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WNBA star Angel Reese is set to become the first professional athlete to take part in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

Reese vowed last year to one day take part in the annual fashion extravaganza, and that dream is about to come true for her on Oct. 15 in New York.

The Chicago Sky forward was limited to just 30 games this past season, but averaged 14.7 points and 12.6 rebounds per game while being named an All-Star for the second time.

But as much as she’s already accomplished on the court, Reese has arguably been even more successful off it.

Among her estimated 20 different endorsement deals is a new signature shoe from Reebok, which just went on sale last month. And she was featured on the cover of the NBA 2K26 WNBA edition video game.

In addition, Reese recently became a partner with several other female athletes – including Sue Bird, Alex Morgan, Simone Manuel and Chloe Kim – in a venture to advance the women’s sports movement.

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This is the USA TODAY Sports NFL newsletter, 4th and Monday. If this newsletter isn’t already getting conveniently delivered to your inbox, click here to subscribe. USA TODAY Sports is now on Bluesky! Give us a follow for more of our NFL content.

Welcome to Week 6 in the NFL!

We present some essentials for you to enjoy before we check out the weekend’s biggest matchups:

Our NFL vodcasts offer fantasy insights, injury updates, more
Week 6 picks from USA TODAY Sports’ experts
Need fantasy advice? We have you covered
Point spreads for every Week 6 game

➤ On tap for Thursday night: Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants — The Eagles are coming off their first defeat in more than 280 days. In Week 5, Jaxson Dart came back down to earth and the Giants earned the distinction of being the first team to lose to Saints QB Spencer Rattler, who finally won in his 11th NFL start. The Eagles have won 10 consecutive prime-time meetings against the Giants. Philly should make it 11 tonight.

➤ Game of the week: Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs — This one lost some of its luster when the Chiefs were defeated by the Jacksonville Jaguars on ‘Monday Night Football’ to fall to 2-3. The Lions (4-1), meanwhile – thanks to Week 5 defeats by the Bills and Eagles – vaulted into the top spot in Nate Davis’ NFL power rankings. The Lions’ Week 1 loss to the Packers now looks like an aberration.

➤ Sneaky-good game of the week: San Francisco 49ers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — It might be premature to call this showdown of 4-1 teams an NFC championship game preview. Both teams are coming off thrilling Week 5 victories. Both teams are a little banged up, but this still should be a banger of a game.

➤ Dud of the week: Tennessee Titans at Las Vegas Raiders — At least this matchup of 1-4 teams gives fans a chance to check out rookies Cam Ward and Ashton Jeanty. Otherwise, it’s been a very disappointing season so far for both squads.

TNF BETTING LOCK

Jalen Hurts first TD scorer (+450*). How about a ‘Tush Push’ for the game’s first touchdown? Hurts has rushed for five touchdowns in four starts on ‘Thursday Night Football,’ so it seems likely he’ll get one against the Giants.

*Odds per BetMGM (as of publication)

BEST BETS FOR WEEK 6

Lorenzo Reyes is back with his NFL betting locks of the week. Here are the bets he likes most for Week 6:

Patriots (-3.5 spread). This is an inviting point spread, even though New England is on the road against the New Orleans Saints.

Rams (-7.5 spread). The Rams’ game against the Baltimore Ravens has blowout potential.

Titans (+4.5 spread). We have a hard time seeing the Las Vegas Raiders winning this one by nearly a touchdown.

ONE BOLD PREDICTION

Lions sink the Chiefs to 2-4. What would have been billed as a possible Super Bowl 60 preview when the 2025 NFL schedule was released back in May has become an early season must-win for the Chiefs. However, it’ll be the Lions who prevail in this ‘Sunday Night Football’ showdown.

One thing to watch for: If Lions running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery each score a touchdown against the Chiefs, they will surpass 1990s Cowboys teammates Daryl Johnston and Emmitt Smith for the third-most games that a running back tandem each scored a touchdown (14 games). Frank Gifford and Alex Webster of the New York Football Giants have the most with 20. Fun facts!

HOT READS

The best NFL reads from USA TODAY and our Sports Network:

The Bills and Eagles both lost last week, so there’s a new No. 1 team in the power rankings.

Emari Demercado’s Hall of Shame goal-line gaffe keeps getting worse. This time with the spotlight on Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon.

