From Dylan Hernández: While the game didn’t provide any definitive answers about what LeBron James will do in his record-breaking 23rd season, it offered promising signs about what he won’t do.
The point was made most emphatically by how he played in the 140-126 victory over the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena.
In the 30 minutes he played, James shot the ball only seven times, less than any other Lakers starter.
He didn’t have problems with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves remaining the team’s primary options.
He didn’t mind picking his spots.
He didn’t mind spending most of the game as a peripheral figure on the court.
“Just thought he played with the right spirit,” coach JJ Redick said. “Very unselfish all night. Willing passer. Didn’t force it. Took his drive and his shots when they were there.”
The Rams on Wednesday placed safety Quentin Lake, tight end Tyler Higbee and right tackle Rob Havenstein on injured reserve.
Lake, who had surgery Tuesday for a dislocated left elbow, Higbee (ankle) and Havenstein (knee/ankle) must sit out at least four games before they are eligible to return. The earliest return would be a Dec. 18 game against the Seahawks in Seattle.
From Ryan Kartje: Last month, in the span of a single half, USC’s top two running backs were lost to serious injuries. For Eli Sanders, the knee injury he suffered against Michigan prematurely ended his season. For Waymond Jordan, ankle surgery meant missing most of the Trojans’ critical stretch run.
For USC, it made for a particularly cruel one-two punch. Through the first six games, the Trojans duo had been a top-10 rushing attack in the nation, trending toward the best rushing season USC had seen in two decades. Then, in less than an hour’s time, a promising start had been derailed by injury.
“That could almost be a death sentence,” coach Lincoln Riley said Wednesday.
But with just two games left in the season, the Trojans rushing attack still is very much alive. And USC still is clinging to College Football Playoff hopes because of it.
Ian Moore scored the tiebreaking goal with 3:35 to play, and Lukas Dostal made 36 saves in the Ducks’ 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night.
Jansen Harkins. Radko Gudas and Ryan Strome also scored for the first-place Ducks, who have won nine of 12 after sweeping their season series with the Bruins.
The Bruins dominated long stretches of play and tied it with 12:21 left with Morgan Geekie’s second goal on a power play just seven seconds after Harkins took an awful cross-checking penalty.
1934 — Busher Jackson scores four third-period goals to power the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-2 victory over the St. Louis Eagles.
1960 — Jerry Norton of St. Louis intercepts four passes to send past the Washington Redskins 26-14.
1969 — Brazilian soccer legend Pelé scores his 1,000th goal.
1977 — Walter Payton rushes for an NFL record 275 yards, and the Chicago Bears edge the Minnesota Vikings 10-7.
1979 — Red Holzman of the New York Knicks wins his 500th game, a 130-125 overtime victory over Houston at Madison Square Garden. Holzman is the second coach, after Red Auerbach, to reach that mark.
1983 — Seattle’s Dave Krieg passes for 418 yards and three touchdowns, lifting the Seahawks to a 27-19 victory over the Denver Broncos.
1983 — Steve Bartkowski throws a 42-yard desperation pass that is deflected to Billy Johnson at the 5-yard line, and he then fights his way into the end zone to give the Atlanta Falcons a 28-24 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
1994 — Tisha Venturini scores twice and Angela Kelly, Sarah Dacey and Robin Confer add goals for North Carolina, which beats Notre Dame 5-0 for its ninth consecutive NCAA women’s soccer championship.
1997 — A.C. Green breaks the NBA record for consecutive games — his 907th straight appearance in the Dallas Mavericks’ 101-97 loss to the Golden State Warriors. Green surpasses Randy Smith’s mark of 906 set from 1972-83.
1999 — TCU’s LaDainian Tomlinson rushes for an NCAA Division I record 406 yards on 43 carries with six touchdowns in a 52-24 victory over UTEP.
2001 — Ball State beats No. 3 UCLA 91-73 in the semifinals of the Maui Invitational, one day after knocking off No. 4 Kansas in the opening round.
2010 — Mikel Leshoure of Illinois rushes for a school-record 330 yards and scores two touchdowns in the Fighting Illini’s 48-27 win over Northwestern at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. All offensive plays are run toward the same end zone because a brick wall, although heavily padded, is too close behind the other one.
2011 — Brittney Griner has 32 points and 14 rebounds while Baylor establishes itself as the clear No. 1 team with a 94-81 victory over No. 2 Notre Dame in the preseason WNIT championship game.
2011 — Landon Donovan scores in the 72nd minute on passes from Robbie Keane and David Beckham, and the Galaxy’s three superstars win their first MLS Cup together with a 1-0 victory over the Houston Dynamo.
2012 — Jack Taylor scores 138 points to shatter the NCAA scoring record in Division III Grinnell’s 179-104 victory over Faith Baptist Bible in Grinnell, Iowa.
2016 — Jimmie Johnson ties Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt with a record seven NASCAR championships when he defeats Carl Edwards, Joey Logano and defending champion Kyle Busch at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
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On the drive up to the Rose Bowl’s front door, underneath the legendary glowing sign, toward the picturesque purple mountains, there stands the most impactful symbol of the school that plays there.
