J.J. Watt, three-time NFL defensive player of the year and long-time Houston Texan, told Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, “If you ever do call, I’ll be there” when asked about a potential return to professional football.

Watt, 35, retired in 2022 with the Arizona Cardinals after a 12.5 sack season. Before that, he spent ten years with the Texans, who had just won the AFC South division title in the first year of Ryans’ time as head coach. Since then, they’ve acquired former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs, former Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon and several others in an increasingly dangerous offense led by a promising talent in rising sophomore quarterback C.J. Stroud.

“I’m a very fortunate, lucky man. I have a beautiful wife; I have a beautiful son. I’ve had 12 great years in this league, and I’m very thankful to have walked away healthy and playing great,” Watt said on Houston SportsRadio 610 when asked how he resists the allure of retiring to play for the Texans. “I told DeMeco last year, I said, ‘Don’t call unless you absolutely need it, but if you ever do call, I’ll be there.’ And he knows not to call unless he absolutely needs it. This is the last year I’ll tell him that because I’m not going to keep training the way I’ve been training, but he knows that if he ever truly does need it, I’ll be there for him. I don’t anticipate that happening. They’ve got a very good group.”

While it doesn’t seem like Watt desperately wants to come out of retirement, he certainly seems willing to do so if Ryans and the Texans give the word. He did say, however, that 2024 will be the last year he is training his body to prepare for a potential return to football. If injuries were to deplete the Texans’ defensive line, that would raise more appropriate questions about Watt’s playing status.

“I very much don’t want that to ever be the case,” Watt said of the Texans needing him because of injuries. “I hope everybody stays extremely healthy and they dominate and they don’t need any other bodies. And I just get to watch and enjoy from the couch.”

Texans general manager Nick Caserio appeared on the Pat McAfee Show last Thursday to express his openness about Watt’s potential homecoming.

“I have a lot of respect and appreciation for JJ,” Caserio said. “When I took the [GM] job in February of ’21, he was one of the first players I actually spoke to. Certainly respectful of JJ, his career, what he’s done for the organization. What he’s done for the city of Houston. I’m not going to speak for him about what he wants to do relative to playing football. I’ll let him disclose that on your show. … It’s very early. It’s May. The season doesn’t start until September, and then you look at players at the end of October or November. Case by case, so between him and [Tom] Brady, we’ll see who jumps back in first. … He [Watt] always has an open door both organizationally and in the city. He’s earned that, and he absolutely deserves it.”

Seven of the New England Patriots’ eight picks in the 2024 NFL Draft were used on offensive players. The No. 110 and Patriots’ fourth overall pick, Javon Baker, has already claimed to be a top-10 wide receiver in the NFL.

A UCF product, Baker first spoke with Patriots reporters following his selection, saying, “Bring your popcorn – I make people in wheelchairs stand up,” when asked about his game. In a recent Instagram story post, he said there is no way that there are ten better receivers than him in the league.

In his last year at UCF, Baker caught 52 passes for 1,129 yards and seven touchdowns, earning a first-team All-Big 12 selection. He led his conference in receiving yards and averaged 21.9 yards per reception, which ranked second in the FBS. NFL Draft expert Chris Trapasso and CBS Sports gave the Patriots’ selection an A+ grade.

“This is a future No. 1 wideout,” Trapasso said. “While not a burner, he plays faster and has the complete skill set. Releases at the line are good, flexibility to get open at intermediate level, YAC prowess and especially rebounding skills are high-end.”

Baker will undoubtedly be able to contribute quickly in New England under new head coach Jerod Mayo. The Patriots’ wide receiver room currently consists of Kendrick Bourne, DeMario Douglas, K.J. Osborn, JuJu Smith-Schuster and the Patriots’ second-round pick, Ja’Lynn Polk.

He wants to do more than contribute, though. Baker clearly believes that he will take the league by storm in his rookie year, much like Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua did last season.

The Patriots’ offense could certainly use a boost after having the third-worst offense in the league last year, per ESPN rankings. They accumulated 4,696 total yards, and their top receiver, DeMario Douglas, only totaled 561 receiving yards. Nonetheless, Patriots fans will hope Baker’s high confidence levels are justified next season.

Dallas police confirmed on Thursday that they will not pursue sexual assault charges on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott after the launch of an investigation that began in March.

The case stemmed from an alleged incident in 2017 where an unidentified woman claimed that Prescott had assaulted her in the back of an SUV in a strip club parking lot.

