The St. Louis Blues said forward Sammy Blais will be out at least 10 weeks due to a right wrist injury that requires surgery.

Blais, 23, suffered the injury during the team's 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.

Blais has eight points (five goals, three assists) and 10 penalty minutes in 20 games this season, his third with the team.

Tottenham's new head coach Jose Mourinho promised plenty of passion in his return to club management and said one of his priorities will be putting smiles back on supporters' faces.

Spurs, who have slipped to 14th place in the Premier League after a poor start to the season, sacked Mauricio Pochettino on Tuesday before entrusting Mourinho with the task of reviving their fortunes.

"What can I promise? Passion -- for my job, but also passion for my club... I couldn't be happier and if I was not as happy as I am, I wouldn't be here," Mourinho said in his first interview on the club's website.

"In relation to the Premier League we know where we are and we know that we don't belong there. We should just play match after match, the next match we want to win and that's the same about the next, and the next, and the next until the last.

"At the end of the season we'll see where we are, but I know we're going to be in a different position to where we are now... I look forward to the challenge, to the responsibility to bring happiness to everyone that loves the club."

- ESPN Premier League fantasy: Sign up now!
- VAR in the Premier League: Ultimate guide
- When does the transfer window reopen?
- Premier League winter break: All you need to know

The former Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester United boss said he was pleased with Tottenham's players after his first training session on Wednesday.

Mourinho has inherited a squad that finished in the Premier League's top four in four consecutive seasons and were runners-up to Liverpool in last season's Champions League final.

"I always told about the club's potential. I always told about the qualities of players. I always told the magnificent work of the club was doing," Mourinho said.

"I really like this squad and looking to the young players there's not one manager in the world that doesn't like to play young players and to help young players to develop.

"The problem is that sometimes you get into clubs where the work that is below you is not good enough to produce these players so I look to our history. The academy is always giving the talents that the first team need."

Mourinho's side travel to 16th-placed West Ham United in the league on Saturday.

Antonio Brown is countersuing Britney Taylor for defamation and interference with his NFL contracts and endorsements, according to documents obtained by ESPN.

Brown, the subject of an NFL investigation over Taylor's claims of rape and sexual assault, is denying the accusations against him and requesting a jury trial.

Taylor had served Brown with a lawsuit in Florida's Broward County on Nov. 1 and gave him 45 days to respond.

In that response, Brown claimed his sexual relationship with Taylor was always consensual and that Taylor attempted to secure a $1.65 million investment from Brown for her gymnastics business shortly after Brown signed a $72 million deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the documents state.

Brown signed a confidentiality agreement with Taylor on March 8 while "under duress," the documents state. Two days later, Brown was traded from the Steelers to the Oakland Raiders as part of a three-year, $54-million extension. The countersuit claims Taylor's "false accusations" earlier this year affected his business dealings of which she had previous knowledge while spending significant time with him in 2017 and 2018.

In the lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Taylor accuses Brown of sexually assaulting her on three occasions in 2017 and 2018.

The two knew each other at Central Michigan before Brown entered the NFL draft in 2010, and the documents state the two had cursory communication from then until 2017.

"In summary, after enduring a failed business endeavor and also failing to gain the relationship status she desired with Brown, Taylor began a vicious campaign of lies and deceit targeting Brown both personally and professionally," Brown's filing states. "Taylor's acts have all but ruined Brown's career, causing him to lose a number of substantial and lucrative business contracts, and impacting the public persona in such a manner as to cause Brown and his family significant personal and financial harm."

The NFL, which interviewed Brown last week as part of the investigation, is aware of the filing, according to a source.

Taylor's attorney, David Haas, said his client will "not be bullied."

"Today, Antonio Brown countersued the woman he raped and blamed her for the self-destructive conduct that led to the demise of his NFL career," Haas said in a statement. "In the past, Defendant Brown has used intimidation to avoid responsibility for his actions. However, Ms. Taylor will not be bullied and remains steadfast in holding Defendant Brown accountable."

Brown is out of the league as troubles continue to follow him. After Taylor's suit surfaced in September, Brown also was accused of sexual misconduct at his home by an artist who was working there in 2017.

Brown was released by the Raiders for conduct detrimental to the team and signed with the New England Patriots, who released him after one game.

Brown is trying to get back into the league, and he even apologized to Patriots owner Robert Kraft for all the drama he caused.

PHILADELPHIA -- It finally happened. After more than two seasons and in his 172nd NBA game, Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons made a 3-pointer.

The moment Philadelphia fans have been waiting for came with 8:20 to play in the first quarter of Wednesday's game at the Wells Fargo Center against the New York Knicks. Simmons caught a swing pass from forward Furkan Korkmaz in the corner in front of the 76ers bench, squared up to the basket and knocked down the shot. He then turned and calmly ran back down court while the fans went wild.

"It felt good," Simmons said following Philadelphia's 109-104 win, when asked how it felt to finally drain a 3. "I've been repping it. It just feels good."

It had been almost four years -- since Nov. 30, 2015, when Simmons was a freshman at LSU playing against the College of Charleston -- since he made a 3-pointer in a competitive game.

