The Los Angeles Kings aren't taking any chances with the Taylor Swift "curse."

After winning the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014, the Kings haven't gotten out of the first round of the playoffs since a banner commemorating Swift's sellout streak at Staples Center was raised in August 2015. Swift might sing "Don't Blame Me," but Kings fans do.

The team is trying to shake it off by covering the banner with black cloth, leaving a blank space in the rafters.

The @LAKings will cover Taylor Swift's banner at Staples Center for all home games. "The connection to our fans is our highest priority and through our engagement they have made it clear that the banner shouldn't be part of their Kings game experience." https://t.co/tR04KZRamy

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) October 13, 2019

"The connection to our fans is our highest priority and through our engagement they have made it clear that the banner shouldn't be part of their Kings game experience," Michael Altieri, senior vice president of marketing, communications and content for the Kings, told the Los Angeles Times. "We didn't see an issue in covering it for our games and in fact see it as an opportunity to show our fans that we hear them."

Believe the curse or not, the Kings won their home opener with the banner covered up on Saturday, beating Nashville. It didn't hurt that the Predators are the team Swift roots for from her home in nearby Hendersonville, Tennessee.

The Kings lost Sunday's game at Staples, however, to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Here are the complete purse and FedExCup breakdowns for the Houston Open, where Lanto Griffin won his first PGA Tour event.

Bernd Wiesberger continued his rapid ascent through the Official World Golf Rankings after nabbing his third European Tour victory in the last five months.

The Austrian missed nearly eight months of action last year while battling injury, and his ranking got as low as 389th in May. But the following week he won in Denmark, then added another trophy at the Scottish Open. Now, following a one-shot win at the Italian Open, Wiesberger jumped 14 spots to No. 22 in the world to set a new career high.

Matthew Fitzpatrick went from 31st to 26th after finishing second behind Wiesberger in Rome, while Erik Van Rooyen moved closer to the top-50 bubble with a T-10 finish, jumping seven spots to 56th. American Kurt Kitayama also cracked the top 100 at No. 91, up 34 spots from last week after finishing third.

Lanto Griffin notched his first career PGA Tour victory at the Houston Open, and the win brought with it a bump in the rankings. Griffin went from 176th to 108th this week, while runner-up Scott Harrington rose more than 100 spots to No. 185 in the world.

Brooks Koepka remains world No. 1 as he gets set to defend his CJ Cup title this week in Korea, followed by Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm. Justin Thomas moved up a spot to No. 5 this week without hitting a shot, while Patrick Cantlay remained at No. 6.

Justin Rose was the only top-10 player to play last week, finishing T-15 in Italy, but he still fell two spots to No. 7 to mark his lowest world ranking in nearly two years. Bryson DeChambeau, Tiger Woods and Xander Schauffele round out the latest top 10.

HUMBLE, Texas – Lanto Griffin had a lot of people to thank after winning the Houston Open on Sunday.

No one deserved it more than Steve Prater, the former head pro at Blacksburg Country Club who not only served as Griffin's first instructor but also a second father after Griffin's dad, Michael, died when Griffin was 12 years old.

"I wouldn't be here without him," Griffin said Sunday, tears flowing down his cheeks. "I mean, he opened every door in golf that I ever had, teaching me for free, giving me a membership. He's had my back my entire journey. ... He deserves a lot more credit than he gets."

Griffin, 31, earned his way back to the PGA Tour this fall – he failed to keep his card during his rookie year two seasons ago – and had finished T-18 or better in four starts before breaking through for his first Tour victory Sunday at Golf Club of Houston. The win ended nearly a decade of struggles, particularly financially, as Griffin once had less than $200 in his bank account before winning on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2017.

Prater was there through it all, and last month Griffin attempted to pay back Prater for his years of support.

"I put Steve on payroll for the first time in 17 years to start this PGA Tour season, and he deserved every penny that I'm going to pay him," Griffin said. "I can't wait to write that check for him."

