CNN

By Jill Martin and Andy Scholes, CNN

New York (CNN) — World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has won his second grand slam singles title, beating American Taylor Fritz to win the US Open 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday.

Fritz, the world No. 12, was bidding to be the first American man to win a grand slam singles title in 21 years. Andy Roddick, who was in attendance Sunday, is the last American man to do it when he won the 2003 US Open.

The 23-year-old Sinner, on an 11-match win streak, won the Australian Open in January. He joins Flavia Pennetta, who won the women’s singles championship in 2015, as the only Italian singles champions in US Open tournament history.

“This title for me means so much because the last period of my career was really not easy,” Sinner said. “There is my team who supports me every day, the people who are close to me. I love tennis. I practice a lot for this kind of stages, but I also realize that off the court there is a life.

“I would like to dedicate this title to my aunt, because she is really not feeling well, health-wise. I don’t know how much I still have her in my life. It’s so nice that I can share a positive moment still with her. … If there would be the biggest wish, I would wish the best health to everyone, but unfortunately, it’s not possible.”

Sinner spoke more about his aunt during his post-match press conference.

“My aunt, she’s a very important person, because when my parents, they were working every day and all day, so sometimes when I had to go to ski races, I went with her,” Sinner said. “She always helped me in summertime when my parents were working and I had some days off or free days.

“You know, when you are young, you don’t go to practice every day. So I hang around a lot with her, and she’s a very important person in my life.

“This also, especially when I had this difficult time, I tried to see it in a different way, you know, sport, things can happen unfortunately, but, you know, the real life is something different.

“You know, we travel a lot, so it’s difficult to spend time with the people who you really love, but if I would have more time, for sure I would spend more time with the people I really care (about).

“Yeah, it was and is a really difficult moment also now, but, you know, just also have to accept that, yeah, not everything is perfect.”

Fritz: ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t get it done’

Fritz is the first American man to reach a grand slam singles final since Roddick was runner-up to Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2009. Roddick had been the last American man to reach the US Open singles final, losing to Federer in 2006.

An American man was guaranteed to reach the final when Fritz and No. 20 Frances Tiafoe played each other in the semifinals, with Fritz coming back in that match from a two-sets-to-one deficit.

Previously, Fritz’s best result at a major was reaching the quarterfinals, where the 26-year-old had been 0-4 at that stage.

“Being an American, at the US Open, it’s just incredible feeling the love all week,” Fritz said to the crowd. “Thank you so much. I know we’ve been waiting for a champion for a long time, so I’m sorry I couldn’t get it done this time. But I’m going to keep working, and hopefully I’ll get it the next time.”

Sinner looked unflappable while winning the first two sets. But that changed in the third. The Italian’s level dipped, allowing Fritz – and the New York crowd – back into the match and giving the American a 5-3 lead.

The momentum shift, however, did not last. Fritz was unable to serve out the set, and Sinner went on to win the next four games for the title.

Sinner: ‘I knew that I haven’t done anything wrong’

Sinner’s triumph comes against the backdrop of his recent doping case that became public knowledge on August 20 – news that shocked the tennis world.

Sinner, who avoided suspension after twice testing positive for trace amounts of the banned substance Clostebol, repeatedly has said he hasn’t done anything wrong. It was ruled Sinner bore “no fault or negligence,” with Sinner saying the positive tests stemmed from “inadvertent contamination” through treatment from his then-physiotherapist.

Sinner told CNN how he was able to play well despite that hanging over him.

“First of all, in my mind, I knew that I haven’t done anything wrong, so that’s already the biggest part for me mentally that I am OK,” Sinner said.

“In another way, it’s me and my team, we know what we went through for months. We know what we were feeling like in the last months. This means even more of a positive sign for me and my team because we put a lot of extra work in trying to be as ready as possible mentally.”

This is the first year since 2002 that none of the members of men’s tennis “Big Three” – Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and the now-retired Federer – won a grand slam. Instead, the majors were split by Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, with the Spaniard winning the French Open and Wimbledon.

At this year’s US Open, Djokovic was upset in the third round by Alexei Popyrin, while Nadal did not play.

“It’s tough to predict the future,” Sinner said to CNN on whether it’s the changing of the guard in men’s tennis.

“I think it’s nice for tennis to see some new champions, some new favorites of tournaments. I’m happy to be part of this, at least this year.

“Let’s see what’s coming next year. Obviously they’re all big, big challenges coming up. But I’m just looking forward to improve as a player and then we’ll see what I can do.”

The rich and famous routinely turn out for the US Open, and Sunday was no exception. In attendance were Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce – who were sitting with Patrick and Brittany Mahomes. Others on hand included Matthew McConaughey, Martha Stewart, Noah Lyles and Elon Musk.

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WSVN, CNN

By Kevin Dotson and Ben Morse, CNN

(CNN) — The Miami-Dade Police Department placed an officer on administrative leave Sunday after Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill was detained prior to the start of the season-opening game.

On Sunday morning, just hours before kickoff, Hill was detained for a short time by police after a traffic incident, the team said on social media. Miami-Dade Police Department Director Stephanie V. Daniels said Sunday an investigation has begun into the incident and one of the officers involved is being placed on administrative duties. A second Dolphins player said he was also handcuffed when trying to discuss the situation with officers at the scene.

“Following the incident involving Tyreek Hill, I have initiated an Internal Affairs investigation to ensure a thorough review of the matter. One of the officers involved in the incident has been placed on administrative duties while the investigation is conducted,” Daniels said in a statement. “I’m committed to transparency and accountability to the community with any situation involving my officers.”

Hill won’t soon forget the start of the 2024-25 season. After being detained, his day ended with a comeback win against the Jacksonville Jaguars that featured a “handcuffs” celebration after scoring a key touchdown.

The “Cheetah” said after the game he was still confused by his pregame encounter with police.

“I wasn’t disrespectful because my mom didn’t raise me that way, didn’t cuss, didn’t do none of that. Like I said, I’m still trying to figure it out,” Hill said at his postgame press conference.

Hill, 30, is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, leading the league in receiving yards last season with 1,799 yards, while also adding 13 touchdowns. The Dolphins played the Jacksonville Jaguars in their Week 1 game at Hard Rock Stadium.

Showcasing his trademark speed, Hill found the end zone in the third quarter against the Jaguars, connecting with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for an 80-yard score. After scoring, Hill celebrated by putting his arms behind his back with his wrists together – perhaps an allusion to being in handcuffs earlier in the day.

In the end, the Dolphins overcame a 14-0 deficit to win the game 20-17 on a 52-yard field goal from Jason Sanders as time expired. Hill finished the game with seven catches for 130 yards and a touchdown.

It’s still unclear exactly what led to Hill being detained by police. The team said on social media before the game he was pulled over by police for a traffic incident.

“This morning, WR Tyreek Hill was pulled over for a traffic incident about one block from the stadium and briefly detained by police,” the Dolphins X account said.

“He has since been released. Several teammates saw the incident and stopped to offer support. Tyreek and all other players involved have safely arrived to the stadium and will be available for today’s game.”

Reported video of the incident appeared to show a handcuffed Hill being picked up off the road by police.

Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told CNN in a statement Sunday night his legal team will “pursue this matter” and “consider legal action.”

“What happened today to Tyreek at the stadium is completely unacceptable,” Rosenhaus said. “Tyreek did not deserve to be treated that way by the police involved.”

CNN has reached out to Rosenhaus for more information.

After the game, Dolphins defensive tackle Calais Campbell said he was also put in handcuffs by police when he attempted to intercede and “deescalate” the situation.

“They put handcuffs on me too, and I was like ‘What’s going on?’ I didn’t understand what the issue was,” Campbell told NFL Network. “For him to put handcuffs on me, I felt some type of way.

“But that just goes to show how our resilience though. We didn’t let that stop us. We just got back in line, got focused again, and went out there and played a good football game. But that definitely was an interesting way to start a ballgame.”

Hill said he was moved by the show of support from his teammates.

“That should tell you everything you need to know,” Hill said after the game. “I’m just glad that my teammates were there to support me in that situation because I felt alone. And when they showed up, it made me realized that we got a f–king good team this year. For them to put their life on the line.”

Earlier Sunday, Rosenhaustold ESPN the incident began as a traffic stop when Hill was driving to the stadium.

“Apparently, he got a ticket for a moving violation entering the stadium,” Rosenhaus told ESPN. “How things escalated into the situation that they were in, in handcuffs and being held on the ground with police is mind-boggling to me.”

“We are aware of the recent detainment of Miami Dolphins player Tyreek Hill by Miami-Dade Police Department officers,” Daniels said in an earlier statement. “I have requested an immediate review of all details surrounding the incident, and we are also reviewing available body camera footage. We will provide updates as further information becomes available.”

CNN has reached out to the police for more information.

Rosenhaus confirmed to ESPN he has spoken with Hill and shared his client’s account of the incident.

“He was given a moving violation ticket, and he’s going to focus on the game and then we’ll address this afterwards,” Rosenhaus told ESPN.

Rosenhaus said the altercation left Hill rattled.

“The most important thing is that Tyreek is okay physically. Mentally, he was very distraught about what happened,” Rosenhaus told ESPN. “Tyreek has told me over and over he’s a big supporter of police. He was telling the police there, ‘I want to be a police officer in the future.’ But this is crazy, I’ve never seen anything like this.”

In a separate interview with CBS Sports, Rosenhaus said his client was left feeling “stunned” and “very emotional” after the incident. “He had no idea why it escalated to that extent. He felt it was very inappropriate, but we’ll be dealing with that after the game.”

Hill was a “consummate professional,” Rosenhaus said.

“He’s a very strong man, and I’m confident he’ll pull it together and be at his best today,” he said

This story has been updated with additional developments.

CNN’s Homero De La Fuente contributed to this report.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The UTEP Miners kicked off its home opener to Southern Utah Saturday night losing by 3 points in overtime.

The Sun Bowl stadium was filled with 41,609 fans to kick off the Scotty Walden era in the Sun City.

The Miners started off strong scoring on their first possession of the game. Skyler Locklear, the starting quarterback for the Miners, secured a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jevon Jackson giving UTEP their first lead, 7-0.

Keeping the momentum, on their second drive of the game the Miners would once again send it home. This time Locklear would score a touchdown on a 5-yard quarterback keeper.

At the half, UTEP led with a score 17-6.

In the third, Southern Utah began to wake up. In the third quarter, Targhee Lambson maneuvers his way through UTEP defense and snags a rushing touchdown for the Thunderbirds. Then later in the fourth, Lambson returns with a 47-yard touchdown giving Southern Utah their first lead, 21-17. The Thunderbirds run game was outstanding, rushing for more than 265 yards.

With four seconds on the clock, the Miners with a trick play. Jaden Smith finds Locklear for a 4-yard touchdown pass forcing the game into overtime.

Finally, the Thunderbirds Daniel King secures a 33-yard field goal to call it game.

The Miners fall 27-24, moving them down to a 0-2 record.

Next up, they'll get ready for the defending Conference USA champions, the Liberty Flames with a 4p.m. kickoff at Williams Field.

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CNN

By Kevin Dotson and Ben Morse, CNN

(CNN) — The Miami-Dade Police Department placed an officer on administrative leave Sunday after Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill was detained prior to the start of the season-opening game.

On Sunday morning, just hours before kickoff, Hill was detained for a short time by police after a traffic incident, the team said on social media. Miami-Dade Police Department Director Stephanie V. Daniels said Sunday an investigation has begun into the incident and one of the officers involved is being placed on administrative duties. A second Dolphins player said he was also handcuffed when trying to discuss the situation with officers at the scene.

“Following the incident involving Tyreek Hill, I have initiated an Internal Affairs investigation to ensure a thorough review of the matter. One of the officers involved in the incident has been placed on administrative duties while the investigation is conducted,” Daniels said in a statement. “I’m committed to transparency and accountability to the community with any situation involving my officers.”

Hill won’t soon forget the start of the 2024-25 season. After being detained, his day ended with a comeback win against the Jacksonville Jaguars that featured a “handcuffs” celebration after scoring a key touchdown.

The “Cheetah” said after the game he was still confused by his pregame encounter with police.

“I wasn’t disrespectful because my mom didn’t raise me that way, didn’t cuss, didn’t do none of that. Like I said, I’m still trying to figure it out,” Hill said at his postgame press conference.

Hill, 30, is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, leading the league in receiving yards last season with 1,799 yards, while also adding 13 touchdowns. The Dolphins played the Jacksonville Jaguars in their Week 1 game at Hard Rock Stadium.

Showcasing his trademark speed, Hill found the end zone in the third quarter against the Jaguars, connecting with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for an 80-yard score. After scoring, Hill celebrated by putting his arms behind his back with his wrists together – perhaps an allusion to being in handcuffs earlier in the day.

In the end, the Dolphins overcame a 14-0 deficit to win the game 20-17 on a 52-yard field goal from Jason Sanders as time expired. Hill finished the game with seven catches for 130 yards and a touchdown.

It’s still unclear exactly what led to Hill being detained by police. The team said on social media before the game he was pulled over by police for a traffic incident.

“This morning, WR Tyreek Hill was pulled over for a traffic incident about one block from the stadium and briefly detained by police,” the Dolphins X account said.

“He has since been released. Several teammates saw the incident and stopped to offer support. Tyreek and all other players involved have safely arrived to the stadium and will be available for today’s game.”

Reported video of the incident appeared to show a handcuffed Hill being picked up off the road by police.

Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told CNN in a statement Sunday night his legal team will “pursue this matter” and “consider legal action.”

“What happened today to Tyreek at the stadium is completely unacceptable,” Rosenhaus said. “Tyreek did not deserve to be treated that way by the police involved.”

CNN has reached out to Rosenhaus for more information.

After the game, Dolphins defensive tackle Calais Campbell said he was also put in handcuffs by police when he attempted to intercede and “deescalate” the situation.

“They put handcuffs on me too, and I was like ‘What’s going on?’ I didn’t understand what the issue was,” Campbell told NFL Network. “For him to put handcuffs on me, I felt some type of way.

“But that just goes to show how our resilience though. We didn’t let that stop us. We just got back in line, got focused again, and went out there and played a good football game. But that definitely was an interesting way to start a ballgame.”

Hill said he was moved by the show of support from his teammates.

“That should tell you everything you need to know,” Hill said after the game. “I’m just glad that my teammates were there to support me in that situation because I felt alone. And when they showed up, it made me realized that we got a f–king good team this year. For them to put their life on the line.”

Earlier Sunday, Rosenhaustold ESPN the incident began as a traffic stop when Hill was driving to the stadium.

“Apparently, he got a ticket for a moving violation entering the stadium,” Rosenhaus told ESPN. “How things escalated into the situation that they were in, in handcuffs and being held on the ground with police is mind-boggling to me.”

“We are aware of the recent detainment of Miami Dolphins player Tyreek Hill by Miami-Dade Police Department officers,” Daniels said in an earlier statement. “I have requested an immediate review of all details surrounding the incident, and we are also reviewing available body camera footage. We will provide updates as further information becomes available.”

CNN has reached out to the police for more information.

Rosenhaus confirmed to ESPN he has spoken with Hill and shared his client’s account of the incident.

“He was given a moving violation ticket, and he’s going to focus on the game and then we’ll address this afterwards,” Rosenhaus told ESPN.

Rosenhaus said the altercation left Hill rattled.

“The most important thing is that Tyreek is okay physically. Mentally, he was very distraught about what happened,” Rosenhaus told ESPN. “Tyreek has told me over and over he’s a big supporter of police. He was telling the police there, ‘I want to be a police officer in the future.’ But this is crazy, I’ve never seen anything like this.”

In a separate interview with CBS Sports, Rosenhaus said his client was left feeling “stunned” and “very emotional” after the incident. “He had no idea why it escalated to that extent. He felt it was very inappropriate, but we’ll be dealing with that after the game.”

Hill was a “consummate professional,” Rosenhaus said.

“He’s a very strong man, and I’m confident he’ll pull it together and be at his best today,” he said

This story has been updated with additional developments.

CNN’s Homero De La Fuente contributed to this report.

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By Wayne Sterling, CNN

(CNN) — Hours before the start of the 2024 NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys and their star quarterback Dak Prescott agreed to a record four-year, $240 million contract extension, his agent Todd France confirmed to CNN on Sunday.

The deal, according to ESPN and The Athletic, includes $231 million guaranteed, making Prescott the highest-paid player in the NFL.

The 31-year-old becomes the first player to earn $60 million per year.

Last season, Prescott threw a league-high 36 passing touchdowns, becoming the first Cowboys signal caller to do so. He also led the NFL in completions with a career-high-tying 410. Prescott finished with 4,516 passing yards, third most in the NFL.

The three-time Pro Bowler finished second in NFL MVP voting.

The Cowboys open the season on the road against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

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LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The NM State Aggies (1-1) and (RV/RV) Liberty Flames (2-0)  met for a late-night broadcast from inside Aggie Memorial Stadium, with kickoff coming at 8:25 PM MT on ESPN2.

A 21-point fourth quarter by Liberty ultimately gave them the 30-24 victory.
 
The rematch of the 2023 Conference USA Championship lived up to the hype as the game-winning score came with just 1:05 remaining on the clock.

The Aggies took one of the top Group of Five teams in the country to the wire, however, were unable to seal the deal as they were outscored by 14 points in the final 15 minutes of action.
 
FIRST QUARTER
After NM State won the coin toss and deferred the kick until the second half, Liberty took control of the ball first. The Flames' first possession of the game ended with a Sone Aupiu batted pass on fourth down to force a turnover on downs. With its first possession of the game, NM State used nine plays to march 47 yards where the drive would end with a 29-yard field goal from Abraham Montaño.
 
The ensuing Liberty drive would last just one minute and 32 seconds as the Flames gained just two yards on three plays before punting the ball back to the home side. After a commercial break, the Aggies called upon the speedy Monte Watkins as the junior took a screen pass 64 yards to the end zone to hand NM State a 10-point lead.
 
Liberty responded in short order with a 63-yard pass from Kaidon Salter to Treon Sibley on their first play of the drive, hastily putting the Flames inside the red zone. Along with a Buddha Peleti sack, the Aggie defense was able to bow its back and limit the Flames to just a field goal.
 
Scoring plays: NMSU - 29-yard field goal by Abraham Montaño; 64-yard touchdown reception by Monte Watkins (Abraham Montaño kick); 39-yard field goal by Colin Karhu
 
End Q1: NM State 10, Liberty 3
 
SECOND QUARTER
Continuing a drive that started in the first, the Aggies leaned on their rushing attack, gathering 50 yards on the ground before Parker Awad found running back Seth McGowan for an easy 5-yard score through the air. The touchdown put the Crimson & White ahead by two scores (17-3) early in the second frame. 
 
