Sports News

Brooklyn Nets All-Star guard Ben Simmons and his former team, the Philadelphia 76ers, reached a settlement agreement on the grievance Simmons filed to recoup a portion of the nearly $20 million withheld from him as a result of his failure to play games in the 2021-2022 season, sources told ESPN on Monday. Both sides agreed to confidentiality on the exact financial settlement reached, sources said. Simmons and the National Basketball Players Association filed the grievance in April after the discussions between Simmons' representatives at Klutch Sports and the 76ers didn't result in a settlement, sources said. The sides entered into an arbitration process but reached a settlement agreement prior to a judgment. Philadelphia had repeatedly insisted that Simmons was in breach of his contract under the collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and NBPA and had the right to recoup the money advanced to him before the season. After Simmons made a trade request, the...

Fernando Tatis Jr.'s father backed up his son's claim that he violated Major League Baseball's drug policy because of a steroid that was contained within a ringworm medication and called it "a catastrophe" that the San Diego Padres superstar's reputation has been tarnished because of it. Fernando Tatis Sr., who played in the major leagues over parts of 11 seasons, told "The Midday Show" in his native Dominican Republic on Monday that Tatis Jr. used the medication Trofobol to treat a ringworm that appeared on the side of his neck, a photo of which was previously posted on his mother's Instagram page. The medication, not sold in the United States, is a spray that is used to treat skin conditions, namely scars and burns. The label lists clostebol, the anabolic steroid that Tatis Jr. tested positive for, and neomycin, an antibiotic, as its two main ingredients. Tatis was handed an 80-game suspension Friday after testing positive for clostebol, ruling him out of the Padres'...

The Los Angeles Dodgers' faint hopes of having Walker Buehler in their postseason rotation ended on Monday, when it was announced that their ace pitcher would require season-ending elbow surgery. The Dodgers were vague in their description of Buehler's injury because an initial MRI did not provide enough clarity, a source with knowledge of the situation said. The Dodgers won't learn the specifics until Dr. Neal ElAttrache conducts the procedure on Aug. 23. What they do know, however, is that they will be without their most talented pitcher while in pursuit of a World Series title. The Dodgers boast the highest winning percentage and the lowest ERA in the major leagues despite navigating an assortment of injuries to their staff, with 11 pitchers currently on their injured list. But Dustin May is expected to make his return from Tommy John surgery on Saturday, and the team is hopeful that Clayton Kershaw, out since early August with discomfort in his lower...

The 2026 College Football Playoff national championship game will be held at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, the same site as the 2021 national title game, the CFP announced on Monday. The CFP is also expected to announce Atlanta as its host city for 2025, a source told ESPN on Monday. Mercedes-Benz Stadium also hosted the 2018 national championship game. The CFP already has determined the location of the 2025 national title game, but did not release it, saying in a statement that "an announcement on that site will be made in the near future." The CFP's management committee, which is comprised of the 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, selected the sites. "We are delighted to be returning to Miami," CFP executive director Bill Hancock said in a statement. "South Florida was a great host for the 2021 national championship game despite the event having to be scaled back because of COVID-19, and we look forward to returning in 2026 with...

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The standoff between the Chicago Bears and linebacker Roquan Smith over contract negotiations took another turn Monday when the NFL management council sent a memo to all 32 teams stating that a non-NFLPA-certified agent has been contacting clubs on behalf of the 2018 first-round pick. According to a copy of the memo obtained by ESPN, the management council was informed by the NFL Players Association "that a person by the name of Saint Omni, who is not an NFLPA certified agent, is contacting clubs indicating that he is representing Roquan Smith, who is under contract to the Chicago Bears." The memo states that "Mr. Omni is prohibited from negotiating player contracts or discussing potential trades on behalf of any NFL player or prospective player or assisting in or advising with respect to such negotiations." On Tuesday, Smith released a statement via NFL Media stating that he had requested a trade after failing to work out a contract extension...

Myles Brennan, who started at quarterback for LSU early in the 2020 season but missed most of the past two seasons with injuries, will no longer play college football, he announced Monday. Brennan said in a statement posted to social media that he is "stepping away from football." "I am forever grateful for every opportunity I've been given, every obstacle I've overcome, and every second I've been a Tiger," he said in the statement. "However, after five seasons, it is time for me to start a new chapter in my life."  Brennan had been competing with former Arizona State transfer Jayden Daniels and sophomore Garrett Nussmeier for the starting job. "We are grateful to Myles for everything he has done for LSU Football," LSU coach Brian Kelly said in a statement. "Myles is a great leader who has made a tremendous impact on this program, and he has earned the respect of everyone here through his commitment and love for LSU. "Myles has always embodied...

