Athletes, in increasing numbers, across all sports, are beginning to vocalize something about gamblers, and everyone should pay close attention. Athletes feel sports leagues’ close association with gambling companies has created a dangerous environment. A violent one. A threatening one.

Few have expressed what that danger represents better than tennis star Caroline Garcia just did. She posted on X about the impact of what she called ‘unhealthy betting.’

What Garcia said, and what others have as well, including Charlie Baker, president of the NCAA — whose comments on the impact of gambling on the mental health of college athletes flew totally under the radar — are critical. They state what many of us have believed for some time: That the unencumbered embrace of gambling by sports leagues would lead to massive financial profit but also disastrous consequences for the athletes themselves.

That was Garcia’s point (more on that in a moment) and she is far from alone in believing that.

Over the past few months, there’s been a trail of interviews showing how huge the problem is, but they have been more like spots dotting the landscape, people not seeing the pattern, but they all serve as proof of the ugliness athletes face, and may for some time.

Baker, for example, spoke in April about the vitriol college athletes face when it comes to betting.

“It’s probably the No. 1 issue I’ve heard student-athletes I’ve talked to, talk to me about,’ Baker said, ‘which is the harassment and beatdown that comes not only from the betting community but also their own school mates.”

In June, USA TODAY Sports’ Bob Nightengale wrote an excellent and stunning story about the abuse some MLB players receive because of gambling, particularly following the league’s pairing with gambling companies, and how they fear for their safety.

‘You hear it all, man,’ Arizona Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald told USA TODAY Sports. ‘You blow a save, you don’t come through, you get it all. “(Expletive) you. You suck. You cost me all of this money. (Expletive) you. (Expletive) your family. I’m going to kill you and then kill your family.’

‘It gets ugly really quickly. It’s scary, and it’s sad. It used to be fans who were upset because you blew the game for the team, but now it’s gambling. These people don’t really care about the Diamondbacks. They just care about their bets, and we’re talking about money they don’t have that they are losing. So, it’s a very scary spot.’

One MLB general manager told Nightengale that he received credible death threats that led to police protection at his home.

‘I remember being followed home one time when I was playing for Cleveland,’ Diamondbacks reliever Logan Allen said. ‘I had a really bad game, and this guy follows me home, and starts cussing at me, telling me I cost him all of this money. It’s scary.’

Tennis player Jessica Pegula, when responding to Garcia’s social media post about the abuse, wrote: ‘Yep. The constant death threats and family threats are normal now. Win or lose.’

Said Coco Gauff: ‘You could be having a good day, and then somebody will literally tell you, ‘Oh, go kill yourself.’ You’re like, ‘OK, thanks.”

Some of this is just the normal vile abuse athletes get. What’s also happening is that athletes are abused and threatened so much by gamblers now, it’s all just normal.

There’s no definitive study (at least that I’m aware of) that shows what it was like for athletes, say, 10 years ago, versus now. Anecdotally, however, this is perhaps one of the worst threat environments when it comes to gambling that we’ve ever seen for athletes.

‘You get some messed up stuff, a lot of nasty DMs (direct social media messages),’ San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb told Nightengale. ‘People are really passionate about teams, and now that you add money to it, it’s bigger than ever. My first year, there wasn’t that much gambling going on. It was just, ‘Oh, you suck. You shouldn’t be on the team.’ Just things like that.

‘Now, you’re getting, ‘You just cost me money.’ They say some (messed) up (expletive). I get a lot of that with strikeouts. ‘Hey, I got money on you for strikeouts. Are you going to hit it?’ I always look up and say, ‘Probably not.’ There are times it gets pretty serious.’

This all leads to what Garcia said. This was the key part of her post on X:

‘Tournaments and the sport keeps partnering with betting companies, which keep attracting new people to unhealthy betting,’ Garcia wrote. ‘The days of cigarette brands sponsoring sports are long gone. Yet, here we are promoting betting companies, which actively destroy the life of some people.’

She added: ‘Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying they should be banned as people are free to do whatever they want with their money. But maybe we should not promote them. Also, if someone decided to say this things to me in public, he could have legal issues. So why online we are free to do anything? Shouldn’t we reconsider anonymity online?’

