Sports

Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Chiefs face Dak Prescott and the Cowboys on Thanksgiving

Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs will visit the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving. The matchup was announced on “CBS Mornings,” continuing the release of select marquee games ahead of the full release of the NFL schedule Wednesday night. The Cowboys were part of the first announcement. They’re taking on the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles to kick off the NFL season on Sept. 4. The Chiefs are also playing on Christmas night when they host the AFC West rival Denver Broncos on Prime Video. The league plans a tripleheader for Dec. 25, which this year is a Thursday, with the other two games on Netflix.

Flagg, the presumed No. 1 pick, settling into his new reality now that Dallas has won draft lottery

CHICAGO (AP) — Cooper Flagg is starting to settle into his new reality. He’s been considered the presumptive No. 1 pick in next month’s NBA draft for some time and now knows that pick is held by the Dallas Mavericks. It’s a rare Texas two-step of No. 1 picks for Dallas. The Dallas Wings had the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft last month and took UConn’s Paige Bueckers, and now the Mavericks will follow as holders of a No. 1 pick. This one-city, two-No. 1-picks double has happened only once before — 2003, when the Cleveland Rockers chose LaToya Thomas and the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted LeBron James.

Rose and Jackson get posthumous reprieve, but gambling on baseball is still MLB’s biggest sin

Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson received a posthumous reprieve from baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday, making both players eligible for the sport’s Hall of Fame after their careers were tarnished by gambling scandals. But make no mistake, baseball players gambling on baseball remains the sport’s cardinal sin. If anything, the game’s integrity is even more important — and more tightly policed — than ever.

As WNBA popularity soars, player salaries remain a big hurdle for the league to address

Breanna Stewart will start her ninth WNBA season in a few days. The New York Liberty All-Star and WNBA champ has been around the league long enough to watch her peers fight for visibility. She’s seen a small uptick in player salaries over the years and watched the WNBA’s meteoric rise in popularity. Stewart has been a part of negotiations for two collective bargaining agreements as a member of the WNBA’s players union. A third round of negotiations is ongoing, perhaps the most important of Stewart’s decorated career. By the end, salaries are expected to increase to unprecedented numbers.

Pope meets Sinner: No. 1 player gives tennis fan Pope Leo XIV racket on Italian Open off-day

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV has apparently made peace with Jannik Sinner. The top-ranked tennis player visited the new pope on Wednesday, gave him a tennis racket and offered to play, during an off day for Sinner at the Italian Open. Leo, the first American pope, is an avid tennis player and fan and had said earlier this week that he would be up for a charity match when it was suggested by a journalist. But at the time, Leo joked “we can’t invite Sinner,” an apparent reference to the English meaning of Sinner’s last name. Sinner said it was “a good thing for us tennis players” that the new pope likes to play the sport.

The Reds will pay tribute to Pete Rose a day after he was posthumously reinstated by MLB

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Reds are paying tribute to Pete Rose a day after baseball’s career hits leader was posthumously removed from the major leagues’ permanent ineligibility list. The Reds are handing out a replica No. 14 Rose jersey to fans in attendance for their game against the Chicago White Sox. They are holding a pregame panel with former Rose teammates George Foster and Ken Griffey Sr., along with Barry Larkin and Eric Davis — who played for Rose when he managed the Reds. Members of Rose’s family are set to deliver the game ball and serve as honorary captains.

Warriors clear Curry for light on-court work; pre-Game 6 evaluation is next if series is still going

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Stephen Curry has been cleared for shooting drills and light on-court workouts despite a strained left hamstring. He has a chance to play for the Golden State Warriors if they force a Game 6 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Warriors reevaluated Curry on Wednesday before playing their must-win Game 5 without him and announced he was “making good progress” in his recovery from the injury suffered in the opener of the second-round series. Curry would be reevaluated on Saturday if the Warriors win and host Game 6 in San Francisco on Sunday.

Rory McIlroy says Masters might be the highlight of his career regardless of what’s next

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Rory McIlroy has everything he ever wanted in golf. The Masters delivered that with the final leg of the career Grand Slam. He’s already reached No. 1 in the world on nine occasions. So the obvious question is what’s next? McIlroy says he is done with chasing numbers. He wants to enjoy what he has achieved and simply try to play his best golf. He also realizes that he probably won’t have another highlight as meaningful as winning the Masters for the career slam. His next stop is the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, where he has won four times.

Tom Brady to take the ride of his life at Indy 500 with Jimmie Johnson as his chauffeur

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Fox Sports will continue its crossover collaboration with IndyCar by placing current network NFL analyst Tom Brady in the “Fastest Seat in Sports” for the Indianapolis 500. His driver? None other than NASCAR seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, putting a total of 14 titles inside the car on May 25. The Fastest Seat in Sports is a custom two-seat Indy car that makes ceremonial laps before an IndyCar race. After he gives Brady his ride, Johnson will fly to North Carolina to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 in what will be his 700th career NASCAR start.

Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald ‘expects’ Jon Rahm will make European team, but gives no assurances

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald says he expects Jon Rahm will be a member of the 2025 European team if he’s deemed eligible. But Donald stopped short of saying he’s given anyone assurance they’re on the team at this point, saying there is too much golf to be played before the September clash with the Americans at Bethpage Black. Donald says he hasn’t discussed the eligibility surrounding LIV Tour players. But when pressed on if he would advocate for their eligibility, Donald replied the European Tour “knows that I want my best 12; let’s put it that way.”