May 2025

There were 2,285 posts published in May 2025 (this is page 13 of 229).

USDA Invests $200M to Expand Timber Production, Strengthen Rural Economies, Secure American Industry

(Washington, D.C., May 29, 2025) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced a bold $200 million investment to implement the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service’s National Active Forest Management Strategy (PDF, 24.7 MB), a key initiative to increase timber harvest, improve forest health and productivity, reduce wildfire risk, and support rural prosperity in forest communities.

What’s next for TNT’s ‘Inside the NBA’ as it transitions to ESPN? Will there be changes to the landmark show?

After 35 seasons, “Inside the NBA” as we know will be no more. 

The iconic studio show will sign off for the last time on TNT at the conclusion of the Eastern Conference Finals series between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks.

It’s the end of an era that’s significant to NBA fans of all ages. But fret not, loyal viewers. “Inside the NBA” isn’t going away. It’s just moving to a new location at ESPN. 

“Inside the NBA” will no longer air on TNT, but it’s not going away for good. (Photo by Andrew Burke-Stevenson/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Boston Globe via Getty Images

ESPN acquired the rights to “Inside the NBA” in a landmark November deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to broadcast the show on its networks. In return, TNT Sports will take over exclusive rights to a slate of Big 12 football and men’s college basketball games from ESPN in addition to a deal that it previously had in place with the network for rights to College Football Playoff games.

In short, “Inside the NBA” will carry on next season despite the end of TNT’s 35-year run covering the NBA.

Probably/hopefully not?

ESPN and chairman Jimmy Pitaro wanted “Inside the NBA” for a reason. ESPN is not very good at producing NBA studio shows. 

For pretty much its entire existence as an NBA partner, ESPN has failed to produce a show that’s compelling, much less one that captures the zeitgeist like “Inside the NBA.” Instead, the quality of the ESPN product has generally ranged from functional to must-mute. 

“Inside the NBA” is so iconic, it was parodied on “Saturday Night Live” in 2022. (Photo by Will Heath/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
NBC via Getty Images

The struggles aren’t from a lack of trying. ESPN has rotated in and out a cast of hosts, analysts and reporters while trying to find the right formula. None of the efforts has produced more than moderate success, despite significant high-level talent in the rotation.

So Pitaro reached a reasonable conclusion. If you can’t beat ’em, buy ’em. Or trade for ’em, at least. Once it became clear that TNT was, in fact, getting out of the NBA business for the first time since 1989, Pitaro came up with one of the more brilliant, yet obvious ideas in recent sports media: obtain the rights to “Inside the NBA” and put it on the air as is.

It was an idea with two significant impacts: Upgrade the product around ESPN’s NBA broadcasts. And, more importantly in the grand scheme, give a lifeline to “Inside the NBA,” which was previously on track to become an all-too unfortunate casualty of the latest NBA media rights shuffle. 

By all accounts — including directly from ESPN — it sounds like “Inside the NBA” will continue to run largely as is. In its announcement about acquiring the rights to the show, ESPN made clear that “Inside the NBA” will continue to be produced by TNT Sports. 

“TNT Sports will continue to independently produce Inside the NBA from its Atlanta-based studios over the term of the agreement,” ESPN’s announcement from November reads.

It will feature the same cast and production team and will continue to be produced out of Turner’s Studio J in Atlanta. ESPN and ABC will simply license the show for broadcast on its own networks.

But surely ESPN will want to put its own fingerprints on the show, right? There’s no way the “worldwide leader” won’t want to tinker with it, at least a little bit. 

The Athletic’s media reporter Andrew Marchand, who’s covered the show’s transition from TNT to ESPN, doesn’t think so. Here’s what he told “The Dan Patrick Show” in November.

“I don’t think that’s gonna happen,” Marchand said of ESPN tinkering with the show. 

Marchand went on to cite other high-profile acquisitions under Pitaro like “The Pat McAfee Show” that runs largely untouched by ESPN management, and the network’s decision to allow Peyton Manning to broadcast his “Monday Night Football” “ManningCast” out of his garage in Denver. 

