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Utah hires Dallas Mavericks assistant Alex Jensen as its next men’s basketball coach

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Utah hires Dallas Mavericks assistant Alex Jensen as its next men’s basketball coach


In its quest to escape a recent rut of mediocrity, the Utah men’s basketball program is turning to one of its own.

The Utes have hired Dallas Mavericks assistant Alex Jensen, a starter on Utah’s 1998 Final Four team, as their next head coach, the university announced Thursday.

“Alex brings with him tremendous experience coaching at the collegiate, NBA and international levels, and is widely-respected for his ability to develop players and teach the game of basketball,” Utah athletic director Mark Harlan said in a statement. “Alex has a vision and a plan for leading the Runnin’ Utes basketball program back among the nation’s elite, and I am confident that he will elevate our program and reignite the passion of our fan base along the way.”

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Jensen has been an NBA assistant since 2013, working with the Utah Jazz from 2013-23 before joining Jason Kidd’s staff with the Mavericks before the 2023-24 season. Dallas made a run to the NBA Finals that season.

Jensen has college experience, as well, having spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Saint Louis, where he worked under his former college coach, the late Rick Majerus, from 2007-11.

A Utah native and former Utah Mr. Basketball, Jensen was a starting forward on the Utes’ 1997-98 team that fell to Kentucky in the national championship game. As a senior in 2000, he was named the Mountain West player of the year before embarking on a seven-year professional career overseas.

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He may not be the only former Utah player from that era to be on the Utes’ sideline next season, either. CBS Sports reported Thursday that Andre Miller, a 17-year NBA veteran who’s currently the head coach of the Denver Nuggets’ G League franchise, is “in the mix” to join Jensen’s staff.

Utah, which fired coach Craig Smith in late February, is 16-14 entering its regular-season finale against BYU. The program is in its first season in the Big 12 after spending the previous 13 years in the Pac-12.

The Utes are a far cry from the perennial national contender they were during Jensen’s playing days. The program has made the NCAA Tournament only three times since the 2005-06 season and hasn’t been in the 68-team field since 2016. Smith went 65-62 in his four seasons at the school.

By turning to Jensen, Utah is following a similar path to its most hated rival. After Mark Pope left for Kentucky after last season, BYU hired Phoenix Suns assistant coach Kevin Young, who has the Cougars at 22-8 in his first season and is set to bring in a top-10 recruiting class next season led by No. 1 overall prospect A.J. Dybantsa.

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“My basketball journey has been filled with so many people who have helped shape me as a coach and as a person, ultimately guiding me to this opportunity to lead the Runnin’ Utes basketball program,” Jensen said in a statement. “I’m thankful for all of the great mentors I’ve had along the way as I embark on this next step to lead Utah Basketball. This is an exciting chapter for my family and me, and I’m looking forward to returning to a place that has meant so much to me. I can’t wait to get to work with our student athletes, coaches and the University as we move forward to achieve our goals.”



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Dallas, TX

25,000 free Dallas teen passes available June 29 for museums, zoo and more

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25,000 free Dallas teen passes available June 29 for museums, zoo and more


Dallas Parks and Recreation will distribute 25,000 all-access passes that give Dallas teens free admission to cultural and recreational attractions across the city throughout July.

Passes will be available beginning June 29 on a first-come, first-served basis at City of Dallas recreation centers.

The program, now entering its fifth year, is open to Dallas residents ages 13 to 17. City leaders say the initiative, which launched in 2021, helps promote positive engagement opportunities for teens and reduce crime during the summer months.

Teens must register in person and provide proof of Dallas residency to receive a pass.

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The city says the program is made possible through partnerships with local cultural, recreational, and entertainment organizations.

Participating attractions include:

  • African American Museum
  • Bahama Beach
  • Bath House Cultural Center
  • Latino Cultural Center
  • South Dallas Cultural Center
  • Oak Cliff Cultural Center
  • Dallas Museum of Arts
  • Community Art Pop Up Cultural
  • Dallas Arboretum
  • Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum
  • Dallas Park and Recreation Summer Fitness
  • Dallas Zoo
  • Frontiers of Flight Museum
  • Golf Dallas
  • Reunion Tower
  • Shakespeare of Dallas
  • State Fair of Texas
  • Southern Skates Roller Rink
  • Texas Discover Garden
  • The Sixth Floor Museum At Dealey Plaza
  • Trinity River Audubon

A full list of participating attractions and recreation centers distributing passes is available at DallasParks.org



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At least 4 injured after vehicle drives into Dallas crowd, driver arrested

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At least 4 injured after vehicle drives into Dallas crowd, driver arrested


At least four people were injured after a vehicle drove into a crowd of people in Dallas on Thursday evening.

Dallas police responded to an “Assist Officer call with an Ambulance” at approximately 7 p.m. in the 300 block of West Davis Street.

Authorities learned that a vehicle drove into a crowd, injuring multiple people. At least four have been taken to a local hospital for treatment. Police said no one was in critical condition.

The driver of the vehicle was arrested at the scene, police said. Authorities are still working to determine if this driver could have been drunk or if this could have been a medical episode.

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According to police, there is no indication that the crash was terrorism related.

The investigation is ongoing.

This story will be updated as we learn more.



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FOX’s Kasper Schmeichel compares England to Dallas Cowboys, so who are their other sports analogs?

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FOX’s Kasper Schmeichel compares England to Dallas Cowboys, so who are their other sports analogs?


