Tasmania understanding persistent pain

Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports The AFC South figures to be an interesting division to watch in 2022. We have two potential contenders in the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans , and then two rebuilding teams in the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans . Still, with how crazy this offseason has been, there's no telling who could end up on top in the AFC South. All four teams will be forced to answer burning questions in 2022 -- answers that could decide how the season pans out. Is Davis Mills a franchise quarterback? Can Jonathan Taylor and Derrick Henry carry their respective offenses? How quickly can Doug Pederson get the Jaguars back on track? Let's examine four more burning questions in the AFC South. Texans: Is Lovie Smith the guy? Deshaun Watson is gone, and now it's time to focus on the rebuild in Houston. The Texans have shown by the decisions they have made in free agency over the past two offseasons that they are going to complete the rebuild … [Read more...] about AFC South burning questions: How much of an upgrade is Matt Ryan? Can Ryan Tannehill bounce back?

Rafael Nadal has his work cut out to win a record-extending 14th French Open title. Nadal, seeded fifth at Roland Garros, entered as the joint third favorite behind defending champion Novak Djokovic and Spanish 19-year-old phenom Carlos Alcaraz . Nadal, who could play top-ranked Djokovic in the quarterfinals and Alcaraz in the semifinals, had the same odds as Stefanos Tsitsipas , according to PointsBet Sportsbook. The 35-year-old Spaniard is bidding to break 1972 French Open champion Andres Gimeno ‘s record as the oldest singles champion in Paris. But he most overcome persistent foot pain that impacted his lead-up, which for the first time since 2015 included no titles in the early spring clay-court season. FRENCH OPEN DRAWS: Men | Women | TV Schedule Enter Djokovic, who returned from his Australian Open ordeal to win the most recent significant clay tournament in Rome last week. The Serb bids to match Nadal’s male record 21 Grand Slam singles titles. Then … [Read more...] about 2022 French Open men’s singles draw, results – Roland Garros

Unstoppable world number one Iga Swiatek racked up her 30th successive victory at the French Open on Thursday as Karolina Pliskova became the sixth top 10 women's seed to exit Roland Garros when she was knocked out by world number 227 Leolia Jeanjean. Swiatek swept past Alison Riske of the United States 6-0, 6-2 to reach the third round. The 2020 champion in Paris is on the best streak since Serena Williams's 34-match winning run in 2013 and goes on to face Danka Kovinic of Montenegro for a place in the last 16. Swiatek raced through the first set against 43rd-ranked Riske in just 21 minutes and was 3-0 up in the second before the American avoided a 'double bagel'. The Pole still managed to take her record of 6-0 sets in 2022 to a season-leading 15. "I'm pretty happy to play some solid tennis," said Swiatek. Eighth-seeded Pliskova, last year's Wimbledon runner-up and a semi-finalist in Paris in 2017, lost 6-2, 6-2 to 26-year-old Jeanjean who cut her teeth as a leading college … [Read more...] about Iga Swiatek Races To 30th Successive Win As Daniil Medvedev Cruises At French Open | Tennis News

Getty Looking around Rio Tinto Stadium at 16, Andrew Brody's dream was to play for the senior team and lead them to silverware. He's living part of that dream now playing left back with Real Salt Lake while they sit fourth in the Western Conference but it didn't come without a stop in Austria, taking up a job as an Uber driver and almost completely retiring from the sport along the way. Brody's fascinating story began fresh out of college at the University of Louisville and under the Real Salt Lake system with the Real Monarchs, their then-USL Championship affiliate. It proved to be a solid place to hone in his skills as a young player with regular minutes, all while getting a whiff of what life is like playing against pros. But when the path to the senior team under their pipeline didn't seem realistic, Brody began to survey his options. After four years with the Monarchs, Brody became an Uber driver on the side as a part-time hustle as he figured out his future plans. That's … [Read more...] about How a 12-month loan in the Austrian third division turned Andrew Brody’s Real Salt Lake career around

Trading card lawsuits aside , CeeDee Lamb is a headline item for the Dallas Cowboys . The latter was true prior to the 2022 decision to trade four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns and then losing Cedrick Wilson Jr. to the Miami Dolphins in NFL free agency, but it's even more true after those two events. That's because even with the re-signing of Michael Gallup to a five-year deal, and particularly assuming Gallup could miss the start of the season in his recovery from a torn ACL, it's truly Lamb's show in the receiver room. Never one to shy away from the challenge, Lamb spoke with media from the first week of Cowboys OTAs to explain his thought process on what he's now inherited from Cooper. "Most importantly just stepping up regardless of any situation, first down, second down, just always being that guy that everybody can count on, and by everyone I mean everyone in this locker room," Lamb said Wednesday. "I want to be accounted … [Read more...] about Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb excited about stepping into role as WR1 for Dallas: ‘I want to be that guy’

