SEATTLE -- The arena for Seattle's NHL expansion franchise remains on track to open sometime in the summer of 2021.

Construction officials said Monday that the entire bowl of the former KeyArena has been demolished and excavation work is ongoing. Officials hope to begin digging down 15 feet from the current floor by year's end and to spend most of 2020 constructing the new seating bowl from the bottom up.

Ken Johnsen, who is overseeing the construction project for Oak View Group and the NHL franchise, says the most challenging part so far has been putting in supports to take on the weight of the 44 million-pound roof, which is staying in place. The new arena is being built under the roof, which has historical landmark status.

Johnsen says the budget for the project remains around $930 million.

Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid will be both play their Champions League Group A opener on Wednesday without a laundry list of suspended and injured stars.

PSG have ruled out both Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani in a medical update from the club.for the home match and Neymar is suspended for two games after lashing out at referees following the team's round-or-16 exit to Manchester United in last year's competition.

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Real Madrid announced on Monday that Marcelo would miss the match due to a back injury, with the Brazilian joining Isco, Luka Modric, Marco Asensio and Fede Valverde as fitness casualties along with suspended duo Sergio Ramos and Nacho Fernandez.

"After the tests carried out today on our player Marcelo by the Real Madrid medical services, he has been diagnosed with a post-traumatic cervicodorsal injury," Madrid said in a statement on Monday, without specifying how long he would be out.

The Brazilian, set to be replaced at left back by Ferland Mendy as the record 13-time winners' make their European bow, joins the long list of injuries suffered by Madrid this season.

Mbappe and Cavani both suffered injuries during last month's Ligue 1 home win over Toulouse and missed international duty with France and Uruguay, respectively, during the most recent break.

The pair have been training ahead of the Real clash but neither have been able to sufficiently prove their fitness, despite coach Thomas Tuchel revealing last week that both had trained well ahead of the victory over Strasbourg at Parc des Princes.

Mbappe took to Twitter to confirm the bad news: "It is now official -- I will not start our European campaign at home against Real Madrid. I am very sad not to be able to play, but I will give the team all the support I can from the stands. I still hope to return at 100 percent and to give my best, as always."

Summer signing Mauro Icardi, who made his debut as a substitute against in the last-gasp win over Strasbourg at the weekend, could well find himself needed as part of Tuchel's starting XI vs. Real this midweek.

Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen says it was "inappropriate" for Manuel Neuer to criticise him for expressing his desire to play more for the German national team.

Ter Stegen, 27, has been Barca's outright No.1 since Claudio Bravo moved to Manchester City in 2016, but has remained backup to Neuer in international football.

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After being an unused substitute in games against the Netherlands and Northern Ireland during last week's international break, Ter Stegen revealed it had been a "massive blow" not to feature at all.

Neuer responded by saying his comments were not helpful. The Bayern Munich stopper added that Ter Stegen didn't say anything while with the German camp and suggested he was also being disrespectful to the other goalkeepers pushing for a spot -- naming Arsenal's Bernd Leno and Eintracht Frankfurt's Kevin Trapp.

"There's competition for places and every player wants to play," Ter Stegen said in a news conference ahead of Tuesday's Champions League game against Borussia Dortmund in his homeland.

"That's football. A lot of the time you're happy, but there are also other feelings. I have expectations and I have to express them.

"You can see how I have behaved in recent years and I don't think that Neuer or others have to talk about my feeling or assess them. His remarks were inappropriate but I don't want to say much more, I want to bring an end to all this controversy."

Ter Stegen has won 22 caps for his country but has played just once during 2019 despite being promised action in the qualifying campaign for Euro 2020 by coach Joachim Low. That one appearance came in a friendly against Serbia, in which he played 45 minutes.

However, he remains Barca's first pick and will start on Tuesday back in Germany when the Spanish champions face Borussia Dortmund -- coached by his former manager, Lucien Favre -- in the Champions League.

Barcelona's defence is under the microscope, though, having conceded seven goals in just four league games this season.

"We're trying to stop the goals going in but things haven't come off," Ter Stegen said. "It's not what we expected. We have to improve. There have been mistakes which we can easily correct. We've spoken about it."

The game at Signal Iduna Park signals the start of a new European campaign for Barca as they look to get over last season's semifinal loss to Liverpool and win the Champions League for the first time since 2015.

"We know that we have to fight for everything every year," Ter Stegen said. "One defeat against Liverpool complicated our whole season last time out. But we have a team to be convinced that we can have success.

"Winning the Champions League is always our objective. Last year we messed up at a key moment."

Major League Soccer's seemingly endless regular season has just three weeks left, and the playoff race seems as jumbled as ever. With the playoff field expanding to seven clubs from each conference this season, the West is ridiculously tight, with just six points separating second through eighth place.

The Eastern Conference is a little more defined, although there remains plenty of jockeying for position in order to land a coveted home playoff spot. That homefield advantage will be crucial in 2019, with the MLS Cup playoffs moving to a single-game-knockout formula throughout the entirety of the postseason.

Here's how the push for playoff spots is shaking out.

- When do the playoffs begin and who's qualified?

The runaway favorite

LAFC | First in West (clinched playoff place) | 64 points
Next MLS match: Sept. 21 vs. Toronto FC (10:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+)

Such is LAFC's lead in the Supporters' Shield race -- seven points with four games to go -- that they can wrap up their first trophy next weekend if other results go their way. But the league's runaway leaders for most of the season have stumbled a bit of late, going winless in their past four games, by far their longest dry spell of the campaign.