“I think that’s the Pitaro playbook,” Marchand continued. “If I’m a producer there, I’m kind of saying, if I’m in Bristol, ‘what are we doing? We can’t get this right. The big boss keeps outsourcing our programming. That’s not a good sign.’

“But it’s not the same Bristol. … [Pitaro’s] going out and getting what he wants, especially in terms of the on-air people.”

The people Pitaro wanted, in this instance, were Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal. And he’s got them. 

Johnson was reportedly staying at TNT whether or not “Inside the NBA” continued. Barkley was signed to a long-term deal with TNT before the ESPN acquisition and has since reaffirmed his commitment to the network.

O’Neal has signed a new deal to remain with the network since ESPN licensed the show. And Smith is expected to remain on the show on a multiyear deal, according to CNBC.

When exactly and for how long “Inside the NBA” will air isn’t entirely clear. But some important details are, including the “Inside the NBA” crew covering the NBA Finals for the first time. 

ESPN provided a framework of a schedule in its acquisition announcement:

“The legendary ‘Inside the NBA’ studio team will appear on ESPN and ABC surrounding high-profile live events, including ESPN’s pregame, halftime and postgame coverage of the NBA Finals on ABC, conference finals, NBA playoffs, all ABC games after January 1, Christmas Day, opening week, the final week of the season and other marquee live events.”

ESPN also announced that its in-house studio shows “NBA Countdown” and “NBA Today” will continue to air. So “Inside the NBA” isn’t fully replacing ESPN’s NBA studio coverage.

So does this mean that “Inside the NBA” won’t air before Christmas outside of opening week? That wouldn’t make much sense given the October start to the NBA’s regular season. 

It’s possible that some of those early-season broadcasts could fall under the umbrella of “other marquee live events” and potentially include the NBA Cup that runs from mid-November through mid-December. But none of that is confirmed as of yet. 

Smith recently raised concerns about giving up schedule control to ESPN in an interview with the New Yorker.  

“We have the same crew of people doing the show,” Smith said. “But the timing: are we a half hour now? Are we forty-five minutes? Fifteen minutes? 

“Those are the things that you can control when you own your I.P. But we don’t. That was the only part that made me uncomfortable and disheartened, because I felt that the four of us should have went into ABC to negotiate that deal. I’m not saying that our executives don’t know how to do that, but we are the I.P. now.”

So not everything will remain the same. And there will inevitably be some unexpected surprises given all the new moving parts. 

But the big picture is clear. We’re not mourning the end of “Inside the NBA” this week with the conclusion of the Eastern Conference finals. We’re just welcoming a new chapter. And that’s great news for those of us who love the NBA.

What’s next for TNT’s ‘Inside the NBA’ as it transitions to ESPN? Will there be changes to the landmark show?

After 35 seasons, “Inside the NBA” as we know will be no more. 

The iconic studio show will sign off for the last time on TNT at the conclusion of the Eastern Conference Finals series between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks.

It’s the end of an era that’s significant to NBA fans of all ages. But fret not, loyal viewers. “Inside the NBA” isn’t going away. It’s just moving to a new location at ESPN. 

“Inside the NBA” will no longer air on TNT, but it’s not going away for good. (Photo by Andrew Burke-Stevenson/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Boston Globe via Getty Images

ESPN acquired the rights to “Inside the NBA” in a landmark November deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to broadcast the show on its networks. In return, TNT Sports will take over exclusive rights to a slate of Big 12 football and men’s college basketball games from ESPN in addition to a deal that it previously had in place with the network for rights to College Football Playoff games.

In short, “Inside the NBA” will carry on next season despite the end of TNT’s 35-year run covering the NBA.

Probably/hopefully not?

ESPN and chairman Jimmy Pitaro wanted “Inside the NBA” for a reason. ESPN is not very good at producing NBA studio shows. 

For pretty much its entire existence as an NBA partner, ESPN has failed to produce a show that’s compelling, much less one that captures the zeitgeist like “Inside the NBA.” Instead, the quality of the ESPN product has generally ranged from functional to must-mute. 

“Inside the NBA” is so iconic, it was parodied on “Saturday Night Live” in 2022. (Photo by Will Heath/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
NBC via Getty Images

The struggles aren’t from a lack of trying. ESPN has rotated in and out a cast of hosts, analysts and reporters while trying to find the right formula. None of the efforts has produced more than moderate success, despite significant high-level talent in the rotation.

