Here are the AP’s top sports stories that have moved or are planned to move today. All times U.S. Eastern. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit AP Newsroom’s Coverage Plan. Sports content can be found at http://newsroom.ap.org/page/APSports.
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UPCOMING
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FBN--NFL-DIAGNOSING CTE
DESCRIPTION: Matt Hasselbeck, a former NFL quarterback, has participated in a study at Boston University to help diagnose CTE in living individuals. CTE, a degenerative brain disease linked to head trauma, currently can only be diagnosed after death. Hasselbeck, who played in the NFL for 17 years, hopes his involvement will aid researchers in finding ways to diagnose CTE accurately.
UPCOMING: By 08/12/2026 6:00 a.m. EDT, Text, Photo
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BKO--HALL OF FAME-CRAWFORD
DESCRIPTION: Joey Crawford is getting enshrined in this year’s Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class, more than a decade after his final NBA game. Growing up, Crawford was drawn to refereeing, inspired by his father, a baseball umpire. He officiated over 2,500 regular-season games and nearly 400 postseason games, including 50 NBA Finals. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds
UPCOMING: By 08/12/2026 6:00 a.m. EDT, Text, Photo
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FBC--PICK SIX-CRITICAL GAMES
DESCRIPTION: Don’t miss these 10 critical showdowns in the regular season that will set the conversation around the national title hunt. By Maura Carey. Text, file photos.
UPCOMING: By 08/12/2026 8:00 a.m. EDT, Text
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BBO--MLB-GIVEAWAYS
DESCRIPTION: It started as a limited promotion for a specialty theme night. Then the Chicago White Sox heard from their fans. Everyone wanted a pope-themed hat. An array of creative promotions has played at least a small role in an MLB-wide average attendance of 29,630 through Sunday’s games, which would be the highest such number for a full season since 2017.
UPCOMING: By 08/12/2026 1:00 p.m. EDT, Text, Photo
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SOC--UEFA SUPER CUP
DESCRIPTION: SALZBURG, Austria - UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa. 400 words, photos.
UPCOMING: By 08/12/2026 5:00 p.m. EDT, Text, Photo
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BBO--FIELD OF DREAMS RETURNS
FORMATS: Text, Photo
1. WITH: BBO--FIELD OF DREAMS RETURNS
2. DESCRIPTION: Major League Baseball returns to the Field of Dreams movie site in Iowa for a regular season game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Minnesota Twins.
3. UPCOMING: By 08/12/2026 6:00 p.m. EDT
4. WITH: BBO--FIELD OF DREAMS RETURNS-THE GHOST PLAYERS
5. DESCRIPTION: The passion for baseball in the farmlands of northeast Iowa persists nearly four decades after the filming of “Field of Dreams” with a group of locals who dutifully show up in oldtime garb to have a catch with fans at the movie site.
6. UPCOMING: By 08/12/2026 6:00 p.m. EDT
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SOC--LEAGUES-CUP-LEON-MIAMI
DESCRIPTION: Inter Miami faces Club León in a must-win Leagues Cup match with its tournament hopes hanging by a thread and Lionel Messi’s status unclear after he missed Saturday’s loss to Monterrey following the death of his father. By Alanis Thames. Text, photos.
UPCOMING: By 08/12/2026 10:00 p.m. EDT, Text, Photo
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NEW AND DEVELOPING
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BBO--RAYS-WALLS HOME RUNS
Taylor Walls homers from each side of the plate to make Tampa Bay Rays history
SUMMARY: Taylor Walls homered from each side of the plate in a 12-4 victory at the Athletics on Tuesday night, becoming the first switch-hitter to do that twice for the AL-leading Tampa Bay Rays. Walls also accomplished the feat on April 18, 2023, at Cincinnati. The 30-year-old shortstop hit his first homer Tuesday left-handed in the fourth inning off Athletics starter Mason Barnett. Walls went deep as a right-handed hitter off reliever Brady Basso in the sixth, helping Tampa Bay win its eighth straight game.
WORDS: 179 - MOVED: 08/12/2026 12:48 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:d48fc09bc109d733ef1aa4245b69d9c0&mediaType=text
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BBO--RAYS-ATHLETICS
Walls HRs from both sides of the plate for 2nd time in his career as Rays beat A’s 12-4
SUMMARY: Taylor Walls homered from both sides of the plate for the second time in his career, Nick Martinez tossed a complete game and the Tampa Bay Rays won their eighth straight game, 12-4 over the Athletics on Tuesday night. The 30-year-old Walls, whose homers were his first of the season, went 4 for 5 in his second two-homer game. He last went deep as a righty and lefty on April 18, 2023, against the Cincinnati Reds. Walls is the fifth player this season to homer from both sides of the plate, joining the White Sox’s Drew Romo, Colorado’s Willi Castro, Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds, and Minnesota’s Josh Bell. Martinez (12-3) struck out five, and allowed four runs on eight hits with a 101-pitch effort for his second career complete game.
