I Dig Sports
An MRI revealed that Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green has torn ligaments in his left ankle that are likely to sideline him six to eight weeks, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Green is not expected to be ready for the regular-season opener Sept. 8 at Seattle.
He was carted off the field Saturday during the Bengals' first training camp practice of the season at Dayton's Welcome Stadium.
The Bengals were practicing at Welcome Stadium as part of the NFL's 100th anniversary celebration. The conditions of the field were considered subpar but the Bengals cleared the football field for use in the end, a source told Schefter.
Green's left shoe was removed before he departed the field. Last season, he missed seven games with a right toe injury.
That campaign marked only the second time Green did not have at least 1,000 receiving yards in a season during his eight-season career. Green, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, participated in Bengals minicamp in June.
Green, 30, only missed four games in his first five NFL seasons, but he has missed 13 games in the past three seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
He is entering the final year of his contract.
ESPN's Ben Baby contributed to this report.
More than one billion dollars in contracts were agreed to in the first 24 hours of the NBA's new league year, but free agency isn't a feeding frenzy for all players.
"Every year it gets harder," free-agent point guard Jeremy Lin said of his uncertain NBA future.
"In English there's a saying and it says once you hit rock bottom, the only way is up," an emotional Lin said as part of a motivational speech in Taiwan for Christian outlet GOOD TV. "But rock bottom just seems to keep getting more and more rock bottom for me. So, free agency has been tough. Because I feel like in some ways the NBA's kind of given up on me."
Lin, 30, won a championship with the Toronto Raptors this past season after a midseason trade, but he averaged just 3.4 minutes in eight total playoff appearances.
"After the season I had to get ready for this Asia trip and it was the last thing I wanted to do," Lin said. "Because I knew for six weeks I would have to just put on a smile. I would have to talk about a championship that I don't feel like I really earned. I would have to talk about a [basketball] future I don't know if I want to have. And honestly, it's just embarrassing. It's tough."
Once the talk of New York during the Linsanity craze, Lin has since battled injuries and played for a total of eight different teams in nine seasons.
He has averaged 11.6 points and 4.3 assists in his career, but he has not started more than three games in a season since 2016-17 for the Brooklyn Nets.
Lin's speech, called "The Waiting Game," focused on resilience, and despite the feelings he expressed, Lin offered hope for those who can relate to his issues.
"I'm here to just tell you don't give up," Lin said. "For those of you who are working hard but you don't see results -- don't give up."
Trevor Bauer showed his frustrations after surrendering the Cleveland Indians' lead to the Kansas City Royals on Sunday by throwing a baseball from the mound over the center field fence at Kauffman Stadium.
Bauer threw the ball as manager Terry Francona was coming on the field to take him out of the game. The Indians manager appeared upset at Bauer's actions and pointed to the dugout as he met the right-hander at the mound. Bauer appeared to acknowledge that he was in the wrong, putting his hand on his chest as Francona met him.
Bauer's actions surprised his teammates. especially second baseman Mike Freeman, who flinched as Bauer threw the ball.
Bauer allowed a single to shallow right by Chesler Cuthbert that tied the score at 5 and then a two-run single to center by Nicky Lopez that made it 7-5, ending his day. After Lopez's hit, Bauer tossed the ball at the backstop. He then made the throw over center field.
Bauer matched career highs in runs (8) and earned runs (7) allowed on Sunday, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Lapthorne loses British Open Wheelchair final to Dutch teen Vink
Home hope Andy Lapthorne's wait for quad singles success at the British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships continues after he lost to 16-year-old Dutchman Niels Vink in the final.
Lapthorne was beaten 7-5 3-6 6-2 in a hard-fought contest in Nottingham.
The 28-year-old has lost five of the past six finals at the LTA event.
Despite this defeat, Lapthorne has enjoyed an excellent summer on home soil having won the Wimbledon doubles and reached the singles final.
Lapthorne was beaten in straight sets by Australia's Dylan Alcott in the first quad wheelchair singles final at the All England Club, the day after the pair combined to win the quad doubles title.
