The first-ever Athletes Unlimited Softball League championship goes to the top-seeded Talons.

After winning a rain-delayed Game 1 in the AUSL championship series, the Talons completed the two-game sweep of the Bandits on Sunday, July 27 with another delayed victory at Rhoads Softball Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Sydney Romero’s solo home run with one out in the top of the sixth inning broke a scoreless tie and provided the winning margin in a 1-0 championship-clinching victory. It was the former Oklahoma star’s first homer of the postseason and just her second of the season.

The first game in the best-of-three series was postponed a day earlier in the bottom of the sixth inning on Saturday as the Talons led the Bandits 3-1. `

With the skies clear on Sunday morning, the Talons closed out the victory to put themselves on the brink of a title.

Romero, Fouts star in Game 2

Game 2 was a classic pitcher’s duel between the Talons’ Montana Fouts and the Bandits’ Taylor McQuillin. They matched zeroes through the first four frames before the rain forced another delay in the top of the fifth inning.

Once the skies cleared, Fouts – playing on the same field where she starred collegiately at Alabama – returned to the mound for the Talons. Meanwhile, the Bandits turned to their ace Lexi Kilfoyl, who took the loss in Game 1.

With the game still scoreless in the sixth, Romero caught up with a fastball at the top of the strike zone and deposited it over the wall in left field to break the scoreless tie.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Bandits’ Bubba Nickles-Camarena nearly tied the game with a long drive that hit just a few inches away from clearing the wall in left-center field. But she was erased one batter later on a line drive that was snagged by Talons first baseman Tori Vidalis, who dove back to the bag and beat Nickles-Camarena for the double play.

Fouts then struck out Bella Dayton to complete the shutout and the championship-clinching 1-0 victory.

Kitayama started the final day in third place, overcoming Sam Stevens. 

Thorbjørn Olesen held at least a share of the lead after the second and third rounds, but stumbled in the final round, dropping 13 spots to finish in a tie for 14th. Akshay Bhatia also entered Sunday with a share of the lead after the first three rounds but finished tied for 25th.

The major drop in the leaderboard for players such a Olesen and Bhatia also means they missed out on a significantly larger payout.

While the winner does take home the top prize, every player manages to go home with some money in their pocket. Here’s a breakdown of how the 3M Open purse in 2025 will be divided up:

What is the total purse for the 3M Open 2025?

The total purse for the 2025 3M Open was $8.4 million. Kurt Kitayama won just over $1.5 million.

3M Open 2025 prize money payouts

The Los Angeles Chargers were one of the surprises of the AFC in 2024. The team had its first 11-win season in six years and made the wild-card round of the playoffs in its first year under coach Jim Harbaugh.

As they head into year two under the new regime, the franchise is handsomely rewarding one of its top young players.

The Chargers announced they have agreed to a four-year, $114 million extension that includes $92 million guaranteed with left tackle Rashawn Slater. This makes Slater the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history.

Slater was entering the final year of his rookie contract and this keeps him with the team through the 2029 NFL season.

Los Angeles drafted Slater in the first round, No. 13 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. He was the second offensive lineman selected in the draft after the Detroit Lions selected Penei Sewell at No. 7 overall.

Slater was one of the best tackles in the NFL as a rookie. He started 16 games, made the Pro Bowl and earned second-team All-Pro honors.

A biceps injury ended his 2022 season in Week 3. He returned for a full year of action in 2023 and, in 2024, was one of the top tackles in the NFL, making the Pro Bowl once again.

Tight end Jake Ferguson and the Cowboys agreed to a four-year, $52 million extension with $30 million guaranteed. This deal makes Ferguson the highest-paid tight end in Cowboys history.

Dallas drafted Ferguson in the fourth round, No. 129 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. He started eight games as a rookie and took on a larger role in his second season.

In 2023, Ferguson set career-highs in catches (71), receiving yards (761) and receiving touchdowns (five) and made his first Pro Bowl.

He was held scoreless in 2024 as the Cowboys offense struggled without franchise quarterback Dak Prescott in the lineup for much of the season.

