Caitlin Clark’s first signature shoe has been a much talked about topic since it was first reported. The Indiana Fever superstar debuted it on Thursday in the WNBA regular-season matchup against the Atlanta Dream. News about a special holiday release recently emerged and got fans buzzing.The “Grinch” colorway is one of the most iconic in history, thanks to Kobe Bryant’s Nike Kobe 6. He debuted it on Dec. 10, 2010 versus the Miami Heat. The pair has since become one of the most sought-after pairs from his signature line.MORE: Slo-Mo video of Caitlin Clark’s spin move against Dream is a must-seeJust Fresh Kicks posted the photo of the Caitlin 1 “Grinch” on X on Sunday. Fans dropped mixed reactions in the comments section.“Yep hopefully they come with the red laces too,” one fan wrote.“This would be dope but still doesn’t touch the Kobe’s,” a reaction read.“Nike really bungled this, their number one attention getter, and what did it take four years to come out with her shoe?” one user said.“If this does happen.. they will sell out immediately,” posted another.“Imitation is the biggest form of flattery,” another fan commented.“Nahhh this ain’t it,” a comment read.Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts after losing the Fever’s season opener game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Dallas Wings defeated the Indiana Fever, 107-104. Credit: Imagn ImagesCaitlin Clark and the Fever are on a two-game losing skidClark and the Indiana Fever appeared to be turning their fortunes around by winning four straight games. However, they were given a harsh reality check by Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream.The teams met in a home-and-away set on Thursday and Saturday. Atlanta won both, handing Indiana a losing streak. Clark and Co. are now 9-7 for the season and need to get back on track the soonest. They split the results of their first 10 games and are still struggling with consistency.The Fever’s upcoming three-game homestand will be huge, as it gives them a better chance of stringing wins together. It starts on Monday versus the Phoenix Mercury, followed by a rematch two days later.

Photo by David Cannon/Getty ImagesSam Burns made a Sunday charge to come just one shot away from the US Open.Burns missed a short putt on 17 and a missed a makeable look on 18, finishing his US Open one stroke behind eventual winner Wyndham Clark.Still, it was an impressive showing from Burns, who had the worst of the conditions through the first two days, and still made a late charge. He faced the wind on Thursday morning, and the firmest greens on Friday afternoon, and still hung in contention.Speaking after his final round, Burns shared his honest thoughts on the setup at Shinnecock.Photo by Kate McShane/Getty ImagesSam Burns said the USGA handled ‘weird’ week at Shinnecock wellMuch was made of the USGA’s setup of Shinnecock Hills throughout the event. Because of the wind of Thursday and Saturday, they had to make the greens slow to ensure the golf course was playable. But some thought it was just too easy for a US Open.In the end only three players finished under par and the winner was four-under, so it proved to be hard enough. Speaking after his US Open, Burns said the USGA did a great job.The 29-year-old said, “I think with the forecast that we were projected to have on Thursday, like I said a minute ago, I think the USGA did a good job with that. I really think the fog delay is what kind of made a pretty big difference there.“I don’t think people realized for some of those guys to have the last three hours of daylight when the wind really died down and you have soft conditions, whether it’s Shinnecock or it doesn’t matter, guys are going to make a bunch of birdies. I think that three-hour window really made a difference.“I would think that the statistics probably back that up. I don’t know that to be true, but I think that was a nice break for those guys in that wave.“Then Saturday morning typically at a U.S. Open you’ve kind of made the cut on the number. Especially here you’ve seen guys make the cut on the number and go out, play early Saturday, and shoot a couple under par. Next thing you know they’re in the top 10.“With the wind they got Saturday morning, you didn’t really see that as much. So it was definitely a weird weather week. I thought the USGA did a proper job in handling all those different conditions that we had. Ultimately, I think the guy who played the best won.”Sam Burns explained missed putts to end his US OpenBurns will rue a series of missed putts down the stretch. He three-putted the 15th hole, then missed two good looks on the final two holes to effectively hand the tournament to Clark.He explained how that happened: “I think I felt like I was chasing all day. I would get within maybe one or two, and then, you know, the three-putt on 15. I felt like the putt I hit kind of when it got down to the hole kind of went a little right past the hole. On the way back I thought it would be pretty straight, and it went to the right.“I think that happens on these greens late in the day. The surfaces get tough to hole putts on when they get crusty and had traffic. But I think, you know, overall I feel like the round that I played was a really good round of golf. It’s unfortunate I just came up one short.“I think the USGA did an amazing job this week on their setup. I’m very critical of the USGA, but I think they really did a good job this week in how they set this golf course up.”It was a brilliant effort from Burns on the final day, but he’s beginning to build a reputation as a player who cannot get it done in the clutch. He’ll hope to change that narrative at the next time of asking.

Giants' Rafael Devers throws a massive fit for the dumbest reason originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Rafael Devers did his job.The San Francisco Giants began the top of the ninth inning in Miami facing a 2-1 deficit, and Devers was leading off. He got on base with a walk. That's exactly what the Giants needed.What happened next was a lot less ideal.The Giants sent Jonah Cox, the rookie outfielder, toward first base to pinch-run for Devers.Devers wanted nothing to do with it. He gestured to send Cox back. He kept showing that he didn't want the substitution.When the Giants didn't relent, Devers eventually left and threw a fit in the dugout.What in the world?Rafael Devers didn't want to be removed for a pinch runner after a leadoff walk to start the ninth pic.twitter.com/PR3DCOFd3M— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) June 21, 2026MORE: How Pirates lost on maddening interference call for final out vs. RockiesSure, there's a scenario where the game gets back around to Devers and he hits again. But the most important thing in that moment is that the run on first base scores, and Cox is faster than Devers.Devers has a 22nd-percentile sprint speed at 26.2 feet per second. Cox's sprint speed is in the 89th-percentile at 28.8 feet per second.There's no question whatsoever that this was the right move by the Giants.Even if it wasn't, it does no one any good for Devers to argue like this. It's not a pitcher asking to face another batter. It's a slow runner making the case he should stay in to... run?It's just one of those examples that shows there is legitimate concern about Devers and his long future in the Bay Area. His mindset doesn't appear to be ideal to maximize his time with the Giants.More MLB news:Cam Schlittler breaks an all-time Yankees recordA 'gentlemanly' baserunning move confused the umpires, and everyone elsePaul Skenes holds a really weird MLB recordOutfielder retires from baseball to go play college footballDodgers have a very simple reason to trade for Tarik Skubal

INGLEWOOD, California — When faced with impossible and unfair situations, may we all have the composure of Iran’s World Cup team.No matter what happens the rest of this tournament, the Iranian players have given a master class in handling adversity. They have been reasoned in their complaints, all of which are deserved, and have not stooped to personal insults or histrionics. Nor have they quit or self-imploded.That they are still in the running for a first-ever spot in the knockout rounds, maybe even top of the group, is stunning, and if the soccer gods have any sense of fairness at all, they will make this happen."The situation hasn't been the best, but we don't want to keep repeating that because I think everyone is aware of that,” Alireza Jahanbakhsh said after Iran kept its Group G hopes alive with its second draw of the World Cup, this one 0-0 against Belgium.“Today was an amazing performance, but I think we cannot let down the next game against Egypt. We know how important that is," Jahanbakhsh said. “… We know what it means for our people back home.”Iran team a political pawn in U.S.There is little argument that the Iranian regime is heinous. It has murdered its own people, supported terrorist organizations in the Middle East and targeted Americans. It is understandable why any American administration, the current one included, has less than positive feelings about Iran’s leaders.But the regime is not playing at the World Cup. The players have as much power against it as the person sitting in Section 108 at Sunday’s game. Probably less, given other athletes have been punished, including by death, for speaking out.Yet the U.S. government, aided and abetted by FIFA, has made the Iranian team a proxy in its war with Iran. The team was forced to move its base camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico at the eleventh hour. Members of the delegation, including the head of the Iranian federation, have been denied visas. The players' families are not here.Worst of all, they’re under a stricter curfew than most teenagers when they come to the United States for their games. They didn’t arrive until late Saturday afternoon, and coach Amir Ghalenoei said their flight was supposed to leave a mere two hours after the game against Belgium."I don’t think another team could sustain with conditions like this,” Ghalenoei said. “Our players are really giving everything, they are playing with their heart, and in the future generations, we will remember them."Iran team doesn't quitThere are many teams that would have cratered in this situation, and no one would have been surprised. How many of us would have thrown tantrums if punished for someone else's misdoings? Yet Iran has simply played on.Belgium doesn’t exactly look like the No. 10 team in the world. Or the one that routed the U.S. men’s national team 5-2 in March, for that matter. But Iran held them scoreless, with goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand living up to his “Wall of Persia” nickname.Beiranvand made seven saves, with the most impressive one coming in the 59th minute. Down on the grass, he somehow reached out his hand to block Maxim De Cuyper’s shot from close range than snagged the ball to prevent it from crossing the goal line.“The unity, the fighting spirit we have for each other, for our country, for the people — we try to win every game and try not to concede, and the situation like this can happen,” Iran midfielder Saman Ghoddos said.Iran will finish the group stage against Egypt on Friday in Seattle. Win that, and Team Melli would finish no worse than second in Group G.In six previous World Cup appearances, Iran has never made it past the group stage. “Once we went to the dressing room today, we said whatever feeling we have, we have to take it with us tonight,” Jahanbakhsh said. “It's really in our control to do what we have to do. Firstly for our people back home, and then for ourselves, because some of us, we play more than 10, 12 years together.“So hopefully we can make a best performance in the last game.”Iran's entire performance at this World Cup has been admirable. We all can take a lesson from it. Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Iran World Cup team doesn't quit, and reaching knockouts would be just result