It is a statue of Jackie Robinson in a UCLA football uniform.
He is cradling the ball in his left hand and warding off impending tacklers with his right, a striking bronze symbol of a university’s resilience and strength. The most formidable figure in American sports history is standing where he grew up, where his team lives and where he forever will embody the epitome of the gutty Bruin.
UCLA values a quick buck over enduring integrity, fast cash over deep tradition and dollars over die-hards.
The Bruins want to leave the most storied stadium in America, a place where they have played for 43 years, a living monument to Bruins icons, a tailgating paradise with a postcard backdrop … for the shiny toy that is SoFi Stadium, an amazing professional football palace that has no business being the permanent home of a college football team.
This is no knock on SoFi. It’s Super Bowl cool. But it’s an NFL stadium with NFL vibes. It doesn’t work for a struggling university program that would be a third tenant viewed as a last resort.
The Bruins don’t want to move there for tradition. When it comes to college football, SoFi has none. UCLA played there once in a bowl game that drew what appeared to be a handful of fans, the quaint gathering dwarfed by the space-age surroundings.
They don’t want to go there for the increased convenience. There is none. You can’t sell me that 14 fewer miles going south on the 405 on a Saturday afternoon would be noticeably quicker than a longer trek going east on the 134. Especially if there also are events happening at the SoFi-adjacent Forum and Intuit Dome.
They don’t want to go for the game-day experience. There is none. They would be sacrificing lush Brookside tailgating for scarce parking lot tailgating, robbing UCLA fans of their one guaranteed victory every game.
Yes, SoFi has much better seats and bathrooms and amenities but, no, the Bruins want to go for one reason only, and we’ve known what that is from the moment they admitted their athletic department was in financial ruin.
UCLA offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel walks back to the sidelines after a timeout during a game against Nebraska at the Rose Bowl on Nov. 8.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
This is all about the money. UCLA long ago agreed to a lousy deal with the Rose Bowl from the outset — the school apparently sign leases like it hires football coaches — and thus the Bruins don’t receive any cut of suite or sponsorship deals, and get just a fraction of merchandise and parking. Some estimate they can make a few multiples of their current revenue by moving to SoFi, and that’s certainly a legitimate motivation, but it’s also the easy way out.
You know how else they could make more money? Win more football games! Did anybody think of that?
Since Terry Donahue retired in 1995, the UCLA football program frequently has dumped a steaming pile of garbage on Pasadena’s prettiest doorstep, and the poor decisions by the athletic department finally are catching up to it.
They’ve had losing records in seven of the last 10 years. They’ve gone through five coaches and endured countless disappointments. Not surprisingly, increasingly fewer fans want to devote their Saturdays to cheering for a team that too often finds itself plopping into a Brookside bunker.
The Bruins’ five worst attendance figures have come in the last five seasons not interrupted by COVID-19. They’ve ranked around the bottom of Big Ten attendance, and the hole just keeps getting deeper.
They’re averaging 37,099 this season entering the Saturday night’s home finale against Washington, a pace which would set the record for the lowest UCLA season attendance at the Rose Bowl.
And all this is the Rose Bowl’s fault? Not since Roy “Wrong Way” Riegels has someone in the Arroyo Seco been so misguided.
The City of Pasadena and the Rose Bowl Operating Co. have lived up to their part of the lease, which still has 19 years remaining on it. Pasadena officials say taxpayers have invested more than $150 million in stadium renovations and they’re ready to write a check on an additional $130 million for improvements.
It shows. The Terry Donahue Pavilion is magnificent. The grounds are pristine. There are plans for a cool field club beyond the south end zone.
The Rose Bowl folks have done everything they agreed to do. That UCLA still is trying to walk out the front door smacks of an entitled, oafish spouse who demands their significant other improve themselves, then leaves anyway.
I’ve been covering UCLA games at the Rose Bowl for nearly 40 years, and I can confirm there’s no better place to watch college football in this country. It’s the Augusta National of football stadiums, a place where they should hold the national championship every year, with its breathtaking skyline and deep green surroundings and that crisp fall breeze that sneaks through the Arroyo Seco like an old friend reminding you of home.
UCLA tailback Derrick Williams celebrates with a cheerleader’s megaphone after defeating the USC 13-9 at the Rose Bowl on Dec. 2, 2006.
(Stephen Dunn / Getty Images)
No, it’s not on UCLA’s campus, but there’s no more room, that ship has sailed. And, no, UCLA doesn’t make an appropriate amount of money in the deal, but the school signed the lease, and those lost dollars can appear in other ways.
By playing at the Rose Bowl, the Bruins are paid in majestic beauty, timeless tradition and a sense of family that their alumni and fans can’t get anywhere else.
I was on the sidelines in the final seconds on that first Saturday in December 2006 for quite possibly UCLA’s greatest Rose Bowl moment. You remember. How could you forget?
