Tag: Fox Sport News

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The Cooligans welcome former MLS head coach and analyst Giovanni Savarese for a deep dive into the 2026 MLS season. Gio shares his predictions, breakout teams to watch, and how the league continues to evolve ahead of a massive 2026 on home soil. The conversation also turns to the USMNT, as the guys assess expectations, pressure, and what success should realistically look like at the 2026 World Cup.

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Christian and Alexis then tackle the troubling racist incident involving Vinícius Júnior during Real Madrid’s clash with Benfica. They unpack how these situations are currently handled, question whether the responsibility to stop a match unfairly falls on the player experiencing abuse, and debate what meaningful structural changes could better protect players moving forward.

Finally, it’s a jam-packed Champions League recap. Folarin Balogun shines in a statement performance against Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus suffer a shocking defeat to Galatasaray, and Bodø/Glimt pull off a stunning win over Inter Milan. The boys react to all the drama, surprises, and what these results mean going forward.

Timestamps:

(6:30) – 2026 MLS preview and predictions

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(30:00) – Gio Savarese’s USMNT World Cup outlook

(39:00) – Vinicius Junior deals with racism again: time for a rule change?

(59:00) – Folarin Balogun shines in Champions League loss to PSG

(1:04:30) – Serie A teams suffer shocking Champions League losses

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On today’s Kevin O’Connor Show, KOC is joined by NBC broadcaster John Fanta to talk everything NBA. They start with Eastern Conference contender power rankings: who’s the number one team in the East? Could Cade Cunningham really be MVP?

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Then, they turn to Team USA hockey’s gold-medal win against Canada before John tells the story of his call-up to the NBA on NBC by Mike Tirico.

Plus, they discuss if Anthony Edwards is the face of the league, address the troubles in Phoenix & Houston, and take a look at the top prospects in this year’s fiery draft class.

That and more, today!

Eastern Conference Contenders (1:39)
USA Hockey and John’s NBC Career (43:16)
Draft Class (1:10:20)

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LAFC sent a loud message in their 3-0 dismantling of Inter Miami, and it wasn’t just about the scoreline. Los Angeles FC looked sharp, organized, and ruthless, while Inter Miami CF looked frustrated and overwhelmed. We break down what went wrong for Miami, what this result means long-term, and whether Lionel Messi’s heated postgame interaction with referees is a sign of deeper cracks. Plus, we recap the rest of MLS opening weekend and highlight the teams that set the tone early.

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Across the pond, the Premier League title race is heating up once again. Manchester City and Arsenal continue to push each other to the limit at the top of the table. Can City pull off another late surge, or is this finally Arsenal’s year? We examine the remaining fixtures, squad depth, and pressure points that could decide the title.

Off the pitch, concerns are growing around the 2026 tournament. With New Jersey canceling its World Cup fan zone and Gillette Stadium reportedly resisting FIFA licensing without additional funding, we ask whether the 2026 World Cup is starting to show serious organizational strain. Is this just early logistical turbulence—or a warning sign for what’s ahead?

Timestamps:

(7:00) – LAFC thrash Messi and Inter Miami

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(23:00) – MLS opening weekend recap

(32:00) – Arsenal and Man City continue to battle in PL title race

(47:45) – World Cup in danger of falling apart already?

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Chris Sale won’t be a free agent after the 2026 season.

The Atlanta Braves announced they have agreed to a contract extension with the 36-year-old lefty through the 2027 season that has a club option through 2028.

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Sale is set to be paid $27 million in 2027 and would be paid $30 million in 2028 if the Braves pick up the option. He’s making $18 million in 2026.

The nine-time All-Star won the first Cy Young Award of his career in Atlanta in 2024 when he posted a 2.38 ERA and 225 strikeouts in 177.2 innings pitched while going 18-3. A season ago, Sale threw 125.2 innings and had a 2.58 ERA with 165 strikeouts. He missed over two months in the summer after fracturing ribs.

That 2024 season was his first in Atlanta after seven seasons with the Red Sox. Sale began his career with the Chicago White Sox and spent the first seven seasons of his MLB career on the South Side before he was traded in December 2016.

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The Braves acquired Sale for Vaughn Grissom in December 2023 after the pitcher had dealt with injuries for years. After not playing in the shortened 2020 season, Sale threw just 151 innings across his final three seasons in Boston, including 5.2 innings in 2022. In his final season with the Red Sox, Sale had a 4.30 ERA over 102.2 innings pitched.

