Len Dawson, one of the American Football League's most renowned players who quarterbacked the Kansas City Chiefs to their first Super Bowl title, died Wednesday at the age of 87.
Dawson's family announced his death in a statement released through Kansas City television station KMBC. No cause of death was given, though the Pro Football Hall of Famer was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1991 and had entered hospice care earlier this month.
"With wife Linda at his side, it is with much sadness that we inform you of the passing of our beloved Len Dawson," the statement read. "He was a wonderful husband, father, brother and friend. Len was always grateful and many times overwhelmed by the countless bonds he made during his football and broadcast careers."
Following an unsuccessful five-year stint in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns, Dawson jumped to the upstart AFL with the Dallas Texans in 1962 and found immediate success when reunited with head coach Hank Stram, a former assistant during the quarterback's collegiate career at Purdue.
The Texans won the first of the franchise's three league titles in Dawson's debut season and he was named the AFL's MVP after leading the league in touchdown passes (29) and yards per pass attempt (8.9).
Dawson led the Chiefs to two more AFL titles in 1966 and 1969 following the franchise's move from Dallas to Kansas City, and that latter season would be capped by a 23-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV in which he was named the game’s MVP.
With the AFL merging with the NFL the following season, Dawson finished as the league's all-time leader in passing touchdowns (182) and ranked fourth in passing yards (18,899). He led the AFL in passer rating six times, topped the league in touchdown passes four times and was selected to the AFL's All-Time team.
Dawson remained with the Chiefs until his retirement in 1975 and still holds franchise records for passing yards (28,507), touchdown passes (237) and games started by a quarterback (157). The Ohio native was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1987.
"Len grew up only a few miles from where the Pro Football Hall of Fame later was built, and fans in the area have always taken a special pride in seeing one of the greats from this region enshrined in Canton," Pro Football Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said in a statement. "Fans connected with Len's story of perseverance, appreciating how he gave the game one more try after five nondescript seasons when many others would have quit.
"The American Football League, and Hall of Fame coach Hank Stram, gave Len a true opportunity, and he made the most of it, building the Chiefs into a Super Bowl contender, and eventually a world champion."
Dawson remained ingrained in the Kansas City community after his retirement and gained further notoriety as a broadcaster, serving as the co-host of HBO’s 'Inside the NFL' programme from 1977-2001 and working as an analyst on AFC games for NBC from 1977-82. He provided color analysis for the Chiefs' radio broadcasts from 1985-2017 and was KMBC-TV's sports director – a role he began while still a player in 1966 – until stepping down on a full-time basis in 2009.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame later inducted Dawson as a broadcaster in 2012.
"My family and I are heartbroken," Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said in a statement. "Len Dawson is synonymous with the Kansas City Chiefs. Len embraced and came to embody Kansas City and the people that call it home. You would be hard-pressed to find a player who had a bigger impact in shaping the organisation as we know it today than Len Dawson did."
Dawson was born in Alliance, Ohio on June 20, 1935 as the ninth of 11 children and starred locally in high school before embarking on a standout collegiate career at Purdue, where he led the nation in passing efficiency as a sophomore in 1954 and guided the Boilermakers to No. 1 Notre Dame that season.
The Steelers selected Dawson with the fifth overall pick of the 1957 NFL draft, though he never broke through as a starter in three seasons with Pittsburgh and had similar results with the Browns after being traded following the 1959 campaign.
Dawson is survived by his second wife, Linda, and two children from his previous marriage. He was married to his first wife, Jackie, from 1954 until her death in 1978
Emma Raducanu is making a "natural transition" to the WTA Tour, says former British number one Laura Robson.
Raducanu became a grand slam winner in just her second major appearance when she defeated fellow teenager Leylah Fernandez in last year's US Open final, and the first qualifier to win the women's singles at Flushing Meadows.
Since then, the 19-year-old has cracked the top 10 of the WTA Rankings, but has otherwise endured a mixed run of form, with a last-16 exit in the Western and Southern Open her latest result ahead of a return to New York, while she has also changed coaches in a season that has so far failed to produce a trophy.
But Robson thinks they are mere teething troubles for Raducanu, arguing that her difficulties have been blown out of proportion.
"I wouldn't say she struggled," Robson told Stats Perform. "I think she's making it a natural transition to the main tour.
