TROON, Scotland (AP)
— Daniel Brown delivered the biggest surprise of them all at the
British Open. The wind changed direction at Royal Troon and seemed to
fool everyone except Shane Lowry. He played the links a few weeks ago
and knew how to handle the wind from the opposite direction. Lowry
had a 66 for his best start ever in a major. And then came Brown, a
29-year-old from England. Playing in the second-to-last group, he
birdied two of the last three holes for a 65 to lead in his major
championship debut. Tiger Woods had a 79. Rory McIlroy shot 78.

TROON, Scotland (AP)
— Tiger Woods had another disappointing round at a major
championship. Woods' 8-over 79 on Thursday at Royal Troon left him in
danger of missing the cut for a third straight time at the British
Open. Woods says "I need to shoot something in the mid-60s
tomorrow to get something going on the weekend.” Woods now has 14
consecutive rounds in the majors without breaking par dating to a 69
in the second round of the 2022 PGA Championship. It’s his highest
score to start a major since an 80 in the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers
Bay.

UNDATED (AP) — EA
Sports College Football 25, among the most highly anticipated sports
video games of all time, has flooded the market. The game officially
launched Friday, with EA Sports increasing its server capacity during
early access to handle the crush of players. EA Sports has said its
goal for the game was “to feel like a love letter to college
football and its fans.” Gamers waited more than a decade for the
franchise’s next installment after it was halted in 2013 amid
questions about compensating athletes depicted in the game.

LOS ANGELES (AP) —
The Los Angeles Clippers have sent Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz
in a sign-and-trade deal for point guard Kris Dunn. ESPN reports that
the Jazz are expected to buy out the former NBA MVP’s contract so
Westbrook can sign with the Denver Nuggets. Utah also got the right
to swap second-round draft picks in 2030, the draft rights to center
Balsa Koprivica and cash. Westbrook is a nine-time All-Star and the
2017 MVP with Oklahoma City. He was traded for the fifth time in his
career.

LOGAN, Utah (AP) —
Utah State has fired coach Blake Anderson for “significant
violations of his contractual obligations.” Thursday's move came 16
days after the school informed Anderson that he would be dismissed
following an external review that found he failed to comply with
Title IX policies regarding the reporting of sexual misconduct cases.
Nate Dreiling, who had been Utah State’s defensive coordinator, was
elevated on July 2 to interim coach for the upcoming season. Anderson
was given two weeks to respond to the university’s decision.
Anderson’s attorney says all legal remedies will be pursued on his
behalf.

NEW YORK (AP) —
Aaron Rodgers knows all eyes are on him. That’s nothing new for the
four-time NFL MVP. The 40-year-old New York Jets quarterback enters
his 20th season with plenty to prove after missing all but four snaps
last year because of a torn Achilles tendon. He certainly isn’t
alone in the spotlight as training camps open. Pittsburgh’s Russell
Wilson, San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey, Cleveland’s Deshaun
Watson, Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence and Philadelphia’s Saquon
Barkley are among a handful out to prove themselves either because of
injuries, mediocre play or needing to justify big contracts.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.
(AP) — A key city council vote is paving the way to give the Tampa
Bay Rays a new 30,000-seat ballpark as part of a $6.5 billion
redevelopment project in St. Petersburg, Florida. The new park would
guarantee the team stays for at least 30 years. Supporters say the
overall project would transform an 86-acre tract in the city’s
downtown to include a Black history museum, affordable housing, a
hotel, green space, entertainment venues, and office and retail
space. The site, where the Rays’ domed Tropicana Field now sits,
was once a thriving Black community driven out by construction of the
ballpark and an interstate highway. The plan still requires approval
from the Pinellas County Commission.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721294994442.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TROON, Scotland (AP)
— Daniel Brown delivered the biggest surprise of them all at the
British Open. The wind changed direction at Royal Troon and seemed to
fool everyone except Shane Lowry. He played the links a few weeks ago
and knew how to handle the wind from the opposite direction. Lowry
had a 66 for his best start ever in a major. And then came Brown, a
29-year-old from England. Playing in the second-to-last group, he
birdied two of the last three holes for a 65 to lead in his major
championship debut. Tiger Woods had a 79. Rory McIlroy shot 78.TROON, Scotland (AP)
— Tiger Woods had another disappointing round at a major
championship. Woods' 8-over 79 on Thursday at Royal Troon left him in
danger of missing the cut for a third straight time at the British
Open. Woods says "I need to shoot something in the mid-60s
tomorrow to get something going on the weekend.” Woods now has 14
consecutive rounds in the majors without breaking par dating to a 69
in the second round of the 2022 PGA Championship. It’s his highest
score to start a major since an 80 in the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers
Bay.UNDATED (AP) — EA
Sports College Football 25, among the most highly anticipated sports
video games of all time, has flooded the market. The game officially
launched Friday, with EA Sports increasing its server capacity during
early access to handle the crush of players. EA Sports has said its
goal for the game was “to feel like a love letter to college
football and its fans.” Gamers waited more than a decade for the
franchise’s next installment after it was halted in 2013 amid
questions about compensating athletes depicted in the game.LOS ANGELES (AP) —
The Los Angeles Clippers have sent Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz
in a sign-and-trade deal for point guard Kris Dunn. ESPN reports that
the Jazz are expected to buy out the former NBA MVP’s contract so
Westbrook can sign with the Denver Nuggets. Utah also got the right
to swap second-round draft picks in 2030, the draft rights to center
Balsa Koprivica and cash. Westbrook is a nine-time All-Star and the
2017 MVP with Oklahoma City. He was traded for the fifth time in his
career.LOGAN, Utah (AP) —
Utah State has fired coach Blake Anderson for “significant
violations of his contractual obligations.” Thursday's move came 16
days after the school informed Anderson that he would be dismissed
following an external review that found he failed to comply with
Title IX policies regarding the reporting of sexual misconduct cases.
Nate Dreiling, who had been Utah State’s defensive coordinator, was
elevated on July 2 to interim coach for the upcoming season. Anderson
was given two weeks to respond to the university’s decision.
Anderson’s attorney says all legal remedies will be pursued on his
behalf.NEW YORK (AP) —
Aaron Rodgers knows all eyes are on him. That’s nothing new for the
four-time NFL MVP. The 40-year-old New York Jets quarterback enters
his 20th season with plenty to prove after missing all but four snaps
last year because of a torn Achilles tendon. He certainly isn’t
alone in the spotlight as training camps open. Pittsburgh’s Russell
Wilson, San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey, Cleveland’s Deshaun
Watson, Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence and Philadelphia’s Saquon
Barkley are among a handful out to prove themselves either because of
injuries, mediocre play or needing to justify big contracts.ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.
(AP) — A key city council vote is paving the way to give the Tampa
Bay Rays a new 30,000-seat ballpark as part of a $6.5 billion
redevelopment project in St. Petersburg, Florida. The new park would
guarantee the team stays for at least 30 years. Supporters say the
overall project would transform an 86-acre tract in the city’s
downtown to include a Black history museum, affordable housing, a
hotel, green space, entertainment venues, and office and retail
space. The site, where the Rays’ domed Tropicana Field now sits,
was once a thriving Black community driven out by construction of the
ballpark and an interstate highway. The plan still requires approval
from the Pinellas County Commission.

Friday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

NEW YORK (AP) — Paul Skenes, Shohei Ohtani, Jarren Duran and the rest of this year’s All-Stars drew 7,443,000 viewers on Fox, up 6% from the 2023 game but the second lowest for the event.

The American League’s 5-3 victory at Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday night saw an increase from the 7,006,000 viewers for the National League’s 3-2 win last year at Seattle. The 2022 game in Los Angeles was watched by 7.51 million.

This year’s game had a 3.8 rating and 12 share, down from a 3.9/12 last year. The rating is the percentage of television households tuned to a program and the share is the percentage tuned to a program among those households with televisions on at the time.

An additional 116,000 viewers watched Spanish-language coverage on Fox Deportes, up 36% from 85,000 last year.

NEW YORK (AP) — Paul Skenes, Shohei Ohtani, Jarren Duran and the rest of this year’s All-Stars drew 7,443,000 viewers on Fox, up 6% from the 2023 game but the second lowest for the event.The American League’s 5-3 victory at Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday night saw an increase from the 7,006,000 viewers for the National League’s 3-2 win last year at Seattle. The 2022 game in Los Angeles was watched by 7.51 million.This year’s game had a 3.8 rating and 12 share, down from a 3.9/12 last year. The rating is the percentage of television households tuned to a program and the share is the percentage tuned to a program among those households with televisions on at the time.An additional 116,000 viewers watched Spanish-language coverage on Fox Deportes, up 36% from 85,000 last year.

MLB All-Star Game viewers up 6% after falling to record low last year

NEW YORK (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers and Shohei Ohtani will open the 2025 season in Tokyo against the Chicago Cubs on March 18 and the Athletics will start the home portion of their first season in Sacramento against the Cubs on March 31.

All 30 teams are scheduled for March 27, marking the earliest opening day other than international games, Major League Baseball announced Thursday. There were games on March 28 in 2019 and this season.

Each team will play six games against its prime interleague rival instead of four, increasing matchups between the New York Yankees and Mets, the Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels, Cubs and Chicago White Sox and Athletics and San Francisco Giants. What is being called a Rivalry Weekend is scheduled for May 16-18 and includes the prime interleague rivalries along with Pittsburgh vs Philadelphia, Colorado vs. Arizona, Detroit vs. Toronto and Houston vs. Texas.

In the third straight season of a return to a balanced schedule, a team will play 13 games against each division rival and six or seven against each other club in its league for a total of 62. The remaining 48 games are against interleague opponents, with a single three-game series against each of the 14 other clubs in the opposite league. Teams will be home against the same interleague opponents they hosted in 2023.

The American League used a balanced schedule from 1977-2000 and the National League from 1993-2000.

