CINCINNATI (AP) Joe Burrow traveled during the offseason. He purchased a telescope and said that he looked at galaxies, nebula, planets and moons. Now, hes excited to get back to work at quarterback with a Cincinnati Bengals team that enters the season with high expectations.We know that we have all the pieces that we need, Burrow said. We just have to make sure that were pushing each other each and every day to grow and improve and get better and get to where we want to get to.Burrow, entering his seventh-year in the NFL, has become the second-longest tenured Bengals player. After leading the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance in 2021 and a trip to the AFC title game in 2022, he went through three disappointing seasons and a couple of difficult injuries between 2023 and 2025.Urgency has been a talking point in the locker room entering the upcoming season for the Bengals, and Burrow was pleased to see the energy on the practice field on the first practice of training camp on Wednesday.If the intensity isnt great on Day 1, then you are in trouble, Burrow said. Thats kind of a given. Is the intensity still there on Day 20? That kind of determines if you are going to be a good team or not.Things got heated between All-Pro wide receiver JaMarr Chase and cornerback DJ Turner, who got into a scuffle during 11-on-11 drills. Chase ended up grabbing Turners helmet and threw it across the field.Burrow definitely noticed a couple players had an edge to them.Number 1 sure had one today. Number 0 did, too. So, those two are two of the best in the league, and theyre going at it every day. So, whatever those guys need to get excited to get better, go ahead and do it," Burrow said.Burrow doesn't seem to mind the intensity and the scuffles, as long as the Bengals can remain on script.When it starts to interrupt practice, not too much. But if you can maybe punch somebody in the face in about 15 to 20 seconds, and then get back lined up, thats probably ideal," he said.Wednesday's practice also featured defensive end Shemar Stewart being carted off with a left leg injury.Burrow spent a good amount of reps on Wednesday under center instead of out of the shotgun, and the Bengals offense looks like its evolving. Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said that they would like to be more explosive in the run game, and thats easier to accomplish when you run more under center plays and also more play action passes.The Bengals are working on those aspects of the offense, and Burrow is open to the changes. Im very comfortable, Burrow said. I can do whatever is asked of me. I have, and I will. And we havent done it quite as much over the last several years, and well see what we evolve into this year. But if thats whats needed, thats what Ill do.Coach Zac Taylor said that hes impressed with Burrows adaptability.Thats his attitude what do you need from me for us to be at our best? Taylor said. He also understands what his strengths are and what he believes will put himself in the best position. There has never been pushback, and he has always been very receptive to it. He always wants to take a look at it, and well accumulate some reps and decide if its something well move forward with.Burrow had a very sharp practice, completing passes down the field to Chase and Tee Higgins. The biggest impediment in Burrows way was new defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.He got back there pretty quick a couple of times, Burrow said. Were going to have to get that (ball) out. I made some blind throws today because of how big he is, and he pushes that pocket and gets close to you. You have to be able to throw without seeing.On the whole, Burrow was pleased by his performance and the foundation that the offense has in place.Youre just kind of getting your feet underneath you, Burrow said. Youre back to Day 1 install stuff, so there shouldnt be a ton of mistakes. There will always be a couple of procedural errors here and there, but we didnt have any false starts today Overall it was a productive day.___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Lionel Messi and Argentina reached the 2026 World Cup final but a 1-0 defeat to Spain dashed any hopes of consecutive titles. But the GOAT delivered plenty of moments for the Albiceleste even if it fell short of becoming just the third nation to win back-to-back titles. Dominating wins in the group stage (3-0 over Algeria, 2-0 over Austria, 3-1 over Jordan) set up a knockout stage characterized by rallies and late-game comebacks. In the round of 32, Argentina needed extra-time to take down tournament darlings Cape Verde 3-2. A round of 16 win over Egypt saw Messi and Co. orchestrate a three-goal rally in the second half for a 3-2 win. In the quarterfinals, Argentina again went to extra time against Switzerland, pulling out a 3-1 win. In the semifinals, a late goal in regulation by Lautaro Martinez gave Argentina a 2-1 win over England. The magic ended in the final as Spain held Argentina to just two off-target shots all game despite also going to extra time. So what's next for Argentina's top players after the 2026 World Cup? Lionel Messi had one of the most remarkable World Cup campaigns despite the loss. Turning 39 in the middle of the tournament, the ageless Messi scored eight goals (including a hat trick against Algeria) to finish behind Kylian Mbapp in the Golden Boot standings. With 21 goals across six tournaments, Messi also stands behind only