Flagg received the nod over Johni Broome, Walter Clayton Jr., Mark Sears and Braden Smith.
This season, Flagg is averaging 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Despite returning from an ankle injury sustained in the ACC tournament, he is putting up 19.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists in the NCAA Tournament.
Flagg has helped carry Duke to the Final Four, and the Blue Devils are the favorite to win it all.
It will not be an easy task because the Final Four features four No. 1 seeds for just the second time in tournament history.
The Blue Devils will take on Houston at 8:49 p.m. ET Saturday after Florida and Auburn meet in San Antonio.
Flagg is the favorite to be the first overall pick this summer if he enters the NBA Draft. Flagg has said he wants to remain at Duke.
"S---, I want to come back next year," the freshman said in February. "I still feel like a kid. This is the only way I’ve ever known college. That’s how I see it. I really wouldn’t know how kids felt before, and if this feels different, if this feels more like being a professional. I mean, it’s the same thing for kids in high school, too, getting paid a lot of money. I don’t know. I feel pretty normal."
Watkins was one of the most dominant players in the NCAA tournament before tearing her ACL in the second round. She is fourth in the nation in scoring with 23.9 points per game, along with 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks in 33.8 minutes per game.
Watkins was also on pace to potentially break Caitlin Clark's all-time NCAA scoring record before the ACL tear.
Bueckers, a senior, is still playing in the NCAA Tournament and will have a chance to win the championship after dominating UCLA 85-51 in the Final Four Friday.
The last person a 13-year-old was with before he died has been arrested on a separate sexual assault charge, according to the teen's family
Oscar Omar Hernandez was found dead in a ditch earlier this week in Ventura County near Los Angeles, and his family says he was last seen with his youth soccer coach.
On Wednesday, the same day Hernandez's body was found, Los Angeles police arrested the coach on an unrelated sexual assault charge from a case in February 2024.
Hernandez's body was found roughly 70 miles away from his home. According to KTLA in Los Angeles, the family called Hernandez over the weekend, but his phone was answered by the coach, who said Hernandez's hands were covered with paint, and he couldn't answer the phone.
The family had video chatted with Hernandez earlier in the day.
The teen had gone to the coach's house to help paint their team's soccer jerseys, his mother, Gladys Maribel Bautista, told Fox 11. The family reported him missing Sunday after he never returned home, and his body was found three days later.
The coach is now considered a person of interest in the case and has reportedly been questioned.
The coach is not considered a suspect, nor has his identity been released because police have not publicly confirmed he's the same person being questioned regarding the teen's death.
Hernandez's sister, Alejandra, told Fox 11 the coach "even helped us look for Oscar."
"We never thought he would harm him," she said.
Hernandez and his family moved to California from Honduras three years ago.
A UFC fighter played hero in his Phoenix neighborhood late Friday night by apprehending the driver of a vehicle that crashed into a neighbor's home.
Henry Cejudo said he saw a car "probably going 80 to 100 miles an hour" and heard a loud boom. He then saw the car had crashed into his neighbor's home.
After hearing the crash, Cejudo saw the driver leave the car after a bit of a struggle and tried to get him to stop.
The owner of the home did the same. But when the driver "cold-cocked" the neighbor, "that's when I had to step in," Cejudo told MMA Junkie.
From there, it was easy for the former flyweight and bantamweight champion and his neighborhood wrecking crew.
"Pretty much all my neighbors came in to fight the situation. I ended up lifting him, dropping him, slapped him around a little bit and just pretty much controlled him," he said.
President Donald Trump has advanced to Sunday's final round of a Florida golf tournament, the Senior Club Championship, after winning in the second round Saturday, the White House announced.
"The president won his second-round matchup of the senior club championship today in Jupiter, Fla., and advances to the championship round on Sunday," the statement said.
Trump will look to win his second golf championship in a month. In early March, he won the Golf Club Championship at his club in Palm Beach County, Florida.
Trump suggested that tournament would be his last in a Truth Social post, but it turns out it wasn't.
"I just won the Golf Club Championship, probably my last, at Trump International Golf Club, in Palm Beach County, Florida. Such a great honor! The Awards dinner is tonight, at the Club," the March 5 post said.
Trump played in the Senior Club Championship this weekend after a week in which he imposed a series of tariffs on other countries as part of his "Liberation Day" agenda.
