#usa-today-sports

#usa-today-sports

After hitting an impasse in contract talks this off-season, the star quarterback Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens reached an agreement in principle on a five-year deal on Thursday, Jackson announced in a video posted on the team's Twitter account.For the last few months, there's been a lot of he said, she said,' a lot of nail biting, a lot of head scratching going on, Jackson, 26, said before announcing that he would light up the Ravens' home stadium for the next five years.

Near the start of the college basketball season, a reporter told Marquette point guard Tyler Kolek that the Golden Eagles had been picked to finish ninth out of 11 teams in the Big East Conference.Kolek, staring at a board that depicted the predicted standings of the conference's teams, dismissed the assessment and those who had made it with an expletive.

Feb 22, 2023 Can the Red Bulls reach the Playoffs again?/ Image: Matthew Burt.The New York Red Bulls enter the 2023 season looking to maintain their incredible MLS Cup Playoffs record.Mastering the regular season like no other, RBNY have reached the Playoffs in each of their last 13 attempts, winning three Supporters' Shield titles during that time - though they've never progressed further than the Conference Final.

HOUSTON  Growing up in the Dominican Republic and later in Providence, R.I., Jeremy Pena dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player.And when he and his brother played together, his brother handled shortstop while Pena was at second base, the position his father played in the major leagues.Still, Pena wanted to emulate a shortstop he watched on television: Jose Reyes of the Mets.

He sat in the audience watching it all, like a proud grandfather at a college graduation.Fred Wilpon, 86, had owned the Mets when their new class of Hall of Famers Howard Johnson, Al Leiter and the broadcasters Gary Cohen and Howie Rose made their marks with the team.At a news conference before the ceremony on Saturday, Wilpon beamed.

Image Baseball has become addicted to the home run, a cornerstone of the game.Credit...Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports, via Reuters With three major rule changes this season, Major League Baseball will try to reinvent itself while looking to the game's past for inspiration.Here's a look at the new rules.

James WagnerReporting from spring training in Arizona James WagnerReporting from spring training in Arizona Morry Gash/Associated Press Major League Baseball is implementing some of the biggest reforms in the sport's history.The goal?We think the changes are going to produce a crisp, more exciting game with more balls in play, Commissioner Rob Manfred said.

HOUSTON  From his position behind home plate, J.T. Realmuto thought the game was over and that his team had lost the first game of the World Series.The score was tied, it was the bottom of the ninth inning and Jeremy Pena, the rookie shortstop for the Houston Astros, had lifted a fly ball to shallow right field.

INDIANAPOLIS The Indianapolis 500 is the one race Josef Newgarden desperately wanted to win.It's basically the only race that matters to his boss.Coming up empty for 11 consecutive years had become personal for Newgarden, a two-time IndyCar series champion.He finally broke through Sunday, though, winning the Indy 500 to extend the team owner Roger Penske's record to 19 victories and give him his first win at the race since Penske agreed to buy Indianapolis Motor Speedway in late 2019.

INDIANAPOLIS The Indianapolis 500 is the one race Josef Newgarden desperately wanted to win.It's basically the only race that matters to his boss.Coming up empty for 11 consecutive years had become personal for Newgarden, a two-time IndyCar series champion.He finally broke through Sunday, though, winning the Indy 500 to extend the team owner Roger Penske's record to 19 victories and give him his first win at the race since Penske agreed to buy Indianapolis Motor Speedway in late 2019.

Victor MatherReporting for the Sports desk The best weekend of auto racing all year?Probably.The best weekend in European domestic club soccer?Perhaps.The best weekend of lacrosse?Definitely.Here's what I'll be watching (all times are Eastern) Marc Lebryk/Usa Today Sports Via Reuters The gleaming candlelight, still burning bright, through the sycamores for me.

A new year on the DP World Tour brings new hope for players who have been around long enough to know how fickle and unforgiving the game can be from week to week shot to shot even for the best in the world.The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, which begins on Thursday at Yas Links in the United Arab Emirates, should be no different.