Smoke spread across Los Angeles on Sunday, but the Fire Department said it was making progress in extinguishing the fire at the cold-storage warehouse. State and local officials have declared an emergency.

Michigan football just finished up its biggest official visit weekend, 'Victor's Weekend,' and on Sunday, it appears that the festivities yielded a commitment.2027 American Fork (Utah) three-star tight end Christian Hanshaw was primarily considering Michigan, UCLA, Utah, and BYU, though he also had offers from USC, Texas A&M, and Oregon, despite being the No. 969 prospect in the country. However, after having visited Ann Arbor for the big visit weekend, the Wolverines appeared to have knocked it out of the park, with Hanshaw verbally pledging to the maize and blue on Sunday.Excited to announce my commitment to @UMichFootball ! Thank you to everyone who helped make this dream possible. @FWhittinghamJr@AliiNiumatalolo@Day1toD1@cavemanfootball@BrandonHuffman@adamgorney@BlairAngulo@GregBiggins@ethanmmcdowell@BriceMarich@trevormccue#GoBluepic.twitter.com/E4pYCjw1ig— Christian T Hanshaw (@ChristianTHans2) June 21, 2026Hanshaw is the second tight end commit of the class, with Colt Lumpris having flipped from his Alabama pledge in May. He's a multi-sport athlete who also plays basketball, and he managed 27 receptions for 356 yards and two touchdowns, according to 247Sports.Here is the full list of Michigan's 18 commitments in 2027 with Rivals Industry Ranking:Kalamazoo (Mich.) Loy Norrix four-star OT Jakari Lipsey (No. 95 overall)Chicago (Ill.) Mount Carmel four-star WR Quentin Burrell (No. 101 overall)Houston (Tx.) South four-star DL Xavier Muhammad (No. 106 overall)Salt Lake City (Utah) West four-star QB Kamden Lopati (No. 132 overall)Chicago (Ill.) Mount Carmel four-star S Tavares Harrington (No. 134 overall)Muskegon (Mich.) four-star EDGE Recarder Kitchen (No. 157 overall)Jackson (Miss.) Brandon four-star RB Tyson Robinson (No. 213 overall)Katy (Tx.) Tompkins four-star CB Blake Jenkins (No. 262 overall)Fort Wayne (Ind.) Northrop four-star EDGE Ifeanyi Emedobi (No. 265 overall)Lawrenceville (N.J.) School four-star TE Colt Lumpris (No. 273 overall)Riverside (Calif.) Notre Dame four-star CB Darius Johnson (No. 316 overall)Indianapolis (Ind.) four-star EDGE Jayce Brewer (No. 378 overall)Gatineau (Quebec) Brook Hill three-star IOL Sidney Rouleau (No. 459 overall)Buford (Ga.) three-star LB Brayden Watson (No. 500 overall)Saline (Mich.) three-star IOL Louis Esposito (No. 720 overall)Orlando (Fla.) Lake Nona three-star S Charles Woodson Jr. (No. 745 overall)Grand Rapids (Mich.) Kenowa Hills three-star ATH Lundon Hampton (No. 838 overall)American Fork (Utah) three-star TE Christian Hanshaw (No. 969 overall)This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: 3-star TE Christian Hanshaw commits to Michigan football

It was never going to be easy. A sizable 54-hole lead may seem inevitable, but this is the U.S. Open and this is Shinnecock. When Wyndham Clark teed off at 2:30 p.m. local time he was six shots ahead of the field. By 4:45, he was walking to the back nine just one shot ahead.The following two hours had plenty of drama yet two shots saved Wyndham Clark and ensured he would leave, once again, with the U.S. Open trophy.As Clark walked over the bridge from the ninth green to the 10th tee at Shinnecock, he would have been hard-pressed not to notice the giant leaderboard on his left. His name was still on top, at four under par, but Sam Burns was three under for his day and the tournament. The lead was just a single shot.As I wrote last night, the 10th hole would play a pivotal role in deciding the champion. Thankfully for me, Clark proved that.With the pin position in the front of the green, just eight paces on, the challenge of the hole became very different from what they had faced in the opening three rounds. The firm, perched putting surface has a severe run-off both short and long of the green. When the pin is toward the back, players are generally happy to push their drives farther down the hole and attempt to skip a wedge shot back toward it.However, for most of the field, Sunday’s pin position required a different approach. While roughly 75 percent of players pushed their tee shot down the fairway during the preceding rounds, only 18-of-72 players on Sunday chose that route. Clark was one.“I think in years past people have laid up farther back," he said. “We talked about it. I said, 'as long as we can hold the green, I would rather be 60 yards than 160 yards to try to hit it to 30 feet.'”The headcover came off, a sawed-off “bunt” swing followed and Clark’s ball landed 267 yards in the middle of the fairway and ran out another 80 yards. Having missed six of nine greens on the front nine, his second shot felt pivotal. After watching Scottie Scheffler hit his approach from 106 yards to 16 feet, the cameras switched to Clark.From a tight lie, 61 yards from the hole, the 32-year-old landed his lob wedge 62 yards, skipping forward and then spinning back, coming to rest just four feet from the hole. The second closest approach of anyone in the final round.Backspin for the win.One of the best shots we've seen at 10 the entire week. pic.twitter.com/dSEVE3po67— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 21, 2026“I clipped it perfect,” he told media after the round. “By no means did I think I could hit it as close as I did. That was definitely one of the better shots of the day.”And he wasn’t lying. His approach gained +0.6 on the field, making it statistically the best approach shot he hit on Sunday.He holed the putt, high-fived his caddie and regained a two-shot lead. His first birdie of the round.Yet, the job wasn’t done yet.Clark would drop a shot on the 13th hole and by the time he arrived on the tee at the par-5 16th, he would have been aware that Burns’ birdie putt had missed on the 18th but his compatriot was again within one shot of his lead.A double-crossed tee shot left Clark in, what Jim “Bones” Mackay would describe on the broadcast, a “horrendous” lie. With 319 yards left to the hole, Clark hacked out, barely covering the bunker on the left side of the fairway, and hit a pitching wedge to the back edge of the green, 24 feet from the hole.The PGA Tour average on putts from 20 to 25 feet is around 12 percent. On the 16th green on Sunday, that number dropped to below 10 percent. But this was Wyndham Clark, second in the field in strokes gained/putting.He read it breaking downhill, right-to-left and watched as the ball slowed but continued on line, finally dropping in the left edge of the hole. A birdie. A two-shot lead. And a giant fist-pump.The putt on 16 was the best shot Clark hit on Sunday. It gained +0.93 shots on the field and helped gain him another U.S. Open title. For the week, he faced six putts from 20 to 25 feet, and made half of them. Again, the average on the PGA Tour is 12 percent.WYNDHAM CLARK! HUGE!An unlikely birdie after his tee shot found the fescue. pic.twitter.com/RLO84XIltX— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 21, 2026All the shots Clark hit at Shinnecock added up to a one-shot victory. However, it was two specific shots on Sunday that truly earned him status as a two-time major champion.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have struggled mightily to figure out the long-term quarterback position, and one popular yet outspoken voice has put all the blame on Mike Tomlin.According to Mark Madden, Tomlin was responsible for setting the Steelers' quarterback situation back a few years, thanks to the decision to draft Kenny Pickett and his inability to hire a proper coaching staff.“If you want to blame somebody for how badly the Steelers have mangled the quarterback situation, it’s Mike Tomlin," Madden said via 105.9 the X. "Tomlin was the guy who made the call to draft Pickett. That is a fact. [Kevin] Colbert was the GM, but that's a fact. Tomlin made that call. He was the only guy with any stroke in the organization who wanted to do it in the first round. He had more stroke than anybody. But it's not just about Tomlin drafting Pickett. It’s about no quarterback ever being developed on Tomlin’s watch.”Madden continued to criticize Tomlin for hiring "inferior offensive minds" who failed to develop quarterbacks and coordinate the offense, two major criticisms fans have echoed over the past several years.Luckily for Steelers Nation, Tomlin stepped down, and Mike McCarthy, a proven quarterback guru who's been responsible for some all-time great offenses, is set to usher in a new regime in Pittsburgh.For up-to-date Steelers coverage, including any offseason moves, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers' quarterback failures are Mike Tomlin's fault, per Mark Madden