With Joe Flacco traded to the Bengals, Shedeur Sanders is moving up (by default) the Browns’ depth chart. Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz has more winners (and losers) from the trade of the veteran quarterback.

Travis Kelce reviewed Taylor Swift’s new album. Here is everything he said about it.

FANTASY ESSENTIALS

Do you have a battered fantasy football squad? Perplexed by how to navigate bye weeks? We’re here to help you ideate an optimized lineup for Week 6.

Week 6 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers | Tight ends

NFL DRAFT PROSPECT TO WATCH

Dante Moore, QB, Oregon (vs. Indiana, Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS/Paramount+) — This No. 2-vs.-No. 7 showdown of undefeated Big Ten teams features the quarterbacks projected to go 1-2 in Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz’s latest mock draft: IU’s Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Moore. Moore has taken a circuitous route to become one of the best quarterbacks in college football … decommitting from Oregon to go to UCLA, struggling as a true freshman with the Bruins, then transferring to Oregon. Now, he faces (not directly) Mendoza in a must-watch quarterback duel.

ON THIS DAY IN NFL HISTORY

On Oct. 9, 1983, Dan Marino made his first NFL start and was outdueled by … Joe Ferguson? After the Dolphins selected Marino in the first round of the 1983 draft, it seemed as though David Woodley’s days as starter were numbered. After a Week 5 loss to the New Orleans Saints, Don Shula finally made the switch, thus putting Marino on a path that would eventually lead to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Marino’s first start came against the Buffalo Bills at the Orange Bowl. Not surprisingly, it was an offensive shootout. Surprisingly, it was Ferguson, the Bills’ veteran quarterback, who outdid Marino and led Buffalo to a thrilling 38-35 overtime win (for the Bills’ first victory at the Orange Bowl since 1966!). Ferguson threw for 419 yards and five touchdowns; Marino threw for 322 yards and three scores. There was kicking drama in overtime, as the Dolphins’ Uwe von Schamann missed two field goals while the Bills’ Joe Danelo connected on the game-winner.

If you enjoy reading 4th and Monday , encourage your football fan friends to subscribe . Follow the writer of this newsletter on social media @jimreineking and drop a line if you want to talk some football .

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An autopsy report shows Aidan Zingg died from cardiac tamponade hemopericardium when the 16-year-old rising motocross star crashed during a dirt-bike race on June 28 in Mammoth Lakes, Calif.

The report confirmed what Zingg’s mother, Shari, told USA TODAY Sports on July 11 and provides more detail about his death.

Cardiac tamponade, according to the Cleveland Clinic, “describes a heart that has so much fluid around it that it can’t pump enough blood. The force of this fluid makes it hard for your heart to do its job. This is a medical emergency. A healthcare provider has to remove the extra fluid with a needle or surgery. You need quick treatment for a good outcome.’’

Hemopericardium, according to Radiopaedia.com, “refers to the presence of blood within the pericardial cavity (that surrounds the heart)…If enough blood enters the pericardial cavity, then a potentially fatal cardiac tamponade can occur.’’

The autopsy was performed by Eva Wasef, who pointed out Zingg’s heart had a perforated left ventricle measuring approximately six centimeters, according to the autopsy report. Wasef also indicated the presence of a chest tube with a needle on the right side of Zingg that would have been used in life-saving efforts.

Zingg was thrown from his motorcycle during the race and, when located, he was face down and unresponsive, Nicholas Rhoads of the Mono County Sheriff’s Office said he was advised according to a coroner’s report. Rhoads said he was dispatched to the track at about 10:35 a.m. and began his investigation.

Mammoth Mountain Ski Patrol was first on scene and said the incident was not witnessed, according to the report. The report said the Ski Patrol began CPR and also said Automated External Defibrillator (AED) was applied to Zingg “with no indication for shock.’’

Zingg was then transferred into the care of Mono County Paramedics, which transported him to Mammoth Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased, according to the report.

Life-saving efforts were in process for about 20 minutes during the drive to the hospital and for another 20 minutes at the hospital before a doctor determined Zingg had died, according to Rhoads’ report.

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Consumers’ Research, a leading nonprofit dedicated to consumer information and taking on woke corporations, launched a new campaign Thursday targeting insurance giant Chubb Limited and its CEO Evan Greenberg, alleging ‘deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).’

