"I got a new team since the last time I played," Zion Williamson said following his preseason debut at the start of the month.
This was scarcely an exaggeration; the New Orleans Pelicans only retain five players from when Williamson last played in the NBA in May 2021. Naji Marshall – a rookie in 2020-21 – was the sole other member of the starting five in the preseason win over the Chicago Bulls that Williamson would have been familiar with.
"I'm still learning some of the guys," he added.
Crucially, though, Williamson had left behind a losing team. Without him, the Pelicans learnt to win – and he must now fit into that.
Williamson was typically influential in his last regular season outing against the Golden State Warriors – his 23 points marking a 15th straight game in which he scored 20 or more.
Damian Lillard was the only other player to achieve two such streaks of 15 games or more in the 2020-21 season, with Williamson's 25-game sequence – which ended with 16 points against the Brooklyn Nets around a month earlier – the longest of the year.
Of Williamson's final 41 games of the campaign, he scored 20 or more points in 40 of them, averaging 28.7 per game over this stretch.
But the Pelicans lost marginally more of those games than they won (20-21) and were outside the 2020-21 Western Conference play-in places when he was ruled out with a fractured finger.
New Orleans still undoubtedly had a better team with Williamson in it, though, going 1-5 the rest of the way to remain in 11th in the West and miss the playoffs for a third straight season.
Over the two seasons that followed the Pelicans taking Williamson with the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, their winning percentage without the forward (35.6) was far lower than with him involved (47.1) – a sample size that was far bigger than they would have hoped, given Williamson missed 59 games.
Williamson's 2,187 points to date – equating to 25.7 points per game – rank second since the NBA-ABA merger for the most through 85 career games. The sole man ahead of him is Michael Jordan (2,387 – 28.1).
This is fine company to be keeping, but Jordan, despite a broken foot, played his 86th NBA game in his second season; Williamson's will come in his fourth.
With the Pelicans already struggling with such a talent in their ranks, the fractured foot Williamson himself sustained a year ago that ultimately kept him out for the entirety of the 2021-22 season was an obvious concern.
As it was, forced to accept Williamson's absence, New Orleans adapted. They were undoubtedly better for it, too, but have work to do to again incorporate one of the most talented players in the league.
Williamson's role on the Pelicans had understandably dominated the narrative around the team for two years. It took time for the Pels to work out how best to use a forward with the physical attributes to play center and the playmaking ability to play 'Point Zion'.
So, it took time again to adjust to the considerable hole his injury left in the line-up, with Williamson having led New Orleans in usage rate in both 2019-20 (29.9 per cent) and 2020-21 (also 29.9).
After a big opening-day loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, rookie Herb Jones was inserted into the line-up as Pelicans coach Willie Green named an unchanged team in five straight games. The Pels lost four of them.
That line-up did not start another game all season, but Green's attempts to find a quick fix were similarly fruitless, with the team 1-12 almost a month into the season and the coach explaining: "Until we get it right, we have to continue to make adjustments and see what works."
Eventually, on November 24, those adjustments led to a line-up showing only one change from those imbalanced early attempts – Josh Hart in for Nickeil Alexander-Walker – and the Pelicans beat the Washington Wizards by 25 points.
Between that game and a win at the Houston Rockets in early February – the final time that line-up was used – those five had a 12-7 record as starters versus 6-9 for all other New Orleans line-ups combined.
Yet even with center Jonas Valanciunas contributing handily, the Pelicans were still relying too much on Brandon Ingram's scoring, having lost not just Williamson but also the only three guards to have 10 or more 20-point games for the team over the previous two seasons combined (Jrue Holiday, Lonzo Ball and JJ Redick).
Needing more from their back court, a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, who New Orleans had just passed in the standings, saw both Hart and Alexander-Walker sacrificed for CJ McCollum.
It was a risk that was richly rewarded, as McCollum scored 20 or more points in 20 of his 26 games for the Pelicans, averaging a career-high 24.3. Meanwhile, Ingram sat for most of March through injury – a setback that would have been far more damaging without McCollum – but still averaged 22.0 following his new team-mate's debut.
The Pelicans had averaged 105.9 points per game before the trade; that shot up to 115.9 after McCollum's arrival, improving from 14th in the West in scoring to sixth. A 14-14 record was unspectacular but this time enough to make the play-in.
McCollum and Ingram combined for 59 points in a win over the San Antonio Spurs and then 49 to upset the Los Angeles Clippers, reaching a first-round series with the number one seed Phoenix Suns, who were taken to six games as Ingram averaged a series-high 27.0.