The John David Booty drive, the Eric McNeal interception, the stunning 13-9 UCLA victory that denied USC a spot in the national championship game while giving the Bruins their only win over the Trojans in a 13-year span.
What stays with me from that afternoon is the deafening noise that seemed to fill every corner of Pasadena before morphing into arguably the loudest Eight Clap in Bruins history.
“U-C-L-A! Fight! Fight! Fight!”
The Rose Bowl was magical that day. Shame on UCLA for not believing it still can be.
There is some fierce competition for that crown but, statistically, the Gunners are right up there.
Nearly a third of the way through the campaign, they are conceding 0.45 goals per game. If they maintain that rate they will concede 17 goals over the 38 games.
Chelsea’s 2004-05 title-winning side hold the record at 15, with Arsenal’s vintage in 1998-99 conceding 17, but finishing trophyless.
The next tightest defence is the 2007-08 Manchester United side and Liverpool in 2018-19, who both conceded 22 goals.
There is a long way still to go for Arsenal, but if the backline of Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori – with keeper David Raya behind them – stay fit and solid, then they’ve got every chance of being talked about among this quartet.
That is a big if though, with fears Gabriel could be sidelined until January after being injured on Brazil duty, while Italy international Calafiori also has a problem that needs to be assessed.
The Gunners also have the best defensive record in Europe’s top five leagues this term, with the fewest goals conceded, fewest shots on target faced and most clean sheets.
They have allowed only 21 shots on target in the Premier League this season, including three across their last five matches. Their average of 1.9 shots on target faced per game is the lowest since Opta’s records began in 2003-04.
You have to go back to September and October 1987 for the last time Arsenal bettered this season’s record of four successive league games without letting in a goal.
That came under manager George Graham in an era that inspired the famous “1-0 to the Arsenal” chant to serenade a team with the kind of defensive resilience that Arteta’s men are replicating.
Sunderland’s strikes, from Dan Ballard and an injury-time Brian Brobbey equaliser, denied them the chance to beat Manchester United’s Premier League record of 14 consecutive clean sheets, achieved back in 2008-09.
Meanwhile, Liverpool are the record holders for clean sheets in the Premier League era across all competitions, having gone 11 straight games without conceding under Rafael Benitez in 2005-06.
Former Arsenal centre-back Martin Keown, who was part of the club’s 1998-99 side, wrote in his BBC Sport column: “We can see with our own eyes how good the defence is.
“The only thing missing from their CV is trophies.
“If they could be champions, they reach that elite level alongside these past title-winning teams.”
Last month, in the span of a single half, USC’s top two running backs were lost to serious injuries. For Eli Sanders, the knee injury he suffered against Michigan prematurely ended his season. For Waymond Jordan, ankle surgery meant missing most of the Trojans’ critical stretch run.
It made for a particularly cruel one-two punch. Through the first six games, the Trojans duo had been a top-10 rushing attack in the nation, trending toward the best rushing season USC had seen in two decades. Then, in less than an hour’s time, a promising start had been derailed by injury.
“That could almost be a death sentence,” coach Lincoln Riley said Wednesday.
But with just two games left in the season, the Trojans’ rushing attack still is very much alive. And USC still is clinging to College Football Playoff hopes because of it.
“It’s gone remarkably well,” Riley said of USC’s rushing attack since. “I don’t know that anyone could have predicted that to be completely honest.”
No one anticipated the arrival of redshirt freshman walk-on King Miller, who has been a season-saving revelation since being thrust into the role of the Trojans’ lead back. Miller is averaging 113 yards per game since Jordan and Sanders went down, which, extrapolated over the course of a full season, would tie Nebraska’s Emmett Johnson for best in the Big Ten. Miller also is one of just two Power Four running backs with more than 90 carries to average better than seven yards per rush.
His unexpected coronation, coming at the most critical point of USC’s season, is part of why the Trojans could be just two wins away from their first playoff bid. And if they have any hope of continuing that run, Miller will have to lead the rushing attack into its toughest battle yet Saturday at Autzen Stadium, where No. 7 Oregon has held opposing offenses to 90 yards rushing per game.
There was a brief glimmer of hope leading into this week that Jordan, who underwent tightrope surgery on his ankle five weeks ago, might be able to return for USC’s trip to Eugene. Jordan was listed as questionable on the injury report last Saturday and dressed for practice this week, both signs of progress. But Riley acknowledged Tuesday it was unlikely Jordan would be ready for the game, as he’s still getting comfortable cutting on his surgically repaired ankle.
“He’s getting closer,” Riley said. “But for a back, that’s not a great injury.”
There were a number of other injuries too that presumably should have led to USC’s undoing on the ground. In addition to their battered backfield, the Trojans have been without left tackle Elijah Paige for several games because of a knee injury and could be without him again Saturday. Center Kilian O’Connor missed three games because of his own knee issue, and guard Alani Noa was sidelined for most of the Nebraska win.
But the Trojans have yet to take a step back. The offensive line has shuffled positions with surprising success, and Miller has exceeded all expectations, earning a place in USC’s future plans.
