Sports
Knicks look to avenge recent loss to lowly Kings
Jan 14, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings center Dylan Cardwell (32) drives to the basket against New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images The first time this month the New York Knicks gained some momentum, it vanished with a surprising loss to the Sacramento Kings.
The Knicks will look to avoid repeating history Tuesday night when they host the Kings in the final battle of the season between the nonconference foes.
The Knicks have been off since Saturday night, when they rode a dominant third quarter to a 112-109 win over the host Philadelphia 76ers. The visiting Kings suffered their fifth straight loss Sunday night, falling to the Detroit Pistons 139-116.
The win was the second straight for the Knicks — their first set of consecutive victories since a three-game streak from Dec. 25-29. In between, New York went 2-9 with a pair of four-game losing streaks.
The second skid started Jan. 14 when the Knicks, who had won two of their last three games, lost 112-101 to the Kings, who fired current New York head coach Mike Brown on Dec. 27, 2024, after more than two seasons at the helm and the franchise’s only playoff appearance since 2006.
Brown looked as if he might be in danger of suffering a similar fate when the Knicks — whose impatient and reclusive owner, James Dolan, said during a rare radio appearance earlier this month that he expected his team to make and then win the NBA Finals — sustained their fourth straight defeat by trailing wire-to-wire in a 114-97 loss to the floundering Dallas Mavericks on Jan. 19.
But the Knicks achieved their most lopsided victory in franchise history last Wednesday, crushing the Brooklyn Nets 120-66, before showing some familiar traits Saturday in a game that could impact postseason seeding in the Eastern Conference. New York stayed in fourth place in the East and now sits 3 games ahead of the 76ers, who occupy the sixth and final guaranteed playoff spot.
The Knicks held 76ers star Joel Embiid scoreless in the third quarter, when they outscored Philadelphia 30-13. New York, known for its hustle and grit under former head coach Tom Thibodeau, also held a 26-4 advantage in second-chance points.
“When you’re a team that’s struggling to put together wins, you got to do the little things,” Knicks forward Josh Hart said. “You’ve got to have good attention to detail, good focus, good energy and you’ve got to get all those 50-50 balls.”
The sight of the Knicks across the court Tuesday will serve as a reminder of the best stretch of the year for the struggling Kings, who are in 14th place in the Western Conference, just a half-game ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans.
The win over the Knicks was the third in a season-long four-game winning streak for the Kings, who bookended the streak with lengthy losing streaks. Sacramento dropped seven straight, one loss shy of its season-high, from Dec 28 through Jan. 9.
The Kings’ current skid began Jan. 18 with a 117-110 loss to the visiting Portland Trail Blazers. The 23-point loss Sunday marked the 11th time this season Sacramento has lost by at least 20.
Head coach Doug Christie, who replaced Brown last season, lamented the lack of physicality from the Kings this season, who are allowing an average of 121.1 points per game, the fourth-highest figure in the NBA.
“We have to not only match the physicality of the opponent, but exceed it, in my opinion,” Christie said. “That can be uncomfortable. It can be uncomfortable not only for yourself, but it can be uncomfortable for them because when you’re that physical with somebody, it’s going to cause a reaction and you’ve got to be about that life.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Training camps open with rookies reporting for five teams
Bills quarterback Josh Allen talks with Joe Brady, elevated from offensive coordinator to head coach in Buffalo, during drills at 2025 training camp. Fifty days before the NFL regular season begins, five teams opened training camp on Tuesday with rookies reporting for the Bills, Texans, Patriots, Panthers and Dolphins.
Carolina kicks off the preseason with the Pro Football Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 6 against the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona’s report day is Wednesday for rookies and veterans.
Before starting the regular season in Australia, the Rams and 49ers are also set to start camp this week. The NFC West rivals face off Down Under on Sept. 10.
Every NFL team reports to camp no later than July 28.
Nearly one-third of the league introduced a new head coach in the offseason with 10 coaching changes. A few don’t truly qualify as “new” with familiar faces relocated to Pittsburgh, Nashville, New York and Atlanta.
Buffalo elevated offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach, replacing Sean McDermott.
Mike McCarthy is back on the sideline with the Steelers and has Aaron Rodgers returning as his quarterback. Former Jets coach Robert Saleh took over the Tennessee Titans and longtime Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh is now calling the shots for the Giants. Former Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski was fired by the Browns, but quickly hired to lead the Atlanta Falcons.
The reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks — who were the first team to have their rookies report on July 17 — will hold their first full-squad workout at the team facility in Renton, Wash., on July 24. The Seahawks open the preseason at home on Aug. 15, welcoming the Dallas Cowboys to Lumen Field.
