Shubman Gill; and protestors in Delhi. (ANI/PTI Photos)
NEW DELHI: India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill has spoken out amid the ongoing student protests over repeated exam paper leaks, urging compassion, mutual respect and a renewed focus on safeguarding the interests of students.In a message shared on his Instagram story on Thursday, Gill stressed that India’s youth deserve every opportunity to pursue their dreams and help build the country’s future. Without referring to any specific protest or political issue, the 26-year-old underlined the importance of education and expressed support for those raising their voices peacefully. “As a young Indian, I believe our generation deserves every opportunity to learn, dream and shape the future we all aspire to,” Gill wrote.His statement comes against the backdrop of widespread protests in several parts of the country, where students have taken to the streets demanding accountability over repeated examination paper leaks.
‘I have immense respect’ for peaceful voices
Gill acknowledged the concerns of young people and praised those choosing peaceful means to express their views.“I have immense respect for every young person who believes in making their voice heard peacefully.”The India skipper said education remains one of the strongest pillars of nation-building and urged everyone to approach the situation with empathy.“Education has the power to shape our nation’s future. I hope we move forward with compassion, mutual respect and keeping the best interests of every student at heart.”He concluded his message with a simple but powerful appeal: “For India’s future.”Gill’s comments add the voice of one of the country’s biggest sporting stars to the growing conversation around ensuring fairness and trust in India’s education system.
Sporting fraternity rallies behind students
Gill is among several leading Indian sportspersons who have publicly reacted to the ongoing protests.Earlier, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar urged society to build a culture where honesty and merit triumph over shortcuts.“Failure is okay, cheating is not. Never take shortcuts,” Tendulkar wrote, adding that students’ disappointment was understandable when hard work was not rewarded.India’s first individual Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra also highlighted the importance of a strong education system, saying a nation’s true strength lies in the opportunities it creates for its youth.“An education system that inspires confidence, rewards merit and nurtures curiosity is one of a nation’s greatest strengths,” Bindra said, expressing hope that India would continue strengthening its education system for future generations.Grandmaster Nihal Sarin called for accountability, saying the pressure students face while preparing for crucial examinations should never be dismissed.Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif said it was painful to see students being lathi-charged during protests and hoped a solution would emerge soon.Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan said no paper leak should ever destroy years of hard work and family sacrifice, while Shikhar Dhawan appealed for patience, dialogue and faith in the country’s institutions as the way forward.
Secure the Airport is a simulation and strategy game on Roblox in which you become an airport security guard and inspect boarding passengers for weapons and other suspicious items. During each run, you’ll encounter dangerous criminals and smugglers that can only be suppressed using powerful guns obtained by unlocking and equipping various Classes. Moreover, each Class also increases your Hit Points, helping you survive longer in every run.
In this guide, we will segregate all the currently obtainable Classes into S, A, B, and C tiers.
Tier list for Classes in Secure the Airport
Classes shop in Secure the Airport (Image via Roblox)
S-tier
The Classes included under the S-tier will grant you one of the best weapons in the game along with high Hit Points. Using them, you can survive longest during each run.
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Spetsnaz
Health: 400 HP
Cost: $25,000
Primary weapon: AS VAL
Secondary weapon: Makarov
Juggernaut
Health: 800 HP
Cost: $35,000
Primary weapon: PKM
Secondary weapon: Makarov
A-tier
To progress from mid- to end-game and survive each run for a longer duration, you can invest in A-tier Classes that are affordable and grant you good weapons with decent Hit Points. Here’s a list of them all:
Hazmat
Health: 200 HP
Cost: $12,000
Primary weapon: ShAK-12
Secondary weapon: Desert Eagle
Army
Health: 250 HP
Cost: $15,000
Primary weapon: SCAR
Secondary weapon: Beretta M9
Special Forces
Health: 300 HP
Cost: $18,000
Primary weapon: M4A1 Special
Secondary weapon: Desert Eagle
B-tier
B-tier Classes will help you dominate the mid-game progression and learn the weapon mechanics faster. Here’s a list of them all:
SWAT Elite
Health: 175 HP
Cost: $9,000
Primary weapon: Vector CRB
Secondary weapon: Glock 17
SWAT
Health: 150 HP
Cost: $6,000
Primary weapon: MP5
Secondary weapon: Glock 17
C-tier
The C-tier Classes will help you learn the game mechanics with basic weapons and stats. Here’s a list of them all:
Rookie
Officer Senior
Officer Elite
FAQs on Classes in Secure the Airport
What are Classes in Secure the Airport?
