William Byron won the Dayton 500, which was a marathon on Sunday night, after rain delays and yellow caution flags ultimately led to some overtime laps.
And those two overtime laps were an absolute thrill that saw multiple spin-outs and crashes that allowed Byron to win the Daytona 500 for the second consecutive year.
Six of the last eight Daytona 500 races have ended in overtime.
Former Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Jonathan Martin is walking back his bullying accusations against his former teammate, Richie Incognito, which caused quite the scandal in 2013.
"I never believed for a second I was being bullied," Martin told ESPN. "It’s a story that I’ve been trying to fix for 10 years."
Incognito was suspended by the Dolphins in 2013 after reports that he bullied Martin to the point where the latter stormed out of the team’s cafeteria as a result of what was said.
Martin, a second-round pick by the Dolphins in 2012, was in his second NFL season when the bullying controversy surrounded him and Incognito.
The Dolphins later announced that Incognito was suspended for "conduct detrimental to the team."
The league eventually got involved, retaining lawyer Ted Wells to investigate the incident, which found that Incognito, Mike Pouncey and John Jerry had all been engaging in bullying toward Martin.
The NFL’s report on the matter also said that Martin checked himself into a hospital and his mother needed to be flown across the country to be with him during that time.
But now, Martin is blaming his parents for the situation becoming as widely known as it is today.
"I had a situation with my teammates that I wasn’t super happy about," Martin told ESPN. "But my mother had her own read on the situation.
"I hadn’t even told my coaches, hadn’t told anyone. And suddenly it’s on ESPN, right?" he continued. "I didn’t believe any of the stances I was taking, right, where I’m this victim. I wasn’t a victim, right? And again, it’s been a point of consternation.
"My mother maybe in her mind – I can’t read her mind – she thought she was doing the right thing."
Incognito, who missed the second half of the 2013 season and the entire 2014 campaign due to the scandal, responded after seeing Martin’s new words on the matter.
"He couldn’t cut it in the NFL so he quit and his mom blamed me," he said, bluntly on X. "Legacy media pushed this narrative long and far. Too bad it was all a lie! They lied to protect his money. He quit…the team had every right to claw back that money. His mom started the bullying narrative with @espn @AdamSchefter so that @MiamiDolphins wouldn’t go after his signing bonus!"
While Martin’s mother, Jane, did not speak with ESPN for the interview, his father, Gus, did say his piece.
"His mom and I did strongly intervene," he said. "To make sure he was protected."
Gus Martin also played an alleged voice from Incognito, which was left for his son at the time. The man on the phone who is allegedly Incognito threatens Jonathan Martin, using graphic language including racial slurs.
"Hey, what’s up, you half-n----- piece of s---," Incognito allegedly says. "I saw you on Twitter, you been training 10 weeks. I’ll s--- in your f---ing mouth. I’m going to slap your f---ing mouth, I’m going to slap your real mother across the face. F--- you, you’re still a rookie. I’ll kill you."
Martin would eventually get traded to the San Francisco 49ers during the offseason after the bullying allegations were brought to light. However, he only played 15 games there before retiring after going to Carolina Panthers training camp the year after.
Meanwhile, Incognito signed with the Buffalo Bills after his suspension was lifted by the league. He spent three seasons in upstate New York before joining the then-Oakland Raiders.
During an appearance on "HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" in 2019, Incognito denied ever bullying his former teammate, blaming Martin’s "mental health issues and his demons" for being out of the league.
Incognito added, "I fit the bill. Hey, racist, homophobic, whatnot. What I’m saying was, we were close, personal friends. It wasn’t factored into, ‘Hey, this is guy talk, these are two alpha males talking to each other.’ Was some bad s--t said? Absolutely. But was this a case of bullying? Absolutely not."
The Philadelphia Eagles were clearly a confident team heading into Super Bowl LIX, despite the Kansas City Chiefs going against them looking for their third straight Lombardi Trophy.
Saquon Barkley’s pre-game speech, which was filmed leading up to the "Big Game," proved that confidence was high for one of the team’s most important players.
Barkley, along with other senior members of the Eagles, gave a team speech in which he delivered a fiery assessment of the matchup ahead.
"As I watch film throughout the whole week, my confidence grows even more, and I hope you guys are feeling the same thing. These guys can’t f--- with us. They really can’t."
The Eagles were riding high from a blowout victory over the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship to earn their spot in the Super Bowl.