Every day as her father, Mr Imad Lafta returned home from his work at the Iraqi-American army base, Najla would greet him with her arms wide open and a huge smile on her face.
On April 19th 2008 Najla raced outside to welcome her father home but little did Mr Imad Lafta realise just how quickly his daughter’s life was about to undergo a major change. Unaware that Mr Imad Lafta’s car had been sabotaged with a sticky bomb, Najla lost three of her limbs in a horrific incident aged just three at the time!
Following a lengthy stay in hospital, the extent of her wounds became fully apparent, leaving Najla in a state of despair:
“I was at the hospital three months and once I realized I had lost my legs and arms I cried and cried and became angry because I knew I had lost everything.” Najla Imad Lafta
Najla’s life had been turned upside down and could do nothing but try her best to adjust to her new life with the assistance of a wheelchair.
One memory Najla recollects about her time in fourth grade, looking around at the other girls in school and recognising just how different her life had become compared to her fellow pupils’:
“In fourth grade, I realised I was different from the other girls. I saw my friends were running at school, walking and playing, and they were thinking about what they would do in the future. All I could do was sit in my wheelchair and think that I wanted to run like them.” Najla Imad Lafta
However, Najla’s life was about to change again as she purchased a piece of equipment that would eventually lead her to sporting glory: a table tennis racquet.
Najla had to go through the frustrations associated with the process of learning how to play with her weaker hand, having been born right-handed. Aware of his daughter’s struggles, Mr Imad Lafta contacted a friend of his from the Iraq Paralympic team, Hossam Hussein al-Bayat for help.
Working on her technique for a couple of hours each day, Najla’s game improved at a staggering rate and earned a place in the Iraq Paralympic team at the age of 12! Now 14 years of age Najla has developed into one of the best players the Asian continent has to offer, an achievement heralded by the head of the Iraq Paralympic Committee Mr Aqil Hameed.
“What amazed me in Najla is that she is from a very poor family and lives in a neighborhood where squatters live and she has only one arm and she is the champion of Iraq and took the golden medal in the Iraqi championship and took the silver medal in Asia.” Mr Aqil Hameed.
To read more about Najla’s story make sure to head over to New York Times.
HOCKENHEIM, Germany – Max Verstappen took Red Bull Racing to victory in Sunday’s German Grand Prix, after the Hockenheimring played host to one of the wildest Formula One races in championship history.
Verstappen was the beneficiary of a mid-race safety car period in the wet-to-dry thriller, after Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc crashed into the tire barriers at lap 28 and then leader Lewis Hamilton spun one lap later near the pit entrance, damaging the front wing of his Mercedes in the process after tagging the wall.
When Valtteri Bottas pitted to switch from medium-compound to intermediate tires at that point, Verstappen vaulted from fourth into the race lead, and the Belgian largely controlled the proceedings from there.
Despite a shift in strategy following a lap-41 safety car period, when Nico Hulkenberg crashed his Renault from fourth, Verstappen was still able to rally back and find a path to victory lane.
The running order was turned on its head when the race went back green with 19 to go, as Lance Stroll – who gambled on a set of slicks – started making up positions at a rapid pace from outside the top 10 and forced the hand of all the frontrunners to pit and bolt on similar Pirelli rubber.
When the stops cycled through, the young Canadian actually found himself briefly leading the race, but Verstappen charged back through coming to the hairpin with 17 to go and reclaimed the lead for good.
Even with having to endure a five-lap sprint to the finish, after Bottas crashed while trying to pass Stroll for the final position on the podium, Verstappen never faltered out front en route to the victory.
After five pit stops, and even a spin at one point before he took the lead, Verstappen’s masterful rebound produced his seventh career F-1 win and second in the last three races.
“It was amazing to win in the end, but it was really tricky out there,” said Verstappen, who also posted the fastest lap of the race. “To make the right calls, you really had to be focused. We pitted onto the slick tires a little too soon earlier on and had a little moment, but it made for a nice little 360.
“To come out on top here required not making too many mistakes, but it’s amazing to win again.”
