Javelin Guidry of the New York Jets warms up before their
The Jets shared some updates about changes in their personnel department on Saturday.
They appointed Jon Carr and Greg Nejmeh as co-directors of player personnel. Chad Alexander had been the director of player personnel before he moved to the Chargers earlier this year.
Carr is in his seventh season with the team and Nejmeh is in his 16th season. The team also announced Dan Zbojovsky as the senior director of football operations.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers participates in practice at the NFL football team’s training facility
He will be in charge of the athletic training staff, medical staff, player development, personnel operations, and video department.
Additionally, the Jets announced new positions for several people: director of college scouting Jay Mandolesi, senior director of football administration Nick Sabella, senior director of football strategy David Socie, national scout Jonathan Stigall, director of personnel operations Christina Wedding, co-assistant director of pro personnel Evan Ardoin, and National Football Scouting Scout Jordan Burton.
Jannik Sinner dismissed his fitness trainer and physiotherapist because of his two positive steroid tests in March and said on Friday at his pre-U.S. Open news conference — his first public comments about the issue — that he believed he was innocent but was concerned about the outcome of the case until he found out he wouldn’t face suspension.
Sinner’s fitness trainer, Umberto Ferrara, and his physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, had been with the 23-year-old Italian during his rise over the past two years, which included his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January and reaching the No. 1 ranking in June.
“I’m not feeling that confident to continue with them,” Sinner said. “Now I just need some clean air.”
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced this week that Sinner failed two drug tests — one during a tournament in Indian Wells, California, and another eight days later — but determined that the banned anabolic steroid Clostebol entered his system unintentionally through a massage from Naldi.
Jannik Sinner plays a forehand return
“Obviously it has been a very tough moment for me and my team,” Sinner said. “It still is, because it’s quite fresh.”
Play begins Monday at Flushing Meadows. Sinner is the top-seeded man and is scheduled to face first-round opponent Mackie McDonald, an American ranked 140th, on Tuesday.
“Of course it’s not ideal before a Grand Slam,” Sinner said with a chuckle about the timing of the news. “But in my mind, I know that I haven’t done anything wrong.
I had to play, already, (for) months with this in my head, but just (was reminding) myself that I haven’t done really anything wrong. I always respect these rules — and I always will respect these rules — of anti-doping.”
Emma Raducanu's impressive comeback helps Great Britain equalize against France
Emma Raducanu finished her practice at the U.S. Open on Friday by hitting with a young girl she had asked fans on social media to help her find after they hadn’t connected the day before.
Raducanu is back at the tournament she unexpectedly won three years ago, and she brushes off questions about whether she has played enough matches to be prepared for it.
Her 2021 U.S. Open title is still Raducanu’s only one on the WTA Tour, and she didn’t even play in Flushing Meadows last year because of injuries.
The 21-year-old from England has played fewer than 30 matches this year and chose not to play more, but she doesn’t question her readiness for the final Grand Slam of the season.
“Even when I won the U.S. Open, I only played a few tournaments that year,” Raducanu said. “Yes, they were closer together, but I’m not in any big rush to play those. I think I’d rather target tournaments and play the tournaments that I’m entered in.”
After losing in the fourth round of Wimbledon in July in her home Grand Slam, Raducanu chose not to play in the Olympics and only played once on the North American hard-court circuit, losing in the third round in Washington.
Emma Raducanu smiles after scoring a point
She decided not to play in Canada — where she was born and holds a passport — and instead returned to Britain to practice, rather than trying to play more tournaments before going back to New York, where she will face 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the first round.
While some players want to play in many matches, Raducanu said that isn’t her approach.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be the player who’s playing, like, close to 30 events a year,” she said. “I think that’s not my style. It never has been.”
She couldn’t play too many tournaments in 2023, missing the second half of the year after having surgery on both wrists and an ankle. So her only appearance at the U.S. Open after she became the first player to come through qualifying to win a Grand Slam tournament in 2021 was a first-round loss to Alize Cornet the following year.
Raducanu said she feels more prepared to play in New York this time and got some extra practice on Friday with a 7-year-old fan who had watched her the day before and shouted that Raducanu was her favorite player.
Raducanu later apologized on social media for having to rush off after that workout and not meeting the girl, asking her followers to help find the fan.
Emma Raducanu
She did find her on Friday and invited the fan to hit balls with her on the court.
“She barely missed a ball and she has a lot of courage to kind of go onto the court with a lot of people watching and start hitting balls, and it was nice to meet her and speak to her,” Raducanu said.
“Obviously I felt incredibly bad about yesterday but I feel good and I feel happy that I was able to connect with her today.”
Raducanu knows that some people question if she’s ready to win the U.S. Open. Seeing her name on the trophy and her picture among the champions on the grounds reminds her she has done it before and can do it again.
“I think that’s such an epic achievement and these two weeks I completed it,” she said. “So for me coming back here now, I come back with such a different outlook and just joy and promise, and it inspires me to want to do more.”
The largest broadcaster of regional sports networks in the country will keep showing games for over a dozen NBA teams and nine NHL teams through the 2024-2025 season, despite going through bankruptcy, according to court documents released on Friday.
