AUSTIN - Mississippi State will show a new face at quarterback when the Bulldogs come to town for a game that Steve Sarkisian and Texas hope replicates last season when the Longhorns won seven of their last eight games.
The Bulldogs started the season at 4-0 and beat teams like Missouri and Minnesota with flashy new quarterback Kamario Taylor before losing three straight, but the dynamic playmaker was lost for the season when he underwent surgery this week for an injured toe.
So the 11th-ranked Longhorns (5-2, 2-2 in SEC) will see either athletic redshirt freshman Billy Puckett or Appalachian State transfer A.J. Swan, who had 12 starts in two years at Vanderbilt and six more at App State, when Mississippi State (4-3, 2-3 SEC) and Texas kick off at 6:30 Saturday night.
BOHLS: Nine things and one crazy prediction
Puckett has completed 66% of his passes with one touchdown and two picks and can make full use of a strong running game centered around Fluff Bothwell, who is much more physical than his name suggests and has four 100-yard games this season.

#mississippi #longhorns

The night Yaxel Lendeborg declared he'd "lost all respect" for Luka Dončić, agent Ron Shade and personal trainer Aaron Johnson were at the Warriors' season opener in Los Angeles and sprang into action. They went to talk with him.
Mentor Josh Lane followed up later that night. The former director of player relations at the University of Alabama Birmingham was momentarily concerned. Maybe he shouldn't have said that; it was his first NBA game, after all. So Lane texted Lendeborg something in the vein of: Man, what?
"We know when we can kinda talk him out of different things, and then we know there's certain things that he's just convicted on," Lane said. "That was one of those things he was just convicted on. Like, 'Man, I said what I said.'"
Those around Lendeborg have accepted that this is who he is, and to try to get him second-guessing himself would be the worst outcome. This is all part of the same package, an 18-year-old kid in a 24-year-old's body, as Lane put it. Lendeborg is driving through some of the best players in the world with abandon, and doing it with an awareness of his own faults that is endearing him to the rest of Golden State's locker room.
The honesty and the personality, though, mean he's taken the NBA by viral storm. He went after Dončić after Game 1 and defended his words later. Then, after dropping 31 points against the Nuggets in Golden State's first win Monday night, Lendeborg said he "would've cried" if the Warriors lost again. On Wednesday night in Minnesota, he pointed at himself for seven turnovers while also saying an aggressive Timberwolves team wasn't playing "real defense."

#lendeborg #golden #talk

Texas Southern plays the second of three straight home games this week looking to build off the end of a a losing streak.
TSU (2-5, 1-3 SWAC) hosts Grambling in a matchup of Tigers squads Saturday night at Thorne Stadium. TSU is coming off a walk-off win over Southern last week that ended a five-game skid. It was also the first one-score game TSU won this season.
Grambling (4-3, 2-2) lost 61-31 at Alabama A&M last week and has given up 158 points in the past three weeks, albeit winning two of those games.
Grambling leads the all-time series 10-6 but has lost the past two meetings in one-score games.
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Thorne Stadium
TV: SWAC TV
Radio: 90.9 FM with Devan Wade and Lary Hale

#week #saturday #stadium #three

Week 9 of the college football season is officially here! And in the Big Ten, that means another loaded slate of conference games, with UCLA the lone school facing a nonconference opponent.
So what can we expect to see in the league this week? Here are my Big Ten picks for Week 9:
USC's loss in Madison last week looks even worse after this one.
The Terrapins remain winless in Big Ten play.
The Wolverines do not have a quarterback, but they probably do not need one to beat Rutgers.

