MIAMI – The Battle Miami 7-on-7 tournament is one of the nation’s best events, and this year’s lineup did not disappoint with teams and players from California, Michigan, Illinois, Texas, Philadelphia and, of course, Florida. Throughout the course of the day, top players and newcomers to the scene saw their stock rise with their performances.
The Alabama commit did not disappoint competing with Team Raw. Playing with a new set of receivers, there were some growth moments but, all in all, Sayin was whipping it around the field. The stroke is smooth and quick with great velocity. Being a five-star, there is no higher ground for Sayin, but he definitely did not hurt his stock on Day 1.
Among all the amazing athletes competing at Battle Miami, Patterson is one who already looks NFL ready. The Chaminade-Madonna (Fla.) safety laced up his cleats for DEFCON impressing playing corner. On defense, Patterson showed his cover skills taking on top receivers. When the field was flipped, the overall athleticism shined through making big-time grabs for touchdowns as a receiver.
*****
Boley had one of the most impressive quarterback performances of the day. The 2025 gunslinger was on point firing the pigskin in tight windows, checking down when needed, and pleased the crowd with several deep ball end zone shots. Boley’s motion is smooth with great velocity. One of the more impressive moments from Boley was a play he wasn’t even a part of on Saturday. Snapping for the backup National Playmakers Academy QB, on a tight coverage play there was nowhere to go with the ball. With his back to the play, Boley told the backup where to go with the ball in successful checkdown.
*****
Wiggins was an all-state performer as a defensive back in 2022, but looked the part of a four-star receiver on Saturday; college programs may have a difficult choice in where to slot him at the next level. Wiggins has a great frame, and is a fluid runner with great athleticism. He high pointed the ball well and showed great hands in the early portion of the tournament.
*****
Underwood was another quarterback with a lot of hype entering the tournament . Top programs from around the country have extended scholarship offers to Underwood increasing the curiosity in how he would perform in this spotlight event. The opening was rocky, but once Underwood settled in with his Sound Mind Sound Body teammates he looked the part of an elite prospect in his class. Underwood has a cannon for an arm able to connect on any route in the playbook. His stock will continue to rise as more collegiate scouts see him this offseason.
The 2023 rankings cycle is coming to a close this week. The final list of 5-stars will be released on Monday, followed by the updated Rivals250, offensive position rankings, defensive position rankings state rankings, junior college rankings, and transfer portal team rankings on each of the subsequent days
The national recruiting analysts – Clint Cosgrove, Adam Friedman, Adam Gorney, Nick Harris and Ryan Wright – give their takes on who should be in the top three of the final rankings.
After an up and down week of practice at the All-American Bowl, Moore shined brightest when the lights came on with a nearly flawless performance during the game. This is exactly why I love Moore so much. He is the ultimate gamer with incredible field vision, pinpoint accuracy and an unfazeable mentality on the field. Edge rushers come at a premium and there are few with Keeley’s upside in the 2023 class. The 6-foot-6 defensive end has incredible length with the explosiveness and athleticism to be a lethal pass rusher at the next level. When Keeley reaches his physical peak, he will be as complete of a defensive end as you will find. I struggle with putting Manning in the top three due to my limited evaluation and the fact that we’ve never seen him perform against elite competition at off-season events. That being said, I would be foolish to not recognize the type of talent Manning is and the caliber of player he will likely become. The Texas signee has the ultimate pedigree, can make every level of throw with ease, is polished beyond his years and has been training for this since the day he was born.
At No. 1 overall I’d like to see Arch Manning. He is the most mentally prepared quarterback we’ve seen in a long time, he has exceptional abilities throwing the ball, and he has the physical tools to be successful from Day 1. After him the picture becomes less clear for me. Position value comes into play more at the top of the rankings than anywhere else so quarterback and defensive line are the two places that I look. Dante Moore is my No. 2 overall quarterback. The game seems to move really slowly for him and he is a very natural thrower, even if he isn’t as great an athlete as Nico Iamaleava. At No. 3, I have David Hicks. He can wreck a game plan from the inside of the defensive line much like Aaron Donald can at the NFL level, even if their skills are not entirely similar. Of course, I’d like to see Iamaleava, Keon Keeley and this incredible receiver class near the top of the rankings but those three players would be my first picks off the board.
I wish Manning participated in national events over the years but he didn’t. That still does not take away the fact that wherever he’s thrown, he’s been the best quarterback there, he put up phenomenal high school performances and he’s a special prospect with tremendous upside at Texas. Players like Iamaleava hardly ever come around so it’s difficult to keep him off the No. 1 line but second in the entire class isn’t bad. The Tennessee signee has such special arm talent, he can run not only to escape pressure but to pick up valuable yards and keep defenses honest and his leadership abilities are unique as teammates are drawn to play with him. I’m not comparing Hicks to Alabama‘s Will Anderson because they’re different players but when I saw Anderson just physically dominate at the All-American Bowl, I had the same feeling when Hicks just manhandled everybody at the Under Armour Game and then the Polynesian Bowl. He’s such a violent, intense, physical force that he could make an argument for No. 1 overall.
Arch Manning headlines my top three because of his consistent production in his four years at Isidore Newman along with his elite physical build, arm talent and IQ. When evaluating quarterbacks, the hardest thing to account for can sometimes be the mental aspect of playing the position, but there are zero concerns about Manning’s ability to take on a complex offense and succeed with quality decision-making. David Hicks Jr.‘s strong senior season paired with his torturous run on his all-star game tour makes him the top defensive prospect in the country and No. 2 overall in my book. His college ready frame and athleticism will make him an immediate contributor for Texas A&M. Nico Iamaleava’s combination of size, arm talent and elusiveness makes him one of the more fun quarterback prospects I’ve ever covered, and deserving of a No. 3 overall ranking. After he fills out, Iamaleava will be one of the more physically challenging quarterbacks to defend in college football along with his already elite intangibles.
If Downs’s college career is anything like what he did for Mill Creek, SEC receivers and running backs are in for a long three to four years. Downs is a sideline to sideline defender who can play centerfield and cover. When the ball is in the air, Downs’ mentality is the pigskin is his. Putting everything together as a defensive end, Wilson is the most complete defensive end in the 2023 class. There may be weakside defensive ends who are faster or strongside ends that are bigger, but none have the full package to get after the quarterback and seal the edge like Wilson does. Wilson has a relentless motor outworking offensive linemen with a knack of making the big play when needed. Like him as a defensive end or a defensive tackle, Woods is an absolute nightmare for offensive linemen. The Thompson High School product showcased his skills at the UA Next practices and game dominating throughout. His speed and strength will be disruptive against ACC defenses forcing offensive coordinators to double team him when possible.
HONOLULU — The annual Polynesian Bowl is in the books and while we already looked at the players that helped their final rankings stock with a strong showing, today it’s time to hand out some awards. Rivals.com’s Woody Wommack gives out his unique honors to wrap up the week.
MATCHUP NIGHTMARE
After a relatively quiet week at the All-American Bowl earlier in the month, Coleman shifted into another gear during the week in Hawaii. He made an incredible sideline catch early in the game and then scoring two touchdowns, including a 35-yard pass where he easily outran the defenders and was wide open. For me, the comparison for Coleman is DK Metcalf, a big physical receiver with straight line speed that is tough to stop.
The Texas A&M signee is already ranked as a top-five prospect and just competed in the Under Armour Game at the beginning of the month, so nobody would fault him for using his time in Hawaii as a vacation. But that’s the exact opposite of what happened. Hicks was going full speed all day every day, including on game day, when he was the first player on the field for either team warming up 90 minutes before kickoff in 80 degree weather. Hicks was also demonstrative during the game and even tussled with a few opposing players. Once he steps between the lines the switch flips on and it doesn’t flip off until the game is over. That type of motor will serve Hicks well at the next level and beyond.
Branch is one of the most dynamic players I’ve seen during my time at Rivals and he showed it once again during the week of practice and in the game on Friday night. I’m not the first to compare Branch to Tyreek Hill in terms of their on-field skillsets and he during the game he had a nice touchdown catch that made it look like he was toying with opposing defenders. Branch will be fun to watching catching passes from Caleb Williams next year at USC.
