Sports
Kyle Busch battled illness for 'weeks' according to death certificate
May 23, 2026; Concord, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Motor Speedways’ main video board pay homage to deceased driver Kyle Busch before qualifying at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images NASCAR star Kyle Busch was potentially ill for “weeks” leading up to his untimely passing, his death certificate revealed Thursday.
The cause of death was confirmed to be triggered by sepsis, which developed from a bout of bacterial pneumonia, as family revealed following Busch’s death on May 21. Sepsis triggered clotting within blood vessels that cut off flow to vital organs.
Busch, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion who is considered one of the best drivers of all time, was 41.
Busch experienced shortness of breath and was coughing up blood the day before his death, according to a 911 call obtained by USA Today.
He is survived by his wife Samantha, 11-year-old son Brexton and 4-year-old daughter Lennix. He was the younger brother of NASCAR Hall of Fame member Kurt Busch, 47.
The Busch family was on hand for Saturday’s Cup Series race at Charlotte, N.C., as NASCAR conducted a weekend of tributes to the late champion.
Those tributes will be ongoing, with rival driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. revealing he will compete in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Nashville this weekend with the same NOS Energy Drink paint scheme Busch used until 2017. Busch delivered 22 of his record 102 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victories with the paint scheme.
Busch accrued a record 234 wins across NASCAR’s top three series: 63 in the Cup Series, 102 in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and 69 in the Craftsman Truck Series. He won a trucks race at Dover, Del., just six days before his death.
The Las Vegas native was the NASCAR Cup Series champion in 2015 and 2019. He never won the Daytona 500 but claimed the pole for the first time this year before finishing 15th. His biggest wins included the 2008 Southern 500, the 2015 and 2016 Brickyard 400 and 2019 Coca-Cola 600.
–Field Level Media
Sports
PWHL Detroit tabs Josh Sciba as head coach
PWHL Detroit will begin play with the 2026-27 season. Michigan native Josh Sciba has been named the inaugural head coach of PWHL Detroit, the expansion team announced Thursday.
Sciba, 41, previously spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the PWHL’s New York Sirens and as an assistant coach for the gold medal-winning 2026 U.S. women’s Olympic hockey team.
“Josh is a highly respected coach with a knowledge of the game and experience at all levels of women’s hockey that set him apart, and his passion for teaching and individual character are qualities I value in a leader,” Detroit general manager Manon Rheaume said in a news release. “Hockeytown is in his blood, and this is an opportunity I know he is eager to embrace with an understanding of what it means to represent this city and be part of its legacy.”
Sciba served as head coach of the women’s hockey team at Union College from 2016-24 after spending four seasons as an assistant coach at Colgate (2012-16).
“I’m incredibly honored and excited for the opportunity to become the Head Coach of PWHL Detroit and beyond grateful for the trust placed in me to help lead the organization from the beginning,” Sciba said. “This is home and especially meaningful for me and my entire family, knowing Detroit’s rich hockey history and identity firsthand and how much the women’s hockey community has been yearning for this moment. Working alongside Manon, someone who has meant so much to the growth of the sport, is a journey I’m so fortunate to be on, with her passion, leadership, and vision that will make Detroit a destination for players.”
Detroit is one of four expansion teams starting play in 2026-27, along with Las Vegas, San Jose and Hamilton, Ontario.
The PWHL now has doubled in size from its original six members in 2023: Boston, Minnesota, Montreal, New York, Ottawa and Toronto. Vancouver and Seattle entered the league in 2025.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Brazil's Neymar (calf) may miss World Cup opener
Neymar in Santos’ match against Cruzeiro at Estadio Urbano Caldeira, Santos, Brazil, on Dec. 7, 2025. Neymar is expected to be sidelined up to three weeks with a right calf injury, putting his availability in doubt for Brazil’s opening match of the World Cup.
The forward has been out of action since May 17. Brazil’s World Cup opening match is against Morocco on June 13 in East Rutherford, N.J.
“He arrived at Granja Comary (Wednesday), underwent a full medical examination, which included an MRI scan that revealed a Grade 2 calf injury, not just swelling,” Brazil national team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said on Thursday. “He is expected to be fit to play in two to three weeks.”
Neymar, who is Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, rejoined his boyhood club Santos last year after a stay with Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal.
Neymar, 34, has collected eight goals through his three World Cups (2014, 2018, 2022) and will try to guide the Selecao to their first title since 2002.
Drawn into Group C, Brazil also will face Haiti on June 20 and Scotland on June 24.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jets first-round TE Kenyon Sadiq out weeks after hernia surgery
Apr 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq is selected by the New York Jets as the number 16 pick during the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Jets tight end Kenyon Sadiq underwent surgery to repair a hernia and is out several weeks.
Head coach Aaron Glenn said Thursday that Sadiq should be back on the field at some point during training camp, which opens in eight weeks (July 28).
The 16th overall pick is expected to have a significant role in the Jets’ retooled offense.
“It’s something that he dealt with,” Glenn said, detailing the injury history the team had knowledge of prior to the 2025 college football season. “And we knew about it going into his last year of college, and he dealt with it during rookie minicamp.”
Health was not a major deterrent for Sadiq last season when he had eight TD catches and 51 receptions at Oregon. He solidified his pre-draft standing with a freakish workout at the NFL Scouting Combine. He was clocked at a position-record 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash, eclipsing the recognized fastest time by a tight end held by Maryland product Vernon Davis. He ran a 4.40 in 2006.
The Jets doubled down on receivers in the first round in April, selecting wide receiver Omar Cooper 30th overall following a trade up with the San Francisco 49ers.
–Field Level Media
Orange in the Sun
PWHL Detroit tabs Josh Sciba as head coach
