"I felt like I had gotten to a point in the Truck Series where I wasn't content or happy with the success, but it definitely got to a point where I felt pretty comfortable about moving to the next level, and I felt like this was a great opportunity to go get in some different series with hopefully a ladder to Cup, as well," Eckes, who now races with Kaulig Racing, told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
To go along with his move to Xfinity, Eckes partnered with Celsius, the energy drink he says has given him huge boosts on race day.
"It's been a blast so far. I've been able to meet a lot of cool people and obviously drink some good drinks along the way. And I’m looking forward to the future as well," Eckes said.
"It's helped me a lot. Some of these races are at night, or even in the morning, really. So getting that caffeine in definitely helps as well as the hydration packets. There's a lot of things that they do that help us succeed. So yeah, definitely a big part of our race weekends."
Eckes admitted this season has not gone as he'd like. He has only six top 10 finishes this year.
"We're still trying to find our way," Eckes said. "We’ve had some success here and there, have had some speed, but not on a consistent basis. So, that's kind of our No. 1 thing right now is to try to push that forward and get to where we feel like we should be, and that's contending on a weekly basis."
This weekend, Eckes will be racing in Nashville, where he reached the pinnacle of success. He won there last year, and Kaulig has taken the checkered flag there before.
"Nashville should be a good place for us. I won the race last year in the Truck Series, so hopefully it's the weekend that we finally turned around," he said.
Eckes admitted he was not a fan of Nashville in the past, but "leading every lap last year, I like it a little better now."
"I've done it in a truck before, so hopefully I can repeat that success. It’s gonna take a lot. The Xfinity Series is challenging to win. You gotta be perfect in every aspect or as close to perfect as you can be. It’s gonna take a lot, but I feel confident in our team to do it."
On the eve of the 2025 Super Bowl, it was reported Travis Kelce was considering retirement and what happened in the big game could influence his decision.
The Kansas City Chiefs' dreams of a three-peat vanished, and Kelce announced he would be returning for the 2025 season.
It goes without saying Kelce is approaching the end of his career.
He posted career lows in yards and touchdowns and, for a second straight season, failed to make an All-Pro team after doing so in eight consecutive years.
He's also had two consecutive seasons without eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark in receiving yardage.
"If it's the last ride, you would never know," Mahomes told reporters Thursday at Chiefs practice. "The way he's talking about football, the way he's talking about working and trying to be even better this year than he was last year, he doesn't seem like a guy like it's his last ride, like he's tired of the job."
Kelce, 35, initially said he was "kicking every can I can down the road" regarding his decision to retire. But, ultimately, "I f---ing love playing the game of football."
"I still feel like I can play at a high level and possibly at a higher level than I did last year. I don’t think it was my best outing. I think I let my guys down in a lot more moments than I helped them," Kelce said on "New Heights" in March.
"Especially if you look at my track record and how I’ve been in years past. I want to give it a good run. I have a bad taste in my mouth in how I ended the year and how well I was playing and how accountable I was for the people around me. And I love so many people in Kansas City, both in that facility and in the community, and it’s home for me.
"I don’t want to leave that life yet. I’ve put in a lot of hard work and put in a lot of focus into being the best that I can for KC. Last year, it didn’t end well for us, and I feel like there is a responsibility in me to play out the contract I initially signed to give Kansas City and the Chiefs organization everything I’ve got, and that’s what I’m gonna do, man."
The California track and field state championship prelim round in Clovis on Friday was a scene of conflicting beliefs and even police intervention amid an ongoing controversy involving a trans athlete competing in the girls' category.
At least one person was arrested, the Clovis Police Department confirmed Fox News Digital. The person arrested was a protester who is accused of shattering a car window with a flag pole. The department confirmed the person arrested was an LGBTQ activist.
"This afternoon at 3:55PM, a disturbance between two adults occurred at the intersection of Nees/Minnewawa. One adult on the sidewalk and one in a vehicle at the intersection became involved in a disturbance that turned physical. During the disturbance, one of them used pepper spray against the other. EMS was called and one of the adults was arrested," a statement read.
The person has been arrested for assault with a weapon and obstructing a police, according to Sergeant Chris Hutchison.
"We don't have room for violence or property damage or anything like that," Hutchison.
Meanwhile, a plane flying a banner that read "no boys in girls' sports" passed over the California track and field championship Friday in Clovis.
Footage provided to Fox News Digital by California activist Beth Bourne showed the plan flying overhead at Buchanan High School's Veterans Memorial Stadium.
The stunt was organized by two women's advocacy group, Women are Real and the Independent Council for Women's Sports.
"California is beginning to reap the consequences of defying federal law and brazenly harming girls," said Kim Jones, co-founder of ICONS in a press release announcing the aerial banner.
"How long will Governor Newsom and legislators in this state continue to prioritize granting a few boys the right to take opportunities and recognition away from girls? Not one single boy should ever be in girls’ sports. It's the easiest problem in the world to solve—and the most brazen public 'screw you' to female athletes by Democrat leadership. Since when do we tell a single boy he is more important than every girl in the competition? That he has the right to ruin sports for all of them? It’s time for California to pay and it’s time to right these wrongs."
