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Fins' Hill 'doing everything possible' to play MNF

Published in Breaking News
Saturday, 09 November 2024 10:50

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill is "doing everything possible" to play Monday against the Los Angeles Rams after missing practice Friday with a wrist injury, coach Mike McDaniel said.

Hill's wrist injury has been "heating up," McDaniel said Saturday, and the team wants to give it an opportunity to "cool down."

McDaniel added that he was neither optimistic nor pessimistic that Hill would play Monday, as the Dolphins take things day-by-day with the wide receiver.

"Just trying to get him to game day," McDaniel said. "He's prepared, and if his body lets him, he'll play, but we'll see. ... I'm optimistic that he's going to do everything he can [in order to play]."

Hill leads all Dolphins players with 446 receiving yards this season, although it is his worst statistical start since being traded to Miami in 2022. His production has picked up, however, since quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returned from a four-game absence; Hill has averaged 76 yards over the Dolphins' past two games after averaging 35 in the four before that.

If Hill can't play, Jaylen Waddle would slot in as Miami's top receiver, with Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie Malik Washington playing complementary roles. Veteran receiver River Cracraft could also make his return from injured reserve Monday after missing the first eight games with a shoulder injury he picked up during the preseason.

While Hill's status remains uncertain, the Dolphins will be without starting right tackle Austin Jackson, who McDaniel said popped up with a knee injury after their loss to the Buffalo Bills last week. It's unclear, McDaniel said, whether Jackson will require surgery, but his injury is not expected to be season-ending.

Veteran Kendall Lamm and rookie Patrick Paul are candidates to replace Jackson at right tackle.

The 2-6 Dolphins will look to snap a three-game losing streak against a Rams team that has won its past three games. Miami trails the Denver Broncos by 2.5 games for the seventh seed in the AFC.

Viní Jr. nets hat trick as Madrid thrash Osasuna

Published in Soccer
Saturday, 09 November 2024 07:25

Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior scored a hat trick to help the LaLiga champions snap a two-game winless run in all competitions with a commanding 4-0 victory over Osasuna on Saturday.

The Brazil international opened the scoring in the 34th minute after taking a Jude Bellingham pass in his stride to beat the offside trap and firing an unstoppable strike past goalkeeper Sergio Herrera.

Bellingham recovered his scoring instinct by netting his first goal of the season with a brilliant finish eight minutes later, lobbing the ball over the goalkeeper to extend Real's lead.

Vinicius wrapped up the home side's win with strikes in the 61st and 69th minutes, helping second-placed Madrid climb to 27 points, six behind leaders Barcelona. Osasuna are fifth on 21 points. 

Madrid's day was blemished by the injuries to Éder Militão and Rodrygo, both of whom went off in the first half. Lucas Vázquez too was replaced at half-time with an apparent knock to compound Madrid's injury woes.

Suryakumar's India aim to extend golden run in T20Is

Published in Cricket
Saturday, 09 November 2024 08:21

Big picture: Two contrasting T20I runs

Both India and South Africa had a sensational T20 World Cup 2024. They sailed through the group stage unbeaten and then topped their respective groups in the Super Eight before registering comfortable wins in the semi-finals. Even in the final, there was little to separate between the two teams right till the end.

Since then, though, the fortunes of the two teams have taken different paths, especially in T20Is.

Despite losing three players from the playing XI in the final through retirement, India have had a seamless transition with Suryakumar Yadav taking over and the youngsters fitting in well. They are currently on a 11-match winning streak, which includes a series victory in Zimbabwe, series sweeps against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and a win in the opening game of the series against South Africa on Friday.
India have played 23 T20Is this year and won 22 with the only loss coming against Zimbabwe in the first T20I in early July. And critically, they have achieved a lot of these wins without their first-choice T20I players. They can equal their best-ever streak of 12 (which they have achieved twice), if they manage to win the second T20I against South Africa in Gqeberha on Sunday.

