David Samson, who was the Marlins’ president from 2002 to 2017, made the allegation during a recent appearance on “The Dan Le Batard Show.” Samson was reflecting on the 2012 offseason when Pujols was a free agent, and the Marlins were one of the teams trying to sign the baseball star. Pujols eventually signed a massive 10-year, $240 million contract with the Angels. It’s the 14th-largest contract in MLB history (per Cot’s Baseball), and it ensured he’d be paid throughout....

Ware, who was on a pair of Super Bowl-winning teams with the Giants, penned a heartfelt message on his Facebook page early Sunday requesting prayers and support from old fans and teammates. The age of the child was not disclosed. MORE: Notable sports deaths of 2016 “My life has been a roller coaster in every (sense) of the word,” he wrote. “From high school to college to NFL. I’ve never had it easy nor have I ever forgotten where I come from....

According to The Associated Press, Fryar and his mother, Allene McGhee, conspired to defraud six banks in south New Jersey and Philadelphia as part of a $1 million mortgage scheme. MORE: NFL players arrested in 2015 | Father of Jadeveon Clowney arrested on attempted murder charge Fryar played 17 seasons in the NFL with the Patriots, Dolphins, Eagles and Redskins. His defense attorney said Fryar was the victim of a “con artist” acquaintance, William Barksdale, who urged him to apply for multiple mortgage loans in quick succession while using the same property as collateral....

The ex-GOP chair, the first Black American to serve in that role, penned an op-ed published by The Hill on Monday, urging Republicans to restore “the party of Lincoln.” “In a life spent advancing Republican principles, I had the privilege to do so when it was not particularly easy. But I saw an opportunity to grow those Republican principles in a new way, to go a bit against the grain, to push back on the ’establishment’ mindset within the party and the stereotyped view of a Black Republican outside of it,” Steele, who served as the RNC chair from 2009 to 2011, wrote....

Police said Jordan and two other men used Facebook to arrange a meeting with three other men to sell a cell phone,m according to the WPVI report. They say Jordan’s group then attempted to rob the others. Jordan attempted to flee on foot but was later captured, police said. MORE: Most heinous crimes connected to athletes Jordan, 22, left St. John’s last summer after being ruled academically ineligible for the first semester of the 2015-16 season....

Polofsky's wife, Charlotte Polofsky, said her husband died early Monday morning at his Knoxville home. Tennessee's sports information department also sent out a release Monday confirming Polofsky's death. Polofsky lettered at Tennessee from 1949-51. Tennessee had a combined 28-4-1 record in those three seasons. The Volunteers went 11-1, won the Cotton Bowl and finished fourth in The Associated Press poll in 1950. The 1951 team went 10-1 and won the national championship....

Houston police say the couple was shot to death early Friday morning by the teenager. The couple also has a 20-year-old son and younger daughter, who were reported unharmed. MORE: Notable sports deaths of 2016 Dawn Armstrong died at the couple’s home while Antonio Armstrong, 42, was pronounced dead at Memorial Hermann Hospital hours later with a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Associated Press. “Antonio was a special young man,” former Aggies coach R....

The three players avoided jail time because the men had no other criminal records and the scandal happened a decade ago, judge Mark Goldsmith said. The players, Adam Cuomo, Harvey “Scooter” McDougle Jr. and Quinton Broussard, agreed to alter their play and offer information about their team to Ghazi “Gary” Manni. The players also accepted money, meals and groceries from Manni. According to the court records, Cuomo was the first player to approach Manni....

David Weissman, who also previously backed McConnell had harsh words for the senator in an open letter published Wednesday by The Times of Israel. Critics started calling McConnell “Moscow Mitch” since the leader blocked election security bills in July, despite evidence Russian interfered in the 2016 elections. Weissman’s letter came a day after various Moscow Mitch hashtags trended on Twitter after McConnell complained about the nickname. “Sir, we are living in troubled times,” Weissman started, and brought up racism, hate crimes, mass shootings and easy access to guns and military-style assault rifles....