The Pelicans finished their season with a defeat but also with momentum. Williamson signed his five-year, $193million rookie max extension at the start of July.
If New Orleans were a .500 team without their best player, there is the potential for them to do something really special this year with him back on the court.
"I want to prove that I'm a winner, it's as simple as that," Williamson said as he signed his contract, outlining the "ultimate goal" to win a title.
More recently, Williamson has detailed a mentality shift during the offseason as he spent two months in Fort Lauderdale working with a strength and conditioning coach.
"The best way to describe it is I found true resolve within the game of basketball," he said. "Something mentally in me shifted, changed, and the game of basketball... that's it for me. That's my love, it's what I want to do.
"I'm just excited to get out there and show the world what I can do."
Ingram was injured again as preseason got under way, so Williamson will start the season still learning how best to share the ball with his fellow forward as well as new man McCollum, although few would doubt he has the talent and versatility to adjust with time.
Once that process is completed, finding a way to keep Williamson fit may be the Pelicans' biggest concern – just as it always has been.
New Zealand winger Ronaldo Mulitalo is hoping to emulate his namesake Cristiano Ronaldo – who he is named after – when the 2021 Rugby League World Cup gets under way this month.
The Cronulla Sharks winger is making his tournament bow with Michael Maguire's Kiwis, as the world number one-ranked nation look to dethrone holders Australia and hosts England among others over the next few weeks.
While New Zealand will raise the curtain on their campaign in Group C against Lebanon at Warrington's Halliwell Jones Stadium, it is up the road at Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United, where the final will take place.
Mulitalo is aiming to guide his side to the November 19 showpiece, revealing his name is indeed inspired by the Portuguese talisman who calls it home, though he admits it is a moniker he struggles to relate to.
"My mum loves him," he stated. "I don't like telling people around here because they are looking at my like 'you are a fake Ronaldo' ... the bush version. So I don't really tell everyone my name around here.
"But it would be a bit of a surreal moment [to play at his ground]. It would be nice. Before we even think about getting to Old Trafford we have a bit of work to do."
Following their opener against Lebanon, New Zealand will face tournament debutants Jamaica at Hull's MKM Stadium before wrapping up their group campaign against Ireland at Leeds' Headingley Stadium.
Any path to the final is likely to see them have to go through Australia to get there, with the Kangaroos on their side of the knockout draw, while England, Tonga and Samoa make up the major contenders on the other pathway.
The NBA season is finally here, with the Golden State Warriors looking to defend their title after defeating the Boston Celtics in this year's NBA Finals.
Golden State will have plenty of serious opposition in their way if they are to go back-to-back, as some powerhouses – like the Los Angeles Clippers and the Milwaukee Bucks – return to full health.
The list of contenders this year may be as deep as it has ever been, with the Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns all definitely believing they have what it takes, and young sides like the Memphis Grizzlies and the Minnesota Timberwolves going all-in with the cores they have assembled.
After one of the best rookie classes in recent memory last season, this year's draftees have plenty to live up to, so to preview the season, we will start at the top.
Who are the favourites?
Despite not making the NBA Finals this past season, any conversation about potential champions in 2022-23 begins with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.
The Bucks took the Celtics to Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals, and that was while they were missing their second-best player as Khris Middleton was sidelined for the entire series after suffering a knee injury in the first round.
There is a convincing case to be made that they would have gone back-to-back with a healthy Middleton, but instead, the Warriors were able to take care of business in the Finals and collect the fourth championship of the Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green era.
Golden State return almost their full team, and with even marginal improvement from second-year lottery picks Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga, they will be one of the deepest rosters in the league, and will have the ammunition to put together one of the better trade packages if a disgruntled star appears around the deadline.
The Celtics will likely remain one of the best defensive units in the league, and will therefore always have a chance in the playoffs, and if the Warriors are not to come out of the Western Conference, the Nuggets or the Clippers are finally healthy and poised to make some noise.
Who are the dark horses?
Despite winning the title in 2019, the Toronto Raptors will come into this season extremely under the radar in what is now a loaded Eastern Conference.
One of the biggest and most athletic teams in the league, the thing working in the Raptors' favour may also be the point working against them – they brought back almost the exact same team.
Focal points Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam are still only 28 years old, while O.G. Anunoby profiles as a potentially elite wing at 25-years-old, and 21-year-old second-year point forward Scottie Barnes is the reigning Rookie of the Year.
