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On Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024, 20-year-old Nick Dunlap won the American Express Tournament at the PGA West golf course in California. Dunlap won the event with a final score of -29 – one stroke better than second-place Christiaan Bezuidenhout, a South African pro, and two strokes ahead of tour favorites like Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas.

This was a momentous occasion for Dunlap, who is still a sophomore at the University of Alabama. He even brought some of his homework with him to California while he played in this event. No one ever would have thought someone like him could have beaten out the seasoned PGA Tour veterans in attendance and claim the $1.5 million prize.

Well, he won’t be able to.

Despite winning the event, Dunlap’s status as an ‘amateur’ golfer prevents him from taking home the prize money from this PGA-sanctioned event.

Who is Nick Dunlap?

In amateur golf, Dunlap is the man. He’s one of only two people ever to win both the US Amateur Championship (2023) and the Junior Amateur Championship (2021). The other person? Tiger Woods.

Dunlap’s victory at the American Express Tournament also makes him the first amateur to win a tour event since Phil Mickelson in 1991. Any time a golfer finds themselves listed next to Woods and Mickelson, they are doing something right.

Currently a sophomore at the University of Alabama, Dunlap has a resume longer than most Walgreens receipts, and that’s saying something.

In 2023, he qualified for the US Open. In his first full season with Alabama, Dunlap played 37 rounds. He shot even or under par in 26 of them, tied for the second-most in a single season in Alabama history. During the 2023 fall season, every single one of his eight rounds was even or under par.

Essentially, if there’s an amateur tournament, Dunlap has probably won it at this point. Regardless, his status as an amateur may not last much longer, especially now that he’s realized he’s missing out on $1.5 million.

What does this tournament win mean for his amateur status?

With his win in this event, Dunlap can officially turn pro at any point up through to the 2026 season. Should Dunlap decide he wants to finish another year of school or two before joining the PGA Tour, Dunlap would have 30 days after the end of the 2024 season to declare himself a pro for 2025. The same rule applies for the 2026 season.

Regardless of whether or not Dunlap decides to turn pro, Dunlap will still get to chance to compete in the Masters, US Open, and British Open as the US Amateur champion. If Dunlap does decide to go pro, he’ll have access to the Masters and US Open as well as seven other signature events on the tour.

Dunlap is a finance major and was a member of the honor roll in 2023. Perhaps he will look to finish his degree before deciding to turn pro. After his win, Dunlap told PGA Tour Radio that he was unsure about his future. ‘That’s a decision that’s not just about me,’ said Dunlap. ‘It affects a lot of people, and obviously, I’m going to try to enjoy this.’

Does Dunlap really not get the money?

Unfortunately, Dunlap will not touch the $1.5 million he won at the American Express Tournament. Instead, the prize money went to second-place Christiaan Bezuidenhout. He also does not receive the 500 FedEx Cup points that come with the tournament victory, but that was a given since he isn’t even classified as a competitor for that title.

Reactions to Dunlap winning the American Express Tournament

After the tournament, Christiaan Bezuidenhout talked to reporters, referring to Dunlap as ‘a hell of a player.’ Bezuidenhout gave Dunlap tons of praise throughout the interview and even acknowledged his desire to play with him again in the near future, ‘Hopefully, he can be out on the PGA Tour soon, and we all can get to play with him.’

Here are some of the other best reactions from Dunlap’s win.

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Former Chicago Cubs second baseman and National Baseball Hall of Fame member Ryne Sandberg announced he’s been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer on Monday afternoon.

Sandberg, who played all but one season of his 16-year career with the Cubs, announced the diagnosis with an Instagram post.

‘To my Chicago Cubs, National Baseball Hall of Fame, extended Baseball Family, the city of Chicago, and all my loyal fans, I want to share some personal news,’ the caption begins.

‘Last week, I learned that I have been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. I have begun treatment, and I am surrounded by my loving wife Margaret, our incredibly supportive family, the best medical care team, and our dear friends. We will continue to be positive, strong, and fight to beat this. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time for me and my family. – Ryne Sandberg 2⃣3⃣’

HOT STOVE UPDATES: MLB free agency: Ranking and tracking the top players available.

Ryne Sandberg career accolades

During his lengthy MLB career, Sandberg accumulated a significant number of trophies and accolades, including:

10x All-Star9x Gold Glove winner7x Silver Slugger winner1984 National League MVP1990 Home Run Derby champion

Sandberg was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his third year on the ballot as a member of the Class of 2005.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

This week in men’s college basketball wasn’t quite as chaotic as the previous one. There were, however, a handful of results that shook up the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll.

