Joe Tessitore calls his new gig at ESPN a ”legacy job.”

Jason Witten notes he’s joining ”another iconic franchise.”

Booger McFarland says it’s ”the pinnacle of what we do.”

They are the three new voices who will work ESPN’s Monday night games this season.

Tessitore has been one of the network’s top announcers for 16 years on boxing Tramon Williams Jersey , college football and basketball, including calling the College Football Playoff semifinals the past two years. It will be his first NFL assignment.

”I am very conscious of that lineage,” says Tessitore, who at 46 is the oldest member of what he calls ”a young, vibrant crew.”

”When I got the call that I would be doing this, my first reaction was remembering when I was a kid watching Frank Gifford, Dandy Don (Meredith) and Howard Cosell. Everybody back then watched `Monday Night Football’ and `Wide World of Sports’ and Howard Cosell doing boxing. I did a Cosell imitation that had my grandfather, who didn’t speak English, laughing his tail off.”

Witten, one of the sport’s finest tight ends for 15 seasons and a likely Hall of Famer, retired from the Dallas Cowboys earlier this month to move into the booth.

Tessitore believes Witten will be a natural as he and McFarland replace Jon Gruden as analysts. Gruden Dalvin Cook Jersey , of course, is back coaching in the league with Oakland.

”We had a lot of candidates, and at the end of the audition process we all were saying, `This is very obvious,”’ Tessitore says of Witten.

”He has such an upside that this is a guy who could be the next generation’s face and voice of the NFL. He’s smart, respected, even beloved by coaches, and has a tremendously high football IQ. Jason has a little of all the traits and characteristics of the great ones. Most importantly, he is wholly authentic.”

Witten will be in the broadcast booth with Tessitore. McFarland, who won two Super Bowls as a player and has been an analyst for ESPN and SEC Network for four years, will be the first field-level analyst for ”Monday Night Football.”’

The idea is for the effervescent McFarland to give a viewpoint from near the trenches – exactly where he spent nine pro seasons as a defensive lineman.

McFarland’s wit and enthusiasm will be apparent from the outset of the broadcasts; ESPN’s first telecast will be Thursday night Nate Solder Jersey , Aug. 16 with the Jets at the Redskins in the preseason.

”I am going to use a strange word to describe Booger as an announcer: nimble,” Tessitore says. ”He’s dynamic, a huge personality and presence. You can’t have a cookie-cutter type of analyst and Booger is far from that – he’s a guy who you can turn on the red light for the broadcast and he’s ready to go.”

Tessitore replaces Sean McDonough, who returns to doing college football.

Lisa Salters is the only holdover, returning for her seventh season as the sideline reporter.

Tessitore recognizes the platform he and his new sidekicks will have. Their first regular-season game will be the nightcap of the opening Monday night doubleheader, the Rams at the Raiders (and Gruden).

”The college game lends itself to every game being its own story, the pageantry and the storytelling attached to it,” Tessitore says. ”In the NFL, each game is a continuation of a well-told narrative that everyone is following.

”It’s like this is our weekly story, part of a book we’ve all been continuously reading, and each week we’re on to the next chapter.”

He also realizes that simply calling a game for three hours or longer isn’t what his new job should be about. There’s much more to it.

”There’s a vision of when we land in town we begin to create content for fans who can go to the app and hear what we have to say about the upcoming games or what’s happening in the league Michael Hoomanawanui Jersey ,” he says. ”We also want to have more content made available pre-game and postgame.

”I’ve become so football-obsessed, it has become ridiculous.”

—

Sunday’s awkward and standoffish press conference from Eagles coach Doug Pederson became, on Monday, a much more emotionally intelligent disclosure by Pederson to reporters that Nick Foles will start at quarterback on Thursday. In making the announcement, Pederson said he’ll answer questions about the decision on Tuesday.

On Monday, offensive coordinator Mike Groh faced the media for a Q&A session, on the heels of the announcement that Foles will play. Among other things, Groh was asked to share the advice he gave to Foles.

“Just be Nick,” Groh said. “He did a great job of distributing the football throughout the course of the playoffs and getting rid of the football and not holding the ball and putting the ball in our playmakers’ hands and letting those guys do what they do best. He doesn’t have to do anything extraordinary. He just has to continue to play like he did before and be the same guy.”

That may be easier said than done. Especially since Foles has been splitting first-team reps with Wentz.

“We feel comfortable with the reps he’s gotten and his preparation this week,” Groh nevertheless said. “He’ll be ready to go.”

Groh also said that the challenge of creating a game plan and calling plays doesn’t change much if at all between Wentz and Foles.

“This is the Eagles system, and I think that both guys have very similar skill sets Paul Krause Jersey ,” Groh said. “They both can perform the plays that we want to get called. We got to get guys in the right spots to do what they do best, but I don’t think it impacts it much at all.”

If that were the case, Pederson wouldn’t have been so prickly about naming a starter. Most realize that, indeed, the offenses are very different under Wentz and Foles.

Last year, the Eagles used the playoff bye to carefully concoct a game plan that got the most out of Foles’ skills and that stayed away from his flaws. And it all fell together perfectly, from a close win over the Falcons to a handful of key plays that became a blowout over the Vikings to a harebrained decision to bench Malcolm Butler that became just enough points to win a championship against the Patriots.

So the question becomes whether the wins were a product of Nick being Nick, or whether it was more like a Slumdog Millionaire-style confluence of circumstances that could never be replicated again. Whether it can be replicated will be determined on Thursday night.

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Frank Clarke Jalen Richard Jersey , an original member of the Cowboys in 1960, died Thursday morning, according to the team’s former player personnel director, Gil Brandt. Clarke was 84.

Clarke’s last game was the Ice Bowl in 1967, making him the last original Cowboy to retire.

The Browns made Clarke a fifth-round pick in 1956, and he played three seasons in Cleveland before the Cowboys selected him in the expansion draft.

In his 11-year career, Clarke made 291 catches for 5,426 yards and 50 touchdowns.

He held the Cowboys’ team record for most touchdowns in a season with 14 in 1962 before Terrell Owens broke it in 2007.

Clarke was the first black football player at the University of Colorado Jack Crawford Jersey , and the first black star on the Cowboys. He also became the first black analyst at CBS.

He is survived by two sons and a daughter.

ATLANTA — Backed by four home runs, veteran San Diego Padres left-hander Clayton Richard finally got his first career victory over the Atlanta Braves on June 4 in San Diego.

Now comes the hard part, though, as Richard tries to follow up that victory with one in Atlanta, where both he and the Padres have struggled.

Richard is 0-5 on the road against the Braves, going 0-4 with a 7.52 ERA in five games at Turner Field and losing last April during the first series at new SunTrust Park while giving up nine hits, including two homers, and four runs in six innings.

The Braves’ 4-2 victory over the Padres in the series opener Thursday night was their eighth straight at home over San Diego and 13th in the past 15 games against the Padres.

Atlanta Jake Matthews Jersey , meanwhile, has lost 12 of its past 15 games in San Diego.

Richard (5-6, 4.40 ERA) is pitching well at home or on the road going into Friday night’s start against the National League East-leading Braves (40-28).

The 34-year-old former college quarterback carried a no-hitter through two outs in the seventh inning at Miami on Sunday and has pitched at least seven innings in six of his past seven starts while lowering his ERA by nearly two runs since early May.

It had been tentatively lined up for Richard to face the Braves’ Julio Teheran, who left early in the 11-4 Padres victory at San Diego on June 4 because of a right thumb contusion.

Brandon McCarthy (5-3, 5.03) will start opposite Richard, though, with Teheran now penciled in to come off the 10-day disabled list Sunday and face the Padres (33-38) in the series finale.

“He threw a good bullpen and he was fine,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of Teheran. “The plan will be Josh Sitton Jersey , unless something comes up from now until then, for him to start of Sunday.”

Teheran gave up three homers and then was pulled after facing one batter in the fifth inning at San Diego before the Padres battered the Braves’ bullpen in a seven-run sixth.

Given the nice cushion, Richard worked seven innings and gave up six hits and three runs in his first career victory over the Braves.

“You go from making sure you are executing pitches to making sure you are throwing strikes,” Richard said afterward. “It’s fun to have those types of games.”

Richard, not the offense, was the story on Sunday in Miami. The Padres are the only major league team to never throw a no-hit game.

Tyson Ross and Jordan Lyles took no-hitters into the eighth inning this season before Richard made it to the seventh, though.

“He’s such a contact-oriented pitcher that those aren’t really the guys that profile to get no-hitters very often,” Padres manager Andy Green said of Richard.

While Richard has turned his season around Matthew Slater Jersey , veteran left-hander McCarthy has been heading the other way for the Braves.

McCarthy was 4-0 with a 3.09 ERA in April but gave up 14 runs in his first two starts of May and lasted just 4 2/3 innings in a loss to the Dodgers in Los Angeles a week ago.

The 6-foot-8 McCarthy, acquired from Los Angeles in an offseason trade, has enjoyed success in his career against San Diego, though. He is 8-1 with a 3.73 ERA in 11 appearances, including 10 starts.

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Maybe the Tennessee Titans are coming up for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots at the perfect time.

After a drama-filled week  Fran Tarkenton Jersey , the quarterback says his focus remains solely on football as his team prepares to host the Titans in Saturday’s divisional round.

During Brady’s tenure the Patriots are 6-1 against the Titans. He has 13 passing touchdowns and one interception in those games – his best touchdown to interception ratio against any opponent in his career.

He also is 6-0 against Mike Mularkey-coached teams.

But that hasn’t changed the approach for Brady, who is preparing for his 35th playoff start in the aftermath of recent reports suggesting discord between himself, coach Bill Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft.

In a joint statement last week, all three men brushed aside any insinuation of strife at the top of one of the NFL’s jewel franchises. Brady reiterated on Thursday that his mind remains on the field.