#week #terrapins

ESPN identified DJ Moore as the Buffalo Bills' most significant offseason addition after Week 7, highlighting the wide receiver's expected impact on the team's passing game. Although Buffalo was on its bye, Moore's role remained central to the discussion of the club's offensive outlook.
Moore joined Buffalo after being acquired from the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 2026 second-round draft pick. The veteran receiver has been sidelined while recovering from a shoulder injury, but his anticipated return could add another dimension to an offense that has continued to produce without him. The team's bye week also provided additional time for his recovery. The Bills entered its bye at 5-1 and ranked second, one spot higher than the previous week in ESPN's poll.
Jan 10, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore (2) reacts after making a first down against the Green Bay Packers during the first half of an NFC Wild Card Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
His value is tied to his ability to stretch the field and create opportunities beyond the catch. Moore's routes can force opposing defenses to cover more ground, opening ******* e underneath and making it more difficult to crowd the line of scrimmage. That added room could benefit the running game as well as the passing attack.
Through the first portion of the season, Moore averaged 2.47 yards per route run while recording an average depth of target of 15.9 yards. Those figures led the league, underscoring his ability to generate downfield production. His presence gives the offense a receiver capable of drawing coverage away from other targets and creating explosive-play opportunities.

#week #receiver #bills

Quenton Nelson knows how hard it is to block Jeffery Simmons. When Nelson was a guard for the Colts and Simmons was a defensive tackle for the **** ans, the two played against each other 13 times. And when Nelson got traded to the Seahawks on Tuesday, he thought he was going to get a break from facing Simmons.
That didn't happen. Shortly after Nelson got traded to the Seahawks, Simmons got traded to the Bears. Who play the Seahawks on Monday night, in the first game for both players on their new teams.
Nelson said he considers Simmons one of the best opponents he's faced, and he's ready for a big challenge when the Bears visit Seattle on Monday night.
"He's an amazing football player and competitor. I was like, Man, can't get away from this guy. It'll be another battle against him this week," Nelson said.
Nelson vs. Simmons will be the most-watched offensive lineman vs. defensive lineman battle of this NFL season, as two All-Pros go at it again, now on new teams with Super Bowl aspirations.

#simmons #traded #teams #battle

Savannah Chrisley and her new beau, Jason Galanis, are already married, despite only announcing their engagement publicly earlier this week.
According to marriage records obtained by People, the 29-year-old reality star and the 56-year-old businessman tied the knot on Tuesday, July 14, at Cayman Islands Baptist Church. The marriage followed a year of dating and came just two days before Galanis' 56th birthday.
Earlier this week, Savannah announced she was pregnant and engaged, though she did not reveal she and Galanis were already married. On her Unlocked podcast, she shared how Galanis proposed with a massive oval-cut diamond ring while they vacationed in the Cayman Islands.
The Chrisley Knows Best alum did not reveal Galanis' name in her pregnancy announcement, referring to him as "J" in social media posts and as "Jason" on her podcast. However, Us Weekly later confirmed the mystery man as convicted fraudster Jason Galanis.
In 2020, Galanis was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison for his part in "two multimillion-dollar fraud schemes," according to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. In one of the schemes, Galanis was accused of defrauding investors, including the Oglala Sioux Native American tribe, out of tens of millions of dollars.

#earlier

The Chicago Bears got the player they wanted. The harder question is what they gave up to get him.
Chicago acquired All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from Tennessee on Thursday, sending the **** ans first-round picks in 2027 and 2028 and a 2027 fourth-round pick. The Bears also received a 2028 fifth-round pick. It is a huge price for a 29-year-old defender, even one capable of changing how opponents block Chicago's front.
Simmons makes the Bears better today. He had 11 sacks last season and has four through seven games this year. ESPN's **** ysis identified the need clearly: Chicago ranked 23rd in pass-rush win rate from its interior defenders before the trade, while Simmons led NFL defensive tackles in that measure. His ability to disrupt both running and passing plays gives Dennis Allen something the defense has lacked up front.
But there are two parts to this trade. One is the impact Simmons can make on Sundays. The other is how Chicago builds around him in the years ahead.
Aug 28, 2021; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee **** ans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (98) celebrates after a defensive stop on fourth down during the first half against the Chicago Bears at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

