Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller has been in contact with the Big Ten about the fight between Spartans players and Michigan Wolverines players at the end of their game Saturday night.

Following Michigan's final kneel-down of a 24-17 win, Michigan State defensive lineman Anthony Jones and Michigan tight end Colston Loveland engaged in a scuffle, bringing both teams to the middle of the field as the clock expired. Video appeared to show Michigan running back Kalel Mullings and other Wolverines engaged with Michigan State personnel who were on the turf.

"I haven't thoroughly looked at every angle and all of that," Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith said Monday. "It was a lot of bodies out there. ... Yes, we had a staff member that was in the fray of it and a player that was in the fray of it, and that's what we're hoping [the Big Ten] is looking into."

Michigan coach Sherrone Moore on Monday called the postgame skirmish "unacceptable." He said any potential discipline will be handled internally, adding, "That's not how we represent the University of Michigan, the block M or the winged helmet. So we'll take care of that. That will never happen again."

Asked specifically whether he saw Mullings kicking or stomping on someone from Michigan State, Moore said, "No. We'll handle it."

The incident occurred two years after the Michigan Stadium tunnel fight between Michigan State and Michigan players that resulted in criminal charges for seven MSU players, including felony assault for one. The Big Ten fined Michigan State $100,000 and issued an eight-game suspension on top of MSU's discipline for one Spartans player.

Smith was not coaching MSU in 2022 but said of his first road experience in the Michigan State-Michigan rivalry, "There's a genuine dislike. You could feel that from the get-go of pregame, from the crowd to the place and then sharing the tunnel, so that's unique in a rivalry."

The Big Ten didn't immediately respond to ESPN's request for comment on the incident.

The Kansas City Chiefs acquired pass rusher Joshua Uche in a trade with the New England Patriots, coach Andy Reid confirmed Monday.

The Patriots received a 2026 sixth-round pick in the trade, a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Uche was a healthy scratch for the Patriots' 25-22 victory over the New York Jets amid trade interest for the fifth-year outside linebacker.

Uche, 26, has two sacks in six games this season and 20.5 sacks in his career.

Uche re-signed with the Patriots as a free agent before the season on a one-year, $3 million contract. He will be an unrestricted free agent after this season.

It's the second impact trade made by the Chiefs (7-0), who acquired wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins in a deal with the Tennessee Titans last week.

On Sunday, the Chiefs defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 27-20, and they had five sacks from five different players.

Uche joins a strong defense that is ranked second in the NFL.

"That will be a nice addition too, going forward," Reid said.

The Chiefs currently have George Karlaftis, Mike Danna and Felix Anudike-Uzomah as their main defensive ends. They are also expecting Charles Omenihu back later in the regular season. He tore his ACL in last year's AFC championship Game.

The Patriots selected Uche in the second round of the 2020 draft out of the University of Michigan.

ESPN's Adam Teicher and Mike Reiss contributed to this report.

As we say goodbye to October and enter the final full month of the regular season, some teams made a big push to stay in College Football Playoff conversations this past week.

No. 15 Boise State continued its storybook run with a 29-24 win over UNLV. In what was set to be its most challenging remaining matchup, the Broncos pulled off the win. With their only loss coming to No. 1 Oregon -- and by only three points -- could we see a rematch between these opponents in the playoff?

After trailing in the last four minutes, No. 16 Kansas State beat Kansas on a field goal, keeping its title and playoff hopes alive. The Wildcats are 4-1 in conference play but have a big hurdle ahead with matchup against No. 11 Iowa State on Nov. 30.

Our college football experts break down key storylines and takeaways from Week 9.

The Group of 5 playoff spot is Boise State's to lose

On Friday night at UNLV, Boise State won its most difficult remaining game, adding to its playoff resume and cementing the Broncos as the clubhouse leader for a guaranteed spot in the CFP as one of the five highest-ranked conference champions. Boise State shouldn't have to displace the No. 12-ranked team for a seat at the table, either -- the Broncos are good enough that they can be ranked in the committee's top 12 on their own merit.

