2:42 PM ET As if there wasn’t enough juice to the season opener between the rival Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings, one player who has switched sides gave it a little extra. Za’Darius Smith, who signed with the Vikings this offseason after three seasons with the Packers, criticized how his former team handled the
1:07 PM ET Eric WoodyardESPN ALLEN PARK, Mich. — The Detroit Lions have placed starting guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai on injured reserve ahead of Sunday’s season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, Vaitai’s former team. Lions coach Dan Campbell confirmed Wednesday that Vaitai has a back injury, which occurred during the preseason finale in Pittsburgh on Aug.
12:56 PM ET Associated Press NASCAR is investigating a spate of car fires that left one championship contender fuming after his Ford erupted into an inferno during the opening playoff race. Kevin Harvick lashed out at NASCAR and the new Next Gen car after his inexplicably caught fire at Darlington Raceway. The Next Gen debuted
11:32 AM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” The Major League Baseball Players Association joined the AFL-CIO on Wednesday, strengthening its ties to the larger labor movement as it endeavors to significantly expand its membership by unionizing minor league players.
1:44 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — A radio host has admitted he falsely claimed agent Casey Close never informed first baseman Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves‘ last contract offer. Doug Gottlieb tweeted on June 29 that “Casey Close never told Freddie Freeman about the Braves final offer.” Close and Excel Sports Management
10:25 AM ET New York Mets ace Max Scherzer is headed back to the injured list, the latest hit to a reeling club that has seen its National League East lead evaporate. The Mets placed Scherzer on the 15-day IL, retroactive to Saturday, with left side irritation amid a series of roster moves before Wednesday’s
1:10 PM ET As Aaron Judge continues his pursuit of home run history, the New York Yankees continue to prepare for their offseason contract negotiations with the superstar outfielder. Team president Randy Levine said during a recent interview that Judge is “an all-time Yankee” and emphasized that the franchise “will be extraordinarily competitive” in its
11:02 AM ET Associated Press VIRGINIA WATER, England — When Rory McIlroy runs into some of his former Ryder Cup teammates at Wentworth this week, don’t expect them to spend much time reminiscing about fond memories. European Ryder Cup stalwarts Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter are among the contingent of LIV Golf players
Big Picture It’s a dead game as far as the tournament goes but try telling that to India and Afghanistan – both hurting after a series of heartbreaking losses. Now, before they hop on an early flight home, there’s pride and some game time to accrue as they build towards the T20 World Cup. Surely
6:00 AM ET KANSAS CITY, Mo. — If it feels like 2019 all over to Steve Spagnuolo, there’s a good reason for that. The Kansas City Chiefs overhauled their defense again, much like they did three years ago, right after Spagnuolo joined the Chiefs as their defensive coordinator. This time, the Chiefs will have as