Rave, real name James Guffey, took to Twitter on Sunday to share news of the operation, which took place in June, months after he had his left arm amputated. Sharing a black-and-white photo of himself in a hospital bed after his recent double amputation, the retired wrestler opened up about this ordeal. The Georgia native, best known for his work with Ring of Honor (ROH) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) wrote: “Apparently it’s time for me to come clean....

When NXT established its women’s division several years ago, Dashwood and her rival Paige set the tone by showcasing their considerable in-ring skills and athleticism. It was a stark contrast to the style-over-substance approach of WWE’s Divas division, but eventually the main roster followed NXT’s lead. Fast-forward to 2018. Now performing under her real name, Dashwood once again is a key figure in a burgeoning women’s division, this time in Ring of Honor’s Women of Honor....

Hamilton extended his lead at the top of the drivers’ standings over Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas to 30 points after a third consecutive win, making it four wins in as many races for Mercedes. While Hamilton dominated the race from the start, his seventh win at Silverstone was far from straightforward. He suffered a puncture on his front left tire in the final lap and could barely nurse the car home just ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen....

After a five-year hiatus, the F1 world championship returned to America last season, with Hamilton claiming victory at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. The season returns to the same venue for the penultimate race weekend, with fan attendance sure to be under the microscope to measure the longevity of the race on the F1 calendar. From next year the United States will be host for two races, with a street race in New Jersey provisionally added to the calendar....

The Desdemona skin is one of the first spooky-type skins added to Fortnite’s in-game store this month, and it’s also one of the quickest to leave the store, too. Despite just dropping yesterday, October 12, the Desdemona skin is only available until the end of the night on October 13. That means users will have a very short time to grab it if they haven’t yet. The Desdemona skin can be purchased in Fortnite’s in-game store....

While the backs had a bye week to heal, their injuries are almost certainly of the multi-week variety. That leaves owners in a serious situation. To make matters worse, the Texans play Sunday night. Should Foster and/or Tate miss the game, you’ll be left with Donald Brown or one of the guys the Texans have signed, either Dennis Johnson and/or Deji Karim. Of the two, Karim would likely be the lead back with Johnson the third-down guy....

The violent disturbance took place at a penitentiary in Quetzaltenango—a city in Guatemala’s western highlands—and resulted in at least seven prisoners killed. Most of the deceased—members of the Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18 gangs—had their heads severed, the National Civil Police (PNC) said. The prison, Granja Modelo de Rehabilitación Cantel, suffers from overcrowding and is said to house more than 2,000 inmates, four times the 500 it was designed to hold....

After news of Goran and Zoran Dragic’s trade to Miami, two of the remaining three guards, Isaiah Thomas and Tyler Ennis, were moved in the same deal, landing with the Celtics and Bucks, respectively. ESPN.com’s Marc Stein first reported the deal. MORE: Garnett traded to Wolves | Jackson sent to Pistons | NBA players react to wild deadline Boston, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Phoenix banded together to create a sorted web that became the four-team deal that ended the Suns’ point guard experiment....

The decision to hold an Independence Day celebration came about after an environmental assessment decided that fireworks wouldn’t cause a significant impact on the South Dakota national memorial, iconic for having the faces of four former presidents carved into its granite cliffside. The celebration, however, will occur only if pandemic reopening guidelines, weather, security and wildland fire conditions deem it safe. No details have yet been released about the July 4 event....

For those in the second camp, food writer Christine Pittman of Cook the Story said: “When it comes to the food for your Fourth of July celebration, one fun way to commemorate the occasion would be to highlight various regional dishes around the U.S. “It takes a lot of the guesswork out for you because it’s themed and easy.” Pittman suggested regional delicacies such as New England-style shrimp roll, Cioppino—an Italian American seafood stew popular in San Francisco—Boston baked beans or variations on barbecue....