The Spaniard had a rough moment when he played the par-4 10th hole at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland on Thursday. Rahm's shot ended up in the rough.
The two-time major championship winner was visibly upset as he put his hands in the air before turning toward the gallery and scolding a fan.
It was not clear whether cameras for the television broadcast picked up audio of the alleged whistling noise. Rahm later downplayed the tense exchange he had with the spectator, chalking up his emotional reaction to the "bad timing" of the noise in question.
"I mean, if I were to paint a picture, you have the hardest tee shot on the course, raining, into the wind off the left, it's enough," Rahm told the assembled media. "I know they're not doing it on purpose. It just seemed like somebody trying to get a hold of someone for whatever it is. It was bad timing."
Rahm did admit that he had "a bad swing."
"I think I just used the moment to let out any tension I had in me. Really that's not — it is what it is. To be honest, it probably didn't affect as much as I made it sound like. It was a bad swing as well. Just a difficult hole.
"I mean, it's frustrating, but it is what it is. It's an everyday thing in golf," Rahm concluded.
The 30-year-old entered the final major tournament of the season off the heels of a second-place finish at LIV Golf's event in Spain. Rahm had his best performance at The Open in 2023 when he finished in a tie for the runner-up spot.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Thursday he is suing U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS), a competitive swimming membership organization with over 60,000 adult swimmers.
The lawsuit is a response to an event in San Antonio where a biological male trans athlete won five women's gold medals.
Multiple female competitors told Fox News Digital after the meet they did not know the athlete was a biological male.
"I'm suing U.S. Masters Swimming for engaging in illegal practices by allowing men to compete in women's competitions," Paxton said in a post on X announcing the lawsuit. "The organization has cowered to radical activists pushing gender warfare, and this lawsuit will hold USMS accountable for its actions."
Paxton's statement alleges USMS engaged in "false, deceptive, and misleading practices by allowing men to compete in women's events."
Fox News Digital has reached out to USMS for comment.
In June 2023, Texas passed the Save Women's Sports Act, which bans trans athletes from competing in girls and women's sports and only allows students to compete in the gender category listed on their birth certificates. The law only allows schools to recognize changes made to birth certificates that were made to correct a clerical error.
Paxton previously launched an investigation into USMS after the conrtoversial April incident.
The trans swimmer, 47-year-old Ana Caldas, dominated all five races the athlete competed in, taking gold in the women's age 45-49 category in five races, including the 50- and 100-yard breaststroke, freestyle and the 100-yard individual medley.
Louisiana woman and long-time swimmer Wendy Enderle said she filed a request for an eligibility review after finding out that Caldas was transgender through a news article about the April incident.
"I feel betrayed. Plain and simple," Enderle previously told Fox News Digital.
Enderle said she did not introduce herself to Caldas until a USMS meet in Little Rock, Arkansas, in January. Upon meeting Caldas, Enderle noticed the athlete's muscles and height but still assumed Caldas was a female.
"I knew there was something, but I didn't know what, I had no idea she was a trans female up until this past Wednesday after the meet," Enderle said. "I was shocked. … It makes me concerned, it makes me mad."
Fellow USMS women's swimmer Angie Griffin also swam with Caldas in April without knowledge of Caldas' birth gender.
The shock of learning the news about Caldas prompted Griffin to write a formal letter of complaint to USMS. The letter also asked the organization to "re-evaluate" the recent Spring National Championship and overhaul its gender eligibility policy.
Griffin competed against Caldas in three races in San Antonio and finished behind the trans athlete in the 50-yard breaststroke and 100-yard individual medley.
"I couldn't stop thinking about how the integrity of individual competition had been compromised. Why doesn't USMS follow the same competitive standards as the rest of the world and NCAA? Why are athletes asked to accept less transparency and fairness?" Griffin previously told Fox News Digital
"I paid my entry fees, airfare and hotel, trusting I'd be competing in a women's division defined by biological sex. I deserved to know the truth before stepping onto the blocks."
The U.S. Masters Swimming Board of Directors and Rules Committee updated its participation guidelines last month.
"USMS allows members to register for the competition category that aligns with their gender identity and/or expression and to participate in sanctioned events in that category," the new guidelines state.