Ferguson may be the highest-paid tight end in Cowboys history, but this deal makes him the seventh-highest-paid tight end in the league by average annual value (AAV). Per OverTheCap, Ferguson slots in behind Cleveland’s David Njoku ($13.68 million AAV) and ahead of Chicago’s Cole Kmet ($12.5 million).

Ferguson was entering the final year of his rookie deal prior to this extension. The Cowboys state this extension will free up $1.8 million in salary cap space for 2025.

Jake Ferguson stats

Ferguson assumed a larger role in the Cowboys’ offense in 2023 following Dalton Schultz’s departure. Here’s a look at his stats year-over-year:

2022 (16 games): 19 receptions, 174 yards, two touchdowns
2023 (17 games): 71 receptions, 761 yards, five touchdowns
2022 (14 games): 59 receptions, 494 yards

Micah Parsons contract latest

Cowboys fans are hoping the team’s top young star gets an extension done soon as well in edge rusher Micah Parsons. They voiced their displeasure during Dallas’ ‘Opening Day Ceremony’ at training camp, shouting ‘Pay Micah!’ to owner Jerry Jones as he took the stage to address the crowd.

Like Ferguson before his extension, Parsons is entering the final year of his rookie deal. He’s been one of the best defenders in the league since his rookie season in 2021 and has been at least a second-team All-Pro in three of his first four seasons.

Parsons has reported to training camp but previously spoke about his frustration with the negotiations.

He stated his representation tried to get an extension done last offseason but the franchise said they were focusing on deals for Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb instead.

Dallas hasn’t come together on a deal since the end of the 2024 season. This comes while other top edge rushers like Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt all signed long-term deals.

‘I will never understand it,’ Parsons said on former WWE wrestler The Undertaker’s podcast, Six Feet Under. ‘We wanted to do the contract last year – then you go out there and perform again. You would think, ‘Alright, we’ll get it done early, we know some guys are about to get re-paid.’ There’s Myles [Garrett], Maxx [Crosby] is going, so you would think, ‘Hey, let’s get ahead of that.’

‘You can’t want us to take less (now) because you’re the one that decided to wait.’

North Carolina Central head coach Trei Oliver accused a Virginia Tech coach of tampering last season, and the Hokies are now looking into the matter.

Oliver raised the accusation at a media event on July 25 when he was asked about his top ‘you got to be kidding me’ story. The fifth-year coach said prior to the contest against Howard − the final home game of the season − he noticed a Virginia Tech staff member on his team’s sideline.

‘Virginia Tech was actually on my sideline recruiting our running back,’ Oliver told said, according to WRAL News.

The running back wasn’t named, but Oliver said it was a player that ended up transferring to Virginia. J’Mari Taylor was the team’s leading rusher in 2024 and is now with the Cavaliers.

Oliver recalled assistant coaches were trying to calm him down about the situation but he was agitated by seeing the Virginia Tech staff member. In that game, Taylor ran for a season-high 206 yards and three touchdowns in a victory.

After Oliver’s comments, Virginia Tech released a statement that it reviewing the accusations.

‘This is the first time the issue has been brought to our attention, and no concern has previously been shared with us through any formal channel,’ the statement read. ‘Virginia Tech takes all NCAA rules seriously and is committed to conducting our program with integrity. We are reviewing the matter internally and will address any findings appropriately.’

After the alleged incident, Oliver was glad to see his player not end up with the Hokies, and hopes Virginia ‘kick Virginia Tech’s butt.’ Taylor is expected to have a major role in Virginia’s offense.

The annual ‘Commonwealth Clash’ between the Cavaliers and Hokies will take place in the 2025 season finale on Nov. 29 in Charlottesville.

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders will hold a press conference with his medical team on Monday, July 28.
The press conference will address ‘team and general updates.’
Sanders has been less involved in team activities this offseason due to an undisclosed health issue.

Much has been made about Deion Sanders’ future in Boulder due to a mysterious health issue that has limited his offseason participation with Colorado football and his sons − Shedeur and Shilo − in the NFL playing for the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, respectively.

On Monday, July 28, the college football world at large may be getting some answers on what may be on the horizon for the Colorado coach.

