Tua Tagovailoa and Tom Brady shared the same field on Wednesday for the first time since the NFL punished the Dolphins for tampering with the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback.
They are bound to be linked for much longer.
Tagovailoa was asked for his reaction to the Dolphins’ interest in Brady that resulted in Miami being disciplined by the league.
"Yeah, I mean, I’m still here," he said. "To me, that’s all noise at this point."
Wednesday was the first of two joint practices between the Dolphins and Buccaneers before the teams meet in the preseason opener Saturday at Raymond James Stadium.
Just over a week ago, the NFL suspended Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and fined him $1.5 million for tampering with Brady and former New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton following a six-month investigation stemming from Brian Flores' racial discrimination lawsuit against the league.
The investigation found that the Dolphins had impermissible contact with Brady and his and Payton’s agent, Don Yee. The Dolphins will forfeit a first-round selection in the 2023 NFL draft and a third-round selection in the 2024 draft. Ross is suspended through Oct. 17.
Tagovailoa was more succinct on Wednesday after giving a longer reaction in last week's media session about his team’s interest in another quarterback.
"I would say the only thing that gets frustrating is if you hear it every day or if you see it every day," he said.
"For me, I eliminate all of that. Don’t hear it. Don’t see it. I go home, go to my family, study, wake up the next day, come back and enjoy football.
"I hear everything obviously from the media and then when [the communications staff] preps me for whatever you guys are going to say, then I’m like 'Ah, I’ve got to answer this. All right, let me figure out something politically correct to say'."
Brady has yet to speak on the Dolphins’ interest and punishment and did not speak to reporters on Wednesday.
First-year Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel did speak to the media on the subject.
"For me, nothing happened," he said. "Everyone else is the one making it awkward. It doesn’t occupy a single iota of space with anybody.
"It’s hard enough to be good in this league. As the Miami Dolphins, all of our energy is very coordinated and only has to do with us getting better and everything else would be an opportunity cost that we’re not willing to expend."
The Dolphins and Buccaneers are not scheduled to play in the regular season.
The day after declaring her impending retirement, Serena Williams was full of emotion and admitted it had been a "pretty interesting 24 hours" for her.
Williams revealed on Tuesday in an article in Vogue that "the countdown has begun" for her retirement with this month's US Open set to be the 23-time major winner's last tournament.
The 40-year-old was knocked out of the Canadian Open on Wednesday by Belinda Bencic 6-2 6-4 and spoke after the match for the first time publicly since declaring her intention to retire.
"It was a lot of emotions obviously," Williams said during the on-court post-match interview.
"I've loved playing here [Toronto], I've always loved playing here. I wish I could have played better but Belinda played so well today.
"It's been a pretty interesting 24 hours."
Williams, who won the first of her 23 Grand Slam titles way back in 1999 at the US Open, was emotional about the reception from fans to her announcement.
"It's just been so memorable," Williams said.
"Like I said in my article, I'm terrible at goodbyes. But goodbye, Toronto."
Williams has already been named on the entry list for the US Open, which starts at Flushing Meadows at the end of August.
The former world number one had claimed her first WTA singles win in 430 days on Monday when she defeated Nuria Parrizas-Diaz in preparation for her US Open farewell.
Long-time Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila was dismissed on Wednesday with his side sitting last in the American League (AL) Central division.
Avila has been involved with the Tigers since 2002, being elevated to general manager in 2015 while also working as executive vice president of baseball operations.
The 64-year-old's dismissal comes with the Tigers holding a 43-68 record with a minus-122 run differential, having come into 2022 with increased expectations.
Detroit's long rebuild was declared over in pre-season, having missed the playoffs for seven straight games.
"I think heading into the season, all of us at the ballclub -- that would include the players, front office and I think many of you, if not all of you - had high expectations and excitement for the season," Tigers chairman and CEO Christopher Ilitch said in a press conference.
"Unfortunately, we did not see progress this season at the Major League level, and it's a big reason why I decided it's time to make a change."
