Three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year honoree. Houston Texans Ring of Honor recipient.Elite color commentator.Future first-ballot Hall of Famer.Is there anything missing from J.J. Watt's legacy?Add a uniform designer to the resume entering 2026. Watt, who co-owns the English soccer club Burnley, recently was allowed to design the away kit for the upcoming season. The team showed its design to the public for the first time on Friday evening.The club posted a full-on process video to YouTube, featuring Watt explaining all the details and decscions made to bring the uniform off the page and into life. I am extremely humbled and honored to have had the opportunity to create a kit for an iconic club that has been around since 1882," Watt said. "I understand that I'm an American coming over to an English club with an immense history, an immense tradition and supporters who love it because they have lived it every day of their lives through multiple generations, Watt said in a behind-the-scenes video on the kit design process released by the club."I am merely a steward for this club, but the opportunity to create a kit with this badge and this crest, and hopefully with the proper respect for what it means, is an incredible honor for me, and I hope everybody likes it.The Cream Rises. Designed by @JJWatt we would like to introduce our 2026/27 Away kit.Shop now Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) July 31, 2026The design features a cream-colored jersey with egg-white shorts and cream-colored socks. Under Watt's watch, the club also used an old-school crest, highlight the balance of respecting the past while breathing life into the future. Nicknamed the Clarets, Burnley was a member of the English Premier League last fall but were relegated after finishing in 19th. They will now play in the Championship League for the 2026 season, This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: J.J. Watt brings life to new uniforms with the design of Burnley's away soccer kit

Cardiff City boss Brian Barry-Murphy celebrates his side's pre-season win against Roma [Huw Evans Picture Agency]Head coach Brian Barry-Murphy says he has "an incredible hunger" to move Cardiff City forward as they chase further signings ahead of the new season.Turning goalkeeper Nathan Trott's loan into a permanent deal is the Bluebirds only transfer activity so far this summer as the club return to the Championship.But just days after signing a contract extension until 2029, Barry-Murphy is confident he will get what he wants in the market."I've always felt really well backed at this club and I feel really grateful to be here," he said."We have an incredible hunger to move the club forward and improve it in all areas."The team and recruitment is one of those, so we're highly motivated to give them what they want."I'm always confident that we'll improve the team."Cardiff CityThe Bluebirds have been linked with moves for Norwegian midfielder Jens Hjert-Dahl as well as Lincoln City and Republic of Ireland midfielder Jack Moylan.But after Cardiff beat AS Roma 4-1 in their final pre-season friendly, Barry-Murphy says there are no imminent incomings."I'm just working really hard to focus on the team for me really and leave the stuff as regards recruitment in the background," he added."It's been helpful for me to have such organisation behind the scenes because I've been able to concentrate on the team from the very start of pre-season."Like I said, I think I made some mistakes in my first summer here where I was talking about numbers [of players] and stuff."I think this time I think it's more straightforward."Ollie Tanner was one of Cardiff's goalscorers against Roma [Huw Evans Picture Agency]'We always want a little bit more'The Bluebirds begin the new campaign with a home Carabao Cup tie against Swindon Town on Saturday, 8 August before hosting Wrexham in their Championship opener on Monday, 17 August.And Barry-Murphy says they still have work to do before competitive football resumes."We feel as if we've been improving throughout the course of the pre-season," he added."We obviously have a long way and a lot more to do but I think the intensity of the [Roma] game was just what we wanted so it'll bring us on a lot and physically will improve us no end."I don't know if it's where we want to be, we always want a little bit more."But we have to have an appreciation of how little football we played and understand that we have to be patient with the players while they become physically conditioned to play the way we want to play."But I think you saw in the first half how aggressive we can be, in the second half naturally we tired a little bit and weren't as good but all the players I think came through in a healthy state so a very beneficial day for us."Latest Cardiff City news, analysis and fan views