So Pitaro reached a reasonable conclusion. If you can’t beat ’em, buy ’em. Or trade for ’em, at least. Once it became clear that TNT was, in fact, getting out of the NBA business for the first time since 1989, Pitaro came up with one of the more brilliant, yet obvious ideas in recent sports media: obtain the rights to “Inside the NBA” and put it on the air as is.

It was an idea with two significant impacts: Upgrade the product around ESPN’s NBA broadcasts. And, more importantly in the grand scheme, give a lifeline to “Inside the NBA,” which was previously on track to become an all-too unfortunate casualty of the latest NBA media rights shuffle. 

By all accounts — including directly from ESPN — it sounds like “Inside the NBA” will continue to run largely as is. In its announcement about acquiring the rights to the show, ESPN made clear that “Inside the NBA” will continue to be produced by TNT Sports. 

“TNT Sports will continue to independently produce Inside the NBA from its Atlanta-based studios over the term of the agreement,” ESPN’s announcement from November reads.

It will feature the same cast and production team and will continue to be produced out of Turner’s Studio J in Atlanta. ESPN and ABC will simply license the show for broadcast on its own networks.

But surely ESPN will want to put its own fingerprints on the show, right? There’s no way the “worldwide leader” won’t want to tinker with it, at least a little bit. 

The Athletic’s media reporter Andrew Marchand, who’s covered the show’s transition from TNT to ESPN, doesn’t think so. Here’s what he told “The Dan Patrick Show” in November.

“I don’t think that’s gonna happen,” Marchand said of ESPN tinkering with the show. 

Marchand went on to cite other high-profile acquisitions under Pitaro like “The Pat McAfee Show” that runs largely untouched by ESPN management, and the network’s decision to allow Peyton Manning to broadcast his “Monday Night Football” “ManningCast” out of his garage in Denver. 

“I think that’s the Pitaro playbook,” Marchand continued. “If I’m a producer there, I’m kind of saying, if I’m in Bristol, ‘what are we doing? We can’t get this right. The big boss keeps outsourcing our programming. That’s not a good sign.’

“But it’s not the same Bristol. … [Pitaro’s] going out and getting what he wants, especially in terms of the on-air people.”

The people Pitaro wanted, in this instance, were Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal. And he’s got them. 

Johnson was reportedly staying at TNT whether or not “Inside the NBA” continued. Barkley was signed to a long-term deal with TNT before the ESPN acquisition and has since reaffirmed his commitment to the network.

O’Neal has signed a new deal to remain with the network since ESPN licensed the show. And Smith is expected to remain on the show on a multiyear deal, according to CNBC.

When exactly and for how long “Inside the NBA” will air isn’t entirely clear. But some important details are, including the “Inside the NBA” crew covering the NBA Finals for the first time. 

ESPN provided a framework of a schedule in its acquisition announcement:

“The legendary ‘Inside the NBA’ studio team will appear on ESPN and ABC surrounding high-profile live events, including ESPN’s pregame, halftime and postgame coverage of the NBA Finals on ABC, conference finals, NBA playoffs, all ABC games after January 1, Christmas Day, opening week, the final week of the season and other marquee live events.”

ESPN also announced that its in-house studio shows “NBA Countdown” and “NBA Today” will continue to air. So “Inside the NBA” isn’t fully replacing ESPN’s NBA studio coverage.

So does this mean that “Inside the NBA” won’t air before Christmas outside of opening week? That wouldn’t make much sense given the October start to the NBA’s regular season. 

It’s possible that some of those early-season broadcasts could fall under the umbrella of “other marquee live events” and potentially include the NBA Cup that runs from mid-November through mid-December. But none of that is confirmed as of yet. 

Smith recently raised concerns about giving up schedule control to ESPN in an interview with the New Yorker.  

“We have the same crew of people doing the show,” Smith said. “But the timing: are we a half hour now? Are we forty-five minutes? Fifteen minutes? 

