Sports
MLS making big plans for Lionel Messi's playoff debut
Oct 2, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (10) smiles in the second half at Lower.com Field. Major League Soccer already is making preparations for superstar Lionel Messi’s MLS Cup playoff debut, even though his Inter Miami CF team’s opponent hasn’t been set.
Inter Miami, which clinched their first Supporters’ Shield on Wednesday with a 3-2 win against the Columbus Crew, will play their first postseason match on Oct. 25 on their home turf in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
As the No. 1 seed, the Herons will have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Expecting massive fan interest, MLS announced Thursday that the opener will be livestreamed for free on Apple TV and aired as it happens on the gargantuan 25,000-square-foot video screen at Times Square in New York. It will be a standalone game on the MLS schedule.
Inter Miami will meet the winner of the Eastern Conference wild-card match, set for Oct. 22 between the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds. CF Montreal (10-12-10, 40 points) and Toronto FC (11-18-4, 37 points) currently hold those spots, respectively.
The full MLS Cup playoff bracket will be known Oct. 19, on the final day of regular-season play.
After a career spent abroad, Messi, 37, joined MLS in July 2023 and Inter Miami went on to win the Leagues Cup title but did not qualify for the MLS Cup playoffs. The Supporters’ Shield is Messi’s 46th career trophy.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy's wife shot at home
Nov 7, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy looks on during the second half against the Green Bay Packers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s wife is hospitalized in stable condition in Virginia following a shooting in their home on Sunday night, ESPN reported.
A woman identified by the outlet’s sources as Mia Bieniemy, 57, was being treated for “serious injuries” in Loudoun County, where a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said police responded to a call at 7:32 p.m. ET Sunday in Ashburn, Va.
The Chiefs said they are aware of the incident involving the “family” of their 56-year-old assistant coach, who was with the club for training camp Sunday in St. Joseph, Mo. No further details were provided.
Bieniemy rejoined head coach Andy Reid’s staff in January after previous stints with Kansas City as the running backs coach (2013-17) and offensive coordinator (2018-22). He helped the Chiefs win Super Bowls LIV and LVII.
He coached the Chicago Bears’ running backs in 2025 and previously served as the OC for UCLA (2024), the Washington Commanders (2023) and his alma mater Colorado (2011-12).
–Field Level Media
Sports
North Carolina places top Bill Belichick aide on leave
UNC football general manager Michael Lombardi North Carolina placed football general manager Michael Lombardi, one of head coach Bill Belichick’s top aides, on paid administrative leave.
The school announced Monday that the move is effective immediately but declined to provide further details. The Tar Heels open their second season under the legendary coach on Aug. 29 against TCU in Dublin, Ireland.
“As is standard procedure with personnel matters, leadership, staff, and student-athletes are prohibited from addressing this topic further, and has no reflection on the merits,” UNC said in a statement.
ESPN reported that a former front office employee at the university filed a human resources complaint against Lombardi and there is a pending investigation into the situation.
Lombardi, 67, joined Belichick in Chapel Hill in December 2024. He previously worked with the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach in New England, serving as an assistant to the coaching staff from 2014-16.
Lombardi was the general manager and vice president of the Cleveland Browns in 2013 and previously worked in the front offices of the Denver Broncos, then-Oakland Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles.
North Carolina was 4-8 in Belichick’s debut season in 2025.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Browns' Jerry Jeudy: Clip didn't indicate his preferred QB1
Jun 11, 2026; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) catches a pass during minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy insists he wasn’t weighing in on Cleveland’s starting quarterback battle during a livestream clip that quickly went viral.
Jeudy flashes four fingers in the TikTok video, taken by many to indicate his support for the player who wears that jersey number, Deshaun Watson.
“Yall cut the clip perfectly for that narrative,” Jeudy posted Sunday on X, referencing the apparent skip in the clip between when the question is posed and when Jeudy holds up his fingers.
Jeudy, 27, who is entering his third season with the Browns, said he will not weigh in as new head coach Todd Monken and his staff evaluate the training camp competition between Watson and Shedeur Sanders.
“I don’t speak on decisions that aren’t mine to make. I support my teammates/Brothers, I do my job, and control what I can control,” Jeudy posted on X. “Let’s stop creating narrative that aren’t there for likes and clicks. I bet this won’t go viral because it’s too positive/real for y’all.”
Jeudy caught 50 passes for 602 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games (16 starts) in 2025, when Watson missed the entire season with a torn Achilles. Jeudy made the Pro Bowl in his first season with Cleveland in 2024, setting career highs in catches (90) and receiving yards (1,229).
–Field Level Media
Report: Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy's wife shot at home
North Carolina places top Bill Belichick aide on leave
