In today’s sports media world, there’s been some pretty hyperbolic statements we’ve heard from TV personalities and writers that can be summed up as “hot takes.” Whether it’s been a comment from Skip Bayless or Stephen A. Smith on ESPN2’s First Take, a grouchy sportswriter trying to get sell some newspapers, or a blogger trying to get page views, there’s been some doozies that have come these past couple of years.

But tonight we might just have the hottest “hot take” yet.

On Comcast Sportsnet New England tonight, analyst Kirk Minihane was in the middle of a discussion about the New England Patriots’ biggest rivals on the year. As you’d expect, Peyton Manning, Rex Ryan, the Jets, and the Colts made the list. So did the NFL over the “Deflategate” scandal that’s still going on even with the season about to start next week. And while discussing the NFL and their treatment of the Patriots this offseason, Minihane took things very far.

https://twitter.com/BartHubbuch/status/639227754169397248

You heard right, Minihane called for someone to kill NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Now we’ve seen some very bombastic statements towards Goodell, as well as some mean-intentioned statements wishing injury on players. But straight up murdering someone? We’ve probably reached the pinnacle of “hot takes” here.

Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden announced Kirk Cousins will start the 2015 season at quarterback, putting an end to questions about the team’s starting QB but adding more about Robert Griffin III’s future in Washington.

Gruden said the Redskins are now “Kirk’s team,” adding “this is about Kirk doing an excellent job and winning the job.” Cousins won the job over Griffin and Colt McCoy. Cousins has started 9 games in his three season career, but has gone 1-7 so far with Washington.

The move brought even more noise over the controversy swirling around RG3. Griffin has been sidelined with a concussion suffered during a preseason practice. Although Gruden has kept Griffin out citing the NFL’s concussion protocol, many league sources have reported a major rift between team officials and coaches and owner Dan Snyder over Griffin’s future with the team. Although Gruden said Griffin still has a place on the Redskins, it’s reported that the only thing keeping management from trading him away is Snyder’s reluctance to get rid of him.

There is still no timetable on Griffin’s return, but he could be soon heading to the trading block by the time the season starts next week. Washington wraps up the preseason on Thursday against the Jacksonville Jaguars and then face the Miami Dolphins in week one of the regular season. Unless the coaching staff changes their mind, Cousins will be the quarterback for the foreseeable future.

In this day and age of communications, it’s not very often you hear of a deadline being missed due to late paperwork. But that’s what happened today when the Spanish soccer transfer deadline passed, as Manchester United saw a deal with Real Madrid for goalkeeper David De Gea fall through because of the official paperwork not being received in time.

Reports say that Man United and Real Madrid had a deal in place to send the frustrated goalkeeper over to Spain. In addition to a £29 million transfer fee, Real Madrid would’ve sent over Keylor Navas to Old Trafford. However, the paperwork allegedly got to La Liga’s offices at 11:01 local time, a minute past the European transfer deadline.

Manchester United officials are fighting the deadlock, saying that a timestamped document to FIFA’s transfer center proves that the deal was made in time.

De Gea has yet to start for Man United this season, as manager Louis van Gaal has kept him out of the lineup amid speculation that De Gea wanted to return to Madrid and leave the Red Devils. As it stands, not only would United be stuck with a player with no desire to play for his club, but also lose out on a lucrative deal. It also doesn’t help matters that with less than 24 hours left in the English transfer window, United have done much more selling in a stage where they were reportedly linked to adding many big name players throughout Europe.

The English transfer window lasts one day further than the rest of Europe and will close at 1 pm EST on Tuesday. If Manchester United would like to make any more deals, they’d best get their paperwork in on time this time around.

The basketball world is in mourning with the loss of legendary dunker Darryl Dawkins, who passed away earlier today in Allentown, PA. He was 58. Although an autopsy will be conducted on Friday to determine an official cause of death, a family statement says Dawkins succumbed to a heart attack.

Dawkins entered the league in 1975 when he was picked 5th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers. He earned the distinction of being the first NBA player to get drafted out of high school. From there “Chocolate Thunder” took the NBA world by storm with his powerful dunks and offensive prowess, averaging 12 points and 6.1 rebounds a game while shooting 57.2% in his career, good enough for 7th on the all-time list. His career spanned 14 seasons with the 76ers, New Jersey Nets, Utah Jazz, and Detroit Pistons.

