Why Fernando Mendoza May Skip White House Visit with His Former Indiana Team

Fernando Mendoza may skip the Indiana Hoosiers' visit to the White House

NEED TO KNOW

• The Las Vegas Raiders rookie has training camp on the same day, he told reporters

• Mendoza led Indiana to a national championship over the Miami Hurricanes in January

Fernando Mendozais being mindful of the optics.The rookie Las Vegas Raiders quarterback told reporters over the weekend that he’ll likely turn down the invitation to the White House when his former team, the Indiana Hoosiers, visit next week.“If it is on the first day of OTAs [organized team activities], like I said, I’m on the bottom of the totem pole here. I gotta prove myself,” Mendoza, 22,said on Saturday, May 2. “I can’t miss practice.”He added, “As a rookie, I don’t think that’s a good look. I want to try to best serve my teammates and I don't know if that'd be accomplishing that goal.”The Hoosiers, who won the national championship against the Miami Hurricanes in January,are scheduled to visitthe White House on Monday, May 11.

While his former teammates make the trip, Mendoza will be getting acclimated to the league as he prepares for his first NFL training camp later this summer.“Out of all those great milestones, I’m really happy about these past two days because it’s back to football,” he said. “Really enjoyed college, the Hoosiers were able to end off on a high point, now it’s back to the bottom of the totem pole.”

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Mendoza added, “Yesterday I was like, ‘Wow, I have a lot to work on.’ Everyone here in rookie camp, these are all really, really good players, so I need to elevate my level of play when we go to OTAs next week and training camp.”Mendoza’s absence in D.C. comes after he recently chose to deviate from another tradition.

Last month, the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft stayed home in South Florida with family instead of attending the draft festivities in Pittsburgh.Follow your favorite athletes on and off the field withPEOPLE's free sports newsletter— sign up now!“Pittsburgh is a great opportunity and it’s a great venue, and I’m really excited to see all the guys or most of the guys walk across the stage on Thursday night,” Mendozatold Rich Eisen onSportsCenterthree days before the draft. “However, my mom really wanted to do it at home and so did my parents, it’s a lot easier for us, especially with the family situation.”When he was selected by the Raiders with the first pick, the quarterback embraced family members — including mom Elsa, who has multiple sclerosis — who had gathered together to celebrate the big moment.

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byJastin

in

May 04, 2026

Why Fernando Mendoza May Skip White House Visit with His Former Indiana Team

Fernando Mendoza may skip the Indiana Hoosiers' visit to the White House NEED TO KNOW The Las Vegas Raiders ro...

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LSU football lands 5-star tight end Ahmad Hudson

LSU footballfans waiting for Lane Kiffin to make some noise on the recruiting trail in the 2027 cycle haven't had to wait long.

At the beginning of the year, the Tigers landed a commitment from top 20 defensive lineman Jaiden Bryant out of Irmo (Columbia, S.C.). On Sunday, they landed an even bigger prize, keeping one of the state's top players inLouisiana's home.

Ruston (LA) five-star tight end Ahmad Hudson announced his commitment to the Tigers, choosingLSUoverNebraska.

According to 247Sports, the 6-foot-6.5, 239-pounder is ranked as the No. 11 overall player in the 2027 class. The site ranks him as the No. 1 tight end and the No. 2 player in the state, only behindElijah Haven, who committed to Alabama.

Hudson is a multi-sport star at Ruston, excelling as one of the state's top basketball players. He's averaged a double-double in each of his three seasons on the courts.

On the gridiron, he's proven to be a matchup nightmare.

This year, he participated in the Navy All-American Bowl, one of the few underclassmen to play in the game. He was named the MVP of the Louisiana Division 1 Non-Select championship despite the loss, after catching six passes for 169 yards and a touchdown.

Hudson could be kicking off point for LSU's 2027 class

Expectations were high for Tigers fans when it was announced that Lane Kiffin was taking over the program last November.

A prolific recruiter, it came as no surprise that many expected the Tigers to once again be among the top five teams in the country in acquiring high school talent.

So far, though, that hasn't exactly been the case.

According to 247Sports, LSU's 2027 class ranks as the No. 33 class in the cycle. The Tigers have only five commitments to date.

Of their five commitments, three are homegrown talents who rank as four or five-star talents. Kiffin was able to keep a commitment from four-star quarterback PeytonHouston, who committed to the Tigers last September.Four-star athlete Braylon Calais out of Cecilia (Carencro, LA) announced his commitment to LSU on April 20.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Ahmad Hudson commits to LSU, what it means for the Tigers

byJastin

in

May 04, 2026

LSU football lands 5-star tight end Ahmad Hudson

LSU footballfans waiting for Lane Kiffin to make some noise on the recruiting trail in the 2027 cycle haven't had to wait long. ...

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Cavs use third-quarter surge to best Raptors in Game 7

Jarrett Allen scored 14 of his career playoff-high-tying 22 points in the third quarter and grabbed 19 rebounds, powering the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 114-102 win over the visiting Toronto Raptors on Sunday night in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Fourth-seeded Cleveland, which trailed by double digits in the first and second quarters, will play the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in the East semifinals, beginning Tuesday in Detroit. The home team won every game in the Cavaliers-Pistons series.

