The second time could be the charm for Olathe (Kan.) four-star offensive tackle Julian Marks. The lineman announced his commitment to Kansas on Sunday at the conclusion of his official visit in Lawrence. He was previously committed to Missouri.
Marks is the fifth commitment of the 2025 class for the Jayhawks. He’s the highest-rated prospect in the class.
WHAT MARKS BRINGS TO THE JAYHAWKS
Marks is one of the most versatile players in Kansas this cycle. He’s got great size (6-8, 275) but he’s not just a big body. Marks has impressive athleticism which can be attributed to his basketball background as well. He’s shown an ability to excel on both the hardwood and the gridiron.
His recruitment started with him being recruited as a defensive end. So, even if he didn’t crack the two-deep soon at tackle, he has the ability to flip over to the defensive line and give that a shot. Big men are gold in today’s college football. The Jayhawks just landed one with a lot of versatility and updside.
WHAT MARS MEANS TO KANSAS
“I looked at all the pros and cons of being a hometown hero,” Marks said.
That quote gives you a glimpse into why this commitment is a big deal for Kansas. Coach Lance Leipold has done a great job at Kansas. He’s raised the profile of a program that doesn’t land many blue-chip recruits. The team landed four players rated as four-stars by Rivals last cycle.
Getting Marks in the class now gave the team their first this cycle.
It’s a great year for talent in the Sunflower State. The state has six prospects rated as four-stars. Other than Marks it’s unclear if the program leads for any of the others. Getting one committed to perhaps cause a domino effect is massive for perception right now.
Carlos Alcaraz was made to sweat but clinched his first French Open title by outlasting Alexander Zverev 6-3 2-6 5-7 6-1 6-2 in Sunday’s final at Roland Garros.
The 21-year-old filled a Rafael Nadal-sized void at Roland Garros with a marathon victory in four hours and 19 minutes.
Fourth seed Zverev had sent old warrior Nadal out on his shield for probably the last time in the first round.
But young pretender Alcaraz vanquished the German to join fellow Spaniard Nadal as the only men to lift the Roland Garros trophy aged under 22.
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The youngest man ever to become World No. 1 (19 years, 4 months, 6 days old).
The youngest man ever to win a Grand Slam title on all three surfaces (21 years, 1 month, 3 days old).
The first man to win his first 3 Major titles on three different surfaces.
Alcaraz is also the youngest man to win a Grand Slam title on all three surfaces, adding the Paris clay to his hard-court US Open success and last year’s win on the Wimbledon grass.
He boasts a perfect record in major finals, while for Zverev it is two defeats from two following his loss to Dominic Thiem at the US Open four years ago.
Alcaraz was the clear aggressor as the first set wore on and he took it in 43 minutes.
But the Zverev forehand began firing and he broke for 3-2 in the second set after Alcaraz’s mistimed return flew into the crowd.
A sizzling pass from Zverev sent a cloud of dust exploding off the court as he brought up a double break on his way to levelling the match.
Alcaraz found his range again early in the third and a superb volley brought up three break points – his first on the Zverev serve all set – and he dispatched the first to lead 4-2.
But Alcaraz was suddenly missing more often than his opponent and Zverev reeled off five games, saving a break point at 6-5, to move ahead.
But having finally got a service hold on the board and returning from so far back he was almost sitting on the lap of Bjorn Borg in the front row of the presidential box, Alcaraz broke with a vicious forehand down the line.
Alcaraz needed treatment on his left thigh but held out to take the match to a deciding set.
A tired service game from Zverev, who has spent almost 24 hours on court this fortnight, gave Alcaraz the early advantage.
‘Carlos, Carlos’ chanted the crowd on Philippe Chatrier in scenes usually only reserved for 14-time winner Nadal.
They were on their feet again when an astonishing flicked backhand cross-court winner helped secure another break.
Four minutes later the man from Murcia was lying on his back, Nadal style, celebrating a victory he has always seemed destined for.
Tale of the Tape
What’s coming up on Sky Sports Tennis?
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Find out all the ways to watch tennis on Sky Sports, including the US Open, ATP and WTA tours
In the run-up to the third Grand Slam of 2024 – Wimbledon – you can watch all of the biggest tennis stars in action live on Sky Sports as they compete across the grass-court season.
Stuttgart Open (ATP 250 with Andy Murray in action) – June 10-16
EASTLAKE, Ohio (AP) — Travis Kelce‘s power extends beyond the football field or the celebrity news cycle.
The Kansas City Chiefs‘ talented tight end, who also happens to be pop superstar Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, showed off his batting skills on Saturday by winning a home run contest at a charity softball event hosted by Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku.
Kelce, who grew up in Cleveland Heights, arrived at Classic Park, home of the minor league Lake County Captains, just as the event was getting underway. As he made his way onto the field, Kelce shook hands with some fans before greeting Browns defensive end Myles Garrett and quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Once in the batter’s box, Kelce, who played high school baseball, put on an impressive performance, headlined by a final round that featured 11 long balls. After connecting on his final swing and sending another ball over the fence to clinch the win, Kelce flipped his bat in celebration and took a victory lap around the bases.
Travis Kelce won the home run derby at David Njoku’s celebrity softball event 🗣️
He was awarded a trophy he’ll be able to show to Swift, who is performing concerts in Scotland this weekend.
A three-time Super Bowl champion, Kelce has become close in recent years with Njoku, who has attended his offseason Tight End University.
“That’s my guy, man,” Njoku said. “He’s one of the purest human beings I’ve met in my life honestly. Always means well. Just great overall dude.”
Kelce has always backed Cleveland’s baseball team and last year threw out an ill-fated ceremonial first pitch that he spiked like a football.
Kelce has stayed busy throughout the offseason. He recently took part in the Chiefs’ organized team activities and visited the White House when the Super Bowl champions were hosted by President Joe Biden.
The German goalkeeper has penned a one-year extension that will keep him at the Etihad Stadium until 2026.
His deal was due to expire next summer and comes as a timely boost for City amid continuing doubts about Ederson‘s long-term future.
The Brazil goalkeeper is wanted by a number of Saudi Pro League clubs ahead of the summer transfer window. Sources have told ESPN that City will consider bids for Ederson if he makes it clear he wants to leave.
He stepped in after Ederson suffered an injury against Tottenham and made a crucial save from Son Heung-Min as City won 2-0 to take a big step towards securing their fourth successive title.
“I am delighted to be staying at Manchester City for longer,” Ortega said.
“This is a football club that provides players with everything we need to be our best. Every single day I feel motivated and challenged, and I have improved as a goalkeeper since coming here two years ago.
“My family are really settled here in England, I love everything about it here. Signing this deal means I can now focus 100% on next season and beyond.”
Ortega, 31, has made 34 appearances in two years at City since arriving from Arminia Bielefeld in 2022. He follows third-choice goalkeeper Scott Carson in signing a contract extension, who has has agreed a new one-year deal until 2025.
GENEVA — UEFA’s two-step financial plan to refill its pandemic-hit cash reserves starts with a men’s 2024 European Championship held in the home of the continent’s largest economy.
Revenue of about 2.5 billion euros ($2.7 billion) is expected from broadcast and sponsor deals, and sales of tickets, hospitality packages and licensing from staging a 51-game tournament in Germany that begins on June 14 in Munich and ends July 14 with the championship match in Berlin.
Europe’s governing soccer body UEFA forecast in April that close to half of its Euro 2024 income, about 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion), will be profit to fund much of its work and development grants for the next four years and top up its reserves.
The costs of organizing the tournament include hundreds of million of euros (dollars) in prize money for the 24 teams and daily-rate payments to clubs whose players are selected.
It was certainly Germany’s time to host UEFA’s marquee event — 36 years after West Germany hosted just an eight-team Euro ’88 one year before the Berlin Wall came down — and when its executive committee members voted in September 2018 to pick the country over Turkey, a global health emergency was not on their minds.
The legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, was very much in UEFA thinking when a long-term plan to send Euro 2028 to be hosted in the UK and Ireland was finally confirmed in an uncontested vote last October.
A tournament anchored in England with modern stadiums generating huge matchday revenues was a safe choice for UEFA eyeing its bottom line after the high-maintenance, low-revenue Euro 2020 that was played one year late in half-empty venues across 11 countries.
