Tua Tagovailoa is ready to take extra responsibility after he was rewarded with a franchise-record contract by the Miami Dolphins.
Tagovailoa penned a four-year, $212.4million extension with the Dolphins on Sunday.
It makes the 26-year-old the highest-paid player in Dolphins history and fifth highest in the history of the NFL based on average annual salary.
But with the higher salary, comes extra responsibility to push the Dolphins on, says Tagovailoa.
"I'm the highest-paid employee in this office," Tagovailoa said.
"I got to get my whatever together. I got to get that right and get our guys moving in the direction that we need to go to be able to do those things.
"We're looking forward to what we can do to help this team win more games and win games when it matters."
Tagovailoa led the league for passing yards in 2023, registering 29 touchdowns – a career-high.
And Miami coach Mike McDaniel is relishing the future with Tagovailoa at the helm.
"I'm fired up for the organisation, really fired up for Tua and the work he's done to receive something like that," McDaniel told reporters.
"I think it's a cool validation for sure.
"Quite frankly, Tua has shown me that throughout the entire offseason that he knows what time it is.
"Fortunately, him and all of his teammates can go out and determine whatever the narrative is built upon, by the way they play."
Lewis Hamilton was "gutted" for George Russell after the latter's disqualification from the Belgian Grand Prix handed victory to the seven-time Formula One champion.
Russell finished just ahead of his Mercedes team-mate Hamilton in Sunday's race to seal a one-two for the team at Spa.
Mercedes had taken a risky strategy with Russell, who went 34 laps on just one set of tyres.
However, an investigation after the race found Russell's car to be 1.5kg underweight, and so Hamilton was handed the race win.
In a post on Instagram, Hamilton said: "Mixed feelings for today's result. Obviously, happy to get the win but I feel for George and it's disappointing for the team not to get the one-two.
"A lot of positives to take from today, though. At the start of the weekend, we didn't expect to be at the front or the pace we had, so it's great to see just how much progress has been made and that we are in the fight.
"We take all these positives with us into the break and will come back a stronger team ready to keep the momentum going."
In a subsequent post on his Instagram story, Hamilton wrote: "Great drive today @georgerussell63, really am gutted for you and the team losing the win and also our 1-2 which the team deserved. Let's keep pushing, work towards another 1-2 in the second half."
Russell, meanwhile, was left heartbroken by the decision, which denied him his second win of the season.
"Heartbreaking… We came in 1.5kg underweight and have been disqualified from the race," Russell wrote in a post on social media.
"We left it all on the track today and I take pride in crossing the line first. There will be more to come."
Hamilton is now sixth in the drivers' standings, with 150 points, 34 ahead of Russell in eighth.
Reigning champion Max Verstappen picked up another two points courtesy of Russell's disqualification, taking him onto 277 at the top of the standings, though the Dutchman has not won in four races, his worst such streak since 2020.
The Baltimore Orioles scored six runs in the third inning en route to an 8-6 victory over San Diego on Sunday to snap the Padres' season-high seven-game winning streak.
The AL East-leading Orioles (62-43) only had six hits but took advantage of some shaky Padres pitching to win for just the second time in seven games.
Ryan Mountcastle hit a two-run single in the third inning that made the score 4-0, and added another two-run hit in the eighth to give Baltimore a bit of a cushion after San Diego scored five straight runs to pull within one.
Cedric Mullins came up big with the bat and the glove, hitting a two-run double in the third inning and later in the eighth inning he raced down a Manny Machado drive to deep centre field and leapt at the warning track to make the catch.
The Padres (57-51) were looking to win eight straight games for the first time since last September but were undone by the wildness of starter Randy Vasquez and lost for the first time since July 19.
After posting a 1.71 ERA in his last five starts, Vasquez allowed the first six batters of the third inning to reach base before he was pulled. He walked four and was ultimately charged with six earned runs.
Xander Bogaerts helped the Padres rally with a two-run home run in the sixth inning, just his fifth home run of the season and first since May 13, but that would be as close as San Diego would get.
