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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk was carted to the locker room after suffering what looked a serious leg injury against the Kansas City Chiefs. Aiyuk was left in visible pain towards the end of the first half in San Francisco after his right knee appeared to buckle awkwardly under a double tackle from two Chiefs defenders. As Trent McDuffie tried to take him down from behind, Chamarri Conner flew into the 26-year-old with a strong challenge before he fell to the ground in agony. He was carted off the field at Levi's Stadium and was subsequently ruled out of the remainder of Sunday's game. After their 28-18 defeat to the Chiefs, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed early indications suggest Aiyuk may have suffered a season-ending torn ACL. ... Aiyuk, who signed a $120million, four-year extension in late August following a lengthy contract 'hold in,' has 25 catches for 374 yards this season. He was a second-team All-Pro last season when he had 1,342 yards receiving.
capcity.news
Talented Wyoming guide Michael Gardner who cultivated his world-class mountain climbing skills in the Tetons is missing on a Himalayan peak and presumed dead. Gardner’s father, also a legendary climber, died in a fall from the Grand Teton in 2008. Gardner fell while attempting a climb of Jannu East, a 24,501-foot high peak in eastern Nepal earlier this week, according to alpine news sites, friends and employers. A French team retreating from the north face of the unclimbed peak saw Gardner’s partner, Sam Hennessey, alone on the face and waving on Monday, Explorersweb and AlpineMag reported. Hennessey told the French climbers that Gardner had fallen, the news outlets reported. The three Frenchmen and Hennessey then rappelled 2,300 feet to the bottom of the face together where they found pieces of clothing but no sign of Gardner. Gardner, 32, lost his father, a guide with Exum Mountain Guides, in an accident on the Grand Teton in 2008. George Gardner of Ridgway, Colorado, was 58 when he set off to climb the Lower Exum Ridge alone without a rope. Searchers found his body the next day. The cause of his fatal fall remains unknown. Michael Gardner was 16 at the time, but his father’s death didn’t deter him from climbing and skiing in the mountains and he, too, became an Exum mountain guide. “His guiding apprenticeship began informally, with his first mountaineering trips at age eight, with his father and saw him become one of the youngest guides in the United States,” his biography at the Exum Mountain Guides site states.
www.breitbart.com
Former U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) soccer star Megan Rapinoe has accused longtime USA Today writer Christine Brennan of racism for asking Connecticut Sun forward DiJonai Carrington whether her eye poke of Caitlin Clark was intentional. Carrington poked Clark in the eye, resulting in a black eye, during Game 1 of Connecticut’s series against the Fever on September 22. As the video shows, Carrington’s hand goes from the palm skyward with her fingers extended to suddenly facing downward, with her fingernails going directly into Clark’s eye socket. Before Game 2, Brennan asked Carrington after the game if the eye poke was intentional. Carrington denied even realizing she poked her in the eye, much less doing it deliberately. However, despite the footage showing what appears to be a deliberate eye poke from Carrington, Rapinoe recoiled at even asking Carrington a question about it. Instead, she accused Brennan of racism and trying to protect Clark because she’s white. “Hearing it initially, my visceral reaction was, ‘That’s not good, that doesn’t feel good, that feels racist, to be honest,” Rapinoe said on her podcast, A Touch More with Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird. “That feels like you’re putting DiJonai in an impossible situation.” Rapinoe continued, “I think it is so disingenuous for Christine Brennan and other media members to say, ‘I’m just asking the question,’ but really what’s happening is your natural instinct to protect and narrate White players vs. go after and narrate Black players, that to me is really the issue.”
abc7.com
LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers have opted for a unique way to commemorate Shohei Ohtani's memorable first season with the organization -- selling dirt from Dodger Stadium. Fans can buy two types of game-used dirt, one from Opening Day and another from when Ohtani passed Hideki Matsui for the most home runs by a Japanese player on April 21. The Opening Day dirt costs $99, and the Ohtani-specific dirt is $149. The Dodgers began selling 50 units of each sample of dirt at the beginning of their homestand on Sept. 20. As of Tuesday night, only one unit was left from when Ohtani passed Matsui and a handful remained from Opening Day.
nypost.com
Jennifer Sterger seemingly doesn’t have any sympathy for Brett Favre’s Parkinson’s disease plight. Sterger, a former Jets host who accused the Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback of sending her inappropriate and explicit text during his only season in New York in 2008, took to social media to dish out her thoughts on the revelations about Favre’s health. Favre went public with his diagnosis on Tuesday while testifying at a congressional hearing on welfare misspending and reform. “PSA: Please don’t send me links to it. I’ve seen it. I can read,” Sterger wrote on her Instagram story. “I don’t wish bad things on anyone, but I know Karma never forgets an address. Imagine being diagnosed with such a terrible disease and not having the resources to fight it bc some Hall-of-Fame quarterback stole it? “Those are the people that need your attention, support, and sympathy. And at least now, his pictures won’t be in focus. Mississippi you deserve better.”
