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Major League Baseball on Monday decried the use of personal writings on any team-issued Pride Night hats, after members of the San Francisco Giants had Bible verses etched into their caps during Friday night’s game against the Chicago Cubs.

In a statement to multiple outlets, MLB chief communications officer Pat Courtney said “the writing on the cap violates our rules, and consistent with normal practice, we have warned the players about future violations.”

San Francisco’s Landen Roupp, a 27-year-old right-hander from Rocky Mount, North Carolina, started and pitched 4 2/3 innings with “Gen 9:12-16” on the front of his hat. Roupp spoke to reporters after the 5-1 loss about his decision, and he was adamant that “there’s no hate at all. It’s just what I stand for, and what I stand on: I believe in God.”

“It’s just about God’s covenant and a promise that he makes to us that, you know, his faithfulness and his mercy. That’s just kind of something I believe in, and I stand firm in that,” he added. “And I’m thankful we live in a country where, you know, we have the freedom to believe what we want, and express what we want.”

JT Brubaker, a 32-year-old righty from Springfield, Ohio, and Ryan Walker, a 30-year-old righty from Arlington, Washington, both made relief appearances in the loss with Bible verses on their hats.

When asked how he’d explain to people who might be offended by his decision, Roupp added that “as a believer, I would push them to read the Bible. God has blessed me in so many ways, and I don’t think I’d be here right now if it wasn’t for him.”

In his first season as an MLB manager, San Francisco’s Tony Vitello, when asked about his pitchers’ decisions after the loss, leaned on the “general knowledge of the individuals have the freedom to do what they think is best.”

“But I do think it’s been apparent from day one, actually, even some of the exhibition games, it’s pretty impressive how the Giants, as an organization, try and embrace the entire community,” he added. “We don’t want to be divided, but you can divide it up into certain sections, if you know what I mean.”

Also in the loss, reliever Sam Hentges, a 29-year old lefty from Shoreview, Minnesota, took the mound without the Pride Night hat altogether. He chose to don San Francisco’s traditional black cap with orange lettering. The following day in San Francisco, he spoke to reporters about the decision.

“It’s just something that I feel like I was forced to support when I don’t morally support it. There wasn’t hatred behind it. I think that’s kind of something that’s misinterpreted,” he said. “I don’t hate the LGBTQ community. It’s just something I believed and talked with teammates and family, and they supported it.”

San Francisco first added a Pride component to their uniforms in 2021. A day after the loss to the Cubs, the Giants issued a statement, reinforcing their commitment to Pride Nights.

“The San Francisco Giants are proud to support Pride Night and the LGBTQ+ community. Baseball should be a place where everyone feels welcome, respected, and valued. We also respect that individuals may make personal choices about participating in team activations.

“We understand that the choices by individual players have caused pain and anger to many in the LGBTQ+ community and we are sorry for that. Those choices do not change our organization’s commitment to inclusion, belonging, and creating a welcoming environment for all. We remain grateful to our fans, partners, employees, players, and coaches who help make Pride Night a meaningful celebration.”

Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby plans to apply for the NFL’s supplemental draft, a stunning reversal in the saga over his eligibility after he admitted to betting on college sports.

Sorsby’s decision to leave Tech and pursue the NFL marks an about-face, as he had been granted a temporary injunction by a Texas judge June 8 that appeared to clear a path for him to play for the Red Raiders in 2026. Sorsby had been ruled ineligible by the NCAA after it discovered he had placed more than 9,000 bets, totaling at least $90,000, on professional and college sports over four years while enrolled at Indiana, Cincinnati and Texas Tech, including at least 40 wagers involving Indiana football when he was a freshman with the Hoosiers in 2022.

A flurry of legal activity over the past week further muddled that path to eligibility. Cody Campbell, chairman of the Texas Tech board of regents, said in a lengthy statement Monday night that Sorsby would “not be part of the Texas Tech football team this fall” and called the supplemental draft “the only viable and fair path” for Sorsby’s future.

