Sources -- Texans to deal Clowney to Seahawks - ESPN

11:40 AM ET

Jadeveon Clowney is in Seattle and about to sign his franchise tender, which will enable the Houston Texans to trade him to the Seattle Seahawks, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Clowney, 26, who was named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl last season, finished 2018 with 47 tackles, nine sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He also had 16 tackles for loss, which tied for ninth in the NFL last season, and he now has 53 tackles for loss over the past three seasons, which ranks third in the league.

Clowney the first overall pick of the 2014 draft, struggled with knee injuries early in his career, missing 15 games in his first two seasons. In 2016, he played through wrist and elbow injuries, appearing in 14 games and making the Pro Bowl for the first time. Since then, he has missed just one game over two seasons.

Clowney chose not to sign his franchise tender this offseason, which is worth $15.967 million for the 2019 season. Clowney will have to sign the tender in order to complete the trade.

Fox Sports first reported that a deal had been agreed to.

The Texans tagged Clowney as a linebacker ($15.443 million) rather than as a defensive end ($17.128 million). However, because players receive the higher amount between the tag value or 120% of last year's salary, Clowney is poised to get an additional $524,000 this season. He made $13.306 million, including a $1 million bonus, while playing on his fifth-year option in 2018.

Despite being tagged as a linebacker, Clowney played most of his snaps at defensive end in 2018, according to ESPN Stats & Information. He logged 729 at defensive end, 101 at defensive tackle and 33 at linebacker last season.

Information from ESPN's Sarah Barshop was used in this report.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/27506624/sources-texans-deal-clowney-seahawks

2019-08-31 15:46:32Z
52780366977241

Bills cut six-time Pro Bowl running back LeSean McCoy, per reports - USA TODAY

USA TODAY Sports

Published 10:08 AM EDT Aug 31, 2019

LeSean McCoy is out in Buffalo.

In a surprising twist, the Bills cut McCoy while whittling down their roster Saturday, according to multiple reports.

ESPN first reported that McCoy, a six-time Pro Bowl running back, was being released.

Originally a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, McCoy was traded to Buffalo in a blockbuster deal prior to the 2015 season. He started 56 games over the past four seasons with the Bills and amassed more than 3,800 rushing yards and 30 total rushing touchdowns — though his production took a significant dip last year.

McCoy, 31, also reached the Pro Bowl in three of his four seasons in Buffalo.

McCoy was expected to have a significant role in the Bills' offense in 2019, but he a member of an increasingly crowded backfield alongside fellow veterans Frank Gore and T.J. Yeldon, as well as rookie Devin Singletary.

NFL teams must trim their rosters from 90 to 53 by 4 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/bills/2019/08/31/lesean-mccoy-cut-buffalo-bills-surprise-move-nfl-cutdown-day/2177776001/

2019-08-31 13:58:00Z
52780369318596

UFC Shenzhen: Post-fight Press Conference - UFC - Ultimate Fighting Championship

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogrQ_VvbfHo

2019-08-31 13:32:58Z
52780367381401

College football picks, schedule: Predictions against the spread for top 25 games Saturday in Week 1 - CBS Sports

We are technically two days into Week 1 already, but any real college football fan knows that Saturday is the day where all -- or this week, most of -- the action goes down. With games spanning the entire day, many of the best teams in the nation will be in action with SEC powers No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 Georgia and No. 16 Auburn all in noteworthy matchups. No. 25 Stanford vs. Northwestern will also be an interesting affair, and No. 11 Oregon has a chance to make a statement for the Pac-12.

With action starting early in the day and continuing late into the night, let's take a look at the biggest games on the schedule Saturday along with our predictions for what will transpire in those contests. Our CBS Sports college football experts have picked every game both straight up and against the spread, giving you ample opportunity to decide how to make your picks ahead of kickoff.

What will go down Saturday afternoon? Let's take a look. And don't forget to subscribe to our Cover 3 college football podcast. Listen below for locks for the top games in Week 1.

All times Eastern

FAU at No. 5 Ohio State (-27.5) -- Noon on FOX:  This game won't be close, but picking which side of the massive 27.5 point spread is a tricky one. The fact this game is in Columbus, Ohio, under a new quarterback and the first game under coach Ryan Day, I'm expecting a motivated Buckeyes team to cover. Pick: Ohio State (-27.5) -- Kyle Boone

No. 2 Alabama (-35.5) vs. Duke in Atlanta -- 3:30 p.m. on ABC: Alabama games with massive spreads are always tough to pick because it really just depends on when Nick Saban wants to take his foot off the gas. After what we saw at Levi's Stadium in January, it'll stay to the floor for a while on Saturday. Tua Tagovailoa will get in a nice rhythm with his wide receivers, and the defense will have no problem slowing down the Blue Devils. Pick: Alabama (-35.5) -- Barrett Sallee

Get in the action this season by playing College Football Pick 'em for your shot to win $1,000* per week for picking college games. Terms apply.   

Northwestern at No. 25 Stanford (-6.5) -- 4 p.m. on FOX: You can bet against Shaw and Stanford, but in this scenario, you'd be foolish to do so. They have the edge at quarterback, home-field advantage and more weapons at their disposal. The Cardinal should cruise here and cover as they kick their season off in style. Pick: Stanford (-6.5) -- Kyle Boone

No. 11 Oregon at No. 16 Auburn (-3.5) in Dallas -- 7:30 p.m. on ABC: It's hard to go against the Heisman Trophy hopeful QB in a matchup against a true freshman, but it's also hard to pick a Pac-12 team against an SEC squad. Since Auburn last beat Oregon, the Pac-12 and SEC have crossed paths 14 times. The SEC is 10-4 ATS in those games, and that includes a record of 6-0 ATS in neutral site games like this one. Until the Pac-12 proves its capable of not only winning but covering these games, I have a hard time picking it to do so. Pick: Auburn (-3.5) -- Tom Fornelli

No. 3 Georgia (-21.5) at Vanderbilt -- 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network: Give me the Bulldogs, and give them to me big. The wide receivers will show that they are a strength, not a liability, against the Commodores secondary. After getting Fromm into rhythm, coach Kirby Smart and coordinator James Coley will work in Zamir White, Brian Herrien and the rest of the reserve running backs in an effort to build depth behind D'AandreSwift. On the other side of the ball, Georgia will bring the heat on the Vanderbilt quarterback (likely Riley Neal), and the secondary will capitalize on multiple mistakes. This one will get sideways in the second half. Pick: Georgia (-21.5) -- Barrett Sallee

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-picks-schedule-predictions-against-the-spread-for-top-25-games-saturday-in-week-1/

2019-08-31 12:50:00Z
52780367706660

UFC Shenzhen: Weili Zhang and Jessica Andrade Octagon Interviews - UFC - Ultimate Fighting Championship

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt-kYGr85rE

2019-08-31 13:09:34Z
52780367381401

UFC Shenzhen Results - The Official Website of the Ultimate Fighting Championship

Karol Rosa def. Lara Procopio by split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)

An all-Brazilian affair in the women’s bantamweight division kicked off the night in Shenzhen, as newcomers Rosa and Procopio shared the stage in their joint debuts.

