The NBA brought the hammer down on the LA Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer for circumventing the salary cap to funnel more money to Kawhi Leonard — and now federal prosecutors are looking into the matter.
The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into the Clippers' efforts to secure "no-show" endorsement deals for Kawhi Leonard, the New York Times reports. This investigation is being run out of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Brooklyn, the office that has traditionally looked into issues with professional sports leagues.
The investigation is in its earliest stages, and it's unclear what, if any, federal charges could come out of it, according to the report.
The Justice Department investigation comes in addition to the Securities and Exchange Commission looking into Daktronics' role in the scandal, as it had an endorsement deal with Leonard despite never having had a celebrity endorser before and there being no evidence Leonard did anything for the company. Daktronics is publicly traded, and the SEC is tasked with protecting shareholders.
The NBA oversaw a year-long investigation of its own into the Clippers working to circumvent the salary cap with Leonard and last month came down with the harshest penalties ever imposed on a team:

#salary

At the end of the 2026-27 season, Liverpool will have had Standard Chartered as their primary shirt sponsor for 17 years. For the 18 years before that, Carlsberg were the shirt sponsor. Both sponsors crossed managerial eras, saw badge changes, and became **** ociated with the front of a Liverpool kit to the point they almost faded into the background.
Next season, for the first time in 35 years, there will be a new one, with the club announcing today that Turkish Airlines had agreed a five-year deal reportedly worth upwards of £300M that will see them become the club's new primary shirt sponsor.
Though some sponsorship deals have a higher total value, those include stadium and other naming rights and Liverpool's new deal is said to be the must lucrative in the Premier League for a front of shirt sponsor. In addition to being the first new sponsor in 35 years, Turkish Airlines will become just the sixth shirt sponsor in the club's history.
Liverpool got their first with Hitachi (1979-1982) before moving to Crown Paints (1982-1988), Candy (1988-1992), Carlsberg (1992-2010), and then Standard Chartered (2010-2027) .
"This is a milestone announcement for us and we are delighted to welcome Turkish Airlines from June 2027," said Liverpool Chief Commercial Officer Ben Latty in a press release. "The front of the Liverpool shirt holds a special place in the history of our Club, and we look forward to building a strong relationship—with already strong foundations built from those special memories back in 2005.

#shirt #turkish #chartered

The New England Patriots continued preparations for the 2026 regular season down three.
Running back TreVeyon Henderson, center Ben Brown and defensive tackle Christian Barmore stayed sidelined during Sunday's practice as the Super Bowl LX rematch closes in.
Here's the first injury report ahead of Wednesday's 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field.
RB TreVeyon Henderson (ankle)
C Ben Brown (knee)

#barmore

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Marcellous Hawkins Jr. rushed for three touchdowns, and Jeffrey Overton Jr. rushed for 108 yards and two scores to lead Virginia Tech to a 73-3 victory over VMI on Saturday in the debut of Hokies' head coach James Franklin.
Franklin, who was fired last October by Penn State after 12 seasons and hired by Virginia Tech 36 days later, witnessed a dominating performance by the Hokies (1-0) in their opener. Virginia Tech's offense scored on its first six possessions and punted just once during the game. The Hokies' defense held VMI (0-2) to just 83 yards, and the special teams blocked two punts, recovering one for a touchdown.
Hired to rebuild a once-proud Virginia Tech program that has suffered losing seasons in five of the past six years, Franklin brought in 27 transfers, including 12 who followed him from his previous stop. Arguably the most important of those, quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, enjoyed a great Virginia Tech debut.
Grunkemeyer, who started the final seven games for Penn State last season, completed 10 of his first 11 passes. He finished 17 of 20 for 224 yards and two touchdowns.
Led by Overton, who scored on runs of 50 and 23 yards, and Grunkemeyer, the Hokies finished with 619 total yards.

#franklin #overton #penn

Xabi Alonso says it is time for Chelsea to "move forward" following the departure of Enzo Fernandez and failure to sign Lamine Camara as his replacement.
The drawn-out saga surrounding the Argentine midfielder's future ended on Transfer Deadline Day when he reunited with Enzo Maresca at Manchester City.
The Blues sold the 25-year-old for £125 million, equalling the British transfer record set by Liverpool last year when they signed Alexander Isak from Newcastle United.
Speaking ahead of Sunday's Premier League meeting with ****** nal, Alonso admitted that Chelsea allowed Fernandez to leave the club because it was "best for the team".
"We take all the decisions together," the Spaniard said in his pre-match press conference. "We work together with big ones, small ones. We knew ultimately the goal is to have the best for the team. We want to build a good spirit, a good team."