Though he had to start last in the 20-car field due to mechanical woes in qualifying on Saturday, Sebastian Vettel put on a vintage drive through the field and came home second behind Verstappen.
Vettel soared past Stroll with four laps left to reach the podium and finally worked around Daniil Kvyat for the runner-up spot inside of two to go. He crossed the finish line 7.333 seconds adrift of Verstappen.
“It was a long race. At some stages it felt like it would never end, but it was a lot of fun,” Vettel noted. “It was very tough, as Max said, with the conditions. It was hard to read what the smartest move would be, but I’m just happy. We needed this result and it’s a good day. … We just had to keep getting cars.”
Kvyat completed the podium, marking Toro Rosso’s second podium finish in team history and the best finish for the Russian since his career-best in 2015, a runner-up effort in the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Stroll hung on for fourth, his best finish since landing on the podium in Baku in 2017, with McLaren’s Carlos Sainz ending up fifth despite a near-date with the tire barriers in his own right earlier on.
The second Toro Rosso of Alex Albon, the Alfa Romeo duo of Kimi Räikkönen and Antonio Giovinazzi, and the Haas F1 pair of Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen filled out the remainder of the points-scoring positions.
In their 200th grand prix, it was a day to forget for Mercedes in the team’s home race. In addition to Bottas crashing out, Hamilton’s woes near the midpoint of the race left him down in 11th – snapping a 22-race streak of finishing inside the points for the five-time and defending world champion.
The finish:
Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, Daniil Kvyat, Lance Stroll, Carlos Sainz, Alexander Albon, Kimi Räikkönen, Antonio Giovinazzi, Romain Grosjean, Kevin Magnussen, Lewis Hamilton, Robert Kubica, George Russell, Pierre Gasly, Valtteri Bottas, Nico Hulkenberg, Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, Daniel Ricciardo, Sergio Perez.
POCONO, Pa. – The starting grid for the Gander RV 400 got a significant overhaul on Sunday morning, as nine cars failed pre-race inspection for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
Among those who came afoul of technical inspection at Pocono Raceway included fifth-starting Austin Dillon, whose No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 actually failed twice after the right-rear corner of the car was found to be too low.
As a result, Dillon’s team had a crew member ejected, and his qualifying time was disallowed – as were the times of all those who failed inspection, as is standard procedure during an impound weekend.
Also bitten by the inspection bug was seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, whose No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 originally qualified sixth but drops to the tail of the field due to an issue at the Optical Scanning Station.
Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron, who was to grid up eighth, saw his time disallowed too, making for a tough start to the day for Rick Hendrick’s camp.
Other cars who will lose their scheduled starting positions due to inspection failures include Michael McDowell (17th), Ryan Blaney (20th), Chris Buescher (28th), Corey LaJoie (30th), Ross Chastain (35th) and Reed Sorenson (36th).
The pole-winning machine of Kevin Harvick did pass inspection, meaning that the 2014 Cup Series champion and former Pocono winner will lead the field to the green flag on Sunday afternoon in the No. 4 Busch Beer Ford Mustang.
Harvick will be joined on the front row by fellow Ford driver and defending series titlist Joey Logano.
Coverage of the Gander RV 400 begins at 3 p.m. ET, live on NBCSN, the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.
CONCORD, N.C. – In motorsports, “moving up” refers to rising through the ranks and performing well in a division with stronger competition, faster cars, and sometimes older drivers.
For Lawson Rogers, a 16-year-old out of Concord, N.C., his decision to “move up” this season involves all three of the latter categories.
For the past couple of years, Rogers has been a hotshoe in both the Young Guns and Stock 4 divisions. Winning multiple races in Young Guns and having great finishes in Stock 4 at multiple race tracks, Rogers ultimately decided to get rid of his 4-Cylinder equipment during the offseason.
After that, he and his family went out and bought a 602 crate engine-powered open wheel modified.
When asking Rogers about the switch, he said the transition has not been all that difficult.
“I’ve found the modified to be a lot easier to drive than a 4-Cylinder” Rogers noted. “I have a lot more confidence and feel more comfortable in the car.”