Iamaleava already enrolled at Tennessee and was practicing with the Vols, so why did he elect to participate in the bowl game? He said it was never even a question as he wanted to pay homage to his Polynesian culture and because of his visibility it was important to draw attention to the game. But unlike in the summer when Iamaleava drew attention for playing games in pajama pants, he was all business this week. Taking and listening to coaching and staying involved from start to finish the whole week. After throwing an early interception in the game, he bounced back nicely and showed his ability to both run and pass while leading his team to victory and earning MVP honors.
Fano showed up for the all-star games with a bleached blond long-haired mohawk and it’s almost like his new hairstyle unlocked a new level to his game. Fano was a beast in practice all week long and made it clear in conversations with me that he felt like he was too love in the rankings at No. 194 nationally. While he was likely to move up anyway after impressing at the All-American Bowl, he and his wild hair left no doubt in Hawaii.
There has been some internal debate about just exactly where Mauigoa fits in the five-star conversation throughout the rankings process. He’s big an athletic but still relatively new to the position and because of that, he’s had his ups and downs against elite competition. After skipping the two earlier all-star games to spend time with his family in American Samoa and Hawaii, Mauigoa came in this week locked in and capped it off with a dominating performance in the game. He matched up with fellow five-star Matayo Uiagalelei during the game and did an excellent job and also made a key blocked on the game’s go-ahead touchdown. With the way he played this week, there’s no doubt he belongs among the best in the country.
The Oregon signee also skipped the other two all-star games, electing to focus just on the Polynesian Bowl after picking Oregon on Signing Day last month. While he flashed at times during the week and clearly is a special prospect, he’s going to have a little more work to do physically to get to the level of a sure-fire first round pick. Uiagalelei was great at using his superior athleticism off the edge during his senior season and if he can pair that with an array of moves and more strength he could be unstoppable in college. But there’s also a chance he could come back to the pack so it will be interesting to watch how things go in Eugene.
The game featured a lot of speed but there was no faster prospect in attendance than Pleasant, whose ability to stop and start is up there with any prospect in the country. There’s a reason USC has made him a priority as the Trojans work to fix their defense and adding speed like his is a great place to start. There aren’t many wide receivers in the country that can outrun Pleasant, and that includes Branch, who he battled with throughout the week.
*****
NEW AGE WONDER
A dual-sport star who is also a high-level baseball prospect, Robinson almost defies classic positional definitions. While he’s ranked as a tight end, he spent the week at wide receiver and didn’t skip a beat. He led all receivers with four catches for 87 yards in the game and looked great running in space. He’s farther along in his development than former first-round pick Kyle Pitts was at this point in his career, which is really saying something about his talents.
*****
LOCKDOWN
Simpson-Hunt is quiet and soft spoken off the field but his game speaks volumes when he’s on it. He’s a technician at defensive back who moves very fluidly for a cornerback his size. He did a great job in coverage all week and while he was impressive, it’s almost as if he doesn’t quite know how good he is yet. Once he confidence level matches his ability, he could turn into an elite shutdown corner in college.
FRISCO, Texas — A week ago, Micah Parsons sensed what was coming against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
“I feel like as far as we go, these are going to be my best games,” Parsons said three days before the Dallas Cowboys would beat the Buccaneers 31-14. “That’s just because … I want it. Regular season is cool. You guys get all hyped up.
“But this is where legends are made.”
The edge rusher/linebacker had a sack of Tom Brady and pressured him nine times. He had two pass deflections and two tackles for loss. He was everywhere when it mattered most.
“You felt him all night,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said.
Parsons plays the third playoff game of his career Sunday when the Cowboys take on the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round (6:30 p.m. ET, Fox). In last season’s home wild-card game against the Niners, he had nine tackles and a tackle for loss but no sacks and no pressures, as San Francisco left AT&T Stadium with a 23-17 win.
“I just kept reiterating throughout the week and throughout the course of the game that he drives this thing,” safety Jayron Kearse said. “He’s being Micah, everything is smooth. Everything is smooth. He can singlehandedly disrupt the entire offense. We saw that last week, and I don’t have any doubt in my mind that he’s … going to come back this week and have an even bigger chip on his shoulder, being what went on last year and how it ended for us.”
Parsons’ second season might not have been as electric as his first, but the 2021 12th-overall pick had 13.5 sacks in 2022 — more than he had as rookie (13). He was credited with 69 quarterback pressures, 27 more than he had as a rookie. He had three forced fumbles, matching his rookie output, and three fumble recoveries, three more than he had as a rookie. He scored his first touchdown on a fumble return against the Chicago Bears in Week 8.
He was named a first-team All-Pro for the second straight season, joining Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor as the second defensive player since the 1970 merger to be so honored his first two seasons.
Parsons has been compared in his first two seasons to NFL defensive greats Taylor, DeMarcus Ware, Derrick Thomas and Clay Matthews — and he has shied away from none of it.
“There’s always that thing where they say, ‘I don’t want you to be like me. I want you to be better than me.’ So my goal is to be the best,” Parsons said. “It’s not to be representing. I want to be in my own category.
“Like you don’t put Kobe [Bryant] in the same category as you do LeBron [James in the NBA]. Or you don’t put LeBron in the same category. Even though you’ve known them as great players, they’re not in the same box. They created their own style, their own vision of how they want to play the game. That’s how I want to be remembered. I want to bring my own style, my own vision, my own passion for the game.”
Taylor is considered by many to be the best defensive player in NFL history. Thomas is in the Hall of Fame. Ware, the Cowboys’ all-time leader in sacks, could be chosen for the Hall of Fame next month. Matthews won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers and was a dynamic pass-rusher before moving off the ball later in his career.
Parsons has pieces of all of them in his game.
McCarthy was on the Kansas City Chiefs‘ staff when Thomas tormented quarterbacks, and he coached Matthews in Green Bay for 10 years.
“There are so many things that he does that reminds me of Derrick,” McCarthy said. “Derrick had such tremendous leg strength and his ability to bend, particularly coming around the corner, and Micah has that same trait. Derrick was so powerful. I just remember, Derrick was a huge weight room guy too.
“So, just his leg strength and his ability to really make the tackle on the second and third moves. I was with Derrick later in his [career], probably at the peak of his career, 1993 to 1998. That’s a great comparable when you just talk about pure, gifted pass rush and having everything — the speed, the quickness, the power and redirection — which Micah definitely has.”
In 2009, Matthews was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year, like Parsons was last season. He was named a first-team All-Pro in his second season and was a six-time Pro Bowler in 10 seasons with the Packers. Out of necessity, the Packers moved him off the ball, and he continued to flourish.
While Parsons played mostly on the edge this season, he played 15 snaps at linebacker against the Buccaneers, his most since Week 10.
“You want to make sure those guys have plenty of opportunities to impact the game,” McCarthy said.
Said veteran Cowboys linebacker Anthony Barr of Parsons’ versatility, “I think it just keeps the offense a little off balance. Obviously, he’s going to be the focus most weeks. When you don’t know where he’s going to be, I think that kind of changes things a little bit.”
Offenses knew where Taylor would be during his Hall of Fame career with the Giants. It did not matter. He was going to affect games with sacks, pressures, interceptions or tackles in key moments. Against the Buccaneers, Parsons had a tackle for loss on the first snap and drew a holding penalty two plays later, setting a tone for the Cowboys’ defense.
The comparisons between Taylor and Parsons started last year when Parsons was trying to become the first rookie to win the Defensive Player of the Year award since Taylor in 1981. When the Cowboys met the Giants earlier this season on Monday Night Football, Taylor came away impressed.
“He’s playing pretty well,” Taylor told WFAA-TV in Dallas before the game. “Let’s see if he can keep it up for doggone 13 years.”
Two days later, Taylor tweeted: Parsons is “special.”
And that @MicahhParsons11 is special…can’t wait to see everything you achieve young man. God bless 👊🏿
The most logical comparison has been to Ware because of the Cowboys ties. Over the last two years, Ware has tutored Parsons on the inner workings of pass rushing.
“One thing I see that he’s developing is his get-off,” Ware said. “The first step is everything, and he’s starting to get to the point where he can blow past guys in his first step and get to the point that I used to and get those tackles to open up. He’s more of a power guy than I’m seeing. His leg motor is really powerful and once he gets underneath guys he keeps accelerating.”
Because he played more on the line of scrimmage this season, Parsons’ body took more of a beating.
