India bowling coach Morne Morkel has highlighted the challenging conditions awaiting the team in Sri Lanka, warning that the combination of heat and humidity could cause the Kookaburra ball to lose its hardness earlier than the Indian seamers are accustomed to. India will begin the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on August 15, with their pace attack facing an additional challenge after Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the series with a knee injury.With Bumrah unavailable, Mohammed Siraj is now the most experienced seamer in the squad. Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar and newly called-up Auqib Nabi are the other pace options available to India.Morkel urges pacers to adapt quicklyMorkel believes India's seamers will need to make the most of the new ball before adjusting their approach once it starts losing its hardness.Our skill is there, and the planning will be there, but the biggest challenge coming to Sri Lanka is the heat, the humidity, and the Kookaburra ball going soft a little earlier. It will go soft after 25 or 30 overs, so we have to expect that. In these conditions, its all about your mindset. If youre a fast bowler, if youre going to bowl the shortest spells, the energy you put into the ball and putting it into good areas, youll always have opportunity, Morkel said in pre-match press conference.The former South Africa pacer also stressed the importance of maintaining intensity and building pressure as the Test progresses.As the Test match will go on, hopefully there will be a little bit of uneven bounce. Its about how we can stack up overs together with intensity and create that pressure because we havent played a lot of red-ball cricket in the last couple of months; going back into that is going to be a challenge as well, he said.India assess bowling options in warm-upIndia used the three-day warm-up against the Sri Lanka Cricket XI in Colombo to give their bowling options valuable game time ahead of the Test series.Ravindra Jadeja was among the most effective bowlers, claiming three wickets from 22 overs, while Gurnoor Brar also impressed with three wickets from 20 overs. Kuldeep Yadav and Manav Suthar picked up two wickets each, with the spinners finding considerable assistance during the practice game.Mohammed Siraj bowled 21 overs and took one wicket, while Prasidh Krishna also claimed a wicket from 16 overs. Saransh Jain completed 15 overs without a wicket, while Auqib Nabi bowled five overs as he got a brief opportunity to assess the conditions.

Izzy Dean: Im really excited to be hereLeeds United Women have added more FA WNL Division One North experience to their ranks this summer as Izzy Dean links up with the Whites.The central defender joins Simon Woods squad from Cheadle Town, where she played a key role in the sides second place finish last term.After signing, the 25-year-old spoke to leedsunited.com.Im really excited to be here, the new recruit began. Its nice to be back playing with a few of the girls again.It was always a tough game playing against Leeds so now Im looking forward to being on this side of the team.On her and the squads ambitions, Izzy added: Hopefully promotion. Being close the past couple of seasons, hopefully we can get over the line.I heard so many good things from speaking with people I previously played with about the team, and the facilities are next level too.

It's been a quiet offseason for the Detroit Pistons after a season where they exceeded many expectations by finishing first in the Eastern Conference and coming within a game of the conference finals.If they want to contend again in 2026-27, in an increasingly competitive East where teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat made significant changes, they'll have to do so without major upgrades themselves. And potentially without center Jalen Duren, who's embroiled in a contract dispute with the team.One person who might be able to help attract more talent to Detroit is All-NBA guard Cade Cunningham, who carries the biggest burden if the roster takes a step back. He told FTW and USA TODAY Sports it's easy to have those conversations with other players, but disputed a recent ESPN report about his involvement in recruiting Austin Reaves and potentially others."I don't know where that report came from. I never told anybody that I talked to XYZ. I wouldn't say that report was all the way true either," Cunningham said. "But definitely, I'm all about the Pistons. I want the Pistons to be at the highest level possible. If there's somebody that is available or wants to play for the Pistons that I could see that happening and feel like it's a good fit, it's easy to talk to them about that. I don't get into all the [tampering]. I just let our staff do their job. I think other players know the type of game that I want to play, the type of game that the Pistons play. And the guys that want to be a part of that will be a part of that."ESPN also said the Pistons were interested in Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard, all players still under contract with their current teams. One player not mentioned who was a free agent is LeBron James, who ultimately signed with Philadelphia. Detroit wasn't among the teams rumored to be in consideration for James, and Cunningham said he didn't reach out to gauge his interest."I didn't give LeBron a call. I don't think he would've cared to hear what I had to say," Cunningham said. "But he's doing what he wants to do at this point and I'm not mad at that. Good for him."This article originally appeared on For The Win: Cade Cunningham calls report of him recruiting other NBA stars 'not completely true'