Guardians beat Phillies to take series between league leaders
The Cleveland Guardians rallied for a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies to take two of three in this series between the two best teams in the majors.
After Jhonkensy Noel tied the score with a three-run homer in the fourth inning, Steven Kwan put the AL-best Guardians (63-42) ahead with a solo shot in the seventh.
It was the 11th home run of the season for Kwan, who leads the majors with a .342 batting average.
Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber led off the game with a home run and added a two-run shot two innings later for his 22nd of the season. It was his 29th career multi-homer game and fourth of the season.
Schwarber, though, grounded out in the ninth inning and Trea Turner followed with a ground-out of his own, as Cleveland's Emmanuel Clase pitched a scoreless inning to nail down his AL-best 33rd save.
The Phillies (65-40) have the majors' best record, but they've lost seven of 10.
Edwards becomes second Marlin to hit for cycle in loss to Brewers
Xavier Edwards hit for the cycle for the Miami Marlins, but it came in a losing effort as the Milwaukee Brewers pulled out a 6-2 victory.
Edwards opened the game with a home run, added a double in the fifth, a triple in the seventh and legged out an infield single with two outs in the ninth to record just the second cycle in Marlins franchise history.
Luis Arráez is the only other Miami player to hit for the cycle, notching his on April 11, 2023, against the Phillies.
Edwards' lead-off homer was the first home run of his career, but the lead was short-lived, as the Brewers responded with two runs in the bottom of the first via a Jake Bauers home run.
Bauers also tripled to help the NL Central-leading Brewers (60-45) avoid getting swept by the last-place Marlins (39-67).
Devin Williams pitched a scoreless ninth inning for Milwaukee in his first appearance of the season after being sidelined since spring training with stress fractures in his back.
The two-time NL reliever of the year faced five batters, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out one.
The New England Patriots issued a statement on Sunday that defensive tackle Christian Barmore has been diagnosed with blood clots.
The team said he is being treated at Mass General Brigham and there is no timetable for a return.
Barmore, who turned 25 years old on Sunday, is coming off a career year, emerging as an anchor on New England's defensive front with a team-high 8 1/2 sacks while also recording 13 tackles for loss in 2023.
A second-round pick by New England in 2021, he totalled four sacks in his first two NFL seasons.
After his breakout 2023 season, the Patriots rewarded Barmore with a four-year contract extension worth up to $92 million on April 29.
"While there is no current timetable for his return, we know Christian is getting tremendous care and we look forward to his full recovery," the Patriots said in a statement.
Andy Murray says he is proud of his double's comeback with Dan Evans after admitting it was a new career experience having to save five match points.
Team GB looked set to crash out of the Olympics in the first round, but a thrilling match instead saw them prevail 2-6 7-6 (7-5) 11-9 against Japan's Kei Nishikori and Taro Daniels.
Having already forced a tie-break in the second set, Murray and Evans had to dig deep once again in the decider after going 9-4 down, and remarkably saved five match points before booking their place in the next round.
Murray, who is set to retire at the end of the Olympics, lauded Evans for the part he played in the dramatic fightback that has prolonged his career by at least one more match.
"I don't think I've saved five match points in a row – in singles it's almost impossible to do that, so I don't think I've ever done that before," Murray said after their win.
"It's probably up there in terms of comebacks – probably the way we were playing to that stage would have not suggested we were able to come back.
"In my career, I've turned around a lot of matches I've looked unlikely to win or people thought I shouldn't have won - at times I've had that mental toughness, strength that was at times early on in my career was questioned.
"I'm really proud of that - I always try my best to fight and figure out ways to come through. I certainly couldn't have done that on my own today – as a team, Evo played his part in that.
"Evo has shown that before and helped me big time today. We both served well, came up with some great returns, and it was a brilliant turnaround."
Murray and Evans will face either Belgium's Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen or France's Arthur Fils and Ugo Humbert in the next round.
George Russell has been disqualified from the Belgian Grand Prix after his car was found to be underweight, with Lewis Hamilton inheriting his win.
