SAN FRANCISCO -- Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala will make his season debut on Saturday against the Orlando Magic.

The Warriors and Iguodala have been targeting a return for the second half of the season since training camp, but Saturday -- which will be the Warriors' 40th game of the season -- became a more concrete target date over the past week as Iguodala began to scrimmage with the team.

Iguodala will play under a minute restriction, but it's unclear what that will look like at the moment.

"I try not to get too caught up in that because then you start overthinking or you press based on how many minutes you're playing," Iguodala said after practice on Friday. "You've just got to do what you can do with what you've got. Look at it as a whole, instead of just one night ... June is a lot more important than January."

After signing a one-year veteran minimum deal over the summer, Iguodala has been inactive with what the team labeled as left hip injury management.

Golden State knew Iguodala's availability wouldn't be consistent this season, as it also wasn't when he returned to the team in 2021.

Last season, Iguodala played just 31 games during the regular season. Between Jan. 18 and March 31 of last year, Iguodala played in just two games. He rested on one end of every back-to-back the Warriors played. He also missed 15 games during the postseason -- 12 consecutively.

What Iguodala's workload looks like moving beyond Saturday is still up in the air.

"The hardest thing when you get older is to stack up games," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "As we saw with Andre last season, all of a sudden something swells up and you don't even know why. I am not worried about his production or play. It's more about preserving him for the long haul. I know he's going to help us win."

The Warriors believe his value to the organization stretches far beyond his on-court impact. They credit him as being a "player-coach" and has become a mentor to the team's younger players, especially Jonathan Kuminga.

"He's such a freak athlete, he's still in amazing condition, but his brain is his most powerful weapon," Kerr said of Iguodala.

Iguodala's return comes in the middle of a stretch where the Warriors' roster has been depleted.

Stephen Curry has been sidelined since Dec. 14 with a left shoulder subluxation, though the team is hopeful he'll be able to play next Friday in San Antonio.

On Friday, Curry practiced with the team for the first time since sustaining his injury, including contact and 5-of-5 work.

"Today was pretty much no limit, the first real reps I've got at that ... It felt good," Curry said. "I feel like I haven't lost too much in terms of conditioning ... the whole plan has been to be ready when I'm ready ... with this one, it's kind of about getting through as much of the testing phase of it as possible. So if I can get a few more reps and keep moving in that direction then ill be ready."

Andrew Wiggins has been also out since Dec. 15 with an adductor strain and following illness, but he practiced in full on Friday and is probable for Saturday.

Kuminga, JaMychal Green and James Wiseman will be out for at least one more week with varying injuries and illnesses.

The last time Trevor Bauer took the mound, he seemed to have reached the apex of his pitching career. By the summer of 2021, the talent that made him a first-round draft pick and the curiosities that unlocked cutting-edge training regiments had finally converged. He was a reigning Cy Young Award winner who stood among his profession's top earners and best performers, a legitimate ace on one of the sport's most celebrated pitching staffs. Then everything changed.

And now it's fair to wonder whether Bauer's major league career might be finished.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, after deliberating much longer than many anticipated, have ensured Bauer's career will not continue with their organization. They designated Bauer for assignment on Friday, two weeks after his suspension under Major League Baseball's domestic-violence policy was trimmed from 324 to 194 games. Bauer is expected to clear waivers and officially become a free agent next Friday. The Dodgers will be on the hook for $22.5 million of Bauer's 2023 salary but will save $720,000 if another team signs him for the minimum. And now the predominant question is: Will any team do it?

The industry's perspective, if it can be summarized with one sentence: Unlikely, but not impossible.

ESPN surveyed about two-dozen agents and front-office executives over the past month in an effort to gauge Bauer's potential free agent market, and the answers didn't deviate much beyond that. The most common response landed closely with what a rival general manager plainly stated in a text message on the night of Dec. 22, moments after an independent arbitrator ruled that Bauer -- having already served 144 games in 2022 -- would be docked pay for the first 50 games of the 2023 season but would be reinstated immediately.

"I don't expect anyone will sign him," the GM wrote.

Bauer's punishment was ultimately reduced by 40%, but the arbiter who spent parts of eight months reviewing findings and hearing testimony nonetheless ruled that he deserved what still amounted to the longest suspension under the domestic violence, sexual assault and child-abuse policy that was jointly agreed to by MLB and the MLB Players' Association in August of 2015.

Bauer, 31, is the 16th player suspended under that policy and the first with more than one publicly known accuser. He has three -- the San Diego woman who triggered MLB's investigation, alleging Bauer essentially took consensual rough sex too far, and two other women who made similar allegations to the Washington Post.

"Nobody's touching that guy," an agent told ESPN recently. "Not a chance."

But the possibility was raised by a handful of the agents and executives whom ESPN spoke with in recent weeks, before and after the reduction was announced. Bauer will still be only 32 next month, with a healthy arm and a distinguished track record. And soon, barring the unlikely scenario of the Dodgers finding a trade partner, Bauer can be had for the major-league-minimum salary -- at a time when free-agent contracts are through the roof, and dependable, upper-echelon starting pitchers are more rare than ever.

"I think there will be teams that will at least be interested," another agent said.

"Some teams will just take the arm," a front-office executive added, "and they'll deal with the blowback later."

The Houston Astros of Jeff Luhnow took a similar approach, acquiring prominent closer Roberto Osuna from the Toronto Blue Jays in July of 2018, less than three months after he was arrested for alleged assault against the mother of his child. The Cleveland Browns traded for star quarterback Deshaun Watson in March of 2022, and subsequently signed him to a record contract, even though more than two dozen women have filed lawsuits against him for sexual misconduct. Talent often transcends morality, and professional sports is littered with examples.