The Detroit Tigers lost an outfielder to the injured list for the second straight day.The Tigers announced that outfielder James Outman has been placed on the seven-day concussion injured list. Outman got hit by a 94.2 mph fastball from Cleveland Guardians reliever Erik Sabrowski in the seventh inning on his chin."I asked [Guardians catcher Austin] Hedges on the way by where it actually hit him," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said after the 6-4 loss to the Guardians on Wednesday. "And it ricocheted and then hit him, I think, in the chin. I think it might have touched his shoulder first."Tigers OF James Outman goes on 7-day concussion IL after he took an Erik Sabrowski fastball off his chin (possibly deflected off his shoulder first) last night. Trei Cruz recalled from Triple-A Toledo. pic.twitter.com/JAPXT6aKDq Jason Beck (@beckjason) August 13, 2026Outman remained in the game after getting hit. He played the final two innings in left field as part of the replacement plan for All-Star Riley Greene, who hit the 10-day IL with a right hamstring strain on Wednesday. He had one more at-bat against Guardians All-Star closer Cade Smith in the ninth inning and struck out swinging on a splitter in the dirt."It probably feels like he got sucker-punched in the chin," Hinch said Wednesday.Detroit recalled outfielder Trei Cruz from Triple-A Toledo to fill his spot. Cruz made a brief appearance for the Tigers in June, appearing in his first two career MLB games. He went 0-for-5 at the plate with three strikeouts while playing in both corner outfield positions.CF LOCKED DOWN: Why Tigers rookie Max Clark had one of the best strikeouts you'll seeCruz, a switch-hitter, was a bench option in Thursday's series finale against the Guardians. Ben Malgeri started in right field. Javier Bez made the first start of his 13-year MLB career in left field in place of Greene. Bez has made previous brief appearances in left, but had never started a game at the position."Something did happen and some time opened up in left field, so [I] put him out there today," Hinch said pregame. "It will be yet another position that he is starting in his career. I think I have right field, first base and catcher left no promises on those. But he was all in when I talked to him last night."Contact Jared Ramsey at jramsey@freepress.com.This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tigers lose another outfielder, this time to concussion

All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. has been among the NFL's elites since entering the league in 2022. Since the arrival of DeMeco Ryans, the Houston Texans' No. 1 defender and transformed into perhaps the league's best man-coverage cornerback and the No. 2 overall defender at his position. It appears players around the sheild would tend to agree. Stingley appeared at No. 25 in the NFL's top 100 list for the 2026 season, marking him as the third Texans player to make the cut. It's a slight drop-off from his ranking last season he appeared at No. 18 in 2025 but it's clear he remains among the best quarter-players in the game, regardless of the positional value. "Sting's best trait is his ball skills," Pro Bowl linebacker and fellow NFL top 100 player Azeez Al-Shaair said in the interview. "The quarterback has to throw a perfect pass." No. 25 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026@HoustonTexans CB Derek Stingley Jr.! @NFLFilmspic.twitter.com/WLhznHc1L6 NFL (@NFL) August 12, 2026Last season, Stingley did slip up a bit more than usual, allowing 23 catches for under 200 yards and three touchdowns. It was a setback compared to his 2024 season, which initially made him the then-highest-paid cornerback in the league.According toNFL Next Gen Stats, he allowed five catches for 57 yards on 19 targets between Weeks 8-13. Since 2023, no cornerback has more interceptions since 2023 than Stingley (14). He trails only Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph (16) overall in that span and remains a constant disruptor against receivers, totaling 46 passes defended during that span."Because of that, the Texans were willing to prioritize him as a top option for an extension. The two sides agreed to a three-year deal in the 2024 offseason, keeping him in Houston through 2029. "He's not just going to get a pass breakup," Lassiter continued. "He's going to get an interception. And it's just like, 'Damn, this dude is different.'" Even some of the league's best pass-catchers know that when going up against Stingley, it's likely a loseable battle. "He's a great athlete," Seattle Seahawks All-Pro wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba said. "His ball-tracking skills are next-to-none. It's probably the best I've seen at the cornerback position."This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans All-Pro CB Derek Stingley Jr. appears at No. 25 in NFL top 100 ranking