Granted, the streak coincided with an injury to Carlos Vela, although he's back now. But a leaky defense that has conceded eight goals in the past four matches remains a concern, as does their in-game management. Still, the record for most points in a season, set last year by the New York Red Bulls with 71, is well within reach.

Looming on the horizon is a possible playoff matchup against intra-city rivals the LA Galaxy, but that would require Zlatan Ibrahimovic & Co. to hold up their end of the deal. (More on that later.)

Poised for a deep run

New York City FC | First in East (clinched playoff place) | 57 points
Next MLS match: Sept. 22 at FC Dallas (11 p.m. ET)

If postseason success is a function of a strong regular-season finish, then New York City FC has to like its chances. The Bronx club has taken 19 out of a possible 21 points in the past month, and even ground out four points last week without the services of striker Heber and playmaker Maxi Moralez.

Of course, a strong regular-season finish isn't a guarantee of anything, although the revised playoff format could benefit NYCFC by allowing for some major home cooking at Yankee Stadium. Getting the likes of Heber and Moralez back to health will loom large, but the improved play of Keaton Parks and the steady performances of Alex Ring and Valentin Castellanos still make NYCFC tough to beat.

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Philadelphia Union | Second in East (clinched playoff place) | 52 points
Next MLS match: Sept. 22 at New York Red Bulls (6:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+)

After a season of solid play, about the only thing the Union were missing was a signature win. On Aug. 31, Philly got it with a 3-1 victory over Atlanta United. The Union then went on and tied league-leading LAFC 1-1. Now a home playoff game in the opening round looks well within the Union's grasp.

Kacper Przybylko continues to find the net, upping his tally to 14 goals on the season, while Ilsinho remains an effective super-sub, netting three times and adding seven assists in games in which he came off the bench. Given that kind of quality, as well as tremendous balance in midfield, Philadelphia will be a tough team to get by in the playoffs.

Atlanta United | Third in East (clinched playoff place) | 48 points
Next MLS match: Sept. 18 at Cincinnati (7:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+)

It's almost as if Atlanta United thrives on drama. The Five Stripes looked to have put a season of dysfunction behind them when they won the U.S. Open Cup back on Aug. 27, but now Atlanta has dropped two in a row, including a 3-1 stinker of a defeat at home to the Columbus Crew that was totally deserved. With those two losses, Atlanta's hopes of finishing atop the Eastern Conference now look to be gone. Worse, the team's difficulty in defending in transition moments revealed itself once again.

One glimmer of hope is that Ezequiel Barco is due back soon, and Frank de Boer will be hoping it's the version that played well at the start of the campaign. Josef Martinez remains menacing in front of net. Now it's all about earning a home playoff spot. The talent is there. Can Atlanta regain its mental sharpness?

Can cause some upsets in October

Seattle Sounders | Second in West | 49 points
Next MLS match: Sept. 18 vs. FC Dallas (10:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+)

It always helps when a team gets players back from international duty. Even more so when that group includes Jordan Morris and Nico Lodeiro. Both Morris and Lodeiro inspired the Sounders to a 4-2 win against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday, and now Seattle finds itself in second place in the West.

Granted, not all is well in Sounder-land. Defensively, Seattle has been less than convincing in the past few weeks. But right now the attack is doing more than enough to put the Sounders firmly in the "home playoff game" zone.

Minnesota United | Third in West | 48 points
Next MLS match: Sept. 22 vs. Portland (3:55 p.m. ET, watch live on ESPN/ESPN Deportes)

The Loons remain on course to bag the first playoff berth in their brief history thanks to last weekend's 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake. Better yet, the up-and-down Darwin Quintero is on the up again, providing some support for the ascendant Mason Toye. Kevin Molino is rounding into form as well.

Consistency remains an issue for Minnesota, as witnessed by a recent defeat to the Houston Dynamo, but overall the Loons look to be a team on the rise.

Real Salt Lake | Fourth in West | 46 points
Next MLS match: Sept. 21 at New England (7:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+)

Real Salt Lake hasn't really skipped a beat since Freddy Juarez took over for the dismissed Mike Petke, going 5-3-0 during his time in charge. Given the way Minnesota took advantage of Salt Lake in transition, that will be an issue to watch, although for the most part RSL have been solid defensively.

A forgiving run-in that includes games against Houston and Vancouver should enable RSL to reach the postseason and send off the likes of Nick Rimando and Tony Beltran with a final, positive memory.

Toronto FC | Fourth in East | 45 points
Next MLS match: Sept. 21 at LAFC (10:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+)

TFC have surged up the table in the past month, securing 12 points from six matches and easing concerns that a second consecutive year without a playoff game was in the offing. Toronto's back line still looks suspect, especially in transition, but an attack that counts Alejandro Pozuelo and Jozy Altidore among its contributors remains potent.

Toronto will contest the Canadian Championship final against Montreal in the next 10 days, leaving manager Greg Vanney with some tricky squad rotation issues, but he no doubt can breathe easier now than he did a month ago.

The wildcards

D.C. United | Fifth in East | 45 points
Next MLS match: Sept. 22 vs. Seattle (8 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+)

The Black and Red were nearly in free fall, having won just once in seven games before the end of August. So what did DCU do? They grabbed a 3-0 victory at Montreal and followed that up with a 1-0 win in Portland, cementing a playoff spot. A first-round playoff game at home isn't out of the question either, as D.C. United finds itself level on points with Toronto.