LANCASTER, Texas -- The brother of retired NFL cornerback Aqib Talib turned himself in to authorities Monday after police identified him as the suspect in the fatal shooting of a coach at a youth football game in Texas. Police said that a murder warrant was issued for Yaqub Salik Talib, 39, in the fatal shooting Saturday night of Michael Hickmon, 43, police in the Dallas-area city of Lancaster said. According to witnesses, Talib pulled out a gun and shot Hickmon multiple times after a disagreement between the opposing coaching staff of two youth football teams over calls made by the officiating crew led to a physical fight, police said. Hickmon was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Police said no other injuries were reported. Yaqub Talib is the brother of Aqib Talib, a five-time Pro Bowler who announced his retirement in 2020. Aqib Talib was named last month as a contributor for Prime Video's "Thursday Night Football." Police said that after the shooting, Yaqub Talib fled,...

Who's going to be Mr. November? MLB released its preliminary postseason schedule on Monday, and the slate could feature a game played at the latest calendar date in World Series history. If the Fall Classic extends to a seventh game, that contest would be played on Saturday, Nov. 5. The 2001 and 2009 World Series both ended on Nov. 4 of those respective seasons, the current record for the latest date that a game was played in a postseason. The 2001 and 2009 seasons both featured three World Series games played on Nov. 1 or later, which is the current record. The fourth game of this year's Series is slated for Nov. 1, so as many as four contests could be played after the end of October, the traditional month for the Fall Classic, which could be more autumnal than ever this year. The late date for the World Series is a result of the labor dispute between the owners and players that pushed the start of the 2022 season back by a week. Originally slated to begin on March 31, the...

Pete Carril, the Hall of Fame coach who brought notoriety to the "Princeton Offense" during his 30-year tenure with the Tigers, died Monday morning at the age of 92. "We kindly ask that you please respect our privacy at this time as we process our loss and handle necessary arrangements. More information will be forthcoming in the following days," the Carril family said in a statement released by Princeton. Utilizing a deliberate, clock-draining offense that relied on backdoor cuts and precision passing, Carril led Princeton to 13 regular-season Ivy League titles at a time when the conference did not have a postseason tournament. Princeton also won the NIT in 1975, defeating Providence 80-69 at Madison Square Garden. But it was the Tigers' memorable March nights in their 11 NCAA tournament berths under Carril that featured the frenzied coach prancing up and down the sideline as Princeton tried to outsmart superior opponents -- during upsets and near-upsets on prime-time...

The Texas Rangers fired manager Chris Woodward on Monday amid a season of dissatisfactory progress despite the investment of more than a half-billion guaranteed dollars in the free agent market over the winter, the team announced. The Rangers occupy third place in the American League West with a 51-63 record. Woodward, after his fourth consecutive year with a losing mark, will be replaced by third-base coach Tony Beasley, who has been named interim manager through the remainder of the 2022 season. "We did not come into this season thinking we had put together a championship roster. We thought we'd taken a major step forward in talent from where we were a year ago," said Jon Daniels, the team's president of baseball operations. "We've certainly had aspirations maybe to overachieve some and still do have those, but we were, and continue to be, realistic about about where we are. ... That said, we did think that we'd be better than our record, and better than the way that...

Titans outside linebacker Bud Dupree pleaded guilty to a lesser assault charge in Nashville on Monday and was sentenced to six months of probation, according to online court records. Dupree had been cited with misdemeanor assault (fear of bodily injury) after an altercation with an employee at a Walgreens in Nashville in January and turned himself into authorities in February. After the plea agreement Monday, Dupree pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault (offensive or provocative), a court official told TMZ Sports. In January, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said that after a verbal altercation between the 20-year-old male employee and some individuals who had entered the store, the subjects then reentered the store with Dupree, who allegedly grabbed the employee and his phone and then was involved in a physical altercation with the employee before leaving. The Titans declined comment Monday on Dupree's guilty plea when contacted by ESPN. Dupree, 29, is...

Myles Brennan, who started at quarterback for LSU early in the 2020 season but missed most of the past two seasons with injuries, will no longer play college football, the school announced Monday. Brennan had been competing with former Arizona State transfer Jayden Daniels and sophomore Garrett Nussmeier for the starting job. "We are grateful to Myles for everything he has done for LSU Football," LSU coach Brian Kelly said in a statement. "Myles is a great leader who has made a tremendous impact on this program, and he has earned the respect of everyone here through his commitment and love for LSU. "Myles has always embodied the traits required to fulfill our mission to graduate champions, and we have full confidence those traits will help him succeed at every step in his journey as he moves forward." Brennan briefly entered the transfer portal last winter when former LSU coach Ed Orgeron was fired. After Kelly was hired from Notre Dame, he reached out...