UEFA sets a baseline comfort level of 500 million euros ($543 million) in cash reserves and it stood at 575 million euros ($624 million) before the pandemic spread early in 2020.
“The lowest point, however, has now been reached,” UEFA finance director Josef Koller told its 55 member federations in February at their annual congress held in Paris. The men’s Euro held every four years is the foundation of UEFA’s finances and funds development payments to its members.
Even if the Champions League and other club competitions earn more money — about 3.5 billion euros ($3.8 billion) this season — it goes mostly back to the clubs in prize money. UEFA’s 6.5% share of so-called net revenue after deductions has been less than 200 million euros ($217 million) each year.
The 13 UEFA sponsors of Euro 2024 include soccer tournament staples Adidas and Coca-Cola, Qatar’s tourist board, plus from China two subsidiaries of Alibaba and three electronic technology firms.
UEFA typically favors free-to-air broadcasters in Europe for national-team competitions to help those games stay part of the national conversation. In the United States games will be shown by Fox Sports in English and Spanish-language streaming service Vix.
That income they provide underpins the “HatTrick” program that UEFA pays each of its member countries for building projects, operational costs plus running national teams and education.
“Each of our member associations is eligible to receive up to 17 million euros ($18.5 million) over the program’s four-year cycle from July 2024 to June 2028,” UEFA said about its basic funding that is worth more than double what European federations get from FIFA.
Prize money of 331 million euros ($360 million) will be shared among the 24 national federations taking part with the champion getting 28.5 million euros ($31 million) if it won all its games.
More than 600 clubs, mostly in Europe but some globally including in Saudi Arabia, are set to get UEFA payments from a 240 million euros ($261 million) fund to pay clubs for releasing their players.
UEFA said it allocated 140 million euros ($152 million) to cover players released for the finals tournament and 100 million euros ($109 million) will be distributed according to call-ups for all teams who played in two editions of the Nations League and Euro 2024 qualifying games.
After Euro 2020, which had a total fund of 200 million euros ($218 million), Chelsea got the biggest payment with 5.1 million euros ($5.5 million), Manchester City received 4.5 million euros ($4.9 million), and English clubs shared 47 million euros ($51 million).
TAMPA, Fla. – The OT7 Finals kicked off Day 1 of pool play on Friday with dozens of blue-chip recruits in the 2025 and 2026 classes and beyond meeting in Tampa as competition heated up.
Rivals national recruiting analysts Sam Spiegelman and John Garcia Jr. were on hand for the action. Here are details on some of the prospects who performed at a high level.
An Ohio State Buckeye commitment that shined during the opening day of pool play was five-star WR Chris Henry. The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder is a true X receiver with a fantastic blend of size, speed and ball skills.
Henry was able to separate on vertical routes downfield and was equally as impactful working in the red zone, using his frame to body up defenders for big first downs and touchdowns.
Another wide receiver looking at Ohio State, Ffrench will let the college football world know his pick on Aug. 30. On Friday, he reminded onlookers of the complete skill set that he brings to the table. Ffrench set the tone for his day with a third-level score to kick off his tournament, working leverage on a defender to win via a skinny post. It would be the first of several TD snags for Ffrench, who really came out of his breaks and finished at a high level for South Florida Express. Few at the position have a higher floor than the Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin star.
The No. 1 cornerback in the Rivals250 was not tested often, but capitalized when the opportunity presented itself. Five-star CB Devin Sanchez was sound in coverage using his elite length and skills in coverage to shadow bigger receivers working on the perimeter.
The Ohio State commit came up with the top defensive play of the day – a massive interception in the end zone while airborne – to cap Day 1. There aren’t many corners on the planet in the same tier as Sanchez.
*****
The Auburn verbal commitment had one of the stronger wideout performances of the day Friday, making plays in the end zone from a wide variety. Gray’s length and strong hands combine with a wide catch radius to make plays along the sidelines and at the apex alike.
But the Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade Madonna standout also showed closing speed and ball skills on several occasions down the field, including on a diving catch-of-the-day type of highlight with his body near parallel to the end zone in the process. It looks like he has added good mass to his frame, too.
*****
What stood out about the Florida State commit’s first day of action was the rebound he made after coming out of the gates out of rhythm Friday. Jones even turned the ball over in the first of his three outings, but he quickly refocused and went to his usual accurate game to get back into the swing of things.
His connection with his Mandarin High School teammate Ffrench was particularly hot for SFE, leading to a handful of scores between them. Jones worked the full passing package in the second and third games of the day, pushing the ball down the field better than we’ve seen from him of late before countering with on-time dots along the sidelines and an especially pretty score at the front pylon.
*****
Rivals had the Oregon commit listed at 180 pounds coming into Friday and after seeing Wilson in person, the number was a low mark. Much more filled out in his upper half, Wilson confirmed he is up to 200 pounds in an effort to round out his game.
It showed in his first few drives on the night, snagging a touchdown on a ball that required a strong contested win at the catch point. Wilson still showed his vertical ability off and used his long stride to get to the third level with ease, so the added element to his frame is only enhancing his game.
*****
Bonus: Lo Pro
You can’t recap the eye-catchers of Day 1 without a mention of Lo Pro. Class of 2026 QB Maika Eugenio and 2026 WR Kaina Watson combined for the highlight of the day – a fantastic pass and catch in traffic to win with :02 on the clock. Eugenio was in a rhythm all afternoon and delivered several balls on the money in timely situations. His game-winning pass to Watson came against tight coverage, a superb grab by the receiver.
England manager Gareth Southgate said he understood the boos that greeted his side’s 1-0 loss to Iceland at Wembley, acknowledging his side did not play well enough in their final warm-up game before Euro 2024.
The home side went down to Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson’s well-taken early strike, struggling to create many clear-cut openings themselves, with the full-time whistle being met with a chorus of boos from the home faithful.
However, Southgate – who drew level with Sir Bobby Robson after taking charge of his 95th England game – said he could understand the home fans’ frustrations at the end of the game.
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Sky Sports News’ Ron Walker and Rob Dorsett reflect on England’s defeat to Iceland and what it could mean ahead of the Euros.
“I completely understand [the boos],” he said after the match. “We didn’t play well enough to keep them excited within the game. We had some very, very good chances which normally would be finished and would’ve given a different complexion to the game and affected our opponent’s confidence.
“But that might have also masked some flaws which were apparent tonight. From my perspective, I’ve learned a lot from the game. But I’ve got no qualms with the supporters’ reaction, to have them with you here makes a massive difference but you have to give them enough goalmouth action, play well enough, press and win the ball with intensity – and we didn’t do that tonight. We have to accept the reaction as it was.”
One area of real worry for Southgate, though, was his side’s pressing, or lack of, during the game.
Image: A dejected Harry Kane at the full-time whistle
“We didn’t get our pressing right and we were too stretched without the ball. There were questions asked that we weren’t able to answer,” he said.
“No matter how much talent you have with the ball, if you’re out-of-possession game isn’t right, it can make it feel like you’ve not got a foothold in the game.”
Southgate, however, urged everyone to stay calm ahead of the tournament, which England depart for on Monday morning, predicting his side would produce an improved display when they begin Group C proceedings against Serbia a week on Sunday.
“I’m confident we’ll be better than we were tonight,” he said. “We’re managing so many different things through the game, and we ended up with a relatively young team on the pitch, some of whom we would’ve got off physically as well. It was a game where we made six subs, but we would have liked to have made more because some of the players could’ve done with getting out of the game a little bit earlier as well.”
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The Times’ Martin Hardy analyses England’s performance against Iceland and identifies which areas Gareth Southgate might need to focus on.
However, Southgate did concede England were heading to Germany with a number of injury worries still to contend with.
“The physical side is a slight concern, we’ve got so many physical issues, but as I said we needed to get players out of the game on a precautionary level as well,” he added. “That part of it will be better for next Sunday.
“We’re focusing on all aspects, really, but we can’t hide the fact we have got a lot of physical issues, it’s plain for everyone to see.
“Nevertheless, we can be better than we were tonight and we have to be more compact, press better, and then take the chances we created.
“We can resolve that, it’s a good opportunity to get on the training pitch, remind ourselves of what’s important in terms of winning football matches, and if the intensity isn’t right without the ball, it can cause you a lot of problems with it too.”