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Chicago Bears executives on Thursday said they continue to practice "due diligence" in finding a site for the team's new stadium in northwest Indiana.Bears President and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Warren said their "sole focus" is in Indiana, while they continue to talk to Illinois.He said at Halas Hall in Lake Forest Thursday they want to "take our time to get this right."ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watchIndiana leaders remain optimistic, with Gov. Mike Braun saying his administration is in weekly contact with the team.A crew conducted soil testing Wednesday at one of several Hammond sites under consideration for a new stadium complex.Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott said the activity reflects the team's ongoing evaluation."And I do know there's extensive testing going on. Even right now, I had one of the local businesses in the new footprint call me and say, 'Hey, they're boring holes currently.' So that's the issue of the day between us and the Bears," he said.Tire tracks and utility flags were visible in a marshy area near the Wolf Lake Terminal, where additional testing took place earlier this summer."It's going to be one of the biggest things that's ever occurred to our state, not to mention the region. So we're doing everything you need to do to make sure we get it done," Braun said.RELATED |Chicago Bears consider new stadium sites in Hammond as IL Republican lawmakers make new proposalsMeanwhile, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch said discussions continue on the Illinois side of the border."I do not believe there will be a special session for the Bears," Welch said. "Our goal is to continue to have the conversations, get to something substantive. And if we can get that done, it would be done in veto session."Although the Bears originally planned to build a new stadium in Arlington Heights, after buying Arlington Park in 2023, Illinois lawmakers never approved a bill to help them do so.With site testing still underway in Hammond, the Bears appear to be seriously weighing an Indiana stadium option.ABC7 Chicago is getting a special chance to sit down one-on-one with Chairman and Owner George McCaskey after the announcement.Many are wondering: If they move, will their name change?PREVIOUS COVERAGE |Bears expected to give stadium update as Indiana officials express confidence in Hammond siteThis is a developing story; check back with ABC7 Chicago for updates.

Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi never gave up on his hope of playing Test cricket for India, despite having to wait for his first call-up. He continued to focus on performing, believing that consistent results would eventually earn him a chance.That opportunity came when Nabi was added to India's squad as a replacement for injured fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah for the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka, beginning in Sri Lanka on Saturday.Nabi played a key role in Jammu and Kashmir's first-ever Ranji Trophy title win last season. He said he always believed that his performances would eventually lead to an India call-up."Yes, I had expectations. But the mindset of a cricket player should be of performing and that the other people are watching," Nabi told fellow uncapped player Saransh Jain in a video shared by the BCCI."I knew that I would get the call-up today or tomorrow because when you are doing well for so many years, you are meant to get the returns from the hard work.""So I would bowl with the mindset that my job is to take wickets and perform and the rest is up to the one above. I felt great when my name came up. My family is very happy and I don't think there can be anything greater than this," Nabi added.Saransh, who was part of Madhya Pradesh's Ranji Trophy-winning team in 2021-22 that defeated Mumbai in the final, also spoke about the patience needed to reach the India team.You have to have patience in Test cricket and if you want to play Test cricket for India, you have to have patience in that too, the 33-year-old Saransh said.I made my debut at Ranji Trophy in 2014-15. It's been a long journey. There was a lot of hard work and sacrifices. But I had the belief that one day, I will definitely play for India and for this achievement my family has a big role to play in it."My dad, who is a Ranji Trophy player, told me the same thing. You just have to have patience, things will automatically come to you," he added. BCCI (@BCCI) Both players also recalled how they found out about their India selections."When I got the call, I was driving to the temple. I saw the call and messages in between. That's when I got to know that I was selected, Saransh said.Nabi said he was at the airport when he received the news.I was at the airport. We had to go to a camp in CoE and I was about to board a flight to Bangalore."I got a call asking where I was. I told them that I was going to Bangalore and I was at the airport. They told me that I didn't have to go there; I had to come to Sri Lanka and that I was selected.At first, I couldn't believe it. It was unexpected because the squad was already out. I was ready to work hard. I was going to the camp, Nabi added.