Four-time WNBA All-Star center Liz Cambage announced Monday that she has decided to step away from the WNBA "for the time being," publicly addressing for the first time her midseason "contract divorce" from the Los Angeles Sparks in the heat of the 2022 playoff race. "While I'll miss rocking the purple and gold, I'll be taking this time to focus on my healing and personal growth before providing clarification on past rumors," Cambage said in an Instagram post. "Thank you to all my supporters, family and friends for all the love and light you continue to surround me with. Following Cambage's departure on July 26, the Sparks lost eight of their final nine games of the regular season to fall out of playoff contention and finish with the second-worst record in the league. Three-time champion L.A. is now missing the postseason in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1997 and 1998, the league's first two years of existence. The Sparks will not benefit...

The Memphis Grizzlies are in line to be part of the NBA's Christmas Day slate of games for the first time. Ja Morant and the Grizzlies will face Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and the rest of the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors on Dec. 25 in San Francisco, a source with knowledge of the league's scheduling plans told The Associated Press. The Grizzlies were one of two current NBA franchises yet to have a game on Dec. 25. The Charlotte Hornets are now the only club still waiting for its first Christmas schedule invite. The rest of the Christmas schedule will have  Philadelphia facing New York, Milwaukee meeting Boston, the Los Angeles Lakers playing against Dallas and Phoenix going up against two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. The Athletic was first to report on the full Christmas Day lineup of games. The NBA is expected to release the...

Cameron Smith, the No. 2-ranked player in the world, has pulled out of this week's BMW Championship because of a lingering hip injury, according to his agent, Bud Martin. In the statement, Martin indicated that Smith's decision to not compete in the second leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs at Wilmington Country Club in Delaware didn't mean he wasn't planning to play in the season-ending Tour Championship, scheduled for Aug. 25-28 at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. "He has been dealing with some on and off hip discomfort for several months and thought it best he rest this week in his pursuit of the FedEx Cup," Martin said in the statement. Smith is third in the FedEx Cup points standings, so he is in great position to advance to the Tour Championship, regardless of whether he plays in the BMW Championship. The news comes one day after Smith was assessed a two-stroke penalty before the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. The rules...

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has become synonymous with the franchise that drafted him and that he has led to an NBA championship, but he has not ruled out the possibility of wearing another jersey before his career is over. In promoting his new ambassadorship with the telehealth company Antidote Health, Antetokounmpo was asked by Fox 32 Chicago about the potential of playing for the Bulls in the future. And while reiterating his commitment to the Bucks, Antetokounmpo said he would be open to the idea of one day playing for his rival down Interstate 94. "I think anybody you ask that question that plays basketball, if he said no, he'd be a liar," Antetokounmpo said in the interview with Fox 32 Chicago. "It's a team that won multiple championships; it's a team that one of the greatest players, if not the greatest player to ever play this game, played for. So it's a no-brainer; everybody would love to play for Chicago." Antetokounmpo has four...

NFL officials threw 15 flags for illegal contact during the first week of the preseason, an elevated number that reflected the league's request that officials pay close attention to those fouls. The league does not compile public preseason penalty data, but the total is based on an ESPN examination of the week's play-by-play logs. It represents a steep rise from 2021 trends, when officials threw only 36 flags for illegal contact for the entire 18-week regular season. It was also a significant bump from the average of 97 established annually between 2002 and 2020. Illegal contact refers to prohibited contact by a defender when the quarterback still has the ball and remains in the pocket. It is a 5-yard penalty and results in an automatic first down. The low 2021 total prompted the NFL's competition committee to include illegal contact among its "points of clarification," formerly known as "points of emphasis," for the 2022 season. League sources surveyed by ESPN were split on...

NFL officials threw 15 flags for illegal contact during the first week of the preseason, an elevated number that reflected the league's request that they pay close attention to those fouls. The league does not compile public preseason penalty data, but the total is based on an ESPN examination of the week's play-by-play logs. It represents a steep rise from 2021 trends, when officials threw only 36 flags for illegal contact for the entire 18-week regular season. And it was also a significant bump from the average of 97 established annually between 2002-20. Illegal contact refers to prohibited contact by a defender when the quarterback still has the ball and remains in the pocket. It is a 5-yard penalty and results in an automatic first down. The low 2021 total prompted the NFL's competition committee to include illegal contact among its "points of clarification," formerly known as "points of emphasis," for the 2022 season. League sources surveyed by ESPN were split on whether...

If the Dallas Stars are going to mount a serious run at returning to the playoffs, they may need to start showing some improvement in overtime and the shootout. Avoiding the those scenarios when they face the Anaheim Ducks again could also help. The Stars look to rebound from another loss via the tiebreaker Tuesday night when they face the Ducks for the second time in five days. Dallas (13-8-8), which failed to reach the playoffs for the first time in six seasons last spring, has played in 11 games that have reached at least overtime, ranking among the most played in the NHL. The Stars, though, have won only three of those games, and are 1-6 in shootouts while making only four of 24 attempts. They came up short in the tiebreaker again Saturday, squandering a two-goal second-period lead en route to a 3-2 loss to Edmonton after Marty Turco was beat by Shawn Horcoff in the fifth round of the shootout. Turco also gave up the tying goal to Ladislav Smid with 3:07...

