"When you come up (on) the side of the business that I came up, living up to your agreements is a really important thing and this was overdue in my opinion."
Manfred said there were three different factors that drove the decision to reinstate MLB's hit king.
"Number one: Our permanently ineligible list is effectively a ban on working in the game. This is a matter of logic. There's no reason to have a person who has passed away still on that list. Number two: Pete Rose is a part of the history of our game. Every other player, including 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson, has been considered by the Hall of Fame and they've made a decision. I saw no reason to leave Pete Rose out there as one of one, no consideration," Manfred said.
"And then, last, I think what people don't realize is Pete Rose wasn't disciplined by commissioner (Bart) Giamatti. He entered a settlement agreement with the league. At the time they entered into that settlement, he went on the permanently ineligible list knowing that the rules allowed the Hall of Fame to consider him. Commissioner Giamatti went out, had a press conference the day of the settlement and he was asked about the Hall of Fame and he said this settlement should have nothing to do with the Hall of Fame," Manfred said.
"The Hall of Fame should consider Pete Rose under its existing rules. So I see the decision as baseball living up to the deal that they originally made with Pete Rose."
Rose died at age 83 in September 2024, but the debate about whether he should be in the Hall of Fame has raged on.
The Cincinnati Reds star became a polarizing figure when news of his gambling on games rocked the sports world. Rose received a lifetime ban from MLB in 1989, but after his removal from the permanently ineligible list, will be eligible to be voted on for the first time.
Rose is MLB’s hit king with 4,256 career hits. He was the National League MVP in 1974 and was a 17-time All-Star, a three-time World Series champion and a three-time batting champion.
However, Mahomes appeared uninterested in the role when asked about it by reporters on Thursday.
"I'll probably leave that to the younger guys. I'll be a little older by the time that comes around," Mahomes said.
In the summer of 2028, when The Games will take place, Mahomes will be 32 years old and just weeks away from turning 33 that September.
Mahomes previously suggested he would "want to" play in the Olympics, but questioned whether he has the skills to do so, and also expressed concerns about his age, back in August.
"There’s the want to, I just don’t know if my skill set is what is required for flag football," Mahomes said at the time via Nice Kicks.
"First, I’m going to be in my 30s at that point and then it’s a lot of scrambling at the QB position. It’s not just sitting there throwing. And then I’m sure more of the athletic quarterbacks might get out there. I could be a coach. You get a gold medal for being a coach? Maybe I could be a consultant for the team."
NFL owners unanimously approved players’ participation in flag football during their meeting earlier this month.
Last month, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said interest in competing in the Summer Olympics has been a hot topic in the league, adding a resolution on the issue may be forthcoming.
"Well, I’ve heard directly from a lot of players who want to participate and represent their country, whether it’s the United States or a country that they came from," Goodell said in April.
"I think that's something that we'll continue to discuss with, not just the union, but also the clubs. I think both of those are things that we'll probably resolve sometime in the next 60 days."
Other players who have expressed interest in competing in the Olympics include Tyreek Hill, Aaron Jones, and Kyle Juszczyk. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who won the Super Bowl in February, was also recently tabbed the flag football ambassador for the Games.
A lawsuit claims that a former Seton Hall pitcher was the subject of hazing by his teammates, including gross sexual acts.
The former pitcher, whose name has not been publicly identified, said he was "spitting blood everywhere" during one incident, and the hazing dashed his dream of making the big leagues.
The lawsuit claims that nude and violent wrestling, as well as a masturbation ritual, are just some of the hazing incidents.
The player in the lawsuit claims he was forced to show his genitals to other players, and he was called a "p---y" when he did not oblige.
"What’s going on in the locker room is some sick, sick stuff," the player told the New York Post.
The suit alleges that head coach Rob Sheppard and the school had ignored complaints and "failed to investigate or discipline the perpetrators, allowing the toxic culture to persist."
"There’s gotta be some accountability taken by the coach," the player said. "He’s gotta lay his foot down and take control of that whole situation and try to make things a lot better."
The player eventually quit the team, and left the school, before even playing a game.
"It was a dark time for me — I was sad, depressed," he said. "I was down in the dumps every day."
The suit claims that the player's move to a Division III school "cost him a season of eligibility and… diminishing his visibility and professional baseball prospects."
"To spend my whole life trying to get to that point, and I finally got there, and then had this all happen, and it’s just derailed my whole career," the player said.
The university sent the following statement to Fox News Digital:
"Seton Hall is firmly committed to fostering a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment. Upon learning of certain allegations earlier this year, the University promptly retained a nationally respected third-party investigator to conduct an independent and thorough review. As litigation is ongoing, we are unable to comment further at this time."
Mo Vaughn, Craig Biggio, Rick Cerone and Jason Grilli all attended the university.
The Washington Capitals went into damage control on Thursday after reports that an email to season ticket holders had been sent out informing them that the 2025-2026 NHL season would be the last for hockey great Alex Ovechkin.
Reports began circulating on social media Thursday afternoon that Ovechkin, who turns 40 in September, would be preparing for his final season in the league.
According to a report from thehockeywriters.com, an email was sent out Thursday that read, "OCTOBER – the start of Capitals hockey and Alex Ovechkin’s FINAL NHL SEASON."