The top three spots remain unchanged. Connecticut will spend another week at No. 1, receiving 24 of 32 first-place votes after staving off a tough challenge from Villanova over the weekend. Purdue holds at No. 2 while claiming the remaining eight firsts, and North Carolina hangs on at No. 3.

The shifting begins at No. 4 as losses by Kansas and Duke created a couple of openings. Houston is back up to the fourth spot, and Tennessee vaults two places to No. 5. A couple other SEC squads follow on the heels of the Volunteers as Auburn and Kentucky land in a tie for sixth. Kansas drops four positions to No. 8.

TOP 25: Complete USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball poll

Arizona and Wisconsin round out the top 10 as Duke tumbles six places to No. 12 after a surprise loss to Pittsburgh. Baylor also slips out of the top 10, taking a five-spot drop to No. 14.

It was a rough week for Memphis, as a pair of losses send the Tigers tumbling 10 places to No. 22. Dayton makes a big move in the upward direction, vaulting six positions to No. 17.

The Mountain West gains a pair of ranked squads as Colorado State rejoins the poll at No. 23 and New Mexico makes its season debut at No. 25. It’s just a net gain of one for the conference, however, as San Diego State falls out. Florida Atlantic is also back in at No. 24.

Mississippi and TCU are the week’s other dropouts.

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Before he became a doctor, Kody Moffatt was an athletic trainer. He worked for junior and professional hockey teams, including three NHL training camps and an exhilarating San Jose Sharks playoff run. When he eventually opted for a life without the grueling travel schedule, he brought a unique perspective into a career in sports medicine.

Today, Moffatt, the division chief of pediatric sports medicine at Children’s Nebraska, has an insider’s view of youth sports. Kids, of course, aren’t professionals, but many of our young athletes are swept up in a world that treats them as such.

“For a lot of kids, it comes down to the fact that sports become less fun and more about the concept of what success is from more of an adult’s eyes than a child’s eyes,” Moffatt says. ‘Kids want to stay active, play and have fun with their friends, and winning and losing is something that they care less about.”

About 70 % of kids drop out of organized sports by age 13 and the so-called “professionalization of youth sports” can’t be understated as a significant factor why, according to a new report released Monday by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

‘The professionalization of youth sports is widely considered responsible for the high volumes of training and the pressure to specialize in a single sport that may lead to overuse injury, overtraining, and burnout in youth athletes,” write Drs. Joel Brenner and Andrew Watson, sports medicine physicians and the authors of the paper released by the AAP entitled ‘Overuse Injuries, Overtraining, and Burnout in Young Athletes.’

“In addition, the pressure to succeed at a young age, as well as the perception that this is the most efficacious route to future athletic success, further leads to high volumes of training and loss of enjoyment in sport, both of which can contribute to widespread burnout and attrition among youth athletes.”

The new paper updates a 2007 AAP report offering “considerable evidence to better define how excessive training volumes can lead to overuse injury, overtraining, impaired well-being, and decreased quality of life.”

It also gives advice for parents about how to manage these challenges in youth sports. USA TODAY Sports spoke with Brenner, who is the medical director of the sports medicine program at Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia, and Moffatt about why so many kids are quitting sports and what parents can do about it.

1. Promote athletics to develop healthy habits, not as a means to an end

According to AAP, discontinuation of sports during childhood plays a role in the more than 75% of U.S. adolescents failing to meet physical activity recommendations.

We want our kids to play sports but we tend to obsess over it. When we do that, we miss the point of getting them into sports in the first place.

Think of his or her sports career with this perspective: It will be over some day, whether that day occurs in high school, college, the Olympics or the pros.

“But you want these kids to still be physically active, to find things that they can do and not get to the point where they’re just burned out mentally and they do not want to be physically active, which, unfortunately, is an outcome that can occur in kids,” Brenner said. “The underlying goal for sports should be to have fun and learn lifelong physical activity skills.”

The best way to ensure your child stays active is to be a partner in their discovery from the beginning. Let them try anything and everything from a young age and let them develop a love for one of them organically.

Try to play a different sport each season, even if it’s just recreationally.

“If you’re just locked into one sport at 8, let’s say, you might miss out on another sport that you would have really enjoyed even more and might have been even better at, too,” Brenner says.

COACH STEVE: When should your kid specialize in a sport?