”We do what we always do. We show up to work and try to do the best we can do,” he said. ”We know there’s a lot at stake and I think everyone’s put a lot into it. It doesn’t really matter what happened outside of this facility.”

Patriots receiver Danny Amendola hasn’t noticed any change in Brady.

”He’s the ultimate professional and he (makes) his teammates better and he demands a lot,” Amendola said. ”We all want to win for him, and we all want to play hard for him.”

Tennessee recognizes the challenge it faces against Brady. It opened the week as a 13-point underdog, and prior to last week hadn’t won a playoff game since the 2003 season.

That doesn’t mean the Titans fear the Patriots.

”It’s a playoff game, so it’s not like it’s the preseason where I can go out there, `Oh, it’s Brady Bronson Kaufusi Jersey ,’ and I’m chillin,”’ Tennessee All-Pro safety Kevin Byard said. ”This is a playoff game. So I don’t really care if it was Joe Montana. You know what I’m saying? I’m trying to go out there and win the game. I want to make him look like (Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback) Blake Bortles if I can to try to catch a couple picks.

”Tom Brady is a great quarterback, but it’s a playoff game. I’m not really looking at it like that.”

The contrast in quarterbacks will be stark.

At age 40, Brady is the oldest remaining quarterback in the playoffs. The Titans have the youngest in 24-year-old Marcus Mariota. The 16-year age gap between them is the largest between starting quarterbacks in a playoff game in NFL history.

Since 2001, quarterbacks making their first or second career playoff start are 0-7 against New England.

”I think it just comes down to how well you play,” Brady said. ”At the end of the day, it’s not about old guys are going to win or young guys are going to win, the home team, the road team. It’s really going to come down to execution. No one’s going to be able to do it for you.”

If the Titans have any hope of slowing down Brady, the X factor might be defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau.

With Belichick as head coach, he and LeBeau have faced off in the playoffs once: the 2004 AFC championship game that New England won in Pittsburgh Cameron Erving Jersey , 41-27.

Brady had two touchdown passes in that game, but was also sacked twice.

”The one thing you got to try to do is not let him read you like a book, which he’s very adept at,” LeBeau said. ”Whether you’re pressuring or whether you’re going coverage, if he knows where you’re going, he’s probably going to be pretty effective.”

Brady isn’t taking anything for granted.

”These are fun games to play in,” he said. ”You’re out there, you’re in the position to succeed. Your coaches have put a lot on you. The team’s really relying on you. You’ve got to go out there and make the plays.”

—

AP Football Writer Teresa Walker in Nashville contributed to this report.

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The Atlanta Falcons are mostly healthy and don't want to risk getting an important player injured when they close out the preseason this week.

Coach Dan Quinn wouldn't say so for certain, but it's unlikely the Falcons will play any starters or key backups Thursday against Miami. The depth chart is nearly full, so Quinn and his staff will use the exhibition to evaluate the last available spots on the 53-man roster.

"There will be some who are competing to be practice squad and developmental and some still battling for the 53," Quinn said Monday. "The goal is also if it's not here Ray Lewis Jersey , it's somewhere, so those guys can put out tapes to get other opportunities."

Atlanta opens the regular season Sept. 6 at Philadelphia, the defending Super Bowl champion that knocked the favored Falcons out of the playoffs seven months ago. Quinn wants to keep everyone as healthy as possible.

Star receiver Julio Jones and running back Devonta Freeman have been held out of all the preseason games for precautionary reasons given their injury histories, but neither has missed practice.

Linebacker Deion Jones, cornerback Desmond Trufant, and free safety Ricardo Allen were nicked up in earlier exhibitions and didn't dress for last week's preseason loss at Jacksonville.

Quinn sees plenty of areas for the Falcons to clean up. Against the Jaguars, the first-team offense failed to convert its five chances on third down and allowed Matt Ryan to get sacked twice.

The first-team defense wasn't stout enough against the run and gave up Leonard Fournette's 21-yard score.

"I thought in this game there were too many leaky yards on some of the runs," Quinn said. "They had a long touchdown run. Those two explosive runs were uncomfortable for those guys."

Quinn likes what he's seen from running back Tevin Coleman in the preseason. The No. 2 running back has worked exclusively with the starters and is averaging 5.4 yards on 18 runs. Quinn also was pleased that the defense looked sharp on the opening drive when cornerback Robert Alford tipped the ball on strong safety Keanu Neal's interception.

Though the third- and fourth-stringers will take most of the snaps when the Falcons (0-3) face Miami (0-3), Quinn still wants his front-line players to improve.

He called out rookie receiver Calvin Ridley in a team film session Monday after the first-round draft pick dropped two passes with the ball in his hands and no contact from the Jaguars.

"Nobody escapes that," Quinn said. "That's part of the process we go through to say, 'Hey Alex Anzalone Jersey , man, we expect you to own that moment.' It wasn't just him. There were other people."

Quinn used the film session as a teaching moment for Ridley, who likely won't play this week, and a reminder that the Falcons led the NFL in drops last season.

"I think to be a true team, you have to show all the examples 鈥?the one where he really lights 'em up good and the ones that he had a drop," Quinn said.

"Probably his first taste. Last week he was on his way to becoming the next rookie Pro Bowl receiver and then he had a drop. Welcome to the NFL.

"He's a really detailed and prideful guy. There's an intensity he brings in practice is past maybe his age. I really respect that part of his game. As mistakes happen, which they're going to, I generally want to see how a guy rebounds."

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>Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon has been accused of sexual harassment by an assistant for his sports marketing firm Martavis Bryant Jersey , according to a California lawsuit.The lawsuit was filed Monday in Orange County Superior Court. According to court documents, Wendy Haskell alleges Moon made “unwanted and unsolicited” sexual advances while she worked for Sports 1 Marketing. Moon is the co-founder and president of the company.A call by The Associated Press to Moon’s agent, Leigh Steinberg, was not immediately returned.The Washington Post first reported on the lawsuit Wednesday. The 61-year-old Moon has been working as a radio commentator for the Seattle Seahawks. The team announced that day it had “accepted Warren Moon’s request for a leave of absence as the club’s radio analyst.”Moon played parts of 17 seasons in the NFL with Houston, Minnesota, Seattle and Kansas City.According to the lawsuit Sebastian Janikowski Jersey , Haskell was hired as an executive assistant to Moon in the summer of 2017. The lawsuit alleges that Haskell was forced to sleep in the same bed with Moon on business trips while wearing lingerie. Haskell says in the lawsuit she complained about the arrangement but Moon responded “this was the way it was.”Haskell contended she was drugged by Moon during a trip to Mexico in October. The lawsuit alleges that Moon acknowledged drugging Haskell because he thought she wasn’t “having fun.” She also claims Moon pulled off her swimsuit during the Mexico trip.Additionally, the lawsuit claims Haskell was required to keep the bathroom door unlocked while she showered and Moon repeatedly entered the room.The lawsuit claims that Haskell reported Moon’s behavior to Sports 1 Marketing CEO David Meltzer but the company did not investigate her claims. Haskell says she was demoted after making the complaints.Moon threw for 49,325 yards and 291 touchdowns in the regular season and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2006. The former University of Washington star led the team to a 1978 Rose Bowl victory. He went undrafted by the NFL and led Edmonton to five Canadian Football League titles. He became one of the NFL’s first successful black quarterbacks, starting his career with the Oilers in the 1984 season.Haskell’s attorney, Diane L. Fitzgerald, told The Washington Post her client had decided to go public with the suit.“She was expecting to further her career in the sports marketing industry Robbie Gould Jersey ,” Fitzgerald told the newspaper. “She had no idea that her job duties were going to involve that kind of perverse protocol.”

NEW YORK JETS (5-11)

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: QB Josh McCown; CB Morris Claiborne; C Wesley Johnson, TEs Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Chris Gragg; LBs Demario Davis, Bruce Carter, Julian Stanford, and David Bass; S Terrence Brooks; PK Chandler Catanzaro; DLs Kony Ealy and Ed Stinson; DT Mike Pennel; OLs Jonotthan Harrison, Ben Ijalana and Dakota Dozier.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: WR Quincy Enunwa; S Rontez Miles; OL Brent Qvale; TE Neal Sterling; DL Xavier Cooper.

NEEDS: It’s all about finding quarterback Adrian Clayborn Jersey , running theme for this franchise for, well, decades. New York will be in Kirk Cousins sweepstakes and has money it would take to land him. But will the former Washington QB want team that has failed to make playoffs for seven straight seasons and underwent massive rebuild last year? Jets have new offensive coordinator in former QBs coach Jeremy Bates, who runs Mike and Kyle Shanahan-style system Cousins learned during his first two seasons in league. If Jets whiff on Cousins, there’s good chance McCown will be back to mentor whomever New York takes with its first draft pick at No. 6 overall. Plenty of holes elsewhere, although Jets are interested in re-signing Claiborne Jason Spriggs Jersey , Seferian-Jenkins and Davis as core players. Help on offensive line, namely at center, proven pass rusher and cornerback will also be high priorities for GM Mike Maccagnan. Running back Matt Forte is retired, so Jets might look for some depth in backfield, as well as on defensive line after releasing disappointing Muhammad Wilkerson.

AVAILABLE SALARY CAP SPACE (approximately): $90 million.

—

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Already a dozen NFL teams have new quarterbacks Peyton Barber Jersey , half of them starters. And next month’s draft features a deep class of QB prospects, a half-dozen of which could hear their names called in the first round.

Why such a remarkable run on prime-time passers?

”They’re hard to find,” Denver Broncos general manager John Elway said after introducing Case Keenum as his fifth quarterback since Peyton Manning’s retirement just two years ago. ”It’s a tough spot to play. There are a lot of expectations. It’s a hard position. There are a lot pressures on it. You’ve got to play with consistency and there are a lot of people that rely on that position.”