Campbell also said Texas Tech will not “seek the return” of any money paid to Sorsby through his NIL agreements with the university.

Sorsby’s decision caps what had been an active legal day. The Big 12 filed for a federal injunction Monday morning for the right to potentially discipline Sorsby under its rules. The NCAA, separately, asked an appeals court for an expedited resolution to the local case, requesting a decision on his eligibility to be made by the start of football season.

Campbell referenced the NFL’s supplemental draft deadline of June 22 and said in his statement there’s “no practical way to resolve all the various pending legal disputes and ensure his eligibility prior to this date.”

The Big 12 board of directors issued a statement after its filing that included a sentence that revealed the league’s stance on Sorsby playing this year: “Universities should not field players who have bet on their own team’s games in college athletics.”

The Big 12 legal filing came amid a flurry of pushback from at least four state attorneys general, who heavily criticized Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for what amounted to an attempt at a preemptive injunction in case the Big 12 penalized Sorsby or Tech.

“When Brendan’s lawsuit resulted in the granting of a temporary injunction, we found ourselves in a difficult situation,” Texas Tech president Lawrence Schovanec and athletic director Kirby Hocutt said in a joint statement Monday. “With his health and wellness as our top priority, we supported him in spite of very different perspectives and opinions. Our position was challenged by many but our support for him never changed.

“We will continue to extend all available resources that Brendan had as a student and athlete to ensure his transition is as successful as possible.”

This pivot leaves Sorsby to apply for the NFL supplemental draft, which, according to the collective bargaining agreement, is held if “a player who was not eligible for the Draft in any League year becomes eligible after the date of the draft, he will be eligible to be selected in a Supplemental Draft, if the league elects to conduct such a Draft.”

First held in 1977, the supplemental draft allows teams to bid future draft picks on players. The league hasn’t had a supplemental draft since 2023, and no one has been selected in one since 2019, when the Cardinals picked safety Jalen Thompson with a fifth-round bid.

Jeffrey Kessler, an attorney for Sorsby, told ESPN that his legal team plans to withdraw his lawsuit against the NCAA that sought an injunction for his eligibility, a move that is expected to mean that Sorsby would again be ineligible under NCAA rules.

“It is now moot, so we will withdraw it,” said Kessler, who added that there are no concerns about Sorsby being eligible for the supplemental draft.

NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy declined comment on Sorsby’s situation to ESPN on Monday night.

The news was welcomed around the Big 12, as that league’s athletic directors and some coaches had been pointed in their criticism of Texas Tech. Big 12 athletic directors used words such as “disgusted” and “sad” in the wake of the injunction that was expected to make Sorsby eligible.

TCU coach Sonny Dykes complimented Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark’s handling of the situation, as Yormark worked closely with the athletic directors, presidents and the league’s legal counsel to pore over options before filing the suit.

“He showed strong leadership,” Dykes told ESPN. “Appreciate his desire to do what’s best for college football.”

After law enforcement discovered Sorsby’s betting and informed the NCAA, Sorsby checked into an in-patient rehab program for 35 days to address his gambling addiction.

“I am grateful for the support from my family, my Tech coaching staff, teammates, the community, and so many others who have encouraged me to address and learn more about this important issue,” Sorsby said in a statement Monday. “As my journey continues, I remain fully committed to and focused on being the best I can be, both on and off the field.”

Calvin Johnson doesn’t expect his single-season NFL record for receiving yards to last much longer.

And if he had to guess, Los Angeles Rams star Puka Nacua will be the one to break it.

“He’s still got Matthew [Stafford], so I think he’s got a shot,” Johnson, the former Lions star, told the Detroit Free Press at his fourth annual celebrity golf outing Monday. “If he stays healthy, that dude’s a killer out there.”

And Johnson said he’d be happy to see it happen, given he and Stafford were once teammates in Detroit.