But what this team will serve up next is anyone's guess. Wayne Rooney hasn't scored since July 18, although defensively the team is solidifying at the right time. Games against Seattle (at home) and away to the Red Bulls will shed more light.

LA Galaxy | Fifth in West | 45 points
Next MLS match: Sept. 21 vs. Montreal (10:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+)

The Galaxy broke out of their funk on Sunday with a 7-2 obliteration of Sporting Kansas City. Ibrahimovic had a hat trick and the Galaxy vaulted up to fifth place in the West.

It's tempting to think LA will push on given the friendly schedule it has down the stretch, but remember the Decision Day flameout against Houston last season, when the Galaxy squandered a playoff spot that was in their grasp? The players no doubt do. And for all the Zlatan talk, finding defensive consistency will be critical, as the Galaxy have been depending on goalkeeper David Bingham far too much.

New York Red Bulls | Fifth in East | 37 points
Next MLS match: Sept. 18 at Portland (10:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+)

Perhaps there isn't as much mystery about the Red Bulls these days as they might like. New York has dropped three in a row, and conceded eight goals while doing it. When Tyler Adams departed for RB Leipzig at the turn of the year, a defensive drop-off was expected, but what's taken place has been gargantuan. The Red Bulls' 48 goals allowed so far in 2019 are already 15 more than they conceded in all of 2018.

On the bubble

San Jose Earthquakes | Sixth in West | 44 points
Next MLS match: Sept. 21 at Atlanta United (3:30 p.m. ET)

The Quakes have paid the price for a schedule that has been heavy in away games of late, and San Jose has dropped five of its past seven matches as a result. The good news is that teams like Dallas and Portland haven't taken advantage of San Jose's woeful road form as much as they could have, so the Quakes still have the inside track on a playoff spot.

The San Jose front office has mostly gotten it right in terms of offseason acquisitions, with midfielder Cristian Espinoza and goalkeeper Daniel Vega doing plenty to lead the Earthquakes' revival. The same can't be said about defender Marcos Lopez, who has been the weakest link in a defense that hasn't been pulling its weight of late, leaving one to wonder why Nick Lima wasn't in the lineup last weekend against NYCFC. San Jose plays Portland away the last weekend of the season, and that may well be an all-or-nothing clash in terms of those teams' postseason hopes.

New England Revolution | Seventh in East | 40 points
Next MLS match: Sept. 21 vs. Real Salt Lake (7:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+)

Bruce Arena arrived back in May and stopped the bleeding almost immediately. But the Revs are officially in scuffle mode following a 1-2-4 stretch. That said, a playoff spot is still there for the taking.

Gustavo Bou remains as advertised, with seven goals and one assist in 10 games. Carles Gil has lived up to the Designated Player hype with nine goals and 14 assists. The defense remains suspect, however, and blowing a two-goal lead in Orlando on the way to a 3-3 draw hurts.

New England still controls its own destiny, but its schedule is brutal with games at home against Real Salt Lake and NYCFC as well as road tilts against Portland and Atlanta.

Portland Timbers | Seventh in West | 43 points
Next MLS match: Sept. 18 vs. New York Red Bulls (10:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+)

For all the talk of a home-heavy slate of games, the Timbers haven't made their home cooking count as much as they could have, dropping three of their past five. There are no gimmes in the last five matches either, save perhaps for an away date in Kansas City, although SKC are usually tough at Children's Mercy Park.

The Timbers haven't been the healthiest, and rued the absences of Brian Fernandez and Sebastian Blanco in Sunday's 1-0 loss to D.C. United. The back line has been dinged up too, but no one will be feeling sorry for the Timbers, who must find a way through in these last five games.

FC Dallas | Eighth in West | 36 points
Next MLS match: Sept. 18 at Seattle (10:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+)

Facing their biggest game of the year against Chicago, Dallas landed with a thud, losing 4-0. Some of the communication breakdowns on defense were the kind you see in preseason, not in September, although Bryan Acosta's absence due to suspension was keenly felt. Now Dallas is looking more and more like the odd team out in the West, with games coming up against Seattle and NYCFC. To survive, Dallas needs Acosta to continue his improved play while Zdenek Ondrasek will need to show his recent uptick in form isn't a mirage.

Chicago Fire | Ninth in East | 37 points
Next MLS match: Sept. 21 at Cincinnati (7:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+)

Was last weekend's 4-0 hammering of FC Dallas a case of the new owner bounce or a rare instance of the Fire's play being reflected on the scoreboard? Probably more of the latter, although there does seem to be a new era dawning with Joe Mansueto now taking sole ownership of the team. And with New England unable to close the deal just yet, the Fire are still alive in the playoff race, although Chicago is running out of time with just three games remaining. If the Fire are going to make it, their road form is going to have to improve. Chicago has two away games left and it has just one road win all year.

Fading from contention

Orlando City | 10th in East | 36 points
Next MLS match: Sept. 21 at Houston (8:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+)

The playoff window is all but shut for the Lions after last weekend's 3-3 home draw with New England. That three-goal outburst, with Nani contributing two goals and an assist, was a rare instance of offensive production this season. Orlando's attack is tied for the fourth worst in the league.