It's too early, after the third of 18 regular-season weeks, to be finishing a symphony for the Jets' league-leading third-down offense. But considering the off notes they had sounded for the previous 25 years, during which they had the lowest combined third-down conversion rate among the league's 32 teams, this season's sudden success is music to the ears of the Green & White and their fans. Head coach Robert Saleh heard it coming for months. "We felt like anytime we did move-the-ball periods in training camp, whenever our first-team unit was up even against our defense, it was 10, 12 — I mean, I think they had an 18-play drive in there one week," Saleh said of the third-down unit. "What we've done a great job of over the first three weeks of the season offensively ... we're doing a really nice job of just keeping the ball moving forward. And then obviously on third down, Aaron is making plays, the receivers are getting open, the O-line's protecting all-around. "It's been fun to watch from an efficiency standpoint." Here are some Jets third-down high notes heading into Week 4 at home against Denver on Sunday: ■ Their 56.8% conversion rate, with their 10-for-15 showing in the win over New England lifting them to 21-for-37 overall, is not only first in the league after three weeks but it's also the Jets' best third-down rate after the first three weeks of a season in franchise history. Previous bests: 1982, 19-for-35, 54.3% and 1967, 24-for-45, 53.3%. ■ The Jets' figure is the best in the NFL after three weeks since Buffalo's 61.0% in 2022 and Kansas City's 58.5% in '20. Still, according to statspass.com, this is the first time the Jets have led the NFL after three weeks since at least 1991, when third-down success began to be rigorously charted. ■ And none of this should be a surprise with A-Rod on the podium ... er, under center on crunch downs. Limiting the numbers to third-down passing only, since 2008, when Rodgers became Green Bay's starter, his passer rating of 105.1 is second in the league only to Patrick Mahomes' 110.3. And the Packers' third-down offense from 2008 through Rodgers' last season there in '22 converted third downs 42.4% of the time, No. 5 in the NFL in that span. "It's just confidence," said Joe Tippmann, Rodgers' young but rapidly maturing center. "It's the O-line's confidence in our ability to give him time. And if we can give him time, he's going to make a play. He's going to make something happen."
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Sauce Gardner doesn't do vacations. The New York Jets cornerback doesn't believe in them. The idea of chilling at a five-star resort, sipping fruity libations on a white-sand beach, doesn't appeal to him. First of all, he doesn't drink alcohol. No sauce for Sauce. Secondly, he's a homebody. The Jets' trip to London in two weeks to face the Minnesota Vikings will be his first time out of the country. He said he hasn't taken a true vacation since entering the NFL in 2022, offering an existential reason. "Me, personally, I just feel like you're just trying to escape the lifestyle that you live," Gardner said in a quiet moment at his locker. "We play football, and we should be training. So going on that long vacation is getting away from what you're supposed to be." Which explains why he reported to the Jets' facility two weeks after last season ended to begin training, three months ahead of the official start to the offseason program. It's why his new, sprawling home in New Jersey includes a recovery room, complete with a red-light therapy bed, sauna, cold tub, treadmill and stationary bike. From the time he was 4 years old, playing flag football in the Tiny Mites league in the Seven Mile section of Detroit, Gardner's singular focus has been to play in the NFL and be the best cornerback there ever was. A lot of kids dream that dream, but his early-career trajectory aligns with his life plan, and he's just 24. Gardner is the only cornerback since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 to be named first-team All-Pro in each of his first two seasons. Only three defensive players have pulled that off: former New York Giants legend Lawrence Taylor, Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons and Gardner, who said his individual goal this season is to be Defensive Player of the Year. Now if he could just get his hands on a pass or two, maybe that would silence critics who suggest the sauce isn't as advertised. He will take a 26-game interception slump into Thursday night against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video). Big deal or nah? ... Gardner said one memory of living at the corner of Rowe Street and Seven Mile East made an impact. When he was 14, he saw a man fatally shot outside a liquor store. Out of fear, he didn't tell anyone. "It just made me come to the realization that you can't take anything for granted," Gardner said. "Me just witnessing that, I was like, 'Dang.' I just had to make sure I was locked in on everything -- football, school, all that -- because I knew ultimately where I wanted to go." ... Cornerbacks are often evaluated based on their interception