The Dodgers and Cubs will play at the Tokyo Dome on March 18-19, marking the 25th anniversary of the Mets and Cubs playing MLB’s first regular-season games in Japan. Other Tokyo openers were the Yankees and Tampa Bay (2004), Boston and Oakland (2008), Seattle and Oakland (2012) and Seattle and Oakland (2019). The Dodgers and San Diego started the 2024 season in Seoul, South Korea.

MLB and the players’ association intended to play regular-season games in Paris next June but abandoned the plan because they couldn’t find a sponsor. The collective bargaining agreement also called for September 2025 games in San Juan, Puerto Rico, but none were included.

After playing in Oakland at the Coliseum since 1968, the Athletics intend to spend the 2025-27 seasons at Sutter Health Park, home of the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A River Dogs and a ballpark with a capacity of about 10,500 fixed seats. The A’s open with a four-game series at Seattle before hosting the Cubs. They play the Giants at San Francisco’s Oracle Park from May 16-18 and host the Giants from July 4-6. The Athletics franchise started in Philadelphia from 1901-54, and moved to Kansas City for 13 seasons. The team has announced plans to move to a new ballpark in Las Vegas starting in 2028.

The daytime high temperatures in Sacramento often exceed 100 degrees in the summer and artificial turf is being installed to accommodate both the A’s and River Dogs.

Other March 27 games include the Cubs at Arizona, Angels at the White Sox, San Francisco at Cincinnati, the Mets at Houston, Cleveland at Kansas City, Detroit at the Dodgers, Pittsburgh at Miami, Milwaukee at the Yankees, Minnesota at St. Louis, Atlanta at San Diego, Colorado at Tampa Bay, Boston at Texas, Baltimore at Toronto and Philadelphia at Washington.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers and Shohei Ohtani will open the 2025 season in Tokyo against the Chicago Cubs on March 18 and the Athletics will start the home portion of their first season in Sacramento against the Cubs on March 31.All 30 teams are scheduled for March 27, marking the earliest opening day other than international games, Major League Baseball announced Thursday. There were games on March 28 in 2019 and this season.Each team will play six games against its prime interleague rival instead of four, increasing matchups between the New York Yankees and Mets, the Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels, Cubs and Chicago White Sox and Athletics and San Francisco Giants. What is being called a Rivalry Weekend is scheduled for May 16-18 and includes the prime interleague rivalries along with Pittsburgh vs Philadelphia, Colorado vs. Arizona, Detroit vs. Toronto and Houston vs. Texas.In the third straight season of a return to a balanced schedule, a team will play 13 games against each division rival and six or seven against each other club in its league for a total of 62. The remaining 48 games are against interleague opponents, with a single three-game series against each of the 14 other clubs in the opposite league. Teams will be home against the same interleague opponents they hosted in 2023.The American League used a balanced schedule from 1977-2000 and the National League from 1993-2000.The Dodgers and Cubs will play at the Tokyo Dome on March 18-19, marking the 25th anniversary of the Mets and Cubs playing MLB’s first regular-season games in Japan. Other Tokyo openers were the Yankees and Tampa Bay (2004), Boston and Oakland (2008), Seattle and Oakland (2012) and Seattle and Oakland (2019). The Dodgers and San Diego started the 2024 season in Seoul, South Korea.MLB and the players’ association intended to play regular-season games in Paris next June but abandoned the plan because they couldn’t find a sponsor. The collective bargaining agreement also called for September 2025 games in San Juan, Puerto Rico, but none were included.After playing in Oakland at the Coliseum since 1968, the Athletics intend to spend the 2025-27 seasons at Sutter Health Park, home of the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A River Dogs and a ballpark with a capacity of about 10,500 fixed seats. The A’s open with a four-game series at Seattle before hosting the Cubs. They play the Giants at San Francisco’s Oracle Park from May 16-18 and host the Giants from July 4-6. The Athletics franchise started in Philadelphia from 1901-54, and moved to Kansas City for 13 seasons. The team has announced plans to move to a new ballpark in Las Vegas starting in 2028.The daytime high temperatures in Sacramento often exceed 100 degrees in the summer and artificial turf is being installed to accommodate both the A’s and River Dogs.Other March 27 games include the Cubs at Arizona, Angels at the White Sox, San Francisco at Cincinnati, the Mets at Houston, Cleveland at Kansas City, Detroit at the Dodgers, Pittsburgh at Miami, Milwaukee at the Yankees, Minnesota at St. Louis, Atlanta at San Diego, Colorado at Tampa Bay, Boston at Texas, Baltimore at Toronto and Philadelphia at Washington.Game times were not announced.

Dodgers and Cubs open 2025 season in Tokyo March 18, rest of league starts March 27

PHOENIX (AP) — Pete Alonso's disappointing performance in this year's Home Run Derby wasn't a particularly big deal for the future of his big-league career.

His play over the next three months could be a different story.

The 29-year-old is one of the most coveted free agents in Major League Baseball for the upcoming offseason and could make himself a lot of money — or potentially lose a lot of it — depending on how he plays in the second half of the season.

Alonso played in his fourth All-Star game on Tuesday night, making the National League team despite a relatively lackluster first half. He's hitting .240 with 19 homers and 51 RBIs and a career-low .772 OPS. Those numbers might be pretty good for most players, but for a man who wants to hit the market as one of the game's elite players, it's not up to his standards.

Alonso said he's not worried about his personal situation. He just wants to play well so his New York Mets make the playoffs — which would happen if the season ended today.

“I don’t dwell on it at all because I’m just focused on winning games and I’m just really focused on doing what I can every single day to help the team in a positive way,” Alonso said. “I’m honestly just focusing on performing and doing the best I can to help my team win. I’m just focused on the season at hand.”

Here are a few other potential free agents who are looking to raise their stock in the second half:

1B Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals: Does the 36-year-old slugger have anything left in the tank for another contract? He was the National League MVP in 2022, but has regressed in a hurry since that point. The first baseman is hitting just .230 with 13 homers, 37 RBIs and a career-low .664 OPS.

3B Alex Bregman, Astros: The 30-year-old has bounced back somewhat from a very slow start, posting a .256 average, 12 homers and .730 OPS through 92 games. But those numbers are still below his career averages. A big second half would help ease fears that he's on the downhill side of his career.

OF Juan Soto, Yankees: His first half hasn't been a problem. Far from it. The 25-year-old was one of the game's best players in the first half of the season, batting .295 with 23 homers and a robust .985 OPS. He's been worth 5.0 WAR through 94 games. But if he can continue this pace, or even push it forward slightly, the bidding war in the upcoming offseason could be close to the Ohtani-style extravaganza of last offseason.

SP Walker Buehler, Dodgers: The two-time All-Star returned earlier this year from his second Tommy John surgery and things haven't gone particularly well. The right-hander is 1-4 with a 5.84 ERA through eight starts, averaging just more than four innings per start. He was one of the game's elite pitchers in 2021 and doesn't turn 30 until later this month, but it's fair to wonder if he'll ever be the same.

MLB has made major changes over the past few years in an effort to shorten games and juice offense.

The former has certainly happened. The latter? Not so much.

The season average of .243 heading into the All-Star break was just ahead of 2022 and 1968 as the lowest since the dead-ball era ended in 1920. The good news is the numbers are trending upwards — at least slightly.

The batting average has improved as the temperatures have climbed, moving from .239 in May to .250 in the first half of July. There's little doubt an average in the .250s throughout the rest of the season would be a welcome sight for Commissioner Rob Manfred.

We're nearly 100 games into this season and there are still 25 teams with legitimate playoff aspirations.

The National League wild card race is shaping up to be particularly tight. The St. Louis Cardinals (50-46), New York Mets (49-46), Arizona Diamondbacks (49-48), San Diego Padres (50-49), Pittsburgh Pirates (48-48), San Francisco Giants (47-50), Cincinnati Reds (47-50) and Chicago Cubs (47-51) are separated by just four games in the standings.

The Cardinals and Mets would make the playoffs if the season ended today.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721331053435.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;New York Mets' Pete Alonso hits a single in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;New York Mets' Pete Alonso hits a single in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)</figcaption>
 </figure>PHOENIX (AP) — Pete Alonso's disappointing performance in this year's Home Run Derby wasn't a particularly big deal for the future of his big-league career.His play over the next three months could be a different story.The 29-year-old is one of the most coveted free agents in Major League Baseball for the upcoming offseason and could make himself a lot of money — or potentially lose a lot of it — depending on how he plays in the second half of the season.Alonso played in his fourth All-Star game on Tuesday night, making the National League team despite a relatively lackluster first half. He's hitting .240 with 19 homers and 51 RBIs and a career-low .772 OPS. Those numbers might be pretty good for most players, but for a man who wants to hit the market as one of the game's elite players, it's not up to his standards.Alonso said he's not worried about his personal situation. He just wants to play well so his New York Mets make the playoffs — which would happen if the season ended today.“I don’t dwell on it at all because I’m just focused on winning games and I’m just really focused on doing what I can every single day to help the team in a positive way,” Alonso said. “I’m honestly just focusing on performing and doing the best I can to help my team win. I’m just focused on the season at hand.”Here are a few other potential free agents who are looking to raise their stock in the second half:1B Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals: Does the 36-year-old slugger have anything left in the tank for another contract? He was the National League MVP in 2022, but has regressed in a hurry since that point. The first baseman is hitting just .230 with 13 homers, 37 RBIs and a career-low .664 OPS.3B Alex Bregman, Astros: The 30-year-old has bounced back somewhat from a very slow start, posting a .256 average, 12 homers and .730 OPS through 92 games. But those numbers are still below his career averages. A big second half would help ease fears that he's on the downhill side of his career.OF Juan Soto, Yankees: His first half hasn't been a problem. Far from it. The 25-year-old was one of the game's best players in the first half of the season, batting .295 with 23 homers and a robust .985 OPS. He's been worth 5.0 WAR through 94 games. But if he can continue this pace, or even push it forward slightly, the bidding war in the upcoming offseason could be close to the Ohtani-style extravaganza of last offseason.SP Walker Buehler, Dodgers: The two-time All-Star returned earlier this year from his second Tommy John surgery and things haven't gone particularly well. The right-hander is 1-4 with a 5.84 ERA through eight starts, averaging just more than four innings per start. He was one of the game's elite pitchers in 2021 and doesn't turn 30 until later this month, but it's fair to wonder if he'll ever be the same.Lack of offenseMLB has made major changes over the past few years in an effort to shorten games and juice offense.The former has certainly happened. The latter? Not so much.The season average of .243 heading into the All-Star break was just ahead of 2022 and 1968 as the lowest since the dead-ball era ended in 1920. The good news is the numbers are trending upwards — at least slightly.The batting average has improved as the temperatures have climbed, moving from .239 in May to .250 in the first half of July. There's little doubt an average in the .250s throughout the rest of the season would be a welcome sight for Commissioner Rob Manfred.Wild card racesWe're nearly 100 games into this season and there are still 25 teams with legitimate playoff aspirations.The National League wild card race is shaping up to be particularly tight. The St. Louis Cardinals (50-46), New York Mets (49-46), Arizona Diamondbacks (49-48), San Diego Padres (50-49), Pittsburgh Pirates (48-48), San Francisco Giants (47-50), Cincinnati Reds (47-50) and Chicago Cubs (47-51) are separated by just four games in the standings.The Cardinals and Mets would make the playoffs if the season ended today.

