EDMONTON — The Edmonton Elks completely flipped the script after a sorry start on Friday night.
Vincent Blanchard kicked a 40-yard field goal as time expired to give the Elks a dramatic 22-19 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The West Division-leading Elks trailed 16-0 late in the second quarter.
“I felt like the first half, we just weren’t all there mentally,” said Elks quarterback Cody Fajardo. “And then at halftime there was some words said in the locker room and guys came out fired up.
Advertisement
“It just goes to show the championship mentality that we have, to not play our best ball in the first half and then find a way to win a game against a divisional opponent, the first time we clinched a series against a Western opponent. This game had huge implications. “
The Elks, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2019, improved to 8-3.
It’s the latest they have been in top spot in any season since 2015.
“I’m just really proud of the guys. I felt like we did not play our best ball and full credit to Winnipeg, they came out and were the better football team in the first half,” said Edmonton head coach Mark Kilam. “We regrouped at halftime and flipped the script. Full credit to the players in the room for doing it.”
Advertisement
The Bombers (5-5) have lost three of their last four.
“It was a tale of two halves for both teams,” said Winnipeg head coach Mike O’Shea. “We had a really good first half and Edmonton was probably thinking they could have been better in the first half. We didn’t play very well in the second half and didn’t make enough plays and they did. It was a tight battle.
“When you lose by three points to a good football team, that’s never going to be good enough. We have to find ways to make plays to get the outcome our way.”
Winnipeg had a strong opening drive, but ended up settling for a 15-yard field goal by Sergio Castillo.
Advertisement
The Blue Bombers again competently marched down the field on their next possession, but were stopped on a third-and-goal gamble from the five.
They kept coming and finally reached the end zone to start the second quarter as quarterback Zach Collaros found Tim White with a 30-yard touchdown pass.
Winnipeg then got into the red zone for the fourth time in a row, settling on a 20-yard field goal.
Edmonton continued to struggle as Fajardo was picked off at midfield by Jonathan Moxey, leading to a 52-yard field goal by Castillo.
Advertisement
The Elks finally got their act together with 1:31 to play in the first half as a long pass interference call led to a 15-yard TD pass to Austin Mack. The two-point convert attempt failed, making it 16-6 Winnipeg at the half.
Edmonton started the third quarter with a 42-yard Blanchard field goal.
The Elks continued to look like an entirely different squad as they marched downfield and tied the game on a one-yard QB keeper by Fajardo late in the third.
Edmonton had a chance to take its first lead four minutes into the fourth, but Fajardo fumbled at Winnipeg’s 16-yard line. It was recovered by Cameron Lawson.
Advertisement
The Elks took the lead with six minutes left in the final quarter on a 34-yard field goal.
The Bombers tied the game again with 1:41 to play when Castillo hit a 53-yard field goal. However, the Elks were able to march back and seal the victory as time expired.
At one point, Winnipeg led 15-1 in first downs. Edmonton had a 23-18 edge in the category at the final whistle.
Fajardo’s second-quarter TD pass to Mack was his 18th of the season, matching his career high… Castillo passed Troy Westwood for the franchise record for 50-plus yard field goals, a mark that now stands at 42… The Elks didn’t take any penalties in the game, while the Bombers had just two.
Advertisement
Bombers: Host the Montreal Alouettes on Aug. 29.
Elks: Have a bye week before heading to Calgary on Sept. 7.
Seeing the Brazil national football team and their star players line up against the Blue Tigers on home soil is undoubtedly a dream come true for thousands of passionate football fans across India. Opportunities to face five-time World Cup winners do not come around often for Indian football. However, a section of the domestic football spectrum, led by former national team captain Bhaichung Bhutia, is calling for a ‘boycott’ of the fixture, arguing that the considerable funds allocated for the high-profile exhibition match would be better invested in long-term grassroots and sporting infrastructure projects.
When NDTV contacted sources close to the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), they confirmed that the governing body remains entirely unconcerned by the growing chatter in India and is not altering its plans for the October friendly.