DENVER  Nikola Jokic didn't look like himself in some ways.He was missing layups and had been called for a technical foul.He made silly turnovers, was late on several defensive rotations and tallied just two assists in the first half.But by the time that game against the Charlotte Hornets was over, Jokic had amassed an eye-popping stat line: 40 points, 27 rebounds and 10 assists.

There were a couple moments Friday night when Sacramento coach Mike Brown wishes he could have enjoyed being a part of the second-highest scoring game in NBA history.Brown and his Kings though were able to savor something that is more important in the long run a hard-fought victory.Which NBA rivalries could shape basketball's next five years?

San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams (71) celebrates after defeating the Dallas Cowboys 19-12 in a NFC divisional round game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.Kyle Terada (USA TODAY Sports) Christian McCaffrey scored on a go-ahead 2-yard run in the fourth quarter and San Francisco's defense did the rest, sending the 49ers to their second straight NFC title game with a 19-12 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

Raptors forward Scottie Barnes had 23 points for the Raptors in a 122-114 loss to host Cavaliers on Monday.(Trevor Ruszkowski/USA Today Sports) Bennedict Mathurin scored 21 points and Buddy Hield added 19 to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 122-114 victory over the Toronto Raptors for their fourth consecutive victory Monday night.

Dec 18, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) passes the ball in the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports There wasn't a ton of movement in the NFL MVP award during Week 15 with the best teams in the league holding serve, but what does that mean for the rest of the season?

The Denver Nuggets have spent the past few months hearing that they weren't to be trusted in the playoffs, that Nikola Jokic, a two-time most valuable player, couldn't lead them to postseason success, that their record, the best in the Western Conference for most of the season, was some kind of mirage.

With the Dallas Mavericks getting the 10th pick in last night's NBA Draft lottery, the New York Knicks currently do not have a pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.The Knicks traded their own first-round pick to Portland as part of the Josh Hart trade but could have gotten the Mavericks' pick if it fell outside of the top 10.

Feb 27, 2021; New York, New York, USA; Nerlens Noel #3 of the New York Knicks reacts after he is called for a foul in the second quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden.Mandatory Credit: POOL PHOTOS-USA TODAY Sports
The Brooklyn Nets shored up their thin frontline by signing veteran center Nerlens Noel after completing his buyout with the Detroit Pistons.

Feb 11, 2023; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Julius Randle (30) talks with guard Josh Hart (3) during the second half against the Utah Jazz at Madison Square Garden.Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Knicks have won four of their last six games and will look to continue that winning trend Monday when they take on the Brooklyn Nets at home for the first time since departing with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.

Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers.(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) The Pittsburgh Steelers draft class was universally praised by scouts and pundits alike.While that's great for the organization, some veteran players have a target on their back.The Steelers draft class at least on the surface appears to be one of their best in recent memory.

Keep Supporting Charities, the Bedrock of American Society' Image Damar Hamlin before a game against the Cleveland Browns in November.Credit...Lon Horwedel/USA Today Sports, via Reuters To the Editor: Re A Nightmare That Unfolded in Prime Time (front page, Jan. 4): Professional football has never been more popular, but the devastating injury to Damar Hamlin not to mention the concussions suffered by numerous other players this season raises this question: Why do we tolerate football?

The New York Knicks are heading to Miami with their Eastern Conference semifinal tied at one game apiece, but if they want to have a chance to win the series, they are going to need more production from their bench.Production from the Knicks bench doesn't necessarily have to come in the form of points.

Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) dunks against Raptors forward Thaddeus Young (21) during a 116-110 win on Monday.(John E. Sokolowski/USA TODAY Sports) Jayson Tatum had 31 points and 12 rebounds to lift the league-leading Boston Celtics to a 116-110 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday.Pascal Siakam scored 29 points, while Scottie Barnes finished with 21 and Gary Trent Jr., added 20 for the Raptors (12-12), who lost for just the third time at Scotiabank Arena this season.

12:15 AM GMT+1 The MLS imposed several fines over incidents that took place in Matchday 10. / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports Portland Timbers (@TimbersFC) April 30, 2023 The Portland Timbers were up 2-1 on the league's newest club, St. Louis City, and trying to see out a huge three points on the road.