MLB stars who could use big second half heading into free agency

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Baseball players’ association head Tony Clark vowed to keep the union’s deliberations internal following a failed attempt in March to remove his chief labor negotiator.

Harry Marino, a former union lawyer who spearheaded the organization of minor leaguers, marshaled an attempt to get the union’s executive board to oust deputy executive director Bruce Meyer, who led talks for the 2022 collective bargaining agreement. Clark issued a statement at the time from the eight-man executive subcommittee appearing to reject Marino’s effort.

“All of those discussions ... are going to happen out of the limelight and in preparation for what is always the most important, which is the collective bargaining discussion that we’ll have when our expiration of our current agreement happens in 2026,” Clark said Tuesday.

Clark, a former All-Star first baseman who has headed the union since 2013, answered questions from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ahead of the All-Star Game.

“Our organization has been around since 1966. The idea that leadership hasn’t been challenged in the last 50 years is laughable.” Clark said. “What’s of interest now is that there are more headlines and people sensationalizing a lot of the challenges associated with what we do. I don’t lose any sleep on being challenged. I’m 6-7, 300-too much (pounds).”

“If someone wants to challenge us as a result of what they think happened, then challenge us,” he said. “But I’ll live and die with our fraternity, our active, our former, the next generation, and not lose any sleep.”

Major League Baseball and the union agreed to a five-year contract in March 2022 following a 99-day lockout that caused the season to start a week late. The work stoppage was the sport’s ninth, but first since the 1994-95 strike forced cancellation of the World Series. The current deal expires in December 2026.

An unprecedented eight teams paid luxury tax for 2023, led by the New York Mets at a record of nearly $101 million. But overall MLB spending this year is roughly flat overall at $5.7 billion to $5.8 billion, according to luxury tax payrolls.

While the Mets dropped their luxury tax payroll by about $40 million from a record $375 million, this season started with nine teams projected to go over the tax threshold: the Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Yankees, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Houston, San Francisco, Texas and Toronto.

“We have more teams over the threshold than ever before, and that is a testament to not just the thresholds themselves being higher but also the rules associated with those thresholds as you do change levels,” Clark said. “Are teams going to treat it as a cap because they want to treat it as a cap? They may very well do that. And so it’s not going to be the taxes or the thresholds themselves perhaps that are the reason why the club may act a certain way. If they want the excuse to not add additional talent because they’re not as interested in being the last team standing, then they won’t go through the threshold.”

Players have in the past proposed that teams be able to trade draft picks. MLB has opposed the concept and that only ones that can be swapped are the competitive balance round selections. Among 14 of those this year, three were traded.

“Been a product of a balance between flexibility in terms of utilizing the resources available to you on the one hand and paternalism on the other,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said. “That is, I’m going to prevent you from doing X ‘cause I think it might be stupid. I don’t think we have that many stupid clubs. We’ll see how it shakes out when we go through our bargaining. The clubs are really sophisticated now, and I do think that there’s a really good argument that allowing them to decide how to utilize their resources is economically efficient.”

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Baseball players’ association head Tony Clark vowed to keep the union’s deliberations internal following a failed attempt in March to remove his chief labor negotiator.Harry Marino, a former union lawyer who spearheaded the organization of minor leaguers, marshaled an attempt to get the union’s executive board to oust deputy executive director Bruce Meyer, who led talks for the 2022 collective bargaining agreement. Clark issued a statement at the time from the eight-man executive subcommittee appearing to reject Marino’s effort.“All of those discussions ... are going to happen out of the limelight and in preparation for what is always the most important, which is the collective bargaining discussion that we’ll have when our expiration of our current agreement happens in 2026,” Clark said Tuesday.Clark, a former All-Star first baseman who has headed the union since 2013, answered questions from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ahead of the All-Star Game.“Our organization has been around since 1966. The idea that leadership hasn’t been challenged in the last 50 years is laughable.” Clark said. “What’s of interest now is that there are more headlines and people sensationalizing a lot of the challenges associated with what we do. I don’t lose any sleep on being challenged. I’m 6-7, 300-too much (pounds).”“If someone wants to challenge us as a result of what they think happened, then challenge us,” he said. “But I’ll live and die with our fraternity, our active, our former, the next generation, and not lose any sleep.”Major League Baseball and the union agreed to a five-year contract in March 2022 following a 99-day lockout that caused the season to start a week late. The work stoppage was the sport’s ninth, but first since the 1994-95 strike forced cancellation of the World Series. The current deal expires in December 2026.An unprecedented eight teams paid luxury tax for 2023, led by the New York Mets at a record of nearly $101 million. But overall MLB spending this year is roughly flat overall at $5.7 billion to $5.8 billion, according to luxury tax payrolls.While the Mets dropped their luxury tax payroll by about $40 million from a record $375 million, this season started with nine teams projected to go over the tax threshold: the Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Yankees, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Houston, San Francisco, Texas and Toronto.“We have more teams over the threshold than ever before, and that is a testament to not just the thresholds themselves being higher but also the rules associated with those thresholds as you do change levels,” Clark said. “Are teams going to treat it as a cap because they want to treat it as a cap? They may very well do that. And so it’s not going to be the taxes or the thresholds themselves perhaps that are the reason why the club may act a certain way. If they want the excuse to not add additional talent because they’re not as interested in being the last team standing, then they won’t go through the threshold.”Players have in the past proposed that teams be able to trade draft picks. MLB has opposed the concept and that only ones that can be swapped are the competitive balance round selections. Among 14 of those this year, three were traded.“Been a product of a balance between flexibility in terms of utilizing the resources available to you on the one hand and paternalism on the other,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said. “That is, I’m going to prevent you from doing X ‘cause I think it might be stupid. I don’t think we have that many stupid clubs. We’ll see how it shakes out when we go through our bargaining. The clubs are really sophisticated now, and I do think that there’s a really good argument that allowing them to decide how to utilize their resources is economically efficient.”

Clark vows to keep deliberations internal after failed attempt to oust baseball union negotiator

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Major League Baseball will consider going back to having players wear their team uniforms for the All-Star Game.

Club uniforms were used by the American League from 1933-2019 and by the National League from 1934-2019. When the game resumed in 2021 following the pandemic-related cancellation in 2020, MLB had started a uniform contract with Nike and Fanatics, and All-Stars were outfitted in specially designed league uniforms that drew criticism from traditionalists.

This year’s AL uniforms had a sandy base with red sleeves and lettering and the NL had a navy base with light blue sleeves and lettering.

“I’m aware of the sentiment on this issue,” Manfred told the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Tuesday. “I think where my head is on it, it’s something we’re going to have a conversation about coming out of the All-Star Game. We’ve got a lot of uniform things going on. And, obviously, the conversations have to involve the players first and foremost but Nike, some of our partners. But I am aware of the sentiment, and I do know why people kind of like that tradition.”

MLB and Nike were criticized for club uniforms this year and said in May that 2025 club outfits will have larger lettering on the back of jerseys and individual pant customization. Players complained this year that white pants worn by some teams are see-through enough to show tucked-in jersey tops.

Manfred said a national steaming package of local television broadcasts is a future possibility.

“I could see a situation where we grow into a 30-club model. It might start on the digital side, where you have 14 or 15 clubs, and, you start with a digital product there as your first alternative,” he said.

“I was in Sun Valley last week and I did the whole speed-dating thing with everybody who’s ever streamed anything. When you talk to people in the streaming business, they’re not really interested in buying the state of Wisconsin and two counties in Michigan,” Manfred added. “They want to be able to stream quite frankly, all over the U.S. and Canada but more broadly internationally. So I think those conversations are a product of owners saying, holy cow, the RSN business is really deteriorating. We know the future’s going to be streaming. What we’re hearing from the streamers is they want a more national product, and we need to be responsive to what people want to buy.”

MLB took over production of Arizona and San Diego local television broadcasts last year following the bankruptcy of Diamond Sports’ Bally networks and said MLB will be available as an option for teams looking for new deals. He said Padres game are approaching 40,000 subscribers, which he called a good figure.

“Having said that, from a revenue perspective it is not generating what the RSNs did,” Manfred said. “The RSNs were a great business. Lots of people paid for programing they didn’t necessarily want. And it’s hard to replicate that kind of revenue absent that kind of bundling concept.”

While offense is near half-century lows, it has picked up from early in the season.

“The decline in offense is something that we’re paying a lot of attention to and we’ll continue to monitor to make a decision as to whether we think we need to do something. You do hear a lot of chatter about the dominance of pitching in the game. That’s absolutely true.”