MOSCOW -- Lawyers for American basketball star Brittney Griner on Monday filed an appeal of her nine-year Russian prison sentence for drugs possession, Russian news agencies reported. Griner, a center for the Phoenix Mercury and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was convicted Aug. 4. She was arrested in February at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport after vape canisters containing cannabis oil were found in her luggage. Griner played for a women's basketball team in Yekaterinburg during the WNBA offseason. Lawyer Maria Blagovolina was quoted by Russian news agencies Monday as saying the appeal was filed, but the grounds of the appeal were not immediately clear. The appeal was expected. Griner's defense team said after Griner was sentenced that it planned to appeal and, under Russian law, had 10 days to do so. Blagovolina and co-counsel Alexander Boykov said after the conviction that the sentence was excessive and that in similar cases defendants have received an...

Hours after representatives of the Houston Astros hosted members of Texas' Uvalde community for a pregame event on Sunday, Alex Bregman delivered on one young fan's request for a home run. Bregman's 16th homer came in the first inning off Cole Irvin and staked the Astros to a 2-0 lead over the Oakland Athletics.  "As soon as I got into the dugout, [manager] Dusty [Baker] goes, 'Hey, you hit one for Uvalde!'" said Bregman, who also contributed an RBI double in Houston's 6-3 victory. The Astros chartered 10 buses to bring 500 family members and friends of the victims of the May 24 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School to Sunday's game for "Uvalde Strong Day." The group attended a meet and greet where Baker, Bregman, Jose Altuve,  Lance McCullers and Astros owner Jim Crane spoke and answered questions. A little girl who was at the school at the time of the shooting didn't have a question for Altuve but rather a request....

Despite playing with worry about the imprisonment of Brittney Griner, parting ways with Tina Charles and not having Diana Taurasi or Skylar Diggins-Smith for the last week of the regular season, the Phoenix Mercury persevered to make the WNBA playoffs. The Mercury earned their spot even before their regular-season finale against Chicago on Sunday. With Minnesota's loss at Connecticut, the Lynx were eliminated, and then New York beat Atlanta, eliminating the Dream. Thus, the last two playoff spots went to the Mercury and the Liberty on Sunday. They join Las Vegas, Chicago, Connecticut, Seattle, Washington and Dallas. The WNBA will return to an all-series format in the postseason this year after single-elimination games in the first and second rounds the last six years.   Phoenix, founded in 1997, is one of the original WNBA franchises, and the Mercury have won three WNBA titles. This is their 17th playoff appearance. But this season has...

UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- WNBA all-time great Sylvia Fowles concluded her career Sunday as the  Minnesota Lynx fell 90-83 to the  Connecticut Sun in their regular-season finale, which eliminated the Lynx from playoff contention. Following a roller coaster season in which they spent much of the summer in the bottom two of the standings, the Lynx recovered and managed to put themselves within reach of the playoffs, which they could have made with wins Friday against the Seattle Storm and Sunday against the Sun. After Friday's loss, an emotional day with it being Fowles' final home game at the Target Center, Minnesota needed a win over Connecticut, plus help from other teams, to extend its season and Fowles' career. But aside from a valiant fourth-quarter comeback effort in which they pulled within four points with three minutes to play, the Lynx were never in control, trailing by as many as 19 and by double figures most of the way. "It was what you hoped...

CINCINNATI -- He's officially back. For the first time in training camp, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow practiced. Nearly three weeks after he had his appendix removed, Burrow donned his orange No. 9 jersey and participated in several drills throughout Sunday's practice. All of his work in team drills came in a 7-on-7 period that was more strenuous than coach Zac Taylor anticipated. "We talked about doing two reps in 7-on-7," Taylor said after practice. "And then he took 10. That's how it goes sometimes." Previously, Burrow's most notable work during practice occurred last Monday when he did some light tosses during an impromptu walkthrough. On Sunday, Burrow decided to extend his limits. Burrow took the entirety of the reps during that 7-on-7 drill. That also eased the workload on the rest of the team's quarterbacks following Brandon Allen's concussion in last Friday's preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals. Burrow's most...

Steve Worster, a two-time All-American at Texas and the bruising fullback who was the inspiration for the creation of the wishbone offense that came to dominate college football in the 1970s and '80s, died on Saturday at 73.  Texas announced Worster's death in a release on Sunday.  Worster, who was nicknamed "Big Woo" or "Woo Woo" by Longhorns fans, signed with Texas in 1967 as a 6-foot, 210-pound high school star who ran for more than 5,000 career yards at Bridge City High School in Southeast Texas, part of a heralded recruiting class that was known as the "Worster Crowd." The group would lead Texas to 30 consecutive wins and national championships in 1969 and 1970 behind a new offense tailored to take advantage of Worster's strength in front of a fleet-footed backfield tandem of Ted Koy and Chris Gilbert. The wishbone, as it was coined by Houston sportswriter Mickey Herskowitz, would become the game-changing offense of its day, leading Texas to those titles and later followed by...