The Houston Rockets have had players donning a total of 52 different jersey numbers (and have one not part of any numerical series for Houston assistant coach and general manager Carroll Dawson) since their founding at the start of the 1967-68 season, worn by just under 500 players in the course of Rockets history.To honor all of the players who wore those numbers over the decades, Rockets Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who wore them since the founding of the team all those years ago right up to the present day.With seven of those jerseys now retired to honor some of the greatest Rockets of all time to wear those jerseys, there is a lot of history to cover.And for today's article, we will continue with the second of 18 who wore the No. 20, guard alum Larry Siegfried. After ending his college career at Ohio State, Siegfried was picked up with the third overall selection of the 1961 NBA draft by the (then) Cincinnati Royals (now, Sacramento Kings).The Shelby, Ohio native sat out until he signed with Boston in 1963, however, and played the first seven seasons of his pro career with the team, coming to an end when he was dealt to the (then) San Diego (now, Houston) Rockets by way of the Portland Trail Blazers in 1970. His stay with the team lasted until he was dealt to the Atlanta Hawks in 1971.During his time suiting up for the Rockets, Siegfried wore only jersey No. 20 and put up 7.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game.All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets jersey history No. 20 - Larry Siegfried (1970-71)

The Golden State Warriors have put together their teams through a variety of ways over the years, yet few approaches have proven as successful as the NBA draft. More than anything else, the most talented players to represent the Warriors have arrived in Golden State either by being selected directly in the annual draft or through trades executed on that same night.The Golden State Warriors have taken many of their top stars through the draft, but have also landed a number of notable players over the years as well. From tiny colleges to blue blood programs, these alumni have contributed significantly to the team's roster over the years. So, we chose to take a closer look at which Dubs came from which schools over the years.So without further ado, let's take a look at every player who has been drafted by the Warriors out of Marshall.Bob Allen - forwardDraft year and position: 6th round (7th pick, 71st overall), 1968 NBA DraftSeasons at Marshall: 3Seasons played with Warriors: 1All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Every Marshall player drafted by the Warriors

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Wyndham Clark had just missed a six-foot par putt on the 17th hole at Shinnecock Hills on Sunday, and when you miss a putt that late in the proceedings, the results can be catastrophic. Clark, who'd entered the day with a six-stroke lead on the field, now stood just one stroke clear. In other words, he needed to make a par on the final hole to clinch the U.S. Open. He could have used a few "hang in there"s from the fans, a few "you got this"es or "go get 'em Wyndham." Instead, he got someone singing. Badly. "Doo doo doo de-de-doo doo," yelped one atonal fan, adding a helpful "Under pressure!" Hey, at least this tone-deaf fellow had the courtesy to massacre a classic between holes, not while Clark was in his backswing, or when his shot was in the air. That, in itself, was an improvement over the previous 17 holes, when Clark, who's from Denver, Colorado, was treated like he was a Ryder Cup intruder on American soil. "Man, they definitely didn't want me to win," Clark said afterward, the U.S. Open trophy by his side. "It's pretty rare in an Open Championship or a major to have fans kind of boo against your shots or cheer for bad shots."From the very first tee, when fans serenaded Clark's playing partner Scottie Scheffler with "Happy Birthday" — he turned 30 on Sunday — all the way to the last tee, when — as Clark was lining up a potential Cup-winning putt — the crowd again sang "Happy Birthday," Sunday was one long torrent of abuse directed Clark's way. Every missed putt, every flown green, every ball that didn't end up precisely where Clark wanted it to, and the fans pounced — some so abusive they were kicked out of the golf course. "The crowd was tough today. I mean, New Yorkers, they are tough people," Scheffler said after the round. "Being in the arena is not for everybody, and I think it shows a lot about Wyndham, how he handled not only this golf course, but I think the crowd today as well, and is a well-deserving champion."That's all correct, and Scheffler was wise to take the high road and pivot the story into one praising Clark's mental toughness. So we'll say what the players inside the ropes are too diplomatic to: this was an embarrassment to Long Island, to New York, and to the game of golf. For a mostly-genteel sport, golf has a long, well-documented history of galleries abusing certain players. Arnie's Army absolutely tormented a still-young, still-baby-fat Jack Nicklaus so badly that Nicklaus pretty much destroyed their hero. More recently, Brooks Koepka-loving bros tormented Bryson DeChambeau with shouts of "Brooksie!" for several weeks in the pre-LIV days. Patrick Reed received only modest applause when he won the damn Masters. And then, of course, there's the Ryder Cup, where fan abuse is a key component of what counts as home field advantage these days. The Ryder Cup crowds tipped over from boisterous to malicious last fall, ripping on everything from Rory McIlroy's personal life to Shane Lowry's weight. And get this — in a shocking coincidence, that Ryder Cup was held at Bethpage, just down the road from Shinnecock. What are the odds? To be clear, this gallery didn't come close to Bethpage's for abusiveness and general jackassery. This was less "we hate you and want you deported" and more "we're rooting for the other guy and simply don't know how not to be jerks." Screaming "Get in the bunker!" may not be profane, but it also isn't even clever the first time, much less the 40th. To be clear, this antipathy toward Clark didn't come out of nowhere. He's got a history of bad behaviors — smashing a sign at the PGA Championship and smashing a locker at the U.S. Open last year, to start — that don't sit well with a good slice of golf fandom. Plus, much like DeChambeau, he's got a little too much of the please-like-me bro vibe to him, and golf fans have a kind of sixth sense to sniff out, and bully, that kind of thing. But he's trying, man. He's trying really hard to put that behind him. He's taken responsibility all week for the locker room incident, putting it in the context of turmoil engulfing his entire personal life. "After what happened at Oakmont was obviously the lowest point," Clark said Sunday. (Don't focus on the passive-voice sentence construction, focus on the bigger picture.) "I was in a dark place, didn't really go outside much. It was a really negative, dark place. At that moment I just felt a lot of my career, world ranking, reputation, everything just dwindling. That's a terrible feeling." Clark worked his way back from those depths, and the trophy sitting next to him as he spoke is proof that his work is paying off. Maybe this will quiet the gallery critics, and maybe not. There isn't a major or significant tournament on the schedule for Long Island anytime soon, and that's probably for the best. "It sucks being the underdog or getting rooted against, but I can pull through," Clark said. "There's nothing like winning kind of an away game, if you will."The New York crowds had their say. But by every measure, Clark had the last word. Winning is, without a doubt, the best revenge.

49res receiver Brandon Aiyuk is back at it on social media.His current Instagram story includes a video in which Aiyuk says "go Commanders" multiple times.The video comes roughly two weeks after Aiyuk posted multiple videos critical of the 49ers, nine days after he deleted the videos, and one week after he posted a video with the caption "coming to a end zone near [you]."It's believed by many tha he'll eventually land with the Commanders, after the 49ers release him. That hasn't happened yet.The 49ers have been squatting on Aiutk's rights, with the goal of engineering a trade. If Aiyuk shows up when training camp opens, the only move may be to cut him. If he practices with the 49ers, a season-ending injury would put the team on the hook for more than $26 million. As it currently stands, the 49ers owe him nothing.