Absolutely yes and sports leagues should do something else: Better protect their players.

Because it is extremely ugly for them.

Overwhelmed with joy, Zakia Khudadadi threw herself and her equipment into the air as she celebrated making history Thursday by winning the Refugee Team’s first medal at a Paralympic Games. 

Originally from Afghanistan, Khudadadi, 25, won the bronze medal in the women’s taekwondo K44 -47kg category at the Grand Palais in Paris after defeating Turkey’s Nurcihan Ekinci.

‘I went through so much to get here,’ Khudadadi told reporters after her victory. ‘This medal is for all the women of Afghanistan and all the refugees of the world. I hope that one day there will be peace in my country.’

Khudadadi competed for Afghanistan at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics, where she reached the Round of 16. Khudadadi and fellow Afghan athlete Hossain Rasouli narrowly escaped the Taliban’s 2021 takeover of Afghanistan to compete in Tokyo following what International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parson described as a ‘major global operation’ to clandestinely evacuate the pair to France.

Khudadadi secretly started taekwondo as a child at a gym in her hometown of Herat, Western Afghanistan, according to the Associated Press.

2024 Paris Olympics: Follow USA TODAY’s coverage of the biggest names and stories of the Games.

The Taliban have since banned women from sports and areas of public life. 

‘For me, the bronze, it’s like gold because I come to France. Before I am in Afghanistan and in Afghanistan it’s not possible (to do) the sport,’ Khudadadi told Olympics.com after her win.

Khudadadi now lives and trains in Paris. She had the support of a lively home crowd that held up ‘Zakia’ signs and cheered as she took a victory lap with her French coach Haby Niare, who won a silver medal in Rio.

‘I won because of the great support from the crowd,’ Khudadadi said.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi awarded the medals at the victory ceremony.

‘This historic win for the Refugee Paralympic Team embodies the power, determination and grit of Zakia and her fellow refugees,’ Grandi said.

‘Standing on the podium tonight, she represents 120 million people forcibly displaced worldwide,’ Grandi added. ‘Zakia is a role model for us all. Despite the challenges she has faced, she has become a Paralympic medalist achieving the highest pinnacle of sporting success. The night is hers!’

The Refugee Olympic and Paralympic teams have competed in every edition of the Games since Rio 2016. Paris 2024 also saw the Refugee Olympic Team win its first medal as Cindy Winner Djankeu Ngamba took home bronze in the 75kg class of women’s boxing earlier this month. 

A suspected drunk driver has been charged in connection with the death of Columbus Blue Jackets star forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother.

Johnny, 31, and Matthew, 29, were both killed while biking Thursday night in Oldmans Township, New Jersey. Sean Higgins, 43, was arrested on suspicion of driving while under the influence of alcohol and brought to Salem County Correctional Facility. State police said it charged Higgins, from Woodstown, New Jersey, with two counts of vehicular homicide in connection to the brothers’ death.

Officials have not yet indicated when Higgins will make his first court appearance.

Here’s what we know so far about the incident.

Driver admitted to being drunk, police report says

A police affidavit of probable cause stated that the trooper who responded to the scene ‘detected the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from (Higgins’) breath.’ The report also said that Higgins failed a sobriety test at the scene and that he later admitted to consuming five to six beers before the accident, saying the alcohol ‘contributed to his impatience and reckless driving.’

What happened to Johnny Gaudreau?

Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau both died in a bike accident after being hit by a suspected drunk driver while riding their bikes down a country road in Salem County, New Jersey, near their family hometown.

The Gaudreau brothers were riding their bikes on County Route 551 North when they were allegedly struck by Higgins from behind, according to the New Jersey State Police.

Higgins was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee northbound behind a sedan, SUV and the Gaudreau brothers around 8:20 p.m. on Thursday evening, police said. According to state troopers, Higgins initially moved into the southbound lanes and passed the slower-moving sedan. The SUV in front of Higgins then moved to the middle of the road to safely pass the biking Gaudreau brothers on the right side of the road. However, Higgins then attempted to pass the SUV on the right, hitting Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau from behind and fatally injuring both brothers, according to the highway patrol.

