LAS VEGAS – With the U.S. men’s basketball team standing behind him, former President Barack Obama delivered a 10-minute speech about the importance of representing the United States.

At USA Basketball’s 50th anniversary party Tuesday night, Obama, whose attendance was a surprise to most in the room, opened his message by telling the audience that there is no bigger basketball fan in the world than him.

He talked about the importance of uniting the country and showing the world what America is capable of at its best.

“I’m pretty confident that they’re going to be bringing back the gold and representing us the way we should be represented around the world,’ Obama said.

Meet Team USA: See which athletes made the U.S. Olympic team and where they are from

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Multiple basketball Hall of Famers, Olympians and USA Basketball luminaries were in attendance, including Spencer Haywood, Cheryl Miller, Dawn Staley, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Sheryl Swoopes, Patrick Ewing, Nancy Lieberman, Reggie Miller, Steve Smith, Tim Hardaway, Doug Collins, Mike Krzyzewski and Jerry Colangelo.

“I just want to come here to obviously help send off the soon-to-be gold-medal winners,” Obama said. “But I want to come by and say thank you to the legends who have represented USA Basketball and America for 50 years now.”

Earlier in the day, Vice President Kamala Harris visited briefly with the U.S. men’s team at practice on the UNLV campus.

Team USA opened its five-game exhibition tune-up for the Paris Olympics on Wednesday against Canada. Obama was in attendance for the contest.

‘To have President Obama come – and he’s great with the microphone and really inspiring with his words – it was cool to set us off into this journey this summer with celebrating the 50 years of USAB and what we’re trying to do this summer,’ Steph Curry said. ‘So I got goosebumps while he was talking.’

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Colombia is heading to the Copa America 2024 final.

Jefferson Lerma scored a header in the 39th minute, and Colombia outlasted Uruguay 1-0 during their Copa America semifinal on Wednesday night in front of 70,644 people at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

The Copa America 2024 final is set: Colombia will face Lionel Messi’s Argentina, the defending Copa America and World Cup champions, on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

Colombia extended its unbeaten streak to 28 games with the victory, inspired by James Rodríguez’s stellar corner kick to Lerma in the 39th minute for his sixth assist, the most of any player during this Copa America.

Colombia also overcame the challenge of playing down to 10 players, after defender Daniel Muñoz received his second yellow card, and a red card, for elbowing a Uruguayan player just before halftime.

Mateus Uribe missed two shots, one in the 85th minute and another in extra time, unable to connect on two open chances toward the net to score a second goal for Colombia, much to the gasping despair of Colombian fans wanting a knockout blow.

Lerma took a long shot toward an empty net in the final minutes, but the final whistle was blown shortly after his shot sailed over the net, sending Colombia to the final.

Uruguay failed to score in its last two matches during the tournament, needed a 4-2 penalty shootout to advance past Brazil in the quarterfinal.

Darwin Núñez missed four shots toward the net in the first half, while José Giménez was unable to deliver with two attempts in the second half for Uruguay.

Uruguay, tied with Argentina for the most Copa America titles at 15, won’t get a chance to compete with Argentina for another one.

Colombia has reached its third Copa America final (1975, 2001), and hopes to win its second (2001).

Tempers flare after final whistle

Some Uruguay players were seen entering the stands as fights appeared to break out in the crowd.

Colombia misses wide-open goal: Colombia 1, Uruguay 0

Deep into stoppage time and with Uruguay goalkeeper Sergio Rochet playing way up the field as his team attempted to secure an equalizer, Colombia regained possession of the ball and took a long shot at the goal.

Colombia misses golden opportunities to put the game away

A mishit by Uruguay goalkeeper Sergio Rochet nearly resulted in a second goal for Colombia in the 88th minute that would have put the game away.

Kevin Castaño passed to a wide-open Mateus Uribe, who missed the shot wide.

A few minutes later in stoppage time, Rochet prevented Colombia from adding a second goal with a clutch save.

Federico Valverde misses shot toward net: Colombia 1, Uruguay 0

Luis Suarez misses shot off right post: Colombia 1, Uruguay 0

Luis Suarez was left in disbelief after his shot off the right post in a prime opportunity for Uruguay.

Suarez later misread this chance at another shot near the net shortly after.