Donovan Mitchell also had 22 points and James Harden posted 18 points and six rebounds for the Cavaliers, who built a 94-72 lead early in the fourth. Allen had 10 rebounds -- five offensive -- in the third when Cleveland outscored the Raptors 38-19.

"Emotions were high and the crowd was into it," Allen said, before laughing, "Dr. J-A. I just had to let 'em know. I was just playing hard, trying to get us ahead."

Mitchell agreed about Allen's impact on both the game and the crowd.

"The crowd brought the same energy as Jarrett Allen," Mitchell said. "That dude took over. He was doing everything, getting steals, rebounds, scoring points."

Scottie Barnes collected 24 points, nine rebounds and six assists for fifth-seeded Toronto. RJ Barrett had 23 points on 9-of-25 field-goal attempts and Jamal Shead added 14 points and seven assists.

"For the stage of his career, (Barnes) gave it all," Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. "I don't want to sound like a broken record, but this is not the best version of Scottie we're going to see. He's going to be even better next season."

Despite his coach's praise, Barnes found plenty to blame for his team's loss.

"They worked harder than us in this game," he said. "They had 20 offensive rebounds. They had four guys crashing every play, even 5-10, 5-11 guys crashing the glass."

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Cleveland is 5-0 all-time at home in Game 7 and has beaten the Raptors all 11 times in the playoffs in its arena. The Cavaliers also have won all four of their postseason series against Toronto.

Evan Mobley, who had 13 points, scored the first basket of the second half to give Cleveland its initial lead at 51-49. It turned into a 20-2 run spanning the second and third quarters when Mitchell made a hoop with 9:28 remaining in the third to make it 58-49.

"Jarrett (Allen) really took us over the top with that third-quarter performance," Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. "That's the best I've ever seen him. He was just absolutely incredible tonight."

Cleveland used an 11-2 run to close the opening half, tying the score for the first time at 49-all on a Jaylon Tyson 3-pointer. Shead and Barnes led all players at the half with 14 points apiece, while Harden had 10 points and Sam Merrill added eight off the bench.

"It felt like we had them," Barrett said. "That's what's going to hurt. We definitely could have won this game and won this series."

The Cavaliers committed 13 turnovers in the first half, which Toronto turned into 14 points. Cleveland had six miscues in the first quarter and seven in the second.

Barnes netted the first five points of the evening after Allen missed a dunk on Cleveland's opening possession. Shead made a runner to give the Raptors a 22-12 advantage, but Merrill had five points in the final three minutes to cut it to 26-24.

Shead scored seven points in the period and Barnes had five points and four assists, helping Toronto shoot 55% (11 of 20) from the floor.

The Raptors were without two starters, small forward Brandon Ingram (right heel soreness) and point guard Immanuel Quickley (right hamstring strain).

"We gave it all, everything we had today," Rajakovic said. "Our guys were awesome. We made it hard on (the Cavaliers)."

--Field Level Media

byJastin

in

May 03, 2026

Cavs use third-quarter surge to best Raptors in Game 7

Jarrett Allen scored 14 of his career playoff-high-tying 22 points in the third quarter and grabbed 19 rebounds, powering the Cleveland...

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Braves place Ronald Acuña Jr. on the 10-day injured list with a strained hamstring

DENVER (AP) — TheAtlanta Bravesplaced star right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. on the 10-day injured list because ofa strained left hamstringon Sunday.

Braves Rockies Baseball

The Braves owned the best record in baseball at 24-10 entering Sunday's game against theColorado Rockies. But they'll have to get by for now without one of their top players.

Acuña leftSaturday night’s gamein the second inning. He was attempting to run out a ground ball before he pulled up about halfway down the base path and grabbed at his hamstring.

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The five-time All-Star and 2023 National League MVP is batting .252 with two home runs, nine RBIs, 17 runs and a team-high seven steals. He had played in all 34 games after a torn ACL he suffered in May 2024 limited him to a combined 144 games over the past two seasons.

The Braves activated right-hander Spencer Strider from the injured list prior to Sunday's start. The 2023 All-Star was set to make his season debut after being sidelined with a strained oblique. The Braves optioned right-hander Hunter Stratton to Triple-A Gwinnett following Saturday's game to make room for him. They also selected outfielder José Azócar's contract from the minor league club on Sunday with Acuña going on the injured list.

AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

byJastin

in

May 03, 2026

Braves place Ronald Acuña Jr. on the 10-day injured list with a strained hamstring

DENVER (AP) — TheAtlanta Bravesplaced star right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. on the 10-day injured list because ofa strained left hamstrin...

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Can Lakers beat the Thunder? What we learned from series vs. Rockets

LeBron Jamesand theLos Angeles Lakersbounced back in a big way to avoid playing Game 7 of their Western Conference first-round series against theHouston Rockets.

James had 28 points, eight assists and seven rebounds asthe Lakers beat the Rockets 98-78on Friday, May 1. It was his league-record 157th playoff game with at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists.