Witnesses at the event told Fox News Digital that pro-transgender protesters attended the event in support of transgender athlete AB Hernandez.
The meet and the California Interscholastic Federation's (CIF) entire track and field postseason has been under a national microscope in recent weeks. Trans athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley High School has dominated the girls' track and field postseason in 2025, prompting national backlash and even the attention of President Donald Trump.
Trump sent a Truth Social post on Tuesday morning, warning the state and Gov. Gavin Newsom of potential funding cuts and orders to local authorities to prevent a trans athlete from competing in the girls' category.
Then the Department of Justice announced it would launch 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 on Wednesday.
The CIF announced a pair of rule changes on Tuesday and Wednesday in response to the backlash, expanding the size of the competitor pool and even handing out medals to any "biological female" athlete displaced by a transgender athlete at the meet.
Taylor Swift is now the rightful owner of all of her music, and Patrick and Brittany Mahomes are loving it.
The pop icon bought her catalog of recordings, originally released through Big Machine Records, from their most recent owner, the private equity firm Shamrock Capital, regaining control of her entire body of work.
Swift posted a letter to her website about the news and implored her 281 million Instagram followers to read it in a post captioned, "You belong with me," a reference to one of her hit songs. The post was a photo of Swift with each of her first six albums.
Brittany and Swift have formed a friendship in recent years since Swift began dating Patrick's teammate, Travis Kelce, in 2023.
Throughout that season, the Chiefs' WAGs were spotted in suites together at several Chiefs games, and it was not uncommon to see them hanging out outside of games with their significant others.
"I can’t thank you enough for helping to reunite me with this art that I have dedicated my life to, but have never owned until now," Swift addressed fans in the post. "The best things that have ever been mine … finally actually are."
Swift had been rerecording and rereleasing her albums under the moniker "Taylor's Version" in an attempt to regain control of her music.
She has also released new music, including last year’s "The Tortured Poets Department."
The development will force her to miss at least two games.
The team didn't provide any specific details on what led to the move, and it's unclear what prompted Bueckers to go into protocol. She had 15 points, eight assists and five rebounds in Thursday's game.
Bueckers won't play in Dallas' home game on Saturday against the Sky or in Seattle against the Storm on Tuesday night. She will be re-evaluated after that.
Dallas has lost five of their first six games to begin the season. Bueckers has averaged 14.7 points, a team-high 6.7 assists and 2.0 steals a game in her professional debut while playing 33.9 minutes per game, also the most on the team.
She ranks second in points and third in rebounds, as well.
Bueckers had been slated to be the top pick of this year's draft for some time amid a record-setting career at UConn, even as a torn ACL cost her the 2022-23 season.
She averaged 19.8 points per game for the Huskies, the most in school history. Bueckers also had the third-most career points in women's March Madness history. She ended her run at UConn with a title back in April, having made the Final Four in each season.
It had actually been nine years since UConn's previous title, their longest such stretch since winning their first in 1995.
President Donald Trump was joined on stage by Pittsburgh Steelers players during his speech at the U.S. Steel plant in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, Friday.
Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph, safety Miles Killebrew and former running back Rocky Bleier, who won four Super Bowls in Pittsburgh in the 1970s, took the stage and presented the president with a custom No. 47 jersey.
"I have the honor of making you an honorary Pittsburgh Steeler and would like to present to you your jersey," Bleier said.
"I happen to think a really good quarterback is a man named Mason Rudolph," Trump said. "I think he's going to get a big shot. He's tall. He's handsome. He's got a great arm. And I have a feeling he's gonna be the guy."
Trump also complimented Killebrew, calling the safety a "killer."
Trump has become popular among professional athletes throughout his second term and dating back to his campaign, especially among football players. Trump's signature dance became a frequent touchdown celebration during the 2024 NFL season.
After John Mellencamp bashed Pat McAfee for his explicit hype-up speech for Indiana Pacers fans, a franchise legend appeared to take a side.
McAfee pumped up Pacers fans in the final minutes of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals Tuesday, but it left Mellencamp "embarrassed."
The former Indianapolis Colts punter called out celebrity Knicks fans Timothée Chalamet, Spike Lee and Ben Stiller and told Pacers fans to "turn this s--- up" and "send these sons of b------ back to New York with their ears ringing."
Mellencamp mentioned that "somebody" used "poor sportsmanship." He did not specifically mention McAfee by name, but it wasn't exactly a secret, and McAfee replied on X that "I am somebody."
Before calling Game 5 Thursday, Pacers legend Reggie Miller posted a video montage of him greeting Mellencamp that included Mellencamp's hit song, "Jack & Diane."
"Only real Hoosiers know what this man means to Indiana. Honored to call [Mellencamp] a true friend," Miller wrote on Instagram. "From dinners, video shoots, tour bus jumping, to singing on stage, I’ve done it all with him. Nothing but unconditional [love] for him and his family, thank you for always being there for some of those late night calls to vent about basketball back in the day.. #JackAndDiane."
