Aaron Donald and wife weigh in on comeback rumors in wake of Rams' Myles Garrett trade originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.For the first time in three seasons, the Los Angeles Rams have an All-Pro talent on their defensive line. Could another be on the way in the coming few months?L.A. added a diamond to its gleaming defensive setup on Monday, acquiring Myles Garrett from the Browns in exchange for Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick.Garrett is the most dominant defensive force in the league and has been for two seasons. Before him, only one man could compare — former Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.Donald stepped into the sunset following the 2023 season at age 32. Two years on, some are wondering whether the acquisition of Garrett could be enough to coax Donald into returning to the game he loved — and dominated/Here's what we know so far regarding rumors of Donald's potential return from retirement.MORE MYLES GARRETT NEWS:Myles Garrett trade detailsRams-Browns trade gradesWinners and losers of Myles Garrett tradeRams defense projection with Myles GarrettHow Browns' Myles Garrett return comparesWhat did Aaron Donald say about making a comeback?Donald hasn't yet spoke publicly about whether he would return to the gridiron following Garrett's trade. However, Pat McAfee reportedly reached out to the three-time Defensive Player of the Year to gauge his interest on suiting up for Los Angeles once more.McAfee revealed that the 35-year-old expressed interest in potentially making a return to the Rams' front seven alongside Garrett."It for sure got me thinking," McAfee claimed that Donald said. "35, removed two years ago, gotta see if that fire can light back up."I reached out to @AaronDonald97 this morning..According to source(s) it for sure got him thinking..He said he's 35 and he's gotta see if that fire can light backup..Aaron Donald and Myles Garret playing together with the Rams would be INSANE #PMSLivehttps://t.co/u6ioUwWsHLpic.twitter.com/6Ikj8vlFe2— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 2, 2026What did Aaron Donald's wife say about a possible comeback for her husband?Donald's wife, Erica, offered an eye-catching response to McAfee's report, taking to X to share her thoughts on the rumors of Donald's potential return.Y’all are hilarious— Erica Donald (@EriDon_99) June 2, 2026Is Mrs. Donald simply tickled by the notion that Donald would leave the warm confines of retirement to take on the rigors of a 17-game NFL season? Or is she merely bemused at the concept that Donald couldn't return to his All-Pro form two years after his departure?Reading too much into social media posts is folly. Nevertheless, Erica's comments did leave some wondering whether Donald really could be sizing up a return to action in the near future.PLEASE MRS. ERICA JUST ONE MORE SEASON. pic.twitter.com/XDeB2eGXN9— Hero Of Time 39 (@HeroOfTime39) June 2, 2026When did Aaron Donald retire?Donald retired in March 2024, shortly after the conclusion to the 2023 season. He claimed that he was content with his on-field contributions, admitting that he didn't have enough to take on another campaign."I'm complete. I'm full. I think the passion to play the game is no longer there for me," Donald said in a video clip posted to X. "I will always love football, but to think about going through another camp and another 17-game season — I just don't got the urge to wanna do that no more."“I’m burned out,” Donald added. “I’m full. I’m complete. I’m satisfied with what I was able to do in 10 years, and I think it's time for me at 32 years old to retire from football and jump into the next step of my career and my life. It's time to move on."Donald finished his playing career with 111 sacks in 154 regular-season games. He captured three Defensive Player of the Years win and eight All-Pro nods. He's eligible to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as soon as 2029. He's all but certain to go into Canton on the first ballot.coming soon 🎬 #rams#ad99#ready#retirement#ddgpic.twitter.com/ozh8QDs0j7— AD_99 (@AaronDonald97) March 20, 2024How old is Aaron Donald?Donald is 35 years old, having celebrated his 35th birthday on May 23. The Pittsburgh native is no spring chicken. According to Pro Football Reference, just three active defensive tackles are older than Donald — Mike Pennel, John Jenkins and Cameron Heyward. All told, nine defensive linemen older than Donald appeared in one regular season contest last year.

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons have agreed to a four-year, $141 million contract extension with Drake London, making him one of the NFL's highest-paid wide receivers.Spotrac.com reported the financial details of London's deal, which has not been disclosed by the Falcons. According to the website, London's average salary through 2030 is $35.25 million, making him third among the league's receivers behind Cincinnati's Ja'Marr Chase ($42.25 million) and Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba ($42.15 million).London's deal includes $100 million guaranteed and could be worth $150 million with incentives. He will earn about $16.8 million in 2026 on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract.The extension provides the winner of the Falcons' quarterback competition between Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa with the assurance that London will be available as a long-term, go-to target.Tagovailoa, the former Miami Dolphins starter who signed a one-year deal with Atlanta, has the early edge in the organized team activities while Penix continues his recovery from surgery on his left knee. Penix, however, has impressed first-year coach Kevin Stefanski with his progress, providing hope he could be ready for the start of the season.NFL Network and ESPN first reported the contract extension.London, Atlanta's first-round draft pick in 2022, has 309 receptions for 3,961 yards and 22 touchdowns in four seasons. He set career highs with 100 receptions for 1,271 yards and nine touchdowns in 2024 and had 68 catches for 919 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games last season.The Falcons signed wide receiver Jahan Dotson to a two-year deal in the offseason. Tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. is another important piece of the passing game.The Falcons have stressed the running game led by Bijan Robinson but could look for more passing punch under Stefanski as they seek their first winning season since 2017.___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Google has quietly been offering to buy access to code written by developers who have released Android apps on the Play Store in order to help the company train its AI coding tools, 404 Media has learned.Google has emailed some app developers with an offer to “join a confidential content offer pilot,” that will allow developers to “generate additional revenue from your apps,” according to an email sent to the developer of an Android app that has millions of downloads. Google’s email says that the company wants to buy access to developers’ codebases “to help improve Google’s developer tools and products.” 404 Media granted the developer anonymity because they feared retaliation from the company for sharing info about what was described as a “confidential” program. “Get paid for sharing the code powering your apps, as well as your archived projects,” the email says. The email says that the developer would retain the intellectual property rights to their code, and that the license would be non-exclusive. “Whether it's the active production codebase powering your current app, or archives of prototypes and side projects no longer in use, that code could have untapped value. This is a unique occasion to help transform tools and products, support the developer ecosystem, and unlock new revenue.”The email does not mention artificial intelligence, but a link in the email goes to a page about “partnerships to improve our AI products.” That page explains that, beyond the publicly-available data it and other AI companies have scraped from the internet, the company is seeking to “pay for the delivery of non-public content in a range of media formats.” “We're learning more about the value of different types of content and how we can continue to create mutually beneficial collaborations in the future,” it says. The page frames the training of AI tools as a mission-driven opportunity for “helping individuals, helping businesses, [and] helping society at large: AI presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to help the world combat and manage natural disasters, help doctors detect diseases earlier.”Google has fallen behind its competitors in creating AI that generates code. Anthropic has rode the success of Claude Code to a valuation higher than OpenAI, and Microsoft’s Copilot has also been widely adopted. The fact that Google is trying to buy code from developers suggests that the company hasn’t been able to create a good enough coding AI using content that it can scrape from the web, and highlights the fact that companies are likely running out of content to train on. Google famously paid Reddit $60 million for access to its site for AI training, the results of which have been a bit of a mixed bag. The full email is reproduced below:“We are reaching out on behalf of the Google Partnerships team with an invitation for a select group of Google Play app developers to join a confidential content offer pilot.We'd like to offer a unique opportunity to generate additional revenue from your apps. You've put a lot of hard work into building your app and growing its user base. Whether it's the active production codebase powering your current app, or archives of prototypes and side projects no longer in use, that code could have untapped value. This is a unique occasion to help transform tools and products, support the developer ecosystem, and unlock new revenue.The Opportunity: We are looking for high-quality, real-world codebases to help improve Google's developer tools and products. Here is what this program offers you:• Additional revenue opportunities: Get paid for sharing the code powering your apps, as well as your archived projects.• Be an early adopter: As a pilot partner, you will shape how Google partners with the developer community moving forward.• Drive impact: We've found real- world code to be useful to our product and service development across a wide variety of use cases, from understanding complex logic to developing coding evals and benchmarks. Your production tested code can directly help.• Retain control: This is non-exclusive. You keep 100% of your IP, your app remains entirely yours, and you retain the right to monetize your data anywhere else.You can learn more about Google's approach to partnerships in our blog post.”

Green Bay wide receiver Matthew Golden dives into the endzone during the Packers' Wild Card loss to Chicago in January.Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.Matthew Golden caught a swing pass in the right flat, five yards behind the line of scrimmage.At the 20-yard line, Golden shook free of cornerback Jaylon Johnson. Then at the 17, he spun away from safety Jaquan Brisker.Golden hurdled nickel back Kyler Gordon, who had been blocked to the ground, at the 15-yard line. Then when he reached the 5, Golden cut between safety Kevin Byard and defensive end Montez Sweat.As teammate Christian Watson held up his right hand, Golden leapt into the endzone.Angry. Explosive. Determined. Creative.Golden was all of the above on his 23-yard touchdown with 6 ½ minutes left in the Green Bay Packers’ eventual 31-27 loss at Chicago in a Wild Card playoff game in January.“I wasn’t going to go down, man,” Golden said Tuesday. “I had the mindset of getting in the end zone regardless of who was in front of me. How it was lined up, I didn’t want to go down. I just had to get in there.”In that moment, Golden showed why Green Bay used its 2025 first round draft pick — the 23rd overall selection — on the gifted wideout. In that same moment, the question begged why Packers coach Matt LaFleur didn't utilize Golden more during his rookie season?Golden finished 2025 with somewhat pedestrian numbers of 29 receptions for 361 yards, an average of 12.4 yards per catch. Golden’s touchdown in Chicago was the only time he found the endzone in 2025.Granted, Green Bay’s wide receiver room was crowded. Many felt, though, that LaFleur and the Packers didn’t take full advantage of Golden’s skill set.If Golden feels that way, he wasn’t letting on.“I would say it happened exactly how it was supposed to,” Golden said of his rookie season. “I feel like it developed me and mindset to just have a chip on my shoulder, just how to go about things. I wouldn’t change anything that happened last year. I feel like for this year, it’s a part of the plan, man, and I’m excited.”So are the Packers.Golden spent two years at Houston, then transferred to Texas in 2024 where he had 58 receptions, nine TDs and averaged 17.0 yards per catch for a Longhorns team that reached the College Football Playoff Final 4.From the midway point of the season, Golden became the biggest playmaker on the Longhorns’ dynamic offense. Golden then ran the 40-yard dash in 4.29 seconds at the 2025 NFL Combine, fastest among all the wideouts. “You can't coach 4.29, or whatever they had him at,” LaFleur said in 2025. “Anytime a guy is breaking sub 4.3s, you know he's legitimately fast. I think what's so attractive about a guy like Golden is not only is he fast, but he's got, I'd say elite hands.”Golden’s rookie season was uneven, though.He had a four-game stretch between Weeks 3-6 when he had 16 catches for 233 yards. Those four games accounted for 55.2% of his receptions and 64.5% of his receiving yards. Along the way, Golden had a huge fourth down catch in Dallas to keep alive the Packers’ final drive in what became a 40-40 tie.Golden missed three games in November with shoulder and wrist injuries, then averaged just 18.8 snaps the next four games.Golden had his best game of the season, though, in the Packers’ biggest contest — their Wild Card loss to Chicago. Golden finished that night with four receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown.Golden joined Davante Adams as the only Green Bay rookie wideouts to post 80-plus receiving yards and a receiving TD in a playoff game. Golden also showed that his ceiling could be incredibly high. “I’ve definitely seen him take a few steps forward this offseason in terms of going out there and playing fast, just playing free out there,” Green Bay wideout Christian Watson said of Golden. “That’s the best way to play and I’ve definitely seen that from him so far. I’m excited to see where he goes this year.”Wideout Jayden Reed agreed.“It’s going to be a huge jump for M.G., man,” Reed said. "You can tell the game is slowing down for him. He's learned to play much better. You can tell he's just more comfortable out there. “I can speak from my point of view. Me going into Year 2, it was way more smooth just even knowing the playbook. So, he's gaining that confidence and he's going to be dangerous for this offense.”Golden said things have slowed down for him. He added muscle this offseason and feels stronger. And with Romeo Doubs now in New England and Dontayvion Wicks in Philadelphia, there should be far more opportunities for Golden in the Packers’ offense.As Golden showed in the Wild Card loss against Chicago, that could be a terrific development for Green Bay.“To be honest, I don’t feel like (people) have seen anything yet,” Golden said. “I have a lot of confidence in myself and I know what I have done. To me, it wasn’t anything yet. I know it’s a lot more out there. I’m excited for it. “I know I’m going to prove myself right. I know I got guys around me that’s going to uplift me. I feel like we have a great brotherhood here. Everybody in this locker room, we uplift each other and we always have the most confidence in each other. As long as we keep doing that, it’s going to be good.”This article was originally published on Forbes.com