Following another long passing play to Sibley, the Flames set up shop at the Aggie 18-yard line. However, once again, the Aggie defense would stiffen up and limit the visitors to just three points - maintaining a two-score lead.
 
The trend would continue as Liberty would work its way into the red zone for the third time in the first half. However, yet again, NM State would use a series of strong defensive plays to force Salter and the Flames' offense off the field.
 
Scoring plays: 5-yard touchdown reception by Seth McGowan (Abraham Montaño kick); 31-yard field goal by Colin Karhu; 29-yard field goal by Colin Karhu; 
 
End Q2: NM State 17, Liberty 9
 
THIRD QUARTER
Returning from the break, both offenses struggled to find a rhythm with a combined five punts to begin the third quarter. A 45-yard run from Liberty running back Vaughn Blue put the Flames in position to potentially tie the game, but they would settle for a 45-yard field goal attempt by Colin Karhu - his fourth of the contest. After Karhu pushed it wide left, the Aggies took control with a 17-9 lead and 3:45 remaining in the frame. The quarter would ultimately end with the scoreboard unaffected.
 
Scoring plays: None
 
End Q3: NM State 17, Liberty 9
 
FOURTH QUARTER
The game underwent a major shift with 9:45 remaining as Liberty came up with a sack-fumble which it returned for a touchdown - pulling within two points. Trailing 15-17, the Flames elected to attempt a two-point conversion, but the Aggie defense stood on its head again - coming up with a stop to keep the home team in front by two on the scoreboard.
 
On the very next drive, Parker Awad would guide the Aggies on a quick, four-play, 65-yard touchdown drive assisted by 18 yards of Liberty penalties late. A two-yard rushing touchdown from Awad capped off the drive in what was his first rushing score for the Crimson & White. 
 
Trailing by nine points, the Flames would respond to the Aggies' haymaker with a right hook of their own as they went on a six-play, 82-yard drive spanning just 2:26 that was capped off by a rushing touchdown from Quinton Cooley who had amassed just 40 rushing yards up to that point in the game. 
 
The Aggies got the ball back, however, after five plays, NM State would punt the ball back to the Flames. Down two with 1:05 remaining, Liberty's Cooley would add a go-ahead 44-yard touchdown scamper to put the game away.
 
Scoring plays: 22-yard fumble return by C.J. Brazile Jr. (Colin Karhu kick); 2-yard rushing touchdown by Parker Awad (Abraham Montaño kick); 27-yard rushing touchdown by Quinton Cooley (Colin Karhu kick); 44-yard rushing touchdown by Quinton Cooley (Colin Karhu kick) 
 
FINAL: NM State 24, Liberty 30
 
UP NEXT
After opening the season with back-to-back home bouts, the Aggies will officially make their first road trip of the season as they travel west to take on Fresno State in what will be a rematch of the 2024 Isleta New Mexico Bowl.
 
The Aggies and Bulldogs are scheduled to kick off at 8:30 p.m. MT and the game will air live on TruTV. Fans interested in attending the game click here to purchase tickets online.
 
For complete coverage of the NM State football program, visit NMStateSports.com - the official home of Aggie athletics - and follow the Aggies on Facebook (NM State Football), Twitter (@NMStateFootball) and Instagram (@NMStateFB).
 
Postgame Quotes
Head Coach Tony Sanchez on belief entering the game
"We fully believed that we'd have a chance, I don't think is anyone head and heels above anyone else in our conference, so it's really going to come down to week in and week out just executing at a high level."
 
Head Coach Tony Sanchez on offensive performance
"We came out and played really well early offensively, we were able to move the ball and put some points on the board, but really got stuck in the mud in the second and third quarters, really disappointed."
 
Head Coach Tony Sanchez on defensive performance
"You know we tackled really well early; you saw that disappear at the end with a little fatigue. We really limited their rush game, most of their rush game came through Salter running around, but until those last two drives we pretty much shut their run game down and they are a pretty good running football team."

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By Kevin Dotson and Ben Morse, CNN

(CNN) — The Miami-Dade Police Department placed an officer on administrative leave Sunday after Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill was detained prior to the start of the season-opening game.

On Sunday morning, just hours before kickoff, Hill was detained for a short time by police after a traffic incident, the team said on social media. Miami-Dade Police Department Director Stephanie V. Daniels said Sunday an investigation has begun into the incident and one of the officers involved is being placed on administrative duties. A second Dolphins player said he was also handcuffed when trying to discuss the situation with officers at the scene.

“Following the incident involving Tyreek Hill, I have initiated an Internal Affairs investigation to ensure a thorough review of the matter. One of the officers involved in the incident has been placed on administrative duties while the investigation is conducted,” Daniels said in a statement. “I’m committed to transparency and accountability to the community with any situation involving my officers.”

Hill won’t soon forget the start of the 2024-25 season. After being detained, his day ended with a comeback win against the Jacksonville Jaguars that featured a “handcuffs” celebration after scoring a key touchdown.

The “Cheetah” said after the game he was still confused by his pregame encounter with police.

“I wasn’t disrespectful because my mom didn’t raise me that way, didn’t cuss, didn’t do none of that. Like I said, I’m still trying to figure it out,” Hill said at his postgame press conference.

Hill, 30, is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, leading the league in receiving yards last season with 1,799 yards, while also adding 13 touchdowns. The Dolphins played the Jacksonville Jaguars in their Week 1 game at Hard Rock Stadium.

Showcasing his trademark speed, Hill found the end zone in the third quarter against the Jaguars, connecting with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for an 80-yard score. After scoring, Hill celebrated by putting his arms behind his back with his wrists together – perhaps an allusion to being in handcuffs earlier in the day.

In the end, the Dolphins overcame a 14-0 deficit to win the game 20-17 on a 52-yard field goal from Jason Sanders as time expired. Hill finished the game with seven catches for 130 yards and a touchdown.

It’s still unclear exactly what led to Hill being detained by police. The team said on social media before the game he was pulled over by police for a traffic incident.

“This morning, WR Tyreek Hill was pulled over for a traffic incident about one block from the stadium and briefly detained by police,” the Dolphins X account said.

“He has since been released. Several teammates saw the incident and stopped to offer support. Tyreek and all other players involved have safely arrived to the stadium and will be available for today’s game.”

Reported video of the incident appeared to show a handcuffed Hill being picked up off the road by police.

Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told CNN in a statement Sunday night his legal team will “pursue this matter” and “consider legal action.”

“What happened today to Tyreek at the stadium is completely unacceptable,” Rosenhaus said. “Tyreek did not deserve to be treated that way by the police involved.”

CNN has reached out to Rosenhaus for more information.

After the game, Dolphins defensive tackle Calais Campbell said he was also put in handcuffs by police when he attempted to intercede and “deescalate” the situation.

“They put handcuffs on me too, and I was like ‘What’s going on?’ I didn’t understand what the issue was,” Campbell told NFL Network. “For him to put handcuffs on me, I felt some type of way.

“But that just goes to show how our resilience though. We didn’t let that stop us. We just got back in line, got focused again, and went out there and played a good football game. But that definitely was an interesting way to start a ballgame.”

Hill said he was moved by the show of support from his teammates.

“That should tell you everything you need to know,” Hill said after the game. “I’m just glad that my teammates were there to support me in that situation because I felt alone. And when they showed up, it made me realized that we got a f–king good team this year. For them to put their life on the line.”

Earlier Sunday, Rosenhaustold ESPN the incident began as a traffic stop when Hill was driving to the stadium.

“Apparently, he got a ticket for a moving violation entering the stadium,” Rosenhaus told ESPN. “How things escalated into the situation that they were in, in handcuffs and being held on the ground with police is mind-boggling to me.”

“We are aware of the recent detainment of Miami Dolphins player Tyreek Hill by Miami-Dade Police Department officers,” Daniels said in an earlier statement. “I have requested an immediate review of all details surrounding the incident, and we are also reviewing available body camera footage. We will provide updates as further information becomes available.”

CNN has reached out to the police for more information.

Rosenhaus confirmed to ESPN he has spoken with Hill and shared his client’s account of the incident.

“He was given a moving violation ticket, and he’s going to focus on the game and then we’ll address this afterwards,” Rosenhaus told ESPN.

Rosenhaus said the altercation left Hill rattled.

“The most important thing is that Tyreek is okay physically. Mentally, he was very distraught about what happened,” Rosenhaus told ESPN. “Tyreek has told me over and over he’s a big supporter of police. He was telling the police there, ‘I want to be a police officer in the future.’ But this is crazy, I’ve never seen anything like this.”

In a separate interview with CBS Sports, Rosenhaus said his client was left feeling “stunned” and “very emotional” after the incident. “He had no idea why it escalated to that extent. He felt it was very inappropriate, but we’ll be dealing with that after the game.”

Hill was a “consummate professional,” Rosenhaus said.

“He’s a very strong man, and I’m confident he’ll pull it together and be at his best today,” he said

This story has been updated with additional developments.

CNN’s Homero De La Fuente contributed to this report.

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By Ben Morse, CNN

(CNN) — The Paris Games paid tribute to Ugandan Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei after her death on Thursday, days after allegedly being burned by her boyfriend.

A eulogy was played at the 2024 Paralympics after the T54 and T12 marathons on Sunday, together with a photo of Cheptegei on the big screen near the finish line at the Esplanades des Invalides.

The crowd then joined in a minute’s applause in memory of the runner.

Following Sunday’s marathons, several participants also paid their tributes to Cheptegei.

Marcel Hug, who won his third consecutive T54 marathon gold medal, stressed the importance for the Paralympic movement to send a strong “message out against violence.”

“It’s terrible, and we should really try to avoid violence like this,” the Swiss runner told Olympics.com. “I didn’t personally know her, but she was a good person, and it’s so sad. It’s a good opportunity to think of her here at the Paralympics. We should send a message out against violence like this.”

Hug’s fellow Swiss wheelchair racer, Catherine Debrunner, also expressed her shock after winning her first Paralympic T54 marathon gold.

“I don’t really have the words for it. We should not take it for granted what we can do here.”

On Friday, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo said Cheptegei would be honored by the French capital by naming a sports facility after her.

Cheptegei, 33, who lived in Kenya, had been in a critical condition after suffering burns on 75% of her body following last Sunday’s attack at her house in the western Trans Nzoia County. Her death was confirmed on X by the Kenyan Olympic Team on Thursday.

Cheptegei finished 44th in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics weeks ago.

Trans Nzoia County police commander Jeremiah ole Kosiom said earlier this week that the athlete had been doused in petrol by her boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, who stormed her house with a jerry can of gasoline and set fire to her after a disagreement over land. Ndiema, who was also burned, is being treated at a hospital in the city of Eldoret.

A medical official at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital where Cheptegei was being treated told CNN affiliate Citizen TV on Thursday that she suffered multi-organ failure late Wednesday.

Cheptegei is the third elite female athlete to be killed in Kenya in the last three years.

In 2021, 25-year-old Kenyan Olympic runner Agnes Tirop was found dead in her Iten home in the country’s Elgeyo-Marakwet County with stab wounds in her neck. Her husband, Ibrahim Rotich, was charged with murder after Kenyan prosecutors accused him of killing her.

Months later, another Kenyan athlete Damaris Mutua, 28, was found strangled in a home with a pillow over her face. Mutua had just placed third at a half marathon in Angola earlier that month. Authorities said her boyfriend was the main suspect.

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By Patrick Snell and Amy Woodyatt, CNN

(CNN) — Wojtek Czyz had long dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player – and those dreams were close to coming true, when at 21 he had just signed a contract with a professional club.

But shortly after penning his deal, Czyz suffered a life-changing injury after a collision with a goalkeeper in his last amateur game damaged his knee.

“Unfortunately … the medical support came too late. So everything below my knee was dead and they had to amputate,” he told CNN Sport’s Patrick Snell.

Coming so close to his dream only to have it ripped away was devastating for the athlete, who said he became “suicidal.”

“As much as I fought for becoming a professional football player, this destiny, this passion – I had now only one passion: and this is to end my life,” he said. After an attempt to end his own life was stopped by a nurse, he slowly changed his perspective and said that he “could put all my passion again into the right direction and this is how I recovered from this dark time.”

Just six months after his amputation, Czyz became the German champion in the T42 100m and F42/44 long jump. He later represented his home country at three Paralympic Games in 2004, 2008 and 2012, where he won seven medals – including four golds – in para athletics as a sprinter and long jumper.

An unlikely friendship and phenomenal sporting career

Czyz credited his Paralympic career to a friend, who asked him why he had wanted to be a soccer player in the first place.

“I said: ‘To enter a stadium full with 80,000 people shouting your name after you score a goal.’ It is simply this, this feeling which gave me the drive to go for it.

“He said, ‘OK, I will give you this DVD. Have a look and I will come back in 30 minutes.’ And this DVD was a documentary about the Paralympics in Barcelona from 1992 with the full stadium and people cheering. And this is where I said, ‘Oh, wow, I want to be there,’ and this was the door which was opened for me.”

That, and an unlikely friendship with former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who at the time was head coach at German soccer team Mainz 05, helped to propel Czyz towards a new goal of becoming a para athlete.

“[Klopp] heard about my story and he directly decided to try to support me so that I [could] get a good prosthetic for the future,” Czyz explained.

After competing in three consecutive Paralympics, Czyz took a five-year retirement, spending much of his time distributing prosthetics limbs to 90 people in need of them. But after moving to New Zealand, he began to play and enjoy badminton – ultimately going on to represent the Kiwis in this year’s Paralympics.

“Imagine 2.5 years ago, I took a racket in my hand and I didn’t even know how to hold it,” he said.

This year, Klopp, who stepped down as Liverpool coach at the end of last season, supported his friend from the stands – and although Czyz eventually lost out to Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell, it didn’t dampen the pair’s spirits.

“He loves that I try to be the door opener now and this is why he came and, for sure, also to enjoy the Paralympics because he’s saying: ‘Look, they are the best stories,’” said Czyz.

Klopp, for his part, added: “How was it to watch him? Great,” per Olympics.com.

“Being here, I stood next to Elena, his incredible wife, and we both had tears in our eyes because I know sport is always about the result and winning, but there’s much more behind that story. And being here is always so touching that I couldn’t get my head around it.”

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By Issy Ronald, CNN

(CNN) — Jessica Pegula reached new heights in her already distinguished tennis career this week.

A serial winner of other tournaments on the WTA Tour and firmly ensconced in the top 10 of the world rankings, she had never quite been able to replicate that success in grand slams, until this week.

Until Wednesday, Pegula had lost all six of the grand slam quarterfinals she had played in, a streak she broke in impressive fashion by defeating world No. 1 Iga Świątek 6-2 6-4 at the 2024 US Open. Then, she defeated Karolína Muchová 1-6 6-4 6-2 in the semifinal to reach her first grand slam final and, though she lost to Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday evening, the American is “taking confidence” from this run.

“If I can’t take confidence from this, there’s got to be something wrong,” she told reporters in her post-match press conference. “To be able to be a grand slam finalist, that was kind of the last thing for me. I made a lot of quarterfinals but can I make a semi? Can I be a contender to actually win a grand slam.”

Playing Sabalenka, the world No. 2, in the final proved a step too far for Pegula as she succumbed to a 7-5 7-5 defeat. Although she fought back from 3-0 down in the second set and took a 5-3 lead, almost forcing the match to a deciding third set, Sabalenka displayed her quality and sealed the win.

“I’m just annoyed I lost right now,” Pegula said afterward. “Everyone is like, ‘Congrats, amazing tournament.’ I’m like, ‘Eh, whatever,’” she added, half joking.

Despite the defeat, Pegula will regain her career-high world No. 3 ranking after winning 15 of her last 17 matches, losing only to Sabalenka. Such a run comes after a year tarnished by injury in which she hadn’t made it past the second round of a grand slam.

“I think maybe I handled the moment a little bit better this year with just having maybe a different perspective of I had a rough start to the year and I didn’t really expect to be doing this well in the hard court swing and I was able to kind of flip that script,” she said.

Several celebrities, including Lewis Hamilton, Noah Lyles, Tina Fey, Rebel Wilson and Steph Curry, were all pictured in the stands of the Arthur Ashe Stadium enjoying the tennis.

Pegula added that Curry had given her a pep talk before Saturday’s final, though quipped that her husband was particularly excited to meet the NBA superstar.

“Funny story, my husband, his iPhone name is Steph Curry because he loves Steph Curry,” Pegula said. “If you connect to Bluetooth or send him something or AirDrop, it’s ‘Steph Curry’s iPhone’.

“I was like, ‘Please tell me you did not tell him about the iPhone thing.’ … He was like, ‘No, (Curry) loved it’. I was like, ‘Did he? Or did he really think you were kind of crazy?’ I guess he thought it was pretty funny.”

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By Ben Morse, CNN

(CNN) — The Northern Illinois Huskies shocked No. 5 Notre Dame on Saturday in a dramatic upset result at Notre Dame Stadium.

Kanon Woodill’s 35-year field goal with 31 seconds left gave the Huskies a late two-point lead before Cade Haberman blocked Notre Dame’s attempted 62-yard field goal to clinch the 16-14 victory.

The victory is Northern Illinois’ first ever win over a top-five ranked opponent, with the NBC commentary team coining it the “biggest upset” in the school’s history.

“I’m so proud of the kids, our coaches, everybody, they believed,” an emotional Huskies head coach Thomas Hammock told NBC afterwards. “They believed and we came here and got it done.

“They listened to what I said, I told them all week: ‘We don’t need luck, we just need to be our best,’ and they were their best today.”

The Fighting Irish had taken the lead on Saturday, but the Huskies answered in impressive fashion with a 83-yard touchdown pass from Ethan Hampton to Antario Brown and two field goals from Woodill to give them a six-point advantage.

A 34-yard touchdown run from Jeremiyah Love handed Notre Dame a one-point lead midway through the third quarter.

And trailing with just under six minutes remaining of the game, Northern Illinois got the ball back when Amariyun Knighten intercepted Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard and returned it 30 yards to Notre Dame’s 50-yard line.

The team drove down the field, converting two third downs and a fourth down along the way, until they reached the Fighting Irish’s 19-yard line.

Woodill successfully converted the field goal, his third of the afternoon, to leave Notre Dame just seconds to attempt a comeback.

They managed to reach Northern Illinois’ 44-yard line before the drive stalled, leaving them with a 62-yard field goal attempt and just five seconds remaining.

But Haberman was able to get his hand to the attempt from by Notre Dame’s Mitch Jeter, his second block of the day, sparking wild scenes of celebration as the Northern Illinois players and coaches spilled onto the field.

It is the first win by any Mid-American Conference team over a team ranked in the Associated Press top five.

Hammock spoke afterwards on why the victory was so special to him.