The Washington Nationals are calling up top prospect C.J. Abrams, one of the main returns in the Juan Soto trade, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan on Sunday. Abrams, a 21-year-old shortstop, debuted with the San Diego Padres this year. Infielder Luis García is headed to the injured list to make room on the roster. In eight games with Triple-A Rochester since the trade, Abrams is hitting .290 with two RBIs in 35 plate appearances. Overall, he's hitting .314 with seven homers and 28 RBIs in Triple-A this season. He hit .232 with two home runs and 11 RBIs in 139 major league plate appearances this season when he appeared in 46 games for the Padres. The Nationals acquired Abrams along with left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore, outfielders Robert Hassell III and James Wood, right-handed pitcher Jarlin Susana and first baseman/designated hitter Luke Voit this month in the blockbuster trade that sent Soto and first baseman Josh Bell to the...

Rory MacDonald, one of the top welterweight mixed martial artists of the past decade, has announced his retirement at age 33. MacDonald, of British Columbia, made the announcement less than 24 hours after suffering a TKO loss to Dilano Taylor in a 2022 PFL semifinals matchup. After the loss, MacDonald removed his gloves -- a symbolic gesture that generally hints at retirement -- but did not make an announcement until Sunday morning. "My time has come to put the gloves down for good," MacDonald wrote on Instagram. "I'm so thankful for this sport and every person I've been able to meet along the way." MacDonald (23-10-1) made his professional MMA debut in 2005 and signed with UFC in 2010 at age 20. At the time, he was considered a new breed of mixed martial artist, as he did not come from any one traditional background. Rather than starting his career as a wrestler, boxer or jiu-jitsu practitioner, MacDonald trained full MMA from his first day in combat...

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The New York Jets were noncommittal on a timetable for injured quarterback Zach Wilson, saying it depends on the outcome of arthroscopic knee surgery Tuesday in Los Angeles. "We're optimistic, but he's not out of the woods until they get in there and make the decision [on how to handle the meniscus]," coach Robert Saleh said Sunday. Wilson, injured in Friday night's preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, is expected to miss two to four weeks with a bone bruise and torn meniscus in his right knee, sources said Saturday. That projection was based on an MRI. The current belief is that the meniscus needs only a "trim," not a full repair, a source said. The team is hopeful that it won't be longer than four weeks, but it won't give an absolute until the scope, which will be performed by knee expert Neal ElAttrache, the team physician for the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Dodgers. ElAttrache also will have a consultation...

Cameron Smith, who was attempting to become the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world and is reportedly set to join the rival LIV Golf series, was assessed a 2-stroke penalty before the start of Sunday's final round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. According to a statement from the PGA Tour, Smith played his ball from the improper spot on the fourth hole during Saturday's third round. The tour said Smith "was assessed a two-stroke penalty for a breach of Rule 14.7 [playing ball from the wrong spot]." Smith, the winner of the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews last month, took a drop in the improper spot after hitting his ball into the water on the par-3 fourth hole. Smith signed for a 3-under 67 and was 2 shots behind leader J.J. Spaun. After the penalty, he started the final round 4 strokes behind him. He finished the event tied for 13th, shooting an even-par 70 in the final round. Smith didn't talk to reporters on Sunday. Rule...

Cameron Smith, who is attempting to become the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world and is reportedly set to join the rival LIV Golf series, was assessed a two-stroke penalty before the start of Sunday's final round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. According to a statement from the PGA Tour, Smith played his ball from the improper spot on the fourth hole during Saturday's third round. The tour said Smith "was assessed a two-stroke penalty for a breach of Rule 14.7 (playing ball from the wrong spot)." Smith, winner of the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews last month, took a drop in the improper spot after hitting his ball into the water on the par-3 fourth hole. Smith signed for a 3-under 67 and was two shots behind leader J.J. Spaun. After the penalty, he started the final round four strokes behind him. Rule 14.7 of the Rules of Golf states: "When a player's ball comes to rest in an area where play is not allowed, the player must...

Former champion Teofimo Lopez rebounded from his first pro defeat with a seventh-round TKO of Mexican journeyman Pedro Campa on Saturday in Las Vegas. Lopez, 25, floored Campa with an up jab in Round 7 before he pinned his foe on the ropes and unloaded with a flurry of overhand rights that prompted referee Tony Weeks to stop the fight at 2:14. The Top Rank Boxing on ESPN main event was Lopez's first ring action since a November loss to George Kambosos, in which he dropped four lightweight titles in ESPN's Upset of the Year. The bout was also Lopez's debut at junior welterweight, and early on, his power didn't make its usual impact. While he wasn't sharp in the beginning, Lopez never encountered much trouble against the 13-1 underdog (according to Caesars Sportsbook). "We've been at 135 (pounds) for about nine years; it was killing my body," said Lopez, who had a slight esophageal tear when he fought Kambosos following a tumultuous training camp. "... We want Josh Taylor ... We...