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FIFA president Gianni Infantino looks on after the 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)DeFodi Images via Getty ImagesA day after beleaguered FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced that the organization was scrapping a heavily scrutinized plan to sell minority stakes in the World Cup and other tournaments to private investors, UEFA released a scathing statement that depicted its lost confidence in Infantino.When Gianni Infantino asked for the trust and the votes of FIFAs Member Associations to elect him as their president in 2016, the statement reads, he said, Of course we have to be transparent. I have been this in the last 15 years of my life in UEFA. You will have to play a part every day in the life of FIFA, before telling the assembled stakeholders, The money of FIFA is your money. Its not the money of the FIFA president. Its your money. You are the national associations and the money of FIFA has to serve for the development of football and not for anything else.On both these promises, he has failed to deliver. The shabby, back room, opaque deal he hatched and tried to force through was anything but transparent.The controversial proposal was unanimously rejected by UEFAs national associations. Fierce opposition came in spades throughout the soccer sphere, with all six of the continental confederations weighing in, some more vehemently than others.The ubiquitous disgust culminated in FIFA abandoning its scheme. UEFA didnt pull any punches along the way. In fact, on Thursday, the European organization which has had a member win five of the past six mens World Cups revealed a unanimous vote to boycott all FIFA competitions until the plan was discarded and FIFA provided binding assurances that it would never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership.In its statement on Saturday, UEFA continued to convey its frustration with what it characterized as secret schemes on fast-track timescales, cooked up by faceless individuals and of dubious benefit to the game.UEFA also emphasized that, in cooperation with other confederations, it will devise a plan to ensure similar transactions arent considered.That review should be thorough and fundamental, UEFAs Saturday statement reads. No option should be off the table. The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFAs confidence but also that of many other members of the football family.Outrage spread when news of FIFAs ploy surfaced earlier this week. Infantinos strategy, which could have earned him a significant sum of money, reportedly included selling stakes in the World Cup to Joshua Kushner, the brother of U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, according to The Times. Had that transaction happened, per The Times, it wouldve been completed through venture-capital firm Thrive Capital, and a company named FIFA Forward Enterprise wouldve controlled selling media rights, sponsorships and tickets for the top men's and women's competitions.UEFA stated Saturday that Infantino has failed to use associations money for the benefit of the game.UEFA will begin work immediately with partners and stakeholders all over the world and right across the game to propose a new way of distributing resources through the existing FIFA Forward program, UEFAs latest statement reads.We must start to use some of that money that is sat idle in FIFAs bank account to deliver the kickstart that the grassroots and the wider game need in each of the 211 countries of FIFA. But we dont need to sell off the family silver to pay for it.The statement concludes, referencing FIFAs much-maligned collapsed plan: This is a victory for the whole game. But it must not be the end of the story. The proposal has gone. The task of rebuilding trust in FIFA has only just begun.Infantinos current term expires in 2027. Hes poised to be up for re-election in March. Challengers opposing Infantino must file their candidacies by Nov. 18, per The Athletic.

Since the Cincinnati Bengals drafted quarterback Joe Burrow in 2020, theyve had one of the better passing attacks in the NFL.One could argue the Bengals had the best trio of wide receivers in the NFL for three years when JaMarr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd played together from 2021-23.Theres never been any questions about how good the Bengals can be in the air. The issues the Bengals have faced on offense over the last few years have mostly come from their inability to run the ball consistently.Bengals defense Jonathan Allen Why Jonathan Allen is becoming one of Bengals' most important signingsThis year, the Bengals believe it can be a strength of the offense.This is about as grown man of a team as Ive ever been a part of. A must-listen to interview from #Bengals center Ted Karras pic.twitter.com/iNomYt1roO Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) August 1, 2026I think we really have a great sense of what our running identity wants to be, Bengals center Ted Karras said. We have good continuity (with) the offensive line. And you better bring your best every day against this defensive line because this is about as grown man of a team as Ive ever been a part of. Its very exciting.The Bengals have never ranked higher than No. 23 in the league in rushing offense, and that year they went to the Super Bowl (2021). Cincinnati ranked No. 31 (89.8 yards per game) in 2023 and No. 30 (92.6) in 2024.Following another disappointing season running the ball, Bengals coach Zac Taylor moved on from former offensive line coach and run game coordinator Frank Pollack and hired Scott Peters at the position.Peters brought new schematic ideas and new techniques in the run game, and the Bengals saw improvement in 2025 as the season went on. Cincinnati ranked No. 29 (93.6) in rushing offense last year.The goal in Cincinnati is to build off the improvement the offense saw in the run game last season. Karras elaborated on what success in the run game will look like this season.Winning reach blocks, staying square and Chase Brown finding a lane to use his speed, he said. Cincinnati made a concerted effort to improve the defensive line in the offseason, and the Bengals offensive line is reaping the benefits of it. Going up against defensive tackles Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen have made practice more intense.Karras said the biggest difference in practice hes noticed is the level of stress he feels at the line of scrimmage.The Bengals begin padded practice on Aug. 3 and the battles along the offensive and defensive lines will continue to ramp up.Karras noted that Lawrence beats him at least once in practice but understands its the best way for him to be at his best when the season begins.You have to be ready to go every day, Karras said. A little bit stressful August for me, but at least I get to pass it off to our opponents center come September.This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ted Karras says Bengals have great sense of what run game will be