“All these guys that have been with our program, been through the ups and downs and they continue to fight,” he said as his voice cracked with emotion. “It’s like they’re my kids! I’m happy for the adversity, to push through no matter the situation and I just couldn’t be more proud.”

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By Don Riddell and Issy Ronald, CNN

(CNN) — When American swimmer Ali Truwit first got back into the water after losing her leg in a shark attack, the sound of water rippling around the pool “triggered flashbacks” to that day.

“It was really, really hard,” she told CNN’s Don Riddell. “At that point physically, the temperature of the water sent what felt like electric shocks throughout my leg because it was newly amputated with all of these new nerve endings and then emotionally hearing the sound of water triggered flashbacks to the attack.”

But at the same time, there were “glimmers of hope,” she added, “moments in the water that felt peaceful and joyful” as she sought to reclaim her “love of water.”

And just 16 months after that life-changing day, she was swimming on the biggest stage of all, winning two Paralympic silver medals in Paris in the women’s S10 400-meter freestyle and 100m backstroke.

“It’s an indescribable feeling, but it’s on the shoulders of so many who have been such a great support to me this year and even in the stands in Paris,” she said.

Truwit was a competitive swimmer for Yale University, where she majored in cognitive science and economics, and was on holiday with her teammate Sophie Pilkinton, snorkelling in the Turks and Caicos Islands when the attack happened.

“It was a terrifying day, a terrifying time and a terrible moment, one that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy,” Truwit said. “But when I look back now, I really try to instead focus on the strength that Sophie and I showed and how grateful I am for Sophie’s composure and medical knowledge and expertise, but selflessness and friendship to save my life.”

They managed to fight off the shark and swim back to the boat where her friend applied a tourniquet to stem the bleeding. Truwit was then airlifted to hospital where doctors operated three times and eventually amputated her left leg just below the knee on her 23rd birthday.

“I definitely have flashbacks to the attack and you know in the early days had several nightmares,” she said. “My mom would spend countless sleepless nights with me helping coach me through them. But I think just learning to face fear, learning that I can have a flashback and I’m ok and I get through it.”

Within the first month of the attack, Noelle Lambert, an American Paralympic track and field athlete who also competed in Paris, had contacted Truwit and “planted the seed” of competing at a Paralympic Games.

“It started … just with a quest to regain my love of the water and then a quest to get some exercise and cardio which I was sorely missing and it started to kind of unfold into what if? What if I could make it?,” she said.

“And typically when I have what ifs they don’t end very positive. They’re kind of nervous and anxious thoughts and so it was exciting to me that I had a what if that was so exciting and happy amidst a lot of sadness and tears.”

And as she competed in Paris, her family, her coach – who came out of retirement to guide her back to competitive swimming – and her friends, including those who saved her life, were all there cheering in the stands as she clinched her silver medals

“My lifesavers, heroes, sisters, best friends. The most selfless incredible caring strong inspirations I’ll ever have,” she wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of the two friends she says saved her life.

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By Ben Morse, CNN

(CNN) — Lyudmyla Kichenok’s time in New York for the US Open was supposed to be filled with tennis and capped off by her marriage to her partner, Stas Kumarsky, on the Wednesday of the second week of the grand slam.

But that schedule all changed when the Ukrainian player and her doubles partner Jelena Ostapenko kept on winning in the women’s doubles tournament.

So much so that they claimed the grand slam title on Friday, beating Kristina Mladenovic and Zhang Shuai in straight sets in the final in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

After claiming her maiden grand slam title, Kichenok revealed that Kumarsky – who is Ostapenko’s coach – had initially booked the wedding two days before the final for the pair to tie the knot but her success on the court curtailed that plan.

“We decided when we got here to New York, my boyfriend Stas, he checked where we can do it, because we got engaged more than a year ago,” the 32-year-old said on court after winning the women’s doubles title. “We were figuring out all the things, where we can do that. And, yeah, he found a spot here and he just booked an appointment for Wednesday.

“He told me that. I was, like: ‘Okay, yeah, let’s go.’ Just this procedure when you sign the papers, just to do that. Yeah, we actually set a date, but I had to play semifinals on Wednesday, and I said: ‘Okay, maybe next time.’”

Kichenok added that they will get married another time, hypothesizing that they will do it in either “Las Vegas or Europe somewhere.”

Kichenok and Ostapenko were dominant on their way to claiming the US Open women’s doubles title, not dropping a set all tournament.

It is their third title of the year, and afterwards, Kichenok dedicated the victory to the “people in Ukraine.”

“They are fighting very hard for our freedom right now and I just hope I can give them some encouragement. My heart is with them.”

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By Ben Morse, CNN

(CNN) — The 2024 NFL season got off with a bang with the Kansas City Chiefs beating the Baltimore Ravens, 27-20 on opening night on Thursday and the Philadelphia Eagles beating the Green Bay Packers in Brazil on Friday.

But the rest of the opening weekend of action is full of intrigue and question marks as teams begin a new campaign.

Here’s what to look for on Sunday’s games in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season.

How to watch

Over the course of the NFL season, fans can tune in to watch games on TV through CBS, ESPN, FOX, NBC, ABC and NFL Network. Games will also be broadcast on Sky Sports in the UK.

Streaming services NFL+, Sunday Ticket, DAZN, Peacock, Paramount+, ESPN+, Amazon Prime and Netflix will also all show games.

Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts, 1:00 p.m. ET

Both the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts have reasons to be hopeful heading into the new season.

For the Texans, last year’s team was arguably the story of the season as, led by Offensive Rookie of the Year quarterback CJ Stroud, they made the playoffs with a young squad which showed experience beyond their years.

Behind Stroud’s historic debut season, first year head coach DeMeco Ryans’ defensive prowess and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik’s creativeness, Houston surprised many opponents as it finished atop the AFC South.

For the Colts, their own promising young QB, Anthony Richardson, showed glimpses of what he could bring to the franchise in his rookie season, which was cut short due to a shoulder injury.

Richardson only appeared in four games last year, but his limited outings highlighted why he was such a hot prospect coming into the 2023 NFL Draft – his combination of dynamic running and big arm potentially makes him a tough force for defenses to stop.

Both also possess other offensive talent – in the offseason, the Texans acquired running back Joe Mixon and added wide receiver Stefon Diggs to their strong receiving core of Tank Dell and Nico Collins while Colts running back Jonathan Taylor could be in line for a big comeback season after two down years.

The Texans and the Colts are two members of the AFC South looking up rather than down with the full season ahead of them and Sunday’s clash at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis has big significance on who finishes atop the division.

Dallas Cowboys @ Cleveland Browns, 4:25 p.m. ET

The Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns are two teams who enter the new NFL season with huge question marks.

The Cowboys have massive pressure riding on their shoulders following their stunning defeat to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card game last season.

Although Dallas has had consistent regular season success under head coach Mike McCarthy, it has been unable to convert that into any significant postseason run.

Owner and general manager Jerry Jones is unlikely to accept further playoff embarrassment from McCarthy this time around, and with quarterback Dak Prescott’s contract expiring at the end of this season, it could be a final roll of the dice for this edition of ‘America’s Team.’

The roster still has plenty of other unknowns as well. Although the Cowboys tied down wide receiver CeeDee Lamb after an offseason of drama, the running back position and offensive line depth could be problematic for Dallas.

For the Browns, it is time for the team to start showing signs of progress.

The controversial acquisition of quarterback Deshaun Watson in 2022 was supposed to signal a new era for the team, but Watson has battled poor form and injuries during his time in Ohio.

Last year’s team was boosted by the revival of Joe Flacco, but the franchise’s season ended in disappointment after a heavy defeat to the Texans in the Wild Card round.

Barring further injuries to Watson, the Browns will be hoping to go one step further this time around with a complete-looking roster; the team’s star running back Nick Chubb will miss the beginning of the season as he recovers from a serious knee injury suffered last season, but he could prove to be the difference for Cleveland if he is fully recovered.

Los Angeles Rams @ Detroit Lions, 8:20 P.M. ET

Under head coach Sean McVay, the Los Angeles Rams have been the epitome of consistency.

Although this season will be the team’s first without perennial All-Pro Aaron Donald, the Rams look to be in good position to have another successful season.

LA’s offense looks stacked once again – with quarterback Matthew Stafford, the wide receiver pairing of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua and last season’s breakout star, running back Kyren Williams – while the defense has had a facelift, in particular with the drafting of Florida State duo Jared Verse and Braden Fiske.

The Detroit Lions similarly have high expectations this season, a surprising feeling for many fans after so many years of disappointment.

But under head coach Dan Campbell, the Lions have emerged from the depths of despair to become one of the NFL’s most exciting teams.

It will be a chance to prove LA wrong for Detroit quarterback Jared Goff, who was selected with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2016 Draft by the Rams but traded for Stafford and a bevy of picks in 2021.

Goff is supported by a host of dynamic offensive weapons. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is chief among those, while second year players Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta are stars in the making at their respective positions.

Having lost in the NFC Championship game last season, the Lions enter the season with Super Bowl aspirations.

Full schedule

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Atlanta Falcons, 1:00 p.m. ET

Arizona Cardinals @ Buffalo Bills, 1:00 p.m. ET

Tennessee Titans @ Chicago Bears, 1:00 p.m. ET

New England Patriots @ Cincinnati Bengals, 1:00 p.m. ET

Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts, 1:00 p.m. ET

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Miami Dolphins, 1:00 p.m. ET

Carolina Panthers @ New Orleans Saints, 1:00 p.m. ET

Minnesota Vikings @ New York Giants, 1:00 p.m. ET

Las Vegas Raiders @ Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05 p.m. ET

Denver Broncos @ Seattle Seahawks, 4:05 p.m. ET

Dallas Cowboys @ Cleveland Browns, 4:25 p.m. ET

Washington Commanders @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 4:25 p.m. ET

Los Angeles Rams @ Detroit Lions, 8:20 p.m. ET

Monday

New York Jets @ San Francisco 49ers, 8:15 p.m. ET

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By Jill Martin and Andy Scholes, CNN

New York (CNN) — World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has won his second grand slam singles title, beating American Taylor Fritz to win the US Open 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday.

Fritz, the world No. 12, was bidding to be the first American man to win a grand slam singles title in 21 years. Andy Roddick, who was in attendance Sunday, is the last American man to do it when he won the 2003 US Open.

The 23-year-old Sinner, on an 11-match win streak, won the Australian Open in January. He joins Flavia Pennetta, who won the women’s singles championship in 2015, as the only Italian singles champions in US Open tournament history.

“This title for me means so much because the last period of my career was really not easy,” Sinner said. “There is my team who supports me every day, the people who are close to me. I love tennis. I practice a lot for this kind of stages, but I also realize that off the court there is a life.

“I would like to dedicate this title to my aunt, because she is really not feeling well, health-wise. I don’t know how much I still have her in my life. It’s so nice that I can share a positive moment still with her. … If there would be the biggest wish, I would wish the best health to everyone, but unfortunately, it’s not possible.”

Sinner spoke more about his aunt during his post-match press conference.

“My aunt, she’s a very important person, because when my parents, they were working every day and all day, so sometimes when I had to go to ski races, I went with her,” Sinner said. “She always helped me in summertime when my parents were working and I had some days off or free days.

“You know, when you are young, you don’t go to practice every day. So I hang around a lot with her, and she’s a very important person in my life.

“This also, especially when I had this difficult time, I tried to see it in a different way, you know, sport, things can happen unfortunately, but, you know, the real life is something different.

“You know, we travel a lot, so it’s difficult to spend time with the people who you really love, but if I would have more time, for sure I would spend more time with the people I really care (about).

“Yeah, it was and is a really difficult moment also now, but, you know, just also have to accept that, yeah, not everything is perfect.”

Fritz: ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t get it done’

Fritz is the first American man to reach a grand slam singles final since Roddick was runner-up to Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2009. Roddick had been the last American man to reach the US Open singles final, losing to Federer in 2006.

An American man was guaranteed to reach the final when Fritz and No. 20 Frances Tiafoe played each other in the semifinals, with Fritz coming back in that match from a two-sets-to-one deficit.

Previously, Fritz’s best result at a major was reaching the quarterfinals, where the 26-year-old had been 0-4 at that stage.

“Being an American, at the US Open, it’s just incredible feeling the love all week,” Fritz said to the crowd. “Thank you so much. I know we’ve been waiting for a champion for a long time, so I’m sorry I couldn’t get it done this time. But I’m going to keep working, and hopefully I’ll get it the next time.”

Sinner looked unflappable while winning the first two sets. But that changed in the third. The Italian’s level dipped, allowing Fritz – and the New York crowd – back into the match and giving the American a 5-3 lead.

The momentum shift, however, did not last. Fritz was unable to serve out the set, and Sinner went on to win the next four games for the title.

Sinner: ‘I knew that I haven’t done anything wrong’

Sinner’s triumph comes against the backdrop of his recent doping case that became public knowledge on August 20 – news that shocked the tennis world.

Sinner, who avoided suspension after twice testing positive for trace amounts of the banned substance Clostebol, repeatedly has said he hasn’t done anything wrong. It was ruled Sinner bore “no fault or negligence,” with Sinner saying the positive tests stemmed from “inadvertent contamination” through treatment from his then-physiotherapist.

Sinner told CNN how he was able to play well despite that hanging over him.

“First of all, in my mind, I knew that I haven’t done anything wrong, so that’s already the biggest part for me mentally that I am OK,” Sinner said.

“In another way, it’s me and my team, we know what we went through for months. We know what we were feeling like in the last months. This means even more of a positive sign for me and my team because we put a lot of extra work in trying to be as ready as possible mentally.”

This is the first year since 2002 that none of the members of men’s tennis “Big Three” – Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and the now-retired Federer – won a grand slam. Instead, the majors were split by Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, with the Spaniard winning the French Open and Wimbledon.

At this year’s US Open, Djokovic was upset in the third round by Alexei Popyrin, while Nadal did not play.

“It’s tough to predict the future,” Sinner said to CNN on whether it’s the changing of the guard in men’s tennis.

“I think it’s nice for tennis to see some new champions, some new favorites of tournaments. I’m happy to be part of this, at least this year.

“Let’s see what’s coming next year. Obviously they’re all big, big challenges coming up. But I’m just looking forward to improve as a player and then we’ll see what I can do.”

The rich and famous routinely turn out for the US Open, and Sunday was no exception. In attendance were Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce – who were sitting with Patrick and Brittany Mahomes. Others on hand included Matthew McConaughey, Martha Stewart, Noah Lyles and Elon Musk.

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LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- After a three-match skid, NM State Volleyball got back in the win column on Saturday. Starr Williams and Mari Sharp led the way offensively with a combined 28 kills and 15 digs, propelling the Aggies past Cal State Northridge in four sets. Nicole Briggs broke two career blocking records and tied another in a masterful defensive performance. The Crimson & White (2-3) fell in the opening set, but took each of the final three frames and finished with a .250 hitting percentage to earn a win in the weekend finale. 

Set-by-set: NM State wins 3-1 (23-25, 25-13, 27-25, 25-16)

FIRST SET

The Matadors took their lone set in the opener on Saturday, despite NM State leading in nearly every statistical category. The Aggies tallied 14 kills and a .222 hitting percentage, but four service errors and three CSUN aces were too much to overcome. NM State narrowly fell 25-23 in set one.

SECOND SET

Ashley Herman led the way for the Crimson & White with five kills in the second set. A relatively back-and-forth set left the Aggies ahead by a score of 16-13 late. Freshman middle blocker Mia Fox subsequently entered the match and went back to serve. In a near perfect turn of events for Mike Jordan and company, Fox did not stop serving until the set was over. The freshman recorded an ace and a kill as part of a 9-0 run to win 25-13. Herman poured in two kills and two blocks in the nine-point stretch to tie up the match at one set apiece. As a team, the Aggies converted on .483 of all attacks in the frame, compared to just .037 from CSUN.

THIRD SET

The hot streak didn’t stop in the second frame, as Yasso Amin’s fifth ace of the season put her side ahead 4-0, winning the 13th straight point of the match. CSUN put together a 7-2 run to take the lead, swelling to as large as three points (16-13). Yasso Amin, Nicole Briggs, Mari Sharp and Starr Williams all recorded at least three kills in the third stanza in what was NM State’s second consecutive 15-kill set. NM State faced two set points from CSUN, but prevailed with a 3-0 run to win 27-25, capped off by a Morgan Stewart service ace.

FOURTH SET

CSUN tallied 12 errors to the tune of a -.100 hitting percentage in the final set, due in large part to seven Aggie blocks. Briggs led the way, getting a hand on five total, including one solo block. CSUN took a 6-4 lead early, but never led again after a tie at 8-8. NM State closed the match and the weekend on an extended 18-8 run, highlighted by a Mari Sharp kill and ace on back-to-back points. Claudia Rossi landed a skip-set kill in the same set-clinching stretch and the Crimson & White sealed the win on, fittingly, a block assist from Briggs and Yasso Amin.

NUMBERS OF NOTE

• Senior middle blocker Nicole Briggs crushed her career high in total blocks (nine), posting 12 in the four-set win.
• Briggs recorded 10 block assists, which was also a new career best. Her two solo blocks tied a previous career high that she set while playing for the Wildcats.
• Entering the weekend, the Arizona transfer had only recorded seven kills twice in her career. She recorded seven in the win on Saturday after back-to-back eight-kill performances earlier in the tournament. Briggs has now eclipsed six kills in four of five matches to start the season.
• Fifth-year libero Darian Markham led the team in digs for the fifth consecutive match to start the season. 
• The McKinney, Texas product followed up Friday’s masterclass of 31 digs with 24 more in the win on Saturday.
• Mari Sharp recorded another double-double, posting 14 kills and 11 digs. 
• For the fourth in five matches this season, Sharp entered double-digit dig territory.
• Mia Fox recorded the first ace of her collegiate career in the midst of the 9-0 run that sealed set two for NM State.
• Yasso Amin now leads the team with five aces this season. The FIU transfer recorded two in the win and led the Panthers with 43 in 2023
• The team recorded a .250 hitting percentage; the highest mark since an outstanding .394 clip in the season opener versus Coastal Carolina.

FROM THE FLOOR

Head Coach Mike Jordan, on the win: “Nicole Briggs had a very good weekend. She’s improving offensively and working really hard as a blocker. Our small defenders were pretty good today. Mari [Sharp] has to have a scorer’s mentality out of system like she does when we’re in system. She was better today.”

Senior middle blocker Nicole Briggs, on her performance: “I was hungry to win. I transferred here for a reason. I came here knowing it was a winning program and wanted to finish off my collegiate career in that kind of environment. There’s still work to do, but there’s a lot of volleyball left to be played.”