Johnny Gaudreau planned to attend sister’s wedding Friday

Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau were in town because they planned to be groomsmen at their sister Katie Gaudreau’s wedding Friday in Philadelphia, according to their sister’s wedding website. Meredith Gaudreau, Johnny’s wife, was scheduled to be the maid of honor. According to Katie Gaudreau’s Instagram account, a rehearsal for the wedding was held Thursday evening – hours before the brothers’ death.

Blue Jackets statement on Johnny Gaudreau’s death

‘The Columbus Blue Jackets are shocked and devastated by this unimaginable tragedy. Johnny was not only a great hockey player, but more significantly a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to his wife, Meredith, his children, Noa and Johnny, his parents, their family and friends on the sudden loss of Johnny and Matthew. Johnny played the game with great joy, which was felt by everyone that saw him on the ice. He brought a genuine love for hockey with him everywhere he played, from Boston College to the Calgary Flames to Team USA to the Blue Jackets.

‘He thrilled fans in a way only Johnny Hockey could. The impact he had on our organization and our sport was profound, but pales in comparison to the indelible impression he made on everyone who knew him. Johnny embraced our community when he arrived two years ago and Columbus welcomed him with open arms. We will miss him terribly and do everything that we can to support his family and each other through this tragedy. At this time, we ask for prayers for the Gaudreau family and that their privacy be respected as they grieve.’

A Blue Jackets spokesman said the team will not be making any further comments until a later date.

Flames statement on Johnny Gaudreau’s death

Gaudreau was drafted by the Calgary Flames in the fourth round of the 2011 NHL draft, and he played his first nine seasons with them.

‘It’s with great sadness, we mourn the tragic deaths of our friend Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew Gaudreau. Our hearts are broken by this devastating loss. Johnny was and always will be a member of the Flames family and loved by all of Calgary.

‘It was our privilege to call Johnny our teammate for nine amazing years in Calgary. He came to Calgary as a young man and grew up here, not only as a superstar on the ice, but also a beloved member of our community. The pain we feel for Johnny’s wife Meredith, children Noa and Johnny, parents Jane and Guy, sisters Kristen and Katie, and the entire Gaudreau family is immense.

‘Ownership, management, players, and staff of the Calgary Flames express our heartfelt sympathies during their time of sorrow. You are in our thoughts and prayers.’

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman statement on Johnny Gaudreau’s death

‘The National Hockey League family is shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew. While Johnny’s infectious spirit for the game and show-stopping skills on the ice earned him the nickname ‘Johnny Hockey,’ he was more than just a dazzling hockey player; he was a doting father and beloved husband, son, brother and teammate who endeared himself to every person fortunate enough to have crossed his path.

‘Gaudreau often told the story of how his father taught him to skate as a child in his home state of New Jersey and he carried that same youthful passion throughout his 11 NHL seasons. A skilled playmaker, Gaudreau participated in the NHL All-Star Game seven times where he was always a fan favorite, particularly while showcasing his talents in the various skills competitions for which he was so well suited.

‘He will be remembered fondly in Calgary, where he played his first nine seasons with the Flames from 2013-14 to 2021-22, emerging as one of our League’s brightest young stars while compiling the franchise’s fifth-highest career points total. His loss also will be felt profoundly in Columbus, the city in which he chose to settle his family and where he was one of the respected, veteran leaders of a club building toward the playoffs. And both Johnny and Matthew will be mourned at Boston College, where they were teammates the year Johnny won the Hobey Baker Award in 2013-14, and at Gloucester Catholic High School in New Jersey, where both played and where Matthew was the head hockey coach following his own five-year pro playing career.

‘We send our most heart-felt condolences to his wife Meredith; their children, Noa and Johnny; his parents, Guy and Jane; and sisters Kristen and Katie. And we grieve alongside his teammates, members of the Blue Jackets and Flames organizations, his many friends in hockey and countless fans around the world for whom he created indelible memories on and off the ice.’