“Those are the things that you can control when you own your I.P. But we don’t. That was the only part that made me uncomfortable and disheartened, because I felt that the four of us should have went into ABC to negotiate that deal. I’m not saying that our executives don’t know how to do that, but we are the I.P. now.”

So not everything will remain the same. And there will inevitably be some unexpected surprises given all the new moving parts. 

But the big picture is clear. We’re not mourning the end of “Inside the NBA” this week with the conclusion of the Eastern Conference finals. We’re just welcoming a new chapter. And that’s great news for those of us who love the NBA.

Yankees Early 2025 Ticket Sales Jump 14% to Top $226 Million

New York loves a winner.

Fresh off their 41st pennant winning year, ticket sales for the New York Yankees in the first quarter jumped 13.9% over 2024, reaching $226.69 million for the year through March 31, according to a bond market disclosure.

More from Sportico.com

In the same Jan. 1-March 31 period last year, the club logged $199 million in ticket and suite revenue. For the full 2024 season, including the playoffs, the Yankees ended up notching record ticket and suite sales of more than $411 million, although probably $30 million of that was refunded or rolled over by ticket holders for playoff games not played while defeating the Royals and Guardians in early playoff rounds. The team played all its home games in the World Series loss to the Dodgers.

“Please note that timing differences can have a significant impact on the comparison of financial data for the period ended March 31, 2025, as compared to the same period in 2024,” the Yankees stated in their ticket sales disclosure. “Opening Day for the 2024 Regular Season was in Q2 2024 and in Q1 for 2025. In addition, the timing of season ticket payment plans was earlier in 2025 as compared to 2024.”

A spokesperson for the club didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

While ticket plan payments and home games contribute to the variation—the Yankees had a home series against the Brewers in March, while they didn’t have any March home games the prior season—historic ticket sale patterns suggest the Bronx Bombers are selling better than in past years. In early 2023 the club sold $208.5 million tickets in a period that had some payments and a home game earlier in the year than 2024, according to disclosures.

And for the 2025 season, the Yankees compiled more advance ticket sales entering the calendar year and tallied more tickets in the first three months of this year, than they had for the same periods of the 2024 season. Those 2024 ticket sales were boosted by the late December acquisition of Juan Soto, who left the club as a free agent after last season to join the Mets.

The presence of more premium seating and luxury suites in the current Yankee Stadium has been a boon for the franchise. In the last dozen years of the old Yankee Stadium, the club averaged $129 million in annual ticket sales. In the 16 full seasons at the current stadium, the Yankees have averaged $313 million in ticket revenue, according to data compiled by Sportico.

The Yankees periodically disclose ticket and suite sales revenue because those monies are a backstop source of income guaranteeing the municipal bonds used to construct the existing stadium, which opened in 2009. For that reason, the revenue figures don’t include many other sources of team income, including broadcast, merchandise, concessions and parking revenue.

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Yankees have a busload of momentum heading into World Series rematch against Dodgers

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees will have a good head of steam as they bus 30 miles up the 5 Freeway for their World Series rematch against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

New York’s 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels gave the AL East leaders 16 wins in 20 games.

Clarke Schmidt continued a six-week stretch of superb starting pitching with six shutout innings, and Anthony Volpe drove in the only run with a first-inning sacrifice fly as the Yankees (35-20) completed a three-game sweep and sent the Angels (25-30) to their fifth straight loss.

A Yankees rotation that lost ace Gerrit Cole to season-ending elbow surgery and has two other starters — Luis Gil and Marcus Stroman — on the injured list has a major league-best 2.54 ERA over the last 40 games and has limited opponents to one run or less in 22 of those starts.

Left-hander Ryan Yarbrough allowed one run and two hits in six innings of a 5-1 win over the Angels, left-hander Carlos Rodon gave up five hits in seven scoreless innings of a 3-2 win, and Schmidt, a right-hander, gave up four hits in his six shutout innings.

Left-hander Max Fried, who is 7-0 with a 1.29 ERA in 11 starts, will pitch the series opener against the Dodgers, and right-hander Will Warren, who is 3-2 with a 4.09 ERA in 11 starts, is scheduled to pitch the second game.

“They’ve given us a chance to win every single night,” said Yankees reliever Mark Leiter Jr., who notched his second save with a scoreless ninth inning.

