Sports

Chris McCullough still rusty, but confident of bounceback

Published

2 hours ago

27 May 2026

TNT Tropang 5G’s Chris McCullough during a game vs Meralco Bolts in the 2026 PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals Game 4. -MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines–Chris McCullough is not dwelling too much on the struggles that marred his PBA return, this time for TNT in the Commissioner’s Cup semifinals.

McCullough scored 24 points but was 7-of-22 from the field as the Tropang 5G fell 101-90 to the Meralco Bolts on Wednesday, which leveled their best-of-seven affair at 2-2 inside Smart Araneta Coliseum.

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The former San Miguel Beer reinforcement is confident that things will be smooth once he gets his groove going.

READ: Chris McCullough says call from RHJ made PBA return with TNT happen

“I didn’t play basketball in 13 days,” said McCullough, who came over from a stint in Taiwan to serve as a permanent replacement to the injured Bol Bol. “This is my first time picking up a basketball in 13 days, so I’m still getting my rhythm, still getting my flow.

“But once I get going, it’ll be scary,” he added.

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Chris McCullough’s #PBA50 return wasn’t exactly as good as he would’ve liked it.
His TNT fell to Meralco in Game 4 and now the series reach a 2-2 stalemate. | @MeloFuertesINQ pic.twitter.com/AxDFmKqAv8
— INQUIRER Sports (@inquirersports) May 27, 2026

TNT tapped McCullough shortly after Bol went down with an Achilles injury that ended his much-publicized PBA stint. He arrived Sunday, allowing him two days to get used to the team.

He also had nine rebounds, two assists and three blocks in 31 minutes for the Tropang 5G.

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“Chemistry is regular,” he said. “I know most of the guys. I’ve only been to two days in practice, so tomorrow we’re going to work on things, see what works and come back and fight it.”

Game 5 is set for Friday at the Big Dome, with the winner taking an all-important 3-2 lead.

“Just take it one game at a time. We got a game Friday, one game at a time. Get a win and come back, and that’s it,” said McCullough.

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Netherlands Top Scorer Memphis Depay Included In World Cup Squad After Injury Worries

Published

7 minutes ago

27 May 2026

NewsAdmin

Netherlands top scorer Memphis Depay recovered from injury just in time for coach Ronald Koeman to include him in his 26-man squad for the World Cup next month. Depay was one of three players who have recently returned from injury to be selected Wednesday by Koeman. That was despite his limited playing time leading into soccer’s global showcase being hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Depay, the Netherlands’ all-time leading scorer with 55 goals, on Sunday made his first appearance in several weeks for his Brazilian club Corinthians after recovering from a thigh injury.

“I’d have preferred … it happened earlier,” Koeman said, adding he’d have to “wait and see” just how fit Depay is.

If Depay struggles for fitness, Koeman also has in-form Roma forward Donyell Malen.

Justin Kluivert, the son of Dutch great Patrick Kluivert, has also just returned to fitness after surgery to repair a knee injury and was picked along with defender Jurrien Timber, fresh from winning the Premier League with Arsenal, but also only recently returned to fitness. Timber’s brother Quinten also was named in the squad.

Koeman called up one debutant – West Ham winger Crysencio Summerville – and surprisingly left out Liverpool wingback Jeremie Frimpong, saying he often struggles with injuries.

Asked about his qualities, Koeman said Summerville has “speed, action, his play without the ball in defense. Very trustworthy.”

Midfielder Xavi Simons was ruled out of the tournament in April after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in a match for Tottenham against Wolverhampton and defensive stalwarts Stefan de Vrij and Matthijs de Ligt are also missing through injury.

The Netherlands is a three-time World Cup finalist but has never won international soccer’s greatest prize. It lost in 1974 to then West Germany, in 1978 to host Argentina and to Spain in 2010 when Andres Iniesta scored a goal late in extra time.

Koeman was realistic about his seventh-ranked team’s chances.