"Emma came through so quickly, then struggling to catch up to the day-to-day life of being a professional tennis player, which is a lot of time away from home, a lot of training weeks, a lot of travel.
"She hasn't been able to put that time in. I thought she played great last week in Washington, and unfortunately, had a very tough draw against Camila Georgi in the first round last night.
"But I think she's playing some great tennis. So, I feel when she's back on the courts at US Open, they really suit her and hopefully some positive vibes will help as well."
Robson, a former Junior Wimbledon champion in 2008, won the WTA Newcomer of the Year prize in 2012 after claiming a silver medal alongside Andy Murray in the mixed doubles at London 2012, but ultimately struggled with a succession of injuries before her retirement this year.
She is loathe to draw parallels between her own experiences and those of Raducanu but hopes time can be afforded to the youngster.
"I mean, I wouldn't even compare my situation to hers, because Emma came through so quickly that it feels like she's only just catching her breath," she added.
"She just needs time to manage her own expectations. I hope she's not even thinking about anyone else's expectations because they really don't matter in the grand scheme of things.
"I think she just needs a good amount of training work, which I know she has been doing anyway. And the results will come because they think she's an incredible ball striker and a great athlete as well."
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England manager Gareth Southgate is not jumping to early conclusions regarding the form of his England players in the opening weeks of the season.
The start of the Premier League campaign has thrown up numerous surprises, with Manchester United losing back-to-back matches against Brentford and Brighton and Hove Albion, while Liverpool remain without a win after three matches.
In Monday's clash between the two giants, which United won 2-1, Erik ten Hag dropped England regulars Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw from his starting XI, with both now facing a fight to get back into the team.
Jack Grealish, Kalvin Phillips and John Stones have managed just two Premier League starts between them over the first three weeks of the season at Manchester City, but Southgate insists it is too early to become concerned.
"At this time of year, the Premier League table doesn't settle down for a few weeks and you've still got the transfer window open, which causes so much chaos in every club," he told Sky Sports.
"Things have to settle but we're perhaps fortunate as the international window normally falls in about a week, but we've been given more time.
"It's nice to have a few more weeks to see how things map out and see where players are physically and fitness-wise.
"There have been some unexpected results, but I think at this time of year that can happen. Things will take on a more familiar look once we get into two games a week across multiple competitions."
The mid-season date for the World Cup adds a unique flavour to this year's tournament, with the England squad convening just one week before the campaign in Qatar kicks-off, leaving no time for pre-tournament friendlies.
England face decisive tests against Germany and Italy in the Nations League next month, with relegation a real threat following a winless start to a campaign that has included a 4-0 home defeat to Hungary.
With just two matches to play and plenty at stake, introducing new players to Southgate's squad is by no means an easy task.
But he hinted he could look at club form more closely ahead of the World Cup.
"Everyone always says that you need to be clear on your best team, but you've always got to leave space and opportunity for people who are playing well," said Southgate.
"You know you're going to lose players from the squad in the next few months. It's already happened with some of the countries, so whatever the idea is in your head of who your best players are – which we have – that's going to fluctuate and you've got to adapt.
"Possibly in this World Cup more than any other, that ability to adapt and to operate quickly to make the right decisions is more important than ever."
England begin their World Cup campaign against Iran on November 21, before also tackling the United States and Wales in Group B.
McLaren have announced that Daniel Ricciardo will be leaving the team at the end of the 2022 season, freeing up a spot for Oscar Piastri.
The Australian was contracted with McLaren until the end of the 2023 season but, amid disappointing results, that agreement has been cut short and Ricciardo's final race for the team will be in Abu Dhabi later this year.
Ricciardo's frustrating spell at McLaren will be a disappointment for all parties and comes following an equally frustrating stint at Renault, where he moved after his time with Red Bull.
It remains to be seen whether Ricciardo will continue in Formula One, with the 33-year-old stating he will announce his next move in due course.
"Regardless of what this next chapter brings, I have no regrets and am proud of the effort and work I gave McLaren, especially the win in Monza, last season," he said.
"I've enjoyed working with everyone at McLaren both trackside and back in Woking [at the factory] and will be giving my all on and off track as we enjoy the remainder of the season together.
"I've never been more motivated to compete and be a part of a sport that I love so much and look forward to what comes next."
Ricciardo has been consistently outperformed by team-mate Lando Norris this season and his position was clearly under threat, with McLaren widely reported to have an agreement in place with Piastri.
