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Correction

In Tuesday’s edition, a story on the Suburban League cross country race at McDonald featured a pair of incorrect spellings for names.

The correct spellings of the names were Evan Soltesz and Jayton Mooney.

Alcaraz fights through at US Open

NEW YORK — Carlos Alcaraz was cruising along in the U.S. Open’s third round, leading by a set and a break after taking 10 of the first 14 games in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday, when an awkward step while striking a forehand caused an issue with his right knee.

The No. 2-seeded Alcaraz, who won the first of his five Grand Slam titles at Flushing Meadows in 2022, got broken for the first time in the tournament, then took a medical timeout and had his leg massaged by a trainer. Problem solved: Alcaraz rolled through the rest of the match, never dropping another game, and beat No. 32 Luciano Darderi 6-2, 6-4, 6-0.

It was the first, brief hint of any trouble for the 22-year-old Alcaraz this week — well, other than the hair-cutting mistake by his brother that led to a shaved head.

He didn’t let teasing from Frances Tiafoe about that bother him, and Alcaraz didn’t seem too concerned about what went on with his knee against Darderi, a 23-year-old Italian who was making his debut as a seed at a major.

“I just felt something that was not working good in the knee, but after five, six points, it was gone,” Alcaraz said, describing the visit from the trainer as precautionary. “I’m going to talk with my team, but I’m not worried about it.”

Other than that blip, his play was terrific in the 1-hour, 44-minute match.

He delivered 31 winners to just 12 unforced errors and won 70 of the 105 points that lasted four shots or fewer.

“It’s too bad that I ran into Carlos in the third round, because right now it’s impossible to play against Jannik (Sinner) or Carlos. They are the two whose level is above everyone else’s,” Darderi said. “Everyone knew going into today that my chances were not the highest.”

Alcaraz, who faces Arthur Rinderknech in the fourth round, improved his career Grand Slam record to 80-13. Only Boris Becker, Bjorn Borg and Rafael Nadal were younger — by a month or two — when they got their 80th match win at majors.

What else happened at the US Open on Friday?

The 82nd-ranked Rinderknech reached the fourth round at a Slam for the first time by defeating Benjamin Bonzi 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2. Bonzi had won both of his first two matches in five sets, including in a wild one against 2021 U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev, who was fined $42,500 by the tournament for his meltdown after play was delayed when a photographer wandered onto the court. Emma Raducanu’s best run at Flushing Meadows since her 2021 trophy ended with a 6-1, 6-2 loss to No. 9 Elena Rybakina.

Who is on Today’s schedule at the US Open?

Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Naomi Osaka and Jannik Sinner are among the players scheduled to play on Saturday as the third round wraps up.

Dolphins’ LB on leave after arrest

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins placed outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow on leave after, according to Broward County Jail records, he was arrested Friday morning and charged with domestic battery.

According to the probable cause statement by the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, Crow got into an argument with someone he lives with and shoved the person. The victim declined to offer a formal statement to police and said they were not injured.

Two witnesses, however, told police that Crow was the aggressor, with one saying the “victim looked terrified.”

The other witness said Crow stopped his actions once he noticed people were watching the confrontation and then went back to his apartment.

“We are aware of the serious matter involving Ryan Crow and currently gathering more information,” the Dolphins said in a statement. “Ryan has been placed on administrative leave effective immediately. We have been in communication with the NFL and will reserve further comment at this time.”

Crow, 37, is in his second season coaching outside linebackers with the Dolphins. He held the same position with the Tennessee Titans the three prior years.

Patriots release S Jabrill Peppers

The New England Patriots released safety Jabrill Peppers Friday, marking the latest shakeup of the team’s roster under new coach Mike Vrabel.

The 29-year-old Peppers, who was entering his fourth year in New England, made the Patriots’ initial 53-man roster and was expected to start alongside Kyle Dugger in the Patriots secondary in their revamped defense.

Instead, Peppers’ departure is the latest turn away from holdover players and contracts that were dolled out under former coaches Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo.

Cornerback Jonathan Jones and defensive tackle Deatrich Wise weren’t re-signed this offseason, and receiver Kendrick Bourne and offensive lineman Cole Strange were both recently cut.