The Lakers played with a sense of urgency and energy that was missing from their home loss on Wednesday.

“My mindset was to play with aggression,” James said during a postgame interview on Prime. “(The Rockets) changed the aggression level in Games 4 and 5. … Most of our guys haven't been in a close-out game situation. … So I had to come out and set the tone for my team and just try to find a way to close this thing out.”

The Lakers will be asked to produce the same level of energy if they want to compete with the defending champions, theOklahoma City Thunder, in the second round.

The NBA playoffs bring out more than high‑stakes basketball, as stars showcase their sneaker style on the league’s biggest stage.

See the coolest kicks worn during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where footwear becomes part of the spotlight.

Above, The shoes of Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style

The NBA playoffsbring out more than high‑stakes basketball, as stars showcase their sneaker style on the league’s biggest stage.See the coolest kicks worn during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where footwear becomes part of the spotlight.Above, The shoes of Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.

The Lakers must continue to get strong contributions from players such as Rui Hachimura, who helped neutralize the Rockets and kept them from having any chance of battling back into the game with several big shots. Hachimura finished with 21 points and six rebounds. He shot 5-of-7 from the 3-point line.

The Lakers will need all the rest they can get before the series with the Thunder begins on Tuesday, May 5, in Oklahoma City. The three days off won’t be enough time to get guard Luka Doncic back, though.

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Doncic has not played since suffering a hamstring injury on April 2 in a blowout loss to the Thunder during the regular season.

Without the guard, Los Angeles will be tasked with overcoming the Thunder's defense and finding a way to generate enough offense to match the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Austin Reaves will be asked to shoulder some of that offensive responsibility. He made his return to the Lakers on Wednesday for Game 5 after missing time due to a left oblique muscle strain. He returned to the starting lineup in Game 6.

Reaves has 37 points, eight assists and seven rebounds combined in his first two games back. He will need to round back into form at the 3-point line, where he's made just 2-of-12 this week.

The Thunder will enter the series well-rested, having swept the Phoenix Suns. OKC will enter the second round having had a full week off.

The Thunder could also see the return of Jalen Williams in the series. He has not played since April 22 due to a hamstring strain.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:What's next for Lakers after win over Rockets? Thunder await

byJastin

in

May 02, 2026

Can Lakers beat the Thunder? What we learned from series vs. Rockets

LeBron Jamesand theLos Angeles Lakersbounced back in a big way to avoid playing Game 7 of their Western Conference first-round series a...

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Jacob Misiorowski injury update: Brewers optimistic they avoided disaster

Jacob Misiorowskiavoided a major injury, and perhaps won't have to miss any time on the mound at all.

Milwaukee Brewersmanager Pat Murphytold reportersSaturday, May 2 that he thinks Misiorowski's "going to be fine," some 15 hours after theright hamstring injury the right-hander sufferedthe night before, when he took a no-hitter into the sixth inning of theBrewers' 6-1 victory over the Washington Nationals.

Misiorowski, 24, was overpowering most of the night, striking out eight, retiring the last 11 batters he faced, averaging 101 mph on his fastball in the first inning and throwing 43 pitches between 100 and 103 mph. He did not know he had a no-hitter when he struck out the first batter of the sixth, and then, after throwing one pitch to leadoff hitter James Wood, motioned for a trainer to come out.

That sent a chill through the Brewers dugout – and the industry at large – given Misiorowski's high-velocity repertoire and the inherent risk involved. But the injury did not involve his golden arm.

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Instead, he exited due to a barking hamstring, at least for the moment keeping the Brewers' extensive injury list a little lighter. Veteran right-hander Brandon Woodruff was placed on the IL with shoulder inflammation Friday, and the club is also awaiting the return of Quinn Priester, who is on a rehab assignment.

Milwaukee Brewers catcher Gary Sanchez wears a special chest protector to commemorate Jackie Robinson Day during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at American Family Field on April 15, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> The Pittsburgh Pirates' Konnor Griffin celebrates with a traffic cone after making his major-league debut in a 5-4 defeat of the Baltimore Orioles at PNC Park on April 3, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Cleveland Guardians players warm up as the launch of NASA's Artemis II is shown on the center-field video board at Dodger Stadium on April 1, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Two F-35C planes from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron NINE Detachment Edwards Air Force Base perform a flyover before the Opening Day game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on March 26, 2026.

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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season

Despite the injuries – including the potential loss of key reliever Angel Zerpa to season-ending arm surgery – the Brewers entered Saturday 17-14.

Misiorowski, a 6-7, 200-pounder, leads the major leagues in strikeouts (59 in 38 innings), strikeout percentage (37.2%) and whiff percentage (39.5%). His lone IL stint came in August 2025 due to a left tibia contusion, though he returned shortly thereafter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Jacob Misiorowski injury update: Brewers ace avoids injury list

byJastin

in

May 02, 2026

Jacob Misiorowski injury update: Brewers optimistic they avoided disaster

Jacob Misiorowskiavoided a major injury, and perhaps won't have to miss any time on the mound at all. Milwaukee Brewersmanage...

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