FOX Soccer analyst Kasper Schmeichel came prepared for this year’s World Cup on American soil.

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The former Danish goalkeeper may not be from around these parts, but that didn’t stop him from dropping an eerily accurate comparison between two overconfident but long-suffering sports programs.

With England and Croatia warming up inside AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, Schmeichel decided he would roast two fanbases with one stone, comparing the Cowboys to the Three Lions with a hilarious one-liner.

Funny, but also painfully true if you’re a supporter of either team.

COWBOYS LEGEND DIGS DEEP INTO THE TEAM’S MISSING ‘FIBER’ THAT’S RESULTED IN SUPER BOWL DROUGHT

I made a comparison last week between the English national team and Notre Dame, but Schmeichel got me thinking, who are the sports analogs to England from the four major North American leagues (NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA)?

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Today, I will be doing exactly that, including giving a slightly better NFL comp than the Cowboys (shocking, I know).

Without further ado, let’s piss off our neighbors from across the pond.

FROM 4 STRAIGHT SUPER BOWL LOSSES TO JOSH ALLEN’S PATRICK MAHOMES PROBLEM, BILLS MIGHT BE CURSED

NFL – Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears helmets are displayed before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nev., on Sept. 28, 2025. (Kiyoshi Mio/Imagn Images)

While the Dallas Cowboys are a fine comparison for the English national soccer team, I think I can do one better.

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Schmeichel mentioned that England “won it once and have never stopped talking about it,” and although the second part of that statement applies to both, the Cowboys are five-time Super Bowl champions, having won it most recently in January 1996, a good three decades after England.

If you really want a team that more accurately mirrors the hard luck of the English, it would have to be the Chicago Bears.

3 HISTORIC NFL FRANCHISES FIND THEMSELVES IN SAME BOAT SINCE TURN OF THE CENTURY

They have one Super Bowl win to their name, which came 40 years ago, and really don’t have much else to show for it.

Also, having lived in the DFW area for the better part of a decade, I can confidently say Cowboys fans are a little too arrogant and cocky to be compared to the English.

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Sure, England will say things like “it’s coming home,” but they are far more self-deprecating and aware of their faults, even nihilistic in some cases.

The Bears hang onto their history because they know things will inevitably go bad for them on the biggest stage.

Speaking of which…

NHL – Toronto Maple Leafs

Spencer Carbery, assistant coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, looks on from the bench during the third period against the Washington Capitals at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ont., on April 14, 2022. (Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Toronto Maple Leafs actually line up with England more closely than either fanbase would like to admit.

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While the Leafs have a litany of Stanley Cups to their name, their most recent win was back in 1967, less than a full year after England won their first and only World Cup.

As far as expectations go, both constantly go into their respective tournaments with the weight of the world on their shoulders, only to come crashing down in the most horrific ways imaginable.

For the Leafs, it comes in the form of blowing big leads in the playoffs, while English fans and players alike can’t even hear the words “penalty kicks” without having a mental breakdown.

England and Toronto are both long-suffering cities, but their fans keep showing up expecting a different outcome.

Insanity? No, just sports fandom.

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NBA – New York Knicks

Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks celebrates a three-point basket with Karl-Anthony Towns during Game Two of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 5, 2026. (Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

This one would have been an even better comparison if the New York Knicks hadn’t gone and won the whole damn thing this year, but these two sports teams are still eerily similar.

WHY THE KNICKS, DISRESPECTED BUT CLAWING BACK, TOUCHED A RAW NERVE IN NEW YORK CITY AND ULTIMATELY THE COUNTRY

Think of the Knicks’ 2026 NBA Championship run as a window into what it would look like if England captured a World Cup (on American soil, no less).

Before this year, the Knicks famously had not won a Larry O’Brien trophy in over 50 years, yet they were still considered one of the “blue bloods” of the NBA.

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Decades of heartache didn’t change that; it only made their fans more insufferable, but their triumph earlier this month in the NBA Finals exorcised all those demons.

THE ATHLETIC BEWILDERINGLY CELEBRATES ‘ZOHRAN MAMDANI SPORTS SUMMER’ AFTER NEW YORK KNICKS WIN NBA FINALS

A win in the World Cup Finals would probably do the same for England fans, as you could probably feel that sigh of relief from the other side of the Atlantic.

MLB – New York Mets

New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto reacts after scoring a run on an RBI double by infielder Bo Bichette against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on April 2, 2026. (Robert Edwards/Imagn Images)

Hello again, New York.

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The Big Apple certainly has its fair share of winners, but it also has plenty of franchises that are aching to make a trip back down the Canyon of Heroes, none more so than the Mets.

Year after year, the Mets are near the top of MLB in terms of spending, with little to show for their efforts.

WATCH THE WORLD CUP FINAL ON FOX ONE

They won a World Series back in 1986 and have been chasing that high ever since.

The common thread between England and the Mets (along with all the other teams on this list) is expectations relative to results, and it seems like the Mets are sort of a Schrödinger’s baseball franchise in that regard, expected to both compete for a World Series with their high-priced talent and flame out in spectacular fashion all the same.

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FOX ONE’S NEW WORLD CUP VIEWING EXPERIENCE

England always has flashy players heading into World Cup play, but the results haven’t been there, and they’ve often been sent home in brutal fashion, offering a great parallel to the Mets’ clockwork-like midsummer swoons and late-season meltdowns.



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