Sports briefs
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NFL suspends
executive
(AP) -- The NFL has suspended Arizona Cardinals personnel executive Ryan Gold indefinitely for violating the league’s gambling policy. The league said Friday that its investigation determined that Gold provided confidential, non-public inside information regarding 2026 draft selections by the Cardinals before the picks were announced, and Gold also participated in parlay bets on NFL and college games.
The league didn’t say who Gold had provided with the information. Gold, who is in his 13th season with the Cardinals, was promoted to director of college scouting in June 2025.
World Cup
eyes smoke
NEW YORK (AP) -- It’s unclear how much, if at all, smoke from Canadian wildfires will affect the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain on Sunday. Conditions improved in the New York City area and northern New Jersey on Friday after the air quality was hazardous on Thursday.
Rain expected Saturday and the uncertainty about how much smoke will follow is clouding the forecast for kickoff, which is scheduled for 3 p.m. Eastern time in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Spain’s Mikel Merino says he and his teammates notice the smoke while outside but are being careful and trying to focus on the game.
MLB restricts
dugout iPads
NEW YORK (AP) -- Major League Baseball is restricting iPad usage in dugouts to prevent artificial intelligence from influencing decisions. MLB made the custom tabs inaccessible to teams starting Wednesday night, when the second half of the season started.
A memo from MLB executive vice president Morgan Sword explains that the custom tab had expanded iPad use beyond its original purpose. It included recommendations on substitutions, pitch calling, and other decisions traditionally made by players and coaches. A review by the competition committee found clubs had been compliant with the regulations.
MLB started allowing iPads in dugouts in 2015 and expanded their use in 2016.
Ohtani gets
injecton
NEW YORK (AP) -- Shohei Ohtani has received a lubricant injection in his left knee, according to Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. Ohtani was in the starting lineup Friday night as the designated hitter against the New York Yankees.
He is not scheduled to pitch this weekend but is likely to start Wednesday in Philadelphia. Roberts said Ohtani had the procedure after Sunday’s game against Arizona. Ohtani last pitched on July 3.
The team plans to manage his workload, giving him days off after pitching starts when possible. Ohtani is batting .293 with 22 homers and 58 RBIs and has a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts on the mound.
Belichick
looks ahead
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- North Carolina coach Bill Belichick is hoping his Tar Heels benefit from lessons learned and more stability from his first college season.
The Tar Heels won just four games under the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach. Belichick said Friday during the Atlantic Coast Conference’s preseason football media days that “every week is a learning experience for me” in trying to improve the program.
Belichick noted the Tar Heels were “literally starting from scratch” last year but are “above that now for sure’ with holdovers from last year and more new players arriving in time for spring practices.