On the other end are South Africa who have struggled since that defeat in the World Cup final. Right after that loss, they went down 3-0 to West Indies in Tarouba while their series against Ireland in Abu Dhabi finished 1-1. A loss in Durban is unlikely to do their confidence any favour.

South Africa's biggest issue and one that helped them dominate the T20 World Cup was how brilliantly the entire group gelled together. That's one thing they have lacked in the last few T20Is. Their captain Aiden Markram has struggled with form while they have also missed a crux of their main players in the XI.

Now down 1-0 in the four-match series, South Africa will be desperate to get back to winning ways at a venue where they have had success. They've registered three out of four T20I wins in Gqeberha which includes one against India last year. Can they do it against an Indian side who are on a golden run in T20Is?

Form guide

South Africa LLWLL (last five T20Is, most recent first)
India WWWWW

In the spotlight: Gerald Coetzee and Arshdeep Singh

In the opening T20I where all the other South Africa bowlers were taken to the cleaners, Gerald Coetzee was the only one who provided a semblance of control. He was fiery, he extracted good bounce and had the Indian batters on their toes. According to ESPNcricinfo's ball-by-ball data, 14 of his 24 deliveries were either short or short of a good length and that helped him take wickets. The surface in Gqeberha is likely to assist his hit-the-deck style of bowling.
Arshdeep Singh has been one of the key reasons behind India's glorious T20 run in 2024. He's played just 15 matches and already has 29 wickets, the second-highest for a player from a Full-Member nation this year. In Gqeberha, too, he has a few records in sight. Currently fourth on the list for most T20I wickets for India with 88, Arshdeep has a chance to go past Jasprit Bumrah (89) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (90) and rise to second place behind Yuzvendra Chahal (96). With India scheduled to play three more T20Is this year, he also has a chance to claim the record for the most wickets taken in a calendar year by an Indian pacer, currently held by Bhuvneshwar who scalped 37 in 2022.

Team news: Will India hand Ramandeep a debut?

Nqabayomzi Peter looked out of sorts in the opening T20I and could be replaced by Ottneil Baartman, who can boost the fast-bowling attack. Reeza Hendricks missed the opening T20I due to illness, and if fit, is likely to slot back in at the top of the order. It remains to be seen if he comes in place of Ryan Rickelton or Patrick Kruger, who had a tough outing in Durban - both with bat and ball.

South Africa (probable): 1 Ryan Rickelton (wk), 2 Aiden Markram (capt), 3 Tristan Stubbs, 4 Heinrich Klaasen, 5 David Miller, 6 Partrick Kruger, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Andile Simelane, 9 Gerald Coetzee, 10 Keshav Maharaj, 11 Nqabayomzi Peter/Ottneil Baartman

It was slightly surprising to see India go with three spinners in Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi and Varun Chakravarthy. In Gqeberha, where the surface is likely to aid more pace, they might look to bring in Ramandeep Singh, who can play the finisher's role and provide a few overs with his medium pace. India are unlikely to make any changes in their batting unit.

India (probable): 1 Sanju Samson (wk), 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Axar Patel/Ramandeep Singh, 8 Arshdeep Singh, 9 Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Avesh Khan, 11 Varun Chakravarthy

Pitch and conditions

There is a bit of rain in the air in Gqeberha, but it is unlikely to affect the match. The surface is likely to have plenty in it for the fast bowlers with good bounce and carry. The temperature is likely to hover around the low to mid 20 degrees on the Celcius scale.