2. Come up with an intrinsic, team-oriented definition of sports success

Parents get furious when a call goes against their kid in a game. They berate the officials and cheer loudly to help, or so they think, their kid’s team win.

But isn’t a call that goes against your kid, or a close loss, good for building overall character? Your son or daughter might even try harder, and perform better, the next game if you quietly talk to them about it instead of blaming them or someone else.

“We all learn from things that don’t go as planned,” Moffatt said. “I had an old professor who used to say, ‘You only learn from your mistakes because they hurt.’ ”

Competing in sports should derive from intrinsic motivation. If you emphasize effort and have your kid set goals related to teamwork, the winning will come more naturally. Have your baseball player focus on scoring or driving in two runs per game or your basketball, soccer or hockey player get assists.

COACH STEVE: What was legendary coach John Wooden’s definition of success? You never quite get there

3. Keep in mind playing one sport all the time might hurt you

The AAP report details how extended periods of increased training without proper recovery time can lead to overtraining syndrome, which results in decreased performance, increased risk of injury, and can even affect a child psychologically.

Brenner said he’s seen teenagers who have been doing the same sport nonstop since they were six. By this point, they’re feeling a lot of pressure, whether it’s external or internal, to succeed. Then there’s the physical toll.

The AAP recommends one day of rest per week and two to three months off from participation in any specific sport. The months don’t have to be consecutive, but whenever you can take these breaks in one-month increments during the year. Professional athletes even take time off from their sports in the offseason for strength- and cross-training.

Remember, “off” doesn’t mean sitting on the coach, but staying active another way.

“I stunned a mom a few months back,’ Moffatt said. ‘She had a talented middle school-aged baseball player and she asked me what could she do as a mom to help him succeed a baseball? She was referring to the winter months. I told her to have him play basketball, and I thought she was gonna fall off her chair, but then I explained the why. The diversity really makes a difference in building young athletes, not specialization.”

4. Watch for overuse injuries, and take care of them before they get worse

Overtraining syndrome is less common than overuse injuries to bone, muscle or tendon due to repetitive stress without enough recovery. Moffatt said he sees overuse injures almost every day, while Brenner said 50% of patients he sees have them.

Most overuse injuries last less than three weeks, according to the AAP report, but they can be season-ending, too.

“The whole goal of training is train, break it down a little bit, make it weaker,’ Moffatt said. ‘But if you break something down and you don’t allow for that recovery time, you continue to break it down, the system starts the fail, whether it’s the bone or the growth plate, and that’s where you get the injury and pain and then the disability that follows.”

Overuse injuries can manifest themselves as “dysfunction,” Brenner said, such as decreased pitch velocity in a baseball player. And be alert: Your child might be hiding it.

“Kids feel pressure,” Brenner said. “They might feel pressure from coaches, they might feel pressure form parents. They don’t want to let their teammates down, so, despite having some soreness, or wanting some time off, they continue to participate so they don’t let anybody down.”

Stress to your kids the importance of resting something if it hurts. Tell them if they have long-term goals, such as making a high school or college team, a key component must be resting an injury until it heals.

5. Use sleep and nutrition to drive performance

Brenner calls sleep “one of the most important medicines” for recovery and to fuel your performance. He’s incorporated a dietician into his sports medicine program to ensure kids get enough protein, carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables and even fats.

As far as sleep, kids need 8 to 10 hours, and most teenagers don’t get an optimal amount.

“Sleep is not just this passive state of rest,” Moffatt said. “During deep sleep, the brain and the body go into kind of this metabolic repair mode where the stuff that got broken down during the day kind of gets pruned and processed and recovers while we sleep and probably the biggest organ that applies to is the brain. Sleep is so important to the developing brain.”

6. Watch closely for signs of burnout

Burnout is one of the primary reasons for attrition in youth sports, according to the AAP.

The most common two burnout symptoms Moffatt sees are the loss of interest or motivation in a sport and sleep disturbances. Others signs include fatigue, anxiety, a lack of concentration and decreased academic and athletic performance.

“They don’t all hit at once,” Moffatt said. “The depression and anxiety tend to come later.”

Many of the goals we have already discussed – intrinsic motivation, long-term development goals, emphasizing effort over winning, getting adequate rest – can prevent and protect our kids from burnout. So can supporting them through sports, whether they have a bad game or not.

7. Always be mindful of your kid’s emotional state, especially after injury

We can help teach our kids mindfulness, which Brenner has described as purposely paying attention to one’s physical, mental, and emotional condition in a nonjudgmental manner. Mindfulness, Brenner said, helps us move on from failure, reduce the risk of injury and maintain a positive outlook when returning from an injury, especially a devastating one like an ACL tear.

