NCAA  – Big Ten – AP sources: ESPN out of Big Ten TV rights negotiations

The  Big Ten’s next television contracts will not include a deal with ESPN. Two  people familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press that the Big  Ten was looking for a seven-year deal worth $380 million per year from ESPN,  and the network declined. The people spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity  because the negotiations were not being made public. Sports Business Journal  first reported that ESPN was out of the Big Ten negotiations and CBS and NBC  were likely to land pieces of the conference’s rights. ESPN has held television  rights for the Big Ten since the mid-1980s. The network has shared Big Ten  rights with Fox in the latest contract. Fox will remain the primary rights  holder.

MLB  – Major League Baseball
Last Night

  Cleveland  Guardians 5, Detroit Tigers 2

  Kansas  City Royals 4, Chicago White Sox 2 – Game 1

  Chicago  White Sox 3, Kansas City Royals 2 – Game 2

  Washington  Nationals 6, Chicago Cubs 5

Guardians 5, Tigers 2 – Bieber’s strong outing leads  Guardians past Tigers, 5-2 

  Shane Bieber pitched seven dominant innings, Oscar  Gonzalez drove in two runs and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Detroit Tigers  5-2 for their third straight win. Bieber (7-6) allowed just four singles and a  walk while striking out eight. Amed Rosario had three hits, including two  doubles, while scoring a run and driving in another. Cleveland entered the  night trailing first-place Minnesota by one game in the American League Central  Division. Tyler Alexander (2-6) gave up two runs and seven hits in seven  innings for Detroit.

Royals 4, White Sox 2/White Sox 3, Royals 2 – Minus  All-Star SS Anderson, White Sox split twinbill with KC 

  Lenyn Sosa hit his first major league home run and  Yoan Moncada also connected as the Chicago White Sox, minus injured All-Star  shortstop Tim Anderson, beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 to split a  doubleheader. The Royals won the first game 4-2. Vinnie Pasquantino homered in  both games for Kansas City. Anderson is expected to miss six weeks with a tear  in the middle finger of his left hand. He was put on the 10-day injured list  between games of the twinbill. Anderson was injured on a check swing during his  last at-bat on Saturday night at Texas. He will have surgery on Thursday in  Chicago. The 29-year-old Anderson is hitting .301 for the playoff-contending  White Sox. He missed the opener while finishing up a two-game suspension for  making contact with an umpire.

Nationals 6, Cubs 5 – Meneses hits 2-run HR in 8th as  Nationals beat Cubs 6-5

  Joey Meneses hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the  eighth inning, Keibert Ruiz went deep twice and the Washington Nationals  regrouped after blowing a three-run lead, beating the Chicago Cubs 6-5 to snap  a six-game losing streak. The Nationals were rolling along with a 4-1 lead,  thanks to Ruiz’s solo drive in the second and three-run shot in the fourth  against Marcus Stroman. Chicago scored four in the seventh to go up 5-4, capped  by RBI singles by newcomer Franmil Reyes and Nico Hoerner against Kyle  Finnegan. But the Nationals regrouped. Meneses came through against Mark Leiter  Jr. in the eighth, after Maikel Franco singled with one out and Yadiel  Hernandez struck out.

Today

  Washington  (Gray 7-8) at Chicago Cubs (Steele 4-7), 2:20 p.m.

  Cleveland  (Civale 2-5) at Detroit (Hutchison 1-5), 7:10 p.m.                WSJM/WCSY 6:50

  Chicago  White Sox (Cueto 4-5) at Kansas City (Bubic 2-6), 8:10 p.m.

NBA  – Kobe Bryant crash photos lawsuit to be heard by LA jury

  Kobe  Bryant’s widow is taking her lawsuit against the Los Angeles County sheriff’s  and fire departments to a federal jury seeking compensation for photos deputies  shared of the remains of the NBA star, his daughter and seven others killed in  a helicopter crash in 2020. Jury selection begins in U.S. District Court on  Wednesday in the invasion of privacy case. The county has argued that the  photos, which were ordered deleted, have never been in the media, on the  internet or otherwise publicly disseminated. Bryant is seeking unspecified  millions because she fears the photos may eventually surface.