#Chicago #bears #defensive

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs has addressed speculation surrounding his first of two touchdown celebrations during Thursday Night Football against the Carolina Panthers, firmly denying any connection to his arrest earlier this year.
During the celebration, Jacobs was seen standing in the end zone with his hands behind his back. Many viewers quickly interpreted this gesture as a reference to his arrest after he was charged with misdemeanor battery and destruction of property following an alleged incident involving a woman at his Green Bay home.
In September, Jacobs pleaded no contest to the charges. He was convicted of battery and received a deferred judgment agreement for the destruction of property charge. As a result, he spent the first six games of the season on the commissioner's exempt list and could face further NFL discipline.
After the game, Jacobs addressed the celebration, clarifying that it was inspired by the gospel song "Break Every Chain." He expressed his frustration that people were attempting to **** ociate the gesture with his legal troubles.
"They didn't even get the whole celebration," Jacobs told ESPN. "It was (expletive) one second that they just showed me."

#jacobs #battery

PETOSKEY — Lily Flynn could have had a totally different approach to her senior season on the volleyball court.
An outside hitter for Petoskey throughout her career, Flynn was asked to change positions, leaving behind the glory of racking up kills for the back row as a libero.
She would also spend most of the season surrounded by players she didn't grow up playing with, as freshmen and sophomores filled the court, including a pair that would step into that outside job.
"I kept asking, 'Yes, no? Are you good with this?' And she was," Petoskey coach Erin Luckhardt said. "That's not a role that she's played before. She's played back row, but playing back row exclusively is different for her and she's stepped into it and done a great job."
Flynn's attitude to change and an up and down 2026 campaign wasn't the kind you might expect.

#flynn #season #change

PARIS (AP) — The Dakar Rally in January will start in Portugal and finish in Morocco after being moved from Saudi Arabia because of the Middle East conflict.
Organizers announced the new route on Friday. They canceled the race in Saudi last weekend but reaffirmed it will return to the kingdom in 2028.
The Dakar, the world's biggest off-road race, returns to Africa for the first time in 20 years.
It will run from Jan. 9-23. The Algarve will hold the prologue and first stage and Morocco will hold the other 11 stages, going as south as outside Dakhla with a return north to finish in Marrakech.
Organizers said the route was 7,824 kilometers with 4,341 of those special stages, which was close to recent editions. Each special will range from 350 to 500 kilometers.

#dakar #race #hold

The college football action continues this Saturday on NBC and Peacock with two thrilling matchups. It all starts at 3:30 PM ET, with No. 20 Northwestern vs Oregon. Then, at 7:30 PM, the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes take on the USC Trojans in Los Angeles. See below to find out how to watch both games, as well as additional information on how to watch college football on Peacock.
RELATED: 2026 College Football Rankings Top 25 Week 9 - Expert picks, ******* ysis, AP projections including BYU, Utah
Sign up for Peacock here!
Inside the AP Poll: Notre Dame-BYU, Alabama-Kentucky's head-to-head results should matter
It's always a bad look when teams are sitting side-by-side in the official poll in the opposite order of a game result.

#watch #side #northwestern

The college football action continues this Saturday on NBC and Peacock with two thrilling matchups. First at 3:30 PM ET, it's No. 20 Northwestern vs Oregon. Later at 7:30 PM, the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes take on the USC Trojans in Los Angeles. See below to find out how to watch both games, as well as additional information on how to watch college football on Peacock.
RELATED: 2026 College Football Rankings Top 25 Week 9 - Expert picks, ******* ysis, AP projections including BYU, Utah
Sign up for Peacock here!
Inside the AP Poll: Notre Dame-BYU, Alabama-Kentucky's head-to-head results should matter
It's always a bad look when teams are sitting side-by-side in the official poll in the opposite order of a game result.