“If they’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed, they can be doing different breathing exercises, for instance, to kind of help them come back to moment and try to avoid that negative self-talk that we all inherently have and try to focus more on the positive,” said Brenner, who incorporates mindfulness into medical coaching and treatment programs.

Staying mindful also means staying connected to your team. Brenner says sports medicine physicians try to never completely shut someone down. If a kid has a shoulder injury, for example, he or she can remain physically active by finding something to do with their legs or core.

8. Stay ahead of the curve with your pediatrician

Brenner and Watson recommend that your pediatrician plays an active role in your child’s sports career. Have your pre-participation exam in your medical home so your pediatrician can talk to you about how to prevent overuse injuries and answer questions regarding sports and proper training.

9. Be well-rounded (and not just with sports)

Tell your kids they’re more than just athletes. Brenner said by communicating openly with our children about sports, we can find out what the child’s motivation is to play them.

Ask your kids periodically: “Are you still enjoying it? Are you still having fun?’

If they’re not, let them know it’s OK after the season to try a different activity to take up that part of the year. Perhaps that activity is not a sport, but an art class, even as a temporary break.

“Sometimes, especially if they’re burned out or overtraining, just taking a break, having a few months off, can really refresh them both physically and mentally, and maybe they don’t want to get back to that sport but maybe they’ll pick up another sport,” Brenner said.

10. Remember: Sports are supposed to be fun.

Foster their autonomy by letting them lead the conversations (about successes and failures) in games. The goal is to take those games, and the memories and learning experiences from them, into their own lives.

“I love that term: Healthy relationship with sport,” Moffat says. “When I think about it, it’s that relationship where you’re obviously staying physically active and competing. But there’s real value in teamwork and sportsmanship and learning how to win and lose with grace – those real, less-tangible life lessons.”

Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now loving life as sports parents for a high schooler and middle schooler. For his past columns, click here.

Got a question for Coach Steve you want answered in a future column? Email him at sborelli@usatoday.com.

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Soccer fans in Dallas saw one No. 10 leave their mark on Monday night. 

But it wasn’t Inter Miami star Lionel Messi.

Instead, it was FC Dallas star Jesus Ferreira, who scored three minutes into preseason match, leading to a 1-0 loss for Messi and Inter Miami at Cotton Bowl Stadium on Monday night. 

Inter Miami is scoreless following two preseason matches in El Salvador and Dallas, and have a week before their next game in their worldwide tour.

Messi and Inter Miami stars Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and newcomer Julian Gressel, an MLS Cup champion with Columbus Crew last season, played the first 64 minutes of the match before being substituted out. 

Messi and Suárez surely looked like a pair of former teammates who inherently knew where the other would be during their time together on the pitch. But their passes to set the other up for shots on goal did not reach the back of the net to change the score or remind soccer fans of their glory days together with FC Barcelona. 

Messi missed three shots toward the net, while Suarez missed three opportunities during the match, including one where Suarez needed to stretch and contort his body to receive a stellar pass from Messi outside the penalty area.

Messi, wearing long sleeves under his black Inter Miami jersey, circled his way off the pitch wearing a heavy black jacket toward the locker rooms in the 87th minute waving to fans who braved the wet, 40-degree night to watch him play.

It was far from the thriller Messi and Inter Miami played against FC Dallas last August, which saw Inter Miami comeback from deficits of 3-1 and 4-2 with Messi scoring the equalizer in the 85th minute. Inter Miami advanced past FC Dallas with a 5-3 edge on penalty kicks during the Leagues Cup tournament match.

Instead, it was a second preseason game for Messi and Inter Miami, which has a jam-packed schedule before and during the 2024 MLS season.

When does Messi, Inter Miami play again?

Messi and Inter Miami will return home on Monday night, and have four days until they leave for an extended preseason tour in Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Tokyo.

Inter Miami will play two matches in the Riyadh Season Cup, beginning Jan. 29 against Al Hilal, and on Feb. 1 against Al Nassr, where Messi will meet rival Cristiano Ronaldo in what could be the last match together in their illustrious careers.

Inter Miami’s preseason will continue with a match in Hong Kong on Feb. 4 and in Tokyo on Feb. 7. The club’s final preseason game will be at home against Newell’s Old Boys at DRV PNK Stadium (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) on Feb. 15 (time TBA).