“Well, we’re competing to win, but I’m well aware of the reality and what other countries can bring. So, yeah, nothing is impossible, and that’s what we’re going for,” he said. “I’m convinced that we can go far and that we have a team that is hard to beat. But to win a few matches against big countries, that is still a long way off.”

Koeman said he was going to stop reading media and social media as his team prepares and throughout the tournament.

“You are in a bubble, focused on performance … everything else that comes from outside is a distraction,” he said.

And Koeman doesn’t want to get involved in activities outside his team’s media commitments at the tournament – regardless of who is asking.

“I don’t think that I’m going to a photo opportunity with the team because (US President Donald) Trump, (FIFA President Gianni) Infantino want us to stand in front of a church or some water for a picture,” he said. “No, that’s not going to happen.”

Koeman captained the Netherlands when the United States last hosted the World Cup in 1994 when the Dutch lost 3-2 to eventual champion Brazil in the quarterfinals. He also was in the team when the Netherlands won its only major international title, the 1988 European Championship.

The Netherlands opens its Group F campaign in Dallas against Japan before taking on Sweden and finally Tunisia.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Mark Flekken (Bayer Leverkusen), Robin Roefs (Sunderland), Bart Verbruggen (Brighton).

Defenders: Nathan Ake (Manchester City), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Denzel Dumfries (Inter Milan), Jorrel Hato (Chelsea), Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton), Micky van de Ven (Tottenham), Jurrien Timber (Arsenal).

Midfielders: Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool), Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Teun Koopmeiners (Juventus), Tijjani Reijnders (Manchester City), Marten de Roon (Atalanta), Guus Til (PSV Eindhoven), Quinten Timber (Marseille), Mats Wieffer (Brighton).

Forwards: Brian Brobbey (Sunderland), Memphis Depay (Corinthians), Cody Gakpo (Liverpool), Justin Kluivert (Bournemouth), Noa Lang (Galatasaray), Donyell Malen (Roma), Crysencio Summerville (West Ham), Wout Weghorst (Ajax).

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Big Ten on CBS 2026 schedule: USC, Oregon, Texas Tech among teams featured early

Published

20 minutes ago

27 May 2026

NewsAdmin

We are less than 100 days away from the start of the college football season and in addition to counting down the reasons to be excited for the year ahead, the schedule and some of the kickoff times are set for some of the biggest games of the early season.

The CBS Sports college football schedule for the 2026 season was announced Wednesday, highlighted by 14 appearances of the Big Ten on CBS at the usual kickoff of 3:30 p.m. ET. This season’s coverage of the Big Ten will start with Oregon playing host to Boise State in a Week 1 matchup of College Football Playoff hopefuls in Eugene.

Other Big Ten on CBS games announced this week were Minnesota hosting Mississippi State in Week 2 and USC’s long trip to New Jersey to kick off its conference schedule at Rutgers in Week 3. CBS will also broadcast the Black Friday rivalry game between Nebraska and Iowa, this year set for Iowa City on Nov. 27 at 12 p.m. ET, before the final Big Ten on CBS game of the regular season on Nov. 28 at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Of the many storylines to follow this season in college football one that will not be overlooked here is the return of the Pac-12. CBS Sports will be bringing you coverage of the new-look league on CBS and CBS Sports Network, including some high profile nonconference games and the Pac-12 Championship Game at the end of the season on CBS. Boise State’s position as a contender will be on display early with its trip to Oregon, while Oregon State, Colorado State and Washington State will look to play spoiler to power conference foes making the tricky early-season road trip.

Of course, in addition to the Big Ten games and Pac-12 games on the docket, CBS Sports will also feature three games in the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy rivalry between Army, Navy and Air Force which will conclude with the Army-Navy game in its traditional spot on the calendar, this year being hosted at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Check out the full schedule below of games on CBS and Paramount+ and a closer look at the top matchups that will be featured as part of the early CBS college football schedule.