Peppers signed an extension in July 2024 after posting a combined 138 total tackles and two interceptions over the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

But he appeared in just six games last season after he was arrested on assault and battery charges in October 2024. He was accused of grabbing a woman by the neck, slamming her against the wall and pushing her down the stairs.

Peppers missed seven games after being placed on the commissioner’s exempt list following the alleged incident. He was then acquitted in January in the assault case.

The Patriots signed Peppers to an extension in the summer of 2024. Peppers was originally drafted by Cleveland in 2017 and spent two seasons with the Cleveland Browns before playing for the New York Giants for three seasons.

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Panthers waive Lynch-Adams

Teams across the NFL started cutting down their rosters in preparation for the 2025 season.

One local was among the players waived on Monday by the Carolina Panthers.

Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams, a former standout at Warren G. Harding, didn’t make the cut as an undrafted rookie with the Panthers.

Lynch-Adams signed with the Panthers following the 2025 NFL Draft and a year at Michigan State.

In three preseason games, he ran for 36 yards on 14 carries and caught two passes for 10 yards receiving.

Phantoms add goalscoring forward

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown Phantoms acquired forward Jesse Orlowsky from the Waterloo Black Hawks in exchange for affiliate goaltender Filip Vavro and a 2027 Phase II sixth-round draft pick.

Orlowsky, a 2007-born right-shot forward from Brooklyn, New York, joins the Phantoms after skating with Waterloo in the USHL and representing Team USA at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He recorded three points (one goal, two assists) in five games at the international tournament and posted two goals and six assists across 30 career USHL contests.

Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 205 pounds, Orlowsky adds size, strength and offensive upside to Youngstown’s forward corps. He is committed to Harvard University following his USHL development.

The Phantoms are set to return to Youngstown at the end of August for training camp ahead of the 2025-26 season. The team begins its campaign in mid-September at the USHL Fall Classic and opens its home slate Oct. 10 against Cedar Rapids.

Season and single-game tickets are available by calling the Phantoms box office at 3307477825.

Hendrickson, Bengals reach deal

All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson and the Cincinnati Bengals have agreed on a new one-year contract, ending his hold-in, three people with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Monday.

The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t announced the contract.

Hendrickson will receive a $14 million raise for this season, increasing his salary to $30 million. He is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent after the season.

Hendrickson missed the first seven days and five practices of camp, accumulating $350,000 in fines. He also received total of $104,768 in fines for not attending the three days of the Bengals’ mandatory minicamp in June according to the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement with the NFLPA.

Hendrickson led the league with 17 1/2 sacks last season, becoming the fourth player since sacks became an official statistic in 1982 to have two straight years with at least 17 1/2. His 57 sacks since joining the Bengals in 2021 are third most in the NFL over the past four seasons.

Hendrickson is a valuable piece to a defense looking to improve with Al Golden in his first season as coordinator.

The Bengals (9-8 last season) finished 25th in the league in total defense (348.3 yards allowed per game) and lost four games last season in which they scored at least 30 points.

Hendrickson is going into his ninth season. He was drafted in the third round by New Orleans in 2017 before signing with the Bengals in 2021.

With Hendrickson under contract, Dallas pass rusher Micah Parsons remains the last high-profile player who is in a contract dispute. Parsons remains a hold-in while both sides try to reach an extension.

Keys falls to Zarzua at US Open

NEW YORK — Pretty much from the get-go at the U.S. Open on Monday, Madison Keys could tell she wasn’t hitting the ball well or feeling very much at all like the self-confident player who claimed her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January.

After 89 unforced errors, including 14 double-faults, the No. 6-seeded Keys was gone from Flushing Meadows in the first round with a 6-7 (10), 7-6 (3), 7-5 loss to 82nd-ranked Renata Zarazua of Mexico.

“For the first time in a while … my nerves really got the better of me, and it kind of became a little bit paralyzing,” said Keys, the runner-up in New York to good friend Sloane Stephens in 2017 and a semifinalist in 2018 and 2023. “I felt like I was just slow. I wasn’t seeing things the way that I wanted to, which I feel like resulted in a lot of bad decisions and lazy footwork.”

Her first U.S. Open with the status of major champion — thanks to defeating No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final at Melbourne Park — was over just as it began.

“You always kind of feel first-round jitters and, as the day is getting closer, feeling a little bit more and more nervous,” said Keys, who played with her left thigh heavily taped. “But I feel like, for whatever reason, today I just couldn’t separate myself from … feeling like winning matters just way too much.”