A training partner of strawweight champ and UFC Shenzhen headliner Jessica Andrade, Rosa started this one aggressively, marching forward behind a sharp, steady jab. The clean shots turned into combinations finished with strong leg kicks by Rosa, but despite getting wobbled, Procopio stood tall, returned fire and ended the first round by shifting the momentum in her favor.

The second round began much like the first, with Rosa getting the better of the exchanges in space as Procopio countered, ducking in with tepid takedown attempts that were easily denied. Again like the opening frame, Procopio had her best success in the second half of the round, connecting flush with several clean right hands, keeping things close heading into the third and final round.

Procopio started a little quicker in the third, pressing forward behind her own jab, landing right hands behind it, only to have Rosa counter with a big right of her own, dropping the Nova Uniao product. Procopio got back to her feet and resumed marching forward, but she clearly looked slowed, as Rosa continued to crash home right hands, mixing in knees to the midsection into the final two minutes of the fight.

Down the stretch, Rosa continued to control the action, easily sprawling out on a pair of late takedown attempts, avoiding much of what Procopio had to offer and continuing to distance herself from her countrywoman in the final round.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-shenzhen-results

2019-08-31 08:55:37Z
52780367381401

US Open 28th seed Suarez Navarro fined $40G after quitting - Fox News

Carla Suarez Navarro, of Spain, reacts after losing a point to Timea Babos, of Hungary, during the first round of the US Open tennis tournament Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

In the latest example of a player fined thousands of dollars at a Grand Slam tournament for what tennis officials deem a lack of effort, 28th-seeded Carla Suárez Navarro of Spain was docked $40,000 at the U.S. Open on Thursday, two days after retiring from her first-round match with a lower-back injury.

She was due to collect $58,000 as a first-round loser in singles at Flushing Meadows.

But tournament referee Soeren Friemel said Suárez Navarro, who can appeal the decision, "did not perform to the required professional standards" and so was punished for violating the first-round performance rule. She stopped playing after losing the first set of her match against Timea Babos by a 6-2 score.

The Grand Slam Board introduced the rule before the 2018 season to deter players who enter tournaments while injured from retiring during first-round matches.

Suárez Navarro also retired from a match at the hard-court tournament in Toronto earlier this month.

"Not the easiest weeks for me dealing with some back pain," she tweeted Thursday. "We made our best effort to be ready and play our heart out, but it got really worse during my opening match in New York."

In July, American player Anna Tatishvili was awarded her French Open prize money when the Grand Slam Board reversed her fine of about $50,000 for a 6-0, 6-1 loss at the French Open. That was her first tournament since October 2017.

Bernard Tomic was fined his full prize money of about $55,000 at Wimbledon last month after a three-set loss in the first round that lasted only 58 minutes.

___

DOUBLE TROUBLE

Naomi Osaka would be happy to play mixed doubles with Kei Nishikori for Japan at the 2020 Toyko Olympics.

Just one problem: The reigning U.S. Open singles champion apparently isn't much of a doubles player.

After Osaka's victory in singles Thursday — with Colin Kaepernick and Kobe Bryant watching from her courtside box — she said that "anyone that knows my doubles track record" knows she's not exactly an expert.

She hasn't played a tour-level women's doubles match since 2017 ... and she went 0-5 that season.

Nishikori said last week he was planning to play singles and men's doubles in Tokyo but wasn't sure about mixed, because it might mean too much tennis in the hot and humid weather. But, he added he would talk to Osaka at some point.

They are friends, and Osaka said their pairing in Tokyo would be "historic."

"I would definitely play with him," Osaka said. "I just would actually need to practice doubles for the first time in my life. Because you cannot play mixed doubles with Kei Nishikori and lose in the first round of the Olympics in Tokyo. That would be the biggest — like, I would cry. I would actually cry for losing a doubles match."

___

SET-DOWN SERENA

That Serena Williams came back to beat 17-year-old Caty McNally at the U.S. Open after dropping their opening set shouldn't have come as a surprise: No one in the history of professional tennis has been as good as Williams at that sort of turnaround.

Turns out Williams actually wins more Grand Slam matches than she loses after trailing by a set.

Her 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 victory over McNally in the second round at Flushing Meadows improved Williams' career record at major tournaments to 42-40 after being down a set — the only woman in the 50-year Open era who can boast of a winning record in such situations, according to the WTA.

The only other active player with more than 25 such victories is her older sister, Venus, who has 28.

In all tour-level main-draw matches, Williams is 97-107 after ceding the opening set, a .475 winning percentage that leads active players. Next on the list? Maria Sharapova at .390, 83-130.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/us-open-28th-seed-suarez-navarro-fined-40g-after-quitting

2019-08-30 10:03:48Z
52780366738607

Meet Caty McNally: The teen who almost shocked Serena Williams at US Open - New York Post

When Caty McNally took the court on Wednesday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium, she tried not to overthink who her opponent was across the way, even though it happened to be Serena Williams.

“I just try to take it as another match and not really worry about who’s across the net,” McNally said at the US Open, per ESPN. “I know if I did that, it might affect the way I play. I might become more emotionally attached to the match. That’s not good for me.”

McNally stuck to that mentality as she stunned Williams in the first set, 7-5. The 37-year-old veteran went on to defeat McNally, taking the final two sets 6-3, 6-1 against the rising 17-year-old tennis star in the second round.

Serena Williams and Caty McNallyGetty Images

“I’m really just happy with the way I overall played, the way I carried myself out on that stage,” McNally said. “I walked out there, and I had the chills. That was the most insane atmosphere. I’ve never played on a court nowhere near that big, especially a night match. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. It was just an unbelievable experience, something that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.”

Ranked No. 111 in the world, the Cincinnati native made her WTA main-draw debut in 2017 at the Western & Southern Open playing doubles with Alexa Glatch. In 2018, McNally won two doubles grand slam girls titles — the French Open with Iga Swiatek and the US Open with Coco Gauff.

McNally is coached by her mother, Lynn Nabors-McNally, who played at Northwestern and is a prominent coach in Ohio. Her brother, John, is also an aspiring tennis player and nervously watched Caty battle Williams on Wednesday night.

