The Kansas City Chiefs' offense has been going backward for three years

76ers Joel Embiid trade noise continues to heat up after Bleacher Reports prediction originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Is there actually a possibility that the Philadelphia 76ers could eventually move on from Joel Embiid? I don't think it will ever happen, at least not right now, though many have suggested that it's something Philadelphia should consider.Right now, the 76ers are in a very good position to win a championship. With guys like Embiid, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and, of course, LeBron James, there's really no excuse for the 76ers not to get the job done. However, some continue to question the health problems Embiid has had throughout his career, and I don't think they're unfair to bring up.That's part of the reason why one Bleacher Report writer recently predicted that he could be one of the players on the trade block in the near future.The Sixers owe it to Embiid and themselves to see whether the could-be best five-man lineup in basketball meets the moment. Yet, urgency remains the default in Philly after adding LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. If Embiid's knees can't hold up, or if he plays like a fraction of his former self, the "How many picks must they attach to move the three years and $187.8 million left on his deal?" question will need to be asked, Dan Favale of Bleacher Report wrote.The only question I really have for Embiid is whether he can stay healthy. When he's on the court, even if he plays 30 games and is healthy throughout the postseason, I don't think Philadelphia will care too much.The 76ers have to ensure they have a chance to win a championship, and if that means Embiid hardly plays in the regular season, that's what should happen.Still, I can see a scenario in which he eventually runs out of steam and continues to get hurt, which could prompt Philadelphia to move on from him.More NBA news:LeBron James puts NBA on notice with recent post featuring 76ers co-starLakers make Jonathan Kuminga decision after $3M signingWe now know why the Lakers havent traded for Jonathan Kuminga yetAnthony Davis report shows everything is all over the place

Press Room | Spalletti's comments after Chelsea-JuventusMen's First Team coach Luciano Spalletti spoke to the press after the match between Chelsea and Juventus, the fourth friendly of the 2026/27 pre-season. The game ended 1-0 to the Bianconeri and was decided by Edon Zhegrovas superb goal in the second half.These are tests that reflect the progress were making. I liked the fact that we always stayed united as a team throughout the match, both when we were under pressure on the edge of the box and when we launched counter-attacks. We created some excellent chances and could have achieved even more. Our approach was always characterised by solidarity and the ability to put into practice, all together, what needed to be done at every moment of the match. I saw a very active team that was always close to the ball. Chelsea can do it all: they can build from the back, they can finish, and they can really drive the game forward in terms of tempo and pace. Theyre a top-class side and, for that very reason, it was important for us not to back down in the face of these situations.

Yankees Anthony Volpe stat will prove all fans who wanted him gone right originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Things obviously didn't go as planned for former New York Yankees starting shortstop Anthony Volpe, who was recently sent to Triple-A on Monday night to make room for the debut of George Lombard. Lombard, who's expected to come in and have a major impact on the Yankees, finds himself in a good spot to win a job.The reality is that Volpe didn't do enough on either side of the baseball and, as a result, was sent down. However, while most fans understood how poorly he was playing throughout the past few seasons, it was actually even worse than it sounded.One ESPN writer brought up a crazy stat recently, which suggested that Volpe was among the three worst hitters in Major League Baseball.Like Lombard, Volpe was the Yankees' top prospect when they named him their Opening Day shortstop in 2023. Born in Manhattan and raised in New Jersey as a die-hard Yankees fan, Volpe arrived with great expectations. He has not fulfilled them.Volpe hit 21 home runs with 24 steals and won a Gold Glove as a rookie, but his production never took off. His .660 career OPS ranks 155th among 158 hitters with at least 1,500 plate appearances since 2023, Jorge Castillo of ESPN wrote.The eye test kind of backs this, as there were times when Volpe was decent, but more often, wasn't good at all.I wouldn't have guessed that he was the third-worst hitter in Major League Baseball throughout that span, OPS-wise, which to me is a good indication of how good of a hitter somebody is. But the numbers don't lie, which prompted the Yankees to make a major decision.More MLB news:Yankees Brian Cashman made the deadline excuse all New York fans were expectingThe Phillies actually just got the worst possible MLB trade deadline newsYankees expected to call Blue Jays for All-Star who hit .411 in last year's World Series runMets continue to get embarrassed after latest Blue Jays trade reportAroldis Chapman trade rumor shut down after 15-game Red Sox winning streak