Classes are special loadouts that provide you with different weapons and Hit Points. You can unlock and equip them to improve your survivability and combat abilities during runs.
Which is the best Class in Secure the Airport?
Juggernaut is considered one of the best Classes in Secure the Airport. It provides 800 HP and comes equipped with the PKM as its primary weapon, making it highly effective for surviving longer runs.
What is the best Class for beginners?
Rookie is the best option for beginners since it is the default starter Class. It provides 100 HP and comes with the MP7A1 and 0.357 Magnum, allowing new players to learn the game’s mechanics without spending money.
Bryson DeChambeau, following Thursday’s first round of LIV Golf’s U.K. event, spoke to assembled media for the first time since his controversial Open Championship penalty — and touched briefly on the hoopla surrounding his much-scrutinized tie for 14th at Royal Birkdale.
DeChambeau opened with a round of eight-under par at JCB Country Club, the second-best score of the day. Afterward, he spoke to reporters for the first time since before the Open, where he’d declined to provide media availability.
In this session, DeChambeau reflected on his round — he birdied his first three holes, persevered through two bogeys and “played great today,” he said — before reflecting on the previous week’s events.
Specifically, DeChambeau was asked about his fight back from “adversity,” a reference to being assessed a two-stroke penalty for improving conditions around his ball on the fifth hole Friday. DeChambeau vehemently disagreed with the ruling in a televised back-and-forth with rules officials that captivated viewers, delayed the tournament’s schedulers, dropped DeChambeau from second place and yielded a flurry of takes from across the sports world.
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So what did he take from the week?
“Yeah, I made the cut,” DeChambeau said with a smile, a reference to his three surprising MCs in the year’s previous majors, which made this trip to contention his year’s crowning achievement. “No, it was a good fight. I wish I would have given it more on Saturday and Sunday. Felt like I could have. Besides the 5th hole and being three-over on that hole and then the 11th hole, that’s six shots. That’s tied for the lead right there. That’s two holes and I’m right there with the Claret Jug.”
Following the two-stroke penalty assessement, DeChambeau wound up with a triple-bogey 7 on No. 5 on Friday. He lost a ball on No. 11 during Sunday’s final round en route to another triple bogey and shot two-over 72; that ultimately left him six shots off the pace of winner Ryan Fox.
The only man ahead of DeChambeau through one round at this LIV event is Lucas Herbert, who was also in the final groups on the weekend at the Open and wound up T6. Asked if this showdown is coming “a week late,” DeChambeau got philosophical.
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“Look, golf is golf, right?” he said. “I wish [Lucas and I] could have gone to battle last week. It wasn’t that way. But life goes on. There’s moments of adversity in everybody’s life, and I was passionate about what I believed and thought was right. For me, it’s now in a place that it is what it is, and you keep moving through it. You keep moving past it.”
OK, so DeChambeau didn’t get particularly specific on the subject. There’s plenty more we’d love to hear from him at some point, like what he thinks of the ruling now, how close he was to pulling out of the event, whether he considered enlisting the help of the President, what he made of the fierce and varied reactions to the penalty, from Sam Burns to Max Homa to Brandel Chamblee to Scottie Scheffler to Rory McIlroy and more.
DeChambeau also didn’t address the subtext surrounding this week’s LIV event, which occurs as funding questions swirl around this season’s remaining events as well as the league’s fundraising efforts to continue next season. Earlier this week, the Asian Tour announced it was exiting its deal with LIV in favor of a deal with the DP World and PGA Tours, which was a blow to LIV’s broader ecosystem. There are also questions about its upcoming schedule following the withdrawal of Saudi funding; Cleeks captain Martin Kaymer was among the players who said they expect the $40-million 2026 team finale planned for Michigan in August to be canceled.
CEO Scott O’Neil has told captains to stay optimistic about potential investors for “LIV 2.0” next season; they’re expected to hear more in the coming weeks as LIV returns to the United States. The league’s next event is at Trump Bedminster in New Jersey.
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In the meantime, DeChambeau is focused on the golf in his immediate future.
“For me, I’m excited with Lucas tomorrow. That’ll be great,” he said. “But there’s three more days. We’re here to win this tournament this week. The Crushers are, and I am, as well. Individually and for the team.”