So, proven passers and projects alike see teams jockeying to throw multiple millions their way.

The harbinger of the ”Great Quarterback Shuffle” of 2018 came during Super Bowl week when word got out that the Kansas City Chiefs were sending Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins, freeing Kirk Cousins to become a free agent in his prime, one who would rewrite the conventional contract.

Cousins made the media rounds at the Super Bowl, where he secretly scouted out the city he would soon call his own.

Minnesota surged past Denver, Phoenix and New York as Cousins’ desired destination after the Vikings decided to let all three of their veteran quarterbacks hit the open market.

While Cousins was working out a three-year, ground-breaking (fully guaranteed) and record-setting ($28 million average) deal in Minnesota , the Broncos, Cardinals and Jets were picking through the Vikings’ quarterback bin:

-Coming off a $2 million deal in Minnesota, Keenum commanded a two-year, $36 million deal in Denver after leading the Vikings to an 11-3 mark and the NFC championship game.

–Sam Bradford, whose injury opened the way for Keenum’s breakout season, signed a one-year Dean Lowry Jersey , $20 million with the Cardinals, who lost Carson Palmer to retirement.

–Teddy Bridgewater, once the Vikings’ established starter before a devastating knee injury two years ago, signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Jets, who also re-signed Josh McCown for one year at $10 million.

Trevor Siemian, who blew up the Broncos’ quarterback plans two straight summers by beating out 2016 first-round flop Paxton Lynch, heads to the Vikings as Cousins’ backup after going 13-11 in Denver.

Leading the Bills to their first playoff appearance in 18 years wasn’t enough for Tyrod Taylor to secure his long-term future in Buffalo. The Bills traded Taylor to Cleveland, which traded DeShone Kizer to the Green Bay Packers, where he’ll back up Aaron Rodgers.

AJ McCarron finally gets his chance to prove himself after spending four seasons in Andy Dalton’s shadow. He signed a two-year deal with the Bills and said it makes no difference if his new team adds more competition by selecting one of the highly regarded quarterback prospects in the draft next month .

”I try not to ever waste any mental thought on it because it’s something I can’t control,” McCarron said. ”… You can either let it affect you in how you go about your work and let that define you. Or you can change everybody’s thought process. My mindset is to change anybody that’s had any doubt.”

Keenum said his mindset won’t change should Elway draft a quarterback such as Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, Wyoming’s Josh Allen, USC’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Louisville’s Lamar Jackson or Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph.

”I’ve been around long enough to know that anything is a possibility in this league. I was a starting quarterback when a team drafted somebody No. 1 overall and traded a bunch of draft picks. I know how that goes Albert McClellan Jersey ,” Keenum said, recalling when the Rams selected Jared Goff in 2016.

Teams are also doling out big bucks for backups just two months after watching Nick Foles‘ MVP performance in leading the Eagles past Tom Brady’s Patriots in Super Bowl 52 while starter Carson Wentz watched from the sideline.

Mike Glennon went from being the Bears‘ backup to Arizona, Chase Daniel went from the Saints to Chicago and Tom Savage moved from the Texans to New Orleans.

None of them got the kind of money Jimmy Garoppolo did after serving as Brady’s backup for several seasons and then getting traded to San Francisco. After sparking the downtrodden 49ers, Garoppolo was rewarded with a record-breaking deal that averaged a whopping $27.5 million a season.

That mark stood until Cousins’ deal came in at an average of $28 million, which is sure to fall when the Packers and Rodgers work out a new contract in the next year or so.

In several weeks, the NFL will be flush with a new crop of quarterbacks, some of whom may one day make today’s jaw-dropping contracts look a little less eye-popping.

They may have to start out as a backup such as Patrick Mahomes II last year in Kansas City or Rodgers did in Green Bay when Brett Favre was still going strong.

Rodgers said that although there’s an ever-widening schism between college offenses and the ones the pros run, today’s QB prospects are in many ways more prepared for the NFL because the coaching is better at all levels.

”I think you’re seeing more spread offenses in college, which give you the run-pass option a lot of times. You’re seeing the NFL incorporate some of that. But in general, I think there’s just so much more education about quarterbacks that allows these guys to be more ready to play than, say, myself or Alex Smith or Jason Campbell were in 2005 when we got pi Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia said Thursday he was "falsely accused" in a 1996 sexual assault allegation that resurfaced this week, and he indicated that the matter has not been an issue as he has climbed from job to job in the years since.

Patricia held a brief news conference one day after a Detroit News report that he and a friend were indicted 22 years ago by a Texas grand jury on one count each of aggravated sexual assault. They were accused of assaulting a woman on South Padre Island. The accuser did not testify and the case was dismissed.

"I was innocent then, and I am innocent now," Patricia said.

The Lions said Wednesday night that a pre-employment background check did not turn up the incident. The team said Patricia was 21 at the time and on spring break in Texas. The Lions said they were standing by Patricia.

An NFL spokesman said Thursday the league "will review the matter with the club to understand the allegations and what the club has learned."

Lions owner Martha Firestone Ford Stephen Hauschka Jersey , general manager Bob Quinn and president Rod Wood were at Thursday's news conference but did not speak.

"I'm here to defend my honor and clear my name. Twenty-two years ago, I was falsely accused of something very serious," Patricia said . "There were claims made about me that never happened. While I'm thankful on one level that the process worked, and the case was dismissed, at the same time, I was never given the opportunity to defend myself."

Patricia took a few questions but did not provide details about the day in question.

"I was falsely accused of something that I did not do," he said.

The Detroit News, citing a March 1996 story in the Brownsville (Texas) Herald, said Patricia and a friend were accused of entering the hotel room where the woman was sleeping and sexually assaulting her. The men were arrested later that night and released on bond, according to the story and court records.

The indictment came that August, but the case was eventually dismissed. The Detroit News posted a motion to dismiss from January 1997, which said the alleged victim did not feel she could "face the pressures or stress of a trial."

Patricia's first NFL coaching job was as an assistant with the New England Patriots in 2004, and he remained with them through last season, when he was the defensive coordinator. He was hired by the Lions in February to replace Jim Caldwell.

Before joining the Patriots, Patricia worked as a graduate assistant in 1996 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute DeMario Davis Jersey , his alma mater. That was before he spent two years working as an aeronautical engineer. Patricia was an assistant coach at Amherst and a graduate assistant at Syracuse before moving on to the NFL.

"I've interviewed for a lot of jobs," Patricia said. "Interviewing for jobs in engineering right after the situation happened, it was never an issue, it never came up as anything, because it was dismissed, and I was innocent, so it just has never been part of any process that I've been involved with."

Patriots coach Bill Belichick said the team wasn't aware of the legal case and expressed support for Patricia.

"For 14 years in our organization, Matt conducted himself with great integrity and is known to be an outstanding coach, person and family man," Belichick said in a statement. "We have always been confident in Matt's character and recommended him highly to become the head coach of the Detroit Lions."

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PLAYERS TO PICK UP

MIKE SOROKA (SP Josh Hill Jersey , Atlanta Braves, 38 percent owned in Yahoo) – Soroka returned from the disabled list Wednesday, and despite being on a pitch limit, he made the most of his return to the mound against the Mets. He allowed just one hit and one walk in 6.1 innings, while striking out four batters. He won’t ever be a huge strikeout pitcher, but he should be owned in the majority of leagues as a fourth starter.

WILLY ADAMES (SS, Tampa Bay Rays, 11 percent) – Adames will get every chance to earn the everyday shortstop role for the Rays. He has the upside to contribute across the board, and he should be owned in 12-team leagues with a middle infielder.

MIGUEL SANO (3B, Minnesota Twins, 81 percent) – Sano is owned widely but might be at his low as a fantasy asset. The Twins shocked the baseball world by sending him to Triple-A on Thursday, as he’s struggled to get it going after his 2017 All-Star season. If you have the patience and the room, now’s the time to buy low on Sano, who has out-of-this-world potential.

TOM MURPHY (C, Colorado Rockies Jarvis Jenkins Jersey , 1 percent) – If a catcher has a pulse, fantasy owners should be interested. Chris Iannetta or Tony Wolters aren’t a threat, as they aren’t even hitting their weight. Murphy, meanwhile, was hitting .289 in Triple-A, and he just got the call to Colorado. He’s a power-hitting catcher with a pedigree, and that gives him a real chance to be a top 5 catcher in fantasy going forward if he gets everyday at-bats.

TWO-START PITCHERS TO STREAM

DYLAN COVEY (SP, Chicago White Sox, 18 percent) – Covey has been a pleasant surprise for fantasy owners this season with his good strikeout rate, low walk rate and 2.29 ERA for the White Sox. There are better matchups out there than Cleveland and Oakland, but Covey should earn your trust in a two-start week.

MIKE MONTGOMERY (SP, Chicago Cubs, 17 percent) – Montgomery has filled in admirably for the injured Yu Darvish. He gives an added boost to those in points leagues, as he has relief pitcher eligibility. Montgomery is slated to start against the Dodgers and at the Reds next week.

JAIME BARRIA (SP, Los Angeles Angels Mark Ingram Jersey , 27 percent) – With Shohei Ohtani out for the foreseeable future, Barria will get his shot to stick in the Angels rotation on a full-time basis.

HITTERS TO STREAM

BRIAN ANDERSON (3B, Miami Marlins, 46 percent) – If Anderson were in any other market, he’d be more highly owned. Anderson and the Marlins get six games against the Giants and the Rockies on the road next week. He’s worth streaming and owning for the long run.

JAY BRUCE (OF, New York Mets, 34 percent) – The newly-signed three-year deal hasn’t quite worked out for Bruce or the Mets yet, but Coors Field could be the scenery he needs to get going.