Seattle plays the first regular-season game of the 2026 campaign on Wednesday, Sept. 9 in a Super Bowl rematch with the visiting New England Patriots.
SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif, hosts the Super Bowl on Feb. 14.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Karl Ravech, Tom Pelissero among ESPN cuts
Jul 13, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; ESPN commentator Karl Ravech before the MLB Draft at The Coca-Cola Roxy. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Longtime baseball broadcaster Karl Ravech and NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero are among the ESPN employees being laid off in a wave of cuts, according to multiple media reports on Tuesday.
These layoffs are linked to ESPN’s acquisition of NFL Network, according to an internal memo from ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro that multiple media outlets obtained.
After the deal was announced last August and gained government approval in January, NFL Network’s employees were brought under the ESPN umbrella starting on April 1.
Other ESPN employees reportedly laid off or who announced the news on social media include longtime “SportsCenter” anchor David Lloyd, NFL Network analyst Charles Davis, injury/fantasy football writer Stephania Bell, First Take contributor Cam Newton, radio host/NFL analyst Bart Scott, staff writer Dan Hajducky, and combat sports reporter Andreas Hale.
It was also reported on Monday that NFL analyst Ryan Clark was being let go, with news breaking while he was on “NFL Live.”
“Over the past several months, we’ve made significant progress integrating the NFL assets that we acquired into ESPN,” Pitaro wrote in the memo. “Throughout this process, we have taken the time to carefully evaluate our collective teams, resources and organizational structure to best position us for the future. As a result, we had to make some difficult decisions about job impacts that we will be communicating today.
“While most of the job impacts are tied to the acquisition, we will also notify colleagues in other parts of the company today that their positions have been impacted. We are committed to treating employees with compassion and respect and to providing support as they navigate this transition.”
Ravech has been with ESPN since 1993, working as a “SportsCenter” anchor, college basketball and baseball broadcaster and studio host for “Baseball Tonight.” He was ESPN’s primary MLB broadcaster, including for Monday night’s Phillies-Dodgers game.
Pelissero has been with NFL Network since 2017, establishing himself as an insider. However, he’s reportedly not being retained over ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Besides the more visible on-air personalities, several production and behind-the-scenes employees are expected to lose their jobs during this round of layoffs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Kirby Smart challenges Georgia to make like Thunder, be 'uncommon'
Jul 21, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart speaks to the press during SEC Football Kickoff Media Day at the Tampa Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Kirby Smart borrows strategy, philosophy and teaching tools from many walks of life to maintain an edge at Georgia.
In the past he’s studied corporate success stories, the Chicago Bulls’ dynasty and crossover elite athletes. So it’s not abundantly surprising to hear the Bulldogs’ head coach to invoke the 2025 NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder when discussing expectation-setting in Athens this offseason.
“We study successful programs all the time,” Smart said at SEC Media Days in Tampa on Tuesday. “If you’re not studying how other people are doing it and you’re just fixated on your own team and your own roster, I think you’re missing out.
“We’re always trying to grow in our program. We don’t want to stay the same. You need to study how other people are doing it and maybe the ways they’re doing it in creating roles for others. It’s very unique what the Thunder was doing, especially when they won the championship in terms of leading in so many categories, but most importantly selflessness. That’s what we try to emulate.”
A lot of programs are trying to emulate Smart and Georgia.
He’s 117-21 and Georgia has 11-plus wins in five consecutive seasons for the first time in program history.
But Smart said he’ll never stand still or rely on the same recipe year-over-year.
“We chose to study a successful brand or team or follow someone, and this year the reigning NBA champions at the time was the OKC Thunder and they talked about being uncommon and how you can be uncommon in today’s world,” Smart said. “Our guys took a week-by-week section of being uncommon, believing in the success of others is greater than the success of yourself in a day and age when that’s not normal.”
Smart finds himself in novel territory entering the 2026 season as the longest-tenured SEC coach. He remains a throwback when it comes to roster building, emphasizing again Tuesday he recruits to marry and welcomes the label “retention team.” Of course, the current college football landscape won’t allow any program to fully ignore the transfer portal.
“It’s changing more rapid, yes, but what wins football games has not changed,” Smart said. “Has the role of the head coach changed? If you want it to, it can. You can be as involved in offense, defense in coaching and remove yourself from all this changing landscape. Or you can dive over here and spend your time in the changing landscape and try to navigate it better and let your coaches coach. Each coach has to decide within their own program what they want to major in, because you cannot sit back. … You got to be able to wear multiple hats, more than I ever imagined.”
–Field Level Media
Training camps open with rookies reporting for five teams
Reports: Karl Ravech, Tom Pelissero among ESPN cuts