Montreal Impact | Eighth in East | 37 points
Next MLS match: Sept. 21 at LA Galaxy (10:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+)

The Impact switched coaches last month, swapping out Remi Garde for Wilmer Cabrera, but there's been little change in Montreal's fortunes, as the team's late- season fade continues. Montreal has picked up just four points in the past month -- despite the arrival of Bojan Krkic and Lassi Lappalainen -- and has won just twice since June 29. The coup de grace was last weekend's 1-0 defeat to lowly FC Cincinnati. There seems no way back for the Impact now.

Need a miracle

Sporting Kansas City | 10th in West | 37 points
Next MLS match: Sept. 21 vs. Colorado (8:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+)

A three-game winning streak gave SKC a glimmer of hope that reaching the playoffs was still possible, but those dreams were blown away following Sunday's 7-2 hammering at the hands of the Galaxy. It will be interesting to see the extent of the personnel changes sporting director and manager Peter Vermes will make ahead of next season.

Columbus Crew | 11th in East | 34 points
Next MLS match: Sept. 21 at Vancouver (5 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+)

The season may be all but over in terms of postseason aspirations, but the Crew have done an admirable job of playing spoiler, taking points off Chicago and handing Atlanta a rare home defeat. Costa Rican winger Luis Diaz looks to be a promising signing.

Season's over

Colorado Rapids | 10th in West | 36 points
Next MLS match: Sept. 21 at Sporting Kansas City (8:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+)

The Robin Fraser era has gotten off to an impressive start, going 3-1-0 in his first four matches. There's rarely any carryover from year to year, however, so the work to improve the roster has hopefully already begun.

Houston Dynamo | 11th in West | 34 points
Next MLS match: Sept. 21 vs. Orlando (8:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+)

The Dynamo haven't mailed it in completely just yet, handing Minnesota a 2-0 defeat last week. But there just isn't enough time left to make even a modest run for a playoff spot. All eyes are now on the front office to see who they will hire to manage the team next season.

Vancouver Whitecaps | 12th in West | 24 points
Next MLS match: Sept. 21 vs. Columbus (5 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+)

It's all about playing out the string now for the Whitecaps, although a recent win over Houston provided a bit of light on a lost season. With games remaining against the Galaxy and RSL, the chance to play spoiler is there for Marc Dos Santos' side.

FC Cincinnati | 12th in East | 18 points
Next MLS match: Sept. 18 vs. Atlanta United FC (7:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+)

Ron Jans picked up his first win as FCC manager, with the 1-0 win over Montreal putting a significant dent in the Impact's playoff hopes. He can only hope that GM Gerard Nijkamp is mining his contacts to find some help on both sides of the ball for next season.

For the first time in more than nine years, former USC great Reggie Bush is headed back to the Coliseum for a Trojans game.

Fox Sports announced on Monday that its new college football pregame show will broadcast live on location from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during USC's game Friday night against No. 10 Utah (9 p.m. ET, FS1).

Bush, along with a crew that includes ex-USC quarterback Matt Leinart and former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, will present a one-hour pregame show, plus halftime and postgame coverage from the field.

In June 2010, the NCAA ruled that the Trojans had to permanently disassociate themselves from Bush and his family, who allegedly received cash and other improper benefits from sports marketers while the running back played at USC from 2003 to '05.

The NCAA placed the Trojans on four years' probation, barred them from playing in bowl games after the 2010 and 2011 seasons and docked them 10 scholarships in each of three seasons. The Trojans were forced to vacate their 2004 BCS national championship, and Bush voluntarily returned his 2005 Heisman Trophy.

USC spokesman Tim Tessalone told ESPN on Monday that the university "checked with the NCAA and was told that if Reggie is in a working capacity, it is OK for him to be at the Coliseum for a USC game."

In an interview with The Athletic last month, Bush said he looked forward to returning to the USC campus if his new job required him to do it.

"I assume it would be amazing," Bush said. "Not to pat myself on the back, but a lot of the kids still commit there based off what we did when we were there in college. I still talk to a lot of guys there. I still have relationships with a lot of people there.

"I hear stories where guys come to USC and they want to wear my jersey or they want to meet me. So I'm flattered and I appreciate it. I think it speaks volumes to if you work hard enough, you'll be able to achieve it."

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey wants out of Jacksonville.

Agent David Mulugheta told ESPN's Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen on Monday that he asked the Jaguars to trade his client. League sources also told ESPN that the Jaguars have had talks with teams and are asking for at least one first-round pick but would like more than that in return for the two-time Pro Bowl cornerback.

Another league source also said he believes a trade could happen as early as this week because of the damage to the relationship between Ramsey and head coach Doug Marrone after Ramsey's sideline outburst during Sunday's loss to Houston.

Sunday's incident wasn't the first time Ramsey's discontent with the team spilled over into the public. He and fellow defensive backs Tashaun Gipson and Davon House were unhappy with the way they were used during the 2016 season. Ramsey, who was a rookie that year, and Gipson complained of being limited by the scheme and Ramsey also advocated a clean sweep of the defensive coaching staff.

Ramsey also was critical of the team's defensive calls in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship game against New England after the 2017 season.

Ramsey, the fifth overall pick in 2016, also wants a new contract. He said in the offseason that the team wasn't going to get a hometown discount after they told him they were not going to work on a contract extension for him this season. Ramsey, who showed up to training camp in a Brinks truck, is in the fourth year of his rookie contract and the team has picked up his fifth-year option in 2020.

Marrone said Monday that the team wasn't going to discipline Ramsey. He downplayed the sideline incident, which was caught by CBS cameras, in which Ramsey yelled at Marrone because he was upset that Marrone did not challenge a completion to Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Ramsey yelled at Marrone as he walked by on the sideline and moments later players and coaches had to get between Ramsey and Marrone near the bench.