Shortly after the report began spreading, the Capitals public relations team put out a statement clarifying that "no decision" regarding Ovechkin’s future has been made and that the email was sent out in mistake.
"No decision has been made on Alex Ovechkin’s future following the 2025-26 NHL season. An email was sent from an individual with the corporate sales department that mistakenly alluded to next year being Alex Ovechkin’s final year."
Questions about Ovechkin’s future followed his career goal-scoring record, which he set when he broke Wayne Gretzky’s mark of 895 in April. He enters the next season on the final year of his contract.
Earlier this month after the Capitals were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Carolina Hurricanes, the Russian hockey star confirmed that he would at least be returning in the fall to play in what will be his 21st season in the NHL.
"I’m going to use those couple months (in the offseason) to rest, enjoy my life, then back to work," he said. "Me and (trainer Pavel Burlachenko are) going do our job to get ready for the season and just do my best."
Despite suffering a broken leg last season, Ovechkin returned to score 44 goals and break Gretzky’s record.
"I’m looking forward for next year," he added. "I’m going to try to do my best to play, and my team is going to help me, too. . . . I just want to come back next year and see the team who’s capable of winning the Stanley Cup."
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White didn’t mince words when sharing her thoughts on officiating in the WNBA, which followed Saturday’s game where Caitlin Clark suffered a quad injury that will sideline the star guard for at least two weeks.
Apparently those strong remarks landed White in some trouble with the league.
After the Fever suffered a disappointing loss against the Washington Mystics in the team’s first game without Clark, White was asked during the postgame presser whether she believed the league needed to step in to protect top players from "intentionally rough play."
"Obviously, I think we can get better in certain areas as far as how we call the game, consistency with how we call the game. . . . Are we going to say that we want a free-flowing offensive game, or are we going to have tough, grind-out physical games? And whatever way it is, the players will adjust and coaches will adjust but we can’t have it be one way one quarter and another way another quarter."
She continued, "I don’t think collectively as a whole the league has to step in and do something, I just think that there has to be some improvements in certain areas."
But when pushed further on what those areas might be, White revealed that her previous remarks – likely those on Saturday night – resulted in her receiving a fine.
"Are we trying to get me fined again? Because I did just get fined," she said with a smirk.
White did not elaborate further, but the fine likely stemmed from her comments following Saturday’s loss to the New York Liberty.
"I think it’s pretty egregious what’s been happening to us the last four games, you know, a minus-31 free throw discrepancy," White said, adding she believed Clark was fined in the play of the game. "And I might be able to understand it if we were just chucking 3s. But we’re not. We’re attacking the rim and the disrespect right now for our team has been pretty unbelievable."
White said Monday that she was not sure when Clark sustained the injury exactly.
"Sometimes great players don't tell you when they're hurting," she said. "I'm glad that she did because we need to nip this in the bud."
The Florida Panthers advanced to their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final with a 5-3 victory in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday night at the Lenovo Center.
It was also the second consecutive year the team did not touch the Prince of Wales Trophy, which is awarded to the Eastern Conference champion.
It worked for the Panthers last year, as they went on to defeat the Edmonton Oilers in seven games and won their first championship in franchise history.
While the Panthers ended up winning Game 5, it did not start out well for them. The Hurricanes jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period as they capitalized on Panthers giveaways.
The Panthers responded with three second-period goals to take a 3-2 lead. Hurricanes’ forward Seth Jarvis tied the game 3-3 in the third period as they looked to extend their season, but they would not find the back of the net again.
After a sensational individual effort along the boards behind the Hurricanes’ net, Panthers center Aleksander Barkov found Carter Verhaeghe with a slick pass, and Verhaeghe buried the puck into the net and gave the Panthers a 4-3 lead.
"He took on one guy, then two guys and then gave the puck to me with a pretty open net," Verhaeghe said of Barkov’s key assist. "So it was an unbelievable play by Barky at a critical time."
Sam Bennett clinched the win for the Panthers with an empty-net goal with 54 seconds remaining in the game.
This was the second time in three years the Panthers had defeated the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference finals, but the Panthers' celebration after the win this time was much more subdued.
"I remember a few years ago, it felt like such an accomplishment (making the Stanley Cup Final) from where we were at one point," forward Matthew Tkachuk said, adding, "It's all business and we've got a bigger goal in mind."
Panthers’ head coach Paul Maurice said his team overcoming the early two-goal deficit is what makes hockey great.
"That was all the elements that make our sport great," Maurice said. "They're all over us. And we’re serving up pizzas, and we don't look like we should’ve made the playoffs, and then the next thing you know we look pretty good."
The Panthers will play the winner of the Oilers and Dallas Stars series. The Oilers hold a 3-1 lead over the Dallas Stars with Game 5 coming on Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET.
If the Oilers end up defeating the Stars and advancing, they have a chance to get revenge on the Panthers for last season’s Stanley Cup Final defeat.
Indianapolis Colts great and current wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne fought back tears during the team’s first media availability on Wednesday following the death of longtime owner Jim Irsay.
It was an emotional moment for Wayne, a six-time Pro Bowler and a member of the Colts’ Super Bowl XLI winning team, as he spoke about his relationship with Irsay, who passed away in his sleep last week at age 65.
"It’s like losing a family member. There were times that I felt like [Irsay] treated me like I was one of his sons even though he didn’t have any," Wayne managed a smile as he spoke to reporters.