Stats and trivia

  • Hardik Pandya, currently on 87 T20I wickets, has a chance to leapfrog Arshdeep (88), Bumrah (89) and Bhuvneshwar (90) and move to second on India's all-time T20I wicket-takers list
  • Sanju Samson became just the fourth batter to score successive T20I centuries in Durban. No batter has scored three consecutive centuries in T20Is to date
  • Samson's strike rate of 180.66 is the highest for any Full Member batter in 2024 with a minimum of 300 runs
  • India have a terrific T20I record against South Africa in South Africa: seven wins and three losses in ten matches

Quotes

"When you're playing an opponent like South Africa, we know the energy they bring with them and they have a really great team walking in and they play their cricket really aggressively. We just have to respect them and do what we are known for. We are the world champions at the moment, so I think we have to play like that and we just have to take care of what is in our control and just keep on looking to dominate in this format, which we have been doing for last one year."
Sanju Samson says India will keep on going hard with the bat irrespective of the opposition

"We were just in the final of a T20 World Cup. Now is a new team. There is a World Cup coming up the year after, so we need new blood. There is plenty of talent, we've seen that. It's just the boys need experience, need to sharpen their skills and we'll be good to go."
Gerald Coetzee isn't thinking too much about South Africa's recent loss of form

Ashish Pant is a sub-editor with ESPNcricinfo

Vandy QB Pavia suing NCAA over eligibility rules

Published in Breaking News
Saturday, 09 November 2024 07:35

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia sued the NCAA in federal court Friday, alleging the organization's bylaws that reduce the number of seasons junior college players can compete at Division I schools are unlawful and restrict players' ability to earn money off their name, image and likeness.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee in Nashville, requests an injunction that would prevent the NCAA from enforcing its bylaws regarding junior college player limits and grant Pavia two more seasons of eligibility.

"The JUCO Eligibility Limitation Bylaws neither promote competition nor benefit college athletes with respect to their impact on persons who attend junior colleges before transferring to NCAA schools," the lawsuit says. "These rules stifle the competition in the labor market for NCAA Division I football players, harming college athletes and degrading the quality of Division I football consumed by the public.

"These harms are contrary to Defendant's stated mission of promoting the well-being of college athletes and are the very ills federal antitrust law seeks to remedy. Pavia, and other former JUCO football players who are harmed by this illegal restraint, have a small window of time to compete in Division I football."

The lawsuit argues that the NCAA and its member institutions "have entered an illegal agreement to restrain and suppress competition" and are violating the federal Sherman Act.

The lawsuit says junior college transfers face eligibility restrictions that "are not placed on athletes who choose to delay entry to a Division I NCAA college to attend prep school, serve in the military, or even to compete professionally in another sport."

Pavia, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, told ESPN last month that he didn't have a single FBS or FCS scholarship offer coming out of high school. Only two Division II schools -- Western Colorado and Western New Mexico -- gave him a chance to play quarterback.

He played two seasons at New Mexico Military Institute, a two-year junior college, before transferring to New Mexico State, where he played in 2022 and 2023. He enrolled at Vanderbilt in June with the belief that he would have only one season of eligibility.

Pavia, 23, has helped revive Vanderbilt's once-moribund program. The Commodores are 6-3 heading into Saturday's game against South Carolina (4:15 p.m. ET, SEC Network/ESPN+) after losing their final 10 games in 2023.

Pavia has passed for 1,677 yards with 15 touchdowns and three interceptions while leading the team in rushing with 563 yards and four touchdowns.

The Commodores upset then-No. 1 Alabama 40-35 on Oct. 5. They had lost every one of their previous 60 games against top-five teams in the Associated Press poll and hadn't beaten the Crimson Tide in 40 years.

The lawsuit also takes issue with the NCAA's bylaws that start a player's eligibility clock once he enters a two-year school, even if he doesn't play, as well as its redshirt rule and four-year eligibility limit.

"Because Pavia cannot relive his short college career, the harm inflicted by the JUCO Eligibility Limitations Bylaws is irreparable and ongoing, and temporary and preliminary injunctive relief is necessary," the lawsuit says. "Pavia brings this action to put a stop to the unjustified anticompetitive restriction on universities who seek to compete for college athletes, and to restore freedom of economic opportunity for himself and other college football players."