2026 CBS college football schedule

Sat., Sept. 5 Advertisement	3:30 p.m.	Boise State at Oregon
Sat., Sept. 12	3:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Advertisement	Mississippi State at Minnesota Texas Tech at Oregon State
Sat., Sept. 19	3:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m.	USC at Rutgers BYU at Colorado State Advertisement
Sat., Sept. 26	3:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m.	Big Ten on CBS Game Arizona at Washington State
Sat., Oct. 3 Advertisement	12 p.m. 3:30 p.m.	Navy at Air Force Big Ten on CBS Game
Sat., Oct. 10	3:30 p.m. Advertisement	Big Ten on CBS Game
Sat., Oct. 17	3:30 p.m.	Big Ten on CBS Game Advertisement
Sat., Oct. 24	3:30 p.m.	Big Ten on CBS Game
Sat., Oct. 31 Advertisement	3:30 p.m.	Big Ten on CBS Game
Sat., Nov. 7	3:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Advertisement	Big Ten on CBS Game Air Force at Army
Sat., Nov. 14	3:30 p.m.	Big Ten on CBS Game Advertisement
Sat., Nov. 21	3:30 p.m.	Big Ten on CBS Game
Fri., Nov. 27 Advertisement	12 p.m.	Nebraska at Iowa
Sat., Nov. 28	3:30 p.m. Advertisement	Big Ten on CBS Game
Fri., Dec. 4	8 p.m.	Pac-12 Championship Game Advertisement
Sat., Dec. 12	3 p.m.	Army-Navy Game
Thu., Dec. 31 Advertisement	2 p.m.	Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl

CBS will announce additional details on its 2026 roster of games and studio announcers at a later date.

Now let’s highlight the top games set for CBS this season.

Sept. 5: Boise State at Oregon

A rematch of a 2024 classic

Dan Lanning wrapped up his Big Ten debut season with Oregon leading the Ducks to a conference championship and 13-0 record heading into the College Football Playoff. But that unbeaten mark was nearly upended in Week 2 thanks to Ashton Jeanty and a furious upset push from Boise State. The eventual Heisman Trophy finalist ran for 192 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries and the Broncos held different leads at halftime and early in the fourth quarter.

Ultimately Dillon Gabrial and Oregon were able to string together the plays needed in the fourth quarter to set up a game-winning field goal as time expired and escape with a 37-34 victory. But the back-and-forth tension brought a spotlight to Oregon’s strength as a resilient team and Boise State’s status as one of the best teams in the country. Both teams would finish the year in the College Football Playoff, and since both teams have goals of winning their respective conferences and making it back to the bracket this could be a big data point in the selection committee process at the end of the year.

Sept. 12: Mississippi State at Minnesota

Test of Gophers’ nonconference dominance

P.J. Fleck has regularly set up opportunities like this for the Golden Gophers and now B1G TIME will be on hand to witness one of the best nonconference records in the country be put to the test. Since arriving at Minnesota in 2017, Fleck has gone 27-4 against non-conference opponents, including a 7-0 record in bowl games.

Mississippi State brings in a tough challenge as the Bulldogs look to become just the third non-conference opponent since 2020 (Bowling Green in 2021, North Carolina in 2024) to win against the Gophers in Minneapolis.

Sept. 19: USC at Rutgers

Long road trip for dark horse Trojans

With Jayden Maiava back and a solid 2025 campaign to build on, USC has become a popular pick for a team that could elevate its status in the Big Ten this fall. But one is rushing to put the Trojans in the top tier with the likes of Indiana, Ohio State and Oregon just yet, in part because of USC’s road woes in Big Ten play.

Lincoln Riley is 3-6 in Big Ten road games and until the Trojans are delivering more consistent results they won’t be considered a contender along with those other College Football Playoff competitors. Now if we see USC make the trip and take care of business, attention will turn to the following week’s opponent (Oregon) and a chance for the Trojans to make their statement as a legitimate contender in the 2026 playoff race.