The Tigers had finished in last place in the AL Central four times under Avila, who was the only general manager of Latin American descent in the MLB.
Ilitch added: "At this point in time, enough of the season has occurred and we’ve played enough games to where I feel as though we just have not seen progress this year.
"And I’ve been very clear year in and year out, we need to make progress each and every year. If we do that, ultimately, we will accomplish our objectives. That’s what led me to the decision."
Newcastle United will travel to League Two side Tranmere Rovers in the second round of the EFL Cup.
The Magpies, who are one of the richest clubs in the world, will travel to Prenton Park later this month after Micky Mellon's men beat Accrington Stanley on penalties in the first round on Tuesday.
Frank Lampard's Everton travel to League One outfit Fleetwood Town, while Leeds United host Barnsley at Elland Road.
Aston Villa travel to Bolton Wanderers, Brighton and Hove Albion visit Forest Green Rovers, and Fulham are on the road to Crawley Town.
All fixtures will take place during the week commencing August 22, with the seven Premier League sides in European competition set to join in round three.
EFL Cup second-round draw in full:
Northern Section
Bolton Wanderers v Aston Villa
Derby County v West Brom/Sheffield United
Wolves v Preston North End
Leeds United v Barnsley
Fleetwood Town v Everton
Sheffield Wednesday v Rochdale
Tranmere Rovers v Newcastle United
Rotherham United v Morecambe
Barrow v Lincoln City
Stockport County v Leicester City
Bradford City v Blackburn Rovers
Grimsby Town v Nottingham Forest
Shrewsbury Town v Burnley
Southern Section
Stevenage v Peterborough United
Norwich City v Bournemouth
Newport County v Portsmouth
Oxford United v Crystal Palace
Watford v MK Dons
Colchester United v Brentford
Wycombe Wanderers v Bristol City
Walsall v Charlton Athletic
Crawley Town v Fulham
Cambridge United v Southampton
Gillingham v Exeter
Forest Green Rovers v Brighton and Hove Albion
While his regular-season debut as a Cleveland Brown will not come until at least October, Deshaun Watson's first game with his new team is now just days away.
The Browns announced Wednesday that Watson will start Friday's preseason opener against the Jaguars in Jacksonville, though it is unclear how much the embattled quarterback will play in his first appearance since being acquired from the Houston Texans in March.
Watson is facing a suspension of at least six games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy but is eligible to play in the preseason. The three-time Pro Bowler had been facing 24 civil lawsuits filed by female message therapists alleging sexual misconduct between 2020 and 2021 during his time with the Texans.
He was not charged by two grand juries and has strenuously denied any wrongdoing. Watson settled 20 of the lawsuits in June, with a further three settlements reported at the start of August ahead of the verdict of his NFL hearing.
The NFL announced last week it will appeal arbiter Judge Sue L. Robinson's ruling in hopes of extending the ban. The league was seeking a minimum one-year suspension as well as a fine of at least $5million.
"We decided it was the right thing to do," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday at the league's owners meetings in Bloomington, Minnesota.
"We've seen the evidence. [Judge Robinson] was very clear about the evidence. She reinforced the evidence, that there was multiple violations here and they were egregious, and it was predatory behavior. Those are things that we always felt were important for us to address in a way that's responsible."
The Browns signed Watson to a five-year, $230m fully guaranteed extension following the trade and structured the deal so he would face lesser financial penalties in the event of a suspension. He is due a base salary of only $690,000 in 2022.
Watson has not appeared in an NFL game of any kind since the 2020 season finale. The Texans held him out of all of their 2021 games while a criminal investigation into the allegations was conducted.
A grand jury ultimately dropped all criminal charges in March, and Watson's attorneys have since settled all but one of the civil cases.
Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski did not reveal his quarterback plans for the preseason when speaking to reporters Tuesday. The Browns held a closed practice Wednesday and were set to fly to Jacksonville later in the evening.