Trump imposed a 10% baseline tariff on all imported goods into the United States while some countries were slapped with higher rates.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social Saturday morning, wrote that his plan is already working with trillions of dollars pouring into the U.S. economy and encouraged Americans to "hang tough" after stock market declines.
"We are bringing back jobs and businesses like never before. Already, more than FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT, and rising fast! THIS IS AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION, AND WE WILL WIN," Trump wrote.
"HANG TOUGH, it won’t be easy, but the end result will be historic. We will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!"
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders is not only confident that two of his players will be top 10 picks in the NFL Draft later this month. He says they should be the first two picks announced.
Colorado’s pro day Friday welcomed evaluators from all 32 NFL teams to watch quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter showcase their talents ahead of the draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin, April 24.
According to ESPN, Sanders and Hunter did not participate in most position drills or physical testing.
But Sanders had a nearly hour-long throwing session that included Hunter. For coach Sanders, it was more than enough to prove both players should be the first and second picks in the draft.
"I think we have the most qualified guys in the draft," he said, via Titans reporter Jim Wyatt. "They are not a risk. Shedeur has been doing it year after year after year after year. Shedeur has led college football in this, this, this and this. And Travis, ain't nobody like Travis.
"So, the surest bets in this draft — and I'm not a betting man, I'm a Godly man — are those two young men. And I didn't stutter or stammer when I said that, did I?
The Tennessee Titans have the first pick in this year’s draft, and most forecasters have them selecting Miami quarterback Cam Ward. But the Titans seemed impressed Friday with both Colorado star players.
"Shedeur threw the ball well, and we got to see him out there with Travis," Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi said, via the team website.
"And Travis, everything you see on film – he is one of the twitchiest athletes I've ever seen. He's impressive. It was good to see Shedeur go through the whole workout and the two-minute drill after. It just confirms a lot of stuff you saw on tape. He can drive the deep ball. You saw that here today."
The Cleveland Browns could take Hunter with the No. 2 pick, opening the door for the New York Giants to draft Sanders at No. 3.
"It's tough to turn down that money when you know you're going to be No. 1, but he's at a great program, Duke," Johnson told TMZ Sports.
"To go back to Duke and spend one more year, just get them skills together a little bit more. I think that would be a pretty good idea. But, again, knowing you're gonna be No. 1 coming out as a freshman, that'd be hard to turn down."
Johnson also dismissed the idea Flagg would be risking an injury if he stayed at college, which could affect his draft stock.
"You can get hurt doing anything," he said.
Johnson had an opportunity to go out on a high note. He was on his way to the NBA after winning the national championship with UNLV in 1990, but he returned for one more year.
"I want to come back next year," the freshman said. "I still feel like a kid. This is the only way I’ve ever known college. That’s how I see it. I really wouldn’t know how kids felt before, and if this feels different, if this feels more like being a professional. I mean, it’s the same thing for kids in high school, too, getting paid a lot of money. I don’t know. I feel pretty normal."
Flagg and the Blue Devils will take on Houston in Saturday's Final Four at 8:49 p.m. ET in San Antonio.
Flagg, who returned from an ankle injury he sustained in the ACC tournament, is averaging 19.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists in the tournament, numbers similar to what he posted during the regular season.
A video of women's disc golfer Abigail Wilson refusing to face a transgender opponent went viral on Friday, prompting praise from women's sports rights activists.
The incident came just days after Fox News Digital reported that women's fencer Stephanie Turner had refused to face a transgender opponent at a competition in Maryland, prompting global awareness and criticism against USA Fencing.
Wilson's refusal to face the trans athlete came on Friday in Nashville, Tennessee, at the MVP Music City Open, which is an event that is officially sanctioned by the Disc Golf Pro Tour and the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA). When her name was called to step up to compete, she walked up to the tee box, wound up her toss, and flung her arm forward, but didn't let go of the disc. Then she turned around to explain why.
"Females must be protected in our division!" Wilson yelled to the crowd. "This is unfair. I refuse to play!"
Later on Friday, she shared the footage of her protest in an Instagram video.
"Today I refused to play at the Music City Open. Females deserve to have their gender protected division be protected. This is unfair. I have worked so hard to get to this point to play on the DGPT, but the sacrifice of my career and my hard work is worth it if it means I can make a difference for other women, daughters, nieces, and the future of our sport. If you feel how wrong it is to have biological males be competing in female protected divisions in sports, now is the time to speak up and stand your ground," she wrote in the caption.
