Sports
NFL rescinds fine for Texans RB Joe Mixon after misattributed quote
Jan 18, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (28) runs the ball as Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill (23) defends during the second half of a 2025 AFC divisional round game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon is in the clear after the NFL on Tuesday retracted a $25,000 fine for something Mixon didn’t say.
Mixon was dinged for public criticism of the officials after his team’s AFC divisional round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, yet hearing officer Chris Palmer explained in a letter that he concluded “that (Mixon) did not necessarily publicly criticize the officials.”
The referees were under the microscope during the Chiefs’ 23-14 win over the Texans, particularly for a play in which two Houston defenders collided into each other while trying to tackle a sliding Patrick Mahomes, leading to an errant call for a late hit.
“You can never leave it into the refs’ hands,” Mixon told reporters after the game. “The whole world sees, man, what it is. When it comes down to it, you can never leave it into the refs’ hands. It’s all good, though.”
Mixon appeared to mean that the Texans should have done more so that the result of the game didn’t come down to a few calls by officials. However, that’s not what got Mixon in trouble in the first place.
Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh wrote on X, “Why play the game if every 50/50 call goes with the Chiefs,” going on to call the referees trash and biased.
A Sports Illustrated article incorrectly attributed the quote to Mixon, which was the basis of the NFL’s fine, according to Mixon and his agent.
The NFL then re-issued the fine while centering Mixon’s actual, tamer comments.
“So let me get this straight NFL fines me 25k for something I didn’t even say. Call them out for it, and they response was fine me AGAIN for something that’s not even a violation without even rescinding the first one,” Mixon wrote on X on Jan. 22. “Where’s the accountability? Just respect the players.”
Mixon got that “respect” from Palmer at the end of his ordeal.
“During the appeal hearing, you stated what you meant by your statements referring to the officials,” Palmer wrote in his letter. “As you know, statements can be interpreted differently by every individual and it seems like you clearly understand the weight and detriment of public criticism towards officials can be, given how impactful your platform is as a player, which I appreciate.”
The state of NFL officiating was under intense scrutiny in the weeks leading up to Super Bowl LIX, where the two-time defending champion Chiefs fell 40-22 to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The NFL Referees Association released a statement calling it “insulting” that some fans believed officials were helping Mahomes and the Chiefs with their calls, scolding fans for what they termed conspiracy theories.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tyrone Taylor cracks 3-run shot to spark Mets over Dodgers
Jul 26, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets center fielder Tyrone Taylor (28) reacts after hitting a three-run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the sixth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images Tyrone Taylor’s go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth inning propelled the New York Mets to an 8-3 victory on Sunday over the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers.
The veteran outfielder greeted reliever Evan Phillips with a 405-foot blast into the left field seats for his eighth homer of the season and fifth since July 4. It doubled as the Mets’ first hit since the first.
Marcus Semien, a defensive replacement in the seventh, added another three-run shot to cap a four-run seventh for the Mets as they snapped a three-game skid.
Four relievers combined to limit the Dodgers to three singles and one hit by pitch over the final five innings. Cionel Perez (4-3) pitched two perfect innings and struck out three.
Los Angeles’ bullpen did not match the Mets. Jack Dreyer walked two batters in the sixth and got only one out before being replaced by Phillips (0-2), who allowed a homer for the fourth time in his last five appearances. Will Klein gave up four runs in the seventh on two hits and two walks.
The first three Mets batters got hits off Dodgers starter Emmet Sheehan, with leadoff hitter A.J. Green doubling and scoring on Francisco Lindor’s single. Bo Bichette (2-for-4) followed with another base hit. After that, Sheehan allowed just two walks and one hit batsman while fanning five over five innings.
Los Angeles scored twice in the third off Mets starter Freddy Peralta. Eliezer Alfonzo hit a leadoff double. After an out and an Andy Pages walk, Freddy Freeman doubled home Alfonzo. Max Muncy’s groundout made it 2-1.
Freeman finished 2-for-4 for his fourth straight multi-hit game. Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernandez also went 2-for-4.
Peralta needed 93 pitches to get through four innings. He gave up six hits, three runs (two earned) and two walks while striking out three.
