Lexie Hull Shares Honest Take on Playing Without Caitlin Clark

Having seen ‘very toxic heterosexual climates' in NFL locker rooms, this player is leading change with LGBTQ-targeted youth football camp

CNN

22 minutes ago

CNN

Having seen ‘very toxic heterosexual climates' in NFL locker rooms, this player is leading change with LGBTQ-targeted youth football camp

For a professional athlete, sitting on the sidelines – unable to have an impact – can often be the most frustrating place to be. And that's why Khalen Saunders is all about taking action, on the field and in his personal life. The New Orleans Saints defensive tackle isn't content with just being an ally to the LGBTQ+ community; his mantra is 'actions speak louder than words.' One of the ways that Saunders is taking action is by running a youth football camp specifically for children in the LGBTQ+ community, the first of its kind. The camp will be held in his hometown of St. Louis on July 5 and Saunders will be joined by his older brother, Kameron, who he credits with opening his mind to inclusivity. Kameron, a dancer and choreographer who has featured on Taylor Swift's 'Eras Tour,' is a member of the LGBTQ+ community and Saunders says he is a big reason for wanting to 'create a safe space within sports to have everybody feel welcome to be who they are.' 'I think (Kameron) has been to almost every single game that I've had, from when I was eight to 'til now, so he's always been there,' Saunders told CNN Sports. 'So my intention with this camp is to unify everybody and just promote positivity and empathy amongst others as far as just being accepting of everybody and showing everybody love. 'But also, with my brother, being able to come to all my events and feel comfortable being himself, I would want anybody who has a brother or family member in general that comes to their sporting events to feel safe and welcomed when they when they attend that.' Saunders was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs out of Western Illinois in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. During his time with the Chiefs, Saunders won two Super Bowl rings before signing with the Saints in 2023. The youngest of four brothers, Saunders explains that he learned a lot from his elder siblings and, in particular, an empathy he tries to take into all walks of life. 'I learned very quickly from Kameron to be accepting of people and let people be comfortable with you and that's how you'll get the genuine best out of people,' Saunders said. Creating a place for youths to discover their love for football – a game which has given so much to him, Saunders says – and to spend time with likeminded individuals is one of the main reasons for organizing the camp. The camp – the third one he's run with his foundation, 'Original Element Foundation' – is the first one he's directly advertised to the LGBTQ+ community to welcome them in. And he uses his experience with his brother, who he calls 'one of the most prevalent male beings in my life,' and whether he would feel comfortable as an example of the kind of environment he wants to create. Besides making a safe space for children of all orientations to come and play the game, Saunders is hoping he can help knock off any stigma around members of the LGBTQ+ community's involvement in sports. A Gallup Poll released earlier this year found that the proportion of American adults who identify as LGBTQ+ rose to 9.3% of the population, an increase of more than one percentage point from 2023's estimate. According to a report from The Trevor Project – a suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ+ youth – a number of LGBTQ youth reported 'choosing not to participate in sports due to reasons related to discrimination or fear of LGBTQ-based discrimination.' In the same report, The Trevor Project found that nearly one in three members of the LGBTQ community participate in