They were the five seed last year despite all of their starters missing significant time, and with their championship experience and natural improvement, they will be in the mix by default.
Out West, it's hard to go past the New Orleans Pelicans, who will have one of the best starting fives in the NBA.
With C.J. McCollum, Brandon Ingram and surprise packet Herb Jones on the perimeter, along with Jonas Valanciunas and the returning Zion Williamson inside, that group will be a tough out if Williamson can remain healthy.
Who will win Rookie of the Year?
The clear favourite to take home the honour as the best first-year player is the Orlando Magic's Paolo Banchero, who was selected first overall in June's NBA Draft.
Banchero – who at six-foot-10 and 250lbs is the same size as prime DeMarcus Cousins despite playing on the perimeter – has essentially been tasked with being the saviour of the franchise, and will have significant playmaking and scoring responsibilities from day one.
He could realistically average somewhere in the range of 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game if the franchise truly decides to put the ball in his hands and let him run the show, and he is the only player in the class that can be said about.
His biggest competition – literally – was the Oklahoma City Thunder seven-footer Chet Holmgren, who was taken second overall, but will miss the entire season after suffering a fracture in his foot in the preseason.
Third pick Jabari Smith Jr will likely be more of an off-ball player in year one, limiting his ability to rack up massive counting stats, and fifth pick Jaden Ivey will be sharing the floor with last year's top overall selection Cade Cunningham with the Detroit Pistons, where Cunningham is unquestionably the star.
Keegan Murray, the fourth overall pick by the Sacramento Kings, profiles as one of the better all-around scorers in the draft and will have the opportunity to make his mark, and Shaedon Sharpe showed some intriguing flashes in the preseason after not playing a single game of competitive basketball since graduating from high school, still earning the seventh overall pick by the Portland Trail Blazers.
Quick hitters:
– Pelicans wing Herb Jones was never going to receive the credit he deserved last year as a 23-year-old second-round draft pick, but the rookie was quietly one of the best defensive players in the league last season.
As a rookie, he was guarding the best opposing perimeter player every night for the Pelicans, suiting up for 78 of the 82 regular season games and finishing top-10 in the league in deflections per game (3.1).
He is one of the only wings in the NBA who is tasked with carrying his side defensively, and health permitting, he will be honoured on the NBA All-Defensive teams this season.
– For those who do not play fantasy basketball, it must be a shock to hear Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton has emerged as a first-round pick, but the unbelievably efficient 22-year-old is in position to have an explosive breakout season.
After being traded to the Pacers last season, Haliburton averaged 17.5 points, 9.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 50 per cent from the field, 41 per cent from three and 85 per cent from the free throw line, putting him in the top echelon of efficient guard scorers and playmakers.
With established veterans Buddy Hield and Myles Turner both reportedly on the trading block as the Pacers enter themselves into the Victor Wembanyama sweepstake, their departure would only amplify the massive season coming from the former Sacramento draft pick.
– The Cleveland Cavaliers will have their sights set on the playoffs this season after their aggressive trade for former Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell – but he may not even be the best guard on the Cavs roster.
Last season was a coming out party for point guard Darius Garland, who appears to be next up in the archetype of deep-shooting, slick-passing, small initiators.
He shot a career-best 46 per cent from the field this past season while attempting a career-high 6.7 three-pointers per game, and he was also one of the best passers in the league, averaging 8.6 assists and forming spectacular chemistry with fellow All-Star and alley-oop partner Jarrett Allen.
Mitchell will bring a level of perimeter scoring and playoff pedigree to the Cavaliers that is desperately needed to lower the demands on Garland late in games, but it will be Garland running this team for the first 46 minutes.
Donna Vekic produced a spectacular second set to shock world number seven Maria Sakkari 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 in the first round of the San Diego Open on Tuesday.
After a hard-fought first set where both women were able to convert one of their four break point opportunities, Vekic took control in the tie-breaker and carried that momentum in the second set.
Vekic won 65 per cent of her service points in the second set, while Sakkari could only muster a 47-per-cent success rate, despite having a significant edge in first-serve accuracy (79 per cent to Vekic's 53 per cent).
The Croatian only had two break point opportunities, and that is all she needed, taking both to run away with one of the biggest wins of her career.
Vekic will play Karolina Pliskova in the second round after the Czech defeated America's Caroline Dolehide 6-3 6-4.