Russell had pulled off a remarkable victory from sixth on the grid with a one-stop strategy, beating Lewis Hamilton, who had led for most of the race, by half a second.
However, the 26-year-old's car failed a post-race weight check, with a report later confirming that while the car had initially been compliant with the minimum weight, 2.8 litres of fuel were then removed.
That, coupled with Russell's one-stop strategy that saw his hard tyres worn down, took him 1.5 kilograms below the weight limit.
Mercedes told stewards that "there were no mitigating circumstances and that it was a genuine error by the team" after the findings were revealed.
As a result, Hamilton has his second win of the season, three weeks on from his British Grand Prix triumph at the start of the month, and the 105th in his career.
Oscar Piastri moved up to P2, while Charles Leclerc took P3.
An official statement from team principal Toto Wolff following the verdict read: "We have to take our disqualification on the chin.
"We have clearly made a mistake and need to ensure we learn from it. We will go away, evaluate what happened and understand what went wrong. To lose a 1-2 is frustrating, and we can only apologise to George, who drove such a strong race.
"Lewis is, of course, promoted to P1; he was the fastest guy on the two-stop and is a deserving winner.
"Despite the disqualification, there are many positives we can take from this weekend. We had a car that was the benchmark in today's race across two different strategies. Only a few months ago, that would have been inconceivable.
"We head into the summer break having won three of the past four races. We will look to come back after shutdown rejuvenated and with the aim of maintaining our positive trajectory."
Revised Top 10
1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
5. Lando Norris (McLaren)
6. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
7. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
9. Esteban Ocon (Alphine)
10. Daniel Ricciardo (RB)
Max Verstappen says Red Bull "have work to do" if they are to reassert their dominance of Formula One after the mid-season break, while Lando Norris rued some mistakes.
Verstappen finished fifth in the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, having come back from P11.
The Dutchman had qualified in pole, but had to deal with a 10-place penalty that was dealt his way following a collision with Lewis Hamilton last weekend.
While George Russell and Hamilton finished first and second for a Mercedes one-two, Verstappen missed the chance to become the third driver in F1 history to win four races in a row at Spa.
Indeed, he has failed to win the last four races, marking his worst run since 2020, and he knows Red Bull have to get back on track after a shaky few weeks.
He told Sky Sports F1: "If I'd have started P1, of course there's a much better opportunity.
"I was just stuck in the train, saving my tyres so I can't optimise the pace – the race was all about damage limitation. I knew that.
"They're ahead of us. Sometimes McLaren, sometimes Mercedes, I think we were faster than Ferrari but coming from P11, didn't have enough time to pass them.
"We know we have work to do, we want to do better, we're not satisfied, but everyone is doing a great job and you have to take your hat off to that as well."
Verstappen's closest rival in the championship standings, Norris, could not gain ground on the three-time reigning champion, however.
And the McLaren driver lamented his errors over recent races.
"The strategy was good, in the end it seemed whoever undercut more, won the race," he told Sky Sports F1.
"We did what we thought was best. The pace in the car was good. Maybe I could have been more aggressive but I was happy otherwise.
"I felt the pace was good, the few laps I had clean, or behind Carlos [Sainz] when he went long, the car went good, came alive a little bit. The pace felt better, I just couldn't do anything with it.
"From the team side, super happy. I just feel the last few races I’ve messed up a lot, and given away a lot of points."
Lewis Hamilton admitted Mercedes did not expect to finish one-two at the Belgian Grand Prix after a poor start to the race weekend.
Hamilton finished half a second behind team-mate George Russell despite leading for large portions of the race and was unable to mount enough pressure to pip him over the finish line.
Mercedes had struggled in the practice sessions on Friday, though they improved in rainy conditions on Saturday, with Hamilton finishing fourth in qualifying, getting bumped up to P3 after Max Verstappen's 10-place grid penalty.
In the end, it was the tyre strategy that swayed in Russell's favour on Sunday, as he made just one stop compared to Hamilton’s two.
