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Lionel Messi has ruled out playing in this summer's Olympics with Argentina, saying it would be "too much" to play in Paris after representing his country at the Copa América. Messi, 36, is currently with Argentina preparing to defend their Copa América title in the United States. Argentina plays the opening game against Canada on June 20, with the final taking place July 14. The men's Olympic tournament runs from July 24 to Aug. 9. While for men it is primarily an under-23 event, three overage players are allowed for each team, leading to much discussion that Messi could feature. However, the Inter Miami star told ESPN Argentina in an exclusive interview airing Wednesday that he has informed Argentina U23 coach Javier Mascherano that it will not be possible. "I talked to Mascherano and the truth is we both understood the situation," he said. "It's hard [to think about the Olympics right now] because we're in Copa América. It would be two,...

The Florida Panthers' routine was disrupted Wednesday in advance of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final because of storm-related travel delays before the team headed to Edmonton. Heavy storms near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, forced the charter jet to take off three hours after their scheduled departure. Now, their plane is scheduled to land at about 8 p.m. in Edmonton, less than 24 hours before they face the Oilers on Thursday. The Panthers are up 2-0 in the best-of-seven series. The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport reported delays, cancellations and standing water on roads at and around the facility on Wednesday. The Oilers returned to Edmonton on Tuesday after their 4-1 loss in Game 2 in Sunrise, Florida, on Monday night. The Panthers chose to practice at home Wednesday before hopping on the flight. "We didn't like the idea of getting them up early enough [after Game 2] to get in at a reasonable time in Edmonton," Panthers head coach Paul Maurice told...

DALLAS -- The Boston Celtics have ruled out center  Kristaps Porzingis for Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. Porzingis was diagnosed with a torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg Tuesday afternoon. The team called the injury a "rare" one in its release, and Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said it was serious. Mazzulla also said Porzingis' status after the injury, which the team said came at the 3:27 mark of the third quarter in Game 2, would be determined by the medical team, and not Porzingis, to take any pressure on him playing out of his hands. Mazzulla said before Game 3 that Porzingis remains day-to-day moving forward. He added that Porzingis went through some testing with the medical team to determine whether he could play, and after seeing Porzingis go through that, it was determined Porzingis couldn't play and he was ruled out for Wednesday's game. Porzingis was...

The central betting story going into the U.S. Open is the same as it was before the Masters and the PGA Championship: Scottie Scheffler is an overwhelming favorite and is seeing some of the shortest odds for a major since prime Tiger Woods. The 27-year-old opened the week at +300 at ESPN BET and has been bet down to +290; across the marketplace, he's as short as +250. It's the shortest odds for any golfer to win the U.S. Open since Woods in 2007 (+250). Despite the extremely short odds, Scheffler is still attracting a very healthy number of tickets and even more handle. Sportsbooks across the American betting landscape report that Scheffler is their bets and money leader, with ESPN BET saying he has 13.1% of the tickets and 31.7% of the handle. BetMGM reports an astounding 44.7% of handle on the Texas native, while Fanatics Sportsbook says he has drawn three times more money to win at Pinehurst No. 2 than any other golfer in the field. "That's kind of astonishing...

The matchups for the second annual ACC/SEC Challenge were announced Wednesday, highlighted by Auburn's trip to Duke and North Carolina hosting Alabama. The first edition of the series between the two conferences ended in a 7-7 tie last season, with Arkansas upsetting Duke to complete the SEC's comeback from a 7-4 deficit. Auburn-Duke and Alabama-North Carolina -- both matchups between top-15 teams -- are scheduled for Dec. 4. Auburn is ranked No. 11 in ESPN's Way-Too-Early Top 25, while Duke slots in at No. 8. The Tigers are led by preseason All-American Johni Broome and landed a pair of impact transfers from the portal in JP Pegues ( Furman) and Miles Kelly ( Georgia Tech). Duke brings in the nation's No. 1 recruiting class, headlined by projected No. 1 NBA draft pick Cooper Flagg. Alabama vs. North Carolina is a rematch of last season's NCAA tournament Sweet 16 matchup, which the...

EAGAN, Minn. -- Sam Darnold will continue as the Minnesota Vikings' lead quarterback when training camp opens next month, coach Kevin O'Connell said Wednesday as the team wrapped up its final OTA of the spring. O'Connell stopped short of projecting anything beyond that, saying he plans for a "competitive" training camp at many positions. The Vikings have three other quarterbacks on their roster: Rookie J.J. McCarthy and veterans Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall. "We haven't had to put out a depth chart or anything like that," O'Connell said, "but yeah, I would say Sam would be the guy I would look to based upon the spring he's had, and really where he's at in his career and his quarterback journey, and what he's been able to do coming in and [hitting] the ground running and taking advantage of a competitive situation." O'Connell said he reminded all four quarterbacks that depth charts don't dictate the future, especially as Minnesota started four...

Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi -- the top dogs of the competitive eating world -- are ready to eat in the same arena for the first time since 2009. The two gastronomic icons, who have won a combined 22 Mustard Belts at the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, will face off in an all-beef hot dog battle against each other Sept. 2 in an event to be streamed on Netflix.  The location for the event has yet to be determined. Kobayashi, who announced his retirement from competitive eating due to health concerns just last month, won the annual Nathan's contest on July 4 from 2001 to 2006, increasing his total of hot dogs and buns consumed from 50 at the start of that run to 63 in 2007, when Chestnut won his first title with 66. "Retiring for me will only happen after I take him down one last time," Kobayashi said in a release. "This rivalry has been brewing for a long time. Competing against Joey live on Netflix means fans all over the world can watch me knock him...

ASHBURN, Va., -- Quarterback Jayden Daniels new  Washington Commanders' teammates and coaches have shared, quite often, how impressed they are after his first offseason. The one person who isn't buying into the hype: Daniels himself. "I ain't a star quarterback yet," he said, responding to a question about getting some perks of a franchise quarterback. "I got long way to go. I'm a rookie." Washington selected Daniels second overall with the hope of his being part of a franchise revival. The Commanders have not had a winning season since 2016 and have made the postseason just six times since 1999, last winning a playoff game after the 2005 season. Daniels has already thrown out the first pitch at a  Washington Nationals game, among other honors that go to the potential face of a franchise, especially one coming off a Heisman Trophy season at LSU. Meanwhile, teammates have universally praised him. "Dude can sling it, man," right tackle ...

The National Hockey League is partnering with P-X-P for a first-of-its-kind American Sign Language telecast for the Stanley Cup Final. P-X-P COO Jason Altmann discusses the partnership.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. --  Chris Jones heard his Kansas City Chiefs teammate Travis Kelce recently talk about the end of his playing career being in sight and he cringed. Jones said there are no thoughts of retirement for him. "Once you begin to think about things like that, you're getting to feed the mind those types of thoughts,'' Jones said. "I don't even want my mind to even go that far to the R word.'' Jones, who turns 30 next month, is almost five years younger than Kelce. He signed a new five-year contract with the Chiefs in March and suggested with his comments he intended to play through the end of the deal. He even urged Kelce to consider it. "He's got like four or five more years and what is he talking about, right?'' Jones said. "We can't let TK go. It's like we retire, we've got to retire together. Give me at least six, four years, then we'll talk about it.'' Jones said he has many motivations this season. He said he would like to be a part of the...

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- One day after Aaron Rodgers' unexcused absence from minicamp sparked a media firestorm, New York Jets coach Robert Saleh downplayed the matter, insisting it hasn't caused a distraction or unrest within the organization. "Aaron and I are on the exact same page," Saleh said Wednesday. "There's no issue between Aaron or his teammates, for that matter. We addressed it yesterday. It's more of an issue for everyone outside the building than it is inside. That's about it." Rodgers participated in the voluntary portion of the offseason program from April until early June, but he told Saleh earlier in the offseason that he wouldn't be able to attend the mandatory minicamp because of a previous commitment. Publicly, Saleh supported Rodgers' decision, yet he termed it an "unexcused" absence and said the four-time MVP was subject to the NFL's fine schedule. If Rodgers is fined, he can be docked more than $50,000 for skipping the two-day minicamp. It was...

PINEHURST, N.C. -- The United States Golf Association will weigh in the offseason whether to create an exemption category that would make it easier for LIV Golf League players to qualify for the U.S. Open, CEO Mike Whan said Wednesday. "We're going to talk about it this offseason, whether or not there needs to be a path to somebody, or somebodies, that are performing really well on LIV that can get a chance to play in that way," Whan said ahead of the 124th U.S. Open, which starts Thursday at Pinehurst No. 2. "I think we are serious about that. Exactly what that looks like and how that'll curtail, I'm not just being coy, we haven't done that yet." There are 12 LIV Golf League players in the field this week, including past U.S. Open champions Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Martin Kaymer. Jon Rahm, winner of the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego, withdrew from the tournament Tuesday because of a left foot...

Lionel Messi said  Inter Miami is going to be his "last club" and admitted that "there's not a lot of time left" in his career. Messi, 36, joined Inter Miami last summer, bringing an end to his 20-year stint in Europe in which he played for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has scored 14 goals in all competitions for an Inter Miami side that is top of the Eastern Conference this season. Messi has been joined by his former Barcelona teammates Luis Suárez,  Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba at Miami and told ESPN Argentina in an exclusive interview that he thinks "it's going to be my last club." Messi is Barcelona's top scorer with 672 goals and scored 32 goals and registered 35 assists in his two seasons at PSG. In a storied career that has seen him win 40 trophies for club and country -- including four Champions Leagues and a Copa América title -- its crowning glory is the World Cup he...