She made so many mistakes off the spin-laden shots coming her way that Zarazua needed to produce just eight winners to earn the biggest victory of her career. Zarazua lost in the first or second round of all eight of her previous Slam appearances.

Yet somehow, it was Zarazua who managed to deal with any nervousness better, even though she was competing in cavernous Arthur Ashe Stadium for the first time and had only had a chance to hit there once a couple of days prior.

The 5-foot-3 Zarazua came into the day with a 0-6 record against opponents ranked in the top 10.

“I’m a little bit small in height, so coming in here, it was like: ‘Oh, my God. This is huge,'” Zarazua said about the largest stadium in tennis, which holds nearly 24,000 spectators.

When the match ended with Keys missing a forehand, Zarazua smiled as wide as possible, held her racket atop her head, then placed a hand over her face.

This one certainly was memorable, in part because it did not come easily and lasted 3 hours, 10 minutes.

Zarazua trailed by a set — after frittering away five chances to take the opener — and 3-0 in the second.

Quite a daunting deficit. But she never went away.

“Kudos to her for making me play a lot of balls today,” Keys said. “I mean, she’s a tricky player.”

While Keys was one of 25 American players in the women’s singles draw, the 27-year-old Zarazua is Mexico’s lone entrant in the bracket. She moved to San Antonio as a teen, and is now based in Florida.

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Curbstone Coaches enters 68th year

The Curbstone Coaches will start its 68th season of Monday luncheon speakers on Sept. 8 with a sports-related speaker at the Avion Banquet Center on East Western Reserve Road in Beaver Township.

It was formed in 1958 and has been meeting weekly September through May since then (off during the holidays). The first sports related-speaker this season will be Youngstown State University athletic director Ron Strollo.

There is usually an audience of 35-45 sports fans who get together. The Curbstone Coaches are not coaches, but serious sports enthusiasts who welcome all area sports fans, especially retirees and ladies as well.

The buffet luncheon begins at 11:45 a.m., and the meeting concludes at 1-1:15 p.m.

Plans are underway for their 57th annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, where 12 local sports figures who have excelled in various sports and contributions in the Mahoning Valley will be inducted.

That banquet will be May 3 at Mr. Anthony’s in Boardman and is sponsored by Briarfield Health Care Centers Ed and Diane Reese. The keynote speaker that day will be former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Louis Lipps.

The Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame is regarded as one of the more popular community hall of fames in the country.

For more information about the luncheons, the hall of fame, application to nominate somebody or general questions about the Curbstone Coaches please call or text 3305066774.

Judge blocks Rick Ware Racing sale

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A North Carolina judge on Friday granted Legacy Motor Club a preliminary injunction blocking Rick Ware from selling his NASCAR team during a battle over one of his charters.

Legacy and Rick Ware Racing agreed earlier this year that Ware would sell one of his two Cup Series charters, which are similar to franchises in other sports, to Legacy, which is owned by seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson. A charter guarantees a car entry into all 38 NASCAR races and determines how a team is paid.

Johnson and Legacy wanted the charter to expand to three-time entries and agreed to give Ware $45 million for one of his two. He currently uses one of them for his own team, with the other leased to RFK Racing for 2025.

Ware already had a deal with RFK to swap charters in 2026 under another lease agreement. He has claimed that because of that existing deal, he agreed to sell Legacy one charter in 2027.

Legacy sued and said Ware signed a contract for a 2026 sale — a deal that would essentially put him out of business since he already has promised a charter to RFK. In the meantime, he struck a deal with the broker who negotiated the charter deal with Legacy for the broker to buy his entire NASCAR team for $150 million.

But Mecklenburg Superior Court Judge Clifton Smith on Friday gave Legacy an injunction that stops Ware from selling the organization to T.J. Puchyr, a co-founder of Spire Motorsports who is now a motorsports consultant. Puchyr brokered the charter sale agreement in dispute.

Smith’s order expands an earlier temporary restraining order he had issued that paused the sale. Smith ruled that Legacy showed likelihood of success on the merits of its case, was likely to sustain irreparable loss unless an injunction was issued and that the potential harm to Legacy outweighed any potential harm to Ware.

Smith kept in place the $5 million bond Legacy posted.

