Cameras catches fan wildly celebrates his country scoring a goal
Now in the second year of their three-year Sacramento sabbatical, Athletics owners have stumbled upon an entirely new source of embarrassment in the crowd.
Whereas fans back in Oakland often held signs demanding the unpopular John Fisher sell the franchise, spectators at their temporary home in California's capital city are now cheering on another team in an entirely different sport.
As seen during the Athletics' 9-3 loss to the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday, one Team Mexico soccer fan seated behind home plate began jumping for joy after 'El Tri' scored in their 2-0 World Cup win over Ecuador.
'Goal!' the man could be heard yelling, easily drowning out the other 12,386 fans in attendance at Sutter Health Park.
Dressed in a classic green Mexican soccer jersey, the individual repeatedly yelled 'goal' until his fellow spectators began cheering on his enthusiasm.
Throughout it all, the NBC Sports California broadcast remained in the moment, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge the man's antics in any way.
Fan behind home plate goes crazy after Mexico scored a goal 😂 pic.twitter.com/AG1JmbCaxe
— Blake Harris (@BlakeHHarris) July 1, 2026
As seen during the Athletics' 9-3 loss to the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday, one Team Mexico soccer fan behind home plate began jumping for joy after 'El Tri' scored
Mexico's forward #09 Raul Jimenez celebrates scoring his team's second goal with forward #16 Julian Quinones on Tuesday night at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City
Although the A's have played six games in Las Vegas this year at a minor-league ballpark, the team won't open its new home in Sin City until 2028.
The team, which previously played in Philadelphia and Kansas City, made enemies on its way out of Oakland, where fans became furious with Fisher's refusal to spend on free agents.
After several lean years, he was able to convince MLB as well as voters and officials in Las Vegas to approve the team's move to Nevada.
'What John Fisher did to baseball in Oakland is unfathomable,' baseball writer Sam Fosberg wrote on X last year. 'Cut off spending to move out.'
John Fisher, owner of the Athletics, announced in 2024 that his team would leave Oakland
Oakland Athletics fans hang signs at RingCentral Coliseum to protest the team's potential move to Las Vegas and to call for team owner John Fisher to sell the team in 2024
Fisher became a regular target for fans in Oakland, who were furious to lose the Athletics
For now, the A's are stuck in Sacramento, where they've gone a respectable 40-46 on the season despite a payroll that ranks just 25th out of 30 MLB teams. Second-year slugger Nick Kurtz has been particularly good, hitting 19 home runs, while leading the American League with 64 RBIs and 75 walks.
Meanwhile, rookie pitcher Gage Jump has made a strong impression, posting a 2.93 ERA over his first seven big-league starts. He was pitching for the A's Triple-A team in Las Vegas earlier this month and was at Louisiana State as recently as 2024.
As for Team Mexico, Tuesday's win over Ecuador in Mexico City sets up another knockout matchup at Estadio Azteca, this one against Team England on Sunday.
Twins top prospect Walker Jenkins carries young fan off field after collapse during national anthem
Story by
Jack BaerStaff writerThu, July 2, 2026 at 12:37 AM UTC·1 min readMinnesota Twins minor leaguer Walker Jenkins stepped up before Tuesday's St. Paul Saints game in a way that had nothing to do with his top prospect status.
Jenkins, the No. 14 overall prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, went viral on Wednesday via a video that showed him taking care of a young fan who collapsed while standing with the players during the national anthem.
AdvertisementAdvertisementJenkins noticed the fan wobbling and was soon carrying him off the field, eventually giving him to a staff member at the dugout.
The Saints, the Twins' Triple-A affiliate, confirmed Wednesday morning that the boy, named Lincoln, is doing well and has received some team merchandise.
After helping Lincoln, Jenkins proceeded to go 3-for-5 with a double, triple and three runs scored in a 12-6 win over the Buffalo Bisons. He was a home run shy of the cycle.
The Twins selected Jenkins fifth overall out of South Brunswick High School in North Carolina in the 2023 MLB Draft. He quickly developed into one of the best prospects in the minors, showcasing five-tool talent while playing well above his age at each level.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThis season, Jenkins, 21, is slashing .273/.394/.436 in 30 games with the Saints.
