Sports
Elliott: Jim Harbaugh expects to win 'multiple championships' with Chargers
Without warning, the lights went down inside YouTube Theater. The main feature was about to begin, the promise of a happier future about to be delivered.
In a brief video that touched on the stars and high points of their history, from the days of Air Coryell and Dan Fouts and LaDainian Tomlinson to the present-day aspirational brilliance of quarterback Justin Herbert, the Chargers introduced Jim Harbaugh as the coach who will lead them to unprecedented heights.
At the end, accompanying an image of Harbaugh during his late-career quarterbacking days with the then-San Diego Chargers, the screen displayed the words, “Welcome Home.”
He’s not really coming home, since home for the Chargers is now SoFi Stadium, a short jog from the scene of his news conference Thursday. But why quibble on small points?
“Watching the video, the little hairs on my arms stood up,” Harbaugh said, adding the video reminded him that after his last game as a Charger he had exchanged jerseys with linebacker Junior Seau, a souvenir that occupies a place of honor in his office.
Besides touching Harbaugh’s heart, the video made an emphatic and intriguing point.
The Spanos family, which owns and operates the Chargers, has invested their trust, their money and their credibility in Harbaugh, giving him a deal that has been reported to be for five years at $16 million per year. It’s a make-or-break move for owners who seemed content to run the team as a plaything and whose previous three coaches (Mike McCoy, Anthony Lynn, and Brandon Staley) had no NFL experience on their respective resumés.
They got serious. They got Harbaugh, who had the guts to speak Thursday about coming in humble and hungry but with the firm goal of winning “multiple, multiple championships.” That’s music to the ears of fans long frustrated by the Spanos family’s short-sighted ambitions, fans who often are drowned out in their stadium by fans supporting whoever the Chargers are playing that week.
“We talked internally about really being willing to reimagine how we do things,” said John Spanos, head of football operations and son of team owner Dean Spanos. “That doesn’t mean just doing things differently for the sake of change, but really being willing to explore all options, all possibilities, and gaining an understanding of what it’s going to take to get to the next level.”
Fresh off winning a national championship with the University of Michigan, Harbaugh’s comments and responses to questions Thursday sometimes sounded like the kind of rah-rah clichés that work better at the college level than with older, experienced pros. He repeatedly spoke of his goal being to have a productive day and dominate the day, a phrase he often used while coaching the Wolverines.
But he let some of his personality peek through: He made frequent mention of faith, family, and football as his priorities. He quoted his father, Jack, and Jack’s fondness for saying, “Who’s got it better than us?” Several times, he quoted his daughter Katie’s saying of “Work together, win together,” as his mantra.
Along the way, he mentioned Morgan Freeman’s character in “The Shawshank Redemption,” revealed he was a fan of the fictional coach Ted Lasso, and said he wanted to get an RV and park at a Southern California beach in tribute to the 1970s TV show “The Rockford Files,” which started James Garner as a quirky detective.
After his news conference, he was scheduled to visit the Chargers’ new training facility in El Segundo. He said he was ready to go to a hardware store and buy a Shop-Vac to clean up the weight room and make sure the right equipment was ordered.
Harbaugh, 60, sometimes was charmingly folksy, talking about his childhood in Ohio and the frequent moves his family made to accommodate his father’s football coaching career moves. His brother, John, coach of the Baltimore Ravens and roommate for 16 years of their shared childhood, is “as tough as a $2 steak,” Jim said, but their competitiveness made him better as a person and later, as a coach.
Many people came to mind for Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh during his introductory news conference.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
He made no secret of his big ambitions, but he knows he’s got a big rebuilding job to do. The Chargers were 5-12 under Staley and interim coach Giff Smith last season. The Spanos family held on to Staley for too long and fired him only because a 63-21 loss to Las Vegas was too great a beatdown to be ignored. Turning this around will take some time. Success in his first year will have to be graded on a curve.
“Humble and hungry. That’s where we are right now,” he said. “We’re going to respect all our opponents and we’re going to strive to earn their respect. And we’re going to earn a winning [reputation]. Tough team, resilient team, relentless team, physical team, is what we strive to be.”
He then paused, to good effect. “Don’t let the powder blues fool you,” he said of their pastel uniforms, drawing laughs from the audience.
Winning enough to win over fans — and persuading Chargers ticket holders not to sell their seats to fans of visiting teams — will be tough tasks. He sees one way to accomplish that–the old-fashioned basics of blocking, tackling, playing a physical, all-out game.
“My thought is pretty much what I said earlier. By your talent and by your effort you will be known,” he said. “We have our team and people will look at it. They’re going to see that kind of football team.”
His priority now, he said, is to assemble a coaching staff and continue to get to know his players. At some point, he will have to put his words into action. Who’s got it better than them? We’ll find out next season.
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The United States men’s national team opened its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a commanding 4-1 rout of Paraguay behind two goals from Folarin Balogun, and after taking care of Australia, the team has one match left in the group stage against Turkey on Thursday night.
The Americans took care of Australia last week 2-0 to keep their strong start rolling. The victory clinched a knockout-round berth for Team USA. The USMNT will look to carry its momentum into their match against Turkey as the Stars and Stripes return to Los Angeles Stadium.
Players of the United States celebrate their first goal, an own goal by Cameron Burgess of Australia, during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match at Seattle Stadium in Seattle, Washington, on June 19, 2026. (Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
WATCH USA VS TURKEY ON FOX ONE
Australia began its World Cup run with a win over Turkey before suffering a setback against the U.S. The Australians will meet Paraguay on Thursday in a match featuring two teams already beaten by the Americans during the group stage.
Late last month, the Americans defeated Senegal, 3-2, in a World Cup tuneup match.