Nov. 27: Nebraska at Iowa

A guaranteed Black Friday grinder

There’s so much passion and history in this rivalry that was reignited by Nebraska’s move to the Big Ten. And since 2011 this game has not only been a late November fixture on the calendar but almost every game seems to be close. Of the 15 meetings as Big Ten foes, 10 of the games have been decided by eight points or less and six have come down to a field goal.

Last season’s 40-16 rout by Iowa was indicative of two teams that were finishing their campaigns in far different positions from a health perspective, as the Hawkeyes were wrapping up a successful top-25 season while the Cornhuskers were down to backup quarterbacks and barreling towards a 2-5 finish to the season. If both Nebraska and Iowa are playing for stakes late in the year, history suggests it’ll be another close one for the corn rivals.

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Ben Crenshaw shares 8 keys for a smooth swing tempo

Published

33 minutes ago

27 May 2026

NewsAdmin

Golf instruction is ever-evolving, but the best advice stands the test of time. In GOLF.com’s Timeless Tips, we highlight some of the greatest advice teachers and players have dispensed in the pages of GOLF Magazine. This week, we look back at our October 1978 issue where Ben Crenshaw shared eight keys for a smooth swing.

There’s no greater compliment your playing partners can give you than saying you have a “smooth swing.” A silky smooth move — a la Fred Couples or Ernie Els — is not only aesthetically pleasing, but quite effective, too.

But while these smooth swings may look effortless, they are anything but. A smooth tempo is crafted over years of practice, and honing it takes time to achieve.

Ben Crenshaw is a prime example of this. And back in the October 1978 issue of GOLF Magazine, the two-time Masters champ shared eight keys for developing a smooth swing tempo. Check it out below.

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Crenshaw’s keys for smooth tempo

Every golfer has done it. You rush one shot, then another, before you can recover, you’ve made a bogey, a double bogey or worse. How can you recover your tempo? The first adjustment is a mental one.

To slow down, say to yourself, ‘‘Golf is a leisurely game. What’s the point of rushing? The ball is not going anywhere — only I can move it.’’ Second, remind yourself of the good shots you’ve hit; you didn’t rush them, did you? Decide you will swing the same way on your next shot.

Now that you’re in the right frame of mind, here are some other techniques, not all of which will apply every time you have a spell of swinging too quickly. But they make a handy checklist, and I’ll bet that, at any one point in time, a couple of them will do the trick for you.

1. Don’t rush your pattern

The first place to look when you’re rushing your shots is before you set up to the ball. You can fall into the habit of walking faster than normal between shots, and then of setting up too quickly. To slow yourself down, take a couple of deep breaths. Breathe in deeply. As you breathe out, imagine the tension draining out of your body. Try it; it works for me.

Another point: Go through each step of your regular pattern of taking address. Don’t cut your pattern short; you can speed up without noticing it. A practice swing also can help. I particularly like a ‘‘half practice swing.’’ You swing slowly half way back, then half way through. This does wonders for your tempo.

2. Take it easy at address

Once you’re over the ball, check the speed of your waggle. If it’s too fast, your backswing will be too fast. Also check your grip pressure. A fast backswing often results from too tight a grip, especially with the right hand.

Another must for a smooth backswing is a slight forward press with the right knee — normally an instinctive move. If you’re rushing, though, you’re apt to leave it out; you may have to think consciously of a forward press before it becomes a habit again.

A fourth common fault at address is pushing the club into the ground behind the ball. Invariably you will compensate by jerking the club back too quickly. Let the club “hang” from your shoulders in the grass behind the ball, but up slightly off the ground. It makes a slow, smooth start to the swing much easier. I do it and Jack Nicklaus does it, so you’ll be in good company.

3. Go back low and slow

One of the best ways I know of slowing down the backswing is to think ‘‘low and slow.” If you think ‘‘low,’’ the left shoulder has to move back with the arms and clubs as one piece. Think ‘‘slow’’ and it’s natural for your left leg to move early in the backswing to coordinate with the upper body movement. Starting the larger muscles of the shoulders and legs as soon as the backswing gets underway automatically makes you swing back with good tempo, because these muscles cannot move quickly.

