PHOENIX (AP) — Dan Snyder’s departure from the NFL is moving closer to reality. A group led by Josh Harris and Mitchell Rales and another group led by Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos have submitted fully financed bids for the NFL’s Washington Commanders, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. Two people confirmed the bid from Harris. Both spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because details of the bid have not been publicly announced. The Harris/Rales group includes basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson. Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta also has been in the running. Snyder had yet to accept an offer when the league’s finance committee met Monday so his future wasn’t openly discussed.
PHOENIX (AP) — Lamar Jackson’s frustration over contract negotiations reached a boiling point when he announced Monday that he has requested a trade from the Baltimore Ravens. Staying in Baltimore might be his best and only option. If the two sides can’t agree on a long-term deal by July 17, Jackson could play this season on the $32.4 million franchise tag. The 2019 NFL MVP hasn’t generated any interest in free agency after the Ravens placed the nonexclusive franchise tag on him. Some teams immediately said they wouldn’t pursue Jackson. The Washington Commanders joined that list Monday.
CHICAGO (AP) — Shohei Ohtani watch is on. Not Ohtani’s home runs or strikeouts or any of his magnificent numbers from the field. Nothing like that. It’s all about how much his next contract will be worth. Ohtani is among a group of players going into their final season before they are eligible for free agency. There is still time for signatures and press conferences before opening day, but history shows a new contract becomes less likely once the real games begin. The list of impending free agents also includes Aaron Nola, Matt Chapman, Teoscar Hernández, Ian Happ and Julio Urías.
DALLAS (AP) — LSU coach Kim Mulkey is returning to Texas for another Final Four. The former Baylor coach says some people with ties to her lengthy tenure in Texas will be in the stands when the Tigers play Virginia Tech in the national semifinals Friday night in Dallas. Mulkey is the third coach to lead multiple schools to the Final Four. She made four trips with Baylor. It's her first with LSU in her second season. South Carolina coach Dawn Staley returns to the scene of her first national championship five years ago. The Gamecocks play Iowa.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Rodney Terry says he always felt confident he'd earn the chance to be the full-time head basketball coach at Texas. The school removed the interim tag from his title and gave him the full-time job after leading the Longhorns to the Elite Eight following the midseason firing of Chris Beard. Terry said at a news conference Tuesday that his previous experience as a Longhorns assistant had prepared him for the job. The chairman of the school's Board of Regents said Terry got a five-year contract at $3 million per year.
UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA has taken a seat on the bench in the political game. The organization that governs college athletics was once at the forefront of hot-button issues such as the Confederate flag and transgender rights. But that stance evolved quickly as one Republican-controlled state after another rushed to pass laws that cover everything from abortion to transgender rights to drag shows. The NCAA’s new approach came into sharper focus this week as Texas prepares to host both the men’s and women’s Final Four. Not a word has been spoken about moving these events out of Houston and Dallas.
UNDATED (AP) — The number of college athletes who are monetizing their social media followings has grown over the past 18 months. The NCAA cleared the way for athletes to cash in on their celebrity in July 2021. Many of those influencers are female athletes. Some say they are aware their growing popularity can draw attention from fans who may overstep their bounds. Sometimes it's in the comments on their social media posts. And sometimes they show up at sporting events just to meet the athletes.
GENEVA (AP) — Some Russian athletes can soon return to international sports, although their status for the Paris Olympics is still up in the air. The International Olympic Committee has recommended that individual athletes from Russia and Belarus should be allowed to return to competition under a neutral status as long as they have no military links. But the IOC held off on deciding whether they can compete at next year’s Paris Olympics. While the IOC said Russia and Belarus should remain barred from team sports such as soccer and basketball, it still defied repeated calls by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to exclude all Russian athletes while his country is being occupied and attacked.
TUESDAY SCORES
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE
Final Washington 3 N.Y. Yankees 0
Final Philadelphia 6 Toronto 5
Final Minnesota 7 Pittsburgh 5
Final Atlanta 7 Boston 5
Final Chicago Cubs 8 Chicago White Sox 5
Final Arizona 3 Cleveland 1
Final L.A. Angels 13 L.A. Dodgers 5
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Texas 5 Kansas City 3
Final Houston 5 Sugar Land 1
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Milwaukee 8 Colorado 1
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Washington 130 Boston 111
Final Toronto 106 Miami 92
Final Atlanta 120 Cleveland 118
Final Memphis 113 Orlando 108
Final Charlotte 137 Oklahoma City 134
Final Golden State 120 New Orleans 109
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Philadelphia 3 Montreal 2
Final N-Y Rangers 6 Columbus 2
Final Tampa Bay 4 Carolina 0
Final Nashville 2 Boston 1
Final Detroit 7 Pittsburgh 4
Final OT St. Louis 6 Vancouver 5
Final Dallas 4 Chicago 1
Final Calgary 2 Los Angeles 1
Final Edmonton 7 Vegas 4
Final San Jose 3 Winnipeg 0