On a more positive note, though, the England manager did confirm key centre-back John Stones’ ankle injury, which forced the defender off at half-time, was not too problematic.
“We think he is probably OK, but we didn’t want to take a chance given what’s coming up,” he said.
Rice: Inside I’m hurting at defeat
England midfielder Declan Rice to Channel 4:
Image: Declan Rice shows his dejection after the loss to Iceland
“Very frustrating. To have that much of the ball, with a couple of clear-cut chances, and get beaten 1-0 at home just before the Euros isn’t ideal.
“But I’m going to take the positives from it as well. There were a lot of positive performances tonight. I felt we played with a good tempo, always tried to play forward, be more attacking, be a threat.
“In the end it becomes a frustration game. You’re chasing your tail a little bit. You can likely get caught on the counter-attack. That’s where we have to be a little bit more savvy.
“It’s not ideal that we lost but there are also some good learning curves from tonight that we can build on as a team.
“Maybe against the teams that sit in like that, it’s about being a bit more mentally switched-on.
“I felt like at times tonight we were a bit exposed with our press, a little bit stretched and not as compact as we usually are.
“But these are good things to look back on. We’re going to learn from it tonight. Now I’m speaking but inside I’m hurting.
“Between now and the next game, there is work to be done and I’m ready to go for the tournament. We all want to put things right.”
‘Hammer blow to England’s confidence levels’
Sky Sports News senior reporter Rob Dorsett at Wembley Stadium:
Image: Gareth Southgate alongside Kobbie Mainoo at Wembley
“That’s a hammer blow to England’s confidence levels, going in to the Euros. Beaten at home, in a fixture billed as the big Euros send-off, by a team ranked 72nd in the world.
“There is mitigation, which Southgate will no doubt point to – injuries [losing John Stones at half time], many players building up fitness levels after injury or a lack of recent training [Saka, Gordon, Foden, Trippier, Walker, Mainoo].
“But make no mistake, this was a wake-up call for England and their fans, who dared to believe the hype of England being favourites to win the trophy.
“The boos at full-time were deafening – even though many of the supporters had already left. Defeat in a friendly is hardly fatal. But the number of worrying issues for Southgate to address, before England begin their tournament in nine days’ time – that is a major concern .”
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Fans in the outfield turned their gaze toward left field as Oklahoma’s Kelly Maxwell jogged out of the bullpen. The Sooners were four outs away from a national championship, and Maxwell’s entrance was met with enthusiasm and a collective deep breath.
The Sooners already felt in control of their fate, but coach Patty Gasso was putting in her ace to close this championship series against No. 1 Texas. Maxwell, later named the Women’s College World Series most outstanding player, did just that, clinching the Sooners’ 8-4 win to sweep the championship series and make Oklahoma the first team to four-peat as national champions in college softball history.
Oklahoma is familiar with this stage, but the players and Gasso are sure to point to the challenges that come with reaching this level of success again, and again, and again. This season especially, the pressure mounted, senior outfielder Jayda Coleman said.
“As we went on, if we lost one game, two games, lost to Texas, everyone had an opinion about us,” Coleman said. “It was frustrating just to see everyone on Twitter, TikTok hoping anybody else but us.”
With eight national titles and 17 WCWS appearances since 2000, Oklahoma’s dynasty has been building for some time. In the past four national championship seasons, OU has compiled a record of 235-15.
Coach Patty Gasso and Kelly Maxwell led Oklahoma to a fourth straight national title. (USA Today)
As the wins stacked, skepticism followed. Oklahoma lost more games this season (seven) than it did since 2017. Texas dethroned the Sooners as the top seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years. Doubters pointed to these as signs of vulnerability, while comments about the home crowd advantage OU enjoys by playing the WCWS 20 miles up the road from campus stirred frustration and conversations about rotating the event.
“It’s probably the hardest coaching season that I’ve had in a while because of a lot of the naysayers,” Gasso said. “Heavy is a head that wears the crown is the one thing that really stuck out. I heard someone say that. That really has felt true. It’s been exhausting.”
But as the noise around the team increased, Oklahoma maintained its identity on the field.
“Love us or hate us, I feel like there has to be some level of respect there from what we’ve done for softball, for women’s sports,” senior pitcher Nicole May said. “It’s just crazy to see the growth of this sport, and I just hope to see it keep growing.”
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Texas coach Mike White pointed to Oklahoma’s ability to “reload and continue to get premier players into their program” as one of the factors that continuously puts the Sooners on top. Freshman outfielder Kayden Henry and sophomore infielder Viviana Martinez pointed to the Sooners’ veteran roster as the biggest difference: Oklahoma’s 10-player senior class has anchored each championship run.
In that class are Coleman, Tiare Jennings, Rylie Boone, Alyssa Brito and Kinzie Hansen, who all rank in the top 10 in program history in career batting average. The trio of Maxwell — who transferred to OU this season from rival Oklahoma State — May and Karlie Keeney anchor the pitching staff. Infielder Alynah Torres and utility player Riley Ludlam close out that dynastic senior class. The five who have been at OU since the start of their careers — Coleman, Jennings, Boone, Hansen and May — never went through a postseason without a national title.
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“They’ll go down in history — not just at OU — but I personally would say across the country as one of the best classes softball has ever seen. I’m proud of that,” Gasso said. “It would be easy to say we’ve had enough. This is hard and we’ve had enough. But they’re elite athletes. Whether they want to or not, they grind, they work hard.”
But what Gasso has built in Norman won’t end with their departure. That’s where the freshmen come in. Ella Parker and Kasidi Pickering were the two newbies who jumped into the starting lineup this season, and neither shied away from the postseason spotlight.
Parker went 3-for-4 in the Sooners’ elimination game against Florida — hitting the game-tying RBI that took the game to extra innings. She ended the season with a .415 batting average, best on the team. Pickering hit a home run in each championship series game. Both freshmen were named to the WCWS All-Tournament team.
“I give all the credit to the seniors,” Pickering said. “Every at-bat a senior came up and talked to me before and helped me with my mentality for these upcoming at bats so I give everything to them.”
When asked if she feels any pressure in taking over what the seniors leave behind, Pickering quickly answered no.
On the horizon for Oklahoma is a move to the SEC, which just sent all of its 13 teams that compete in softball to the NCAA Tournament. The realignment will introduce a new level of competition. The Sooners also welcome an eight-player class in the 2024 recruiting cycle that ranks first in the country per Extra Innings Softball. Of course, an unprecedented five-peat will be top of mind, too.
“We need (the freshmen). They’re doing some great, great things offensively,” Gasso said. “There’s a lot of pitchers that are young that are watching and learning and waiting for their number to be called. The future is going to continue to be bright even without these 10 seniors.”
Hansen, Keeney and Jennings will return as graduate assistants next year, Gasso said. But even as the players who formed the dynasty move on, the figure behind each championship run remains in Gasso.
“I’m ready to start coaching again because I don’t have to coach this,” Gasso said, gesturing to the of seniors beside her. “They know it. They’ve got it. They coach each other. I’m really excited about what’s coming.”
Oklahoma’s parade to the outfield Thursday night to celebrate with tearful eyes and championship trophies in hand felt equal parts familiar yet exhilarating. Like an ace entering a game at a pivotal moment, the last hurrah finally arrived. This chapter in OU history closed with a sense of accomplishment and relief for making history once again.
“This one, to me, I definitely felt a little bit more sentimental. We grew up together,” Hansen said. “It was never one hero at the plate or on the mound or anything like that. This was a team effort. We fought all season. Everybody had something to say about us all the time. People counted us out. It was just a grind. All in mentally, physically. We fought the whole year. It was all so worth it in this moment.”
(Top photo: Tyler Schank / NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
BOSTON — Twenty years after the Seven-Seconds-or-Less Phoenix Suns shook up the NBA with an offense the likes of which the league had never seen or tried to defend before, the Boston Celtics have taken things to the next level.
Behold the perfect modern NBA offense, matching 3-point volume and efficacy with ruthlessly efficient midrange shooting, with the occasional drives, dives and triples from the best forward tandem in the league in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown crushing opponents’ will.