"I took this stand today because I was having anxiety about playing with the openly trans player on tour because of the planned protests for this year and the threats of violence at the event last year. After speaking with a member of the DGPT staff yesterday they made it clear they would be unwilling to change me to an earlier tee time when regarding my fears of safety on the course.
"They assured me that there would be bag checks, police, and security at the event. Upon arriving this morning there was no security or police presence, I was also allowed entry even though I did not have my credentials. There were zero security precautions."
Wilson added that she believes the decision will end her disc golfing career.
"Today I most likely ended my career and that is okay because this is bigger than me."
Fox News Digital has reached out to the CEO and Tour Director of the Disc Golf Pro Tour Jeff Spring for comment.
The Professional Disc Golf Association rules state that transgender players who were assigned male at birth are eligible to compete in the women's category after undergoing continuous hormone therapy for at least 24 months and maintaining a certain testosterone level, verified through multiple blood tests. Eligibility can also be achieved through gender-affirming surgery, with the same requirements for testosterone levels post-surgery.
The trans competitor who prompted Wilson's protest, Natalie Ryan, first garnered attention in September 2022 after winning the women's division at the Discraft Great Lakes Open, and achieving a rank as one of the world’s top five female-classified disc golfers.
Ryan identifies as openly transgender, according to the athlete's Instagram page.
The Music City Open marked Ryan's return to the sport after recovering from "very invasive surgery," the athlete revealed in a post on Thursday.
At the 2024 Music City Open, the event had to be paused after a terroristic threat, which was targeted at Ryan, the organization released in a statement.
"A call came into the event site stating there would be a threat of potential violence against a competitor at this weekend’s tournament," a tour statement read.
Seals' football story began at Henninger High School in Syracuse, New York. Instead of making the leap to the college football ranks, Seals' journey took him to the semipros.
Seals' high school coach, Bob Campese, remembered the former defensive lineman as a "happy-go-lucky" person.
"(He was) a happy-go-lucky, big, kind-hearted guy who was a tremendous athlete, probably as good or better than any athlete that ever came out of here, really," Campese said, via Syracuse.com. "We had some good ones. But Ray might have been at the top."
Despite never playing a snap in college football, Seals signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1988. By 1991, he was consistently in the Bucs' starting lineup. He also had stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers.
Seals started playing for the semipro Syracuse Express in 1987.
Ray Perkins, who coached at Alabama before leaving to accept the head coaching job with the Buccaneers, is largely credited with giving Seals a chance to play in the NFL.
"We were all behind him. We were rooting for him like you couldn’t believe, to have that opportunity to make it," Seals' former Express teammate, Garry Acchione, said. "I never had a doubt in my mind that he was good enough to play in the NFL. I mean, we all knew it. It’s just, ‘OK, how do you get him there? How does he get the opportunity?’
"Because, back then, I mean, he didn’t come out of college. You’re not going to just walk onto a pro team and make it."
Seals, who played for the Steelers from 1994-95, recorded a sack in the Super Bowl at the end of the 1995 season.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Lamar Jackson have found themselves in a peculiar legal battle.
Dale Jr., of course, became one of the faces of NASCAR while driving the No. 8 car. Jackson has worn that same number throughout his football career and has won two MVPs with it.
Well, back in 2019, Jackson filed trademark registrations for "ERA 8" and "ERA 8 BY LAMAR JACKSON."
Dale Jr., however, is now attempting to trademark the number itself, stylized in the fashion it was on his car. He filed the application last December.
But Jackson argues that Earnhardt's application conflicts with his own trademarks.
In a notice of oposition, Jackson says that he is widely associated with the No. 8 "due to his notoriety and fame, along with his promotion of this number in his trademarks and in media coverage" and that he could be "damaged" by Earnhardt Jr.'s registration.
The quarterback also said that the driver's registration "falsely suggests a connection" between the two.
"[Jackson] has expended considerable time, effort, and expense in promoting, advertising, and popularizing the number 8 in connection with his personality and fame, as well as with the trademark applications and registrations referenced above, with the result that the relevant purchasing public has come to know, rely upon, and recognize [Jackson's] trademarks as very strong indicators of the source of [Jackson's] products provided in connection with his marks," the filing reads. [Jackson] has established valuable goodwill in his registrations and applications featuring the number 8"
Thus, the quarterback has "respectfully [requested" that Earnhardt Jr.'s application be "refused registration."
