Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks shoots against Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks during a January 2026 NBA game (AL BELLO)The lucky buyer of a one-of-a-kind basketball card featuring NBA star Cooper Flagg has a choice to make: put it up for auction for potentially millions of dollars or accept 32 years of season tickets from his team, the Dallas Mavericks.The coveted trading card was unveiled by a sports card shop in Rhode Island on Monday during a livestream in which the store opens up packs of cards for collectors who have made blind bids on the packs.The card features a jersey patch worn by Flagg in his first NBA game and is also signed by the former Duke University star, who averaged 21 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists to earn the 2025-26 season NBA Rookie of the Year award.The Dallas Mavericks offered up a trade package in exchange for the card that includes two premium season tickets for 32 years, a signed game-worn Flagg jersey, a photo opportunity with the player and other perks.A New Jersey-based company that specializes in sports collectibles offered a $1.5 million cash advance to the buyer for the rights to put the Flagg card up for auction and estimated that it could go under the hammer for up to $5 million.A similar debut patch rookie card featuring Major League Baseball pitcher Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates sold for $1.1 million last year.Sports trading cards are big business in the United States with collectors paying north of $10 million in recent years for cards featuring former NBA stars Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant and MLB's Shohei Ohtani.cl/bgs

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A decision is in! The Minnesota Vikings have named Kyler Murray their starting quarterback for the 2026 NFL season over J.J. McCarthy, ESPN reported on Tuesday afternoon. Minnesota signed Murray, the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma, to a one-year deal in March after the quarterback was released by the Arizona Cardinals. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Christopher Bell has finished second in four of the last five races. That string of solid performances puts him at the top of this subjective power ranking list. I know, I know, he hasnt won. And Ty Gibbs has a win, a third and two fourths over the last six races. But Bells run over the last five races shows that he's right there challenging for the win every single week. Here are my NASCAR power rankings heading into the Saturday night race at Richmond Raceway: Dropped out:Ryan Preece (Last Week: 9), Carson Hocevar (Last Week: 10) On the verge:Josh Berry, Chase Elliott, Carson Hocevar, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Ryan Preece Buescher finished 13th but slips into the top 10 thanks to a 10th, an 11th and a 13th in his last four races. With so much parity, three top 10s in four races puts him on this list. Maybe I just dont have the heart to drop Reddick off the list. He has a series-high five wins and that has to mean something. But Reddick is trying his best to fall off this list with four finishes of 30th or worse in his last six starts. Welcome back on the list, Willy B! A ninth-place finish might be whats expected for someone from Hendrick but as the best Hendrick car at Iowa, it shows he is doing something right. Logano finished second in both stages at Iowa but a loose wheel when he started to drive away on a pit stop forced him to put the car in reverse to return to his pit stall and lose valuable spots. With no cautions in the final stage, he never recovered. A speeding penalty hurt Wallace, but he still placed 12th at Iowa. In a feast-or-famine season, this was closer to feast for Wallace. Briscoe overcame brake issues over the weekend to place sixth. It was his fifth top-six finish in his last six races. Blaney jumped a couple of spots after winning the pole and placing third at Iowa, where he led a race-high 129 laps. It was his first top 10 in three weeks and his series-high 16th of the season. Gibbs earned his second victory of the season with the triumph at Iowa. He is more consistently running in the top five, and if he does that, this wont be his last win of the year. Hamlin rallied to finish fifth despite not having confidence in his brakes throughout the race at Iowa. He has a big lead in the point standings and has four top fives in the seven races since his last win. Some would say he should remain atop this list. Its rare to have a non-winner atop the list this late in the season. But Bell has seven second-place finishes this year, including four in the last five races and six of the last 11. Some would say hes the first loser, but he wont be a loser much longer if he keeps knocking on the door.