Bauer, though, would bring a unique challenge to a prospective new employer, according to one rival executive. As he described, it isn't just the stain on an organization's reputation or the backlash from its fans or the general negativity that would surround it -- it's that Bauer hasn't shown an ounce of contrition throughout this process. In fact, he has taken the opposite approach, fighting every allegation vehemently.

"If you sign someone with that type of baggage," one agent noted, "you have to walk him through the reclamation tour. And I don't think he's coachable for that."

In that regard, Bauer's public response to the arbiter's ruling was telling -- just a short tweet, comprising 18 words and two emojis.

The 2023 season Vlog is going to be ??! Can't wait to see y'all out at a stadium soon!

— Trevor Bauer (トレバー・バウアー) (@BauerOutage) December 23, 2022

It was an encapsulation of the way Bauer has approached the sexual assault allegations that have been levied against him; a reminder that he does not care to, and does not feel obligated to, account for his missteps or apologize to those who were hurt by his actions. It also hinted at what's to come -- an uncertain major league future for a man who does not believe it should be in question.

Suspensions of Bauer's length are exceedingly rare in the 56-year history of the MLBPA, which gave players an avenue to fight the lifetime bans that were frequently handed out in earlier decades.

Jenrry Mejia received a permanent ban in 2016 for multiple positive PED tests, though he was reinstated two years later. Dwight Gooden and Steve Howe received year-plus suspensions for drug-and-alcohol-related issues. Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano, Marlon Byrd, Francis Martes, Cody Stanley and Pascual Perez all received 162-game suspensions for their ties to PEDs. Sam Dyson also received a 162-game suspension for violating the domestic violence policy in March of 2021. Bauer has since topped it, becoming one of just three active players in the last half century -- along with Mejia and Gooden -- to be handed suspensions that exceeded a full season.

That's the history Bauer is dealing with.

That's the history prospective suitors would have to reckon with.

It seems unlikely that anyone would take on the risk, but in the words of one GM:

"All it takes is one team."

The Los Angeles Dodgers officially cut ties Friday with starting pitcher Trevor Bauer, the embattled former Cy Young Award winner who was handed an unprecedented suspension following allegations of sexual assault.

Bauer was designated for assignment, which means the Dodgers have until 2 p.m. ET on Thursday to find a trade partner. If they can't, Bauer will be placed on unconditional release waivers. If he clears those, he'll be officially released and become a free agent the following day, which is considered the likely scenario.

The Dodgers' decision came two weeks after an independent arbitrator trimmed Bauer's suspension from 324 games to 194, reinstating him immediately but docking his pay for the remaining 50 games to begin the 2023 season. The ruling triggered a 14-day window for the Dodgers to decide whether to add him to their 40-man roster.

They stretched their decision right up until Friday's deadline, ultimately choosing a route that had been widely expected throughout the industry for the last several months.

"The Dodgers organization believes that allegations of sexual assault or domestic violence should be thoroughly investigated, with due process given to the accused," the team said in a statement Friday. "From the beginning, we have fully cooperated with Major League Baseball's investigation and strictly followed the process stipulated under MLB's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy.

"Two extensive reviews of all the available evidence in this case -- one by Commissioner Manfred and another by a neutral arbitrator -- concluded that Mr. Bauer's actions warranted the longest ever active player suspension in our sport for violations of this policy. Now that this process has been completed, and after careful consideration, we have decided that he will no longer be part of our organization."

Bauer says he was told by Dodgers leadership on Thursday that they "wanted me to return and pitch for the team this year."

"While we were unable to communicate throughout the administrative leave and arbitration process, my representatives spoke to Dodgers leadership immediately following the arbitration decision," he said in a statement released shortly after the Dodgers' decision on Friday. "Following two weeks of conversations around my return to the organization, I sat down with Dodgers leadership in Arizona yesterday who told me that they wanted me to return and pitch for the team this year.

"While I am disappointed by the organization's decision today, I appreciate the wealth of support I've received from the Dodgers clubhouse. I wish the players all the best and look forward to competing elsewhere."

The Dodgers are on the hook for the $22.5 million he's still owed for his final season under contract but would save $720,000, the major league minimum, if another team signs him in the open market.

Bauer joined the Dodgers in February 2021 on a three-year, $102 million contract that included two opt-outs -- but he hasn't pitched since June 28 of the first year.

The following day, a then-27-year-old San Diego woman filed a request for a domestic violence restraining order (DVRO) in which she alleged that Bauer assaulted her over the course of two sexual encounters at his Pasadena, California, home in April and May, prompting a prolonged MLB investigation that left Bauer on administrative leave for the remainder of that season.

Bauer, who has denied wrongdoing at every turn, claimed two legal victories in the aftermath, first when an L.A. judge dismissed the woman's request for a permanent restraining order in August 2021 and then when the L.A. District Attorney's Office declined to file criminal charges in February 2022. But two other women made similar allegations to The Washington Post. And MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, who has the autonomy to suspend players even if they are not charged with a crime, announced a 324-game suspension for Bauer near the end of April, twice longer than the previous longest penalty under the domestic violence policy.

Martin Scheinman, an independent arbitrator retained by both MLB and the MLB Players' Association, spent parts of the next eight months presiding over Bauer's case, reviewing findings and listening to testimony before determining that Bauer's suspension would be reduced to 194 games, 144 of which were served during the grievance process. Scheinman ruled that Bauer would be docked pay for his remaining 50 games at the start of the 2023 season but would be reinstated immediately, essentially leaving the rest in the Dodgers' hands.

The Dodgers, sources said, didn't expect a decision until sometime in January and were caught off guard when it was revealed three days before Christmas. Their initial statement -- "We have just been informed of the arbitrator's ruling and will comment as soon as practical" -- was strikingly noncommittal, consistent with their approach over the previous 18 months.