The Carolina Panthers seemed to have gotten their man in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. But their ultimate pick wasn't their only option.On Tuesday, the team presented the latest installment of Panthers Blueprint—giving us with an inside look into their journey through this year's selection process. Part of the episode highlighted vice president of football analytics Eric Eager's prediction model, which provided the front office with case-by-case likelihoods of who may be available to them by the time their pick hit the clock.And based off a conversation between executive vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis, general manager Dan Morgan and owner David Tepper—the cluster of players the Panthers might've been targeting included offensive tackles Monroe Freeling and Kadyn Proctor and pass rusher Rueben Bain Jr.Listen in . . .Carolina, of course, ended up with Freeling at the 19th overall spot. Proctor and Bain were off the board by then, as the former went 12th to the Miami Dolphins and the latter 15th to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.This would be contrary to the popular belief prior to the draft that the Panthers were eyeing a pair of Oregon standouts in tight end Kenyon Sadiq and safety Dillon Thieneman. Sadiq would go 16th to the New York Jets while Thieneman dropped down to 25th to the Chicago Bears.Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Panthers reveal who else they may have picked at 19

Jun 2, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Noah Cameron (65) throws against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Better late than never?Royals lineupTaking the field for #LouGehrigDay in Cincinnati. pic.twitter.com/RTPXO8ojhw— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) June 2, 2026Reds lineup#LouGehrigDay at GABPPowered by @PNCBankpic.twitter.com/nNR2Brlizi— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) June 2, 2026

One major piece of business was taken care of on Tuesday as the Pittsburgh Steelers crossed the finish line with a Nick Herbig extension. According to ESPN reporter Brooke Pryor, the 24-year-old edge rusher signed a four-year deal worth $100 million and $42 million guaranteed.This comes after Herbig said he wanted to be “a Steeler for life” and is willing to embrace multiple roles.“I wouldn’t call myself not a starter,” Herbig told Chris Halicke of DK Pittsburgh Sports. “I would just say I’m a team guy. If you need me to play off the ball, on the ball, to run down on punt… I’m a Steeler. There’s no starters and backups, I’m a Steeler.”While the Steelers find themselves in a great position for the upcoming season with their top three edge rushers financially content, a major financial problem looms for Pittsburgh. Unfortunately for Steelers fans, it’s a problem that will alienate the fanbase and have major ramifications for 2027 and beyond.Nick Herbig Extension Presents Major Problem for Steelers in 2027Nick Herbig Extension Will Lead to T.J. Watt or Alex Highsmith Being TradedLet’s just get right to the point. The Herbig extension needed to be done, and general manager Omar Khan was not going to let him walk in free agency. However, it now reveals the Steelers will say goodbye to veteran Alex Highsmith, who has already been the subject of trade rumors, or to All-Pro T.J. Watt after the upcoming season. All three will be under contract for 2027, but the issue stems from the team’s financial situation.Watt has the highest salary for 2027 and also the largest cap hit. According to Spotrac, his salary will be $32 million with a $42 million cap hit. Highsmith, on the other hand, will make $15.5 million and have a $20.102 million cap hit. The year-by-year details of the Herbig extension have not yet been revealed, but let’s presume he will be making $25 million each year starting in 2027. That would mean Pittsburgh is committing $72.5 million to just three players. Financially, it just isn’t possible for the Steelers.It won’t be easy for Khan and new head coach Mike McCarthy to move on from either edge rusher. However, there is a case to be made for why it makes sense to trade both of them.Nick Herbig Extension Could Lead to T.J. Watt TradeWatt is the obvious trade candidate for a variety of reasons, and the biggest one is simply his salary. Paying a player $32 million in a season where he will turn 33 years old is an eye sore, so it makes sense that the Steelers would want to move on from that. Add in name recognition and previous accolades, and Watt could still fetch a quality return for Pittsburgh. It may not be as big of a return as it could have been, but that’s a conversation for a different day.Given the recent package the Cleveland Browns received when trading Myles Garrett, it entices the Steelers to offload their defensive cornerstone in hopes of getting about 75% of the package the Los Angeles Rams had to put together.Nick Herbig Extension Could Also be Alex Highsmith’s Exit TicketOn the other hand, trading Highsmith may be more beneficial to the Steelers. Teams could be more likely to bite on him simply due to a smaller salary and lower cap hit in 2027 that would allow them to add more talent elsewhere on the roster. Highsmith’s cap hit will be less than half of Watt’s cap hit for 2027, which makes a major difference to contenders.Highsmith is also four years younger than Watt, which could allow him to command a higher return. The Coastal Carolina product will be 29 years old in 2027 and hitting his prime just in time for a payday, as he will be a free agent in 2028. Teams across the league could be willing to take a chance on Highsmith having a strong season next year and then paying him in the following offseason.One thing is certain, though, is a major decision is in store for the Steelers’ front office.Main Photo Courtesy of Barry Reeger – Imagn Images

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 06: LJ Martin #4 of the BYU Cougars celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half of the Big 12 Championship game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at AT&T Stadium on December 06, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) | Getty Images When you think of all-time BYU running backs, the first names that come to mind are likely Jamaal Williams, Luke Staley, Harvey Unga, Tyler Allgeier, and Jamal Willis. What if I told you that current BYU running back LJ Martin is a solid season away from being on top of the record books at BYU, over all of those names? Martin started his career by flipping from Stanford to BYU (which seems to be a trend lately, hello Bear Bachmeier). It was a slow burn for Martin, at first. He struggled to stay healthy in 2023, missing a chunk of games midseason. He finished his freshman year with a solid 518 rushing yards and never eclipsing the 100-yard mark in a game.2024 was much of the same, as he suffered some bumps and bruises, missing three games in the middle of the season again. However, he came back with more of a vengeance, running for 120 yards and two scores against Oklahoma State in his second game back. He backed that up with a consecutive 100-yard effort against UFC the next week in Orlando.BYU’s main back finished his sophomore season with 718 yards and seven touchdowns. It still felt like there was plenty of untapped potential. He finished that 2024 season with an exclamation mark in the Alamo Bowl. In that game against Colorado, he rushed for 88 yards, caught two passes for 33 years, and scored twice. He rode that momentum into a breakout 2025 campaign in Provo. In the season opener against Portland State, he ran for 131 yards. The kicker was he needed just eight carries to do it, for a robust ratio of 16.4 yards per carry. He opened the season with three straight 100-yard games. Things went nuclear against Arizona, where he rushed for 162 yards and a touchdown. He ran for 122 against Utah the next week. After a mid-season lull following the Holy War, he exploded for a whopping 222 yards and two touchdowns. Overall, he led the Big 12 with 1,305 rushing yards and was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. Certainly, he could have either declared for the NFL Draft or sought a bigger payday elsewhere in college football, perhaps in the SEC or Big 10. However, he stayed in Provo. Thanks to that decision, he sets himself up to write his name in permanent ink in the BYU record books. He currently sits at 2,541 rushing yards for his BYU career, good enough for ninth all-time in school history. If he rushes for 915 yards this season, he will become the second-highest all-time rusher at BYU, passing Harvey Unga. Going a step further, if he basically equals his 2025 output, and gets 1,361 rushing yards this season, he will pass Jamaal Williams as BYU’s all-time leading rusher.That would be a testament to Martin’s loyalty to BYU in this wild era of NIL and transfer portal. It would also be a statement on how valuable he has been to BYU’s success early on in their Big 12 era. Either way, as long as Martin stays healthy this season, he will leave his name very high on that list as one of the best running backs to ever play for the Cougars.

He was admired for impassioned duets with singers like Roberta Flack and Celine Dion and for the Disney hits “Beauty and the Beast” and “A Whole New World.”

Giorgio Armani Regatta 2026 signals the start of the summer superyacht season in the MedYCCS/Studio BorlenghiI simply love the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta. I love it because the venue--the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in super exclusive, sailing crazy Porto Cervo—is glorious and the YCCS is known for stellar regatta organization. I love it because the yachts that compete are powerful and elegant. I love it because Giorgio Armani has been the title sponsor for the last five years. I love it because it’s one of a few special events that signal the start of summer superyacht season in the Med. And, I love the competitive racing too of course.But I’m sure the owners and crews of the Swan 115 Moat and the Southern Wind 96 Liberty Squared love this regatta even more than me because after four days of high-octane racing, both of those winning boats names have been etched on the Silver Jubilee Cup .Moat was a winner at the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta 2026YCCS/Studio BorlenghiMoat, owned by YCCS member Juan Ball with tactician Cole Parada was pretty much unbeatable in the Blue class. Juan Ball said, “This is our third consecutive victory in the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta, but it is the result of constant work to improve the boat throughout the year. I would like to thank Giorgio Armani for their support of the regatta, and the YCCS — of which I am a member and which I love dearly - for the organization, and all the participants who return every year regardless of who wins. This is a unique regatta, thanks to the spirit that sets it apart and the extraordinary location where it takes place.”Liberty Squared was a winner at the recent Giorgio Armani Superyacht RegattaYCCS/Studio BorlenghiIn the White class, the SW 96 Liberty Squared, with Bouwe Bekking on tactics was a solid winner. Second place overall went to Nostromo, followed by Sørvind by Giorgio Armani with tactician Tommaso Chieffi.The Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta in Porto Cervo is spectacularYCCS/Studio Borlenghi“It’s been a fantastic week,” said the owner of Liberty Squared, Carlo Pirzio Biroli. This is my fifth time taking part in the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta and it’s always a wonderful week. We were lucky with the weather, managing to race on all four days. The Race Committee did an excellent job of keeping the fleet together along the race course. Sailing alongside the other boats, so close together, was truly thrilling and fun at the same time.” The season is just getting started. Watch this space.This article was originally published on Forbes.com

SIOUX FALLS, SD - MAY 02: Emiliano Sordi looks on before fighting Simeon Powell during PFL Sioux Falls at the Sanford Pentagon on May 2, 2026 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) | Getty Images Professional Fighters League (PFL) is looking for a new home.For the past six months, PFL has been putting on excellent events — great fights, brutal knockouts, fun matchups, and no more tournaments — but no one is watching them.That’s because its current television partner, ESPN, has made the product almost impossible to find. There has been little promotion, events have been hard to locate, and much of the content has been tucked behind a new, expensive app that fans have struggled to navigate.And because of that, PFL is now looking for a new distributor.PFL has aired on ESPN since 2019; however, its current media rights deal expires at the end of the year. With the exclusive negotiating window now closed and no agreement reached, the fight promotion is free and clear to negotiate with other media companies.PFL CEO John Martin revealed to Sports Business Journal that the company is speaking with Netflix, Fox and others — while also noting to never say never when it comes to ESPN.However, the writing appears to be on the wall. It seems “highly unlikely” PFL will continue with “The Worldwide Leader in Sports,” especially because Martin does not believe ESPN has done enough to help grow the promotion.“I tend to be very direct, but I think what I’m saying is factually correct: They’re not doing anything to help promote and make it easy for our viewers and fans to find us,” Martin told SBJ. “I can’t tell you the number of incoming complaints that people write in — they say, ‘I was actively looking to find your event, and I couldn’t find it, I didn’t know when it was on.’”“I was hoping the PFL was going to become more important to ESPN, and we haven’t seen that in terms of better scheduling, better network access, and then of course the marketing and promotion, but the tune-in and on-air promotion — and we’ve seen none of that, so that speaks volumes to what their commitment might be to mixed martial arts,” Martin continued.PFL is putting on genuinely great fights. In all honesty, the product might be the best it has ever been since the promotion’s inception.But I bet you’re not watching, are you?That is the problem PFL has to solve with its next media rights deal. The fights are there. The talent is there. The action is there. Now, the promotion needs a platform that actually wants to push it, promote it and make it easy for fans to find.And with Martin — the former CEO of Turner Broadcasting — now at the helm, PFL at least has someone with the media connections to land the promotion somewhere much better.For all the latest PFL news and notes click here.