WNBA  – Women’s National Basketball Association
Last Night

  Seattle  Storm 111, Chicago Sky 100

Storms 111, Sky 100 – Storm set WNBA record with 37  assists, beat Sky 111-100 

  Breanna Stewart had 25 points and nine rebounds, Gabby  Williams added 21 points and seven assists, and the Seattle Storm set a WNBA  record with 37 assists in a 111-100 victory over the Chicago Sky. Seattle also  set a franchise record for scoring in any half with 66 first-half points, but  the Storm only led by 11 points after Chicago closed on a 13-4 run. The 121  combined first-half points were the most in a first half this season in the  WNBA. Seattle led by as many as 22 points in the second half and hit the  century mark with 4:50 left in the fourth. Despite the loss, Chicago is still  in the driver’s seat to earn the No. 1 seed in the playoff.

WNBA  – Veteran emissary Richardson hopeful for Griner, Whelan swap

  Bill  Richardson, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and a frequent  emissary in hostage negotiations, says he’s hopeful about the chances of a  two-for-two prisoner swap that could result in the release of WNBA star  Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan. Richardson said in an  interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday that in cases like this it’s  “proportional.” Richardson traveled to Russia ahead of the release by Moscow of  Marine veteran Trevor Reed in an April prisoner swap. He declined to discuss  the current status of negotiations over Griner or Whelan or to explain what  role he may be playing in the talks.

NFL  – Bears star LB Smith requests trade after breakdown in talks

  Chicago  Bears star linebacker Roquan Smith is requesting a trade, saying the team  hasn’t negotiated in good faith for a contract extension. Smith doesn’t have an  agent. He wrote Tuesday in a statement that he has “officially” asked to be  dealt and that it was “deeply painful.” He said he has been trying to negotiate  an extension since April and accused the team of trying to take advantage of  him. Smith was second-team All-Pro in 2020 and 2021. He is entering the fifth  and final year of his rookie contract. General manager Ryan Poles says he will  not honor the request and will try to negotiate a deal with him.

NFL  – Goodell: NFL appeal of Watson suspension ‘right thing to do’

  NFL  Commissioner Roger Goodell says he feels the league needed to keep pushing for  a year-long suspension for Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson because  of his “egregious” and “predatory behavior” toward women. Goodell was  addressing the league’s decision to appeal a six-game suspension given to  Watson by Sue L. Robinson, a former federal judge appointed by the NFL and NFL  Players Association as an independent league disciplinary officer. Robinson  found Watson violated the league’s conduct policy after he was accused by two  dozen women of sexual assault or harassment while he played for Houston.

NFL/USFL  – NFL teams tapping USFL veterans for help in training camp

  Terrell  Bonds owes his latest NFL opportunity to the revived USFL where he played 10  games this spring. He’s got lots of company as the NFL starts its first week of  preseason games Thursday night. Bonds is among at least 41 players from the  USFL’s inaugural season signed by 26 of the NFL’s 32 teams. Wide receiver has  been the most popular position followed by cornerback as NFL teams look for  help during training camps. Bonds is with the Tennessee Titans after playing in  college at Tennessee State. He used to talk of playing for the Titans. Bonds  says he’s thankful to see it actually come true.

Golf  – PGA/LIV – Federal judge denies LIV golfers bid for PGA Tour postseason

  A  federal judge in California has ruled three golfers who joined Saudi-backed LIV  Golf will not be able to compete in the PGA Tour’s postseason. U.S. District  Judge Beth Labson Freeman made her decision in San Jose after attorneys for the  sides each spoke about an hour. The golfers were seeking a temporary  restraining order, which Freeman denied. Talor Gooch, Matt Jones and Hudson  Swafford claimed they should be able to play where they want to. They are among  10 players who filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour last week —  including Phil Mickelson.

NHL  – Rangers name defenseman Jacob Trouba captain

  The  New York Rangers have named defenseman and former Michigan Wolverine Jacob  Trouba captain. Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury announced the  selection in a news release and the team later held a news conference with  Drury, Trouba and coach Gerard Gallant at their practice facility in  Greenburgh, New York. Trouba has totaled 20 goals and 58 assists in 189 games  over the last three seasons with the Rangers. The 28-year-old, an alternate  captain the last two seasons, is the 28th captain in franchise history, and the  first since Ryan McDonagh was traded in 2018. Trouba is one of three defensemen  currently serving as captain in the NHL, joining Jared Spurgeon (Minnesota) and  Roman Josi (Nashville).

Tennis  – Serena Williams says ‘countdown has begun’ to retirement

  Serena  Williams says she is preparing to step away from tennis after winning 23 Grand  Slam titles, turning her focus to having another child and her business  interests. “I’m turning 41 this month, and something’s got to give,” Williams  wrote in an essay released Tuesday by Vogue magazine. Williams said she does  not like the word retirement and prefers to think of this stage of her life as  “evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me.”  Williams is playing this week in Toronto, at a hard-court tournament that leads  into the U.S. Open. The year’s last Grand Slam event begins in New York on Aug.  29.