Can Sinner end eventful year with a title? ATP Finals lowdown

Published in Tennis
Saturday, 09 November 2024 05:56

Jannik Sinner, 23, Italy

Seed: 1

Best ATP Finals performance: Runner-up (2023)

2024 titles: 7 (Australian Open, Rotterdam, Miami, Halle, Cincinnati, US Open, Shanghai)

2024 win-loss: 65-6

Sinner, whose unassuming personality contrasts with his ferocious hitting, landed his first major title in Melbourne as he lost just once going into April. Shock news arrived in August that he had failed two doping tests but he was allowed to continue playing as an independent panel accepted there was "no fault or negligence" on his part. He went on to win the US Open and has been beaten only once in his past 23 matches.

Daniil Medvedev, 28, Russia

Seed: 4

Best ATP Finals performance: Winner (2020)

2024 titles: 0

2024 win-loss: 45-19

While far from his best season, Medvedev continues to challenge when it comes to the biggest prizes. Beaten in the Australian Open final, he also reached the Wimbledon semi-finals and US Open quarter-finals. His consistency, despite not winning a title this year, was enough to reach the Finals for a sixth straight season.

Taylor Fritz, 27, United States

Seed: 5

Best ATP Finals performance: Semi-finals (2022)

2024 titles: 2 (Delray Beach, Eastbourne)

2024 win-loss: 49-21

What has stood out about Fritz's season is the high level he has produced across all surfaces. He has contested ATP finals on hard, grass and clay courts, including his first Grand Slam final at the US Open.

Alex de Minaur, 25, Australia

Seed: 7

Best ATP Finals performance: Debut

2024 titles: 2 (Acapulco, 's-Hertogenbosch)

2024 win-loss: 47-16

De Minaur's dedication to his craft has reaped even greater rewards this year. Two tour titles, plus three consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final appearances at the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open, have led to a year-end top-10 finish for the first time.

Ireland lose to NZ in first home defeat since 2021

Published in Rugby
Friday, 08 November 2024 14:54

Ireland: Keenan; Hansen, Ringrose, Aki, Lowe; Crowley, Gibson-Park; Porter, Kelleher, Bealham; McCarthy, Ryan; Beirne, Van der Flier, Doris (capt).

Replacements: Herring, Healy, OToole, Henderson, OMahony, Murray, Frawley, Osborne.

New Zealand: Jordan; Tele'a, Ioane, J Barrett, Clarke; McKenzie, Ratima; Williams, Aumua, Lomax, S Barrett (capt), Vaa'i, Sititi, Cane, Savea.

Replacements: Bell, Tu'ungafasi, Tosi, Tuipulotu, Finau, Roigard, Leinert-Brown, Stephen Perofeta.

Sin-bin: J Barrett (39)

Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)

Tuipulotu snubs England & France offers for Glasgow stay

Published in Rugby
Saturday, 09 November 2024 06:20

Sione Tuipulotu admits he spoke to other clubs before agreeing a new deal to stay at Glasgow Warriors, with the Scotland captain believing he can achieve all his ambitions at Scotstoun.

The in-form centre, 27, was subject to interest from clubs in England and France, but this week committed himself to the Warriors until the summer of 2028.

Tuipulotu will lead Scotland against South Africa at Murrayfield on Sunday (16:10 GMT).

"In terms of making my decision, I had the option of maybe going to the [English] Premiership or over to France," he said.

"I was pretty clear with my agent and I was pretty open and honest with Glasgow that I would be exploring my opportunities elsewhere, just because I think that's just the right thing to do.

"When it came down to it, I had maybe a few offers somewhere else and the Glasgow offer, and the Glasgow one just made sense to me."

Barça sign Nike deal, hope to ease financial woes

Published in Soccer
Saturday, 09 November 2024 06:58

LaLiga giants Barcelona have announced a new multi-year agreement with kit supplier Nike which will help to further alleviate their financial problems.

