(All times Eastern) Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts

8:15 a.m. USA — Women’s Team: Quarterfinals

10:10 a.m. USA — Women’s Team: Semifinal, Final

4 a.m. USA — Group Play: Singles, Doubles (Taped)

10:15 p.m. USA — Group Play: Singles, Doubles (Taped)

5:05 a.m. CNBC — Men’s Group C: South Sudan vs. Puerto Rico

11:15 a.m. NBC — Men’s Group C: Serbia vs. USA

5 p.m. USA — Men’s Group C: Serbia vs. USA (Taped)

2 a.m. USA — Women’s Pool B: USA (Nuss/Kloth) vs. CAN (Bansley/Bukovec) (Taped)

3 a.m. USA — Women’s Pool A: ITA (Gottardi/Menegatti) vs. ESP (Liliana/Paula) (Taped)

7 a.m. USA — Women’s Pool C: GER (Muller/Tillman) vs. FRA (Vieira/Chamereau) (Taped)

12:30 p.m. USA — Men’s, Women’s Pool Play (Taped)

8:30 a.m. NBC — Women’s Mountain Bike

11:35 a.m. USA — Slalom: Women’s Kayak Final

10:30 a.m. E! — Men’s Group: Italy vs. USA (Taped)

11:15 a.m. E! — Women’s Foil &amp; Men’s Epee Eliminations

3:45 p.m. CNBC — Women’s Foil &amp; Men’s Epee Bronze/Gold Finals (Taped)

4 a.m. E! — Women’s Qualifying Subdivision 1, 2 (Taped)

5:10 a.m. E! — Women’s Qualification: Subdivision 2 (Taped)

6 a.m. NBC — Women’s Qualification: Subdivision 2

8:50 a.m. E! — Women’s Qualifying Subdivision 3

12 p.m. E! — Women’s Qualifying Subdivision 4 (Taped)

3 p.m. E! — Women’s Qualifying Subdivision 5 (Taped)

5 p.m. NBC — Women’s Qualifying (taped)

10 p.m. NBC — Primetime in Paris (July 28)

5:15 p.m. CNBC — Women’s Group B: France vs. Netherlands (Taped)

2 p.m. USA — Heats: Single Sculls &amp; more (Taped)

2:30 a.m. NBC — NBC Late Night (July 27)

2:35 a.m. NBC — NBC Late Night (July 28)

6:45 a.m. CNBC — Women’s Street: Preliminary Round

Midnight USA — Men’s Group A: New Zealand vs. USA (Taped)

2:45 p.m. USA — Women’s Group B: USA vs. Germany

5 a.m. USA — Heats: Men’s &amp; Women’s 200m Free &amp; more (Taped)

7:30 a.m. NBC — Heats: Men’s &amp; Women’s 200m Free &amp; more (Taped)

10:15 a.m. NBC — Heats: Men’s &amp; Women’s 200m Free &amp; more (Taped)

2:30 p.m. NBC — Finals: Women’s 100m Fly &amp; more

10:30 a.m. E! — M&amp;W Singles: Round of 64

9:30 p.m. USA — M&amp;W Singles: Round of 64 (Taped)

7:20 a.m. E! — Women’s Pool C: Italy vs. Dominican Republic (Taped)

1:45 p.m. E! — Women’s Pool B: Poland vs. Japan (Taped)

5 p.m. E! — Men’s Pool A: France vs. Serbia (Taped)

9 a.m. USA — Men’s Group: USA vs. Italy

9:30 a.m. NBC — Men’s Group: USA vs. Italy

12:45 p.m. CNBC — Men’s Group: Croatia vs. Montenegro (Taped)

11 p.m. USA — Men’s Group: USA vs. Italy (Taped)

(All times Eastern) Schedule subject to change and/or blackoutsSunday, July 28ARCHERY4 a.m. CNBC — Team Elimination Rounds8:15 a.m. USA — Women’s Team: Quarterfinals10:10 a.m. USA — Women’s Team: Semifinal, FinalBADMINTON4 a.m. USA — Group Play: Singles, Doubles (Taped)10:15 p.m. USA — Group Play: Singles, Doubles (Taped)BASKETBALL5:05 a.m. CNBC — Men’s Group C: South Sudan vs. Puerto Rico11:15 a.m. NBC — Men’s Group C: Serbia vs. USA5 p.m. USA — Men’s Group C: Serbia vs. USA (Taped)BEACH VOLLEYBALL2 a.m. USA — Women’s Pool B: USA (Nuss/Kloth) vs. CAN (Bansley/Bukovec) (Taped)3 a.m. USA — Women’s Pool A: ITA (Gottardi/Menegatti) vs. ESP (Liliana/Paula) (Taped)7 a.m. USA — Women’s Pool C: GER (Muller/Tillman) vs. FRA (Vieira/Chamereau) (Taped)12:30 p.m. USA — Men’s, Women’s Pool Play (Taped)4:10 p.m. NBC — Pool Play (Taped)7 p.m. USA — Pool PlayBIKING8:30 a.m. NBC — Women’s Mountain BikeBOXING4:45 p.m. CNBC — Elimination BoutsCANOEING11:35 a.m. USA — Slalom: Women’s Kayak FinalCROSS COUNTRY10:30 a.m. E! — Men’s Group: Italy vs. USA (Taped)CYCLING8:30 a.m. NBC — Women’s Mountain BikeEQUESTRIAN1 p.m. NBC — Surfing &amp; EquestrianUSA — Eventing: Cross Country9 p.m. USA — Eventing: Cross CountryFENCING11:15 a.m. E! — Women’s Foil &amp; Men’s Epee Eliminations3:45 p.m. CNBC — Women’s Foil &amp; Men’s Epee Bronze/Gold Finals (Taped)GYMNASTICS4 a.m. E! — Women’s Qualifying Subdivision 1, 2 (Taped)5:10 a.m. E! — Women’s Qualification: Subdivision 2 (Taped)6 a.m. NBC — Women’s Qualification: Subdivision 28:50 a.m. E! — Women’s Qualifying Subdivision 312 p.m. E! — Women’s Qualifying Subdivision 4 (Taped)3 p.m. E! — Women’s Qualifying Subdivision 5 (Taped)5 p.m. NBC — Women’s Qualifying (taped)10 p.m. NBC — Primetime in Paris (July 28)HANDBALL5:15 p.m. CNBC — Women’s Group B: France vs. Netherlands (Taped)ROWING2 p.m. USA — Heats: Single Sculls &amp; more (Taped)RUGBY9:35 a.m. CNBC — Women’s Group Play1:30 p.m. CNBC — Rugby &amp; ShootingSKATEBOARDING2:30 a.m. NBC — NBC Late Night (July 27)2:35 a.m. NBC — NBC Late Night (July 28)6:45 a.m. CNBC — Women’s Street: Preliminary Round11 a.m. CNBC — Women’s Street: FinalSOCCERMidnight USA — Men’s Group A: New Zealand vs. USA (Taped)2:45 p.m. USA — Women’s Group B: USA vs. GermanySURFING2:30 a.m. NBC — NBC Late Night (July 27)2:35 a.m. NBC — NBC Late Night (July 28)1 p.m. NBC — Surfing &amp; EquestrianSWIMMING5 a.m. USA — Heats: Men’s &amp; Women’s 200m Free &amp; more (Taped)7:30 a.m. NBC — Heats: Men’s &amp; Women’s 200m Free &amp; more (Taped)10:15 a.m. NBC — Heats: Men’s &amp; Women’s 200m Free &amp; more (Taped)2:30 p.m. NBC — Finals: Women’s 100m Fly &amp; more10 p.m. NBC — Primetime in Paris (July 28)TABLE TENNIS10:30 a.m. E! — M&amp;W Singles: Round of 649:30 p.m. USA — M&amp;W Singles: Round of 64 (Taped)VOLLEYBALL7:20 a.m. E! — Women’s Pool C: Italy vs. Dominican Republic (Taped)1:45 p.m. E! — Women’s Pool B: Poland vs. Japan (Taped)5 p.m. E! — Men’s Pool A: France vs. Serbia (Taped)WATER POLO9 a.m. USA — Men’s Group: USA vs. Italy9:30 a.m. NBC — Men’s Group: USA vs. Italy12:45 p.m. CNBC — Men’s Group: Croatia vs. Montenegro (Taped)11 p.m. USA — Men’s Group: USA vs. Italy (Taped)

Olympics on TV for Sunday, July 28

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Sports Writer

Thousands of former college athletes will be eligible for payments ranging from a few dollars to more than a million under the $2.78 billion antitrust settlement agreed to by the NCAA and five power conferences, a deal that also paves the way for schools to directly compensate athletes while attempting regulate payments from boosters.

Details of the sprawling plan were filed Friday in federal court in the Northern District of California, a little more than two months after the framework of an agreement was announced. The deal must still be approved by a judge.

“College athletes will finally be able to share in the billions of dollars their compelling stories and dynamic performances have generated for their schools, conferences, and the NCAA,” the filing said. “This is nothing short of a seismic change to college sports following more than four years of hard-fought victories in this case.”

The full term sheet includes guidelines on roster caps for individual sports that will replace scholarship limits; how the new financial payments will be monitored and enforced to ensure compliance by schools; how third-party payments to athletes will be regulated; and how nearly $3 billion in damages will be doled out over the next 10 years.