"However, swimmers will not be included in Recognition Programs (as defined above) unless they are swimming in the competition category that aligns with their sex assigned at birth or they meet the eligibility requirements."
To be eligible for the U.S. Masters Swimming’s women’s recognition programs, the policy states, "Members of the Female Sex are eligible for Recognition Programs in the women's category, regardless of their gender identity or gender expression.
"Members with 46 XY DSD whose gender identity or gender expression is female are eligible for Recognition Programs in the women's category if they can establish to USMS's comfortable satisfaction that their sex assigned at birth is female."
Cyclist Samuele Privitera died from injuries he sustained in a crash Wednesday during the first stage of the Tour of Valle D’Aosta in Italy, his team announced. He was 19.
Privitera reportedly hit a speed bump, lost control of his bike and hit his head as he struck a barrier.
He crashed on a descent of about 35 kilometers from the finish in Aosta at a speed of almost 70 kilometers per hour, according to Italian media.
Race organizers said the circumstances of the crash were "still unclear and are being investigated by public safety authorities."
Privitera was a member of the Hagens Berman Jayco team. The team’s director, Axel Merckx, released a statement on the teen’s death.
"Samuele was and always will be the life and personality of this team," Merckx said. "This team has always been a small family, and moments like this are unimaginable.
"He was irreplaceable. His joy, his spirit, his kindness was always a bright light to whatever room or race that he was in at that moment. To lose him is devastating beyond words."
Tour de France riders took a moment to applaud for a minute during the 12th stage of the race Thursday in honor of Privitera.
"It’s really sad to lose another young talent today. It’s devastating," Tour de France favorite Tadej Pogačar said before Thursday’s stage. "It is one of the most dangerous sports in the world, I think, and the risk that we are taking sometimes is too far. But I’m really really really sad for all his family. May he rest in peace."
The Tour of Valle D’Aosta was put on hold Thursday and will resume Friday.
"This news leaves us shocked and forces us to think even more decisively about how to make our races safer," Italian Cycling Federation President Cordiano Dagnoni said in a statement. "The federation established a commission some time ago to develop proposals on this matter, and we constantly update the regulations every year to ensure such incidents never happen again.
"We must intensify our efforts in this direction. It is an obligation we owe first and foremost to our young people, to our clubs and to our entire movement."
Police in Arizona are investigating after the home of Arizona Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte was reportedly broken into during his appearance at the All-Star Game in Atlanta Tuesday.
The MLB player's home was reportedly burglarized July 15 in what Scottsdale Police are calling a "high-dollar residential burglary," The Associated Press reported.
According to law enforcement, no one was inside the home at the time of the burglary, and personal items and jewelry were taken. The investigation is ongoing and, according to The Arizona Republic, there were signs of "forced entry."
The theft is believed to have happened while Marte was out of town competing in the All-Star Game in Georgia, where he hit a two-run double in the first inning of the National League’s win.
Marte’s home is the latest in a string of burglaries targeting high-profile athletes.
In December, the FBI issued a warning that South American organized crime groups were believed to be behind a number of burglaries targeting athletes’ homes while they were out of town. The groups have allegedly used social media and other publicly available information to track their targets' whereabouts, the FBI said.
The NFL and NBA warned players after a number of break-ins to be diligent.
Luka Dončić, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Joe Burrow are among some of the prominent athletes who have had their homes broken into in the last year.
The NFL contract drama is finally over in Pittsburgh.
Star pass rusher T.J. Watt reached a deal on a three-year contract extension, according to multiple reports. The NFL Network reported the deal is worth $123 million.
The average annual salary makes Watt the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
Earlier this year, Myles Garrett agreed to the terms of a lucrative contract extension with the Cleveland Browns. At the time, the $40 million in annual salary made him the top-paid non-quarterback.
Last month, Watt skipped mandatory minicamp, and it appeared to be not-so-subtle message to the only team he’s ever played for about his desire to iron out a new contract before the 2025 season.
The decision to skip minicamp was a noticeable shift from Watt’s approach in 2021, when he did a "hold in" during both minicamp and training camp before agreeing to a contract on the eve of the regular season.
Watt, the 2021 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year, was about to enter the final season of the four-year extension he signed in September 2021. That $112 million deal made Watt the highest-paid defender in the league at the time.