Root has scored over 14,000 runs at 50.58 in 166 Tests for England [Getty Images]England's Joe Root is ready to embrace his second stint as Test captain, saying he is in a "very different place" to when he stepped down from the role four years ago.First appointed captain in 2017, Root led England in a record 64 Tests and oversaw a record 28 wins as skipper before stepping down in April 2022 following a 10-wicket defeat by West Indies.At that time, England had won just one of their past 17 Tests, including a 4-0 Ashes humbling away in Australia, while also navigating Covid restrictions, with Root admitting the job "took its toll" on his health."It had become a very unhealthy relationship, the captaincy and me. I could'nt leave it at the ground any more, it was coming home," Root said in June 2022."As soon as I made the decision, I knew it was the right thing to do. I felt like a big weight had been lifted."Root has sparkled since relinquishing the captaincy, averaging over 54 since June 2022 compared to an average of 46.44 in the five years prior and scoring 16 of his 41 Test centuries.However, he told BBC Sport he had no doubts when he was offered the opportunity to return to the role by incoming head coach Stephen Fleming, adding the New Zealander's appointment was a big factor in his decision.Sheffield-born Root, 35, will begin his second stint as full-time captain against Pakistan at Headingley on 19 August, with Fleming joining up with the team ahead of December's tour of South Africa. "It's one of the greatest honours you could wish to have. I'm very excited by it," Root, who filled the role on an interim basis in June when then captain Ben Stokes missed the second Test against New Zealand following an incident at a nightclub, told BBC Sport. "I'm in a very different place to the last time I did it with a team in a very different position."Fleming new England Test coach with Root captainEngland captaincy could be what Root needs - VaughanOn Fleming, who, like Root, holds national records for matches and wins as Test captain, he added: "I've admired him from afar, first as a player and recently as a coach. To get the chance to work together is going to be great fun."Once I'd spoken to Stephen about it and saw his energy and excitement for it and saw we're very aligned on it, I got excited very quickly."Root and Fleming inherit a side in disarray, with series defeats in Australia and at home by New Zealand - which brought criticism of England's carefree playing style - coupled with a run of off-field disciplinary issues bringing the Bazball era to a disappointing conclusion when captain Stokes retired in June and coach Brendon McCullum was sacked a fortnight later.The duo had previously overseen a resurgence in the Test side, winning 10 of their first 11 matches, and Root hopes he and Fleming can take inspiration from their tenure, rather than starting from scratch."Hopefully we can work and build on a lot of the good things that have happened over the last four years," Root said."I think Brendon and Ben did a brilliant job, in many ways, of turning things around and getting us in a position where hopefully now we can carry that forward in a slightly different way."Expanding on his approach to his second captaincy in an in-house interview with the England & Wales Cricket Board, Root said: "The last four years have been the most fun I've had in professional cricket and a big part of that was down to the way they [McCullum and Stokes] got me to see the game."Clearly, the last little while is probably what's fresh in everyone's mind but you're looking at a four-year period where we did a lot of amazing things. I've taken a lot from that and I feel it will be a big part of how I want to approach things moving forward as a leader of this team."The thing that stands out the most for me is the shift in mindset that was created around how we want to play the game - trying to strip the fear away from things, make sure guys feel that they can really just allow their talent to come out as frequently as possible and in big moments in games. The more that can happen, the better."If we can do that alongside recognising when the right time is to put pressure back on teams, or when the right time is to soak it up and to maybe play situations slightly differently, become a little bit smarter in certain areas, then I think we'll be a very formidable team and a very difficult team to break down and to beat."Get cricket news sent straight to your phone

Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes to have Arsenal medical on Monday after 80m deal & five-year contractArsenal have agreed an 80 million deal to sign Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, according to The Times. The Magpies star is a top target for Gunners manager Mikel Arteta and he is expected to have a medical on Monday at London Colney. The Brazilian has signed a five-year contract to join Arsenal, and the Emirates Stadium club could announce his arrival officially next week. Guimaraes is joining the Gunners for an initial 70m, while Newcastle are set to receive a further 10m in add-ons going forward.His impending arrival will see Christian Norgaard depart after Everton agreed a deal in principle with Arsenal for the midfielder worth about 7m. The North London club were willing to pull all the stops to sign Guimaraes, and they have finally got their man from the look of things.He will improve their fortunes on the pitch given his attacking prowess from the middle of the park.The Gunners want to win back-to-back Premier League titles for the first time next term, and adding the Newcastle star to their ranks is a huge boost.

'Excellent' Liverpool transfer target is now open to exiting his current clubLiverpool will be wanting to improve their Premier League standing during the 2026-27 season. The Anfield outfit only mustered up a fifth-place finish last time around which, for a team who were supposed to be defending their title, was a catastrophic result.The poor performances from most of the Reds' first-team squad led fans to demand that changes were made at Anfield.And, although the summer window started off pretty well as Liverpool welcomed Jeremy Jacquet and Victor Munoz through the doors, since the Spaniard's arrival, no concrete moves have been made for any other players.Indeed, rumours about Liverpool preparing a bid for Bradley Barcola have started to emerge but, for now, they're just rumours.However, one of the Reds' long-linked transfer targets have now had their desire to leave their current club shared which could open the door for Liverpool to swoop in and sign him up.Ezri Konsa is 'open' to leaving Aston Villa this summerOne of the main areas that Liverpool need to upgrade this summer is their defence.Virgil van Dijk is now 35 years old and, with Ibrahima Konate now leaving, the Reds' back-line is lacking in depth.Indeed, Jacquet, Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni are all potential options for Liverpool to partner alongside their captain but, with Gomez already out injured and the other two having never played a minute of Premier League football, the Reds' defence is clearly a massive problem.That's probably one of the many reasons why multiple centre-backs have already been linked with an Anfield switch this summer.And, even though no move have come to fruition yet, a fresh update from Caught Offside may have just given the green light to Liverpool to try and get a deal over the line for one of their defensive targets."Aston Villa centre-back Ezri Konsa is a target for both Arsenal and Liverpool this summer, and hed be interested in a move to the Emirates Stadium," they wrote."Liverpool have also been mentioned as potential suitors for Konsa, who seems to be open to leaving Villa Park, even if hes not currently pushing for the move."That leaves Villa in control of the 28-year-olds situation, so it remains to be seen how things will pan out from here."Ezri Konsa would help solve two of Liverpool's main problemsEven though Liverpool's centre-backs are certainly an issue, they also have a huge void that they need to fill at right-back.Not only did they lose Trent Alexander-Arnold at the start of last season but they also signed Jeremie Frimpong to replace him who, after the performances he put in last term, is certainly not a full-back.And, since Conor Bradley has spent more time on the treatment table than on the pitch recently, he's also unreliable.This leaves Liverpool with barely any options to choose from at right-back and could force them into using Dominik Szoboszlai or Curtis Jones there instead.Granted, both of them did fairly well when used as Liverpool's right-back but, if the Reds want to start competing for silverware again, they need natural players in those positions.That's why Konsa is the perfect signing. The Englishman is a natural centre-back but, as he proved in the 2026 World Cup, he can also be used as a right-back rather effectively.Indeed, the 'exciting' centre-back is 28 years old so he's a bit older than most of Liverpool's recent targets but, since they've lost so much seniority among their ranks with the departures of Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah, it feels like some experienced players could be rather useful.Here's hoping that, even though the Englishman wants to join Arsenal, that Liverpool make their move and get a deal for him over the line.

Hosting a memorable party takes much more than booking a venue and inviting guests. Whether it's a milestone birthday, engagement party, anniversary celebration, holiday gathering, baby shower, graduation, retirement party, or luxury private event, every successful celebration depends on thoughtful planning and expert execution. From venue selection and décor to catering, entertainment,...