The Pacers won Game 4 after McAfee took the mic to take a commanding 3-1 series lead, but the series is headed back to Indiana after the Knicks wiped the floor with the Pacers in Game 5.
Stiller challenged McAfee to attend Game 5 at New York's Madison Square Garden Thursday, but McAfee said he was "not paying $70,000 for a ticket."
Game 6 will be played Saturday night. With a win, it will be the Pacers' first trip to the NBA Finals since 2000, when they also beat the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals.
If the Knicks manage to win the next two, it'll be their first Finals appearance since 1999, when they beat the Pacers to get there.
The winner of the series will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder, who will be playing for a championship for the first time since 2012.
Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyel has made headlines again this week for another awkward interaction with a basketball player, this time after the Indiana Pacers suffered a crucial loss to the New York Knicks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.
The Pacers missed a chance to secure their spot in the NBA Finals after the Knicks staved off elimination with an 111-94 victory at home on Thursday night. Speaking to reporters after the loss, Pacers forward Pascal Siakam gave credit to the Knicks for outplaying Indiana.
"They played better than us, and I just think we've been an amazing team all year at bouncing back," he said. "Our strength has been being together, fighting hard together, staying together no matter what. Nobody had us being here — right now we're up 3-2 in the conference finals."
But Siakam was pressed by Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyel over how it was "possible" that the Knicks outplayed the Pacers, leading to an awkward exchange between the two.
"What are you talking about? They played harder than us," Siakam said. "We played hard but they played harder. What’s your point, I don’t get it."
Doyel continued to press Siakam, but the NBA star interrupted, "that happens in a game, though. That’s basketball."
Visibly annoyed by the line of questioning, Siakam questioned Doyel, "You good, bro?"
Siakam added that he knew Doyel was "looking for something."
"I told you, what else do you want me to tell you?"
The interaction continued, prompting Siakam to ask a nearby member of the Pacers’ media team "Who is this guy?"
Thursday night was not the first time Doyel created a stir with his comments in a press room. In May 2024, the veteran columnist was suspended for two-weeks by his outlet and was removed from covering the Indiana Fever beat after he made controversial comments towards star Caitlin Clark.
Before he asked her a question at her welcoming press conference, Doyel formed a heart symbol with his hands for Clark. The then-rookie asked Doyel whether he liked that, and he responded, "I like that you’re here."
Clark said she makes the gesture with her hands to her family "after every game," to which Dotel responded, "Start doing it to me, and we’ll get along." While talking to former head coach Christie Sides, he also referred to Clark as "that" and "it."
The Edmonton Oilers advanced to their second straight Stanley Cup Final as they defeated the Dallas Stars 6-3 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Thursday night.
The Oilers will look for revenge against the Florida Panthers after last season's heartbreaking Game 7 loss in the Stanley Cup Final.
It took Edmonton one less game in this year's Western Conference Final rematch to dispatch Dallas. Last season, the Oilers beat the Stars 4-2 in the Western Conference Final before moving on.
The Oilers raced out to an early lead on Thursday, as they scored on their first two shots. Corey Perry and Mattias Janmark beat Stars goalie Jake Oettinger to give Edmonton a quick 2-0 lead.
Dallas head coach Peter DeBoer didn’t waste any time and pulled Oettinger from the game after he allowed the two goals. However, the switch to backup goalie Casey DeSmith didn't yield much better results.
Edmonton's Jeff Skinner beat DeSmith for a goal right after he replaced Oettinger and gave the Oilers a 3-0 lead with his first goal of the playoffs.
The Stars managed to cut the lead to 3-2, but Connor McDavid scored a beautiful breakaway goal to make the game 4-2 and shift the momentum back towards the Oilers.
Stars forward Jason Robertson scored to make it 4-3, but Oilers forward Evander Kane responded with a goal to regain the Oilers' two-goal lead. Edmonton's Kasperi Kapanen put the finishing touch on the win with an empty-net goal as time was winding down to make it 6-3.
This is the third consecutive season the Stars have lost in the Western Conference Final.
"You’ve got to keep knocking on the door," DeBoer said. "We chased every single game in this series, and that’s a tough way to play hockey against that team. It was the story of the entire series, but the fourth goal, Connor’s goal ... the puck bounces into the neutral zone, he’s coming off the bench, he’s not missing that. It’s game over."
At the Oilers' celebration after the game, McDavid made sure to touch the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl, the trophy awarded to the Western Conference champion; last year, he superstitiously opted not to touch it, but they went on to lose in the Stanley Cup Final.
"It’s pretty obvious, I think," McDavid said about what was different from the end of last year's Western Conference Final. "Don’t touch it last year, you don’t win. Touch it this year, hopefully we win."
In last season's Stanley Cup Final, the Oilers nearly pulled off one of the most improbable comebacks in sports history. Edmonton fell behind 3-0 in the series but battled back to force a Game 7, which they eventually lost 2-1.
Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final is set to begin Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.
California high school girls' track and field athletes will compete in the meet of their lives this weekend under the national spotlight at the state championship in Clovis.
The meet will double as a battleground for the ongoing culture war over trans athletes in girls' sports, with a trans athlete set to compete in multiple girls' events. Protests and demonstrations are expected by spectators. Whether the athletes protest is yet to be seen.