Colombia’s José María Giménez gets yellow card: Colombia 1, Uruguay 0

Luis Suarez enters the match for Uruguay: Colombia 1, Uruguay 0

Luis Suarez, the Inter Miami star and Uruguay’s all-time leading scorer, has come on to play the final 20+ minutes of this match. Although he’s played just eight minutes during this Copa America, he remains a feared scorer for the trailing Uruguayans.

Darwin Núñez misses shot on goal: Colombia 1, Uruguay 0

Uruguay’s Darwin Núñez missed his shot toward the net. He was also called offside for the hectic sequence.

Colombia’s James Rodríguez comes off as substitute: Colombia 1, Uruguay 0

After a ton of commotion, James Rodríguez came off as a substitute in the 62nd minute for Colombia. He has the game-winning assist, his sixth of the tournament, if this score holds in the final 30+ minutes.  

Turn of events for Colombia early in second half: Colombia 1, Uruguay 0

Colombia’s Richard Ríos was down on one side of the pitch, but played continued on the other side with Uruguay charging toward the net. James Rodríguez tried his best to have the referees stop play, leading to a yellow card in the 56th minute.

Colombia’s Daniel Muñoz ejected after red card: Colombia 1, Uruguay 0

The worst moment for Colombia’s first half: Defender Daniel Muñoz picked up his second yellow card, and inherit red card for a elbow he delivered to a Uruguayan player just before halftime.

Despite the early lead, Colombia is down to 10 players for the rest of the match.

Jefferson Lerma scores header for goal: Colombia 1, Uruguay 0

James Rodríguez delivers his sixth assist of the tournament via a corner kick, finding Jefferson Lerma for a header and a score in the 39th minute. It’s the first time this tournament Uruguay has trailed.

Here’s another look at Colombia’s 1-0 lead:

Colombia’s Jhon Córdoba misses header shot: Uruguay 0, Colombia 0

James Rodríguez delivered a stellar cross to Jhon Córdoba, but his header could not find the back of the net.

Colombia’s Daniel Muñoz receives yellow card: Uruguay 0, Colombia 0

Uruguay’s Darwin Núñez misses shot on goal: Uruguay 0, Colombia 0

The Uruguayan striker with another golden opportunity, but misses high.

Uruguay’s Nicolás de la Cruz gets a yellow card: Uruguay 0, Colombia 0

Darwin Núñez misses shot on goal: Uruguay 0, Colombia 0

Uruguay’s Darwin Núñez attempted this shot, but was just to the left of the net on his side’s best shot of the match early on.

Daniel Muñoz misses header towards goal: Uruguay 0, Colombia 0

Luis Díaz set up this shot by Colombia with a cross, but the header by Daniel Muñoz was just a bit outside.

Colombia player to watch: James Rodriguez

Luis Diaz crowned Rodriguez in celebration after his goal in a 5-0 win against Panama in the quarterfinal. He’s been the best player during Copa America, the engine Colombia has relied on during its semifinal march.

Rodriguez leads all players with five assists, more than double the next player in line. He was instrumental in Colombia’s avoidance of Uruguay until the semifinal, fueling Colombia’s comeback draw against Brazil to meet Panama in the quarterfinals.

Colombia has 11 goals in four games — five coming in their win against Panama — and appears as the strongest team to beat in the Copa America semifinals.

Uruguay player to watch: Darwin Núñez

The Liverpool striker shined with two goals in group play, but missed a header near the net that would have helped Uruguay avoid a penalty shootout against Brazil, and was eventually subbed off against Brazil to help Uruguay play the result.

Although Uruguay did not appear its strongest against Brazil, the country has a feather in its cap no other club has: a win over Argentina in World Cup qualifying last November, in which Núñez scored.

Simply put, Núñez needs to have a better performance than his last two outings, which included a meaningless 1-0 win over the U.S. after already clinching a quarterfinal, if Uruguay is to advance in the semifinal round.

Here are the starting lineups for Uruguay and Colombia

Here are the starting lineups for both sides for tonight’s Copa America semifinal:

What time is the Uruguay vs. Colombia Copa America semifinal?

The Copa America semifinal matchup between Uruguay and Colombia will kick off at 8 p.m. ET.

How to watch Uruguay vs. Colombia live stream?

FS1 will broadcast the match in English, and Univision/TUDN in Spanish.

When is the Copa America final?

Argentina will face the winner of Uruguay and Colombia during the Copa America final Sunday at 8 p.m. ET inside Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

When is the Copa America third-place match?