"When you lose something like that, it definitely shocks the soul."
Irsay famously began his football career as a ball boy when his father first purchased the team in 1972 – when the Colts still played in Baltimore. He slowly moved up the ranks and became the youngest team owner at 37 when he took over for his father following his death in 1997.
"He had the biggest heart in the city. I think we all know how caring he was, how easy he was as far as giving… I think he was definitely the heart of this city," Wayne continued.
Wayne played his entire 14-year career with the Colts after being drafted out of the University of Miami with the 30th overall pick in 2001. He led the league in receiving yards in 2007, was three-time All-Pro and ranks second in franchise history for most receiving records behind Marvin Harrison. He returned to the Colts in 2022 as an assistant coach.
While reminiscing about his time with Irsay, Wayne struggled to explain the message he shared with receivers after learning about Irsay’s passing.
"I told the receivers, I said, ‘A lot of y’all don’t really know him but he would've done anything for anybody. He would've gave the clothes off his back," he said tearfully.
"He cared about his players. He cared about his team. He cared about the city. And it wasn’t just the players, he cared about the people in the building. He was that dude. And I told them, I said straight up ‘Man, y’all don’t really know him but y'all got to push your ass for him. Because he would've done that for y'all. So, that's what I told them. I said, 'Y'all got homework to do, man. Read about him. Learn about him. So that you really know the type of person he was.'"
Irsay battled health and addiction issues in his life. Despite his struggles, he restored glory to the franchise and left an everlasting impact on the organization.
Golf balls are going further than ever before, resulting in the pros man-handling some of the world's best courses.
Players are stronger and faster, as is the technology - and Jake Knapp, whose swing might be the smoothest since Fred Couples, is near the top of the driving distance list.
Knapp ranks 31st in average driving distance, averaging 298.9 yards. In 666 drives this season, his golf balls have traveled over 113 miles.
Knapp used that money driver, buttery swing and a hot putter to join the 59 Club earlier this year at the Cognizant Classic.
However, because it is easier to make the ball go farther, rather than lengthening courses, the USGA has decided to begin rolling back technology in the ball in an effort to preserve the nature of the game.
It is safe to say the 31-year-old is "not really a fan of the rollback stuff."
"I think if we were going to change golf in any way, I think you could do a lot of different things that don't change a player's deal in depth perception and things like that. I've been playing with basically a golf ball that goes probably about the same distance ever since I was a kid. So it's like, you have all this feel developed over time, and then if you were to change it to go shorter. I mean, there's also things you can do in your equipment to make up for most of that anyway, so I don't think it's going to be as big of a deal as they think," Knapp said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.
Knapp is doubling down on that stance after collaborating with both PXG and Pennzoil to give away a brand-new driver.
From May 29 to June 25, consumers who purchase a Pennzoil Platinum Full Synthetic bundle at a participating Advance Auto Parts or Carquest retail location, in-store or online, can enter to win a limited-edition Pennzoil PXG driver.
"I think having two companies are both just kind of at the top end of the spectrum in each of their crafts. When the opportunity came about, it just seemed like a no-brainer for me, and then when I heard about it, I thought it was something that I really wanted to be a part of," Knapp said of the partnership.
If given the choice, Knapp would rather roll back the technology, rather than the ball itself.
"I think if, personally, if there was a way that they were going to change it that I think could make it more difficult or kind of get what they want out of it, they could just make more regulations on clubs for professionals or Tour events and things like that, where they're maybe harder to hit, they're smaller, not as forgiving," he said. "There's things like that that I think would be better than rolling back the ball in my personal opinion."
However, the Pennzoil PXG driver is not rolled back one bit.
"It's one of the fastest drivers on the market right now. And then, not to mention, you know, the forgiveness on it is really second to none. You have a lot of weight in the back, nice big face that sets up square, gives you high ball speed, low spin, and hitting more fairways."
A Baylor University football player died early Wednesday morning after police say he was found in a car suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in his Mississippi hometown, which local officials say has seen a recent surge in violent crime.
Alex Foster, an 18-year-old defensive lineman, was later identified as the victim of an early morning shooting in Greenville.
"We are heartbroken by the unexpected loss of Alex Foster, a beloved teammate, friend and a cherished part of the Baylor Family," Vice President and Director of Athletics Mack B. Rhoades, IV and head football coach Dave Aranda said in a joint statement released by the school.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Alex's family and all those who loved him. In this time of deep sorrow, we draw strength from our faith and the unwavering love of the Baylor community. Our immediate focus is on supporting Alex's family and his teammates through this devastating loss. Alex's memory will forever be a part of Baylor University."
Greenville Police spokeswoman Major Misty Mew told The Associated Press that officers responded to reports of a shooting in a residential/commercial area of the city shortly after midnight. Once on the scene, they located a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds inside a car. Mew did not name Foster as the victim, but the Washington County Coroner’s Office later confirmed his identity to the outlet.
Foster was transported to an area hospital where he succumbed to his injuries shortly after.
Aranda later released a separate statement on X, saying that the Baylor community has been left "devastated" by Foster’s passing.
"Alex was a beloved member of our Baylor Family, and we are devastated by this loss. In his time at Baylor he made a long-lasting impact on all of us in the program. Our hearts are broken, and our prayers are with his family, friends and all those who loved him so deeply."