"Those things, they happen all the time," Marrone said. "They really do. I think now they're a little bit more publicized but ever since I played there's always stuff that goes on during the course of the game. I know when I was a line coach they didn't see a lot of them, though, because no one was really in on them. But those things occur and it's a high-intensity profession. There's a lot of emotion that goes on.

"... We knew it was going to be a tough game, going to be on the road, we wanted to match that intensity with the Texans coming off that tough loss that they had and we were all jacked up."

Marrone said he did not speak to Ramsey about the incident either after the game or Monday. Ramsey left the post-game locker room after declining to speak to the media. The players had Monday off but will be back in the building on Tuesday to prepare for Thursday night's home game against Tennessee.

Ramsey was guarding Hopkins on a 3-yard completion that converted a third-and-2 late in the first quarter. Ramsey immediately jumped up and signaled incomplete toward the Jaguars sideline and wanted Marrone to challenge the play. Marrone didn't and Ramsey was irate when he came the sideline after the Texans took a 3-0 lead on a 39-yard field goal six plays later.

Ramsey stormed past Marrone and cornerbacks coach Tim Walton wrapped his arms around Ramsey and guided him to the bench. Marrone came over to the bench and exchanged words with Ramsey before safety Ronnie Harrison and strength and conditioning coordinator Tom Myslinski got between the two. Harrison walked Marrone away.

Marrone said Monday that he went to the bench to tell Ramsey to calm down and focus on the rest of the game. "I wanted him to move on from it," Marrone said. "I mean, that was over plays ago. Move on from it. Let's go. We've got a long way to go in this game. Get that behind you."

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Browns have never won a Super Bowl. But nearly year ago, against the same team they'll face on Monday Night Football, it sure felt like they did.

After going 635 days without a victory, the woeful Browns had become the NFL's punching bag and punchline. From Tim Couch to Johnny Manziel, Cleveland cycled through so many quarterbacks it became laughable, even to languishing Browns fans. The ineptitude had gotten so bad that Bud Light promised free beer in Cleveland if the Browns ever won again.

But under the Thursday night lights with a massive national television audience gradually tuning in, that all changed in Week 3 against the New York Jets.

A rally opossum appeared. Twitter was exploding throughout. The Bud Light fridges were unlocked. And in one game, rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield, who had embraced hype and hate at every turn, gave Cleveland hope of a football savior, while joining the pantheon of NFL superstardom.

And, at least for one night, it seemed as if the entire sports world was pulling for the Browns.

WE'RE ALLLL BROWNS TONIGHT

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 21, 2018

'We got our guy'

Mayfield says now he had a premonition something special was going to happen that night. No, he didn't "wake up feeling dangerous," to borrow his own famous catchphrase.

"It wasn't one of those bulls--- terms," he told ESPN.com. "It felt like I was back in college game day, where the first two games, I was like, I'd wake up, it's not the same game day feeling knowing that I go out there and I play right away.

"When I woke up that morning, I just think, there was just a different energy about it, I just felt like I was going to play that day and I just had a feeling about it, I don't know. ... it felt different."

Would it ever.

Late in the second quarter with the Browns trailing 14-0, the No. 1 overall draft pick out of Oklahoma replaced injured starter Tyrod Taylor. Mayfield immediately would start talking trash before summarily taking over the game. The comeback culminated with Mayfield's game-tying two-point conversion catch off Cleveland's version of the Philly Special, the trick play the Philadelphia Eagles ran in their Super Bowl LII win.

The improbable 21-17 victory ended the NFL's second-longest winless streak since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.

Congratulations @Browns!!!!!

— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 21, 2018

"I mean, it was just one of those movie reels, like a surreal moment. Like OK, we've got the No. 1 overall pick and he's going to lead us to the promised land," Browns safety Damarious Randall said of Mayfield, who wound up delivering one of the greatest rookie debuts for a quarterback in NFL history, and the best statistically, according to Pro Football Focus, since at least 2006. "The whole city rallied behind him and we definitely rallied behind him. We broke open the [Bud Light] cooler.

"That was really the start of something new."

Browns fans poured out of FirstEnergy Stadium and into the streets chanting Mayfield's name. Others cheered and sang at bars, drinking free Bud Light into the night.

"The feeling coming out of that game was, 'We got our guy.' This guy has what it takes to be that franchise quarterback," said longtime Browns Pro Bowl offensive tackle Joe Thomas, now an analyst with NFL Network, who was on the FirstEnergy sidelines that night. "Baker gave that hope back to a franchise that was desperate for some hope. Those fans were desperate for hope."

The momentum Mayfield ignited carried through last season. He set a rookie record for touchdown passes as he narrowly finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting to New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley. Even though the Browns flopped last weekend in their most-anticipated season opener in decades, the promise of the foundation Mayfield helped put in place remains, as Cleveland seeks to end the NFL's longest playoff drought this year.

"That was a major starting point. You could physically see it," said Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward, also a rookie last season. "And Baker showed that he was our guy, our star quarterback."

The Cleveland Browns win a game for the first time in 635 days.

With titanic music.

It happened. pic.twitter.com/NtzDPW6b3G

— paco (@AllaireMatt) September 21, 2018

Since the franchise returned to Cleveland in 1999, the Browns have started 29 different quarterbacks. But not since Couch had Cleveland drafted a quarterback No. 1 overall, until Mayfield, who won the Heisman Trophy with the Sooners.