Trial is currently scheduled for January, but Legacy has filed a second suit against Puchyr for interfering with its deal with Ware. Legacy has also terminated its consulting agreement with Puchyr.

Beasley no longer target in probe

NEW YORK — Federal investigators no longer consider NBA free agent Malik Beasley a target in their gambling probe, Beasley’s attorneys told ESPN.

Attorneys Steve Haney and Mike Schachter said they’ve had what the report called “extensive” conversations and meetings with Eastern District of New York authorities.

Lawyers for Beasley didn’t respond to emails and phone calls from The Associated Press seeking comment, and the U.S. Attorney’s office in Brooklyn declined to comment.

The AP reported in late June that Beasley was under investigation, coming 14 months after the NBA banned Toronto’s Jontay Porter after he was linked to a prop-bet investigation. Porter eventually pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud.

Beasley’s ties to the investigation were particularly ill-timed considering he joined the Pistons last year on a one-year, $6 million deal in hopes of cashing in this summer as a free agent. He went on to become just the fifth player in NBA history to make at least 300 3-pointers (a franchise-record 319) in a season while averaging 16.3 points for a playoff team.

Sharapova, Bran bros. to go into HOF

Maria Sharapova has never been the type to look back on her accomplishments. Joining the International Tennis Hall of Fame has given her a chance to do just that.

One of 10 women ever to win an individual career Grand Slam, the telegenic Sharapova became an instant star when she won Wimbledon in 2004, beating two-time defending champion Serena Williams in the final. She also won the U.S. Open in 2006, the Australian Open in 2008 and the French Open in 2012 and 2014 and was the first Russian to reach No. 1 in the WTA singles rankings.

Sharapova also helped Russia win the team competition now known as the Billie Jean King Cup in 2008, and she claimed a silver medal in singles at the 2012 Olympics, losing to Williams in the final.

Sharapova retired in 2020 at age 32 after a 15-year career that was interrupted by multiple shoulder surgeries and a 15-month doping ban after she tested positive for the newly banned drug meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open. (The initial two-year penalty was shortened by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which ruled that she bore “less than significant fault” in the case and could not “be considered to be an intentional doper.”)

Sharapova got a tour of the remodeled Hall in Newport, Rhode Island, on Friday and said she was giddy like a teenager as the induction ceremony approached to reconnect with people who had been so important in her career.

Twins who won a record 16 major titles in men’s doubles together, Bob and Mike Bryan spent 438 weeks as the No. 1 doubles pair. (Mike Bryan is actually the career leader with 18 major men’s doubles titles; he won two with Jack Sock while Bob was injured in 2018.)

They also helped the U.S. to the 2007 Davis Cup title and won the gold medal at the 2012 Olympics — an occasion that is already noted in the Hall’s exhibits.

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MAC has 4 on Bednarik watch list

PHILADELPHIA — Four Mid-American Conference football student-athletes were named to the watch list for the 31st Chuck Bednarik Award, as announced by the Maxwell Football Club. Buffalo teammates Red Murdock and Kobe Stewart as well as Ohio’s DJ Walker and Toledo’s Avery Smith were selected to the award’s watch list, which is presented annually to college football’s top defensive player.

Murdock was an All-MAC First Team selection in 2024 after ranking second in the nation in tackles with 156 and adding 16.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception. His seven forced fumbles were a school record and ranked first in the nation. Along with being named All-MAC, Murdock was also an Academic All-MAC and Academic All-District selection.

It is the third preseason watch list for Murdock who is also on the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy.

Stewart was a second-team All-MAC selection in 2024 after leading the Mid-American Conference in sacks with 9.5. It was one sack shy of Khalil Mack’s UB FBS-era record of 10.5 sacks set in 2013. Stewart added 40 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

A Second-Team All-MAC selection a season ago, Smith totaled 58 tackles, 16 passes defended, 14 pass breakups and two interceptions. He had the game-winning pass breakup at Eastern Michigan on the final play in a 29-28 thriller, and tied a career high with eight tackles and broke up a pass in Toledo’s six-overtime GameAbove Sports Bowl victory over Pitt. He was second in the FBS in PBUs and second in the MAC in passes defended.

Walker was a staple in the 2024 defense, starting in all 14 games. He amassed 53 total tackles, including 34 solo stops and seven tackles for loss. Walker logged the second-most pass breakups (7) and recorded his first collegiate interception against Akron (Sept. 28, 2024). Following the regular season, Walker was named All-MAC Second Team.