Wyndham Clark found birdies hard to come by in the final round of the US Open [Getty Images]At times on Sunday at Shinnecock Hills it felt like becoming a case of if, and not when, Wyndham Clark would collect a second US Open title and the moment he has craved since smashing up a locker at last year's championship.Clark, imperious in building a six-shot lead over the first three days, looked a shoo-in.But he showed frailty early in round four while some of the notoriously feisty New York fans were intent on letting their fellow American know he wasn't their favourite.Whether they had not forgotten Clark's injudicious outburst at Oakmont 12 months ago, or were simply hoping to watch his playing partner Scottie Scheffler become the seventh man to win the career Grand Slam of all four majors, is unclear.But the jeers aimed towards Clark, as he stumbled to a one-shot victory over compatriot Sam Burns, made for uncomfortable viewing, with even Scheffler saying: "The crowd was tough. New Yorkers are tough people."Sometimes it can get a little too much when balls are going off greens and you start hearing cheers. That felt a bit much to me."It shows a lot about Wyndham, how he handled not only this golf course but the crowd as well and he is a well-deserving champion."Since the Masters was first played in 1934, only Greg Norman had let slip a six-shot 54-hole lead at a major, when Nick Faldo overturned the deficit to claim his third Green Jacket in 1996.But by the end end of the seventh hole at Shinnecock Hills, it looked like Clark might add to that statistic.The 2023 champion was wobbling. His massive advantage had evaporated to a single stroke with Burns in hot pursuit. Crucially though, nobody was able to draw level with Clark. And while there were several more plot twists, it was only when he holed a stunning 25-foot birdie putt on the 16th that it felt like he would cross the finishing line as the first wire-to-wire winner of the tournament since Martin Kaymer in 2014.Even then there was drama. A bogey on the 17th left him needing to par the last, which he did after knocking a superb 53-foot birdie putt to within inches of the hole."The first one was a breakthrough of knowing I can do it. This one was a lot of redemption," said Clark."Last year was so tough, a terrible year. I left [last year's US Open at Oakmont] in a shambles. It's amazing what a year can do. I'm leaving here as a champion and I'm just so blessed."This victory will not fully atone for his infamous meltdown after missing the halfway cut a year ago. That led to him receiving a ban from the Pennsylvania club until he underwent anger management therapy and paid for the repairs to the ancient lockers he damaged.And there were occasions on Sunday, when it appeared like his subsequent acts of contrition had not cut through to the galleries judging by their reactions to him. A huge number of fans vociferously celebrated Clark's bogey on the seventh, while others were reportedly ejected from the course because of their hostility.It was far from the scenes Europe's players faced at nearby Bethpage Black during last September's Ryder Cup but Clark had noise to block out."New York didn't really like me," Clark added. "I get it. Some of it is self-deserved. I did some unfortunate things last year that I really regret. I've been sorry multiple times and I'm still sorry. Hopefully I can win you guys over eventually. I get it. They were rooting for Scottie."While Clark may not be the most popular champion - given his past misdemeanours also include flinging his driver and breaking the clubhead off it during the 2025 US PGA Championship - he proved deserving of the 18-inch sterling silver winner's trophy and a hefty top prize of $4.5m (£3.9m). The 32-year-old will also undoubtedly concede that good fortune - namely the luck of the draw for the opening two rounds - also played a part in his success. Clark, who climbs from 34th to eighth in the world rankings was able to capitalise fully from playing his first round in the more benign conditions late on Thursday and second round early on Friday, as he followed his opening six-under 64 with a 69.On Saturday, his one-over 71 was anchored to a masterclass in scrambling and his proficiency on the greens, with only three players better than him - an improvement in his game that can be traced back to a change of putter at the Masters in April. After being criticised for "losing the course" at previous US Opens held at this famous Long Island track, the United States Golf Association was adamant it would remain playable throughout the week and produced a final-round set-up to deliver an intriguing finale.Burns, who led after 54 holes in last year's tournament, started seven shots back on Sunday and was unable to bridge the gap despite shooting a three-under 67, on a day when 17 players broke 70.With the field averaging 71.389 strokes on Sunday, it was the third-lowest final round scoring average in US Open history.Not that it helped Scheffler.His expected charge towards acquiring the full set of major titles never materialised, as he marked his 30th birthday by signing for a one-over 71 to end up four shots back alongside fellow Americans JT Poston and Keith Mitchell.South Korea's Tom Kim recorded his second best finish in a major at one under while England's Tyrrell Hatton ended in a tie for seventh at one over after a round that matched Burns' and contained an eagle and four birdies. Hatton's fellow Englishmen, Justin Rose, recently crowned US PGA Champion, Aaron Rai, Tommy Fleetwood and John Parry were all a stroke further adrift. Meanwhile, world number two Rory McIlroy conceded that the course had "won the battle over me" after finishing six over par.Masters champion McIlroy carded a final round of 73, including three birdies and four bogeys, as his challenge for a second US Open title fell away.

Michigan football has but one commitment in 2028 thus far, with Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy kicker Ryan Jung having pledged to the Wolverines over the weekend. But now, the maize and blue look to be trending for a major, big-time prospect out of Kyle Whittingham's old stomping grounds. Rated the No. 61 prospect in the country according to ESPN, and the No. 74 overall player per both the Rivals Industry Ranking and 247Sports Composite, 2028 Orem (Utah) four-star edge rusher Major Stokes is a coveted target, not just by the Wolverines. However, 247Sports recruiting insider Blair Angulo put in a prediction on Sunday evening indicating that when Stokes decides, he will choose Michigan football.Stokes is listed at 6-foot-5.5, 240 pounds, and has offers from the likes of Alabama, BYU, Colorado, Miami, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas A&M, UCLA, USC, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and others.In 2024, Stokes managed 60 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and three sacks, but he upped the ante in 2025, with 42 tackles, 29.5 tackles for loss, and 11.5 sacks -- decreasing his tackle output, but significantly improving across the board in the stats that matter most. This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football trending for Major Stokes

ARLINGTON, TX — Argentina is the reigning world champion and started its title defense off with a 3-0 thrashing of Algeria, but manager Lionel Scaloni says that other World Cup results have shown that any game can be a stumbling block for top teams.Scaloni said he has watched games like Spain's draw with Cape Verde and Ecuador's stalemate with Curacao. Those eyebrow-raisers have led him to remind is team that things won't always be easy."What you're seeing in the World Cup is there’s no easy game. The group phase historically … it’s always been difficult for everyone," Scaloni said in his pre-match news conference. "The conditions with the heat, the time between games, maybe it gives a hand to the team that, in theory, is a bit weaker.The first question posed to the manager in his news conference ahead of the showdown with Austria was about the false report of the death of Messi's father.The coach expressed frustration that he had to be asked the question but noted, "We’re good. There’s not much more to add. The team is good and ready to play tomorrow’s match."Scaloni said he and much of the group don't do much more in camp than go through training sessions and watch as many matches of the World Cup as possible."We see everything we can live. Right now, I was watching the end of Uruguay-Cape Verde," he said. "You learn a lot of things, you’re continually seeing situations and, besides, I like it."Scaloni expects neutrals to enjoy tuning into Monday, June 22's match, with Austria's intense pressing style coming up against his own team's desire to keep the ball and build its attack with possession."Austria is a tough opponent that has very good players, that pressures well, has verticality, got through qualification well and is an opponent that you have to keep in mind," he said. "It’ll be a tough game. We both won the first game, which could make the spectacle better."The Albiceleste's group finale come against Jordan on June 27.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Cup results have Argentina on edge before match vs. Austria

Check out the youth players Eduardo Domínguez uses most at GaloAtlético-MG is getting ready to return to training after the World Cup break, and coach Eduardo Domínguez may look to the youth academy “with affection.”Defensive midfielder Cissé, 19, is the youth player most used by Barba at Atlético-MG this season.Cissé has taken the field 12 times, starting only twice: in the Mineiro final against Cruzeiro and against Puerto Cabello in the Copa Sudamericana.The young Guinean is fearless and performs well both defensively and offensively, earning the trust of the Argentine coach.Pascini and Cauã Soares come next, with seven matches each; Iseppe and Luís Gustavo were used only once.Vitão, Índio, and goalkeepers Gabriel Delfim, Robert, and Pedro Cobra did not get any chances under Domínguez in the first half of 2026.This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