In his NASCAR career, Dale Jr. won two Daytona 500s and back-to-back Xfinity Series, then known as the Busch Series, to close out the 1990s.
This is not Jackson's first time defending his trademark. He found himself in a similar battle with Troy Aikman last year, who tried to trademark the word "eight."
Aaron Judge continued his scalding start to the season during the New York Yankees' 9-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park Friday.
Judge, 32, marked his 1,000th game by hitting his sixth home run of the season in the seventh inning off relief pitcher Tim Mayza to make the score 9-1.
Judge’s seventh-inning blast was the 321st of his career, matching Babe Ruth's total in his first 1,000 games with the Yankees.
The Yankees captain has won the AL MVP two of the last three seasons and picked up right he left off to start the 2025 campaign. Last season, Judge hit .322 with 58 home runs and 144 RBIs.
Through seven games this season, Judge has a .379 batting average with six home runs and 17 RBIs.
Judge has hit more home runs than the Tampa Bay Rays, Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Miami Marlins, Toronto Blue Jays and Minnesota Twins so far this season.
Judge wasn’t the only Yankees hitter who had a strong game against the Pirates. Third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera was 3-for-4 with 4 RBIs. Shortstop Anthony Volpe had three hits in the win.
Max Fried collected his first win of the season and his first win with the Yankees after pitching 5⅔ innings and giving up just one run on six hits while striking out six batters. Fried signed the most lucrative contract for a left-handed pitcher in MLB history with the Yankees in the offseason, an eight-year, $218 million deal.
Judge and the Yankees (5-2) take on the Pirates (2-6) in the second game of a three-game series Saturday at 4:05 p.m. ET. Marcus Stroman will start for the Yankees, and Bailey Falter will take the mound for the Pirates.
FBI Director Kash Patel sat alongside the great Wayne Gretzky at Capital One Arena on Friday night where the pair, joined by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, witnessed a historic night in hockey history.
Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin scored the 894th goal of his career in a 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks to tie Gretzky’s record. The goal came in the first few minutes of the third period on a Capitals’ power play.
Teammates poured onto the ice to surround Ovechkin.
"Congrats to The Great One Wayne Gretzky and huge props to #8 @ovi8," Patel said in a post on X. He shared a photo inside the locker room shaking Ovechkin’s hand. "The greatest game on earth, honored to be with them on this record tying night… 894 goals #Legends @NHL."
Ovechkin is one goal away from passing Gretzky – an opportunity he had Friday night, but refused to take.
"He wants to break the record with a goaltender in the crease, which I appreciate," head coach Spencer Carbery said. "He told me that on the bench, and I just wanted to confirm that he didn’t want to go out. And it’s hard for us as coaches, because I just wanted to make sure in that moment: hat trick, at home. And he didn’t want to go out and score on an empty net to break the record."
He added, "We have six games left, and he wants to break the record and have that moment where he’s shooting the puck past a goalie."
Ovechkin’s next opportunity will come Sunday against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena.
"I’d like to thank my family through this whole process as my support system. With them, none of this could have been possible."
Jones was drafted with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Falcons out of Alabama. He played 10 seasons with the Falcons and was named to the Pro-Bowl seven times and was an All-Pro selection five times.
Jones spent one season each with the Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Philadelphia Eagles following his 10-year run with the Falcons. Jones last played in 2023 with the Eagles and didn’t play in 2024.
Jones caught 914 passes for 13,703 yards and 66 touchdowns across his NFL career.
"I’m making this announcement today because of the city of Atlanta," Jones said in his statement. "Thank you man, I appreciate y’all. It’s nothing but love. I’m doing this on 404 day — it was a hell of a ride. ... This was for the city, man, I appreciate you all."
"Also want to thank the other ball clubs out there as well, organizations. Tennessee, thank you for the opportunity. Tampa, thank you for the opportunity. Eagles, thank you for the opportunity."
Dean Wells, who played for nearly a decade in the NFL following a standout career at the University of Kentucky, died Thursday following a two-year battle with cancer. He was 54.
Wells spent the first six years of his NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks after he was selected in the fourth round of the 1993 draft. He signed with the Carolina Panthers in 1999, where he played for another three seasons before officially retiring in 2001.
The Panthers announced Wells’ passing on the team website Friday.
Wells first opened up about his cancer diagnosis in an interview with On3.com in April 2024. He said he had been diagnosed the previous year with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).