A delegation from the CBF inspected the playing surface at Kolkata’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Thursday. While subsequent reports suggested that the grass density on the pitch was low and required immediate work to prevent potential injury risks to players, sources clarified to NDTV that the feedback was merely a routine precautionary measure that had been blown out of proportion. The condition of the field, sources confirmed, will have no impact whatsoever on the schedule of the match.
Advertisement
The Brazilian federation also denied being affected by the calls for a boycott, suggesting that such reactions appear to be driven by local politics. Addressing India’s decision to pull out of the inaugural FIFA-ASEAN Cup in order to accommodate the marquee friendly against Brazil, sources stated that no changes are being considered regarding the fixture, as it has already been officially announced. As for the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) decision to withdraw from the regional tournament, the source added that the CBF was completely unaware of the move.
In an official release, Brazil’s team coordinator framed the upcoming visit to India as a sincere attempt by the national team to express gratitude to local fans for their long-standing devotion to the Selecao.
“We will face Australia, who qualified from the group stage and were eliminated in the second round, but have shown great improvement. Against India, there’s the technical aspect and a great deal of gratitude to the Indians, who showed enormous affection and support for the Brazilian National Team during the World Cup. So it’s only fair that we go there as a way of thanking them, but also to put on a great performance,” said Rodrigo Caetano, the Brazil national team coordinator.
India are expected to play a total of three friendly matches during the October international window. While the high-profile fixture against Brazil is confirmed, Cape Verde is being targeted as the second opponent, with the name of a third team currently being finalised.
Featured Video Of The Day
Spain’s Royal Family Welcomes World Cup Champions To Zarzuela Palace
Arsenal have made a strong start to their Premier League title defence after beating promoted Coventry City 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium.
Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard were on target as Arsenal controlled the match and secured all three points.
Coventry defender Milan van Ewijk was the only Dutch player in the starting line-ups, but he endured a difficult evening on his Premier League debut.
Advertisement
Arsenal took the lead after just 15 minutes when Van Ewijk lost the ball in his own half. Riccardo Calafiori reacted quickly and set up Havertz, who calmly finished to make it 1-0.
Arsenal continued to dominate, with new signing Christos Tzolis causing problems for Coventry. The winger joined Arsenal this summer from Club Brugge and regularly tested the visitors’ defence.
Saka doubled Arsenal’s lead after Coventry goalkeeper Carl Rushworth played the ball straight to the England winger, who made no mistake with the chance.
Advertisement
Arsenal added a third goal early in the second half. A quick move down the right ended with Ben White finding Ødegaard, whose shot took a slight deflection before beating Rushworth.
Coventry tried to find a way back into the game and Gustavo Hamer was introduced late on, but the visitors could not find a consolation goal.
Arsenal were comfortable winners and fully deserved the victory. The champions have already sent an early warning to their rivals as they begin their bid to retain the Premier League title.
Fantasy football draft season is here, and NFL news such as Kyler Murray being named the starter for the Vikings over J.J McCarthy is already rolling in, with other QB battles in Atlanta and Cleveland to be decided. The search for 2026 Fantasy breakouts is on, and rookies are always a popular target. First-year players such as Jeremiyah Love, Carnell Tate, Omar Cooper, Jadarian Price and Makai Lemon are expected to be near the top of their respective depth charts, while top overall pick Fernando Mendoza is expected to sit come Week 1.
Paramount+ Premium is now included with every SportsLine membership! Watch the NFL on CBS, UFC, Champions League and more than 40,000 episodes and movies. Join right here to get both for one low price.
Last year, the model accurately predicted that Panthers receiver Tetairoa McMillan would comfortably outperform his ADP (WR28). The result: McMillan had 70 grabs for 1,014 yards and seven scores en route to being named Offensive Rookie of the Year. He finished as WR17 in CBS Sports PPR leagues and was a great addition to Fantasy football lineups.
