Sports
Jim Harbaugh can't stop giving salutes to QB Justin Herbert at Camp Pendleton
Despite everything he did at Oregon, despite 17,000 NFL passing yards and 114 touchdown tosses and all the records already set as a Charger, Justin Herbert has never stood out quite like this on a football field.
Wrapped in a golden jersey while everyone else is dressed in blue or white, Herbert literally has resembled a one-man team at times during the Chargers’ offseason program.
“He did not want that,” coach Jim Harbaugh said Tuesday. “He didn’t. And I get that. I understand that. As a quarterback, I didn’t like wearing a different color jersey than anybody else on the team.”
But Harbaugh has insisted that Herbert go gold as a reminder to others to give him his space — Harbaugh called it “a halo” — as a means to protect the franchise’s most significant asset.
While it is standard for teams to outfit their quarterbacks in brighter jerseys as a precaution, the difference this spring is that Herbert typically has been the only one in an alternate color.
“[It’s] two yards for the all quarterbacks,” Harbaugh said, using his hands to illustrate a barrier surrounding the player. “But the guy wearing the gold jersey, let’s make that 2½ or three.”
Maximizing Herbert first means maximizing his health, something the Chargers have struggled to do the last two seasons as rib, shoulder and finger injuries impacted his play.
Herbert missed the final four games in 2023 because of a fractured right index finger., a break that required surgery and officially unhinged a season already careening to nowhere.
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh (left) and owner Dean Spanos flank Marine Col. Charles Dudik at the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.
(Gregory Bull / Associated Press)
The reset from the team’s 5-12 finish included the hiring of Harbaugh, who arrived praising Herbert and has continued to tout his quarterback as the two learn more about one another.
With the Chargers opening their three-day mandatory mini-camp in Costa Mesa, Harbaugh, asked what has most excited him about Herbert, answered, “That would be a long list.”
The head coach then talked about Herbert’s passing, his understanding of blitz protection and his ability to quickly pick up another new offensive system. Then Harbaugh mentioned a conditioning test that Herbert “smashed” last week.
“Just when you think he can’t go another rung on the ladder of my esteem, he finds another one,” Harbaugh said. “I mean, [he] crushed it, like out in front with people trying to keep up with him.”
An ironic moment came next when Harbaugh noted the discovery that he said has been No. 1 for him: Herbert’s insistence on — despite his golden status — not purposely standing out.
“The top of the list would be the way he elevates teammates,” Harbaugh said. “He lifts them up, kind of makes himself smaller and them bigger as opposed to a guy that pushes the others down and, you know, ‘Look at me.’ ”
Harbaugh has worked with other accomplished quarterbacks during his coaching days, including the likes of Andrew Luck, Colin Kaepernick and, last season, first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy.
Herbert, however, seems to be on a different level, Harbaugh calling him “an expert at football” and “a razor-sharp, intelligent person.” Harbaugh said Herbert is bigger than he looks on television and throws the ball harder than appearances suggest.
Yes, Harbaugh flatly gushed at times, particularly when discussing the athletic ability of his 6-foot-6, 236-pound quarterback.
“Really, he could play tight end here,” Harbaugh insisted. “He could play edge rusher here. And the arm talent is even better than advertised. It’s an exciting thing.
“I’ve found myself just sitting at my desk at times, going, ‘He’s on our team!’ You know it’s not just in shorts because I’ve seen him do this in 11-on-11 NFL padded football games.”
Coach Jim Harbaugh addresses his Chargers at the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.
(Gregory Bull / Associated Press)
The Chargers began mini-camp with an hour-long workout at their facility before busing about 60 minutes south to Camp Pendleton for a walk-through and meet-and-greet on the military base, the event drawing an estimated 5,000 spectators.
They will hold practices Wednesday and Thursday before taking a break ahead of training camp. The Chargers will reconvene toward the end of July at their new training center in El Segundo.
Most notable among the players not on the field for practice Tuesday was running back Gus Edwards. Tight ends Will Dissly and Donald Parham Jr. were among a group working with athletic trainers off to the side.
Led by his increased appreciation of Herbert, Harbaugh said he has been pleased with his first Chargers offseason.
“My mood will always depend on how football practice went,” he explained. “I’ve been in a good mood.”
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The ESPYS brought some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment to New York City on Wednesday night, a day that typically ranks among the slowest on the sports calendar.
But this year’s ceremony was preceded by a World Cup semifinal match in Atlanta that was already being described as an instant classic. Lionel Messi and Argentina punched their ticket to a second straight World Cup final with a win over England. The defending champions will meet Spain on Saturday in nearby New Jersey, just a short trip across the Hudson River from where comedian Marcello Hernández opened the ESPYS.
