AP – Sports
May 14th, 2026
Anticipation builds ahead of the full schedule release for the upcoming NFL season
The full 2026 NFL schedule will be released Thursday night, completing the list of 272 games over 18 weeks. The season kicks off on Sept. 9 when the Seahawks raise their Super Bowl banner. It’ll be the second time the NFL season opens on a Wednesday — the Giants hosted the Cowboys on Sept. 5, 2012. Several games already were announced, including a record nine international games across four continents. The 49ers face the Rams in Melbourne on Sept. 10 in the first international game of the season. The Steelers play the Saints on Oct. 25 in Paris in the NFL’s first regular-season matchup in France.
Aronimink not yielding much as PGA Championship begins with moderate scoring
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. (AP) — Aldrich Potgieter has positioned himself well after the first round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink. He shot a 3-under 67 with six birdies, leading the leaderboard early. The course allowed for some birdies and even a hole-out eagle by Jon Rahm, but remained challenging. Bryson DeChambeau struggled, sitting at 4 over with five holes left. Stephan Jaeger and Min Woo Lee both reached 4 under. Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth played evenly, while Garrick Higgo faced a two-shot penalty for a late start. Braden Shattuck opened with an 81 after a rough start.
Israeli minister criticizes Barcelona star Lamine Yamal for waving Palestinian flag
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The defense minister of Israel has criticized Barcelona’s teenage star Lamine Yamal for his waving of a Palestinian flag during celebrations of the Spanish league title win. Minister Israel Katz has written on X that Yamal’s waving of the flag “incites hate” against Israel. The 18-year-old Yamal waved a large Palestinian flag from an open-top bus during a victory parade by Barcelona’s team through the city on Monday. Yamal is set to star for Spain at next month’s World Cup to be played in North America.
Jannik Sinner breaks Masters record to reach Italian Open semifinals. Coco Gauff back in final
ROME (AP) — Jannik Sinner is two victories away from becoming the first home man to win the Italian Open in half a century. The top-ranked Sinner landed shots on the lines repeatedly in a 6-2, 6-4 victory over No. 14 Andrey Rublev to reach the semifinals and move past Novak Djokovic with a record 32nd consecutive victory in Masters 1000 events. The last Italian man to raise the Rome singles trophy was Adriano Panatta in 1976. In the women’s tournament Coco Gauff beat 36-year-old Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-3 to reach the final for a second straight year. Three-time Rome champion Iga Swiatek and two-time winner Elina Svitolina play in the other semifinal later.
Saudi Arabia continues its soccer push with a World Cup deal, even after pulling out of LIV Golf
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund may have pulled back from golf, but it has deepened its investment in soccer by becoming an “official tournament supporter” of the World Cup. The kingdom’s public investment fund (PIF) announced this month that it was pulling the plug on future funding for LIV Golf, raising questions about its long-term plans for other sports after its enormous spending in recent years. But in announcing the partnership, it said sport was a “priority sector”. The value of the deal, which covers North America and Asia, was not disclosed, but it further strengthens ties between Saudi Arabia and world soccer’s governing body.
Garrick Higgo penalized 2 strokes for missing opening tee time at PGA Championship
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. (AP) — Garrick Higgo found out in the PGA Championship if you’re not early, you’re late. Higgo arrived on the first tee box at what he estimated to be 30 seconds after his listed tee time and was assessed a two-stroke penalty. His first swing of the championship on Thursday turned out to be his third because of the penalty. The South African still managed a 1-under 69, even though he could only wonder how easily that could have been a 67, the low score of the morning wave.
WNBA foul calls rise slightly as the league cracks down on physical play
NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA is trying to fix its physicality problem and is going through some growing pains during the opening week of the season. Fouls are up so far in the first week of the WNBA season with teams averaging 21.6 fouls. That’s up from 19.9 at the same point last year. That number dropped over the course of the year with 17.5 fouls on average per game for each team. The increased fouls aren’t really leading a major increase in free throws with 21.9 being attempted this season to 21.4 last year at this point.
Corey Seager stuck in 0-for-27 slump as the World Series MVP goes 7 games without a hit for Rangers
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Corey Seager is going through a slump like none he has ever had to endure in the big leagues. The two-time World Series MVP shortstop is hitless in his last seven games for the Texas Rangers. That is part of a longer 0-for-27 span, also a career long. While he has started 42 of the Rangers’ 43 games, the 32-year-old Seager said physically he feels completely fine. The Rangers had a day off Thursday, when his .179 batting average ranked 167th out of 174 qualified MLB hitters. This is the latest in his 12 seasons that Seager, a .285 career hitter, has been below .200.
Oilers fire Kris Knoblauch after 1st-round playoff exit that followed 2 Stanley Cup Final trips
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — The Edmonton Oilers have fired coach Kris Knoblauch after losing in the first round of the playoffs. Knoblauch guided the Oilers to consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final after taking over as a midseason replacement when Jay Woodcroft was fired following a bad start in November 2023. They are now set for their sixth coach in 12 seasons since Connor McDavid entered the NHL and became the best player in the world alongside fellow MVP Leon Draisaitl. General manager Stan Bowman dismissing Knoblauch seems to indicate he will remain in his job along with president of hockey operations Jeff Jackson.
Brittany Russell, with husband Sheldon riding, could make Preakness history with Taj Mahal
Brittany Russell has a chance to make horse racing history as the latest woman to train a Triple Crown race winner. Following Cherie DeVaux’s Kentucky Derby win and Jenna Antonucci’s Belmont victory, Russell aims to complete the sweep by winning the Preakness Stakes with Taj Mahal on Saturday. The race takes place at Laurel Park, Russell’s home track, and her husband Sheldon is the jockey. This could make them the first married couple to win a Triple Crown race as trainer and jockey. Taj Mahal is a strong contender, unbeaten in three races at Laurel Park.