The Bednarik Award has been given to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1995.

Oklahoma QB denies gambling

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer says he has never gambled, and the school says there is no NCAA investigation after a recent report showed Mateer twice paid someone on Venmo in 2022 for “sports gambling.”

“The allegations that I once participated in sports gambling are false,” Mateer said in a statement Tuesday on social media. “My previous Venmo descriptions did not accurately portray the transactions in question but were instead inside jokes between me and my friends.”

Mateer, who was at Washington State during the time in question, said he can understand why the Venmo descriptions could lead one to believe otherwise, so he decided to set the record straight.

“I have never bet on sports,” he said. “I understand the seriousness of the matter, but recognize that, taken out of context, those Venmo descriptions suggest otherwise. I can assure my teammates, coaches, and officials at the NCAA that I have not engaged in any sports gambling.”

In a statement, Oklahoma said it uses ProhiBet for comprehensive monitoring of sports gambling activities.

Mateer followed former Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle to Oklahoma this past offseason. Mateer passed for 3,139 yards with 29 touchdowns and just seven interceptions and ran for 826 yards and 15 scores last season.

Mateer was one of three players who accompanied Oklahoma coach Brent Venables at SEC Media Days in July. Venables and Oklahoma’s players have raved consistently about Mateer’s leadership. He’s considered one of the nation’s top transfers and a key reason the Sooners open the season ranked No. 18 in the AP Top 25.

NFL appeals Jon Gruden ruling

LAS VEGAS — The NFL will appeal the Nevada Supreme Court’s ruling Monday that former Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden can proceed with his lawsuit and not go through the league for arbitration.

The league will request a rehearing from the same court that overturned a prior Nevada Supreme Court panel ruling in May 2024 that the matter could go to arbitration. But in October, Gruden was granted a hearing by the full court.

Gruden filed a lawsuit in 2021 against the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell, alleging that a “malicious and orchestrated campaign” to destroy his career by leaking old emails he sent that included racist, misogynistic and homophobic comments that pressured the Raiders to fire him.

Gruden resigned from the Raiders in October 2021 and sued the league a month later.

In 2022, the NFL appealed to Nevada’s high court after a judge in Las Vegas rejected league bids to dismiss Gruden’s claim outright or to order out-of-court talks through an arbitration process that could be overseen by Goodell.

The Nevada Supreme Court, in a 5-2 ruling, said that “the arbitration clause in the NFL Constitution is unconscionable and does not apply to Gruden as a former employee.”

Vols guard will plead not guilty

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The attorney for Ruby Whitehorn says the Tennessee guard will plead not guilty when arraigned on felony charges of domestic assault and aggravated burglary.

“She is, in fact, not guilty,” attorney Gregory P. Isaacs said in a statement. “Our firm’s investigation has also revealed that the factual allegations contained in the warrants are not accurate and are contradicted by eyewitness accounts. Ruby Whitehorn looks forward to having this matter resolved in the very near future.”

Whitehorn’s preliminary hearing scheduled for Tuesday was rescheduled for Sept. 5.

The 6-foot guard from Detroit, Michigan, was arrested Aug. 8 after the Knox County Sherriff’s Office responded to a call around 4:15 p.m. According to reports, police said Whitehorn got into an altercation outside a woman’s residence and kicked in a front door and bedroom door.

Whitehorn reportedly told officers she was getting her property back after the woman took her phone and passport, then locked the door.

Tennessee issued a statement Sunday saying officials were aware of the situation and gathering information.

Whitehorn started 28 of 34 games last season for the Lady Vols and ranked fourth scoring 11.6 points a game shooting 46.3%. She also had four rebounds per game. She started her career at Clemson where she started 62 of the 66 games she played.

She helped Tennessee go 24-10 in coach Kim Caldwell’s debut season. The Lady Vols lost to Texas in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

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Dravecky to share story of endurance

Youngstown — On Oct. 15, the community is invited to hear the story of Dave Dravecky, former Major League Baseball pitcher, cancer survivor and Youngstown native, as he takes the stage at Ford Family Recital Hall at the DeYor Performing Arts Center.

The event starts at 7 p.m., and tickets are no change but reservations are required.