Those payouts will vary drastically and are determined by sport played, when, how long and what conference an athlete competed in. While Division I athletes across all sports will be eligible to collect damages, the majority of damages is expected to go to football and basketball players from power conferences because those leagues and teams generate most of the revenue that comes from billion-dollar media rights contracts.

The deal covers three antitrust cases — including the class-action lawsuit known as House vs. the NCAA — that challenged NCAA compensation rules dating to 2016. The plaintiffs claimed NCAA rules denied thousands of athletes the opportunity to earn millions of dollars off the use of their names, images and likenesses.

The NCAA lifted its ban on athletes earning money through endorsement and sponsorship deals in 2021.

The agreement does not settle the issue of whether college athletes should be deemed employees, but it does include language that would suggest the deal would be subject to change if “a change in law or circumstances permits collective bargaining."

The NCAA and college sports leaders continue to plead for help from Congress in the form of a federal law that would supersede state laws and allow the association and conferences to self govern without fear of future antitrust litigation.

“This settlement is an important step forward for student-athletes and college sports, but it does not address every challenge,” the commissioners of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, Southeastern Conference and NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a joint statement. “The need for federal legislation to provide solutions remains. If Congress does not act, the progress reached through the settlement could be significantly mitigated by state laws and continued litigation."

While that help still seems unlikely to come soon — especially with a presidential election months away — college sports leaders hope the settlement can provide some certainty for schools and finally stem the constant legal attacks on its antiquated model of amateurism.

The NCAA and conferences have agreed to amend their rules to permit a landmark compensation system that allows schools to share up to about $21 million in athletic revenues with their athletes annually, starting in 2025.

The NCAA and conferences will be permitted to make rules that prevent schools from circumventing the cap.

That number is derived from taking 22% of the average revenue generated through media rights contracts, tickets and other sources by power conference schools. The agreement will create an audit system that allows plaintiffs to monitor athletic revenue, which is expected to rise in the coming years as new media rights agreements kick in for conferences and the College Football Playoff.

Athletes are projected to receive $1.5 billion to $2 billion annually.

All athletes will be eligible to receive the new financial benefits, but each school will be permitted to determine how they want to divvy up the money among sports. How exactly Title IX gender equity rules apply is still unclear and will require federal clarification. How schools comply with Title IX will be the responsibility of each institution.

Replacing scholarship limits with roster caps could mean even more athletic scholarship opportunities in Division I.

Most notably, major college football teams will now be permitted to have 105 player on scholarship instead of the current 85, though schools will no longer be required to give full scholarships to every football player.

Partial scholarships have been used in some sports for years, but will now be permitted in all.

The roster caps for baseball (34), softball (25) and volleyball (18) will also allow for a significant jump in the number of scholarships schools can provide in those sports, though schools will not be required to meet the cap.

NCAA rules have been tweaked to allow schools to be more involved in providing NIL opportunities for college athletes, but they will still be allowed to strike deals with third parties.

However, athletes will be required to report deals with third parties that surpass $600 to an outside clearinghouse.

The NCAA is also creating a public database that it hopes will allow athletes to assess fair market value.

Booster-funded NIL collectives have become a common way athletes are compensated, but now those deals will be subject to review through an arbitration process to determine if it is for a “valid business purpose,” according to the agreement.

Violations could lead to eligibility penalties for athletes and sanctions for schools.

The plaintiffs in the House case are responsible for doling out damages. Included in Friday's filing was a chart breaking down the categories of eligible athletes along with four different types of payouts they could be in line to receive.

According to the plaintiffs, about 19,000 power conference football players and men's basketball players will be in line to receive an average of $91,000, with payments ranging from $15,000 to $280,000 just for what is referred to broadcast name, image and likeness.

Some of those same athletes could also be in line for tens of thousands of dollars more related to lost opportunities to earn NIL money while in college and what is deemed by the plaintiffs as pay-for-play. Plaintiffs' lawyers say a few athletes will be eligible to receive upward of $1 million.

Plaintiffs' attorneys say they will file a motion for preliminary approval and — if granted — a public website will go up in about two months where former college athletes can determine how much they are eligible to receive.

Still, the settlement is months away from final approval. There will be an opportunity for athletes who are members of the plaintiffs' class to object to the settlement and ask to be excluded. Already one school, Houston Christian, has objected — though the judge denied its request to intervene.

“We are moving forward in the right direction by giving college athletes what they have EARNED &amp; DESERVE which has been long overdue,” said Sedona Prince, a college basketball player now at TCU and one of the plaintiffs in the House case. “We still have a long way to go and I pray athletes ask more questions and demand more answers from the leaders at their schools, conferences and the NCAA.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722094405335.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;Players and coaches talk with reporters during an NCAA college football news conference at the Big Ten Conference media days at Lucas Oil Stadium, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Players and coaches talk with reporters during an NCAA college football news conference at the Big Ten Conference media days at Lucas Oil Stadium, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)</figcaption>
 </figure>By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Sports WriterThousands of former college athletes will be eligible for payments ranging from a few dollars to more than a million under the $2.78 billion antitrust settlement agreed to by the NCAA and five power conferences, a deal that also paves the way for schools to directly compensate athletes while attempting regulate payments from boosters.Details of the sprawling plan were filed Friday in federal court in the Northern District of California, a little more than two months after the framework of an agreement was announced. The deal must still be approved by a judge.“College athletes will finally be able to share in the billions of dollars their compelling stories and dynamic performances have generated for their schools, conferences, and the NCAA,” the filing said. “This is nothing short of a seismic change to college sports following more than four years of hard-fought victories in this case.”The full term sheet includes guidelines on roster caps for individual sports that will replace scholarship limits; how the new financial payments will be monitored and enforced to ensure compliance by schools; how third-party payments to athletes will be regulated; and how nearly $3 billion in damages will be doled out over the next 10 years.Those payouts will vary drastically and are determined by sport played, when, how long and what conference an athlete competed in. While Division I athletes across all sports will be eligible to collect damages, the majority of damages is expected to go to football and basketball players from power conferences because those leagues and teams generate most of the revenue that comes from billion-dollar media rights contracts.The deal covers three antitrust cases — including the class-action lawsuit known as House vs. the NCAA — that challenged NCAA compensation rules dating to 2016. The plaintiffs claimed NCAA rules denied thousands of athletes the opportunity to earn millions of dollars off the use of their names, images and likenesses.The NCAA lifted its ban on athletes earning money through endorsement and sponsorship deals in 2021.The agreement does not settle the issue of whether college athletes should be deemed employees, but it does include language that would suggest the deal would be subject to change if “a change in law or circumstances permits collective bargaining."The NCAA and college sports leaders continue to plead for help from Congress in the form of a federal law that would supersede state laws and allow the association and conferences to self govern without fear of future antitrust litigation.“This settlement is an important step forward for student-athletes and college sports, but it does not address every challenge,” the commissioners of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, Southeastern Conference and NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a joint statement. “The need for federal legislation to provide solutions remains. If Congress does not act, the progress reached through the settlement could be significantly mitigated by state laws and continued litigation."While that help still seems unlikely to come soon — especially with a presidential election months away — college sports leaders hope the settlement can provide some certainty for schools and finally stem the constant legal attacks on its antiquated model of amateurism.Paying athletesThe NCAA and conferences have agreed to amend their rules to permit a landmark compensation system that allows schools to share up to about $21 million in athletic revenues with their athletes annually, starting in 2025.The NCAA and conferences will be permitted to make rules that prevent schools from circumventing the cap.That number is derived from taking 22% of the average revenue generated through media rights contracts, tickets and other sources by power conference schools. The agreement will create an audit system that allows plaintiffs to monitor athletic revenue, which is expected to rise in the coming years as new media rights agreements kick in for conferences and the College Football Playoff.Athletes are projected to receive $1.5 billion to $2 billion annually.All athletes will be eligible to receive the new financial benefits, but each school will be permitted to determine how they want to divvy up the money among sports. How exactly Title IX gender equity rules apply is still unclear and will require federal clarification. How schools comply with Title IX will be the responsibility of each institution.Scholarships and rostersReplacing scholarship limits with roster caps could mean even more athletic scholarship opportunities in Division I.Most notably, major college football teams will now be permitted to have 105 player on scholarship instead of the current 85, though schools will no longer be required to give full scholarships to every football player.Partial scholarships have been used in some sports for years, but will now be permitted in all.The roster caps for baseball (34), softball (25) and volleyball (18) will also allow for a significant jump in the number of scholarships schools can provide in those sports, though schools will not be required to meet the cap.NIL deals and oversightNCAA rules have been tweaked to allow schools to be more involved in providing NIL opportunities for college athletes, but they will still be allowed to strike deals with third parties.However, athletes will be required to report deals with third parties that surpass $600 to an outside clearinghouse.The NCAA is also creating a public database that it hopes will allow athletes to assess fair market value.Booster-funded NIL collectives have become a common way athletes are compensated, but now those deals will be subject to review through an arbitration process to determine if it is for a “valid business purpose,” according to the agreement.Violations could lead to eligibility penalties for athletes and sanctions for schools.Damage paymentsThe plaintiffs in the House case are responsible for doling out damages. Included in Friday's filing was a chart breaking down the categories of eligible athletes along with four different types of payouts they could be in line to receive.According to the plaintiffs, about 19,000 power conference football players and men's basketball players will be in line to receive an average of $91,000, with payments ranging from $15,000 to $280,000 just for what is referred to broadcast name, image and likeness.Some of those same athletes could also be in line for tens of thousands of dollars more related to lost opportunities to earn NIL money while in college and what is deemed by the plaintiffs as pay-for-play. Plaintiffs' lawyers say a few athletes will be eligible to receive upward of $1 million.Next stepsPlaintiffs' attorneys say they will file a motion for preliminary approval and — if granted — a public website will go up in about two months where former college athletes can determine how much they are eligible to receive.Still, the settlement is months away from final approval. There will be an opportunity for athletes who are members of the plaintiffs' class to object to the settlement and ask to be excluded. Already one school, Houston Christian, has objected — though the judge denied its request to intervene.“We are moving forward in the right direction by giving college athletes what they have EARNED &amp; DESERVE which has been long overdue,” said Sedona Prince, a college basketball player now at TCU and one of the plaintiffs in the House case. “We still have a long way to go and I pray athletes ask more questions and demand more answers from the leaders at their schools, conferences and the NCAA.”