What to know about the Messi vs. Ronaldo match Feb. 1

Soccer fans around the world are gearing up for Messi and Ronaldo to square off in what could be their final faceoff. MLS Season Pass on Apple TV will broadcast the match.

The match will only add fuel to the raging Messi-Ronaldo debate around the world as to who is the best soccer player in the world. 

Inter Miami will fly more than 25,000 miles in preseason

Messi and Inter Miami’s worldwide preseason tour will make stops in Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Tokyo in the next three weeks.

When does Inter Miami’s regular season begin?

Messi and Inter Miami will begin the 2024 MLS season against Real Salt Lake on Feb. 21 at 8 p.m. ET inside DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The club will also close out MLS opening weekend with a road game against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Feb. 25 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Messi leaves in 64’: FC Dallas 1, Inter Miami 0

Leo Messi’s night is over, and Inter Miami’s other stars have also left the match.

Leo Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and newcomer Julian Gressel have all come off the pitch in the 64th minute of the match, down 1-0 to FC Dallas.

Just before their exit, they had one last shot toward the net.

The sequence was: Messi to Robert Taylor to Messi to Suárez, but the ball was stopped right at the net.

Messi misses a left boot in the 55th minute: FC Dallas 1, Inter Miami 0

Leo Messi lined up a shot attempt just outside the box, but his left boot was halted by the Dallas goalie before the 55th minute.

Inter Miami’s stars are certainly figuring out their playing style and shaking off the rust as their second preseason game winds into the second half.

We’ll see how much longer Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba play in this one.

Two minutes later, Alba missed a crossing pass to Suárez, who was trailing down the middle. Inter Miami was called offsides.

Messi, Inter Miami stars start second half: FC Dallas 1, Inter Miami 0

Maybe, it’s the deficit.

Maybe, it’s because Inter Miami has a week before its next preseason match in Saudi Arabia.

But Messi, Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba are on the pitch for Inter Miami to begin the second half.

Halftime: FC Dallas 1, Inter Miami 0

Inter Miami’s pace and playing style certainly became more engaged after Dallas standout Jesus Ferreira scored three minutes into Monday’s preseason match at Cotton Bowl Stadium.

Leo Messi and Luis Suárez have connected on several passes to each other, but unable to find the back of the net during the first half.

It’s unclear whether Inter Miami’s big four of Messi, Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba will see any time in the second half. They did not play in the second half of their first preseason game last Friday in El Salvador.

But trailing 1-0, it could be conceivable to see Inter Miami play its star players in the opening minutes of the second half.

Suarez misses shot after pass from Messi: FC Dallas 1, Inter Miami 0

Messi timed a streaky Suarez toward the left side of the goal area, but Suárez needed to contort his body in a way just to get a shot off.

Suárez made contact, but the ball veered off to the right instead of on goal. It was a pretty pass from Messi, and a nice attempt from Suárez, but to no avail.

Jesus Ferreira leaves match in 40’: FC Dallas 1, Inter Miami 0

Dallas standout Jesus Ferreira was down on the field with an apparent injury, but able to walk off on his own power to substitute out of the match.

Again, it’s preseason and just as much as Inter Miami needs to keep its star players healthy and available for the season, Dallas is doing the same.

Ferreira leaves after making his mark, scoring a goal in the first three minutes of this preseason match against Messi and Inter Miami.

Asier Illarramendi misses shot on goal in 29’: FC Dallas 1, Inter Miami 0

FC Dallas midfielder Asier Illarramendi saw an opportunity for a shot on goal, and this time Inter Miami goalie Drake Callendar was ready.

It was the second shot on goal in the match for FC Dallas.

The only thing is Dallas scored its first one, which came three minutes into the preseason match against Messi and Inter Miami.

Messi, Suarez connection shaking off the rust: FC Dallas 1, Inter Miami 0

Messi could only smile, and give a thumbs up to Luis Suárez.

Suárez ran toward the right corner and fired a pass toward the middle of the box for Messi.

Messi connected on the ball, but it soared into the stands.

It’s been a few years since they played together, but it’s still a sight to see the former Barcelona stars finding each other on the pitch like old times.

Luis Suárez, Luis Ruiz misses before 15′: FC Dallas, Inter Miami 0

Luis Suárez missed a shot on goal with a kick that didn’t quite have enough power behind it, while youngster Luis Ruiz also missed an opportunity on the outer part of the net.

Inter Miami has certainly turned up its aggression after falling behind 1-0 early.