After a poor start to the season, Mercedes have now won three of the last four races, and Hamilton is proud of how the team have turned things around.
"No, we definitely didn't [expect that]," he said after the race. "First I have to say congratulations to George and to the team.
"We had such a disaster on Friday. The car was really nowhere.
"We made some changes, hard to see what it was going to feel like because of the wet yesterday, but the car was fantastic today, and we really owe it to everyone, both here doing a solid job with pit stops and strategy, and the guys back at the factory.
"I was trying to get closer [at the end] obviously, but George did a great job going long on the tyres. Every stint I had tyres left, but the team brought me in, so unfortunate, but it is one of those days."
Mercedes are fourth in the constructors' championship on 284 points, 56 behind third-place Ferrari.
However, Hamilton believes they still have a long way to go if they want to be considered one of the contenders for it, even with their impressive recent form.
"No. That would be high hopes," he added. "If we can continue these kind of performances, we've had the last few races, which has been fantastic. If we can start our weekends better, hopefully, we can continue.
"I think the McLaren was very strong today, but we were just a bit further ahead early on. We've just got to keep pushing."
George Russell celebrated an "amazing" win at Spa in the Belgian Grand Prix.
Russell edged out Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to triumph in a thrilling battle on Sunday.
It marked Russell's second win of the season, as he became only the second driver – after reigning Formula One champion Max Verstappen – to win multiple races in 2024.
And a risky strategy that saw Russell only pit once ultimately paid off in style for Mercedes, who have won three of the last four races.
"Amazing," said Russell, who charged up from sixth on the grid.
"We definitely didn't predict this win this morning in our strategy meeting but the car was feeling really awesome.
"We made a lot of changes from Friday night and the tyres just felt great. I kept saying 'we can do the one stop'.
"[Oscar] Piastri did a really great job and also well done to Lewis – he really controlled that race and if circumstances were slightly different I am sure he would have got the victory but a one-two for the team was such an awesome result and such a great way to go into the break.
"Three wins for us now. I want another race next weekend. The team have been working so hard so well deserved for everybody."
Asked whose idea it was to go with just one pit stop, Russell said: "I was focusing a lot during the race so I will have to listen to the radio commentary back but it was a team effort.
"We rolled the dice but it was only possible because the car was feeling really great."
Mercedes chief Toto Wolff was thrilled the risk paid off.
He told Sky Sports: "It’s incredible. We were nowhere. We changed a few things on the car and today we’ve been clearly ahead of everyone.
"We didn't think it was possible but at a certain stage we said, let's stay out, because we were going to finish fifth anyway, both scenarios. He stayed out and in the end he made it last."
George Russell edged out team-mate Lewis Hamilton as Mercedes' upturn in form continued at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Like reigning Formula One champion Max Verstappen last year, Russell charged up from sixth on the grid to triumph at Spa.
Russell nursed his tyres for over half of Sunday's race but came in around half a second quicker than seven-time world champion Hamilton, who had started in P3.
It marks Russell's second triumph of the season, and Mercedes' third win in the space of four races.
Oscar Piastri, who won the Hungarian Grand Prix last week, finished third, ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who was unable to capitalise on pole position.
Indeed, Leclerc was overtaken by Hamilton early on, but the latter could not hold out as Russell's risky one-stop strategy paid off.
Leclerc did manage to hold off Verstappen, at least, who finished fifth as his attempt to become the third driver to win the Belgian Grand Prix on four straight occasions failed, albeit the Dutchman had to come from 11th, having been slapped with a 10-place grid penalty after clashing with Hamilton last week.
Lando Norris, Verstappen's closest challenger in the championship standings, completed the top six, but could not make any ground on the leader.
Data Debrief: Is Hamilton back?
It has been a long and winding, arduous road for Hamilton in recent seasons, but Mercedes have found their gear again, and even if he had to settle for second place this time around, the veteran campaigner appears to be close to his best.
He has now claimed three straight podium finishes for the first time since 2022.