He’s clearly bounced back in a big way for the Braves as they attempt to keep pace with the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East. Atlanta was second to the Phillies in 2024 and fell to fourth in 2025.

Could the Army-Navy game be on the move?

Army coach Jeff Monken isn’t against moving the game up two weeks or so to the weekend after Thanksgiving. Right now, the two service academies meet on the Saturday after conference championship game weekend between the rest of the college football regular season and bowl season.

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In 2025, the first bowl game kicked off just a couple hours after Army-Navy ended, thanks to the way Saturdays fell throughout the year on the calendar.

“I think Army-Navy is a huge part of the history of college football, and what it is today, even,” Monken told the Athletic. “Give us a four-hour block on Thanksgiving, or on Friday of Thanksgiving, or on Saturday of Thanksgiving, and give us a four-hour block, and just say nobody else plays doing this four-hour block. That’s still protecting the game.”

Army and Navy have occupied their exclusive window in December since the two teams were independent. Now, both teams are members of the American Conference. However, since the game is played so late in the season and after the American’s title game, it doesn’t have any bearing on the conference race. And it has no playoff impact, either. The playoff field is set nearly a week before the game happens.

Moving the game up to the traditional end of the regular season would mean the game could not only count toward the American title race, but even playoff inclusion. Army won 12 games in 2024 and Navy won 11 games a season ago.

A move would also mean the playoff would have room to shift around in December, too. Even if it stays at 12 teams.

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With Army-Navy played on the second weekend of December, the 12-team playoff has begun on the third weekend of the month over the past two seasons. That leaves the quarterfinals on New Year’s and then the semifinals and national championship game in January.

And in 2026, the length of the playoff is especially extreme. With New Year’s Day on a Friday, the semifinals are not Jan. 7 and Jan. 8 because at least one team would have to play on a short week. Instead, they’re on Jan. 14 and Jan. 15. The nearly two-week break between the quarterfinals and semifinals means the national championship game isn’t until Jan. 25.

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Having another weekend in December available for the CFP will be a huge benefit to shortening the season. Especially if the transfer window stays where it is. The sole transfer window opened while the CFP was still going on in January and teams like Oregon, Indiana, Miami and Ole Miss were both signing recruits while preparing to play postseason games. The earlier the college football season ends, the better chance players will have of being able to transfer after every team’s season is over.

Detroit Lions wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown has quite the connection to Germany. St. Brown’s mother, Miriam, was born in the country, and St. Brown hosts football camps there. Now, he has another reason to visit, as the Lions were announced as participants in the NFL’s 2026 Germany game.

The league announced the news Tuesday, though did not name the Lions’ opponent just yet.

It will mark the first time in over a decade the Lions will play in an international game. The last time they played overseas occurred in 2015, when the Lions took on the Kansas City Chiefs in London. The Lions lost that contest 45-10.

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While the Lions will play in Germany in 2026, the NFL has yet to reveal many details about the game. Fans know it will be played at FC Bayern Munich Stadium, but don’t know the Lions’ opponent, game date or kickoff time just yet. All of that information will be revealed — at the latest — during the league’s schedule release.

St. Brown, who is fluent in German, said it was a dream of his to play in his mother’s home country.

“I cannot wait to play in front of the incredible fans that I’ve gotten to know through my visits and football camps in the country,” said Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, whose mother, Miriam, hails from Cologne. “Their support for me and the country’s instant connection to the Lions brand is inspiring, and I’m looking forward to our team getting to showcase Detroit football on an international scale.”

The NFL will play a record nine international games in 2026. The league has revealed a few details about those games, including a handful of teams that will play overseas next season.

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There are still three international games in which the league has yet to reveal much information, including two of the London games and the 2026 game in Spain.

When the NFL’s free-agent signing period opens in March, one more veteran quarterback will be added to the list of available players. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins will be released one the first day of the 2026 league year, Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham said Tuesday.

Cunningham made those comments during a local radio interview. He said he spoke to both Cousins and his agent about the move.