Several prominent former women's athletes who have been impacted by trans inclusion in their careers have expressed support for the girls competing to "stand up" against the California Interscholastic Federation during the event:
Scanlan, a former UPenn swimmer, was forced to share a team and locker room with Lia Thomas during the 2021-22 women's swimming season. Scanlan became the first UPenn women's swimmer to speak out against the school for allowing Thomas to compete with females, after the controversial season ended.
Scanlan skewered California Governor Gavin Newsom for letting the situation in the state get to this point, and encouraged all females athlete to "stand up."
"It’s make or break for California. This is no longer a bipartisan issue, and even democrats see that. Gavin Newsom couldn’t be more out of touch with women. I am beyond grateful that the Trump administration is taking this issue so seriously and I encourage all female athletes to stand up against this. I support them and I know the majority of Americans do too," Scanlan told Fox News Digital.
Turner made global headlines at the start of April when she refused to compete and knelt in protest of a trans opponent at a fencing match in Maryland.
Turner says she would support the girls competing in Clovis to stand up for themselves as well this weekend.
"I fully support these young women standing up against males in the women’s track and field events. CIF has stolen the precious high school competitive years from these young ladies and compromised their athletic and scholastic trajectories by allowing males in their category," Turner told Fox News Digital.
Turner praised one young woman who has already spoken out, La Canada High School track and field star Katie McGuinness, who urged the CIF to "take action" in amending its policy after finishing second to the trans athlete at a sectional final on May 17.
"Katie McGuinness is right, this is a time-sensitive issue and CIF would do well to abandon all transgender policies immediately and comply with both the President’s Executive Order and Title IX," Turner said.
"These women are extraordinarily brave to be speaking out at their age. This is not easy, but women and girls across the United States thank them for their stand!"
McNabb suffered permanent brain injuries after she was spiked in the head by a trans opponent during a high school match in 2022. She has since become a leading ambassador for standing up against trans athletes in girls' and women's sports, and testified before congress alongside Turner at a recent DOGE hearing earlier this month.
McNabb reminded girls competing in Clovis this weekend that they have the right to stand up or even "walk away" from the competition.
"To the girls competing in California — I know exactly how it feels to lose to a male athlete. It’s not fair, and it’s not right. You’ve trained for years, and now you’re being pushed aside because officials would rather protect feelings than protect girls. You don’t owe silence to anyone," McNabb told Fox News Digital.
"If you want to speak up or walk out — do it. You’re not alone, and you’re not crazy for wanting fairness. Women have fought for decades to have equal opportunities in sports. Letting males take over isn’t progress — it’s going backwards. To California officials — you’re failing these girls. You’re letting biological males dominate their sports and take their spots. This isn’t equality — it’s erasure. And we’re done pretending it’s okay."
Soule, a former high school track and field athlete herself in Connecticut, was one of the first young women to stand up against systems that allow biological males to compete against women in 2018.
That year, as a four-time National Qualifier, she was forced out of a regional championship due to two trans athletes taking women’s spots and who lost out on the chance to earn attention from college scouts and potential scholarships because of those snubs. Then she began to speak out in interviews with local news outlets.
"I understand exactly how all the girls competing in this upcoming championship meet feel as I was in the same situation for 4 years during high school," Soule told Fox News Digital.
Soule wouldn't encourage the California athletes to refuse to compete this weekend, but she would support some sort of demonstration by them.
"It’s easy for people to say that girls should take a stand and refuse to compete against a male athlete but it’s not easy to sit it out when you’ve dedicated long hours training and sacrificed things like parties or sleepovers with friends to qualify for this meet. It’s a devastating and demoralizing choice these girls are facing and my heart breaks for them," she said.
"If I could say something to each girl in this competition it would be to compete and give it your best. You may have the chance to beat your personal best or break a school record. If you’re robbed of the chance to get a higher place or just miss the podium, you could refuse to stand on the podium next to a male with unfair advantage during the awards ceremony and take your rightful place afterwards. I and the vast majority of this country have your back."
Soule later sued the state of Connecticut over its gender eligibility policies, and the suit is ongoing.
Some California girls' athletes have already taken steps to stand up against the CIF this track and field postseason.
Crean Lutheran High Schooler Reese Hogan stepped up into the first-place stand on the medal podium for triple jump at a sectional final on May 17 after the first-place winner, trans athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley High School, stepped off it. Footage of Hogan's stunt went viral and helped ignite awareness of the situation in California.
Before that, during the Southern Sectional Prelims on May 10, several athletes wore shirts that read "Protect Girls Sports" and wielded picket signs that called out the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) for its policies, and some even spoke at a press conference that included activists opposing trans inclusion.
However, Fox News Digital previously reported that CIF officials forced multiple girls wearing the shirts to remove them, and the CIF acknowledged the incidents occurred in a statement.
Title IX expert Ryan Bangert senior vice president for strategic initiatives and special counsel to the president at the legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom told Fox News Digital that the girls have every right to peacefully protest during the weekend's competitions how they see fit. And any retaliation by the CIF against those who protest could be violations of the first amendment.