The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired super-utility man Cavan Biggio in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, adding the veteran after the Blue Jays designated him for assignment last week. In the deal, the Blue Jays receive right-handed reliever Braydon Fisher, who has split his time this season between Double-A and Triple-A. Biggio was in the lineup for the Dodgers' home game against the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night, playing third base and batting ninth. Biggio, 29, was taken off the Blue Jays' 40-man roster last week after struggling over the first third of the season, hitting .200/.323/.291 with two home runs in 131 plate appearances for Toronto, which at 33-34 occupies third place in the American League East. He has spent most of his career at second base but has played first, third and right field as well this season. Biggio will join a Dodgers team that owns a 7½-game lead in the National League West but has gotten minimal offensive production...

Jerry West, who was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame three times in a storied career as a player and executive and whose silhouette is considered to be the basis of the NBA logo, died Wednesday morning at the age of 86, the LA Clippers announced. West was the third player in NBA history to reach 25,000 points, was an All-Star every year of his career and led the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA Finals nine times, winning one title in 1971-72. He was also a 12-time All-NBA selection, an NBA Finals MVP as part of a losing team in 1969 -- the first year that award was given out and still the only time it went to a player on the losing team -- and part of the NBA's 75th anniversary team. His basketball life bridged generations: West played with Elgin Baylor, whom he called "the most supportive and the greatest player of that era," and Wilt Chamberlain. As a coach and executive, he worked with a who's-who of NBA stars from the past 40 years: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,...

West was the first NBA Finals MVP in 1969.

NFL tight end Jimmy Graham hasn't closed the door on playing football. Graham is currently training to row 1,000 kilometers across the Arctic Ocean next summer in pursuit of a world record. Graham will be part of a four-person team intending to break the current record of 15 days, five hours and 32 minutes.  He also has plans for several long-distance bike rides over the next year, including a race with former NFL tight end Luke Willson at the end of June. But Graham, who posted a thank you to the New Orleans Saints on his Instagram account in March, said "he's not sure yet" when asked recently if he was officially retired. "I'm gonna reach out to the Saints and figure out what's best, and then make the decision on when it's best for me to retire," he told ESPN. Graham signed a one-year deal with the Saints last year after being out of football for the 2022 season and said he only intended to return to the league if it was to play in New Orleans....

The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired super-utility man Cavan Biggio in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, sources told ESPN, adding the veteran after the Blue Jays designated him for assignment last week. In the deal, the Blue Jays will receive right-handed reliever Braydon Fisher, who has split his time this season between Double-A and Triple-A, sources said. Biggio, 29, was taken off the Blue Jays' 40-man roster last week after struggling over the first third of the season, hitting .200/.323/.291 with two home runs in 131 plate appearances for Toronto, which at 33-34 occupies third place in the American League East. He has spent most of his career at second base but has played first, third and right field as well this season. Biggio will join a Dodgers team that owns a 7½-game lead in the National League West but has gotten minimal offensive production from Chris Taylor, Gavin Lux and Kiké Hernández and is missing third baseman ...

The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired superutilityman Cavan Biggio in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, sources told ESPN, adding the veteran after the Blue Jays designated him for assignment last week. Biggio, 29, was taken off the Blue Jays' 40-man roster last week after struggling over the first third of the season, hitting .200/.323/.291 with two home runs in 131 plate appearances for Toronto, which at 33-34 occupies third place in the American League East. He has spent most of his career at second base but has played first, third and right field as well this season. Biggio will join a Dodgers team that owns a 7½-game lead in the National League West but has gotten minimal offensive production from Chris Taylor, Gavin Lux and Kiké Hernández and is missing third baseman Max Muncy, who's on the injured list with a strained oblique. Biggio debuted in 2019 and was one of three sons of longtime major leaguers, along with...

Rafael Nadal has been chosen to the Spanish tennis team for the Paris Olympics, where he will also partner with French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz in doubles, the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation announced Wednesday. Nadal, who has been limited the past two years by a number of injuries, has said the Games were his focus and that he could skip Wimbledon to prepare. "My main goal now is to play Olympics," Nadal said after losing in the first round of the French Open on May 27. "That's going to be here. So I need to prepare myself the proper way to try to arrive here healthy and well prepared, and then let's see." Nadal and Alcaraz will play in both singles and doubles at the Games. The tennis competition will be held at Roland Garros, where Nadal is a 14-time Grand Slam champion and Alcaraz just won the French Open on Sunday. "One pair, which I think everyone knows and was hoping for, is Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal and the second pair is yet to be decided. It hasn't...

Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis suffered what the team called a "rare injury" to his left leg and is listed as questionable for Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday.  The Celtics announced Tuesday that Porzingis has a torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg. The team said Porzingis' status for the upcoming Finals games will be "determined day-to-day." "It's kind of a random situation," Porzingis said Tuesday. "I felt something, and now I have to deal with it. "As we said, yeah, it's going to be day-to-day, and I'll see how I am tomorrow, and obviously I'm going to do everything I can to be out there tomorrow, and we'll see." Sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that, as of Tuesday, there was no indication Porzingis will be ruled out and not permitted to try to play against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 3. The Celtics said the injury occurred in the third quarter of their Game 2 victory...

For the first time since 2019, the Las Vegas Aces have lost three games in a row. But the two-time defending champions said they are still betting on themselves to get back to top-tier status in the WNBA, even though they are currently 5-5. "This is a long, long, long season," Aces star A'ja Wilson said after Las Vegas 100-86 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday. "I'm not going to press the panic button. I'm still going to bet on us. I know exactly what's in that locker room." The Aces had four players named to the U.S. Olympic 5x5 team Tuesday: Wilson, Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray. But Gray, who was injured in the WNBA Finals last year, has yet to play this season and her absence has been huge. Young was back in the lineup after missing the Aces' previous game with illness, but she didn't look 100 percent. The Aces as a team haven't looked like themselves of late, having lost four of their last five games....

The United States heads to its first men's Olympic soccer tournament since 2008 off a performance it would rather forget. Shota Fujio converted a penalty kick in the sixth minute, Mao Hosoya added a goal in the 69th and Japan won 2-0 in an under-23 game Tuesday night in the Americans' last warmup match in Kansas City, Kansas. "Since we started this process eight months ago, this was, I would say, the lowest performance by far that we had," U.S. coach Marko Mitrovic said. "I strongly believe that this group can do much better than they showed today." Japan was awarded the penalty kick when Koki Saito flicked the ball off the right arm of defender Bryan Reynolds at the edge of the penalty area. Fujio sent the penalty kick to Patrick Schulte's right as the goalkeeper jumped to the left. Japan scored its second goal after intercepting John Tolkin's throw-in. Shunsuke Mito dribbled toward the goal, and his pass deflected...

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. -- Brittney Sykes scored 18 points in her first game since May 17, Ariel Atkins also had 18 and the Washington Mystics won their first game of the season, beating the Atlanta Dream 87-68 on Tuesday night. Washington (1-12) avoided tying the longest losing streak in franchise history with the 2012 team dropping 13 games in a row. The Mystics' 19-point win is the third largest to snap a double-digit losing streak in WNBA history. "The feel is it's been coming," coach Eric Thibault said. "I said the other night that we're turning into a good basketball team and we just haven't had the wins to show for it yet. We've been playing better basketball now for a while. "We're obviously shooting well, but I think the quality of the shots we're getting is really good." Sykes, who had missed the past 10 games due to an ankle injury, went 4-of-6 from 3-point range in just 14 minutes, and Atkins made all three of her attempts from distance. The...

Twelve players have received invitations to attend the 2024 NBA draft and sit in the green room, sources told ESPN. Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr, Donovan Clingan, Reed Sheppard, Matas Buzelis, Stephon Castle, Dalton Knecht, Tidjane Salaun, Ron Holland, Cody Williams, Devin Carter and  Ja'Kobe Walter received the first batch of 12 invites sent out Tuesday. Another 11-12 invites are expected to be sent out in waves starting next week, a source told ESPN. The green room is a staging area in front of the NBA draft podium where players, families and agents await commissioner Adam Silver to call a player's name upon selection. This year, players will be allowed to invite six people to sit with them at their individual tables, down from 10 last year. The process of deciding who to invite to the NBA draft involves communication with presidents or general managers of teams with first-round selections. Teams are asked to vote on...

PITTSBURGH -- Though he's 35 years old and entering his 13th season in the NFL, Russell Wilson says he's hardly feeling his age. The new Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, who signed with the team on a one-year deal in March after two shaky seasons in Denver, said Tuesday he felt rejuvenated following the team's first mandatory minicamp practice. "Man, I feel the fountain of youth," Wilson said, describing what fuels his drive. "I feel revived in every way, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. I feel confident. I think at some point you have to know who you are as a player, as a man, as a competitor. As somebody who's been fortunate to be able to play this game, I don't doubt it. I trust it. I felt really good last year playing. I felt really confident in the midst of everything. And so I think right now I have all that confidence times 10." Wilson had a tumultuous tenure with the Broncos, ultimately playing two years of a five-year, $245 million contract before his...