The “Saturday Night Live” star wasted little time taking a few jabs at Jake Paul, Tiger Woods and other sports figures.
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Marcello Hernández speaks onstage during the 2026 ESPY Awards at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City. (Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
“Mike Tyson ripped my watch off. Welcome to the ESPYS!” Hernández joked after making a boxing-style entrance in a robe with Tyson as part of his entourage.
“I must say, it’s an honor to be here among so many great athletes, and Jake Paul,” Hernández began in his roughly 10-minute monologue.
Paul appeared to take the joke in stride, laughing and applauding as cameras cut to him in the crowd. Hernández then stayed on the YouTube star-turned-boxer, needling him over his history of fighting older opponents.
“Jake, that’s just a joke. Don’t fight me,” Hernández continued. “My dad and my stepdad are both here. They’re over 50, and I know that’s how you like them. So, fight them instead.”
Paul kept laughing as Hernández’s bit played out, eventually closing with the comedian shifting attention to his father and stepfather, who were shown in the audience.
Atmosphere at the 2026 ESPYS at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Square on July 15, 2026, in New York, New York. (Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
Hernández later used Caleb Williams’ “Madden 27” cover as a lead into Woods.
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“I want to congratulate Caleb Williams, the quarterback for the Chicago Bears, who will be on the cover of the new Madden video game. Congratulations to Caleb,” Hernández said, before adding, “And Tiger Woods will be on the cover of Grand Theft Auto.”
Woods was arrested in Florida in March on charges of DUI after a car crash. The arrest report said a deputy found pain pills in his pocket and observed signs of impairment at the scene. Woods later announced he would take time away from golf to seek treatment.
Hernández also worked North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick into the monologue, using the 74-year-old’s relationship with Jordon Hudson as part of a joke about the New York Knicks’ title drought.
“The Knicks won their first championship since 1973. And to put into perceptive how long ago that was, in 1973 hockey players didn’t wear helmets, basketball had no three point line. And in 1973, Bill Belichick was the age his girlfriend is now.”
The Knicks later took home the ESPY for Best Team.
Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and other members of the 2025-26 Knicks championship team took the stage to accept the award, but Josh Hart was noticeably absent. Brunson drew laughs when he joked, “I want to say thank you to the ESPYS for pulling Josh Hart’s invite.”
Earlier in the night Brunson also received the “Best Championship Performance” award.
Jalen Brunson accepts the Best Championship Performance award onstage during the 2026 ESPY Awards at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City on July 15, 2026. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for W+P)
Former NBA player Jason Collins, who died in May at age 47 following a battle with Stage 4 glioblastoma, posthumously received the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage. Former MLB pitcher Jim Abbott received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, while Scott Ruskan was honored with the Pat Tillman Award for Service.
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The ESPYS are held every summer, bringing together top athletes and other stars to celebrate the best moments from the past year in sports while honoring figures recognized for courage, service and impact. In past years, the ceremony has been held in Los Angeles, but shifted to New York this year.
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ATLANTA — The jury is still out on whether Lionel Messi is the greatest soccer player ever. But there should be no doubt he’s the greatest to ever play in a World Cup.
And you don’t need the records, the wins or the goals to prove that — although he certainly has enough of those. You just need to see Messi at his most magical, as he was Wednesday, setting up a pair of game-changing goals in a seven-minute span to lift Argentina to a 2-1 win over England and into Sunday’s World Cup final with Spain.
“It’s really hard to speak right now, but I’m going to try not to cry,” Lautaro Martínez, who scored the winning goal two minutes into stoppage time, said in Spanish. “I’m already overwhelmed inside. It’s incredible. Everything we’ve achieved is just incredible.”
Like their 13-game World Cup unbeaten streak, dating to the opening game of the 2022 tournament in Qatar. Or back-to-back trips to the final, which gives them a chance to become the first repeat champion in the men’s tournament since Brazil in 1962.
Argentina’s Lautaro Martinez scores his team’s second goal in front of England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford (1) and fellow England players Ezri Konsa (2) and John Stones (5) during a World Cup semifinal in Atlanta on Wednesday.
(Erik S. Lesser / Associated Press)
But it hasn’t been easy. Eleven of Argentina’s 19 goals — including both scores in Wednesday’s semifinal — have come after the 75th minute. They trailed in the 80th minute or later in two of their last three knockout games, only to rally both times.
And Messi has either scored or assisted on three of the four goals that rescued Argentina.
