ENGLAND'S WORLD CUP PREPARATIONS THROWN INTO CHAOS IN BIZZARE CIRCUMSTANCES

 The Three Lions begin their World Cup journey against Croatia on Wednesday.

England is hoping for a strong showing this summer. | Alex Menendez/Getty Images

England stars saw a number of pairs of match boots stolen from a team vehicle in Kansas City, Missouri, less than one week before their World Cup opener against Croatia.

“We are investigating a possible theft of equipment from a team vehicle that arrived in Kansas City with items missing this evening,” a police statement read.

According to the Daily Mail, the equipment, including tournament balls and other training apparatus, was being transported from Florida to Missouri as the Three Lions set up their base for the World Cup, only for the vehicle carrying the items to be targeted as it awaited unloading at the final destination.

Player footwear was among the most important equipment stolen during the incident. The Athletic note the majority of the items have since been recovered.

ESPN add that two suspects have been taken into custody. “The investigation is ongoing,” said the the Kansas City Missouri Police Department.

England Avoids Massive Complication

England arrives at the tournament in strong form. | Eddie Keogh/The FA/Getty Images

The England squad are due to hold a public training session at the Swope Soccer Village on Saturday, although whether this incident will complicate plans remains to be seen.

Thomas Tuchel’s side now have five days to prepare for their opening fixture against Croatia on June 17. Thankfully, it appears as though the team’s biggest names will have all their necessary gear to ensure their preparations are not thoroughly disrupted.

Many elite players often wear custom boots, some even specifically sculpted around that player’s foot to ensure the perfect fit. Clearly, to lose equipment of that value would have a significant impact just days before a World Cup opener.

Similarly, many players will have gear suited to the specific nature of the grass in any given stadium, designed to try and maximize every possible detail at this summer’s tournament.

Once team officials take stock of the recovered goods, they will be released to Tuchel and his coaching staff to help in drills and training sessions. Again, whether any plans will be impacted by the theft is up in the air.

England officials will do their best to shield the team from this issue, keen to let the players focus solely on their on-field duties.

After Wednesday’s opener against Croatia, FIFA’s fourth-ranked nation have six days to prepare for a game against Ghana, before closing out the group stage against Panama on June 27.

- Tom Gott

BREAKING: NFL REFS CAUGHT IN KANSAS CITY CHIEFS BIAS SCANDAL AFTER 13,000 PENALTY CALLS POINT TO PATRICK MAHOMES BENEFITING BIG TIME

NFL Refs Under Fire as Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes Seem to Get All the Lucky Calls (Image credit: X/@Uncle_JimmyD

The zebras in the NFL are under serious fire. A bombshell study out of the University of Texas at El Paso just accused NFL refs of playing biased when it comes to making decisions on the Kansas City Chiefs. And the numbers don’t lie.

Researchers literally crunched over 13,000 penalty calls spanning nearly a decade to prove that Patrick Mahomes and his squad got the benefit of the doubt way more than anyone else.

NFL Refs Under Fire as Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes Seem to Get All the Lucky Calls

The controversy exploded after Sunday’s Chiefs-Lions showdown. Kansas City had zero accepted penalties, while Detroit was flagged four times for 38 yards. The difference became obvious after the Chiefs had 13 penalties for 109 yards against Jacksonville the week before.

Fans immediately smelled something off. Social media erupted with accusations of rigged games and league manipulation. The timing seemed too perfect to be worse. That’s when the UTEP study dropped like a bomb.

The study read, “By analyzing more than 13,000 penalty calls from 2015 to 2023, researchers found that postseason officiating has disproportionately favored the Patrick Mahomes–era Kansas City Chiefs, coinciding with their rise as one of the NFL’s most marketable franchises…”

According to a University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) press release, researchers analyzed 13,000 penalty calls from 2015 to 2023. They found that postseason officiating apparently favored the Kansas City Chiefs disproportionately, especially during the Patrick Mahomes era. pic.twitter.com/UPKVGqfXWC

— Sportskeeda Pro Football (@SKProFootball) October 13, 2025

 

The study revealed penalties against opposing defenses in Chiefs playoff games were significantly more likely to produce first downs and cover more yardage. Subjective calls like roughing the passer and pass interference went Kansas City’s way far more often.

Here’s the kicker. These advantages didn’t exist for the Tom Brady-era New England Patriots or other recent Super Bowl contenders. This seems to only happen with the Chiefs, who became a big hit on TV.