Some Steelers players are scheduled to report to training camp July 23.
Watt tied the single-season sacks record in 2021. Last season, he recorded double-digit sacks for the sixth time in his NFL career. The 30-year-old is also a seven-time Pro Bowler.
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh spoke highly of his recent visit with President Donald Trump at the White House during a press conference Wednesday.
Harbaugh and brother John Harbaugh, head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, and their families made the trip to D.C.
"There’s a lot of gratitude there to be invited to the White House to meet the president with my family, my mom and dad. President Trump was just great to my mom and dad. That meant so much. My brother John; his daughter Allison; my two daughters, Addie and Katie; and my sister Joanie; and my niece Ainsley. So, there’s nine of us, and it was great.
"I mean, who gets invited to the White House with eight other family members and doesn’t go? Nobody."
Harbaugh said Trump was the seventh United States president he has met.
The 61-year-old said he has met President Gerald Ford, President Ronald Reagan and wife Nancy Reagan, President George Bush Sr. and wife Barbara Bush, President Bill Clinton and President Barack Obama and wife Michelle Obama. He also met Joe Biden while he was vice president.
Harbaugh is entering his second season as head coach of the Chargers.
He took the Chargers' head coaching job after he led Michigan to a perfect 15-0 record and a national championship.
Last season, the Chargers went 11-6 and made the AFC playoffs as a wild-card team. They were defeated by the Houston Texans, 32-12, in athe AFC wild-card round and will look to go deeper in the playoffs this season.
Transgender runner Sadie Schreiner is suing Princeton University after the school allegedly excluded the athlete from a May 3 women's race.
Schreiner's lawsuit claimed the athlete attempted to participate in the women's 200-meter sprint at the Larry Ellis Invitational as one of the 141 participants unattached to a university or club. The suit alleges officials told Schreiner the athlete could not participate 15 minutes before the race began.
"I do not want to assume, but you are transgender," a Princeton official allegedly told Schreiner, per the complaint.
"The actions of the two Princeton officials were in blatant and willful disregard of Sadie’s rights based on Sadie’s rights as a transgender woman under controlling New Jersey law, thereby causing Sadie Shreiner to foreseeable emotional and physical harm," the lawsuit argued.
Schreiner alleges the university violated the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, which designates "gender identity or expression" as a protected status.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Princeton University for a response.
Schreiner previously competed for Rochester Institute of Technology's (RIT) women's track and field team and gained national notoriety for dominating female opponents and frequent social media videos boasting about it as an openly transgender competitor.
However, Schreiner was ruled ineligible to compete for RIT after the NCAA revised its gender eligibility policy Feb. 6, one day after President Donald Trump signed the "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order on Feb. 5.
"We continue to follow the NCAA participation policy for transgender student-athletes following the Trump administration’s executive order. Sadie is not participating in the next meet," the statement said.
Schreiner then competed at the USA Track & Field Open Masters Championships on March 1.
There, Schreiner competed in the women's 400-meter dash and 200-meter dash, taking first place in both events.
Schreiner won the 400-meter dash by default, as the other participants inthe event, Anna Vidolova and Amaris Hiatt, had no recorded times and were listed as DNS (did not start).
In the 200-meter dash, Schreiner defeated 14-year-old runner-up Zwange Edwards, 16-year-old third-place finisher Zariah Hargrove, 15-year-old Leah Walker and 18-year-old Ainsley Rausch. That event also had multiple participants listed as DNS, including 18-year-old Jordan Carr, 46-year-old Amanda Taylor, Vidolova again and 16-year-old Paula Damiens.
However, weeks after that, Schreiner posted an Instagram video claiming to have likely competed in Schreiner's last organized track meet in the U.S. after a USATF event in Maine.
"I very likely just ran what will be my last meet in the United States," Schreiner said, later adding, "I will find a way to keep competing, but I doubt that will be in the United States."
Schreiner said USATF changed its policy on transgender eligibility from the one used by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which allows biological males to compete in the women's category, to the one used by World Athletics, which bans any athlete who has undergone male puberty from competing as a woman. The USATF's official transgender eligibility policy does now reference the World Athletics guidelines on its official webpage. It previously referenced the IOCs policy, as seen in an archive via Wayback Machine.