But Dawkins’ legacy didn’t stop after his NBA career was over. Off the court he served as a kind-hearted ambassador to the game and was a very accessible figure to fans. He also had stints in coaching and playing in Europe, as well as a few tours with the Harlem Globetrotters.

Tributes for Dawkins poured in throughout the sports world, including from NBA commissioner Adam Silver. “The NBA family is heartbroken by the sudden and tragic passing of Darryl Dawkins,” Silver said. “We will always remember Darryl for his incredible talent, his infectious enthusiasm and his boundless generosity. He played the game with passion, integrity and joy, never forgetting how great an influence he had on his legions of fans, young and old.”

Although Dawkins is no longer with us, fans will never forget him and his glass-shattering dunks. And with every power dunker in the game of basketball today, they have Darryl Dawkins to thank for paving the way.

The Baseball Hall of Fame held its 2015 induction ceremony on Sunday, welcoming four former players who were fan favorites and legendary performers whose careers will live forever in the halls of Cooperstown. Craig Biggio, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and John Smoltz were enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame as the 2015 class in front of an estimated crowd of over 40,000 in what was an entertaining ceremony showcasing each of their personalities.

The ceremony was showcased by the three pitchers, who had a combined 735 wins, 11,113 stikeouts, and 9 Cy Young Awards. Johnson, Martinez, and Smoltz also pitched during the peak of the steroid era and when pitchers’ stats were dwindled by the large power numbers being rung up by hitters. All three played for different clubs, but Martinez will go into the hall as with a Boston Red Sox cap, Smoltz with the Atlanta Braves, and Johnson with the Arizona Diamondbacks, who he won the 2001 World Series with. Biggio went in as a Houston Astro, where he spent all 20 seasons of his career between four positions and hit a .281 average with 3,060 hits.

All four players thank those that got them to Cooperstown through the years– from family members to coaches and teammates. The inductees also had some fun on the stage. Johnson brought his camera to take pictures, as the Hall of Famer is an avid photographer in his retirement. Smoltz, on the other hand, brought out a wig. And of course Martinez, one of the most colorful players in the league in his playing days, made some jokes throughout his speech.

After recent years being clouded with thin inductee classes due to the steroid era, this Baseball Hall of Fame class is one the fans will love, as seen by the return of huge crowds for Hall of Fame weekend this year in Upstate New York. It’ll also go down as one of the most powerful pitching classes ever seen, made all the more impressive of when the three pitched in the majors. From here on out, the four that were inducted are forever in the Baseball Hall of Fame, immortalized with the greats that came before them and those that will join them in the future within the hallowed grounds of baseball history.

British cyclist Chris Froome celebrated in Paris for the second time in three years as the Tour de France champion. Froome won this year’s event by 1 minute and 12 seconds over Colombian Nairo Quintana. The victory makes Froome the first ever two-time Tour de France champion to come out of Great Britain and continued the recent run of British success in cycling.

After surviving a hard charge by Quintana in the final day in the Alps on Saturday, Froome was able to ease his way to victory through the streets of Paris in Sunday’s 21st Stage. The race is almost always won in the penultimate stage, as the final stage is usually reserved for the sprinters while the peloton rides together one last time. Froome’s victory was all but official when the riders hit the Champs-Elysees, as race organizers finished the times for general classification after the first of 10 laps due to wet roads.

Andre Greipel of Germany won the final stage after holding off his fellow sprinters at the line. Mark Cavendish, a four time stage winner on the Champs-Elysees, settled for sixth on the day.

Froome and his Team Sky teammates completed the tour arm-in-arm as they crossed the finish line. Froome’s victory means Team Sky have won the Tour de France three times in the past four years, as well as three of the past four of cycling’s biggest races.

For the seventh time in its history, Mexico’s the CONCACAF Gold Cup champion as the best team in North and Central America and the Caribbean.

Mexico defeated Jamaica by a score of 3-1 in the Gold Cup Final in Philadelphia on Sunday. The victory capped off a tournament of struggles and controversy for the Mexican team. Ultimately the bumpy road was the one worth taking as the Mexicans left with the Gold Cup and a chance to compete in the FIFA Confederations Cup.