The campaign, which is facing pushback from a Chubb official and a pair of renowned China hawks accusing the nonprofit of misrepresenting Greenberg’s view, is part of a seven-figure initiative titled ‘China Chubb.’ The campaign accuses the insurance company and its chief executive of ‘cozying up to the CCP’ and ‘using their market power and resources to push a woke, political agenda on the American people.’

The effort falls under Consumers’ Research’s Consumers First Initiative, aimed at exposing companies the group claims put politics ahead of consumers. Chubb’s business reaches across 54 countries, including China, territories, all 50 states and employs over 40,000 people worldwide.

Consumers’ Research says the campaign will include a national 30-second television advertisement titled ‘China Chubb,’ which will begin airing across the country following the launch. 

The campaign also features a new website, ChinaChubb.com, a mobile billboard that will circulate throughout Washington, D.C., including Capitol Hill and Chubb’s Washington office, as well as a targeted digital push with sponsored content on social media platforms and online news outlets.

The ad campaign received a sharp rebuke from a Chubb spokesperson, who called it ‘completely dishonest’ in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

‘Evan has called out China’s authoritarian approach and predatory practices. He has repeatedly called for the U.S. to stand up and defend its interests,’ the spokesperson said. 

Robert O’Brien, former National Security Adviser to President Donald Trump, also pushed back on the ad in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

‘I’ve worked with Evan Greenberg for several years now on American relations with China,’ O’Brien said. ‘In my dealings with Evan, he has been a proponent of U.S. interests in the region. Through its operations in China, his company has contributed to shrinking the U.S. trade deficit.’

However, a Fox News Digital review found that Greenberg has personal and professional entanglements with the CCP, including meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and offering public statements praising the CCP’s global vision.

Earlier this year, Greenberg reportedly attended China’s prestigious China Development Forum alongside executives like Blackstone’s Stephen Schwarzman and Mastercard’s Michael Miebach. The annual forum, which includes delegates from all over the world, also includes access to dozens of top CCP officials, according to a list of delegates released earlier this year.

During this same week, Greenberg was pictured in a press release posted by the Chinese government showing him shaking hands with Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, a top CCP position. The press release paraphrased Greenberg saying, ‘U.S.-China relationship is the most significant bilateral relationship in the world.’

In 2024, Greenberg was photographed not only shaking hands with Xi in Beijing as Chair of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, but was also offering glowing remarks about China’s ‘resilience and vitality.’ 

‘China’s exceptional economic growth and transformation over the past decades speak to its strong resilience and vitality,’ Greenberg said.

In November 2023, he introduced Xi at a San Francisco event.

‘Like many others in this room, I believe that a strong and prosperous China that supports and invests in the international system can be a force for good in the world,’ Greenberg said at that event. 

‘We are gathered today to gain insight from President Xi into his vision for the future of his country, and of the relationship between the United States and China. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in warmly welcoming President Xi Jinping.’

That same month, Evan Greenberg was elected Board Chair of the National Committee on
U.S.-China Relations after having been ‘an exemplary’ board member and officer of the National Committee and ‘supporting the Committee’s mission.’ The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations sold $40,000 tickets to Americans and American businesses to sit at Xi Jinping’s table during the welcome banquet in San Francisco featuring several other senior CCP officials and guests, which got slammed in a scathing letter from the House Select Committee on the CCP.

In 2022, Xi sent personal greetings to a gala honoring Greenberg. Meanwhile, Greenberg sits on the advisory board of Tsinghua University School of Economics & Management, an institution tied directly to China’s national security and defense apparatus. That university operates under a wing of the Chinese government known for defense tech development — a connection that would likely raise red flags for any U.S. executive overseeing sensitive insurance data.

Greenberg is not the only prominent American business leader serving on that board, a group that includes Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein, and Apple CEO Tim Cook. 

Greenberg has also called on the U.S. to ‘tone down rhetoric around Taiwan’ and slamming efforts to contain the CCP as ‘self-isolating’ and doomed to fail. In shareholder letters, he’s warned against treating U.S.-China competition as a ‘new cold war,’ and labeled some American trade protections as ‘wrongheaded’ and ‘unwise.’