“Each guy is going out there and doing it a little different way, putting their own spin on it, which is great for us, because it gives them a different look for six or seven innings, and we get to do our thing with a different look for the last couple innings. You’re only as good as your starting pitching, generally, and they’ve been great.”

The NL West-leading Dodgers (34-22) have three frontline starters — Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki — and four high-leverage relievers — Blake Treinen, Evan Phillips, Michael Kopech and Kirby Yates — on the injured list.

But they still have plenty of star power, with Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, who have combined to win five MVP awards, plus Teoscar Hernández and Will Smith at the top of their lineup.

“Yeah, it will feel big,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of the matchup. “Now, we won’t go in treating it any differently, but we played the Subway Series (against the New York Mets) last week, and there was a lot of hype for that. I think these are good things for our guys to play in and experience.”

The series will feature two of the best players in baseball in Judge and Ohtani, both coming off an MVP season.

Judge, who has won two American League MVPs, leads the AL in batting average (.391), on-base percentage (.488), slugging percentage (.739), OPS (1.227) and hits (81) — numbers that prompted the Angels to intentionally walk Judge twice in the first two innings. He is tied for third in the majors in home runs (18) and ranks fourth in RBIs (47).

Ohtani, who has won three MVPs — his first two with the Angels in 2021 and 2023 — leads the major leagues with 20 homers and 59 runs and ranks third in OPS (1.042). He produced baseball’s first 50-50 season with 54 homers and 59 stolen bases in 2024.

The two-way star, who has a 38-19 record and 3.01 ERA in 86 starts over five seasons but did not pitch while recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2024, is also on track to return to the mound sometime after the All-Star break.

“I think Judge has been the best hitter in the sport now for a number of years, but what Shohei does with his speed and, when he’s healthy, being an ace on the mound, and his ability to swing the bat … we haven’t seen that,” Boone said.

“Ohtani, when you add in the pitching element, is just so unique, like nothing we’ve ever seen in this game.”

Freeman, the Dodgers first baseman, hit four homers, including a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning of Game 1, and drove in 12 runs to earn World Series MVP honors last October.

Freeman’s two-run single also keyed a five-run rally in the fifth inning that helped the Dodgers overcome a 5-0 deficit in their series-clinching 7-6 victory in Game 5 at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees held Ohtani to two hits in 19 at-bats (.105) and no RBIs in the World Series, but he played the final three games with a dislocated left shoulder that was surgically repaired after the season.

“You have to execute (pitches) at a high level against him, or we’re backing up bases or getting a new ball,” Boone said. “We did a pretty good job against him in the World Series last year, but he’s also hit some big homers against us.”

The Yankees will have a Dodgers nemesis that they didn’t have last October in veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who signed a one-year, $12.5 million deal last winter and is batting .347 with an .899 OPS, five homers and 27 RBIs in his first 55 games with the Yankees.

A former Arizona Diamondbacks and St. Louis Cardinals slugger, Goldschmidt has a .283 average, .872 OPS, 35 homers and 109 RBIs in 163 career games against the Dodgers and a .308 average, .928 OPS, 19 homers and 50 RBIs in 77 games in Dodger Stadium.

“I would say he’s more than an X-factor,” Boone said of Goldschmidt, who led off the last game with a double and scored on Volpe’s sacrifice fly. “He’s one of our dudes.”

Bryce Harper misses doubleheader opener against Braves, doesn’t start second game

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper missed Thursday’s doubleheader opener against the Atlanta Braves and wasn’t in the starting lineup for the second game, two days after being hit by a pitch on the right elbow.

Harper was hit by a 95.3 mph fastball from Braves pitcher Spencer Strider during the first inning of Tuesday night’s game. X-rays were negative, but the 32-year-old Harper had swelling and pain.

“He’s doing better,” manager Rob Thomson said before the Phillies won the opener 5-4. “He came in yesterday for treatment. He’s in there now. I believe he still had swelling and was still in pain, but it’s a lot better than we expected, so it’s making progress.

“He hasn’t swung the bat yet. … I wouldn’t put him in a game until he’s comfortable swinging a bat.”

