Former NFL star Zac Stacy has been arrested after a disturbing video emerged of the former running back appearing to assault the mother of his child.

Stacy has been charged with two felonies stemming from the incident – aggravated assault and criminal mischief. The alleged assault occurred on Saturday and an arrest warrant was issued on Wednesday. He fled the scene following the incident and was not initially apprehended after his victim called 911 and despite authorities responding within minutes.

According to the report, Stacy flew from Nashville to Orlando on Thursday night with the intention of turning himself in. He was arrested by Orlando police without incident Thursday night.

According to the redacted arrest affidavit from the incident, Oakland, Florida, police responded to an emergency at the victim’s home, finding her to be “emotionally distraught with tears in her eyes.” The affidavit also indicated that her shirt was torn and that she’d suffered multiple injuries to her face, torso and legs, including bruises and scrapes.

The victim posted the home surveillance video of Stacy allegedly striking her on social media and asked that he be arrested. In the video, she said, “I don’t know why his friends are hiding him.”

The report shows the victim reported multiple previous incidents from August and September, indicating that this was not the first time she claimed Stacy abused her. Police reportedly were called to the same residence on at least two occasions, the first for a verbal dispute between Stacy and the woman and the second one involving a possible domestic violence incident.

The former Vanderbilt running back had been an ambassador for the TransPerfect Music City Bowl, but the bowl game cut ties with Stacy after the video went public. The Music City Bowl issued a statement Thursday:

“Based on the video and domestic violence report regarding Zac Stacy, the TransPerfect Music City Bowl has terminated the relationship with Zac Stacy effective immediately,” 

After an amazing season, Shohei Ohtani and Bryce Harper have been named the Most Valuable Players of the American and National leagues respectively. Harper earned the honor for the second time and Ohtani won it the first time,

Ohtani received all 30 first-place votes and 420 points in balloting by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

“American fans, the USA baseball, is more accepting and welcoming to the whole two-way idea compared to when I first started in Japan, so it made the transition a lot easier for me,” Ohtani said through a translator. “I’m very thankful for that. MVP is something I was shooting for. I think every player is, as long as they’re playing baseball professionally.”

Ohtani won AL Rookie of the Year in 2018 after leaving the Pacific League’s Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters to sign with the Los Angeles Angels. This year he became the first two-way starter in the history of the All-Star Game, which began in 1933.

Ohtani batted .257 with 46 homers, 100 RBIs, and a .965 OPS as the Angels’ full-time designated hitter, and went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA in 23 pitching starts with 156 strikeouts and 44 walks in 130 one-third innings. He averaged 95.6 mph with his fastball, 28th in the major leagues among qualified pitchers, and had a 93.6 mph exit velocity at the plate, which ranked sixth among qualified batters.

Harper received 17 of 30 first-place votes and 348 points from a separate panel. Harper overcame getting hit on the left cheek with a 96.9 mph pitch from Génesis Cabrera of the St. Louis Cardinals on April 28, a ball that ricocheted off Harper’s left wrist. He hit .211 with three RBIs in May, then went on the injured list between May 22 and June 5.

“I was, ‘Oh, I’m great. I’m fine.’ I’m pressing my face, `I’m good and I’m ok to get back,′ not knowing that maybe it was a little bit too soon for myself,” Harper said. “I had to take a break and understand that my wrist was still hurt, my face and my mental state probably wasn’t the greatest.”

He finished with a .309 average and 35 homers for Philadelphia. The 29-year-old slugger led the majors with a .465 slugging percentage and 1.044 OPS, tied for the lead with 42 doubles and had 84 RBIs.

Harper was a unanimous MVP winner with Washington in 2015 and became the fifth player to win MVPs for different teams after Jimmie Foxx, Frank Robinson, Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez.

“This one just felt a little bit different,” Harper said. “I think being a little bit older, a little bit more mature, being able to have the teammates I do, have the family now that I do with my kids.”

The New York Mets announced on Thursday that Billy Eppler is the team’s new general manager.

Eppler became general manager of the Los Angeles Angels in 2015, with Los Angeles plucking him from the New York Yankees, where he was Brian Cashman’s, right-hand man.

Eppler made some bold moves before being fired in 2020: signing New Jersey native Mike Trout to a 12-year, $430 million contract, giving the Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon a seven-year, $245 million contract and convincing two-way Japanese star Shohei Ohtani to come to Los Angeles.