Advertisement
The same model has a proven track record providing Fantasy football tips, identifying A.J. Brown as a sleeper in 2020, nailing Jonathan Taylor’s monstrous season in 2021, correctly predicting C.J. Stroud would take a step back in 2024 and calling Daniel Jones’ huge 2025 season. Additionally, it’s called past Fantasy football sleepers like Derrick Henry in 2019, Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara in 2018, and Davante Adams in 2017. Anybody who banked on players like those made a run at their league title.
Now, SportsLine has simulated the entire NFL season 10,000 times and released its latest Fantasy football rankings 2026, along with plenty of sleepers, breakouts and busts. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2026 Fantasy football breakouts
One of the 2026 Fantasy football breakouts the model is predicting: Chargers running back Omarion Hampton, who has an ADP of No. 20 after finishing as the RB35 in PPR leagues a year ago. As a rookie, Hampton played in just nine games due to injury and finished with 737 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns. He finished as the RB35 but injuries shouldn’t be a concern going forward. Hampton was a durable workhorse in college, not missing a game due to injury over his last two years at UNC, while leading the ACC in carries in both seasons.
His improved health is coupled with better health from Los Angeles’ starting tackles, Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, as the two Pro Bowlers combined for just six games a year ago. Their returns, plus the addition of former Pro Bowl center Tyler Biadasz gives Hampton one of the best O-lines in football. SportsLine’s model slots him ahead of the likes of Kyren Williams and Javonte Williams, despite those two being drafted earlier on average. See more Fantasy football breakout picks here.
Advertisement
Another potential breakout that SportsLine’s Fantasy football rankings 2026 have identified: Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis. Willis had stints as a clear-cut backup for the Titans and Packers, and now he gets a chance to start for Miami after signing a three-year, $67.5 million deal in the offseason. There are major questions about his surrounding cast, but playing from behind can be a good thing from a Fantasy standpoint as quarterbacks often pile up big numbers late in that scenario.
His ability to run helps raise his floor substantially, but his ADP is only No. 147 overall. SportsLine’s model ranks him above Sam Darnold, Kyler Murray, Bo Nix and others being picked earlier, making Willis a sneaky later-round pick who can be a strong QB2 on a Fantasy roster and potentially much more. See which other Fantasy football breakouts 2026 to pick here.
Lee Westwood says he doesn’t care what people think.
And he said a Rory McIlroy thought “wasn’t well thought out.”
Westwood’s thoughts on thoughts came Thursday, after first-round play at LIV Golf’s season-ending event in Indianapolis. Westwood and LIV teammate Laurie Canter were appearing on the post-round show of TNT Sports UK & Ireland, and Westwood had been asked whether he expected “a bit of stick” for his invite to the DP World Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, set for early October. Westwood’s appearance will be his first on the formerly named European Tour since January 2023, and it comes after he recently paid fines levied by the DP World Tour for his play with LIV.
In response to the question, Westwood said: “I really don’t care what people think, to be perfectly honest.
Advertisement
“I think it illustrates the fact that people like LIV players playing in their events. You know, promoters and sponsors, no matter which tour they’re on — they bring quality to tournaments.”
At this point in his answer — a video of which TNT Sports shared on social media — Westwood noted comments from McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler on Wednesday at the PGA Tour’s BMW Championship.
“I heard Rory’s comments yesterday,” Westwood said on TNT Sports. “I thought Scottie answered the question well, and Rory’s answer was just typical of Rory, really. It wasn’t well thought out.
“There’s a lot of players on this tour who bring value to tournaments.”
Advertisement
McIlroy’s and Scheffler’s thoughts had come in response to a question of whether certain LIV players should be allowed back onto the PGA Tour, after LIV attempts to regroup after the loss of its primary backer, the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund. The exit has led to speculation on whether LIV players would stick with the league after this week, or look into avenues to play on the Tour, the circuit on which most of the pros had once played.
