JANESVILLE, Wis. (AP) — A former University of Wisconsin football wide receiver was convicted of two counts of first degree homicide and other charges Tuesday in the February 2020 shooting deaths of two women.

Jurors deliberated about two hours before finding Marcus Randle El guilty in the slayings of 27-year-old Brittany McAdory and 30-year-old Seairaha Winchester.

Randle El, who was a wide receiver for the Wisconsin Badgers from 2004 to 2007, also was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of operating a vehicle without consent while possessing a weapon.

Prosecutors argued Randle El suspected Winchester was informing police of his drug dealing and that he killed McAdory to eliminate her as a witness.

Investigators said that while they did not have a murder weapon directly linking Randle El to the slayings, surveillance footage and text messages tied him to the crimes.

The defense argued the state did not meet its burden of proof and called just two witnesses. Randle El declined to testify in his own defense.

The defendant’s brother, former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antwaan Randle El, wore a pained look on his face as the Rock County jury returned the verdict.

Sentencing has been scheduled for May 3. 

Among sports-induced injuries, the high ankle sprain is getting special attention this week. It could help determine the matchup in this year’s Super Bowl.

Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes will attempt to play Sunday when the Chiefs host the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC championship game despite having suffered a high ankle sprain last weekend.

The injury to his right ankle temporarily sidelined Mahomes before he returned to action and helped lead the Chiefs to a 27-20 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday in an AFC divisional round game.

So what exactly is a high ankle sprain? How can it be treated? And what are the chances Mahomes will be in top form with a berth to the Super Bowl on the line?

High ankle sprain vs. normal ankle sprain

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Let’s start with the anatomy. The ankle joint is formed by three bones: the tibia (shin bone), the fibula (the bone next to the tibia in the outer calf) and the talus (a bone in the foot below the tibia).

A common ankle sprain involves the ligament in the ankle. By contrast, a high ankle sprain involves the ligaments above the ankle joint and can require surgery.

High ankle sprains are more common among athletes who participate in high-impact sports and usually result from “sudden twisting, turning or cutting motion while a person is running, jumping or falling,’’ according to the Hospital of Special Surgery, a New York hospital that specializes in orthopedic surgery. 

High ankle sprain recovery time

Recovery from either a normal ankle sprain or high ankle sprain can take weeks to months. But as Mahomes demonstrated last weekend, professional athletes can perform even while they’re recovering – depending on certain factors.

The key factor is stability of the ankle, said David Oji, an orthopedic surgeon who treats athletes at Stanford University with foot and ankle injuries.

“If the ligaments are functioning, as long as his pain and his symptoms are very mild, they can aggressively rehab him and get him back to play,’’ Oji said.

Pain threshold is a factor, according to Oji, who said, “Everybody’s pain threshold is different.’’

Pain seemed of little consequence to Mahomes, who after the Chiefs beat the Jaguars told the media, ‘I’m not coming out of a playoff game unless they take me out. I’m just going to play. I love this sport too much.’

The injury can affect Mahomes’ mobility and ability to plant his right foot and throw. 

Treating a high ankle sprain

A steroid injection or cortisol injection is a no-no because both can weaken the ligament and decrease healing, according to Oji.

“Injections are contraindicative in these high ankle sprains,’’ he said. “You’ll get short-term gain but long-term it will be detrimental to the athlete.’’

A 2022 study published in Sports Health concluded, ‘Injections are commonly used by health care practitioners to treat foot and ankle injuries in athletes despite ongoing questions regarding efficacy and safety.”

The basics include resting, icing and elevating the leg, and in some cases, the use of a walking boot, according to the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society.

”The goals of treatment are to move the tibia and fibula to the correct positions with respect to each other and to heal in those positions,” reports the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society. ‘This allows the ankle joint to function as intended.”

Testing the ankle for competition

Athletes typically go through a series of tests before they’re cleared to play. That includes X-rays and a stress test in addition to work with a trainer and physical therapist, all of which can be done within a week, according to Oji.

“As long as they pass some of those hurdles,”  he said, ‘a lot of these athletes will be able to perform at a very high level.’’

U.S. Soccer House, which has served as the federation’s headquarters since 1991, has officially been put up for sale.

For anyone hoping to snag a pair of 19th-century refurbished mansions in Chicago’s Prairie Avenue Historical District, the list price is $4.2 million.