sports. Saunders describes having experienced 'very toxic heterosexual climates' in football locker rooms during his time in the game, something he puts down to 'ignorance.' He remembers hearing anti-homosexual slurs being used in an NFL environment, something he puts down to individuals not knowing 'how offensive some things can be to other people.' Saunders takes it upon himself to attempt to change those 'toxic cultures' and credits a lot of his teammates with becoming much more accepting. Even the defensive tackle admits it's difficult to know exactly how to make everyone feel welcome all the time, but says that if you're trying to be more open-minded, then that's all you need to do. No matter who you are, for Saunders, 'ability is ability' and that's something he hopes his camp can foster. 'If you run a 4.5 second or less 40-yard dash, you're fast. If you jump a 35-inch vertical or higher, you jump high. If you can bench press 225 more than 20 times, you're very strong,' he said. 'I think that the space within sports for LGBTQ+ members, it's very limited and I understand that which is why I'm trying to hold this camp and try and promote positivity around that. 'If you got it, you got it. And I've seen great athletes be shied away for several reasons. I would just not want gender identification or sexual orientation to be one of those reasons.' Saunders has received an array of feedback following the announcement of the camp, ranging from the extremely positive to the other end of the spectrum. He's received messages from kids expressing their gratitude for making a place they can feel comfortable playing football as well as adults reaching out to him saying: 'I wish that something like this had been done when I was coming up in sports.' And while that positive feedback makes him feel 'really happy,' the negative comments have also stuck with Saunders. He has received comments such as 'youth and LGBTQ+ shouldn't be in the same sentence.' Saunders says those come from a lack of understanding of the reasoning behind the camp. 'This is not an attempt to sway any child to be of any sexual orientation or gender identification or anything like that,' he said. 'This is just teaching children to be accepting of those who are.' Saunders also recognizes that much of people's ignorance comes from 'learned traits and learned behaviors,' something he doesn't fault them for. But he says, as an ally, he does what he can to open people's eyes to the possibilities. The 28-year-old said he'd like to talk to those who have given him negative feedback face-to-face and explain why he believes having an open mind can lead to a 'better society,' especially when it comes to teaching kids from a young age to have an accepting way of thinking. 'Let's break that (cycle) and educate our children. That way they know the differences, they know the feelings, they know everything,' he said. 'And then we can progress towards a better society, instead of creating division and hate amongst things that could easily be out ruled by simple education.' And he is hoping that through the camp and through the impact Kameron has had on him, he can help reinforce that acceptance is vital for a more progressive society. 'This is an opportunity to kind of just showcase the thinking pattern that I have, just as far as being empathetic and treating people how you want to be treated and all those quote unquote 'golden rules' that we learn as children, we kind of stray away from when we get to adulthood,' Saunders said. 'And it's just a great way to remind this generation to stick to those golden rules and a way to make sure that everyone knows that they have a place in this world and everyone knows that they have a place specifically within sports because that's what this camp is all about. It's just showing acceptance and really just doing all of this for the love of the sport itself, not for anything else besides.'