NEW YORK --  Jacob deGrom struck out 10 in six dominant innings and  Edwin Diaz earned his 200th career save, helping the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 1-0 on Saturday night. DeGrom (2-0, 1.62 ERA) allowed two hits and walked none in his third start after spending the first part of the season on the injured list. He has yielded six hits, struck out 28 and issued one walk in 16⅔ innings so far this year. "You don't really know what to expect coming back, but last time out I was able to look at a couple of things where I felt I was getting off mechanically and try to make those adjustments while I was going through a pretty slow process of coming back,'' deGrom said. "That seems to have paid off a little bit.'' The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner opened the game by striking out Bryson Stott looking on a 101.1 mph fastball and then allowed a soft single to Rhys Hoskins. After Alec Bohm grounded into a...

NEW YORK --  Jacob deGrom struck out 10 in six dominant innings and  Edwin Diaz earned his 200th career save, helping the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 1-0 on Saturday night. DeGrom (2-0, 1.62 ERA) allowed two hits and walked none in his third start after spending the first part of the season on the injured list. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner opened the game by striking out Bryson Stott looking on a 101.1 mph fastball and then allowed a soft single to Rhys Hoskins. After Alec Bohm grounded into a force play, deGrom fanned J.T. Realmuto on three straight sliders. DeGrom has struck out 28 of the 56 batters he has faced this season. That 50% strikeout percentage is the highest by any pitcher through their first three starts of a season since the mound moved to its current distance in 1893, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. DeGrom held the previous high, striking out 48.6% of batters to start last season.  With the...

CHICAGO -- The playing surface at Soldier Field was the subject of criticism throughout the Bears' 19-14 preseason win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday. Filled with noticeable divots and patches of missing grass, the field conditions became so noticeable that JC Tretter, the president of the NFL Players Association, took to Twitter to question why the league allowed Bears and Chiefs players to perform on a surface in such a poor visible state. "The NFL said that this field met minimum testing standards," Tretter tweeted. "We clearly need to re-evaluate what is an acceptable surface for players to compete on. We need new testing metrics looking at the performance and safety of every field. The NFL can and should do better." The Bears hosted their lone game of the preseason eight days after Elton John played a concert at Soldier Field, which left the grass visibly damaged with lines of missing turf spanning the length of the field. The Chicago Fire,...

Justin Reid will undoubtedly want to keep his day job as a starting safety for the Kansas City Chiefs, but he showed in Saturday's preseason game against the Chicago Bears that he might be able to help his team in an emergency in a different role. Reid kicked a point-after-touchdown late in the first half and put the kick right down the middle. Reid practiced shorter kicks during pregame warmups and said on the Chiefs' television broadcast that his coaches told him if he looked good doing it, they might use him in the game. "Pregame went pretty well, and I got the opportunity and it went down the middle," he said. "That was awesome." Reid kicked off during a 2021 preseason game while playing for the Houston Texans. He made a 65-yard field goal attempt during a training camp practice for the Chiefs this summer. He also missed a field goal try badly at camp, leading special teams coordinator Dave Toub to joke that the Chiefs were still looking for their...

A passionate Mark Stoops defended the Kentucky football program on Saturday after comments earlier in the week from men's basketball coach John Calipari in which he called the university a "basketball school." Stoops responded immediately on Thursday, tweeting, "Basketball school? I thought we competed in the SEC?" He spoke publicly for the first time on Saturday following practice, saying his responsibility is to prepare the team and that "we won't be derailed." "When you start talking about my program and others that we compete against -- me, I don't do that," Stoops said. "I stay in my lane. So that's in defense of my players, in defense of the work that we've done. And believe me, we want to continue to push. But don't demean or distract from the hard work and the dedication and the commitment that people have done to get to this point. I don't need to apologize for that, and I won't." Stoops went on to say that Kentucky football "wasn't born on third base." "We...

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson will stop contract negotiations when the regular season starts. After Saturday's practice, Jackson confirmed for the first time that he will cut off talks by Week 1 of the regular season, which is four weeks away. "We're coming up to it. It's coming up," Jackson said when asked about a hard deadline. "The season's coming up. We're going to be good for the season." Asked if it's fair to say he wants his contract situation settled by Week 1, Jackson replied, "Yeah, for sure." Jackson, 25, provided no other updates on contract talks. It's not surprising that Jackson wants to pause contract talks before the season begins because he is one of the few high-profile NFL players who does not have an agent. Jackson is representing himself, which means Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta can only negotiate with the former NFL MVP. He is entering his fifth-year option, which will pay him $23.016 million this...

