Jan 26, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Kansas City Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt was arrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic battery on Wednesday night.
Merritt, 54, was arrested on Wednesday night and booked into the Johnson County jail, the Kansas City Star reported.
Per the report, the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office filed a complaint and accused Merritt of “unlawfully, knowingly, or recklessly” causing bodily harm to a daughter, which is the basis for domestic charges filed Thursday morning in Missouri.
A spokesman for the Chiefs told the Kansas City Star that the team is aware of Merritt’s arrest and has no comment.
Merritt is due in court on Thursday, the same day as the first round of the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.
He served as a defensive position coach with the New York Jets, New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals before joining the Chiefs in 2019.
A college linebacker, Merritt was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He also played with then-Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals during his brief career.
#Deadspin #Mets #place #Francisco #Lindor #calf #10day">Deadspin | Mets place SS Francisco Lindor (calf) on 10-day IL
Feb 17, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets infielder Ronny Mauricio (0) catches a ground ball as infielder Francisco Lindor (12) watches during spring training at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
The New York Mets placed shortstop Francisco Lindor on the 10-day injured list Thursday with a left calf strain.
Fellow infielder Ronny Mauricio was called up from Triple-A Syracuse to replace Lindor, who sustained the injury Wednesday in the Mets’ first win in the past 12 games.
Also on Thursday afternoon, right-hander Christian Scott was recalled from Syracuse to start later that night against the visiting Minnesota Twins.
Mauricio is batting .293 with an OPS of .987 for the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse.
Lindor was heating up at the plate, but there has been nothing wrong with Mauricio’s swing of late. He belted three home runs on Tuesday night to give him six in 58 at-bats in the minors this season along with five stolen bases and 13 RBIs.
Mauricio, 25, had one hit in four at-bats in a brief stint with the Mets earlier this season.
Lindor, 32, had two hits in two at-bats on Wednesday before exiting with calf tightness. He’s batting .226 on the season. But Lindor was settling in over the past nine games with 11 hits in 33 at-bats to raise his average from .188.
Lindor’s injury occurred in Juan Soto’s first game since he went down with a calf injury against the San Francisco Giants on April 3. The Mets lost 12 consecutive games after a 4-4 start with Soto in the lineup and entered Thursday with an 8-16 record.
Scott was 0-2 with a 5.27 ERA in three starts at Triple-A Syracuse, where he collected 17 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings. He hasn’t pitched in the majors since July 21, 2024. He went on the injured list with a sprained UCL in his right elbow two days later and underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2024.
Scott, 26, has yet to oppose the Twins in his career.
Feb 17, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets infielder Ronny Mauricio (0)…
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JANUARY 19: Fernando Mendoza #15 celebrates with his brother Alberto Mendoza #16 of the Indiana Hoosiers after defeating the Miami Hurricanes 27-21 in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium on January 19, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026 NFL Draft begins now, and soon enough the talking will end and the picks will start coming in. You can find out what time your team will pick here. We have every expectation that quarterback Fernando Mendoza will be the first player selected, and there is a lot to like about his game. Mendoza sat down with SB Nationearlier this week to talk about his journey to this moment, and what he will bring to an NFL roster.
We’ll be tracking the picks live as they are turned in. For grades, we will have you covered here. Until the draft begins, you can check out our Top 100 players, or join the discussion at our new NFL Feed.
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JANUARY 19: Fernando Mendoza #15 celebrates with his brother Alberto Mendoza #16 of the Indiana Hoosiers after defeating the Miami Hurricanes 27-21 in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium on January 19, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026 NFL Draft begins now, and soon enough the talking will end and the picks will start coming in. You can find out what time your team will pick here. We have every expectation that quarterback Fernando Mendoza will be the first player selected, and there is a lot to like about his game. Mendoza sat down with SB Nationearlier this week to talk about his journey to this moment, and what he will bring to an NFL roster.
We’ll be tracking the picks live as they are turned in. For grades, we will have you covered here. Until the draft begins, you can check out our Top 100 players, or join the discussion at our new NFL Feed.