“That’d be insane, but you never know,” John told the Desert Sun in 2016, when asked about the possibility of both making it professionally. “We both dream of like playing mixed doubles at the U.S. Open or doing something awesome like that. My parents would love to see that too, obviously.”

On Monday, McNally defeated Swiss tennis player Timea Bacsinszky in the first round. And though her journey this time around has come to an end, McNally is grateful for her experience against Williams.

“I was just really excited, honestly,” she said. “Could you tell from my reaction? I was really pumped up. Super happy just to get a set from her. That’s something that not very many people do. But I knew I needed to stay focused because I knew she was going to pick up her level.”

Share this:

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://nypost.com/2019/08/29/meet-caty-mcnally-the-teen-who-almost-shocked-serena-williams-at-us-open/

2019-08-29 12:38:00Z
52780366430530

Serena Williams, on the Way to a Tough Win, Gets a Look at Tennis’s Future - The New York Times

It has been quite a Grand Slam season for American teenagers on the women’s tennis tour, and though autumn is on the horizon, they continue to make a deep impression.

After the 15-year-old Coco Gauff defeated Venus Williams in her first match at Wimbledon last month, Gauff’s doubles partner, the 17-year-old Caty McNally, made a run at an even bigger upset in her first United States Open.

McNally won the opening set in style against Serena Williams before Williams rallied to prevail, 5-7, 6-3, 6-1, in the second round on Wednesday night.

“I think the young American girls are inspiring each other,” said Kathy Rinaldi, the United States Fed Cup captain who has known McNally’s mother, Lynn, since they played junior tennis against each other. “When one of the girls has a good result it kind of lifts the other. It’s a healthy competition.”

The Williams sisters have of course provided no shortage of inspiration themselves. The American youngsters emerging now were all born after the Williamses turned professional. They include the 17-year-old Amanda Anisimova, who reached the semifinals of the French Open in June, and the 20-year-old Sofia Kenin, who beat Serena Williams on her way to the quarterfinals of the same tournament and is up to No. 20 in the rankings.

A Williams-infused women’s tennis world is all the new arrivals have ever known.

Image

Caty McNally was playing in only her second Grand Slam tournament.CreditUli Seit for The New York Times

“I’ve watched her so many times,” McNally said of Serena, whom she had never faced. “I know how well she can play. I was just really impressed with the way she was serving towards the end of the match, how well she was returning. Hats off to her.”

Hats off to McNally, too, for bear-hugging the moment in her first match of this magnitude and pushing the greatest player of the era to three sets.

Williams is a more formidable opponent now than when Kenin toppled her in Paris. She is in better shape and form, and her movement and serving have improved considerably since she resolved the persistent knee pain that spoiled much of her early season.

But after the 37-year-old Williams overwhelmed Maria Sharapova, her longtime punching bag, in the first round on Tuesday, she had to solve a much less familiar tennis riddle on Thursday.

McNally, who comes from the Cincinnati suburb of Madeira, has a taste for old-school tennis. And in only her second US Open singles match she marched onto Arthur Ashe Stadium for the final duel of the night session with a big grin on her face.

She made it clear very quickly that Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, was in for a serious challenge.

“I felt really good out there on the big stage; I wasn’t too nervous,” McNally said. “For me, I just try to take it as another match and not really worry about who’s across the net. I know if I did that it might affect the way I play, and I might become more emotionally attached to the match. That’s not good for me.”

McNally’s tennis role model has long been the most successful men’s player of this era: Roger Federer. Rinaldi teasingly calls her “Mrs. Fed,” and McNally has tried to mimic not only Federer’s cool on-court demeanor but his attacking style and versatility as well.

“I really like the way he plays, mixes in the slice, the drop shot, volleys really well,” McNally said. “There’s so many things I like from his game. Hopefully I can keep working on those and become just like him.”

That is, of course, a tall order, but McNally showed plenty of poise and potential under the closed roof in Ashe Stadium after reaching the semifinals at the WTA event in Washington this summer.

A powerful athlete, McNally likes to serve and volley: a tactic now rare enough to elicit gasps from a savvy tennis crowd. Like Federer, she has a particularly crisp one-handed slice backhand and unlike Federer, she also can drive her backhand with two hands. She used that two-hander to try another rare ploy on Wednesday: attacking Williams’s second serve immediately after the bounce and following the return to net.

The results were mixed but the approach was destabilizing.

“It was definitely something to get used to,” Williams said of McNally’s style. “You don’t play players like her who have such full games. I just think she overall played really well.”

Mixing speeds and spins and coming up with big serves when she needed them, McNally applied and absorbed pressure and was able to convert her only break point of the match to take a 6-5 lead in the first set.

She won it by rallying from 0-40 to hold serve, waving her arms to pump up the crowd as she arrived at her seat with a swagger in her step.

Seemingly rattled by McNally’s shifting tactics and forays to net, Williams was far from her sharpest in the opening set: making 15 unforced errors.

Image

Williams seemed out of sorts early in the match but gathered herself to  defeat a player 20 years her junior.CreditUli Seit for The New York Times

But though she shouted and winced in frustration as her groundstrokes smacked into the net, she did not let the frustration seep into her game for long on a court where she has won six United States Open singles titles but has also experienced meltdowns and demoralizing defeats.

“I just had to stop making errors,” Williams said. “I just made so many errors in the first two sets, and I mean it was just too many. You can’t win tournaments making that many errors, so I knew I had to play better, and I knew I could.”

She broke McNally’s serve for the first time in the sixth game of the second set, hitting a forehand return winner as McNally tried again to serve and volley.

After winning the set on her fifth set point, Williams hit the accelerator pedal in the third, attacking returns with intimidating precision and losing only five points in total: none on her serve.

It was a classic Williams performance. She has turned so many tricky matches her way through the decades: first against her elders and now against new arrivals not even half her age.

“Serena is the best in the world at turning a match around,” her coach Patrick Mouratoglou said.

“I definitely treasure it,” Williams said of that ability. “I’ve won so many Grand Slams because of it. I also won a lot of Grand Slams not having to use it.”

Her next challenge if she wants to win this one again is a third-round match against either the crafty Hsieh Su-wei or Karolina Muchová, another attack-minded newcomer who will face Hsieh on Thursday.

As for the American teenagers, Gauff is into the second round in singles and ready to team up with McNally in the doubles.

Unlike Williams, their Grand Slam days are just beginning, and they are off to a fine start.