DUSTIN FOWLER (OF, Oakland Athletics 4 percent) – In Oakland’s six games next week, only one is scheduled to be against a lefty, which benefits Fowler. The Padres and White Sox are both in the top 10 for stolen bases allowed by a team this year. Expect Fowler to get plenty of run.

—

This column was provided to The Associated Press by the Fantasy Sports Network,

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings and Tennessee Titans did their best to protect their starters for the regular season, letting Kirk Cousins and Marcus Mariota lead the cheers from the sidelines.

Rookie Daniel Carlson kicked field goals of 39 and 22 yards, and Kyle Sloter added a 24-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter as the Vikings beat the Tennessee Titans 13-3 on Thursday night as the teams wrapped up the preseason.

“We’re excited to get the preseason over with and start focusing on somebody else and game planning 12th Fan Jersey ,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said.

Titans three-time Pro Bowl tight end Delanie Walker did not play a snap this preseason and said he’s ready for the regular season. He then shared a quote from linebacker Brian Orakpo.

“The varsity is taking the field now,” Walker said.

Carlson rebounded from missing a pair of 42-yarders wide left a week ago after beating out Kai Forbath for the job. Carlson connected from 39 yards late in the first half, tying it 3-3. He added a 22-yarder midway through the third quarter, giving the Vikings (3-1) a 6-3 lead.

The Titans finished first-year coach Mike Vrabel’s first preseason winless, though he made clear protecting starters for the regular season mattered more than notching an exhibition victory. Vrabel said he feels much better about the health of his roster than two weeks ago, and that he focused on coaching the Titans who’ve worked hard for the team against the Vikings.

What does Vrabel know about the Titans after his first preseason?

“We’ll find that out when we go to Miami,” Vrabel said. “We’ll really find out what kind of team we’ve got, how conditioned we are and how talented we are and what kind of coaches when we get done with Miami.”

The starters who did play were the kickers, and the Titans kept Pro Bowl punter Brett Kern very busy. He punted five times before his backup took over.

In the battle of the backups, the Titans dominated the first quarter, outgaining Minnesota 77-8 and holding the ball for more than 12 minutes. Rookie Luke Falk, a sixth-round draft pick out of Washington State, played the whole game. Falk outplayed Cousins’ backup Trevor Siemian at least in the first quarter, when the Vikings went three-and-out twice.

The Vikings sacked Falk four times, and he threw for 114 yards. Siemian lasted the first half and was 6 of 11 for 55 yards. Zimmer said he thought Siemian played better and helped out the Vikings’ young receivers. Siemian said it was a slow first quarter.

“You get a small sample size and you’d like to keep playing Terron Armstead Jersey , but that’s kind of how it goes,” Siemian said.

POSITION BATTLES

Vikings undrafted rookie Mike Boone had 15 carries for 56 yards. He also caught two passes for 53 yards. Roc Thomas, fighting Boone for the third running back slot, hurt his left ankle when tackled at the end of a screen pass early in the second quarter, and finished with four carries for 12 yards.

INJURIES

Minnesota linebacker Kentrell Brothers, suspended for the first four games of the season , suffered a concussion in the first half. Cornerbacks Horace Richardson and Craig James each hurt hamstrings.

Devin Ross, who started with a chance to push for one of the last wide receiver slots, hurt his right ankle on the first play of the Titans’ second series.

ANTHEM WATCH

No protests were seen by either the Vikings or the Titans. Even Tennessee wide receiver Rishard Matthews, who stayed in the tunnel last season after comments by President Trump in September, was on the sideline during the anthem. He was just removed last weekend from the physically unable to perform list.

UP NEXT

Vikings: Host San Francisco on Sept. 9.

Titans: Open season Sept. 9 at Miami.

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The news from late Friday night didn’t sound good for AJ McCarron‘s bid to win the Bills’ starting quarterback job. As it turns out Nate Hairston Jersey , McCarron will return to the competition soon.

A second opinion revealed McCarron did not fracture his collarbone, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

That means he will get to resume his competition with Nathan Peterman and Josh Allen. Allen will start this week’s dress rehearsal game.

McCarron still might not win the job, but he won’t lose it by default.

The Buffalo News reported after Friday’s game that McCarron had a hairline fracture of the collarbone. Bills coach Sean McDermott refuted McCarron was injured, although he added that tests are “not totally conclusive.”

That’s what prompted McCarron to seek a second opinion.

Super Bowl champion Philadelphia will host Atlanta to kick off the 2018 NFL season on Thursday night, Sept. 6.

Green Bay hosts Chicago in the first Sunday night matchup on Sept. 9, while the Monday nighters on opening weekend feature the New York Jets at Detroit, followed by the Los Angeles Rams at Oakland.

The Eagles also will play at England's home of soccer when they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 8 at Wembley Stadium.

That's one of four international games. The other match at Wembley will be the previous week with the Los Angeles Chargers hosting the Tennessee Titans. Tottenham Hotspur's new stadium Ian Thomas Jersey , also in London, will be the site for a Raiders home game on Oct. 14 against Seattle.

For the third straight year, the NFL will stage a game in Mexico City: the Rams will host Kansas City in a Week 11 Monday night game.

Thanksgiving will provide a feast of divisional games. The traditional doubleheader in Detroit and Dallas has the Lions playing the Bears, followed by the Redskins at the Cowboys. At night, it will be Atlanta visiting New Orleans.

Other intriguing matchups include Cleveland, which lost all 16 games last season, hosting archrival Pittsburgh on opening day; New England at Jacksonville in a rematch of the AFC title game in Week 2; the Eagles and Vikings in an NFC championship game redux in Philly on Oct. 7; and the Steelers vs. Patriots in Pittsburgh in Week 15.

"We like to open at home in front of our great fans and this will be the second season in a row we do it against the Steelers Braden Smith Youth Jersey ," Browns coach Hue Jackson said. "We start with the best in our division."

Fox, which will do 11 Thursday night games, begins its package in Week 4 with the Vikings at the Rams. Those contests also will be televised by NFL Network and in Spanish on Fox Deportes. NFL Network has seven exclusive broadcasts.

Flexible scheduling in which a Sunday afternoon game can be switched to the evening because it is a better matchup than the previously planned game will be in use for Weeks 11-17. But two Sundays in Weeks 5-10 also can have a game flexed to night.

In a new twist, flex scheduling will be used for Saturday games in Weeks 15 and 16. In Week 15, two games will be played on Saturday, Dec. 15: Houston at the New York Jets and Cleveland at Denver, with game times of 4:30 p.m. EST and 8:20 p.m. EST to be determined. In Week 16 Hroniss Grasu Jersey , two of four possible matchups will be scheduled for Saturday: Baltimore at the Chargers, Jacksonville at Miami, the New York Giants at Indianapolis, or Washington at Tennessee. Start times for Saturday games for Week 15 and 16 will be announced no later than following Week 8, with the contests not chosen for Saturday to be played on Sunday on the 16th weekend.

No Sunday night game has been scheduled for the last day of the season, Dec. 30. That will be chosen after Week 16 games conclude.

The 2018 schedule has three three-game road trips, down from seven last year. The Saints Youth M.J. Stewart Jersey , Rams and Ravens will have those three-game journeys, but the Ravens and Rams also have three-game homestands. In all, 12 franchises are home for three straight weeks, and Baltimore and Indianapolis have a bye in there, meaning neither club will leave home for a month.

Also, no team plays a road game following a road Monday night match. That occurred last year five times.

AP Sports Writer Tom Withers in Cleveland contributed.

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Eagles receiver Alshon Jeffery‘s injured shoulder will keep him out at least the first two games of the season Andre Holmes Jersey , Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. The team, though, is expected to activate him to the 53-player roster this weekend with hopes that Jeffery can return by Week Three.

The Eagles’ first two games are against the Falcons and the Buccaneers.

Eagles coach Doug Pederson said earlier Tuesday that Jeffery is “progressing well” but offered no guarantees that the receiver would return for the season opener.

Jeffery is on the physically unable to perform list and would miss six games if he remained on the list after final cutdowns Saturday.

Jeffery played through his shoulder injury last season, catching 57 passes for 789 yards and nine touchdowns in his first season with the Eagles. He had offseason surgery to repair the injury.

The path for Stefon Diggs to last-play touchdown fame and sudden Minnesota savior didn’t start with such brilliance.

Diggs has only arrived at this stage of his life and his career, a Vikings standout on the verge of a Super Bowl, with an unrelenting diligence and a dose of humility.

For all the natural talent of a consensus five-star recruit coming out of high school, he’s sure had to work hard to get here.

”He’s my guy. I love him to death. I appreciate all he does for this team, and I appreciate all he’s done for me,” fellow wide receiver Adam Thielen said. ”He’s pushed me harder than anybody has pushed me in my life.”

Remember those first three regular-season games in the NFL? Not really. He was a healthy scratch on the sideline.

That’s a long way from the 61-yard catch-turn-run sequence that Diggs produced as time expired on Sunday that sent the Vikings to the NFC championship game with a 29-24 victory over New Orleans .

”He continually has gotten better over the past three years,” tight end Kyle Rudolph said.

”It’s awesome to see guys like that who work so hard have an opportunity in such a big moment and for them to make the most of it.”

Treating each practice as if it’s a game is a common response from teammates asked about Diggs and his work ethic. Thielen and Diggs are widely considered to be two of the sharpest and savviest route runners in the league.

”He wants to win. Whether he’s getting the ball or he’s not getting ball Cheap Taron Johnson Jersey , blocking or not, whatever he’s doing, he wants to win,” Vikings cornerback Mackensie Alexander said, adding: ”The thing I love about Diggs is he doesn’t let the game be bigger than him. He just kind of goes in the game, and it’s just another game. That allows you to play well.”