🙏The big dream: Oso Martínez wants to wear the River shirtYoung footballer Joaquín “Oso” Martínez Gauna has sparked excitement in the River Plate world after confessing his biggest professional dream. Born in Spain to Argentine parents, Sevilla’s current left-back did not hide his passion for the club from Núñez.Inherited passion and the dream of the MonumentalAt 22, the defender has established himself in Europe, but his roots remain fully intact. In an interview with DSports Radio, he revealed how he experiences his love for the club from afar and his desire to step onto the pitch in the Núñez neighborhood.“My dad always instilled in me a passion for the club. We always wake up at four in the morning to watch the matches here in Europe. One of my dreams is to play for River someday,” the wing-back confessed.On Lionel Scaloni’s radarMartínez’s excellent form in LaLiga has not gone unnoticed. Argentina national team head coach Lionel Scaloni has already praised him publicly and confirmed that he is among the young prospects being monitored as part of the generational transition. In response, “Oso” was emphatic: “I’ve always been clear that I wanted to play for Argentina. I feel Argentine, just as I always have.”This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

How Rod Brind'Amour is responsible for nearly every Hurricanes playoff win in history originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.For the firs time since 2006, the Hurricanes are back in the Stanley Cup Final. The man who helped lead that side to glory continues to loom large on the team's exploits 20 years later.Rod Brind'Amour is the winningest head coach in Carolina history. He's also one of the franchise's most decorated players, ranking 13th in goals (174), sixth in points (473) and eighth in ice time (14,600:48). Brind'Amour captured back-to-back Selke Trophies as the NHL's most defensively-sound forward and, most importantly, hoisted Lord Stanley's Cup, doing so as Hurricanes captain during that famous 2006 run.The 55-year-old now barks out orders from behind the bench. The wins have kept on coming for the Ottawa native, who has turned the franchise into a juggernaut made in his image.With that, here's a look at Brind'Amour's career as a Carolina player and coach — including his gaudy playoff win total.NHL PLAYOFFS HQ:Live NHL scores | NHL playoff schedule | NHL playoff bracketHurricanes playoff historyThe Hurricanes have tallied 100 playoff wins since relocating to Raleigh in 1998. They actually sport a positive record in postseason games since the 1998-99 season, posting a 100-72 (.581) mark.Here's a breakdown of Carolina's postseason record in each of its 13 trips to the playoffs.SeasonRecordPostseason Finish1998-992-4Lost in first round2000-012-4Lost in first round2001-0213-10Lost in Stanley Cup Final2005-0616-9Won Stanley Cup2008-098-10Lost in Eastern Conference Final2018-198-7Lost in Eastern Conference Final2019-204-4Lost in first round2020-215-6Lost in second round2021-227-7Lost in second round2022-238-7Lost in Eastern Conference Final2023-246-5Lost in second round2024-259-6Lost in Eastern Conference Final2025-2612-1TBDTotal100-72—Rod Brind'Amour playoff wins as playerBrind'Amour has been present for almost all of the Hurricanes' postseason victories. He made his presence felt as a player, captaining the side to its greatest-ever achievement — the 2006 Stanley Cup.Four years prior, Brind'Amour helped anchor Carolina's run to the 2002 Stanley Cup Final, producing four goals and eight assists in 23 games.All told, Brind'Amour played in 72 playoff games for the Hurricanes. In that spell, he recorded 38 points (12 goals, 20 assists), 34 of which came in his first three postseason trips with the franchise. He collected 39 playoff wins with Carolina, posting a .542 postseason win rate in his Hurricanes career.Rod Brind'Amour playoff wins as coachBrind'Amour picked up where he left off when he joined Carolina's ranks as its head coach prior to the 2018-19 season.The Hurricanes have made the playoffs in all seven seasons that Brind'Amour has been their coach. During that time, they have picked up 59 wins (and counting), winning 57.8 percent of his playoff games as a head coach. Brind'Amour's tally of 57 wins in his first 100 playoff games ranks No. 9 all-time in NHL history, eclipsing marks set by Scotty Bowman (57), Mike Keenan (54) and Peter Laviolette (51).

May 27, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano (11) pitches during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images In Game 1, the Colorado Rockies (23-38) fumbled their way to an ungraceful 9-8 win over the Los Angeles Angels (also 23-38). As manager Warren Schaeffer put it, “That was not a normal game,” adding,“ but someone’s got to win that game.” Last night’s win marked the first time since July 16, 2016, at Atlanta that the Rockies picked up a road win after entering the eighth inning trailing by at least three runs. In addition, it marked the fifth time in franchise history that the Rockies won a game in which they had four errors, the first since September 26, 2020, at Arizona.Take the win, and get on with it. Tonight, the Rockies will look to take the series from the Angels. Recent history suggests it’s a distinct possibility. The Rockies have won each of their last three series against the Angels, taking two of three at Coors Field last September, two of three in Anaheim in July 2024, and two of three in Denver in June 2023.Starting for the Rockies is Tomoyuki Sugano (菅野智之). This will be his 12th start for the Rockies in 2026.The righty has a 4.01 ERA in 58.1 IP. He’s struck out 31, walked 16, and given up 11 home runs. Sugano has a 1.25 WHIP. Worth noting, making his third career start against the Angels and his second at Angels Stadium, Sugano is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA (12.0 IP, 4 ER), two walks, and nine strikeouts a cross his two starts against the Angels.Taking the mound for the Angels will be RHP Grayson Rodriguez.Currently, he has an ERA of 7.53 in 14.1 IP. He’s struck out 14 while giving up eight walks and two home runs with a 1.31 WHIP.Here’s an interesting note: Grayson was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles, Sugano’s former team, and made his MLB debut in 2023. He was traded to the Angels in November 2025, just missing Sugano’s signing with the Birds. And now to the details.First Pitch: 7:40 pm MDTTV: Rockies TVRadio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)Lineups:For the visiting Rockies:And the home Angels:Join the conversation!Sign up for a user account and get:Fewer adsCreate community postsComment on articles, community postsRec comments, community postsNew, improved notifications system!Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Researchers at the University of Toronto showed how hackers could use artificial intelligence to create a program that could target any known flaw in the world’s computers.

Jun. 2—Dayton Flyers head coach Anthony Grant guided Team USA to an 88-58 victory against Argentina on Monday, June 1, in its opening game at the 2026 FIBA U18 Men's AmeriCup in León, Mexico.This was Grant's first game as a head coach with Team USA. He served as an assistant coach for the U18 team in 2008 and 2018.The United States took control of the game with an 18-4 run to end the first half."Basketball is going to be a game of runs," Grant said in a story on USA Basketball's website. "Argentina's a good team, they've got good players. I felt like this was a great teaching lesson for our guys, in terms of being able to keep our foot on the gas and not let up."On Tuesday, June 2, Grant's team plays Mexico at 10 p.m. The United States is 5-0 against Mexico.At 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, the Americans play Brazil, which is 0-12 against the United States.Brazil beat Mexico 103-70 on Monday.If the United States advances out of the group stage, it will play in the semifinals on June 6. The medal round follows on June 7. All games will stream live on YouTube.com/FIBA.In the opener, Quentin Coleman, a University of Illinois recruit who ranks 26th in the 2026 class, according to ESPN, had 11 points and 15 rebounds."His energy was contagious today," Grant said. "He impacted the game on both sides of the ball, did a great job defensively being active, and offensively I thought he found his spots."Center Darius Wabbington and guard Adan Diggs, the No. 16 and the fifth-ranked recruits in the 2027 class, each scored 12.

Jun. 2—The Dayton Flyers men's basketball team will play South Florida on Dec. 12 at UD Arena, according to a report on Tuesday, June 2, by Jon Rothstein, of CBS Sports.Dayton then will play at South Florida in Tampa in the 2027-28 season, Rothstein reported.The news came on the same day Dayton announced it will play the Cincinnati Bearcats on Nov. 14 at UD Arena.South Florida finished 25-9 last season and played in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2012. Coach Bryan Hogdson left after the season for a job at Providence. South Florida hired former Xavier, Louisville and Charleston coach Chris Mack to take his place.Mack last coached against Dayton when Xavier beat Dayton in the Advocare Invitational championship in 2015.Dayton and South Florida have played six times, most recently in 1997 when Dayton beat the Bulls in the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico. The other five games took place between 1974 and 1984. Dayton leads the series 4-2.Along with Cincinnati and South Florida, Dayton's other known non-conference games are against Liberty, Florida State and Memphis.

Jun. 2—A golfer qualifying Monday, June 1 at Miami Valley Golf Club in Dayton for a spot in the 46th U.S. Senior Open, made a triple bogey 7 on one hole, followed by a hole-in-one on the next hole.But what happened between shots is the amazing part.Mark Knecht, an amateur from Paducah, Ky., pulled his tee shot on No. 12, a hole that borders Philadelphia Drive.The group searched for Knecht's first tee shot for the allotted three minutes. He then played his provisional, knocking it onto the green.As the three golfers, their caddies and a rules official walked down the No. 12 fairway, they were surprised to see a red pickup truck driving toward them. The driver of the truck was upset that an errant golf ball cracked his windshield on the driver's side while he was driving near the course.He entered the golf course property through a maintenance gate and drove toward the golfers. The driver was told to drive off the course and go to the pro shop where a report was filed with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.Steve Jurick, president and CEO of the Miami Valley Golf Association that organized the qualifier, said an insurance company will handle the damages to the windshield.Rik Cramer, head pro at Miami Valley Golf Club, was competing in the qualifier and wasn't there to see the incident. But he said the driver, due to his actions, obviously was "a little startled and emotional."Cramer called the scenario "wild" and said Knecht probably should play the lottery.Only if he plays Nos. 7 and 1.After making a triple bogey on the par 4, Knecht rebounded and aced the 143-yard, par 3, 13th hole. His shot bounced once and landed in the hole.He signed for a 5-over 76 that included a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 on the card.Three players tied for medalist honors with a 4-under-par 67: Ben Crane, Cliff Kresge and amateur Jonathan Clark. All of them qualified for the 46th U.S. Senior Open Championship July 2-5 at Scioto Country Club in Columbus.Brandt Jobe claimed solo fourth with a score of 68 to qualify for the championship. Jobe was followed by amateur Bradford Kuester who placed fifth with a score of 69.There was a 6-for-5 playoff to secure the final qualifying spots. Mark Wilson, Doug Hanzel, Paul Wackerly, Craig Bowden and Cramer qualified from the playoff and will head to the championship.

Jun. 2—The Dayton Flyers men's basketball team will play Cincinnati on Saturday, Nov. 14, at UD Arena.The date of the game was announced on Tuesday, June 2. It will likely be the fourth game of the season for Dayton, which has not announced its full non-conference schedule. Teams can open the season as early as Monday, Nov. 2.This will be the first time the Bearcats have played at Dayton since 2004. It will be the fourth season in a row the programs have played after a 13-year gap between meetings. The first two games took place on a neutral court at the Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati.On Dec. 16, 2023, Dayton beat Cincinnati 82-68. DaRon Holmes II led Dayton with 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting.On Dec. 20, 2024, Dayton lost 66-59 to Cincinnati. The Flyers trailed by 18 points with under eight minutes to play and cut the deficit to four points on a 3-pointer by Malachi Smith with 2 minutes, 1 second remaining. They then nearly made it a one-possession game, but a reverse layup attempt by Nate Santos rolled off the rim with 1:22 left.On Nov. 11, 2025, Cincinnati led from start to finish and beat Dayton 74-62 at Fifth Third Arena on the UC campus. Dayton shot 7.7% (2 of 26) from 3-point range, while Cincinnati shot 47.4% (9 of 19).Cincinnati leads the series 62-32. Twenty-one of Dayton's victories in the series came before 1960. Since the 1957-58 season, Cincinnati has a record of 44-11 against Dayton.Dayton's 2026-27 non-conference schedule also includes games at Florida State and Liberty and two games at the Charleston Classic. The dates of those games have not been announced.A game against Memphis will take place Nov. 29 at the United Center in Chicago, according to a report by the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

Many DirecTV viewers hoping to watch Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday night between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes received a message saying the contract with Scripps has expired.The message also directed viewers interested in the Stanley Cup Final or NBA Finals to the ESPN, Hulu or Disney+ apps.“Scripps is demanding the highest rates DIRECTV has ever received from a station group, which would continue to dramatically raise costs for consumers and businesses already struggling with affordability,” DirecTV posted on social media. “After DIRECTV declined those demands and sought a more reasonable agreement, Scripps chose to remove its stations from viewers in several major markets nationwide.”DirecTV said 54 local stations and 36 markets, including Las Vegas, were affected. Baltimore, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, Miami, Milwaukee, Nashville, Phoenix, Salt Lake City and Tampa-St. Petersburg were among the other markets.Scripps CEO Adam Symson, in an interview with Awful Announcing, blamed DirecTV's management for the impasse.“They’re run by private equity," Symson told the website. "They have MBAs running the numbers. I don’t really think they care about the work we do in the local communities and that local people actually rely on, whether it’s local news or local sports."Rather than rationalize their lineups and end the carriage and payment for a bunch of zombie channels owned by bigger multibillion-dollar conglomerates that have leverage over them, they are screwing with the consumer and what the consumer actually wants to watch, which is broadcast television, local journalism, and local sports.”___AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

