AP – Sports
October 9, 2026
Georgia-Alabama showdown is on schedule despite approach of Hurricane Isaias; Trump will skip game
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — The Southeastern Conference college football game between Georgia and Alabama remains scheduled for Saturday night despite Hurricane Isaias approaching the U.S. Gulf Coast. President Trump announced Friday that he will not attend the game in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to allow first responders to focus on the storm. Forecasters have warned of significant storm surge, damaging winds, and possible tornadoes. ESPN’s “College GameDay” show has moved indoors, and Alabama officials have shortened tailgating hours. Georgia’s travel plans remain unchanged. The game is one of the biggest of the season, with both teams highly ranked.
Mike Ditka, the quintessential Chicago Bear and a Pro Football Hall of Famer, dies at 86
CHICAGO (AP) — Mike Ditka, who personified the toughness and grit of Chicago in a Hall of Fame career as a player and coach of the Bears and the leader of arguably the most dominant team in NFL history, has died. He was 86. Nicknamed “Iron Mike” as a player, Ditka helped revolutionize the tight end position. He was the first tight end inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He moved to the sidelines and took over as Chicago’s coach. His 1985 team featured one of the game’s most dominant defenses ever. After retiring as a coach, Ditka became a restaurateur and TV personality.
Jerry Jones says Cowboys are back to square one with a moribund defense after woeful home loss
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Owner and general manager Jerry Jones says the Dallas Cowboys are right back where they started with a moribund defense after a woeful home loss to previously winless Tampa Bay. The 24-16 victory by the Buccaneers left the Cowboys as just the second team in NFL history to allow each of the first opponents at least a 70% completion rate without an interception. Dallas overhauled the defensive roster and hired 34-year-old Christian Parker to bring some renewed energy. All the same problems are there with the Cowboys headed into a mini-break before a trip to Green Bay.
Shohei Ohtani’s bat has gone quiet, but the Dodgers keep winning for now
Shohei Ohtani is struggling at the plate, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are feeling it in the postseason. He went 2 for 13 with a .154 average in the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves. Manager Dave Roberts has stuck by the two-way superstar, believing Ohtani’s bat will break out eventually. Some of his slump is due to injuries that limited Ohtani to 139 games in the regular season. He admits he’s not 100% healthy and plans to dig into his biceps and knee issues in the offseason. The Dodgers open the NL Championship Series on Sunday at Milwaukee. Last year, Ohtani was MVP of the NLCS, when the Dodgers swept the Brewers in four games on their way to a second straight World Series title.
Brewers’ Garrett Mitchell showcasing what he can do when healthy after missing last year’s playoffs
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Garrett Mitchell couldn’t participate in the Milwaukee Brewers’ playoff run last year as he recovered from shoulder surgery. Mitchell finally has stayed healthy for a full season this year and is playing a vital role in the Brewers’ push for their first World Series title. Mitchell created an indelible moment in Brewers history in the eighth inning of the clinching Game 4 victory of the NL Division Series on Wednesday by catching a fly ball from Manny Machado at the center-field wall before it could reach the seats and become a tying homer.
Knicks say they are pausing contract negotiations and will focus solely on preparing for the season
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks are focused on their NBA title defense now and will worry about contract negotiations later. That means Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart will have to wait on extensions they hoped would get done before the season. The Knicks said Friday that won’t happen, perhaps setting up an uncomfortable situation with some of their most important players. A Knicks spokesman says the team “will not be negotiating contract extensions until later in the season and will remain solely focused on preparing for the start of the season.”
Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts are facing their toughest test with the Eagles
Injuries are piling up for the Philadelphia Eagles. Key starters are gone. A new offensive coordinator is off to a rough start. The head coach is hearing more criticism. It’s a familiar story the Eagles hope has a similar ending. It was at this point of the NFL season two years ago that the notoriously tough Philly fans were chanting “Fire Nick” at coach Nick Sirianni during a lackluster win over the Browns that improved Philadelphia’s record to 3-2. Sirianni screamed and gestured at them toward the end of the game and was mocked nationally by television analysts and hot-take artists who said he deserved to lose his job.
Breanna Stewart: Liberty moving on after confusion over timeout in Game 2 OT loss
NEW YORK (AP) — Breanna Stewart and the New York Liberty are moving on from Game 2 and the confusion of whether they had a timeout in the waning seconds of overtime. Stewart knows that it won’t do any good to dwell on what happened since Friday night’s game is a must-win for the Liberty. The confusion came in the final seconds of OT when New York trailed by one and Angel Reese was at the foul line. Stewart asked the officials whether the team had their reset timeout remaining. Stewart said the official answered no. In a postgame pool report, the head official contradicted that, saying New York did have their timeout.
NBA star Gilgeous-Alexander takes stake in Spanish soccer giant Atletico Madrid
MADRID (AP) — Atletico Madrid says NBA champion Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has joined the Spanish top-flight club’s ownership group. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard has become the latest North American sports star to take an interest in soccer. He follows the likes of LeBron James and Tom Brady. Atletico says the partnership is “grounded in shared values: ambition, excellence and the belief that every result must be earned.”
Teenage figure skaters increasingly targeted by social media abuse as campaign launches
Olympic gold medalist Evan Bates has warned teenage figure skaters as young as 13 are being increasingly targeted by abusive comments on social media. In a sport which has seen revived popularity since the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, Bates says some users are creating “toxic environments” around livestreamed events like Junior Grand Prix figure skating. That’s a key event for skaters aged 13 and older with dreams of becoming Olympians in the future. Bates was speaking ahead of the International Skating Union signing up to a campaign against online abuse. It’s also pledged to extend a program giving skaters access to AI-powered software which can hide abusive comments on their social media accounts.