The UTEP team drew parallels to financial markets and corporate governance. Dominant players often enjoy advantages not from explicit corruption, but because institutions adapt to preserve stability and revenue. The NFL playoffs represent the league’s most commercially valuable period.

Fans have been screaming about this for years. Now they’ve got data to back it up.

One fan wrote, “Something needs to be done about this. Even Aikman, Buck and the rules/officiating analyst were talking about how many calls the chiefs got. The Ball doesn’t lie but the refs definitely had their thumbs on the scale for the Chiefs—again.”

Something needs to be done about this. Even Aikman, Buck and the rules/officiating analyst were talking about how many calls the chiefs got. The Ball doesn’t lie but the refs definitely had their thumbs on the scale for the Chiefs—again. https://t.co/slW0zH0eqp

— Miles (@GuitarsGunsGolf) October 7, 2025

Another added, “@NFL refs had their own game plan…..Chiefs victory was decided before the game. How else do you explain 13 penalties the game prior to this one and ZERO this week. No team plays a perfectly clean game!! No way unless there’s help!”

@NFL refs had their own game plan…..Chiefs victory was decided before the game. How else do you explain 13 penalties the game prior to this one and ZERO this week. No team plays a perfectly clean game!! No way unless there’s help!

— MeikaRocco (@DogHouse5212) October 13, 2025

However, they don’t always get lucky. They were on the wrong end of false start calls against the Philadelphia Eagles in their Week 2 matchup. It’s not like the officials give Andy Reid’s squad the benefit of the doubt every single time.

Still, the pattern is quite crazy. Since Mahomes took over in 2018, the Chiefs have dominated. Seven straight AFC Championship appearances. Five Super Bowl trips. Three titles. Their winning streak happened at the same time they became really popular on TV.

- Manhaz Muntaha

2024 NFL SCHEDULE RELEASE SNEAK PEEK: HERE ARE SEVEN THINGS WE ALREADY KNOW ABOUT THIS YEAR'S SLATE OF GAMES

 With the NFL Draft officially in the rearview mirror, there's only one big event left on the NFL's offseason calendar and that's the release of the schedule. The only problem with this year's release is that no one seems to have any idea when the schedule is actually going to come out. 

Well, that was a problem, but it's not anymore, thanks to the Sports Business Journal. According to the SBJ, the NFL has informed teams that the schedule will be released on Wednesday, May 15, which will make it the latest schedule release since at least 1990. 

For the past two years, the schedule has been released on the second Thursday in May, but the NFL decided to push that date back this year. The league hasn't offered any explanation on why the schedule release was pushed back so far this year. 

Although we won't know the full schedule until May 15, you won't have to wait that long to get every nugget of information and that's because we already know several things about the 2024 schedule and we're going to cover those below.

1. Thursday night opener in Kansas City. The defending Super Bowl champion annually plays host in the opening game of the season, which means that barring something unforeseen, the Chiefs will be the home team in the Thursday night opener. Their home schedule consists of the Broncos, Chargers, Raiders, Ravens, Bengals, Texans, Saints and Buccaneers, so the NFL will have plenty of juicy games to choose from, including a possible AFC title game rematch with Baltimore. The Bengals and Texans would also qualify as attractive options. The NFL generally tries to avoid putting divisional games in the opener, so the Chargers, Raiders and Broncos likely won't be playing in Kansas City in Week 1. 

2. NFL set to play in Brazil for the first time. Sao Paulo will be hosting the NFL's first-ever game in Brazil and that will be coming in Week 1. The Eagles will be "hosting" the Packers in a rare Friday game that will stream exclusively on Peacock on Sept. 6.

3. International series will also feature games in London and Munich. The NFL will be playing four games in Europe this year with three games in London and one game in Germany. For the slate of games in England, the Bears, Vikings and Jaguars will each serve as the home team in one game. As for the game in Germany, the Panthers will serve as the home team for the NFL's second regular-season game ever in Munich. 

4. Jaguars could be going back-to-back in London for the second straight season. According to Jacksonville.com, the Jags are expected to play back-to-back games in London for the second straight season. The Jags will host one game and then serve as the visiting team in one game, which will likely come against the Bears. 

5. Christmas doubleheader that will make history. For just the third time in 75 years, the NFL will be playing on a Wednesday and that will be happening this year because Dec. 25 falls on a Wednesday in 2024. So yup, that means the NFL will be giving us a doubleheader on Christmas. 