Boise State's resume includes a win against a 7-1 Washington State team and a 6-2 UNLV team. Those alone are better wins than some other contenders have stockpiled (see: Clemson, Indiana.) The Broncos have a Heisman Trophy contender in running back Ashton Jeanty. They have a defense that has given opposing quarterbacks nightmares. And they have the best loss in the country -- by a field goal at Oregon, which should be the committee's No. 1 team. If Boise State runs the table and finishes as a one-loss Mountain West Conference champion, the Broncos will almost certainly have a chance to compete for the national title -- and maybe meet Oregon again along the way. -- Heather Dinich

Notre Dame continuing to benefit from Texas A&M's success

As Texas A&M jumped ahead of LSU and began to distance itself, sending Kyle Field into a frenzy Saturday night, another group of college football fans cheered along with great interest. Notre Dame supporters weren't merely taking pleasure in a loss for former coach Brian Kelly, they recognized that a schedule that has dragged down the Fighting Irish profile is starting to become more of a selling point. A season-opening win against Texas A&M in College Station, against what is now the only undefeated team in SEC play, is looking better and better for Notre Dame. The Irish will be rooting for the Aggies the rest of the way.

Notre Dame also helped itself with a definitive win against previously undefeated Navy, which could still win the AAC. The Irish also have Army, currently undefeated, later in the season. Although opponents such as Florida State and perhaps even USC won't help Notre Dame's profile, an 11-1 mark shouldn't keep the Irish out of the CFP, as some thought it would after a Week 2 loss to Northern Illinois. That defeat continues to look worse -- NIU fell to Ball State on Saturday -- but good wins should outweigh bad losses, and Notre Dame has one that keeps getting better. The Irish also are stacking drama-free wins, as their past three have come by an average of 32.3 points. -- Adam Rittenberg

Miami proudly proclaims state championship

Miami might not have thrown for 300 yards or scored 40 points, but what the Hurricanes did in a 36-14 win over Florida State was statement enough for coach Mario Cristobal.

So much so that he ended his news conference with a mic-drop moment.

"Critically important to go out there and beat this program and to be undefeated in the state of Florida," Cristobal said. "I think it sends a strong message. I think all recruits, in-state and out-of-state, can now clearly see the trajectory of this program versus the trajectory of the other programs."

He slammed his fist on the podium to further underscore his point, then left.

While those rival schools will no doubt keep what Cristobal said in the back of their minds, it is important to understand why Cristobal said what he said. When he arrived at Miami in 2022, the Seminoles were on the rise under Mike Norvell and Florida had made it to multiple New Year's Six games under Dan Mullen.

In his first game against Florida State as head coach that season, the Seminoles won 45-3. The sting from that game provided endless motivation. Even without that result, Cristobal knew what his program needed to do in facing such a "monumental task" to get back to competing for championships.

"We knew when we came here that we were going to get our teeth kicked in early," Cristobal said. "It's a great example of working your butt off and keeping your head down and not worrying about all that crap that comes with rebuilds."

Miami opened the season with an emphatic 41-17 win over Florida that served notice things would be different this year. Next came a 50-15 win over USF. Finally Saturday night, the first win over Florida State for Cristobal as a head coach. Miami is 8-0. Florida State dropped to 1-7 and is out of bowl contention, a year after winning the ACC title. Florida is 4-3, facing an end-of-season gauntlet against four top-25 teams that will make it challenging to get to six wins.

For further proof of how much Miami values being state champ, linebacker Francisco Mauigoa showed up to the postgame news conference wearing a black T-shirt that said, "We run FL," featuring a broken spear and the mounted heads of a bull and a gator. -- Andrea Adelson

Most disappointing in Big 12?

In the preseason media poll, Utah (20), Oklahoma State (14), Kansas (5) and Arizona (3) were four of the fives teams that received first-place votes (Kansas State was the other with 19). As such, they were all dreaming about the College Football Playoff. A few months later, those same four schools are a combined 3-17 in the Big 12 in what has turned into a competitive race to be considered the most disappointing team in the conference.

Preseason polls are wrong all the time, but there has rarely ever -- maybe never? -- been such a miscalculation of conference strength.

Conversely, BYU is 8-0 after being picked to come in 13th, while Colorado (6-2, 4-1) and Arizona State (5-2, 2-2) have taken significant steps forward after being slotted at No. 11 and last place, respectively.