5:15 PM GMT Driussi is one of the most talented players in MLS./ Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports If Austin FC supporters needed any further assurances that Sebastian Driussi was fully committed to the cause, they need only look at the interest he turned his nose up at to sign a new contract.The Argentine enjoyed an incredible 2022 campaign, notching 22 goals and five assists in 34 regular season appearances to help Austin reach the MLS Cup Playoffs.

Victor MatherReporting for the Sports desk Not some half-baked Preliminary Four or Intermediate Four.It's time for the honest-to-goodness Final Fours for men and women in college basketball.Let's put it this way: There are no Fours more Final than these.Here's what I'll be watching this weekend (all times Eastern) Carmen Mandato/Getty Images Who will stop defending champion South Carolina?

Sara ZieglerReporting for the Sports desk The chaos of the N.C.A.A. tournaments' opening rounds may have subsided, but that doesn't mean the madness is over.An upset or buzzer-beater is surely in store this weekend, so grab a seat and get comfy.(All times Eastern.)Here's what I'll be watching Michael Reaves/Getty Images The two No. 1 seeds remaining in the men's tournament each play Friday night, and they each face an upstart No. 5 seed.

By Eric Samulski Posted on March 29, 2023 against the at Citi Field on Friday, Apr. 15, 2022 in the Queens borough of New York City.Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams In 2011, Steve Cohen failed to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers.Four years ago, his initial bid to take over his boyhood team, the New York Mets, fell through.

GREENVILLE, S.C.The script has become routine for South Carolina in this year's N.C.A.A. women's basketball tournament.In the first half, South Carolina, the reigning champion, often looks surprisingly vulnerable, perhaps on the verge of its first loss this season, primed to be on the wrong side of a monumental upset in a March that has been filled with them.

GLENDALE, Ariz.When a middle reliever published a candid book in 1970, the commissioner of baseball ordered him to his office to formally express dismay.When a middle reliever was writing a book that was published this year, the commissioner granted an interview for it.Joe Kelly is not Jim Bouton, whose Ball Four sold millions of copies by perfecting (and all but inventing) the genre of inside-the-clubhouse memoir.

6:30 PM GMT Austin FC stegthened roster ahead of deadline day./ Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports With only a month until the MLS Primary Window closes on April 24, several clubs are wasting no time bringing in reinforcements.Minnesota United signed promising young South Korean forward Sang-Bin Jung, and Austin FC reinforced their backline with Serbian center-back Aleksandar Radovanovic.

Brendan Smith was so happy the night the Devils came back from two goals down to beat the Rangers at Madison Square Garden last month, that he felt as if he were floating across the ice in the final seconds.A former Ranger defenseman, Smith has emerged as a central figure in the Devils' stunning journey from oblivion to one of the N.H.L.'s best and most exciting teams, and the win represented more than a comeback against a rival.

Maple Leafs' Mitchell Marner, right, is congratulated by David Kampf after scoring a goal during the second period of a 4-3 overtime loss to the Lightning on Saturday night in Tampa, Fla. (Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters) Mitch Marner broke the Toronto points streak record at 19 games, scoring short-handed and power-play goals in the Maple Leafs' 4-3 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night.

Josh Allen's worrisome Sunday against the Jets has thrown the N.F.L.'s Most Valuable Player Award race into chaos.Allen threw two interceptions in the Jets' 20-17 upset of the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium, and he sustained an injury to his throwing elbow late in the game.He and the Bills' coaches tried to sound optimistic about Allen's right elbow in early-week interviews, but seemed more like parents reassuring the children that the factory shutdown is no big deal because there are plenty of nickels in the jelly jar.

It had taken the finest of margins to separate Los Angeles F.C. and the Philadelphia Union on the final day of Major League Soccer's regular season, months and months of work all coming down to a tiebreaker to decide the league's best record.So, it was to be expected, then, that it would take the finest of margins to separate them again when the league's two best teams met, perhaps inevitably, in Saturday's M.L.S. Cup final.

