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Mike Santa Barbara

Mike Santa Barbara is a Wilmington, Delaware native (Yes, it's a real place) with over a decade of sports writing experience. A diehard Philadelphia sports fan, he has two dogs named after Flyers and cried real tears when the Eagles won Super Bowl LII. You can follow him on Twitter at @mike__sb.

Mage wins 149th Kentucky Derby

A Mage is also a magician, but there were no illusions Saturday at Churchill Downs. In the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby, Mage, a horse with 15-1 odds, came away victorious in the legendary race. 

Bryce Harper gifted superfan Masataka Yoshida cool pieces of memorabilia

There's a fan in all of us, even major leaguers, and in Yoshida's case, Harper is undoubtedly his favorite player.

Ole Miss dismisses highly touted transfer, depleting WR core

Only months after transferring to Ole Miss, former five-star recruit Chris Marshall was dismissed from the team on Saturday, leaving a hole for the Rebels to plug. 

Hurricanes thrash Devils again, take 2-0 series lead

The Carolina Hurricanes continued their domination of the New Jersey Devils by romping to a Game 2 win in the Eastern Conference semifinals on Friday.

Celtics down Sixers in Game 3 as James Harden's epic struggles continue

After tallying 45 points on 56.7 percent shooting in Philly's Game 1 victory without star Joel Embiid, Harden has gone cold in Games 2 and 3. 

Houston Astros rotation suffers major injury blow

The Houston Astros will be stretched even thinner in the pitching staff following the team's announcement that Luis Garcia will need to undergo Tommy John surgery.

Watch: Joel Embiid shares heartwarming moment with his son during MVP speech

After Embiid mentioned Arthur during his speech, the youngster came running onto the court, queuing the waterworks for the newly crowned MVP. 

Yankees' big free-agent signing shares troubling update on back

New York Yankees southpaw Carlos Rodon offered a soft update on his health status and timeline.

Cam Newton believes NFL teams aren't calling him for concerning reason

Cam Newton last played in the NFL in 2021, and despite being only 33 years old, the former MVP believes he knows the bizarre reason why teams aren't inquiring about his services. 

Auburn QB ready to compete with Michigan State transfer for starting job

On Friday, Auburn added former Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne via the transfer portal. However, the Tigers' incumbent signal-caller Robby Ashford doesn't seem worried. 

Warriors blow out Lakers behind Klay Thompson's Game 2 sharpshooting

Klay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors played dominant offensive ball in Thursday's Game 2 win over the Los Angles Lakers.

Record-quick strikes help Panthers stun Leafs in Game 2

The Florida Panthers used some quick shooting in the second period to take Game 2 of their second-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Watch: Rookie sensation extends double-digit hitting streak in style

On Thursday, Boston Red Sox rookie Masataka Yoshida extended his hitting streak to 14 games in emphatic fashion against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Watch: Panthers defenseman takes shot to the face vs. Maple Leafs

Florida Panthers defenseman Josh Mahura exited Game 2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday after taking a puck to the face.

Steve Kerr says former Bucks head coach 'deserved better'

The Milwaukee Bucks' decision to fire head coach Mike Budenholzer on Thursday didn't shock Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. However, he does believe the Bucks gave Budenholzer a raw deal.

Former 76ers president details how he brought Allen Iverson, Larry Brown together

Croce called the meeting a "turning point" for Iverson, Brown and the Sixers. A season later, the oddest of odd couples helped the Sixers make their first NBA Finals appearance since 1983.

Deebo Samuel replaces Rams atop his list of 'most hated' teams

Move over Rams, 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel has a new "most-hated" team.

Hurricanes expect better from Devils after Game 1 blowout

While the Carolina Hurricanes blew past the New Jersey Devils in Game 1 of their second-round series, the team is well aware that New Jersey is a better team than what they showed on Wednesday.

Troubling trend continues for 76ers in blowout Game 2 loss to Celtics

A somewhat concerning trend held for Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers in their Game 2 loss to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Mets' Max Scherzer accomplished what he wanted in ugly return to the mound

After giving up six earned runs over only 3.1 innings of work, Scherzer said he checked the first thing off his list following the long layoff. 

Max Muncy's walk-off grand slam made Dodger Stadium history

Max Muncy helped the Dodgers make Dodger Stadium history on Wednesday after socking a walk-off grand slam in the ninth inning to cap off a three-game sweep of the Phillies. 

White Sox's Liam Hendriks reveals terrifying detail about cancer battle

Only five months removed from starting treatment for Stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Chicago White Sox hurler Liam Hendriks discussed his battle for the first time, disclosing a terrifying revelation. 

Cowboys exec shares bold response to backlash over lack of drafted HBCU players

Dallas Cowboys vice president of player personnel Will McLay said there's no "conspiracy" against drafting HBCU players, but they must meet one crucial factor. 

Eagles Pro Bowler jokes that he wants to chase Lionel Messi money

Philadelphia Eagles WR A.J. Brown took to Twitter to playfully announce his interest in switching to soccer in order to chase Lionel Messi money.

Kraken stun defending Cup champion Avalanche, win first-ever playoff series

The Kraken continued the theme of upsets in this year's postseason, stunning the defending Stanley Cup Champion Avalanche, 2-1, in Game 7 Sunday to earn their first series win as a franchise.