NFL has increased security at its offices following a shooting that killed 4 people last month
The NFL has increased security at its offices following a shooting last month at a Manhattan building by a gunman authorities say was targeting league headquarters. The league previously recommended enhanced security measures at team and league facilities. They will be reviewed at a special league meeting on Aug. 26. NFL employees are back in their offices after working remotely in the weeks following the shooting that killed four people and injured a league employee.
Jaylen Brown’s father arrested in Las Vegas in parking lot stabbing incident
BOSTON (AP) — The father of Boston Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown was arrested in Las Vegas and charged with attempted murder after reportedly stabbing another man in a parking lot. According to TMZ, Quenton M. Brown admitted dinging the victim’s car with his door when he got out of his Lincoln Navigator. An argument ensued and Brown stabbed the victim in the back and stomach, the website reported. Court documents listed Brown as an inmate in the Clark County Detention Center on attempted murder charges. A person with knowledge of the incident, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss it, confirmed that the man arrested is Jaylen Brown’s father.
Gymnast who sparked FBI sex abuse inquiry into coach tells AP she’s proud to come forward
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A gymnast whose report of sexual abuse against her former coach led to his arrest and an FBI investigation into potential misconduct at gyms in three states says she’s proud she made a difference. Finley Weldon spoke in an interview with The Associated Press about her role in exposing the allegations against Sean Gardner, her coach at a renowned academy in Iowa until 2021. The 18-year-old Iowa State University freshman says she “felt like I needed to speak out to stop it from happening to other little girls, so they didn’t have to go through what I went through.” Weldon says she’s going public because she’s proud to have come forward. The FBI arrested Gardner last week.
SEC approves 9-game conference schedule beginning in 2026, joining Big Ten and Big 12
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The Southeastern Conference is moving to a nine-game conference schedule beginning in 2026. The decision ends years of debate and potentially eases a path toward another expansion of the College Football Playoff. The change was approved by conference presidents and chancellors. It previously had been recommended by league athletic directors. The SEC has played eight conference games each season since 1992 when the conference expanded to 12 teams with the addition of Arkansas and South Carolina. The Atlantic Coast Conference still plays eight league games. The Big 12 and the Big Ten already play nine.
WNBA breaks single-season attendance record that had stood since 2002
NEW YORK (AP) — With 2 1/2 weeks left in the WNBA’s regular season, the league has already broken its single-season attendance record. League officials announced Thursday that the league’s 13 teams have drawn more than 2.5 million fans in 226 games this season. The previous mark of 2.43 million was set in 2002 when the league had 16 teams. It took the WNBA 256 games to reach the milestone in 2002. The popularity explosion in women’s basketball has fueled this record-setting season. It started with the college rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, carried over into their rookie seasons and has continued with the arrival of Paige Bueckers this year.
Northwestern reaches settlement with football coach who was fired amid hazing scandal
CHICAGO (AP) — Northwestern University has reached a settlement with former longtime football coach Pat Fitzgerald two years after he sued the prestigious school over his firing amid a team hazing scandal. His attorneys and the school announced the settlement on Thursday, however the terms were not disclosed. Fitzgerald sued in 2023 for $130 million after he was fired, alleging the school illegally terminated his employment and damaged his reputation. The case was set to go to trial in November. Fitzgerald says he never had any knowledge of hazing. University officials agreed with the sentiment following interviews with players.
Man arrested for WNBA sex-toy throwing at Liberty game, the 3rd arrest in string of disturbances
NEW YORK (AP) — An Ohio man has been arrested for the throwing of a sex toy at a WNBA game in New York. It’s the latest development in a string of disturbances where similar toys were tossed at WNBA games across the country, resulting in at least three arrests. New York police told The Associated Press that Charles Burgess from Dayton, Ohio, was arrested Wednesday for allegedly throwing an object at the Dallas Wings vs. New York Liberty game on Aug. 5. The object hit a 12-year-old girl and Burgess was charged with two counts of assault. Burgess’ lawyer said his client surrendered himself and pleaded not guilty.
Alcaraz and Djokovic could get early US Open tests. Venus Williams draws No. 11 seed Muchova
NEW YORK (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will face potential difficult American opponents when they begin their quest for another U.S. Open title. Venus Williams, meanwhile, returns to the event at age 45 against No. 11 seed Karolina Muchova, a past French Open finalist who has reached the semifinals in New York the past two years. That was one of the early highlight matches after the draws were conducted Thursday for the men’s and women’s singles tournaments. Those begin Sunday, a day earlier than in the past. Alcaraz, the No. 2 seed, starts against Reilly Opelka. Djokovic will face Learner Tien, who made to the fourth round at this year’s Australian Open.
Women are flocking to DC for a historic pro baseball tryout. Here are some players to know
Hundreds of women will flock to Washington on Friday to take their first swings at turning pro baseball dreams into reality. Some at the historic tryout will be seasoned veterans and trailblazers in the women’s game. Plenty others are beginners chasing a shot at the pros. They’ll meet on the same field in a camp organized by the Women’s Pro Baseball League. Set to debut next year, the league is holding the first pro women’s baseball tryouts in more than 80 years this weekend in partnership with Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals. The U.S. hasn’t had a pro women’s league since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League — the one immortalized in “A League of Their Own” — dissolved in 1954.
In softball and baseball, girls are getting more visibility at the Little League World Series
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — Little League runs World Series tournaments for baseball and softball, and girls are attracting more attention at both this year. On the baseball side, Monica Arcuri from Australia became the 24th girl to play in baseball’s Little League World Series and the 11th to get a hit in Williamsport. It’s the sixth straight LLWS to include a female player. Meanwhile, the Little League Softball World Series in Greenville, North Carolina, set attendance and viewership records. The game averaged 1.44 million viewers on ABC, making it the most-watched Little League softball game ever.
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