“I’d say the trench warfare is definitely way tougher. It’s a harder job,” Parsons said. “I’m doing certain movements that my body’s probably not used to, and you got to build muscle and build callus for it, build that toughness in it. The more I keep doing it, the more I’m getting used to [it], and the more I’m learning the position, I get better.”
He also saw more attention in terms of double-teams or quick hits from tight ends or chips by running backs.
“It’s not going away anytime soon,” McCarthy said.
Ware went through the same thing in Dallas and excelled. But Ware solidified his Hall of Fame résumé with the Denver Broncos. In the run to winning Super Bowl 50, Ware had 3.5 sacks and 18 quarterback hits, including seven against Tom Brady in the AFC Championship Game.
“The playoffs is when you solidify your hard work,” Ware said. “You can make the Pro Bowl. Cool. You can have a 20-sack season. Cool. But when you win a Super Bowl, that’s forever. That’s tagged with something that lasts forever with that trophy.”
And that’s what Parsons is chasing now, along with wanting to be considered one of the greats.
“My goal,” Parsons said, “is the Super Bowl, bro.”
If a player scores and no one can see it, is it a goal? Oxford United secured a 2-1 win over Ipswich Town in League One on Saturday, but a spell of dense fog means that fans in the crowd may have to read the match report to find out what actually happened during the game.
The match at the Kassam Stadium started in favourable conditions but, as the weather and visibility worsened, referee Bobby Madden brought both coaches together to tell them with the score at 1-1.
The official informed both managers that if the match was abandoned after the 75th minute then that scoreline would stand as the final result.
Instead, play continued, and Cameron Brannagan scored the winner for the hosts with seven minutes remaining to put a big dent in third-placed Ipswich’s hopes of moving closer to one of the two automatic promotion places.
Not that their travelling fans knew much about it, as they were unable to see much of anything during the closing stages of the game, which led to chants of: “What’s going on?”
Ipswich fans singing ‘WHAT’S GOING ONNNN?’ after this was the view at the game today 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/wHgBwWZWmy
“Once they realised that if the game was called off the result would stand and that might then not be good enough for them to get in the top two, they wanted to carry on.
“From my point of view it was maybe the wrong decision that ended up being the right decision.”
Despite Robinson’s claim that the opposition were the ones who wanted to continue playing, Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna said: “At the end of the game it wasn’t right to be playing in my opinion. We couldn’t see the ball, we couldn’t see the sidelines, the players were saying they couldn’t see the ball on the pitch.
“At that stage the game was a little bit ridiculous.”
Andy Murray wants to see changes to next year’s Australian Open schedule to avoid late-night finishes, while Novak Djokovic says the issue needs to be “addressed”.
The sun was almost coming up when Murray left the scene of the longest match of his career, a five-hour, 45-minute epic that saw him fight back from two sets and a break down to finally clinch victory at 4.05am against Thanasi Kokkinakis on Friday.
It was the third latest finish to a tennis match ever recorded and the second latest at the Australian Open after the famous clash between Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis in 2008, which concluded at 4.34am.
It was barely eight hours later when the man with the metal hip was seen walking gingerly along the corridors, accepting congratulations along the way.
Image: Murray wants to see fewer players competing into the early hours
Coupled with his similarly epic victory over Matteo Berrettini and three hours and 29 minutes in defeat to Roberto Bautista Agut on Saturday, Murray spent over 14 hours on court – longer than it has taken some players to win a Grand Slam title.
Murray expressed his unhappiness at having to play at such a late hour, saying: “It’s a joke, it’s a joke. You know it as well. It’s disrespectful to you, disrespectful to the ball children, disrespectful to the players and we are not allowed to go to the toilet. Ridiculous!”
He will hope to see changes to the schedule at Melbourne Park next year to reduce the chances of players competing into the early hours.
The Scot’s travails have focused attention on the issue, which is far from a new problem in tennis.
Murray suggested having only two matches in the day session to reduce the chance of it over-running and beginning the night session earlier as relatively minor changes that could help.
Collective action is not one of tennis’ strong points and, if Novak Djokovic’s Professional Tennis Players Association is to make an impact on the sport, this is the sort of thing it could start with.
Having been largely anonymous since its launch at the US Open in 2020, the PTPA has stepped up its profile at Melbourne Park, naming a committee of eight players.
Djokovic, who is among the eight, said of late-night scheduling: “It comes down to what the TV broadcasters want to have. That’s the ultimate decision-maker.
“I would agree with his (Murray’s) points. For the crowd, it’s entertaining, it’s exciting, to have matches at midnight, 1, 2, 3am. For us, it’s really gruelling.
“Even if you go through and win, prevail in these kind of matches, you still have to come back. You have your sleeping cycle, rhythm disrupted completely, not enough time really to recover for another five-setter.
“Something needs to be addressed I guess in terms of the schedule after what we’ve seen this year.”
While some in tennis have called for change, the prevailing attitude appears to be one of acceptance and even celebration.
“That’s the nature of it,” said Stefanos Tsitsipas. “You have to deal with it. It started at a reasonable time, I would say. Kokkinakis made it long. Murray made it long, too.
“I think tennis likes these kind of matches. There’s a great story behind this match, and it’s going to be remembered. I do remember very vividly the match that Baghdatis played with Hewitt.”
Image: Craig Tiley does not want to alter the Australian Open schedule
There appears no likelihood of anything changing, though, with tournament director Craig Tiley telling Channel Nine: “At this point there is no need to alter the schedule.
“It was an epic match and, when you schedule a match like that just before 10 in the evening, you’re not expecting it to go close to six hours.
“There is always one, and it is hard to schedule the entire event around the potential that happens one time. If you just put on one match at night and there’s an injury, you don’t have anything for fans or broadcasters.”
Three weeks after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field during a game in Cincinnati, the Bills and Bengals meet again today in the divisional round of the N.F.L. playoffs, at 3 p.m. in Orchard Park, N.Y.
The last time the two teams were on the field together, on Jan. 2, Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest after making what appeared to be a routine tackle of receiver Tee Higgins. Hamlin stood up after the play but then collapsed to the turf. Medical personnel administered CPR and restarted Hamlin’s heart before taking him off the field in an ambulance, as players and coaches looked on in anguish.
Since then, Hamlin, 24, has made steady progress. He was released from a hospital in Buffalo on Jan. 11 and visited the Bills for the first time last weekend in advance of their wild-card playoff game against the Miami Dolphins. Coach Sean McDermott said last week that Hamlin had been at the team facility “almost daily.”
“That experience, we’ll carry that with us,” McDermott said at a news conference. “There’s a challenge to that, but there’s also a lot of good that came from that. And I think right now we need to focus on the positive, and the positives that came out of that, as opposed to the other piece of it.”
The regular-season game between the Bills and Bengals was suspended after Hamlin’s collapse, which occurred at the 5:58 mark of the first quarter. The N.F.L. canceled the game three days later.
Damar Hamlin’s Collapse
The Buffalo Bills safety went into cardiac arrest during an N.F.L. game in Cincinnati on Jan. 2. He was released from the hospital on Jan. 11.
Bills players said being around Hamlin and seeing his progress has buoyed them, helping them push forward during what they hope is a long postseason run. On the line on Sunday is a trip to the A.F.C. championship game.
“With guys being able to see a little bit of Damar, guys being able to see him and talk with him, that alleviates most of” the lingering emotions, Bills quarterback Josh Allen said last week.
Hamlin’s activities at the team facility have still been limited. McDermott said earlier last week that he was not yet taking part in team meetings and was taking it “one baby step at a time” as he tried to return to daily life after his medical emergency.
Hamlin’s marketing representative, Jordon Rooney, told The Associated Press on Thursday night that Hamlin still faces a lengthy rehabilitation. After his collapse, Hamlin spent nearly a week in the intensive care unit at a Cincinnati hospital, where he was intubated for about three days. Hamlin’s neurological function is intact and he is able to walk and talk, but the doctors who cared for him in Cincinnati said recovery from a life-threatening event like the one Hamlin endured can takes weeks or months.
“Damar still requires oxygen and is having his heart monitored regularly to ensure there are no setbacks or after effects,” Rooney said in a statement. “Though he is able to visit the team’s facility, Damar is not in position to travel often, and requires additional rest to help his body heal.”