NEW YORK — Even on an afternoon in which they faced one of MLB’s filthiest flamethrowers, the New York Yankees had their chances.They put eight runners on base against Cincinnati Reds ace Chase Burns, and five of them made it into scoring position.They put plenty of pressure on the Reds’ bullpen, too.But the clutch hit eluded the Yankees throughout Sunday’s 4-1 defeat in the Bronx, continuing a weekend-long trend while clinching a series loss to Cincinnati.“The ball just didn’t really roll the way we needed it to,” catcher Austin Wells said.The Yankees went 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position Sunday and finished 2 for 32 over the three-game series.They were 0 for 13 with runners in scoring position in Saturday’s 10-2 loss. Going back to the eighth inning of Friday night’s 5-0 win, the Yankees are 0-for-their-last-24 with runners in scoring position.“That’s baseball. You want the opportunities,” manager Aaron Boone said.“I’ll take the opportunities. We’ll cash in. These last two days, they’ve held us down, obviously. I feel like we’ve had good at-bats and given ourselves opportunities. We just haven’t gotten that hit.”Burns held the Yankees (46-30) to one run over five innings with seven strikeouts, despite allowing five hits and three walks. The Yankees stole six bases against the 23-year-old right-hander, who is slow to home plate.But the Yankees went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position against Burns, who stranded at least one runner at second or third base in four of his five innings.Jazz Chisholm Jr. popped out with runners at second and third to end the first.Wells popped out with a runner at third to end the third.And with a runner on second in the fifth, Bellinger struck out on three pitches, swinging through each, including back-to-back 98-mph fastballs to end the inning.Burns, in his second MLB season, improved to 9-1 with a 2.00 ERA through 15 starts.“He’s one of the game’s really good — forget young — pitchers,” Boone said. “I thought we had good at-bats against him, throughout the lineup. I thought we pressured him well. I thought we were making it hard on him. We just, a little bit like yesterday, couldn’t break through.”The only offense against Burns came in the third inning, when Ben Rice clubbed his 22nd home run to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead.But even that felt like something of a missed opportunity, as Anthony Volpe was picked off at first base right before Rice homered.Volpe contended that first baseman Sal Stewart’s foot blocked his lane to the base. The umpires saw it differently.“He said he didn’t want to watch it on the screen,” said Volpe, who was animated in arguing the call. “He said the throw took [Stewart] there, which I didn’t have, but it’s up to him.”The Yankees’ lead did not last long, as rookie starter Elmer Rodríguez surrendered a two-out, three-run home run to catcher Tyler Stephenson in the fourth.It remained a 3-1 game when righty-swinging Paul Goldschmidt, pitch-hitting for Wells, came up with runners at the corners and two outs in the sixth. But the red-hot Goldschmidt flew out harmlessly on a first-pitch sweeper from left-handed reliever Sam Moll, ending the scoring threat.Following Sunday’s loss, the Yankees ranked sixth in OPS with runners in scoring position (.787) and 12th in batting average (.255) among the 30 MLB teams.“[If you] keep getting in those situations, getting guys on base, good things will happen,” Volpe said. “It’s just a matter of time.”Rodríguez, the Yankees’ top pitching prospect, allowed three runs in four-plus innings with two walks and a career-high four strikeouts in his fourth MLB start.Gerrit Cole was originally lined up to start Sunday, but the Yankees decided to give their ace — and the rest of the rotation — an extra day of rest amid a stretch of 16 consecutive games without an off-day.The Yankees called up Rodríguez, 22, before Sunday’s game, then optioned him back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre afterward.“I thought it was the best he’s thrown it since he’s been up here,” Boone said of Rodríguez, who fell to 0-2 with a 4.76 ERA.“I thought his strike-throwing was really good, and then he lost the zone there a little bit with [Noelvi] Marte, fell behind him, and he gets the base hit to right. Then he falls behind Stephenson, gave up the long ball [on a 3-1 fastball].”The Reds tacked on an insurance run in the eighth against Camilo Dovel, starting with a hustle double by Spencer Steer.Steer snuck a slow roller under the glove of the second baseman Chisholm, and as Steer surged to second, José Caballero — who moved from left field to center field an inning earlier — came up throwing.His throw sailed over second base and all the way to the backstop, allowing Steer to move to third.“We’re not gonna make a play on that, but I thought Cabby was a little slow to react in center, which allowed Steer to get [to second base],” Boone said. “And then we didn’t play catch well.”Steer scored when Marte lifted a ground-rule double that Jasson Domínguez — making his seventh career appearance in right field amid Aaron Judge’s injury absence — couldn’t corral in front of the wall.“I think that’s another one of those balls that’s kind of just perfectly placed,” Boone said. “I don’t know if there’s a lot of guys making that play.”The loss capped a 3-3 homestand for the Yankees, who now head to Detroit. Cole (1-1, 2.57 ERA) is set to start Monday night’s series opener against Tigers left-hander Framber Valdez (3-5, 4.09 ERA).____

🧐 Santos' most-used substitutes this seasonAlready thinking about the second half of the 2026 season, coach Cuca may need a “trusted” bench.And despite the many criticisms from Santos fans, three players stood out from the rest and were the most-used substitutes of the year.They are: Rollheiser, Thaciano, Lautaro Díaz, and Moisés.Thaciano came off the bench in 13 of 23 matches, scoring four goals, but suffered a muscle injury in May.Lautaro Díaz was also a substitute 13 times, having started only six matches, with one goal scored.Moisés played 19 matches, 12 as a substitute and seven as a starter, scoring three goals in the current season.Midfielder Benjamín Rollheiser leads the statistic: 28 matches, 15 as a substitute, four goals, and two assists since Cuca took charge.This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

AUBURN — The holidays haven't been off days for Auburn football of late. If anything, they've been a moment where the program's put in some work.After getting a commitment from four-star edge rusher James Pace III on Friday, Juneteenth, the Tigers saw a top-10 2027 recruiting class grow by two Sunday, June 21, with athlete Preston Williams and running back Khamoni Williams joining the fold on Father's Day.The first Williams held offers from five other in-state programs, but the second was a Power Four flip, backing off a pledge to West Virginia to join Auburn's class.After getting Pace, Auburn's class became a top-10 bunch, but with both Williams now added, it holds pat at ninth and fifth in Division I and the SEC, respectively, in 247Sports' team rankings. On3 ranks Auburn's class 12th and sixth in those respective categories.Adam Cole is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at acole@gannett.com or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @colereporter.To support Adam's work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football adds two more to top-10 2027 recruiting class

Olivia Miles continues to turn heads after she was drafted by the Minnesota Lynx at No. 2 this year. She is producing consistent numbers and leading the WNBA Rookie of the Year race. The TCU product drew the attention of Kevin Garnett, who gave her the ultimate praise.Miles is also a big reason why her team is leading the league with a 13-4 record. She is averaging 18.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.5 steals through 16 games.MORE: WNBA announces expanded season, and here is what you need to knowGarnett posted on X on Sunday, sharing to his followers how much she believes in Miles.The NBA legend has strong ties to Minnesota as he starred for the Timberwolves from 1995 to 2007. He also suited up for the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets but returned to the team that drafted him in 2015. Garnett retired with the franchise the following year.Sep 30, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Former basketball star Kevin Garnett on hand for the Colorado Buffaloes USC Trojans football game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: John Leyba-USA TODAY SportsKevin Garnett’s NBA careerFans, analysts and former and current players consider Garnett one of the best power forwards in league history. He also comes from a rare breed, turning pro straight out of high school. The Farragut Academy (Illinois) product entered the NBA as the No. 5 pick in 1997 and played 21 seasons.He hung up his sneakers for good as a one-time champion, one-time MVP, 15-time All-Star and one-time Defensive Player of the Year. Garnett also earned nine All-NBA team selections and nine All-Defensive team nods. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inducted him on May 15, 2021, along with Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan, among others.

Dancing exuberantly in the bleachers and teaching the crowd Cape Verde chants.

