Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice is suspended 6 games by NFL, beginning with opener next week in Brazil
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice has been suspended for six games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. The suspension follows his guilty plea to two third-degree felony charges related to a March 2024 crash in Dallas. The NFL’s decision comes after an internal investigation and voids a scheduled hearing. Rice will miss several high-profile games, including the season opener against the Chargers in Brazil and a Super Bowl rematch with the Eagles. He will be eligible to return on Oct. 19 when Kansas City faces the Raiders.
Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley leaves himself off the US team for Bethpage Black
U.S. captain Keegan Bradley decided the best way to win back the Ryder Cup was to leave his golf clubs at home. Bradley filled out his 12-man roster Wednesday with six captain’s picks that did not include himself. He had considered becoming the first playing captain of the Ryder Cup since Arnold Palmer in 1963 at East Lake. Instead, Bradley went with a pair of Ryder Cup rookies in New York native Cameron Young and Ben Griffin, who finished at No. 9 in the standings. Joining them as picks will be Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Sam Burns and Patrick Cantlay. That gives the Americans four Ryder Cup rookies for the Sept. 26-28 matches against Europe at Bethpage Black on New York’s Long Island.
US Open foes Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko get into a tense back-and-forth after match
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. Open opponents Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko got into a face-to-face argument on the Court 11 sideline right after their second-round match ended. Townsend said Wednesday that Ostapenko told her she has no class and no education. Townsend, who is from Chicago, was a 7-5, 6-1 winner against 2017 French Open champion Ostapenko, who is from Latvia. After the two players met at the net for a postmatch handshake, they stayed near each other instead of going their separate ways, as players usually do. Ostapenko wagged a finger at Townsend as they spoke.
Novak Djokovic is trying to solve riddles at the US Open but is back in the 3rd round
NEW YORK (AP) — Novak Djokovic says he is trying to solve riddles in his game at the U.S. Open. Even after dropping an opening set on Wednesday, Djokovic progressed to the third round. He improved to 36-0 across the first and second rounds in New York, a place he’s won four championships, by coming back to beat 145th-ranked American qualifier Zachary Svajda 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 at Arthur Ashe Stadium. This was Djokovic’s first tournament anywhere since losing to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semifinals last month. Winners included both of last year’s runners-up — Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz — and 2021 champion Emma Raducanu. No. 12 seed Casper Ruud, the 2022 runner-up, lost to Raphael Collignon.
Lionel Messi scores twice as Inter Miami beats Orlando City 3-1 in Leagues Cup semis
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi scored twice in his return and Inter Miami beat Orlando City 3-1 on Wednesday night to advance to the Leagues Cup Final. Inter Miami will be on the road to face the LA Galaxy-Seattle winner in the final Sunday. Messi was back for the second time in two weeks after a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury. Marco Pašalić opened the scoring for Orlando just before halftime, with the play surviving a VAR review for a possible handball. Messi tied it in the 77th, converting from the penalty spot after Tadeo Allende was pulled down in the box. It was more Messi magic in the 88th when he combined with Jordi Alba to put Miami ahead.
Jaguars rookie and new father Travis Hunter is ‘rolling full speed’ toward season opener
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone says two-way star and new father Travis Hunter is “rolling full speed” after missing the final two games of the preseason with an upper-body injury. Gladstone says the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner and the second pick in the NFL draft in April is good to go for the season opener against Carolina. The Jaguars have been taking a cautious approach with Hunter. He was injured during a scrimmage two weeks ago and sat out exhibitions against New Orleans and Miami. He posted a video titled “Dear Son” late Wednesday announcing the birth of his first child with wife Leanna Hunter.
Vikings bring back veteran Adam Thielen for WR depth in trade with the Panthers
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings have reacquired veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen from the Carolina Panthers. The Vikings traded draft picks for Thielen, who has the third-most catches in franchise history. The team needed more depth after losing Rondale Moore to a season-ending knee injury and Jordan Addison to a three-game suspension. Thielen is a native of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. He became a success story after starting in 2013 as an undrafted player. He made two Pro Bowls with the Vikings. The 35-year-old still lives in Minnesota and has worked out with new Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy over the past two summers.
Nolan McLean makes Mets history and continues to provide much-needed boost
NEW YORK (AP) — Three games into his major league career, Nolan McLean has already accomplished something Tom Seaver, Dwight Gooden, Jacob deGrom or anyone else wearing a New York Mets uniform could not. McLean became the first Mets pitcher to win his first three MLB starts, tossing eight marvelous innings in a 6-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies that completed a three-game sweep. Facing the Phillies, who entered Wednesday with the second-best batting average in the majors, the 24-year-old right-hander allowed four hits and walked none with six strikeouts. He threw 95 pitches — just 55 through the first six innings.
Good wood: MLB hitters cutting down on strikeouts, even in age of increased velocity
PHOENIX (AP) — Major League Baseball’s hitters are starting to win a few more battles against their hard-throwing pitcher counterparts. Hits could outpace strikeouts in big league games for the first time since 2017. MLB teams are averaging exactly 8.28 hits and strikeouts per game through Aug. 26 and league-wide batting average is up slightly to .246. Managers and players said hitters are starting to adjust in the face of increased velocity, coming to the plate with a better two-strike approach. Technology has also played a factor, with new pitching machines better able to mimic the high-speed, high-spin deliveries.
Man United humiliated in penalty shootout loss to 4th-division team Grimsby Town in League Cup
GRIMSBY, England (AP) — Manchester United sank to a new low under Ruben Amorim by getting eliminated by fourth-tier Grimsby Town after a marathon penalty shootout in the second round of the English League Cup on Wednesday. Grimsby won a dramatic shootout 12-11 at the 9,000-capacity Blundell Park, with Bryan Mbeumo missing the decisive penalty. United needed late goals by Mbeumo and Harry Maguire just to salvage a 2-2 draw in regulation, having trailed 2-0 at halftime. It will go down as one of the most embarrassing results in United’s history and leaves the team winless in three games so far this campaign, after a woeful 15th-place finish in the Premier League last season.