Sports & Entertainment

It might be the start of NFL free agency, but it seems like a trade will overshadow any signing so far. On a day where the NFL's legal tampering period opened, it didn't take long for Bill O'Brien and the Texans to steal headlines, as he shipped DeAndre Hopkins off to the Cardinals for David Johnson and two draft picks, per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. NFL FREE AGENCY 2020: Ranking the top 50 players, tracking signings DeAndre Hopkins and a fourth round pick go to Cards for David Johnson and a second round pick this year and a fourth round pick next year. — John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) March 16, 2020 According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Texans also took on all of David Johnson's salary, who has a cap hit of just over $11 million in 2020. Needless to say, players and citizens alike reacted to the news with shock, awe and hilarity: Smfh. — Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) March 16, 2020 lol ob is drunk — feeno (@ArianFoster) March 16, 2020 Man ...

As you've probably seen (and laughed at) by now, the Texans traded away DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals for less than many were expecting. But according to MMQB's Albert Breer, there was a possibility of Houston trading Hopkins to the Patriots instead. "I was actually told that they were part of the DeAndre Hopkins discussions over the past couple of weeks," Breer told NBC Sports Boston. "I was actually told that they were part of the DeAndre Hopkins discussions over the past couple of weeks."@AlbertBreer says the Patriots were involved in trade talks for DeAndre Hopkins before he was traded to the Cardinals 👀 📰 --> https://t.co/839tRvVI2T pic. twitter.com/9LvZeEbGpG — NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) March 17, 2020 Breer also added the Patriots had interest in Will Fuller, the speedy wideout who lined up opposite Hopkins in Houston. The interest from the Patriots seems natural, but it does seem odd New England couldn't get a deal done consid...

The Houston Texans have moved to sign Randall Cobb after their shock decision to trade DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals. Wide receiver Cobb has agreed a three-year, $27 million deal with Houston that contains $18.75m in guarantees, according to NFL Network. The move came after star wideout Hopkins was stunningly sent to the Cardinals in a package that saw running back David Johnson move in the other direction. TRADE GRADES: Cardinals hit home run with DeAndre Hopkins; Texans whiff on return Houston also netted a second-round draft pick this year and a fourth-rounder next year, while sending away their 2020 fourth-round selection. Four-time All-Pro Hopkins later tweeted to say the city of Houston will "forever be loved" and stated his new goal was to bring a championship to Arizona. The Texan’s organization served me well, the city of Houston served me well and my teammates served me well. The city of Houston will forever be loved. Now it’s time to bring a cha...

Stefon Diggs is a man of few characters. The Vikings wide receiver had been the subject of trade rumors dating back to last offseason, but the rumors became action, and Diggs is now a member of the Buffalo Bills, per reports. Compensation update: Bills are trading a 1st-round pick, a 5th-round pick, a 6th-round pick and a 2021 4th-round pick for Vikings WR Stefon Diggs and a 2020 7th-round pick, source tells ESPN. — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 17, 2020 But hours before the trade went down, Diggs seemed to add fuel to the fire with his own tweets. Earlier in the day, after news broke that quarterback Kirk Cousins would be sticking in Minnesota for another three seasons, Diggs sent out a cryptic emoji tweet: 🤔 — DIGGS (@stefondiggs) March 16, 2020 NFL FREE AGENCY: Tracking the latest news, reports and rumors Was it in response to the Cousins contract? Was he pondering life, the universe and everything? Maybe thinking about his lunch choices? Who knows? But a single tw...

It is, apparently, the end of an era. Much ado has been made whether or not Tom Brady would remain a member of the Patriots for the 2020 season. After many reports signaling the potential end of the Brady-Belichick-Patriots era in New England, on Tuesday, it appears that Brady confirmed those rumors with a heartfelt goodbye post on Twitter. MORE: Tom Brady joins these 10 other Hall of Fame QBs who changed teams FOREVER A PATRIOT pic.twitter.com/QSBOJBs4uy — Tom Brady (@TomBrady) March 17, 2020 To all my teammates, coaches, executives and staff, Coach Belichick, RKK and the Kraft family and the entire organization. I want to say thank you for the past twenty years of my life and the daily commitment to winning and creating a winning culture built on great values. I am grateful for all that you have taught me - I have learned from everyone. You all have allowed me to maximize my potential and that is all a player can ever hope for. Everything we have accomplished brings me great ...

