Tom Gores' purchase of a 27% stake in the Los Angeles Chargers was approved by NFL team owners Tuesday during the league's fall meetings in Atlanta.

Gores, who also owns the NBA's Detroit Pistons, bought the 24% share held by Dea Spanos Berberian, which includes 9% that is in a family trust that has a 36% stake in the team. He also purchased 1% each from shares owned by Dean Spanos, Alexis Spanos Ruhl and Michael Spanos for estate planning purposes.

"It's a privilege to join the Chargers ownership group and become part of the NFL. I have great respect for Dean's leadership throughout the NFL community, the Spanos family and its legacy," Gores said in a statement. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to invest in the Chargers and I look forward to partnering with Dean, Michael and Alexis in our shared commitment to compete for championships. I'm passionate about sports and proud to become part of an organization dedicated to winning on and off the field."

The 60-year-old Gores has a net worth of $11.8 billion, according to Bloomberg. In 1995, he founded Platinum Equity, which has its headquarters in Beverly Hills.

Gores' purchase comes after NFL owners on Sept. 1 approved allowing private equity funds to buy stakes in teams. However, this is a purchase by Gores and not affiliated with Platinum Equity.

Despite having more than a one-quarter stake, Gores will not have a role in the Chargers' daily business or a path to a controlling stake. The Spanos family owns 69% of the Chargers with 4% controlled by legacy owners from the franchise's early days in San Diego.

Alex Spanos bought the San Diego Chargers in 1984, and Dean Spanos took over managing the franchise in 1994.

The approval by league owners ends a bitter three-year fight between Spanos Berberian and her siblings. Spanos Berberian filed a lawsuit against Chargers controlling owner Dean Spanos in 2021 that alleged breach of fiduciary duty by the Spanos Trust and tried to force a sale.

She filed another lawsuit in 2022 accusing her brother of "misogynistic" behavior, "self-dealing" and repeated "breaches of fiduciary duty."

As part of the sale, Spanos Berberian agreed to resolve her disputes with the family and the franchise.

"Faye and Alex Spanos fervently wished that the Chargers would always be a vital part of their family's legacy. This ensures that the franchise will remain permanently under the control of Dean Spanos and his siblings Alexis and Michael," the Spanos family said in a statement.

PHILADELPHIA -- 76ers forward Paul George has a bone bruise in his left knee but did not suffer any structural damage and will be reevaluated in approximately one week, the team announced Tuesday.

A nine-time All-Star, George was injured when his knee buckled on a defensive play in the second quarter of Monday's game against Atlanta. He was ruled out of the game with a hyperextended knee.

"Everything checks out OK," coach Nick Nurse told reporters Tuesday at the team's New Jersey complex.

George attended Tuesday's practice. Even before the injury, George was not scheduled to play in Wednesday's preseason game against Brooklyn.

"I felt that it hyperextended, and immediately it was, all right, I need to get taken out and [looked at], but if you ask me, I'm not too concerned about it," George told The Philadelphia Inquirer after Monday's game.

The Sixers have been cautious with their star players and shut down center Joel Embiid on Sunday for the rest of the preseason for what they called left knee management.

The Sixers -- who signed George to a four-year, $212 million contract as a free agent this summer -- are his fourth team, after seven years with Indiana, two with Oklahoma City and the past five as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers. He's a six-time All-NBA selection and has averaged 20.8 points over 14 NBA seasons.

With George joining the 2023 NBA MVP Embiid and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey, the 76ers were expected to boast one of the most formidable trios in the league as they try to put together a nucleus that can compete with NBA champion Boston.

George played 76 games last season, the first time he played more than 56 since 2018-19.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Phillies signed manager Rob Thomson to a one-year contract extension through the 2026 season after he led the team to three straight trips to the playoffs.

The 61-year-old Thomson guided the Phillies to the 2022 World Series and the 2023 National League Championship Series and led them this season to their first NL East title since 2011. The Phillies were eliminated in four games by the New York Mets in the National League Division Series.

Thomson's .575 winning percentage is the best for any manager in franchise history. His contract was set to expire after the 2025 season.

"Year by year is good with me," Thomson said Tuesday of the extension. "I've mentioned many times this is the only place I want to be. This will be my last stop."

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said the entire coaching staff -- which includes polarizing hitting coach Kevin Long -- will return next season, as well.

"Many managers will say it, but I truly believe we have the best coaching staff in baseball," Thomson said.

Coming off a 95-67 season, Dombrowski made clear he was happy with the direction of the team under the manager affectionately known by his players as Topper.

"I think we have a good coaching staff, primarily," Dombrowski said Tuesday. "They do a very efficient job. They did lead us to 95 wins."