After the success of the June 20 game between San Francisco and St. Louis at Rickwood Field, Manfred said MLB will return to the ballpark in Birmingham, Alabama, but the “exact form” had not been determined.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Major League Baseball will consider going back to having players wear their team uniforms for the All-Star Game.Club uniforms were used by the American League from 1933-2019 and by the National League from 1934-2019. When the game resumed in 2021 following the pandemic-related cancellation in 2020, MLB had started a uniform contract with Nike and Fanatics, and All-Stars were outfitted in specially designed league uniforms that drew criticism from traditionalists.This year’s AL uniforms had a sandy base with red sleeves and lettering and the NL had a navy base with light blue sleeves and lettering.“I’m aware of the sentiment on this issue,” Manfred told the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Tuesday. “I think where my head is on it, it’s something we’re going to have a conversation about coming out of the All-Star Game. We’ve got a lot of uniform things going on. And, obviously, the conversations have to involve the players first and foremost but Nike, some of our partners. But I am aware of the sentiment, and I do know why people kind of like that tradition.”MLB and Nike were criticized for club uniforms this year and said in May that 2025 club outfits will have larger lettering on the back of jerseys and individual pant customization. Players complained this year that white pants worn by some teams are see-through enough to show tucked-in jersey tops.<h2>Regional sports networks</h2>Manfred said a national steaming package of local television broadcasts is a future possibility.“I could see a situation where we grow into a 30-club model. It might start on the digital side, where you have 14 or 15 clubs, and, you start with a digital product there as your first alternative,” he said.“I was in Sun Valley last week and I did the whole speed-dating thing with everybody who’s ever streamed anything. When you talk to people in the streaming business, they’re not really interested in buying the state of Wisconsin and two counties in Michigan,” Manfred added. “They want to be able to stream quite frankly, all over the U.S. and Canada but more broadly internationally. So I think those conversations are a product of owners saying, holy cow, the RSN business is really deteriorating. We know the future’s going to be streaming. What we’re hearing from the streamers is they want a more national product, and we need to be responsive to what people want to buy.”MLB took over production of Arizona and San Diego local television broadcasts last year following the bankruptcy of Diamond Sports’ Bally networks and said MLB will be available as an option for teams looking for new deals. He said Padres game are approaching 40,000 subscribers, which he called a good figure.“Having said that, from a revenue perspective it is not generating what the RSNs did,” Manfred said. “The RSNs were a great business. Lots of people paid for programing they didn’t necessarily want. And it’s hard to replicate that kind of revenue absent that kind of bundling concept.”OffenseWhile offense is near half-century lows, it has picked up from early in the season.“The decline in offense is something that we’re paying a lot of attention to and we’ll continue to monitor to make a decision as to whether we think we need to do something. You do hear a lot of chatter about the dominance of pitching in the game. That’s absolutely true.”BirminghamAfter the success of the June 20 game between San Francisco and St. Louis at Rickwood Field, Manfred said MLB will return to the ballpark in Birmingham, Alabama, but the “exact form” had not been determined.

MLB will consider whether to return to club uniforms in All-Star Game

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes is bringing along a TV to training camp at Missouri Western for the first time in his NFL career.

Two reasons: He wants to watch the upcoming Paris Olympics and play the new EA Sports College Football 25 video game.

Whether there is time for any of that remains to be seen. Mahomes joined rookies and select veterans in reporting to camp on Tuesday, a little more than five months after they beat the 49ers for their second consecutive Super Bowl. And with their eye on a record third straight Lombardi Trophy, the two-time league MVP knows the foundation for February begins in late July.

“Every season starts different,” Mahomes said, shortly after pulling into the parking lot of the Division II school and carrying his backpack up to his dorm room. “You've got to come in with that same mentality you had the year before, even a higher intensity, and even though we won that Super Bowl last year, we didn't play our best football.”

Indeed, the Chiefs were a team reeling following a Christmas Day loss to the rival Raiders. But they managed to hit their stride when the new year rolled around, and they survived a brutal route through the playoffs — beating the Dolphins at home in one of the coldest games in NFL history, then triumphing in trips to Buffalo and Baltimore.

Then came Feb. 11, the most recent time the Chiefs stepped on the field for a game, when they rallied to beat San Francisco in overtime.

“Obviously the end result was awesome,” Mahomes said, "but I mean, I think a lot of us have a weird feeling. I mean, we really didn't really play football the way we wanted to play all year long, and it wasn't fun. I mean, every single week having to try to get better and the results not paying off the way you wanted them to. It wasn't a lot of fun.

“We have a lot of those same guys back,” Mahomes continued, “and they know how that felt. So we're going to try to prepare ourselves better this year so that we can play better throughout the season.”

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said he hasn't had to remind his team about the many pitfalls of last season. Rather, he wants his team — including the veterans, who report Friday — to turn their attention toward an entirely new season.

“I think we all know in the NFL, every year is its own year,” Reid said. “We've said that every year along the way here, and so you've got to stay on top of your game. You've got to practice. You've got to go through this, being conditioned, and you've got to perform well mentally and physically. So it all start from scratch. Happens over.”

There are certainly storylines to watch during training camp.

Reid said standout left guard Joe Thuney will begin camp on the physically unable to perform list following surgery for a pectoral injury. Defensive back Jaylen Watson (torn labrum), defensive end Charles Omenihu (torn ACL) and defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi (triceps injury) also will begin on the PUP list, though all are expected back at some point.

“Joe's doing great, and he's close,” Reid said. “I don't think it will be (long) but we'll see.”

Wide receiver Xavier Worthy, the Chiefs' first-round pick out of Texas, will be ready for the first practice of camp Wednesday after missing most of the offseason with a hamstring injury. The Chiefs are counting on him to upgrade a wide receiver group that added Hollywood Brown in free agency but could begin the season without Rashee Rice.

Rice, who had a strong rookie season, could face an NFL suspension after he was charged with one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and six counts of collision involving injury following a car crash in Dallas.

Rice has acknowledged driving one of the cars involved in the crash, which left four people injured, but there has been little movement on the case.

“I haven't heard anything up to this point,” Reid said.

Until he does, Reid plans to have Rice practicing with the team at Missouri Western. The Chiefs open the preseason Aug. 10 in Jacksonville and lift the curtain on the NFL's regular season in primetime Sept. 5 against the Ravens.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes is bringing along a TV to training camp at Missouri Western for the first time in his NFL career.Two reasons: He wants to watch the upcoming Paris Olympics and play the new EA Sports College Football 25 video game.Whether there is time for any of that remains to be seen. Mahomes joined rookies and select veterans in reporting to camp on Tuesday, a little more than five months after they beat the 49ers for their second consecutive Super Bowl. And with their eye on a record third straight Lombardi Trophy, the two-time league MVP knows the foundation for February begins in late July.“Every season starts different,” Mahomes said, shortly after pulling into the parking lot of the Division II school and carrying his backpack up to his dorm room. “You've got to come in with that same mentality you had the year before, even a higher intensity, and even though we won that Super Bowl last year, we didn't play our best football.”Indeed, the Chiefs were a team reeling following a Christmas Day loss to the rival Raiders. But they managed to hit their stride when the new year rolled around, and they survived a brutal route through the playoffs — beating the Dolphins at home in one of the coldest games in NFL history, then triumphing in trips to Buffalo and Baltimore.Then came Feb. 11, the most recent time the Chiefs stepped on the field for a game, when they rallied to beat San Francisco in overtime.“Obviously the end result was awesome,” Mahomes said, "but I mean, I think a lot of us have a weird feeling. I mean, we really didn't really play football the way we wanted to play all year long, and it wasn't fun. I mean, every single week having to try to get better and the results not paying off the way you wanted them to. It wasn't a lot of fun.“We have a lot of those same guys back,” Mahomes continued, “and they know how that felt. So we're going to try to prepare ourselves better this year so that we can play better throughout the season.”Chiefs coach Andy Reid said he hasn't had to remind his team about the many pitfalls of last season. Rather, he wants his team — including the veterans, who report Friday — to turn their attention toward an entirely new season.“I think we all know in the NFL, every year is its own year,” Reid said. “We've said that every year along the way here, and so you've got to stay on top of your game. You've got to practice. You've got to go through this, being conditioned, and you've got to perform well mentally and physically. So it all start from scratch. Happens over.”There are certainly storylines to watch during training camp.Reid said standout left guard Joe Thuney will begin camp on the physically unable to perform list following surgery for a pectoral injury. Defensive back Jaylen Watson (torn labrum), defensive end Charles Omenihu (torn ACL) and defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi (triceps injury) also will begin on the PUP list, though all are expected back at some point.“Joe's doing great, and he's close,” Reid said. “I don't think it will be (long) but we'll see.”Wide receiver Xavier Worthy, the Chiefs' first-round pick out of Texas, will be ready for the first practice of camp Wednesday after missing most of the offseason with a hamstring injury. The Chiefs are counting on him to upgrade a wide receiver group that added Hollywood Brown in free agency but could begin the season without Rashee Rice.Rice, who had a strong rookie season, could face an NFL suspension after he was charged with one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and six counts of collision involving injury following a car crash in Dallas.Rice has acknowledged driving one of the cars involved in the crash, which left four people injured, but there has been little movement on the case.“I haven't heard anything up to this point,” Reid said.Until he does, Reid plans to have Rice practicing with the team at Missouri Western. The Chiefs open the preseason Aug. 10 in Jacksonville and lift the curtain on the NFL's regular season in primetime Sept. 5 against the Ravens.

Mahomes joins rookies, select veterans at Chiefs camp and chase a 3rd straight Super Bowl title

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Speedy Jarren Duran describes himself as a player who keeps his head down, works hard and never thinks of himself as being better than anybody else.

Duran turned some heads in his first All-Star Game, hitting a tiebreaking two-run homer for the American League and being awarded the MVP trophy named after Boston Red Sox legend Ted Williams.

“That's an honor. Who else would I want to try to follow in the footsteps of besides a guy like that, who is not just a great baseball player but a great human being,” Duran said after becoming the fifth Red Sox player selected All-Star Game MVP. “That guy was awesome, and I’m honored to be able to have his award.”

The decisive homer came in the fifth inning Tuesday night as the AL beat the National League 5-3 for its 10th win in the past 11 All-Star Games.