"We have a framework for how we are going to handle this preseason," Stefanski said Tuesday. "As you know, you always reserve the right to change your mind based on how practice goes and those types of things, but we are pretty confident in the plan we have."
Veteran Jacoby Brissett, who is 14-23 in 37 career starts, will serve as the Browns' quarterback during Watson's suspension. The journeyman started five games for the Miami Dolphins last season and finished the campaign with 1,283 passing yards, five touchdown passes, four interceptions and a 78.1 passer rating.
James Milner believes the addition of Darwin Nunez means Liverpool have a "fantastic mix" in attack this season.
Nunez, signed from Benfica for a fee of £64million (€75m), with a further £21.4m (€25m) in potential add-ons, marked his first Premier League appearance for the Reds at the weekend with a goal in the 2-2 draw at Fulham.
That followed his goal in the 3-1 Community Shield victory over Manchester City a week earlier.
Nunez joins Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and fellow new signing Fabio Carvalho in attack as Liverpool look to mount Premier League and Champions League challenges again this term.
Milner is excited by what Nunez offers and believes Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has a tantalising group of forward players to choose from.
"I think he'll have an impact the whole time he's here, to be honest," Milner told Liverpool’s official website.
"Since he's been here, he's been impressive on the field, worked hard, makes great runs and is desperate to put his head on the ball in the box.
"If you put a ball in there, he'll do everything he can to get on the end of it – good finisher, both feet and he's different to the other boys up there.
"We've already got some very exciting attacking players who can cause problems, so he's a great addition. He'll be fantastic for us.
"You want options up there, you want to cause people problems, and you want to have options to play different ways because obviously teams are going to watch us and try to stop us, so it's important we can do everything.
"With the options we have up there, I think we have a fantastic mix."
Liverpool are next in action on Monday when Crystal Palace visit Anfield in the Premier League.
It was yet another world-leading run for Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce at the Meeting Herculis EBS Diamond League in Monaco on Wednesday but this time the field was closer; a lot closer.
The 35-year-old Jamaican ran a meet record of 10.62 for victory but Shericka Jackson ran a lifetime best of 10.71 to take the runner-up spot just ahead of Marie Jose Ta Lou, who ran a personal best and area record 10.72 for third.
Aleia Hobbs of the United States equalled her season-best 10.81 for fourth.
This was the record-extending sixth consecutive final in which the diminutive Jamaican has run faster than 10.70 seconds and the two-time Olympic champion was quite pleased with the performance but hinted that she is planning to take a break after what has been an intense schedule.
“I had now three back-to-back races so I will take some time for recovery and see what I´m able to do with some rest before I come back,” she said.
“I did what I needed to do and we had fun and let the clock do the talking. I cannot be disappointed with the season. To be able to run 10.6 consistently means a lot to me. It is remarkable. It is very hard to keep the speed at this high level.
“I´m in my late 30’s and I think I feel like I have more to give. I look forward to doing my personal best for the rest of the season and run fast.”
The Jamaican speed-queen was not the only Caribbean winner at the meet on the night as Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas raced to a fast 49.28 to win the 400m in commanding fashion over Candice McLeod who ran a season-best 49.89, her first time under 50 seconds for the season. Finishing third was Commonwealth Games champion Sada Williams, who ran 51.10.
Commonwealth Games finalist Rushell Clayton ran a brand new lifetime best of 53.33 to win the 400m hurdles to defeat Commonwealth Games champion Janieve Russell, who ran a season-best 53.52.
Panama’s Gianna Woodruff was third in 54.13.
Natoya Goule rebounded from the disappointment of just missing out on a medal at the Commonwealth Games to run a season-best 1:56.98.
Goule won by five metres ahead Sage Hurta ran a new personal best of 1:57.85. Her compatriot Olivia Baker was third in a season-best 1:58:05.