His great rival Verstappen, meanwhile, has not won any of the last four races. That is the Red Bull star's worst run since the 2020 season when he went 11 without a win.
Verstappen needs a win, and quick, though he is 78 points clear at the top of the drivers' standings.
Top 10
1. George Russell (Mercedes)
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
6. Lando Norris (McLaren)
7. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
8. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
9. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
10. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 275
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 197
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 174
Constructors
1. Red Bull - 404
2. McLaren - 361
3. Ferrari - 340
In the opening round of the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-19 Boys and Girls Championships in Spanish Town, Jamaica, the Barbadian women’s team and the Jamaican men’s team secured victories on Saturday. Trinidad and Tobago's Under-19 women's volleyball team suffered a 3-1 defeat to Barbados, while hosts Jamaica's men blanked Aruba 25-21, 25-22, 25-20 in their opening match.
The six-time champions, T&T, struggled to find their rhythm early on in their first match of the preliminary rounds in Pool 'A' at the GC Foster College. The Barbadian team capitalized on this, taking the first set 25-17.
In the second set, T&T seemed to regain their footing, building a promising 13-8 lead. However, the Bajans demonstrated resilience, leveling the scores at 13-apiece and then surging ahead to win the set 25-21, thus securing a 2-0 lead in the match.
Determined to stay in the game, T&T mounted a comeback in the third set, winning 25-16 and reviving their hopes of turning the match around. This spirited performance extended the match to a fourth set. However, Barbados delivered a commanding performance in the fourth set, sealing their victory with a 25-13 win.
With this loss, T&T's path to the semifinals now hinges on their next match against host nation Jamaica. A victory is crucial for T&T to advance in the tournament.
Adding to the excitement of the opening round, Jamaica's men’s team delivered a strong performance against Aruba, winning their match in straight sets with scores of 25-21, 25-22, and 25-20. This victory set a positive tone for the host nation in the championships.
In other action on Saturday, the lone boys' match featured host Jamaica facing Curacao, adding to the competitive spirit of the championships. The wins for Barbados Women and Jamaica's Men have set the stage for an exciting tournament ahead.
Travis Kelce conceded last season took a toll on him, but the Kansas City Chiefs star is confident he can prepare fully for the upcoming campaign.
Tight end Kelce helped the Chiefs to their second straight Super Bowl triumph earlier this year.
The 34-year-old has spent much of the offseason on tour with his girlfriend Taylor Swift, even appearing in some of the pop superstar's shows in Europe.
However, now back at training camp, Kelce is not planning on slowing down any time soon.
"Last year was pretty taxing on my body," Kelce said after Saturday's session at Missouri Western State University.
"I've had more snaps than a lot of guys if not everybody in the NFL over the past five, six years, and I'm very prideful of that, but I know it has taken a toll on my body.
"So it's just making sure that my body's getting that rest and that ability to train harder and be able to withstand an entire 17-to-20-game season.
"This is my sanctuary. Everybody may say that is pretty gruelling, but I enjoy it. There's something about this place to get you ready every single year, and I'm not going to lie, I got pretty excited as the time started counting down to get out here and get this thing rolling.
"This is where it all starts. You can say it starts in the offseason, and yeah, you want to get that foundation set in the offseason of the leadership and the mentality and things like that.
"But at the end of the day, this is where you really find out what the team is made of, how you sharpen the iron, how your guys practice your practice habits, the attention to detail, and nobody does it better than coach [Andy] Reid."
Blake Snell struck out a career-high 15 over six scoreless innings and Patrick Bailey snapped a tie with a two-run double to give the San Francisco Giants a 4-1 win over the Colorado Rockies in a doubleheader opener on Saturday.
Snell struck out 15 of 18 batters and induced 30 swings and misses, one shy of Tim Lincecum in the 2010 NL Division Series opener against Atlanta for the Giants’ most since pitch tracking started in 2008.
He walked two and his 15 strikeouts were the most for a pitcher this season and the most for any pitcher in an outing of six innings or fewer since at least 1901.