WORDS: 384 - MOVED: 08/12/2026 12:42 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:e9faeaf7200eb44cb2b688312cf6047f&mediaType=text
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BBO--REDS-WHITE SOX
Reds rally late, beat the White Sox 5-4 in the 10th to spoil pope hat giveaway night
SUMMARY: Elly De La Cruz drove in automatic runner Matt McLain with a sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th inning as the Cincinnati Reds snapped a three-game skid with a 5-4 comeback win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night. The Reds rallied from three runs down in the eighth inning after White Sox starter Sean Burke allowed only one run on three hits in seven innings. The White Sox drew 38,113, their ninth sellout, for a unique giveaway: team-branded papal-style hats in honor of Pope Leo XIV, a lifelong White Sox fan who attended Game 1 of the 2005 World Series as Father Robert Prevost. Sister Mary Jo Sobieck threw out the first pitch.
WORDS: 340 - MOVED: 08/11/2026 10:42 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:0e9e6b644c1e5053ad268c26d7e4efbe&mediaType=text
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BKL--FEVER-WHITE’S RANT
Fever coach Stephanie White says divisiveness ‘will not win’ during pregame rant
SUMMARY: Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White has had enough of the conversations around the WNBA this season that aren’t about basketball. On Tuesday, she finally lashed out. The 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year and one of the original Fever players angrily defended herself after she was criticized for her response to DiJonai Carrington’s flagrant foul on Sophie Cunningham, and pleaded with people to focus on the sport and not the continual sideshows. White says: “The hate, the fearmongering, the divisiveness that’s trying to hijack our league will not win.”
WORDS: 934 - MOVED: 08/11/2026 10:12 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:ac0bbcc6981530b248dfa31feb63cb78&mediaType=text
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FBH--SNAKE IN HELMET
High school football player in Arkansas practices with a venomous snake in his helmet
SUMMARY: A high school football player in Arkansas had every right to be rattled after finding a venomous snake inside his helmet during practice. The Maumelle High student felt unusual movement inside his headgear following warmups last week and brought his helmet to an assistant coach for inspection. A slithering 2-foot cottonmouth was discovered behind some padding. The pit viper was so reluctant to exit the helmet that police officers had to pour water into it to force the snake out and into a bag. Animal services technicians arrived a few minutes later and took it to a wooded area far from the school.
WORDS: 214 - MOVED: 08/11/2026 9:46 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:b4340a60e61757f937eb370b11b80098&mediaType=text
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BKN--WARRIORS-CURRY
Golden State general manager Mike Dunleavy optimistic Stephen Curry will finish career with Warriors
SUMMARY: The Golden State Warriors have every indication Stephen Curry would like to stay with the team for the remainder of his career, and they plan to make that happen for the two-time NBA MVP. It’s what the 38-year-old Curry has said he would like to do, hoping to play at least a couple more years. Whether a new contract will get done right away remains to be seen. Curry becomes eligible for a two-year extension Aug. 29.
WORDS: 538 - MOVED: 08/11/2026 8:12 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:53bbe66811049f0782feed077d500a1c&mediaType=text
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US--SPEED RECORD-SALT FLATS
Britain’s Andy Green sets another speed record, this time in a hydrogen-powered car
SUMMARY: The only person to break the sound barrier in a car has earned another world record, this time in a show of force for hydrogen power. British driver Andy Green reached 406.320 mph in a car powered by two hydrogen internal combustion engines, setting the record for that vehicle category, according to the international governing body of motor sports. The 64-year-old retired Royal Air Force pilot rocketed across the crystalline crust at Utah’s famous Bonneville Salt Flats in a car engineered by British construction equipment manufacturer JCB. Tuesday’s feat didn’t come close to approaching his overall land-speed record of 763 mph, which he set in 1997 in a car powered by jet engines and which caused sonic booms.
WORDS: 753 - MOVED: 08/11/2026 7:48 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:e1633f838796f4b9d1504066b81b6dc4&mediaType=text
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FBN--CBS-ROMO
CBS Sports president says there’s no timeline for a decision on Tony Romo’s future
SUMMARY: CBS Sports president David Berson says he does not have a timeline for a decision about the future of Tony Romo. Romo is on leave from his job as the network’s lead NFL analyst following his arrest last month in Wisconsin on suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence. Berson spoke to reporters during a network event on Tuesday. He said the decision to place Romo on leave was intended to shift attention toward the games and away from his legal situation. Analyst JJ Watt will join play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson on CBS Sports’ lead NFL team during Romo’s absence.