The battle for Piastri has seen McLaren tussle with Alpine, who announced during the season break that he would drive for the team in 2023, though that was later denied on social media by the driver himself.
While an agreement between the teams will have to be reached, it is expected Piastri will indeed wear the orange of McLaren as he has no desire to race for Alpine, who have also lost Fernando Alonso for next season.
Ben Stokes has praised Matthew Potts for his maturity after he was dropped for England's second Test against South Africa at Old Trafford.
Potts struggled for rhythm during a heavy opening defeat at Lord's, the first Test loss of the Brendon McCullum era and since Stokes took the captaincy permanently from Joe Root.
That has seen the bowler pay the price, with Ollie Robinson called up in his place, but Stokes nevertheless believes Potts remains a key member of the wider England cohort.
"It's very tough for Matty to miss out, but what he's done in the five games that he's played is he's taken himself from a county cricketer with a lot of promise and really announced himself on the big stage," Stokes told reporters.
"We've got to give him a lot of credit, to handle the decision so professionally at such a young age is a real indication of where we're at at the moment as a team.
"The selection was based around what we thought was the best bowling attack to suit this particular ground and he completely understood that."
Robinson has not played for England since the end of the Ashes tour in January, with a combination of fitness issues keeping him out of the fold.
But an impressive showing for the England Lions earlier this month has seen him recalled, with Stokes hopeful the paceman will complicate matters for South Africa's batters.
"When you look at what Ollie possesses as a bowler, one of his real key assets is how much extra bounce he gets compared to other bowlers in our squad," Stokes said.
"We think here at Old Trafford, with it being a slightly quicker wicket than other grounds we play at, it obviously offers a lot more bounce. We obviously pick the team we think is going to enable us to win the Test."
Having brushed aside New Zealand as part of the 'Bazball' approach, defeat against South Africa brought England back down with a bumpy landing.
"What we have learned from ourselves is that you can't always go out there and perform how you want to perform," Stokes explained.
"The address after the game was, 'look, lads, you have obviously not performed anywhere near the capabilities we want to and we know we can, but it's not something that we are going to take backward steps from'.
"South Africa were better than us in that Test, that's fine, that's sport. Sport is set up for someone to be a winner and someone to be a loser. We are focussing on this game and the next and want to win the series 2-1."
Fortress Old Trafford needed for England
The hosts will be looking to avoid back-to-back defeats in men's Tests at home for the first time since August 2008, following their innings and 12-run defeat to the Proteas.
England will take heart from their strong Old Trafford record against the tourists, having lost only one of their nine men's Tests against them at Old Trafford, way back in July 1955.
Elgar eyes milestone
South Africa captain Dean Elgar needs just 89 runs to become the eighth player to hit the 5,000 mark in men's Test cricket for South Africa.
He might just get them too, with his Test batting strike rate in England (51.8) his second-best in any country (60.7 in Pakistan).
Wolves head coach Bruno Lage is not aware that Arsenal have lodged a bid Pedro Neto.
The Gunners are said to be in the market for a new forward ahead of the transfer deadline next week, with Neto reportedly lined up as a target to replace Nicolas Pepe – said to be closing in on a loan move to Nice.
Lage is not surprised the London club may want Neto, but has not been told there is an offer on the table.
"I have heard that but nothing has come to us," Lage said.
"It's normal now, with the good players that we have. Teams are looking for good players in the same way we are looking for [Goncalo] Guedes, Matheus [Nunes], [Nathan] Collins. No one told me anything about any proposal."
Neto signed a five-year contract with Wolves in March, but Arsenal are said to be have held talks over a transfer with agent Jorge Mendes, who represents Neto and has close ties to Wolves.
Three-time grand slam champion Angelique Kerber has announced she is pregnant and will miss the US Open as "two against one just isn't a fair competition."
The former world number one on Wednesday revealed she will not be around on the WTA Tour "for a while", as she is expecting her first child.
Kerber, 34, says she is "nervous and excited" by the "new path" she is heading in.
The German posted on Instagram: "I really wanted to play the @usopen but eventually I decided that two against one just isn't a fair competition.
"For the next months, I will take a break from traveling the globe as a tennis player but then again, I believe it’s for the best possible reason! I will miss all of you.