#alonso #Chelsea #ones

The Western Conference has undoubtedly dominated the 21st-century NBA. But after blockbuster trades and free agency moves, the Eastern Conference appears to be historically stacked.
Now, with newly emerged "super teams" like the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks, the fully healthy Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics, and true contention from the Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, and the Detroit Pistons, how can the Cleveland Cavaliers rise to the top?
Once again, Cleveland is coming into the season with a big four of stars. This time, though, Darius Garland is out, and James Harden is in for his first full season as a Cavalier.
Next to Harden are the three veteran Cavs' All-Stars: Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.
The core left a lot to be desired in their Eastern Conference Finals run last season, and things have arguably gotten worse for their future.

#season

British number one Katie Boulter was dumped out of the US Open in the second round as she won just one game in a 58-minute demolition by Karolina Muchova.
The match, originally scheduled to be played on one of the outer courts, was moved to the 14,000-capacity Louis Armstrong Stadium after heavy rain in New York.
But fans who had counted themselves lucky to have gained a third match on their day session ticket may have been left feeling short-changed, as Boulter fell to a swift 6-1 6-0 defeat by the Czech seventh seed.
Francesca Jones had better fortune as she returned to win her first-round match against Poland's Magda Linette after it was interrupted by rain on Tuesday.
Boulter's serve let her down as she hit eight double faults and no aces, while she won just 33% of points behind her first serve.

#karolina

The Green Bay Packers will have one of the most exciting offenses in the NFL this season. Despite Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs being on the commissioner's exempt list following criminal charges being filed against him, the Packers have some of the best young offensive stars in the league.
Wide receivers Christian Watson and Jayden Reed barely got to play together last year due to injuries. Now, they are entering 2026 healthy and fresh off of significant multi-year contract extensions. Additionally, Jordan Love continues to trend in the right direction as he enters his fourth year as Green Bay's starting quarterback.
Oh, and tight end Tucker Kraft is healthy.
Oct 26, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft (85) celebrates his touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
Kraft missed the second half of the season last year due to a torn ACL. Fortunately, he has progressed on schedule in his recovery and will be ready for Week One. Just how much the Packers will limit his snap count to start the year remains to be seen, but the fact that he will be playing at all gives the offense a major boost.

#season

The Chargers trimmed down their roster from 90 to 53 men on Sunday. After 20 training camp practices and three preseason games, they feel confident that they have the players on their roster to guide them to what could be a season to remember.
The Chargers still have a long way to go in that department as the 2026 season looms. Nonetheless, we will soon see how things will shake out for them. It was not easy to trim down the roster, as the Bolts had to make some tough decisions.
Time will tell how it will play out. In the meantime, Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report listed the winners and losers from every NFL team's 2026 roster cuts, including the Chargers.
Davenport named rookie wide receiver Brenan Thompson as the winner and the Chargers' interior offensive line as the losers.
Thompson was one of the bright spots during Chargers camp. He showed off his speed and athleticism across multiple practices, ultimately earning him a spot on the 53-man roster.

#chargers #down

Detroit's defense intercepted 13 passes last season, tied for 11th in the NFL. Four of those came from cornerbacks, and D.J. Reed accounted for two of them.
Carter Bahns and Zachary Pereles of CBS Sports named the Lions on Thursday among five potential landing spots for New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez, alongside the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders, New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Aug 3, 2023; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (50) heads to the practice fields at training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Terrion Arnold, the 24th pick of the 2024 draft, was released by Detroit in June while facing felony charges he has denied, and he agreed to terms with Seattle this month. Reed inherited the No. 1 job, and the group behind him has been shuffled and interrupted by injuries throughout camp.
Tim Twentyman wrote in the club's own training camp position preview in last month that "the Arnold release hurts Detroit's depth at the position," adding it would not surprise him if general manager Brad Holmes added to the spot before the regular season. That went up five weeks before Gonzalez's name entered the conversation, written by someone the team employs.