“I think when we talk about the best players, LIV has a few players that are really good,” Scheffler said. “I think the depth that we have on our Tour is a bit unmatched, but I think when you look at the higher levels of LIV Golf, there’s definitely some players that would provide a lot of value to the Tour, and guys that I love competing against as well.
“So I think going forward, there obviously has to be, I think, some sort of penalties. What those are, I’ll let [PGA Tour CEO Brian] Rolapp and all those guys figure it out. We have great leadership within the Tour now. But I think having those guys come back and competing with whatever happens with LIV, whether those guys want to leave; I mean, you got to ask them. But I think for me being able to compete against the best players in the world, there’s certainly some guys on that tour that can compete out here and I look forward to the chance to compete with them more often.”
“I mean, I’d argue, have they brought value to LIV? You know?” he said.
“I think the PGA Tour’s in a really good spot.”
Later in his press conference, McIlroy was asked whether the Tour would be helped by having a pair of specific LIV pros — two-time major winners Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm — among its players as it looks toward media rights negotiations. In January, they had been offered, along with Brooks Koepka and Cam Smith, a deal to leave LIV and return to the Tour under a number of stipulations, but only Koepka accepted it.
“Eventually, yeah, maybe,” McIlroy said in response to the question. “But I don’t think it’s — I mean, look, eventually they will.
Advertisement
“Look, if they play the golf and they, you know, I’m pretty sure — I’m not part of these discussions, but I’m pretty sure they’re not going to be welcomed back straight away. If they were offered this returning member program back in February, the one that Brooks took, then, yeah, maybe. But that has sort of come and gone. And I think it was said at the time that the deal that they might get going forward, if they do decide to come back, isn’t going to be as good as the one that Brooks got. So, yeah, I would say it’s going to be a tough, tough road back.”
Both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf events run through Sunday. Westwood is also scheduled to make his debut next week on the Legends Tour, the DP World Tour’s 50-and-over circuit.
The 26-year-old wide receiver is set to enter his sixth NFL season with Baltimore in 2026
•
1 min read
Advertisement
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman was hit with multiple charges, highlighted by family violence because of a June incident in Bateman’s home state of Georgia.
Bateman was arrested on June 3 on misdemeanor charges of criminal property damage, reckless conduct and battery, per official booking documents from the Walton County Sheriff’s Office. The Ravens issued the following statement to WJZ about the incident, via CBS News: “We are aware of the situation involving Rashod and have been in direct communication with him. We notified the league office and have been cooperating throughout the process,” Chad Steele, Sr., Vice President of Communications, Ravens, said. As this is a pending legal matter, we will not have further comment.”
Bateman totaled a career-low 224 yards receiving in 2025 in addition to two receiving touchdowns on 19 catches. The 26-year-old has racked up 157 catches for 2,147 yards receiving and 15 receiving touchdowns in five NFL seasons, all with Baltimore, after being selected 27th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Minnesota. Bateman re-signed with the Ravens on a three-year, $36.75 million extension with $16.5 million fully guaranteed at signing in June of 2025.
Four-time Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb called it a career Friday night, announcing his retirement from professional football after eight seasons on Instagram. The 30-year-old began his career with the Cleveland Browns after being drafted 35th overall in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Georgia.
Chubb reeled off four consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons from 2019 to 2022, which earned him four consecutive Pro Bowl selections. His best year came in 2022 with a career-high 1,525 yards rushing to go along with a career-high 12 rushing touchdowns. That production earned him second-team All-Pro honors. The 2023 season is when injuries began to rob him of his prime years. He tore both his MCL, meniscus and ACL in 2023 after a gruesome knee injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2 that year. Chubb returned to action in Week 7 of the 2024 season before suffering another season-ending injury in Week 15 that year against the Kansas City Chiefs, this time a foot fracture. He was a shell of himself in 2025 with the Houston Texans after the second, significant lower body injury as he rushed for just 506 yards and 3 touchdowns on 122 carries. That’s why he called it quits while remaining a free agent two weeks into the 2026 preseason.