Thomson has a 280-155 record since the veteran bench coach replaced Joe Girardi as Phillies manager on June 3, 2022.

Dombrowski said it was important for the team not to enter the 2025 season with a lame-duck manager.

"He's done a good job for us, been a very successful manager," Dombrowski said. "There's been very few clubs in baseball that have made the postseason three years in a row. He has done that. We've been a very good club under his guidance. It's also one where I think stability in the manager's spot, I don't think going into the manager's last year is ever good situation to be in, if you can prevent that from happening. He deserves the extension in that regard."

Thomson has been with the club since the 2018 season when he was first hired as bench coach under former manager Gabe Kapler.

He spent 28 years as a member of the New York Yankees organization (1990-2017), including 10 seasons on the major league coaching staff as bench coach (2008, 2015-17) and third base coach (2009-14).

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Seven cownose stingrays made it safely to a habitat at The Florida Aquarium after riding out Hurricane Milton in a touch tank at Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays.

The stingrays, named for their cow-shaped snouts, were relocated Monday from the ballpark after last week's storm, the Tampa-based aquarium said in a news release. Although Tropicana Field's fabric roof was shredded by Milton's winds, the stingrays were unharmed.

"We're pleased to report the cownose stingrays handled the storm well. With the Tampa Bay Rays' support, our staff was able to provide onsite care over the past several days and today, we brought them safely back to the Aquarium," said Craig Johnson, The Florida Aquarium's associate curator.

The stingrays spend the Major League Baseball season in Tropicana Field's 10,000-gallon (37,800-liter) touch tank, a popular fan attraction located above right-center field. They are now in their own exhibition space at the Florida Aquarium during baseball's offseason, and when the team is out of the playoffs.

Stingrays from the aquarium have been featured in the St. Petersburg ballpark's touch tank since 2006. The cownose stingray species is common in the waters around Tampa Bay.

The Rays aren't scheduled to play in the ballpark again until March 27, when they are supposed to host the Colorado Rockies in the 2025 season opener. The team says it will take several weeks to assess the storm damage and determine next steps.

The roof was designed to withstand winds of up to 115 mph, according to the Rays. The stadium opened in 1990 at an initial cost of $138 million and is due to be replaced in time for the 2028 season with a $1.3 billion ballpark that is a linchpin of a major redevelopment project in downtown St. Petersburg.

The Florida Aquarium was not damaged during Milton, officials said. Staff relocated penguins and other animals to higher floors, transferred a rescued sea turtle from an Apollo Beach location to the Tampa aquarium and moved thousands of corals to safer places.

NEW YORK -- A day after starting Game 1 of the American League Championship Series for the Cleveland Guardians, Alex Cobb's season is over because of an acute left low back strain, the team announced Tuesday.

The Guardians replaced the right-hander on their roster with Ben Lively, another right-handed starter, making Cobb ineligible to be on the team's World Series roster should they advance.

Lively led the Guardians in wins during the regular season, going 13-10 with a 3.81 ERA in 29 starts.

The move required approval from Major League Baseball because only injured players are allowed to be removed from the roster.

Cobb, 37, departed Monday's 6-2 loss to the New York Yankees after just 2 innings. Manager Stephen Vogt said Cobb's left hip tightened up and he was dealing with back spasms.

The transaction concludes a turbulent season for Cobb, who made just five starts for Cleveland this season after being acquired from the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline -- three during the regular season and two in the playoffs.

The 2023 All-Star didn't make his season debut until Aug. 9 after undergoing hip surgery last October. He landed on the injured list again two more times before the end of the regular season with a fractured fingernail on his right hand and a blister on his right middle finger.

Cobb went 0-2 with a 7.94 ERA in his two postseason appearances for the Guardians.

Lively, 32, didn't make the Guardians' ALDS roster and hasn't pitched since the next-to-last day of the regular season on Sept. 28. He has never pitched in the postseason.

Scotland lock Richie Gray will join star-studded Toyota Verblitz in Japan when he leaves Glasgow Warriors at the end of November.

The 35-year-old's new team-mates will include South Africa flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit, New Zealand superstar Beauden Barrett and former All Blacks scrum-half Aaron Smith as well as high-profile rugby league convert Joseph Manu.

Gray, capped 79 times by Scotland, will work under World Cup-winning director of rugby Steve Hansen when the new season of Japan Rugby League One begins in December.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing you all and trying my best and working hard to be part of a successful environment and successful Verblitz team. Hope to see you soon," said Gray.

Warriors announced at the beginning of October that Gray was to end his second stint at Scotstoun but his next club was not named.

