MIAMI — Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa remains in the concussion protocol and will not participate in next week’s Pro Bowl Games, a source told ESPN on Friday.
Tagovailoa had been named a first alternate Pro Bowler and was set to replace either Joe Burrow or Patrick Mahomes, with both quarterbacks playing in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game and one bound for Super Bowl LVII. However, Tagovailoa entered the protocol Dec. 26 after suffering a concussion in Miami’s loss to the Green Bay Packers the day before and missed the team’s final three games of the season, including a wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills.
According to the source, Tagovailoa’s time in the protocol has been deliberate as he meets with multiple doctors and specialists. There have not been any setbacks as the Dolphins prioritize his long-term health.
The third-year quarterback set career highs in passing yards and touchdowns this season while leading the NFL in passer rating. He was also the top vote-getter in Pro Bowl fan voting.
Tagovailoa missed the better part of six games after suffering concussions in Week 4 and Week 16. The NFL and NFLPA launched two joint reviews into how his head injuries were handled this season, the first of which resulted in the termination of an unaffiliated neurological consultant who cleared Tagovailoa to play after he hit his head in Week 3 and stumbled shortly after.
The NFL altered its concussion protocol as a result of that joint review.
Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said earlier this month that the team will enter the 2023 season with Tagovailoa as its starting quarterback and that doctors they have spoken to do not believe the quarterback’s concussions will leave him more susceptible to head injuries moving forward.
The Dolphins have a May 1 deadline to exercise the fifth-year option on Tagovailoa’s rookie contract.
For a Youtuber turned prizefighter Jake Paul has an unlikely ambition. He wants to become a world champion and he believes that will happen in the next two or three years.
“I want to become a world champion. I’m going to become a world champion and these fights are all just stepping stones to get there. I’m slowly improving,” Paul told Sky Sports News.
“I’ve sparred against world champions and done phenomenal against them, so who knows what can happen in two to three years from now when I go into my athletic prime? I’m starting to really, really get this sport and all aspects of it.
Image: Paul celebrates after beating Anderson Silva
“It’s really actually scary what could possibly happen. I think not only will I become a world champion, I think I will be a dominant world champion and knock someone out for the belt.”
Paul is an unbeaten 6-0 as a professional boxer, although so far his wins have come against an assortment of other cross-over sportsmen.
His boxing matches have included wins over former mixed martial artists, including UFC legend Anderson Silva. Tommy Fury, who will fight Paul on February 26 in Saudi Arabia, will be his first opponent to come from a boxing background.
“You can expect Fury face down on the canvas, unconscious and it’s going to happen fast. Get your popcorn but don’t blink,” Paul declared.
“They hate on me beating Tyron Woodley, they hate on me beating Anderson Silva, not understanding that they are both 10 times better boxers than Tommy Fury.
“So the critics and the sheep who believe Jake Paul hasn’t fought a real boxer, someone his age, they’re technically right and this checks that off. So that’s going to be fun to shut those people up.
“The kid is good but he’s not great and he’s never been in there with someone who wants it more than him.
“I’m hyper-competitive and I want to be the best at whatever it is that I do. So I feel like my whole entire life has led me up to this moment and to come in with a different sort of narrative, through Youtube and Disney Channel and to change the sport of boxing, how the promotion’s done, how the fighters are paid, how the events are looking, that to me excites me, to innovate in this sport that has needed it for the past decade or so.
“I’m excited to help this sport.”
Fury’s fight with Paul has collapsed twice before due to injury and then visa issues.
“Because when you’re solely confident in your own mind that you can dismantle this man and twice before things out of your complete control keep popping up, it is tough,” Fury told Sky Sports News.
Image: Fury does have more boxing experience
“He had two lucky escapes out of the fight the previous times and he should have taken them.
“Be careful what you wish for.”
He scoffed at Paul’s world championship dream. “That’s like saying a pig’s going to fly. I’m going to teach Jake Paul a lesson on February 26. I’m going to show that he can’t just pick up a pair of gloves whenever you want and say, ‘Oh I’m going to be a world champion’,” Fury said.
“World champions are destined and world champions are born and he is definitely not a world champion. He’s not a champion or anything of the sort in boxing and he’s going to find that out on February 26.
“He’s fought old men. 50-year-olds, 40-year-olds, wrestlers, NBA stars. He’ll probably fight Tiger Woods after me,” Fury added. “What can you make to that?
“I’m the first [boxing] man he’s come up against and he could have picked a little easier task for himself.
All the top stories and transfer rumours from Sunday’s newspapers…
SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
Arsenal’s pursuit of Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo will not stop them trying to sign Declan Rice in the summer, with the club keen to add both players to Mikel Arteta’s squad.
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The Soccer Saturday team have their say on Moises Caicedo’s potential transfer to Arsenal and analyse his best moments in a Brighton shirt
SUNDAY MIRROR
Pep Guardiola produced a managerial masterstroke by calling out Manchester City’s under-performing players, according to Nathan Ake.
Al Nassr boss Rudi Garcia has outlined three issues with Cristiano Ronaldo’s incorporation into the team that must be solved.
Former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy wants to sign Anthony Elanga on loan for PSV Eindhoven.
THE ATHLETIC
Sporting Lisbon are exploring the possibility of signing Hector Bellerin from Barcelona, as they consider potential replacements in the event of Pedro Porro departing for Tottenham Hotspur.
Image: Sporting Lisbon right wing-back is a Tottenham target ahead of Tuesday’s deadline
Ousmane Dembele is a major doubt for the first leg of Barcelona’s Europa League clash with Manchester United after he sustained a thigh injury against Girona on Saturday.
Leicester City have made an offer of £20m for Leeds United winger Jack Harrison.
Nottingham Forest are among the clubs considering a late attempt to snatch Weston McKennie away from Leeds United, who remain in advanced talks to sign the midfielder from Juventus.
THE SUN ON SUNDAY
Cristiano Ronaldo has invited some of his Manchester United pals on holiday to join him in a proper goodbye.
Crystal Palace will wait for targets Conor Gallagher and Aaron Wan-Bissaka – even if it means being patient until the summer.
Tottenham could let forward Lucas Moura go now rather than wait until his contract runs out this summer.
Watford aim to hold out for a £25m fee for star man Ismaila Sarr as his name comes up on Premier League radars.
Image: Watford forward Ismaila Sarr is reportedly a target for both Crystal Palace and Aston Villa
Bournemouth are making a dramatic late swoop for speedy winger Bright Osayi-Samuel and bidding to bring him back from Turkey.
Tottenham are keen on signing Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie after a starring role at the 2022 World Cup.
Roma defender Chris Smalling has reportedly handed in a transfer request in an attempt to force a move to Inter Milan.
Tottenham remain “very optimistic” that Harry Kane will reject a move to Manchester United or Bayern Munich in favour of signing a new long-term contract, according to reports.
Diego Simeone has hinted he could quit Atletico Madrid after 12 years at the helm.
Jose Mourinho has confirmed that “unfortunately” he expects Nicolo Zaniolo to stay at Roma this month.
Image: Roma forward Nicolo Zaniolo has been a target for AC Milan, Bournemouth and Tottenham this January
MAIL ON SUNDAY
Arsenal have submitted a second offer for Moises Caicedo of £60m – plus £10m in add-ons – but Brighton are set to reject the offer, with the Seagulls demanding £80m for their star midfielder.
Torino midfielder Sasa Lukic is closing in on a move to Fulham, as the Serie A club edge nearer to signing Ivan Ilic from Hellas Verona.
SCOTTISH SUN
Gheorghe Hagi has told his former club Galatasaray they would be wasting their time with any ambitious move for his son Ianis because he is happy at Rangers.
SUNDAY MAIL
Rangers are reportedly ready to come back with a third bid for Standard Liege midfielder Nicolas Raskin with Michael Beale seemingly determined to land the Belgian playmaker.
The conference championship round (schedule) for the 2022 NFL season has two great matchups. Our NFL Nation reporters deliver the biggest keys and bold predictions for each contest.
