Sports
Chip Ganassi Racing confirms Scott Dixon's departure
Chip Ganassi Racing driver Scott Dixon (9) prepares to make his run Sunday, May 17, 2026, during qualifying for the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Six-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon is leaving Chip Ganassi Racing after 24 years.
CGR confirmed the 45-year-old New Zealander would exit one day after ESPN reported Dixon and Sweden’s Felix Rosenqvist are signing with Arrow McLaren for the 2027 season.
Dixon joined Chip Ganassi Racing in 2002 and won at least one race in every IndyCar season from 2005-25, including the 2008 Indianapolis 500. He has 32 poles, 58 wins and 143 podium finishes in his series career.
A statement from team owner Chip Ganassi said Dixon recently informed him of his decision to part ways. Ganassi said the team offered him a multi-year contract to finish his career at CGR.
“We respect that he’s chosen a different path and wish him nothing but continued success,” Ganassi said. “Scott will always be a special part of this team’s history, and we’re grateful for everything we’ve accomplished together.
“Our focus now is on finishing this season strong with the No. 9 PNC team while also preparing for the future at Chip Ganassi Racing.”
Dixon won the IndyCar Series titles in 2003, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2018 and 2020.
He currently sits 10th in the drivers’ standings with 211 points, trailing leader Alex Palou (374) of Spain by 163 points. He has one top-five finish and five top-10 finishes but no victories in 10 starts.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Dodgers determined to pad lead in NL West over reeling Padres
Jul 1, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) stretches in the dugout during the fourth inning against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Dodgers own a commanding 12-game lead in the National League West and are well-positioned to increase the advantage when they host the second-place San Diego Padres on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series.
The Dodgers own the best record in the majors and just completed a 7-2 road trip despite Wednesday’s 7-1 loss to the Athletics.
“It never feels good to lose,” Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said. “It’s still a great road trip for us.”
The Dodgers are a whopping 25 games above .500 at 56-31 and took two of three games from the Padres in San Diego last weekend.
But Roberts badly wants to extend the division lead.
“We try to take every series with the same importance, but winning this series is a goal,” he said of facing San Diego.
The Padres have lost five straight games, including 23-3 to the host Chicago Cubs on Wednesday. The 20-run losing margin is the worst in franchise history.
The 1969 expansion Padres twice lost 19-0 — once to the host Cubs and once to the visiting Dodgers. In 2005, the Padres were trounced 20-1 by the host Colorado Rockies.
The 23 runs allowed on Wednesday matched a franchise worst. That also came in Chicago when the Cubs steamrolled the Padres 23-6 in 1977.
San Diego also served up eight homers in the disastrous finale of a three-game series.
“It only counts as one (loss),” San Diego manager Craig Stammen said afterward. “We’ve got to remember that. … (Things are) going as poorly as they can right now, and we’ve got to find a way to dig deep, dig our way out of that hole. I think there’s some grit on this team, and we’ve got to dig deep for that.
“If we get negative, we turn on each other, we start pointing fingers — that’s when it’ll turn into disaster.”
A loss to the Dodgers on Thursday would drop the Padres to .500 for the first time since being 6-6 on April 8.
“I shouldn’t have to say it, but we need to turn the intensity up for this next series,” San Diego outfielder/first baseman Gavin Sheets said. “Obviously, we get off to slow starts, and the game starts to snowball a little bit. But we’ve got to keep that under control and as a defense not let that unravel and not let it affect the way we play.
“We need to get back on track against the Dodgers and right this road trip.”
Ailing Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (right wrist) sat out Wednesday’s game but is expected back Thursday. Freddie Freeman homered for the lone Los Angeles run.
The Dodgers had just five hits in the finale after totaling 18 runs and 31 hits while winning the first two games of the series.
Padres right-hander Randy Vasquez (6-6, 4.44 ERA), who will start on Thursday, lost to the Dodgers last Saturday when he gave up seven runs (four earned) and eight hits over 3 1/3 innings. He served up homers to Kyle Tucker and Dalton Rushing during the 15-3 loss.
Vazquez, 27, also lost to the Dodgers on May 20 when he gave up three runs and six hits — including a homer to Shohei Ohtani — over 4 1/3 innings. Overall, he’s 0-3 with a 5.57 ERA in five appearances (three starts) against Los Angeles and has given up two homers to Andy Pages (4-for-10 vs. him) while being scorched by Freeman (5-for-9, three doubles).
The Dodgers will counter on Thursday with right-hander Roki Sasaki (3-5, 4.88 ERA), who is 0-2 with an 8.36 ERA over his last three turns.
Sasaki, 24, lost to the Padres 7-1 last Friday when he allowed three runs and three hits over four-plus innings. That’s his lone outing against San Diego.
–Field Level Media
Sports
LeBron James Could Transform the Warriors or Cavaliers in 2027
Move aside, World Cup. LeBron James is about to shake the sports world.
So far, NBA free agency has fizzled more than an Independence Day dud.
OK, nice move by the Bulls snatching the leader of the B-Listers, Norman Powell. But when Mitchell Robinson, Moe Wagner, John Collins, Dean Wade and Quentin Grimes are the other headliners, you have to ask:
Is this Team Nigeria tryouts, or what?