Mbapp (22) on the all-time World Cup goal list. In what is likely his last World Cup appearance, all eyes turn to Messi's return to Inter Miami. The defending MLS Cup champions will likely look be among the favorites to repeat and will also take aim at the Leagues Cup this summer. Julian Alvarez is expected to take on an even bigger role with Argentina in a post-Messi era. He only scored one goal at the tournament, but it proved decisive in the quarterfinals win over Switzerland. Alvarez is the subject of intense transfer speculation this summer. Whether he plays as a striker or in a attacking midfielder role, he remains one of Atltico Madrid's top players. However, the team's two chief rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona have kept their eyes on him. Alvarez is said to want a move to Bara. Enzo Fernndez has shown why he is one of the most impactful midfielders in the world. He did show his knack for delivering in big moments with a late equalizer against England before Lautaro Martnez provided the late-game winner. At Chelsea, Fernndez has remained one of its brightest performers during a difficult campaign that saw a mid-season managerial switch. Under new manager Xabi Alonso, Fernandez will aim to get the Blues back in contention in the top half of the table. Paired with Fernandez in the midfield, Alexis Mac Allister provided a strong technical balance to his partner's more aggressive style of play. Whether at the club or international level, Mac Allister remains one of the most gifted midfielders in the world. Mac Allister has as instrumental for Liverpool since joining the Anfield side after Argentina's World Cup win in 2022. He'll play under a new manager in Andoni Iraola at Liverpool with the club vying for both a league title and among the stronger Champions League squads. Despite a World Cup final performance in which he made 11 saves the most in a final Martinez fell short of winning a second straight Golden Glove award for best keeper in the tournament. Martinez helped Aston Villa qualify for the Champions League but reports suggest that he may pushing for a move out of the Premier League. He has been tied to a transfer to Juventus in Italy.

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) hits the mid-range jumper over two defenders during an NBA basketball game against the Toronto Raptors, Wednesday March 25th, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.The Los Angeles Clippers and the Toronto Raptors are set to play each other in Vancouver on Oct. 10 as part of the 2026 NBA Canada Games, and while the announcement should feel routine, nothing about these two teams right now is simple.The Clippers went 42-40 last season and were eliminated in the play-in by Golden State, while the Raptors finished 46-36 and lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games in the first round.Both teams agreed to a deal on June 30 that would send Kawhi Leonard to Toronto for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2027 first-round swap, and two second-round picks.The NBA's Aspiration investigation has kept the trade frozen for nearly a month, though, and neither team can finalize its roster until the league reaches a decision.New TimelineESPN's Baxter Holmes reported on Wednesday that the probe could stretch into 2027 if the Clippers and the NBA cannot agree on the findings or a proposed settlement.The investigation centers on whether the Clippers used an endorsement arrangement with Aspiration, a company backed by owner Steve Ballmer, to pay Leonard outside the salary cap, and the team has denied the allegation from the beginning while pointing to co-founder Joseph Sanberg's 14-year prison sentence for wire fraud.The NBPA has pushed back as well, with executive director David Kelly saying he did not believe there was substance to the claim, and the union has said it would go to arbitration if the NBA pushed penalties without enough proof.Under the current CBA, possible punishments include team fines up to $7.5 million, draft pick forfeiture, and even voiding Leonard's contract.The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov reported separately that the fact-finding phase is done but the disciplinary process could take months if it goes to an arbitrator.Neither Roster Is FinishedLeonard, who averaged 27.9 points per game last season, technically remains a Clipper, while Ingram and Dick technically remain Raptors, and both teams are building around players they might not have when the season opens."We're excited to be part of the NBA Canada Games this year," Clippers guard Darius Garland said in the league's announcement. "It's a great opportunity to bring Clippers basketball to fans in Vancouver and experience the passion they have for the game."Mathurin Adds a New LayerThe freeze has also stalled the Clippers' handling of restricted free agent Bennedict Mathurin, who put up a career-high 17.6 points per game last season after arriving from Indiana at the deadline and has drawn interest from the Bulls and Pelicans while sitting on an $8.8 million qualifying offer with no rival sheet signed.Mathurin was born and raised in Montreal, so a Canadian sitting in free agency limbo while his team gets ready to play across the border only adds to an already strange offseason.The trade remains frozen, both rosters are unfinished, and the Clippers and Raptors will tip off together in Vancouver in October without knowing what their teams will actually look like.