#college #poll #first #northwestern

Houston Christian hits the road for the second straight week looking to return to the win column.
The Huskies (4-4, 3-2) visit Stephen F. Austin (8-0, 5-0), ranked second in the AFCA FCS Top 25, in a Southland Conference matchup Saturday after seeing their two-game winning streak end last week at Lamar.
SFA has largely dominated foes this season, with only a single game decided by a one-score margin, a 28-26 win over Incarnate Word on Oct. 3.
The Lumberjacks have won six of the seven all-time meetings against the Huskies, including the past four. SFA won the two most recent matchups by a combined margin of 105-9.
When: 2 p.m. Saturday
Where: Homer Bryce Stadium, Nacogdoches
TV: ESPN+
Radio: 920 AM

#week #Margin #stephen

Slowly but surely the secret is coming out that Michael Penix Jr. has officially arrived as a franchise quarterback. The Atlanta Falcons' starter has been exceptional since returning to the lineup in Week 3, racking up nine touchdown passes to go with just one interception.
Penix is fresh off his best game of the season, totaling three scores and no turnovers against a top-five San Francisco 49ers defense.
That should have gotten Penix a huge ****** p in the weekly NFL.com quarterback rankings, but he only saw a modest gain of one spot, coming in at No. 12. That puts him in-between two former league MVPs, one spot below Patrick Mahomes and one above Matt Stafford.
"Michael Penix Jr. looks very comfortable and decisive in Kevin Stefanski's offense, freely spreading the ball among his many talented targets at a rate I haven't seen from him previously in his NFL career. Penix's contributions were especially important in a game in which Bijan Robinson fell short of breaking things open on the ground, and a reason to take the Falcons seriously going forward."
While the small gain is a little disappointing, keep in mind that Penix wasn't even listed in most quarterback rankings going into the season. Instead, it was Tua Tagovailoa representing the Falcons, usually somewhere between Nos. 30 and 32 among projected starters.

#quarterback

Son Heung-min will make his MLS postseason debut after helping the Los Angeles Football Club clinch a playoff bid.
Los Angeles FC clinched a spot in the MLS playoffs after a 2-2 draw with the LA Galaxy on Sunday, Oct. 25, reaching the postseason for the eighth time in the franchise's nine-year history.
"We still got two more games to play in the regular season," Heung-min said of LAFC's fight for playoff positioning. "We want to finish as high as possible so we can have a home game as many times as possible."
LAFC have 47 points and trail the San Jose Earthquakes and the Houston Dynamo by one point in the standings, and will face Minnesota United on Nov. 1 and the Seattle Sounders on Nov. 7.
Heung-min believes the black and gold missed an opportunity to tie San Jose in the standings after an offside call against teammate Denis Bouanga in the 29th minute of the first half resulted in his apparent goal being called back.

#jose #Football #galaxy

Welcome to Week 8 of the fantasy football season! Below I have some players I think you should start and some I think you should sit. As usual, your mileage may vary depending on your available choices, so don't just blindly bench someone if you don't have a better option!
Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers
Prescott has been up and down this season, but he's coming off a strong Monday night game against the Eagles and now faces a bad Cardinals pass defense. Arizona has given up the most adjusted yards per attempt, the most receiving touchdowns, the second worst QB rating, and the second most yards per completion. Prescott is poised to pick up where he left off on Monday night.
If the Cardinals had better backup quarterbacks, I would be worried that Brissett might be benched during a game, but they don't. This week, as long as Brissett plays the whole game, it will be difficult for him not to accumulate fantasy points. I expect the Cowboys will be able to score on the Cardinals, while Brissett inefficiently tries to keep up through the air. Dallas, so far, has allowed the third worst completion percentage, the seventh worst average yards per attempt, and the third-worst yards per completion to opposing quarterbacks.
Murray continued to play poorly last week, but the Vikings also continued to win. Not trailing in games hurts Murray, as he doesn't need to run and throw as much to try to make up points. This week they'll face a Lions offense that should have more success against Brian Flores' top defense than any team this year. The Lions defense also remains the absolute worst at giving up fantasy points to quarterbacks. That has a lot to do with the Lions keeping teams throwing the ball from a deficit, but the results are hard to ignore.

