Minnesota Teams

While it’s a relatively quiet Friday for local scores, the Minnesota sports scene is still making moves behind the scenes. The Twins are grinding through the middle of their MLB season, looking to solidify their playoff positioning as the trade deadline approaches. The Lynx are right in the thick of the WNBA season, dealing with the same grueling travel schedules that left the New York Liberty stranded on a tarmac for over 10 hours this week. Meanwhile, the Vikings, Timberwolves, and Wild are monitoring national league news—like the NFL's player safety pushes and NBA salary cap investigations—as they finalize their own rosters for the upcoming seasons.

NFL

The NFL suspended an Arizona Cardinals executive indefinitely this week for violating the league's strict gambling policy (betting on NFL games is a massive no-no for league employees). In much weirder news, legendary quarterback Tom Brady is talking about swapping the football field for a wrestling ring, publicly campaigning for a WWE match. Meanwhile, NFL players are pointing to the real grass fields used during the soccer World Cup to renew their demands for safer, natural grass in their own stadiums.

NBA

Caitlin Clark just had one of the best offensive games in WNBA history, dropping a career-high 45 points and 10 assists—the first 40-10 game ever—in a 110-107 Indiana Fever win over Seattle. In NBA news, free agent superstar LeBron James is having fun trolling the public, dropping hints about joining the Philadelphia 76ers but refusing to announce his actual decision. The league is also investigating the Milwaukee Bucks over a suspiciously structured contract they gave to Gary Trent Jr., and two Miami Heat players were spared punishment after getting into a fight at a recent Summer League game.

MLB

A game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Guardians was postponed this week due to poor air quality from the Canadian wildfires. In an effort to keep strategy strictly human, Major League Baseball is banning teams from using Artificial Intelligence on their dugout iPads to call plays. The league also just released its 2027 schedule, which will feature the earliest Opening Day in history on March 24.

NHL

The Carolina Hurricanes are catching some serious heat after their owner, Tom Dundon, decided to engrave his entire family's names on the Stanley Cup. Hockey purists are annoyed, arguing it disrespects the tradition of the trophy, which is usually reserved for players and essential staff.

College Sports

With college football season fast approaching, sports analysts are rolling out their annual "Hot Seat" rankings, which predict which of the 138 head coaches are in danger of getting fired if they don't win enough games this fall. College basketball recruiting nerds are also hard at work, already ranking the top high school prospects for the graduating classes of 2027, 2028, and even 2030.

Other Sports

The UFC made massive headlines when Conor McGregor returned to fighting after a five-year break, drawing nearly 16 million viewers before he suffered an injury less than a minute into the match. McGregor is now demanding that all bets on the fight be voided—a request sportsbooks are calling ridiculous. In soccer, the U.S. Men's National Team is mapping out a long-term vision to bounce back from their rollercoaster World Cup run, with an eye on the 2028 Olympics. Golf's prestigious British Open is also happening this weekend at Royal Birkdale.