There are obviously several factors in play here, but perhaps it is best a reflection of how different teams can be year over year now in college football with the lax transfer restrictions. It's too early to know if this is instructive about what things will be like in the future, but it has made for an interesting year in the new-look Big 12. -- Kyle Bonagura

Oregon looks comfortable at the top

There was no doubt that the Ducks would get up for their matchup against Ohio State a few weeks ago. But after outlasting the Buckeyes in a thriller, the comedown could have caught them off guard and led to a debilitating loss against an inferior opponent. Instead, Dan Lanning and Oregon have not let up -- on a short-week trip to Purdue, the Ducks shut out the Boilermakers, and this week, they made Illinois, the 20th ranked team in the country, look helpless on both sides of the ball.

Lanning has said he doesn't care about the Ducks being ranked No. 1, and that mindset seems to have trickled down to the rest of his team.

"Everybody wants to be at the top of the food chain. Every day we know we got a target on our back, but we don't really care who's coming after us," wide receiver Tez Johnson said. "We don't care about the number one spot. We just care about going one-and-oh at the end of the week. I mean, it is good, but we don't really care ... we just want to win football games."

Oregon is 8-0 for the first time since 2013 and ranked No. 1 for the first time since 2012. With an offense that looks far more in sync than it did at the beginning of the year and a defense that continues to improve, it doesn't appear to be slowing down.

Next week, the Ducks head to Michigan for what is arguably the toughest matchup remaining on their schedule, but nothing suggests they won't be ready for any game that's left between them and an undefeated regular season.

"I think just the way Coach Lanning has done it from the top down, everyone's focused on a week at a time," quarterback Dillon Gabriel said. "We're just so focused on being team oriented because the rest will take care of itself." -- Paolo Uggetti

Farmageddon looming large

Kansas State escaped the Sunflower Showdown with a 29-27 victory Saturday night over Kansas. The Wildcats trailed with 4 minutes to go. But K-State linebacker Austin Romaine upended scrambling Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels and Brendan Mott recovered the fumble. Chris Tennant then tied a career high with a 51-yard field goal to lift the Wildcats to their 16th straight victory in the series.

The dramatic win kept K-State alive in the Big 12 title and playoff races. Going forward, the Wildcats should be considerable favorites in their next three games leading into a Nov. 30 showdown at Iowa State.

The Cyclones, who had a bye over the weekend, are undefeated and in the thick of the playoff conversation as well. If Iowa State can also take care of business, the Cyclones and Wildcats could square off in the most meaningful Farmageddon tilt in the history of college football's longest uninterrupted rivalry (108 games). -- Jake Trotter

Alabama isn't done

During a Saturday morning chat with Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer, less than five hours before hosting his homecoming matchup against fellow scrambling top-25 SEC foe Missouri, anyone seeking a sense of panic, worry or fear for his future would've been disappointed. Instead, he talked very matter of fact about a pregame routine of media, a team walkthrough at the hotel and "taking care of what we can control, and that's football. Specifically, taking care of the football."

That is exactly what Alabama did, taking advantage of Missouri's wounded offense to snatch three interceptions. Meanwhile, Jalen Milroe's first game this season without a touchdown pass (he did run for a score) was also his first game in a month without at least one pass picked off. DeBoer reminded Saturday morning before kickoff and Saturday evening after the win that Milroe "has been thrown so much change" between a new offensive playbook and the absence of so many teammates from last season's CFP team. But he also admitted that his staff was doing a better job in more recent days of "adjusting what we do to the personnel we have, especially a quarterback that in our opinion is the best in the nation from a football and leadership standpoint."

Even with the two losses that everyone in Nick Saban-spoiled Tuscaloosa has had to make their own adjustments to, ESPN analytics say the Tide still have a 53% chance to return to the CFP. No one is more aware of that than the head coach and team that appears to be emerging from a roller-coaster October with the most stability it has enjoyed in quite a while. -- Ryan McGee

After Freddie Freeman pulled a Kirk Gibson and before Yoshinobu Yamamoto completed a career-defining start, Teoscar Hernández made his own mark on this World Series, belting a two-run homer in Game 2 that provided the winning runs in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 4-2 victory over the New York Yankees. It was a moment that might go largely unnoticed in the story of this series, trampled in Game 2 by Shohei Ohtani's injury scare -- but such anonymity might be fitting.

Hernández has spent all year as an overlooked-yet-crucial figure on a star-laden Dodgers team that is now two wins away from a title.

Amid a $1 billion splurge that was headlined by Ohtani, Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, Hernández accepted a one-year, $23.5 million contract largely because his market hardly materialized, an addition that seemed almost unnecessary. But the Dodgers' lineup wouldn't be as deep without his power. Their clubhouse wouldn't be as united without his presence.