Official|Bayer Leverkusen sign Facundo Medina, Moussa Diaby deal stalls amid interest from InterBayer Leverkusen have officially completed the signing of Argentina international Facundo Medina from Olympique Marseille, while their efforts to bring Moussa Diaby back to the Bundesliga now face renewed competition from Inter Milan. The 27-year-old Medina has signed a long-term contract through June 2031.According to Kicker, Leverkusen will pay Marseille approximately 20m for the left-footed defender, with additional bonus payments potentially increasing the final package. Medina becomes another significant component of Leverkusens summer rebuild following Alejandro Grimaldos departure for Atltico Madrid.Medina gives Leverkusen another World Cup finalistMedina can operate either centrally or on the left side of defense, providing new head coach Carles Martinez with a distinctly different profile to summer arrival Miguel Gutirrez. The Spaniard represents a more attack-minded option capable of supplying width from left-back or wing-back. Medina offers greater physicality, defensive aggression and the ability to move inside as part of a back three.Medina spent five years in French football, initially with RC Lens before joining Marseille in 2025. The Argentina international also featured three times at the recent World Cup and came off the bench during the 1-0 extra-time final defeat to Spain.He therefore joins compatriot Exequiel Palacios as another Leverkusen player with World Cup final experience. Palacios also played a role in convincing Medina to make the move. Medina revealed that the pair discussed Leverkusen during the World Cup and that his Argentina teammate spoke extremely positively about the club.With Facundo Medina, we have signed a very experienced professional who will immediately become an important part of our team through his quality and strong mentality, Rolfes said. He is strong in the tackle: assertive and aggressive. Facundos qualities add an important element to the profile of our squad.Inter challenge Leverkusen for Moussa DiabyWhile the Medina deal is complete, Leverkusens pursuit of Diaby now appears significantly less straightforward. Get German Football Newsreported last week that Leverkusen were making major progress on deals for both Medina and Diaby.Sport Bild reported at the time that Diaby had reached an agreement with his former club over personal terms, leaving Leverkusen to negotiate a transfer fee with Al-Ittihad. A fee below 30m was considered possible. Italian transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio now offers a different account.Di Marzio reports that reigning Italian champions Inter are attempting to intervene and are preparing another offer to Al-Ittihad. More importantly, the Italian journalist claims that, contrary to other reports, Diaby has not yet accepted Leverkusens proposal. That distinction leaves the race considerably more open than previously thought.Diaby return would complete major Leverkusen attacking rebuildDiaby remains an attractive option for Leverkusen because of both his quality and familiarity with the club. The French international spent four seasons at the BayArena after arriving from Paris Saint-Germain in 2019, registering 49 goals and 48 assists in 173 competitive appearances before moving to Aston Villa for approximately 55m in 2023.Al-Ittihad signed him one year later. A return would provide Leverkusen with proven Bundesliga pace and directness at a time when the club continue reshaping their attack. Afonso Moreira can operate from the left, while Diaby would offer an obvious option from the right and could also play more centrally behind a striker.GGFN|Peter Weis

As you settle on an overall fantasy football draft strategy for 2026, keep in mind one thing every strategy, on some level, is a running back strategy.Maybe you'll attack the running back position from the jump, the Robust RB approach. Perhaps you'll look to sign one Hero RB, then put the position on ice until later. Maybe you're a Zero RB believer, thinking you can avoid the big tickets and get fortunate later in the season when the injury chaos hits (narrator: the injury chaos really didn't hit the last two years, not at this position). Even if your preferred strategy doesn't have RB directly in the name, an assumed running back theme is always implied.Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL seasonHey, any strategy will work if you pick the right players. But if you had a magic answer key offered to you at one fantasy position this year, you'd ask for the RB cheat code just like any year.Every league is different, every manager is different. You have to dance the steps you're comfortable with. My best drafts so far this season have come from building a strong RB room early (at least two out of three picks to start), hitting WR strong with my secondary picks, and playing the value game at tight end. Quarterback? That position is absurdly deep this year, and I'll gladly wait to draft my guys. You miss a New York train, so what? Another one is coming in five minutes.More position previewsQuarterbacksRunning BacksWide Receivers (Wednesday)Tight Ends (Thursday) My fantasy benches will be filled with a bunch of plausible-upside guys, mostly players who are one injury away from spreading their wings. The overall fantasy world has gotten smart these days most of your opponents will be doing this too. But I shy away from insuring my own backs with their presumed backups on draft day; I consider RB Insurance a theme for the second half of the year, sometime between Halloween and Thanksgiving. I want to play for the big inning early, and I'll think about the specific winning scenario later.Let's take a long look around. Running backs will largely dictate how successful you are this fantasy season.The 2026 Fantasy RB BoardJahmyr Gibbs, LionsBijan Robinson, FalconsChristian McCaffrey, SFJonathan Taylor, ColtsJames Cook III, BillsSaquon Barkley, EaglesChase Brown, BengalsDerrick Henry, RavensKenneth Walker III, ChiefsAshton Jeanty, RaidersOmarion Hampton, ChargersDe'Von Achane, DolphinsJavonte Williams, CowboysBreece Hall, JetsKyren Williams, RamsTravis Etienne Jr., SaintsD'Andre Swift, BearsJosh Jacobs, PackersJeremiyah Love, CardinalsQuinshon Judkins, BrownsDavid Montgomery, TexansCam Skattebo, GiantsBucky Irving, BuccaneersBhayshul Tuten, JaguarsTreVeyon Henderson, PatriotsTony Pollard, TitansJaylen Warren, SteelersRhamondre Stevenson, PatriotsJadarian Price, SeahawksJ.K. Dobbins, BroncosChuba Hubbard, PanthersRico Dowdle, SteelersBlake Corum, RamsJordan Mason, VikingsJonathon Brooks, PanthersJacory Croskey-Merritt, CommandersRJ Harvey, BroncosRachaad White, CommandersKyle Monangai, BearsAaron Jones Sr., VikingsChris Rodriguez Jr., JaguarsKenny Gainwell, BuccaneersTank Bigsby, EaglesTyrone Tracy Jr., GiantsKeaton Mitchell, ChargersTyler Allgeier, CardinalsWoody Marks, TexansBrian Robinson Jr., FalconsZach Charbonnet, SeahawksDylan Sampson, BrownsDraft TargetsJahmyr Gibbs, LionsBijan Robinson, FalconsWe just want to recognize that if you have the No. 1 or No. 2 pick in anything resembling a standard league, you click on one of these guys. Thank the fantasy football gods for smiling upon you.Chase Brown, BengalsHe plays in all packages and he's tied to a lovely carnival setup. The Bengals move the ball easily on offense, don't stop much on defense and the offense has a narrow concentration for touches. Brown is a perfect second-round pick.James Cook III, BillsWhile Cook predictably had some touchdown regression after an 18-spike season in 2024, all of his efficiency metrics improved and he still spiked a whopping 14 times. Cook was briefly a second-round pick in the spring draft season, but he's justly made his way into the first round over the past few weeks. Still on the escalator entering his age-27 season, this is a very safe place to park your money.Derrick Henry, RavensThe odometer and age might concern you, though Henry's efficiency has actually improved since joining the Ravens two years ago. And he's a near-lock for double-digit touchdowns, something he's done in eight straight years. Heck, Henry might already have 15 spikes in his back pocket. He's a reasonable pick at the end of the second round, or anytime in the third.Jaylen Warren, SteelersAaron Rodgers leans on his RBs in the passing game, and Warren checks that box more emphatically than new teammate Rico Dowdle. Warren is also a superior pass blocker, which will keep him on the field when Pittsburgh operates in hurry-up and two-minute packages. Warren was a solid RB16 performer last year, but the current market is giving you a lovely RB27 price.Tony Pollard, TitansBoring veteran values are often my jam, and that's Pollard's music in Tennessee. The Titans don't have major competition to his workload Tyjae Spears struggles to stay healthy and rookie RB Nicholas Singleton was merely a fifth-round pick. Pollard survived a low-octane offense last year, but it's probably a unit on the rise with Cam Ward entering his sophomore season and the WR room notably improved. Pollard is a nice target as your third or (possibly) fourth running back.Draft FadesChristian McCaffrey, 49ersHe was an undeniable league-winner in 2025, but the 413 touches should make you nervous, especially entering his 10th pro season. It's the third time McCaffrey has led the