Greenberg has acknowledged the complicated nature of the Taiwan situation, however.

‘Taiwan presents the most proximate risk of conflict for the U.S.-China relationship,’ he said in 2022. ‘Beijing has made its ambition clear that it wants to pull Taiwan into its orbit and, increasingly, is matching resources to its ambitions. Washington is improving coordination with allies to collectively deter China from using force, while at the same time supporting Taiwan’s efforts to improve its self-defense.’

Also in 2022, Chubb secured Chinese government approval to acquire majority control of Huatai Insurance Group, a Chinese firm with over $10 billion in assets. That stake has since grown to 85.5%. Meanwhile, Greenberg’s father, Hank Greenberg, orchestrated business deals and meetings with CCP officials, including a Xi-endorsed event ahead of a key U.S.-China summit.

That same year, Greenberg’s father led a group of executives meeting with Chinese officials ahead of Xi’s summit with President Biden in Bali. A think tank affiliated with China’s foreign ministry
organized the Chinese delegation.

Additionally, a company owned by Greenberg’s father, C.V. Starr, owns over 90% of a Chinese insurer formerly known as Dazhong. 

Greenberg has not exclusively been complimentary of China and has voiced concerns and critiques about China, saying last year, ‘China has undermined its appeal in many parts of the region through its revanchist efforts to demand acquiescence to its territorial claims and mismanagement of its own economy.’

‘Beijing’s dimming domestic performance is reducing its appeal, and its bullying behavior is driving many countries closer to the United States.’

A 2022 Chubb annual report states that the U.S. is seeking an Indo-Pacific regions that ‘remains free from Chinese hegemony.’ The insurance company’s 2023 annual report was also critical of China saying, ‘China is viewed both as important and as a source of anxiety for many countries around the world. China is a revisionist and revanchist power that is pursuing a large-scale expansion in military capabilities.’

Fox News contributor and China expert Michael Pillsbury told Fox News Digital that Greenberg has been playing a role communicating with China to benefit the Trump administration.

‘Over the last few months before China accepted President Trump’s request to meet with Xi Jinping, Evan Greenberg played a backstage role to get American complaints by bringing together American CEOs to meet Xi Jinping,’ Pillsbury said. 

‘Learning how badly American companies have been treated helps President Trump because he is determined to end outrageous mistreatment of American companies. White House friends of mine tell me Evan Greenberg developed a list of grievances of how badly treated our companies are in China. One CEO even used the term China ‘gangsterizes our companies.’’

Consumers’ Research Executive Director Will Hild told Fox News Digital that Chubb’s leadership has ignored clear national security warnings about China.

‘Despite growing warnings from U.S. intelligence about the risks posed by the Chinese Communist Party, Chubb has invested billions of dollars in Chinese companies and Greenberg continues to treat Chinese President Xi Jinping as a partner and friend, even meeting personally with Xi Jinping and publicly introducing him as a force for good,’ Hild said.

‘As the saying goes, your friends show who you really are and Greenberg’s actions have made it clear he is all in on the CCP. Our campaign exposes the uncomfortable truth: when American corporations cozy up to Communist dictators and push woke policies at home, they betray not just their country, but their customers,’ he added.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

When President Donald Trump and Finnish President Alexander Stubb sealed their latest trade agreement on Thursday, it wasn’t just a handshake for 11 rugged ships. 

It was another sign of a friendship that’s quickly turning into strategy.

Where other European leaders have tried to win Trump’s respect through policy and persuasion, Stubb chose the fairway. In March, the Finnish president — once a national golf team player — turned up at Mar-a-Lago not with briefing notes, but with clubs, challenging Trump to a round and earning something rarer than a trade deal: rapport.

Presentation matters to Trump, and Stubb — 6-foot-3, fit and sharply dressed in a double-breasted coat — seemed to meet the moment. When the two last met at the White House in August, Trump told him he ‘looked better than ever’ and introduced him as ‘a young, powerful man.’

That personal chemistry, maintained through frequent text exchanges, has quietly opened doors for the Finnish president, a longtime marathoner and triathlete with a competitive streak. What’s more, it’s translating into real policy — from defense contracts to Arctic cooperation — elevating the once-quiet Nordic nation to new prominence in Washington.