The rookie grace period is over. Now it’s time to see how the 2025 NFL Draft’s quarterback class performs as sophomores.One this week’s episode of the “Football 301” podcast on Yahoo Sports, Nate Tice and Matt Harmon discuss the most notable QBs entering their second seasons and what fans should look for in 2026. From No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward to fifth-round selection Shedeur Sanders, there’s a wide range in potential outcomes.Cam Ward, Tennessee TitansBoth Tice and Harmon agreed that Ward’s rookie year stats didn’t stand out, but the surrounding situation was dire — rookie receivers, backup tight ends and an unstable coaching staff. Despite the lack of a single eye-popping stat, Ward showed encouraging traits: good pocket clock, a willingness to push the ball and creativity in his throws. With the addition of rookie first-round receiver Carnell Tate and slight improvements around him, expect Ward to take a noticeable second-year leap, likely shedding most lingering doubts about his viability as a starter, even if he doesn’t suddenly become elite.Jaxson Dart, New York GiantsDart impressed with his athleticism and toughness in a difficult situation last season, showing real flashes as a runner and creator. However, he takes too many hits and needs to develop passing consistency, especially over the middle and on in-structure plays. Tice compared him to a raw Russell Wilson or Justin Fields: high upside if he reins himself in, but there’s significant bust risk if he can’t grow his pocket operator skills. The new system under Greg Roman/Matt Nagy should emphasize his running, but big strides as a passer are still needed.Tyler Shough, New Orleans SaintsHarmon and Tice both see Shough as the safest bet for Year 2 success. He showed poise, decisiveness and a good football IQ — albeit at 27 years old. He lacks the ceiling of Ward or Dart, but makes good decisions, gets the ball out quickly and fits well in the Saints’ improved offense. The main concern is his sack rate and ability to create under heavy pressure, but he projects as a top-16 to top-18 “steady hand” starter for this season.Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland BrownsSanders struggled statistically and on film, hampered by dreadful pass protection and inconsistent receivers in Cleveland. He’s neither a top athlete nor a power arm, and must play much faster and with more decisiveness. He projects best as a developmental backup — he showed enough to compete for a backup job, but unless he can overcome his processing and physical limitations, he’s unlikely to develop into a starting-caliber QB. Tice compared his statistical profile to Mitchell Trubisky.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — For well over a decade now, general manager Les Snead and the Los Angeles Rams have consistently pulled off the aggressive, audacious moves that every NFL fan wishes their team would make.Their latest deal is among the biggest and the riskiest — and it's totally their style.Myles Garrett walked into the Rams' training complex in Woodland Hills on Tuesday after LA gave up budding star Jared Verse and three high draft picks to complete one of the NFL's biggest trades in recent seasons.“To acquire a player like this, these things don’t come up often,” coach Sean McVay said.Yet this bold deal for arguably the greatest pass rusher of this generation is only the latest in the line of blockbuster trades engineered by Snead. In the past 10 years alone, he has maneuvered to get Jared Goff, Matthew Stafford, Jalen Ramsey, Von Miller, Trent McDuffie, Brandin Cooks and other veterans for trade prices that would have been too steep for many front offices.The Rams have spent a decade chasing rings with an urgency that screams “win now,” but is actually rooted in an organizational confidence that McVay's coaching ability will make up for the sacrifices necessary in draft capital and veteran talent.“You’re always threading that needle for sustainability, trying to win consistently,” Snead said Tuesday. “But it’s a hard one to thread.”McVay is all in on the Rams' organizational urgency, since the coach is often the most aggressive voice in Snead's ear to get big deals done: “I'm not the most patient person,” McVay said with a smirk.“To be able to add players like (Garrett) is so rare,” McVay added. “We feel really fortunate that this feels very similar to when we were fortunate enough to acquire a player like Matthew Stafford. Things like this don’t present themselves, and we wanted to be aggressive.”These opportunities might be rare, but the Rams have seized a whole lot more of them than other teams — and they were already a top Super Bowl contender even before they landed Garrett.Snead addressed Los Angeles' primary weakness three months ago by acquiring McDuffie, making him the NFL's highest-paid cornerback and re-pairing him with free-agent signee Jaylen Watson, his longtime Chiefs teammate.But even with a defensive line featuring four above-average players all still on their rookie contracts, Snead and McVay wanted to improve.The GM made contact with Browns counterpart Andrew Berry after the team adjusted Garrett's contract in a way that signaled a deal was possible for the All-Pro who had just set the NFL's single-season sacks record.“Andrew and I have a good relationship, (and) we like talking football a good bit,” Snead said. “So I would pester him a little bit, probably jokingly at first. Kept doing that, and then we began talking a little more seriously.”Snead hoped to do the deal only with picks, both before and after the current draft. Berry wanted Verse, the budding young star and the only first-round pick that Snead had actually made between quarterbacks Goff (2016) and Ty Simpson (2026).Although both Snead and McVay claim they were reluctant to part with Verse, the Rams finally agreed with the backing of owner Stan Kroenke, who has been fully supportive of his front office's uncommon urgency.Garrett was eager to join this franchise's lineage of superstar pass rushers stretching from the Fearsome Foursome to Aaron Donald. But he also agreed to the trade because after nine seasons in Cleveland, he finally wanted to play for a consistent contender.That's what the Rams have been ever since McVay took over in 2017 — racking up eight winning seasons, seven playoff berths, four NFC West titles, three conference title game appearances, two Super Bowl berths and one ring.“It just came down to the timing of everything," Garrett said. “What does it look like to be a winner now, and to have the opportunity to do that immediately? That was just too good of an opportunity to pass up.”The Rams' aggression doesn't just apply to trades: Snead and McVay have also shown no hesitation to drop good players and franchise icons when they deem it necessary, either for reasons financial or competitive.They've released Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp and star running back Todd Gurley, and they traded Goff and receiver Robert Woods before the contract extensions they had received from the Rams had even started.Those moves often feel heartless to fans, and players like Goff and Kupp have expressed public dismay about the way Snead and McVay moved on from them. But everyone eventually seems to understand that this is how the Rams do business.That includes Woods, a stalwart five-year contributor and a locker-room leader on McVay's early teams after signing as a free agent in 2017.The Southern California native hurt his knee in practice midway through the 2021 season, forcing him to miss the Rams' Super Bowl championship run — and Snead traded him to Tennessee a month after the trophy was raised.Woods bounced around the NFL for four more seasons before retiring earlier this year — and he quickly returned to the Rams as an assistant coach.___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

St. Petersburg, Fla. - There was a somewhat cheeky item in the game notes Tuesday. Under the tag line, “June Slug,” it was noted the Tigers’ .821 slugging percentage led all of baseball and their 1.239 OPS led the American League – for the month of June.Was it cheeky or portentous?The sample size doubled Tuesday, the second day of June, but so did the production.Wenceel weeeeeeee 🚀 pic.twitter.com/k0il5O7JAN— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) June 2, 2026The Tigers hit lefty Steven Matz with a barrage of extra-base damage in the first two innings and rode it to their second straight win, 8-0 over the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.The win snaps a streak of eight straight series losses. And it was their first road series win since taking two of three in San Diego in the first week of the season.Gleyber Torres, in his first game back off the injured list, worked a 3-1 count to start the game and then slammed a 433-foot home run in the Daiquiri Deck above cutout in left-center field.Matt Vierling followed with a triple and Dillon Dingler plated him with a sacrifice fly.The exit velocities on those three rockets, in order, 106.3 mph, 102 mph ad 102.1 mph.In the second inning, Spencer Torkelson doubled and Wenceel Perez launched a 404-foot homer. After doubles by Zack Short and Vierling, the Tigers were up 5-0 and Matz was out of the game.BOX SCORE: Tigers 8, Rays 0The Tigers put nine balls in play off Matz with an average exit velocity of 99.8 mph, six extra-base hits.June slug, indeed.Torkelson finished with a double, single, walk and scored two runs. Perez had two hits, knocked in two and scored two. Short, hitting in the No. 9 spot, had a double, single and a sacrifice fly. And Vierling knocked in two with two hits and a sacrifice fly.Riley Greene homered for the second straight game. He curled one inside the right-field foul pole off lefty Ian Seymour leading off the seventh inning. It was his sixth homer.The Tigers hit eight home runs in the first two games of this series. They had 51 total in the first 60 games.They even forced the Rays to use a position player to pitch the ninth inning, shortstop Ben Williamson. Unlike Monday, there was no late drama in this one.Jack Flaherty, after starting the season with seven straight pitcher losses, now has a win on his ledger. And it was well-earned.He had to pitch out of some trouble, but he limited the Rays to five hits in five scoreless innings with six strikeouts.He put the first two runners on in the third, the last two hitters in the Rays’ order, but set down the top three hitters to escape the mess, finishing off Jonathan Aranda with a nasty, 2-2 knuckle-curve, leaving the dangerous Yandy Diaz on the on-deck circle.In the fourth inning, he struck out Jose Mesa, Jr., with another knuckle-curve, and then froze Hunter Feduccia with a low-rail, 96-mph four-seamer to strand runners at second and third.The Tigers had to empty the bullpen to secure the 10-9 win Monday. Lefty Enmanuel De Jesus was the only reliever not used. Thus, he was called on to take it home. And he did so, impressively, dispatching all 11 hitters he faced and earning a four-inning save. This story will be updated.Chris.McCosky@detroitnews.com@cmccoskyThis article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit Tigers outslugged Tampa Bay Rays for second straight night

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert missed the first phase of voluntary OTAs, but returned this past week.However, Herbert didn't throw at OTAs on Tuesday as a precautionary move. Instead, he worked on his footwork and practiced a throwing motion in individual drills while holding a green medical ball. Herbert also handed the ball off in team drills.The 28-year-old emphasized the decision was more of a preventative measure for his arm."It was an opportunity to rest today and work on my footwork. Something that we talked about yesterday and probably maybe once a week, something just to do," Herbert said."I think it's just being smart about my arm. Understanding that it's June and there's a lot of time to train and to work. Mike [McDaniel] thought it was helpful for my footwork to be able to pick up my footwork and not have to worry about throwing the ball right now."Since Herbert wasn't throwing on Tuesday, Trey Lance and DJ Uiagalelei split reps at quarterback. Lance, who signed a one-year, $6.75 million contract to return to LA this season, completed his first four passes in 7-on-7 drills but was nearly picked off.Uiagalelei earned the highlight of the day when he placed a perfect pass over the middle to JaQuae Jackson over the hands of veteran safety Derwin James. There are still several weeks before the start of the season and the Chargers will need Herbert in every single matchup of the 2026 campaign. The Bolts have one of the toughest schedules in the league this year, which means they'll need to take all the wins they can get. This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Why Justin Herbert didn't throw at Chargers OTAs on Tuesday

