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This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.

🏀 Five things to know Thursday

  1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lifts Thunder to even Western Conference Finals. Yes, these are seven-game series, but losing the first two games on your floor just doesn't feel like an option against this Spurs squad. So Gilgeous-Alexander rebounded from Game 1 and played like the league's MVP, willing the Thunder to a 122-113 Game 2 win to even the series. SGA's 30 points and nine assists were crucial, but so to were Alex Caruso's timely shooting (3 of 4 from 3) and pesky defense (+18 while he was on the floor). Here's another takeaway: The Spurs have got to clean things up in the turnover department because they committed more than 20 for a second straight game. Meanwhile, the Eastern Conference Finals resume in New York tonight with the Knicks holding a 1-0 lead on the Cavaliers. 
  2. Ed Orgeron is returning to Baton Rouge for a reunion with Lane Kiffin. Ed Orgeron, the coach of the national champion LSU Tigers who went 15-0 in 2019 -- and then 11-12 over the next two seasons before being fired in 2021 -- is heading back to Baton Rouge. Coach O will join Lane Kiffin's squad as a special assistant focusing on recruiting and defense. Orgeron and Kiffin were assistants on Pete Carroll's USC teams that won titles in 2003 and 2004.
  3. Aaron Rodgers says he'll retire after the 2026 season. Rodgers said, "Yes. This is it," when asked if the upcoming NFL season would be his last as a player. Rodgers recently signed to play a second season under center for Pittsburgh, and his reunion with new Steelers coach and Rodgers' former coach in Green Bay, Mike McCarthy, will mark the final season of a career that is guaranteed to be honored with a future Hall of Fame induction.
  4. Who will be the next coach of the Dallas Mavericks? That's one of the biggest questions in the NBA, even as the playoffs are quickly heading toward a sure-to-be dramatic conclusion in the coming weeks. Team president Masai Ujiri is conducting an "open search" for the team's new leader and we have predictions of who could land the gig.
  5. Aston Villa wins Europa League. The Villans dominated the competition en route to lifting the Europa League title with a 3-0 victory over German side Freiburg, earning a spot in next year's UEFA Champions League, and leaving open the possibility of the Premier League adding yet another team to the tournament. It's Aston Villa's first European trophy since winning the Super Cup in 1982.

🏈 Do not miss this: Did Raiders have NFL's best offseason?

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Every offseason sees teams reshaped, though the degree to which that reshaping happens varies. Some teams go all in on the free agent market, other teams look to fit final missing pieces to put them over the hump, and others strike gold in the draft. However, in a league with a great deal of parity, some teams make a series of splashy moves combined with a great draft to thrust themselves from middle-tier muck to the lofty contender level ... or simply from the depths of despair into the aforementioned middle tier.

Tyler Sullivan took a look at the offseason for every AFC team to issue grades and two teams stood out above the rest: the Raiders and Jets, with both teams receiving an "A." Let's take a look at what Sullivan had to say about the Raiders' offseason.

  • Sullivan: "This has been a home run offseason for the Raiders. Of course, the opportunity to select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick is the headliner, but it goes beyond that. Las Vegas did a great job creating an ideal environment for developing its young quarterback. At the top, they hired Klint Kubiak as coach, who has been one of the league's top offensive minds over the last few seasons and is fresh off a Super Bowl title as OC of the Seahawks. Moreover, they signed Tyler Linderbaum to a free agent deal that made him the highest-paid center in the NFL, ensuring Mendoza has protection up the middle.

    "They also made solid additions in free agency, albeit on a lower scale than Linderbaum, ranging from adding Jalen Nailor to the receiver room and both Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean at linebacker. Even the roll of the dice on Tennessee corner Jermod McCoy in the fourth round was savvy, as he's a first-round talent and fell simply due to injury concerns. For a team that's rebuilding, it's a worthwhile gamble to see if you can catch lightning in a bottle."

Also read: These seven teams are most likely to need a QB in the 2027 NFL Draft -- and the timing may be perfect

⚾ What's with all the shirtless fans in MLB stands?

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"Tarps off" started in soccer before moving to college football, and now the movement of shirtless fans packing stadiums is taking over MLB. The why and how of it all is as interesting as the shots of the bare-chested lads in the upper decks appearing more and more frequently in recent weeks. Rising temperatures around the country -- it would seem -- is just a coincidence.

Dayn Perry took a look at the origins of the trend, as well as how it made its way to the cheap seats of Major League Baseball.

  • Perry: "Again, we're not suggesting that gatherings of shirtless fans is somehow a new thing in baseball in 2026. However, the current boom began at Busch Stadium in St. Louis during the recently completed Rivalry Weekend series between the Cardinals and Royals.

    "The prime movers were a club baseball team from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. The SFA team was in town for the Club Baseball World Series in nearby Alton, Ill., and they attended Friday night's game at Busch. As the story goes, one member of the SFA team, Caleb Cummings, suggested that they take their shirts off, and another member of the team, Bryce Bradford, uttered the words that will one day be etched in granite across the republic: 'Screw it. I'll do it.'"

⚽ A decade covering new Premier League champions Arsenal

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It's always a special moment to see your favorite team achieve a championship. Every fan goes on a journey with their teams, season after season, feeling moments of heartbreak far more often than joy. But the highs that come with a title far outweigh the frustrations of losing seasons and lengthy stretches of mediocrity. Those seasons where it all comes together are the payoff for a fan's loyalty.

Arsenal fan and CBS Sports soccer expert James Benge gave a look into his own journey as a supporter of, and media member covering, the squad. As expected, the payoff of Arsenal winning the Premier League was worth the more than two decades of struggles.

  • Benge: "The celebration might have to stop for the players, but, as the banner said, it's still a party in the streets of London. At the time of writing, it's a 90-minute queue to get that gold Premier League badge on your new shirt. The heavens had opened, but they were still congregating to soak in the vibes and to empty their wallets. You'll do well to go into a restaurant or a supermarket, let alone the pub, without seeing someone embrace a fellow fan. To the man who gave me a fist bump in Sainsbury's, you've already made my day."

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest

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📺 What we're watching Thursday

⚾ Guardians at Tigers, 1:10 p.m. on MLB TV
⚾ Mets at Nationals, 4:05 p.m. on MLB TV
⚾ Blue Jays at Yankees, 7:05 on MLB Network
🏀 Cavaliers at Knicks, Game 2, 8 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 Canadiens at Hurricanes, Game 1, 8 p.m. on TNT
🏀 Valkyries at Liberty, 8 p.m. on Prime Video
🏀 Sparks at Mercury, 10 p.m. on Prime Video