Hernández sipped on a cup of coffee near his home in the L.A. neighborhood of Studio City last week and reflected on a year that began with hope and will end, championship or not, "better than anything I could have imagined." Hernández put together one of his best offensive seasons -- with a .272/.339/.501 slash line, 33 homers and 99 RBIs in 154 games -- won the Home Run Derby, and became the joyous, sunflower-seed-throwing, in-game-microphone-wearing face of one of baseball's most famous teams.

"Shohei is obviously going to be MVP of the entire league," Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas said. "But to me, outside of him, Teoscar is our MVP."

Ohtani and Yamamoto were the clear headliners of last winter's free agent class, primed for nine-figure deals that would set new precedents. Following them in the pecking order was a vexing group of household names who demanded massive contracts but presented a wide range of concerns, a list consisting of Jordan Montgomery, Josh Hader, Matt Chapman and Cody Bellinger.

Hernández resided in the tier just below them -- not quite prominent enough to command big money but, perhaps, a safe bet amid the uncertainty. After Bellinger and Jung Hoo Lee, he was the best outfielder available. After Ohtani, he might have been the best power hitter. A three- to four-year deal seemed reasonable, if not likely.

"I thought it was going to be different," Hernández said, turning to his agent, Rafa Nieves of MVP Sports, seated next to him. "We thought it was going to be different."

Hernández, who turned 32 this month, entered free agency as a former All-Star with two Silver Slugger Awards and six seasons producing an OPS 19 percentage points above league average. From 2018 to 2023, he slashed .262/.317/.484 with 147 home runs and 442 RBIs. But he was coming off a down year in Seattle, in which he played a career-high 160 games but posted his lowest full-season OPS.

That, on top of the usual concerns about his defensive value and strikeout rate, stymied Hernández's market. And so Hernandez received only two-year offers, with the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels emerging as the top suitors. A third guaranteed year from either team could have finalized a deal.

That neither presented it made the Dodgers increasingly more tempting.

Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes reached out to Nieves from the outset of free agency and was the first person he met with at the GM meetings in early November. The Dodgers would chase Ohtani and needed to address their rotation. After that, they wanted another bat. Even after they signed veteran corner outfielder Jason Heyward to a one-year, $9 million contract in late November, Hernández was their preference.

After a whirlwind few weeks that saw them sign Ohtani, Glasnow and Yamamoto, the Dodgers circled back with Nieves and ultimately landed on a one-year deal, but with a larger average annual value than Hernández's other offers. Rather than long-term security, Hernández would reenter the market in a year. He'd bet on a Dodgers franchise that continually plays into October and holds a reputation for making players better.

Mostly, though, he'd bet on himself.

"It hasn't been easy in my career," Hernández said. "Nothing has been. But I'm the type of guy that punches back."

Hernández grew up in the Dominican town of Maimón, a utility infielder who didn't command much attention as a teenager. Scouts determined he wasn't fast enough and didn't possess enough power. He was viewed as the worst thing a projectable teenager can be: a tweener. From ages 15 to 18, he got nothing but empty promises and tepid interest.

"If I ask you how many tryouts I did to try to get signed, what do you think it is?" Hernández asked. "Throw out a number."

10?

15?

30?

"I did over a hundred tryouts," Hernández said.

In 2011, after starring at the Houston Astros' Dominican complex for the better part of a month, Hernández was fed up. He went home and decided to quit. He spent two weeks at his house without practicing before the Astros worked him out again and finally extended an offer -- for $15,000. Hernández accepted.

"From that day I've been fighting and fighting and fighting," Hernández said. "And it got harder and harder and harder every year."

Six years later, the Astros traded Hernández to the Toronto Blue Jays midway through the 2017 season. Two years after that, in his age-26 season, Hernández cracked his first Opening Day roster, only to struggle mightily and get sent down six weeks later. His breakthrough 2020 season was shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic. His 2021 season was hampered by his own case of COVID.

But by 2022, despite an oblique strain that cost him six weeks, Hernández had established himself as a valuable power hitter who could act as a catalyst in the middle of a lineup -- enough so that the Seattle Mariners, starved for offense, traded for him in November.