Fastest goals in Stanley Cup Final history: Where Nikolaj Ehlers' strike for Carolina vs. Vegas ranks all-time originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Nikolaj Ehlers wasted little time in his attempt to send the Hurricanes faithful into raptures.Twenty-five seconds into Game 1 of Carolina's series with the Golden Knights, the speedy Dane found his target, lifting the Hurricanes to a lead in the blink of an eye.Those who pooled into the Lenovo Center would be forgiven for missing the goal, given its early nature. Predictably, those watching on in the stands — and on television screens across the world — were left wondering whether they had witnessed a new Stanley Cup Final record fall.So, just how does Ehlers' goal compare to the fastest in Stanley Cup Final history? Here's what you need to know.NHL PLAYOFFS HQ:Live NHL scores | NHL playoff schedule | NHL playoff bracketFastest goals in Stanley Cup Final historyEhlers' snipe was certainly eye-catching, dancing beyond Hart's reach before cushioning off the post and into the net.NIK EHLERS, THE CANES SCORE 25 SECONDS INTO GAME 1 OF THE STANLEY CUP FINAL 🚨 pic.twitter.com/SrOx45rwWO— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 3, 2026It wasn't the fastest goal in Stanley Cup Final history, however. That honor belongs to the Bruins' John Byce, who lit the lamp with a strike vs. the Oilers in Game 3 of the 1990 Stanley Cup Final.Byce's goal came 10 seconds into the contest. Byce and Cam Neely combined to dislodge the puck from an Edmonton stick. Neely's shot deflected off of Bill Ranford's pads, falling right into the path of Byce, who finished with aplomb. With that, here's a look at the 10 fastest goals in Stanley Cup Final history.Rank.GoalscorerTeamOpponentTimeGameYear1.John ByceBruinsOilers10 seconds319902.Jean BeliveauCanadiensBlackhawks14 seconds719653.Sid SmithMaple LeafsCanadiens15 seconds119514.Fernando PisaniOilersHurricanes16 seconds520065.Bob PulfordMaple LeafsBlackhawks17 seconds519626.Norm JohnsonBruinsCanadiens20 seconds219587.Reggie LeachFlyersCanadiens21 seconds119768.Buddy O'ConnorCanadiensMaple Leafs25 seconds61947Gregg SheppardBruinsCanadiens25 seconds41978Nikolaj EhlersHurricanesGolden Knights25 seconds12026MORE: How Rod Brind'Amour is responsible for nearly every Hurricanes playoff win in historyNikolaj Ehlers playoff statsEhlers was Carolina's second-leading scorer during the regular-season, tallying 26 goals and 71 points to help power the Hurricanes' attack. His scoring has continued in the postseason — Ehlers entered Tuesday's contest with four goals and nine points in 12 playoff games this season.He tacked on additional scores in Game 1, following up his impressive rip shot with a silky backhand on the breakaway to push Carolina's Game 1 advantage to two.NIKOLAJ EHLERS AGAIN, THE CAROLINA HURRICANES HAVE A 2-0 LEAD, EHLERS HAS TWO GOALS 🤯 pic.twitter.com/7qZzNZ9KGz— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 3, 2026Nikolaj Ehlers contact detailsYears: SixValue: $51 millionAfter 10 years with the Jets, Ehlers inked a six-year, $51 million deal with Carolina ahead of the 2025-26 season.The Danish forward's $8.5 million average annual value ranks second on the Hurricanes, trailing only Sebastian Aho. Ehlers rewarded Carolina with the best season of his 11-year career, posting a career-high in points.

Credit: TNT SportsDraymond Green certainly knows how to make his presence felt.Last month, while once again filling in for Shaquille O’Neal on Inside the NBA, Green offered several memorable opinions, none more potent than his jab at the final chapter of Inside star Charles Barkley’s playing career. While parrying Barkley’s assertion that the Golden State Warriors’ run was over, Green responded that he and his teammates are just trying to avoid looking like Barkley did while with the Houston Rockets in the late 1990s.The joke made for some awkward television and sparked a discussion about Green’s disposition as a television commentator and whether he was actually cut out for a career in media.In response, Barkley said he refused to “punch down” at a lesser player like Green and that Green’s presence in the Inside studio during the NBA postseason was proof that they had been knocked from their throne. Green, for his part, apologized and said he did not intend to “disrespect” Barkley.For the first time since that encounter, Green is slated to return to the show for Games 3 and 4 of the NBA Finals from New York City, according to ESPN.This season marks the first NBA Finals coverage for the legendary Inside the NBA, now that it is licensed by the Worldwide Leader. Welcoming Green in for the occasion is a good sign that his last appearance has not left any scars, but it will be fascinating to see how Green integrates with the cast, assuming he is an extra commentator this time around, rather than a fill-in.The meteoric rise of Victor Wembanyama coupled with the New York Knicks’ return to the NBA Finals, all packaged inside of a rematch from nearly 30 years ago, has the makings of a fantastic championship series, leaving Green, Barkley and Co. with more than enough basketball storylines to focus on while leaving their confrontation in the past.The post Draymond Green returning to ‘Inside the NBA’ for NBA Finals Games 3 and 4 following spat with Charles Barkley appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Jack Nicklaus finished runner-up in 19 major championships, so the Golden Bear let a few big ones get away, but the Memorial Tournament founder and host avoided letting one of the biggest prizes slip the hook.Nicklaus regaled the media June 2 with a fish story that earned him one of the most precious trophies of his career. Days before playing in the 1978 Australian Open, Nicklaus went fishing along the Great Barrier Reef with fellow golfers Ben Crenshaw, Bruce Lietzke and Jerry Pate and friends Pandel Savic and Bob Hoag."We fished three or four days, got a few fish," Nicklaus said. "The last day I got over a big fish."Big? More like massive. Nicklaus, an avid fisherman, hooked a black marlin that weighed 1,358 pounds and took 6.5 hours to land. The fish measured longer and larger in girth than the existing world record of 1,560 pounds caught off Peru in 1953, but because the fish was out of water for 10 hours before getting weighed, it lost body weight due to dehydration.Nicklaus recalls almost every detail of the catch, including the bait (14-pound Bonita) and 130-pound test line."My left knee went out in the first hour. It gave out and and I had to fight it stiff-legged," he said.The man vs. fish marathon took a lot out of Nicklaus (and even more out of the marlin), so much that he was a bit of a physical mess when he showed up at the golf course on Tuesday of tournament week."I topped my first tee shot into the bushes right in front of the tee," he said. "And shot 74 the first round."Nicklaus returned to his guest house after the 74 and immediately went out to play tennis. "I hurt my shoulder doing that," he said, adding that he attended a party the same night with ice packs on his shoulder and a "horse medicine" anti-inflamatory in his system. "I didn't think I was going to be able to play anymore. I got up the next morning and said, 'I have to give it a try,' and went out and shot 67. Then I won the tournament. It was an exciting week for me."Reeling in the marlin may even have been a bigger thrill than winning the tournament. Either way, the fish remains mounted in a Nicklaus guest house in Florida. The Bear's wife, Barbara, placed a red flag on the pectoral fin so no one would suffer a neck wound running into it."The fish got brought back across the Pacific, and the box it was in, every place it stopped people wrote on it, 'Great fish, Jack. Nice going. Great.' I still have the box."Not all his golf trophies get that kind of royal treatment.Jack Nicklaus one of 19 non-band members to dot 'i' in Script Ohio at Ohio State footballThe Golden Bear is a huge Buckeyes fan − he attended Ohio State in the late 1950s − who dotted the "i" in 2006 at halftime of a game against Minnesota."They spelled it right and I got my footwork right," Nicklaus said on the sideline after tipping his cap to the crowd. "That was pretty neat. I'm a pretty emotional guy, and Ohio State means a lot to me."Jack and Barbara, who try to attend at least one OSU home game a season, keep close tabs on how the Buckeyes are performing. Jack Nicklaus' long putt heard round the golf worldNicklaus was famous for making putts he absolutely had to make to win tournaments, but his most amazing putt did not happen in a tournament. At a course opening ceremony in Harbor Shores, Michigan, in 2010, he drained a 102-foot putt after Johnny Miller claimed the only way to make the shot was by chipping it."There's no chance putting it," Miller said, to which Nicklaus responded, "Why, you (just) hit a good putt. Want me to show you how to putt it?"Nicklaus proceeded to bury the putt and shrugged as the crowd around the green cheered.Jack Nicklaus' vision was to bring championship golf to ColumbusIf not for Nicklaus deciding to pay back Columbus for how well it treated him while growing up, the 8,000 or so residents of Muirfield Village likely would be living elsewhere. Because there would be no Muirfield Village.Nicklaus first conceived of Muirfield Village Golf Club in the mid-1960s, the idea being to build a first-rate course that would attract the best players in the world.“We started out to do a tournament for the central Ohio area, to bring golf back here to a place where I was supported as a youngster, to thank them for all that they did for my life,” Nicklaus said. “And part of that was I wanted to bring first-class golf here.”Vision-casting with fellow Upper Arlington graduate Ivor Young during off-hours at the 1966 Masters, the friends talked of bringing a Masters-type tournament to Columbus. Young, who worked in real estate, found nearly a dozen pieces of property for Nicklaus to consider.“The first piece of property I looked at was right here,” Nicklaus said, approximating how the project began with the purchase of about 100 acres, then a second 100 and then 1,100 bought from a group in Cincinnati, which added land where holes 11, 12, 14 and 15 sit. Given his druthers, Nicklaus would have prefered no houses encircle the course, but he needed housing to finance the golf project, so 1,200 acres of farmland and forest became a golf mecca hosting the Memorial.Sports columnist Rob Oller can be reached at roller@dispatch.com and on X.com at @rollerCD.This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Memorial Tournament golf host Jack Nicklaus caught a massive marlin

An aerial view shows a mural of Argentine footballer Lionel Messi at a football pitch, where he played as a child, in his home city of Rosario (Marcelo Manera)Lionel Messi's showstopping talent brought a premature end to the career of his childhood football coach, who decided to bow out after training "the best player in the world."Coach Enrique Dominguez was just 45 when Barcelona legend Messi was blazing a trial as a pre-teen in his hometown of Rosario. Messi, who is limbering up for his sixth World Cup with the current titleholders, was born the third of four children in the city on the Parana river.The house where he grew up, in the working-class district of La Bajada, is a place of pilgrimage for lovers of the beautiful game from near and far.The life story of Rosario's favorite son, who is limbering up for his sixth World Cup after leading Argentina to triumph four years ago, is splashed across the walls and tower blocks of his hometown, in giant murals."From another galaxy but from my neighborhood," the inscription on one such tribute reads.A Colombian flag hangs on the railings around his old home, surrounded by smaller Argentine banners."Leo, your greatness transcends frontiers, thanks for all the football and the magic. A grateful Colombian," a message scrawled on the flag reads.Walter Barrera, one of Messi's childhood friends, grew up around the corner.He remembers a shortcut the pair used to take to school, through a hole they cut in the barbed wire fence around a military base.On one occasion, the soldier on guard gave chase to the pair."We were a little bit unruly but we weren't bad kids," he confided with a smile.- 'A gift from God' -The two friends tried their hand at various sports as children, from rugby to baseball and footvolley.But Messi's footballing destiny was clear."We knew he'd go far, he was an ace (at football)," Walter told AFP. At the age of five, the lightning-fast footwork of the kid nicknamed La Pulga (The Flea) because of his short stature, were already a source of wonder at his local club.Soon after, he joined Malvinas Argentinas, the youth academy of Newell's Old Boys, Rosario's top team of which he is still an avid fan.It was at Newell's that he met coach Dominguez, who retired soon after."For me, he was like a gift from God," the 72-year-old former instructor told AFP."One day someone asked me, 'What do you recognize of your teaching when you see Leo play'? Nothing, because there was nothing to teach him. He knew everything already. "What Leo does on the field today he was already doing at the age of 12."- 'No money for petrol' -Adrian Coria, who also coached Messi at Newell's, recalls the money struggles of the Messi family when Lionel was young.His father Jorge, a factory worker, used to say he wasn't sure his son could make training "because he didn't have enough money for petrol."It was around that time that Jorge and his wife Celia Maria Cuccitini, who worked as a cleaner, learned that their son had a growth hormone deficiency, which risked jeopardizing his career."Leo was 40 centimeters (16 inches) shorter than his teammates and 15 kg (33 pounds) lighter. For a player that's hard," Coria said.The family arranged for Lionel to try out with FC Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia, which immediately snapped him up and arranged to pay for his treatment.Messi moved to Barcelona in 2000 at the age of 13. He has not lived in Argentina since."He knew what he wanted. He wanted to be a footballer, he wanted to be the best," Coria said.str/str/pbl-lab/cb/msp

Spurs Harper, on being compared to Manu Ginobili: “I think that’s a fair comparison to say. I think it’s an accurate comparison. We’re both lefties, big guards. Yeah, I’ve had a lot of conversations with him, especially when I first got here. Me and him kind of talked a lot about the role of the team and what to do, things of that nature. I think he’s kind of, more than anyone for me, been that vet that’s been around the Spurs for a long time and kind of just giving me insight of what he’s been through.”NBC SportsThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Dylan Harper on the comparisons to Manu Ginobili: 'I think it's an accurate comparison'

Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns on what it means to help the Knicks return to the Finals: “It means a lot for my mother. When she emigrated from [the Dominican Republic] to New York, she saw Madison Square Garden for the first time and saw the energy the city has for Madison Square Garden and the Knicks. My mom, even to the day she passed, wasn’t big on the NBA rules, but one thing she did know was that only the best of the best perform and play at Madison Square Garden. To be able to have this moment in Knicks history where we’re back here, where New York has been hungry to be back in this Finals, it means a lot. It means a lot to me, my loved ones, to be part of the Knicks history that’s doing this.”NBC SportsThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: “It means a lot for my mother. When she emigrated from …

In the first major case since the justices narrowed the Voting Rights Act, the court cleared the way for Alabama to use a map preferred by Republicans that eliminates a majority-Black district.