CHARLOTTE, N.C -- Baker Mayfield got the start at quarterback for the Carolina Panthers in their preseason opener at Washington, but Sam Darnold held his own. Mayfield and Darnold are in what the Panthers call an "open'' competition for the starting job. Neither made a big deal about who started after Saturday's 23-21 win over the Commanders. "It was my turn to start," said Mayfield, who for the most part has been alternating with Darnold on who works with the first team in practice. "Just take it one day at a time. Don't be critical of ourselves and try to get better." Said Darnold: "For me personally, it's doing everything I can with the plays that I have. That's how I've got to take it at this point." Mayfield went 4-for-7 for 46 yards in his only drive that ended with a 41-yard field goal. His biggest mistake was a fumbled snap in the red zone (19-yard line) that left him with a third-and-14 pass he didn't complete. "Obviously, gotta clean up...

BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns starting center Nick Harris will likely need season-ending knee surgery, coach Kevin Stefanski said Saturday. Harris injured his right knee on the second play of Friday's preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He had to be carted off the field. "Nick is certainly a guy who has worked so hard this offseason, so we're really hoping that it's not a season-long thing because the kid has worked so hard," Stefanski said Saturday. Ethan Pocic replaced Harris at center. Pocic started 40 games over five years for the Seattle Seahawks before signing with the Browns this offseason. "Ethan went in there and did a really nice job," Stefanski said. "He's been with us since April. We went out and got him for a reason and we're excited about what he did last night." Harris was slated to be the lone new starter on the Browns' offensive line, replacing veteran JC Tretter, whom the team released in March. The...

Notre Dame starting receiver Avery Davis has a torn ACL in his right knee and is out for the season, the school announced Saturday. The Fighting Irish also announced Saturday that sophomore quarterback Tyler Buchner will start the opener against Ohio State on Sept. 3. Davis' injury happened during practice Friday. The senior and team captain, who was penciled in to start at slot receiver, had previously injured the ACL in his left knee last November, forcing him to miss the final month of the season. Davis still finished third on the team in yards receiving with 386 on 27 catches. Losing Davis depletes the Irish wide receiver group further, especially in terms of experienced players. Without Davis, only two returning wide receivers have caught more than 20 passes in a season:  Braden Lenzy and Lorenzo Styles. Lenzy is the only one with starting experience. Nobody on the depth chart behind Davis has extensive game experience. Buchner played in 10...

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. --  New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and is expected to miss two to four weeks, sources confirmed to ESPN on Saturday. Wilson, who suffered a noncontact injury during Friday's preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, was diagnosed with a bone bruise and a meniscus tear, a source said, adding that the meniscus doesn't need a full repair, only a "trim." The procedure will take place on Tuesday in Los Angeles, coach Robert Saleh said Sunday.  The Jets haven't ruled out the possibility of Wilson being ready for their Sept. 11 opener against the Baltimore Ravens, although that seems unrealistic because the game is only four weeks away and he will need practice time. While the team is encouraged by the prognosis, the timetable could be extended if more damage is discovered during the arthroscopy. The New York Post first reported on Wilson's injuries and timeline. This is...

New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson has a bone bruise and a meniscus tear in his right knee and is set to miss two to four weeks, a source confirmed to ESPN on Saturday. The Jets believe there is a chance Wilson could be ready for their Week 1 game against the Baltimore Ravens, according to the source. If Wilson is unable to play, Joe Flacco would be slated to start for New York against his former team. The source said Wilson will not need a full repair of his meniscus but just a trim. The arthroscopic surgery is expected to determine how long Wilson will be out, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The New York Post first reported on Wilson's injuries and timeline. During the first quarter of Friday's preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Wilson's knee appeared to buckle in a noncontact injury as he scrambled out of the pocket. He limped to the locker room with 3:43 remaining in the quarter. ESPN's Rich Cimini contributed to this...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Baker Mayfield will start at quarterback for the Carolina Panthers in today's preseason opener at Washington. Mayfield is in what the Panthers call an "open'' competition with 2021 starter Sam Darnold for the starting job. He will play the first series today, and Darnold the second. The two split reps with the first team in the first phase of training camp at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, that ended on Wednesday. Coach Matt Rhule recently said he won't make a decision on his starter for Week 1 against Cleveland until after next week's joint practices at New England and Friday's preseason game against the Patriots. His mantra since camp opened has been "when we know, we know.'' But Mayfield was first up in Thursday night's FanFest at Bank of America Stadium, and now he's starting the preseason opener, signs the team is leaning toward him. Carolina acquired Mayfield last month in a trade with...

Notre Dame starting receiver Avery Davis has a torn ACL in his right knee and is out for the season, the school announced Saturday. The injury happened during practice Friday. Davis had previously injured the ACL in his left knee in November, forcing him to miss the final month of last season. Losing Davis depletes the Irish wide receiver group further, especially in terms of experienced players. Without Davis, only two returning wide receivers have caught more than 20 passes in a season:  Braden Lenzy and Lorenzo Styles. Lenzy is the only one with starting experience. Nobody on the depth chart behind Davis has extensive game experience.