Luke Littler’s World Matchplay title defence continued with a straightforward 16-7 quarter-final win over Josh Rock in Blackpool.
Rock initially kept pace with the world number one as the players traded breaks to reach 5-5.
But after 19-year-old Littler reeled off five legs in a row, there proved to be no way back for Rock as the defending champion, in dazzling form, cruised into the semi-finals.
After throwing 17 180s with a scoring average of 109.57, Littler said: “At the minute, everything’s going to plan.”
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The teenager added: “I feel good. I can afford to miss a few doubles because the scoring’s there.
“Once again another brilliant performance, but fair play to Josh, he put up a good fight.”
Littler will play unseeded Dirk van Duijvenbode of the Netherlands in Saturday’s semi-final.
Earlier on Thursday evening, tournament outsider Van Duijvenbode survived a late surge by Gary Anderson to reach his first Matchplay semi-final.
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Anderson, the 2018 World Matchplay champion, threatened to close an eight-leg deficit with a fine late display including a 154 checkout, but Van Duijvenbode held on for a 16-13 win.
Reflecting on his second-round tie-break win over Michael van Gerwen, Van Duijvenbode had said that shaking “like a little child crying for his mum” allowed his compatriot back into match after leading 8-4.
After leading 8-4 again on Thursday, Van Duijvenbode dropped two consecutive legs but then stormed into a 14-6 lead by winning the next six without reply.
However, it would be a further nine legs until Van Duijvenbode won the tie as a resurgent Anderson pushed him hard.
Terence Crawford appears content with retirement and satisfied with the legendary career that he has had, but one welterweight world champion is hoping to convince ‘Bud’ to return, confident that he could put an end to his undefeated record.
Crawford held the undisputed title at super-lightweight, welterweight and super-middleweight, with his win over Canelo Alvarez deemed to be one of the most impressive victories this side of the millennium.
Although, those divisions are now moving on, with the welterweight scene perceived to be one of the most competitive in the sport, home to the likes of Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia, Conor Benn and Manny Pacquiao.
“I think that is a good fight. I think, of course, Ryan has got the experience, but I think that Conor has got the size and the power. I think that it’s going to be an interesting fight moving forward.
“I’m going to go with Conor, I think that he is going to upset him.”
In response, Garcia has now hit back at Crawford, declaring that his achievements are overrated and that he retired too early, without facing his true rivals, in an interview with Ariel Helwani.
“Terence Crawford is a hater, bro. At the end of the day, I don’t know why he is hating on me.
“Obviously he is biased because he don’t like me, ‘oh, he [Benn] is strong and he is this and that,’. I don’t know why he don’t like me, [maybe] because I talk my s**t, but I have an opinion too – that he never fought anybody who was really young, talented and hungry.
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“He didn’t fight Vergil [Ortiz], he didn’t fight Boots [Ennis], he retired too early. Cool, you beat Canelo, but Canelo was already past his prime in a way.
“You can’t really run around saying that you did everything you could possibly have done when, guess what? You didn’t have many miles on you [when you retired].”
Garcia then went on to call for a showdown with ‘Bud’, believing that the Omaha-born switch-hitter has never shown that he possesses the skills to cause him any issues.
“I have always wanted to fight him. I still want to fight him. I want to get him out of retirement and beat him. I don’t see anything that [tells me] I can’t beat him.
“People want to hype it up but I don’t see anything that I would have a problem with. It would be a good fight but I know I’d beat him.”
Nov 16, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Carolina Panthers outside linebacker Nic Scourton (11) reacts after a play in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Carolina Panthers outside linebacker Nic Scourton left the field on a cart after suffering a right knee injury on Thursday.
According to reports, Scourton was informed he suffered a torn ACL after imaging and tests performed not long after he was hurt. NFL Network reported Scourton is seeking a second opinion.
Scourton, a second-round pick in 2025, appeared to know the severity of the injury immediately in an emotional scene on the field.
Scourton, 21, was in tears and shielded his face from cameras as the cart pulled away from the field. Before the cart departed, the entire team and head coach Dave Canales had a moment with him as practice was halted for the day.
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“They care about each other,” Canales said. “Whenever you’re in a group of people doing something hard together, it has a way of creating a special bond. Between all the workouts and going through a full season and an offseason and all that, it means something to the guys. I’m proud of that.”