The loser of Uruguay and Colombia will stay in Charlotte and play Canada in the Copa America third-place match Saturday at Bank of America Stadium.

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Uruguay vs. Colombia prediction

Colombia 1-1 (4-3 in penalty shootout): James Rodriguez is Colombia’s engine and has pushed the pace for his side in four Copa America matches, but Uruguay’s defense could be stifling. Both sides will score a goal, but Colombia will outlast Uruguay in penalties. – Safid Deen, USA TODAY Sports’ Lionel Messi reporter.

Uruguay vs. Colombia betting odds

Uruguay has +160 odds to win, and Colombia has +225 odds to win, while a draw after 90 minutes has +170 odds, according to BETMGM.

For more analysis on Uruguay vs. Colombia betting odds, click here.

How did Colombia reach the Copa America semifinals?

Colombia won Group D by beating Paraguay 2-1, Costa Rica 3-0 and tying Brazil 1-1 during the group stage to avoid a meeting with Uruguay in the quarterfinals.

Colombia advanced to the semifinal, following a 5-0 rout of Panama.

How did Uruguay reach the Copa America semifinals?

Uruguay won Group C by beating Panama 3-1, Bolivia 5-0 and the U.S. men’s national team 1-0 during the group stage.

Uruguay failed to score against Brazil during their quarterfinal, but outlasted them 4-2 in a penalty shootout.

How did Lionel Messi and Argentina reach the Copa America final?

Who has the best betting odds to win Copa America?

Argentina – the defending Copa America 2021 and World Cup 2022 champions – have the best odds to win this summer’s tournament at -165 odds, while Uruguay is +320, and Colombia is +350 to win it all, according to BETMGM.

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He no longer will be paid or receive service time.

Franco, who previously had been on administrative leave until charges were filed, was formally charged by Dominican Republic prosecutors with sexual abuse and sexual exploitation against a minor and with human trafficking.

“Serious charges,’’ Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters Wednesday. “Very concerning.’’

The Rays, after being notified of the charges Tuesday night, requested Wednesday that he be placed on the restricted list instead of the administrative list since he is prohibited from playing. Franco was being paid $2.454 million in the third year of a 11-year, $182 million contract.

Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.

Franco is facing a prison sentence of two to five years for sexual abuse and five to 10 years for sexual exploitation while the human trafficking charges carry a sentence from 15 to 20 years. If Franco is found guilty of multiple charges, he would be sentenced on the crime with the longest prison term, according to Dominican laws.

Franco is being charged with having a relationship with a then 14-year-old girl that began in December 2022, when Franco was 21. Franco previously denied all allegations, which surfaced on social media posts on Aug. 13, 2023.

Prosecutors presented nearly a 600-page report to a judge in January. It included details of the alleged sexual relationship derived from interviews and messages between Franco and the girl.

The report also alleged that Franco paid the girl’s mother to continue the relationship. The mother was also charged with trafficking, sexual exploitation and money laundering.

MLB will continue its own investigation of Franco after his legal status in the Dominican is determined.

“We are aware of the charges against Mr. Franco,’’ MLB said in a release. “Our investigation remains open and we will continue to closely monitor the case as it moves forward.’’

Follow Bob Nightengale on X @Bnightengale

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Ollie Watkins’ goal in the 90th minute gave England a 2-1 win over the Netherlands, the late drama in Dortmund sending England to Sunday’s final against Spain.

The Netherlands hopped out to a lead in the first 10 minutes, but Harry Kane’s penalty canceled out the Dutch advantage shortly afterwards. Things looked headed for extra time until the substitute Watkins scored on a tremendous solo effort as second-half stoppage time was getting underway.

‘You might get five minutes, one minute, but you can make a difference, you can win us the tournament,’ England captain Harry Kane said postgame. ‘And Oli’s been waiting, he’s been patient and what he’s done out there is outstanding. What a finish. I’m so happy for him, he deserves it.’

England has never won the European championship, finishing runner-up in the last edition of the tournament.

‘I have no words for this. When you concede so late, it’s terrible,’ Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk said after the loss. ‘This hurts a lot. You give it your all and if it still turns out like that, it sucks.’

Here’s how Wednesday’s match in Dortmund happened:

FINAL: England 2, Netherlands 1

England advanced to its second consecutive Euro final, defeating the Netherlands 2-1 with a 90th-minute goal from substitute Ollie Watkins.