The next generation in women’s tennis

Coco Gauff’s Tennis Haven Happens to Be Her Hometown

Aug. 27, 2019

It’s Not Just Coco Gauff: American Teens Swarm Into Pro Tennis

Aug. 2, 2019

At the U.S. Open, Naomi Osaka Has a Different Coach and Mentality

Aug. 26, 2019

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/29/sports/tennis/serena-williams-caty-mcnally-us-open.html

2019-08-29 05:07:00Z
52780366430530

5 possible cuts the Dallas Cowboys could regret - The Landry Hat

The Dallas Cowboys will trim down their 90-man roster to just 53 players in the coming days. Here are five possible cuts they could end up regretting.

The Dallas Cowboys face the difficult task of reducing their 90-man roster to just 53 players by this Saturday afternoon. Many of the league required cuts will take place immediately following the Cowboys’ preseason matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night.

There are several promising players who appear to be on the roster bubble in Dallas. Below, we’ve included five potential cuts the Cowboys might regret making if these players are allowed to hit the waiver wire.

Jalen Jelks, DE

The talent at defensive end is massive this year. There are so many promising defenders on the defensive line that Jelks, a drafted rookie that recorded a sack in his preseason debut and four tackles versus the Houston Texans, is now a likely roster cut. There is hope he makes it through waivers and to the practice squad.

It’s not unusual for a seventh-rounder not to make the final-53, but Jelks was touted as a possible instant impact player by DallasCowboys.com’s Nick Eatman early on. If the long-time Cowboys’ staff writer is correct, Dallas might regret putting him on the waiver wire for another team to develop.

Mike Jackson, CB

It seems illogical that the Cowboys would part ways with a fifth-round selection before the regular season has even started. But like the defensive end group, the cornerback position in Dallas is highly-competitive. And I believe most would agree that second-year defensive back Donovan Olumba has outperformed Jackson.

Still, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound corner prospect out of Florida possessed traits the Cowboys coveted to make him one of their two fifth rounders in April. Allowing Jackson to get away could be costly as Dallas has several veteran cornerbacks scheduled to hit free agency within the next two years.

Daniel Wise, DT

The undrafted rookie out of Kansas has shown promise throughout the offseason, training camp, and into the preseason. And that would have probably been enough in most years. Unfortunately, the Cowboys will likely be forced to go heavier at other areas along their final roster with equally intriguing prospects. That leaves a solid prospect with good tape like Wise up for grabs.

Ricky Walker, DT

No one was talking about Walker prior to the start of the preseason. But a breakout performance against the San Francisco 49ers in the Cowboys’ preseason opener made him a hot name to watch. There’s no doubt the undrafted defensive tackle out of Virginia Tech’s momentum has slowed since then, but the 23-year has shown enough to earn consideration elsewhere.

Next: Top 10 Undrafted Free Agents in Dallas Cowboys History

Justin Phillips, LB

The most-talked about linebacker not named Leighton, Jaylon or Sean in the offseason was Luke Gifford, an undrafted rookie out of Nebraska. But a significant ankle injury sidelined Gifford after a terrific showing against the Niners. And it’s been fellow rookie Justin Phillips that has taken his place in the spotlight. Racking up 17 total tackles, a pass defend, and one spectacular interception in three preseason games; the undrafted linebacker out of Oklahoma State deserves to find a place on someone’s final-53.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://thelandryhat.com/2019/08/29/dallas-cowboys-5-cuts-might-regret/

2019-08-29 11:00:00Z
52780365197800

Brett McMurphy's College Football Playoff & Bowl Predictions - Stadium

Since the inception of the College Football Playoff, there has been one constant when deciphering the selection committee’s rankings: Forget power ratings, strengths of schedules, wins against AP Top 25 opponents, success in road games and margin of victory.

It’s all noise and nonsense. Choosing the College Football Playoff field is very simple and always has been: It’s a beauty pageant. Nothing more, nothing less.

One committee member may emphasize an explosive offense, another a stifling defense. The TV talking heads scream that it’s about the “eye” test. The “eye” test, that’s what’s really important. The so-called “eye” test can be simplified like this: who do “I” think are the best four teams?

Well, here’s my “I” test. Who do “I” like to advance to this year’s College Football Playoff? Glad you asked. With Week Zero in our rear-view mirror – like you, I’m still trying to forget the combined 40 penalties and 13 turnovers in those two games – it’s onto a five-day stretch of games, starting Thursday, as college football’s regular season fully gets underway.

[RELATED: Brett McMurphy’s College Football Preseason Top 25]

My college football playoff field:

Clemson. Alabama. Georgia.

Those three are shoo-ins – or at least should be shoo-ins. The Tigers, Tide and Bulldogs are projected to be prohibitive favorites in every regular-season game and are clearly the most talented teams in 2019. College football is notorious for providing incredible upsets, but these three seem to be a cut above and should survive unscathed through the regular season.

My fourth team? In each of the past four years, at least one team that started outside the AP preseason top 10 ended up the playoff. I’ll look for that streak to continue as Utah is my fourth pick to make the playoff. Yes, the Pac (12) is back in the playoff for the first time since 2016!

My predictions (surely to be wrong):

College Football Playoff:

Peach Bowl: 1-Clemson vs. 4-Utah
Fiesta Bowl: 2-Georgia vs. 3-Alabama

National Championship:

Clemson defeats Georgia

New Year’s 6 Bowls:

Rose: Bowl: Michigan vs. Washington
Sugar Bowl: Oklahoma vs. LSU
Orange Bowl: Virginia vs. Ohio State
Cotton Bowl: Iowa State vs. Memphis

Conference Champions:

AAC: Memphis

With QB Brady White, the Tigers have proven they can score a ton of points, and this year will be no different. Can they make enough stops? Saturday’s home opener vs. Ole Miss is huge for the conference. Memphis won’t be tested in-league until November when it visits Houston and USF in consecutive weeks. They close the regular season at home vs. Cincinnati.

ACC: Clemson

I liked a different brand of Tigers in the AAC, I lovvvve these Tigers in the ACC. The defense lost a load of talent to the NFL from the nation’s No. 1 scoring defense, but any regression by the defense will be offset by potentially the nation’s best offense, featuring QB Trevor Lawrence, RB Travis Etienne and WRs Justyn Ross and Tee Higgins.

Big Ten: Michigan

This is finally the year that Jim Harbaugh delivers in Ann Arbor … right? The Wolverines return eight starters on offense – including QB Shea Patterson – and have an updated offensive philosophy with new OC Josh Gattis. In what should determine the Big Ten East representative in the Big Ten title game, Michigan gets rival Ohio State in Ann Arbor, looking to end a seven-game losing streak to the Buckeyes.

Big 12: Oklahoma

In Norman, it’s another transfer quarterback, another Heisman winner and another Big 12 title. Well, two out of three ain’t bad. QB Jalen Hurts won’t win the Heisman, but he should guide the Sooners to another Big 12 championship. While Hurts’ transfer from Alabama grabbed all the headlines, the biggest key will be OU’s defense, where the Sooners should make massive improvements under new DC Alex Grinch.