UP NEXT

The Aggies are set for their 2024 home debut, with three matches scheduled for next weekend at the Pan American Center. NM State will host Abilene Christian, Texas Southern and Arizona for the Borderland Invitational. NM State’s home tournament kickstarts a seven-match homestand in The Land of Enchantment, including six at home. The Aggies’ action will be streamed live on ESPN+ all weekend or available to follow via StatBroadcast.

For complete coverage of NM State Volleyball, follow us on Twitter (@NMStateVBall), Instagram (@NMStateVBall) and like us on Facebook (NM State Volleyball). You can also follow along with Aggie Volleyball via NMStateSports.com.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso Locomotive FC played to a 0-0 draw at Southwest University Park on Saturday night, recording a third consecutive result without defeat to pick up a point in the Western Conference standings.

POST-MATCH PRESS CONFERENCE WITH WILMER CABRERA (EN/SP) AND TONY ALFARO (EN/SP): https://www.youtube.com/live/hJjefGeMRa8?si=BBJWdpsCniPsVF6F

"The past three games that we have played, we haven't received a goal so that means we're doing something positive," Head Coach Wilmer Cabrera said. "We are more solid defensively, but now we need to push and score. We need to continue believing in what we've been doing because something is improving in our style of game. I enjoy the way we play – more secure and relaxed – but now we need to push more because if we want to get into the playoffs, we need to get three points every time we are at home."

The Locos dominated the possession throughout the night, especially in the first half where they held the ball for 62% of the first 45 minutes. The Locos were ever threatening in getting into Detroit's final third but the visitor backline held strong to keep out the Locos attack.

In net for El Paso, Ramon Pasquel took over the starting spot with Jahmali Waite out on international duty with Jamaica. The Mexican native held his ground against Detroit's offense, recording four saves on the night.

NOTES

• El Paso Locomotive have won two and drawn three in its last five matches (2-1-3).
• The Locos have now kept three consecutive clean sheets, bringing its shutout season total to six.
• Tony Alfaro registered his first 90 minutes since returning from injury in Locomotive's road trip against Monterey Bay F.C.
• Javier Nevarez made his return to action after missing Locomotive's last five matches.

FORECAST: 81ºF, sunny
ATTENDANCE: 5,764

SCORING SUMMARY

• ELP – N/A
• DET – N/A

LINEUPS 

ELP – (5-3-2) Ramon Pasquel, Lucas Stauffer (Miles Lyons 67'), Wahab Ackwei, Brandan Craig (Javier Nevarez 46'), Ricky Ruiz, Tony Alfaro, Robert Coronado, Eric Calvillo-C, Stiven Rivas (Ricardo Zacarias 79'), Amando Moreno (Bolu Akinyode 90+1'), Tumi Moshobane (Joaquin Rivas 67')

Subs Not Used: Javier Garcia, Nick Hinds

DET – (4-2-3-1) Carlos Saldaña, Alex Villanueva (Matt Sheldon 83'), Devon Amoo-Mensah, Stephen Carroll-C, Michael Bryant, James Murphy (Maxi Rodriguez 64'), Abdoulaye Diop, Connor Rutz (Victor Bezerra 76'), Laurent Kissiedou (Daniel Espeleta 64'), Rhys Williams, Ben Morris

Subs Not Used: Nate Steinwascher, Ryan Williams, Jeciel Cedeño

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

• ELP – Miles Lyons (Yellow) 85'
• DET – James Murphy (Yellow) 22', Alex Villanueva (Yellow) 83'

MATCH STATS: ELP | DET

GOALS: 0|0
ASSISTS: 0|0
POSSESSION: 59|41
SHOTS: 10|10
SHOTS ON GOAL: 2|4
SAVES: 4|2
FOULS: 5|18
OFFSIDES: 0|0
CORNERS: 3|3

UP NEXT: El Paso Locomotive FC hit the road to face Indy Eleven on Saturday, September 14 with kickoff on ESPN+ scheduled for 5 p.m. MT!

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- UTEP Volleyball secured the Borderland Invitational title with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Stephen F. Austin on Saturday at Memorial Gym. The win capped off a perfect 3-0 weekend, boosting UTEP’s overall record to 5-1.

UTEP battled through a tough four-set match against Stephen F. Austin, taking the first set 25-19 after a strong 5-0 closing run. The Miners dominated the second set with a 25-15 win, hitting over .400, but faltered in the third set as SFA capitalized on a late run to take it 25-20. UTEP regrouped in the fourth set, securing a 25-18 victory behind a powerful offensive performance and strong blocking to close out the match 3-1. 

LEADERBOARD 
Ema Uskokovic led the Miners with 16 kills, hitting .268, while Torrance Lovesee added 13 kills at a .360 clip and recorded a double-double with 15 digs. Kalia Kohler and Mattie Gantt combined for 52 assists, with Kalia also delivering 3 aces. Alyssa Sianez anchored the defense with 16 digs, while Kaya Weaver dominated at the net with 8 blocks.  

THE STATS 
UTEP held the all-round statistical advantage in kills (59-42), service aces (7-5), and blocks (15-5). UTEP posted a .297 hitting percentage and held SFA to just .111. UTEP hit over .400 in the first two sets and earned 81 of their 95 total points in the match, showcasing a well-rounded and efficient team effort.

SET-BT-SET
ONE | Stephen F. Austin jumped out to an early 8-4 lead, but UTEP responded with kills from Torrance Lovesee and Lauren Perry, helping the Miners pull ahead 13-10. The teams traded leads as SFA took a 17-16 advantage, forcing UTEP to call the first timeout of the match. The Miners then closed the set on a dominant 5-0 run, fueled by four kills and an ace, to take the opener 25-19. 

TWO | SFA once again grabbed an early 4-2 lead, but UTEP quickly answered with three straight points to take control. The set saw ties at 5-5 and 6-6, but UTEP surged ahead with a 4-0 run, forcing SFA to call a timeout. Out of the break, both teams traded single points, but UTEP maintained a five-point cushion at 17-12. As the Miners approached set point, Ema Uskokovic delivered a powerful kill to seal the 25-15 win, giving UTEP a 2-0 advantage in the match. 

THREE | UTEP started strong with a 5-1 lead, highlighted by a kill and an ace from Kaya Weaver. However, SFA fought back, consistently scoring two points for every UTEP point and eventually tying the set at 12-all. The battle for the lead continued until SFA went on a 3-0 run, forcing UTEP to take a timeout at 19-16. SFA never relinquished their lead, taking the set 25-20 and getting on the board.

FOUR | Looking to close out the match, UTEP came out firing with 7 kills, taking a 10-6 lead. Back-to-back blocks extended the lead to 13-7, prompting SFA to call a timeout. Ema Uskokovic contributed two kills and Mattie Gantt added an ace, pushing UTEP to a 19-11 advantage. SFA responded with a 6-1 run, closing the gap to 20-17, but UTEP finished strong with a 4-0 run. Kills by Lauren Perry and Torrance Lovesee, a solo block by Kaya Weaver, and a match-sealing ace by Kalia Kohler secured the 25-18 win and the match victory.

"It was tough, and Stephen F. Austin gave us everything they had," Coach Ben Wallis said. "We faltered a bit in the third set—some of the challenges got really long and threw off our rhythm because we were rolling, and it just got us out of sorts. SFA earned that set, but we came back strong, blocking six balls in the fourth, which shows the resilience of our team. We got a little complacent in the third, but after they earned their victory, we came right back out determined to take over. We served tough, blocked big, and even though we were running out of gas, we managed to get the victory. It’s been a hard-fought week against three good teams, and this was a great team victory over another NCAA participant and conference champion."

UP NEXT       
The Miners are back in action September 13-15 as they travel to Vermillion, South Dakota to participate in the South Dakota Classic. 

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By Jacob Lev and Jill Martin, CNN

(CNN) — Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese, the WNBA leader this season in total rebounds per game and offensive rebounds per game, will miss the rest of the season because of a wrist injury.

The Sky made the announcement Saturday night. It’s a big blow for Chicago, who currently are in the eighth and final playoff spot, with the Atlanta Dream, Washington Mystics and Dallas Wings still in the hunt.

The Sky have six regular-season games left.

“What a year. I never would have imagined the last bucket of my rookie season would be a 3 but maybe that was God saying give them a taste of what they will be seeing more of in Year 2 lol,” said Reese in posts on X and Instagram, referencing the three-point shot she hit during the fourth quarter Friday in her team’s 92-78 win against the Los Angeles Sparks.

“Through it all, I have showed that I belong in this league even when no one else believed. All I have ever wanted was to come into the W and make an impact. I can confidently say I have done that and will strive to keep doing so. I’m filled with emotions right now that I have a season ending injury, but also filled with so much gratitude for what is next.”

In Friday’s win against the Sparks, Reese finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds. She has averaged 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game this season.

“Although this is God’s timing and not mine, I am finally able to give myself a physical and mental break. God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers,” Reese said.

Reese, who was drafted with the seventh overall pick in this year’s WNBA draft, was no stranger to making history in her rookie season.

On September 1, the former Louisiana State University star broke the WNBA’s single-season record for rebounds, passing Sylvia Fowles, who retired after the 2022 season as the league’s career leader in rebounds.

Reese also broke the single-season record for offensive rebounds, while she has already become the fastest player in WNBA history to record 20 double-doubles and racked up the most consecutive double-doubles (15) in league history.

Reese tallied 26 double-doubles on the season, becoming just one of two players in league history to do so in one year.

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EL PASO, Texas - UTEP head coach Scotty Walden is in search of his first win at UTEP.

So far things are looking good with the Miners leading the Southern Utah Thunderbirds at the half, 17-6.

UTEP quarterback Skyler Locklear has thrown for 172 yards, one passing TD and one rushing TD.

Scoring Summary:

1st Quarter

UTEP scored a touchdown on their first possession of the game.

UTEP quarterback Skyler Locklear with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jevon Jackson.

7-0 UTEP

Southern Utah would also find the end zone on their first drive of the game.

Quarterback Bronson Barron with a 40-yard touchdown pass to Zach Mitchell.

Two point conversion attempt failed - UTEP leads 7-6

On UTEP's second drive of the game the Miners would once again hit paydirt.

Locklear would score a touchdown on a 5-yard quarterback keeper.

Miners extend their lead 14-6

End of the first 14-6 UTEP

2nd Quarter

UTEP kicker Buzz Flabiano connects on a 43-yard field goal.

Miners up 17-6.

Halftime score: 17-6 UTEP

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By Issy Ronald and Don Riddell, CNN

(CNN) — As Hunter Woodhall crossed the line and sealed a Paralympic gold medal in the men’s 400m T62 final, he let out a roar and carried on running to find his wife, Tara Davis-Woodhall.

Their celebration, her in the stands tearfully hugging him on the track, mirrored one that had captured the world a month earlier when she had sealed an Olympic gold medal in the women’s long jump and then launched herself into his arms while he was in the stands, overwhelmed with joy.

“I remember just hearing the crowd roar, and looking back at my family, at Tara, my team and just to see the joy they had in that moment, I had to go share it with them,” Woodhall told CNN’s Don Riddell of the moment when he sealed his maiden Paralympic gold medal on Friday.

Seeing his wife win her Olympic title a month earlier instilled a confidence in him that he too could win a gold medal in Paris – the goal he had been working towards for so long after winning a silver aged just 17 in Rio in 2016 and two bronzes in Tokyo three years ago.

“I know that we do the same things, we train together, we eat together, we recover the same way,” he said. “Seeing Tara go out there and absolutely dominate, it gave me such confidence to say I know we’ve done the same thing, and she’s able to go out there and do that then I know I’m capable of doing the same thing.”

The couple were careful not to over-celebrate Davis-Woodhall’s Olympic gold medal at the time, given that their goal was only half-complete with Woodhall still yet to compete at the Paralympics.

“What she did was so incredible but trying not too put too much time and mental energy into it because we knew we had something else,” he said. “It takes somebody who is really genuine and thoughtful to be able to do that and such a sacrifice and such a humility, I’m really grateful.”

Finally able to relax completely when the sprinter won his Paralympic title too, the couple’s celebrations spilled out onto the track as Woodhall picked his wife up and they spun around together, laughing as she punched the air.

“Me and Tara, we could sit on the porch and watch sunsets every day, we love just being around each other, spending time together, we just work together,” he said.

“We communicate so much and we know that neither of us are perfect but we know that we make each other better,” he added. “We just have a lot of fun.”

Such celebrations come loaded with almost every conceivable emotion, being a commemoration of each athlete’s specific journey to the Games. Woodhall was born with a fused right ankle and a condition called fibular hemimelia, which affected his left leg. Just before he turned one, he had both his legs amputated from the knees down.

“I got my first pair of prosthetics at 15 months, so I started with the cards stacked against me a little bit,” he said. “I remember my dad instilling in me that: ‘Hey, you’re always going to be different and that’s not something you can change but what’s important is that you know who you are, and you understand your value.’

“Everyone has burdens and challenges that we deal with and in a funny way I’m grateful that I kind of dealt with some of my biggest challenges early in life and it taught me to overcome and be grateful for these opportunities, and these really special moments that we get in life.”

When asked to imagine talking to his younger self with his Paralympic gold medal around his neck, Woodhall became emotional, saying: “I would tell him how special he is and how cool it is to be different.”

“I’d tell him to believe in himself,” he added, nodding his head as his voice broke.

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By Ben Morse, CNN

(CNN) — 18-year-old US surfer Caitlin Simmers made history on Friday, becoming the youngest-ever female surfing world champion after winning the World Surf League (WSL) finals.

Simmers beat reigning world champion Caroline Marks in the title match to etch her name into the sport’s history books.

“I think since I first started competing, I’ve always wanted to win a world title,” Simmers said afterwards, per the Red Bull website. “Once you get to the higher levels … you realize that you’re doing it all just to try and get on the tour and win a world title. So, to actually do it is surreal, this feels crazy!”

Simmers entered the finals at Lower Trestles in southern California – just 20 minutes from her hometown – as the top seed after three WSL tour wins this year.

The WSL finals saw the fifth and fourth ranked surfers duel, with the winner advancing to face the third ranked surfer. That winner then progresses to face the second ranked surfer, with that winner then taking on the top ranked surfer in the title match, a best-of-three final that crowns the world champion.

As a result, Simmers had to wait while her competitors duked it out to decide who she will face. In the end, second-seeded Marks, the defending world champion, earned the right to face Simmers.

It was Marks who began the title match quickest, with the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medalist winning the first heat comfortably. But it only seemed to spark Simmers into life.

Two nine-point rides in the second heat leveled the scores and in the deciding heat, the teenager’s run of 8.33 was the winning score as time expired on Marks’ reply with the waves dying down, crowning Simmers as world champion.

“I came in today with the mindset of: ‘I’m going to surf how I want to surf’; I didn’t want to do any safety surfing,” Simmers explained. “That’s always my goal because if I’m going to win then I want win with the surfing I want to do.

“I was lucky enough today to keep myself in the moment and choose the best waves, and I’m glad that I could pull it off and do that. It was an amazing day.”

Simmers overtook five-time world champion Carissa Moore as surfing’s youngest women’s world champion at the age of 18 years, 10 months and 12 days.

When put to her, Simmers said the record was “cool” to have, calling Moore “one of the best of all time.”

“I had the privilege of getting to know Carissa on the last trip we went on, to Tahiti,” she said. “I had a really great time with her, and she gave me and Caroline a lot of advice.

“Carissa was a bit of a big sister, it was cool to see her super relaxed around us. I felt like we were all really comfortable with ourselves, and were all having a great time with each other.”

In the men’s competition, Hawaii’s John John Florence won his third world title after beating Brazil’s Ítalo Ferreira in the final.

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By Ben Morse, CNN

(CNN) — Magnus Carlsen beat Hans Niemann in the pair’s first match against one another since their infamous cheating scandal which made headlines in 2022.

World No. 1 Carlsen defeated Niemann 17.5-12.5 in their semifinal at the 2024 Speed Chess Championship in Paris on Friday in a match affected by issues with the technology used to play on.

The tournament, which is being played in front of a live crowd for the first time ever, sees players sit across from one another wearing noise-canceling headphones and listening to pre-selected playlists as they play on computers.

And Carlsen raced into an early 7-2 lead in the blitz 5+1 portion of the semifinal, it was a more even affair during the blitz 3+1 format, with the duo splitting the scores 4-4.

In the finale bullet 1+1, Carlsen held a large lead while Niemann could be heard complaining of computer issues. “There’s some resistance on my mouse when I move it … it’s something with the server and the website,” the 21-year-old said.

In the end, the large 10-point lead Carlsen had built was enough as he romped to a comfortable victory.

Carlsen and Niemann have a checkered past together after the Norwegian accused Niemann of cheating following the American’s victory over the five-time world champion at the 2022 Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis.

In an interview with the St. Louis Chess Club shortly after his game against Carlsen in 2022, Niemann said that he had never cheated in over-the-board games, CNN previously reported. However, he did admit to cheating in “random games on Chess.com” as a younger player, which he called “the single biggest mistake of my life.”

A report by FIDE, the sport’s world governing body, released in December last year said that Niemann likely didn’t cheat against Carlsen in their over-the-board match at the 2022 Sinquefield Cup, but did cheat in up to 55 online games.

The report also said there was no “statistical evidence to support GM Niemann cheating in over the-board games” in an analysis of 13 tournaments over the past three years.

“Additionally, it was determined that GM Niemann´s overall results in the Sinquefield Cup showed no statistical basis for cheating,” the report said.

In a 72-page report put together by Chess.com earlier in 2022, it was alleged that Niemann “likely cheated” in more than 100 online matches between July 2015 and August 2020, “including several with prize money events.”

”GM Niemann’s performance through the years is characterized by peaks and troughs, consistent with his expected level of play,” according to the FIDE report.

Niemann had filed a $100 million defamation lawsuit against Chess.com, Carlsen and popular streamer and player Hikaru Nakamura but it was dismissed by a judge in June last year, CNN previously reported.

And that bad blood between the pair appears not to have subsided ahead of their Friday clash, with Carlsen saying he would have preferred to face a different opponent to Niemann and Niemann saying he thought Carlsen looked “broken and mentally destroyed.”

After his victory, Carlsen said he was “going through the motions for a long time. I just wanted the match to be over with.”

He later posted a well-known clip from basketball popular culture on social media suggesting Niemann has been trying to provoke Carlsen. In the clip, Lance Stephenson, then of the Indiana Pacers, is trying to antagonize NBA superstar LeBron James of the Miami Heat by blowing in his ear.

Carlsen will face Alireza Firouzja in Sunday’s final after the 21-year-old old beat Hikaru Nakamura in their semifinal.

“That match [against Firouzja] is a lot more motivating since I’m actually playing somebody who is at, you know, the highest level,” Carlsen said. “And I know I really have to bring it.”

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By Andy Scholes and Jill Martin, CNN

New York (CNN) — Aryna Sabalenka would not be denied hoisting the US Open championship trophy this year.