Jun 21, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center fielder Owen Hull (8) catches for an out against the Oklahoma Sooners during the fourth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images The Tar Heels aren’t done just yet. After a horrible opening 9-3 loss, UNC comes out slow but then gets hot in series tying 6-2 win over the Oklahoma Sooners. The win ends a five game College World Series finals losing streak and sets up a winner takes all match on Monday night for the championship.So what happened to get North Carolina this all important win?Caden Glauber does it againAfter coming in for an injured Ryan Lynch, who pitched four strong innings, Glauber pitched the final five innings, striking out eight and inducing a game ending double play in the bottom of the ninth with the Sooners in striking distance after Glauber walked two batters. The Tar Heels are now 29-0 when Glauber pitches and after throwing just 65 pitches in this game (45 of which were strikes), he should be available to give coach Scott Forbes some value in a must win game three on Monday Night.Owen Hull has one good at batHull had been tearing it up this postseason before struggling in game one going 1 for 5 with two strikeouts. Today, he didn’t fair much better again going one for five this time with three strike outs, but his one hit was a ball he sailed to right field in the fifth for a solo home that increased the Tar Heel lead to two. Hull is overdue for a big game and he has a chance to get one on Monday night.Erik Paulsen Jr delivers on Father’s DayIf you haven’t read Paulsen’s story before today, then there is no better day than today to do so, but in a nutshell, his dad, Erik Paulsen Sr, was a New York Detective who helped saved people during 9/11. He died this past year from oropharyngeal cancer, which he got from smoke inhalation from the same event. His dad never got to see his son play at UNC, but Erik Jr has delivered in his memory and today he went 3 for 5 with a run. His second inning single was the first hit the Tar Heels got on Sooners starter Xavier Mercurius and it helped get the lineup a second time through one batter quicker leading to a three run third inning that gave North Carolina a lead they would never surrender. The Junior transfer from Stony Brook was named MVP of the Chapel Hill Regional and did his part in this game as well.Overall, the biggest story of the day is that the Sooner bats cooled down while the Tar Heel’s bats got hot. In addition to the hitting of Hull and Paulsen, Cooper Nicholson hit a two-run home run in the seventh (his first since May 3rd), Jake Schaffner had a two run triple, and Carter French drew four walks forcing the Oklahoma pitching staff to increase their pitch count. All that is left is one game and nothing should be off the table on Monday.

After attending the Iowa Hawkeye Tailgater on Friday, Iowa football officially presented a scholarship offer to rising 2028 tight end prospect Brady Reeves.The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder from Cottage Grove, Minnesota, plays for Hill-Murray and recorded 327 yards on 25 receptions for seven touchdowns this past season for the Pioneers, according to 247Sports.After an amazing day at the Iowa Hawkeye Tailgater, I am extremely excited to have received an offer from Coach Ferentz to the University of Iowa!!! @Abdul_Hodge@CoachK_Bell@TheIowaHawkeyes@AllenTrieu@RyanBurnsMN@PrepRedzoneMN@247recruitingpic.twitter.com/IO1prl82Rw— Brady Reeves Class of 2028 | Tight End | D-End (@Brady_Reeves18) June 20, 2026Along with Iowa, Reeves has offers from Minnesota, Iowa State, Vanderbilt, Kansas, Wyoming, Miami-OH, Eastern Michigan, North Dakota State, South Dakota, South Dakota State, North Dakota, and Southern Illinois.While Iowa has plenty of talent at the tight end position right now, Kirk Ferentz has a renowned history for developing highly talented tight ends over the course of his 27-year head-coaching tenure in Iowa City, which should be a significant recruiting tool for the program. With that in mind, the Hawkeyes hope that Ferentz's prestige with tight ends, recent offensive resurgence, and the overall positive interactions at the Hawkeye Tailgater put Iowa at the forefront of Reeves' recruitment evaluations.Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNewsThis article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football offers 2028 Minnesota TE prospect

Ole Miss continued to add talent to its defensive unit with the commitment of linebacker David Parson.The 6-foot, 225-pound standout from Douglasville (Ga.) Douglas County has committed to the Rebels after taking an official visit to Oxford earlier this month, choosing Pete Golding‘s program over Virginia Tech, Kansas, Memphis and several other contenders.Parson finished his recruitment with close to 30 offers, but Ole Miss separated itself through consistency and relationships.“They’ve been steady and intentional,” Parson told Rivals. “They check in a lot, make sure I know I’m a priority, and they’ve built a strong relationship with me and my family.”[ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ]The Rebels first offered Parson on Sept. 9 during last season and never backed away from making him a priority.Throughout the process, Parson developed especially close bonds with multiple staff members.“I’ve gotten close with Coach Golding, Coach Shoop and Coach Brown. They’re real with me, they coach with detail and they’ve shown me exactly how I fit in their defense.”That vision helped convince him that Oxford was the right place for his future.“The defensive fit, the development I’ll get, the trust I have in the staff and the long-term plan they laid out for me on and off the field all were reasons why I chose Ole Miss.”Parson has visited Oxford four times and says the environment continues to stand out.“The atmosphere is competitive but welcoming, and the people show real love,” he said. “It feels like a place where I can grow and stay focused.”He also believes Golding is building something special with the Rebels’ defense.“Coach Golding is building a strong defensive identity,” Parson said. “His track record speaks for itself, and I’m excited to learn under him and be part of what he’s putting together.”

In Kevin Magnussen’s first-ever NASCAR race, he made at least one enemy.After the Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado — the first time NASCAR has ever raced on an active military installation — the 33-year-old former Formula 1 driver was confronted by Noah Gragson, a full-timer racer in the Cup Series for Front Row Motorsports.Gragson contended that Magnussen wrecked him during the 75-lap race, and the video evidence is difficult to argue with. Magnussen and Gragson raced each other hard in the earlier portions of the race. On the 38th lap, Magnussen hooked Gragson's right rear quarter panel and sent his No. 4 Ford spinning into the wall off turn 4. Ultimately, the damage knocked Gragson out of the race.After the race, with time to stew on the incident, Gragson met Magnussen on pit road.“You wrecked the (expletive) out of me over here,” Gragson told Magnussen after the race. “What the (expletive) is your problem?”“(Expletive) off. Get out of my face,” Magnussen told Gragson.More: NASCAR on Navy base is unique challengeThe two drivers went back and forth like this for about 80 seconds, hurling curse words while just inches separated them. A few times, Magnussen wagged his finger in Gragson’s face. No punches were thrown before Gragson was urged to walk away.never change kevin https://t.co/7ek9PqzACIpic.twitter.com/lPGmKQ69Qf— KP 🦩🇺🇸 (@Andrettism) June 21, 2026Driving the No. 91 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing, Magnussen finished 27th in the race but recorded the fastest lap of the day at 2:12.485. The Danish driver competed in F1 for 10 years, notching four top-five finishes. He has also driven in IMSA SportsCars, winning at Detroit in 2021, and holds the F1 record for most points scored on debut with 18 at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix.Gragson, a 27-year-old from Las Vegas, Nevada, was voted the Most Popular Driver in the Truck Series in 2018 and in the second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2022. This is his fourth season driving full-time in the Cup Series. He hasn’t won at the top level yet, but has 13 victories in the O’Reilly Series and two in Trucks.Approached by reporters after his race in San Diego was finished, Gragson offered a criticism of drivers like Magnussen who aren’t accustomed to NASCAR.“I don’t want to put all of them in this group, but a lot of these open-wheel racers that come race with us… They get fenders on their cars, they get bumpers,” Gragson said. “They’re driving up the inside, barrelling up the inside, pinballing it, blasting our inside doors. I don’t know why that is. The 91 just kept erring off in there, then hit me again and ended our day.”Magnussen had a different interpretation of what happened on the track with Gragson.“He was playing a bit stupid out there. He could have had a good race, but he chose not to,” Magnussen said. “Respect to everyone except that one guy… He ended up where he ended up.”This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kevin Magnussen, Noah Gragson have heated exchange after NASCAR race on Navy base