If you are looking for the picks, here you go:
Round 1
Pick
Team
Player
Position
School
1
Las Vegas Raiders
Fernando Mendoza
QB
Indiana
2
New York Jets
David Bailey
EDGE
Texas Tech
3
Arizona Cardinals
Jeremiyah Love
RB
Notre Dame
4
Tennessee Titans
Carnell Tate
WR
Ohio State
5
New York Giants
Arvell Reese
LB
Ohio State
6
Kansas City Chiefs
Mansoor Delane
CB
LSU
7
Washington Commanders
Sonny Styles
LB
Ohio State
8
New Orleans Saints
Jordyn Tyson
WR
Arizona State
9
Cleveland Browns
Spencer Fano
OT
Utah
10
New York Giants (via CIN)
11
Miami Dolphins
12
Dallas Cowboys
13
Los Angeles Rams (via ATL)
14
Baltimore Ravens
15
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
16
New York Jets (via IND)
17
Detroit Lions
18
Minnesota Vikings
19
Carolina Panthers
20
Dallas Cowboys (via GB)
21
Pittsburgh Steelers
22
Los Angeles Chargers
23
Philadelphia Eagles
24
Cleveland Browns (via JAX)
25
Chicago Bears
26
Buffalo Bills
27
San Francisco 49ers
28
Houston Texans
29
Kansas City Chiefs (via LAR)
30
Arizona Cardinals (via MIA)
31
New England Patriots
32
Seattle Seahawks
#NFL #Draft #results #Pickbypick #tracker #selection">NFL Draft results 2026: Pick-by-pick tracker for every selection
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JANUARY 19: Fernando Mendoza #15 celebrates with his brother Alberto Mendoza #16 of the Indiana Hoosiers after defeating the Miami Hurricanes 27-21 in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium on January 19, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026 NFL Draft begins now, and soon enough the talking will end and the picks will start coming in. You can find out what time your team will pick here. We have every expectation that quarterback Fernando Mendoza will be the first player selected, and there is a lot to like about his game. Mendoza sat down with SB Nationearlier this week to talk about his journey to this moment, and what he will bring to an NFL roster.
We’ll be tracking the picks live as they are turned in. For grades, we will have you covered here. Until the draft begins, you can check out our Top 100 players, or join the discussion at our new NFL Feed.
The comeback win over the Rajasthan Royals has breathed some life back into the Kolkata Knight Riders’ campaign after a winless start to IPL 2026.
A spirited bowling performance, led by spinners Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine, followed by a crucial seventh-wicket partnership between Rinku Singh and Anukul Roy, helped the side jump off bottom place in the standings temporarily.
Victory at the Eden Gardens was only a small relief from the disappointing beginning to the season endured by the three-time champion. Injuries have played a major part in handicapping the side’s bowling arsenal, with India internationals Harshit Rana and Akash Deep ruled out with injury ahead of the tournament. Big money signing Matheesha Pathirana has just joined the team after recovering from an injury during the T20 World Cup.
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar attributed KKR’s poor start to their auction strategy and their decision to hand the leadership to Ajinkya Rahane.
“KKR let go of Shreyas Iyer for whatever reason after a successful season and then picked a guy who didn’t get picked in the first round of bidding and made him captain. Captaincy in T20 cricket is huge and has a massive impact on the results,” Manjrekar said on Sportstar’s Insight Edge podcast.
“Ajinkya Rahane, the player, has also diminished. He’s lost his place on the Indian team. He’s not a natural T20 player. CSK got the best out of Rahane in the first six overs, but he was struggling post-six overs when the field spread out. He’s just not firing at the top of the order and can’t bat down as well. But he might as well bat down to accommodate the destructive T20 batters [Finn Allen and Tim Seifert],” he reasoned.
Manjrekar also explained that the KKR leadership has not utilised Australian all-rounder Cameron Green properly so far in the tournament, after bagging him for a whopping INR 25.20 crore.
“I just feel tall bowlers who hit the deck [like Green] are always going to be a risky option in India. I would use Green the batter a lot more. He’s also gone up and down the order a lot, so if you want to back a certain player, then you’ve got to stick with that player at a certain position,” he opined.
#Deadspin #Report #Kelsey #Mitchell #committed #upstart #Project">Deadspin | Report: Kelsey Mitchell still committed to upstart Project B
Sep 30, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) celebrates after making a play against the Las Vegas Aces during the second quarter of game five of the second round of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Michelob Ultra Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Kelsey Mitchell might be wavering on an overseas commitment due to the major improvement in the WNBA salary structure.
But the upstart Project B told Front Office Sports on Thursday that the Indiana Fever star is still committed to the global touring league that will begin play in December.
Mitchell signed a one year, $1.4 million deal with Indiana earlier this month. On Wednesday, she told reporters at the Fever’s media day that it would take a “drastic, unique situation” for her to play overseas during the WNBA offseason.
“Where I’m at in my career now, I’d rather play it smart,” Mitchell said. “Make sure my body is what it needs to be. And then also, respecting my craft. I feel like sometimes when you go overseas, you lose sight on some of the perfecting of the skills that you miss out on just because you’re going to try to make a couple dollars.
“I got a soul so I’d rather make sure that I’m right before I want to keep going overseas and missing out on a lot.”