Sabalenka, the world No. 2 from Belarus, defeated American Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5 at Arthur Ashe Stadium to win the US Open for the first time.

This is Sabalenka’s third career grand slam singles title, having won the Australian Open for the second consecutive year back in January. She’s the first woman to sweep the hard court grand slams since Angelique Kerber in 2016.

After winning championship point, Sabalenka fell to the court, overcome with emotion. She went on to thank the crowd for their support.

“You were cheering for me on those good moments,” Sabalenka said. “Of course I expected you to cheer for Jessica. I mean, that wouldn’t be normal if you would cheer for me, you know?”

This was the second year in a row Sabalenka reached the US Open final. A year ago, she lost to Coco Gauff, and the New York crowd was not on the Belarusian’s side, loudly pulling for the American.

“So many times I was so close to get a US Open title,” Sabalenka said, who also had heartbreaking losses in 2021 and 2022 in the semifinals. “It’s always been a dream of mine. Finally, I got this beautiful trophy.”

Sabalenka admitted the crowd affected her in that 2023 final – and she had resolved that wouldn’t happen to her again.

“I would say that this year, I felt so much love from the crowd,” Sabalenka told CNN. “Even though I was facing Americans, they still were supporting, cheering for me a little bit.

“I felt like last year there was kind of like close to zero on my side, and this year I felt a lot of support, even in the finals. I’m just super happy to feel so much love in New York.”

Sabalenka reflected on what her success meant to her. “Well, after I lost my father, it’s always been my goal to put our family name in the history of tennis,” she said.

“Every time I see my name on that trophy, I’m so proud of myself, I’m proud of my family that they never gave up on my dream and that they were doing everything they could to keep me going.”

Sabalenka, 26, has now won 12 consecutive matches and improves her head-to-head record against Pegula to 6-2.

While the scoreline was straight sets, it wasn’t exactly straightforward.

Sabalenka led by a set and 3-0, but Pegula went on to win the next five games to give the American a 5-3 second-set lead.

Sabalenka would not give Pegula a chance to force a third set, however, winning the next four games to close out the match.

Sabalenka was asked how she was going to celebrate with her team. “A lot of drinks,” she said to CNN. “I need to feel this relief. I hope we’re going to have a lot of fun with my team.”

Pegula, meanwhile, had made a breakthrough at this year’s US Open. Previously, the 30-year-old’s best result at a major was reaching the quarterfinals, where she had been 0-6 at that stage. With her result in New York, she will rise from No. 6 to No. 3 in the world, matching her career-high ranking.

Pegula had missed a portion of the schedule earlier this season, including the French Open, because of injury. But during the North American hard court swing this summer, Pegula found her stride, going 15-2.

Those two losses were to Sabalenka: in the Cincinnati Open final last month and Saturday in her first grand slam singles final.

“It’s been an incredible month for me, really,” Pegula said. “I had a rough start to the year but was really able to turn it around. To be able to be standing here in my first grand slam final, and then coming off such a hot summer, I didn’t expect it. I’m just really grateful for the last few weeks of tennis and some incredible matches I’ve been able to put together.”

Pegula, who is a Buffalo native, is the daughter of Terry and Kim Pegula, owners of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. She was introduced to tennis by her family at age 7, and she recently said getting to the US Open final was “a childhood dream.”

When Pegula entered the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium for the final, she notably removed her headphones, appearing to soak in the crowd noise after she had been introduced.

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By Jill Martin, CNN

(CNN) — The first NFL game in South America ultimately turned into a spirited back-and-forth offensive battle as the Philadelphia Eagles hung on to defeat the Green Bay Packers, 34-29.

But the historic game ended with concerns about Packers starting quarterback Jordan Love, who appeared in immense pain after taking a hit in the game’s final seconds and had to be helped off the field. Packers head coach Matt LeFleur did not have an immediate update on Love after the game.

In his first game in an Eagles uniform after spending his first six seasons with the New York Giants, running back Saquon Barkley rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries and caught one more, while Jalen Hurts was 20-of-34 passing for 278 yards and two touchdowns. He threw two interceptions.

“I’ve been thankful ever since I signed (with Philadelphia),” Barkley said. “Got a great group of guys, got great teammates, and they made my job a lot easier today.”

Love was 17-of-34 passing for 260 yards and two touchdowns. He had one interception. Wide receiver Jayden Reed had 138 receiving yards, caught one touchdown and rushed for a 33-yard score.

But while it was a unique backdrop to Friday’s game between the Packers and Eagles, there clearly was an issue early on for both teams: Field conditions at Neo Química Arena – also known as Corinthians Arena – were terrible.

Home to Brazilian soccer team SC Corinthians, the stadium was an official venue for both the 2014 men’s FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

Retired NFL star JJ Watt weighed in on X.

“Soccer fields are made for speed and agility,” Watt said in his post. “Smaller bodies gliding across the surface with minimal contact. They are not properly conditioned to have the size & strength of NFL players cutting, pushing and driving all game on them. This is common at international games.”

NBA star LeBron James was a bit more succinct in an X post of his own: “Man this field sucks!!!”

Action on Friday night started off slow, with sloppy play from both teams on a slippery field. Two Eagles turnovers led to two Packers field goals in the first quarter. Multiple flags were thrown in the direction of both teams. And pieces of the turf could be seen flying into the air when players changed directions.

But while both the Eagles and Packers might not quite have found firmer footing on the turf after the opening period, they did start to find the end zone. In the span of seven minutes in the second quarter, there were four touchdowns in four consecutive possessions.

“It comes with the game of football. You know, you can’t pick and choose what grass you play on,” said Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown, who had five receptions for 119 yards and a touchdown.

“It wasn’t that bad. You change cleats, and you make the most of it. I think some of us did. I know I did after the first drive. We still have to play football because they had to play football on the same grass as well, so it wasn’t really a complaint from me.”

A combined 21 points were scored in the third quarter, and the Eagles took a 31-26 lead into the fourth.

While Philadelphia was in the red zone, Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander picked off Hurts with less than 13 minutes to go, leading to a Packers field goal to cut it to 31-29 with 7:52 remaining. That interception was also marked by a slip, as Brown lost his footing as he tried to get on the end of Hurts’ pass.

The Eagles ran the clock down to 27 seconds, settling for a field goal after a failing on the team’s signature “tush push” – a massive quarterback sneak in which most of the team combines to try and push Hurts for the necessary yardage.

Green Bay was able to move the to midfield, setting up the possibility of a frenetic finish. But with six seconds left, Love – after pitching the ball to Josh Jacobs – got twisted up while being tackled. He stayed down, writhing in obvious pain. He would be helped off the field. There was no immediate word on the seriousness of his possible injury.

Backup quarterback Malik Willis came in for the final two plays, and the game ended in one final slip that resulted in Willis being sacked.

“I’m not going to make excuses about the field,” LaFleur said. “It was the same for both sides.”

Friday’s game in Brazil was part of the NFL’s expanding International Series, of which there will be five games abroad this season. The other four will take place in Europe.

The NFL now has held a game – preseason or regular season – on five continents.

This was the first time the NFL had a game on Friday night of opening weekend in more than 50 years.

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By Jill Martin, CNN

(CNN) — No American man has won a grand slam singles title since Andy Roddick won the US Open in 2003. Taylor Fritz has the chance to end that drought.

Fritz on Friday came back from a two-sets-to-one deficit to defeat fellow American Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 to reach the US Open final.

In Sunday’s championship match, Fritz, the No. 12 seed, will face world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who advanced to his first US Open final after defeating Brit Jack Draper 7-5, 7-6(3), 6-2.

This was Fritz’s first career grand slam semifinal appearance, while Tiafoe, the No. 20 seed, had first reached this stage at the US Open in 2022.

“It’s the reason why I do what I do,” an emotional Fritz said. “It’s the reason why I work so hard. I mean, I’m in the finals of the US Open.”

Roddick, on hand at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday, had been the last American man to reach a grand slam singles final, at Wimbledon in 2009. He was the last American man to reach the US Open final, in 2006.

The 23-year-old Sinner, on a 10-match win streak, seeks his second career grand slam title, having won the Australian Open in January. He is the first Italian man to reach the US Open championship singles match in tournament history.

In their head-to-head matchups, Sinner is 1-1 against the 26-year-old Fritz.

“I’m going to come out, and I’m going to give everything I possibly have, and I know that for a fact,” Fritz said. “I’m going to give it everything I can possibly give it, so I can’t wait.”

Fritz is now 7-1 against Tiafoe.

“Really, really tough to swallow,” Tiafoe said. “This one’s going to hurt really, really bad. … I think nerves got the better of me tonight.”

This was the first all-American men’s singles semifinal at a grand slam since Andre Agassi beat Robby Ginepri at the 2005 US Open.

Fritz, a California native, comes from a tennis family. He is the son of Kathy May Fritz, a former WTA Tour player who achieved a career-high ranking of No. 10 in 1977. His father, Guy Fritz, reached a career-best rank of 301 and is a tennis coach.

Fritz told reporters why he’s confident he can beat Sinner in the final.

“I’ve always enjoyed playing him,” Fritz said. “To be honest, I don’t think that I’m going to be put in a more stressful situation than I was today (against compatriot Tiafoe) than playing in a final. I think today was much more stressful than me playing the final. I just feel good.

“I have a feeling I’m going to come out and play really well and win. When I play good tennis, I think that level is good enough to win.”

Sinner tops Draper in drama-filled semifinal

On a humid day in New York, the semifinal between Sinner and Draper, which lasted just over three hours despite it being just three sets, tested both players physically.

While it was his first grand slam semifinal of his career, the lefty Draper played Sinner tough. The first set lasted almost an hour.

The second set was even more grueling, at just short of 90 minutes. Draper vomited multiple times. Sinner, meanwhile, had a potential injury scare in the middle of what was the most electrifying point of the match at 4-4, 15-40.

Sinner, who was at the net after returning a Draper volley, needed to sprint diagonally across the court and back to the baseline to chase down Draper’s follow-up shot.

The 6-foot-3 Italian, showing his incredible movement and reach, was able to hit a lob to keep the point alive. But while subsequently sliding on the court to change his momentum, Sinner stumbled near the wall – and on to his left wrist while trying to break his fall. Sinner, who is right-handed, was able to get up and handle a Draper overhead, putting a forehand winner past the Brit – and then grabbed at the wrist and leaned over.

Following that game, both players received treatment by separate physios. For the rest of the match, Sinner did not outwardly show any signs of the wrist being an issue. He later told reporters the physio “loosened it up very fast” after getting the on-court treatment and that the issue “went away by playing.”

“Let’s see how it is tomorrow when it’s cold,” Sinner said. “It’s going to be a different feeling. Hopefully it’s nothing to concern about.”

Once Sinner broke Draper for a 4-2 lead in the third set, the Brit leaned over, looking spent.

The 22-year-old Draper, the first British man in a US Open singles semifinal since Andy Murray won the title in 2012, had not dropped a set on his way to the semifinals.

“I think it was obviously a very physical match,” Draper told reporters when asked about the nausea he experienced. “Obviously that’s why Jannik is No. 1 player in the world, because when you play the top players, the intensity is different. You know, it’s a step up.

“I think obviously it’s a big occasion for me. I definitely felt, even though I generally feel pretty relaxed and stuff, I definitely felt more excited today, a few more nerves around. I’m definitely someone who is, I think, quite an anxious human being. I think when you add all that together sometimes I do feel a bit nausea on court, and I do feel a little bit sick when it gets tough.

“Yeah, I didn’t have any problems before the match, but it obviously just built up.”

Sinner’s run comes against the backdrop of his recent doping case that became public knowledge on August 20 – news that shocked the tennis world. Sinner, who avoided suspension after twice testing positive for trace amounts of a banned substance, has said he hasn’t done anything wrong.

“I’m just happy to be in the final here,” Sinner said. “Whoever it is (against), it’s going to be a very tough challenge for me, but I’m just looking forward to it. The season I’m going through, it’s very, very positive. … We just try to keep pushing, and then we’ll see what I can do Sunday.”

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EL PASO, Texas - The Scotty Walden era will make its debut in the Sun City when UTEP hosts Southern Utah on Saturday, Sept. 7. The Miners (0-1) and Thunderbirds (0-1) will kick off at 7 p.m. MT in Sun Bowl Stadium. The contest will be streamed on ESPN+ and heard on 95.5 FM KLAQ.

Saturday night’s promotion is “Heroes Night” with UTEP Athletics’ partner GECU as the game sponsor. Miner fans can purchase their UTEP-SUU tickets at www.utepminers.com/tickets, by calling 915.747.UTEP, by emailing: tickets@utep.edu, or at the Eisenberg Family Ticket Office (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 201 Glory Road [Brumbelow Building, UTEP Campus]).

Last week, Miner fans caught a glimpse of Walden’s “Blue Blaze” offense at Nebraska in the opening frame. Skyler Locklear drove UTEP 63 yards on only three plays that resulted in a Kam Thomas 38-yard touchdown strike that tied the game at 7-7 following Buzz Flabiano’s PAT in the first quarter.

“Kam Thomas played absolutely fearless in man-to-man coverage – he played fearless the whole day,” Walden said. “The things you’re not going to see that you go back and watch is his blocking on the perimeter. Kam sacrificed for the team and you watch how he played the game; he cares about his teammates and cares about winning. And that (touchdown) route was a fearless route in man-to-man coverage. (Nebraska) didn’t play man coverage the rest of the game.” 

Thomas racked up 132 all-purpose yards against the Cornhuskers including 71 yards on seven receptions, a 29-yard punt return, 30 yards on a pair of kickoff returns and two yards on the ground.

Locklear started the contest 5-for-5 with 59 yards and the TD and finished 11-of-17 for 115 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in his first collegiate start.

On defense, graduate student transfer linebacker, Dorian Hopkins made an immediate impression on Miner fans after racking up 16 tackles, a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery to lead the “Orange Swarm” defense. Austin Peay transfer spur Kory Chapman also enjoyed an impressive debut tallying 10 tackles against the ‘Huskers.

Chapman, Thomas and Walden will face Southern Utah for a second straight year after last season’s 48-45 double overtime shootout victory in Cedar City on Oct. 21. Southern Utah recorded 561 yards on total offense to Austin Peay’s 438.

“This team (Southern Utah) plays harder than any team I’ve seen in the past three years on tape. I mean that with all my heart and soul. There’s not a team I’ve watched that plays harder,” Walden said. “You watch them against Utah, and they’re down whatever the score ended up being, their kids fight. (SUU head coach DeLane Fitzgerald) has a great culture over there. This is an offense that is going to run a lot of zone schemes up front and like to run a lot of them unbalanced. Coach Fitzgerald is going to have these kids wired up believing they can win. They’re going to come into the Sun Bowl with great energy.”

UTEP (0-1, 0-0) vs. Southern Utah (0-1, 0-0)

Date: Saturday, Sept. 7

Time: 7 p.m. MT

Location: El Paso, Texas

Venue: Sun Bowl Stadium (45,971)

X Updated: @UTEPFB

TV: ESPN+

PxP: Andy Morgan

Analyst: Ed Stansbury

Radio: 95.5 FM KLAQ

PxP: Jon Teicher

Analyst: Cole Freytag

Sideline: Mando Medina

WHERE TO WATCH & LISTEN

The Miners and Thunderbirds will be streamed on ESPN+ with Andy Morgan (play-by-play) and El Paso native and UCLA football great Ed Stansbury (analysis) will be on the call. The action will be on 95.5 FM KLAQ with “The Voice of the UTEP Miners” Jon Teicher calling play-by-play in his 44^th season. ‘Teich’, who called his 500^th game last season on Oct. 11, is joined by former UTEP WR Cole Freytag (2012, 2014-16) in the booth providing analysis in his third season. El Paso native and long-running member of the local media Mando Medina will be reporting from the sidelines. The contest can also be heard on the UTEP Miners app.

SERIES VS. SOUTHERN UTAH

Saturday’s game will mark the first meeting between UTEP and SUU.

ABOUT SOUTHERN UTAH

The Thunderbirds, after finishing 6-5 overall and 4-2 in United Athletic Conference action in 2023, lost their season opener 49-0 at no. 13 Utah on Aug. 29. SUU allowed 513 yards including 328 passing and gained only 150 yards of total offense. The Utes jumped out to a 35-0 lead at halftime. The T-Birds were penalized 13 times for 78 yards and finished 3-for-13 on third-down conversions. QB Jackson Berry led the passing game with 54 yards (6-11, INT), while QBs Bronson Barron (1-7, 9 yards) and Jordan Pachot (1-3, 8 yards) saw action. Targhee Lambson led SUU with 44 yards on six rushes (7.3 avg.). Lambson is a 5-9, 200-pound senior back who gained 507 yards (second-best on the team) on 105 attempts (4.8 avg.) and six touchdowns in 2023. Lambson added 95 yards on 11 receptions and two touchdowns last season. WR Mark Bails recorded 42 yards on three catches. Bails is a 6-3, 200-pound senior transfer from Seton Hill who gained 926 yards on 46 receptions and eight touchdowns last season. LB Darrian Feazell led the way with six tackles. Feazell is a 6-2, 210-pound redshirt junior who transferred from Los Angeles City College. LB Kohner Cullimore returns after ranking second on the team with 73 tackles. Cullimore added 10.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks. He tallied six tackles against Utah. The Thunderbirds averaged 31.8 points per game and gave up 23.7 in 2023. The T-Birds averaged 397.3 total yards and yielded 345.7 last year.

CONNECTIONS

Austin Peay defeated SUU 48-45 on Oct. 21, 2023, with Scotty Walden at the helm for the Governors. Walden will face the Thunderbirds for a second consecutive season on Sept. 7.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Southern Utah University football head coach DeLane Fitzgerald had some fiery comments about UTEP, El Paso, and Ciudad Juárez ahead of his team's game against UTEP on Saturday.

Fitzgerald was on the Thunderbird Coaches Show on YouTube when he talked about UTEP being a rebuilding program.

"It's hard to call it a rebuild. It's a build. 'Re' what? 'Re' means at once upon a time they were good. Somebody gotta tell me what time that was."

"They'll have 20... 25,000 people in a stadium that seats 52,000."

Fitzgerald later spoke on El Paso and Ciudad Juárez as well, saying he had heard El Paso called a "vacation destination."

"Maybe Friday evening we'll lay on the beach chairs and overlook Juárez, heard that's a beautiful city also," Fitzgerald added, while laughing.

UTEP and Southern Utah will face off in the Miners' home opener on Saturday night at 7 PM.

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By Jacob Lev, CNN

(CNN) — US sprinter Hunter Woodhall won gold in the men’s 400m T62 at the 2024 Paris Paralympics on Friday. After crossing the line, Woodhall kept running to find his wife in the crowd at the Stade de France.