CNN

22 minutes ago

CNN

Having seen ‘very toxic heterosexual climates' in NFL locker rooms, this player is leading change with LGBTQ-targeted youth football camp

For a professional athlete, sitting on the sidelines – unable to have an impact – can often be the most frustrating place to be. And that's why Khalen Saunders is all about taking action, on the field and in his personal life. The New Orleans Saints defensive tackle isn't content with just being an ally to the LGBTQ+ community; his mantra is 'actions speak louder than words.' One of the ways that Saunders is taking action is by running a youth football camp specifically for children in the LGBTQ+ community, the first of its kind. The camp will be held in his hometown of St. Louis on July 5 and Saunders will be joined by his older brother, Kameron, who he credits with opening his mind to inclusivity. Kameron, a dancer and choreographer who has featured on Taylor Swift's 'Eras Tour,' is a member of the LGBTQ+ community and Saunders says he is a big reason for wanting to 'create a safe space within sports to have everybody feel welcome to be who they are.' 'I think (Kameron) has been to almost every single game that I've had, from when I was eight to 'til now, so he's always been there,' Saunders told CNN Sports. 'So my intention with this camp is to unify everybody and just promote positivity and empathy amongst others as far as just being accepting of everybody and showing everybody love. 'But also, with my brother, being able to come to all my events and feel comfortable being himself, I would want anybody who has a brother or family member in general that comes to their sporting events to feel safe and welcomed when they when they attend that.' Saunders was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs out of Western Illinois in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. During his time with the Chiefs, Saunders won two Super Bowl rings before signing with the Saints in 2023. The youngest of four brothers, Saunders explains that he learned a lot from his elder siblings and, in particular, an empathy he tries to take into all walks of life. 'I learned very quickly from Kameron to be accepting of people and let people be comfortable with you and that's how you'll get the genuine best out of people,' Saunders said. Creating a place for youths to discover their love for football – a game which has given so much to him, Saunders says – and to spend time with likeminded individuals is one of the main reasons for organizing the camp. The camp – the third one he's run with his foundation, 'Original Element Foundation' – is the first one he's directly advertised to the LGBTQ+ community to welcome them in. And he uses his experience with his brother, who he calls 'one of the most prevalent male beings in my life,' and whether he would feel comfortable as an example of the kind of environment he wants to create. Besides making a safe space for children of all orientations to come and play the game, Saunders is hoping he can help knock off any stigma around members of the LGBTQ+ community's involvement in sports. A Gallup Poll released earlier this year found that the proportion of American adults who identify as LGBTQ+ rose to 9.3% of the population, an increase of more than one percentage point from 2023's estimate. According to a report from The Trevor Project – a suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ+ youth – a number of LGBTQ youth reported 'choosing not to participate in sports due to reasons related to discrimination or fear of LGBTQ-based discrimination.' In the same report, The Trevor Project found that nearly one in three members of the LGBTQ community participate in sports. Saunders describes having experienced 'very toxic heterosexual climates' in football locker rooms during his time in the game, something he puts down to 'ignorance.' He remembers hearing anti-homosexual slurs being used in an NFL environment, something he puts down to individuals not knowing 'how offensive some things can be to other people.' Saunders takes it upon himself to attempt to change those 'toxic cultures' and credits a lot of his teammates with becoming much more accepting. Even the defensive tackle admits it's difficult to know exactly how to make everyone feel welcome all the time, but says that if you're trying to be more open-minded, then that's all you need to do. No matter who you are, for Saunders, 'ability is ability' and that's something he hopes his camp can foster. 'If you run a 4.5 second or less 40-yard dash, you're fast. If you jump a 35-inch vertical or higher, you jump high. If you can bench press 225 more than 20 times, you're very strong,' he said. 'I think that the space within sports for LGBTQ+ members, it's very limited and I understand that which is why I'm trying to hold this camp and try and promote positivity around that. 'If you got it, you got it. And I've seen great athletes be shied away for several reasons. I would just not want gender identification or sexual orientation to be one of those reasons.' Saunders has received an array of feedback following the announcement of the camp, ranging from the extremely positive to the other end of the spectrum. He's received messages from kids expressing their gratitude for making a place they can feel comfortable playing football as well as adults reaching out to him saying: 'I wish that something like this had been done when I was coming up in sports.' And while that positive feedback makes him feel 'really happy,' the negative comments have also stuck with Saunders. He has received comments such as 'youth and LGBTQ+ shouldn't be in the same sentence.' Saunders says those come from a lack of understanding of the reasoning behind the camp. 'This is not an attempt to sway any child to be of any sexual orientation or gender identification or anything like that,' he said. 'This is just teaching children to be accepting of those who are.' Saunders also recognizes that much of people's ignorance comes from 'learned traits and learned behaviors,' something he doesn't fault them for. But he says, as an ally, he does what he can to open people's eyes to the possibilities. The 28-year-old said he'd like to talk to those who have given him negative feedback face-to-face and explain why he believes having an open mind can lead to a 'better society,' especially when it comes to teaching kids from a young age to have an accepting way of thinking. 'Let's break that (cycle) and educate our children. That way they know the differences, they know the feelings, they know everything,' he said. 'And then we can progress towards a better society, instead of creating division and hate amongst things that could easily be out ruled by simple education.' And he is hoping that through the camp and through the impact Kameron has had on him, he can help reinforce that acceptance is vital for a more progressive society. 'This is an opportunity to kind of just showcase the thinking pattern that I have, just as far as being empathetic and treating people how you want to be treated and all those quote unquote 'golden rules' that we learn as children, we kind of stray away from when we get to adulthood,' Saunders said. 'And it's just a great way to remind this generation to stick to those golden rules and a way to make sure that everyone knows that they have a place in this world and everyone knows that they have a place specifically within sports because that's what this camp is all about. It's just showing acceptance and really just doing all of this for the love of the sport itself, not for anything else besides.'