Tennis  – Serena Williams’ legacy involves plenty of wins, plenty else

  Serena  Williams is famous for her 23 Grand Slam singles titles. That is more than any  other tennis player accumulated in the sport’s professional era. But mere  numbers can’t capture everything Williams has represented during a  distinguished career that began when she was a teenager in the 1990s and is  remarkable for not just the successes but also the longevity, including a  record 10 major championships after turning 30. What Williams has done without  a racket in her hand is also rather noteworthy, whether it was her off-court  interests or her stands on key issues in tennis and society at large.

LLWS  – Beaned Little League batter rises to console upset pitcher

  A  Little League batter rose from a beaning to console the upset pitcher in a  dramatic scene at a Little League regional tournament game in Waco, Texas.  Pearland, Texas, righthander Kaiden Shelton was facing Tulsa, Oklahoma, batter  Isaiah Jarvis Tuesday when an 0-2 pitch got away from him, striking Jarvis in  the helmet. Jarvis fell to the ground clutching his head but was able after a  few moments to take first base. Meanwhile, Shelton stood on the mound staring  at the ground in tears until Jarvis walked to the mound and put his arms around  Shelton to comfort him. The gesture drew a standing ovation.

MILB  – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night

  Peoria  Chiefs 7, Great Lakes Loons 1

  Dayton  Dragons 4, Lansing Lugnuts 2

  Beloit  Sky Carp 3, West Michigan Whitecaps 2

  South  Bend Cubs 8, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 7 – 10 Innings

Tonight

  Peoria  Chiefs at Great Lakes Loons, 7:05 p.m.

  Lansing  Lugnuts at Dayton Dragons, 7:05 p.m.

  West  Michigan Whitecaps at Beloit Sky Carp, 7:35 p.m.

  South  Bend Cubs at Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, 7:40 p.m.