The Dodgers canceled Bauer's scheduled bobblehead night and removed his merchandise from their stores shortly after MLB first placed him on administrative leave. Team president Stan Kasten later sent an email to employees in August 2021, while the San Diego woman's DVRO hearing played out, saying he was "deeply troubled by the allegations" against Bauer. Outside of that, though, the team has hardly commented publicly. And per the terms of the domestic violence policy, they weren't allowed access to the details of MLB's investigation or the reasons behind the arbiter's ruling, which at least partly explained their delay in reaching a final decision.

Bauer won the Golden Spikes Award at UCLA in 2011 and was the No. 3 pick in the MLB draft later that summer. He clashed with his Arizona Diamondbacks teammates, prompting a trade after his first full season, and was at the center of two infamous incidents in Cleveland, allegedly cutting his finger with a drone before a 2016 playoff start and hurling a baseball over the center-field fence after being removed from an outing on July 28, 2019, three days before being traded again.

Bauer made a case for the Cy Young Award in 2018, then won it while with the Cincinnati Reds during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season. The Dodgers signed him later that offseason, outbidding the New York Mets despite rampant criticism surrounding Bauer's history of bullying others on social media. During Bauer's introductory news conference, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman touted the organization's culture and vetting process, adding that he believed Bauer had learned from prior transgressions.

"And you know what, we're all gonna make mistakes," Friedman said then. "What's important for me ... is how we internalize it, and what our thoughts are about it going forward. From our standpoint, it was important to have that conversation. And we came away from it feeling good about it. Now, obviously, time will tell. But I feel like he is going to be a tremendous add, not just on the field but in the clubhouse, in the community, and that's obviously why we're sitting here."

In his first three months in L.A., Bauer posted a 2.59 ERA in 17 starts.

Tom Hoge is starting 2023 with the Hawaii-double, heading to Waialae Country Club for next week’s Sony Open after his first appearance at the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

The 2022 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am winner is going to make a slight detour on his way to Waialae, stopping by the NCAA National Championship game Monday in Los Angeles.

Hoge’s alma mater, the TCU Horned Frogs, are taking on the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs in modern college football’s version of David vs. Goliath.

Even after pulling off the upset against Michigan, TCU is a 12.5-point underdog to UGA Monday night, but that won’t deter Hoge.

“We [TCU] haven’t won since 1938,” Hoge told the AP’s Doug Ferguson. “There might not be another chance in my lifetime.”

Not too many people gave TCU a chance against Michigan, and even fewer are picking the purple and silver to prevent Georgia from going back-to-back. If they’re able to pull it off, the 2,500-plus miles from Hawaii to L.A. and back will have been more than worth it for the loyal Horned Frog.

A simmering feud between two of the most high-profile families in American soccer spilled over into a full-blown scandal this week as out-of-contract United States men's national team coach Gregg Berhalter went public with details of a decades-old domestic violence incident that was recently brought to the attention of U.S. Soccer by the wife of one of his closest friends.

Danielle Reyna, the wife of U.S. soccer legend Claudio Reyna and mother of budding U.S. star Giovanni Reyna, announced Wednesday that she disclosed details of a 1991 incident -- which involved her college roommate and Berhalter's wife of 25 years, Rosalind -- to U.S. Soccer Federation sporting director Earnie Stewart, triggering an independent investigation commissioned by the USSF.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

The whole ordeal is one of the most bizarre episodes in American soccer history and one that appears to have been set into motion by something usually associated with youth sports: parents' anger about their kid's lack of playing time. Except, in this case, one of the parents (Claudio Reyna) is a former USMNT captain and National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee who played at four World Cups, and is a childhood friend and former teammate of Berhalter.

There's a lot to unpack, but let's look at how this all unfolded and what's next for those involved.

The Berhalters and Reynas: From 'like family' to family feud

In American professional sports, few families have ever been as closely intertwined as these two. Claudio Reyna and Berhalter grew up together in New Jersey. In youth soccer, Claudio's father was their coach. They were high school teammates at St. Benedict's Prep, where they fielded the best team in the country for two years.

After they both played college soccer in the ACC (Reyna at Virginia, playing for Bruce Arena; Berhalter at North Carolina), they both embarked upon European careers. Both received their first USMNT cap in 1994, shared the pitch at the 2002 World Cup and played their last game with the national team in 2006. At North Carolina, Rosalind Berhalter (nee Santana) and Danielle Reyna (nee Egan) were four-year teammates, roommates and best friends. According to the United States National Soccer Team Players Association website, Reyna served as the best man in Berhalter's wedding.

When Berhalter was hired as USMNT coach in 2018, U.S. Soccer prominently displayed Reyna's glowing comments about his friend in a written feature, and that relationship extended to their respective sons. In June, Berhalter told ESPN's "The Gab & Juls Show" that when he coaches Gio, "It's almost like you're putting a family member in the game."

And interestingly enough, Claudio Reyna, in his capacity as the Austin FC sporting director, signed Berhalter's son, Sebastian, from the Columbus Crew on loan for the 2021 MLS season. However, Reyna did not exercise the option to make the loan permanent, with Sebastian now in Vancouver.

How the rift began before the World Cup

Although only 20 years old, Gio Reyna has long been viewed as one of the most talented prospects the United States has ever produced. He dominated at the youth national team levels and debuted for Borussia Dortmund, one of Germany's top clubs, just after turning 17. Weeks later, he became the youngest American to appear in the UEFA Champions League, assisting Erling Haaland on a game-winning goal against a Paris Saint-Germain side featuring Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.

Reyna's national team debut came in November 2020, when Berhalter, who has known Gio his entire life, started him in a friendly against Wales, a day before his 18th birthday. After that point, Reyna was mostly a locked-on starter for Berhalter, scoring four times in his first eight appearances.

However, injury issues -- some of which stemmed from a hamstring injury he picked up in the first game of World Cup qualifying on Sept. 2, 2021 -- limited Reyna's availability for both club and country for most of the year leading up to Qatar. After Reyna featured regularly for Dortmund in October and November, though, it appeared he was ready to play a major role at the tournament. For a team that struggled to score goals and create chances during qualifying, having Reyna back figured to solve some of those problems.