Hernández's final year before free agency would see him anchoring a lineup alongside Julio Rodríguez, while playing for a Mariners team primed to make a deep run. But Hernández slashed just .248/.312/.475 through the end of June. He got hot over the final three months but still finished with a .741 OPS, his lowest since becoming a regular six years earlier. The Mariners missed the playoffs by one game.

"It was a really good, really talented team," Hernández said. "But we were missing something. And I think it was playing as one group, not individuals."

The first player to reach out to Hernández when he signed with the Dodgers was Ohtani, via a direct message on Instagram.

"Finally," it read, "we're gonna play together."

As an Angel, Ohtani plunked Hernández on the right hand with a sinker on April 5, 2023, and apologized for it while on his way out of the ballpark. It sparked a short conversation and a surprising friendship.

Hernández has a reputation for being upbeat, congenial, easygoing. His fit on the Dodgers was instantaneous. Along the way, Hernández grew from the group that surrounded him. It was his first time around established stars and a winning culture. He learned how to navigate the rigors of a season, drawing inspiration more recently by how Freeman has navigated through injuries in October. He learned how to keep going, no matter what presented itself.

"He said something in spring training that kind of caught my attention," Rojas said. "In Toronto, he was a player trying to make a name for himself but at the same time he needed to be the leader of the group. Here, he doesn't have to do that. He came into our clubhouse knowing he doesn't have to be the piece that keeps everybody together and all that. He can focus on what he does on the field and what he does best, which is hit."

Hernández's production remained steady throughout the 2024 season, devoid of the highs and lows that have at times plagued him. In September, he was at his best, slashing .329/.407/.605 as the Dodgers made the final push to capture an 11th division title in 12 years. Even after Hernández went hitless in 18 at-bats over the first five games of the National League Championship Series, his approach did not waver. He drew seven walks during that stretch, a circumstance that surprised even him. Results weren't going his way, but he did not chase. He did not become impatient.

In Game 6, on the night the Dodgers clinched their first pennant in four years, Hernández served as an early catalyst, lining two hits while the Dodgers scored six runs in the first three innings.

To him, it was a growth moment.

"I know that I'm going to fail, I know that I'm going to make errors, but this year I have that confidence," Hernández said. "I know at some point I'm going to be back, hitting the ball hard, hitting homers, getting on base, making plays."

When Yankee Stadium hosted a high-profile Dodgers-Yankees matchup over the summer, Hernández starred. He hit the game-winning two-run double in the 11th inning on June 7, homered twice in a rout on June 8, contributed two hits and another home run in the only loss on June 9. Going back now -- with the highest stakes, in front of a hostile crowd and against a desperate team -- has brought out a particular level of excitement with him.

"It's going to be crazy," Hernández said of a World Series that will shift to the Bronx for Games 3, 4 and, if the Dodgers don't sweep, 5. "But I like that. I like challenges. I like when things get really hard. And I think that's when you see the best out of me, when you're facing a really good pitcher, a really good team. There's just something about those moments that I love."

The 2024 season began with a risk. It will end with growth and validation. With a reaffirming of his belief that things happen for a reason. With a clearer vision for what he'll look for in free agency -- long-term security and an opportunity to win -- and the thought that he shouldn't have to settle.

Only a handful of teams wanted Hernández over the offseason. Now one of the best doesn't know where it would be without him.

"What are they going to say now?" Hernández said. "I want to see what excuses they're going to say now."

The visiting manager's office in Dodger Stadium is about the size of a small laundry room, and with nine broadcasters stuffed into this space before Game 2 of the World Series, Aaron Boone had to step around toes as he walked in. "Hi, y'all," the New York Yankees manager said pleasantly.

About 18 hours before, Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman had clubbed the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history, an early body blow for the Yankees in a best-of-seven series. Boone was asked how he was doing. "I feel all right," he replied evenly.

Around the world, Yankees fans lambasted Boone's bullpen choices, his baseball acumen and his stewardship of the team -- as they often have in his seven-season tenure as manager.

After Game 1, Derek Jeter, Boone's former teammate and now a Fox analyst, was among those to do the ripping, questioning Boone's decision to take out Gerrit Cole after 88 pitches. Others criticized Boone's choice of Nestor Cortes -- who surrendered Freeman's grand slam in his first appearance in 37 days -- over reliever Tim Hill.