Here is the Mets’ press release announcing the hiring of Eppler:

“The New York Mets today announced the team has signed Billy Eppler to a 4-year contract to be the club’s 16th General Manager.

Eppler, 46, served as the Los Angeles Angels General Manager from 2015-2020 and worked for the New York Yankees in a variety of capacities from 2004-2015, rising to Assistant General Manager, before joining the Angels on October 4, 2015.

“Billy has the experience, character, and respect of the baseball community that will allow him to attract the players and front office talent to lead the Mets forward,” said Mets Owner, Chairman, and CEO Steve Cohen. “He is a leader who has worked in two of baseball’s biggest markets and his talents and personality will move us closer to my goal of sustained success.”

During his time with the Angels, Eppler signed Shohei Ohtani in December 2017, agreed on a 12-year extension with Trout just before the 2019 season and tabbed Joe Maddon as the team’s manager during the 2019 offseason.

Eppler joined WME Sports as part of their baseball representation in September 2021.

“Over the past two decades, Billy has been a scout and an assistant GM. He’s also more than familiar with the New York Market. This uniquely qualifies him to lead our efforts going forward,” said Mets President Sandy Alderson. “He’s smart, he hustles and has a keen eye for identifying talent. He’s going to make us better. I am really pleased that we have someone of his caliber leading the Mets.”

“I’m so thankful to Steve and Sandy for what I consider an opportunity of a lifetime,” said Eppler. “We have a lot of work to do and will systematically begin to work towards our goal of building a perennial winner. I also have to thank WME for the amazing opportunity to join their baseball group, which is building something very special.”

Eppler was an Assistant General Manager with the Yankees from 2012-2015, served as the Senior Director of Professional Personnel from 2010-2011. He was the Yankees’ Director of Pro Scouting from 2006-2009. Eppler joined the Yankees in 2004 as the Assistant Director of Baseball Operations. While assisting General Manager Brian Cashman, his responsibilities included assisting with player acquisitions, roster composition & management, staffing & personnel and player contract negotiations. In addition, Eppler oversaw all phases and personnel in the Yankees’ Major League and Professional Scouting Departments both domestically and internationally.

Eppler graduated from the University of Connecticut with a finance degree in 1998 and began his sports career as an intern in the Washington Football Team Scouting Department. He joined the Colorado Rockies organization in 2000 as an area scouting supervisor in Southern California in 2000. Eppler was promoted to Assistant Director of Pro Scouting & Player Development in 2003, a job he held for two years before joining the Yankees.

Eppler and his wife, Catherine, have two sons.

NBA general managers are working to form a professional association that would collectively support executives with access to legal defense funds.

These steps originated in March and started before the investigation into Portland Trail Blazers president of basketball operations, Neil Olshey, and that situation has further convinced front-office executives of the need for such an association.

Portland’s internal probe has stoked fears that organizations can make decisions to fire top basketball executives for any number of traditional reasons, such as team performance, personality conflicts, differing philosophies, and search simultaneously for ways to pursue “cause” violations in contracts.

On November 6, the Blazers announced they’d hired the law firm O’Melveny & Myers to “conduct a fair and independent review” after a complaint was raised to the organization’s human resources department of “concerns around workplace environment by non-player personnel at the practice facility.” The firm has since interviewed dozens of former and current employees about Olshey and their experiences around the team’s suburban practice facility.

In the nine years of operation of the Blazers, the NBA has received no calls to the league office or its tips hotline alleging workplace complaints against Olshey. The Blazers’ human resources department received no complaints on Olshey until recent weeks.

Olshey has not publicly addressed the current probe into Portland’s workplace environment. The Blazers haven’t suspended Olshey while the investigation is ongoing, and he’s continued to carry out his duties running the team. Once the Blazers elevated the HR complaint to the hiring of an outside firm, the leaguewide belief has been that Olshey’s job and contract are in jeopardy.

Terms like “toxic environment” and “hostile workplace” have been reported by the media and felt to rival GMs as a campaign to trigger a firing for “cause,” presumably a tactic to set up the voiding of the remaining years and salary on Olshey’s contract.

That’s what worries rival executives and has hastened the urgency of finalizing an association that could help support front-office executives in situations like the one unfolding in Portland.

The Houston Astros have agreed to a one-year $25 million contract with right-hander Justin Verlander with the option for a second season.