Pittsburgh rookie Paul Skenes pitched a hitless first for the NL, twice hitting 100 mph, and Shohei Ohtani also went deep in Texas with a three-run homer for a 3-0 lead in the third.

Juan Soto hit a two-run double and scored on David Fry’s single to tie the score in the AL third, and Duran went deep off Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene.

“It’s a surreal moment. So I’m just thankful to be here,” said Duran, who was one of 39 first-time All-Stars this year.

Oakland right-hander Mason Miller got the win after throwing a 103.6 mph pitch, the fastest in the All-Star Game since tracking began in 2008. Hard-throwing Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase struck out two in the ninth for the save.

The 22-year-old Skenes, who has pitched only 11 big league games since being the No. 1 overall pick in the draft last July, became the first rookie starter since 1995 and had the fewest games played for any player to make an All-Star team. The right-hander threw a hitless first, with a two-out walk to Soto before his Yankees teammate Aaron Judge grounded into a forceout on the next pitch.

Skenes threw 11 of 16 pitches for strikes, with seven fastballs up to 100.1 mph.

“Frankly, I wish I’d had a few more pitches to do that today,” said Skenes, who has a good mix of pitches to go with the hard stuff. “It’s cool to bring eyes to the game.”

Ohtani, who has gone deep 29 times in the first season of his record $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, pulled a 400-foot drive to right off Tanner Houck. That came after the Boston right-hander allowed singles to the first two batters he faced: No. 9 batter Jurickson Profar and leadoff hitter Ketel Marte.

“I haven’t really hit well in the All-Star Game, so I’m just relieved that I put the ball in play,” Ohtani said. “I just focused on having a regular at-bat as if I was in the regular season.”

When Ohtani went against Miller in the fifth, he struck out on an 89.2 mph slider well inside and out of the strike zone. That was after twice taking strikes on fastballs of more than 100 mph.

Ohtani’s first All-Star homer made him the first Dodgers player to go deep in the Midsummer Classic since Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza in 1996. Eleven days after his 30th birthday, Ohtani was an All-Star for the fourth time — his first with the NL.

Baltimore’s Anthony Santander, after taking over for Soto in right field, had a two-out single in the fifth before Duran’s 413-foot homer to right-center after he had replaced Judge in center. Duran took a 95.9 mph fastball before going deep on an 86 mph splitter.

“I knew he threw really hard so I was just praying he would throw me a first pitch fastball so I could see how hard it was. After that, I was hoping to get a pitch up,” Duran said. “He happened to leave a pitch up. I happened to put a good swing on it.”

The last Red Sox player to be the All-Star MVP was J.D. Drew in 2008, following Pedro Martinez in 1999, Roger Clemens in 1986 and Carl Yastrzemski in 1970.

Duran was voted by his peers as an All-Star after being the first AL player to go into the break with at least 100 hits, 10 triples, 10 homers and 20 stolen bases.

The AL has a 48-44-2 record in the All-Star Game, and had won nine in a row before the National League's 3-2 victory last year in Seattle.

AL starter Corbin Burnes arrived in Texas the morning of the game after spending time at home with his newborn twin daughters. The Baltimore right-hander allowed a walk and then a two-out double to Bryce Harper before getting out of his inning on a comebacker by William Contreras, his catcher last season in Milwaukee.

After his underhand toss of the ball to first base, Burnes had a big smile on his face when he kept jogging and wrapped his arm around Contreras on the baseline.

Played in 2 hours, 28 minutes, it was the shortest All-Star Game since 1988, a game that the AL won 2-1 in Cincinnati that took only two minutes less.

Bruce Bochy of the host Rangers became the first manager to win World Series titles and All-Star Games in both leagues. Bochy is now 2-3 as an All-Star manager, leading the NL to a win in 2011. He won the World Series three times with the NL's San Francisco Giants in 2010, 2012 and 2014, then led the Rangers to their first championship in his debut season with them last year.

The MLB regular series resumes Friday when 14 games are scheduled, with Milwaukee and Minnesota the only teams that won’t play until Saturday. Philadelphia (62-34) has the best record in the majors and Cleveland (58-37) has an AL-best .611 winning percentage, though Baltimore and the New York Yankees also have 58 wins.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721208842253.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;American League's Jarren Duran, of the Boston Red Sox, hits a home run during the fifth inning of the MLB All-Star baseball game, Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. Anthony Santander, of the Baltimore Orioles, also scored. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;American League's Jarren Duran, of the Boston Red Sox, hits a home run during the fifth inning of the MLB All-Star baseball game, Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. Anthony Santander, of the Baltimore Orioles, also scored. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)</figcaption>
 </figure>ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Speedy Jarren Duran describes himself as a player who keeps his head down, works hard and never thinks of himself as being better than anybody else.Duran turned some heads in his first All-Star Game, hitting a tiebreaking two-run homer for the American League and being awarded the MVP trophy named after Boston Red Sox legend Ted Williams.“That's an honor. Who else would I want to try to follow in the footsteps of besides a guy like that, who is not just a great baseball player but a great human being,” Duran said after becoming the fifth Red Sox player selected All-Star Game MVP. “That guy was awesome, and I’m honored to be able to have his award.”The decisive homer came in the fifth inning Tuesday night as the AL beat the National League 5-3 for its 10th win in the past 11 All-Star Games.Pittsburgh rookie Paul Skenes pitched a hitless first for the NL, twice hitting 100 mph, and Shohei Ohtani also went deep in Texas with a three-run homer for a 3-0 lead in the third.Juan Soto hit a two-run double and scored on David Fry’s single to tie the score in the AL third, and Duran went deep off Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene.“It’s a surreal moment. So I’m just thankful to be here,” said Duran, who was one of 39 first-time All-Stars this year.Oakland right-hander Mason Miller got the win after throwing a 103.6 mph pitch, the fastest in the All-Star Game since tracking began in 2008. Hard-throwing Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase struck out two in the ninth for the save.The 22-year-old Skenes, who has pitched only 11 big league games since being the No. 1 overall pick in the draft last July, became the first rookie starter since 1995 and had the fewest games played for any player to make an All-Star team. The right-hander threw a hitless first, with a two-out walk to Soto before his Yankees teammate Aaron Judge grounded into a forceout on the next pitch.Skenes threw 11 of 16 pitches for strikes, with seven fastballs up to 100.1 mph.“Frankly, I wish I’d had a few more pitches to do that today,” said Skenes, who has a good mix of pitches to go with the hard stuff. “It’s cool to bring eyes to the game.”Ohtani, who has gone deep 29 times in the first season of his record $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, pulled a 400-foot drive to right off Tanner Houck. That came after the Boston right-hander allowed singles to the first two batters he faced: No. 9 batter Jurickson Profar and leadoff hitter Ketel Marte.“I haven’t really hit well in the All-Star Game, so I’m just relieved that I put the ball in play,” Ohtani said. “I just focused on having a regular at-bat as if I was in the regular season.”When Ohtani went against Miller in the fifth, he struck out on an 89.2 mph slider well inside and out of the strike zone. That was after twice taking strikes on fastballs of more than 100 mph.Ohtani’s first All-Star homer made him the first Dodgers player to go deep in the Midsummer Classic since Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza in 1996. Eleven days after his 30th birthday, Ohtani was an All-Star for the fourth time — his first with the NL.Baltimore’s Anthony Santander, after taking over for Soto in right field, had a two-out single in the fifth before Duran’s 413-foot homer to right-center after he had replaced Judge in center. Duran took a 95.9 mph fastball before going deep on an 86 mph splitter.“I knew he threw really hard so I was just praying he would throw me a first pitch fastball so I could see how hard it was. After that, I was hoping to get a pitch up,” Duran said. “He happened to leave a pitch up. I happened to put a good swing on it.”The last Red Sox player to be the All-Star MVP was J.D. Drew in 2008, following Pedro Martinez in 1999, Roger Clemens in 1986 and Carl Yastrzemski in 1970.Duran was voted by his peers as an All-Star after being the first AL player to go into the break with at least 100 hits, 10 triples, 10 homers and 20 stolen bases.The AL has a 48-44-2 record in the All-Star Game, and had won nine in a row before the National League's 3-2 victory last year in Seattle.AL starter Corbin Burnes arrived in Texas the morning of the game after spending time at home with his newborn twin daughters. The Baltimore right-hander allowed a walk and then a two-out double to Bryce Harper before getting out of his inning on a comebacker by William Contreras, his catcher last season in Milwaukee.After his underhand toss of the ball to first base, Burnes had a big smile on his face when he kept jogging and wrapped his arm around Contreras on the baseline.Quick gamePlayed in 2 hours, 28 minutes, it was the shortest All-Star Game since 1988, a game that the AL won 2-1 in Cincinnati that took only two minutes less.Won in both leaguesBruce Bochy of the host Rangers became the first manager to win World Series titles and All-Star Games in both leagues. Bochy is now 2-3 as an All-Star manager, leading the NL to a win in 2011. He won the World Series three times with the NL's San Francisco Giants in 2010, 2012 and 2014, then led the Rangers to their first championship in his debut season with them last year.Up nextThe MLB regular series resumes Friday when 14 games are scheduled, with Milwaukee and Minnesota the only teams that won’t play until Saturday. Philadelphia (62-34) has the best record in the majors and Cleveland (58-37) has an AL-best .611 winning percentage, though Baltimore and the New York Yankees also have 58 wins.

Jarren Duran's 2-run HR gives AL a 5-3 win over NL in All-Star Game

ARLINGTON, Texas
(AP) — Boston’s Jarren Duran, the All-Star MVP, hit a tiebreaking
two-run homer in the fifth inning and the American League beat the
National League 5-3 for its 10th win in the past 11 All-Star Games.
Pittsburgh rookie Paul Skenes pitched a hitless first for the NL,
twice hitting 100 mph, and Shohei Ohtani hit a three-run homer in the
third for a 3-0 lead. Juan Soto hit a two-run double and scored on
David Fry’s single for the AL to tie the score in the third, and
Duran went deep off Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene. Oakland
right-hander Mason Miller got the win after throwing a 103.6 mph
fastball in his perfect inning. Hard-throwing Cleveland closer
Emmanuel Clase struck out two in the ninth for the save.