Bailey broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh with a two-out, opposite-field double to the left-center field gap.
Matt Chapman homered in the second for the Giants and Michael Toglia hit a tying homer in the seventh for the Rockies.
In the second game, rookie Hayden Birdsong and four relievers combined on a four-hitter in the Giants’ 5-0 victory.
Streaking Padres roll over Orioles
Michael King pitched two-hit ball into the seventh inning and Manny Machado hit a three-run homer against his former team to lead the San Diego Padres to their seventh straight win, 9-4 over the reeling Baltimore Orioles.
King gave up two runs over 6 1/3 innings with two walks and nine strikeouts to win for the fourth time in five starts.
The Padres scored twice in the second on a two-run error by Ramon Urias and went up 3-0 an inning later on Xander Bogaerts’ RBI double.
Gunnar Henderson’s throwing error in the fourth allowed another run to score and Machado broke open the game with his 14th home run in the seventh off Cole Irvin.
Machado, who spent his first seven seasons with the Orioles, picked up his 1,000th career RBI on the homer.
Jackson Merrill drove in two runs and Machado and Bogaerts each had three hits for the Padres, who have outscored opponents 43-12 during their longest winning streak of the season.
Cedric Mullins had a two-run double and a two-run homer for the Orioles, who have lost five of six and 10 of their last 14 games but remain atop the AL East.
Yankees rally, outslug Red Sox
Austin Wells had a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the 10th inning and Gleyber Torres added a two-run double as the New York Yankees rallied for a wild 11-8 win over the Boston Red Sox.
Aaron Judge reached base a career-high six times, going 4 for 4 with his major league-leading 37th home run, three RBIs and two walks. Juan Soto and Oswaldo Cabrera also went deep as the Yankees snapped a three-game skid with their second win in seven games.
The game was tied five times, matching the most in the majors this season. New York led 3-0 and 4-3, and Boston went ahead 5-4, 6-5 and 8-6.
Tyler O’Neill hit a pair of homers and Wilyer Abreu also cleared the fence for the Red Sox, who have lost six of eight since the All-Star break.
The Red Sox were one strike away from an 8-7 win with closer Kenley Jansen on the mound, but O’Neill couldn’t catch Trent Grisham’s deep fly to left-center and the tying run scored.
After Wells’ sacrifice fly off Chase Anderson snapped a tie, Torres, who had been 0 for 5, doubled off the base of the Green Monster to score two.
Clay Holmes – the seventh pitcher used by New York – worked two hitless innings for the win.
Lewis Hamilton knows he faces "a hell of a fight" to hold on for a podium finish at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion finished fourth during a wet day of qualifying in Spa, but moved up to P3 after Max Verstappen's 10-place grid penalty after exceeding the maximum number of power units permitted throughout the season.
Hamilton secured his third top-three start of the 2024 season, while out-qualifying Mercedes team-mate George Russell in successive races for the first time this term.
It is also the fourth consecutive year in which the 38-year-old will start on the second row at this track, where he feels the wet conditions worked to his advantage.
"When it rained, I knew that we would have a chance of being at the front because those are my preferred conditions," he said.
"I think if it was dry, we would have been struggling to be in the top 10. I imagine it would have been tough. Then out there, timing was everything, getting out on track at the right point. I think we were a little bit too early at the end.
"We were first out, and that's when we used our new tyres, and then we didn't have any new tyres until the end and the three guys ahead did. So, a little bit unfortunate in that respect, but that's the way it is. But I'm grateful to be up there.
"The Red Bulls are much quicker than us here and the McLarens are much quicker than us here. The Ferraris, I think are there or thereabouts with us.
"Obviously, Max is going to make his way through because I think they are the quickest this weekend. So holding on to the podium is going to be a hell of a fight, but I'm ready for it."
Charles Leclerc was grateful for the wet weather that impacted Belgian Grand Prix qualifying as Max Verstappen's grid penalty handed him pole for Sunday's race.
