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Articles by Dan Lyons
Group of 6 Power Rankings: A String of Upsets Leads to an Overhauled Top 10
As we've outlined over the last few weeks, the current Group of 6 race for the College Football Playoff race is centered on four programs . However, circumstances in this sport can change on a dime, and we saw that transpire in Week 5.
ESPN Floats 20-Team College Football Playoff With Four Play-in Games. Here's How It Might Look.
The upcoming 2026–27 season will conclude with the third-edition of the 12-team College Football Playoff, the first expanded format in the FBS playoff's history after the sport's top division shifted away from the BCS in favor of a four-team playoff beginning in 2014–15. And yet, there's a good chance it is also the final 12-team CFP. So far, the 12-team event has been positively received ...
Knicks NBA Championship Parade: Live Updates, Celebrity Sightings, Best Moments From New York Ceremony
The day that New Yorkers have been anticipating for decades is finally here. For the first time, the Knicks will enjoy their first-ever championship parade through Manhattan's Canyon of Heroes. New York captured its third NBA title on Saturday, beating the Spurs 94–90 in yet another thriller, capturing the series in five games. With it, they have earned the first parade in franchise history, as they weren't held during the early 1970s when they won their first two rings.
Tallest NBA Players of 2025–26 (and All Time)
The NBA was taken over by a three-point revolution in the last decade, forever changing how basketball is played. The stylistic shift hasn't erased the importance of tall forwards and centers, however. It has forced them to adapt their games so that just about every player on the court can spread the floor and avoid clogging the lane. That much is clear in 2025–26, as Victor Wembanyama has ascended into true superstar status.
Spurs at Thunder Game 5: Live Updates, Stats From Western Conference Finals
In a playoffs full of signature performances by 22-year-old Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama , Game 4 of the Western Conference finals stands out, as he led San Antonio to a dominant 103–82 victory to even the series. No one has had that kind of defensive success against the 2025 champions since they were still in clear tank mode four years ago Still, OKC is nothing if not resilient, as we saw with their answer to their overtime loss in Game 1.
SI Quiz: Can You Name All 14 Players Who Have Won Consecutive NBA MVP Awards?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander captured the NBA's MVP award on Sunday , taking home the league's biggest individual prize for a second consecutive season. Gilgeous-Alexander posted incredible numbers yet again, scoring 31.1 points per game (his fourth straight year with an average over 30), 4.3 rebounds and a career-high 6.6 assists per game. He shot 55.3% from the field and 38.6% from the three, his best mark from deep since 2020–21, and knocked down 87.9% of his free throws.
How the Raptors' Season Grades Out After Game 7 Elimination Against Cavaliers
One of the NBA's most tightly-contested first-round series came to an end on Sunday night, as the Cavaliers scored a statement Game 7 victory over the Raptors, 114–102 Home court advantage proved to be everything in the series. The home team won all seven games, most of which were quite competitive, though Cleveland left nothing to chance in the second half against Toronto.
Cavaliers vs. Raptors Game 7 Scores, Live Updates: Cleveland, Toronto Set for Win-or-Go Home Finale
It all comes down to this. The Cavaliers, the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, won Games 1, 2 and 5 in Cleveland. The fifth-seeded Raptors captured Games 3, 4 and 6 across the northern border. The series returns to Rocket Arena for a do-or-die Game 7 for both teams. Based on the trends of the series, it should be advantage Cavaliers at home, though anything can happen in a one-off elimination game-especially coming off of three games decided by five points or fewer.
Adam Silver Pledges NBA's Loyalty to Memphis, With One LeBron James-Inspired Wrinkle
Expansion is top of mind for the NBA these days. After years of putting off discussions, the league is now openly exploring the possibility of adding Western Conference teams in Seattle and Las Vegas . The belief is that the league would add new teams to these markets, but comments made by LeBron James during a YouTube golf show earlier this month put an existing team's home in the spotlight, opening questions about whether the Grizzlies should leave Memphis.
Ranking Each First Round NBA Playoff Series by Watchability After Game 1
One weekend into the 2026 NBA playoffs and the separation between the haves and have-nots seems pretty clear. Seven of the eight Game 1s played on Saturday and Sunday were won by the home team, with the No. 8-seeded Magic's upset of the Pistons standing out as the only real stunning result. (The Lakers were a mild home underdog to the Rockets but Kevin Durant's absence made L.A.'s win far from surprising).