Under head coach Mauricio Pochettino, the USMNT entered the tournament as the No. 17 team in the FIFA World Rankings. FIFA determines its world rankings using the Elo rating system, which rewards teams for wins and penalizes them for losses while also factoring in the strength of the competition.
Alex Freeman of the United States celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between the U.S. and Australia at Seattle Stadium on June 19, 2026. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
FOX ONE’S NEW WORLD CUP VIEWING EXPERIENCE
This year’s World Cup features an expanded field of 48 teams.
Here’s how to watch the game, including start time, TV information and streaming options.
The FIFA World Cup Trophy is displayed on stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw on Dec. 3, 2025. (Michael Regan – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
How to Watch United States vs Turkey
When: Thursday, June 25, 2026, at 10 p.m. ET
Where: Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood, California.
TV: FOX
Stream: Watch on FOX One and FOX Sports.
Two misdemeanor drug charges against U.S. alpine skiing great Bode Miller are set to be dropped, according to his attorney.
“No drugs were found on Bode’s person,” attorney Jeromy Stafford said in a statement emailed to The Times on Thursday morning. “After speaking with the Prosecuting Attorney for Fremont County Idaho, Lindsey Blake, she has agreed to dismiss all charges against Bode Miller.”
Blake has not announced the move and did not immediately respond to a message from The Times.
Miller was arrested June 6 in Fremont County. According to a probable cause statement by Sheriff’s Deputy Jacob Hurt, the six-time Olympic medalist was in possession of a white dispensary bag containing 4.1 grams of psilocybin mushrooms.
Hurt said in his statement that Miller “knew that the Psilocybin mushrooms were illegal.” The 48-year-old former athlete was taken into custody and released the same day after posting a $5,000 bond. On June 11, Miller pleaded not guilty to possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
In a statement posted to Instagram on Tuesday, Miller gave a different account of what led to his arrest.
“I was pulled over for accelerating while passing another vehicle on a highway in Idaho,” Miller said. “My friend, who was traveling with me, had a small amount of cannabis and a cannabis pipe in his possession which I was unaware of. We fully cooperated with the officer. I am hopeful the misdemeanor charges will be dropped once the facts are reviewed.”
Online court records show the status of Miller’s case as “Active – Pending.” A pretrial hearing remains scheduled for July 29.
Sports
Terrion Arnold, Lions’ 2024 first-round pick, charged with kidnapping and armed robbery in Florida
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Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold was arrested in connection with an alleged kidnapping and robbery that investigators say occurred in February, the Tampa Police Department announced on Wednesday night.
Police previously arrested six other individuals accused of participating in what authorities described as a “targeted armed robbery” on Feb. 4.
Arnold turned himself in and was taken into custody at Orient Road Jail in Hillsborough County on Wednesday night. He is charged with four counts of kidnapping and four counts of armed robbery.
Terrion Arnold of the Detroit Lions looks on during the second half of an NFL game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., on Sept. 7, 2025. (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
“We are aware of the matter and have been in contact with the club. We have no further comment at this time,” an NFL spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
The Lions have not immediately responded to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.
According to investigators, Arnold rented an Airbnb in Largo, Florida, where he periodically stayed with several co-defendants: Arianna Del Valle, 19; Jasmine Randazzo, 19; Lyndell Hudson II, 26; Christion Williams, 24; Boakai Hilton Jr., 23; and Freddie Hughes, 27. Authorities said other individuals also stayed at the property.
LIONS’ JAMESON WILLIAMS WON’T BE DISCIPLINED BY NFL AFTER FACING ARREST IN GUN-RELATED INCIDENT: REPORT
Investigators said three male victims, all in their late teens, suffered visible injuries after they were allegedly battered, held at gunpoint and pistol-whipped before being robbed and ordered to leave a residence in the 14000 block of North 46th Street in Tampa.
According to investigators, multiple personal items belonging to Arnold and others were stolen from the Airbnb on Feb. 1. Authorities said Arnold suspected two of the three victims were responsible, though Tampa police later determined they were not involved in the theft.
On Feb. 3, Arnold, Hilton, Hughes and another individual reported more than $250,000 in stolen property to the Largo Police Department.
Investigators allege that later that day Arnold and Hilton coordinated with Del Valle and Randazzo to contact one of the victims and lure him to an apartment.
Terrion Arnold of the Detroit Lions lines up before a play during an NFL game against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich., on Nov. 27, 2025. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
Police said the three victims arrived at the apartment on Feb. 4 to meet the women, where Williams and Hudson were allegedly hiding inside a bedroom closet. According to investigators, Williams and Hudson grabbed the victims, held them at gunpoint and assaulted them.
Authorities said Del Valle streamed the incident to Arnold, Hilton and Hughes as they traveled to the apartment. Investigators also said they recovered a group chat involving the defendants in which Arnold and Hilton allegedly gave directions to Del Valle, Williams and Hudson during the assault.
According to investigators, Arnold, Hilton, Hughes and another individual arrived at the apartment around 1 a.m. Police allege Arnold directed the group inside, and that Hughes, Hudson and Williams stole the victims’ personal property while the assault was ongoing.
Authorities said the victims were escorted from the apartment about 40 minutes later, forced into their vehicle and left the scene. They later reported the incident to Tampa police and identified the suspects.
Investigators said they believe Arnold was the primary organizer of the alleged scheme based on evidence gathered during the investigation.
Terrion Arnold of the Detroit Lions runs onto the field before an NFL game against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, on Nov. 27, 2025. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
Arnold, an Alabama product, was selected by Detroit with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The 23-year-old recorded his first career interception this past season in Week 9 against the Minnesota Vikings, though he was only able to play eight games due to a shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery.
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Arnold played 16 games during his rookie season in 2024, tallying 10 passes defended and 60 combined tackles.
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