Pliskova, ranked 22nd in the world, had no issue with the world number 181 in one of Tuesday's biggest mismatches, nabbing a break-to-love in the first set before taking a quick double-break to begin the second.
World number 11 Daria Kasatkina was too strong for Leylah Fernandez, cruising to a 6-2 6-2 victory in exactly one hour.
Sloane Stephens earned a shot against world number five Aryna Sabalenka in the second round after getting the better of Switzerland's Jil Teichmann 6-1 7-6 (7-2).
World number 13 Garbine Muguruza was clearly not at 100 per cent, retiring hurt after losing the first five games of her match against China's Qinweng Zheng, and Coco Gauff will resume her contest against Robin Montgomery leading 6-3 3-2 after rain halted the action for the day.
Draymond Green has been fined but avoided a suspension over an altercation with Jordan Poole that Steve Kerr described as "the biggest crisis" of his time as Golden State Warriors coach.
Footage emerged last week of the two team-mates pushing one another before Green escalated the incident by throwing a punch at Poole.
Green, a four-time NBA champion with the Warriors, has consequently been spending time away from the team and training in isolation ahead of the new season where Golden State are preparing to defend their championship.
The Warriors defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in preseason on Tuesday, after which head coach Kerr announced Green would return to the fold for their final warm-up against the Denver Nuggets on Friday, and their season-opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.
Kerr confirmed the decision had been taken following extensive conversations among several parties, including general manager Bob Myers, superstar Steph Curry, and after talks between Green and Poole themselves.
"We feel like we have a great feel for our team. We've got a lot of continuity on this team, so Bob and I know our players extremely well," Kerr said.
"We feel like this is the best way after assessing everything for us to move forward. It's never easy no matter what decision you make in a situation like this. It's not going to be perfect. This is the biggest crisis that we've ever had since I've been coach here. It's really serious stuff.
"We have spent the last week in deep discussions with all of our key figures in the organisation, including Jordan and Draymond of course, Steph, all of our players, Bob, myself, and I can tell you there have been a lot of conversations, individual, one-on-one discussions, players-only discussions.
"Everything that you can think of, all the different combinations that are possible to have in a conversation, we've had them. It's been an exhaustive process."
Kerr noted all possibilities were "on the table" over the ugly incident, and confirmed investigations are taking place into how the footage was leaked to TMZ.
He also accepted the final decision may come under scrutiny but felt Green has earned a chance to atone for his actions.
"Any criticism that we face here is fair," Kerr added.
"He broke our trust with this incident but I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt because I think he's earned that, and I think our team feels the same way."
As well as his title wins, Green is a four-time NBA All-Star and was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2017.
Gerrit Cole pitched brilliantly and Anthony Rizzo cracked the game-sealing home run as the New York Yankees defeated the Cleveland Guardians 4-1 in the first game of the ALDS on Tuesday.
Starting on the mound, Cole pitching six-and-a-third innings, giving up just one run off four hits and one walk, courtesy of a Steven Kwan home run in the third frame.
Harrison Bader replied for the Yankees later in the first inning, becoming the only Yankee to ever hit their first home run for the franchise in a playoff game, after being acquired at the deadline and struggling to find his power down the stretch.
Bader's 406-foot shot was the longest hit of the game, but the one that sent the Yankees fans into raptures came in the sixth inning.
After Jose Trevino's sacrifice-fly gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead, Rizzo came through with a runner on base in the sixth, connecting on a two-run home run to give New York some breathing room.
The Yankees' bullpen was rock solid, not allowing a baserunner in the final two innings to see out the game unscathed.
Likely AL MVP Aaron Judge had a poor outing, finishing with one walk and three strikeouts from his four at-bats, and Josh Donaldson was the only Yankee to register multiple hits, going two-for-two with a walk.
Phillies hang on by the narrowest of margins
The Philadelphia Phillies would have felt great going into the final inning of their Game 1 against the Atlanta Braves leading 7-3, but barely hung on for a 7-6 win after plenty of late drama.
Three RBIs from three Nick Castellanos hits and a pair of RBIs for Alec Bohm helped build a 7-1 Philadelphia lead in the fifth inning, but a two-run double from Travis d'Arnaud later in the fifth and three-run homer for Matt Olson in the ninth cut that lead to one.
Zach Eflin was the man entrusted with closing things out on the mound for the Phillies, but despite giving up three runs with only one out, the Phillies stuck with him, and he delivered the final two outs.
Dodgers ride early runs to Game 1 win
The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 5-3 in Game 1 of the NLDS, but they did not score a run after the third inning.