Philadelphia 76ers among teams expressing interest in LeBron James: Source
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6 Potential Landing SpotsBest Place To Sign?Record 24th SeasonLA LegacyWarriors Make SensePhiladelphia 76ers among teams expressing interest in LeBron James: Source
LeBron James and Joel Embiid shake hands after a February game between the Lakers and Sixers. Adam Pantozzi / Getty Images
By Tony JonesJuly 1, 2026 8:39 pm EDT UpdatedThe Philadelphia 76ers have expressed interest in acquiring free agent forward LeBron James, a league source who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe ongoing deliberations told The Athletic.
On the heels of Wednesday night’s blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown — which sent Paul George and multiple draft picks to the Boston Celtics — the Sixers have thrown their hat into the proverbial ring for the star forward, who became an unrestricted free agent after eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Philadelphia makes sense from a basketball perspective. The 76ers have enough scoring, depth and ballhandling at the top of the roster to allow James to ease into a role. And with James — or even without him — Philadelphia projects as a championship contender. The Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat are also considered among the frontrunners for James’ services.
James, 41, remains an All-Star-caliber player and one of the league’s most impactful talents. The 76ers were eliminated in the second round of last season’s playoffs by the New York Knicks, who went on to win the NBA championship.
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Tagged To: NBAPhiladelphia 76ersPacers' Ivica Zubac Trade Looks Even Better After Lakers Acquire Walker Kessler
Pacers' Ivica Zubac Trade Looks Even Better After Lakers Acquire Walker Kessler
Indiana was heavily linked to Walker Kessler before the trade deadline, but acquiring Ivica Zubac instead may have been one of the franchise's smartest decisions.Alex Golden|
In this story:
Indiana PacersLos Angeles LakersUtah JazzLos Angeles ClippersOn Wednesday, July 1, 2026, the Los Angeles Lakers agreed to a lucrative four-year, $130M deal with Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler. Los Angeles and Utah have agreed to complete a sign-and-trade that will send Kessler to the Lakers for two unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, and two first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030.
This is a massive haul that the Lakers are paying to solidify the now and future of their center position, going after the best five man on the open market. Indiana was once rumored to have interest in the Jazz's big man during the NBA Trade Deadline period, but Utah reportedly declined the Pacers offer. This was the exact same offer that Indiana ended up sending the Los Angeles Clippers for Ivica Zubac.
While there are reasons to believe that trading for Kessler would have been the better move for Indiana, there is no denying that Indiana in retrospect made the right move in February. While Kessler is a solid young player with plenty of room to grow, he is making an average annual value of $32.5M. Indiana's big man, Ivica Zubac is making $20.3M this season, and $21.7M the folliwing season according to SpoTrac.com.
Being able to acquire a center that is just as good, or slightly even better for $11M less this season is a steal in itself, and it allowed the Pacers more financial flexibility to sign another free agent in the offseason.
If the Pacers had acquired Kessler at the trade deadline and agreed to the same exact deal the Lakers agreed to, Indiana would have been a first-apron team, and would not have been able to inked Kelly Oubre Jr. to the two-year, $17M contract they signed him to -- unless they elected to move off of Jarace Walker's $8.4M contract.
Nobody knew exactly how much Kessler would demand on the open market, and maybe the Lakers had to overpay to keep the Jazz from matching the offer, but for a Pacers team that is trying to win a championship next season, adding Zubac and Oubre Jr. for almost $4M less than what the Lakers will be paying Kessler in his first season was a no-brainer decision.
At the end of the day, the Pacers feel the best way to build a roster is with depth. By focusing in on acquiring a player at the Trade Deadline who fits perfectly into their budget, fills a hole on their roster, and has the skillset to elevate this team's ceiling, Indiana was not only able to address their starting center need, but their backup wing depth.
The Pacers front office of Kevin Pritchard, Chad Buchanan, and Ted Wu have done a terrific job of targeting the right players with the right skillset to ensure that this team is strong enough to compete in the improved Eastern Conference. There would have been other holes to fill had Indiana tied itself to an overpay for Walker Kessler, especially when it can get similar -- if not better-- production from Ivica Zubac for $11M less per season.
You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.
Published 22 minutes ago
ALEX GOLDENI was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and I am the host and creator of Setting The Pace: A Pacers Podcast. I have been covering the team since 2015, and talking about them on the podcast since 2018. I have been a credentialed media member since 2023.
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