Messi misses shot on goal in 12’: FC Dallas 1, Inter Miami 0

Sergio Busquets found Messi between several Dallas defenders for an open shot toward the net, but Messi could not make the most of the opportunity.

Messi’s shot skidded toward the right side of the net as he grimaced after missing the kick.

Messi, one sequence earlier, lofted a shot toward the net, but the goalkeeper saved it in the penalty area.

Messi gets ball into net on corner kick, but no goal: FC Dallas 1, Inter Miami 0

Messi lined up for a corner kick in the 8th minute, and the ball reached the middle of the net where the Dallas goalie made sure it didn’t get through.

While Inter Miami’s Sergio Busquets was in the mix near the net, FC Dallas was able to keep them scoreless.

One sequence later, Luis Suárez was tripped up after a contest and was seen limping as he worked his way back into play.

Jesus Ferreira goal: FC Dallas 1, Inter Miami 0

A No. 10 has scored. But not for Inter Miami.

FC Dallas standout Jesus Ferreira has scored a goal in the third minute of Monday night’s match, handing Messi and Inter Miami an early deficit.

Inter Miami trails for the first time in two matches, and now outscored 1-0 in the preseason.

Lionel Messi, Inter Miami stars in starting lineup vs. FC Dallas

An hour before the match, Inter Miami announced Messi is in the starting lineup alongside Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba against FC Dallas.

Inter Miami goalie Drake Callendar will also be in the lineup after training with the U.S. national team.

Here’s the starting lineup:

Could the Inter Miami vs. FC Dallas match be epic again?

Messi put on a show last August in his first matchup against FC Dallas during the Leagues Cup tournament.

Messi and Inter Miami – in just their fourth match together – looked like they were down and out trailing 4-3 in the final minutes of regulation until he delivered.

How long did Messi play during Inter Miami’s first preseason game?

Inter Miami’s big four – Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba – only played in the first half against El Salvador last Friday.

Messi missed two shots on goal in the same sequence, and a free kick during his time in the match.

Coach Tata Martino was diligent with playing time, allowing his entire team (outside of a backup goalie) play during the match.

A wave of substitutions followed in the 63rd minute, but Inter Miami finished with 10 men after rising youngster Facundo Farias, 21, left the game with an ACL injury. Inter Miami announced he’s out for the season.

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The Jacksonville Jaguars hired former Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen to lead the team’s defense, replacing fired defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell, the team announced Monday evening.

‘We’re excited to welcome Ryan and have him lead our defense moving forward,’ said Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson in a statement released by the team. ‘Ryan is an outstanding football coach and his defenses with the Falcons and Saints were always fundamentally sound in both their physicality and concepts. He has the rare ability to both teach and connect with his players.

‘He builds lasting, two-way relationships predicated on trust. He establishes accountability, first from himself, then the players. What I’ve most admired about Ryan’s defenses – and we saw this in London back in October – was their shared intensity and enthusiasm to get the job done and impact the game.’

Pederson fired nearly all of the team’s defensive coaches after the team’s season-ending loss to the Tennessee Titans, resulting in them missing the playoffs.

During their late-season collapse through the final six games of the season, Jacksonville’s defense gave up an average of 29.2 points per game and 146.8 rushing yards per game through five losses. They began the season 8-3, ultimately ending 9-8.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Jacksonville reportedly interviewed others, including the Ravens’ Chris Hewitt, Jets’ Marquand Manuel, Titans’ Chris Harris and Shane Bowen and former Giants defensive coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale.

Nielsen, 44, most recently was the defensive coordinator of the Falcons. He finished his first season improving the Atlanta defense from 23rd to 18th in points allowed per game and from 27th to 11th in yards allowed per game. The Falcons also doubled their sack total (42) from the 2022 season (21).

Atlanta ranked 12th in EPA (expected points added) per play last season. The Falcons are undergoing a coaching change after firing head coach Arthur Smith after the season. Nielsen was initially blocked from taking defensive coordinator interviews before being granted permission.

Before joining the Falcons, Nielsen coached with the New Orleans Saints from 2017-2022, holding multiple roles including defensive line coach, assistant head coach/defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach. He began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant with Southern California in 2002, finishing his collegiate coaching career with NC State as the team’s defensive line coach/run game coordinator.

Nielsen becomes Pederson’s latest hire after the head coach took the job ahead of the 2022 season. It marks Pederson’s first major coaching change in his tenure.

