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A look ahead to top enterprise and feature stories planned globally by AP Sports. New digests will go out each Thursday and Monday and will be repeated on other weekdays. Please note that story plans may change depending on news and other issues.

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As with all our operations, we welcome and want your feedback. If you have thoughts or questions about the Sports Showcase Digest or the material listed, please reach out to Oskar Garcia, deputy sports editor for presentation and storytelling, at 215-446-6632 or at ogarcia(at)ap.org.

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SOC–WCUP-THE JERSEYS

NEW YORK – Spain, your asymmetry is showing. Nigeria, you’re so bright I need shades! Croatia, Russia’s fresh out of Big Boy restaurants. Those three countries and a few more are among the more festive standouts in jerseys this time around, with loads of sentimental touches in the designs of the 32 shirts rolled out over the last few months. By Leanne Italie. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.

SOC-WCUP PREVIEW

After raising the World Cup eight miles from Copacabana Beach four years ago, Germany hopes to lift the trophy four miles from the Kremlin on July 15 and become the first repeat champion in more than a half-century. The soccer world gathers at 12 stadiums in 11 cities across the European portion of Russia starting June 14 for a 32-day, 64-match championship. Much has changed since Die Mannschaft humiliated the host Selecao 7-1 in the 2014 semifinals, then left Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana Stadium with a 1-0 extra-time win over Argentina on Mario Goetze’s 113th-minute goal. By Ronald Blum. SENT: 860 words, photos.

WEDNESDAY Youth C.J. Mosley Jersey , June 13

FBN–WENTZ’S COMEBACK

PHILADELPHIA – Carson Wentz was having an MVP season before a torn ACL forced him to the sideline where he watched Nick Foles lead the Philadelphia Eagles to their first Super Bowl victory. Wentz has a mission to return for Week 1 but his return comes with interesting circumstances: He’s got no pressure to return right away because the Eagles can lean on the Super Bowl MVP to start the season. And that’s not necessarily a threat to Wentz, whose friendship with Foles appears without the strain seen in other famed NFL tandems like Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers or Joe Montana and Steve Young. That has allowed Wentz to pursue other interests while rehabbing, like building a sports complex during a mission trip to Haiti, with the comfort of knowing his job is reasonably safe if he plays well once he comes back. By Rob Maaddi. UPCOMING: 850 words, photos by 3 a.m. Wednesday.

SOF–OLY-SOFTBALL GLOBALIZATION

OKLAHOMA CITY – U.S. softball officials say the sport needs to thrive outside the mainland United States and Japan to remain an Olympic sport long term. Softball was in the Summer Olympics from 1996 to 2008 but was left off the program in 2012 and 2016. It will return in Tokyo in 2020, and U.S. officials hope to convince Paris officials it needs to be a part of the 2024 Games. They say evidence of progress for other national teams will help their argument. By Cliff Brunt. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos by 12 p.m. Wednesday.

THURSDAY, June 14

BBC–STRIKEOUT UPSWING

OMAHA, Neb. – If the College World Series plays out like the season up to this point, there’ll be lots of strikeouts. Mirroring what’s happening in the major leagues, strikeouts are on the upswing in the college game. Strikeouts are at an all-time high, and the number of pitching staffs averaging nine or more per nine innings has tripled in the last two years. By Eric Olson. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos by 3 a.m. Thursday.

FRIDAY, June 15

FBC–COLLEGE FOOTBALL FATHERS

It is not uncommon to find major college football players all over the country who are fathers, many of them unmarried. Coaches say they want to know as much as possible when a child is in the picture. Information and understanding are vital to helping players who are fathers manage the responsibilities of school, football and parenthood. For some coaches it is not just about accommodating players who have kids Authentic Adrian Peterson Jersey , it is about helping to teach the young men in their programs to be good dads. By AP College Football Writer Ralph D. Russo. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos by 3 a.m. Friday.

SOC–WCUP-AMERICAN REFEREES

MOSCOW – The United States is missing from the World Cup for the first time since 1986 but is the only nation with two referees in Russia: Mark Geiger and Jair Marrufo. By Ronald Blum. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 4 p.m. Friday.