Schreiner has been a controversial figure in women's track and field in the past year, especially after an appearance at the 2024 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships in May.
Earlier that month, Schreiner competed at the Liberty League Championship and won both the women's 200- and 400-meter, breaking the 400-meter record in the process. Schreiner would have finished last by more than two seconds in the men's competition.
In late January, Schreiner bragged after winning an event against female opponents.
"Not the race I was looking for at all this week, my spikes nearly fell off on the turn and with a poor start my time wasn’t nearly what I wanted," the runner wrote in an Instagram post.
"The good news is that the season just started, and I’m going to leave everything on the track at nationals," Schreiner added with a transgender pride flag emoji.
On Jan. 17, Schreiner took first place in the 200- and 400-meter dashes at the Brockport Friday Night Rust Buster, taking top spots over two female seniors. In the 200-meter dash, Schreiner beat RIT teammate Caroline Hill by 1.5 seconds and took first place in the 400-meter dash from Brockport’s Marissa Wise by nearly 3.5 seconds. Schreiner’s results achieved automatic qualification for the All-Atlantic Regional Track and Field Championships.
On Jan. 24, Schreiner took first place in the 200-meter dash at the RIT Friday Meet, beating out Liberty League junior Lexi Rodriguez of Brockport with an even faster time. On Jan. 30, Schreiner took first place in the 200- and 400-meter dashes against Liberty League opponents.
Schreiner also spoke out against states and colleges that were not offering the trans athlete a full scholarship when Schreiner wanted to transfer in December. The athlete blamed laws in 25 states that prohibit trans athletes from competing with girls and women.
"Among all the hurdles transfers usually have, there is an extra layer because it is trans, 50% of the country banned me from participating and that meant I couldn't attend any of those colleges even if they reached out to me with a full ride," Schreiner said.
"It also became clear that states that did, no matter how adamant the coaches were to have me on their teams, the college administrations would usually stop them from allowing me to participate."
Felix Baumgartner, the Austrian skydiver best known for his record-setting dive from space, died in a paragliding accident in Italy Thursday, according to Italian officials. He was 56.
Baumgartner was reportedly flying a motorized paraglider in the coastal town of Porto Sant'Elpidio in the Marche region of Italy, where he was said to have crashed into a hotel pool.
According to Sky Austria, he fell ill suddenly before the crash. A hotel employee was also taken to a hospital after sustaining injuries in the accident, the report stated.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Baumgartner’s reps.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a representative for RedBull said, "We are shocked and overwhelmed with sadness to hear the devastating news of our longtime friend Felix Baumgartner.
"Felix was ‘born to fly’ and was determined to push the limits. He was also smart, professional, thorough and meticulous, never leaving anything to chance. He was generous, giving much of his time to help and inspiring so many people.
"We remember Felix as a lovely person, devoted to his family and friends, to whom we send our heartfelt sympathy. Felix, you will be deeply missed."
The mayor of the town, Massimiliano Ciarpella, confirmed the local reports in a post on Facebook.
"Our community is deeply affected by the tragic passing of Felix Baumgartner, a figure of global significance, a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flight. He was flying right over our city when a sudden illness today took him from us," Ciarpella's post said, according to a translation.
"Porto Sant’Elpidio stands in solidarity with his family and loved ones in this time of sorrow. On behalf of the municipal administration and all citizens, I express our most heartfelt condolences for this immeasurable loss."
Baumgartner had posted several videos to Instagram stories of himself paragliding in Italy in the week leading up to his death. In an eerie final post shared Thursday, he snapped a photo of a windsock with the caption "too much wind."
Born April 20, 1969, in Salzburg, Austria, Baumgartner established himself as a skilled and fearless skydiver, base jumper, daredevil and much more. On Oct. 14, 2012, he did what no one else had ever attempted.
He fell from space.
Baumgartner set three world records, including the highest free fall and highest crewed balloon flight. And he became the first person to travel faster than the speed of sound during a free fall when he took a giant helium balloon over New Mexico and jumped from an altitude of 127,852 feet.
He reached speeds of 843.6 mph, or the equivalent of Mach 1.25, 1.25 times the speed of sound, The Associated Press reported at the time. He was quite literally supersonic.