He did not feature in the 33-3 home win over Zebre last Friday but could play on Glasgow's mini tour of South Africa over the next two rounds of the United Rugby Championship.

Verblitz begin their new league season against Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay on 22 December.

The former Sale, Castres and Toulouse forward returned to Glasgow in 2020 and has made more than 100 appearances for his hometown club.

When his Warriors exit was announced, the 2013 British and Irish Lions Test forward said: "This move is a fantastic opportunity for me and a really exciting move for my family. I'm really looking forward to the challenge that awaits me."

Bristol Bears winger Gabriel Ibitoye said he has had no contact from England head coach Steve Borthwick ahead of November's autumn internationals.

Ibitoye scored a show-stopping hat-trick in just nine minutes during Bristol's comeback win against Exeter on Saturday to completely turn the game at Sandy Park around.

Borthwick names his 36-player squad for the four upcoming Autumn matches on Wednesday.

"No chat, hopefully one day soon," Ibitoye told the Rugby Union Weekly podcast, regarding any conversations with Borthwick.

The 26-year-old topped many of the Premiership's individual statistics last season, including most metres made, most offloads and most defenders beaten, by some distance.

His four tries so far this campaign put him joint second on the Premiership's running tally, and he sits second to only Exeter's Immanuel Feyi-Waboso for metres made (310) across the league's opening four games.

"Looking at England, Steve definitely wants something from his wingers. I think I am different as a total package, I don't know what the nuts and bolts are," Ibitoye said.

"The wingers he's got in there are obviously class but I know I might have to be less risky on the field and not take as risky decisions.

"The way I see it I'm just playing what I see in that moment, in that picture, so for me it's not that risky because in the week I practice it a lot.

"When I first joined Quins I was doing it and it wasn't come off but I stuck at it and now passes are starting to go to hand and my teammates know what I'm going to bring on the training field and matchday."

The Buffalo Sabres were practically pronounced dead before the NHL season had officially begun.

Buffalo went out of the gate early for the league's latest Global Series showcase in Prague, Czechia. That put the Sabres some 4,000 miles from home, getting beat up by the New Jersey Devils in a pair of consecutive losses by a combined 7-2 score.

It would be days before another NHL team opened its schedule -- leaving ample airtime devoted to debating how the suddenly 0-2 Sabres had already blown their chances of being a playoff team.

Because wasn't that the only acceptable outcome for Buffalo anyway? Isn't this the Sabres' time to end the 13-year postseason drought -- longest among clubs in the four major sports leagues -- and reward a fan base that's patiently waited for Buffalo to pull it together?

That remains the goal. Overseas debacle be damned.

"We learned what not to do," Sabres forward Alex Tuch said. "There were some good takeaways I think; it was a big learning experience. It's something where you just have to realize that in this league, it's tough. No matter what's going on, who you're playing, when you're playing them, where you are in the world, you have to show up, and if you don't, it's not going to go your way. So I think it was a good eye-opener for this group, and we know how much better we need to be."

Those wise words promptly appeared to fall on deaf ears. Buffalo -- still without injured forward JJ Peterka after he was injured against the Devils -- had nearly a week to prepare for their home opener against the Los Angeles Kings, and were brought down again, blowing an early 1-0 lead that was undone by an abysmal third period (and Anze Kopitar natural hat trick) in the eventual 3-1 loss.

Now Buffalo was staring down the barrel of an 0-3 start having scored just three goals in three games. The power play was 0-for-11. The Sabres' best forwards -- Tage Thompson and Tuch among them -- looked snakebit. Zach Benson was struggling with an injury. And newly minted captain Rasmus Dahlin was clearly still feeling effects of the ailment he suffered during the preseason.

This wasn't the Buffalo team anyone expected. Not when the organization brought back Lindy Ruff as head coach. Not when they had several maturing young talents on the roster ready to break out. Not when GM Kevyn Adams had essentially stood pat in free agency to give those homegrown skaters a chance to flourish.

Buffalo was already a confusing paradigm. And then the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers came to town -- and the Sabres slapped them 5-2 for that elusive first win of the campaign.

Huh?

Suffice to say, the Sabres have been on a wild ride. Could the initial turmoil help Buffalo's ultimate goal of punching a long-awaited ticket back to the postseason?

It's not like anyone's confidence inside the room is shaken ... right?

"No," said Tuch, when asked if the Sabres were rattled.

There's not even a little concern about mounting pressure?

"Nope. We're all about the next game."

There are 78 more chances to prove there's still reason to believe in Buffalo. Here's why the playoff dream isn't dead yet.

MARTIN BIRON HAS DONE the European thing, too.

