Indianapolis Colts' cornerback Charvarius Ward said after the 2025 season that retirement was on his mind, but how close was he to making that decision?
"Probably 85% sure I was going to retire," Ward said via Stephen Holder after Thursday's training camp practice.
Ward sustained three separate concussions last season. He also lost his daughter in 2024.
"I found a different why, a different purpose," Ward said. "Doing it for Junior, doing it for Amani, my daughter. They bring me joy. They bring a smile to my face."
On the practice field, Ward -- as well as Sauce Gardner -- are off to very strong starts.

#season #practice #daughter #colts

Shane Steichen was very pleased with what he saw from Daniel Jones during the Indianapolis Colts' first practice on Wednesday.
"I thought he looked really good," Steichen said after Day 1.
On Day 2 of training camp, Jones continued to build upon that initial performance.
Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan wrote that Jones was "very sharp" to begin Thursday's practice, starting the day 5-for-5. He was perfect during the 7-on-7 period as well.
Jake Arthur of Roundtable Sports noted that after Charvarius Ward and Sauce Gardner generated some pass breakups on Wednesday, Jones didn't shy away from either defender on Day 2, and completed "successful 10-plus-yard dig routes."

#steichen #colts #bowen

Whenever anyone asked me what my dream job is, I always had the same answer: I want to create content that resonates with people. It is truly an honor and a privilege to step into the site producer position at Pinstripe Alley, and I cannot wait to build connections with fans of my favorite team across all professional sports.
The New York Yankees fandom was first introduced to me by my grandfather, who grew up in the Bronx after immigrating from Germany. Whenever my sister and I visited my grandparents' house, my grandmother would always show off her vast collection of glass animals and trinkets from her travels around the world while my grandfather sat in the same spot on his couch, always with a pipe in hand, and watched his Bronx Bombers perform their magic. As I watched him pay close attention to every pitch and carefully ****** yze every swing, I realized that it wasn't just a sport he was watching. It was a beautiful human expression of finesse, endurance, and patience.
I was quickly enthralled with the art of baseball, despite the games typically lasting over three hours. Whenever my parents took me to a game at one of the most iconic stadiums in the country, I was always asking questions and cheering for Brett Gardner, Nick Swisher, or dancing to Derek Jeter's 2009 walk-up song (Empire State of Mind, for those who don't remember). After watching the Bombers win two World Series during my childhood, I knew I was locked in for life.
I continued to pursue an interest in sports throughout my education, and majored in journalism and mass communication at the University of Wisconsin. During my time as a Badger, I also earned a certificate in sports communication, which was an incredible opportunity to immerse myself in sports media. Instead of relaxing under the sun, my summers were spent writing articles as an intern at the New York Post sports department under fluorescent lights, or at the Yankees clubhouse until 1 a.m.
Since graduation, pursuing my passion for sports media has taken me to many amazing new places. Learning more about the nuances of baseball, however, has been the most rewarding. It has allowed me to develop professionally and form new connections, colleagues, and friends that I'm sure will last a lifetime.

#sports #whenever #always

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Breanna Stewart had 29 points and Sabrina Ionescu scored 27 to help the New York Liberty hold off the Los Angeles Sparks 113-109 on Tuesday night.
Stewart made 11 of 19 shots and scored 19 points in the second half after New York (16-12) trailed 56-53 at the break. She added seven ******* ists, four rebounds and four steals.
Ionescu shot 9 for 16 with five 3-pointers and had 14 points in the first quarter to help the Liberty lead 36-30.
Rebekah Gardner finished with 15 points for New York and fellow reserves Han Xu and Marine Fauthoux each scored 13.
Rae Burrell had 24 points to lead Los Angeles (10-17), which has lost six straight and nine of 11. Nneka Ogwumike chipped in with 21 points and nine ******* ists after posting four straight double-doubles.

