A Maryland man is facing three federal felony charges for illegally operating a drone during a wild-card playoff game between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers on Jan. 11.

Alex Perez Suarez, a 43-year-old Baltimore native, is accused of flying an unregistered drone above M&T Bank Stadium when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had put in place a temporary flight restriction over the venue, according to an affidavit obtained by USA TODAY reporters.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office of Maryland described temporary flight restrictions in a press release as a ‘standard practice for stadiums or sporting venues’ with outdoor events. The affidavit also outlined that a temporary flight restriction is typically ‘in effect one hour before the scheduled start until one hour after the end of a qualifying event.’

Suarez’s drone flew over M&T Bank Stadium during the third quarter of the contest, snapping seven photos of the stadium and allegedly flying 400 feet above the stadium. NFL security temporarily suspended the game because of the drone, causing a brief delay in the action.

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There is a zero-tolerance policy for any drone or unmanned aircraft system (UAS) in the FAA’s ‘No-Drone Zone,’ according to Maryland’s U.S. Attorney’s Office. As a result, Suarez is facing three federal charges stemming from Title 49 U.S.C., as outlined in the affidavit. They are as follows:

Knowing and willful operation of an unregistered aircraft when that aircraft is required to be registered with the Federal Aviation Administration;
Knowing and willful operation of an aircraft without an airman’s certificate that authorizes the individual to serve in that capacity, when possessing such an airman certificate is required;
Knowing or willful violation of national defense airspace.

Suarez claimed he had purchased the UAS for recreational purposes but also stated he used it for work. The drone was not registered and investigators said Suarez admitted that he did not possess a Remote Pilot Certificate to operate it.

If convicted, Suarez would face a maximum sentence of three years in federal prison for knowingly operating an unregistered UAS and for knowingly serving as an airman without an airman’s certificate, per the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He would also be subject to a maximum of one year in federal prison for willfully violating United States National Defense Airspace.

‘We are very serious about temporary flight restrictions,’ U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron said in a statement. ‘You will be charged and held accountable for any incursion into restricted airspace, including around sports and entertainment venues such as the Super Bowl.’

Jake Paul blasted Canelo Álvarez Friday, a day after their negotiations for a blockbuster fight appeared to unravel.

“Canelo Alvarez ducked me.. .and is now an owned slave with no regard for the pride of the Mexican people who support him on US soil,’ Paul wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “it’s not surprising when his whole career he has done nothing for the sport of boxing outside the ring.’

MVP Promotions, co-founded by Paul and business partner Nakisa Bidarian, issued a statement saying Paul was “deep in negotiations’ for a blockbuster fight. ESPN reported that Álvarez nixed the deal and signed a deal with Saudi Arabian powerbrokers.

Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, announced that Álvarez signed a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season. Alalshikh said the first fight will be held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, in May. No opponent has been announced.

Álvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) is widely considered boxing’s biggest star. But Paul (11-1, 7 KOs) declared he is “the new face of boxing’ while also writing, “You cannot have the biggest fight of 2025 without my name involved. When all of your events tank and lose money you will all realize who the king of the sport is.’

Paul noted he is 28 and coming off a victory over Mike Tyson – “Biggest fight in boxing history’ he wrote on X– while adding of himself. ‘My own boss. Not owned. 5 years in. All of you felines want to see me fail, but god has other plans. It’s the era of good. The era of the elephant. It’s the era of MVP.’

ESPN reported Thursday the two boxers were finalizing a deal but later reported Canelo had nixed the prospective fight. The bout was to be held on Cinco Da Mayo weekend in Las Vegas, according to MVP Promotions.

“We remain in active discussions with multiple high-profile opponents and are committed to delivering the biggest fights, the most exciting events, and to working with partners who share are values and our commitment to boxing and its fighters,’ the statement read.

MVP Promotions did not immediately respond to requests for more information about negotiations with Álvarez.

Turki Alalshikh, he chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, has announced Álvarez has signed a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season. Alalshikh said the first fight will be held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, in May.

That leaves Paul still searching for an opponent more than 2 ½ months since he beat Tyson by unanimous decision Nov. 15.

“Jake Paul isn’t going anywhere, and neither is MVP,’ the MVP Promotions statement read.  “We’ll continue to disrupt boxing on our terms.’

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The Super Bowl is one of the most important events on the sports calendar every year, drawing the attention of not only diehard NFL fans, but also millions of casual fans as well.

In addition to the drama of which team will reign as Super Bowl champions, there’s an additional element of intrigue with all of the betting options available to the public.

Even those who don’t follow the league all year long can have a rooting interest in the outcome with a wide variety of prop bets for Super Sunday.

Here are some of the most popular ones currently available, as of Thursday, Feb. 6.