Diamond Sports Group, which runs the Bally-branded regional sports networks, said in the documents that it has made agreements to broadcast games for 13 NBA teams and nine NHL teams for the upcoming season, according to The Athletic.
“We are appreciative of the ongoing collaboration and long-term partnerships with the NBA and NHL,” David Preschlack, Diamond’s CEO, said in a statement.
“These new agreements that cover NBA and NHL linear and (direct-to-consumer) rights are another major milestone and continue Diamond’s momentum toward emergence, which will enable us to provide value for our NBA and NHL partners and continue to serve dedicated local NBA, NHL and MLB fans.”
Jack Roslovic (NHL)
As part of these deals, DSG will stop showing games for the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans.
The agreements need to be approved by a federal bankruptcy judge. The next hearing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas is set for Sept. 3.
The deal announced on Friday affects the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, and San Antonio Spurs.
Paris Saint-Germain is managing well without Kylian Mbappe.
On Friday, PSG defeated Montpellier 6-0, winning their second game in a row in the French league since Mbappe moved to Real Madrid this offseason.
Many people thought PSG might struggle for the league title after losing their top player, but so far, that hasn’t happened. The team has scored 10 goals in their first two matches.
Bradley Barcola scored first with a shot from close range just three minutes into the game, and Marco Asensio added another goal with a low shot after a pass from João Neves. Neves, who joined from Benfica, has now assisted three times in two games.
PSG players celebrates after a goal
Ousmane Dembélé set up Barcola for an easy goal early in the second half, Achraf Hakimi scored with a volley to make it 4-0 in the 57th minute, and Warren Zaïre-Emery added another goal shortly after.
Lee Kang-in, a substitute, scored his second goal in two games to complete the 6-0 win.
Montpellier has earned just one point from their first two games.
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi, top right, sits with his wife Antonela Roccuzzo, second from left, during the second half of a Leagues Cup soccer match
Lionel Messi started individual training on the field this week and might be ready to play for Inter Miami before the MLS regular season ends, according to Miami coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino.
Messi, who is 37, has been out with a right ankle injury since Argentina’s Copa America final victory over Colombia on July 14, where he left the field in tears after getting hurt.
Messi will not play in Inter Miami’s match against FC Cincinnati on Saturday and is also missing from Argentina’s squad for the September World Cup qualifiers.
Leo Messi gestures in the game
He hasn’t played for Inter Miami since July 1, but Martino mentioned that Messi could soon join the team in full training.
“He is not training with the group yet, but he is working with physical trainers on the field,” Martino said. “He is improving, and it was expected that he wouldn’t be with Argentina since he isn’t ready to play yet.”
Martino also said there is no specific date for Messi’s return, but it could happen before the MLS playoffs start in late October.
Inter Miami, which leads the Eastern Conference, could secure a playoff spot with a win on Saturday.
Carlos Baleba and Kobbie Mainoo battle for the ball
Joao Pedro scored with a header in the fifth minute of injury time to give Brighton a 2-1 win over Manchester United on Saturday, increasing the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag.
Pedro scored after United failed to clear a corner, heading in a cross from Simon Adingra. This win marked Brighton’s second consecutive victory to start the season under new coach Fabian Hurzeler.
The result was particularly disappointing for United as they had a potential winning goal disallowed in the 70th minute due to an unusual offside call. Alejandro Garnacho’s shot was going into an empty net but was blocked by Joshua Zirkzee, who was offside.
Brighton players celebrates after a goal
Zirkzee had scored the winning goal in United’s season opener against Fulham but was on the bench for this match, with Ten Hag using Bruno Fernandes as a false nine instead.
Danny Welbeck, a former United player, opened the scoring for Brighton by finishing a cross from Kaoru Mitoma in the 32nd minute.
Welbeck nearly added a second goal with a header that hit the crossbar in the 58th minute. United equalized just two minutes later with a quick counterattack, as Amad Diallo’s shot was deflected into the net by Jan Paul van Hecke.
Big 12 presidents are set to meet next week to talk about possibly inviting UConn to join the conference. This follows a proposal from UConn that included a significant investment in the school’s struggling football program, according to two sources familiar with the talks who spoke to The Associated Press on Friday.
The proposal suggests that UConn, which has won the last two men’s college basketball championships, would remain an independent football team until joining the Big 12 in 2031. It would also avoid reducing the revenue share for current conference members.
The sources asked to remain anonymous because the discussions were not being made public by the conference or the school.
The Athletic first reported that the Big 12 is considering UConn again.
Donovan Clingan celebrates cutting the net after their win
UConn officials were in Dallas last week to pitch a plan to the Big 12 that includes substantial investments in their athletic programs, with most of the focus on improving the football team.
Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark, who previously worked with the Brooklyn Nets, has shown interest in expanding into the New York area market, where UConn has a strong following.
Spokespeople for UConn, the Big 12, and the Big East all declined to comment.
The Big 12 has been hesitant to add UConn because the football program has struggled for years, and there are concerns that UConn might not enhance the value of the league’s media rights deal.