The Columbus Dispatch, part of the USA TODAY Network, contributed to this report.

After all of that … Brandon Aiyuk will remain with the San Francisco 49ers for the long haul.

Following several months of tense negotiations – which included trade talks with other teams – and some mixed messages, the budding fifth-year wide receiver agreed to a four-year deal Thursday evening worth up to $120 million ($76 million guaranteed), per multiple reports. Thus ends one of the stranger NFL contractual standoffs in recent years.

But make no mistake, all this sound and fury will signify major ramifications in Silicon Valley (and elsewhere) at some point. The following parties seem most likely to benefit and, perhaps, be adversely affected by Aiyuk’s new arrangement:

WINNERS

Brandon Aiyuk

Duh. He’s coming off his best season (75 receptions for 1,342 yards and 7 TDs), yet has never been a first-team All-Pro, Pro Bowler or even the main threat in the Niners’ robust offensive attack. Nevertheless, Aiyuk becomes the sixth wideout (joining A.J. Brown, Tyreek Hill, Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb and Amon-Ra St. Brown) with an extension averaging $30-plus million annually – all of them signed this offseason.

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Brock Purdy

After Mr. Irrelevant’s stunning breakout as a rookie in 2022, he took another huge step by developing into a Pro Bowler in 2023 – Aiyuk a major factor in Purdy’s growth. In 20 regular-season games played together after Purdy became San Francisco’s QB1 in Week 13 of the 2022 season, the duo has 94 connections for 1,634 yards and nine scores – Aiyuk clearly overtaking fellow WR Deebo Samuel as the primary pass catcher last season. Now Purdy, who’s in line for his own financial windfall some time next year, has his deep threat back as he tries to take this team back to the Super Bowl while making his own on-field negotiating statement.

John Lynch

Whether it’s Aiyuk or Samuel or DE Nick Bosa or TE George Kittle or LB Fred Warner, Lynch, San Francisco’s eighth-year general manager, continues to burnish his reputation for getting his stars under contract – typically in the summer, if often right under the Week 1 wire.

Tee Higgins

From a statistical and deployment perspective, his résumé is fairly similar to that of Aiyuk (269 career catches for 3,931 yards and 25 TDs in four seasons). Higgins has 257 grabs for 3,684 yards and 24 TDs over the same period despite often being perhaps the third option in the Cincinnati Bengals’ offense himself. But saddled with a $21.8 million franchise tag for this season, there’s little question deals like Aiyuk’s are likely to make Higgins a very rich man in 2025 – maybe more so than his 2020 draft mate – when he’ll almost certainly vacate Cincinnati for the free agent market.

2024 49ers

Since the start of the 2019 campaign, San Francisco has reached two Super Bowls – both gut-wrenching losses to the Kansas City Chiefs – and four NFC title games. The Niners seem as close as ever to that long-awaited sixth Lombardi Trophy after falling in overtime of Super Bowl 58 six months ago now that they’ve retained one of their most dangerous weapons in what could be a “Last Dance” kind of situation given they’re likely to lose some key pieces in 2025 when it’s time to pay Purdy.

Trent Williams

While Aiyuk reported to training camp, if not to practice (or collect fines), the 49ers’ perennial All-Pro left tackle has been holding out while seeking an adjustment to his own salary at a time when the positional pay scale has escalated in the wake of new contracts signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Tristan Wirfs, Detroit Lions’ Penei Sewell and Minnesota Vikings’ Christian Darrisaw. With Aiyuk’s business concluded, time for Lynch to refocus in order to pull one more rabbit out of his salary-cap cap if he’s to get, arguably, his team’s best player back in the fold in time for the ‘Monday Night Football’ opener against the New York Jets on Sept. 9.

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LOSERS

Trent Williams

He’s got three years remaining on a pact that’s out of guarantees and averages slightly more than $23 million per season, which slots Williams, widely regarded as the league’s premier tackle, sixth at his position. However he’s 36, will need time to get into football shape and has seemingly been on the backburner when so much focus has been devoted to Aiyuk. But make no mistake, the 49ers – Purdy and RB Christian McCaffrey, specifically – have shown to be a fundamentally different offense when “Silverback” isn’t part of it.