Father's Day may be coming to an end, but Sunday is just starting to heat up for the Auburn Tigers on the recruiting trail. Shortly after three-star athlete Preston Williams announced his commitment to Auburn, three-star running back Khamoni Williams did the same. Williams, a native of Memphis, flipped his pledge from West Virginia to Auburn following a weekend visit to the Plains. Williams, who committed to West Virginia just over two weeks ago on June 12, took a "secret" official visit to Auburn over the weekend, according to Auburn Undercover's Christian Clemente, and is now the third running back committed to Auburn's 2027 class, joining Kingston Miles and Myson Johnson-Cook. Williams burst onto the scene as a 10th grader by rushing for 1,151 yards and 13 touchdowns at Memphis Business Academy. His numbers slightly dipped in 2025, but were still impressive. He rushed for 892 yards and rushed over 100 yards five times as an 11th grader and scored seven touchdowns. He is also a threat in the passing game. Over the last two seasons, Williams has hauled in 28 catches for 405 yards and five scores. This season, he will play for Southwind High School in Memphis. He is a consensus three-star running back according to Rivals, ESPN, and 247Sports. Rivals Industry Rating puts him at No. 40 among 2027 running backs and in the No. 22 slot among Tennessee recruits. Auburn now boasts the No. 9 recruiting class, according to 247Sports, and No. 12 in Rivals' rankings. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn football flips 2027 RB Khamoni Williams from West Virginia

PFF analyst Bradley Locker recently included Todd Bowles among six NFL head coaches entering the 2026 season on the hot seat.The inclusion comes after a frustrating 2025 campaign that saw Tampa Bay miss the postseason despite opening the year 6-2. The Buccaneers ultimately finished 8-9, losing five of their final seven games and falling short of extending their streak of playoff appearances.Locker acknowledged that Bowles has built a respectable résumé in Tampa Bay. Since taking over as head coach, Bowles has compiled a 35-33 record and guided the franchise to three NFC South titles in four seasons. However, Locker argued that last season's collapse changed the conversation surrounding the veteran coach.According to PFF, Tampa Bay struggled on both sides of the ball. The Buccaneers finished 23rd in rushing EPA per play, while the defense ranked 22nd in coverage grade and tied for 20th in explosive pass plays allowed. PFF also noted that quarterback Baker Mayfield battled injuries and posted a 64.8 passing grade during the season.The challenge facing Bowles in 2026 is that the roster looks significantly different than the one that opened last year. Franchise icons Mike Evans and Lavonte David are gone, while younger players such as Emeka Egbuka, Rueben Bain Jr., and veteran addition Alex Anzalone are expected to play major roles.What makes Locker's argument noteworthy is that it goes beyond simply returning to the playoffs. He suggested that failing to post a winning record could put Bowles' future in jeopardy, and another season without an NFC South title could create even more questions about the direction of the franchise.The Buccaneers responded aggressively to last year's shortcomings by rebuilding portions of the defense and adding young talent through the draft. Now the focus shifts to whether those moves are enough to get Tampa Bay back into postseason contention and secure Bowles' future beyond 2026.This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: PFF names Todd Bowles among NFL coaches on the hot seat entering 2026

In a recent look at every NFL team's remaining offseason priorities, Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski included an interesting recommendation for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: unleash rookie edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr..Sobleski's point was simple. Rather than asking Bain to ease into his role, Tampa Bay should allow the former Miami standout to play the aggressive, physical brand of football that made him one of the most highly regarded defenders in the 2026 draft class.The Buccaneers certainly need the help. Tampa Bay finished the 2025 season with just 37 sacks, and no player on the roster recorded eight sacks. While Yaya Diaby led the team with 7.5 sacks, the defense lacked a consistent game-changing presence off the edge.That reality helps explain why Bain was such an important addition. Many evaluators viewed him as one of the top defensive talents in the draft, and the Buccaneers were fortunate to land him at No. 15 overall after spending much of the offseason exploring veteran pass-rush options.The timing is important for Tampa Bay's defense as well. The organization added veteran linebacker Alex Anzalone and rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter to help reshape the front seven, but improving the pass rush remains one of the fastest ways to improve the entire unit.Sobleski believes Bain's physicality and relentless style can help set that tone. Given Todd Bowles' history of moving pass rushers around the formation, that could mean opportunities both on the edge and inside on passing downs.The Buccaneers drafted Bain to impact games, not watch them. If Sobleski is right, Tampa Bay's defense may benefit most by letting the rookie do exactly what earned him first-round status in the first place.This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Bleacher Report believes Buccaneers should unleash Rueben Bain Jr.

In a recent look at every NFL team's remaining offseason to-do list, Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski identified three priorities for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: extending quarterback Baker Mayfield, establishing a clear WR3, and maximizing the impact of rookie edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr..The most significant item on Sobleski's list was Mayfield's contract situation. Entering the final stages of the offseason, the veteran quarterback remains one of the most important decisions the organization faces.Sobleski noted that Mayfield has firmly established himself as both a leader and the franchise quarterback since arriving in Tampa Bay. That reality becomes even more important following the departure of longtime receiver Mike Evans. With Evans no longer in the offense, more attention will naturally shift toward Mayfield and his ability to keep the Buccaneers competitive in the NFC.The timing of a potential extension is worth monitoring. As recent quarterback contracts continue to push higher across the league, Tampa Bay must determine what Mayfield's long-term value looks like within its future salary-cap structure. The organization has also drafted well in recent years, creating additional financial decisions that will need to be addressed down the road.Sobleski also pointed to the battle for the third receiver spot behind Chris Godwin Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. Players such as Jalen McMillan, Tez Johnson, and rookie Ted Hurst will have opportunities to earn a larger role during training camp.Finally, Sobleski believes Tampa Bay should fully embrace Bain's aggressive playing style rather than limit it. The rookie was drafted to help revitalize a pass rush that produced only 37 sacks in 2025, and the Buccaneers will likely count on him to contribute immediately alongside Yaya Diaby.While all three priorities matter, Sobleski's argument centers on one reality: the Buccaneers believe they have found their quarterback. The next step may be making sure Mayfield remains in Tampa Bay for years to come.This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Buccaneers should prioritize Baker Mayfield extension