It looked like it would be a high-scoring contest after Trea Turner hit a home run as the first Dodgers batter of the game, and RBIs to Gavin Lux, Will Smith and Max Muncy had them up 5-0 through three frames.
But once Padres starter Mike Clevinger was removed, their bullpen proved to be impressively stout, pitching six-and-a-third innings of shutout baseball.
Ultimately, the early advantage proved to be enough, as the Padres grabbed three runs back in the fifth inning, but could not make any impression late as Chris Martin and Alex Vesia shut things down out of the Dodgers bullpen.
Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez became the first player in MLB postseason history to hit a walk-off home run while his team trailed by multiple runs as he electrified his home fans in Tuesday's 8-7 win against the Seattle Mariners.
Alvarez, 25, established himself as arguably the best left-handed hitter in the sport this season as he hit 37 home runs while slashing .306/406/613, and with one swing of the bat on Tuesday he wrote his name into the MLB history books.
The Astros were trailing 7-3 after Eugenio Suarez hit the Mariners' second home run of the game in the seventh inning, with J.P Crawford also going deep in the fourth frame. It followed an early-inning onslaught from Seattle, who rode RBI hits from Julio Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh and Ty France to a 4-0 lead through two innings.
In the eighth, Alex Bregman's two-run homer cut the margin to 7-5, and they were able to get two men on base in the ninth inning to bring Alvarez to the plate with two outs and the game on his bat.
After fouling off a dead-center fastball with the first pitch, Alvarez made no mistake on the second, connecting on a game-winning, 438-foot no-doubter into the second deck at right-field after the Mariners unsuccessfully brought in ace starting pitcher Robbie Ray to get the final out.
Alvarez finished the game three-for-five at the plate with five RBIs, after also hitting a two-run double in the third inning.
The series will remain in Houston for Game 2, before heading to Seattle for Game 3 and Game 4 in the best-of-five battle.
Andy Murray recovered from a break down in the first set to surge into the second round of the Gijon Open with victory over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
The three-time grand slam champion trailed 4-2 and 30-40 in the opener, but he saved break point with a brilliant volley before going on to hold and take command.
Murray won 10 of the next 13 games thereafter to claim a 7-5 6-2 win, and the former world number one felt Davidovich Fokina's frustration played a key role in the turnaround.
"In the first set, he was playing much better than me," said Murray, seeking his first ATP Tour title since prevailing in Antwerp in 2019.
"He had a lot of chances to get the second break of serve, and I managed to stay tough in those moments. At the 4-3 game, he played a bad game to give me the break back, and after that I started to play a little bit better.
"I think he was a bit frustrated, and then in the second set his level dropped a little bit, but the end of the first set was very important because he was playing very well and it was a difficult first set."
Murray will face either Pedro Cachin or qualifier Alexey Vatutin in the second round. Davidovich Fokina's fellow Spaniards Feliciano Lopez and Albert Ramos-Vinolas lost to Ilya Ivashka and Marcos Giron respectively. There was victory for one home hope, though, as Nicolas Alvarez Varona moved into round two.
At the Firenze Open, Alexander Bublik secured his 100th Tour-level win with a straight-sets victory over Cristian Garin, while Mikael Ymer thrashed Tim van Rijthoven 6-1 6-2.
Oscar Otte and Brandon Nakashima were also victors in Florence on Tuesday.
Anhelina Kalinina progressed to round two of the Transylvania Open after opponent Eugenie Bouchard retired injured in Cluj.
Ukrainian world number 45 Kalinina took the opening set 6-3 before a hip injury prevented Bouchard from continuing.
The Canadian revealed she had retired as a precaution having undergone an MRI on Monday, and did not wish to aggravate the issue any further.
"I'm just disappointed to have ended my tournament in Romania this way because I really loved being here in Cluj," she said. "I pulled my hip flexor a few days in practice. I tried everything to be ready for this match.
"I got an MRI yesterday, and didn't show anything too bad, so I thought I could play. But it was getting worse as the match went on. To avoid a big injury, I figured it would be best to retire.
"I absolutely hate retiring, I wish I could've done better here, but I hope to be back."
Fourth seed Anastasia Potapova beat Ann Li 6-2 7-6 (7-5) to set up a clash with Viktorija Golubic, who overcame Diane Parry in straight sets.
