NBA suspends Clippers owner Ballmer, fines team $30M, Kawhi Leonard $700K in cap circumvention case
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer was suspended for one year by the NBA, and the team was ordered to forfeit five first-round draft picks and pay a $30 million fine for violating salary cap circumvention rules in a case involving Kawhi Leonard. Also, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank has been banned for six months and team president of business operations Gillian Zucker was suspended for one year. Leonard was hit with a $700,000 penalty. The league's decision follows a nearly yearlong investigation. The penalties reflect the league's firm stance on maintaining fair play and financial integrity. The Clippers say they will challenge the decision.
Tiger Woods pleads no contest to reckless driving charge over rollover crash in Florida
STUART, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods has pleaded no contest to a reckless driving charge in Florida. Woods was arrested in March following a rollover crash near his home on Jupiter Island and was initially charged with driving under the influence. The golf legend appeared Wednesday in court in Martin County to enter his plea on the lesser charge. Authorities say deputies found two pain pills in Woods' pocket after the crash, and he showed signs of impairment. He did a Breathalyzer test, which came out negative, but refused to take a urine test. Woods said little during the hearing. He arrived at the courthouse with his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, President Donald Trump’s former daughter-in-law.
Aryna Sabalenka powers her way into the third round of the US Open in just 53 minutes
NEW YORK (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka came to the U.S. Open struggling and in danger of losing the No. 1 ranking. She heads to the third round looking every bit ready for a three-peat. The top-seeded Sabalenka overwhelmed Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1 in 53 minutes on Wednesday night, putting on a power-hitting display that made it seems her recent problems are in the past. Sabalenka is trying to become the first player to win three in a row in Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams from 2012-14. Carlos Alcaraz also moved into the third round by beating Jaime Faria in four sets.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes appears on track to start Week 1 against the Denver Broncos
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes remains on track to start for the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos. The two-time MVP has been focused on returning since undergoing knee surgery in December. Doctors initially thought he might not be ready until October, but Mahomes exceeded expectations in his rehab. He worked with the first team throughout training camp, though he didn't play in any preseason games. Chiefs coach Andy Reid confirmed Mahomes will continue practicing. The team faces some uncertainty with their offensive line because of injuries, but they're making adjustments to ensure protection for Mahomes.
Shohei Ohtani feels good, but the Dodgers still won’t commit to his next start
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers remain undecided about Shohei Ohtani's return to pitching this season. The two-way superstar hasn't pitched in two months due to pain in his left knee and right biceps. Last week, he threw a 20-pitch bullpen session in Detroit but was scratched from a potential start two days later. Manager Dave Roberts says Ohtani feels good physically. However, he won't know the next step until he sees Ohtani throw another bullpen. Ohtani was 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts before being shut down. At this time, Roberts says isn't a candidate to start at the outfield corners.
Klint Kubiak selects Kirk Cousins as Raiders starting QB for opener against Miami
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Kirk Cousins, as expected, will be the Raiders’ starting quarterback when Las Vegas opens its season at home Sept. 13 against Miami, coach Klint Kubiak announced Wednesday. Cousins ran the first-team offense nearly the entire preseason with rookie and No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza working mostly with the second unit. The Raiders kept three quarterbacks; Aidan O’Connell returns for his fourth season. Running back Ashton Jeanty, who suffered an injury in practice Aug. 23, could be ready to go in the opener. When asked if he was optimistic that Jeanty would play against the Dolphins, a smiling Kubiak said, “Yes."
NCAA clears University of Cincinnati of wrongdoing in Brendan Sorsby gambling investigation
CINCINNATI (AP) — The NCAA has cleared the University of Cincinnati of any wrongdoing in its investigation of former quarterback Brendan Sorsby. A university spokesman said the inquiry is closed. Sorsby played the 2024 and 2025 seasons for the Bearcats before transferring to Texas Tech. He was ruled permanently ineligible by the NCAA in April after he placed thousands of impermissible sports bets over the past four years at Indiana and Cincinnati. Sorsby was found to have committed an NCAA Level III violation at Cincinnati when the ProhiBet app on Sorsby’s phone flagged him trying to make a bet, but he was denied access to the betting site.
NFL eager for future Australia games, not worried about potential stadium scheduling conflict in '27
The NFL isn't worried about a potential scheduling conflict at the Melbourne Cricket Ground next year as it continues to plan future trips to Australia to stage regular season games. The Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers will meet at the 100,000-seat stadium next week, but it could be unavailable to the NFL at this time next year because the Australian Football League will need the venue for its postseason. Without giving details, NFL executive vice president Peter O’Reilly downplayed the potential for disruption caused by this scheduling conflict during a conference call to highlight the league’s Australian debut.
Carlos Alcaraz recovers after dropping the first set to reach the second round at the US Open
NEW YORK (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz was already in the final by the time he dropped a set last year in the U.S. Open. When it happened in his second match this year, he didn’t look back. The defending champion rebounded from a quick deficit by winning eight straight games and beat Jaime Faria 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 on Wednesday night. The No. 2-seeded Alcaraz, in his second match back after missing four months with a right wrist injury, dropped his serve in the first set but soon was back to playing long stretches of flawless tennis.
The Cowboys are getting preseason buzz again. One handicapper says this time feels different
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys always get plenty of attention, but this year some bookmakers think they could make some noise in the NFC East. Longtime handicapper Bruce Marshall says the division sets up well for “America's Team” as well as the New York Giants under new coach John Harbaugh. Depending on the sportsbook, the Cowboys have odds of 20-1 to 25-1 to win the Super Bowl. The Los Angeles Rams remain consensus favorites to win the Super Bowl at 5-1 after they brought in defensive stars Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald. Other teams among the favorites include the Bills, Ravens and defending champion Seahawks.