Boston Red Sox right fielder Wilyer AbreuThe Boston Red Sox are real and they are spectacular. After winning 24 of their last 27 games to move a season-high 10 games over .500, the Red Sox trail the New York Yankees by just two games in the American League Wild Card standings.Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow also out-dueled Yankees general manager Brian Cashman ahead of Monday's MLB trade deadline, acquiring catcher Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles.Add all that up and you get a Boston ballclub that has leapfrogged the boys from the Bronx in Will Leitch's latest power rankings for MLB.com.He has the Red Sox ranked sixth overall, up one spot from the pre-deadline rankings."Whether or not Craig Breslow feels vindicated by how the Red Sox have come on in the last month-plus, its obvious this team is going all-in at this point: When he returns from the IL, Adley Rutschman is exactly what this Red Sox team needs. This year and next year," Leitch wrote Wednesday.Looking for the perfect gift for a baseball player in your life? Check out our brand new baseball lifestyle brand!Meanwhile, he has the Yankees falling from No. 5 to No. 7 in the power rankings."The Yankees added two big hitters -- including Luis Garca Jr., who was leading the NL in slugging when the Yankees acquired him -- but it was just as telling that they called up their top prospect, George Lombard Jr., the day after the deadline," Leitch noted. "They want to fix this offense, and fix it now. If they can, imagine what it looks like when (or if?) Aaron Judge returns."However it's worth noting that FanGraphs still gives the Yankees the best odds (9.4%) of representing the American League in the 2026 World Series. The Red Sox (6.1%) will look to close that gap when they visit New York at the end of August for a four-game series at Yankee Stadium. Boston currently holds a 5-4 advantage in the season series between the blood rivals after a four-game sweep at Fenway Park before the All-Star break.Do you have a take to get off your chest? Do you want to engage in a growing Red Sox community? Comment on our content alongside staff and fans alike!The Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers remain the top two teams in the power rankings, with the Tampa Bay Rays (No. 3), Atlanta Braves (No. 4) and Chicago Cubs (No. 5) rounding out the top five.More MLB: Red Sox Reveal Garrett Crochet Is Throwing Again

Belgian champion Sonita Muluh is of Cameroonian descent [Getty Images]A powerlifter who alleged she was subjectedto a racially motivated act that she says led to her disqualification from an event has said she "does not feel safe" when competing.Belgium's Sonita Muluh was attempting a record 334.5kg squat at the Powerlifting Championships in Lithuania in June when Ernestas Kusinas - a 'spotter' who helps to ensure the validity of an attempted lift - touched the weights with his knee.Muluh was disqualified and not allowed to reattempt the lift by judges, who ruled on a separate technical infringement. But police in Lithuania have launched a criminal investigation after Kusinas later wrote on Instagram: "I am racist, and I did it intentionally."A police spokesperson told Reuters the investigation will focus on the Instagram message and events at the championship, with a maximum penalty of two years in prison.Kusinas told Reuters his Instagram comment was written out of anger after he was accused of racism by an unidentified social media user, and was intended not as a statement but as a mockery of the accusation.He has been handed a lifetime ban by the Lithuanian Powerlifting Federation, and his social media accounts have since been switched to private."It's shocking to wake up five weeks later and it's all over the internet that he did it on purpose because of the colour of my skin," Muluh told BBC Sport. "I feel unsafe and uneasy that this person is standing beside me with massive weight, with what can go wrong, with the amount of weight on your back. "I was lucky when I realised [it hit his knee] and I could stabilise it. Not everyone could. It was the heaviest ever squat for a female."A devastated Muluh initially refused to blame Kusinas for what she thought was a mistake."He did not reach out afterwards to apologise, but he is not obliged to. I thought it was a human mistake, that cost me a lot on the day. "But there was no hatred [from me]. I didn't lash out; didn't curse at him. There was a video of it posted afterwards and I said: 'I hope he does not get hate.' I believed it was an honest mistake."And then I find out five weeks later that he said this."Muluh, 29, also says she feels the sport's world governing body, the International Powerlifting Federation, "failed" her following the incident, and that swift action is only happening now as the story has grown."I feel like the federation needs to do background checks. If you are going to put my life in someone else's hands, at least make sure that person is well equipped to be able to protect me or keep me from harm. "But they failed me [through] negligence and putting my life in danger."[Kusinas] doubled down in his racist behaviour [afterwards]. Only now is he saying it was a joke. There's nothing jokey about any of what he said. He put my life in danger. Nobody spots like that, with their knee."It's never going to feel justified... I trained through injuries just to prepare. I've put my body through a lot for this to happen. There's never going to be any real justice."Muluh, who has won multiple accolades in the sport, went on to say she did not feel welcome at the event in Lithuania. "I hope [the IPF] do things differently - that they consider the safety of athletes more and especially minority people. I feel that's what has been missing - we have been made to compete in places we didn't feel welcome. "People looked down on us in Lithuania in a very disgusting way. When I competed in Poland someone sneezed in my face at the airport."Some black athletes are booed in competition, we have to worry about our skin colour while competing."Powerlifting has been a very supportive niche sport, so far. But who is standing up for athletes against racism? This situation has changed my view a lot. There's a lot of people who didn't speak out about it. A lot of big names didn't say a word about it. They didn't reach out to me. All the black athletes reached out, so we all supported each other."Speaking to Reuters, Kusinas added he unintentionally interfered with Muluh's and other athletes' attempts because he was tired after his duties at the event.In a statement the IPF said: "The IPF unequivocally condemns racism, discrimination, and hateful conduct in all its forms. Such behaviour has no place within the IPF or the global powerlifting community."We acknowledge and commend the Lithuanian Powerlifting Federation for its prompt and decisive response to this matter, including its immediate action to permanently ban the individual from participation within the federation."In addition, the IPF will co-ordinate with the relevant IPF commissions, the IPF safeguarding officer, and the IPF Championships Team to identify opportunities to strengthen the recruitment, screening, accreditation, and oversight of volunteers supporting IPF events."The IPF remains steadfast in its commitment to equality, inclusion, integrity, and fair play. Racism, discrimination, and hate have no place in our sport."Following Kusinas' lifetime ban by the Lithuanian Powerlifting Federation, it said in a statement: "We would like to address the situation that unfolded on socal media. We reviewed available information relating to Ernestas Kusinas and were deeply shocked by the views and activities addressed publicly which contradict the principles we stand for."The federation takes full responsibility for addressing this matter."The athlete who has never held her Olympic medal