#points #york #liberty

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Breanna Stewart had 29 points and Sabrina Ionescu scored 27 to help the New York Liberty hold off the Los Angeles Sparks 113-109 on Tuesday night.
Stewart made 11 of 19 shots and scored 19 points in the second half after New York (16-12) trailed 56-53 at the break. She added seven **** ists, four rebounds and four steals.
Ionescu shot 9 for 16 with five 3-pointers and had 14 points in the first quarter to help the Liberty lead 36-30.
Rebekah Gardner finished with 15 points for New York and fellow reserves Han Xu and Marine Fauthoux each scored 13.
Rae Burrell had 24 points to lead Los Angeles (10-17), which has lost six straight and nine of 11. Nneka Ogwumike chipped in with 21 points and nine **** ists after posting four straight double-doubles.

#york #ionescu #liberty

This is the ninth in a 10-part series of questions facing the Buffalo Bills as they head into training camp at St. John Fisher University.
One of the many things the safety tandem of Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde delivered for the Buffalo Bills during their tenure together was their innate ability to make game-altering plays, namely in the area of turnovers.
They played side-by-side in Sean McDermott's defense for seven seasons and during that time they combined for 38 interceptions, 11 forced fumbles and 10 recoveries, and there were another two picks, three forced fumbles and a recovery in the postseason.
This year, with veteran playmaker CJ Gardner-Johnson joining emerging Cole Bishop in the back end of new coordinator Jim Leonhard's defense, the Bills are hoping they can get a few more big plays from the safety position.
Bishop enjoyed a stellar second NFL season, his first as a full-time starter, when he made three interceptions, two sacks, broke up seven passes and was in on a team-high 85 tackles.

#seven

Lauren Gardner's run in Secaucus is over.
The MLB and NHL Network host announced on social media Friday that she and her husband, Patrick, had decided to return to Colorado to be closer to family as they begin a new chapter together.
"Lauren's been a fantastic colleague and friend to us all throughout her eight years here in Secaucus," the networks said, confirming her departure in a joint statement to Awful Announcing. "We thank her for the wonderful contributions she's given across our platforms and projects, and we wish her nothing but the absolute best as she heads back home to Colorado."
Gardner first arrived in Secaucus in March 2019 for DAZN's baseball coverage, which was co-produced by MLB Network out of its own studios in Secaucus. The move capped a long, unconventional climb chronicled the same month by The Athletic's Ryan S. Clark, who profiled Gardner as she prepared to leave behind the Colorado sports scene for what ended up being seven years in New York/New Jersey.
A Denver native, Gardner had spent that stretch working the Avalanche and Nuggets beats for Altitude Sports, but her path there ran through nearly every odd job the local sports world had to offer. She interned at Mile High Sports Magazine at 19, cheered for the Broncos, spent two years as the on-camera face of the Champ Car racing series, and pieced together a living through sideline reporting for the Colorado Eagles and Mammoth while working day jobs in commercial real estate and condo sales just to keep the broadcasting dream alive. Gardner told Clark the decision to leave for the Tri-state area arrived almost like a premonition, recalling a specific drive down Colorado Boulevard, right where the road crests and the mountains come into view, when she suddenly knew, without any real explanation, that she was about to move east.

#secaucus

In a surprise development on the first day of the U.S. track and field championships, Kenneth Rooks, the three-time defending national champion and Olympic silver medalist, did not advance to the finals of the steeplechase at Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island in New York City.
Rooks finished 11th in his heat and 20th overall, with a time of 8:46.26.
Meanwhile, training partners James Corrigan and Dan Michalski both advanced to the finals. Michalski was fifth overall with a time of 8:24.89, and Corrigan, a 2024 Olympian, was 13th overall, at 8:32.20. Former Weber State athlete Peter Visser also failed to advance despite running a personal record of 8:35.09.
In other developments for local athletes on the first day of competition, Jaslyn Gardner, a former BYU athlete, and Paje Rasmussen, the BYU school record holder in the 100 and 200, both advanced to the finals of the 100-meter dash.
Carlee Hansen, who just completed her senior year at BYU and trains under BYU head coach Ed Eyestone, advanced to the finals of the 1,500-meter run by finishing sixth overall with a personal-record time of 4:04.54. Sadie Sargent, a former BYU athlete, failed to qualify.