It’s an unlikely rise for a country better known for saunas and serenity than for summits. Stubb hails from a nation of 5.6 million that routinely tops the world’s happiness index, where forests blanket nearly 75% of the land and lakes glint by the hundreds of thousands.

Finland — slightly smaller than the state of Montana and wedged between Sweden and Russia — has long had its security outlook shaped by geography, a position that now places it on the front line of NATO and Arctic strategy.

The trade deal signed Thursday, for 11 ships valued at roughly $6.1 billion, is the latest sign of how that alignment is taking shape. Under the deal Trump approved, three of the ships will be built by Davie in Galveston, Texas, and four by Bollinger Shipyards in Houma, Louisiana, a setup that aligns with his ‘Made in America’ credo and emphasis on creating U.S. jobs, injecting billions of dollars into the maritime industrial base.

And when it comes to icebreakers, Helsinki is firmly in its element: Finnish companies design roughly 80% of the world’s fleet.

Finland’s expertise has made it more than just a supplier. It’s turned Helsinki into a trusted player in Trump’s Arctic strategy, a region increasingly defined by military competition with Russia and China, melting sea routes and access to critical minerals.

That partnership cuts both ways. For Finland, the agreement deepens defense cooperation with the U.S. and elevates it from NATO newcomer to strategic partner, a bridge linking Washington to the fast-changing Arctic frontier.

‘We are very pleased with the fact that we have so much training going on with American soldiers right now. They are getting experience from our Arctic conditions, and we are integrating our militaries together,’ Stubb said during a meeting in the Oval Office Thursday. 

For now, Stubb’s rapport with Trump has turned the fairway into a diplomatic fast track. Whether that personal chemistry endures amid shifting politics remains to be seen, but, for Finland, the gains are already tangible. 

Stubb has learned what some other global counterparts haven’t. With Trump, a well-timed drive can travel farther than any policy memo. And, so far, that lesson is paying off for both men.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

PHOENIX ― Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally will not play in Game 4 of the 2025 WNBA Finals, the team announced Thursday.

If the Mercury can keep their title hopes alive, after falling behind three games to none to the Las Vegas Aces, it will have to be without Sabally. The Phoenix forward has been ruled out after suffering a concussion during Game 3 of the Finals on Wednesday at Mortgage Matchup Center.

Sabally went up for a layup and made contact with Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young. When she came down from her shot and grabbed a rebound, she got tangled up with Young. As Sabally went to the ground, she made contact with Aces forward Kierstan Bell’s knee. She remained on the court, and Young was called for a loose-ball foul.

The foul was reviewed for a possible upgrade, but the call was upheld. Sabally stayed down for several minutes before being helped to her feet after multiple attempts to steady herself. A nearby staff member and Mercury player eventually helped her walk to the tunnel. She did not return to play on Wednesday.

Sabally has averaged 19 points and seven rebounds in the postseason for the Mercury. DeWanna Bonner will likely start for Phoenix in Game 4 on Friday at Mortgage Market Center (8 p.m. ET, Friday). She took Sabally’s place earlier the season when she was out with an ankle injury.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The calendar has turned to October and the weather is getting colder, but the injury bug has not gone to rest for the winter.

Several stars around the NFL are dealing with injuries ahead of their respective Week 6 games: quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray, wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown, Xavier Worthy and Chris Godwin, running backs Chuba Hubbard and Bucky Irving. Several of them have already missed game time this season, while others have recently popped up on injury reports and are trying to get healthy before Sunday.

The best ability is availability. As the 2025 NFL season closes out its first third of an 18-week schedule, these seven players’ availabilities are still up in the air.

Here’s what to know, three days before Week 6’s Sunday slate:

Lamar Jackson injury update

Jackson sustained a hamstring injury in the Baltimore Ravens’ Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and missed his team’s Week 5 game against the Houston Texans.

The two-time MVP did not practice on Wednesday, and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported at the time that Jackson’s status for Week 6 was ‘very much in doubt.’ Jackson missed Thursday’s practice as well, which all but guarantees he’ll miss Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams.

Jackson did not miss a game of significance in either of the last two seasons after playing 12 games each in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The Ravens’ star quarterback has thrown for 869 yards, 10 touchdowns and one interception in his four games this season. He’s the current league leader in passer rating (130.5) and QBR (83.6).

