3:18 PM ET Associated Press DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Houston Texans star J.J. Watt will serve as the grand marshal for the Daytona 500, making him the first NFL player to give the command for drivers to starts their engines before NASCAR’s most famous race. Daytona International Speedway made the announcement Monday, six days before
7:00 AM ET CHICAGO — Eventually, Willson Contreras got bored. The offseason had gone on long enough. The Chicago Cubs catcher was used to playing baseball deep into the fall, but a team-wide offensive flameout last year led to a long winter. So on Monday morning, a day before catchers and pitchers reported, Contreras was
2:40 PM ET Wisconsin offensive lineman Jon Dietzen is retiring because of injuries sustained during his playing career. Dietzen, who started 32 games for the Badgers, announced his decision Monday on Twitter. pic.twitter.com/23N0axftxy — Dietzen (@DietzenJon) February 11, 2019 He started 12 games at left tackle for Wisconsin in 2018, missing one contest because of
2:36 PM ET Associated Press MIAMI — Derek Jeter stood and chatted a few rows from home plate in Marlins Park on Monday morning. His words were sometimes drowned out by noises coming from construction crews; steel clanging against steel in an area getting built behind the center field wall, or the whirring of engines
1:09 PM ET Kyler Murray has tweeted that he is “fully committing my life and time to becoming an NFL quarterback,” answering the question of whether he will choose football or baseball. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner posted a statement on his Twitter account Monday, four days before he was scheduled to report to spring
2:21 PM ET Adrian WojnarowskiESPN Atlanta Hawks guard Jeremy Lin is finalizing a contract buyout, clearing the way for him to sign with the Toronto Raptors, his agents told ESPN. Agents Jim Tanner and Roger Montgomery were expected to complete the buyout with the Hawks as soon as Monday, they said, and Lin could sign
2:34 PM ET The Cleveland Browns signed troubled running back Kareem Hunt on Monday. A source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Hunt signed a one-year contract. He will be a restricted free agent after the contract expires, meaning the Browns will control his rights after next season. The Kansas City Chiefs released Hunt in December
1:58 PM ET METAIRIE, La. — The New Orleans Saints completed an overhaul of their special teams coaching staff on Monday by announcing they hired former Miami Dolphins coordinator Darren Rizzi. Rizzi, 48, had lasted with three different head coaches during an impressive 10-year run in Miami. And he interviewed for the Dolphins’ head coaching
2:23 PM ET Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Los Angeles Kings have traded forward Nate Thompson and a fifth-round pick to the Montreal Canadiens for a fourth-round pick. Each pick is in the 2019 draft. The teams announced the trade Monday before the Kings faced the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals. Thompson has four
7:00 AM ET Bryce Harper and Manny Machado remain unsigned. As pitchers and catchers begin reporting this week to Arizona and Florida, that remains the big story across the majors, an ugly blot on what otherwise is a cheerful time of the year: The return of baseball. Still, there are many other spring stories to