total. That calculus can't be applied to Gardner, who has as many Pro Bowls on his résumé as career picks (two). In an ESPN survey of nearly 80 NFL coaches, scouts and executives, one unnamed personnel evaluator called Gardner "one of the most overrated players in the league." The same survey ranked him the third-best corner, behind the Denver Broncos' Pat Surtain II and the Cleveland Browns' Denzel Ward. Former star Richard Sherman, a three-time All-Pro cornerback, believes Gardner has benefitted from geography. "Obviously, being in the New York market helps," Sherman, a Prime Video analyst, said on a conference call with reporters. "It helped [Darrelle] Revis, it helps Sauce. ... He's incredibly worthy [of his accolades]. He has been named first-team All-Pro. It's not because he hasn't played well, but it definitely helps playing in that New York market and getting that focus on you and then playing well while you've got that focus." For his money, Sherman said Surtain is the best all-around corner in the sport, adding, "If he was in a big market, if he was playing for the Dallas Cowboys, I don't think there would be any debate because people would be watching him all the time." WHEN TOLD OF Sherman's comments, Gardner shrugged. He agreed to a certain extent, saying he does profit from playing in New York. But he said that it's a double-edged sword: More eyes on you means more pressure. Even Sherman acknowledged, "New York can chew you up and spit you out the same way it can raise your game." Gardner added, "A lot of times, there's no in-between." Gardner welcomes the scrutiny. Asked if he's the best corner, he said simply, "I try to do it as if I'm the best." Former cornerback Jason McCourty, who played 13 years, had initial questions about Gardner despite his lofty draft pedigree -- fourth overall in 2022. Those questions didn't last long. "Even coming in, I'm wondering how he's going to do it, covering these guys man-to-man, coming from [the University of] Cincinnati -- and he's just been awesome," said McCourty, now an ESPN analyst, in a phone interview. "To step into the NFL and to be able to cover some of the best wide receivers, to be an All-Pro and to hit the ground running is just completely elite." But what about the lack of interceptions? McCourty said it shouldn't be a barometer, that Gardner's ability to neutralize wide receivers trumps his low interception total. Sherman believes the game has changed. Gone are the days, he said, when corners such as Deion Sanders and Champ Bailey made the Pro Football Hall of Fame with gaudy interception totals -- 53 and 52, respectively. In 2023, Revis, the former Jets star, was elected on the first ballot with 29. "I do think interceptions are important, but I guess, in this day and age, [people] don't because there's just not a lot of guys getting them," said Sherman, who made 37 in his career. While the interception total may not be eye-popping, Gardner is a pass-breakup machine. His career total of 33 is the third most among corners since he entered the league. If he's getting close enough to defend passes, in theory, he should be catching some of them. He knows this; he doesn't shy away from it. Asked his goals for 2024, he said, "Get more picks and keep grinding for that Defensive Player of the Year [award]." He wants at least four or five interceptions.
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MIAMI -- Shohei Ohtani became the first player in baseball history to reach the 50/50 club on Thursday, and he did so in dominant fashion -- with two home runs and two stolen bases in a five-hit game that could clinch a postseason spot for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ohtani opened the game with a line-drive double off the wall in right-center field against Miami Marlins starter Edward Cabrera, then picked up his 50th steal of the season by swiping third base. A second-inning single was followed by stolen base No. 51. Ohtani then added a two-run double in the third -- before getting thrown out trying to stretch it to a triple -- and followed with a 438-foot home run into LoanDepot Park's second deck in the sixth for his 49th home run. Ohtani came to bat again with runners on second and third and two outs in the seventh inning, prompting many to wonder if the Marlins would pitch to him. They did -- and Ohtani delivered, taking a 1-2 curveball from Mike Baumann and lofting it over the fence in left-center field for his 50th home run of the season. Ohtani roared as he made his way up the first-base line, then stepped out of the dugout for a curtain call after celebrating with teammates. His five hits in five at-bats and five RBIs were both season highs. Thursday marked Ohtani's 13th game this season with at least one home run and one stolen base, tying Rickey Henderson's 1986 season for the most in major league history. The best part: His record-setting home run gave the Dodgers a commanding 14-3 lead, putting them in position to clinch another playoff spot. For Ohtani, it will be his first. The two-way star has played in 866 games without reaching the playoffs, the most among active players.