In his office before Game 2, Boone reviewed his choices, matter-of-factly walking through his reasoning -- even volunteering his own doubt about a decision that hadn't really been raised by fans or media. He wondered if he should've asked Luke Weaver, who had accumulated 19 pitches by the end of the ninth inning, to at least start the bottom of the 10th inning. "That's the one ..." before his voice trailed off.

With the Yankees now down 2-0 to the Dodgers in the World Series, it seems inevitable that when Boone is introduced at Yankee Stadium before Game 3 on Monday, there will be a refrain of boos. It is likely to be repeated whenever he walks onto the field to affect pitching changes. Long before Boone's tenure, this has been the reality for any Yankees manager or general manager. The mob reflex mirrors the response of an icon of the franchise, the late owner George Steinbrenner: If you lose, every choice you make will be shredded.

The intensity of the response heightens the inherent pressure of these front-facing Yankees jobs, and the cumulative effect can bend or even warp a personality. Billy Martin's health seemed to worsen during his five separate tenures as Yankees' manager. When Joe Torre's book about the Yankees years was published, the criticism of Cashman hardened the general manager -- compelled him to do the work more forcefully, rather than try to placate, as he often did with Torre. Joe Girardi, Boone's predecessor, felt responsible for everyone around him because of the looming possibility there would be firings. Looking back, he says he might have put too much pressure on himself.

But some of Boone's colleagues, as well as his brother Bret, say they believe that Aaron is mostly unchanged through years in this managerial slow cooker, with his typically positive demeanor and gregariousness resolute, even in the worst moments.

"It's almost like he's born for this," Cashman said. "He disperses credit and takes blame. He keeps his cool in the dugout, because of his demeanor. ... This job will harden you and make you do things you wouldn't do. Sometimes you go along to get along, and you start to change. None of that's ever happened. He is still true to who he is. He's the exact same person we hired. We got one of the good ones."

In a phone interview before the World Series, Boone said, "I've always envisioned that I'd be able to handle that, going in. I still feel the same way. That's not to say there haven't been some hard moments or tough times that you go through -- moments where it gets a little lonely. But overall, it's been incredibly rewarding, and for the most part, I love it."

Girardi recalls that when he served as the bench coach for Joe Torre, he thought he had a feel for the challenges of being the Yankees manager.

"But you really don't, until you've actually been through it," he said, thinking of his stint from 2008-2017 -- a period during which they last won a championship. "And I think you have to go through both sides of it to really understand it -- the good, and the bad. As you go through it more, you understand the pressure the players are under -- all of the coverage they get -- and you understand the importance of being positive and supporting the players, no matter what."

Because while playing a sport filled with failure, the Yankees are often shrouded in negative feedback. They will be cheered at the outset of Game 3, and that fervor of Yankees fans can wear on opposing players. But if the Yankees begin to struggle, the frustration in the stands flows freely -- and the person responsible for lineup and pitching choices is going to hear it. That was once Girardi, and now it is Aaron Boone.

"I think he does a fantastic job, because he's always under scrutiny," Girardi said. "Because that's the job in New York, unless you win a championship. You could overachieve with a team that people thought would win 90 games, and you win 92-93 games -- and the response is, 'Yeah, but they didn't win a World Series.'"

Cashman said he's not sure how much Boone listens to talk radio, or if he absorbs the fan and media criticism. "I don't get the sense that it guides him in any way, shape or form," he said. "He pours everything he has into [the work], and then lets it go."

Bret Boone said, "He's the same dude ... He hasn't changed one iota. As a 51-year-old man, he is the same person as he was when he was a kid."

Aaron has been ejected by umpires more than any of his peers in recent years, and when these eruptions occur, their mother will call Bret and ask him, "What is your brother doing?" They will laugh together, because through the lens of time they see him responding as he did as a child when Bret -- four years older than Aaron -- would rob his little brother of Wiffle ball glory by ruling a home run as a foul ball. Aaron would react in the same way he does to umpires: indignant, with outward expression of being unfairly wronged.

Bret Boone sees much of his father in Aaron. Bob Boone, now 76, was respected by teammates in his long career as a big league player and manager for being straightforward, reliable.

"High character, honest to a fault," said Bret, who recalled how friends in the game asked him why, as a player in the winter of 2004, Aaron Boone had volunteered to the Yankees that he had blown out his knee playing basketball -- a violation of his contract. "That's just the way he is," Bret responded.