NBA Playoffs: Live Updates, Scores As Cavaliers vs. Raptors Tip Off First of Four Saturday Games
The NBA playoffs are finally here. After a long 82-game regular season and a largely exciting three-day play-in tournament, the 16 teams that will compete for the Larry O'Brien Trophy are set. The East features the Pistons, Celtics, Knicks, Cavaliers, Raptors, Hawks, 76ers and Magic. In the West, the Thunder, Spurs, Nuggets, Lakers, Rockets, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers and Suns are competing for the title. The playoffs tip off at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, with Game 1 of Cleveland vs.
Five wild stats show just how badly Michigan dominated Arizona
No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 1 Arizona was billed as a battle of the titans. Instead, it was yet another runaway victory for the Wolverines in a March Madness run full of them. Michigan dominated its Final Four matchup against the Wildcats, 91–73, and if possible the final score doesn’t accurately reflect how much of a beatdown Saturday night’s men’s NCAA tournament semifinal game was.
‘Fins Up': Long Island University Sharks Are the NCAA Tournament's Feel-Good Team
Fins Up is coming to the Big Dance. After a heartbreaking end to the 2024–25 season, Long Island University's basketball team discussed how they could reach new heights the following year. The Sharks' prior season ended on their home floor at the hands of Saint Francis (Pa.), who went on to clinch the NEC's automatic bid into the men's NCAA tournament with a win over Central Connecticut.
Women's March Madness 2026: Game Times, TV Channels and Full NCAA Tournament Schedule
UConn is back and may be better than ever. The Huskies took home their 12th national championship a year ago, sending Paige Bueckers to the WNBA in style after her illustrious college career. And even without the reigning Rookie of the Year, Geno Auriemma's 2025–26 UConn team may be even better, with Sarah Strong emerging as a superstar alongside established guard Azzi Fudd, the Most Outstanding Player of last year's Final Four.
Why RGIII Says Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons Should Absolutely Sit Out 2026 Season
Robert Griffin III was both one of the most impressive rookie quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL, and a cautionary tale about the impact of returning too early from injuries, both during a season and after surgery. Days after ACL injuries prematurely ended the seasons of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Packers defensive end Micah Parsons-two of the NFL's brightest stars-Griffin preached patience for them both. Griffin suffered an LCL sprain on Dec.
Biotech stocks to deliver hearty returns by year's end
Biotech is on track to deliver this year one of its best years of annual returns since the sector’s heady days of the Covid pandemic. The S&P Biotechnology Select Industry Index, a benchmark of small-, mid- and large-cap biotech stocks, is up 25% for the year through October. Should the gains hold, it would be the first year of double-digit returns for the index since 2020 – a feat made all the more remarkable given that by early April, the benchmark was down by more than -20%.
ESPN's Ryan Clark Apologizes After Awkward 'Non-Player' Comments About Peter Schrager
ESPN has generally succeeded in blending former athletes and analysts from the journalism world in its increasingly debate-based programming. Those two worlds don't always perfectly mesh, however, as was clear during Friday's episode of Get Up, in a segment about the Eagles' tight win over the Cowboys in the NFL opener on Thursday night. The segment centered on the teams' star wide receivers.
'I'm Where I Want to Be': Athletics Star Shuts Down Trade Talks Ahead of Deadline
Athletics slugger Brent Rooker says he won't be dealt as the rebuilding franchise approaches the upcoming MLB trade deadline. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images With a week until the MLB trade deadline, the Athletics remain a franchise in transition. And yet, West Sacramento is exactly where slugger Brent Rooker wants to be. At 42–62 and in the AL West basement, the A's are hurtling towards a fourth consecutive season below .500, and fifth without a playoff berth.
Packers Double Down on Bold Position Change for Fourth-Year Wide Receiver
On one side of the ball, the Packers have an absolute glut of young wide receivers, with first-round pick Matthew Golden joining a group of productive, if not overwhelming, players including Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, Mecole Hardman and, when healthy, Christian Watson. Opposite that group, Green Bay's cornerback corps is pretty limited, especially after the release of two-time All-Pro Jaire Alexander.
Date for Former Alabama MBB Player Darius Miles’s Murder Trial Is Set
Editors' note: This story contains details of gun violence. If you or someone you know is a survivor of gun violence or is coping and needs to speak with someone, please call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or visit https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline. Former Alabama men's basketball player Darius Miles was indicted on capital murder charges in March 2023, two months after the January shooting that killed Jamea Jonae Harris on The Strip in Tusaloosa, Ala.