Instead, prior to the team's first game against Wales, Berhalter informed Reyna that his role would be limited for reasons that have not been clearly established publicly. By his own later admission, Reyna did not take the news well. His attitude and effort were negatively impacted and he did not play, with Berhalter instead opting to use Seattle Sounders FC winger Jordan Morris off the bench late to try and find a winning goal.

After the game, Reyna told ESPN he was "100 percent" healthy and that Berhalter "doesn't have to tell me why he didn't put me in or why he does." This contradicted Berhalter's postgame explanation for Reyna's omission, in which he said, "It was trying to get [Reyna] up to speed... But we've been building him up and think he can play a big role in this tournament. The question is when."

This was the first public sign that something was amiss and Reyna's status remained a puzzling storyline throughout the tournament. Reyna played seven minutes against England, did not get off the bench against Iran (even after winger Christian Pulisic left at halftime due to injury) and was a halftime sub against Netherlands, coming on at striker, before shifting out to the right wing.

None of this sat well with Claudio Reyna, who furiously texted friends about his son's treatment by Berhalter throughout the tournament, including to Stewart and U.S. men's national team general manager Brian McBride, all of whom played together on the national team.

Berhalter's 'off-record' remark angers the Reynas

By all accounts, the issues related to Reyna's use at the World Cup should have been put to bed when the tournament ended. Of course, that didn't happen. It might have, however, had Berhalter not discussed the incident at the HOW Institute for Society's Summit on Moral Leadership in New York on Dec. 6.

The summit, which included highly accomplished leaders from various fields, was intended to operate with what is known as Chatham House Rule, which essentially means nothing discussed among the roughly 200 people in attendance was supposed to be shared publicly. To help explain how he, as a coach, goes about handily difficult decisions, Berhalter alluded to his handling of Reyna.

Things came to a head on Dec. 11, when Charterworks published a partial transcript of Berhalter's appearance, featuring the part about Reyna nearly being sent home. "We had a player that was clearly not meeting expectations on and off the field. One of 26 players, so it stood out," Berhalter said. "As a staff, we sat together for hours deliberating what we were going to do with this player."

Berhalter continued: "We were ready to book a plane ticket home, that's how extreme it was. And what it came down to was, we're going to have one more conversation with him, and part of the conversation was how we're going to behave from here out. There aren't going to be any more infractions."

On Dec. 12, the day after Berhalter's comments went public, Gio posted a message on Instagram where he wrote that the reports of nearly being sent home from the World Cup "highly fictionalized," adding he was disappointed that details regarding his participation in Qatar were not kept "in house." It remains Gio's only public comments on the matter to date.

The irony here is that in trying to provide an example of his own leadership to a room full of mostly strangers, Berhalter made a massive leadership error in sharing what should have remained an in-house issue. Even though Berhalter didn't use Gio's name and was under the impression the comments wouldn't be published, he had nothing substantive to gain from making them.

An investigation announced, and the Reynas' role revealed

Already irate from their son's World Cup experience, Reyna's parents contacted Stewart on Dec. 11, the day that Berhalter's remarks were released. Fast-forward to this week, when Berhalter released a lengthy statement on Tuesday saying someone had contacted U.S. Soccer with information that would "take him down," and revealed he had kicked his then-girlfriend, Rosalind, following a bar-room argument while in college at North Carolina.

After Berhalter's statement, U.S. Soccer quickly followed with one of its own, saying it hired an outside law firm to investigate the incident after the allegation was raised on Dec. 11. Prior to Stewart being informed of the domestic violence incident, sources told ESPN's Jeff Carlisle that things were trending in the direction for Berhalter to be retained. It wasn't a done deal by any means, but after the allegation was made, discussions were halted and Berhalter's contract expired on Dec. 31.

After Tuesday's announcements, ESPN reported on Wednesday that Danielle had disclosed details of a 1991 incident, with her and Claudio then releasing subsequent statements.

"I wanted to let [Earnie Stewart] know that I was absolutely outraged and devasted that Gio had been put in such a terrible position, and that I felt very personally betrayed by the actions of someone my family had considered a friend for decades," her statement read, in part. "I thought it was especially unfair that Gio, who had apologized for acting immaturely about his playing time, was still being dragged through the mud when Gregg had asked for and received forgiveness for doing something so much worse at the same age."

Added Claudio: "I support my wife, Danielle, and her statement. I too was upset by Gregg's comments about Gio after the U.S. was out of the World Cup, and I also appealed to Earnie Stewart on December 11 asking him to prevent any additional comments. While in Qatar, I shared my frustrations about my son's World Cup experience with a number of close friends, Earnie and Brian McBride among them. However, at no time did I ever threaten anyone, nor would I ever do so."

So, what's next for Gio, Claudio and Gregg?

Let's start with Gio. His immaturity in Qatar should have been easy enough to forget. Given everything that's happened, that becomes harder but that's through no fault of his own. None of what has happened since the World Cup should have any impact on his standing with the national team and he remains the highest ceiling player in the entire pool.

For Claudio, this will likely play be a reputational hit more than anything. It wouldn't be surprising if there were prior issues brewing between him and Berhalter because it seems so bizarre that he wouldn't give such a close friend the benefit of the doubt when it came to professional decision-making, even if that meant less playing time for his son. So, to react by sending disparaging text messages to U.S. Soccer executives about Berhalter during the World Cup is puzzling behavior.

The person who hired him in Austin, owner Anthony Precourt, has a close relationship with Berhalter from their time in Columbus -- as does the team's head coach, Josh Wolff, a longtime Berhalter assistant coach -- which could make for, at minimum, some uncomfortable moments.