Dravecky first gained national attention in the late 1980s as a standout left-handed pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. A graduate of Boardman High School and Youngstown State University, he began his Major League Baseball career with the San Diego Padres, helping lead the team to a strong 1984 season finish.

However, Dravecky’s baseball career was interrupted when he was diagnosed with soft tissue cancer in the deltoid muscle of his pitching arm. It eventually led to multiple surgeries, radiation treatments and amputation of his arm.

Dravecky and his wife Jan founded Endurance, a ministry offering hope and support to others navigating personal trials, in 1991.

Dravecky is a best-selling author and sought-after speaker, sharing his story of perseverance and faith through books such as Comeback, Worth of a Man and Called Up: Stories of Life & Faith. His works offering insight, inspiration and a deep sense of hope to those facing life’s most difficult moments.

For more information or to reserve and obtain tickets, visit the DeYor Performing Arts Website at deyorpac.org.

NFL suspends Addison for 3 games

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison was suspended for three games by the NFL on Tuesday for violating the league’s personal conduct policy for a drunken driving case last year.

Addison avoided a trial by pleading no contest to a lesser charge last month, after facing two misdemeanor DUIs for his arrest on July 12, 2024, when a California Highway Patrol officer found him asleep in his vehicle that was blocking a lane on an interstate exit near Los Angeles International Airport.

Addison will be permitted to practice and play in exhibition games before the suspension kicks in for games against Chicago, Atlanta and Cincinnati.

Addison, the 23rd pick of the 2023 draft, has 19 touchdowns and 1,786 receiving yards in his first two seasons to form a dominant duo with two-time All-Pro Justin Jefferson. But he was arrested for excessive speeding the week before training camp of his rookie year, and the drunken driving arrest last offseason came after another dangerous off-the-field decision. Addison was contrite and remorseful upon reporting to training camp last year, praising the Vikings for their support after he said he was in a “dark place” after the arrest.

Without Addison for the first three games, new starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy will need to lean on depth wide receivers such as Jalen Nailor, rookie Tai Felton and newcomer Rondale Moore if he’s ready to play following his ACL rehabilitation. Tight ends T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver and running back Aaron Jones also figure to be vital options during Addison’s absence to help keep defenses from keying more heavily on Jefferson than they already do.

Addison, who finished his college career at USC after starting at Pittsburgh, matched Odell Beckham Jr. for the fourth-most touchdown receptions in league history by players before their 23rd birthday. Randy Moss (28), Rob Gronkowski (27) and Ja’Marr Chase (22) were the only ones with more.

Seneca Nation purchases NLL team

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Seneca Nation has purchased the National Lacrosse League’s Rochester Knighthawks, replacing Buffalo Bills and Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula.

The Seneca Nation, a sovereign Native American nation, has roots in western New York, where Rochester is located.

The Knighthawks made the announcement on Tuesday.

“Our ancestors were the first people to share the game of lacrosse with the world,” Seneca Nation President J. Conrad Seneca said. “It was gifted to them by the Creator as a spiritual game and a game of healing. The Seneca Nation is thrilled to celebrate our connection to the Creator’s Game and to this community by keeping the Knighthawks in Rochester, where we look forward to building a bright future rooted in the team’s winning tradition.”

Terry Pegula helped the team find new ownership. The Pegulas chose to sell the Knighthawks in June to focus on the other NLL team the family owns, the three-time defending champion Buffalo Bandits.

The Knighthawks are coming off a third straight trip to the National Lacrosse League Playoffs after winning a franchise record-tying 10 games. Forward Connor Fields became first player in team history to win the NLL’s Most Valuable Player Award.

Knighthawks general manager Dan Carey will continue to lead the organization and will add president to his title.

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YSU’s Kilpatrick on award watch list

Youngstown State senior punter Brendon Kilpatrick (Lakeview), the 2024 FCS Punter of the Year, is one of 11 candidates on the preseason Watch List to win the 2025 award the Augusta Sports Council announced on Friday.

The 11 candidates on the list incorporate a broad spectrum of FCS punters and were compiled based on the 2024 FCS Punter of the Year semifinalists, 2024 All-American, and All-Conference selections, and 2025 Preseason All-American and Preseason All-Conference selections.

The FCS Punter of the Year Award winner will be determined by the FCS Punter of the Year Award national voting body, which consists of FCS sports information directors and national sports writers.

