Sports
VCU extends coach Phil Martelli Jr. through 2031-32 season
Mar 21, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; VCU Rams head coach Phil Martelli Jr. reacts during the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini during a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images VCU rewarded Phil Martelli Jr. with a two-year contract extension on Monday after he coached the Rams to an NCAA Tournament victory over North Carolina.
Martell’s contract now runs through the 2031-32 season.
VCU went 28-8 this season in Martelli’s first campaign with the school and Thursday’s 82-78 overtime win over the Tar Heels was the team’s 17th in 18 games. It also marked the school’s first NCAA Tournament victory in 10 years.
The Rams had their season end Saturday with a 76-55 loss to Illinois.
“Coach Martelli showed all season that he embodies the leadership qualities we want in our head men’s basketball coach,” VCU athletic director Ed McLaughlin said in a news release. “He made history in his first season by winning the Atlantic 10
Championship and an NCAA Tournament game and continued the standard of excellence that we have created and come to expect. I want to ensure we keep Coach Martelli and give him the opportunity to build on the amazing foundation we have solidified at VCU with three A-10 Championships in the last four years and appearances in 12 of the past 15 NCAA Tournaments.”
The 28 victories tied for second-most in school history, one off the record set in 2011-12 when the team was coached by Shaka Smart.
“I am grateful to the players and the staff who believed in the vision and worked tirelessly to ensure its continued success.” Martelli said. “We are very fortunate to be at such a storied program and look forward to continuing our short- and long-term pursuit of adding to its rich legacy. Go Rams!”
Martelli, 44, coached Bryant to a 43-25 record in two seasons before taking the VCU job. The Bulldogs participated in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, falling to Michigan State in the first round.
He is the son of Phil Martelli, who went 444-328 in 24 seasons at St. Joseph’s and guided the Hawks to the Elite Eight in 2004 when they were a No. 1 seed.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Giants QB Jaxson Dart, teammates clear air over rally in closed-door meeting
Eat Rutherford, NJ — May 9, 2025 — Jaxson Dart with Abdul Carter after Carter spoke to the media following practice at Giants Rookie Minicamp. Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart addressed teammates to clear the air over his appearance at a Republican-backed event in New York that featured President Donald Trump, according to multiple reports.
Dart introduced Trump last week at festivities supporting the campaign of Rep. Mike Lawler, who represents New York’s Hudson Valley in Congress and is running for a third term.
Dart’s presence and on-the-mic role at the rally sparked a reaction from Giants pass rusher Abdul Carter, the third overall draft pick in 2025 — the same year in which the Giants selected Dart with the 25th pick.
“Thought this (s—) was AI,” Carter wrote in a since-deleted post on X that showed the video featuring Dart’s introduction of the president. “What we doing, man?”
ESPN reported veteran quarterback Jameis Winston and edge rusher Brian Burns addressed the team in the same meeting with a goal of shifting the focus to keeping concerns and differences of opinion in house.
Earlier this week, Carter attempted to downplay perception the draft-class peers were at odds over a political divide with another post to social media.
“Me & JD6 are good!” he wrote on X about Dart but since deleted the post. “We spoke earlier as Men. Yall can keep yall narratives.”
The Giants were 4-13 in the first season with Dart and Carter. They hired a new head coach — John Harbaugh — and he was put in an awkward position during the draft.
Harbaugh was called to defend the selections of linebacker Arvell Reese (No. 5 pick) and offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa (No. 10) instead of Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, the player wide receiver Malik Nabers openly lobbied for. Downs wound up being selected by the rival Dallas Cowboys in the No. 11 slot.
Nabers backtracked on the criticism after he said Harbaugh explained how the Giants’ defense would unleash Reese in a creative, matchup-based role.
Harbaugh and his younger brother, Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, were Trump’s guests at the White House in 2025. At the time, John Harbaugh coached the Baltimore Ravens.
John Harbaugh panned media members in Baltimore pressing about his decision to visit the White House at the time, and Harbaugh flipped the question, asking why the query didn’t focus on “a chance to go visit the president.”
“It was amazing. It was awesome. And I promise you I root for our president,” Harbaugh said in July 2025. “I want our president to be successful just like I want my quarterback to be successful and I want my team to be successful, and it was an amazing experience.”
–Field Level Media
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
Angels reinstate LHP Drew Pomeranz from injured list
May 12, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Drew Pomeranz (13) delivers a pitch in the seventh inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Angels reinstated left-hander Drew Pomeranz from the 15-day injured list on Thursday.
The 37-year-old reliever landed on the IL on May 13 with inflammation in his pitching elbow.
Pomeranz is 0-3 with a 7.20 ERA, eight walks and 12 strikeouts in 15 innings in his first season with the Angels.
He is 50-63 with 10 saves, a 3.87 ERA in 363 career games (144 starts) with eight teams since debuting in 2011.
The Angels optioned left-hander Tayler Saucedo to Triple-A Salt Lake in a corresponding move Wednesday night.
–Field Level Media
Reports: Giants QB Jaxson Dart, teammates clear air over rally in closed-door meeting
Kyle Busch battled illness for 'weeks' according to death certificate