So LeBron chose the 76ers, and the Warriors are left to wonder what might have been. Should they have tried to trade Jimmy Butler and draft picks for Anthony Davis? At summer league in Las Vegas, a small contingent of Golden States front office pushed for that path, but ADs injury history and desire for a new extension ultimately convinced team brass to stay put.The RingerThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Some in Warriors front office pushed to trade Jimmy Butler for Anthony Davis

Since Myerss departure in 2023, Lacob has consolidated more power over personnel decisionsand his fear of what life after Steph will be like for the Warriors has been the biggest reason the team has opted not to exchange more future draft picks for immediate help.The RingerThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Since Myerss departure in 2023, Lacob has

The arena will once again be the topic of conversation at a City Council work session Thursday morning. The Blazers will participate in that session, said Blazers president Dewayne Hankins.OregonianThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: The Blazers will participate in that session, said

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 9: Rolly Romero and Teofimo Lopez shake hands during the press conference to announce their fight on July 9, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Melina Pizano/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesReigning WBA welterweight champion Rolly Romero sits down with upcoming opponent Teofimo Lopez to discuss their August 22 title fight, their friendship, and what that all means now that theyll be squaring off in the ring against one another. Heres some excerpts of what both had to say with the full video interview in the link at the top. Rolly on how hed describe his relationship with TeofimoHes like my little brother. We spent a lot of time together, a lot of time. Not as of recently but we did spend a lot of time. Life does go on. He has his family, he has his kids, everything, Im focusing on my own stuff.Teofimo on if he ever thought hed be fighting RollyWe spoke on itbut were here. Hes the champ, and I want to thank the champ for giving me the opportunity to get in the ring with him and try to take over.Rolly on fighting TeofimoI got to say thank you, too. You helped me out a lot, and you know how you helped me out a lot. I remember after he beat Nakatani, I remember I was in a bad place financially, I remember Teo gave me $5k out of nowhere. He just calls me randomlyout of nowhere he just sends me $5k. That money did so much for me. I cant really say anything bad, you know.Rolly on whether it will be hard to try to hurt a friendA boxing fights a boxing fight. A sparring sessions a sparring sessionWhatever happens is what Gods will is. If its Gods will, Teofimo will be world champion. If its Gods will, I will remain champion, continue on with my legacy, too.Teofimo on what he remembers from sparring RollyOne thing I remember about Rolly is he doesnt quit. And those damn elbows. But other than that hes grown, hes done much better now in his career. So this is definitely not a walk in the park for me.Dont sleep on this motherf-cker. Hes playing this other character right now. For sureAnd now hes the super WBA world champion, he is the guy, and looking over here to do what I can on my side and just make boxing great again.Rolly on Teofimos performance against Shakur StevensonTeo shouldnt have been at that weight class no more. Hes a welterweight. Thats that.Teofimo on whether hes concerned about getting elbowed from RollyIts a fight, man. I know in the past Ive said certain things but I try to stick to the rules of the sport. But whatever happens that night, happens. I just got to be aware. Hes a smart individual and his inside game is pretty good. So just all those things we just got to train and perfect. Teofimos general thoughts on fighting RollyYoure setting a good example right now. What you did right now is took the fight knowing the past over 10 years of a relationship of friendship in boxing and youre putting it on display on August 22 to show the world yes, we can be friends but when it comes to boxing and business you got to make the fights happen no matter what.Rolly on why he didnt make the fight with Devin HaneyDude, are you really asking me that question? So we sent him an offer, he said it was a lucrative offer that made sense for him and his team, stalled it out for a whole month and then literally said we ducked him and out-priced ourselves after he said we gave him a lucrative offer.Rolly on what this fight representsThis is a legacy fight for both of us. I believe Teo is already in the Hall of FameIt will solidify me in the Hall of Fame, for sure.