Additionally, ESPN Stats & Information offers a crucial stat and betting nugget, and our Football Power Index (FPI) goes inside the numbers with a game projection. Matt Bowen picks a matchup to watch in both games and Kevin Seifert tells us what to know about the officiating. Finally, Seth Walder and Eric Moody predict the final score and pick winners for each game (also, see picks). Plenty here for what is expected to be an exciting weekend of playoff football.
What to watch for: This matchup features arguably the two best defenses in the NFL. Philadelphia led the league in pass defense (179.8 yards allowed per game) and sacks (70) during the regular season, while the Niners led the way in interceptions (20) and were second in rush defense (79.0 yards allowed per game). But enter Niners running back Christian McCaffrey (has scored a touchdown in eight straight games) and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (332.5 passing yards per game and seven touchdowns against top-10 defenses this season). There are very few holes on either roster. “That’s what the NFC Championship Game should be,” Philadelphia coach Nick Sirianni said. “It’s going to be good on good, and it’s going to be tight.” — Tim McManus
Bold prediction: The 49ers’ streak of 27 straight games without allowing a rusher to surpass 70 yards on the ground (including playoffs) will come to an end because of Hurts. The Niners have struggled against mobile quarterbacks in past seasons but didn’t see many this season, which is why they were fifth in the NFL in yards allowed per rush to quarterbacks (3.4). Hurts presents a bigger challenge, ranking fourth among quarterbacks in rushing yards (760) and first in rushing touchdowns (13). He ran for 82 yards and a score in Week 2 last season against San Francisco, and with the Niners keying on slowing the deep-ball passing game, he could offer a similar performance on the ground. — Nick Wagoner
Stat to know: San Francisco has heavily relied on pre-snap motion to help rookie quarterback Brock Purdy, using it on 73% of his dropbacks, including the playoffs. Purdy has excelled there, ranking fourth in QBR (80.0) and first in yards per attempt (9.2) among passers with at least 100 attempts over the regular and postseasons. But that formula will be tested by the Eagles’ pass defense, which has allowed the league’s lowest QBR (33.2) and third-lowest yards per attempt (6.3) to opposing quarterbacks on plays with pre-snap motion.
Bowen’s game-plan key: Edge rusher Haason Reddick has 17.5 sacks in his first season with the Eagles, including 1.5 in last week’s divisional-round win over the Giants. With Reddick’s first-step quickness and ability to bend and cut the corner, Philadelphia can scheme more one-on-ones while also using stunts to wrap him inside. His 27.6% pass rush win rate ranked second in the NFL to Dallas’ Micah Parsons this season. Read more at ESPN+.
What to know for officiating: Referee John Hussey’s regular-season crew threw the third-fewest flags in 2022, including two for roughing the passer and 24 for offensive holding, both the lowest in the NFL. That is good news for both the 49ers and Eagles, who were called for the second- and third-most offensive holding penalties in the league, respectively, during the regular season. — Seifert
Betting nugget: Purdy is 6-1 against the spread as a starting quarterback, all as a favorite. It ties the fifth-longest favorite streak to begin a career by any quarterback since the 1970 merger (including playoffs). And San Francisco has covered five straight playoff games, the longest active streak by any team. Read more at ESPN+.
Moody’s pick: Eagles 27, 49ers 24 Walder’s pick: Eagles 24, 49ers 16 FPI prediction: PHI, 65.3% (by an average of 4.5 points)
What to watch for: During the regular season, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes led the NFL in QBR (73.0) on throws from inside the pocket. And that’s where he will likely have to do most of his work against the Bengals considering a high ankle sprain he suffered in the divisional round and his performance against the Bengals in Week 13. In that most recent matchup between these teams, Mahomes had one of his best QBR outings (79.6) from inside the pocket and one of his worst QBR showings (14.0) from outside the pocket. The Bengals are on a 10-game win streak, and both teams are 11-0 when scoring first this season. — Adam Teicher
Bold prediction: The Bengals will score more red zone touchdowns than the Chiefs. The Bengals ranked fifth in red zone efficiency on offense and tied for ninth on defense during the regular season. While the Kansas City offense scores plenty of touchdowns from inside the 20-yard line (second), its red zone defense was one of the worst in the league (31st) during the regular season. The team that can end drives with touchdowns will have the inside track to winning the Lamar Hunt Trophy and advancing to the Super Bowl. — Ben Baby
Stat to know: Each defense could have its hands full containing the quick passing game. Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow (19) and Mahomes (18) rank first and second, respectively, in touchdown passes on throws under 2.5 seconds, including the playoffs. And the Chiefs’ after-the-catch ability has stood out, too, especially on Mahomes’ quick throws. Kansas City has generated more yards after the catch than any team this season (2,908) and has the third-highest per-catch average of any offense (6.3). Overall, yards after the catch have accounted for 53% of the Chiefs’ receiving yards, the second-highest rate in the league. But Cincinnati’s defense ranks sixth in limiting after-the-catch production, keeping pass-catchers to just 4.7 yards after the catch per reception.
Bowen’s game-plan key: Cincinnati needs a dedicated plan for Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Cornerback Tre Flowers is its typical tight end matchup defender in dime looks, but he’s working through a hamstring injury. We could see safeties Dax Hill or Vonn Bell in man coverage, but defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo might also have a defender jam and reroute Kelce at the line of scrimmage in zone looks and then sink to depth. Read more at ESPN+.
What to know for officiating: Referee Ron Torbert’s regular-season crew averaged 12 flags per game, fifth-fewest in the league. It threw 33 flags for defensive pass interference, illegal contact and defensive holding, the NFL’s third-lowest total. That should be of note to the respective defenses as they try to slow Mahomes and Burrow. — Seifert
Betting nugget: Kansas City is 7-11 against the spread this season, and those 11 ATS losses are the most by any team entering the conference championship round in the Super Bowl era. The Chiefs were also 2-11 against the spread in AFC games this season and 0-4 ATS with more than six days of rest. Cincinnati, meanwhile, is 21-5 against the spread in its past 26 games, including playoffs, and its 13-5 ATS record this season was second-best in the NFL. Read more at ESPN+.
Moody’s pick: Bengals 27, Chiefs 20 Walder’s pick: Chiefs 31, Bengals 30 FPI prediction: K.C., 65.5% (by an average of 4.6 points)
In the days leading up to Wrexham AFC‘s third-round FA Cup match against Coventry City earlier this month, Ryan Reynolds wanted to believe an upset was coming.
For the Red Dragons, who play in the fifth-tier National League, a win against a team from the Championship — three levels higher on the English soccer pyramid — would stand as the team’s most significant achievement since the A-list movie star known for the “Deadpool” franchise and fellow actor Rob McElhenney (star and co-creator of FX series “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”) secured ownership of the Welsh club in 2021.
“You always hope that you’re going to rout the big boys in some amazing fashion,” Reynolds told ESPN. “But honestly, I was hoping we would score.”
When Sam Dalby scored to put Wrexham up just 12 minutes in, Reynolds’ nervous energy didn’t exactly go away. Watching from his New York City apartment — joined by his wife, actor Blake Lively, and their three young daughters — the early goal might have made the whole viewing experience even more stressful. Especially when a second followed just six minutes later and the idea of Wrexham getting through to the next round of the world’s oldest national soccer competition suddenly morphed into something that felt real.
“I was pacing around like some sort of rabid drug-snorting tiger,” Reynolds said.
With his family on the couch, Reynolds continued pacing around the coffee table — screaming and yelling at the TV — as Wrexham built a 4-1 lead and, exhaustively, hung on to win 4-3.
“Part of my indoctrination of the sport is being around others who have been passionate about it since they exited the womb,” Reynolds said. “That’s kind of rubbed off on me and I think that rubs off on my own family now.”
It’s gone much further than that. In the two years Reynolds and McElhenney have owned Wrexham, the oldest professional soccer club in Wales and the third oldest in the world, it has managed to attract global attention in a way that ordinarily wouldn’t — or even shouldn’t — be possible. On Sunday, Wrexham has another massive opportunity in the spotlight when it hosts Sheffield United — which sits comfortably in second place in the Championship and is on pace for Premier League promotion — in a fourth-round clash for the FA Cup (11:30 a.m. ET, stream on ESPN+).