The Celtics did the same thing to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday that they’ve done to opposing defenses all season. They stretched the Mavs to the breaking point, then broke them behind a barrage of first-half 3s and a sensational return to action from Kristaps Porziņģis. Even after Dallas cut a 29-point first-half deficit to 8 midway through the third quarter, Boston had plenty left in the tank to stretch its lead right back to 20 and put away Game 1, 107-89.
Like a great boxer, Boston just bludgeons you with punches from all angles and speeds. Thursday, it was Porziņģis — in his first action since straining his calf in Game 1 of the first round against the Miami Heat in April — who set the tone off the bench. Dallas threw everyone it could at the 7-foot-2 big man: Luka Dončić, Derrick Jones, Jaden Hardy, rookie Dereck Lively II. No one slowed him, much less stopped him; Porziņģis made 7 of 9 shots and scored 18 of his 20 points in the first half, raining jumpers from the elbows and nail. The Cs made 16 of 42 from deep, including three quick ones to end the third quarter and put the Mavericks right back in their place after getting within 72-64.
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At the same time, Brown was turning the game back in Boston’s favor as well by drawing Lively’s fourth and fifth personal fouls within a minute, forcing Dallas to bench its big man, who defends best in space.
“When a team goes on a run, you got to manage it, you got to stay composed, and you got to keep playing basketball,” Brown said of that end-of-quarter stretch. “It’s almost like you just have short-term memory a little bit, like the team’s not even on a run. You got to play smart basketball and make great plays to get us on a (run), get our flow back, and I think in that third quarter, I got to the free-throw line. I think that helped us get going. Then we made some kick-outs to the corner. Al (Horford) got a 3. We was able to get some good offense going.”
Brown finished with 22 points and six rebounds. Tatum was just 6 of 16 from the floor but had 11 rebounds and five assists and made his bones against Dallas as a playmaker, piling up hockey assists all night. Jrue Holiday was a plus-20 in nearly 35 minutes on the floor. The Celtics’ relentless pressure on defenses over 48 minutes this season is why they’re now three games away from the franchise’s 18th NBA title. Pick your poison? It’s all poison when Boston is rolling. And it gets in opponents’ heads.
“We let the crowd get to us, we let the refs get to us, we let them making shots get to us,” Dallas forward P.J. Washington said.
This series isn’t over. Dallas almost always does its best work after a bad Game 1 in a seven-game series. But the Mavericks’ dilemma, again, is that what they’ve become great at defensively this season is what Boston is not dependent upon: scoring in the paint.
Dallas has been an outstanding defense since acquiring Daniel Gafford from the Washington Wizards and Washington from the Charlotte Hornets. Gafford and Lively shut down the lane. The Celtics were good this season at scoring in the paint, finishing tied for eighth in the league with the Milwaukee Bucks in paint points per game (43.7). But that’s not what Boston counts on to take out teams.
Boston has turbocharged what Phoenix did to the league 20 years ago, when the Suns found success playing small ball. The 2003-04 Suns had a brilliant point guard in two-time league MVP Steve Nash, who pushed the pace at every opportunity, never gave up his dribble and sliced up defenses all season. They had wings in Shawn Marion, Quentin Richardson and Joe Johnson, who could all shoot and finish downhill. And the Suns had a sledgehammer of a young power forward in Amare Stoudemire, who dove to the rim for lobs and pocket passes from Nash.
The Suns led the NBA in 2003-04 in 3-point attempts and makes, with 2,026 3-point attempts and 796 makes. This season, Boston also led the NBA in 3-point attempts and makes, after finishing second in each category last season.
The Celtics had 3,482 3-point attempts this season and 1,351 makes. Boston finished just 12 3s short of the single-season team record set last season by the Warriors. And the Celtics are not doing it by playing small; they have massive size up front with Tatum, Brown, Horford and Porziņģis.
“I think we do our best to find what works and then keep doing it,” Holiday said. “I think that’s something that we kind of lock into. And then, at the same time, in NBA games, 20-point (leads) can mean nothing. I just think staying poised and being able to keep our heads helps us with that. I think being consistent and doing things that we feel work worked out tonight.”
The addition of Porziņģis from Washington last summer only adds to the Celtics’ offensive riches.
He gives Boston a dimension it didn’t have in previous years: a big man who can get his shot off, any time, against just about everyone. His development as a scorer at the elbows and nail makes it extremely difficult even if defenses sell out completely on closing out on Boston’s 3-point shooters. Now it doesn’t matter if Tatum or Brown has an off-night shooting. Boston just runs Porziņģis off a pick-and-roll with Derrick White or Holiday, and he squares up (always smaller) defenders and lets it fly.
That takes some pressure off Tatum. But make no mistake: Tatum remains the catalyst for everything that’s happened here over the past several seasons. Even on off-nights shooting like Thursday, his presence tilts the floor.
“For us, it starts with JT, and then it’s kind of a trickle-down effect,” Horford said. “And we’ve all kind of fallen in line because of it. And he is, I feel, a big part of why everybody else gets all these things. He opens up a lot of things for us. And this, tonight, was just another night of us being consistent in that regard.”
The Mavericks spoke afterward about how they have to defend the 3 better and how they’ll do better in Game 2. And they might. Kyrie Irving had an off-night; if he had made two or three wide-open shots, Dallas might have been able to withstand the Celtics’ offensive onslaught into the fourth quarter, when Dallas can close out tight games behind its two premier offensive talents.
But we’re into June now. No one has been able to stop Boston’s offense all season. It’s starting to feel like no one can and might not be able to for quite a while.
(Photo of Kristaps Porziņģis: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
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The record books will say future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw one pass in his first season with the New York Jets. One pass. While reasonable minds could debate whether Rodgers — one of the best QBs to ever play the sport — would have finished as a QB1 in his age-39 season, we will never know. Rodgers tore his left Achilles tendon on the fourth play of his 19th NFL season, scoring nary a fantasy point, just like you and me. Hopefully, you stayed healthy.
Of course, now Rodgers is 40, though presumably ready to bounce back to some level of NFL prominence — and there is a whole lot of prominence, including recently. In the 2022 season, his final campaign with the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers finished outside the top 10 quarterbacks in fantasy scoring, but not by much. He wasn’t bad. He just wasn’t the typical Aaron Rodgers, the one who was a top-five fantasy quarterback in 2020, 2021 (NFL MVP both years!) and seven other times in a legendary career that isn’t over yet.
Injury often gets in the way of a positive, noteworthy story, and Rodgers typified this theme more than anyone in 2023, his season ending mere minutes into his Jets debut. As we highlight NFL players aiming to bounce back from a disappointing 2023 season — whether due to injury or simply poor performance — to prior statistical glory or expectations thereof, all eyes will be on Rodgers. As we pondered one calendar year ago at this time, his performance should be interesting and fantasy-relevant.
After all, Rodgers threw for 3,695 passing yards and 26 touchdowns in his final Packers season, despite an alarming lack of awesome playmakers to target once Davante Adams left town. Jets WR Garrett Wilson is an exciting playmaker, one who surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first two NFL seasons, despite shoddy (to say the least) quarterback play. The Jets coveted Rodgers, hoping the four-time league MVP would deliver a Super Bowl run. Perhaps that can still happen. He and Wilson may become one of the top QB/WR tandems in the league.
Rodgers was not an early pick in most fantasy drafts because, well, investors wisely focus on running backs and wide receivers early on. They should. Quarterback is a deep fantasy position in standard formats. Still, there was no shortage of running backs and wide receivers that statistically underachieved during the 2023 season, as well as QBs not named Rodgers and tight ends.
Here is a list of bounce-back candidates heading into the 2024 season. Expectations were high a year ago, and they are likely lowered today, fairly or not. Let’s go position by position.
Quarterback
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals: Burrow threw for more than 9,000 passing yards and 69 touchdowns over his second and third NFL seasons, rising into the positional top five for fantasy purposes. A strained right calf thwarted Burrow early last season, and soon after the big numbers finally arrived a month later, Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury in Week 11. He may not come at a discount in drafts, but he should be worth it.
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers: Herbert played through a fractured middle finger on his left (non-throwing) hand early in the season and delivered solid numbers for three months, but he could not overcome a fractured right index finger in Week 14. Reliable quarterbacks succumbing to injury was an unfortunate theme in 2023. Unlike Burrow, Herbert finds many new faces on his offense, with Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Austin Ekeler no longer in L.A., and has a new head coach in Jim Harbaugh.
Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons: Cousins got off to a fantastic start last season, pacing toward career bests in passing yards and touchdown passes before tearing his right Achilles tendon in Week 8. Now a Falcon after six seasons with the Vikings, Cousins will have ample playmakers surrounding him. But unlike Burrow and Herbert, he must overcome a debilitating lower leg injury, one suffered months after Rodgers was carted away. Betting against Cousins in the past hasn’t worked out, though, so expect him to overachieve again. If he doesn’t, top-10 pick Michael Penix Jr. is there for a reason.
Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts: Richardson, the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL draft, started in Week 1 and looked like a fantasy star when we saw him. He rushed for four touchdowns over his first three games, but he missed Week 2 with a concussion. His season ended with a serious shoulder injury in Week 5, leading fantasy managers to wonder about his ability to stay healthy and on the field. Richardson has an elite size/speed combination for a quarterback, but there are doubts about his passing accuracy and, now, his durability.
Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns: Watson made this list last season after struggling in his much-awaited Browns debut, which came in Week 11 after a long suspension. Much was expected from Watson in his first full season in Cleveland, but it didn’t come to fruition. Watson again played in only six games, this time due to a season-ending shoulder injury that may hamper him in the future, with moribund statistics looking nothing like his Houston Texans days. Fantasy managers may not be quick to invest after three lost seasons.
Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers: Wilson’s two-year run as a Bronco went quite poorly, but the Steelers were eager to add him to their team. As with Watson, Wilson has looked nothing like a QB1 option over the past three seasons, including his final run with the Seattle Seahawks, and it remains to be seen how much Steelers coach Mike Tomlin wants to throw the football. Oh, and the Steelers acquired former Bears first-rounder Justin Fields just to make things more interesting.
Daniel Jones, New York Giants: Jones was a top-10 fantasy quarterback during the 2022 season (no, really, it is actually true!), thanks mostly to rushing for 707 yards and seven touchdowns. Last season was a nightmare. Jones played poorly in September, dealt with a neck injury and then suffered a right ACL tear in Week 9. Jones figures to start when healthy, thanks to his exorbitant contract, but fantasy managers should be wary.
Running back
Nick Chubb, Browns: Chubb finished among the top 10 in rushing yards for five consecutive seasons, but he suffered injuries to his left ACL, MCL and meniscus in Week 2, prematurely ending his season and placing doubt whether he will be ready for the start of this one. Many will question if Chubb ever returns to prior levels.
Austin Ekeler, Washington Commanders: Ekeler was the league’s preeminent fantasy running back during the 2021 and 2022 seasons for the Chargers, as he scored a silly 38 touchdowns. His 2023 campaign was silly for other reasons. Ekeler injured an ankle in Week 1 (while scoring 26.4 fantasy points), missed three games and scored double-digit fantasy points only seven times after that. The Commanders will likely have him focus on catching the football.
Josh Jacobs, Packers: The league’s leading rusher in 2022 with 1,653 yards, Jacobs rushed for less than half that total in his follow-up for the Raiders, albeit over only 13 games. Jacobs enjoyed massive volume in 2022, and it predictably decreased last season. The Packers may be inclined to return Jacobs to extensive volume, though the drafting of MarShawn Lloyd could make things interesting.
Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings: The former Packers star left for Green Bay’s NFC North rivals after suffering through an injury-plagued season that saw him average only 12.3 fantasy points per game, far below his massive 2022 season. Jones is older than Jacobs and unlikely to see the same volume, but fantasy managers fondly recall his consistency and ability to find the end zone.
Jonathan Taylor, Colts: Taylor rushed for 1,811 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2021. Since then, he has rushed for 1,602 yards and 11 touchdowns over 21 games, been frustrated by repeated ankle injuries, as well as a thumb injury and requested a trade in July 2023. Taylor enters his fifth NFL season presumably healthy and motivated to return to statistical greatness.
Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots: A strong RB2 option during the 2022 season when he totaled more than 1,400 yards from scrimmage and caught 69 passes, Stevenson struggled last season, as many Patriots did. He didn’t hit the 100-yard rushing mark in any games and then missed the final five contests with an ankle injury. He remains atop the team’s depth chart.
Wide receiver
Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams: Much like the Colts’ Taylor, Kupp was one of the top fantasy picks entering 2022, and things haven’t been the same since. Kupp registered 1,947 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns in 2021. He has 1,549 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns since then. Unlike Taylor, Kupp no longer leads his team’s depth chart, as surprising Puka Nacua has become a star.
Tee Higgins, Bengals: Higgins eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards during the 2021 and 2022 seasons and fantasy managers enjoyed high-WR2 production, but things went differently last season. It started with a contract dispute, then came multiple injuries and general inefficiency during a frustrating season. Higgins caught only 42 passes in 12 games, and the drafting of Jermaine Burton may complicate things.
Mike Williams, Jets: A longtime Charger who had his best season in 2021, Williams tore the ACL in his left knee in Week 3 last season. Now he is a Jet, in a prime position to succeed with Aaron Rodgers and Garrett Wilson, but we must remember his history of inconsistent performance and staying healthy.
Marquise Brown, Kansas City Chiefs: Only one of Brown’s first five NFL seasons resulted in WR2 production, but things are looking up now that he joins Patrick Mahomes and the back-to-back Super Bowl champions. Lower-leg injuries cost Brown eight games over his two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. If healthy, the 2024 season could be his best yet.
Christian Kirk, Jacksonville Jaguars: The underrated Kirk was a solid WR2 performer in 2022, eclipsing 1,000 receiving yards for the first time and scoring eight touchdowns, and he was pacing well last season before a groin injury in Week 13 ended things. With Calvin Ridley leaving town, Kirk again leads the depth chart. The Jaguars spent a first-round pick on LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr., though he and Kirk should work well together.
Tight end
Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens: Andrews was pacing below his extraordinary 2021 numbers when his regular season ended with a Week 11 ankle injury. He was physically compromised when he returned for the team’s playoff game. Andrews averaged 13.5 fantasy points per game, a mark eclipsed by only three tight ends. Expectations remain high this season.
Romelu Lukaku has said that he is open to playing in Saudi Arabia — a year after he turned down a move to Al Hilal.
The 31-year-old’s future is uncertain once again as sources have told ESPN that Chelsea are keen to secure a permanent move for Lukaku after agreeing to loan the striker to Inter Milan and then Roma in the past two seasons.
Lukaku earns around £325,000-a-week ($415,419) at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea are keen to remove that cost from their wage bill while raising funds for new signings.
The Belgium international has two years remaining on his Chelsea deal and the club are therefore reluctant to sanction a third loan move as they seek to recoup some of the £97.5m they paid Inter Milan in 2021.
Sources have told ESPN that Chelsea tried to agree a deal for Lukaku to join Al Hilal last summer, accepting an offer only for Lukaku to then reject the proposal.
Asked why he hesitated last summer, Lukaku told HLN: “Because everyone only went to Saudi Arabia after I could sign there, I was scared for a while.
“[Now] Saudi Arabia would not stop me. The level there will only rise, to a much higher level than many people think. More and more footballers will tend to play there.
“Also because of how the fans there experience football. The infrastructure still needs to improve, but all the big top European clubs know: ‘Saudi Arabia is coming.’ You already see that in boxing, golf, Formula 1.”
Speaking about the possibility of a move this summer, Lukaku continued: “A lot of people like to talk, maybe because I don’t have an agent. But I’m going to decide. I control my situation myself.
“I am going to make a choice and once I will explain it, everyone is going to agree with me. Look, every time I decided to stay or leave somewhere, it turned out to be the right choice because of certain factors — for example my rapport with the coach”, Lukaku said. “It’s like a relationship with a woman. If it doesn’t click anymore, why stay together?”
Lukaku also reiterated he would like to end his career back in Belgium with Anderlecht, the club where he turned professional in 2006.
“It will happen,” he said. “And much earlier than many people think. I left Belgium when I was 18.”
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers’ coaching search has been very public, seemingly chaotic and dominated by famous names.
Totally Hollywood, in other words.
The Lakers’ reported plan to offer a massive contract to UConn coach Dan Hurley is the latest twist in the monthlong race to replace Darvin Ham, who was fired May 3 after two seasons.