In just his second season, Scourton was penciled in to start on the opposite side of Jaelan Phillips, acquired as a free agent in the offseason. As a rookie, Scourton appeared in 17 games (eight starts) and tallied 47 tackles (seven for loss), five sacks and a forced fumble.
Veteran Patrick Jones II and Princely Umanmielen, in his second season, could see game time in his absence.
“He has a super-high motor, has great energy,” Panthers quarterback Bryce Young said after practice of Scourton. “He’s fun to be around. He turns into that different competitor when he’s on the field. We feel that during practice. He has raised the level of [intensity at] practice many times. We don’t know anything yet (on the injury), but we’re just praying for him.”
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) will host its Lockdown pay-per-view at the Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago on Aug. 23.
Elayna Black, a Chicago native, vowed to be on the card for the show in which every match will be held inside a steel cage. Black told Fox News Digital she enjoyed being in those types of matches.
Elayna Black enters the ring at Slammiversary 2026.(TNA Wrestling)
“I definitely am going to be on that card,” Black said. “One way or another we will make that happen. I am definitely not going to be having TNA be in Chicago, my hometown, my city, and not be on the show. So, we definitely will make that happen. But I’m very excited. Every match on that show is going to be a steel cage match.
“If you’ve been a fan of me for a while, you know that’s my cup of tea. I love that. I grew up a fan of like hardcore wrestling. Jon Moxley was one of my favorite wrestlers. I love doing hardcore matches. I did a deathmatch right before I got signed. I did the WarGames match. That’s my cup of tea. I love that type of stuff.”
She made clear that Brookside needs to watch her back as the days keep getting closer to Lockdown. Brookside won the championship over Lei Ying Lee at Slammiversary.
“So, No. 1, steel cage match. No. 2 in Chicago. And No. 3, Xia Brookside has a target on her back,” Black told Fox News Digital. “That’s all I’m going to say. So, we’ll see. I have a little bit of extra motivation being on that show. If I got my friends and family there, I’m going to have a little more oomph in me that day.
Elayna Black plays to the crowd at Slammiversary 2026.(TNA Wrestling)
The French Football Federation on Thursday said it would unveil France’s new coach at a news conference on Tuesday, July 28. Football legend Zinedine Zidane is widely expected to replace Didier Deschamps as the national team’s new coach.
News broke that LeBron James would not be returning to the Los Angeles Lakers on June 30. Effectively, he became a free agent that second, which means the race to obtain his services has been going on for almost a month. Still, he hasn’t decided and nobody has any idea when he will.
In some ways, this is a good thing for the NBA. The league is still hanging around the top of the news cycle at a point in the calendar when typically everyone starts to shift their focus toward football. If this situation wasn’t lingering, the only NBA story anyone would be talking about would be the Kawhi Leonard investigation, which is actually a bigger deal than James’ free agency, as it has a major trade on hold. If the Raptors miss on Leonard, it will become a bigger loss than any of the teams that end up missing on James.
But LeBron is LeBron, and as long as he’s on the open market, he’s going to be the story. And the longer this story goes, the more some entities will be both hurt and helped by the attention. So that’s what we’re going to look at today. Who are the biggest winners and losers of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer taking this long to make up his mind?
As of this writing, north of $210 million has been wagered at Kalshi on James’ next team. At Polymarket, the number is just under $40 million and climbing. The longer this goes on, the more bets these markets will field. James’ procrastination is a cash cow.
I’m sure by now you know the Miami Heataccidentally posted a scheduled video for an introductory press conference on their YouTube channel. This is normal media business. Everyone has social posts and articles and videos prewritten or recorded for every realistic destination (as do those teams), so the button can be hit the instant that LeBron’s decision goes public to capitalize on that initial surge of traffic. These posts aren’t supposed to be published, of course. The Heat’s social media team made a mistake, and it swung the markets wildly.
Prior to that post, the Cleveland Cavaliers were the favorite to land James, having taken 38% of the bets at Kalshi, with the Heat next on the board at 36%. After the Heat’s post went viral, the wagers started rolling in as Miami surged to a 49% favorite while Cleveland dropped to 26%.
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Those splits have largely stayed the same, even after Miami called its post a mistake. Meanwhile, at the time of this writing, the Golden State Warriors, who were a 46% favorite to land James at the start of July, are also-ran material at this point, having accounted for just 17% of wagers.