NCAA – Big Ten – AP sources: ESPN out of Big Ten TV rights negotiations 
The Big Ten&#8217;s next television contracts will not include a deal with ESPN. Two people familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press that the Big Ten was looking for a seven-year deal worth $380 million per year from ESPN, and the network declined. The people spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity because the negotiations were not being made public. Sports Business Journal first reported that ESPN was out of the Big Ten negotiations and CBS and NBC were likely to land pieces of the conference&rsquo;s rights. ESPN has held television rights for the Big Ten since the mid-1980s. The network has shared Big Ten rights with Fox in the latest contract. Fox will remain the primary rights holder.
MLB – Major League Baseball 
 Last Night 
 Cleveland Guardians 5, Detroit Tigers 2 
 Kansas City Royals 4, Chicago White Sox 2 – Game 1 
 Chicago White Sox 3, Kansas City Royals 2 – Game 2 
 Washington Nationals 6, Chicago Cubs 5
Guardians 5, Tigers 2 – Bieber&#8217;s strong outing leads Guardians past Tigers, 5-2 
 Shane Bieber pitched seven dominant innings, Oscar Gonzalez drove in two runs and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Detroit Tigers 5-2 for their third straight win. Bieber (7-6) allowed just four singles and a walk while striking out eight. Amed Rosario had three hits, including two doubles, while scoring a run and driving in another. Cleveland entered the night trailing first-place Minnesota by one game in the American League Central Division. Tyler Alexander (2-6) gave up two runs and seven hits in seven innings for Detroit.
Royals 4, White Sox 2/White Sox 3, Royals 2 – Minus All-Star SS Anderson, White Sox split twinbill with KC 
 Lenyn Sosa hit his first major league home run and Yoan Moncada also connected as the Chicago White Sox, minus injured All-Star shortstop Tim Anderson, beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 to split a doubleheader. The Royals won the first game 4-2. Vinnie Pasquantino homered in both games for Kansas City. Anderson is expected to miss six weeks with a tear in the middle finger of his left hand. He was put on the 10-day injured list between games of the twinbill. Anderson was injured on a check swing during his last at-bat on Saturday night at Texas. He will have surgery on Thursday in Chicago. The 29-year-old Anderson is hitting .301 for the playoff-contending White Sox. He missed the opener while finishing up a two-game suspension for making contact with an umpire.
Nationals 6, Cubs 5 – Meneses hits 2-run HR in 8th as Nationals beat Cubs 6-5 
 Joey Meneses hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning, Keibert Ruiz went deep twice and the Washington Nationals regrouped after blowing a three-run lead, beating the Chicago Cubs 6-5 to snap a six-game losing streak. The Nationals were rolling along with a 4-1 lead, thanks to Ruiz&rsquo;s solo drive in the second and three-run shot in the fourth against Marcus Stroman. Chicago scored four in the seventh to go up 5-4, capped by RBI singles by newcomer Franmil Reyes and Nico Hoerner against Kyle Finnegan. But the Nationals regrouped. Meneses came through against Mark Leiter Jr. in the eighth, after Maikel Franco singled with one out and Yadiel Hernandez struck out.
Today 
 Washington (Gray 7-8) at Chicago Cubs (Steele 4-7), 2:20 p.m. 
 Cleveland (Civale 2-5) at Detroit (Hutchison 1-5), 7:10 p.m.                WSJM/WCSY 6:50 
 Chicago White Sox (Cueto 4-5) at Kansas City (Bubic 2-6), 8:10 p.m.
NBA – Kobe Bryant crash photos lawsuit to be heard by LA jury 
 Kobe Bryant&rsquo;s widow is taking her lawsuit against the Los Angeles County sheriff&rsquo;s and fire departments to a federal jury seeking compensation for photos deputies shared of the remains of the NBA star, his daughter and seven others killed in a helicopter crash in 2020. Jury selection begins in U.S. District Court on Wednesday in the invasion of privacy case. The county has argued that the photos, which were ordered deleted, have never been in the media, on the internet or otherwise publicly disseminated. Bryant is seeking unspecified millions because she fears the photos may eventually surface.
WNBA – Women&rsquo;s National Basketball Association 
 Last Night 
 Seattle Storm 111, Chicago Sky 100
Storms 111, Sky 100 – Storm set WNBA record with 37 assists, beat Sky 111-100 
 Breanna Stewart had 25 points and nine rebounds, Gabby Williams added 21 points and seven assists, and the Seattle Storm set a WNBA record with 37 assists in a 111-100 victory over the Chicago Sky. Seattle also set a franchise record for scoring in any half with 66 first-half points, but the Storm only led by 11 points after Chicago closed on a 13-4 run. The 121 combined first-half points were the most in a first half this season in the WNBA. Seattle led by as many as 22 points in the second half and hit the century mark with 4:50 left in the fourth. Despite the loss, Chicago is still in the driver&rsquo;s seat to earn the No. 1 seed in the playoff.
WNBA – Veteran emissary Richardson hopeful for Griner, Whelan swap 
 Bill Richardson, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and a frequent emissary in hostage negotiations, says he&#8217;s hopeful about the chances of a two-for-two prisoner swap that could result in the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan. Richardson said in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday that in cases like this it&#8217;s &ldquo;proportional.&rdquo; Richardson traveled to Russia ahead of the release by Moscow of Marine veteran Trevor Reed in an April prisoner swap. He declined to discuss the current status of negotiations over Griner or Whelan or to explain what role he may be playing in the talks.
NFL – Bears star LB Smith requests trade after breakdown in talks 