The Lakers were knocked out of the first round of the current playoffs, but the 17-time NBA champion franchise has nicely filled the void of hoops drama during the week before the NBA Finals with steady leaks about the progress of their quest for a coach who can win a title — and almost as vitally, a coach who can entice LeBron James to finish his career in purple and gold.
According to a person with knowledge of the lengthy search, the Lakers have strongly considered J.J. Redick, the former player and current ESPN analyst who does a podcast with James; Hurley, the back-to-back national championship-winning coach of the Huskies; and James Borrego, the respected former Charlotte Hornets coach and ex-Gregg Popovich assistant who spent last season on New Orleans’ staff.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Lakers aren’t commenting publicly on the search to replace Ham.
But they sure are commenting privately.
On Wednesday, the Athletic reported that Redick shockingly was the frontrunner despite his total lack of coaching experience. On Thursday, the search took another wild turn when ESPN reported the Lakers were instead targeting Hurley, whose candidacy hadn’t even been mentioned in many discussions of the job.
The crazy twists are representative of the various factions within the Lakers’ brain trust of owner Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka dispensing narratives to their favored media outlets. The Lakers previously seemed unlikely to make an official hire before the end of the NBA Finals, but the person who spoke to the AP said even that could change, depending on their progress.
While the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics waited a week to begin the NBA Finals, the Lakers have dominated talk radio, television and message boards with speculation on the best choice to lead James and the Lakers back to contention for a second title together.
The Lakers are making their coaching change at a critical juncture for the franchise’s partnership with the NBA’s career scoring leader.
The 39-year-old James just completed his 21st season while playing at a higher level than anyone with that much experience in basketball history, but he has until June 29 to decide whether to exercise his $51.4 million player option for the 2024-25 season.
James could take the deal, or he could sign an even bigger new contract for more years — or he could become a free agent for the first time in six years.
While 31-year-old Anthony Davis is the Lakers’ foundation with a long-term contract in Los Angeles, Buss and Pelinka are clearly determined to keep James alongside him for as long as possible — even publicly floating their willingness to draft his son, Bronny, who just completed one brief collegiate season at USC.
While agent Rich Paul has said James is not involved in the coaching search as he prepares to play for the U.S. at the Paris Olympics, the Lakers’ candidates seem designed to appeal to him.
James’ connection with Redick is well-known. James also recently praised Hurley on social media following a podcast interview between Redick and Hurley, with the 20-time All-Star writing that Hurley is “so DAMN GOOD!!! Along with his staff. Super creative with their (offense). Love it.”
Hurley has won 141 games in six seasons at UConn, rolling to the past two national titles in impressive fashion. The addition of the nation’s top collegiate coach to the Lakers could be enticing to James and his son, who likely still needs extensive development to be a serviceable NBA player.
The Lakers’ relative underachievement this season despite a healthy James and Davis was primarily blamed on Ham, the first-time head coach who dismayed many fans and observers with his rotations, preparation and strategic acumen. The Lakers have chased savvy basketball minds in their latest search, no matter their pedigree: Redick’s encyclopedic understanding of the game has been on display in his podcast with James, while Hurley favors an NBA-friendly style of play that should translate well to the biggest basketball stage.
Whoever they choose, the Lakers will be adding yet another head coach at a pace typically reserved for underachieving European soccer teams, not powerhouse NBA franchises.
The new hire will be the Lakers’ eighth coach since Phil Jackson’s departure in 2011 and their fourth coach since James arrived as a free agent in 2018. Frank Vogel led Los Angeles to the 2020 championship, but kept the job for only 225 games over three seasons before being fired exactly 18 months after raising the trophy in the Florida bubble.
Ham was the fourth coach fired by James’ teams in the past eight years, joining Cleveland’s David Blatt and the Lakers’ Luke Walton and Vogel.
Iga Swiatek will face Jasmine Paolini in the French Open final after a teary Coco Gauff and teenager Mirra Andreeva were swept aside in the semi-finals.
Gauff wiped away tears early in the second set of her 6-2 6-4 defeat to Swiatek after an argument with umpire Aurelie Tourte over a contentious line call decision.
With her straight-sets victory, Swiatek extends her stunning career record against Gauff to 11 wins in 12 contests – the only defeat coming at the Cincinnati Masters last year. The world No 1 has now ended the American’s run in Paris for three years running, including in the 2022 final and last year’s quarters.
Image: An emotional Coco Gauff was defeated in straight sets by Iga Swiatek in their French Open semi-final
Gauff made 39 unforced errors in the match, which proved decisive, as the 20-year-old dropped the first set 6-2 before briefly rallying in the second.
In the fourth game of the second set, Gauff returned a serve long just as it was called out, but Tourte overruled the decision and awarded the point to Swiatek.
An emotional Gauff was heard on court telling the umpire: “You’re wrong… you should be ashamed. It’s a Grand Slam semi-final, know the rules of the game.”
Despite recovering to earn a first break of serve, Gauff then lost the next four games in a row.
The US Open champion staved off two match points as she stopped the rot to hold serve, forcing Swiatek to serve it out, but the two-time defending champion would do exactly that, clinching victory on her fourth match point to book her place in a third-straight French Open final.
The 23-year-old Pole is eyeing a fifth Grand Slam title, a fourth win in five years in Paris and is hoping to become the first woman to triumph three times in a row at Roland Garros since Justine Henin from 2007-09.
Seventeen-year-old Andreeva swept aside by Paolini
Image: Mirra Andreeva won only four games as the 17-year-old was swept aside in her semi-final
In the second semi-final, 17-year-old rising star Andreeva suffered a crushing 6-3 6-1 defeat to 12th seed Jasmine Paolini, who is through to a first Grand Slam final.
Andreeva, the youngest slam semi-finalist since Martina Hingis at the US Open in 1997, failed to make the most of the few opportunities she had in the match, racking up too many unforced errors.
She had won her previous match against Paolini in Madrid in April, but the Italian used her booming forehand to devastating effect to wrap up a convincing victory on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The 28-year-old is the first Italian player to reach the final on the Paris clay since doubles partner Sara Errani in 2012, and her resounding victory came two days after compatriot Jannik Sinner made it to the last four in the men’s draw, guaranteeing he would be world No 1 next week.
Image: Italy’s Jasmine Paolini is through to a first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros
“It was a tough match,” Paolini said afterwards. “She’s playing unbelievable – just 17 and so complete, so I was a little bit nervous before the match.
“I lost to her one month ago so I was like ‘come on, you have to do better’. I was nervous in the first set but ball after ball I was getting relaxed.
“To dream is the most important thing in sport and in life, so I’m happy I could dream in this moment.”
Paolini is the complete package on the clay-court
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Three-time French Open champion Mats Wilander on Eurosport
“Paolini’s forehand is absolutely brilliant and she takes the backhand early, hits it flat, so there are two different shots coming from her racket. Heavy top-spin forehand and flat backhand – very difficult to play against.
“There is such a big difference here to playing any ground in the tournament in Madrid or in Rome.
“She’s a complete package on the clay-court, but the only thing she doesn’t have is the free serve. But nor does Iga Swiatek so it’s an interesting match-up we have in front of us.”
‘Andreeva is going to be a top player’
“Tough one for her,” said Wilander. “When you’re that young at 17 you’re hoping for so much but you haven’t been there yet so you don’t know what the experience is going to be like and you don’t know what the consequences are going to be like.
“I think a few tears is a good thing. It just means she cares and I am convinced with the help of Conchita Martinez that Andreeva is going to be a top player in the next three, four, five years.”
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Stuttgart Open (ATP 250 with Andy Murray in action) – June 10-16
Jenna Laine covers the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for ESPN. She started covering the Bucs for ESPN in 2016, but she has covered the team since 2009. Follow Jenna on Twitter: @JennaLaineESPN.
TAMPA, Fla. — Entering his second season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, quarterback Baker Mayfield said that he’s looking to be “more in command” and “be himself even more.”
“Obviously last year was a lot of trying to learn the system on the fly, get to know teammates as well, balancing that performance versus getting to know everybody and trying to be a leader,” Mayfield said after Tuesday’s OTA practice.