By the way, these aren’t the only markets that are popping. You can also bet on which conference James will end up in (the East is currently an 82% favorite), the total value of his next contract, the date the announcement will be made, and even who or where the announcement will come from. James announcing it himself currently has 35% of the bets, with Klutch Sports Group (meaning agent Rich Paul) second at 28% and ESPN’s Shams Charania at 25%.
If you’re new to these prediction markets, this is your wake-up call. As we speak, there are millions, and in the case of James, hundreds of millions being wagered on everything from sports-related outcomes to wars, the stock market, the Grammys and Oscars, political elections and oil prices.
If it’s in the news, chances are you can bet on it. As such, the longer James’ free agency stays in the news, the more bets these markets will be fielding. So while most of us (I certainly count myself among this group) would probably appreciate it if this saga could just end already, the prediction market folks that are raking in all this wagered cash would love nothing more than for this to drag on as long as possible.
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Loser: NBA schedule makers
Everyone thought James would make a big announcement at Fanatics Fest in New York City last week amid his flurry of scheduled appearances. Instead, it was NBA commissioner Adam Silver who made waves when he went on stage and basically told James to hurry up already so the league could finish the 2026-27 schedule.
“I would like him to make his announcement already, so we can finish the schedule, because, as you might imagine, the teams are calling us, the networks are calling us, and everybody wants to lock in the schedule,” Silver said. “But [where LeBron plays] will influence how we set the schedule, how we set opening week, Christmas Day, etc. So I need him to make a decision.”
There have been rumors that James was ready to make his announcement last week, but was irritated by Silver trying to rush him and decided to hold off a bit longer.
Who knows if this is true, but Silver has a fair point about the schedule. The NBA is one year into a $76 billion TV deal with Disney, NBC, and Amazon, and those networks split the biggest dates and games — particularly opening night, Christmas Day, and all the big national windows.
For example, James has played in 20 Christmas Day games, including 19 straight. Meaning, wherever he signs will immediately become a Christmas team. Just that alone has a domino effect, and when you factor in the 25ish national-TV games James’ new team will certainly be cast in, and all the downstream effects of that scheduling in terms of how that changes other teams’ dates.
This is a big holdup for the NBA and its very expensive and increasingly antsy television partners.
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Winner: Rich Paul’s podcast
While James only made select appearances at Fanatics Fest over a two-day span during this saga, his agent, Rich Paul, has been front and center with his “Game Over” podcast becoming something of a buffet for the masses of fans (and media) starving for any crumb of information.
It started on July 3 when Paul unveiled the famous whiteboard, outlining the pros and cons and biggest players and selling points for each potential James suitor.
Game Over Podcast
Since then, Paul has been the main public voice for the James side and his podcast must be seeing massive spikes in audience. He hasn’t really said much other than that James is “not going to be rushed” and is going to do what is best for him and his family. But again, every little crumb of information — from “the 76ers have our attention” to “this will not be a money-based decision” — is being gobbled up like a Michelin-rated meal. And in this case, Paul’s podcast is the restaurant.
Loser: Cavs and/or Warriors
On some level, every team that strikes out on James is going to be a loser. But there are degrees to this. If the Heat don’t get him, for instance, they’ll be disappointed. They could really use his playmaking and shooting, but worst-case scenario, they still landed their big fish in Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer. James would be icing on the cake.
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Same thing for the Philadelphia 76ers. They already made their summer splash by swapping out Paul George for Jaylen Brown, and Dean Wade and Anfernee Simons are nice margin signings. Wade will be a starter if James doesn’t come. And honestly, he’s a better defender than James and the 76ers already have arguably too much scoring. What Philly could really use is James’ passing to help navigate a supremely delicate usage ecosystem composed of four No. 1-option players.
The Minnesota Timberwolves need a power forward after the losses of Julius Randle and Naz Reid. And of the teams being reported as realistic suitors, they might give James his best chance at winning, given the two-way players, shooting, companion creation and defensive infrastructure already in place. But again, if they miss on James, they at least already made a big move this summer by trading for LaMelo Ball.
The Cavs and the Warriors, on the other hand, have all their eggs in the LeBron basket, and with it dragging on this long, their Plan B pool has all but dried up. The Cavs let the aforementioned Wade go to the 76ers in part to keep room open to sign the two Jameses — LeBron and Harden, who opted out of his $42.3 million contract for next season to also create room for LeBron.
