Sports
Sean Payton Has Turned His Second Chance Into a Broncos Success Story
Sean Payton has certainly made the most out of his second chance in Denver.
He’s led the Denver Broncos to the playoffs each of the last two seasons, including the No. 1 seed in the AFC last season.
Were it not for a freak Bo Nix ankle injury near the end of the Broncos’ divisional-round defeat of the Bills, he had a great chance to take Denver back to the Super Bowl this past season.
He was rewarded for that this week with a five-year contract extension that goes through the 2030 season.
Denver was down bad as a franchise when it hired Payton. After signing late-career Peyton Manning and winning Super Bowl 50 during the 2015 season, the Broncos had missed the playoffs seven straight seasons when they brought on Payton.
The Broncos also bet big on Payton. They sent a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 second-round pick to the New Orleans Saints in order to land the coach.
A team that was on a run of six straight losing seasons bet big not on a quarterback or a star pass-rusher, but on a coach.
It was a bold move, but one that undeniably paid off as the Broncos are 32-19 in Payton’s three seasons. It has also shown the rest of the NFL the value of a good coach and the difference they can make in a locker room.
Mind you, Payton was not a normal coaching retread. There have been plenty of guys given a second — or even third — shot as an NFL head coach after they didn’t find much success in their first go-around.
Payton stepped away due to self-professed coaching burnout after a very successful 15-year tenure leading the Saints to nine playoff appearances and the franchise’s first Super Bowl championship. New Orleans never finished worse than 7-9 under Payton.
There was also the complicating factor of the Saints’ Bountygate scandal which led to him being suspended for the 2012 season after it was found his team ran an illegal scheme which paid out bounties to players who hurt opposing players.
That’s the part which makes the situation of Payton’s second chance with the Broncos a little sticky. A strong case can be made — and I’m sure has been by some — that his baggage may not have warranted the second chance.
But Payton did his penance, earned his way back and has certainly optimized his second chance.
With at least five more years in charge and the Broncos not likely to be leaving contention any time soon with a loaded defense and a young, productive quarterback, is it possible Payton is remembered as much for his time in Denver as for his time leading the Saints?
All he probably needs to make that true is a second ring.
Sports
Spurs, Thunder tied for best 2026-27 title odds; Knicks fourth
May 28, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) goes in for a shot against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) in the first half during game six of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images The New York Knicks are in the midst of celebrating an underdog run to the franchise’s first NBA title in 53 years which concluded Saturday night in San Antonio.
The Knicks again will have to beat the odds to repeat as champs — at least according to the opening odds for the 2026-27 NBA Championship winner which were released shortly after the season concluded.
New York opened not with the best, second- or third-best odds to win next year’s championship, according to DraftKings. Instead, New York has the fourth-best odds to win it all at +700.
Instead, it’s the top teams which met in the Western Conference finals in the Oklahoma City Thunder, who won the 2024-25 league title, and the San Antonio Spurs, who lost this year’s NBA Finals in five games. The squads opened tied for the best odds to win next year’s championship at +250.
The Boston Celtics, who earned the No. 2 seed this season before a surprising first-round exit, are the other Eastern Conference team in the top tier of odds to win the 2026-27 title at +550.
After the Knicks, the odds fall precipitously to the Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets at +2800, and the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers, Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers at +3000.
Alone with the worst odds? That would be the Sacramento Kings, who are at +100000 to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy next summer.
2026-27 NBA title odds (DraftKings)
Spurs +250
Thunder +250
Celtics +550
Knicks +700
Pacers +2800
Nuggets +2800
Timberwolves +3000
Lakers +3000
Pistons +3000
Cavaliers +3000
Heat +4000
Warriors +4500
76ers +5500
Rockets +6000
Clippers +7500
Magic +8000
Trail Blazers +9000
Hornets +9000
Raptors +10000
Hawks +10000
Wizards +12000
Mavericks +12000
Suns +12000
Jazz +20000
Pelicans +25000
Bucks +25000
Nets +25000
Grizzlies +50000
Bulls +75000
Kings +100000
–Field Level Media
Sports
Team Spirit, FURIA first to clinch IEM Cologne playoff spots
YMCA member Austin Manengu works the keyboard as he plays a game of Fortnite during the unveiling of the new gaming lab at the Maplewood Family YMCA in Rochester Thursday, June 20, 2024. YMCA of Greater Rochester in partnership with Metro Sports & Entertainment Group will open two gaming labs for youth and teens this year. Team Spirit and FURIA punched their tickets to the playoffs of the Intel Extreme Masters Cologne Major with their third consecutive Stage 3 victories on Saturday in Germany.
Team Spirit, which earned a bye to Stage 2, and FURIA, which earned a bye to Stage 3, are the first two teams to clinch playoff spots with Round 3 high-match victories. Spirit did so with a 2-1 defeat of 9z Team while FURIA swept BetBoom Team 2-0 to advance.
In other Saturday action, B8 and PARIVISION were the first two teams eliminated from Stage after losing Round 3 low matches. B8 fell 2-1 to FUT Esports while PARIVISION lost 2-0 to Legacy.
At the start of Stage 3, 16 teams were still standing at the Counter-Strike 2 tournament that began with 32 entrants, competing for their share of a $1.25 million prize pool with the grand final scheduled for June 21. The champion receives $500,000.