Verlander won the American League Cy Young Award for Houston in 2019. He made just one appearance during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season due to injuries. He had surgery to repair an ulnar collateral ligament on September 30, 2020, and missed all of the 2021 season, his last before the end of his contract with the Astros.

Verlander rejected the Astros’ $18.4 million qualifying offer before agreeing to the contract with the Astros.

Houston acquired Verlander before the 2017 trade deadline, and he carried the Astros to win the World Series that year. He was named the AL Championship Series MVP by going 2-0 with a 0.56 ERA in the Astros’ seven-game series win over the New York Yankees. Verlander is a two-time Cy Young Award winner, also winning the award in 2011 with the Detroit Tigers when he set career bests with 24 victories and a 2.40 ERA.

The eight-time All-Star is 226-129 in his career with a 3.33 ERA over 17 seasons. He is one of two active pitchers with 3,000 strikeouts (3,013) in his career, along with Max Scherzer, who accomplished the feat this season.

With Verlander back in the fold, the Astros are expected to go into next season with Verlander, Luis Garcia, Lance McCullers Jr., José Urquidy and Framber Valdez in their rotation in some order. Youngster Cristian Javier could slot in as the Number 6 starter or potentially move into a high-leverage bullpen role full-time.

Verlander is attempting to become only the 10th known pitcher to successfully return after needing Tommy John surgery following his 37th birthday. Considering one-time All-Star Noah Syndergaard agreed to a one-year, $21 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday, the Verlander contract could prove to be a steal for the Astros if the future Hall of Famer is healthy.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf was ejected from Sunday’s against the Green Bay Packers game after he got into it with multiple Packers defenders, aggressively grabbing their facemasks. After the ejection, Metcalf was seen trying to stay in the game, appearing in Seattle’s huddle.

This instance came with 1:19 left in the game, so it was not an impactful ejection as the Packers were already up 17-0 on their way to a shutout victory.

Metcalf was ejected, Packers safety Darnell Savage was flagged for taunting, and Seahawks offensive lineman Jamarco Jones was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.

And on the next play, as Russell Wilson was calling the play in the huddle, Metcalf snuck back into the huddle, listening for the play, even though he had just been ejected.

Referee Brad Allen ran up to Metcalf and pointed to the sideline. That got announcers laughing in the booth as Allen forced Metcalf back to the sideline.

“Tired of losing,” Metcalf said in his press conference.

Seattle’s offense had stalled throughout the entire game against the Green Bay defense, and Metcalf’s frustrations had finally boiled over. He recorded three catches for 26 yards, totaling eight targets, as the Seahawks were shut out in Wilson’s return from a finger injury. Wilson completed 20 of 40 passes with two interceptions after a recovery that sped past projected timelines. Wilson added postgame: “I don’t think DK is emotional. I think he’s passionate.”

“I think as an offense, we just kind of struggled just to get the ball moving. Some throws were off, some throws were there. I know I had a couple of key drops that I should’ve caught,” Metcalf said.

The loss dropped Seattle to 3-6 on the season, putting them in danger of missing the playoffs. The Seahawks’ chance to rebound will come against the Cardinals on Sunday.

The prodigy son is back! Carolina Panther’s Cam Newton scored two touchdowns in his first two plays in the team against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

“No disrespect to them,” Newton said. “But I’m just floating at an all-time high frequency. It’s almost scary.”

Newton brought much-needed energy to a Panthers team that had lost five of its past six games and faced long odds against the Cardinals, who entered the day with an NFL-best 8-1 record.

He scored on a two-yard run around the right side less than four minutes into the game, lunging through linebacker Isaiah Simmons and into the end zone. He followed with a two-yard touchdown pass to Robby Anderson on his second play, which the two had worked on for the first time Friday.

“We worked on that a couple of times to get the timing of it down,” Anderson said. “We knew it was going to be there.”

Newton finished with 8 yards passing and 14 yards rushing. Those aren’t the numbers that made him the NFL MVP in 2015, but they were a good beginning considering Newton spent only three days on the playbook. These two scoring plays came in the same stadium where Newton made his NFL debut in 2011 after Carolina drafted him first overall out of Auburn.

“I was reading about Moses, and God spoke to Moses in the desert,” Newton said. “And where are we at?”

Running back Christian McCaffrey said Newton brings energy like nobody he’s ever known. Walker said he felt it, too.

“Just him being himself, him bringing the juice and energy he brings, it helps this team a lot,” he said. “It helps us all relax, be comfortable to play great football.”