“I feel extremely proud because I finally dropped the time under 57. I knew it was in me…this is really the track where you can run fast but I am just thankful for the win and the season best,” said Goule who missed out on a medal by 0.01 at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
“I just wanted to ensure I ran a smart race because it was getting fast. I am glad that I finished strong because sometimes when you run 56, you do not have the kick but I still got it today. I was so happy when I crossed the line and saw the time. It would be nice to get a PR this season. I know it is a bit challenging but I take it step by step.”
Hansle Parchment, still recovering from the injury that kept him out of the finals of the 110m hurdles at the 2022 World Championships and the Commonwealth Games ran a season-best 13.08 but finished third to Grant Holloway, who ran a 12.99 season-best for the win.
NCAA champion Trey Cunningham ran 13.03 for second place.
In the field, Shanieka Ricketts jumped 14.91, her second-best mark of the season to be runner-up to Olympic and World Champion Yulimar Rojas, who needed a mark of 15.01 to take the win.
The USA’s Tori Franklin jumped a lifetime best of 14.86 for third place.
Noah Lyles of the USA raced to a meet record 19.46 to win the 200m leaving teen sensation Erriyon Knighton 19.84 and Michael Norman 19.95 floundering in his wake.
Fulham have completed the signing of towering West Ham defender Issa Diop for a reported fee of £15million.
The 25-year-old, who had just one year remaining on his contract at the London Stadium, has penned a five-year deal with Marco Silva's side, who earned a creditable 2-2 draw against Liverpool in their Premier League opener last Saturday.
Diop came through the ranks at Toulouse before joining the Hammers in 2018, but only made 13 league appearances last season after falling out of favour under David Moyes.
The defender is the seventh arrival at Craven Cottage during the transfer window, following Fulham's acquisitions of Joao Palhinha, Andreas Pereira, Kevin Mbabu, Bernd Leno, Manor Salomon and Shane Duffy.
Director of football operations Tony Khan told Fulham's website: "Issa is a talented and imposing defender whom we've pursued for a long time, and his experience and formidable presence will be important to our squad in this Premier League season."
Diop could make his Fulham debut when Silva's team face Wolves at Molineux on Saturday.
Brentford have announced the signing of Denmark midfielder Mikkel Damsgaard in a reported £12.6million (€15m) transfer.
Damsgaard leaves Serie A, where he had played for Sampdoria since 2020.
The 22-year-old scored only two goals in 46 league games in Italy, providing four assists, but he caught the eye at Euro 2020 last year as Denmark reached the semi-finals.
Damsgaard scored twice, including a spectacular first goal in the 2-1 last-four defeat to England, as well as adding an assist.
Brentford coach Thomas Frank said of Damsgaard, who has signed a five-year contract: "Mikkel is, in my opinion, another classic Brentford signing.
"He is a young player with big potential to develop further. We know we can help Mikkel reach his highest level, we have the staff here that have experience in doing that."
Damsgaard will hope to help plug the creative gap left by Denmark team-mate Christian Eriksen, who left Brentford for Manchester United after a successful short-term spell at the club last season.
Rory McIlroy considered Tuesday "a good day" for members of the PGA Tour, as he felt the attempts of LIV Golf rebels to enter the FedEx Cup had made the dispute around the breakaway series "personal".
A judge ruled ahead of the FedEx St. Jude Championship that LIV Golf players were not eligible to compete in the play-offs.
Talor Gooch, Matt Jones and Hudson Swafford had filed a restraining order to allow them to play this week's tournament, while 11 LIV Golf stars put together an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour.
McIlroy, who said he was following the proceedings live on Tuesday, was delighted the trio had not been granted access after abandoning the Tour for the lucrative new Saudi-backed league.
"From my vantage point, common sense prevailed, and I thought it was the right decision," McIlroy said.
"And now that that has happened, I think it just lets us focus on the important stuff, which is the golf, and we can all move forward and not have that sideshow going on for the next few weeks, which is nice."