Big Ten Media Days are in the books, and it's clear to Geoff Schwartz that at least one squad will eclipse its win total and another will fall short.

The Clash is headed back to Daytona. The All-Star Race could very well be heading back to North Wilkesboro. What is old is possibly new again in NASCAR when it comes to the schedule. And the most recent new? Naval Base Coronado and the Chicago street course? Still up in the air, with the San Diego race appearing more likely than the Chicago streets. As track dates trickle out on the 2027 Cup schedule, there are some other significant adjustments. Many of those haven't been announced yet but were reported last week by The Athletic and correlate with what I've been hearing about the 2027 slate. Bristol has no use for a September weekend if its not an elimination race. With the new Chase format, Bristol wants its night race back in August and it should get that. New Hampshire, in August, is used to having a September date. So New Hampshire is expected to replace Bristol as far as a Speedway Motorsports-owned short track in The Chase. This move should help both tracks. Both are on the calendar at a time when people are used to camping at those venues. It avoids a Bristol conflict with college football and it seems to attract more family camping. And kids wont be in school in Tennessee and some of the surrounding states. As previously announced, Watkins Glen moves to The Chase. While it still seems August would be the best fit for family camping there, September is way better than the drenched May weekend it had this year. World Wide Technology Raceway (Gateway) likely moves out of The Chase to late summer. Rotating tracks in The Chase should be expected, so Gateway losing its spot for the postseason isnt a horrible thing. But it would also be good if it is rotated back in to give that track a boost not to mention some cooler weather in September than in August. What takes the place of Watkins Glen in May? It appears Dover remains in May but as a points race and not the All-Star event. North Wilkesboro looks like the favorite to be the All-Star Race after having a July points race to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the last points race at the track. North Wilkesboro is a better All-Star spot than Dover, although if there was any way to put it at Nashville, that could generate some buzz. That would be welcome buzz about the sport in that area, where the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway improvement talks seem stalled. It is also possible that Richmond joins The Chase. With the way the calendar works, if NASCAR wants a week off in the summer, Darlington on Labor Day would end the regular season. NASCAR is always looking to boost Richmond and this could be the Saturday night showcase race of The Chase since Bristol (also a typical Saturday night show) moves to August. The Clash going to Daytona feels right. That doesnt mean it should go there forever. But with a potentially new (or relatively new) aero package and the later start to the season (the week after Presidents' Day), this seems like the right time to run it at Daytona. At least there wont be snow. And the night before the Super Bowl should mean plenty of eyes. What happens to Bowman Gray after losing the Clash? Maybe a truck race is headed to the quarter-mile track. That would be a challenge, as there would have to be controlled pit stops (theres no pit road), but that was done at Eldora Speedway, too. That would continue to be a nod to a historic track. Unfortunately, it doesnt appear Rockingham will be on the truck and OReilly schedules next year, as questions about track ownership amid the ongoing financial struggles of the IHRA likely will keep it off the calendar in 2027. And finally, what about Chicago and San Diego? I am wishing more for Chicago rather than San Diego, as it isnt as much of a lift for people to attend. Public transportation is available for most at Chicago. At the naval base, the bridge and the neighborhood roads make access more difficult. But corporate and team executives seemed to love San Diego and it certainly produced awesome images. So while this probably isnt a long-term play (at what other military bases could NASCAR race?) going back for another year wouldnt be a bad thing. Going back to a place for a second time often means improvements after the initial year. The trouble is finding a date that works. San Diego and Coronado already have a big July 4 weekend event. August is looking the most likely. If both San Diego and Chicago are on the calendar, that would mean Chicagoland Speedway is likely off after its one-year return. But as much of a lift as it seems for NASCAR to get the Chicago street race done, it probably will want to keep Chicagoland ready in case its needed. The frustrating part of the 2027 schedule? No international events. Maybe that will change in 2028. But a return to Mexico City or a race in Montreal would be sick. Brazil? NASCAR obviously has a presence there (as it does in Europe), and while the focus on points events likely would rule out those locations during the season, a Clash at either a street or a stadium setting in South America or Europe would certainly create excitement for a season.