Coach Matt Rhule wouldn’t say for sure that Newton would start, but added: “We brought him here to play.”

Newton made sure to remind everyone that he was grateful for the opportunity: “I’ll put it like this: This time last week I was eating a bowl of cereal,” he said. “That puts things in perspective.”

The MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes had an amazing game on Sunday, taking the Kansas City Chiefs to the lead in the AFC West division standings.

Mahomes threw for a season-high 406 yards and tossed five touchdowns to beat the Las Vegas Raiders, completing 35 of 50 passes on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada. The Chiefs then continued their win streak making it three-consecutive games.

“I think the whole team kinda got that swagger back,” Mahomes stated. “We are going to try to keep this thing rolling.”

The Chiefs beat the Raiders 516 to 299 in total yards and held an edge in time of possession of nearly 11 minutes.

Mahomes threw three of his five touchdown tosses in the second half and connected with Tyreek Hill for an eight-yard touchdown with 2:51 remaining in the first quarter to give the Chiefs an early lead. Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker made a 40-yard field goal 8:24 before halftime. Mahomes then connected with Hill for a second score about seven minutes later. That 1-yard connection gave the Chiefs a 17-7 lead at halftime.

Mahomes then orchestrated a 13-play, 82-yard touchdown drive to spark a run of 24 unanswered points. He ended that possession with a 1one-yard touchdown toss to Noah Gray. Chiefs safety Daniel Sorensen intercepted Derek Carr, the Raiders quarterback, on the Raiders next drive. Mahomes followed with a 38-yard touchdown pass to running back Darrel Williams 1:49 into the fourth.

“In this league, you are just as good as your next game,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “We are seeing it every game. … The parity in this league is ridiculous. You have to stay on your game and continue to work to get better.”

“I just really believe in our group. It’s a close group,” Carr said of the Raiders. “The things we messed up are so correctable. That’s what gives me confidence that we can do it.”

Carr completed 25 of 35 passes for 261 yards, one score and an interception in the loss.

The Anaheim Ducks’ executive vice president and general manager, Bob Murray, has resigned from his position.

The move is effective immediately, and Murray will enroll in an alcohol abuse program. The decision was made one day after the Ducks placed Murray on administrative leave pending an internal investigation into allegations of improper professional conduct.

Anaheim has not specified when these complaints were made, or how many people have come forward.

Anaheim’s owner Henry Samueli met with Murray earlier on Wednesday prior to news of Murray’s departure becoming public:

“First and foremost, we apologize on behalf of the organization to anyone affected by misconduct from Bob,” Henry and Susan Samueli said in a Wednesday statement. “We expect every member of our organization to be treated with respect and will not stand for abuse of any kind. We will now begin a methodical, extensive search for a permanent general manager to lead us forward. We expect to complete this process no later than next summer.”

Moments after the news was announced, the NHL released a statement, tying the investigation back to its hotline used to reporting such tips and details.

“We support the decision by Bob Murray to resign his position,” the league wrote. “While we understand that he is seeking appropriate counseling and treatment for his personal issues, there is no excuse and there is no place in our League for the type of behavior that was recently reported through the NHL hotline. We thank the Ducks’ organization for its prompt and appropriate response to the hotline reports. The league and its clubs are committed to a safe and welcoming workplace across the NHL and will continue to take any and all action to achieve that goal.”

Murray said in the team’s news release:

“I want to apologize to anyone adversely affected by my behavior. I vow to make changes to my life, starting with enrolling in a treatment program. I want to thank Henry and Susan Samueli, and Michael Schulman, as working for them has been one of the highlights of my career. As I step away from the Ducks, I will focus my attention on where it should be: improving my life for the betterment of my family and friends.”

The New York Knicks coach, Tom Thibodeau, benched his starters for the entire fourth quarter of Wednesday’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, over issues with the team’s performance; however, he dismissed the idea that they need more time to develop chemistry with each other.

“You know what they say: When it’s 10 games, they say you need 20,” Thibodeau said. “When you say 20, they say you need 30; at 30, you say 40 and before you know it, the season is over. So that’s a bunch of bulls—.”

Every one of the starters was at least minus-15 in Wednesday’s game, and only Mitchell Robinson finished with a plus-minus better than minus-20.