"Baker had a huge following because of his personality and the success he had in college," Thomas said. "So nationally, he was already a huge brand."

Yet unlike the Jets, who started fellow first-round draft pick Sam Darnold from Day 1, Cleveland coach Hue Jackson refused to give Mayfield the chance to win the starting job in training camp, deferring to Taylor instead. As the Browns' winless streak continued to balloon, so did anxiety among the fan base.

"'Put in Baker,' that's all we'd hear," Randall said. "The crowd would go crazy every time we didn't get a first down."

Fate would finally step in and overrule Jackson. With three minutes to go before halftime, Taylor was sacked and suffered a concussion.

Mayfield doesn't know who told him he was going in, but he does remember what he was saying to himself as he watched Taylor gingerly leave the field.

"It's never the way I want go in, but just the energy, you know I was thinking to myself, 'Not a lot left in the second quarter, get some points, get some momentum, just because the crowd's going to be a different animal in the second half,'" he said.

All it took for the crowd to erupt, however, was Mayfield grabbing his helmet.

"I remember Baker, the camera zooms to Baker and Baker's snapping his helmet on and he runs in there and I'm at home and I could feel the crowd from my house," said then New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., not knowing at the time he'd be joining the Browns in a few months.

"I get chills thinking about it. I could feel it."

Critters in Section 149

Mayfield's morning premonition wasn't the only pregame omen.

Greg Pleasant was in his seat in Section 149 about an hour before the game when he noticed a stir two sections over. An opossum had hunkered down along one of the rows in the southwest corner of the stadium, and was scaring fans from their seats. Pleasant had no experience wrangling critters. But he decided to take action, anyway.

"I'm not afraid of a opossum, man," he recalled to ESPN. "I'm not afraid of animals."

Pleasant bravely made his way to the opossum, scooped him up by his tail and placed him in a box provided by a security guard.

That possum needs to be at every Browns game from now on.
(Also Baker Mayfield) pic.twitter.com/J41uogMc8W

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) September 21, 2018

Pleasant, who said he doesn't use Twitter or Facebook, went back to his seat next to his wife to get ready for the game -- unaware he was about to go viral.

"The guy that took the videos informed us that he posted the video on, I don't know, on YouTube or something," Pleasant said. "I was around my section until we were leaving the game, so I thought that just people from my section were complimenting me on grabbing the opossum. But then we were leaving the stadium and people were coming up to me outside of the stadium. I'm like, 'Well, these people aren't from our section.'"

Pleasant couldn't believe it when the following morning, driving his daughter to school, the local sports talk radio station was talking about him.

Security had released the opossum humanely outside the stadium. And Browns fans had an impromptu mascot to commemorate the night.

Three weeks later, the Browns made Pleasant an honorary Dawg Pound captain.

Coincidentally, that same morning, an opossum -- the same one? -- was spotted outside FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns would win that game against the Baltimore Ravens, too.

That wouldn't be the end of critters for Pleasant, though. This past May, he was changing the tires on his car when he noticed a baby raccoon with a wounded foot.

"Vets won't touch a raccoon," Pleasant said, "so I had to fix him up myself."

"Chomps" now lives at the Pleasants' house.

"He's more of a pet now," Pleasant said. "We have a dog kennel that he sleeps in. ... Yes, he likes the trash. He's big enough now that he just climbs into the trash can."

Talking trash

In his first career NFL huddle, Mayfield told the offense, "Let's get this s--- done," according to tight end David Njoku.

"[Mayfield] just took complete control," Njoku said. "And we all bought in."

Mayfield was also talking trash -- a lot.

"It's funny because you could see Baker's confidence, but also at the same time you're like, 'Baker, you're not the one blocking these guys,'" veteran offensive lineman Joel Bitonio said. "I look back on it now, and that's how I knew Baker was going to be confident and have this swagger to him.

"But at the time I was like, 'Quit talking! We haven't done anything yet.'"

The most memorable banter came as he was kneeling the ball before halftime.

"One of the linebackers was like, 'I'm coming for you, rookie,'" Mayfield recalled. "I was just like, 'Turn around, man. I don't know your last name, I don't know who you are.' Just one of those."

Nobody, fittingly, can remember who that Jets linebacker was who attempted to rattle Mayfield. But it obviously didn't work.

"That's a true story, that definitely happened," Tretter said.

"If someone wants to challenge Baker, Baker will be open for the challenge. That's just his personality. He's going to talk back. That's just who he is."

Despite the talk, Mayfield was focused on getting points before halftime. He completed his first pass to Jarvis Landry for a first down. The second, he found Njoku for another.

"You definitely felt the momentum shift when he came in," said Jets defensive end Henry Anderson. "He started to complete some passes and obviously the fans were feeling it, too. They were pretty hyped."

Mayfield eventually did as he hoped, leading the Browns to a 45-yard field goal before halftime. Cleveland trailed by 11. But it felt like it had the lead.

And that's when the rest of America seemed to begin tuning in to what would become the NFL Network's highest-rated Thursday game in three years.

Cleveland Special

Because they utilized it to beat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, the Eagles get the credit for the reverse-pass-back-to-the-quarterback trick play. But in actuality, a few weeks before that Super Bowl, Oklahoma executed a version of the Philly Special with Mayfield during the Rose Bowl against Georgia.

