Doping at your doorstep: The next Olympic drug crisis could be coming through the mail
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — A new wave of peptides, often banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, is easily available online, raising concerns about potential Olympic doping scandals. These substances, marketed for benefits like anti-aging and workout recovery, are hard to detect and can be bought on platforms like Amazon and Alibaba. With the Milan Cortina Games approaching, officials are worried about repeating past scandals involving Russia and China. The peptides, many unapproved by the FDA, are difficult to regulate. Despite efforts to remove them, listings persist.
More angst-filled coaching changes are inevitable unless college football overhauls its calendar
Lane Kiffin’s awkward and angst-filled departure from Ole Miss will happen again. It’s inevitable unless college administrators and football coaches agree to reimagine an imperfect calendar that has been a mess for decades. Under the current format, national signing day happens during conference championship week, the transfer portal opens during the College Football Playoff and some coaches are secretly interviewing for other jobs before Halloween. No one has an ideal solution. Even the thought of adopting an NFL-like format seems flawed.
Antetokounmpo undergoes MRI after leaving Bucks’ game with Pistons due to right calf strain
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo left the Milwaukee Bucks’ game with the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night after straining his right calf in the first quarter. Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said after the Bucks’ 113-109 victory that Antetokounmpo was undergoing an MRI. Rivers added that he believed the Bucks had ruled out the possibility that Antetokounmpo had injured his Achilles tendon on the play. The two-time MVP had just assisted on AJ Green’ layup less than three minutes into the game when he headed back up the court and slipped in the painted area.
Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels’ status for Vikings game won’t be known until Friday
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels still has not been cleared for contact and his status for Sunday’s game at the Minnesota Vikings is up in the air. Commanders coach Dan Quinn said he won’t know whether Daniels can play this week until Friday. Daniels has missed Washington’s past three games with a dislocated left elbow — and has been absent for a total of six of the club’s 12 games this season. The Commanders have lost seven games in a row, a year after going 12-5 during the regular season and making it all the way to the NFC title game, with Daniels appearing in all 20 of their games.
Changing face of college football results in blue-chip prospects making some surprising choices
The changing landscape of college football means the nation’s premier recruits are no longer signing with the same handful of programs. That became particularly apparent this week when the nation’s top-ranked prospect landed in Vanderbilt. Quarterback Jared Curtis decided to stay home after initially committing to Georgia. Curtis’ decision wasn’t an aberration. Two other top-five prospects signed with home-state schools generally unaccustomed to acquiring five-star recruits. Houston got the nation’s No. 3 recruit by signing Keisean Henderson of Legacy the School of Sport Sciences in Spring, Texas. Edge rusher Zion Elee, rated fifth overall, is going from Baltimore’s St. Frances Academy to Maryland.
NASCAR owner Bob Jenkins ‘hurt’ by ‘take-it-or-leave-it’ charter offer made with hours to sign
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins has testified in a federal antitrust case against NASCAR. He claims he was pressured into signing a new charter agreement with a tight deadline. Jenkins, along with 23XI Motorsports, is suing NASCAR, alleging the charter system is monopolistic. The agreement, which took effect this year, ended lengthy negotiations but fell short of team requests. Jenkins argues the deal is unfavorable and feels NASCAR is acting like a monopoly. NASCAR denies wrongdoing, stating the charter system created significant market value. The trial is expected to last two weeks.
Jamal Murray delivers impressive, efficient 52-point night as Nuggets beat Pacers 135-120
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray was listed as questionable just a few hours before Wednesday night’s game at Indiana. By tip-off, he left nothing to chance. Just two nights after spraining his right ankle, Murray returned to action and delivered one of the NBA’s most efficient performances all season. He made 19 of 25 shots including an incredible 10 of 11 on 3-pointers to finish with a season-high 52 points in a 135-120 victory over the defending Eastern Conference champs.
The World Cup draw is usually a spectacle. This time, FIFA hopes bigger is better
NEW YORK (AP) — A record 64 nations will be in Friday’s World Cup draw as FIFA expands the tournament from 32 to 48 teams. This means 104 games instead of 64, running from June 11 to July 19 across the U.S., Mexico and Canada. The final will be at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, aims to win consecutive World Cups. Newcomers include Cape Verde and Curaçao. Ticket prices are at a record high, with concerns about affordability. Weather could impact games, with only four U.S. venues having roofs. The draw will be hosted by Heidi Klum, Kevin Hart and Danny Ramirez.
Rams QB Matthew Stafford has already moved past the 3-turnover game that slowed his standout season
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Matthew Stafford’s 192 career interceptions are the most among active quarterbacks. He has also fumbled 91 times in his 17-year NFL career. So his three crucial turnovers in the Los Angeles Rams’ 31-28 loss to Carolina aren’t going to send Stafford into a funk or a crisis of competence. Stafford knows his two interceptions and a late fumble were the biggest reasons why the Rams lost to the Panthers and fell out of the No. 1 spot in the NFC standings. There’s still nothing he’ll do much differently when he leads Los Angeles to Arizona this weekend.