Damages to college athletes to range from a few dollars to more than a million under settlement

By TODD MOORE Barton Sports Info

The long tradition of former Barton Community College student-athletes qualifying for the Olympics continues with the 2024 version of the Olympiad games in Paris, France, beginning July 26 and concluding August 11.

Three former members of the Barton track and field program will be making their Olympic debut: women's 100m hurdler Joveinny Mota from Venezuela, men's 100m sprinter Jhonny Renteria of Colombia, and shot put thrower Ana Da Silva of Brazil.

It'll be an eight day wait from opening ceremonies before the trio will have their respective competitions, Renteria the first in the spotlight beginning Round 1 of action on August 3rd with Mota competing on August 7 capped by Silva on August 8.

Renteria set the Colombia 100m national record this past June with a blazing 9.97 at the XIX International Athletics Meeting in Bilbao to qualify for Paris and become just the second countryman to break the 10-second barrier.

Competing on Barton's 2019-20 squad, Renteria helped the Cougars to an indoor national runner-up finish by placing 5th in the 60m dash (6.76). Due to the Covid outbreak scrapping the outdoor season, Renteria returned home and has been on the competitive track running in 60m, 100m 200m, and both the 4x100m and 4x400m relay races.

Da Silva was a two-time NJCAA shot put national champion for the Cougars during the 2019-21 seasons, as well as, was a two-time Region VI Indoor Female Field Athlete of the Meet earner. The program record holder in the hammer throw, Silva left Barton ranking 2nd in shot put and weight throw on the Cougars' historical chart and among the NJCAA's all-time best performances.

Moving on to the University of Georgia, Silva has both the indoor and outdoor school records in the event, placing at the NJCAA National Championships in her first two years at the four-year level. Sitting out the 2024 season due to injuries, Silva will return in again competing for Bulldogs for the 2024-25 season.

Mota was a 4-time NJCAA All-America performer at Barton during the 2019 and 2020 seasons, helping the Cougars to the 2019 NJCAA Indoor National title, and left her name atop the program as the 60m hurdle record holder.

Moving on to the University of Arkansas, Mota set the Venezuela national record in both the indoor and outdoor seasons before resetting the indoor time at the 2022 World Indoor Championships competing for her home country. In her second season at U of A, Mota continued her progression while also competing and representing her country at multiple international events before transferring this past year for her final year of collegiate athletics at the University of Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722094862403.jpeg" alt="Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>By TODD MOORE Barton Sports InfoThe long tradition of former Barton Community College student-athletes qualifying for the Olympics continues with the 2024 version of the Olympiad games in Paris, France, beginning July 26 and concluding August 11.Three former members of the Barton track and field program will be making their Olympic debut: women's 100m hurdler Joveinny Mota from Venezuela, men's 100m sprinter Jhonny Renteria of Colombia, and shot put thrower Ana Da Silva of Brazil.It'll be an eight day wait from opening ceremonies before the trio will have their respective competitions, Renteria the first in the spotlight beginning Round 1 of action on August 3rd with Mota competing on August 7 capped by Silva on August 8.Renteria set the Colombia 100m national record this past June with a blazing 9.97 at the XIX International Athletics Meeting in Bilbao to qualify for Paris and become just the second countryman to break the 10-second barrier.Competing on Barton's 2019-20 squad, Renteria helped the Cougars to an indoor national runner-up finish by placing 5th in the 60m dash (6.76). Due to the Covid outbreak scrapping the outdoor season, Renteria returned home and has been on the competitive track running in 60m, 100m 200m, and both the 4x100m and 4x400m relay races.Da Silva was a two-time NJCAA shot put national champion for the Cougars during the 2019-21 seasons, as well as, was a two-time Region VI Indoor Female Field Athlete of the Meet earner. The program record holder in the hammer throw, Silva left Barton ranking 2nd in shot put and weight throw on the Cougars' historical chart and among the NJCAA's all-time best performances.Moving on to the University of Georgia, Silva has both the indoor and outdoor school records in the event, placing at the NJCAA National Championships in her first two years at the four-year level. Sitting out the 2024 season due to injuries, Silva will return in again competing for Bulldogs for the 2024-25 season.Mota was a 4-time NJCAA All-America performer at Barton during the 2019 and 2020 seasons, helping the Cougars to the 2019 NJCAA Indoor National title, and left her name atop the program as the 60m hurdle record holder.Moving on to the University of Arkansas, Mota set the Venezuela national record in both the indoor and outdoor seasons before resetting the indoor time at the 2022 World Indoor Championships competing for her home country. In her second season at U of A, Mota continued her progression while also competing and representing her country at multiple international events before transferring this past year for her final year of collegiate athletics at the University of Kansas.

Trio of former Barton athletes represented at 2024 Paris Olympics 

PARIS (AP) — A hot-air balloon brought an Olympic ring of fire into a rainy sky and singer Celine Dion belted from the Eiffel Tower as Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century Friday, with a four-hour-long, rule-breaking opening ceremony that unfurled along the Seine River.

On-and-off showers did not seem to hamper the enthusiasm of the athletes. Some held umbrellas as they rode boats down the river in a showcase of the city’s resilience as authorities investigated suspected acts of sabotage targeting France's high-speed rail network.

With the ambitious ceremony, the stakes for France were immense. Dozens of heads of state and government were in town, and the world was watching as Paris turned itself into a giant open-air theater. Along the Seine, iconic monuments became stages for dancers, singers and other artists.

That included the Louvre Museum, near where French judo champ Teddy Riner and three-time Olympic champion runner Marie-Jose Perec lit the Olympic cauldron, which was attached to a giant balloon that floated into the night — an homage to early French pioneers of manned flight.

“We survived the rain, but it didn’t spoil any of our fun," USA beach volleyball player Kelly Cheng said. "This was one of the most magical nights of our lives.”

Despite the weather, crowds crammed the Seine's banks and bridges and watched from balconies, “oohing” and “aahing” as Olympic teams paraded in boats down the waterway that got increasingly choppy.

Many of the hundreds of thousands of spectators huddled under umbrellas, plastic ponchos or jackets as the rains intensified, others danced and sang, and some dashed from their seats for shelter.

“The rain can't stop us,” said U.S. basketball star LeBron James, sporting a plastic poncho along with the other American flag bearer, tennis player Coco Gauff.

The weather made for some bizarre scenes at the show combining prerecorded and live performances: a stiff upper-lipped pianist played on even as small puddles formed on his grand piano. A breakdancer flipped her moves on the sheen of a rain-drenched platform. Some athletes in Bermuda-style colorful shirts looked dressed for the beach, not a deluge.

Organizers said the weather forced them to scrap some elements of the show considered too dangerous in the slippery conditions.

Still, as global audiences tuned in, Paris put its best foot forward — quite literally, with a spectacular Olympic launch that lifted spirits and joyous French cancan dancers early on. A humorous short film featured soccer icon Zinedine Zidane. Plumes of French blue, white and red smoke followed.

Lady Gaga sang in French in a prerecorded bit, with dancers shaking pink plumed pompoms, injecting a cabaret feel. On the Eiffel Tower, Dion closed the show with her first live performance since the French-Canadian singer was diagnosed stiff person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder, at the end of 2022.

More than three hours into the show, French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Games open. In a gaffe before that, the five-ring Olympic flag was raised upside down at the Trocadero across from the Eiffel Tower.

In some memorable moments, French-Malian pop star Aya Nakamura, the most listened-to French-speaking artist in the world, emerged from a pyrotechnic display in an all-gold out to sing her hit “Djadja” accompanied by a Republican guard band of the French army.

The ceremony celebrated women, including 10 golden statues of female pioneers that rose from giant pedestals along the river. Among them was Olympe de Gouges, who drafted the Declaration of the Rights of Women and the Female Citizen in 1791 during the French Revolution. She campaigned for the abolition of slavery and was guillotined in 1793.

The Paris Games aim to be the first with equal numbers of men and women competing.