MINNEAPOLIS -- As the Target Center crowd chanted "Syl's House!" and teammates and opponents alike looked on with pride, Minnesota Lynx center Sylvia Fowles soaked up the affection Friday night. Fowles, a former MVP and the WNBA's all-time-leading rebounder, will retire at season's end, and the Lynx and their fans wanted to make sure she felt appreciated. Fowles has spent the past eight seasons of her 15-year WNBA career with Minnesota, a place that turned out to be a perfect fit for the Florida native. "What hit me the hardest in the ceremony was the fans," Fowles said of the postgame celebration that was held on the court after the Lynx fell 96-69 to Seattle in Minnesota's last regular-season home game." Just listening to them scream and give me my flowers, shall we say. It was nice." Fowles has been one of the most dominant centers ever in women's basketball, dating back to her college career at LSU, her seven years in Chicago after being selected No. 2 in the...

PHILADELPHIA -- New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson will have an MRI exam on his right knee Saturday, but the team is hopeful he avoided a season-ending injury, sources said Friday night after the team's preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Jets declined to provide any specifics, except to say Wilson's ACL is "supposed to be intact," coach Robert Saleh said. The early indications are that he reinjured his right PCL and that he might miss only a few weeks, sources told ESPN's Dianna Russini. Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in 2021, missed four games last season because of a sprained PCL in the same knee. "I'm going to let the MRI play out and we'll figure it out [Saturday]," Saleh said after the Jets' 24-21 win. It was a nightmare start to the preseason for Wilson and the Jets. On their second offensive series, Wilson's knee appeared to buckle in a noncontact injury as he scrambled out of the pocket. He limped to the locker room...

DENVER -- Wynton Bernard finally got his chance to play in the major leagues a decade after he was drafted by the San Diego Padres, and he made it count. Bernard, batting eighth and playing center field, singled, stole a base and scored in his major league debut, helping the Colorado Rockies beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-3 on Friday night. The 31-year-old Bernard toiled in the minors for more than 10 years and 863 games before having his contract from Triple-A Albuquerque selected by Colorado on Friday. He made it a memorable debut when he helped spark a seventh-inning rally that put the Rockies in front for good. Bernard received a loud ovation when he stepped to the plate for the first time in the bottom of the third. He grounded out to second, but received more love from the crowd. "I never had anything like that,'' he said. "That was incredible.'' Bernard was taken in the 35th round of the 2012 draft and spent three seasons in the Padres' minor...

He might not have been in uniform Friday night but Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray was still able to put to use what he did in practice in the weeks leading up to the first preseason game of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals. Murray helped call offensive plays during the fourth quarter of the Cardinals' 36-23 win over the Bengals alongside co-pass-game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Cam Turner. Murray was on a headset relaying plays to quarterback Jarrett Guarantano, who played the entire second half. Murray was in charge for two actual series and then the two kneel-down plays to close the game, which coach Kliff Kingsbury said after the game weren't Murray's preferred choice of plays. Arizona went three-and-out on both of Murray's series -- the "last thing I anticipated," Kingsbury said -- running three pass plays and two run plays.   Guarantano was sacked on a play, as well. The Cardinals gained 15 yards in total on...

San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. has been suspended for 80 games after testing positive for Clostebol, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Tatis' suspension, announced by MLB on Friday, is effective immediately, meaning the All-Star shortstop cannot play in the majors this year. In a statement, Tatis said he is not appealing the ban as it was his "mistake" that led to the positive test. "It turns out that I inadvertently took a medication to treat ringworm that contained Clostebol," Tatis said. "I should have used the resources available to me in order to ensure that no banned substances were in what I took. I failed to do so. "I want to apologize to [team owner] Peter [Seidler], AJ [Preller], the entire Padres organization, my teammates, Major League Baseball and fans everywhere for my mistake. I have no excuse for my error, and I would never do anything to cheat or disrespect...

PHILADELPHIA - The New York Jets' preseason began in the worst possible fashion, as quarterback Zach Wilson injured his right knee on the second series and limped immediately to the locker room Friday night at Lincoln Financial Field. Wilson's knee appeared to buckle on a non-contact injury as he scrambled out of the pocket on the grass field, trying to outrun a would-be tackler for the Philadelphia Eagles. He went down awkwardly. He got up limping but dropped to the turf in obvious pain. It's the same knee that was injured last season. Wilson sprained his PCL in a Week 7 loss and would up missing four games. Wilson is scheduled to get an MRI on Saturday. The early thought is that the injury could be a recurrence of the same PCL issue and that he would likely be sidelined for at least a few weeks if the MRI confirms the diagnosis, sources told ESPN's Dianna Russini. Wilson got off to a bad start against the Eagles, throwing an interception on the Jets'...