Quantifying Wrexham’s newfound reach is an inexact science, but consider this: In September 2019, the Wrexham AFC Wikipedia page was visited 16,181 times. In September 2022, that number grew to 809,410, a rise of 4,902%. The spike in views that month almost certainly was a direct result of the release of the FX documentary series “Welcome to Wrexham,” which started airing its 18-episode first season on Aug. 24.
Over the past year, Wrexham’s Wikipedia page has averaged 266,573 monthly views, and while that isn’t as many as the traditional “Big Six” teams in the Premier League over the same period (Manchester United 657K; Chelsea 482K; Liverpool 453K, Manchester City 413K; Arsenal 400K; Tottenham Hotspur 293K), it’s more than every other current team in that league. In the National League, no other team is remotely comparable. Notts County, Wrexham’s primary promotion rival this season, averages about 38,000 views a month.
By October 2022, two months after “Welcome to Wrexham” had premiered, Wrexham had reached a combined one million followers across its various social media platforms. The club now has 320,000 followers on Twitter and 577,000 on TikTok (compared to Notts County’s followers at 88,000 and 2,750 respectively).
Reynolds is used to being stopped on the street. Such is life as one of the most recognizable people on the planet. But in the past few months — and particularly since the FA Cup win against Coventry — the approaches in New York have been different.
“They’re not stopping me to talk about ‘Deadpool’ or any other [movie] project,” he said. “They’re stopping me on the street to talk about Wrexham. I got so many people fist-bumping me saying, ‘Congrats on the Coventry game.’ That was wild to see.”
On their own, things like Wikipedia page views or anecdotes from an owner might be easy to brush aside as somewhat inconsequential, but as that type of evidence mounts it’s hard to deny it reflects something special. Last year, Wrexham’s first under the stewardship of Reynolds and McElhenney and the club’s 157th season, was mostly a success. The team finished the league season in second place — six points off the pace for automatic promotion to League Two — before losing 5-4 in the playoff semifinal to Grimsby Town. Had they won, it would have put them 90 minutes from securing promotion.
Wrexham also played for the FA Trophy (a tournament akin to the FA Cup that features only lower-league teams), but came up short in a 1-0 loss to National League rival Bromley. But with David Beckham and Will Ferrell joining Reynolds and McElhenney from the suites at London’s Wembley Stadium, it only added to the buzz surrounding the team.
On the field, Year 2 has been even better. The club is on a 15-match league unbeaten streak and sits atop the table in the National League. In total, Wrexham has 20 wins (with five draws and two losses) in league play — with its last defeat coming on Oct. 4 — and has a three-point lead over second-place Notts County.
As for the off-field success, it wasn’t a guarantee that “Welcome to Wrexham” would be received as favorably as it has been (8.3/10 rating on IMDB; 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes), but it was always a major part of the plan to leverage Reynolds’ and McElhenney’s fame and standing in the entertainment industry to benefit the club. Their association makes the club more attractive to brands for sponsorship opportunities that wouldn’t have otherwise been available.
“That’s what you see from Premier League clubs, Championship League clubs,” Reynolds said. “We want to walk the walk, even as a fifth-tier club. We say this all the time, but we want to be in the Premier League, as crazy as that sounds to some people. If it is theoretically possible to go from the fifth tier in professional football all the way to the Premier League, why wouldn’t we do that? Why wouldn’t we use our last drop of blood to get there?”
“We’re in it for the ride. This is a multidecade project,” Reynolds added.
They’re not alone, either. While Wrexham’s core group of supporters will always be the people who live there, Reynolds said he thinks they’ve tapped into a group of fans — mostly through the show in the United States — who have adopted Wrexham as second team of sorts. Fans who have a primary team they support, whether it’s in the Premier League, in another league in Europe or domestically in Major League Soccer, have also become invested in what Wrexham is building.
The emotional attachment both famous owners have developed for the community is perhaps an unexpected byproduct. Before taking over the club, they had a conceptual understanding of the club’s importance to the town, but having experienced it for two years has provided a level of appreciation that would have been impossible to conjure from thin air. After the heartbreaking defeat to Grimsby last year, Wrexham fans hung behind after the winners’ on-field celebration was over and continued to sing for another 20-30 minutes.
“I genuinely get choked up thinking about that right now because it says everything to me,” Reynolds said. “It speaks to the hope that they had, it speaks to the trust that they’ve placed in us — to take care of this incredibly cherished club that is an institution in this town and something that has been a big part of their lives for over 150 years.”
To get where Wrexham wants to be — promotion to the next league — league play is what matters most. But the FA Cup’s knockout format and its surrounding pageantry have provided broader access to watch Wrexham play than is usually available for league games.
A win against Sheffield United, the decisive favorite, would make Wrexham just the 11th fifth-tier side in FA Cup history to reach the round of 16, and for this match, Reynolds won’t be pacing around his living room. This is one he couldn’t envision not being there for in person.
“Two years ago, I didn’t have this kind of passion for the sport, and in some ways, I see it as a plague,” he said. “In other ways, I see it as the greatest introduction that’s ever been made to me, at least from a sports perspective. It’s wild. I wish it didn’t dominate as many of my thoughts and deeds as it does these days, but you don’t make anything great without enthusiasm, they say.”
“I’ve been asked about who is next a lot, a lot,” Mirza said. “And I’ve always come up empty with that answer unfortunately.”
She agrees that it comes down to structures and said that all the Indian players, men or women, who have risen high in the game agree that they have done it “despite the system, not because of it.”
For Mirza, “we are a cricketing nation, but we are not really a sporting nation.” But she intends to keep contributing to the tennis effort: through her eponymous academies in Dubai and Hyderabad.
But she is not quite done playing yet, even if her Grand Slam days are done, and on Friday, as she took to the microphone after her last final in Melbourne, she choked up but pushed on, flashing back to facing Williams.
“That was scary enough 18 years ago,” she said. “And I’ve had the privilege to come back here again and again.”
She did not quite go out a champion, but she has been one, on her own terms.
“I think if I had to pick one attribute of Sania, it’s that she was fearless,” Hegde said. “She was just born that way. At every stage there have been obstacles: from the clothes she wore, to the way she played, to the way she looked, to what she said. There was always this tendency to try to make her like everybody else, like other women.
“It was not the India of today. She came well before her time, and she came at a time when it was not OK to be you. You had to conform. But she told everybody it was OK: to sit how you want, wear what you want, do your thing, do anything.”
Romain Perraud scored twice to seal Southampton’s place in the FA Cup fifth round with a 2-1 win over Mick McCarthy’s Blackpool at St Mary’s.
The Seasiders, languishing in the bottom two of the Championship, held their own in the first half against their Premier League opposition in what was new boss McCarthy’s first match in charge.
But they were behind at the break after Perraud scored directly from a free-kick, and the French full-back then extended his side’s advantage midway through the second half before Charlie Patino pulled a goal back.
The result ensures Southampton are one win away from reaching their fourth FA Cup quarter-final stage in six seasons.
Saturday was Saints’ second cup clash in five days, having lost the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final to Newcastle 1-0 on Tuesday and led boss Nathan Jones into making eight changes.
Mislav Orsic was first to test Chris Maxwell as he curled an effort wide of the Blackpool keeper’s left post after four minutes.
Maxwell then avoided conceding an early opener when he beat Sekou Mara’s diving tackle inside the six-yard box to clear, with the Saints striker picking up a booking in the incident.
The hosts were the brighter side in what was a slow start to the period, with few chances for either opponent by the 15-minute mark.
Orsic tried to get something started when he latched onto a cross from the right and laid it off to Perraud, but it was too tight an angle for a shot.
It was not long, however, before the Frenchman netted the opener.
CJ Hamilton was booked for bringing down Samuel Edozie at the edge of the area, and Perraud wasted no time as he struck the resulting free-kick directly into the bottom left of the net.
The Seasiders came close to levelling when Jerry Yates fired a composed strike at Willy Caballero, who leapt to tip it well high of the woodwork, and enjoyed a late first-half surge but could not make anything from a corner or a free-kick.
