Sports

Long wait is over for Cam Ward, Travis Hunter and other draft prospects about to join the NFL

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Cam Ward, Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter and 12 other prospects will walk the red carpet at Lambeau Field before going backstage at the NFL draft theater to wait for their name to be called Thursday night. All their hard work paid off. It’s time to enjoy the moment before joining their new teams to work even harder. Ward shouldn’t wait long. The Tennessee Titans are poised to select the Miami quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick. Hunter, the two-way star and Heisman Trophy winner from Colorado, is likely heading to the Cleveland Browns with the second pick. Carter, a premier edge rusher out of Penn State, is a favorite to go third to the New York Giants.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is ready for more celebratory hugs that can turn into heavy lifting

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Nobody lifts more weight at the NFL draft than Commissioner Roger Goodell. His celebratory hugs with excited first-round picks originated 15 years ago and endured through his back surgery last year. Some players squeeze Goodell so hard they end up lifting him up in the air. Sometimes, the roles get reversed and Goodell does all the carrying. That’s hard work for a 66-year-old man, even one who is in shape. Last year, Goodell had surgery on his back a few weeks before the draft. He walking around gingerly in the days leading up to it and his chiropractor joined him in Detroit. He just had his one-year checkup after back surgery and is cleared for lift-off.

On the brink of the NFL draft, the biggest question surrounds Shedeur Sanders and where he’s going

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The main question everyone is asking ahead of the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday night is where Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders going. They’re not just debating it on television and sports radio. Even casual football fans in town for other business are wondering which team is going to pick “Prime Time’s” son. That was a discussion among a group sitting at a restaurant near Lambeau Field on Wednesday. In a draft loaded with talented players, Sanders has dominated the conversation in the days leading up to it.

Former Phillies slugger Ryan Howard makes pitch for Negro Leagues Baseball Museum expansion

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Former Philadelphia Phillies slugger Ryan Howard and San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt announced their plans Thursday to join the Negro Leagues’ “Pitch for the Future” in bringing greater awareness to the legacy of the Negro Leagues with a museum expansion. The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is fundraising for a new 30,000-square-foot facility and campus, aimed at advancing the museum’s mission of preserving the rich history of Negro Leagues baseball and its impact on social progress in the United States. The museum is trying to raise $30 million and open in 2027.

Chicago Bears great Steve McMichael dies at 67 after battle with ALS

CHICAGO (AP) — Steve McMichael, a star defensive tackle on the Chicago Bears’ famed 1985 Super Bowl championship team, has died following a battle with ALS. He was 67. McMichael’s publicist, Betsy Shepherd, told The Associated Press that he died Wednesday afternoon. McMichael had a larger-than-life personality that made him a fixture in the Windy City for decades and a natural for professional wrestling. He was a two-time All-Pro and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024. He ranks second to Richard Dent on the Bears’ career sacks list. McMichael revealed in April 2021 that he was battling ALS.

Judge delays $2.8 billion NCAA settlement to address roster limit concerns. Attorneys warn of chaos

The judge overseeing the sprawling $2.8 billion antitrust lawsuit settlement involving the NCAA and the nation’s five largest conferences has delayed final approval of the plan until it is modified to address concerns about roster limits. U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken signaled she is ready to approve the rest of the settlement but wants both sides to come up with a way to not harm current athletes who will lose their spots on teams. The settlement calls for scholarship limits to be replaced by roster limits. Some attorneys argued that Wilken’s order could throw college sports into chaos.

Golden State’s Jimmy Butler leaves game with pelvis contusion and his status for Game 3 is unknown

HOUSTON (AP) — Golden State’s Jimmy Butler sustained a pelvis contusion after taking a hard fall on a foul by Amen Thompson late in the first quarter and missed the rest of the Warriors’ 109-94 loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. Coach Steve Kerr said he wasn’t sure if Butler would be available for Game 3 on Saturday. He’s scheduled to have an MRI exam Thursday. Butler was injured when Thompson was pushed into his legs as he jumped to try and grab a rebound. Both players crashed to the court in the collision, but Butler stayed down longer than Thompson.

Jalen Green makes eight 3s with 38 points to help Rockets even series with 109-94 win over Warriors

HOUSTON (AP) — Jalen Green made eight 3-pointers and scored 38 points to lead the Houston Rockets to a 109-94 win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night in a testy matchup to even the first-round Western Conference series at one game apiece. The seventh-seeded Warriors never led and played short-handed for most of the night after Jimmy Butler left with a pelvis contusion after a hard fall on a foul late in the first quarter. Green, the No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft, rebounded from a flop in his playoff debut, when he scored just seven points on 3-of-15 shooting, with a dominant Game 2.

Mitchell scores 30 points, Cavaliers hold off Heat 121-112 to take 2-0 lead in NBA playoff series

CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, and the Cleveland Cavaliers held on for a 121-112 victory over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night for a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series. The top-seeded Cavaliers set an NBA playoff record with 11 3-pointers in the second quarter and had 22 for the game. However, Cleveland had to hold off a second-half charge by Miami. Tyler Herro scored 33 points for Miami, which hosts Game 3 on Saturday afternoon.