While preparing for the Jets, Cleveland installed a copy of the play. Problem was, the Browns practiced it exclusively with Taylor catching the pass; Mayfield didn't get a chance to run it once.

After Mayfield's 29-yard strike to Landry set up a touchdown in the closing seconds of the third quarter, the Browns had the chance to tie the game on a two-point try. Their first attempt failed, but was negated by offsetting penalties. So the Browns dialed up their version of Philly Special, which for them had the banal designation of "reverse pass."

Mayfield, whose pregame routine throughout his college career included mimicking catching touchdown passes, told Landry he "was gonna get open for him." Admitting he had no idea whether Mayfield could catch, Landry remembers Mayfield also saying to throw the ball to him "no matter what."

After running back Duke Johnson took the direct snap and flipped the ball to him on the reverse, Landry saw Mayfield was open. With his left hand, he flipped the ball to Mayfield, who comfortably hauled in the pass at its highest point with two hands.

LANDRY TO MAYFIELD!

The two-point conversion is good! #NYJvsCLE pic.twitter.com/52OQ5iE2WI

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 21, 2018

"That was huge for us," Mayfield said. "The stadium was going wild, too."

Mayfield wouldn't be stopped after that. On the game-winning touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, he converted two third downs with a pair of completions, to finish 17-of-23 for 201 yards in just over a half.

"He's relentless, he just competes," said Browns coach Freddie Kitchens, who was an offensive assistant last season. "Didn't really know what the reads were and stuff like that.

"But he just made stuff happen."

'Oh God. The free beer thing'

Robert Costanzo has managed the Grindstone Tap House for 17 years. And he's not sure he has ever had a night like the one when the Bud Light fridge was opened.

"We were at standing room capacity, it was ridiculous," said Costanzo, whose Berea bar is located just around the corner from the Browns' practice facility. "Everyone was so pumped up. And I'm not sure if they were more pumped up about the refrigerator getting open or that we had won the game."

Cleveland, the @Browns won. The fridges are open. Go celebrate with a Bud Light. You've earned it. pic.twitter.com/RvjJ0WvpyO

— Bud Light (@budlight) September 21, 2018

Partnering with the Browns, Bud Light had proposed several ideas to leverage Cleveland's lovable losing. Finally, they came up with the Victory Fridge.

Bud Light provided 10 different bars across Ohio with locked fridges stocked with 200 cans of beer apiece. Bud Light also parked two fridges at FirstEnergy Stadium. Once the Browns finally won, those fridges would be unlocked, giving fans free Bud Light to celebrate.

Privately, team officials were concerned if the Browns remained winless and the fridges stayed locked deep into the season, the gimmick might turn the team into a bigger joke. But thanks to Mayfield, Cleveland didn't have to wait long for free beer.

We WON!!! --Wait....Oh God. The free beer thing...Ok Cleveland. Stay calm. GO BROWNS!!! @Browns @budlight #CLE

— Cleveland Police (@CLEpolice) September 21, 2018

The marketing ploy was such a smashing success, Bud Light followed up this month by creating a mock pop-up appliance store with the Browns to sell commemorative victory fridges. The inventory ran out in hours, with more than 2,000 fridges selling in the store and online. Net proceeds went to Browns charities.

"People were [lined up] at like 4 a.m.," said Landry, who along with defensive end Myles Garrett and wrestling star "The Miz" attended the event. "It was crazy."

Day 1 of a winning streak

After the game, Thomas was exhausted from a day of work with NFL Network. But like the rest of Cleveland, he wasn't about to go to bed, either.

"The city was on fire," he said. "It was just such a special moment. ... There were just people everywhere. Nobody wanted to leave the stadium, nobody wanted to leave the streets, the bars were packed until [closing] time, and even then the police that night were like, 'All right, you guys can stay out a little longer.'"

Thomas went to eat at a restaurant near the stadium and ran into legendary Browns running back Jim Brown. Together over drinks and appetizers, they talked about Mayfield and the team for hours.

"I just remember how optimistic he was about Baker leading that franchise," Thomas recalled. "How excited he was to see that stadium as excited as they were, with as much hope as they had. He hadn't seen the fans that optimistic, that excited about a team or a player in a long time."

It didn't stop the next day.

"I went out to eat and I couldn't sit down," Garrett said. "People were bum-rushing me, [saying], 'Did you see that?' It was like, 'Yeah, I was there. I remember the whole thing, I'm still sore from it.'"

The reaction of the crowd as he ran into the tunnel that night has stuck with Mayfield. And at that moment, it cemented his connection to them and to the city.

"It meant so much more for them," he said. "The mood and culture of this town of 'Here we go again,' it was critical for us. ... We got the first one. Let's put all the bulls--- aside of, 'Oh, they're gonna have another 0-and-16 year,' and let's just go to work."

Mayfield went home that night with his parents and brother, who were in town. He had a celebratory beer, went to team meetings the following morning, then caught a flight to Oklahoma to watch the Sooners play that weekend.

Bitonio, now in his sixth season with the Browns, is Cleveland's longest-tenured current player. Prior to last season, he'd played in nine wins -- total -- in his NFL career. He'd been through Manziel, three head coaches and all 635 days of that streak. Bitonio, too, confessed he was growing desperate for hope.

In Mayfield's performance against the Jets, he finally found it.

"I never felt so much relief and so much joy after a game," Bitonio said. "I hope we win a championship coming up here soon, and people are like, 'That was the turning point. That was Baker Mayfield's start.' It'll be one of those ESPN classic games where you have the Philly Special play, and you had that rally possum and the Bud Light fridges, and 635 days. ...