In response to the shooting death, Greenville Mayor Errick D. Simmons spoke out about the recent "surge" of crimes impacting the community.
"Over the past several weeks, our community has been deeply shaken by a surge in violent crimes, including multiple shootings, a surge in violent crimes, acts of gun violence and senseless killings," he said in a brief video address. Simmons added that after a vote on Wednesday, the city will be implementing a curfew effective immediately from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily "until further notice."
"It’s to protect the lives and well-being of every Greenville resident."
Foster joined Baylor in 2024 as one of Mississippi’s top-20 prospects and the 69th-ranked defensive lineman in the nation. He did not see any action last season after he redshirted his freshman year.
PitchCom was introduced to MLB at the beginning of the 2022 season, and the communication system has quickly become prominent in the baseball world, overhauling pitcher-catcher communication.
Perfect Game, a youth baseball company that promotes baseball by hosting high-quality amateur events and providing exposure for players to play at higher levels, is the first organization of its kind to partner with PitchCom, Fox News Digital exclusively learned Thursday.
PitchCom emerged after the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal during their World Series run in 2017 rocked the baseball world.
John Hankins, co-investor and co-owner of PitchCom, saw that MLB had a need for a communication device that could prevent sign stealing. The challenge was the device couldn’t be vocal, and MLB officials didn’t want players to wear a communication device on their bodies.
Hankins came up with PitchCom, which allows a catcher to press a button on a transmitter to call pitches. The transmitter sends prerecorded audio clips to the receivers, who in turn will hear the pitch call and defensive signals.
The pitcher and fielders wear the receiver in their hats and can hear what the catcher inputs, allowing for clear and secure communication safe from being stolen, unlike traditional catcher signs.
When Major League Baseball first heard of it, it loved the idea.
"(We had) a meeting before a playoff game. The immediate response was this solves all of our problems," Hankins told Fox News Digital.
"That was nice, and we left the meeting feeling pretty good. But, within about an hour, we got another phone call that said, 'Can you meet with 20 of our executives on Zoom tomorrow. That was a positive sign."
After that meeting, Major League Baseball became PitchCom’s first client.
Jered Goodwin, the vice president of scouting operations at Perfect Game, trains with MLB players during the offseason. Goodwin told Fox News Digital the players had "a ton of positive feedback" about PitchCom.
"I can tell you from a guy that gets to coach some pitchers during the offseason, they love being on a level playing field," Goodwin said.
"They’re throwing a pitch without anybody on the field being able to know what’s coming (prior to PitchCom), and there’s been open conversations about that. There hasn’t been a lot of negative feedback. You get some transmitters you got to replace, but it takes a really short amount of time. And I think really everybody in baseball, players to owners and especially fans, have loved the pace of play and the shorter games."
"Obviously, some other rules were put into effect as well, but the direct communication in the short amount of time it takes has definitely been a ton of positive feedback."
Goodwin said he first thought of trying to bring PitchCom to Perfect Game when MLB began using it. He called it an "easy decision" to bring PitchCom into youth baseball and to form a partnership.
"I knew very early on that this was going to be something that was going to stick, so as it’s grown into major college baseball, to MLB, it’s great that we got to have a direct path for our players and our coaches to be able to learn operationally, intensely during a game. Anything like that of what they are going to use directly at the next level. So, it really was on the agenda as soon as it could be scaled," Goodwin said.
Jon Updike, vice president of customer relations at PitchCom, said the device offers youth players benefits beyond just pitcher-catcher communication.
"It’s just not calling the pitches," Updike said. "It’s the ability to send in maybe technical cues, but even more so than that, ‘Hey, great job’ or ‘You’re going to get them next time.’
"You are able to send in some psychological messages to them as well that will help either uplift them or snap them into place, which is a lot easier when it’s being whispered to an 8-year-old or a 12-year-old or 14-year-old’s ear than being yelled across the field."
Goodwin said the introduction of PitchCom into Perfect Game will allow for more development among kids.
"Being able to talk through, especially with direct communication, being able to talk directly about why you called a pitch, how you were calling a pitch, being able to go over what those different reasons were, because you’ve got just an extra second to be able to do it. When you can speed up the game but also slow down the process, some real development of the ‘why?’ can happen," Goodwin said.
"I think you are going to see some things come out directly related to PitchCom helping with development. Whether it’s pitch calling, whether it’s the speed of the game, whether it’s location that (is) really going to help the youth be able to understand how they are trying to attack, why they are trying to attack, why this in that situation or that pitch in this situation and that’s one of the things that nobody is really dove into yet.
"But at Perfect Game we are constantly trying to find different ways to develop, and I think this is going to be a real asset to young ballplayers."
Not only does Goodwin believe PitchCom will help players’ development. It should also change the way coaches teach and communicate in games.
"It speeds up the time, but it also slows down what’s going on. Reaffirm some of the things that you might have gone over in practice. So, I think it’s such a huge advantage when these young athletes are going to be able to have that sense of pace, but also a sense of communication and development at a younger age," Goodwin said.
Updike said the introduction of PitchCom at the youth baseball level will make for cleaner games because of the enhanced communication the device allows.