C-USA: North Texas

After consecutive nine-win seasons, coach Seth Littrell had opportunities to move to the Power 5 level last season but decided to remain in Denton for another year. A big reason was the talent returning, most notably QB Mason Fine. The Mean Green have improved their offensive numbers in each of Littrell’s three seasons and should do so again this year, winning their first C-USA title.

Mid-American: Ohio

Each year, Ohio coach Frank Solich just keeps piling up wins. However, this season will be different. Solich will still pile up the wins – he hasn’t had a losing record in 10 consecutive seasons – but this season Solich will finally capture his elusive first MAC crown. Led by QB Nathan Rourke, the Bobcats get Solich his first MAC title (he’s 0-4 in the title game) in 15 years in Athens.

Mountain West: Utah State

Gary Andersen is back. The former Utah State coach (from 2009-12) is the current Utah State coach. He said this was the “only place” he would resume his head coaching career. Andersen replaces Matt Wells, who went to Texas Tech after last year’s school-record-tying 11-win season – the Aggies’ other 11-win season was with Andersen in 2012. QB Jordan Love is the league’s best, but must operate behind an inexperienced offensive line. The defense returns seven starters.

Pac-12: Utah

The last time the Utes won a conference championship, they went 13-0 in 2008, winning the Mountain West. An undefeated season this year is a long shot for Utah, but it’s not a long shot for the Utes to win the Pac-12. QB Tyler Huntley and RB Zack Moss are back healthy and should prosper under new OC Andy Ludwig. The defense is stocked with six linemen with starting experience.

SEC: Georgia

Despite an 0-2 record against Alabama the past two years, the Bulldogs have actually won as many SEC championships as Alabama during that time. This fall, Georgia will make it two SEC titles in three years behind an offensive line that is among the nation’s best paving the way for RB D’Andre Swift and QB Jake Fromm. The defense is solid as well, returning six starters from the SEC’s No. 2 unit last year.

Sun Belt: Appalachian State

Different head coach this fall, but same result for the Mountaineers. Eliah Drinkwitz takes over for Scott Satterfield, who won three consecutive Sun Belt titles but departed, leaving an abundance of talent in Boone. QB Zac Thomas is among 16 returning starters, 10 of which are on offense. In the past three seasons, ASU nearly knocked off Penn State (45-38), Wake Forest (20-19) and Tennessee (20-13). ASU will get shots to upend UNC and South Carolina this year. Whether or not it’s successful, ASU will win a fourth straight Sun Belt title.

MORE: Examining the College Football Recruiting Investment by Group of Five Schools

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://watchstadium.com/news/brett-mcmurphys-college-football-playoff-bowl-predictions-08-28-2019/

2019-08-28 19:49:10Z
52780366640693

The Six Pack: Auburn-Oregon, Louisville-Notre Dame among best college football picks in Week 1 - CBS Sports

At long last, the college football season is here. Sure, we had two big FBS games last week, and while one of them featured Sunshine State rivals Florida and Miami, it was more of an appetizer than a meal. The real first weekend of the season begins on Thursday, and you know why this week is real and last week wasn't? Because last week I didn't write The Six Pack. 

This week, your favorite college football picks column is back, and I hope you're ready to #TrustTheProcess because it's time to start making some money. We start the 2019 journey in Jerry World.

Games of the Week

No. 16 Auburn (-3.5) vs. No. 11 Oregon -- Arlington, Texas: We've been a bit spoiled with huge matchups on opening weekend the last few years. This year, this is the only game between ranked teams we're getting, but that's fine. We'll take it. We'll also be taking the favorite. Oregon has received a lot of love this offseason, and I get it. Somebody in the Pac-12 has to win the conference, Mario Cristobal has increased the talent level and Justin Herbert could be the first quarterback taken in the NFL Draft next spring. All of those things could result in a Pac-12 title for the Ducks in 2019, but I don't think it'll result in a cover against Auburn to open the season. 

Listen, we can talk narratives all we want, but I'm more interested in facts. And the fact is that, since the 2010 season, the SEC and Pac-12 have played 14 games against one another. The SEC is 10-4 ATS in those 14 games, including 6-0 ATS in games at neutral sites. One of those games happened to be Auburn's win over Oregon in the 2010 national title game. That game has no bearing on this one, but until the Pac-12 shows it's capable of performing better against SEC teams, I'm not going out on a limb for it. Auburn 31, Oregon 23

Louisville (+20.5) vs. No. 9 Notre Dame: The final game of the weekend will take place on Labor Day nigt in Louisville, where Notre Dame finds itself as nearly a three-touchdown favorite against the Cardinals. The Irish are coming off a terrific season that saw them reach the College Football Playoff, but my concern with them here is there are a lot of key pieces to replace on both sides of the ball. Louisville was nowhere near as good, but it's an experienced team with 10 returning starters on the defensive side of the ball.

Now we can debate the merits of 10 returning starters from a defense that allowed 44.1 points per game last season, but there are other factors at play here. One being that, when your coach doesn't seem to give a damn, it tends to affect your team's performance, and there was a lot of that with Louisville. I think a home opener with a new coach in primetime against a major opponent will bring a jolt of energy to the Cardinals on Monday night. Not one big enough to pull off the upset, but enough to keep the Cards from being embarrassed. Notre Dame 34, Louisville 17

Lock of the Week

USC (-13.5) vs. Fresno State: I understand the hesitation about taking USC as a favorite after last season, but I worry we might be overthinking this line. Yes, Fresno State was good last season. In fact, it's been good the last couple years, going 22-6 since Jeff Tedford (a coach who doesn't get nearly enough credit) took over in 2017. But almost everybody from those two teams is gone. Fresno returns nine total starters this season, including only three on offense. Gone is Marcus McMaryion, and he's joined by KeeSean Johnson, most of the offensive line and a considerable portion of the defense's most significant contributors. Then there's USC, a team that vastly underperformed last season but will be the most talented team on the field by far while debuting a brand-new offense. USC will look so good in this game that people will start claiming that it's back come Sunday morning. USC 38, Fresno State 17

Thursday Night Game of the Week

UCLA (+2.5) at Cincinnati: I'll start by saying that if you want to take UCLA on the money line to win straight up, I don't think it's a bad play at all. I'll take the lesser payout and the better odds of the cover, however. Whatever way you want to go, the Bruins are being overlooked. Chip Kelly's first season was terrible, and it included a loss to these same Bearcats, but the Bruins coach was starting over with a program that needed a reboot. This UCLA team is very talented, and while Cincinnati went 11-2 last season, advanced metrics suggest it was a team playing above its head. I think we see things begin to level out on Thursday night. UCLA 31, Cincinnati 27