#christian #last

Manchester United will welcome Ipswich Town at Old Trafford this Sunday as they look to secure a positive result at home in the Premier League. The Red Devils suffered a poor 2-0 loss away at Hull City in the opening weekend of this Premier League campaign, so they would be eager to bounce back by earning a win this weekend.
Michael Carrick will opt for the 4-2-3-1 formation and is expected to make one tweak to his first XI for this game. Diogo Dalot could play from the start of this game, while Noussair Mazraoui makes way for him and drops to the bench.
Senne Lammens will function in between the sticks for the Red Devils after conceding two goals in his last outing. Ayden Heaven will continue to operate alongside Harry Maguire at the heart of Carrick's defence as they look to keep a solid shape when defending inside his half.
Diogo Dalot will try to impress as the right-back, while Luke Shaw hopes to catch the eye on the other side as the left-back. Both of them will get the license to go forward and express themselves inside the opponent's half.
Noussair Mazraoui and Lisandro Martinez will offer cover for the defensive positions on the bench.

#league #noussair #weekend

Los Angeles Sparks center Cameron Brink took direct aim at former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom, calling him a "stupid piece of s***" over his recent controversies.
Kanter Freedom has been on a campaign centered around transgender athletes, claiming that women's sports are under attack.
He and Royce White, another former NBA player, declared themselves for the 2027 WNBA Draft.
Brink, before the Sparks played against the Atlanta Dream, was asked about Kanter Freedom's appearance at a WNBA game after declaring for the WNBA draft and wearing a shirt that read "woman noun. adult human female."
He eventually got into an altercation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud, which led to his ejection from the game and a ban from all Chicago Sky games.

#freedom #player

Klay Thompson sets high expectations for himself and the Heat ahead of the 2026-27 season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Klay Thompson is a four-time champion from his stint with the Golden State Warriors. With that kind of success, it is normal to want more, and Thompson believes that it will come with the Miami Heat. He just joined the team, and he is already setting high expectations for himself and his teammates.
Considering the Heat are always a team to watch in terms of ****** le contention, this could be the year they fully come back to that status. For a few years now, they have been toiling away in mediocrity. Now, they have Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thompson joining the roster ahead of the big 2026-27 season.
For a long time, people have gotten used to the Heat being a successful team. Of course, Dwyane Wade is a big reason for that, as he was part of all three Heat championships. Since they last won in 2013, the Heat have been competing, but they have never taken the top spot on the podium.
They have been the runner-up three times since that last ****** le, in 2014, 2020, and 2023. It has been a tough few years for the Heat, especially since they had to go through the Play-In Tournament multiple times. They managed to do so successfully in 2023 by reaching the NBA Finals, but they still lost.

#sporting #high

A new study from researchers at Mass General Brigham, Boston University, and the Concussion & CTE Foundation found that at least one in four former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma.
The findings, published Tuesday in The British Medical Journal, examined former NFL players from the hard-shell helmet era and suggest the prevalence of CTE among professional football players is significantly higher than in the general population.
Researchers identified 878 former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021. Of those, 235 donated their brains for study, and 215 of the donated brains, or 91.4%, showed evidence of CTE.
Because CTE can only be diagnosed after death through brain tissue examination, researchers estimated a range for how widespread the disease may have been among all deceased former players. Their most conservative estimate found at least 24.5% of former NFL players who died during that period had CTE. The upper estimate reached 97.7%, though researchers said both extremes are unlikely and the true prevalence is likely somewhere in between.
"Community brain bank studies have shown that CTE affects less than 1% of the general population," said Dr. Daniel Daneshvar, lead author of the study and chair of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Mass General Brigham. "To find that somewhere between 24.5% and 97.7% of NFL players from that time period had this progressive brain disease is a wake-up call for the NFL and scientific communities."

#died

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has confirmed the club are interested in signing free agent Adam Webster.
The defender left Brighton after suffering an ACL injury but Wilder has backed the 31-year-old to make an impact in the near future should the deal be completed.
"I've known Adam for a long time and he's coming off the back of a big injury but not a career ending injury, an ACL, at Brighton and out of contract," Wilder said.
"You know the market we're in and were talking about last week, a market of frees and loans, so it's an interesting one for us.
"He came up for a couple of days, so I can't really deny that, can I? He's somebody that is of interest to us."