"There’s mental toughness that comes into it. You have to have a positive attitude that you can beat it. I’ve done everything that I can with that. It’s like the chemo either works or it doesn’t. You just don’t have a lot of control over it. You wish you had more control," he said at the time.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow in which "the disease progresses rapidly and creates immature blood cells, rather than mature ones."
Wells finished his pro career with 529 tackles, 2.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, and three interceptions. It followed a standout career at Kentucky where Wells still holds the records for most sacks in a game (5) and the single-season sack record (10).
"Condolences to family & friends of Dean Wells, who has passed away," the university said in a statement on social media.
"A 3-year starter, he set a UK single-game record with 5 sacks vs. Indiana and went on to a 9-year NFL career. After NFL retirement, he returned to hometown Louisville and was a staunch supporter of the Wildcats."
Wells is survived by his wife, Lisa, and their two sons.
Korn Ferry Tour veteran Ryan McCormick used an unconventional method to try and calm his temper during the second round of the Club Car Championship on Friday.
McCormick, who competed on the PGA Tour last year but was relegated back to the developmental this year, has admittedly had issues keeping his composure on the golf course. This week at The Landings Golf & Athletic Club in Georgia, he decided to test out some new anger management tools.
"Been having not-so-fun time this year on the golf course. Pretty angry and mad," he said in a video shared by the tour on social media. "I figured I've tried a lot of things, and I just figured I'd shut myself up. So, I put tape over my mouth."
"Just too angry on the golf course. I've run out of ideas, and I thought about the tape thing a couple of weeks ago," he added with a laugh. "So, just unfortunately, it came down to that today. I was hoping maybe it would help me. Can't say that it did or didn't."
McCormick said the idea stemmed from his desire to create a better environment for his playing partners, which he admitted was "not fair."
One major hurdle to his latest "solution" was how he would then communicate with his caddie. McCormick’s answer to that was the old fashion method: pen and paper.
"Mostly just writing down the numbers," he said. "I would just point and ask him for a read sometimes. It made things a lot simpler, I’ll tell you that."
While the jury might be out on how the tape helped his frustrations, it certainly didn’t impact his game positively.
McCormick shot a 72 and missed the cut by a few strokes. He entered the tournament at No. 126 on the points list and will likely drop further after Friday’s performance.
Patrick Mahomes' mother Randi Mahomes opened up on a period during her son's high school football career, when he almost quit the sport.
During an Instagram story Q&A on Friday, Randi Mahomes was asked how she kept her son motivated through "challenging times."
The mother answered by saying she hadn't had to do much, because the quarterback had been "so determined for himself," but she also recounted a time when he almost quit football in high school.
"There were times when he would get a little down, even a moment in high school when he wanted to quit football. Yes, he did," Randi Mahomes said. "And I encouraged him that sitting out a season of sports and watching the games, it was not going to be fun for him. And so, he stuck to it, fortunately."
The intervention by Randi Mahomes may have very well changed the course of sports history, and history at large.
Mahomes went on to be a two-year starter at quarterback at Whitehorse High School in East Texas, where he also met his wife, Brittany Mahomes.
In his senior year, he passed for 4,619 yards and 50 touchdowns, while also rushing for 948 yards and 15 touchdowns. That performance earned him the MaxPreps Male Athlete of the Year.
Mahomes went on to be a three-star college recruit, and committed to Texas Tech. There, he won the Sammy Baugh Trophy as a junior after leading the FBS in passing yards and total touchdowns.
It was enough to convince the Kansas City Chiefs and head coach Andy Reid to execute a trade-up in the 2017 NFL Draft to select Mahomes to be the team's starting quarterback.
Since then, all Mahomes has done is turn the Chiefs into a dynasty and win two NFL MVP awards.
And it may have never even happen if his mom hadn't stopped him from quitting high school football.
Maine state representative Laurel Libby's lawsuit over her recent censure by the state legislature went to federal court on Friday for its first hearing in Rhode Island. U.S. District Court Judge Melissa DuBose is presiding over the case and will issue a ruling in response to Libby's request for a preliminary injunction in the coming weeks.
Libby is suing Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau and House of Representatives clerk Robert Hunt after the Democrat majority voted to censure her over a February social media post that identified a trans athlete who won a state pole vault competition.
The premise of the censure was based on Libby's post identifying a minor by name and in a photo.