McNeil's clutch homer lifts Mets over Yankees in Subway Series opener

Washington Post

36 minutes ago

Washington Post

McNeil's clutch homer lifts Mets over Yankees in Subway Series opener

NEW YORK — Jeff McNeil hit a go-ahead, two-run homer off Luke Weaver in the seventh inning, leading the New York Mets over the Yankees 6-5 on Friday in a Subway Series opener between teams that faded badly after strong starts. Juan Soto hit a two-run homer among three hits against his former team and Brett Baty connected for a solo shot in the sixth off Ian Hamilton that cut the Yankees' lead to 5-4. Weaver (1-3) relieved with two outs in the seventh and walked Pete Alonso. McNeil drove a changeup into the right-field upper deck at Citi Field, sending the Yankees to their fifth straight loss during a slide that dropped them from the AL East lead. Jasson Domínguez ended a 32-game homerless streak, hitting a pair of opposite-field homers and driving in three runs. Domínguez and Judge hit back-to-back homers starting the game, Judge's 32nd this year, and Cody Bellinger also went deep for the Yankees. Huascar Brazobán (4-2) pitched a hitless seventh and Reed Garrett got six outs for his third save, helped by an outstanding defensive play from McNeil at second base in the ninth. RED SOX 11, NATIONALS 2 WASHINGTON — Trevor Story homered and drove in four runs as part of a four-hit day, Lucas Giolito pitched 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball in his first game against the team that drafted him and Boston routed Washington. Jarren Duran had three RBIs for Boston, which collected 16 hits and has won four of six since enduring a season-worst six-game skid. Washington was denied its first three-game winning streak since taking four in a row on May 28-31. Giolito (5-1) allowed four hits and three walks while striking out seven, surrendering Luis García Jr.'s sacrifice fly in the sixth. He is 2-0 with an 0.61 ERA in his last two starts. REDS 9, PHILLIES 6 PHILADELPHIA — Spencer Steer hit a two-RBI double to spark a five-run third inning and Reds reliever Tony Santillan struck out Alec Bohm with the bases loaded to end the eighth and lead Cincinnati past Philadelphia. Phillies starter Jesús Luzardo lasted only two-plus innings and Reds starter Andrew Abbott — both pitchers entered with seven wins — couldn't get out of the fourth. The Reds or Phillies scored at least one run in each of the first six innings and the defending NL East champion Phillies finished with 14 hits. The Reds had 11. Nick Castellanos hit a two-run homer in the first inning to help stake Luzardo (7-5) to a 3-0 lead. Luzardo pitched like an All-Star deep into May with an ERA hovering under 2.00 through his first 10 starts. He has been rocked in most of his outings since. He allowed a run in the second inning and gave up two run-scoring singles, a sacrifice fly and Steer's double in the third that made it 6-3. Elly De La Cruz added an RBI single in the fourth and the Reds tacked on two more runs in the fifth for a 9-4 lead. CUBS 11, CARDINALS 3 CHICAGO — Michael Busch hit three home runs, Pete Crow-Armstrong connected twice and Chicago went deep a franchise-record eight times in pounding St. Louis for its fourth straight victory. Busch finished 4 for 4 with five RBIs. Crow-Armstrong also went 4 for 4 and Dansby Swanson launched a two-run homer during a Cubs power barrage that had the crowd of 40,038 at Wrigley Field roaring. Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly added solo shots as the NL Central leaders hit six homers in the first three innings off Miles Mikolas (4-6), a record for most home runs off a Cardinals pitcher in one game. The eight longballs allowed by St. Louis also broke a club mark. Brendan Donovan led off the fourth with a home run against Colin Rea, ending a 31-inning scoreless streak for the Cardinals. St. Louis, which dropped its fourth straight, was shut out in its three previous losses. That was the only hit Rea (6-3) allowed in 6 2/3 innings, matching his longest outing this season. Mikolas (4-6) was tagged for eight runs and 10 hits over six innings in losing his fourth