Trump called Infantino on Wednesday to get Balogun's red card lifted. Nice to ride alon with Tyler Pager on what will be seen (and is) in many parts as one of the biggest scandals in World Cup history. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/05/u...

Trump Asked FIFA to Review Balogun’s Suspension. He Is Now Eligible to Play.

nytimes.com

Remarkable work here from colleague Steve Fainaru, on exploitation within the youth soccer pipeline in Argentina: www.espn.com/soccer/story...

The Dream Factory: Inside the 'cruel' system behind Argentina's soccer empire

An investigation into Argentina's soccer system that produced the defending World Cup champions found that it is rife with exploitation.

espn.com

As #CaboVerde -- #CapeVerde -- begins World Cup play today, TV rooms in New England will fill with nervousness, pride, wonder, singing, food -- all from a people I visited lately at various celebrations and homes, a people with stirring stories of life on this Earth. www.espn.com/soccer/story...

The joy and wonder of Cabo Verde's unlikely World Cup journey

Searching for a lovable underdog to cheer for this World Cup? Look no further than Cabo Verde.

espn.com

The US has been great... though Paraguay has also been dreadful, to be fair. Undone by simple through balls time and again. Woefully out of sorts.

Jeff Carlisle@jeffreycarlisle.bsky.social · 2mo ago

HT: #usmnt 3-0 Paraguay. Near perfect half from the U.S. The only way it could have been better is if it had taken more of its chances, but my word, that's nitpicking. The midfield has been really impressive going forward. The whole team has defended really well. Dream-like stuff.

In his first interview since being kicked out of the US, FIFA referee Omar Artan tells’s the NYT’s Matt Bigg that the biggest dream of his professional life has been shattered. The World Cup ref was questioned for 11 hours, held in a cell and then dumped on a plane. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/09/w...

Somali Referee Says His World Cup Dream Is Dashed After U.S. Denies Entry

nytimes.com

At a loss for words, man. Howard was just the best.

Stephen Whyno@swhyno.bsky.social · 3mo ago

apnews.com/article/howa...

You might've seen the headlines about the quadruple amputee cornhole player who was charged with murder. Colleague Shwetha Surendran and I took a deeper look -- at how two lives, and a decadelong friendship, unraveled: www.espn.com/espn/story/_...

How an amputee cornhole pro's friendship ended in a killing

One was a quadruple amputee and cornhole pro, the other a recent father. How did their friendship end in a killing?

espn.com

Former Alabama State guard CJ Hines has reached a plea agreement with prosecutors in the NCAA point-shaving case, per court records. Hines is the 6th defendant out of 26 total) to formally plead guilty in the case.

Kalshi hasn't listed a market on the Kentucky Derby. Polymarket did, then took it down last week -- apparently at Churchill Downs' request. Why prediction markets might be staying away from horse racing: www.espn.com/espn/betting...

Why prediction markets might be skipping the Kentucky Derby

Prediction markets pose a threat to the horse racing industry, which depends heavily on gambling tax revenue.

espn.com

News: Marves Fairley has agreed in writing to plead guilty in the NCAA point-shaving case, per court doc. He'll be sentenced in New York, where he's been charged in connection with the alleged NBA gambling scheme. www.espn.com/mens-college...

Key figure in alleged hoops gambling schemes to plead guilty

Marves Fairley, a Mississippi sports bettor, has agreed in writing to plead guilty to being one of the "fixers" in the NCAA point-shaving case in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

espn.com

Excited to get rolling today as a reporter on ESPN's investigative team. Still based in D.C. Still looking for compelling stories from any corner of the sports world. Reach out with ideas, tips, leaks, docs, gossip — or just to say hi! Email: tom.schad@espn.com Signal: tschad.12

Incredibly grateful. And thrilled to continue working with so many brilliant colleagues from The Post. Onward!