The sprawling event gave organizers bigger crowds to transport, organize and safeguard than previous Olympic ceremonies in stadiums.

Thousands of athletes on 85 boats started the 6-kilometer (nearly 4-mile) parade on the Seine by breaking through curtains of water cascading down from Austerlitz Bridge. The jetting waters were a wink at the fountains of Versailles Palace, the venue for Olympic equestrian competitions.

Per Olympic protocol, the first boat carried athletes from Greece, birthplace of the ancient Games. It was followed by the Olympic team of refugee athletes and then, the other nations in French alphabetical order.

Some spectators who followed organizers’ advice to arrive well ahead of time along the ceremony route fumed over long waits to get to their seats.

“Paris has been great, anything to do with the Olympics and dissemination of information has been horrible,” said Tony Gawne, a 54-year-old Texan who turned up six hours in advance with his wife.

“When you spend $6,000 on two tickets, well, that’s a little frustrating,” he said.

But Paris had plenty of aces up its sleeve. The Eiffel Tower, its head visible below the clouds, Notre Dame Cathedral — restored from the ashes of its 2019 fire — the Louvre Museum and other iconic monuments starred in the ceremony. Award-winning theater director Thomas Jolly, the show’s creative mind, used the signature Paris cityscape of zinc-gray rooftops as the playground for his imagination.

His task: Tell the story of France, its people, their history and essence in a way that leaves an indelible imprint on Olympic audiences. Refresh the image and self-confidence of the French capital that was repeatedly struck by deadly extremist attacks in 2015. Capture how Paris is also aiming to reboot the Olympics, with Summer Games it has worked to make more appealing and sustainable.

It was a big ask. So Paris went big, very big. That goes for the security, too. Large fenced-off stretches of central Paris were locked down to those without passes and the skies during the ceremony were a no-fly zone for 150 kilometers (93 miles) around.

During the athletes’ waterborne adventure, they passed historic landmarks that have been temporarily transformed into arenas for Olympic sports.

Concorde Plaza, where French revolutionaries guillotined King Louis XVI and other royals, now hosting skateboarding and other sports. The golden-domed resting place of Napoléon Bonaparte, the backdrop for Olympic archery, and the Eiffel Tower, which donated chunks of iron that have been inlaid in the gold, silver and bronze Olympic medals. They’ll be won in the 32 sports’ 329 medal events.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722094217301.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;The Olympic Flame rises on a balloon after being lit in Paris, France, during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;The Olympic Flame rises on a balloon after being lit in Paris, France, during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)</figcaption>
 </figure>PARIS (AP) — A hot-air balloon brought an Olympic ring of fire into a rainy sky and singer Celine Dion belted from the Eiffel Tower as Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century Friday, with a four-hour-long, rule-breaking opening ceremony that unfurled along the Seine River.On-and-off showers did not seem to hamper the enthusiasm of the athletes. Some held umbrellas as they rode boats down the river in a showcase of the city’s resilience as authorities investigated suspected acts of sabotage targeting France's high-speed rail network.With the ambitious ceremony, the stakes for France were immense. Dozens of heads of state and government were in town, and the world was watching as Paris turned itself into a giant open-air theater. Along the Seine, iconic monuments became stages for dancers, singers and other artists.That included the Louvre Museum, near where French judo champ Teddy Riner and three-time Olympic champion runner Marie-Jose Perec lit the Olympic cauldron, which was attached to a giant balloon that floated into the night — an homage to early French pioneers of manned flight.“We survived the rain, but it didn’t spoil any of our fun," USA beach volleyball player Kelly Cheng said. "This was one of the most magical nights of our lives.”Despite the weather, crowds crammed the Seine's banks and bridges and watched from balconies, “oohing” and “aahing” as Olympic teams paraded in boats down the waterway that got increasingly choppy.Many of the hundreds of thousands of spectators huddled under umbrellas, plastic ponchos or jackets as the rains intensified, others danced and sang, and some dashed from their seats for shelter.“The rain can't stop us,” said U.S. basketball star LeBron James, sporting a plastic poncho along with the other American flag bearer, tennis player Coco Gauff.The weather made for some bizarre scenes at the show combining prerecorded and live performances: a stiff upper-lipped pianist played on even as small puddles formed on his grand piano. A breakdancer flipped her moves on the sheen of a rain-drenched platform. Some athletes in Bermuda-style colorful shirts looked dressed for the beach, not a deluge.Organizers said the weather forced them to scrap some elements of the show considered too dangerous in the slippery conditions.Still, as global audiences tuned in, Paris put its best foot forward — quite literally, with a spectacular Olympic launch that lifted spirits and joyous French cancan dancers early on. A humorous short film featured soccer icon Zinedine Zidane. Plumes of French blue, white and red smoke followed.Lady Gaga sang in French in a prerecorded bit, with dancers shaking pink plumed pompoms, injecting a cabaret feel. On the Eiffel Tower, Dion closed the show with her first live performance since the French-Canadian singer was diagnosed stiff person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder, at the end of 2022.More than three hours into the show, French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Games open. In a gaffe before that, the five-ring Olympic flag was raised upside down at the Trocadero across from the Eiffel Tower.In some memorable moments, French-Malian pop star Aya Nakamura, the most listened-to French-speaking artist in the world, emerged from a pyrotechnic display in an all-gold out to sing her hit “Djadja” accompanied by a Republican guard band of the French army.The ceremony celebrated women, including 10 golden statues of female pioneers that rose from giant pedestals along the river. Among them was Olympe de Gouges, who drafted the Declaration of the Rights of Women and the Female Citizen in 1791 during the French Revolution. She campaigned for the abolition of slavery and was guillotined in 1793.The Paris Games aim to be the first with equal numbers of men and women competing.The sprawling event gave organizers bigger crowds to transport, organize and safeguard than previous Olympic ceremonies in stadiums.Thousands of athletes on 85 boats started the 6-kilometer (nearly 4-mile) parade on the Seine by breaking through curtains of water cascading down from Austerlitz Bridge. The jetting waters were a wink at the fountains of Versailles Palace, the venue for Olympic equestrian competitions.Per Olympic protocol, the first boat carried athletes from Greece, birthplace of the ancient Games. It was followed by the Olympic team of refugee athletes and then, the other nations in French alphabetical order.Some spectators who followed organizers’ advice to arrive well ahead of time along the ceremony route fumed over long waits to get to their seats.“Paris has been great, anything to do with the Olympics and dissemination of information has been horrible,” said Tony Gawne, a 54-year-old Texan who turned up six hours in advance with his wife.“When you spend $6,000 on two tickets, well, that’s a little frustrating,” he said.But Paris had plenty of aces up its sleeve. The Eiffel Tower, its head visible below the clouds, Notre Dame Cathedral — restored from the ashes of its 2019 fire — the Louvre Museum and other iconic monuments starred in the ceremony. Award-winning theater director Thomas Jolly, the show’s creative mind, used the signature Paris cityscape of zinc-gray rooftops as the playground for his imagination.His task: Tell the story of France, its people, their history and essence in a way that leaves an indelible imprint on Olympic audiences. Refresh the image and self-confidence of the French capital that was repeatedly struck by deadly extremist attacks in 2015. Capture how Paris is also aiming to reboot the Olympics, with Summer Games it has worked to make more appealing and sustainable.It was a big ask. So Paris went big, very big. That goes for the security, too. Large fenced-off stretches of central Paris were locked down to those without passes and the skies during the ceremony were a no-fly zone for 150 kilometers (93 miles) around.During the athletes’ waterborne adventure, they passed historic landmarks that have been temporarily transformed into arenas for Olympic sports.Concorde Plaza, where French revolutionaries guillotined King Louis XVI and other royals, now hosting skateboarding and other sports. The golden-domed resting place of Napoléon Bonaparte, the backdrop for Olympic archery, and the Eiffel Tower, which donated chunks of iron that have been inlaid in the gold, silver and bronze Olympic medals. They’ll be won in the 32 sports’ 329 medal events.

Paris dazzles with a rainy Olympics opening ceremony on the Seine River

AMERICAN LEAGUEEast DivisionW	L	Pct	GBBaltimore	61	42	.592	—New York	60	45	.571	2Boston	55	47	.539	5½Tampa Bay	52	52	.500	9½Toronto	47	56	.456	14Central DivisionCleveland	62	41	.602	—Minnesota	57	45	.559	4½Kansas City	57	47	.548	5½Detroit	51	54	.486	12Chicago	27	79	.255	36½West DivisionHouston	54	49	.524	—Seattle	54	51	.514	1Texas	51	53	.490	3½Los Angeles	45	59	.433	9½Oakland	43	63	.406	12½NATIONAL LEAGUEEast DivisionW	L	Pct	GBPhiladelphia	64	39	.621	—New York	55	48	.534	9Atlanta	54	48	.529	9½Washington	48	56	.462	16½Miami	38	66	.365	26½Central DivisionMilwaukee	59	44	.573	—St. Louis	53	50	.515	6Pittsburgh	52	51	.505	7Cincinnati	50	53	.485	9Chicago	49	56	.467	11West DivisionLos Angeles	62	43	.590	—San Diego	56	50	.528	6½Arizona	54	50	.519	7½San Francisco	50	55	.476	12Colorado	38	66	.365	23½

MLB Standings

The Great Bend Legion Braves dropped their opening round game to Pittsburg 1-0 Friday in the AAA state tournament in Topeka.