#former #advanced #athlete

The Arizona Cardinals reported for training camp on Wednesday and had their first practice on Thursday, although it was not open to fans. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett got his first reps in the new offense, running back James Conner and Trey Benson, both of whom did not get work in the offseason program, participated in drills, and quarterback Gardner Minshew was with the first-team offense.
There was limited access, but there were some photos and videos of the first practice.
Below are some of what was shared on social media.
This was a video from SI.com's Donnie Druin.
Here are other photos and videos from reporters who were at practice at State Farm Stadium.

#videos #cardinals

Jacoby Brissett is at Cardinals training camp and the quarterback is not staging a hold-in for the team's first practice.
Head coach Mike LaFleur told reporters that Brissett will participate in the team's first workout of the summer on Thursday. Brissett skipped the voluntary portion of the team's offseason program and did not participate after reporting to the team's mandatory minicamp last month.
Brissett is looking for a revised contract that better reflects his position as the team's likely starter at quarterback to kick off the season. There has been no agreement on a new deal at this point, but LaFleur said at his press conference that talks on that front have been "productive."
As long as things remain unresolved on the contract front, there would be a chance that Brissett makes a different decision regarding his practice plans but camp will open with the veteran taking reps along with his fellow quarterbacks Gardner Minshew and Carson Beck.

#first #contract

30 YEARS AGO — 1996
— Mark Gardner and his five-man crew aboard the Bark Ode captured the Mayor’s Cup as overall winner in the Racing Division, covering the course in 1:07:36. Gardner, who had already been sailing three hours before the 10 a.m. start, had been coming to Plattsburgh by sailboat for the race since 1984.
— Girls’ softball in the MVAC turned into a family affair as Elizabethtown-Lewis coach Nancy Bassett was named Coach of the Year and her daughter Hadley took MVP after leading the Lions to a perfect championship season two years after the team went winless. The junior pitched a one-hitter against Schroon Lake, followed with a no-hitter against Crown Point, and finished with 121 strikeouts.
— Meghan Welch, of West Chazy, broke her personal best in the 100-meter **** troke twice in one day at the Empire State Games in Buffalo, going 1:21.37 in the preliminaries and 1:21.22 in the final for a fifth place finish — the top individual swim by a North Country athlete on the games’ opening day. Bombay’s Jessica Jock took sixth in the open 200 individual medley.
— Post 20 (19-6) captured its league **** le and headed to Glens Falls for sub-state play against Lake Placid, having beaten the Adirondacks in all three meetings. Plattsburgh had won seven straight.

#state #games #three #took

Argentina fly half Tomas Albornoz has been charged with misconduct and faces a disciplinary hearing after "remonstrating with match officials" follow his side's defeat to England in Santiago del Estero.
Albornoz was denied a chance to kick for a potential draw after a last-minute try was ruled out by referee Angus Gardner in consultation with television match official (TMO) Brett Cronan.
The officials ruled that Bautista Delguy had grounded the ball simultaneously on the try-line and corner flag, and thus not scored, as England held on for a 31-24 victory.
Albornoz appeared to approach Gardner and his ******* istants aggressively thereafter, and has now been charged by World Rugby under its Match Official Abuse Sanction Process,
The details of his disciplinary hearing will be released in due course.

#england #gardner #official #ruled

How does the Indianapolis Colts' young core of players compare to the rest of the NFL?
Having a pipeline of young, up-and-coming talent is a strong indicator of future success for a team. It also provides a team with high-impact players on relatively inexpensive rookie deals, which is an essential part of roster-building in a salary cap league.
Aaron Schatz of ESPN recently ranked each NFL team by their under-25 talent. A lot of factors were taken into account when putting these rankings together, including number of starts made, snaps played, the quality of play, importance of the player's position, and length of the current contract.
The Colts ended up near the bottom of Schatz's rankings, coming in at No. 26. A year ago, they ranked 20th, with Josh Downs and Laiatu Latu graduating from this list.
Schatz's cutoff for being under 25 is Sept. 1, which made Sauce Gardner not eligible for this year's rankings, as he will turn 25 before then.

