NFL:
Research on 202 former football players found evidence of a brain disease in almost 90 percent of them, from athletes in the NFL down to high school. That includes 110 of 111 brains from former NFL players in the biggest update on chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. The disease has been linked with repeated head blows, and the results published by the Journal of the American Medical Association confirm that it can happen even in young players.
Panthers tight end Greg Olsen has reported to training camp rather than attempt a contract holdout. Olsen said he didn't want his contract situation to become a distraction while he has two years left on his current deal. He has outplayed his current deal in becoming the first tight end in NFL history with three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
Gary Kubiak is returning to the Denver Broncos in a scouting capacity, serving as a senior personnel adviser while handling college and pro players. The hiring comes seven months after he stepped down as head coach. Broncos general manager John Elway says Kubiak will be based out of his Houston home and make periodic trips to team headquarters for personnel meetings.
New England Patriots receiver Andrew Hawkins says he's retiring from the NFL and pledging his brain to research. Hawkins said in a video on uninterrupted.com that his body just wasn't responding as he headed for training camp. Hawkins is a six-year NFL veteran who signed with the defending Super Bowl champions in May.
Safety Bacarri Rambo is getting a second chance to play in Buffalo after the Bills made a series of roster moves two days before opening training camp. Rambo was one of three free agents signed, and returns to Buffalo after spending last season in Miami. He previously appeared in 19 games for the Bills over the 2014-15 seasons.
NBA:
Golden State Warriors guard and two-time MVP Stephen Curry has signed his five-year, $201 million package. Curry will earn just over $40 million per season after getting $12 million while helping the Warriors win the NBA championship this year. NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant also signed his new contract worth approximately $53 million over the next two years.
Derrick Rose has signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who now have a possible replacement for Kyrie Irving. Rose is getting a one-year, $2.1 million contract from the Cavaliers. The free agent gives Cleveland a proven player to handle point-guard duties if it chooses to trade Irving. Irving recently told the team he wants to be traded despite making it to three straight NBA Finals.
The Portland Trail Blazers have traded Allen Crabbe to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for forward Andrew Nicholson. The deal comes a year after the Nets offered Crabbe a four-year, $75 million deal as a restricted free agent.
Aaron Hernandez's home is back on the market after an agreement to sell it for $1.3 million fell through. A lawyer for the late New England Patriots player told a probate judge Monday that Hernandez's estate also has been bolstered by the discovery of a 401(k) plan valued at about $167,000 and another account totaling $50,000. Hernandez hanged himself in prison in April.
NHL:
The New York Rangers have avoided salary arbitration with Mika Zibanejad by working out a five-year deal worth $26.75 million. Zibanejad had 14 goals and 37 points in 56 games last season, his first as a Ranger. He is expected to play a bigger role in the team after fellow center Derek Stepan was dealt to Arizona.
The New Jersey Devils have re-signed restricted free agent defenseman Mirco Mueller, forward Joseph Blandisi and goaltender Scott Wedgewood. Mueller got a two-year deal worth an average of $850,000 a season, Blandisi a two-year, two-way deal worth an average of $680,000 in the NHL, and Wedgewood a one-year, two-way deal worth $650,000 in the NHL.
The Buffalo Sabres have re-signed goaltender Robin Lehner to a $4 million, one-year contract. Lehner was a restricted free agent. The 26-year-old Swede showed he could stay healthy last season, setting career highs with 59 games played, 23 wins and two shutouts. He ranked third in the NHL with 1,758 saves and finished with a .920 save percentage and 2.68 goals-against average.
MLB:
Infielder Eduardo Nunez was traded from the San Francisco Giants to the Boston Red Sox for minor leaguer right-handers Shaun Anderson and Gregory Santos. The 30-year-old hit .308 in 76 games with San Francisco this season and has reached base safely in 40 of his last 42 games. Nunez drove in 31 runs and had a team-high 17 stolen bases despite being slowed by a hamstring injury this month.
Jean Segura rolled an RBI single up the middle with two outs in the 13th inning to cap a two-run rally and give the Seattle Mariners a 6-5 victory over the Boston Red Sox in a game that ended early Wednesday morning. Mitch Haniger walked with one out in the 13th off Doug Fister (0-5), pitching his third inning, and was forced at second on Ben Gamel's fielder's choice. Guillermo Heredia singled Gamel to third and Gamel scored on a wild pitch to tie it.
Todd Frazier hoped to do something special in his home debut for the New York Yankees. And he definitely did that in his first at-bat, grounding into a triple play against the Cincinnati Reds. Frazier was traded from the Chicago White Sox to the Yankees last week. Many of his family members and friends were in the seats at Yankee Stadium for the game.
Yoenis Cespedes had three RBIs and finished a single shy of the cycle to lift the New York Mets past the San Diego Padres 6-5 last night. The Mets won for the sixth time in seven games. Cespedes' check-swing triple in the seventh inning was the difference. Facing reliever Phil Maton, Cespedes tried to hold up on a pitch and instead punched it down the right-field line, with Curtis Granderson aboard after an inning-opening single.
WNBA:
Maya Moore scored a season-high 27 points, Lindsay Whalen made a go-ahead baseline jumper with 47.7 seconds left and the Minnesota Lynx beat the New York Liberty 76-75 last night. Tina Charles scored 24 points and grabbed 16 rebounds for New York. She had her 10th double-double of the season in the first half. Epiphanny Prince scored 19 points.
Alyssa Thomas had 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists to help the Connecticut Sun beat the Chicago Sky 93-72. Chicago was within 65-57 with 1:01 left in the third quarter but didn't score again until Cappie Pondexter's basket with 6:41 remaining.
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