Bret said that like their father, Aaron will go to work very early in the day -- "He's a grinder, just like Dad' -- and Bret encourages his brother to back off some. "Sometimes you got to get to the yard late," Bret said, "and throw it against the wall and just let the players play."

But there's another reason Boone arrives early. He likes being at the park, with his colleagues, working to solve problems. Brad Ausmus is at the end of his first year as bench coach of the Yankees, and before this, he really didn't know Boone beyond pleasantries exchanged as opposing players earlier in their lives.

During spring training, he shared a condo with Boone, and he remembers Boone greeting him over morning coffee with the familiar fan chant: "LET'S GO YANKEES." When they drove to the ballpark together, the music was always the same. "'Eighties," Ausmus said. "It's always '80s." Stevie Nicks, the Pretenders, Don Henley. Boone has long maintained that if he were left on a desert island and he could listen to only one band, that would be Hall and Oates. When Boone drives his daughter Bella, she will eventually ask him, with hope: "Can we listen to my music now?"

In describing Boone, Ausmus' observation was simple: "He's kind of a goofball," Ausmus said, laughing.

Boone is genial and respectful in his exchanges with reporters, but that part of him that abhors unfairness -- like those foul balls wrongly called by his older brother -- has come out occasionally. During the American League Championship Series, the Yankees blew a lead in the ninth inning of Game 3 against Cleveland, when it appeared they were on the verge of taking a three games-to-none lead. A reporter asked a question that seemed to suggest that perhaps the Yankees' staff assumed they would win the game: "Do you feel like the bench might've felt 'We got this in the bag,' so to speak?"

Boone snapped impatiently, "Come on. No. 'Got this in the bag'? Stop it with that."

Boone has a de facto sounding board. His father stays up to watch the Yankees game, and they have spoken afterward, as Aaron decompresses. He invited Joe Torre to spring training, and the two exchange texts. He shares conversations with Jim Leyland, who was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame last summer. He'll have breakfast with bullpen coach Mike Harkey.

In the meeting with broadcasters before Game 2, Boone replayed some of his decisions with that room. He had thought about taking out Cole after the sixth inning, he said, after conversations with Cole, because he sensed the pitcher was close to spent. He stuck with Cole, and after Teoscar Hernandez opened the bottom of the seventh with an eight-pitch at-bat that concluded with a single, Boone went to the mound without making a motion to the bullpen, leaning toward removing Cole.

If Cole had pushed back and made a case to stay in, would Boone have left him in?

"Possibly," Boone said. But Cole didn't, so the manager pulled him after 88 pitches -- the decision that drew scrutiny from Jeter after the Yankees lost.

In these moments, he leans on that sounding board, on his family -- and mostly, on his own sense of self.

"Through everything, even through the lowest of moments," Boone said, "I think I have a healthy perspective," he said.

These days, he'll need it.

Ranked 883rd in the world, Halep is relying on being given tournament wildcards as she looks to rebuild her career.

Halep, who won the 2018 French Open and Wimbledon in 2019, always maintained her innocence after being charged with two separate doping offences.

While her case was partially upheld, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled Halep 'on the balance of probabilities' had not taken roxadustat - an anti-anaemia drug which stimulates the production of red blood cells in the body - intentionally.

Cas also dismissed a second charge over irregularities found in her athlete biological passport.

On her upcoming plans, Halep said: "It depends on the wildcards, but I just want to work harder because I need a stronger body to perform at this level.

"I will take it slow. I have to give myself patience and try to get better day by day."

Gatland has a welcome headache at inside centre with Ben Thomas and Eddie James impressing enough to divide Scrum V pundits Alex Cuthbert and Richie Rees.

Thomas was hailed the best back in Wales by Gatland but former Wales wing Cuthbert believes James' size could edge it.

"I'm not sure having Gareth Anscombe and Thomas at 10 and 12 will be as defensively strong as Warren Gatland would want," said the 58-cap ex-wing.

"That's when you start looking at someone like Eddie James, who is big, has good hands and has a kicking game as well.

"It could be a great battle between him and Thomas for the 12 jersey and a great headache for Warren to have."

But former Cardiff coach Rees retorted: "People don't give Ben enough credit for his defence and he's a very good ball carrier."

Nick Tompkins, meanwhile, gave a reminder of his credentials with his first try of the season for Saracens against Leicester.

PITTSBURGH -- New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones took all the first-team reps at practice this week and is not expected to be on a short leash Monday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers despite getting pulled in the fourth quarter last week, multiple sources told ESPN.