#adam

Following Saturday night's mock game, there's no doubt about freshman outside linebacker Ramzak Fruean's role with the Washington Huskies.
"Ramzak's going to start for us," coach Jedd Fisch said after the scrimmage. "There's no question about that."
Throughout both spring and fall camp, the former four-star recruit out of in-state Bethel High School has flashed elite athleticism that has had Fisch's entire coaching staff buzzing about his potential. Over the last few weeks, that has turned into first-team reps along the defensive line, which has resulted in the havoc plays that defensive coordinator Ryan Walters wants to see from his pass rush, including a sack in Saturday's scrimmage.
"It's been exponential," outside linebackers coach Aaron Van Horn said of Fruean's growth. "Obviously, it's something you hope for from young guys especially; there's so much to learn as far as maturity-wise off the field and on the field."
"He takes things seriously, so he's taken a huge jump as far as the football school piece of it...the technique, the fundamentals. And the other piece of it that you can just watch is he practices as hard as just about anybody; you can just watch it, he practices everything. That's one of the things that he embodies, and it's showing up."

#field #watch

Earlier today, reports emerged suggesting that Alejandro Balde had decided to leave FC Barcelona before the transfer window closes.
The 22-year-old left-back faces competition for a starting berth now that Joao Cancelo has been re-signed permanently.
Moreover, reports suggest that Barça manager Hansi Flick has some doubts the player as well.
The German's pointed remark at the La Masia graduate during his press conference earlier today seemed to underline the point, which eventually gave way to rumours of a departure.
However, according to Mundo Deportivo, Balde is not giving up.

#reports #joao #cancelo #moreover

Here are the Bloomington area and statewide high school football scores for opening night on Friday, August 21, 2026.
AREA
Bloomington South 44, Bloomington North 6
Edgewood 29, Springs Valley 8
Eastern Green 41, Pike Central 12

#august #south

Bayern Munich players Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Luis Díaz, Jamal Musiala, Serge Gnabry, Joshua Kimmich, Aleksandar Pavlović, Jonathan Tah, and Dayot Upamecano were all named to ESPN's Top 100 List.
On the center-forward list, Bayern Munich star Kane was rightfully ranked at No.1:
Harry Kane — Bayern Munich/England
Kylian Mbappé — Real Madrid/France
Erling Haaland — Manchester City/Norway

#kane #harry #list #michael

When it was revealed on Tuesday that Fenway Sports Group (FSG) had actually sold about 38% of Liverpool to 1892 Holdings, there was certainly an element of confusion.
On Friday, the understanding was that the Jeff Bezos-backed consortium had purchased about a third of Liverpool - and BBC Sport was informed that speculation placing the investment in the range of approximately 30% to 33% was "directionally accurate".
So why was a different figure reported just four days later?
FSG's policy is not to publicly disclose precise ownership stakes but, with numbers circulating before the official announcement, the Boston-based conglomerate was keen to indicate what was being reported was in the right territory, rather than simply referring to it as a "minority investment".
The chain of events, though, has led to some at Liverpool privately asking why FSG was not more transparent, seeing the confusion as unnecessary.

#fenway #holdings

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryson Stott put the Phillies ahead with a two-run single in the sixth inning, and Philadelphia rallied for its fifth straight victory, 6-4 over the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night.
The Phillies trailed 3-1 before they sent nine batters to the plate in the sixth and scored four times against reliever Michael Petersen (2-3). Alec Bohm, who also had an RBI single in the first, opened the scoring in the sixth with a run-scoring double. After Stott's hit — which extended his on-base streak to a career-high 19 games — Justin Crawford had a run-scoring single to make it 5-3.
Philadelphia occupies the second NL wild-card spot after sweeping Minnesota and winning the first two against the Marlins.
Alex McFarlane (1-1) allowed one unearned run in the sixth, earning his first career win. Brooks Raley, the fifth Phillies pitcher, retired the side on 12 pitches in the ninth for his first save.
Phillies starter Zack Wheeler gave up two runs in five innings. He struck out seven and walked four.

#Career

MIAMI GARDENS ― Louisville wide receiver Chris Bell came in motion, targeted a Kentucky defensive back and blasted him to the ground, springing teammate Isaac Brown for a 67-yard touchdown.
The Cardinals blew out their rival Wildcats in November of 2024, and Bell, a dynamic receiver, was celebrated not just for his 84 receiving yards, but for the impressive, key block.
Bell, who has made his debut for the Miami Dolphins, recounted the play after a recent practice.
"I would say my mindset was just, you know, make this play for my teammate," Bell said. "You know, I'm always a team-first player. You know, I feel like I'm going to always an all-around receiver. You know, I do good in a pass game and in a run game. You know, I take pride in blocking just like I take pride in catching, so that's something that on that play I took pride in."
Bell is 6-foot-2, 220 pounds. He is the heaviest of 12 Dolphins receivers and very likely the strongest.

