For just the seventh time in 50 years, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox recently made a trade with one another.

Roughly 24 hours before the Yanks got the big fish in Juan Soto amid baseball’s offseason, they caught another in Alex Verdugo.

The outfielder never quite panned out to his top-prospect billing in Boston, and after some issues with his former club, they dealt him to the Bronx.

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However, Verdugo embraced the Red Sox so much that he was initially annoyed when he had joined a rival in a trade.

“The genuine reaction was mad. I was hot. I was just like, ‘Man, they really sent me to the rivals? The Yankees?’” Verdugo told reporters on Thursday.

Of course, it’s not the first time the Yankees have taken on a rival. Verdugo would probably tell you he wasn’t nearly as hated as, say, Roger Clemens when the Yankees acquired him in 1999.

But as Verdugo started to move on himself, “reminiscing” about his rather rocky relationship with Boston manager Alex Cora, members of the Yankees were quick to reach out to Verdugo and make him feel right at home.

The Red Sox’s Alex Verdugo celebrates his walk-off RBI single during the ninth inning against Cleveland, Sept. 4, 2021, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

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“Then, after about a day, I just started sitting back, started thinking, reminiscing about how this year went with the Red Sox, everything that was going on, then I started having guys reach out – [Aaron] Judge, [Giancarlo] Stanton, Gerrit [Cole], [Anthony] Rizzo – just these guys started all reaching out and welcoming me to the team. It got me excited, man.”

Verdugo also said he adhered to the team’s facial-hair policy “right away just so I can feel like I’m in it” and works out every day in a Yankees hat.

“Fresh start, it feels good.”

Verdugo now shares an outfield with Judge and Soto, and Trent Grisham, a two-time Gold Glove Award winner who came via the Soto deal, figures to be a fourth outfielder and defensive replacement.

Verdugo has a career .252/.299/.437 slash line at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx with five homers, seven doubles and 12 RBI over 31 games.

The Red Sox’s Alex Verdugo, right, is welcomed to the dugout by Justin Turner after scoring in the fifth inning during the second game of a doubleheader against the New York Yankees, June 18, 2023, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

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He had a .264/.324/.421 line in 142 games with the Sox last season. For his career, Verdugo is a .281/.337/.428 hitter with 152 doubles, 57 homers and 255 RBI in 651 games.

The Yankees also went to Red Sox ties earlier this week when they scooped shortstop Jeter Downs, named after the Yankee legend Derek Jeter, off waivers.

Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.

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The early afternoon game in the NFL’s slate of Christmas Day games features a pair of AFC West rivals. The defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs welcome the Raiders to Arrowhead Stadium Monday.

Two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes recently shared his thoughts on the downside of playing on the holiday, but he did express excitement about his children being able to watch him take the field for the Christmas Day game. 

Whenever Mahomes does suit up, he usually delivers electric performances. 

The star quarterback is fourth in the NFL in passing yards and finished last season with more than 5,200 yards. Mahomes has created some memorable plays over the past few years, and most defenses struggle to slow down the two-time Super Bowl MVP.

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But Raiders defensive back Jack Jones needed just one line to sum up how his team viewed Mahomes. 

“Mahomes is the magician,” Jones said Thursday during a session with reporters.

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Jones added the key to stopping the Chiefs offense is stopping Mahomes.

“You stop the magician, you stop the act,” Jones noted.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) rolls out to pass against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half of a game Nov. 26, 2023, in Las Vegas.  (AP Photo/David Becker)

The Chiefs’ offense has not been as prolific this season as in years past. Its receiving corps has been constantly criticized this season. The number of dropped passes by receivers has been well documented and a notable point of frustration for Mahomes.

During last week’s win over the New England Patriots, Mahomes was visibly upset on the sideline after Kadarius Toney’s dropped pass turned into an interception. Mahomes later explained that his frustrations stemmed from the mistakes he made to put his defense in a tough spot.

Jack Jones of the Las Vegas Raiders defends in coverage during a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Allegiant Stadium Dec. 14, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Jones had a brief stint with the Patriots before he joined the Raiders this season. But Jones did not play against Mahomes during his time in New England. 

Although the Raiders dropped a Week 12 game against the Chiefs, Jones learned how to play against Mahomes. Jones said Mahomes, not the Chiefs offense as a whole, will be the primary focus during the Monday’s game.