UNDATED (AP) —
Major League Baseball’s three-day amateur draft concluded on
Tuesday, with the 30 teams blazing through 300 picks in less than 3
1/2 hours. There were some familiar last names selected on the final
day, which consisted of rounds 11 through 20. The Los Angeles Angels
took outfielder Lucas Ramirez in the 17th round. Ramirez is the son
of 12-time All-Star Manny Ramirez. The Boston Red Sox selected
D’Angelo Ortiz in the 19th round and he’s the son of Hall of Fame
slugger David Ortiz. In the 20th round, the Toronto Blue Jays took
USC shortstop Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek, who is the son of former
All-Star Mark Grudzielanek.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP)
— Patrick Mahomes joined rookies and select veterans in reporting
for the starting camp Tuesday as the Kansas City Chiefs set their
sights on a record third straight Super Bowl title. They had a short
offseason after beating the 49ers on Feb. 11 to win the Lombardi
Trophy. Standout left guard Joe Thuney will begin camp on the
physically unable to perform list following surgery for a pectoral
injury. Defensive back Jaylen Watson, defensive end Charles Omenihu
and defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi also will be on the PUP list.
First-round pick Xavier Worthy, a wide receiver out of Texas, will be
available for practice this week after missing most of the offseason
with a hamstring injury.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP)
— Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany,
recently announced that they were expecting their third child, but
don't expect a fourth. Mahomes was adamant that he is done after the
third joins his daughter, Sterling, and his son, Bronze. He spoke
Tuesday at Missouri Western, where the two-time NFL MVP joined Chiefs
rookies and select veterans in reporting for training camp. The
Mahomes family recently returned from a European vacation that
included stops in Spain, Portugal, and at Wimbledon. The couple also
joined Travis Kelce in watching his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, perform
at Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam.

CHICAGO (AP) — The
Chicago Bears have locked in their top two rookies, agreeing to
four-year contracts with No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams and
No. 9 selection Rome Odunze and avoiding any training camp drama with
their prized quarterback and receiver. A person familiar with the
deal confirmed the agreement with Williams to The Associated Press.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team had
not announced the contract. Williams gets a slotted $39.49 million
fully guaranteed deal with a $25.5 million signing bonus. The Bears
announced Odunze signed. The club has options for 2028 on both
players. The Bears are banking on Williams to become the sort of
franchise quarterback Chicago has craved for decades.

UNDATED (AP) — The
Pac-12’s existing bowl game agreements will continue through the
2025 season despite the league’s breakup. Among other things, it
means Oregon State and Washington State, the two remaining Pac-12
schools after the conference collapsed in realignment last summer,
will retain their postseason opportunities. The league has worked
with the ACC, Big 12 and Big Ten conferences on the agreements for
the Holiday Bowl, Independence Bowl, Las Vegas Bowl, LA Bowl, Sun
Bowl, Alamo Bowl and the ESPN bowl pool.

LAS VEGAS (AP) —
The Pac-12 may be down to the Pac-2, but that doesn’t mean the
league or its remaining members — Oregon State and Washington State
— aren’t gearing up for football. Drawing reporters who were in
town for the Big 12 and Mountain West Conference media days, the
abandoned Pac-12 Conference hosted “After Hours with the Beavs &amp;
Cougs” in an intimate setting at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino on
Wednesday. The night included gourmet hors d’oeuvres and an open
bar and current coaches, former stars and athletic officialds talking
about the future.

DALLAS (AP) —
Oklahoma's Jackson Arnold and Tennessee's Nico Iamaleava are the
Southeastern Conference's wild-card quarterbacks. The two first-year
starters and former five-star recruits have the potential to turn
their teams into College Football Playoff contenders. The Sooners
made their SEC Media Days debut on Tuesday and Arnold was the main
attraction, drawing a three-deep crowd of reporters around his dais.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel decided to leave his first-year starter
at home, but don’t mistake that for a lack of confidence for
Iamaleava. Heupel said he expects Iamaleava to ‘hit the ground
running.’

LAS VEGAS (AP) —
The NBA’s Board of Governors approved the league’s next media
rights deals with Disney, NBC and Amazon Prime Video at its meeting
Tuesday, moving the league one giant step closer to finalizing the
11-year agreements that will be worth about $76 billion. Now comes
the next, and possibly final, step: seeing if Warner Bros. Discovery
will match one of the deals in an effort to extend a relationship
with the NBA that dates to the late 1980s. WBD has five days to
match, that clock starting to run when it receives the contracts from
the league.

DALLAS (AP) —
Kyrie Irving has a broken left hand that required surgery after
getting injured in an offseason workout. The Dallas Mavericks aren't
providing a timeline for Irving's recovery. Irving and Luka Doncic
led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in their first full season
together. Boston won the title series in five games. The 32-year-old
Irving averaged 25.6 points in 58 games during the regular season
while dealing with foot, heel and thumb injuries.

UNDATED (AP) —
Jontay Porter, who has been banned from the NBA after admitting that
he helped bettors by intentionally underperforming in games, asked a
federal court Tuesday for permission to resume his playing career in
Greece. Porter, in a letter sent by attorney Jeff Jensen, is asking
that some conditions of his bond be modified so that he can get his
U.S. passport back, be allowed to travel in Europe and to reside in
Patras, Greece. Jensen told the court that Porter would play for the
Greek club Promitheas BC. Prosecutors have no opposition to the
request, Jensen wrote.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718617262520.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>ARLINGTON, Texas
(AP) — Boston’s Jarren Duran, the All-Star MVP, hit a tiebreaking
two-run homer in the fifth inning and the American League beat the
National League 5-3 for its 10th win in the past 11 All-Star Games.
Pittsburgh rookie Paul Skenes pitched a hitless first for the NL,
twice hitting 100 mph, and Shohei Ohtani hit a three-run homer in the
third for a 3-0 lead. Juan Soto hit a two-run double and scored on
David Fry’s single for the AL to tie the score in the third, and
Duran went deep off Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene. Oakland
right-hander Mason Miller got the win after throwing a 103.6 mph
fastball in his perfect inning. Hard-throwing Cleveland closer
Emmanuel Clase struck out two in the ninth for the save.UNDATED (AP) —
Major League Baseball’s three-day amateur draft concluded on
Tuesday, with the 30 teams blazing through 300 picks in less than 3
1/2 hours. There were some familiar last names selected on the final
day, which consisted of rounds 11 through 20. The Los Angeles Angels
took outfielder Lucas Ramirez in the 17th round. Ramirez is the son
of 12-time All-Star Manny Ramirez. The Boston Red Sox selected
D’Angelo Ortiz in the 19th round and he’s the son of Hall of Fame
slugger David Ortiz. In the 20th round, the Toronto Blue Jays took
USC shortstop Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek, who is the son of former
All-Star Mark Grudzielanek.ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP)
— Patrick Mahomes joined rookies and select veterans in reporting
for the starting camp Tuesday as the Kansas City Chiefs set their
sights on a record third straight Super Bowl title. They had a short
offseason after beating the 49ers on Feb. 11 to win the Lombardi
Trophy. Standout left guard Joe Thuney will begin camp on the
physically unable to perform list following surgery for a pectoral
injury. Defensive back Jaylen Watson, defensive end Charles Omenihu
and defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi also will be on the PUP list.
First-round pick Xavier Worthy, a wide receiver out of Texas, will be
available for practice this week after missing most of the offseason
with a hamstring injury.ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP)
— Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany,
recently announced that they were expecting their third child, but
don't expect a fourth. Mahomes was adamant that he is done after the
third joins his daughter, Sterling, and his son, Bronze. He spoke
Tuesday at Missouri Western, where the two-time NFL MVP joined Chiefs
rookies and select veterans in reporting for training camp. The
Mahomes family recently returned from a European vacation that
included stops in Spain, Portugal, and at Wimbledon. The couple also
joined Travis Kelce in watching his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, perform
at Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam.CHICAGO (AP) — The
Chicago Bears have locked in their top two rookies, agreeing to
four-year contracts with No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams and
No. 9 selection Rome Odunze and avoiding any training camp drama with
their prized quarterback and receiver. A person familiar with the
deal confirmed the agreement with Williams to The Associated Press.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team had
not announced the contract. Williams gets a slotted $39.49 million
fully guaranteed deal with a $25.5 million signing bonus. The Bears
announced Odunze signed. The club has options for 2028 on both
players. The Bears are banking on Williams to become the sort of
franchise quarterback Chicago has craved for decades.UNDATED (AP) — The
Pac-12’s existing bowl game agreements will continue through the
2025 season despite the league’s breakup. Among other things, it
means Oregon State and Washington State, the two remaining Pac-12
schools after the conference collapsed in realignment last summer,
will retain their postseason opportunities. The league has worked
with the ACC, Big 12 and Big Ten conferences on the agreements for
the Holiday Bowl, Independence Bowl, Las Vegas Bowl, LA Bowl, Sun
Bowl, Alamo Bowl and the ESPN bowl pool.LAS VEGAS (AP) —
The Pac-12 may be down to the Pac-2, but that doesn’t mean the
league or its remaining members — Oregon State and Washington State
— aren’t gearing up for football. Drawing reporters who were in
town for the Big 12 and Mountain West Conference media days, the
abandoned Pac-12 Conference hosted “After Hours with the Beavs &amp;
Cougs” in an intimate setting at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino on
Wednesday. The night included gourmet hors d’oeuvres and an open
bar and current coaches, former stars and athletic officialds talking
about the future.DALLAS (AP) —
Oklahoma's Jackson Arnold and Tennessee's Nico Iamaleava are the
Southeastern Conference's wild-card quarterbacks. The two first-year
starters and former five-star recruits have the potential to turn
their teams into College Football Playoff contenders. The Sooners
made their SEC Media Days debut on Tuesday and Arnold was the main
attraction, drawing a three-deep crowd of reporters around his dais.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel decided to leave his first-year starter
at home, but don’t mistake that for a lack of confidence for
Iamaleava. Heupel said he expects Iamaleava to ‘hit the ground
running.’LAS VEGAS (AP) —
The NBA’s Board of Governors approved the league’s next media
rights deals with Disney, NBC and Amazon Prime Video at its meeting
Tuesday, moving the league one giant step closer to finalizing the
11-year agreements that will be worth about $76 billion. Now comes
the next, and possibly final, step: seeing if Warner Bros. Discovery
will match one of the deals in an effort to extend a relationship
with the NBA that dates to the late 1980s. WBD has five days to
match, that clock starting to run when it receives the contracts from
the league.DALLAS (AP) —
Kyrie Irving has a broken left hand that required surgery after
getting injured in an offseason workout. The Dallas Mavericks aren't
providing a timeline for Irving's recovery. Irving and Luka Doncic
led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in their first full season
together. Boston won the title series in five games. The 32-year-old
Irving averaged 25.6 points in 58 games during the regular season
while dealing with foot, heel and thumb injuries.UNDATED (AP) —
Jontay Porter, who has been banned from the NBA after admitting that
he helped bettors by intentionally underperforming in games, asked a
federal court Tuesday for permission to resume his playing career in
Greece. Porter, in a letter sent by attorney Jeff Jensen, is asking
that some conditions of his bond be modified so that he can get his
U.S. passport back, be allowed to travel in Europe and to reside in
Patras, Greece. Jensen told the court that Porter would play for the
Greek club Promitheas BC. Prosecutors have no opposition to the
request, Jensen wrote.