Hamlin watched the Bills’ 34-31 win against the Dolphins at home with his parents, Nina and Mario, and his younger brother, Damir.
Bills safety Jordan Poyer said in a news conference last week that the biggest emotional hurdle for Hamlin’s teammates to clear was playing the New England Patriots six days after Hamlin’s collapse, in their final game of the regular season.
“But ‘D Ham’ is back in the building now,” Poyer said, referring to Hamlin by a nickname. “It’s awesome to see his face, awesome to see him smiling again, so I don’t think this game will be any different.”
Two belts were up for grabs in Rio de Janeiro for UFC 283. One went a former champion, the other went to a brand new belt holder.
Jamahal Hill and Glover Teixeira did not fight to a draw like the previous title contenders did at UFC 282, but they did need all five rounds. Hill went into the deep waters with Teixeira, and emerged with the light heavyweight title and a victory over the former champion.
Brandon Moreno didn’t need the title rounds, instead a cut suffered to Deivesion Figuereido’s via a vicious punch from Moreno caused the doctor to end the fight. Moreno leaves the rivalry with two decisive wins and the 125-pound champion.
Also on the main card were marquee wins by Gilbert Burns and Jessica Andrade, who will be angling for possible title fights are their victories in Brazil.
Here’s everything that happened on an exciting fight card in Rio, as Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi and Jeff Wagenheim recap all the action.
Few could have predicted that Liam Smith would beat Chris Eubank Jr in the manner that he did.
Smith was stepping up from super-welter to middleweight, against an opponent in Eubank Jr who was known for his toughness and potent combination punching.
But in an extraordinarily intense contest at the Manchester Arena on Saturday, it was Smith who rapidly broke down Eubank Jr.
In the fourth round, he demolished Eubank expertly, a perfectly weighted sequence of punches crumpled the Brighton man on to the canvas and Smith never let him recover.
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Carl Froch and Johnny Nelson agree that the middleweight division isn’t for Chris Eubank Jr, but the pair don’t think he’ll retire after the defeat to Liam Smith
The result was conclusive but Eubank, despite being hurt and stopped for the first time in his career, signalled he wanted to trigger the rematch clause and fight Smith again.
Eubank Jr tweeted: “Congratulations to Liam tonight, nice lil shot you caught me with there, my boy. Felt like I could have kept going but referee is in charge and I respect his decision. We’ll get it on again soon.”
Smith is prepared to fight his rival once again, but next time in his Liverpool hometown.
He will though let Eubank Jr take his time. “I think he’s probably going to have to tweet about it and have to talk about it right away. It’s kind of an ego and a pride thing. He’s not going to say, ‘Well, I don’t want that rematch, I’ve just been knocked out,’” Smith reflected.
“But we might get a different answer when he’s sat and thought about it and watched it back.
Image: Chris Eubank Jr will have to decide his next move
“He’ll sit down with his team and his family and he’ll decide if he wants that rematch. If he wants that rematch I’ll give him it.
“I beat him once so I’ll beat him twice.”
All Smith wants next is a fight at Anfield, Liverpool’s football stadium, regardless of who the opponent might be.
“It puts me in a good position now, with Chris’ ranking at 160lbs. I can go back to 154lbs if necessary, we’ll see what happens,” he said of the victory.
“But we’ll see who becomes available and what’s right for me, my team and my family.”
What next?
Former super-middleweight world champion Carl Froch wonders if Eubank could retire.
“I don’t know how he’s done the weight or if it’s a problem for him, but at 33 years old, middleweight may not be for him. Where does he go from here? That could be curtains on his career. I don’t want to say he should retire now. It was a bad defeat,” Froch said.
“Where does he go now? Middleweight or super-middleweight? Regardless of the weight, I don’t think we should take away from what a magnificent performance it was from Liam Smith.
Image: Liam Smith was the smaller man but applied the pressure
“He took his time from round one, he won round one and round two on my card, bit of a bad round three. Liam Smith, I thought he had a great start and he was landing more punches and he was putting Chris Eubank on his back foot and controlling and dictating the pace round the ring.
“Then when he started to land shots, it was fight over.”
Former cruiserweight world champion Johnny Nelson points out that Eubank Jr will still have options.
“There’s fights out there. Look at this place [the Manchester Arena], this place was absolutely rocking. They could do that again. They could do that again at Anfield, wherever it is. But he’s got to think about what weight he’s going to carry on boxing at and what his dreams are,” Nelson said.
Image: Smith turns away with Eubank in the corner
Eubank Jr could use the rematch clause in their contract to trigger a second fight with Smith. But Smith has opened the door to other high profile fights in the future too.
Current unified super-welterweight champion Natasha Jonas said of Smith: “Either you do the rematch or you have another big name. He’s proved tonight he’s that world level.”
Carl Froch agreed. “I think what he might be looking at now may be just getting some money in the bank at the end of his career. A [Gennadiy] Golovkin fight whether or not he’s still fighting, a big name, filling this place, what an amazing atmosphere it was.
“Since Amir Khan-Kell Brook I haven’t felt that kind of anticipation and atmosphere. So he deserves another big fight at least and I don’t think it needs to be for a world title. I think it just needs to be a big name.”
Repeats of Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith are on Sunday January 22 at 8am and 3pm. Book it now if you are a Sky TV subscriber or a Non-Sky TV subscriber.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Titans general manager Ran Carthon will start his new job with quite a few challenges as he takes over a roster desperately needing improvement after a 7-10 season that included a seven-game losing streak.
During his introductory news conference Friday, Carthon was asked to assess the Titans’ quarterback situation, specifically Ryan Tannehill.
“I don’t think that’s fair at this point,” Carthon said. “We’re still evaluating the roster. Ryan has been great here. He’s won a lot of football games. I look forward to us winning football games. But I still need more time to evaluate and make those decisions.”
Tannehill will be 35 when training camp opens in July, but he feels he still has “plenty of good football” left.
The 11-year veteran completed 212 of 325 passes for 2,536 yards with 13 touchdown passes and 6 interceptions this season. The Titans finished 1-4 in games that Tannehill didn’t play.
Tennessee has $4.4 million in cap space, according to Roster Management. That number could improve with restructured contracts or veteran cuts before free agency begins. Tannehill’s contract carries a cap hit of $36.6 million. By cutting him, the Titans could save close to $18 million in cap space.
Coach Mike Vrabel, however, has endorsed Tannehill as his quarterback, and he somewhat doubled down on it during his season-ending news conference less than two weeks ago.
“He is our starting quarterback,” Vrabel said. “If he is healthy, he is our starting quarterback.”
Carthon was brought in because his clear vision for the Titans stood out, as did his natural leadership and ability to collaborate, which was stressed by owner Amy Adams Strunk when the GM search began.
The ramifications that a decision regarding Tannehill carry will require both Carthon and Vrabel to be aligned in their vision for the roster.
“This is a quarterback-driven league,” Carthon said. “People are hired and fired every day over that position. I want to spend more time evaluating that position so I will have my own opinion. Then, Mike and I will confer and we’ll figure it out.”
PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles are headed to the NFC Championship Game after cruising to a 38-7 win over the New York Giants on Saturday in the divisional playoff round.
Despite a lingering shoulder injury, quarterback Jalen Hurts returned to MVP form — just in time for what Philly hopes is a long postseason run.
Hurts has been dealing with a sternoclavicular (SC) joint sprain in his throwing shoulder since suffering the injury on Dec. 18 at the Chicago Bears. According to the Fox broadcast, Hurts said before Saturday’s contest he is “nowhere near 100 percent,” adding that he also came down with an illness late in the week. But Hurts did not show any adverse effects, finishing 16-for-24 passing for 154 yards and two touchdowns and also running for another TD to lead the rout.
The Eagles largely avoided designed runs in Hurts’ first game back from injury during a close win over these Giants in the regular-season finale. Saturday’s outing was a different story. He had six designed rushes in the first half alone, per ESPN Stats & Information, tied for the second-most designed rushes in a first half in his career. He took a couple of shots to the shoulder throughout the game, but Hurts didn’t let on if it hurt him.
Right tackle Lane Johnson, meanwhile, played with a torn adductor and appeared to hold up well.
With two of their biggest injury concerns alleviated — at least for the night — the Eagles enter next weekend’s NFC Championship Game with reason to believe they could be Super Bowl-bound.