Thomson said Harper had no additional testing after the original X-ray. He said he hopes Harper will wear an elbow guard once he does return to action.

“I think it’s a little uncomfortable for him. I think he feels like it restricts him a little bit,” Thomson said. “But, I hope he wears it.”

Harper, a two-time MVP, is hitting .267 with eight home runs, 33 RBIs and an .825 OPS.

—

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

MLB invests in Athletes Unlimited Softball League ahead of June debut

Major League Baseball is investing in Athletes Unlimited to support its softball league that will debut next month, marking the first time MLB will have a comprehensive partnership with a professional women’s sports league.

MLB said Thursday it was making a strategic investment in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League of an undisclosed amount for operational costs and a commitment to help it gain visibility in various ways, including assistance with content, marketing and sales, events, distribution, editorial, and digital and social platforms. That includes marketing the AUSL and its athletes during MLB’s All-Star Game and throughout the postseason.

“This is something we’re really excited about,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told The Associated Press. “We studied the space hard. We think it’s a real opportunity and we’re excited to be involved.”

Athletes Unlimited has featured softball since 2020, when it unveiled a unique format that crowned an individual champion. The company will launch a league with a traditional, team-based format starting June 7 and will keep its individual format for the AUSL All-Star Cup that follows.

Manfred noted that interest in women’s sports had “escalated significantly” in recent years and his league had been looking for ways to get more involved, including the possible launch of its own softball league. He said Athletes Unlimited’s overall success and its strong infrastructure helped make the decision to collaborate easier.

“We thought rather than starting on our own and competing, that finding a place where we could invest and grow a business was a better opportunity for us,” Manfred said.

Kim Ng, a former Major League Baseball executive, signed on as an adviser with the AUSL and was promoted to commissioner in April. Ng is the former general manager of the Miami Marlins, the first female GM in any of the major U.S. pro sports leagues, and has three World Series rings from a combined 21 years in the front offices of the Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers.

“As the process moved forward and it looked like we were going to make an investment, they hired Kim, and we had a long relationship with Kim, and it just added additional comfort to the idea of making the investment,” Manfred said.

Athletes Unlimited co-founder Jon Patricof said MLB’s commitment to increasing the AUSL’s visibility is as important as the financial investment.

“They’re committed to really elevating the AUSL,” he said. “It’s probably about one of the most difficult things for any sports league to do which is to get visibility and break through to new audiences, and I think MLB is already doing that for the AUSL, and there’s going to be a lot more to come.”

Women’s pro softball leagues and independent teams have come and gone over the years, but none have offered a consistent option for women to have a stable future in the sport.

It appears that might change, with the help of softball greats Cat Osterman, Jennie Finch, Jessica Mendoza and Natasha Watley as AUSL advisors. On June 7, the Bandits and Talons will open with a three-game series in Rosemont, Illinois, and the Blaze and Volts will start off with a three-game series in Wichita, Kansas. The four teams will play 24 games this season as touring properties that will play games in 12 cities. The top two teams will compete in the AUSL Championship, a best-of-three series July 26-28 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Patricof said the league plans to expand to six teams next season and be city based.

MLB already supports several women’s softball and baseball initiatives, including a partnership with USA Softball and operation of the MLB Develops girls baseball pipeline. It is not involved with the upstart Women’s Professional Baseball League, which plans to launch in 2026 as the first pro baseball league for women since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League – of “A League of Their Own” fame – folded in 1954.

Manfred said he sees a bright future ahead for AUSL.

“I fully expect that they will expand, and we hope that we will end up with a league that is sustainable on its own, a good investment for us, and a partner in growing diamond sports internationally,” he said.

Patricof said the partnership with MLB and the already existing relationship between the Athletes Unlimited and USA Softball combine to help give the AUSL stability.

“As we announce MLB coming into the fold formally into what we’re doing with the AUSL, you really see a full alignment of this sport behind this league, and that I think is exciting for everyone,” Patricof said. “People who have sat on the sidelines or maybe have watched pro softball from a little bit of distance – everybody’s now jumped in, and I think that is an exciting moment for people who’ve been around this sport.”