Setbacks became a recurring theme for Diggs, who chose to stay in his home state and play for Maryland so his family could watch him more often despite offers from powerhouse programs such as Auburn, Florida and USC.

With the Terrapins, though, he caught passes from four different quarterbacks over three seasons Tre'Davious White Jersey , with more than one starter used each year.

Injuries each season kept him from playing a full schedule, including a broken leg as a sophomore and a lacerated kidney as a junior.

When he declared for the draft a year early, there were also questions from NFL teams about his attitude and compliance.

After high stepping and somersaulting into the end zone in one game in 2013, coach Randy Edsall pulled him aside for a mild admonishment to remind him about the importance of reputation.

With substandard 6-foot height also a factor, Diggs fell to the fifth round for the Vikings to find one of the true steals of that 2015 draft. He made an immediate impact in his debut at Denver, with six receptions for 87 yards. Four games in, he had 419 yards and two touchdowns.

”When I was going into the combine and stuff like that, I had 100 percent confidence in myself,” Diggs said on Wednesday, as the Vikings reconvened for practice in preparation for their game Sunday at Philadelphia.

”I had a lot of support along the way. I had some great coaches and some great teammates that pushed me in the right direction. I’ll never take all the credit.”

His production waned down the stretch of his rookie season Mark Walton Jersey , with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater still developing on the job.

In Sam Bradford’s first game for Minnesota in 2016, the lid-lifter at U.S. Bank Stadium against rival Green Bay, Diggs hauled in 13 catches for 182 yards and a score in front of a prime time Sunday night audience.

But a groin injury cost him one game and some momentum. Then he hurt his knee and missed another game.

His first two games at home in 2017 were showstoppers, with two touchdowns apiece, but that groin injury popped up again at Chicago and kept him out for the next two weeks. Thielen, meanwhile, surpassed him as Case Keenum’s favorite target.

There was Diggs in the huddle on Sunday, though, with 10 seconds left listening to Keenum tell the receivers he was going to give somebody a shot.

”It meant so much to me to see my quarterback believe in me the last play of the game,” said Diggs Cheap Sam Darnold Jersey , who began crying hard enough to cut short and turn away from one of his on-field TV interviews after the winning touchdown.

His younger brother, Trevon Diggs, happened to be in the stadium that evening for his first live NFL game. He’s a cornerback and punt returner for Alabama who just won a national championship. Their father, Aron Diggs, died 10 years ago of heart failure .

”He started me in football. He played a huge part in what’s going on now. That’s the biggest thing. Kind of try and thank him prior to the game, him and God,” Diggs said, ”and try and keep that thing going.”

—

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Nathan Shepherd jumped off the defensive line Authentic Saquon Barkley Jersey , got into the New York Jets‘ backfield and saw Sam Darnold standing just a few feet away.

Then, the third-round draft pick put on the brakes.

”Oh, I stayed away from him,” a smiling Shepherd said of Darnold on Saturday during rookie minicamp. ”No sir. You see the red (jersey) and you turn the other way.”

Quarterbacks are off-limits to contact in NFL practices, so would-be sack-happy defenders such as Shepherd need to tread lightly – especially when the No. 3 overall pick and future of the franchise is in the pocket.

But games are another story, of course, and the Jets will be counting on Shepherd and fellow rookie Folorunso Fatukasi to help make Sundays miserable for opposing offenses. New York went big in the draft – after taking Darnold in the first round – by adding heft to its defensive line.

Over 630 pounds worth.

Shepherd is a 6-foot-4, 315-pounder from Fort Hays State. Fatukasi, a sixth-rounder from UConn, is 6-3 and 318.

”Same size, different players,” coach Todd Bowles said last week after the draft.

Shepherd and Fatukasi could get plenty of opportunities to play as rookies. Bowles said both can play nose tackle and spell Leonard Williams at defensive end, and the Jets will have them slotted for certain roles depending on what defensive scheme they want to use.

They might also be able to help offset the loss of Muhammad Wilkerson, who was cut during the offseason and has since signed with Green Bay. The Jets still have Williams and Steve McLendon on their defensive line, as well as Mike Pennel, Xavier Cooper and Henry Anderson Ronnie Harrison Jersey Jaguars , who was acquired in a draft-day deal with Indianapolis.

”I think that whatever the opportunity the Jets have for me is going to be more than enough for me,” Shepherd said. ”If they need help in a certain area, then I would certainly feel honored that they would come and look to me for that.”

Boosting a pass rush that has struggled to consistently get to the quarterback the last few seasons might be one.

”We’ll see,” Bowles said of Shepherd. ”We expect him to have an impact as a defensive lineman, but sacks come differently for different people. As long as he does what he is supposed to do, which we’re sure he will, we’ll get better and we’ll see where the pass rush is and if the sacks come.”

Shepherd is a study in patience and perseverance . The native of Ontario, Canada, redshirted his first season at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia and then became a starter before leaving school for financial reasons.

Shepherd worked several side jobs for the next two years, dreaming of returning to football someday while fighting to keep motivated every day.

”Yeah, most mornings,” he said. ”You’re thinking, `OK, I’ve got to go to work and this check isn’t really doing anything to improve my life today, that I can see.’ So, that was difficult Authentic Devin Hester Jersey , but you’ve just got to keep the dream alive and know that you’re that much closer.”

Shepherd landed at Fort Hays State in Kansas in 2015, became a starter and was the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association defensive player of the year as a senior. He finished his three-year career at Fort Hays with 168 tackles, including 27 for loss, and 10 sacks.

Now, he’s in the NFL – something he’s still trying to grasp.

”I was fortunate enough to be able to keep my same number, so I’ll be No. 97,” he said. ”I have my jersey from college, so I think when I take that picture of my college jersey and my pro jersey, that moment will sink in for me.”

For Fatukasi, this marks sort of a homecoming. He grew up in the Far Rockaway section of Queens, New York, and ended up going to UConn. He went through three coaching changes while he was there but thrived despite the constant turnover.

He had 45 tackles, including 7 for losses, as a senior and was tied for second on the Huskies with four sacks. Fatukasi finished his college career with 168 tackles and 14 sacks in 48 games while playing several positions on UConn’s defensive line.

”Having three different head coaches – and if you include the interim head coach, it’s four – and having a various amount of defenses, I’ve kind of been all over Logan Paulsen Jersey Falcons ,” Fatukasi said.

That versatility will be valuable for the Jets, who tend to move players around on the line to keep them fresh. Both Shepherd and Fatukasi could quickly find themselves part of that rotation, but they first need to get adjusted to playing in the NFL.

”I had to quickly get off the high of being drafted,” Fatukasi said, ”and realize there’s still a lot of work to be done.”

—

A look at what’s happening around the majors Friday:

TEXAS STORY

Colorado shortstop Trevor Story gets to play a big league game near home for the first time when the Rockies open an interleague series Friday night at the Texas Rangers, in a stadium only a few miles from his hometown of Irving, Texas. The Rockies last played at Texas in 2016, which was Story’s standout rookie season. But Story, the 45th overall pick in the 2011 draft out of Irving High, suffered a season-ending left thumb injury about two weeks before that series. Another Texas native starts the opener for the Rockies in right-hander Chad Bettis (4-1), who is from Lubbock and went to Texas Tech. He got a no decision in the Rockies’ 12-9 win during that August 2016 series when he allowed five runs in five innings.

ACES UP

Two of the National League’s top pitchers this season will face off when the Chicago Cubs open a weekend series at the St. Louis Cardinals. Jon Lester (7-2) takes the mound for the Cubs, who are coming off two straight losses at Milwaukee, and the left-hander is fourth in the NL in ERA (2.22). Michael Wacha, meanwhile, is 8-1 and seventh in the league with a 2.47 ERA – providing a much-needed boost for a Cardinals team that’s 4-5 in its last nine games against Miami, Cincinnati and San Diego.

BACK IN TOWN

Nathan Eovaldi (1-1) takes the ball for the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium Johnny Hekker Jersey , his fourth outing since becoming the 12th pitcher to start a major league game following multiple Tommy John surgeries. Eovaldi pitched for the Yankees from 2015-16, going 14-3 for them in 2015, but has never faced New York. ”I wish I would have been able to finish on a healthy note. Other than that, I really enjoyed my time there,” Eovaldi said.

Jonathan Loaisiga comes up from Double-A Trenton to make his big league debut for the Yankees, starting in place of injured Masahiro Tanaka. The 23-year-old Loaisiga, from Nicaragua, returned to the mound last year from Tommy John surgery. ”Super excited. This is a great opportunity the Yankees are giving me,” Loaisiga said through a translator. ”It’s been a tough road for me to get here and now it’s about enjoying this moment.”

GIO WATCH

Gio Gonzalez (6-2, 2.65 ERA) had his worst start of the season in his last outing, allowing four runs in 3 1/3 innings against the San Francisco Giants last week. The Washington Nationals left-hander will return to the mound when he makes an interleague start against the Toronto Blue Jays.

—

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CHICAGO BEARS (5-11)

OPEN CAMP: July 19 Matt Kalil Jersey , Olivet Nazarene University, Bourbonnais, Illinois

LAST YEAR: Bears finished last in NFC North for fourth straight year, then fired coach John Fox after three losing seasons. GM Ryan Pace got contract extension through 2021 and hired Andy Reid protege Matt Nagy as head coach, hoping he gets most out of QB Mitchell Trubisky. Wide receivers were big weakness, with Cameron Meredith (left knee) out for season and Kevin White (shoulder) missing most of it. Chicago’s leading receiver was Kendall Wright – now with Minnesota – with 59 receptions for 614 yards. Bears had formidable RB tandem with Jordan Howard (1,122 yards) and Tarik Cohen (370 yards rushing, 353 receiving), though Howard struggled to catch passes. Defense ranked 10th overall despite injuries to several key players, including LB Leonard Floyd.

IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: Coach Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich, WR Allen Robinson, TE Trey Burton, WR Taylor Gabriel, K Cody Parkey, rookie LB Roquan Smith Youth Kendall Wright Jersey , rookie WR Anthony Miller, rookie G/C James Daniels.

IMPORTANT LOSSES: Fox, Meredith, LB Pernell McPhee, LB Willie Young.

CAMP NEEDS: Trubisky needs time to develop rapport with new targets, particularly Robinson, coming back from torn left ACL in last year’s opener with Jacksonville. Something else to watch: G Kyle Long’s health. Three-time Pro Bowler is working way back from ankle, neck and shoulder surgeries.

EXPECTATIONS: Bears, coming off fourth straight season with 10 or more losses, haven’t finished above .500 since 2012. Chicago has one playoff appearance since 2006 Super Bowl appearance. Bears are banking on Trubisky after surrounding him with playmakers and coaches they think will help him reach his potential. Chicago also added possible cornerstone at inside linebacker by drafting Smith, who led Georgia to national championship game last season.

—

LeBron James jerseys in assorted colors hung inside the Cavaliers team shop, their retail price slashed by 40 percent.

Eight years ago, some of them were still smoldering in the streets.

The day after James announced he is leaving Cleveland as a free agent for the second time since 2010, anger gave way to acceptance. There was still deep disappointment that the world’s best player – Akron, Ohio, born and raised – is leaving again Authentic Rashaad Penny Jersey , this time for the brighter lights of Los Angeles and a chance to play with the storied Lakers.

The pain is real. Cleveland is just handling it a lot better.

”It hurts at first, but we’ll be OK,” said Dave Howes, who manages Harry Buffalo, a sports bar and restaurant directly across the street from Quicken Loans Arena. ”We’ll rebound from it.”

If any city knows how to mount a comeback, it’s this one. Once a national punchline for jokes, Cleveland is thriving with new hotels, shops, condominiums and trendy microbreweries popping up on both sides of the Cuyahoga River. Millennials have flocked to live in once-neglected areas transformed into flourishing neighborhoods with hip food and arts scenes.

A skyline once dotted with factory smokestacks now features gleaming high-rise apartment buildings. There’s new construction everywhere, including at the Cavs’ Quicken Loans Arena, currently undergoing a $140 million renovation.

Nothing looks as it did a few years ago.

James made it happen. The LeBron Effect. He put Cleveland on the map, changing the city’s collective psyche and delivering on his promise by winning a championship in 2016 – the city’s first since 1964.

No wonder some are having a hard time saying goodbye. But the criticism of James was more muted this time around.

Two other prominent Cleveland sports figures understood his reasons for going.

”If someone gave me $154 million I’d probably go somewhere too,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. ”I will miss him, because I loved going to games when he played. It’s hard to begrudge somebody. He earned it.”

UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic was confident his hometown would fight back.

”We’ll be all right,” Miocic said while preparing for his bout with Daniel Cormier at UFC 226. ”The city is alive now. We have food, good bars Mitch Unrein Jersey , good places to go to, and I think it’s going to stay that way for a long time now. The Browns are making moves. The Indians are playing well. … It’s not only about the Cavs anymore.”

On Monday, as news of James’ departure was still sinking in on another scorching-hot summer day, Sherwin-Williams announced that Nike plans to remove the 10-story banner of James on the side of the paint company’s global headquarters that had become a landmark and symbol of renewal.

The massive mural, which shows James in his No. 23 jersey with his head titled back and arms extended wide as if to welcome one and all, was also taken down in 2010 when he bolted for Miami.

Standing on the sidewalk across from the billboard, Tom Valentino of Painesville, Ohio, snapped some final photographs for posterity.

”I found out it was coming down, and it’s kind of an iconic image here in Cleveland so I wanted to make sure I got a good look at it and got some pictures before it goes away,” he said.

Like many Cleveland sports fans, Valentino was initially disappointed to hear James wouldn’t be re-signing with the Cavs. But as he digested this new reality, Valentino chose to reflect on James’ lasting legacy.

”Oh, man. Where do you even begin?” he said. ”The phrase that you hear from LeBron is that it’s bigger than basketball. I really took that to heart as a lifelong Clevelander and just a Northeast Ohioan, and just everything that he has brought to our city and our community and our region.

”And let’s just be honest, the basketball was a lot of fun. Every game you would turn on Derrick Nnadi Color Rush Jersey , you would never know what you were going to see from him, an amazing play, the buzzer-beaters and just everything else that he has brought to the city.

”It’s just been something else.”

And it will never be the same.

Without James, the Cavs instantly went from title contenders to a team that will struggle just to make the playoffs. They’ve dropped on the city’s three-team ladder behind the AL Central-leading Indians who haven’t won a World Series since 1948 but ahead of the woeful Browns, who went 0-16 last season but are optimistic about their future.

Without James, those bars and restaurants brimming with fans on game nights have to hope Cleveland will stick with the Cavs.

”It might drop off, but we’ll be all right,” Howes said, looking around at his lunch-time crowd. ”Cleveland sports fans love their teams – thick and thin. I mean look at the Browns. We still mostly sell out the games.”

After James’ choice of L.A. was announced, Valentino’s phone filled with texts from friends weighing in on the decision. There wasn’t hatred toward James, but gratitude.

”I can’t speak for everybody, but know that’s how I feel,” he said. ”It was so crushing when he left in 2010 because it just felt like as a town we were so close to getting that title. And the thing that I’ve come back to over and over the past couple years is June 19, 2016 (Game 7 of the Finals) was the most perfect sports moment I’ll ever get in my lifetime.

”I knew in the moment that it happened that it was never going to be any better  Collin Sexton Jersey 

Albert Almora Jr. got even. So did the Chicago Cubs.

Almora hit a game-ending RBI single in the 10th inning Terrance Williams Jersey , and the Cubs beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 on Tuesday night to salvage a split of their day-night doubleheader.

Kris Bryant sparked the winning rally with a leadoff triple against Brock Stewart (0-1). After Javier Baez was walked intentionally, Almora hit a liner into right field.

In the Cubs’ 4-3 loss to the Dodgers in Game 1, Almora popped out to first with the bases loaded with one out in the eighth. The Dodgers intentionally walked Jason Heyward before Yimi Garcia retired Almora.

”It was personal for me,” Almora said. ”I didn’t come through. I was a little aggressive.

”I learned from the first mistake and I didn’t do too much (in the second game), but I really wanted that one pretty bad. It was just a little bit of revenge from the first game.”

Rob Zastryzny (1-0), the fifth Cubs reliever, got Yasmani Grandal to fly out with the bases loaded in the top of the 10th to earn the win.

The rematch of the last two NL Championship Series was set to begin on Monday night, but the opener was postponed by a mixture of poor weather and a limited power outage at Wrigley Field. It’s the only scheduled visit for Los Angeles, leading to the day-night doubleheader.

”It was two really interesting games,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. ”Could have lost both, could have won both. It’s nice to walk off.”

Los Angeles began the long day with its 4-3 victory on pinch-hitter Kyle Farmer’s two-run double in the ninth. Joc Pederson led off the game with his ninth homer and Yasiel Puig drove in a run with a bloop double.

The Dodgers jumped in front in the nightcap on Austin Barnes‘ RBI single in the sixth. But the Cubs tied it on Kyle Schwarber’s 13th homer, a drive to right against Erik Goeddel in the seventh.

Los Angeles wasted an impressive return for Rich Hill, who pitched six innings of three-hit ball in his first major league start in a month. Hill was placed on the disabled list on May 20 with a blister on his left middle finger, a recurring problem for the veteran left-hander.

”The fastball command, the curveball command, it was on point tonight,” manager Dave Roberts said. ”You hope to get something like that, but you never know what you’re going to get making his first start back from injury, but again Jerry Hughes Jersey , he was outstanding.”

Mike Montgomery kept Chicago in the game with six effective innings, yielding one run and five hits. The lefty has a 1.21 ERA in five starts since he was inserted into the rotation after Yu Darvish went on the disabled list on May 26 with right triceps tendinitis.

”I just want him to continue to take start after start like this,” Maddon said.

Bryant led off in each half of the doubleheader. The third baseman doubled twice and drove in two runs in Game 1, and went 1 for 5 in the night cap.

It was the third and fourth times this season – and in his career – that the slugger batted at the top of the order.

Bryant’s two-run double in the opener helped Chicago to a 3-1 lead. But Puig doubled in Chris Taylor in the sixth, setting the stage for the ninth-inning rally.

Farmer lined a 2-2 pitch from Justin Wilson (1-2) into the corner in left after pinch-hitter Austin Barnes walked and Justin Turner singled. Farmer is batting just .238 for the season, but is 6 for 16 with two doubles off the bench.

Edward Paredes (2-0), the fifth of six Dodgers relievers, got one out in the eighth to earn the win. Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his 18th save.

Wilson (1-2) came one pitch away from earning his first save. Maddon used the lefty because closer Brandon Morrow has a sore back that flared up on Monday.

The Dodgers’ Kenta Maeda lasted 3 2/3 innings, allowing three runs and five hits in his second start since coming off the disabled list. Cubs starter Tyler Chatwood allowed two hits and struck out six in five innings, walking five to increase his major league-leading total to 63.

MAKING MOVES

To make room for Hill on the roster, the Dodgers optioned infielder/outfielder Breyvic Valera to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Stewart was added to the roster as the 26th man prior to the second game of the doubleheader. The Cubs recalled right-hander Justin Hancock from Triple-A Iowa as their 26th man.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

The Cubs celebrated Hall of Famer Billy Williams’ 80th birthday during the nightcap. Led by the Wrigley organist, many in the crowd of 40,409 joined in singing ”Happy Birthday” to the six-time All-Star after the second inning.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (strained lower back) is scheduled make a minor league rehab start on Saturday with Triple-A Oklahoma City. According to Roberts, Kershaw will be limited to four innings and 60 pitches. His next appearance could be with Los Angeles. … INF Chase Utley (left thumb sprain) could be activated off the DL on Wednesday.