An unbelievable finish in Dortmund and heartbreak for the Dutch, who hoped to get a rematch of the 2010 World Cup final against Spain.

Goal! Ollie Watkins wins it in the 90th minute

England subtitute Ollie Watkins scored in the 90th minute, beating Netherlands goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen from a tight angle – surely the winner that sends England to the Euro 2024 final.

Watkins scored 19 goals for Aston Villa in the 2023-24 English Premier League season.

Ollie Watkins, Cole Palmer on for England

England thought they had the go-ahead goal when Bukayo Saka found the back of the net, but offside was correctly ruled in the build up.

Ollie Watkins and Cole Palmer are coming on in the 81st minute to replace Harry Kane and Phil Foden.

Jude Bellingham gets yellow card

England’s 21-year-old midfielder Judge Bellingham was booked for a challenge on Stefan de Vrij in the 71st minute with the score still 1-1.

Jordan Pickford makes big save in 65th minute

England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was called into action in the 65th minute, knocking away a short-range shot from Virgil Van Dijk off a free kick on the right wing.

Wout Weghorst, Luke Shaw on for second half

The Netherlands had Wout Weghorst came on for Donyell Malen, while England brought on Luke Shaw to replace Kieran Trippier to begin the second half.

HALFTIME: England 1, Netherlands 1

Harry Kane’s 18th-minute penalty canceled out Xavi Simons’ brilliant early goal, with both teams creating scoring opportunities throughout the first half.

This is the best that England have looked at Euro 2024, with Phil Foden taking a more proactive role in the Three Lions’ attack. England had 60% possession through the first 45 minutes and took seven shots to Holland’s three.

Joey Veerman on after Memphis Depay injury

Memphis Depay took a knock that required him to be removed from the game, coming off for Joey Veerman in the 35th minute of the first half with the score still tied 1-1.

Denzel Dumfries’ wild first half

After getting called for the foul that set up England’s game-tying penalty, Netherlands defender Denzel Dumfries stayed in the thick of the action, making a crucial goal-line clearance and then hitting the crossbar with a header off a corner kick.

Goal! Harry Kane penalty makes it 1-1

After a VAR check ruled that Denzel Dumfries fouled Harry Kane while attempting a shot, Kane stepped up to the spot and converted the equalizer in the 18th minute.

England’s all-time leading scorer, Kane didn’t take a penalty in the quarterfinal win over Switzerland and famously missed a spot kick that would have tied the 2022 World Cup quarterfinal against France.

Goal! Xavi Simons scores early for Netherlands

The Netherlands went ahead in the seventh minute when Xavi Simons scored on a rocket from outside the penalty area after an England giveaway.

Simons, 21, plays for Paris Saint-Germain and spent last season with RB Leipzig in Germany.

England vs Netherlands Euro 2024 semifinal underway

The second Euro 2024 semifinal kicked off at 9 p.m. local time in Dortmund, with England and the Netherlands facing off for a spot in Sunday’s final against Spain.

England vs Netherlands starting lineup

Defender Marc Guehi returns for England after missing the quarterfinal due to suspension and replaces Ezri Konsa.

England: Jordan Pickford; Kyle Walker, Marc Guehi, John Stones, Kieran Trippier; Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo, Bukayo Saka; Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Harry Kane (c)

Netherlands: Bart Verbruggen; Denzel Dumfries, Virgil van Dijk (c), Stefan de Vrij, Nathan Ake; Tijjani Reijnders, Jerdy Schouten, Xavi Simons; Donyell Malen, Cody Gakpo, Memphis Depay

Jude Bellingham has history with semifinal referee

German referee Felix Zwayer has been appointed to officiate the Euro 2024 semifinal between England and the Netherlands in Dortmund, and is an official with whom Jude Bellingham has previously clashed with in the same stadium.

In 2021, when Bellingham was at Borussia Dortmund, the England midfielder received a fine of 40,000 euros for comments he made regarding Zwayer following his side’s 3-2 defeat by Bayern Munich.

‘You can look at a lot of the decisions in the game. You give a referee, that has match-fixed before, the biggest game in Germany. What do you expect?’ Bellingham said at the time.

His comments referenced a period in Zwayer’s career which he would have preferred to put behind him.