#bell #know #always

On Monday, the Indianapolis Colts signed Keenan Allen to a one-year deal worth up to $8.3 million. His addition came amid growing concerns about Alec Pierce's availability for the upcoming NFL season.
Allen played for the Los Angeles Chargers last year. It was the six-time Pro Bowler's second stint with the franchise after previously suiting up from 2013-2023. He appeared in 17 regular-season games, including three starts, in 2025. The 34-year-old recorded 81 receptions for 777 yards and four touchdowns.
MORE: Troubling WR injury news out of Indianapolis Colts training camp
Allen's signing was reported on X by NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
Allen will provide the Colts with depth at the position and will likely play a key role. Pierce remains sidelined following offseason ankle injury. He was reportedly on track to return during training camp but has yet to participate in any practice session.

#indianapolis

Borussia Dortmund have confirmed the signing of Giannis Konstantelias from PAOK FC.
The 23-year-old attacking midfielder has signed a contract with the Black and Yellows until 2031.
"We are very pleased that we have convinced Giannis, a talented attacking player, to join us. We have been following his development for quite some time," said Borussia Dortmund managing director for sport Lars Ricken.
"At 23, he is still a relatively young player, while at the same time already bringing a great deal of experience with him. We would also like to thank the people responsible at PAOK for the consistently respectful and constructive discussions surrounding Giannis' transfer."
Konstantelias said:

#giannis #attacking #yellows

ARDMORE, Pa. — Merion, the club and the course, is about as English as anything American thing could be, and Sunday here — for the finale of the 126th U.S. Amateur — was dank and wet and of-so-English. An Englishman was playing a kid from California. The Englishman won. Not a shocker.
There was something truly great about this Am, the whole seven days of it: six days of hot, dry golf leading to this rainy, cool Sunday; 312 players whittled down to two; and a final featuring two totally dissimilar golfers. Jack Whaley, deeply tanned and powerfully built, grew up in Doncaster, England, plays at Florida State and has a ready-for-the-Tour swing and a grind-it-out demeanor. Jay Leng Jr. grew up in San Diego, plays at Stanford, could not weigh 130 pounds, has a stance wider than Moe Norman's and a backswing shorter than Jon Rahm's, and follows no known playbook but his own. It was a delight watching these two go at it in this 36-hole final. Whaley won the match with a birdie on 15, the final nail in his 4-and-3 victory.
Arnold Palmer, who won this event in 1954, offered this as a swing tip for life: "Swing your swing." A cousin to you do you. Leng, winner of the Western Amateur earlier this summer who will represent the U.S. at next month's Walker Cup at Lahinch in Ireland, did not know Palmer's three-word phrase but understood its message. "I've always done things my own way and it seems to be working so I don't see any reason to change now," Leng said Sunday night, about to board a van for a ride back to the clubhouse as Whaley's new trophy was being brought to the 15th green.
By 14, Leng was playing without a hat, his black hair so wet he looked like he had just stepped out of a shower, his shirt close to soaked. Asked if he had learned anything over the course of the day about playing in the rain, he said, "Maybe carry more towels?" He was wet and worn out and tired. A U.S. Amateur can take a lot out of a guy, and so can golf in a steady rain.
Andy North won his two U.S. Opens playing in cold and wet conditions. He is now a member of the USGA executive committee — nice get, USGA! — and was at the award presentation. "Not a shock to see a player from England play so well in these conditions — you would think he has a lot of experience at it," North said Sunday night. "Playing in the rain really requires you to stay as dry as you possibly can while keeping your mind totally focused on the shots you have to make, never giving in to the rain for a second." Andy North was a master of keeping two towels in the spokes of his umbrella while playing in the rain, one for the grips, the other for his hands.

