Category: Sports

Baseball team owners delivered their anticipated salary cap proposal to the players’ union Thursday, introducing a system that union representatives have consistently rejected and potentially setting up a labor dispute that could jeopardize the 2027 season and future campaigns.

This marks the first time baseball’s ownership has presented a hard spending ceiling since 1994. That previous attempt led to a strike lasting 7 1/2 months and resulted in the first World Series cancellation in nine decades.

Under the new proposal, team spending would be limited to $245.3 million in 2027, while establishing a minimum payroll requirement of $171.2 million.

“Our salary cap and floor proposal levels the playing field while sharing baseball revenue with the players 50/50 as we grow the game together,” MLB spokesman Glen Caplin said in a statement. “Further, by sharing media revenue equally as part of our proposal, we can address another top fan concern of local TV blackouts.”

Team executives presented their latest offer during negotiations at the commissioner’s headquarters, following the union’s economic counter-proposal delivered one day earlier. Ownership argues the spending limit would enhance competitive balance and prevent wealthy franchises like the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets from building significantly more talented rosters than smaller-market organizations.

Union representatives seek broader free agency and salary arbitration opportunities, nearly doubling the league minimum wage, increasing revenue sharing from high-earning to lower-revenue franchises, and implementing sanctions for teams falling below payroll minimums.

The sport’s existing five-year agreement, finalized in March 2022 following a 99-day work stoppage, concludes December 2. Although another lockout appears likely next winter, serious negotiations probably won’t intensify until late February or early March 2027, when the threat of losing regular-season contests and income becomes imminent. Should regular-season games be canceled, discussions may evolve into a battle over which party can endure greater financial hardship.

America’s other major professional sports leagues all utilize spending caps. The NBA implemented a cap during its inaugural 1946-47 campaign, eliminated it, then reintroduced the current system in 1984-85. NFL teams and players established a cap beginning in 1994, while the NHL adopted one in 2005-06 following a work stoppage that eliminated the entire 2004-05 season.

Los Angeles broke baseball’s spending records with a combined $515 million in payroll and luxury penalties last season while capturing their second consecutive World Series championship. The Dodgers’ expenditure was seven times greater than the Miami Marlins’ league-low $68.7 million payroll and exceeded the combined spending of the six lowest-budget clubs.

Union representatives maintain that spending restrictions would damage player interests while benefiting ownership, and they refuse to accept any cap system. Without spending limits, baseball’s top performers have secured lucrative, guaranteed deals that surpass compensation for elite athletes in other American professional leagues. Juan Soto’s $765 million, 15-year agreement with the Mets represents what’s believed to be the largest contract in team sports history, significantly exceeding the biggest deals in the NFL (Patrick Mahomes at $450 million over 10 years) and NBA (Jayson Tatum at $314 million over five years).

Baseball’s previous salary cap offer in 1994 included a 50-50 revenue split within a framework requiring teams to maintain payrolls between 84-110% of the league average. That proposal would have eliminated salary arbitration and reduced the free agency threshold from six years of major league service to four — though a player’s original team could match any competing offer until he reached six years of service.

Management presented that offer on June 14, 1994, and players began their strike on August 12. Baseball withdrew the cap proposal the following February 6 under pressure from the National Labor Relations Board. The work stoppage concluded on March 31 after U.S. District Judge Sonia Sotomayor — currently a Supreme Court Justice — issued an injunction restoring the previous labor contract’s working conditions. Two days later, ownership accepted the union’s return-to-work proposal without a new agreement. A final deal wasn’t completed until 1997.

The French Open was turned upside down Thursday when world number one Jannik Sinner suffered a devastating second-round loss that completely opened up what had appeared to be a predictable men’s tournament.

Sinner’s shocking 3-6 2-6 7-5 6-1 6-1 defeat to Juan Manuel Cerundolo represented far more than just one match going wrong – it was the complete breakdown of what seemed like a destined championship run after the Italian captured victories in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome.

The top seed had arrived in Paris as the overwhelming favorite, especially with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz sidelined by injury and three-time winner Novak Djokovic still searching for peak form.

But all those expectations crumbled on Court Philippe Chatrier as Sinner collapsed against Cerundolo despite leading by two sets and holding a 5-1 advantage in the third, with the grueling clay court season apparently taking its toll on the Italian star.

“I struggled, started to feel very dizzy,” Sinner explained, acknowledging he’ll have to wait until next year for another shot at his first French Open crown and completing the career Grand Slam.

“I was very low of energy. I tried to serve it out (in the third set) but didn’t have a lot of energy.

“I woke up this morning, didn’t feel very well and tried to keep the points very short. Also in the beginning, I was hitting very clean, very good, and then I just hit the wall, that’s it.”

Cerundolo described having to maintain his mental toughness while Sinner battled what appeared to include cramping issues, and the victory also energized his older brother Francisco, who rallied to defeat Hugo Gaston 2-6 6-4 6-2 6-1.

“I’m super happy with the match,” the younger Cerundolo said following his massive upset.

“The match was almost lost, but I stayed mentally (strong) during the whole match. I was prepared to battle as long as it took. I was lucky he had cramp and his level went down.

“I stayed mentally focused on the match, trying to do my best every ball. I’m super happy for the win.”

With Sinner’s early exit forcing him to consider an extended break before defending his Wimbledon crown beginning June 29, Djokovic now has renewed hope in his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam championship.

Second seed Alexander Zverev will also see fresh opportunity to claim his first major title after reaching three previous finals, along with other contenders including two-time finalist Casper Ruud, Ben Shelton and Rafael Jodar.

On the women’s side, Aryna Sabalenka prevented any additional major upsets during the warm afternoon, with the world number one defeating French hopeful Elsa Jacquemot 7-5 6-2 while defending champion Coco Gauff cruised past Egypt’s Mayar Sherif 6-3 6-2.

Together with four-time champion Swiatek, Sabalenka and Gauff remain the primary candidates to claim the Suzanne Lenglen Cup after meeting in last year’s Paris championship match.

Former world number one Naomi Osaka continues positioning herself for a deep tournament run, as the Japanese star combined flair and determination to beat Donna Vekic 7-6(1) 6-4 and advance to the third round.

Amanda Anisimova, who reached the Paris semifinals as a teenager in 2019, moved forward when opponent Julia Grabher withdrew due to illness after losing the first set.

French supporters found reason to celebrate when teenager Moise Kouame outlasted Paraguayan Adolfo Daniel Vallejo 6-3 7-5 3-6 2-6 7-6(10-8) in a thrilling nearly five-hour battle, with the young player citing Alcaraz as his inspiration.

The 17-year-old Kouame, currently ranked 318th globally and competing in his debut Grand Slam thanks to a wildcard entry, became just the fifth-youngest man to reach the third round at Roland Garros since the professional era started in 1968.

Claude Lemieux, the aggressive hockey player who captured four Stanley Cup titles during his career, has passed away at the age of 60.

The NHL Alumni Association confirmed Lemieux’s passing through a social media announcement. Officials did not immediately release details about the cause of death or specify his location at the time of passing.

Just Monday evening, Lemieux had served as the torch bearer for the Montreal Canadiens before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final at Bell Centre.

“Today is a dark day for the Canadiens family and the entire hockey community,” stated Canadiens owner Geoff Molson. “A fierce competitor who rose to the occasion in big moments, Claude was a relentless, courageous, and tenacious player who led the team to the highest honors. He embodied the very essence of being a Montreal Canadiens player. Today we mourn the untimely passing of one of our champions. Our thoughts are with his family on this difficult day.”

Throughout his playing days, Lemieux combined talent with a confrontational approach, willing to push boundaries in pursuit of victory.

His performance earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP when he helped the New Jersey Devils secure their inaugural championship in 1995. The following year with the Colorado Avalanche, he faced a two-game suspension for hitting Detroit’s Kris Draper from behind during their successful Stanley Cup run in the franchise’s debut season after relocating from his home province of Quebec.

Darren McCarty, who played for the Red Wings during the intense rivalry with Colorado that began with Lemieux’s hit on Draper, shared a broken heart emoji alongside the alumni association’s announcement and reflected on his former opponent’s death.

“This is extremely sad no matter what feelings from past or present you hold,” McCarty wrote. “My thoughts and prayers to his family and friends, and people who got to see the person off the ice wasn’t the person on. As I’ve said and will always call it as I see it ‘If you’re on the ICE with Claude Lemieux and your turn your back. YOU Are an IDIOT. But off the ICE I’ll turn mine’ And please. If you are struggling at all please reach out and talk to someone. Godspeed my friend.”

Lemieux’s championship collection also included victories with Montreal in 1986 and another with the Devils in 2000. His career spanned from 1983 to 2009, during which he appeared in 1,449 regular-season and playoff contests across six different franchises.

Commissioner Gary Bettman described Lemieux as “one of the greatest big-game players in hockey history.”

Following his retirement from playing, Lemieux transitioned into player representation, working as an agent for more than a dozen NHL clients including Carolina’s Frederik Andersen, New Jersey’s Timo Meier, Detroit’s Moritz Seider and Boston’s Hampus Lindholm.

During a December event commemorating the 30th anniversary of Colorado’s 1995 Stanley Cup victory, Lemieux reflected on success, saying, “When it’s happening, when you’re in the middle of it, you don’t quite appreciate it as much as you should.”

The ceremony honored late former teammate Chris Simon through his children’s participation. Simon died in 2024 at age 52.

“It’s very difficult, and especially with Chris passing at such a young age,” Lemieux observed. “We have to count our blessings — be grateful for the days that we have and enjoy and appreciate those times when we get together.”

The newly formed Detroit professional women’s hockey team announced Thursday that they have selected Josh Sciba, a Michigan native, to serve as their first-ever head coach.

The 41-year-old coach brings extensive experience to the role, having worked for two seasons as an assistant with the New York Sirens in the professional women’s league and also serving as an assistant coach for the U.S. women’s Olympic hockey team that captured gold in 2026.

Detroit’s general manager Manon Rheaume praised the hiring decision in a statement, saying: “Josh is a highly respected coach with a knowledge of the game and experience at all levels of women’s hockey that set him apart, and his passion for teaching and individual character are qualities I value in a leader. Hockeytown is in his blood, and this is an opportunity I know he is eager to embrace with an understanding of what it means to represent this city and be part of its legacy.”

Before joining the professional ranks, Sciba led the women’s hockey program at Union College as head coach from 2016 through 2024. Prior to that role, he worked as an assistant coach at Colgate for four seasons between 2012 and 2016.

Expressing his enthusiasm for the position, Sciba stated: “I’m incredibly honored and excited for the opportunity to become the Head Coach of PWHL Detroit and beyond grateful for the trust placed in me to help lead the organization from the beginning. This is home and especially meaningful for me and my entire family, knowing Detroit’s rich hockey history and identity firsthand and how much the women’s hockey community has been yearning for this moment. Working alongside Manon, someone who has meant so much to the growth of the sport, is a journey I’m so fortunate to be on, with her passion, leadership, and vision that will make Detroit a destination for players.”

Detroit will join the professional women’s hockey league as one of four new franchises beginning play in the 2026-27 season, alongside teams in Las Vegas, San Jose and Hamilton, Ontario.

The league has experienced significant growth since launching with six original teams in 2023, including Boston, Minnesota, Montreal, New York, Ottawa and Toronto. Two additional franchises in Vancouver and Seattle joined the competition in 2025.

Record-breaking television audiences are tuning in to watch the NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs during the opening two rounds, marking the highest viewership numbers in league history within the United States.

Female viewers are leading this unprecedented surge in hockey popularity.

According to TNT Sports, women’s viewership has climbed 66%, while ESPN documented a remarkable 106% jump, with much of this new audience consisting of viewers aged 18 to 34 discovering hockey during its most thrilling season.

“We see the numbers up everywhere,” said ESPN VP of production Linda Schulz. “(Hockey) is a particular challenge because sports fans tend to follow something that they themselves have participated in and hockey is one that is not as commonplace for people to have actually strapped on skates. I approach it with, if I get a new fan coming to hockey, what is going to keep them.”

According to Schulz and other broadcasting leaders, several combined elements are attracting new viewers. These include last year’s successful 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, February’s Olympics where U.S. men’s and women’s teams captured gold medals, exceptional gameplay quality, emerging young stars, and the widespread appeal of hockey romance series “Heated Rivalry” and “Off Campus” that have gained viral attention.

“It’s not any one thing,” said TNT Sports executive VP and chief content officer Craig Barry. “It’s the collective of the planets aligning that has shown dramatic increases in the female audience.”

According to league statistics, playoff games are drawing an average of 1.4 million viewers, representing a 63% increase from the previous year and 24% higher than the former record established in 2024. While some growth stems from Nielsen’s revised viewer measurement methods that have boosted numbers across television, hockey’s viewership trend has been climbing independently of these changes.

This upward trajectory started following the 4 Nations tournament, which NHL commissioner Gary Bettman credited with boosting viewership during the latter part of the 2024-25 season and continuing into playoff action. The Olympics further amplified this momentum, with the Milan Cortina Games generating exceptional ratings.

“The Olympics was a cultural moment,” said NHL chief operating officer Stephen McArdle. “We know that Olympic viewership does appeal to those demographics, to that female demographic, and so I think the Olympic bump that we saw was really in part influenced by that female Olympic audience.”

Determining the exact impact of “Heated Rivalry” proves challenging to quantify. While Schulz, who developed her sports fandom growing up in the Boston region, noted it doesn’t factor into her thinking, both networks and the league acknowledge the discussions surrounding these programs.

“We know that the fictional series are a gateway to our sport,” said McArdle. “We know that it opens doors to an interest in the sport of hockey, and it’s incumbent upon us to make sure that new audiences that are coming through those doors feel welcomed as they come in, and also that we help them find their way through the door.”

Technology plays a crucial role in engaging newcomers, Schulz explained, referencing overhead sky cameras that showcase the game’s speed and intensity, plus adding an on-ice camera operator to document emotional reactions such as players showing disappointment after penalty calls.

“It is incredible how that emotional draw, to me, is the real way to pull in a casual fan,” Schulz said. “It’s that balance of getting the feel of the ice through something like your aerial coverage and the feel of the player or the emotion of the player.”

The league has also embraced TikTok, where McArdle noted that many top-performing videos attracted more female than male viewers. A clip featuring Carolina’s Jordan Martinook losing a skate blade gained particular traction as content that resonated beyond typical highlight reels of goals, saves and body checks.

Social media platforms have successfully attracted younger audiences of both genders, while promotional efforts across ESPN, ABC, TNT, TruTV and HBO Max have encouraged live viewing across multiple platforms.

“That’s why it’s so important to meet them where they are,” Barry said. “That’s why our kind of strategy is put it everywhere in a simulcast capacity, so regardless of where you are consuming and digesting your content, in this particular case, NHL games, it’s there for you.”

Argentine tennis player Francisco Cerundolo was battling through his own French Open match Thursday when spectators began yelling news from an adjacent court – his younger brother was pulling off a massive upset against the world’s top-ranked player Jannik Sinner.

During breaks in play, fans shouted to the 25th-seeded Francisco that his brother was winning as Juan Manuel Cerundolo staged an incredible comeback against the four-time Grand Slam champion.

“‘Your brother is winning, your brother is winning,’” Francisco recalled hearing from the crowd during towel breaks while Juan Manuel was mounting his stunning rally against Sinner.

Francisco managed to overcome his own deficit, defeating French player Hugo Gaston 2-6 6-4 6-2 6-1 to advance to the third round. Meanwhile, Juan Manuel completed a remarkable turnaround from two sets down to defeat Sinner 3-6 2-6 7-5 6-1 6-1.

The loss snapped Sinner’s 30-match winning streak and dashed his hopes for a first French Open championship and career Grand Slam.

The Italian player had entered the tournament in Paris as the heavy favorite following Masters victories at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome this season. However, the top seed appeared to struggle physically after holding a 5-1 advantage in the third set.

Speaking in a Spanish-language interview with ESPN after his own third-round advancement, Francisco said he slowly pieced together what was happening on the neighboring court.

“I had no idea,” Francisco explained. “I was suffering in my own match and people kept telling me, ‘Your brother won, your brother won.’”

“And I was thinking, ‘Damn it, now I have to win too because I can’t fail now.’”

Francisco, who holds two career victories over Sinner, said he initially believed Juan Manuel was headed for elimination after family members had divided their attention between courts earlier in the day.

“I looked up and my family still wasn’t there,” he said. “I asked what happened and they told me he was two sets to one down. I said, ‘Okay, good, he’s fighting.’”

Juan Manuel, currently ranked 56th globally, turned the match around after Sinner began struggling physically late in the third set and deteriorated significantly from that point forward.

Francisco said the brothers plan to celebrate together after both reached the French Open third round for the first time in their careers.

“It’s more than a dream,” he said. “A huge pride for all the family.”

NEW YORK — When Carson Benge wasn’t finding success at the plate, the first-year outfielder decided his scruffy facial hair might be the culprit — leading to a major league grooming choice.

“I haven’t really been getting a ton of hits, so I just shaved it off and it worked,” Benge explained Wednesday evening following his delivery of two crucial singles for the New York Mets.

Whether it’s related to his grooming habits or not, the 23-year-old Benge has emerged as one of the limited positive developments for the cellar-dwelling Mets this year.

Following an initial stretch where he managed only a .136 batting average with two extra-base hits and three RBIs across his opening 21 major league appearances, he’s now posting a batting average above .300 with 17 RBIs and 19 runs scored over 32 contests since April 23. This month alone, Benge provided the decisive hit in three overtime victories within a six-day period.

“He’s always aggressive. He has a really good swing and he knows it,” star teammate Juan Soto said. “He’s squaring balls most of the time and that’s really cool to see.”

Benge’s major league introduction on opening day in March was memorable, featuring a home run, two walks and a stolen base during a victory against Pittsburgh at Citi Field. However, he subsequently appeared overwhelmed in the batter’s box.

Rather than get discouraged, he made adjustments. Benge has simplified his approach to hitting and shortened his swing — particularly when facing two strikes. His development was especially noticeable Wednesday during a 4-2 triumph over the Cincinnati Reds that broke New York’s five-game skid.

Facing two outs in the fifth inning, the left-handed batter recovered from a 0-2 deficit against lefty starter Andrew Abbott and connected on an up-and-in fastball toward center field on the eighth pitch for an RBI single that broke a 1-for-20 drought and put the Mets ahead 3-1.

“Just fight,” Benge said. “Fight for every pitch. Not give them anything. Try to be a tough out. That’s all you can do.”

During the seventh inning with two outs, he again fell behind 0-2 and produced another RBI single to center on a 98 mph up-and-in fastball from right-handed reliever Zach Maxwell to extend the lead to 4-2.

“It’s really good to see,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Because that’s a pitch that he struggled (with) early on. And he just continues to get better. He continues to find a way. That wasn’t an easy at-bat there. It’s two of them. Left on left — it was also pretty impressive. I mean, you’ve got to give him credit. He’s not going to back down. He’s going to continue to work. He’s going to continue to show up.”

When asked about his improvement against high fastballs in the strike zone, Benge offered his explanation.

“Just trying to stay short, put it in play. Not trying to do too much with them, and things have been working out,” he said. “Getting reps, playing every day is definitely nice, and building that confidence up is really good.”

Due to five-time All-Star Francisco Lindor being on the injured list, Benge is now hitting in the leadoff spot for the Mets (23-33) after starting the season lower in the batting order.

While his season statistics remain humble at .247 with three homers and 20 RBIs, Benge has made remarkable progress quickly: He was selected 19th overall in 2024 from Oklahoma State and earned the starting right-field position during spring training despite having only 24 games of Triple-A experience the previous year.

“The one thing that I like about him is you can never really tell whether he’s 0 for 8 the past couple of days or he’s just coming off a couple of games where he either hit a walk-off or had a game like this,” Mendoza said Wednesday evening. “He’s going to show up the next day and he’s going to be the same person and he’s going to give you his best. So, it’s pretty impressive for a player his age.”

Benge’s athletic ability has never been in doubt. He also pitched at Oklahoma State, and he’s demonstrated his strong throwing arm in right field on multiple occasions while making several spectacular catches as well.

The expensive Mets began this season anticipating a championship run, but Benge’s quick development and the promotion of 21-year-old center fielder A.J. Ewing from the minors are offering optimism for what lies ahead.

“There’s something special,” rookie pitcher Jonah Tong said. “I don’t even think you guys have seen the half of it yet. Being in the clubhouse with them for so long, just seeing the guys they are and what they do day in and day out, it’s really exciting. And they’re going to be staples in New York for a very long time.”

A source familiar with the matter confirmed to The Associated Press on Thursday that the New York Giants have modified starting left tackle Andrew Thomas’ contract, transforming base salary into a roster bonus to generate $6.46 million in salary cap relief.

The individual requested anonymity since the team has not made the contract adjustment public.

This contract modification occurs during ongoing offseason workouts while No. 5 draft selection Arvell Reese remains without a signed rookie deal. All other drafted players, including No. 10 selection Francis “Sisi” Mauigoa, have completed their contracts.

According to the NFL Players Association’s public records, the Giants currently possess slightly less than $12 million in available salary cap room. Since Reese’s upcoming contract will likely consume a significant portion of those funds, additional financial adjustments may be necessary before the September season opener.

The 27-year-old Thomas ranks among the franchise’s top earners and serves as the cornerstone of an offensive line that demonstrated notable progress last season compared to prior years. New coach John Harbaugh indicated that Thomas is managing foot and shoulder ailments, prompting the coaching staff to restrict his participation during organized team activities.

“They have a nice ramp-up planned for me,” Thomas commented last week. “Just a precautionary thing. Obviously, what we care about is September, being ready, so I’ve been trusting that. It’s definitely tough sometimes because I want to push it and I want to get better, but I’m trying to trust the process to make sure I’m ready to go when it counts.”

Thomas underwent surgical repair for a Lisfranc injury in his right foot during October 2024 and sat out the season’s opening two contests before returning September 21. A hamstring issue sidelined him for the final two games, though currently he’s managing an ongoing shoulder condition.

“Something that I’ve been dealing with,” Thomas explained. “I think I’m in a good place.”

PARIS – The French Open witnessed a major upset on Thursday as tournament favorite Jannik Sinner suffered a shocking second-round elimination, losing to Juan Manuel Cerundolo 3-6 2-6 7-5 6-1 6-1 after dealing with physical difficulties during their match.

The Italian player had entered the tournament as the top contender for the championship, having captured recent claycourt victories in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome. With defending titlist Carlos Alcaraz sidelined due to injury and Novak Djokovic still finding his rhythm, expectations were high for Sinner’s first French Open crown and potential career Grand Slam.

However, Cerundolo completely changed the narrative in a stunning turnaround that sent waves of surprise throughout Roland Garros, maintaining his composure while last year’s finalist faltered just as victory seemed within reach.

With afternoon temperatures soaring above 30 degrees Celsius for the first time during the tournament, Sinner had dominated early play, capturing the opening set with a single service break. The 24-year-old Italian appeared to be cruising toward an easy victory.