Mitchell, 30, is entering her ninth WNBA season. She is a three-time All-Star and averaged a career-high 20.2 points last season and finished fifth in the MVP balloting.
Mitchell has routinely played overseas during her stellar career. But last season, she stayed in the United States and played for Unrivaled, a 3-on-3 league founded by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart.
“That was good basketball, and it’s in the United States, so I can’t really complain,” Mitchell said.
She is one of 13 players who were announced as players for Project B, which will play in various countries. The last stop is slated to be Tokyo from March 26-April 4.
Nneka Ogwumike, Alyssa Thomas and Sophie Cunningham are among the other WNBA players who have pledged to play in the league.
FIFPRO said the new concept was “driven by personal motives rather than a mandate from players around the world.”
Aganzo said the new model for a players’ union was needed in part because players’ voices were not being heard through FIFPRO. The new group said women’s players also needed stronger representation.
“Football players need a stronger voice. They don’t have the possibility to make decisions. AIF has been created to fight for them,” Aganzo said.
FIFPRO said Aganzo “has engaged with groups that fail to meet basic standards of player representation,” which it said must “be responsible and sustainable, built from the players up, through collective structures that ensure independence, legitimacy and accountability.”
“Such an approach to player representation is not in the best interests of professional footballers,” FIFPRO added.
FIFPRO claims its role is based on a mandate from 70 national player associations representing more than 60,000 footballers and is formally recognised by the European Union and international football governing bodies and stakeholders.
AIF will be governed by members from unions in Spain, Brazil, Mexico and Switzerland.
FIFPRO said the new concept was “driven by personal motives rather than a mandate from players around the world.”
Aganzo said the new model for a players’ union was needed in part because players’ voices were not being heard through FIFPRO. The new group said women’s players also needed stronger representation.
“Football players need a stronger voice. They don’t have the possibility to make decisions. AIF has been created to fight for them,” Aganzo said.
FIFPRO said Aganzo “has engaged with groups that fail to meet basic standards of player representation,” which it said must “be responsible and sustainable, built from the players up, through collective structures that ensure independence, legitimacy and accountability.”
“Such an approach to player representation is not in the best interests of professional footballers,” FIFPRO added.
FIFPRO claims its role is based on a mandate from 70 national player associations representing more than 60,000 footballers and is formally recognised by the European Union and international football governing bodies and stakeholders.
AIF will be governed by members from unions in Spain, Brazil, Mexico and Switzerland.
Published on Apr 23, 2026
#football #players #group #AIF #launches #challenge #FIFPROs #global #union #role">New football players’ group, AIF, launches to try to challenge FIFPRO’s global union role
A new international group representing football players launched on Thursday as a rival to the long-established global union FIFPRO, which has been in dispute with FIFA.
The Association of International Footballers (AIF) was founded in Madrid by David Aganzo, president of the new group that claims it will represent nearly 30,000 players. Aganzo also leads the players’ association in Spain (AFE) and was ousted as FIFPRO president in 2024.
Aganzo and other officials twice last year met with FIFA President Gianni Infantino in what was widely seen as a challenge by the world football body to Netherlands-based FIFPRO’s mandate to represent players worldwide.
FIFA is the subject of a formal complaint made 18 months ago to the European Commission in Brussels by FIFPRO’s European division and the European Leagues group. The filing challenges the quality of FIFA’s governance and consultation with stakeholders.
FIFA said on Thursday it was made aware of the creation of AIF and remained “committed to open and constructive engagement with football stakeholders that uphold core principles, including representativeness.”
FIFPRO criticized the new group.
“FIFPRO recognises the strong work over several decades of AFE for men’s football players in Spain,” it said in a statement.
“However, the concept announced in Madrid by its current president appears nothing more than a speculative attempt to boost his own standing through a group which lacks the fundamental legitimacy to represent professional footballers globally,” it added.
FIFPRO said the new concept was “driven by personal motives rather than a mandate from players around the world.”
Aganzo said the new model for a players’ union was needed in part because players’ voices were not being heard through FIFPRO. The new group said women’s players also needed stronger representation.
“Football players need a stronger voice. They don’t have the possibility to make decisions. AIF has been created to fight for them,” Aganzo said.
FIFPRO said Aganzo “has engaged with groups that fail to meet basic standards of player representation,” which it said must “be responsible and sustainable, built from the players up, through collective structures that ensure independence, legitimacy and accountability.”
“Such an approach to player representation is not in the best interests of professional footballers,” FIFPRO added.
FIFPRO claims its role is based on a mandate from 70 national player associations representing more than 60,000 footballers and is formally recognised by the European Union and international football governing bodies and stakeholders.