Sanders will be holding a press conference alongside his medical team to provide ‘team and general updates. It will be his first news conference of the 2025 fall camp for the Buffaloes.

While no one but Sanders is entitled to know his health status, rumors have swirled due to his limited involvement in Colorado’s spring and summer camps. Sanders appeared in good spirits at Big 12 media days, praising Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark for continually checking in on him, Colorado AD Rick George for taking a chance on him, and the other coaches in the Big 12.

Sanders ultimately declined to expound upon his health at media days, saying he was ‘here to talk about (his) team.’

When is Deion Sanders speaking to media?

Date: Monday, July 28
Time: 1 p.m. ET, 11 a.m. MT

Sanders and his medical team will be speaking to media Monday, July 28 at 1 p.m. ET, 11 a.m. MT (Boulder local time). It is unknown what the specific updates will be.

For the fourth time in six years, Tadej Pogačar of Slovenia has been crowned champion of the Tour de France.

Pogačar dominated throughout, taking over the yellow jersey midway through the 21-stage race and never facing a serious challenge before eventually winning by over four minutes.

‘It all started with how we started to ride with the team. We went fighting from Day 1,’ Pogačar said in a television interview. ‘After Stage 5, I knew I had good legs to compete for the victory.’

Even with the title all but secure, Pogačar still mounted a spirited challenge in Sunday’s final stage as a heavy rain drenched competitors and spectators alike for the finish.

A crowd of several hundred thousand lined the streets of Paris despite a late thundershower to watch the conclusion of the 112th Tour.

Pogačar, 26, began the final stage four minutes and 24 seconds ahead of two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard. Threatening weather conditions in Paris led race officials to freeze riders’ times with 50 kilometers to go. Vingegaard finished as the runner-up, with Florian Lipowitz completing the podium.

‘Battling against Jonas was a tough experience,’ Pogačar added. ‘Much respect and much congratulations for his fight. Great race.’

USA TODAY Sports has a complete recap of Stage 21 as the race concluded in Paris.

Final 2025 Tour de France standings

Final standings (after Stage 21)

Tadej Pogačar, Slovenia: 76 hours, 32 seconds
Jonas Vingegaard, Denmark: 76:04.56 (4 minutes, 24 seconds behind)
Florian Lipowitz, Germany: 76.11.32 (11 minutes)
Oscar Onley, Great Britain: 76:12.44 (12 minutes, 12 seconds)
Felix Gall, Austria: 76:17.44 (17 minutes, 12 seconds)
Tobias Johannessen, Norway: 76:20.46 (20 minutes, 14 seconds)
Kevin Vauquelin, France: 76:23.07 (22 minutes, 35 seconds)
Primoz Roglic, Slovenia: 76:26.02 (25 minutes, 30 seconds)
Ben Healy, Ireland: 76:28.34 (28 minutes, 2 seconds)
Jordan Jegat, France: 76:33.14 (32 minutes, 42 seconds)

Find the official Tour de France standings and results at the Tour de France website.

Where to watch the Tour de France: TV channel, streaming Sunday

Encore coverage of the of the final stage of this year’s Tour de France will be broadcast on NBC at 2 p.m. ET.

Stage 21: Sunday, July 27

2 p.m. ET (encore): NBC

Watch the 2025 Tour de France with Peacock

Final Stage 21 results

Here are the final results of the 132.3-kilometer course from Mantes-La-Ville to Paris Champs-Elysees on Sunday, July 27. (with position, rider, team, time):

Wout van Aert, Team Visma | Lease A Bike (3:07:30)
Davide Ballerini, XDS Astana Team (19 seconds behind)
Matej Mohoric, Bahrain Victorious (19 seconds)
Tadej Pogačar, UAE Team Emirates XRG (19 seconds)
Matteo Jorgenson, eam Visma | Lease A Bike (26 seconds)
M Trentin, Tudor Pro Cycling Team (38 seconds)
Arnaud De Lie, Lotto (1 minute, 14 seconds)
Kevin Vauquelin, Arkea B&B Hotels (1 minute, 14 seconds)
Mike Teunissen, XDS Astana Team (1 minute, 14 seconds)
Dylan Teuns, Cofidis (1 minute, 14 seconds)