Kyler Murray injury update

During the third quarter of last Sunday’s loss to the Tennessee Titans, Murray injured his foot after a miscommunication on a snap led to a fumble.

The Arizona Cardinals’ quarterback returned to finish out the game but has since missed practice on both Wednesday and Thursday. Rapoport said Thursday morning that Murray’s injury was not initially believed to be significant. But Murray’s absence from Thursday’s practice might suggest his status for a Sunday’ meeting with the Indianapolis Colts is in question.

Murray played in all 17 games last year after missing 15 games over the previous two seasons recovering from a torn ACL. He’s thrown for 962 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions in five games so far this year.

Amon-Ra St. Brown injury update

St. Brown popped up on the Detroit Lions’ injury report on Wednesday with a wrist issue causing him to miss practice.

Detroit’s lead wideout returned to the practice field on Thursday, meaning he’ll likely avoid missing any time.

St. Brown most recently caught eight passes for 100 yards in the Lions’ win over the Cincinnati Bengals and leads the NFL with six touchdown receptions.

Xavier Worthy injury update

Worthy has already missed two games – and the better part of a third – after tearing his labrum in a collision with Chiefs teammate and tight end Travis Kelce. Ahead of the Chiefs’ Week 5 ‘Monday Night Football’ loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the former first-round receiver was also dealing with a swollen ankle but ended up playing.

Despite practicing as a full participant on Wednesday, Worthy did not practice with the rest of the team on Thursday. His status for the Chiefs’ ‘Sunday Night Football’ game against the Lions is unclear.

Worthy has recorded 11 catches for 125 yards so far this season in two full games played.

Chris Godwin injury update

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver missed the back half of last season after sustaining a dislocated ankle in Week 7. Godwin returned to action in Week 4 of 2025 after undergoing and recovering from his surgery last year.

Tampa Bay’s veteran wideout has struggled through his two games back, posting identical lines of three catches for 26 yards in his two outings so far. Now, Godwin has popped back up on the Bucs’ injury report this week with a fibula injury ahead of Week 6.

The fibula is the smaller bone on the outside of the lower leg and makes up the ankle. Godwin’s fibula injury has kept him out of both Wednesday and Thursday practices, calling into question his status for Sunday afternoon’s clash with the San Francisco 49ers.

Chuba Hubbard injury update

The Carolina Panthers’ running back has been dealing with a calf injury since Week 4, when Hubbard was listed as a limited participant in practice on his team’s injury report.

Hubbard missed all of Week 5’s practices before the Panthers ruled him out for last Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins. He has since worked out to the side of Carolina’s practice sessions on both Wednesday and Thursday.

Given that Hubbard still hasn’t practiced in uniform three days from the Panthers’ meeting with the Dallas Cowboys, he’ll likely miss a second straight game. Rico Dowdle will remain Carolina’s lead back against his former team.

Bucky Irving injury update

Irving popped up on the Buccaneers’ injury report last week with foot and shoulder injuries. He missed every practice before the team ruled him out of their Week 5 game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Through two practices so far this week, Irving has yet to make his return. The Tampa Bay Times’ Buccaneers reporter, Rick Stroud, reported that he did not see the Bucs’ lead back at practice on Thursday after Irving was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday’s injury report.

Irving will likely miss a second game, meaning Rachaad White and Sean Tucker will continue to split carries out of Tampa Bay’s backfield.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is reportedly the front-runner to succeed Steve Kerr as the next USA Basketball men’s national team coach.
Spoelstra previously served as an assistant coach under Kerr for the men’s national team.
He is expected to lead the team for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Spoelstra was recently named the NBA’s best coach in the league’s annual GM survey.

Erik Spoelstra is likely to succeed Steve Kerr as the next USA Basketball men’s national team coach ahead of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, according to multiple reports on Thursday, Oct. 9.

ESPN, citing sources, reported the longtime Miami Heat coach is expected to be named the next Team USA head coach for this Olympic cycle. An Associated Press report labeled Spoelstra as the ‘front-runner’ for the position. He previously served as an assistant coach for the men’s national team under Kerr. He also coached the USA Select Team that trained with and against the 2020 U.S. Olympic team.