Berhalter's way forward is less clear. He said he's interested in continuing as manager but he'll presumably wait on the conclusion of the investigation into the 1991 incident and see where he stands with the USMNT job. Assuming he doesn't get it, maybe he'll be in line for some time off before deciding what's next. Before Columbus, he managed Swedish side Hammarby and sources told ESPN during the World Cup that Berhalter was interested in exploring European club options.

It's a difficult path to project for Berhalter, who was candid over about what happened with Gio in Qatar.

"If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't have told that story," Berhalter said in an interview with the Harvard Business Review on Thursday.

And who'll next coach the USMNT? What about the investigation?

First up is the annual January camp for a pair of friendly matches against Serbia (Jan. 25) and Colombia (Jan. 28) in Southern California. The camp customarily calls in a younger group of domestic-based players, so Reyna nor any of the Europe-based stars will participate.

Anthony Hudson, a Berhalter assistant for the past two years, will serve as the interim coach for the games, having previously served as the head coach of Bahrain (2013-14), New Zealand (2014 to 2017) and MLS side Colorado Rapids. Hudson, it should be clear, is not a serious candidate to become the permanent head coach. His appointment has everything to do with short-term availability and continuity, with other U.S. youth national team coaches filling out the staff.

It's unclear when to expect a permanent coach to be hired. Before that will happen, U.S. Soccer executives said Wednesday that a full review of the men's program will be completed, along with the independent investigation into Berhalter's domestic violence incident. They were unwilling to attach an estimated timeline for how long those processes will take.

"Obviously, we need to speed this along so that we can name who is going to be the head coach of the men's national team and start gearing up for World Cup '26," U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said. "So, we want to move quickly, but not rush."

In the same news conference, Stewart allowed for the possibility that Berhalter could be rehired. In Thursday's chat with the Harvard Business Review, Berhalter expressed his desire to be the coach for the next cycle.

While both parties haven't ruled out his possible return, from a practical standpoint there is very little possibility that will happen. The last thing U.S. Soccer wants is for the unwanted noise of the past month -- and particularly this week -- to extend into the future, and if Berhalter were to be rehired, it would buoy the topic for the foreseeable future.

Even before the domestic violence incident surfaced and the drama attached to its coming to light, there were plenty of reasons for U.S. Soccer to move on from Berhalter. While he accomplished many of the key objectives -- including a good showing at the World Cup, where the team advanced after going unbeaten in the group stage -- nothing about his track record indicates he's fit to lead a team deep into a World Cup.

And with a talented core group that should be at or nearing their athletic prime in four years, that should be the goal. The team has CONCACAF Nations League matches against Grenada and El Salvador in March, but those games aren't important enough to rush the hiring process, either. It seems realistic, however, that a new coach could be in place by this summer's Gold Cup, which begins June 26.

MIAMI -- The Dolphins will start Skylar Thompson at quarterback for the Sunday game against the New York Jets, coach Mike McDaniel said Friday.

A 2022 seventh-round pick, Thompson has taken first-team reps at practice throughout the week as Teddy Bridgewater rehabs a dislocated pinky finger on his throwing hand and Tua Tagovailoa remains in concussion protocol.

McDaniel said the team remains optimistic Bridgewater will be active Sunday in a backup capacity after gradually beginning to throw the football late in the week. Bridgewater initially could not throw after injuring his finger in last week's loss to the New England Patriots.

Tagovailoa has been in the league's concussion protocol since Dec. 26 and was officially ruled out for this weekend. He hasn't practiced since sustaining a concussion against the Green Bay Packers on Dec. 25.

Sunday will mark Thompson's second start and sixth appearance of the season. Neither he nor Bridgewater has finished a game they started in place of Tagovailoa -- something McDaniel has been keenly aware of throughout the week.

McDaniel added that Thompson looked in-command of the team's offense and said he hopes the rookie can break the cycle in a must-win game for Miami.

"Skylar had an outstanding week of practice," McDaniel said. "Much like Teddy, both of those guys thrive when they're able to get team reps. And so it was cool to see, I think the guys are pumped. He was diligent and communicative from the onset, confident from the onset -- and he owns the [game plan].

"I'm excited for him to get his deserved opportunity and hope he can set a 2022 season Miami Dolphins backup quarterback record of starting and finishing a game."

After entering December with an 8-3 record, the Dolphins have lost five straight games but can clinch a playoff berth with a win over the Jets and a Patriots loss or tie this week. Miami has not made the playoffs since 2016, the third-longest drought in franchise history.

NFL owners have approved a plan that leaves open the possibility of a neutral-site AFC Championship Game and could determine home-field advantage for a wild-card game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens by a coin flip.

In the wake of the cancellation of Monday's Bills-Bengals game, the following scenarios based on Week 18 results were approved for holding the title game at a neutral site:

• If Buffalo (12-3) and Kansas City (13-3) both win or tie, a Bills-Chiefs championship game would be at a neutral site.

• If Buffalo and Kansas City both lose and Baltimore wins or ties, a Bills-Chiefs championship game would be at a neutral site.

• If Buffalo and Kansas City both lose and Cincinnati (11-4) wins, a Bills or Bengals vs. Chiefs championship game would be at a neutral site.

If the Ravens win Sunday over the Bengals and are matched against Cincinnati in an AFC wild-card game, the site would be determined by a coin flip. If Cincinnati wins or if the two teams are not matched against each other after a potential Ravens win, regular scheduling procedures would be used.

A three-fourths majority (24 of 32) of the owners was needed Friday to approve the changes, which the NFL said in a resolution would be in place for the 2022 season only.

The potential neutral sites have not been determined. The seeds will hold up throughout the playoffs. If Buffalo and Kansas City both win this weekend, the Chiefs will get the bye to the divisional round. If Buffalo wins and Kansas City loses, the Bills will be the No. 1 seed and get the bye, and no neutral sites would come into play.