The Patriots scored the winning run in the seventh inning on a walk-off rbi single by Indica Holloway that scored Jayden Brown.

Great Bend's Slade Mohr took the loss, going the distance, allowing just four hits with three strikeouts and one walk. However, the Brave offense never could get going against Pittsburg pitchers Quinten Fears and Carson Nickelson who combined for 16 strikeouts. 

Mohr and Trenton Kern each had a single to account for the Braves only two hits.

Great Bend will play at 11:00 a.m. Saturday against Chanute in the loser's bracket. Chanute lost their opener to Topeka 7-0 Friday.

By Post StaffThe Great Bend Legion Braves dropped their opening round game to Pittsburg 1-0 Friday in the AAA state tournament in Topeka.The Patriots scored the winning run in the seventh inning on a walk-off rbi single by Indica Holloway that scored Jayden Brown.Great Bend's Slade Mohr took the loss, going the distance, allowing just four hits with three strikeouts and one walk. However, the Brave offense never could get going against Pittsburg pitchers Quinten Fears and Carson Nickelson who combined for 16 strikeouts. Mohr and Trenton Kern each had a single to account for the Braves only two hits.Great Bend will play at 11:00 a.m. Saturday against Chanute in the loser's bracket. Chanute lost their opener to Topeka 7-0 Friday.

Great Bend Braves drop opener at AAA State Legion Tournament

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer that highlighted a six-run fifth inning and Kansas City beat the Chicago Cubs 6-0 Friday night in front of the Royals' second-largest crowd of the season.

Friday night's attendance of 36,351 at Kauffman Stadium was topped only by the 38,775 on opening day.

The Royals, in third place in the AL Central behind Cleveland and Minnesota, moved 10 games over .500 at 57-47 and eclipsed last season's win total.

“There's no significance to that to me,” manager Matt Quatraro said of surpassing last season's victory total. “This is a different team. None whatsoever. We're in a playoff race. That has absolutely nothing to do with anything I think about.”

“It's huge,” he said. “This team is incredible. We keep talking about it. Let's continue to win games and continue to fight hard.”

Singer (7-6) was nearly flawless, allowing just two hits in seven innings while striking out five and walking two. The 27-year-old right-hander combined with Will Smith and Chris Stratton to limit the Cubs to four hits.

“I think the two-seamer was really good,” Singer said. “It had a lot of movement. I was able to throw it back-door to the righties and to the front hip to the lefties. It helped me out a lot tonight.”

Kyle Hendricks (2-9) allowed six runs on eight hits in five innings in the loss.

“Honestly I made all (my) pitches,” Hendricks said. “I did everything I wanted to do. The Salvy (Perez) one was the one bad pitch. He put a good swing on that. I've just got to keep doing what I'm doing. I feel like I'm throwing the ball well and giving us a chance.”

The fifth inning was key for both pitchers.

Singer hit Mike Tauchman with a pitch leading off the fifth before Dansby Swanson's soft liner sent Tauchman to third. Swanson went to second on the throw to third. But Singer got Miles Mastrobuoni to ground out to second. Miguel Amaya hit a flyout to center, and Kyle Isbel threw out Tauchman at the plate.

“That whole inning was a swing in momentum,” Quatraro said. “Izzy (Isbel) was kicking himself for throwing to third. We get the first out on a groundout and then he makes a perfect throw and Salvy was set up perfectly. That's a gigantic swing in momentum right there.”

The Royals unloaded on Hendricks in their half of the inning. With two outs, Garrett Hampson had a hit to right, and Isbel followed with a single through the hole at short. Isbel stole second before Adam Frazier drove in both runs with another blooper to right. Bobby Witt Jr. then singled and Vinnie Pasquantino's single drove in Frazier. Perez then launched a 429-foot line drive homer down the left-field line to break open the game.

“(Hendricks) may have left a couple of pitches over the middle of home plate,” Perez said. “He knows how to pitch. He's not going to miss many pitches in the middle of home plate.”

Cubs: C Tomas Nido was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to July 25, with a right knee sprain. ... C Christian Bethancourt was selected from Triple-A Iowa... P Ben Brown was transferred to the 60-day injured list.

Royals: OF MJ Melendez began a rehab assignment in Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Thursday night. He went 0 for 3 with a sacrifice fly and a run. Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said it's possible that Melendez could join the team this weekend. He's been on the injured list since July 16, retroactive to July 15, with a sprained left ankle.

The Cubs will send LHP Shota Imanaga (8-2, 2.86 ERA) against Royals' RHP Seth Lugo (12-4, 2.38 ERA) in the second game of the three-game series Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722091498993.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez points toward the dugout as he celebrates after his three-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez points toward the dugout as he celebrates after his three-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer that highlighted a six-run fifth inning and Kansas City beat the Chicago Cubs 6-0 Friday night in front of the Royals' second-largest crowd of the season.Friday night's attendance of 36,351 at Kauffman Stadium was topped only by the 38,775 on opening day.The Royals, in third place in the AL Central behind Cleveland and Minnesota, moved 10 games over .500 at 57-47 and eclipsed last season's win total.“There's no significance to that to me,” manager Matt Quatraro said of surpassing last season's victory total. “This is a different team. None whatsoever. We're in a playoff race. That has absolutely nothing to do with anything I think about.”But Brady Singer disagreed.“It's huge,” he said. “This team is incredible. We keep talking about it. Let's continue to win games and continue to fight hard.”Singer (7-6) was nearly flawless, allowing just two hits in seven innings while striking out five and walking two. The 27-year-old right-hander combined with Will Smith and Chris Stratton to limit the Cubs to four hits.“I think the two-seamer was really good,” Singer said. “It had a lot of movement. I was able to throw it back-door to the righties and to the front hip to the lefties. It helped me out a lot tonight.”Kyle Hendricks (2-9) allowed six runs on eight hits in five innings in the loss.“Honestly I made all (my) pitches,” Hendricks said. “I did everything I wanted to do. The Salvy (Perez) one was the one bad pitch. He put a good swing on that. I've just got to keep doing what I'm doing. I feel like I'm throwing the ball well and giving us a chance.”The fifth inning was key for both pitchers.Singer hit Mike Tauchman with a pitch leading off the fifth before Dansby Swanson's soft liner sent Tauchman to third. Swanson went to second on the throw to third. But Singer got Miles Mastrobuoni to ground out to second. Miguel Amaya hit a flyout to center, and Kyle Isbel threw out Tauchman at the plate.“That whole inning was a swing in momentum,” Quatraro said. “Izzy (Isbel) was kicking himself for throwing to third. We get the first out on a groundout and then he makes a perfect throw and Salvy was set up perfectly. That's a gigantic swing in momentum right there.”The Royals unloaded on Hendricks in their half of the inning. With two outs, Garrett Hampson had a hit to right, and Isbel followed with a single through the hole at short. Isbel stole second before Adam Frazier drove in both runs with another blooper to right. Bobby Witt Jr. then singled and Vinnie Pasquantino's single drove in Frazier. Perez then launched a 429-foot line drive homer down the left-field line to break open the game.“(Hendricks) may have left a couple of pitches over the middle of home plate,” Perez said. “He knows how to pitch. He's not going to miss many pitches in the middle of home plate.”TRANSACTIONS:Cubs: C Tomas Nido was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to July 25, with a right knee sprain. ... C Christian Bethancourt was selected from Triple-A Iowa... P Ben Brown was transferred to the 60-day injured list.TRAINING ROOM:Royals: OF MJ Melendez began a rehab assignment in Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Thursday night. He went 0 for 3 with a sacrifice fly and a run. Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said it's possible that Melendez could join the team this weekend. He's been on the injured list since July 16, retroactive to July 15, with a sprained left ankle.UP NEXT:The Cubs will send LHP Shota Imanaga (8-2, 2.86 ERA) against Royals' RHP Seth Lugo (12-4, 2.38 ERA) in the second game of the three-game series Saturday.

6-run 5th inning leads Royals to 6-0 win over Cubs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer that highlighted a six-run fifth inning and Kansas City beat the Chicago Cubs 6-0 in front of the Royals’ second-largest crowd of the season. Friday night’s attendance of 36,351 at Kauffman Stadium was topped only by the 38,775 on opening day. The Royals moved 10 games over .500 at 57-47 and eclipsed last season’s win total. Brady Singer (7-6) was nearly flawless, allowing just two hits in seven innings while striking out five and walking two. The 27-year-old right-hander combined with Will Smith and Chris Stratton to limit the Cubs to four hits. Kyle Hendricks (2-9) allowed six runs on eight hits in five innings in the loss.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jacob Young hit a bases-loaded triple in the 10th inning in the Washington Nationals’ 10-8 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night. Luis Garcia Jr. drove in three runs for the Nationals, a day after they were no-hit by San Diego’s Dylan Cease for their third straight loss. Nolan Arenado hit a three-run homer, and rookie Maysn Winn hit a two-run homer and added an RBI single. Juan Yepez drove in two runs and had three hits. Jacob Barnes (6-2) worked the ninth for the victory. Ryan Fernandez (1-3) pitched the 10th and took the loss.