“That would be kind of dope,” Johnson told the Free Press. “I’d have to go to that game if he did that, cause I like Puka. He’s getting some crap out of his system that’s just a young guy, just learning, but I think he’s an awesome, dynamic receiver.”

Johnson set the single-season mark in 2012, breaking Jerry Rice’s record with a 1,964-yard campaign — in 16 games. Johnson told the Free Press that he’s surprised no one has eclipsed it since the NFL moved to a 17-game regular season in 2021 but knows it’s just “a matter of time” — and a virtual certainty if the league goes to 18 games.

Nacua is entering his fourth season and is coming off his best campaign, collecting 1,715 yards in 16 games. Other active wideouts have approached Megatron’s mark, including Cooper Kupp while with the Rams in 2021 (1,947 yards in 17 games) and the Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson in 2022 (1,809 in 17 games).

Johnson told the Free Press that he initially thought Jefferson would have passed him.

“I thought he could have been one, but they messed up his quarterback situation when they brought in my man from Michigan [J.J. McCarthy] when they had [Sam] Darnold just win them 14 games,” he told the newspaper. “I hate seeing people get fired, but people get fired when stuff like that happens.

“[Jefferson has] got the talent. What year is he in? Like six or seven? I mean, he needs to do it soon. He needs to do it soon, probably.”

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones hoisted his second career Lombardi Trophy in February. The veteran is aiming to have a better title defense this time around.

Jones won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams in his rookie season in 2021. In 2022, L.A. crashed back to earth, going 5-12 in an injury-plagued season. Jones said the two teams’ mindsets are vastly different.

“I just think the mindset, it’s kind of different,” Jones said, via Seattle Sports. “The first time (with the Rams), we were trying to defend it. This time, (last year) really doesn’t matter. … Last year is not going to help us.

“We’ve gotta go out and do it again and do what we did and establish ourselves early and keep that going.”

Jones’ comments echo the message of most coaches following title wins. Namely: The past doesn’t matter to future success. Coach Mike Macdonald has dubbed his 2026 mantra “Run it forward,” consistently noting that the Seahawks must improve and evolve to remain atop the mountain.

With the rest of the division countering the Seahawks’ success with their own moves — namely the Rams’ acquisition of Myles Garrett — Seattle knows it must continue to adapt. To that end, Jones noted that even after last year’s success, Macdonald continues to tweak his scheme.

“I think scheme-wise, doing some different things, seeing where guys, can we move around, can we add different layers to our games?” Jones said. “And I think just the overall day-to-day, just seeing improvements out of guys, whether it’s by position or scheme-wise, you can tell this team’s getting better.”

A little over a year ago, Detroit Lions Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow announced his abrupt retirement, which precipitated the Motor City’s offensive line breakdown of 2025. The veteran attempted a comeback bid midway through the season, but ultimately a failed physical scuttled those plans.

Speaking to reporters at his charity event in Michigan for the first time since the failed comeback, Ragnow opened up about the realities of what he went through.

“I was just trying to will myself to play,” Ragnow said Friday, via Colton Pouncy of The Athletic. “I was, and my body was telling me otherwise. I was just, like, in paralysis, if you will. I did not plan on retiring in the middle of summer, believe it or not. It was like — I was trying to get, like, ‘You can do it for the guys, for the fans. It’s who you are.’ But it’s just … like, I was uncomfortable. And it’s one of those things where you have a couple of kids — and I don’t want a sob story, I’m okay, I’m going to be completely fine — but it’s one of those … ‘Is the juice worth the squeeze?’ things.”

“To me, ultimately, it came down to that decision. And obviously, I struggled with that decision, too.”

Ragnow started 96 games for the Lions over seven seasons after being drafted in the first round in 2018. He earned four Pro Bowls and was named second-team All-Pro in each of his final two campaigns.

With the Lions’ offensive line struggling last season to replace the star center, Ragnow briefly attempted to come back, but it never got off the ground, with a Grade 3 hamstring strain scuttling the idea.

Ragnow noted that the injury forced him to listen to his body.