Joey Chestnut, the 16-time champion of the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, will not compete in the annual Fourth of July event next month, Major League Eating announced Tuesday. A spokesperson for Major League Eating (MLE) told ESPN that Chestnut had chosen to "represent another hot dog brand" and therefore would not be allowed to participate in the Nathan's contest, which is held annually at New York City's Coney Island. Chestnut, competitive eating's biggest star who is known as "Jaws," has won the event eight years in a row. He reportedly agreed to a sponsorship deal with Impossible Foods, a company that makes plant-based hot dogs, and a competing company to Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs. "It would be like Michael Jordan saying to Nike, 'I'm going to represent Adidas, too,'" MLE event organizer George Shea said. Chestnut, in turn, issued his own statement on X, saying he is "gutted" to find out that he wouldn't be able to compete. "I love competing in that event,...

PINEHURST, N.C. -- An attorney representing four-time major champion Rory McIlroy filed a motion Tuesday to voluntarily dismiss a divorce petition that was filed on the golfer's behalf in a Florida court last month. McIlroy told The Guardian of London on Tuesday that he had reconciled with his wife of seven years, Erica Stoll. The case is closed, according to court records. "There have been rumors about my personal life recently, which is unfortunate," McIlroy said in the statement. "Responding to each rumor is a fool's game. Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realized that our best future was as a family together. Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning." McIlroy, the third-ranked golfer in the world, will try to end a nearly 10-year drought without a major championship victory at this week's U.S. Open, which starts Thursday at Pinehurst No. 2. In the court filing in Palm Beach County family court on May 13 -- three...

PINEHURST, N.C. -- Even though Scottie Scheffler won in five of his past eight starts and is an overwhelming betting favorite to capture his third major championship victory at this week's U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, the world No. 1 golfer insists that he doesn't feel like there's a target on his back. "Like I said, when we start the tournament week, we're all at even par and it's not like anybody is out there playing defense," Scheffler said Tuesday. With his 1-stroke victory at last week's Memorial Tournament, Scheffler became only the fourth PGA Tour player in the past 60 seasons to pile up five victories before the end of June. Tiger Woods (2000), Tom Watson (1980) and Johnny Miller (1974) were the others. Scheffler is the first golfer on tour since Justin Thomas in 2016-17 to win five times, and he doesn't seem ready to slow down anytime soon. Woods was the last player to win six times on tour in 2009. Scheffler will tee off with...

CINCINNATI -- Joe Burrow remained excited for the challenge of coming back from a wrist injury that ended his 2023 season. But as the injuries accumulate in his career, the fifth-year Cincinnati Bengals quarterback opened up about the mental aspect of continually recovering from significant injuries, with the wrist issue the latest one he has to overcome. "Whenever the injuries start to stack up, your football mortality kind of comes into the back of your mind," Burrow said after Tuesday's mandatory minicamp. "So, that's definitely something I've thought about and something I have had to fight through." Burrow said it was tough to put a percentage on where he is at as he continues to come back from surgery in December that repaired torn ligaments in his throwing wrist. However, Burrow indicated he'll be "ready to go by the season." In his comments Tuesday, the quarterback who signed a five-year, $275 million extension last year maintained a message he has repeated...

Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis suffered what the team called a "rare injury" to his left leg and is officially listed as questionable for Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday.  The Celtics announced Tuesday that Porzingis has a torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg. The team said Porzingis' status for the upcoming Finals games will "determined day-to-day." "It's kind of a random situation," Porzingis said Tuesday. "I felt something, and now I have to deal with it. "As we said, yeah, it's going to be day-to-day, and I'll see how I am tomorrow, and obviously I'm going to do everything I can to be out there tomorrow, and we'll see." Sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that, as of Tuesday, there's no indication Porzingis will be ruled out and not permitted to try to play against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 3. The Celtics said the injury occurred in the third quarter of their Game 2 victory...

Manchester United have decided that Erik ten Hag will stay on as manager, a source has confirmed to ESPN. The Dutchman's future has been in doubt following a poor campaign in the Premier League. But the season ended on a high after United won the FA Cup against rivals Manchester City and following an end-of-season review conducted by new co-owners INEOS and led by Sir Dave Brailsford, the decision has been taken to retain Ten Hag. A source has told ESPN that the "clear conclusion" of the review was that Ten Hag should remain as manager. According to a source, Ten Hag and United are set to discuss an extension to his contract, which was due to run out in 2025, after "constructive discussions" about the review's findings. Ten Hag, 54, enjoyed a successful first season in charge at Old Trafford, finishing third in the Premier League and winning the Carabao Cup, But his second season was only saved by lifting the FA Cup after a miserable campaign in the...