In 2005, referee Robert Hoyzer was sentenced to two years and five months in prison for his role in a massive match-fixing scandal which rocked German football, and although Zwayer was one of those who reported his suspicions, he too was punished.

Zwayer was given a six-month ban by the German Football Federation (DFB) for accepting 300 euros from Hoyzer for agreeing to make incorrect decisions during a game while he was an assistant referee.

He took a short break after Bellingham’s comments, but since then has refereed the 2023 Nations League final and at Euro 2024 Zwayer has taken charge of three games before the semi-final.

– Reuters

England’s Declan Rice: ‘May the best team win’ 

Declan Rice is taking England’s Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands in his stride and believes they have the momentum to beat the Dutch and win their first-ever European Championship.

‘It’s business as usual … I don’t put too much pressure on myself, I don’t think about it too much,’ Rice told England’s Lions’ Den program..

‘We’re here for a reason, Holland are here for a reason and may the best team win. It’s a game of football, we feel like we’ve got a really good bit of momentum on our side,’ Rice added.

The statistics underline Rice’s contribution for England, covering more distance in the tournament than any other player at 63.9km (39.7 miles) over five matches, with the fourth most tackles and balls recovered.

– Reuters

Bukayo Saka, England stayed loose with golf outing

Bukayo Saka won plaudits for striking the ball so sweetly in England’s quarter-final win over Switzerland and did it again on his golf debut at the weekend even if his celebrations were spoiled by an embarrassing tumble over the golf bag.

Beginner’s luck it may have been but Saka, who equalized against the Swiss and converted his penalty in the 5-3 shootout win, shone when England were treated to some golf on their day off on Sunday.

‘Oh my goodness – best shot of my life,’ Saka said after his first effort.

He struck the ball well on his next attempt too and while enjoying generous applause he stumbled comically, prompting laughter and ridicule from teammates. The distraction could be just what England need ahead of their semi-final with Netherlands on Wednesday, when they aim to reach their second successive Euros final.

– Reuters

England players back manager Gareth Southgate

Gareth Southgate is exactly what England need as a leader and he has instilled a sense of togetherness in a team who have grown stronger during Euro 2024 and have never been more motivated, defender Luke Shaw said on Monday. 

‘He really took us to the next level, no manager has really been as successful as him as what he’s been doing recently,’ Shaw told a press conference.

– Reuters

Netherlands faced travel disruption getting to Dortmund

Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman shrugged off the travel disruption faced by his squad on Tuesday and said the team were well rested ahead of Wednesday’s European Championship semi-final against England.

The Dutch were forced to abandon their plans to travel to Dortmund by train from their base at Wolfsburg, after the service was canceled due to a blockage on the route, the Dutch Football Association said.

Instead, they flew to Dortmund, arriving at their hotel some four hours later than planned.

‘It was not a problem, we had a good rest this afternoon, we were on the plane for just 30 minutes, arrived at our hotel and we can have a good rest tonight,” Koeman said in an interview with UEFA after his scheduled pre-match press conference had to be canceled because of the travel delay.

– Reuters

Where is the Euro 2024 final?

The final for Euro 2024 will be played at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on Sunday, July 14. The venue previously hosted the 2006 World Cup final (Italy defeated France) and 2015 UEFA Champions League final.

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LAS VEGAS – Deion Sanders took Las Vegas by storm here Wednesday, making his grand debut as a member of the Big 12 Conference by taking the stage at Allegiant Stadium and doing what he does best –attracting and welcoming attention unlike any other coach in America.

For example, the Colorado head football coach walked to the stage attended by his security guard and a trail of photographers.

He protested in jest when his 15 minutes on the stage ran out, saying he was having fun answering questions from reporters at the Big 12 media days event.

He also expressed awe at where he was and how far he had come, even though he’s a Pro Football Hall of Famer in his second year at Colorado.

“Look at where we are,” said Sanders, sitting on a stage behind the end zone of the NFL stadium. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I’m a brother from Fort Myers, Florida, and I’m sitting up here in the dern end zone in Las Vegas talking to the whole dern country about a childish game I played when I was a shortie. Don’t you understand how powerful and how wonderful it is? … I’m so dern thankful to be here. I try to relay that to all our young men. This is a moment, man. You better maximize it and let’s go get it.”

Why Deion Sanders and the Big 12 love each other

Last year, “Coach Prime” was scheduled to appear here with the Pac-12 Conference but canceled because of health problems.

