Sports

6:19 PM ET NBA free agency doesn’t begin until June 30 at 6 p.m. ET, but the news is already rolling in from around the Association. Much of the early buzz is coming out of New York, where Kyrie Irving‘s contract status has pundits and fans speculating about the future of the Brooklyn Nets‘ star

12:50 PM ET OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Jaylon Ferguson died from the combined effects of fentanyl and cocaine, according to medical examiners on Friday. A spokesman for the Maryland Department of Heath said Ferguson’s death on June 21 was ruled an accident. He was 26. Ferguson died after police responded to

8:30 AM ET The British fleet had the Spanish Armada. The United States had the Soviet Union. The Beatles had the Rolling Stones. Now the SEC has the Big Ten. For others in the world of college sports, hearing that hurts. The truth always does. Just as there were other navies, other nations and other

8:09 AM ET The year’s final major, The Open at St. Andrews, is looming in two weeks. But there is still work to be done in the United States, and that includes a longtime stop on the PGA Tour — the John Deere Classic — which begins Thursday. Get ESPN+ here | Download the app

4:00 PM ET ESPN News Services NEW YORK — Houston Astros left fielder Yordan Alvarez and shortstop Jeremy Pena were hurt when they collided in the eighth inning of Wednesday’s game against the New York Mets while running down a popup. With Pena shifted to the right side and the game scoreless, Dominic Smith popped

8:00 AM ET Cale Makar can occasionally make your jaw drop off the ice, too. The Colorado Avalanche defenseman attended the Stanley Cup Final media day recently when he was asked about the matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning, a team seeking a three-peat. “Obviously, they’re a team that’s looking to become a dynasty, and

4:30 AM ET Sophie Lawson Sweden‘s ascension to become one of the favourites at Euro 2022 this summer has been, so it seems, a long time coming. When the sport was waking from its imposed slumber at the start of 1970 after bans on women’s football were lifted, you only had to look to the

10:59 AM BST The Rugby Football Union and Premiership Rugby have issued an apology to Luther Burrell after he said racism was “rife” in the sport. Burrell, 32, told the Daily Mail that racist “banter” was common among teammates, with the former England centre saying he was subjected to discriminatory language including comments about slavery.

9:06 AM ET Jeff Wagenheim A pay-per-view event headlined by two championship bouts used to be a special occasion. Now it’s practically a business model. UFC 276, which takes place Saturday in Las Vegas (10 p.m. on ESPN+ PPV), will be the company’s fourth straight PPV with a pair of fights with belts on the

12:27 AM ET Associated Press LEBANON, Tenn. — Chase Elliott salvaged a crummy day for Hendrick Motorsports and interrupted a potential Toyota rout by winning the rain-drenched race at Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday night. Elliott recovered from an early issue that dropped him deep into the field to take the lead with 38 laps remaining

7:48 PM ET Associated Press BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Padraig Harrington holed a 30-foot birdie putt on the 15th right when the last of his five-shot lead was about to vanish, and he closed with three tough pars for a 1-over 72 to hold off Steve Stricker and win the U.S. Senior Open on Sunday. Harrington

7:07 AM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com This year, Wimbledon will feature some of the sport’s all-time greats. But there will be just one 23-time major champion on the grass at the All England Club. Serena Williams is set to make her eagerly anticipated return to competition on Tuesday when she takes on Harmony Tan in the

7:56 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Junior bantamweight champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez defends his WBC title against former champ Srisaket Sor Rungvisai on Saturday in the main event of a DAZN show at the Tech Port Arena in San Antonio (8 p.m. ET). The card includes two other title fights. Rodriguez (15-0, 10 KOs), of San

3:15 PM ET Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill said on the newest episode of his podcast that he received death threats on social media after he said he thought Tua Tagovailoa was a more accurate passer than Patrick Mahomes. “On every social media account I own, I got death threats on,” Hill said on

8:00 AM ET Gay people have made strides in many sectors of American professional life. An openly gay man runs Apple, presides as the governor of Colorado, and an open lesbian runs a Fortune 500 company. But in the highest reaches of men’s basketball, gay people are almost invisible. In 2011, 58-year-old Phoenix Suns CEO

7:00 AM ET ESPN staff The 2022 Stanley Cup Final could be decided Friday night in Denver, with the Colorado Avalanche holding a 3-1 lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Who needs to step up for the Lightning to force the series back to Tampa? Who is the Conn Smythe favorite? Will the Avs lift

7:00 AM ET Pete ThamelESPN CINCINNATI — When the Keurig coffee maker behind Luke Fickell’s desk finally sputtered out too many grinds this winter, he asked for a replacement. When a shiny Nespresso machine eventually appeared in its place, the upgrade immediately offended Fickell’s sensibilities. Was it too fancy? Did folks around the Bearcats football

6:10 PM ET Associated Press The New York Racing Association suspended trainer Bob Baffert for one year Thursday for repeated medication violations, A panel credited Baffert for time served from an initial suspension that makes the two-time Triple Crown-winner eligible to saddle horses in New York again Jan. 26. The final decision marks the end

7:00 AM ET While the Yankees pull away from other American League powers, competition in the National League is starting to heat up 11 weeks into the season. The Braves are making a push for the Mets at the top of the NL East, while the Dodgers are barely holding onto the No. 1 spot

4:49 PM ET Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C. — O. Bruton Smith, who emerged from rural North Carolina and parlayed his love of motorsports into becoming a NASCAR Hall of Famer and one of its most eccentric and successful promoters, died Wednesday. He was 95. His death was announced by Speedway Motorsports LLC, the company formed