Image: Perraud opened the scoring with a fine free-kick in the first half
Southampton survived an early second-half scare as they let Yates play Ian Poveda through on goal from the left. Caballero came forward to stop the initial attempt from inside the area, but was only able to block the initial attempt.
Poveda pounced on the rebound as the Saints keeper and two defenders scrambled back to the goal-line, breathing a sigh of relief when the Blackpool forward directed his effort wide.
The hosts made it 2-0 after the restart when Perraud latched onto a quick touch from Mara inside the area and fired a left-footed strike past Maxwell into the bottom-right corner.
Blackpool cut the deficit within five minutes when Poveda fed Patino, who finished with a low, close-range effort into the bottom-left corner to deny the hosts a clean sheet. A quick VAR check determined there was no offside in the build-up and the goal stood.
Substitute Theo Walcott nearly made it three for the hosts when his effort from the right took a deflection off a blue shirt and bounced dangerously close to the goal-line before landing on the roof of the net.
Saints staved off the Seasiders in six minutes of added time, Che Adams blocking Callum Connolly’s nodded effort and Caballero getting his gloves on Charlie Goode’s header to wrap up the win.
Southampton’s next game is their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at Newcastle on Tuesday, when they will be looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit and reach the final at Wembley. The game will be live on Sky Sports; kick-off 8pm.
Tuesday 31st January 7:00pm
Kick off 8:00pm
Nathan Jones’ side then return to Premier League action on Saturday with a trip to Brentford; kick-off 3pm.
Blackpool’s next outing is in the Championship on Saturday, when they travel to Middlesbrough; kick-off 3pm.
Mick McCarthy then takes charge of his first home game as Blackpool boss, with Rotherham visiting Bloomfield Road on Saturday February 11; kick-off 3pm.
It was tennis reminiscent of the big-serving, high-velocity duels between Serena and Venus Williams. It was also a significant departure from last year’s Australian Open, where Ashleigh Barty ended a 44-year singles drought for the host country by winning the title, putting her court craft and crisply sliced one-handed backhand to work before shocking the tennis world (and Australia) by retiring in March at age 25.
But Barty, now married to Garry Kissick and expecting their first child, has hardly avoided the Australian Open, making numerous public appearances this year and walking onto Rod Laver Arena before Saturday’s final with the Akhurst Memorial Cup in hand.
“I can honestly look myself in the mirror and say I gave everything to tennis, but it gave me back so much more in return,” she said in a recent interview. “And all that really starts from the people I was surrounded with. So much of my success is our success. It genuinely is.”
Sabalenka could relate to that on Saturday as she shared a post-victory moment with her team and then watched from afar as her normally stoic coach, Anton Dubrov, put a white towel to his face and sobbed in the player box.
Sabalenka said she had never seen Dubrov cry and explained that last season, in February, as she struggled with the yips on her second serve and her confidence and reached a point where she could not even openly discuss the problem, Dubrov offered his resignation.
“There were moments last year when he said, ‘I think I’m done, and I think I cannot give you something else, and you have to find someone else,’” Sabalenka said in an interview with Nine Network. “And I said: ‘No, you’re not right. It’s not about you. We just have to work through these tough moments, and we’ll come back stronger.’”
Her performance on Saturday was incontrovertible proof that they had succeeded, with the help of a biomechanical expert but also Sabalenka’s own resilience. She is 11-0 this year and though she double-faulted seven times in the final, including on her first match point, she also repeatedly shrugged off any jitters (and the palpable concern of the big crowd) and came up with aces or service winners on subsequent serves.
{{ timeAgo(‘2023-01-28 08:35:41 -0600’) }} football Edit
Adam Friedman
• Rivals.com
National Recruiting Analyst
Adam Friedman joined Rivals.com as the East Coast Recruiting Analyst in 2012 and covers D1 CFB recruits from SC to Maine & out to PA & WV. Media requests- RivalsFriedman@gmail.com
The SEC/Big 12 Challenge is perfectly timed. The other leagues should take notes — particularly the SEC/ACC Challenge, which ESPN announced is set to take its place next season. This mid-January series impacts NCAA tournament résumés. It is a chance to play meaningful matchups in the middle of conference action. It has showcased some of men’s college basketball’s most talented players. That’s a beautiful thing.
The final edition of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Saturday similarly promises to be filled with stars and storylines. Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes and Kansas State star Keyontae Johnson will both face their former teams. John Calipari tweaked his starting lineup and now has his Kentucky squad on a four-game winning streak — the same team whose fans were ready to fire him a few weeks ago. If the Wildcats beat Kansas on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN), they might give him a second lifetime contract. Kansas, meanwhile, hopes to end a three-game losing streak and maybe get a bit of revenge for last season’s loss.
Elsewhere, a home win over Iowa State would help a Missouri squad that’s clinging to a top-50 NET ranking. Alabama hasn’t lost since Dec. 17, and a matchup against Oklahoma in Norman probably won’t end that streak. Arkansas vs. Baylor will feature multiple projected first-round picks in this summer’s NBA draft.
Ahead of the weekend’s action, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello, John Gasaway, Joe Lunardi and Myron Medcalf break down the biggest games and storylines.
Two weeks ago, Kansas was a No. 1 seed, while John Calipari was in the coaching hot seat for Kentucky’s less-than-stellar start to the season. Now, the Jayhawks are off the top line with three straight losses, while the Wildcats are on the bubble with a four-game winning streak. What are you expecting from both teams when they meet on Saturday?
Borzello: When Kansas was humming offensively for the first two months of the season, it was its smaller lineup causing fits for opponents, spreading the floor, making 3s, winning the turnover battle. That hasn’t happened during this losing streak. The Jayhawks are shooting 26% from 3 during that stretch, while turning it over 32 times in the past two games. Throw in Jalen Wilson not getting enough help offensively and a defense that has fallen off dramatically in the past couple of games, and Kansas needs to right the ship at both ends of the floor. Kentucky has also gone smaller during its winning streak, getting better spacing and allowing Oscar Tshiebwe more room to operate inside. Which group wins out on Saturday? I think Kansas can’t shoot this poorly forever and gets back on the right track. Predicted score: Kansas 72, Kentucky 70
Gasaway: Since Kentucky’s victory at Tennessee, the Wildcats have won three games they’re “supposed” to win, which is an essential skill. UK’s defense has improved dramatically and Tshiebwe has 67 rebounds across the four wins. Kentucky could be back. Good thing for KU that the Wildcats don’t force many turnovers. I expect Gradey Dick to shake off a perimeter cold spell (5 of his last 21) in a game that goes down to the wire. Predicted score: Kansas 74, Kentucky 71
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Jalen Wilson’s slick pass sets up Gradey Dick for a jam
Jalen Wilson drops a nice backdoor pass and Gradey Dick slams it home.
Lunardi: Could this be the reverse of last season, when Kentucky waltzed into Allen Field House and blitzed the future national champions? Kansas is the better team, I think, and has to be smarting a bit heading to Rupp Arena. I doubt this will be a blowout in either direction, as both teams really need a win (albeit for different reasons). But I like the Jayhawks in a close one on the road. Predicted score: Kansas 78, Kentucky 74
Medcalf: Bill Self’s three-game losing streak says a lot about the strength of the Big 12 — the Jayhawks lost to three top-30 KenPom teams — but it doesn’t change my view of Kansas as a contender. Now, Saturday might do that. But Self has always been strong in tight games. His team is 4-1 this season in games decided by three points or less, and was 6-2 last season in the same scenario, including the national title game. But this is a hot Kentucky team. The starting lineup of Chris Livingston, Cason Wallace, CJ Fredrick, Jacob Toppin and Tshiebwe has held opponents to just 85 points per 100 possessions and snatched 42% of its missed shots during this four-game run, per hooplens.com. Predicted score: Kentucky 74, Kansas 72
Which other Saturday game intrigues you, and why?
Lunardi:Alabama at Oklahoma (2 p.m. ET, ESPN). I am fascinated by the prospect of a freshman leading the Crimson Tide to a national championship in a sport other than football. Alabama has pretty much met every challenge to date, especially on the road, and this could be a trap against a desperate bubble team like Oklahoma. If the Sooners are going to make the NCAA tournament, they need a game like this to go their way.