In contrast, when you swing back too fast, it’s usually the result of the smaller muscles in the hands and wrists working independently. They pick up the club quickly, and the larger muscles contribute too little too late. You never achieve a full windup in the hips, shoulders, arms, hands and club. As a result, you throw from the top, come over the top of the ball and soon.

4. Finish the backswing

Whichever way you cut it, you’ll never get a good downswing from an incomplete backswing. However, that’s exactly the problem when you swing back too fast — you do start down before you ever get wound up. This is the reason I like the thought: Swing the club all the way back. The word “‘all’’ is the key. Each of us has an optimum windup — an optimum hip turn, optimum shoulder turn, optimum length of arm swing and optimum wrist cock. You’ve got to give yourself time to let these things happen.

Wait until you feel that your hands and the club have reached that good “‘slot’’ behind you. The chances are good that you will have swung back with good tempo and that your hips, shoulders, arms and wrists have worked properly. You feel you have all the time in the world to swing back. That’s the correct feeling to have.

5. Wait for the ‘pull’

Bobby Jones has said that you should start down in a leisurely fashion toward the ball. I agree. The only area in the swing where the club has to fly is from hip high in the downswing to hip high in the followthrough. Start down too quickly and you can still hit too early and dissipate your power long before you reach the ball.

That’s why it’s a good idea to wait for the “pull.” You feel this pulling down action in the left arm, which results from allowing the left heel to return to the ground and the left knee to move to the left, the first moves in a correct downswing. Once you’ve given yourself time to make these essential lower body moves first, you can safely let it go and, in Jones’ word, “free-wheel” through the ball and on into a full finish.

6. Set your key

If you have a favorite tempo key, write it down where you can see it. One Tour player I knew stuck a label with the word “Tempo” across the decal of his driver. If I were to do something like that, I would use the words “one-two” — a small ‘‘one’’ to represent low and slow back, and a big ‘‘two’’ for the acceleration through impact. Other places to put keys on would be the back of your glove or stamped directly on your golf ball.

7. Pick the right club

One reason you’re rushing your shots may be that you’re not taking enough club. If you’re habitually selecting the club you have to hit hard and solid to get the ball to the hole, then you are putting unnecessary pressure on your swing; you risk rushing the shot every time. Try taking one more club than usual; you’ll swing more slowly and easily knowing you can get the ball up to the stick. You may be on the back of a couple of greens, but most times you’ll hit the ball the right distance.

8. Kick off your shoes

If you’re rushing the swing and nothing you’ve tried works, here’s a cure I use that’s infallible. Go to the practice tee, kick off your shoes and hit some shots in your stocking feet. Without spikes to hold you firm, you’ll lose your balance if you swing too fast. But stay with it. After a few more shots, you will begin cutting back on the speed of your swing and meeting the ball solidly. Put your shoes back on and continue swinging at the same tempo. I think you’II like the results.

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New York and New Jersey subpoena FIFA in World Cup ticket sales investigation

Published

46 minutes ago

27 May 2026

NewsAdmin

FIFA ⁠faces ⁠a subpoena from the states ⁠of New York and New Jersey as part of an investigation into details surrounding pricing and accuracy of seat locations for the 2026 World Cup.

In a joint release, New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said prices for the 2026 World Cup matches “far exceeded the prices for ‌any previous World Cup tournament”.

FIFA has detailed the first-time use ⁠of “dynamic pricing” to adjust ticket costs based on demand. Fan complaints, and allegations of paying for tickets in one location of the ‌stadium but receiving a less-desirable seat, caught the attention of state officials.

When pressed ⁠to explain why ticket prices were elevated since the initial on-sale date in October, FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended the governing body on multiple fronts by pointing to the limited ticket supply for an event with worldwide demand.

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