One year later, he’s in the Big 12 after Colorado switched leagues and sounds like he’s thrilled about it, for a couple of obvious reasons. He’s a Florida native and has an estate in Texas, where he once played for the Dallas Cowboys. He has recruited players out of both states before moving to the Big 12, but now he’ll get to coach games in those states as a member of the Big 12, including at Central Florida and Texas Tech this season.

But first came his appearance at this two-day event, where all 16 Big 12 head coaches give preseason previews of their teams. More than 500 media members were credentialed for it, with Sanders arguably the biggest attraction at the air-conditioned stadium. No other coach was talked about more.

“Man, I love Deion,” Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire said Tuesday. “I always tell everybody, I coached Bucky (Deion Jr.), his oldest son, in high school. He’s honestly the best dad of a player that I’ve ever had.”

Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy was even asked about his game against Colorado in Boulder Nov. 29 on ABC.

“I think we’re lucky in our league that he’s with us because he brings more people and notoriety and viewers to the Big 12 Conference, and that’s what makes it go,” Gundy said. “We need viewership. We want people to watch our teams play. It will be fun to have him in our league.”

What did Deion Sanders say about his team this year?

He came to the media days event with three of his players: star quarterback son Shedeur, safety son Shilo and punter Mark Vassett. Two-way star Travis Hunter had been announced as attending the event but didn’t come for unstated reasons.

Two of those players be selected in the first round of the NFL draft next year: Hunter and Shedeur Sanders. Sanders said Wednesday he wants to see four of his players selected in the first round, including defensive lineman BJ Green, a transfer from Arizona State.

‘I see the want and the fire and desire from our young men, and I can’t wait until you get the opportunity to see it as well,’ Deion Sanders said. “I’m very optimistic on what we have on our plate.’

Sanders’ second team at Colorado is projected to finish 11th out of 16 teams by media who cover the league but could surprise like they did early in the season last year before finishing 4-8. Not only are Shedeur Sanders and Shilo Sanders returning as stars on the offense and defense, but they’ll be surrounded by many new faces on offense and defense, including a new starting offensive line to replace the one that gave up the second-most quarterback sacks in the nation last year.

Coach Prime discusses staff and standards

Much like last year in his first season in Boulder, Sanders used the transfer portal to remake his roster, with about 40 transfers coming in and at least 36 players from last year’s team transferring out or otherwise leaving before their eligibility expired.  

Sanders noted they will be managed and coached by a Colorado staff with a combined 159 seasons of NFL coaching experience, including that of new defensive coordinator Robert Livingston and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, a former NFL head coach.

Sanders called Livingston “totally awesome” and said, “I pray to God I can keep him because I feel like we’re going to kick butt. We’re going to win, and he’s going to be a head coach in college or pros or whatever he endeavors because he’s that good.’

Livingston is a former assistant with the Cincinnati Bengals who will coach Hunter and Shilo Sanders, Colorado’s leading tackler last year. All three of Sanders’ sons came with him to Las Vegas, including his eldest son, Deion Jr., who documents the Colorado program through his YouTube channel.

Describing his overall outlook at age 56, Deion Sanders noted he’s ‘judged on a different scale.’

‘Nothing I do is ever going to be enough,’ he said. ‘I’m cool with that. I understand that that is life, and that’s how life is going to be. But I plan on being a tremendous blessing to as many people I can bless, especially those probably 120 young men that put on this CU helmet and go out and play for our school and our program.

‘To sum it all up, man, I just want to be known as a great dad. I think I’ve got three sons here today. And I just wantto be a great dad to them. That’s it.’

Colorado opens the season Aug. 29 against North Dakota State.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

Live sporting events still pay.

That’s the message derived from the NBA’s new TV and media rights deal that will net the league approximately $76 billion in a 11-year deal – $6.9 billion per season – from Disney (ABC/ESPN), NBC and Amazon, according to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand.

The NBA’s new TV deal annually almost triples the current agreement which began in 2015-16 and ends after the 2024-25 season. The new contract will kick in starting with 2025-26 and end in 2036-37.

Turner Sports (TNT) is not part of the new agreement. Turner Sports does have an opportunity to match a portion of the deal, which might be Amazon’s piece of the package, according to Marchand.

Disney will pay $2.6 billion, NBC $2.5 billion and Amazon $1.8 billion annually in a deal that introduces a more prominent streaming service to the NBA’s media partners. Bringing Amazon into the fold is not a surprise given it has a deal to stream WNBA games, and the league has crafted a working relationship with the company.