According to Baumgartner’s bio on RedBull’s website, he broke 14 world records, including the lowest base jump, which he accomplished in 2011 when he leaped from the hand of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil.
FOX Sports and Barstool Sports are coming together to bolster coverage of college football, college basketball and other FOX Sports properties, the companies announced Thursday.
Starting in the fall, Barstool Sports owner and founder Dave Portnoy will become a regular contributor on FOX Sports’ "Big Noon Kickoff."
In addition to Portnoy, various Barstool Sports personalities, including Dan Katz, known as "Big Cat," will appear on "Big Noon Kickoff."
"We’re excited to welcome Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports to the FOX Sports family," FOX Sports CEO and Executive Producer Eric Shanks said in the announcement.
"Dave has built a one-of-a-kind brand that connects with a new generation of sports fans — authentic, bold and original. Their unique voice and loyal fan base makes them a natural fit for our evolving multiplatform content strategy."
"Everybody at Barstool is super excited to partner with the FOX Sports family," Portnoy said. "In our two-decade history, we’ve never had the chance to work with so much talent and resources. We can’t wait to collab and bring our voice to FOX Sports’ airwaves. See ya soon in Columbus."
Barstool Sports’ "Barstool College Football Show" will travel with "Big Noon Kickoff" for select games throughout the season. The "Barstool College Football Show" will air from 9-9:45 a.m. ET on Barstool-owned channels, Tubi, the Fox Sports App and FoxSports.com.
As part of the new relationship, Barstool will produce and deliver a live two-hour program that will air on FS1 Monday through Friday. More details about that show will be announced at a later date.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice learned his punishment for his role in a vehicle crash in the Dallas area last year.
ESPN reported Thursday that a judge in Dallas County sentenced Rice to probation and a month-long stint in jail. The probation period is expected to last five years, according to the report.
Royce West, Rice's lawyer, told FOX 4 Dallas Rice entered a guilty plea for felony racing on the highway and a felony accident causing bodily injury.
The accident happened in March 2024. According to multiple reports, a vehicle was traveling approximately 119 mph when it collided with another car that was also traveling over the speed limit.
Rice had already paid approximately $115,000 in restitution to cover the victims' medical expenses, FOX 4 Dallas reported.
The league has waited for the legal process to reach its conclusion before taking disciplinary action against Rice. The judge's ruling could move the NFL's disciplinary process forward. If Rice is suspended, he would likely miss games during the 2025 season, ESPN reported.
Rice was also granted a deferred adjudication, paving the way for a case dismissal upon the successful completion of his probation.
"Today, I met with Dallas PD investigators regarding Saturday’s accident," Rice said in a statement in April 2024. "I take full responsibility for my part in this matter and will continue to cooperate with the necessary authorities. I sincerely apologize to everyone impacted in Saturday’s accident."
Dashcam footage obtained by FOX 4 Dallas showed a Corvette and Lamborghini speeding down the left lane before barreling into a gray car and other vehicles in front of them.
KDFW later reported that an attorney representing The Classic Lifestyle confirmed Rice rented the Lamborghini SUV from the company. According to The Classic Lifestyle policy, Rice was the vehicle's only authorized driver for the duration of the rental.
Dallas Police also told Fox News Digital occupants in both the Corvette and Lamborghini fled and failed to exchange information. They also did not check to see if anyone was injured or needed assistance.
Rice missed the final 13 games of the 2024 season due to a knee injury. The receiver underwent posterolateral corner surgery in October.
Fox News' Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
"I wanted to share an update regarding my health. It’s been a challenging few months as I have been going through treatment on a regular basis," Sandberg wrote in his most recent post. "While I am continuing to fight, I’m looking forward to making the most of every day with my loving family and friends."
When the cancer returned in December, Sandberg said he was "back to more intensive treatment."
Sandberg threw out the first pitch at the Cubs home opener in April. The 1984 NL MVP said he was "excited" for the second half of the season.
"I haven’t been to Wrigley Field as much as I hoped in the first half, but I’m watching every game and am excited for the second half and to see Wrigley rocking like 1984!" Sandberg wrote at the time. "Thank you all for the messages of support. Go Cubs!"