Prescott filed a suit seeking monetary relief in response to a letter from the woman’s attorneys, Bethel and Yoel Zehaie, who said they would “forego pursuing criminal charges, along with disclosing this information to the public, in exchange for compensating her for the mental anguish she has suffered. [The woman’s] damages are valued at $100,000,000.00.”

“I want to thank the Dallas Police Department and Dallas County District Attorneys’ office for their thorough investigation of the allegations against Dak Prescott,” Prescott’s attorney Levi McCathern stated. “As we knew they would, they found nothing in their extensive exploration of the facts that would support a criminal prosecution. We are confident that at the end of law enforcement’s investigation into the extortion case, they will find the accuser and her attorneys just as guilty as Dak is innocent.”

“As I have said from the beginning,” McCathern continued, “Dak is a great football player and an even better human. He would never assault any woman. These false accusations were brought up seven years after the alleged events for one reason and one reason only – to line the pockets of the accuser and her attorneys. Their behavior is an affront to all the true survivors of sexual assault.”

Yoel Zehaie, an attorney for the accuser, released a statement in response to the police not pursuing the charges, noting that it unfortunately “takes a while for victims to come out, and that makes it very difficult to prosecute these cases.”

“We are proceeding with our counterclaims, even though Levi McCathern is using every tactic to prevent us from going to court,” the woman’s attorneys went on, “including attempting to order the law enforcement of the Dallas Cowboys against us, i.e. Prosper [Police], to come after us.”

On Monday, the woman’s attorneys filed a notice to dismiss Prescott’s suit because it violated Texas’ anti-SLAPP statute. In an email, Zehaie said the statute prohibits many forms of retaliatory lawsuits, including ones meant to silence sexual assault victims, and the case was dismissed as a result.

Prescott can proceed with his offseason and avoid any more legal interventions.

There was already bad blood between the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers’ fan bases before their opening-round playoff series this year. Still, more conflict has surfaced in the media after the Knicks went through on Thursday.

When the Knicks won the series after an intense, gritty and back-and-forth game 6 in Wells Fargo Arena, 76ers fans let visiting Knicks fans know how they felt.

A video captured by the Philadelphia Inquirer showed what appears to be a Knicks fan being held back by security guards while trying to approach a Sixers fan at the entrance to seating sections 117 and 118.

The reporter Vaughn M. Johnson, who shot and posted the video, commented on the scene.

“It’s hella rowdy at the Wells Fargo Center tonight. Just saw a Knicks fan get thrown out of the arena… at halftime ,” before posting and captioning the video, “Like I said, hella rowdy.”

At halftime, the Sixers led 54-51 and had just recovered from a 22-point deficit. Buddy Hield‘s introduction boosted Sixers fans’ hopes, as he had caught the hot hand in the second quarter, making five three-pointers in 10 minutes. That’s likely why many Sixers fans shout “Budd Hield” in the video clip.

As the Knicks fan is pushed back and slowly removed from the stadium, Sixers fans clapped and cheered, and some yelled, “Oh s—” and “Holy s—.” Others yelled, “Get him the f— out of here,” as the large fellow was removed from the premises.

However, that entertainment would only last for a while for Sixers fans, as the Knicks came out on top. A clutch three-pointer from Josh Hart and a 41-point performance from Jalen Brunson saw the Knicks advance to the next round despite impressive plays from Sixers stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

The Knicks are set to host the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, with game one scheduled for Monday at 7:30 p.m.

Such conflict is not to be expected in the Knicks-Pacers matchup, but it will be interesting nonetheless to see what fan stories the rest of the NBA playoffs can bring.

The New York Knicks sealed the series against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night in a thrilling Game 6 that ended 118-115 with a massive 41-point performance from star guard Jalen Brunson and a clutch three-pointer from Josh Hart.

A gritty, hard-fought and intense series in the Northeast played right into the Knicks’ basketball style. It felt even sweeter in Brunson’s hands.

Early on, it looked like the Knicks would run away with the game after opening a 17-4 lead and then extending it to as high as 22 points in the first half. Once shooting guard Buddy Hield came in off the bench for the Sixers, the game got a lot closer as Hield’s 17 points in the first half helped them take a four-point lead into the halftime break.

The second half brought everything fans have come to expect in this series – grit, physicality, intensity and remarkable shot-making from both teams.

Fourteen of Brunson’s game-high 41 points came in the fourth quarter, but the Sixers kept fighting back with plays from Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. It wasn’t until Hart’s three-pointer with 24.4 seconds left that the Knicks took control of the game.

The Knicks made their free throws down the stretch and held on to win the series 4-2 in Philadelphia despite a valiant Sixers effort.