"New York has often been a turning point in my career and it feels like this year will be no different in some way! From restarting my career in 2011 to winning the title in 2016 and becoming #1 in the world… the @usopen have a special place in my heart and I wish I could have said goodbye to all of you on court before not being around on tour for a while.
"Being a professional athlete means everything to me but I'm grateful for the new path I'm heading to. To be honest, I'm nervous and excited at the same time. Thanks for your continued support - it means everything to me "
Kerber's announcement came just five days before the US Open gets under way at Flushing Meadows.
The left-hander was crowned champion in New York six years ago after also winning the Australian Open in 2016 and she went on to take the Wimbledon title in 2018.
Ollie Robinson has been recalled to the England side for the second Test against South Africa at the expense of Matthew Potts.
Robinson has not played for his country since the Ashes Test in Hobart in January, but he will back in the team at Old Trafford on Thursday.
The seamer has been sidelined by a back injury, while he also had to contend with a dental problem and COVID-19.
Robinson sent a message to the selectors by taking five wickets in the England Lions' hammering of South Africa in a tour match at Canterbury this month and he has got the nod over Potts in Manchester.
That is the only change to the team that was thrashed by an innings and 12 runs in the first Test at Lord's last week.
Struggling opening batter Zak Crawley will get another chance at the top of the order against a hostile Proteas attack.
England team:
Zak Crawley , Alex Lees, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (captain), Ben Foakes, Stuart Broad, Jack Leach, Ollie Robinson, James Anderson.
Tyson Fury has set a one-week deadline for "suitors" to "come up with the money" to fight him.
Fury claimed before and after retaining his WBC world heavyweight title by stopping Dillian Whyte at Wembley in April that the all-British fight would be the last of his career.
Yet talked has turned to a unification bout between the 34-year-old and WBA, IBF and WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk following the Ukrainian's second victory over Anthony Joshua on Saturday.
Usyk's promoter Alex Krassyuk said a fight with Fury is "in the making", while Fury's co-promoters Frank Warren and Bob Arum are also confident of doing a deal.
Fury on Wednesday urged the interested parties to put their money where their mouth is.
He posted on Instagram and Twitter: "Hi guys, for all these suitors out there that want to make the fight, I’m gonna give you all seven days, until the first of September, to come up with the money. If not, thank you vey much, it's been a blast, I'm retired."
Fury added in another video: "And also guys, forgot to say, all of them offers submitted, must be to my lawyer Robert Davies, in writing, with proof of funds. So let the games begin. Boom!"
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman this week said Fury has until Friday to make it clear whether he intends to fight again.
Fury stated in June that he would want £500million to come out of retirement.
Mercedes driver George Russell has claimed there is "no doubt" that Ferrari and Red Bull "pushed the regulations" during the first half of the Formula One season.
The British driver has seen Mercedes unable to compete with their rivals in the opening months of his stint with the team, having moved from Williams, but the German manufacturers hope for improvement when the season resumes this week.
A new technical directive has been put in place, starting on Sunday in Spa, aimed to crack down on porpoising – with Mercedes among those to have struggled with bouncing throughout the season.
Russell believes that the change could prove to be beneficial to Mercedes and the rest of the pack in the bid to close down on the front two teams, but warned there are no guarantees.
"Spa is going to be interesting. There's changes to some little regulations, which may bring other teams towards us," he told Sky Sports.
"There is no doubt that Ferrari and Red Bull have pushed the regulations in that regard, and we've respected it as the regulation was intended.
"There's no guarantees it will bring them closer to us. Every car is different, but it's not going to help them that's for sure."
Russell currently sits fourth in the driver standings, 100 points behind leader Max Verstappen, while Mercedes are third out of the constructors.
We back. pic.twitter.com/4b9QRyBDTg
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) August 23, 2022
Fernando Tatis Jr. knows "there's no excuses" for a failed drugs that have seen the San Diego Padres shortstop's dreams turn into his "worst nightmares".
Tatis was this month given an 80-game suspension after testing positive for the performance-enhancing substance Clostebol.
The 23-year-old said he tested positive due to taking a skin medication that contained the steroid.
Tatis' ban ensured he will not play in the majors this season and he will also miss the first 32 games of the next campaign.
An All-Star last season after hitting .282 with an NL-leading 42 home runs and 97 RBIs, Tatis has decided to undergo shoulder surgery while serving a ban that he knows he can have no complaints over.
