However, Scheyer isn't the only college coach Dallas has contacted. Stein and Fischer also noted that the Mavericks reached out to Michigan head coach Dusty May. Lastly, the duo stated it "remains to be seen" whether each coach would leave their collegiate programs, which rank among the highest in the nation.

Taking into account the NBA's offseason timeline, which includes the 2026 NBA Draft (June 23) and free agency (July 1), either coach would likely have to come to a decision on the role in the coming weeks.

This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Mavericks had 'exploratory conversations' with Duke's Jon Scheyer

If On3's Steve Samra's latest mock draft projection comes true, he'll find himself in the Eastern Conference with the Charlotte Hornets, who hold the No. 14 overall pick, where he'd have an early opportunity to develop into a star on a team that could use some support in the frontcourt.

With guards LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel leading the way in the backcourt, while forward Miles Bridges had a strong year, averaging 17.1 points per game. Adding Steinbach, who averaged 18.5 points and 11.8 rebounds per game during his one year playing for coach Danny Sprinkle, would give Charlotte a massive boost in the frontcourt as the organization looks to take another step forward after finishing No. 9 in the East in the 2025-26 season.

It’s offically 𝘿𝙍𝘼𝙁𝙏 𝙈𝙊𝙉𝙏𝙃‼️ What team would you want to see Hannes get drafted by? pic.twitter.com/bCG80PeloI

— Washington Men's Basketball (@UW_MBB) June 2, 2026

The All-Big Ten Third Team and Freshman Team honoree, who also chipped in 1.8 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 57.7 percent from the floor and 34 percent from three-point range, would be a welcome addition down low on both ends of the floor.

Thanks to his presence in the paint as a scorer and ability to stretch the floor, he'd also be able to provide some extra space for wing Brandon Miller, who was Charlotte's leading scorer last season after posting 20.2 points per game across 65 appearances. He could also immediately establish himself as the team's best rebounder after center Moussa Diabaté pulled down 8.7 boards per game last year.

The first round of the 2026 NBA draft is scheduled for June 23, 2026, from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Huskies star lands with Charlotte Hornets in mock draft

Yes, the 2026 season has yet to begin, so looking ahead to March of 2027 feels a bit premature. However, in this specific case, an exception can be made.

As it currently stands, the Pittsburgh Steelers do not have a proven long-term answer at quarterback on their roster. Regardless of how you feel about Drew Allar and Will Howard, neither has taken an NFL snap and there is far more unknown than known when it comes to both of them.

With Aaron Rodgers making it clear that this is his final season, the Steelers will once again be in quarterback limbo once the 2026 season concludes. However, there may be a high-profile option who is there for the taking.

Somewhat quietly, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is entering the final year of his contract. Should he and the Bucs fail to come to terms on an extension, he will hit the open market as a free agent next March. Per Mayfield himself, the two sides aren’t close to a deal.

“Not anywhere close to what we were thinking,” Mayfield said via Rick Stroud. “[I] would love to be here long term. But as of right now, that’s not exactly the case. But I’m under contract for 2026. The guys in that locker room, the staff know that I’m still gonna be me. I’m still going to do everything I can to help this team win a Super Bowl. To me that’s the priority. Everything else will take care of itself.”

Mayfield is currently the 16th-highest-paid quarterback in the NFL at $33.3 million per year. Wherever he goes in 2027, he will certainly see that number increase.

Over the last three seasons, Mayfield has been one of the most productive quarterbacks in the NFL. In that span, Mayfield has thrown the second-most touchdowns (105) and the fifth-most yards (13.268) while leading the Bucs to a 27-24 record, two playoff appearances, and a win in the wild card round against the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2023 season.

In terms of what an eventual contract for Mayfield would look like, the bare minimum would be what Daniel Jones got from the Indianapolis Colts, which is $44 million per year. Mayfield has comfortably out-performed Jones, and his deal will certainly exceed that of the Colts quarterback.

The next-highest-paid quarterbacks after Jones is Patrick Mahomes at $45 million per year, which is still the same 10-year extension he signed back in 2020. Above him is Deshaun Watson at $46 million per year, which continues to be the worst contract in NFL history. Then we get to Jalen Hurts, who sits at $51 million per year. Lamar Jackson ($52 million), Justin Herbert ($52.5 million), Jared Goff ($53 million), and Brock Purdy ($53 million) are all other notable contracts in that range. I would expect his eventual deal to be between $45-49 million per year.

For Mayfield, Pittsburgh would make a lot of sense. It’s a division he knows, a town that matches his blue-collar, underdog attitude, and a team that has several pieces in place on both sides of the ball that just need a quarterback to be real threats. And for the Steelers, Mayfield presents their perfect medium. They can avoid a rebuild and not only be competitive, as they were with Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, and Aaron Rodgers, but they can potentially take a step forward and be real players in the AFC – which they could also be this season with Rodgers.

And let’s say Pittsburgh does have a successful season in 2026 – that would be even more reason to pursue Mayfield. He would be the best quarterback they’ve had since Ben Roethlisberger retired, and he could keep the train rolling towards playing games deep into January. It also wouldn’t hider the Steelers’ ability to draft a quarterback. Mayfield will be 32 next season. Should they sign him to a three-year deal, they can commit to him in the short and medium-term, while also being able to draft a quarterback to develop behind him and have waiting in the wings.

Let us know what you think in the comments. Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more!

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Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has not spoken about his current contract situation. He has no obligation to do so nor does he have to. He can leave that up to the team and his representation to figure out and not say a word.

But that changed a bit Friday.

Speaking to the media at the AdventHealth Training Center for his youth football camp, Mayfield was asked of the state of his contract talks to which he said they are ‘not anywhere close’ to where he was thinking they’d be.

“Not anywhere close to what we were thinking,” Mayfield said. “Would love to be here long term but as of right now that’s not exactly the case. But I’m under contract for 2026. The guys in that locker room, the staff know that I’m still gonna be me. I’m still going to do everything I can to help this team win a Super Bowl. To me that’s the priority. Everything else will take care of itself.”

The veteran signal caller is entering the final year of a 3-year, $100-million contract. The team has let it be known that they are prioritizing re-signing their quarterback and keeping him the cornerstone of the franchise.

However, judging by Mayfield’s comments, that isn’t happening anytime soon.

NEED TO KNOW

• Chloe Kim said fans have her "giggling" at rumors she had anything to do with her boyfriend Myles Garrett's trade from Cleveland to Los Angeles
• "I found out right before it was publicized and was planning to show up and support him wherever he ended up," Kim said
• Garrett was traded to the Rams after spending nine seasons with the Cleveland Browns

Chloe Kim is laughing at speculation that she had a hand in her boyfriend Myles Garrett's trade to Los Angeles.

The 26-year-old Olympian took to TikTok after her boyfriend, Garrett, 30, was traded from the Cleveland Browns to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday, June 1. Kim, originally from Long Beach, which is just 30 minutes outside of Los Angeles, joked that fans are giving her "too much credit" for her boyfriend's move to her home state.

"I’ve been giggling at these rumors the last couple of days because you guys are giving me TOO MUCH CREDIT😭," Kim wrote in her caption on TikTok alongside a video of her doing a Kim Kardashian voiceover.

The star snowboarder added, "I found out right before it was publicized and was planning to show up and support him wherever he ended up. But I genuinely can’t believe this is happening and am so excited to show him around my city."

Kim signed off her caption by adding, "Go Rams! 💙"

Fans showed their support for the couple's exciting news in the comments, including even the Browns fans who were sad to see Garrett go.

One fan wrote, "I apologize for my fellow heartbroken Browns fans who are likely saying this lol. Myles was the best thing our franchise will probably have and we’re all devastated 😭"

One fan joked, "For the first 5 mins I did blame you I’m sorry."

Another said, "As somebody who was a Chloe Kim fan and Miles Garrett fan separately, prior to you two getting together, I have nothing but love for you both! We will miss him here in Cleveland for sure but he deserves a bigger stage for his talent! I am just sorry we didn't meet the bar he set every time he stepped on the field! I will enjoy watching him next season!"

Garrett spent nine seasons in Cleveland before the Browns traded him on Monday. Garrett wrote in a letter to Cleveland after the trade, "Cleveland made me tougher. You challenged me. You taught me about perseverance, about showing up even when things aren't easy, and what loyalty really looks like."

Follow your favorite athletes on and off the field with PEOPLE's free sports newsletter — sign up now!

"What I can say with complete honesty is this: I gave this city everything I had. I suited up and wore those colors with pride, and I don't regret a second of being part of this storied franchise," Garrett continued.

"Every Sunday. Every offseason. Every play. Every down. Every moment. You gave me more in return that I can ever repay," he added.

Read the original article on People

England 140 (Brook 56; Jamieson 5-62) & 226 (Gay 57; N Smith 6-70)

New Zealand 113 (Jamieson 38*; Robinson 5-39, Tongue 3-40) & 36-3 (Atkinson 2-10)

New Zealand require 218 runs to win, England need seven wickets

Scorecard

England have a golden opportunity for victory in the first Test against New Zealand despite a chaotic collapse of four wickets for one run in 11 balls on the second day at Lord's.

After 16 wickets fell on day one, another 17 came on Friday on a devilishly difficult surface for batting - an alarming amount of uneven bounce has been added to the sideways movement.

At the end of it all, New Zealand are 36-3 in pursuit of a victory target of 254. Captain Tom Latham was out to the third ball of the chase and, crucially, Kane Williamson was palpably lbw to Josh Tongue, before Gus Atkinson cleaned up nightwatchman Will O'Rourke.

Though the weather forecast for Saturday and Monday is poor, there will be a result in this match, with England strong favourites to secure a morale-boosting win following their heavy Ashes loss.

Ollie Robinson marked his comeback with best Test figures of 5-39, taking the final wicket as New Zealand were bowled out for 113 in their first innings - an England advantage of 27.

England, helped by Emilio Gay's half-century on debut and more New Zealand dropped catches, steadily built what looked to be an imposing lead. Gay was put down and could have been out lbw in his 57.

When Gay eventually fell, it began the carnage. Harry Brook, Joe Root and Ben Stokes all followed inside two overs. While an England implosion was familiar, perhaps only Stokes was culpable for his dismissal.

England's lead was 154, with four wickets in hand. They were in danger of handing the initiative to New Zealand, only for important runs from the lower-order. Jamie Smith made 39, Atkinson 14 and Robinson swiped 29.

The hosts were eventually bowled out for 226, New Zealand's Nathan Smith outstanding for his six wickets.

England battle through Perth memories

In trying to move on from the Ashes, the last thing England needed was a reminder of the horrors of Australia, yet this had echoes of their capitulation in the first Test in Perth.

Just like at the Optus Stadium, England took lunch at Lord's on day two 99 runs ahead and only one wicket down in their second innings.

In Perth, England lost three wickets for one run in six balls and were beaten inside two days. Here, another two-day finish was on the cards until England found the wherewithal to post a target that should produce victory - this pitch is much harder to bat on than the Optus, and New Zealand do not have Travis Head.

England have had some fortune. New Zealand have dropped five catches across the match and been hampered by a back injury to key bowler Matt Henry. In their defence, England can say they have had the worst of the ball misbehaving - Smith and Jacob Bethell were both bowled by shooters.

Whatever the outcome, it may be difficult to draw many conclusions on England's post-Ashes progress, simply because of the conditions.

Still, given their winter, England will take a win of any kind. If Williamson had accompanied Devon Conway to the close, the Test would have been in the balance, but the England's late double-strike has put them in the box seat.

Gay benefits to make immediate impact

In a contest when run-scoring has been so difficult, all contributions are magnified. In England's first innings it was Brook's half-century, followed by Gay in the second.

The debutant was at the crease for the second time in two days after New Zealand added 52 to their overnight 61-6. Kyle Jamieson smeared three sixes in his unbeaten 38 and was left stranded when Robinson bowled Henry for his fourth Test five-for.

How different might this match look had New Zealand taken their chances? Ben Duckett had 12 when Rachin Ravindra out down a simple chance at mid-wicket off the bowling of Jamieson. Duckett went on to make 33.

Gay had 20 when he edged towards first slip, where Daryl Mitchell moved too late. Gay also could have been lbw to Henry on 24, but New Zealand opted against using a review.

Reprieved, a feature of Gay's innings was drives square of the wicket on the off side. The Durham man justified his inclusion to replace the dropped Zak Crawley by becoming the first England opener to score a half-century on debut in a home Test since 2004.

It was a sign of Gay's composure that his exit began then rapid spiral towards the conclusion of this Test.

England closing in despite collapse

England engineered their own downfall in Perth in a blur of rash drives. This time they were undone by the skill of Nathan Smith who, like Jamieson in the first innings, stepped up to cover the limitations of Henry.

Mainly nipping the ball up the Lord's slope, Smith took the edge of Gay, then pinned Root lbw for eight. In between, Brook got into a tangle against an O'Rourke full ball and was out for nought.

The decline of Stokes' batting is a concern. After moving himself down a place to number seven, he essentially missed a straight one to be bowled by Smith, and looked bewildered that his stumps had been disturbed.