Bronny James vs. Cooper Flagg Summer League Ticket Prices: Cheapest, Most Expensive Tickets
NBA Summer League kicks off in Las Vegas on Thursday, July 10, and one of the most hotly anticipated matchups will take place on Day 1 at the Thomas & Mack Center: Bronny James and the Lakers against 2025 No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg and the Mavericks. The game was announced shortly after Flagg officially became the top pick in the NBA draft, and will serve as his Summer League debut with Dallas.
Myles Turner Signs With Pacers’ Eastern Conference Foe After NBA Finals Run
In the wake of the Indiana Pacers' NBA Finals loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, coach Rick Carlisle calls retaining center Myles Turner the team's "No. 1 priority" in free agency. It appears that the loss of Tyrese Haliburton for most, if not all, of the upcoming 2025–26 season changed the equation for the Pacers front office. Turner has signed a four-year, $107 million deal with another Eastern Conference team, the Milwaukee Bucks.
New Packers President’s Comments Put Some Heat on Matt LaFleur Ahead of 2025 Season
A new era is upon the Green Bay Packers. Mark Murphy, the Packers' president and CEO since 2007, turns 70 on July 13, which by franchise bylaws, means he must retire. Less than two weeks after his birthday, he will be succeeded by Green Bay COO and general counsel Ed Policy, who spoke with reporters about his upcoming stewardship of the franchise. A hot topic of conversation coming off of that media session: the futures of coach Matt LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst.
Bill Belichick Makes Decision on Returning for Weekly ‘ManningCast’ Guest Spot in ’25
Bill Belichick wasn't the most open subject when it came to media availability during his days as coach of the New England Patriots, but during his brief one-season period of coaching unemployment, he pursued a number of different jobs as a football analyst. Among them was a weekly spot on the ManningCast, the regular ESPN Monday Night Football simulcast hosted by Peyton and Eli Manning.
‘I learned nothing’: Thunder coach drops incredibly confident line after win
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been a dominant team all year, leading the NBA with a 68–14 record led by league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. While the young Thunder haven’t “been there before,” as the team lost in the Western Conference semifinals in their first playoff appearance under coach Mark Daigneault a year ago, they’ve absolutely looked the part this postseason.
NFL Schedule Release 2025: Every Rookie QB’s National TV Debut
The NFL doesn't return until the fall, but the spring brings a pair of monumental events that shape the year for the league to come: the NFL draft and the release of the coming season's schedule. The draft didn't have the same level of star power that it often does, especially at the quarterback position. Just two QBs went in the first round of April's draft, and on paper there are only a few players who are expected to play major roles for their respective teams this fall.
Packers GM Has One Major Concern About Olympic Flag Football
While much of the attention of this week's NFL owners meetings falls on the long-awaited vote on whether to ban the tush push, the league will also make an important determination on the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. With flag football set to become an Olympic sport for the upcoming Summer Games, a number of NFL players have expressed interest in playing for their country.
LeBron James Had Bummed Out Line About How Older Players Hurt the Game He Loves
Basketball has evolved in significant ways over the last few decades. In the 1980s and '90s, when the NBA came into its own as one of the world's most popular sports leagues thanks to the star power of guys like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, toughness and physicality were everything. Those traits are still very important, as the 2025 NBA playoffs have shown, but the game is now wide open thanks to the three-point revolution led by players like Steph Curry.
Bengals Agree to Massive Extensions With Both Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins
The Cincinnati Bengals have agreed to longterm extensions with not one, but both of their superstar wide receivers, according to Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz. Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins both appeared to confirm their deals with identical posts to X, sharing the handshake emoji as Schultz's report was posted,. Higgins, who was placed on the franchise for the second consecutive year earlier in the offseason, signed a four-year deal worth $115 million, with the first two years guaranteed.
Mets Pitcher Artfully Dodges Line Drive During Mid-Game TV Interview
Monday's spring training game was an eventful one for New York Mets pitcher Griffin Canning. Not only did the new Mets starter put together a solid outing, but also he showed off his catlike reflexes during an interview with SNY. Canning, who had been a middling starter with the Los Angeles Angels since 2019, impressed on the mound, striking out five and surrendering just one hit in 3 2/3 innings against the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Las Vegas Raiders were in need of a quarterback, and didn't hesitate to add a signal caller very familiar to coach Pete Carroll days before free agency opens. The Raiders are reportedly acquiring Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith in exchange for a third-round pick. Now, they'll likely sign him to a long-term contract extension. Smith is entering the final season of a three-year, $75 million deal signed with the Seahawks that will pay him $25 million in total money this year.
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