Woodhall found Olympic champion long jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall and the two shared a long embrace.

The pair are now both gold medal winners this summer in Paris. Last month, Davis-Woodhall finished first in the women’s long jump at the 2024 Summer Games.

When asked about how it felt to win gold along with his wife, Woodhall joked that he was “waiting to wake up.”

“I have the best team in the world,” Woodhall told the NBC broadcast. “Best team in the world. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Woodhall was born with a fused right ankle and a condition called fibular hemimelia, which affected his left leg. Just before he turned one, he had both his legs amputated from the knees down.

Woodhall thanked Shriners Hospital in Salt Lake City for helping him achieve his goal.

“This gold is as much mine as yours,” Woodhall said.

“That’s one of the first things Tara (Davis-Woodhall) and I planned, going back to Salt Lake City Hospital, seeing all you guys and now we are bringing back two gold medals baby.”

The 25-year-old finished with a time of 46.32.

Germany’s Johannes Floors won silver with a time of 46.90 and the Netherlands’ Olivier Hendriks earned bronze, finishing at 46.91.

Woodhall said he didn’t know he won gold until he crossed the finish line and that the moment “doesn’t feel real.”

In Woodhall’s second event of the day, he won a bronze medal with Team USA in the 4x100m universal relay.

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Felix Mizioznikov // Shutterstock

NFL Inflation: How ticket and concession prices have changed over time

Aerial photo inside Metlife Stadium in Rutherford, NJ.

Between new stadiums, ownership changes, and player salaries, the economics of football are changing from the top down. For fans, this means increased costs to both see NFL games in person and watch their favorite NFL teams on TV.

To see exactly how prices have risen for NFL fans, the FinanceBuzz team compared the average costs of attending an NFL game in person, including tickets, beer, hot dogs, and parking, for every NFL team over the past decade. This helped determine which NFL teams’ fans have had to adjust their budgets the most and least to support their favorite squads live in recent years.  

Key findings

• On average, the cost of going to an NFL game has gone up $43 (39%) since 2013. 
• The average costs to attend home games for the Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have risen by at least 85% since 2013, the highest in the NFL.
• The Carolina Panthers have raised beer prices more than any other team, going from $4.36 for a 16-ounce pour in 2013 to $10.56 in 2023—a 142% increase.
• The NFL teams with the most consistent game day costs over the past decade include the Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets, and New England Patriots.

FinanceBuzz

Cost of an NFL game compared to inflation

Infographic showing the cost of attending an NFL game, 2013 vs. 2023.

The total cost of attending an NFL game includes tickets, concessions, and transportation. To get a comprehensive handle on how those costs have changed, FinanceBuzz calculated how much it would cost for a fan to attend a game with a friend by totaling the cost for a ticket, beer, hotdog, and a split parking pass.

The game day experience for Las Vegas Raiders fans has gotten the most expensive since 2013, going from an average of $95 per person that year to $198 in 2023. That’s a 108% increase, the highest of any team in the league. Of course, the Raiders moved towns and into one of the newest and most expensive stadiums in the league during this period.

Similarly, the San Francisco 49ers have seen game day costs increase by 83% since 2013, a time period that saw the team move into the brand-new Levi’s Stadium in 2014. The team has also been one of the most successful in the entire NFL over the last decade, appearing in five NFC championship games and two Super Bowls since 2013. 

Where NFL experiences are getting less expensive

As with most things in the U.S., rising prices for NFL games aren’t exactly news to many. As the cost of goods has risen in the last decade, more Americans are looking for ways to save money, better ways to budget, or even ways to earn more money for the things they want to afford. Of note, however, is that not all fan bases have seen drastic increases in prices, and some have even lowered their prices relative to inflation.

Costs to attend a Dallas Cowboys game decreased by 1% since 2013, going from an average cost of $162 to $160 in the last decade. While still a slight increase, prices to see a New York Jets game have increased only 5% (compared to the national rate of 31%), and surprisingly, prices for a New England Patriots game have only gone up 6% in the decade where they earned three Super Bowl titles. Now that’s a deflation we can get behind.

Overall, 11 teams raised prices at a rate greater than the national rate of inflation (31%) since 2013, while the average NFL price increase was 39%.

FinanceBuzz

NFL teams where ticket prices have risen the most

Chart showing NFL teams with the highest ticket price increases.

Tickets typically make up the largest chunk of costs associated with attending an NFL game in person, so major changes to ticket prices can really impact a fan’s bottom line.

Once again, the Raiders’ ticket prices increased the most, with the average ticket price increasing by more than $100 and 160% from 2013 to 2023. Their new home city and new stadium played major roles in that change.

For some of the other teams where ticket prices have risen the most, on-field success leading to increased ticket demand explains why prices have changed so much in the last 10 years. For instance, the Kansas City Chiefs have won three Super Bowls since drafting quarterback Patrick Mahomes in 2017. That sustained success has helped fuel a 103% increase in ticket costs over the last 10 years, the third-highest of any team. Of note, these prices reflect tickets sold by the team, not aftermarket or third-party sales.

FinanceBuzz

NFL teams where beer prices have risen the most

Chart showing NFL teams with the highest beer price increases.

Enjoying a beer at the game is an integral part of the game day experience for many NFL fans, although it costs more in some stadiums than others.

In 2013, the Carolina Panthers had the most affordable beer of any NFL team, at just $4.36 for a 16-ounce pour. In 2023, however, the Panthers had the 10th most expensive beer in the league, charging $10.56 for the same amount. That is a 142% increase, the highest of any team in the league.

Four other teams doubled their beer prices between 2013 and 2023, with the Los Angeles Chargers raising prices by 121%, the Philadelphia Eagles increasing prices by 119%, the New Orleans Saints raising prices by 112%, and the Los Angeles Rams increasing beer prices by 105%.

How to combat rising ticket prices

While ticket prices aren’t always in fans’ control, there are some ways fans can save on attending in person.

For instance, the secondary market can sometimes actually offer lower-priced tickets than buying directly from teams. While prices on sites like StubHub and SeatGeek will always be a function of supply and demand, ticket prices can be lowered (often below face value) by factors like the popularity of a visiting team, injuries to star players, or even the weather. There’s also data that shows NFL ticket prices significantly decrease closer to game time.

Whether you’re buying directly from the team or on the secondary market, using a cash back credit card can help offset some ticket costs and fees. Similarly, some travel credit cards may offer credits or rewards for rideshares (like Uber and Lyft) to games, putting something extra in your pocket while also saving you the cost of a parking pass.

Lastly, in the event you’re unable to go to a game, there are plenty of ways to stream NFL games from home even if they’re out of market.

Manage your game day spending

• Tackle your finances throughout the entire season. As concessions and ticket prices can add up, NFL fans might use these recommended budgeting apps to stay on track.
• Make extra cash from your new football merch. Certain cash back credit cards offer generous welcome offers and won’t charge you an annual fee.
• Earn points on your stadium trips. It doesn’t matter if you’re a season pass holder or someone who goes to a tailgate every once in a while. Another easy way to earn high rewards is by signing up for a gas credit card.

Methodology

All pricing data was collected from the 2013 and 2023 versions of the NFL Fan Cost Index, which the Team Marketing Report compiles annually.

Inflation rates are based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI Inflation Calculator.

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By Amanda Davies and Kevin Dotson, CNN

(CNN) — Team USA star Oksana Masters was told by Paralympic officials that she needed to “cover up my Ukrainian heart stickers” before competing, the 19-time Paralympic medalist disclosed to CNN in an interview Friday.

The Ukrainian-born para athlete told CNN Sport’s Amanda Davies that the alleged demand only gave her greater motivation to win.

“It really fired me up,” she said. “It just was more fuel to the fire. Just because someone could cover up my sticker, it was not going to cover up my fire and that drive I had within me.”

It’s unclear exactly why officials allegedly told Masters to cover the symbols. CNN has reached out to Paris 2024 Paralympic organizers for comment on the matter.

Masters, a flag bearer for the US during the opening ceremony in Paris, went on to provide more detail on the situation.

“It was just right at the start gate. There was nothing on it, it was just the shape of a heart. And it was just one of the officials at the start ramp, and I understand why,” Masters explained. “It was challenging because – as someone who was born in Ukraine, an American athlete and a US citizen – I feel like the power of the start line is representing all parts of you and where you come from.

“But honestly, it just was great fuel and, instead of getting frustrated by it, it just motivated me even more.”

The 35-year old won gold in the Para Cycling Road H4-5 individual time trial on Wednesday and added H5 road race gold on Thursday.

Ahead of the Games, Masters told Olympics.com that she planned to donate part of her Paralympic prize money to charities benefiting Ukraine. She previously donated to Global Giving’s “No Child Forgotten” – a non-profit organization helping Ukrainian children impacted by Russia’s invasion – after the 2022 Beijing Paralympic Winter Games.

Masters, who was adopted from a Ukrainian orphanage and brought to the United States at age seven, told CNN that she wants to leave a lasting legacy in her homeland and represent Ukrainian people who are less fortunate.

“I have the honor to line up and have the ability to line up and race here in Paris. There’s so many athletes, so many Ukrainian coaches who will never get to fulfill their dreams and all the hard work to race to represent their country here,” Masters said.

“I want it to mean something so much more than just my own gold medals and my own goals I have for myself. I want it to mean something and leave a legacy, leave an actual impact. Not just for me – I have the memory of the race, and I’m so fortunate to bring home two gold medals for Team USA. But I want do something in this world where it’s going to actually make an impact to kids.

“I was one of those kids in Ukraine that was forgotten in time and with a disability, and resources aren’t there. If I can do one small part to help, I feel like that’s one of the reasons why I was so lucky to make it out of there, to be here right now to do my part.”

Masters will have another opportunity to add to her medal haul Saturday in the Para Cycling Road mixed H1-5 team relay.

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By Ben Morse, CNN

(CNN) — The 2024 NFL season is underway and what a way to start.

The Kansas City Chiefs began their campaign for a historic Super Bowl three-peat with a thrilling 27-20 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on opening night on Thursday.

Here are the four main takeaways from the first game of the new NFL season.

MVP-caliber quarterbacks shine

With Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson on the field, we expected fireworks from the two star quarterbacks.

And they did not disappoint.

In what was a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship game, Mahomes was his usual brilliant self, providing the poise, accuracy and off-the-cuff plays that have become synonymous with the three-time Super Bowl champion.

Although he did throw an out-of-character interception, Mahomes was stellar in an evening when he became the Kansas City’s all-time leader in passing yards, passing Len Dawson.

On the other side, Jackson – the reigning NFL MVP – put in an equally impressive performance in his own ‘Lamar Jackson’ style.

Yes, the Ravens star committed some errors as the game came to a close, but he had sprinkled his magic throughout the contest, with his combination of throwing from awkward angles and running ability.

Jackson, who revealed he had lost some weight during the offseason to become a more dynamic runner, was electric with the ball in his hands during scheduled runs or when plays broke down.

He finished the evening with 122 rushing yards, the team’s leading rusher by far ahead of Derrick Henry who was quiet on his debut with 46 yards on the ground.

Both Mahomes and Jackson began the season as the favorites to contend for the MVP award this season, and Thursday’s duel does nothing to change that.

An explosive debut

The Chiefs offense has been lacking speed ever since Tyreek Hill was traded to the Miami Dolphins in 2022. And in first-round rookie Xavier Worthy, they might have just found Hill’s replacement.

The first-year wide receiver had a debut to remember on Thursday night with two touchdowns, both of which highlighted his electric speed.

Worthy – who broke the NFL Combine 40-yard dash record at 4.21 seconds earlier this year – scored with his very first touch in the NFL, taking an end-around 21 yards to the house as he showcased his blazing speed, clocking in at 18.45mph during the run.

Then with 10:25 left in the fourth, he caught a 35-yard pass from Mahomes for a touchdown, ultimately sealing the game for the two-time defending champs.

Worthy became only the second player ever to post 20-plus-yard rushing and receiving touchdowns in his NFL debut, joining Minnesota Vikings wide receiver James Brim who did so in 1987, per the NFL.

The former Texas Longhorn, who was selected with the 28th pick in the 2024 Draft, called his first touchdown a “crazy” moment for him.

“We ran that in the preseason, and I fumbled. So it was kind of bad, but for them being able to have that trust in me [was great],” he said afterwards. “I told [offensive coordinator Matt] Nagy that I think this play is going to score and it happened. So it was an amazing moment my first touchdown in the NFL.”

Although he finished Thursday’s game with just three touches, Worthy’s speed could help to open up a Chiefs offense which lacked explosiveness last season.

And Mahomes spoke after the victory about Worthy’s impact on other players’ ability to create space.

“You saw when he’s out there, they are playing shell coverages,” he told reporters. “It’s getting guys like [Travis Kelce] and guys like Rashee [Rice] open underneath.

“That’s what is so great about this offense. We are able to do all of that and that’s when we are at our best. So, when we get Hollywood [Brown] out there too, it’s going to be tough for defenses to decide who they want to cover.”

A breakout weapon for Baltimore?

The perennial question for the Ravens has been the same for a while: can they surround Jackson with enough surrounding talent to win a Super Bowl?

The drafting of Zay Flowers last year and the signing of Henry in the offseason looked to have helped address that issue. But perhaps one of the team’s in-house players could prove key this season.

Tight-end Isaiah Likely had an evening to remember on Thursday against the Chiefs, as he became Jackson’s primary target as the game went on.

The third-year player finished with career highs in catches (nine) and receiving yards (111), including a brilliant 49-yard touchdown in which he evaded a defender and made a catch before sprinting down the sideline and stopping abruptly to let another Chiefs player fly past before walking into the endzone.

Likely had a chance to be the Ravens’ hero on the night too as time expired when he appeared to make a catch in the endzone to tie the game; unfortunately, for the 24-year-old and Baltimore, his toe was deemed out of bounds and the touchdown was waved off.

Jackson has long relied on Likely’s fellow tight-end Mark Andrews for production at the position, but if Likely can continue his excellent start, he could add another element to Baltimore’s offense.

Chiefs defense remains formidable

As the Chiefs offense struggled last year, its defense was the key factor in the team’s Super Bowl victory last season.

Led by defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo – the only coordinator in NFL history to win four Super Bowls – the group has become one of the most dominant in the league.

Although the Ravens piled up plenty of yards, Spagnuolo’s defense showed that they are still a force to be reckoned with, providing enough stops to let Mahomes and the offense bring it home.

As he has so often been, defensive tackle Chris Jones was the standout performer. He finished with just three tackles, but he forced a fumble and got one sack, consistently pressuring the Ravens and disrupting plays.

There had been concerns about the Chiefs secondary after the departure of cornerback L’Jarius Sneed in the offseason, but third-year player Trent McDuffie more than lived up to the billing on Thursday.

McDuffie had a rough start but grew into the game, including making an important fourth-down tackle late on.

If the newly revamped Chiefs offense can improve this season and the team’s defense can continue to be a game-wrecker, it looks like Kansas City will once again be the team to beat in the NFL this year.

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By Ben Church and Thomas Schlachter, CNN

(CNN) — There will be a unique backdrop to the NFL game between the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday, with the two squads set to hit the field in São Paulo, Brazil.

The Week 1 clash between two of the National Football Conference’s (NFC) playoff hopefuls will be played at the Neo Química Arena, home to Brazilian soccer team SC Corinthians, which can hold over 49,000 fans.

It will mark the NFL’s first-ever regular season game in South America, as well as the first time the NFL has played a game on Friday night of opening weekend in over 50 years.

The game comes as part of the NFL’s ever-expanding International Series, of which there will be five games abroad this season.

According to NFL.com, the league has 38 million fans in Brazil, where the sport is popular among younger fans thanks to a strong social media presence.

Packers quarterback Jordan Love said the team felt the excitement since landing in the country.

“I’m excited to be here. It’s an awesome experience, once in a lifetime experience, playing first ever NFL game here in Brazil,” he told reporters. “It’s been nothing but love since we got here. Fans were at the airport last night, they’re at the hotel, so definitely a lot of love and I’m excited to see what the atmosphere is like in the stadium tomorrow for the game.”

Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur added: “We’re really excited to be down here in Brazil, your country’s been great to us. The people have been fantastic. We’re looking forward to make history tomorrow and really looking forward to playing the Philadelphia Eagles to start off the 2024 season.”

“I’m very thankful for how Brazil and the city of São Paulo have welcomed us and welcomed me and just the excitement about all of it,” Eagles QB Jalen Hurts said.

“Everything’s been just so first class since the moment we stepped foot in this country. We’re just very appreciative and look forward to playing in front of your fans.”

Security concerns

While thousands of Brazilians are excited to see history being made and the teams are raring to go, there has been a bit of trepidation from some of the players.

Eagles cornerback Darius Slay recently said on his podcast that he didn’t want to go to Brazil after being told about security concerns in the country.

According to Statista data, Brazil is ranked as the 17th most dangerous country in the world, by murder rate, but it ranks below other Latin American countries like Mexico, where the NFL has already played four International Series games.

“They already told us not to leave the hotel. They told us we can’t do too much going on because the crime rate is crazy,” he said.

Slay has since apologized for offending Brazilian fans, saying he was now “looking forward to playing in your beautiful country,” in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Slay wasn’t the only Eagles player with concerns, however. According to Reuters, Philadelphia wide receiver AJ Brown told reporters: “We had a meeting with a whole bunch of ‘Don’t Do’s’. So I’m just trying to go down there, win a football game and come back home,” adding that the team advised the players to not walk on the street holding their mobile phones.

In response, São Paulo state’s government said it would provide extra security for the teams, according to the Associated Press.

“Our policing will be beefed up during the week to secure the public’s safety for this historic match, with officers on the streets and avenues around the stadium, in public transportation, in the hotels and in tourist areas of the city,” the security secretariat said, per AP.

Starting anew

On the field, the Eagles will be hoping to start fresh and forget about how last season ended.

Despite starting last year in blistering form, the Eagles’ season collapsed entirely toward the backend of the campaign – culminating in a disappointing loss in the NFC Wild Card round to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

There was more disappointment over the offseason for the Eagles, as fan favorite and star center Jason Kelce announced his retirement from the NFL.

Kelce had been a cornerstone of the Philadelphia offense with the seven-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro selection spending his entire 13-season NFL career with the Eagles.

The star’s influence is still being felt, though. Kelce featured in a video promoting the game in Brazil, which the Eagles released on social media.

Some of the disappointment felt by Kelce’s departure was eased with the arrival of star running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley, formerly of the New York Giants, brings another exciting element to the already star-studded Philadelphia offense.

With star quarterback Jalen Hurts, Brown, receiver DeVonta Smith and Barkley featuring in the Eagles’ impressive arsenal of offensive talent, the Packers will need to rely on a strong defensive performance if they are to pick up the win in Brazil, particularly as Philly means business.