Jamie Smith and Atkinson each have work to do after indifferent performances in Australia, and their stand of 57 was vital. Smith, promoted to number six, played beautifully through the off side. With Atkinson in stout support, the Surrey pair halted New Zealand's charge.

Atkinson eventually skied Jamieson, leaving Nathan Smith to take the last three for 6-70 - the third-best figures by a New Zealander in a Test at Lord's.

Latham's rash drive at Atkinson to the third ball of the innings was an awful stroke. Brook pouched the sharp catch at second slip.

England might feel aggrieved Conway survived a tight lbw review against Robinson, though there was no doubt when Tongue went full to Williamson before O'Rourke registered his second duck of the day.

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COLUMBUS — Abby LaPole's great run as a high school thrower ended in style.

The Jackson senior won her third straight girls seated shot put state title on June 5 at the OHSAA Track and Field Championships. LaPole's top throw of 21 feet, 7.5 inches came on her final attempt.

LaPole leaves high school with three state titles and an all-time Stark County record that may stand for a long time. Her top throw of 23-5.75 occurred this season.

Perry's Ahsha DiPietro finished third with a top throw of 13-2.75.

This story will be updated.

Reach Mike at mike.popovich@cantonrep.com

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This article originally appeared on The Repository: OHSAA track and field, Jackson's Abby LaPole wins shot put state title

It is no secret that the Colts brass and staff are entering a make or break season. You can only ramp up the sense of urgency so much or so often? It has been pointed out that the first five games on the schedule come with some challenges. The Colts play host to the Ravens and Texans, go to Kansas City and Pittsburgh, and have a neutral site game with the Commanders. The schedule appears to ease up a bit after that, but the truth is that we are only able to guess how teams will look next year, based largely on past performance.

In my opinion, if you are not over .500 at 3 – 2 or better after the first five games, you had better be looking for answers. Simply hoping to see your record get better while facing teams that are perceived to be weaker, can’t be the approach for a team that will only stay in tact with one result. So, in a year where winning a division and advancing in the playoffs is a must, it shouldn’t matter if you play the five best teams in the league through week 5, you need to show that you can beat them.

The Colts off-season moves indicate that the offense did not need an upgrade. They basically did what they could do to retain a squad that looked very good when being piloted by a healthy Daniel Jones. The turnover was minimal with Pittman being the only starter lost, unless you count B. Smith, who’s RT spot appeared to be replaced by Travis. I wont try to minimize the loss of Pittman as he was well above average for the Colts, but most teams would be happy with this amount of turnover on any of their units.

The defense is a different story. Players leaving included Paye, Ebukam, Franklin, Cross, Moore and potentially/probably Lewis and Pratt. That is five starters and a couple guys who got plenty of snaps in rotation, while they were healthy. Now you are looking at a unit that is losing half of it’s players. This was necessary for a defense that was bottom third in points and yards allowed.

Most point to the players that will replace them as sideways additions. Key and Clemens to fill the role of Paye and Ebukam. Woodson will replace Gallimore, which should be an upgrade. Davis-Gaither and rookie Allen should replace Franklin and Pratt. If they are better in coverage, they will help the cause. We did add some depth in the defensive backfield with Owens, Thomas, and Taylor-Britt, along with 3rd round pick Haulcy, but the biggest question mark might be whether or not Walley is up to replacing Kenny Moore. There are “if’s”, but that backfield could be special.

The only new piece that could still change the dynamic, is if they decide to add a proven pass rusher. I just don’t know how good the upgrades are at this point? Either way, I would guess that Ballard and Steichen expect Lou to put a unit out there that becomes more of a hurdle than a speedbump. That same pairing went a little desperate and signed Rivers last year, so if they see the D as a weakness after week 5, there are good odds that they take another swing, and not with a player.

The Colts have a well respected “In the wings” coach in Chris Hewitt. Noah Compton on SI wrote three weeks ago that Hewitt was set to attend an accelerator program as one of 16 participants. It is a program that is geared for future head coaches and senior level executives. https://www.si.com/nfl/colts/onsi/colts-chris-hewitt-set-to-take-major-step-toward-head-coach-role

If Carlie felt that he would be a candidate for head coach after the dust settles next year, wouldn’t putting him in charge of the defense for more than half a season allow you to see how his players respond to him? Just because he is a current Colt, would not mean that he would want continuity with the current coaches. He had 14 seasons in Baltimore and would likely bring more of those principles than anything he would be taking from Lou and company.

It’s just a thought and/or a question. I am not expecting a rough start and even wrote that I thought the early stretch offered an opportunity to show our strength. If Jones is healthy and Lou has had enough time to get newcomers from free agency and the draft on the same page, I think we will be being talked about the same way we were after five weeks last year. We know that the leash is short and I am actively wondering just how shot it might be?

Speaking during a recent episode of “Road Trippin” from the NBA Finals in the San Antonio Spurs, Jones delivered a blunt message to players chasing numbers. The three-time champion argued that winning will always outweigh personal statistics, even if it means accepting a smaller role. His comments arrived at a time when conversations around player value are increasingly dominated by box scores, scoring averages, and social media highlights.

James Jones Says Winning Matters More Than Scoring 20 points In A Losing Season

During the NBA Finals edition of “Road Trippin”, reported on June 5, Jones explained why he would gladly sacrifice personal production if it helped his team compete for championships. The former executive and current NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations said players are ultimately judged by their contribution to winning rather than individual stat lines. Jones continued by emphasizing that the best players often have opportunities to make sacrifices for the greater good of the team.

“Because like at the end of the day, we all measure ourselves as athletes about how did we perform in the NBA. That’s why when you talk about All-Time greats, they can talk about guys who are Hall Of Famers like, “How many rings do you have?” You might be number one All-Time but you have zero rings. We look at like, “Well, bro, you could have done something at some point to help your team win. Were you willing to do it and most guys even the best guys are capable of doing it. So, I’m just like, man, if I can help my teammates win, they’ll love me.” 

James Jones says he would rather win with a DNP, then get swept or miss the playoffs averaging 20:

“Because like at the end of the day, we all measure ourselves as athletes about how did we perform in the NBA. That’s why when you talk about All-Time greats, they can talk about… https://t.co/3XpN3nL2G2pic.twitter.com/zAdA8DUXuA

— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) June 5, 2026

The message was simple. Jones would rather sit at the end of the bench with a DNP and be part of a winning team than average 20 points while getting swept in the playoffs or missing the postseason entirely. His comments also highlighted a broader concern about modern basketball culture. Jones argued that consistency, role acceptance, and trust in a team system create more value than inflated individual numbers. Instead of giving players unlimited freedom to chase stats, he believes organizations should establish clear boundaries and responsibilities that maximize collective success.

Meanwhile, Jones’ stance mirrors comments recently made by his former teammate, LeBron James. On the latest episode of “Mind the Game”, the Lakers superstar criticized fans and analysts who judge players solely through box scores and highlight clips.

“People read into that sh-t. Because everything in the whole narrative of our game is all about like, ‘Just get a bucket.’” (Via BasketBall Network)

James also pointed to the impact that never appears in traditional statistics, arguing that winning basketball is often defined by decision-making, positioning, and how teammates perform when a player is on the floor, and as the NBA Finals continue, Jones’ comments serve as a reminder that while points per game dominate headlines, championships remain the currency that defines careers. For him, the scoreboard still matters far more than the stat sheet.

The Chargers finally put pen to paper this week and signed 2026 first-round draft pick Akheem Mesidor to his rookie contract. Per NFL insider Adam Schefter, the deal is a four-year, fully-guaranteed contract worth up to $20,456,392.

With Mesidor’s contract now signed, fourth-round wide receiver Brenen Thompson is now the only member of the Chargers’ 2026 draft class left with his contract done.

Mesidor, along with veterans Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu, are expected to produce as one of the best pass rush trios in the league. Similar to how Mack, Tuipulotu, and Odafe Oweh were a ferocious group getting after the quarterback in 2025, this new group under Chris O’Leary has the potential to be just as good, if not better.

Even at an “advanced” age, Mesidor could pay immediate dividends as a rookie, given that he’s 25 and already entering his prime as opposed to a 20-year old kid with much less experience.

Mesidor was a First-Team All-ACC selection in 2025 and a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award, given annually to the nation’s top defensive end. He finished his final season with 12.5 sacks, 17.5 tackles for loss, and four forced fumbles while starting 15 games. At 6’3 and 260 pounds, Mesidor also offers the versatility to kick inside and rush from the interior in specific packages. So imagine, a front four of Mack, Tuli, Mesidor, and Tart with someone like Daiyan Henley and/or Derwin James walked up on the line.

Sounds good to me!

Britain's Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid have won their seventh successive French Open wheelchair doubles title.

The top seeds claimed a 6-2 6-3 victory over Spain's Martin de la Puente and France's Stephane Houdet to win their 24th Grand Slam title together.

"This was one of the toughest tournaments we faced when we first started playing doubles with each other and it took us a fair few years to get our hands on this trophy," Hewett said during the trophy presentation.

"To win seven in a row is some achievement and I just want to say it's an absolute pleasure to be your doubles partner."

With the crowd cheering against them, in favour of home hope Houdet, Hewett and Reid produced a clinical performance - hitting 29 winners to their opponents' 14 and winning 55% of points on the French-Spanish duo's first serve.

"Big thanks to Alfie, we've been a team for a long time now but we are finding new ways to play and new ways to enjoy it," Reid said.

"It's a big year in wheelchair tennis. It's 50 years of the sport and when we see interviews of the people, the guys who created this sport, everyone says they are amazed by where we are now and how far the sport has come."

Hewett added: "Tennis wins - 50 years of wheelchair tennis, to be on a court like this, having this sort of atmosphere, it's an absolute pleasure and long may it continue."

• Zverev one win away from long-awaited Grand Slam title
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In the singles, Hewett - the second seed - reached his second successive Roland Garros final after defeating Argentine fourth seed Gustavo Fernandez 7-5 6-4.

The 28-year-old won his maiden Grand Slam singles title at the French Open in 2017 and he triumphed again in Paris in 2020 and 2021.

Searching for his first major singles title since last year's Australian Open, Hewett will face Tokito Oda, after the top seed won 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 against De la Puente.

Oda is the three-time defending champion at Roland Garros, while he has won the past four Grand Slam singles titles - beating Hewett in two of those finals.

• Live scores, results and order of play
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NBA Insider Explains Why Celtics Need To Be 'Sensitive' With Jaylen Brown originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Celtics' offseason is off to a weird start. Between their uncomfortable Jaylen Brown situation and Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors, there's a lot of drama, intrigue and speculation swirling around the Celtics right now.

While Brown's name has been floated in trade rumors, NBA insider Sam Amick says Boston needs to be careful not to alienate one of its best players in case Brown sticks around.

"It's very sensitive, too," Amick said on Friday's episode of "The Dan Patrick Show." "The Celtics went to great lengths to massage that situation and get things back in a good place."

"Giannis has questions about what that Miami roster would look like on the other side of a deal... I think the #Celtics are a pretty intriguing option."

– @sam_amick on potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade destinations pic.twitter.com/MrXsuxTDfi

— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) June 5, 2026

The Celtics and Brown have seemingly smoothed things over during the past month or so, so Boston needs to avoid potentially upsetting Brown and damaging their relationship by including his name in trade rumors.

Nobody likes hearing that their employer is looking to get rid of them, especially after everything Brown's done for the team and the community over the last decade.

If the Celtics do shop Brown, they need to make sure they're on the same page with him about it. Because if they're not and he isn't dealt this summer, it's going to be very awkward next season.

More NBA: Colin Cowherd Explains Why Celtics Should Be Terrified Of Knicks' Success

In a recent report, talkSPORT claimed that Manchester City are hoping to make a second offer for Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson after their first bid was rejected. It has been mentioned that the English talent favours a move to the Mancunian club this summer.

Anderson’s Solid Season In The Premier League

The 23-year-old proved his worth as a consistent performer at the heart of Nottingham’s midfield in the previous campaign. Anderson scored four times and earned five assists in 50 matches for the Premier League side last season in multiple competitions.

The English sensation is currently one of the most reliable central midfielders in the Premier League. Therefore, it is no surprise that Man City are being so persistent about recruiting him this off-season.

His current contract at the City Ground will expire in the summer of 2029, which could make it difficult for the Mancunian giants to sign him on the cheap this summer.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – MAY 17: Elliot Anderson of Nottingham Forest during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on May 17, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)

Should Manchester City Snap Anderson Up This Summer?

Anderson loves a tackle and can time his challenges well to secure the ball back for his team inside his half. He usually clears his lines when the opposition are on the offensive and is a tidy passer of the ball as well.

The English midfield ace can even shoot the ball with venom from long range and has the vision to create some promising chances for his teammates to find the back of the net. Anderson is full of energy and running in the middle of the park. He knows the Premier League well and won’t take much time to adjust to life at the Mancunian club if they can find a way to sign him this summer.

Anderson would add more quality and depth to Man City’s midfield. He is more than capable of securing a regular starting spot at the Etihad Stadium next season.