Cubs: Maddon gave no timetable for Morrow’s return. … Darvish will throw a simulated game on Wednesday. Maddon said the Cubs will determine the next step in the right-hander’s rehab program based on his response. … INF Javier Baez, hit on the elbow by a pitch on Sunday, returned to the starting lineup at second base in the nightcap. Baez entered the first game in the seventh inning.

UP NEXT

Dodgers RHP Ross Stripling (6-1, 1.76 ERA) squares off against Cubs LHP Jon Lester (8-2, 2.28 ERA) on Wednesday afternoon in the series finale.

Filip Forsberg’s apparent tying goal with 0.6 seconds left was disallowed due to goalie interference, giving the Florida Panthers a 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.

Viktor Arvidsson was posted in front of Florida goalie Roberto Luongo on the play Darius Leonard Jersey , and his stick made contact with Luongo as he tried to shove in a rebound. The puck slid under Luongo in the crease, and Forsberg swooped in for an easy score. It was called a goal on the ice, but replay officials ruled that Arvidsson had interfered with Luongo.

Luongo tied a season high with 45 saves, and Colton Sceviour and Jonathan Huberdeau each scored for Florida.

Roman Josi scored for NHL-leading Nashville, and Pekka Rinne made 31 saves. The Predators would have clinched the Western Conference with a win.

The Panthers are four points behind the Philadelphia Flyers for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference and five behind the New Jersey Devils with a game in hand.

LIGHTNING 4, BRUINS 0

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – Andrei Vasilevskiy made 33 saves, Braydon Coburn and Ryan Callahan both had two assists during a three-goal second period, and Tampa Bay beat Boston to move into a tie for the Atlantic Division lead with the Bruins.

Brayden Point, Victor Hedman, Chris Kunitz and J.T. Miller scored for the Lightning, who had lost four of five.

Tampa Bay played without star center Steven Stamkos, who left Sunday’s game against Nashville in the second period with a lower-body injury. It hasn’t been announced if Stamkos will play in either of the Lightning’s final two regular-season games.

Tuukka Rask stopped 32 shots for the Bruins, who had gone 5-0-4 over their previous nine games. Boston has three regular-season games left.

JETS 5, CANADIENS 4, OT

MONTREAL (AP) – Kyle Connor scored three minutes into overtime, Patrik Laine added his 44th goal and Winnipeg earned its 50th win of the season.

Alex Galchenyuk forced overtime with a power-play goal at 18:18 of the third period.

Sami Niku, with his first NHL goal, Nikolaj Ehlers and Jack Roslovic also scored for the Jets Jarius Wright Jersey , who ended a four-game road trip. Winnipeg, which had already established a club record for wins in a season, has taken nine of its past 10 decisions.

Artturi Lehkonen, Paul Byron and Kerby Rychel also scored for Montreal, which lost its third straight game.

BLUE JACKETS 5, RED WINGS 4, OT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Pierre Luc-Dubois scored in overtime to lift Columbus and keep its playoff plans on track.

Artemi Panarin tied it for Columbus when he put back his own rebound late in the third period. That set the stage for Dubois’ shot from the slot 2:55 into the extra period.

The Blue Jackets are trying to get to the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time in franchise history, and for most of the game it looked as if Detroit would put a crimp in their plans. Columbus had to rally from a 4-1 second-period deficit to get the two points and stay in third place in the Metropolitan Division with two games left.

Cam Atkinson scored twice and Sonny Milano also had a goal for the Blue Jackets, who have won 13 of 15. Sergei Bobrovsky had 23 saves.

Jimmy Howard had 36 saves and Tyler Bertuzzi had two goals for the Red Wings, who ended a three-game winning streak. Gustav Nyquist had a goal and an assist, Darren Helm also scored and Henrik Zetterberg had three assists for Detroit.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS 5, CANUCKS 4, SO

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) – Shea Theodore scored in a shootout to lift Vegas in the final home game for Vancouver stars Daniel and Henrik Sedin.

The Sedin twins announced Monday they planned to retire after Saturday’s season-ending game in Edmonton. During the third period, the brothers stood at the bench and waved to the crowd, who gave them a standing ovation. Vegas’ players banged their sticks on the ice.

Theodore, the fourth Vegas shooter, scored on a backhand in a game the Knights almost let slip away.

Bo Horvat Rod Smith Jersey , Brandon Sutter and Nikolay Goldobin, with his second of the night, scored goals 5:01 apart in the third period as the Canucks erased a three-goal deficit.

Brandon Pirri led the Golden Knights with two goals in his first game of the season.

ISLANDERS 5, FLYERS 4, OT

NEW YORK (AP) – Mathew Barzal had two goals and an assist, including the go-ahead score after New York gave up a three-goal lead in the third period, and the Islanders beat the playoff-chasing Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 on Tuesday night.

John Tavares also scored twice and Anthony Beauvillier added a goal and two assists to help the Islanders get their third win in eight games, but just the fourth in their past 20 (4-12-4). Thomas Greiss stopped 27 shots.

Nolan Patrick had two goals and an assist, Claude Giroux added a goal and an assist, and Wayne Simonds also scored for Philadelphia, which squandered a chance to move closer to clinching a playoff spot. Petr Mrazek finished with 32 saves while falling to 6-6-3 in 15 games since being acquired from Detroit.

The Islanders appeared to take control with a three-goal second period to take a 4-1 lead, but the Flyers – who were 5-0-3 in their previous eight – tied it with three goals in a nine-minute stretch of the third.

DEVILS 5, RANGERS 2

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) – Taylor Hall and rookie Will Butcher scored two goals apiece, and New Jersey moved to the brink of its first playoff berth since 2012.

New Jersey moved within two points of ending its playoff drought by winning its third straight game and sixth in seven.

Travis Zajac ignited a three-goal first period with a tap-in tally 25 seconds after the opening faceoff, and Keith Kink Womens DJ Moore Jersey 

The brother of New York Giants cornerback Janoris Jenkins was arrested and charged Wednesday with manslaughter in the death of a 25-year-man whose body was found in the NFL player's New Jersey home.

The Bergen County prosecutor's office said Wednesday 34-year-old William H. Jenkins Zane Gonzalez Jersey , of Fair Lawn, was charged with aggravated manslaughter in the death of Roosevelt Rene, whose body was discovered Tuesday.

Acting Prosecutor Dennis Calo said William Jenkins is in custody in the Ontario County Jail in New York state. The investigation is ongoing.

Janoris Jenkins' home is about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of MetLife Stadium. Property records show Janoris Jenkins has lived at the house the last two years, and on Wednesday the Bergen County prosecutor's office listed William Jenkins as living at the same address.

According to New York state department of corrections records, William Jenkins was arrested on drug charges in 2006 and again in 2011. He was paroled from prison in July 2016.

Janoris Jenkins is entering his third season with the Giants. The 29-year-old signed a five-year, $62.5 million contract with the team in 2016 and had an outstanding first season when he was selected to be a starter in the 2017 Pro Bowl.

His second season did not go as well. The veteran was suspended for a game for violating team rules in late October and eventually had his season end in late November by an ankle injury that required surgery.

He has intercepted 16 passes in six seasons and scored nine touchdowns.

Jenkins played at Florida from 2008-10 before finishing his college career at North Alabama. He was drafted in the second round by the St. Louis Rams in 2012. He played four seasons with the Rams.

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Dante Fowler expressed little concern about his one-game suspension Jared Veldheer Jersey , his shoulder injury or his future with the franchise.

The 23-year-old Fowler was equally nonchalant about the progress he seemingly made in the past year.

"Did I go to jail?" he said following the team's first training camp practice Thursday. "There we go."

Fowler spoke publicly for the first time since the NFL suspended him without pay for the season opener at the New York Giants, a one-game penalty for attacking a man in a parking lot near his hometown in July 2017.

Fowler eventually pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of battery, criminal mischief and petty theft. The case was closed in March, with Fowler sentenced to a year of probation and 75 hours of community service.

The NFL handed down its punishment last week.

"We really already knew it was going to happen," said Fowler, who will be eligible to play Week 2 against New England. "It's a situation that happened last year so the NFL finally took it into their hands this year. We talked and they told me what it was going to be. I just appreciate them hearing me out DeMarcus Ware Jersey , hearing my side of the story. It could have always been worse, so I'm going to just take this game and be ready when we come back for the Patriots."

The suspension will cost him $214,000.

Missing additional games could cost him even more.

The Jaguars declined to exercise the fifth-year option in Fowler's rookie contract in May, likely meaning the third overall pick in the 2015 draft will become a free agent after this season.

A career year could mean a lucrative deal elsewhere.

"Go out there and play as best as I can every Sunday," he said. "That's it."

Fowler has 53 tackles and 12 sacks in two seasons. He missed his rookie year after tearing a ligament in his left knee during the first day of a rookie minicamp.

He played in every game since his return, but mostly as a backup to Pro Bowler Yannick Ngakoue. The Jags apparently don't view Fowler in the team's long-term plans Brian Allen Jersey , which is why they declined to pay him $14.2 million in 2019.

His off-filed troubles are partly to blame.

The former Florida standout was arrested last year after confronting a 55-year-old man who made a comment about his driving. St. Petersburg police said Fowler exchanged words with the man before hitting him and knocking off his glasses. Fowler then stepped on the glasses before taking the man's grocery bag and tossing it in a lake.