Spoelstra, 54, enters his 18th season with the Heat as the longest-tenured coach in the NBA after Gregg Popovich moved into a front office role with the San Antonio Spurs. Spoelstra is the Heat’s all-time leader in wins after beginning his career as a video coordinator in the organization.

Spoelstra’s name surfaced as the potential next USA Basketball coach on the same day he was named the NBA’s best coach in the league’s annual GM survey, generating more than half of the votes. Spoelstra was also voted the NBA’s best manager/motivator of people by the league’s general managers.

He won back-to-back NBA championships in 2012 and 2013, coaching LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, and worked as an assistant coach on the Heat’s 2006 NBA championship team as well. Spoelstra’s father, Jon, was a long-time NBA executive with the Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, Buffalo Braves and New Jersey Nets.

USA Basketball did not immediately respond to a USA TODAY Sports request seeking official confirmation or clarification on the reports of Spoelstra’s impending hiring.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Offensive play-calling duties were given to Jerry Neuheisel, a 33-year-old former player with no prior experience.
The win featured a career game from quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who transferred from Tennessee.
Jerry’s father, former UCLA coach and player Rick Neuheisel, emotionally watched his son’s success while working as a CBS analyst.

Let’s begin with the aftermath of UCLA’s stunning upset of Penn State, because in this new insular college football world of get yours, Jerry Neuheisel allowed us all to take a deep breath and just be. 

“First thing I want to say is I love UCLA more than anything,” Neuheisel said. 

And somewhere in New York City, a dad heard his son and cried again. 

For his son, for his university, for all of college football.

“Sometimes we forget how beautiful this game is,” Rick Neuheisel says.

How else can you explain UCLA interim coach Tim Skipper, asked to do the impossible in the middle of a disastrous season, deciding to give offensive play calling duties to 33-year-old Jerry Neuheisel, a former UCLA player who had never done it before? Officially, anyway. 

Because Jerry and Rick Neuheisel saw this coming decades ago, when Rick — while working a coaching career that would take him from college football to the NFL and back to college football and his alma mater, UCLA — would sit on the couch with his young son and watch games. 

Why did they call that play? What play would you call next? How are you going to set up that next play call? Don’t forget those puncture play calls.

So Jerry wasn’t exactly heading into the belly of the beast without a sword, he just hadn’t swung it. But as the college football gods so often do for us, this story had a twist. 

UCLA was the benefactor this offseason of the poster child for player greed: talented but enigmatic quarterback Nico Iamaleava. 

The same Iamaleava that wanted more NIL money from Tennessee, and held out at just the right time — the Friday before the opening of the spring transfer portal the following Monday — in a meticulously-planned effort to gain negotiating leverage. And then it backfired. 

Tennessee moved on, Iamaleava took a paycut and moved to UCLA, and suddenly became the tip of the spear for all that’s wrong with the player empowerment era of college football. He was Contagion 1.

And somehow, these two ends of the college football spectrum — one who loves his university more than anything, and one looking for the next payout — found each other in a magical moment. 

It’s just a sweet symphony, isn’t it? 

Meanwhile, back in New York City, Rick Neuheisel was doing what he always does on fall Saturdays as an analyst for CBS’ Big Ten coverage. His producer, Craig Silver, one of the great minds of the modern era of college football television, thought it would be cool to have Neuheisel break down a UCLA drive with Jerry calling plays. 

Live, while it happened. 

The next thing you know, UCLA peels off a 17-play, 75-yard drive in just over eight minutes. The damn thing had everything: an 11-yard run in a 3rd-and-10 pass situation, a sack, Iamaleava recovering his own fumble, and three plays from the Penn State-5 to finally cap the drive with a touchdown pass — a beautifully designed option route where wide receiver Titus Mokiao-Atimalals initially stumbled during the break, and then recovered to complete the score.

Piece of cake. 

Rick Neuheisel, his eyes welling, screamed with joy. For his son, for his university. 

The same university where he walked on in the early 1980s as a skinny quarterback from Tempe, Ariz., and eventually led the Bruins to a 45-9 rout of Illinois in the 1984 Rose Bowl. He threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns in that game, and he swears it doesn’t even compare to what Jerry did last weekend on the same field.