At 23, the best is yet to come from Anderson as long as he continues to improve with each year. Hence, he would be an excellent addition to Man City’s squad this off-season. Anderson will also help the Premier League outfit compete for some major trophies over the next few years. Therefore, Man City should focus on snapping him up in this summer transfer window.

MLB execs reveal what Mets could get if they trade Freddy Peralta originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

It's not a secret that the 2026 season for the New York Mets has been a complete and total disaster. While things aren't going well, the Mets are trending towards selling at the MLB trade deadline.

If such a scenario comes to pass, there's sure to be a lot of attention on Freddy Peralta, the Mets ace who is a free agent after the 2026 season. While he's an obvious trade candidate, what could the Mets get in return for him in a trade?

According to Robert Murray of Fansided.com, the Mets got an interesting series of projected returns from a pair of MLB executives for Peralta. Both are solid packages, with one being clearly better than the other.

Mets get projected trade value for Freddy Peralta by MLB execs

"Either 1. A backend top-100 and a. throw in, or 2. Two top-10 org prospects," one MLB executive answered.

Another MLB executive said, "First off, I'd say he's going to have more suitors than Tarik Skubal because of his prorated $8 million salary compared to Skubal at $32 million... I think at least one top-50 prospect and more likely two top-100s.

Both of these predicted trade values for Peralta, the two-time All-Star ace on an $8 million contract set to hit free agency after 2026, are solid return options for the Mets.

Being able to bring in at least a top-100 prospect if they trade Peralta seems likely based on these predictions. That is some good news for the Mets.

MORE: Tarik Skubal being traded by Tigers would help him in free agency

The second executive, noting that Peralta might have more trade suitors than the Detroit Tigers could for Tarik Skubal, is the much more tantalizing prediction for the Mets.

Having the top starting pitcher available on the trade market is a recipe for success and a very strong return. Teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays, San Diego Padres, and many others are sure to have interest.

With both of these MLB executives predicting returns to include a top-100 prospect, or the equivalent of such a valuable prospect, it is something to get excited about.

Trading Peralta is less than ideal for the Mets. But, since it's trending towards the right-hander being on the move this season, the Mets might as well try for the best return possible, which, at this rate, might be a little more than a top-100 prospect.

More MLB news:

• Mets projected to still sell at trade deadline by ex-MLB GM
• Ex-MLB GM projects White Sox to sell at trade deadline despite 2026 success
• Cubs’ cost to trade for Tarik Skubal from Tigers revealed by ex-MLB GM
• Yankees’ Ryan McMahon problem has a $25 million release solution
• Phillies extending Cristopher Sanchez to his $107 million deal was genius

The Nashville Predators have hired Rob Blake as executive vice president of hockey operations, the team announced on June 5.

Blake will work alongside new president of hockey operations and general manager Chris MacFarland, who was hired on June 2, in "all areas of the hockey operations department, including team and staff development, long- and short-term strategies, free agency, player recruitment, drafting and more."

Blake, 56, spent 12 seasons in the Los Angeles Kings front office, where he served as assistant general manager (2013-2017) and vice president of hockey operations and general manager (2017-2025). Blake left the Kings after the 2025 season, after which Los Angeles hired Ken Holland.

Cal Poly vs. West Virginia baseball box score: Live stats from NCAA Baseball Championship Game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The West Virginia Mountaineers baseball team is hosting their first-ever NCAA Super Regional and appear to be in the driver's seat. They'll welcome the Cal Poly Mustangs into Morgantown for a possible three-game series.

First pitch is set for noon ET on ESPN2. This is the first game of the Super Regional round on the way to the College World Series in Omaha. 

Cal Poly vs. West Virginia baseball box score: Live stats from NCAA Championship Super Regional

Cal Poly

2B: 

• Hoiland 1 (15)

H: 

• Kordic 1 (10)

RBI: 

• Garza 1 (50)
• Kordic 1 (38)

• Cooper 19 (14 strikes)
• Naess 63 (34 strikes)
• Estes 27 (13 strikes)

West Virginia

2B: 

• Guzman 1 (20)
• Smith 1 (11)

H: 

• Smith 1 (9)
• Hall 1 (6)

RBI: 

• Smith 3 (52)
• Kresser 1 (32)
• Hall 4 (32)

• Cole 121 (83 strikes)

How to watch: Cal Poly vs. West Virginia 2026 NCAA Baseball Championship Game

Date: Friday, June 5

Time: Noon ET

TV: ESPN2

More NCAA News

• Saint Mary's vs. UCLA baseball box score: Final stats from NCAA Baseball Championship Game 1
• Milwaukee vs. Auburn baseball box score: Final stats from NCAA Baseball Championship Game 1
• Arkansas vs. Georgia box score: Final stats from 2026 SEC Baseball Championship
• Bill Belichick, Jordon Hudson at Kentucky Derby leaves everyone saying the same thing
• Demond Williams bombshell could have resulted in Lane Kiffin fired by LSU

OHSAA track & field state championship live results, updates, schedule in all 5 divisions in Ohio originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Ohio state track & field championships are back at Jesse Owens Stadium in Columbus for an extended weekend.

This year will be different, though, as the OHSAA expanded from three divisions to five divisions. That means a longer schedule, more events and more state titles.

There will be regular powerhouses doing their thing, plenty of upsets and surprises, and overall just a lot of glory for the athletes that will forever be known as a state champion.

As the event goes along, we'll be updating the results below, in all divisions.

OHSAA track & field state championship live results

Refresh for latest updates. Divisions will be added below as their finals begin. 

Division 3

Division 4

Division 5

OHSAA track & field state championship schedule

The championships will now take place over four days due to the divisional expansion:

• Division 1: June 6 and 7
• Division 2: June 6 and 7
• Division 3: June 5 and 6
• Division 4: June 4 and 5
• Division 5: June 4 and 5

The full event schedule can be found here.

Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield warns that his NFL future might be outside Tampa Bay originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Baker Mayfield has a warning for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"We'd love to be here long-term," Mayfield told reporters on Friday. "And as of right now, that's not exactly the case, but I'm under contract in 2026."

Mayfield is entering the third and final year of his contract extension that he signed in 2024.

The Bucs and Mayfield have been negotiating, but apparently they aren't that close.

Mayfield has set a timeline, and it's not that much time until it arrives.

"Obviously, yes, I would love to have a long-term deal done, but they know my deadline: As soon as training camp starts, we're not doing any contract stuff. It's all ball," Mayfield said. "It's not up to me when that gets done by. So hopefully before that. If not -- still going to have a good year."

MORE: Myles Garrett's Browns career comes to the most Cleveland of endings

Mayfield is setting big goals regardless.

"The guys in that locker and the staff know that I'm still going to be me," Mayfield said. "I'm still going to do everything I can to help this team win a Super Bowl. And to me, that's a priority. Everything else take care of itself."

Mayfield is currently the 16th-highest paid quarterback in the NFL. Clearly, he's deserving of a raise.

"I think first and foremost, regardless -- we've built roots here in Tampa," Mayfield said. "We love the community. We love to be here. They've embraced us, and we enjoy being here and obviously going to raise kids here. But yeah, contract stuff -- it's happening, it's starting, the talks and whatnot, but not anywhere close to what we were thinking."

This season will be different for Mayfield in a big way -- Mike Evans is gone.

The Buccaneers still have a quality WR depth chart, so Mayfield will have plenty to throw to. But if nothing changes, he'll be doing it without a new contract, which would up the ante for the season ahead.

This will definitely be a storyline to track going forward.

More NFL news:

• The Aaron Rodgers problem no one is talking about for the Steelers
• Commanders, Brandon Aiyuk are waiting for the same thing
• Lamar Jackson has an obvious reason not to sign right now
• Could the Bosa brothers join forces?
• There's a risk the OBJ signing is a mistake

Now, we’re not recommending average players take their wedges to the green—we can already sense the rising anxiety from superintendents at the thought of it. But we are going to point out something important average golfers can learn from this shot: How to hit off of incredibly tight lies. There will be a time when you’re going to have to hit a wedge from a tight lie off the fringe, and you can use Kang’s technique to handle it.

“The key to hitting a short shot from a tight lie is all in the setup,” Sara Dickson, a Golf Digest Best Young Teacher out of Wilderness C.C. in Florida, says. “You will need to use the bounce of the club for forgiveness through the turf. The toe of the wedge provides more bounce than the heel, so start by standing a little closer to the ball to help expose the toe more. Setting up with the handle neutral, pointing toward the middle of your body, will also help expose the back side of the sole, which prevents dig.”

Once you’re set up, Dickson says to keep your body quiet throughout the swing.

“Soft arms and wrists. Commit to how much backstroke and follow-through you need, and visualize those checkpoints before hitting the shot,” Dickson says. “Trust your motion, your setup and the function of the wedge.”

Payday at Riviera The U.S. Women's Open is offering another record prize money payout at Riviera Country Club

U.S. Women's Open 2026 Riviera's CEO is a woman who brought majors to the club because she refused to give up on her vision

U.S. Women's Open 2026 Cara Banks has worked in sports broadcasting's trenches, leading to a career milestone at U.S. Women's Open

When you’re first trying this shot, Dickson says to practice it on a fluffy lie. Once you’re comfortable with the motion in a forgiving lie, move to the tight lie.

And while it’s not against the rules to chip on the green, it is frowned upon. Best to leave that shot to the pros.

Frustrated by Illinois legislators, the Chicago Bears announced Friday afternoon their intentions to pursue a new stadium in Hammond, Indiana.

The franchise said the board of directors voted Thursday night to move forward with plans in Hammond, though a site has not yet been chosen. Illinois lawmakers failed to pass a bill to incentivize the team to stay in their state.

In what has been a months-long flirtation with Northwest Indiana, it could bring revitalization to an area longing for economic growth. And while the Region has its fair share of Bears fans, many were upset on social media about the franchise moving to a city across that neighbors the state line. Meanwhile lawmakers in Indiana expressed their excitement.

Here are various reactions:

Hoosiers, help me welcome the Chicago Bears to our great state!

We look forward to building a partnership as strong as the '85 Bears defense, creating opportunities and economic growth that will benefit our state and the Bears organization for decades to come.

An NFL franchise… https://t.co/l3eUHzUrCk

— Governor Mike Braun (@GovBraun) June 5, 2026

While I’m being told that the Bears announcement on Hammond is “real”,
i.e. not a leverage play, a league source told me that the Bears leaving the state is not a done deal. Per source, Indiana is in the lead right now, but “Illinois can still get back in the race,” granted the…

— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) June 5, 2026

Pretty crazy that the state of Indiana will have twice as many NFL stadiums as New York, and the same number as California https://t.co/Nz2oMzrxYl

— PFT Commenter (@PFTCommenter) June 5, 2026

THIS NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED If I WERE GOVERNOR & DALEY WERE MAYOR!!! https://t.co/5gnZBKCqhs

— Rod Blagojevich (@realBlagojevich) June 5, 2026

honestly one of the most humiliating decisions in professional sports history and proof that there are no adults left in the room trying to advocate for the League, just a bunch of billionaires trying to shake every last quarter out of their piggy banks https://t.co/9oBYKaS4lJ

— one dozen rats at a keyboard (@PanasonicDX4500) June 5, 2026

JB Pritzker wants to be President of the United States, yet is such an incompetent buffoon that he's about to be known as the Illinois Governor who lost the Chicago Bears to Indiana. https://t.co/8QmEBGR1R0

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) June 5, 2026

Indianapolis, the largest city in a state with a metro population of 2.2 million, gets just three trains per week, yet that same state is willing to spend $1 billion on a football stadium for 8 events a year. https://t.co/apPwf1YLbe

— Hayden (@the_transit_guy) June 5, 2026

Packers fans and their "worthless" stock certificates like... https://t.co/3BQ3yNNb9jpic.twitter.com/2qOrWD7RR3

— Aaron Nagler (@AaronNagler) June 5, 2026

Complete failure on all fronts by the state of Illinois https://t.co/ePpNLiHz5Z

— BearsShowYo (@BearsShowYo) June 5, 2026

The Bears seeing the Jets & Giants lying about the state they play in pic.twitter.com/j6srGq8MCz

— Onyx (@OnyxOdds) June 5, 2026

Anyone looking for a large plot of land in Arlington Heights?https://t.co/gDi6DZReiV

— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) June 5, 2026

Key words: "voted to advance" and "with the exact site to be selected." Nothing final. And it doesn't sound like shovels are all that close to being in the ground. https://t.co/d6cF5abIgA

— Brenden Moore (@brendenmoore13) June 5, 2026

Wow!

Chicago had every opportunity to figure this out. The state had every opportunity to find a compromise. Instead, we got delays, finger pointing, posturing, and no real solution.