The Cubs have given Sandberg a lot to cheer about, as they are 57-39 and hold a 1.0-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers. Sandberg played all but 13 games in his 16-year career with the Cubs.
Sandberg made the All-Star game 10 consecutive years in his illustrious Cubs tenure. He is a nine-time Gold Glove winner and seven-time Silver Slugger.
Olivia Dunne, a former LSU Tigers gymnast and popular social media star, dished on the backstory on how she decided to do a split during a Sports Illustrated Runway Show in Miami earlier this year.
The national champion appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition this year and was able to walk the runway for the first time. She explained on "What’s Your Story? With Stephanie McMahon" that she was able to participate in the show because she was out of LSU and had no need to start training for the upcoming season.
During the May show, she strutted down the walkway in a black and white polka dot bathing suit that featured red bows in the front and down toward her hips. As she reached the end of the aisle, she dropped into a split.
She told McMahon in a recent episode of the former WWE executive’s podcast that she was nervous to do the show because she had never walked down a runway, let alone been at one of the fashion shows before.
"I went to Miami. I had no clue what to expect," Dunne explained. "I’ve never walked a runway a day in my life. I’ve only ever walked in my bedroom mirror after watching the Vicotria’s Secret Fashion Show growing up. I’ve literally never walked a runway.
"So, I get to the rehearsal and you just do a quick run through of the show. Literally, two hours before the show. And they’re like, ‘OK, Liv, you’re opening the show.’ Oh shoot, I’ve never even watched someone walk down the runway in person."
Dunne said she consulted the people she believed wouldn’t sway her from doing it.
"So, I got to open the show with a Sports Illustrated T-shirt on, which was so cool and it was an iconic moment," Dunne said. "And then, I decided right after the rehearsal, I remember, I was talking with my sister – I was consulting with only people I knew would agree with me. I was like, ‘Should I do a split?’ And they were like, ‘… Yeah. Just go for it.’ So, I asked the head, lady (SI editor MJ Day) and she was just like, ‘Honestly, just have fun with it because this is not an ordinary runway. This isn’t stoic …’ And I kinda think dropping into a split would be fun and show my athleticism. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody do it.
"When watching a fashion show like Sports Illustrated, they wanna see personality, they wanna see movement, they wanna see you having the time of your life, because it really was in the moment. It was so fun. And yeah, I oiled myself up and dropped into a split.… It was so much fun."
Dunne was one of four cover models, along with Lauren Chan, Salma Hayek and Jordan Chiles.
She has been one of the most-followed athletes on social media since she joined LSU. She boasts more than 8 million followers on TikTok and another 5.4 million on Instagram. She helped the Tigers to a national championship in 2024, but her final year with LSU was derailed because of an injury.
Since then, she’s been spotted cheering on her boyfriend Paul Skenes as he makes waves in MLB with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark said on Thursday she will not participate in the WNBA All-Star Game or the festivities around it after she appeared to re-aggravate a groin injury.
Clark announced the decision in a statement through the team.
"I’m so excited for Indy to host WNBA All-Star this weekend. I want to thank the Indianapolis Host Committee and all of the people that have put endless work in over the past year to put this event together," she said. "I know this will be the best All-Star yet.
"I am incredibly sad and disappointed to say I can’t participate in the 3-Point Contest or the All-Star Game. I have to rest my body. I will still be at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for all the action and I’m looking forward to helping Sandy (Brondello) coach our team to a win.
Clark suffered the injury in the waning moments of the Fever’s win over the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday night. She appeared to tweak her upper leg on a bounce pass to Kelsey Mitchell.
Injuries have been the main storyline for Clark this season. She’s missed nearly a dozen games because of injuries but still managed to lead fan voting for the All-Star Game.
It’s unclear how long Clark will be out for.
Indiana is 12-11 following Wednesday night’s loss to the New York Liberty.
The team will return to action on July 22 – back on the road against New York.
The team reportedly agreed to a one-year contract with star edge rusher Von Miller. He posted an automated image of himself wearing a Commanders jersey to social media
Miller, 36, is the NFL’s active sack leader with 129.5 career sacks. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft had six sacks in 13 games last season with the Buffalo Bills in a rotational role.