And now it is clear to see that New York’s starting lineup is not working. The lineup – Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle and Robinson – has played more minutes than any other five-man unit in the NBA this season. But it has been outscored by 14.4 points per 100 possessions so far this season and has a defensive rating of 119.3 – more than seven points worse than the worst-ranked team defense in the NBA this season.

Thibodeau didn’t play any of them from the 2:01 mark of the third quarter, when he took out Randle in favor of Obi Toppin, until the end of the game, instead opting to ride the all-bench grouping of Derrick Rose, Alec Burks, Immanuel Quickley, Toppin and Taj Gibson.

“Yeah, just they didn’t play well,” Thibodeau commented on his decision to sit the starters. “That’s it. We’ve gotta figure it out. And right now we’re playing well on the road and we’re not playing well at home, which is unusual. So we’ve gotta get that straightened out.”

“We were just searching,” Thibodeau said, explaining his decision to keep the reserves on the court. “Once we got the intensity into the game, got some stops, shared the ball, got some easy scores, got a good rhythm going, I thought the bench played well.”

The Carolina Panthers have signed quarterback, Cam Newton, back on the team two years after releasing him.

Carolina signed Newton to a one-year contract on Thursday hours after it was reported that the team scheduled a meeting with their all-time passing leader regarding a possible return to the franchise that drafted him.

Newton, who played for the Panthers from 2011 to 2019, has been a free agent since the New England Patriots released him in August. The one-year contract is worth up to $10 million for the rest of the year, which includes $4.5 million fully guaranteed and a $1.5 million roster bonus.

Panthers general manager, Scott Fitterrer, said:

“I always admired the competitor athlete. But really meeting him today, this guy is all about team. He was really an impressive person. He’s coming in looking to help us. He thinks he can put us over the top.”

The Panthers were in need of a starting quarterback after starter Sam Darnold suffered a fracture in his right shoulder blade. Carolina had to place Darnold on injured reserve, which means he’s out for a minimum of three games. PJ Walker is scheduled to start Sunday and Carolina signed Matt Barkley this week for roster depth.

The Panthers have just two quarterbacks on the active roster, which is why it made sense to give Newton a call. Walker has struggled when he’s relieved Darnold, completing just 3 of 15 passes for 33 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.

Newton is expected to start once he gets back into football shape, with the likely return in Week 11 against Washington.

Among the NFL records Newton owns, he has the most rushing touchdowns ever by a quarterback and the most games with a passing and rushing touchdown. Newton is second only to Michael Vick in career rushing yards by a quarterback.

The Panthers have bought the opportunity for one final tour with the 32-year-old Newton, which may be his final chance to prove he can still start in the NFL.

The Minnesota Vikings are investigating after star-running back Dalvin Cook was sued by a woman who alleges Cook abused her in a past relationship.

Cook allegedly attacked a former girlfriend, causing a concussion, during an altercation at his home last year, a lawsuit filed Tuesday claimed. Cook’s attorney, Dave Valentini, said his client was assaulted by the woman after she broke into his residence, saying in a statement Tuesday night that she later tried to extort him of millions of dollars.

The woman identified herself as Gracelyn Trimble, a sergeant in the U.S. Army. According to the lawsuit, she flew to Minnesota to break up with Cook and get her belongings from his home when things allegedly turned violent.

She accused Cook of giving her “a concussion, leaving a scar on my face and taking me through hell.” According to the suit, she used mace on him before going into his bedroom, grabbing his gun and calling a friend for help, leading the running back to attack her with a broomstick, she alleges. When she returned to Florida after the altercation, she told medical personnel she had been in an ATV accident after seeking treatment for the injuries.

The Vikings released a statement saying they “recently received notification from Dalvin Cook’s legal representative regarding a situation that occurred between Dalvin and a female acquaintance in November 2020 and led to an ongoing dispute between the parties. Upon learning of this, we immediately notified the NFL. We are in the process of gathering more information and will withhold further comment at this time.”

Valentini, however, said in his statement Tuesday that the woman allegedly used a stolen garage door opener to enter his home illegally and then attacked him and a guest there, using mace on him upon entering and forcing Cook and his guests to remain at the residence at gunpoint for hours.

No criminal charges were filed, and police were not contacted at the time of the altercation.

After Sunday’s upset victory against the Dallas Cowboys, the Denver Broncos have decided to sign Avery Williamson as part of their crazy rooster moves.