Gasaway:Florida at Kansas State (6 p.m. ET, ESPN2). Keyontae Johnson faces his former team. The Gators have dropped three heartbreakers in SEC play, but Todd Golden’s group chases opponents off the 3-point line and plays excellent D inside the arc. (Well, except for the defensive rebounding.) If the Wildcats are tempted to look past UF in anticipation of Tuesday’s visit to Kansas, the home team could be in for a rude surprise.
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Keyontae Johnson dances after layup
Keyontae Johnson shows off his moves after driving to the hoop for a layup.
Medcalf: At this point, they should call every Texas–Tennessee game the Rick Barnes Celebration. Barnes is in a top-10 matchup with the team he once coached in Austin (6 p.m. ET, ESPN) and the squad he now leads in Knoxville. Santiago Vescovi (12.2 PPG, 3.2 APG) is back and healthy after suffering a shoulder injury and missing time following the Kentucky loss. But a matchup against a Texas squad with legit Final Four potential will be different from the Mississippi State-LSU-Georgia run of the Vols’ three-game winning streak. The emergence of Dylan Disu — 11.6 PPG over the past three games — is one of the reasons Texas is 10-2 in the post-Chris Beard era. Rodney Terry has done a great job as acting head coach.
Borzello:Arkansas at Baylor (4 p.m. ET, ESPN). It’s a rematch of a 2021 Elite Eight game, between two teams that have picked up some consistency after early speed bumps in conference play this season. Baylor has rattled off five wins in a row since starting 0-3, while Arkansas has won two in a row following a four-game losing streak. Can Eric Musselman’s team get a road win? The Razorbacks haven’t won an away game yet in 2022-23. I don’t think it starts Saturday, but the perimeter battle with Adam Flagler, LJ Cryer and Keyonte George vs. Anthony Black, Davonte Davis and Ricky Council IV is wildly intriguing.
Alabama and Tennessee are both No. 1 seeds in Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology, among the AP top five and top three in the BPI and NET rankings. Which one is your pick for a Final Four appearance this season?
Gasaway: We have to pick one? Ouch. Fine, I’ll take the Vols. Zakai Zeigler has recorded 21 assists and nine steals to go along with nine 3s in three games since reentering the starting lineup. Plus Tennessee’s a smidge older (weighted by minutes) than the Tide. If we’ve learned one thing from the past two national champions, it’s that it can pay to be ancient.
Medcalf: On Jan. 14, 11 ranked teams lost for the first time since 2011, the same year Kemba Walker guided UConn to the national championship. I don’t think college basketball has a great team this year, so I expect the NCAA tournament to be decided by star power more than balance. And if that’s the case, I’ll go with Alabama, because I think Brandon Miller (19.5 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 45% from 3) could carry the Crimson Tide to a Final Four. Alabama ain’t a Cinderella, but I don’t think the Tide will enter many games without the best player on the floor.
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Brandon Miller doesn’t let a defender get in the way of this dunk
Brandon Miller’s defender is no problem as he leaps for a one-handed jam for Alabama.
Lunardi: Give me Alabama, as the Crimson Tide have the kind of balance on both sides of the ball that tends to play well in March (and April!). Tennessee’s defense might wear the Tide down in a best-of-seven series, but that’s not what we’re talking about. Alabama is going to have the best player on the floor in almost every postseason game, and you’d be surprised (not!) how often that makes the difference.
Borzello: Despite looking less than impressive against Mississippi State on Wednesday, I’ll take Alabama. I love the makeup of this team. First of all, the win over the Bulldogs was the Tide’s first victory by single digits since Dec. 13. They’ve been dominating teams. Brandon Miller is the best freshman in the country, and classmate Noah Clowney has been a surprise up front (although he’s 0-for-16 from 3 in his past four games). Mark Sears, Jahvon Quinerly and Jaden Bradley are all dynamic guards, and Charles Bediako is a shot-blocker up front. On top of all the offensive firepower, they’re a top-five defense nationally. I’m all-in.
What’s your final tally for the two conferences?
Gasaway: One wrinkle in the 2023 Challenge: Texas A&M isn’t playing, and the Aggies just might turn out to be the SEC’s third-best team. Conversely, the SEC has some teams that are struggling at the moment that are participating. That should give the Big 12 an edge. Final tally, a decisive 7-3 in favor of the Big 12.
Medcalf: Yeah, John makes a great point. If I’m Greg Sankey, I make the call and I swap Mississippi State for Texas A&M in that matchup against TCU. That would’ve been a more interesting game and might have given the SEC the edge. But I’ll take the Big 12 with a 6-4 win.
Borzello: I might go as far as saying the Big 12 wins by an 8-2 margin if things fall a certain way. Alabama and Tennessee should win their games, Kansas-Kentucky is a tossup, but the league might have the edge in the other seven games.
Lunardi: Seems to me the Big 12 has home court in more of the 50/50 games, so I’ll take the Big 12 by a 6-4 margin (and 7-3 if Kansas wins at Kentucky).
This too will be a headline because it’s the Cowboys and Prescott.
Prescott is signed through 2024. He is set to make $31 million in 2023, which is fully guaranteed, and will count $49.13 million against the salary cap. Only Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson ($54.9 million) has a larger cap figure this upcoming season.
There are three paths the Cowboys can take:
Extend Prescott
The Cowboys will need to create room just to get under the 2023 salary cap, which could be created by releasing or adjusting the contracts of RB Ezekiel Elliott, OT Tyron Smith and potentially some others. But in order to be a buyer in free agency or even keep their own younger core players — like WR CeeDee Lamb, CB Trevon Diggs, RB Tony Pollard, S Donovan Wilson, LB Leighton Vander Esch and OT Terence Steele — they will need significant cap room.
The easiest way to do that would be to extend Prescott’s contract. They would add four to five years to the deal, pay him a huge signing bonus and knock down his 2023 base salary, allowing them to do whatever they would want. Technically, instead of extending Prescott, they could restructure his contract again and free up about $22 million in room but be left with a ton of dead money in 2025 after his contract expires.
Prescott stood strong in contract negotiations before, waiting two seasons before his big payday that included a $66 million signing bonus. In 2019, the Cowboys thought they were close to a deal that would have paid Prescott an average of about $32 million a year, in the same neighborhood as Jared Goff and Carson Wentz at the time. In 2020, they paid him $31 million on the franchise tag.
He suffered a fractured and dislocated right ankle five games into the 2020 season, and yet the Cowboys signed him to a four-year, $160 million deal anyway.
Would Prescott be more willing to accept a team-friendly deal now that he has cashed in? Now that quarterback contracts will be pushing $50 million per year, would he want to be paid in that stratosphere?
There is also this to consider: Since the Cowboys’ last Super Bowl appearance in 1995, no quarterback has taken his team to an NFC Championship Game or Super Bowl for the first time after a seven-year run as the starter with that team, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The last to make his first NFC title-game appearance in his seventh season in that scenario was Phil Simms in 1986, although that does not include the 1982 season that he missed with a knee injury.
Stand pat
The Cowboys can simply play it out and chip away at the edges of their roster for improvement. They can continue to sign players to one-year deals and hope they succeed the way S Jayron Kearse, S Malik Hooker, DE Dante Fowler Jr. and others have succeeded.
The Cowboys have been one of the better drafting teams of late through the work of VP of player personnel Will McClay and his staff.
Look at the 2022 draft. First-round OT Tyler Smith was a huge bonus after some snickered at the Cowboys. Second-round DE Sam Williams showed the ability to rush the passer. TE Jake Ferguson, a fourth-round pick, could be the starter in 2023 with Dalton Schultz unlikely to return. CB DaRon Bland, a fifth-round pick, led the Cowboys in interceptions. LB Damone Clark went from likely needing a redshirt season because of neck surgery to showing promise.
Questions remain about third-round receiver Jalen Tolbert and fourth-round tackle Matt Waletzko, who is coming off shoulder surgery.