“Just trying to learn to be confident in whatever I’m doing,” Miller said this week. “You’ve got to be confident no matter what it is.”
Miller may, however, have met his match this week with Oregon. While USC has remained near the top of the Big Ten, even after losing its top two backs, the Ducks have boasted arguably the best rushing attack in the nation. Only Navy averages more yards per carry than Oregon (6.33) or has more 20-plus-yard carries (28).
Two of Oregon’s trio of backs, senior Noah Whittington and freshman Dierre Hill Jr., are averaging better than eight yards per carry. The other, Mater Dei product Jordon Davison, is averaging seven yards as a freshman and has 12 touchdown runs.
The numbers aren’t exactly encouraging for the Trojans, who have been distressingly vulnerable against the run for long stretches of this season. USC is giving up more than 200 yards on the ground on average over its last four games, none of which came against offenses that rank among the top 25 nationally in rushing.
The best backfield USC faced during that stretch, Notre Dame, rolled over the Trojans for 306 yards. And the Irish are averaging 41 fewer yards per game on the ground than Oregon.
But in each of its three games since that Notre Dame nadir, the Trojans have come out looking like a totally different defense in the second half. None of their last three opponents — Iowa, Northwestern or Nebraska — managed more than a field goal after halftime.
USC won’t have the luxury of waiting that long this week, up against one of the few offenses in college football scoring at a more efficient clip. For the Trojans to keep their playoff hopes alive, it starts with dictating how things go on the ground.
So far that’s gone better than expected.
“We’ve had some big challenges,” Riley said. “We’ve been able to respond. It’ll obviously be important in games like this. Being able to run the football, being able to stop the run is always key, no matter who you’re playing, where you’re playing, what year it is.
“We’ve been clutch there. We’ve been able to do it. Hopefully we can get it done this time.”
Trailing most of the game with five transfer students still not declared eligible, top-ranked Sierra Canyon turned to point guard Jordan Askew to deliver a 67-65 win over Millikan on Wednesday night.
The Trailblazers forced a turnover and got the ball near midcourt with 3.3 seconds left in a 65-65 tie. Askew took the inbounds pass and drove to make a layup before the buzzer sounded for the win.
What a debut for Millikan freshman point guard Quali Giran. He finished with 31 points. The Trailblazers couldn’t stop him except at the end, when they put together a double team to create a turnover. He had made a 15-foot shot earlier, but the basket was nullified because of a foul called before the shot.
Stephen Kankole had 20 points, Jordan Mize 19 and Maxi Adams 13 points and 10 rebounds for Sierra Canyon.
Brentwood 84, Simi Valley 54: AJ Okoh scored 28 points and had seven assists, and Ethan Hill contributed 15 points and 14 rebounds for 2-0 Brentwood.
Fairmont Prep 58, Tesoro 45: Fairmont Prep advanced to the semifinals of the Ocean View tournament.
Westlake 55, Golden Valley 48: Axel Ostergard and Zachary Kalinski each scored 16 points for the 2-0 Warriors.
Inglewood 86, Long Beach Cabrillo 38: Kevin Singleton scored 26 points and Jason Crowe Jr. had 24 points for Inglewood.
Oaks Christian 67, Milken 41: Grayson Coleman had 20 points in his debut for Milken after transferring from Calabasas to play for his father.
Coach Brendon McCullum believes his England team are ready for an Ashes series that could “define” them.
McCullum and captain Ben Stokes have revitalised the England Test team since taking charge in 2022.
The New Zealander said they have been “building to this moment”, with the first Test against Australia in Perth beginning on Friday (02:20 GMT).
In his only interview since arriving in Australia, McCullum told BBC Sport: “There’s nothing bigger than what we’re about to come into.”
Speaking to Test Match Special commentator and former England spinner Phil Tufnell, McCullum added: “This team has been together for a good couple of years and we have been building towards this moment.
“It is the biggest stage and it is the brightest lights. It is a series that could define teams, the people and players within it. That’s OK.
“You know you’re ready, you know you have the game to compete at this level. Stay together, play the style you have become accustomed to and we’ll see in a couple of months where we land.”
England are due to confirm their XI for the first Test on Thursday, with spinner Shoaib Bashir likely to miss out from the 12-man squad named on Wednesday.
That would mean the tourists will field a five-man pace attack, probably the fastest group of bowlers they have ever put together for a Test match.
“I’m super excited and probably a little bit more relaxed now than I was a few weeks ago,” said former New Zealand captain McCullum.
“We’ve got our team to the start line. I feel like our horse is going to run well. Whether we find another horse in the race that is better than us, who knows.”
England had won only one their previous 17 Tests, including a 4-0 defeat on their last Ashes tour, when McCullum and Stokes united in the summer of 2022.
They revolutionised England’s style of play, built a new team with a number of young players and earned impressive series wins at home against New Zealand and South Africa, then again against the Kiwis and Pakistan.
But England have not managed a victory in a marquee five-Test series against either Australia or India, including a 2-2 draw in the last home Ashes in 2023.