Andres Guardado kicked off the scoring in the 31st minute to put the Mexicans ahead 1-0. Jesus Corona started the second half in Mexico’s favor with a 47th minute tally, while Oribe Peralta added a goal of his own in the 61st minute. The Jamaicans managed a goal in the 80th minute off the foot of Darren Mattocks in the 80th minute, but it would only merely prevent a shutout as Mexico took the championship in a 3-1 final.

While the weekend was a triumph for Mexico and a reassuring sign of security for head coach Miguel Herrera, it was a nightmare for the U.S. Men’s National Team and Jurgen Klinsmann. The Americans lost in penalty kicks to Panama in the third place game on Saturday in Chester, PA by a score of 1-1, with the PK’s going 3-2 to Panama’s favor. The 4th place result is the United States’ worst finish in the CONCACAF Gold Cup since 2000. Although the U.S. looked to be the team to beat after friendly victories over The Netherlands and Germany and a strong group stage, a shocking upset to Jamaica in the semifinals and the subsequent loss to Panama derailed the Americans’ Gold Cup campaign.

Mexico will now face the United States in a playoff to determine CONCACAF’s representative in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. The match will reportedly be played in October at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. Although the match would be on American soil, the home field advantage will likely be neutralized by the Mexican team’s strong support in Southern California as well as by fans making the short trek across the border. The winner will then compete against the world’s best in Russia in 2017.

The Summer of Kyle Busch rolls on, as the NASCAR star won his third race in a row, fourth in five races, and arguably his biggest victory of his career as he won the 2015 Brickyard 400 on Sunday. The win is his fourth in just nine races on the season, which was delayed after breaking his leg in an accident in the Xfinity Series race at Daytona. It also puts Kyle Busch just 23 points away from a berth in the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup with six races to go before the playoffs.

Kyle Busch took advantage of a series of late restarts to pass leader Kevin Harvick, then continued his excellent short run ability by holding off Harvick and Joey Logano to cross the yard of bricks in first. The win not only continued his winning streak, but also completed a weekend sweep at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Busch also took the checkered flag on Saturday in the Xfinity Series race. The win also marks Kyle Busch’s second win in a “Grand Slam” event, which is seen by most NASCAR observers as the Brickyard 400, Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, and Southern 500– the latter of which he won in 2008.

Logano finished behind Busch for 2nd, unable to recover from going loose in turn 1 in the race’s green-white-checkered attempt. Harvick settled for 3rd, while Martin Truex, Jr. returned to form in 4th and Denny Hamlin provided another boost to Joe Gibbs Racing’s great weekend with a top 5. Clint Bowyer, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Kyle Larson, and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top 10.

The final trip to IMS for Indiana native Jeff Gordon would be a heartbreaking one, as the four-time champion and five-time Brickyard winner crashed on lap 50 trying to avoid Bowyer’s car. Gordon finished the race 42nd, dropping him to 11th in standings and putting him closer to the Chase bubble in his final season as he continues to search for his first win of the year.

Kyle Busch now sits just 23 points away from 30th place driver Justin Allgaier to clinch a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. After returning from injury, NASCAR granted Busch a waiver to compete for the championship as long as he won a race– which has clearly been no problem for him– and finished top 30 in points. Kyle’s brother Kurt Busch clinched his spot in the Chase on Sunday for good with his top 10 finish, which ensures he will finish the regular season in the top 30. Clint Bowyer is the driver on the bubble, as he sits in 16th 30 points ahead of Aric Almirola. Once Kyle Busch enters the top 30, however, the bubble would shift to Kasey Kahne, who’s 20 points better than Bowyer.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup will move on to Pocono on Sunday for the Microsoft 10 400. Six races remain until the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup field is set.

After surviving a late charge by Jordan Spieth and Jason Day and then four-hole aggregate playoff among three golfers, Zach Johnson can add “The Open Championship” to his resume of victories. Johnson has won the 2015 British Open after finishing the playoff with the best score between him, Louis Oosthuizen, and Marc Leishman.

It was a low scoring day at St. Andrews for the delayed final round of the British Open on Monday. Johnson shot -6 on the day, as did Leishman. Spieth, who was in contention for his third major in a row, was unable to make his way into the playoff after struggling at the start of the day, but still shot 3 under par for the final round. He finished at -14 for the tournament alongside Day, who was a co-leader heading into the Final Round and recovered to have a chance at putting himself in the playoff as well. Irish amateur Paul Dunne, who shocked everybody with a score that made him a co-leader after 3, faltered in the final round to settle at -6 for the tournament and finish 30th.