Tom Brady is set to hit NFL free agency, ending a glorious two-decade run with the New England Patriots. The 42-year-old quarterback will be out of contract when the new NFL year begins on March 18, meaning for the first time in his illustrious career, he is poised to play elsewhere in 2020. Here we take a look at Brady's records and statistics from his time as a Patriot. MORE: Tom Brady joins these 10 other Hall of Fame QBs who changed teams 199th pick: 198 players were selected in the 2000 NFL Draft — including six quarterbacks — before New England took Brady, an unheralded quarterback from the University of Michigan. 19 years ago today the @patriots took a chance on the guy in this photo: Me (199) . Thank you to EVERYONE who’s helped me to prove them right! Also, did they stop taking these photos after mine?? pic. twitter.com/qxBoCc0F1H — Tom Brady (@TomBrady) April 16, 2019 326 games: Brady made a total of 326 appearances for the Patriots — 285 in the regular season an...

LSU coach Ed Orgeron has developed a reputation not only as an excellent football coach, but also as an excellent recruiter. That's no surprise considering his team's string of success on the recruiting trail. But apparently the Tigers coach wasn't afraid to get unorthodox with his methods early in his LSU tenure. (Again: no surprise coming from someone who once held a live worm in his mouth and reportedly drank anywhere from eight to 10 energy drinks a day). The latest tale from the legend of Coach O: He once showed up at a prospect's home at 4 a.m. for a recruiting visit, and that player ended up choosing the Tigers. MORE: Orgeron, once ridiculed, now unapologetically perfect The story comes from K'Lavon Chaisson, a four-star linebacker from the 2017 recruiting class. The Houston native was considered a heavy lean toward Texas and Tom Herman (who, you'll remember, was LSU's first choice ahead of Orgeron before he took the Texas job). As Chaisson tol...

José Bautista could be coming to a bullpen near you. People are familiar with the former outfielder of Blue Jays fame for his propensity of launching dingers a long way, his bat flip and the one time he got decked by Rougned Odor. But Bautista, now 39, is attempting a comeback — with a twist. Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, Bautista has been working out in the Dominican Republic as both a hitter and a pitcher. That's right, Bautista is attempting to make a comeback as a two-way player. I've seen video of Jose Bautista throwing a bullpen session. Couldn't tell the velocity, but one source said he can run his fastball up to 94. His slider had legitimate tilt -- threw a short one and a bigger bender. @STR0 said in January he could pitch in a big league bullpen. — Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 2, 2020 Per Passan, Bautista can run his fastball up to 94 mph., which is nothing to thumb your nose at, especially since he is an aging player. Bautista also boasts a slider that a...

We still don't know whether Joe Burrow wants to play for the Bengals in the NFL, but we know he wants to play with A.J. Green in the NFL. (Of course he does.) According to NBC Sports' Peter King, the LSU quarterback most assume will be Cincinnati's pick with the first overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft "made it clear (at the Combine) he wants the team to sign" Green, the 31-year-old wide receiver who is scheduled to become a free agent this month. King did not specify exactly how Burrow delivered this message, but the Monday report noted the 23-year-old passer met with the Bengals in Indianapolis on Wednesday. The young QB's desire to play with the seven-time Pro Bowl receiver is natural, and chances are Burrow will get his wish, at least for the short term. ESPN reported Sunday the Bengals "currently plan to franchise tag" Green, which would keep him in Cincinnati for at least one more season. The question in terms of Burrow's potentia...

The NCAA is continuing to prepare for its various winter and spring championships — including the 2020 NCAA Tournament — while it monitors the potential spread of coronavirus, the organization confirmed to Sporting News on Monday. It is also making sure its member institutions are aware they should contact the Center for Disease Control and Prevention for any information about the virus. “The NCAA Sport Science Institute sent two memos recently to NCAA members directing schools and conference offices to Center for Disease Control and Prevention resources on the issue,” NCAA spokeswoman Stacey Osburn told SN in an email. “Otherwise, NCAA staff continues to prepare for all NCAA winter and spring championships, but we are keenly aware of coronavirus and will continue to monitor in coordination with state/local health authorities and the CDC.” MORE: Coronavirus' impact on China could potentially cause NHL stick shortage The NCAA's statement comes after Ramogi Huma, director of...