Jones went to the bench in a 28-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and was replaced by backup Drew Lock. Coach Brian Daboll said he was looking for a "spark." It didn't happen. Lock went 3-of-8 passing for 6 yards.

A handful of Giants players told ESPN this week they weren't pushing for a permanent change at quarterback entering the Monday night matchup. Jones is their starter. Several players did note that it might be different if Tyrod Taylor were still on the roster. He's not. It's still Jones' team.

Taylor was the backup each of the past two seasons. He signed with the New York Jets this offseason.

It has been a struggle for Jones and the 2-5 Giants, especially at home. They've scored just one offensive touchdown in four home games. Jones has six touchdown passes and four interceptions in seven starts this season. New York has the 31st-ranked scoring offense averaging 14.1 points per game entering Monday night.

Jones was not happy with the situation after the Oct. 20 loss and throughout this week. He's trying not to think what happen if he struggles on Monday night or moving forward.

"I'm just going to focus on playing well. I think playing well, winning the game, that puts us all in the best position," Jones said during the week. [Daboll] can make his decision, he's the head coach, so my job is to play and play well and that's what I'm focused on."

Jones wouldn't say if he has been given reassurances beyond that he's starting Monday night. Daboll told the team in the locker room after last week's loss that Jones was the starter going forward. He did not specify anything more than that.

Daboll also wouldn't specify if he's given his quarterback any reassurance he wouldn't be pulled midgame again. Only that their focus was on playing well.

"That's where our focus is," Daboll said this week.

Jones has been the Giants' clear-cut starter since early in his rookie year. He was drafted sixth overall by New York in 2019.

This is his sixth season as the starter. Despite ups and downs, Jones was given a four-year, $160 million contract after a strong 2022 season. This is the second year of that deal.

But the Giants have struggled ever since, compiling an 8-16 mark. Jones had a neck injury that cost him time and tore the ACL in his right knee midway through last season. He has come back strong physically. The knee hasn't been a noticeable problem.

Still, the Giants made their thoughts on his long-term future obvious by their actions this offseason. The team looked closely at quarterbacks in the draft. They even tried to trade up for one. All this was documented on an offseason "Hard Knocks."

Jones has taken it all in stride. He admittedly "wasn't fired up" to hear and see about the Giants' interest in quarterbacks. The same can be said about being benched against the Eagles.

Vinícius Júnior and his Real Madrid teammates will not travel to Paris for the Ballon d'Or ceremony on Monday, sources told ESPN, because they believe Manchester City midfielder Rodri will receive the award.

Vinícius, 24, was a leading contender to win the 2024 men's prize after leading Madrid to a LaLiga and Champions League double last season.

Sources told ESPN that the Brazil international and his fellow Madrid nominees -- Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, Kylian Mbappé, Antonio Rüdiger, Federico Valverde, as well as Andriy Lunin, nominated for best goalkeeper, Arda Güler, nominated for the Kopa Trophy, and Carlo Ancelotti, nominated for best coach -- would not be attending the event, organized by the magazine France Football, in collaboration with UEFA.

One club source considers it "unfair" and "a disgrace" that Vinícius would not win the award. Not attending the ceremony is a protest in the form of not travelling in order not to boycott what another club source considers "a historic robbery."

Vinícius scored 15 goals in LaLiga last season, as well as six in the Champions League, including in Madrid's semifinal win over Bayern Munich and in the final against Borussia Dortmund.

The feeling in Madrid in recent weeks had been that the forward was likely to claim the award.

"I think he'll win it," Ancelotti said last week.

Vinícius would have been the first Brazilian to win the men's Ballon d'Or since Kaká in 2007.

The 2023 Ballon d'Or was won by Lionel Messi -- his eighth -- while in 2022, Madrid's Karim Benzema was handed the prize.

Vinícius scored a second-half hat trick in Madrid's 5-2 Champions League comeback against Dortmund last week, before featuring in a disappointing 4-0 defeat to Barcelona in the Clásico on Saturday.

In the summer, he scored twice for Brazil in the Copa America -- both goals coming in a 4-1 win over Paraguay -- but struggled in the tournament overall, as they were eliminated by Uruguay in the quarterfinals.

Rodri was a key figure in City's 2023-24 Premier League title and then starred for Spain in their run to victory at Euro 2024.