ESPN PR@espnpr.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Advancing commitment to journalism, ESPN hires 6 standout former Washington Post writers Hirings highlight continued focus on high-impact journalism & storytelling More: bit.ly/4cVyShZ | @espn.com

On diapers, writing and baseball — from a new dad who can’t believe how lucky he is: open.substack.com/pub/colleges...

Getting 'Em Next Time

On diapers, writing and baseball.

open.substack.com

The Athletic is hiring Barry Svrluga, Adam Kilgore, Candace Buckner, Ava Wallace, Spencer Nusbaum and Jason Murray www.nytco.com/press/the-at...

The Athletic Welcomes New Colleagues | The New York Times Company

We’re excited to announce the hiring of several Washington Post journalists as The Athletic expands its coverage of the Commanders, launches a new Nationals beat and adds to its growing roster of…

nytco.com

An aptly brilliant farewell from @barrysvrlugawp.bsky.social and WaPo Sports

There's no pressure in sports like Olympic figure skating pressure.

I have rebranded my free newsletter as By Jesse Dougherty. Consider it an open-ended thing, going with the post-layoff winds, starting ... uh ... now? More on that here. I'd love it if you subscribed (or stuck with it if you already do): collegesportsmoney.substack.com/p/rebrand

Rebrand

This is the same newsletter except for the ways in which it is now different.

collegesportsmoney.substack.com

Do you sometimes watch the Winter Olympics and think ... who even does these sports? We analyzed the locations of more than 2,500 training facilities for Winter Olympic sports. Check to see what's near you — and which sports are hard to find. wapo.st/4qlkAKf

Explore where Winter Olympic sports are most accessible across the U.S.

See which winter sport facilities are near you and if any Winter Olympians come from your state.

wapo.st

Will Lewis’s exit is long overdue. His legacy will be the attempted destruction of a great American journalism institution. But it's not too late to save The Post. Jeff Bezos must immediately rescind these layoffs or sell the paper to someone willing to invest in its future.

🔥🔥🔥

Nancy Armour@nrarmour.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Our opinion page published a guest piece on Lindsey Vonn that was misogynistic trash. I had thoughts.

“We had the best writers in the country and did more with less, and we knew it with a swagger.” Sally Jenkins pays tribute to The Washington Post’s Sports section:

The Sports Section With Swagger

My old corner of The Washington Post raised some of the best journalists in the business.

bit.ly

The Washington Post is shuttering its Sports section. As an employee, this is gutting. As a longtime reader, it is devastating. So much of what I learned and admired about sports journalism came from reading The Post. Working there was a dream. Just wish it would've lasted more than 5 months.

Here’s our story on the gambler accused of orchestrating one of the biggest matchfixing schemes in US history.  @postsports.bsky.social has long delivered some of the best sports reporting out there. I’m grateful to contribute to that legacy. #SaveThePost wapo.st/4tv5Co7

‘Cashing all day’: The Instagram star accused of corrupting NCAA hoops

His social media is a flood of diamonds, celebrities and winning betting slips. His edge, prosecutors allege, was paying players to underperform.

wapo.st

I went to the college Excel championships in Vegas, spending three days with people who REALLY love competitive spreadsheeting. Come along. Here's how that looked, sounded and felt: washingtonpost.com/sports/interactive/2026/college-excel-spreadsheet-championships/?itid=sf_sports_toptable_1_0

Between the sheets at the college Excel championships

One of the most unusual — and fun — events in college sports is a high-stakes spreadsheeting competition in Las Vegas.

washingtonpost.com

Person familiar confirms the following #Commanders coaches will not be back in 2026: -- Defensive pass game coordinator Jason Simmons -- Asst. LB coach Ryan Kerrigan -- Asst. DL coach Sharrif Floyd -- Player development coach Pete Ohnegian @aaronwilsonnfl.bsky.social was first.

It is ridiculous that this has dragged on this long. But Jordan Chiles is one step closer to having the saga of her bronze medal from Paris resolved.

#SaveThePost, Jeff Bezos.