Miller was cut by the Bills just three seasons into a six-year deal reportedly worth $120 million. In his first season with the Bills, Miller had eight sacks in 11 games before he tore his ACL on Thanksgiving Day in 2022, which ended his season.
The three-time All-Pro was activated in October of the following season, but was a non-factor as he did not have a single sack in 12 games played in the 2023 season.
Despite not being the vaunted pass-rusher he once was, Miller will provide a boost to the Commanders' pass rush. The eight-time Pro Bowler will join Dorance Armstrong, Deatrich Wise Jr., and Jacob Martin as the pass rushers.
The Commanders have had an active offseason after they won 12 games and made it to the NFC Championship Game with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels at the helm.
The team went out and acquired star left tackle Laremy Tunsil from the Houston Texans and star wide receiver Deebo Samuel from the San Francisco 49ers. The two moves come with Daniels in mind, as they provide him with more stability on the offensive line and another weapon at wide receiver.
New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello is looking forward to coaching Caitlin Clark in the WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday, but the Indiana Fever star’s latest injury could threaten that.
Speaking to the media before Wednesday night’s dominant win over the Fever, Brondello lamented that Clark was ruled out of the game after she suffered a groin injury during Indiana’s game on Tuesday.
"You never want to see a player get injured... She's a great player. It would have been good for our crowd to see her, but hopefully they get to see it after post All-Star – you get to play them again," Brondello said of Tuesday’s matchup between the Liberty and Fever.
"As for the All-Star, I'm excited to get to know her a little bit. I think that's the part of the All-Star, is going to coach players that you haven't coached before and get to know them a little bit and enjoy the whole celebration."
Clark, who won the fan vote, was paired up with the coach with the best record – Brondello.
She was named a captain in her second All-Star appearance and was also set to compete in her first 3-point contest. But another injury has put all that in jeopardy.
Fever head coach Stephanie White said there have been "no discussions" with regards to the All-Star weekend.
"No discussion yet about this weekend," White told reporters before Wednesday’s game. "There was imaging done and obviously, we're ruling her out for tonight, but there hasn't been any discussion beyond tonight."
Clark is dealing with her second groin injury of the year. White said she does not believe that Clark’s latest injury is the same as her previous one. Clark also missed five games early in the season because of a quad injury.
"I'm not really sure that it's a re-injury as much as a different kind of injury. I know oftentimes when you're working with injuries in the groin and the quad and the hamstring and all of those things, there's just – they're all kind of tied together and it's not always just one thing."
The Fever will host the All-Star weekend beginning on Friday.
Trey Wingo, a former ESPN staple on "SportsCenter" and "NFL Live," appeared to lament the direction of his former employer earlier this week in a post on social media.
Wingo responded to another user on X who wrote, "Kids today don't realize it, but you used to be able to turn on ESPN and not see Stephen A. Smith or Pat McAfee. They were glorious times...."
"Let me preface this by saying I have so many wonderful memories and so many great friends still working there that I want to succeed… but he’s right," Wingo wrote Tuesday on X.
"It used to be a glorious buffet where you could pick and choose what you wanted. Now it’s like a banquet dinner: chicken or fish?"
Smith has been a figurehead at ESPN for years and his popularity has only grown since he started doing "First Take" with Skip Bayless, Max Kellerman, Shannon Sharpe and others. He’s appeared on NBA coverage and has his own podcast separate from ESPN.
McAfee came into ESPN as one of the most popular podcasters in sports. The former Indianapolis Colts punter has feuded with ESPN execs since joining the company. But with his Q score improving, McAfee has been seen on "College Gameday" and on WWE broadcasts.
"SportsCenter" is still a main part of ESPN programming in the mornings and evenings. However, the program lineup is such that it’s not on throughout the mornings anymore.
Matt Fitzpatrick made a miraculous birdie on the 16th hole during the first round of The Open Championship at Royal Portrush on Thursday.
Fitzpatrick, 30, hit a wayward iron shot that left him 13 yards away from the pin and down a hill. When he lined up to hit his second shot, he was well below the hole.
Despite having a difficult shot, Fitzpatrick dunked in his chip shot for a birdie. The English golfer could not have landed his shot more perfectly, as it clanked off the bottom of the flag and into the hole.