The return of the NBA on NBC

Could ‘Roundball Rock’ make a comeback? The ‘NBA on NBC’ theme song, one of the most iconic in history, could make another appearance as the Peacock network is back in the basketball business, agreeing to a broadcast deal to carry the league’s third package of games. NBC takes over for Turner Sports.

Comcast’s NBCUniversal reportedly will pay $2.5 billion a year for its package. The Finals are still scheduled to air exclusively on ABC and ESPN.

Overall, the NBA has agreed to a new media rights deal that would pay the league just about $7 billion a season and commence in the 2025-2026 season.

The previous media deal, announced in 2014, was worth $24 billion − $2.67 billion annually −and continued the league’s relationship with ESPN/ABC and TNT.

Amazon’s part in the NBA TV deal

The NBA is now in the streaming business.

The league and Amazon agreed to a deal in which the streaming service would pay $1.8 billion a year to broadcast games. The company’s deep pockets would add to its sports portfolio, which includes the NFL, which it pays $1 billion a year for ‘Thursday Night Football.’

Amazon is slated to become the home of the NBA’s In-Season tournament, per reports.

ESPN and ABC have had the premiere NBA regular season and postseason package since the 2002-03 season, snagging those rights from NBC, which aired games for 12 years during the height of the Michael Jordan era.

What does this mean for the NBA TNT crew?

‘Inside the NBA,’ Turner’s outstanding studio show, could see its last season in 2025.

Ernie Johnson said that he would remain at Turner if the network lost its NBA rights. Charles Barkley said if TNT moves on from basketball, he’ll become a free agent and is not sure about the show moving forward, especially after Johnson’s comments.

The show has won 18 Sports Emmy Awards, including six for best weekly show, with Johnson and Barkley winning multiple Emmys for best studio host and studio analyst, respectively.

The United States men’s national team’s early exit from the 2024 Copa América proved to be the final straw for head coach Gregg Berhalter’s (second) tenure as the team’s manager. The 50-year-old is out as head coach, as announced by the U.S. Soccer Federation on Wednesday.

Berhalter’s exit, as first reported by FOX Sports’ Doug McIntyre, comes after USMNT’s disappointing show at this year’s tournament. They tallied just three points in the group stage and failed to move on to the quarterfinals. The search for a new head coach ahead of the 2026 World Cup – which the U.S. will jointly host with Canada and Mexico – will begin immediately.

The New Jersey native took over as the national team’s head coach in 2018, after Bruce Arena resigned from the position after a brief second stint. Berhalter went on to lead the team to a CONCACAF Nations League win in 2019-20, a CONCACAF Gold Cup win in 2021 and a 2022 World Cup run to the round of 16. U.S. Soccer initially chose not to renew his contract after 2022, though it re-hired Berhalter the following June.

After giving Berhalter five years in total at the helm, U.S. Soccer has ultimately decided to move in a different direction. All we can do for right now is speculate, but here are three candidates we think the federation could consider for the newly open USMNT head coach job.

USMNT coaching candidates

1. Steve Cherundolo

Note: A previous version of this story included B.J. Callaghan as a promising potential hire instead of Cherundolo. This story has been updated to reflect Callaghan’s departure from the USMNT staff to take over as the head coach of MLS’s Nashville SC.

Cherundolo is a top candidate U.S. Soccer could look to if they hope to stay with a coach who is already within the U.S. Soccer Federation umbrella.

The California native and former player for the USMNT took over as the Los Angeles FC head coach in 2022 after stops at a German U15 and U17 team, an assistant job at VfB Stuttgart and the USL. He found immediate success with Los Angeles.

In his first season, he broke an MLS record for most wins by a first-year head coach when he led LAFC to its Supporters’ Shield-clinching 21st win. The record was originally set by one-time USMNT head coach (and his LAFC predecessor) Bob Bradley with the 1998 Chicago Fire.

Los Angeles went on to win the MLS Cup in Cherundolo’s first year and finished as runners-up in 2023. The team is currently tied for the lead in the league’s Western Conference with 43 points and has a game (or two) in hand over the other top teams.

Cherundolo is a former member of the United States men’s national team, an inductee to the National Soccer Hall of Fame and a successful MLS coach. He should be among the top candidates that U.S. Soccer considers to replace his former teammate as the USMNT head coach.