2025 Tour de France jersey winners

Yellow (overall race leader): Tadej Pogačar, Slovenia
Green (points): Jonathan Milan, Italy
Polka dot (mountains): Tadej Pogačar, Slovenia
White (young rider): Florian Lipowitz, Germany

Pogačar finishing strong

Not content to cruise to the overall championship by going through the motions in the final stage, Pogačar is making a strong push for one final victory. He is among the lead pack of six riders as they make their rounds up Butte Montmartre.

With the rain intensifying and the cobblestones as slippery as ever, Pogačar has added an extra layer of excitement to Stage 21.

Belgium’s Wout van Aert eventually claimed the stage win with a late breakaway.

Riders hit home stretch on the Champs-Elysees

The competitive portion of Stage 21 has begun as cyclists make their second pass on the circuit through the streets of downtown Paris and along the Seine River.

Riders will wind their way past landmarks such as the Arc de Triomphe, the Louve and the Eiffel Tower. Each lap is approximately six kilometers.

Jonathan Milan of Italy won the intermediate sprint section to clinch the green jersey for this year’s Tour.

From there, they will make three climbs up the Butte Montmartre before returning to the Champs-Elysees and the finish line. Get the champagne ready!

Threatening weather makes final stage largely ceremonial

The final stage of this year’s Tour de France will not have an all-out sprint to the finish. According to The Guardian, race organizers have declared that times will be frozen with 50 kilometers to go due to hazardous road conditions.

That means all race leader Tadej Pogačar of Slovenia has to do is cross the finish line at the Champs-Elysees to claim his fourth Tour title. But plenty of racing still remains.

Threat of rain intensifies as riders pass Versailles

As the skies darken, Tour de France racers could find some slippery conditions as they hit the cobblestones entering Paris.

Most riders do have rain gear tucked into the back of their jerseys so they can stay dry, but they’ll have to change on the fly. Race organizers also say they could alter the finish to prevent any possibility of crashes impacting the final standings.

Passing by the Palace of Versailles, the riders are almost at the start of the second climb of the stage at Côte du Pavé des Gardes.

Peloton remains intact early in Stage 21

Nearly 10 kilometers in, the riders remain in processional mode, heading toward the first climbing run at the Côte de Bazemont.

The rain is picking up as the peloton proceeds at a leisurely pace.

Tour de France race weather for Sunday’s final stage

The elements can play havoc with the cyclists at any time, but if there’s any unusual weather over the final stage of the Tour de France, things could change quickly.

Although the skies are sunny in Paris as Stage 21 is set to begin, there’s some rain expected along the route from Mantes-La-Ville. The forecast along the route is for cloudy skies with rain likely and temperatures in the low 70s Fahrenheit.

If race leader Tadej Pogačar can weather the conditions successfully and avoid any major disaster, expect to see him sipping champagne as he rides down the Champs-Elysees this evening.

Who is Tadej Pogačar?

Tadej Pogačar, 26, has emerged in recent years as the biggest force in men’s cycling. Per Rouleur, Pogačar, a Ljubljana, Slovenia native, took up the sport at 9 years old, idolizing greats like Tour de France winners Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck.

Pogačar started out with the Rog-Ljubljana cycling club, impressing in youth events — including the 2018 Tour de l’Avenir, a race for cyclists between the ages of 17-22 that takes place on much of the same course as the Tour de France — before moving on to his current team, UAE Team Emirates XRG in 2019.

Overall, Pogačar has won 14 stage races, 24 one-day races and has been the top-ranked cyclist in the UCI World Rankings for four consecutive years. He also won the bronze medal in the men’s road race at the Tokyo Summer Olympics. — Jason Anderson

USA TODAY Sports’ Jason Anderson has more on star Tadej Pogačar.

2025 Tour de France Stage 21 locations

Stage 21 of the 2025 Tour de France is a 132.3-kilometer course on mostly flat terrain from Mantes-La-Ville to Paris Champs-Elysees on Sunday, July 27.