"California needs to be cautious because every sovereign entity and every government entity has an obligation to follow the commands of the first amendment, and California is no different," Bangert said, adding that the state is under even more scrutiny if it tramples on the first amendment in defense of the "failing ideology" of biological males competing in girls' sports.
If CIF officials do try to prevent the girls from competing, Bangert suggested there are legal steps they could take in response.
"I think those girls would be well advised to consider all their legal rights and remedies in that situation," Bangert said about potential prevention or retaliation against girls who choose to protest this weekend.
The rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese continues to ignite the sports world.
Clark committed a flagrant foul against Reese earlier this month during the Indiana Fever's first 2025 matchup with the Chicago Sky. The on-court feud between the two basketball stars dates back to their time at the college basketball level.
Over the past couple of years, countless sports figures have debated whether the rivalry is beneficial. Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac said he ultimately believes it helps bring attention to women's basketball.
"I think it's truly great for basketball. Obviously, the reason it's being pitted like this is because it's great for TV. It sells tickets," Isaac told Fox News Digital on behalf of his Christian apparel brand UNITUS.
According to the company's official website, UNITUS' mission "is to inspire and empower people to live in greater unity, freedom, strength, and purpose."
Isaac acknowledged the outside factors that are often associated with the Clark-Reese rivalry, but he said it all boils down to what takes place on the basketball court.
"Some things I do think get out of hand with some of the commentary on the white vs. the black. I understand there's nuance to that and there's a reality to that as well. But, I think at the basic level it's basketball and rivalries are good for basketball. I think it's been amazing for women's sports. Because of the rivalry, because of Angel Reese, because of Caitlin Clark… [there's been an uptick in the] interest in women's basketball that wasn't completely there before. I'm happy for that. I want to see it play out. I want to see them continue to grow their careers and be the best female basketball players they can be."
Reese set the WNBA record for consecutive games with a double-double last season. Clark received WNBA rookie of the year honors last season after averaging 19.2 per contest and appearing in all 40 regular season games.
The Fever's game against the Washington Mystics on Wednesday marked the first time in Clark's WNBA that she was listed as inactive. Clark watched the Fever's 83-77 loss from the bench. She is expected to miss the next two weeks due to a left quadriceps strain, the team said.
Isaac is familiar with overcoming injuries. He tore his left ACL in Aug. 2020. In March 2023, he had surgery to repair a torn left adductor muscle. He was then forced to sit out for the remainder of 2022-23 season.
Isaac was ultimately able to bounce back and appeared in 71 games this past season.
Isaac said he's dealt with an onslaught of injuries throughout his NBA career. "The ACL injury was supposed to be a one-year (setback). But one, I had complications. Once everything got patched up, for some reason my hamstring… there's a muscle called the biceps femoris and I tore that and for some reason my hamstring wasn't getting stronger, but my knee was and my quad was. And then in the midst of that I tore my right hamstring while I was sprinting, because I was overcompensating. I came back to the league for 11 games and then tore my groin.
Isaac credited his faith, family, and support system for helping get past the string of injuries.
"(I) was able to get through it. My faith is a huge part of that, the people I have around me… my wife, my church family, just everyone encouraging me to just stick with it. And this past season I was able to play in 70 games."
Isaac, who famously stood for the national anthem while his other colleagues knelt before a game in the bubble in 2020, reportedly agreed to a contract extension in July 2024.
Isaac and the Magic agreed to a five-year, $84 million contract extension, ESPN reported at the time. The deal ties the forward with the Magic through the 2028-29 season.
A high school softball team in Minnesota is deep in the state playoffs and the political news cycle, both thanks to its dominant transgender pitcher.
Champlin Park High School in Minnesota defeated the defending state champions, Rogers High School, in the sectional final on Thursday by a score of 1-0. The trans pitcher threw 14 shutout innings, bringing the athlete's season ERA down to 0.88.
Three anonymous players who claim to have faced the pitcher filed a lawsuit against the state on May 20 for allowing the athlete to compete against female players. The situation has prompted national scrutiny amid the ongoing political divide over biological males in girls' and women's sports.
Champlin Park's school district provided a statement to Fox News Digital defending the decision to allow the athlete to compete on the softball team.
"Throughout the entire season, and as the Rebels advance to the state tournament, it is important to note that all of the student athletes participating for the Champlin Park Softball team are eligible to compete in compliance with Minnesota State High School League rules and applicable state law. Due to data privacy laws, the District is not able to provide public comment regarding a specific student athlete," a statement from the Anoka-Hennepin School District stated.
"In addition, the District is named in an active lawsuit which limits what information can be shared."
The pitcher will now lead Champlin Park into the state tournament next week for the first time in program history.
The lawsuit against Minnesota was filed by the religious law firm Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). The defendants are Attorney General Keith Ellison, the Minnesota State High School League Executive Director Erich Martens, Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero and Minnesota Commissioner of Education Willie Jett.
"Minnesota is failing its female athletes. The state is putting the rights of males ahead of females, telling girls their hard work may never be enough to win and that they don’t deserve fairness and safety," Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Suzanne Beecher told Fox News Digital.