Mar 22, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center.Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY SportsJerome Miron (USA TODAY Sports) Stephen Curry scored 20 points and assisted on Draymond Green's tiebreaking three-point play late, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Dallas Mavericks 127-125 on Wednesday night in a game with considerable playoff implications.

ALBANY, N.Y.Like a lot of boys, Donovan Clingan competed in many activities while growing up in Bristol, Conn.: baseball, basketball, fishing and soccer.But when his mother, Stacey Porrini Clingan, died of breast cancer in March 2018 at age 42, Donovan, then 14, decided to channel his pain, passion and prodigious frame into basketball in her honor.

COLUMBUS, Ohio The formula for Fairleigh Dickinson's defining triumph of March Madness, as a No. 16 seed over top-seeded Purdue, was written not from the school's compact New Jersey campus along the Hackensack River, but at an even smaller site just north.There, at Division II St. Thomas Aquinas College in Sparkill, N.Y., Tobin Anderson sharpened a brand of basketball his assistant coaches affectionately referred to as bedlam, to describe his rosters of small guards who play fierce, pugnacious defense and always-in-motion offense.

Women's Tournament 11:30 a.m., ESPN2 The opening game of the women's tournament features South Florida and Marquette, who played together in Conference USA and the Big East for 18 seasons but haven't met since 2013.Marquette went 21-10 on the season, including a win over UConn in February.South Florida went 15-1 in the American Athletic Conference and won the regular-season title for the second time.

MIAMI A rousing 5-2 victory by Puerto Rico over the Dominican Republic on Wednesday earned the team a spot in the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic.But the elation quickly turned into despair when the star closer Edwin Diaz crumbled to the ground during a postgame celebration on the mound.

The Boston Celtics take on the Rockets in Houston on March 13 -- and Hardwood Houdini has your injury report, lineups, TV channel, and predictions Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports The Boston Celtics have returned to the win column the past two games after a season-worst stretch from February 27 to March 6 where the team lost four of five games two of which came against their Atlantic Division rivals, the Knicks.

Mary Wainwright does not know Ja Morant, but she prays for him, worries about him and wishes she could sit down with the troubled young N.B.A. star to help set him straight.Wainwright, a 64-year-old grandmother, is a community stalwart in Smokey City, the gunfire-strafed neighborhood in north Memphis.

Oct 30, 2022; Anaheim, California, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe during the 1st period against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center.Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports The Toronto Maple Leafs don't need to make a coaching change.In fact, suggesting that they should make a coaching change is one of the single worst ideas I have ever heard, and my job is to discuss the Toronto Maple Leafs with strangers on a daily basis.

Goaltending looked to be Toronto's biggest weakness heading into the 2022-23 season.And, yet, it's often been a big strength.Ilya Samsonov has been excellent recently and could be on the verge of earning more time as a No. 1. Matt Murray has had flashes of brilliance, but he's on a downswing right now and needs to find his confidence again.

Perhaps it will make Jets fans a bit happier.Perhaps it will evoke the good memories of the 1980s, the Era That Almost Was for this star-crossed team.The beating heart of those Jets teams Joe Klecko was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a senior candidate on Thursday.The former cornerback Darrelle Revis will be inducted, too.

Note: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links, Schneps Media may earn a commission.Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports
New York Islanders head coach Lane Lambert revealed just hours before puck drop that center Jean-Gabriel Pageau will not be available for Tuesday night's game against the Buffalo Sabres as he continues to recover from an upper-body injury that landed him on injured reserve Feb. 11.

One moment, Keyontae Johnson was soaring to the hoop to convert an alley-oop.The next, Johnson, a junior forward at the University of Florida and the 2020-21 Southeastern Conference preseason player of the year, suddenly collapsed face first on the Florida State hardwood during a game on Dec. 12, 2020.

One moment, Keyontae Johnson was soaring to the hoop to convert an alley-oop.The next, Johnson, a junior forward at the University of Florida and the 2020-21 Southeastern Conference preseason player of the year, suddenly collapsed face first on the Florida State hardwood during a game on Dec. 12, 2020.