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 23: Starter Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fifth inning at Chase Field on September 23, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks defeated the Dodgers 5-4. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images Shohei Ohtani makes his 10th pitching start of the season for the Dodgers on Wednesday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix.Ohtani started once at Chase Field last year with the Dodgers, tossing six scoreless innings with eight strikeouts last September 23. Beginning with that start, Ohtani has pitched at least six innings in 12 of his last 13 starts on regular rest (excluding Game 7 of the World Series, on three days rest). He started once more in Phoenix with the Angels, allowing two runs in five innings with eight strikeouts on June 11, 2021.Zac Gallen, the opening day starter for the D-backs, starts for Arizona on Wednesday. He lost on March 26 on Dodger Stadium, allowing four runs in four innings. He followed that up with a 2.19 ERA and 4.14 xERA in April, then a 7.04 ERA and 5.40 xERA in May. This will be his first start of June.Wednesday game infoTeams: Dodgers at D-backsBallpark: Chase Field, PhoenixTime: 6:40 p.m.TV: SportsNet LARadio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Gleyber Torres hit a leadoff homer, Wenceel Pérez and Riley Greene also went deep and the Detroit Tigers routed the Tampa Bay Rays 8-0 on Tuesday night.Jack Flaherty (1-7) struck out six in five-plus innings for his first win since last September. Matt Vierling tripled, doubled and drove in two runs.The Tigers, who hit five homers Monday during a 10-9 victory in the opener of the three-game set, had lost eight consecutive series — their longest such streak since dropping nine straight in 2019. Detroit has won back-to-back games for the first time since May 2 and 3. Detroit won its first road series since taking two of three games at San Diego to begin the season. The team had gone nine road series in a row without winning one (0-8-1). Spencer Torkleson hit a leadoff double in the second and Pérez followed with a 404-foot shot over the left-field wall to make it 4-0. Greene's leadoff homer in the seventh made it 8-0. Flaherty gave up five hits and walked two after losing his previous five starts and six of the past seven. He was 0-9 in 14 regular-season outings since throwing five shutout innings to win for Detroit at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 10, 2025.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

ATLANTA (AP) — Matt Olson hit a tiebreaking homer, Bryce Elder bounced back from his worst start of the season and the Atlanta Braves defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 on Tuesday night.Olson's towering shot barely cleared the right-field wall, snapping a 3-all deadlock in the sixth inning. It was his 17th homer of the season.Elder (5-3) went 6 2/3 innings, allowing six hits and three runs. It was a big improvement over his last appearance, when he was rocked for nine hits and six runs in 3 1/3 innings of an 8-0 loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park.Kazuma Okamoto hit a two-run homer for Toronto.Kevin Gausman and the Blue Jays kept Ronald Acuña Jr. in the park after the Atlanta slugger hit five homers over the four previous games. But Olson's longball pushed baseball's best record to 41-20.Gausman (4-4) took the loss despite another deep start. He surrendered five hits and four runs with eight strikeouts in six innings — the 12th time in 13 starts that he's lasted at least five.Atlanta jumped ahead with two runs in the first. Acuña led off with a walk and came all the way around to score on a double by Michael Harris Jr. to the center-field wall. Harris moved to third on a grounder and came home on Ozzie Albies' sacrifice fly.Albies drove in another run with a single in the third to give the Braves a 3-2 lead. Neither edge stood up. Okamoto hit his 13th homer in the second to tie it up. Daulton Varsho pulled the Blue Jays even again with a sacrifice fly in the sixth.Robert Suarez got the final out in the seventh and tacked on a scoreless eighth before Raisel Iglesias worked around two singles in the ninth for his 11th save in as many chances.Up nextThe Braves will send RHP Grant Holmes (3-2, 3.95 ERA) to the mound Wednesday against Blue Jays LHP Patrick Corbin (2-1, 3.65) in the second of a three-game set. ___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

FENNVILLE - Neave Rewa was racing to the corner as fast as she could. So fast she didn't see her own teammate.With 10 seconds remaining, the Saugatuck soccer star collided with her own teammate then quickly got to the ball, set it down and launched the corner kick toward the goal.As time ran down, the ball pinballed off a couple of players before Jordan Sanders knocked it in.It was the second goal of the game for Sanders and proved to be the game winner in a 5-1 win over St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran in the Division 4 regional semifinals on Tuesday, June 2, at Fennville High School.The victory is the first in program history in the regional rounds.More: Saugatuck's Neave Rewa keeps record-breaking career going, lands college spotMore: District roundup: Saugatuck baseball, soccer win titles; several local teams make finals"It means so, so much. To be the first team in Saugatuck history, boys or girls, to win a regional game is just huge," Rewa said.And it started with the corner kick in the final seconds of the first half."That was really chaotic," Rewa said. "I knew we had a lot of people on our team who were good at heading and finishing corners. I knew we had to take advantage of that opportunity. I was just trying to get the ball as fast as I could and get a quality cross in there."It bounced around and final bounced off Sanders into the goal with 2 seconds on the clock."I was anxious to get in there and get that cross from Neave. It was stressful," Sanders said. "It just went through right to me and I went ahead and scored. This means a lot. Saugatuck soccer is a big deal."Saugatuck will face Kalamazoo Christian at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 4, at Fennville. Kalamazoo Christian beat Western Michigan Christian in the first semifinal."This was huge for us. We have never won a regional game, so that is where our sights have been," Saugatuck coach Neal Phillips said. "We want to see if we can push the envelope even further. I am just so proud of these girls."Saugatuck was on the board first when Audrey Rodewald scored on a rebound off of a corner kick by Rewa that skidded off the crossbar and found her foot less than 5 minutes into the game.Michigan Lutheran's Katie Dailey evened the score with 24:39. She took a penalty shot that Saugatuck goalie Virginia Cernugel stopped - but Dailey tapped in the rebound to make it 1-1.Sanders gave the Trailblazers the lead with a shot that went off the post then spun into the net with 13:33 to go in the first half, then made it 3-1 with her last-second goal.Rewa added one of her own with a left-footed tap into the corner of the goal after a 2-on-1 advantage. Ryann Monroe added a goal just a couple minutes later to make it 5-1 with 22 minutes remaining."Neave scored, but we didn't lean on her tonight. Everybody played a great part. I love to see everyone doing things. We don't want to rest here," Phillips said.The score was a luxury after the Trailblazers won their district semifinal and final in shootouts."We all knew what we had to do coming into the game," Rewa said. "We didn't want to go into another shootout. We just tried to finish everything and played like we know we can."Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports. This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Saugatuck girls soccer beats Michigan Lutheran in regional semifinals

The Pennsville Memorial High School softball team pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season on Tuesday.And the reward for the Eagles is an opportunity to host the championship game.Pennsville scored three unanswered runs to unseat defending South Jersey Group 1 champion Audubon in the semifinal round.Fifth-seeded Pennsville (17-7) will host seventh-seeded Woodstown (19-8) in Thursday’s final. The Eagles will be seeking their first sectional title since 2008. Woodstown will attempt to win the program’s first crown.Junior Graillyn Weber held the Green Wave to three hits and didn’t allow a run over the final four innings. She walked three and struck out one.Makenzie Widener, Pennsville’s No. 9 hitter, had two hits, including a solo homer. Lily Edwards and Kylie Harris also had two hits apiece for the Eagles.Audubon finished its season at 19-10.Woodstown 5, Palmyra 0: Senior Leah Clark twirled a two-hitter with 11 strikeouts to power the Wolverines into the sectional final.Ellie Wygand had a pair of hits and RBIs and Clark helped her own cause with two knocks. Palmyra finished its season at 18-8.South Jersey Group 2Gloucester 6, West Deptford 3: Defending state champion Gloucester rallied from a two-run deficit to knock off Colonial Conference foe West Deptford to reach the sectional title game.The top-seeded Lions (21-2) will host second-seeded Barnegat (22-2) in Thursday’s final.Bailey Schoenfeldt had two hits, a walk, a RBI and run scored while Ava Moore contributed two RBIs and Haylee Zuccarelli had three knocks for Gloucester.Emma Dick allowed two unearned runs and struck out seven for her third postseason victory this spring.West Deptford finished its season at 18-8 and Eagles star pitcher Jordyn Ambrosius finished the spring with a program-record 248 strikeouts.Barnegat 1, Haddon Heights 0: The Garnets only mustered one hit – a single by Ruby Caviston – en route to their semifinal loss.Heights starter Sarah Cooley pitched extremely well, giving up one run on eight hits, striking out five and not issuing a walk.Haddon Heights went 18-9 this spring.South Jersey Group 3Clearview 2, Hammonton 1: The Pioneers checked back into the sectional final, scoring twice in the fourth inning and holding on for the road win.Third-seeded Clearview (18-8) will chase its first sectional title since 2003 when it travels to top-seeded Ocean City (22-6).Mallory Engle had Clearview’s lone RBI in the fourth inning.Two runs were plenty for Sienna Garrison, who held Hammonton to a run on seven hits. She struck out two and walked two.Hammonton saw its season end with a 22-5 record.Ocean City 7, Delsea 1South Jersey Group 4Cherokee 6, Vineland 5: The Chiefs pushed across two runs in the bottom of the seventh to knock out the Fighting Clan.Second-seeded Cherokee (21-4) will travel to Kingsway for Thursday’s sectional championship game.Maddie Edwards singled, walked twice and scored three runs atop the Cherokee lineup. Allie Cunane delivered two RBIs while Luci Dandrea, Cali Taylor, Bianca DeCristofer and Jordan Hreben also had RBIs. DeCristofer’s RBI was the go-ahead run in the seventh.Cali Taylor fanned 11 en route to the win for Cherokee.Averie Gomez collected two RBIs for Vineland, which went 17-8-1 in head coach Korie Hague’s debut season.Kingsway 2, Rancocas Valley 0: Sydney Schiavone fired a two-hit shutout as the Dragons advanced to their sixth sectional final in the last seven seasons.South Jersey Non-Public BSt. Joseph 14, Gloucester Catholic 0: The top-seeded Wildcats advanced to the title game with a 14-0 win as the team has outscored the opposition 29-0 in two postseason games.St. Joseph (24-3) will await today’s Holy Spirit/Calvary Christian (Old Bridge) winner for a showdown in Friday’s sectional final.Alaina Dorsey and Kaylin Marshall each had three RBIs apiece for the Wildcats.Central Jersey Group 2Johnson 2, Bordentown 1 (10 innings): After pulling off two upsets in the first two rounds, the Scotties fell short in their bid for a third, falling in extra innings to the second seed.Bordentown finished 13-12 this season.Tom McGurk is a regional sports editor for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 35 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him by email at tmcgurk@usatodayco.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: South Jersey softball semifinal round roundup

Mr. Pelley, a longtime correspondent and former “Evening News” anchor, harshly criticized the show’s leadership in an extraordinary exchange during a staff meeting on Monday.

Jane Nelson, the Texas secretary of state, was appointed to the role overseeing statewide elections in 2023 by Gov. Greg Abbott.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Shakira Austin scored 17 points, Kiki Iriafen had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and the Washington Mystics beat the Chicago Sky 90-72 on Tuesday night.Iriafen notched her fourth double-double of the season and 20th of her career. Austin also grabbed eight rebounds to help the Mystics outrebound Chicago 46-29. Michaela Onyenwere added 13 points for Washington (4-4). Angela Dugalic, Lauren Betts and Alicia Florez Getino each scored eight points off the bench. Sonia Citron (left foot sprain) missed the first game of her WNBA career. Sydney Taylor scored 15 points off the bench for Chicago (3-6), which lost its fifth straight game. Skylar Diggins added 14 points, and Kamilla Cardoso had 12 points, 13 rebounds, six blocks and five assists. Elizabeth Williams chipped in with 10 points. Washington led 47-40 at halftime after shooting 55% from the field. The Mystics extended it to 74-58 after outscoring the Sky 27-18 in the third. The Mystics finished 20 of 32 from the free-throw line, compared to just 16 attempts for Chicago. Up nextChicago: Returns home to play Connecticut on Friday. Washington: Goes on the road to face Atlanta on Saturday. ___AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Tennessee pitcher Cam Appenzeller (19) throws the ball during a NCAA baseball game between Tennessee and Ole Miss at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on April 18, 2026. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The process of building a better roster for 2027 for the Tennessee Vols is now underway for Josh Elander and his staff. With the transfer portal now open, the work begins to land some difference makers for next season. However, the portal works both ways, and it’s a matter of being able to keep your top end talent from leaving town for another program as much as it is finding new talent. And on Tuesday, Elander scored two big wins. Per VolQuest, Cam Appenzeller and Landon Mack will both be back next season. That gives Elander two thirds of a strong starting rotation for next season already in place. Mack should regain his weekend role, and Appenzeller should be a prime candidate to slot in for a spot as well. Mack started 12 games for Tennessee last season. In 61.2 innings, the Rutgers transfer posted a 4.67 ERA. He had 77 strikeouts to 25 walks. He missed the final few weeks of the season, including the postseason, with arm soreness. Appenzeller had a strong start to SEC play, but the true freshman came back to earth a bit later in the season. For the year, he had 20 appearances with 2 starts and posted a 4.76 ERA in 56.2 innings. He notched 64 strikeouts to 15 walks. It’s good to have two of the three likely the weekend rotation prime candidates set to return, and now, Elander can hopefully find some solutions for a bullpen that left a lot to be desired in 2026.