“Today’s the day I’ve been avoiding for a while,” Chubb wrote. “Twelve-year-old me could never imagine this day, and 30-year-old me is wondering where all the time has gone. I’ve known for some time now, but I’m finally ready to share that I’m done playing football. I wanted to end my career on a healthy note, along with a winning season, and I was able to do that. At the beginning of this journey, I made many promises to myself. The No. 1 promise I made was that I would always stay true to who I am and forget the things that made me, me. That promise meant always being the hardest-working person, not whether where I was or what the circumstances were.”
Chubb’s peak of his first five seasons from 2018 to 2022 stands almost without equal in NFL history after he registered 6,341 yards rushing on a 5.2 yards per carry average. He and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown are the only players in league history with 6,000-plus rushing yards and 5-plus yards per carry in their first five seasons, per CBS Sports Research. Chubb’s sixth season in 2023 is when his career-altering knee injury occurred.
Advertisement
“In the NFL, I wanted to lead the league in rushing, win MVP and win a Super Bowl for the city of Cleveland,” Chubb said. “I wasn’t able to accomplish any of those things. … What’s most frustrating but also gives me peace is that I know for a fact I gave it my all.”
VANCOUVER —The Toronto Tempo ended a 12-game losing skid with an 82-79 comeback victory over the Portland Fire in Vancouver on Friday.
Isabelle Harrison led the Tempo (11-25) with 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Laura Juskaite added 15 points, four assists and seven rebounds.
Canadian Bridget Carleton put up 18 points for the Fire (15-21) and Megan DiLeo contributed another 14.
The Fire jumped out to a 21-8 lead in the first quarter after Carleton, from Chatham, Ont., put up nine points in the opening six minutes of the game.
Advertisement
Toronto battled back and slowly whittled away at the deficit, outscoring Portland 9-2 over the final three minutes of the half to head into the break with the score even at 44-44.
The Tempo took the lead on a Juskaite jumper 2:21 into the third and pulled away later in the quarter with a series of big buckets, including a Harrison layup through traffic that saw many in the announced crowd of 12,414 jump to their feet.
Portland pushed late and went up 76-75 thanks to an Emily Engstler three-pointer 6:22 into the fourth, but Toronto rallied once again and closed out the game with Harrison sinking a pair of free throws with 9.8 seconds left.
Injuries continue to plague the Tempo, who lost guard Brittney Sykes (left foot) in the first quarter and forward Aneesah Morrow (left knee) in the second.
Advertisement
Toronto was already without Maria Conde (left calf), Nyara Sabally (left calf) and leading scorer Marina Mabrey (right adductor) for the game.
Tempo: Are now 2-1 in their Cross Canada series. Toronto notched a win and a loss at Montreal’s Bell Centre last month, where the team drew 20,996 and set a WNBA record for regular-season attendance.
Fire: Ran into foul trouble in the second and struggled to sink baskets in the third. Portland field goal shooting was 39.7 per cent on the night. The Fire shot 82.4 per cent from the line.
Harrison collected a rebound, sprinted up the court and made her layup to level the score at 44-44 with 21 seconds left in the second quarter.
Advertisement
Toronto out rebounded Portland 43-41 and improved to 7-6 when they win the rebound battle.
Tempo: Host the Las Vegas Aces in Vancouver on Sunday.
Spurs struggled last season, securing survival on the final day and finishing just two points above the relegation zone. Maddison said it was tough not to be able to help out.
“We probably struggled a little bit for creativity and I’m watching the games thinking, ‘what would I be doing there?’,” he said.
Despite those tough experiences, the midfielder described how Italian head coach Roberto de Zerbi helped lift the mood at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after taking over in March.
“He’s very clever. He’s very tactical. He’s obsessed with football, you can see that,” said Maddison.
Advertisement
“But to be honest, when he first came in – in comparison to pre-season and what we’re training now – he didn’t want to make it too complicated. He just wanted us to get the love back for playing football.”