Logan Sargeant had a serious crash during practice for the Dutch Grand Prix on Saturday, which left his car on fire and badly damaged, causing him to miss qualifying.
Sargeant lost control of his Williams car after hitting the wet grass before a right-hand turn. He spun off to the left and crashed into a metal barrier.
He was unharmed and got out of the car while it was burning and smoking.
The practice session was quickly stopped due to the wet conditions and the fire. Marshals put out the flames and moved the car onto a truck.
Logan Sargeant walks away from his crashed car
Williams said they worked on the car and the chassis “currently looks okay,” but it was not ready in time for Sargeant to qualify.
This is the latest in a series of crashes for Sargeant. He had crashes at the Canadian Grand Prix in June, collided with Kevin Magnussen at the Miami Grand Prix in May, and crashed during practice for the Japanese Grand Prix in April.
Carlos Sainz Jr. will replace Sargeant at Williams for 2025.
Denny Hamlin is introduced before a NASCAR Cup series
Denny Hamlin was feeling pretty down.
After receiving the toughest and most unusual penalty of his 20-year NASCAR career, Hamlin was still trying to understand how it might affect his season and his hopes for finally winning a Cup Series championship.
“It’s hard not to feel negative right now,” Hamlin said at Daytona International Speedway on Friday. “I’m in the moment, and I’m feeling negative about it, not about the decision itself, but about how it might impact our season and what it could mean for us.”
NASCAR took away 75 points and 10 playoff points from Hamlin on Thursday, which ended his chance to win the regular-season title and made his path to a championship much harder.
Denny Hamlin comes out of his car
This big penalty was because Hamlin’s race-winning engine from Bristol Motor Speedway in March was rebuilt by Toyota before NASCAR could inspect it. The sanctioning body also fined Hamlin’s crew chief at Joe Gibbs Racing, Chris Gabehart, $100,000.
Toyota Racing Development reported what Hamlin called a “colossal mistake.”
NASCAR gave the same penalty it would give any team that alters an engine before it’s inspected. Even Hamlin’s competitors agreed there was no intention to cheat, and NASCAR made sure to follow the rules strictly.
“I’m definitely in favor of just following the rules as they are,” Hamlin said. “This put a lot of people in difficult positions, but NASCAR did what was right by sticking to the rule book.”
Alex Palou, who leads the IndyCar standings by 59 points, says winning a third championship in four years is not guaranteed.
Alexander Rossi is sure he will have a seat in the series next year. David Malukas clarified that Will Power did not make him cry after a crash last week. All drivers hope IndyCar will adjust the restart zones after Josef Newgarden’s actions led to a late-race crash and raised tensions.
The aftermath of last weekend’s race near St. Louis continued at Portland International Raceway. Even though there are four races left this season, Palou could extend his lead significantly on Sunday.
Palou believes that the five drivers still in contention for the championship have a chance, especially with three oval races remaining.
Racers on the podium after winning the race
Portland, a 12-turn, 1.967-mile (3.166 km) road course, is where Palou has won twice in the last three years and is the defending race winner.
Last year, Palou secured his second IndyCar title at Portland, then the second-to-last race of the season. This year’s schedule includes a doubleheader at the Milwaukee Mile and the season finale at Nashville Superspeedway.
Palou has never won on an oval and has no previous racing experience at Milwaukee or Nashville.
“I don’t think you are ever in control,” he said. “Someone can win three in a row and then you are panicking, right? I feel good about Portland this weekend, but it’s not like: ‘Oh, yeah, we’re good. Let’s take this easy.’”
Bill Belichick’ talks to the reporters in the NFL football news conference
Bill Belichick might be able to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame as soon as 2026 instead of having to wait until 2029 because of recent changes in the selection process.
The Hall of Fame revealed new rules on Friday that were approved by the Board of Directors and take effect immediately. One of the changes is shortening the waiting period for coaches from five years to one year after they leave the game.
This change means that Belichick, who won six Super Bowls and left the New England Patriots after last season, could be eligible for the 2026 class.
The new rules might also affect another Super Bowl-winning coach, Pete Carroll of Seattle, who was also replaced after the 2023 season. If Belichick and Carroll get new coaching jobs in the offseason, they would need to wait longer.
Other changes include separating the coach and contributor categories, adding new screening committees to review all nominees for players from the modern era and seniors category, and requiring that one to three people be selected each year from the nominees in these categories.
Pete Carroll speaks to the media
The process for selecting the class of 2025 will start soon with new 11-person screening committees, made up of Hall of Famers, former front office executives, football historians, and media members.
These committees will narrow down the list of nominees to 50 candidates for both the modern era and seniors categories. The 22 people on these committees will not be part of the selection committee that votes on who gets into the Hall in early 2025.
The selection committee will then reduce the list of modern era candidates to 25 semifinalists in November and 15 finalists in December before making the final decision.
Some top first-time candidates this year include Eli Manning, Luke Kuechly, Marshall Yanda, Marshawn Lynch, and Terrell Suggs.