PINEHURST, N.C. -- Two-time major winner Jon Rahm withdrew from this week's U.S. Open on Tuesday afternoon due to an injury in his left foot. "After consulting with numerous doctors and my team, I have decided it is best for my long term health, to withdraw from this weeks US Open Championship," Rahm, the 2022 U.S. Open champion,  wrote on his X account. "To say I'm disappointed is a massive understatement! I wish all my peers the best of luck and want to thank all of the USGA staff, volunteers and community of Pinehurst for hosting and putting on what I'm sure will be an amazing championship! Hopefully I'll be back in action sooner than later!" The Spaniard, who is in his first season on the LIV Golf Tour, withdrew from last week's LIV event in Houston due to the injury, which he described Tuesday as a lesion in between his pinky toe and fourth toe that had become infected. Earlier in the day, Rahm spoke in his pre-tournament news conference while wearing a...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Travis Kelce turns 35 in October and acknowledged he's a lot closer to the end of his football career than the beginning. But he said he's not planning on 2024 being his final season. "I love coming to work every single day and doing this, so I am going to do it until the wheels fall off and hopefully that doesn't happen anytime soon,'' Kelce said after the Kansas City Chiefs' minicamp practice Tuesday. "I can't put a time frame on it, man ... Obviously I know that there's opportunities outside of football for me and I think you've got to keep in perspective that I'm still a little kid when I come into this building. I know I'm 34 years old, about to be 35, but I have a love to do this right here in the middle of the heat in June.'' Kelce kept busy in an offseason that included his first major acting role in the FX horror drama "Grotesquerie.'' Some of it, including the acting part, is aimed at setting himself up for life after football. "I do...

Joey Chestnut, the 16-time champion of the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, will not compete in the annual Fourth of July event next month, Major League Eating announced Tuesday. A spokesperson for Major League Eating (MLE) told ESPN that Chestnut had chosen to "represent another hot dog brand" and therefore would not be allowed to participate in the Nathan's contest, which is held annually at New York City's Coney Island. Chestnut, competitive eating's biggest star who is known as "Jaws," has won the event eight years in a row. He reportedly agreed to a sponsorship deal with Impossible Foods, a company that makes plant-based hot dogs, and a competing company to Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs. "It would be like Michael Jordan saying to Nike, 'I'm going to represent Adidas, too,'" MLE event organizer George Shea said. Chestnut, in turn, issued his own statement on X, saying he is "gutted" to find out that he wouldn't be able to compete. "I love competing in that event, I love...

Joey Chestnut, the 16-time champion of the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, will not compete in the annual Fourth of July event next month, Major League Eating announced Tuesday. A spokesperson for Major League Eating (MLE) told ESPN that Chestnut had chosen to "represent another hot dog brand" and therefore would not be allowed to participate in the Nathan's contest, which is held annually at New York City's Coney Island. Chestnut, competitive eating's biggest star who has won the event eight years in a row, reportedly agreed to a sponsorship deal with Impossible Foods, a company that makes plant-based hot dogs, and a competing company to Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs. ESPN has reached out to Chestnut and Impossible Foods for comment. "We are devastated to learn that Joey Chestnut has chosen to represent a rival brand that sells plant-based hot dogs rather than competing in the 2024 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest," Major League Eating said in a...

DALLAS -- Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic received a pain-killing injection to numb the area of his thoracic contusion before Dallas' loss to the Boston Celtics in Sunday's Game 2, sources told ESPN on Tuesday. The expectation is that Doncic will receive another injection before Wednesday's Game 3, sources said, as the Mavs attempt to get their first win of the series. Doncic is listed as probable for Wednesday's game.  "I feel good," Doncic said after Tuesday's practice at the American Airlines Center. "I don't want to get into any more details. But I feel good." Doncic was downgraded to questionable on the afternoon of Game 2 and was not deemed available until after he completed his pregame warmup. He played 42 minutes in the loss, recording 32 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists and 4 steals, joining LeBron James (twice), Charles Barkley and Jerry West as the only players to have 30-point triple-doubles in Finals losses. Doncic has...

Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis suffered what the team called a "rare injury" to his left leg and is considered day-to-day for Boston's upcoming games in the NBA Finals. The Celtics announced Tuesday that Porzingis has a torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg. "It's kind of a random situation," Porzingis said Tuesday. "I felt something, and now I have to deal with it. "As we said, yeah, it's going to be day-to-day, and I'll see how I am tomorrow, and obviously I'm going to do everything I can to be out there tomorrow, and we'll see." Sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that, as of Tuesday, there's no indication Porzingis will be ruled out and not permitted to try to play against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 3 on Wednesday. The Celtics said the injury occurred in the third quarter of their Game 2 victory Sunday. Porzingis could be seen wearing a sleeve and a brace of some sort on his left leg Tuesday,...