In 2024, there is no guaranteed money left in Prescott’s contract. If the Cowboys choose to stand pat, they will have to make a decision on whether to keep him by the fifth day of that league year with a $5 million roster bonus that is due. He is scheduled to make a $29 million base salary.
And that leads to this route:
Draft a quarterback
The Cowboys would have to at least consider taking a quarterback in this draft. It would make more sense to have a potential starter in place for 2024 if the Cowboys don’t go deeper in the playoffs in 2023 in Prescott’s eighth season as the starter.
This doesn’t mean selecting a Brock Purdy with the final pick of the draft either. Had the San Francisco 49ers known what they had in Purdy, they would not have waited to get him with the last pick of the seventh round; just as the Cowboys would not have waited until the fourth round, No. 135 overall, to draft Prescott in 2016 had they known how good he would be.
Luck happens.
At some point, the Cowboys have to at least consider the option of finding Prescott’s successor, potentially this April. That doesn’t mean trading way up in the first round to take a Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud, but it doesn’t mean waiting until the seventh round to draft a Ben DiNucci either.
In 2020, the Green Bay Packers drafted Jordan Love at No. 26 overall, where the Cowboys are slated to select this year, because they were unsure of Rodgers’ future. Rodgers responded with back-to-back MVP seasons, and the Packers had home-field advantage both of those years before ultimately losing in the NFC Championship Game both times. If something similar were to happen with Prescott, the Cowboys would be ecstatic.
Having a quarterback on a rookie contract is a boon to a team. The Cowboys were able to acquire WR Amari Cooper in 2018 because Prescott was on his rookie deal. The Philadelphia Eagles were able to acquire WR A.J. Brown because QB Jalen Hurts is on his rookie deal.
It is much easier to spread the salary-cap allocation around with a cheaper quarterback, provided that quarterback plays as well as Prescott did and Hurts has. The contracts Lamb, Diggs and edge rusher/linebacker Micah Parsons are going to sign will be astronomical.
Sabalenka’s power is different than Rybakina’s, though. Both players are six feet tall, but Sabalenka swings a tennis racket like a lumberjack wields an ax, screaming with exertion on every stroke, every bit of struggle and emotion visible in her eyes, while Rybakina’s long arms make her seem like a human trebuchet, slinging shots in silence and giving no hint of the turmoil stirring inside.
As Sabalenka settled in and knotted the score, the match became a test of which brand of high-octane tennis could sustain the pressure of a final set for one of the biggest championships in the sport. As the reigning Wimbledon champion playing against a first-time Grand Slam finalist, Rybakina held a priceless edge in experience, but Sabalenka had all of the momentum, and the balls were jumping off her strings with a pop and a zip that Rybakina couldn’t match.
The scoreboard showed them trading service games through the first six games, but Sabalenka was on cruise control and Rybakina had to keep finding big serves or tiny escape hatches to stay even.
Serving in the seventh game Rybakina could no longer do it. On her third chance to get the crucial break of serve, Sabalenka sent her opponent scrambling after shots, then put away the game with an overhead shot from the middle of the court. Two games from the championship and in the driver’s seat, Sabalenka pumped her fist, took a few deep breaths and mouthfuls of water on the changeover, then strutted back onto the court to hammer her way to the title.
An ace into the corner of the service box put her one game from cradling the trophy, which would be hers if she could just avoid wobbling.
On Thursday, after finally making her first Grand Slam final on her fourth try, Sabalenka talked about having fired her sports psychologist. She decided that she was the only one who could find a way to overcome the mental struggles that doomed her in the past.
“Every time hoping that someone will fix my problem, it’s not fixing my problem,” she said. “I just have to take this responsibility, and I just have to deal with that. I’m not working with a psychologist any more. I’m my psychologist.”
Aryna Sabalenka won her maiden Grand Slam title as she battled back to beat Elena Rybakina in a thrilling Australian Open final on Saturday.
Belarusian Sabalenka seized the initiative after dropping the opening set to win 4-6 6-3 6-4 and thus becomes the first singles player to win a major under a neutral flag.
After receiving the trophy from Billie Jean King, Sabalenka said: “Thank you for an amazing atmosphere. And of course my team, the craziest team on tour I would say. We’ve been through a lot of downs last year, we worked so hard. You guys deserve this trophy, it’s more about you than me. I love you guys.
“I hope next year I come back stronger and I’ll show you even better tennis.”
Rybakina vs Sabalenka: Tale of the Tape
Rybakina
Match Stats
Sabalenka
9
Aces
17
1
Double Faults
7
71%
1st serve win percentage
71%
44%
2nd serve win percentage
47%
2/7
Break points won
3/13
9/12
Net points won
7/8
31
Total winners
51
25
Unforced errors
28
103
Total points won
110
Rybakina made the better start, breaking Sabalenka from 40-0 in the third game and holding easily herself until the eighth game, when the Belarusian put together a series of good returns and got her reward.
Sabalenka, who had previously won all 20 sets she had contested this season, then played a very poor service game, double-faulting twice to leave Rybakina serving for the set, and she held to love to take it 6-4 and end Sabalenka’s streak.
The Russian-born Kazakh pushed hard for a break at the start of the second set but Sabalenka held firm, saving two break points in the opening game.
Sabalenka making history in Melbourne
Sabalenka is the 29th different women’s player in the Open Era to secure the title at the Australian Open and the 58th different women’s player in the Open Era to secure a Grand Slam title.
Gradually the Belarusian began to turn the match in her favour, outhitting Rybakina in terms of winners by more than two to one and breaking to lead 3-1.
The Wimbledon champion battled hard to keep it to one break, saving three break points in the sixth game and then two set points at 5-2.
But Sabalenka kept her nerve to serve it out, winning the set 6-3 with a second serve ace to send it to a decider.
The momentum now was with Sabalenka, and she elevated her level again in the early stages of the decider, pushing ever closer to the lines but rarely beyond them in what was surely the best performance of her life.
Rybakina withstood a break point in a long game at 2-2 but her resistance cracked two games later as Sabalenka moved to within sight of victory.
The final moment did not come easily, with Sabalenka double-faulting on her first match point and then missing a forehand on her second as a baby cried in the stands.
But she pulled out her fastest serve of the match to save a break point and finally clinched victory on her fourth chance after two hours and 28 minutes.
Rybakina, who was watched by her parents and sister, said after collecting her runners-up trophy: “First I would like to congratulate Aryna. I know how hard you’ve worked for that and also your team. Hopefully we’re going to have many more battles.
“Of course I want to say a big thank you to my team for the great job we’ve done in pre-season and over the last four years.
“The atmosphere was amazing, I had goose bumps. Thank you everyone for the support and I look forward to coming back next year.”
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes finished a full week of practice on his ailing right ankle Friday, and Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid pronounced his All-Pro quarterback ready to go for the AFC championship game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Mahomes sustained a high ankle sprain in the first quarter of last week’s divisional-round win over Jacksonville, returning after halftime to polish off the victory. That sent the Chiefs to their fifth consecutive AFC championship game, where they will face the AFC North champions on Sunday night in a rematch of last year’s overtime loss to the Bengals.
“He looks good,” Reid said. “I mean, he’s moving around good. He’s going to go out and play.”
Mahomes has had perhaps his best season, throwing for a career-high 5,250 yards with a league-leading 41 touchdown passes, and garnered 49 of 50 first-place votes in All-Pro voting. He is also among five finalists for league MVP.
“I feel like I can still do a lot of things,” he said this week. “We’ll see as we get closer and closer, and we’ll see during the game. You can’t fully do exactly what you’re going to be doing in those moments in the game (in practice), but all I can do is prepare myself the best way possible and then when we get in the game, you hope adrenaline kind of takes over.”
Mahomes vowed to play from the moment the Chiefs beat the Jaguars last Saturday night, striding to the podium just outside the Kansas City locker room and proclaiming his ankle felt better than expected. Mahomes began treatment that night, and a precautionary MRI exam taken the following day showed no structural damage.
His right ankle wasn’t taped any more than the left when Mahomes headed onto the indoor practice field Wednesday and Thursday. He was bouncing around as if nothing was amiss Friday for a final outdoor workout.