Earlier that night, the Indiana Pacers secured their spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals, winning their series against the Milwaukee Bucks 4-2 on the road.

The Knicks and the Pacers will face off in New York in Game 1 on Monday as the number two and six seeds, competing for a spot in the Eastern Conference finals.

Meanwhile, the Sixers and the Bucks will look ahead to the offseason and begin to reform their rosters after another disappointing early exit for superstars Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

After the Denver Nuggets’ Game 2 comeback victory over the Los Angeles Lakers last Monday, a video of former league MVP Nikola Jokic’s brother throwing a punch at a fan in the stands surfaced in the media. Later that night, the NBA and the Denver Police Department opened investigations into the case.

Jokic’s older brothers are regulars at Nuggets games, and the video circulating through the media appears to show Strahinja Jokic climbing over a row of seats to confront a fan and throw a punch. Jokic’s other brother, Nemanja Jokic, stands behind him in support. Strahinja appears to continue yelling at the fan during the whole altercation.

It all went down near Natalja Jokic, Jokic’s wife, who can be seen in the video trying to protect her daughter from everything and settle the situation. Not much is known about what sparked the incident.

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Once reports surfaced of the incident, the Denver Police Department commented on the investigation.

“At this time, no one has come forward as a victim of this incident,” it said. “The Department is looking into this incident, is actively working to identify the person in the video who was struck, and encourages anyone involved or witnessed this firsthand to contact the Denver Police Department.”

The Jokic brothers appeared in the news before when they were found to have created a Twitter account to harass Marcus Morris of the Cleveland Cavaliers on social media after he and Jokic had gotten into a back-and-forth altercation in a game, which got Jokic suspended. Morris was injured for a large part of the season.

Jokic’s brother’s activity will be another thing for him to tune out as he seeks his second NBA championship. The Nuggets won the series against the Lakers 4-1 on Monday night. On Sunday, they lost to Minnesota Timberwolves 106-99.

Following the failed sales tax vote that would have helped fund renovations to Arrowhead Stadium and a new ballpark for the Kansas City Royals, Kansas State House Rep. Sean Tarwater spoke regarding the future of both teams with the possibility of the Super Bowl-defending champions Kansas City Chiefs eyeing Kansas as a new potential home.

“If negotiations happen, I would welcome the Chiefs to come to Kansas,” Tarwater said. “I have had no negotiations nor am I aware of any direct negotiations between the legislature and the Chiefs.”

As the chair of the State House of Representatives commerce committee, Tarwater called the vote across the state line “unfortunate.”

“Since the tax didn’t pass, I mean, we need to do something to keep them in town,“ he continued. “If [county executive] Frank White can’t figure it out, we need to.“

Sean’s brother, Dan Tarwater, a longtime former Jackson County legislator, has been involved in stadium negotiations in the past in Jackson County but has yet to comment on the current situation with the Chiefs and Royals.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas has publicly stated that he expects the city to try to retain the Chiefs and Royals until their current leases end after the 2030 seasons.

“The Chiefs have an outstanding market,“ Lucas said during a news conference Wednesday at City Hall. “It is not easy to move teams in the National Football League to a separate or to a different market, and so I believe the Chiefs will be here in the Kansas City metro for years to come.“

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (R) had previously signed a border war truce to prevent an economic bidding war between the two states. Still, Kelly would not comment publicly on Wednesday. 

“I have had no meetings with the Kansas City Chiefs,“ Tarwater said. “I did hear there was a rumor floating around there. I know they have had meetings in the past with interested individuals to bring them here, businesspeople, but not legislators, and I haven’t been involved. As soon as I am asked, though, I will be involved, and we do have several programs that we have set up just for this type of an incident.”

After the highest-scoring and most prolific college basketball career in history, Caitlin Clark broke another record by signing a $28 million Nike deal that includes a custom shoe and spans over eight years.

The former Iowa Hawkeye was drafted as the number one overall pick in the WNBA’s Indiana Fever draft and has already distinguished herself from those with the best endorsements in the league.

Clark, represented by Excel Sports Management, had an initial name, image and likeness deal that expired at the end of the 2023-24 college season. The new agreement would be the richest-ever sponsorship for a women’s basketball player.

Under Armour and Adidas also reportedly communicated about contracts with Clark and her agents in February. Still, communications have died down since the Nike deal has been put on the table.

Clark reportedly received over $16 million in offers over four years from Under Armour and over $6 million in offers from Adidas, including a signature shoe.

Despite the huge sum, some critics say the endorsement money is too small given the staggering numbers male athletes get—Michael Jordan, for example, earned $60 million per year in prime from Nike alone. 