2. Jim Curtin

If U.S. Soccer wants an ‘in-house’ option that isn’t Cherundolo, Curtin is one of its other best options. He has been the head coach of the Philadelphia Union (of the USSF-sanctioned MLS) since 2014 and has established himself as one of the league’s best coaches.

Curtin led the Union to three U.S. Open Cup finals (2014, 2015, 2018) and the MLS Cup final in 2022. He earned MLS Coach of the Year honors in 2020 and 2022, and has a 164-106-126 record with a +114 goal differential as the Union’s head coach over his decade-long tenure.

U.S. Soccer has a history of hiring successful MLS coaches as the head coach of the national team. The federation did it with Berhalter – formerly of the Columbus Crew – in 2018 and with Arena – once the head coach of D.C. United – in 1998. Curtin has one of the best track records of MLS head coaches right now and would fit the mold established by previous hiring practices.

3. Hervé Renard

Renard, a 55-year-old Frenchman and the head coach of France’s national women’s team, has something of a reputation for pushing national teams to a higher level.

In 2012, Renard led Zambia to its first victory in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON), a full 38 years after the team’s first tournament appearance. Three years later, he led Ivory Coast to its second-ever AFCON win and first since 1992, becoming the first head coach to win an AFCON tournament with two different countries. In 2018, Renard got Morocco into the 2018 World Cup for their first time qualifying since 1998.

Two years ago, it was Renard who coached Saudi Arabia to a 2-1 World Cup-opening win over eventual champions Argentina.

Attempts to draw Renard to the United States will be more difficult than either of the other candidates. In January of this year, Ivory Coast attempted to bring him back ‘on loan’ from the French women’s national team for this year’s AFCON tournament, but the French Football Federation rejected their request.

Honorable mention: Jürgen Klopp

Jürgen Klopp is never going to be the head coach of the United States men’s national team, but it is a fun dream to have. An all-time great manager coming to coach up the American team after stepping down from his decade-long job at Liverpool? Of course that’s an exciting concept.

Klopp himself once likened his teams’ style of play to heavy metal in that they are highly aggressive, with an inclination to immediately press opposing teams after losing possession. Using his tactics, Klopp’s Liverpool teams over the last 10 years have been among the Premier League’s most successful, winning the league in 2019-20, the FA Cup in 2021-22 and the EFL (formerly Carabao Cup) in 2021-22 and this year.

The German coaching mastermind is one of the best coaches in the world. Given his price point and recently stated desire to take a break from managing soccer teams, he’s nothing but a pipe dream for USMNT fans.

Defending 100 and 200 world champion Noah Lyles won’t be on the track this week in Monaco.

Lyles withdrew from the Friday’s Wanda Diamond League competition. In a statement obtained by USA TODAY Sports, Lyles said he’s decided to stay home and continue to train in Florida.

“I’m sorry to announce that I’ve withdrawn from this Friday’s Meeting Herculis EBS in Monaco,’ Lyles said. ‘The meet is one of my favorites to compete in, and Monaco is one of my favorite places that my career has taken me to.’

My coach, my entire team and I are very pleased with what we were able to achieve at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene, however, in order to put myself in the best possible position to succeed in Paris, we have decided to spend an extra week at our training base in Florida before traveling to Europe. I’ll miss competing there on Friday, but I look forward to returning to race in Monaco next year.’

Lyles was entered to compete in the 200 in Monaco. Joshua Hartmann (Germany), Andrew Hudson (Jamaica), Alexander Ogando (Dominican Reupublic), Tarsis Orogot (Uganda), William Reais (Switzerland), Letsile Tebogo (Botswana) and Filippo Tortu (Italy) are the remaining athletes on the Wanda Diamond League 200 start list.

Meet Team USA: See which athletes made the U.S. Olympic team and where they are from

Wanda Diamond League is one of the final track and field events before the Paris Olympics.

Lyles won the 100 and 200 at the U.S. Olympic trials to qualify for the Paris Games. He ranks No. 1 in the world in the 200 and No. 4 in the world in the 100. However, he’s set to enter to Paris Olympics as a gold-medal favorite in both events.

Carl Lewis was the last American man to win the 100-200 sprint double, doing so at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984.

Lyles is also expected to be a member of Team USA’s 4×100-relay team in Paris.

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