Since his early days playing basketball, LeBron James has considered himself more of a passer than a scorer.But he has always been dynamic at the rim, and later in his N.B.A. career he developed a shooting touch that made him even more dangerous offensively.Twenty years of perfecting exactly how to attack N.B.A. defenses have brought James to the cusp of a historic achievement that had once seemed almost impossible for anyone to reach.

The Los Angeles Dodgers were given two weeks from the time Trevor Bauer had his suspension reduced and was immediately reinstated, and now have reached the penultimate day before the deadline.Immediately after independent arbitrator Martin F. Scheinman reduced Bauer's suspension to 194 games, it was reported the Dodgers intended to release the right-hander.

After finishing the 2022 season in third place in the National League West with an 81-81 record and 30 games behind the division champion Los Angeles Dodgers, the San Francisco Giants are expected to be active in free agency this winter.As many have linked San Francisco as a possible suitor for this offseason's biggest free agent, Aaron Judge, apparently the Giants are also making a play for another one of baseball's most prominent stars looking for a new contract: Trea Turner.

Dodgers play-by-play broadcaster Joe Davis is in his first postseason as the voice of baseball for FOX Sports, having replaced Joe Buck this year after Buck jumped to ESPN.A lot of baseball fans don't really tune in until the postseason, so this is the first time many people are hearing Davis.Jessica Mendoza has worked next to Davis in the broadcast booth, so she has firsthand experience with his excellent work.

When MLB was looking to navigate a regular season amidst the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the league and Players Association (MLBPA) agreed to the implementation of an automatic runner being placed on second base during extra innings in the interest of health and safety.The rule did not carryover into the postseason that year, but returned in 2021 despite initial indications that would not be the case.

ATLANTA  He does not like to dwell on past games, the good ones or the bad ones, but Georgia Coach Kirby Smart knows the College Football Playoff's agonies better than most.Twice in the last eight years, he has stood on the sideline of a playoff game and watched a fourth-ranked team outlast his.There was the 2014 season, which for Smart ended when No. 4 Ohio State broke No. 1 Alabama, where he was the defensive coordinator.

Right after Brandon Nakashima won the ATP's Next Gen Finals  a year-end championship for eight elite players ages 21 and under  in Milan last month, he headed to London for a vacation with his girlfriend.Walking through the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, with its holiday lights blazing, Nakashima, 21, realized that he, too, had blazed new trails in 2022.

Oct 25, 2022; San Jose, California, USA; Las Vegas Golden Knights players celebrate their 4-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose.Photo by D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports.I have written about college rivalries before, but I wanted to take things up a notch by focusing on the professional level.

Golden Knights right wing Reilly Smith, right, scored the winning goal in a 4-3 overtime victory against the Maple Leafs in Toronto on Tuesday.(Nick Turchiaro/USA TODAY Sports) Reilly Smith scored his second goal of the game 23 seconds into overtime as the Vegas Golden Knights extended their win streak to eight games with a 4-3 victory over host Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night.

The power atop the A.F.C. has constantly shifted among 10 or so playoff-quality teams fighting for just seven spots, but each week the Buffalo Bills have made the most consistent case of being worthy of a top seed.That changed on Sunday with an eyebrow-raising 20-17 loss to the Jets in which Josh Allen's options were decidedly earthbound.

Seven years ago, when she came out as a trans woman and became one of a growing number of trans celebrities, it seemed like Caitlyn Jenner might do some good in this world."I've lived a fascinating life," the former Olympian told USA Today Sports in 2017."Especially now, being in the fourth quarter, I'm happy to be where I'm at.

A psychologist who has worked with the San Antonio Spurs will speak out this week regarding allegations of exposure that she and others have made against former Spurs guard Joshua Primo, above, the woman's attorney said Monday.(Ron Chenoy/USA TODAY Sports) A psychologist who has worked with the San Antonio Spurs will speak out this week regarding allegations she and others have made against former Spurs guard Joshua Primo, the woman's attorney said Monday.