Clark’s agents worked on the Nike deal before she even declared the WNBA draft instead of returning to Iowa for her eligible fifth year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. She will earn a $76,000 salary in her first season as a rookie.

Her recent appearance on Saturday Night Live exposed Clark to a broader audience and demonstrated her polished performances in media settings, which has been said to be another reason for the Nike deal.

Of the Fever’s 40 games this year, 36 will be nationally televised, and ticket sales have already skyrocketed.

From her deep three-pointers to her flashy dribbling skills, Clark’s performances and record-breaking have been the main drive for the uptick in interest in women’s basketball. A WNBA record 2.45 million watched the WNBA draft, and a women’s basketball record 18.9 million watched Iowa’s loss to South Carolina in the NCAA tournament final.

Kenley Jansen, a relieving pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, recently stated that he is upset with the poor quality of baseballs in the MLB this season.

After a 5-4 win over Los Angeles Angeles, the 14-year veteran pitcher commented on the slickness of the baseballs.

“I got to get better, but also if you’re playing in the cold weather, windy, and you get pearls balls out there that’s not rubbed well, I don’t know where the ball’s going,” Jansen said.

The 36-year-old came into the game with a two-run lead, instantly hit a batter, and then gave up a single and a walk before securing back-to-back strikeouts on Luis Rengifo and Mike Trout to clinch his fourth save in four chances this season.

Jansen even noted that the bullpen balls were better rubbed than the game balls.

“I don’t hit guys, I don’t walk people this much. And I start to get frustrated,” Jansen said. “Any balls that came, I just throw it back till when I find a good ball. And it’s just brutal.”

“It’s embarrassing. It’s been a while I’ve been playing in this league and, from the beginning of my career until now, it’s getting worse,” he said.

“It’s been an issue the whole year,” the former Los Angeles Dodger noted. “I’ve been talking to a lot of my teammates, and they feel the same way. First pitch, get out of my hand, I don’t know where it’s going. Second pitch, the same thing. Then, I tried to throw a ball down the middle, just keep going down. It’s tough trying to make an adjustment and also you have the clock ticking.”

Jansen said he got lucky when he faced Trout that he threw a few balls out “and got some that are rubbed-up balls.”

Since Jansen’s comments about poor baseball quality, another lackluster sign of equipment quality has come up in the news. Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith was recently seen with a ripped-up uniform after a traditional slide into second base in a game against the New York Mets.

With about 20 games done in the MLB this season, the media will continue to keep an eye on the quality of baseballs, uniforms and other equipment used on a daily basis in America’s game.

Following a 101-99 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday night, basketball’s GOAT LeBron James had some words to share on the officiating crew. It was a game where the Lakers seemed to be in control until the Nuggets came alive in the last five minutes and chipped away at what was once a 20-point lead to eventually win the game on a fadeaway jumper from star guard Jamal Murray.

James had a specific issue with a play challenged in the third quarter by Nuggets head coach Mike Malone, where a foul by Michael Porter Jr. on D’Angelo Russell was overturned in the replay center in the third quarter.

“I don’t understand what’s going on in the replay center, to be honest,” James said. “[Russell] clearly gets hit in the face on a drive; what the f— do we have a replay center for if it’s going to go? It doesn’t make sense to me. Makes no sense to me. It bothers me.”

James also mentioned the controversy in the Sixers-Knicks game on Monday night.

“Then I just saw what happened with the Sixers-Knicks game, too. What are we doing?” James said.

As James was leaving the press conference, he was heard saying, “It’s f—ing stupid,” regarding the officiating.

At the time of the foul, the Lakers were up by ten points with 45 seconds left in the third quarter, but the Nuggets were in the midst of a 14-5 scoring run. Porter made clear contact with Russell’s face on his way to the basket, but crew chief Scott Foster said the contact was “marginal” coming out of the replay center, and the call was reversed. After the game, Russell went to social media and shared the same sentiment that James and every Laker fan shared, writing, “That’s a foul. We all saw it on national television.”

The Lakers will return to Los Angeles to host games three and four and try to tie the series before heading back to Denver.

“Protect home,” James said. “That’s where my mindset goes. And obviously, the only game that matters now is Game 3 and how we can get better, how we can figure this team out. So, Game 3 is where my mindset is.”

If they don’t win game 3, the Lakers will have to become the first team in NBA history to come back from a 3-0 deficit to win the series and continue their playoff run.

The Philadelphia 76ers looked ready to tie the series against the New York Knicks in Game 2 of their opening-round playoff series, leading 101-96 with 47 seconds left on Monday night. What followed was one of the craziest sequences in NBA playoff history.