After a tumultuous offseason for the sport, baseball games are finally back on a daily basis with spring training in full swing. Stars will be eased back to their full workloads, and role players will battle for MLB roster spots. Exhibitions are also a chance for prospects still a year or two away from the big leagues to make positive first impressions. SPRING TRAINING READING GUIDE Top storylines | Fantasy baseball | Offseason grades Relative to the regular season, spring training games are a headache to figure out how to watch. They aren't always on familiar TV channels, and some aren't broadcast on TV at all. That doesn't mean you have to give up, though. Here are the best choices for watching spring baseball in 2020: MLB Network will broadcast a boatload of spring training games this year, but only some of them will be offered live to viewers. Here are the upcoming games that will be shown live on MLB Network (through March 2): Date Time ET Home Away TV M...

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without their top defenseman and longest-serving player while Morgan Rielly rehabs from a broken foot. Rielly was placed on injured reserve Jan. 13, one day after Toronto's 8-4 road loss to the Florida Panthers. The 25-year-old blueliner temporarily left that game but returned to put in more ice time than any other skater on his team. MORE: Leafs recall Rasmus Sandin in wake of Morgan Rielly injury Rielly briefly exited a Jan. 12 loss to the Panthers after he blocked an Aleksander Barkov shot, but he returned to the ice shortly thereafter. Rielly did return after blocking that shot — Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) January 13, 2020 He played a team-high 21:03 in that contest, which made the team's announcement the next day that he had been playing injured a bit of a surprise. In fact, the team said Rielly had suffered a fractured foot against the Panthers. (1/2) The @MapleLeafs announced today that defenceman Morgan Rielly underwent a...

Baseball's biggest stars continued to take shots at the Astros' sign-stealing scandal during spring training on Monday. Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo was mic'd up for an at bat against the Angels and joked about trying to figure out what pitch was coming, saying, "somebody bang for me." That, of course, was a reference to Houston banging on trash cans in 2017 to let hitters know which pitch was coming. Mic'd up Anthony Rizzo at the plate: "Someone bang for me." 🤣🤣🤣 (via @ESPN) pic.twitter. com/krkA4HCQM5 — Yahoo Sports MLB (@MLByahoosports) March 2, 2020 Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer took it a step further, telling Dodgers first baseman Matt Beaty what pitches were coming during a fourth-inning at-bat. Bauer got Beaty to line out to center field. The broadcast went on to speculate that the move was a dig at the Astros' cheating scandal, which was comfirmed by Reds second baseman Derek Dietrich. Straight from Derek Dietrich: @BauerOuta...

It can never be easy, can it? It seems like just yesterday the Vancouver Canucks were sitting pretty in second place in the Pacific Division with a playoff berth almost guaranteed. Now, a season previously full of excitement and optimism for Vancouver suddenly seems in danger of derailment. After a devastating blown lead against Columbus on Sunday night, the team has slumped to a three-game losing streak and is 4-7-1 in its last 12 games. According to The Athletic, Vancouver's chances of making the playoffs were more than 90 percent just a few weeks ago. That figure has now dipped to 64 percent. MORE: See where the Canucks fall in our latest NHL Power Rankings So should Canucks fans start to panic? Well, the team's success earlier this season was mostly down to two things: an elite power-play unit and good goaltending. The good news is that the power-play is still one of the very best in the league. During their slump, the Canucks have scored at least one goal on the pow...

While many active Astros players have shown little to no remorse for their sign-stealing chicanery that helped them win the 2017 World Series, Blue Jays pitcher Ken Giles — who was the Astros' closer at the time — was apologetic in an interview with the Toronto Star, even saying he'd be willing to return his World Series ring. Giles had a strong season in 2017, posting a 2.39 ERA with a career-best 34 saves. But he was far from his best during the postseason. Giles allowed at least one earned run in six of his seven outings (10 ER in 7.2 innings)​. While the Astros went on to win it all despite his struggles, that victory now feels hollow to Giles. “It just hurts," Giles told the Star while looking back on the tainted championship. "If they want it back, I’ll be true to whatever needs to be done. ... They’re going to feel like the bad guys all year. I know what it feels like to be the bad guy. And it’s not the greatest feeling. But actions speak louder than wor...