“But now, going through it — obviously you have some new faces here — but going through a year with these guys, trying to be more in command. I am vocal, but most of the time I’m only vocal when I need to be. I’m kind of a ‘lead by example’ type guy. So really now it’s taking the next step in the vocal aspect — getting everybody on the same page.”
The Bucs signed Mayfield to a one-year deal in March 2023 to prove himself last offseason with a $4 million base salary. Following a season that saw Tampa Bay win the NFC South and reach the playoffs’ divisional round, Mayfield was given a three-year, $100 million contract with $50 million guaranteed in March.
Now, it’s unquestionably his team — although he’s no stranger to the volatility of the NFL.
“You never want to feel comfortable,” Mayfield said. “Yeah, is it great that I know I’m going to be here for the next couple of years? Of course. It means I get to settle in here, be myself even more so and push these guys to the next level. It’s a good feeling.”
The Bucs were Mayfield’s fourth team in less than one calendar year, as the Cleveland Browns traded him away in July 6, 2022 to the Carolina Panthers, who then waived him in December 2022. He was then picked up by the Los Angeles Rams, where he led a 17-16 come-from-behind victory over the Las Vegas Raiders a mere 48 hours after signing.
That time in Los Angeles was enough to have at least one team convinced he could start and win in this league: The Buccaneers, who had a sudden vacancy at the quarterback position following Tom Brady’s retirement.
Mayfield not only led them to a 9-8 regular season record, but to a 32-9 wild-card victory over the Philadelphia Eagles and before falling to the Detroit Lions in the divisional round in a 31-23 loss. Mayfield produced two of the four highest passing yardage totals in Bucs’ postseason history in those games, with 349 and 337 yards, respectively.
“I mean, I think we proved to ourselves last year what we really believed in, what we knew we were capable of,” Mayfield said of last year. “Obviously we fell short of the ultimate goal — only one team gets to have that. But when you get that close, it almost makes you more hungry, when you’re just a few plays away, on the road, in a tough environment, knowing that it came down to a two-minute drive.
“I mean the guys are putting in the work now to be on the same page, and to hit the ground in August, late July, we’re ready to go.”
Mayfield’s five-game Rams stint would prove invaluable, as he was introduced to Liam Coen, then the Rams’ offensive coordinator and whom the Bucs hired on Feb. 3 to lead their offense. The Bucs ran a similar system last year under now-Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales. But, there are differences in that there’s more on the quarterback’s shoulders, which Mayfield called “mentally taxing.”
“There’s a lot more responsibility — line of scrimmage, a lot more double play calls where you’re having to get the guys in the right positions,” Mayfield said. “But as a quarterback, you want to have that responsibility and accountability. You always want to put your guys in the best position to have success, so now Liam’s giving us the opportunity with a couple play calls to be able to do that.
“Like I said, it’s more mentally taxing, but [I’m] just relearning the system and not taking it with the mindset that I’ve been here before but really starting from square one.”
From an individual performance standpoint, Mayfield’s focused on slowing his feet down and not passing up his progressions in favor of using his legs. To help him feel more stable in the pocket, the Bucs invested a first-round draft pick in center Graham Barton, who is already rotating in with the first-team offense.
They also used a sixth round pick on guard Elijah Klein, and signed veteran interior offensive linemen Sua Opeta and Ben Bredeson in free agency. The interior enforcements will not only help protect Mayfield’s body but also his line of sight as a shorter quarterback at 6-foot-1.
Coach Todd Bowles said he hasn’t seen a difference in Mayfield’s approach despite the new system and his status as the franchise’s leader for the next three years.
“It’s the same Baker,” Bowles said. “… The drive and the vigor is always there, but the maturity of how he’s handling the situation right now — learning a new offense — has been great.”
Julien Laurens, CorrespondentJun 5, 2024, 12:09 PM ET
Paris Saint-Germain have yet to pay Kylian Mbappé his bonus plus two months in 2024 wages, sources told ESPN, a factor that contributed to his comments Tuesday about being unhappy with the club.
Tuesday, Mbappé said certain people at PSG made him “unhappy” in his first news conference since completing his move on a free transfer to Real Madrid.
Wednesday, sources told ESPN that PSG felt he was being “ungrateful” in his comments and added that PSG won’t pay the back pay of €80 million ($86m) in wages and bonus in an effort to recoup the money for his departure, which the sources said Mbappé agreed to with PSG back in August.
Sources said Mbappé is seeking the back pay because PSG sidelined him for the end of the season once he told them he was leaving the club.
He is owed his February bonus plus April and May wages, and it is yet to be seen whether the club will pay him his June wages, sources said.
Sources denied that anyone within the club told Mbappé he would never play again during the season and added that the club had tried to do everything possible to make him and keep him happy for the past seven years.
Speaking at a news conference with the France national team Tuesday, Mbappé said the Parisian club told him that he wouldn’t play at all in the 2023-24 season.
Mbappé had been involved in a row last summer with PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi over whether he would extend his contract beyond the end of the season. He credited the club’s manager Luis Enrique and sporting director Luis Campos with “saving” him.
“[The club] made me understand that I wouldn’t play, they told me to my face, they told me violently,” Mbappé said. “Luis Enrique and Luis Campos saved me. I wouldn’t have set foot on the pitch again without them. Just the fact I was playing was a great source of pride, but it’s certain that next year I won’t be satisfied with a year like that.”
PSG plan to move on with a new project based more on collective strength, sources told ESPN.
Mbappé previously came close to joining Real Madrid in summer 2022 before eventually opting to sign a new deal at the Parc des Princes.
Speaking Tuesday on “ESPN FC Daily,” former Real Madrid midfielder Steve McManaman said he believes history could complicate his start at the Bernabeu.
“I think he has to win over a lot of the fans,” McManaman said. “I think it’s apt he’s joined now when they’ve won their 15th Champions League and sitting at the top of the tree. But yes, the fact that he agreed to join them two years ago then he reneged at the very last minute. He’s joining the team at a really exciting and important moment for the future and for himself.”
He added: “If he wants to be the world superstar renowned as the very best, he’s going to have to go in and be better than Vinícius Júnior, who is going to be Ballon d’Or winner this year. He’s going to have to be better than Jude Bellingham, he’s going to have to score more goals, because Jude you would expect will have to move back into midfield.”
NEW YORK — Aaron Judge drove in five runs, Carlos Rodón retired his first 16 batters and the New York Yankees matched their longest winning streak of the season at seven by beating the Minnesota Twins 9-5 Wednesday night.
New York has won 18 of 22 games and is tied with Philadelphia for the best record in the major leagues at 44-19.
Backed by a four-run first inning, Rodón (8-2) won his career-best sixth straight start. He didn’t allow a hit until Carlos Santana drove a fastball into the right-field seats in the sixth.
Judge put the Yankees ahead with an RBI groundout against Chris Paddack (4-3), hit a three-run triple off Diego Castillo in a four-run fifth as New York opened an 8-0 lead and had a bases loaded walk against Josh Staumont in the sixth. Judge has 54 RBIs and moved one ahead of Juan Soto for the team lead. Only Cleveland’s José Ramírez (58) has more.
“The boys scoring runs like that makes it a lot easier to go out there and fill the zone and try to get outs,” Rodón said.
Judge slid home on Alex Verdugo’s sacrifice fly, a knee knocking catcher Ryan Jeffers’ glove all the way to the Yankees dugout.
New York has won six straight against the Twins dating to last season and is 106-42 against Minnesota since 2002. The Yankees are 5-0 against the Twins this year, outscoring them 28-7 (19-2).
“We weren’t really close to where we needed to be today,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “We need to do a lot better. So that’s not just one sector of our team, that’s our whole team.”
Minnesota’s Royce Lewis homered in the seventh off Dennis Santana on his 25th birthday, a day after Lewis went deep in his return from a strained right quadriceps that sidelined him for 58 games. Lewis became the first player in franchise history to homer in his first three games of a season.
Rodón allowed two runs and three hits in six innings, striking out nine and walking none. Opponents have a .197 batting average in his last six starts.
He benefited from three excellent defensive plays.
Verdugo made a sprinting, backhand catch while running face first into the left-center field wall on Byron Buxton’s drive for the final out of the second. Shortstop Anthony Volpe sprawled on the outfield grass for a backhand stop on Carlos Santana’s grounder in the third, then popped up and made a one-hop throw to first. Soto made a jumping catch to pull Manuel Margot’s foul out of the right-field stands in the fourth while competing with a fan for the fly.