As a lifelong Bears fan and former player, I hate the idea of the Chicago Bears not playing in… https://t.co/5ZirXDPsgZ

— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) June 5, 2026

The Chicago Bears of Hammond, Indiana https://t.co/T6vJv8WVQ5

— Zito (@_Zeets) June 5, 2026

Statement from Matt Hill, the spokesperson for Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker: "The Bears have built a storied legacy in Illinois for over 100 years but have spent the last six years, and especially the last few months, shifting their position on a stadium location. That has hindered…

— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) June 5, 2026

this will in fact not bring the chicagoland together 💀💀 so out of touch man

— Two (@_steve2smith) June 5, 2026

Can’t believe it’s actually coming to this. The bears not being in Chicago or the suburbs of Chicago is a shame. Incredibly bad look for everyone involved in allowing this to happen https://t.co/pF0N85YVio

— Frank Kaminsky III (@FSKPart3) June 5, 2026

This is great news for The Region! This will be an economic boom for the state of Indiana and I look forward to cheering on the Bears in Hammond. https://t.co/6xUxEwUhbF

— Senator Jim Banks (@SenatorBanks) June 5, 2026

Many who go to games will not like it, but the Bears will thrive across the state line. They follow a long line of good businesses out of Illinois, and many more are likely to follow, given the leadership in the Land of Lincoln. https://t.co/ZF3dC65l1n

— Dan Pompei (@danpompei) June 5, 2026

Great news for Hoosiers as Indiana officially welcomes the Chicago Bears!

Let's GO!!!! https://t.co/pAuLh9khHD

— Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith (@LGMicahBeckwith) June 5, 2026

madden curse remains undefeated. they put a bear on the cover and the whole franchise leaves.

— Benj (@0xIteration) June 5, 2026

The Bears announced their intentions to shift their focus to building a new stadium in Hammond, Indiana, which is one of the two sites they narrowed their search to, including their Arlington Heights property. But just because they've made a statement about Hammond, that doesn't necessarily mean it's going to pan out. After all, they did the same with Arlington Heights, Chicago lakefront, back to Arlington Heights and now Hammond.

That's just reinforced by a recent report by ESPN's Courtney Cronin, who says a source tells her that while the Bears' announcement about Hammond is "real" and "not a leverage play," a departure from Illinois "is not a done deal" just yet.

Arnold Mugerwa of Johnstown, Pa. announced his commitment to Rutgers earlier this week, with his commitment following an official visit with the Scarlet Knights last weekend. Mugerwa was set to be taking an official visit to Michigan State in late June but that is not considered to be cancelled following his commitment to Rutgers.

Mugerwa is listed as a three-star wide receiver prospect, with a recruiting rating of 88.50 in 247Sports composite ratings system. He ranks as the No. 55 wide receiver and No. 13 player from Pennsylvania in 247Sports rankings for the 2027 class.

Mugerwa picked Rutgers over notable offers from Michigan State, Kentucky, Florida State, Cincinnati, Duke, Maryland, NC State, Pitt, Syracuse, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. Michigan State is in on a few other notable wide receiver prospects so their priority will need to lock in on those guys with Mugerwa now off the board and heading to another Big Ten school.

A Spartan target at receiver is off the board. Arnold Mugerwa commits to Rutgers, cancelling his visit to MSU on June 19. https://t.co/s9jIPcviBk

— Emmett Matasovsky (@E_Matasovsky57) June 4, 2026

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.

This article originally appeared on Imagn Images: MSU football target, 3-star WR Arnold Mugerwa commits to Rutgers

Maja Chwalińska has become one of the stories of Roland Garros, and not because she needs a romantic label to make her run matter.

The 24-year-old Polish player has gone from qualifying to the biggest match of her career in Paris.

That is the point. Chwalińska reached the Roland Garros final from qualifying after entering the tournament ranked No. 114, which makes this one of the rarest modern Grand Slam runs.

Who is Maja Chwalińska?

Chwalińska is not an overnight story, even if this fortnight has made her feel like one.

She made her Grand Slam main draw debut at Wimbledon in 2022, but the path before and after that moment was uneven.

After Wimbledon qualifying in 2021, she took a break from tennis after speaking openly about depression and the pressure she felt around the sport.

Injury then slowed her again. She later dropped to No. 523, which makes this Roland Garros run look less like fortune and more like a long comeback finally breaking through.

The details behind Chwalińska’s remarkable Roland Garros run

The results have carried real weight. Chwalińska beat Maria Sakkari 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 before moving through the draw and into the final.

She is now set to face Mirra Andreeva on 6 June, with a place in Grand Slam history already secured before a ball is struck.

The strongest comparison is Emma Raducanu. Chwalińska is reported as only the second qualifier in the Open Era to reach a Grand Slam final after Raducanu at the 2021 US Open.

The off-court details have added to the profile. Her Paris stay, late sponsor attention and repeated team food routine have all become part of the story around her rise.

But Chwalińska does not need fairytale treatment. She is a qualifier, a finalist and now a name tennis has to take seriously.

Read more:

The Belmont Stakes will host on Saturday a New York rematch of the top two finishing horses from the Kentucky Derby to wrap up horse racing's Triple Crown for 2026.

Nine horses are set to compete in the Belmont, the finale in the trio of races for 3-year-olds that make up the Triple Crown. No horse will sweep this year's series because Derby winner Golden Tempo skipped the Preakness Stakes in Maryland on May 16.

Renegade, who lost the Derby to Golden Tempo by a neck, was picked as the morning-line favorite for the Belmont with 2-1 odds. The odds will change as bettors place their wagers ahead of Saturday's approximate post time of 7:04 p.m. ET.

Here's a complete list of the horses in the Belmont Stakes in order by their post position with their morning-line odds:

The Belmont, known as the Test of the Champion, is usually the longest of the three Triple Crown races at 1 1/2 miles. But Saturday's race will be 1 1/4 miles — the same length as the Derby — because of the configuration of the main racetrack at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York, where the Belmont has been held since 2024.

The race is expected to return to its home of Belmont Park on New York's Long Island in 2027 following a major redevelopment project that's set to be completed later this year.

Before his second-place finish at the Derby on the first Saturday of May, Renegade won the Arkansas Derby in March and Florida's Sam F. Davis Stakes in February. The bay colt also came in second place in December's Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack in New York City.

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride Renegade in the Belmont, as he did in the Kentucky Derby. The 33-year-old is seeking his third Belmont victory after winning with Mo Donegal in 2022 and Creator in 2016. In this year's Preakness, Ortiz was aboard Talkin, who came in 12th place.

Renegade is trained by Todd Pletcher, who teamed up with Ortiz for Mo Donegal's Belmont victory. Pletcher has also saddled three other winners at the Belmont: Tapwrit in 2017, Palace Malice in 2013 and the filly Rags to Riches in 2007. Pletcher will have another horse in Saturday's race: Powershift, who was given 12-1 odds in the morning line.

Chief Wallabee, who was given 3-1 morning-line odds, finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby. The bay colt came into the Triple Crown opener after finishing third in the Florida Derby in March behind fellow Belmont competitor Commandment, who won the race. A month before the Florida Derby, Chief Wallabee came in second behind Commandment at the Fountain of Youth Stakes in Florida.

Junior Alvarado was aboard Chief Wallabee for the Kentucky Derby, and he'll have the mount in the Belmont. The 40-year-old rode Sovereignty to victory in last year's Derby and Belmont. At this year's Preakness, Alvarado finished in 13th place aboard Crupper.

Alvarado teamed up with trainer Bill Mott for Sovereignty's wins in Kentucky and New York, and the two are together again for Chief Wallabee's run at the Belmont. Mott has also saddled another winner in the Triple Crown's third jewel: Drosselmeyer in 2010.

With 9-2 morning-line odds, Golden Tempo has a chance to follow in Sovereignty's footsteps and become the 13th horse to win the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont.

The Derby winner raced in New Orleans ahead of the Run for the Roses, winning January's Lecomte Stakes and finishing third in February's Risen Star Stakes. The bay colt also came in third in March's Louisiana Derby, which was won by fellow Belmont contender Emerging Market.

Jose Ortiz, who rode Golden Tempo to victory in the Kentucky Derby, will have the mount in Belmont. The 32-year-old made it to the winner's circle with Tapwrit in 2017 and came close with several horses who came in second: Nest in 2022, Tacitus in 2019 and Gronkowski in 2018. At the Preakness, Ortiz finished third aboard Chip Honcho.

Golden Tempo's trainer Cherie DeVaux, who was born in Saratoga Springs, made history by becoming the first woman to saddle a winner at the Kentucky Derby. She could become the second woman to train a Belmont winner, after Jena Antonucci won with Arcangelo in 2023.

In addition to his wins at the Florida Derby and Fountain of Youth Stakes, Commandment, who was given 6-1 morning-line odds, also won Florida's Mucho Macho Man Stakes in January. But the bay colt wasn't able to keep his winning streak going at the Kentucky Derby and came in seventh.

John Velazquez will be aboard Commandment in the Belmont. The 54-year-old came in 11th in both the Derby and the Preakness, with Further Ado and Corona de Oro, respectively. Velazquez has ridden two Belmont winners — Union Rags in 2012 and Rags to Riches in 2007 — and he's come in second three times, with Fly Down in 2010, Dunkirk in 2009 and Bluegrass Cat in 2006.

Trainer Brad Cox will be going for his second Belmont win with Commandment. He went to the winner's circle at the Belmont for the first time in 2021 with Essential Quality. The horse was one of two Cox saddled in that year's Kentucky Derby to finish in the money, with Essential Quality coming in third and Mandaloun winning the race.

Emerging Market also received 6-1 odds in the morning line. After winning the Louisiana Derby, the chestnut colt came in 10th place in the Kentucky Derby.

Flavien Prat rode Emerging Market in the Derby, and he'll have the mount in the Belmont. It will be the 33-year-old's sixth straight year at the race, with his first ride being his best so far, finishing second aboard Hot Rod Charlie in 2021. At the Preakness, Prat had the mount when Iron Honor came in second.

Iron Honor is trained by Chad Brown, who is saddling Emerging Market in the Belmont as well as Growth Equity and Ottinho, who were given 12-1 odds and 20-1 odds in the morning line, respectively.

Like Prat, this year will be Brown's sixth looking for a win at the Belmont. He came close in 2018, when Gronkowski came in second.

Only one horse in this year's morning line was given the long-shot odds of 30-1: Vitruvian Man.

Boasting a 14-point lead late into the fourth quarter, the San Antonio Spurs looked primed to take a 1-0 series lead in the NBA Finals on Wednesday night, despite a pedestrian offensive night from superstar Victor Wembanyama. 

However, a gutsy New York Knicks comeback and 13 fourth quarter points from Jalen Brunson later, and the Spurs now find themselves in an absolute must-win situation, as they look to avoid falling 0-2 on their homefloor. 

Can the Spurs bounce back, and most importantly for the outcome of this series, can Wembanyama figure out an answer to this Knicks defense that seems to have outmatched him in physicality?

For all of your NBA Finals betting picks, here are tonight’s TST Best Bets brought to you by BetOnline.ag. Click here to join. All new players get a 50% welcome bonus and up to $250 in free bets.

First Pick: San Antonio Spurs -6.5 over New York Knicks

Rundown: The most sure bet possible in playoff basketball is backing the home team in Game 2 after they dropped the first game at home. 

This series is expected to be a barnburner, and the road team taking a 2-0 lead before even getting to New York would spell a very quick series, which I do not expect here. 

The Spurs haven't won a game by fewer than seven points in nearly two months. Every one of their last 22 victories, including all of their playoff wins, has come by at least seven points. 

While Wembanyama does not seem to be in line for his best offensive series of the playoffs, as Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson and OG Anunoby all have different strengths in guarding the Frenchman, the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year was clearly rattled in the fourth quarter of Game 1. 

His shot selection was his biggest downfall, as he shot 6-for-21 and took some horrendous shots down the stretch. 

While Wembanyama did not have it going offensively all night for San Antonio, the offense only began to truly unravel during Wembanyama’s disastrous fourth quarter. 

Expect to see a major bounceback for the man that has spent the majority of this playoff run making a strong case to be the best player in the world to bounce back in Game 2. 

With some expected positive shooting regression for the home team, who shot 26% from three in Game 1, a Spurs blowout should send this series back to New York knotted at 1-1. 

Second Pick: San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks – Over 216.5

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Jun 3, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) brings the ball up court past New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the third quarter during game one of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center.

Rundown: Game 1 may have been both teams’ worst offensive performance of this postseason, with clutch time being the separating factor. 

Jalen Brunson’s electric fourth quarter saved him from what was an incredibly poor start offensively, as the star guard took 31 shots to score 30 in Game 1. 

While Wembanyama performing to his standard is a major reason to back the Spurs in Game 2, it’s also fair to expect Brunson to have figured out this San Antonio defense after an up-and-down start to the series. 

With both teams shooting poorly from the three-point line at 31% and 26% respectively, improved shooting and better performances from each team’s superstars should result in a higher-scoring Game 2. 

Ned Jarrett, a NASCAR Hall of Famer, two-time Cup Series champion and broadcaster, died Thursday.

NASCAR announced the loss of one of the sport’s “greatest ambassadors” Friday afternoon.

He was 93 years old.