league in touches, and the last two times it happened, he suffered a significant injury the following year. Even if McCaffrey stays healthy, take note that his efficiency has dropped notably the last two seasons (his 5.1 yards per touch last year was a career low). McCaffrey is a ticklish boom-bust pick in the first round, part of a talented but aging San Francisco offense.De'Von Achane, DolphinsNobody questions the talent, but the infrastructure is a major problem. Miami has a poor offensive line and the Dolphins could struggle to move the ball as well, given an unproven quarterback and a very weak receiver room. New QB Malik Willis also has two other key tendencies he likes to scramble and he rarely checks down to running backs. Both of those things work against Achane .Jeremiyah Love, CardinalsLove's college tape and production justified the lofty draft capital, but he landed with a challenging organization: the Arizona Cardinals. OC Nathaniel Hackett has never been someone we can trust, and Love will likely have to share work with a handful of talented backfield teammates. Even if James Conner or Trey Benson is traded or cut before the season, Tyler Allgeier is going to have some role in this offense. We also have to monitor team context when we consider any RB pick, and Love could be held back by an Arizona squad that could be the worst in football. Wanting my early RB selections to be tied to winning programs, I'll skip on Love while he commands a top-30 pick.Jadarian Price, SeahawksDon't give Price too much credit for his juicy draft capital (Seattle took him at the end of the first round). The Seahawks recognize Price didn't catch the ball much at Notre Dame, and they likely envision him as a committee-headliner to open the year, not a true bell cow. And Price's story could get complicated later in the year, depending on when Zach Charbonnet is healthy and ready to contribute. George Holani and Emanuel Wilson could also have roles, and I wouldn't even be shocked if TE AJ Barner saw occasional short-yardage work, like he did last year. So long as Yahoo drafters consider Price a mid-60s pick, I'll be sitting this one out.Top SleepersA word about sleepers up front any non-starting running back who is currently one injury away from a major role change is basically a sleeper-worthy pick. It's impossible to know which starters will get hurt and which will stay healthy, but it's always a good idea to have several lottery ticket RBs stashed on your bench.For the purpose of our sleeper picks, we'll try to include players who could also outkick their ADP on merit alone they might not need injury luck to fall their way, though it certainly would help.Blake Corum, RamsKyren Williams remains the featured back in Los Angeles, no changes there. But make room for Corum in the Circle of Trust. Corum averaged double-digit carries for the final 11 games of 2025, producing at a pace that maps to 179-911-7.7 for a full season. The Rams could turn this backfield into a 60-40 split for the fresh season, which would give Corum standalone value from the jump. And if Williams gets hurt or hits any kind of slump, Corum looms as a possible ADP smash. The summer market seems split on Corum's fantasy value, which is why he's still available outside Pick 90 in most leagues.Jonathon Brooks, PanthersI haven't ranked him as proactively as some other fantasy pundits, mindful that Brooks has gone through two ACL blowouts and has hardly played in the NFL. But Carolina's incumbent RB Chuba Hubbard is an ordinary talent and he was beaten out by Rico Dowdle last year so we have to keep a keen eye on this depth chart, while remembering Brooks was a dynamic player at Texas. The Panthers are going to play their best players, no matter that Hubbard is a veteran who already bagged a contract extension. Brooks is just a speculation play and the Carolina offensive line is already battling injuries, but let's understand the ceiling present.Rachaad White, CommandersIt's a crowded backfield in Washington, but White has a clear path to a significant role. He's the best pass-catcher in the mix (note that presumed starter Jacoby Croskey-Merritt has limited receiving experience), and White already has chemistry built up with QB Jayden Daniels, his former Arizona State teammate. White graded as the RB22 just two years ago in Tampa Bay, so we've seen him produce a ceiling outcome before.Jordan Mason, VikingsIt's not always fun to play fantasy sports like an actuary, but it's the shrewd way to bet. Mason was more efficient than Aaron Jones Sr. as a runner last year, and we can't ignore that Mason is also about five years younger. When in doubt, lean to the front-nine player.