Promising trend: Edge rusher Haason Reddick‘s disruptive ways carried over to the postseason. Reddick, who was tied for second in the NFL with 16 sacks during the regular season, made life difficult for Giants quarterback Daniel Jones early and often, leading all players with 1.5 sacks and three QB hits. The three-year, $45 million contract the Eagles gave Reddick in free agency this offseason looks more and more like a steal every week.
Pivotal play: Speaking of a good signing, Philly struck gold by inking cornerback James Bradberry to a one-year, $10 million deal. He got sweet revenge against his former team, jumping a route to intercept Jones late in the first quarter. With that, any thought of New York making it a competitive game all but left the building. — Tim McManus
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Saquon hands it off to Breida for the Giants’ first TD of the game
Matt Breida takes the handoff from Saquon Barkley and turns the corner into the end zone.
New York Giants
The Giants found out with a blowout loss at Lincoln Financial Field that they’re not quite ready to compete for a Super Bowl.
The Eagles represented a major step up in competition from a Minnesota Vikings team that New York faced in the wild-card round. No. 1 NFC seed Philadelphia did whatever it wanted in the first half while building a 28-0 lead, before ending the sixth-seeded Giants’ season in commanding fashion.
It wasn’t ever close. But it still doesn’t ruin what was an overall promising first season for coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen’s Giants.
Silver lining: The Giants’ campaign was a success. Sure, this loss hurts. There is no way around it. It was to a rival, and the Eagles just own them. The Giants still haven’t won in Philadelphia since 2013, making it 10 straight losses.
It still can’t be lost on anyone that this Giants team, under Daboll’s leadership, wasn’t supposed to do much this season. New York’s roster, as was evident Saturday night, is flawed.
Remember, the Giants took their medicine over the offseason to clear the salary cap. They cut players such as cornerback James Bradberry (which came back to bite them when he intercepted a pass against his former team in Saturday’s contest) clearly with the future in mind, even if it was a detriment to the 2022 team. They also got rid of a talented player at the trade deadline in wide receiver Kadarius Toney.
Making the playoffs and showing the growth they did while watching their quarterback, Daniel Jones, flourish has to be viewed as a success. Don’t let emotions of the divisional round loss alter this reality.
Troubling trend: More than 200 rushing yards allowed. The Eagles ran for 253 yards in the first meeting between the teams this season. They had 268 on Saturday night.
It’s something the Giants have to assess this offseason. They were 27th in the NFL in rushing defense (144.2 yards per game) during the regular season.
They need to improve drastically. A big part of that is fine-tuning the personnel at inside linebacker, whether it be in free agency or the draft. Jaylon Smith and Jarrad Davis were exposed badly by the Eagles.
The Giants are expected to have more than $50 million in cap space this offseason. Schoen & Co. will undoubtedly add a linebacker and defensive line depth.
QB breakdown: Jones finished 15-of-27 passing for 135 yards with one interception. This was the game Jones and the Giants’ offense had avoided for most of the season. They just weren’t able to get anything going, in part because their quarterback had no time, as he was sacked five times.
Jones was pressured on 64% of his first-half dropbacks, per ESPN Stats & Information. Only Russell Wilson in 2015 and 2016 faced a higher pressure rate in a playoff game since ESPN began tracking pressures in 2009.
Jones also threw an interception to his former teammate, Bradberry, in the first half. It was just the second interception he had thrown in his final seven games of the campaign, including the playoffs.
Under-the-radar stat that matters: Eagles running back Boston Scott‘s 11 career touchdowns versus the Giants. New York defensive coordinator Wink Martindale tried to deny it during the week. “Just because he scored, I don’t think he’s a Giant-killer,” Martindale said of what he saw of Scott from the first two meetings.
Scott scored again on Saturday against the Giants — this time on a three-yard run in the second quarter.
The numbers are ridiculous. Scott has 11 touchdowns in nine career games against the Giants. He has eight in 56 career games against the rest of the NFL. It almost doesn’t even make sense at this point. — Jordan Raanan
With those points, she would be comfortably in the top 10.
Nor has Rybakina been granted some of the perks that usually come with a Wimbledon title. She has often been relegated to outside courts instead of the main stadiums at tour and Grand Slam events. She played her opening-round match at this Australian Open on Court 13, while Swiatek opened the night session in Rod Laver Arena.
But she was impossible to ignore on center stage on Sunday as she smacked six aces and four return winners and repeatedly rushed the fleet-footed Swiatek with her groundstrokes, all delivered with her trademark equanimity.
“Of course I’m nervous,” Rybakina said. “My coach is saying I actually need to show my emotions sometimes, so I am also learning.”
In the quarterfinals, Rybakina will face Jelena Ostapenko, who finished off her win over American Coco Gauff, 7-5, 6-3, shortly after Rybakina’s victory.
In their only previous match against each other, Swiatek defeated Rybakina, 7-6 (5), 6-2, in 2021 in the quarterfinals of an indoor event in Ostrava in the Czech Republic. But this was their first meeting in a major tournament and could mark the start of a rivalry.
Swiatek is 21; Rybakina, 23. Though Swiatek has been particularly dominant on clay with her heavy forehand and excellent movement, Rybakina clearly has the tools to pose trouble for anyone on the game’s faster surfaces. With her height and reach, she is able to handle Swiatek’s high-bouncing topspin and kick serve with greater ease than most opponents, and her pure ball striking can be overwhelming when she is on target.
Swiatek, despite her speed, was often a long way from Rybakina’s winners on Sunday, and Rybakina had consistent success hitting behind Swiatek and forcing her to change direction in a hurry. Rybakina also pounded deep returns at Swiatek’s body, giving her little time to make the big grip change from her serve to her forehand.
The Memphis Grizzlies are the hottest team in the NBA, winners of 11 straight games to get within a half-game of the best record in the Western Conference. As I pointed out in this week’s NBA betting futures column, if the Grizzlies keep winning then Ja Morant will keep rising in the NBA MVP debate.
But, the Grizzlies’ success is about a lot more than just their superstar point guard, and in fact they are a rare team that gets major statistical contributions from almost every position in a true team synergy. When I was a kid, I used to love the cartoon Voltron, where the five robot lions could merge into a giant robot hero that could defeat any enemy.
This season, the Grizzlies are channeling their inner Voltron.
It all starts with the black lion that formed Voltron’s torso, and for the Grizzlies that is Morant. Morant has flirted with the top-10 in my fantasy basketball points rankings all season built on his tremendous scoring and distributing production.
Morant is currently on pace to tie or set career highs in every major offense counting category with 27.4 PPG, 7.9 APG and 1.7 3PG. He joins fellow 2019 NBA Draft top-2 pick Zion Williamson as the most exciting, explosive finishers in the NBA that are always on deck for a top-10 Sportscenter play.
Morant’s eye-popping dunks may get the most attention, but his game is more meat-and-potatoes than flash. Morant is extremely quick with the ball in his hands, and almost impossible to keep out of the paint. And, per the Voltron theme, the Grizzlies have done an excellent job of surrounding him with outstanding shooters that keep opponents from being able to double or even effectively hedge extra defenders towards him.
As a result, according to Second Spectrum, Morant’s by-far most common shot type is the Driving Layup with 293 instances thus far, more than twice his second-most common shot attempt, the Driving Floater (130 instances).
And, when Morant drives for a layup, he generates a whopping 1.48 points per possession that is among the best in the NBA. In fact, Morant generates a very strong 1.20 points per possession in all isolation situations, another
In addition to isolating in all the space that his teammate shooters affords him, Morant is also very adept at utilizing the on-ball pick to help create that extra bit of space and imbalance the opposing defense even further. Per Second Spectrum, Morant utilizes 50.0 picks per 100 possessions, the 10th-most in the NBA.
And, among those that utilize more, Morant’s strong 1.04 points per chance utilizing picks trails only Luka Doncic (1.13 points per chance) and James Harden (1.05 points per chance) among the top-10 pick users.
So, it’s clear that Morant isn’t doing it alone. His teammates help him maximize his game. But, in true symbiotic fashion, Morant’s ability to get into the paint and break down the opposing defense makes life much easier for his teammates as well.
Let’s start with the shooters, led by Desmond Bane and Dillon Brooks…call them the Red and Green lions in our Voltron analogy, because those lions form the arms and the arms do the attacking.