Nashville fans are probably pretty sick of Leon Draisaitl by now. The Oilers star had another night to remember against the Predators on Monday with a ridiculous stat line of four goals and an assist in an 8-3 win. It was Draisaitl's fifth consecutive game against Nashville with at least two goals. That is not a typo. FOUR. GOAL. NIGHT. Leon Draisaitl is on another level 😱 pic.twitter. com/AYNvJnEUur — Sporting News Canada (@sportingnewsca) March 3, 2020 It continues what has been an incredible season for Draisaitl, who leads the NHL in points with 107 after Monday night. His next closest challenger is teammate Connor McDavid, who had five points of his own on Monday (four assists and a goal) to jump up to 94. Draisaitl has now surpassed the 105 point mark he set last season, and he's well on his way to his first Art Ross Trophy. The German has also managed to force his way into the Rocket Richard Trophy race, with his 43 goals on the season now just four behind Boston...

As the rapidly spreading coronavirus hits North America this week, sports organizations are scrambling to issue directives to players and coaches to avoid the sickness, which as of Monday night had killed six people in the U.S. and many more worldwide. The NBA issued a memo Monday telling league members to among other things favor fist-bumps over high-fives and limit autographs, according to ESPN. Reporting with @ZachLowe_NBA: In memo to teams on coronavirus, NBA suggests players choose fist-bumps over high-fives and avoid taking items such as pens, balls and jerseys to autograph. Teams also concerned about corona impact on pre-draft process. Story: https://t.co/dKZyDMZdVy — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 2, 2020 With NBA travel not curtailed, though, it seems unlikely for players to completely eliminate the risk of COVID-19 given their daily interactions with hundreds (if not thousands) of people. The risk of serious illness, however, is relatively low for athletes in peak ...

The Heat shut down Giannis Antetokounmpo in Monday's 105-89 win over the Bucks, holding the MVP favorite to a season-low 13 points on 6 of 18 shooting from the field just one night after he scored 41 points against the Hornets. How did Miami manage to stop the seemingly most unstoppable team and most unstoppable player in the NBA? Look no further than third-year center Bam Adebayo, who is quickly emerging as one of the league's best defenders. Time and time again, Adebayo showed the ability to put the clamps on the Greek Freak by using his rare combination of size, strength and lateral quickness. Bam Adebayo locking up Giannis 🔒 pic.twitter.com/p4a7TzAaCN — Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 3, 2020 What may be most impressive about Adebayo is his motor as he seems to never give his opponent a moment to rest. With the game easily won, he still went all out to block this layup at the end of the game. Bam Adebayo with the exclamation point on the win vs Bucks#heattwitt...

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva on Monday said eight deputies took or disseminated photos from the helicopter crash site where Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others died in Calabasas, Calif., on Jan. 26. Villanueva said there was an ongoing investigation into the allegations, and that he had ordered the pictures to be deleted. "We identified the deputies involved, they came to the station on their own and had admitted they had taken them and they had deleted them," Villanueva told NBC News. "And we're content that those involved did that. '' Vanessa Bryant, the widow of Kobe Bryant, released a statement through her attorney Sunday addressing reports of the unauthorized pictures and calling the alleged actions of deputies "grievous and shameful." "First responders should be trustworthy," Bryant wrote in the statement. "This is an unspeakable violation of human decency, respect, and of the privacy rights of the vict...

The Houston Roughnecks remain the lone unbeaten team heading into Week 5 of XFL action. Houston beat Dallas 27-20 in an in-state battle that was the marquee matchup in Week 4. The Roughnecks have some competition in the top half of the league, however, that will be lurking heading into the final week of the first half of the season. XFL WEEK 4:  Saturday results, highlights | Sunday results, highlights Here is a look at Sporting News' XFL rankings heading into Week 5: P.J. Walker passed for 239 yards, two TDs and an interception in the victory against Dallas, and he did all that despite a quiet performance from Cam Phillips, who had one catch for nine yards. Walker has 987 passing yards, 12 TDs and two interceptions and remains the top quarterback in the league. Houston returns home to face Seattle in Week 5. Jordan Ta'amu is giving Walker a run for the title of best quarterback in the league.  He showed that with 264 passing yards and 63 rushing yards in a 23-16 victory...