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Man United loses again in worst run at this stage since 1930

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:25:25 GMT

Yet another defeat handed Manchester United its worst losing run at this point in England’s top-flight since 1930 on Saturday.A 2-0 loss at West Ham on Saturday was United’s eighth in the Premier League and 13th in all competitions.Goals from Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus in the 72nd and 78th minutes at London Stadium propelled West Ham while United’s run without a goal was extended to four games. “That’s not good enough for our standards,” underfire manager Erik Ten Hag said. Ten Hag has faced speculation about his position for weeks, and former Chelsea manager Graham Potter is reportedly a contender to replace him if he is fired. Ten Hag said recently he has the backing of the club hierarchy but that will surely diminish if the losses keep mounting.United won the League Cup and qualified for the Champions League in Ten Hag’s first year in charge, but he has struggled to build on that success this term. His team was eliminated from the Champions Leag...

Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence clears NFL concussion protocol and is expected to start vs the Bucs

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:25:25 GMT

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol Saturday and will travel with the team to Tampa Bay.Lawrence is expected to start against the Buccaneers (7-7) on Sunday, a huge boost for the Jaguars (8-6) as they try to end a three-game losing streak and stay atop the AFC South.Lawrence practiced Friday for the first time all week and was later cleared by team doctors and the league’s independent neurological consultant.The Jaguars believe Lawrence sustained a head injury while scrambling up the middle on the team’s final drive in a 23-7 loss to Baltimore last weekend. He misfired on seven of his final eight passes after the hit, a stretch that raised concerns on the sideline about his health. Lawrence reported symptoms after the game.There has been precedent for guys to play a week after entering the league’s concussion protocol, with San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy, Cleveland receiver Amari Cooper and New Orleans receiver Ch...

About 300 Indian travelers are stuck in a French airport in a human trafficking probe

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:25:25 GMT

VATRY, France (AP) — About 300 Indian citizens heading to Central America were sequestered in a French airport for a third day Saturday after a dramatic police operation prompted by a tip that those aboard might be victims of human trafficking, authorities said.Those aboard included children and families. The youngest passenger is a toddler of 21 months, and among the children are several unaccompanied minors, according to the local civil protection agency.Two of the passengers have been detained as part of a special investigation into suspected human trafficking by an organized criminal group, according the Paris prosecutor’s office. Prosecutors wouldn’t comment on what kind of trafficking was alleged, or whether the ultimate destination was the U.S., which has seen a surge in Indians crossing the Mexico-U.S. border this year.French authorities hung white tarps across the soaring bay windows of the small Vatry Airport in Champagne country to ensure privacy for the passengers ...

Solanke hat trick edges Bournemouth to win at 10-man Nottingham Forest

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:25:25 GMT

NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — Dominic Solanke grabbed a hat trick for Bournemouth to win at Nottingham Forest 3-2 and ruin Nuno Espirito Santo’s first game in charge at the City Ground in the English Premier League on Saturday.Forest looked like overcoming the controversial first-half red card to Willy Boly to earn a worthy point after Chris Wood headed them level in the 74th minute.But Solanke, who scored twice in seven minutes to overturn Anthony Elanga’s opener for Forest, broke their hearts when he headed home in the fifth minute of time added on.Forest will have grave complaints about the 23rd-minute dismissal of Boly, who was sent off for two yellow cards. Referee Rob Jones showed the second despite the defender clearly winning the ball.Nuno replaced the sacked Steve Cooper this week and will be enthused by what he saw from his side, but he has inherited a relegation battle and Forest could be in the bottom three if results do not go in their favor in the Boxing Day f...

Burnley beats Fulham in first EPL game handled by a female referee

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:25:25 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Burnley scored long-range goals through Wilson Odobert and Sander Berge to beat Fulham 2-0 in the first English Premier League game to be handled by a female referee on Saturday.Rebecca Welch was the match official for the game at Craven Cottage in a landmark moment for the competition, and she made her first big intervention when brandishing a yellow card to Calvin Bassey late in the first half after the defender struck Josh Brownhill with his hand.Burnley, which earned its third win, took the lead in the 47th minute after neat build-up play saw the ball arrive at the feet of Odobert. He took a touch and curled a shot into the top right corner of the net.Berge made it 2-0 after 66 minutes when he retrieved the ball on the halfway line and drove to the edge of Fulham’s box where he rifled his strike past Bernd Leno.Next-to-last Burnley stayed in the relegation zone but moved to within three points of safety.It was mid-table Fulham’s second straight league loss, w...