Knicks star guard Jalen Brunson made a clutch three-pointer, and a tipped inbound pass led to a scramble for the ball, another Knicks possession, and then a Donte DiVincenzo three-pointer gave the Knicks a one-point lead, which they would hang on to for the remainder of the game to secure a 104-101 victory.

According to the NBA’s two-minute report, multiple officiating mistakes were made during the inbound sequence against the Sixers, leading to the loss.

With 27.2 seconds remaining, “an attempt to call a timeout by Coach Nurse (PHI) during this play is neither recognized nor granted by the officials.” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse grumbled about this after Game 2. “I called timeout,” Nurse explained. “The referee looked right at me and ignored me. Tyrese Maxey got the ball. I called timeout again. He ignored me again. Then the melee started.”

With 27 seconds remaining, “Brunson (NYK) pulls Maxey’s (PHI) jersey away from his body, which affects Maxey’s ability to secure the pass.” The referees did not call this pull, which affected Maxey as he attempted to secure the inbound pass Josh Hart tipped. It should have been a foul.

With 24.9 seconds remaining, “Hart (NYK) steps forward into Maxey’s (PHI) space and initiates lower body contact that causes Maxey to lose his balance and fall to the floor.” This should have been a foul as well, meaning the Knicks fouled Maxey twice on the way to their steal, but neither was called.

While these were the most critical mistakes made in the final seconds, the officials also missed others in crucial moments of the fourth quarter.

With 1:14 remaining, OG Anunoby committed a defensive three-second violation, which was not called. It didn’t matter when Maxey made a three-pointer five seconds later, though.

With 34.7 seconds remaining, Joel Embiid fouled DiVincenzo as he began his dribble. This no-call also worked out for New York in the end, as it led to Brunson’s three-pointer, which cut the Sixers’ lead down to 101-99.

Although the Sixers will not protest the result of Monday night’s game, they will file an official complaint with the league, per team spokesman John Clark. With these missed calls, the NBA’s last two-minute reports have declared Philadelphia the most disadvantaged team regarding officiating mistakes this season.

The Sixers will host the Knicks at home on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday at 1:00 p.m., trying to win their home games convincingly enough to make the officiating a non-factor and get back into the series.

Veteran outfielder Tommy Pham reached a minor-league deal with the Chicago White Sox worth $3.5 million with $1.5 million in incentives. Pham must be called up and added to the White Sox MLB roster by April 25, or he can request a release. If traded, he will receive a $500,000 assignment bonus.

Pham is out of options to sign with another team straight up, so the minor-league designation is necessary. He will first need to pass through waivers to be in the minor leagues before stepping up to the plate in the MLB. This way, Pham can get back into the game despite missing the season’s first few weeks and avoid roster complications.

Pham, 36, began his career in 2014 with the St. Louis Cardinals and spent five years there before spending time with the Tampa Bay Rays, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, and most recently with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Pham had his most productive season in years in 2023. He hit .256/.328/.446 (111 OPS+) with 16 home runs and 68 RBIs in 129 games split between the Mets and Diamondbacks.

Entering the offseason, CBS ranked him as the 34th-best free agent available.

“Two things are certain about Pham: He’s going to hit the ball hard, and he’s going to wear out the middle of the field,” it said. “Nearly half his batted balls last season clocked in at 95 mph or faster, and more than 40% were aimed straight ahead. That combination resulted in Pham’s best OPS+ since 2019 when he was a member of the Rays. He’s played for five teams during the interim years, suggesting that if there’s a third thing for sure about him, he will continue changing clubhouses.”

With the White Sox currently missing outfielders Luis Robert Jr. and Eloy Jiménez, Pham is expected to give their lineup a much-needed boost. The Sox have started the season slow and currently hold a 3-15 record. They were shut out six times in 18 games. Thus, it’s fair to think that Pham might change teams again ahead of the trade deadline, provided he can offer that boost to the lineup for the White Sox over the next few months.

Tiger Woods posted his lowest-ever round at the Masters on Saturday after cutting by five strokes on Friday. At +1, there was still hope that Tiger could pull off another historical major win against all odds on the weekend, but a ten-over 82 put him at +11 and out of contention heading into the final round.

2022 Masters Champion Scottie Scheffler held a one-stroke lead heading into the final round and held on for his second career masters championship. After the round, defending masters champion Jon Rahm slipped Scheffler into the green jacket, just as Scheffler had done for Rahm when Rahm won in 2023.