Super Bowl prop bet sheet

Super Bowl prop bets

Here are some of the more popular prop bets for the big game.

Expert Super Bowl picks: Unique betting insights only at USA TODAY.

BetMGM

Coin Toss: Heads (-102); Tails (-102)
Coin Toss winner: Chiefs (-102); Eagles (-102)
First Scoring play: Touchdown (-165); Field Goal (+140); Other Score (+5000)
First TD scorer: Saquon Barkley (+400); Jalen Hurts (+650); Kareem Hunt (+900); Travis Kelce (+1000); Xavier Worthy (+1200)
Super Bowl MVP: Patrick Mahomes (+105); Saquon Barkley (+240), Jalen Hurts (+375); Travis Kelce (+1500)
Saquan Barkley to rush for 169+: (+425)

DraftKings

Gatorade Color: Purple (+175); Orange (+250); Yellow/Green (+250), Red (+425); Blue (+450); Clear (+850); No Gatorade Bath (+1500)
Scorigami: Yes (+2500)
Flea Flicker: Yes (+250); No (-330) 
First TD jersey number: Over 15.5 (-115); Under 15.5 (-115)
Will Patrick Mahomes throw an interception: 1+ (+113)
Will Jalen Hurts throw an interception: 1+ (+127)
Last to score: Chiefs (-115); Eagles (-115)

FanDuel

Team to receive opening kickoff: Chiefs (-112); Eagles (-108)
Defensive/special teams touchdown: Yes (+330); No (-450) 
Player to record first interception: No INT (+140); Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (+850); Darius Slay (+1100); Reed Blankenship (+1200); Justin Reid (+1700); Jaden Hicks (+1700) 
Successful 2-point conversion: (+180)
First field goal: Chiefs (-122); Eagles (+100)

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Emma Hayes has had enough of crash-test dummies.

See, researchers have found the dummies used in safety tests are at least partly to blame for women being more likely to die or be injured in car crashes. The dummies have, for decades, been modeled on the male body even though women are typically shorter and smaller, with lower bone density and different muscle mass distribution.

Which means the seat belt that hits bone on a man is more likely to slide up on a woman, causing internal damage. The air bags that hit a man on the chest will hit a smaller woman in the neck and face. The … you get the idea.

By men and the male perspective being the default — in safety tests, soccer and just about everything else in life — women are getting short-changed.

And Hayes isn’t going to be party to it.

“The single most important thing about our mission is to make it really, really clear that we want to create a female lens in everything we do, as our starting point,” the U.S. women’s national team coach said earlier this week.

“We do everything the same way we do in the men’s game. Or through a male lens,” Hayes added. “And so I’ve challenged everybody, across the federation internally, to look at how they’ve been viewing the women’s game through that male lens.”

Hayes was hired to rejuvenate the USWNT, and she did that in just 75 days, leading the Americans to the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. But she also was hired to overhaul U.S. Soccer’s entire women’s program to ensure it sets the USWNT up for consistent success, and there has been much anticipation for what Hayes is calling “the USWNT Way.”

Some of it is tactical. But at its foundation is changing a culture that has never bothered to consider the differences in male and female athletes or taken into account the impact that has.

For example, only 5% of sports science research is done on women, Hayes said, problematic given the differences in hormones, muscle mass and bone structure. Only now are sporting good companies beginning to produce shoes made specifically for women, who have narrower ankles, higher insteps and lower calf muscles. Until the last couple of years, team uniforms often included white shorts, with no thought given to the anxiety that could cause a girl or young woman expecting her period.

And on and on it goes.

Hayes briefed both U.S. Soccer higher-ups and a small group of reporters on “the USWNT Way” earlier this week. Parts of it will be easy to implement and some she’s already started.

The youth national team’s most recent camp was held in conjunction with the USWNT, so similar standards and processes could be established. Hayes has told U.S. Soccer she wants the USWNT to stay in hotels that are more conducive to socializing when there’s free time as opposed to gaming like male players might prefer.

“Anybody that’s around me, I ask this question: ‘Have you done it through a female lens?’ And if you haven’t, stop doing it until we get to that point where we are delivering the absolute best in class for our girls and our women,” Hayes said.

Most of what she envisions will require longer and more detailed work, however. She wants to set up an advisory board with leaders from the NWSL, USL and maybe the college game, to ensure they are all speaking and acting with the same goals. She wants training and rehab programs crafted by experts who specialize in women’s physiology.

Most importantly, she wants coach education programs designed specifically for coaching female athletes, particularly at the youth level.

Studies have shown there is a huge drop-off in the number of girls playing sports when they hit puberty, and Hayes believes that by having coaches who know to anticipate that and address girls’ concerns – a changing body, self-image, peer pressure, etc. – they can keep more girls in the game longer.

