought readers inside dozens of taut Grand Slam tennis finals, record-breaking Olympic moments and harrowing trips down Alpine ski slopes, has died. He was 55.Fendrich died Thursday at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, his wife Rosanna Maietta said. He was diagnosed with cancer in February shortly after returning from Milan, where he covered his 11th Olympics.Tennis great Roger Federer, who estimated he'd had more than 100 interactions with Fendrich over the decades, called the journalist one of those constant and reassuring presences in the tennis world for many years.He started covering tennis in 2002, right around the time I was starting to have my breakthrough in the sport, and over time he truly became part of the fabric of tennis, Federer said. Tennis lost a wonderful journalist and a great person.Fendrich is survived by his wife; his mother, Rene; his brother, Alex; and two sons, Stefano and Jordan, each of whom are pursuing careers in sports journalism just like their dad. Howard was a gifted journalist who brought such skill, expertise and enthusiasm to his work, said AP Executive Editor and Senior Vice President Julie Pace. His stories were a joy to read, combining lively writing with insightful reporting. He was also a generous and beloved colleague whose warmth and passion touched so many across the AP.A veteran of AP across three decadesA graduate of Haverford College near Philadelphia, Fendrich worked at AP for 33 years, starting as an unpaid intern in Rome. There, he became fluent in his beloved citys language, mostly by watching Italian karaoke videos, and that helped him get a foot in the door to the news agencys European sports coverage, focusing on soccer. That, in turn, landed him on the radar of the AP sports editor at the time, Terry R. Taylor, who helped him get back to the United States. In the United States, Fendrich started as an editor on the AP sports desk at the New York headquarters, where he also wrote a sports media column. He moved to the Washington area in 2005 and became a steady presence on sports beats in the region where he had grown up. But his true passion was tennis. He chronicled the careers of Venus and Serena Williams, Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and others. He covered some 70 Grand Slam tournaments over nearly a quarter century on the beat. It was at those events where his brilliance shone brightest.Fendrich's writing honors included two Grimsley Awards for best overall body of work among AP sports writers and a handful of deadline-writing citations. One was for a piece from Andre Agassis last match, which came at the 2006 U.S. Open:Crouched alone in the silence of the locker room, a pro tennis player no more, a red-eyed Andre Agassi twisted his torso in an attempt to conquer the seemingly mundane task of pulling a white shirt over his head. Never more than at that moment did Agassi seem so vulnerable, looking far older than his 36 years.The passage highlighted Fendrich at his best watching, rewatching, taking notes, going beyond the courts and painstakingly sifting through details of events that millions of people witnessed to tell them something the guy sitting right next to him might not have noticed.Fendrich captured Federers heartfelt meeting with Bjorn Borg in the hallway after a history-making win at Wimbledon. He detailed the gritty realities of playing on red clay at Roland Garros, then having to wash it out of shorts and socks when the match was over. At his last big assignment in Milan, he followed speedskater Jutta Leerdams famous fianc, fighter Jake Paul, down the hallway leading to the parking lot all just to unearth a detail, just to get a quote. He got them, then Paul proclaimed: OK, were done. Bodyguards moved in and, as Fendrich said at a dinner later: I decided, Yes, I guess we are.An unerring instinct for how to get the newsHe had a knack for knowing where to go, who to ask and, just as importantly, what to ask and how. For days during the steamy Washington summer in 2011, he sat on a folding chair on a sidewalk, perched a laptop on his lap and wrote, all while waiting for principals to emerge from tense negotiations during the protracted NFL labor lockout. Though he wasnt what would be known today as an NFL insider, Fendrich worked the room, the phones and the sidewalk and helped AP stay as competitive as anyone in delivering developments and detailing the eventual end of the standoff.There was that doggedness, said Mary Byrne, the APs deputy sports editor at the time of the lockout. He was annoyed by it, and by all the time he spent out there waiting for people to come out and say nothing. But that situation wasnt going to get the best of him, and he wasnt going to get beat on the story.When Washington quarterback Alex Smith broke his leg in the most gruesome of fashions in 2018, Fendrich immediately got on the phone with the one person who could understand: retired star quarterback Joe Theismann. Sometimes, however, the phone would ring for him and, even if he was in the middle of a World Series game, Fendrich would pick up. If he started speaking Italian, it was undoubtedly Rosanna, his wife. Or sometimes the kids called and had a school question or a story from that days soccer game. For them, he had endless patience and time. Then: Straight back to work, and he didnt miss a thing. Nothing got past him, said Stephen Wilson, AP's former European sports editor, who worked with Fendrich for more than 20 years. Every story even a three-paragraph brief had to be iron-clad.It wasnt just the written word where Fendrich was a master. He had a snappy, razor-sharp sense of humor. No colleague could turn him down when he raised his eyebrows, motioned his head toward the door and asked them to join him in his office -- usually a quiet courtyard or hallway outside a press room to hash out coverage plans for the day or compare notes about people and things seen around the courts. Chris Lehourites, an editor at AP who guided tennis coverage in Europe for decades, spent many a long day fretting over punctuation, syntax and word choice with Fendrich, whom he called a perfectionist when it came to his job.Howard was also a friend, Lehourites said, whose dry humor, along with his bags of Blow Pop lollipops, made long days go by quick.