The U.S. Soccer home base has actually been divided between two mansions: the Kimball house (list price: $2.3 million) at 1801 South Prairie Avenue and the Coleman-Ames house ($1.9 million) at 1811 South Prairie Avenue.

The listing calls the 14,734-square-foot Kimball house ‘one of the finest remaining examples of French Chateau architecture in Chicago,’ while also gushing over the 12,648-square-foot Coleman-Ames house, a brown sandstone mansion next door designed in the Romanesque Revival style.

The mansions were part of what was known as ‘Millionaire’s Row,’ an area that was once home to nearly 20 millionaires in a six-block radius.

The location is pretty prime: right in the South Loop neighborhood of downtown, near Soldier Field and three of the most renowned museums in town: the Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Adler Planetarium. 

Though the mansions have been used as office space for decades, the listing encourages the ‘next owner to impart ideas and create a magnificent personal residence.’

U.S. Soccer has moved its headquarters just two miles north to an office building in the North Loop, located at 303 E. Wacker Drive.

Bismack Biyombo played in Charlotte twice during his 12-year career from 2011-15 and 2018-21.

The Hornets were the last team Biyombo was on before he signed as a free agent with the Phoenix Suns on New Year’s Day 2022, but Biyombo still has fond memories of his interactions with Charlotte owner and NBA legend Michael Jordan, who didn’t hesitate taking on Hornets’ players even in his 50s.

Biyombo talked about playing under Jordan prior to the Suns’ Tuesday night game against the struggling Hornets at Footprint Center in Phoenix. Biyombo said he still has a strong relationship with the icon.

“He’s always there to give advice to players and stuff,’ Biyombo said. ‘It’s somebody that I always know that I could reach out to if I need any advice whether you’re with their team or you’re playing for another team.”

Jordan’s presence has been known to make players from the high school through NBA levels compete harder to impress him if he steps into their arena or practice gym.

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This year marks 20 years since Jordan retired, and he turns 60 in February. But Father Time seemingly didn’t catch up to Jordan’s masterful skills on the court through his early-to-mid 50s, according to Biyombo.

Jordan’s unremitting desire to never back down when being challenged at anything, or his own mind games to beat anyone in his way have been well documented. He led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles in the 1990s, including one over the Phoenix Suns in the 1993 finals.

Biyombo said Jordan always used to sting his Hornets players in one-on-one games, no matter who got in line to try and check him.

“Mike is Mike, man. I’ve seen him play one-on-one with players after the games, and one by one was taking them out. So this was probably I think seven, eight years ago,” Biyombo said. “He would come into practice and just play one-on-one with players and just kill them, 100 percent. I (didn’t) think he could move like that.

‘I think somebody during COVID (in 2020) actually challenged him because we had a phone call, and (he) said, ‘Give me a couple months, I just need to get in shape. I don’t need to run and all that, but just a couple months, and I’ll be ready for one-on-one.’ I wouldn’t suggest anybody to do that (laughs).”

Biyombo said he’s learned from Jordan’s mentorship with young players. Biyombo said he still communicates with many of former Hornets teammates, whom he calls his ‘little brothers,’ including their All-Star LaMelo Ball.

Biyombo gave his perspective about Jordan’s rebuilding process centered around Ball, who’s now in his third year, but is doubt against the Suns (right wrist soreness, left ankle soreness). Charlotte entered Tuesday’s game 14th in the Eastern conference standings, losing eight of their previous 11 games, including Monday to Utah.

“It’s a young team, obviously, and they’re trying to build around LaMelo,’ Biyombo said. ‘It’s always from a younger guy perspective when you’re in the league and you’re in that position, you want to get better and you want to continue to get better. Obviously, they’ve gone through a rough time, so to speak, not winning as many games as they want to.

‘But I know Michael is a competitor, so he’s trying to figure out how he can have a better season next year. But at the same time, those young guys, I still talk to them. Those are like my little brothers, so I always find joy competing against them and seeing how far they have come. But if you go back to the year LaMelo came in until now, he has matured so much.”

The hits keep on coming inside Historically Black Colleges and Universities. No one thought Pro Football Hall of Famer Ed Reed would go quietly into the coaching night.

Reed was a guest on Roland Martin’s Unfiltered daily digital show on Monday to discuss the fallout of his time with Bethune-Cookman University. During a lengthy conversation, an emotional Reed said he turned down the head coaching position at both Jackson State and Grambling State.