"I see it has an opportunity to reduce pitches, which will directly, in turn, have a chance of reducing over usage and injury," Updike said. "Just from having better information or paying attention to it. And then, on top of that, it makes it a cleaner baseball game. Less wild pitches, less cross-ups and more quality executed pitches."
The voice that comes through the transmitter is an AI-generated voice, but Updike said the voice can be "anybody’s voice."
"It’s a simple, easy, clean process. And then what we found is that some of our colleges and some of our major league clubs would run the tracks through an AI voice generator to create something else. Whether it was a star or a famous voice and then put it on, sometimes even recording other players, it’s kind of like your limitation is your imagination with it," Updike said.
Updike said he heard one pitcher in college baseball customize the voice to be his favorite musician.
"I won’t give up the secret sauce for a few clubs, but like we have a college, a really good NCAA team, their Friday night guy is a real good pitcher, and he’s got a musician that he loves, or a rapper, and it’s that rappers' voice every time they call a pitch. So, it’s unique to see how creative everybody’s been with the product," Updike said.
Goodwin said he heard a story about how a coach programmed the voice to be a player’s mother’s voice, and that it provided good results for the player.
"The guy had a really close relationship with his mom, and the coaches wanted to see if that in turn would kind of be a calming presence. So I thought that was pretty cool, pretty interesting. Obviously, a lot going on with sports psychology now and things like that. So, I think there are a lot of things that you can do here even from voice recognition to maybe help kids, and maybe not," Goodwin said.
"I do know that in the early stages of this the kid actually did very well when it happened."
The PitchCom's will be given out to Perfect Game in August, and coaches and players will be able to use them for the All-American Classic and PG Select Festivals.
Caitlin Clark may be offering her babysitting services while unable to provide her basketball ones.
Clark was seen carrying a toddler around CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore on Wednesday night. Clark was not active for the Indiana Fever's game against the Washington Mystics, as she sat out with a quad injury.
Footage of Clark carrying the child was posted to social media by Yahoo Sports.
Sports Illustrated reported that the child is the son of Indiana assistant coaches Karima Christmas-Kelly and Austin Kelly.
Clark's Fever went on to lose to the Mystics in her absence.
The team announced on Monday that Clark will miss at least two weeks with the quad issue. However, Fever head coach Stephanie White said there is a silver lining to Clark not being able to play.
"I think it's a great opportunity for Caitlin to watch the game from the sideline, to grow in a coaching kind of mindset and see some different things that we might be talking about on film, addressing in practice, to see it develop in live action," White said, via CBS Sports.
"As players you see [the game] in a micro viewpoint, and when you're on the sideline, and you're watching it as a whole, you get to see it a different way from a macro viewpoint. I think it's gonna give her a unique perspective, and she's gonna come back better, and it's gonna help us be better.
"It is great to grow when you're on the floor, but you also see the game at different levels when you're not on the floor," White added. "You see it at one level or two levels when you're on the floor, and you often [equate] it to being in a coach's mindset, being in a coach's viewpoint. Listening to us and our conversations, whether it's in practice or on the sidelines, talking about what our emphasis is, what we're looking for, and you see it from a different perspective."
Clark will be out for the team's upcoming games against the Connecticut Sun and Chicago Sky. The earliest Clark would return is June 10 on the road against the Atlanta Dream.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are now four wins away from their first title since moving out of Seattle.
The Thunder are the kings of the Western Conference after manhandling the Minnesota Timberwolves, 124-94, in Game 5 of the conference finals on Wednesday night.
It's the first time the Thunder are in the NBA Finals since 2012 – that big three of a young Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden lost to the superteam that was the Miami Heat, led by LeBron James.
Times got dark in recent years, though – Durant left after the 2015-16 season following the Thunder blowing a 3-1 lead to the 73-9 Golden State Warriors in that season's conference finals. After the Warriors returned the favor to James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Durant headed west to the Bay Area and won two titles.
While that happened, it prompted a rebuild that took the team near the bottom of the league's standings just four years ago.
MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 34 points, while Chet Holmgren added 22. Jalen Williams added 19 points and eight rebounds for the Thunder.
Oklahoma City will play the Indiana Pacers or New York Knicks in the finals. Indiana leads the Eastern Conference finals series 3-1 with Game 5 to be played in New York City on Thursday.
Oklahoma City will have homecourt advantage when the Finals begin on June 5 because of its league-best 68-14 regular-season record.
Julius Randle scored 24 points and Anthony Edwards added 19 for the Timberwolves, who shot just 41.2% from the field and committed 21 turnovers.
Oklahoma City opened the game on an 11-3 run and extended the advantage throughout the first quarter. Cason Wallace drained a 3-pointer as the first quarter expired to put the Thunder up 26-9 at the end of the period.
Oklahoma City led 65-32 at halftime and 88-62 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Thunder moved from Seattle in the 2000s, and won the 1979 NBA title.
One may argue that even though Caitlin Clark was off the court on Wednesday, it made a case that she is the Most Valuable Player in the WNBA.
That's because in the Indiana Fever's first game without Clark since she suffered a quad injury, the Fever suffered their worst loss of the young WNBA season.
The Washington Mystics took down the Clark-less Fever, 83-77, on Wednesday night.
The Fever started out hot, getting out to a 10-4 lead, and even leading by five at a point during the second quarter.