#brissett

ORCHARD PARK - One of the most fascinating aspects of the Buffalo Bills' 5-1 start is how efficient Josh Allen and the offense have been, and given the terrible play of the defense, it's exactly what has been needed.
The Bills lead the NFL in points per game at 32.8, and since the defense has allowed at least 29 points in five of the games, every point was necessary, and that will probably be the case Sunday at Highmark Stadium when the Bills host the Baltimore Ravens.
But here's what's crazy: The Bills have scored all these points despite the fact that they have run just 359 plays, tied for the second-fewest in the NFL. Yes, some of that has to do with playing only six games while others have played seven, but consider this: While the Bills average 59.8 offensive snaps, the Chicago Bears average 72.1, and the Los Angeles Rams average 68.2.
"I just think it's efficiency. Like, I go back to Week 1 when we had the ball at our two-yard line, and then I think three plays and we scored," said center Connor McGovern, recalling a series against the Texans late in the first half when the Bills actually went 96 yards to take a 24-14 lead, one of nine TD drives this season that have been achieved in six plays or less. "We're able to just get up there, calm, cool, if we get that first first down we're just rolling with that."
Of course, part of the low offensive snap count has to do with the Bills' defense not being able to get off the field and the opposition has averaged 32 minutes of time of possession. That's a key reason why the Bills are in hyper speed mode so often.

#bills #average

La Stampa reports that part of the Juventus dressing room is unhappy with Luciano Spalletti's methods, particularly because the Tuscan coach spends too much time talking, which reduces the intensity of training.
Juventus are preparing for a crucial Serie A match against Napoli, and coach Spalletti has ordered the team into a two-day training retreat.
ITALY – OCTOBER 28: Luciano Spalletti, head coach of Juventus, reacts during the Serie A match between Genoa CFC and Juventus FC at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on October 28, 2026 in Italy. (Photo by Simone Arveda/Getty Images)
The Italian tactician is on the brink, having only earned 14 points in nine Serie A games so far this season, losing two of the last three games.
On Thursday, after a 2-0 loss to Genoa, CEO Giovanni Carnevali gave a stern dressing-room speech, asking the players to take responsibility for the poor results so far.

#juventus #italy #october

Angel Reese being praised for her performance during the 2026 WNBA Finals doesn't sit well with one Los Angeles Clippers fan.
The Atlanta Dream survived the win-or-go-home Game 6 against the Golden State Valkyries in the 2026 WNBA Finals.
Star forward Angel Reese contributed 15 points to the 80-69 win, but she had a somewhat off-shooting night.
Despite that, many have praised Reese for her overall performance in the series and want her to win the Finals MVP if the Dream seal the deal in Game 7.
One X user, 'Jacobtheclipper' doesn't share the same enthusiasm about Reese's WNBA Finals performance as others.

#finals #WNBA #angeles

The Detroit Red Wings have spent months answering questions about Dylan Larkin. Following Thursday night's victory over the Chicago Blackhawks, head coach Todd McLellan made it clear that he's ready to talk about something else.
Winning hockey games.
Just hours after the organization officially suspended Larkin without pay, the Red Wings delivered an impressive 4-1 victory at Little Caesars Arena.
And afterward, McLellan had a message that should tell everyone exactly where his priorities stand.
Oct 24, 2026; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Detroit Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan on his bench against the Calgary Flames during the first period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

#detroit #larkin #calgary

Ja Morant's first game against Grizzlies takes painful turn after Trail Blazers star exits originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Ja Morant's first game against the Memphis Grizzlies was always going to attract attention. The former face of the franchise spent seven seasons in Memphis, developed into one of the NBA's most electrifying guards and became one of basketball's most recognizable personalities.
His departure in June marked a significant change for both Morant and the organization that selected him with the second overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Thursday night provided the first opportunity for the two sides to face each other.
Unfortunately for Morant, the reunion did not end the way he hoped. The Portland Trail Blazers guard exited with a left hamstring injury during the fourth quarter of a 124-103 loss to Memphis.