Over of the Week

Ole Miss at Memphis (Over 67.5): Last year, Ole Miss allowed 36.2 points per game. Memphis checked in at a slightly more respectable 31.9 points per game. Neither played a whole lot of defense nor have they played much the last few years. They've done a whole lot of scoring, however, as the Rebels finished with 33.9 points per game on offense and the Tigers scored 42.9. These are two good offenses combining with two bad defenses on what should be a hot day in Memphis that sees defenders huffing and puffing. I'm surprised this total isn't in the 70s, but since it isn't, let's take advantage. Ole Miss 38, Memphis 35

Under of the Week

Boise State at Florida State (Under 53) -- Jacksonville, Florida: It's always possible I'm misreading the situation, but when I saw the total, I did a bit of a double-take as it just felt too high. I see this game being more of a 24-21 type of slugfest than a capable display of offense. Florida State's defense should improve this year, and while Boise State has most of its offensive line back, it replaces a lot of key skill guys, including its QB. On the other side of the ball, I would hope that FSU's OL improves in 2019, but I'm not ready to rely on it to move the ball consistently. All of which leads me to believe this will be a close, ugly affair. One that's too close to judge on the spread, but not against the total. Florida State 24, Boise State 21

SportsLine Pick of the Week

Houston at No. 4 Oklahoma: Our Sunday night game takes place in Norman, where the defending Big 12 champion Sooners find themselves as 23-point favorites against Dana Holgorsen and Houston. I have a play available for this game, and if you want to find out what it is head over to SportsLine.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/the-six-pack-auburn-oregon-louisville-notre-dame-among-best-college-football-picks-in-week-1/

2019-08-28 19:33:00Z
52780366640693

Good Husband Alexis Ohanian Trolls Maria Sharapova With D.A.R.E. Shirt After Serena Williams's 6-1, 6-1 Win - Deadspin

Screenshot: ESPN 2

As Serena Williams easily drubbed Maria Sharapova in their first-round U.S. Open match last night, she got to be magnanimous in victory, applauding one of Sharapova’s few winners in the second set and then telling the on-court interviewer post-match that facing Sharapova was an “incredibly tough draw” because she is “such a good player.” Meanwhile, Serena’s husband, Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, wasn’t going to waste the opportunity to get in one last jab.

When the match ended, Ohanian stood and unbuttoned his jacket to reveal he was wearing a D.A.R.E. (to say no to drugs) t-shirt, which harkens to Sharapova’s 15-month suspension from tennis for taking the banned substance meldonium. The subtle troll was extremely Reddit.

The match was perfunctory. Serena won 56 points to Sharapova’s 28; hit five aces to Sharapova’s one; and zinged 16 winners while Sharapova had six. Sharapova hit 20 unforced errors to Serena’s 12. Though Sharapova had five chances to break serve, she converted none of them. There was never a moment of real drama, and Serena now owns their career head-to-head 20-2.

Still, the lopsided match was hotly anticipated thanks to the long history of juicy beef between them.

Advertisement

Serena Williams And Maria Sharapova Will Toss The Beef Back On The Grill At The U.S. Open

Will the first-round U.S. Open meeting between Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova be a good match…

Read more Read

And now that Ohanian managed to get a little nibble, the beef roasts on.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://deadspin.com/good-husband-alexis-ohanian-trolls-maria-sharapova-with-1837615800

2019-08-27 15:45:00Z
52780361667844

Troy Aikman rips radio host’s ‘total BS’ comments on Andrew Luck’s sudden retirement - MarketWatch

This Hall of Famer is playing defense for the Colts’ former quarterback.

After Andrew Luck, 29, caused a stir by abruptly retiring from the NFL on Saturday over his many injuries, radio host Doug Gottlieb fanned the flames by tweeting, “Retiring cause rehabbing is ‘too hard’ is the most millennial thing ever.” And Gottlieb was immediately told how bad this take was by seemingly every current and former NFL player on social media.

“That’s total bullshit Doug. What qualifies you to decide how someone should live their life? So you’re now the authority on what motivates Andrew Luck? And if his decisions don’t fit into what you think is best for him then you rip him? Guess that keeps you employed on FS1. Nice.”

Troy Aikman

He was most notably slammed by two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Troy Aikman, who is now a color commentator for Fox’s main NFL broadcast team.

That’s total bullshit Doug. What qualifies you to decide how someone should live their life? So you’re now the authority on what motivates Andrew Luck? And if his decisions don’t fit into what you think is best for him then you rip him? Guess that keeps you employed on FS1. Nice https://t.co/p59DsmPoER

— Troy Aikman (@TroyAikman) August 26, 2019

Luck has had a lot of success so far in his football career, but he has also had a string of serious injuries that forced him to miss 26 games since 2015. They include: torn cartilage in two ribs; a partially torn abdomen; a lacerated kidney that left him urinating blood; at least one concussion; a torn labrum; and a calf injury that led to his retirement.

A moment I'll never forget. #Colts Andrew Luck retires @WISH_TV pic.twitter.com/sZY4s1XQm9

— Anthony Calhoun (@ACwishtv) August 25, 2019

At his retirement press conference, Luck said that the injuries he was suffering from had “taken my joy of the game away.”

Wow https://t.co/tXyeGKq5Ya

— jerryrice (@JerryRice) August 25, 2019

Fox Sports radio host Gottlieb played college basketball for Notre Dame before his TV and radio work.

Many other players around the NFL joined Aikman on Twitter to wish Luck well.

Andrew luck I understand you 100% brotha... take your time... I wish you the best

— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) August 25, 2019

Every time i think about it, Tears start to flow 😭😭😭. No one understands you like i do. Our bond is one of a kind. I’ve decided to dedicate my season to my BEST FRIEND. I Love You 12. #Luck2Hilton pic.twitter.com/9a3JzxNum2

— TY Hilton (@TYHilton13) August 26, 2019

Major Respect for Luck!!! I said this once before. “When you start doing what’s best for you, it brings the evil out of people” Only the players who play in this league will truly understand his decision.

— Kameron Chancellor (@KamChancellor) August 25, 2019

Luck had a positive reputation around the NFL for his good sportsmanship — even when he was the one getting hit.

The nicest guy the game has ever seen. 💯 pic.twitter.com/O2vcQqNgm2

— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) August 25, 2019

There is some precedent for players retiring early due to injury concerns. NFL stars Barry Sanders, Calvin Johnson and Jim Brown also retired at 30, but all three of them had played at positions with a higher injury risk than quarterback. Luck was one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL, a position that usually sees star players playing into their mid-late 30s.