The planned changes were made Friday over the apparent objection of the Bengals, with coach Zac Taylor saying his team felt it was at a disadvantage by the proposal.

"It's important for the team to know that because somebody's got to fight for you. It's clearly not coming from the league," Taylor said Friday. "It's nice to have our ownership and front office support the players like they have. That is important for us."

Monday's game between Buffalo and Cincinnati was suspended with less than six minutes left in the first quarter and the Bengals leading 7-3 when Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest after making a tackle. His heartbeat was restored on the field before he was transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

In announcing the decision to cancel the game Thursday, the NFL cited three key factors: The outcome would have no bearing on which teams qualified for the postseason; playing the game would have altered the playoff schedule for the remaining teams; and not playing the game would allow all clubs to know the postseason possibilities before the start of Week 18.

Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn is on the competition committee, which approved the scenarios Thursday. In a memo obtained by ESPN's Seth Wickersham, Blackburn urged teams to vote against the scenarios. Her reasoning stemmed from the timing of a rule change away from the standard of winning percentages used in this scenario.

"The proper process for making rule change is in the off-season," Blackburn wrote. "It is not appropriate to put teams in a position to vote for something that may introduce bias, favor one team over another or impact their own situation when the vote takes place immediately before the playoffs."

Taylor also repeatedly emphasized Friday the need to follow current rules.

"There's several instances this season when the club is fined or people in our building are fined and told to follow the rules, it's black and white, it's in the rulebook," Taylor said. "So now when we point out the rules and you're told, 'We're going to change that,' that seems ... I don't want to hear about fair and equitable when that's the case."

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell had acknowledged in a statement Thursday that he recognized "there is no perfect solution."

"As we considered the football schedule, our principles have been to limit disruption across the league and minimize competitive inequities," he said.

The Bills announced Friday that Hamlin had been taken off a breathing tube and had begun talking with his care team, family and teammates.

ESPN's Ben Baby contributed to this report.

A simmering feud between two of the most high-profile families in American soccer spilled over into a full-blown scandal this week as out-of-contract United States men's national team coach Gregg Berhalter went public with details of a decades-old domestic violence incident that was recently brought to the attention of U.S. Soccer by the wife of one of his closest friends.

Danielle Reyna, the wife of U.S. soccer legend Claudio Reyna and mother of budding U.S. star Giovanni Reyna, announced Wednesday that she disclosed details of a 1991 incident -- which involved her college roommate and Berhalter's wife of 25 years, Rosalind -- to U.S. Soccer Federation sporting director Earnie Stewart, triggering an independent investigation commissioned by the USSF.

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The whole ordeal is one of the most bizarre episodes in American soccer history and one that appears to have been set into motion by something usually associated with youth sports: parents' anger about their kid's lack of playing time. Except, in this case, one of the parents (Claudio Reyna) is a former USMNT captain and National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee who played at four World Cups, and is a childhood friend and former teammate of Berhalter.

There's a lot to unpack, but let's look at how this all unfolded and what's next for those involved.

The Berhalters and Reynas: From 'like family' to family feud

In American professional sports, few families have ever been as closely intertwined as these two. Claudio Reyna and Berhalter grew up together in New Jersey. In youth soccer, Claudio's father was their coach. They were high school teammates at St. Benedict's Prep, where they fielded the best team in the country for two years.

After they both played college soccer in the ACC (Reyna at Virginia, playing for Bruce Arena; Berhalter at North Carolina), they both embarked upon European careers. Both received their first USMNT cap in 1994, shared the pitch at the 2002 World Cup and played their last game with the national team in 2006. At North Carolina, Rosalind Berhalter (nee Santana) and Danielle Reyna (nee Egan) were four-year teammates, roommates and best friends. According to the United States National Soccer Team Players Association website, Reyna served as the best man in Berhalter's wedding.

When Berhalter was hired as USMNT coach in 2018, U.S. Soccer prominently displayed Reyna's glowing comments about his friend in a written feature, and that relationship extended to their respective sons. In June, Berhalter told ESPN's "The Gab & Juls Show" that when he coaches Gio, "It's almost like you're putting a family member in the game."

And interestingly enough, Claudio Reyna, in his capacity as the Austin FC sporting director, signed Berhalter's son, Sebastian, from the Columbus Crew on loan for the 2021 MLS season. However, Reyna did not exercise the option to make the loan permanent, with Sebastian now in Vancouver.

How the rift began before the World Cup

Although only 20 years old, Gio Reyna has long been viewed as one of the most talented prospects the United States has ever produced. He dominated at the youth national team levels and debuted for Borussia Dortmund, one of Germany's top clubs, just after turning 17. Weeks later, he became the youngest American to appear in the UEFA Champions League, assisting Erling Haaland on a game-winning goal against a Paris Saint-Germain side featuring Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.

Reyna's national team debut came in November 2020, when Berhalter, who has known Gio his entire life, started him in a friendly against Wales, a day before his 18th birthday. After that point, Reyna was mostly a locked-on starter for Berhalter, scoring four times in his first eight appearances.

However, injury issues -- some of which stemmed from a hamstring injury he picked up in the first game of World Cup qualifying on Sept. 2, 2021 -- limited Reyna's availability for both club and country for most of the year leading up to Qatar. After Reyna featured regularly for Dortmund in October and November, though, it appeared he was ready to play a major role at the tournament. For a team that struggled to score goals and create chances during qualifying, having Reyna back figured to solve some of those problems.

Instead, prior to the team's first game against Wales, Berhalter informed Reyna that his role would be limited for reasons that have not been clearly established publicly. By his own later admission, Reyna did not take the news well. His attitude and effort were negatively impacted and he did not play, with Berhalter instead opting to use Seattle Sounders FC winger Jordan Morris off the bench late to try and find a winning goal.

