l Page 176 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Dream to move five 2026 games into larger Hawks arena
The Atlanta Dream will move five games of the upcoming WNBA season into the Atlanta Hawks' State Farm Arena in anticipation of high ticket demand.,The Dream play most of their home games at the intimate 3,500-seat Gateway Center Arena in nearby College Park. The Hawks' home arena has a capacity of 1...

Mariners place SS J.P. Crawford (shoulder) on IL to start season
The Seattle Mariners will open the season with shortstop J.P. Crawford on the 10-day injured list because of right shoulder inflammation.,Crawford, 31, played in seven games this spring, batting .125 with a stolen base and three RBIs. The injury is not believed to be serious, with Leo Rivas expected...

Reds place LHP Nick Lodolo (blister) on IL to begin season
Cincinnati Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo will open the season in the injured list because of a blister issue, while right-hander Jose Franco was recalled Wednesday after he had been optioned to Triple-A.,Lodolo, 28, had been dealing with a blister on his left index finger after he delivered a 7.24 ER...

Lightning captain Victor Hedman taking leave of absence
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman is taking a temporary leave of absence for personal reasons, the team announced on Wednesday.,Hedman, a defenseman, logged just 4:44 of ice time before exiting Tampa Bay's 6-2 victory versus the Vancouver Canucks last Thursday due to an illness. He has sat o...

Alabama, Ohio State pro days draw decision-makers by the dozen
Decision-makers flocked to Columbus for Ohio State's annual pro day on Wednesday with more than a dozen general managers and head coaches confirmed in attendance to see the Buckeyes strut their stuff. ,A flex for the pro pipeline developed by head coach Ryan Day and his well-paid coaching staff, the...

Champion Seahawks to kick off 2026 NFL season on a Wednesday
The Seattle Seahawks will begin the first step in their defense of their Super Bowl title on a Wednesday as opposed to the traditional Thursday opener to the NFL's regular season.,The NFL has yet to announce an opponent for the Seahawks, who will host the 2026 opener on Sept. 9.,Seattle is playing o...

Injury-ridden Panthers, with playoffs unlikely, welcome Wild
The Florida Panthers, who have won the past two Stanley Cup titles, never thought they'd be in their current predicament.,But largely due to a multitude of injuries, the Panthers (35-32-3, 73 points) are on the brink of playoff elimination with a dozen games remaining in the regular season. They are...

Report: Las Vegas to host Super Bowl after 2028 season
Las Vegas is expected to be selected by NFL owners as the host city for Super Bowl LXIII after the 2028 season, ESPN reported on Wednesday.,The voting will take place during next week's annual league meeting in Phoenix.,Per ESPN, one source said the Super Bowl's return to Allegiant Stadium is a "mat...

Mariners, Guardians return from playoff seasons to meet in opener
The Seattle Mariners will set sail on their 50th season Thursday.,It is a voyage they hope will take them to the World Series for the first time and it begins with a visit from the Cleveland Guardians.,The Mariners came as close as they ever have to reaching that destination last season, losing to t...

Phillies' Cristopher Sanchez gets Opening Day nod vs. Rangers
The Philadelphia Phillies showed their faith in Cristopher Sanchez last weekend by signing the left-hander to a six-year, $107 million contract extension.,While that deal officially begins in 2027, Sanchez will likely have a bounce in his step on Thursday afternoon when he takes the mound as the Phi...

Star turn: 10 MLB players poised for '26 breakout
If you like to watch rookies and other young players on the verge of breaking out in Major League Baseball, it's a good time to be a fan. ,With Opening Day upon us, let's take a quick look at 10 players (rookies and others) who are on the verge of making a big name for themselves in MLB.,RHP Shane B...

Cards to open season with OF Lars Nootbaar on 60-day IL
The St. Louis Cardinals will be without outfielder Lars Nootbaar at least through the first two months of the season after he was placed on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.,Nootbaar underwent surgery in October for bone spurs in both heels that affected the Achilles tendon. His recovery timetable ...

Panthers' Anton Lundell (rib) likely out for rest of season
Florida Panthers forward Anton Lundell likely will sit out the remainder of the season as he nurses a rib injury.,Lundell is expected to be sidelined from two to six weeks for the Panthers (35-32,3, 73 points), who reside 12 points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 12 g...

Final World Cup ticketing phase is first-come, first-served
Fans looking for one last opportunity to get tickets to this summer's FIFA World Cup in North America will get their chance on April 1.,And that's no joke.,FIFA announced Wednesday that a fourth and final phase of ticket sales will take place starting at 11 a.m. ET on April 1 and will remain open th...

Singer Darius Rucker joins Legacy Motor Club ownership
Singer-songwriter Darius Rucker confirmed Wednesday that he has joined the ownership group for NASCAR's Legacy Motor Club.,The team co-owned by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion driver Jimmie Johnson and Knighthead Capital Management was rebranded in 2021, formerly known as Petty GMS Motorsports...

NFL-backed flag football event averaged approx. 650K viewers
The Fanatics Flag Football Classic didn't exactly resonate with the masses this past weekend, as it drew an average television audience of 641,000 on Fox for the round-robin competition.,The title game didn't draw much better, averaging 649,000, per FrontOfficeSports.com.,It likely did itself no fav...
Why NBA Expansion Might Not Be the Best Look for the League Right Now
Reports suggest NBA expansion is likely, with Seattle and Las Vegas as top candidates. But is adding new teams the right move for the league amid tanking and declining ratings?...

Embracing youth movement, Cardinals set for opener vs. Rays
The St. Louis Cardinals will look a lot younger when they host the Tampa Bay Rays on Opening Day on Thursday afternoon.,The Cardinals traded veterans Nolan Arenado (Arizona Diamondbacks), Willson Contreras (Boston Red Sox) and Brendan Donovan (Seattle Mariners) for prospects during the offseason, le...
How Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s Extension With Seahawks Complicates Things for Rams
The Seattle Seahawks signed Jaxon Smith-Njigba to a four-year, $168.8M deal, making him the league’s highest-paid wide receiver. How will this impact the Rams and Puka Nacua’s market value?...
Why the 2026 NBA Awards Could Be Vulnerable to Gambling Influence
A provocative look at the NBA Rookie of the Year race and how gambling concerns could raise questions about awards voting....