A few #NFL luminaries who retired while still relatively young:
Andrew Luck, 29
Jim Brown, 30
Barry Sanders, 30
Calvin Johnson, 30

— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) August 25, 2019

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/troy-aikman-rips-radio-hosts-total-bs-comments-on-andrew-lucks-sudden-retirement-2019-08-26

2019-08-26 19:56:00Z
52780364167135

Tim Benz: Steelers tempt fate, escape unscathed in Tennessee - Tribune-Review

43 minutes ago

The Pittsburgh Steelers played Russian roulette with their veteran starters and won.

For the most part. Let’s see how bad safety Sean Davis’ ankle injury is. And linebacker Bud Dupree’s thumb. At least Mike Tomlin didn’t give a dire diagnosis about either player after the Steelers beat the Tennessee Titans 18-6 in a preseason game Sunday night.

Teams such as the Houston Texans (running back Lamar Miller, ACL) and the New York Jets (linebacker Avery Williamson, ACL) haven’t been as lucky.

Ben Roethlisberger and most of the Steelers offensive regulars absorbed three series, scoring a touchdown on the third try.

Just like coach drew it up. @TeamJuJu@steelers

: #PITvsTEN on NBC pic.twitter.com/EepBYwXjyi

— NFL (@NFL) August 26, 2019

Meanwhile, many of the front-line defensive regulars stayed on the field well into the second quarter.

Or at least I think they did. Based on that horrid NBC camera angle, “Mean” Joe Greene and Mel Blount could’ve been playing and I wouldn’t have been able to tell.

Even if the network didn’t utilize that abomination, I wouldn’t have had a very good view of the game anyway. I was watching it through my fingers because I was covering my eyes on every snap, holding my breath to see if every player survived unscathed.

So is that all it took? Did they do enough to “knock off the rust”?

I doubt it.

I always laugh at that excuse to use starters in the preseason: “Knocking off the rust.” We talk about teams being rusty coming off bye weeks or after a week of rest in advance of the playoffs.

So if rust can build up after 13 days to the point that can affect four quarters of midseason football, how can three preseason series erase eight months of inactivity?

That’s old school rah-rah hyperbole. There’s no intellectual connection to make there. The risk of one play ending a star’s season isn’t worth the reward of “knocking the rust off” for one quarter of meaningless action.

Based on that bye-week comparison, much of the rust may come back anyway before the game against the New England Patriots to open the season a week from Sunday.

If ever there was a year that there was reason for the Steelers to have used the starters a lot in the preseason, this was it. The wide receivers are reconfigured, the team should want to see how Jaylen Samuels and Benny Snell run behind first-team offensive linemen, and the evolving nickel and dime looks on defense would be best served to get lots of reps in advance of facing Tom Brady in the opener.

But it appears the Steelers starters will wind up with roughly the same amount of time in the preseason as any other year.

Also, don’t coaches and general managers usually cringe at the idea of trimming the preseason because they so desperately crave live reps from lesser-known players to evaluate the bottom of the roster?

Then why absorb any time for the starters in the first place if the “real” reason for having four preseason games is evaluating depth and getting young players experience?

Here’s the problem: If a perceived advantage exists, players and coaches will be swayed to take it.

Every time. Because what if they don’t, somebody else will.

And God help us if Team X gets three series for its starting quarterback in August and your team doesn’t. Then what? If those two teams should match up in December, I mean, clearly that difference four months earlier will make or break the game.

Please.

If the opportunity is present to make the good players better, coaches will eventually give in to that temptation. And players with a competitive streak will want to get on the field any time they can to sharpen their skills.

That’s why the league would be wise to take the option off the table for the coaches and starters. Get rid of the preseason entirely and just play the games for real as the college kids do. Or trim the preseason to two games, so that the coaches feel inclined to evaluate the bottom-of-the-roster guys above all.

Or come up with a roster-restriction system for the preseason as is done in the regular season and force coaches to prioritize what they want out of this exercise.

The Steelers are fortunate. It appears they got the benefit of both worlds last night. Good reps and good health.

I hope they don’t bother tempting fate at all in 2020.

Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at [email protected] or via Twitter. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.

TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.

More Breakfast With Benz Stories

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://triblive.com/sports/tim-benz-steelers-tempt-fate-escape-unscathed-in-tennessee/

2019-08-26 10:13:50Z
52780358114386

Could Andrew Luck land in the XFL? - NBCSports.com

Getty Images

Of the many layers and levels to the sudden decision by Colts quarterback Andrew Luck to retire from the NFL at age 29 is this: Could Andrew now go to work for his dad?

Oliver Luck serves as the Commissioner of the XFL, a spring league that launches in February and that simply will not survive if it can’t attract or create star players. If Oliver Luck could persuade his boss, Vince McMahon, to dangle the money that Andrew would have made in Indianapolis plus maybe more over the next few years for a 10-game season against a lower level of competition, would he bite?

It would be as shocking as his decision to retire from the NFL. But, then again, he decided to retire from the NFL.

Andrew Luck wouldn’t be able to play for the XFL without the blessing of the Colts. Paragraph 3 of the Standard Player Contract makes clear the ability of the team to go to court to block the effort of a football player to play football for a different league: “Without prior written consent of the Club, Player will not play football or engage in activities related to football otherwise than for Club or engage in any activity other than football which may involve a significant risk of personal injury. Player represents that he has special, exceptional and unique knowledge, skill, ability, and experience as a football player, the loss of which cannot be estimated with any certainty and cannot be fairly or adequately compensated by damages. Player therefore agrees that Club will have the right, in addition to any other right which Club may possess, to enjoin Player by appropriate proceedings from playing football or engaging in football-related activities other than for Club or from engaging in any activity other than football which may involve a significant risk of personal injury.”

In English, this means that, for as long as the Colts retain Luck’s rights (and they surely will not release him from the reserve/retired list anytime soon), they can quickly and easily go to court to get an order preventing him from playing for the XFL.

It’s entirely possible that the Colts secured a renewed commitment from Luck to the notion that he can’t play for the XFL as part of the negotiated financial settlement that reportedly has him owing the Colts none of the $24.8 million Luck has been paid but technically didn’t earn. Indeed, it would have been foolish for the Colts not to have sought that commitment before agreeing not to seek repayment.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/08/25/could-andrew-luck-land-in-the-xfl/

2019-08-25 16:54:00Z
CBMiU2h0dHBzOi8vcHJvZm9vdGJhbGx0YWxrLm5iY3Nwb3J0cy5jb20vMjAxOS8wOC8yNS9jb3VsZC1hbmRyZXctbHVjay1sYW5kLWluLXRoZS14Zmwv0gFXaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9mb290YmFsbHRhbGsubmJjc3BvcnRzLmNvbS8yMDE5LzA4LzI1L2NvdWxkLWFuZHJldy1sdWNrLWxhbmQtaW4tdGhlLXhmbC9hbXAv

Lightning Strike At PGA Tour Championship Injures Six Spectators - Deadspin

Six people were injured at East Lake Golf Club on Saturday when lightning struck a tree near the south end of the course. The incident occurred less than 30 minutes after the third round of the PGA Tour Championship had been halted due to weather concerns.