Fowler also was arrested in Miami Beach in March 2016 and charged with misdemeanor counts of assault against a police officer and resisting arrest without violence. The charges were later dropped. That arrest came a little more than two weeks after a video surfaced showing Fowler refereeing a violent fight between his girlfriend and an ex-girlfriend. He also has a long list of traffic violations.

"It is something where you have to go out every day and you have to prove (yourself) until you get to a level of consistency where there is trust," coach Doug Marrone said. "I think it is a matter of doing the right things each and every day, and we will see how it goes."

Fowler's health is his biggest concern these days.

He injured his left shoulder late last season and opened camp on the physically unable to perform list. Incapable of lifting weights for part of the offseason, Fowler lost some pounds. But much like everything else, he doesn't see it as a concern.

"Well, I'm actually big Rodger Saffold Jersey ," he said with a smile. "I honestly think it won't matter. It doesn't matter. Weight does not matter with this one. I'm a straight dog. It don't matter. Once I put on them pads, it's a wrap. I'm just getting stronger. Coaches are looking out for me and being concerned and looking out for my health, so all I can do is just get stronger and you guys will know when I'm out there again."

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The Giants cut to the roster limit of 53 Matt Prater Jersey , but they kept more quarterbacks than anyone imagined.

The team still has four passers on the roster (for now), as they kept Eli Manning, Davis Webb, rookie Kyle Lauletta and Alex Tanney. Obviously one of them (most likely Tanney) could be removed as rosters remain in flux for a few days.

They also cut several name veterans, including聽linebacker Mark Herzlich, incumbent starting safety Darian Thompson (injured), safety Andrew Adams, wide receiver Roger Lewis, Jr., defensive backs Leonard Johnson and Chris Lewis-Harris, offensive lineman Chris Scott, and linebacker Avery Moss.

Linebacker聽Jordan Williams was waived-injured, and the following players were waived: Running backs Jalen Simmons and Jhurell Pressley; wide receivers Roger Lewis, Jr. Jared Goff Jersey , Kalif Raymond, Travis Rudolph, Alonzo Russell, Marquis Bundy, Amba Etta-Tawo, and Jawill Davis; tight ends Ryan O鈥橫alley and Garrett Dickerson; offensive linemen Malcolm Bunche, Zac Kerin, and Victor Salako; defensive linemen Robert Thomas, A.J. Francis, Tyrell Chavis, and Izaah Lunsford; linebackers Calvin Munson, Warren Long, and Moss; defensive backs Grant Haley, Mike Jones Jeff Heath Jersey , Orion Stewart, and Adams; and kicker Marshall Koehn.

Also, offensive聽linemen Nick Becton and Nick Gates were placed on injured reserve. Defensive lineman R.J. McIntosh was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list, and聽defensive lineman Josh Mauro was placed on the reserve/suspended list, and will miss the first four games for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substances policy.

Two Atlantic City casinos owned by Caesars Entertainment are joining New Jersey's growing sports betting market this week, and another two in Mississippi will do so in mid-August.

Bally's casino in Atlantic City started taking sports bets Monday morning. Its sister casino in Atlantic City, Harrah's, will start taking sports bets on Wednesday.

The company says it soon will offer mobile sports betting, as well, although it did not set a timetable. The gambling industry is closely watching to see which casino will be the first in New Jersey to offer online sports betting following a May ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on a case brought by the state that cleared the way for all 50 states to offer legal sports betting, should they choose.

Starlette Hedgepath of Halifax, North Carolina, placed the first sports bet at Bally's, plunking $100 down on the Dallas Cowboys to win the NFC title.

"But not the Super Bowl Matt Paradis Jersey , even though I wish they would do that, too," she said.

After gambling until 5 a.m. and grabbing four hours' sleep, a friend woke her and urged her to return to the casino floor to be there for the start of sports betting. Her bet on the Cowboys was her first sports bet, "not counting one or two at the dog track in Florida."

"I think this is wonderful for y'all," she said of New Jersey's fast-growing sports betting market. "This is going to be big."

Bally's and Harrah's will become the third and fourth Atlantic City casinos with sports betting, joining Borgata and Ocean Resort. Two horse racing tracks, Monmouth Park in Oceanport, and the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, also offer sports betting in New Jersey.

By mid-August, Harrah's Gulf Coast in Biloxi and Horseshoe Tunica, both in Mississippi, will begin taking on-premises sports bets. The company says it may expand the mobile betting app to other states besides New Jersey, if and when it makes financial sense to do so.

Kevin Ortzman Keke Coutee Jersey , who runs Caesars Entertainment's three Atlantic City casinos, said sports betting will bring a new customer through the doors, and soon, online. He said he hopes to have that approval from New Jersey gambling regulators by mid-August, while noting that numerous other gambling companies are all seeking the same thing at the same time in New Jersey.

As of Monday, no one had yet been approved for mobile or online sports betting in New Jersey.

"The sports betting customer is not your typical core gaming customer that Atlantic City has been used to," he said. "Offering this as another wagering opportunity opens up a whole new chance to integrate this with our food and beverage, gaming and entertainment offerings."

The company is partnering with Scientific Games to offer the sports betting technology through its OpenBet sports book.

Sports betting began in mid-June in New Jersey at the Borgata and Monmouth Park. Ocean Resort began offering it in the last three days of the month.

During that two-week period, they took in $16.4 million worth of sports bets.

The Meadowlands, which began sports betting July 14, took in nearly $3.5 million in sports bets during its first nine days of accepting such bets.

Numerous other gambling companies have applied for permission from New Jersey gambling regulators to offer in-person or mobile sports betting, or both, by the time football season starts in the first week in September.

Follow Wayne Parry at ://WayneParryAC

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Rapper Meek Mill said Wednesday that now that he’s out of prison Boomer Esiason Jersey , a lot of people facing similar battles with the criminal justice system are depending on him.

”I got a lot of responsibility,” he said in an interview with Lester Holt of NBC Nightly News.

He said the men counting on him are ”going through the same thing I’m going through.”

The Philadelphia-born rapper rang a replica Liberty Bell at center court of the Philadelphia 76ers‘ first-round clinching playoff game Tuesday less than two hours after being freed on bail while he appeals decade-old gun and drug convictions.

He was released after the state Supreme Court directed a Philadelphia judge who had jailed him to immediately issue an order letting him out.

Asked if he felt free, Mill told Holt: ”I ain’t feel free since I caught this case at age of 19 – I’m 30 now.”

Mill had been sentenced in November to two to four years behind bars for probation violations, setting off an all-out battle by a team of lawyers and public relations consultants to get him released on bail. They fiercely criticized the judge as a stream of high-powered figures and celebrities visited Mill in jail in the weeks and days before the Supreme Court ruling.

”Although I’m blessed to have the resources to fight this unjust situation Whitney Mercilus Jersey , I understand that many people of color across the country don’t have that luxury and I plan to use my platform to shine a light on those issues,” Mill said in a statement shortly before his release.

He said he planned to focus on getting his convictions overturned, and that he looks forward to resuming his music career.

The ruling came after prosecutors said they agreed with his lawyers that he should get a new trial because of questions raised about the arresting officer. The now-retired officer was among a list of police officers the prosecutor’s office has sought to keep off the witness stand in cases across the city because of credibility questions.

The district attorney’s office has not said whether they would seek to retry him if the old convictions are thrown out. But it noted that just last week, prosecutors agreed not to further prosecute three defendants whose cases were tossed because of doubts about the credibility of the arresting narcotics agent Zane Gonzalez Jersey , the same officer who had arrested Mill.

Judge Genece Brinkley, who sent Mill to prison and had refused to release him on bail until the Supreme Court ruling, was accused by the defense of waging a vendetta against the rapper. She defended herself, saying she had acted ”impartially and without prejudice” in all proceedings since 2008.

The owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars will donate 1 Erik Swoope Jersey ,000 playoff tickets to refugees from around the world and to Puerto Ricans displaced by Hurricane Maria who have settled in the Jacksonville area.

The Florida Times-Union reports the team also will provide 1,500 tickets to local military members at a subsidized cost of $20 each for Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills.

Owner Shahid Khan said in a statement that ”the Jaguars’ first playoff appearance in a very long time is an event that should be shared with as many people as possible, across all spectrums, who call Jacksonville their home.”

The Jaguars Foundation enlisted the Lutheran Social Services of Northeast Florida O. J. Simpson Jersey , the First Coast Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Latino Leadership Inc. to identify individuals for tickets.

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Training camp is starting soon and linebacker Connor Barwin remains a free agent.

During an appearance on Sirius XM NFL Radio on Tuesday Anthony Munoz Jersey , Barwin suggested that there are offers on the table that could change that status before camps open around the league. Barwin added that he’s looking for something specific from a team looking to add him to their roster.

“We’ve had interest from a number of teams all offseason,” Barwin said. “The offers I have, I think I’ll make my decision before camp starts. I’m not going to go somewhere that I don’t think can win a Super Bowl.”

There was talk about Barwin returning to the Rams early in the offseason Carlos Dunlap Jerse , but defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said recently that he’s comfortable with the young players the team has in place. Barwin had 34 tackles and five sacks in 14 games for the Rams last season.

The NBA’s reigning Rookie of the Year has joined a two-time Super Bowl champion to rally support for clean water, a cause dear to both University of Virginia alumni.

Milwaukee Bucks player Malcolm Brogdon announced Thursday that he’ll be the first NBA ambassador for Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long’s Waterboys Initiative, which installs deep-borehole wells in east Africa.

A University of Virginia release says Long reached his initial goal of building 32 wells Ryan Grant Jersey , at $45,000 each, the same week the Eagles won the Super Bowl last month.

At Virginia John Simon Jersey , Brogdon partnered with a nonprofit focused on affordable ceramic water filters in South Africa.

The Hoos’ generosity extends beyond water: Long donated his entire 2017 season salary to charities, and Brogdon had the money budgeted for his Rookie of the Year campaign donated.

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