“You see the guys — and I tried to avoid games, tried to distract myself from it,” he said. “Then I started watching games, and I felt guilt. Like Jared (Goff) getting hit — that’s my guy. Those are my guys, and they’re struggling. And then I made a bonehead decision and tried to get ready to play, got hurt, and … that was tough. That was really tough. But you know, everything happens for a reason, and I am where I am now.”

Ragnow’s retirement set into motion the Lions’ revamped offensive line in 2026. Detroit signed center Cade Mays in free agency, moved Penei Sewell to left tackle to replace Taylor Decker who was released, and drafted right tackle Blake Miller in the first round. The Lions hope the moves and improved seasons from young guards Tate Ratledge and Christian Mahogany can help get the O-line back to where it was in 2024.

The New York Jets have locked up another core player.

Gang Green agreed to terms with starting guard Joe Tippmann on a four-year, $66.4 million extension, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday, per sources informed of the deal. Tippmann’s deal includes $34.9 million guaranteed.

A second-round pick in 2023 out of Wisconsin, Tippmann has started 48 games over three seasons in New York at both center and guard. After starting 17 games at the pivot in 2024, Tippmann found a home at right guard last year, where he proved a stellar pass protector. With bookend first-round tackles Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou on their rookie deals and Tippman signing long-term, New York’s offensive line has its foundation for the next several seasons.

The 25-year-old Tippmann was set to enter the final year of his rookie contract. Now, he’ll be a Jet for the long haul.

Gang Green spent the offseason bolstering the defense in free agency and upgrading the roster with young talent in the draft. With running back Breece Hall and now Tippmann earning extensions this offseason, the Jets can continue to build around their nucleus.

Atlanta Falcons pass rusher James Pearce Jr. was present Monday for his physical ahead of this week’s mandatory minicamp, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.

Pearce’s return to the team comes after he agreed in April to enter a pretrial intervention program to resolve three felony charges against him stemming from a February domestic dispute with his ex-girlfriend, WNBA player Rickea Jackson.

Atlanta wrapped up the voluntary portion of its offseason program last Thursday and kicks off its three-day mandatory sessions on Tuesday.

Pearce, 22, was arrested near Miami on Feb. 7 after the incident with Jackson. Pearce was charged with three felony counts — aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police and resisting an officer with violence — as well as a misdemeanor count of stalking.

Pearce was not at the Falcons’ voluntary workouts in early April.

In late April, Pearce entered a six-month pre-trial intervention program that could result in all charges being dismissed if all conditions are met. The agreement, which includes no jail time and no admission of guilt, was made in consultation with Jackson and the city of Doral, Florida.

Pearce is entering his second season in the NFL after he was selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The edge rusher out of Tennessee was an AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist after leading the Falcons with 10.5 sacks and 16 QB hits.

Cauley went 5 under in Sunday’s final round to prevail and enter the winner’s circle for the first time

Amid a career that has spanned 239 PGA Tour starts and a fair share of hurdles, Bud Cauley has finally claimed his first victory. Entering the week at the 2026 RBC Canadian Open winless in his 238 prior tournaments, the 36-year-old was simply sensational Sunday at TPC Toronto, usurping 54-hole leader Jackson Suber and ultimately finishing two shots clear of a talented field.

Cauley signed for a final-round 65 to reach 17 under for the tournament, good for a two-stroke victory over Matt Fitzpatrick, whose 64 tied for the lowest round of the day. Before his emotional triumph, Cauley had ranked fifth among active players for most starts on the PGA Tour without a win. 

By raising a trophy in the Great White North, however, Cauley will seize the riches. He climbs to No. 28 in the FedEx Cup standings, giving him the inside track to qualify for the season finale at the Tour Championship. Cauley also earns an invitation to the 2027 Masters, which will mark his first appearance at Augusta National Golf Club.