The four-time major winner, who finished third as Cameron Smith – reported to be the next LIV Golf signing – won The Open last month, was asked if the struggle between players on either tour had become "personal".
"Yeah – and it was when that lawsuit was filed last week or whenever it was," McIlroy replied.
"The thing that I would say [is that] I certainly have a little more respect for the guys that haven't put their names to the suit. Yeah, it's become a little more personal because of that."
And while delighted with the outcome on Tuesday, McIlroy knows there will be plenty more battles ahead.
Explaining his outlook, the Northern Irishman said: "Guys are going to make their own decisions that they feel is best for them, and that's totally fine.
"I don't begrudge anyone for going over to play LIV or taking guaranteed money. If that's your prerogative and what you want to do, totally fine.
"But I think where the resentment comes from, from the membership of this tour, is the fact that they want to try to get their way back in here with no consequences.
"Anyone that's read that PGA Tour handbook or abided by the rules and regulations, that would feel very unfair to them.
"That's sort of how it played out, and I think everyone that has abided by the rules was... There's such a long way to go – it's like you've birdied the first hole, but you've still got 17 holes to go – but it was a good day for the Tour and for the majority of the membership yesterday."
McIlroy has been prominent in his opposition to LIV Golf, and he revealed on Wednesday he had received an offer from the Premier Golf League, but not from the latest threat to the PGA Tour.
The 33-year-old was therefore asked if he enjoyed his role as an unofficial spokesperson for the PGA Tour.
"Not really," McIlroy replied, but he does feel his game has somehow benefited from his being at the centre of a storm when off the course.
"I don't feel like it's my job to be up here and stick up for the Tour or be a spokesperson," he said.
"It's just sort of the role that I've found myself in, especially coming on the PGA Tour [policy] board this year. It was a great time to agree to do that...
"I've said this to a few people: I feel when I then get myself inside the ropes, it's like no one can get to me, and it's really nice.
"So, it's actually made the golf part of it way more enjoyable. And I sort of appreciate it a little bit more, because of all the other stuff that's going on.
"If anything, it's probably helped my golf, just because I can get out there and I can not think about it and compartmentalise everything and maybe enjoy competing a little bit more – or at least appreciate it a little bit more with everything else that's going on."
Chelsea have allowed Malang Sarr to join Monaco on loan with an option to buy.
The 23-year-old centre-back will move to the Ligue 1 club for the 2022-23 season, with Monaco then able to make the arrangement permanent for a reported €15million (£12.7m).
Monaco's purchase option could become mandatory if certain conditions are met, according to widespread reports.
Sarr joined Chelsea on a free transfer in August 2020 but was soon sent out on loan to Porto, where he made 19 appearances across all competitions.
He returned to Stamford Bridge for the 2021-22 season and became a member of the first-team squad, playing 21 times on all fronts, though only eight of those were in the Premier League.
In joining Monaco, Sarr returns to Ligue 1 after a two-year absence having previously been regarded as one of the most promising young defenders in Europe during his breakthrough as a teenager at Nice.
Sarr is Monaco's fourth signing of the window after Takumi Minamino, Breel Embolo and Thomas Didillon.
Monaco saw their Champions League qualification hopes ended on Tuesday when a 3-2 defeat after extra time away to PSV saw them suffer a 4-3 aggregate loss in the penultimate stage of qualifying.
Cleveland Browns standout return specialist Jakeem Grant will miss the 2022 season with a torn left Achilles tendon, head coach Kevin Stefanski announced Wednesday.
Grant, a second team All-Pro as a punt returner in each of the last two seasons, was hurt during Tuesday's practice and underwent an MRI that confirmed the injury.
"I really feel awful for Jakeem," Stefanski said in a statement. "We've witnessed how hard the young man has worked since he got to our team.
"We all realise injuries are a part of our game, but that doesn't make it any easier to accept, especially for someone that works as hard and carries himself like Jakeem."
The Browns signed Grant to a three-year contract worth up to $13.8million in March to be their primary return man and compete for snaps at slot receiver after the team released Jarvis Landry.