But Libby and her attorney, Patrick Strawbridge, claim that a censure against her violates her First Amendment rights and disenfranchises her more than 9,000 constituents. On Friday, they argued that the punishment was "extreme" and enters "unprecedented territory" by silencing an elected official.
Maine Assistant Attorneys General Jonathan Bolton and Kimberly Patwardhan, representing Fecteau and the state, defended the censure, arguing that decisions on voting, adopting rules, and punishing members are within the constitutional authority of the Maine House.
Libby told Fox News Digital that she feels "optimistic" coming out of the first hearing.
"I think that our case is strong, and whether it is resolved now or at any step in the future, I feel that in the end we will prevail. I'm optimistic, certainly after today, and hopeful that the court is going to see the damage that is being done to our constituents," Libby said.
"What was notable to me was the AAG's reliance on the legislature being above the law … they are almost entirely relying on legislative immunity."
Libby's initial social media post thrust Maine into an ongoing conflict with the federal government over the state's refusal to ban trans athletes from women's sports.
The state has refused to comply with President Donald Trump's February executive order to ban trans athletes from girls and women's sports, prompting immense federal pressure. Trump initially vowed to cut federal funding to the state if it refused to comply with the order during a Feb. 20 speech, days after Libby made her social media post.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Wednesday a pause and an ongoing review of federal funding to Maine after the state refused to provide equal opportunities to women and girls in educational programs.
The free speech group FIRE filed an amicus brief in support of Libby on Thursday the day before the first hearing.
"If political majorities can impose draconian sanctions on political minorities, then no viewpoint is safe. That’s no way to uphold America’s robust commitment to free and open political speech, and that’s why the First Amendment forbids officials from retaliating against dissenting views," FIRE supervising senior attorney JT Morris told Fox News Digital.
All of Maine's federal judges have recused themselves from the case.
The judges, John C. Nivison, John A. Woodcock, Lance E. Walker, Karen F. Wolf, Stacey D. Neumann and Nancy Torresen, signed recusal orders on Tuesday, shortly after the case was initially filed. No reason was provided for the judges' recusal. The case has since been referred to the District of Rhode Island.
On March 20, Libby was permitted to speak and present 10 amendments during a vote of the state's bi-annual budget. One of those amendments was not related to the budget, but was a proposal to keep trans athletes out of girls' sports.
However, when Libby did speak to present her amendments, multiple Democrats protested, instigating a debate with Republican representatives. Ultimately, Libby's amendments were not even considered, and Democrats moved to have the amendments indefinitely postponed.
Baseball Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins joined the ongoing discussion this week about the use of torpedo bats that has taken the big leagues by storm after the New York Yankees' strong outing over opening weekend.
During an appearance on OutKick’s "The Ricky Cobb Show," Jenkins, 82, discussed how torpedo bats have become the latest innovation in the sport and could favor hitters.
"Well, when you look back at the game when I played in the ‘60s, ’70s, '80s, the pitcher was pretty much dominant, and now we are like second-class citizens. Everything has been done for the hitter. Like, you say the clock, the bases are bigger, you have an over glove which gives you an extra 3–7 inches sliding into the bag ahead of the throw," Jenkins said.
In addition to the rule changes that favor hitters, Jenkins said the torpedo bats are just the latest thing in baseball that will help them.
"There is more of a hitting surface for the hitter, and I think it might increase the batting average a little bit, but you will get a better piece of wood on the ball and the ball will maybe travel a little further," he said.
"Who knows? A couple of extra base hits, and now one hitter sees one of his teammates use it. Now, he wants to use it. I can believe before the All-Star break every ball club is going to have a half-dozen hitters using that torpedo bat."
While the overall hitting surface is not increased with the torpedo bat, the barrel of the bat is moved to a different location. The goal of shifting the barrel is to move the thickest part of the bat to where the player makes the most contact.
Jenkins said players who use the torpedo bat could see an increase in their numbers.
"I think the batting average, you might see maybe an extra 20 points on each player’s batting average. Instead of them hitting .255, .260, it might be .280," Jenkins said.
While the bat has taken baseball by storm this season, New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton used a torpedo, including in the postseason, when he mashed seven home runs in 14 games.
Jenkins, who pitched from 1965-1983, did not have to deal with any of the new rules in his days. He pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies in his 19-year career.
Jenkins won the 1971 NL Cy Young with the Cubs and was named an All-Star three times.
