NFL
Christian McCaffrey scored a touchdown in his 12th straight game, Brock Purdy threw two TD passes and the San Francisco 49ers won their 13th straight regular season game, 30-12 over the New York Giants. The Niners weren’t particularly sharp on offense in their home opener but got enough from McCaffrey and on big runs after the catch by Deebo Samuel and George Kittle to earn their second 3-0 start in 25 seasons. The defense did the rest against the short-handed Giants. New York finished with 150 yards of offense while missing star running back Saquon Barkley and left tackle Andrew Thomas.
Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick believes the hit that ended Browns running back Nick Chubb’s season was unfortunate but not dirty. Fitzpatrick hit Chubb in his left knee while Chubb was trying to score in the second quarter of Pittsburgh's 26-22 victory. Chubb bent awkwardly over the knee and now faces surgery and a lengthy rehab. Fitzpatrick says he told Chubb on the field the hit was not intentional. The All-Pro added he does not have a reputation as a dirty player, saying football is a fast game and injuries are a part of it.
Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs has sustained a torn ACL in his left knee in practice. It's a blow for a defense off to a great start in 2023. The 2021 All-Pro was seen leaving the team’s headquarters on crutches. Diggs had his first interception of the season in last week’s 30-10 victory over the Jets. Diggs is tied for the NFL lead with 18 interceptions since entering the league in 2020. Diggs signed a $97 million, five-year contract extension at the start of training camp.
Nick Chubb’s injury underscores why running backs want better contracts and why NFL teams are reluctant to pay them. Chubb’s season ended abruptly when he suffered a devastating knee injury that was too gruesome for replay in Cleveland’s loss to Pittsburgh. The four-time Pro Bowl pick faces a long road to recovery with no guaranteed money coming his way beyond the $10.85 million he’s making this season. Chubb will be attempting his second comeback from a significant injury to the same knee at age 28 with a non-guaranteed salary of $12.2 million due in 2024. Running backs have been arguing for bigger contracts and more guaranteed money in recent years because they’re underpaid in comparison to their peers.
MLB
Gerrit Cole retired the first 16 hitters and pitched eight outstanding innings to strengthen his Cy Young Award credentials as the New York Yankees stayed over .500 with a 5-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. Cole (14-4) allowed a run and two hits Thursday in his longest outing since pitching a two-hit shutout against Minnesota on April 16. He struck out nine, walked none and permitted two baserunners while lowering his AL-best ERA to 2.75. Jake Bauers hit a three-run homer four batters in against Jose Berríos (11-11), Aaron Judge and Estevan Florial added RBI doubles and the Yankees avoided a three-game sweep.
Nick Castellanos homered and drove in four runs to reach a career-best 103 RBIs in a season and the Philadelphia Phillies maintained their hold on the top NL wild-card spot with a 5-4 victory over the New York Mets. Alec Bohm also homered and Bryce Harper added a pair of hits for the defending NL champion Phillies, who opened a seven-game homestand with their fifth win in their last seven games. Ranger Suárez (4-6) gave up four runs on five hits in 6 2/3 innings for the win. José Alvarado tossed a scoreless ninth for his ninth save. Mark Vientos homered for the Mets.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox were off last night, they’ll start a three-game set at home against the White Sox at 7:10 tonight.
Ten days remain in MLB’s regular season, and the playoff races are hot, particularly in a crowded National League. The NL wild-card race has been tight for the better part of a month, with the Phillies, Diamondbacks, Cubs, Marlins, Reds and Giants scrambling to claim three playoff positions. It’s exactly the kind of drama MLB hoped for when it expanded the playoff field from 10 to 12 teams before the 2022 season. The American League race also has some drama with the Rangers, Astros, Blue Jays and Mariners fighting for three playoff spots.
Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. got good news Thursday when an MRI on his right knee showed inflammation and no structural damage. Guerrero was held of the starting lineup for the second straight night as the Blue Jays completed a three-game series with the Yankees. The Blue Jays open a three-game series in Tampa, Florida against the Rays on Thursday. Guerrero is hitting .264 with 24 homers, 90 RBIs and a .781 OPS in 147 games this season.
SOCCER
Two-time Women’s World Cup winner Julie Ertz played her final match for the United States, an emotional 3-0 victory over South Africa in an exhibition at Cincinnati. Ertz announced last month that she was retiring after a 10-year career. She started against South Africa, wearing the captain’s armband for her 123th appearance for the United States. Lynn Williams scored twice as the U.S. did all its scoring in the first half. Ertz subbed out in the 35th minute to a standing ovation from the crowd at TQL Stadium. It was the first match for the U.S. since being eliminated by Sweden in the round of 16 at the Women's World Cup.
OLYMPICS
An Olympic bobsled medalist is suing Team USA’s chiropractor, alleging sexual assault. The Times-Union reports Aja Evans, who won the bronze medal in 2014, says John Wilhelm groped her and touched her inappropriately during treatment and took photos and video of her in states of undress at Lake Placid’s Olympic training center between 2012 and 2022. The lawsuit also names Wilhelm’s employer Pro Chiropractic, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and the USA Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, saying they shielded Wilhelm and investigated Evans instead of taking her claims seriously. The lawsuit draws connections between Wilhelm and former Olympic physician Larry Nassar, who was convicted of sexual abuse. An attorney for Wilhelm on another matter, says in a statement Wilhelm “wholeheartedly denies” the claims and calls the comparison with Nassar defamatory. By way of response, USA Bobsled and Skeleton issued a prepared statement saying it condemns sexual misconduct but adds it cannot comment on ongoing investigations. The T-U reports the USOPC could not be reached for immediate comment.
Anthony Nesty has made more history with his selection to lead the U.S. men’s swimming team at the Paris Olympics. He will become the first Black head coach for the Americans in the Summer Games. Nesty’s selection was announced by USA Swimming, which also appointed Todd DeSorbo to head the 2024 women’s squad. Nesty is the University of Florida coach who works with top American swimmers such as Katie Ledecky and Caeleb Dressel. In 1988, Nesty competed for Suriname and became the first Black male swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal. In 2022, he was first Black coach to lead the Americans at the world championships.
COLLEGE CONFERENCE REALIGNMENT
Now that the Power Five is about to become a Power Four in college sports, the schools left out of conference realignment are looking at creative ways to stay relevant. One plan calls for a multi-tiered alliance of leagues that would use a promotion and relegation system, similar to what happens in European soccer. It’s a complicated way to reach what might be the best move for schools like Oregon State, Washington State, Boise State and others: A best-of-the-rest, football-only conference.
RYDER CUP
Lara Arias is a rare female golf course superintendent and she's in charge at the Marco Simone club outside Rome that will host the Ryder Cup next week. She tells The Associated Press that she hopes her work “causes a lot of golf clubs that still have doubts about hiring a female superintendent to step back and reflect.” She adds that she knows "a lot of other really great women who can do this job.” Women account for only 2% of the superintendents registered with the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. There are also few female superintendents in Europe. Superintendents are responsible for a golf course’s maintenance, management, budget and safety.
NHL
In preseason hockey action, the Arizona Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings will play a split squad game at Melbourne, Australia's Rod Laver Arena at 12 a.m., and in the U.S., Arizona and St. Louis will face off at 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas.
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