 Chicago Bears star linebacker Roquan Smith is requesting a trade, saying the team hasn&#8217;t negotiated in good faith for a contract extension. Smith doesn&#8217;t have an agent. He wrote Tuesday in a statement that he has &ldquo;officially&rdquo; asked to be dealt and that it was &ldquo;deeply painful.&rdquo; He said he has been trying to negotiate an extension since April and accused the team of trying to take advantage of him. Smith was second-team All-Pro in 2020 and 2021. He is entering the fifth and final year of his rookie contract. General manager Ryan Poles says he will not honor the request and will try to negotiate a deal with him.
NFL – Goodell: NFL appeal of Watson suspension &#8216;right thing to do&#8217; 
 NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says he feels the league needed to keep pushing for a year-long suspension for Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson because of his &ldquo;egregious&rdquo; and &ldquo;predatory behavior&rdquo; toward women. Goodell was addressing the league&rsquo;s decision to appeal a six-game suspension given to Watson by Sue L. Robinson, a former federal judge appointed by the NFL and NFL Players Association as an independent league disciplinary officer. Robinson found Watson violated the league&rsquo;s conduct policy after he was accused by two dozen women of sexual assault or harassment while he played for Houston.
NFL/USFL – NFL teams tapping USFL veterans for help in training camp 
 Terrell Bonds owes his latest NFL opportunity to the revived USFL where he played 10 games this spring. He&#8217;s got lots of company as the NFL starts its first week of preseason games Thursday night. Bonds is among at least 41 players from the USFL&rsquo;s inaugural season signed by 26 of the NFL&rsquo;s 32 teams. Wide receiver has been the most popular position followed by cornerback as NFL teams look for help during training camps. Bonds is with the Tennessee Titans after playing in college at Tennessee State. He used to talk of playing for the Titans. Bonds says he&#8217;s thankful to see it actually come true.
Golf – PGA/LIV – Federal judge denies LIV golfers bid for PGA Tour postseason 
 A federal judge in California has ruled three golfers who joined Saudi-backed LIV Golf will not be able to compete in the PGA Tour&rsquo;s postseason. U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman made her decision in San Jose after attorneys for the sides each spoke about an hour. The golfers were seeking a temporary restraining order, which Freeman denied. Talor Gooch, Matt Jones and Hudson Swafford claimed they should be able to play where they want to. They are among 10 players who filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour last week — including Phil Mickelson.
NHL – Rangers name defenseman Jacob Trouba captain 
 The New York Rangers have named defenseman and former Michigan Wolverine Jacob Trouba captain. Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury announced the selection in a news release and the team later held a news conference with Drury, Trouba and coach Gerard Gallant at their practice facility in Greenburgh, New York. Trouba has totaled 20 goals and 58 assists in 189 games over the last three seasons with the Rangers. The 28-year-old, an alternate captain the last two seasons, is the 28th captain in franchise history, and the first since Ryan McDonagh was traded in 2018. Trouba is one of three defensemen currently serving as captain in the NHL, joining Jared Spurgeon (Minnesota) and Roman Josi (Nashville).
Tennis – Serena Williams says &#8216;countdown has begun&#8217; to retirement 
 Serena Williams says she is preparing to step away from tennis after winning 23 Grand Slam titles, turning her focus to having another child and her business interests. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m turning 41 this month, and something&rsquo;s got to give,&rdquo; Williams wrote in an essay released Tuesday by Vogue magazine. Williams said she does not like the word retirement and prefers to think of this stage of her life as &ldquo;evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me.&rdquo; Williams is playing this week in Toronto, at a hard-court tournament that leads into the U.S. Open. The year&rsquo;s last Grand Slam event begins in New York on Aug. 29.
Tennis – Serena Williams&#8217; legacy involves plenty of wins, plenty else 
 Serena Williams is famous for her 23 Grand Slam singles titles. That is more than any other tennis player accumulated in the sport&#8217;s professional era. But mere numbers can&#8217;t capture everything Williams has represented during a distinguished career that began when she was a teenager in the 1990s and is remarkable for not just the successes but also the longevity, including a record 10 major championships after turning 30. What Williams has done without a racket in her hand is also rather noteworthy, whether it was her off-court interests or her stands on key issues in tennis and society at large.
LLWS – Beaned Little League batter rises to console upset pitcher 
 A Little League batter rose from a beaning to console the upset pitcher in a dramatic scene at a Little League regional tournament game in Waco, Texas. Pearland, Texas, righthander Kaiden Shelton was facing Tulsa, Oklahoma, batter Isaiah Jarvis Tuesday when an 0-2 pitch got away from him, striking Jarvis in the helmet. Jarvis fell to the ground clutching his head but was able after a few moments to take first base. Meanwhile, Shelton stood on the mound staring at the ground in tears until Jarvis walked to the mound and put his arms around Shelton to comfort him. The gesture drew a standing ovation.
MILB – Midwest League Baseball 
 Last Night 
 Peoria Chiefs 7, Great Lakes Loons 1 
 Dayton Dragons 4, Lansing Lugnuts 2 
 Beloit Sky Carp 3, West Michigan Whitecaps 2 
 South Bend Cubs 8, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 7 – 10 Innings
Tonight 
 Peoria Chiefs at Great Lakes Loons, 7:05 p.m. 
 Lansing Lugnuts at Dayton Dragons, 7:05 p.m. 
 West Michigan Whitecaps at Beloit Sky Carp, 7:35 p.m. 
 South Bend Cubs at Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, 7:40 p.m.

Southwest Michigan's Sports Leader

WSJM Sports

NCAA – Big Ten – AP sources: ESPN out of Big Ten TV rights negotiations The Big Ten’s next television contracts will not include a deal with ESPN. Two people familiar with the negotiations told The Associated

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