6. Teams could be given two short-week games. The NFL owners approved a rule in March 2023 that now allows teams to play two short-week games. This means that several teams could end up playing multiple games this year on just three days rest. This will make it much easier to schedule the two Christmas games. The four teams playing on Dec. 25 are expected to play on the prior Saturday. 

7. Every home-and-away opponent for all 32 teams. Although we don't know the time and dates for any game yet this year, we do know who each team will be playing and you can check out the home-and-away opponents for all 32 teams by clicking here.

The NFL schedule release has become a major offseason event for the league and this year should be no exception.

- John Breech

KANSAS CITY POLICE DETAIN THREE AFTER MASS SHOOTING AT SUPER BOWL RALLY

 Police in Kansas City, Missouri, on Thursday were questioning three people detained after a deadly mass shooting at a rally to celebrate the city's Super Bowl victory, hoping to find out what prompted the gunfire, which killed a beloved local DJ.

In addition to the woman who was killed, at least 21 others suffered gunshot wounds on Wednesday outside the city's landmark Union Station, authorities said, where thousands of fans had gathered with the Kansas City Chiefs to celebrate the team's NFL championship triumph over the San Francisco 49ers.

The bloodshed, which came at the end of the rally following a parade, turned the festive occasion into a scene of panic as throngs of attendees scrambled for cover at the sound of rapid-fire gunshots.

Local radio station KKFI identified the slain victim as Lisa Lopez, one of its disc jockeys and host of the show "Taste of Tejano."

"This senseless act has taken a beautiful person from her family and this KC Community," the radio station said in a post on Facebook.

Fifteen other victims suffered life-threatening wounds, Fire Department Chief Ross Grundyson said at a late-afternoon news conference.

Eleven of those hurt by gunfire or the ensuing pandemonium were children as young as 6, officials said.

None of the football team, their coaches or other staff attending the rally was injured, the Chiefs said.

Police Chief Stacey Graves told a Wednesday evening news conference three people were detained "and under investigation" in connection with the shooting, but she said investigators had yet to determine a motive.

GUNFIRE AT CHIEFS' SUPER BOWL CELEBRATION KILLS 1 AND WOUNDS NEARLY TWO DOZEN

AP Photo 

 KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A historic railway station on the edge of downtown Kansas City became the latest backdrop for a mass shooting as gunfire near the end of the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl celebration sent terrified fans scrambling for cover and left 21 people wounded — including at least eight children — and a mother of two dead.

Wednesday's shooting outside Union Station happened despite the presence of more than 800 police officers who were in the building and nearby, including on top of nearby structures, said Mayor Quinton Lucas, who attended with his wife and mother and ran for safety when the shots rang out.

“Parades, rallies, schools, movies. It seems like almost nothing is safe,” Lucas said.

Three people were detained and firearms were recovered, Police Chief Stacey Graves said at an evening news conference. She said police were still piecing together what happened and did not release details about those who were detained or a possible motive.

“I’m angry at what happened today. The people who came to this celebration should expect a safe environment,” Graves said.

It is the latest sports celebration in the U.S. to be marred by gun violence, following a shooting that wounded several people last year in Denver after the Nuggets' NBA championship, and gunfire last year at a parking lot near the Texas Rangers' World Series championship parade.

CHIEFS QB MAHOMES WINS SUPER BOWL MVP

Reuters 

 Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes won his third Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award on Sunday after leading the Chiefs to a thrilling 25-22 overtime victory against the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas.

The three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time league MVP marched his team down the field in overtime, rushed to convert on fourth down and capped the comeback win with a three-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mecole Hardman.

Mahomes was quick to credit his team mates for the triumph in Las Vegas.

"What we've come through, dealt with this year, the guys never faltered," he said.

"I just got to give God the glory man, he challenged us to make us better. I'm proud of my guys man, this is awesome, it's legendary.

The Chiefs have now won three Super Bowls in the last five seasons.

"It's the start of (a dynasty), we're not done. I know we're going to celebrate tonight but we got a young team, we going to keep this thing going."

COMENBOL REVEALS 14 HOST U.S. CITIES FOR.2024

 

Reuters 

Next year's Copa America will be held across 14 U.S. cities, culminating with the final at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) said on Monday.

The first semi-final will be at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey with the other at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, while quarter-final action will be in Arlington, Houston, Las Vegas and Glendale.

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