10-man Atletico edges Sevilla to end mini-slump in Spanish league before winter break

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:25:25 GMT

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Ten-man Atletico Madrid edged Sevilla 1-0 at home on Saturday to ensure it entered the Spanish league winter break still in touch with the front-runners.The game in Spain’s capital was originally scheduled for September but was postponed due to a forecast for bad weather.Halftime substitute Marcos Llorente made an immediate impact by scoring just a minute after the restart. Atletico then defended with poise while playing a man down for the final 20 minutes after substitute Caglar Soyuncu received a direct red card in the 70th.“When you come off the bench you always try to give your team something extra,” Llorente said. “We only had winning on our minds. Now it is time to disconnect and then we are right back at it.”Real Madrid and surprise package Girona are at the top of the standings with a seven-point lead over Atletico and Barcelona one round before the competition reaches its halfway point.Atletico had been in a bit of a slump after winning just one of i...

Luton beats Newcastle a week after captain suffered cardiac arrest on the field

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:25:25 GMT

LUTON, England (AP) — Andros Townsend dedicated his winning goal to captain Tom Lockyer after Luton beat Newcastle 1-0 in the English Premier League on Saturday. A week after Lockyer suffered cardiac arrest on the field in a league game, which was abandoned, Luton picked up three valuable points in the fight to avoid relegation.Townsend scored in the 25th minute at Kenilworth Road — converting Ross Barkley’s flick on from a corner — to secure a third win for his club and move it to within two points of safety. Lockyer has had a defibrillator fitted after collapsing on the field and has left hospital to rehabilitate at home.After his goal, Townsend ran to the sideline and was handed a jersey with “Lockyer No. 4” on the back. He raised it in the air in celebration with the home fans, who also applauded their captain in the fourth minute.Luton also laid out Lockyer’s kit in the locker room ahead of kickoff. Newcastle fans paid their own tribute by unfurling a banner that re...

2022 Luxury Tax Payrolls

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:25:25 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Final 2023 payrolls for the 30 major league teams for purposes of the luxury tax, as defined by baseball’s collective bargaining agreement and sent to clubs by the commissioner’s office.Figures are for 40-man rosters and include the average annual values of contracts and $17,090,029 per club for benefits and extended benefits, which include items such as health and pension benefits; club medical costs; insurance; workman’s compensation, payroll, unemployment and Social Security taxes; spring training allowances; meal and tip money; All-Star game expenses; travel and moving expenses; postseason pay; and college scholarships. Also included is $1,666,667 per team for the pre-arbitration bonus pool.Salaries include earned incentive bonuses, non-cash compensation, buyouts of unexercised options and cash transactions. In some cases, parts of salaries that are deferred are discounted to reflect present-day values.The luxury tax is assessed starting on the ...

20RBtax23,h23 Baseball Luxury Tax

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:25:25 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball’s luxury tax assessments for the 2023 season, as compiled by the commissioner’s office and obtained by The Associated Press. Payments are due by Jan. 21:New York Mets$100,781,932San Diego39,693,954New York Yankees32,399,366Los Angeles Dodgers19,423,297Philadelphia6,977,345Toronto5,535,492Atlanta3,159,536Texas1,827,142Total209,798,065Source

Column: Jaylon Johnson bet on himself — and it paid off. The cornerback is due a big contract, but will it be with the Chicago Bears?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:25:25 GMT

Credit Jaylon Johnson for acknowledging the elephant in the room — and finding a way to use it as motivation from the beginning.Johnson is the rare NFL player who will emerge a big winner for betting on himself and playing out his contract. He’s not alone, but in an era when teams are motivated to give early extensions with the idea of saving a little money and players love to cash in as soon as possible, Johnson is three games from completing the four-year, $6.46 million contract he signed after being drafted in the second round in 2020.What’s next for Johnson? He likely will sign a contract that makes him one of the higher-paid cornerbacks in the league, and despite some interesting twists in the road — ones that easily could have created acrimony from both sides — it appears the Bears are motivated to get something done.A few Bears players over the years have played out their deals and wound up being rewarded — but not a lot. Linebacker Lance B...