Manchester United are prepared to back manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the January transfer window but are warning that they will not overpay for players just to save the season, sources have told ESPN FC.

The Glazers and executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward accept that Solskjaer's squad has been left short in midfield and up front after the summer departures of Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez and Ander Herrera.

- When does the transfer window reopen?
- All major completed transfer deals

United are willing to bolster key positions in January but have made it clear to clubs and intermediaries that they will not be held to ransom over fees and wages after a disappointing start to the campaign. Solskjaer's team has slipped to 12th in the Premier League table ahead of Sunday's crucial clash with Liverpool.

Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic, 33, remains an option to provide competition for Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood up front but has been told he will need to drop his wage demands to secure a move.

Midfielder Ivan Rakitic is available from Barcelona, but sources have told ESPN FC that a move to United is unlikely because of family reasons.

Deals for long-term targets such as Leicester playmaker James Maddison, West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn, Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson and Lyon's Moussa Dembele will also be explored, but there is an acceptance that most of the next round of recruiting will have to wait until next summer.

Meanwhile, Solskjaer is sweating on the fitness of Paul Pogba ahead of Sunday's game. The French midfielder has been wearing a cast on his right foot after failing to recover from an injury picked up during the 1-1 draw with Southampton in August.

He has spent time at the Transform Altitude Performance Center in Dubai but is expected back at Carrington this week to be assessed by United's medical staff ahead of Liverpool's visit to Old Trafford.

United are set to have Daniel James available to face Liverpool after the winger denied he was knocked out during Wales' 1-1 draw with Croatia on Sunday. The 21-year-old lay motionless after a clash with Domagoj Vida but afterwards insisted he was "fine."

And Anthony Martial will be in contention to face the Premier League leaders if he can prove his fitness. The 23-year-old is set to return to training after missing eight games with a thigh injury.

Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil forward Neymar will be out of action for four weeks because of a thigh injury, the Ligue 1 leaders announced on Monday.

"Neymar underwent an MRI [scan] this afternoon... a medical check up will be done in eight days but his return to competition is expected in four weeks depending on the evolution [of the injury]," PSG said in a statement.

The striker is set to miss PSG's two Champions League games against Club Brugge next week and on Nov. 6. He'd already missed PSG's first two UCL games due to a suspension incurred last season.

Neymar picked up the injury during Brazil's 1-1 draw against Nigeria in a friendly game in Singapore on Sunday.

National team coach Tite on Sunday defended his use of Neymar in the Nigeria friendly in which the former Barca man limped off after 12 minutes with an injury.

The latest medical setback for Neymar is the third he has suffered while on national team duty in the last year, and comes as he was gaining his club form with PSG.

When asked about Neymar's injury after the match in Singapore on Sunday, Tite said his No. 10 was "not at all" an injury risk.

"It would be irresponsible and incompetent of me [to play him if he was a doubt]," Tite said. "I would have to receive the complaints of the coach and the president of PSG if that happened."

Neymar, who made his 101st appearance for the national team, touched the back of his left thigh as he left the pitch and was replaced by Philippe Coutinho.

A team spokesman said Neymar "felt discomfort," while Globoesporte.com cited the Brazilian team doctor as saying the player didn't feel much pain.

Neymar was at the centre of an acriminous transfer saga with PSG and former club Barcelona this summer, which led to tensions with the player, the French champions' front office, and their supporters.

He has scored four times in five league matches as PSG entered the international break atop the Ligue 1 table.

The draw extended Brazil's winless run to four games. Since lifting the Copa America in July, Brazil have also drawn with Colombia and Senegal and lost to Peru.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Germany internationals Ilkay Gundogan and Emre Can have been backed by the German FA after controversially liking a post on Cenk Tosun's Instagram account.

Tosun posted a photo showing him and other Turkey internationals saluting fans in support of the Turkish army's offensive against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces after the Euro 2020 qualifying win against Albania.

