• The Canadian Press

    A depleted leadership and new-look defense make Mbappe's France vulnerable at Euros

    Leadership never used to be an issue for France. Les Bleus lined up at major tournaments with a designated leader in each position: Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, defender Raphaël Varane, midfielder Paul Pogba and forward Antoine Griezmann. They played together at every major tournament from 2014 onward, with the exception of the 2022 World Cup which Pogba missed because of ongoing right knee problems. As well as being top-level players, the foursome ensured a vocal presence in each area of the field.

  • The Canadian Press

    Ippei Mizuhara, ex-interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani, expected to enter guilty plea

    SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — The former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is scheduled to plead guilty Tuesday to bank and tax fraud in a sports betting case where he will admit to stealing nearly $17 million from the Japanese baseball player. Tuesday's change-of-plea hearing for Ippei Mizuhara in federal court in Santa Ana, California, comes as the gambling scandal has shocked baseball fans from Japan to the U.S. and ratcheted up a media frenzy that’s ever-present around Ohtani

  • The Canadian Press

    Pinch-hitter Pavin Smith smacks a 2-run homer to lift the Diamondbacks over the Giants 4-2

    PHOENIX (AP) — Pinch-hitter Pavin Smith connected for a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Arizona Diamondbacks over the San Francisco Giants 4-2 on Monday night. Jake McCarthy got the winning rally started with a looping, one-out double down the left-field line. Smith — hitting for Eugenio Suárez — smashed a pitch from Randy Rodríguez (1-1) that barely cleared the yellow line above the wall in center. “It's pretty crazy, the stuff you sort of dream about,” Smith said. “

  • Yahoo Sports

    Justin Jefferson’s $35 million yearly Vikings salary is going break every NFL pay scale but the QB spot

    Jefferson's deal means a lot for practically everyone else across the league that isn’t a quarterback, promising to raise the boats of every other elite positional player that bellies up to contract talks.