Now that it’s official, the Jaguars will need to fill out the remainder of their defensive coaching staff. The only defensive coaches that were retained are assistant defensive line coach Rory Segrest, outside linebackers coach Bill Shuey and defensive quality control coach Patrick Reilly.

Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers promoted Dan Morgan to president of football operations and general manager on Monday, handing the task of turning around the struggling franchise to a former star linebacker with the team.

Morgan, who has spent the past three seasons as the Panthers’ assistant GM, will oversee the personnel operation, the team announced.

The Panthers are 31-68 since David Tepper bought the team in 2018, tied with the New York Jets for the worst record in the league in that span. They have not been to the postseason since 2017 and have been criticized for poor trades and draft picks in recent years.

Morgan replaces Scott Fitterer, who was fired after the season.

The Panthers are hoping to tap into Morgan’s football background as well as his relationships with players, coaches and agents.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

“Dan has a thorough knowledge of our football personnel and a clear vision to take us where we all want to go,” Tepper told the team’s website. “We know he will attack this opportunity with the same intensity he did as a Panthers player.”

Morgan began his post-playing career with the Seattle Seahawks in 2010 as an intern and was later promoted during their Super Bowl run to director of pro personnel. He went on to work as director of player personnel for the Buffalo Bills before returning to the Panthers as assistant GM in 2021.

Morgan was one of the franchise’s best defensive players.

A first-round draft pick in 2001, he helped the Panthers reach their first Super Bowl in 2003, anchoring the middle of the defense. He played seven seasons for Carolina set an NFL record with 25 tackles in the Panthers’ Super Bowl loss to the New England Patriots on Feb. 1, 2004.

He made the Pro Bowl in 2004.

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‘THE Foundation’, Ohio State’s partnered NIL collective, announced Monday that former Buckeye and current Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud donated to his former school’s NIL efforts.

‘THE Foundation’ launched in 2022 and was co-founded by former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones, who led the Buckeyes to the 2014 College Football Playoff national championship. Jones worked with Brian Schottenstein, a prominent real estate developer in Columbus, Ohio.

The Buckeyes have seen plenty of recent transfer portal success, gaining a commitment from All-American safety Caleb Downs, who left Alabama after Nick Saban’s retirement. They also gained Alabama’s freshman five-star quarterback Julian Sayin and starting center Seth McLaughlin, along with former Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins, who led the SEC in rushing in 2022.

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Ohio State also added its presumed starting quarterback for next season in former Kansas State passer Will Howard.

Stroud, 22, was drafted No. 2 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, and recently led the Texans to a playoff win over Cleveland in the AFC Wild-card round before falling to Baltimore on Saturday in the divisional round. The former Heisman Trophy finalist also had one of the most successful campaigns by a rookie quarterback in recent memory: He passed for 4,108 yards with 23 touchdowns to five interceptions while leading Houston to a 10-7 regular season record.

C.J. Stroud stats

Houston Texans

2023: 319 of 499 passing (63.9%) for 4,108 yards with 23 touchdowns to five interceptions; 39 carries for 167 yards with three touchdowns

Ohio State

Career: 575 of 830 passing (69.3%) for 8,123 yards with 85 touchdowns to 12 interceptions; 80 carries for 136 yards and a touchdown

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All but four selections in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft are set following the events of divisional playoff weekend.

The final four spots will be decided by the conference championship games and Super Bowl 58. Teams that were eliminated this past weekend occupy spots Nos. 25-28. Teams that lost during wild-card weekend are in spots Nos. 19-24.

The non-playoff portion of the draft order is determined by regular-season record and uses strength of schedule as a tiebreaker (record and strength of schedule are official tiebreakers to determine the draft order). 

The 2024 NFL draft is scheduled to be held in Detroit from April 25-27.

2024 NFL draft first-round order

(as of Jan. 22; * denotes wild-card playoff loser ** denotes divisional playoff loser and # denotes remaining playoff team)