“This group, in the face of adversity, keeps going, keeps going, and never gets tired,” Martínez said. “And we have the best in the world as our example.”
On Wednesday that meant heartache for England, which was as close to a World Cup final as it has been in six decades, leading 1-0 on Anthony Gordon’s second-half goal with just five minutes left in normal time.
But after taking the lead, England turned strangely conservative, dropping all 11 players behind the ball at times, daring Argentina to score. Eventually it did, with Enzo Fernández curling a right-footed shot from about 20 yards past England keeper Jordan Pickford and in at the left post to tie the game.
It was a pass from Messi that found Fernández in space at the top of the box, earning the Argentine captain his record 11th World Cup assist.
“The opponent doubted themselves,” Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni said. “We smelt blood and went for it. We all felt it. “
The tie didn’t last for long though, with Messi threading a perfect cross from the right wing to Martínez, who found space between English defenders John Stones and Ezri Konsa at the far post. Messi’s pass just cleared the leaping Stones, then dipped to Martínez, who nodded it home.
England’s Harry Kane and England’s Jude Bellingham are dejected after losing to Argentina during a World Cup semifinal on Wednesday in Atlanta.
(Jeff Roberson / Associated Press)
When the ball hit the net, the sellout crowd at Atlanta’s massive Mercedes-Benz Stadium erupted.
“Once again, despite falling behind, we managed to turn the game around in stoppage time. That speaks volumes about this group, about this team that never settles, always wants more, always strives for more,” Martínez said.
It also gives Messi a chance to strive for more in Sunday’s final. He has already played in more World Cup games, scored more World Cup goals and had more World Cup assists than any man in history. With a win over Spain, he can join another elite group of men: those who have won back-to-back World Cup titles.
History will eventually decide if it was Messi’s brillance or the tactical surrender of England coach Thomas Tuchel that truly turned the game around. Tuchel, however, said he had no regrets.
“We played the matches how they were,” he said. “We overcame every obstacle. We were very, very close today. It’s not a moment now to analyze the full tournament because we lost a crucial match.”
His captain, Harry Kane, who lost in the semifinal of a World Cup for the second time in three tournament, was also not interested in second-guessing.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi sits on the shoulders of a teammate and celebrates after beating England in a World Cup semifinal on Wednesday in Atlanta.
(Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press)
“We had a lot of good moments in this tournament, a lot of good games,” he said. “We talked about knocking on the door. We’re close, we just have to find that missing piece in the final stage of the tournament.”
They may be closer than they think: England is the only team this century to score the first goal in a World Cup semifinal but not reach the final, according to the OptaJoe statistical service.
Argentina’s team, meanwhile, is missing nothing — except maybe a second title,
“The people of Argentina should celebrate being in a final,” Scaloni said. “This group of players is difficult to describe in words. They are so special. I’m getting emotional. They fight for everything.
“We’re going to try to win the final. But what else does this team need to do? There isn’t much else to say. I’m eternally grateful to this group of players.”
Sports editor Iliana Limón Romero contributed to this report.
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After five years out of the Octagon, Conor McGregor’s return barely lasted one minute.
McGregor opened his Saturday fight against Max Holloway aggressively, attempting a running kick before throwing a head kick moments later. However, he slipped both times because it was apparent he had suffered a knee injury.
He tried to power through it, but nearly two minutes into the fight, he grabbed at his right leg again, and referee Mike Beltran called the fight after just 69 seconds.
Conor McGregor reacts after losing to Max Holloway in a welterweight fight at UFC 329 on Saturday, July 11, 2026, in Las Vegas. (John Locher/AP)
In his first post on Instagram since the bout, McGregor vowed to return from the injury.
“We’ll be back,” McGregor said after showing off his new energy drink.
Prior to that, McGregor showed off the “Mac” drink, enjoying it alongside his wife. McGregor then shared his faith.
Conor McGregor of Ireland reacts after an injury stoppage in a welterweight fight during UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., on July 11, 2026. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
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“In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. We’ll be back. Let’s go.”
McGregor made an emotional post the day after the fight, saying his “head gasket is gone.”
“Destroyed. I had no injury / injuries going into the fight. I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight. This came out of nowhere. I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell,” he said on X.
UFC president Dana White said he assumed McGregor suffered a “blown ACL.”
Conor McGregor kicks Max Holloway in a welterweight fight at UFC 329 on Saturday in Las Vegas. (John Locher/AP)
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McGregor was participating in his first bout since July 2021 when he lost to Dustin Poirier due to a devastating leg injury. He’s only won one fight since 2020.
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos, Chantz Martin, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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