SPORTS HEADLINES

The Dodgers and Yankees are ready for the starriest World Series in decades

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees will play Major League Baseball’s starriest World Series in decades. This figures to be the first World Series featuring five MVPs: the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, and the Yankees’ Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. Ohtani and Judge are the likely MVPs this year, marking the first Series to feature both since in 2012. This will be the first Series with a pair of 50-home run hitters in Judge and Ohtani. This is just the fifth World Series since the Wild Card Era started in 1995 involving the teams with the best records in each league.

With Kupp and Nacua back from injury, Stafford throws 4 TD passes in Rams’ 30-20 win over Vikings

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Demarcus Robinson caught two of Matthew Stafford’s four touchdown throws in the Los Angeles Rams’ 30-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Cooper Kupp caught a TD pass and Puka Nacua had 106 yards receiving in their returns from injury absences. Stafford passed for 279 yards for the Rams, who won back-to-back games for the first time this season with an offense that looked exponentially more dangerous with its top two receivers back in uniform. Sam Darnold passed for 240 yards for the Vikings, who followed up their first loss of the season with an ineffective defensive performance.

Darnold, O’Connell not blaming missed face mask call as reason why Vikings lost to Rams

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold didn’t blame the officials for a missed face mask call when he was sacked for a safety late in the fourth quarter of the Vikings’ 30-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Instead, Darnold lamented the situation that pinned Minnesota deep in the first place. On second-and-10, Darnold got a couple clean seconds in the pocket before Byron Young barreled past left guard Blake Brandel and took down Darnold for a safety, to put the game out of reach. Referee Tra Blake said in a pool report that he and umpire Carl Paganelli did not have a clear view.

USF men’s basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim dies at 43

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — South Florida coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, who led the Bulls to the American Athletic Conference’s regular-season championship a year ago, has died. He was 43. The school announced his death Thursday, saying he died from complications that presented while he was undergoing a procedure at a Tampa-area hospital. Abdur-Rahim was a rising star in the coaching world. He got the USF job after leading Kennesaw State to the NCAA Tournament in 2023. He was an immediate success with the Bulls, going 25-8 and winning a game in the NIT. Abdur-Rahim was a brother of G League president and former NBA player Shareef Abdur-Rahim.

Klay Thompson sets 3s record for Dallas debut in Mavs win after 13 seasons with Warriors

DALLAS (AP) — Klay Thompson has set a Dallas record for 3-pointers in a debut with six as the Mavericks beat San Antonio in his first game after 13 seasons with Golden State. Thompson scored 22 points playing alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving for the first time in the Mavs’ 120-109 victory. The five-time All-Star and four-time champ with the Warriors made his first two shots with the Mavs. That was after missing all 10 in his final game in a play-in tournament loss with Golden State last season.

Analysis: More star wide receivers could be on the move after Hopkins, Adams and Cooper

DeAndre Hopkins, Davante Adams and Amari Cooper have already been traded. Who’s next? The NFL pushed the trade deadline back one week to Nov. 5 this year so teams have more time to determine whether they want to buy, sell, or stick with who they have. Star wide receivers have been a hot commodity. Cooper Kupp and Tee Higgins could be next to move. Superstar edge rusher Maxx Crosby is another trade possibility along with safety Budda Baker and running back Miles Sanders.

Shohei Ohtani won’t pitch in the World Series, but that’s not slowing Ohtanimania

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The race was on to reach Shohei Ohtani first. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar waited calmly as a horde of media rushed toward him on the eve of his first World Series. He didn’t flinch at the wall of cameras and microphones shoved toward him to capture his every thought. Some of Ohtani’s teammates laughed as they watched the chaotic scene. Ohtani patiently answered questions about his excitement at making the World Series after six losing seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, how his dog Decoy will likely be at the games and traded compliments with Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.

Nuggets honor Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo with video tribute, 55-second round of applause

DENVER (AP) — There was a video tribute celebrating his big accomplishments on and off the court. Then, the Denver Nuggets fans stood and applauded for 55 seconds — his number. The late Dikembe Mutombo was remembered by the franchise in the first quarter of the season opener Thursday night against Oklahoma City. The Denver players and coaches showed their respect, too, by wearing T-shirts emblazoned with an image of the iconic finger wag. Mutombo, the basketball Hall of Famer known for his enormous smile and heart, unmistakable voice and, of course, that finger wag, died last month of brain cancer. He was 58.

How one of France’s top soccer clubs ended up fighting for its very survival in the lower leagues

BORDEAUX, France (AP) — Inside Bordeaux’s training complex a giant map shows every soccer club it has ever faced in European competition, including AC Milan, Bayern Munich and Juventus. These days few fans have even heard of Bordeaux’s opponents. High-profile away games have been replaced by six-hour bus journeys to little-known stadiums. The six-time national champion languishes in the amateur-level fourth division in one of European soccer’s most staggering declines. Swamped by a 118 million euros of debt Bordeaux closed its youth academy, women’s division and most administrative offices. One of France’s proudest clubs faces a race against time to avoid liquidation. But Bordeaux hopes veteran English striker Andy Carroll scores enough goals to earn promotion.

Sean McVay shuts down Cooper Kupp trade speculation after star WR returns for Rams’ win over Vikings

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay expects star receiver Cooper Kupp to stay right where he is. McVay criticized media speculation about the possibility of the Rams trading Kupp after the Super Bowl 56 MVP returned from injury in Los Angeles’ 30-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Kupp had been blanketed by trade rumors this week as he neared a return from a four-game injury absence. The 2021 AP Offensive Player of the Year had five catches for 51 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings in the second victory in five days for the Rams.