But all week talk about potential NFL history for the Chiefs was discussed, and no matter how good a team may be, it could be a daunting task to face a team that has won back-to-back NFL titles.
However, Barkley was frank with how he felt about the Chiefs’ comfortability in this game.
"I don’t care how many times they’ve been here," Barkley continued. "I don’t care how many times they’ve won it. They haven’t seen a team like this."
Barkley’s words were proven true as the Chiefs looked like the team not ready for the moment while the Eagles blew them out, 40-22, at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans to win the franchise’s second Lombardi Trophy.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts, who was named Super Bowl LIX MVP, also gave a speech that was recorded as well. He said that going to the Super Bowl two seasons ago was a life-changing moment.
"I put on a good show, but I left that motherf---er empty," Hurts said, referencing the close loss the Eagles had against Kansas City in the end.
"Ask yourself how you want to be remembered," Hurts said to his teammates.
In the end, this Eagles team will be remembered not only as the squad that halted NFL history, but also as one of the best teams ever assembled to win it all.
And while the play on the field is the main grab, the mindset was clearly set by the team’s stars to get them prepared for what was to come on game day.
Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Darrell Armstrong was arrested in the early hours of Saturday and charged with aggravated assault on his girlfriend, police said.
Dallas police officers were called to the 1000 block of Ross Ave. in downtown Dallas around 3:45 a.m., where an investigation found Armstrong and his girlfriend had been in an argument.
At one point, Armstrong hit her with a gun and threatened to shoot her, according to police. An arrest warrant affidavit for Armstrong, obtained by FOX 4 Dallas, said the incident started due to his girlfriend questioning him about a text from another woman.
The victim reportedly told police Armstrong had been drinking that night and demanded she give him her keys to their apartment. She then claimed Armstrong was on the phone with another person when he picked up a pistol and hit her on the side of the face.
Authorities said they saw a mark on the woman’s cheek below her left eye.
"'I’m going to shoot you,'" the victim said, reportedly quoting what Armstrong allegedly said to her as he loaded the weapon.
The Mavericks released a statement on Sunday afternoon regarding Armstrong’s arrest.
"The Dallas Mavericks are aware of an incident involving a member of our staff and are gathering all relevant information surrounding the incident," the statement reads, per FOX 4 Dallas. "We take this matter seriously. The employee has been placed on administrative suspension pending the outcome of legal proceedings.
"This matter is currently under review by the appropriate legal authorities. Due to this fact, we will allow the legal process to run its course and we will refrain from further comment while proceedings are ongoing."
Armstrong has been an assistant coach with the Mavericks since 2009, being a part of the 2011 NBA-champion squad along the way.
He is a member of the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame, having spent nine of his 14 NBA seasons with the franchise. Armstrong initially played overseas from 1991-94 before the Magic gave him a shot during the 1994-95 season.
Armstrong went on to win the 1998-99 Most Improved Player Award and Sixth Man of the Year Award after averaging 13.8 points, 6.7 assists and 3.6 rebounds mostly off the bench over 50 games.
Armstrong also played for the Mavericks, New Orleans Hornets, Indiana Pacers and New Jersey Nets during his career, which ended in 2008.
During a halftime jersey retirement ceremony for University of Illinois great men’s basketball player, Terrence Shannon Jr., the unveiling of his retired No. 0 threads went awry at State Farm Center on Saturday.
Everything looked great until Shannon’s jersey was upside down when he pulled the cord to show everyone in the arena.
Illinois apologized after the gaffe led to a viral moment.
"Before we get into the substance of the game tonight, obviously, we had a regrettable situation at halftime with the jersey around [Shannon’s] celebration," Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman said after the 79-65 loss to Michigan State, per The New York Post. "Obviously, a really regrettable moment. It’s a shame that it happened that way.
"Of course, I didn’t hang the jersey, but I’m ultimately responsible for everything that happens in this building, and ultimately, that means that was on me tonight. We need to make sure we understand that in life, mistakes happen. But there are also certain moments where mistakes can’t happen. And tonight, we stole that moment from [Shannon] and that’s on us and something that we have apologized to him for, apologized to his mom. We want to make sure that we apologize to our fans and everybody who was excited to be a part of this experience tonight."
Shannon, who now plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves after being selected 27th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, was a crucial to the Fighting Illini reaching the Elite Eight in this past year’s NCAA Tournament.
He averaged 23 points per game to help his school get that far in the tournament for the first time since 2005. Shannon, who spent his first three years at Texas Tech, also averaged 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 47.5% from the field.