manofmany.com
Raygun is officially the number one ranked female breaker in the world. [The World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) recently updated its rankings](https://www.worlddancesport.org/Ranking/World#CombinedType=8_221_104_2), and we were shocked to see Rachel ‘Raygun’ Gunn at the top of the list with 1,000 points. This places her ahead of B-Girl Riko from Japan (1,000 points) and B-Girl Stefani from Ukraine (750 points). However, it’s likely her time at the top of the list will be short-lived after she announced in a recent interview that she’s stepping away from competitions “for a while.” B-Girl Stefani or B-Girl Riko will likely claim the top spot if they’re to compete (and score) at the upcoming BfG World Series in Shanghai on 19th October 2024. Raygun took the lead after the WDSF added the 1,000 points she claimed after winning the WDSF Oceania Championship, which was the event that sent her to the Olympic games. We hope this is the last time we have to write the words “Raygun,” and all signs indicate this. While rumoured to be a shoo-in for the next season of Channel 10’s “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!” according to sources at New Idea magazine, the Kangaroo-impersonator has told The Project that she’s taking a step back from competitions. “I don’t think I’ll be competing for a while. Not really wanting to be in the spotlight, breaking, competing,” she said. “It’s been nice. It’s been a bit of a process to try and start dancing again. Like, that’s actually been tough. You know, it was my medicine, and then it turned into my source of stress.” “So, I’m really happy that it gets to go back to being my medicine. I can kind of finally feel free again. I’m looking forward to breaking, but, no, I don’t think I’ll compete for a while.”
The widow of NHL star Johnny Gaudreau is expecting the couple’s third child, she announced during a eulogy at a memorial service for the brothers on Monday. Family, friends, and members of the hockey community gathered on Monday St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Media, Pennsylvania to remember both Johnny and his brother Matthew, who were killed by a suspected drunk driver late last month. Johnny's widow, Meredith, and Matthew's widow, Madeline, both delivered emotional eulogies. Madeline, who is also pregnant with her and Matthew’s first child, spoke first and shared the story of how they met and how he was a family man. "Anyone that knows Matty knows that he was born to be a dad," Madeline said. "The moment we found out about our son Tripp, it consumed his every day. He was downloading apps, ordering books, finding the best diaper brand, making sure I had the best vitamins and asking for tips from John."
Hours after Miami Dolphins All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill was handcuffed Sunday morning on his way to the team’s season-opening game against Jacksonville, the Miami-Dade Police Department announced the agency is investigating at least four officers involved in the stop — during which Hill was pinned to the ground. Video and photos posted to social media revealed a Miami-Dade officer with a knee on Hill’s back as he was detained adjacent to his luxury sports car, then sitting on the ground in handcuffs. The incident occurred just outside Hard Rock Stadium, though the precise distance is unclear. After the game, Hill told reporters he had “no idea” why he was placed in handcuffs and said he “wasn’t disrespectful because my mom didn’t raise me that way.” “...I don’t want to bring race into it. But sometimes it’s kind of iffy when you do,” Hill said. “What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill? Lord knows what those guys would have did....” As of Sunday evening, police have yet to release body camera footage, the names of the officers involved or any additional details about what occurred leading up Hill being detained. MDPD Director Stephanie Daniels — citing her commitment to transparency and accountability — said the department is examining how the stop escalated between officers and the NFL’s leading wideout. Daniels also said one of the four officers involved was placed on administrative duty. “I have requested an immediate review of all details surrounding the incident,” Daniels, who didn’t elaborate on the status of the other three officers, said in a statement. “We are also reviewing available body camera footage. We will provide updates as further information becomes available.”
San Marino, FIFA's lowest-ranked men's team, snapped a 20-year losing streak on Thursday, defeating Liechtenstein 1-0 in the UEFA Nations League for their first win in two decades -- and the team's first-ever victory in a competitive match. Nicko Sensoli scored the game's lone goal in the 53rd minute, giving San Marino the edge in a fairly even matchup. Liechtenstein, ranked 11 places ahead of the opposition, dominated possession and matched San Marino with eight shots. They were unable to put a shot on target, though, while San Marino had two and scored on one of them. They snapped a 176-match winless run in competitive matches, tying just five of those encounters while losing the other 171. It was a monumental feat for the small landlocked nation of roughly 33,000 people, who have not celebrated a win since April 2004 in a friendly against Lichtenstein, which they also won 1-0.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Mike McDaniel has already seen improvement in Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa as the two enter their third year together. What’s impressed Miami’s coach the most has been Tagovailoa’s comfort with stepping into a leadership role. “There’s certain guys that have an ‘it’ factor,” McDaniel said Wednesday. “You know when a team believes in their quarterback, quite honestly. And the appreciation for what his skills were (before), I think were strong, but nothing compared to the respect and regard his teammates have (now).” Even if others haven’t always noticed, Tagovailoa said he’s always had it in him. “I’ve had the ‘it’ factor,” Tagovailoa said ahead of Miami’s season opener. “I’ve had the ‘it’ factor since I was in high school and (going) into college and coming here. That’s how I’ve always viewed myself — as going out and competing, very nice, very cool, calm, collected. But like inside, just very competitive. So a lot of the guys know how I am, I guess it’s just only now showing that I’m becoming a little more vocal.” Tagovailoa’s increased willingness to speak up was noticed during the offseason by his teammates, who have enjoyed following his lead, especially as he hopes to guide Miami to its first playoff win in 24 years. His leadership has shown during practice, when he makes sure even walkthroughs are moving at the right pace and communicates his expectations. “Tua has done a great job of over-communicating exactly what he wants as far as details and routes,” receiver Tyreek Hill said. “And Mike, our head coach, he has given him the keys to the car which is even more of a beautiful thing.” Tagovailoa said he didn’t come into his fourth NFL season with the goal of being more vocal, but that’s the natural result of bringing more of his personality into the building.