Though Cerundolo showed some fight late in the second set, the 56th-ranked player from Argentina faced an uphill battle after Sinner delivered a powerful forehand winner to claim a commanding two-set advantage, having dropped just five games total.

The four-time Grand Slam winner used an ice towel during the break and increased pressure on his unseeded rival in the third set, building a 5-1 lead before encountering difficulties and stopping play while serving at 5-4.

Following a five-minute medical timeout away from the court, Sinner returned but was immediately broken to even the score at 5-5, then lost the following two games to surrender the set to Cerundolo, who recognized his opportunity for a massive upset.

With his condition still compromised, Sinner easily gave up the fourth set and suffered an early break in the final set, allowing Cerundolo to capitalize fully and eliminate the tournament’s top seed from the Grand Slam event.

Competition continued Thursday for the fifth day of action at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, with highlights from matches played and scheduled throughout the day.

At 11:30 GMT, Italy’s 10th-seeded Flavio Cobolli secured his spot in the third round by defeating China’s Wu Yibing with straight-set scores of 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. This marks Cobolli’s second consecutive year reaching the third round at the tournament.

Earlier at 11:15 GMT, 16th-seeded Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, overcame Donna Vekic with scores of 7-6(1), 6-4. Osaka’s victory sets up a third-round meeting against 17th-seeded Iva Jovic.

Competition began at 9:09 GMT under pleasant weather conditions at Roland Garros, with temperatures starting around 27 degrees Celsius and forecasted to climb to approximately 32 degrees throughout the day.

The day’s featured matches included world number one and top-seeded Jannik Sinner opening play on Court Philippe Chatrier against Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo in second-round action. Women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka was also scheduled to compete later against France’s Elsa Jacquemot.

The complete order of play for Thursday included matches across three main courts, with Court Philippe Chatrier beginning at 10:00 GMT and Courts Suzanne Lenglen and Simonne Mathieu starting at 9:00 GMT. Notable scheduled matches featured top-seeded players including Coco Gauff facing Egypt’s Mayar Sherif and Ben Shelton taking on Belgium’s Raphael Collignon.

The same aromatic spice that adds flavor to your holiday eggnog has lent its name to one of soccer’s most prized maneuvers.

The ‘nutmeg’ represents both a treasured spice that enhances seasonal beverages and a highly coveted skill move that soccer players around the globe strive to master.

Two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani delivered a dominant performance both on the mound and at the plate Wednesday, throwing six innings without surrendering a hit while launching a leadoff home run to power the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 4-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

The win marked the Dodgers’ fifth consecutive victory and capped off a three-game sweep of the visiting Rockies. Ohtani teamed up with Will Klein to keep Colorado hitless through seven complete innings before Tyler Freeman broke up the no-hit bid with a two-out single to right field in the eighth inning against reliever Tanner Scott.

Kyle Hurt sealed the combined one-hitter by retiring the side in order during the ninth inning, recording his first career save in the process.

For the second straight start as a pitcher, Ohtani began the game by taking the opposing starter deep with a leadoff blast. Freddie Freeman followed suit with another homer in the opening frame, while Andy Pages added his 13th home run of the season during the eighth inning.

Despite struggling with his control throughout the outing, Ohtani (5-2) managed to limit the damage while walking four batters, hitting one, and allowing a single run. The right-hander fanned seven Colorado hitters across 99 pitches, seeing his season earned run average climb slightly from 0.73 to 0.82.

Rockies starter Tomoyuki Sugano (4-4) surrendered three runs on six hits during his 4 2/3-inning stint in the matchup between Japanese-born pitchers. He recorded three strikeouts and issued one walk. Colorado managed to score its only run in the fourth inning when Willi Castro drove home a runner with a groundout, but the team extended its losing streak to five games.

Following the early 2-0 advantage created by the Ohtani and Freeman long balls, the Rockies cut their deficit in half during the fourth inning. Los Angeles responded immediately in the bottom half of the frame when Alex Call delivered an RBI single to restore the two-run cushion.

Pages’ eighth-inning blast, his third homer in four games, provided the final margin at 4-1. The Dodgers connected for eight home runs over the series’ final two contests while improving to 12-2 in their last 14 games overall.

Los Angeles showcased exceptional defense with three standout plays throughout the contest. Call made a spectacular diving grab in right field during the second inning, while second baseman Alex Freeland dove toward first base to record the out on Castro’s RBI grounder in the fourth. Left fielder Hyeseong Kim capped the defensive highlights with a catch against the foul territory railing in the seventh.

Kim entered the game in the third inning after Teoscar Hernandez exited due to a left hamstring strain.

A lightning-fast offensive explosion in the opening period has put the Carolina Hurricanes one victory away from eliminating the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference finals.

If Carolina can deliver another strong opening when Game 5 takes place Friday in Raleigh, N.C., they will likely secure their spot in the Stanley Cup Final for the third time in their franchise’s existence.

The Hurricanes, playing as the road team, netted three goals within a span of less than three minutes during the first period, while Frederik Andersen stopped 18 shots to lead Carolina to a 4-0 triumph over Montreal in Wednesday’s Game 4.

Despite Carolina’s commanding 3-1 advantage in the best-of-seven series, Andersen emphasized that his team must maintain their intensity.

“We want to put our minds right to get that job done,” Andersen told TNT. “We know that it doesn’t take any less because we’re up 3-1. We want to continue coming with this attitude and really take it to them. That’s what we’ve been successful with.”

Sebastian Aho netted a power-play goal, while captain Jordan Staal and Logan Stankoven also found the back of the net during a remarkable 2:47 span in the latter portion of the first period. Andrei Svechnikov capped the scoring with an empty-net goal late in the final period.

“We wanted to have a good start, and we got it,” Aho told Sportsnet. “… Couple big goals in the first. Jordan and Stank’s goal, so we extended the lead. I thought it was a solid game for us.”

Andersen stopped three shots in the third period to secure his eighth career postseason shutout and fifth with the Hurricanes, breaking Cam Ward’s franchise record. This marks Andersen’s third shutout of these playoffs, achieving one in each round.

Nikolaj Ehlers and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere each contributed two assists for the Hurricanes, who made NHL history by becoming just the seventh team to win their first six road games in a single postseason.

Jakub Dobes recorded 39 saves on his 25th birthday for the Canadiens, who have now dropped four consecutive home games and six of eight total contests in Montreal throughout these playoffs.

“It obviously (stinks) to come in here and lose (Games 3 and 4) at home,” Montreal captain Nick Suzuki said. “We gotta focus on Game 5, we can go in there and win and give ourselves a chance to come back in the series.”

Carolina struck first for the fourth consecutive game when Aho’s one-timer from the right circle found its way past Dobes inside the near post with 5:01 left in the opening period.

Aho’s goal marked his 11th career power-play tally in postseason play, surpassing former captain Eric Staal for the franchise record.

The Hurricanes expanded their lead 68 seconds later when defenseman K’Andre Miller moved below the goal line and delivered a backhand centering pass that deflected off Jordan Staal’s stick and into the net. Montreal’s Josh Anderson was battling Jordan Staal in front of the goal during the play.

Gostisbehere blocked a shot attempt by Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson, creating a 2-on-1 opportunity that resulted in Jackson Blake setting up Stankoven for his playoff-leading eighth goal just 1:39 later.

“It was my time to lay my body on the line. I’m just happy it went the other way and we got rewarded,” Gostisbehere told Sportsnet.

Dobes stretched out his left pad to stop Blake on a breakaway opportunity, keeping the game scoreless just over two minutes into the contest.

“It seemed like the only guy who showed up was (Dobes),” Hutson said. “We were just not good enough, didn’t answer the bell. The good news is we get another chance to answer the bell.”

The Democratic Republic of Congo has announced that its national soccer team delegation meets all United States health requirements concerning the ongoing Ebola crisis, allowing the squad to participate in the upcoming World Cup competition.

On Saturday, a team representative stated that training would proceed according to schedule despite U.S. mandates requiring people to undergo a 21-day quarantine period prior to entering American territory.

Canada, Mexico, and the United States will jointly host the World Cup from June 11 through July 19.

Last week, the World Health Organization issued a warning about a “very high” possibility of the Bundibugyo variant of Ebola expanding throughout the DRC, citing over 1,000 potential cases and 246 possible fatalities recorded to date.

Officials from Congo announced that their soccer federation (FECOFA) conducted discussions with FIFA during the week, confirming the delegation now meets all health and safety requirements, which included scrapping a training session in Kinshasa and moving preparation activities to international locations.

“I applaud FECOFA and FIFA for moving swiftly and decisively to make this responsible, reasonable determination,” DRC Ambassador to the United States Yvette Kapinga Ngandu said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The Leopards are ready, they are safe, and I have no doubt that the United States will embrace this team.”

Reuters has reached out to FIFA seeking additional comments.

The majority of team players are currently located in Europe, which minimizes direct contact risks, while coaching staff who left Kinshasa in early May will spend no less than 21 days in Europe before traveling to America, following U.S. health requirements.

“The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has done everything in its power to ensure they arrive in the United States prepared, protected, and ready to compete,” Sports Minister Didier Budimbu said.

Authorities also expressed worry about supporters who purchased World Cup passes but cannot secure U.S. travel documents because of bureaucratic limitations, noting that conversations with FIFA regarding potential reimbursements are ongoing.

The Congo squad, making their World Cup return after a 52-year absence, will establish their headquarters in Houston. Their Group K schedule begins with Portugal on June 17, followed by Colombia in Guadalajara on June 23, and concludes against Uzbekistan in Atlanta on June 27.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Philadelphia pitcher Cristopher Sánchez celebrated with emphatic fist pumps after making baseball history Wednesday, capping off a remarkable month of May where he didn’t surrender a single run while shattering a franchise record that had stood for more than a century.

The left-handed hurler stretched his scoreless streak to 44 2/3 innings during Wednesday’s contest, surpassing Hall of Famer Grover Cleveland Alexander’s previous team record in Philadelphia’s 3-0 victory over the San Diego Padres, completing a sweep of the three-game series.

The historic achievement required four complete innings to eclipse Alexander’s mark of 41 consecutive scoreless innings from 1911. Sánchez continued his dominant performance for three additional shutout frames before exiting after 100 pitches. His line included six hits allowed, nine strikeouts, and zero walks.

His outstanding performance concluded with Philadelphia holding a 2-0 advantage, as he celebrated enthusiastically following a strikeout of pinch-hitter Ty France to close the seventh inning.

“I just went out to compete and give the best of myself,” he said through an interpreter.

Despite feeling his command wasn’t at its peak, Sánchez overwhelmed a San Diego offense that failed to deliver with runners in scoring position throughout the series, going 0 for 20 in such situations while leaving 19 baserunners stranded and recording 32 strikeouts.

Interim manager Don Mattingly noted the team recognized the achievement following the game, with Sánchez speaking to his teammates about the accomplishment.

“I just told them it was something special for me,” Sánchez said. “First I thanked God and then I thanked all my teammates and everyone around me for their support. It’s really special to have their support, in the good times and through the rough times as well. That’s something I admire with this group.

“This is a game that it’s not only about me or about what I do on the mound, it’s about our group and I think it’s really something special and beautiful to feel the support of the team as a whole,” he added.

A tense moment occurred in the fourth inning with Sánchez one frame away from the record, as Manny Machado launched a fly ball toward left field that Edmundo Sosa secured near the warning track. The pitcher then struck out Xander Bogaerts, allowed a double to left by Ramon Laureano, and induced Jackson Merrill to ground out to second base, officially establishing the new record.

Machado had connected for a home run during Tuesday evening’s 4-3 Philadelphia victory.

San Diego left runners in scoring position during both the opening and second innings, while Gavin Sheets hit a fly ball that landed just short of the warning track in right field to end the third.

“There were a couple of hits that I thought were gone off the bat, but thank God they didn’t,” he said.

Center fielder Justin Crawford made an impressive running grab on Machado’s fly ball with one out in the sixth inning, preventing an extra-base hit before colliding with the padded outfield wall.

Sánchez’s remarkable run began during the second inning of the opening game of a doubleheader versus San Francisco on April 30.

He established another franchise milestone by recording at least seven scoreless innings for his fifth consecutive start, joining just five other pitchers in major league history to accomplish this feat.

The streak also represents the longest single-season scoreless innings stretch by a left-handed pitcher in the Expansion Era, surpassing former Los Angeles Dodgers star Clayton Kershaw’s 41-inning run from 2014.

“You just don’t expect him to give up any runs,” said Mattingly, who managed Kershaw with the Dodgers in 2014. “I thought he was a little rough early. I don’t know if this thing’s on his mind at all, you know, he knew he had to get through four. He seemed to settle down a little more after that.

“He’s been amazing from the standpoint of, it just seems like every time out, no matter what team or who it is, he just kind of keeps going.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole was eager to emphasize Wednesday evening that his second consecutive outstanding performance since returning from Tommy John surgery represented just that: his second outing back.

“Small sample size,” the former Cy Young winner stated.

However, what an impressive sample it has been.

Following his first major league appearance since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series against the Dodgers, where he surrendered two hits across six shutout innings versus Tampa Bay, the 35-year-old Cole delivered an even more impressive showing against the struggling Kansas City squad. He gave up four hits while recording 10 strikeouts and zero walks, leading the Yankees to a 7-0 triumph — extending their winning streak against the Royals to 14 games.

“I feel like maybe the first game was the appetizer,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone commented, “and that was the main course right there. That was surgical. You saw everything, like, good fastball, both breaking balls going, mixed in the cutter a little bit, made some really good change-ups along the way. There was good defensive plays behind him early and then he kind of cruised.”

Cole (1-0) required just 79 pitches to complete 6 2/3 innings, and likely could have pitched deeper into the contest against Kansas City. However, at this stage of what the Yankees anticipate will be an extended season, there was no justification for taxing Cole’s previously injured right elbow.

Kansas City’s best scoring opportunity against him occurred in the third inning, when Michael Massey connected for a one-out double. Cole recovered to strike out Isaac Collins, bringing Maikel Garcia to bat. Garcia lined a single toward right field, where Aaron Judge handled a difficult bounce cleanly before delivering an accurate throw that retired Massey at home plate to end the inning.

Cole also left Garcia stranded at second base following a two-out double in the sixth inning. Salvador Perez managed a single against him in the seventh.

That represented the extent of Kansas City’s baserunners against him.

“I think it just reminds you of who he is, and how great a consistent pitcher he is,” Boone remarked. “And to see him go through the process the last several months to get back to this, and go out there and execute like he is here to start, it’s fun to watch.”

Cole demonstrated remarkable efficiency, particularly with his 96 mph fastball. He delivered first-pitch strikes to 16 of the 23 batters he encountered, with only a couple of hitters managing to work the count to three balls against him throughout the entire evening.

“I expect to execute pitches. I don’t necessarily expect to not give up any runs, especially on 75 percent strikes. You’re putting a lot of pressure on guys,” Cole explained. “So you have to play good defense, which is what we did tonight.”

Cole faced pressure to perform effectively because the Yankees never provided him with substantial run support. They managed two runs through a single by Paul Goldschmidt, a triple by Ben Rice and Judge’s sacrifice fly, while their remaining offense materialized after Cole’s departure.

The offensive output wasn’t nearly as explosive as the Yankees’ remarkable 15-1 victory Tuesday evening, during which they launched six home runs and collected 24 hits — achieving a franchise first where every New York starter recorded at least two hits.

However, with Cole commanding the mound, they required only a small portion of that offensive production Wednesday evening.

“It’s two games. Small sample size,” Cole noted. “We still have stuff to improve, and just have to keep the same mindset that we have right now, and that’s to take it one outing at a time.”

The head coach at Ole Miss is raising questions about fairness in NCAA enforcement after his program came under investigation for tampering violations involving linebacker Luke Ferrelli’s recruitment, while he believes other schools deserve similar scrutiny.

During the Southeastern Conference meetings in Miramar Beach, Florida on Wednesday, Pete Golding addressed the tampering allegations and suggested inconsistent enforcement by investigators.

When discussing the Ferrelli situation, Golding referenced how the linebacker served as a replacement for another player who left through the transfer portal under questionable circumstances. He appeared to reference former starting linebacker TJ Dottery, a three-year starter who transferred to LSU on the portal’s final day.

“The kid we’re talking about with tampering was on an official visit that weekend,” Golding stated regarding Ferrelli, before shifting focus to Dottery. “We’re not comparing that to a guy that was a three-year starter somewhere, that wasn’t in the portal that’s at a new school now? What are we doing?”

Golding continued his criticism, saying: “There’s an enforcement on this that just took an OV, but there’s not an enforcement of this, that he just ruined his brand over three years, who’s been tampered with his entire time?”

The tampering allegations emerged after Clemson’s head coach Dabo Swinney held a January press conference accusing Ole Miss of improper contact with Ferrelli. The linebacker had initially committed to transfer from Cal to Clemson and had already arrived on campus before switching to Ole Miss.

Dottery, who started for Ole Miss the previous two seasons, became the fourth player to follow former coach Lane Kiffin to LSU after Kiffin was hired away during Ole Miss’s 2025 playoff campaign.

Golding, who assumed control when Kiffin departed, extended his criticism to coaching tampering as well, referencing congressional efforts to address the issue through legislation dubbed the “Lane Kiffin Rule” designed to restrict coaching movement during seasons.

“My thing when they talk about tampering, you don’t think the coaches get tampered with?” Golding asked. “You don’t think ADs meet with head coaches? I mean we’re talking about this new Kiffin rule and this s—, who do you think’s meeting with these guys and offering them the job before?”

“So, I’m not getting into all of that, but holy cow,” he concluded.

The two programs will face each other when Ole Miss hosts LSU in Oxford, Mississippi on September 19.

Major League Baseball players are pushing for significantly higher minimum wages and broader free agency rights as labor negotiations intensify ahead of a potential work stoppage.

The players’ union submitted their demands on Wednesday, seeking to nearly double the current minimum salary while expanding both free agency opportunities and salary arbitration access. The proposal also calls for increased revenue sharing between teams, with a guarantee that smaller-market clubs would receive at least $240 million each year.

These demands arrived just one day before league officials are expected to counter with a salary cap proposal. The existing labor agreement ends on December 1, with many expecting a lockout to follow. League management has rejected the union’s requests, claiming they would create worse competitive balance problems across the sport.

Meanwhile, congressional leaders are attempting to resolve ongoing issues in college athletics through new bipartisan legislation. Republican Senator Ted Cruz and Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell have developed a bill aimed at breaking through legislative gridlock that has stalled efforts to regulate student-athlete compensation.

Their proposed legislation would limit college athletes to one penalty-free transfer during their careers while establishing what they call a “Lane Kiffin Rule” to restrict coaching changes during active seasons. The senators shared details of their proposal with reporters, expressing hope it could secure the 60 votes needed for Senate passage after more than a year of congressional inaction on the issue.

In professional football news, Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs has been released from custody while prosecutors continue reviewing domestic abuse allegations. Brown County District Attorney David Lasee announced Wednesday that more time is needed before making any formal charging decisions.

Jacobs was taken into custody Tuesday on allegations including strangulation and other offenses stemming from a weekend incident. His legal team expressed satisfaction with his release from jail while the investigation continues.

Soccer’s governing body FIFA faces new scrutiny over World Cup ticket pricing and sales practices that fans claim resulted in unfair deals. New York and New Jersey attorneys general announced Tuesday they are examining whether FIFA’s ticketing methods violated consumer protection regulations.

The investigation includes subpoenas demanding information about FIFA’s “variable pricing” system that caused ticket costs to skyrocket for most matches, along with stadium seating chart changes that allegedly moved fans’ seats away from the field. FIFA has not responded to requests for comment on the investigation.

President Donald Trump announced plans to attend NBA Finals games at Madison Square Garden next month after receiving an invitation from New York Knicks owner James Dolan. Trump said he would join Dolan when the Knicks face either the San Antonio Spurs or Oklahoma City Thunder in the championship series.

The Knicks advanced to their first finals appearance since 1999 after completing a sweep of Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals. Trump, who grew up in New York, praised the team’s performance and called their championship return after decades of struggles “great to see.”

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has expanded his portfolio by purchasing a minority stake in the Cleveland Guardians baseball franchise. The team announced the investment Wednesday before their game against the Washington Nationals.

Kelce, who has won three Super Bowl titles and earned four All-Pro selections while being engaged to music star Taylor Swift, bought a small portion of David Blitzer’s 35% ownership share. The Cleveland Heights native joins the ownership group as Blitzer prepares to potentially become the controlling owner after the 2027 season.

At the French Open in Paris, Novak Djokovic advanced to the third round despite being challenged by 74th-ranked Valentin Royer in a four-set match lasting over three and a half hours. Djokovic ultimately prevailed 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (7), 6-3 as temperatures climbed above 90 degrees Fahrenheit for the fourth consecutive day.

This year’s Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina suffered an upset loss to Ukrainian player Yuliia Starodubtseva 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4). Ukrainian players had a strong showing overall, with Elina Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk both advancing after recent victories at the Madrid Open and Italian Open. Four-time French Open winner Iga Swiatek improved her Roland Garros career record to 42-3 by defeating 35th-ranked Sara Bejlek 6-2, 6-3.

New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton has reached an important milestone in his injury recovery by beginning outdoor running exercises. Manager Aaron Boone reported Wednesday that recent medical imaging of Stanton’s right calf injury has left the team optimistic about his progress.

Stanton has been sidelined since April 24 after experiencing stiffness while running bases during a game against Houston. Boone said the timeline for Stanton’s return remains uncertain despite the encouraging signs. Before his injury, Stanton was performing well with a .256 batting average, three home runs, and 14 RBIs through 24 games. Fellow Yankees prospect Jasson Dominguez is also preparing to increase his baseball activities this week as he recovers from a shoulder injury.

The Vegas Golden Knights have reached the Stanley Cup Final under coach John Tortorella, who was hired in March after the team dismissed Bruce Cassidy following a stretch where they lost six of seven games. Under Tortorella’s leadership, Vegas finished the regular season 7-0-1 and has compiled a 12-4 playoff record, including a sweep of Presidents’ Trophy winner Colorado.

If Tortorella guides Vegas to a championship, he would become just the eighth coach to win the Stanley Cup after taking over mid-season. This rare achievement has occurred five times since 2000, and a sixth occurrence would equal the combined total of such accomplishments across the NFL, NBA, and MLB throughout their histories.

The U.S. women’s national soccer team has reunited the “Triple Espresso” trio of Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson, and Sophia Wilson for upcoming training camp. All three players have been selected for the roster ahead of two June matches against Brazil’s national team.

The trio earned their nickname during the 2024 Paris Olympics and haven’t played together since the gold medal match. Swanson recently returned to her club team, the Chicago Stars, after taking time away following the birth of her daughter. Her last appearance for the national team was in October 2024.

WASHINGTON — Two influential senators are introducing bipartisan legislation aimed at addressing widespread turmoil in college athletics by establishing regulations on athlete compensation, restricting players to a single unrestricted transfer during their collegiate careers, and implementing what they’re calling a “Lane Kiffin Rule” to prevent coaching departures mid-season.

Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., who serve as the chair and ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee that has jurisdiction over collegiate athletics, shared details of their proposed legislation with The Associated Press. They developed the bill with hopes of securing the 60 votes necessary for Senate passage.

“This is a stability bill, not just an NIL bill,” Cruz said, referring to the name, image and likeness compensation that has resulted in football programs with $30 million payrolls and transformed the landscape.

Cantwell said she and Cruz collaborated on the measure “because he and I really do believe the college sports system is in a bit of chaos.”

The legislation resembles a compilation of the strongest elements from two previous proposals — one called SCORE, another called SAFE — that have stalled in recent months. It includes two components the NCAA has endorsed: limited antitrust protection and provisions that would override much of the inconsistent state-by-state NIL regulations currently in place.

Meredith Page, the chair of the NCAA Division I Student Athlete Advocacy Committee and a former volleyball player at Radford, described the bill as “a phenomenal step,” particularly following the recent failure of the SCORE Act, which the SAAC had also endorsed.

“I think this has lots of great protections and gives the ability for us to stablize the field that is so, so unstable right now,” Page said.

NCAA President Charlie Baker said the association was examining the bill and anticipated “further productive dialogue with members of Congress.”

Antitrust Protection

College athletics has been seeking federal assistance as it confronts escalating costs of athlete compensation and an unmanageable transfer system that have endangered smaller sports programs, particularly women’s athletics, which form the foundation of the U.S. Olympic development system.

This legislation, titled the Protect College Sports Act, would provide what Cruz and Cantwell described as focused antitrust protections for organizations like the NCAA and the College Sports Commission, which was included in the primarily Republican-supported SCORE Act that faced Democratic opposition. In return, Cruz said there would be “public-facing protections” for athletes across multiple areas, including guaranteed health coverage and scholarships, stricter oversight of NIL agreements with outside parties and the agents who facilitate these deals.

“I think it’s better predictability,” Cantwell said. “Why did we do it? Because when you’ve got thousands of athletes being cut, hundreds of programs being cut, the risk to the whole infrastructure was too high to not try to get better predictability.”

Regulations for Athletes and Coaches

The proposed legislation would restrict athletes to one unrestricted transfer throughout their college careers — a concept with broad national support — and would implement something similar to the five-year eligibility timeframe that the NCAA appears prepared to establish next month.

The bill also attempts to control coaching mobility. Kiffin’s unexpected departure to LSU from rival Mississippi while the Rebels were preparing for the College Football Playoff last season highlighted an escalating problem in an environment where programs invest millions to assemble rapidly changing football rosters: Schools have decreased patience and increased financial resources to pursue coaches for immediate solutions.

According to the bill’s provisions, mid-season coaching changes would be banned.

“It’s not fair or right to poach a coach in the middle of the season while the team is still competing,” Cruz said. “There’s a reason the NFL has a rule that you can’t do that. Obviously, NFL teams hire coaches away from each other but they don’t do so in the middle of the season.”

Television Revenue Sharing

The bill would modify the Sports Broadcasting Act to permit conferences to combine their television contracts — a change supporters claim could generate billions of additional dollars for the system, though the Southeastern and Big Ten Conferences dispute this assessment.

The senators explained that leagues wouldn’t be mandated to participate in media pooling, but those choosing to do so would need to allocate a portion of any revenue increases to support women’s and Olympic sports. This requirement alone could prove unacceptable to the SEC, which has reportedly been discussing possibilities including separating from the NCAA and permitting athlete collective bargaining during its conference meetings in Florida this week.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, along with Jim Phillips of the Atlantic Coast and Brett Yormark of the Big 12 all indicated they were examining the bill, with Sankey stating “bipartisan engagement in Washington on these issues is critical.”

Prospects for Passage

The SCORE Act, which received minimal Democratic backing, was scheduled for a House vote last week but was suddenly removed when the Congressional Black Caucus and NAACP opposed it. Even if it had narrowly passed in the closely divided House, it had virtually no possibility of succeeding as written in the Senate, where 60 votes would be required to overcome a potential filibuster.

“The Congressional Black Caucus and I have the same objective: stop the ‘SEC SCORE Act,’” said Cantwell, referring to the SEC as one of numerous conferences that have backed that legislation.

Some Democrats were hesitant to endorse a bill like SCORE that prevented college athletes from being designated as school employees. The new bill adopts what Cantwell characterized as a neutral position on employment status.

However, it doesn’t address all Democratic concerns, as Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., outlined in a statement released shortly after the bill’s announcement.

“It gives the NCAA an antitrust exemption that no other industry gets just so they can keep underpaying the athletes,” he said. “Sure, there are some good things for players in this bill, but this seems like a great deal for the NCAA and the rich guys who run college sports, and a bad deal for athletes.”

Mit Winter, a Missouri attorney who specializes in sports law, said the proposal was so comprehensive he doubted it would pass in its current form.

“When you start getting into the stuff about giving the CSC and NCAA antitrust exemptions and liability protection from enforcing rules on athlete denial of compensation, I think that’s where things get a little more dicey,” he said.

The National Basketball Association plans to implement artificial intelligence technology to automatically handle certain types of calls during games, Commissioner Adam Silver announced this week.

Speaking on ESPN’s the Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday, Silver explained that the league will deploy an automated system to handle out-of-bounds determinations and similar possession decisions, aiming to accelerate game pace and eliminate arguments over ball possession.

Silver drew parallels to the Hawk-Eye electronic system used in professional tennis, which rapidly determines whether balls land within or outside court boundaries.

“We’re going to move to a system like that where that whole category of calls will be automatic,” Silver stated during the broadcast.

“It’s going to be Laker ball, Knick ball, whatever it is. Those calls will be done by an AI, automated system with cameras lined around the court,” he explained.

The new technology would provide immediate decisions and enable referees to concentrate on contact violations and foul calls instead.

“It will take all those so-called objective calls out of the hands of the referees,” Silver noted. “You won’t have to deal with challenges on those calls.”

While Silver didn’t specify an exact launch date for the system, he indicated implementation would happen “fairly quickly.”

The league has progressively adopted replay reviews and centralized decision processes to enhance officiating precision, though these reviews sometimes extend game duration.

Silver emphasized that referees will continue to play a crucial role in evaluating physical contact situations, where human judgment remains necessary to assess whether players have been hindered.

“There’s often contact on every play, but that doesn’t mean there’s a foul on every play,” Silver observed. “That’s something that can’t just be done on camera.”

Professional golfer Tiger Woods has confirmed he will sit out all major championships this season after choosing not to register for The Open Championship, marking his continued absence from competitive golf since 2024.

While Woods lacks eligibility for next month’s U.S. Open, he maintained special qualification status for The Open. The golf star had previously spoken publicly about potentially making his return at last month’s Masters tournament.

However, a vehicle collision in late March that led to a DUI arrest changed those comeback aspirations. Following the incident, Woods revealed he would pursue treatment and step back from his organizational responsibilities, which included his positions on the PGA Tour Policy Board and the Future Competition Committee, while also removing himself from consideration as U.S. Ryder Cup captain.

Physical challenges have significantly impacted Woods’ professional involvement in recent years. A different automobile accident in 2021 caused injuries to his lower leg, and he has undergone seven back operations, including disk replacement surgery in October. The 15-time major winner has been unable to secure another championship since the 2021 accident, with his most recent victory coming at the 2019 Masters.

At age 50, Woods maintains his exemption status for The Open Championship through age 60.

Meanwhile, 55-year-old Phil Mickelson has chosen to register for the tournament, though his attendance remains uncertain due to his absence from multiple LIV events this spring while dealing with a family health matter. Mickelson’s last missed Open Championship occurred in 2009, and he claimed the title in 2013.

Woods captured Open Championship victories in 2000, 2005, and 2006.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — New York Yankees power hitter Giancarlo Stanton has reached an important milestone in his recovery from a right calf injury, beginning outdoor running exercises after encouraging medical imaging results, though his return timeline remains uncertain.

The slugger has been out of action since April 24, when he felt stiffness in his right calf during base running against Houston.

“I think he wants it fully clear, and I think we got enough news today that allows us to take that step to hopefully the running goes in line with how he’s feeling, and we can start to ramp up,” manager Aaron Boone told reporters Wednesday before the team’s final game against the Royals.

Through his first 24 games this season, Stanton was performing well with a .256 batting average, three home runs, and 14 RBIs. The five-time All-Star’s right-handed power is particularly crucial when Boone fields lineups heavy with left-handed hitters like Ben Rice, Trent Grisham, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Cody Bellinger and Austin Wells.

“Having him in the middle, his presence is massive,” Boone noted. “So you know, hopefully not too much longer.”

When Stanton was injured, the team brought up Jasson Dominguez from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but the young outfielder also landed on the injured list May 7 after straining his left shoulder’s AC joint in a collision with the outfield wall at Yankee Stadium.

Dominguez received a shoulder injection on May 11 and has been taking batting practice off a tee for approximately one week.

Team officials plan to increase Dominguez’s baseball activities this week as the Yankees finish their Kansas City series and travel to Sacramento for three games against the Athletics, wrapping up their six-game, seven-day road trip.

“Hopefully when we get back next week,” Boone explained, “there may be some live (batting practice) situations for him.”

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson broke his public silence Wednesday during his second OTA practice, speaking for the first time since watching placekicker Tyler Loop miss a crucial short field goal that ended the team’s playoff hopes.

That missed kick capped off a difficult campaign for the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, who sat out four games with injury. Jackson posted career-worst numbers, rushing for just 349 yards while getting sacked 2.77 times per game—also a career high. For the first time in eight largely successful seasons, he watched the postseason from home.

During Wednesday’s session, Jackson disclosed that the hamstring injury he sustained in Week 3 against the Lions continued to bother him even after he returned for the season’s final nine contests.

Significant changes have swept through Baltimore since that disappointing finish. The organization dismissed the only head coach the current Ravens roster had ever played under, with John Harbaugh quickly landing with the New York Giants.

“I gotta lot of respect for Coach. I was shocked in a way,” Jackson commented regarding Harbaugh’s firing. “I feel like (team owner) Mr. Steve (Bisciotti) did what was best for the team. I hope Coach has a great, great time in New York. Hats off to Coach because we did so much for the city, for the team, for this organization.”

Baltimore brought in Jesse Minter, the former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator, as the franchise’s fourth head coach. The 43-year-old Minter added 30-year-old Declan Doyle as offensive coordinator, bringing over the former Chicago Bears’ OC (though head coach Ben Johnson handled play-calling duties). Doyle is only months older than his star signal-caller.

While Jackson skipped last week’s OTAs, he has maintained regular communication with both Minter and Doyle about the offensive system he’ll be running. The quarterback is anticipated to have significant influence in shaping that scheme.

“All of us are having fun with the new system, and what he (Doyle) sees on the field and the film,” Jackson explained, characterizing the environment at 1 Winning Drive in Owings Mills, Md. as “a breath of fresh air.”

“It means a lot because I feel like I should know what coach is thinking when he calls certain plays on the field. It sure makes my job a lot easier.”

Despite the absence of a contract extension this offseason, Minter expressed no concerns about Jackson’s dedication to the organization.

“Great to see him out there making the plays that he can make,” Minter stated.

Baltimore restructured Jackson’s 5-year, $260 deal from 2022 this past March, incorporating a voided year and reducing the 2026 cap hit to $34.39 million.

Though both Jackson and the Ravens organization remain quiet about his long-term status in Baltimore, the quarterback made his preferences clear Wednesday, stating his allegiance to purple and black.

“Absolutely. I love the Ravens. I love this organization. I love this city,” Jackson declared. “This is the team that drafted me. I love Baltimore. Everyone should know that by now.”

Soccer’s international governing body FIFA is facing legal scrutiny over dramatically inflated World Cup ticket costs and sales methods that supporters claim resulted in unfavorable purchases.

Top prosecutors from New York and New Jersey, the state set to host eight tournament games including the championship match, revealed Tuesday they are examining whether FIFA’s ticket sales practices broke consumer protection regulations.

Legal officials have issued subpoenas to the worldwide soccer organization seeking details about various ticketing concerns, including FIFA’s implementation of “variable pricing” systems that caused ticket costs to skyrocket for most games and revised venue layouts that supporters claim moved their seats away from the field.

The prosecutors, collaborating with the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, indicated their investigation centers mainly on ticketing procedures for games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

“New Yorkers have been waiting years for the World Cup to come to their backyard, and they deserve a fair shot at affordable tickets,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said. “No one should be manipulated into paying sky-high prices for seats, and fans should be able to trust that the tickets they purchase will be the ones they receive.”

New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport accused FIFA of turning the act of buying a World Cup ticket “into a gauntlet of confusion, fake scarcity, and impossibly high prices.” It’s an honor for New Jersey to host the World Cup, she said, “but the event is not an invitation to exploit our residents and visitors.”

FIFA declined to comment.

The tournament begins June 11 with games in Mexico City and Guadalajara, Mexico. The opening game at the approximately 82,000-capacity MetLife Stadium — temporarily called New York New Jersey Stadium for the tournament — features Brazil facing Morocco on June 13.

Certain seats for the July 19 championship are selling for almost $33,000.

Last week, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani revealed that 1,000 tickets — roughly 150 tickets for each MetLife Stadium contest, not including the championship — will be offered to city residents through a lottery process costing $50 per ticket.

FIFA had earlier offered some $60 tickets for every game, distributing them via the national organizations of the competing teams.

Professional golfer Justin Thomas was questioning whether his career at golf’s highest level could continue before he stepped onto the course at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in early March this season.

Thomas had received microdiscectomy surgery to address persistent hip discomfort, forcing an early end to his 2025 campaign in mid-November. Despite missing the cut at Bay Hill, completing 36 holes without pain validated his choice and the challenging, uncertain path back to full health.

“I had confidence and belief and faith in what I was doing was the best thing for me and my career,” said Thomas on Wednesday before he tees it up for the ninth time this season at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth Texas.

“And that’s, you know, after all the information, everything that I had kind of gathered and talking, reading, whatever you want to call it, I felt like that was what it was. So it wasn’t necessarily a moment after the fact, because I felt like I had already kind of committed to that. But it’s also not something of like once you’ve hit that first driver and it feels good you’re like, OK, I’m good the rest of my life, I don’t have to worry about this ever again. It’s like everything, it’s a process and you got to keep working on it.”

Seven days after that tournament, Thomas placed T8 at the Players Championship. He advanced past the cut at the Masters, and recently carded a 5-under par 65 to claim a tie for fourth place at the PGA Championship.

The 33-year-old Thomas captured the 2017 and 2022 PGA Championships as part of his 16 tour victories. He sat out last week but will return to Colonial CC for his first appearance there since 2022.

“Yeah, probably wasn’t quite as much relaxing as it maybe could have gone for,” said Thomas. “But to go out there and play the round I did when I knew I needed to was great and, yeah, last week just was really a couple days off and then back to the grind.”

When asked about his tournament selection process amid ongoing talks about elevated PGA Tour events, Thomas explained his approach.

“Everybody’s different. I would say the most, the first and foremost, most important thing that a lot of the top guys… anybody that’s in the majors, you’re going to at least I would think, is what’s going to prepare me the best for the major,” he said. “So like I’ve had success in majors when I play the week before.

“So it’s very situational of when you play, don’t play in that regard. But I mean I really, really, really try with all my might to not do four in a row. Four in a row is like I’m not fun to be around. It’s very taxing. So I try to cap it at three. And, yeah, there’s a lot of great tournaments, we’re very fortunate to have to miss some great events, but you have to at some point. So just kind of start with the majors and fill it in here and there, I guess.”

Thomas is grouped with Russell Henley and Korea’s Sungjae Im for an 8:06 a.m. local time Thursday start.

Ben Griffin captured the Charles Schwab Challenge by one stroke over Germany’s Matti Schmid in 2025.

The Texas Rangers made the decision Wednesday to designate veteran outfielder Andrew McCutchen for assignment, dealing a significant setback to the 39-year-old’s professional baseball career.

The former National League MVP once ranked among baseball’s elite players, earning National League All-Star honors for five straight years while playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2011 through 2015. However, his performance declined in recent years, and this season with Texas proved particularly challenging as he managed only a .192 batting average with a single home run and five runs batted in across 37 games, while recording 22 strikeouts in 73 plate appearances.

In a related roster move, Texas brought aboard infielder Nicky Lopez on a one-year contract. Lopez had appeared in just four games with the Chicago Cubs, going hitless in five at-bats before Chicago designated him for assignment this past Sunday.

McCutchen joined the Rangers organization in March as a free agent and is currently in his 18th major league campaign. Throughout his career, he has accumulated 333 home runs, 1,157 RBIs, and 220 stolen bases while maintaining a .271 batting average over 2,299 games. His career has taken him through multiple organizations including the Pirates (2009-17, 2023-25), San Francisco Giants (2018), New York Yankees (2018), Philadelphia Phillies (2019-21), and Milwaukee Brewers (2022). Pittsburgh originally selected him as the 11th overall choice in the 2005 amateur draft.

Lopez, who is 31 years old, brings a .245 career batting average along with seven home runs and 153 RBIs accumulated over 690 games during eight professional seasons. His career has included stops with the Kansas City Royals (2019-23), Atlanta Braves (2023), Chicago White Sox (2024), Los Angeles Angels (2025), and Cubs (2025-26). His best statistical season came in 2021 when he posted a .300 batting average across 151 games for Kansas City.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama delivered a subdued performance during Game 5 of the Western Conference finals and chose not to address the media following the contest.

The San Antonio Spurs are undoubtedly counting on witnessing a transformed player when they take the court Thursday evening.

The sixth game of the Western Conference championship series approaches, with San Antonio — confronting their first elimination scenario of these playoffs — preparing to welcome the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder to their home court. The Thunder hold a 3-2 series advantage and would maintain home-court benefit should a seventh game become necessary this Saturday.

“I think we’ll be fine,” Spurs forward Julian Champagnie said. “I think we’ll be ready to play next game. Obviously, it’s a win-or-go-home situation, so I’m 100% sure everybody’s going to come to play.”

This expectation extends to Wembanyama, who managed just 20 points — his lowest output of the series — during Tuesday’s Game 5 defeat in Oklahoma City. He declined to meet with media members following that contest, resulting in the NBA issuing him a warning Wednesday for failing to meet his media responsibilities.

San Antonio would undoubtedly prefer Wembanyama express himself through his play Thursday night. Ensuring he receives more than 15 shooting opportunities will be essential, according to Spurs coach Mitch Johnson.

“That’s probably the easiest (adjustment) in terms of just surface-level stuff,” Johnson said. “He’ll definitely need to take more shots.”

Numerous technical and sophisticated modifications occur throughout a playoff series, particularly during a competitive back-and-forth battle like this Western Conference final has proven to be.

Strategic approaches can appear quite complex. However, for Oklahoma City, their strategy entering a potential series-clinching Game 6 against San Antonio follows a straightforward approach.

“We’ve got to understand what’s going on,” Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said.

The situation is clear: San Antonio will battle for their postseason survival, supported by their home crowd hoping to witness their team extend the season for at least another game.

This competitive series — where San Antonio captured Game 1, Oklahoma City claimed Games 2 and 3, the Spurs bounced back in Game 4, and the Thunder responded in Game 5 — has now entered the elimination phase for San Antonio.

“We’ve been great when we’re desperate all year,” Spurs guard Stephon Castle said. “I can’t wait to see how we respond.”

Oklahoma City holds a perfect 2-0 record in elimination opportunities this season, securing Game 4 victories on opposing courts against both Phoenix in the opening round and the Los Angeles Lakers in round two. They finished 4-2 in closeout situations last season while capturing the NBA championship.

San Antonio successfully navigated elimination games in their previous two playoff series before this season, though they eventually fell in both of those matchups.

Betting lines suggest a seventh game is anticipated. They’ve established San Antonio as a 3.5-point home favorite for Game 6, indicating the series would return to Oklahoma City for a final deciding contest.

The Thunder remain the betting favorites to claim the NBA championship.

NEW YORK — Major League Baseball players launched their initial bargaining position Wednesday in what’s anticipated to be challenging labor contract talks, requesting broader free agency rules and salary arbitration eligibility alongside nearly doubling minimum wages and enhancing revenue distribution from high-earning teams to smaller-market franchises.

One day ahead of Major League Baseball’s anticipated salary cap presentation, the players’ union detailed their opening economic demands during negotiations at the union’s Manhattan headquarters.

The current labor agreement concludes December 1, with MLB anticipated to implement a lockout, which serves as management’s version of a work stoppage under federal labor regulations.

“Attendance, viewership, interest — by any measure you want to use, our game is moving in a positive direction,” Baltimore pitcher Chris Bassitt, a member of the union’s eight-man executive subcommittee, said in a statement. “We’ve put forward proposals designed to continue that trend. Support, incentivize, and reward clubs who are committed to competing, especially small-market clubs. Compensate players fairly for the work they are doing.”

MLB obviously opposes the union’s presentation and argues the union’s strategy would reduce revenue distribution.

“We understand their proposals are designed to benefit players. Unfortunately, they do not address and in fact exacerbate the competitive balance problem our fans are telling us we must address,” MLB spokesman Glen Caplin said in a statement. “The MLBPA’s proposal would reduce the amount transferred to lower-revenue clubs, weaken the competitive balance tax and lead to even more payroll disparity than exists today. For example, under the union’s proposal, the Dodgers would pay less in luxury tax payments, giving them an additional $70 million to spend on payroll.”

Marcus Semien and Sean Manaea of the Mets and Eugenio Suárez of Cincinnati were present for the meeting while additional players joined virtually.

“The players’ proposals provide increased revenue sharing initially guaranteeing every small-market club a minimum of $240 million in revenue every season,” interim union head Bruce Meyer, who replaced Tony Clark in February, said in a statement. “This enhanced revenue sharing includes added protections to ensure clubs prioritize winning over profiteering.”

Key proposal elements include raising the luxury tax ceiling from this season’s $244 million to $300 million by 2027, followed by $15 million annual increases. Draft pick penalties would be removed, and surcharge rates would decrease from the current 110% maximum to 10% above previous levels.

Free agency qualification, unchanged at six major league seasons since 1976, would drop to five seasons for players reaching age 30 by November 1. Teams could retain such players through qualifying offers, with refusal leading to arbitration eligibility.

Minimum salaries would jump from this year’s $780,000 to $1.5 million next season and $2.2 million by 2031.

Salary arbitration access would broaden with teams required to offer eligible players at least $3 million. The eligibility threshold moved from two to three years in 1986, with the super 2 classification beginning in 1991 at 17% and reaching 22% in 2013. The union proposes expanding this to 44%. Additionally, arbitration panel decisions would guarantee salaries, with some comparison salaries valued at 120%.

The pre-arbitration bonus fund, set at $50 million in the current 2022-26 agreement, would grow to $180 million next year with subsequent $15 million annual increases. Players signing multiyear contracts within their first 21 major league days would lose eligibility.

The qualifying offer system for six-year service players would end. This mechanism has limited some free agent markets since its 2012 introduction due to signing team penalties.

The amateur draft lottery would expand from six to eight teams.

Service time manipulation prevention rules from 2022 would broaden, including full service year credit for eligible prospects finishing top five in MVP balloting.