It was the first time this season that Simmons had attempted a 3-pointer after an offseason full of speculation that 3s could become a bigger part of his game. Video of him shooting 3s in pickup games surfaced this offseason, and he later made his first trey of any kind in a Sixers uniform during a preseason game against the Guangzhou Long-Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association.

"It's not that I don't need to do it," Simmons said during the preseason, when asked if he must add a 3-point shot to his game. "I'm confident in saying I'm not a great shooter. I'm getting better, though."

Besides the act of making a 3, the shot stood out for several other reasons. It was the first time in Simmons' career that he had attempted a corner 3-pointer, as well as the first time he had attempted one of a catch-and-shoot variety, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

It also was just the third of Simmons' 17 3-point attempts in regular-season games (he missed one during the playoffs) that came within the flow of regular offense, with both of the others occurring last season -- on Feb. 10 against the Los Angeles Lakers and Feb. 25 against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Simmons' shooting has become a topic of discussion thanks to the amount he has accomplished in his time in the NBA. The No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA draft, Simmons was the 2018 Rookie of the Year (he missed his first full season with a broken foot) and was an All-Star last season.

This past summer, the Sixers agreed to a five-year, $170 million max contract extension with Simmons to keep him paired with star center Joel Embiid for years to come.

The Jacoby Ellsbury and Greg Bird eras in New York are officially over.

The Yankees on Wednesday gave up on Ellsbury, cutting the oft-injured outfielder with more than $26 million left in his $153 million, seven-year contract.

Ellsbury, who has not played since 2017, was released to clear a 40-man roster spot as New York added seven players to protect them from next month's Rule 5 draft.

Ellsbury is owed $26,285,714 by the Yankees in one of their biggest free-agent mistakes: $21,142,857 for next season plus a $5 million buyout of a $21 million team option for 2021.

New York also cut frequently injured first baseman Bird and left-hander Nestor Cortes Jr., designating the pair for assignment.

Outfielder Estevan Florial was added to the major league roster along with right-handers Deivi Garcia, Luis Gil, Brooks Kriske, Luis Medina, Nick Nelson and Miguel Yajure.

Now 36, Ellsbury hit .264 with 39 homers, 198 RBIs and 102 stolen bases in 520 games in six seasons with the Yankees. He spent his first seven seasons with Boston and was an All-Star in 2011, and he arrived in New York with a .284 career average, 104 homers, 512 RBIs and 343 steals for Boston.

Ellsbury injured an oblique muscle in his right side early during spring training in 2018, developed a bad back and had hip surgery on Aug. 6 to repair a torn labrum in his left hip. He experienced plantar fasciitis in his right foot during his rehab program before spring training this year.

Bird, who turned 27 on Nov. 9, arrived in New York with great promise in 2015, debuting Aug. 13 and hitting .261 with 11 homers and 31 RBIs in 46 games. He missed all of 2016 following surgery that Feb. 2 to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, an injury originally suffered that May with Double-A Trenton.

Bird returned to bat .451 with eight homers in spring training during 2017 but fouled a ball off his right ankle March 30, started the season 6-for-60 and went on the disabled list May 2. When the foot did not improve, Bird had surgery July 18 to remove a bone in the ankle. He returned in late August and hit three home runs in the playoffs, including a seventh-inning drive off Andrew Miller that lifted New York to a 1-0 win over Cleveland in Game 3 of the American League Division Series.

But then he slumped to a .154 average with four RBIs during spring training in 2018 and had surgery March 27 to remove a broken bone spur from the outside of the ankle. Bird returned May 26 and hit just .199 with 11 homers and 38 RBIs, losing the first-base job to Luke Voit.

Eligible for arbitration for the first time in 2019, he had a $1.2 million salary. Bird went on the injured list with a left plantar fascia tear on April 16, three days after what turned out to be his final game. He hit .171 in 10 games with one RBI, an Opening Day home run off Baltimore's Paul Fry.

Cortes, who turns 25 on Dec. 10, was 5-1 with a 5.67 ERA in 32 relief appearances and one start this year after making four relief appearances in his first big league season with the Yankees in 2018.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

CONCORD, N.C. – It took just minutes Wednesday after Jimmie Johnson announced his plans to retire from full-time NASCAR Cup Series racing following the 2020 season for reactions to begin streaming in on social media.

From Johnson’s fellow competitors to industry titans of all types, it seemed everyone had something to say to the seven-time champion out of respect for his numerous accomplishments.

We’ve gathered an assortment of Twitter reactions to the news that the 2020 season will be Johnson’s last as a full-time Cup Series driver, and those posts can be found below.