Bane and Dillon attack defenses from downtown, averaging a combined 5.3 3s/game between them. Brooks is productive enough to be a starting flex in many FBA leagues (currently ranks 135th in my points rankings), but it’s Bane that packs the heavier punch.
Bane currently ranks 37th in my rankings, but was as high as 25th earlier in the season before injuries derailed him. Bane is getting healthy again, though, and should climb back up to where he was and potentially beyond. He is almost eerily accurate from long range, considering the volume that he shoots.
Bane’s 3.3 3PG would tie him for sixth-most among those with enough games played to qualify (so, notably, this doesn’t include Stephen Curry at present), but his 43.3 3P% is better than any other player in the top-45 in 3PG. And, this is clearly helped by playing next to Morant.
Finally, we get to the Blue and Yellow lions…the legs that support the whole, epitomized on the Grizzlies by big men Jaren Jackson Jr. and Steven Adams.
On offense, Jackson is another strong shooter (1.5 3PG, 36.8 3P%) that helps attack opposing defense and open up space for Morant. Both Jackson and Adams are also strong in the pick-and-roll/pop game with Morant. Per Second Spectrum, both Adams (1.20 points per possession) and Jackson (1.17 points per possession) generate excellent results as the screener for Morant.
But, their more important contributions to both the Grizzlies and fantasy basketball teams come on defense. Jackson’s 3.3 BPG would be leading the NBA if he had enough games to qualify, after he led the NBA last season with 2.3 BPG last season, and they are part-and-parcel for why Jackson has achieved a season-best 38th in my FBA points rankings.
Similarly, Adams is a vacuum on the glass (11.3 RPG), blocks shots (1.1 BPG) and disrupts with almost a steal per game as well. His nightly double-double potential on high efficiency with strong defense has him up to a season-best 101st ranking, knocking on the door to get into the top-100.
The Grizzlies are a true team in every sense of the word. It’s providing excellent results for their team on the court, but it also helps with their players’ fantasy basketball production and makes the Grizz one of the few teams in the NBA where all five starters are also potential fantasy basketball starters as well. As those of you that watched the cartoon knows, Voltron always wins in the end.
KANSAS CITY — A bruising running game, a smothering defense and a sterling cameo performance by a backup quarterback were enough on Saturday to send Kansas City to its fifth straight appearance in the A.F.C. championship game.
The 27-20 victory over Jacksonville was secured only after Kansas City rookie Jaylen Watson intercepted Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence with just under 4 minutes left in the game. Moments earlier, Kansas City linebacker Nick Bolton had recovered a Jamal Agnew fumble inside the 5-yard line as the Jaguars were closing in on a score.
The high-flying Kansas City offense was not exactly grounded but had to put itself on autopilot after quarterback Patrick Mahomes injured his ankle in the first half. The team’s training staff employed all its power of persuasion to get the recalcitrant Mahomes to the locker room for a better look at his injury.
Backup Chad Henne dispelled the anxiety of the suddenly murmuring sold-out crowd at Arrowhead Stadium. He went 5 of 7 for 23 yards and led Kansas City on a 98-yard touchdown drive, and his team took a 17-10 lead at halftime.
Mahomes did manage to return for the second half, but Kansas City leaned into the running of Isiah Pacheco, who rumbled for 95 yards on 12 carries. By the fourth quarter, with Kansas City holding a 20-17 lead, Mahomes resembled his old self, in quick-strike fashion taking the offense 75 yards in under five minutes, capped by a 6-yard touchdown to Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
The Jaguars had won six straight, including a 27-point comeback victory against the Los Angeles Chargers last week in their first playoff appearance since the 2017 season to earn the right to try to derail Kansas City’s Super Bowl aspirations.
They may very well have, had they only corrected two tendencies that haunted them all season: an inability to keep tight ends from strafing their secondary and their receivers’ penchant for dropping catchable balls.
The Jaguars led the league with 41 dropped passes, according to Pro Football Reference, and that dubious distinction was on display, especially in the opening drive of the second half, when Christian Kirk dropped a Lawrence strike on third-and-7 from their own 40-yard line. In the first half, Kirk, who had seven drops on the season, was wide open in the Kansas City red zone when he bobbled and lost a Lawrence deep ball.
The Jaguars were the N.F.L.’s worst defense against tight ends this past season by yardage, and Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce found canyons in the Jaguars secondary on Saturday; he had 14 catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns. Mahomes wasted little time playing pitch and catch with Kelce on Kansas City’s opening drive. His first two passes were to Kelce, who led all tight ends this season with 110 receptions. By the end of a six-minute, 83-yard drive, Kelce had caught two more, including an 8-yard touchdown pass.
Jacksonville showed its mettle, though. Agnew returned the ensuing kickoff 63 yards to the Kansas City 39-yard line. Lawrence needed just five plays to find Kirk for a 10-yard touchdown.
The normally raucous crowd at Arrowhead Stadium went worriedly quiet after Mahomes was hit on a pass as the first quarter was winding down; Jacksonville linebacker Arden Key landed heavily on Mahomes’s right leg. The quarterback was clearly hobbled as he got up.
The Kansas City training staff got busy between quarters wrapping Mahomes’s leg to treat what the team reported was an ankle injury. And he was back on the field to finish a drive that concluded with a 50-yard field goal by Harrison Butker for a 10-7 lead.
On the next Jacksonville possession, Lawrence moved the ball well down the field, though a sack ultimately forced the Jaguars to punt. Meanwhile, there was drama on the Kansas City sideline: The team’s training staff wanted to take Mahomes to the locker room for farther evaluation; he barked that he didn’t want to go.
Mahomes lost that argument.
So just as two years ago against the Browns, it was up to backup quarterback Chad Henne to get Kansas City back to the A.F.C. championship.
In 2021, Mahomes suffered a concussion; Henne had never thrown a pass — or even played a snap — in the postseason despite 11 seasons in the N.F.L. But he led a game-sealing drive, including a pass on fourth-and-short.
This year, Coach Andy Reid was again asking for Henne’s help. Starting at Kansas City’s own 2-yard line, Henne showed Reid and his teammates that he deserved their confidence.
Gwen Knapp, a prominent sports reporter and columnist at The Philadelphia Inquirer and The San Francisco Chronicle and most recently an editor on the sports desk of The New York Times, died on Friday in Manhattan. She was 61.
The cause was lymphoma, her sister Susan Knapp McClements said.
Ms. Knapp spent nearly 30 years reporting on sports. She became a sports columnist in 1995, one of only a handful of women in the country to have that title at the time. Her predecessor at The San Francisco Examiner was Joan Ryan, one of the first.
Ms. Knapp was particularly well known among sports fans in the Bay Area for her focus on subjects like racism, sexism and drugs. Her columns drew the ire of some of the biggest names in sports, like the champion cyclist Lance Armstrong and the baseball star Barry Bonds.
As early as 2001, before Armstrong’s third of seven consecutive Tour de France victories and well before most other American journalists, Ms. Knapp raised doubts about the validity of his performances.
In a long letter to the editor of The Chronicle in 2004, Armstrong complained vociferously about Ms. Knapp, writing, “I have never had a single positive doping test, and I do not take performance-enhancing drugs.”
Nine years later, he admitted having taken banned drugs during all his Tour victories.
Ms. Knapp wrote extensively about Bonds, who was crushing home run records amid widespread speculation — which he has always denied — that he was using performance-enhancing drugs.
She was regularly a finalist for newspaper writing awards presented by Associated Press Sports Editors and won the top award for columnists in 1998. Among the columns the judges cited was one about the N.F.L. star Reggie White’s remarks that homosexuality was “one of the biggest sins.”
She became an editor at The Times in 2014. She worked on the foreign and national desks before she found her way back to sports, where she most recently oversaw coverage at night and was a mentor to young staff members, especially female ones.
Mary Gwen Knapp was born on Nov. 18, 1961, in Wilmington, Del. Her father, Laurence, was a boat pilot on the Delaware Bay and River. Her mother, Eleanor (Agnew) Knapp, was a director of operations at the Hagley Museum and Library.
Ms. Knapp got the sports bug from her mother, who rooted for the nearby Philadelphia Phillies. “We grew up with WDEL, with the Phillies game on, and my mom yelling at the radio when she was driving us to swimming,” Ms. McClements said.