Jun. 2—Some lucky soccer fans in the Inland Northwest will have the chance to see Egyptian national team and superstar Mohamed Salah in person ahead of the 2026 World Cup.But with limited supply and a high demand, they face long odds.The Egyptian National Soccer team will host an open training session at Luger Field on the Gonzaga University campus at noon June 10. The open session will take place five days before the Pharaohs host their first game in the tournament on June 15 in Seattle.Per FIFA rules, tickets to the training session are limited and will be distributed through a random lottery. Fans can apply for tickets at spokanecity.wufoo.com/forms/q1nzlwgd1h49hue. Tickets will be limited to two per person, and additional information on gate times, parking and event policies will be provided to those who receive tickets.Spokane will host the Egyptian National Team throughout the 2026 World Cup. The team will stay at Northern Quest Resort and Casino and practice at Gonzaga."We are thrilled to welcome the Spokane community to Gonzaga University for this special opportunity to see the Egypt National Team prepare for the world stage," Gonzaga University President Katia Passerini said in a statement Monday. "Being selected as a Team Base Camp Training Site for FIFA World Cup 2026 is an extraordinary honor for Gonzaga and Spokane, and this open training session will allow our community to share in the excitement of this global event."This is the fourth time the team has qualified for the tournament, though it has yet to advance out of the group stage. The team is headlined by Salah, who is widely regarded as one of the world's best soccer players."We are eagerly awaiting the Pharaohs' arrival and are excited for Spokane to experience this once-in-a-generation moment," Mayor Lisa Brown said in a statement. "This open training session is a wonderful way for our community to show its support, celebrate the global game, and welcome Egypt to the Lilac City."The 2026 World Cup will consist of 104 matches in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada and will begin on June 11. The final match to crown a champion will be played on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.Seattle will host six matches during the tournament, while Vancouver, British Columbia, will host seven.

Seeing the Oklahoma City Thunder build this thing from the ground up, Kenrich Williams wants to see things through with this group. As the third-longest tenured player, he saw them go from a rebuilding team in 2020 to an eventual NBA champion in 2025.Now, with Williams' future undecided, he campaigned for the Thunder to keep him around. One way or the other. The 31-year-old talked about his upcoming offseason in his exit interview. He has a $7.2 million team option for the 2026-27 season. Remains to be seen if OKC picks it up.If it were up to Williams, he'd love to retire on the Thunder. Wasn't that long ago when he expressed those same wishes when they were in the NBA's basement. Now one of the league's premier teams, the sentiment stays strong — even with inconsistent playing time and just straight-up being on the outside of OKC's playoff rotation."It's no secret that I want to be here until I'm done playing. I haven't really had a chance to think about that yet. I'm just processing last night's loss," Williams said. "I'm pretty sure those conversations will be brought up, but I definitely want to be here."When Williams arrived in OKC in the 2020 Steven Adams trade package, not much was thought of him. Heck, most didn't even think he'd make the roster — shoutout Frank Jackson, for those who remember. In six seasons since then, though, he's carved out a helluva career. He's averaged 6.7 points and 3.8 rebounds in his time on the Thunder.And while Williams' playing time has slowly dwindled in time with OKC's new layers of young talent, he's remained a steady force in the locker room and someone who provides positive minutes in both the regular season and NBA playoffs. For your average 12th man on the roster, not half-bad."Just the environment, the culture, the people that I work with every day. This is a job. You don't want to go into a toxic job. This is a job where I can come in and be myself," Williams said. "Everybody around me is just good people and a good environment. Not to mention we're really great at basketball."We'll see what happens with Williams. He's among a quartet of Thunder players whose futures will be decided one way or the other this offseason. If he's truly at peace with being just a great veteran who seldom plays, then I'm sure OKC would be happy to oblige his wishes with a veteran's minimum deal.Either way, Williams' time on the Thunder has been a resounding success. He's seen them go from a rebuild to a contender. Over the years, he's helped out in various ways. On a roster filled with developmental success stories, he's definitely one of the more underrated ones, considering how so-so the start of his NBA career was with the New Orleans Pelicans.This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Kenrich Williams wants to retire on OKC Thunder: 'It's no secret'

UFC Fight Night 277 took place Saturday – while many fans in North America were still sounds asleep.In the main event showdown between bantamweight contenders, Song Yadong submitted Deiveson Figueiredo by second-round guillotine choke. The event took place at Galaxy Arena in Macau, China.In the co-main event, Alonzo Menifield upset the oddsmakers as he defeated Zhang Mingyang with a first-round knockout, elevating him in the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings from honorable mention to No. 14 at light heavyweight.Check out all of the moves in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings.This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, June 2: Alonzo Menifield elevates status

CHICAGO (AP) — Gage Jump pitched seven effective innings in his first major league win, and the Athletics beat the Chicago Cubs 2-1 on Tuesday night.Nick Kurtz homered for the A's, who had lost seven of nine. Zack Gelof also drove in a run.Jump (1-1) allowed three hits, struck out five and walked one in his second career start. The left-hander, a second-round pick in the 2024 amateur draft, was brought up from Triple-A Las Vegas when Aaron Civale went on the 15-day injured list last week.Chicago dropped to 5-17 in its last 22 games. It wasted a solid performance by Jameson Taillon (2-5), who surrendered two runs in 6 1/3 innings after going 0-2 with a 9.82 ERA in his previous three starts.The Cubs threatened in the ninth against Scott Barlow, putting two runners on with no outs. But Alex Bregman struck out swinging and Seiya Suzuki flied out before Hogan Harris retired Ian Happ on a flyball to center for his fifth save.Kurtz connected with two outs in the third, tying it at 1 with a 383-foot drive to left-center. It was his third homer in four games and No. 11 on the season.Taillon has been hurt by the longball this year, allowing a major league-high 20 homers in his 12 starts.The A's added another run on Gelof's RBI single in the fourth, a two-out liner over the head of a leaping Nico Hoerner at second base.The Cubs got three of their four hits in the first two innings. They had runners on second and third with none out in the first, but they only managed one run on Bregman's groundout to third. Up nextAthletics left-hander Jeffrey Springs (3-6, 4.07 ERA) and Cubs right-hander Colin Rea (5-3, 4.70 ERA) take the mound on Wednesday night.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb

PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 28: Dansby Swanson #7 of the Chicago Cubs celebrate after winning the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Thursday, May 28, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rayni Shiring/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images It’s Tuesday night here at BCB After Dark: the grooviest gathering of night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come in and sit with us for a while. We’re always happy to see a friend. There’s no cover charge. The hostess can seat you now. There’s a two-drink minimum, but you need to bring your own beverage.BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.Last night I asked you if MLB had a competitive balance problem. The vote was close, but 53 percent of you say that it does and that there should be more done to help small-market clubs. The other 47 percent think things are mostly fine now.On Tuesday nights I don’t do any movie stuff. But I always have time for jazz and that time is now.My tribute to the late, great saxophonist Sonny Rollins (gift article) was delayed by my previously-scheduled look at Miles Davis’ career for the 100th anniversary of his birth. But I think we can move on from Miles after Bitches Brew. He certainly made some great music later on, but I don’t think he revolutionized music again after that seminal jazz/rock fusion album. Only so many times in a career can one artist re-invent jazz.Sonny Rollins, however, was the last surviving member of the legendary group of musicians who played bebop in the late-40s along with Miles, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell and the other titans. Born in Harlem in 1930 to parents who came from the Virgin Islands, Rollins got his first saxophone at age 11 and largely taught himself how to play it. By the time he was 18, he was good enough to be playing with Miles and Powell at the many jazz clubs across New York. As the forties turned to the fifties, Rollins was at the forefront of the “hard bob” movement, which incorporated elements of rhythm and blues and gospel into the bebop format. But Rollins’ approach could never really be defined by one sub-genre of music. After he took a time-out from music to deal with the medical and legal issues around his heroin addiction, he came back strong in the mid-50s and released his first albums as a band leader. Two of those albums, Tenor Madness and Saxophone Colossus were both released in 1956 and both are considered to be all-time classics. The title track of Tenor Madness contains the only recorded collaboration between Rollins and John Coltrane. Saxophone Colossus would give Rollins the nickname that he would have for the rest of his life. The “colossus” part referred both to his height and his talent. But the best-known song that Rollins ever released was the first track on Saxophone Colossus, “St. Thomas.” This tune moved Rollins beyond hard bop and incorporated the calypso music of his parents’ native Virgin Islands. In fact, it’s based on a nursery song that his mother used to sing to him. Even if you don’t listen to jazz, this song is so famous that you’ll recognize it immediately.Here is Rollins playing “St. Thomas” with Kenny Drew on piano, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen on bass and Albert “Tootie” Heath on drums. The video doesn’t list when or when it was made, but the presence of NHØP likely means that it was at least 1964 and with Drew, likely for Danish television. Since Rollins took a break from performing in 1966, this is probably 1965, give or take a year.Welcome back to everyone who skips all that jazz.I’m not going to deny that May was a rough month, with the Cubs going 13-16 with a ten-game losing streak in there. But now that it’s June, they have the chance to put all that behind them. What helps in June is that the Cubs have what should be a soft schedule. Here are the 27 games that the Cubs have scheduled this month:June 2,3,4 AthleticsJune 5,6,7 GiantsJune 9,10,11 @ RockiesJune 12, 13, 14 @ GiantsJune 15,16,17 RockiesJune 19,20,21 Blue JaysJune 22, 23, 24, 25 @ MetsJune 26,27,28 @ BrewersJune 29, 30 PadresSo let’s look at that schedule. The A’s are kind of a meh team. They’ve got some good young talent, but they’re under .500 in the lousy AL West. The Giants and Rockies are flat-out terrible. The Blue Jays aren’t nearly as good as they were last year and are below .500 at the moment. The Mets are maybe better than they were the last time the Cubs played them, but they still aren’t good. Only the final five games of the month at Milwaukee and home against San Diego represent a real tough challenge.I’m not going to ask you to predict the month. But I am going to ask you what you would consider a successful month. That’s 27 games there. I’m going to assume that a losing month would be a failure. In fact, I’m saying if the Cubs only go 14-13 with that schedule, that’s not a success. But how many games would the Cubs have to win for you to say they had a successful month? It they go 17-10, is that a good month with this schedule? Or 16-11? Or maybe they need to go 20-7?Thanks for stopping by tonight. We always look forward to your visits. Please get home safely. Call a ride if you need one. Don’t forget any personal items. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow evening for more BCB After Dark.