PARIS (AP) — A hot-air balloon brought an Olympic ring of fire into a rainy sky and singer Celine Dion belted from the Eiffel Tower as Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century. The four-hour-long, rule-breaking opening ceremony Friday unfurled along the Seine River. On-and-off showers didn't seem to hamper the enthusiasm of the athletes. Some held umbrellas as they rode boats down the river. It marked a showcase of the city’s resilience as authorities investigated suspected acts of sabotage targeting France’s high-speed rail network. Crowds crammed along the River Seine and watched from balconies, “oohing” and “aahing” as Olympic teams paraded in boats along the waterway.

CHATEAUROUX, France (AP) — China has won the first gold medal of the Paris Olympics. Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao beat South Korea’s Keum Jihyeon and Park Hajun in the final of the 10-meter air rifle mixed team event held Saturday morning. Shortly before that, Kazakhstan’s Alexandra Le and Islam Satpayev became the first medalists of the games when they beat Germany’s Anna Janssen and Maximilian Ulbrich 17-5 for the bronze.

PARIS (AP) — Olympic organizers said they “deeply apologize” for introducing South Korea’s athletes as North Korea during the opening ceremony of the Paris Games. As the South Korean athletes waved their nation’s flag on a boat floating down the Seine River on Friday evening, they were announced in both French and English as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. South Korea is the Republic of Korea. The International Olympic Committee said in a post on X in Korean, “We deeply apologize for the mistake that occurred when introducing the Korean team during the opening ceremony broadcast.” South Korea’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry asked South Korea’s Foreign Ministry to file “a strong government-level complaint” with the French government.

PARIS (AP) — The Olympic cauldron that made a stunning first flight at the Paris Games opening ceremony will rise again every evening. Paris Olympics organizers say starting Saturday the balloon-borne cauldron will fly more than 60 meters above the Tuileries gardens from sunset until 2 a.m. During daytime hours, 10,000 people each day can get free tickets to approach the cauldron.

UNDATED (AP) — A person familiar with the situation says Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love has agreed to terms on a four-year contract extension worth $220 million. The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the deal has not been announced. Love’s new deal includes a $75 million signing bonus and $155 million in new guarantees. The new deal comes after Love led the NFL’s youngest team to a 10-9 record and playoff berth last season in his first year as a starter while stepping up to the challenge of replacing four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers.

UNDATED (AP) — The Miami Dolphins have signed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to a four-year contract extension valued at a franchise-record $212.4 million. Athletes First, the agency that represents Tagovailoa, provided contract terms to ESPN. At an average of $53.1 million per year, Tagovailoa will rank third in the NFL in quarterback pay behind Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow. The deal includes $167 million guaranteed. Tagovailoa was still playing under the contract he signed when the Dolphins made him the fifth overall selection of the 2020 draft.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia wide receiver Rodarius “Rara” Thomas has been suspended indefinitely following his arrest on charges of cruelty to children and battery, adding to the team’s recent legal woes. Athens-Clarke County jail records show Thomas was booked early Friday on felony charges of cruelty to children and misdemeanor battery charges. Bail had not been set Friday afternoon. It is the second arrest for Thomas in two years. Thomas, a transfer from Mississippi State, was arrested by University of Georgia police in 2023 on a felony charge of false imprisonment and a misdemeanor count of family violence battery. The charges were dropped.

UNDATED (AP) — Thousands of former college athletes will be eligible for payments ranging from a few dollars to more than a million under the $2.78 billion antitrust settlement agreed to by the NCAA and five power conferences. The deal also paves the way for schools to directly compensate athletes while attempting regulate payments from boosters. The document was filed in federal court in the Northern District of California, a little more than two months after the framework of an agreement was announced. The deal must still be approved by a judge.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721294994442.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer that highlighted a six-run fifth inning and Kansas City beat the Chicago Cubs 6-0 in front of the Royals’ second-largest crowd of the season. Friday night’s attendance of 36,351 at Kauffman Stadium was topped only by the 38,775 on opening day. The Royals moved 10 games over .500 at 57-47 and eclipsed last season’s win total. Brady Singer (7-6) was nearly flawless, allowing just two hits in seven innings while striking out five and walking two. The 27-year-old right-hander combined with Will Smith and Chris Stratton to limit the Cubs to four hits. Kyle Hendricks (2-9) allowed six runs on eight hits in five innings in the loss.ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jacob Young hit a bases-loaded triple in the 10th inning in the Washington Nationals’ 10-8 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night. Luis Garcia Jr. drove in three runs for the Nationals, a day after they were no-hit by San Diego’s Dylan Cease for their third straight loss. Nolan Arenado hit a three-run homer, and rookie Maysn Winn hit a two-run homer and added an RBI single. Juan Yepez drove in two runs and had three hits. Jacob Barnes (6-2) worked the ninth for the victory. Ryan Fernandez (1-3) pitched the 10th and took the loss.PARIS (AP) — A hot-air balloon brought an Olympic ring of fire into a rainy sky and singer Celine Dion belted from the Eiffel Tower as Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century. The four-hour-long, rule-breaking opening ceremony Friday unfurled along the Seine River. On-and-off showers didn't seem to hamper the enthusiasm of the athletes. Some held umbrellas as they rode boats down the river. It marked a showcase of the city’s resilience as authorities investigated suspected acts of sabotage targeting France’s high-speed rail network. Crowds crammed along the River Seine and watched from balconies, “oohing” and “aahing” as Olympic teams paraded in boats along the waterway.CHATEAUROUX, France (AP) — China has won the first gold medal of the Paris Olympics. Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao beat South Korea’s Keum Jihyeon and Park Hajun in the final of the 10-meter air rifle mixed team event held Saturday morning. Shortly before that, Kazakhstan’s Alexandra Le and Islam Satpayev became the first medalists of the games when they beat Germany’s Anna Janssen and Maximilian Ulbrich 17-5 for the bronze.PARIS (AP) — Olympic organizers said they “deeply apologize” for introducing South Korea’s athletes as North Korea during the opening ceremony of the Paris Games. As the South Korean athletes waved their nation’s flag on a boat floating down the Seine River on Friday evening, they were announced in both French and English as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. South Korea is the Republic of Korea. The International Olympic Committee said in a post on X in Korean, “We deeply apologize for the mistake that occurred when introducing the Korean team during the opening ceremony broadcast.” South Korea’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry asked South Korea’s Foreign Ministry to file “a strong government-level complaint” with the French government.PARIS (AP) — The Olympic cauldron that made a stunning first flight at the Paris Games opening ceremony will rise again every evening. Paris Olympics organizers say starting Saturday the balloon-borne cauldron will fly more than 60 meters above the Tuileries gardens from sunset until 2 a.m. During daytime hours, 10,000 people each day can get free tickets to approach the cauldron.UNDATED (AP) — A person familiar with the situation says Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love has agreed to terms on a four-year contract extension worth $220 million. The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the deal has not been announced. Love’s new deal includes a $75 million signing bonus and $155 million in new guarantees. The new deal comes after Love led the NFL’s youngest team to a 10-9 record and playoff berth last season in his first year as a starter while stepping up to the challenge of replacing four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers.UNDATED (AP) — The Miami Dolphins have signed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to a four-year contract extension valued at a franchise-record $212.4 million. Athletes First, the agency that represents Tagovailoa, provided contract terms to ESPN. At an average of $53.1 million per year, Tagovailoa will rank third in the NFL in quarterback pay behind Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow. The deal includes $167 million guaranteed. Tagovailoa was still playing under the contract he signed when the Dolphins made him the fifth overall selection of the 2020 draft.ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia wide receiver Rodarius “Rara” Thomas has been suspended indefinitely following his arrest on charges of cruelty to children and battery, adding to the team’s recent legal woes. Athens-Clarke County jail records show Thomas was booked early Friday on felony charges of cruelty to children and misdemeanor battery charges. Bail had not been set Friday afternoon. It is the second arrest for Thomas in two years. Thomas, a transfer from Mississippi State, was arrested by University of Georgia police in 2023 on a felony charge of false imprisonment and a misdemeanor count of family violence battery. The charges were dropped.UNDATED (AP) — Thousands of former college athletes will be eligible for payments ranging from a few dollars to more than a million under the $2.78 billion antitrust settlement agreed to by the NCAA and five power conferences. The deal also paves the way for schools to directly compensate athletes while attempting regulate payments from boosters. The document was filed in federal court in the Northern District of California, a little more than two months after the framework of an agreement was announced. The deal must still be approved by a judge.FRIDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal	Cleveland	3	Philadelphia	1	Final	Cincinnati	3	Tampa Bay	2	Final	San Diego	6	Baltimore	4	Final	Kansas City	6	Chicago Cubs	0	Final	Houston	5	L.A. Dodgers	0	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Minnesota	9	Detroit	3	Final	Boston	9	N.Y. Yankees	7	Final	Toronto	6	Texas	5	Final	Seattle	10	Chicago White Sox	0	Final	Oakland	5	L.A. Angels	4	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	N.Y. Mets	8	Atlanta	4	Final	Miami	6	Milwaukee	2	Final	Washington	10	St. Louis	8	Final	Arizona	4	Pittsburgh	3	Final	San Francisco	11	Colorado	4

Saturday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Former Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs has been convicted on two counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty charges.