One of the first things the Italian did, revealed Maddison, was to organise a team meal, where alcohol was allowed.
The 29-year-old described De Zerbi telling his team: “We’re all going to be drinking alcohol, we’re all going to be having a good night.”
Maddison explained: “He wanted us to have a night where we all just relax.
Advertisement
“That feeling that we got made everyone feel more knitted together, straight away.”
Another thing De Zerbi did early on in his tenure was to put Maddison on the bench.
“I was almost like, ‘I’m not ready to play yet, boss’,” the midfielder said.
“But he said no. He said I can come on the bench in my slippers if I want. He just wanted me around the group and he thought that would benefit the group. I took that as a massive compliment and just acted as if I was part of the bench, part of the team.
Advertisement
“I’m not saying that’s the reason why, but we managed to steer clear of the danger, which was a good feeling.”
“I’m working so hard to try and be fully fit and available for the majority of the season,” he said.
“I want just a fully fit, healthy season where I can just enjoy football. Because if I’m fully fit and I’m healthy, then I know what I’m capable of. And I know that I can affect games more than a lot of players in this league. So, let’s just hope for that.”
FILE – Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson handles the ball during an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks in Dallas, March 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)
DALLAS– The Dallas Mavericks and Klay Thompson have agreed on a contract buyout, ending a two-year NBA tenure that was wrecked by the shocking trade of Luka Doncic.
Thompson intends to sign with the Miami Heat once he clears waivers, according to a person familiar with the five-time All-Star’s plans. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because Thompson has yet to reveal that detail publicly. Assuming he is not claimed by another club, Thompson may be able to sign with the Heat as early as Sunday.
The buyout announcement comes after the Mavericks missed the playoffs in both of Thompson’s seasons, which came after Doncic led Dallas to the NBA Finals in 2024.
Thompson joined Dallas in a sign-and-trade with Golden State, giving the Mavericks one of the league’s all-time great 3-point shooters to complement Doncic and another high-scoring guard in Kyrie Irving.
But the high hopes for that threesome imploded after the Mavericks sent Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for the oft-injured Anthony Davis in a deal before the trade deadline in 2025. Irving tore the ACL in his left knee a month later and hasn’t played since. Davis was traded to the Washington Wizards just before the February trade deadline last season.
Article continues after this advertisement
Advertisement
The Doncic trade ended up derailing the franchise, although Dallas overcame steep odds to win the draft lottery a few months later. With the No. 1 overall pick, the Mavericks selected Duke star freshman Cooper Flagg, who ended up winning Rookie of the Year.
Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) gestures after scoring a 3-pointer during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz in Dallas, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
The addition of Flagg led to Thompson coming off the bench in most games for the first time since his rookie year with Golden State.
The buyout of Thompson is the latest in a major retooling of the Dallas roster. His departure leaves just five players from opening day two years ago, along with a new front office in president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri and general manager Mike Schmitz and a new coach in Dusty May, who replaced Jason Kidd.
Advertisement
Article continues after this advertisement
Thompson won four NBA titles alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green with the Warriors. The 36-year-old spent his first 13 seasons with Golden State, although he missed two entire seasons with knee and Achilles injuries.
The five-time All-Star averaged 12.9 points and shot 39% from 3-point range in his two years with the Mavericks. His career marks are 19.6 points per game and 41% shooting from beyond the arc.
Thompson passed Damian Lillard for fourth place on the career 3-point list in January. He has 2,899 3-pointers, trailing Curry, James Harden and Ray Allen.
Advertisement
Thompson missed the playoffs just twice in the 11 seasons he played for the Warriors. He matched that number in his only two seasons with Dallas.
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.
Advertisement
“Klay is one of the great players and competitors of his generation, and we are grateful for everything he brought to the Mavericks organization,” Ujiri said. “We have tremendous respect for Klay and all that he has accomplished throughout his career.”
You must be logged in to post a comment Login