In a tournament normally filled with upsets and Cinderellas, the bracket has gone chalk in many cases.
For just the second time since 2007, and the sixth time ever, no 13, 14, 15 or 16 seed posted an upset. And for the second time in tournament history, the Final Four features all No. 1 seeds.
Due to the lack of upsets, Johnny Avello, an oddsmaker at DraftKings, said the bettor has done will this year due to a popular trend.
"There were a lot of moneyline parlays. So the bettors have had a very good run," Avello said.
Another trend in recent years has been betting on every upset in the first round. Despite a low win-loss record, the return on investment would be high, thanks to teams like UMBC, Fairleigh Dickinson and St. Peter's.
But that trend did not pan out this year. The lowest seed to win a game was a No. 12 seed, and the spread favored 12th-seeded Colorado State against No. 5 Memphis.
"The favorites won 12 out of the 16 games straight up on Thursday and went 9-7 against the number. They were 13-3 on Friday straight up and 10-6 against the number. We did not see the trend that usually happens," said Avello.
Duke is now even money to win the title, and bettors have jumped all in on the Blue Devils, Avello added.
"They've been the team that's been bet all year long," he said, adding Duke would be, at minimum, a 4.5-point favorite no matter who it might face in the final. Duke is -5.5 against Houston.
Duke will take on Houston after the Florida-Auburn matchup Saturday. The first game tips off at 6:09 p.m. ET in San Antonio.
The Indiana Fever made the playoffs last year for the first time since 2016 in large part because of superstar rookie Caitlin Clark. This offseason, a new head coach and the addition of several key players have increased the odds of success in Indiana.
Sophie Cunningham, one of those additions, believes the Fever are prime for a run at the WNBA championship.
The 28-year-old guard was acquired by the Fever from the Phoenix Suns in February as part of a four-team trade that included the additions of Jaelyn Brown from the Dallas Wings and the No. 19 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft.
"I'm excited. I think this is a new era for myself," Cunningham told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. "I got to learn a lot, learn how to become a pro. And now I get to go to Indiana to play with some of the best players around the world right now."
On the list is new teammate Caitlin Clark, who took her pro career by storm.
"We've talked quite a bit in the past couple of months since I've gotten traded and she's just a good human," Cunningham said of Clark. "I think she has humor to her, she has wit to her. Everyone that I've talked to said that she's a great teammate. She just wants to win, right?"
Cunningham told Fox News Digital that she believes Indiana’s "style of play" is something she thrives in. She said she believes that if the chemistry on the court is there, this team stands a good chance at winning a championship.
"I'm just excited for [Clark’s] competitiveness. I'm excited for everything she brings to the table. But again, I'm excited for everyone, right? You have Kelsey Mitchell, who's been a vet, too, who has been there for years, who is a heck of a player as well. And so for me, just to kind of be a part of something for the first time – a new team for the first time in six years – I just think it's a fresh wind. It's what I needed. It's re-motivated, it's refocused my energy. And again, like at the end of the day, I just want to win. I want championships and I think this is the right team for it."
Cunningham, 28, was drafted by Phoenix in the second round of the 2019 WNBA Draft and has become one of the league’s most popular players. She’s appeared in 182 games, averaging 7.7 points per game, 2.7 total rebounds and 1.4 assists.
Her best season was in 2022, when she averaged 12.6 points per game, 4.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists.
Cunningham spoke to Fox News Digital on behalf of her partnership with Quest Nutrition during the women’s NCAA Tournament. The former University of Missouri star, who made second round appearances in each of her four seasons with the Tigers, praised the newfound attention the women’s tournament has received over the years.
"It's huge. And I think, you know, the talent and the feistiness, the competitiveness has always been there. Now it's just on TV where people are able to witness it and fall in love with our game and fall in love with the players," she said. "I was a part of the NCAA tournament for four years. Now I get to be a fan behind a bar supporting it with Quest."
Over the weekend, Cunningham hosted a watch party with fans in New York on behalf of Quest Nutrition.
"I really am excited. I just think their products are getting bigger, they're getting better – still high protein, low sugar – and so as an elite level athlete that's exactly what you want," she said of her partnership. "You still want to eat healthy but you also, for me, I have a sweet tooth and so why would I not want to indulge a little bit on a tasty treat because that's something that will always kind of stick with me so I'd much rather eat something that's good for me than you know something bad."