Kilpatrick has already garnered attention heading into the 2025 season which starts on August 28. He has been named a third-team preseason All-American by SI.com FCS Football Central and FCS Stats Perform.

Frederick Keys to leave Draft League

FREDERICK, Md. — Attain Sports announced Friday a reorganization within its baseball portfolio.

Beginning with the 2026 season, the Baltimore Orioles’ High-A affiliate will relocate to Frederick, while the Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft League team will relocate to Aberdeen. The team names and identities — the Frederick Keys and the Aberdeen IronBirds — will remain in their respective cities; only the leagues in which the teams play are changing as part of this strategic realignment.

Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium, home of the Frederick Keys, will be fully renovated prior to the start of the 2026 season. These improvements will ensure the ballpark is in compliance with the facility standards of the MLB Professional Development Leagues (PDL) and provide an elevated experience for players, fans, and the community.

With this move, the Frederick Keys are returning to affiliated baseball for the first time since 2020 — a milestone that reconnects the franchise with its long-standing relationship with the Baltimore Orioles.

“We are thrilled that affiliated baseball is returning to Frederick,” Orioles Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Elias said. “The Frederick community and fans have always been strong supporters of the Orioles, and we look forward to building on a 30-year partnership with the Keys.”

As a Draft League team, Aberdeen will play from June through the first week of September, a structure that mirrors its history as a Class-A Short Season team in the New York-Penn League from 2002-20.

NFL looks to sell assets to ESPN

The NFL and ESPN are expected to announce an agreement next week under which most of the league’s significant media holdings would go to the sports network.

People familiar with the transaction said the multibillion-dollar deal would give the NFL an equity stake in ESPN.

The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been finalized. It was first reported by The Athletic.

The NFL and ESPN had no comment.

The NFL has been trying to sell its media properties for nearly five years. ESPN and the league have been involved in on-again, off-again talks for the past three years.

The proposed move comes as ESPN is expected to soon launch its direct-to-consumer service, possibly before the end of August. The service would give cord cutters access to all of ESPN’s programs and networks for $29.99 per month. Most cable, satellite and viewers who have streaming services will receive the service for free as part of their subscription.

ESPN would get access to the popular RedZone channel, as well as NFL Network and an additional seven regular-season games (six international and a Saturday afternoon late-season contest).

A couple of weeks ago, ESPN announced that NFL Network host Rich Eisen’s three-hour program would air on ESPN Radio as well as stream on Disney+ and ESPN+. “The Rich Eisen Show” is not affiliated with NFL Network.

ESPN has carried NFL games since 1987 and “Monday Night Football” since 2006. Under the current TV contract, it will have the 2027 and 2031 Super Bowls for the first time.

NFL Network started in November 2003 and was the second major pro league to have its own network. NBA TV started in 1999, MLB Network in 2009 and NHL Network in the United States in 2007.

Parker criticizes WNBA All-Stars

Seven-time WNBA All-Star Candace Parker was unimpressed by the effort in the All-Star Game.

Parker criticized the game on a podcast that aired Wednesday, calling it “awful.”

“Y’all cannot come out there with those shirts of ‘Pay Us What You Owe Us’ and then do that,” Parker told All-Star Aliyah Boston on their new podcast “Post Moves.”

Parker was referencing the warmup shirts both teams wore at the July 19 game in response to failed collective-bargaining negotiations with the league earlier that week. Players are fighting for higher pay and better benefits, among other improvements.

The game set a WNBA All-Star record for points scored and Napheesa Collier set the individual scoring mark with 36 points. Team Collier beat Team Clark 151-131.

Defense was at a minimum as the league’s stars allowed each other to get shots up without contest.

It wasn’t unlike the all-star games across other pro leagues, but Parker was looking for more from WNBA players at a time when they’re in the spotlight.

“I think on one of the biggest stages, in an All-Star setting that was invested in more than any other All-Star game previously. … I think it would’ve really maximized the moment.”

Fever forward Boston, who played on Team Clark, defended the performance of her and her peers.

“An All-Star Game, where we have another game in two days, I think that it’s OK to just go out there and hoop and have some fun,” she said. “Because on Tuesday, we were back at it, and we were playing and we were showing once again why we deserve to get paid.”

Starting at $3.23/week.

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