His final collegiate season wasn’t without some off-court issues, though, as he was arrested in December 2023 and suspended after being charged with sexual assault and rape.
An 18-year-old woman accused Shannon of grabbing her and sexually touching her without consent at a bar on Sept. 9, 2023, after the Fighting Illini faced the Kansas Jayhawks in a football game.
Shannon was ultimately reinstated after his lawyers challenged the claims. He was eventually found not guilty of rape and sexual assault in Douglas County, Kansas, in June 2024.
Shannon expressed his excitement for the jersey retirement, which he said came as a shock when he heard what his alma mater wanted to do after only two seasons.
"I was just happy," he said. "I’m grateful to have the opportunity to get my jersey up there."
Illinois just has to get it right-side-up in the rafters.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced ridicule on social media on Saturday night following the Canadians’ loss to the U.S. in a 4 Nations Face-Off game.
Canadians were heard booing the American national anthem before the game. As the puck dropped, so did the players’ gloves. There were three fights in the first nine seconds of the game. The U.S. pulled out a 3-1 victory in the end.
Trudeau wrote on X after the game that he was "damn proud" of Canada. But he drew some mocking from U.S. fans as well.
In the NHL, boos have been heard during the U.S. national anthem after Trump announced tariffs on Canada, which have since been paused. The president has also teased about Canada becoming the "51st state."
Players have been adamant about fans stopping the boos. Canadian Drew Doughty talked about it again before the game against the U.S.
"Obviously, I know what’s going on, and I understand the Canadians’ frustration, but I think we should respect the anthems and stuff like that," Doughty said. "I don’t think anyone should be booing."
"We knew it was going to happen," Werenski said. "It happened the last game, it’s been happening in the NHL before this, and we knew tonight was going to be the same way. We obviously don’t like it."
The U.S. faced boos ahead of their game against Finland and later won 6-1.
"It is what it is," Werenski said. "We kind of had an idea. We used it as motivation the best we could and found a way to get a win. But we had an idea going into it, so it wasn’t a surprise. Definitely don’t like it, though."
Michael O’Sullivan, a jockey from Ireland who fell from his horse at Thurles Racecourse, has died more than a week after the fall, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) said in a news release. He was 24.
He fell from his horse during the Racing Again February 20th Handicap Chase on Feb. 6.
"Michael was an exceptionally talented young rider who was always popular in the weighroom," IHRB CEO Darragh O’Loughlin said in the release. "Michael will be deeply missed by everyone in racing who had the pleasure of knowing him. Our hearts go out to Michael’s family, especially his parents Bernadette and William and his brother Alan, who will feel his loss most keenly."
Dr. Jennifer Pugh, the IHRB’s chief medical officer, said O’Sullivan’s family decided to donate his organs.
"I have had the privilege of knowing Michael through his amateur and professional career and his dedication, modesty and kind nature always made him a pleasure to be around," Pugh added. "Michael’s success and his humility will have inspired many, and I share the feeling of loss today with all those who knew him.
"Michael’s family would like to reiterate their gratefulness for all the support they have received in the last couple of days and express their appreciation to the local community and racing family. The O’Sullivan family have asked for privacy at this time."
O’Sullivan turned pro in 2022 and won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle the next year at the Cheltenham Festival, according to the BBC. He had 95 wins in Ireland and Britain over the course of his career.
"It's dreadful news which puts all our problems into context. He will be much missed here and there is a real sadness here," trainer Willie Mullins said, via the outlet. "He was here two mornings a week and was very much a part of the team and his part here was only going to get bigger. He was such a natural rider who was very modest, friendly and understated.
"He had a great understanding of horses and racing and given the horse, he was the man. I think Closutton will be a much poorer place without him and we, as a family, will miss him. He will be much missed in the yard and we have his family in our thoughts and our prayers are for them now."
Bobby Jenks, a World Series champion pitcher who starred for the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox, revealed Saturday he is being treated for stomach cancer.
Jenks talked about his illness with MLB.com while at a hospital in Portugal. He expressed optimism he would be able to recover in time to return for a second season as the manager of the Windy City Thunderbolts, who play in the Frontier League.
"Now it’s time to do what I got to do to get myself better and get myself more time, however you want to look at it," he told the website. "I’ll tell you one thing: I’m not going to die here in Portugal."
Jenks, 43, played seven years in the majors and was a two-time All-Star. He made 32 appearances and six saves in his rookie season in 2005. He helped the White Sox to a World Series title then.