It’s all tied together, and if James doesn’t come, the Cavs will be looking at guys like Jonathan Kuminga instead and could also end up having to pay Harden more than they’d like to (although he doesn’t really have anywhere else to go now that this has dragged out for so long).
Meanwhile, the Warriors haven’t added a single player besides their draft picks. When Draymond Green opted out, it was clearly a move aimed at freeing up mid-level money for James, and Golden State fans really began getting their hopes up when reports indicated the possibility of trading for Anthony Davis as the lure for James.
Now the Davis pursuit looks done, if it ever really even began in earnest, and James teaming up with Stephen Curry is back in the pipe-dream realm, at least if you believe the reporting. Warriors fans are going to revolt if another offseason rolls by without the team doing anything of significance as another year of Curry’s rapidly dwindling career fades away.
TORONTO — Max Scherzer knows where the baseball calendar is and the realities of where the Toronto Blue Jays sit in the standings, and he isn’t interested in going there. The veteran right-hander, coming off five hitless innings of rehab work at triple-A Buffalo, is trending toward a return from the injured list and if he can hit the ground running, there’s sure to be interest from clubs seeking depth and experience for their pitching staffs.
In possession of full no-trade protection, however, Scherzer holds final say over his fate in the coming months. So, given the situation, would he consider a move should the Blue Jays get an offer for his services? What does he want for the rest of the year?
“There’s nothing for me to say,” he replied. “We have a job to do. We need to win baseball games. We’ve got to go one-and-oh today. When whatever happens, happens, we’ll talk about that at a different time. We have a job to do, go one-and-oh.”
Powered by seven strong innings from another potential trade candidate, Shane Bieber, the Blue Jays went one-and-oh Thursday, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 to avoid a four-game sweep against the American League East leaders.
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By recent standards, the three runs felt like a breakout, as Ernie Clement cleverly scored in the first on Alejandro Kirk’s infield single after Junior Caminero overran the ball at third base, while the go-ahead run crossed on George Springer’s RBI single in the third and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. added some insurance with an RBI single in the seventh.
But, the heavy lifting fell to Bieber and relievers Tyler Rogers and Louis Varland as the Blue Jays (47-56) ended a four-game losing streak that pushed them further toward sell mode ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
On the heels of his six shutout innings in Saturday’s 1-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox, the last time the Blue Jays won a game, Bieber’s three-hit, one-run, no-walk, three-strikeout effort should help raise interest in the pending free-agent righty, who doesn’t have any no-trade protection.
One rival evaluator said each outing between now and the deadline will really matter for Bieber as teams try to assess where he’s at after he missed half the season with elbow inflammation and has been building up on the fly in the majors. A second evaluator said as long as Bieber shows that he’s healthy, there will be a market for him because post-season calibre starters are difficult to acquire at the deadline, and he showed his mettle returning from Tommy John surgery in last year’s playoffs.
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The Blue Jays don’t feel the need to make deals for the sake of making them, so they’ll demand a certain talent threshold to complete any subtraction trade. So how teams view what Bieber — and their other players on expiring contracts — can offer will determine how deep any potential sell-off ends up going.
As that drama plays out, manager John Schneider and the coaching staff remain fixated on helping their players turn the team’s fortunes, regardless of what the playoff odds say.
To that end, they’ve looked to the way the Boston Red Sox, whom they visit Friday, escaped from the grave to win 15 straight and return to relevance. Last season, the Cincinnati Reds’ playoff odds stood at 6.6 per cent Aug. 7 and were at 1.3 per cent on Sept. 4 before they rallied to win a wild-card spot. The Cleveland Guardians were at 12.2 per cent last July 31 and 2.5 per cent on Sept. 1 before they rallied.
In 2024, the Detroit Tigers’ playoff odds stood at 0.3 per cent on Aug. 1, each an example for the Blue Jays to latch onto.
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“For sure,” said Schneider. “Just yesterday we were sitting here talking, OK, if you say it’s July 23rd and you’re six-and-a-half out of first place in the division, you’re like, that’s attainable. I know it looks a little bit different now record-wise, and there are more teams involved, but yeah, you look at that, you look at the Red Sox, you look at the 2021 Braves who didn’t get over .500 ‘til August 6th. You’re waiting for it to turn, and I think you’re grasping on players performing better that can perform better, and you’re grasping on ways to try to make that happen quick, or quicker.
“Baseball is stupid, we talk about it all the time, and it can turn on a dime,” he continued. “We all know that it has to turn now and are frustrated that it hasn’t, but there’s always hope until there’s not. That’s the beauty of it. And that’s what we’re talking about, just meeting that head on.”