But from 5:47 left in the second until 5:03 left in regulation, the Mystics outscored the Fever, 46-32. Their 11-point lead (73-62) was their largest of the night until garbage time free throws with under a minute left.
Indiana scored seven points in the final 22 seconds to avoid a double-digit loss, but the majority of the final 25 minutes were all Mystics.
The Fever's previous two losses this season came by a combined three points - they lost by one to the Atlanta Dream and by two to the reigning champion New York Liberty. The Fever had the ball in the final seconds in both of those contests.
Their 77 points are the lowest they've scored all season, as well. They had previously scored 93, 90, 81, and 88.
Clark is slated to miss at least two weeks with a right quad injury. In their first four games, the Fever's point differential was +37.
The former Iowa Hawkeye is averaging 19.0 points, 9.3 assists and 6.0 rebounds in her four games of the 2025 season. Last year, she set the single-season record for the most assists in one year, en route to winning Rookie of the Year. Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell tied with a team-high four assists on the night. The Fever as a whole had just 15 on the night – Clark had a WNBA record 19 on July 17 of last year.
DeWanna Bonner dropped 21 points off the bench, leading the Fever.
Clark netted a season-high 27 points last Tuesday against the Dream. She dropped 20-plus points in each of her first two games before settling for just 11 on Thursday and then 18 on Saturday against the Liberty.
Earlier this month, the Baltimore Ravens released Justin Tucker as 16 massage therapists from eight different Baltimore spa and wellness centers accused him of inappropriate behavior due to alleged incidents between 2012 and 2016.
The team, though, called the roster move a "football decision" after the 35-year-old, who is a five-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler, had his worst year in the NFL in 2024 with a 73.3% field-goal percentage.
Tucker made 22 of his 30 field-goal attempts, missing 3-of-8 from 40-49 yards and 6-of-11 from 50 yards and beyond. He also missed two of his 62 extra point attempts.
He still has the all-time career field-goal percentage at 89.1%, and head coach John Harbaugh said the scenario is "complicated."
"I mean, you're talking about arguably the best kicker in the history of the game. And like we said, it's multilayered [and] it's complicated," Harbaugh told the media on Wednesday, via ESPN. "But in the end, it all comes back to what you have to do to get ready for your team to play the first game. And I think if you step back and you take a look at all the issues and all the ramifications, you can understand that we've got to get our football team ready, and we've got to have a kicker to go. And that was the move that we decided to make.
"So, in that sense, it's a football decision, and now we have to spend all of our focus and our time to get these kickers ready. We've got a competition going on and [we've got to] get these guys ready to make kicks. So that's all I'm thinking about. From my perspective, it's like, 'We have to have a kicker out there making kicks,' and what's the best way to get that done?"
The Baltimore Banner first reported the allegations, with victims saying Tucker repeatedly exposed himself during a span of four years, including his rookie campaign when the Ravens won the Super Bowl.
Tucker has denied all allegations, calling them "unequivocally false" in a statement posted to social media.
"Throughout my career as a professional athlete, I have always sought to conduct myself with the utmost professionalism. I have never before been accused of misconduct of any kind, and I have never been accused of acting inappropriately in front of a massage therapist or during a massage therapy session or during other bodywork," Tucker’s statement said.
"I have never received any complaints from a massage therapist, have never been dismissed from a massage therapy or bodywork session and have never been told that I was not welcome at any spa or other place of business."
Six massage therapists came out first, followed by seven more women and an eventual total of 16. The accusations from all women are similar.
Fox News' Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
Cincinnati Bengals star receiver Ja’Marr Chase isn’t entirely sold on the idea of competing in the Olympics when the U.S. gets to host the Summer Games in 2028.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday after the first day of organized team activities (OTAs), Chase expressed hesitation in competing in the Los Angeles Olympics, adding that he will need more information about how it will all play out before making a decision.
"I don't know," Chase said, via Sports Illustrated. "I want to hear more information about it. I want to know the timing for us, offseason, in season. I want to know if we're getting paid. I want to know where we traveling every other week or every day, like all that plays a part, because we have an offseason, we have a life. How long would that be? I don't know.
"There's a lot of questions to it. I think it's pretty cool, but I'm not really 100% on it yet."
Flag football will make its debut at the Summer Games when the Olympics return to LA for the first time since 1984. NFL players will now have a chance to earn a gold medal while representing their country — a goal that many pros have long hoped to one day achieve.
Just last week, NFL owners voted unanimously to approve a motion that will allow players in the league to participate — a move the NHL announced it was doing just last year.
While most NFL players have expressed excitement over the chance to compete, underlying tensions from the flag football community have risen.
Darrell Doucette III, who is already on the U.S. men’s national team as the team’s quarterback when the team sat on top of the world flag football rankings last year, made headlines in August when he claimed that he was better than Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes — with regard to flag football, specifically.
He said at the time that his hope is that NFL players will have to try out for a place to compete — just as the current flag football players have had to do.
"This is a sport that we’ve played for a long time, and we feel like we are the best at it and we don’t need other guys," he told The Washington Post in a recent interview. "But we all have one goal in mind, and that’s to represent our country. We’re definitely open to all competition. If those guys come in and ball out and they’re better than us, hats off to them. Go win that gold medal for our country."
Fox News Digital’s Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
In his first meeting with reporters this year, Caleb Williams immediately addressed "what everybody would love to ask about."