England have not won a single Test in Australia since their last series win in this country 14 years ago. Only five England teams have won Ashes series in Australia since World War II.
Ian Moore scored the tiebreaking goal with 3:35 to play, and Lukas Dostal made 36 saves in the Ducks’ 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night.
Jansen Harkins. Radko Gudas and Ryan Strome also scored for the first-place Ducks, who have won nine of 12 after sweeping their season series with the Bruins.
The Bruins dominated long stretches of play and tied it with 12:21 left with Morgan Geekie’s second goal on a power play just seven seconds after Harkins took an awful cross-checking penalty.
But after another handful of outstanding saves by Dostal, Moore got the second goal his NHL career when Leo Carlsson found the young defenseman for a quick shot at the top of the slot while Chris Kreider screened Joonas Korpisalo.
Michael Eyssimont also scored for the Bruins, who opened a four-game road swing with their third loss in four games following a seven-game winning streak. Korpisalo stopped 29 shots, and Hampus Lindholm had two assists against his former team for Boston,
Mason McTavish had two assists in a bounce-back performance by the 21-year-old center after being demoted to the fourth line during the Ducks’ win over Utah on Monday.
Anaheim went ahead 2 1/2 minutes after the opening faceoff on Harkins’ second goal of the season. Gudas scored four minutes later from the blue line, hammering a slap shot that ramped off Fraser Minten’s skate for the Anaheim captain’s first goal of the season.
Geekie redirected a crossbar-high shot later in the first for his third power-play goal of the season.
Strome brilliantly redirected a pass from McTavish with two seconds left in a power play for his first goal of the new season after missing the first 16 games due to a preseason injury.
Eyssimont responded with his fifth goal late in the second.
A referee coach has denied “manhandling” Women’s Super League referee Lisa Benn after she told an employment tribunal that he “forcefully pushed” her during a match.
Benn, 34, claims she was pushed and threatened by Steve Child during a tournament organised by Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) to train staff on video assistant referees (VAR) in March 2023.
English football’s refereeing body investigated the complaint but found Child’s behaviour did not meet the threshold for disciplinary action.
In his tribunal witness statement, quoted to the panel on Wednesday, Child said “100% I did not grab” her, it was a “guiding arm if anything” but “I don’t recall putting any physical contact on her”.
“I lightly put an arm across her back in a sense of ‘let’s go’,” the former Premier League assistant referee added.
Child refuted Benn’s accusation that his treatment of her was “because she is a woman”.
Kick-off had been delayed by an earlier injury and a south London employment tribunal heard Child was trying to speed up the start of play.
He denied grabbing Benn a second time and saying “your card has been marked” after a mass brawl broke out at the end of the fractious youth game.
Carla Fischer, for Benn, said: “A six-foot man who is stressed, who has been told by the claimant to chill, physically moving a five-foot woman on to a pitch.”
She added: “There is absolutely no way this contact could be anything other than grabbing and manhandling, is there?”
Child replied: “That’s not correct.”
He also denied intimidating Benn in the hotel reception at a training camp they both attended on 19 August, 2023, saying: “I think that might be a confusion on Lisa’s part.”
Benn claims she unfairly lost her position as a Fifa international referee because she complained about his behaviour to PGMOL.
She alleged she had been told by the organisation’s chief refereeing officer, Howard Webb, and his wife Bibi Steinhaus-Webb – then the head of women’s referees – she would not be punished for coming forward.
“There is a fear in the women’s group to raise grievances, to raise concerns, because of the fear of consequences,” Benn told the hearing on Tuesday.
The deal announced Wednesday by the league will also return baseball to NBC and bring three MLB events — an opening night game, the Home Run Derby and the Field of Dreams game — to Netflix for the first time.
As part of the deal, ESPN will integrate the league’s streaming platform MLB.TV into its recently launched direct-to-consumer service that provides the sports channels to consumers with or without a cable subscription.
MLB.TV provides local telecasts of out-of-market games to consumers. In the 2026 season, new customers will now be able to purchase the service as part of an ESPN subscription. Pricing has not yet been set for the combined services.
ESPN Unlimited subscribers will get an additional 150 out-of-market games over the course of the season at no additional cost. ESPN will offer local games in the six MLB markets that no longer have regional sports networks — San Diego, Cleveland, Seattle, Minnesota, Arizona and Colorado. The games, which are produced by MLB, will be available to purchase for streaming in those markets through ESPN.
ESPN will no longer carry “Sunday Night Baseball,” a staple of the network for decades, but will have a package of 30 weeknight games. It will also retain its coverage of the MLB Little League Classic and carry a game on Memorial Day.
ESPN is paying $550 million for the new three-year package, the same as the last contract, according to people familiar with talks who were not authorized to comment publicly.
While ESPN and MLB exchanged harsh words when their longtime arrangement broke up earlier this year, both sides praised the eventual outcome, which puts a greater emphasis on streaming.