After the game, Reyna told ESPN he was "100 percent" healthy and that Berhalter "doesn't have to tell me why he didn't put me in or why he does." This contradicted Berhalter's postgame explanation for Reyna's omission, in which he said, "It was trying to get [Reyna] up to speed... But we've been building him up and think he can play a big role in this tournament. The question is when."

This was the first public sign that something was amiss and Reyna's status remained a puzzling storyline throughout the tournament. Reyna played seven minutes against England, did not get off the bench against Iran (even after winger Christian Pulisic left at halftime due to injury) and was a halftime sub against Netherlands, coming on at striker, before shifting out to the right wing.

None of this sat well with Claudio Reyna, who furiously texted friends about his son's treatment by Berhalter throughout the tournament, including to Stewart and U.S. men's national team general manager Brian McBride, all of whom played together on the national team.

Berhalter's 'off-record' remark angers the Reynas

By all accounts, the issues related to Reyna's use at the World Cup should have been put to bed when the tournament ended. Of course, that didn't happen. It might have, however, had Berhalter not discussed the incident at the HOW Institute for Society's Summit on Moral Leadership in New York on Dec. 6.

The summit, which included highly accomplished leaders from various fields, was intended to operate with what is known as Chatham House Rule, which essentially means nothing discussed among the roughly 200 people in attendance was supposed to be shared publicly. To help explain how he, as a coach, goes about handily difficult decisions, Berhalter alluded to his handling of Reyna.

Things came to a head on Dec. 11, when Charterworks published a partial transcript of Berhalter's appearance, featuring the part about Reyna nearly being sent home. "We had a player that was clearly not meeting expectations on and off the field. One of 26 players, so it stood out," Berhalter said. "As a staff, we sat together for hours deliberating what we were going to do with this player."

Berhalter continued: "We were ready to book a plane ticket home, that's how extreme it was. And what it came down to was, we're going to have one more conversation with him, and part of the conversation was how we're going to behave from here out. There aren't going to be any more infractions."

On Dec. 12, the day after Berhalter's comments went public, Gio posted a message on Instagram where he wrote that the reports of nearly being sent home from the World Cup "highly fictionalized," adding he was disappointed that details regarding his participation in Qatar were not kept "in house." It remains Gio's only public comments on the matter to date.

The irony here is that in trying to provide an example of his own leadership to a room full of mostly strangers, Berhalter made a massive leadership error in sharing what should have remained an in-house issue. Even though Berhalter didn't use Gio's name and was under the impression the comments wouldn't be published, he had nothing substantive to gain from making them.

An investigation announced, and the Reynas' role revealed

Already irate from their son's World Cup experience, Reyna's parents contacted Stewart on Dec. 11, the day that Berhalter's remarks were released. Fast-forward to this week, when Berhalter released a lengthy statement on Tuesday saying someone had contacted U.S. Soccer with information that would "take him down," and revealed he had kicked his then-girlfriend, Rosalind, following a bar-room argument while in college at North Carolina.

After Berhalter's statement, U.S. Soccer quickly followed with one of its own, saying it hired an outside law firm to investigate the incident after the allegation was raised on Dec. 11. Prior to Stewart being informed of the domestic violence incident, sources told ESPN's Jeff Carlisle that things were trending in the direction for Berhalter to be retained. It wasn't a done deal by any means, but after the allegation was made, discussions were halted and Berhalter's contract expired on Dec. 31.

After Tuesday's announcements, ESPN reported on Wednesday that Danielle had disclosed details of a 1991 incident, with her and Claudio then releasing subsequent statements.

"I wanted to let [Earnie Stewart] know that I was absolutely outraged and devasted that Gio had been put in such a terrible position, and that I felt very personally betrayed by the actions of someone my family had considered a friend for decades," her statement read, in part. "I thought it was especially unfair that Gio, who had apologized for acting immaturely about his playing time, was still being dragged through the mud when Gregg had asked for and received forgiveness for doing something so much worse at the same age."

Added Claudio: "I support my wife, Danielle, and her statement. I too was upset by Gregg's comments about Gio after the U.S. was out of the World Cup, and I also appealed to Earnie Stewart on December 11 asking him to prevent any additional comments. While in Qatar, I shared my frustrations about my son's World Cup experience with a number of close friends, Earnie and Brian McBride among them. However, at no time did I ever threaten anyone, nor would I ever do so."

So, what's next for Gio, Claudio and Gregg?

Let's start with Gio. His immaturity in Qatar should have been easy enough to forget. Given everything that's happened, that becomes harder but that's through no fault of his own. None of what has happened since the World Cup should have any impact on his standing with the national team and he remains the highest ceiling player in the entire pool.

For Claudio, this will likely play be a reputational hit more than anything. It wouldn't be surprising if there were prior issues brewing between him and Berhalter because it seems so bizarre that he wouldn't give such a close friend the benefit of the doubt when it came to professional decision-making, even if that meant less playing time for his son. So, to react by sending disparaging text messages to U.S. Soccer executives about Berhalter during the World Cup is puzzling behavior.

The person who hired him in Austin, owner Anthony Precourt, has a close relationship with Berhalter from their time in Columbus -- as does the team's head coach, Josh Wolff, a longtime Berhalter assistant coach -- which could make for, at minimum, some uncomfortable moments.

Berhalter's way forward is less clear. He said he's interested in continuing as manager but he'll presumably wait on the conclusion of the investigation into the 1991 incident and see where he stands with the USMNT job. Assuming he doesn't get it, maybe he'll be in line for some time off before deciding what's next. Before Columbus, he managed Swedish side Hammarby and sources told ESPN during the World Cup that Berhalter was interested in exploring European club options.

It's a difficult path to project for Berhalter, who was candid over about what happened with Gio in Qatar.

"If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't have told that story," Berhalter said in an interview with the Harvard Business Review on Thursday.

And who'll next coach the USMNT? What about the investigation?