Seventh seed Xiyu Wang advanced in straight sets against home favourite Jaqueline Cristian, while Harriet Dart required just 64 minutes to wrap up a commanding 6-2 6-0 victory over Oceane Dodin.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield will not require surgery on the high ankle sprain he suffered in the defeat to the San Francisco 49ers, which means he will not be placed on injured reserve.
The 2018 No.1 overall pick is set to be sidelined for this weekend's matchup with the Los Angeles Rams but, having avoided IR status, will be available to return within the next four games.
Mayfield, signed in a trade from the Cleveland Browns in July, suffered the injury in the loss to the 49ers, leaving the Panthers with a 1-4 record for the season, but was given a verdict of 'no major damage' after receiving second opinions on the injury, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
His absence is a blow to the Panthers, who are yet to find full flow with their new cornerstone franchise QB; Mayfield having 962 passing yards, four touchdown throws and a pass completion of 54.9 per cent – which ranks as the lowest across the entirety of the NFL in 2022.
P.J. Walker is set to take over as the Panthers' starting QB while Mayfield is absent, having totalled 60 yards and an 83.3 per cent completion rate following his introduction against the 49ers in Week 4.
Across his three-year career in the NFL, Walker has played in 10 matches, twice as a starter, accumulating 790 passing yards and two touchdown throws.
The Panthers' trip to LA will be the first under the guidance of interim head coach Steve Wilks, following the dismissal of Matt Rhule on Monday.
Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett remains "clueless" regarding the controversial roughing the passer call which followed his hit on Tom Brady on Sunday.
Brady equalled the NFL record for most victories by a quarterback against a specific opponent without defeat (11) as he led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 21-15 win over the Falcons.
However, Atlanta looked set to get a chance to complete a memorable comeback when Jarrett sacked Brady on third down with three minutes remaining.
But referee Jerome Boger called roughing the passer against the 29-year-old, later explaining the decision was made due to Jarrett unnecessarily throwing Brady to the ground.
The call has been met with controversy, with subsequent reports suggesting the NFL's competition committee will discuss amendments to roughing penalties after this season.
Jarrett is yet to come to terms with the decision two days later, saying: "Looking back on it, I'm still kind of left clueless on what I'm expected to do in that situation."
Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones was on the receiving end of a similar call against the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday, leading Jarrett to call for change.
"I did see Chris' sack last night, and that was questionable as well," Jarrett said. "All these other things that we can review… I'm not saying that it cost us the game, but it cost us an opportunity to win the game.
"If it's costing people games, it's going to cost people livelihoods. It's going to cost people opportunities. You never know who is going to go down and make a crazy play.
"Obviously this happened to us, the Falcons, but forget all that, it's about the sport. When people watch us to be entertained, to see some game-winning drives and then when you do it right, the right way, that's what makes it so frustrating.
"So let's give the game what the game is owed, and that's the best product we can put on the field."
Speaking on SiriusXM's Let's Go! Podcast on Monday, Brady described the incident as an "unwelcome hug" from Garrett and steered clear of discussing the decision.
"It was a long hug, a long unwelcome hug from Grady," Brady said. "And he was in the backfield all day. So as I said after the games, I don't throw flags.
"What I do throw is tablets, and I didn't have one accessible at that time. He had a hell of a game. I'll leave it at that.
"I woke up this morning, I was looking around the corner everywhere for Grady Jarrett jumping out and hitting me again.
"He played such a good game against us yesterday and I had nightmares last night thinking about him. But I'm glad we're through with that game. I'm glad we won."
The France 2023 Rugby World Cup chief executive Claude Atcher has been dismissed after an investigation into workplace malpractice.
Atcher, who also helped previously secure hosting rights for the 2007 edition, was suspended in August following allegations made over his management style in a L'Equipe article in June.
According to the report, Atcher's approach led to some employees suffering panic attacks.
An investigation by the French Labour Inspectorate has since concluded, with the decision made by the varying bodies behind the France 2023 bid to dismiss Atcher.
"Following this Board meeting, Mr Claude Atcher’s suspension was unanimously ratified by France 2023's founding members: the Fédération Française de Rugby (FFR), the French State, and the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF)," read an official statement issued on Tuesday.
"Taking note of the report's conclusions, France 2023's Board of Directors has decided to terminate the contract of its CEO, Mr Claude Atcher."
Julien Collette, Atcher's former deputy general director, has been appointed as his replacement.
France will kick off next year's tournament on September 8 against New Zealand, with Les Bleus out to claim their first title after reaching the final on three previous occasions, most recently in 2011.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said Monday's 30-29 win over the Las Vegas Raiders was a result that would "build the true character" of the team.