Scheffler finished at -11, and Woods finished at +16, the lowest and highest scores that made it through the final round. Woods made a record-breaking 24th consecutive cut at the Masters after playing 23 holes on Friday because of a round suspension on Thursday due to darkness. Rahm finished in a tie for 45th position at +9 overall.

Woods told reporters that he was still suffering from the leg injuries he sustained from his car accident in 2021 and that Friday’s 23 holes had tired him out physically, not to mention his fused back that he has been swinging with ever since.

“I was not hitting it very good or putting well … Just hit the ball in all the places that I know I shouldn’t hit it. And I missed a lot of putts. Easy, makable putts,” he said.

Before the tournament began, the certainty of Scheffler winning was only theoretical. The Masters had brought some of the greatest comebacks and unlikely stories to the PGA, and for a world number one to win multiple majors is something only Woods had done in PGA history.

“I think his superpower is people that are super powerful are good at everything,” Scheffler’s caddie, Ted Scott, said. “And he seems to be good at everything. He doesn’t really have a weakness.”

“I feel like I’m playing really good golf right now,” Scheffler said. “I feel like I’m as in control of my emotions as I’ve ever been, which is a good place to be. I feel like I’m maturing as a person on the golf course, which is a good place to be.”

Scheffler will want to be more mature once he becomes a father with his wife, Meredith Scheffler, who is due with their child any day now. Scheffler’s life will change dramatically, but that doesn’t mean he won’t stop competing in professional golf.

“Golf will probably now be fourth in line,” Scheffler said of his priorities. “But I still love competing, and I don’t plan on taking my eye off the ball anytime soon.”

After their 135-86 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, the Oklahoma City Thunder clinched the number one seed in the West. Emerging from a three-way tie, they won the tiebreaker over the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets, who also won their final game.

The third team in competition for the West was the Minnesota Timberwolves, who lost their final game of the season to the Phoenix Suns 125-106 to put them in the number three seed in the West. OKC and the Nuggets finished at 57-25, and the Timberwolves finished at 56-28. This was the first time in NBA history that three teams were tied for first place heading into the season’s final game.

Nevertheless, the Thunder became the youngest team to earn the number one seed in either conference since seeding began in 1984. With an average age of 23.9, they made the mark, being almost two years younger than the 2004-05 Phoenix Suns team, which previously held the record.

“It’s super surreal. It’s fun,” said Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City’s oldest starter at 25. “Obviously, you play to win. It’s [more fun] like that, but I think it goes back to us chipping away at it every day and not worrying about the past or the future. Just chipping away, seeing where that gets us, and us taking that mentality has allowed us to get here. So, yeah, it feels good, something to be proud about. We have a lot more work to do.”

The rookie center for the Thunder, Chet Holmgren, also shared his thoughts about staying locked in for the playoffs.

“I wouldn’t say celebratory so much as just kind of recognizing the fruition of all the hard work that we’ve been putting in,” Holmgren said. “We’re not in the position we’re in by accident. There was a lot of dedication and hard work that went into it. But we’re not celebrating because of what we’re trying to do; we’re not there yet. So, we’re still eyes on the prize, locked in.”

The Thunder made the jump from a 24-win lottery team to the number one seed in just two years. They will now await the play-in game-winner between the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors to determine their first-round opponent.

Former President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) Luis Rubiales was detained and arrested by police last week in Madrid after arriving there from an international flight, according to Spain’s Civil Guard.

Rubiales was detained after landing at the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport on a commercial flight from the Dominican Republic. He was detained on the runway outside the airport before being driven away in a van.

The Civil Guard’s Central Operative Unit (UCO) is a body of the Spanish Federal Guard that investigates and fights their most serious crime. They were the ones who detained Rubiales.

He was later released after testifying at the Airport’s Terminal 4 Civil Guard unit. He will wait to be summoned to court.

This won’t be Rubiales’ first court appearance though.

Last August, Rubiales was charged by Spanish prosecutors seeking a two-and-a-half year jail term and a minimum $54,000 fine to be paid in compensation to Jenni Hermoso. Hermoso, a midfielder for Spain’s professional women’s soccer team, was seen on multiple cameras with Rubiales receiving a reportedly “unwanted” kiss on the lips from Rubiales following Spain’s Women’s World Cup victory. Rubiales, 46, stated that the kiss was a “consensual” peck on the lips, and Hermoso, 33, did not.

Under Spanish law, a non-consensual kiss can be classified as sexual assault. However, Rubiales avoided going to prison due to the Spanish criminal code that allows judges to “exceptionally” suspend jail terms if – as in this case – none of the sentences imposed individually exceeds two years.