“We’re preparing for Patrick Mahomes like he’s 100 percent,” Bengals pass rusher Sam Hubbard said, “because I’m sure he’s going to be playing 100 percent. That’s all you can do.”
The Chiefs have been coy about their game plan for Cincinnati, which has beaten them three times in the last 13 months, including that fateful AFC title game last January. But there’s a good chance Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy tweaked it to protect Mahomes, who is uncanny when it comes to extending plays with his scrambling ability.
Mahomes has dealt with plenty of injuries in recent years, and this isn’t the first to happen on the playoff stage.
Two years ago, Mahomes was placed in the concussion protocol during a divisional win over the Browns, though he came back the following week to lead Kansas City to an AFC title win over Buffalo. Mahomes also was dealing with turf toe, which he said this week was the most painful injury that he’s played through during his time in the NFL.
Mahomes wound up having surgery for it after the Chiefs lost to Tampa Bay in the Super Bowl.
I have a lot of good people around me everywhere,” said Mahomes, who praised the Chiefs training staff along with his personal trainer, Bobby Stroupe. “We’ve done a lot of ankle and knee and foot stuff, especially after the last few injuries I’ve had. I think that’s prepared me to bounce back quickly here and be able to be in a good spot.”
Mahomes also has gotten support from players around the league, including Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady.
“I have a good relationship with him now and he gives me a lot of advice,” Mahomes said. “Why would you not want to learn from the GOAT? So anytime anybody like that wants to give me advice, I’ll take it in, and it’s cool to see the guys that you’ve watched growing up your whole life be able to talk to you in that type of platform.”
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Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins watched a televised interview on Friday of Tyre Nichols’ mother speaking about the loss of her son, and lost control of his emotions.
“I cried,” Jenkins said.
The outrage, frustration, sadness and anger was evident around the NBA on Friday, the day that video was released showing how Nichols, a 29-year-old father, was killed by five Memphis police officers. Several teams released statements of support for the family, as did the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association.
And the emotions around the league were palpable, as has been the case so many times after so many other incidents of violence by police against Black men and women in recent years.
“This is just crazy,” said Miami coach Erik Spoelstra, who opened his pregame news conference Friday by speaking about Nichols before any questions were even asked.
The officers, all of whom are also Black, all face second-degree murder charges, as well as charges of aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression. And the Grizzlies played a game in Minneapolis — the city where George Floyd, a Black man, was killed after a white police officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck in an act that sparked protests worldwide over police brutality and racism — on Friday night with heavy hearts.
“The senseless loss of life for Tyre Nichols has really hit us hard,” Jenkins told Bally Sports, the Grizzlies’ broadcast partner, in a pregame interview from Minnesota. “It’s been tough being on the road, not being home. I wish I could extend my arms through this camera right now to the family. They’re going through a lot.”
There was a moment of silence before the game in Minnesota. And afterward, Jenkins continued speaking out about what it means to the Grizzlies to represent Memphis at such a trying time.
“There’s way harder things on in the city versus what’s going on with our basketball right now,” Jenkins said after Memphis’ 111-100 loss in Minnesota. “I’m proud of our guys going out there. We’re playing with heavy hearts, but we’re also playing for our city that’s going through a lot right now.”
Several teams, including Miami, Atlanta, Cleveland, Minnesota and Milwaukee, along with Memphis, released statements.
“We are outraged by the deadly beating that Tyre Nichols received from five Memphis police officers,” the Bucks said in their statement. “While the police officers being charged for their heinous actions is an important step for justice, this incident further highlights the need for progress in improving police-community relations.”
The NBA released its statement about two hours after the video of Nichols’ death was released, while protests were going on in multiple cities in reaction to the images.
“The images of Tyre Nichols’ life needlessly cut short are horrifying,” the league said. “While there have been steps toward accountability in this instance, the NBA family remains committed to partnering with advocates, policymakers and law enforcement to work toward solutions to the issues we continue to face.”
Nichols was on his way home from taking pictures of the sky on Jan. 7, when police pulled him over. He was just a few minutes from the home he shared with his mother and stepfather.
“Our hearts go out to the entire Memphis community as they are processing and dealing with this horrible tragedy, and we stand by the rightful arrest of all officers involved,” the NBPA said. “Such aggressive policing and excessive force illustrate the continued need for accountability in the justice system.”
The union said it would “continue to monitor the investigation and legal proceedings in search of justice for Tyre and his family.”
Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, warned supporters of the “horrific” nature of the video but pleaded for peace.
Jenkins also said he hopes citizens of Memphis rally around one another.
“My words will only mean so much,” Jenkins said. “I want to continue to encourage people to put their arms around each other, put their arms around the Nichols family, the Wells family to remember a beautiful life in Tyre Nichols — who I did not know, but I’m learning about.”
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SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers got a jolt offensively when they made the bold decision in October to trade four draft picks to add Christian McCaffrey to an already deep group of playmakers.
The Philadelphia Eagles made an aggressive trade of their own to supercharge their offense when they added game-breaking receiver A.J. Brown in a draft-day trade.
The two moves by the NFC powerhouses are big reasons why the Niners (15-4) and Eagles (15-3) are set to meet in the conference title game in Philadelphia on Sunday with a spot in the Super Bowl on the line.
“It’s what we expected and he’s only exceeded all our expectations,” 49ers tight end George Kittle said of the trade that brought McCaffrey to San Francisco.
McCaffrey was languishing in last place in Carolina and the Niners were sputtering a bit on offense when they sent four draft picks to the Panthers to add McCaffrey.
McCaffrey got back to performing at the star level that made him one of the league’s most dangerous players and the Niners turned into the NFL’s most diverse offense with versatile players like McCaffrey, Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Kyle Juszczyk.
“He’s a guy that if you leave him one-on-one with a linebacker, good luck: He’s going to tear you apart,” Kittle said. “You have to put two guys on him. And then if you pressure at all, you’re bringing a linebacker, and every other guy on the field has a one-on-one. Whether that’s Deebo, Brandon Aiyuk, me, Kyle Juszczyk. Those are a lot of one-on-ones where I’m going to take my guy over anybody else. And if you double anyone else? Good luck on Christian McCaffrey.”
Since inserting McCaffey into the starting lineup in Week 8 against the Los Angeles Rams, the 49ers have won 12 straight games. During that span, the Niners rank second in the NFL in scoring at 30.4 points per game and second in yards per play with 6.10.
“It’s a force multiplier,” general manager John Lynch said at the time of the trade. “It makes everyone around him better.”
McCaffrey leads the NFL with 1,341 yards from scrimmage in the 11 games since he became a starter and is tied for the most touchdowns with 12, including at least one in the last eight games.
But he is far from satisfied.
“What makes it so fun is that constant pursuit for perfection,” he said. “I think everyone on this team has that.”
Brown has had a similar impact on the Eagles after being acquired from Tennessee during the draft for a first and third-round pick and immediately getting a $100 million, four-year deal with $57 million guaranteed.
The move helped Jalen Hurts develop into an MVP finalist and lifted a team that got knocked out in the wild-card round a year ago as the seventh seed into the top team in the NFC.
“I thought we had a lot of pieces to try and make a potential run,” Brown said. “We’ve just got to put it together and execute. I think things are going well, of course. We’ve still got a lot of work to do. It’s not really a time to self reflect.”
Brown had 155 yards receiving in his Eagles debut and kept on rolling all the way to 88 catches for 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns. He topped Mike Quick’s 1,409 yards in 1983 for most in a season in team history.
Brown’s addition alongside DeVonta Smith has given the Eagles a much more difficult offense to slow down than the one San Francisco faced in Week 2 of the 2021 season.
“The first thing is his size and strength,” Niners defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans said. “That’s the one thing that separates him from a lot of receivers, but not only that, when he catches the ball he turns it to a different gear. His run after catch, it’s been pretty dynamic to watch this year. He’s big where he can go down the field and make plays on the deep balls, but also he’s just catching the 5-yard routes and turning it up field and turning that into an explosive.”
The Eagles see the difference McCaffrey has made on the 49ers offense as well.