Philadelphia Phillies star catcher J.T. Realmuto will undergo surgery on his right knee. The Phillies placed Realmuto on the 10-day injured list Tuesday and announced the three-time All-Star will have a meniscectomy Wednesday in Philadelphia. The team did not disclose a timeline for Realmuto's return. Despite dealing with knee soreness throughout the season, Realmuto but has remained a steady presence for the National League-leading Phillies, batting .261 with seven home runs and 20 RBIs in 51 games. He sat out three consecutive games last month with right knee soreness. In a corresponding roster move Tuesday, the Phillies recalled catcher Rafael Marchan from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Realmuto, 33, becomes the latest Phillies player to be placed on the IL, joining two-time All-Star shortstop Trea Turner (hamstring) and outfielder Brandon Marsh (hamstring). Marchan, 25, had one major league stint with the Phillies earlier this season but did not...

USA Basketball said experience was a major reason Caitlin Clark was not on the U.S. women's Olympic roster that was officially revealed Tuesday. The selection committee didn't believe the talented Clark had enough high-level reps to be a member of the group headed to the Paris Games. The team includes seven players from the group that won gold in Tokyo -- the seventh straight for the Americans. Selection committee chair Jen Rizzotti said the committee was aware of the outside noise and pressure to select Clark, the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft who has drawn millions of new fans to the sport from her record-setting career in college at Iowa to now with the Indiana Fever. "Here's the basketball criteria that we were given as a committee and how do we evaluate our players based on that?" Rizzotti told The Associated Press in an interview. "And when you base your decision on criteria, there were other players that were harder to cut because they checked a lot...

PINEHURST, N.C. --  Rory McIlroy isn't afraid to say the quiet part out loud. "Obviously," McIlroy said Tuesday in his pre-tournament news conference, "getting my hands on a fifth major has taken quite a while." It has been over 10 years since McIlroy has hoisted a major championship trophy, which means every major he participates in features a nearly identical preamble of questions about whether the four-time major winner can finally break the drought. "I'm really proud of my body of work over the past 15 years and everything that I have achieved, whether it be season-long titles or individual tournaments or majors," McIlroy said. "I'm more confident than ever that I'm right there, that I'm as close as I've ever been." Over the past 10 majors, McIlroy has seven top-10 finishes, two runner-ups and only one missed cut. Perhaps even more impressive is how McIlroy shifted his fate at U.S. Opens in particular. After missing the cut in three straight U.S. Opens from 2016 to...

BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper was not in attendance for the first day of mandatory minicamp Tuesday, an absence head coach Kevin Stefanski said was not excused. Stefanski would not confirm if Cooper's absence was contract-related but said "there's been a dialogue" between the team and Cooper's agent. Cooper, who turns 30 next Monday, is entering the final year of a five-year, $100 million deal he originally signed as a member of the Dallas Cowboys. He has a base salary of $20 million in 2024, none of which is guaranteed. Cooper, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, was not seen at any of the team's OTA practices open to media but he was in Cleveland last weekend for tight end David Njoku's celebrity softball game. This offseason, several wide receivers have received lucrative extensions, most recently the Minnesota Vikings' Justin Jefferson and Miami Dolphins' Jaylen Waddle. In March, the Browns traded for ...

PINEHURST, N.C. --  Tiger Woods, who last made the cut at the U.S. Open in 2019, said Tuesday that he likes that this week's tournament will be played in Florida-like heat, which will help his surgically repaired back and right leg. Weather forecasts call for temperatures in the upper 80s to mid-90s later this week with little chance of precipitation, which should help Woods stay loose. "It's like home," said Woods, who lives in Jupiter, Florida. "Hot and humid is what we deal with every single day at home in Florida, so that's nothing new. It's just making sure that I keep hydrated and the mental tax that the heat will bring. It's going to bring it to all of us, not just me. Everyone is going to be tested." Woods, 48, will be making his first appearance in the U.S. Open since missing the cut at Winged Foot Golf Club in New York in 2020. "I feel like I have the strength to be able to do it," Woods said Tuesday, when asked if his body is good enough to compete and win....

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and edge rusher Haason Reddick are skipping the team's mandatory two-day minicamp, the team announced Tuesday. Both absences are unexcused, meaning both players are subject to fines. Reddick's no-show, not entirely unexpected, escalates a contract dispute between the Jets and their biggest offseason addition. Rodgers took the required physical and participated in the team's media day, both on Monday, before leaving town. "Aaron and I spoke before OTAs started," coach Robert Saleh said. "He's very good in communication. He's been here the entire time. It's [unexcused], but he had an event that was very important to him, which he communicated." Rodgers has been a regular at voluntary workouts for the past two offseasons, preaching the importance of building team chemistry and eliminating distractions -- which makes his absence even more conspicuous. The four-time MVP, nine months removed from...