Lower-revenue franchises losing free agents would receive enhanced compensation, while low-revenue teams would gain additional draft picks.

A competitive integrity levy would target teams spending below 50% of the minimum tax threshold, with additional penalties for teams falling further behind. Franchises would face consequences for not investing received revenue-sharing funds in payrolls.

Every small-market franchise would receive guaranteed annual revenue of at least $240 million, while retaining more ballpark-generated income.

Low-revenue teams achieving winning records or playoff berths would earn additional revenue-sharing money, with local media income distributed more broadly among all teams.

The previous five-year agreement was finalized March 10, 2022, on the 99th day of a lockout, maintaining the 162-game regular season format. This marked baseball’s ninth work stoppage and first since the 7½-month strike spanning 1994-95 that cancelled the World Series for the first time since 1904.

President Donald Trump revealed Wednesday that he’s been extended an invitation to witness the New York Knicks compete in the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden next month.

Speaking to reporters, Trump shared that Knicks owner James Dolan has offered him tickets to watch the Eastern Conference champions face either the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs when the series comes to New York.

The Knicks are set to host the third and fourth games of the finals on June 8 and June 10, respectively. New York has been on a remarkable postseason run, winning 11 consecutive playoff games after completing a four-game sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals.

The president, who hails from New York, had originally considered attending the fifth game of the conference finals at Madison Square Garden, but the Knicks wrapped up the series before that became necessary. Trump praised Dolan as a “great guy” and expressed admiration for the team’s performance.

“Boy, what a team,” Trump remarked. “They have some really great players.”

The president described the franchise’s first finals appearance since 1999 as “great to see.”

“The Knicks have really suffered for years,” Trump commented, drawing laughter from reporters. “They’re doing (well) right now.”

Throughout his political career, Trump has frequently attended major sporting events, including the College Football Playoff championship and a primetime NFL matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets just before the 2024 election.

Madison Square Garden has long been known for attracting celebrity fans to courtside seats, including filmmaker Spike Lee, who has previously had public disagreements with Trump.

The Chicago Stars dismissed general manager Richard Feuz on Wednesday following the team’s disappointing performance that has left them languishing near the bottom of the NWSL table with the worst goal differential in the league at minus-17.

Currently holding a 3-8-0 record for nine points, the Stars occupy 15th place in the 16-team league. This follows their last-place finish among 14 teams in 2025 with a 3-12-11 record totaling 20 points. This season, Chicago has managed just five goals while conceding 22, making them both the lowest-scoring and most porous defensive team in the league.

“What we hope for in a league like this is to be competitive,” Stars president Karen Leetzow told reporters on Wednesday, per ESPN. “You want to be in playoff contention all the time.”

“But at the very least, you need to have a compelling product on the pitch. I don’t think we have either this year. And that is not for lack of trying. That’s why we are disappointed with the outcome and why we decided to make the change that we made today.”

During Feuz’s tenure as general manager since his appointment in February 2024, the Stars compiled a 16-34-13 record in regular season play and 17-36-14 across all competitions. The team did secure a playoff berth in his first season as the eighth seed.

Head coach Martin Sjogren joined the organization in August 2025 but was unable to begin coaching duties until this season due to previous commitments in Sweden.

Speaking about the coaching staff on Wednesday, Leetzow stated that “right now, we’re confident in Martin and Martin’s process,” adding that “we feel good about the coaches we have.”

The general manager responsibilities will be shared among Leetzow, assistant general manager Beatrice Caliani, and director of soccer operations Olivia Wynn until a permanent replacement is found.

“We are seeking an experienced sporting leader who brings a proven track record of building competitive rosters and aligning organizations around a clear vision,” Leetzow said in a news release on Wednesday. “We are grateful for Richard’s dedication to the Stars and for his work in attracting world-class talent to Chicago.”

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones is setting his sights on a Week 1 comeback as he continues his recovery from a torn Achilles that ended his season last November.

Six months after undergoing surgery, Jones participated in individual workouts and throwing sessions during the team’s voluntary organized activities in Indianapolis. The quarterback confirmed his goal to serve as the starter when Indianapolis hosts Baltimore for their season opener in September and intends to take part in all training camp activities.

“Absolutely,” Jones stated. “Definitely still work to be done and progress to be made. So, I think it’s just continuing to get stronger, continuing to run faster, cut harder. And progress kind of, according to the program.”

Head coach Shane Steichen remains open to possibilities with Anthony Richardson, who continues seeking a trade after Indianapolis chose to recommit to Jones. While Steichen noted Richardson maintains his desire for a new opportunity elsewhere, the team allowed him to practice with the offense Wednesday since “there’s the potential he could” remain with Indianapolis next season.

While Jones was expected to primarily observe during early organized team activities, Steichen anticipated his gradual integration into full participation.

“I’m actually not surprised, just because of the way he works,” Steichen commented.

Jones began the previous season strongly, helping Indianapolis to an 8-2 record while competing for the AFC’s top playoff position before injuries derailed their campaign – a recurring theme from his tenure with the New York Giants.

Indianapolis committed to continuing with Jones by securing him with a two-year, $88 million contract, avoiding another search for a franchise quarterback.

Riley Leonard remains with the team after Indianapolis brought Philip Rivers out of retirement to start in December when Jones was injured, Richardson dealt with an eye issue, and Leonard battled a minor knee problem sustained while replacing Jones during a game at Jacksonville.

Seth Henigan, formerly of Memphis, represents the only other quarterback currently on the roster heading into training camp. Indianapolis added him to their practice squad on Christmas Day last season for additional depth.

President Donald Trump announced his intention to attend an NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden after receiving an invitation from Knicks owner James Dolan.

The president revealed he had been asked to attend Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, but New York completed a four-game sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, eliminating the Wednesday game before Trump could accept Dolan’s invitation.

“Boy, what a team,” Trump commented at the White House while taking a break from a Cabinet meeting. “I think I’ll be going to one of the games. Yeah, I was invited by numerous people.”

The Knicks have reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999 and are waiting to learn their opponent from the Western Conference finals. The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder currently lead the San Antonio Spurs 3-2 in the best-of-seven series, with Game 6 scheduled for Thursday night.

The Western Conference winner will host the Knicks on June 3 and June 5. New York will host Game 3 on June 8 and Game 4 on June 10 in the best-of-seven championship series.

Throughout his two presidential terms, Trump has made appearances at numerous major sporting events, including the Super Bowl, U.S. Open tennis tournament, Ryder Cup and Daytona 500. Most recently, he attended a UFC event at Madison Square Garden in November 2024.

Trump, a former longtime New York resident, maintains connections to both the franchise and Dolan, who also manages the arena and the NHL’s New York Rangers.

What appeared to be a desperate move by the Vegas Golden Knights when they dismissed Bruce Cassidy and hired John Tortorella late in the season actually follows a pattern that has produced championship results before.

After Tortorella led the Golden Knights through a sweep of the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado team on Tuesday night, he now stands on the verge of becoming just the eighth coach in NHL history to capture the Stanley Cup following a mid-season hiring.

Since 2000, this feat has been accomplished five times, with Larry Robinson’s journey with the New Jersey Devils in that year bearing the strongest resemblance to Tortorella’s situation, as Robinson also assumed control with only eight games left in the 1999-00 campaign. The other successful mid-season coaches had significantly more time to implement their systems.

Vegas turned to Tortorella following a disastrous stretch in March when the team dropped six of seven contests. Under his leadership, the Golden Knights posted a 7-0-1 record to close the regular season and have dominated the Western Conference playoffs with a 12-4 mark.

The most recent championship team to achieve success after changing coaches mid-season was St. Louis in 2018-19, when Craig Berube replaced Mike Yeo early in the campaign. Kris Knoblauch nearly accomplished the same feat in 2023-24 with Edmonton, falling just one victory short after losing Game 7 of the Final to Florida.

Should Tortorella successfully guide the Golden Knights to their second championship, the six instances of mid-season coaching changes leading to titles in the NHL since 2000 would match the combined total from the NFL (0), NBA (4) and Major League Baseball (2) throughout their entire histories.

This accomplishment occurred only twice in the NHL during the 20th century, with Toronto’s Dick Irwin achieving it in 1932 and Montreal’s Al MacNeil doing so in 1971, before becoming more common in recent years.

The NBA coaches who have won championships after mid-season hirings include Jack McKinney with the Lakers in 1980, Pat Riley twice with Los Angeles in 1982 and Miami in 2006, and Tyronn Lue with Cleveland in 2016. In baseball, Jack McKeon led the Florida Marlins to a World Series title in 2003, while Bob Lemon accomplished the same with the Yankees in 1978.

A detailed examination of the five most recent NHL coaches who captured Stanley Cup championships after taking over during the season reveals:

After firing Yeo just 19 games into the 2018-19 campaign, St. Louis promoted Berube. The Blues plummeted to last place by early January before mounting a remarkable comeback.

St. Louis secured second place in the Central Division and overcame a 3-2 series deficit against Dallas in the second round, winning in double overtime in Game 7. They then erased a 2-1 series deficit in the conference final, defeating San Jose in six games to reach their first Stanley Cup Final since 1970.

Berube then guided St. Louis through a seven-game series victory over Boston, delivering the franchise’s first championship.

Pittsburgh was struggling in the early portion of the 2015-16 season and appeared ready to squander another prime year of Sidney Crosby’s career when they dismissed Mike Johnston and elevated Sullivan from the AHL.

Energized by crucial midseason acquisitions and exceptional performances from Crosby, Pittsburgh surged into playoff contention and maintained that momentum. The Penguins dropped only three games total in the opening two rounds before rallying from a 3-2 deficit in the conference final to eliminate Tampa Bay.

They dominated San Jose in a six-game series, claiming the Stanley Cup for Crosby’s second championship.

The Kings sat in 11th place in the Western Conference during December and were struggling offensively when they fired Terry Murray and eventually convinced Sutter to leave his Alberta farm for his first coaching position in over five years.

Sutter’s direct approach and focus on fundamentals proved exactly what the Kings required, helping them secure a playoff berth as the eighth seed. They stormed through the playoffs, stunning top-seeded Vancouver in five games during the first round and winning 15 of their initial 17 playoff games.

Los Angeles ultimately defeated New Jersey in six games for the franchise’s first championship, with their four losses tying for the second-fewest in a Cup-winning playoff run since the first round expanded to best-of-seven format in 1987.

Following their Final appearance in 2008, the Penguins were barely above .500 by February the following season, prompting GM Ray Shero to dismiss Michel Therrien and promote Bylsma from the AHL.

Pittsburgh compiled an 18-3-4 record down the stretch to claim the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins then navigated challenging series against Philadelphia and Washington before sweeping Carolina in the conference final.

This established a rematch opportunity against Detroit, and Pittsburgh prevailed this time, capturing Game 7 on the road for the franchise’s first title since 1992.

Despite holding first place in the East and owning the third-best record league-wide with eight games remaining in the regular season, GM Lou Lamoriello made the surprising choice to fire Robby Ftorek and elevate Robinson from his assistant coaching position.

New Jersey had managed just one playoff series victory over the previous four seasons and was faltering late in 2000 when Lamoriello determined a change was necessary.

His decision proved brilliant.

Robinson intensified practice schedules and emphasized defensive commitment, which proved crucial during a playoff run that included a comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the conference final against Philadelphia and a 2-1 double-overtime victory on the road in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against defending champion Dallas.

The Atlanta Hawks announced Wednesday they have elevated general manager Onsi Saleh to president of basketball operations, rewarding him with a promotion after the team’s return to postseason play for the first time since 2023.

The 40-year-old executive, who initially came to Atlanta as assistant general manager in May 2024 before being elevated to GM in April 2025, has agreed to a long-term contract extension with the organization.

“I have such tremendous gratitude for the trust and partnership that the Resslers have shown me since my first day in Atlanta,” Saleh said of the team owners. “They have provided all the resources necessary for our front office to continue methodically building our program into one of the NBA’s elite. It’s an honor to lead this team, and I take seriously my responsibility to deliver for Hawks fans — I could not be more excited for what is ahead for our franchise.”

The promotion comes after Saleh finished as runner-up for NBA Basketball Executive of the Year recognition last month. Under his leadership, Atlanta compiled a 46-36 record, captured the Southeast Division championship, and secured the No. 6 playoff seed. However, their postseason run ended when the New York Knicks defeated them in six games during the first round.

“Onsi possesses a rare combination of valuable leadership qualities and a clear vision that will position our franchise to compete at a championship level. He is a gifted communicator and talent evaluator, widely respected by his peers within the NBA community,” Hawks principal owner Tony Ressler said.

Looking ahead to next month’s NBA draft, Atlanta holds valuable assets including two first-round selections at positions No. 8 and No. 23, plus the No. 57 pick.

The Hawks represent the only 2026 playoff qualifier possessing a top-10 draft selection this year, having obtained that pick through a 2025 draft-night transaction with the New Orleans Pelicans. Atlanta traded Derik Queen, who was selected 13th overall, to New Orleans in return for the better of two first-round picks controlled by the Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks. The Pelicans’ disappointing season resulted in the pick falling into lottery territory for Atlanta’s benefit.

PARIS – Top-ranked tennis players experienced mixed results during Wednesday’s action at the French Open, with some stars moving forward while others suffered unexpected defeats in challenging weather conditions.

Four-time champion Swiatek managed to advance to the third round despite struggling with 38 unforced errors during her match against Czech player Sara Bejlek, winning 6-2 6-3 in the intense heat.

“It was a tricky match in terms of the rhythm, because Sara plays differently than most of the players,” Swiatek explained. “I’m happy with the way I adjusted and how I was making decisions, because sometimes it wasn’t obvious when to attack and stay back. In the end I felt pretty good.”

Three-time champion Djokovic faced a challenging battle against French player Valentin Royer but ultimately prevailed 6-3 6-2 6-7(7) 6-3, keeping his pursuit of a 25th Grand Slam title alive at age 39.

“I think Valentin deserves a big round of applause for his performance today. I hope I won’t play any more French players for the rest of the tournament,” Djokovic commented after the match.

The Serbian star noted the difficult playing conditions, saying “The feelings on the court are different when you win. But it was a tough match in difficult conditions.”

However, second seed Rybakina suffered a stunning early elimination, falling to Yuliia Starodubtseva 3-6 6-1 7-6(10-4). The recent Australian Open champion struggled significantly, committing 71 unforced errors throughout the contest.

“I feel like if you’re trying to beat one of the best, you have to think that you can,” Starodubtseva said following her first victory over a top-five player. “I was trying to go into this match with this mindset, try not to give too much respect, even though she’s a great player and someone you can look up to.”

Ukrainian players continued their recent success, with Rome champion Elina Svitolina defeating Kaitlin Quevedo 6-0 6-4 on Court Philippe Chatrier. Fellow Ukrainian and Madrid winner Marta Kostyuk also advanced, beating Katie Volynets 6-7(4) 6-3 6-3.

Drama unfolded off the court when Spanish player Alejandro Davidovich Fokina discovered his coach had abandoned him mid-tournament. Mariano Puerta left the venue after sending a text message and flew to Miami without explanation.

“After the match against Damir Dzumhur, we had lunch and after that, I went to cool down. He said he was feeling bad, he was going to the hotel,” Davidovich Fokina revealed after his four-set victory over Argentine Thiago Agustin Tirante. “In the afternoon … he texted me a message (saying) he’ll not continue … he didn’t say nothing to anybody, he just took the flight and flew to Miami.”

Additional tension arose during Tamara Korpatsch’s 6-2 2-6 6-3 victory over 32nd seed Wang Xinyu on Court Seven. The match concluded without a handshake after a disputed line call led to heated exchanges between the players.

The controversy began when Wang believed her shot had landed inside the baseline, but Korpatsch pointed to a ball mark outside the court. Wang crossed the net to examine the mark, earning a code violation from chair umpire Aurelie Tourte for unsportsmanlike conduct.

“I can’t say I’ll gift her the point,” Korpatsch explained. “I’m a bit surprised, because we have a good relationship, we’re not enemies. I didn’t offer her my hand because that’s not fair for me. She was unfair to come on my side, and I’m not an unfair player.”

Other notable results included Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Belinda Bencic’s commanding 6-4 6-0 victory over American Caty McNally. German player Alexander Zverev was scheduled to face Czech Tomas Machac in the evening session as he continues his quest for a first Grand Slam title.

The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) revealed Wednesday the Most Outstanding Performers from the 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships held in New Orleans.

Kai Smith received recognition as one of the championship’s Most Outstanding Performers following the competition. The USTFCCCA made the announcement after concluding the Division III outdoor track and field national championships.

Atlanta quarterback Michael Penix Jr. continues his rehabilitation from a torn ACL and has not received medical approval for full-contact team practice sessions, according to new Atlanta head coach Kevin Stefanski’s Wednesday announcement.

The 26-year-old quarterback is making excellent progress in his recovery and will take part in position-specific training and smaller 7-on-7 practice sessions during organized team activities while he awaits complete medical approval for his left knee, Stefanski explained.

“He’s not 100 percent, but he’s exactly where he needs to be,” Stefanski said.

When Penix receives full clearance, the quarterback selected eighth overall in the 2024 first-round draft is anticipated to battle with newly acquired quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for the starting position.

Penix suffered the campaign-ending knee injury during Week 11 of 2025, which marked his first year beginning the season as Atlanta’s primary quarterback. He took over the starting role from Kirk Cousins partway through his 2024 debut season.

Throughout 14 professional games with 12 starts, Penix has achieved a 59.6% completion rate, throwing for 2,757 yards with 12 touchdown passes and six interceptions.

Tagovailoa, age 28, posted a 44-32 win-loss record during his time with the Miami Dolphins, completing 68.0% of his attempts for 18,166 yards, 120 touchdowns and 59 interceptions across six seasons.

Both signal-callers are adapting to a fresh offensive system under Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. Atlanta’s quarterback room also includes Trevor Siemian and undrafted rookie Jack Strand.

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs walked free from police custody Wednesday after being detained on multiple domestic violence allegations.

Prosecutors have not filed formal charges against the 28-year-old player. The Brown County District Attorney’s Office in Wisconsin explained there’s a difference between what’s needed for an arrest versus filing charges. While “probable cause” justifies an arrest, proving guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt” is required for criminal charges.

“After reviewing the available evidence in this case, the Brown County District Attorney’s Office is not yet prepared to make a formal charging decision,” District Attorney David L. Lasee said in a statement. “Our office has requested additional investigation, as there is reason to believe that additional evidence may exist that would impact whether criminal charges are appropriate.”

The Hobart-Lawrence Police Department in Wisconsin took Jacobs into custody Tuesday on allegations including battery (domestic abuse, criminal damage to property), domestic abuse, disorderly conduct (domestic abuse, strangulation and suffocation) and intimidation of a victim.

According to Brown County jail records, the strangulation and suffocation allegation carries felony status, while the remaining charges are classified as misdemeanors.

Jacobs’ legal team issued a statement Wednesday defending their client.

“We are extremely pleased that Josh has been released from custody and that no criminal charges have been filed against him,” a statement from David Z. Chesnoff, Richard A. Schonfeld and Clarence Duchac read. “As we previously stated, we encourage everyone to keep an open mind while the matter is fully reviewed. We remain confident that, once all of the evidence is gathered and evaluated, it will confirm that no charges should be brought against Josh in the future.”

When reporters asked Packers head coach Matt LaFleur about Jacobs during Wednesday’s organized team activities, he declined to elaborate.

“I’m going to stick with the statement we put out as an organization and just let the process play out,” he said.

Currently in his third year with Green Bay after inking a four-year, $48 million contract in 2024, Jacobs has earned Pro Bowl honors three times (2020, 2022, 2024) and first-team All Pro recognition in 2022, when he topped the NFL in rushing yards while playing for the Las Vegas Raiders.

Throughout his seven-year NFL career, Jacobs has accumulated 7,803 rushing yards on 1,840 carries with 74 touchdowns.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Star running back Josh Jacobs of the Green Bay Packers has been freed from a Wisconsin detention facility as officials continue examining domestic violence accusations against the NFL player.

The 28-year-old athlete was taken into custody Tuesday in Brown County facing allegations of strangulation and suffocation stemming from an incident that allegedly occurred over the weekend. Legal representatives for Jacobs stated their client maintains his innocence.

District Attorney David Lasee indicated it remains premature to determine formal charges.

“Our office has requested additional investigation, as there is reason to believe that additional evidence may exist that would impact whether criminal charges are appropriate, and what charges would be issued. … The investigation remains open and is ongoing,” Lasee said.

The legal team representing Jacobs — David Chesnoff, Richard Schonfeld and Clarence Duchac — expressed satisfaction with his release from custody.

“We encourage everyone to keep an open mind while the matter is fully reviewed. We remain confident that, once all of the evidence is gathered and evaluated, it will confirm that no charges should be brought against Josh in the future,” they said.

According to Hobart/Lawrence Police Chief Michael Renkas, officers responded to a report involving Jacobs at approximately 8:30 a.m. Saturday morning.

The football player serves as Green Bay’s leading returning ground-game performer following a season where he accumulated 929 rushing yards and scored 13 touchdowns in 2025. This came after his 2024 campaign in which he gained 1,329 yards on the ground with 15 touchdowns while receiving his third Pro Bowl recognition.

Green Bay commenced organized team activities Tuesday. Team officials have refused to provide comment regarding the arrest.

“I know there’s going to be a lot of questions about Josh,” coach Matt LaFleur said Wednesday. “I’m going to stick with the statement that we put out as an organization and just let the process play out.”

Jacobs represents Green Bay’s most talented player at a position where the team has limited backup options. Emanuel Wilson, who finished as their second-leading rusher last season, has since joined the Seattle Seahawks. The organization did not select any running backs in this year’s draft.

The veteran spent his initial five NFL seasons with the Raiders. He received All-Pro recognition and led the league with 1,653 rushing yards while playing for Las Vegas in 2022.

Throughout his seven-year professional career, he has accumulated 7,803 rushing yards and 74 touchdowns. Among current NFL players, only Baltimore’s Derrick Henry (122) and Buffalo’s Josh Allen (79) have scored more career rushing touchdowns.

San Francisco and reserve quarterback Mac Jones have reached agreement on restructuring his 2026 season contract, according to a Wednesday report from NFL Network.

The reworked agreement features a $300,000 roster bonus, $3.55 million in base salary, and an additional $2.25 million in potential incentive payments, according to the report.

The 27-year-old Jones, who stepped into the starting role for eight games last season (posting a 5-3 record) while filling in for an injured Brock Purdy, will hit free agency in March.

During his debut season with San Francisco, Jones posted career-best numbers by completing 69.6% of his throws for 2,151 yards, throwing 13 touchdown passes against six interceptions over 11 appearances.

Originally selected 15th overall in the first round and earning Pro Bowl honors with New England in 2021, Jones holds a 25-32 record as a starting quarterback across his time with the Patriots (2021-23), Jacksonville Jaguars (2024) and 49ers. Throughout 63 career games, he has connected on 66.5% of his attempts for 12,741 yards with 67 touchdowns and 50 interceptions.