After 18 holes, Johnson, Leishman, and Oosthuizen all sat at -15 for the British Open lead. The three went into a four-hole aggregate playoff, with the lowest combine score receiving the spoils of victory. Leishman fell out after shooting a 5 compared to the other two’s 3 on the first playoff hole, making it a duel between the American Johnson and the South African Oosthuizen. Johnson followed it up with a birdie on the second playoff hole and never looked back, as Oosthuizen parred out the final three holes and was unable to catch Johnson.

The victory is Zach Johnson’s second in a major tournament. His first came in 2007 when he won The Masters tournament at Augusta National. It is also his 26th tournament victory in his professional career. He brings home the Claret Jug for the first time and becomes just the second American to win the British Open this decade– Phil Mickelson did so in 2013.

The long absence of Kyle Busch from NASCAR’s top series seems like an eternity ago, as the driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota has made his presence felt since returning from a broken leg. So much so that Kyle’s the hottest driver on the circuit. On Sunday, Busch won the 5 Hour Energy 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway to win his third Sprint Cup Series race of the season, all coming in the past four races, to help inch his way closer to a berth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Kyle Busch’s win didn’t look like it was going to happen with just 57 laps to go, as he had to make an unscheduled pit stop with what he thought was a flat tire. However, the pit stop ended up being the best thing for Busch, as he was soon able to pass leaders Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick to get back on the lead lap. Shortly thereafter the caution flew for fluid on the track, allowing Busch to stay out while everyone else had to pit. This gave Busch the lead and some very beneficial track position compared to his rivals. From the restart on, Busch led the rest of the way and held off a late charge by Keselowski to take the checkered flag under caution, which flew after Alex Bowman crashed on the final lap.

Keselowski finished the race in 2nd while Harvick crossed the line in 3rd. Joey Logano and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. rounded out the top 5, followed by Carl Edwards, Austin Dillon, Jeff Gordon, and Kurt Busch.

The win moves Kyle Busch one step closer to the 30th place criteria that he needs to meet to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup. NASCAR granted him a waiver after his injury to allow him to compete for the Sprint Cup championship as long as he won a race and finished top 30 in the points standings. Busch’s deficit continues to shrink, as he’s now just 58 points behind David Gilliland for 30th place with seven races to work with.

Kevin Harvick remains the overall points leader, growing his lead over 69 points over Joey Logano. Aric Almirola moved into the final spot in the Chase standings, as he sits in 16th as the last driver that would make the playoff system on points at the moment. Clint Bowyer is now the first driver out at 17th.

Next weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will move on to the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the annual running of the Brickyard 400.

The CONCACAF Gold Cup held its quarterfinal round over the weekend with an exciting slate of games. The final of the four games, however, has everybody in the soccer world talking as Mexico moved on after converting on a questionably rewarded penalty kick in the final minute of the game. Elsewhere, the United States Men’s National Team took quick work of Cuba, while Jamaica and Panama survived nailbiters to enter the semifinal round.

The weekend kicked off in Baltimore on Saturday with a doubleheader that saw the United States and Jamaica advance. The U.S. easily handled Cuba in a 6-0 victory. American star Clint Dempsey got the scoring started quickly with a 3rd minute header. He added two goals to complete the hat trick.Omar Gonzalez, Gyasi Zardes, and Aron Johannsson each added a tally to help in the Americans’ victory. Brad Guzan was awarded the shutout in net. Later in the evening, Jamaica held on to a 1-0 lead over Haiti after Giles Barnes’ 6th minute goal to earn a date against the Americans in the semifinals. Jamaican goalkeeper Ryan Thompson got the shutout with 7 saves in the winning effort.

Sunday’s action in East Rutherford, NJ saw lots of late drama. In the first quarterfinal game, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago went the distance and was decided in penalty kicks. After finishing 120 minutes at 1-1, Panama survived the shootout 6-5 to send themselves to the semifinals and end the dream run by Trinidad and Tobago.