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and edge rusher Haason Reddick are skipping the team's mandatory two-day minicamp, the team announced Tuesday. Both absences are unexcused, meaning both players are subject to fines. Reddick's no-show, not entirely unexpected, escalates a contract dispute between the Jets and their biggest offseason addition. Rodgers took the required physical and participated in the team's media day, both on Monday, before leaving town. "Aaron and I spoke before OTAs started," coach Robert Saleh said. "He's very good in communication. He's been here the entire time. It's unexcused, but he had an event that was very important to him, which he communicated." Rodgers has been a regular at voluntary workouts for the last two offseasons, preaching the importance of building team chemistry and eliminating distractions -- which makes his absence even more conspicuous. The four-time MVP, nine months removed from...

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who counts the Masters among his five titles this year on the PGA Tour, will play the opening two rounds of the U.S. Open alongside Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina. The high-profile group is scheduled to begin the first round Thursday at 1:14 p.m. ET from the first tee. They will begin the second round at 7:29 a.m. Friday from the 10th tee. Scheffler enters the year's third major, considered the toughest test in golf, fresh off a 1-shot triumph at the Memorial Tournament. Schauffele, the world No. 2 who has six top-10 finishes at the U.S. Open, will be looking to build on his PGA Championship victory last month. McIlroy, third in the rankings, is aiming to end his 10-year major drought this week. Defending champion Wyndham Clark, eager to jump-start a season in which he has missed the cut at the first two majors, will be two groups behind, playing alongside ...

PINEHURST, N.C. --  Jon Rahm walked into the U.S. Open news conference room Tuesday with a golf shoe on his right foot, a flip-flop on his left foot, complete with a toe separator. The two-time major winner said the foot injury, which he described as an infection, that caused him to withdraw from last week's LIV Golf tournament in Houston is "a concern" as he prepares for the third major championship of the year. "Could I have dragged myself out there and posted some kind of a score? Yeah." Rahm said of his withdrawal. "But it was getting to a point where I wasn't making the swings I wanted to make, and I could have hurt other parts of my swing just because of the pain. As to right now [playing] this week, I don't know." Rahm said the lesion or cut he suffered is in between his pinkie toe and the next toe on his left foot and that he is unsure how it happened or how it led to an infection. On Saturday in Houston, Rahm received a shot before the round to...

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- In the long and storied history of the San Francisco 49ers, the franchise has earned nearly every honor and accolade available, except one. Since the Madden video game series switched to featuring players on the cover in 2000, no Niner had been chosen -- until now. When Madden NFL 25 releases Aug. 16, 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey will be the cover athlete, EA Sports announced Tuesday. In addition to being the first Niner on the cover in the player-centric era, McCaffrey is the first running back to be on the cover since Adrian Peterson and Barry Sanders in 2013, and the first non-quarterback since Antonio Brown in 2018. Former Niners running back Garrison Hearst appeared on the cover of the international edition of the game in 1999. "It's really humbling," McCaffrey told ESPN. "I feel really grateful because obviously stuff like this is a testament to my teammates, my coaches, people who have helped me be in the...

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- New York Jets edge rusher Haason Reddick didn't report Tuesday for the start of the team's two-day minicamp, escalating a contract dispute between the Jets and their biggest offseason acquisition. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers also is not attending minicamp. Coach Robert Saleh called it an "inexcused" absence, meaning Rodgers is subject to a fine. Saleh said Rodgers told him beforehand that he had a previous commitment to an event that "is important to him." Reddick, 29, acquired in a March 29 trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, is due to make a non-guaranteed $14.25 million in base pay in the final year of the contract he signed with the Eagles in 2022. His no-show caps an offseason in which he skipped all voluntary workouts. Because the minicamp is mandatory, Reddick is subject to a $16,953 fine for missing the first day and $33,908 for the second day. He already has forfeited a $250,000 workout bonus. General manager Joe...

NEW YORK -- The first month of the WNBA season drew its highest attendance since the league's second season in 1998 and the best television ratings in its history, the WNBA announced Tuesday. The figures are the latest evidence of the surging popularity of the WNBA since it added prominent rookies including Indiana's Caitlin Clark, Chicago's Angel Reese and Los Angeles' Cameron Brink, all of whom drew big audiences playing in college. Across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, CBS, ION and NBA TV, WNBA games are averaging 1.32 million viewers, nearly tripling last season's average of 462,000, the league said Tuesday. "What's happening now in women's basketball is confirmation of what we've always known: The demand is there, and women's sports is a valuable investment," said Colie Edison, the WNBA's chief growth officer. "We're encouraged by growing engagement across all our verticals, especially as we welcome new and diverse audiences into our fandom. The WNBA continues to...