#memphis #grizzlies

Megan Rapinoe has never been shy about speaking up for transgender athletes, even as the issue has become one of the most heated debates in sports. And in a recent interview, the United States Women's National Team legend made it clear that her stance hasn't changed.
In a recent podcast, Rapinoe pushed back on the idea that trans women threaten fairness in women's sports, arguing that sports have never been fair in the first place and claiming that fairness shouldn't matter more than people's human rights.
The debate over transgender athletes in women's sports has only intensified over the past couple of years, with Republicans making it a central political issue and many states passing laws that ban trans girls and women from competing in girls' and women's sports.
The issue has spilled into the sports world, too. Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham sparked a nationwide conversation this year when she voiced her opposition to trans women competing in women's sports.
Even some Democrats have distanced themselves from the issue. Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, for example, has said that he opposes trans athletes playing in girls' sports "if it endangers safety or fairness."

#ISSUE #athletes #women

The day before her 17th birthday, Jaya Kalsi received a phone call with the kind of news that every young boxer dreams of.
The athlete, from Warwick, had been selected to represent Team GB at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, in what she described as an "amazing present to get".
With the Games getting under way on 31 October, Kalsi is preparing to fly out for what will be the highest-level competition of her career so far.
"I'm looking forward to it, it's a great honour to represent Team GB and my country," she said.
Speaking to BBC CWR, Kalsi said she had been training with Team GB in recent weeks in the gym and her preparations had gone "really well".

#team #represent

If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission.
Canelo Alvarez was originally scheduled to fight Christian Mbilli on Sept. 12, but the fight was pushed back and now has a new date, Saturday, Oct. 31. (Fight night = fright night!) Alvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs) will challenge super middleweight champion Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs) for the WBC ***** le. It's not the only ***** le fight on the card, either; you can also catch Rafael Espinoza vs. Lorenzo Parra sparring for the featherweight WBO ***** le and a bout between Jaime Munguia and Nikita Zon for Munguia's WBA super middleweight ***** le.
You can tune in to the Alvarez vs. Mbilli fight at home on DAZN PPV, where it will cost $79.99, but if you want to save a little, you can also watch the fight with DAZN's PPV subscription plan, which is just $49.99/month and gets you more than 12 PPV fights per year.
Here's everything you need to know to watch the Alvarez vs. Mbilli fight, including the schedule, fight card, prices, and more.
Date: Saturday, Oct. 31

#card

Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers had a rough night in ****** letown.
They have now lost two games in a row, as they followed up their Week 7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home with a 27-19 defeat at the hands of Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers in Week 8's edition of Thursday Night Football at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.
Young struggled in the pocket, largely because of the relentless pressure from the home team's pass rush unit. The former Alabama Crimson Tide star signal-caller was sacked for a total of six times for a loss of 33 yards. Young finished with just 209 passing yards and a touchdown against an interception on 23/41 pass completions.
The ugly loss to Green Bay left Young with a clear message about how Green Bay dominated his team.
"They executed better," Young said after the game, via Mike Kaye of ESPN. "A lot of stuff was on film, but they just do a really good job of disguising. They're a really good defense. So, we have a lot of respect for them. They were better than us today, for sure. They deserve that win. We should have been better. We've just got to execute better — that's all it is."