“I think at the end of the day, we came here to do a job. And our job is not to come and sightsee or anything like that,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters. “Our job is to come here and to play a football game against a very good opponent in the Green Bay Packers, and try to win this football game. Our job is to focus on just that.”

Green Bay comes into the new season off the back of an impressive campaign.

Led by quarterback Jordan Love, the Packers looked like a team on the up in 2023 – highlighted by an impressive 48-32 NFC Wild Card win against the Dallas Cowboys.

Love had a huge breakout year in 2023 and showed some of the potential people that people had predicted when he was drafted with the 26th pick of the 2020 NFL Draft.

The talented Green Bay offense has also been bolstered by star running back Josh Jacobs, who joined the Packers in the offseason and will be able to add to team’s rushing game this year.

There will also be another unique twist on Friday, with the Eagles wearing a black-and-white uniform for the game in São Paulo.

The kit will mirror that of the Corinthians soccer team who will be hosting the game. Green, which has become a color so synonymous with the Eagles, is coincidentally the color of Corinthians’ fierce rival, Palmeiras.

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By George Ramsay, CNN

(CNN) — Weeks after becoming an Olympic gold medalist, Sara Errani continued her sensational year on the tennis court with victory in the US Open mixed doubles alongside partner Andrea Vavassori.

The Italian pair defeated Americans Taylor Townsend and Donald Young on Thursday for their first mixed doubles title at a major tournament, triumphing 7-6(0), 7-5 in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

It was the latest victory in the 37-year-old Errani’s remarkable year after winning gold in the Olympic women’s doubles alongside Jasmine Paolini, while the duo also won the Italian Open together in May.

“It’s more than a dream; I never dreamed this, so it’s much more. It’s an unbelievable year,” Errani told reporters.

“I couldn’t expect this. I’m enjoying it a lot,” she added. “Of course, when you win, you enjoy it a lot. When you lose, not too much … I’m proud of myself to be there, to be there in the tough moment and to live these moments.”

Errani and Vavassori are the first Italian mixed doubles champions at the US Open and also denied Young a chance to win the final match of his career in front of a home crowd.

After trading breaks from 5-5, a close first set was settled when the Italians cruised through the tie-break to love. They then went 4-2 ahead in the second set before Townsend and Young broke Errani’s serve to stay in the match.

On-serve at the end of the second set, Errani and Vavassori engineered three championship points on Townsend’s serve, winning the third when the American netted a backhand.

The title is another achievement in what is turning out to be a remarkable year for Italian tennis. Jannik Sinner became the country’s first male grand slam singles winner in 48 years when he claimed the Australian Open title in January, before Paolini reached back-to-back finals at the French Open and Wimbledon.

“It’s an incredible year for me, but also for Italy … We are very happy to be in that moment,” said Errani, a five-time grand slam champion in women’s doubles.

For the 29-year-old Vavassori, this was the first grand slam title of his career having reached the finals of the Australian and French Opens in the men’s doubles earlier this year alongside compatriot Simone Bolelli.

“I always wanted to win a slam,” Vavassori told reporters. “Doubles, mixed, I don’t care … and winning something like this is unbelievable. To accomplish this with Sara is special because she’s a special person, I think.”

There could yet be more success for Italy in New York with world No. 1 Sinner competing in the semifinals against Britain’s Jack Draper on Friday, hoping to win his second grand slam of the year.

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By Jamie Barton, CNN

(CNN) — After losing her leg in a shark attack just 16 months ago, Ali Truwit completed a glittering return to swimming by winning a medal at the Paralympics.

Her remarkable comeback culminated on Thursday night when Truwit took silver in the women’s S10 400-meter freestyle, setting a new American record with a time of 4:31.39.

“It’s a real full circle moment and speaks to the support I have all around me,” she told reporters following the race. “When you are truly faced with death and you understand what a second chance at life means, you want to make the most of it.”

Swimming in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Turks and Caicos in May 2023, the former Yale competitive swimmer was attacked by a shark. After fighting off the animal, she swam 70 meters to a boat before being airlifted to hospital.

“I think it was survival instinct. It was a terrible day, it’s a terrible memory. It was shocking, terrifying, but I am alive, I am here and I am going to make the most of it,” said Truwit.

Doctors were able to save her life, operating three times and eventually amputating her left leg just below the knee.

Despite being left with a phobia of water, the 24-year-old reconnected with her old coach James Barone in September 2023, according to The Guardian. She competed in her first para competition the following month, less than half a year after the attack.

For Truwit, it is less about conquering her fear and more about learning to live with it.

“Every day there is something new for me that I learn that kind of evokes a new memory from the attack. Because I was conscious the whole time,” she said.

“Truthfully, at the start I thought it was going to be something where I overcame the fear and that was it. I have learned from this journey that that is not what this journey looks like. That there will be days it’s great and there will be days I have to fight to get that love back,” she continued.

“But I would say I am at 90:10 right now of really feeling comfortable and happy in the water and I am thankful to be there.”

The swimmer could not have reached this point without the people around her, and two of her friends who were with her on that day in May 2023 were at the La Défense Arena in Paris on Thursday night.

“Sophie, who was in the water with me and tied the tourniquet on my leg and saved my life, is in the stands, as well as Hannah, who was the one who was in medical school rotation at the trauma hospital I was airlifted to,” Truwit said after the race. “I am so lucky for them and all the others in the stands.”

She also thanked her family, saying: “I think my parents have done an incredible job raising me and my three brothers to be adaptable, to try and look for the positives in life and appreciate all we have been given.

“So, when I was faced with a life-changing trauma, I worked to see the positive and focus on gratitude and let that carry me.”

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By Jamie Barton, CNN

(CNN) — A soccer player in England has been ruled out with an injury after a “pretty hefty sneeze,” according to his head coach.

Victor Adeboyejo – who plays for Bolton Wanderers in League One, the third tier of English soccer – hurt his back due to the sneeze on Monday.

“Victor has been suffering with a nasty back injury and a sneeze set it off yesterday, believe it or not,” Bolton manager Ian Evatt told The Bolton News on Tuesday.

“We have had it scanned and should have the results very soon. Everyone remembers the challenge at Charlton, he was okay at the time. But then he had a pretty hefty sneeze,” he added.

“Victor is a powerful boy and even his sneezes are powerful!”

As a result, the Nigerian striker missed Tuesday’s game against Barrow, and it remains to be seen when he will make his return.

“He felt a bit of a crack in between his ribs and we are hopeful it is just a cartilage or muscular issue, but until we’ve had a good look at the scan, we won’t know,” Evatt said.

“I have to start having a long look at myself when players start getting injured sneezing. That is just the way things seem to be going at the moment, but we have to deal with it.”

The freak injury has come at a bad time for Bolton, which is already missing a number of other players and is struggling in the division following its loss to Oxford United in the play-off final last season.

Adeboyejo becomes the latest name on a list of the sport’s most bizarre injuries. In 2009, Glasgow Rangers defender Kirk Broadfoot required hospital treatment after an egg he had poached in his microwave exploded and scalded his face.

In 1995, meanwhile, Croatian striker Milan Rapaić missed the start of the preseason having accidentally poked himself in the eye with his boarding pass while waiting for a flight.

More recently, Tunisian Rami Kaib was sidelined for five weeks in 2021 after he broke his jaw eating a carrot.

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By George Ramsay, CNN

(CNN) — Swimming Australia has terminated the contract of coach Michael Palfrey after he voiced support for a South Korean athlete at the Paris Olympics, the governing body confirmed in a statement to CNN.

Palfrey had said that he hoped South Korean swimmer Kim Woo-min would win the men’s 400-meter freestyle in Paris, a race which also featured two Australian competitors.

According to AP, Palfrey had previously worked with Kim as an advisor, telling South Korean media: “I really hope he can win, but ultimately, I really hope he swims well,” adding, “Go Korea!”

Palfrey remained in his coaching position during the Olympics, but on Friday, Swimming Australia said in a statement to CNN that his contract had been terminated “due to a breach of his employment agreement.”

The statement added: “Palfrey was found to have breached his employment contract by bringing himself into disrepute and causing serious damage to his and Swimming Australia’s reputation, and adversely affecting Swimming Australia’s interests.

“CEO Rob Woodhouse confirmed Palfrey’s employment has ended effective immediately and the process to finding a successor for Palfrey at USC Spartans has begun.”

Swimming Australia also said that Palfrey will retain his coaching accreditation status.

The University of the Sunshine Coast (USC), where Palfrey worked as head coach of the high-performance swim team, told CNN that its staff are employed directly through Swimming Australia.

CNN has been unable to obtain comment from Palfrey, who has not commented publicly on the matter.

Kim ultimately finished third in the 400m freestyle final, while Australians Elijah Winnington and Sam Short were second and fourth respectively. Germany’s Lukas Märtens won the gold medal.

During the Games, Winnington told CNN affiliate Nine News that he “couldn’t care less” about Palfrey’s comments in support of Kim.

“Mick’s come and apologized, I don’t think he meant what he said, he’s a great guy, a great coach,” Winnington said. “Obviously, Woo-min trains with him, but yeah, he’s come up to me and he knows that he didn’t mean what he said. At the end of the day, it’s just a comment and I’m just here to race as best as I can.”

Speaking during the Olympics, Australia’s chef de mission Anna Meares told reporters that she believed Palfrey had made “a serious error of judgment,” adding that the coach had understood “the impact of his comments and his decisions” when she met with him.

Meares also explained that she hoped to “minimize disruption” to Australian athletes while they prepared for the Games.

Palfrey, who made his debut as an Australian swimming coach in 2010, worked with swimmers Zac Incerti, Abbey Connor and Alex Perkins at the Paris Olympics, according to Reuters.

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By Jamie Barton, CNN

(CNN) — Chuck Aoki is the most decorated wheelchair rugby player in US history, but that did not stop him from feeling a touch of disappointment as the Americans took silver in the Paralympics on Monday having lost 48-41 to Japan.

“I think that obviously as a competitor, you want to do your absolute best, and the best you can do is a gold medal,” he told CNN Sport’s Patrick Snell. “So it’s going to be disappointing any time you come up short of that. But there’s a lot of sweetness in silver.”

Aoki made his first Paralympics appearance at London 2012, where the team claimed the bronze medal. That was followed by three consecutive Paralympic silvers – Rio in 2016, Tokyo in 2021 and this week’s second-place finish in Paris.

The American has used a wheelchair since he was 12, having been born with hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy (HSAN), which inhibits sensation in his hands and feet. Now 33, the American reflected on the confidence that wheelchair rugby has given him.

“It’s freeing in the way that when you get in the chair – which is like a little tank, quite frankly – you’re just able to move so effortlessly up and down the court. You’re gliding, you don’t feel limited by it. It allows you to excel, it allows you to compete, it allows you to be your most athletic, physical self out there. And that’s a really cool thing,” he said.

“You can sometimes feel lesser than, or limited by your disability. But in wheelchair rugby, your wheelchair is an asset. It’s part of you that you use to compete at the highest level. And so rugby has always been a place where I felt at home, and that’s been a very freeing feeling for me in terms of just being able to be my fullest self on the court.”

‘Murderball’ inspiration

Inspired by “Murderball,” the 2005 documentary film which followed the fortunes of the US wheelchair rugby team in the lead-up to the 2004 Paralympics, Aoki begged his parents to let him try out the sport.

“It probably wasn’t quite as harsh as I’ve made it sound sometimes, but as part of my disability, I injured myself fairly easily,” he said. “So there was definitely apprehension like, ‘Wow, we’re going to let him play the sport where he crashes into people?’

“But my mom has told me subsequently that a doctor said at one point that, ‘You can have your kid live in a glass bubble and he can just look at the world and see what’s going on but never actually get to be a part of it, or he can get out of it and he can go experience life and live it.’ She said that really resonated with her.

“Once I got out there, my mother, the sweet librarian, turned out to know a lot more curse words when I first got knocked over than I could have possibly imagined!”

His 2024 Paralympics only came to an end on Monday, but Aoki is already looking forward to Los Angeles 2028.

“The phrase once in a lifetime gets thrown around a lot, but a home Games is truly once in a lifetime,” he said. “There would be nothing sweeter than to get my first gold medal at home.

“I never stopped desiring to be the best of what I do. I love this sport so much. I have so much passion for it, so much energy, and quite frankly it’s so much fun. If it ever stops being fun, I’ll stop doing it.”

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By Chris Lau, CNN

Hong Kong (CNN) — China’s men’s soccer team fell to a 7-0 loss to arch-rivals Japan on Thursday night, a startling new low for a soccer-obsessed nation where the game has been plagued by corruption scandals and ever-worsening performances.

Players in top European leagues led the way for Japan, with Liverpool’s Wataru Endo and Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma both scoring in the demolition at the Saitama Stadium, north of Tokyo, in 2026 World Cup final-round Asian qualifiers. Monaco’s Takumi Minamino also scored twice.

“This is humiliating,” one China fan wrote on social media platform Weibo, where the defeat has become a trending topic, garnering more than 460 million views by Friday morning.

That the defeat came at the hands of Japan adds to the agony for Chinese fans. Sporting rivalries between the two countries often bear the undertones of their historical relationship, strained by – among other sore points – Japan’s brutal occupation of China in the first half of the 20th century, and current disputes over the sovereignty of the Senkaku Islands, which China calls the Diaoyus.

“This is the most shameful day for Chinese football,” another fan wrote on Weibo after the defeat, calling it “a day that will always sting Chinese fans” and “a pain that can never be erased.”

Another angry fan called for the team to be dismissed, writing: “It’s hopeless… It should be abandoned!”

Over the past decade China’s soccer officials – as well as leader Xi Jinping – have voiced ambitions of breaking into the sport’s upper echelons, and the country’s domestic league became a magnet for big-name players.

But in recent years the Chinese Super League has lost its luster – in part because of a wider economic slowdown and the government’s extremely strict response to Covid – while the national team has struggled. Earlier this year the team crashed out in the group stage of the Asian Cup in Qatar, without scoring a goal in three matches.

Compounding those factors is a major corruption scandal.

In March, Chinese courts sentenced some of the country’s most prominent soccer officials to jail as part of an anti-graft crackdown. Those ensnared by the probe included ex-soccer association head Chen Xuyuan and Li Tie, a former English Premier League player for Everton and former China head coach.

During Thursday’s game, Japan – ranked 18th in the world – could call on several familiar faces playing in top soccer leagues overseas.

Joining Mitoma, Endo and Minamino on the scoresheet were Celtic’s Daizen Maeda, Reims’ Junya Ito, and Takefusa Kubo, who plays in Spain with Real Sociedad.

Former player Fan Zhiyi, dubbed a trailblazer for being one of the first Chinese who played in the English leagues in the 1990s, said the loss was predictable, but not to that extent.

“It’s hard for fans to accept that we lost like this,” the now soccer coach wrote on Weibo, adding that the result illustrates “the World Cup is too far away.”

Speaking after the game, Zhang Yuning, a forward for China, acknowledged the defeat, but pledged to improve in the next game.

“We need to address this so that we can play better when we are back at our home turf,” he said.

The Chinese team, ranked 87th in the world, will play Roberto Mancini’s Saudi Arabia on September 10 in Dalian.

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By Jill Martin, CNN

(CNN) — American Jessica Pegula has advanced to her first grand slam singles final, with the world No. 6 rallying from a set and a break down to beat unseeded Czech Karolína Muchová 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 at the US Open on Thursday in New York.

At 30 years old, she’s the oldest American woman in the Open Era to reach her maiden grand slam singles final. She was competing in her major first semifinal after previously going 0-6 in quarterfinals.

Pegula, a Buffalo native, had trailed Muchová 6-1, 2-0 before mounting a comeback.

“It’s a childhood dream,” Pegula said. “It’s what I wanted when I was a kid. It’s a lot of work, a lot of hard work put in. You couldn’t even imagine how much goes into it. … I’m just happy to be in a final, but obviously, I come here to want to win the title.”

In Saturday’s final at Arthur Ashe Stadium, she’ll take on world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, who is back in the US Open final for the second year in a row. The Belarusian was runner-up in 2023, losing to American Coco Gauff.

Sabalenka, seeking her third grand slam singles title – having won the Australian Open for the second consecutive year back in January – eliminated American No. 13 seed Emma Navarro 6-3, 7-6(2) in the earlier semifinal Thursday night.

Pegula had missed a portion of the schedule earlier this season, including the French Open, because of injury. But during the North American hard court swing this summer, Pegula has found her stride, going 15-1.

Her only loss: in the final of the Cincinnati Open to the 26-year-old Sabalenka.

“You know, if you would have told me at the beginning of the year I’d be in the finals of the US Open, I would have laughed so hard because that just was where my head was, was not thinking that I would be here,” Pegula said.

“So to be able to overcome all those challenges and say that I get a chance at the title Saturday is what we play for as players, let alone being able to do that in my home country here, in my home slam. It’s perfect, really.”

Muchová, currently ranked No. 52, was contesting her second consecutive US Open semifinal despite this only being her sixth tournament of the season. She had missed nine months because of a wrist injury.

Lesson learned, says Sabalenka

Sabalenka – the favorite to win the title – was back in the US Open semifinals for the fourth consecutive year.

After defeating Navarro, Sabalenka poked fun humorously at the New York crowd.

“Well, guys, now you’re cheering for me,” a laughing Sabalenka said. “Well, I mean, it’s a bit too late. … Even though you guys were supporting her, I had the goosebumps from you cheering up her.

“There was really an incredible atmosphere. I really enjoyed playing. And she’s such a great player. Really tough opponent. I’m really happy to get through this difficult semifinal.”

Sabalenka led this match by a set and a break, but a surging Navarro – in her first grand slam semifinal – came back from 5-3 down, pushing the second set into a tiebreak to the delight of the fans.

A year ago in the final, a New York crowd was not on Sabalenka’s side either – loudly pulling for Gauff. That’s likely to be the case once again when she takes on Pegula on Saturday.

Sabalenka admitted the crowd affected her in that 2023 final – and on Thursday night, she said she was thinking about that experience during the end of the match.

“Today in the match, I was, like, ‘No, no, no, Aryna, it’s not going to happen again,’” Sabalenka said. “’You have to control your emotions. You have to focus on yourself.’”

Regarding the support she may – or may not – receive in Saturday’s final?

“Today was a good test of the crowd cheering for my opponent, and even if it’s going to be Pegula, I don’t care.” Sabalenka said. “I’m ready to face whoever. Lesson from the last year learned, and I really hope I’m going to do a little bit better than I did last year.”

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- In a thrilling start to the Borderland Invitational, the UTEP volleyball team (3-1) made a statement in their home opener Thursday night at Memorial Gym, sweeping reigning Southland Conference champion Southeastern Louisiana in a decisive 3-0 victory.

