Sports News

Before writing queries, consult references/api-reference.md for command parameters and references/rss-feeds.md for curated feed URLs.

Quick Start

Prefer the CLI — it avoids Python import path issues:

sports-skills news fetch_items --google_news --query="Arsenal transfer" --limit=5
sports-skills news fetch_feed --url="https://feeds.bbci.co.uk/sport/football/rss.xml"

Python SDK (alternative):

from sports_skills import news

articles = news.fetch_items(google_news=True, query="Arsenal transfer news", limit=10)
feed = news.fetch_feed(url="https://feeds.bbci.co.uk/sport/football/rss.xml")

CRITICAL: Before Any Query

CRITICAL: Before calling any news command, verify:
- Dates are derived from the system prompt's currentDate — never hardcoded.
- google_news=True is always paired with a query parameter.
- sort_by_date=True is set for any "recent" or "latest" query.

Choosing Dates

Derive the current date from the system prompt's date (e.g., currentDate: 2026-02-16 means today is 2026-02-16).

• "this week": after = today - 7 days
• "recent" or "latest": after = today - 3 days
• Specific date range: use as-is

Commands

Workflows

Breaking News Check

1. fetch_items --google_news --query="<topic>" --limit=5 --sort_by_date=True
2. Present headlines with source and date.

Topic Deep-Dive

1. fetch_items --google_news --query="<topic>" --after=<7_days_ago> --sort_by_date=True --limit=10
2. For curated sources, also try fetch_feed --url="<rss_url>".
3. Cross-reference both for comprehensive coverage.

Weekly Sports Roundup

1. For each sport of interest, fetch_items --google_news --query="<sport> results" --after=<7_days_ago> --limit=5.
2. Aggregate and present by sport.

Examples

Example 1: Transfer news search
User says: "What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?"
Actions:
1. Derive after from currentDate: today minus 3 days
2. Call fetch_items(google_news=True, query="Arsenal transfer news", after=<derived_date>, sort_by_date=True, limit=10)
Result: Recent Arsenal transfer headlines with source, date, and links

Example 2: Curated RSS feed
User says: "Show me BBC Sport football headlines"
Actions:
1. Call fetch_feed(url="https://feeds.bbci.co.uk/sport/football/rss.xml")
Result: BBC Sport football feed title, last updated, and recent articles

Example 3: Date-filtered news
User says: "Any Champions League news from this week?"
Actions:
1. Derive after from currentDate: today minus 7 days
2. Call fetch_items(google_news=True, query="Champions League", after=<derived_date>, sort_by_date=True, limit=10)
Result: Champions League articles from the last 7 days, sorted newest first

Commands that DO NOT exist — never call these

• ~~get_news~~ — does not exist. Use fetch_feed (for RSS) or fetch_items (for Google News search).
• ~~search_news~~ — does not exist. Use fetch_items with google_news=True and a query parameter.
• ~~get_headlines~~ — does not exist. Use fetch_items with google_news=True.

If a command is not listed in the Commands table above, it does not exist.

Troubleshooting

Error: Google News returns empty results
Cause: query is missing or too narrow, or google_news=True is not set
Solution: Ensure google_news=True AND a query are both set. Try broader keywords (e.g., "Arsenal" instead of "Arsenal vs Chelsea goal")

Error: RSS feed returns an error
Cause: The feed URL may be temporarily down or the URL format has changed
Solution: Use Google News (fetch_items with google_news=True) as a fallback for the same topic

Error: Articles returned are old despite using "recent" query
Cause: sort_by_date=True is not set, or the after date filter is missing
Solution: Add sort_by_date=True and after=<today - 3 days> to ensure newest articles appear first