Leclerc finished 0.6 seconds behind Verstappen at Spa, a stunning last lap of 1:53.754 seeing him leapfrog Sergio Perez into second.
That means he will start at the front of the grid at Spa for the second year in a row, with Verstappen taking a 10-place grid penalty after exceeding the maximum number of power units permitted throughout the season.
Perez will start second with Lewis Hamilton third, with McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in fourth and fifth one week on from their Hungarian Grand Prix one-two.
Speaking at the conclusion of the final session, Leclerc admitted the conditions had helped Ferrari exceed expectations but outlined his hope they can defend top spot.
"I definitely did not expect that this weekend," he said. "Obviously, with the tricky conditions, we could do something above our expectations.
"So it's a good day for the team, but now we need to focus on tomorrow and see what will happen when the rain is gone.
"Without this rain, probably P5 was the position we were fighting for with the Mercedes. With the rain, it helped us a little bit, but I'm not going to complain.
"I'm really happy, I'm really happy with the lap in Q3, and it's good to be back on the front part of the grid. Now we've got to finalise that tomorrow. Obviously, I'll try to keep that first place."
Verstappen also qualified fastest for the 2023 race in Spa, only for a five-place grid penalty to see him start in sixth.
He won from that position, though, and has 29 victories when not starting on pole – the fourth-most of any driver in Formula One history.
"I'm very happy," Verstappen said in his post-session interview. "The car was working quite well in the wet. I could just try to do clean lap times in the wet, which is always quite tricky.
"But tomorrow, of course, I know that it's quite a different day. It's going to be warmer, normally no rain, so it's all about tyre degradation. We just need to make sure we’re good on that.
"I know that I have to start 10 places back, so this was the best I could do today, and I go from there. I don't know how quick we're going to be. I hope we can be in the mix."
TOP 10
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
3. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
4. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
5. Lando Norris (McLaren)
6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
7. George Russell (Mercedes)
8. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
9. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
10. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
CeeDee Lamb has the sympathy of some Dallas Cowboys team-mates as he continues his training camp holdout in a bid to earn a blockbuster new contract.
Fifth-year receiver Lamb is set to make just under $18million in 2024 but is seeking a deal that would put him among the NFL's highest-paid WRs, with an annual salary of around $32m.
With no progress made in negotiations, he is yet to report to the team's preseason training camp, which began on Wednesday.
Guard Zack Martin and running back Ezekiel Elliott have both staged holdouts of their own in the past, the former missing three weeks of training last year before getting an adjustment to his contract and the latter missing the entirety of preseason in 2019.
That stand-off ultimately ended with Elliott landing a six-year, $90m contract that included $50m in guaranteed money, and he sympathises with Lamb's position.
"It's really tough because you go through your first three or four years and you guys are on the same side, and this is the first time that now you're going against each other," Elliott said on the dynamics of holding out.
"So, you've got to have a little thick skin. There's some little extra stuff that comes with it, but at the end of the day, we all have the same goal.
"The team understands that CeeDee needs to handle his business and CeeDee understands that he has the support of the team behind him.
"Just stay in shape, which it looks like he's doing, and be ready to go once the deal gets done."
Martin agrees Lamb will have no problems with getting up to speed when he does return, saying: "He's just got to know that everyone in that locker room has got his back.
"We know hopefully he'll be out here sooner rather than later."
Lamb had 135 receptions from 181 targets through the 2023 season, which ended with the Cowboys suffering a stunning wild-card defeat to the Green Bay Packers.
Both of those figures were league highs, while only the Miami Dolphins' Tyreek Hill (1,799 yards, 13 TDs) bettered his 1,749 regular-season receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.
It was heartbreak for Jamaica’s Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, Shanice Beckford, and Kadie-Ann Dehaney as West Coast Fever narrowly missed out on making the Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) League grand final following a nail-biting 72-73 loss to Melbourne Vixens in the preliminary final at the John Cain Arena on Saturday.