For most of the summer, fantasy football managers have their scouting hats on. Whos running with the starters? What offenses look like fun? What players are likely to exceed expectations, or fall short of them?But sometimes the discussion needs to be about how to play, as opposed to who to pick. And today well run through some of the draft mistakes I want you to eliminate from your game.Subscribe to Fantasy Ultra to unlock our strategy lab, 150+ page draft playbook and more!Mistake 1: Not being familiar with the rulesJust because its obvious doesnt mean it cant be true. You gotta know the rules. Its a common error, and I know, because I make it myself sometimes and there's no justification for it.It's no fun to read the rules or audit the settings, I get it. In some of the leagues I play in, the rulebook is long and unwieldy, a cumbersome read. And like so many fantasy managers, I'm in a ton of leagues (too many to count), so at times it becomes tempting to cut this corner.But if you're not clear on the game you're playing, errors are sure to follow. So let's make sure we put in the work. (Even if you dont want to audit the rules yourself, there are shortcuts maybe one of the veterans of your league can give you the key points you need. Dont be afraid to ask.)And with this overall tip, were not just talking about checking scoring rules, but every league setting. Often managers are unaware of when free agency starts or when the waiver process begins, and miss out on key early-season acquires as a result. .Thirty seconds in your online calendar today can cover you for a missed opportunity later.Consensus Draft rankings (half-PPR)Top-300 OverallQuarterbackRunning BackWide ReceiverTight EndD/STKickerMistake 2: Drafting insuranceModern baseball theory says that sacrifice bunts are rarely a good idea. The game is dominated by launch angles and home runs, to the point that giving up an out and advancing a runner from first to second is rarely the proper play. When you hand outs to the other team, you cap your scoring upside.What does this have to do with fantasy football? Well, when you go out of your way to draft the NFL backups of your primary starters (especially at running back), you're essentially bunting. You're capping your upside. You're playing for the small inning.Early in the fantasy season, I want you to play for the big inning. I want you to try to build the most dynamic juggernaut possible. Sure, you can draft backup running backs, intriguing stash-and-hope runners, but do it when it's not tied to one of your primary starters.Instead, target the backups that benefit if your opponents encounter bad luck.We want to build a roster that can spike not merely survive when chaos happens. Stop playing it safe and hurting your ceiling.Im not dismissing RB insurance completely. The understudy back can make sense later in the year much like bunting can still make sense in baseball, later in a game. The winning scenario narrows the later we get in any contest, and with that in mind, you act accordingly.If you're crushing the league come early November and you want Brian Robinson Jr. to insure Bijan Robinson because your roster doesn't have bigger problems that need solving I can sign off.In August, that's the wrong way to think. Your goals should be much loftier the day you start assembling your roster.Mistake 3: Anchoring to previously-held opinionsFantasy sports are essentially a game of opinions, your best guess against my best guess. The top fantasy managers are going to have plenty of takes. You compete for a few years, take down a trophy or two, you get some confidence and even some ego.But remember the NFL is a snow-globe league, the American sport with the most year-over-year variance.It's also the fantasy sport where context matters the most. Compare Saquon Barkleys final season with the Giants (a slog in 2023) versus his monster onboard with the Eagles (Offensive Player of the Year) in 2024.I have plenty of strong player and strategy takes today, just like I did a month ago, three months ago or six months ago. But everything's written in pencil. When the facts shift, I'm certainly willing to change my mind. And when overlooked angles are brought to my attention, I'm willing to change my mind then, too.Were aiming to figure out the new season before your opponents do. And with that in mind, lets be willing to be selectively aggressive when opportunities arise.Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL seasonMistake 4: Being paralyzed by fearParadox of Choice is a fascinating concept, the idea that otherwise-smart people can be overwhelmed by alternatives. It's not uncommon for a fantasy manager to tell me they prefer a roster of minimal depth over a roster of fantastic depth, because they aren't forced to make difficult choices each week. (Obviously, a deep team can allow for trades to build an even better starting lineup, but let's ignore that for now.)Some managers are afraid to bench a player because said player was a high pick, or required a lot of FAB on the waiver wire.Some managers are afraid to make a trade or a free agent move because they're obsessed with how bad they'll feel if the decision turns out to be wrong.Friendliest Loss remains a pox in our decision-making world. Too many fantasy players will settle on the choice that will give them the least amount of pain if it doesn't go as planned no matter if that choice reflects what they view the most likely winning scenario.Don't be afraid of making a mistake, friends. Tricky decisions are like bluffs in poker if you don't have one blow up on you every so often, you are playing far too conservatively. Fortune favors the brave.I'm not suggesting you do