Sports Express | August 18, 2026 Jeanie Buss Contests Family's Lakers Stake Sale

1. Jeanie Buss Contests Family's Vote to Sell Lakers Stake

Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss is contesting her siblings' vote to sell the family's remaining 17.8% stake in the franchise, according to a letter from her lawyer obtained by ESPN. The sale could lead to Jeanie's ouster as team governor.

Potential buyers reportedly include former Disney CEO Bob Iger and investor Joshua Kushner. Jeanie's lawyers deem the vote void, arguing the sale cannot be completed without approval of the current co-trustees — Jeanie and her younger siblings Janie and Joey — which Jeanie has not given.

As one of the NBA's most valuable franchises, any ownership change in the Lakers reverberates across the league. Jeanie has run the team since 2013, guiding it to the 2020 championship. How this family feud resolves remains to be seen.

2. Von Miller Signs One-Year Deal With Cowboys

Eight-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Von Miller has agreed to a one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys, kicking off the 15th season of his career. The future Hall of Famer is a Texas native and Texas A&M product, making this a true homecoming.

The Cowboys announced the signing Sunday night. Miller is one of the NFL's all-time sack leaders and was named MVP of Super Bowl 50, helping the Denver Broncos win the title.

After bouncing between teams in recent seasons, Miller's return home should inject immediate juice into the Cowboys' pass rush as the NFC East contender chases the playoffs.

3. LIV Golf Ends Season Early

LIV Golf is ending its season one week earlier than planned, announcing Monday it will not hold the team championship in Michigan next week and instead crown the team champion this week roughly 20 miles north of Indianapolis.

It is the latest setback for the reeling golf tour. Since merger talks with the PGA Tour stalled, LIV has been hit by a series of blows on scheduling, sponsorship and player departures.

With the Michigan event scrapped and the season wrapping up early, the move reignites questions about the tour's long-term future.

4. Barcelona Reach €76.5m Rodri Agreement

La Liga champions Barcelona have reached an agreement in principle worth €76.5 million (£65.3m; $87.8m) with Manchester City for midfielder Rodri, after two earlier bids were rejected and a third was accepted.

The 30-year-old is the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner and captained Spain to the World Cup this summer, earning the tournament's Golden Ball. With less than a year left on his City contract, he is expected to sign a long-term deal.

Rodri joined City from Atlético Madrid in 2019, winning four Premier League titles and one Champions League. At Barcelona he will line up alongside Spain teammates Gavi, Pedri and Lamine Yamal.

5. Tommy John Dies at 83

Former MLB pitcher Tommy John, a four-time All-Star who won 288 career games and whose name is forever linked to the pioneering elbow surgery that saved countless careers, has died. He was 83.

The surgery — formally known as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction — was first performed on John by Dr. Frank Jobe in 1974. The "Tommy John surgery" went on to save the careers of thousands of pitchers, and John himself pitched 14 more seasons after the operation.

Today, stars including Shohei Ohtani have undergone the procedure, and medical estimates suggest roughly one in three active MLB pitchers has had Tommy John surgery at some point in their career.

6. Ohio State Leads Preseason AP Top 25

The 2026 college football preseason AP Top 25 was released Monday, with defending champion Ohio State leading the way on 40 first-place votes, Oregon second with 14, and Georgia third.

The Buckeyes and Ducks occupying the top two spots marks the first time in 65 years that the Big Ten has held the top two teams in the preseason poll, underscoring the conference's recent dominance.

With the season fast approaching, the preseason rankings set the stage for what's to come. Whether Ohio State can repeat as champion will be one of the biggest storylines of the year.

7. NBA, Clippers Clash Over Leonard Investigation

The NBA and the Los Angeles Clippers are at odds over the progress of the investigation into Kawhi Leonard's salary-cap circumvention. The probe, which began in September, examines whether the Clippers skirted the cap through a $28 million endorsement deal Leonard signed with Aspiration, a now-bankrupt environmental company.

ESPN reported the NBA "found no evidence" that owner Steve Ballmer used corporate sponsors to pay Leonard beyond his max salary, and the Clippers issued a statement denying wrongdoing.

But the NBA pushed back on parts of that report, saying the investigation is ongoing. Leonard, who won the 2019 title with the Toronto Raptors, remains a focal point of a compliance saga that has gripped the league.

8. Canada's Flag Football Teams Book Olympic Spots

At the IFAF world championships in Düsseldorf, Germany, Canada's women's flag football team beat the United States for the world title, while the men's squad secured its place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics with a 34-26 overtime bronze-medal win over Mexico.

The men's qualification is historic — flag football will make its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028, and Canada will send both its men's and women's teams.

The women's gold-medal win over traditional powerhouse USA underscored Canada's overall strength in this emerging Olympic sport.

9. Ericsson Wins Inaugural Markham Indy

Sweden's Marcus Ericsson won the inaugural Ontario Honda Dealers Indy on the streets of downtown Markham, capturing his fifth career IndyCar victory and his first since the 2023 St. Petersburg race.

Ericsson led 21 laps and set the fastest lap of the race, sealing the win with two decisive passes. It was Markham's first time hosting Canada's lone IndyCar event, which moved from Toronto's Exhibition Place.

The victory is Ericsson's first since joining Andretti Global in 2024, and it writes a memorable chapter in Markham's racing history.

10. Blue Jays' Playoff Push Gets Schedule Boost

The Toronto Blue Jays sit just one game back of the final American League wild-card spot entering the most important week of their season, opening with a three-game series against the AL-leading Tampa Bay Rays (74-49) at Tropicana Field before heading to the Bronx to face the Yankees.

Tropicana Field has long been a house of horrors for the Jays. The good news: after this gauntlet against the Rays and Yankees, Toronto's remaining schedule softens considerably.

With five teams within three games of the last wild-card spot, this favourable closing stretch could be the difference as the Blue Jays chase a return to the postseason.