Stage 3 utilizes a Swiss System format and all matches are best-of-three. The top eight finishers will proceed to the playoffs next week.
Team Spirit rallied for its victory on Saturday, winning 16-13 on Mirage and 16-14 on Dust II after 9z Team opened the match with a 16-12 win on Overpass. Danil “donk” Kryshkovets of Russia led Spirit with 77 kills and a plus-28 kill-death differential in the triumph.
FURIA had less trouble winning their match against BetBoom Team to clinch a playoff spot, running off consecutive 13-6 wins on Overpass and Dust II. Latvia’s Mareks “YEKINDAR” Galinskis led FURIA with 39 kills, and Brazilian Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato had a team-best plus-17 K-D differential.
FUT Esports rallied to remain in contention, dropping the opener 13-10 on Dust II to B8 before rattling off a 13-9 Mirage win followed by a clinching 13-11 Ancient victory. Dmytro “dem0n” Myroshnychenko of Ukraine carried FUT with 58 kills and the only positive K-D differential (plus-10) on the squad.
Legacy swept PARIVISION behind a 16-12 win on Inferno and a 16-13 Dust II triumph. Bruno “latto” Rebelatto led the all-Brazilian Legacy team in kills (52) and a plus-20 K-D differential.
In Round 3 mid matches on Saturday where teams were neither eliminated nor advanced, Natus Vincere edged The MongolZ 2-1, Team Falcons beat Monte 2-1, Aurora Gaming swept G2 Esports 2-0 and Team Vitality outlasted MOUZ 2-1.
On Sunday, three Round 4 high matches will be contested for playoff spots while three Round 4 low matches will eliminate teams before three final Round 5 matches on Monday lock in the playoff field.
Sunday schedule
Round 4 high matches (advancement)
BetBoom Team vs. Team Vitality
Aurora Gaming vs. 9z Team
Natus Vincere vs. Team Falcons
Round 4 low matches (elimination)
MOUZ vs. FUT Esports
The MongolZ vs. Monte
G2 Esports vs. Legacy
Intel Extreme Masters Cologne Major prize pool
1. $500,000
2. $170,000
3-4. $80,000
5-8. $45,000
9-11. $15,000
12-14. $15,000
15-16. $15,000 — B8, PARIVISION
17-19. $10,000 — paiN Gaming, TYLOO, BIG
20-22. $10,000 — MIBR, M80, Astralis
23-24. $10,000 — GamerLegion, FlyQuest
25-27. $5,000 — Lynn Vision Gaming, NRG, Team Liquid
28-30. $5,000 — THUNDERdOWNUNDER, Sharks Esports, HEROIC
31-32. $5,000 — Gaimin Gladiators, SINNERS Esports
–Field Level Media
Sports
Spacestation, LuneX, Liquid win opening-day matches at OWCS Stage 2
Spacestation Gaming, LuneX Gaming and Team Liquid all won on the opening day of regular-season play for Stage 2 of North American qualifying for the Overwatch Champions Series on Saturday.
Spacestation and LuneX are tied atop the standings after delivering 3-0 wins on Day 1 over Dallas Fuel and The Kafe, respectively. Liquid is in solo third, behind marginally on match differential, after a 3-1 defeat of Disguised, which is alone in fourth.
The six teams in contention will engage in round-robin matches during the regular season, with the top four qualifying for the regional playoffs, which will be double-elimination. All matches are best-of-five until the grand final, which will be best-of-seven.
In addition to the $75,000 prize pool, the top four Stage 2 finishers will advance to Stage 3. The three finishers will also qualify for the Midseason Championship.
Spacestation Gaming completed its sweep of Dallas Fuel with a 2-0 win on Ilios, a 3-1 Dorado triumph and a 3-1 victory on Suravasa.
LuneX Gaming similarly wrapped up a sweep of The Kafe with a 2-0 win on Antarctic Peninsula, a 5-4 battle on Dorado and a 3-2 victory on New Junk City.
Disguised opened its match with a narrow 2-1 Oasis win before Team Liquid surged back with a 3-1 New Junk City win followed by triumphs on Dorado (1-0) and Numbani (3-1) to win on Day 1.
Sunday schedule
Dallas Fuel vs. The Kafe
Team Liquid vs. LuneX Gaming
Standings (team, record, match differential)
T1. Spacestation Gaming, 1-0, +3
T1. LuneX Gaming, 1-0, +3
3. Team Liquid, 1-0, +2
4. Disguised, 0-1, -2
T5. Dallas Fuel, 0-1, -3
T5. The Kafe, 0-1, -3
Prize pool:
1. $30,000, qualifies for Midseason Invitational, qualifies for NA Stage 3
2. $15,000, qualifies for Midseason Invitational, qualifies for NA Stage 3
3. $12,000, qualifies for Midseason Invitational, qualifies for NA Stage 3
4. $8,000, qualifies for NA Stage 3
5-6. $5,000, qualifies for NA Stage 2 promotion/relegation
–Field Level Media
Spurs, Thunder tied for best 2026-27 title odds; Knicks fourth
Team Spirit, FURIA first to clinch IEM Cologne playoff spots