The Broncos announced the changes on Tuesday, elevating offensive guard/center Austin Schlottman to its active roster and signing offensive tackle Casey Tucker and inside linebacker Williamson to its practice squad.

The team also activated offensive guard Netane Muti from the Reserve/Covid-19 list while subsequently placing cornerback Michael Ojemudia and ILB Justin Strnad on that list. Denver also waived CB Duke Dawson and released wide receiver David Moore and tight end Caleb Wilson from the practice squad.

Tucker, who has never appeared in an NFL regular-season game, becomes the third tackle to land on Denver’s taxi squad. The 26-year-old provides theoretical depth as starting OTs Garett Bolles and Bobby Massie battle injuries.

Likewise, Muti and Schlottman will bolster the interior of the offensive line with LG Dalton Risner nursing a shoulder ailment and RG Graham Graham out for the season after fracturing his ankle. Third-round rookie Quinn Meinerz currently is penciled in as Glasgow’s full-time replacement.

Denver just traded former Texas A&M linebacker, Von Miller, to the Los Angeles Rams last week

This is also Williamson’s second stint in Denver this year. He spent a week on the Broncos practice squad earlier this year before being signed to the Tennessee Titans’ active roster. He played 22 special teams snaps in two appearances for Tennessee before they released him last week.

With the exception of any unforeseen lineup changes, Kenny Young and Baron Browning will continue to start at ILB for Denver. It’s possible that Williamson is promoted to the 53 with Strnad now sidelined, leapfrogging primary backup Jonas Griffith.

Last year, Williamson had 73 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 interception. So far this season, Williamson has not seen a lot of action.

On Monday night, the Denver Nuggets‘ Nikola Jokic and Miami Heat’s Markief Morris hit one another in the middle of the game. The incident stopped the game for a bit but prompted the NBA to take action against the involved players.

Jokic has been suspended one game for shoving Morris in the back. That means Jokic didn’t play on Wednesday when the Nuggets host Indiana. Also, Morris won’t be playing on Wednesday as he has a neck injury, diagnosed as whiplash.

Morris was fined $50,000 for his role in the mess, and Heat forward Jimmy Butler drew a $30,000 fine “for attempting to escalate the altercation and failing to comply with an NBA Security interview as part of the review process pertaining to an on-court matter,” the league said.

“It’s a situation that I think we’ll all learn from, not allowing emotions to get the best of us,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Tuesday, a few hours before the decision by NBA President of League Operations Byron Spruell was announced.

It all started late in the Denver-Miami game, shortly after the Heat ire was raised when no call was made after they thought Jokic fouled Bam Adebayo. Morris stopped play a few seconds later by intentionally crashing into Jokic from the side, a foul that referees called flagrantly. Jokic then blindsided Morris with a hard shove from behind. Heat players were livid at what they perceived to be a cheap shot from Jokic, and so was Marcus Morris — Markieff Morris’ twin and fellow NBA player.

Morris stayed on the ground for a few minutes before Heat trainers ran on to check his status. Heat and Nuggets players met in a scuffle near half-court. Referees separated the teams and ejected Jokic and Morris. Butler also received a technical foul for his role in the scuffle, but he was not ejected. Jokic scored 25 points and totaled 15 rebounds and 10 assists in the victory.

After a video surfaced this weekend showing cornerback Damon Arnette making death threats while brandishing firearms, the Las Vegas Raiders have decided to waive the second-year player.

“Very painful decision,” said Raiders general manager Mike Mayock in a conference call. “We spent significant time, effort and resources trying to help him in all aspects of his life. There have been a series of bad decisions over the last year or so, but we can’t stand, we cannot stand for the video of Damon with a gun, threatening to take a life. The content was unacceptable, contrary to our values and our owner Mark Davis has been very clear and very consistent that this is not how we will conduct ourselves in this community. The bottom line – the Raiders will not tolerate this type of behavior.”

Arnette, 25, had been on injured reserve since October 9. He is also facing lawsuits stemming from a Las Vegas car accident last October.

Mayock added that he had talked with Arnette, his father and others in his life, and “from my perspective, he’s a very talented young man with a good heart. He cleans up his life, I know he can make a living in the NFL. But not now, with the Raiders.”

Mayock acknowledged there was “significant concern” over Arnette’s character coming out of college, but the Raiders felt they could help him on and off the field and knew the Ohio State coaching staff well enough to trust its advice and take on Arnette.