After graduating as the valedictorian of Mount Pleasant High School in Wilmington, Ms. Knapp attended Harvard University, where she majored in history. She was on the swimming team and was the sports editor of the student newspaper, The Crimson.
One day, while home on a break from college, she asked her father, who had played high school football, to explain the sport to her. She had decided to pursue sports journalism, and she needed to study up.
After graduating from Harvard, Ms. Knapp covered high school sports for The Wilmington News-Journal before spending almost a decade as an editor and a reporter at The Philadelphia Inquirer. She then spent 17 years as a columnist in San Francisco, first at The Examiner and then at The Chronicle, after the two newspapers’ staffs were combined in 2000.
While Ms. Knapp was a cleareyed and forceful writer, the reporting and writing process did not come easily to her.
“For her, putting her heart and mind out on the page was in some ways a bit frightening,” said Chuck Culpepper, a sports reporter for The Washington Post and a close friend. When Ms. Knapp lived in a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco, he said, she would sometimes ask house guests to leave for the day so she could struggle with her writing alone.
Her sister Rebecca Knapp Adams described Ms. Knapp working into the wee hours and fretting: “Am I getting both sides? Am I being fair here?”
Her columns on Lance Armstrong and Barry Bonds came not from a place of moral absolutism about drugs but from that sense of fairness, said Nancy Cooney, a colleague from The Inquirer. The two men’s comments and behavior “offended her sense of right and wrong,” Ms. Cooney said.
In her final column for The Chronicle, in 2012, Ms. Knapp took stock of the many years she had written about drugs in sports and explained why it mattered.
“Without the belief that sports have some higher value than entertainment, they forfeit their special place in our culture,” she wrote. “For all the flaws of the sports, they represent the purest meritocracy we have. They advanced desegregation in this country ahead of the general population, and for the same reason, they should get over homophobia immediately.”
In addition to her sisters Susan and Rebecca, Ms. Knapp, who lived in the Morningside Heights section of Manhattan, is survived by her father and another sister, Nancy Knapp Piccione.
While she was best known for her treatment of serious topics, Ms. Knapp appreciated sports for all they had to offer. The article of hers that colleagues remember most was written on July 4, 1993, after the Phillies completed a doubleheader at 4:40 in the morning. To fully capture the delirium of the game, the latest-ending one in baseball history, she quoted not just players and managers but also umpires, grounds crew, announcers and fans.
“Mickey Morandini, dragging himself through the clubhouse and past his weary teammates, seemed to understand the continuum,” she wrote. “‘See you today,’ he said. And he was right.”
Covered Chiefs for 20 seasons for Kansas City Star
Joined ESPN in 2013
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs probably don’t want to make a habit of this, but they won a playoff game on Saturday with Patrick Mahomes on the bench for a significant portion of time because of a right ankle injury.
Backup Chad Henne was in for just one possession, not counting a kneel-down at the end of the first half. He made it count, leading a franchise playoff record 98-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter that helped the Chiefs stay in front in an eventual 27-20 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the divisional round.
Mahomes returned to the game in the second half and was effective, so it is expected that he will be available to play in next week’s AFC Championship Game against Buffalo or Cincinnati. But the Chiefs have reason to believe they would operate efficiently if Henne has to play.
Kansas City Chiefs
Describe the game in two words: Tough break. Not a literal break but the Mahomes injury came at the worst possible moment for the Chiefs, in the playoffs.
Pivotal play:Isiah Pacheco‘s 39-yard run in the second quarter happened with Henne in the game and Mahomes on the sideline and was the big play on the 98-yard touchdown drive led by the backup quarterback. The play led to the score that put the Chiefs ahead 17-7.
Eye-popping Next Gen stat: Pacheco got to a top speed of 20.97 mph on his 39-yard run, the top speed of his career according to NFL Next Gen stats. The 39-yard gain was 36 yards over expected.
Under the radar stat that matters: Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker was just 3-of-7 during the regular season on field goals of 50 yards or more. But he made two of 50 yards against the Jaguars. — Adam Teicher
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars aren’t ready to compete with the AFC’s elite teams — yet. But they’re closer than they have been in five years. Winning the AFC South in Week 18 was a surprise — helped significantly by the Tennessee Titans‘ late-season swoon — and it put the Jaguars in the playoffs a year or two earlier than most expected. But the loss in Kansas City on Saturday night highlighted the weaknesses the Jaguars have to address before they can consistently compete — and beat — the Chiefs, the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals for AFC supremacy.
The Jaguars got some key defensive stops and big plays during the second half of the season, such as Rayshawn Jenkins‘ interception return for a touchdown against Dallas and Jenkins’ strip sack and Josh Allen‘s fumble recovery for a touchdown against the Titans, but the Jaguars were unable to come up with one against the Chiefs. They pressured Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the first half but were unable to get to him in the second half when he was clearly hobbling. They also allowed tight end Travis Kelce to pretty much roam the field untouched until after he caught a pass.
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Chiefs’ D thwarts Jags’ drive with red zone fumble recovery
The Chiefs recover Jamal Agnew’s fumble near the goal line to stifle the Jaguars’ drive.
Describe the game in two words: Missed opportunities. All week the Jaguars talked about capitalizing on opportunities because they didn’t do that in the first meeting against the Chiefs. There was no bigger opportunity on Saturday than Mahomes hobbling around for the entire second half, but the defense gave up a 98-yard touchdown drive to backup QB Chad Henne and couldn’t force Mahomes into a turnover. The Jaguars also missed on three critical plays in the first half, all of which could have led to points.
Linebacker Foye Oluokun was unable to catch a ball deflected by defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton inside the Kansas City 30-yard line, running back JaMycal Hasty dropped a third-down pass that could have put the Jaguars in position to try a long field goal and receiver Christian Kirk dropped a deep throw that would have given the Jaguars the ball inside the Kansas City 15-yard line. The Jaguars eventually got a field goal on the drive where Kirk dropped the pass, but that’s a potential 10 more points (at least) they left on the field.
Pivotal play: The Jaguars committed two fourth-quarter turnovers that doomed their comeback attempt. Jamal Agnew fumbled after a catch at the 3-yard line and quarterback Trevor Lawrence underthrew a pass to Zay Jones that got intercepted. Agnew’s fumble was the team’s first red-zone turnover since Week 8. The Jaguars were trailing by 10 points each time they turned it over and ran out of time to complete what would have been their eighth come-from-behind victory this season.
Silver lining: The Jaguars offense finished 10th in yards and points per game in 2022, and there’s optimism things could be even better next season with the arrival of receiver Calvin Ridley, especially if the team re-signs tight end Evan Engram. The Jaguars traded for Ridley in November and if he’s cleared from his suspension for gambling in February then he can join the team when the offseason program begins in April. Ridley will give the Jaguars a No. 1 receiver to pair with Kirk, who is one of the league’s better slot receivers, and Jones. — Michael DiRocco
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants had just been wiped off their own field six weeks ago when Jihad Ward delivered his impassioned speech. Their playoff hopes were hanging by a thread following an embarrassing 48-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium in Week 14.
The Eagles had compiled over 400 total yards, with more than 200 coming on the ground. They seemingly just ran and ran for big gains and touchdowns. It almost didn’t matter whether it was Jalen Hurts, Miles Sanders or Boston Scott.
There was nothing the Giants could do to stop them.
“It’s about who the f–k wants it more,” Ward said afterwards. “It’s more to it than just doing your job. It’s more to it than, ‘Do I know my playbook?’ You have to do more. Well, how bad do you want it? And nobody is going to sit here and give it to us. It’s really how bad do you really, really want it.”
The Giants apparently got the message. They’ll get a third crack at the Eagles (8:15 p.m. ET, FOX) in the divisional round of the playoffs.
They met again in Week 18, but the Giants barely played any starters and Philadelphia was working without its star right tackle and a quarterback.
Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson will start. Hurts wasn’t on the injury report most of this week and is expected to be at full health.
But the Eagles aren’t the only ones who will look different from the last time these teams met.
Martindale will have the benefit of fielding a defense that barely resembles the unit that gave up almost 50 points just six weeks ago. New York is in significantly better shape now.