#talent #indianapolis

When it comes to confidence, Lawrence North (IN) five-star wide receiver Monshun Sales definitely doesn't lack it.
Sales showed that confidence in front of one of the NFL's best defensive backs recently as Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner recently visited Sales and his Lawrence North teammates.
Working in a collaboration with Q-Collar, the Lawrence North players were asked if they had any questions for Gardner. Sales called from the back, " Can we 1-on-1?"
The Colts posted the clip of the two's interaction on their X account.
More: Where will Monshun Sales, other top 2027 uncommitted recruits land? Our predictions

Like any highly accomplished wide receiver, Lawrence North High School's Monshun Sales has plenty of confidence.
But is he ready to challenge an NFL player? Even if he can't yet, he wants to.
Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner paid a visit to a recent Lawrence North workout, and Sales pulled up on him.
"I'm coming to see you," Sales told Gardner, with a lot of encouragement from his Wildcats teammates.
"That's the No. 1 receiver in the nation," LN coach Pat Mallory told Gardner. "I didn't know if you knew that or not."

Like any highly accomplished wide receiver, Lawrence North High School's Monshun Sales has plenty of confidence.
But is he ready to challenge an NFL player? Even if he can't yet, he wants to.
Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner paid a visit to a recent Lawrence North workout, and Sales pulled up on him.
"I'm coming to see you," Sales told Gardner, with a lot of encouragement from his Wildcats teammates.
"That's the No. 1 receiver in the nation," LN coach Pat Mallory told Gardner. "I didn't know if you knew that or not."

The 78th annual Ozark Amateur at Schifferdecker Golf Course came down to a one-hole playoff Sunday between Missouri Southern State University golfer Zach Gardner and University of Missouri-Kansas City's Jack Spencer, with Spencer taking the ******* le after logging a birdie on the playoff hole.
Spencer (67, 67-134) sank a 10-foot putt on the playoff hole, but Gardner (66, 68-134) had to settle for par after his 8-foot try missed the mark. Spencer, who also won the 57th annual Briarbrook Invitational last month in Carl Junction with a birdie putt on the final hole, claimed his second Ozark Amateur ******* le after winning the tourney in 2024.
"I felt confident, I think, after the Invitational (at Briarbrook), where I kind of proved to myself that I can come through in those moments," Spencer said. "So when it got tight down the stretch, I wasn't nervous or scared of anything. I didn't play my best, but I played with confidence, and that's what worked out for me."
Gardner, competing in his first Ozark Amateur, held the lead after Saturday's first day, carding a 5-under 66. Three other golfers — Spencer, Max Templeman and Fabian Oeschle — came in one stroke back of Gardner at 67, setting up a competitive final round Sunday.
Gardner talked about his round Sunday.

There are 180 players in the WNBA. That’s not a lot. I often say it’s one of the toughest jobs to land (and keep) in the country. In any given year, about 400,000 girls play high school basketball. Only 1.2% of them will go on to play Division I basketball, and of those, only 0.8% of the top players are expected to make a professional team, according to the NCAA.
I talked about parity a few weeks back, and how there is so much movement in the league standings this season because the teams are evenly matched and the talent pool is vast. Well, it’s time to shine a light on the players you don’t always see in the headlines. Here are some names who deserve a little more recognition:
The Liberty won the Commissioner’s Cup ******* le over the Las Vegas Aces last week, the first team to repeat as champions. Breanna Stewart won MVP and Sabrina Ionescu made some clutch three-pointers down the stretch. But Gardner stepped up huge in her minutes for New York. She tallied seven points in 12 minutes and shot 60% from the field.
The UCLA product was a 31-year-old undrafted rookie in 2022, after balling out overseas in Turkey, Romania and Spain. She burst on to the scene with the Chicago Sky, earning a spot on the All-Rookie team. Now, she’s playing a significant role off the bench for a deep Liberty squad; she takes on the toughest defensive ******* ignment, is efficient with her shot selection (50.7% on the season), and has stayed healthy – something the Liberty desperately needs.
After Smith was traded to the Aces from the Dallas Wings midway through last season, she says she “fell in love with the game again”. This season, she’s playing like a champion, starting alongside four-time MVP A’ja Wilson and showcasing some of the best basketball of her career. Through 21 games, Smith has the highest field-goal percentage in the league at nearly 66%. In the overtime win against the Sky last Friday, she posted a season-high 29 points on 11-for-14 shooting – without Wilson, who has been sidelined with an ankle injury. “She’s truly our glue,” Wilson said of her teammate. “She does all the little things.” Smith has been tasked to step up in the superstar’s absence, and she’s more than proved she can answer the call.