"Down the line, people are going to be like, 'That was the start of it. That's when the tide shifted.'"

BOSTON -- When Michael Jordan decided to get into the tequila business, he could have slapped his name on the label, maybe autographed a few bottles and sold out the whole run in hours.

No matter what it tasted like.

Instead, the basketball hall of famer and owner of the Charlotte Hornets teamed up with owners from the Celtics, Lakers and Bucks to create an ultra-premium blend of the agave liquor that has already won prizes at tasting competitions from New York to Los Angeles.

"It's not about the ownership group. It's not a celebrity-endorsed brand," said Emilia Fazzalari, the CEO of Cincoro Tequila and the wife of Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck. "It was never about that. For us, it has always been about the liquid first."

The idea came about three years ago, when Jordan bonded over a love of tequila while having dinner with Grousbeck, Fazzalari, Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and Milwaukee Bucks owner Wes Edens.

"We wanted this tequila that tasted great," Fazzalari said in a telephone interview Monday. "We are competitors on the court. We stand across from each other and compete throughout the season. But we are collaborators by nature."

The basketball magnates didn't just write a check and then watch from afar.

Jordan was involved in the design of the bottle, working with Mark Smith, the vice president of innovation special projects at Nike. They came up with a five-sided crystal container -- a reference to the five leaves of the agave plant -- that tilts up at a 23-degree angle -- a nod to Jordan's uniform number.

"Michael's influence was really as a true tequila lover and a person who only does things right," Grousbeck said.

Edens brought knowledge of supply chain logistics to the group. There were weekly conference calls, and meetings. Together the partners tasted 1,000 different blends before settling on a flavor.

"All the partners are actively involved in the company, and we all have been from Day 1," Fazzalari said. "They're not silent partners."

Cincoro is bottling four different tequilas, starting with the unaged Blanco that sells for $70. A limited edition Extra Anejo, aged 40-44 months, is listed at $1,600 and comes in a black crystal bottle that is inlaid with real gold.

According to Russ Pareti, Cincoro's chief marketing officer, the tequila market is growing by 10% a year. But the ultra-luxury market is expanding by 40% annually.

"There's really a large runway," he said.

Fazzalari would not disclose specific sales or reveal production numbers, except to say they have sold out in some of the 12 U.S. markets they have launched in so far. They hope to be in all 50 states next year, and then take it to Asia and Europe, Grousbeck said.

Grousbeck said NBA owners have been known to go into business together before, on occasion investing in the same company or fund. But he could not recall a time where four or more teams have joined up on a project.

"It's pretty rare," he said. "But there is a good bond among team principals in general."

Dave Martinez will not manage the Nationals in St. Louis on Monday because he stayed in Washington to undergo a heart procedure.

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo told the media that Martinez experienced chest pains during the team's home game against Atlanta on Sunday. The manager left in the sixth inning and was taken to a hospital.

Martinez, 54, underwent a cardiac catheterization and will remain in the hospital undergoing tests. Rizzo said that Martinez was "upbeat" but that there was no timetable for his return.

Bench coach Chip Hale will manage the team Monday. He replaced Martinez on Sunday.

The Nationals currently own the first wild-card spot, 1.5 games ahead of the Chicago Cubs. This is a key three-game series against the NL Central-leading Cardinals.

Martinez is in his second season managing the Nationals. After winning 82 games last season, the Nats have matched that total this season with 14 games to play.

Martinez had a 16-year MLB career with nine teams.

Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo will have his sprained right ankle immobilized in a boot for five to seven days and then will be evaluated, keeping open the possibility that he will play again this season.

Rizzo had to be helped off the field Sunday after turning his ankle while fielding a sacrifice bunt. He underwent an MRI on Monday that revealed a moderate lateral right ankle sprain, according to the team. X-rays on Sunday did not reveal a fracture.

"I have every intention of doing everything I can with the training staff to be back on the field with the boys," Rizzo told reporters before the Cubs-Reds game Monday night. "I think in a few days, really, will tell us a lot more."

Victor Caratini was in the lineup at first base Monday. Manager Joe Maddon said that Ian Happ, who replaced Rizzo Sunday, will also see time there.

Rizzo, who is known for charging hard on bunt attempts, broke toward the plate in the top of the third inning when Pirates pitcher Trevor Williams squared to bunt. As he neared the ball, Rizzo's foot appeared to dig into the turf and his right ankle turned.

After being tended to by a Cubs trainer and manager Joe Maddon, Rizzo was helped to the dugout, not putting much weight on the right foot.

"We're gonna miss Riz, we already miss Javy, but I really believe the rest of the group is up to the task,'' Maddon said, referring to Chicago's postseason pursuit already being hindered by a fractured-thumb injury to shortstop Javier Baez.

The Cubs hold the second wild card, one game ahead of the Brewers. They trail the Nationals by 1.5 games for the first wild card and the Cardinals by two games for the NL Central lead. They play St. Louis seven times down the stretch.

Cubs president Theo Epstein said the team will know more about its options for Rizzo once he is out of the walking boot.

"Once we get past that period of time then we can see if there are ways to manage the discomfort," Epstein said. "If there ways through taping to give him some stability to give him at least a chance to contribute in some way down the road.

"We're not shutting any doors but we're realistic that this was a legitimate injury that under ideal circumstances would take some time to heal."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.