29 May 2024, Bavaria, Munich: The FC Bayern Munich logo can be seen at the Säbener Straße office. FC Bayern is reportedly close to signing coach Vincent Kompany. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa (Photo by Sven Hoppe/picture alliance via Getty Images) Welcome to the FC Bayern Campus Round Up of the U-19’s season, where this time not the weekend results but the entire campaign of the Bavarian’s U-19 team has been recapped for your reading pleasure.Information on the U-19 team’s season is provided by the official FC Bayern website here. If you wish to learn more about the format of the U-17 (and U-19)’s youth leagues and what is at stake, you can find more info here. Just keep in mind, the season is divided into three phases. The top 2 teams of the 12 games first phase qualify for the next phase, then the top 4 teams of the 10 game second phase qualify for the third phase, which becomes a knockout style tournament. Without further ado, here is the round up:First phase: An admirable attitude leads Bayern to the top of the tableThe Bavarians’ U-19s started the season terribly with a loss to Hansa Rostock’s U-19s in the Junior DFB Pokal. Despite taking a comfortable 2-0 lead against their unfashioned opponents, Rostock roared back and leveled the game. After 120 minutes, it remained 2-2 and forced a penalty shootout, which the underdogs unfortunately won. While the senior team overcame their demons and won the 2026 DFB Pokal, the U-19s continue to struggle. This is now the second time in two seasons the Bavarians had been knocked out in the first round of the U019 domestic cup. This will have to improve.However, Bayern bounced back well by winning 5 of the 6 opening matches in the domestic league. The highlight of those matches was a 7-1 thumping over Stuttgarter Kickers, who would finish bottom of the group, though it was frustrating to only get a 2-2 draw against rivals SpVgg Unterhaching. That feeling of frustration against rivals continued as 1859+1 Munich got the better of Bayern, beating them 1:0 away in an awful performance by the red side of Munich.Again, frustration from a poor result would be used to excellent effect as Bayern would contest their return matches against Unterhaching and 1859+1 within a week of one another and win both, 4-2 and 2-1 respectively. Having essentially already secured the top spot in the league, however, Bayern then let their foot off the gas and lost to both eventual 2nd placed Augsburg and, more unforgivably, Stuttgarter Kickers. A 3-2 victory against SC Freiburg on the last day of the first phase did seal top spot in the end, though.Unsurprisingly, the team turned out to be quite top heavy. The defense struggled heavily, keeping not one clean sheet across all 12 games. However, Bayern’s website captured the strong performances of the attack:The key to [head coach] Peter Gaydarov’s team’s success in both the preliminary and main rounds was their top line. With 32 goals, they shared the top offensive line with SSV Ulm 1846. “A key issue was that we created a large number of excellent scoring opportunities in almost every game. However, we didn’t always capitalize on them,” said Gaydarov. The Munich players consistently demonstrated their scoring prowess, particularly in front of the opponent’s net. Maycon Douglas Cardozo, Yll Gashi, and Moritz Göttlicher [now at VFL Bochum] each scored four goals. Bogdan Olychenko, Roy Snip, and Frank Egwuatu each netted three. In addition, ten other players contributed one or two goals to Gaydarov’s tally.Phase 2: Bayern squeak throughWhile Bayern comfortably finished top in the first phase, they were lucky not to get eliminated in this phase. An opening 2-0 loss to Kaiserslautern followed by a 5-1 vict0ry over Hannover set the tone for an inconsistent second phase. Aside from the 2 games against bottom side Berliner AK, who did not collect a single point, Bayern won just 2 of 8 games. Meanwhile, they lost 3 and drew 3. The Bavarians were in serious danger of dropping down to the bottom of the table and not qualifying for the Round of 16 by Matchday 9. They had to ensure opponents Borussia Mönchengladbach did not win and pull ahead, so they wasted time and settled for a 2-2 draw to give themselves the opportunity to go through with a point against Rasenballsport Leipzig on Matchday 10. That they did with a 3-3 draw, which Bogdan Olychenko barely rescued towards the end of the match. This point was just enough to put Bayern through in 4th place, barely squeaking into the third phase.Again, the attack excelled while the defense crumbled. Only one clean sheet was held, against punching bags Berliner AK, while 21 goals were conceded in 10 games. Bayern’s website does capture the outstanding attacking performance, however:In the main [second] round of the DFB Youth League, Bayern Munich’s attacking line continued its relentless pace, once again boasting the best offense in the group with 29 goals. Eleven different players found the net for Bayern in the second half of the season as well. Egwuatu and Gashi, with five goals each, were primarily responsible for the potent attack, followed by Snip and Noah Codjo-Evora with three goals each.we have to be honest and say that we didn’t capitalize on these numerous opportunities and our dominance in some crucial moments,” summarized Gaydarov. “In many matches, such as against Arsenal or Hannover, we had periods where we were able to take control of the game, only to be punished shortly afterward by conceding some painful goals. That was one of our biggest learning experiences.”Phase 3: OutclassedUnfortunately, Bayern’s qualification as the 4th placed seeded them against a 1st placed team from another group. This saw Bayern travel to last season’s winners, FC Köln, for the Round of 16. The contest was over before half time. The home side wore Bayern down, hit them hard just before the half time break and eventually overwhelmed them in a 4-0 battering.UEFA Youth League: Not good enoughThe UEFA Youth League is quite similar to the Champions League, considering that 36 teams play 6 games and are all grouped into one big table. The top 22 teams qualify automatically for the knockout rounds. In the 2024/25 season, the U-19s only just managed to qualify among the top 22 but then went on to reach the quarterfinals, the farthest they had ever managed in the competition.In the 2025/26 season, there was no such fight. Bayern finished 27th in the table on just 4 points. They faced very good teams such as Chelsea, PSG and Club Brugge but offered so little fight in any of those matches. They even lost to Arsenal’s U-19s, making it the only Youth League game the Londoners did not lose. Bayern’s website has more details:“The Youth League was a great experience for many players. At this level, every mistake is punished immediately, and at the same time, the boys get a real feel for what international intensity, pace, and decision-making mean,” Gaydarov summarized. The thrilling opening match against Chelsea (2-3) , in which Gaydarov’s team relinquished a halftime lead, was followed by their first and only victory against Pafos (3-0) . The next three matches against Club Brugge (0-3) , PSG (0-3) , and Arsenal (4-2) were sobering. Bayern’s youth team provided a more positive conclusion with a 3-3 draw against Sporting Lisbon.Final verdict on the seasonClearly, the results were terrible. The DFB Pokal run was a disaster, the UEFA Youth League run was a disaster and the league performances were decent at best. There were few games in which the team truly reached its’ potential together.As always, though, the priority remains youth development over results and many players celebrated significant milestones, as Bayern’s website captured:Several promising young talents from FC Bayern Munich’s U19 team made their professional debuts this season. Wisdom Mike kicked things off in the home match against SV Werder Bremen, followed by Cassiano Kiala and David Santos Daiber , who both got their first professional minutes in the away game against 1. FC Heidenheim. Maycon Douglas Cardozo also fulfilled a childhood dream with his Bundesliga debut in early March against Borussia Mönchengladbach. Deniz Ofli debuted in the Champions League home game against Atalanta Bergamo before coming on as a substitute in the Bundesliga home win against VfB Stuttgart and celebrating Bayern’s 35th German championship with the first team on the pitch at the Allianz Arena.“For us at the campus, there is hardly a better confirmation than seeing young players from our youth academy make the step up to the professional level,” emphasizes Gaydarov, and continues: “The fact that so many players were able to take the next step this season and celebrate their professional or regional league debut is, for me, the greatest confirmation of our daily work at the campus.”What comes next?Peter Gaydarov is moving on to pastures anew and most of the U-19s will either leave (on loan or permanently) or be promoted to the U-23s. Most of the promising U-17 team will likely be promoted to the U-19s, with U-17 head coach Leonard Haas following them.If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor… Join the conversation!Sign up for a user account and get:New, improved notifications system!Fewer adsCreate community postsComment on articles, community postsRec comments, community posts

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Mack, Heriberto Hernández and Otto Lopez hit successive home runs in the fifth inning to power the Miami Marlins past the Washington Nationals 7-3 on Tuesday night.Hernández added a two-run shot in the ninth for the Marlins, who didn't give up a hit until Drew Millas singled leading off the sixth against Ryan Gusto, the second Miami reliever.Luis García Jr. had an RBI groundout later in the inning and Washington scored twice in the seventh to cut it to 4-3. But the Marlins tacked on three insurance runs in the ninth when Mack drove in his third run of the game with a sacrifice bunt and Hernández homered off Mitchell Parker.Mack's two-run homer off Miles Mikolas (1-5) in the fifth opened the scoring. Mikolas was charged with six runs and six hits in six innings after Nationals opener Richard Lovelady worked two hitless innings.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

When the Dallas Cowboys have played the Eagles over the years, they’ve made sure one base was always covered and that base was star receiver A.J. Brown. Brown, 6-foot-1, 226-pounds of muscle and scowl, was priority No. 1 for the Cowboys defense. He was a big-play threat down the sideline and as a ball carrier after the catch. Regardless of who was coordinator for Dallas, it was Brown who was always circled in the gameplan.When news broke this week Brown was leaving the City of Brotherly Love for the City of Clam Chowder, Cowboys Nation should have been in full celebration. That's because no longer must the Cowboys tilt coverages his way. No longer must they worry about him with the ball in his hands. No longer must the Dallas defense gift easy receptions to other receivers just because they are transfixed on stopping Brown. And it’s really there where the impact of Brown made the difference.The Cowboys have made it a habit of rolling coverage Brown’s way over the years. Heavy zone coverages with safeties over the top have largely held the receiver at bay. In his eight games against Dallas, he averaged 74.1 yards/game and half a touchdown. These numbers aren’t great, but they’re certainly not as bad as they could be given Brown’s ability.AJ Brown all-time ranks in Philly:— 1st and 2nd in REC YDS in a season— 1st in games with 100+ REC YDS— 2nd in REC YDS per gameAll-timer. pic.twitter.com/XANoF9IyxT— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 1, 2026By focusing so much on Brown over the years, the Dallas defense has gift-wrapped easy completions to other downfield options. DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert and other secondary targets have had their way in the middle of the field. It stands to reason new Eagles slot receiver Makai Lemon would also feast inside with Brown commanding attention. Luckily, that’s not something the Cowboys secondary has to worry about anymore.With all the trouble the Cowboys secondary has had in recent days, they need all the breaks they can get. And make no mistake: getting Brown off the Eagles is a nice break for the Cowboys.Dallas will still probably throw large doses of zone coverage Philadelphia’s way this season. Zone is a Christian Parker staple and Jalen Hurts is traditionally poor against it. It’s also important to point out the Eagles aren’t suddenly devoid of weapons. Smith and Lemon can be explosive jitterbugs in space, so they can’t be taken for granted. But with Brown gone, the Cowboys can match-up more honestly and that’s a very good thing for 2026.You can follow Reid on X @ReidDHanson and be sure to follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Loss of Brown has real impact on Eagles offense, Cowboys chances

Cincinnati Reds prospect Carlos Jorge hit his sixth home run of the season for the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts and stole his 16th base while raising his batting average to .341 and OPS to .935 in a game June 2 against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.Jorge was named Southern League Player of the Week May 26-31, as he batted .455 with nine runs, four stolen bases and a 1.129 OPS.The 22-year-old Jorge ranks No. 16 among MLB Pipeline's top Reds prospects.Jorge was playing center field during the High-A Dayton Dragons' series finale against the Fort Wayne TinCaps in April 2025 when he crashed into the wall while making a remarkable, over-the-shoulder catch in the top of the 6th inning to rob Addison Kopack of extra bases. Jorge was carted off the field.The Reds signed Jorge out of the Dominican Republic for $495,000, at the start of the delayed 2020-21 international signing period in January 2021.This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Carlos Jorge, Reds prospect, stays hot for Double-A Chattanooga

EATON RAPIDS 7, GROSSE ILE 2ANN ARBOR — Kennedie Crow and Remie Ellis each had hat tricks while helping the Greyhounds to a Division 3 regional semifinal victory over Grosse Ile. Chloe Look added the other goal, while Addy Schultz had two assists for Eaton Rapids (14-7-1). Delaney Collins and Crow each added an assist for the Greyhounds, who advance to face No. 3-ranked Detroit Country Day in a regional final at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 4 at Ann Arbor Huron.MASON 2, FARMINGTON HILLS MERCY 0YPSILANTI — Making their third regional appearance in five seasons, the Bulldogs picked up their first win in the second stage of the MHSAA tournament by knocking off Farmington Hills Mercy in a Division 2 semifinal. Mason (11-4-4) advances to a regional final on Thursday, June 4 where it will face No. 6-ranked New Boston Huron.OVID-ELSIE 3, SHELBY 0CADILLAC — The Marauders (16-7) have reached a regional final for the second time in three years after their Division 4 regional semifinal victory over Shelby. Ovid-Elsie advances to face Harbor Springs in the regional final on Thursday at Cadillac.BLOOMFIELD HILLS MARIAN 2, DEWITT 0WATERFORD — The No. 5-ranked Panthers bid for a third straight regional title ended with a setback to No. 4-ranked Marian in a Division 2 regional semifinal. DeWitt closes the season with a 17-2 record.ROYAL OAK SHRINE 4, BATH 2The Bees (15-2) had their season end with a Division 4 regional semifinal loss to Royal Oak Shrine.This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Eaton Rapids, Mason, Ovid-Elsie advance to soccer regional finals