Purdy, 26, was sidelined for eight contests last season due to a turf-toe injury. San Francisco’s quarterback room also includes Adrian Martinez and Kurtis Rourke.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, known for his three Super Bowl championships, four All-Pro selections, and engagement to pop icon Taylor Swift, has taken on a new role as a minority owner of the Cleveland Guardians baseball franchise.

The baseball team made the announcement Wednesday prior to their matchup with the Washington Nationals, revealing that Kelce had acquired a small portion of David Blitzer’s 35% ownership stake. Blitzer has the option to become the controlling owner following the 2027 season or can delay exercising that right.

Speaking on the “New Heights” podcast with his brother Jason Kelce, the NFL star explained his decision: “The opportunity came across my desk and I just couldn’t say no. These guys (Blitzer and majority owner Paul Dolan) gave me the opportunity to show my Cleveland love and plant my roots in Cleveland forever, no matter what. It’s an awesome feeling knowing that a childhood kid that grew up on the east side is now part owner of his favorite baseball team.”

Kelce’s athletic background extends beyond football, having participated in football, basketball, and baseball during his time at Cleveland Heights High School. His baseball prowess was recognized when he was named Cleveland Plain Dealer baseball player of the week after achieving a .636 batting average (14 for 22) with two home runs and 12 RBIs during a May 2008 stretch in his senior season. He continued playing baseball on a collegiate summer team in 2010 while studying at the University of Cincinnati.

In a combined statement, Dolan and Blitzer praised the acquisition: “Travis Kelce knows what it takes to win at the highest levels and he’s exemplified that throughout his playing career and in the way he shows up as a community leader and businessman. He cares deeply for Cleveland and Northeast Ohio and is committed to supporting our mission of building out a world-class organization that helps uplift the communities we serve. It’s great to welcome Travis home and we know he’ll make a lasting impact here.”

During the podcast recording, Kelce sported a Guardians City Connect jersey while sharing memories of attending games during his youth. Both brothers revealed that Albert Belle and Jim Thome were their childhood baseball heroes.

“There’s so many countless memories of the 1990s and then early 2000s where it’s in me to always root for the Guards and always wanted to be a part of them from,” he said. “It’s a dream come true for a Cleveland kid. Any Cleveland kid would be through the roof right now, and I’m happy to be the honorable one to get to do it for us.”

Kelce and Swift were spotted in Cleveland recently, attending Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Cavaliers and New York Knicks last weekend.

As his inaugural act as a Guardians owner, Kelce is scheduled to throw the ceremonial first pitch on June 14 when the team faces the Detroit Tigers. This will be his second attempt at the honor, following a 2023 home opener against Seattle where his pitch bounced near home plate and rolled to the backstop.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt expressed mixed feelings about Kelce joining the organization, given his allegiance to the San Francisco 49ers.

“I’m still a little bit bitter because the Chiefs beat the Niners twice in the Super Bowl,” Vogt said before the series finale against the Nationals. “But outside of that, it’s pretty cool to have Kelce on board.”

This makes Kelce the second Chiefs player to hold ownership in a baseball franchise, joining teammate Patrick Mahomes, who owns a share of the Kansas City Royals. Mahomes congratulated Kelce by posting a video of his previous first pitch attempt on social media.

WASHINGTON — Two influential senators are preparing to unveil bipartisan legislation aimed at addressing ongoing turmoil in college athletics by establishing rules for player compensation, restricting student transfers, and implementing what they call a “Lane Kiffin Rule” to prevent coaches from switching jobs during active seasons.

Senators Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., who serve as chair and ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee overseeing collegiate athletics, shared details of their proposed legislation with The Associated Press. The lawmakers developed the measure hoping it can secure the 60 votes required for Senate passage.

“This is a stability bill, not just an NIL bill,” Cruz explained, referring to name, image and likeness compensation that has resulted in football teams with $30 million payrolls and transformed the collegiate sports landscape.

Cantwell explained their collaboration on the measure, stating she and Cruz worked together “because he and I really do believe the college sports system is in a bit of chaos.”

The proposed legislation combines elements from two previous unsuccessful proposals known as SCORE and SAFE that have stalled in recent months. It incorporates two provisions the NCAA has endorsed: limited antitrust protection and language that would override the current patchwork of state regulations governing NIL.

Collegiate athletics has sought federal intervention while dealing with escalating player compensation costs and an uncontrolled transfer system that has put smaller programs at risk, particularly women’s sports that form the foundation of America’s Olympic development system.

The proposed Protect College Sports Act (PCSA) would provide what Cruz and Cantwell described as highly “targeted” antitrust protections — similar to the Republican-supported SCORE Act that Democrats largely rejected. In return, Cruz said the bill would include “public-facing protections” for student-athletes across 10 categories, including health insurance guarantees, scholarship protections, and stricter oversight of third-party NIL agreements.

“I think it’s better predictability,” Cantwell noted. “Why did we do it? Because when you’ve got thousands of athletes being cut, hundreds of programs being cut, the risk to the whole infrastructure was too high to not try to get better predictability.”

The legislation would restrict student-athletes to one unrestricted transfer during their collegiate careers — a concept that has gained widespread support nationwide — and would implement something similar to the five-year eligibility framework the NCAA appears poised to approve next month.

The measure also addresses coaching mobility. Kiffin’s abrupt departure to LSU from conference rival Mississippi while the Rebels prepared for the College Football Playoff last season highlighted an escalating problem in an environment where programs invest millions in rapidly changing football rosters: Universities show less patience and deploy more resources to hire coaches for immediate solutions.

The proposed legislation would ban mid-season coaching transitions.

“It’s not fair or right to poach a coach in the middle of the season while the team is still competing,” Cruz stated. “There’s a reason the NFL has a rule that you can’t do that. Obviously, NFL teams hire coaches away from each other but they don’t do so in the middle of the season.”

The bill would modify the Sports Broadcasting Act to permit conferences to combine their television rights — a change supporters claim could generate billions in additional revenue, though the Southeastern and Big Ten Conferences dispute this projection.

The senators explained that conferences wouldn’t face mandatory participation in media pooling, but those choosing to participate would need to allocate a portion of any resulting revenue increases toward women’s and Olympic sports programs. This requirement alone could prove unacceptable to the SEC.

“If you do nothing, then obviously, all these other women’s and Olympic sports and less revenue-driven activities are going to suffer,” Cantwell said. “I’ve heard directly from my institutions, they say they’re counting on this. Not creating this stability now would be a missed opportunity.”

The SCORE Act, which received minimal Democratic backing, appeared on last week’s House agenda but was suddenly withdrawn after the Congressional Black Caucus and NAACP announced their opposition.

However, even if it had narrowly passed the closely divided House, it faced virtually no prospect of Senate approval in its current form, requiring 60 votes to overcome a potential filibuster.

“The Congressional Black Caucus and I have the same objective: stop the ‘SEC SCORE Act,’” Cantwell said, noting the SEC among numerous conferences supporting that measure.

Several Democrats hesitated to endorse legislation like SCORE that prevented college athletes from gaining employee status at their institutions. The new proposal adopts what Cantwell characterized as a “neutral” position on employment classification.

“Senator Cruz and I have been very concerned about producing a bill that’s not just about the 1% of athletes who go on and have a professional career,” she explained. “We took care of the entire ecosystem and have opportunities for athletes to continue to have that collegiate experience.”

State prosecutors in New York and New Jersey announced Wednesday they have launched a formal investigation into FIFA’s ticket distribution methods, following recent media coverage that highlighted concerns about fan seating arrangements.

The attorneys general from both states issued a legal subpoena to the international soccer organization as part of their inquiry into ticketing procedures, according to a joint statement released by the state officials.

The investigation was prompted by recent news reports that raised questions about where fans were being seated at events, the officials explained in their announcement.

PARIS, May 27 – Key results from Wednesday’s fourth day of competition at the French Open (all times GMT):

1328 SVITOLINA ADVANCES TO ROUND THREE

Ukrainian seventh seed Elina Svitolina defeated Kaitlin Quevedo 6-0 6-4 to advance to the third round. The Italian Open champion continues her quest for her first Grand Slam title.

1300 KHACHANOV SURVIVES MARATHON MATCH

Russian 13th seed Karen Khachanov overcame Marco Trungelliti 7-6(5) 5-7 6-1 7-6(4) in an epic battle lasting almost four hours to secure his spot in the third round.

1145 SWIATEK SETS UP POTENTIAL OSTAPENKO SHOWDOWN

Third seed Iga Swiatek defeated Sara Bejlek 6-2 6-3 to advance to the third round.

The four-time French Open winner will face either Magda Linette or Jelena Ostapenko next. Ostapenko, a former Roland Garros champion, holds a perfect 6-0 record against the Polish player in their previous encounters.

1040 BENCIC REACHES THIRD ROUND

Swiss 11th seed Belinda Bencic became the first woman to secure a third-round berth after defeating American Caty McNally 6-4 6-0.

0909 COMPETITION BEGINS

Play commenced in sweltering conditions at Roland Garros, with Paris temperatures reaching 28 degrees Celsius and expected to climb to approximately 32 degrees, accompanied by gentle breezes.

Four-time champion Iga Swiatek, the third seed, kicked off action on Court Philippe-Chatrier against Czech competitor Sara Bejlek, while 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic was scheduled to face Valentin Royer later.

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE (seeding indicated by prefix number):

COURT PHILIPPE CHATRIER (starting at 1000 GMT)

Sara Bejlek (Czech Republic) v 3-Iga Swiatek (Poland)

7-Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) v Kaitlin Quevedo (Spain)

Valentin Royer (France) v 3-Novak Djokovic (Serbia)

Tomas Machac (Czech Republic) v 2-Alexander Zverev (Germany)

COURT SUZANNE LENGLEN (starting at 0900 GMT)

8-Alex De Minaur (Australia) v Alexander Blockx (Belgium)

Yuliia Starodubtseva (Ukraine) v 2-Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan)

13-Jasmine Paolini (Italy) v Solana Sierra (Argentina)

15-Casper Ruud (Norway) v Hamad Medjedovic (Serbia)

COURT SIMONNE MATHIEU (starting at 0900 GMT)

Caty McNally (U.S.) v 11-Belinda Bencic (Switzerland)

Camilo Ugo Carabelli (Argentina) v 11-Andrey Rublev

32-Ugo Humbert (France) v Quentin Halys (France)

8-Mirra Andreeva v Marina Bassols Ribera (Spain)

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the San Antonio Spurs 127-114 in Game 5, positioning themselves just one victory away from returning to the NBA Finals. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 32 points, while Alex Caruso contributed 22 points off the bench in another impressive reserve performance on Tuesday night.

Jared McCain, stepping into his first playoff start due to injuries sidelining Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, delivered 20 points for Oklahoma City. The Thunder now hold a 3-2 advantage in the Western Conference finals.

For San Antonio, Stephon Castle topped the scoring with 24 points, supported by Julian Champagnie’s 22 points and Victor Wembanyama’s 20 points. However, Wembanyama struggled offensively, connecting on just 4 of 15 shot attempts.

The late businessman Lamar Hunt played a crucial role in establishing professional soccer in America, founding both the North American Soccer League and later Major League Soccer. He was also instrumental in organizing the 1994 World Cup. His sons Clark and Dan are now carrying forward his vision, coordinating matches for the upcoming World Cup in Kansas City and Dallas. They express confidence that their father would be pleased with soccer’s current progress.

The Vegas Golden Knights have advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the third time in nine seasons, establishing themselves as one of the most successful expansion teams in North American professional sports. They eliminated the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 on Tuesday night, sweeping the Presidents’ Trophy winners.

This year’s Golden Knights team mirrors their 2023 championship squad, utilizing depth scoring and solid defensive play. Coach John Tortorella highlighted the valuable contributions from the third and fourth lines. Goalie Carter Hart has been exceptional throughout the playoffs, posting a 12-4 record with a .924 save percentage.

Iga Swiatek has extended her remarkable French Open career record to 42-3 after defeating 35th-ranked Sara Bejlek 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the third round. The four-time Roland Garros champion previously won the tournament in 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Despite continued hot weather conditions in Paris, 11th-seeded Belinda Bencic also progressed, defeating American player Caty McNally 6-4, 6-0. Upcoming matches include 39-year-old Novak Djokovic facing 74th-ranked French player Valentin Royer, while second-seeded Alexander Zverev was scheduled to play Tomas Machac in the evening session on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Curaçao has created an unprecedented World Cup narrative. The small autonomous territory, home to approximately 156,000 people, has become the smallest nation by both population and geographic size to qualify for soccer’s premier tournament. Adding to their unique story, they’ll compete under 78-year-old coach Dick Advocaat, who is poised to become the tournament’s oldest-ever coach.

Throughout their qualifying campaign, they faced skepticism about their small size and their coach’s age, with many doubting their chances. However, they’ve proven critics wrong by securing their historic World Cup berth.

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs faces five criminal charges, including strangulation and suffocation, following a weekend incident. Hobart/Lawrence Police Chief Michael Renkas announced that Jacobs was arrested Tuesday and taken to Brown County Jail.

The charges include strangulation and suffocation, battery-domestic abuse, criminal damage to property-domestic abuse, disorderly conduct-domestic abuse and intimidation of a victim. Police responded to a complaint involving Jacobs on Saturday at 8:37 a.m., according to Renkas.

The San Antonio Spurs have followed a consistent pattern throughout the Western Conference finals: they win when Victor Wembanyama dominates, and lose when he doesn’t. Tuesday night fell into the latter category as the Spurs dropped Game 5 to the Oklahoma City Thunder 127-114.

While Wembanyama’s subpar performance wasn’t the sole reason for the defeat, it was certainly a significant factor. The star player, who recorded 41-point and 33-point performances in the team’s victories during the series, never found his rhythm throughout the game.

The 2026 World Cup is expected to feature the final appearances of soccer legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. This tournament may signal the conclusion of their era as they hand over leadership to emerging talent.

Rising stars like Spain’s Lamine Yamal and France’s Kylian Mbappé are prepared to step into the spotlight. Additional players to monitor include Norway’s Erling Haaland and Team USA’s Christian Pulisic. As Messi and Ronaldo approach retirement, the tournament presents an opportunity for new soccer icons to establish themselves.

IOC president Kirsty Coventry has announced that sports and medal events eliminated from the 2032 Brisbane Olympics schedule will have opportunities to return in subsequent Summer Games. Coventry provided this assurance during the annual gathering of Summer Games sports organizations known as ASOIF.

She had previously warned in February about difficult upcoming discussions aimed at making future Olympic hosting more streamlined. The International Olympic Committee plans to finalize the Brisbane sports lineup soon. Coventry had earlier informed sports leaders that fewer than the 36 sports featured in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics would be included.

Shohei Ohtani was struck on the right hand by a pitch during the Los Angeles Dodgers’ matchup with the Colorado Rockies. Colorado pitcher Kyle Freeland hit Ohtani in the fourth inning, and the dual-threat star exited the game after grounding out in the fifth inning.

Ohtani finished 0 for 2 with one run scored. Manager Dave Roberts explained that the ball primarily struck the protective pad on Ohtani’s hand before making contact with his pinkie finger. Roberts removed Ohtani from the game to allow him rest before his scheduled pitching start on Wednesday, though he hadn’t determined whether Ohtani would also bat.

Information regarding the 2026 NCAA Baseball Championship has been made available as college baseball programs prepare for the upcoming tournament season.

The championship preview provides an early look at what teams and fans can expect from the 2026 college baseball postseason tournament.

Additional details about the tournament format, participating teams, and schedule are expected to be announced as the 2026 season approaches.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — While many might draw parallels between the Golden Knights’ surprising journey to the Stanley Cup Final and their remarkable 2018 debut season that stunned the hockey world, a better comparison lies with their championship squad from three years ago.

Vegas has earned its way back to the Final for the third time in nine seasons, potentially establishing itself as the most successful expansion team in North American professional sports. The Golden Knights secured their spot by defeating Colorado 2-1 Tuesday evening, completing a shocking four-game sweep of the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche.

The current squad mirrors the 2023 championship team’s formula: contributions from every line, physical defensive play, and stellar goaltending.

“I think we’ve always built our teams with good depth at the forward position, defensive position and goaltending position,” captain Mark Stone said. “I guess the similarities are that’s just the way we build our teams.”

During the 2023 playoff run, 18 different players found the net and 12 recorded double-digit points across 22 games. This postseason through 16 contests, 15 players have scored goals while six have reached the 10-point mark.

The team’s depth was on full display in the series-clinching victory against Colorado, with both goals coming from the bottom six forwards. Cole Smith netted the game-winner with 5:45 remaining on the clock.

“The third and fourth lines, the five- and six-D, that’s how you continue to move in the playoffs,” coach John Tortorella said. “Those are very important pieces as you go through these series. I’m happy for Smitty. I was going to kill him; he’s taking so many penalties.

“But I’m happy for him and (Dylan Coghlan and Kaedan Korczak). I mean, how well did they play. Playing against that team with the amount of speed that they bring, they weren’t intimidated by a thing.”

Coghlan and Korczak comprise Vegas’s third defensive pairing, which successfully contained an Avalanche attack that led the league with 3.63 goals per game in the regular season and increased that average to 4.11 through the first two playoff rounds. Against the Golden Knights, Colorado managed just 1.75 goals per game.

The Avalanche went without registering a shot for the final 14:23 of the second period in Game 4 and managed only one shot over a span exceeding 25 minutes.

Throughout the series, the Golden Knights consistently threw their bodies in front of Colorado shots. Four of the postseason’s top nine shot-blocking leaders wear Vegas uniforms, led by Shea Theodore’s 46 blocks. In 2023, four of the top five shot blockers were Golden Knights players, with Alec Martinez leading at 57.

The goaltending situation has also been crucial.

Adin Hill was instrumental in 2023, stepping in during the second round and posting an 11-4 record with a .932 save percentage and 2.17 goals-against average. While Hill remains with the organization, Carter Hart has seized the starting role. Hart has compiled a 12-4 record with a .924 save percentage and 2.22 GAA this postseason.

“Hartsy’s been amazing this whole series, whole playoffs really,” Mitch Marner said. “Made some massive saves throughout all these games and again tonight. Made some massive ones for us to keep the game where it was. Hell of a game by Hartsy again.”

The Golden Knights await the winner of the Eastern Conference Final between Carolina and Montreal to determine their Stanley Cup Final opponent.

Grand Depart GB launched a nationwide recruitment drive Wednesday seeking 9,000 volunteers to assist with both the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes when Britain hosts the races in 2027. The application window remains open until September 1st.

This marks a historic first, as Britain will become the initial country outside of France to host both the men’s and women’s Grand Departs during the same year. The men’s competition features three British stages scheduled for July 2-4, with routes running from Edinburgh to Carlisle, Keswick to Liverpool, and Welshpool to Cardiff.

Volunteer opportunities span all six British stages covering Scotland, England and Wales – three for men’s competition and three for women’s events. Applicants must be at least 16 years old, though no previous volunteer background is necessary.

Position responsibilities include event operations and enhancing spectator experiences for both competitions, with comprehensive training provided to all volunteers. Additionally, volunteers between 18 and 25 years old qualify for the Readiness to Work program, which offers career mentoring and employability skills development across various industries.

British Cycling has also requested government commitment of 30 million pounds ($40.31 million) in capital investment to build new cycling facilities and upgrade existing ones throughout Britain, specifically targeting underserved communities.

The head of the Ultimate Fighting Championship recently shared his thoughts on an ambitious project to construct a combat sports venue at the nation’s most famous residence.

During a conversation with NPR’s Steve Inskeep, Dana White, who serves as president and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, discussed his proposal to erect a fighting arena on the White House lawn.

White described the opportunity as an honor during the interview, where he outlined his vision for bringing mixed martial arts competition to the presidential residence grounds.

The most lasting memories that Clark and Dan Hunt carry of their late father, sports magnate Lamar Hunt, center not on the countless World Cup matches they witnessed together, but rather on the winding, peculiar journeys they embarked upon to reach those stadiums.

There were van trips across Europe alongside an eclectic group of journalists, including a young CBS announcer named Verne Lundquist. Adventures seeking the finest wienerschnitzel and gelato. Climbing over barriers to swim in Italian hotel pools that had closed hours earlier. And that infamous Mexican eatery that became their collective undoing.

“My dad, he could eat anything,” Dan Hunt remembered, recalling that evening during the 1986 World Cup. “I mean, he had a cast-iron stomach. He never got sick. And that about killed him. That was the food that took down the Hunt family.”

During extensive conversations with The Associated Press, the Hunt siblings — Clark, who chairs the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, and Dan, who leads Major League Soccer’s FC Dallas — looked back on the significant soccer heritage their departed father established.

America might very well be watching the World Cup unfold in another nation next month instead of serving as host, were it not for his contributions.

Lamar Hunt was instrumental in establishing professional soccer’s presence in America through his backing of the North American Soccer League. When that venture collapsed in the 1980s, an unwavering Hunt played a crucial role in creating MLS, which FIFA required as a condition for allowing the United States to stage the 1994 World Cup.

During that tournament, Lamar Hunt acted as co-chairman of the organizing committee for Dallas matches. Three decades later, Clark Hunt holds the same position for Kansas City games while Dan has assumed that responsibility in Dallas.

However, unlike America’s previous World Cup hosting duties, this time four group matches and two elimination contests will take place at Arrowhead Stadium, where the Chiefs play, and a venue Lamar Hunt often described as his most beloved location on Earth.

“It’s going to be special,” Clark Hunt expressed, “and I think it goes back to thinking about my dad a lot. That’s what I’m going to do during those games, just think about how excited he would be to see the World Cup in Arrowhead Stadium.”

Describing soccer as emerging in 1950s America would be generous. No meaningful professional competitions existed, and following a poor showing at the 1950 World Cup where they lost two of three matches, Americans wouldn’t qualify again for four decades.

Lamar Hunt’s passion for the sport began during a transatlantic journey.

His future spouse, Norma Hunt, was studying at University College Dublin as a Rotary scholar in the early 1960s, and the oil magnate H.L. Hunt’s son had traveled to see her. They attended a Shamrock Rovers contest, standing on a terrace during a chilly evening, and became captivated by the intense, passionate atmosphere of European football.

“I think,” Clark Hunt noted, “that may have been my dad’s first professional soccer game.”

That encounter left a lasting impression on Lamar Hunt, even after returning home and dedicating himself to American football, helping establish the American Football League — which eventually merged with the NFL — and the Dallas Texans, who became the Chiefs.

Several years afterward, Hunt traveled back to Europe for his inaugural World Cup experience. In 1966, he witnessed host nation England defeat West Germany in a memorable Wembley Stadium final for what remains their sole championship.

That same year, a collection of businessmen including Hunt and Jack Kent Cooke formed the United Soccer Association, which later combined with the National Professional Soccer League to establish the North American Soccer League. For almost twenty years, the NASL advanced American soccer, attracting legends like Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Carlos Alberto to North America, and establishing foundations for future American talent.

“We know from his ventures into professional football that he was not afraid of a challenge,” Clark Hunt observed, “and he was always an optimist, too, and many of his ventures probably had long odds. But he had tremendous perseverence and tremendous work ethic, and he had a vision and a belief for what he was doing.”