in a row. MARINERS 6, PIRATES 0 SEATTLE — Cal Raleigh hit his 34th and 35th home runs to set a career high and match Ken Griffey Jr.'s Seattle record for homers before the All-Star break, helping the Mariners beat Pittsburgh. The major league leader turned on a fastball from Bailey Falter (6-4) in the first inning and walloped it well past the wall in left. The exit velocity on the two-run shot was logged at 115.2 mph, per Statcast — the hardest-hit ball of his career. Raleigh topped his previous career high — set last season — in the sixth with a solo shot that chased Falter. The Mariners only mustered one other hit off the left-hander, but it was also a home run courtesy of Randy Arozarena in the fourth inning . Mariners starter Bryan Woo (8-4) went six innings. TWINS 4, RAYS 3 MINNEAPOLIS — Harrison Bader hit his second home run of the game in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Minnesota a victory over Tampa Bay. Bader, the No. 9 batter, lined the first pitch he saw from Kevin Kelly (0-1) into the first row of left-field seats to complete a three-run Minnesota comeback. It was the third career walk-off RBI for Bader, first on a home run. Louis Varland (3-3) pitched two scoreless innings for the win. Trailing 3-1 in the seventh, Minnesota got a two-out RBI double from Byron Buxton before Rays reliever Garrett Cleavinger hit Willi Castro and Brooks Lee with pitches, tying the game. Carlos Correa struck out with the bases loaded. Twins starter Chris Paddack allowed two earned runs and five hits in five-plus innings. Josh Lowe singled against Paddack leading off the sixth and scored on Yandy Díaz's double. Junior Caminero drove in Díaz with a single off Danny Coulombe for a 2-1 Rays lead. Lowe added an RBI single in the seventh. Zack Littell pitched six solid innings for Tampa Bay, allowing one earned run for the third straight start. He scattered four hits and struck out five. ORIOLES 3, BRAVES 2 ATLANTA — Jordan Westburg had three hits, including a homer, Cedric Mullins added a two-run shot and Charlie Morton allowed two runs in his return to Atlanta to lead Baltimore to a win. Morton (5-7) improved to 5-0 in 10 appearances, including seven starts, since May 10. Morton, who pitched for the Braves for four years before signing a one-year deal with the Orioles, threw five scoreless innings before giving up a two-run homer to Drake Baldwin in the sixth. Westburg returned to the lineup after aggravating his left index finger on Friday and made an immediate impact. After reaching on an infield single in the first inning, Westburg snapped a scoreless tie in the third with an opposite-field homer to right field, his eighth, off Spencer Strider (3-7). Tyler O'Neill had a single and a walk in his return from Baltimore's injured list. O'Neill had been out since May 16 with a left shoulder impingement. TIGERS 2, GUARDIANS 1 CLEVELAND — Wenceel Pérez and Zach McKinstry homered as Detroit extended Cleveland's losing streak to eight games. José Ramírez went deep for the Guardians, who are on their longest skid since dropping nine straight in 2021. Tyler Holton (4-3) pitched 2 2/3 innings of one-hit ball to earn the win. Will Vest went 1 1/3 innings for his 14th save in 17 opportunities. Steven Kwan gave the Guardians some hope in the ninth with a two-out double down the left-field line, but Kyle Manzardo hit a grounder to Vest for the final out. Detroit's Reese Olson made his first start since May 17 and allowed only one run on six hits in 4 1/3 innings. The right-hander was out nearly seven weeks due to right ring finger inflammation. Pérez tied it at 1 in the third inning with a drive to center field off Cleveland starter Slade Cecconi (3-4). McKinstry then led off the fourth by connecting on a curve ball over the wall in right-center for his second go-ahead homer of the season. Ramírez snapped an 0-for-21 drought when he put a 94.8 mph fastball from Olson into the right field stands for his 14th homer of the season. It was also the first time he had gone deep since June 14 at Seattle. Cecconi went six innings and threw a career-high 105 pitches. He gave up six hits and