From one of the “best to never” to one of the “best ever”, THANK YOU https://t.co/sa5xryNYfF

— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) November 20, 2019

Caught me right in the feels. Been a pleasure Champ. Looking forward to it one last time. https://t.co/s0TJMLzmh9

— Ryan Blaney (@Blaney) November 20, 2019

Wow ? https://t.co/5epDPl0c5S

— William Byron (@WilliamByron) November 20, 2019

The Goat. Its been an absolute honor to live in the Jimmie Johnson era and share a track with him occasionally. I can't wait to see if he can go out on top next year. https://t.co/WparYxRmnc

— Parker Kligerman (@pkligerman) November 20, 2019

?? https://t.co/O9Kxp8BjOr

— Chase Elliott (@chaseelliott) November 20, 2019

Nobody I enjoy battling with more on the race track than 7 time. The greatest driver of my generation. Look forward to 38 more races with you! https://t.co/SmpAQz26Cz

— Kyle Larson (@KyleLarsonRacin) November 20, 2019

This is shocking. Thought there’d be three more years of full-time for him. https://t.co/jpKzpuEslc

— Lewis Franck (@LewisFranck) November 20, 2019

I’m not crying your crying https://t.co/QbWOO1dD44

— Mason Mitchell (@TheMasonRacin) November 20, 2019

From calling him a teammate to covering him from the booth JJ has always set the standard high. Wishing him a great final season. Hats off to you champ. https://t.co/BcMjO4Di76

— Steve Letarte (@SteveLetarte) November 20, 2019

Without question @JimmieJohnson is one of the classiest and most professional athletes I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. Looking forward to celebrating his final season in 2020. All the best from @TooToughToTame #Chasing8 https://t.co/ThfaE9XP2P

— Kerry Tharp (@Kerry_Tharp) November 20, 2019

What a ride JJ. I can’t wait to watch you make 2020 a great one. @JimmieJohnson ?

— Michael Waltrip (@MW55) November 20, 2019

One more year to appreciate greatness in our time. @JimmieJohnson will run one final full-time @NASCAR season in 2020. #Chasing8 https://t.co/xntPq9aqFU

— Eddie Gossage (@eddiegossage) November 20, 2019

JACKSON, Minn. – Jackson Motorplex officials have been grooming the Jackson Nationals to become one of winged sprint car racing’s marquee events over the last several seasons.

The 2020 edition will elevate it to one of short track racing’s premier events, as the three-day World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series show on June 25-27 will offer a whopping $100,000 to win and $3,000 to start the finale.

The Heartland Steel RaceSaver sprint cars presented by Wyffels Hybrids will be the support class the first night and the Wisconsin WingLESS Sprint Series is the support class the final two nights.

The event format will be released at a later date.

Brad Sweet is the defending Jackson Nationals winner, copping a $41,000 prize during the 2018 edition of the event at the four-tenths-mile Minnesota dirt track/

JACKSON, Minn. — Headlined by a dynamic purse announcement for the June 25-27 Jackson Nationals, Jackson Motorplex officials have released a stellar schedule of events for next season.

The Jackson Nationals will offer $100,000 to win for the NOS Energy World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, but other national racing series will also visit the four-tenths-mile dirt track next season.

The USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series will visit Jackson on May 29-30 with the opening night paying $5,000 to win and the finale is $7,500 to win.

The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by C&B Operations invades the track July 10-11 with the opener offering $12,000 to the winner and the finale providing a $15,000 top prize.

The Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions visits Jackson Motorplex on July 31 for a $10,000-to-win event with a Monster Truck Throwdown set for Aug. 1.

The Midwest Power Series and Midwest Sprint Touring Series are scheduled for six nights of action — May 22, June 5, June 19, July 17, July 24 and Aug. 21 — prior to the season finale 360 Nationals running Sept. 4-6.

The Bank Midwest Summer Series will run four times on Tuesday nights — June 9, June 30, July 21 and Aug. 25 — featuring IMCA A Mods, IMCA Sport Mods, IMCA Stock Cars, IMCA Hobby Stocks and IMCA Sport Compacts.

The season starts on May 15 when the Bumper to Bumper IRA Sprint Car Series is the headlining division for the Great Lakes Shootout.

GLENDORA, Calif. – Lee Ann Gliha, who has strong business background in live event companies, has been elected to the NHRA Board of Directors.

Gliha’s background includes serving as Executive Vice President, Corporate Finance at Live Nation, a leading live entertainment company. Gliha has applied her business skills both at Live Nation and in investment banking, including her current position as Managing Director at Jefferies LLC where she focuses on media and entertainment companies.

Gliha graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in Economics from Claremont McKenna College. She is very familiar with NHRA, its business and its events, including its historic facility and events in Pomona, CA.

“We are honored and excited that Lee Ann has agreed to join NHRA’s board of directors. We think her business experience and her love of the sport will help NHRA confidently stride forward and continue to grow,” said NHRA board chair and CEO Peter Clifford.

“I had the chance to work with NHRA several years ago, and through that I gained a strong understanding of the sport and the business. The sport’s history is remarkable and its events are thoroughly entertaining, with many rounds of mind-boggling fast racing and a unique opportunity for fans to interact with the teams between races in the pits,” said Gliha. “NHRA events are truly fun for everyone and I hope more people will get out to an NHRA event. I’m honored to join the board and be in a position to learn even more and contribute to the sport’s continued prosperity.”

Gliha will join current board members Michael Cohen, Ed Desser, Clifford and Glen Cromwell, effective Dec. 3.