The NASL expanded rapidly during the 1970s — perhaps too rapidly. Many new franchise owners lacked sufficient resources to absorb early losses while establishing their teams, leading to closures and several years of league contraction.

Following the 1984 season, with declining attendance and no television coverage, the league ceased operations.

“My dad was always great about not sharing his negative feelings, but I’m sure he had them,” Clark Hunt reflected. “I remember as a high school and college student being very upset about it, even though I didn’t have any real, you know, direct nexus to the team. But I just knew how disappointing it was for him, and sad that a sport I had come to love had really disappeared.”

However, professional soccer’s absence proved temporary.

Lamar Hunt possessed remarkable persistence, treating each setback as an educational experience. Therefore, when FIFA informed 1994 World Cup organizers that hosting required a premier domestic league, Hunt applied lessons from the NASL experience while helping create Major League Soccer.

“You knew that if Lamar Hunt was part of it,” explained Thom Meredith, his longtime associate, “it meant something. You had Robert Kraft and all these other guys, but when it came down to it, you had Lamar Hunt in the room.”

Hunt provided financial backing for the league and owned three founding franchises; the family retains FC Dallas ownership but sold clubs in Columbus and Kansas City. The league has since expanded to 30 teams across the United States and Canada, welcomed stars including David Beckham and Lionel Messi, and supported comprehensive youth soccer development nationwide.

“My dad would be so pleased to see where MLS is today,” Clark Hunt said, “and he would be so excited about where it’s going.”

While domestic soccer mattered to Hunt, the World Cup truly fascinated him, starting with that 1966 classic through the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan, which accelerated the sport’s Asian growth.

Most tournaments found Hunt loading his family into rental vehicles and traveling throughout host nations to attend as many matches as possible.

Clark Hunt, who later played college soccer at SMU, experienced his first World Cup in 1978. Rather than the games themselves, his clearest memory involves a plaza outside a Düsseldorf stadium featuring activities for children. One challenge involved kicking a ball through a wooden target, and Lamar Hunt enjoyed the attempt as much as his 9-year-old son.

Dan Hunt’s inaugural World Cup came in Mexico during 1986. The low point was that devastating meal that sickened the entire family, but the highlight was certainly the final, when Diego Maradona led Argentina past West Germany in Mexico City.

“We had seats at about the 40-yard line, you know? Great seats. And we were there with our tickets and people were stitting there, and they were unwilling to move. Security was unwilling to move them. So we had no seats,” Dan Hunt remembered. “So my dad, true to form, solved the problem by buying more tickets, and we were right behind the goal for the penalty-kick shootout.”

Both brothers had commitments at the 2002 tournament’s start, so Lamar Hunt — who passed away four years later at age 74 — ventured to Asia alone. Early in his trip, thieves stole his briefcase containing money, tickets and travel papers, forcing the billionaire businessman to navigate foreign ATM machines.

“He stuck is best card in and started to push buttons,” Dan Hunt recalled, “and he panicked and it shredded his card. So we’d send him cash. And then he was in South Korea, headed back to Japan, and they confiscated it all because he was over the legal limit.

“I just remember thinking, ‘My dad is totally going to get kidnapped.’”

When the United States received World Cup hosting rights alongside Mexico and Canada in June 2018, Kansas City organizers and Chiefs executives immediately began preparations. The city had been excluded from 1994 hosting after FIFA determined Arrowhead Stadium couldn’t accommodate the required field dimensions, and they refused to repeat that disappointment.

Over several years, costing nearly $20 million, lower bowl seating was removed from the NFL stadium and additional changes were implemented to prepare for its World Cup debut, now just days away. The opening match features Messi and defending champion Argentina facing Algeria on June 16.

Kansas City will stage six total matches, including a quarterfinal, with the metropolitan area serving as headquarters for Argentina and Algeria, plus traditional powers England and the Netherlands, a longtime Hunt family favorite.

Meanwhile, AT&T Stadium in Dallas, near Lamar Hunt’s former residence, will host five group-stage contests. The Cowboys’ venue will also stage four knockout round games, including a July 14 semifinal.

“I think this is one of the final pegs of fulfilling dad’s legacy,” Dan Hunt said. “He called Arrowhead Stadium his favorite place on earth, and it’s just so cool to have games there. And you know, Dallas was his hometown, and he loved it so much. So I think he would be just excited that we’re back here. I think he would be over the moon.”

The chief executive of Ultimate Fighting Championship recently discussed his intentions to construct a combat sports venue on the White House grounds during an interview with NPR.

Dana White, who holds the position of president and CEO at the mixed martial arts organization, spoke with NPR’s Steve Inskeep regarding his proposal to establish a fighting arena at the presidential residence.

During the conversation, White expressed that he considers the opportunity to develop such a facility on the White House lawn to be an honor.

The New York Yankees delivered a historic offensive explosion Tuesday night, launching six home runs while demolishing the Kansas City Royals 15-1 in a game that extended their dominance over Kansas City to 14 consecutive victories, including postseason matchups.

Amed Rosario powered the attack with a pair of home runs, collecting four hits and driving in four runs. The Yankees also got long balls from Cody Bellinger, Anthony Volpe, Trent Grisham and Jazz Chisholm Jr., with the five home run hitters accounting for 12 RBIs combined. Grisham, Volpe, Ben Rice and Austin Wells each contributed three hits to New York’s 24-hit barrage.

The offensive showcase marked a franchise milestone, as it represented the first time in Yankees history that every starter recorded at least two hits. On the mound, Cam Schlittler (7-2) delivered six solid innings, surrendering just one run, while Ryan Yarbrough closed out the final three frames for a save.

Bobby Witt Jr. provided Kansas City’s lone bright spot with a solo homer, but the Royals have now dropped 12 of their last 15 contests. Starting pitcher Bailey Falter (0-2) struggled early, giving up seven runs on nine hits in just 2 1/3 innings of work.

In other action around the majors, the Los Angeles Dodgers overwhelmed the Colorado Rockies 15-6 behind multiple home runs from Mookie Betts and Andy Pages. The Dodgers received a scare when star player Shohei Ohtani took a pitch to his throwing hand in the fourth inning, though manager Dave Roberts expects him to make his scheduled pitching start Wednesday.

The Pittsburgh Pirates crushed the struggling Chicago Cubs 12-1, handing Chicago their 10th straight loss – the longest active losing streak in baseball and their worst skid since 2022. Rookie Esmerlyn Valdez homered and drove in three runs while Oneil Cruz had three hits in the victory.

Baltimore defeated Tampa Bay 6-1 as Shane Baz dominated his former team over seven innings, while Samuel Basallo blasted a three-run homer. The Texas Rangers snapped a four-game slide with a 10-7 win over Houston, scoring eight runs in the first inning after being held hitless the previous night.

Seattle beat Oakland 4-1 behind Emerson Hancock’s six shutout innings, while Cincinnati rolled past New York’s other team, the Mets, 7-2. Toronto topped Miami 8-1, Atlanta edged Boston 7-6, and Milwaukee blanked St. Louis 6-0.

Philadelphia held off San Diego 4-3 behind early home runs from Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto and Trea Turner. Washington beat Cleveland 6-3, Los Angeles Angels defeated Detroit 10-6, Minnesota outlasted Chicago’s White Sox 5-3 in 11 innings, and Arizona topped San Francisco 7-5.

The Los Angeles Dodgers overwhelmed the Colorado Rockies 15-6 on Tuesday night, powered by stellar performances from Mookie Betts and Andy Pages who excelled after being moved to different positions in the batting lineup.

Betts launched two home runs while Pages, Enrique Hernandez and Will Smith also connected for long balls as Los Angeles stretched its winning streak to four games and captured its 11th victory in 13 outings.

Pitcher Eric Lauer (2-5) delivered six solid innings in his first appearance for the Dodgers. The left-handed starter allowed just one run on four hits while walking one batter and striking out four.

Batting fourth for the first time since 2017, Betts went yard in the opening frame and recorded his first game with multiple home runs since May 19, 2025. He went 3-for-5 at the plate with five RBIs.

Pages, who was elevated to the second spot in the order for the first time this year, matched his career-best performance with four hits.

The Rockies got home runs from Hunter Goodman, Brett Sullivan and Kyle Karros. Colorado starter Kyle Freeland (1-6) surrendered season-worst totals of eight hits and nine runs across four innings. The left-hander fanned four batters without issuing any walks.

Colorado dropped its fourth straight contest and suffered its seventh defeat in eight games.

Los Angeles took a 2-0 advantage in the first when Betts connected on a home run to center field against Freeland.

Goodman cut into the deficit for Colorado in the second with a leadoff homer to center.

The Dodgers created separation in the third inning as Hernandez led off with a home run and Pages followed two batters later with another blast for a 4-1 advantage. Hernandez was appearing in just his second game this season after returning Monday from offseason elbow surgery, but he exited Tuesday’s contest after the fourth inning due to a strained left oblique.

Manager Dave Roberts confirmed postgame that Hernandez will return to the injured list, stating, “It’s not a season-ending thing.”

Los Angeles added four more runs in the fourth when Miguel Rojas scored on a wild pitch, Pages drove in two with a double and Freddie Freeman contributed a sacrifice fly. Rojas (double) and Hyeseong Kim (sacrifice fly) each drove in runs during the fifth inning.

Betts connected for a two-run homer and Smith delivered a three-run blast in the sixth for Los Angeles, which matched its season-high marks for runs and hits (17).

Sullivan and Karros homered during Colorado’s five-run ninth inning against Rojas, who had moved from third base to the pitcher’s mound.

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani exited Tuesday evening’s matchup with the Colorado Rockies after taking a pitch to his right hand.

The dual-threat player was plunked by Colorado’s starting pitcher Kyle Freeland during the fourth inning. Ohtani remained in the game briefly, grounding out in the fifth inning before departing. He finished the night without a hit in two at-bats but managed to score a run in his team’s dominant 16-5 victory.

Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts explained that the baseball primarily struck the protective padding on Ohtani’s hand before making contact with his pinkie finger.

“We’re in a good spot,” Roberts stated, noting that with the team holding a commanding lead, he preferred to give Ohtani some rest before his planned pitching appearance in Wednesday’s series conclusion.

“I haven’t decided yet if he’s going to hit,” Roberts explained. “I just want to kind of make sure how he comes in and physically how he feels because I want to make sure he feels really good on the pitching side of things.”

The San Antonio Spurs have followed a clear pattern throughout the Western Conference finals: when Victor Wembanyama dominates the game, they emerge victorious. When he struggles, they fall short.

Tuesday evening saw the latter scenario unfold in devastating fashion.

While Wembanyama’s subpar performance wasn’t the sole factor in San Antonio’s 127-114 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5, it certainly played a major role. The towering center, who previously erupted for 41 and 33 points in the team’s series victories, never found his groove as the Spurs dropped into a precarious position.

Facing elimination, San Antonio must win Game 6 on their home court Thursday evening to force a decisive seventh game, with their championship hopes hanging in the balance.

The French sensation managed just 20 points — his series low — and needed a perfect 12-for-12 showing at the free-throw line to reach that total in Game 5. He connected on only 4 of 15 field goal attempts and went 0-for-5 from beyond the arc, struggling to establish any consistent offensive flow.

“He’s got to take more than 15 shots, even with the free throws,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “He’s going to have to score more than 20 points, for sure. … OKC did a good job. We’ve got to do a better job.”

Early in the third quarter, with Oklahoma City holding an 18-point advantage, Wembanyama delivered a passionate message to his teammates during a timeout just two minutes into the period. The rally cry initially sparked results — though the Thunder immediately responded to push their lead to 20, San Antonio managed to cut the gap to eight points later in the quarter.

Brief optimism emerged for the Spurs’ chances. However, they couldn’t mount a sustained comeback. Entering the final quarter down 10 points, San Antonio managed only two points in the opening 4:02 of the fourth period, watching any momentum from Wembanyama’s timeout speech evaporate completely.

Oklahoma City’s defensive strategy proved effective, rotating multiple defenders including Isaiah Hartenstein, Chet Holmgren, Jaylin Williams, and Alex Caruso while employing various schemes against the 7-foot-4 star. Wembanyama simply couldn’t solve the puzzle presented by the Thunder’s approach.

“It’s a team defense,” Thunder guard Jared McCain said. “We talked about it. We made adjustments to it. We know that when he gets going, their whole team gets going.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As Yankees skipper Aaron Boone observed the hits accumulating on Kauffman Stadium’s distinctive crown-shaped scoreboard in center field, he recognized his team was delivering an exceptional performance against Kansas City.

What he didn’t realize until later was that they were making franchise history.

The Yankees launched six home runs, with Amed Rosario contributing two, and collected 24 hits during their 15-1 demolition — their highest hit total since facing Baltimore in July 2011. However, what distinguished Tuesday night’s offensive showcase from every other game in Yankees history — surpassing even contests featuring legendary players like Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle — was this remarkable achievement: Every single starter recorded multiple hits for the first time ever.

“I did see all the hits on the board,” Boone said afterward, “and I was like, ‘Man, you don’t see that very often.’”

The Yankees benefited from facing Kansas City during a bullpen game. Struggling pitcher Bailey Falter took the mound first, surrendering seven hits while recording just seven outs. Luinder Avila provided little improvement as his replacement.

The final hits came against outfielder Tyler Tolbert, who delivered a consistent stream of 44 mph tosses to complete the ninth inning.

Nevertheless, this doesn’t diminish what ranks among the most remarkable offensive displays in Yankees history. Their hit total matched their eighth-highest ever, while the 24 hits represented their most productive road performance since August 31, 1974, against Chicago.

The six home runs marked the season high for any major league team.

“The performance they put up today,” Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler said, “that was awesome to watch.”

The offensive onslaught started with Cody Bellinger’s second consecutive day with a homer, a two-out blast in the opening frame. The attack intensified following Paul Goldschmidt’s double, when Ben Rice lined a sinking hit toward right field that Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone casually fielded at ground level. Boone contested the out ruling, and replay review revealed the ball had hit the turf for an RBI single.

Rosario stepped up next and launched a two-run blast approximately 420 feet to left field.

Anthony Volpe contributed his season’s first homer in the second frame, while the Yankees added four more runs through consecutive singles in the third. Aaron Judge delivered an RBI double during the fifth, Trent Grisham connected in the seventh, Jazz Chisholm Jr. — the final starter to reach two hits — homered in the eighth, and Rosario added his second blast in the ninth.

He admitted with embarrassment that he was simply attempting to avoid striking out against Tolbert’s slow-motion offerings.

“It feels good to be part of history,” Rosario said through a translator. “It’s a team effort and being part of it is great.”

The Yankees have now launched 82 home runs this season, leading all major league teams by a wide margin. Kansas City, in contrast, has hit 51, including Bobby Witt Jr.’s solo shot in the third inning that provided their lone run.

The 24 hits Kansas City surrendered represented the fourth-most in franchise history. Rosario collected four hits while Grisham, Rice, Volpe and Austin Wells each recorded three. Every remaining starter contributed exactly two hits.

“Look,” Boone said with a smile, “as hard as hitting is — as hard as it is now, night-in and night-out — to have a day where everyone, you know, can fatten up a little bit, it’s good.”

The Oklahoma City Thunder moved one step closer to their second straight NBA Finals appearance Tuesday night, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 127-114 at home in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered 32 points to power the Thunder to victory, giving Oklahoma City a 3-2 advantage in the best-of-seven series. Game 6 will take place Thursday in San Antonio.

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault adjusted his starting lineup due to ongoing injuries to Jalen Williams (hamstring) and Ajay Mitchell (calf). Rather than starting Cason Wallace, who got the nod in Game 4 on Sunday, Daigneault chose to go with Jared McCain.

McCain struggled early after managing only four points in the Thunder’s 103-82 defeat that tied the series at 2-2. He started slowly again Tuesday, connecting on just 1 of 5 shots for two points in the opening half.

The second half told a different story for McCain, who exploded for 18 points after intermission.

While Gilgeous-Alexander shot just 7 for 19 from the floor, he dominated at the free-throw line, converting 16 of 17 attempts.

Alex Caruso bounced back after being held scoreless in Game 4 with only one field goal attempt. The key reserve came out firing and contributed 22 points for Oklahoma City.

The Thunder’s bench players outproduced their San Antonio counterparts 40-33.

For the Spurs, Stephon Castle paced the scoring with 24 points on efficient 7-of-11 shooting. Julian Champagnie chipped in 22 points, while Victor Wembanyama managed 20 points despite struggling from the field at 4 of 15. Wembanyama also pulled down six rebounds.

Unlike the previous two contests where Oklahoma City dug themselves into early 15-point first-quarter deficits, Tuesday’s eight-point hole proved much more manageable for the Thunder.

Oklahoma City rallied to grab the lead late in the first quarter behind five straight points from Gilgeous-Alexander.

The Thunder built an 11-point halftime advantage and expanded their lead immediately after the break, opening the third quarter with nine unanswered points.

San Antonio refused to fold, twice cutting the gap to eight points late in the third quarter.

The Spurs couldn’t get any closer as Oklahoma City sealed the victory to rebound from their Game 4 setback.

Late in the third quarter, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson challenged an out-of-bounds ruling that went against San Antonio, with replays appearing to show the ball last touched Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren.

When officials denied the challenge and Gilgeous-Alexander drew a foul on the ensuing possession, Johnson received a technical foul. Gilgeous-Alexander capitalized by sinking all three free throws, stretching the Thunder’s lead to 101-88.

Holmgren recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds for Oklahoma City, while Isaiah Hartenstein contributed 12 points and 15 rebounds.

Keldon Johnson provided 15 points off the bench for San Antonio.

Baseball has lost one of its memorable power hitters as Bob Horner, the former Atlanta Braves star known for his incredible four-home-run performance, passed away Tuesday at 68 years old.

The Kansas-born athlete made an extraordinary leap from college baseball directly to the major leagues after Atlanta selected him as the top pick in the 1878 Amateur Draft from Arizona State University. Just one week after being drafted, Horner stepped onto the field for his first big-league appearance on June 16 against the Pittsburgh Pirates at age 20, marking the occasion with a home run off future Hall-of-Famer Bert Blyleven.

His rookie season proved exceptional, as Horner posted a .266 batting average across 89 games while launching 23 home runs and driving in 63 runs. These impressive numbers earned him National League Rookie of the Year honors, edging out future Hall-of-Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith.

Horner’s most legendary moment came on July 6, 1986, when he launched four home runs during a single game at Atlanta Fulton-County Stadium, despite the Braves falling to the Montreal Expos 11-8. This remarkable achievement placed him among just 21 players in baseball history to accomplish this feat, and made him only the second Brave to do so, following Joe Adcock’s four-homer performance against the Brooklyn Dodgers on July 31, 1954, during his time with the Milwaukee Braves.

Despite battling injuries that limited him to 120 or more games in only five of his 10 major league seasons, the third baseman accumulated 218 career home runs and maintained a .499 slugging percentage. His standout 1982 All-Star season featured 32 home runs and 97 RBIs, contributing to the Braves’ National League West Division championship.

Horner’s professional career spanned nine seasons with Atlanta from 1978 to 1986, followed by a year in Japan with the Yakult Swallows in 1987, where he hit 31 home runs and batted .327 in 93 games. He concluded his major league career with one season for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1988.

His death follows the recent losses of former Braves manager Bobby Cox, who was Horner’s first manager, and former team owner Ted Turner.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes returned to the practice field Tuesday, sporting a substantial protective brace on his left knee following surgical repair.

The three-time Super Bowl champion took part in the team’s initial organized team activities session, with the Chiefs sharing footage on social media showing him stepping backward to mimic receiving a snap before delivering a pass. The team’s post included the caption “QB1” alongside a clock symbol.

Details about Mahomes’ time on the field and the scope of his participation remain unknown, as reporters and the public were not permitted to observe the practice session.

The quarterback sustained tears to his left anterior cruciate ligament and lateral collateral ligament during Kansas City’s December 14 defeat against the Los Angeles Chargers, requiring surgery the next day.

Speaking publicly for the first time following his procedure in January, Mahomes expressed his goals for the upcoming 2026 campaign: “I want to be ready for Week 1. The doctors said I could, but I can’t predict what happens throughout the process. That’s the goal, to play Week 1 and have no restrictions. You want to be out there healthy and give us the best chance to win. I hope to do some things in OTAs and training camp and be able to do things there.”

These ligament injuries mark the most significant health setback of Mahomes’ professional football career.

The 30-year-old signal-caller recorded 3,587 passing yards along with 22 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions across 14 appearances last season. He also achieved a personal best with 422 rushing yards and five rushing scores.

Mahomes, who has earned regular-season MVP honors twice, holds a 95-31 record as a starting quarterback throughout his nine NFL campaigns, all with Kansas City. His career statistics include a 66.2% completion percentage with 35,939 passing yards, 267 touchdown throws, and 85 interceptions. His 285.2 yards per game average leads all quarterbacks in league history.

Kansas City acquired Justin Fields through a trade in March as a potential starting option should Mahomes be unavailable for the season opener. The Chiefs also selected quarterback Garrett Nussmeier from LSU in the seventh round of last month’s draft. Chris Oladokun, who posted an 0-2 record filling in for Mahomes at the end of last season, continues with the organization.

The UFC has announced an exciting lightweight matchup for its upcoming Las Vegas event, with ranked contenders Benoit Saint Denis and Paddy Pimblett set to face off on July 11 at UFC 329: McGregor vs. Holloway 2.

Saint Denis, who holds the No. 5 ranking and fights under the nickname “God of War,” brings an impressive 17-3 record into the octagon with six knockout victories. The 30-year-old fighter from Paris enters the bout riding a four-fight winning streak, most recently defeating Dan Hooker with a second-round TKO at UFC 325 in February.

His opponent, Liverpool’s Pimblett, currently sits at No. 6 in the lightweight rankings with a 23-4 record that includes seven knockouts. The 31-year-old English fighter’s most recent performance was a unanimous decision victory over Justin Gaethje, which has earned consideration for Fight of the Year honors.

The highly anticipated bout will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas as part of UFC 329: McGregor vs. Holloway 2. The event’s main card will mark Conor McGregor’s return to UFC competition after a five-year absence from the organization.

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Thunder declared Jalen Williams unavailable for Tuesday night’s Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, despite his status remaining uncertain throughout the day due to continuing problems with a strained left hamstring.

Ajay Mitchell, who normally fills Williams’ starting role, was also sidelined by the Thunder earlier with a strained right soleus muscle.

Oklahoma City chose to insert Jared McCain into the starting five, joining Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein and Lugentz Dort in the lineup.

This marked McCain’s inaugural playoff start in his professional career. Coming into Tuesday’s contest, he had posted an average of 8.8 points across 12 playoff appearances as a reserve player for Oklahoma City.

Williams made his comeback in the opening game against the Spurs, putting up 26 points over 37 minutes during the Thunder’s 122-115 double-overtime defeat a week ago Monday in Oklahoma City. During Game 2, he managed four points in seven minutes of first-quarter action, highlighted by an alley-oop slam with 2:12 remaining in the period, and has been absent from the court since then.