wacky things just for the sake of it. I still want you to make good decisions, sound decisions. But focus on the likelihood of your decision working, and what the payoff may be. Don't get tripped up on what the regret will feel like if you're wrong. That's not how successful people think.Mistake 5: Not updating your queue during the draftI generally don't touch the preset rankings in any draft applet, because I want to know what most of the league is looking at. But that doesn't mean I rest back in my chair and scroll through emails between picks.I'm constantly working on some kind of list, be it an off-applet list I'm maintaining, or adding and arranging players in my online draft queue.A tidily-arranged queue will be your best friend if you get bumped offline mid-draft and will spare you a possible-disastrous autopick. It's also a good way to keep late-round sleepers fresh in your mind, especially with names who might be buried on the site's preset ranks.If you're doing an offline draft, you can still maintain a queue a pen and sheet of paper will do. Just keep it away from curious neighbors.Yahoo also offers a wealth of options to help managers during the draft with Yahoo Fantasy Plus and Ultra learn more about tools and advice and consider subscribing.Mistake 6: Ignoring ADPIt's common to hear established fantasy players zealously proclaiming their disdain for average draft position, noting how they draft to the beat of their own drummer. And hey, I get it, at some point, you have to go get the players you believe in. But you at least want to have a general idea of where those players might come off the board in a typical draft.When I examine ADP, I like to focus on the trending market, how rooms have been drafting in the past week or so something you can track on Yahoo if youre a Plus or Ultra subscriber. Deeper-rooted ADP is going to be more buggy and less useful.At the end of the day, you want to undercut the market slightly on the later-round picks you covet, not blow the market out of the water. Don't take your hidden gem in the sixth round when context clues make it clear you could have waited until the 10th round or later.Bonus tipsThis article could be a bottomless cup of advice, and eventually we have to hit send. But before we close up shop, here are some other things to consider as you draft Dont forget background checks: Do a quick view of the news a few hours before your draft, and if you have time while drafting, make use of the information tabs in the draft room. You dont want to be the last to know about someones new hamstring injury. Dont worry too much about bye weeks: If you want to break a tie between similar players based on their bye weeks and what fits your roster, Im fine with it. But its a lower priority. When in doubt, give me the later bye week your roster will look a lot different in late October or November. But for the most part, I ignore the bye weeks. Just go get talent. Dont stop analyzing your neighborhood: The roster construction of teams around you will impact many of your choices. Often times I can break a tie between two different positions of need based on what my neighbors are most likely to do with their picks, based on their current shape. Dont lose sight of tier drops: Understanding where talent clusters and where talent drops off is critical to any successful draft. This is especially paramount in salary cap formats, where you desperately want to be landing your players while your opponents still have similar alternatives so that panic buying doesnt set in.

Warriors owner uses one word to describe Stephen Curry trade rumors originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Golden State Warriors tried but weren't able to land LeBron James in free agency. It would have been absolutely electric to see James on the same team as guys like Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, but it wasn't meant to be.Now, there's buzz about a possible Curry trade. The offseason always brings out these rumors, especially on a team as high-profile as the Warriors.But, don't believe the talk. Warriors' principal owner and CEO Joe Lacob made it clear that the team isn't planning to trade Curry. End of story.During an interview on The TK Show with Tim Kawakami, Lacob addressed the idea that Golden State would do something like trade away their biggest star.Golden State CEO and owner talks Stephen Curry trade talkHis answer can be summed up in one word: "No.""No, no, no. I don't think that is even a thing," Lacob told Kawakami, per Kevin Topley of NBC Sports Bay Area. "This is just a clickbait thing from all these people that do this kind of thing these days, and there seem to be a lot of them. I don't believe any of that is true."He added, "I'm very close with Steph -- he lives right near me, he's incredibly happy with the organization, with his life... I've never heard a word about that, and I can't imagine it. We certainly don't want him to go anywhere. I just think people are completely making a bunch of crap up."Curry is playing on an expiring $62.5 million contract for the 2026-27 season. On Aug. 29, he'll be eligible for an extension of up to two years and $136.7 million. According to ESPN's Anthony Slater, a deal is expected to be made, and Curry "has publicly maintained that he wants to play at least a couple more seasons and wants to play the entirety of his career with the Warriors."More NBA news:Giannis Antetokounmpo trade didn't fix everything for the HeatVictor Wembanyama says he can do something even LeBron James and Michael Jordan couldn'tPistons' key question continues to revolve around Cade CunninghamDerrick White question takes center stage in Celtics' early rankings