His family shared the following statement with NASCAR:

“With profound sadness, the family of NASCAR Hall of Fame driver and radio/TV personality, Ned Jarrett, announces his passing on Thursday, June 4, 2026. He died peacefully of natural causes at his home in Newton, North Carolina, with his family by his side. He was 93 years old. Our father was a devout Christian and a devoted, loving family man. He was a friend to everyone he met and NASCAR’s oldest living champion. By all accounts, he was a true NASCAR legend. While we mourn his passing, we celebrate the remarkable life of an amazing man and truly the best father anyone could have wished for. Rest in Peace, Dad.”

Jarrett was born Oct. 12, 1932, near Newton. According to NASCAR, when he first heard talk of the new Hickory Speedway opening in the community, he decided he would compete when the track held its first premier-series event in 1953.

He was the third driver to win at least 50 NASCAR premier-series races. Jarrett also holds the record for the premier series’ ‘largest margin of victory, claiming the 1965 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway by 14 laps.

Jarrett was named one of NASCAR’s 50 greatest drivers in 1998, and his 43 victories in Ford entries remain tops for the manufacturer, according to NASCAR.

Jarrett was known for his distinct calm demeanor, earning him the nickname, “Gentleman.”

“His on-track accomplishments speak for themselves with wins and championships across several NASCAR divisions. But it was his off-the-track persona that separated Ned from his peers. He was as kind as his nickname indicated. And his endearing personality helped him excel in his second career as a broadcaster,” NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell said in a statement. “Ned was an outstanding ambassador for the sport for more than six decades, and he will be dearly missed. On behalf of the France family and all of NASCAR, I offer my deepest condolences to all of Ned’s family and friends on the loss of a NASCAR legend.”

His death comes as the third to hit the racing community in the last year, following Greg Biffle in December and Kyle Busch just last month.

Junior Tafa might regret stepping back into the octagon so soon.

The Australian light heavyweight came in over the limit for his fight with Iwo Baraniewski at UFC Vegas 118, stepping to the scale at 206.5 pounds, a half pound heavy, at Friday’s official weigh-ins. Even after stripping down and weighing in again with a box around him, Tafa still failed to make weight.

It should be noted Tafa accepted the Baraniewski fight on a little over two weeks’ notice as a replacement for Billy Elekana, who withdrew for undisclosed reasons. This is Tafa’s second fight in 35 days following his knockout over Kevin Christian at UFC Perth in May,

It is not yet known if his bout with Baraniewski will proceed at a catchweight and, if so, what percentage of his purse will be forfeited as penalty.

Fortunately for the UFC, there was no issue with the rest of the main card, including welterweight headliners Belal Muhammad and Gabriel Bonfim. Both made use of the one-pound allowance for a non-title fight, registering at 170.5 pounds.

A former UFC champion, Muhammad is badly in need of a win after losing consecutive fights to Ian Machado Garry and Jack Della Maddalena. Muhammad is currently No. 7 at welterweight in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, with No. 15 Bonfim eager to take his spot.

Bonfim is 4-0 since suffering his lone defeat to Nicolas Dalby in November 2023. The Brazilian standout is 19-1 as a pro and is coming off of a spectacular second-round knockout of Randy Brown this past November, when Bonfim headlined a UFC event for the first time.

UFC Vegas 118 co-main event middleweights Brendan Allen and Edmen Shahbazyan also successfully made weight.

Main Card (Paramount+ at 8 p.m. ET)

Belal Muhammad (170.5) vs. Gabriel Bonfim (170.5)

Brendan Allen (185.5) vs. Edmen Shahbazyan (186)

Fares Ziam (156) vs. Tom Nolan (155)

Bryce Mitchell (135.5) vs. Santiago Luna (136)

Iwo Baraniewski (206) vs. Junior Tafa (206.5)*

Preliminary Card (Paramount+ at 5 p.m. ET)

Matt Schnell (129.5) vs. Alessandro Costa (129.5) — 130-pound catchweight bout

Marcus McGhee (136) vs. John Yannis (136)

Bruno Silva (126) vs. Edgar Chairez (126)

Priscila Cachoeira (135.5) vs. Chelsea Chandler (135)

Jordan Leavitt (145.5) vs. Joanderson Brito (145.5)

Jeisla Chaves (124) vs. Yuneisy Duben (125)

Ketlen Souza (116) vs. Ariane Carnelossi (116)

*missed weight

Chris MacFarland's move to the Predators highlights ruthless business side of the NHL originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

When we talk about the increasingly fleeting nature of working in a prominent management role in the NHL, there’s no better example than new Nashville Predators GM and president of hockey operations Chris MacFarland. 

Earlier this off-season, MacFarland was named a finalist for the Jim Gregory Award as the NHL’s best GM – but on Tuesday, MacFarland announced he’d left the Colorado Avalanche for the Predators, who gave him ultimate say in hockey decisions in a way that he didn’t have working under Avs president of hockey ops Joe Sakic. But you’d think the Avalanche could’ve figured out how to make MacFarland happy – and not leave for a Central Division rival in the Preds.

And as a side note – Colorado ownership deserves credit for allowing the Predators permission to speak to MacFarland. As we’ve seen with the Vegas Golden Knights this year, that basic willingness to allow a fired employee to find work with another team is no longer a given for NHL organizations.

So when the Avalanche let MacFarland leave, it showed you that Vegas’ rationale for preventing coach Bruce Cassidy from interviewing with the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings is so much nonsense. Teams have done this kind of thing all the time, and that’s why the Golden Knights’ decision to leave Cassidy in limbo is terrible optics for Vegas.

Certainly, the NHL’s GM and management community is under more pressure than ever before. Since last summer, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Seattle Kraken, St. Louis Blues, Predators, and Avalanche have changed their GMs or presidents of hockey ops. That’s nearly a 33 percent turnover rate. That’s about as demanding a line of work as it gets.

MORE: Reacting To Chris MacFarland Leaving Avalanche To Become Predators' GM And Hockey Ops President

Consolidating power is a natural instinct for NHL management members, so MacFarland’s decision to move on – even after creating an Avs team that was by far the best in the regular season – is nonetheless understandable. The carousel of GMs and presidents can affect even the top organizations in the league, and although the Predators are nowhere close to as good as the Avalanche, it’s easy to see why MacFarland chose to depart Denver for Nashville.

Even if the Predators have to be built from the ground up, the chance to put together their idea of what an NHL organization should look like is an extremely attractive prospect for high-stakes management figures like MacFarland.

The Avalanche gave MacFarland the chance to demonstrate he’s one of the sharpest people in the game, but the Preds have now given him the chance to show he doesn’t need to be supervised by anyone – and that he can deliver a Stanley Cup to a Predators franchise still looking for its first championship.

MORE: The Avalanche Didn’t Lose Chris MacFarland—They Handled His Exit Like Few Teams Ever Would

If you’re a Nashville fan, it should be heartening that MacFarland chose to leave the Avs for the Preds. But if you’re an Avalanche fan, it shouldn’t make you overly upset that MacFarland is moving on. Giving back the GM role to Sakic still leaves the same guy in the ultimate seat of power who was in that seat for all of Colorado’s recent successes. 

At the same time, you can’t fault MacFarland for seeking and finding a team that wants him making all the big choices. The Predators get someone who still has something to prove, and that’s not something you can say about Sakic with the Avs. Nashville is making a calculated gamble that MacFarland still has room to grow as an executive, and Colorado is gambling they can succeed without MacFarland’s services.

More NHL News

• Taking a look at Judd Brackett's history as a talent evaluator; What he'll bring to the Maple Leafs
• Jack Eichel, Chris Chelios are wrong about the history of Mitch Marner and the Maple Leafs
• 4 NHL teams who can trade for Red Wings' Dylan Larkin following his trade request
• Mitch Marner isn't allowed to pick and choose when he talks about his past with the Maple Leafs
• 2026 NHL draft combine rundown: 2 new events added to the fold

Which team has the easiest path to the first pick in the 2027 NFL Draft? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The 2027 NFL Draft cycle has begun, and it is shaping up to be one of the most highly anticipated classes in some time.

Every year, hope springs eternal, and the quarterback class is seen as the saving grace for a quarter of the league. It'll be a fun crop, but the 2027 class doesn't need several signal callers to live up to the hype.

Between Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart, Texas target Cam Coleman and Notre Dame corner Leonard Moore, there are blue-chip prospects bound to make the top 10 more valuable years past.

Thus, controlling the draft is paramount, allowing teams to land their franchise quarterback, add a fortune-changing piece to the supporting cast, or recoup ridiculous amounts of draft capital. As the offseason nears its conclusion, four teams stand out as favorites for the No. 1 pick.

Ranking the most likely teams to draft first in 2027

1. New York Jets

Things, relatively speaking, are going well in Jets Land. Three first-round picks have added competence and upside to a roster in desperate need of high-level talent, and the return of Geno Smith has paved a path to being "fun bad" instead of "unwatchable crime against football."

It's a start.

New York will likely be better than last season, but the bottom is always liable to fall out from under East Rutherford. The No. 1 pick is still in play, and the Jets are better prepared than anyone else to capitalize.

The Jets also have the Indianapolis Colts' first-round pick, which is made more lucrative by the their projected turmoil under center. With the best of Green Bay and Dallas' first-round selections, too, no team can offer what New York can if another team has the worst record in January. That should give fans hope that even if things go wrong this fall, the front office can find the quarterback of the future.

2. Cleveland Browns

Like the Jets, Cleveland's draft capital is more important than the success of the upcoming campaign. With perhaps the worst quarterback room in the league, nobody will be surprised when the Browns are competing for the top pick late in the year. Throw in a Myles Garrett-sized hole and the odds are stacked even further against Cleveland.

That aforementioned draft capital could be critical if the Browns find themselves in a bidding war against New York. While the Jets have an extra first-round pick, finishing with a worse regular-season record could open a window to pairing, say, the second pick with the Los Angeles Rams' selection and future capital to move up to No. 1. If New York isn't in range for a blue-chip prospect, the Browns could be in pole position for a passer.

Of course, it's too early to tell whether the Browns will be as bad as we expect. But down an All-World edge rusher and with less talent than their cellar-bound counterparts, they are a clear contender for the No. 1 pick.

3. Arizona Cardinals

There are a handful of teams in the NFC that could stumble to the finish line, but the early favorite for the 16th seed in the conference plays in Glendale.

The good news for the Arizona faithful is that Jacoby Brissett's holdout could increase playing time for rookie Carson Beck, rolling the dice in the first year of Mike LaFleur's tenure. If Beck exceeds expectations, great, Arizona found a quality quarterback at a discount. If not, the Cardinals could be in top-pick conversations by the trade deadline in pursuit of LaFleur's franchise quarterback.

MORE: How will Jeremiyah Love's rookie season compare to Ashton Jeanty's?

They don't have the extra draft capital, but Arizona's offensive situation could end the season before it ever truly begins. There's a sneaky amount of talent on this roster, but we don't have to look far to find the last directionless team that took a running back in the top 10 before things went sideways.

The Cardinals have the NFC's best chance at landing the first pick. That alone is enough to pin hopes on a prospective tank.

4. Miami Dolphins

It's a new era in Miami, ushering in the Jeff Hafley era with a creative play at quarterback. Signing Malik Willis is a low-risk, high-reward solution that could provide as much surplus value as any contract in the league.

It also... might not work at all, leaving the Dolphins with little to speak of under center, out wide, or along the offensive line. Perhaps the biggest difference between Miami and Arizona is that the former has to play the Jets twice, rather than the titans jostling for positioning atop the NFC West.

The Dolphins can easily play themselves past their rivals, especially with Hafley's scheme weaponizing the versatile talent across Miami's defense. The unit underperformed last season, but Jordyn Brooks, Chris Johnson, and a strong defensive line are good places to start when looking for year-to-year improvements.

Ultimately, the Dolphins are expected to pick in the top 10, and their uncertainty under center makes them a candidate to be the worst team in the league. It wouldn't be surprising if they landed the fanbase's favorite passing prospect for the second time this decade.

More NFL Draft news

• Why the Panthers should be in on the Brendan Sorsby sweepstakes
• 2027 prospects who may have been 2026 first-round picks
• 7 UDFA signings who shouldn't fly under the radar
• What can Raiders fans expect from Fernando Mendoza?

I grew up playing plenty of sports, like volleyball, tennis, soccer, and even swimming and cheerleading. (Yes, cheerleading counts.) But I never really got into watching sports. It didn’t matter how many games I tried to watch or Super Bowl parties I was dragged to. I just didn’t get into it until I watched the 2025 World Series and realized all the DRAMA I was missing. My eyes sparkled the moment I saw both teams run out of their dugouts to brawl. Like, you're all seriously going to fight each other? Yes, please.

Related: This US Open Tennis Player Is Being Accused Of Racism After An On-Court Argument Went Viral, And The Way Her Opponent Has Responded Is A Complete Masterclass In Grace

Related: "It’s Very Difficult For A Woman To Do It": A Tennis Player Just Got Fined $65K For Making Wildly Sexist Comments At The French Open, And The Internet Has A LOT To Say About It

School: Sterling

Sport: Baseball

Year: Senior

Why he was selected: He pitched a complete-game shutout in a 2-0 win over Dixon in the regional semifinals. Penne allowed just one hit and three walks while striking out seven. He also had two hits and scored a run at the plate.