When Martin asked Reed about other coaching positions at HBCUs, an unnamed friend of Reed’s who had been on camera started to talk and Reed interrupted

‘I turned the Jackson State job to come here, Roland Martin,’ Reed said, ‘Jackson State called … Prime called me. Deion Sanders called me himself, man.’

The friend then confirmed Reed’s statement, that there had been previous offers before Bethune-Cookman.

‘Grambling,’ Reed interjected in an anguished voice.

ED REED won’t coach at Bethune-Cookman, claims he’s being forced out

If this is true, that Sanders and Jackson State offered Reed the job, what does that make of Sanders’ display of keeping the coaching hire in-house?

‘My recommendation goes to T.C. (Taylor); they know how I feel about T.C.,’ Sanders said after the Tigers’ win over Southern in the SWAC title game, while sitting alongside JSU athletic director Ashley Robinson.

‘I want T.C. and several of the staff members are going to be retained here. But, that is mine – I would love for someone in-house because I don’t really know how to act if someone outside the house coming in to understand how we function. And how we get down. That is my recommendation, so let’s clap it up for T.C.’

Jackson State played in the Cricket Celebration Bowl for the second year in a row and lost in overtime to North Carolina Central, 41-34. After the game, Sanders accepted the head coach position at Colorado.

The University of Georgia offered its most extensive comments yet about the events surrounding the early morning single-vehicle crash that killed football player Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy earlier this month and injured two others.

In a statement released late Tuesday afternoon, athletic director Josh Brooks said: “We want to emphasize that these individuals were not engaged in Athletic Department duties around the time of this incident.”  

LeCroy and recruiting staffer Victoria “Tory” Bowles were in a 2021 Ford Expedition with Willock and fellow offensive lineman Warren McClendon. LeCroy was driving the vehicle on Barnett Shoals on the east side of Athens when it crashed around 2:45 a.m. on Jan. 15.

Willock was pronounced dead at the scene and LeCroy died after being taken to a local hospital. Bowles sustained serious injuries and McClendon needed stiches on his forehead.

The crash came hours after the team celebrated its second straight national championship with a parade and stadium event that Saturday afternoon. Police cited excessive speed as a contributing factor. A toxicology report has not been released yet.

Georgia athletics is “is conducting a thorough review, in coordination with appropriate legal counsel, to fully understand the circumstances surrounding this tragic event,” Brooks said.

The vehicle that the 24-year old LeCroy was driving was rented but it’s still unclear whether UGA or someone else rented the vehicle.

The full statement from Brooks: “Out of respect for the families involved, we have refrained from making any public statements up to this point regarding the circumstances of the tragic accident that claimed two lives and injured two members of our campus community. However, we want the public to know that the Athletic Department is conducting a thorough review, in coordination with appropriate legal counsel, to fully understand the circumstances surrounding this tragic event.

‘We want to emphasize that these individuals were not engaged in Athletic Department duties around the time of this incident. Our review is preliminary at this time, and the Athletic Department is fully cooperating with law enforcement officials to determine all the facts surrounding this tragedy. Coach (Kirby) Smart and I are also actively reviewing relevant football policies, and at the conclusion of that review, we will take steps to implement any improvements in our policies and procedures that may be needed. 

‘Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the families and friends of all those impacted by this tragic event.”

Eastern Michigan star Emoni Bates completed one of the best halves you’ll see in college basketball on Tuesday night.

In an away game against Toledo, Bates went on an absolute tear and scored 29 consecutive points during the first half of the game. The rest of his team combined for a total of six points.

Bates entered college basketball as one of its most exciting prospects (No. 5 overall in the 247 Sports Composite Rankings) back in 2021 at Memphis. However, he’s really come into his own playing for his hometown Eastern Michigan Eagles this season after transferring.

The rising star continues to pave a bright future for himself on the court with performances like this. It’s just an incredible feat to score nearly 30 points in a row.

The Eagles (4-16) would surely love to have him back, but the sophomore forward/guard would be eligible for the 2023 NBA draft this summer. 

As for the rest of the game, Bates finished with a career high 43 points on 15-for-23 shooting, including a 9-for-14 mark from 3. Unfortunately for him and the Eagles, Toledo won the game 84-79. 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Primo Spears scored 21 points and Georgetown snapped a 29-game conference losing streak with an 81-76 victory over DePaul on Tuesday night.