He was one of three goalies the New York Rangers took to Sweden in 2011 for their own regular season opener. While the experience itself was top-notch, Biron was "dragging" after the first five or six days.

It was no surprise then to Biron -- now an analyst for MSG Network -- that Buffalo wasn't exactly firing on all cylinders when it came time to face the Devils some 12 days into their European sojourn that included an exhibition outing against EHC Red Bull Munich in Germany, too.

"It's not the best [way] to start," Biron said. "But I almost feel like you've got to put those games aside. It was a long time [in Europe] and they just didn't have their legs. And you move on. So it's an 80-game season [then], and you're trying to get to 95 points in 80 games, right? Is it challenging? Yes. But that's how you have to look at it."

On paper, it appeared Buffalo didn't rise to the occasion in their next opportunity against the Kings. Biron begs to differ, though. It's not that the Sabres -- who whacked the Kings twice last season by a combined 12-3 -- played poorly in the home opener; they just didn't execute when it mattered.

"They looked really good," Biron said. "If you look at the expected goals and the chances created, they were plus-14 in high-danger chances. The Sabres have never had a game where [the margin] was that high. They just couldn't score. They couldn't finish. And there were two [other] things that didn't go well: the power play did not score again, and L.A. had a 5-on-3 for a minute [in the third period]. That didn't work out good. They took a couple bad penalties [on Jason Zucker and Mattias Samuelsson]. That's it."

Those power-play woes might be the most consistent element of Buffalo's season to date. Through four games, the Sabres are 0-for-14 with the extra man. Ruff has devoted long stretches of practice time to try remedying the problem; he's tweaked the team's looks, he's yelled over botched attempts, but nothing so far is penetrating.

"We're trying to generate a little bit more speed," Ruff said. "We've got to get connected on the entries, and obviously both units changed when [Peterka and Zach Benson] went out."

Biron's perception on the special teams problems are similar, and he's direct about what Buffalo must do to fix them.

"The first two games [in Prague], they were terrible on zone entries, and they were never in the zone because they couldn't get possession," he said. "That was better against L.A.; now it's about getting second chances. I feel like they got some decent looks. But they really didn't get any rebound looks, any screen looks, and that's what the power play's foundation should be about. You can't just rely on a Tage Thompson one-timer. There's still a lot of work to be done there."

BUFFALO NEEDS MORE from its top players in every respect. The win over Florida was the Sabres' most cohesive display offensively. And it's easy to say Buffalo had an edge in that outing because the Panthers started backup goaltender Spencer Knight -- his first since Feb. 18, 2023 -- and they were missing both Aleksander Barkov (with an ankle injury) and Matthew Tkachuk (illness).

The Sabres overcame a 1-0 deficit in the first period because of key contributions from Jordan Greenway, Thompson and Tuch. That's a good sign. Their best players -- like any other team's -- have to be the ones driving offense. And there are others the Sabres are still waiting on to step up.

One of the blights on Buffalo's 2023-24 season was the loss of forward Jack Quinn in January to a lower-body injury. That was after Quinn had been out long-term with an Achilles tendon issue. The prospect of having Quinn -- who the team drafted eighth overall in 2020 -- fully healthy to start this season was exciting. But he hasn't quite clicked yet in a second-line spot with Dylan Cozens and Jiri Kulich, recording just one assist through the team's first four games.

Quinn is counting on more production out of himself to align with some lofty goals for the season ahead.

"I want to be a really good offensive player in this league," Quinn said. "I want to establish myself as that this year."

Does Quinn feel like he's begun doing that?

"No, not at all."

Biron agrees that Quinn "hasn't had a good start to the year" and it's on him, Thompson, Peterka and Cozens -- among others -- to pull their weight as Buffalo drags itself out of less-than-ideal circumstances. And Ruff must push the right buttons to make that a reality.

"Lindy has to start to guide this team into being able to grind out some long shifts in the offensive zone," Biron said. "It's not just about rush chances, and then you're out [of the zone]. Rush chances are great, but how about you spend 40 seconds or a minute in the offensive zone with good puck possession, with a point shot, with a recovery from a loose puck, and get the cycle going. That's what I haven't seen enough."

Buffalo's victory over Florida could be foundational, then. It was Ruff's first win behind the Sabres' bench since being fired during his initial go-around as coach from 1997-2013. Adams brought Ruff back after firing Don Granato in April, a reaction to the Sabres' third failed attempt at making playoff under Granato's leadership.

Ruff has had prior success in Buffalo. He guided the team to eight playoff appearances and a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 1999. Kicking off this tenure with a 1-3 mark wasn't exactly the plan, but Ruff could see the Sabres perhaps starting to turn the proverbial corner.