"By sacrificing protection for female athletes, Minnesota fails to offer girls equal treatment and opportunity, violating Title IX’s provisions. Our client, Female Athletes United, is right to stand up for its members by challenging the state’s discriminatory policy and advocate for true equality in sports."
Ellison's office has responded to the lawsuit in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"In addition to getting exercise and the fun of competition, playing sports comes with so many benefits for young people. You build friendships that can last a lifetime, you learn how to work as part of a team, and you get to feel like you belong," the statement read. "I believe it is wrong to single out one group of students, who already face higher levels of bullying and harassment, and tell these kids they cannot be on the team because of who they are. I will continue to defend the rights of all students to play sports with their friends and peers."
Ellison is also suing President Donald Trump and the Department of Justice to ensure transgender athletes can continue participating in girls' sports in the state.
After Trump signed the "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order, the Minnesota State High School League announced it would defy federal law by allowing transgender athletes to continue playing in women's sports. Ellison then claimed at a press conference on April 22 that he received notice from the Department of Justice threatening legal action if the state did not follow the executive order, so the AG decided to sue first.
The White House later responded to the lawsuit, condemning Ellison for taking legal action to enable trans inclusion.
"Why would a grown man sue the Trump administration to allow other biological males to participate in women’s sports? This is creepy and anti-woman," White House spokesperson Harrison Fields told Fox News Digital.
Minnesota's state legislature failed to pass the "Preserving Girls’ Sports Act" in early March, which would have stated that "only female students may participate in an elementary or secondary school level athletic team or sport that an educational institution has restricted to women and girls."
Atlanta Braves starter Chris Sale reached 2,500 strikeouts, faster than any pitcher in MLB history, during the team’s 9-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies Thursday night at Citizen Bank Park.
Sale, 36, struck out Phillies’ third baseman Edmundo Sosa with his signature wipeout slider to end the sixth inning.
Sale surpassed the 2,500-strikeout mark in 2,026 innings, breaking the record of 2,107⅔ innings set by Randy Johnson.
Sale pitched six shutout innings, yielded only two hits and three walks and struck out eight batters in the win.
Sale became the 40th pitcher in major league history to reach 2,500 strikeouts, joining Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer as the only active pitchers to have reached that plateau.
The eight-time All-Star won his first career Cy Young with the Braves last season while leading the National League with 225 strikeouts.
Sale spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Chicago White Sox and was traded to the Boston Red Sox. Sale was an integral part of the 2018 Red Sox team that won the World Series.
Sale spent six seasons with the Red Sox before they traded him to the Braves prior to the beginning of the 2024 season.
The Phillies and Braves played a doubleheader and split it. The Phillies won the first game, 5-4, before the Braves bounced back behind Sale’s strong outing.
The Braves (26-29) begin a three-game series with the Red Sox (27-31) Friday at 7:15 p.m. ET. The Phillies (36-20) begin a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers (29-28) Friday at 6:45 p.m. ET.
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif will not be competing as expected in an upcoming World Boxing women's competition until completing a mandatory sex test, the organization announced on Friday.
"Imane Khelif may not participate in the female category at the Eindhoven Box Cup, 5-10 June 2025 and any World Boxing event until Imane Khelif undergoes genetic sex screening in accordance with World Boxing’s rules and testing procedures," a letter sent by World Boxing to the Algerian Boxing Federation read.
The letter also stated that World Boxing decided to adopt mandatory sex tests this month.
"These new eligibility rules were developed with the express purpose of safeguarding athletes in combat sports, particularly given the physical risks associated with Olympic-style boxing," the letter read.
World Boxing added in a statement that the new policies are "designed solely to ensure the health and safety of all participants in World Boxing competitions (including Imane Khelif) and is not deemed to in any way pre-judge the outcome of any testing that will be introduced as part of the new policy on ‘Sex, Age and Weight.’"
The controversial gold medalist was slated to return to the sport at the Eindhoven Box Cup in The Netherlands in June. Now, Khelif will only be able to compete if a polymerase chain reaction genetic test — a laboratory technique used to detect specific genetic material — is passed.
World Boxing claims the policy will include an appeals process and support will be offered to any boxers that provide an adverse test result.
Khelif, who was the subject of global controversy during the Paris Olympics, was previously disqualified from the International Boxing Association for failing a gender eligibility test. IBA President Umar Kremlev claimed unpublished DNA test results showed Khelif had XY chromosomes, which is the default combination for men. Then, en-route to winning women's gold in Paris, Khelif infamously beat Italy's Angela Carini by forfeit, as Carini cried after the match because of how hard Khelif's punches were.
The incident even prompted the backlash of President Donald Trump during his campaign last summer, who spoke out against the International Olympic Committee for allowing Khelif to compete. Former IOC President Thomas Bach defended Khelif's participation, as IOC's gender eligibility policies permitted Khelif's participation.
Khelif later filed a lawsuit in France citing "acts of aggravated cyber harassment" over the public response to her participation.
Khelif announced intentions to compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics in an interview with ITV in March.