More immediately, Cauley climbs inside the top 60 of the Official World Golf Rankings. Ranked No. 68 at the onset of the tournament, his move earns him an exemption into next week’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. The start will be Cauley’s second straight at the U.S. Open and fourth of his career. He will also be in the field at the 2026 Open Championship in July.

Cauley’s journey to the winner’s circle has been just that, a journey. In 2018, Cauley was involved in a car crash the week of the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio, where he suffered broken ribs, a broken leg and a collapsed lung. He underwent surgery that same year, which came with its own set of complications.

He returned briefly that fall, played the 2020 season and then stepped away. In 2024, he made his first start on the PGA Tour since the 2020 Safeway Open. The next year, Cauley earned his PGA Tour card through a medical extension highlighted by a T6 finish at The Players Championship.

His position on this leaderboard at the Canadian Open through 54 holes was the first time since that Players that he had been inside the top five with 18 holes to play. This time, he capitalized on the opportunity.

Starting the day one stroke off Suber’s 54-hole pace, Cauley looked cool, calm and collected from the jump. He turned in 2 under to pull even with Suber by the time the final threesome made the turn, and only then did Cauley turn on another gear with three straight birdies from Nos. 11-13 and another for good measure on No. 15 to put the tournament on ice.

In the blink of an eye, Cauley went from being a co-leader to commanding a four-stroke lead with only a few holes to play. While Fitzpatrick found a big bird on the last to post the clubhouse lead at 15 under, Cauley’s tournament was firmly in his hands, and he never let go. Grade: A+

Here are the rest of the notable names on the leaderboard at the 2026 RBC Canadian Open.

2. Matt Fitzpatrick (-15): Looked to become the third European to win four times in a single PGA Tour season but will instead have to settle for his first top-10 finish since the Zurich Classic. Fitzpatrick leaned on both his iron play and putting amid a week where his driver continued to handcuff him ever so slightly. If that club had been under full control, the former U.S. Open winner may have had a more legitimate claim at the title. Alas, he instead garners some momentum ahead of his trip to Southampton, New York.

“It’s a good week,” Fitzpatrick said. “I would have taken it at the start of the week. I felt like there was a lot of good stuff in there, just needed to sort of have it come out. I was just saying that my putting was a little bit of a struggle last week, and I feel like I got a bit of a better process for what I’m working on this week, and that showed today, I putted really solid. On a golf course like this, where there’s a lot of opportunities, you got to take advantage.” Grade: A

3. Viktor Hovland (-14): Signs of life! Without a top-10 finish on the PGA Tour since the WM Phoenix Open, Hovland hovered, hovered and hovered some more for his best finish of 2026. Unsurprisingly, his effort came courtesy of elite iron play that was enough to overcome shortcomings elsewhere in the bag. In an odd trend, the Norwegian continues to bleed distance to his counterpart off the tee, but at least this week, his accuracy was sublime. Remember, it was the driver at last year’s U.S. Open that frustrated him during his contention run. Grade: A

T11. Wyndham Clark (-11): Was the presence in the final threesome that many believed would make a move. Unfortunately for Clark, early in the final round, that move was in the wrong direction as he hit just one fairway on the front nine and turned in over-par fashion, no thanks to three bogeys from Nos. 2-6. Clark picked it up from there, but by then, it was too little too late for the man who has rediscovered his game across his last four events. On the week, Clark topped the field in terms of strokes gained around the green as his short game made up for a loose long-game performance. Grade: B

T29. Collin Morikawa (-8): A lot is going on in the world of Morikawa as he welcomed his first child and returned to competitive action for the first time since the PGA Championship. Admitting he is still less than 100% ever since his withdrawal from The Players Championship in March, the two-time major champion played like it. He was field-average with his irons and short game, sneaking into the top 30 thanks to a decent putting performance. Grade: C

MC. Justin Rose: The Englishman entered the Canadian Open with two straight top-15 finishes to his credit before the momentum halted in the form of an early exit. Rose continues to get up for the biggest events of the calendar and will be among the contenders next week at the U.S. Open, but consistency in this stage of his career continues to evade him. He was never able to get anything going as he put nine bogeys on his scorecard in just 36 holes. Grade: F

Ciryl Gane kept the UFC Freedom 250 knockout parade going on Sunday, stopping former two-division champion Alex Pereira in the second round in what was a brilliant performance to win the interim heavyweight championship for the second time in his career.