“Bringing MLB.TV to ESPN’s new app while maintaining a presence on linear television reflects a balanced approach to the shifts taking place in the way that fans watch baseball and gives MLB a meaningful presence on an important destination for fans of all sports,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.
ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro called the deal “a fan-friendly agreement” that prioritizes the Walt Disney Co. unit’s “streaming future.”
“Sunday Night Baseball” will move to NBC, with 25 prime-time games on the broadcast network or NBCUniversal’s streaming platform Peacock. Already the home of “Sunday Night Football,” and “Sunday Night Basketball,” the addition of the MLB — at $200 million a season — means NBC will have live sports in prime time on every Sunday throughout the year.
The network is also picking up the wild card round of the MLB postseason that had been carried on ESPN.
In 2027 and 2028, NBC will carry the most consequential game played on the final Sunday of the season.
NBC Sports also gains the rights to the late Sunday morning game, which will be carried on Peacock and followed by a “whip-around” show presenting action from contests around the league that day. Peacock carried the morning game in 2023 and 2024 before it went to Roku this past season.
MLB games exclusive to Peacock will also be shown on the newly launched NBC Sports Network, which is being offered to cable and satellite TV providers.
Netflix is paying around $50 million per year to carry the 2026 opening night game between the San Francisco Giants and the New York Yankees on March 25. The annual Home Run Derby, previously on ESPN, also moves to the streamer, as does the Field of Dreams game, which will be played in Dyersville, Iowa, where the set for “Field of Dreams” is located.
The deal continues Netflix’s approach of offering appointment sporting events to its subscribers rather than investing in a full season package.
The new MLB deals only run for three years. The league wants them to align with its major TV rights package that includes the playoffs, the World Series and the All-Star Game. Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery’s TBS carry those packages until 2028.
Sporting Club scored two extra-time goals to end Glasgow City’s Europa Cup run in Lisbon.
Nicole Kozlova had headed the visitors in front late in the first half to establish a 2-1 aggregate lead.
However, Telma Encarnacao’s smart finish took the game to an additional half hour and the home striker grabbed another, before Carla Armengol set Sporting up for a quarter-final against Hammarby or Ajax.
The Portuguese side started and finished strongly, with City goalkeeper Lee Gibson busy in the opening minutes.
Having been under the cosh, the SWPL leaders began to find some rhythm and stunned their hosts by taking the lead four minutes before the break.
A deep free-kick from Lisa Evans was helped on by Kimberley Smit, with Kozlova ghosting in to finish from close range.
The Ukraine international threatened again before the break and City opened the second half in promising fashion, with two efforts from Linda Motlhalo.
But Sporting then took a grip on the game again as they pressed for an equaliser.
City’s resistance was broken by a straight ball over the top as Telma swivelled to beat Gibson with a first-time strike.
The Portuguese forward, who also scored in the first leg, then hit the post with fierce free-kick on 87 minutes, with the rebound smashed inches wide.
Claudia Neto also went close as City clung on desperately.
An Ashley Barron header looped over as Sporting carried that attacking momentum into extra-time and it was no surprise when Telma stole between the visiting centre-halves to nod home.
Shortly after the change of ends, Armengol settled the contest with a clipped finish over Gibson’s reach.
A spokesman for the Long Beach Unified School District announced on Wednesday that it has completed an internal investigation regarding seven athletes who had violated CIF rule 202, which states all transfers must file accurate paperwork, and imposed punishment on three football coaches involved with transfers, including removing head coach Justin Utupo.
In a media release, the district stated that Poly’s walk-on head coach has been released and won’t be allowed to coach in the district. One assistant coach who resigned is also barred from coaching. Another assistant has been relieved from all coaching duties and transferred to another location to be a campus staff assistant. The district said it concluded “three coaches engaged in unethical conduct inconsistent with CIF eligibility rules.”
Utupo said he resigned Wednesday morning after meeting with his players and was unaware of the district announcement.
Utupo came from Lakewood this season to be head coach for a Long Beach Poly program that has won 20 CIF titles. After a 5-5 season, the school announced it would not allow the team to be part of the Southern Section playoffs.
Going forward, the district said it will review all athletic programs in its district to ensure “protocols, training and expectations are clearly understood and consistently applied.” The district is also waiting to see if the Southern Section has any additional sanctions. Seven Poly athletes are listed in the Southern Section transfer portal as having been denied eligibility for two years for violating bylaw 202.
Calandagan has been named horse of the year at the Cartier Racing Awards in London.
The four-year-old, trained in France by Francis-Henri Graffard, won three top-level Group One races including both the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Champion Stakes at Ascot.
He is the only horse other than Brigadier Gerard (1972) to win both contests in the same season.
Calandagan, who runs in the Aga Khan’s colours, also won the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in his home country, having finished second earlier in the year in the Coronation Cup and Dubai Sheema Classic.
Champion Stakes runner-up Ombudsman, who won the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes and Juddmonte International, and leading three-year-olds Delacroix and Minnie Hauk were also nominated for the main award.
Trawlerman, trained by John and Thady Gosden, was named leading stayer at the 35th annual awards after four victories this year which included the Gold Cup at Ascot.