Georgetown (6-15, 1-9) won its first Big East game since March 13, 2021, ending the longest skid in the history of the conference. The Hoyas also ended a 10-game losing streak this season. 

Spears also contributed six assists for the Hoyas. Akok Akok scored 12 points and added six rebounds and four blocks and Brandon Murray recorded 12 points.

Umoja Gibson led the Blue Demons (9-12, 3-7) in scoring, finishing with 24 points, four assists and three steals. Javan Johnson added 13 points.

Spears scored nine points in the first half and Georgetown went into the break trailing 37-36. Georgetown used a 10-0 run in the second half to build a 12-point lead at 75-63 with 1:39 remaining. 

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In a good movie or book, there’s typically a hero or villain. The protagonist and the antagonist. The good guy and the bad guy. In sports, it’s often the same way.

‘There’s heroes and villains in sports and entertainment,’ Rodgers said Tuesday during his second offseason appearance on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ from his Malibu home. ‘I think because of my stance on COVID and maybe some other things I’ve been cast as the villain, especially the last few years.

‘So that is the way a lot of things that I say are often interpreted. I’m not upset about it. I don’t feel like the victim in any way. I don’t have that mentality. That’s fine. I actually embrace that role a little bit if that’s how you want to cast me.’

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Aaron Rodgers says ‘woke culture’ gets offended too easily

Nonetheless, Rodgers said he isn’t concerned about people’s perceptions of him.

‘I don’t care about that stuff,’ Rodgers said. ‘That doesn’t offend me. This culture, this woke culture wants to be offended by everything. … Most of the time you gloss over it, because honestly, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t interrupt my whale watching one bit.’

Rodgers joked he’s been doing more whale watching during the early part of the offseason and is getting ready to participate in a Pro-Am PGA Tour golf event Feb. 2-5 in Pebble Beach, California.

Aaron Rodgers ‘glad’ he went through COVID saga during 2021 season

Beyond the field, Rodgers became a polarizing figure for his stance on COVID-19 in 2021 and then later doubling down against vaccinations, promoting the debunked treatment of ivermectin and constantly blasting the NFL’s health and safety protocols.

While it’s been more than a year since those headlines, COVID-19 is always on the mind of Rodgers even when the topic isn’t brought up, as evidenced by his last two appearances on McAfee’s show as the conversation mostly centered around his football future and potentially being traded.

‘If you take the right sound bite from the right thing and it’s a station that may or not in the past been brought to you by Pfizer, they got to make sure their villain gets cast in the correct light and whether or not they’re sponsored by Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, whatever it might be,’ Rodgers said.

Rodgers added he’s painted in ‘a certain way’ because he went up ‘against some of the powers that be’ and that puts him in ‘their crosshairs.’

‘That’s what the media did to me a couple years ago,’ Rodgers claimed. ‘That’s fine. That’s their prerogative, if that’s what they want to do. I think I responded pretty good in those times. I’m glad I went through that. Anything that comes after that, small potatoes, really.’

Bronny James, the oldest son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, has been chosen to play in the McDonald’s All American Games.

The Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth, California) senior is one of 24 boys named to the two rosters that will square off March 28 in Houston.

Last week, The Los Angeles Times reported James has narrowed his list of college choices to three: Ohio State, Oregon and Southern California, and that James plans to make his decision after the season. He is ranked No. 28 in the 2023 ESPN 100 list of top high school players and is one of two in the top 30 who has not signed to play for a college.

James, 6-3, 180 pounds, is the No. 8 point guard in the country, according to ESPN’s rankings and has steadily improved to the point where ESPN basketball talent evaluator Jonathan Givony said James is ‘in strong consideration’ as a first-rounder in the 2024 NBA draft.

“In a class full of prospects whose development has stagnated, James is one of the few who continues to make strides physically and skill-wise, looking like a five-star recruit and potential one-and-done candidate,” Givony wrote last week.

Four Kentucky commitments (Aaron Bradshaw, Justin Edwards, Reed Sheppard, D.J. Wagner), three Duke commitments (Mackenzie Mgbako, Jared McCain, Sean Stewart), two Michigan commitments (Xavier Booker, Jeremy Fears) and two Oregon commitments (Kwame Evans, Mookie Cook) also earned spots in the game.