Pereira immediately opened with a big head kick, sending an early message to Gane. Pereira also worked some low calf kicks as Gane tried to close the distance with jabs that weren’t connecting. Gane instead switched to leg kicks and front kicks to try and change the pace of the fight. Gane then shot for the first takedown attempt of the fight, which Pereira easily shrugged off.

Gane continued to pick up his offense, mixing in various shots, including his jab finally working to set up the straight left hand. Both men continued to land some good leg kicks before another head kick attempt from Pereira missed by inches, but a big Pereira right hand landed moments later to close the round.

Ciryl Gane kept the UFC Freedom 250 knockout parade going on Sunday, stopping former two-division champion Alex Pereira in the second round in what was a brilliant performance to win the interim heavyweight championship for the second time in his career.

Pereira immediately opened with a big head kick, sending an early message to Gane. Pereira also worked some low calf kicks as Gane tried to close the distance with jabs that weren’t connecting. Gane instead switched to leg kicks and front kicks to try and change the pace of the fight. Gane then shot for the first takedown attempt of the fight, which Pereira easily shrugged off.

Gane continued to pick up his offense, mixing in various shots, including his jab finally working to set up the straight left hand. Both men continued to land some good leg kicks before another head kick attempt from Pereira missed by inches, but a big Pereira right hand landed moments later to close the round.

The performance was arguably the best of Gane’s career, as he took on a legend and looked to be the better man from the early moments of the fight with a more dynamic attack.

“We worked on it, we did a really great job with my team,” Gane said after the win. “I’m really proud of myself and my team. … We knew that was possible to do. We knew that.”

Gane is now positioned for a rematch with heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. In Gane’s first fight with Aspinall, he was performing tremendously before the fight was halted after Gane poked Aspinall in both eyes, leaving Aspinall sidelined ever since.

“We will see,” Gane said of a rematch. “Next, let’s do it in Paris in September.”

For Pereira, his attempt to win UFC gold in a third division came up short in brutal fashion.

“This was the risk, you know? If I hadn’t taken a risk every time I fought, I wouldn’t be here today,” Pereira said before addressing whether his future was at heavyweight or a return to light heavyweight. “… I don’t know, we’re going to sit down and look at it. The same way we lost at middleweight, we’re going to sit down with my team and talk about it.”

Luke Littler claimed World Cup of Darts glory alongside Luke Humphries with a 10-5 win for England over Netherlands in the final; Gian van Veen and Michael van Gerwen were the second seeds; They win as a duo on their second time of asking

Luke Littler is aiming for a clean sweep of every major trophy in darts after his World Cup triumph with Luke Humphries.

Top seeded Littler and Humphries secured their World Cup victory with a 10-5 win over Netherlands’ Michael van Gerwen and Gian van Veen.

That came after their dramatic 8-7 win over Wales’ Jonny Clayton and Nick Kenny in the quarter-finals and their 8-3 demolishing of Scotland’s Gary Anderson and Cameron Menzies in the semi-finals.

The victory was a record-extending sixth for England in the World Cup, marking Humphries’ second time lifting the trophy after his 2024 win with Michael Smith and Littler’s first.

With World Cup glory now his, Littler currently holds the World Cup, World Darts Championship, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, UK Open, Grand Slam, Premier League, Masters, and Players Championship Finals.

He will be defending his Matchplay, Grand Prix, Grand Slam, and Players Championship honours later this year, meaning the only trophy that has still eluded him is the European Championships.

Littler’s first sights will be on the Matchplay and he knows if his game stays as it is, the clean sweep can be on the cards.