WORDS: 339 - MOVED: 08/11/2026 7:01 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:6e2a8d82d2060286830f82fc7679ef57&mediaType=text
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BBO--ANGELS-MADDUX FIRED
MLB-worst Angels fire pitching coach Mike Maddux, 2 assistants in staff shake-up
SUMMARY: Pitching coach Mike Maddux, bullpen coach Dom Chiti and assistant pitching coach Darryl Scott have been fired by the Los Angeles Angels. Interim front-office leader John Mozeliak announced several changes Tuesday to first-year manager Kurt Suzuki’s coaching staff. The Angels have the majors’ worst record at 45-74. Tim Leveque was appointed Los Angeles’ interim pitching coach, and Michael Wuertz will be the club’s interim bullpen coach. Maddux didn’t last one full season with the Angels, who hired him last winter. The veteran pitching coach presided over a staff that has the majors’ seventh-worst ERA at 4.51.
WORDS: 770 - MOVED: 08/11/2026 6:58 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:74fe63e576cb7c97ada009404a7df237&mediaType=text
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FBN--VIKINGS-QBS
Vikings pick Murray as their starting QB over McCarthy, giving him the rest of camp to get ready
SUMMARY: The Minnesota Vikings have chosen Kyler Murray as their starting quarterback over J.J. McCarthy in the widely expected conclusion to what coach Kevin O’Connell pledged was a true competition. The announcement gives Murray a full month of full-time repetitions with the first-team offense before the regular season begins on Sept. 13. O’Connell and general manager Nolan Teasley met with both players in the morning to discuss the decision. An earlier decision on the starter was always going to be ideal for Murray as he’s learning a new system after spending his first seven NFL seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.
WORDS: 650 - MOVED: 08/11/2026 6:31 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:a149ae33dc8df694a9222495d6f277b4&mediaType=text
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FBN--BUCCANEERS-JETS-JOINT PRACTICE
Buccaneers-Jets joint practice turns chippy, with a few fights and a helmet thrown
SUMMARY: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets had a heated joint practice during which multiple scuffles broke out. It started Tuesday with a clash between the Bucs’ Luke Goedeke and Jets rookie David Bailey. Goedeke and Bailey exchanged blows and tensions flared with other players joining in. Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles downplayed the incidents, while Jets coach Aaron Glenn praised the players for moving on. Meanwhile, Bucs star Vita Vea attended practice but didn’t participate due to a contract dispute. The Jets plan to play their starters in the preseason opener on Friday. Bucs backup QB Jake Browning left practice with an apparent injury.
WORDS: 914 - MOVED: 08/11/2026 5:38 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:4a1ccfff67c77b07db5f0bb3bf62365e&mediaType=text
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FBN--BEARS-INJURIES
Bears safety Coby Bryant to miss four to six months after knee surgery
SUMMARY: Chicago Bears safety Coby Bryant will miss four to six months after he had surgery on his injured left knee. Bryant was signed to a $40 million, three-year deal as a free agent this offseason, was expected to be an important part of a revamped Chicago secondary. Coach Ben Johnson said Bryant had surgery Friday without disclosing details of the injury. He did not rule out the possibility that Bryant would return this season. Former Dallas and Tennessee safety Xavier Woods was signed last week and has been practicing with the starters in Bryant’s spot.
WORDS: 557 - MOVED: 08/11/2026 5:18 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:253aaae6429af9029a2b2dbe64718f54&mediaType=text
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SOC--RONALDO-MARRIED
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez tie the knot after 10 years
SUMMARY: Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez are husband and wife. They got married on Tuesday in a civil ceremony described by the public relations team that represents the Portuguese soccer star as “a private and intimate moment attended by their five children.” The Brunswick Group says in an announcement that the ceremony took place in Cascais, a coastal town in western Portugal near the capital Lisbon. The couple posted a picture on their Instagram accounts showing their rings. They have been together after meeting in Madrid in 2016. Ronaldo is a five-time world player of the year and one of the most high-profile sports stars.
WORDS: 140 - MOVED: 08/11/2026 5:02 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:bbe5bf3e5003e4dd663b7892c0a8f6d5&mediaType=text
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FBN--STEELERS-RODGERS
Aaron Rodgers is leaning into his final year, except when it comes to playing in the preseason
SUMMARY: Aaron Rodgers is soaking in what he says will be his final NFL training camp, but he doesn’t feel the need to play in Pittsburgh’s preseason opener against Green Bay. The 42-year-old described the exhibition slate as “not real football” compared to what awaits when the regular season starts in September. Rodgers thinks the preseason is valuable for younger players such as Drew Allar and Will Howard to gain experience. First-year Pittsburgh head Mike McCarthy hasn’t confirmed if Rodgers will play, but suggested veterans might sit out to protect their health.
WORDS: 833 - MOVED: 08/11/2026 2:17 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:d0112cba8288bb3650e99efe5a5b1c97&mediaType=text
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