“We have to get it right there. We have to help our coaches in our country help support girls and women better,” Hayes said. “At every level, coach education is wholeheartedly centered around the men’s game with a few references here and there … (to) the women’s game.

“We have to demand more on that front.”

Hayes won’t put a timeline on how long it will take to change the male-centered mindset to one that puts the women in the women’s game first. But she’s committed to doing it, calling it the “single most exciting project” of her career.

“We always do this constant comparing to the men’s game. I don’t really care what they’re doing. What works for us?” Hayes said. “It is about creating that more than anything else.”

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

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MEDLEY, Fla. – Unrivaled stars Sabrina Ionescu, Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart, Angel Reese and Brittney Griner are all in action as the 3-on-3, women’s basketball league resumes play on Friday night.

Collier and the Lunar Owls, Unrivaled’s best team at 6-0, will face Ionescu, Griner and the Phantom in the first of two games at 7:15 p.m. ET.

Reese and the Rose will face Stewart and the Mist in the second game, starting at 8:30 p.m., as both clubs hope to continue their winning ways from last week.

Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s Unrivaled games, and stay tuned for live updates from USA TODAY Sports:

Unrivaled score: Rose 23, Mist 14 after first quarter

Angel Reese and Kahleah Copper each scored six points, and the Rose lead the Mist 23-14 after the first quarter. Jewell Loyd leads the Mist with six points.

Unrivaled final score: Lunar Owls 94, Phantom 76

Allisha Gray scored 23 points, Napheesa Collier scored the game-winning basket to finish with 20 points, and the Lunar Owls remain undefeated with a 94-76 win over the Phantom in the first game on Friday night.

Courtney Williams scored 19 points off the bench, and Skylar Diggins-Smith scored 18 points as the Lunar Owls became the first Unrivaled team to score more than 90 points in a game.

The 170 points scored also marked the highest scoring game in Unrivaled’s history.

“You can’t be 7-0 without trusting the ones with you,” Williams said in a postgame interview.

Brittney Griner led the Phantom with 23 points, while Satou Sabally had 17 points and Sabrina Ionescu finished with 13 points. The Phantom fell to 2-5.

Unrivaled score: Lunar Owls 83, Phantom 68 after third quarter

Target winning score: 94

The Lunar Owls are in complete control after the third quarter, where they lead 83-68. The first team to reach the target winning score of 94 points wins.

Allisha Gray has 23 points, Skylar Diggins-Smith has 18 points, while Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams each have 16 points for the Lunar Owls, who led by as many as 17 points in the quarter.

Brittney Griner leads the Phantom with 23 points.

Unrivaled halftime score: Lunar Owls 53, Phantom 52

Courtney Williams has scored 14 points, including eight straight points before halftime, and the Lunar Owls lead 53-52 over the Phantom after the second quarter.

Allisha Gray has 12 points, while Skylar Diggins-Smith added 10 points, and Napheesa Collier has nine points in the first half.

The Phantom are led by Brittney Griner’s 16 points, while Natasha Cloud has 11 points and six assists.

Unrivaled score: Lunar Owls 32, Phantom 26 after first quarter

Allisha Gray has nine points, while all five Lunar Owls have already scored in the first quarter to take a 32-26 lead over the Phantom. The Lunar Owls’ Shakira Austin ended the quarter with a tip-in at the buzzer.

Brittney Griner has nine points, while Katie Lou Samuelson has eight points for the Phantom.

How to watch Unrivaled games Friday night on TV

Unrivaled is available on cable television on TNT in the United States, and TSN+ in Canada.

How to live stream Unrivaled games on Friday night

Unrivaled games are also available to live stream on Max, and internationally on YouTube.

Watch: Unrivaled games on Sling TV

Lunar Owls (6-0) vs. Phantom (2-4) preview

The Lunar Owls are the only unbeaten team in Unrivaled behind their starting lineup of Napheesa Collier, Allisha Grey and Skylar Diggins-Smith. Collier scored 36 points with 12 rebounds, Gray added 20 points, and Diggins-Smith hit her fourth game-sealing shot as the Lunar Owls beat the Vinyl, 85-68, last Monday. Collier has been Unrivaled’s best player, averaging a league-leading 29.3 points and 11.8 rebounds per game.

Sabrina Ionescu is expected to play for the Phantom after participating at Super Bowl week in New Orleans. She had a monster game with 38 points, nine rebounds and eight assists last Friday against the Rose. Satou Sabally led the Phantom with 22 points, while Brittney Griner had 20 points and eight rebounds in the club’s last game, a loss to the Mist last Monday.

Rose (2-4) vs. Mist (2-4) preview

The Rose and the Mist will meet in the second of two games on Friday night, both coming off their second wins of the season.

