AP – Sports
May 20th, 2026
Aaron Rodgers says the 2026 NFL season will be his last: ‘This is it’
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says his 22nd season in the NFL will be his last. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback said ‘This is it’ when asked if he will retire at the end of the 2026 season. The 42-year-old Rodgers will spend it in Pittsburgh after signing a one-year deal to return to the Steelers just before the start of organized team activities. Rodgers says the hiring of Mike McCarthy as coach played a factor in his decision to return to the Steelers after helping lead the club to the AFC North title last season.
Comeback or collapse? Knicks’ Game 1 rally against the Cavaliers was a little bit of both
NEW YORK (AP) — Call it a comeback. Or chalk it up as a choke. Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals was both. The New York Knicks wouldn’t have been able to charge all the way back without the Cleveland Cavaliers collapsing. The Cavaliers led 93-71 with under eight minutes to play before the Knicks outscored them 44-11 the rest of the way to win 115-104 in overtime. The only bigger fourth-quarter playoff comeback in the last 30 years was when the Clippers rallied from 24 down to beat Memphis in Game 1 in 2012. The AP takes a look at some of the reasons the Cavs didn’t win.
Mavericks president Masai Ujiri says it was his decision to remove Jason Kidd as coach
DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Mavericks president Masai Ujiri says it was a difficult decision, and his alone, to remove Jason Kidd as the team’s coach after five seasons. A day after the Mavericks announced Kidd’s departure, Ujiri said Wednesday he felt like the organization needed a clean slate. The former Toronto Raptors executive took over as team president and governor of the Mavs two weeks ago. He says the decision to move on from Kidd had nothing to do with the February 2025 trade of Luka Doncic or anyone connected to that deal.
As CFP barrels toward 24 teams, the questions remain: Who’s paying for this, and how much?
RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. (AP) — The Big Ten is pushing to expand the College Football Playoff to 24 teams, but the question is who will televise it. Fox supports the idea, but concerns remain about how much networks will pay for games involving less popular teams. The current ESPN deal is worth $7.8 billion over six seasons. The Southeastern Conference prefers a 16-team playoff, while the Big Ten has support from the Atlantic Coast and Big 12 conferences for 24 teams. A larger playoff could eliminate conference title games, affecting revenue. The NFL’s dominance in viewership is a factor in negotiations.
Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar to miss Game 1 of Western Conference Final against Vegas
DENVER (AP) — Colorado defenseman Cale Makar will miss Game 1 of the Western Conference Final against Vegas with an upper-body injury. Coach Jared Bednar announced Makar was out after the morning practice and listed him as day to day. Makar left the ice holding his right arm following a collision late in Game 5 against Minnesota last Wednesday but returned in the overtime win. Forward Artturi Lehkonen is expected to be in the lineup Wednesday night after missing the last two games of the Minnesota series with an upper-body injury.
Congo cancels 3-day World Cup training camp and fan farewell in Kinshasa over Ebola fears
Congo’s soccer team has canceled a three-day World Cup preparation training camp and a planned farewell to fans in the capital Kinshasa because of an outbreak of Ebola in the east of the country. Preparations will take place elsewhere after an outbreak of a rare type of Ebola known as Bundibugyo, which is thought to have killed more than 130 people and caused nearly 600 suspected cases. Congo is scheduled to play World Cup-warmup games against Denmark in Liege, Belgium on June 3 and Chile in southern Spain on June 9. Both matches are going ahead as planned, team spokesman Jerry Kalemo has told The Associated Press. Congo faces Portugal in its first World Cup match in Houston on June 17.
Kansas City small businesses whipping up World Cup flavors and merch for fans this summer
OSBORN, Mo. (AP) — The World Cup may be a multibillion-dollar global endeavor, but small, locally owned businesses across the country are hoping to make a buck as well as the U.S., Mexico and Canada jointly host one of the world’s biggest sporting events. There may be no better example than Kansas City, the smallest of the U.S. host cities. Betty Rae’s is offering unique flavors of ice cream inspired by teams playing in the Heartland. Other companies are selling apparel tied to the event. Multiple businesses are seizing on the opportunity to join in — and profit from — the World Cup festivities.
Alex Palou’s continued IndyCar domination draws more boos as he chases a 2nd straight Indy 500 crown
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Alex Palou senses a change among IndyCar fans these days. Instead of hearing the warm, roaring cheers like other great IndyCar champions and popular personalities, Palou has started hearing boos at races. It’s not an overwhelming sentiment, yet, but the Spaniard got a first-hand glimpse of it during the parade lap of the Indianapolis Grand Prix. Sure, the four-time series champion understands why it’s happening — they’re tired of seeing him win — even if Palou isn’t tired of reaching victory lane.
British PM Starmer congratulates Arsenal as title celebrations go deep into the night
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has taken time out from dealing with his own sticky political situation to congratulate his favorite soccer team Arsenal on winning the Premier League. Starmer posted on X soon after the title was clinched: “22 long years for the Arsenal. But finally, we’re back where we belong. Champions!” Starmer is a lifelong Arsenal fan. The victory was rare good news at a time when he is clinging to power after woeful results for his Labour Party in local and regional elections on May 7. The new champions celebrated into the night, with midfielder Eberechi Eze posting pictures on his Instagram account up to 5 a.m. local time.
French Open players plan media protest over prize-money share
PARIS (AP) — Players at the French Open are planning a media protest over prize money. They claim their share of revenue has dropped to 14.3% compared to 22% at other events. Top players like Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have threatened a boycott if compensation doesn’t improve. L’Equipe has reported that players plan to limit media interactions on Friday. The French tennis federation regrets the protest but is open to discussions. Players want better representation and benefits. The French Open starts Sunday, with prize money increased by about 10%, but players say it’s still insufficient.