Throughout this season, including playoff games, Williams has been unavailable for 58 of Oklahoma City’s 95 total contests. Among those missed games, 19 resulted from right wrist problems while 39 stemmed from hamstring complications — with the right hamstring sidelining him for 30 regular season games and the left hamstring now accounting for nine playoff absences.

When Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics was questioned several months back about potentially earning the Coach of the Year recognition this season, his response was brief and direct.

“I don’t need it,” he stated in March. “I think it’s a stupid award.”

On Tuesday evening, Mazzulla received that very award he had criticized.

The NBA named Mazzulla as its premier coach for the 2025-26 campaign, following the Celtics’ achievement of securing the second seed in the Eastern Conference. This accomplishment came despite spending much of the season without Jayson Tatum as he rehabilitated from Achilles surgery, and amid widespread expectations of a rebuilding year after losing key players including Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday.

Mazzulla’s earlier criticism of the award stemmed from his belief that it should honor entire coaching staffs rather than individual coaches – a perspective he maintained during Tuesday’s announcement ceremony. He opened his NBC remarks by acknowledging those who contributed to his success.

“The long nights, the trips, game plans, the video guys that are clipping up the film and coding it, the assistants who are putting in the game plan, I think there’s so much that goes into winning one game,” Mazzulla explained. “It starts with the players, but it goes to our staff. I feel bad that they’re not here — but forever indebted to the guys that we have that give up time with their families and their time to give us a chance to win every day.”

At 37 years old, Mazzulla becomes the youngest recipient of this honor since Phil Johnson claimed it in 1975, according to the NBA.

The Boston coach will receive the Red Auerbach Trophy, named after the iconic Celtics leader. Mazzulla joins three other Boston coaches who have earned this distinction: Auerbach in 1965, Tom Heisohn in 1973, and Bill Fitch in 1980. The Hall of Fame coach Auerbach led the Celtics to nine NBA titles, including an unprecedented eight consecutive championships from 1959 through 1966.

“This is well deserved recognition and a testament to both Joe and his staff,” commented Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens. “With all of our unknowns entering the season, Joe did a fantastic job building and growing a team. He pours everything he has into competing at a high level, while helping players find the best versions of themselves within the framework of a team.”

Detroit’s J.B. Bickerstaff claimed second place for the second straight year, while San Antonio’s Mitch Johnson earned third position.

The recognition focuses exclusively on regular-season performance. A panel of 100 NBA reporters and broadcasters submitted their ballots during the play-in tournament over a month ago.

This Coach of the Year honor differs from the award presented earlier this spring by the National Basketball Coaches Association, which Bickerstaff received. Tuesday’s announcement marked the final major award ceremony for the 2025-26 season.

The complete award recipients include:

— Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City: Most Valuable Player and Clutch Player of the Year.

— Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio: Defensive Player of the Year.

— Cooper Flagg, Dallas: Rookie of the Year.

— Keldon Johnson, San Antonio: Sixth Man of the Year.

— Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Atlanta: Most Improved Player.

— Bam Adebayo, Miami: Social Justice Champion.

— Derrick White, Boston: Sportsmanship Award.

— DeAndre Jordan, New Orleans: Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year.

— Brad Stevens, Boston: Executive of the Year.

— Moussa Diabaté, Charlotte: Hustle Award.

— The All-NBA, All-Defensive and All-Rookie teams.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Manhattan streets have echoed with passionate calls from New York Knicks supporters even before their team secured the Eastern Conference championship.

The rallying cry heard throughout the city: “We want Wemby! We want Wemby!”

New York has accomplished their mission by reaching the NBA Finals. Their next step involves waiting until Thursday at the earliest to learn their opponent from the Western Conference matchup between Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs and the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

Prior to Tuesday evening’s Game 5 between the Spurs and Thunder, San Antonio’s head coach Mitch Johnson was questioned about whether he’d become aware of the fan demonstrations in New York.

Johnson admitted he hadn’t heard about them but expressed little surprise at their occurrence.

“I know New York’s on fire. They won so that city is obviously enjoying it and they’ve had a heck of a playoff run,” Johnson said. “But unfortunately, I’ve been pretty locked-into what we’ve got going right here in front of us.”

New York has strung together 11 straight victories, overcoming a 2-1 series deficit against Atlanta in the opening round before completing sweeps of Philadelphia and Cleveland in subsequent rounds.

Social media footage captured some Knicks supporters expressing their “We want Wemby!” desires following Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Cavaliers.

“Tip your cap to New York, for sure,” Johnson said. “They’re having a heck of a run.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Five months after undergoing surgery to fix damaged ligaments in his left knee, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes participated in Tuesday’s opening voluntary practice session of the team’s offseason program, with just four months remaining until their season begins.

While reporters weren’t permitted to observe the practice session, the Chiefs shared a video clip on social media showing the two-time MVP throwing passes while wearing a brace on his left knee. The team plans to hold another practice session Wednesday before meeting with the media on Thursday.

“He’s in a good position to do some things,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said earlier this month. “There’s some rules and regulations that go with that, so we just have to make sure we’re on top of that part. But if he can do some things — phase 2 (of the offseason), remember, is there’s no contact, no offense versus defense. It’s phase 3 that you get into that.”

“So you just have to evaluate what you want to do there,” Reid said. “He’s in a position where he can do everything, I think.”

The quarterback sustained the knee injury during the final moments of Kansas City’s defeat to the Chargers on Dec. 14, a loss that essentially ended the Chiefs’ playoff hopes. Surgery was performed the following day in Dallas, with the ongoing expectation — reinforced by workout videos Mahomes shared on social media — being that he would be prepared for the first week of the coming season.

The Chiefs will face AFC West division opponent Denver on Sept. 14 in a featured Monday night game.

During previous offseasons, Mahomes would typically return to his Texas residence, where receivers and tight ends would often join him for voluntary, player-organized training sessions. However, this year Mahomes chose to complete his rehabilitation at the Chiefs’ training facility alongside longtime trainer Julie Frymyer, enabling the team to closely monitor his progress.

“He’s throwing the ball,” Reid said, “and he does it on his own, so he’s not getting in any trouble here.”

Green Bay Packers star running back Josh Jacobs was taken into custody Tuesday on five criminal charges stemming from a weekend domestic incident, including a felony count of strangulation and suffocation.

According to Hobart/Lawrence Police Chief Michael Renkas, officers responded to a disturbance call involving Jacobs on Saturday morning at 8:37 a.m. Jacobs was subsequently arrested and taken to Brown County Jail facing charges of strangulation and suffocation, battery-domestic abuse, criminal damage to property-domestic abuse, disorderly conduct-domestic abuse and intimidation of a victim.

“This remains an active and ongoing investigation,” Renkas stated. “No further information will be released at this time.”

Court records show the strangulation charge carries felony status while the remaining four counts are classified as misdemeanors.

A legal team representing Jacobs — attorneys David Chesnoff, Richard Schonfeld and Clarence Duchac — released a statement defending their client.

“Josh vehemently denies the allegations, and this matter is in the early stages of investigation with important evidence that has not yet been made public,” the lawyers stated. “We ask for fairness and restraint while the judicial process takes its course.”

The arrest involves Green Bay’s primary ball carrier, who accumulated 929 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns in the previous season. His performance followed a 2024 campaign where he gained 1,329 yards and scored 15 times while earning his third Pro Bowl recognition.

Jacobs was the sole Packers player to reach 200 rushing yards last season. Emanuel Wilson, who finished second in team rushing statistics, departed for the Seattle Seahawks during the offseason.

The team launched organized team activities Tuesday, with head coach Matt LaFleur scheduled to meet with media Wednesday.

“We are aware of the matter involving Josh Jacobs,” a team representative stated. “As it is an ongoing legal situation, we will withhold further comment.”

League spokesperson Brian McCarthy confirmed that “we are aware of the report and have been in contact with the club.”

Before joining Green Bay, Jacobs played five seasons with the Raiders, earning All-Pro recognition and leading the NFL with 1,653 rushing yards in 2022 while in Las Vegas.

Throughout his seven-year professional career, he has accumulated 7,803 rushing yards and 74 touchdowns. Among current players, only Baltimore’s Derrick Henry with 122 and Buffalo’s Josh Allen with 79 have more career rushing touchdowns.

Josh Jacobs, the star running back for the Green Bay Packers, was taken into custody Tuesday and faces five criminal charges, including multiple domestic violence allegations, according to the Hobart/Lawrence (Wis.) Police Department. He was processed at the Brown County Jail in Green Bay.

The 28-year-old athlete is facing domestic violence charges that include battery, criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct, along with intimidation of a victim and felony strangulation and suffocation.

Law enforcement from the Hobart-Lawrence Police Department responded to a disturbance call involving Jacobs on Saturday morning around 8:37 a.m.

“This remains an active and ongoing investigation. No further information will be released at this time,” stated Hobart-Lawrence police chief Michael Renkas.

Through his legal representation, Jacobs has disputed the accusations.

“Josh vehemently denies the allegations, and this matter is in the early stages of investigation with important evidence that has not yet been made public,” stated attorneys David Chesnoff, Richard Schonfeld and Clarence Duchac. “We ask for fairness and restraint while the judicial process takes its course.”

The NFL confirmed to The Athletic that it has been communicating with the Packers organization. The team acknowledged awareness of the situation but stated it “will withhold further comment” due to it being “an ongoing legal situation.”

Currently in his third year with Green Bay following a four-year, $48 million contract signed in 2024, Jacobs has earned three Pro Bowl honors (2020, 2022, 2024) and received first-team All Pro recognition in 2022. That year, he topped the NFL in rushing yards while playing for the Las Vegas Raiders. Throughout his seven-year professional career, he has accumulated 7,803 rushing yards on 1,840 carries with 74 touchdowns.

The NCAA rejected Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s reinstatement request on Tuesday, prompting the university’s president to promise an appeal of the decision.

Sorsby lost his eligibility following investigations that revealed he had wagered thousands of dollars on various sporting events through betting applications, which violates NCAA regulations.

When filing a legal injunction against the NCAA last week, Sorsby acknowledged placing the wagers, including at least one bet supporting Indiana football during his time with that team. While he stated he never wagered on games in which he participated or against his own teams, current NCAA rules prohibit student-athletes from betting on any NCAA-approved or professional sporting events. Athletes face potential lifetime bans for wagering on their own teams.

Sorsby’s lawsuit criticized what he described as the NCAA’s “deeply hypocritical” positions regarding sports betting. His legal team indicated they had requested a two-game suspension, which the NCAA rejected. Sorsby is now scheduled to appear in Lubbock County, Texas court on June 1 as he pursues eligibility for 2026.

After transferring to Texas Tech from Cincinnati during the offseason, Sorsby was expected to be the Red Raiders’ starting quarterback for 2026. ESPN had ranked him as the top transfer player in this year’s class.

In an open letter to the campus community Tuesday, Texas Tech president Lawrence Schovanec stated that the NCAA’s decision “should be reversed or modified” considering the circumstances and “context” surrounding Sorsby’s situation.

“As a generation of college athletes face the legalization and rapid proliferation of sports betting in our country, gambling addiction is rising to the point of epidemic among college aged men in particular,” Schovanec wrote. “The NCAA’s stated mission includes ‘fostering (student-athletes’) lifelong well-being,’ and they have claimed their goal is to promote a ‘culture of care’ for student athletes’ mental health. Gambling addiction is a clinically recognized behavioral disorder.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Sorsby announced through social media that he had finished a 35-day inpatient rehabilitation program in Arizona last Friday to address “a diagnosed gambling addiction and anxiety disorder.”

“While I accept responsibility for my behavior and know that I have a lot of work ahead of me, for the first time in many years I feel more free and no longer fully at the mercy of my addiction,” Sorsby wrote in part.

“With the support of my coaches, teammates and the university, I’m looking forward to returning to campus in Lubbock. If I’m blessed and fortunate enough to have the opportunity to continue my college career at Texas Tech, I know I will get the support I need, including through the school’s Center for Students in Addiction Recovery. I am deeply sorry to everyone I’ve disappointed and am committed to the hard and necessary work ahead.”

In his letter, Schovanec outlined Texas Tech’s commitment to providing Sorsby with “Ongoing outpatient clinical care; participation in group and individual therapy; mentor resources; treatment for his related anxiety disorder; active monitoring of his technological devices; installation of software to block betting sites from his devices; the appointment of a custodian to oversee his personal finances; and periodic compliance checks.”

LAS VEGAS — The head coach of the Las Vegas Aces is holding firm on her controversial stance about shorter players leading championship teams, despite Jalen Brunson’s success in taking the New York Knicks to the NBA Finals.

Becky Hammon originally shared her views during an ESPN appearance in December 2023, declaring that the Knicks would be unable to capture a championship with the 6-foot-2 Brunson as their top performer.

“If your best player is small, you’re not winning,” Hammon said at the time.

Her remarks have resurfaced following Brunson’s outstanding performance in earning the Larry Bird Trophy as Eastern Conference finals MVP after the Knicks completed a sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday evening. During the series, he posted averages of 25.5 points and 7.8 assists per game.

New York will meet either defending champion Oklahoma City or San Antonio in the championship series.

“I speak from experience,” Hammon stated on Tuesday. “Allen Iverson got MVP and he lost in the finals. I think the two best teams are probably in the West, but I’m up for being proven wrong. That’s the other thing, I think Jalen Brunson’s a hell of a player, a hell of a player. I’m speaking historically on the NBA with what I said. I don’t know why everybody’s so stuck on that. I said it two years ago.

“I said what I said. If he proves me wrong, he proves me wrong.”

Hammon, whose coaching has led the Aces to three WNBA titles in the last four seasons, has personal ties to the current NBA playoff picture.

The Hall of Fame player previously suited up for the San Antonio Silver Stars — the franchise that later relocated to Las Vegas and transformed into the Aces — and subsequently served as an assistant coach with the Spurs organization under coach Gregg Popovich.

“Oh, you know who I’m cheering for,” Hammon said.

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson is set to return for another season behind the bench, sources indicate.

The Cavaliers’ season came to an end when they were swept by the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals. The series started with Cleveland surrendering a 22-point fourth-quarter advantage in the opening game and concluded Monday evening with a decisive 130-93 defeat.

Atkinson earned NBA Coach of the Year honors last season and inked a five-year contract upon his hiring in 2024.

Star player Donovan Mitchell voiced his backing for Atkinson on Monday, praising the coach for guiding the team to the conference finals following consecutive second-round exits in previous years.

“We love Kenny. I ride with Kenny,” Mitchell stated.

During his two seasons leading the Cavaliers, Atkinson has compiled a 116-48 regular-season record. His previous head coaching experience includes a stint with the Brooklyn Nets from 2016-2020, and he has worked as an assistant coach for various teams since 2008, including his most recent role with the Golden State Warriors from 2021-2024.

The Cavaliers roster may undergo changes heading into next season.

Mitchell can sign a long-term extension, while James Harden must decide whether to exercise his $42.3 million player option for the 2026-27 season. Reports suggest Harden is expected to negotiate a new two-year contract at a reduced salary to stay in Cleveland. He expressed Monday night that he “definitely wants to be” with the Cavaliers.

Cleveland could also pursue a third stint with LeBron James, who mentioned last week that he is still considering his options for the upcoming season.

However, the Cavs have reportedly shown considerable interest in pursuing Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Sources indicate Cleveland approached Milwaukee during the trade deadline but couldn’t reach an agreement because they refused to include Evan Mobley in any deal.

Naomi Osaka came prepared for pushback when she stepped onto the court at the French Open wearing a dazzling yellow-brown and gold dress, packing plain alternatives just in case tournament officials raised concerns about her fashion choice.

The Japanese tennis star elevated the style game in Paris during the third day of competition, making her entrance on Court Suzanne Lenglen wearing a black Kevin Germanier skirt before revealing her shimmering layered Nike competition outfit for her match against Laura Siegemund on Tuesday.

“When I first saw the match dress in real life, I felt I look like the Eiffel Tower at night, when it’s bright,” Osaka shared with media following her 6-3 7-6(3) victory.

“I actually got a little worried, because when the sun hits the dress, it reflects a lot. So I was a little scared that the umpire was going to kick me off the court.”

“So I got two backup normal Nike dresses… thank God I didn’t have to wear them, though. I thought that the reflection of the dress was really beautiful, but it just reminded me of the Eiffel Tower a little bit.”

The tennis player, who previously caught attention with a jellyfish-themed outfit at this year’s Australian Open, acknowledged she’s grown comfortable with her reputation as a fashion trendsetter on the women’s professional circuit.

“I’m a little used to it now. I think in Australia … the Yoon (Ahn) Ambush dress first started it all off (in 2024). The U.S. Open, the roses in my hair (last year), that’s when I started to really get into it a lot more,” she explained.

“In Australia (this year), it was a real conversation starter. I don’t really feel like it’s a big deal to do that and then play after. I can see where people think I feel a little stressed or whatever. I think that’s the thing about it.”

“Sometimes people say athletes are in show business or are entertainers, or whatever. I feel like for me, Grand Slam walk-ons are the only time that I possibly feel I’m an entertainer.”

Osaka expressed enthusiasm about the possibility of style icon and 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams making a comeback to professional tennis.

The 44-year-old American hasn’t competed since the 2022 U.S. Open, following which she announced she was “evolving away from tennis,” but has sparked comeback rumors after rejoining the sport’s anti-doping program last year.

“Just to see her around the sites and playing matches again I think is really cool for tennis,” Osaka commented.

“I would be excited to see her outfits again, too. But also her playing. I think she’s one of the best players in the world, of course.”

Head coach Mauricio Pochettino revealed the United States men’s soccer team’s 26-player World Cup roster on Tuesday, with Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie serving as the squad’s cornerstone players for a tournament where Americans are hoping for a strong performance on home turf.

The roster features an equal balance of 13 first-time World Cup participants and 13 veterans from the 2022 Qatar tournament, where the United States advanced to the round of 16. The returning group features the team’s three goal scorers from Qatar: Pulisic, Tim Weah and Haji Wright.

“We are confident this is the best group of 26 players to help us achieve success at the World Cup,” Pochettino stated.

“These were very difficult decisions, and we are thankful to all the players who were part of this journey. This group is very focused and ready to give everything they have to represent the United States and deliver performances that will make the fans and the country proud.”

The AC Milan player Pulisic continues to be the squad’s most prominent figure, while Adams, who captained the 2022 team, brings a fighting spirit and flexibility to the midfield following his campaign with Premier League side Bournemouth.

AS Monaco forward Folarin Balogun is anticipated to vie for the top striker position if the United States deploys Pochettino’s favored 3-4-2-1 system, and may become a crucial offensive weapon this summer.

Despite receiving minimal minutes at Borussia Moenchengladbach this season, Gio Reyna secured his spot, providing the United States with an additional creative attacking option.

Alejandro Zendejas also made the cut following an impressive end to his season with Liga MX team Club America, after being excluded from the March roster.

Two significant absences include Diego Luna, who has been managing an injury, and Lyon midfielder Tanner Tessmann.

The United States is jointly hosting the tournament alongside Mexico and Canada. This represents the first occasion the nation has welcomed soccer’s premier global competition since 1994.

McKennie expressed that the team has an opportunity to energize a new wave of American supporters.

“It’s a great opportunity for everyone on the roster and also for the fans who maybe don’t know a lot about soccer here in America to feel the passion,” he commented during a roster announcement event in Manhattan.

“I hope that we can make people fall in love with the game here and maybe be able to etch our names in the history books.”

The United States will begin their Group D matches against Paraguay on June 12 at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles.

Two college basketball standouts have committed to pursuing professional careers by remaining in the 2026 NBA Draft pool.

Christian Anderson, a sophomore guard from Texas Tech, and Allen Graves, a freshman forward from Santa Clara, have both chosen to keep their names in the draft rather than return to college basketball.

Draft analysts project both players will be selected in the first round.

Anderson significantly boosted his professional prospects during this month’s scouting combine, where he demonstrated reliable performance and exceptional shooting range in workout sessions.

The Red Raiders guard posted impressive numbers last season, scoring 18.5 points per game while ranking tied for fourth nationally with 7.4 assists per game. ESPN’s draft projections place him as a potential lottery selection (top 14 overall) for next month’s draft. The third-team All-American connected on 41.5% of his three-point attempts.

Standing 6-foot-3, Anderson compensates for his height with aggressive drives to the basket, aided by his impressive 40.5-inch vertical leap that was confirmed at the Chicago combine.

Anderson made his draft intentions public through social media on Tuesday.

Multiple media outlets report that Graves has also decided to remain eligible for the draft.

The 6-foot-9 forward made a significant contribution at Santa Clara following a redshirt season. Coming primarily off the bench, Graves posted 11.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for the Broncos last season.

His playing time increased during the latter portion of the season, and Graves delivered what seemed to be a game-winning three-pointer against Kentucky during the NCAA Tournament’s first round in March. However, Santa Clara and Graves watched in disbelief as Otega Oweh connected on a half-court buzzer-beater less than a second later, sending the game to overtime. The Wildcats ultimately won 89-84.

College players who still have eligibility must decide by 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday whether to withdraw from this year’s draft and return to their schools. The draft will take place in New York beginning June 23.

The Tampa Bay Rays have acquired veteran right-handed pitcher Craig Kimbrel on a major league deal Tuesday as they look to improve their bullpen performance.

To create roster space for Kimbrel, the team moved right-hander Jesse Scholtens to the 15-day injured list due to a right wrist strain.

Kimbrel became available after the New York Mets released him Friday following a difficult stretch where the nine-time All-Star gave up 10 runs across 15 innings in 14 outings. The Mets had signed him as a free agent in January.

At 37 years old, Kimbrel brings extensive experience with 440 career saves across 10 different teams during his 17 seasons in professional baseball. His resume includes a World Series championship with Boston in 2018 and the 2011 National League rookie of the year award.

While the Rays currently hold the American League’s top record at 34-17, their bullpen has been a weak spot with a 4.40 earned run average that ranks 21st league-wide.

Colorado’s star player Nathan MacKinnon is expected to take the ice for Tuesday’s critical Game 4 against the Vegas Golden Knights, despite nursing a right leg injury, head coach Jared Bednar announced. The Avalanche are fighting to stay alive in the Western Conference finals, currently facing elimination while down 3-0 in the series.

The 30-year-old forward skipped Tuesday morning’s optional practice session due to his injured right leg, but Bednar indicated MacKinnon was feeling significantly improved after taking a complete day of rest.

The injury occurred during Sunday’s game when MacKinnon blocked a one-timer from Shea Theodore, taking the shot directly to his right knee with less than eight minutes remaining in the second period.

MacKinnon dropped to the ice immediately and clutched his right leg after the puck struck the side of his knee. Despite being down on the ice, he managed to clear the puck beyond the blue line before being unable to stand, prompting officials to halt play for medical attention.

The injured star left the ice on his own but was clearly struggling. He attempted to continue playing, returning for two additional shifts before ultimately heading to the locker room late in the second period due to his discomfort.