Santana homered on Rodón’s 73rd pitch.
Paddack, wearing matching red on his long undershirt sleeves, cleats and glove, allowed seven runs and six hits in four-plus innings. He has given up 12 runs and 18 hits in nine innings against the Yankees this season.
“Not the outing that I wanted, especially at Yankee Stadium.” Paddack said. “These are big moments you dream about as a kid. I’ve come here twice now, and it hasn’t been great.”
Paddack averaged 95 mph with his fastball, up 1.8 mph over his season average. His ERA rose to 5.26.
“I’m challenging myself probably this whole month just not to look up there and see a 5.00 ERA,” Paddack said. “I’m a better pitcher than that. I know that. My teammates know that.”
After Judge put the Yankees ahead, Giancarlo Stanton had an RBI single and Gleyber Torres a two-run double on a fly down the right-field line that nicked off the glove of a diving Margot. New York has 47 runs in the first inning, one behind Philadelphia’s MLB-leading total.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: RHP Gerrit Cole (right elbow nerve inflammation and edema) is likely to make at least two more minor league rehabilitation starts, putting the AL Cy Young Award winner on track for a possible return to New York’s rotation in mid-to-late June.
UP NEXT
RHP Marcus Stroman (5-2, 2.73) is 3-0 in his last four starts going into Thursday night’s series finale against Minnesota and RHP Pablo López (5-5, 4.84).
The No. 1 prospect in the 2026 class, Jahkeem Stewart, will be at Ohio State this week, for an unofficial visit and workout, Rivals has confirmed. The visit to see the Buckeyes will be his second t…
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Seam bowler Brad Wheal says going to toe to toe with reigning champions England has strengthened Scotland’s belief that they can cause a stir at the T20 World Cup.
Openers Michael Jones and George Munsey laid down a marker by sharing an unbeaten stand of 90 in 10 overs against a high-quality English attack on Tuesday, with rain delays raising the target to a formidable 109 on DLS.
Scotland’s chances of bowling their way to a famous win never got off the ground as the heavens opened and left the sides with a point each but, as a statement of intent, it was mission accomplished for the associate nation.
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Munsey hit a superb reverse-swept six off Adil Rashid at Kensington Oval on Tuesday
“Munns and Jonesy going out there and putting the right foot forward has given the rest of the squad some good confidence to go on through the rest of this tournament and believe we’re good enough to be here,” said Wheal.
“We believe we’re good enough to compete and beat the best teams in the world. We feel like we’re in a good position to win some games. We showed a small glimpse of what we could have done against the current world champions.
“It was definitely a defendable target, I mean they would have been chasing 11 an over. That’s definitely something that our bowling line-up could have defended.”
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Jones’ six off Chris Jordan in Scotland’s game against England smashed a solar panel
Scotland class themselves as favourites against Namibia
Scotland do not have long to wait to work their frustrations out, with Namibia next up at the Kensington Oval on Thursday (8pm first ball, live on Sky Sports Cricket).
Namibia won their opening game against Oman after a Super Over and have a 3-0 record against the Scots in the 20-over format over the last five years.
But Wheal insists his side are in no mood to play second fiddle as they look to qualify from Group B as one of the top two teams.
He added: “Realistically our best chance of getting into the Super 8 stage, competing and turning some big teams over is looking at the next game and then the Oman game after that.
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David Wiese stared as Namibia beat Oman in a dramatic Super Over in the T20 World Cup earlier this week
“One game at a time, but we’ll take the belief in what we’ve done against England.
“I think in our eyes, we definitely see ourselves as favourites because we know that these are games we can and we should win. We’re going into the game with the belief that we’re going to win.
Wheal forceful with Hampshire about World Cup involvement
Scotland’s attack is missing the experienced Josh Davey after he was not released for duty by Somerset, but Wheal had no such issues after a frank discussion with Hampshire over his availability.
“It’s a bit of a tricky one…but I was pretty open and honest with Hampshire. I said, ‘listen, I want to go to the World Cup’,” he explained.
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Eoin Morgan, Nasser Hussain and Urooj Mumtaz join Ian Ward to discuss their dream T20 World Cup XI
“I wanted to be available for selection and they were pretty happy with that. They understand that it’s an opportunity to go out there and play against the best of the best. It’s a learning experience.
“Every opportunity to put the Scotland shirt on is an incredible one and one that I’ll cherish forever.
Watch Scotland’s T20 World Cup clash with Namibia live on Sky Sports Cricket from 7.30pm on Thursday (8pm first ball). Every match from the tournament is live on Sky Sports.
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Kevin Seifert is a staff writer who covers the Minnesota Vikings and the NFL at ESPN. Kevin has covered the NFL for over 20 years, joining ESPN in 2008. He was previously a beat reporter for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Washington Times. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia. You can follow him via Twitter @SeifertESPN.
EAGAN, Minn. — Tuesday was a day for celebration at the Minnesota Vikings‘ practice facility. With the ink still fresh on Justin Jefferson‘s new four-year, $140 million contract extension, the Vikings paraded Jefferson throughout the building.
Players erupted when he walked into the locker room. A news conference took place in the team’s indoor media facility, an area where they typically introduce draft picks — an exercise Jefferson missed out on during the 2020 pandemic offseason.
“This was a really cool day to be a part of,” coach Kevin O’Connell said, “and one that we’ve been looking forward to for a very long time.”
There was one final bit of business to attend to, however. Speaking after Jefferson’s return to the practice field on the Vikings’ first day of mandatory minicamp, O’Connell said he wanted to “unequivocally” tamp down any and all rumors that the team considered trading Jefferson during the 18-month negotiation process.
“There’s a certain way that we kind of do business,” O’Connell said. “When you hear certain things — a lot of things come and go — and you kind of chalk it up to what they are. But when there’s things that are so far outside the realm of what’s actually happening and taking place, you find yourself wanting to come out and say, which I will unequivocally: We never, ever, one time, discussed it internally among the leadership.
“Some people have sources far and wide, but among the leadership, among the decision-makers, the people that are directly involved in the situation, there really was not one time that was ever discussed, game-planned [or] contingency planned. And I think that’s really important, because it’s not just about the result today, it’s about the process of which we’re pretty proud of.”
The Vikings made Jefferson the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL, as his average of $35 million in new money eclipsed by $1 million annually the deal that San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa signed in 2023. Although pass-rushers and left tackles more typically carry that title, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said he had no problem applying it to a receiver.
“It really depends on the team you are, how you run your offense and how you run your defense and what it means,” Adofo-Mensah said. “At the end of the day, you want to pay premier players who can produce while making other people’s jobs easier. That can come a lot of different ways, at a lot of different positions.”
Jefferson said the contract solidifies him as “the top receiver in the league,” and he spoke with emotion about setting up his family, and generations to come, financially.
“But it was more to it than just the money,” Jefferson said. “I want to be the best player to ever do it. In order to do that, I’ve got to keep performing at my highest ability. With that, money is going to be involved, but that wasn’t my main concern.”
In the meantime, Jefferson said he will focus on mentoring rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who might not open the season as a starter but will eventually ascend to that role. Of all the factors he considered during the contract negotiations, Jefferson insisted that the identity of his quarterback was not one of them.
“All the quarterback changes that happened, that didn’t really affect me that much,” he said. “It really didn’t matter who was going to be able to throw the ball. I’m always confident in myself and confident in who’s throwing the ball to give me those types of opportunities and let me go make a play for the team.”
While having veteran Kirk Cousins on the roster might have made life simpler over the previous four seasons, Jefferson said, McCarthy’s early display of attributes is encouraging.
“Having Kirk was a little bit more easier, him being a veteran and me pretty much coming into the league with him as my quarterback,” he said. “Things were a lot easier. But of course, things are not always going to be that type of way. There are things that are going to change. You can’t really look back on the past and dwell on that …
“Having J.J. into the building, a new energy, a new soul. I mean, I love [McCarthy’s] confidence. I love his attitude, and of course him coming off a championship, you can’t have any more confidence than that. So that confidence is going to continue to be with him. It’s just my job to really install that into his brain throughout the whole entire season and give him that extra confidence by throwing me the ball.”