In the final game of the weekend, Mexico and Costa Rica met in a battle between two of the CONCACAF federation’s biggest powers. The game was a 0-0 draw throughout its duration as it went into extra time. The officiating was questionable throughout the game, but it grew to a new height in stoppage time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYM6ey4TcmE

The officials called a penalty kick after Mexican forward Oribe Peralta fell to the ground after missing an attempt to head the ball towards goal. However, Peralta did not looked to be touched as he went up to the air and given that similar fouls were not called throughout the game, it was questionable to why it would be called in the dying embers of the game. Regardless, Mexico sent Andres Guardado to the spot. He converted the penalty and sent Mexico to the semifinals while knocking out a Costa Rican squad that had made the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals just a year earlier.

The semifinals with both take place on Wednesday from the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The U.S. will face Jamaica in the first game, scheduled for 6 pm EDT, which will then be followed by Mexico-Panama at 9 pm. The winners will then play for the Gold Cup on Sunday from Philadelphia, while the two losing teams will play a consolation game in Chester, PA on Saturday.

Tonight continues one of summer’s biggest traditions– MLB All-Star Weekend– with the annual Home Run Derby. This year the competition has taken on some new wrinkles. Just like the game of baseball itself, Major League Baseball has aimed to speed up the Home Run Derby after losing viewers in the past couple of years. As a result, while the dingers will still be flying, it’s a whole new outlook on the event.

Instead of having all eight batters go round by round together, the Home Run Derby will now be an elimination bracket. The participants are seeded and will face off to determine who advances to the next round. The lineup will be as follows:

1. Albert Pujois vs. 8. Kris Bryant
2. Todd Frazier vs. 7. Prince Fielder
3. Josh Donaldson vs. 6. Anthony Rizzo
4. Joc Pederson vs. 5. Manny Machado

The winner of each matchup will then take part in the semifinals and then the finals. But the bracket isn’t the only big change to the format.

Time is now the priority for the event. In past Home Run Derbies, the participants often took pitch after pitch to keep themselves in a groove to maximize the number of homers they hit. Now there’s a five minute timer where each hitter tries to hit as many home runs as possible. There are ways to extend the time allotted. Hitting a home run in the final minute stops the clock, while two homers reaching more than 420 feet and a home run surpassing the 475 foot mark each give out bonus time, which is capped at an extra 1:30. Batters will also be able to use one time out per round.

Of course, the ballpark also plays one of the biggest roles in the Home Run Derby. Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati gets to play host to the All-Star Game this year. Its dimensions will cause hitters to adjust their strategies. The left field flag pole is the shallowest part of the field, topping at 328 feet, while right field comes in at 325 feet. Left field is generally deeper than right field at Great American Ballpark, while center field is at 404 feet. The scoreboard in left field also makes the height of the walls a little bit higher than the one in right. That being said, right field is much more open with the Ohio River flowing beyond the stands, making hits more prone to the wind.

The essence of the Home Run Derby remains the same as the game’s biggest hitters aim to hit as many longballs as possible. But with a new format, the competition that’s lost its luster can gain some new fans tonight. The Home Run Derby will take place tonight at 8 pm EST. The MLB All-Star Game will be played tomorrow at the same time.

Irishman Conor McGregor has been one of the biggest names in mixed martial arts the past year with his fighting style and his brash words outside of the ring. On Saturday night in Las Vegas, he put his money where his mouth is by winning the interim UFC featherweight championship at UFC 189. He knocked out Chad Mendes at 4:57 of the second round to claim the title.

It was not an easy road for McGregor, as Mendes took him down twice in the fight and caused him to bleed from the head. But late in the second round, McGregor toppled Mendes over by the fence and threw punch after punch at him from a prone position. The referee stepped in and called off the fight, giving McGregor the knockout victory.

The win moves McGregor to 18-2 in his career and gives him the interim UFC featherweight title. He was originally scheduled to face current UFC titleholder Jose Aldo (25-1) until Aldo suffered an injury in training in his native Brazil. McGregor was sure to call out Aldo for the withdrawal, stating he had worse than Aldo’s bruised ribs in the buildup to the event in his postfight interview. It is likely that McGregor will finally face off against Aldo early next year, though some rumblings say a fight between the two of them can come as soon as December.

In the 170 lb. division, Robbie Lawler defended his UFC title after a tough bout with Rory MacDonald. Lawler knocked MacDonald out a minute into the fifth round of their fight. Both fighters took a toll during the fight, as they came out scarred, bruised, and bleeding. In the end, Lawler was able to successfully keep his title for the first time since winning it.