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“We not worried about them,” Jones told reporters. “It’s Patrick Mahomes we got to stop. The magician. You stop the magician, and the act is over.”

Two Rhode Island men have been charged in the death of 53-year-old Dale Mooney, a lifelong New England Patriots fan who died after an altercation at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, in September. 

Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey released a statement Thursday announcing John Vieira, 59, and Justin Mitchell, 39, were charged with assault and battery and disorderly conduct following Mooney’s death Sept. 17. 

At the time, several videos circulating online appeared to show Mooney involved in an altercation with Miami Dolphins fans. Police said Mooney was transported to Sturdy Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. 

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Days after Mooney’s death, the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office said a preliminary autopsy report “did not suggest traumatic injury but did identify a medical issue.” 

Tua Tagovailoa (1) of the Miami Dolphins throws during the third quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium Sept. 17, 2023, in Foxboro, Mass.  (Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)

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On Thursday, his death was ruled a homicide. 

“The OCME (Office of the Chief Medical Examiner) recently provided final determinations to the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office. The cause of death has been ruled as ‘Probable cardiac dysrhythmia in a person with severe hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease during a physical altercation.’ The manner of death was ruled to be homicide.”

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Gillette Stadium before a game between the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots Dec. 28, 2020, in Foxborough, Mass.  (Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images)

The district attorney’s office also added that “the review of the available evidence, including the autopsy results and multiple angles of video capturing the incident, did not determine that the evidence established a basis for criminal prosecution of charges related to homicide in Mr. Mooney’s death.” 

The Foxborough Police Department said in October that three individuals could face assault and battery and disorderly conduct charges “in the coming weeks.” 

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Vieira and Mitchell are scheduled to be arraigned next month. 

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John Harbaugh’s Christmas wish list includes a win over the San Francisco 49ers Monday night and world peace — perhaps, in that order. 

During a press conference with reporters Wednesday, Harbaugh was asked about his wish list heading into the holiday season. 

Expectedly, the Baltimore Ravens head coach said he’s looking for another win Monday, but he also asked that people “remember the Advent message.”

“Life is always better when you win, right? So, that’s probably the No. 1 thing we’re all going to try and accomplish out there,” Harbaugh said with a smile. 

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“But I would say, if you’re asking, and if anybody really cares, I would just say that we all really try to remember the Advent message and the idea that there are great and amazing, incredible things going on.

“And just the very fact that we have life and the very fact that we have something beyond that that is eternal and that we’re all here together for a reason – to live together in peace.

“That’s what I would say. Let’s try to get along. Let’s try to get along for a week, see if we can pull that off. That would be nice, but I guess that would be it. And a win. Those two things – world peace and a win. How about that? I’m not sure in that order or not.”

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Harbaugh’s response drew a round of laughter from reporters, but a win is on top of the Ravens’ list heading into their Christmas Day showdown against the NFC-leading 49ers. 

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh reacts to cheering fans before a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla.  (Courtney Culbreath/Getty Images)

Baltimore is a sizable underdog in this Week 16 matchup, something that has rubbed some players the wrong way. But quarterback Lamar Jackson, a leading candidate in the MVP race, isn’t bothered by the public’s perception. 

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“I’m cool [with it],” he said Wednesday. “I don’t want them to pick us. I like being the underdog. I believe we play better when we’re doubted and [when] people aren’t choosing us to win the game. I feel like we play better all the time, so just do it all the way to February. That’s all I ask.”

The Ravens are the only AFC team to have clinched a playoff spot through Week 15. They are looking to extend a four-game win streak during which they’ve outscored opponents 114-68. 

Despite all this, Harbaugh still believes they’ve yet to play their best football. 

“No, I don’t think we have played our best game yet,” Harbaugh said. “For sure, we haven’t played our best game yet.”

Lamar Jackson (8) of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates after passing for a touchdown during a game against the Los Angeles Rams at M&T Bank Stadium Dec. 10, 2023, in Baltimore.  (Michael Owens/Getty Images)

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“That’s something you work for [and] we talk about all the time. We try to improve all the time, and we had a really good practice. And we’re continuing to try and do that and put our best game in front of us still.”