The AFC West outfit edged a thriller against their divisional rivals at Arrowhead Stadium to move to 4-1 for this NFL season, fighting back from a 17-point deficit midway through the second quarter.
Four touchdowns for tight end Travis Kelce saw the hosts complete a remarkable comeback, while the Raiders fluffed a two-point attempt to win the match in the closing minutes.
The result came amid another controversial roughing call, when Chris Jones was penalised amid a strip on Derek Carr, and Mahomes suggested his side's frustration helped fire them on to another victory.
"Sometimes, these games are the ones that build the true character of the team," he said. "How you respond, go back and fight, that was good to see from this team.
"It wasn't the greatest call in the world. You have to find a way to bounce back and we did."
Official Carl Cheffers was lambasted by Chiefs coach Andy Reid following the call, and as the teams headed into the half-time interval, but the latter stated he had said his piece when pressed post-game.
"I got it off my chest," Reid said. "I said what I needed to say."
The Chiefs will welcome the Buffalo Bills to face them on Sunday as they look to keep their hand atop AFC West, while the Raiders will cool their heels for a fortnight before facing the Houston Texans.
Josh McDaniels admitted the Las Vegas Raiders have already "lost the sprint" as he held out hope they could be marathon specialists instead, following another painful defeat.
The Raiders went down 30-29 on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday, missing a late chance to pinch the game.
Davante Adams got on the end of his second deep touchdown of the game after a 48-yard bomb from Derek Carr, but instead of kicking the extra point to tie, the Raiders opted to go for two and were stopped short.
Last season saw the Raiders finish with a 10-7 record under interim coach Rich Bisaccia, but they are 1-4 so far in this campaign, McDaniels' first at the helm.
"This is a marathon. If it was a sprint, we lost the sprint," McDaniels said. "Fortunately for us, it's a marathon. We understand what these games mean and they each matter. They're each significant at the end of your season, we know that. They add up.
"But I think the thing we have to focus on is take the positives and then also try to learn from the things that we're not quite doing well enough.
"That's our job. That's what we're going to continue to do. That's what we've done after we've won, that's what we've done after we lost, and we're going to continue to do that. There's progress we've made and that's a good football team out there."
The Raiders have only lost by single-digit margins so far, therefore McDaniels sees the scope for them turning around those tight games.
Quarterback Carr completed 19 of 30 for 241 yards and two touchdowns, passing 200 career passing touchdowns, a landmark for which he said he was "thankful".
McDaniels said the Raiders "gave ourselves an opportunity, and we just didn't make one or two plays at the end to finish it".
As the Chiefs improved to 4-1 with their win, Raiders coach McDaniels added: "Hopefully we'll learn from this and be better."
In a first-round clash between two of the world's top-20, Danielle Collins eliminated Caroline Garcia 6-2 7-6 (7-4) from the San Diego Open on Monday.
Garcia, the world number 10, entered the contest off back-to-back losses for the first time since March, and Collins made it three in a row as she was just a little too good with both her serving and return game.
Collins won 63 per cent of her service points, with Garcia at 52 per cent, and she ended up securing five breaks in the match.
She will play Martina Trevisan in the second round after the Italian defeated Colombian qualifier Camila Osorio 6-3 6-4.
Neither player had an ace in the match, but the big differentiating factor was Trevisan's ability to win points off her second serve, converting 50 per cent of her chances while Osorio won only one of nine (11 per cent).
The only qualifier of the day to get a win was Louisa Chirico, who beat fellow American Alison Riske-Amritraj 1-6 7-5 7-6 (7-5).
Chirico, the world number 196, will be rewarded for her win with a showdown against world number four Paula Badosa.
Madison Keys had no issues dealing with Australian qualifier Ellen Perez 6-1 6-4 in just over an hour, and Coco Vandeweghe defeated Sofia Kenin 6-1 1-6 6-4.
In the last match of the night, Canada's Bianca Andreescu won a two-hour-and-40-minute battle against Russia's Liudmila Samsonova 7-6 (7-1) 4-6 6-2.
Las Vegas Raiders superstar Davante Adams has taken to Twitter to apologise to the person he was caught on video shoving to the ground immediately after his side lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 30-29 on Monday night.
Adams, who caught two long touchdowns in the game to finish with 124 yards from three catches, was making his way from the field when he alleges someone holding a tripod ran in front of him as he tried to head down the tunnel.