One of the game's premier returners, Grant has averaged 10.3 yards per punt return with four touchdowns and 24.5 yards per kick return with two touchdowns over six NFL seasons. His six combined touchdowns on kick and punt returns since 2016 are tied with Jacksonville Jaguars' Jamal Agnew for the most in the league over that period.
As a receiver, Grant has totaled 100 catches for 1,140 yards and seven touchdowns for his career. The 29-year-old had career highs of 36 receptions and 373 receiving yards with the Miami Dolphins in 2020.
A sixth-round pick of the Dolphins in 2016, Grant had spent his entire career with Miami before being traded to the Chicago Bears in October.
Grant's injury gives rookie David Bell, a third-round pick in this year's draft, the inside track to be Cleveland's No. 3 receiver behind Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones. Second-year pro Demetric Felton will likely take over on returns barring any additional roster moves.
Bernardo Silva is frustrated about Manchester City players apparently not getting as much credit as they deserve.
City have won four of the past five Premier League titles, a feat only previously managed by Alex Ferguson's Manchester United.
Pep Guardiola's arrival in 2016 has undoubtedly had an impact on their domination, with the Catalan coach quickly establishing a team identity that has made them one of the most entertaining and ruthless sides in Europe.
But Bernardo, who joined a year after Guardiola, thinks City are not as appreciated as they should be, with the Portugal international suggesting the end-of-season awards are evidence of this.
Last season, the Professional Footballers' Association's (PFA) Team of the Year contained only three City players – including Bernardo – to Liverpool's six and Jurgen Klopp took the managers' award, despite City winning the title.
While that does appear to be an anomaly, with City boasting the most Team of the Year representatives and Guardiola claiming the managers' prize in each of their previous three title-winning campaigns before last season, Bernardo still feels the champions are judged differently to the rest.
Asked specifically if he gets the praise he deserves, Bernardo – who took the opportunity to go off on a bit of a tangent – told ESPN: "From Man City fans, definitely. I feel a lot of support, and they show a lot of appreciation for what I do.
"From outside, it's difficult. I'm not complaining here, but I feel like other clubs get a lot more credit than Man City for doing less.
"For example, when I was at Benfica – a huge club in Portugal with more fans, more everything – you do something nice and they make it look like it's great. Here at Man City, you do something great and they make it look like it's just good.
"Again, I'm not complaining, but playing in the Premier League and winning four titles in five years and checking the Premier League Team of the Year every year and knowing that we're never the team that has the most players.
"We don't have the best manager, we don't have the best players, but we still win four Premier Leagues in five years? It just doesn't make sense. It probably shows that Man City players don't get as much credit as they should.
"For me, it doesn't matter honestly. I'm happy with the titles that we have and with the memories that in the last five years, we won four times. Of course, we don't get the credit that we deserve."
Pep Guardiola has no excuse not to win the Champions League with Manchester City given Erling Haaland's talent, according to Fabio Capello.
City were Premier League champions last season but again came up short in Europe, losing to eventual winners Real Madrid in the semi-finals.
The perennial league winners are still waiting on their first taste of glory in the Champions League, which Guardiola himself has not won since 2011.
Widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the modern game, Guardiola's failure to deliver success in Europe's elite club competition has regularly been used as a source of criticism.
And Capello – a European champion as Milan coach in 1994 – now believes City must succeed this season.
New superstar striker Haaland marked his Premier League debut with two goals in a win at West Ham, and Capello spotted the final piece of the City jigsaw.
"This year there is a favourite for me: Manchester City," the ex-England manager told Il Mattino. "There is no race.
"They finally have a powerful centre-forward in Haaland. He has power and speed.
"I saw the match against West Ham and I realised that this time Guardiola has no excuse: he has to win the Champions League.
"Even if, in the end, they'll tell him that he [only] won the Champions League first with [Lionel] Messi and then with Haaland."
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