Alex De Minaur's victory came despite a poor record against Stefanos Tsitipas, who had previously beaten him in 12 of their 13 encounters (Emilee Chinn)Alex de Minaur launched his Washington Open title defense with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas on Wednesday to set an all-Australian clash with teen Cruz Hewitt.Tsitsipas, the former world number three from Greece, had won 12 of their prior 13 encounters, but de Minaur shrugged off a shaky start to turn the tables.After surviving a break point in the fourth game he handed Tsitsipas a break with back-to-back double-faults.The Aussie fought back with two breaks of his own and survived another break point in the 10th game to pocket the first set.Tsitsipas broke first again in the second set and held on to force the third. But de Minaur took advantage of an unforced error by Tsitsipas to seize an early break and held on for the win."It's no secret my head-to-head isn't the greatest against him. He's gotten the better of me many, many times," said de Minaur."I'm happy with how it went today... played the match on its own merits, and ultimately found a way in a tricky, tricky match."De Minaur next faces 17-year-old qualifier Hewitt, the son of Aussie great Lleyton Hewitt who captured his first-ever ATP Tour victory earlier this week.De Minaur joked that he won't be offended if his country's Davis Cup captain -- former world number one Lleyton Hewitt -- is rooting against him."I would expect him to be in his son's box, and rightfully so," de Minaur said.In other men's matches, third-seeded American Taylor Fritz reached the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Poland's Kamil Majchrzak.Women's third seed Naomi Osaka also punched her quarter-final ticket, advancing when American Ashlyn Krueger retired while trailing 6-3, 3-1.Japan's Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion coming off a quarter-final appearance at Wimbledon, cut a confident figure on the Washington hardcourts.But she admitted it was hard to stay focused with Krueger still hindered after receiving treatment on her right ankle while trailing 4-1 in the first set."It's a tough situation, and I hope that she gets better ASAP," Osaka said.She'll next face Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto, who toppled eighth-seeded American Emma Navarro 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.Filipina rising star Alexandra Eala dumped out defending women's champion Leylah Fernandez to reach the quarter-finals.Eala, 21, defeated the seventh seed from Canada 6-2, 7-6 (7/1), battling back from 5-1 down in an epic second set.It continues a breakout season for Eala, who stunned Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon last month to become the first Philippines player to reach the last 16 of a Grand Slam."Everything's kind of a blur right now. I really made an effort to stay in the moment, and I was ready for anything that could have happened," Eala, now ranked 28th in the world, said.bb/amz

Ronda Rousey still has plenty of venom for UFC's Hunter Campbell.Rousey, a UFC Hall of Famer who returned to MMA for a one-off blockbuster fight against Gina Carano on Netflix in May, has not held back her thoughts about the UFC's chief business officer. According to Rousey and Carano, the fight was initially proposed to take place under the UFC's banner, but the promotion passed on the idea because both women were past their prime as fighters.Most Valuable Promotions decided to take the fight and brought it to Netflix. The card also featured former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, and former UFC stars Nate Diaz and Mike Perry. The event peaked at 17 million viewers, which was a big feather in Rousey's cap."It was extremely validating, especially after Hunter Campbell told Gina that he didn't know how he was going to market a couple of 40-year-olds," Rousey told The Fight Culture. "That's what he said, and so it was really nice to kind of take that comment and throw into his face.""It's not that he doesn't know how to market us, it's he doesn't know how to market f*cking anybody, and he missed a huge opportunity letting us go, because now, in his own arrogance, basically allowed us to create the Lamborghini to his Ferrari. He created the hugest rival that the UFC's ever going to have just because he's so arrogant, stupid, and chauvinist."The