Fowler-Nembhard, who enjoyed superb form throughout the season, scored 60 goals from 62 attempts, including four two-goal Super Shot efforts, while Beckford scored four goals from four attempts, and Alice Teague-Neeld scored two goals from two attempts and three from the Super Shot line.
However, it was not enough to deny the Vixens, who got their goals from Sophie Garbin, who scored 40 goals from 40 attempts, and Kiera Austin, who had 33 goals from 32 attempts, including four from the two-goal Super shot line.
With the win, the Vixens have booked themselves a date with reigning champions Adelaide Thunderbirds in next week's grand final.
In what was a keenly contested encounter, West Coast Fever showed first, with Dehaney getting her hands onto the ball early.
The Fever defensive pressure suffocated the Vixens attack, allowing the Perth-based team to establish a five-goal lead before the home side were able to settle their nerves. The Vixens clawed back the deficit to make it a one-goal game at 18-19 heading into the second quarter.
There was nothing to separate the teams in the second quarter, as they exchanged 19 goals apiece in pulsating end-to-end action, but the Fever remained one-goal ahead at 38-37 at half-time.
Though the Fever upped the tempo with consistent defensive pressure at the top of the third quarter, they later lost momentum as the Vixens came to live and outscored their opponents 20-14 to take a 57-52 leading heading into the final quarter.
The Vixens maintained the momentum at the top of the final quarter and even extended their lead at one point.
However, with their usual never-say-die response, the Fever produced a late rally through Fowler-Nembhard and Teague-Neeld, who both scored a few Super Shots in the dying minutes. But too late was the cry as the Vixens held firm for the one-goal win and more importantly, gets a another shot at the Thunderbirds, who hammered them in the major semi-final.
Russell Westbrook has joined the Denver Nuggets on a two-year contract containing a player option for 2025-26.
Earlier this month, Westbrook was traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Utah Jazz, who reached a contract buyout agreement with the point guard.
Westbrook had long been expected to move on to Denver, with Utah receiving a series of second-round draft picks from the Clippers to facilitate the move.
On Friday, Westbrook was in Denver to put pen to paper on his deal, with his agent Jeff Schwartz confirming the length and terms of his contract to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The team subsequently announced the arrival of the 35-year-old on social media, with the Nuggets becoming his sixth team in the last seven years.
Westbrook will earn an estimated $6.8million with the Nuggets, who lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in last season's Western Conference semifinals.
In 2023-24 for the Clippers, he averaged career lows of 11.1 points and 4.5 assists with 5 boards.
He came off the bench in 57 of the 68 games he played, shooting 27.3 per cent from 3-point range – the second-lowest mark among the 226 players with at least 150 attempts from beyond the arc.
However, Denver believe the 2016-17 NBA MVP can still provide depth and ease the load on reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, who was named the league's best player for a third time in 2023-24.
Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers have agreed to a four-year extension worth $220million, tying him as the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history, according to multiple sources.
Love, who has only had one full season as an NFL starter, will earn $55m annually with $155m guaranteed and a $75m signing bonus, also the largest in league history.
His yearly salary ties him with Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence for highest in NFL history.
After finally trading Aaron Rodgers in April 2023, Love, 25, became the Packers’ undisputed starter. He struggled through the first seven games last season and Green Bay were 2-5 but he took off and the Packers finished 9-8 and earned a wild-card spot.
In the Packers’ final eight games of the regular season, Love had 16 touchdowns and one interception. In a 48-32 playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys, he had a near-perfect 157.2 passer rating with 16 of 21 completions for 272 yards, three touchdowns and no picks.
Love completed 372 of 579 passes (64.2%) for 4,159 yards last season with 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
His 32 TD passes ranked second in the NFL behind Dallas’ Dak Prescott (36).
All that production came while Love was throwing to the most productive, young group of receivers since at least 1970. The Packers’ 302 receptions, 3,642 receiving yards and 31 receiving touchdowns are the most by a team’s group of first-or second-year pass catchers since the AFL/NFL merger.
Green Bay also became the youngest team in that same span to win a playoff game with an average age of 25 years and 214 days.
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