"She asked me when I came home: ‘Daddy, like, what is threats? Who wants to hurt us? Who wants to hurt me?’ So, those conversations are tough to deal with," McCullers told the Associated Press this week.
McCullers, who has two young daughters, took immediate action after the threats and reached out to the team to inquire about what could be done to protect his family.
The Astros contacted MLB security and the Houston Police Department following the threats to McCullers. A police spokesperson said Thursday that it remains an ongoing investigation.
It was a move McCullers felt was necessary after what happened.
"You have to at that point," he said.
The Astros have uniformed police officers stationed in the family section, a practice that was implemented well before the threats to McCullers and his family. The team also has mental health professionals available to the players to talk about the toll such abuse takes on them and any other issues they may be dealing with.
McCullers, who returned this year after missing two full seasons with injuries, said dealing with this has been the worst thing that’s happened in his career. He understands the passion of fans and knows that being criticized for a poor performance is part of the game. But he believes there’s a "moral line" that fans shouldn’t cross.
"People should want us to succeed," he said. "We want to succeed, but it shouldn’t come at a cost to our families, the kids in our life, having to feel like they’re not safe where they live or where they sit at games."
"It does make you kind of shell up a little bit," he said. "It does make you kind of not want to go places. I guess that’s just probably the human reaction to it."
Boston Red Sox pitcher Liam Hendriks also said he received death threats earlier this month.
"Threats against my life and my wife’s life are horrible and cruel. You need help," Hendriks wrote on his Instagram story last week.
"Leaving comments telling me to commit suicide and how you wish I died from cancer is disgusting and vile."
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson was accused in a lawsuit filed in California on Thursday of raping a woman on two separate occasions. The two-time NBA All-Star has denied those allegations.
The assault accusations were first reported Friday by Eriq Gardner of Puck. According to the lawsuit filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court, the woman claimed she was in a relationship with Williamson while he played basketball at Duke.
The pair allegedly dated from 2018 to 2023, where she claimed Williamson engaged in a "pattern of abusive, controlling, and threatening behavior," Gardner reported, sharing an excerpt of the lawsuit.
The New York Post also reported that alleged assaults took place in 2020. According to the report, in one instance, the woman claimed Williamson "picked her up, threw her down to the ground, and pinned her shoulders down so she could not move," and then he allegedly "violently raped Plaintiff in multiple ways."
The woman also claimed that Williamson used abusive language when she refused to be intimate with him.
In a statement from Williamson’s attorneys shared by the Pelicans, the NBA star denied all allegations.
"We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and we unequivocally deny them. The allegations contained in the complaint are categorically false and reckless," the statement read. Williamson's attorneys added that the lawsuit is "an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance."
"Mr. Williamson and the plaintiff never dated, but did maintain a consensual, casual relationship that began more than six years ago, when he was 18 years old. That relationship ended years ago. At no point during or immediately after that relationship did the plaintiff raise any concerns. Only after the friendship ended did she begin demanding millions of dollars."
According to his attorneys, Williamson reported the "extortion attempts" to law enforcement.
"We understand that an arrest warrant was issued in connection with that report, and we are prepared to provide the court with documentation that supports these facts. Mr. Williamson also intends to file counterclaims and seek significant damages for this defamatory lawsuit. While these allegations are false, we recognize the seriousness of the claims and welcome the opportunity to prove the truth in court. We are confident that the legal process will expose the truth and fully vindicate Mr. Williamson."
Williamson, 24, was the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Despite a career marred by a lengthy injury history, Williamson would go on to become a two-time NBA All-Star and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
"If I say, ‘I don’t want to be a mentor,’ I look bad. If I say, ‘I do want to be a mentor,’ I look like an idiot that doesn’t care about being good and playing football, . . ." Flacco told reporters on Thursday. "I tend to try to be honest. And I’ve said, ‘I’m not a mentor; I play football.’ And in a quarterback room… there have been a ton of times where there have been learning experiences, and I have a lot of experience. And I can talk on things. And, hopefully, they listen. But it’s not necessarily my job to make sure they listen to me. Hopefully, you have a really good relationship with the guys that are in the room. And you naturally want to do that."
But it goes without saying that the long-term, and maybe even the short-term, futures for the Browns do not include Flacco - and one of his former Baltimore Ravens teammates took offense at Flacco's comments.
"Mentoring a young player is only going to make that player better, which makes the team better," Chris Canty Friday on ESPN's "Unsportsmanlike." "You're only as strong as your weakest link. The whole point of the exercise is that everybody makes everyone better. That's why you practice. You're making each other better. It's what you're supposed to do. You do that with the reps on the practice field, but you also do that by sharing points and notes in the film room."
"It's a ridiculous answer from Joe Flacco. There's no guarantee Joe Flacco is going to be healthy for 17 games, especially at 40 years old."
Flacco is in his second stint with Cleveland, having played for them in the 2023 season. He won the AP Comeback Player of the Year Award after throwing for 1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns in five games where he went 4-1.
Canty and Flacco spent three years together in Baltimore, where the quarterback spent his first 11 NFL seasons. Canty's Baltimore stint came after he spent four years with both the Cowboys and Giants, the latter of whom he won a Super Bowl with.