Laila Ali lives with her family an easy drive from State Farm Arena in Atlanta, where Claressa Shields will be fighting Saturday, Aug. 15.Im holding two ringside tickets for her, Shields promoter, Dmitriy Salita, told USA TODAY Sports.Apparently that wont be necessary.Amber Noble, Alis business partner, told USA TODAY Sports, No, she absolutely wont be attending.A potential blockbuster fight between Shields and Ali fizzled in October after a war of words. And they're probably more likely to to bump into each other in a coffee shop than in a boxing ring. (Shields also lives in Atlanta.)But even as Shields prepared to fight Kaye Scott Saturday for the womens WBC and WBA middleweight titles at 20,000-seat State Farm Arena, Salita expressed hope a bout between Shields and Ali will materialize.I think it's a bigger fight than State Farm Arena, with all due respect,Salita said. It would be bigger than Mayweather versus McGregor.Salita was referring to the fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor in 2017. That fight sold 4.3 million pay-per-views, second most behind only the 4.6 million sold for the fight between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in 2015.Although Ali implied she never would work with Shields, Salita points out Ali never explicitly ruled out the fight.Both women likely would enter the fight with unblemished records. Ali was 24-0 with 21 knockouts when she retired. Shields is 18-0 with three knockouts heading into her fight against Scott.But theres also the issue of age. Shields is 31 and in her prime. Ali is 48 and has not fought professionally since 2007.At a time when Shields was calling out Ali, she and her team filmed a video during which they showed a $15 million novelty check. It was meant to represent the financial guarantee for Ali if she agreed to fight.Whatever happened to the check?Its waiting to be cashed, Salita said.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Claressa Shields' fight stirs talk of Laila Ali, potential blockbuster

Under-20s wrap up preparations for second friendly v BoliviaSquad held its final training session before the match against BoliviaCredits: Rafael Ribeiro / CBFBrazils Under-20 National Team wrapped up its preparations this Tuesday (11) for the second friendly against Bolivia. At Granja Comary, in Terespolis, Rio de Janeiro, head coach Paulo Victor led the final session before Wednesdays (12) clash, once again at the national teams training center.The session was focused more on final adjustments. Coach Paulo Victor worked on technical and tactical situations, aiming to give the players the references they need for the match and reinforce the patterns that have been developed since the start of preparations.On the field, the players took part in drills with the ball and worked mainly on executing the fundamentals and movement within the teams approach. The coaching staff used the training session to correct positioning, fine-tune space occupation, and reinforce communication between the players.Brazil and Bolivia face each other this Wednesday (12), at 10 a.m., at Granja Comary, in Terespolis, Rio de Janeiro, in the second friendly between the teams during this stage of the Brazil Under-20 National Teams preparations.Paulo Victor made the teams final adjustmentsCredits: Rafael Ribeiro / CBFThis article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in here.

Why 1st-Round OT Max Iheanachor Will Likely Miss Steelers' Preseason Opener vs. Packers originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here.With Aaron Rodgers and a collection of other big pieces returning, the 2026 Steelers will once again feature plenty of veteran talent as Mike McCarthy takes over at the helm. But Pittsburgh does have a few intriguing young players who could be highlighted this preseason.Former Big Ten stars Will Howard and Drew Allar could be competing for the Steelers' long-term quarterback job, while second-round rookie wide receiver Germie Bernard also has a shot to become a difference-maker for the offense.However, no Pittsburgh rookie is going to carry higher long-term expectations than the team's first-rounder out of Arizona State, offensive tackle Max Iheanachor. But McCarthy said Tuesday that it's looking unlikely Iheanachor will be able to take the field for Week 1 of the preseason.Here's the latest on Iheanchor's status and when he could make his Steelers debut.Max Iheanachor Injury UpdatesThe specific nature of Iheanachor's injury situation is unclear, but the rookie tackle left practice early last week. McCarthy then said Friday that he expected the first-round pick to return early this week.He wont go today, McCarthy said, per NBC Sports. I think we might not see him until Monday,but hes OK.However, for the most part, that was not the case. Iheanachor initially remained out of practice on Monday with McCarthy not providing a timetable for his return, though the offensive lineman was spotted in pads doing a few reps.Despite McCarthy saying Iheanachor would NOT practice, hes out on the field in pads and just took an individual rep. https://t.co/8az2fvSpbOpic.twitter.com/8qS62PEv3O Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) August 10, 2026On Tuesday morning, McCarthy spoke about Iheanachor's status for Week 1 of the preseason, with the Steelers set to face the Packers on Thursday. Based on the head coach's comments, the Steelers' young offensive tackle will have to wait at least one more week to make his team debut in official action."He's just working his way back," McCarthy said. "He's making progress. I do not see him playing Thursday night, but he's getting close."Mike McCarthy on Max Iheanachor: He wont play Thursday but hes getting close. pic.twitter.com/8HJLeaoGFw Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) August 11, 2026Considering Iheanachor was able to take some reps during Monday's practice, his injury isn't expected to linger for long. But Steelers fans will have to wait until at least Week 2 of the preseason to catch their first-round rookie in action.More SteelersLatest SteelersnewsHow 'Renegade' became Steelers' pump-up songComplete history of Steelerschampionships

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