The PGA Tour released an updated statement about the accident on Sunday:

The Atlanta Police Department and Atlanta Fire and Rescue have confirmed that five individuals were injured and transported to nearby hospitals; a sixth person was treated and released at the scene. All were released from the hospital last night.

The safety and well-being of our fans and players is our highest priority, and we were with those being treated until they were released from area hospitals. We are deeply grateful that the injuries were not more serious, and we’re proud of the collective efforts of the on-site team to quickly care for our fans during this frightening incident.

Furthermore, late yesterday afternoon, officials were brought on site to assess the integrity of the pine tree that was struck and determined it to be safe. Additionally, several pieces of ShotLink equipment were damaged by the lightning and were replaced overnight.

Advertisement

CNN was able to get in touch with one of the spectators injured, who described how the experience felt:

Advertisement

Reports of terrible weather arriving in the afternoon had been swirling around the area all day on Saturday, but the Tour Championship continued with competitors’ tee times as schedule. They began at 1 p.m., with Brooks Koepka and Justin Thomas, the competition’s two leaders, teeing off at 3:20 p.m. Mark Russell, the PGA Tour’s vice president of rules and competitions, more or less told ESPN that while they knew about the incoming storms, officials were playing the odds when it came to deciding on allowing play to happen.

“We had a situation where there were pop-up thunderstorms,’’ said Mark Russell, the PGA Tour’s vice president of rules and competitions. “We have a meteorologist on staff. We can monitor that. And a lot of times we get lucky and we don’t get hit with thunderstorms, especially when it’s a situation when they’re pop-ups like that.

“Now, that’s what we were faced with. So, we’re going to see if we can deal with that. We can suspend play and get people out of here if that does happen, but a lot of times we’re on the positive side, hoping that we can play golf and get lucky and not be in the path of those thunderstorms.’’

Asked why tee times were not moved up far earlier in the day, Russell said: “I think if we did that every time we had a possibility of thunderstorms in the Southeast, we’d do that basically every time we played golf.’’

Advertisement

The third round resumed on Sunday at 8 a.m. and the fourth round will proceed it in the afternoon, as it was originally scheduled.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://deadspin.com/lightning-strike-at-pga-tour-championship-injures-six-s-1837556363

2019-08-25 15:18:00Z
52780363214905

Emotional Luck announces retirement from NFL - ESPN

9:30 PM ET

INDIANAPOLIS -- In a shocking development, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck announced his retirement from the NFL on Saturday night, saying constant injuries have taken away his love for the game.

Luck, who turns 30 on Sept. 12, had met with Colts owner Jim Irsay earlier to tell him of the decision.

The Colts played their third preseason game Saturday night in Indianapolis against the Chicago Bears. Luck already had been ruled out of the game due to an ankle injury, but he was seen on the sideline, laughing and conversing with teammates.

• 

After the game, Luck announced the retirement decision during an impromptu news conference; he said an official announcement wasn't planned until Sunday afternoon but changed course once news broke during the preseason game.

"I've been stuck in this process," he said, stopping several times to overcome his emotions. "I haven't been able to life the live I want to live. It's taken the joy out of this game ... the only way forward for me is to remove myself from football."

Luck's early retirement ends what started as a promising career for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 draft. He led the Colts to the playoffs in each of his first three seasons in the NFL, including back-to-back AFC South titles and the AFC Championship Game in 2014.

But his career took a turn for the worse when he suffered a shoulder injury in Week 3 of the 2015 season. He has missed 26 games, including the entire 2017 season, due to shoulder, kidney and rib injuries. It was during the 2017 season while out that Luck questioned whether he would be able to continue his career.

But Luck returned in a big way last season.

Player	Age	Retired
QB Andrew Luck	29	2019
TE Rob Gronkowski	29	2019
WR Percy Harvin	28	2017
OL John Urschel	26	2017
WR Calvin Johnson	30	2016
RB Marshawn Lynch*	29	2016
DL B.J. Raji	29	2016
LB Jerod Mayo	29	2016
OL Anthony Davis	26	2016
LB Patrick Willis	30	2015
DL Jason Worilds	27	2015
QB Jake Locker	26	2015
LB Chris Borland	23	2015
* Returned to NFL at age 31
-- ESPN Stats & Information

He threw for 4,593 yards and 39 touchdowns to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year and lead the Colts back to the playoffs for the first time since 2015, showing he remained one of the top QBs in the league.

But injuries hit Luck again earlier this year when he suffered a calf strain that kept him out of the team's offseason activities and minicamp. Luck only participated in three days of training camp -- none as a full participant -- before it was announced that he was shutting it down because he had difficulty moving in the pocket.

Luck said on July 30 that he wouldn't return until he was 100 percent healthy, with part of the reason being he still had "emotional scars" from the 2017 season. After not being able to get a clear diagnosis of Luck's injury, Colts general manager Chris Ballard said two weeks ago that the QB was dealing with pain in the high ankle area.

Luck told reporters Saturday night that he first started thinking about retirement two weeks ago.

"I'm in pain; I'm still in pain," he said.

It's stunning news for a Colts team that went to the second round of the playoffs last season and in the eyes of many had a Super Bowl-caliber roster in 2019.

"It's very difficult," Luck said. "I love this team, I love my teammates."

Colts fans weren't as kind, with some booing him on the field during Saturday's game after news broke during the second half.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't hear it," Luck said of the boos. "Yeah, it hurt."

Now, the Colts will turn to Jacoby Brissett, the 26-year-old quarterback acquired from the New England Patriots in 2017.

With Luck dealing with a variety of injuries in 2017, Brissett started 15 games for Indy, throwing for 3,098 yards, with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Sportsbooks reacted quickly to the Luck news, taking the point spread on the Colts' Week 1 road game at the Chargers off the board and lengthening Indianapolis' odds to win the Super Bowl.

The Colts had been 4-point underdogs to the Chargers. The SuperBook at Westgate Las Vegas moved Indianapolis' Super Bowl odds from 12-1 to 30-1.

Information from ESPN's David Purdum and Adam Schefter was used in this report.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/27456682/emotional-luck-announces-retirement-nfl

2019-08-25 02:35:35Z
52780363078805