The Rose beat the Laces, 83-69, last Saturday as Chelsea Gray scored 28 points, while Azurá Stevens had 23 points and eight rebounds. Angel Reese was ejected for two technical fouls in the second quarter, but had 15 rebounds before her exit.

Breanna Stewart and the Mist beat the Phantom, 64-61, last Monday. Stewart had 19 points, 13 rebounds and four assists to help the Mist win their second straight game after a 0-4 start.

Unrivaled upcoming schedule

Unrivaled will play two more games on Saturday: The Laces will meet the Vinyl first, while the Mist and Lunar Owls meet in the second game.

Then, Unrivaled will begin its 1-on-1 tournament to be played Monday, Tuesday and next Friday.

Unrivaled 1-on-1 tournament, what you need to know

Thirty of Unrivaled’s 36 players will participate in the tournament where a $350,000 prize pool is on the line.

The winner of the tournament will win $200,000, the runner-up will receive $50,000, and the other two semifinalists will take away $25,000. Each club teammate of the winner will also receive $10,000.

Is Angel Reese playing tonight?

Yes, Reese and the Rose play in the second game on Friday night.  

What is Unrivaled?

Six teams with 36 of the best women’s basketball players in the world, including Sabrina Ionescu and Brittney Griner, will compete in the 3-on-3, full court games.

Where is Unrivaled playing games?

Games will be played at Wayfair Arena in Medley, Florida, which is in the Miami metropolitan area, about 7 miles from Miami International Airport.

Unrivaled team names and rosters

Laces: Stefanie Dolson, Tiffany Hayes, Natisha Hiedeman (relief player contract), Kate Martin, Kayla McBride, Alyssa Thomas, Jackie Young.
Lunar Owls: Shakira Austin, Napheesa Collier, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Allisha Gray, Courtney Williams, Cameron Brink (IR).
Mist: DiJonai Carrington, Aaliyah Edwards, Rickea Jackson, Jewell Loyd, NaLyssa Smith (relief player contract), Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot.
Phantom: Natasha Cloud, Brittney Griner, Sabrina Ionescu, Marina Mabrey, Satou Sabally, Katie Lou Samuelson.
Rose: Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Lexie Hull, Angel Reese, Azura Stevens, Brittney Sykes.
Vinyl: Aliyah Boston, Rae Burrell, Jordin Canada, Dearica Hamby, Rhyne Howard, Arike Ogunbowale.

Unrivaled rules to know 

Unrivaled games start with three seven-minute quarters, and games end when the target winning score is reached in the fourth quarter. The target winning score is 11 points higher than the highest team’s score after the third quarter, known as the Elam Ending. 
Players also take just one free throw after being fouled: A free throw equals two or three points depending on the shooting foul. 
How long is the Unrivaled court size? It’s is 72 feet long by 49.2 feet wide. NBA and WNBA courts are 94 feet long and 50 feet wide. 

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Perhaps the most subjective honor in professional sports and who is inducted and enshrined is the voting of who belongs in each sport’s Hall of Fame.

The arguments came to a head on Thursday night when it was revealed that former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning was not inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

The smallest class since 2005 chose tight end Antonio Gates, cornerback Eric Allen, defensive end Jared Allen and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe. Those four will be inducted in the Hall on Aug. 2 in Canton, Ohio.

For Manning, who didn’t make it to the final stage of the voting, the wait could be longer to get into the Hall of Fame. The four other modern-era candidates, Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri, automatically advance to the final 15 for next year’s voting.

With the addition of next year’s first-year eligible candidates, such as quarterback Drew Brees, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, running back Frank Gore, and tight end Jason Witten, Manning’s candidacy will once again be debated and the consensus is he will eventually get in.

All things Giants: Latest New York Giants news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Here is the case for and against Eli Manning being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The case for

Manning has two Super Bowl wins as a starting quarterback and was named the Most Valuable Player in both of those victories against Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

He is one of six quarterbacks with multiple Super Bowl MVPs.  Brady, Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, Bart Starr, and Patrick Mahomes are the others. Montana, Bradshaw and Starr were each first-ballot Hall of Famers, and Brady and Mahomes will most certainly be when they are eligible.

There have been 13 starting quarterbacks with two Super Bowl wins or more. Jim Plunkett and Manning are the only ones not in the Hall of Fame.

Manning is currently 11th in career passing yards and passing touchdowns. He also ranks 11th in passing attempts and completions and never missed a game due to injury in 16 NFL seasons, making 210 straight starts at one point.

The case against

Manning never was selected to an All-Pro team and has only four Pro Bowl selections.

He has a 117-117 record as a starting quarterback.

He led the league in interceptions three different times.

And his career 84.1 quarterback rating and finished a season in the top ten of QB rating once. Some notables with a higher career QB rating include Gardner Minshew, Andy Dalton, Mitchell Trubisky and Daniel Jones.

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