AIF will be governed by members from unions in Spain, Brazil, Mexico and Switzerland.
Jan 26, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images 
Feb 17, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets infielder Ronny Mauricio (0) catches a ground ball as infielder Francisco Lindor (12) watches during spring training at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images 
![Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL 2026 issues stem from poor auction and captaincy choice, says Sanjay Manjrekar The comeback win over the Rajasthan Royals has breathed some life back into the Kolkata Knight Riders’ campaign after a winless start to IPL 2026.A spirited bowling performance, led by spinners Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine, followed by a crucial seventh-wicket partnership between Rinku Singh and Anukul Roy, helped the side jump off bottom place in the standings temporarily.Victory at the Eden Gardens was only a small relief from the disappointing beginning to the season endured by the three-time champion. Injuries have played a major part in handicapping the side’s bowling arsenal, with India internationals Harshit Rana and Akash Deep ruled out with injury ahead of the tournament. Big money signing Matheesha Pathirana has just joined the team after recovering from an injury during the T20 World Cup.Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar attributed KKR’s poor start to their auction strategy and their decision to hand the leadership to Ajinkya Rahane.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58JRdBRAbIk[/embed]“KKR let go of Shreyas Iyer for whatever reason after a successful season and then picked a guy who didn’t get picked in the first round of bidding and made him captain. Captaincy in T20 cricket is huge and has a massive impact on the results,” Manjrekar said on Sportstar’s Insight Edge podcast.“Ajinkya Rahane, the player, has also diminished. He’s lost his place on the Indian team. He’s not a natural T20 player. CSK got the best out of Rahane in the first six overs, but he was struggling post-six overs when the field spread out. He’s just not firing at the top of the order and can’t bat down as well. But he might as well bat down to accommodate the destructive T20 batters [Finn Allen and Tim Seifert],” he reasoned.Manjrekar also explained that the KKR leadership has not utilised Australian all-rounder Cameron Green properly so far in the tournament, after bagging him for a whopping INR 25.20 crore.“I just feel tall bowlers who hit the deck [like Green] are always going to be a risky option in India. I would use Green the batter a lot more. He’s also gone up and down the order a lot, so if you want to back a certain player, then you’ve got to stick with that player at a certain position,” he opined.Published on Apr 23, 2026 #Kolkata #Knight #Riders #IPL #issues #stem #poor #auction #captaincy #choice #Sanjay #Manjrekar](https://i3.wp.com/ss-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/ylcof4/article70897153.ece/alternates/LANDSCAPE_1200/06.jpg?ssl=1 "Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL 2026 issues stem from poor auction and captaincy choice, says Sanjay Manjrekar The comeback win over the Rajasthan Royals has breathed some life back into the Kolkata Knight Riders’ campaign after a winless start to IPL 2026.A spirited bowling performance, led by spinners Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine, followed by a crucial seventh-wicket partnership between Rinku Singh and Anukul Roy, helped the side jump off bottom place in the standings temporarily.Victory at the Eden Gardens was only a small relief from the disappointing beginning to the season endured by the three-time champion. Injuries have played a major part in handicapping the side’s bowling arsenal, with India internationals Harshit Rana and Akash Deep ruled out with injury ahead of the tournament. Big money signing Matheesha Pathirana has just joined the team after recovering from an injury during the T20 World Cup.Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar attributed KKR’s poor start to their auction strategy and their decision to hand the leadership to Ajinkya Rahane.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58JRdBRAbIk[/embed]“KKR let go of Shreyas Iyer for whatever reason after a successful season and then picked a guy who didn’t get picked in the first round of bidding and made him captain. Captaincy in T20 cricket is huge and has a massive impact on the results,” Manjrekar said on Sportstar’s Insight Edge podcast.“Ajinkya Rahane, the player, has also diminished. He’s lost his place on the Indian team. He’s not a natural T20 player. CSK got the best out of Rahane in the first six overs, but he was struggling post-six overs when the field spread out. He’s just not firing at the top of the order and can’t bat down as well. But he might as well bat down to accommodate the destructive T20 batters [Finn Allen and Tim Seifert],” he reasoned.Manjrekar also explained that the KKR leadership has not utilised Australian all-rounder Cameron Green properly so far in the tournament, after bagging him for a whopping INR 25.20 crore.“I just feel tall bowlers who hit the deck [like Green] are always going to be a risky option in India. I would use Green the batter a lot more. He’s also gone up and down the order a lot, so if you want to back a certain player, then you’ve got to stick with that player at a certain position,” he opined.Published on Apr 23, 2026 #Kolkata #Knight #Riders #IPL #issues #stem #poor #auction #captaincy #choice #Sanjay #Manjrekar")