Tosun wrote on Instagram: "For our nation, especially for the ones who are risking their lives for our nation."

Several civilians and fighters have been killed in ongoing military actions and several European states, including Germany, have blocked sales to Turkey.

The Turkish Football Federation also posted an image on their Instagram showing players and staff saluting in the dressing room.

Although reports said UEFA will probe the incidents, European football's governing body told ESPN FC it could "not confirm" that because they had not yet received the match official's report from Friday's game.

Meanwhile, the salute and its digital imprint has led to more controversy in the Germany camp, just over a year after Mesut Ozil quit the national team after a heated debate over a picture showing the Arsenal star, Gundogan and Tosun with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

At the weekend, Tosun's post was liked by Germany internationals Gundogan and Can -- an action they quickly amended.

However, that was enough to stir up another debate over Germany national team players with Turkish backgrounds.

"I took the like back when I saw that it was judged to be political," Gundogan said in a statement published in parts by kicker. "Trust me: The last thing I wanted to do is make a political statement after what happened last year."

"What is true is that I was pleased for my former Germany U21 teammate that he scored the winning goal," Gundogan added.

Following the 3-0 win, he doubled down on his explanation and told reporters he had no "political intention" when liking Tosun's post.

Earlier, Can had told Bild that he unintentionally liked the post while scrolling through his timeline, and added he is against any war.

Both players were backed by Germany coach Joachim Low, who said postmatch that the likes were "in no case a political statement."

He added: "If you know those players, you'll know that they are against war and terror."

Germany general manager Oliver Bierhoff added: "Many players on this world liked that post. And you can't allege that all of them are in favour of war and terror."

Bundesliga 2 club FC St. Pauli, meanwhile, have released Turkish midfielder Cenk Sahin with immediate effect following an internal review.

On Friday, the 25-year-old former Turkey Under-21 international voiced sympathies with the Turkish army's military action in an Instagram story.

The club said they made their decision based on the player's "repeated disregard for the club values" but also to "protect the player."

They added: "Without any discussion and without any doubt we oppose acts of war. Those and solidarity for them fundamentally contradict the values of the club."

An extra US$2.6 million will be up for grabs at women's tournaments after the ICC announced a major boost in the prize money pool.

Winners of the Women's T20 World Cup in Australia next year will receive US$1 million and the runners-up US$500,000, five times the amounts on offer at the 2018 edition. The overall prize money will increase by 320% for 2020, compared to 2018, meaning a windfall for each of the 10 teams competing.

The prize pot for the Women's World Cup in 2021 will rise to US$3.5 million from $2 million in 2017 under changes announced by the ICC on Monday in the wake of increased revenue. The ICC Board also confirmed the introduction of an Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup, to be played in Bangladesh in 2021 and staged every two years after that.

ICC chief executive Manu Sawhney said the moves were part of a "commitment to reach parity across men's and women's cricket as part of a broader plan to grow and develop the women's game".

"We want to build a long-term sustainable foundation for women's cricket and that is about more than just prize money," he said in an ICC release. "It is about building a product that fans want to watch, that kids want to take up, that sponsors and broadcasters want to be part of.

"Creating a Women's U19 event also improves the pathway available to young cricketers and ensures they have the same opportunities as their male counterparts.

"Next year it's our ambition to fill the MCG on International Women's Day for the final of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2020 which would be a world record for a women's sporting event. This significant increase in prize money and the introduction of a Women's U19 event is part of a much larger effort to grow the women's game around the world."

The Board decided that the eight-year cycle starting in 2023 will comprise eight men's events, eight women's events, four men's Under-19 events and four women's Under-19 events. The ICC will call for expressions of interest from all member nations wanting to host events, with the bidding process to start early next year for women's and Under-19 events.