Top cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, safety Xavier McKinney and defensive lineman Leonard Williams will all be on the field this time around. Jackson returned from a knee injury last week to help limit Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson in the 31-24 wild-card win. McKinney returned in Week 17 after missing almost two months following an ATV accident during the bye week. And Williams, the team’s best run-stuffer with a run stop win rate of 39.5% (17th in NFL), has been healthy down the stretch.
“It just gives us more room to do different things,” McKinney said. “I think we provide a lot of flexibility. … We can do a lot of different things.”
Part of that flexibility was allowing Martindale to put McKinney in the box for most of the second half against the Vikings to help slow tight end T.J. Hockenson.
McKinney helped tackle Hockenson short of a first down early in the fourth quarter and made a game-clinching tackle on Hockenson near the line of scrimmage in the final seconds. These kinds of moves weren’t available to Martindale in the first matchup with the Eagles.
“The more players you have, the better it is. And you can be flexible that way,” Martindale said. “That was an adjustment that we made. It was part of our counterpunch there at the end with putting [McKinney in the box].”
That could come in handy Saturday night in South Philadelphia. The Eagles also have a dangerous tight end in Dallas Goedert, who was still sidelined for their first meeting with a shoulder injury that cost him five games.
Martindale said that it was on the plane ride home from their first meeting with the Vikings — a 27-24 loss in Week 16 that came down to a 61-yard field goal — that he told his group he finally knew they had a playoff defense. The Giants have allowed 19.0 points per game in their three contests since, but it’s the way the defense looks that signifies it’s becoming a much better group.
Even the Giants’ backups gave Philadelphia trouble in the season finale.
“I’d say you try to evolve after every game,” coach Brian Daboll said. “I think we’ve gotten a little bit better each week, so what’s going to matter is how we play on Saturday.”
There is a chance that the Giants defensive front will have Williams, nose tackle Dexter Lawrence, and outside linebackers Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari all on the field. They’ve been on the field together for just 56 defensive snaps this season (4.9%), including playoffs.
Ojulari is listed as questionable with a quad injury, but said this week he felt good. But injuries aren’t something Martindale can’t handle.
Thibodeaux missed the first two games with a knee injury, and Ojulari and Williams have been in and out of the lineup all season because of a variety of injuries.
“I didn’t complain to you,” Martindale said with a chuckle. “My wife, on the other hand, Laura, she heard some complaints.”
Healthy at last, the front should be a strength for a defense that still managed to finish with a respectable 41 sacks. It should help the Giants not allow the Eagles to run wild.
“Playing a running quarterback or any quarterback in general, as a defense that’s the guy you want to hit. Regardless if you’re hurt or not,” linebacker Jarrad Davis said.
He later added the plan is to “be as physical as possible.”
Things won’t be so easy for the Eagles this time, especially on the ground.
“That’s our goal this week is to try to make them one-dimensional and stop the run as early as possible,” Williams said.
Rising cruiserweight Richard Riakporhe continued his march to world honours as he hammered Krzysztof Glowacki to defeat inside four rounds on the Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith undercard.
Riakporhe rocketed up the cruiserweight rankings in a stellar 2022, but could not risk defeat when he came up against former world WBO champion Glowacki at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday.
Cagey in the first round Riakporhe led with his cross, but then stuck out jabs to maintain the distance between them.
Image: Riakporhe takes a vital win over Glowacki
Poland’s Glowacki did though connect with a southpaw left and the two traded for an instant.
Glowacki hit a hard backhand left to Riakporhe’s body and at once the Londoner struck back with his right.
They had been looking for openings in the first round and Riakporhe found his in the second, stunning Glowacki with an explosive right.
With the Pole badly rocked, Riakporhe bombarded him with shots from either hand. It was only the ropes that kept Glowacki on his feet.
But remarkably he recovered from that and got through to the third round. The pace slowed as Riakporhe marked Glowacki out with further jabs. The Pole still slammed a solid jab of his own into the body.
Glowacki showed signs of the experience he acquired in his long career. He landed a neat combination as a left to the body set up a right hook to the head.
But Riakporhe still concluded the third landing his right cleanly to head, just the kind of blows Glowacki couldn’t afford to let through.
The Londoner looked for more of those power punches in the fourth round and Glowacki had to gulp in air when a cross tested his body.
But it was a huge right hook to the head that proved Glowacki’s undoing. It landed with shuddering force. Glowacki reeled back and “The Midnight Train” steamed into him, backing Glowacki into a cornerpost and ramming in further hooks.
Referee Howard Foster was immediately in place to intervene and as soon as he saw Glowacki was out on his feet he called a halt with 16 seconds left in the fourth round.
“Next stop all the champions!” Riakporhe declared afterwards.
“Jai Opetaia, I know you’re watching this. Trust me, we’re coming for you.
“[Ilunga] Makabu, you lot can’t run no more. [Lawrence] Okolie, [Arsen] Goulamirian, I know all of you lot and I think about you every day when I go to sleep.”
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Ekow Essuman says his experience helped him win as he beats opponent Chris Kongo to keep his British and Commonwealth titles
Ekow Essuman defended his British and Commonwealth welterweight titles after edging out Chris Kongo on a majority decision.
Kongo initiated the action, poking out his jab as Nottingham’s Essuman looked to counter him. He has success from range even as Essuman worked in close and landed a decent right hand. Kongo answered that with solid punches of his own.
As the fight reached the halfway stage Essuman upped the pace of his work and pushed Kongo into the ropes. He endeavoured to turn it into a physical battle, opening up with a salvo of hooks to the body.
Image: Kongo catches Essuman with a right
In the 10th round Kongo slung long straight punches as Essuman came on. But the champion was starting to break through and in the next round a hard right landed clean. Essuman stayed resolutely on the front foot and hammered at his challenger.
The onslaught forced Kongo back into the ropes and to hold when he could. The Londoner escaped behind jabs, needing to keep the British champion at bay.
Kongo dredged up energy and fired in his right cross. But Essuman only cranked up the pressure, working desperately hard. He landed an enormous right but the determined challenger regained his composure.
The Londoner finished standing proud and both embraced at the final bell.
Image: Ekow Essuman retained his championships with a majority decision win
Essuman retained his belts with two of the scorecards in his favour, 116-113 and 115-114, while one of the judges had the bout level at 114-114.
“As I said from the start, it was just the experience of having those longer fights, those other 12-rounders, those really hard fights where I had to dig in deep,” Essuman reflected.
“The proof is in the pudding.
“Boxing’s about what you can do when you’re tired, not about what you can do when you’re fit, and my name’s ‘Engine.’”
Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith follows Riakporhe vs Glowacki tonight live on Sky Sports Box Office. Book it now if you are a Sky TV subscriber or a Non-Sky TV subscriber.
Paul will face Roberto Bautista Agut, a Spanish veteran who is seeded 24th and is the only seeded player left in the bottom quarter of the draw.
The 2023 Australian Open
The year’s first Grand Slam event runs from Jan. 16 to Jan. 29 in Melbourne.
The other players in that section are Shelton and Wolf, former collegiate standouts who will face each other on Monday. Shelton won the N.C.A.A. singles title last year for the University of Florida, where he was coached by his father Bryan Shelton, a former ATP Tour player. Wolf, 24, played for three years at Ohio State, where he was an All-American and the Big Ten player of the year in 2019.
Ben Shelton and Wolf have become friendly since Shelton turned pro last August. “I had seen him play in college tennis, but he was older than me, so we never competed against each other,” Shelton said of Wolf. “We’re good friends, like to joke around a lot, have a lot of locker room banter.”
Both are solidly built and powerful. Wolf has one of the most penetrating forehands in the game. Shelton, a left-hander, has one of the most intimidating serves, frequently surpassing 124 miles per hour. He has won 83 percent of his first-serve points in Melbourne and 64 percent of his second-serve points. Shelton was not broken on Saturday as he prevailed over Alexei Popyrin, the Australian who upset Fritz in the second round and again had a big home crowd ready to support him in John Cain Arena.
“They kind of set the tone when I walked out on the court, and I got booed,” said Shelton, laughing. “Similar to some away matches and college atmospheres that I have been at but definitely amplified today. The sound in there kind of just vibrates.”
But Shelton’s dominant play in his victory, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-4, often meant that the arena was unusually quiet. His shouts of “Come on!” reverberated through the space.
“Honestly, if this is the way he plays day in, day out, the guy is top 10 in six months,” Popyrin said.