Hermoso filed a lawsuit that was ultimately thrown out by the Spanish court and a restraining order of 200 meters, which also prevents him from communicating with her for more than seven years. This order is still in effect.

Rubiales has recently been in the Dominican Republic, repeatedly denied any wrongdoings to the press, and agreed to cooperate with the investigation.

Following the situation with Hermoso, Rubiales was temporarily replaced with an interim president in September, Pedro Rocha, who moved up from vice president. Rocha, though, is currently under investigation himself after being charged with corruption by a judge in Madrid. His chances of succeeding Rubiales have been placed into heavy doubt.

After their 107-86 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday afternoon, the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team had to wait until Sunday night to find out who would be their playoff matchup based on the result between the New York Knicks and the Chicago Bulls.

The Knicks ended up clinching the number two seed in the Eastern Conference with a thrilling 120-119 win after Bulls’ star DeMar DeRozan missed a buzzer-beater. The Sixers were left with the same record as the Orlando Magic and the Indiana Pacers, all at 47-35. The Magic clinched the fifth seed by winning the Southeast division, the three-way tiebreaker. The Pacers then took sixth, having won the season series over the Sixers 2-1, the head-to-head tiebreaker. So the Magic and Pacers clinched playoff positions, while the Sixers will host a play-in game against a competitive Miami Heat team despite winning eight games in a row to end the season. The Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks will face off in the second play-in matchup in the Eastern Conference.

“Obviously, we’ve had some great battles with them, and we always expect that facing them,” 76ers head coach Nick Nurse said after Sunday’s win about the prospect of the matchup with the Heat. The mindset is we’re playing well and doing everything we can, like we’ve been doing the last month of the year … digging in and playing our guys and doing whatever we have to, whatever we got to do to win.”

“We’ve got a good mindset, and we’ll take that into Wednesday,” Nurse said.

The winner of the Sixers-Heat matchup on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. will face the number two-seeded Knicks in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. As a two-seed for the first time since 2013, the Knicks will only have it a little easier regardless of who they play. The Sixers will bring a healthy reigning MVP in Joel Embiid, and the Heat will get a similar team to the one who knocked them out of the playoffs in six second-round games last season.

Will this be the year for the Knicks? Or will the play-in game-winner between the Heat and the Sixers emerge as an underdog in the Eastern Conference semi-finals?

New York Jets fans were heartbroken when their new quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, tore his left Achilles tendon after just four plays in last season’s opener.

As Rodgers gears up for a more extended season this fall, his incentive payment from those four snaps in 2023 has been revealed to the public. Rodgers’ total came out to… a remarkable $81.14. He probably won’t even notice that he got paid at all.

NFL salaries can be a complex system figuring out what parts of players’ contracts are guaranteed money and what parts change in restructuring and playing incentives. We know that players can earn extra money based on playtime and performance, which benefits their bank accounts and often their longevity in the NFL. Players like Rodgers in 2023, who play only a few snaps before a season-ending injury, will earn little from the NFL’s performance-based payment system.

Rodgers’ $81.14 earned in 2023 could have been something like an extra $739,765 in incentives that San Fransisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy earned for the 2023-24 season. Another example is former Baltimore Ravens guard John Simpson, who finished first in the program after signing with the Jets this offseason. Simpson earned an extra $974,613 for playing 99% of offensive snaps in 2023. Simpson is an example of a player who earned a lot more for playing many snaps despite having a low base salary.

Before starting the 2023 season, Rodgers signed a two-year $75 million deal with the Jets, guaranteed through 2024. He had $110 million guaranteed in his old contract with the Green Bay Packers, taking a $35 million pay cut to play in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Next season, Rodgers plans to play a lot more and give the playoff-hopeful Jets a real run in the AFC. If he is able to do so, his paycheck might look a little bit different.

The Charlotte Hornets announced that head coach Steve Clifford would move on to a front-office role in the franchise following the conclusion of this NBA season after he finishes coaching their final few games.

Clifford informed his players and assistants of the news last week.

Clifford, 62, had approval from the Hornets’ executive vice president of basketball operations, Jeff Peterson and co-owners Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin to return as coach next season. Still, Clifford decided he wasn’t prepared to commit to the grind of being an NBA head coach for another season.

“This is the appropriate time for me to step down,” Clifford said in a statement released by the team. I believe this is best for me and the organization. I’m excited about the future of the Hornets—our young core of players, Jeff’s leadership of our basketball operations and Rick and Gabe’s vision for the organization. I want to thank all the Hornets players and staff for their work the past two seasons and our Hornets fans for their continued support of our team.”