He finished the season hitting .351 with a .508 on-base percentage. He had 34 hits, including 10 doubles with 17 RBIs, 23 runs scored and 24 walks. On the mound, he had a 3.54 earned run average in 61.1 innings pitched with 12 starts.

He finished his career fourth in innings pitched and fourth in career strikeouts at Sterling.

“Very few Sterling High School athletes have embraced being a baseball player like Eli Penne,” coach Darwin Nettleton said. “He sacrificed countless hours dedicating his time to his throwing program and his weight room routine. This season, he became an offensive monster leading the team in extra base hits.

“Eli is a great leader and performer on the baseball field and in the classroom. It was awesome to see Eli play his best baseball at the end of his high school career.”

Penne will continue his baseball career and education at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

He is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week, presented by Loescher Heating and Air Conditioning. Here is a Q&A with Penne.

How did you first get into baseball? What has helped keep you in it?

Penne: I started playing tee ball when I was a little kid which turned into long weekends of travel baseball and now high school baseball. All of the support from the community and my teammates has kept me in it.

Have you learned anything from baseball?

Penne: Baseball has taught me how to accept failure and overcome it which will lead to success.

Was there anything you worked on coming into the season or feel you have improved on?

Penne: Coming into the season velocity was up on my fastball and my slider had better movement and velocity. I also started throwing a new changeup.

Any highlights for you that jump out, as well as the team from this year?

Penne: When looking back on the year I immediately think of our rivalry games, Dixon and Rock Falls. I pitched six innings against Rock Falls and had 14 strikeouts, and against Dixon I pitched a complete-game shutout. Our best team wins were probably our conference sweep against Geneseo.

What stood out about this year’s team?

Penne: This year we had a group of guys that never gave up. Halfway through our season we were 5-11, but we stayed together and finished May with an 8-4 record.

Favorite baseball memory?

Penne: My favorite baseball memory will always be hanging out with my teammates, whether it was going out to eat, bus rides, or playing games before or after practice.

Any fun facts about yourself?

Penne: I love to go fishing and I have two dogs, Mina and Nelly.

Do you have a favorite athlete, sports team or anyone else that inspires you?

Penne: I love watching Josh Allen play football and what he does off the field inspires me as well.

Any other sports, hobbies or activities you are involved in?

Penne: Golf, fishing, baseball lessons, and weight lifting.

Do you have a favorite book or quote?

Penne: My favorite quote is, “Rest at the end, not in the middle,” which was said by Kobe Bryant.

Favorite restaurant or meal?

Penne: My favorite meal is Shawarma

Favorite place you have visited?

Penne: My favorite place I have visited is Omaha for the College Baseball World Series.

Favorite TV Show or movie?

Penne: “Top Gun Maverick”

Favorite music artist or genre?

Penne: Morgan Wallen, Country

Any favorite school subjects or teachers?

Penne: My favorite subject is science but my favorite teacher is Tyler Gaumer.

What are your plans for after high school?

Penne: I plan to attend University of Wisconsin-Platteville to continue playing baseball and study Biology with an emphasis on Ecology.

The motorsports world is grieving today following the passing of Ned Jarrett, one of NASCAR's most celebrated figures. Jarrett, who won two Cup Series championships during his storied career, died Friday at the age of 93.

NASCAR confirmed the news in an official statement, calling Jarrett "one of our sport's greatest ambassadors" and extending condolences to his family and loved ones.

Jarrett's legacy in motorsports stretches far beyond his two premier-series titles. Known affectionately as "Gentleman Ned" for his sportsmanship and character both on and off the track, he earned the respect of fans, drivers, and officials throughout his decades of involvement in the sport. His success behind the wheel eventually gave way to a long and beloved career as a broadcaster, where his warm voice became synonymous with NASCAR's growth into a mainstream American sport.

He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, cementing his place among the all-time greats of stock car racing.

Jarrett is also widely known as the father of Dale Jarrett, himself a NASCAR Cup Series champion and Hall of Famer -- making the Jarretts one of the most accomplished father-son duos in the history of professional motorsports.

The racing community has rallied to honor his memory, with tributes pouring in from across the sport. His impact on NASCAR -- as a driver, broadcaster, and ambassador -- leaves a legacy that will endure for generations.

Ned Jarrett was 93 years old.

Related Links

• NASCAR Hall of Fame - Official Site
• More NASCAR Coverage on Backfire News
• Racing News on Backfire News
• Ned Jarrett - Wikipedia
• Dale Jarrett - Wikipedia (son and fellow NASCAR champion)

The Carolina Panthers' first-round draft pick is exemplifying that idea with his attitude and versatility. Monroe Freeling mostly played left tackle during his time at Georgia, but he did put in some time at right tackle as well—totaling 257 snaps there prior to his final collegiate campaign.

While the plan may be to still put Freeling on the blindside, he has been practicing a bit on the right at organized team activities. Freeling says he's he'll be whatever the Panthers need him to be, per team reporter Kassidy Hill:

"I'm really just a jack of all trades. Whatever they need me, I'll be," Freeling stated. "So if they tell me to go right, I'm going right, I'm not going to have any complaint. I'm going to do my best to be my best right tackle. If they told me to go left, I'm going to do exactly the same thing. So, whenever they need me to be, I'm going to be."

For now, Taylor Moton is still projected to start at right tackle—where he has only missed a grand total three games since he was drafted nine years ago. Moton will turn 32 years old before this coming season begins, though—and the Panthers will need a contingency plan for his inevitable retirement.

As for the other side of the offensive line, starter Ickey Ekwonu is currently recovering from the torn patellar tendon he sustained in January. So while the right may be an option for him, Freeling should continue to battle veteran free-agent signee Rasheed Walker for Ekwonu's spot early on.

Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.

This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers OT Monroe Freeling: I'm a 'jack of all trades'

So the fourth-year pro isn't just emerging as a valuable sharpshooter who was overlooked initially after going undrafted and being waived by the Philadelphia 76ers to begin his NBA career. He also might be a villain in his hometown if the Spurs manage to come back and win an NBA championship over the Knicks.

"I have a lot of friends who are New York fans and I would love to spoil their plans," Champagnie told reporters before the NBA Finals began.

TRUMP: Amazed by Wemby, 'How do you guard this guy?'

The career trajectories of French Open finalists Mirra Andreeva and Maja Chwalinska could not be more contrasting.

Russian eighth seed Andreeva is a teenage sensation who earned her first WTA Tour win as a 15-year-old in 2023, reaching the Wimbledon fourth round just two months later.

Becoming a Grand Slam champion has felt like a question of when, and not if, ever since.

"I'm getting closer - I'm getting a little bit more mature with every match I play," said 19-year-old Andreeva.

Qualifier Chwalinska's path to Saturday's showpiece at Roland Garros has been less predictable.

The 24-year-old from Poland has never received direct entry into the main draw of a major and had only come through Grand Slam qualifying in two of her previous 14 attempts.

With little pedigree, 114th-ranked Chwalinska's breakthrough is a lesson in what can be achieved through dedication and perseverance.

"I feel like I'm in the bubble. I don't know what's going on. I'm just very happy to be here," said Chwalinska, who was a 500-1 outsider at the start of the tournament.

The teenage sensation benefitting from growing maturity

What Andreeva has achieved over the past fortnight is underlined by the historical statistics.

The third-youngest Roland Garros finalist this century behind 18-year-old Coco Gauff in 2022 and 17-year-old Kim Clijsters in 2001, Andreeva is bidding to become the youngest French Open champion since Monica Seles in 1992.

Born in Siberia and trained in France, Andreeva has been touted for greatness since her breakthrough at the 2023 Madrid Open - where her talent and fearlessness led to praise from Andy Murray.

Her progress has accelerated since appointing former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez as her coach in 2024.

Spain's Martinez says it was clear from the moment she started working with Andreeva that she was a star in the making.

• 'If I won then so can she' - the Wimbledon champion nurturing Andreeva

After reaching the French Open semi-finals two years ago, Andreeva continued to make great strides in 2025, winning two WTA 1000 titles and cracking the world's top five.

A tempestuous streak on the court has, however, served as a reminder of her tender age.

Some of her behaviour - notably swiping away balls towards the crowd - has come close to crossing the line and she combusted against home wildcard Lois Boisson in a febrile French Open quarter-final last year.

But the calm manner in which she powered past Ukrainian 15th seed Marta Kostyuk in Thursday's semi-finals - a match played against a backdrop of political tension - was a sign of her increasing maturity.

"At some points, I was listening [to Martinez], but at the same time sticking to what I had been doing," said Andreeva, who has not faced a top-10 ranked opponent.

"Now I feel like I completely trust what my team tells me and it's easier for me. Whatever they tell me, I will just do it."

The qualifier seamlessly adapting to the biggest stage

Chwalinska's remarkable run means Emma Raducanu's place as the only qualifier to win a Grand Slam title - which the Briton achieved at the 2021 US Open - is under threat.

If Chwalinska beats Andreeva, it will rank as high as Raducanu in terms of major victories that no-one saw coming.

Most of Chwalinska's career has been spent on the lower rungs of the professional ladder, travelling around trying to make ends meets.

Even after winning her second-round match in Paris, Chwalinska feared she could not afford to pay for more nights in her hotel.

Without sponsors of her own, a Polish company that backs six-time major champion Iga Swiatek - a childhood friend of Chwalinska - stepped in to cover the costs.

"Let's not pretend someone expected it. I was outside the top 100 and now I'm in the final of a Grand Slam. It is hard to process," she said.

• How shock French Open finalist's tiny tattoo gives meaning to big run

In 2021, Chwalinska took an indefinite break from tennis after losing in the first round of qualifying at Wimbledon.

Chwalinska was suffering from a depression that left her feeling lifeless and unable to get out of bed. She had no idea when - or even if - she would return.

Four months later she felt well enough to make a comeback, but the journey to the top has been a slow burner.

Chwalinska was playing tiny tournaments in Italian cities Brescia and Bari after losing in French Open qualifying last year.

Now she is preparing to walk out in front of 15,000 people on Court Philippe Chatrier, as millions more watch on from around the world.

"I always really enjoyed playing in front of people, even on the ITF circuit. I always enjoyed tournaments where people were interested," Chwalinska added.

"The stage has changed, but honestly, I just want to win."

• Live scores, results and order of play
• Get tennis news sent straight to your phone

The Atlanta Braves were not able to get a sweep of the reigning AL champion Toronto Blue Jays yesterday, but they did win the series and look to take that momentum into the weekend series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pirates are having somewhat of a surprising season this year with a .540 record, and a run differential of plus thirty-seven. They had Paul Skenes to build off of and went and added some bats in the off-season, but it would be hard for someone with a straight face to say they predicted this outcome so far this season.

Martín Pérez will be taking on the Pirates offense that has currently scored only four less runs than the Braves ranking them fourth in MLB. Unfortunately for Pérez, he has not faced many of these hitters much in his career. He has only seen six of the hitters on the Pirates’ current roster and none of them have more than nine at-bats against him. Brandon Lowe has those nine at-bats and Pérez has struggled a bit allowing a .333 average and .788 OPS against him. Old friend Marcell Ozuna has seven at-bats and has definitely had the edge in the matchup with a .571 average and 1.700 OPS.

On paper Pérez has been fantastic this year and has been way better than likely most expected with an ERA of 2.79. If his season ended today, that would be his best ERA in a season in his career. His strikeout rate of 20.5 would be his second best in a season. For his career he has averaged 16.5 percent. Interestingly, he has been able to do all of this with a fastball that averages 90.0 MPH, which is unheard of in today’s game.

The down side for Pérez is that his ERA is likely unsustainable. Players are hitting the ball hard against him 42.0 percent of the time which is far higher than his career 36.1 percent and ranks in the bottom 29.0 percent of MLB. He has also been aided by a BABIP against of .226 and a strand rate of 84.4 percent. All of this combined shows his expected ERA (xERA) to be 4.34. This xERA is not terrible for a fifth starter. In fact, it is the best he has had in a season since 2022. However, it is important to note that regression is likely coming and he is facing a potent offense tonight.

The Pirates will bring Mitch Keller to the mound that some would say has been an underrated pitcher for most of his career. He is not elite by any means, but he has gotten the job done many times and has been a steady arm for the Pirates for years.

Coming into this game Keller sports an ERA of 4.35, and a what is interesting is his xERA is almost exactly the same at 4.36. Basically, what you see is what you get with him. In 2024 he had the exact same ERA and xERA.

The Braves as a team have faced Keller quite a bit. Eight different players have faced him between eight and nineteen times. Of these players, the Braves core lineup has mostly had great success. Ronald Acuña has nineteen at-bats against Keller and has three HRs and 1.371 OPS in that span against him. Matt Olson has the exact same OPS as Acuña against Keller in twelve at-bats, and Austin Riley has an OPS of 1.055 in ten at-bats against him. Mauricio Dubón has also had success in ten at-bats with a .400 average and .955 OPS.