New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers: How to watch Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Finals tonight

The Eastern Conference finals between the New York Knicks and the the Indiana Pacers have been a wild, emotional ride filled with unexpected comebacks (or, one could argue, leads that have been completely blown in the 4th quarter). The series now stands at 3-1 in favor of the Pacers, and Game 5 will bring the teams back to Madison Square Garden (less distance for Knicks fans like Ben Stiller and Timothee Chalamet to travel) for what could be the final game of the series.

You can catch tonight’s game on TNT and Max starting at 8 p.m. Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch the Knicks vs. Pacers series.

Dates: Thursday, May 29, 2025

Time: 8 p.m. ET (Game 5)

TV channel: TNT, TruTV

Streaming: Max, Sling, DirecTV and more

You can tune in to every game of the New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers series on TNT and truTV. These channels are available on platforms like DirecTV, Sling and Fubo. The game will also be streaming on Max. 

All games in the NBA Eastern Conference finals series between the Pacers and Knicks will air on TNT and truTV.

This year, the New York Knicks will face the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.

All times Eastern.

Game 5

Thurs., May 29, 8 p.m. (TNT, truTV, Max)

Game 6*

Sat., May 31, 8 p.m. (TNT, truTV, Max)

Game 7*

Mon., June 2, 8 p.m. (TNT, truTV, Max)

*if necessary

New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers: How to watch Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Finals tonight

The Eastern Conference finals between the New York Knicks and the the Indiana Pacers have been a wild, emotional ride filled with unexpected comebacks (or, one could argue, leads that have been completely blown in the 4th quarter). The series now stands at 3-1 in favor of the Pacers, and Game 5 will bring the teams back to Madison Square Garden (less distance for Knicks fans like Ben Stiller and Timothee Chalamet to travel) for what could be the final game of the series.

You can catch tonight’s game on TNT and Max starting at 8 p.m. Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch the Knicks vs. Pacers series.

Dates: Thursday, May 29, 2025

Time: 8 p.m. ET (Game 5)

TV channel: TNT, TruTV

Streaming: Max, Sling, DirecTV and more

You can tune in to every game of the New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers series on TNT and truTV. These channels are available on platforms like DirecTV, Sling and Fubo. The game will also be streaming on Max. 

All games in the NBA Eastern Conference finals series between the Pacers and Knicks will air on TNT and truTV.

This year, the New York Knicks will face the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.

All times Eastern.

Game 5

Thurs., May 29, 8 p.m. (TNT, truTV, Max)

Game 6*

Sat., May 31, 8 p.m. (TNT, truTV, Max)

Game 7*

Mon., June 2, 8 p.m. (TNT, truTV, Max)

*if necessary

Nationals prospect Robert Hassell III hits 1st career home run

SEATTLE — Even after hitting his first career home run, Robert Hassell III didn’t have much time to hang around the clubhouse and talk about it.

His girlfriend was waiting.

Eager to meet her at the team hotel, Hassell hustled onto the Washington bus and — with the help of a Nationals staffer — fielded questions from reporters via cellphone.

“I don’t want to have her waiting too long,” Hassell said. “My apologies.”

Playing his sixth major league game, Hassell had three hits and two RBIs for the Nationals in a 9-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

The 23-year-old prized outfield prospect was drafted eighth overall by San Diego in 2020 and traded to Washington — along with James Wood, CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore — for Juan Soto and Josh Bell in a blockbuster deal at the August 2022 deadline.

Hassell began the night batting .118 (2 for 17) with one RBI since making his debut. Before the game, Nationals manager Dave Martinez pulled Hassell aside and advised him to focus on the present rather than allowing himself to become over-amped.

“You want to try to do a lot,” Martinez said. “But, this game is tough enough. It’s tough enough.”

Hassell responded with by far his best performance yet. He hit an RBI single in the fourth inning and a solo homer in the eighth that made it 7-0.

The sweet-swinging lefty tried to focus on hitting balls to the opposite field. But when he got a pitch to jump on, he turned on a four-seam fastball from Mariners right-hander Blas Castano and drove it over the right-center fence for what Hassell called the best home run of his baseball career.

“This is the best one,” he said. “Something I’ve been waiting for, and you imagine what it’s like and all that, and it finally happened and I feel blessed.”