First up is the annual January camp for a pair of friendly matches against Serbia (Jan. 25) and Colombia (Jan. 28) in Southern California. The camp customarily calls in a younger group of domestic-based players, so Reyna nor any of the Europe-based stars will participate.

Anthony Hudson, a Berhalter assistant for the past two years, will serve as the interim coach for the games, having previously served as the head coach of Bahrain (2013-14), New Zealand (2014 to 2017) and MLS side Colorado Rapids. Hudson, it should be clear, is not a serious candidate to become the permanent head coach. His appointment has everything to do with short-term availability and continuity, with other U.S. youth national team coaches filling out the staff.

It's unclear when to expect a permanent coach to be hired. Before that will happen, U.S. Soccer executives said Wednesday that a full review of the men's program will be completed, along with the independent investigation into Berhalter's domestic violence incident. They were unwilling to attach an estimated timeline for how long those processes will take.

"Obviously, we need to speed this along so that we can name who is going to be the head coach of the men's national team and start gearing up for World Cup '26," U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said. "So, we want to move quickly, but not rush."

In the same news conference, Stewart allowed for the possibility that Berhalter could be rehired. In Thursday's chat with the Harvard Business Review, Berhalter expressed his desire to be the coach for the next cycle.

While both parties haven't ruled out his possible return, from a practical standpoint there is very little possibility that will happen. The last thing U.S. Soccer wants is for the unwanted noise of the past month -- and particularly this week -- to extend into the future, and if Berhalter were to be rehired, it would buoy the topic for the foreseeable future.

Even before the domestic violence incident surfaced and the drama attached to its coming to light, there were plenty of reasons for U.S. Soccer to move on from Berhalter. While he accomplished many of the key objectives -- including a good showing at the World Cup, where the team advanced after going unbeaten in the group stage -- nothing about his track record indicates he's fit to lead a team deep into a World Cup.

And with a talented core group that should be at or nearing their athletic prime in four years, that should be the goal. The team has CONCACAF Nations League matches against Grenada and El Salvador in March, but those games aren't important enough to rush the hiring process, either. It seems realistic, however, that a new coach could be in place by this summer's Gold Cup, which begins June 26.

Cameron Norrie will lead Great Britain in their Davis Cup play-off against Colombia after the nation's top-five ranked players were selected.

That means there is no place for former world number one Andy Murray in captain Leon Smith's team in Bogota next month.

Britain failed to qualify for the quarter-finals last year following defeats by the USA and the Netherlands.

British number one Norrie is ranked 14th in the world, while Evans (27) and Draper (42) are also ranked inside the top 50.

Skupski is the world number one doubles player - alongside Dutch team-mate Wesley Koolhof - a couple of places ahead of five-time grand slam champion Salisbury.

Murray, ranked 49th in the world, told BBC Scotland in December that while he feels he is one "big injury" away from calling time on his career, he is currently in the best shape he has been in for some time.

The tie will be played on 3 and 4 February and the winner will qualify for September's group stage.

Egypt’s Mostafa Asal could start the year in style by claiming the world No 1 spot, should he reach the final of next week’s Houston Open.

The door has opened for the young Egyptian to claim top spot after fellow Egyptian Ali Farag was forced to pull out of the first men’s PSA tour event of the year, Squash Mad understands. It leaves the 21-year-old as top seed in Texas.

Farag, who has endured a knee injury which has kept him off court since October, was set to feature and defend his Houston Open title, in an event featuring six of the world’s top 10.

Farag defeated compatriot Mazen Hesham in the 2022 denouement while he last featured on the PSA World Tour at the Grasshopper Cup in October.

Asal will head stateside in fine fettle after claiming the most recent Platinum title at the Hong Kong Squash Open, beating Diego Elias 3-2 in the final, coupled with a semi-final berth at the Singapore Open.

Asal will face either Egypt’s Moustafa El Sirty or England’s Nathan Lake in round two after receiving a first one bye.

The Houston even will be the first tournament to take place in 2023 alongside the Carol Weymuller Open, which take place simultaneously between Jan 11-15.

The first PSA World Tour Platinum event of the year sees the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions take place at New York’s Grand Central Terminal between Jan 18-26.

PSA World Tour Calendar: January – June 2023 

January 11-15    Carol Weymuller Open (Bronze, Women): Brooklyn, USA

January 11-15     Houston Open (Gold, Men): Houston, USA

January 18-26    J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions (Platinum, Men/Women): New York, USA

February 1-5    Cleveland Classic (Silver, Women): Cleveland, US

February 1-5     Sturbridge Capital Motor City Open (Silver, Men): Detroit, US

February 7-11    DAC Pro Squash Classic (Silver, Women): Detroit, USA

February 8-12     Pittsburgh Open (Silver, Men): Pittsburgh, USA

February 12-16    Bahl and Gaynor Cincinnati Gaynor Cup (Silver, Women): Cincinnati, USA

February 13-17    Canadian Open (Bronze, Men): Calgary, Canada

February 22-26     Squash on Fire Open (Bronze, Men/Women): Washington D.C., USA 

March 2-8    CIB Black Ball Open (Platinum, Men/Women): Cairo, Egypt

March 12-17     GillenMarkets Canary Wharf Classic (Gold, Men): London, England

March 21-26    Optasia Championships (Gold, Men): London, England

March 26-30    Women’s Canadian Open (Bronze, Women): Toronto, Canada

April 9-16    British Open (Platinum, Men/Women): Birmingham, England

May 3-11    PSA World Championships presented by the Walter Family (Men/Women): Chicago, USA

May 17-21    Manchester Open (Silver, Men/Women): Manchester, England

May 26 – June 2    El Gouna International (Platinum, Men/Women): El Gouna, Egypt

June 6-10    The Glencoe Club Open (Bronze, Women): Calgary, Canada

June 20-25    CIB PSA World Tour Finals (Men/Women): Cairo, Egypt