“At the time, we thought it was an acceptable risk … after doing more homework on Arnette than anybody we’ve done in the years I’ve been here. And obviously, we missed, and that is 100% on me.”

The Raiders last week released receiver Henry Ruggs III in the wake of his car crash that claimed the life of 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog and has Ruggs facing felony DUI resulting in death and reckless driving charges that carry a possible sentence of 46 years in prison.

Ruggs and Arnette were the Raiders’ two first-round picks in 2020.

On Monday night, the University Of Washington football team suspended coach Jimmy Lake for one game without pay after he thrust his right arm toward and then pushed Ruperake Fuavai during a brief skirmish.

The episode took place during Saturday’s 26-16 loss to Oregon. Fuavai seemed to be exchanging words with Oregon’s Jaylon Redd just before the incident. Washington athletic director Jen Cohen said in a statement:

“Our staff has spent the last 24-plus hours reviewing video of the incident, as well as speaking with coach Lake, the involved student-athlete and several other student-athletes and members of the staff, and I have made the decision to suspend Coach Lake for next Saturday’s game against Arizona State.”

Cohen added that she does not believe Lake’s actions were intentional, but “we can have no tolerance for a coach interacting with a student in the manner coach Lake did.”

“I separated him. I did not strike him. I separated him,” Lake said.

Lake said after Saturday’s game that he did not hit Fuavai and was trying to get him away from Redd before it could become a penalty. He is suspended from all team activities for the week. The sideline incident and suspension come days after Lake was scrutinized for comments made about the recruiting against Oregon.

In response to a question about whether the two rivals compete for the same prospects, Lake dismissed Oregon’s academic credentials and said the Huskies “battle more academically prowess teams.”

Lake posted an apology to Fuavai, his team and the school’s administration on social media late Monday afternoon: “I fully accept the decision that was made. Our team has a right to expect better than what I displayed on Saturday, and I’m committed to doing just that — being better so our program will reflect all that’s good about being a Washington Husky,” Lake said.

Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors dominated on Monday night, as the Atlanta Hawks continued their west coast road trip.

After an impressive first half, the Hawks once again fell flat in the second half and lost 127-113, dropping their fourth game in a row. There are many takes regarding why the Hawks couldn’t continue with their impressive start, but in reality, the Hawks’ defense didn’t have an answer for Curry, as he had 10 early points for the Warriors.

Atlanta quickly responded with a 9-0 run of their own, calming their nerves and grabbing a 12-10 lead. Trae Young and John Collins both scored double digits in the first quarter. Young had 13 points in the quarter, including a pair of three-pointers and Collins finished the quarter with 12 points.

The Hawks continued to stay in a groove in the second quarter, and two back-to-back threes from Bogdan Bogdanovic gave them a 15-point lead. They continued to move the ball efficiently, attack mismatches, and play good defense. With that, they went into halftime with a 65-61 lead, and Young finished with 21 first-half points.

Sadly, the story of the season repeats itself, and in the second half, the Hawks stopped playing for the win as they went away from moving the ball, missing shots and settling on offense. They gave up 41 points in the third quarter, and 18 points to Steph alone, finishing with 42 points after three quarters.

The Warriors continued to bring the pain upon the Hawks in the fourth quarter and extended their lead to 21 points. The Hawks tried to fight back, but shots still weren’t falling, free throws weren’t falling, and Curry couldn’t be contained as he finished the game with 50 points and 10 assists.

After a hot first-half start from Young, he only scored seven points in the second half, finishing with 28 points and nine assists. Collins only scored one point in the second half, finishing with 19 points and six rebounds.

The Hawks will be playing the Utah Jazz this Wednesday night, we hope the Hawks can rewrite history and stop choking on the second half of the game.

Carolina Panthers’ edge rusher Haason Reddick called New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones form holding Brian Burns’ right ankle as the outside linebacker twisted to get away after a strip-sack “egregious” and “completely dirty.”

“Definitely thought it was a dirty play,” Reddick said. “I actually saw and witnessed the play while it was happening. At first, it felt like he was trying to trip or kick Burns. And the next thing you know I saw him tugging on Burns’ ankle. I thought it was completely dirty. Hopefully, it’s something the league addresses.”

Burns returned after spending time in the sideline medical tent, but in the fourth quarter, he had to again be helped off the field with an injury to the same ankle.

Panthers coach Matt Rhule said “a foul should have been called,” whether it was a personal foul or holding.