Barça have not disclosed how much the deal is worth annually, but president Joan Laporta previously claimed it is set to be the biggest of its kind in world football.

Sources told ESPN the club expect the deal will total significantly more than 100 million ($107m) per year, but that the agreement is incremental and that the total amount is also dependent on certain add-ons.

Figures for these types of deals are not always public in football, but Manchester United committed to a 1 billion ($1.1bn), 10-year partnership with Adidas in 2023.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid are reported to raise around 120m annually from their agreement with Adidas, although that was signed in 2019.

"Barcelona and Nike, two leading brands in the sport industry, are pleased to announce a new start with a multi-year partnership agreement, starting effective this season, that brings a new collaborative strategic partnership model between the two organisations," Barcelona said in a statement.

"This new partnership consolidates Nike as a main partner of the club and the official technical partner across all professional and amateur teams, bringing a unique model that strengthens the brands association and fuels the global retail and licensing business growth.

"Nike has a key strategic role in the club's retail operations and together with Barça Licensing & Merchandising will join forces in the development of specific plans related to product creation, supply chain and global distribution."

Barça and Nike have worked together since 1998 and the new agreement helps consolidate the club's finances as they attempt to get back within their LaLiga imposed spending limit.

As of September, their cap was set at 426m, with Laporta saying recently they were in excess of that limit by around 60m.

The new deal with Nike will help bridge that gap, although to what extent is unknown, as Barça look to get back into a position whereby they are able to make signings more freely after having problems registering players in recent years.

Despite those problems, the club have made an encouraging start to the new campaign under coach Hansi Flick.

Barça have won 11 of their opening 12 league games to top LaLiga and have won three of their four Champions League games.

They travel to Real Sociedad in the league on Sunday for their final match before the November international break.

Rodrygo, Militão add to Madrid injury crisis

Published in Soccer
Saturday, 09 November 2024 07:07

Real Madrid stars Éder Militão and Rodrygo both had to be substituted during the first half of their LaLiga clash with Osasuna on Saturday, adding to the club's extensive injury list.

Wide forward Rodrygo -- who had only just returned to the team after recovering from a hamstring problem -- was withdrawn in the 20th minute at the Bernabéu, and replaced by Brahim Díaz.

Centre-back Militão needed treatment 10 minutes later before being stretchered off, with youngster Raul Asencio being introduced in his place.

Madrid are short in defence, with Dani Carvajal out for the season with a serious injury, and David Alaba not yet fully recovered from his ACL tear.

Full-back Lucas Vázquez was also withdrawn at halftime after appearing to struggle with an injury late in the first half, and was replaced by Luka Modric.

They are also without goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who has a thigh injury, and midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, who has an ankle sprain.

Madrid went into the Osasuna game under pressure after being beaten twice at home in their last two matches, against Barcelona and AC Milan.

Sources: Gators' Lagway limited at best vs. Texas

Published in Breaking News
Saturday, 09 November 2024 06:40

Florida quarterback DJ Lagway is a game-time decision for Saturday's contest at No. 5 Texas but is not expected to significantly contribute, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Lagway was carted off the field in the second quarter of last weekend's loss to Georgia. He tweaked his hamstring during a 3-yard run in the second quarter and later returned to the sideline with his legged wrapped and using crutches. Lagway has been limited in practice this week.

Sources said Lagway will warm up with the Gators but that, barring something unexpected, he is not expected to have a significant impact on the game.

Coach Billy Napier had said Monday that Lagway's injury was "less significant" than initially feared and added that there was "a pathway for recovery" that would allow the highly touted freshman to play again this season -- maybe even against the Longhorns.

When Lagway left the Longhorns game last Saturday, the Gators turned to walk-on and Yale transfer Aidan Warner, who went 7-for-22 for 66 yards with an interception. Warner is penciled in to start against the Longhorns if Lagway cannot play.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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