During the third period, MacKinnon managed only one regular-strength shift, though he did contribute during a power play opportunity and when Colorado pulled their goaltender for a 6-on-5 advantage in the final minutes.

Throughout these playoffs, MacKinnon has recorded points in nine of Colorado’s 12 postseason games, including an assist in the first period of Sunday’s contest. His playoff total stands at 15 points, consisting of seven goals and eight assists. During the regular season, he topped the NHL with 53 goals.

Colorado winger Valeri Nichushkin, who sustained a lower-body injury during Game 3, also missed Tuesday’s practice and remains questionable for the upcoming game.

For the first time in the conference finals, the Avalanche will start goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood as they attempt to prevent being swept by the Knights.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have locked up veteran forward Evgeni Malkin for another year, announcing a one-year contract extension worth $5.5 million on Tuesday.

The deal ensures Malkin will suit up for his 21st campaign with Pittsburgh during the 2026-27 season. The forward was set to become a free agent before the new agreement was reached.

At 39 years old, with his 40th birthday approaching on July 31, Malkin continues to produce at an elite level. During the 2025-26 campaign, he tallied 61 points through 19 goals and 42 assists across 56 contests.

Since joining the NHL with Pittsburgh in 2006, Malkin has built an impressive resume of achievements. The veteran has captured three Stanley Cup championships and earned seven All-Star selections throughout his career.

His trophy case includes the Calder Trophy for top rookie honors in 2006-07, the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 2011-12, and two Art Ross trophies for leading the NHL in scoring during the 2008-09 and 2011-12 seasons. He also claimed the 2009 Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

In franchise history, Malkin trails only teammate Sidney Crosby in games played with 1,269 appearances. He sits third on the team’s all-time lists for goals with 533, assists with 874, and total points with 1,407.

Seattle’s baseball team brought back relief pitcher Gabe Speier from the 15-day injury reserve list on Tuesday.

The 31-year-old left-handed pitcher had been sidelined since May 4 due to inflammation in his left shoulder.

Before getting hurt, Speier posted an 0-2 record with a 2.92 ERA and recorded one save across 15 relief outings this season.

Throughout his major league career spanning 230 games (including one start) with Kansas City from 2019-22 and Seattle, he holds a 6-11 record with a 3.60 ERA.

To create roster space, Seattle sent right-handed pitcher Nick Davila down to Triple-A Tacoma following Monday’s contest.

The 27-year-old Davila, who made his big league debut on May 3, has given up three hits while throwing 7 1/3 shutout innings over seven relief outings.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins organization announced Tuesday that Manny Fernandez, a defensive lineman who played a crucial role in the team’s historic undefeated 1972 campaign, has passed away at the age of 79.

The team did not reveal the cause of death.

Throughout his complete eight-season NFL tenure with Miami, Fernandez served as a cornerstone of the Dolphins’ “No-Name Defense,” a unit that propelled the franchise to three straight Super Bowl appearances between 1971 and 1973, capturing championships in both 1972 and 1973.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Manny Fernandez,” the Dolphins said in a statement, “a member of the 1972 perfect team, a two-time Super Bowl champion, ring of honor member and an anchor of the Dolphins’ legendary ‘No-Name Defense.’ His consistent and selfless contributions on the field were instrumental to the Dolphins’ success throughout the early 1970s, particularly in the team’s three consecutive Super Bowl appearances, in which he produced some of the most memorable defensive performances in the history of the game.”

Fernandez delivered an outstanding performance in Miami’s Super Bowl victory against Washington that capped their flawless 1972 campaign. He played alongside legendary teammates including Bob Griese, Nick Buoniconti and Larry Csonka.

Despite entering the league as an undrafted free agent from Utah in 1968, Fernandez earned recognition in the Dolphins’ Ring of Honor in 2014.

“Our thoughts are with his family, loved ones and teammates as we remember one of the best players in Dolphins history,” the team said.

New York basketball fans remained in celebration mode Tuesday morning following their team’s historic advancement to the NBA Finals, marking the Knicks’ first championship series appearance since 1999.

Crowds wearing team colors of blue and orange packed the streets of New York City late into Monday evening after the Knicks finished off a complete four-game series victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The triumph sends New York to the Finals as underdogs, no matter which opponent awaits them in their quest to break a 53-year championship dry spell.

Celebrating supporters brought brooms to the festivities, playfully using them to sweep pavement and wave overhead during the street party. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined the fun on social media platform X, posting “@NYCSanitation I’d like to report a sweep.”

Following his team-leading 19-point performance in the series-clinching victory in Cleveland, Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns reflected on the moment’s significance. “It’s a magical thing, it’s a historic thing,” Towns commented. “It’s something New York has been dying for, for a long, long time.”

“But for us as players, we understand that the job’s not done,” he added.

The transformation from struggling franchise to championship contender began with team President Leon Rose joining the organization in March 2020, just as the club was heading toward its seventh straight season without playoff basketball.

Under Rose’s leadership, the franchise evolved from league joke to serious title threat. The team has reached the postseason in five of the past six years and made it to the second-to-last playoff round in 2025, falling to the Indiana Pacers in a six-game series.

Point guard Jalen Brunson, who earned Eastern Conference Finals MVP honors this year, has been the cornerstone since joining the organization four years ago. Management has constructed the roster around Brunson, adding talent like six-time All-Star Towns.

“Growing up in the (New York) area, I feel like the word ‘hope’ has been gone from the New York Knicks name for a long time,” Towns explained. “To be part of this team that revives hope is something special.”

New York’s Finals appearance creates compelling drama for the seven-game championship series. The franchise hasn’t captured a title since 1973, and this marks only their third Finals berth since that championship, having fallen short in 1994 and 1999.

Despite an impressive 11-game postseason winning streak, the Knicks enter as underdogs against either NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, or a San Antonio Spurs squad featuring French star Victor Wembanyama.

The Finals run will draw the typical collection of famous supporters to the games. Director and devoted fan Spike Lee, wearing his signature orange glasses, positioned himself courtside to record the team receiving the Eastern Conference championship trophy Monday night.

Four-time Academy Award nominee Timothée Chalamet joined players in their celebration, while actor Ben Stiller also attended the game. Comedian Tracy Morgan appeared emotional while enjoying the victory from his courtside seat.

Whether regular citizens or Hollywood celebrities, the Knicks will have an entire city supporting their attempt to end five decades without a championship.

MONTREAL — Following a regular season where he nearly averaged a point per game and surpassed 30 goals as one of Carolina’s top offensive contributors, Andrei Svechnikov had little to celebrate through his initial 10 playoff contests this spring.

That changed during Monday night’s overtime period.

The Russian winger’s game-winning strike in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final versus Montreal marked only his second postseason goal and fifth overall point, pushing Carolina ahead 2-1 in the series. For the 26-year-old forward, it represented a crucial breakthrough moment.

“It’s the most important time of my life right now — of our life as a team — and you’ve got to get on the scoresheet somehow,” Svechnikov said. “I think we’re just playing good as a line. We’re creating a lot, and (in Game 3) we create lots of chances.”

The Hurricanes’ primary offensive unit featuring Svechnikov, Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis had struggled to generate scoring throughout the playoffs. Instead, the combination of Taylor Hall, Jackson Blake and Logan Stankoven had primarily driven the attack that carried Carolina through two consecutive sweep victories in earlier rounds.

However, after outshooting Montreal by nearly three-to-one, they delivered when the stakes were highest.

“It’s awesome,” said defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who recorded the opening goal with his first playoff tally. “Those guys built the foundation of this team, and they carried us this whole season. It’s nice to see them, obviously, get the results that they’ve been working hard for.”

This is particularly true for Svechnikov, whom his teammates routinely encourage to take more shots.

“He’s the strongest guy on the ice, and when he’s playing a power forward role is when he’s his best,” Gostisbehere said. “We always say, ‘Just go be an animal out there — smartly.’”

Head coach Rod Brind’Amour, who has guided the team through eight straight playoff berths since assuming control and served as captain during Carolina’s 2006 Stanley Cup championship, wasn’t dissatisfied with Svechnikov’s overall performance. With nine victories in 10 contests, there was little reason for major complaints. Still, Monday’s breakthrough could prove pivotal.

“Hopefully it jumpstarts him getting on the scoresheet,” Brind’Amour said. “He’s been a factor — just not scoring. You’re not going to advance if you don’t get production out of your top guys, obviously, so it was great to see that.”

Contributing as a factor involves delivering hits and maintaining physical presence. Svechnikov ranks third on the roster with 46 hits, and part of their Eastern Conference Final strategy involves targeting Montreal’s smaller defenseman Lane Hutson and his teammates. Svechnikov embraces this approach.

“I don’t want to really talk about it, but that’s what we try to do,” he said. “Just finish the checks, obviously, and hopefully they’re going to turn the puck over or ice the puck and we get the offensive faceoff and all that stuff. We always try to finish our checks.”

Converting offensive opportunities remains equally important. Aho expressed satisfaction with their line’s performance, which finally resulted in a goal just past the 14-minute mark of overtime.

“We could have scored more than one goal, but it’s just the way it goes and we know more goals are coming for us,” Svechnikov said.

Star guard Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever said Tuesday she recognizes she has been dealing with back problems but isn’t worried about the situation.

“I don’t think (the back issues) necessarily started at a certain point. I think it’s just been over the course of the last year when I’ve kind of been understanding my body more,” Clark said. “But before that, I was always like, I’m fine, I’m fine, I can go play, go play, go play.

“And maybe sometimes I’m too hyperaware about certain things.

“… But I don’t think it’s anything of concern, no.”

However, fans were alarmed when Clark was pulled from Indiana’s matchup with the Portland Fire last Wednesday due to back stiffness she experienced upon waking. The decision to sideline her came less than two hours before the game began.

Indiana’s head coach Stephanie White explained to media that the move was made as a safety measure, saying “it’s not the time to take a chance.”

The 24-year-old player was back on the court Friday, scoring 22 points and dishing out nine assists as the Fever defeated the Golden State Valkyries 90-82.

Through five games this season, she is posting averages of 23.8 points and 9.0 assists per contest.

Clark, who was selected first overall in the 2024 draft and has earned two All-Star selections, appeared in only 13 games during the previous season after dealing with injuries to her quadriceps, groin and ankle.

Hockey Canada revealed Tuesday that the organization has reached a mutual understanding with women’s national team general manager Gina Kingsbury and head coach Troy Ryan that both will step down following the 2026-27 season.

The leadership changes come after the women’s squad fell short against their American rivals in an overtime battle for Olympic gold this past February. Both Kingsbury and Ryan had existing agreements that would have kept them in their roles through the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics.

Despite the recent Olympic disappointment, the departing duo guided the team to significant achievements during their tenure. The women’s program captured Olympic gold in 2022 and secured world championship victories in 2021, 2022, and 2024 under their direction.

Hockey Canada has formed a selection committee tasked with finding the team’s next general manager. Once chosen, that individual will be responsible for selecting the new head coach and assembling the complete coaching staff, management team, and support personnel.

PARIS, May 26 – Key moments from Tuesday’s third day of competition at the French Open tennis tournament (all times in GMT):

1610 DE MINAUR ADVANCES AS OPPONENT WITHDRAWS

Alex De Minaur secured his spot in the third round when second-round adversary Alexander Blockx pulled out of the competition due to an ankle injury.

1510 GAUFF AND OSAKA ADVANCE TO NEXT ROUND

Title holder Coco Gauff defeated compatriot Taylor Townsend in straight sets 6-4, 6-0 to easily advance to the second round.

Naomi Osaka overcame Germany’s Laura Siegemund with a 6-3, 7-6(3) win to move forward.

1346 NORRIE FORCED TO WITHDRAW DUE TO INJURY

Britain’s 20th-seeded Cameron Norrie was forced to quit during the second set after taking a medical break for what appeared to be a rib problem.

This represented the first occasion the 30-year-old had withdrawn from any competition above ITF level.

1334 AUSTRALIAN WILDCARD WALTON UPSETS MEDVEDEV

Sixth-seeded Daniil Medvedev was eliminated in the opening round following an unexpected loss to Australian wildcard Adam Walton, who defeated the 30-year-old 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 to progress.

1225 ARYNA SABALENKA DEFEATS JESSICA BOUZAS MANEIRO

Belarusian top seed Aryna Sabalenka started her campaign for a first clay court Grand Slam championship with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

0908 COMPETITION BEGINS

Matches commenced in warm weather at Roland Garros, with Paris temperatures around 28 degrees Celsius and expected to climb to approximately 33 degrees later in the day.

Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, the tournament’s number one seed, kicked off action on Court Philippe-Chatrier facing Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

The Oakland Athletics are set to call up their highly-rated pitching prospect Gage Jump from the minor leagues following an injury to starter Aaron Civale, multiple sources reported Tuesday.

Jump, a 23-year-old left-handed pitcher known for his strikeout ability, has recorded 56 strikeouts across 38 innings in nine Triple-A Las Vegas appearances this season. The southpaw has issued 20 walks while compiling a 4.50 ERA and an 0-2 win-loss record.

Selected in the second round of the 2024 draft from LSU, Jump currently ranks as the 41st best prospect in all of baseball according to MLB Pipeline. Among Athletics prospects, he sits third behind shortstop Leo De Vries and left-hander Jamie Arnold. Arnold, chosen 11th overall in the 2025 draft from Florida State, is presently playing at Double-A Midland.

Civale was removed from Monday’s game after just four innings due to concerning velocity decline that manager Mark Kotsay attributed to a potential right shoulder or lat muscle problem following the contest. The team announced Civale would receive medical evaluation Tuesday.

During Monday’s 9-2 defeat to the visiting Seattle Mariners, he surrendered seven runs on nine hits plus one walk while throwing just 73 pitches. In his previous outing against the Los Angeles Angels last week, when he gave up five runs over five innings, Civale acknowledged he had been “working through” the arm problem “for a little bit.”

Monday’s fastball velocity registered 88.3 mph on the stadium radar system, representing a drop of more than 3 mph from his 2026 season average.

The 30-year-old Civale carries a 5-2 record this season with a 4.20 ERA through 11 starts. Before his struggles against the Angels and Mariners in his last two outings, he maintained a 2.70 ERA. Those two difficult performances resulted in 14 hits allowed (including six home runs) and 12 earned runs.

The nation’s highest court declined Tuesday to step into a racial discrimination case brought by former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores against the NFL, clearing the way for the lawsuit to move toward trial.

The justices turned down the league’s request to force the case into its private arbitration system instead of allowing it to continue in New York courts. Justice Brett Kavanaugh disagreed with the court’s decision to stay out of the matter.

Flores, who is Black, filed the lawsuit in February 2022 against the league and three franchises, claiming the NFL was “rife with racism” in how it handles hiring decisions for Black coaches. Two other Black coaches, Steve Wilks and Ray Horton, later became part of the legal action.

The former coach, who lost his job with the Dolphins just before launching the lawsuit, currently serves as defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings.

League officials had pushed for the dispute to go through arbitration instead of the court system, but federal judges at lower levels have supported the coaches’ position. The NFL stated it respected the Supreme Court’s ruling, which keeps the lower court decisions intact, but said it remains “fully prepared to defend ourselves as this matter proceeds.”

Lawyers David Gottlieb and Douglas Wigdor, who represent the coaches, expressed satisfaction with the outcome. “The NFL must now accept that its commissioner cannot be the arbitrator over discrimination claims against the league and its teams. We look forward to litigating these claims in court,” they said in a written statement.

Flores was let go after compiling a 24-25 coaching record across three seasons with no postseason appearances. However, the Dolphins had achieved consecutive winning seasons before his dismissal.

The lawsuit names the NFL along with the Denver Broncos, the New York Giants and the Houston Texans. Flores had interviewed with Denver in 2019 and with the Giants and Texans in 2022.

Wilks, who lost his position as the New York Jets’ defensive coordinator in December, joined the case by alleging the Arizona Cardinals treated him as a “bridge coach” in 2018 — elevating him to interim status after dismissing another coach but then overlooking him for the permanent position. He claimed the Cardinals failed to give him a fair opportunity to prove himself.

Horton, whose last NFL coaching role ended in 2019, accused the Tennessee Titans of failing to conduct a legitimate interview process when he sought their head coaching job in 2016.

Known as the “Sommermärchen” or “Summer Fairy Tale,” Germany’s 2006 World Cup earned widespread acclaim as a celebration of a modern, unified country that welcomed international visitors. A key element of that achievement was the “KombiTicket,” which provided fans with complimentary local public transit access during game days.

Following that example, subsequent World Cup hosting nations have made substantial investments in fan transportation, particularly Russia in 2018, where even intercity rail travel between venues was provided at no charge, and Qatar in 2022, where complimentary subway access transformed venue-hopping into an integral tournament feature.

Now comes America’s turn.

Soccer supporters, already struggling with sky-high ticket costs, pricey airfare and steep hotel rates, have expressed anger upon learning that rail transportation to certain venues will carry another substantial expense: $98 for round-trip train travel in New Jersey and $80 in Massachusetts — journeys that typically cost NFL attendees $12.90 and $20, respectively.

Authorities maintain they’re not attempting to exploit supporters, but rather seeking to offset security expenses and enhanced rail operations without burdening taxpayers. However, fans view this as yet another financial burden placed on supporters who are already spending enormous amounts to visit America, a vast, automobile-dependent nation where mass transit has historically been neglected in numerous areas. Unlike previous host nations, certain state and local leaders have shown less willingness to absorb these expenses, contending that FIFA, the global soccer organization expected to generate billions from the tournament, should cover them.

“Planning for this World Cup has been a nightmare from start to finish,” said Scotland-born Rory Phillips-Hunter, a 37-year-old hospitality worker who lives in northern England. “I think it’s the most inaccessible one there’s ever been.”

Confused by the absence of reasonably priced travel options for the 25-mile (40-kilometer) journey from Providence, Rhode Island, to Foxborough, Massachusetts, where Scotland’s opening two games will occur, Phillips-Hunter and fellow Tartan Army supporters chose to arrange their own solution.

For approximately $50 per person, the Scottish fans have reserved roughly 20 school buses to transport nearly 1,000 members of their plaid-wearing supporter group to each game. They’re even receiving police escort services, all for slightly more than half the price of the $95 bus service that local authorities are providing — creating combined savings exceeding $85,000.

Phillips-Hunter acknowledges the $95 bus cost wouldn’t financially ruin him, but he and countless other Scottish supporters are already spending massive amounts to watch their men’s national team participate in the World Cup for the first time in 28 years. Phillips-Hunter calculates it will require two years to pay off the credit card debt he’s accumulating for his six-day American visit, including the $1,350 he paid for his Scotland-Morocco game ticket.

Above all else, Phillips-Hunter feels frustrated that a group of Scots from across the Atlantic managed to arrange transportation for significantly less than what local authorities proposed.

“When I look at that difference in cost, that’s just profits you’re taking from us,” he said.

Host cities aren’t all handling transportation identically. Atlanta, Houston and Seattle feature stadiums connected directly to rail networks, where standard ticket prices will be charged. Miami-Dade County leaders recently revealed they will provide complimentary shuttle services between Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens and locations about 15 miles (24 kilometers) from downtown Miami. Philadelphia, meanwhile, offers free return trips from the venue, funded by FIFA sponsor Airbnb. Kansas City, Missouri, operates $15 shuttle services.

The comparatively expensive transit fees for games at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts stem partly from their suburban locations, where most fans typically drive to NFL contests they usually host. However, parking will be severely restricted during the World Cup due to expanded security zones, broadcasting requirements and lots designated for VIP use, compelling many more supporters to rely on public transportation.

David Gogishvili serves as a senior researcher at Switzerland’s University of Lausanne and examines how sports organizers coordinate major events like the World Cup.

He explained it’s typical procedure for organizers like FIFA to transfer much of the expense to host nations. The distinction this time involves the U.S. having “stronger and more independent” state and local leaders who have shown less willingness to accept the cost and “bow to the wills of FIFA.”

“These costs should be borne by the organization that is earning money out of these events, which is FIFA. It should not always be the host cities that take on all the expenses,” Gogishvili said, referencing the soccer organization’s anticipated $13 billion revenue from 2023-26.

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, has called on FIFA to cover the transportation costs to matches.

However, FIFA responded by arguing that no other international event has been required to absorb such expenses and that its original agreements with host cities required free fan transportation to all games. The contracts were subsequently modified to permit cities to offer transit “at cost.”

Transportation has been so accessible at recent World Cups because host countries like Russia and Qatar treated the tournament as a “public relations exercise,” subsidizing transit costs accordingly, Gogishvili explained.

Leaders’ concerns about transit expenses also emerge amid increasing worry that the anticipated World Cup economic benefits won’t occur, with hotel reservations falling short of projections in most of the 11 American cities hosting tournament games. A 2022 study co-authored by Gogishvili discovered that nearly every World Cup from 1966 through 2018 operated at a financial loss.

Yonah Freemark, a researcher at the Washington-based Urban Institute think tank who specializes in transit issues, said World Cup fans from Europe and Asia will encounter less-developed but more expensive transit networks than they experience at home.

Referencing the transit costs associated with games in New Jersey and Massachusetts, Freemark said officials “are trying to get away with murder.” Delays and transit availability, he noted, will probably disappoint many international visitors.

Ynara Correa da Costa, a Brazilian systems analyst who lives outside Sao Paulo, will be attending her seventh World Cup.

Like many others, she was shocked when authorities initially suggested charging up to $150 for train travel from New York City to MetLife Stadium, where Brazil opens against Morocco. The widespread outrage prompted New Jersey officials to reduce the fare to $98 after obtaining additional funding.

But even the reduced cost for a brief train journey “is just not acceptable,” Costa said.

Costa felt encouraged when the local host committee announced it had obtained more buses for stadium transportation and cut the price from $80 to $20. However, only enough bus capacity exists for 18,000 supporters to reach the stadium, which accommodates approximately 82,500.

That appears much more reasonable to Costa. Previously, she questioned whether she and other budget-minded fans might need to walk to MetLife Stadium, but that option isn’t feasible.

“We’ll go to the match, that I know,” Costa said. “But how? Let’s see.”

Current MotoGP champion Marc Marquez is preparing to make his return to racing at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, according to an announcement from his team Ducati on Tuesday. The comeback follows dual surgical procedures after a crash at Le Mans earlier this month.

The champion was sidelined from both the French Grand Prix race and the entire Catalan Grand Prix weekend due to a foot fracture sustained during a severe highside crash in Le Mans’ sprint race.

The 33-year-old underwent surgery to repair a metatarsal fracture and also had a shoulder procedure that had been planned for after his home Catalan Grand Prix.

“Following a positive medical check, Marc will travel to Mugello tomorrow,” Ducati announced in their statement.

“He is scheduled for a final trackside assessment on Thursday to secure the ‘fit to race’ clearance for the Italian Grand Prix.”

In a separate development, Ducati’s Italian test rider Michele Pirro will take over for Marquez’s brother Alex on the Gresini Racing motorcycle following the Spaniard’s severe crash at the Catalan Grand Prix.

Alex faces time away from both the Italian and Hungarian Grands Prix due to a minor vertebra fracture near his neck area, combined with a fractured right collarbone.