"There's no excuses," Tatis told reporters. "There's no excuses. I need to do a way better job on what is going inside my body. There's no excuse for these actions."
He added: "I have seen how my dreams have turned into my worst nightmares.
"There's no other one to blame than myself. I haven't made the right decisions these past few weeks, month, even starting at the beginning of the year.
"I have made a mistake, and I regret every single step I have taken in these days. But there's a long way going forward. There's a very long way going forward.
"I'm gonna remember how this feels, and I'm gonna make myself not ever be in this position ever again. I know I have a lot of love that I have to gain back. I have a lot of work to do."
Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller says Tatis deserves a chance to make amends.
"Every relationship worth having – there's gonna be some great moments, there's gonna be some challenging moments," Preller said.
"I've talked to Fernando a lot about mistakes. We all make mistakes. I've made plenty of mistakes here as the general manager of this team, as I'm sure Padres fans will let me know from time to time.
"But the key is how you learn from those mistakes, how you grow from those mistakes, what you do going forward."
Tom Brady could have ended up joining the Las Vegas Raiders, but their quarterback Derek Carr is not focusing on what might have been.
UFC president Dana White claimed last weekend he had previously set up a deal for Brady and Rob Gronkowski to join the Raiders, who made the move from Oakland to Las Vegas in 2020.
White claimed he had worked on a deal for Brady to head to the Raiders, rather than join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, after the veteran left the New England Patriots.
In an appearance on the UFC With the Gronks broadcast on ESPN, White said: "I worked to put that deal together for Brady and Gronk to come to the Raiders. It was almost a done deal. And at the last minute, [Jon] Gruden blew the deal up and said that he didn't want him and all hell broke loose, man. It was crazy.
"And Brady was already looking at houses. It wasn't said yet that Gronk was going to be coming. So Las Vegas would have had Brady and Gronk the year that the Bucs won the Super Bowl except Gruden blew the deal up."
A move for Brady might have signalled the end of the road with the team for Carr, who was drafted by the Raiders in 2014 and has been their starting quarterback since.
Carr, though, is paying little attention to what could have happened, and is instead focused on the here and now.
"It was a moment to put things in perspective," the 31-year-old told reporters. "It really doesn't matter.
"At the end of the day, anything I say will just be blasted out there so I'm just going to completely remove myself and just keep trying to play football. It's been nice just answering football questions.
"Hopefully, no more drama in the city."
Carr signed a three-year contract extension with the Raiders in April, a deal that includes a no-trade clause.
Wesley Fofana is training with Leicester City's under-23 team as Chelsea continue with their attempts to sign the centre-back.
Brendan Rodgers confirmed on Tuesday, after the Foxes' penalty shoot-out win over Stockport County in the EFL Cup, that Leicester had turned down another bid from Chelsea for Fofana.
The defender missed Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Southampton, with Rodgers saying he was not in the right frame of mind to play and the Leicester boss revealed the 21-year-old had also failed to report for training one day last week.
Fofana is now training away from the first team with Leicester's young players.
"There was an offer gone in and it's been rejected," Rodgers said in a press conference, with reports claiming Chelsea's latest offer was worth around £70million.
"Apart from that, I'm not 100 per cent on the other details, because we were focusing on the game [against Stockport].
"He's training with the under-23s so he can get his football fitness and keep working. It's so important at this stage to control any sort of distractions that may be there.
"He's a good kid, it's just been a really challenging situation for him. I've had it a number of times in my career where there's players who can deal with it, cope with it, get on, want to help their team-mates. There's others that just can’t deal with the distraction.
"Of course that distracts them and it's not quite right, and they miss a training session, then you need the full commitment from your players. These guys get well paid. The very least you can do is turn up. And if you don't, with all due respect, you can’t then just think you can walk into our group."
Rodgers is now hoping for a swift resolution either way, with the transfer window closing next week.
"Of course if it happens, the sooner the better, because it might allow us to do some work," said Rodgers, whose side have only brought in goalkeeper Alex Smithies on a free transfer so far during this window.
Chelsea are also hopeful of signing Everton's Anthony Gordon, with reports on Tuesday suggesting the Blues would be willing to pay up to £60m for the winger.
Everton manager Frank Lampard told Sky Sports that "ideally" a swift resolution would be found, though reiterated his stance on Gordon remaining a key player.
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