Centre Court at Wimbledown crowned two familiar champions over the weekend, as Serena Williams won her fourth straight grand slam tournament in the women’s final on Saturday and Novak Djokovic won his third Wimbledon men’s title on Sunday. The titles are Williams’ 21st grand slam title and Djokovic’s 9th.

Williams took down Garbine Muguruza of Spain in straight sets to win the title, but faced a stiff test from Muguruza in the process. Both sets finished 6-4, with Muguruza rallying to make things difficult for Serena to close things out. In the end, Williams was able to pull off the “Serena Slam,” as she won her fourth straight Grand Slam tournament and has not lost a match since the third round of last year’s Wimbledon tournament. It’s also her sixth championship at Wimbledon. Serena will have a shot at completing the single-season Grand Slam at next month’s U.S. Open in New York.

On the men’s side it was another clash of titans as Djokovic squared off against Roger Federer. After splitting a pair of tiebreaks in the first two sets, including a 12-10 tiebreak won by Federer in the 2nd set, Djokovic pulled away to win the match in four sets. The final two sets finished 6-4 and 6-3 to Djokovic’s advantage. The championship is Djokovic’s second straight on the grass courts of Wimbledon. Federer was unable to add to his collection of seven Wimbledon championships, but looked strong once again throughout the tournament.

The championships add on to an already storied legacy for both Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic. Djokovic continues to climb up the ranks among the best men’s tennis players of all-time, now surpassing players like Andre Agassi on the career grand slam leaderboard. Serena continues to blaze her own trail, as she now has as many grand slam championships as the rest of the WTA tour combined at 21. All eyes will be on the both of them as they look to continue to make history at the U.S. Open in a month’s time.

NASCAR’s Coke Zero 400 at Daytona was delayed several hours due to rain. But that didn’t stop the fireworks, as the restrictor plate racing produced a wild race. The sport’s biggest star, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., came away with his 4th Daytona victory by winning the race shortly after 2:30 am EST. The talk of the racing world came shortly after the cars crossed the start-finish line, however, as “the big one” broke out and sent Austin Dillon’s #3 car into the catchfence in a violent wreck.

As the cars entered the tri-oval for the final time, Denny Hamlin got turned around by Kevin Harvick at the start-finish line. From there, the big wreck broke out. Austin Dillon was one of the cars caught up in the crash, as his car got send up into the catchfence and landed on its roof. The pit crew of Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s team rushed from their pit box to check on Dillon, but gave the crowd a thumbs up to indicate he was okay. Dillon then escaped from the car under his own power, a testament to the safety features of the new car.

The catchfence did it’s job in keeping Dillon’s car out of the stands, but was destroyed in the process. Dillon suffered a bruised tailbone and bruised forearm, but escaped major injury and should be ready to go for Kentucky on Saturday. 12 fans were also injured by the crash, but all were treated and released for minor injuries.

Earnhardt, Jr.’s win was his second of the season, both coming at restrictor plate tracks. It’s his first win at Daytona since winning the 2014 Daytona 500. Teammate Jimmie Johnson finished 2nd, while Hamlin and Harvick finished 3rd and 4th. Kurt Busch rounded out the top 5. Jeff Gordon, in his final race at Daytona, ended 6th. Dillon had finished the race in 7th before his violent accident.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup season is now nine races away from the Chase playoff. Although the new rules package at Kentucky should throw a curveball at teams, Dale Jr.’s win shuts out many drivers of a potential victory given Daytona’s unpredictable nature. It’s now up to the drivers without a win to try and get themselves into victory lane on a standard race track. Saturday night at Kentucky Speedway will be their next shot to do so.

The United States women’s soccer team got their revenge over Japan yesterday at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in a 5-2 victory to claim the Women’s World Cup championship. It’s the USWNT’s third title and their first since 1999. The win came in a rematch of the 2011 final, which Japan won in a penalty shootout.

The Americans hit the ground running by jumping to a lead in the early minutes. Carli Lloyd stole the show in Vancouver from the get go by scoring her first goal in the 3rd minute. She then added her second in the 5th minute and had already completed the hat trick in the 16th minute. Lauren Holiday added one goal in between Lloyd’s 2nd and 3rd tallies, giving the USA a commanding 4-0 lead before the game was even 17 minutes old.

Japan, who was blindsided by the American assault at the beginning of the match, ended Hope Solo’s four game shutout streak with a 27th minute goal by Yuki Ogimi. Although a Julie Johnson own goal in the 52nd minute made things a little more interesting at 4-2, Tobin Heath put the game back out of reach to put the Americans ahead 5-2 in the 54th minute.