Cousins, 37, still showed some ability with the Falcons down the stretch. Following a season-ending injury to Michael Penix, Cousins started the final seven games of the regular season for Atlanta. He threw for 1,471 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions during those contests. The Falcons went 5-2 with Cousins under center down the stretch, but that wasn’t good enough to push the team into the playoffs.

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While Cousins already knows his fate, the Falcons will wait until March 11 — when the 2026 league year begins — to make the move for salary cap reasons.

Once he becomes available, Cousins will join a free-agent quarterback market littered with older veterans like Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Joe Flacco. All four of those players could draw interest from teams, though none of them, with the exception of Rodgers, seems likely to be guaranteed a starting job.

Cousins turned in an excellent 12 seasons to start his NFL career, but an Achilles injury in his final season with the Minnesota Vikings cast doubt on his future. Cousins returned quickly from that injury, but struggled in his first year with the Falcons in 2024, eventually being benched for Penix.

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While Cousins showed signs of life down the stretch, it’s unclear whether that will lead to a significant role in 2026. The veteran might still have some ability in his right arm, and could help a team win some games next season, but he may have to compete for playing time on his new club.

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Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros break down the latest soccer headlines, starting with reports that USMNT striker Josh Sargent could be headed back to MLS with Toronto FC. Is it a smart career move or a major step backward for the American forward? The guys also react to rumors linking Timo Werner to the San Jose Earthquakes and debate whether the club made a massive mistake by failing to keep star winger Cristian Espinoza. Plus, with Chucky Lozano’s exit from San Diego seemingly inevitable, they discuss who the club should target as his replacement.

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Former Premier League defender Anton Ferdinand then joins the show to preview the West Ham vs. Tottenham derby and relive his legendary stoppage-time equalizer against Spurs in 2005. They also chat West Ham’s tough season so far and how the club can push forward to avoid relegation.

Finally, the guys debate whether Real Madrid made a massive mistake by firing Xabi Alonso and what it means for the club’s future. Christian and Alexis wrap things up with their AFCON Final predictions as Senegal and Morocco prepare to battle for continental glory.

Timestamps:

(6:45) – Josh Sargent heading back to MLS? Smart move or disaster?

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(17:30) – Timo Werner is headed to San Jose: redemption tour or flop?

(30:15) – Chucky Lozano is leaving San Diego – who will replace him?

(37:15) – Anton Ferdinand joins The Cooligans

(57:00) – Xabi Alonso now Real Madrid’s biggest enemy?

(1:10:00) – AFCON Final Predictions

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Divisional round weekend is right around the corner and we have Matt Harmon and Joel Smyth here to get you ready. The two preview each game and provide their favorite matchups and prop bets along the way. Smyth also shares his favorite DFS lineup for Divisional weekend.

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(5:00) #6 Bills @ #1 Broncos

(21:50) #6 49ers @ #1 Seahawks

(37:35) #5 Texans @ #2 Patriots

(49:00) #5 Rams @ #2 Bears

(1:01:50) Joel’s Divisional Round DFS Lineup

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The Los Angeles Dodgers did it again. The defending back-to-back World Series champions have had yet another big-time offseason. After adding star closer Edwin Díaz, they went out on Thursday night and brought top free-agent outfielder Kyle Tucker into their already star-studded lineup, solidifying them even more as the Evil Empire of baseball.

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On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman talk about the shocking—at least to some—move of Los Angeles once again bolstering their roster as they look for the first three-peat in baseball since the New York Yankees’ 1990s dynasty. With the Tucker deal coming in at four years, $240 million, should Commissioner Rob Manfred start to worry about the perception the Dodgers are giving off to opposing fans with their free agent spending?

Later, Jordan and Jake discuss the Boston Red Sox adding one of the big-arm free agents, Ranger Suárez, to their already crowded starting pitching depth chart and why he will be an interesting fit in their rotation. They then get into the Yankees trading for Ryan Weathers and the Arizona Diamondbacks acquiring Nolan Arenado from the St. Louis Cardinals before giving an update on Team USA’s newest roster additions. The guys close the show by making their picks for this week’s edition of The Good, The Bad, and The Uggla.

1:39 – The Opener: Kyle Tucker to the Dodgers

20:36 – Red Sox sign Ranger Suárez

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43:29 – Scott Boras Scoreboard update

46:10 – Around the League: Trade news

1:01:48 – Team USA roster update

1:08:09 – The Good, The Bad & The Uggla

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