Michael Harris has struggled to a .500 OPS, and Ha-Seong Kim is hitless in eleven at-bats.

The key for the Braves today will be to get to the Pirates bullpen as soon as they can because their bullpen is a clear weakness with an ERA of 4.29, which is in the bottom twelve teams in MLB.

First pitch is at 7:15 EDT.

Game Info

Game Time: Friday, June 5th, 7:15 pm EDT

Location: Truist Park, , Atlanta, GA

Watch: BravesVision

Radio/Audio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

Newcastle United are set for a significant changing of the guard in their goalkeeping department this summer, with long-serving number one Nick Pope expected to leave St James’ Park. The Magpies have already held exploratory transfer talks with newly promoted Ipswich Town, who are keen to bring the veteran shot-stopper back to his boyhood club.

With Pope’s contract at Newcastle set to expire in June 2027, the club’s hierarchy are keen to cash in on the 34-year-old rather than risk losing him for nothing. Pope’s status as Newcastle’s undisputed first choice has come under scrutiny over the past year following a dip in form, despite briefly regaining his starting spot from loan signing Aaron Ramsdale late in the season.

Newcastle have already agreed a deal in principle to sign highly rated French goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen from Reims, all but signalling the end of Pope’s time in the North East. Rather than keeping an expensive, ageing backup on the wage bill, sporting director Ross Wilson is keen to move on high earners to stay compliant with financial regulations.

For Ipswich Town, the potential signing represents a remarkable homecoming. Pope was a boyhood season-ticket holder at Portman Road and spent six years in the Tractor Boys’ youth academy before being released at 16. After their promotion to the Premier League, manager Kieran McKenna sees Pope’s top-flight experience and shot-stopping pedigree as invaluable to solidifying their status in the division.

While Leeds United have also registered interest in the ‘outstanding’ ten-cap England international as a short-term solution, Ipswich’s strong personal connection and guaranteed Premier League football put them firmly in the driving seat.

Negotiations between the two clubs are expected to continue in the coming weeks.

“I love football because it unites people,” Kittle’s fake statement read. “But lately, I’ve seen politics being dragged into it far too often. Charlie Kirk may matter to some, but he has no place in the NFL. Football is for the fans, the competition, and the love of the game—not for politics.”

The online backlash to the quote was swift and enormous, prompting Kittle to post a response via Instagram Story: “This is a fake quote. I hope most of you realize that. Also, that [Facebook] account only posts fake news/reports, please ignore them. The wild messages I’m receiving from people made me have to address it.”

Jason Kelce had to do similar damage control last October, leading up to the Super Bowl, when an alleged quote of him disparaging Bad Bunny (“bad fit for America’s future”) went viral. “I normally don’t comment on things like this, but I feel I need to address that there are a number of accounts posting fake quotes and attributing them to me on this platform right now,” he said.

Alongside Kittle and Kelce, several other current and former NFL players have had fake quotes attributed to them. Star athletes, teams, and media figures across nearly every sport and league are in the same position.

The inaccurate and usually sensational quotes are just one part of a larger ecosystem of “AI slop,” generally defined as low-quality content that is produced by artificial intelligence tools with little to no regard for accuracy. These posts have become a mainstay of the internet’s new era, and they’re increasingly targeting the world of sports. 

Experts tell Front Office Sports that massive, tribal audiences and never-ending event calendars make sports a perfect breeding ground for widespread AI slop. The fake-news churn is not only frustrating for fatigued fans, but also an increasing problem for sports professionals. 

Kevin Clark, NFL commentator at ESPN and Omaha Productions, says the topic came up during conversations he had at the NFL’s annual league meeting in Phoenix at the end of March. “[NFL team] PR departments are having to spend time swatting down the craziest things,” he tells FOS. “And it keeps happening more and more.” 

Why Sports Makes for Such Good Slop

Sports slop is typically packaged to mimic the look of social media posts from legitimate sports outlets and insiders, in a way that deceives fans. There’s a range of this content: Along with fabricated quotes about hot-button topics, the most common types are erroneous claims about schedule changes or player deaths. 

It spreads through a simple snowball effect: A fake quote gets screenshotted and shared across platforms, often first by content-hungry aggregator accounts, and sometimes—more problematically—by legitimate users who got duped. 

This content is specifically crafted to push buttons and cause engagement. A lot of slop ties teams and athletes to political, emotional, or otherwise divisive news events, much like Kirk’s assassination. 

In April, after a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ dinner, Facebook was flooded with posts claiming the suspected assailant had previously worked as a staffer for major collegiate and professional sports teams, including the Philadelphia Eagles, Indiana Fever, Ohio State Buckeyes, and Chicago White Sox. The posts followed a similar format: side-by-side photos of Cole Tomas Allen—a real one of him being arrested at the Washington Hilton and an AI-generated one of him smiling while sporting team apparel. They also came from similar sources: Facebook pages that bill themselves as fan sites for their respective teams. All were untrue.

Sports is a particularly effective slop delivery vehicle because fans are extremely online—and rabidly loyal. 

“People feel so passionate about their favorite teams and athletes, and that passion can easily be manipulated into angry clicks and comments based on what information they’re consuming,” says sportswriter and commentator Jemele Hill. 

Hill has been the target of several viral fabricated quotes, including one that claimed she said Angel Reese was the next Michael Jordan. The fake story eventually made its way to a Stephen A. Smith podcast segment—an example of how sports slop can quickly spread as legitimate news on big platforms.

But what also makes sports so susceptible to the AI slop machine is that people largely aren’t vigilantly looking out for fake news in the category. “Most people who use social media are used to seeing a piece of political content and going, ‘That might not be real,’” says C. Shawn Eib, head of investigations at AI risk-management firm Alethea. “Sports fans haven’t really had a reason to think like that before now, so it’s an untapped market for bad actors.”

There’s also never a shortage of sports news and events to manipulate. That constant onslaught makes the slop increasingly believable, says Marshini Chetty, an associate professor of computer science at the University of Chicago. 

This all combines for a proliferate content machine that efficiently turns fake sports news into the day’s big topic, especially as psychology studies on mis- and dis-information routinely show people are much more likely to hang on to fake information they heard first than to any corrective information heard later.

“With the frequency with which fans are encountering increasingly realistic AI slop,” Chetty says, “I assume this effect might be even stickier.” 

Why Sports Slop Exists

Sports slop went into overdrive in 2025, as access to generative-AI tools increased. Before that, creating deceptive online accounts and content required a fair amount of human labor, attention, and even creativity; now, Eib says, this work can easily be produced at scale “by just one person in a room.” 

A human being may create the fake quote, but AI-generated visuals speed its spread.

While sports slop is present on every platform, Facebook is its beating heart. There, pages that bill themselves as team fan sites pump out fake, AI-generated content upward of 50 times a day, according to an Alethea report from January. (Meta did not respond to a request for comment about why sports-related AI-generated content thrives on Facebook or the specifics of its content-moderation policies.)

The Alethea analysis also showed NFL-focused slop pages typically had administrators located in two countries: India and Vietnam. Yet most pages list the addresses and phone numbers of local small businesses to give the appearance of legitimacy. They also employ other tactics, such as posting outbound links in the comments section rather than in the post itself, to help skirt Facebook’s moderation tools that get posts removed.

These outbound links are the core of the whole operation; they funnel users to junk sites stuffed with ads, from which administrators collect revenue on an impressions basis. The strategy is extremely low margin, so it’s a volume-based play, says Eib: “To be making any kind of money, they have to go for that economy of scale.”

The Moderation Problem

Sources tell FOS it’s impossible to quantify exactly how much AI-generated sports content is posted with the intent to deceive or rile users. But there’s more of it every day. 

A recent joint study by Stanford University, Imperial College London, and the Internet Archive showed that, as of mid-2025, 35% of all newly published websites were either partially or fully AI-generated. Before the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, this figure was close to 0%.

“The trend line of AI-generated content on the internet is going up,” says Max Spero, CEO of Pangram Labs, whose AI-detection tool was used in the Stanford study. “And it’s really not going to stop.”

That volume makes moderation an enormous challenge. Most platforms rely on existing community guidelines to police AI-generated content and are “permanently playing catch-up” as a result, says UChicago’s Chetty. 

Features like X/Twitter’s Community Notes—which let users add context to posts—have proved useful but are imperfect. Fabricated posts often still circulate for hours or days before receiving corrections, accumulating all kinds of engagement.

Pushing Back Hard

The current sports-content environment isn’t doing much to stanch the effects of AI slop. 

The shitposting culture embraced in recent years by the social media accounts of professional teams only makes the fake content more believable, as does the outright lying that is now standard fare for accounts associated with prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket.

“Sports used to be considered one of those things that unite and inspire us, but all of this fake content is creating conversations that are rooted in anger or some other extreme emotion that has nothing to do with joy,” says Hill. 

Still, even as fans find themselves duped by the slop, they’re increasingly pushing back on AI content in all its forms.

ESPN was roundly criticized for using an AI-altered photo of Tony Parker during its broadcast of Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The network told FOS it is “evaluating” whether to use AI in its remaining Finals presentations. Last month, the Fever also took heat for sharing an Instagram post in which Caitlin Clark’s hand was visibly altered by an AI tool—including from Clark herself, who called out the error in the comments section. 

Fan campaigns for sweeping bans on AI-generated content are becoming commonplace, and several pro sports teams have denounced the use of AI for graphics or social posting, which is helping sort the signal from the noise.

For now, though, the only thing for sports fans to do is get savvier when they see a headline. As people get increasingly used to sports as a vehicle for fake news, it may become easier to spot content that doesn’t pass the smell test. And although sports is fertile ground for AI slop, like anything, its shock value may wear off over time. The slop factories will be forced to move on.

The post How Sports Became Ground Zero for AI Slop appeared first on Front Office Sports.

MORE: 3 NFL stars next to be traded now that Myles Garrett & A.J. Brown have been dealt

Encouraging Signs In Recovery

Payton said Nix has been throwing before practice and expects him to have a larger role when the media is back for the third week of offseason work. The Broncos still expect Nix to miss the June 9-11 OTA sessions, so this is not a full green light yet. But it is progress.

Nix fractured the ankle during Denver’s divisional-round playoff win over the Buffalo Bills on Jan. 17. He had surgery three days later, then underwent a planned cleanup procedure in April. That makes the timing of his return important, especially with training camp approaching later this summer.

The Broncos do not need Nix to win June. They need him healthy for September.

Broncos Focused On The Bigger Picture

Nix has become the centerpiece of Denver’s offense after being drafted No. 12 overall in 2024. Through two regular seasons, he has gone 24-10 as a starter, thrown for 7,706 yards with 54 touchdowns and 23 interceptions, and added 786 rushing yards with nine scores. He has also helped lead the Broncos to the playoffs in both seasons.

In the meantime, Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger are competing for the backup job behind him. That battle matters, but only if Nix’s recovery stalls.

For now, the Broncos appear to be getting the update they wanted.

Nix is not fully back yet. But Payton’s timeline suggests Denver’s quarterback should be ready before the real work begins.

— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead —

The second Grand Slam of the year is nearing its conclusion, with French Open finals weekend to take place in Paris.

In Saturday's women's showpiece, Poland's Maja Chwalinska will bid to become only the second qualifier to lift a Grand Slam title when she faces Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva - a fellow first-time major finalist.

On Sunday, men's second seed Alexander Zverev will aim to win a long-awaited first Grand Slam against Italy's Flavio Cobolli.

There is comprehensive coverage across the BBC - here is all you need to know.

• Cobolli through to final as Arnaldi withdraws with virus
• Zverev one win away from long-awaited Grand Slam title
• How shock French Open finalist's tiny tattoo gives meaning to big run

How to follow French Open finals on the BBC

There will be text commentaries of the women's and men's singles finals on the BBC Sport website and app, while there will be a daily podcast recapping the biggest stories on BBC Sounds.

5 Live Sport has daily coverage and commentary live from Court Philippe-Chatrier across Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app.

Tennis correspondent Russell Fuller will be joined by a combination of Katie Smith, Abigail Johnson, David Law and Gigi Salmon, with analysis from Annabel Croft, Pat Cash, Daniela Hantuchova, Naomi Broady, Ryan Harrison and Leon Smith.

Coverage of the women's singles final will start from 13:00 BST on Saturday, with commentary of the men's final from 16:00 on Sunday.

When is the French Open 2026?

The clay-court Grand Slam started on Sunday, 24 May at Roland Garros and finishes on Sunday, 7 June.

The women's singles final takes place on Saturday, 6 June, with the men's final concluding the tournament a day later.

Qualifying, where players must win three matches to reach the main draw, began on Monday, 18 May.

Who won the French Open in 2025?

Carlos Alcaraz won his second French Open title last year after coming from two sets down - and saving three championship points - to beat Sinner in a thrilling men's singles final.

Gauff, meanwhile, fought back to defeat Aryna Sabalenka in the women's singles final to win her first French Open title and second singles major.

Is Carlos Alcaraz playing?