"Man, they definitely didn't want me to win." —Wyndham ClarkSOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — The best joke I made while following Wyndham Clark at Shinnecock Hills on Sunday as he pulled out a one-shot victory at the 126th U.S. Open was an accident. It came on the eighth hole, when Clark put his drive in the bunker. I was standing behind him with another reporter when he hit his approach from the sand. We couldn't see the shot land, but there was silence from the fans in the grandstands by the green."It must be good," I said. "Nobody cheered."My colleague laughed, and I thought, oh yes, that is funny. But I hadn't meant it to be. I had just been conditioned by that point to understand the simple formula: Wyndham Clark fails, people cheer and taunt. Wyndham Clark succeeds, silence.In fact, I had developed the unconscious heuristic in just three holes. I caught the final group on the sixth green, and by then the tweets and Slack messages about the crowd were flying. It was bad out there, they said; the police had already kicked at least two people out (one for shouting "crash and burn!," the other for a piece of advice I'd hear over and over: "don't choke!"), the heckling was merciless and all the hand-wringing the media had done all week about how to treat Clark's various missteps was resolved far more decisively by the Long Island mob: They didn't like him, and they didn't care who knew it.(You have to admire their commitment, although between this and Bethpage, I'm not sure most of these people should be let out of their homes without an ankle monitor and a metal cage, much less allowed to host a serious professional sports event.) More From Golf Digest U.S. Open U.S. Open 2026: They rooted against him, but he was the last man standing. On Wyndham Clark’s antihero win at Shinnecock us open U.S. Open 2026: The two shots that saved Wyndham Clark on Sunday at Shinnecock Instruction U.S. Open 2026: Wyndham Clark hears the same two words before he hits a big shot. Here’s what they mean I wanted to see an example of the dynamic in action, especially the contrast my colleagues had teased—singing "Happy Birthday" to Scheffler on the first tee, then serenading Clark with one-liners like "the bogeyman's coming!" and "nobody likes you!" and, just to prove that the sentiment was international, "Canada hates you!" Would the hatred have evaporated or at least dissipated by the time I tracked them down?No. The endurance of these ghouls is impressive. I got a taste right away on the sixth green, when Clark hit a shot that teetered precipitously on the back right, threatening to roll off.The braying jackals prayed to their pagan gods: "Go! Go! Go!"The ball went, and they cheered.Then Scheffler hit essentially the same shot, with the same uncertain fate, and they disguised themselves as respectable fans: "Sit! Sit! Sit!"The ball did not sit, and they groaned.Wyndham Clark received only a smattering of cheers when he pulled off this recovery shot on the fourth hole Sunday.Cliff HawkinsI checked my phone for Wyndham Clark's birthplace: still America. I checked the tournament website: Still the U.S. Open, not the Ryder Cup. We were in, I understood then, for a total circus.(And by the way, the heuristic worked on the approach from the sand—the ball held the green, and he made par.)I don't think this "the crowd hated Wyndham" angle is going to be very original, judging by the fact that I was dreading the prospect of asking the question to Scottie Scheffler in his post-round presser, only to be bailed out two fellow reporters while I debated a cowardly dereliction of duty. I thought maybe Scheffler and Clark might try to deny it, to insist it was all media invention, or simply to be silent. But unbeknownst to me, Clark had already self-flagellated for Mike Tirico in his post-victory interview after he hoisted the trophy—"Yeah, New York didn't really like me"—and Scheffler didn't shy away either."New Yorkers, they are tough people," Scheffler said. "You like seeing the fans cheer for you. I think sometimes it can get a little too much when, you know, balls are kind of going off greens and you start hearing cheers. That felt a bit much to me."I was correct that he became annoyed by the question, although he was pretty reasonable about it. Clark, too. After shooting a closing 73 that allowed him to win by stroke with a four-under 276 total despite being up by six at the start of the day, he handled himself well, as he has all week in spite of a checkered history of kicking in lockers, liking tweets with political conspiracy theories, getting caught on a hot mic saying that watching all the kids at the par-3 was "great birth control" and various other real or perceived offenses that you might love or hate depending on how thoroughly modern life has broken your brain. (In a different life, Clark might have made a good Long Island golf fan.) He carries himself like a work in progress, which is appealing when he gets a chance to address the demons in a calm space."Man, they definitely didn't want me to win," he said. "It's pretty rare in an Open Championship or a major to have fans kind of boo against your shots or cheer for bad shots … I was kind of making jokes about it with Dave where if we heard someone cheer for me, I'd go, 'Oh, there's one person that likes me.'"On the first tee, fans jeered Clark's drive to "get in the bunker."Cliff HawkinsAnd there were some, to be fair. They shouted his name, they slapped fives with him along the rope lines, and I saw one very drunk man on the 18th green shout out, "and he did it with the whole crowd against him!" before screaming in a way that made you feel he had his own haters in life, but also that those haters were all correct.In general, though, it would be best not to read too much into the exceptions. Just as it would be wise to dismiss one of Clark's own coping mechanisms, which is that the crowd was cheering for Scheffler’s grand slam. Sure, maybe. But I also saw them cheer for Sam Burns and Sahith Theegala and Tom Kim and Rory McIlroy (he's pretty popular in these parts when he's not wearing a European shirt) and even Sam Stevens, who they might have mistaken for an accountant or the assistant at a funeral parlor.The pertinent fact, which we cannot and should not ignore, is that they hated Wyndham Clark.And here's the other thing: It's fun to pick on Long Island, but I think this would have been the same everywhere. This wasn't some genetic oddity that only finds expression between the Peconic Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. It's a human reaction that was also playing out behind television screens and on Reddit and Twitter threads and Facebook posts and group texts and Slack chat rooms, all day.You want to know the worst part, as long as we're being honest here? The worst part is that beyond a few hooting morons, I didn't find the individual harassment to be that rough. I set out to write down every nasty thing I heard, but there are only so many times you can write down "don't choke!" and "get in the bunker!" I even began to wonder if they'd lost their form since Bethpage. Nobody shouted a slur at him, and as far as I could tell, his girlfriend escaped without any drinks hurled in her direction. Nobody yelled in his backswing. Nobody got in his face. Don't believe anyone who tells you this was like a Ryder Cup—it wasn't even close. I was a firsthand witness to the brutal bullying of Bryson DeChambeau during the Koepka feud in late 2021, and believe me, this doesn't hold a candle to the toxicity on display in Memphis and Maryland back then. What happened at Shinnecock wasn't nice, but it wasn't armageddon.Why is that the worst part? Because the expression of hatred for Clark played out in group reactions that felt more instinctual than premeditated, more honest than malicious. On 10, when it still seemed like he might collapse, Clark gathered his courage to hit a driver onto the upslope in front of the green, then executed the shot of the day with a 61-yard pitch that has stymied almost everybody in the field all week.What did he get in response? The kind of ovation where, just by sound, you can count the number of people clapping. Then Scheffler holed his long birdie putt, everybody roared. When Clark converted his own birdie, and they were all silent again.(Before they made it to the 11th tee, I overheard a cop predicting they'd have to kick even more people out before the day was done.)The applause as Clark claimed his second U.S. Open title were muted on the 18th green.Mike MulhollandThis kept happening. On 12, when both players missed birdie putts and the reactions were on opposite poles. On 13, when the crowd had started to flatline, but rejoiced at his bogey, and made it abundantly clear that the only way they would bring any energy is if the leader floundered. On 16, great empty vastness filled only with murmurs of disappointment and a few scattered cheers when he made the birdie putt that nearly put it away. On 17, the silence when he hit a great lag, and then the surprise and glee when he missed the par putt. And on 18, with the most muted cheer I've ever heard for a major championship-winning putt.Meanwhile, I heard the groans when Burns missed his putts on 17 and 18. I heard the same thing for Scheffler. And they just kept cheering when Clark missed a green, and barely doing him the dignity of stifling their groans whenever he pulled off his latest magic act to save another par.Friends and family helped Clark enjoy the victory, even if it "felt like an away win."David CannonIt made for a crystal clear contrast, and one that doesn't follow a lot of predictable patterns. Scheffler tried to make the comparison to last year’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush and the hostility he felt there, but that animus was geographical—he was in Rory McIlroy's way—and thus he didn't have to take it to heart. Ditto for Rory at Bethpage, unpleasant as it was.But in the midst of this circus, Clark had to deal with the obvious truth of what he was witnessing and all its implications. He's no dope—from his quote after, it's clear he knows that an American crowd cheering against an American player at a stroke-play event at an American major is weird, and unusual, and extremely personal. But what could he do? Just perform whatever mental jiu jitsu they taught him in therapy, and press on.I still have no idea how he won … the fact that he didn't break down in tears or club a fan to death is itself a feat of great resilience. To win the U.S. Open? That's Herculean. Whatever else you want to say about him, a lot of which is justified, he's one tough cookie. Some people will view that toughness, and the fact of victory, as redeeming his errors, or cleansing his character, but that's baby-brained stuff. We didn't learn anything on Sunday that transcends the golf course, we certainly don't know if he's changed or just has good PR people, and we shouldn't bother with that right now. But I think it's OK, for a moment, to tip your cap to that undeniable, almost stubborn seed of defiance that runs through him, and that you can only call grit.If you want something more redemptive or hopeful than that, I bet there will be plenty of people to feed it to you. All I can say, after the madness of Sunday, is that the hordes of Suffolk County loathed the man who was becoming their champion, and it wasn't in their power to hide it. They didn't need wit or irony or sarcasm to convey the message—it was all id with these people, and maybe they were thugs or maybe in some bizarre way they had it right.It's a hell of a victory for Clark, but novel as it felt to witness the battle of wills, amid all that beautiful fescue and choking dust, once in a lifetime sounds like plenty. What more can I say? This is deeply grim stuff with a paucity of good guys, and the sooner we get to Birkdale, the better. See you in 2036, Shinnecock, if another hell doesn't come for us first.

PREVIEW | Colombia vs DR Congo: team news, lineups, predictions (World Cup 24/06)Colombia and DR Congo clash this Wednesday at the Estadio Akron of the World Cup. The match will be broadcast live at 03:00 on ITV 1.In their last fixture, Colombia won 1-3 against Uzbekistan (World Cup 2026). Last time out, DR Congo drew 1-1 against Portugal (World Cup 2026).UnavailableColômbiaRD CongoLast starting XIsColombia ( vs Uzbekistan 2026-06-18): Camilo Vargas, Daniel Muñoz, Davinson Sánchez, Jhon Lucumí, Johan Mojica, Gustavo Puerta, Jefferson Lerma, Jhon Arias, James Rodríguez, Luis Díaz, Luis SuárezDR Congo ( vs Portugal 2026-06-17): Lionel Mpasi, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Chancel Mbemba, Steve Kapuadi, Axel Tuanzebe, Arthur Masuaku, Edo Kayembe, Sam Moutoussamy, Ngal’ayel Mukau, Cédric Bakambu, Yoane Wissa