“I don’t want to call out any of their players or anything like that,” said Rhule. “I’m always gonna protect our guys, and it looked like it was an injury that happened after the play.”

The replay showed Jones holding Burns’ right ankle after the fumble and continuing to hold it as Burns twisted to get away and chase the loose ball. Burns lay on the field while trainers evaluated the injury before helping him to the sideline the first time.

“It seems they always are protecting the offensive players,” Reddick said. “There’s the protection for the defensive players as well. That was a call that shouldn’t be missed. I’m going to speak out on it, whatever the consequences are. It looked completely intentional from where I was standing, and I was pretty close. I don’t think that was a call that should have been missed.”

Reddick continued to criticize Jones, who was not asked about the play during his postgame news conference.

“I understand everybody is out there competing,” he said. “I understand everybody wants to win. I don’t think there is no room for that inside of the game. Everybody needs to be respectful, right? Nobody wants to see anybody get hurt. For no penalty, nothing to be thrown, it’s egregious, I think it’s unfair. I really do hope the league addresses it.”

For the first time since 1982, the NBA is not playing with the Spalding basketballs, this has caused controversy among players as they have been using with Spalding balls for most of their professional careers.

Everyone is having to adjust to the new Wilson balls on the fly, and it might not be going so well. Shooting is down across the board. Entering play on Thursday, the league is shooting a collective .343 percent from 3. That would rank as the lowest mark this century, and the league’s 44.8 overall shooting percentage would be the lowest mark since 2004.

Anthony Davis is shooting 15 percent from 3, Damian Lillard is shooting 23 percent, Bradley Beal is at 24 percent, Luka Doncic sits at 25 percent, Jayson Tatum 26 percent, Devin Booker 27 percent and Trae Young 28 percent.

The league worked closely with Wilson to get the new ball as close to a replica of the old one as possible, but it can’t be the same, and players are noticing.

“Not to make an excuse or anything about the ball but I said that it’s just a different basketball,” Los Angeles Clippers‘ Paul George said. “It don’t have the same touch and softness that the Spalding ball had. You’ll see this year. It’s going to be a lot of bad misses. You’ll see a lot of bad misses. I think you’ve seen a lot of airballs so far this season. Again, not to put any excuse or blame on the basketball. But it is different. There’s no secret. It’s a different basketball.”

Joel Embiid’s case is different, as he was shooting just 41 percent from the field entering the Sixers’ game against the Detroit Lions on Thursday with the lowest points per shot attempt of his career. Last season, Embiid shot 47 percent from the midrange, including 48 percent from the long midrange, which was a better conversion rate than Stephen Curry. This season, Embiid has fallen to 35 percent from the long midrange and 39 percent from midrange overall. He’s not outright blaming the ball.

There is still some adjusting to be done and until the new balls are broken in around the league, there’s no question it’s an adjustment that some players are making easier than others.

The 2021 Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners were announced, and to the dismay of fans, only two of the Kansas City Royals‘ four finalists brought home some awards.

Left fielder Andrew Benintendi and center fielder Michael A. Taylor, both in their first seasons with the Royals, secured their first career Gold Glove wins. Catcher Salvador Perez and second baseman Whit Merrifield were both nominated but both were passed over. Shortstop Nicky Lopez, who also had a great case to win his first-ever Gold Glove, wasn’t a finalist to be considered.

Taylor, who signed a two-year contract extension with the club, was nothing short of fantastic in center field this season. Not only did he lead all center fielders in outs above average with 15, but his 19 DRS and 13.3 UZR also topped everyone else at the position.

Benintendi was acquired by the Royals via trade from the Boston Red Sox in the 2020-21 offseason and despite battling injuries and inconsistency in year one with the team, he managed to end the season on a high note. In the field, he posted seven defensive runs saved and recorded six outfield assists from his spot in left field.

At spacious Kauffman Stadium, the Royals have consistently placed an emphasis on quality defense in the outfield, and Royals fans are undoubtedly used to seeing Gold Glove-caliber defense in left, as franchise legend Alex Gordon was one of the best defenders of his generation before retiring after the 2020 campaign.

The Royals project to have another impressive defensive showing in 2022, as the five key players are returning to the team. Top prospect Bobby Witt Jr. is also set to make his debut at some point, along with the first baseman Nick Pratto. Both players have been graded as great defenders for their respective positions — shortstop and first base — and could add even more stability to the Royals’ infield moving forward.