Earlier this month, it was revealed Williams had preferred going to Minnesota and even tried to avoid getting drafted by the Chicago Bears, who eventually selected him No. 1 overall.
Williams admitted the story had become a "distraction" and felt it was important to talk about the circumstances.
The second-year quarterback didn't exactly deny what was said in the book, "but something that keeps getting lost and not being addressed is the fact that" he "wanted to come" to Chicago after visiting with them, which he did after his meeting with the Vikings.
Williams said his "thoughts" about the Bears were "fair," considering "there hasn't been a 4,000-yard passer." Williams' 4,030 total yards were the most by a Bears quarterback ever.
"But I came here on a visit, and it's a challenge to be able to try to turn around. And that was the main goal of all of that. Through all of what happened last year and in previous years, I think that was enticing," Williams said.
"That was something that was glaring to me. I wanted to come here and be the guy and be a part and be a reason why the Chicago Bears turn this thing around. That last thing that was said in all of that, I think, is the most important thing is that I wanted to be here. I love being here."
Williams even name-dropped Matt Eberflus and Shane Waldron, the since-fired head coach and offensive coordinator, as those he was thankful for.
Former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson became the Bears' new head coach this offseason. It was a move Williams was "extremely excited" about, to the point he even thanked Bears brass in a phone call.
"Then once I got off the phone, I was driving on the highway, and I don't know if it was safe or not, but I gave a loud yell and scream of just excitement," Williams said at the time of the hiring.
"It brings a bunch of clarity to the offseason. It brings a bunch of different things to the offseason. I'm really excited about the Bears and being able to make this happen. And keep Ben Johnson as our coach for a long time."
Williams got some additional help in the NFL Draft when Chicago drafted Michigan tight end Colston Loveland with the 10th overall pick.
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said the team is aware of a viral video circulating on social media that appeared to show wide receiver Stefon Diggs passing around a bag of an unidentified pink substance.
Speaking to reporters before Wednesday’s practice, Vrabel was asked immediately about the video and whether the Patriots were looking into it.
Vrabel confirmed that the team was "aware" of its existence but did not elaborate beyond that. He did say his expectation for all players was to make "great decisions" both on and off the field.
"Well, it's something that we're aware of. Obviously, we want to make great decisions on and off the field. We're hoping that, with our time here on the field today, that when we don't have a script and we're on the call periods, that we're making great decisions.
"The message will be the same for all our players, that we're trying to make great decisions. Any conversations that I've had with Stefon will remain between him, I and the club."
A video of Diggs began circulating on social media this week. In it, the star receiver is surrounded by women on a boat. During the video, Diggs held a bag that appeared to contain an unidentified pink substance.
An NFL spokesperson declined Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Diggs signed a three-year, $69 million contract with the Patriots in the offseason. He is rehabbing a torn ACL he sustained last season with the Houston Texans. He is not attending this week’s voluntary practices.
"The timelines and the prognosis and everything, we're working hard to get him back and to be ready to go. When he's here, we'll coach him, and we'll have him ready to go," Vrabel said Wednesday.
Diggs was recently linked to hip-hop star Cardi B. The pair were spotted courtside during an Eastern Conference second-round playoff game between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta is facing a Department of Justice investigation over his state's laws allowing transgender athletes in girls sports.
The DOJ announced the investigation Wednesday, one day after President Donald Trump threatened to pull funding from the state for allowing a trans athlete to compete in a girls track and field championship.
Bonta's office responded to the recent pressure on him and the state of California over the issue in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"We remain committed to defending and upholding California laws and all additional laws which ensure the rights of students, including transgender students, to be free from discrimination and harassment. We will continue to closely monitor the Trump administration’s actions in this space," the statement said.
The DOJ's announcement of its investigation against the state cited a lawsuit that includes Bonta as a defendant. The lawsuit, filed by the families of two girls at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California, alleges the school's cross-country team dropped one athlete from her varsity spot in favor of a trans athlete and that school administrators compared their "Save Girls Sports" T-shirts to swastikas, Fox News Digital has previously reported.
The suit, filed in November, seeks to challenge the state's current law that allows trans athletes to compete as girls, which has been in place since 2014. The lawsuit expanded a defendant list to include Bonta Feb. 1.
Just days later, after Trump signed the "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order Feb. 5, the U.S. Department of Education launched an investigation into the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) for openly defying the order.
Now, the tension in the state figures to come to a head this weekend at the girls track and field state championship.
The CIF has already made several rule changes that accommodate girls who would be displaced by the trans athlete, AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley High School. The changes include giving medals to any "biological female" competitors who would have earned a podium spot if not for Hernandez placing ahead of them.
Still, many families and activists are speaking out against the CIF for allowing the situation to continue at all, and the Trump administration has given no indication the rule changes will satisfy its demands on the issue.
California's high school sports league made a major rule change to its upcoming girls' track and field state championship for the second day in a row.
The changes come as the state faces increasing pressure, both internally from its own residents and from President Donald Trump's administration, due to a growing controversy involving a trans athlete.
On Wednesday, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) announced that Saturday's state title meet will now expand its pool of competitors and even medal recipients to accommodate any female athletes that are displaced by a biological male competitor.
The CIF is specifically making this rule change for the long jump, high jump and triple jump events.