The award of merit was given to broadcaster and writer Brough Scott.
The Rams on Wednesday placed safety Quentin Lake, tight end Tyler Higbee and right tackle Rob Havenstein on injured reserve.
Lake, who had surgery Tuesday for a dislocated left elbow, Higbee (ankle) and Havenstein (knee/ankle) must sit out at least four games before they are eligible to return. The earliest return would be a Dec. 18 game against the Seahawks in Seattle.
“You don’t replace players like that,” McVay said of the experience and leadership that will be missing when the Rams play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at SoFi Stadium. “You can’t expect others to be able to do that. You expect guys that are getting opportunities to step up to be the best versions of themselves.”
Lake, 26, was injured last Sunday in a victory over the Seattle Seahawks, a win that improved the Rams’ record to 8-2. McVay indicated that if Lake returns, it would possibly be for the playoffs.
Josh Wallace played in Lake’s place as a hybrid nickel corner/linebacker. McVay said the Rams would continue to evaluate and formulate a plan to replace Lake moving forward, but they are expected to consider utilizing a combination that includes safety Kam Kinchens, Wallace and cornerbacks Cobie Durant and Roger McCreary.
Higbee also was injured against the Seahawks.
The 10th-year pro has 20 receptions, including two for touchdowns, as the leader of a tight end group that includes Davis Allen, Colby Parkinson and rookie Terrance Ferguson, who is expected to get an increased role in Higbee’s absence.
Havenstein, an 11th year pro, played the first four games before he was sidelined for three games because of injuries. Third-year pro Warren McClendon played in his place.
Havenstein returned against the New Orleans Saints and has played the last three games, but McVay said time on injured reserve would enable him to work back to full strength.
“Both of those guys are obviously big-time leaders and catalysts on our team and our offense,” quarterback Matthew Stafford said of Higbee and Havenstein. “But we’ll just move forward with the guys that we have, and then hopefully those guys can heal up and be ready to go at some point.”
In corresponding moves, the Rams signed kicker Harrison Mevis to the active roster, claimed safety Chris Smith II off waivers from the Las Vegas Raiders and signed cornerback Alex Johnson to the practice squad.
Shaun Murphy claimed his first victory over Ronnie O’Sullivan since 2017, with a 4-0 whitewash, as he moved into the quarter-finals of the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship.
It was the first occasion since 2023 that seven-time world champion O’Sullivan had failed to win a frame in any contest of seven frames or more.
Murphy, who had also earlier defeated 15-year-old Ziyad Al-Qabbani 4-0, produced several stunning pots and registered breaks of 53 and 93 against O’Sullivan, who had very little time to find his rhythm.
“I don’t know what the statistics are, but it is a long time since I have tasted victory against Ronnie and they are special any time they come up even in short match like this,” Murphy told TNT Sports.
“It is such a prestigious event and you know everyone is trying 100% so despite it only being a best-of-seven I was pleased with how I played and delighted to get through.
“I just tried to go out and play like I have all season and thankfully for me most of those long reds went in.”
Murphy will now face current Crucible champion Zhao Xintong in the last eight on Thursday (20:00 GMT) in an event that has attracted huge publicity for offering a reward of $1m (£760,000) for potting the golden ball after making a maximum 147.
Meanwhile, John Higgins delivered a withering assessment of the table conditions in the Saudi Arabian capital despite compiling consecutive breaks of 106 to seal a 4-0 success over Ding Junhui.
“There are so many…like beer mats underneath the table and it’s raised up,” said the Scot.
“Somebody really needs to get told. I don’t know who has passed that but it’s pathetic for a million-pound tournament. It really is bad.”
Stephen Hendry, who was working as a studio pundit for TNT Sports, added: “It’s incredible how much it’s been built up.
“I can only assume the floor is so uneven they have had to build the table up, but as a player you can really feel the difference.”
Higgins, 50, will now meet last year’s winner Mark Allen on Thursday, aiming for a place in the semi-finals.
Since 2021, Smith also has been an analyst on ESPN’s “NBA Countdown” pregame and halftime studio show.
But he isn’t anymore, at least not on a full-time basis.
This week, ESPN announced a new “NBA Countdown” broadcast team that features host Malika Andrews and analysts Brian Windhorst, Michael Malone and Kendrick Perkins, with frequent contributions from Shams Charania.
Smith said Tuesday on “The Stephen A. Smith Show” that he hadn’t been demoted from his status as a show regular, as some outlets suggested. Instead, he said, the change was something he had asked for while negotiating his reported five-year, $100-million contract to remain with the network earlier this year.
Why? Smith said he simply no longer has the time.
“I didn’t want to be on the show,” Smith said. “I negotiated coming off of it. Now I love doing ‘NBA Countdown,’ but once the countdown show is over, I got other things to do than to be in studio, watching the doubleheader and coming on at halftimes. I got other stuff that I want to do, to prepare for ‘First Take’ the next day, the next morning, and to do an abundance of other things that I aspire to do.”