___https://apnews.com/sports

Howard Fendrich, a national sports writer for The Associated Press whose persistent reporting and detail-rich prose brought readers inside dozens of taut Grand Slam tennis finals, record-breaking Olympic moments and harrowing trips down Alpine ski slopes, has died. He was 55.Fendrich died Thursday at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, his wife Rosanna Maietta said. He was diagnosed with cancer in February shortly after returning from Milan, where he covered his 11th Olympics.Tennis great Roger Federer, who estimated he'd had more than 100 interactions with Fendrich over the decades, called the journalist one of those constant and reassuring presences in the tennis world for many years.He started covering tennis in 2002, right around the time I was starting to have my breakthrough in the sport, and over time he truly became part of the fabric of tennis, Federer said. Tennis lost a wonderful journalist and a great person.Fendrich is survived by his wife; his mother, Rene; his brother, Alex; and two sons, Stefano and Jordan, each of whom are pursuing careers in sports journalism just like their dad. Howard was a gifted journalist who brought such skill, expertise and enthusiasm to his work, said AP Executive Editor and Senior Vice President Julie Pace. His stories were a joy to read, combining lively writing with insightful reporting. He was also a generous and beloved colleague whose warmth and passion touched so many across the AP.A veteran of AP across three decadesA graduate of Haverford College near Philadelphia, Fendrich worked at AP for 33 years, starting as an unpaid intern in Rome. There, he became fluent in his beloved citys language, mostly by watching Italian karaoke videos, and that helped him get a foot in the door to the news agencys European sports coverage, focusing on soccer. That, in turn, landed him on the radar of the AP sports editor at the time, Terry R. Taylor, who helped him get back to the United States. In the United States, Fendrich started as an editor on the AP sports desk at the New York headquarters, where he also wrote a sports media column. He moved to the Washington area in 2005 and became a steady presence on sports beats in the region where he had grown up. But his true passion was tennis. He chronicled the careers of Venus and Serena Williams, Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and others. He covered some 70 Grand Slam tournaments over nearly a quarter century on the beat. It was at those events where his brilliance shone brightest.Fendrich's writing honors included two Grimsley Awards for best overall body of work among AP sports writers and a handful of deadline-writing citations. One was for a piece from Andre Agassis last match, which came at the 2006 U.S. Open:Crouched alone in the silence of the locker room, a pro tennis player no more, a red-eyed Andre Agassi twisted his torso in an attempt to conquer the seemingly mundane task of pulling a white shirt over his head. Never more than at that moment did Agassi seem so vulnerable, looking far older than his 36 years.The passage highlighted Fendrich at his best watching, rewatching, taking notes, going beyond the courts and painstakingly sifting through details of events that millions of people witnessed to tell them something the guy sitting right next to him might not have noticed.Fendrich captured Federers heartfelt meeting with Bjorn Borg in the hallway after a history-making win at Wimbledon. He detailed the gritty realities of playing on red clay at Roland Garros, then having to wash it out of shorts and socks when the match was over. At his last big assignment in Milan, he followed speedskater Jutta Leerdams famous fianc, fighter Jake Paul, down the hallway leading to the parking lot all just to unearth a detail, just to get a quote. He got them, then Paul proclaimed: OK, were done. Bodyguards moved in and, as Fendrich said at a dinner later: I decided, Yes, I guess we are.An unerring instinct for how to get the newsHe had a knack for knowing where to go, who to ask and, just as importantly, what to ask and how. For days during the steamy Washington summer in 2011, he sat on a folding chair on a sidewalk, perched a laptop on his lap and wrote, all while waiting for principals to emerge from tense negotiations during the protracted NFL labor lockout. Though he wasnt what would be known today as an NFL insider, Fendrich worked the room, the phones and the sidewalk and helped AP stay as competitive as anyone in delivering developments and detailing the eventual end of the standoff.There was that doggedness, said Mary Byrne, the APs deputy sports editor at the time of