#green #really

The Green Bay Packers returned to winning ways following a 27-19 result over the Carolina Panthers in Week 8. It marked Josh Jacobs' second game back after the three-time Pro Bowler spent the first six weeks of the season on the NFL's exempt list stemming from an offseason incident with a former partner.
Jacobs saw a sizeable increase in workload and was fairly productive in the home win, rushing for 39 yards on 21 carries while logging 13 receiving yards on six catches for two touchdowns.
Oct 29, 2026; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (8) reacts after rushing for a touchdown against Carolina Panthers linebacker Bobby Okereke (58) in the second half at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Josh Jacobs scored a one-yard touchdown to help the Green Bay Packers reclaim the advantage midway through the second quarter. However, the Alabama product drew backlash for his TD celebration because it looked like he was mocking his arrest last May. In his postgame interview, Jacobs explained the full context behind the action.
"They didn't even get the whole celebration," Jacobs told ESPN's Rob Demovsky. "But anyways, me and Savion came up with the celebration, if they would have seen the whole celebration. Basically, last week, we said the first celebration: when I score, I was gonna thank God; that's what I did last week. The second was going to be 'Break Every Chain.' It's a gospel song. That was gonna be the next celebration. It's a correlation. The media is gonna run with it. They're gonna make it something that it wasn't. But it is what it is."

#last

In his surprise return to the ATP 500 event in Basel this year, Novak Djokovic could not quite produce the run he would have hoped for, as he fell to Jan-Lennard Struff in his second match of the tournament.
Although it was a tightly contested encounter, with all three sets reaching the 5-5 mark, Djokovic eventually lost after making some uncharacteristic errors in the final-set tiebreak, handing Struff his first-ever victory against him in their ninth meeting.
At this stage of his career, Djokovic is far removed from needing results at ATP 500 tournaments. However, he has consistently stated that, regardless of his age, he always plays to win. More importantly, this defeat has dented his hopes of achieving something he was particularly keen on when returning to Basel: securing his place at the ATP Finals in Turin in just over two weeks.
Djokovic entered Basel ranked 12th in the Race to Turin, an event for which only the top eight players qualify. This is a significant change from previous years, when the Serbian would typically have secured his qualification by this stage of the season, even if he subsequently chose not to participate, as he did in each of the past two years. The Serbian needed a deep run in Basel to strengthen his position and avoid having to rely entirely on the Paris Masters to secure qualification.
However, following this defeat, Djokovic will now have to do precisely that. Given the current landscape of the live rankings, he will need a deep run in Paris to put himself in a strong position to qualify. At the time of writing, Djokovic sits 11th in the Race to Turin, with Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton already having secured their places.

#djokovic #turin #struff #serbian

Leeds United Under-21s take on Stoke City Under-21s on Saturday afternoon in the fourth Premier League Cup group stage fixture.
After the opening three games, Scott Gardner's side sit second in the Group I standings with four points, knowing a top two finish could ensure progression to the Round of 16.
The Whites began with a goalless draw in the away tie against the Potters before narrowly losing out at Charlton Athletic back in September. United got up and running in the competition last time out, beating Stockport County 3-1.
In the victory over the Hatters, Alfie Cresswell fired the hosts ahead before Carrick Njinko continued his impressive start to the new campaign with a brace to put Leeds three goals to the good before the break.
Following on from that one, the team gained important senior experience as they faced Sky Bet League Two outfit Oldham Athletic in the EFL Trophy, falling to a tight defeat after impressing for large spells at Boundary Park.

#city #saturday #premier

Myles Graham has seen Florida's defense flash its potential throughout the season. The challenge now is making that version of the unit show up consistently.
The Gators took an encouraging step at Texas, overcoming a rough opening two drives before settling in and playing some of their best defense of the season. Graham said the unit gained confidence by playing aggressively, especially when Brad White dialed up the pressure, but still has plenty to clean up ahead of a physical matchup with Georgia.
There's no hiding what this week means to Graham. Florida hasn't beaten Georgia since he arrived in Gainesville, and as one of the veterans responsible for explaining the rivalry to younger players, Graham made his feelings clear: enough is enough.
Here's everything Graham had to say ahead of Florida's matchup with Georgia.
I've seen him grow since day one. The talent has always been there. It was just more of him knowing where to be, where to fit. I've just seen him skyrocket from the first day he got here.

#graham #defense #unit #playing