Argentina’s Lionel Messi (10) cries at the end of the World Cup final soccer match between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Spain’s dramatic 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final may have settled the destination of the trophy, but the controversy surrounding the showpiece continues to gather momentum days after the final whistle.A petition demanding that the World Cup final be replayed has now attracted 88,915 signatures at the time of writing, with thousands of Argentina supporters claiming the match was influenced by controversial refereeing decisions.The online campaign, launched on Change.org by Argentine supporter Gisela Sánchez, calls on FIFA to review the officiating performance of Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić, who oversaw Sunday’s final at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
Petition accuses referee of “controversial and corrupt” performance
Spain secured their second men’s World Cup title courtesy of Ferran Torres’ 106th-minute winner after extra time, ending Argentina’s hopes of defending the trophy they won four years earlier.However, the result has not been accepted by a section of Argentina supporters.In the petition, Sánchez alleges that Vinčić delivered a “controversial and corrupt” performance and urges FIFA to investigate several key decisions made during the final.“The recent final between Argentina and Spain was tarnished by the controversial and corrupt performance of the referee who, according to video evidence, was bought to influence the match’s outcome,” the petition states.“It is a monumental disappointment for the players, coaches, and, above all, for the fans who crave to see a game decided by talent and dedication on the pitch, and not by rigged refereeing decisions.“If we allow corruption to go unnoticed on this global stage, we are setting a bad example for future generations of athletes and fans.“Therefore, we ask FIFA to review these incidents with seriousness and transparency, and to consider replaying the final, this time without the influence of a corrupt referee.”
88,000 Argentina fans demand World Cup final replay after ‘controversial and corrupt’ referee claims
The petition, however, does not provide independently verified evidence to support those allegations beyond videos circulating across social media which the organiser claims favour Spain.
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Spain dominated before sealing victory in extra time
Despite the reaction from some supporters, Spain were widely viewed as the better side throughout the final.Luis de la Fuente’s team controlled possession for long spells, pinned Argentina deep inside their own half and prevented the defending champions from registering a single shot on target during normal time.Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez repeatedly kept Argentina in the contest before Ferran Torres finally broke the deadlock in the 106th minute of extra time.
Fans watch the World Cup final soccer match between Argentina and Spain in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)
Argentina’s task had already become significantly harder after midfielder Enzo Fernández was sent off in the third minute of stoppage time at the end of normal time.Having already been booked for dissent following a denied free-kick, Fernández received a second yellow card after a reckless challenge on Spain defender Pau Cubarsí, reducing Lionel Scaloni’s side to ten men before extra time began.According to match statistics, Vinčić awarded 46 fouls during the final, with 25 committed by Argentina as the match became increasingly fragmented.
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Tempers boiled over after the final whistle
The frustration carried over into the closing moments of the evening.Immediately after Spain were confirmed as world champions, ugly scenes erupted on the pitch.Leandro Paredes was sent off after the final whistle following clashes involving Eric García and Gavi, while Nahuel Molina also appeared to spark part of the confrontation after confronting Spain captain Rodri.The incidents have since become the subject of a separate FIFA disciplinary review.Speaking during ITV’s coverage, former England defender Gary Neville strongly criticised Argentina’s conduct.“It’s a disgrace,” Neville said.“I love the competitiveness of the Argentines, fighting and scrapping for their lives every game. Messi’s propped them up at times and they’re very competitive and I love that element of them.“But it’s been a disgrace the last few games.”
Similar replay campaign emerged earlier in the tournament
The Argentina petition is not the first online campaign calling for a World Cup replay during this tournament.Following Spain’s semi-final victory over France, French supporters launched a similar Change.org petition after disputing a controversial incident that led to the penalty opening the scoring.That campaign also gathered more than 82,000 signatures, although it had no effect on FIFA’s official result.Likewise, there is no indication that the latest petition will alter the outcome of the World Cup final.Meanwhile, Change.org has also hosted petitions taking the opposite position. One campaign calling for Argentina to be banned from future World Cups amassed more than 29 million signatures before eventually being closed.Away from the online debate, thousands of Argentina supporters gathered across the country following the team’s return home, applauding Lionel Scaloni’s squad for reaching a second consecutive World Cup final despite falling just short of retaining their title against an impressive Spanish side.
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