the lockout. He was annoyed by it, and by all the time he spent out there waiting for people to come out and say nothing. But that situation wasnt going to get the best of him, and he wasnt going to get beat on the story.When Washington quarterback Alex Smith broke his leg in the most gruesome of fashions in 2018, Fendrich immediately got on the phone with the one person who could understand: retired star quarterback Joe Theismann. Sometimes, however, the phone would ring for him and, even if he was in the middle of a World Series game, Fendrich would pick up. If he started speaking Italian, it was undoubtedly Rosanna, his wife. Or sometimes the kids called and had a school question or a story from that days soccer game. For them, he had endless patience and time. Then: Straight back to work, and he didnt miss a thing. Nothing got past him, said Stephen Wilson, AP's former European sports editor, who worked with Fendrich for more than 20 years. Every story even a three-paragraph brief had to be iron-clad.It wasnt just the written word where Fendrich was a master. He had a snappy, razor-sharp sense of humor. No colleague could turn him down when he raised his eyebrows, motioned his head toward the door and asked them to join him in his office -- usually a quiet courtyard or hallway outside a press room to hash out coverage plans for the day or compare notes about people and things seen around the courts. Chris Lehourites, an editor at AP who guided tennis coverage in Europe for decades, spent many a long day fretting over punctuation, syntax and word choice with Fendrich, whom he called a perfectionist when it came to his job.Howard was also a friend, Lehourites said, whose dry humor, along with his bags of Blow Pop lollipops, made long days go by quick.___https://apnews.com/sports

George Russell heads to this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix determined to reignite his 2026 world championship campaign following team-mate Kimi Antonelli's remarkable run of three consecutive victories.The Italian teenager's hat-trick has established a 20-point advantage at the summit of the standings, leaving the British driver needing a swift response.Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve arrives at an opportune moment for Russell. The wall-lined track demands precision and rewards accurate braking through its chicanes, characteristics that align with his driving strengths.This contrasts sharply with Miami, where Russell openly acknowledged his difficulties. "I just struggle on these low-grip circuits," he explained after finishing 43 seconds adrift of Antonelli at the previous round.Canada marks the beginning of seven races across ten weeks, a crucial stretch where championship contenders will emerge.Russell's season began promisingly with pole position and victory in Melbourne, followed by a Sprint triumph in China.However, his fortunes shifted dramatically thereafter. A technical fault during qualifying in Shanghai restricted him to a single Q3 attempt, leaving him trailing Antonelli who secured his maiden grand prix win.Suzuka brought further frustration when grip problems left Russell nearly three-tenths slower than his team-mate in qualifying. Despite overtaking Antonelli at the start, an ill-timed Safety Car intervention handed the advantage back to the Italian.Miami proved most troubling of all. Russell was comprehensively outpaced by four-tenths in both qualifying sessions, finishing the main race in fourth position.He identified the smooth, low-grip surface as problematic, grouping Miami alongside Zandvoort and Brazil as circuits where he consistently struggles.Antonelli's performances have exceeded expectations since a practice crash on the season's second day in Melbourne. The 19-year-old has become the only driver in Formula 1 history to claim multiple race victories as a teenager.His conversion of three consecutive pole positions into three successive wins represents another unprecedented achievement.Sky Sports F1's Martin Brundle observed: "He's driving beautifully and he is putting George under pressure. In our business, you're either giving pressure or you're taking it, there doesn't seem to be anything in between."Russell acknowledged his team-mate's momentum but expressed belief the title battle would fluctuate throughout the campaign. "He is a fantastic driver and has been exceptionally quick since day one," Russell said, adding: "I've not forgotten how to drive."Montreal represents familiar territory where Russell has excelled. The Briton has secured pole position at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in each of the past two seasons, converting last year's front-row start into victory ahead of Max Verstappen.Jenson Button, who won the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix, believes Russell will thrive. "He put it all together last year and he'll be thinking 'why can't I do it now I've actually got the best car?' I expect him to be very competitive," the Sky Sports F1 pundit said.Brundle cautioned against dismissing Russell's title prospects despite the unexpected challenge from Antonelli. "He's got a lot of speed, he knows what to do but he's certainly got a bigger challenge on his hands than certainly a lot of us expected and probably him too."Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

Stuart Broad says he was "surprised" England decided to recall fast bowler Ollie Robinson for the first Test against New Zealand, which begins on 4 June.