The 49ers will host the Ravens in primetime Monday. 

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Jaromir Jagr became a professional hockey player in the Czech Republic at age 15 for the Kladno Knights way back in 1987. 

Thirty-six years later, the eventual Hall of Famer is again playing for that same club.

The NHL legend suited up for the club on Thursday, marking his 36th season as a professional hockey player at the ripe age of 51.

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He skated for 13 minutes, 44 seconds in his debut and even handed out an assist.

Jagr bought the Knights in 2018 after playing 24 seasons in the NHL with nine teams. He made his NHL debut in 1990 after the Pittsburgh Penguins drafted him fifth overall earlier that year.

When he made his debut, he was the youngest player in the NHL – when he played his final NHL game five years ago, he was the oldest.

To put the ageless wonder into perspective, he was teammates with both Bryan Trottier (born in 1956) and Matthew Tkachuk (born in 1997). 

Calgary Flames right wing Jaromir Jagr during the warmup period against the Chicago Blackhawks at Scotiabank Saddledome. (Sergei Belski-USA Today Sports)

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He’s also the only player to play in the Stanley Cup Final in both his teens and 40s – although he only won in his younger days. His 21-year Final appearance drought, from 1992 to 2013, is also the longest ever.

Last season, he played 26 games and scored five goals while dishing out nine assists.

Jagr is a member of the Triple Gold Club as a winner of the Stanley Cup, Olympic Gold and IIHF World Championships.

He holds several NHL records, including the most game-winning goals, and his 36th pro season extends that record, as well. He also became the oldest player to score a hat trick, when he did so in 2015 as a member of the New Jersey Devils at 42 years, 322 days old.

Jaromir Jagr controls the puck during a training session with his hometown club, the Kladno Knights, in Kladno, Czech Republic, in 2018. On Dec. 20, 2023, the 51-year old winger made his season debut for the Knights in the Czech league in his 36th professional season. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek/File)

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Jagr’s 1,921 points in the NHL are the second-most in league history, behind only Wayne Gretzky. 

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Although Charles Barkley never won an NBA championship, he is still considered one of the greatest players in league history. The Chicago Bulls had a magical run throughout much of the 1990s, winning six championships via two separate three-peats.

All-time great Michael Jordan led the Bulls to six titles, but fellow Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen was largely credited as a key piece of Chicago’s dynasty. The Bulls’ dominance made it difficult for Barkley and the Phoenix Suns to win a title. In 1993, Barkley led a Suns team to the NBA Finals, but Phoenix ultimately lost the series in six games to Jordan and the Bulls. 

But, the defeat did not prevent Barkley from developing a close friendship with Jordan. However, over the years, Barkley and Jordan’s friendship has dissolved, with the current NBA television analyst revealing last year that he had not spoken to Jordan in “almost 10 years.”

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Despite their chemistry on the basketball court in the ’90s, Pippen has recently been vocal about his personal distaste for Jordan.

In May, Pippen made an appearance on the “Gimme The Hot Sauce” podcast where he suggested that Jordan was a “horrible player” early in his career.

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“I saw Jordan play before I came to play with the Bulls. You guys saw him play. He was a horrible player. He was horrible to play with. He was all one-on-one, he’s shooting bad shots,” Pippen said.

Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen of the Bulls talk during the Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat at the United Center in Chicago. (Vincent Laforet/AFP via Getty Images)

This week, Barkley was a guest on “The Dan Patrick Show” and was asked about the upcoming Bulls Ring of Honor ceremony. Jordan and Pippen are among the players who will be honored during the Jan. 12 game against the Golden State Warriors.

Barkley took the opportunity to take a jab at his former friend. 

“You know what? I gotta go,” Barkley said. “I’m just gonna sit back in the corner and stare…. please, please don’t have it [on] a night I have to work, because I want to go there and be a fly on the wall.”

Aside from Pippen’s criticism of Jordan as a teammate, he has also publicly commented on Jordan’s son Marcus, who is currently dating Larsa Pippen. Larsa, a reality television personality, was married to Scottie for almost two decades.

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Barkley suggested that he would travel to Chicago to witness the “uncomfortable” situation.

“I’m gonna go to Chicago that day just to see it,” Barkley said. “You talk about weirdest, uncomfortable… uncomfortable won’t do it justice.… I can’t wait to go to this.”

