A new lawsuit filed in Houston against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was filed on Monday, alleging sexual assault and battery occurring in 2020.

Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, released a statement Wednesday responding to the allegations two days prior.

“Deshaun strongly denies the allegations in the Jane Doe lawsuit filed Monday. We have asked him not to comment further while this matter works its way through the courts, but are comfortable he will ultimately be vindicated. We will be ready to defend this case in court at the appropriate time, but don’t intend to conduct our defense in the media. We would ask that people be patient while the legal process runs its course.”

The NFL and the Cleveland Browns did not release a statement. However, the league stated it would not place the quarterback on the commissioner’s exempt list, and Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski stated he would start Watson on Sunday against the Jaguars.

Tony Buzbee, who represents the woman in this case, did announce a statement later Wednesday.

“We reached out to attorney Rusty Hardin’s office for ten months in an attempt to resolve this case. We knew this case was the most serious and egregious case brought against Watson to date and our client, who is rightly traumatized by these events, wanted to attempt a private resolution.”

Watson had previously settled 23 out of 24 civil cases against him in 2022, but he received an 11-game suspension from the league. However, he has never been charged criminally.

The former Clemson quarterback looks like a shell of himself on the field, as he racked up just 165 passing yards on 45 attempts in a blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Watson received the only fully guaranteed contract in NFL history after the Browns traded an unprecedented six draft picks for him a couple of years ago.

This year’s March Madness, filled with upsets, shockers and Cinderella runs, is coming close to an end.

The NCAA men’s basketball tournament has now reached the Final Four, as two weeks of hard fought basketball had lead to three final games being played on Saturday (semi finals) and Monday (championship). Each region now has a champion, with Gonzaga (30-0) winning the West, UCLA (22-9) winning the East, Baylor (26-2) winning the South and Houston (28-3) winning the Midwest. These four teams will now battle it out to see who emerges as a national champion.

The first matchup, with a scheduled tip off of 5:14 pm on April 3, pits the No. 1 seed Baylor Bears of the South against the No. 2 seed Houston Cougars of the Midwest. The Bears have been dominant throughout the year, ranking within the top five in the AP poll during the course of the regular season. Despite falling short in the Big 12 tournament, they have cruised through the South region, winning all their games by nine or more points. They defeated No. 3 seed Arkansas in the Elite Eight, 81-72, to reach the Final Four. Led by strong defense, with an average of 17.3 forced turnovers per game in the tournament, as well as leading the nation in three-point shooting (41.1%), the Bears will be a tough out.

However, they go up against a Houston team that was top five in the nation in both offensive and defensive efficiency, the only team in the nation to do so. After a scare against No. 10 seed Rutgers in the second round, the Cougars have righted the ship and defeated No. 12 seed Oregon State, 67-61, to reach the Final Four. The Cougars’ slow-tempo style is also built to defeat a faster paced Baylor team. This matchup will be a very entertaining clash.

The second game, tipping off at 8:34 pm, is between the No. 1 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs of the West and the No. 11 seed UCLA Bruins of the East. The Bulldogs are the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, and for good reason – they are (until proven otherwise) the best team in college basketball. They chase history this season, as they remain unbeaten with a 30-0 record. With two more wins they would become the eighth ever undefeated national champion, and the first since 1976. The Bulldogs have shown no sign of weakness in the tournament, blowing out opponents left and right, capped off by a 85-66 defeat of No. 6 seed USC for the West regional championship. The Bulldogs have a stacked roster, with sophomore forward Drew Timme leading the way with 21.3 points per game in the tournament. Along with Timme are senior forward Corey Kispert as well as five-star freshman point guard Jalen Suggs. Coming into this Final Four matchup as 14-point favorites, Gonzaga will be the ultimate test for any team looking for a championship.

That being said, never count out a Cinderella story, and that’s exactly what exists in the UCLA Bruins. From First Four to Final Four, the Bruins have an impressive resume of wins this tournament, most notably No. 2 seed Alabama in the Sweet 16 (88-78 in OT), and No. 1 seed Michigan in the Elite Eight (51-49). The Bruins are led by sophomore guard Johnny Juzang, who leads all players with 108 points scored in the tournament. UCLA will look to keep the game low-scoring, as they did against Michigan. They will have to keep the high-powered Gonzaga offense in check if they hope to have a chance in this game.

With history on the line, major upsets still possible, and exciting matchups ahead, this should be an entertaining final weekend of March Madness.

Devonta Freeman begin Super Bowl LI on a strong note.

Falcons RB Gives Team 7-0 Lead vs Patriots in Super Bowl LI

The 24-year-old Atlanta Falcons running back made a 37-yard dash in his team’s first drive of the game to stun the New England Patriots offense. He then scored on a run after taking the handoff from quarterback Matt Ryan for a touchdown early in the second quarter to give Atlanta a 7-0 lead after a scoreless first quarter.

Freeman’s TD was a 5-yard run into the end zone on the first offensive drive of the second quarter.
Here’s a look at Freeman’s live stats from the Super Bowl:

Rushing

Carries: 6
Yards: 71
Average: 13.2
Touchdowns: 1

These statistics will be updated as the game continues.

NEW ORLEANS, LA – SEPTEMBER 26: Devonta Freeman #24 of the Atlanta Falcons reacts after scoring a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on September 26, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Still have questions about the 2017 Super Bowl? Here’s everything you need to know.

Super Bowl LI Info

Super Bowl LI will be held on Sunday, Feb. 5 in Houston, Texas. The game, which will pitt the New England Patriots against the Atlanta Falcons, will begin at 6:30 pm ET, and will air on FOX.

Country music superstar Luke Bryan is set to sing the national anthem before the game, while pop star Lady Gaga will perform during the halftime show.

Gaga performed the national anthem at last year’s Super Bowl. This, year, she will be joined by 90-year-old singer Tony Bennett during the halftime show. Bennett and Gaga have previously collaborated on a duets album.

A rumor began circulating that Beyonce would join Gaga at this year’s big show, as Houston is the “Queen Bey’s” hometown, although Gaga denied these rumors on Thursday. She praised Beyonce, however.

“She’s always very inspiring and gives great advice, she’s a very focused and genuine performer,” Gaga said.

Gaga also added that she might take a few cues from Beyonce, but that the singer won’t be on stage with her.

“I’m going to be taking the spirit of many performers with me on that stage when I go up there,” Gaga said. “I’m grateful to have wonderful women in this business that are supportive of me.”

Beyonce performed at last year’s Super Bowl halftime show alongside Bruno Mars and Coldplay. Coldplay was the headline performer.

Gaga also said there would be no wardrobe malfunctions at this year’s NFL championship game, alluding to the scandalous incident that occurred the last time the Super Bowl was held in Houston in 2004: Janet Jackson’s breast was exposed by Justin Timberlake.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPV3y-GAD8m/

The game will mark Patriots coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady’s record seventh Super Bowl appearance. New England last reached the Super Bowl in 2015, where they defeated the Seattle Seahawks, partly thanks to a last-minute interception in the end zone by Malcolm Butler.