From Michael Jordan’s surprise appearance at Texas Motor Speedway to a community rallying around an injured coach, Fort Worth’s sports week delivered no shortage of headlines. Here’s a roundup of the top stories you should know.
Here are key takeaways:
— Michael Jordan attended NASCAR’s Würth 400 at Texas Motor Speedway, where his 23XI Racing team continues to contend after his antitrust lawsuit settled in December 2025 reshaped the sport’s ownership model.
— TCU and Baylor have declined a $30 million credit line offered through the Big 12’s new partnership with RedBird Capital, joining nearly all conference schools in rejecting the private equity infusion over budget control concerns.
— Cowboys rookie Caleb Downs, the No. 11 overall draft pick, wowed teammates and coaches at minicamp with his deep grasp of the defensive scheme — already studying film from coordinator Christian Parker’s time with the Eagles.
— The PBR World Finals kicked off Thursday in Fort Worth with a $3.3 million purse, and co-founder Cody Lambert broke down bull riding’s 100-point scoring system, where riders and bulls each account for 50 points across categories like buck, kick and degree of difficulty.
— The 2026 Star-Telegram All-Area Soccer Super Teams were unveiled, with Southlake Carroll’s Peyton Hayes (40 goals, 23 assists) and Aledo’s Trapper Davis (30 goals, 9 assists) headlining the girls and boys squads after standout seasons.
— A GoFundMe has raised more than $30,000 for Ponder ISD coach Blake Crutsinger, who remains in the ICU after being struck in the head by a shot put at the Class 3A Region II track and field meet.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Jim Barnes is the Star-Telegram’s sports editor. A Fort Worth native and graduate of Castleberry High School, he returned to Texas after 13 years at the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He previously was sports editor of the Waco Tribune-Herald and a freelance high school sports reporter for The Dallas Morning News.