struck out five. PADRES 3, RANGERS 2, 10 INNINGS SAN DIEGO — Jake Cronenworth singled to right field with the bases loaded and two outs in the 10th inning to give San Diego a win over Texas. Cronenworth's single off Robert Garcia (1-4) brought in automatic runner Jackson Merrill. Cronenworth raised his right index finger as he rounded first base and was mobbed by teammates near second after his fifth career walk-off hit. Manny Machado was intentionally walked to open the inning and Luis Arraez struck out. Gavin Sheets singled to center to load the bases. Xander Bogaerts injured himself swinging at the first pitch of his at-bat, was checked by an athletic trainer and left the game. Bryce Johnson replaced him and struck out. The Rangers went to extra innings for the sixth time in nine games, losing four of them. BREWERS 6, MARLINS 5 MIAMI — Christian Yelich scored the go-ahead run all the way from first on a double by Jackson Chourio in the eighth inning and Milwaukee beat Miami. Yelich singled leading off the eighth against Cade Gibson (2-4) and Chourio followed with his hit to help the Brewers win for the 10th time in 14 games. Aaron Ashby (1-0) retired all seven batters he faced for the win. Trevor Megill gave up a two-out single to Xavier Edwards before issuing a nine-pitch walk to Jesús Sánchez, but he struck out Otto Lopez swinging for his 19th save in 22 opportunities. BLUE JAYS 4, ANGELS 3, 10 INNINGS TORONTO — Myles Straw scored the winning run on a throwing error by pitcher Sam Bachman in the 10th inning, and Toronto extended its winning streak to six games by beating Los Angeles. Straw, the automatic runner, scored from second when Bachman fielded Ernie Clement's sacrifice bunt and overthrew first base. Bachman (1-2) entered in the 10th and walked leadoff hitter Nathan Lukes, putting runners on first and second with nobody out for Clement. Chad Green (3-2) worked a scoreless inning for the win. Jo Adell tied it for the Angels with a three-run homer in the seventh. WHITE SOX 3, ROCKIES 2 DENVER — Adrian Houser allowed two hits in eight innings and rookie catcher Edgar Quero hit his first major league home run — a tiebreaking solo shot in the sixth that sent Chicago past Colorado. Rookie reliever Grant Taylor gave up a two-out single to Mickey Moniak in the ninth before striking out Ryan McMahon for his third save. In a matchup between the two worst teams in the majors, Houser (4-2) permitted two unearned runs on four hits and two walks. He hasn't yielded more than three runs in any of his eight starts this season. The veteran right-hander was coming off seven sharp innings in a 1-0 win over the Giants that Taylor also saved. Andrew Benintendi and Miguel Vargas opened the fourth with singles against Antonio Senzatela (3-12), and Quero walked to load the bases. Michael A. Taylor's two-out single gave Chicago a 2-0 lead. Michael Toglia doubled in the fifth and scored on a throwing error by third baseman Josh Rojas. Tyler Freeman doubled to tie it at 2. Quero gave Chicago the lead with a 401-foot drive to right field — before getting the silent treatment from his teammates when he returned to the dugout.

Lexie Hull Shares Honest Take on Playing Without Caitlin Clark

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Having seen ‘very toxic heterosexual climates' in NFL locker rooms, this player is leading change with LGBTQ-targeted youth football camp

Having seen ‘very toxic heterosexual climates' in NFL locker rooms, this player is leading change with LGBTQ-targeted youth football camp

McNeil's clutch homer lifts Mets over Yankees in Subway Series opener

Lexie Hull Shares Honest Take on Playing Without Caitlin Clark

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Having seen ‘very toxic heterosexual climates' in NFL locker rooms, this player is leading change with LGBTQ-targeted youth football camp

Having seen ‘very toxic heterosexual climates' in NFL locker rooms, this player is leading change with LGBTQ-targeted youth football camp

McNeil's clutch homer lifts Mets over Yankees in Subway Series opener

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