Women's T20 World Cup final 2026: Australia's opponents, date, venue, time and full schedule originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Australia stormed into the T20 World Cup final with an eight-wicket semi-final win.
Beth Mooney and Ash Gardner power dominant chase against West Indies at The Oval.
Final set for Sunday at Lord's, opponent decided by the second semi-final.
Australia have sealed their place in the final of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 after beating the West Indies in the first semi-final at The Oval on Tuesday.

The Arizona Cardinals report to training camp on July 22 and begin the process of preparing for the regular season, forming the roster and determining starting jobs and roles on the team.
Leading up to the start of camp, we will take a look at every player on the offseason roster, their background, their contract, their play in 2025, questions they face and their roster outlook.
Here is quarterback Gardner Minshew.
Minshew enters his eighth NFL season and his first with the Cardinals. He signed a one-year in free agency.
Minshew is on his sixth NFL team and fifth in five seasons. He is 18-30 in his career as a starter.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson has 20 interceptions, a Super Bowl ring and has reached the playoffs in six of seven NFL seasons.
He also can't seem to stay on one team.
The Buffalo Bills safety addressed his reputation in a wide-ranging interview with The Athletic, pushing back on the perception that he's a locker-room problem and wondering why a player with his resume continues bouncing around the league.
"One of the narratives is I'm a cancer in the locker room," Gardner-Johnson told The Athletic. "Where have I been a cancer?"
Every NFL team Gardner-Johnson has played for has ultimately moved on, either through a trade, free agency or a release.

Ira Winderman: Heat summer roster does not include Keshad Johnson, but does include Myron Gardner, Vlad Goldin, Jahmir Young and Trevor Keels. Of that group, only Gardner presently under contract to Heat . Former Pacer and Net Kendall Brown also on Heat summer roster.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Heat summer roster does not include Keshad Johnson, …

T20 World Cup, The Oval
West Indies 125-7 (20 overs): Matthews 30 (28); Gardner 2-13
Australia 127-2 (13 overs): Mooney 61* (36), Gardner 35* (20)
Australia won by eight wickets
Scorecard

Despite being a Super Bowl champion, former Florida defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson feels his reputation around the NFL has overshadowed his production. At one time, the 2019 fourth-round draft pick was regarded as one of the league's most productive playmakers in the secondary.
Gardner-Johnson signed a one-year contract with the Buffalo Bills in March. After leading the league in interceptions during the 2022 campaign, the Cocoa, Florida, native has played for four franchises in 15 months. Senior NFL writer Tim Graham took a deep dive into Gardner-Johnson's persona for The Athletic, explaining why C.J. Gardner-Johnson keeps changing teams — and why he thinks the NFL gets him wrong.
Stating that he feels that the Bills are the first organization where he truly feels wanted, "I feel like a kid again," Gardner-Johnson said. "I feel like me again, feel like the kid who got drafted and had to prove himself again."
Well known for his elite trash talk and passionate play on the field, Johnson is also infamous for being a polarizing presence in the locker room. Bills defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard lauded his leadership, saying that he has promptly become one of the most vocal players in the building.
"He's trying to be a leader, man. He really wants to be that. So it's exciting, being able to work with guys that really want to be in front of the room and talk and hold people accountable."

Bills could be perfect trade landing spot for $31 million edge rusher originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Buffalo Bills are going to look different in 2026, that much is easy to see.
Joe Brady is entering his first season as the head coach and there's hope that this change in leadership can be what gets the team over the postseason hump. The offense brought in wide receiver D.J. Moore, and the defense notably brought in Bradley Chubb and C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
If there's one area that could still use some reinforcements, it's the pass rush. Yes, Chubb was added, but there's still not much depth behind the veteran and Greg Rousseau. Luckily, though, there could be a perfect trade option who plays not too far away from Buffalo.
Randy Gurzi of Bills On SI recently identified four realistic trade targets for the Bills in July. One of the players listed is Giants' edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux. Thibodeaux is a former first-round pick who may be getting squeezed out in New York.

