Sports

4:51 PM ET Associated Press Medina Spirit, the controversial winner of the Kentucky Derby, and Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality head a field of 10 horses for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, with trainer Brad Cox pre-entering two horses for the $6 million race that also includes Hot Rod Charlie. Hot Rod Charlie finished third in

3:19 PM ET ESPN’s divisional boxing rankings highlight the best in the sport at every weight class. They will change often based on recent results and performances. Rankings are based on what a fighter has accomplished in the weight division in which he is ranked. A fighter who has announced he is moving up or

8:10 AM ET Throughout a down period in his career that is now approaching three years, Rickie Fowler managed to maintain an air of positivity, sprinkled with some self-deprecation, while seemingly never allowing for any sort of dark moments to consume him. He approached his slump with hard work, didn’t get impatient by moving on

9:29 AM ET Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, who has a no-trade clause in his contract, is willing to consider multiple options for a new team as the trade deadline looms, a source told ESPN. Multiple teams are interested in Watson, and although his interest in joining the Dolphins has become a worst-kept secret of

8:00 AM ET The small sample size of the NBA’s opening week usually provides an interesting look at the standings. The start of the 2021-22 season was no different. The Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets, two teams that missed the Eastern Conference playoffs last season, are each off to 3-0 starts. (The latter spoiled the

2:05 PM ET ESPN staff The AP Top 25 college football poll is out, and after a wild weekend of games, there’s some movement high in the rankings. Here’s what’s next for each ranked team: Previous ranking: 1 Week 8 result: No game What’s next: vs. Florida (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET) X factor: Quarterback Stetson

7:14 PM ET Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Kyle Larson drove to yet another victory, his ninth of the year and most meaningful to date in his new job with Hendrick Motorsports. Larson drove the No. 5 Chevrolet to victory lane at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, the 17th anniversary of a Hendrick plane crash

12:05 AM ET For the first time in the 21st century, the Atlanta Braves are in the World Series, having claimed their first National League pennant since 1999. It’s not an insult or a revision of history to say that the Braves began this October run as something of an afterthought. The oddsmakers in Vegas

8:59 PM ET Associated Press LOS ANGELES — UCLA coach Mick Cronin is a winner even before the college basketball season starts next month. A 3-year-old filly co-owned by Cronin won the $63,000 feature at Santa Anita by three-quarters of a length on Friday. Sent off at 6-1 odds, So Very Smart paid $14.40, $6.40

4:00 AM ET Sid LoweSpain writer No pressure, kid. Ansu Fati came on for Barcelona at half-time of their Champions League clash with Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday night, at another time when it felt like his team needed him — but on this occasion, he didn’t score. The forward, who had two goals and an

9:00 AM ET The Jack Eichel saga in Buffalo has been quite the soap opera. But nothing in that saga was as odious and contentious as when the Sabres announced they were stripping their franchise player of his captaincy. “From our perspective and my perspective, I feel the captain is the heartbeat of your team,”

Sep 25, 2020 Editor’s note: This story was originally posted ahead of Paulo Costa’s fight against Israel Adesanya. Costa lost that fight and will make his first appearance since that bout against Marvin Vettori on Oct. 23. In February 2012, a 20-year-old realtor from Contagem, Brazil, made a quiet professional debut in mixed martial arts

4:57 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN The snakebitten lightweight championship fight between Teofimo Lopez and George Kambosos is now set for Nov. 27 at New York’s Hulu Theater at MSG, multiple sources told ESPN on Wednesday, a bout that will be streamed on DAZN. This is the ninth new date for the fight, which was originally

12:38 AM BST Liam Napier Bankruptcy, COVID and a World Cup qualifying loss to Uruguay does not conspire to cultivate a healthy launchpad for one of the toughest challenges in world rugby. The All Blacks’ arrival in Washington D.C. this week, ahead of their money-spinning Test at FedEx Field, home of the Washington Football Team

8:00 AM ET The 2021-22 NBA season is here! Less than three months ago, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks were hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy after winning Game 6 of the NBA Finals over the Phoenix Suns. After somehow squeezing in the NBA draft, free agency, summer league and preseason into another truncated offseason,

10:06 PM ET Lindsey ThiryESPN Close Covered Rams for two years for Los Angeles Times Previously covered the Falcons Has covered the NBA and college football and basketball THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Nearly nine months after the Los Angeles Rams agreed to trade Jared Goff to the Detroit Lions, and with a pending reunion at

6:51 PM ET Associated Press FORT WORTH, Texas — Kyle Larson claimed the first of four championship-contending spots in NASCAR’s season finale with a dominating victory at Texas on Sunday to start the round of eight in the playoffs. Larson led 256 of 334 laps at the 1 1/2-mile track and got his eighth win

7:31 AM ET KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Lane Kiffin stood outside the visitor’s locker room at Neyland Stadium in the wee hours of Sunday morning proudly twirling a beaten-up yellow range ball and searching for a new visor. He’d just tossed his old visor to the jeering Tennessee fans as he exited a field littered with

8:03 PM ET Associated Press INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Paula Badosa edged Victoria Azarenka 7-6 (5), 2-6, 7-6 (2) on Sunday to win the BNP Paribas Open in her debut in the Southern California desert, where the tournament returned after a 2 1/2-year absence because of the coronavirus. She joined Bianca Andreescu in 2019 and

8:25 PM ET Associated Press LAS VEGAS — Rory McIlroy capped a big weekend in Las Vegas on Sunday by surging past Rickie Fowler and holding off Collin Morikawa to win the CJ Cup at Summit for his 20th PGA Tour title. McIlroy seized control with a 35-foot eagle putt from just off the green