edition.cnn.com
South Carolina national championship-winning forward Ashlyn Watkins was arrested Saturday on charges of assault and battery and kidnapping. Online judicial records for Richland County show that Watkins was granted a $30,000 personal recognizance bond. She was ordered to have no direct or indirect contact with the victim, who was not named in the records, which also did not list an attorney for Watkins. Watkins was ordered to stay 1,000 feet from the victim’s home, work, school and place of worship. She would be permitted to travel out of state for basketball games and practices. She is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 25. A warrant filed by the University of South Carolina Police Department and obtained by WLTX-TV said Watkins assaulted the victim by “forcefully grabbing her face, pulling her arms and pushing.”
Real Madrid’s big summer signing finally announced himself to LaLiga after providing a 2-0 win over Real Betis on Sunday. Carlo Ancelotti’s side faced early criticism after dropping points in their first few games, coupled with Kylian Mbappé failing to deliver. But perhaps that has now all been turned around. Real Betis proved a formidable side at the Santiago Bernabeu, somehow keeping Madrid’s star talent quiet. Last-ditch tackles or timely blocks prevented Los Blancos from breaking the deadlock despite 13 shots in the first half. Without a goal in his first three LaLiga games, more pressure mounted on Mbappé. Team-mates Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, amongst others, continued to serve the ball on a platter for the new No. 9. But then, it finally happened. Federico Valverde pulled off a slick through ball via a tricky back-heel and Mbappé was left one-on-one against goalkeeper Rui Silva. He made no mistake on his total 25th-shot attempt to find the back of the net. And after some 333 minutes of waiting for his first goal, the second arrived eight minutes later. Silva took down Vinicius Junior in the box and VAR awarded a penalty. The Brazilian allowed his new teammate to step up and it goes down as the first brace in the white kit for Mbappé. Unfortunately for Real Betis, their two shots on target were not enough to spoil the party. They sit 17th in LaLiga without a win so far, while Madrid move tied for second sitting four points behind Barcelona.
cross-posted from: https://hilariouschaos.com/post/520067 > Ricky Pearsall, the San Francisco 49ers' first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft who was shot during an alleged attempted robbery at San Francisco's Union Square on Saturday, was released from the hospital on Sunday afternoon. > > Pearsall was upgraded to "fair condition" early on Sunday, one day after the incident, and then the team announced that he had been released and was recovering from the "bullet wound to his chest" a few hours later. > > Also on Sunday, Pearsall's mother Erin Pearsall posted on Facebook that he was shot through the chest, but that the bullet did not hit any vital organs. > > After the shooting, Pearsall was seen walking to the ambulance while covering a chest wound in a video posted by a KTVU reporter on social media. > > Police told KTXL's Sean Cunningham that Pearsall was shot after a struggle for the gun with a suspect, who was allegedly attempting to steal a Rolex watch while Pearsall was going to a signing event. The suspect, who is in custody, was also reportedly shot through the chest and is stable at San Francisco General Hospital, where Pearsall is being treated. > > San Francisco mayor London Breed and chief of police William Scott both posted statements confirming and reacting to the news, which comes at a time when San Francisco crime is a contentious issue (year-to-date data currently shows robbery to be down 22%).
www.outkick.com
One stat perfectly sums up Angel Reese's struggles on offense near the hoop. The Chicago Sky rookie is averaging 13.6 points per game and 12.9 rebounds per game for a team that is pretty bad. She's also shooting a disappointing 38.7%, but the stats actually get worse the more you dig in. She simply can't shoot near the hoop. Reese is shooting just 43.8% from inside five feet, and that's the lowest percent in the league by a significant margin. You can see the data graph of shots from within five feet in the mega-viral tweet from Steph Noh below.