The Houston Texans made a big trade in the 2025 offseason to acquire Super Bowl champion C.J. Gardner-Johnson to bolster their secondary. They didn't reap many benefits from that deal, as Gardner-Johnson played three games in Houston before being released. It wasn't a performance-based release, as the 28-year-old safety revealed the spat that led to his exit.
Gardner-Johnson got cut because he got into an argument. He revealed that when the Texans went to West Virginia during training camp, he got into an argument with a friend of general manager Nick Caserio.
"That's how I got (cut) in Houston," said Gardner-Johnson. "One person that's not technically a part of the organization called me a B-word at Greenbrier. I get out my body; he says something to the GM, and the next thing I'm cut."
When The Athletic's Tim Graham asked about the spat, the Texans declined to comment.
This was not how Gardner-Johnson expected his tenure in Houston to go, but he found a home shortly after in Chicago. Gardner-Johnson doesn't seem happy with how this exit is portraying him, and made sure to explain how this ugly exit transpired.

The Pittsburgh Steelers haven't been shy about handing out big contracts this offseason. But one player who is still waiting on his huge new deal is cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Porter Jr. is heading into the final year of his rookie contract and he has far outplayed that deal and wants to be compensated appropriately.
What does that mean? According to a report by Pittsburgh radio host Andrew Fillipponi, Porter Jr. and his people are asking for a new contract in the neighborhood of $30 million per year. This would put him in the very upper echelon of NFL cornerbacks in terms of salary. On the same level as guys like the Los Angeles Rams Trent McDuffie and Indianapolis Colts cornerback Ahmad Gardner.
Fillipponi speculates that the Steelers are thinking somewhere more in the $20 million per year range and if this is true, that's a massive gap. The Steelers start training camp in a month and there's been no movement on a new deal or word about whether or not Porter plans to hold out.
For up-to-date Steelers coverage, including any offseason moves, follow us on X TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Reported contract demands for Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. too steep

The Gardner News recapped the spring season and took a look at the top players from each team that helped make an impact on the field.
Check out the nominees for Lacrosse Player of the Year and vote for who you think deserves the honor. Since there are only two Gardner-area schools that have lacrosse teams, rather than two separate votes this poll encompasses both boys and girls nominees.
Reader votes will make up 25% of the tally, with Sports Reporter Cait Kemp making up the rest of the vote.
The poll will run until July 3 at noon.
Allain was once again a force for the Bulldogs in his junior season. He was one of the top scorers on the field, helping to create offensive opportunities.

Women's T20 World Cup, Group 1, Southampton
Australia 219-6 (20 overs): Mooney 74 (42), Gardner 58 (32); Zwilling 3-52
Netherlands 121-3 (20 overs): De Leede 56* (57); Garth 2-20
Australia won by 98 runs
Scorecard; Tables

From huge trades to major signings, the Pittsburgh Steelers have had a productive 2026 offseason. But one NFL ***** yst has urged the Steelers to pull off a final offseason move before training camp.
According to ESPN's Aaron Schatz, who recently compiled a list of one final offseason move each NFL team should make, the Steelers need to extend Joey Porter Jr.
"Porter was taken at the top of the second round in the 2023 draft, so he's coming to the end of his rookie deal," Schatz wrote. "There's no fifth-year option at play here, so the Steelers need to re-sign him now to keep him around.
"Porter is a very talented cornerback who finished 10th in the league in my coverage DVOA metric last season. The problem is that Porter will want top-five cornerback money, and there isn't necessarily evidence that he belongs in that stratosphere. Perhaps the Steelers can get him to agree to something that might be higher than they want to go but lower than what players such as Trent McDuffie and Sauce Gardner recently got paid."
For reference, McDuffie completely reset the cornerback market with a record-setting four-year, $124 million extension.