The birdie moved Fitzpatrick into a tie for first place at 4-under par. Fitzpatrick is tied with Jacob Skov Olesen and Haotong Li, who are at the time of this writing atop the leaderboard.
Fitzpatrick started the day well with an eagle on the second hole. He immediately gave one stroke back with a bogey on the third hole.
However, that bogey would be Fitzpatrick’s lone bogey of the day, as he had a par or better on every hole after that.
Fitzpatrick had been playing strong golf coming into The Open, as he finished in a tie for eighth in the Rocket Classic at the end of June and finished in a tie for fourth at the Scottish Open last week.
Fitzpatrick has two career PGA Tour wins, with one of them coming in a major, as he won the 2022 U.S. Open. The last tournament he won was the RBC Heritage in 2023.
Johnny Manziel may go down as one of the biggest "what-ifs" in NFL history as the electric Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback flamed out in the pros after the Cleveland Browns selected him in the first round in 2014.
Overall, Manziel played two seasons in the NFL before trying his hand at the Canadian Football League and the Alliance of American Football.
He appeared on Logan Paul’s "IMPAULSIVE" podcast and revealed he almost attempted an NFL return. Paul asked him if it was too late for him to be a quarterback now.
"I asked myself this question last year at some point in time," Manziel said. "Got myself into a mindset of like, 'OK, I'm going to go start working out again, throwing the football around, see if I can still get myself in shape.'
"I remember calling my agent, being like, 'OK, I think I'm gonna try and make a comeback.' He's like, 'OK, we'll start talking with some guys, UFL, XFL.’ And I'm just sitting there thinking like, 'There's no way I'm going back to f---ing play in one of these early leagues – UFL, XFL, anything like that and go do that whole thing again."
Manziel suggested the idea of going into the smaller leagues to try to have a "three or four game stretch" in order to maybe get a training camp invite wasn’t appealing to him.
"As much as I would like to think that’s something I could do, I think at 32 my chances are pretty chopped," he said.
Manziel played in 14 games for the Browns from 2014 to 2015. He had seven touchdown passes and 1,675 passing yards.
Sarah Spain, a sports media personality, took issue with Shane Gillis cracking jokes about female athletes during the ESPY Awards on Wednesday night.
Gillis’ jokes included a crack about Caitlin Clark working at a Waffle House when she retires from the WNBA to continue "fist-fighting Black women," needling former U.S. women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe and tricking the crowd into believing his friend’s wife was a former WNBA player.
"In a year of crazy growth for women's sports choosing an ESPYs host who doesn't even try to make clever jokes about women athletes (he at least *attempted* for the men) he goes with hacky ‘no one knows the WNBA’ bits, ‘Pinoe is a bad time’ & repeatedly insults Black women. COOL," Spain wrote in a post on X.
For what it’s worth, the Clark joke didn’t appear to go over well with the crowd in Los Angeles at the Dolby Theatre.
"They let me do it, I don’t know," Gillis said after tearing into Belichick and his relationship with Jordon Hudson. "This is Disney. They allowed that ... Yeah, we should've taken that out. I had doubts going into that. That didn't work all week."
Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
Bryan Braman, a former NFL linebacker who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans, has died after battling a "very rare" form of cancer, his agent said.
He was 38.
Braman’s agent, Sean Stellato, told ESPN on Thursday that Braman had passed away. The former NFL player had two daughters, ages 11 and 8.
He was diagnosed with the cancer earlier this year, according to a GoFundMe set up on his behalf in February. More than $88,000 was raised in his name, including $10,000 from former Houston Texans star J.J. Watt.
The latest update on the fundraiser from last month stated that Braman had undergone "CAR-T cell reprogramming treatment." While initially showing signs of being effective, the organizer of the fundraiser said that "the cancer has grown exponentially faster, and is now growing around his vital organs."
Braman spent the majority of his seven-year NFL career with the Eagles. He helped bring a Super Bowl title to Philadelphia with an upset victory over the New England Patriots.
He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2011 by the Texans, where he played for three seasons. He signed with the Eagles in 2014 and rejoined the team again right before the playoffs in 2017. He would go on to register one tackle in their Super Bowl victory.
Braman was a standout at West Texas A&M before he turned pro. He played in 97 NFL games from 2011 to 2017, recording 56 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery.
Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.