With the game in hand, United States manager Jill Ellis gave stars Abby Wambach and Christie Rampone a fitting sendoff in what is most likely to be their final FIFA Women’s World Cup match. The final whistle blew at BC Place and the celebration began for the Americans, as the ghosts of the 1999 team disappeared and the team made history for themselves to win the world championship.

Mired under the scandal that has rocked the organization, FIFA president Sepp Blatter did not make the trip to Canada to present the Women’s World Cup trophy. Nonetheless, Wambach and the rest of the American team lifted it up in jubilation in front of a crowd that was filled with US supporters who made the short journey north of the border.

The 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup may have had the same two participants in the final, but the progression of the tournament marked new faces in women’s soccer. With countries like England and Columbia having success in the tournament, the women’s game looks to grow even more and gives the hope for more opportunities for women in sport in their nations. And with the Americans starting off slow but improving as the tournament went on, the leaders of growing the sport were able to add their third title in a way that inspired a nation. All in all, it was a tournament that through all the controversy at FIFA and with the field turf ended up becoming a huge success for both women’s sport and soccer alike.

Steven Matz had a day he’ll never forget by making his Major League debut for the New York Mets on Sunday. What made it even more special wasn’t the great performance he had on the mound in the Mets’ 7-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, but rather his day at the plate. Matz went 3-for-3 for New York and drove in four of their seven runs.

In front of his family and friends, Matz got to play for his beloved Mets for the first time. Matz grew up rooting for the team in nearby Stony Brook, NY on Long Island. He dazzled on the mound after recovering from a leadoff home run with an impressive 7 2/3 inning performance with 2 earned runs and 5 hits given up. But at the plate, Matz gave a boost to an offense than usually struggles at the plate.

In the 2nd inning, Matz hit a two run double off Josh Smith to give the Mets the 2-1 lead. He then hit for a single and then a bases loaded single in the 6th to score two more for the Mets. In doing so, he’s the first pitcher in Mets history to hit in his first three plate appearances.

The anticipation for the start was high enough to begin with for Matz, but he had to wait an extra 3 1/2 hours to get on the field. The Mets and Reds had to complete a rain delayed game from the nigh before, which ended up going 13 innings. The Mets won the first game of the doubleheader 2-1 to start off the day.

Just four months ago, NASCAR star Kyle Busch was sitting out with a leg injury after an awful crash at Daytona in the Xfinity Series race. Now he’s back in victory lane after a gusty performance at the winding road course of Sonoma Raceway. Kyle Busch took the lead from Jimmie Johnson late to grab the win at the the Toyota/Save Mart 350. Brother Kurt Busch finished 2nd, marking the first time in their careers that the Busch brothers finished 1-2 in a Sprint Cup series race.

Kyle Busch ran well throughout the day and took advantage of a late caution to come in and pit to grab four fresh tires. Leader Jimmie Johnson, who was dominant throughout the second half of the race, decided with crew chief Chad Knaus to stay out. The decision made Johnson a sitting duck, as everyone outside of five drivers came in to pit. On the ensuing restart, Busch passed Clint Bowyer and began to pick off cars that were on worn out tires. By lap 106, Busch had caught up to Johnson and took the lead away from him. Kurt Busch made his way up to 2nd and was quickly coming up on his brother, but it was too late as Kyle came away with the checkered flag. Bowyer finished 3rd, followed by Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano to round out the top 5. Johnson would settle for a 6th place finish.

With the win, Kyle Busch can attempt to cap off a remarkable comeback with a bid in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. NASCAR gave him a waiver to earn a Chase bid should be finish top 30 in points despite the fact he missed the season’s first ten races. It’s certainly manageable for Busch to do so, as he sits about 140 points away from 30th, which is a little over three races worth. With inferior competition ahead of him in the standings and a projected average finish of 13th being good enough to get himself in position, Busch might be able to pull off one of the biggest rebounds in NASCAR history.