event, also billed as MVP MMA 1, surpassed Rousey's expected viewership number. During fight week, she said that exceeding nine million viewers would be satisfactory, because that would beat the 8.8 million viewers for the first title bout between Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez on FOX in 2011. MVP CEO Nakisa Bidarian and Rousey, who stated she wanted to be the Dana White of the promotion, teased the possibility of more MMA events in the future. As of now, there are no concrete plans for MVP MMA 2, but if and when it happens, Rousey hopes the event is given the same treatment as her return fight against Carano."We'll see. We need to kind of reconvene and see what the future looks like at this point," Rousey said. "I think everyone is just kind of like decompressing and getting back to post-that-huge-of-an-event fight life. What I hope they do in the future, whether with me or not, is that they continue to make their fights a huge event. Every single one, a huge event because that's what's missing in MMA. It's just becoming on-every-weekend background noise, and it needs to be an event so anything that they do next, whether I'm involved or not, I hope that it's something huge." This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Ronda Rousey validated by Netflix views, chirps UFC's Hunter Campbell

Credit: BillsThe Buffalo Bills have some of the most beautiful, recognizable uniforms in sports. So naturally, they decided to desecrate years of tradition with a monstrous all-gray uniform that may be one of the worst in the history of the NFL.The Bills unveiled the new alternate uniform earlier this week, explaining that what looks to be a fabric slab of concrete is an ode to the city of Buffalo as Nickel City. Thats not because Buffalo is known to have large quantities of the element, but rather because of the vintage Buffalo Nickel collectible coin that was minted by the US Government in the early 20th century.Also, according to the teams reveal, the uniforms are inspired by steel mills, grain elevators and rail yards around the city as well as the construction workers that built the brand new Highmark Stadium that will have its grand opening this fall. Because if theres anything that will inspire a fanbase to order $150 jerseys, its grain elevators! The helmet also eschews any previous incarnation of the Bills logo for a single red stripe that wraps around it.A blue collar town that never backs down.We are the Nickel City. pic.twitter.com/nDja8yhTMW Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) July 27, 2026Reaction to the Bills uniform reveal was about as positive as the cyclospora outbreak. They were widely panned and even inspired reflections on where they ranked among the worst NFL jerseys of all time.On Wednesday, Bills quarterback and franchise player Josh Allen addressed the elephant in the room with the local media and asked everyone to stop the hate because he was a fan of them.Nickel City uniforms are QB1 approved. pic.twitter.com/mV7IVoOIHu Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) July 29, 2026Stop hating on the jerseys, guys, Allen told the assembled media. Theyre great. I honestly like, speaking of new, right? Its a new look, I understand that. Weve got to be new. And these jerseys are kind of symbolic of that. And Im excited to wear them. It symbolizes a lot of newness and that I am excited about. Ive heard a lot of comments about the jerseys. I enjoy them. I think its very symbolic of what we want to do and who we want to be. I understand people want the old jerseys and the old helmets and all that, but at some point too we are moving forward. We have to move forward and do something new and thats what were doing.The Bills already have great current uniforms. They have great throwback uniforms. Not a single Bills fan was asking for this! But teams are continuing to pump out new alternate uniforms with the most convoluted logic possible that strays far away from any sense of team identity or aesthetics that are pleasing to the eye.Josh Allen may be a great quarterback, although just how great is always up for debate. But after hearing his thoughts on the Nickel City uniforms, you would not trust him to make any interior design or fashion decisions whatsoever.The post Josh Allen pleads with Bills fans to stop hating ugly new uniforms appeared first on Awful Announcing.