"On Friday, May, 30, if necessary, in the high jump, triple jump and long jump qualifying events at the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships, a biological female student-athlete who would have earned the next qualifying mark will also be advanced to the finals," the CIF announcement read.
"Additionally, if necessary, in the high jump, triple jump and long jump events at the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships, a biological female student-athlete who would have earned a specific placement on the podium will also be awarded the medal for that place and the results will be reflected in the recording of the event."
The CIF's track and field postseason has been rocked by a national controversy involving trans athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley High School competing in those events, and regularly dominating female competition. The athlete took first place in long jump and triple jump at a sectional final and state qualifying round in the last two weeks.
The CIF's latest change comes just a day after the federation expanded the size of its competitor pool.
"Any biological female student-athlete who would have earned the next qualifying mark for one of their Section's automatic qualifying entries in the CIF State meet, and did not achieve the CIF State at-large mark in the finals at their Section meet, was extended an opportunity to participate in the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships," the CIF said Tuesday.
Wednesday's change also comes just a day after the family of a female competitor set to face Hernandez in the championship told Fox News Digital that they believe the CIF expanding the competitor pool was enough.
CIF's ‘solution’ to this situation, which allows additional girls to compete at the state championship who otherwise didn't qualify because the transgender athlete took their spot, isn't good enough – it's still an unfair competition and an injustice to the girls competing," said the family of La Canada girls' track star Katie McGuinness, in a statement.
"Allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports is unfair, unjust and defies common sense," the family added.
Controversy involving Hernandez has prompted local, state and national outrage by families and activists, while President Donald Trump has shown he is willing to sanction the state over the situation.
Trump sent a post on Truth Social Tuesday morning warning California and Gov. Gavin Newsom of potential federal funding cuts to the state, and even orders to send local authorities to stop a trans athlete from competing in the girls' category on Saturday.
Trump did not specifically name the athlete or school he was referring to in the social media post.
But on Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it would be launching an investigation into the CIF and California Attorney General Rob Bonta over the state's law that allows biologically male trans athletes to compete with girls and women.
A letter of complaint informing of the investigation was addressed to Jurupa Valley High School, the DOJ has told Fox News Digital. Jurupa Unified School District (JUSD) has told Fox News Digital it has not received a letter.
The DOJ's announcement lists the school district in the official announcement of the investigation.
JUSD has previously defended letting Hernandez compete in the girls' category.
"JUSD continues to follow both California law and CIF policy regarding school athletics. Both state law and CIF policy currently require that students be permitted to participate in athletic teams and competitions consistent with their gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil's records. JUSD remains committed to protecting the rights and safety of the students we serve, in accordance with applicable state and federal laws," the district said in a previous statement provided to Fox News Digital.
Other competitors have spoken out throughout the track and field postseason against the CIF and state for allowing the situation to progress to this point.
The second-place finisher to Hernandez in triple jump at a sectional final on May 17, Reese Hogan of Crean Lutheran High School, made it a point to stand on the first-place podium spot for a quick and symbolic photo op. Footage of Hogan taking the top podium spot after the trans athlete stepped off went viral on social media over the weekend.
"It's just kind of sad just watching. He's obviously a really talented athlete, we've all seen him jump and stuff, and I wish him the best of luck, but in a boys' division," Hogan previously told Fox News Digital about competing against the athlete. "It's pretty obvious the certain advantages that he has, and it's obviously just sad as a woman to watch that."
Brea Olinda student Julia Teven was one of the few female athletes to have beaten Jurupa Valley's athlete this year, tying for first place in the high jump at the sectional prelims earlier this month, while the trans athlete finished eighth.
"I genuinely believe he doesn't have a harmful intent towards girls sports. I think it's the kind of like, CIF allowing him that's kind of put him in his position," Teven said. "I think genuinely, he's just, like, being enabled by the CIF, and he's just taking his opportunity presented to him."
After signing his record extension in March, Myles Garrett said he would "plan to be the best person possible" in the Cleveland Browns locker room.
Well, that plan doesn't appear to be getting off to the best start, as the star defensive end skipped voluntary OTAs this week.
Garrett requested a trade from the Browns during the playoffs - roughly a month later, he signed an extension that made him, temporarily, the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league (Ja'Marr Chase surpassed him shortly after).
Garrett initially cited the "desire to win" as the reason for his request - of course, the Browns have become notorious for not doing that.
But in the team's first full-team activities of the offseason, Garrett was absent.
Instead of making plays on the field, Garrett was sparking relationship rumors with American snowboarder Chloe Kim. The two made an appearance together at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards in Tokyo, where Kim was a presenter.
Garrett also posted on his Instagram story that he was "tryna buy a place here asap." Neither have publicly confirmed their relationship, but signs point that they are an item.
Kim has two Olympic gold medals, three World Championship titles, and eight golds in Winter X Games.
The Athletic noted that this isn't exactly unusual for Garrett, who "is frequently late to the facility" and has skipped mandatory team activities on multiple occasions." OTAs are not mandatory, and even head coach Kevin Stefanski dismissed his absence.
But, OutKick noted that after Garrett signed his extension, he said he would "plan to be the best person possible in this locker room, be the best leader possible, as well as dominating on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays."
Manadatory minicamp for teams begins on June 10 and will last three days.