It wasn’t until the final seconds ticked away, until UCLA had pulled the unthinkable with some sharp play calling from Jerry, a career game from Iamaleava and a whole lot of guts from Skipper to set it in motion, that both Jerry and Rick could exhale. 

UCLA players lifted Jerry on their shoulders and carried him off the Rose Bowl turf, the Mecca of college football where the ghosts of the San Gabriel mountains had witnessed so much over so many years.

CBS, meanwhile, had a shot locked in on Rick in the studio, the wells in his eyes now weeping with pride, joy, and yes, a W for UCLA. 

“How can you not love college football when you have days like this?” Jerry said afterward. 

More than 30 years ago, Rick went to go see his friend and UCLA alum Troy Aikman in an NFL playoff game. Aikman’s Dallas Cowboys beat the Green Bay Packers, and Rick met up with Aikman later that night at Aikman’s house.

Rick walked in the door, and Aikman handed him a bottle of Dom Perignon. Rick asked for glasses. 

“You don’t need glasses,” Aikman said in his thick Henryetta, Okla., accent. “Knock a horn off that thing.”

Not long after UCLA’s win over Penn State last weekend, after Jerry had explained how UCLA pulled off the unthinkable and that it was now moving on to Michigan State (because that’s what coaches do), Rick called his wife, Susan, to see how the celebration was unfolding.

They celebrate all wins in the Neuheisel family because, son of a gun, every win in football is so dang hard and never gets old. And never without a bottle of Dom Perignon.

When Rick was coaching at UCLA from 2008-2011, they’d sit in the Rose Bowl parking lot after the game and celebrate with just about anyone who walked by. Last weekend, Rick’s son Jack, and wife, Susan, went to the game, but didn’t tell anyone what they were hiding.

The bottle of Dom was in the trunk, waiting for the big win. 

“What are you doing?” Rick asked Susan when he called. 

“Knocking a horn off,’ she said. 

Piece of cake.

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB. 

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Mark Sanchez will not call an NFL game for FOX this week while the analyst and former quarterback faces a felony battery charge stemming from what authorities said was a physical altercation over a parking spot last week in Indianapolis.

Sanchez was initially charged with misdemeanor battery resulting in injury, public intoxication and unlawful entry of a motor vehicle. On Monday, Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears announced a new felony charge of battery resulting in serious bodily injury, adding that the investigation regarding the incident remains ongoing.

‘Once we were provided with additional information about the victim’s current medical condition, it became clear to us that additional charges needed to be filed,’ Mears said in a news conference.

Sanchez has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The felony charge carries a potential sentence of one to six years in prison.

A police affidavit obtained by USA TODAY Sports alleges that Sanchez, 38, confronted a 69-year-old man who had parked his work truck in the loading dock of a downtown Indianapolis hotel. The truck driver, who told police he feared for his life, pepper-sprayed Sanchez and then stabbed him multiple times, police said.

Sanchez was hospitalized and arrested later the same day. Mears said the truck driver sustained ‘very severe injuries’ in the altercation.

On Monday, Perry Tole – the alleged victim – filed a civil lawsuit in Marion Superior Court against both Sanchez and FOX Corp. He alleged that he suffered ‘suffered severe permanent disfigurement’ as a result of the incident, including damage to his head, jaw and neck.

Sanchez had been in Indianapolis to call Sunday’s Las Vegas Raiders at Indianapolis Colts matchup. He was subsequently replaced by Brady Quinn.

‘This has been a deeply distressing time for everyone involved,’ Sanchez’s brother, Nick Sanchez Jr., wrote in a statement. ‘Mark and our family are incredibly grateful for the concern, love, and support we’ve received over the past few days. Mark remains under medical care for the serious injuries he sustained and is focused on his recovery as the legal process continues. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the first responders and medical staff.’

Both Curt Menefee and Charissa Thompson addressed the incident during FOX’s Sunday pregame coverage with identical statements.

‘Friday night in Indianapolis, one of our team members, Mark Sanchez, was involved in an incident that, to be honest, we’re all trying to wrap our heads around,’ each said. ‘At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with Mark, his family, and all those involved.’

Sanchez played for five teams across a 10-year NFL career, which he began by leading the New York Jets to consecutive AFC championship game appearances. He began working as a FOX Sports game analyst in 2021.

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