In 2007, he retired 41 consecutive batters, which matched a record for a relief pitcher.
Mac McClung forged his own personal dynasty during NBA All-Star Weekend.
The guard, who has only played in one game for the Orlando Magic during the regular season, took San Francisco by storm on Saturday and won his third consecutive NBA Slam Dunk Contest. It’s the first time any NBA player has won the event three times in a row.
The G League star had four perfect dunks, each scoring a 50. McClung dunked over a car and over 6-foot-11 Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star Evan Mobley. He defeated San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle to maintain his championship.
"It kind of feels like a blur," he said. "It’s something I love doing. That’s where my creativity comes from. I genuinely love this contest and I love to dunk."
McClung, who plays for the Osceola Magic in the G League, is the second dunker to win the contest three times. Nate Robinson won in 2006 and then again in 2009 and 2010.
"I think the contest is a beautiful thing," McClung said. "I know people probably want bigger stars in it and I would love to see that. I think it’s important for the people in it to want to do it.... This contest is a special thing. We all love it."
McClung’s performance sparked reactions from Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
"mac might make me decide to dunk," Morant wrote on X.
"If you do it. I’ll do it with you," Antetokounmpo added.
McClung only has five NBA games under his belt. He’s played for the Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers in addition to the Magic.
He said he prepared for the contest for nearly nine months and isn’t sure if he’ll go for a fourth title.
Matas Buzelis, of the Bulls, and Andre Jackson, of the Bucks, were eliminated in the first round.
The U.S. and Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off matchup on Saturday night quickly became a slugfest as multiple players dropped gloves following boos during "The Star-Spangled Banner."
The Americans defeated Canada, 3-1, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, but U.S. defenseman Zach Werenski was unhappy with the booing during the national anthem. In the NHL, boos have been heard during the song after Trump announced tariffs on Canada, which have since been paused. The president has also teased Canadians with the idea of Canada becoming the "51st state."
"We knew it was going to happen," Werenski said. "It happened the last game, it’s been happening in the NHL before this, and we knew tonight was going to be the same way. We obviously don’t like it."
The U.S. faced boos ahead of their game against Finland and later won 6-1.
"It is what it is," Werenski said. "We kind of had an idea. We used it as motivation the best we could and found a way to get a win. But we had an idea going into it, so it wasn’t a surprise. Definitely don’t like it, though."
Saturday’s game saw three fights occur in the first nine seconds.
Matthew Tkachuk fought Brandon Hagel off the opening faceoff, his brother Brady tussled with Sam Bennett and J.T. Miller fought Colton Parayko. Brady Tkachuk told ESPN that his brother’s fight "happened pretty organically."
"Matthew said that he wanted to go first, it just happened and now it’s over and done with," he said. "It’s right when Matthew found out the starting lineup, he said that he wanted a piece of him (Hagel)."
Hagel added that he thought it was a "long time coming" between him and Matthew Tkachuk.
Conor McDavid started the scoring for Canada but the U.S. answered with a Jake Guentzel goal. Dylan Larkin scored in the second period to take the lead. Guentzel then put in an empty-netter.
"It’s just unbelievable, the atmosphere, to play on this stage in Canada, that was pretty cool for all of us I think," Guentzel added. "There’s a lot of excitement from our team coming out for warmups and just seeing how packed it was. That was pretty special."
President Donald Trump was at Super Bowl LIX last weekend to see the Philadelphia Eagles clobber the Kansas City Chiefs, and on Sunday, he is expected to attend NASCAR’s Super Bowl – the Daytona 500.
"The Great American Race" is set to begin at 1:30 p.m. ET on FOX at Daytona International Speedway, which kicks off the 2025 NASCAR season.
It’s the second time Trump is attending the race. He was there in 2020, and given the honor of being the grand marshal of the event as he ran for president. He said then on Fox News that he liked NASCAR because of the bravery of drivers pursuing "pure American glory."
He said the Daytona 500 is a "legendary display of roaring engines, soaring spirits and the American skill, speed and power that we’ve been hearing about for so many years. The tens of thousands of patriots here today have come for the fast cars and the world-class motorsports. But NASCAR fans never forget that no matter who wins the race, what matters most is God, family and country."
NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace, who got into a spat with Trump during the 2020 season, was asked during the week about the possibility of the president attending the race. He said he "couldn't care less" if Trump showed up or not.
"We're here to race. Not for the show," Wallace added.
Chase Briscoe is on the pole for the race with Austin Cindric next to him on the front row. Wallace is in third.
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