The receiver pushed the worker to the ground before heading into the locker room.
Minutes later, after the footage circulated widely online, Adams tweeted out an apology, saying "that's not me".
"Sorry to the guy I pushed over after the game," it said. "Obviously very frustrated at the way the game ended and when he ran in front of me as I exited that was my reaction and I felt horrible immediately.
"That's not me… my apologies man hope you see this."
Star tight end Travis Kelce pulled down four touchdown catches to carry the Kansas City Chiefs to a 30-29 home win against the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night.
Kelce became the first player in NFL history with four touchdown catches of fewer than 10 yards in a single game, finishing with just 25 yards from his seven catches as he was used heavily near the goal-line.
While it was the Chiefs who came out on top, it was the Raiders who started on fire, jumping out to a 17-0 lead one minute into the second quarter after Josh Jacobs' one-yard touchdown run followed a big 58-yard touchdown catch from Davante Adams, arguably the best receiver in the league.
Kelce would catch a one-yard touchdown in the second quarter, before securing a four-yard score and an eight-yard score on back-to-back drives in the third term. He would cap off his day with another one-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to put his side up 30-23 with seven minutes remaining.
In response, Adams got on the end of his second deep touchdown of the game as he got behind the defense on a 48-yard bomb from Derek Carr, but instead of kicking the extra point to tie the game, they opted to go for two, and were stopped short.
That decision came back to haunt the Raiders, as they never got back into field goal range.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 29 of 43 passes for 292 yards and four touchdowns, while Carr completed 19 of 30 for 241 yards and two touchdowns. Neither quarterback committed a turnover.
Adams and Jacobs both had massive games for the Raiders, with Adams finishing with 124 yards and two touchdowns from just three catches, while Jacobs rushed 21 times for 154 yards and a score.
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said it is too early to decide on a starting quarterback for their Week 6 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
The Dolphins currently have both starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater recovering from concussions, with third-string rookie Skylar Thompson being forced to play nearly the entire 40-17 loss to the New York Jets this past Sunday.
There is concern Tagovailoa actually suffered two concussions less than a week apart after being allowed to return to the Dolphins' Week 3 win against the Buffalo Bills despite showing symptoms, prompting the league to update their concussion protocol.
With the uncertain nature of concussions and their recovery period, McDaniel told reporters on Tuesday that they will wait until later in the week to decide who will start at the sport's most important position.
"It's too soon for me to really pinpoint [the starter]," he said. "I kind of have to wait and assess the whole situation, which I do not have in scope.
"What I do know is that Skylar will be practicing on Wednesday and hopefully Wednesday I'll have a better feel of the direction that we should go that's best for the football team.
"Being a backup quarterback in this league is not easy, and what people don't understand is you have a finite amount of reps during the week because you can't deplete your athletes and you can't have endless amount of reps.
"So typically, starters get anywhere from 80 to 100 per cent of the practice reps. So a backup quarterback, especially a rookie, it's a tremendous challenge because you have to own the whole game plan, visualize it, be able to call it, be able to line people up and then execute appropriately."
The inclination from McDaniel could be that the team will look for outside help at the position to avoid having to start their seventh-round draft pick, however teaching the playbook to a new signing in time for Week 6 is likely too unrealistic.
Things have gone from bad to worse for the Baltimore Ravens’ embattled defensive secondary.
Free safety Marcus Williams, the team’s top free agent acquisition of the offseason, will go on injured reserve after suffering a dislocated wrist.
While Williams is expected to return at some point this season, Ravens coach Jon Harbaugh told reporters Monday that Williams will miss "a significant amount of time."
Williams is thought to have injured his wrist early in Baltimore’s 19-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday night but attempted to play through it.
"He gutted it out," Harbaugh said. "He didn't really say too much about it, so I don't think anybody realised how serious it was until they got inside and took a look at it."
Williams, who spent the first five years of his career with the New Orleans Saints, has three interceptions and five pass breakups this season – a rare bright spot for a secondary that is allowing a league-worst 305.8 passing yards per game.
Young players like Geno Stone and 2022 first-round pick Kyle Hamilton will be forced into larger roles for the Ravens’ defense.
"Both [Stone and Hamilton] have their own styles, and I think they're going to both play well for us," Harbaugh said. "So I'm looking forward to all those guys, as a team [and] as a group, kind of filling in for Marcus and not losing a step on that."
The Ravens lead the AFC North at 3-2 and visit the 4-1 New York Giants this Sunday.
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