Alas, the greatest winner in NBA history – you read that right – is about to change things. He’s reportedly making himself available for $15 million for the 2027 season.
Thirty teams should be lining up.
Some aren’t because they believe they don’t need LeBron to win next season. Others think he’d be a bad fit. And then there are the ones who, frankly, aren’t interested in winning right now.
The latter makes sense. The others are just plain idiots.
Even at maybe 80 percent capacity, LeBron James still does a lot of great things. Two stand out even above his winning and double-doubles.
First off, LeBron fits in.
It takes a unique personality to do what Kevin Durant accomplished when he joined Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green with the Warriors in 2017. Criticize him for moving around, but it’s helped LeBron demonstrate he’s fully capable of being a good teammate, never more so than not rocking Luka Doncic’s boat with the Lakers.
You need a rugged rebounder? Few are ruggeder than him. A big man to run the court? Even at 41 (42 by New Year’s Eve), he can still motor. A 3-point shooter, difference-making defender, unselfish ball distributor, guy you want taking the last shot?
He’s built the NBA’s greatest all-time resume doing all that.
And secondly, he’s a leader.
The real-time legend is equal parts mentor for young talent and inspirational voice for guys who think they’ve been there and done that. That’s why he’d be the perfect addition to the Spurs. Or the Pistons. Or the Rockets. Or about a half-dozen other championship dreamers who might be one real good player away from preventing the Thunder from a successful revenge tour next season.
It sounds like “The Decision II” is coming down to the Warriors and Cavaliers. Lucky them.
The Warriors are the most desperate and, at the same time, the most intriguing. Imagine showing up for your first playoff game, a higher seed inspired by a raucous home crowd, and a Fantastic Five reunion rolls out of the visitors’ tunnel with LeBron, Curry, Green, Jimmy Butler and Al Horford.
Guessing the music would stop.
Golden State, which didn’t even make the playoffs last season, still might not be good enough to beat a handful of teams in the top-heavy West. But that’s another great thing about LeBron.
He’s a magnet.
The Warriors not only need LeBron, they also need a buddy or two. It’s no coincidence that the initial report of Golden State’s interest included Anthony Davis’ name. That’s the kind of clout LeBron has.
That might be wishful thinking, but frankly, the Warriors might be better off if LeBron brought one of his little pals. This team is seriously lacking in defensive-capable guards, so maybe Russell Westbrook agrees to come along.
Without question, the Warriors’ twice-prematurely-ended dynasty would be a serious candidate to extend a year or two.
Cleveland is a different animal. He’d be a great story there, where he’s won with far less talent than Bill Russell ever had, then returned to do it again like Michael Jordan did with a vastly superior supporting cast.
Nobody has put more teams in championship contention with lottery-laden histories than LeBron, and Cleveland is where most of it happened. Consider: The Cavaliers have been in existence 56 years. They made at least the Eastern finals six times in 11 years with LeBron. In the other 45 seasons … three times.
(Want to make a similar comparison in Heat history? In 38 seasons: Four trips to the NBA Finals in four years with LeBron, three in 34 years without LeBron.)
But could he do it again in today’s Cleveland, where the Cavaliers were last heard saying they were content to move forward with the same star-studded cast that was eight wins from last year’s title?
Signing LeBron on the cheap could mean not hesitating to deal out-of-place Evan Mobley and his bloated contract for guard help. Hello, Kyrie Irving?
No doubt, the Cavaliers are more ready to win – and win again – than the Warriors. But here’s where Golden State has the advantage: It doesn’t employ James Harden.
No disrespect to the future Hall of Famer, but Harden is an offensive play-through. A ball-stopper who keeps the leather from reaching LeBron. He’s a poor man’s Doncic – and we see how that worked out in LA.
Even with all of LeBron’s greatness, he couldn’t put team and Harden in the same sentence. The Cavaliers would be left praying Harden would agree to move on as a free agent.
And therein could lie the difference-maker: LeBron would be a talent adder with the Warriors, a talent subtractor with the Cavaliers.
Three-peating in his ability to lead the Cavaliers to unforeseen greatness would be a wonderful final chapter in LeBron’s best-seller. But the path to another ring or two – even if it began with scattered boos for a lifetime nemesis – appears smoother in San Francisco.
Sports
Maple Leafs sign F Brandon Duhaime to 3-year deal
Mar 3, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals right wing Brandon Duhaime (22) shoots the puck against the Utah Mammoth during the third period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images The Toronto Maple Leafs signed free agent forward Brandon Duhaime to a three-year contract on Thursday.
Multiple reports put the total value of the deal at $7.8 million ($2.6 million per year).
Duhaime, 29, had four goals and five assists and played all 82 games for the Washington Capitals last season.
He has posted at least 146 hits in all five NHL seasons, tallying 70 points (33 goals, 37 assists) and 410 penalty minutes in 375 games with the Minnesota Wild (2021-24), Colorado Avalanche (2024) and Capitals.
The Wild drafted the Florida native in the fourth round of the 2016 NHL Draft.
–Field Level Media
Dodgers determined to pad lead in NL West over reeling Padres
LeBron James Could Transform the Warriors or Cavaliers in 2027