edition.cnn.com
Lando Norris produced a dominant performance at the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday, holding off Max Verstappen with ease to potentially reignite the drivers’ world championship with nine races left this season. The British driver started on pole and promptly lost the lead to Verstappen, but overtook the Dutchman on his home circuit and never seemed troubled again as he coasted to victory, crossing the finish line as fireworks exploded above him. Verstappen held on for second place to limit his losses in the drivers’ championship, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc rounded out the podium in third after an impressive race. “It feels amazing, I wouldn’t say a perfect race because of lap one again but afterwards that was beautiful,” Norris said in his post-race interview. “The pace was very strong, the car was unbelievable today so I could get comfortable, I could push and get past Max which was the main thing and just go from there. Honestly quite a straightforward race, still tough but very enjoyable.” “Probably lap five, six, seven I expected Max to start pushing and get a good gap but he never did. So, from that point, I knew we were in with a good fight but he seemed to just keep dropping off and my pace was getting better,” he added.
www.mmafighting.com
Tom Aspinall wants nothing more than to unify the UFC heavyweight title in a fight against Jon Jones, but he’s effectively given up any hope that it ever happens. Despite a remarkable run through the UFC with eight wins and only one opponent even making it to the second round with him, Aspinall suddenly finds himself on the outside looking in while clutching onto an interim heavyweight title. While he’s waiting, Jon Jones is preparing to defend his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic in a fight expected in November at Madison Square Garden in New York. What makes matters worse is that Jones may ultimately decide to retire from the sport if he beats Miocic, and while that might solidify Aspinall as the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, he prefers proving that in the cage. “There is nowhere that you can find publicly, nowhere, him saying that he will fight me,” Aspinall said about Jones on the Believe You Me podcast. “It doesn’t exist. I challenge anybody watching this interview to go and find the statement, quote, a video where Jon Jones is saying that he’ll fight me after he’s fought Stipe. It doesn’t exist. The guy’s smart, and we know the guy’s a bit overweight these days. The guy sat there with the Cheeto fingers or whatever, Doritos on his fingers with his iPhone in hand waiting for me to get knocked out [by Curtis Blaydes] so he could start tweeting about it. “Let’s be honest, and since I won that fight, he’s gone completely quiet. He’ll continue to go completely quiet about me until he retires. Because there’s no way on Earth that he’s going to fight me. Not a chance. I will retire Jon Jones without even fighting him.” Of course, Jones has commented on Aspinall in the past, but he’s mostly stated that a fight against a legend like Miocic just means more to his career and legacy, which is why he’s openly pursued the matchup.
www.mmafighting.com
Israel Adesanya is widely regarded as one of the best middleweights in UFC history, but don’t expect former opponent Sean Strickland to sign any petitions to keep him on that list. This past Saturday, Adesanya suffered a second consecutive loss for the first time in his MMA career when he fell by rear-naked choke submission to Dricus du Plessis in UFC 305’s main event. That fight came almost one year after Strickland dominated Adesanya over five rounds to claim the middleweight title in a stunning upset. Despite those losses, Adesanya is still a highly revered former champion, but Strickland just doesn’t understand the hype around “The Last Stylebender.” “I have an unpopular opinion, you guys aren’t going to like it. I just don’t think Izzy’s that good,” Strickland said on the Verse Us podcast. “So let me tell you why. Like, going into [UFC 293], I’m like, ‘I’m going to beat the f*ck out of you. You watch anime, you suck, I’m going to f*ck you up.’ Everybody is like, ‘Why would you say that about Izzy?’ “When he fought Kelvin [Gastelum], I think Kelvin sucks. Everyone’s like, ‘Izzy’s this and that.’ I’ve sparred Kelvin so many times, where I’m like, you kind of had a close fight with Kelvin — like, you’re not that f*cking good. You fought f*cking [Paulo] Costa. Costa was scared shitless of you. You f*cking blew on him, he fell asleep. Izzy’s not that f*cking good.” Strickland said he spent significant time training with Gastelum when both fighters worked out of southern California, and ultimately clarified his feelings toward the TUF 17 winner. “I love Kelvin. Kelvin is a standup guy,” Strickland said. “When I say you’re not that good, I’m talking about 90 percent of the [UFC] roster. I’m talking about the 10 percent of the f*cking most elite guys, that’s what I’m talking about and you’re not in that. “When [Adesanya] fought Kelvin, I was like, ‘You let Kelvin have that close of a fight with you?’ If I fought Kelvin, Kelvin wouldn’t even touch me. It would be one of those fight where you’re like, ‘I just want this thing to f*cking end.’”