Meanwhile, Indra Nooyi was unanimously reappointed as the ICC's independent director for a second two-year term from 2020-22. Former PepsiCo chairperson and CEO Nooyi became the ICC Board's first independent female director in 2018. She sits on the board of directors at Amazon and Schlumberger.

Gareth Batty will embark on a 24th season of first-class cricket next year, after agreeing a one-year extension to his contract at Surrey that will keep him at the club at least until the eve of his 43rd birthday.

Batty, who turned 42 on Sunday, claimed 48 wickets in all formats in 2019, including 26 at 26.07 in eight County Championship fixtures, the second-most of any England-qualified spinner, behind Jack Leach.

His season included a remarkable display against Warwickshire at Edgbaston in May, where his ten wickets in the match included a hat-trick as he finished with a career-best 8 for 64 in the second innings.

After beginning his career at Yorkshire in 1997, Batty played for Surrey for four seasons before moving to Worcestershire in 2002, then returned to The Oval in 2010.

In 2016, at the age of 39, he was unexpectedly recalled by England for the Test series in Bangladesh and India, where he made his first Test appearances for more than 11 years.

Batty will be joined once again in Surrey's ranks by his fellow old boy, Rikki Clarke, 38, who has also extended his stay by another year. Coincidentally, the pair made their England Test debuts in the same fixture 16 years ago, against Bangladesh at Dhaka in October 2003.

Despite Surrey's disappointing season, Clarke enjoyed another prolific campaign with the ball, claiming 43 wickets at 23.97, including a best of 7 for 74 against Hampshire at The Oval.

Gus Atkinson, a 21-year-old seamer who has yet to make his first-team debut, also signed a one-year extension for the club.

Concerns are growing that the Bangladesh women's team, due to tour Pakistan for 11 days starting October 23, may not visit after all. The tour, which comprises two T20Is and three ODIs, all in Lahore, was believed to be a near certainty to go ahead as far as both boards were concerned, but is still awaiting clearance from the Bangladesh government.

The clearance was thought to be a formality despite the fact touring teams to Pakistan have, since 2009, needed extensive security guarantees from the PCB. Sri Lanka concluded a tour of Pakistan earlier this week that saw them play three ODIs in Karachi and three T20Is in Lahore, and although several leading players pulled out citing security concerns, the series itself went off without a hitch.

The status of the women's tour could also have an impact on the men's team, pencilled in to tour Pakistan in January. BCB's cricket operations committee chairman Akram Khan told reporters they would "only get the full details once the security team goes to Pakistan. As you all know, the BCB president mentioned how security is the top priority on tours after the New Zealand incident [when a terrorist killed 50 people inside two mosques in Christchurch]".

Khan would not be drawn on whether the women's tour getting the go-ahead would de facto be a green light for the men's series, too. "Security is definitely a concern but at the same time, we have to think about the development of women's cricket. But I have said it repeatedly that only when we get the government's green signal, will we go forward."

Ten days out from the women's team's scheduled arrival and with no confirmation, the PCB is understandably concerned. Aside from the logistical and financial hurdles delays would represent to the board, given the significant security effort that needs to go into assuring visiting teams are safe, the PCB is eager to begin a process of normalisation for international cricket in Pakistan. There was talk of Ireland visiting in the near future, and the PCB announced the entirety of the PSL would take place in Pakistan in 2020, in addition to a potential Test series against Sri Lanka.

Even if the Bangladesh women's tour was to proceed, the three Indian members of the support staff will not be travelling to Pakistan. Head coach Anju Jain, assistant coach Devika Palshikar, and trainer Kavita Pandey will be absent, the BCB saying they wanted to avoid visa-related difficulties because of the strained political ties between India and Pakistan. A number of Indian nationals involved in the TV production of the recently concluded Sri Lanka series were granted visas however.

Earlier this year, Karachi hosted West Indies women for three T20Is. The Bangladesh women's team last toured Pakistan in 2015, while the men's side hasn't visited since 2008.