Getty Images The 2022 French Open begins in less than two weeks, giving Rafael Nadal -- who's won the tournament a record 13 times -- a chance to add a 22nd Grand Slam title. A nagging foot injury, however, could make this trip to Roland Garros more arduous than usual for the world's No. 4 ranked men's singles player. Nadal, who looked rejuvenated when he won the Australian Open in January , is still battling the chronic foot pain that forced him to miss extended time last season. The 35-year-old first sustained the injury in 2005 , and it reared its head most recently and glaringly in his third-round loss to Denis Shapovalov at the Italian Open on Thursday. "Unfortunately, my day-by-day is difficult, honestly," Nadal said after the match , per CNN. "Even like this, I am trying hard ... it can be frustrating that a lot of days I can't practice the proper way." Nadal described himself as a "player living with an injury" after the Shapovalov match. He expressed a … [Read more...] about French Open 2022: Rafael Nadal is still battling ‘chronic’ foot injury, will bring doctor to Roland Garros

Getty Images Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing war between the two nations has affected sports heavily. A number of tournaments and governing bodies have imposed sweeping bans on Russian and Belarusian players -- chief among them being Wimbledon . Tennis star Daniil Medvedev, who is Russian, has broken his silence on the matter. Speaking to Russian news agency TASS , Medvedev expressed his disappointment with being banned from competing at Wimbledon. Medvedev, the No. 2-ranked player in the world, has been forbidden from competing at Wimbledon along with all other Russian and Belarusian players. Here's what he said: "On the one hand, I can understand (the decision) and, on the other, I find it unfair. This is a delicate situation because it sets a precedent and puts other sports competitions in an uncomfortable position. Where is the line? What are the rules that should lead to a possible exclusion?" Medvedev noted that under the law, tennis players … [Read more...] about Daniil Medvedev breaks silence on Wimbledon banning Russian and Belarusian players

Getty Images The "Moneyball" concept, which was employed by the Oakland Athletics in the early 2000s, was a revelation that eventually was written about in book and turned into a movie. Hall of Fame slugger Jeff Bagwell, who was serving as a color commentator for the Houston Astros ' broadcast on Tuesday, revealed that he isn't exactly the biggest fan of the concept and movie. "I just think Moneyball is a farce," Bagwell said . "They had the three best pitchers in baseball. You could've stuck anybody out there. My son's 15-year-old team could have been out there with those three pitchers." Jeff Bagwell...not a fan of Moneyball pic.twitter.com/3l6jAelVh8 — Brandon Contes (@BrandonContes) May 25, 2022 What Bagwell is referencing is the A's having Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito in their starting rotation in the early 2000s. All three were premier pitchers in baseball at the time, and at points all held sub-4.00 ERAs. Bagwell made it clear that he … [Read more...] about Jeff Bagwell, Astros legend and MLB Hall of Famer, calls ‘Moneyball’ a ‘farce

Getty Images A Miami legend is coming home to "The U." Alonzo Highsmith, a Hurricanes great from 1983-1986, is returning to the program as the general manager of football operations, first-year coach Mario Cristobal announced Thursday . Highsmith is expected to work with Cristobal in various off-field support capacities. Among them will be scouting, roster assessment and NFL relations. "Alonzo is a true Miami Hurricane," said Cristobal in a statement. "He understands the commitment and sacrifice it takes to be a champion on and off the field. His tremendous passion for the University of Miami and this city is unparalleled. Alonzo brings experience as a student-athlete, a first-round NFL draft pick and an NFL executive. He shares our vision for the trajectory and the culture of this football program, and his knowledge and experience will allow him to make a positive and powerful impact on our program and community. I am fired up to welcome home another Miami Hurricane!" … [Read more...] about Miami hires program legend Alonzo Highsmith as general manager of football operations for Mario Cristobal

Getty Images Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson has released a statement after being suspended for the "disrespectful" comments he made to Tim Anderson of the White Sox last weekend. Donaldson called Anderson, "Jackie," a reference to Jackie Robinson and what Donaldson initially claimed was an inside joke. Donaldson was suspended one game and fined by MLB . On Thursday, he said the exchange was a "misunderstanding" and that he "absolutely meant no disrespect." He also apologized to Rachel Robinson, Jackie's widow, and the rest of the Robinson family. Here's Donaldson's full statement: First and foremost, I have the utmost respect for what Tim Anderson brings to the game of baseball. I stated over the weekend that I apologized for offending Tim and that it was a misunderstanding based on multiple exchanges between us over the years. My view of that exchange hasn't changed and I absolutely meant no disrespect. In the past, it had never been an issue and now that it … [Read more...] about Yankees’ Josh Donaldson issues statement after suspension for ‘Jackie’ comment to Tim Anderson