www.mmafighting.com
Ronda Rousey was only two fights into her MMA career when she signed with Strikeforce. Soon after, she became one of the faces of the sport and helped usher women into UFC. It’s been documented many times over that UFC CEO Dana White famously said women would never fight in the octagon, but Rousey became the game-changer that altered his vision for the promotion. But all the way back in 2011, Rousey was just an up-an-coming fighter hoping she could make enough of an impact for someone like White to notice her. Looking back now, Rousey admits she felt a responsibility to get White’s attention, especially with the knowledge that women were potentially on the cutting block after UFC purchased Strikeforce. “People forget how fragile that situation was and how last-minute I was able to get us in,” Rousey told Chris Van Vliet. “Strikeforce was the only organization that was really showcasing women and that was because of Gina Carano, because her dad was involved with the Nevada Athletic Commission and was able to sanction fights for her and all these things. “When she was gone, Cris Cyborg’s pumped to the f*cking gills with steroids. No one wants to watch that cheating ass bitch. Everything just tanked. The division was dying. The UFC bought Strikeforce and it was assumed they were just going to absorb all of the male talent that they liked and fold the whole organization, because that’s what they did with PRIDE, that’s what they did with WEC, that was their business model. So there was a matter of time.” [more at link]
A former training opponent of Imane Khelif has waded into the controversy surrounding the Olympic champion. Joana Nwamerue, a Bulgarian-Nigerian women’s boxer, alleged Khelif is a “man to me” with “male power and male techniques” that Nwamerue said she witnessed during a February training match, according to the Daily Mail . Nwamerue then bizarrely alleged that Khelif has been “biologically altered” by living in the mountains. Khelif won gold at the Olympics in Paris, but also had to deal with many questioning her gender. “(Khelif) has some kind of internal issues. But he is a man. I will stay (by) my words until he/she does a test to prove to the world that he/she is a woman. But we all know that won’t happen,” Nwamerue told Reduxx. Nwamerue said she was told that Khelif had allegedly been “biologically altered” by living in the mountain ranges of Algeria. “She is a woman and just lives high in the mountains with her relatives and parents and so there may be a change in her testosterone or chromosomes and the like.”
nypost.com
Bo Nix made another strong case for the Broncos starter job on Sunday against the Packers. Nix completed 8 of 9 passes for 80 yards and a touchdown as he continues to make an impression on the Broncos brass. He added 12 yards on the ground on three carries in what ended up being a 27-2 preseason win for the Denver at Empower Field. While Nix performed well, Broncos head coach Sean Payton said he would not announce a starter after the game. Nix’s touchdown throw – a 2-yard completion to Tim Patrick – came in the second quarter with 13:14 left on the clock.
nypost.com
“I mean, hey, he got the gold and I got the silver. At the end of the day, like he said it’s a sport. I mean I represent my country, just like he’s representing his. I’m representing my family just like he’s representing his,” McEwen said. “At the end of the day we all want to be champions and the only respectful thing to do is walk away with one champion.”
www.espn.com
>After Trevor Lawrence signed a five-year, $275 million contract with the Jaguars in June, Tua Tagovailoa inked a four-year, $212.4 million pact with the Dolphins, and Jordan Love followed with a four-year, $220 million extension in Green Bay. That's more than $700 million on paper to three quarterbacks who have won a total of two playoff games. I don't love using playoff success as the sole barometer of quarterback play, but there's a realistic conversation to be had here. Since the league moved to its slotted draft system in 2011, we know quarterbacks on rookie contracts have become the most popular roster-building philosophy across the NFL. Draft a quarterback, pay him a fraction of what veteran quarterbacks are making for three to five years, use the savings to surround that young passer with talent and open up a championship window. Draft the right guy -- as the Texans did with C.J. Stroud last year -- and a franchise can be transformed overnight. There are various factors impacting the three new members of the Second Contract Club and why they didn't make deep playoff runs on their rookie deals. Love was stuck behind Aaron Rodgers. Tagovailoa dealt with injuries, including a concussion that cost him a chance to play during the 2022 playoffs. Lawrence had to overcome former coach Urban Meyer and struggled through the second half of last season while playing through his own ailments. At the same time, there's a tough question to be asked. The Dolphins, as an example, didn't win a playoff game while Tagovailoa was making about $7.5 million per year. How will they manage to make a deep run into February with him making more than $53 million per season, more than seven times his prior average annual salary? How will the Jags pull that off with Lawrence's salary more than quintupling to $55 million per year? I'm here to try to answer those questions and provide some best practices. ... Base salaries are accounted for on that year's cap, but a signing bonus is paid up front and then spread over as many as five years on a player's deal. In doing so, a team can pay out a significant amount of money while keeping the cap responsibility for that player's deal relatively modest. As an example, the Dolphins gave Tagovailoa a $42 million signing bonus on his new deal and spread that over five years (his already existing fifth-year