After NFL owners approved players to play flag football at the Los Angeles Summer Olympics in 2028 earlier this month, players and fans alike have been dreaming about the potential squad the United States could have.
However, U.S. men’s flag football national team quarterback, Darrell Doucette III, has been firm in his belief that flag football players should not be put aside just because NFL players are now allowed to participate.
Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce proposed an idea that would help determine which players, flag football or NFL, would represent Team USA in the Olympics.
"Let's just have these (flag football) guys play an NFL team that's picked and may the best team win and represent the USA," Kelce said during a recent episode of "New Heights."
"I think a coach that is familiar with flag football should select an NFL-represented team. That team should just play this flag football team that's been playing for a long time and feels like they are the best at it, and they don't need other guys. Then whoever wins (goes to the Olympics)."
"Have a tryout, and the best players make the team. He's just boxing out other people from joining the sport because they haven't played the specific style of football?"
The United States, led by Doucette, sat on top of the world flag football rankings last year. Regardless of their rankings, Jason is "really confident" that NFL players would be better.
"If these guys are the best, they should represent (Team) USA," Jason said. "I don't know anything about flag football, but I feel really confident they’re not the best."
Golf influencer Paige Spiranac has landed herself a new gig.
The popular golfcontent creator announced this week that she will be joining the Grass League, an innovative new golf league in its second season, as a member of the front office.
"I am joining the front office at Grass League, yay!" She said in the announcement posted to her YouTube channel on Thursday.
"I will be joining the front office which means that I will be focusing on brand development, fan engagement, marketing, content strategy, seeking out new talent, team owners, and acquiring sponsorships."
"We are honored to announce [Paige Spiranac] has joined the Grass League front office," the league added in a post on social media. "Paige is THE OG golf influencer, a great person, golfer, businesswoman, and has an incredible mind for new age sports media. We are excited to have Paige on the team, and look forward to working together to shape the future of golf."
The Grass League describes itself as a new high stakes Par 3 golf league that features both amateur and professional players competing in team-based formats.
According to Forbes, the inaugural season was played at one venue in Tempe, Arizona but branched out this year to include one tournament in California.
The event is set to be broadcast live on the Golf Channel.
"This is really exciting for me and I feel like it is part of this next development and stage of my career. But don’t you worry, this will not take away from anything else that I’m currently doing. It is only going to add to it, and I can’t wait to tell you more about why," Spiranac said.
The Grass League is currently made up of 11 franchises with the San Diego Munis on top of the leaderboard with 753 points.
An investigation by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) into two New York state agencies has found that both violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act over a ban on Native American-inspired mascots and logos – an issue thrust into the national spotlight because of one Long Island school district.
The Department of Education released a press release of its findings on Friday, just a month after first launching the probe into the New York Department of Education and the New York State Board of Regents.
"The Trump Administration will not stand idly by as state leaders attempt to eliminate the history and culture of Native American tribes," U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, who visited Massapequa High School on Friday, said.
"Rather than focus on learning outcomes, the New York Department of Education and Board of Regents has set its sights on erasing Massapequa’s history – while turning a blind eye to other districts’ mascots that are derived from or connected to other racial or ethnic groups. We will stand with the people of Massapequa until commonsense is restored and justice is served, and until New York comes into compliance with federal law."
The investigation was brought about when the Native American Guardians Association (NAGA) filed a complaint in April after claiming that the state agencies forced Massapequa School District, home of the Chiefs, to retire its mascot.
"The Native American Guardians Association stands firm in asserting that the preservation of Native themes and imagery in New York public schools is not only a matter of cultural dignity but a fundamental civil right for all students. We call on federal and state leaders to help us defend these dwindling expressions or our presence and contributions," Vice President of NAGA Frank Blackcloud said in a statement at the time.
"Maintaining a respectable presence in NY State schools is vital to educational equity, historical truth, and the civil rights of all American Indians."
The Department of Education also found that while Native American-inspired mascots, names and logos were not permitted under the policy, others that "appear to have been derived from other racial or ethnic groups" were, making the policy "discriminatory."
The district sued the state in September, claiming its First Amendment rights were violated, but a federal judge ruled against it. Rebranding, including changing the name and logo, would cost roughly $1 million, district officials claimed.
President Donald Trump became aware of the issue last month and encouraged the Department of Education to look into the ban, which he called "an affront to our great Indian population."
The 2022 mandate requires all public schools to retire Native American mascots and logos or risk the loss of federal funding. Four schools on Long Island have since filed lawsuits.
The Department of Education announced Friday as part of its investigation that proposed resolution to the violations includes rescinding the ban on "Indigenous names, mascots, and logos," issuing a memorandum to public schools informing them of the changes, and issuing apology letters to Indigenous tribes acknowledging that the actions of the two agencies "silenced the voices of Native Americans and attempted to erase Native American history."
The Department of Education said failure to comply with the resolution plan risks further action by the Department of Justice and the potential loss of federal funding.
Fox News Digital’s Ryan Gaydos and Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