“You just add in another really, really good player into your organization, and that shows up,” defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon said. “He can beat you a lot of different ways, and we’ll have to have a plan for all the ways that he’s beating people.”
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AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston in Philadelphia contributed to this report.
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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt told reporters Friday that he is baffled over how $12.7 million of his money has gone missing from a local private investment firm that authorities are investigating as part of a massive fraud that began more than a decade ago.
Bolt also said he has fired his business manager, adding that it was not an amicable split.
When asked if he was “broke,” the retired star athlete laughed.
“I’m not broke, but it’s definitely put a damper on me,” he said. “It was for my future. Everybody knows I have three kids. I’m still looking out for my parents, and I still want to live very well.”
Bolt’s attorneys have said the athlete’s account with Kingston-based Stocks and Securities Limited dwindled from nearly $12.8 million to some $12,000. They had given the company until Friday to return the money or face civil and criminal action.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether any action had been taken as of late Friday. Attorney Linton P. Gordon did not return a message seeking comment.
He told the Jamaica Observer newspaper that the public should anticipate the “expected and the unexpected” in the case.
“There is nothing to say at this stage, given what is happening,” he was quoted as saying. “We have met with persons, and we are dealing with certain matters.”
Earlier this week, Jamaican Finance Minister Nigel Clarke announced that the director of the Financial Services Commission was stepping down and that the Bank of Jamaica would now be in charge of regulating the island’s financial system.
He said several government agencies and elderly customers also were affected by the alleged fraud.
“It’s always a sad situation. Definitely disappointed,” Bolt said of the elderly who were affected. “Everybody’s confused. … I’m as confused as the public.”
Jamaican authorities have requested help from the FBI and other unidentified international experts, adding that clients were given false statements regarding their balances as part of the alleged fraud. Officials have not yet said how many clients overall were affected and how much money in total is missing.
Earlier on Friday, Bolt spoke at a sponsored luncheon for an upcoming relay and referred to the alleged fraud.
“As you all know. I’ve been going through a tough week, a few tough weeks,” he said, adding that he would continue to do everything he can to uplift his island.
“No matter what’s going on right now, Jamaica is my country. That will never change,” he said.
In an aside with reporters, he said: “I’m just trying to focus on my family and trying not to think too much about it because it’s a difficult situation.”
Stocks and Securities Limited did not return a message seeking comment Friday. The company contacted authorities earlier this month to alert them that a manager had apparently committed fraud.
Earlier this week, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced that his administration would not bail out the company.
“The government will not socialize any debt, and we will not socialize the failure of our banks,” he said.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The Cadillac growls, while the Porsche and BMW scream. The Acura sounds like an Indy car, and for fun, turn your back to the track and listen carefully as the cars roar around Daytona International Speedway in a new era of IMSA sports car racing.
The top prototype class has switched to hybrid engines this year to make IMSA the first North American racing series to make the technology upgrade. It was the automakers that wanted to move to hybrid so that their motorsports programs would reflect the direction most have taken for their road cars.
“We are in the transformation, or transition, into the electric world,” said Andreas Roos, head of BMW M Motorsport. “This is the perfect fit to be in parallel between our road car development and our racing. It’s very important that we have a road-car relevance and this is a perfect match.”
The cars make their debut Saturday in the twice-round-the-clock Rolex 24 at Daytona, which has been described as a “symphony of sounds” because of the new engines. The hybrid powertrains marry a traditional internal combustion engine with Bosch’s Motor Generation Unit, an energy recovery system that includes batteries and an Xtrac gearbox.
One of the major concerns headed into this new era was that the hybrid technology would rob the cars of the loud roar that is part of motorsports’ allure. But the opposite has happened as the four manufacturers in GTP — double the number from last year — created engines with distinctive sounds. BMW and Porsche both moved up classes to be part of the endeavor, and Lamborghini has announced plans to enter the series.
“The thing I like about the hybrid system versus strictly (electric) is we still have a nice sound, and I think that’s very important. They all sound good, like an orchestra playing out there,” said NASCAR chairman Jim France, who also owns IMSA. “I think the formula that we have is going to be very important for motorsports.”
The new rules package also makes IMSA’s top GTP class eligible to race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as early as this year. Acura and BMW have already said they won’t be ready for Le Mans this year.
The changes have also lured Roger Penske back to sports car racing. Rahal Letterman Lanigan moved its BMW program up to IMSA’s top class, and Michael Andretti last month partnered with Wayne Taylor Racing to get Andretti Autosport onto the grid.
The excitement has Daytona officials predicting the largest crowd in at least a decade for the 61st running of North America’s most prestigious endurance race.
But getting to Saturday’s debut has been a challenge as the manufacturers have battled supply—chain crises and a compressed timeline to launch an entirely new program.
“It’s been a huge undertaking,” said Mike O’Gara, the director of operations for Chip Ganassi Racing’s two-car Cadillac program. “In the 30-year history of Chip Ganassi Racing, we’ve been fortunate to be part of a lot of different vehicle launches. This one is by far the most intense, the most complex and, honestly, the most exciting for the company. The timelines we’ve been holding to have been difficult with supply-chain issues, trying to put adequate miles on the cars to be ready and the level of complexity of the cars with the hybrid system and the other control systems.”
Teams had 18 months from when the rules package was set to build their cars and engines, but only 17 weeks from the conclusion of last season to finalize their entries for the biggest race of the IMSA season.
“Everything is new. So that comes with new challenges — you need enough parts to assemble a reasonable amount of race cars at a reasonable quality,” said David Salters, president of Honda Performance Development. “When every single component is new, the effort is daunting, really. But that’s why we do it. That’s why we torture ourselves and that’s why we love it.
“The easy thing would have been just to have lifted (last year’s) engine and plunk it in, but that’s not why we do this. We just started with a clean sheet of paper and said, ‘What do we need to make the best racing car?’”
And now that the cars have made it to Daytona and are ready to race, there are significant concerns about their durability over a 24-hour race. So much concern that multiple second-class LMP2 teams believe they’ve got a shot at the overall win because the prototypes won’t be able to finish the race.
Meyer Shank Racing, both the defending race winner and IMSA champion, starts from the pole but is so concerned about the durability of the Acura for the full race that it skipped Friday night’s final practice. The MSR lineup includes four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves, who has won two consecutive Rolex 24s.
There have been reports that the two Acura programs of Shank and Andretti/Taylor have yet to complete a 24-hour test.
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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol and will not participate in the 2023 Pro Bowl, a person with knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the decision has not been announced officially.
Tagovailoa was diagnosed with his second concussion of the 2022 season more than a month ago, after a Dec. 25 loss to Green Bay. He missed Miami’s final three games, including a playoff loss to Buffalo.
Tagovailoa had been selected as a Pro Bowl first alternate and would have replaced either Joe Burrow or Patrick Mahomes, one of whom will play in Super Bowl LVII after Sunday’s AFC Championship game.
The Pro Bowl will be held on Sunday Feb. 5, one week before the Super Bowl.
The Dolphins have repeated that they remain committed to Tagovailoa as their starter for the 2023 season.
“That’s something that’s driven by the doctors,” Miami coach Mike McDaniel said after the season ended. “They’re the experts in those fields, and when they tell us that he’s ready to play and as we expect, when they tell us that he’s ready to play coming in the spring or whatever, then we’ll press forward in that direction.”
Miami’s general manager Chris Grier said that after conversations with doctors provided through the NFL’s players union, they do not believe that Tagovailoa is more susceptible to concussions than any other player.
Tagovailoa was concussed Sept. 29 at Cincinnati after a scary hit that briefly knocked him unconscious. He was stretchered off the field and returned in Week 7.
Tagovailoa took another hard hit four days before the Cincinnati game in a win over Buffalo. He appeared to show concussion symptoms but stayed in the game, and the team immediately after the game said that he had a back injury.
The NFL later changed its concussion protocol to mandate that any player who shows possible concussion symptoms — including a lack of balance or stability — sit out the remainder of a game.
Tagovailoa threw for a career-high 3,548 yards and 25 touchdowns in his third season. He led the NFL in passer rating.
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