2024 NFC contenders

Just when it seemed like the conference’s preeminent power might be buckling amid its personnel crises, those matters continue to resolve. Not to say the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers can’t still knock off the Niners – as both very nearly did in the 2023 postseason – who could also face challenges from the Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Rams and potentially others in 2024. But assuming Williams gets mollified and S Talanoa Hufanga and LB Dre Greenlaw reclaim something close to their peak forms once they’re back from injuries … well, San Francisco should remain very tough to derail.

Ja’Marr Chase

Higgins’ teammate with the Bengals, Chase is also striving to rocket past that now-established $30 million per year threshold reserved for elite wideouts. However unlike Aiyuk, Lamb and Jefferson, who all had one year left on their rookie deals, Chase, the No. 5 overall pick in 2021, has two remaining on his and a team owner (Mike Brown) known for taking a hard line on such matters. As Chase’s practice status becomes a daily story in Cincinnati, this now appears to be the fiscal showdown to monitor.

Russell Wilson and Justin Fields

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ current and future QB1s, respectively – book it in Fields’ case – they won’t be welcoming Aiyuk to a passing attack that really could’ve used some juice beyond WR George Pickens. The Steel City was Aiyuk’s preferred destination had a compromise not materialized in the Bay Area, but now the Steelers are left to feel like little more than the leverage ploy they ultimately were.

Deebo Samuel

With Aiyuk’s bag coming in, Samuel is officially WR2 here – his bank account included given his extension averages $23.85 million before expiring in the spring of 2026. How’s that gonna play moving forward? Could Samuel even be a roster casualty next spring, when it’s time to mint Purdy and given this year’s first-round investment in Ricky Pearsall, also a receiver (albeit different in style from Samuel)? Stay very closely tuned.

***

NEW YORK— Former champion Carlos Alcaraz’s Grand Slam winning streak came to a screeching halt at the US Open on Thursday as the Spanish third seed was thumped 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 by unseeded Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round.

An off-colour Alcaraz never recovered from a shaky start and made unforced errors throughout at a stunned Arthur Ashe Stadium as the inspired Van de Zandschulp snapped the French Open and Wimbledon champion’s 15-match winning run at the majors.

It was the Paris Olympics silver medalist’s earliest exit at a Grand Slam since Wimbledon in 2021.

‘I don’t know what to say right now. First of all, I think he played great,’ Alcaraz said.

‘He didn’t make a lot of mistakes that I thought he was going to do so I was confused a little bit.

‘I didn’t know how to manage that.’

The 21-year-old was on the back foot early on as Van de Zandschulp claimed the opening three games with some resolute defending from the back of the court, and the Dutchman broke again in the sixth game en route to taking the first set.

Alcaraz produced a stunning forehand pass to hold serve in the first game of the next set but the four-time major winner’s struggles to close out points resurfaced as Van de Zandschulp broke for a 2-1 lead.

A tactical tweak to return serve from deeper helped Alcaraz break back immediately but the 2022 champion gifted his opponent another break with a double fault and Van de Zandschulp went on to comfortably double his advantage in the match.

After briefly leaving the court before the third set, Alcaraz found himself in deeper trouble after a wayward forehand handed Van de Zandschulp a break.

He hit back immediately and found his smile again, but world No. 74 Van de Zandschulp got his nose in front and completed a stunning upset on serve.

‘I didn’t feel well hitting the ball,’ Alcaraz said. ‘I think I made a lot of mistakes and when I wanted to come back … it was too late.’

Former New York quarterfinalist Van de Zandschulp, hampered by injuries to his left foot in the last two years, was lost for words after the biggest victory of his career.

‘It’s been an incredible evening. First time for me having a night session on Arthur Ashe. The crowd was amazing. Thank you for that. Unbelievable night,’ said Van de Zandschulp.

‘I think from point one here today I believed (I had) a chance. I had some nerves but if you want to beat one of these guys you have to be unbelievably calm and keep your head there.’

Van de Zandschulp will next face Britain’s Jack Draper.