Wednesday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

By BRENT MARTIN St. Joseph Post

Chiefs Training Camp is now open with quarterbacks and rookies
reporting to Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes says the Chiefs need to stay
hungry even though they are coming off back-to-back Super Bowl victories.

“We’re back in St. Joe, it’s time to get better,” Mahomes tells
reporters as training camp officials gets underway. “Every season starts
different. You’ve got to come in with the same mentality you had the year
before, even a higher intensity. Even though we won the Super Bowl last year,
we feel like we didn’t play our best football, especially offensively. It’s our
goal to be better that way and we have to come with that mentality every single
day.”

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid says training camp prepares the
team for a grueling season by sharpening their mental and physical abilities.

“If you’re fatigued then you’re going to be fatigued mentally.
If you’re fatigued physically that’s going to affect you mentally. And if you’re
fatigued period, then you can’t think and you can’t play, at least not to the best
of your ability,” Reid says during the news conference. “So, the objective here
is let’s get ourselves in shape, make sure we’re in football shape. They’re all
going to come back in shape, but let’s get ourselves in football shape.”

Mahomes says it’s important for the team to sequester itself
on the Missouri Western campus and focus on football.

“Being in the building and being at lunch together, being at
dinner together, always kind of being around the guys, you build this kind of
culture and this family-type brotherhood,” according to Mahomes. “I’m excited
to continue to do that with a lot of new faces and then with guys that have
been here before, because we know this is what it takes in order for us to go
out there and be great.”

Not all the team is in St. Joseph. This week, only the quarterbacks
and rookies attend practice. Practices this week are closed to the public. The
full team reports Sunday.

Reid values this time to bring the team together and prepare
for a tough football season.

“Listen, we look forward to being back here. We love the set
up here. The people here treat us great at Missouri Western State University; beautiful
facilities,” Reid tells reports standing outside Scanlon Hall, which will be
their home for the next few weeks. “It’s great to be able to get away from the
city and be able to house guys in the same dorm. I’m saying this as a coach and
they probably aren’t going to say this, but it builds a certain camaraderie.”

Chiefs Training Camp begins for the full team Sunday morning
with a 9:15am start at MWSU. There is a $5 admission fee for the practice on
Sunday, the first open to the public.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721167941490.jpeg" alt="Patrick Mahomes addresses the media at the opening of Chiefs Training Camp on the Missouri Western campus in St. Joseph (Alexis Starks photo)" />
 <figcaption>Patrick Mahomes addresses the media at the opening of Chiefs Training Camp on the Missouri Western campus in St. Joseph (Alexis Starks photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTIN St. Joseph PostChiefs Training Camp is now open with quarterbacks and rookies
reporting to Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph.Quarterback Patrick Mahomes says the Chiefs need to stay
hungry even though they are coming off back-to-back Super Bowl victories.“We’re back in St. Joe, it’s time to get better,” Mahomes tells
reporters as training camp officials gets underway. “Every season starts
different. You’ve got to come in with the same mentality you had the year
before, even a higher intensity. Even though we won the Super Bowl last year,
we feel like we didn’t play our best football, especially offensively. It’s our
goal to be better that way and we have to come with that mentality every single
day.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721168026141.jpeg" alt="Head Coach Andy Reid answers questions at the start of training camp. (Alexis Starks photo)" />
 <figcaption>Head Coach Andy Reid answers questions at the start of training camp. (Alexis Starks photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid says training camp prepares the
team for a grueling season by sharpening their mental and physical abilities.“If you’re fatigued then you’re going to be fatigued mentally.
If you’re fatigued physically that’s going to affect you mentally. And if you’re
fatigued period, then you can’t think and you can’t play, at least not to the best
of your ability,” Reid says during the news conference. “So, the objective here
is let’s get ourselves in shape, make sure we’re in football shape. They’re all
going to come back in shape, but let’s get ourselves in football shape.”Mahomes says it’s important for the team to sequester itself
on the Missouri Western campus and focus on football.“Being in the building and being at lunch together, being at
dinner together, always kind of being around the guys, you build this kind of
culture and this family-type brotherhood,” according to Mahomes. “I’m excited
to continue to do that with a lot of new faces and then with guys that have
been here before, because we know this is what it takes in order for us to go
out there and be great.”Not all the team is in St. Joseph. This week, only the quarterbacks
and rookies attend practice. Practices this week are closed to the public. The
full team reports Sunday.Reid values this time to bring the team together and prepare
for a tough football season.“Listen, we look forward to being back here. We love the set
up here. The people here treat us great at Missouri Western State University; beautiful
facilities,” Reid tells reports standing outside Scanlon Hall, which will be
their home for the next few weeks. “It’s great to be able to get away from the
city and be able to house guys in the same dorm. I’m saying this as a coach and
they probably aren’t going to say this, but it builds a certain camaraderie.”Chiefs Training Camp begins for the full team Sunday morning
with a 9:15am start at MWSU. There is a $5 admission fee for the practice on
Sunday, the first open to the public.

🏈 Chiefs return to St. Joseph seeking third straight Super Bowl

11 teams have finalized their bids for the 2024 NBC World Series:

Hutchinson Monarchs – Jayhawk League – 2023 NBC defending champions

Santa Barbara Foresters – California Collegiate League – 2023 NBC runner ups

Seattle Cheney Studs – Pacific International League

Seattle Black Fins – Pacific International League

Boulder Collegians – Mile High Collegiate Baseball League

California Halos – California Premier League

Top Prospect Academy Texas – AABC – Stan Musial Texas World Series Champion

Liberal Bee Jays – Rocky Mountain Collegiate Baseball League

Hays Larks – Rocky Mountain Collegiate Baseball League

San Diego Stars- Western Baseball Association

Four other bids have been assigned and are waiting to determine who their representative will be:

American Amateur Baseball Congress- Oklahoma

Stan Musial World Series champion will be determined on July 20th

Hap Dumont League, NBC Qualifier Tournament. Champion will be determined on July 21st

Bid tentatively scheduled to be selected on July 19th

To round out the field, there will be one more at-large bid, which will be announced in the coming week

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720868310917.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>11 teams have finalized their bids for the 2024 NBC World Series:Hutchinson Monarchs – Jayhawk League – 2023 NBC defending championsSanta Barbara Foresters – California Collegiate League – 2023 NBC runner upsSeattle Cheney Studs – Pacific International LeagueSeattle Black Fins – Pacific International LeagueBoulder Collegians – Mile High Collegiate Baseball LeagueCalifornia Halos – California Premier LeagueHaysville Aviators – Jayhawk LeagueTop Prospect Academy Texas – AABC – Stan Musial Texas World Series ChampionLiberal Bee Jays – Rocky Mountain Collegiate Baseball LeagueHays Larks – Rocky Mountain Collegiate Baseball LeagueSan Diego Stars- Western Baseball AssociationFour other bids have been assigned and are waiting to determine who their representative will be:American Amateur Baseball Congress- OklahomaStan Musial World Series champion will be determined on July 20thHap Dumont League, NBC Qualifier Tournament. Champion will be determined on July 21stCentex Collegiate Baseball League Bid tentatively scheduled to be selected on July 19thJayhawk League best overall recordTo round out the field, there will be one more at-large bid, which will be announced in the coming week

11 teams have punched their ticket to the NBC World Series

DALLAS (AP) — Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey unofficially opened the league's first football season as 16-team league Monday in a massive hotel ballroom in North Texas, a new setting for SEC Media Days at a time when everything about college sports seems to be in flux.

“It’s time to update your expectations for what college athletics can be,” Sankey said, kicking off the four-day event.

The powerhouse SEC, which boasts 13 college football national champions since 2006, now includes Texas and Oklahoma. It's one of many changes going into effect this year in college football, with plenty more to come.

“We as leaders are responsible for navigating what really are for us in college sports uncharted waters of change,” Sankey said.

The 59-year-old commissioner stressed that college sports must find solutions from within while also recognizing external pressures from lawsuits and politicians that complicate the situation.

“But the reality is there is no easy button we can just go push to resolve the issues we face. There’s no magic pill. Anytime you go through a reset, it is difficult,” Sankey said.

Maybe the most dramatic changes are still coming together. In late May, the NCAA and power conferences agreed to the framework of a settlement of several antitrust lawsuits. The settlement includes $2.8 billion in damages to be paid out by the NCAA and a groundbreaking commitment by the conferences to allow its schools to share a percentage of athletic revenue with their athletes.

A full term sheet with details of the settlement still must be filed with the federal court in Northern California that is overseeing the case. That is expected to happen soon. Then it must be approved by Judge Claudia Wilken.