Smith said his departure from “NBA Countdown” had been reported “months ago,” and he is correct. In breaking the news of Smith’s new deal with ESPN in March, The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand wrote that Smith “will not be a regular on ESPN’s premiere NBA pregame show anymore.”
ESPN did not immediately respond on Wednesday to a request for a comment.
Smith added that he will continue to make frequent guest appearances on several ESPN shows, and that includes “NBA Countdown.”
“If they need me in L.A. for ‘NBA Countdown,’ I’ll be there,” Smith said. “Matter of fact, I have days in my contract to be there. I just don’t have to be there full time.”
In a cagey first quarter, both sides struggled to keep hold of the ball but the Roses edged a 14-11 lead.
The Silver Ferns quickly closed that gap in quarter two as England were punished for their sloppiness and errors began to accumulate.
Head coach Jess Thirlby shuffled the attack end to try to change the momentum, Helen Housby replacing Olivia Tchine at goal shooter as England lacked the potency under the post they had shown in game two.
But the hosts could not prevent New Zealand turning the tables and taking a two-goal lead into half-time.
England rallied after the break, much to the delight of an enthusiastic home crowd, as London Pulse defensive duo Halimat Adio and Funmi Fadoju worked hard to win the ball back and Housby and Lois Pearson combined well in the shooting circle.
But the Roses let things slip in the final couple of minutes of the third quarter, losing their way and allowing New Zealand to take a 42-38 lead going into the final period.
Fadoju claimed a loose Silver Ferns pass early in the final quarter as England tried to claw back the deficit. But defensive hard work was not always rewarded with goals at the other end as New Zealand further stretched their lead.
Shooter Grace Nweke, who has enjoyed a fruitful series, was consistent under the post while Maddy Gordon shone at centre.
Thirlby made changes in attack but no combination had the desired effect and the Roses could not close the gap.
They will face Jamaica in December before taking on South Africa in January as they continue to build up to the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
While the game didn’t provide any definitive answers about what LeBron James will do in his record-breaking 23rd season, it offered promising signs about what he won’t do.
James indirectly said that leading up to his season debut on Tuesday and he indirectly said that again after.
The point was made most emphatically by how he played in the 140-126 victory over the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena.
In the 30 minutes he played, James shot the ball only seven times, less than any other Lakers starter.
He didn’t have problems with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves remaining the team’s primary options.
He didn’t mind picking his spots.
He didn’t mind spending most of the game as a peripheral figure on the court.
“Just thought he played with the right spirit,” coach JJ Redick said. “Very unselfish all night. Willing passer. Didn’t force it. Took his drive and his shots when they were there.”
The 40-year-old James acknowledged that his conditioning remained a problem — “Wind was low,” he said — but he played so much within himself that he never looked visibly fatigued.
This is what the Lakers needed from James on Tuesday, as it allowed them to build on the 10-4 record they compiled in the games he missed because of sciatica. And this could be the kind of mindset the Lakers will need James to adopt for the remainder of the season, especially if Doncic and Reaves continue to score at their current rates.
“I don’t have to worry about [chemistry],” James said.
James sounded offended by questions implying he could have trouble fitting in with the team.
“I don’t even understand why that was a question,” he said.
Concerns over his ability to meld with his particular team were never based on his basketball IQ or skillset but instead how open he would be to accepting a reduced role.
This is a player who was the centerpiece of every team on which he’d ever played. This is also a player who craves attention and is notoriously passive aggressive.
In retrospect, suggesting that James couldn’t adapt to a new role might have sold him short. Whatever he’s said off the court, he’s usually made the right decisions on them.
“There’s not one team, not one club, in the world that I cannot fit in and play for,” James said the day before his return. “I can do everything on the floor. So whatever this team needs me to do, I can do it when I’m back to myself.”
Or even before that.
James scored only 11 points against the Jazz, but he still had his moments.
Starting in the final second of the third quarter, James assisted on seven of the next eight Lakers baskets, a four-minute-30-second stretch over which the team extended its lead from eight to 17.
From the left wing, James found Gabe Vincent in the opposite corner for an open three.
Double-teamed at the top of the key, James dropped a bounce pass to Jaxson Hayes, who soared for an open dunk.
James flipped a couple of no-look passes to Deandre Ayton and delivered a backdoor assist from the post to Jake LaRavia.
James finished with a game-high 12 assists.
“Good player,” Reaves said.
Describing his frustration over not playing the previous 14 games, James said he was grateful to just be playing.
“A lot of joy,” he said. “You probably saw me smiling and talking a lot on the court today.”
But he also sounded as if he wanted to prove something.
“I said it, was it yesterday’s practice, post practice?” James said. “I can fit in with anybody.”
Carefully watching his teammates in the games that he missed, James said he pictured where he could position himself and how he could contribute.
James will average more than 11 points this season. He’s still too good to not. But the Lakers almost certainly won’t need him to average 24 points as he did last season. How open he is to that could determine if they are just a playoff team or a legitimate contender.