#playing #amateur

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle said he expects to come off the physically unable to perform list before the start of the season and remains hopeful that his surgically repaired Achilles tendon will be healthy enough for him to play in Week 1.
Kittle tore his right Achilles on Jan. 11 in a playoff win at Philadelphia and is hoping to be able to get back at practice in time to play Week 1 on Sept. 11 in Australia against the Los Angeles Rams.
"I have a chance," Kittle said Sunday. "We're running around a lot, hitting top speeds. Hopefully we're back in pads practicing sooner than later. Just trying to check the boxes and not be (dumb) is what I would say."
Kittle has made an impressive recovery over the past seven months and has been working out on the side at practice while he remains on the PUP list. Kittle said he expects to come off that list before rosters are cut to 53 players on Aug. 30 so he won't have to miss the first four games of the season.
The Niners are set to leave for Australia on Sept. 2 and Kittle said he wouldn't expect to make the long flight unless the team plans to play him against the Rams. The first step will be coming off the PUP list and practicing with his teammates.

#achilles #week #australia #Rams

Chelsea's midfield situation is far from closed according to our writer Simon Phillips, who is on the case today.
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If you look at Chelsea's midfield situation from the outside it seems pretty simple now – Enzo Fernandez is staying, and the club have a pretty solid spread of options centrally, between the Argentine, Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Jordan Henderson, Dario Essugo, plus Reece James likely to play there a fair bit.
But the reality, according to our writer Simon Phillips is very different. He says that Chelsea are still looking to sign a midfielder, and could yet sell Enzo and sign two.
He adds that Essugo could also be loaned out in that situation.

#Chelsea #essugo #according

When fans approach San Francisco 49ers backup tight end Jake Tonges these days, they typically ask about one of two things. At the top of the list has to be his game-winning touchdown grab in Seattle, which excused him from no-name status at the start of the 2025 season, to beat the eventual Super Bowl champion Seahawks. The other involves the fantasy football waiver wire. He giggled.
"Or some first touchdown betting line that they're telling me about," Tonges said.
Thursday, when the 49ers hosted the ****** ans, marked the first time he did not suit up for a preseason game. What once was the basis for his survival in the NFL became validation that he made it.
No one drafted Tonges. The Chicago Bears signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2022, along with more than a dozen others. For the next several Augusts, his sole focus was putting together good tape in the preseason so that he had something to show other teams in case he was, as an example, released with an injury settlement, the kind of niche NFL roster terminology fringe players learn quickly.
A campaign in which All-Pro tight end George Kittle missed six games in the regular season and another in the playoffs gave Tonges an opportunity to put the world of Silicon Valley tech and finance in the rearview. The Los Gatos native attended Cal as a walk-on who took BART into the city for an internship at Morgan Stanley.

#touchdown

NEEDHAM — An eighth-grade Chris Vargas watched Ohio State lose to Michigan in the horseshoe.
Now he calls the Wolverines "the team up North."
Massachusetts' first ever five-star quarterback and the nation's top-rated passer in the Class of 2028 committed to the Buckeyes on August 8.
"There were always one that I had in my mind, but something just changed; like flipped the entire thing where I wanted to be at Ohio State was that last visit that I had in June," Vargas said. "It was getting around the coaches, seeing how they coach their own players, getting in the meeting room with them and seeing how they coach on the board and stuff like that."
Vargas, an incoming junior at Saint John's Prep, had more than 20 offers from the likes of Alabama, Georgia, Oregon and yes, the team up North. He gravitated to the atmosphere in Columbus and the way coach Ryan Day and his staff develop quarterbacks. Ohio State reached the Big 10 championship game last season and qualified for the College Football Playoff.

#vargas #last

Florida State men's basketball will make program history in 2026-27 as ReliaQuest becomes the Seminoles' first-ever jersey patch sponsor under a new multi-year partnership announced Friday by Florida State Athletics.
The agreement designates ReliaQuest, a Tampa-based cybersecurity company, as the official jersey patch partner of Florida State men's basketball. The ReliaQuest logo will appear on all Seminole game jerseys beginning with the 2026-27 season.
"This partnership with ReliaQuest represents an important milestone for Florida State Athletics and reflects the continued momentum of our men's basketball program under Coach Luke Loucks," Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Alford said. "As the first jersey patch partnership in our athletics history, it demonstrates the strength of the Florida State brand and the confidence innovative companies like ReliaQuest have in the direction of our program."
Alford said the expanded relationship with ReliaQuest will support student-athletes while aligning Florida State with a company that values innovation, excellence and forward-thinking leadership.
The partnership brings together two organizations centered on preparation, performance and staying ahead of the competition. While Florida State focuses on defending opponents on the court, ReliaQuest helps organizations worldwide defend against cyber threats through AI-powered security operations that detect, investigate and respond to attacks.

#Florida #state #reliaquest #alford