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Deion Sanders is currently in his second offseason as head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes as his rebuild in Boulder continues. 

After a year when Sanders completely flipped a foster that went 1-11 in 2022, “Coach Prime” is tasked with adding talent to a team that lost eight of its last nine games to end the 2023 college football season. 

Sanders is going about his second offseason in similar fashion, loading up on transfers who can make an impact immediately. 

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As of Dec. 21, Colorado has the top transfer class, according to 247 Sports. The Buffaloes have signed 16 transfers, including six four-star players. 

Sanders has focused on the interior in the portal, signing eight defensive and offensive linemen. Sanders has made it clear that he intends to fix an offensive line that allowed quarterback Shedeur Sanders to be sacked 52 times during the season. 

After Colorado lost to UCLA in late October, Sanders gave a blunt assessment of his offensive line play. 

Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders yells out from the sidelines as his team takes on the ASU Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. (Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK)

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“The [offensive] line has to improve,” Sanders said, according to Fox Sports. “It’s a struggle to run the ball, and we got to figure that out because now you’re one-dimensional, and it’s easy to stop a team when they’re one-dimensional. And that’s who we are at this point in time. … The big picture, you go get new linemen. That’s the picture, and I’ma paint it perfectly.”

The high school recruiting is another story, as Colorado is ranked 99th in the country after day one of the early signing period. Colorado had just five players sign national letters of intent and is still waiting for five-star offensive tackle Jordan Seaton to sign. 

Seaton committed to Colorado two weeks ago as the No. 2 offensive tackle in the 247 Sports 2024 class.  

“You’ve got to believe in Coach Prime. Having the opportunity to play with somebody who’s done it at the highest level, gold-jacket level, very few can say they did that. I’ve got two Heisman candidates, Shedeur Sanders [and] Travis Hunter. They’re amazing. You know how they go,” Seaton said on Fox Sports’ “Undisputed.” 

IMG’s Jordan Seaton, #77, protects his quarterback against a Lipscomb defender at Lipscomb’s Reese Smith Football Field in Nashville, Tennessee, Friday night, Aug. 18, 2023. IMG went on to win the game 35-10. (Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK)

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“And if you ain’t rocking with us, and you say you’re a dawg, you claim you’re a dawg, why are you not coming to Colorado? Why are you not helping someone who looks like you?”

Seaton considered Alabama, Ohio State, Florida, Georgia, Maryland and Tennessee, according to ESPN. 

Maryland has been rumored to still be in the running for the offensive lineman. 

Derrick Ward, a Super Bowl champion running back with the New York Giants, faces five second-degree robbery charges in Southern California, according to online court records.

All five charges were felonies. He was still in custody as of Thursday.

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Ward was arrested in Los Angeles on Monday and booked into Valley Jail in Van Nuys. He was being held on $250,000 bail. Ward is accused of being involved in multiple robberies across the city and using force to get money from several businesses, including gas stations, according to TMZ.

The 43-year-old was a seventh-round pick of the New York Jets in the 2004 draft out of Fresno State and later Ottawa University in Kansas. He was cut by the Jets before he played a game.

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He would eventually spend five years with the Giants and was part of a three-headed monster running back corps that included Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. The group was nicknamed “Earth, Wind and Fire.”

New York Giants running back Derrick Ward, #34, rushes against the St. Louis Rams in the first half at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis on Sept. 14, 2008. (Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports)

During the 2007 season, the Giants running backs helped the team make the Super Bowl and upset the undefeated New England Patriots led by Tom Brady.

Ward joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2009 after running for more than 1,000 yards and leading the league in yards per attempt (5.6) with the Giants in 2008. He played for the Houston Texans for the final two years of his career – 2010 and 2011. He retired from the NFL in 2012.

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Tiki Barber, Ward’s former teammate with the Giants, told the New York Post he was dismayed to hear about the arrest.

Derrick Ward, #32, in action vs Indianapolis Colts Robert Mathis, #98, at Reliant Stadium. (Greg Nelson /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

“It’s just sad to hear,” he said. “He was from a rough environment, and it felt like he was at a point in his life where he escaped it. It’s shocking because I feel like he got his life right.”

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Ward finished his career with 2,628 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns.

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