The Miners opened their home campaign with a commanding performance, winning the first set 25-10 with explosive offense, taking the second set 25-17 after a late 9-0 run, and sealing the sweep with a tightly contested 25-23 victory in the third set.

LEADERBOARD
UTEP volleyball saw standout performances from multiple players, with Ema Uskokovic leading the team with 10 kills while hitting an impressive .409. The setter duo of Mattie Gantt and Kalia Kohler combined for 27 assists, with Gantt also delivering a team-high three aces. Defensively, Danika Washington was a force at the net, recording seven total blocks, while Alyssa Sianez and Torrance Lovesee each contributed eight digs to anchor the Miners' back row.

THE STATS
UTEP held the all-round statistical advantage in kills (35-27), service aces (9-0), and blocks (11-4). UTEP posted a .320 hitting percentage and held SE Louisiana to just .011.

SET-BY-SET
SET ONE | The Miners came out strong to start the match, displaying explosive energy that set the tone early. UTEP dominated with nine kills, pulling ahead 15-9 by the media timeout. They extended their lead with an impressive 10-1 scoring run, forcing SELU to call two timeouts to regroup. However, the Lady Lions couldn't find an answer, and a pair of attack errors sealed the deal for UTEP with a commanding 25-10 win. The Miners hit an outstanding .611, registering 12 kills with just one error. Ema Uskokovic led the charge with four kills. 

SET TWO | UTEP started the second set with back-to-back kills, but SELU quickly responded, resulting in a series of small scoring spurts from both teams. The set was tightly contested, featuring six lead changes. UTEP's setter duo, Mattie Gantt and Kalia Kohler, each added a setter dump to keep the Miners slightly ahead, leading 15-14 at the media timeout. The score remained tight, with three consecutive service errors from both teams tying it at 16-16. SELU briefly took the lead at 17-16 with a kill, but that marked the end of their scoring as UTEP regained control. The Miners closed the set on a dominant 9-0 scoring run to win 25-17, taking a 2-0 lead in the match. 

SET THREE | SELU gained early momentum in the final set, leading 9-7 before UTEP responded with a 6-1 run to take a 13-10 lead. The Lady Lions answered back with a 5-1 run of their own, reclaiming the lead while conceding just one point to UTEP. However, freshman Iana Loera served up two aces to lift the Miners to an 18-15 advantage. UTEP capitalized on a pair of SELU errors and added two kills to go up 22-19. Although SELU rallied with three straight points to tie the set at 22-23, Kaya Weaver stepped up in the clutch, delivering a kill and a block to secure the 25-23 win, completing the sweep for UTEP. 

"The message all week was that this conference champion (SELU) wasn't going to let us win easily, and they really turned a corner competitively, challenging us in ways we initially weren't responding to," said UTEP Head Coach Ben Wallis. "I thought Ema was spectacular tonight. SELU is an exceptionally talented team, and the fact that we got nine aces on them without getting aced ourselves made the biggest difference in the match. I'm proud of what we did from the service line. We continued to block well, did some really nice things, and found a way to win in those tough second and third sets. That's what you need to do against a conference champion, and I'm proud of this win.”

UP NEXT     
UTEP takes on Air Force on day two of the Borderland Invitational on Friday, September 6, at 6pm MDT. 

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The first week of Thursday night football in the Sun City kicked off week one in September.

Rivals Bowie and Jefferson met at the Sun Bowl stadium. In the second quarter Bowie was up 6-0. Later in the second, Bowie's quarterback Abraham Carraso takes it all the way to get the first down.

FINAL: Bowie 21 Jefferson 7

The Canutillo Eagles took on the Montwood Rams at SAC two. The Eagles were coming off a win over Pebble Hills and as for the Rams this matchup was considered their season opener.

Eduardo scored two touchdown for the Eagles in the first half of the game, one rushing and one passing.

Zachary Zamora claims a huge fumble recovery in the second quarter.

FINAL: Montwood 0 Canutillo 29

Hanks and Americas battled it out at SAC one.

Americas running back Cam Johnson lands the first touchdown for the Trail Blazers making it a tie game, 7-7.

Hanks quarterback Zack Kania with the long shot TD pass to Deonte Wensel.

Americas Joaquin Hernandez secures the rushing TD to tie the game, 14-14.

Halftime score, 23-21 (Hanks).

FINAL: Hanks 38 Americas 37

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By Jill Martin, CNN

(CNN) — The NFL’s 105th season is underway, and so is the Kansas City Chiefs’ quest for a historic Super Bowl three-peat, in thrilling fashion.

In front of a delighted Arrowhead Stadium crowd – which included Taylor Swift – the Chiefs unveiled their championship banner and gave their home fans a nail-biting 27-20 win against the Baltimore Ravens in a game that came down to the final play to determine the outcome.

Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes broke the franchise record for all-time passing yards, putting him ahead of Len Dawson, while rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy – who broke the NFL combine 40-yard dash record at 4.21 seconds – had a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown.

A rematch of last season’s AFC championship game featuring Super Bowl LVIII MVP Mahomes and the reigning league MVP in Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Chiefs were in control in the first half, taking a 13-10 lead into the break, and they extended the lead to 20-10 in the third quarter.

The Ravens, though, started showing signs of life early in the final period, with a 49-yard pass from Jackson to tight end Isaiah Likely to cut it to 20-17.

But Mahomes, as he so often does, answered quickly by finding Worthy for a 35-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 27-17. In the first half, Worthy had sprinted 21 yards on an end-around to the end zone – his first touch in his NFL career.

The biggest catch of the night, however, might have been from Mahomes himself. With less than three minutes left in the game and the Chiefs holding a seven-point lead, Mahomes had a third-down pass deflected by Ravens linebacker Trenton Simpson, but the Chiefs quarterback managed to block out two defenders to catch the floating ball, avoiding the turnover.

Kansas City was forced to punt, giving Jackson and Baltimore one last drive.

With no timeouts, Jackson took to the air and hit wide receiver Rashod Bateman for a 38-yard gain, making it first-and-goal. Incomplete passes to Likely and wide receiver Zay Flowers made it third-and-goal with five seconds to go.

On the final play of the game, Jackson threw to Likely in the back of the end zone for what looked like a touchdown. That would have given the Ravens a chance to tie with an extra point or win the game with a two-point conversion.

But, the play was reviewed – as all possible scoring plays are in the final two minutes of the game – and subsequent views showed Likely had a toe out of bounds.

The play was ruled an incomplete pass and the Chiefs escaped the opener with the win by a toe.

“Obviously, it was nerve wracking,” Mahomes told NBC. “It’s a game of inches, that’s what they say. That’s a great football team, and to come out here and get a win at Arrowhead, it’s a way to start off the season.”

That moment meant that Mahomes could truly celebrate his new place in Chiefs lore. The franchise-record-breaking moment for Mahomes came on the kind of play NFL fans have seen from the Chiefs star QB so many times in his career.

It was on a third-and-12, and Mahomes, under pressure, scrambled to find open space and connected with his longtime trusty target, tight end Travis Kelce, for a 23-yard gain midway through the second quarter.

Mahomes had entered the night 84 yards away from surpassing Dawson for the franchise record. He finished the night 20-of-28 passing for 291 yards and a touchdown, throwing one interception.

Jackson was 26-of-41 for 273 yards and one touchdown.

After the game, Jackson had a hard time accepting the result: “I thought it was a touchdown,” he said of the final play. “Still think it was a touchdown.”

Kickoff for the season opener was slightly delayed – 20 minutes – until 7:40 p.m. local time in Kansas City because of a thunderstorm that went over Arrowhead Stadium, delaying event and game activities. During the downpour, spectators were told to leave their seats and take cover, while players cleared the field.

After the inclement weather cleared, a rainbow appeared in the distance – as if a sign for exuberant NFL fans that the season was near.

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

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EL PASO, Texas - The winners of the Sweet Play of the Week for week one of the high school football season went to the Coronado Thunderbirds.

In the game against the Burges Mustangs, Coronado's Mariano Fernandez came up with a big hit against a Burges player to force a fumble.

Coronado's Norman Montion then scooped up the ball and took it back for the Coronado touchdown.

As winners of the Sweet Play of the Week, the entire Coronado football team received a box of cupcakes courtesy of Albertsons.

The team is also recognized as this week's Community Champions.

Community Champions is sponsored by Albertsons and the El Paso Community Foundation.

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By Homero De la Fuente, CNN

(CNN) — Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo scored the 900th goal of his illustrious career in Portugal’s UEFA Nations League group stage match against Croatia in Lisbon on Thursday.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner tapped in a volley from a Nuno Mendes cross in the 34th minute of the first half to double Portugal’s lead in the 2-1 victory. An emotional Ronaldo celebrated the goal by holding out his arms as he raced to the corner of the pitch before placing his hands on his face and dropping to the ground.

Ronaldo’s goal was his 131st for Portugal, which extended his record for most international goals in world football. In addition to his 769 goals scored in his club career, the Portugal captain becomes the first men’s player in history to score 900 goals in official matches.

“It means a lot,” Ronaldo said after the game, according to the Associated Press.

“It was a milestone I wanted to reach for a long time. I knew I would reach this number, because as I continue to play, it would happen naturally.”

The 39-year-old was also the first men’s player in history to score 800 goals for club and country, according to the Olympics.

Longtime rival Lionel Messi sits in second place with 842 goals, while Brazilian legend Pelé is third with 765 goals, according to ESPN.

Ronaldo’s latest milestone adds to his highly decorated career, which includes holding the all-time records for most Champions League goals (141).

“It was emotional because it’s a milestone,” he said, per AP.

“It seems like any other milestone, but only I know, and the people around me, how hard it is to work every day, to be physically and psychologically fit, to score 900 goals. It’s a unique milestone in my career.”

The five-time Champions League winner began his club career with Portuguese side Sporting CP before joining Manchester United in 2003. After six seasons at United, he moved to Spanish La Liga giants Real Madrid, where he accumulated 450 goals in 438 games in his nine years at the club. After playing two years with Italian side Juventus, Ronaldo made his return to the Red Devils in 2021 where he played until 2023, before departing for Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr.

In his recently launched YouTube channel, Ronaldo told his former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand he is already eyeing his 1000th career goal.

“I want to reach 1,000 goals. If I don’t have any injuries, this for me is the most important (thing), I want that. For me, the best mark that I can have in football is to reach, first, 900 goals. After, my challenge is to be at 1,000 goals.”

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By Don Riddell and Ben Church, CNN

(CNN) — Former pro soccer player Tosaint Ricketts made a living scoring goals in leagues such as MLS, but now the 37-year-old has turned his attention to the world of competitive gaming.

The ex-Vancouver Whitecaps striker and Canada international recently became the first former MLS star to compete in the eMLS – an online gaming league based around the EA SPORTS FC franchise.

The eMLS, which now sees 22 clubs participate, has grown since its conception in 2018 and now aims to raise the league’s profile with a new generation of fans.

Ricketts said he was surprised by the standard of players in the competition, admitting he got “destroyed” when facing some of the professional gamers.

“These gamers are the real deal. They put in the hours, they put in the work, they understand the game, they understand the meta of it and how to get the best out of the game itself,” Ricketts told CNN Sport’s Don Riddell back in August.

“Their level is much higher than I ever expected.”

Ricketts enjoyed an eclectic career, playing in countries such as Finland, Turkey, Lithuania and Norway before wrapping up his playing days in MLS with the Whitecaps.

He also played 61 times for Canada, scoring 17 goals for his national team.

His introduction into the world of EA SPORTS FC – formerly known as FIFA – was equally as unusual. Speaking to CNN, he said he only started getting interested in the video game when he was able to play as himself.

After retiring, though, he became interested in the business of esports, and in 2023, he signed as a Vancouver Whitecaps esports player.

He now sees plenty of crossover opportunities for soccer and the world of online gaming.

“The opportunities for engagement are limitless. I would say 90% of athletes play video games. I could say that confidently […] it’s kind of an escape for them,” Ricketts added.

“There is no question that a professional athlete could cross over and be successful in the virtual world.”

Plenty of current and former players have become part of the esports scene in recent years. Cristiano Ronaldo was at the launch of the Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia this year, and former Argentina striker Sergio Agüero has set up his own esports organization.

For Ricketts, though, this is just the start.

“Imagine [Lionel] Messi, imagine he played EA Sports FC 24 and he wants to connect with some fans, he could jump on a live stream. People could watch him play, people could ask him questions,” he said.

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By David Close, CNN

(CNN) — Alex Morgan, one of the most prolific goalscorers and well-known soccer stars in the world, announced her retirement from professional soccer on Thursday.

Morgan, a 35-year-old striker for the NWSL’s San Diego Wave, posted an emotional four-plus minute video on social media to state her last match will be this weekend against the North Carolina Courage.

Morgan also revealed she was pregnant with her second child during the video.

“Soccer has been a part of me for 30 years. It was one of the first things that I ever loved. And I gave everything to this sport. What I got in return was more than I could have ever dreamed of,” Morgan said.

Suiting up for the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT), Morgan is a two-time World Cup champion and won an Olympic gold medal in 2012.

“We’re changing lives and the impact we have on the next generation is irreversible and I’m proud in the hand I had in making that happen in pushing the game forward and leaving it in a place that I’m so happy and proud of,” she said.

She scored 123 goals for the US – ranking her fifth on the all-time USWNT list.

“Charlie [Morgan’s daughter] came up to me the other day and said that when she grows up, she wants to be a soccer player and it just made me like immensely proud, not because I wish for her to become a soccer player when she grows up, but because a pathway exists that even a four-year-old can see now,” Morgan said.

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CNN

By Nimi Princewill, CNN

(CNN) — Rebecca Cheptegei, a Ugandan marathon runner who competed in the Paris Olympics last month, has died days after she was burned by her boyfriend, the country’s athletics federation confirmed on X, formerly known as Twitter, Thursday.

“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei early this morning who tragically fell victim to domestic violence,” the Uganda Athletics Federation posted. “As a federation, we condemn such acts and call for justice. May her soul rest In Peace.”

Cheptegei, 33, who lived in Kenya, had been in a critical condition after suffering burns on 75% of her body following Sunday’s attack at her house in the western Trans Nzoia County. Her death was also confirmed on X by the Kenyan Olympic Team.

Cheptegei finished 44th in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics weeks ago. International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said her participation at the Games “was a source of inspiration, pride and joy”, adding he was “shocked and deeply saddened” to learn about her death and “the horrible attack against her.”

Trans Nzoia County police commander Jeremiah ole Kosiom said earlier this week that the athlete had been doused in petrol by her boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, who stormed her house with a jerry can of gasoline and set fire to her after a disagreement over land. Ndiema, who was also burned, is being treated at a hospital in the city of Eldoret.

A medical official at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital where Cheptegei was being treated told CNN affiliate Citizen TV on Thursday that she suffered multi-organ failure late Wednesday.

Cheptegei’s mother, Agnes – who spoke to reporters outside the hospital on Thursday – described her as “a good child.”

Her father, Joseph, blamed the Kenyan government and police for failing to prevent her death.

“I blame her death on negligence by the government because the authorities should have taken it seriously when we first reported that this man [Ndiema] had become problematic and he was fighting her. We reported to the police, to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations but they didn’t take any action to save her life,” he told journalists.

CNN has contacted the Kenyan police and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations for comment.

Uganda’s minister of state for sports, Peter Ogwang, described Cheptegei’s death as “tragic” in a post on X Thursday, adding that “Kenyan authorities are investigating the circumstances under which she died and a more detailed report and program will be provided in due course.”

Kenya’s sports minister Kipchumba Murkomen said in a statement that Cheptegei’s death was “not only a loss to Uganda and the athletics community, but to the entire region.”

Cheptegei is the third elite female athlete to be killed in Kenya in the last three years.

In 2021, 25-year-old Kenyan Olympic runner Agnes Tirop was found dead in her Iten home in the country’s Elgeyo-Marakwet County with stab wounds in her neck. Her husband, Ibrahim Rotich, was charged with murder after Kenyan prosecutors accused him of killing her.

Months later, another Kenyan athlete Damaris Mutua, 28, was found strangled in a home with a pillow over her face. Mutua had just placed third at a half marathon in Angola earlier that month. Authorities said her boyfriend was the main suspect.

Sports minister Murkomen said the latest tragedy involving Cheptegei “is a stark reminder that we must do more to combat gender-based violence in our society, which in recent years has reared its ugly head in elite sporting circles.”

Amnesty International Kenya also said that Cheptegei’s death “highlights the urgent need to address femicide” in the country.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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CNN’s Niamh Kennedy, Larry Madowo and Caitlin Danaher contributed to this report.

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By Sam Joseph, CNN

(CNN) — Caitlin Clark stuffed the stat sheet yet again in another Indiana Fever win, recording a triple-double in a 93-86 victory against the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old superstar posted 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to achieve the second triple-double of her young career. She became the first rookie in WNBA history to achieve the feat earlier this year. Per the Fever, she is only the sixth WNBA player in history to record multiple career triple-doubles.

Indiana is 7-1 since the league resumed after the Olympic break and secured a playoff berth for the first time since 2016 on Tuesday.

Clark also became the first rookie ever to make 100 three-pointers in a season with a step-back triple in the third quarter of the game. She is the sixth WNBA player to ever reach triple-digit three-pointers in a year.

The 2024 No. 1 overall draft pick has set multiple records and made frequently history over the course of her rookie campaign, but stated that she is more focused on achieving team success than anything else.

“You’ve got to win to have all that on the side,” Clark said. “For me, it’s fun winning basketball games. It’s fun walking off the court and the crowd’s going crazy because you just won, and you played a good game. So for me, that’s where my main focus is. And I think when I do that, everything else comes along with it.”

Clark said that she knew that she had secured the triple-double when she pulled down her 10th rebound in the final seconds of the game and dribbled out the clock with a smile on her face.

“Somebody had to get the rebound,” she laughed. “AB [Aliyah Boston] was joking, we always joke about stealing each other’s rebound, so that was funny.”

The triple-double continues what has been one of the best periods of Clark’s season – she is the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week, Eastern Conference Player of the Month and WNBA Rookie of the Month.

Boston, the 2023 Rookie of the Year, also had an impressive performance, posting 24 points and 14 rebounds, while Kelsey Mitchell scored 18 as the Fever moved to 18-16.

“We’re not done yet,” said Fever head coach Christie Sides, via the team. “Our goal is to make the playoffs, and we’ve done that, and we have six games now remaining … We don’t have to prove ourselves anymore. We just have to make sure we keep doing what we’ve been doing and find ways to get that 1% better.”

Odyssey Sims led the way with 20 points for the Sparks, while Dearica Hamby chipped in with 16 as LA fell to 7-26, the worst record in the league. The team is currently without star rookie Cameron Brink, who tore her ACL earlier this year.

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