option and four new years from the extension). They reduced his base salary to $1.125 million, so while he will take home $43.125 million this year, he'll count for $9.5 million on the 2024 cap. As a result, the sheer amount of cap space available to a team in this situation doesn't matter all that much when it comes to initiating and managing a second quarterback deal. Teams can use conversions to turn base salaries into bonuses, creating short-term cap space. Franchises don't want to do that with every contract under the cap, but since quarterbacks have such large base salaries, they're often the first players asked to restructure their deals. Patrick Mahomes, as an example, converted $27 million of his deal this year into a bonus, freeing up nearly $22 million of cap space in the process. It's no sweat off his back, given he gets his money up front as opposed to week to week during the season, but it's a logical place for the Chiefs to start their offseason accounting. The only problem with doing this is dealing with the consequences if things go wrong and a team has to move on from the quarterback. All that money it actually paid the player in bonuses but hasn't yet accounted for on its cap comes due in terms of dead money, which takes away cap space. When the Eagles traded Carson Wentz after the 2020 season, they were stuck with $33.8 million in dead money on their 2021 cap. The Broncos are on the hook for $85 million in dead money after their failed trade for Russell Wilson, a combination of both accelerated dead bonus money and guaranteed base salary the team owes Wilson in 2025. ... Nearly 15 years into the slotted draft era, teams, players and representatives are hyper-aware of how quarterback deals impact the roster. The negotiations and roster shifts that happen used to take place after the big second contract was signed. Now, having taken some of the suggestions we'll include below to heart, teams are making decisions about what to do with their rosters before the ink on those deals has even been put to paper. And players are reacting accordingly. ... At the same time, it's also clear organizations that sign the quarterbacks they've built around to second deals have struggled to master the transition. Since that 2011 shift to the slotted draft format changed the way NFL teams were built, the only quarterback to sign a second contract and win the Super Bowl is Mahomes. Three Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks (Mahomes, Wilson and Joe Flacco) were on rookie deals. Nick Foles was a backup behind Wentz, who was also on a rookie pact. The other champions were veterans who were well past their second deals in Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Matthew Stafford. (Eli Manning also won a Super Bowl in 2011, but he was on a second deal that was signed before the league moved to its new rules.)
www.france24.com
The United States overwhelmed Brazil 122-87 on Tuesday to book an Olympic basketball semi-final against comeback kings Serbia as hosts France lined up a last-four clash with World Cup champions Germany. Devin Booker scored 18 points and Anthony Edwards added 17 as six US players scored in double figures. That included Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, who had 12 points, nine assists, three rebounds and three steals before he departed early in the third quarter after taking an inadvertent elbow to the eye. He briefly visited the locker room then returned to watch his teammates polish off another dominant win.
www.france24.com
France secured a spot in the men's Olympic basketball semi-finals with an 82-73 victory over previously unbeaten Canada on Tuesday. Guerschon Yabusele and Isaia Cordinier led the charge, helping France build an early lead that they maintained, setting up a rematch against Germany. France lined up a rematch with Germany in the men's Olympic basketball semi-finals after an 82-73 win on Tuesday over previously unbeaten Canada. Guerschon Yabusele and Isaia Cordinier picked up the slack for a subdued Victor Wembanyama, helping establish an early advantage that France never relinquished. Yabusele led the way for the hosts with 22 points and Cordinier added 20. Evan Fournier scored 15 and Mathias Lessort notched 13 as Wembanyama was limited to seven, while still hauling down 12 rebounds. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a game-high 27 points for Canada, with RJ Barrett contributing 16.
www.marca.com
A time od 46.40 was posted by the Chinese swimmer, but his record is already being called into question due to the doping scandal that emerged in China just months ago. Last April it was discovered that 23 swimmers tested positive for substances incompatible with top competition. While WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) were aware of it, more than half of them were able to participate in Tokyo. The result saw China win six medals, four of them gold. China claimed that the result came from food contamination, something that WADA accepted despite the fact no evidence was presented. Pan was not among the list of 23 athletes and he maintains that he has been closely monitored in recent times, never testing positive. The swimmer smashed his own record, lowering it by four tenths from his February time, something Australian coach and former Olympian Brett Hawke believes is "humanly impossible." The swimmer, who competed in the Sydney and Athens Games, considers himself an expert in the matter and said: "I have studied them for thirty years, I have studied that sport, the speed...it is not real". The trainer claimed that it is impossible to lower a record that much in such a short time and that the Chinese swimmer won the race with unusual dominance. "You can't beat a pack like that, with a body length lead. They are the best in history. It's humanly impossible," Hawke claimed on Instagram.