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz will not defend his French Open crown this year because of a wrist injury he sustained at the Barcelona Open.

Alcaraz will also miss next month's Wimbledon.

The Spaniard, who recently lost his world number one ranking to Sinner, completed the career Grand Slam when he won the Australian Open in January.

Who were the in-form players heading into Roland Garros?

With Alcaraz absent, top seed Sinner was aiming to secure his own career Grand Slam - winning each of the major tournaments at least once - with the French Open the only one missing from his collection.

The Italian had been in top form, having won the past six ATP Masters 1000 titles - including three consecutive clay-court events at Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome.

In doing so, he became just the second man, after Novak Djokovic, to complete the full set of nine Masters titles - known as the 'career Golden Masters'.

However, his 30-match winning streak came to an end in dramatic circumstances in round two.

Djokovic has won three French Open titles but the 39-year-old has not played many matches this year and made an early exit from the Italian Open in his only clay-court appearance this season prior to starting his unsuccessful campaign at Roland Garros.

In the women's singles, Gauff reached the final of the Italian Open, where she was defeated by Elina Svitolina.

Elena Rybakina had a chance to replace Sabalenka at the top of the world rankings if she performed well in Paris, but the number two seed lost in round two to Yuliia Starodubtseva.

• Qualifier Chwalinska sets up final against Andreeva

No British players reach third round of singles

There were no British representatives in the third round of the singles in Paris, with Katie Boulter the final British player to exit the tournament. She lost in three sets to Potapova.

Emma Raducanu was beaten in the first round on Sunday but Francesca Jones made it through to round two.

Jones was beaten by Czech 27th seed Marie Bouzkova in straight sets.

Sonay Kartal missed out because of injury.

There were first-round defeats for all three British male players involved in the main draw.

Cameron Norrie, who was the only Briton to be seeded at Roland Garros, retired injured from his match with Adolfo Daniel Vallejo, while 122nd-ranked Jacob Fearnley, who also had direct entry, lost in straight sets to Juan Manuel Cerundolo.

Jack Draper, the only other British man in the world's top 100, withdrew before the tournament because of an ongoing knee injury.

Toby Samuel made it through qualifying but lost in straight sets to eighth seed Alex de Minaur.

• Boulter loss means no Brits in singles third round
• Jones' loss leaves Boulter as last Briton in singles
• No British men reach French Open second round
• 'A big ask' in Paris - will a stronger Raducanu emerge at Wimbledon?

What is the prize money?

The total prize money for the French Open is 61.7m euros (£53.7m), with the men's and women's singles champions set to take home 2.8m euros (£2.4m) each.

There is an ongoing dispute over prize money in tennis, with the men's and women's top-10 players demanding a higher percentage of the revenue generated by the four majors.

• Players to cut short French Open interviews in pay row

French Open 2026 draw

The draw for this year's tournament took place on Thursday, 21 May.

• Full men's singles draw (external)
• Full women's singles draw (external)

• Raducanu faces tricky start - who plays who at French Open?

French Open 2026 schedule

6 June: Women's singles final

7 June: Men's singles final

• Live scores, results and order of play
• Get tennis news sent straight to your phone

After news of Arnaldi's withdrawal broke, he attended a joint press conference with Cobolli to explain why he was forced to abandon his bid for a Grand Slam final.

"I had a fever during the day. I couldn't move, eat, or drink. There was no way I would have been able to play. I feel sorry for all the fans," Arnaldi said at the press conference.

Although Arnaldi said he didn't know what caused the illness, he revealed that after a sleepless night spent vomiting, he attempted to prepare for the match but ultimately had no choice but to withdraw.

The 25-year-old said he “can’t move, can’t eat and can’t drink” after coming down with illness overnight.

Unseeded Arnaldi was the lowest-ranked man to reach the last four at Roland-Garros since 1997 off the back of a stunning run, in which he spent nearly 20 hours on court over a gruelling two weeks.

But the Italian, who is ranked 104th in the world, came down with illness and will now not contest the final. His walkover means close friend Cobolli, the world No 14, will face Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s showpiece.

An announcement was made 25 minutes before the match had been due to start on Court Philippe-Chatrier that Arnaldi was “suffering from a virus”.

Arnaldi appeared before press shortly after and was visibly disappointed as he said: “It’s difficult to be here, it’s not what I wanted to do, but last night I started to feel not very well. Yesterday I was feeling fine, I came here to practice. I went to dinner, woke up at 1am and started vomiting, I couldn’t sleep at all, and at 6, 7am I vomited again, this time was pretty bad.

“We called the doctor and I was hoping that it would just be something from dinner but throughout the day I couldn’t eat, every time I would go back to the bathroom.

“It’s tough, because for how the tournament was, for how many hours I spent on court I was feeling very good. Having to withdraw from the first slam semi-final is not what you wish for anybody.”

He added that he believed he was suffering from a virus rather than food poisoning, a common occurrence at tournaments. He said: “I tried to get ready and see if I could go on court but every time I get up I feel dizzy, so that was the right decision to take.

“I can’t move, I can’t eat, I can’t drink, so there was no way I’d be able to play. I feel sorry for everyone that got a ticket and came to watch us, I feel happy for him that he’s going to play the final but at the same time sad that we couldn’t play the match.”

“It’s also tough for me to speak now,” Cobolli, a close friend and Davis Cup teammate of Arnaldi, said. “When he came to me an hour ago I almost cried. It’s something that you don’t expect, I was ready to play this match, and when he came I was completely sad for him. At the same time of course I’m really happy for the result that I reached this week.”

25-year-old Arnaldi had spent the most time on court of all the four semi-finalists by nearly four hours, having played two five-set epics against Raphael Collignon and 19th seed Frances Tiafoe, the latter taking just shy of five and a half hours.

He beat compatriot Matteo Berrettini in the quarter-final when the former Wimbledon finalist retired injured at 7-5 5-2 down.

Cobolli translated a speech he made in Italian to Arnaldi in the press conference, saying in English: “I just said Matteo is a big inspiration for all of us. He’s an amazing player, he’s I think the best person outside the court for how he makes the team, preparation of the match, focus, cool-down, he’s one of the best on the tour for sure.

“I said also he deserved the results he got this week, he got injured last season and at the beginning of this one [with a foot injury]. We all knew about his level, everyone expected this result from him, his tennis is amazing. I wish him all the best for the future.”

A firm run by American tech billionaire Brooklyn Earick have claimed they have agreed to buy most of Daniel Levy’s stake in Tottenham.

However, their surprise announcement came as news to ENIC, the club’s majority shareholders, who released a statement saying they were unaware of Levy’s shares being sold to Eight Sports Capital. It is understood ENIC have had no contact with the prospective buyers.

But Eight Sports Capital said they had signed a sale and purchase agreement to take a 24.99 percent stake in Spurs from former chairman Levy, who who stood down last September after running Tottenham for a quarter of a century.

Earick, a boyhood Tottenham fan who had expressed an interest in buying Spurs last year, is an engineer turned entrepreneur who used to work for NASA. He has now raised more than £25bn in funds, including from sovereign wealth funds.

He is the CEO of Redacted RnD, a Singapore-based venture capital company while Eight Sports Capital is a sports investment firm owned by Triller, who have also been involved in pay-per-view boxing, including Mike Tyson’s fight against Roy Jones Jr.

A spokesperson for Eight Sports Capital Limited stated: “We are delighted to have signed this agreement to acquire a significant stake in ENIC. We look forward to working with the club’s shareholders, management, staff, players and fans to support Tottenham Hotspur’s continued growth and success.”

But an ENIC Spokesperson said: “We can confirm that neither ENIC nor THFC are aware of any sale by Daniel Levy’s Family Trust of its minority stake in ENIC, THFC’s parent company. The THFC Board and Executive Team remain fully focused on delivering the commitments we set out to fans at the end of the season."

ENIC remain Tottenham’s majority owners, with the Lewis family owning 70.12 percent. The billionaire Joe Lewis has been represented by his daughter Vivienne and her son-in-law, Nick Beucher, who have become prominent since Levy stood down, while Peter Charrington became chairman.

After Tottenham finished 17th for the second consecutive season, avoiding relegation on the last day of the Premier League campaign, they said in a statement they would not sell the club and promised investment.

Levy is yet to comment in public as to whether he is agreed to have sold his shares. If so, it would make him hundreds of millions of pounds, with Tottenham valued at around £3bn.

Johnson chose the Gators over Florida State and Cincinnati after John Sumrall and staff built a strong relationship with the 6-foot, 185-pound high school junior, who made multiple trips to Gainesville before announcing his decision.

"Johnson brings lots of versatility to Florida's 2027 class, as the Gators recruited him as a secondary prospect as well as wide receiver," Swamp247's Tyler Harden said of the two-way standout. "However, he projects most as a safety at the next level."

The Gators' latest pledge is viewed as a versatile athlete with a ton of upside. The Homerville, Georgia, product recorded 29 tackles and 5 interceptions to go along with 38 receptions for 828 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Johnson has also posted 400-meter dash marks of sub-51 seconds — good enough for fourth in the Georgia 1A Division II state competition. The Peach State native showcased his speed last season, returning two punts and a kickoff for touchdowns.

Kamarion Johnson's recruiting summary

Johnson is slated as the No. 439 overall prospect in the 2027 cycle and No. 39 at his position according to 247Sports composite, while On3 industry rankings have him at Nos. 812 and 25, respectively. Johnson fielded 13 total offers, including two other SEC programs in Alabama and Mississippi State.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida football gets commitment from two-sport ATH Kamarion Johnson

The 2027 NFL Draft is still a great ways away, but a new projection has the Seattle Seahawks addressing their edge rusher slot in the first round of the event.

According to Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski, the Seahawks select Minnesota edge rusher Anthony Smith with the No. 30 overall pick in next year’s draft.

Smith led the Big Ten in sacks last season with 12.5. He added 17.5 tackles for loss and three passes defended on the season for Minnesota. 

The Seahawks lost edge rusher Boye Mafe in free agency this offseason, giving the team a reason to select a highly-touted edge rusher in the draft next year, to play behind or take over for his replacement, Dante Fowler Jr. in 2027.

Smith is currently one of the top edge rushers in next year’s draft class. Seattle may find themselves in position to select him in the 2027 draft and add him to their rotation of exceptional edge rushers.

This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks take Minnesota DL No. 30 in Bleacher Report’s 2027 mock

To the next generation of NASCAR fans, Jarrett was a voice of the sport as a broadcaster as it rose in popularity through the 1980s and 1990s. Another generation viewed him as the father of Dale Jarrett, winner of the Cup Series in 1999.

What’s inarguable is that Jarrett was part of the sport’s history and fabric.

The former driver turned TV talent died June 4 at the age of 93, surrounded by his family at his home in Newton, North Carolina. In a statement, his family did not name a specific cause of death.

“Our father was a devout Christian and a devoted, loving, family man. He was a friend to everyone he met and NASCAR’s oldest living champion. By all accounts, he was a true NASCAR legend,” his family wrote in a statement. “While we mourn his passing, we celebrate the remarkable life of an amazing man and truly the best father anyone could have wished for.”

For his easygoing demeanor, politeness, smooth driving and calm disposition, Jarrett earned the nickname “Gentleman Ned” during his racing career that began in the early 1950s. But anyone who underestimated Jarrett on the racetrack would wind up regretting it.

Matteo Arnaldi stunned the tennis world Friday by announcing his withdrawal from a French Open semifinal match against fellow Italian Flavio Cobolli. Now, Cobolli will meet Alexander Zverev in Sunday's Grand Slam final.

The world No. 104 who was enjoying a career emergence at Roland-Garros, Arnaldi reached his first career Grand Slam semifinal by knocking off Stefanos Tsitsipas and Frances Tiafoe. His matchup against Cobolli was highly anticipated among fans from Italy and across the world.

Health, unfortunately, got in the way.

Why did Arnaldi withdraw from semifinal?

Arnaldi explained to reporters he caught a viral illness the night before his semifinal match. He began feeling stomach discomfort after dinner Thursday and initially thought the food didn't digest well. Then he realized the situation was far more grave.

The 25-year-old woke up to vomit at 1 a.m. and couldn't get back to sleep. Another round of vomiting came around five hours later, so Arnaldi called a doctor to his room in an effort to get relief. Still, Arnaldi couldn't eat or drink without needing an immediate trip to the bathroom.

Because Arnaldi couldn't keep anything down and was feeling dizzy throughout the day, he had to make the unenviable decision to withdraw. The decision did not come lightly.

“Having to withdraw from my first Grand Slam semi-final is not something you wish to anybody”

Matteo Arnaldi explains why he had to withdraw from the Roland-Garros semi-final 💔 pic.twitter.com/nW8N52REXk

— TNT Sports (@tntsports) June 5, 2026

"Having to withdraw from my first Grand Slam semifinal is not something that you wish to anybody," Arnaldi said.

With Arnaldi exiting the tournament, Cobolli will battle Zverev in the French Open final on Sunday at 9 a.m. ET.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Why did Matteo Arnaldi withdraw from French Open semifinals?