SATURDAY, June 16

SOC–WORLD CUP-VIEWING PARTIES

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Start times before the sun rises and the lack of the U.S. team in the World Cup might seem to put a damper on excitement for the tournament. But the San Jose Earthquakes hope to make it a month-long party by showing every game on the video board at Avaya Stadium, even those starting as early as 3 a.m. local time. By Josh Dubow. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 3 a.m. Saturday.

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Again, if you have questions about the Sports Showcase Digest or the material listed, please reach out to Oskar Garcia at 215-446-6632 or ogarcia(at)ap.org.

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AP Sports

J.J. Watt smiles and chuckles quietly when asked if he's heard from Houston Texans fans who can't wait to see if he'll be the player he once was.

Watt returns Sunday after injuries limited him to eight games over the last two seasons.

"I'm very excited," he said Wednesday. "I'm sure there are a lot of people who are cautiously optimistic. Obviously the last two years we've said the same thing. So, I'm just looking forward to going out there and playing football, letting it loose, having fun and letting the chips fall where they may."

The three-time Defensive Player of the Year will get an immediate test when the Texans open their season with a trip to face Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Watt is healthy and appears ready to make a comeback after playing three games in 2016 before having season-ending back surgery, and missing the last 11 games of 2017 after breaking his left leg.

"They've been doing things for a long time at a very high level, so it's always exciting to get out there on the field and be able to play against a team of that caliber Youth Joe Flacco Jersey ," Watt said. "Very much looking forward to the challenge and looking forward to get back on the field myself."

While the anticipation of seeing how Watt will perform in his first regular-season game since Oct. 8 is great, Watt insists that after everything he's been through he's simply savoring every moment instead of worrying what might happen.

"It's been a long road, it's been a grind, it's been a lot of ups and downs over the last couple of years, obviously ... but the thing I'm most looking forward to is today's practice," he said. "Little things 鈥?I love practice, I love the meetings, I love focusing on an opponent, going out there with my guys and trying to figure out the best plan, and just the game of football. I just love being a part of it."

The return of Watt and outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus, who sustained a season-ending injury in the same game as Watt, to play with 2014 top overall pick Jadeveon Clowney should make Houston's defensive front one of the team's strengths. New England coach Bill Belichick was asked about the difficulty of dealing with Watt.

"He's very hard to block," Belichick said. "He's a great player, one of the great players in the league. He has a lot of company up there, too. They have a very good defensive front."

Watt has twice led the NFL in sacks with the last time coming in 2015 when he had 17 1/2. But the 76 sacks he's piled up in the first seven years of his career only tell half the story of his prowess as a pass rusher. He also developed such a knack for using his huge hands to swat down passes at the line that he earned the nickname "J.J. Swatt."

The four-time Pro Bowler was Defensive Player of the Year in 2012, 2014 and 2015 and never missed a game until 2016 Authentic Clay Matthews Jersey , when he started struggling with a back injury that ended his season. He knows that his back problems combined with last season's injury to his leg had some people doubting he can ever be dominant again.

Watt, who Texans fans booed on 2011 draft night, used to worry about proving people who doubted him wrong. But he's stopped worrying about stuff like that now that he's approaching 30 years old.

"I've realized there's people that doubt the best players in the history of the game," he said. "I'm sure there's people that doubt Tom (Brady), which 鈥?he's the best quarterback of all-time. I've learned that peoples' opinion doesn't really matter.

"The peoples' opinion that I care about are my family, my friends, my teammates, my coaches, my girlfriend," he continued. "Whatever everyone else thinks doesn't affect my day-to-day life, but I'm going to go out there and try and make those people I mentioned proud."

Watt has done plenty to make people proud in the last year with a fundraiser he started to help victims of Hurricane Harvey raising more than $41 million. He announced last week that the funds have been used to rebuild 600 homes and 420 childcare centers, as well as provide 26 million meals, give 6,500 people health services and more than 10,000 people medication.

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