Tuscaloosa County District Judge Joanne Jannik sentenced Buggs on July 19 to a year of hard labor, ordering him to serve 60 days. The rest would be suspended for two years “pending the behavior of the defendant."

Buggs, 27, also is not allowed to have or be around firearms or own dogs or cats.

The Chiefs released the former Alabama player on June 24, eight days after his second recent arrest in Alabama. He was arrested on a charge of domestic violence/burglary and released on a $5,000 bond, according to records from the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Former Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs has been convicted on two counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty charges.Tuscaloosa County District Judge Joanne Jannik sentenced Buggs on July 19 to a year of hard labor, ordering him to serve 60 days. The rest would be suspended for two years “pending the behavior of the defendant."Buggs, 27, also is not allowed to have or be around firearms or own dogs or cats.The Chiefs released the former Alabama player on June 24, eight days after his second recent arrest in Alabama. He was arrested on a charge of domestic violence/burglary and released on a $5,000 bond, according to records from the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

Former Chiefs lineman Isaiah Buggs sentenced to hard labor

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Kansas Athletics is excited to announce details for the KU Student Bus Program in an effort to provide a free mode of transportation to and from Kansas City on home football gamedays. In conjunction with KU Parking and Transportation, Student Union Activities, First Student bus company and Event Transport Solutions, Kansas Athletics will provide safe and seamless transportation opportunities for students to and from Children's Mercy Park and GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

"With the continued momentum and trajectory for Kansas Football, it is critical that we create the very best homefield advantage this fall in Kansas City," Director of Athletics Travis Goff said. "Over the past couple of seasons, our students have risen to the occasion and their attendance and passion will make an even greater difference this fall. This well thought out and robust busing program provides a safe and efficient option for students to attend our games in full force. We are challenging our student body to make a strong statement of support while also enjoying a one-of-a-kind chance to cheer on their Jayhawks in two iconic Kansas City venues."

Students will be able to register and reserve their seat on buses on a first-come, first-served basis through the CORQ campus events app or Rock Chalk Central. From there, students will be able to designate the pick-up location and time that works best for them, with the first wave of buses leaving approximately 3 hours before kick. Times of departure could vary based on day of the week and kick time. There will be two pick-up and drop-off locations, one on the west side of campus and one on the east side. Pick up locations may vary based on the game date and other events going on around campus.

Registration on the app will be promoted and live for the first two games at Children's Mercy Park in early August, with future game registration to be announced later. With limited seats available through the transportation program, students are encouraged to follow Kansas Athletics on Facebook, Instagram and X as well as purchase their Student Combo Pass to receive email communication and updates. The goal is to provide transportation for at least 1,000 students per game, but that could fluctuate depending on demand and bus and bus driver availability.

In addition to student transportation opportunities, Kansas Athletics and SUA will provide free food on a first-come first-served basis, and activities in tailgating areas for students at each venue. At Children's Mercy Park, the Fanfest location will be in the Mazuma Plaza and at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, it will be in lot M. Additionally, student giveaways will be present at every home game, also given out on a first-come, first served basis. Children's Mercy Park will feature an in-venue hospitality space for students adjacent to the seating sections that will be part of the ingress path into the student section. The area will feature air conditioning, TV's, restrooms and elevated food and beverage options for purchase.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721995741699.jpeg" alt="Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Kansas Athletics is excited to announce details for the KU Student Bus Program in an effort to provide a free mode of transportation to and from Kansas City on home football gamedays. In conjunction with KU Parking and Transportation, Student Union Activities, First Student bus company and Event Transport Solutions, Kansas Athletics will provide safe and seamless transportation opportunities for students to and from Children's Mercy Park and GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium."With the continued momentum and trajectory for Kansas Football, it is critical that we create the very best homefield advantage this fall in Kansas City," Director of Athletics Travis Goff said. "Over the past couple of seasons, our students have risen to the occasion and their attendance and passion will make an even greater difference this fall. This well thought out and robust busing program provides a safe and efficient option for students to attend our games in full force. We are challenging our student body to make a strong statement of support while also enjoying a one-of-a-kind chance to cheer on their Jayhawks in two iconic Kansas City venues."Students will be able to register and reserve their seat on buses on a first-come, first-served basis through the CORQ campus events app or Rock Chalk Central. From there, students will be able to designate the pick-up location and time that works best for them, with the first wave of buses leaving approximately 3 hours before kick. Times of departure could vary based on day of the week and kick time. There will be two pick-up and drop-off locations, one on the west side of campus and one on the east side. Pick up locations may vary based on the game date and other events going on around campus.Registration on the app will be promoted and live for the first two games at Children's Mercy Park in early August, with future game registration to be announced later. With limited seats available through the transportation program, students are encouraged to follow Kansas Athletics on Facebook, Instagram and X as well as purchase their Student Combo Pass to receive email communication and updates. The goal is to provide transportation for at least 1,000 students per game, but that could fluctuate depending on demand and bus and bus driver availability.In addition to student transportation opportunities, Kansas Athletics and SUA will provide free food on a first-come first-served basis, and activities in tailgating areas for students at each venue. At Children's Mercy Park, the Fanfest location will be in the Mazuma Plaza and at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, it will be in lot M. Additionally, student giveaways will be present at every home game, also given out on a first-come, first served basis. Children's Mercy Park will feature an in-venue hospitality space for students adjacent to the seating sections that will be part of the ingress path into the student section. The area will feature air conditioning, TV's, restrooms and elevated food and beverage options for purchase.

Kansas Athletics to Provide Student Transportation During 2024 FB Season

WASHINGTON (AP) —
Dylan Cease pitched the second no-hitter in San Diego Padres history,
a 3-0 win over the Washington Nationals that completed a three-game
sweep. After falling one out short of a no-hitter two years ago when
he gave up a single to current teammate Luis Arráez, Cease
accomplished the feat when he retired CJ Abrams on a game-ending
flyout to right. Cease struck out nine and walked three in his third
complete game in 145 starts. He threw a career-high 114 pitches. Joe
Musgrove pitched the Padres’ first no-hitter against Texas on April
9, 2021.

LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Clayton Kershaw allowed two runs over four innings in his return from
shoulder surgery, Nick Ahmed and Shohei Ohtani homered on consecutive
pitches in the eighth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San
Francisco Giants 6-4. Kershaw made his first big league appearance
since last October’s NL Division Series opener against Arizona, Ge
had surgery on Nov. 3 to repair ligaments in his shoulder capsule.
Against the Giants, the 36-year-old left-hander gave up six hits,
struck out six and walked two.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP)
— Oakland Athletics All-Star closer Mason Miller broke the pinky
finger on his non-pitching hand when he pounded a table in
frustration after he was reminded he had to do postgame lifting
following Monday night’s game against Houston. The 25-year-old
right-hander, the hardest-throwing pitcher in the major leagues and
the subject of trade speculation, was put on the 15-day injured list
retroactive to Tuesday. MLB.com reported Miller was injured putting
his hand down awkwardly on the training table while getting ready to
do an exercise, based on what it said was information from his
representative. MLB.com clarified its report after manager Mark
Kotsay said that account was incorrect.

PARIS (AP) — Paris
has long been a city of dreamers: Just look at the Eiffel Tower, for
decades the world’s loftiest structure. But France’s capital is
aiming higher still with its first Olympic Games in a century, which
open Friday. The most audacious Olympic opening ceremony ever — a
gala spectacular on the River Seine that even French President
Emmanuel Macron says initially felt like “a crazy and not very
serious idea” — kicks off 16 days of competition that promise to
be ground-breaking. Expect a heady blend of Olympic sports, iconic
Paris monuments and France’s famous “savoir faire” in its
world-renowned capital of fashion, gastronomy and culture could help
secure the Games’ longer-term future. But Paris’ challenges are
huge, too.

GAINESVILLE, Fla.
(AP) — College football players are finally getting to be
themselves — or play against themselves — in one of the hottest
video games on the planet. EA Sports College Football 25 released on
Friday as schools across the country threw parties, tournaments and
fan events with their teams to celebrate. Florida gave The Associated
Press a behind-the-scenes look this week at teammates squaring off on
a big screen during the team’s annual photo shoot. Freshman
quarterback DJ Lagway grabbed a controller, settled comfortably into
a leather stool and immediately started to adjust Florida’s roster.
There was only one move to make. Lagway benched Graham Mertz and
inserted himself into the lineup.

OXNARD, Calif. (AP)
— The Dallas Cowboys started training camp in Oxnard, Calif., on
Thursday with contractual uncertainty around quarterback Dak
Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and linebacker Micah Parsons, but
owner and general manager Jerry Jones is more worried about getting
over the hump in the playoffs than resolving those financials
questions. The Cowboys have reached the postseason in three straight
seasons, but lost 48-32 to the Green Bay Packers in an NFC wild-card
game at home in January. They have not reached the NFC title game
since winning the Super Bowl after the 1995 season.

PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP)
— No charges have been filed, and Von Miller says he considers the
case of him allegedly assaulting his pregnant girlfriend as being
closed based on feedback the Buffalo Bills edge rusher got from his
legal representatives. Miller says he can now solely focus on
football. A message left with the Dallas district attorney’s office
seeking an update on the matter was not immediately returned. The
NFL, which was conducting its own investigation, also did not
immediately reply to a request seeking comment. Miller turned himself
in to police in suburban Dallas on Nov. 30 after being accused by
police of third-degree felony assault of a pregnant woman.

LAKE FOREST, Ill.
(AP) — Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens has arranged to take
leave from training camp and is heading to Paris Monday night to
watch his wife Simone Biles compete for the U.S. gymnastics team.
Owens, who signed with Chicago in free agency after a year in Green
Bay, didn't get the chance to see Biles compete at the last Olympics
due to the pandemic. He has the support of Bears coaches, players and
management. The Bears had a player's relative win an Olympic medal in
each of the previous two Summer Games. Owens and Biles married last
year. She won three gold medals at the Rio Games in 2016.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721294994442.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —
Dylan Cease pitched the second no-hitter in San Diego Padres history,
a 3-0 win over the Washington Nationals that completed a three-game
sweep. After falling one out short of a no-hitter two years ago when
he gave up a single to current teammate Luis Arráez, Cease
accomplished the feat when he retired CJ Abrams on a game-ending
flyout to right. Cease struck out nine and walked three in his third
complete game in 145 starts. He threw a career-high 114 pitches. Joe
Musgrove pitched the Padres’ first no-hitter against Texas on April
9, 2021.LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Clayton Kershaw allowed two runs over four innings in his return from
shoulder surgery, Nick Ahmed and Shohei Ohtani homered on consecutive
pitches in the eighth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San
Francisco Giants 6-4. Kershaw made his first big league appearance
since last October’s NL Division Series opener against Arizona, Ge
had surgery on Nov. 3 to repair ligaments in his shoulder capsule.
Against the Giants, the 36-year-old left-hander gave up six hits,
struck out six and walked two.ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP)
— Oakland Athletics All-Star closer Mason Miller broke the pinky
finger on his non-pitching hand when he pounded a table in
frustration after he was reminded he had to do postgame lifting
following Monday night’s game against Houston. The 25-year-old
right-hander, the hardest-throwing pitcher in the major leagues and
the subject of trade speculation, was put on the 15-day injured list
retroactive to Tuesday. MLB.com reported Miller was injured putting
his hand down awkwardly on the training table while getting ready to
do an exercise, based on what it said was information from his
representative. MLB.com clarified its report after manager Mark
Kotsay said that account was incorrect.PARIS (AP) — Paris
has long been a city of dreamers: Just look at the Eiffel Tower, for
decades the world’s loftiest structure. But France’s capital is
aiming higher still with its first Olympic Games in a century, which
open Friday. The most audacious Olympic opening ceremony ever — a
gala spectacular on the River Seine that even French President
Emmanuel Macron says initially felt like “a crazy and not very
serious idea” — kicks off 16 days of competition that promise to
be ground-breaking. Expect a heady blend of Olympic sports, iconic
Paris monuments and France’s famous “savoir faire” in its
world-renowned capital of fashion, gastronomy and culture could help
secure the Games’ longer-term future. But Paris’ challenges are
huge, too.GAINESVILLE, Fla.
(AP) — College football players are finally getting to be
themselves — or play against themselves — in one of the hottest
video games on the planet. EA Sports College Football 25 released on
Friday as schools across the country threw parties, tournaments and
fan events with their teams to celebrate. Florida gave The Associated
Press a behind-the-scenes look this week at teammates squaring off on
a big screen during the team’s annual photo shoot. Freshman
quarterback DJ Lagway grabbed a controller, settled comfortably into
a leather stool and immediately started to adjust Florida’s roster.
There was only one move to make. Lagway benched Graham Mertz and
inserted himself into the lineup.OXNARD, Calif. (AP)
— The Dallas Cowboys started training camp in Oxnard, Calif., on
Thursday with contractual uncertainty around quarterback Dak
Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and linebacker Micah Parsons, but
owner and general manager Jerry Jones is more worried about getting
over the hump in the playoffs than resolving those financials
questions. The Cowboys have reached the postseason in three straight
seasons, but lost 48-32 to the Green Bay Packers in an NFC wild-card
game at home in January. They have not reached the NFC title game
since winning the Super Bowl after the 1995 season.PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP)
— No charges have been filed, and Von Miller says he considers the
case of him allegedly assaulting his pregnant girlfriend as being
closed based on feedback the Buffalo Bills edge rusher got from his
legal representatives. Miller says he can now solely focus on
football. A message left with the Dallas district attorney’s office
seeking an update on the matter was not immediately returned. The
NFL, which was conducting its own investigation, also did not
immediately reply to a request seeking comment. Miller turned himself
in to police in suburban Dallas on Nov. 30 after being accused by
police of third-degree felony assault of a pregnant woman.LAKE FOREST, Ill.
(AP) — Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens has arranged to take
leave from training camp and is heading to Paris Monday night to
watch his wife Simone Biles compete for the U.S. gymnastics team.
Owens, who signed with Chicago in free agency after a year in Green
Bay, didn't get the chance to see Biles compete at the last Olympics
due to the pandemic. He has the support of Bears coaches, players and
management. The Bears had a player's relative win an Olympic medal in
each of the previous two Summer Games. Owens and Biles married last
year. She won three gold medals at the Rio Games in 2016.THURSDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal	Baltimore	7	Miami	6	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Detroit	3	Cleveland	0	Final	Texas	2	Chicago
White Sox	1	Final	Tampa
Bay	13	Toronto	0	Final	Oakland	6	L.A.
Angels	5	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	San
Diego	3	Washington	0	Final	L.A.
Dodgers	6	San Francisco	4

Friday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

The Kansas City
Royals host the Chicago Cubs to open a three-game series.

Chicago Cubs (49-55,
fifth in the NL Central) vs. Kansas City Royals (56-47, third in the
AL Central)

Kansas City,
Missouri; Friday, 8:10 p.m. EDT

PITCHING
PROBABLES: Cubs: Kyle Hendricks (2-8, 6.69 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 52
strikeouts); Royals: Brady Singer (6-6, 3.00 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 106
strikeouts)

BETMGM
SPORTSBOOK: LINE Royals -148, Cubs +124; over/under is 9 runs

BOTTOM LINE:
The Kansas City Royals host the Chicago Cubs to begin a three-game
series.

Kansas City has gone
35-20 at home and 56-47 overall. Royals pitchers have a collective
3.76 ERA, which ranks ninth in MLB play.

Chicago has a 49-55
record overall and a 22-30 record in road games. The Cubs are 37-20
in games when they record eight or more hits.

The teams meet
Friday for the first time this season.

TOP PERFORMERS:
Salvador Perez leads Kansas City with 18 home runs while slugging
.469. Bobby Witt Jr. is 21-for-39 with three home runs and nine RBI
over the last 10 games.

Christopher Morel
leads Chicago with 18 home runs while slugging .375. Seiya Suzuki is
10-for-38 with two home runs and five RBI over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES:
Royals: 6-4, .290 batting average, 3.48 ERA, outscored
opponents by 16 runs

Cubs: 4-6,
.237 batting average, 2.73 ERA, outscored by five runs

INJURIES:
Royals: MJ Melendez: 10-Day IL (ankle), Dan Altavilla: 60-Day
IL (oblique), Josh Taylor: 60-Day IL (biceps), Kyle Wright: 60-Day IL
(shoulder)

By The Associated
PressThe Kansas City
Royals host the Chicago Cubs to open a three-game series.Chicago Cubs (49-55,
fifth in the NL Central) vs. Kansas City Royals (56-47, third in the
AL Central)Kansas City,
Missouri; Friday, 8:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING
PROBABLES: Cubs: Kyle Hendricks (2-8, 6.69 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 52
strikeouts); Royals: Brady Singer (6-6, 3.00 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 106
strikeouts)BETMGM
SPORTSBOOK: LINE Royals -148, Cubs +124; over/under is 9 runsBOTTOM LINE:
The Kansas City Royals host the Chicago Cubs to begin a three-game
series.Kansas City has gone
35-20 at home and 56-47 overall. Royals pitchers have a collective
3.76 ERA, which ranks ninth in MLB play.Chicago has a 49-55
record overall and a 22-30 record in road games. The Cubs are 37-20
in games when they record eight or more hits.The teams meet
Friday for the first time this season.TOP PERFORMERS:
Salvador Perez leads Kansas City with 18 home runs while slugging
.469. Bobby Witt Jr. is 21-for-39 with three home runs and nine RBI
over the last 10 games.Christopher Morel
leads Chicago with 18 home runs while slugging .375. Seiya Suzuki is
10-for-38 with two home runs and five RBI over the past 10 games.LAST 10 GAMES:
Royals: 6-4, .290 batting average, 3.48 ERA, outscored
opponents by 16 runsCubs: 4-6,
.237 batting average, 2.73 ERA, outscored by five runsINJURIES:
Royals: MJ Melendez: 10-Day IL (ankle), Dan Altavilla: 60-Day
IL (oblique), Josh Taylor: 60-Day IL (biceps), Kyle Wright: 60-Day IL
(shoulder)