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Chicago Bears (from Panthers) — Carolina Panthers’ record: 2-15 (strength of schedule: .522)Washington Commanders — Record: 4-13 (.512)New England Patriots — Record: 4-13 (.522)Arizona Cardinals — Record: 4-13 (.561)Los Angeles Chargers — Record: 5-12 (.529)New York Giants — Record: 6-11 (.512)Tennessee Titans — Record: 6-11 (.522)Atlanta Falcons — Record: 7-10 (.429)Chicago Bears — Record: 7-10 (.464)New York Jets — Record: 7-10 (.502)Minnesota Vikings — Record: 7-10 (.509)Denver Broncos — Record: 8-9 (.488)Las Vegas Raiders — Record: 8-9 (.488)New Orleans Saints — Record: 9-8 (.433)Indianapolis Colts — Record: 9-8 (.491)Seattle Seahawks — Record: 9-8 (.512)Jacksonville Jaguars — Record: 9-8 (.533)Cincinnati Bengals — Record: 9-8 (.574)*Los Angeles Rams — Record: 10-7 (.529)*Pittsburgh Steelers — Record: 10-7 (.540)*Miami Dolphins — Record: 11-6 (.450)*Philadelphia Eagles — Record: 11-6 (.481)*Houston Texans (from Browns) — Cleveland Browns’ record: 11-6 (.536)*Dallas Cowboys — Record: 12-5 (.446)**Green Bay Packers — Record: 9-8 (.474)**Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Record: 9-8 (.481)**Arizona Cardinals (from Texans) — Houston Texans’ record: 10-7 (.474)**Buffalo Bills — Record: 11-6 (.471)#Kansas City Chiefs — Record: 11-6 (.481)#Detroit Lions — Record: 12-5 (.481)#San Francisco 49ers — Record: 12-5 (.509)#Baltimore Ravens — Record: 13-4 (.543)

Teams without a first-round pick: Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns

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I could give you 30 different reasons why Ron DeSantis flamed out before today’s New Hampshire primary.

Plenty of media folks are delighting in kicking him when he’s down – worst campaign of all time and so on – and his relentlessly negative coverage, augmented by his own mishandling of the media, is a factor.

But it comes down to something more existential.

One exchange on my show, about Donald Trump, has stuck with me.

I was talking about both MSNBC and CNN dumping out of Trump’s Iowa victory speech, and the former president declaring this was so unfair that NBC and CNN (which does not have a federal license) should be taken off the air.

Now I agree with Trump on the substance–and so does new CNN boss Mark Thompson, who told his staff the network should have carried more of the speech, according to the New York Times–but not on the remedy. Networks shouldn’t be kicked off the air because a president doesn’t like the coverage. 

I asked my liberal ‘Media Buzz’ guest, Leslie Marshall, about Trump’s threat, and she said his supporters ‘want to be entertained by him using nicknames for everyone,’ or in the case of mocking Nikki Haley’s Indian name, ‘racial shading.’

Trump, like him or loathe him, is an entertainer. He’s got that New York timing. He may ramble, but he puts on a show. What journalists hear as authoritarian language, dictator for one day, his loyalists view as shtick.

When Trump was indicted four times, media types called him a threat to democracy, but it boosted him in the polls.

For the record, Marshall said later that ‘Ron DeSantis clearly does not have that likability factor.’

 

Now you can call the Florida governor a hard worker, a policy wonk, a committed conservative with a strong record in his state. But he’s a serious and sober guy, not particularly entertaining, and he doesn’t like talking about himself, for instance that he served in the military in Iraq. 

One thing DeSantis and Haley, who is a very disciplined, stick-to-the script campaigner, is that neither has much of a sense of humor. Neither one is ‘entertaining.’

Now the counter-argument here is that government is serious business, that this isn’t a vaudeville show and policies affect all Americans. But first you have to win an election, and making a connection with the voters has always been crucial, especially in the television age.

Meanwhile, with Haley trailing Trump by double digits in most polls, the media are now focusing on whether the former president, at 77, is mentally confused. This is an obvious attempt to even the scales a bit with President Biden, who has long been known for gaffes and traces of a stutter but has at 81 clearly appeared more frail and sometimes mixed-up than three years ago.

So now there’s a concerted effort, especially on some MSNBC shows, to paint Trump as losing it as well.

Past glitches – such as saying Obama when he meant Biden, saying Biden could be starting World War II – didn’t get much traction.

But when Trump, at some length, mentioned Nikki Haley’s name three times and then said she was responsible for security on Jan. 6 and turned down his offer of 10,000 soldiers, he was clearly talking about Nancy Pelosi. (She disputes that story, by the way.)

And that obvious misstatement gave Haley an opening to question his ‘mental fitness,’ more sharply than in her standard riff about not wanting two 80-year-olds running for president.

This is the kind of aggressive attack that Haley should have been making long before the final weekend before the voting. She said yesterday that the entire ‘media elite’ was urging her to back out.

Just when the primary finally gets entertaining, Haley, the last woman standing, is still trailing Trump by double digits in most polls – and this feels like too little too late.

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