Tour de France 2025 standings after Stage 20

Tadej Pogačar, Slovenia: 73 hours, 54 minutes, 59 seconds
Jonas Vingegaard, Denmark: 73:59.23 (4 minutes, 24 seconds behind)
Florian Lipowitz, Germany: 74:07.11 (12 minutes, 12 seconds)
Oscar Onley, Great Britain: 74:07.11 (12 minutes, 12 seconds)
Felix Gall, Austria: 74:12.11 (17 minutes, 12 seconds)
Tobias Johannessen, Norway: 74:15.13 (20 minutes, 14 seconds)
Kevin Vauquelin, France: 74:17.34 (22 minutes, 35 seconds)
Primoz Roglic, Slovenia: 74:20.29 (25 minutes, 30 seconds)
Ben Healy, Ireland: 74:23.01 (28 minutes, 2 seconds)
Jordan Jegat, France: 74:27.41 (32 minutes, 42 seconds)

Tour de France odds

Odds via BetMGM as of Saturday, July 26.

Winner

Tadej Pogačar (-400)
Jonas Vingegaard (+400)
Remco Evenepoel (+1600)
Joao Almeida (+1800)
Florian Lipowitz (+2000)

Stage 20 results

Here are the final results of the 184.2-kilometer course on hilly terrain from Nantua to Pantarlier at the 2025 Tour de France, Saturday, July 26 (with position, rider, team, time):

Kaden Groves, ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK (4:06.09)
Frank Van Den Broek, TEAM PICNIC POSTNL (04: 07.03)
Pascal Eenkhoorn, SOUDAL QUICK-STEP (04:07.08)
Simone Velasco, XDS ASTANA TEAM (04:07.13)
Romain Gregoire, GROUPAMA-FDJ (04:07.13)
Jake Stewart, ISRAEL – PREMIER TECH (04:07.13)
Jordan Jegat, TOTALENERGIES (04:07.13)
Tim Wellens, UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG (04:07.13)
Matteo Jorgenson, TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE (04:07.13)
Harrison Sweeny, EF EDUCATION – EASYPOST (04:07.13)

The Cleveland Browns’ decades-long conundrum at the quarterback position persists as the 2025 NFL season approaches.

There’s a wide-open quarterback competition between the four healthy signal-callers on the Browns roster as training camp continues. However, one of those passers suffered a setback near the end of practice on Saturday, July 26.

Kenny Pickett suffered a hamstring injury and will be reevaluated later this week, according to the Akron Beacon Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report.

Pickett, a former first-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers, struggled in the Steel City. In 25 games over two seasons with the Steelers, he averaged 179 passing yards per game with just 13 touchdowns while tossing 13 interceptions.

He was reportedly off to a strong start at camp with Cleveland before the setback.

With the quarterback battle expected to intensify in the coming weeks, this opens the door for the two rookies to receive more reps.

The team drafted Dillon Gabriel in the third round and Colorado Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Both were presumed to be behind veteran Joe Flacco and Pickett on the depth chart but now may have more opportunities coming their way.

Here’s a look at where the Browns’ quarterback depth chart stands.

Browns QB depth chart

Deshaun Watson
Joe Flacco
Kenny Pickett
Dillon Gabriel
Shedeur Sanders

Watson remains on the roster, but is likely to miss the entire 2025 season after rupturing his right Achilles again in January.

The Browns’ revamped quarterback room is arguably the most intriguing to watch this preseason. The team acquired Pickett from the Philadelphia Eagles and signed Flacco ahead of the draft.

The Browns selected Gabriel in the third round to add to the room. Throughout his college career, he played for three different programs but it was in his final year at Oregon that he truly excelled. He spent just one year with the Ducks, but he completed 72.9 percent of passes for 3,857 yards, 30 touchdowns and six interceptions. His performance earned him recognition as a first-team All-American.

Sanders was expected to be an early round selection, but ultimately slid into the fifth round, where Cleveland doubled down at the position. With Pickett sidelined, more opportunities await the polarizing prospect.

Pickett’s untimely injury could make this fascinating competition even more open than many expected.