“We are literally working to make what would normally be a decade’s worth of change in a matter of months," Sankey said.

Sankey said new revenue streams will be needed, but he warned of college sports leaders handing over control in exchange for money, a not so subtle allusion to private equity.

“We’ve been incredibly successful, and I understand why so many outside of the campus and conference realm are interested in coming in and being a part of it, but that responsibility lies with us to bring people into the solution, not to cede authority to external actors,” Sankey said.

Early in about a 30-minute opening statement, Sankey dropped a line that gained some traction on social media and led to a few follow-up questions.

“Sixteen is our today, and 16 is our tomorrow,” he said, referring to the size of the newly expanded conference.

After three years of tumultuous and transformative conference realignment, there has been relative peace on that front in 2024. But instability in any conference fuels speculation.

In the Atlantic Coast Conference, Florida State and Clemson have sued the league, challenging the agreements the bind schools to the league with hundreds of millions of dollars in potential exit fees and penalties.

Sankey made clear that his interest in the ACC litigation is only as an observer.

“As I said, we’re focused on our 16. I’ve said before at Media Days, I’m not a recruiter," he said. “Our presidents have been clear that I am not going to entangle us in litigation around expansion. So I pay attention, but I’m not engaged in those conversations.”

Sankey was asked to clarify 16 today, 16 tomorrow. Was that a reference to long-term future of the SEC?

“So the last three questions are a part of the reality, which is I’ve responded now three times where our focus lies. Our focus is on our 16 members. I have a responsibility to pay attention, and I’m certainly not going to fuel speculation on what happens next,” he said.

“We can certainly remain at 16 for a long, long time and be incredibly successful.”

As a result of massive realignment, the Big 12 has 16 teams, the Big Ten 18 and the ACC now has schools in Dallas and the California Bay Area. The Pac-12 is a two-team league, fighting for survival.

Texas and Oklahoma deciding to move to the SEC was the first domino to fall in 2021, a move that doesn't look quite so radical in comparison to other that followed.

“We know who we are, and the Southeastern Conference, we’re the one conference at this level where the name still means something, the southeastern part of the United States, where when we expanded, we actually restored historic rivalries while adding only 100 miles to the longest campus-to-campus trip our student-athletes will experience,” Sankey said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721158475037.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey speaks during SEC NCAA college football media days Monday, July 15, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey speaks during SEC NCAA college football media days Monday, July 15, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)</figcaption>
 </figure>DALLAS (AP) — Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey unofficially opened the league's first football season as 16-team league Monday in a massive hotel ballroom in North Texas, a new setting for SEC Media Days at a time when everything about college sports seems to be in flux.“It’s time to update your expectations for what college athletics can be,” Sankey said, kicking off the four-day event.The powerhouse SEC, which boasts 13 college football national champions since 2006, now includes Texas and Oklahoma. It's one of many changes going into effect this year in college football, with plenty more to come.“We as leaders are responsible for navigating what really are for us in college sports uncharted waters of change,” Sankey said.The 59-year-old commissioner stressed that college sports must find solutions from within while also recognizing external pressures from lawsuits and politicians that complicate the situation.“But the reality is there is no easy button we can just go push to resolve the issues we face. There’s no magic pill. Anytime you go through a reset, it is difficult,” Sankey said.Maybe the most dramatic changes are still coming together. In late May, the NCAA and power conferences agreed to the framework of a settlement of several antitrust lawsuits. The settlement includes $2.8 billion in damages to be paid out by the NCAA and a groundbreaking commitment by the conferences to allow its schools to share a percentage of athletic revenue with their athletes.A full term sheet with details of the settlement still must be filed with the federal court in Northern California that is overseeing the case. That is expected to happen soon. Then it must be approved by Judge Claudia Wilken.“We are literally working to make what would normally be a decade’s worth of change in a matter of months," Sankey said.Sankey said new revenue streams will be needed, but he warned of college sports leaders handing over control in exchange for money, a not so subtle allusion to private equity.“We’ve been incredibly successful, and I understand why so many outside of the campus and conference realm are interested in coming in and being a part of it, but that responsibility lies with us to bring people into the solution, not to cede authority to external actors,” Sankey said.BIG ENOUGH?Early in about a 30-minute opening statement, Sankey dropped a line that gained some traction on social media and led to a few follow-up questions.“Sixteen is our today, and 16 is our tomorrow,” he said, referring to the size of the newly expanded conference.After three years of tumultuous and transformative conference realignment, there has been relative peace on that front in 2024. But instability in any conference fuels speculation.In the Atlantic Coast Conference, Florida State and Clemson have sued the league, challenging the agreements the bind schools to the league with hundreds of millions of dollars in potential exit fees and penalties.Sankey made clear that his interest in the ACC litigation is only as an observer.“As I said, we’re focused on our 16. I’ve said before at Media Days, I’m not a recruiter," he said. “Our presidents have been clear that I am not going to entangle us in litigation around expansion. So I pay attention, but I’m not engaged in those conversations.”Sankey was asked to clarify 16 today, 16 tomorrow. Was that a reference to long-term future of the SEC?“So the last three questions are a part of the reality, which is I’ve responded now three times where our focus lies. Our focus is on our 16 members. I have a responsibility to pay attention, and I’m certainly not going to fuel speculation on what happens next,” he said.“We can certainly remain at 16 for a long, long time and be incredibly successful.”As a result of massive realignment, the Big 12 has 16 teams, the Big Ten 18 and the ACC now has schools in Dallas and the California Bay Area. The Pac-12 is a two-team league, fighting for survival.Texas and Oklahoma deciding to move to the SEC was the first domino to fall in 2021, a move that doesn't look quite so radical in comparison to other that followed.“We know who we are, and the Southeastern Conference, we’re the one conference at this level where the name still means something, the southeastern part of the United States, where when we expanded, we actually restored historic rivalries while adding only 100 miles to the longest campus-to-campus trip our student-athletes will experience,” Sankey said.

SEC Commissioner: 'Time to update your expectations for what college athletics can be'

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — After a widely panned performance of the U.S. national anthem at the MLB Home Run Derby, country singer Ingrid Andress apologized Tuesday and said she was drunk.

“I'm checking myself into a facility today to get the help I need,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “That was not me last night. I apologize to MLB, all the fans, and this country I love so much for that rendition.”

The MLB is not commenting, spokesperson Matt Bourne said.

On Monday night, the four-time Grammy nominee belted an a cappella version of “The Star-Spangled Banner," an incredibly challenging song to sing. Clips of her less-than-popular rendition at the Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, went viral.

Sports Illustrated writer Alex Carr posted on X, formerly Twitter, “I’m so sorry, I’m sure Ingrid Andress is a wonderful person, but that was one of the worst national anthems I think I’ve ever heard in my whole life.”

Here's more to know about the incident and Andress.

Andress, 32, began her career as a Nashville songwriter, penning songs for performers across genres, including Bebe Rexha's “Girl in the Mirror,” Halestorm's “Conflicted,” and the critically acclaimed “Boys,” which became an international hit for British singer Charli XCX.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721155602482.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;FILE - Ingrid Andress performs on day four of the Lollapalooza Music Festival in Chicago on Aug. 6, 2023. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;FILE - Ingrid Andress performs on day four of the Lollapalooza Music Festival in Chicago on Aug. 6, 2023. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — After a widely panned performance of the U.S. national anthem at the MLB Home Run Derby, country singer Ingrid Andress apologized Tuesday and said she was drunk.“I'm checking myself into a facility today to get the help I need,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “That was not me last night. I apologize to MLB, all the fans, and this country I love so much for that rendition.”The MLB is not commenting, spokesperson Matt Bourne said.On Monday night, the four-time Grammy nominee belted an a cappella version of “The Star-Spangled Banner," an incredibly challenging song to sing. Clips of her less-than-popular rendition at the Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, went viral.Sports Illustrated writer Alex Carr posted on X, formerly Twitter, “I’m so sorry, I’m sure Ingrid Andress is a wonderful person, but that was one of the worst national anthems I think I’ve ever heard in my whole life.”Here's more to know about the incident and Andress.Who is Ingrid Andress?Andress, 32, began her career as a Nashville songwriter, penning songs for performers across genres, including Bebe Rexha's “Girl in the Mirror,” Halestorm's “Conflicted,” and the critically acclaimed “Boys,” which became an international hit for British singer Charli XCX.Soon, she inked a deal with Warner Music Nashville and Atlantic Records for her own music, releasing her debut album “Lady Like” in 2020. Her breakthrough single “More Hearts Than Mine” proceeded the release, peaked at No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained on the list for 20 weeks.In 2021, she released her second-biggest song to date, the country radio favorite “Wishful Drinking,” a collaboration with singer Sam Hunt. It also spent 20 weeks on the chart, peaking at No. 47.Her sophomore album, “Good Person,” was released in 2022.What was the reaction to her MLB Home Run Derby performance?Andress' performance quickly made the rounds on social media.Vulture blogger Bethy Squires joked that Andress sang “The Star-Spangled Banner,” "in cursive,” a reference to a popular Internet neologism referring to pop singers stretching vowels and accentuating their vocal fry.Chris Wright, the executive editor of Saturday Down South, was a bit more delicate: “I enjoy Ingrid Andress’ music and have seen her in concert,” he wrote on X. “After listening to that National Anthem, I have a newfound respect for her producers and sound crew. Wow.”This isn't the first time a performance of the national anthem has been panned.In the pantheon of controversial renditions of the national anthem at sporting events, Roseanne Barr's rendition at a 1990 San Diego Padres game and Fergie's at the 2018 NBA All-Star Game yielded similar reactions.Following her performance, Fergie released a statement: "I’ve always been honored and proud to perform the national anthem and last night I wanted to try something special for the NBA,” the Grammy-winning singer said. “I’m a risk taker artistically, but clearly this rendition didn’t strike the intended tone. I love this country and honestly tried my best.”Barr responded to Fergie's performance, writing on Twitter at the time, “Who saw Fergie’s national anthem performance at the NBA All Star Game? I think mine was better lowkey.”