Minnesota Teams

It’s a relatively quiet Fourth of July for our local squads, but the summer grind continues. The Minnesota Twins are navigating the thick of the MLB season as the All-Star break approaches, looking to solidify their spot in the playoff race. Over on the hardwood, the Minnesota Lynx are battling through the WNBA season, though they didn't land any starters in this year's All-Star game. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves are likely watching the massive NBA trades unfolding this week very closely to see how the league's balance of power is shifting before next season. The Vikings, Wild, and United are mostly quiet today as they enjoy the final days of their offseason breaks.

NFL

With minicamps wrapped up, the biggest NFL news is delightfully weird: CBS Sports is floating a hypothetical about which NFL teams should recruit 41-year-old NBA free agent LeBron James to play football. In actual football news, ESPN ran a fun summer experiment creating a "Domestic Cup" — dividing current NFL players onto teams based on their home states, just like the World Cup. When they aren't playing hypotheticals, NFL players are using their last few weeks of summer freedom to catch up on their reading lists, which range from George Orwell's 1984 to the Bible.

NBA

The NBA world was completely shocked by a blockbuster trade that sent Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers. Brown spent an hour venting on a livestream, calling the move a "lack of respect" from Boston while enthusiastically declaring "The Process is back" for Philly.

In other hardwood news, WNBA All-Star starters were announced, with rookies Caitlin Clark and A'ja Wilson headlining the event in Chicago. However, not everyone is celebrating: Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese called it "disrespectful" and "a slap in the face" that her first-place Dream didn't get a single starter.

MLB

As we hit the Fourth of July, MLB teams are finalizing their strategies for the upcoming trade deadline at the end of the month, with teams like the Red Sox and Orioles trying to decide if they are buying or selling. The Mets, on the other hand, are already expected to be sellers. Fans heading to the ballpark today can look forward to some wild, over-the-top Fourth of July concession foods (from the Dodgers to the Nationals). We'll also get a look at the league's biggest stars tomorrow when the starting lineups for the 2026 All-Star Game in Philadelphia are revealed.

NHL

The NHL offseason just saw a massive, rare move: the Philadelphia Flyers signed Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson to a record-breaking 5-year, $90 million "offer sheet" (basically an aggressive contract offer to another team's player). The Ducks now have to decide if they want to match that money to keep him, or let him walk to Philly. In other news, the greatest goal-scorer in hockey history isn't done yet: 40-year-old Alex Ovechkin has re-signed with the Washington Capitals for one more year at $4.25 million.

College Sports

We are still months away from college basketball season, but the early Top 25 rankings are already shifting. St. John's took a hit in the early projections after their highly-touted transfer player, Donnie Freeman, underwent season-ending knee surgery. On the football side, ESPN is getting fans ready for the fall by debating the single greatest college football player to ever wear every jersey number, from 1 to 99.

Other Sports

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is reaching its do-or-die knockout stages! The US Men's National Team beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 on Wednesday, marking their first knockout-round win in 24 years. However, they'll face a massive test on Monday against Belgium, and they'll have to do it without forward Folarin Balogun, who was suspended for one game after getting a red card.

Over in London, Wimbledon is heating up. The tournament is feeling wide open after early exits from major stars, but all eyes are on an exciting matchup between a red-hot Naomi Osaka and the world's No. 1 player, Aryna Sabalenka.