With the number two pick in the NBA draft, the Hornets’ coaching job becomes more appealing to head coach prospects with the emergence of Brandon Miller, Lamelo Ball and a core of other young rising stars and future first-round picks to build a strong roster.

Assistant coaches Charles Lee in Boston, Jordi Fernandez in Sacramento, Chris Quinn in Miami and Kevin Young in Phoenix are among the top candidates.

The Hornets, 20-60 and eliminated from playoff contention, had the NBA’s third-most missed games due to injuries this season. Ball, their leading scorer, played only 58 games for Clifford in the past two seasons.

“Dating back to our time together in Brooklyn, I have a tremendous amount of appreciation for Coach Cliff, and I understand his decision to step down,” Peterson said in a statement. “His basketball knowledge, teaching ability and work ethic are well-respected throughout the NBA. He has had to endure some challenging circumstances the past two years, and yet our players have continued to compete, work hard and develop. On behalf of the entire Hornets organization, I want to thank Steve for all his efforts, and we look forward to having him remain a part of the organization.”

Clifford, an NBA head coach in Charlotte and Orlando, has a 337-457 record and four trips to the Eastern Conference playoffs across ten seasons.

Last Monday, pitcher Ronel Blanco of the Houston Astros threw the first no-hitter of the new MLB season in a 10-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

With four Astros pitchers unavailable due to injury, Blanco was allowed to start just his eighth-ever MLB game, and he seized the moment.

According to Astros statistics, Blanco threw 105 pitches, including 36 changeups, 34 sliders, 31 fastballs and four curveballs. He struck out seven batters and forced 59 swings and 20 misses, half of which came on his changeup pitch.

Throwing a no-hitter – where you give up zero hits pitching an entire game of baseball – is one of the most outstanding achievements in baseball. MLB hitters are getting better by the day, and no-hitters are becoming increasingly rare, especially as MLB teams constantly add depth to their bullpens. In 2022 and 2023, only eight no-hitters were pitched in total, four each year.

This is the first no-hitter an Astros pitcher has thrown since Michael Lorenzen threw one for the Philadelphia Phillies in August 2023. Framber Valdez, also in August 2023, was the most recent pitcher to do so before Lorenzen. Only 323 no-hitters have been thrown in MLB history since 1876.

Blanco will join an elite, unique list of MLB pitchers, but he’ll likely be happier about becoming a fundamental part of the Astro’s pitching rotation. Blanco earned another start on Sunday and hadn’t given up a hit until the sixth inning. Some of his teammates thought he would become the second pitcher in MLB history to throw back-to-back no-hitters, but he was unlikely to last the whole game. Blanco was taken out in the sixth inning as he gave up one hit approaching 90 pitches. Nevertheless, he earned another win, leading the Astros to a 3-1 victory over the defending World Series champions, the Texas Rangers.

The Astros are now 4-8 on the season and will expect another strong performance in Blanco’s next start.

The Buffalo Bills finalized a blockbuster deal with the Houston Texans last week to trade Stefon Diggs for a 2025 second-round pick. They will also give up a 2024 sixth-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick to Houston.

This trade marks the end of the Diggs era in Buffalo – he had grown into a somewhat toxic relationship with the Bills organization. He made a “cryptic” social media post last month saying he was “ready for whatever” after being absent from a mandatory team minicamp last year. At the February Pro Bowl Games, Diggs shared doubts about his future with the Bills and quarterback Josh Allen.

“I can’t tell you what the future holds, but I’m still being me,” he said.

Now he’ll join the most up-and-coming offense in the league with quarterback C.J. Stroud, wide receivers Tank Dell and Nico Collins and a proven veteran at running back in Joe Mixon, who was acquired in a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals earlier this offseason.

Despite their playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round last season, Diggs produced well for the Bills last year. He did seem to be out of rhythm with Allen at times. After recording 100-yard receiving yards in five of his first six games, the 30-year-old averaged 51.2 receiving yards per game the rest of the season. He finished his season with 107 catches for 1,183 yards and eight touchdowns.

This still needs to change the fact that Diggs is still one of the top receivers in the NFL. That makes the idea of him pairing up with the Stroud and the Texans even more frightening for other teams around the league. Diggs will wear number one in Houston.

This will leave an exciting hole in the Bills’ wide receiver room. The team also lost receiver Gabe Davis to the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency. Their depth chart at receiver consists of Curtis Samuel, Khalil Shakir, Justin Shorter and Mack Hollins.

CBS gave the Texans and Bills ‘A’ and ‘C-‘ grades on the trade, respectively. The Super Bowl champion Chiefs will now have a new team to contend with in the AFC.