"I sensed the same type of urgency [against] Florida as our last game [against L.A.]," Ruff said. "You could get frustrated, you could deviate; but I thought our guys were pretty locked in trying to play the right way, and for the most part I thought for 60 minutes we did. We got rewarded."

And then some. It was a weight off Thompson's shoulders to see some of those pucks -- which had an annoying habit of finding every crossbar lately -- hitting the net.

"You get one, and you start to feel good, especially after you feel like you could've had a few, and a goalie robs you or you just get a little unlucky," Thompson said. "You've just got to stick with it. Keep shooting pucks and keep going to the net and stuff will open up."

It all sounds right, anyway. The Sabres just have to back it up now on the ice. And their back end will be a significant factor in just how good Buffalo can eventually be. Dahlin claims to be at full strength again. Owen Power has been making progress. Henri Jokiharju is generating offense from the blue line, and Bowen Byram has untapped potential. If that group can continue to jell, it will be instrumental in getting Buffalo over the hump.

Another bright spot for the Sabres? Goaltending. And that hasn't always been the case in Buffalo.

Right now they're leaning on tandem of Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen after losing James Reimer -- their projected third-stringer -- on waivers. This is a big season for Levi in particular, who is poised to take on his heaviest NHL workload to date (he went 10-8-2 last season with an .899 save percentage and 3.10 goals-against average). Luukkonen was a go-to option for the Sabres in 2023-24, recording a 27-22-4 record with a .910 SV% and 2.57 GAA.

If both goalies can improve on that, it'll give the Sabres a fighting chance every night.

"The least of their worries right now is goaltending," Biron noted. "They're good, and where they want it to be. If Luukkonen and Levi stay healthy, they're going to be fine. And I actually love the upside in Levi and what he showed in training camp and what he showed in the one game [in Prague] when he almost stole them a point."

THERE ARE NO moral victories, of course. The Sabres can't be satisfied with another so-so year that leaves them outside looking in at the postseason field. And it's way too soon to saddle them with such a fate.

There are too many recent examples -- like the Edmonton Oilers starting last season 2-9-1 and still reaching the Cup Final -- to count the Sabres out of a real playoff push.

It won't be easy. The margin for error is already small, and will only feel suffocating if Buffalo hits any more speed bumps in the near future. There's no use focusing on that, though. As the Sabres begin a three-game road trip, it's about redemption, and momentum, and showing proof that one bad week is no reason to stop believing.

"I'm going to give them a pass," Biron concluded. "The 0-3 start, it was really more like being 0-1 in my opinion from one bad game [in Prague]. They put themselves in a tough, tough spot early on for sure. But you've got to press on."

Jonas Eidevall has resigned as Arsenal manager following a disappointing start to the season, the Women's Super League (WSL) club announced in a statement on Tuesday.

Eidevall was under significant pressure following the team's 5-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League and 2-1 loss to Chelsea in the WSL within the space of four days.

A source told ESPN that Eidevall handed in his resignation on Monday.

Multiple sources also told ESPN that the back-to-back losses had been difficult for the team and had seen the Swede lose the dressing room.

Assistant coach Renée Slegers will take charge of the team on an interim basis with the club confirming that the search for a new manager is already under way.

"We thank Jonas for his commitment to the club and achievements here since joining us in 2021," sporting director Edu Gaspar said in a statement on Tuesday.

"We have great respect for the dedication and commitment he showed to our women's first team and recognise the role he has played in the growth and development of Arsenal Women. We all wish him the very best for the future.

"Our focus will now turn to the process of appointing a new head coach, and in the meantime, supporting Renée, as she takes interim charge of the team starting with two important fixtures this week."

England head coach Sarina Wiegman said she was "flabbergasted" by Eidevall's resignation but admitted that the fan's outcry for his departure is a negative part of the newfound growth in the women's game.

"I just heard. I was a little bit in shock, I didn't expect that," Wiegman told a news conference when announcing her squad for the national team's upcoming October friendlies.

"Of course, that's really sad; it's always sad when things happen like that. I didn't expect it. I had a good working relationship with him so I was a little bit flabbergasted.

"The game is growing so much. Three [English] clubs in the Champions League, it is getting bigger and bigger. You see that coming too, that's also becoming part of the game, and unfortunately, this is a negative one; lots of things are very positive, but also some negative, hard things are coming with that too."

Wiegman said she hasn't spoken to England's Arsenal contingent as she "didn't know" the resignation was coming. "I'll speak with them next week," she added.

Eidevall, who joined Arsenal in June 2021 from FC Rosengard in Sweden, won two League Cup titles in his tenure at the club.