The Dodgers, who saw their four-game winning streak end, loaded the bases off Luke Weaver with two out in the eighth. However, Weaver made a great play on a Hernandez dribbler between the mound and third base to end the threat.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Michael Massey's blast lifts Royals over Tigers
Jul 26, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Kansas City Royals center fielder Lane Thomas (15) hits a home run in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Michael Massey hit a two-out, two-run homer in the eighth inning and the visiting Kansas City Royals hung on for a 5-4 win over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.
Massey’s eighth homer made a winner of Nate Pearson (2-0), who was making his Royals debut after being acquired in a trade with Houston. Steven Cruz survived a ninth-inning jam to record his second save.
Lane Thomas had a solo homer and Luke Maile added an RBI double as the Royals salvaged a split of the four-game series.
Dillon Dingler had two hits and drove in two runs for Detroit.
Kansas City took a 2-0 lead in the first. Leadoff hitter Thomas hit a 3-2 pitch to the opposite field that just cleared the wall. The Royals then scratched out an unearned run. Nick Loftin singled and Salvador Perez was hit by a pitch. Valdez retired the next two batters before walking Isaac Collins to load the bases.
Second baseman Hao-Yu Lee then bobbled Tyler Tolbert’s grounder, allowing Loftin to score.
The Royals made it 3-0 in the fourth. Tolbert drew a one-out walk and Maile followed with a double down the left field line to knock him in.
Detroit took a 4-3 lead in the fifth. Lee led off with a double and Colt Keith walked. Kevin McGonigle singled to load the bases. After Gleyber Torres struck out, Avila was removed for Matt Strahm. Riley Greene hit a bouncer up the middle that got by second baseman Andrew Velazquez for an error. Two runs scored and Greene raced all the way to second. Dingler then knocked in McGonigle and Greene with a single up the middle.
Collins had a bloop single off Drew Sommers with one out in the eighth. Sommers (0-1) struck out the next batter but Massey took advantage of a hanging slider and deposited over the right field wall to give his club a 5-4 advantage.
Detroit had two runners on with no one out in the ninth as Lee walked and Keith singled. Cruz then recorded two strikeouts, sandwiching a popout, to end the contest.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers pound Rockies 11-2
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) throws during the first inning of their game against the Colorado Rockies Sunday, July 26, 2026 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Jacob Misiorowski retired the first 14 batters he faced and finished with 12 strikeouts, Andrew Vaughn homered and the host Milwaukee Brewers beat the Colorado Rockies 11-2 on Sunday.
Jackson Chourio, Joey Ortiz, Luis Lara, Cooper Pratt and Jake Bauers had two hits apiece for Milwaukee, which broke open a close game in the sixth inning to win the series.
Misiorowski struck out seven in a row to start the game and 12 of the first 13 batters he faced with pitches consistently above 100 mph. Cole Carrigg ended the bid for a perfect game with an opposite-field homer to left.
Willi Castro was hit by a pitch before Misiorowski got Troy Johnston to ground out to end the inning — and his afternoon. Misiorowski (11-4) allowed one run on one hit and didn’t walk a batter in his five innings.
Carrigg’s home run was his fifth of the season and Castro hit a solo home run in the seventh for the Rockies, who finished with five hits and fanned 15 times.
Chourio led off the bottom of the first with the first of his two doubles and scored on Brice Turang’s single. One out later, William Contreras doubled to put runners on second and third, Turang scored on a Freeland wild pitch and Contreras came home on a groundout.
Freeland (2-10) settled in, giving up just two hits over the next four innings before Vaughn led off the sixth with his fourth home run. Freeland left after a one-out walk to Bauers, having allowed five runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings.
The Brewers added on against Colorado’s bullpen.
Bauers stole second and Jimmy Herget walked Gary Sanchez ahead of three straight doubles. Lara brought home Bauers with the first two-bagger, Pratt made it 7-1 with a two-run double and Ortiz put runners on second and third with the next double.
Pratt capped the inning when he scored on a groundout.
After Castro’s 10th home run, Sanchez and Lara had RBI doubles in the bottom of the seventh and Vaughn a sacrifice fly in the eighth.
–Field Level Media
Tyrone Taylor cracks 3-run shot to spark Mets over Dodgers
Michael Massey's blast lifts Royals over Tigers