Even though it has been pretty simple, Lawson is still finding his footing in the more powerful machine.
“Even though it has been easier to drive, I’m still just trying to find speed and pick up tenths everywhere I can,” said Rogers.
In a 4-Cylinder, most of the time going into the corner, drivers are letting off the throttle for a split second and mashing it back to the floor to get the car off the corner.
With his modified, however, Rogers finds himself going into the corners having to apply the brakes – the biggest thing he has had to learn.
“Throttle and brakes have been the hardest (things) for me, just being able to get the car planted and keep it on the bars. That has been a learning process.”
Rogers has had good runs through the first half of the season, but he is itching to get that first win under his belt.
“I’m definitely going to try and get a win,” he stressed. “I just have to get the monkey off my back and get rid of all this bad luck.”
Even though Rogers is a kid compared to some of the drivers he is racing against, he feels that he has the talent and the capability to be a star in the 602 Modifieds.
“I think we can definitely get there,” Rogers said. “It’s just going to take some hard work.”
Merritt grabs third-round Barracuda lead with 50-foot eagle on 18th hole
RENO, Nev. - Troy Merritt scored five points with a 53-foot eagle putt on the par-5 18th on Saturday to take a two-point lead in the Barracuda Championship, the PGA Tour's only modified Stableford scoring event.
Merritt had an 18-point round for a 37-point total at Montreaux Golf and Country Club. The scoring system awards eight points for albatross, five for eagle, two for birdie and zero for par, and subtracts a point for bogey and three for double bogey or worse.
A two-time winner on the PGA Tour, Merritt also eagled the par-5 second hole with a 20-footer.
''We were kind of not so pleased with the par-5 scoring the first two rounds,'' Merritt said. ''I think we sat at, I think, two points and you just can't do it out here. We took care of them today.''
He also made a 21-foot birdie putt on the par-4 17th.
''The golf wasn't overly spectacular the last couple of weeks, but the putter was ice cold,'' Merritt said. ''The swing's been a little better this week. I still missed some shots. But we really putted well this week. Read the green well and the speeds have been really good.''
Robert Streb, the leader Saturday morning after the completion of the storm-delayed second round, was two points back after a 32-hole day. He had 10 points in the third round, closing with three straight pars.
''I can go back to the hotel and put my feet up for a little bit,'' Streb said. ''Waking up at 4 a.m. and getting done at dark is a long day.''
Collin Morikawa was third at 33 after a 13-point round. The 22-year-old Morikawa is making his sixth start as a professional after recently completing his college career at the University of California. In his last two events, he tied for second at the 3M Open and tied for fourth at the John Deere Classic.
''It would mean everything, especially that I've locked up pretty much my card for next year,'' Morikawa said about the possibility of winning Sunday. ''The goal's to get in the playoffs, and the only way to do that is with a win. I've got this week and next week.''
John Chin followed at 31 with an 11-point round.
J.Y. Ko wins rainy Evian Championship for second major title of season
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France - Jin Young Ko clinched her second major title of the season, firing a final round 4-under 67 in the rain Sunday to win the Evian Championship by two shots with a 15-under total.
Winner of the season's first major, the ANA Inspiration in April, Ko closed out the victory after playing partner and longtime leader Hyo Joo Kim lost control with a triple bogey at the par-3 14th.
Ko took the two-shot lead she was given, and added a birdie at the par-4 17th to hold off strong finishes by American rookie Jennifer Kupcho (66) and Shanshan Feng (68).
The 24-year-old South Korean played the par-5 18th with a two-shot cushion and no drama. Kim (73) made a birdie to join a three-way tie for second.
The winner's check of $615,000 lifted second-ranked Ko atop the LPGA money list with almost $2 million this season.
Top-ranked Sung Hyun Park (75) was let down by her putting, falling into a tie for sixth at 10 under.
A final round played in steady rain ended in fading light at 7:35 p.m. local time. The start was delayed by two hours to prepare the Evian Resort Golf Club course after overnight downpours.
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