The points standings remained relatively unchanged at the top, with Kevin Harvick leading Martin Truex, Jr. and Joey Logano. Jimmie Johnson jumped over Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for 4th in points. Ryan Newman has a four point lead over Aric Almirola for the 16th and final spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

The semifinals are in place at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup with a pair of intriguing storylines. On one side of the bracket, the US Women’s National Team will face Germany in a battle of powerhouses each looking for their third trophy in the event. On the other’s the breakout team of the 2011 tournament, Japan, and this year’s emerging power in England. On the line’s a trip to Vancouver and a date to play for the Women’s World Cup on Sunday.

The quarterfinal action got underway with a game that had all the quality of a final as Germany dispatched France in penalties 5-4 after playing a 1-1 regulation and extra time. Top seeded Germany fell behind to #3-ranked France in the 64th minute after a Louisa Necib goal, but recovered very late in regulation with a Celia Sasic equalizer in the 84th minute. After going through the extra 30 minutes, the game was decided in penalty kicks. Each of the first nine attempts between the two teams went in until German goalkeeper Nadine Angerer made the save on Claire Lavogez to send Germany through to the semifinals. In an astounding statistic, between the German men and women’s teams, the country has still yet to lose in penalties in a FIFA World Cup.

Joining them will be the United States, who looked improved from prior games in the tournament in a 1-0 win over China in Ottawa. Carli Lloyd scored the only goal for the Americans in the 51st minute. Although it was another close game for the USWNT, the offense looked much more free flowing than their play in the group stages and round of 16, which could bode well for the Americans in their matchup against Germany ahead. Hope Solo notched up her fourth straight shutout with her performance.

Reigning world champion Japan got themselves back into the semifinals with a 1-0 win over Australia thanks in part to their late efforts. Mana Iwabuchi came off the bench as a substitute to score the game’s only goal in the 87th minute and puts the Japanese in position to go for their second straight FIFA Women’s World Cup. Japan’s patient attack proved to be the difference, as they wore down the Australians as the game progressed. Energy ended up being the key in the scramble that led to Iwabuchi’s goal.

The weekend ended with another thriller, as England reached their first ever FIFA Women’s World Cup semifinal after taking out host Canada 2-1. England got off to a striking start with goals by Jodie Taylor and Lucy Bronze in the 11th and 14th minutes. The English then had to hold off a barrage of Canadian attacks, including Christine Sinclair’s goal late in the 1st half, as well as the loud support from the Canadian fans, to preserve the victory. The victory comes as a big breakthrough for English women’s soccer, as they’ve notched up their biggest victory yet and will play for a spot in the final against Japan. It also comes as a rare knockout stage victory for the soccer-crazed nation. The men’s team has only made it to the semifinals twice since 1960 and the women are just making it for the first time.

The United States and Germany will have their showdown on Tuesday in Montreal. Japan and England will then square off in Edmonton on Wednesday. Both matches will kick off at 7 pm.

ESPN’s Outside the Lines reports that they have received new evidence that suggest Pete Rose, one of baseball’s greatest players, bet on baseball during his time as a player for the Cincinnati Reds. Although Rose admitted to betting as a manager, which got him banned by Major League Baseball in 1989, he has been adamant about not placing any bets as a player. Rose recently has been applying for reinstatement to new commissioner Rob Manfred and has been a part of MLB on Fox’s studio coverage this season.

The new evidence comes from notebooks that were evidence in a raid of New York bookie and former Rose associate Michael Bertolini. The National Archives have held onto the notebooks for 26 years without publicly releasing them. In them, the pages suggest that Rose regularly bet on baseball, including on his own Reds, in his final season of 1986. In fact, each of the 21 legible entries that mention Rose show that he bet on the Reds each time he placed a bet.

The news comes as a big blow towards Rose’s attempts at reinstatement. Proponents of dropping the ban on Rose and making him eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame point to the fact he had only bet on baseball as a manager and not as a player, which should make his playing days worthy of entering the hall. Other factors like the steroid era, the steadfast opinion of Bud Selig, and the question of whether or not the bets played any role in the Reds’ performance were also thrown around.

But with evidence suggesting that Rose bet on baseball as a player, the possibility that Rose will never be reinstated now grows to a new high. It’s also no doubt that Commissioner Manfield will have a different approach towards considering Rose’s status. Rose’s appearance at the 2015 MLB All-Star Game in Cincinnati is also in doubt with today’s news.

Pete Rose played 26 years in the majors between the Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, and Montreal Expos. He still holds the record for most career hits with 4,256 as well as the number of games played at 3,562. He has been banned from Major League Baseball since the 1989 Dowd Report was released.